Psychokinesis [2018]

Deciding to watch some Korean movie in Netflix as it is free with Jio Postpaid plans, Google suggested Psychokinesis under best Korean movies in Netflix with 80% rated Fresh in rottentomatoes.com and 5.9 in IMDb.

Psychokinesis starts by showing Roo-mi as a successful fried chicken restaurant owner along with her mother as her father had abandonded them when she was 2 years old. Her restaurant along with other shops and eateries in the neighbourhood has been planned to be demolished by a construction company in order to build a large shopping center.  All the owners join together and refuse to be evicted so the construction company hires local goons.  One night, when the thugs forcibly evicts Roo-mi, her mother gets wounded in the head by the thugs.  In the hospital, Roo-mi's mother dies and at the same time, a meteor hits the earth.  The meteor substance gets mixed in a mountain spring from which Seok, Roo-mi's father drinks gaining telekinetic powers.

Roo-mi calls her father to inform him about her's mother death and Seok visits her and gets to know about the fight between shop owners and the construction company.  How he uses his powers to safe his daughter and the other shop owners from the construction company is the rest of the story.

What appealed to me in this movie is the exhibition of the super powers.  In other superhero movies like Avengers, where the super powers are used to save the world from annihilation, here the superhero with his limited knowledge of his super power uses to save his daughter and thereby the other shop owners.  Even with the super power, the director has portrayed the hero as an average human being who still abides by the law utlimately.  In the scene, where the construction owner confronts Seok and mocks his powers and his daughter, one may expect the hero to do something to hurt the construction owner.  However, he does not but only crushes her car completely just to let her know what he's capable of.

Next thing that appealed to me in this movie is the thin line that runs throughout the movie and binds the central characters: the father-daughter love between Seok and Roo-mi.  When the father explains that he chose to abandon them in order to protect Roo-mi and her mother, Roo-mi is not able to comprehend.  When Roo-mi explains how she felt when her father abandoned them, Seok is not able to comprehend initially.  In between, Kim an young attorney who supports the local shop owners bridges between the love between Roo-mi and her father is heart-warming.

With so much super hero movies in abundance like DC characters, Marvel characters, Glass, Hancock, etc, Psychokinesis is refreshingly new and different where the spotlight is less on superpowers and more on humanity.

Psychokinesis [2018]

Language:     Korean

Director:       Yeon Sang-ho

Writer:          Yeon Sang-ho

Cast:            Ryu Seung-ryong as Shin Seok-heon

                    Shim Eun-kyung as Shin Roo-mi

                    Park Jung-min as Kim Jung-hyun

Available on:  Netflix

India vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI 2017

I started to watch the cricket match when India was 163/7 and the target was 231 with 17 overs left. Though Dhoni was still at the crease, I felt the target could not be chased. On the other end, Bhubaneshwar was batting. I decided, whatever may be the result of the match, let's watch it till the end.

Every first ball of the over that Dhoni faced, he would take a single and rest of the 5 balls Bhuvi faced, he would defend without scoring any runs. There was no rotation of the strike. I felt that since the balls remaining were close to 100, the batsmen would have felt to keep batting till the end, irrespective of what may be the winning equation.
Bhuvi was timing the ball very good, though he did not score any runs. He either ducked or left the short balls or bouncers. Dhoni was always rotating the strike and let Bhuvi face most of the balls. Bhuvi had scored 9 runs off 40 odd balls and Dhoni had scored 24 off 32 balls when I started to watch the match.

As the match progressed, Bhuvi gradually started hitting the ball from defending. The scoreboard was ticking but slowly.
On of the highest point of the match was Dhoni's luck when the bails did not fall off the stump when it had missed the stump. From 163, they reached 200 gradually. It was the 36th over and last over for Siriwardana and Bhuvi was facing the bowler. Out of nowhere, Bhuvi hit a six. The last boundary was hit around 80 balls ago. With that boundary, India was touching 190 runs.

Where the match literally turned against Sri Lanka was in the 40th over, when Dananjaya who was the chief wreck of the Indian batting was introduced for his second spell. Bhuvi hit back to back fours in his over. With that India touched 200 runs, needing 30 runs off 7 overs. In the 42nd over, Bhuvi again scored two boundaries which helped India reach 217 and Bhuvi reach 47.
In the 45th over, India reached the target and won the match by 3 wickets with a record partnership of exactly 100 runs for the eighth wicket. This is India's highest partnership for the 8th wicket.
Bhuvi had hit one of the classy half-centuries I had seen over a long time. What a fine time to get his maiden fifty and that too resulting in a win. I had seen Dhoni calm over the years in these kind of situations but seeing Bhuvi as batsman being calm and composed to chase a stiff target under tight conditions was a feast.

Photo credit: The Tribune

கொலை

ஒரே அடிதான் அடித்தேன். தலை தெறித்து இரத்த வெள்ளத்தில் கிடந்தான். கொலை செய்யணும் எண்ணமே எனக்கு இல்லை.  ஆனா கோபம் வந்துட்டா என்ன செய்றேன்னு தெரியல.  ஆத்திரக்காரனுக்கு புத்தி மட்டு என்ற பழமொழியை பெரியவங்க சும்மாவா சொன்னாங்க. இன்னைக்கு தான் இந்த பழமொழி புரிந்தது.  நினைத்து பார்த்தாலே பயமாயிருக்கு. நானா இப்படி செய்தேன்னு எனக்கே வியப்பாயிருக்கு.

The Legendary of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

The last time I wrote about Sachin Tendulkar was before the World Cup 2011, asking questions why the Indian team, consisting of cricket gods like Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, was not able to win the World Cup Championship.  This time, with Tendulkar announcing his retirement, an article was published in the 'The Hindu' newspaper, last Sunday, under the Canvas section of Magazine supplementary, had made me write another post on the same topic. 

Titled 'The Man Who Became God' by L. Suresh, the article highlighted that only if Tendulkar had fans instead of worshipers  things would have ended differently.  The author goes on to say Tendulkar faced problems beyond his age and his failures on the field because he was elevated to a position above mortals.  Projecting him as god has ended up making him the target of critics.  The same critics were quite when Lara didn't pull his team when they caved in or when Ponting lost two Ashes series but did not spare Tendulkar as he was put both on a pedestal as well as a microscope.  Being elevated as god, it didn't matter when he took the team into the finals of World Cup 2003 but did matter when he didn't score a 100 in the finals.  It didn't matter when he, as the only player, notched up 50s and 100s but did matter when he didn't get his team to win.  The author ends the article by saying his retirement deserves better response since the question "Why?" cried out by half the population was drowned by a resounding "Why not?" from the other half.

As I read the article, I was wondering when was the first time Tendulkar was christened as the god of cricket.  I believe it was during the Coca-Cola Cup of 1998, a tri-nation series between India, Australia and New Zealand, when he scored back-to-back centuries, popularly know as the Desert Storm, helping India to win the cup.  It was the same time when Shane Warne claimed that he had "nightmares" at the thought of bowling to Tendulkar.  Tendulkar was credited for winning the tournament highhandedly.  Tendulkar's first century in that tournament helped India to get to the finals based on a better run rate and his second century helped to win the finals.

The next question pondered in my mind was why did we make him a god.  I believe it is not only because of his batting skills and his behavior.  I think it has been the culture of India.  Immortalization of a person has been the summit of exaltation for us.  Be it the field of music, cinema or cricket, we always had gods.  True to our worship, we had gone to the extend of creating clashes among us when one's god was compared better to another's god.  Even though it is humane that everyone has their own likes and dislikes, immortalization of their favorite heroes has always stirred commotions at a greater level.  I am starting to believe that whenever a immortalization of a mortal happens, there are grave consequences as an equal and opposite reaction.  Is it because the true Immortal does not have want any mortal to be portrayed as mortal that the consequences are violent, I do not know.

I agree with the author that if only Sachin's fans stayed as a fan instead of becoming a worshiper or let him remain a legend instead of making him god, I think maybe, he would have gone to bat without bearing the heavy expectation of the entire population to score a century every time  on his shoulders.  Maybe, houses of cricketers would not been destroyed after performing badly in a World Cup match.  Maybe, there wouldn't be a protest against anyone who has made remarks against man-immortalized-god.  Maybe, falling at the feet would happen only to the true Immortal and our parents and not any equally mortal man.  If only we had enjoyed any event as it is rather than making someone god, lives could have been better.

Image credits: msn.com, blogspot.com, mid-day.com

The Last Stand

Arnold Schwarzenegger does a lead acting role in this movie nearly after a decade, his last being Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.  I wanted to watch this movie long time ago when its trailer was released (movie was released in January 2013) but somehow missed it.  Only recently, I happened to watch the trailer again and so downloaded the movie and watched it.  The reason I wanted to watch it is because I liked Arnold's movies and the reason I am writing a post on this movie is because the way the movie was produced.  In the trailer, Arnold would come crashing on a diner's doors and the occupants of the diner would ask him,"Sheriff, how are you?" Arnold would get up with pain and reply,"Old". Though it was funny, I thought Arnold was cast according to his present strength and age and not as an invincible hero.

The movie was really simple and the action was sequenced well for a 65-year old character.  The plot of the movie is that a drug-lord escapes from the FBI, racing in a Chevrolet Corvette at incredible speeds and tries to immigrate to Mexico.  What stands between him and achieving his goal is the Sheriff of the Sommerton Junction city in Arizona.  Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Ray Owens as the Sheriff of the city and the city has only four deputies under him.  How Schwarzenegger defends the escaping drug-lord with his under-skilled deputies is the story.  There was no incredible or things-that-can-happen-only-in-film action sequences in the movie.  I was remembered of the Rocky Balboa movie where the coach of Rocky, when he decides to take up one last fight, advises Rocky that since he is aging he cannot achieve speed in his punches but can add power to his every punch and trains him for the same.  Rocky practices punching with holding heavy weights in this hands.  Similarly in this movie, Schwarzenegger is not fast as he used to be in his earlier action movies but his every blow makes the escaping fugitive land on his butts to the ground.

Another character whom I liked in the movie is FBI Agent John Bannister played by Forest Whitaker.  He has exhibited beautiful emotions - commanding when giving orders to transfer the drug-lord, sneering as a senior agent, surprising when a local county Sheriff ignores him twice, being satisfied that justice is served on arresting the mole agent and impressing when an ordinary Sheriff with his four deputies has defeated the escaping drug-lord.  However, every time the drug-lord wins over whatever obstacle the FBI agent places paints the FBI in bad light, earning sympathy for the agent.

I was surprised when I learnt who the director of the movie was, Kim Jee-woon.  He has directed this movie after finishing 'I Saw the Devil'.  This movie had extraordinary action scene as the cop would hit the psychopath serial killer with hammer, crowbar or whatever he gets in his hand that would break the bones of the killer and make him bleed profusely.  But in 'The Last Stand' there was nothing as such and the action sequence was really natural.  I believe the director has matched the action according to the strengths of the character in both the movies.  Kim Jee-woon has also directed the Korean movie 'The Tale of Two Sisters' and an American remake titled 'The Uninvited' was made.  This too had a brilliant story and screenplay.

I wouldn't say 'The Last Stand' is one of the best action movies but a movie that has a logical and natural screenplay and a must watch for Arnold Schwarzenegger's fans.

Fascination with Computers

To me, fascination with computers started when I was studying 3rd standard.  All computers were based on the x86 architecture and MS-DOS was the first widespread operating system at that time.  The computers were manufactured by IBM and the processor cabinet was not like tower type available these days but flat types like HTPC.  The cabinet was so sturdy that one can place the monitor on top of it.  The mouse was yet to be invented as MS-DOS was not GUI-based operating system so no pointing device was required.  The only pointing device I could remember in my childhood is the Light Pen.  Light Pen was the second best example for input devices next to keyboard in our text books.  I have come across this Light Pen so many times but have never seen a real one.  A fair imagination of the light pen I have is the Stylus that is being used in Samsung Galaxy Note.   I think the processor was a 16-bit processor and the speed of the processor was 5MHz.  The removable media that was widely used during that time was the 5¼" Floppy Disk.

WordStar was the word processor application, equivalent of today’s MS-Word.  Remember there were no pointing devices so navigation and all actions like highlighting, changing to bold and italics were all controlled by combination of keys.  To state a few, Ctrl + E moves the cursor one line upward, Ctrl + F moves the cursor to the end of the current line and Ctrl + G deletes the character to the right of the current position.  An expert in WordStar application is said to know all these shortcuts in those times.  Lotus 1-2-3 was the spreadsheet application, equivalent of today’s MS-Excel.  Internet was yet to become popular for common use and so no email client application during my childhood.  The programming language I first learned was BASIC which is an acronym from Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code.  It is a high-level language and the most common programming practice was to start every code with 10 REM.  REM stands for REMARK and the first line usually had a brief description of what the program is about.

The main source of my fascination towards computers was not these applications or programming language but games.  With a 16-bit processor of 5MHz speed, you could imagine how games would have been a thrill but you won’t believe that there was one particular game that was an obsession to me.  It is the Prince of Persia released

in 1989. I believe some of you would remember it or even relish those playing moments. The game starts with a story that a wizard named Jaffar takes hold of the kingdom of Sultan when Sultan is fighting a war in a foreign land. Jaffar takes captive of Sultan’s daughter and the prince, the protagonist of the game, must defeat Jaffar and free the princess. The player plays the prince role. The game is a 2D game and there are 12 levels in the game. There is a time limit of one hour to complete the game. Jaffar will appear only in the 12 level and in each level there will be spike traps, guillotines and swordsmen. In the first level, the prince has to get the sword so that he can fight the swordsmen and finally Jaffar. Defeating Jaffar will be the greatest challenge because he will strike you instantaneously unlike the obese swordsmen.

My best moment in the game is in the level 4 where there would be a mirror and the prince has to jump right through the mirror. The mirror would break to pieces and the prince will run through it but at the same time, a shadow of the prince will emerge from the mirror at the same time he runs through the mirror. It is the doppelganger of the prince. This is a plot device as the prince would be thrown in the dungeon because of the

doppelganger.   The doppelganger will appear in the level 12 where he will take a sword and will be ready to fight against the prince.  If the prince hits the doppelganger with the sword, he will lose one life and so does the prince.  If the prince pushes him down the floors, even then the prince will die. The only way is to make the prince put the sword and the doppelganger will also put the sword and then jumping into him, the prince and doppelganger will become one. And to solve this puzzle was really interesting. Since I studied in the same school where my father worked, I got easily access to the computers in the lab and this is how I was introduced to this game. I used to compete with the watchman at my school. He was a Nepali and he helped me to complete few levels in the game. Even though Prince of Persia has been upgraded into many versions, my fondness of the first version still remains the same as I had in my childhood.

These days gaming are becoming an addiction and cause for violence among kids and teenagers.  I have read news of gamer playing for straight 40 hours and end up dying, students becoming murders to buy PlayStation.  I believe a lack of awareness about gaming is the reason for this kind of news.  Though I was introduced to gaming when I studying 3rd standard, I was not overexposed to it because I had access to computers only in the free time of the school hours and this facility was available only till my 5th standard.  When I bought a PC during my final year of college, frequent gaming was only for a season or till I completed one game.  I strongly believe gaming should be part of education, causing an awareness of the pros and cons of gaming and regular surveillance from parents till they are matured enough to be aware of it.  As long as computers are existent, gaming will be an entertainment and fun to persons like me. 

Horror

Those of you who know me would know how much I am fond of horror movies.  I don’t know when this inclination towards the horror movies started but there are few things why I prefer horror movies.  It gives me a thrill to know what horror the movie has in store for me.  I ask myself questions like would I be scared by the events in the movie, can the filmmaker scare or shock me, how much blood filled gory scenes would be in the movie, what disgusting ways can the director have in the movie to create the horror and so on.  And as always, I watch horror movies all alone by myself in my bedroom; with the only light coming from the screen and with earphones plugged into my ears.  Ideally I did not want any light or sound to distract me.  Of the movies I have watched so far, very few have indeed tried to scare me.  To state a few horror movies that entertained me are The Descent, REC, Paranormal Activity, Saw series, The Hills Have Eyes, Wrong Turn, Hostel, and Resident Evil series and so on.

A recent Google search led me to realize when my fondness towards horror movies started.  When I look back, I believe that it should have started when I watched the first horror movie in my life during my early teenage.  The movie was The Evil Dead released in the year 1981.  One of my dad’s friends gave us the VHS tape of the movie and we watched the movie at night.  I don’t know if you have watched the movie in your teenage because I could remember how frightened I was after watching the movie.  I remember I was scared to leave even the windows open during the night, fearing the ghost would enter our home through breeze, because that’s how the ghost would travel in that movie.  Most of the times, there would be dead silence in the movie and suddenly a sound would be heard.  When the character goes towards the place from where the sound had originated, it would either be a branch striking the window or a cat passing by.  When they sigh and get relaxed, a horrible face would show up when they least expected them.  The high-pitched female scream along with the discordant background music would add more shock to the viewer.

This retrospection did not happen because of any horror movies I watched recently but because of a director.  Few weeks back, I watched the movie For Love of the Game.  This movie is a drama sports film and has nothing to do with horror.  I really liked the movie primarily because I liked Kevin Costner (liked him from Mr. Brooks movie) and the screenplay.   I googled to find who the director of this movie was so that I could check out his other works, it was then I realized that it the same director who did this movie was the one who directed The Evil Dead.  His name is Sam Raimi.

Yes, Sam Raimi is the one who directed the Evil Dead series.  He is also the producer of The Evil Dead movie.  It was surprising for me to know that Sam Raimi also directed the Darkman series.  Darkman series were yet another teenage adoration for me and Liam Neeson, the principal character Darkman series, was already becoming my favorite actor (also I liked Liam in Pilgrim’s Progress movie) by then.  To add more surprise, Sam Raimi is also the director of the blockbuster Spider-Man films.  And again he is the director for The Simple Plan, another acclaimed crime thriller.  All these movies, I enjoyed to the core.  Unknowingly, I have liked all of Sam Raimi’s works so far and I was really blown out of water when I came to know this.  So, Sam Raimi has become one of the directors whom I look forward to his upcoming movies.  Apart from directing, he has also produced horror movies which were not in his direction: The Grudge series, Boogeyman series and 30 Daysof Night to name a few.   I am yet to watch his supernatural horror Drag Me to Hell and I will not be surprised if I liked this movie too.  I am also looking forward to his movie, The Possession, directed by Ole Borndeal, after watching its trailer.

And for the final surprise, Sam Raimi has confirmed that a remake of The Evil Dead would be made in the year 2013 but will be directed by Fede Alvarez.  And to quote the voice from the recorder in the Evil Dead movie: “I have seen the dark shadows moving in the woods and I have no doubt that whatever I have resurrected through this book is sure to come crawling... for me” is an apt reflection of my expectation for Sam Raimi and his works.

தமிழ் மொழி - பாகம் II

அண்மையில் ஒரு தமிழ் பத்திரிகையை படித்துக்கொண்டிருந்தேன். அதில் தெரிவோம் தெளிவோம் என்ற பகுதியில் சில தமிழ் சொற்களில் பெயர் காரணங்களையும் எப்படி அவைகளை தவறாக அர்த்தம் கொள்ளபடுகிறது என்பதையும் கூறியிருந்தார்கள். அவை பயனுள்ளதாக இருந்தால் அவைகளில் சிலவற்றை இப்பதிவில் பகிர்கிறேன்.

சலம்
மலைகளிலும், அருவிகளிலும், ஓடைகளிலும் சலசலவென ஒலி எழுப்பி ஓடி வருவதாலும், ஒலி எழுப்பிக் கீழே விழுவதாலும் அத்தண்ணீர் காரணப் பெயராகச் சலம் ஆயிற்று. எனினும், நம்மில் பெரும்பாலோர் ஜலம் என்பது வடமொழியின் மூலச்சொல் என்றும், அதனைத் தமிழ்ப்படுத்திச் சலம் என்று எழுதுவதாகவும் கருதுகின்றனர்.

சம்பந்தி
பெண்ணோ, ஆணோ எடுத்த அல்லது கொடுத்த வீட்டுக்காரர்களைச் சம்பந்தி என்றே ஆழைக்க வேண்டும். சம் = நல்ல, பந்தம் = உறவு, சம்பந்தம் = நல்லுறவு, சம்பந்தி = நல்லுறவுக்காரர். சம்பந்தம் உற்றவரே சம்பந்தி ஆவார். எனினும், நம்மில் பெரும்பாலோர் சம்மந்தி என்றே தவறாக வழங்கி வருகிறார்கள். இதன்படிப் பார்த்தால் சம்மந்தி என்பதற்கு நல்ல குரங்கு என்பதே பொருளாகும். சம் = நல்ல, மந்தி = குரங்கு.

வெற்றிலை
வெறும்+இலை, வெற்று+இலை = வெற்றிலை. எந்த ஒரு செடியும், கொடியும், மரமும் பூத்துக் காய்த்துக் கனியும் தன்மை உடையனவாகவே இருக்கும் என்பது இயற்கை. ஆனால் பூக்காமலும், காய்க்காமலும், வெறும் இலையை மட்டுமே நேரிடையாகத் தருவதால் இது வெற்றிலை (வெறும் இலை, வெற்று இலை என்ற பொருளில்) ஆயிற்று.

வாழை
அந்த மரத்தின் பட்டை வழுவழு என்று இருப்பதால் (வழு-வழு-வாழ) அது வாழை ஆயிற்று. மேலும், நம்மால் ஓர் இடத்தில் ஒரு புதிய கன்று வைக்கப்பட்டால் அதுவே பின் தொடர்ந்து வாரிசு முறையில் இயல்பாகத் தனக்குத்தானே மூலமாகவும், முதலாகவும் இருந்து கன்று ஈன்று கொண்டே வாழ்ந்து வருவதாலும், வாழ்ந்து விடுவதாலும் அது வாழை ஆயிற்று.  நாம் தென்னையோ, பனையோ வைத்தால் நாம் வைத்த அந்த மரம் ஒன்று மட்டுமேதான் வளரும். அதற்குப் பின் தொடர்ச்சியாக வாரிசு முறையில் இயல்பாக எந்த மரமும் வளராது - தொடராது. ஆனால் வாழை அப்படி அல்லவே! எனவேதான், இது தொடர்ந்து வருவதால் - வாழ்வதால் வாழை ஆயிற்று.

மிளகாய்
மிளகாய் என்பது தமிழ்நாட்டில் அறிமுகமான - உற்பத்தியான பொருள் அன்று. உறைப்புச் சுவை உடைய இந்தப் பொருள் இன்றைக்குச் சுமார் 500 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு சில்லி நாட்டிலிருந்து முதன்முதலாக நம் நாட்டில் அறிமுகமானது. ஆனால் தமிழர்கட்குக் காரச்சுவை உடையதாக விளங்கிய முதன்மையான சொந்த உற்பத்தி விளைபொருள் மிளகே ஆகும். கார்ச்சுவையோடு வந்த அந்த வெளிநாட்டுப் பொருளைத் தம் தமிழ் நிலைக்கு ஏற்ப மிளகுக்காய் என வழங்கினர், இதுவே காலப்போக்கில் மிளகாய் (மிளகுக்காய்) ஆயிற்று. மிளகாய்க்கு ஆங்கிலத்தில் சில்லி என்றுதானே பெயர். பிறகுதான் மிளகாய் தமிழக விளைபொருளும் ஆனது.

சோமாஸ்
சோமாஸ் என்பது ஒரு தின்பண்டத்தின் பெயர் ஆகும். நிலவுக்குச் சோமன் என்ற ஒரு வேறு பெயரும் உண்டு. நிலவு வளைந்து இருக்கும். அதுபோல வளைந்து இருக்கும் அத்தின்பண்டம் சோமாஸ் ஆயிற்று. இந்தச் சோமாஸிலிருந்து வந்த புதிய தின்பண்டம்தான் சமோசா. ஆம் பழைய தின்பண்டம் - சோமாஸ்; புதிய தின்பண்டம் - சமோசா.

மூலம்: அணுவிரதம் ஏப்ரல் 2012

Mystic River

There are a few instances when I cursed myself for not having watched a movie a long time ago.  Today, the list gets one more addition.  Normally when you watch a comedy, you usually come out laughing. You watch a tragedy and you come out with a heavy heart.  You watch an action/adventure movie and you are high in your spirits.  And you have the feel good movies or movies that leave you with nothing or adds more to your boredom. You discuss with your friends or think to yourself, no this is not right, the movie shouldn't have gone this way or shouldn't have ended this way.  Or you say this movie is cinematic and has no credible fiction in it.  However, there are few movies which leave you stunned, just stunned. After finishing this movie, I couldn't think of any of these things. I did not/could not feel whether the justice was served or not in this movie.  I could not think of any else on the events took place in this movie or how everyone acted in this movie.  My mind was calm as a bomb but was on the verge of exploding and this blog is the evidence of the explosion.

I was becoming the fan of Sean Penn after watching "I am Sam" but now it is acknowledged.  The cold face he shows when Brendan Harris walks in his store, the burst of tears when he comes to know his daughter has been murdered, the emotions he hides behind his coolers while preparing for his daughter's funeral, the grieving father mourning the fact that he misses his daughter, the brotherly face he shows to his sister-in-law when she confesses about her husband's actions, the steel face when he avenges for his daughter's murder and the last not the least is the classic when he comes to know he had killed an innocent man with forgetting not to mention the carefree yet remorseful face at the end of the movie.  No wonder he bagged so many accolades for his acting and exceptionally apt that he received an Oscar for the Best Actor of the year 2003.

Tim Robbins would be loved by all movie freaks for his performance in "The Shawshank Redemption" and he does not fail in this endeavor too.  Though he looks calm, he has so much secrets soaked within himself and carries the face so lost by himself.  Sometimes looking nervous, sometimes looking pitiful but I wonder how he manages to be terrorized and terroristic at the same time.  An acting that makes you forget that he's acting fetches him the Oscar for the Best Supporting of the same year.  Kevin Bacon and Laurence Fishburne does justice to their roles.  And what graceful acting by Marcia Gay Harden.  All do their jobs so perfectly and flawlessly.

The movie has got a soothing hue or color throughout its lifetime that has a calming effecting on the viewers' mind.  The music is intertwined with the story and the closing music does not give a feel whether truth has triumphed or evil has been rewarded with defeat.  It is neutral and so I felt after the movie.  

All my astonishment and acclamation was floating in the mid-air until the closing credits came up.  I was made to shut up my mind and its astonishment and say 'No wonder, he was the director'.  And the realization dawned that only he could have directed such a movie, a realization that happened for the second time, the first time being after watching the movie Apocalypto.  Already a fan of his works, my favorite list of his movies gets one more addition.  Only this director knows how to shoot a drama with a script that has all the ingredients for a thriller.  This genre of directors show why they are the best in the industry as they can emphasize that human emotions can give the same thrill as any other thriller/action movies.

எங்கேயும் எப்போதும்

அச்ட்ப் ச்போயே அல்ப்க்ப் ந்க்கோல் ஒவ்ல்வ்னாவ் ப்ஜ்களோ க்கியல்ன்ல்ம்க்......அட தமிழ் தாங்க.  ஆனா ஒண்ணும் புரியவில்லையா? எனக்கும் அப்படி தாங்க இருந்துச்சி இந்த படத்தை பார்த்த பிறகு.  சாதாரணமா ஒரு அறிவிப்பு பலகையை வச்சி, "இது விபத்து பகுதி. மெதுவாக செல்லவும்"ன்னு போட்டாலே எனக்கு புரியும்.  ஆனா திருச்சியில் வேலை செய்ற கதிரேசனும், அதே ஊரான அவன் காதலி மணிமேகலையும், திருச்சியிலிருந்து முதல் தடவையா சென்னைக்கு வந்த அமுதாவின் மீது காதல் வயப்பட்டு அவளைக் காண திருச்சிக்கு வந்துவிட்டு சென்னை செல்லும் சென்னை வாசியான கௌதம் - ஆகிய மூவரும் வந்த பேருந்து, கெளதமை அதே நேரத்தில் சென்னையில் தேடிவிட்டு திருச்சி செல்லும் அமுதா பயணிக்கிற பேருந்துவோடு நேருக்கு நேராக இந்த இடத்தில் மோதிக்கொண்டதால்,  "இது விபத்து பகுதி. மெதுவாக செல்லவும்"ன்னு அறிவுப்பு பலகை போட்டால் எப்படி இருக்கும்?  இது தான் எங்கேயும் எப்போதும்.

என்னங்க தலை சுத்துதா? படம் போய் பாருங்க. படம் முடித்தவுடன், தலை ஒரு புறம் சுத்த, விழிகள் மறுபுறம் பிதுங்கும்.  படம் முடித்தவுடன், கடைசி படச்சுருள் போட மறந்துட்டாங்களான்னு யோசித்தேன்.  படம் ஒரு முழுமையாக எனக்கு தோன்றவில்லை.  எப்பவுமே ஒரு விபத்தை காட்டினால், அந்த விபத்தடைந்தவர்கள் வாழ்கையில் அந்த விபத்தின் தாக்கத்தைக் காட்டினால்வொழிய அந்த விபத்தின் பங்கு பெரியதாய் இருக்காது.  இந்த படத்தில் விபத்து நடந்ததை படம் துவக்கத்தில் காட்டினார்கள். படம் நடு நடுவேயும் காட்டினார்கள்.  படம் இறுதியிலும் காட்டினார்கள்.  விபத்திற்கு பிறகு என்ன நடந்ததையும் காட்டினார்கள்.  ஆனால் அந்த விபத்தின் தாக்கத்தைக் காட்டுவதற்குள், அபாய அறிவுப்பு பலகையை காட்டிவிட்டார்கள்.  கதிரேசனை இழந்த மணிமேகலையின் வாழ்க்கை அந்த விபத்துக்குப்பிறகு எப்படி மாறினது என்ன ஆனது என்பது என் மனதில் ஒரு பெரிய கேள்விக்குறி.  இந்த வகையில் எனக்கு அங்காடி தெரு படம் பிடிக்கும்.  அந்த விபத்தின் தாக்கத்தை எப்படி அந்த இருவரும் கையாண்டு, அதன் பிறகு அவர்கள் வாழ்க்கை எப்படி தொடர்ந்தது என்பதை ரொம்ப யதார்த்தனமாக காட்டியிருப்பார்கள்.

என்னை பொறுத்த வரை விபத்து நடந்த இடம் தான் படத்தின் கரு.  ஏன்னா, படம் முடிந்தவுடன் அந்த விபத்து நடந்த இடத்தில் மறுபடியும் வாகனங்கள் செல்வதையும், இந்த இடத்தில் தான் ஒரு பெரிய விபத்து நடந்தது என்ற அறிகுறி மெல்ல மெல்ல சாயம் போகுகிறதையும் படத்தின் இறுதியில் காட்டியிருப்பார்கள்.  அந்த இடத்தில் விபத்து நடந்திருந்தாலும், மீண்டும் அதே இடத்தில் வாழ்க்கை இயங்குகிறது.  ஆனால் நான்கு பேர் வாழ்கையை குறுகிய கோணத்தில் (narrow perspective) காட்டிவிட்டு, விபத்துக்கு பின்பு விபத்து நடந்த இடத்தையும் விபத்து நடந்த பல செய்தித்தாள்களையும் விபத்தை தடுக்கும் அறிவுதல் கொடுக்கும் பின் குரல்களையும் அகன்ற கோணத்தில் (broader perspective) காட்டினது ரொம்ப அற்பத்தனமாக இருந்தது.  விபத்துக்கு பின்பு கதாபாத்திரங்களின் வாழ்க்கை எப்படி இயங்குகிறதை காட்ட இயக்குனர் தவறவிட்டது படத்தில் மிக பெரிய ஓட்டை.

படத்தின் திரைக்கதை மிக அருமை.  ஏன்னா, இரு ஜோடிகள் வாழ்க்கை ஒவ்வொரு காலகட்டத்திலும் பார்பவர்களை குழப்பாமல் எழுமையாக காட்டினது பாராட்டக்குரியது.  எல்லா கதாபாத்திரமும் நிறைவாய் நடித்துருந்தார்கள்.  யாரும் மிகையாக செய்யவில்லை.  படத்தில் பிடித்த காட்சி: தலையில் அடிபட்ட கதிரேசனை முதலில் மருத்தவமனைக்கு அனுப்பிவிட்டு செவிலியான(nurse) மணிமேகலை எல்லாரையும் அனுப்பிவிட்டு கடைசியில் மருத்துவமனைக்குச் சென்று கதிரேசனை தேடும் பொது, ஒரு ஊழியர் ஒரு பிணத்தை டாலியில் வைத்து தள்ளிக்கொண்டு செல்வார்.  அது ஒரு வேலை கதிரேசனாக இருக்குமோவென்று மணிமேகலை அருகில் சென்று பார்க்கும் போது அது கதிரேசனே தான்.  உடனே என்னுடன் படம் பார்க்க வந்த நண்பனிடம் 'சூப்பர்' என்று சொன்னேன்.  ஏன் என்றால் கதையில் அது ஒரு பெரிய திருப்பம்.  கௌதம் அமுதா ஜோடியை விட கதிரேசன் மணிமேகலை ஜோடி ரொம்ப கலகலப்பாக காட்டியிருப்பார்கள்.  அப்படி பட்ட ஜோடி மத்தியில் இந்த ஒரு இழப்பு பார்பவர்கள் மனதில் ஒரு நெருடலாக இருக்கும்.  பொதுவாக தமிழ் படங்களில் கிராபிக்ஸ் ரொம்ப வெளிப்படையகாவே தெரியும்.  ஆனால் இந்த படத்தில் இரண்டு பேருந்தும் போதும் காட்சியை கிராபிக்ஸில் ரொம்ப அருமையாக சித்தரித்து சிறப்பு.  பிளாஷ்பேக்கிற்குள் பிளாஷ்பேக், முதல் பதினைந்து நிமிடம் பேருந்தையே காட்டினது ஆகியவை கொஞ்சம் சலிப்பை தூண்டியது.  எப்போ அடுத்த பேருந்து நிற்குமிடம் வரும், இறங்கலாம்ன்னு போல தோன்றியது.

க்ளைமாக்ஸ் மற்றும் படத்தில் சொல்லப்பட்ட செய்தி, கதை திருப்பத்தின்  காரணம் இவையை தவிற படம் அருமை.  

கூடுதல் செய்தி #1: மும்பை இந்தியன்ஸ் மற்றும் திரினிடாட் & டொபாகோ இடைய நடத்த CLT20 ஆட்டத்தைப் பார்த்தேன்.  பழம் நழுவி பாலில் விழுந்து பால் இருந்த பாத்திரம் உடைந்தது போல திரினிடாட் & டொபாகோ அணி ஜெயிக்க வேண்டிய ஆட்டத்தை நழுவ விட்டார்கள்.  கடைசி 6 பந்துகளில் 11 ஓட்டங்கள் மும்பை அணி எடுக்க வேண்டும். இறுதில் ஒரு பந்தில் 2 ஓட்டம் ஒரு விக்கெட் மட்டும் இருக்கும் நிலையில் திரினிடாட் & டொபாகோ அணி இரண்டாவது ஓட்டத்தை தடுக்க அற்பத்தனமாக கோட்டை விட்டுவிடுவார்கள்.

கூடுதல் செய்தி #2: கிரி பரிந்துரை செய்த 'I Saw the Devil' படம் பார்த்தேன்.  படத்தைப் பற்றிய கருத்துகளை கிரி ப்ளாக்கில் காணவும். என் கருத்துக்கள்:

"ரொம்ப நாட்களுக்குப் பிறகு ஒரு நல்ல படம் பார்த்த திருப்பதி.

வில்லன்னா இவர் தாங்க வில்லன். மிரட்டலான நடிப்பு. எவ்வளவு அடி வாங்கினாலும் சைகொத்தனம் ஜாஸ்தி ஆகுதே தவிற, ஒன்றுக்கும் ஆளு அசறதா தெரியவில்லை. எனக்கு ரொம்ப பிடித்த காட்சி: க்ளைமாக்ஸ்சில் வில்லன் திருந்திட்டாருன்னு நாயகன் நினைகிறப்போ நம்ம ஆளுவோட சுயருபம் வெளியவரும். அபார நடிப்பு. ஒரு அசத்தலான கதாபாத்திரம்.

நம்ம தமிழ் படம் மாதிரி எங்க தன் காதலியின் தந்தையையும் தங்கையையும் காப்பாற்றி விடுவாரோன்னு நினைச்சேன். நல்ல வேளை இல்லை.

என்னை பொருத்த வரைக்கும் வில்லன்தான் கடைசியில் ஜெயித்தார். இந்த படத்திற்கு இது தான் சரியானதும்கூட."

Magnificent

The first thing I did after coming out of the stadium is that I cursed all the broadcasters of the cricket matches to the television.  What a delight it has been to watch a cricket match live at the cricket stadium.  Yes, the 2nd match of Champions League T20 tournament between New South Wales Blues and Cape Cobras held at Chepauk Stadium, Chennai on September 24, 2011 was the first match I ever watched live at a stadium.  I do not think many would agree to prefer watching a cricket match live at the stadium over watching it live on a television.  The reason they would quote is that one need not go to the stadium to watch a cricket match live when the huge amount of money is invested in broadcasting the match right to your homes and one can watch it comfortably at the coziness of their couches.  One can watch the player closely and with the advent of ultra motion technology, it is a real delight to watch how a batsman played that wonderful shot.  Instant replays, pre and post sessions and with Direct To Home technology one can even pause the live match and watch it anytime he wants to.

Whatever reason one has for prefering to watch a match live at home through the television screens, it is still the undeniable fact that your view is not your own view but what the broadcaster wants you to watch.  So what, one may ask, as long as I am able to interpret what the broadcaster telecasts, I do not mind watching anyone's view.  Well, I beg to differ here.  Entering through the Gate #8 at Chepauk Stadium, I was guided to the C Upper section through three sets of staircase.  What a view it was when I entered the C Upper section.  I could see the entire ground, greenish pasture surrounding the narrow strip in the middle (the pitch) with the whole ground lit up by the sun.  Unlike the television, my view was limited only by me and the view was bigger than what the television shows.  Even though the ball was not much visible as the sun was shining so bright, I could track the ball based on its trajectory.  However, during the second match, the ball was cleanly visible under the flood lights.  The most and usual audio audible in the television is the commentary but here, you need not hear those things.  The only sweet music that fills your ears are the cheers, the ooohhhs and the wows from the fans.  Its such a fun and delight to cheer for your team and you even get to see response from players.  And when a boundary is scored or a wicket is taken, there are hundreds and thousands to cheer with you and even anyone has come alone to watch the match will also mingle with others and enjoy in the celebration.  You will never get short of supporters whichever side you support.

I learnt this long back: the television always confines its view to a certain subject clearing off all the possible things that might distract the viewer away from the subject.  The more you watch it, the more you view is confined.  The close-up shots or trianglular shots are also confined to one part of the bigger picture.  One does not use their imagination while watching TV unlike when you read a story or a novel.  It actually cripples your creativity in thinking.  No, I am not trying to bring up the disadvantages of watching television.  I am trying to say that how delightful is to watch a cricket match in a stadium than watching it in a television.

There was no crowd for the first match but the house was full when the second match started.  The second match was between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.  I had gone with my office colleagues.  Since CSK was the homeside, Mumbai Indians has very less supporters and as usul my office colleagues were supporting CSK and as usual, yes, I supported Mumbai Indians.  Not that I am against CSK but it would be no fun when all support only one team.  Most of the C Upper section has CSK supporters and when CSK lost a wicket, the only yell would be from me and all the CSK supporters would be looking at me with disgust as I had taken the wicket.  And also its fun to see how your friends react when they hear you shout against them - clenched fists and murmuring lips, anyone will love it.  So yelling back and forth, each time each one showing their delight and happiness when their team scores a boundary or takes a wicket in turn.  It was real fun when all yelled at me when CSK scored a boundary and me yelling at all of them when MI took a wicket.  He who laughs last laughs longer and it was me.  Yes, MI snatched the match right under the very nose of CSK.  And you need not ask about me teasing my colleagues after the match. 

I loved the day and whenever I get the opportunity I would love to go to the stadium to witness the magnificent view of the cricket match.

HE LOVED HER IV

"What are you doing this weekend", she asked him on a Wednesday morning when they were going to office in the bus.

"No plans.  Why, do you have any plans?", he replied.

"Why don't you come to my home?" she said to him.

He was really surprised because it was the first time ever a girl had asked him to come to her house.  He couldn't think whether he could take her into his home.  He replied "OK, I'll come".

Though he said he'll come, he wasn't sure even on Saturday morning whether he was ready to go to her home.  He was little nervous.  He almost called her to inform that he was not coming but he did not want to disappoint her.  He called up before starting from his home.  She asked him to give a missed call once he reaches the nearest bus stop to her home so that she can pick him up from there.  All the way he was thinking how would her household would react on his presence.  Then it dawned upon him that it was the first time for him to go to her house and not the first time for her to invite her male friends or colleagues to her home.

She introduced him to her mom and she served him coffee.  They started talking, laughing, giggling, sharing everything about themselves and everything under the sun.  Lunch time came and she offered him to have lunch at her home.  He was a little hesitant but then she eventually persuaded him to have it and also her mom had prepared for him as well.  By the time, he came back washing his hands, lunch was served at the dining table.  He sat for it and turned to see her and she was laughing.  He gave a puzzled look and she told him that he was so hesitant to have lunch but now was sitting for the food that was served for her grandmother.

Both of them were completely out of their shells and came to know more about each other that day.  She always had a good memory so she used to remember the date when they met for the first time, the date when they talked for the first time and so her memory made a mental note of the date he came to her home for the first time.

Evening came and they were silent, sitting next to each other and pondering how they are becoming close friends.  She laid her head over his shoulders and he loved that moment.  He never dreamt in the wildest of his dreams that he would have such a close friend.  The moment was short-lived as he felt someone at the door and turn to see who it was.  Her father, entering the house just as she took her head off his shoulders.  He could see the shock on her father's face when he yelled at her daughter "What are you doing?" and went in.

He could see her shivering.  He had heard sometime from her that her father was very strict and now he was saw that man.  Her father came back with his clothes changed, sat on the chair across them and put his leg over the other.  He looked at her and then at her friend, sternly and asked "What would you do when you enter your house and see your mom's head on shoulder of some man who is not your father?"  She was about to explain but he silenced her just by his look and returned to him, expecting an answer.  She somehow gathered courage and she looked at her friend and asked him to leave home.

Who wouldn't be irate when someone comments about one's mother?  More than daughters, sons are more emotionally attached to their mothers and he was no exception.  He walked back home and his mind was wondering that only few minutes ago he was so happy for such a close friend and now he was unhappy that his mom was insulted because of the same friend.

Related Posts:

HE LOVED HER III

HE LOVED HER II

HE LOVED HER

Transportation

What I consider as the most wonderful invention is of the progression in transportation across ages. Initially, transportation was human-powered and still common in most of the countries. Then man moved onto animal-powered transports where he used horses, donkeys, camels, elephants and dogs. Then he invented road transport, rail transport, water transport and air transport. Present day, we have Concorde flights and supersonic jets which can achieve greater miles within seconds.  I believe that during this progression towards better transport, the word speed was most celebrated.  Once man stabilized his invention over transportation, he started building faster transportation. If invention of a flight was a milestone in human history, then the fastest flight was also considered as another milestone.  We have the bullet trains that travel around 300 km/h and has a world record of 581 km/h.  Mankind has also seen the fastest car and the fastest bike.  A simple Google search could list the top fastest cars in the world and the top fastest motorbikes in the world.

Some view transportation as what it was intended to be: move from one place to another.  For some, transportation has become their passion as they started loving travelling and venturing new places.  Some explore within the country and some explore from country to country.  And not to forget the men who travel just because of sheer joy of driving.  A long drive to the countryside or the beach.  I too love driving, especially long driving.  A long drive out of the city in early hours of the day towards some hill station, clicking photographs here and there and nice hot snacks on the top of the hill in the evening would make my ideal holiday.  I always loved the portion in the movie 'Dil Chahta Hai' when the three friends ride to Goa and spend quite some quality time at the wall facing the beach.

However, during driving, we cannot be accelerating forever.  There are times when you need to slow down or stop. You need to slow down when the traffic signs turns red and then stop. You need to stop when there is a pedestrian crossing. You need to slow down when there's a speed breaker. If one go against any of these rules, the damage is to both the rider as well as the pedestrians.  And that's the only thing I hate in driving, though I love driving. Braking.  Yes, I hate when the speedometer drops from 50 km/h or more.  To me, if I start the bike, it should not stop or slow down anywhere till I reach my destination.  That's because it gives me a feeling of "going-on", like an old advertisement for Kinetic vehicles stating "will keep going".

What joy I experience for keep going on?  I think that is what life is all about.  Keep going.  There may be some incidents in our life that did not go by our expectations.  Some heartaches.  Death of our beloved ones. Some situations that happened in our past still haunting us because of the way we behaved.  Some regrets that we could have changed things a little better.  All these are perfectly human - to go down and feel depressed.  To me that is like braking.  No, no, no, I should not stop and if I stop it shouldn't be for long.  Long enough only for the traffic sign to change green.  Long enough only for the pedestrians to pass.  Rev up the engine and make sure your ears keep listening to the sound of the engine.  Keep going.

As fuel is essential for the vehicle to keep going on, I feel there should be something in us to make us keep going on.  It can be anything.  It could be your responsibility on your shoulders or your commitment to your dependent.  It could be for your dad or any beloved one.  But it is one's responsibility to find out that which will keep them keep going on.  There could and would be things that does not happen according to my situations but nothing can stop me from keep going, because I found the joy of keep going.  I have found that one thing that always will keep me going. Have you found your joy?  Have you ever searched within yourself what that keeps you waking up every morning, doing your everyday routine chores, get backs to your bed and gives you a sound sleep?  Have you found that one thing in your life that will not prevent you from not keep going?

Friends, don't let anything stagnate you like a marsh as it is in the marsh that the reeds and the moss grow.  Be like the flowing stream, fresh as ever.  Let the engines roar and horns honk and the sweet music of the sound of your engine (life) be heard in your ears forever.  Keep going!

          

கேரளாவில் ஒரு போதி மரம்

இந்த நிகழ்வு நடந்து ஒரு இரண்டு வருஷம் இருக்குங்க. என் பள்ளி தோழியின் திருமணத்திற்காக கேரளாவிலுள்ள ஒரு ஒன்றியப் பகுதிக்கு (அதாங்க union territory) போயிருந்தேன்.  வெளியூரிலிருந்து வருபவர்கள் தங்குவதற்காக என் தோழியின் வீட்டார் ஒரு விடுதியில் ஏற்பாடு செய்திருந்தாங்க.  நான் தங்கியிருந்த அதே விடுதியில இன்னொரு குடும்பமும் தங்கிருந்தாங்க.  அவங்க என் தோழியின் குடும்ப நண்பர்களுனு பின்னர் தெரிந்துகொண்டேன்.

விஷயத்துக்கு வரேன். அந்த குடும்பதில்ல ஒரு பத்து அல்லது பதினோரு வயசுல ஒரு பையன் இருந்தான். அவன் ரொம்ப சேட்டை. சும்மா ஒரு இடதுல்ல இருக்கமாட்டான்.  அங்க ஓடுவான். எதையாவது நோண்டுவான்.  பத்தாத்துக்கு அவங்க அப்பாவும் அம்மாவும் இதை செய்யாதே அதை செய்யாதே சொல்லிகிட்ட இருப்பாங்க. அவனும் அதற்கு மாறாக எதையாவது செஞ்சுகிட்டே இருப்பான்.  சொல்றதை இரண்டு நாள் கேட்டு எனக்கே வெறுப்பாயிருச்சி.  "அவன்தான் நீங்க சொல்றதே கேட்கமாட்டேன்றான்.  நீங்க ஏன் திரும்ப திரும்ப அதையே சொல்லிட்டு இருக்கீங்க?"ன்னு கேட்கலான்னு வாயெடுத்த பொது, எனக்கு ஒரு உண்மை புரிஞ்சது.  அந்த அப்பா அம்மா ஏன் சதா அந்த பையனை "அதை செய்யாதே, இதை செய்யாதே,  அங்க போகாதே, இங்க இரு"ன்னு சொல்லிகிட்ட இருக்காங்கன்னு ஒரு நிமிஷம் யோசித்துப்பார்த்தேன்.

அப்போ தான் எனக்கு புலப்பட்டது அவங்க அப்பா அம்மா மட்டுமில்ல இந்த உலகதுல்ல எல்லா அப்பா அம்மாவும் இப்படிதாங்க இருக்காங்க.  அவங்க ஏன் அப்படி சொல்றாங்க? தான் பையனுக்கு எதாவது ஆயிடுமோ, கால்ல கையில்ல அடி பட்டுடுமோன்ற பயம். இந்த அறிவுரை சின்ன வயசுல மட்டும் இல்லங்க. அந்த பையன் பெருசாயி சில பேர் பையன் கல்யாணத்துக்கு அப்புறமும் புத்திமதி சொல்லிகிட்ட இருப்பாங்க.  பையன் பத்தாவது வகுப்பு முடிச்சதும் எந்த படிப்பு பிரிவு எடுக்கணும்னு, +2 முடிச்சதும் எந்த பொறியியல் கல்லூரில சேரணும் - இப்படி எல்லாத்துக்குமே அறிவுரை அம்மா அப்பா கிட்டயிருந்து வந்துகிட்டே இருக்கும்.  இப்படி ஏன் சொல்றாங்கன்னு கொஞ்சம் யோசித்துபாருங்களேன்.  தான் பையன் எதுலேயும் தோற்கக்கூடாது, எதுலேயும் ஏமாந்துறகூடாது, கஷ்டபடகூடாது என்ற ஒரே காரணம் தான்.  புத்திமதி சொல்றது சரியா தப்பானு விவாதம் பண்ணவர்ல.  ஆனா எதுக்கு சொல்றாங்கன்னு என் வாழ்க்கையல நடந்த ஒரு நிகழ்வை வைத்து இந்த ப்ளாக்கை எழுதுகிறேன்.

நான் பெங்களுருலிருந்து சென்னைக்கு வந்து வேலை சேர்ந்து ஒரு வருஷதுற்கு அப்புறம் என் பள்ளி பருவ நண்பன் ஒருத்தனை பல வருஷம் கழித்து ஒரு கல்யாணத்துல பார்த்தேன்.  அவன் என்கிட்ட தான் ஒரு சிறு தொழில் ஆரம்பிக்கபோறதாகவும் என்னை அதுல உழைக்கும் பங்காளியா சேர்துக்குறேன்னு சொன்னான்.  அதே வாரதுல்ல ஒரு நாள் என்னைக் கூப்பிட்டு தான் செய்ய போகிற வணிகத்தைப் பற்றியும் நான் பங்காளியா சேர்ந்தா எப்படி ரெண்டு பேரும் அந்த வணிகத்தை  செய்யலாம்னு ரொம்ப நேரம் சொல்லிட்டுருந்தான்.  நான் யோசித்து ரெண்டு நாளைக்குள்ள என் முடிவை சொல்றேன்னு சொன்னேன்.  

நம்மைவிட நம்ம அப்பா அம்மா பத்தி வேற யாருக்கும் நல்லாவே தெரியாது. ஆக எங்க அப்பா அம்மா இந்த வணிகத்துக்கு என்ன சொல்லுவாங்கன்னு எனக்கு நல்லாவே தெரியும்.  இருந்தாலும் அவங்க என்னதான் சொல்றாங்க கேட்கலாம்னு அவங்க கிட்ட என் நண்பன்னோட ஒரு வணிகம் ஆரம்பிக்கலாம்னு இருக்கேன் சொன்னேன்.  அது என்ன வணிகம் எப்படி செய்ய போறீங்கனுகூட கேட்கலை.  "வேண்டாம், வணிகம் பண்றது ரொம்ப கஷ்டம், உனக்கு அதுல ஒண்ணும் தெரியாது, காசை வீணாக அதுல போட்டுட்டு ஏமாந்து போகதே" - இது தாங்க நானும் எதிர்பார்த்த அவங்க பதில்.

நான் என்னுடைய அனுபவத்தில்ல கத்துகிட்டது: வாழ்க்கையில வெற்றி எவ்வளவு முக்கியமோ தோல்வியும் அதே அளவு முக்கியம்.  என் பொறியியல் கல்லூரில் நடந்த எந்த ஒரு நேர்காணலேயும் நான் தேர்ந்து எடுக்கப்படவில்லை.  என்னைப் போலவே தேர்ந்து எடுக்கபடாதே என் நண்பன்(அவன் பட்ட பெயர் சடை) அப்போ என்கிட்ட "மச்சி, நம்ம சரியான பாதையில்தான் போயிட்டுஇருக்கோம்"ன்னு சொன்னான். எனக்கு கடுப்பு. "என்னடா சொல்ற? நம்மளை ஒரு நிறுவனமும் தேர்ந்து எடுக்கலை ஆனா நீ என்னன்னா  சரியான பாதையில்தான் போறோம்னு சொல்ற. எனக்கு ஒண்ணும் புரியல" ன்னு சொன்னேன். அவன் "மச்சி, வெற்றிக்கு முதல் படி தோல்வி. இப்போ நம்ம தோற்று இருக்கோம்ன அப்போ நம்ம சரியான பாதையில் தானே போயிட்டு இருக்கோம்னு அர்த்தம்." எனக்கு நடு மண்டையில அடிச்சது மாதிரி இருந்தது.

நிறைய தோல்வி சந்திக்க சந்திக்க தோல்வி எனக்கு நிறைய கற்றுத்தந்தது.  Kenneth Ewart Boulding ரொம்ப அருமையா சொன்னாரு "Nothing fails like success because we don't learn from it. We learn only from failure."  எவ்வளவு பெரிய உண்மைங்க இது.  என்ன செய்தால் வெற்றி அடைய முடியும் என்பதை தெரிஞ்சிகிறது எவ்வளவு முக்கியமோ அதே அளவு என்ன செய்யலேனா தோல்வியடைய மட்டோம்ன்னு தெரிஞ்சிகிறது முக்கியம்.  Thomas Alva Edison சொன்னாரு "I will not say I failed 1000 times, I will say that I discovered 1000 ways that can cause failure."  ஆனா பெற்றோர்கள் தங்க பிள்ளைகள் தோல்வியடைய கூடாதுன்னு அந்த பத்து வயசு பையனோட அப்பா அம்மா மாதிரி அறிவுரை சொல்லி அவங்க ஜெயிக்கவிடாமே தடுத்து கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள்.  சந்தோஷ் சுப்பிரமணியம் படத்துல்ல வர அப்பா மாதிரி தங்களுக்கு எந்த வழியில வெற்றி கிடைச்சதோ அதே வழியில தங்க பசங்களையும் வழி நடத்துறாங்க.  இது தப்பில்லை ஆனா அப்படி வந்த வெற்றிக்கு ருசி ரொம்ப கம்மி.  என்னதான் செயற்கை முறையில ஒரு பழத்தை பழுக்க வைத்தாலும், தானாக பழுக்கிற பழத்துக்கு தான் ருசி அதிகம்.  தானாக தோற்று தானாக வெற்றி தான் அதிக சந்தோஷம் தரும் என்பது என்னோட தனிப்பட்ட கருத்து.

ஆக பெற்றோர்களே, உங்க பிள்ளைகளை அடிபட விடுங்க. தோற்க விடுங்க. அப்படி செய்தால் அவன் உங்களைவிட அதிகம் வெற்றி பெறுவான். அப்படி வெற்றிபெற்றால், அது உங்களுக்கு தானே பெருமை. 

கூடுதல் செய்தி #1: நான் அந்த வணிகத்தை செய்தேனா இல்லையானு நீங்க கேட்கிறது எனக்கு கேட்குது.  எங்க அப்பா அம்மாக்கு தெரியாமே அந்த வணிகத்தை சுமார் ஒரு வருஷம் செய்தேன். போட்ட காசை எடுத்ததுமில்லாமல் ஒரு மடங்கு முதலீட்டையும் எடுத்தேன்.  ஆனா அந்த வணிகத்துல நான் அடைந்த லாபம் இது இல்லங்க.  ஒரு குழுவை எப்படி வழி நடத்தணும், எப்படி சக ஊழியரிடம் நடந்துகிடணும், எப்படி அவர்களை வேலை செய்ய ஊக்குவிக்கணும், குழு முயற்சி என்றால் என்ன, ஒரு குழுவில் பொறுமை எவ்வளவு முக்கியம் போல பல விஷயங்களை கற்றது தாங்க அந்த வணிகத்தில் நான் அடைந்த லாபம்.  இன்னொரு பெருமை என்னன்னா, அதுல வந்த காசு ஒரு பரிச்சியமில்லாத ஒரு ஒலியியற் பொறியியல் (audio engineering) மாணவனின் பரிட்சை கட்டணத்திற்கு உதவியதுதான்.

கூடுதல் செய்தி #2: இந்த ப்ளாக்யை தமிழில் எழுத www.eudict.com என்ற இணைய தளத்திற்கு பெரும் பங்குண்டு.  சில சிரமம்மான ஆங்கில வார்த்தைகளுக்கு தமிழ் வார்த்தையை கண்டுபிடிக்க இந்த இணைய தளம் உதவியது.

கூடுதல் செய்தி #3: அண்மையில் குள்ளநரி கூட்டம் படத்தைப் பார்த்தேன். ஒரு நல்லவர் 'படம் ஒரு தடவை பார்க்கலாம்'னு சொன்னதால் பார்த்தேன்.  முடிவில் ஏன் பார்த்தோம்னு ஆகிவிட்டது.  அவ்வளவு கடுப்பு.  இதுவும் ஒரு சராசரி தமிழ் படம் தான்.  பெருசா ஒண்ணுமில்லை.

What does this mean to us?

Usually my day starts with me walking just a few minutes after the sunrise to get 1.5 liters of milk for my family. I would have to go past a Corporation Play Ground to reach the Aavin booth.  The play-ground inhabits a basket-ball court, a volley-ball court and a gym.  Few North-Indians popularly known as Marwadis in Chennai would be playing volley-ball to reduce the sweet-paan-ghee induced cholesterol in their bodies.  The gym would be seldom open but when opened, it would busy with young men sweating their butt off to put that extra muscle in their bodies.  Older men would be running around the inside of the ground to reduce their pot bellies and some exercising on the jungle-gym found in the play-ground.  Even though there is a basket-ball court, I have never seen anyone play basket-ball there.  The court is only used for playing cricket and one can always find few youngsters hitting the ball.  Off late, I even found a person training kids on karate.  During school days, the ground will not be that crowded but weekends and school vacation always made the teens and the youngsters populate the playground even before the sunrise for playing cricket.   

That's the usual scene that I had witnessed for the past eleven years.  However, on the morning of April 3rd of 2011,  I felt that cricket will not be played here anymore with the same passion it was played until today.  No more tennis balls would be hit with the same aggression in that basket-ball court.  No more Pepsi balls would be bowled with the same heart inside that ground.  It would be bigger than ever one would have imagined.  I felt that the kid who was facing the ball that morning would be recollecting how his heroes the previous night were inching towards victory with each ball being bowled in the final.  I felt that every time a teenager hits the ball from that time would feel how Dhoni would have felt when he hit the winning knock and relishing that moment as if he was the one who hit that six.  Every time an aspiring bowler bowled that morning would imagine himself as Zak bowling the maiden overs the previous night.  The passion is ignited ever than before.  It is all because India won the Cricket World Cup 2011 just few hours before the start of this day.

From now on, no fathers would discourage their cricket-aspiring sons to stop playing cricket because India never won the World Cup.  From now on, gully cricket would be played like an international tournament.  From now on, local play grounds would be played on as if it is the Lord's stadium.  Yes, cricket means a lot to us, Indians.  It is sacred than religion, powerful than politics, seducing than sex and larger than life to us.  What a moment had it been.  Lifting the World Cup in the home soil before your own fellow-indians and for the second time, no Indian cricketing fan could ask for anything more.  For the first time, a team player hitting a century in a Cricket World Cup final ends on the losing side.  I don't know how many other records were broken that night.  However, this moment would be relished in the billions of hearts in India.  My mother who knew nothing about cricket sat throughout the Indian batting.  My sister-in-law who knew only few players and that too only in the Indian side was calling Malinga, the yellow-haired-fellow, cussing him for taking the wickets of Sehwag and Sachin.  And after a long time, my brother burst a 10000 wallah in our street when India lifted the cup.  Yes, in India, cricket rejuvenates the kids in us.

Usually the losing team would have the woulds and coulds and the ifs and the buts.  "We (losing team) could have scored some 20 more runs but....."."If we would have played with that player, we would have not lost but...."."If he had taken that catch, it would have been the turning point of the match, but...."  But I felt now that the winning team would also have the woulds but in the opposite way.  Now politicians would say India won because their party was in reign, ruling the country.  Selectors would say India won because we selected the right players.  Sponsors would say India won because our brand names were on their jerseys.  Astrologists and Numerologists would now claim that they had predicted India will win.  It is rightly said that Success has many fathers while failure is an orphan.  Let whoever claim whatever they said it would happen.  History was re-written last night and more than claiming, cricketing fans in India would want to relish this moment for their entire lives.

I was always skeptical about the performance of the Indian team in any tournament but that night this event has made my mouth shut and many others like me and with a remorse for such an attitude, I felt proud for being an Indian that night.  India first sent Australia to their homes, second Pakistan to their homes and finally Sri Lanka to their homes.  And what did India bring to our homes?  The Cricket World Cup 2011.