Saritha Rao Rayachoti

Published.

2012-01-17T23:11:00.000-05:00

I have some great news to share - one of my short stories has been published! I know, I know, it's one puny story and I have an entire career of short stories and novels ahead of me. But a writer's first published story is always special.

Urban Shots is a series of short story collections published by Grey Oak & Westland. My short story, Gap, is in the edition called Urban Shots:Crossroads. Edited by bestselling author, Ahmed Faiyaz, this anthology explores the conflict, chaos and confusion in the lives of interesting and colourful characters in Urban India.

The entire process of dealing with Grey Oak has been great and their co-publishing tie-up with Westland has ensured that the book could be pre-ordered from many online retailers in India. The book is now available, ready to be shipped, and these online stores are vying with each other to offer the best discounts on these titles:

Flipkart
Landmark
Indiaplaza
Crossword

The book launches are scheduled on the following dates in the following cities:

19 Jan 2012 - 7 pm, Landmark, Infiniti Mall, Andheri, Mumbai

20 Jan 2012 - 7 pm, Landmark, Phoenix Marketcity, Pune

Watch this space for details of the Bangalore and Chennai launches.

Do read my story, Gap, and let me know what you think.

Last Chance to See - Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine

2012-01-08T01:23:00.001-05:00

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For a person vaguely interested in nature and not too keen on actively interacting with species other than my own, I found this book an excellent read. This book is in no way depressing, but it is sobering to read about how callously we treat our resources.

Douglas Adams (yes, him) wrote this book after travelling with Mark Carwardine in search of endangered species like the Kaka Po, the White Rhino and the Baiji Dolphin. He met some of the most passionate of conservationists and sighted the actual species, describing these voyages in his inimitable brand of humour.

A must read for any one who has even vaguely identified a bird other than those in the backyard.

Reviewed on www.goodreads.com

Hiatus

2011-10-20T00:06:00.000-04:00

If you're wondering why the site isn't getting updated with new articles, here's why. I'm on a hiatus to get my novel off the ground. Will be back in 2012. Thanks you for following my blog.
Cheers!
Saritha

Freedom at Midnight

2011-08-09T08:14:00.000-04:00

Authors: Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins

Freedom at Midnight is an immensely readable account on the political climate surrounding Indian Independence in 1947.

It begins with the arrival of Lord Mountbatten as the Viceroy of India in April 1947 and ends with the last British soldiers leaving Independent India in February 1948 through the Gateway of India to the strains of Auld Lang Syne.

In this period of less than a year, Lord Mountbatten's task was to help ensure the transfer of power to reliable Indian hands. He did this by what the authors call Operation Seduction – using his immense charm to negotiate with leaders of various political factions to ensure the transition is smooth. However, as the book details, this was easier said than done.

For one, the Viceroy had to keep the best interests of Britain at heart at all times. Then, there was the decision on the able hands in which to entrust India. The personalities that Mountbatten dealt with are portrayed in lucid detail. These include the individual idiosyncracies, habits as well as unique challenges surmounted by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhai Patel and Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

The most critical matter of all was the drawing of the borders, made more difficult by the long standing discord between Hindus and Muslims. There was the core issue of partitioning a country on religious grounds which was bound to have repercussions not only on the lives and livelihoods of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs alike, but also on the economies of India, Pakistan as well as what would soon become Bangladesh.

While Mountbatten is a constant thread in the narrative, the book makes frequent forays into other, connected happenings. The lifestyles of the Indian royalty makes for fascinating reading. The plot to assassinate Gandhi is described in great detail. The violence between Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs is captured in many first-person accounts in graphic depth. There are heart-rending tales of common men and women, like the Sikh, Boota Singh and his Muslim wife, Zenib, who were tragically separated at the time of Partition.

The strength of the book is clearly the narrative that assumes that no story is too small and no detail too trivial to provide a glimpse into the complexity of Indian Independence.

An edited version of this article appeared in the August 2011 Issue of Culturama
Image courtesy Vikas Publishing

The Rising: The Ballad of Mangal Pandey (2005)

2011-08-09T08:13:00.000-04:00

Director: Ketan Mehta

The movie dramatises the incidents surrounding the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, through the eyes of Captain William Gordon (Toby Stephens).

Mangal Pandey is a sepoy, a native soldier in the service of the East India Company, stationed in Barrackpore. One day, Pandey learns that the cartridges that the sepoys will chew off while loading the new Enfield rifles, are rumoured to be coated with animal fat. Ingestion of cow fat is considered sacrilege among Hindu Brahmins and coming in contact with pig fat is desecration according to the Muslim faith.

Captain Gordon, with whom Pandey shares a strong bond of friendship, assures the sepoys that the cartridges are free of animal fat. Pandey believes him and uses the rifle. When the truth emerges, Pandey is distraught. On the one hand, he has been defiled. On the other, he presumes that Gordon has deceived the sepoys. Their friendship is tested when Pandey instigates the other sepoys to rise in revolt against the Company.

The sepoys across different barracks plot a simultaneous revolt to overpower the few British soldiers stationed on Indian soil. The Company foils these plans by bringing in back-up in the form of the Rangoon regiment. Pandey leads the revolt at Barrackpore anyway. The sepoys are outnumbered. Pandey is captured.

Captain Gordon regards himself inadvertently responsible for the situation. But Pandey assures him that the Indian freedom movement rapidly gaining in strength is independent of any sentiments about the cartridges. Pandey is executed in public and the movement spreads to other parts of India, ultimately leading to India's Independence 90 years after the incident.

Some creative license has been used, including the characters of Captain Gordon, the widow Jwala (Amisha Patel) rescued by Gordon and the prostitute Heera (Rani Mukherjee) whom Pandey falls in love with.

An edited version of this article appeared in the August 2011 Issue of Culturama
Image courtesy Maya Movies Private Limited.

Ready, Steady, GO!

2011-08-02T05:19:00.000-04:00

“Virtual sports do not develop any reliable worthwhile qualities that could assist in real life. Indulging in them could actually create a false sense of accomplishment.” says Dr. Kannan Pugazhendi, sports physician and consultant.

In some ways, it is an endless loop. There are no spaces in apartment complexes for our children to play physical games. So there is no fun for the children. When our children seek out fun in virtual forms, we parents want them to do something that will keep them fit and provide them with social skills. When all that they really want to do, is have fun in some form.

“Staying healthy and fit and getting social skills – those are adult parameters. The child is only thinking of what else he can do to have fun. This is where virtual sports and passive entertainment take over.”says Saumil Majmudar, CEO of Edusports, “With the TV and PC, all the attributes of a playing experience are there – like winning and losing - but without the benefits. If we want to ensure that the health, fitness and social benefits are there, we need to help children enjoy the playing experience on the ground.”

THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL

At some level, we can rest assured that although the emphasis varies from school to school, children ARE being provided some physical exercise during the Physical Education (PE) class at no or minimal additional cost.

While some schools we spoke to have P E classes every day for some classes, others have it twice a week with specialised coaching for specific sports after school hours. The PE class itself could either be a free-play session where the children could pretty much play any game they wanted, to playing an active sport like, say, Basketball. But is it enough?

Chandra Nagarajan, the Senior Vice Principal of PSBB T.Nagar branch says, “Besides the Physical Education Class and the EduSports sessions, we have made swimming mandatory for our students from Class 3 upwards. Swimming is a survival skill – not only is it life-saving for the children themselves, but they will also be able to help others.”

Most schools also heartily encourage their students who are achievers in sports. For instance, for the swimming siblings, A.V. Jaywant and Jayaveena, their school, Chettinad Vidyashram has relaxed the mandatory attendance requirement. The children study on their own and their teachers enable them in any way possible. Kamala Ravindran, the Headmistress says, “When some of our students have travelled abroad for sports coaching during the school term, we have also explored methods like online teaching.” In fact, most schools in Chennai boast of alumni who have gone on to become National level sportspersons.

BASIC SPORTING SKILLS

What about the child who is not an achiever just yet, who is still trying out different sports and has not yet reached a high level of proficiency? In some cases, if the school is focussed mainly on the achieving children or on acedemic prowess only, the sedentary ones and the mildly sport-interested ones may lose out on some basic age-appropriate physical skills.

Dr. Pugzhendi says, “Unfortunately the educational institutions, especially the teaching faculty included, do not feel the importance of sport participation or benefits of fitness. They make parents believe that it would be only a distraction for educational ambitions. This is totally untrue.There is an urgent need to alter the focus of the physical education programmes in schools which are only competition oriented. The inclusion of noncompetitive elements as fitness is an absolute must.” ”

EduSports, a Bangalore-based company addresses exactly this need. The organisation's objective is to equip children with the right skills at the right age, so that they get a headstart to many forms of active sports that they could play for life. They believe that the way forward is not by opening up play grounds,or conducting an afterschool program, but by making activity and sport part of a child's education. A sort of 'outsourced P E class'.

Majmudar says, “We partner with like-minded schools - who believe that sports is as important a part of holistic education as maths or sciences - to help develop a generation of healthy and fit kids through the magic of sports and physical activity.We run the entire P E period in the timetable with our own curriculum, lesson plans, props, assessments, parent interactions etc. How would you expect your child to be taught maths? That's exactly what we do with physical education.”

THE ACHIEVERS

When we spoke to children, parents and educators about the importance of active competitive sports over unstructured play in a child's development, it was reiterated to us, that sports achievers function differently from other children.

Some parents also said, “Children of sportspeople become achievers. They have a definite edge over other parents.”

The assumption is that the achiever child is a blessed child, endowed with superior genes and a gift for the sport pursued. Either it is the parents' contacts among sports people or the parents know how to spot their child's talent.

However, parents of achievers say that the parents' commitment is all that is required. Parents who are physically active themselves know the value of it and ensure that the home environment supports an interest in sports. When a child pursues a sport, the entire family's lifestyle changes.There are some daunting challenges that come up long before the family has to contend with the threat of career-ending injuries and favouritism among selectors.

For the moment, let's talk about the achievers.

- Rohini Rau was a little over a year old, when she accompanied her mother sailing. When she was eight years old, she attended a summer camp. That same year, she participated in her first Nationals. Today, Rohini Rau is the National Sailing Champion (Laser Radial - Women -for the last 7 consecutive years and 420 Class -Women- for 3 years). She is training hard to qualify to compete in the Olympics even as she is pursuing her studies in Medicine. Among other things, she also dances the salsa and has learnt to play the piano and violin.

Rohini's mother, Aysha says, “I come from a background where we were encouraged to do everything.Parenting is a job you have not been trained for, so if you have been exposed to a lot of activities, you will think that's the normal thing to do. But if you have been brought up believing that you must only study, that is what you think should be done with your child.” Rohini's family pulled out all the stops to support her in a sport where the financial demands become greater as the sportsperson begins to compete. This is not only in the cost of training but also equipment, the boat, berthing fees for the boat, ongoing maintenance and consumables. And the prizes are non-monetary.

- When Aarathy Kasturi Raj was seven years old, she visited Tower Park in Anna Nagar where she saw a roller skating class in session. She attended a camp there and went on to win, in the years since, 81 gold medals in roller skating and ice skating including 3 in international championships. She is in her 12^th standard and intends taking up Medicine. She also plays basketball.

Aarathy's father, Kasturi Raj says, “I was an athlete but was deprived of sports because of my parents. They always wanted me to study.” As a result, he believes that his children should not miss out on the encouragement he never had. Aarathy's father accompanies her wherever she competes and since there are no facilities to learn competitive ice-skating in India, Kasturi Raj ensures that Aarathy visits Korea regularly for training.

- At the 34^th National Games in Ranchi this February, A.V. Jayaveena created a record by becoming the youngest swimmer to win a medal in the history of the National Games in India. She went on to win 6 medals in the 6 events she participated in. She is in the 8^th standard.

Jayaveena's parents, 'Thalaivasal' Vijay and Rajeshwari chose to move houses to be closer to the pool that their children train in. Rajeshwari puts it succintly, “As individuals, we parents have our own wants - like going for movies, to the beach etc. But if we invest that time in our children, they will have a good future. Later, when they have created their own future, we can prioritise ourselves. The idea is that we should not have regrets later that we could have done more for our children.”

- Shalini Hudson, whose three daughters, Sharon, Beryl and Rachel, are into Track & Field training, disagrees, “Both my husband and I are not sportspeople. But we are still able to encourage our daughters.” She accompanies her three daughters twice a day on most days for their athletic training. She's lucky they all train at the same venue! Shalini has also given up watching television so she can assist the children with their studies in the evening, after their training.

Although we may admire these children for their accomplishments, we do tend focus on their genes, the 'lucky' breaks these children have and the money that their parents are willing to pay for the training and equipment that comes with playing a competitive sport.

But we tend to sideline the role of family environment, parental attitude and the child's own diligence and hard work.

TRAITS & ATTITUDES

Without putting these children on a pedestal and without undermining our own efforts as parents in providing the best for our children, surely we could wonder about what the families of achievers are doing differently? Maybe we could consider some traits and attitudes that seem to set these children and families apart. How else could one explain the fact that each of the achievers listed above has a sibling who is also an achiever in sports?

Achievers start learning their first sport early.
They are exposed to many sports so that they can find their passion.
Although they may begin to learn a sport at the behest of the parents, they choose the sport they want to pursue. The first medal or win is usually a major motivator.
They become self-starters in pursuing the sport they love. They align their lives to the sport.
They learn to manage their time between academics, sports and hobbies.
They believe that it is perfectly natural to be a national level sports person AND get above 80% in exams AND learn to dance/sing/paint. In fact, they believe that physical exercise, especially sport, improves academic performance by increasing concentration and these children are known to train right through their Board Exams.
Their parents spend a lot of time and resources on nurturing their talent, not to mention sacrifices that they are happy to make. At least one parent has a 'never-say-die' attitude to somehow finding and funding the best resources for the children.

The rewards of taking up a sport are aplenty too. One of the main benefits of a child training in a sport is changes in lifestyle. Girish says, “When they take up sports, your children are getting into the habit of getting up early. To get up early in the morning, they have to sleep early at night. Secondly, time management – when they wake up in the morning, they have very little time to come to the pool, so they have to quickly get ready. Automatically, they keep their equipment organised. These habit fall into place without any effort. ”

Could this, perhaps, serve as a blueprint for other families? And can families course-correct if they are not sports or physical activity oriented? How does one even begin to influence a sedentary child or a child who has not played active sports?

FIRST STEPS

Girish says, “Most parents give the child choices. Any child, given a chance, will select the easier choice. Nobody likes controlled training. In the beginning it is essential for parents to teach them that sports is important. Parents have to push the child and also initially, assist the child in balancing time between academics and sports.”

Krithika Mouli, a parent, says, “The only way to find out what sport the child is good in, is to enrol the child in a few classes and see if she takes to it. Usually, the first recognition among peers is a defining moment as to whether the child will pursue it or not.”

Other than the regular coaching and summer camps that clubs and associations provide, there is a plethora of options available to pursue most sports in Chennai. (See box)

Here's a thought. Enough of us parents are worried about cholesterol levels and the battle of the bulge. What if we moved from being active supporters to active partners in learning a sport along with our child?

IS OBESITY SETTING IN EARLIER THAN THE ADOLESCENCE PHASE?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is one of the key indicators of overall fitness of an individual. While a high BMI is is related directly to obesity-related malaise, low BMI ratios have direct correlation to immunity-related malaise. The recommended BMI for children between the ages of 5 and 14 is in the range of 19-25.

In a study conducted by EduSports in 2010 among 4098 children surveyed across India, nearly 23% of the children, aged between 5 and 14 years possessed a high Body Mass Index ratio (above 25) and 19% of children showed low BMI ratios (below 19). Together, a whopping 42% of the children surveyed did not possess ideal BMI ratios.

However, a nine month, in-curriculum, controlled fitness-led physical education program in their respective schools, done on a selective group of 667 children, revealed improvement across the five fitness indicators that they were assessed upon. Endurance of children went up by over 17%; abdominal strength increased by 37.5%; percentage of children with the right BMI increased from 54.96% to 67.72 % and flexibility increased by almost 4%.

EduSports undertook this survey to identify the overall fitness levels of children in Indian schools as that would be a key indicator to the child’s performance across several factors including mental agility, immunity to disease and sports excellence. The study was built into the curriculum of 21 schools across 15 cities.

- Source: EduSports

SPORTS & THE GIRLCHLD

Why do girls not take to sports as readily as boys do? Some reasons we hear are

- I will get tanned and don't want to look dark

- I will get injured and will have bruises all over

- I am a girl and cannot compete with the strength of boys

How much of this is coming from the child's own assumptions and how much is coming from our social conditioning?

Dr. Pugazhendi says, “Parents (or society) feel that a girl who is a player, dancer, or even NCC participant will not be an ideal housewife. Or the girl's marriage alliance would be rejected just on the basis of an imagined poor character. These are the main reasons for condemning girls' participation in anything outside education.”

One common but rarely-expressed reason is that the girl is simply not comfortable sharing playing space with boys. For instance, in swimming classes. To address this, some schools have started segregated games where, for instance, boys and girls swim at separate times; girls can play basketball by themselves while boys go in for what is considered a more aggressive sport, football. To some, this may seem like a rather archaic solution to the problem, but if it helps get more girls out on the playground, why not?

Although many schools go on record to say that the girls in their school are as passionate about sports as the boys are, they are really referring to the sports achievers among girls and not necessarily to girls in general.

Krithika Mouli, a parent, suggests, “I believe schools should do more to get girls to play sports. I think they should take them to real sport events with women participants and get them to interact with successful sports women.”

Dr. Kannan Pugazhendi says, “For girls, physical fitness ensures the reduction in the pain during the monthly cycles, and allows them to set even world records during these phases. Regular exercise would ensure optimal weight and body composition, bone mass and mineral density specifically. The bone mass in girls must be increased from the day of menarche until menopause through weight training or optimal axial loading of the long bones and the spine. Girls require the fitness to cope with demands made not only at school but thereafter in real life.”

But when it comes to specialised sports training, parents are not comfortable in sending the girl to class by herself in the early morning or late evenings from a personal safety perspective. Some parents don't send a girl child for specialised sports training fearing that she will 'befriend' boys there.

“Girls deserve as much of the joy of sport as boys.” says Dr. Pugazhendi “It is the failure of the parents and the society if they do not give them the freedom to participate in competitive sport and feel proud about their achievements.”

Are there alternatives? Dr. Pugazhendi suggests, “If the family feels that the girl need not be given the privilege of sport participation, then the support of classical dance would be ideal. The classical dances of India would be able to provide the same benefits as any sport participation.”

INDIGENOUS GAMES

It's a fallacy that India never had a sporting culture. India is home to some fascinating sports forms like Silambam, Kalaripayattu, Kho Kho, Kabaddi, Mallakhamb, Mushti and a sport that many Indians may not know exists today indigenously - archery from Meghalaya! Many of these forms are being taught right here in Chennai.

Take Kalaripayattu, for instance.

“Kalaripayattu is considered the Mother of Martial Arts of the world,” says Dr. Pugazhendi, “It has been taken to other countries accepted, adopted and adapted to their country. It is India that has to recognize the values of our own system as we have realized the importance of Yoga recently.”

Shaji K. John conducts classes in Kalaripayattu at Besant Nagar for students from 7 years of age. “Kalaripayattu is a martial art taught primarily for self-defence. Fitness and adaptation to creative forms is a benefit along that journey. Among children, seven is the right age to initiate training because at that age, the bones are more supple and the mind is free from unnecessary things.”

Roshini Gopinathan has struck a happy balance of being fit herself and ensuring that her children learn a sport. Along with her children, Rohit (14) and Rishi (8), she has been learning Kalaripayattu for a little over a year and a half. Two years ago, when the family still lived in New York and were planning to move to Chennai, they saw a documentary on this martial art form and decided to research it. They found details of this class, and once they moved, joined it. Roshini says, “I have been fascinated by Kalaripayattu since I was a kid, but never had the opportunity to learn it until now. It is quite an intensive form with 3-4 classes a week, for over an hour. I would say my endurance and flexibility have improved. Although Rohit already has a lot of endurance, his flexibity and posture have improved significantly. It's still too early to say for Rishi.”

Perhaps we could interest more parents to follow Roshini's example and enrol their children in other such indigenous sports forms. We just might see a resurgence of some of the sports that are dying for lack of students.

SPORTS TRAINING RESOURCES

While there are private clubs for specialised sports and many academies for cricket coaching across the city, there is not much information on places where some of the other sports are taught. Here are some resources that cover most sports :

Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT)'s website has a list of Sports Associations and Stadium Officers. If you call them, they will also provide you details of various classes held across stadia. Visit http://www.sdat.in/stad_off.html or call 044 28364322/28361011. For instance, there are classes in forms like Track & Field, Kabaddi, Table Tennis and Boxing at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and hockey at the Mayor Ramanathan Stadium.
YMCA College of Physical Education – The College has a Basketball Academy and a Cricket Academy. Their Triangle Tennis Trust handles the Tennis coaching. Classes for outsiders are only at after-college hours, summer holidays and on wekends.
Martial Arts – While there are many martial arts schools that have opened up, do ensure the trainer is well-qualified and the class comes highly recommended by other students.
Swimming – Every other club and hotel in Chennai has a swimming pool. Some schools with pools also conduct swimming camps. The other options are swimming clubs like Turtles and the Velachery Aquatic Complex.

BENEFITS OF SPORTS

There are times when, specially during exams, we consider sports as a distraction, Dr. Kannan Pugazhendi has some very valid reasosn why a child needs to be play an active game or sport.

He says, “Participation in any form of exercise could relieve stress especially in the child's preparation for any form of examination. The student who exercises will be more relaxed, confident, has a deep sleep even if it is short, to achieve all this. Instead of being a distraction it would set the internal environment for peak performance in any examination.”

At a physical level, sports skills help

stimulate unlimited fusion of movement patterns that challenge the nervous system.
The unique combinations demand the young brain to meet with appropriate muscular control that connects various parts of the brain which cannot be mimicked.
When these skills are repeated again and again the choice of the appropriate muscles in a distinctive sequence makes the movement smooth, coordinated, dexterous, efficient and effective.

At a mental level, playing a sport helps a child to

cope with disappointments
handle criticism in spite of victory or loss in a game
learn to do a particular skill the right way at the right time or understand the failure to do so, with minimal consequences
cooperate and coordinate with people irrespective of their likes and dislikes
to play fair
to be injured and suffer pain. Then to conquer the fear and return to sport again
appreciate the friend and foe in success and failure - attitudes that cannot be taught by anything other than sport.

In the long term,

physical fitness that is established through constant participation in sports from school to college vanquishes the need to visit a hospital prematurely in life except for an injury.
the police force of the body, the white blood cells, are well equipped to fight disease and recover at the earliest.
injured tissue heals faster too.
the pursuit of excellence in sport demands commitment and disciplines the mind and body, and develops an absolute aversion to alcohol, smoking and drugs.

Every sport has its unique challenge that demands and as a result, hones a specific set of skills.

Racquet Sports - hand-eye coordination
Football &Rugby - foot eye coordination
Sprint Events/100 to 400 meter races - Motor qualities such as speed
Gymnastics - balance, poise, coordination, flexibility
Rock climbing, kayaking and rowing - muscular strength and power

An edited version of this article appeared in the July 2011 Issue of Parent Circle

1947 Earth

2011-07-01T08:06:00.000-04:00

Director: Deepa Mehta

Language: Hindi

The second film in Deepa Mehta's Elements trilogy, 1947 (the other two being Fire and Water), Earth is based on Bapsi Sidhwa's novel, Ice Candy Man. The movie vividly captures the bestial violence that erupted during the Partition as witnessed by an eight year old polio-afflicted Parsi girl who lives in Lahore, Pakistan.

Lenny (Maia Sethna) is privy to the budding romance between her Ayah, Shanta (Nandita Das) and a masseur, Hasan (Rahul Khanna). Lenny is also aware that Dil Nawaz (Aamir Khan), the smooth-talking Ice Candy Man, has a growing obsession with Shanta. Lenny and the Ice Candy Man become unwilling voyeurs to this unfolding love story.

As the dark clouds of the Partition gather, the animal in each man, like the lion that Lenny fears, is unleashed. Dil Nawaz proposes marriage to Shanta and says in a sombre foreshadowing, that it is only she who can keep his inner animal in check.

In a scene that best captures the horrific violence during the Partition, Dil Nawaz awaits the arrival of a train from Gurdaspur carrying his sisters. The train finally arrives twelve hours later laden with mutilated bodies of passengers.

Dil Nawaz eavesdrops on a conversation between Shanta and Hasan, where the masseur shares his plans to flee to Amritsar in India. The next day, Hasan's body is found in a gunny sack. Lenny is deceived by Dil Nawaz into revealing Shanta's whereabouts and along with a group of marauders, he abducts Shanta. Unlike the novel, the movie offers no explanation about Shanta's fate and it is presumed Lenny lives with the guilt of having sealed the fate of her Ayah.

The end titles of the movie capture the immensity of the Partition, that divided India and Pakistan - “Over one million people were killed in India's division. Seven million Muslims and five million Hindus and Sikhs were uprooted in the largest and most terrible exchange of population in history.”

An edited version appeared in Culturama's July 2011 Issue.
Pic from the Hamilton Mehta Production website.

Gabhricha Paus (The Damned Rain)

2011-06-09T01:17:00.000-04:00

Language – Marathi

Director – Satish Manwar

Gabhricha Paus contextualizes farmer suicides in Maharashtra even as the movie remains true to the black comedy genre. The vagaries of nature are portrayed to be only one among many aspects leading to failed crops and farmer deaths.

The film opens with yet another farmer's suicide due to mounting debts. When the farmer's wife regrets that she didn't heed her husband's moodiness, Alka (Sonali Kulkarni) suspects that her husband, Kisna (Girish Kulkarni) too is contemplating suicide. She enlists her son, Dinu (Aman Attar) and her mother-in-law (Jyoti Subash) to keep an eye on Kisna.

There is a pall of fatalism that hangs over Kisna, even as he dismisses the morbid insights of a fellow farmer, Patil. Kisna is confident that although it hadn't rained in two years, with the benevolence of the rain gods and a little financial help, he can sow a crop whose harvest will erase his debts.

The dead farmer's wife laments one day that she hadn't made her husband's favourite sweet often enough when he was still alive. Alka takes to making sweets and this expense in difficult times, along with Dinu's constant scrutiny, rankles Kisna.

Kisna pawns his wife's jewellery to buy seeds, and sows them, only to find that the monsoon is delayed. Under the vulturish gaze of Patil, he contemplates death. Alka persuades him to start over. This time, when the rain arrives, it submerges the seeds. Only a small crop survives and this too, is seized to offset Kisna's debts.

When Kisna takes a bank loan to install a motor to pump water to his field, he thinks he has finally risen above his circumstance, only to encounter new challenges. In an ironic twist, Alka's fears come true in a rather unexpected way.

An edited version appeared in Culturama's June 2011 Issue.

Match Makers

2011-05-16T04:55:00.001-04:00

(Note: All information is accurate at the time of print. Visit www.iplt20.com for updates.)

April 2, 2011. The ICC World Cup frenzy has reached a crescendo with India and Sri Lanka reaching the finals. The air, rife with comparisons between Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 2011 World Cup winning team and Kapil Dev's 1983 World Cup winning team. The question on everyone's lips - "Will our boys bring the World Cup home after 28 years?" With a resounding YES, the boys in blue - the Indian team - took the proceedings to a tumultous close by winning against Sri Lanka with 10 runs and 6 wickets to spare. The moment was especially poignant for Sachin Tendulkar and his fans as the Little Master's long-standing dream of being part of a World Cup winning team was finally realised.

The noise has hardly died down, and the dust has hardly settled on the ICC World Cup, that Indian cricket fans are now gearing up for IPL Season 4. With 74 matches over 49 days, the fourth season of the Indian Premier League 2011 is expected to be a feast for cricket lovers. Sure, there's nothing quite like Test Cricket, but the IPL this year will be of interest even to the dyed-in-the-wool Test Cricket fan.

The aspect that will significantly alter predictions this is the overhauling of teams. Player auctions, retirements, forced retirements, induction of local talent and the addition of two new teams - are all going to create an upheaval of closely-held beliefs about the talent pool in the 10 teams.

THE CONSERVATIVES

Chennai SuperKings (Winners of IPL-3) and Mumbai Indians (Runners-Up of IPL-3) remained conservative in their team composition. Their focus was on player retention rather than acquisition. This, when CSK is missing Hayden, Badani, Kemp and Ntini from the last season. At the auctions, CSK lost Muthiah Muralitharan and Lakshmipathy Balaji but they've brought in talent such as Dwayne Bravo, Wriddhiman Saha and Yo Mahesh. Tim Southee, fresh from his 18 wicket haul at the ICC World Cup 2011, replaces Ben Hilfenhaus.

The Mumbai Indians will play this season without Sanath Jayasuriya. At the auctions, Zaheer Khan and Dwayne Bravo were acquired by other teams. But MI has brought in Andrew Symonds, Rohit Sharma, Tirumalasetti Suman, Moises Henriques and Munaf Patel.

REBOOT

The teams at the bottom of last year's points table - Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab - had an exodus of players. This may be the best opportunity for them to shed the baggage of the past and induce some vitality.

Kings XIPunjab's emphasis is on getting new players in, not necessarily from other teams, but local talent. The primary acquisition at the auctions was Gilchrist moving in as Captain along with the notable entry of Praveen Kumar, Dinesh Karthik, Ryan Harris and Abhishek Nayar.

Rajasthan Royals has consistently placed emphasis on local players while retaining some of its existing ones. The players brought in at the auction were PaulCollingwood, Rahul Dravid and Ross Taylor. The rest, a healthy mix of retained players and local ones.

STAR POWER

Both Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders are teams without their captains from the last season. Will the absence of Kumble and Ganguly work in their favour? Or will one of their star players step up and take on the mantle?

At the auctions, Royal Challengers lost out on Jacque Kallis, Rahul Dravid and Robin Uthappa. But the exodus has been replaced with frantic buying of the likes of AB de Villiers, Tillakaratne, Daniel Vettori, Charl Langeveldt, Mohammed Kaif and Zaheer Khan.

In an interesting twist, the exact strategy has been adopted by Kolkata Knight Riders. No Ajanta Mendis and Chris Gayle. At the auction, Ishant Sharma, Ajit Agarkar, Murali Kartik and Brendon McCullum moved out. KKR has now brought in players like Brett Lee, Gambhir, Jacque Kallis, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Yusuf Pathan to fortify the side.

THE D-FACTOR

The Deccan Chargers reached the Semi-final of IPL 3 but lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore. This year, while Laxman and Symonds moved out, DC has gained Sangakkara, Gony, Duminy, and Ishant Sharma. But will the absence of Herschelle Gibbs, Chaminda Vaas, and as we go to print, possibly Kevin Pietersen, make a severe dent in their strategies?

The Delhi Daredevils, on par with Kolkata Knight Riders on the points table last year, seems to be on infusing some freshness in the form of new buys. Sehwag is back in the saddle as Captain after Gambhir and, with the able help of Aaron Finch, Morne Morkel, Agarkar, Irfan Pathan, is all set to lead a team that's hungry to win.

THE NEWBIES

Two spanking new teams and the heady promise of competition! In the absence of track records, expectations from the Indi Commandos Kochi and Sahara Pune Warriors are bound to be more realistic. Secondly, since they've not 'lost' any player to the auctioning, they stand to gain in some of the unlearning that other teams will have to do. Having said that, it would be interesting to see how players from other teams forge new loyalties to deliver the goods.

Between Indi Commandos Kochi and Sahara Pune Warriors, there seems to be a clear strategic difference in player selection. Indi Commandos Kochi are banking heavily on players from other teams - the likes of Mahela Jayawardene, Brendon McCullum, Muthiah Muralitharan, Sreesanth, R.P. Singh and VVS Laxman. However, the Sahara Pune Warriors have given equal weightage to local players and those from other teams with the stars being Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra, Murali Karthik and Robin Uthappa.

At the end of the day, however, the winning of games will be determined not only by how integrated each of the teams will be in the face of competition, but also the talent on display. Some of the most legendary players will be out there rubbing shoulders with hot new local talent. Some very intense cricketing action is about to unfold in the the most cricket-crazy country in the world. As addictions go, it doesn't get better than this.

An edited version was published for a client newsletter designed by Global Adjustments. No part of this article may be reproduced without permission from the author and the publication.

Made in Heaven

2011-05-04T00:08:00.000-04:00

“I felt lost in a sea of 11,000 guests! The entire town came to a standstill. The wedding took place in an open ground where something like a movie set was erected. Hostesses wearing mini-skirts, looking like they belonged on a plane rather than at a traditional South Indian wedding, ushered us to our seats. The women guests wore diamond jewellery that paled in comparison to their zari-laden sarees. Everything was big, bright and blingy!” This, from a friend who recently returned from a high-profile wedding in small-town South India.

The mellow modest-budgeted South Indian wedding is now firmly a thing of the past. Say hello to the big fat South Indian wedding with all the glitz of a Bollywood production!

BUDGET

Parents want nothing but the best for their children, and wedding budgets are indeed going through the roof. But a 'sky's the limit' budget doesn't necessarily make the wedding planner's job any easier.

Saraswathi Krishnakumar, who runs a wedding planning company called Event Art with her sister Lakshmi Ravichander says, “What ends up happening is that the client expects the moon but cannot believe it comes at the price it does. If the client has some idea of a budget - any budget - it is a great start point to create an interesting theme.”

But does a big budget necessarily translate to a more interesting wedding? Though admittedly it does cost more to create a theme wedding, Saraswathi says, “Given a budget, any wedding can be made more interesting. The only thing that changes is the scale at which the idea gets translated and the components used. For instance, the budget will determine the flowers that go into the floral decorations as well as the musician invited to perform at the reception. It will not take away from the core idea, though.”

THEME

Saraswathi spoke fondly of one 'Nischayathartham' (engagement) as part of a wedding she had organised. “The entire function was a statement of the family's eco-consciousness. We created a Ganesha out of leaves at the entrance to the venue and the backdrop for the ceremony was also made entirely of leaves. We had lightbulbs inside 'kuruttu' leaf lanterns. We avoided disposable plastic plates and cups, and served typical Tamil food on plantain leaves and coffee in 'tumbler-davara' sets. The return gifts were terracotta items. This also enables us to do our bit for society by sourcing some products from NGOs.”

Krithika was to marry Venkat, she decided to play planner for her own wedding and added a dash of symbolism to the wedding arrangements. “We used the theme of Meenakshi Kalyanam to denote the merger of our two traditions, Iyer and Iyengar. The two symbols we used were green parrot (Meenakshi's symbol) and red lotus (being her brother, Vishnu's symbol).” The invitation was green with a parrot motif. Krithika's wedding saree blouse had parrots embroidered on the sleeve and the immediate family was dressed in greens and reds. The 'thambulam' bags had a Tanjore painting-esque rendering of Meenakshi Kalyanam on them, with Tulsi saplings as return gifts. As for decorations, the florist created a 'thoranam' making extensive use of fresh lotuses suspended from toy parrots. As luck would have it, the wedding venue also had a ready backdrop of Meenakshi Kalyanam!

VENUE

Geeta Vasudevan was clear that when it came to her son's wedding, a claustrophobic wedding hall or star hotel simply wouldn't do. She picked the very ethnic Dakshina Chitra. She says, “I organised everything for Prashant's wedding. Since the bride was Punjabi, we had a Baraat complete with band and horse. It was an al fresco evening reception and a night wedding. Our 800 guests from across India enjoyed a flute and veena concert at the reception where we hosted a buffet with a mix of North and South Indian cuisine. We were surprised that 250 of our guests decided to stay on and be part of the Arya Samaj wedding at 10 p.m. During the actual wedding ceremony, thanks to the serene ambience, the 'mantras' were clearly audible.”

“The venue lends itself so well to the heritage ambience I wanted to create, that we used only twinkling serial lights and floral 'thoranams' to decorate the 'mandapam'.” says Geeta. “We could have easily gone overboard on the decorations, but that would have robbed the place of its beauty.”

OTHER IDEAS

Saraswathi spoke to us of one wedding she organised where the typical Punjabi concept of a Sangeet function was given a new spin. “The clients wanted a pre-wedding party, but the Sangeet concept doesn't really exist in Tiruppur. Instead, we took the spirit of the Sangeet function and customised it.”

“The couple was escorted from the temple to the mandap by traditional Nadaswaram musicians and then by traditional folk dancers. We created a performance with professional 'therukoothu' actors, taking inspiration from a folk song from the old Tamil movie, Navarathri. We kept the tune intact, but used fresh voices and customised the lyrics to incorporate the names of the groom and bride and details of their families.”says Saraswathi.

Just goes to prove that to have a unique and memorable wedding, one need not be limited by budget or convention!

An edited version appeared in TAXI's March 2011 Issue

Pushpak

2011-05-04T00:02:00.000-04:00

Language – Silent

Director – Singeetham Srinivasa Rao

Pushpak is a black comedy, that deftly uses background music and symbols to convey meaning in the absence of dialogue.

In the Ramayana, the Pushpak was a flying machine with the ability to conjure up on offer, all the luxuries of the world. The Pushpak Hotel and its winged halo logo featured in the movie are an allegory for the lavish life on board the mythological flying machine. At another level, the movie explores the fleeting, illusory world of money and the divide between the haves and the have-nots.

An unemployed youth (Kamal Haasan) comes across a millionnaire (Sameer Khakkar) lying in an inebriated state, with a room key of the luxurious Hotel Pushpak in his pocket. The youth decides to steal the millionnaire's identity, leaving him gagged in his own humble room. He moves into the lavish suite of the Hotel Pushpak, and uses the millionnaire's wealth to groom himself in the fashion of the wealthy.

The youth falls in love with a magician's daughter staying at the hotel. The young lovers spend time together and the youth senses with some relief, that the magician's daughter (Amala) does not hanker after his presumed wealth. Meanwhile, a hitman (Tinu Anand) fails in his attempts to kill the youth. The youth realises that the real target is the millionnaire and, decides to investigate. Disillusioned with the material world that gave him wings, he sets things right, finally returning to his own humble life.

Pushpak won the Golden Lotus among the National Awards for the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

An edited version appeared in Culturama's May 2011 Issue.

Parthiban's Dream

2011-05-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

Author – Kalki Krishnamurthy, translated by Nirupama Raghavan

Illustrations - N. Bindhu Malini

MRP – Rs. 165

Kalki Krishnamurthy's Parthiban Kanavu (Parthiban's Dream) is a fictionalised account of a period in Tamizh history dominated by four glorious kingdoms - the Cholas, the Pallavas, the Cheras and the Pandiyas.

When the king of the Cholas, Parthiban lies dying on the battlefield, he seeks the help of a Shivanadiyar (Shiva-worshipping ascetic) in ensuring that his dream of a vast and powerful Chola kingdom is realised by his son, Vikraman.

Years later, when Vikraman sets out to conquer the neighbouring Pallava kingdom, he is betrayed by his uncle, Marappa Bhupathi, and captured by Pallava troops. The Pallava princess, Kuntavi falls in love with him and tries to convince her father, the mighty Chakravarthi Narasimha Varman to be lenient in his sentence for the Chola prince. However, Vikraman is exiled to the Shenbaga Islands.

Two years later, when Vikraman returns to the mainland in disguise, he hears that his mother is missing. He endures a series of near-death experiences, and finally, is nursed back to health by Kuntavi. He finds his mother who tells him that the Shivanadiyar aided her escape from a group of Kapala Bhairavars (Kali-worshipping cult), but was himself captured. With the help of Ponnan, a Chola loyal, Vikraman reaches the Kapala Bhairavar hideout. After a daring rescue helped by Pallava allies, the intrigue surrounding the Shivanadiyar is revealed, thereby setting the stage for the realisation of Parthiban's dream.

Parthiban's Dream was translated from the Tamizh original by 15 year old Nirupama Raghavan. Although targeted at young adults, the story, with its vivid portrayal of Tamizh valour, is captivating to all.

An edited version appeared in Culturama's May 2011 Issue

Jaya - An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata

2011-04-05T14:39:00.000-04:00

The Mahabharata by Veda Vyasa is a sprawling epic that has spawned many an interpretation and philosophical debate. It is centered on the concept of Dharma - interpreted variously as ethic, duty, the path of righteousness and the natural law.

At the heart of the story is the futile rivalry between the Pandavas and their cousins, the Kauravas, that leads to a great war which the Pandavas win. It begins with the recounting of the ancestry of the two warring factions and ends with Yudhishtira, the eldest Pandava ascending to heaven, only to find his arch rival Duryodhana already there.

Devdutt Pattanaik, a renowned name in the field of Indian Mythology, takes on the onus of demystifying the grand epic, delving into its intricate plots and sub-plots. Pattanaik titles his book Jaya - the original name of the epic that we now know as Mahabharata. He narrates the story succinctly and dwells on the fascinating interconnectedness of events and characters, the layers, paradoxes and symbolisms. Pattanaik's enthusiasm is infectious – he includes folklore, interpretations and cross-references in other texts - and his accompanying illustrations are exquisite.

The pivotal chapter on the game of dice, for instance, begins with the envious Duryodhana returning from Yudhishtira's coronation. His uncle, Shakuni devises a plot to overthrow the Pandavas with loaded dice. We see the heady lure of a gamble that dulls Yudhishtira's intellect enough to pawn away his wealth, his kingdom, his brothers and finally, Draupadi, their wife. When Draupadi is publicly disrobed by the Kauravas, Dhritharashtra, the father of the Kauravas intervenes and offers her boons by which she frees her husbands. Sadly, Yudhishtira squanders away this too and the Pandavas are exiled for 13 years. In the footnotes of this chapter, we learn that Draupadi is worshipped in parts of India as a goddess and there are rituals enacted by men representing the Pandavas, seeking her forgiveness.

While Pattanaik's Jaya loosely follows the chronology of the original epic, the author invests time in dwelling on significances. There are stories within stories, curses and blessings that change destinies, and repercussions across timelines and beyond lifetimes. In this retelling, Pattanaik chooses to reiterate that the theme of the Mahabharata is conveyed in the character arc of Yudhishtira who first chases Vijaya (victory over others) but finally realises Jaya (mastery over self).

An edited version appeared in Culturama's April 2011 Issue

Natarang

2011-04-05T14:38:00.000-04:00

Natarang is set in the world of tamasha , a popular style of theatre in Maharashtra with large doses of ribaldry, suggestive songs and dances. Guna Kagalkar (Atul Kulkarni) is a patron of the form, although he is barely making ends meet to support his family. When he decides to start his own tamasha group, Guna begins rehearsing his dream role of a king.

Guna gradually realises that the group needs a woman performer. Nayana (Sonalee Kulkarni) is willing to perform with the group provided they find her a nachya. A nachya plays the effete transgender sidekick to the leading lady in the tamasha and brings in the laughs. With nobody else willing, Guna reluctantly agrees to play the nachya. In a poignant scene, Guna sheds tears of helplessness in the pouring rain as he wears the king's garb for the last time. His training begins in earnest and the man who was built like a bull becomes a slender waif.

Once the group is finally off the ground and begins to tour villages, Guna faces fresh challenges. As he plays a nachya, his perceived indeterminate sexual orientation is cause for much mean humour and sexual advances.

Guna then decides to use tamasha as a medium of change. He picks the role of the legendary warrior, Arjuna who took on the form of a transgender Brihannala to avoid being recognised during exile. But Guna is raped, ironically when he is dressed to play the virile Arjuna.

When all his ties, including familial unravel, Guna realises that he now has nothing to lose, and begins anew pushing the boundaries of the art form.

Natarang won the National Award for Best Marathi film in the year 2010.

An edited version appeared in Culturama's April 2011 edition.

Star Struck - Sachin Tendulkar

2011-04-05T14:37:00.000-04:00

You would be excused for not knowing who Sachin Tendulkar is, if

you've lived all your life in a non-cricket -playing country with little exposure to the game and are now faced with the daunting prospect of living in a country where cricket is religion.
you've just been released after being held hostage with no contact with the outside world for the last two decades.
you've arrived in the present on a time machine from a time when few Indians broke international cricketing records.

Arguably one of the most talented cricketers of all time, everybody it seems, knows about the legendary Mr. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

Making his test debut in 1989, the Little Master as he is called, went on to break record after record with his batting prowess. To fathom why Tendulkar is considered the most-worshipped cricketer in India, one must simply look at the numbers - in his career, the man has notched up a whopping 14692 runs from 177 test matches with 51 centuries and 59 half-centuries! And in 448 One Day Internationals he has scored 17842 runs with 47 centuries and 93 half centuries.

Let's not forget that his first test hundred was made when he was a mere lad of 17 and by the time he was 25, he had 16 of them. And to think Tendulkar originally wanted to be a fast bowler, but Dennis Lillee at the MRF Pace Academy persuaded him to focus on batting instead!

There is a lot of trivia associated with Sachin Tendulkar's batting talent. Ramakant Achrekar, Tendulkar's coach, is said to have famously created a reward of a coin for any bowler who would get him out, failing which, Tendulkar could keep the coin. The champ apparentlywent on to collect 13 of them! Sir Donald Bradman is said to have compared Tendulkar's batting to his own and one of the highpoints of Tendulkar's life was meeting Sir Bradman.

Peter Roebuck, a former cricketer and now a newspaper columnist and commentator is presumed to have said, "On a train from Shimla to Delhi, there was a halt in one of the stations. The train stopped by for few minutes as usual. Sachin was nearing century, batting on 98. The passengers, railway officials, everyone on the train waited for Sachin to complete the century. "

Ask Tendulkar fans why they worship him, and pat comes the reply, “His passion for the game and his hard work. He's been around for 20 years, long after others have made their money and left. He has taken a god-given talent and honed it with hard work. And of course, he has held himself with great poise while facing some of the fiercest bowlers of his time!”

Watch Sachin Tendulkar captain the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premiere League Season 4, beginning April 8, 2011.

For the latest statistics related to Sachin Tendulkar, visit http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/35320.html

An edited version appeared in Culturama's April 2011 Issue

7 Khoon Maaf

2011-02-19T01:18:00.002-05:00

*Spoiler Alert*

Happy marriages are all alike; every unhappy marriage is unhappy in its own way.

- with due apologies to Leo Tolstoy

In Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes' case, it's 6 uniquely unhappy marriages to a slew of conventionally attractive male stereotypes. Would you blame me for such a lengthy review throbbing with spoilers?

Introducing the stereotypes. Edwin Rodriques (Neil Nitin Mukesh), the prosthetic-limbed Army Major. The rockstar who goes by the unlikely name of Jimmy Stetson (John Abraham). The sensitive poet Musafir, also known as Wasiullah Khan (Irrfan Khan). The suave foreigner, Nicolai Vronsky (Aleksandr Dyachenko). Inspector Keemat Lal (Annu Kapoor) who is the only husband she was never in love with - a nice wordplay there on his name. The self-assured mushroom-researching Dr. Madhusudan Tarafdar (Nasseruddin Shah) who rescues her from an attempt to end her life.

We see Susanna (Priyanka Chopra) through the protagonist Arun's eyes. He meets her as a little boy working for her estate. Susanna ensures he gets an education and also sends him to medical school in Russia. Arun is the witness to her life and loves her in his own way.

Susanna is helplessly flawed. As the narrator says, ever since her father died, Susanna has been trying to find him in every man she weds. Susanna is hardly the enchantress - it is she who is easily enamoured, in love with the idea of happily-ever-after. And she is also unforgiving to the core.

Soon after the murder of Husband 3, just as you begin to wonder yourself, Arun asks why Susanna Saheb had to go and kill this one? Why not just walk away? One of Susanna's loyals replies, "When Little Susanna walked to school, she usually took the same route. One day she chanced upon a scary mad dog. Instead of taking the safer route to school, she took her dad's gun along and shot the dog. That's who she is - she doesn't change her route, she just blows the dog's brains out." The timing of that question is impeccable in this fairy-tale gone bad 6 times over. But I wish, I wish, I wish it had better crafted dialogue than the lame explanation that sounds perfectly plausible coming from a loyal.

Were their crimes so big that she had to kill them all? Even with the worst of them, she could have walked away. But Susanna is a jerk-magnet. And she's a woman who can't handle heartbreak and betrayal. She tries to avoid it by changing herself a little to please each of her men. She offers up Susie to match Jimmy Stetson's rockstar persona. She converts to Islam for Wasiullah Khan, becoming his Sultana. She is Anna (Karenina) to Nikolai (Vronsky). When Inspector Keemat Lal finally progresses from 'Madame' to 'Sunaina', she doesn't correct him. But when she is heartbroken - God help the men - she becomes the girl who blew the dog's brains out.

We see Susanna change over the years, dying a little with every heartbreak, transforming from the pert young girl married to an Army Major to the older woman who has finally embraced her greys (even made them fashionable), but stubbornly insists on viewing love through Susanna-tinted sunglasses.

Goonga (Harish Khanna), Maggie Aunty (Usha Uthup) and the manager (who doesn't get named in the website) form the loyal troika who help Susanna deal with the messy business of death, with Arun being sometimes an amused participant.

Genre-wise, for the most part, drama. During the Susanna(Sultana)-Wasiullah marriage scenes, there were shocked gasps from the audience. As symbolisms go, this marriage could have only been set in Kashmir. Seen through Arun's eyes, it's a coming-of-age romance. But the movie turns darkly comical when all pretence of normality is dropped and Susanna's loyals chillingly narrate to a now-endangered Nicolai, how they helped kill each of the previous husbands. It turns into a comedy in the Keemat Lal portions. When Susanna marries Keemat Lal in a church - he self-consciously reads his vows from a paper, while she spouts them effortlessly from memory, with just a tiny self-effacing pause when she gets to 'till death do us part'.

There's a host of symbols in the movie. The Crucifix and the church,recur. Obviously. Could the 7 husbands perhaps also point in the direction of the 7 deadly sins? Priyanka Chopra renders Susanna as a feline presence with ferocity to match. There's Wasiullah's Persian cat, a rare, beautiful and precious pet, much like Susanna, that neatly steps off his snow-covered grave and walks away. When Susanna makes an advance on the now-grown-up Arun, saying he owes her for his education, he notices a spider (symbolic of perhaps entrapment in Susanna's life?), squashes it with the gift he has brought with him, and scoops it away in the gift wrap, thereby revealing the gift itself - a copy of Bluebeard's Seven Wives.

Bharadwaj's prowess is brevity. One of the methods he employs is working on a back-story for each character, which doesn't feature in the final cut. The character, however, carries the baggage of his past. 'Kaminey' was a masterpiece in this technique (whatever it is the movie pundits call it - I've written about it here). Even in this movie, Susanna's story begins as a married woman and Bharadwaj doesn't dwell on the successive romances. But completely, utterly, needless was a depiction of Arun's marital life which could well have been suggested rather than shown. Was it shown because it was the sole happy union in a movie full of unhappy ones? Or was it a case of talented actress willing to play the part of Arun's wife?

Vivaan Shah is a fantastic find (Nasseeruddin Shah's younger son), but he doesn't wear the premature greying too well. The actors playing the husbands do their jobs well enough, even if the roles are too small. Usha Uthup - where have you been all these days? I hope the gracious lady with the diabolic voice gets more roles to bite into after this one.

Priyanka Chopra is clearly Bharadwaj's muse, but as the character ages, she is 'Priyanka Chopra playing tormented,' rather than 'tormented Susanna'. There's a great deal of realism in this movie, which Chopra tries to, but is unable to carry off, without the help of an ample-sized body-double in some scenes. I wonder if Bharadwaj could have picked someone else to play the role, someone less of a 'star' who is able to 'age' better. Regional cinema, especially Malayalam would have done a fine job of it, although Bharadwaj's symbolism would have lost out to stark realism with long silences and the occasional violin solo featured on a more believable Susanna and her 7 husbands.

Oh, the 7th husband? Go watch.

Interesting cameo, that.

Enough said.

(pics courtesy 7 Khoon Maaf's official website)

Cupid Travels

2011-02-08T23:45:00.000-05:00

Forget Paris. Skip Agra. Give Goa a miss. And Bali's oh so last season. For the weekend leading up to Valentine's Day, plan a special holiday with that special someone at one of these unforgettable short-haul Indian destinations. Or pick an absolutely stunning international holiday with minimal visa fuss. Any of these destinations beats the 'dinner-and-a-movie' combo, so no excuses!

Mumbai

If clubbing's your thing, head to Mumbai. It's a city that takes its nightlife (and PDA;-) seriously. Pubs in Mumbai are open long after the ones in Chennai and Bangalore have closed for the night. Hard Rock Cafe, Zenzi and Blue Frog are some of the most hip places you can visit as a couple. And Man-U fans have to, have to, have to visit the Manchester United Cafe Bar at Palladium, Phoenix Mills. Expect lots of music, towers of beer and a high-adrenaline atmosphere.

Mandu, Madhya Pradesh

For a crash-course in old-fashioned romance, simply fly to Indore and head to Mandu. Rani Rupmati and Baz Bahadur's love story is the stuff of legends. There was music, there was poetry and history happened right here in the pavilions and palaces of Mandu. Beg, borrow or steal a translation of Ahmad-ul-Umri's 'The Lady of the Lotus – Rupmati, Queen of Mandu' and read Rupmati's love poems together.

Houseboat in Kerala

We admit - Allepey doesn't sound half as swish as Venice. But what better way to spend a romantic getaway than to cut travel time and max the holiday? Set adrift on a well-appointed houseboat. Simply loll on the deck together. Get an Ayurvedic massage. Succumb to the temptation to do the Titanic-stance at the prow. But please desist from singing the song - you'll be far exceeding the cheesiness quotient!

Haveli in Rajasthan

Recapture the era of the Maharajas and their decadent lifestyle by living out your fantasies as a royal couple. Splurge on a luxurious stay at any of the haveli-turned hotels in Rajasthan and treat the love of your life to some extensive pampering. Take in the grandeur of the forts and palaces. Head to the dunes for a romantic night under the clear desert sky. Just don't let the sand enter the tent!

Coorg, Karnataka

If you've always wanted to visit Tibet, but haven't, and if Dharamshala doesn't fit the scheme of things at the moment, head to Coorg. Stay at one of the many plantations that now host visitors. Take long walks. Stop and smell the flowers. Drink lots of locally brewed fruit wine. Then pop across to Bylakuppe for a day trip and have a quick dekko at Tibetan life. Yes, you read that right – Tibetan! Maybe even find out how to express your love in Tibetan.

Silent Valley

There are rules to visit and rules to stay at Silent Valley. And the constant presence of a guide and fellow travellers could prove a dampener to a city-slicker's idea of a good time out on Valentine's Day. But as a couple, if you share a world view that time amidst nature is time best spent, then head to Silent Valley - the rainforest bordering Tamizh Nadu and Kerala. Imagine staying in the midst of all that natural abundance, waking up to bird song, walking in reverence through lush foliage and if you're lucky, spotting the likes of the Lion-tailed Macaques, Malabar Giant Squirrel and the Great Indian Hornbill! 'Two for Joy' would perhaps be THE most romantic thing to say here.

Singapore

Singapore is a fabulous destination for first time international travellers and seasoned travellers alike. It has all the glam of an international city, yet it proudly flaunts its Asian-ness. Must-dos as a couple include the night Safari (where the atmosphere is positively teeming with nocturnal animals), and feeding times and shows at the Singapore Zoo and the Jurong Bird Park. Oh, and they do have some rocking night clubs. Chinese New Year is being ushered in through February with festive red lanterns, parades, dance, music and food stalls, especially in Chinatown! And - hold your breath - Iron Maiden is also performing here in February!

Sri Lanka

This one's for the value-for-money types. A romantic all-in-one international destination. A short direct flight away. And stunning value-for-money. Stroll through the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, steep yourself in Kandy's culture, sun yourself on the beaches of Bentota or cozy up in a Geoffrey Bawa-designed suite at Lunuganga. Or stay in Colombo at a pretty boutique hotel and make day trips. At this currency conversion rate, it can't get better than this!

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

For an exotic international holiday bustling with things to do, head to Kuala Lumpur and onward to Kota Kinabalu. Prepare to be awed by coral reefs and exotic tropical fish as you snorkel or scuba dive in the waters of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. Or walk hand-in-hand on the pristine sands of Tanjung Aru Beach. Explore the trails in the rainforest of Gaya Island. Else, climb the formidable Mount Kinabalu. What's a measly bouquet of insipid roses when you can feast your eyes on over 800 species of orchid spread over the Kinabalu National Park?

The Maldives

It takes a while to reach Male', as a holiday it doesn't come cheap but the views - oh the views - are so worth it! Spectacular azure waters form the perfect backdrop to take your relationship up to the next level. Do take your swim-wear and sun protection along. There's going to be lots of sun, sand and lounging by the pool.

Rishikesh

If you'd rather give this Valentine's Day a platonic flavour with a heady rush, head to Delhi by air and onward to Rishikesh by road. Adventure sport season is on and there are packages for all skill levels. Go river rafting. Trek in Uttarakhand. Rappel down sheer cliffs. Camp on the banks of the Ganges. At the end of the day, sharing an innocent cup of tea in those environs could unlock some not-so-innocent feelings.

An edited version appeared in TAXI's February 2011 Issue

Moondram Pirai

2011-02-08T23:11:00.000-05:00

Director: Balu Mahendra

Language : Tamizh

At a brothel in Chennai, Cheenu (Kamal Haasan) finds a young woman called Viji (Sridevi) with regressive amnesia. Moved by her child-like state, he sneaks her out of there and takes her away to pristine Ooty where he is the headmaster at a local school.

Cheenu becomes part-parent, part-friend to Viji's six year old self. The caretaking of this child-woman becomes his life's purpose. Also existing in this uncorrupted microcosm are the helpful grandmother next door and a puppy that goes by the unwieldy name of Subramani.

Cheenu struggles to keep intact this near-perfect life with Viji, but the world begins to intrude. Juxtaposed to Viji's naiivety is the ripe sensuality of the aged school owner's young wife (Smitha) whose advances Cheenu finally spurns. When a woodcutter attempts to rape Viji, Cheenu becomes alert to her vulnerability and seeks the help of a local medicine man to cure her. When Cheenu is away, Viji's parents arrive at the doorstep of the medicine man looking for their missing daughter, whose real name is Bhagyalakshmi. The cured Viji/Bhagyalakshmi recognises her parents but has no recollection of how she turned up at Ooty.

A distraught Cheenu arrives at the railway station just as Viji's train is about to depart. He tries to remind her about their life together, but Viji does not recognize him. The train moves on and Cheenu is left with only memories of a period that sadly, Viji has no recollection of.

Made by Balu Mahendra whose visual rendering of scenes is legendary in Tamizh cinema, Moondram Pirai was also dubbed in Telugu (Vasantha Kokila) and remade in Hindi (Sadma). Kamal Haasan won the Silver Lotus award among the National Awards that year for his performance in the movie.

An edited version appeared in Culturama's February 2011 Issue

The Silent Raga – Ameen Merchant

2011-02-01T12:45:00.000-05:00

It is the 1980s in Sripuram, Tamizh Nadu. When Janaki, talented in playing the Veena, walks away from her overbearing father and maternal aunt, she leaves behind not only a hard-earned, spotless Brahminical reputation but also her beloved younger sister, Mallika.

Ten years later, Janaki, now Janaki Asgar lives in Mumbai. She receives an unsigned but hardly anonymous letter from her maternal aunt informing her of her father's failing mental faculties and Mallika's financial struggles. Janaki writes to Mallika requesting to meet her in Chennai.

Both letters stir strong emotions for the sisters as each sister braces herself to meet the other. It is through their eyes and alternating narratives, that we piece together the story of their childhood.

We meet the mother, dead but still a silent observer in the form of a garlanded portrait. We meet the bank manager father, Venkatakrishnan, a man who is melodramatic even in his silences. He lives life on his terms, but ensures his daughters are brought up traditionally. Then there are Janaki's friends, Kamala and Revathi, who are as different socially as they are in temparament, but unanimous in their love for music and unconditional affection for Janaki.

We also meet Gayatri, the girls' widowed maternal aunt, who exerts authority over the goings-on in the household. Through Janaki's eyes, we come to realise the motives behind Gayatri's visits. Through Mallika's younger eyes, we see Janaki's gradual assertion of independence. When Janaki leaves Sripuram, we also sense Mallika's fear of having her own wings clipped.

When the sisters finally meet ten years later it is not the misgivings of the past that take centre stage, but the strong bond they share despite a difficult childhood in a dysfunctional family.

Silent Raga captures the social intricacies of Tamizh Brahmin life in an Agraharam (traditional living quarters for the Brahmin community serving the local temple) in small-town Tamizh Nadu. It conveys the conservatism, the thrift, the social mores imposed on young girls of marriageable age as well as the paradoxes that are not spoken about.

The vocabulary is authentic, the detailing is intricate and the protagonists are so well nuanced, that this evocative debut novel reads like a translation from the Tamizh language.

Nominated for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize in 2008 in the best first book category.

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's February 2011 Issue)

Aranmula Mirror

2011-02-01T12:27:00.000-05:00

Among Hindus in Kerala, there is great reverence attributed to Ashta Mangalyam (a platter of eight auspicious objects). This platter is part of the bride's trousseau in some communities. On the day of Vishu (traditional harvest festival in April), people set eyes on this platter first before beginning a prosperous new agrarian year. While the actual symbolic objects differ by occasion, community and location, a regular on the list is a Vaal Kannadi (hand mirror) which is meant to bestow abundance and wealth on the beholder. And the most sought after mirror is a distortion-free Aranmula one.

The uniqueness of the Aranmula Kannadi (mirror) is that the reflective surface is not mercury-backed glass but metal! When you place a fingertip on a normal mirror, you see a gap between the front edge of the glass and the image on the reflective backing layer. However, in the Aranmula Mirror, this gap does not exist. In that sense, it is a true reflection.

The secret of achieving true reflective quality on metal is known only to a set of families in Aranmula, Kerala and this knowledge was inherited as legacy from their bronze-caster forefathers who moved here in the 18^th century from Sankarankoil in present-day Tamizh Nadu.

Legend has it that they were required to create a resplendent crown for the local deity using bell metal. But they failed to create an alloy that would, after polishing, befit the grandeur. A widow from the community dreamt about the exact composition that would make the metal as reflective as a mirror. When it proved true, the community also began to create mirrors. The other story goes that when the bronze casters could not achieve the right alloy ratio, their wives threw in their tin jewellery into the mix out of sheer desperation. This is said to have changed the nature of the existing alloy to an unleaded copper-tin alloy, now used to create the Aranmula Mirror.

Each mirror is painstakingly made by hand and, depending on the size, could take about six months to make. The clay used for casting, the higher concentration of tin in the copper-tin alloy and the duration of heating the alloy are but some aspects in a process where purification of the metal is of great importance to get a good shine. Some secret herbs are rumoured to be added to the alloy. Even polishing the metal is said to be an elaborate process, done for a few hours a day for about 3 days.

A round mirror of 5” diameter set in an ornate brass frame costs about Rs. 8000. A major component of the cost is the labour. But the other factor is the considerable wastage in the manufacturing process as the metal plates are almost glass-like in their fragility. Traditionally, the demand for the product grew when it was included in the Ashta Mangalyam. However, owing to the price, it is now considered a precious and unique artefact.

Aranmula Mirros have now been granted GI (Geographical Indication) status and they are currently manufactured by the Parthsaradhy Handicraft Centre in Aranmula. While they have an online store (www.aranmulakannadi.com), you could simply walk into one of the Kairali Emporia (outlets of the Handicrafts Development Corporation of Kerala Ltd ) and see a sample there before placing your order.

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's February 2011 Issue)

24 BY CITY - Kochi

2011-02-01T12:17:00.000-05:00

A vital port in the days of the spice trade, Kochi (formerly Cochin) has the distinction of being an eclectic patchwork of cultural influences – Arab, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese and British.

SEE

Ernakulam (the mainland) and Kochi (the port) are twin cities and between them lie islands like Wellington and Bolgatty all linked by bridges and ferries.

The main historical sights to be seen in a day are in the Mattancherry area of Fort Kochi.

St. Francis Church

Behind the simple facade and walls of the St. Francis Church lies the site of Vasco Da Gama's grave long after his remains have been shipped back to Portugal. Built in the 1500s, this church is one of the oldest in India.

Paradesi Synagogue & Cemetery

The synagogue and cemetery on Jew Street stand testimony to a once-sizeable community of Jews whose numbers are now dwindling. The synagogue, built in 1568, is the oldest in India. The adjoining clock tower was added much later, in 1760. Inside the Synagogue do notice the glass chandeliers above you and the Chinese hand-painted tiles underfoot.

Dutch Palace or Mattancherry Palace

Now a museum, this modest palace was built by the Portuguese for Raja Veera Kerala Varma in 1555 and renovated by the Dutch in 1663. It contains exquisite murals and a coronation hall.

Chinese Fishing Nets

Watch the local fishermen harvest their catch with Chinese fishing nets that have now become the visual symbol of Kochi. The best time to visit for a photo-op is at dusk – head to the beach at Fort Kochi or take a ferry to Vyapeen or Kumbalangi Islands. In most places, you could buy fresh catch, get a nearby eatery to cook it for you on the spot and have it served with local toddy.

NOTE: Kerala Tourism has a walking guide on its website for Fort Kochi. http://www.keralatourism.org/destination/destination.php?id=2132066030

ENTERTAINMENT

Fort Kochi Jetty is the place to head to for boat rides and dolphin sighting in the afternoons. If time permits, opt for a leisurely ferry ride through the backwaters.

Soothe stressed nerves with a traditional Ayurvedic therapeutic massage. Most of the higher range hotels have facilities or can arrange for them.

A Kathakali dance performance is much like the Japanese Kabuki. Do watch the make-up application a couple of hours before the show. Call ahead for reservations to watch Kathakali as well as Theyyam, Kalaripayttu (traditional martial arts) demonstrations here:

Greenix Village at Fort Kochi has performances as well as a cultural museum http://www.greenix.in/
Cochin Cultural Centre has theatres both at Ernakulam as well as Fort Kochi http://www.cochinculturalcentre.com/

Kerala Kathakali Centre at Fort Kochi - http://www.kathakalicentre.com/location.htm

EAT

Sadya is the quintessential Kerala festive meal served on a banana leaf. There are specialist Sadya restaurants, but no restaurant meal matches the simple pleasure of a home-cooked feast during Onam (a festival in September).

Fish is a must-try, especially the Fish Fry with local spices and the Karimeen Pollichathu (Pearl Spot steamed in banana leaf). The best restaurants to taste local fare in Kochi and Ernakulam are Seagull (near the beach), Grand (M.G. Road) and Shala. Kashi is a well-known cafe-cum-art gallery on Burgher Street that's popular among tourists. For a more exclusive dining experience, head to the Bolgatty Palace (Bolgatty Island), the Taj Malabar (Wellington Island) or the Brunton Boatyard (Fort Kochi).

SHOP

Nestled alongside the ubiquitous Kashmiri curio shops, Jew Street is a hub of spices and antique shops. Pick up pepper, cinnamon, clove and cardamom here. But do authenticate antiques before buying them.

Culture Shoppe is the official agency of the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala to promote Kerala souvenirs. http://www.cultureshoppe.com They have an office at Kochi, but you can simply order online for free delivery across India.

Visit Kairali, the state-run handicraft outlets at Mattancherry (Fort Kochi) and M.G. Road (Ernakulam) for typical Kerala items like brass lamps, wood carvings, miniature caparisoned elephants, decorative Kathakali masks and numerous products made from coconut shell and banana fibre.

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's February 2011 Issue)

AD-Zapped - Top Television Commercials of 2010

2011-01-05T07:10:00.001-05:00

Abhishek Bachchan continues to give us ideas, and we've finally discovered Yuvraj Singh's secret of a revitalising performance. Closer home in Chennai, the Usman Road brigade (read sarees-jewellery), no less frenzied, upped the ad frequencies to a crescendo for Diwali. The maximum ad clutter was contributed by mobile networks and FMCGs, and therein lies the challenge of creating distinctive out-of-the box advertising.

Here are the top 10 ads in order of best brand association, distinctiveness and execution.

1. Cadbury Dairy Milk– Shubh Aarambh

While we love the ad at the bus stop, we give the 'Jeans' one the top slot for its detailing and treatment.

Uncle encourages his self-conscious traditional wife to have an auspicious piece of 'meetha' (read chocolate) before she steps out of the house wearing jeans for the first time. We love the cramped middle-class apartment with pickles on the table. We love the invisible mother-in-law. Most of all, we love how perfectly cast Neena Kulkarni was, as the Aunty with plaited hair, nose-stud, mangalsutra, green bangles and bindi. Her expressions – priceless!

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather

Directed by Vinil Mathew of Footcandles Films

2. Coca Cola - Warli

A young boy waits at a bus stop in the middle of nowhere for a ride back home to Delhi for Diwali. He opens a Coke bottle, and wishes himself 'Happy Diwali'. An animated firecracker bursts forth. An old Geeta Dutt song gets trendy. Animated tribal figures do a festive dance on the bottle. The figures spill out and draw the boy's attention to a mini-bus that he had assumed had broken down. The driver gets into the bus, switches on kitschy Diwali-esque serial lights and yells, 'Dilli.' The bus leaves with the elated boy on it. We totally dig the song and the use of traditional Warli art in contemporary animation.

Agency : McCann Erickson

Directed by Dibakar Banerjee of Freshwater Films

3. Cadbury Celebrations – Chintu and the doorbell

Another Diwali ad, this time, to atone for social sins of the past. Mr. Joshi opens his door to find Chintu from Flat No. 15, who, as a pesky kid, used to ring his doorbell and run away. Now, when kids do the same to grown-up Chintu, he realises how annoying he must have been. He extends a peace offering – a box of chocolates. Mr. Joshi asks suspiciously if he was the kid who once gave him a chocolate box filled with firecrackers. Chintu sheepishly says that this time, it's 'meetha'. When he hugs Mr. Joshi and wishes him Happy Diwali, a smile lights up Mr. Joshi's face.

Sumeet Raghavan is very 'Chintu' and Vinod Nagpal of 'Hum Log' fame is perfect as the harassed Mr. Joshi.

Agency: Contract

Directed by Vinil Mathew for Footcandles Films

4. Limca Summer - Neighbour

A breezy song plays as Hrishitaa Bhatt's cute neighbour sips Limca to magically convert everything she touches to a splash. The pranks escalate until she is completely drenched and he runs out of Limca. Now it's her turn to walk across to his place, sip Limca and get even by turning his bike into one big splash. There's mischief, there's romance and Caralisa Monteiro's voice playing in your head long after the ad is over.

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather

Directed by Vinil Mathew for Footcandles Films

5. Vodafone Delights

Promoting Vodafone's exclusive discounts and deals for its subscribers, are two school girls. One makes the other feel special by doing little things like giving her more chocolates than others, giving her a ride home on her bicycle and reserving a seat for her at a school gathering. The girls are natural performers and along with the song and the lyrics, bring the commercial alive. This B&W series has a nostalgic quality, perhaps to remind us of that one friend in school (Hint: like Vodafone) who made us feel special.

Agency : Ogilvy & Mather

Directed by Prakash Varma for Nirvana Films

6. Mirinda -Asin and Speed SangarThis one will score high on recall value in Chennai and will warm the cockles of every autorickshaw passenger's heart. Speed Sangar, an arrogant auto driver refuses to return change that's due to Asin. The polite Asin takes a sip of Mirinda and turns into galatta-girl. She asks Sangar to start the auto and takes him on a wild goose chase all around Chennai, finally returning to the place they set out from. When he asks for a thousand bucks, she says, 'I got in here, and I got out here –you want to get paid?' Atta girl, Asin!

Agency: JWT

Directed by Rajesh Krishnan for Soda Films

7. Asian Paints – Brothers

A series of ads where big brother whines about how he no longer has a role to play in little brother's life. He laments that Chotu has become quite the design expert, decorating his house stylishly. Chotu denies this, and says that it's really easy to simply log on to the Asian Paints website to select colours. But Bhaiyya goes on, hurt that his little brother has become independent and his advice is not sought for anything. This insight into Indian families where elders' advice is sought for every little decision, forms a humorous backdrop for conveying the website's features.

Agency : Ogilvy & Mather

Directed by Prasoon Pandey for Corcoise Films

8. Idea - Language No Bar

Abhishek Bachchan plays as a speech-impaired tea vendor who has an 'Idea' to solve the problem of four tea-stall regulars transferred to places where they can't speak the local language. Faced with a mob of language-proud Maharashtrians at a railway station, the Hariyanvi calls his Marathi friend and learns to ask for the toilet in Marathi. The Bengali goes to Kerala and manages to get a room on rent on the basis of a thick Malayali accent. The Maharashtrian sings in Bengali to get a seat on a tram in Kolkata. The Malayali learns the right way to say “Ram Ram Tau” in Haryanvi. And we learn how useful Bluetooth (and friends, and Abhishek Bachchan, and Idea Cellular) can be in a multi-cultural society like ours.

Agency: Lowe Lintas

Directed by Amit Sharma for Chrome Pictures

9. Airtel – 3G

If there's something that young lovers wish would never occur, it's separation. And if there's anything that video call receivers wish would never occur, it's buffering. To showcase the quality of video calls via Internet on 3G, Airtel uses an endless loop of lovers' meeting and parting over and over again.

The other ad - the 3G Live Entertainment one - has A.R. Rahman's uber-cool composition picturised on a street performer following a young woman everywhere. She walks away, but her eyes are still riveted by his moves, he finally accompanies her. The camera pans out to show different people on the street accompanied by performers.

Agency: JWT

Directed by Philippe Andre for Independent Films Ltd

10. Vodafone BlackBerry boys

Five stuffy-suited postpaid types dance in sync, calling themselves the BlackBerry Boys, when suddenly, some very obvious non-corporate pre-paid types dance into the frame singing about cool additional features in the BlackBerry. The ad ends with the 'suits' lost in a crowd of 'non-suits'. As creatives go, this ad isn't up there with the greats. But it efficiently redefines BlackBerry as a brand not only for male corporate executives but for everybody.

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather

Directed by Prakash Varma for Nirvana Films

And for sheer advertising effectiveness, we would like to nominate the Chennai Super Kings' 2010 Whistle Podu ad to this list! All that whistling worked, eh?

An edited version appeared in TAXI's January 2011 Issue

24 BY CITY - Jaisalmer

2011-01-03T10:26:00.001-05:00

Jaisalmer lives up to every international tourist's perception of the exotic East, from snake charmers to tightrope walkers, magicians to men with record-breaking moustache lengths. It is all here, amidst the shifting sand dunes of the Thar Desert.

SEE

Jaisalmer Fort

If Granada's Alhambra is named so because it is presumed to turn red at dusk, the yellow sandstone used to build the Jaisalmer Fort turns a golden yellow. It is also called Sonar Kila (Golden Fort).

The Jaisalmer Fort is different from others in Rajasthan in that it is a living fort – people actually live in it! The entire population of Jaisalmer was once encompassed within the walls of this fort built in the 12^th century atop the Trikut Hill. Over the years, the population spilled over beyond the ramparts.

The palace is only one of many sights to see. A saunter through the fort will give you an insight into the architecture of the period it was built in. The fortification itself is a grand evocative structure with its many pol/prol (gates). There are modest homes, traditional facades of shops and grand havelis (residences) owned by prosperous traders of yore. Don't miss the exquisitely carved temples of the Jain community.

Steer clear of touts and self-appointed tourist guides at the Fort.

Havelis

Jaisalmer's prosperity was due to its prime position on ancient trading routes. As a result, the city's magnificent havelis were built predominantly by prosperous merchants.

Some residences, like Nathmal Ji Ki Haveli continue to be private and off-bounds for tourists. Do also see/visit Salim Singh Ki Haveli and Patwon Ki Haveli. Some are within the Fort itself.

The unique five-storeyed Tazia Tower in the Badal Mahal is symbolic of floats taken out during Muharram by the Shia sect. Badal Mahal itself is now partially a heritage hotel.

Museums

If museums are your preferred route to understand the cultural history of a place, do visit the Jaisalmer Folklore Museum and the Desert Cultural Center. Take in the art, photographs, artefacts and crafts at both museums. There are also performances in the evening. Check local listings.

Gadsisar Lake

If you are not heading out of Jaisalmer to see the sand dunes, do spend the evening at Gadsisar Lake, once the only man-made source of water for Jaisalmer. Head to Tilon Ki Pol, the archway to the lake and watch the canopies and structures around the lake take on a golden hue at dusk. A great place for bird-watching.

SHOP

As is true of any tourist location in Rajasthan, Jaisalmer is a shopper's paradise. Besides the puppets, apparel, junk jewellery and home linen, Jaisalmer is famous for bags, footwear and musical instruments made of handcrafted camel leather. Do bargain.

EAT

There are many restaurants serving world cuisine for the international traveller within the fort. But do dine at one of the Haveli-turned-hotels. Some even provide al fresco dining options and folk dance performances. A Rajasthani thali (platter) is a great way to sample many Rajasthani specialities at one go.

ENTERTAINMENT

Jaisalmer is a great base to explore places nearby. The Rajasthan Tourism Offices can guide you to book camel safaris and nights out under the desert sky at the Sam Sand Dunes and Khuri Village. Other getaways include Lodhurwa (the erstwhile capital of the Bhattis, exquisite Jain temples), Bada Bagh (ancient cenotaphs 0f the royals, spectacular at sunset) and Kuldara (an abandoned village shrouded in mystery).

The Annual Desert Festival is a showcase of everything desert and everything Rajasthani from polo on camel-back to folk music and dance performances. The next one takes place between February 16 and 18, 2011.

Rajasthan Tourism – Jaisalmer

Station Road, Tel.: 02992-252406
Tourist Information Counter, Rly.Station
trcjaisalmer@rajasthantourism.gov.in
http://www.rajasthantourism.gov.in

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's January 2011 Issue)

Nizhalkuthu

2011-01-03T10:24:00.002-05:00

Director: Adoor Gopalakrishnan

Language : Malayalam

The title refers to a popular Kathakali dance-drama inspired by an oral retelling from the Mahabharata dealing with morality, duty and the handing out of punishments.

Kaliyappan (Oduvil Unnikrishnan), the hangman of the princely state of Travancore is tormented by the guilt of executing people for a living. He douses his guilt with toddy and ponders the irony of using ash from the burnt hangman's rope to cure ailments. The morbidity of his job is barely relieved by a loving family and a royal endowment of tax-free land.

One day, Kaliyappan is informed that his services are required for an impending execution. As the date draws near, Kaliyappan's moral reluctance affects his health. On the appointed day, his son Muthu (Narain) accompanies him to the execution.

To keep the hangman awake preceding the execution, the Jailer (Nedumudi Venu) narrates the tale of a young girl who was raped and murdered by her sister's husband, although the blame falls on a young orphan who wooed her. Kaliyappan, in his mind, finds resonances with his own life and gives in to empathy. When he wonders what happened next, he is told that it is the young orphan who is to be hanged in the morning.

When fiction, fact and fragments from his own life merge imperceptibly, Kaliyappan becomes agitated and collapses. To carry out the execution on schedule, Kaliyappan's son, a Gandhian and a propogator of non-violence, ends up doing his father's job.

Adoor Gopalakrishnan is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker and the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including the Padma Shri, the Padma Vibhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Ilaiyaraaja's haunting background score transforms into a youthful lilt when the story of the girl is being narrated but returns to the hangman's story with a somber foreshadowing of imminent death.

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's January 2011 Issue)

Guzaarish

2010-12-02T08:54:00.001-05:00

It's evident that the media hates Bhansali ever since he gave us Sanwariya. There is no solid ground to stand on when you enter Bhansali's world, no cliches, no Indian stereotypes. It's a make-believe world with jewel colours and a melancholic sky. Everybody is good and in turn, deserving of goodness. And women are goddesses - the fallen ones are fallen, for reasons beyond their control. It is hardly surprising that this movie was trashed unceremoniously - it really isn't a memorable movie, nor is it a time-pass one. It's an interpretation of a story from the world that exists inside Mr. Bhansali's mind.

There is a strong element of Christian symbolism in Guzaarish. Hrithik Roshan, with his beard, flowing locks and beatific smile is Jesus Christ. He performs miracles (he's a magician), he has a crucifix (his body), there is a Judas (a competitor) in the story and two Marys - the mother and the 'fallen woman'. Reviewers and viewers have caught on to that. So let's plunge straight into the story.

Ethan Mascarenhas (Hrithik Roshan) has spent the last 14 years as a quadriplegic under the care of a nurse, the very devoted Sophia (Aishwarya Rai Bachhan). In his glory days, Ethan was an acclaimed magician performing some fascinating feats with his assistant, the lovely Estella (Monikangana Dutta in a very brief role). Now, Ethan is a radio jockey who encourages people across the radio waves, to love life. So it comes as a surprise to his lawyer Devyani (Shernaz Patel) and subsequently the world, that he wants to petition for the right to die. Meanwhile a young aspiring magician, Omar Siddiqui (Aditya Roy Kapoor), sets foot into the world of Ethan. The movie traces the happenings within the crumbling Mascarenhas Villa, symbolic of Ethan's life, and swirls into the dilemmas of euthanasia.

Hrithik Roshan, who is an epitome of movement, does well in a role where all movement is conveyed by his face. You are reminded time and again, of Roshan's physical fluidity in the flashbacks where Ethan performs magic and in dreams where he dances with grace and agility. However, in his facial expressions, Roshan does tap into Rohit from Koi Mil Gaya. This is the real dampener to what could have been a fine performance.

Aishwarya Rai Bachhan's Sophia, with her straight back and measured strides performs Sophia flawlessly. You instinctively expect her to give in to her customary screech, but she surprises us by imbuing a powerful depth to her voice especially in the scene where she argues with Devyani, the lawyer.

Shernaz Patel is a pleasure to watch except when she does the occasional wide-eyed incredulity. Suhel Seth, playing Ethan's doctor is quite the cherubic angel with greying curls. Rajit Kapoor's performance is exaggerated, perhaps as he is one of the two characters who are not pristine white. Aditya Roy Kapoor is adorable in his earnestness.

While I had an overriding impulse to shout 'Pack Up!' in quite a few places where the film could have ended, my grouse is with the scenes leading to the last scene and that cene itself. I don't need to see Sophia's husband to understand their relationship - a few bruises on the same lovely face would suffice. I would have preferred a non-romantic end - this one looked force-fitted to take advantage of Roshan's and Rai-Bachhan's chemisty. I'm quite sure that as an audience, we can accept Ethan and Sophia as patient and nurse with the camaraderie, the tiffs, the inside jokes and not a hint of romance. And the cathartic vase-shattering could have been done much, much better.

Although Ethan's quips and rejoinders were good, the speech that he harps on about loving life is generic. The sudden rushing of kith and kin to touch Ethan in the last frame was downright comical and I presume, unintendedly so. In terms of appearance, Sophia is modelled on Frida Kahlo. But in the last scene, it's more a 'Kahlo in a man's shirt'. The disshevelled appearance in the previous scene worked, the realism of the man's shirt didn't.

Guzaarish is lovingly shot. The camera is a character, an observer - stark in the courtroom, sometimes off-kilter, sometimes up-close to Ethan's face, sometimes stepping back in anticipation of Sophia's wrath, and sometimes deliberately disorienting as it looks down from the ceiling of photographs. It also captures a soft nostalgia when it pans the corridors, courtyard and rooms of Mascarenhas Villa.You can smell the mustiness.

If I have to remember Ethan Mascarenhas and Sophia, the characters and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the director, it is not in the fleeting scenes that the press latched on to. Not the scene with the fly, not the one where Sophia bathes him, not the one where she dances with abandon, nor their made-up game of verbal simulations of intimate nature.

Watch the scene where the immobile Ethan wearing rose-tinted glasses is being transported to the court in a convertible. Ethan asks Sophia to take off his hat so he can feel the wind in his hair. He revels in the sunshine, passing through a world where movement is taken for granted. Ethan sees a collage of movement - from boys swimming in a pond to a housewife chasing chickens in her yard to the flapping flag on the convertible to a bunch of kids riding pillion on a bike - until his eyes rest on a static scarecrow in the midst of a wind-rustled field. His eyes brim over. Sophia reaches out, wipes away the tear and lights him a cigarette.

Pics courtesy official website of the movie.

24 BY CITY KOLKATA

2010-11-30T08:08:00.002-05:00

Kolkata is a city that is fiercely passionate about its rich heritage – both colonial and Indian. You will discover that there's more to the city than the infamous 'Black Hole' and Dominique Lapierre's 'City of Joy'.

SEE

Mother House

The tomb of Mother Teresa is housed here along with a museum and an office of the Missionaries of Charity. The House is open between 08:00 – 12:00 hrs and again between 15:00 – 18:00 hrs. Closed on Thursdays.Phone: +91 33 2452277

Short and long term volunteering options also exist.

Victoria Memorial

Conceived by Lord Curzon as a tribute to Queen Victoria, this majestic building was completed in 1921. A 16-ft high statue called The Angel of Victory made in Italy, stands atop the dome. The must-sees at the museum are 'Company Drawings' of natural history, the Calcutta Gallery and paintings by the Daniells depicting Indian landscapes.

The gardens are open all days 05:30 – 19:00 hrs. The Museum is open all days except Mondays and other public holidays 10:00 – 17:00 hrs.

Maidan and About

Stroll through Kolkata's verdant Maidan (open grounds) to spot some of the most fascinating architecture from the era of the British Raj including Fort William, Shahid Minar (formerly known as the Ochterlony Monument), St. Paul's Cathedral and the Victoria Memorial. One of the oldest and largest cricket stadia in India, Eden Gardens, is right here.

The nearby BBD Bagh, also known as Dalhousie Square was the administrative center of the East India Company. The Writer's Building now houses the Secretariat of the West Bengal government.

South Park Street Cemetery

For those not intimidated by the morbidity of tombstones, there are poignant stories to be found here in the mossy cenotaphs and remnants from the the British Raj.

Marble Palace

A permit is required in advance from the West Bengal Tourism office, to see this magnificent residential building. A walk through the Marble Palace is a fascinating way of acquainting oneself with the ways of the opulent Bengalis of the 1800s. Since it is also a private residence, some areas may be off-limits.

SHOP

Chowringhee Road and New Market just off it, are the places to go for shopping of all kinds. Buy terracotta crafts, Bengal cotton sarees and jute products. Be sure to bargain.

Dakshinapan on Ghariahat Road has handicrafts and handlooms at government approved rates. Be sure to visit Dolly's for tea.

EAT

Besides the usual Tandoori and upmarket multi cuisine restaurants, do try typical Bengali fare in restaurants like 6 Ballygunge Place, Oh Calcutta and Kewpie's.

Inmates of the destitute home run by The All Bengal Womens' Union create an authentic Bengali lunch for which their restaurant, Suruchi is renowned. Closed on weekends.

Over cups of coffee, participate in spirited intellectual conversations (also locally called 'adda') at the famed Indian Coffee House near the University. But for a relatively serene experience, head to Flury's on Park Street for tea and cake.

ENTERTAINMENT

Ferry on the Hooghly

For a local experience during the day, take a ferry between Belur and the Dakhineshwar Kali Temple. At dusk, take a motorised ferry along the Hooghly and watch the illumination of the two bridges - Rabindra Sethu (Howrah Bridge) and the Vidyasagar Sethu (New Hooghly Bridge).

Son-et-Lumiere

The Victoria Memorial hosts Son-et-Lumiere shows in English (all days except Mondays and Public Holidays) : October to February: 19:15 - 20:00 hrs, March to June: 19:45 – 20:30 hrs.

Contacts: West Bengal Tourism Center (Kolkata) Ph : +91 33 22437260 / 44012659-62 http://www.westbengaltourism.gov.in

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's December 2010 Issue)

Dweepa

2010-11-30T07:48:00.001-05:00

Director: Girish Kasaravalli

Language: Kannada

At one level, Dweepa, a story by Norbert D'Souza, deals with the subject of displacement of natives near dam sites. At a deeper level, it depicts how different human facets come into play during a crisis. There is an underlying subtext of the Ramayana in the movie that will be of interest to those familiar with the epic.

Duggappa (M.V. Vasudeva Rao) is the custodian of a small temple for a local village deity at the base of a holy hillock. Duggappa's obedient son, Ganapa (Avinash) assists him in the appeasement rituals conducted for the villagers. Ganapa's wife, the industrious Nagi (Soundarya), constantly dreams of a better life for the family.

When the gates of the nearby dam are closed during the monsoon, there is a threat of the village being inundated. When the inmates are relocated to a nearby town, Duggappa adamantly returns along with Ganapa and Nagi to the deserted village, now rendered an island.

The ebullient Krishna (Harish Raju), an acquaintance, arrives to help them cope with rebuilding their lives. As the rains intensify, Krishna's constant presence creates a rift between Ganapa and Nagi. Ganapa presumes Nagi's attraction to Krishna, and is under the delusion that the two are to blame for the crisis unravelling around him. When Duggappa dies, Nagi senses that Ganapa holds her indirectly responsible for his death.

Fed up of the constant friction between Ganapa and Krishna, Nagi finally asks Krishna to leave. With Krishna gone, and Ganapa emotionally distancing himself from her, it is up to Nagi to safeguard her home from not only the dangerously rising water level but also a tiger foraging for a meal in the deserted village.

When the danger passes, Ganapa attributes their survival to benevolent temple spirits. Nagi's efforts go unacknowledged and her isolation mirrors that of Sita's in the Ramayana.

The film won a Golden Lotus for Best Film in the National Film Awards, 2002.

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's December 2010 Issue)

Eat Pray Love

2010-11-12T02:05:00.002-05:00

I haven't read Elizabeth Gilbert's bestselling non-fiction book on which this movie is based. Now, however, I have zilch desire to read the book, and wish I had given the movie a miss. I have issues with it at various levels and they are all tangled up in my head like a Gordian knot made of steel cable. So pardon me if I go all moralistic on what is otherwise a simple story of self-discovery.

The story begins with Tekut, a toothless medicine man in Bali who predicts that Liz (Julia Roberts) would lose everything in 6 months and get everything again over a journey that would end in Bali. Back in New York, Liz has an overriding impulse to end her marriage. I buy the discontent - it is very real. But does it call for a drastic severance of a marriage? I don't know.

While separated from her husband, Liz embarks on an affair with a young actor (James Franco in a role too ill-fitting for his talent). The affair ends pretty much the same way her marriage did - in deep listlessness. Liz decides to take a year off, and decides to spend it in Italy, India and Indonesia.

Liz discovers Italy through its people. She rediscovers her appetite. There is a sequence where she downs a plate of spaghetti, relishing every morsel. In Naples, she devours pizza and imparts wholesome advice to a weight-conscious expat. She learns to speak in hand gestures even as she learns the Italian language. Towards the end of her time in Italy, Liz orders lunch in fluent Italian, and her group goes about guessing the name that best describes cities and people. The weight-conscious expat wisely guesses that Liz is a woman in search of a word that best describes her. Nicely done section with a few cliches and no moral upheavals for me.

Imagine Liz, then, hurtling in an Ambassador taxi in what sounds garishly like India. She lives in an Ashram that was referred by her actor ex-boyfriend. Here, she meets a young Indian girl who is pressurised into marrying a person of her parents' choice. Liz discovers how to meditate by bestowing prayers for the young girl's wellbeing. Liz also meets Richard (Richard Jenkins) from Texas, who first upturns all her defenses, then shows her how to forgive herself for her part in a marriage gone sour. Richard's narration of his story is perhaps the most honest scene in the entire movie.

In lush Bali, Liz falls in love with Felipe (Javier Bardem) but believes she will lose the individuality and balance that she has achieved over the past year. It is Tekut who puts things in perspective for her and as American movie cliches go, Liz and Felipe power-boat off into the sunset.

It's not easy to adapt a non-fiction piece into a screenplay using story-telling devices. Under the Tuscan Sun is one of the best I have seen. Eat Pray Love as a movie concept would have sounded great on paper. But if it is true to the book, there's hardly any point in blaming the movie. My friend who has read the book, felt that the Bali sequences were much better in the movie than in the book.

As a story, it reads disturbingly like the typical American traveller's cliche-tinted journey into exoticism minus the substance abuse. It has a protagonist who is gullible - she would believe anything spouted by a medicine man who, by the way, can't save his own teeth, but speaks of smiling from the gut or bladder or whatever part of the anatomy he referred to. Not only does she believe his initial prophecy, but she also interprets/misinterprets a later one, which leads to the cloying ending. The movie has the familiar cliche-ridden India section which leads me to wonder if Italy and Bali were cliche-ridden as well! I also felt a little disturbed that Liz unwittingly programs the young Indian girl into accepting her new marriage and life, when she made the same mistake herself.

Performance-wise, Richard Jenkins' is perhaps the most honest. Felipe's relationship with his son is another beautiful section, but on the other hand, Javier infuses a certain cheesiness to Felipe's adoration of Liz. This comparison may be unfair, but I'm ploughing through - in Under the Tuscan Sun, when I see Diane Lane, I think Francesca. But in Eat Pray Love, when I see Julia Roberts, I think Julia Roberts. Liz was never there.

In one of her interviews, Roberts is rumoured to have said that she did not meet the real Liz Gilbert for fear of absently imbibing her personality and infusing it into the role. Maybe - just maybe - if she HAD met Gilbert, this may have been a moderately richer performance and not Pretty Woman all the way. I think at some level Ms. Roberts couldn't quite relate to the character she played.

If this story was set in the sixties, there would have been ways to make it a non-cliched story of a conservative married woman in search of her self in the midst of a socially rebellious generation ripe for change. There would be that heady flavour of rebellion, kindred spirits, free sex, music and yes, blessedly, some substance abuse along the way.

Eat Pray Love, to me, smacks of a self-indulgent romp through three countries by a woman bored of the well-endowed life she has created and fearful of taking responsibility for the choices she has made along the way. Is this, perhaps representative of the average (wealthy) American's discontent today? Also, is my cynicism representative of a person from a developing country who can handle a power failure better than the average (wealthy) American as represented by Liz/Roberts?

24 BY CITY - Udaipur

2010-11-12T00:35:00.002-05:00

It's not hard to imagine why much of the Bond thriller, Octopussy, was picturised here. There is history in the bylanes and tales of valour in the palaces. Reflection takes on a whole new meaning in the Lake City of Udaipur.

SEE

Gangaur Ghat

Most of the sights you will see, overlook Lake Pichhola or one of the many lakes of Udaipur. And what better way to start the day than to step on to one of the banks and absorb the sights and sounds of a city coming awake. Gangaur Ghat is a bank on the Lake Pichhola with an ornate gateway. Rest a while on the banks and enjoy the rippled reflection of the landscape and structures around the lake.

Bagore Ki Haveli

This Haveli or Traditional Residence, located at Gangaur Ghat, on the banks of the Lake Pichhola, runs a museum under the aegis of The West Zone Cultural Centre. On display are every day items used by the aristocracy. The Haveli Museum is otherwise open between 10:00 hrs – 19:00 hrs.

City Palace Complex

If there is one place that will dominate your visit to Udaipur, it would be the City Palace Complex. Originally built by Maharana Udai Singh in 1553, the complex has lofty archways, ornate balconies and resplendent halls built in both Mughal and Rajput architectural styles. The museum (09:30 hours to 16:30 hours) houses a fine collection of miniature paintings, royal clothing, accessories and armour. Do visit the Mor Chowk with its intricate mosaic work featuring peacocks. Thematic trails and registered guides are also available. There is a 4-in-1 special package that includes the City Palace Museum, a boat ride and some refreshments.

There are two more palaces in the complex - The Fateh Prakash Palace and the Shiv Niwas Palace - both luxury hotels now. The former has a magnificent Darbar Hall and a Crystal Gallery (09:00 hours to 19:30 hours) that are open to public and well worth a dekko.

The complex also has The Vintage & Classic Car Collection (09:00 hours to 17:00 hours), showcasing twenty cars owned by the Maharanas of Mewar including a 1924 Rolls-Royce 20 hp.

Lake Palace

Seemingly floating on the Pichhola Lake, the Lake Palace is called Jag Nivas. It was built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1743. It is now a luxury hotel. Enjoy a meal at their restaurant and relive the grandeur of a bygone era.

Saheliyon Ki Bari

With its lush greenery, fountains, pavilions and walkways, Saheliyon Ki Bari (literally, 'Handmaidens' Garden') is a medium-sized park that brings alive visions of handmaidens at leisure. Don't miss the statue of the standing Indian woman in one of the fountains.

EAT

The best meal you can have in Udaipur would be at any of the restaurants that are part of luxury properties that were once palaces. Among Rajasthani delicacies, do try the Daal-Baati-Churma. There are also any number of cafes and eateries serving world cuisine.

SHOP

Buy Mojris (footwear) - these are tough leather shoes, beautifully embellished with embroidery and zari work. Also pick up embroidered fabric, miniature paintings and antique jewellery. If you are a seasoned bargainer, the shops around the main sights would be perfect to pit your bargaining skills against seasoned shopkeepers who know a gullible tourist when they see one.

Shilpgram is a crafts fair just 3 kms from Udaipur. It showcases traditional architecture of the common people of different regions of India. Crafts from these regions are also on display. 11:00 hrs – 19:00 hrs all days.

ENTERTAINMENT

Catch the Son et lumiere show at the City Palace. It is called ‘The Legacy of Honour’ and the English version runs from 19:00 hours to 20:00 hours between October and March.

Bagore Ki Haveli hosts a cultural program called Dharohar every evening between 19:00 and 20:00 hours.

There are many festivals celebrated in Rajasthan and chief among them, is the Mewar Festival that is uniquely Udaipur. It is a spring festival and is held around March every year. Do check the RTDC website for the exact dates.

A ten-day annual festival called Shilpgram Utsav is held at Shilpgram in December to celebrate the cultural diversity of India along with an exhibition of regional crafts and folk art forms.

LOCAL CONTACT

Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC)
Fateh Memorial, Suraj Pol. Tel.: 0294-2411535, 2521971/1364
Dabok Airport. Tel.: 0294-2655433 Tourist Information Counter Railway Stationtrcudaipur@rajasthantourism.gov.in , www.rajasthantourism.gov.in

More details on the City Palace Complex here: http://www.eternalmewar.in/User/Travel/Regal_Visit/City_palace_Museum.aspx

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's November 2010 Issue)

Table for One - Natas

2010-10-09T11:01:00.000-04:00

Someone in the history of food writing is bound to have made the connection between food and personality. And last evening, the display shelf at Theobroma was erupting with an eclectic array of characters. There were the usual suspects, the everymen of the dessert selection like walnut brownies and chocolate mousse. A whole range of pastries with exotic icings vied for attention on the shelf. Then there were the rocker-chick types like vodka-chilli something-something that stood aloof, yet needy for attention with their streaks of green.

But it was a quest for Theo's carrot cake that drew me there. It was the best I had tasted since falling headlong in love with its wholesome flavour in London. But on the counter where it usually stood, was a single slice of something gloopy, obviously someone's idea of caramel heaven. No carrot cake. But I wasn't about to go home armed with mere walnut brownies.

And then, at second eye-sweep, I spotted them.

Humble natas amidst all that jazz, standing on the tray like self-aware monks who were one with the divine. What better way to celebrate the end of my time in Mumbai than a Portuguese custard dessert at my favourite dessert shop in the entire world, Theobroma? The memory of this dessert was my lembrança, a keepsake from my time in Mumbai.

The natas had a simple crust, a well-browned top and a sprinkling of coarsely ground cinnamon. Physically, it is a quiche-sized base filled with custard. The crust was thinner at the bottom and thicker at the sides. It was served cool (not cold), and the side crust was firm enough not to yield to the side of a fork. What does one have hands for anyway, eh? The portion was just right - neither too little to whip up a craving, nor too large to make one feel like a Portuguese-spouting python.

I felt a familiar feeling, one that I hadn't experienced in ages. At that moment I absolutely knew I would eat a nata and I would eat it right there.

Now for the flavour. The brown top had no smoky aroma, no peeling layer, and no overpowering eggy smell to the custard. The custard was creamy, mildly sweetened with sugar, flavoured with lime zest and vanilla.

The owner of Theobroma affirmed the flavours I could detect, but added that there was cinnamon and nutmeg as well. I think the fascinating blend of citrusy zest and vanilla dominated the nata and the cinnamon was largely a textural addition for the top.

The story goes that one of the top doctors of Mumbai tasted natas in London and asked the owner of Theobroma if she would make it for him. But she didn't know the recipe. So, he even provided her with the recipe. Ever since, she has been making natas. Thanks, doc!

Let's hope the natas at Theobroma don't go the route of the carrot cake. Apparently, few bought it. The owner even included almonds (sacrilege, if you ask me) but it didn't help. So, head out and grab a nata sometime.

With no need for conversation, I sat by myself, numb to the presence of the mobile phone, oblivious to other dessert-eaters, engrossed in an otherworldly experience, grateful that I didn't have to share the moment or the nata with anybody.

DID SHAKTI WEAR THE PANTS?

2010-10-08T23:48:00.004-04:00

This was published on my erstwhile blog in July 2009. Navaratri this year, seems the perfect opportunity to republish it.

Till some time ago, my financial decisions were taken only partially by me. The bigger decisions were entrusted to people in my life - my father, my husband and my chartered accountant. In the midst of all the money talk, I've felt restless and incompetent. I couldn't comprehend why the government needs a share of every bit of money I earn.

In the last couple of months, I took over the decision-making of course, with the advice and opinion of trusted people.Although I find the process tedious and people are justifiably exasperated trying to explain why I can't have my mutual fund statements the way I want them, I am finally making my own decisions and sticking by the repercussions.

Why was it so hard for me to take control of an area that should logically be my responsibility? It's been a very difficult decision that feels like going against the grain of who I am as a woman. The same reason that someone I know - a brilliant top-ranking executive with a financial organisation is unaware of how her investments are doing.

My theory is that women, especially of my generation in India, are perhaps the first generation to en masse step over the threshold to work outside home. I'll set aside the single women who, when they are not depending on their fathers, have held complete decision-control of their lives.

The married ones - although we have scaled new heights, and learned such terms as job-satisfaction, breaking the glass ceiling etc. - are also weaned on the stuff that our mothers have unknowingly introjected with their lives - financial (legal etc) decisions are made by the man of the house.

We don't question it or accept it completely and therein lies our discontent. Making one's own financial decisions is pretty much like wearing the pants in the household, aka being the man. So much power would surely make us aggressive and unfeminine. Moreover, what would we comprehend about all those numbers and legalese? That's my mum and her mum and her mum talking. Actually, my mum would never be caught dead saying it, but it's the way I think she lives her very content life.

That's her way, but it doesn't need to be mine.

As I pry loose the fingers of that introject, it has left its marks on me. That will gradually heal. But I know it now for what it is - many mothers collectively (and unwittingly) making that introject a societal norm just because they didn't know better.

My eyes are now open to the fact that power and feminity can go hand-in-hand without trappings like pants, aggression etc. Let's not even go into the skill set required to assimilate, wield power and (ahem) handle male subordinates.

Take a good look around.
- First woman president of India - Pratibha Patil
- First woman speaker of India - Mira Kumar
- President of the Congress Party - Sonia Gandhi
- Youngest Indian MP - Agatha Sangma
- Managing Director and CEO of ICICI - Chanda Kochhar
- CEO of HSBC India - Naina Lal Kidwai
And many many more, in sectors that our mothers considered the male dominion.

Why do you think Shakti is such a potent force in mythology and religion?

Sure, I'm tempted to just allow others to take the decisions for me. But that also arouses feelings of discontent for not being my own person. It does take more effort on my part to learn the jargon and concepts, but let me assure you, it's easy once you get the hang of it. And yes, it does help to have a chartered accountant who can explain things to you simply. Most of all, we women are blessed with two very undermined qualities - commonsense and intuition.

I feel as gratified when my 'risk-averse' financial decision is ultimately proven 'wise' as when I shed copious tears as I fall in love all over again when I watch my favourite romantic comedy.

I am all woman.

And to answer the question, Shakti did just fine in a saree!

Endhiran

2010-10-04T02:28:00.005-04:00

How does one put a spoiler alert for a movie whose awe-factor is not plot driven, but technical?

Let's just say that if either Rajinikanth or Shankar were not part of this movie, it would fall flat. For a Shankar film, there is a moderate overpresence of the Rajini factor that makes the plot a little less intricate than Shankar's earlier offerings like Gentleman, Mudhalvan and Anniyan. Having said that, for a Rajinikanth film, there is more of the director and less of punch dialogues, the hero intro song and heroic flourishes.

In Endhiran, Shankar turns the concept of protagonist and antagonist on its head. I'm sure it has been done before, but in India, we feel cheated if we aren't subconsciously cued to who the protagonist is right from the beginning. Shankar does this very cleverly in Endhiran.

Dr. Vasigaran (Rajinikanth) is oblivious to the world and his girlfriend, Sana (Aishwarya Rai Bachhan), as he painstakingly creates a humanoid robot that looks like him. It's an act that screams 'god creating man in his image' and comes up as a statement many times over during the movie.

The robot, called Chitti (Rajinikanth again) is devoid of shades of grey - he only follows the rule book of black or white. Chitti is a robotic wonder as he dances, cooks, cleans, and 'reads' tomes in a matter of seconds. Sana is quick to tap his capabilities and Chitti is put to the test when he has to rescue her even when his battery is low.

Vasigaran's mentor, Vohra (Danny Denzongpa) sets out to steal Chitti's neural schema. He is also part of the panel approving Vasi's project for the armed forces, and he proves that Chitti is a dangerous machine who cannot discern good or evil, friend or foe. When this fact reinforces itself in an unfortunate incident, Vasi goes back to the drawing board and imbues Chitti with the ability to feel human emotion.

Vasi is jubilant with the results, but Vohra warns him of the perils of having a robot with feelings - Chitti falls in love with Sana.When Chitti goes all out to win Sana, Vasi decides to stop Chitti. At this point, if you still thought Vasi was the protagonist, you will be faced with mixed feelings as the creator turns destroyer chillingly hacking up his creation.

Life goes on for Vasi and Sana. Chitti's mutilated parts are found by Vohra and with the last vestiges of battery power, Chitti pleads for life. Vohra recreates the robot but introduces a new look and a red chip - a destructive nuance that Chitti Version 1.0 lacked. Chitti 2 goes berserk, abducting Sana and creating an impregnable fortress guarded by his humanoid robot clones.

At this point, if you thought Vohra is the antagonist, Shankar again turns the tables on you when Vohra is found dead, killed by Chitti 2. This is where we realise that the protagonist and the antagonist are two versions of the same character - Chitti. In retrospect, I now realise that Chitti (not Vasi) had a version of the 'Rajinikanth intro' song that is a staple in all his movies.

It is now up to Vasi to rescue Sana and destroy his creation. Chitti 2 proves to be nearly impossible to kill. After the ear-numbing climax Vasi finally removes the red chip and reverses Chitti back to his earlier version. In the end, Chitti spouts the essence of the movie - unlike his robot self who can be righted with the simple removal of the red chip, humans cannot remove the evil that exists in them so easily.

This is a Rajinikanth fest for his fans. I watched Endhiran at Aurora in Matunga, Mumbai - a single-screen cinema that will soon go the multiplex way. There's no describing the fervour and frenzy at a single-screen, especially when you have to exit the theatre from between the legs of a gigantic Rajinikanth in his robotic serial-lit avatar.

What Works

- First, full marks for the characterisations. You quickly bridge Rajinikanth's off-screen persona and on-screen scientist one with a moderately unkempt Vasigaran. Then, the differentiation between the human Vasi and the robot Chitti 1. And finally, the differentiation between tho two robots - Chitti 1 and 2.

- Rajinikanth must have had a blast playing Chitti and Chitti 2. Chitti 2 evoked the most whistles from the audience. He is portrayed as unstoppable, diabolic, funny and hopelessly in love with Sana. He had the best lines and the most sinister gravelly laugh. He has a streak of grey, signifying perhaps, a robot who is now wiser to the ways of the humans after being let down by his creator?

- Technically, this movie is impeccable. The Special effects are spectacular- try figuring out how they did the snake thing in the end. Also, having two characters played by the same actor, sharing a scene is so passe. Here, there are hundreds of Chittis moving about and doing different things.

- The Rajini factor - some of his old lines are recycled to good effect. There's even the Rajinikanth movie trademark guest appearance by a snake, albeit one of a spectacular kind.

- The Rajini stunts - those uber-cool things he does defying gravity and the speed of light - all are there, but performed by the robotic Chitti character. It makes it more believeable that Chitti would do those, not Vasi.

- One of the highpoints of Endhiran is the way sci-fi sits comfortably with Tamizh culture and lifestyle. Eg: Rangusky, the mosquito and Ayudha Poojai are tapped well. Also, the sequence where Chitti and Sana go to the kuppam to protest the loudspeaker is hilarious. An absolute fusion of genres, if one may call it that.

-There's even a fitting (intended?) dig at Kamal Haasan's fetish for multiple roles when Chitti creates many more in his image, a veritable army of Chittis. Maybe this movie should have been called Sahasravataram ;-)

Mixed Bag

- For those who found Ramayana references thanks to Aishwarya Rai Bachhan, the asura reference and the abduction, there is a mixed characterisation here - it works only if you can accept that loyal Hanuman fell in love with Sita, turned into a Ravana and abducted her.

- Aishwarya Rai Bachhan looks better than she has in a long time, but some looks in the title song were not very complimentary. She was cleverly used to draw in the audiences for the Hindi version and this seems to have worked. A younger heroine like Shriya may have looked out of place paired opposite the self assured Vasi. But with so much Rajinikanth, there's little place for a strong female character. Aishwarya is mature eye candy rather than female lead.

- A.R. Rahman's music - it doesn't work for me without the trivia associated with it. One too many songs but yes, BGM was fitting.

Pics courtesy film's official website - http://www.endhiran-the-film.com/

Post Script - Just realised that at the end, Chitti signs off from the world with Vasigaran's trademark sign-off, 'dot' with the gesture. Is it to signify that with Chitti, a part of Vasigaran has also ended?

On Slate's article on Rajinikanth

2010-10-03T03:16:00.002-04:00

This article is predominantly for Tamizh cinema lovers.

I'll be the first to humbly admit that I'm nowhere near as ardent a Rajini fan as Mrs. Laksmi, the 76 year old woman who watched Enthiran on the first day of release in Mumbai.

After reading the article in SLATE, I like the fact that the world is sitting up and taking notice.But I do get the impression that the writer is trying very hard to analyse a phenomenon without being swept away by it. I take offence to the careless description -"The second-highest-paid actor in Asia is a balding, middle-aged man with a paunch, hailing from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and sporting the kind of moustache that went out of style in 1986."

Balding? Man, he has balded, and flaunts it in real life, knowing the audience is intelligent enough to differentiate on-screen and off-screen persona. Read BARADWAJ RANGAN'S brilliant article on this.

Paunch - If I had to pick one well-preserved, fit looking (non iron pumping) actor in the Tamizh film industry among the many we have, it would be Rajini. What paunch? Was he thinking Rajini and looking at Alec Baldwin?

Moustache - Why 1986? What happened in that year that the moustache went out of style then? And where? In New York? In TN, it is very much in and the Vettaruva Meesai has also made a thumping comeback with Surya in Singam.

There's also a careless remark about Tamil cinema being the poorer cousin of Bollywood. I quote, "At 61 years old, Rajinikanth has made more than 150 movies in India, and he isn't even a proper Bollywood star. He works in the Tamil film industry, Bollywood's poorer Southern cousin, best-known for its ace cinematographers and gritty crime dramas." What is a proper Bollywood star? If it's the very 'Peetre' Hrithik Roshan in the rather tangled Kites, I rest my case.

The 'poorer Southern cousin of Bollywood' just made one of the most expensive movies in Indian cinema while Bollywood is recycling plots from old Tamizh and Malayalam movies and Hollywood bosses are making wusses out of their superheroes.

Grady Hendrix needs to stop trying to analyse and simply absorb what happens here. Come, live in Tamizh Nadu for a few years, watch every release on its first day, see our TV serials, learn Gaana, maybe even date Paravai Muniyamma (IF she consents. "Date-a? Kattaiyile Poravane! Naan Un Paatti Vayasu , da. Yennai yenna Cougar nenachittiya?).

Perhaps then, Grady will at least scratch the surface of trying to understand why the movie reels are taken to a temple first and then transported with due fanfare to the theatre, why cut-outs are anointed, why silver paper fragments fly from the front benches. And Grady will finally finally realise why 'with great power comes great responsibility' is dhrabai compared to 'naan oru dhadavai sonna nooru dhadavai sonna madhiri'.

Idhu eppadi irukku?

Pics from the official website of Endhiran.

Thanjavur Dolls

2010-10-01T01:50:00.000-04:00

In local parlance, there is a colourful usage of the term, Thanjavur Thalaiyatti Bommai (Thanjavur Head-Bobbing Dolls) – it is attributed in jest, when accusing someone of being a 'Yes Man', mutely bobbing the head in assent to the boss' ideas!

While Thanjavur Thalaiyatti Bommai is a generic term given to dolls made in Thanjavur, much confusion exists over which of the two prominent types is the real deal – the Dancing (bobblehead) Girl or the Tilting Doll.

The principle in a conventional bobblehead doll is that the head is linked to the base with a metal spring or a metal pivot. A tap on the head makes it bob.

The Dancing Girl is a variation of the bobblehead doll with not one, but three moving parts – the head, the chest and arms & the skirt-draped hips. Once assembled, barring the sturdy base composed of the doll's feet, the gentlest tap on the skirt can set the three parts in interlinked motion, thereby creating the effect of 'dancing'. There are other variations like a seated old couple where only the heads bob.

By the 'head bobbing' definition and its associated parlance, the Dancing Girl and the Old Couple should logically be regarded as Thanjavur Thalaiyatti Bommai.

But if you drop the word 'Thalaiyatti' (head bobbing), the Government of India's Geographic Indication (GI) Registry indicates a variation of tilting dolls as authentic Thanjavur Dolls.

A Tilting Doll moves on the principle of equilibrium. The doll is hollow but has a weighted curved base that makes the entire doll bob and upright itself without toppling over.These dolls were traditionally used to improve fine motor skills of toddlers learning to crawl and grasp objects.

Bhoopathy, an artisan who crafts various types of dolls in Thanjavur tells us how the Thanjavur Tilting Doll, also called Gundu Chatti Bommai (Round Pot Doll) or Raja Rani Bommai are made. “Plaster of Paris and paper pulp are mixed along with tuber gum in a dough-like consistency. This dough is pressed into moulds to make the front and back panels of the doll. Once dry, the panels are removed from the moulds and paper is stuck on them. Tuber gum is used to seal the front and back of the hollow doll as well as the seam that joins the clay-filled rounded base. Once this is dry, the doll is smoothed with sandpaper and coloured with oil paint.”

Bhoopathy clarifies the difference between the two types, “The Dancing Girl is a doll with a stable base primarily for display during say, the annual Navaratri Kolu (a tiered display of dolls in Tamil Nadu, akin to the Japanese Hinamatsuri festival). However, the conventional Thanjavur Doll is actually a set of Tilting Dolls that are childrens' toys.”

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's September 2010 Issue)

24 BY CITY – Chennai

2010-10-01T01:44:00.002-04:00

Acclaimed as the Detroit of India, Chennai (formerly Madras) is a perfect blend of culture and technology, as heady as the filter coffee served here.

SEE

Wherever you stay in Chennai, you are never too far from one of the two main beaches. Wake up to a glorious day with a drive along one and end the day with a walk along the other.

MARINA BEACH

While the beach itself is one of the longest in the world, drive down this stretch to take in the beauty of the Indo-Saracenic, Italianate and even Byzantine style buildings. S. Muthiah's Madras Rediscovered is a handy historical guide to this fascinating city and its unique architecture. Among the chief sights are the University Buildings, the Senate House, Vivekananda House (also curiously called Ice House), the Queen Mary's college and the office of the Inspector General of Police. There are also memorials to political leaders and statues of prominent personalities dotting the revamped promenade. The Triumph of Labour bronze statue by Devi Prasad Roy Chowdhry is another prominent landmark. Swimming in the sea and sunbathing are prohibited at this beach.

FORT ST.GEORGE

The State Legislature and Secratariat of Tamil Nadu are currently in the precincts of Fort St. George, built in 1680. There is a Fort Museum here and also the oldest Anglican Church in India, St. Mary's Church where many a wedding, including that of Lord Robert Clive, was solemnised.

GOVERNMENT MUSEUM

Located in Egmore, this museum houses an excellent bronze figures gallery. Marble structures from the famous Buddhist sites excavated in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, are located here. The campus also has a childrens' museum, The Connemara Public Library and the Museum Theatre - fine buildings that complement the imposing structure of the National Art Gallery section of the museum. More details on the exhibits here: http://www.chennaimuseum.org/ Open between 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Fridays and national holidays.

MYLAPORE

Life in Mylapore literally revolves around the Kapaleeswarar Temple. The four main streets adjoining the temple and the temple tank are a bustle of shops, people and animals. Stores selling silk sarees and jewellery; stalls hawking fresh flower offerings, vetiver bath scrubs, even vegetables; palmists, parrot astrologers and holy men – all reinforce the ambience of an ancient temple-centric locality.

SANTHOME CATHEDRAL

St. Thomas, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ is said to have been martyred at what is now the St. Thomas Mount, close to the Chennai airport. His remains are interred however, at the Santhome Cathedral. It is a belief among the devout that the sand from his tomb has curative properties and the Church provides a Relic Card that has a small amount of sand embedded in it. More details at http://www.santhomechurch.com

Step into the alley just adjacent to the Cathedral and you will find a smaller church that for years has weathered the roaring sea just beyond its stained glass window.

THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

The Society, with its chief aim as Universal Brotherhood without Distinction, has its International Headquarters at Adyar, created in 1882 by the founders, Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott. The campus is open to walkers between 8.30 - 10 a.m.and 2 - 5 p.m. Scholars of Theosophy may contact them at http://www.ts-adyar.org/

ELLIOT'S BEACH

While this beach in Besant Nagar (also lovingly called Bessie's) does not boast of the grandeur of the Marina Beach, it does have a modest stretch of sand and highlights like the Ashtalakshmi Temple, the Vailankanni Church, the Schmidt Memorial and the broken bridge. Swimming in the sea and sunbathing are prohibited here. Do avoid unlist sections of the beach in the evenings. There are many restaurants near the beach serving fine Indian and International cuisine.

TAMILNADU TOURISM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

TTDC has a half-day sightseeing tour of Chennai commencing in the afternoons at 1.30 p.m. To foray out towards Mamallapuram, TTDC has a Hop On-Hop Off bus service that stops at various sights along the stretch including a heritage museum called Dakshina Chitra. Details here: http://www.tamilnadutourism.org

Specially themed tours are organised by local groups during the Music Season (December-January), Chennai Sangamam (January) and Madras Day celebrations (August).Check local listings.

EAT

Chennai boasts some specialty restaurants serving gourmet international cuisine. However, the two types of local food one must savour are Vegetarian Tiffin (like Idlis, Vadas and Dosas at outlets like Saravana Bhavan, Ratna Cafe and Vasantha Bhavan) and non-vegetarian Chettinad cuisine(like Chettinad-style rabbit, shark, chicken, mutton etc. in outlets like Anjappar, Karaikudi, and Ponnusamy). You will find a mix of these in a more upmarket ambience in the South Indian Restaurants part of the bigger hotels.

Chamiers (Chamiers Road), Amethyst (Gopalapuram) and The Madras Terrace House (Royapettah) are traditional bungalows enterprisingly converted to retail spaces hosting art exhibitions, performances, boutiques, bookstores and cafes.

ENTERTAINMENT

While Chennai boasts of multiplexes and malls, the more traditional forms of entertainment are equally patronised.

Chennai is home to the Sabha culture – organisations devoted to the encouragement of the performing arts. During the December-January Music Season, every Sabha vies to host music and dance performances by noted and upcoming artistes. Music lovers are known to Sabha-hop during the season partaking of their meals in the various temporary dining halls set up at the different Sabhas.

During the festival of Pongal, around January every year, the public spaces in Chennai come alive with cultural performances for Chennai Sangamam. The event includes a food festival in addition to the scintillating music and dance performances by folk as well as contemporary artistes. Check local listings.

However, plays, music and dance performances do occur the rest of the year and are usually listed in local publications.

SHOP

Besides malls like Spencer Plaza, Citi Centre, Ampa Sky Walk Mall and the spanking new Express Avenue, Chennai boasts of a fantastic array of fabric and saree stores like Nalli, Kumaran, Sundari Silks and Pothys alongside jewellery marts like G.R. Thangamaligai, Prince, VBJ, KFJ, and Lalitha Jewellery making up the retail haven of T.Nagar. On the pavements outside these stores, you will find small stalls selling anything from strings of jasmine flowers to kitschy plastics and accessories.

There are boutiques like Anokhi and FabIndia with a range of apparel for the entire family. Pick up handicrafts from Tamil Nadu at stores like the government-run Poompuhar, Kalpa Druma and Victoria Technical Institute.

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's October 2010 Issue)

Johnny Gone Down - Karan Bajaj

2010-09-02T08:59:00.001-04:00

Price – Rs. 99

Over twenty years and 324 taut pages, Nick Arya goes from being a young MIT graduate with a promising NASA career in hand, to a player in a game of chance unhesitant to put a gun to his own head.

Nick's journey begins on the day of his graduation when, on a whim, his friend Sameer picks Cambodia as a holiday destination little knowing that the country was at that very moment, being taken over by the Khmer Rouge. Nick helps Sameer escape, but he himself is captured. When he does escape Phnom Penh, it is into a life that reboots itself every few years with a different alias in a new location.

Nick discovers a quiet resilience that becomes invaluable in the years to come as he loses an arm to gangrene, falls in love, becomes a Buddhist monk, becomes an accountant to a drug empire, fathers a child and loses everything many times over.

Nick's character arc is intertwined with those of many others - Dechen the Buddhist monk in Thailand, Lara the supermodel from Brazil, Marco the druglord, Philip North a struggling entrepreneur in Minnesota and Dayaram, his opponent in the game of death in India - and Nick is transformed by these intertwinings even as he radically changes their lives in the brief period he knows them.

At every step, the book challenges the reader's tendency to stereotype people, places and situations, but most of all, the mindset of a Non Resident Indian protagonist. Nick has an all-encompassing world view, yet, he also draws into his life the very events that break and make him over and over again. Nick makes sacrifices but is human enough to acknowledge the regret of having made them. He steadfastly refuses to own anything and is most content owning only the clothes on his person as he charts his rocky destiny through Cambodia, Thailand, Brazil, USA and finally, India.

An edited version appeared in Culturama's September 2010 Issue

24 By City Bhubaneswar

2010-09-02T08:52:00.000-04:00

Designed by the German architect, Otto Königsberger, modern Bhubaneswar is a well-planned city that looks to the future with infrastructure development while taking pride in its historical identity as the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kalinga.

SEE:

Temples
Bhubaneswar is known as the Temple City of India, and not without reason. The many temples you see are a survived fraction of hundreds more that existed in ancient times. While some temples are fully functional places of Hindu worship even today where non-Hindus are only admitted in certain areas, there are other temples that are purely archaeological landmarks.

The Lingaraj Temple is one of the most important temples in Bhubaneswar and a perfect representation of Oriya temple architecture. The presiding deity, Lord Shiva is also known as Lingaraj (The King of Lingas) and Tribhuvaneswar (Lord of the Three Worlds). It is from the latter title that the name of the city was derived.

Other important sites that capture the evolution of Oriya architecture are the temples of Megheswar, Mukteswar, Kedar Gowri, Parasurameswar, Rajarani, and Vaital.

While a tour of the some temples is a must, do take the time to head a little out of the city for other sites of equal importance.

JUST OUTSIDE BHUBANESWAR:

Khanda Giri & Udaya Giri

Hathigumpha, Ganeshagumpha and Rani Ka Naur are the most ornately decorated caves at Khanda Giri and Udaya Giri that served as abodes of Jain ascetics in the time of Emperor Kharavela.

Dhauli Giri

The Mauryan emperor Asoka is said to have waged the bloody Kalinga War in 261 BC near this site. When he saw the river Daya flow red with the blood of thousands, he renounced violence and converted to Buddhism. A stupa (Buddhist Pagoda) stands atop the hill. The rock edicts of Asoka are at the base.

Nandankanan

A zoological park in the lush Chandaka Forest, Nandankanan is renowned for its population of white tigers, succesfully bred in-house. It also has a reptile park, acquaria, and safaris for spotting lions and white tigers. Open 7.30 a.m. To 5. 30 p.m (April to September) and 8 a.m.to 5 p.m.(October to March).

Other Attractions:

Besides the Orissa State Museum, Bhubaneswar is home to the Tribal Research and Training Institute. It has a fascinating Tribal Museum that provides an insight into the lives of the 62 indigenous tribes in Orissa. Open: Mon - Sat. 10a.m. - 5p.m. Closed second saturdays.

USEFUL LINKS:

The Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) has a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus service linking the sights in and around Bhubaneswar. More details can be had here: http://panthanivas.com/hop_on-hop_off.htm

EAT

While there are restaurants serving an array of international and Indian cuisine, a chain of restaurants called Dalma serves traditional Oriya platters. Dalma is itself a staple vegetarian Oriya dish, made with lentils and mixed vegetables like pumpkin, raw banana etc. Ghanta Tarkari is an ensemble of vegetables and pulses. Don't miss the fish curry made with Hilsa, Pohala and Mahurali varieties. All these side dishes are served with boiled rice. Also try the shrimp, prawn or crab preparations with a distinct Oriya flavour.

Many Oriya desserts are made with fresh cottage cheese, locally called Chhena. West Bengal's famous Rasgollas were originally created in Orissa. Taste authentic Oriya desserts like Chhena Poda, Tadia and Rasabali at Pratihari near Rajmahal Chowk.

SHOP

Ekamra Haat is a vibrant shopping destination that showcases the art and craft of Orissa. Pick up silver filigree work, terracotta, Chitra Pothi and Patachitra paintings, Ikat and other fabric products from Pipli, Cuttack and Sambhalpur in cotton and silk. Timings: Weekdays, 10 a.m.to 10p.m.

Pal Heights Mall is the local hangout and is home to a delightful bookstore, part of the Oxford Book Store chain.

Visit the Market Building for a taste of local shopping. Rub shoulders with locals and savour some of their favourite snacks like Gupchup (called Pani Puri in other parts of India) and rolls. Utkalika, the government-run handicraft emporium is located here.

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's September 2010 Issue)

Patachitra Art

2010-09-02T08:47:00.002-04:00

B.K. Nayak, a Patachitra craftsperson from Raghurajpur near Puri in Orissa says, “In our village, over 500 people are employed in making both Chitra Pothi as well as Patachitra. A blanket term of Patachitra is attributed for the sake of convenience to these two distinct creative forms. While the themes depicted may be the same, the techniques are very different.”

The first is a craft, Chitra Pothi also called Tala-patra-chitra (palm-leaf illustration), that uses the ancient technique of manuscript engraving on palm-leaf strips to create illustrated panels that can be framed as art.

In ancient India and parts of South East Asia, strips of treated palm-leaf were used as paper. These engraved and inked palm-leaf pages would be bound together to make a book bundle. In some of these Pothis (manuscripts), illustrations were added to complement the text. This is perhaps the oldest form of the Chitra Pothi craft and much of the technique used remains the same to this day.

Nayak says, “For Chitra Pothi, we use an iron needle to engrave the designs carefully on the 'tal -patra' (palm-leaf). Then, an ink, usually kohl, is applied on the leaf. Sometimes, in the place of kohl, rice is burnt and the charred powder is used instead. The black colour remains in the engraved lines even when the ink is wiped from the leaf. The finished product is a set of panels assembled by stitching, to denote a picture. Lately, we have begun to selectively use natural dyes to brighten the finished product. In addition to panels, we now also make greeting cards and bookmarks in this technique.”

Unlike the usually single-coloured engraved panel of Chitra Pothi, Patachitra, is an art that uses Tussar silk or canvas as an even base. Nayak says, “The pata (canvas) is made with cotton fabric pasted together with tamarind glue and chalk powder. This resilient base is used to paint the subjects in natural colours made from ground seashells, bark and stone.”

Nayak narrates a fascinating ritual that merges religious ritual and local art, , “Sixteen days before the famous annual Rath Jatra (chariot procession), the presiding deities at the Jagannath temple at Puri – Subhadra, Balabhadra and Jagannath - are given a ritual bath on an occasion called Debasnana Purnima. Following this, the gods are supposed to be suffering from cold and fever. They are kept isolated from the public for a period of fifteen days. On those days. all the worship and rituals at the temple are conducted for Patachitra representations of the deities. At the end of this 'recovery' period, the wooden deities are repainted and presented to the public. Every year a new set of Patachitra paintings is made to take the place of the ailing deities.”

In both creative forms, the themes depicted are primarily Hindu religious and mythological. Dashavatara (the ten incarnation of Lord Vishnu), Ramayana and Mahabharata are favourite themes and the subjects are usually Krishna with Radha, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and the Lord Jagannath tableau. Nayak says, “To cater to a growing number of non-Hindu patrons, we have also begun to render village themes and scenes from nature in both creative forms.”

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's September 2010 Issue)

Meghe Dhaka Thara

2010-08-24T03:02:00.009-04:00

Director: Ritwik Ghatak

Language : Bengali

Neeta's (Supriya Choudhuri) family is one of many refugees who were displaced from Bangladesh and moved to West Bengal during the Partition. With her meagre earnings as a tuition teacher, Neeta strives to support not only her parents, but also an older brother Shankar (Anil Chatterjee) who is a struggling singer, a younger brother Montu whose passion for football she nurtures and a sister, the coquetish Gita. Neeta also financially supports her scientist fiance, Sanat, who is ultimately lured away by Gita at the behest of their mother who wants to ensure that Neeta remains unmarried to continue supporting the family.

Following her sister's deceit and mother's machinations, Neeta begins to feel suffocated by her life. Her sole source of emotional succour is her brother, Shankar whose life thereon gradually moves inverse to his sister's.

The family finally begins to thrive, but Neeta's emotional suffocation manifests at a metaphysical level as tuberculosis. Neeta is now a wasted human being and in the end, her final anguished vocalisation of her desire to live resonates in the hills that she always wanted to visit.

Ritwik Ghatak is considered one of the pathbreaking directors of Indian cinema. This movie is renowned for the way the sound and visual design communicate the emotional climate of each scene. The architecture of the scenes are also indicative of the turns that Neeta's life takes - from the vast tree-lined riverside vistas of West Bengal to the claustrophobic confines of the courtyard in the refugee village and then again, to the pinnacle of no return in the grounds of the sanitarium in the hills of Nainital.

Meghe Dhaka Tara is a tragic story, but one that highlights the Partition's socio-economic impact on immigrant families in post-Independence West Bengal.

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's September 2010 Issue)

The Karate Kid (2010)

2010-08-23T09:46:00.002-04:00

If you've seen one, you've seen them all. New boy/girl in town/school gets picked by bullies. A wizened old immigrant Chinese man teaches Caucasian kid Kung Fu. After the initial skepticism and umpteen errors, kid-San learns well. Situation arrives where Kid-San faces the bullies and wins. End of story.

However, the latest in the format is a little different. For one, the protagonist, Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) is the immigrant. Secondly, Parker moves to the heartland of Kung Fu – China - with his mother. He gets picked on by bullies who incidentally, also know kung-fu, but of the kind that inflicts damage. Parker is scared and hates feeling that way.

Enter Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), the maintenance man at Parker's building. He rescues Parker and ends up enrolling him in a tournament where the bullies are also participating. Han trains Parker pretty much like Mr. Miyagi of the earlier movies, by breaking down the moves into simple every day chores ('hanging up the coat' bit brought back that warm fuzzy feeling that arose previously with 'paint the fence', 'wax on, wax off' and 'praying mantis').

Meanwhile, Parker has his first crush - a violinist who studies in the same school he does. When he ends up alienating her, he reaches out to Mr. Han who has his own internal battles. Parker realises this and gently draws him out of his shell. As is expected, Parker wins the tournament, and as in the earlier movies, gains the respect of his opponent.

Jaden Smith brilliantly conveys Parker's fears in the initial sections as well his quiet grit in the climax. The stillness that his teacher speaks of, is visible in Parker in the scene where he takes charge of Mr. Han. A restrained Jackie Chan is unfamiliar to audiences who are accustomed to a charming old Mr. Miyagi of the earlier movies and Jackie Chan of quick reflexes. But Chan interprets the character of teacher in his own way.

Pic courtesy movie's official website.

The Third Miracle

2010-08-23T09:34:00.001-04:00

Synopsis only.
Father Frank Shore (Ed Harris) emerges from a self-imposed exile to help the church investigate a claim for sainthood. A statue of the Virgin Mary is said to shed tears of blood every November, the month of death of a pious woman called Helen O'Regan. It is said that on the day of her death, a little girl called Maria was cured of terminal lupus when the blood from the statue dripped on to her.

Shore has his own dragons to slay. In the past, he had ruled one such case as a non-miracle thereby killing the faith of many believers. He believes that he has thereby undone the faith of many.

As the investigation for the sainthood of Helen O'Regan continues, Shore is increasingly attracted to Helen's daughter, Roxanne (Anne Heche). The church's machinations on the matter of sainthood is in line with his own initial distrustful beliefs, but he unravels information from Helen's past that changes his mind.

Ironically, as the church sets out to debunk the claim for sainthood, Shore rediscovers his own faith.

The Immortals of Meluha

2010-08-23T09:20:00.001-04:00

Author: Amish
The first in the Shiva Trilogy, The Immortals of Meluha poses an interesting question - What if Lord Shiva was a mortal? - and answers it in one explosive mythology-laden plot.

Tired of the constant strife with the neighboring Pakratis, Shiva decides to migrate his tribe, the Gunas, to the empire of Meluha. There, he is introduced to the Suryavanshis and their advanced system of governance. The Meluhans' longevity concoction, Somras turns the immigrant Shiva's throat blue, bringing alive the prophecy that 'Neelkanth' (the blue-throated one), an outsider to Meluha, will wage a war to annihilate evil. Shiva does not believe the prophecy and is plagued by doubts about his role as the Neelkanth. Meanwhile, he falls madly in love with Princess Sati who is bound by a dictat called Vikarma that prohibits her interactions with him.

When a tribe called the Nagas carry out terrorist attacks in Meluha, the Suryavanshis deduce that the Chandravanshis, their enemies for centuries, are behind these attacks. It is time for war. Will Shiva set aside his misgivings about his role and step up to lead the Suryavanshis against the Chandravanshis?

The author seems to have (consciously?) employed an everyday voice for Shiva with casual colloquial references like 'What the devil...?' etc. Once you get past the careless language, it's a good read. There is fascinating trivia on phrases that are in common parlance as well as convincing deductions on certain historical facts. The book proves that speculative fiction need not necessarily be heavily literary.

But truth be told, I really wish Amish would brush up his writing skills before embarking on the next in the trilogy.

You can download and read the first chapter at the official site - http://shivatrilogy.com/book.html

Prince of Persia – The Sands of Time

2010-08-23T09:10:00.003-04:00

Dastan (Jake Gyllenhall) is the adopted son of King Sharaman who grows up in the royal palace alongside the king's sons. On a conquest, Nizam (Ben Kingsley), the king's brother and counsel, advises the princes Tus and Garsiv to invade the holy city of Alamut. Meanwhile, Tamina (Gemma Arterton), the princess of Alamut entrusts a mystical dagger to one of her subjects.

Based on the game created by Jordan Mechner, the movie is a CG-suffused action adventure with a classic heroic story at its heart.

Dastan, who is not yet considered ready for battle, decides to secretly aid the Persian conquest by breaching the eastern wall, thereby securing victory for the Persians. The subject with the dagger is killed on his way out by Dastan who assumes it to be an ordinary dagger and keeps it. When Nizam suggests a matrimonial alliance between the future king, Tus and the princess Tamina, she agrees when she notices the dagger with Dastan.

Back in Persia, when the cloak that Dastan presents to the king turns out to be poisoned, he is assumed to be an assassin. He escapes with Tamina into the desert where they are caught by a group of bandits headed by the ostrich-racing Sheik Amar (Alfred Molina) who later becomes an ally.

With Tamina's help, Dastan learns of the mystery surrounding the mystical dagger. It becomes the key to uncovering the identity of the secret group of terrorists called Hassansins and the plot behind the king's assassination. Using the dagger, Dastan saves the Persian empire even as he absolves himself of the blame of killing the king.

Lesson from Inception

2010-08-18T08:53:00.000-04:00

Walking out of the theatre after watching Inception on Monday morning (best Monday ever!), I wish I had spent more than the paltry Rs. 100 on the ticket. Christopher Nolan deserves more from me as an audience member. More so, for the valuable personal epiphany.

Inception is a brilliant example of a very simple seed of an idea - can a thought be implanted in a person's subconscious mind?

I realised that any of us could have come up with that idea! Before I raise the hackles of Nolan fans, let me elaborate.

Each of us comes up with the makings of at least 3 brilliant ideas a year. We're talking about those ideas that would radically alter (for the better) our areas of influence and impact a lot of people (for the better). But they're still wisps of ideas at this first stage.

The trouble is, with an idea of that magnitude, we envision BIG hurdles. And the biggest hurdles are those in the mind, even before a single step has been taken in the direction. Pursuing those ideas will demand our stretching ourselves, taking leaps of faith and seemingly, jump off the deep end with no resources to fall back on.

Do we pursue even one of those ideas?

Why do we shy away from our potential however daunting that may seem, to pursue something we're passionate about in the first place?

There seems to be a very real self-sabotaging element in the form of our belief systems and insecurities. In other words - those who've seen the movie will relate to this - we have to make peace with the specter of Mal (Marion Cotillard) who exists in Cobb's (Leo DiCaprio) sub-conscious mind sabotaging his every effort.

A sense of trepidation kicks in and we misread it as fear. We panic and opt-out.

"I don't have the skill to pursue such a big idea or a big project."
"This project will require a lot of money which I don't have."
"I don't have the time."
"What if I realise as I go along, that this idea is not as brilliant as I thought it was? How stupid would I look?"

In short - "If I don't aspire, I will not fail."

The trepidation is very real and fortunately it comes with the territory of doing something bigger than usual. Something like the butterflies in one's stomach before giving a speech in public.

If we had to achieve the kind of mastery that someone like Nolan has achieved in his field of influence - cinema - we have to push forth out of our comfort zones (read insecurities), nudge things into place, inspire people to champion our idea and trust that the resources will fall in line.

Christopher Nolan's genius is not only in a brilliant what-if, but in the actual pursuing of that wisp of an idea and diligently crafting it to life over however long it took him. The result is there for all to see - a complex yet simple, real yet fantastic cinematic experience.

Rang De Basanti

2010-08-10T01:37:00.003-04:00

Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Language: Hindi

Rang De Basanti is a fascinating interplay between the narrative of a jailor in British-era India and that of his granddaughter in contemporary India. The movie evokes a comparison between the Indian freedom heroes of his time and the Indian youth of her time.

In his diary, McKinley (Steven Mackintosh) named five Indian freedom fighters - Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Rajguru, Ashfaqulla Khan, and Ramprasad Bismil - whose fearless, unwavering commitment to the Indian freedom struggle shook his very belief system. Sue (Alice Patten) arrives in India to make a documentary based on her grandfather's diary.

With the help of Sonia (Soha Ali Khan), Sue chooses a group of happy-go-lucky friends who initially seem least likely to convincingly portray legendary heroes. They are a disaffected group with no sense of identity.

Daljeet alias DJ (Aamir Khan) has long since completed his education but chooses to remain in college. Karan Singhania (Siddharth) shares a testy equation with his rich industrialist father. Aslam (Kunal Kapoor) belongs to a lower middle-class family that disapproves of his choice of friends. Exuberant Sukhi (Sharman Joshi) is ever interested in girls. Laxman Pandey (Atul Kulkarni) is the outsider to the group, a fundamentalist whom Sue chooses, much to the consternation of the group.

The mood shifts when Sonia, loses her fiance, Flt. Lt. Ajay Rathod (Madhavan) to an air crash. The Indian defence minister, Shastri (Mohan Agashe) casts aspersions on Rathod's flying skills and disregards allegations of the purchase of faulty spare parts for MiG aircrafts.

The corruption among politicians evokes patriotic fervour among the friends, and in a poignant mirroring between past and present, they take the law into their hands, hurtling towards a resolution that eerily matches the lives of the Indian freedom fighters of yore.

With brilliant performances by the ensemble cast and music by A. R. Rahman that dovetails into the script, Rang De Basanti won the National Award in India. It is also the first Indian movie to be nominated by BAFTA in 2006 in the Best Film Not In the English Language category.

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's August 2010 Issue)

Ice Candy Man / Cracking India - Bapsi Sidhwa

2010-08-08T03:57:00.000-04:00

Bapsi Sidhwa captures the turmoil of the Partition of India through the eyes of little Lenny Sethi belonging to a wealthy Parsi family in Lahore. We first meet her when she is four years old, and grow with her, in the discovery of a world changing rapidly around her.

Lenny is a precocious child, indulged by everyone because of her polio. She is enamoured by the many suitors who woo Shanta, her ayah or nanny who accompanies her to the park - from the Masseur to the Butcher, the ZooKeeper to the cook and the gardener, but particularly with the poetry-spouting Ice Candy Man. The group meets under the guise of exchanging news, while actually each one is attracted to the lovely Shanta. The Ice Candy Man flirts incessantly with Shanta, but she herself, is drawn to the Masseur.

When Lahore is declared part of Pakistan, there is a spate of migrations, conversions and much violence in the name of religion. The Ice Candy Man, sees a train full of Muslim passengers hacked to death by Sikhs, and in that instant, turns from poet to instigator. In one terrible night, Lenny witnesses the carnage that was Partition from the Ice Candy Man's rooftop even as he revels in the mindless violence. One day, the masseur's hacked body is found, stuffed in a gunny sack.

When marauders descend on the Sethi household looking for Hindus in hiding, Lenny is deceived by the Ice Candy Man into uttering the truth, thereby forever changing the destiny of the Ayah. Through it all, it is Lenny's godmother, Roda, who becomes her bulwark. When the missing Ayah is found to be in the red light area of Lahore, it is the Godmother who rights the wrong caused by Lenny's truth.

Bapsi Sidhwa wonderfully captures Lenny's voice, with its raw frankness, stirring sensitivity and mourning of lost innocence.

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's August 2010 Issue)

The Indian Tricolour

2010-08-08T03:47:00.000-04:00

If D.N. Bhatt had his way, every Indian flag purchased in the nation would provide income to Indian villages. Having said that, he can take pride in the fact that the flags he manufactures, aid this process to a great measure.

Mr. Bhatt owns Khadi Dyers & Printers (KDP), one of the two units in India licensed to manufacture the Indian Tricolour as per the specifications of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

Few are aware that the making of a good quality Indian flag is a process that adheres not only to stringent standards, but also retains the human touch at its core – the cotton cloth from which the flag is made, is hand-spun and hand-woven, also called Khadi.

Mr. Bhatt narrated a historical anecdote few would be aware of. “In the early 1950s, the Director General of the BIS, Mr. O.P. Khullar received a message from the then-President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. He requested an important specification to be included in the standards for manufacturing the Indian flag – that it must be made of Khadi cotton cloth, hand-spun and hand-woven at the village level, thereby ensuring a stream of income to Indian villages.”

Every step of the manufacturing process is ruled by the quality standards as laid out by BIS. Mr. Bhatt elaborates, “Khadi cloth is sourced by the Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and it arrives at our workshop. Here, we test it for quality. Only the fabric that passes the standard will have the ISI quality stamp on the finished product. The fabric is then sent to a mill where it is dyed (saffron and green) and bleached (white) as per the standard shade card. The Ashok Chakra emblem is screen printed in dark blue on the white panels. The dyed, bleached and printed panels are then stitched. Once assembled with the rope and toggle, the completed flags are despatched to the Khadi Bhandars or outlets based on the quantities ordered.”

Mr. Bhatt details the standards maintained at KDP, “Our flags are subject to stringent tests for colour-fastness from sun and water. The corners of the flag are stitched diagonally to ensure strength when the flag flaps in the wind. Every intricate detail is ensured down to the groove that holds the rope in the toggle, the size of the rope and even the depth of hem on the flags. The most challenging process we have managed to master is the printing of the Ashok Chakra at the exact position on both sides of the flag.”

“Today, although people accord respect to the Indian tricolour, they end up buying the paper and plastic flags sold at traffic signals. While those also do contribute to someone's livelihood, citizens are not aware that buying a Khadi one has such economic significance for Indian village industries.” says Mr. Bhatt.

Flags of the BIS standard sizes are manufactured at KDP - the smallest being the table-top variety at 2 inches by 3 inches and the largest at a gigantic 14 feet by 21 feet. They are available at KVIC's Khadi bhandars or sales outlets across India with the ISI quality mark clearly branded on the 'duck' – the unbleached, uncoloured stem of the flag.

TRIVIA

New Delhi is the biggest market for flags with most government departments are located in Delhi.
The size of the state has no connection to the number of flags sold. Relative to its size, Madhya Pradesh has lower demand compared to say, Maharashtra or Rajasthan.
A flag, if used every day for eight hours a day as in Government Agencies, will fray in a year. If it is used only for Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations, it will last for even ten years.
While BIS ensures the quality of Indian flags, the Flag Code of India ensures that the Indian flag is accorded the respect befitting a national symbol. The Flag Code of India can be accessed at http://india.gov.in/knowindia/national_flag.php
Arundhati Virmani's book, A National Flag For India traces the evolution of thought that went behind designing the Indian Tricolour.

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's August 2010 Issue)

Harishchandrachi Factory

2010-07-04T08:53:00.001-04:00

Director: Paresh Mokashi Language : Marathi

The curiously titled Harishchandrachi Factory (The Factory of Harishchandra) narrates the true story of how the doyen of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke set about making India's first motion picture.

In 1911, unemployed Dhundiraj Govind Phalke (Nandu Madhav) chances upon the screening of a silent motion picture at a 'tent' theatre. His child-like curiosity is instantly aroused. He decides to make India's first motion picture.

Ignoring naysayers and scraping together some finances, Phalke undertakes a voyage to London to learn filmmaking. When he returns to India, he is armed with know-how, a Williamson camera and enough raw stock to make his first movie.

Phalke, in his doggedness is much like the legendary protagonist he chooses – Raja Harishchandra – the king who staunchly kept his word even in dire circumstances. Phalke has a clarity of purpose, with no doubts or second thoughts about establishing a film industry in India.

Phalke's winsome wife Saraswati (Vibhawari Deshpande) and their children gamely support him through his failed experiments, umpteen trials, and finally, the filming and post production of 'Raja Harishchandra'.

Harishchandrachi Factory captures the social mindsets of that era, and how armed with humour, ingenuity and loads of chutzpah, Phalke transcends them. One of the funny yet challenging situations that Phalke faces is not finding women to play the female roles. Then, the men selected to play women refuse to shave off their moustaches.

The filmmakers have woven into the story, the real Phalke's frames of reference. For instance, the paintings of the artist, Raja Ravi Varma, whom the real Phalke is said to have worked with and derived inspiration from.

Harishchandrachi Factory was selected as the Indian entry to the Academy Awards in 2010.

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's July 2010 Issue)

Warli Art

2010-07-04T08:39:00.002-04:00

At first glance, Warli art may be reminiscent of the prehistoric cave paintings of Lascaux in France or Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh, India. However, Warli art is a living communicative tradition in the eponymous tribe that inhabits parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Warli art is traditionally done on walls of dwellings. First a base coat of cow dung is applied to the wall, dried, then a coat of red soil called geru is applied, which is also dried. The designs are then drawn with a brush dipped in white rice paste.

Life in the predominantly agrarian Warli tribe, with its folktales and customs, is the overriding theme in Warli art. The Warlis' harmony with nature is evident in the profusion of trees, animals, water bodies and terrain in the picture. There are human stick figures in action - working in fields, grinding rice in huts, playing musical instruments etc. The male and female figures are clearly differentiated by the presence of a dot at the back of the head spot, symbolising a knot of hair to denote the female.

One of the most joyous motifs that evokes a sense of movement in an otherwise two-dimensional form, is the dancing spiral. It denotes tarpa, a group dance that is common in the region.

A Warli wedding is an occasion for an elaborate Warli painting to be created on the wall of the venue, usually the bride's house. At one such wedding, we met Rajesh Mor, a young Warli artist who explained, “Once the wall is prepared, the married women of the tribe use paddy stalks as brushes to create an intricate square symbolic wedding motif known as a chauk. The rest of the painting is completed by others by drawing the image of Goddess Palghati and her symbols inside the chauk. Surrounding the chauk are scenes from the wedding like the nuptials on a horse, and guests dancing etc. It takes almost two days for the customary wedding painting to be completed."

Warli art is also rapidly becoming a contemporary art form thanks to Warli artists like Jivya Soma Mashe who interprets the modern world in Warli art. Mashe has garnered respect and appreciation for Warli art on exibitions in and outside India.

The motifs used by Warlis are now being rendered on a host of new media including wooden home décor items, canvas, silk panels, apparel and even walls of urban apartments. But not all are made by the Warlis. While non-Warli artists are able to easily replicate the Warli motifs, what is missing in these creations is the soul – the cultural ethos that emanates from the art form.

As Mor says, “Our representations are so intrinsically linked with our folklore, that if viewed in isolation, they are mere drawings.”

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's July 2010 Issue)

Raavanan (Tamizh)

2010-06-18T05:32:00.001-04:00

In Mythology, there is heroism, but every character also has a fatal flaw, an Achille's Heel, if you please. A grey area which makes them unpredictable, where logic and emotion end up at logger heads. It doesn't make the person evil or good, just human.

When we worship our mythological characters, we attribute morality for their actions. We make them gods and demons.We throw in a couple of imaginative curses to justify their actions. We play down the weaknesses and increase the strengths of the hero. We split characters into black and white. We paint them dark or light, Aryan or Dravidian. We use today's moral standards to interpret a story set in a time of different social mores by exalting it to third and different plane, that of religion.

Rama's fatal flaw was his sense of duty as king. He was a unitasker. He is justified in killing Vaali by devious methods because Vaali deserved it. But we bestow him with godliness instead of embracing his very human flaw of being a workaholic duty-driven king.

Ravana's mistake was to abduct another man's wife. Do we embrace this as a flaw? Having said that, if he had abducted the wife of someone deemed evil, is that justified? If Ravana killed Vaali, who would be the hero in the shades-of-grey fight between two 'villains'? We also attribute a curse by Rambha to Ravana's not laying a finger on Sita. What if the bloke was fundamentally decent, but much like an animal, wildly aggressive if anyone from his brood was insulted?

Mani Rathnam's Raavanan is a wonderful retelling of the Ramayana story and comes from that amazing place in his mind that gave us the stirringly interpreted Satyavan Savithri story - Roja.

Raavanan is a statement in shades of grey - from the character motivations to the visuals. High time we had this for a black and white epic such as Ramayana. And it depicts the Ramayana for what it is - a tragedy.

STORY - Ragini is abducted by a brigand, Veera. Her husband, Dev pulls out all the stops to find her and hunt Veera down. At some point, the difference between the two blurs for Dev. Ragini comes to know Veera's story and her view of the world being black and white is slashed into shades of grey.

PERFORMANCES - Vikram plays Veera so well, that I'm rather reluctant to watch the Hindi version now. Am a big fan and he has lived up to my faith in his talent. Aishwarya has acted - she's not busy looking beautiful and that's one less distraction for the audience. Maybe it was because of the assured Tamizh dubbing voice - she sounds rather bleaty otherwise. Prithviraj as Dev is rather unidimensional (and er...rightfully so?). Prabhu and Karthik - great to see you back. Ranjeetha was rather wasted in her silent role as Prabhu's wife.

COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER - The sequences of Dev and Ragini's erstwhile happy life is unnecessary - we'd have taken her word for it.

Also, the Ramayana references are forced in portions. We love the ten-head part, but it is obvious from the story who Vennila (Priyamani) represents - we don't need a cop to tweak her nose. But I liked the Vibheeshana part - reinforces the shades of grey. The agni pariksha motive is interesting, but Ragini's motivation to go back and ask Veera what he said about her, is unconvincing. She comes across as dumb at the end of it all - ironically, Veera understands Dev's motivations in slandering her better than she does.

TECHNICALITIES: Too many songs. Rahman - well - ok. A lot of percussion and wind instruments. Brilliant BGM - unobtrusive, but atmospheric. Visually spectacular. Hard working dialogues - Suhasini. Also, this is one movie where you won't find the characters speak in the stereotypical 'Mani Rathnam-Hush'.

My recommendation, non-tamizhians please watch the Tamizh version with subtitles - PVR has it. Having said that, I don't know if that would distract from the movie.

Abhishek Bachhan as Beera in the Hindi version is likely to be doing a better job than his contemporaries in Bollywood, but I doubt it would be better than Vikram's performance. He is bound to come across as youthfully hammy to Vikram's mature restraint. There IS such a thing as the Indian film industry outside Bollywood and Raavanan has proved it to be true with this modern-day retelling of a centuries old story.

Should we see this as just a story with no Ramayana element? Sure, there's more comfort in it. That way, it will be the one-sided love story of a brigand. Should we embrace this as a Ramayana interpretation? Only if we're strong enough to live with the layers and questions to reinterpret and perhaps strengthen our view of the Ramayana.

Iron Man 2

2010-06-14T09:42:00.001-04:00

The palladium that runs the arc reactor in his chest is gradually poisoning Tony Stark aka Iron Man. Anticipating death, he appoints Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) as CEO of Stark Industries and Natalie Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) as her assistant.

Stark becomes increasingly brazen, even as trouble arrives from other quarters. His friend, Lt. Col. James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) aligns with his military bosses in demanding that Stark share details of the armoured suit technology. Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) has a personal score to settle with Stark. Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), who owns a competitive arms manufacturing company, is hellbent on destroying Stark. All this, while Stark is trying to pull off a year-long exposition of inventions that his father had envisioned.

Finally, Stark gets help from an unexpected source - his dead father. And a man named Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). The climax is a resounding clash of metal against metal as Iron Man battles drones that are programmed to destroy everything in their path.

A must-see for those who enjoyed the previous Iron Man movie.

(An edited version was published in Inbox 1305's June 2010 Issue)

And Thereby Hangs a Tale – Jeffrey Archer

2010-06-14T09:37:00.000-04:00

If a blind test was to be conducted by hiding the asterisks in this collection, it would be difficult to guess which of these fifteen short stories are based on real incidents. However, when one reaches the all-important twist that Archer is renowned for, the overriding thought is, 'So what?'

A loss adjuster solves a crime by studying womens' footwear. An archives clerk attempts to live up to the glory of his forefathers using a clause. A man of modest means steals the diamond ring his beloved has set her heart on. It takes many years and a war for a golfer to finally be accepted as member of an elite golf club.

A deal with the devil ends - if there is such a thing – in a predictable twist. A poignant love story ends up being a socialite romance that suffers from too much detail - perhaps because it is set in India?

One would be more forgiving if this was the work of a lesser writer. But this is Archer, the consummate story teller who has five short story collections to his credit, not to mention fifteen novels. Perhaps these were stories that didn't make it to a previous collection - the less intricate, less riveting and on the whole, a little behind the times.

(An edited version was published in Inbox 1305's June 2010 Issue.)

Eating India – Exploring a Nation's Cuisine by Chitrita Banerji

2010-05-31T10:27:00.000-04:00

A few years ago, on a wintry morning in Boston, Chitrita Banerji received a wedding invitation from India that opened the floodgates of remembered taste. Banerji set out to discover Indian cuisine beyond the generic.

Banerji, being a non-resident Indian food writer, is ably poised between cultural affinity and physical distance with regard to India. This enables her to look beyond recipes, at nuances in the history and folklore surrounding Indian cuisine.

After a momentous visit back to Kolkata, the city of her childhood, Banerji comes across itinerant labourers eating greasy Chinese noodles instead of Khichuri, the traditional pottageon Sher Shah Suri's famed Grand Trunk Road. In Benares, she meets a self-appointed guide who leads her through the street food of a city that thrives on the business of death. At the langar (communal refectory) in Amritsar's Golden Temple, where the rich and poor are bonded by piety, Banerji partakes of a humble meal that includes machine-made chapathis. She travels to relish delicacies from the three seats of Muslim-style cooking in India and also studies the lesser-known cuisine of indigenous tribals. There are also some engrossing chapters that delve into the culinary histories of communities like the Anglo Indians, the Parsis, the East Indians of Bombay and the Jews of Cochin.

This book is part-memoir, part-travelogue exploring the cultural synthesis that is Indian cuisine. However, it is also personal history at its best - Banerji derives as much pleasure in reliving flavour as in discovering it.

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's June 2010 Issue.)

Manichitrathazhu

2010-05-31T10:22:00.001-04:00

(1993, Malayalam Language)

Manichitrathazhu is a tale set in a milieu where the occult is a throbbing part of every day life and it is perfectly normal to use talismans, chants and tantrik rituals to keep away evil spirits.

The extended family of Nakulan (Suresh Gopi) and Ganga (Shobhana) fail to dissuade them from occupying the family home, Madampally House, that is claimed to be possessed by a vengeful spirit called Nagavalli. Nagavalli was a classical dancer from Tamil Nadu, who was killed 150 years ago by her patron for having fallen in love with a male classical dancer.

One day, Ganga unlocks the door to Nagavalli's chamber in the house, inadvertently spaking off a series of mysterious accidents. According to Nakulan, these are the handiwork of Sreedevi (Vinaya Prasad), a young family member who he suspects to be mentally unsound. Nakulan's friend, a psychiatrist called Dr. Sunny Joseph (Mohanlal) steps in to investigate. However, the mystery deepens when instead of Sreedevi, Ganga begins to behave like Nagavalli. In a hair-raising climax, the psychiatrist and the family's Tantrik priest join hands to permanently rid Ganga of Nagavalli's personality.

Manichithrathazhu was written by Madhu Muttam and directed by Fazil. Shobana, who played the central character, Ganga, was awarded the National Award for Best Actress for the year 1993. The success of this Malayalam language original spawned off adaptations to other Indian languages like Kannada (Apthamitra), Bengali (Rajmahal), Hindi (Bhool Bhulaiya), Tamil & Telugu (Chandramukhi).

(An edited version appeared in Culturama's June 2010 Issue)

Vettaikkaran's Jatra

2010-05-06T03:58:00.001-04:00

Flipping through Marathi channels on TV, I came across a recently heard familiar tune. The prelude in the Jatra song is the main tune in the Vettaikkaran song. Am yet to learn how to embed the youtube video in my post, so please click film name to see the song.

JATRA
Music by Ajay Atul

VETTAIKKARAN
Music by Vijay Anthony