Commentary

IPL: Mumbai Indians vs. Kings XI Punjab

Greg Chappell: Pathan to Uthappa. Uthappa swings, the ball hits the helmet. (Uthappa removes the helmet to adjust it.) Looks like the helmet has left its imprint on Uthappa's head...oh it's actually his haircut.

WTF: Cyber Crime?

Twenty-two-year old Rahul Krishnakumar Vaid was arrested by the cyber crime cell of Pune police last Friday from Gurgaon in Haryana for posting vulgar content about Congress president Sonia Gandhi on social networking site Orkut.

Vaid had posted the content in an Orkut community titled 'I hate Sonia Gandhi'.

Source

Vetti post-10

Some right wing extremists used to comment that the US should bomb the Mecca on its most populous day and put an end to a big percentage of their foes. I know, it's the most barbaric thing to say. Only mindless drunk men can think of such things.

I don't drink or do drugs. But I still think the theatres screening Kuruvi should be hit with tomahawk missiles when they are 'houseful'.

PS. I cannot honestly say that my emotions will be different if either of them actually happened.

Tamil politics: MGR, Hogenakkal etc.

I'm still not sure if I should publish this podcast. I have been "disrespectful" to many celebrities before, but I wonder what kind of people listen to that stuff and what's in store for me. A constant nag successfully made me moderate comments. I just hope that someone else doesn't make me change my phone number (I don't want to think about anything worse). Anyway, the title pretty much explains what the podcast is about. It has a lot of MGR bashing and some others.

Download mp3

Random Quote(2?)

Upper class culture cannot be conceded to the upper classes, because it is the toil and blood of the working classes that has made that culture at all possible.

Source

Random Quote

அசோகமித்திரன் கணையாழியில் 40 ஆண்டுகள் ஆசிரியர் பொறுப்பில் இருந்தவர். அதில்தான் 30 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு மேலாக சுஜாதா கடைசிப் பக்கங்களை எழுதினார். ஒரு வகையில் இருவரும் சகாக்கள். அப்படிப்பட்டவர் சுஜாதாவின் மரணத்திற்கு எழுதியிருக்கும் இரங்கல் கட்டுரை என்ன தெரியுமா ? " சுஜாதா எங்கள் வீட்டுக்கு வந்திருக்கிறார். அப்போது என்னிடம் ஒரு கேமரா இருந்தது. அந்தக் கேமராவில் நாங்கள் ஒரு போட்டோ எடுத்துக் கொண்டோம்." ஐயா , என்னை நம்புங்கள். அவ்வளவுதான் இரங்கல் கட்டுரை. இப்படி ஒரு இரங்கல் கட்டுரை வேறு எந்த எழுத்தாளருக்காகவும் , உலகில் வேறு எந்த மொழியிலும் எழுதப் பட்டிருக்காது என்று நினைக்கிறேன். இருக்கட்டும் , எனக்கும் ஒரு சந்தர்ப்பம் வராமலா போகப் போகிறது ? ' நான் அசோகமித்திரன் வீட்டுக்குப் போனேன். அவர் ஒரு பூனை வளர்த்தார். அது என்னைப் பார்த்து மியாவ் என்று சொன்னது. நானும் மியாவ் என்று அதனிடம் சொன்னேன். ' எழுதுகிறேனா இல்லையா என்று பாருங்கள் அசோகமித்திரன்.

Source

Headache

Act 1:
Three years ago, when I came here to study, I was one of the few international students that my department took in. I was also the only 'non-Chinese' student. Some might wonder what the Chinese are doing in sociology? Well, there's demography...and...well, there's demography. But the department made sure that students don't swim their way across either choosing just theory courses or methods courses -- some were mandatory. So whether they liked it or not, they had to take some theory courses and I often happened to be the only non-White student who spoke decent English.

A couple of them became good friends and they felt comfortable to discuss the readings with me (especially when they had to do presentations). Because it was their first year, their English was very hard to understand and making them understand what I was saying didn't seem any easier. Something that I cannot forget about those 2-3 hour conversations is the ensuing headache. It's not so much their accent or my frustration with "explaining things", it's the prolonged state of heightened concentration to hear every word (then match it with a word that made the best sense in that context and so forth). Any activity that requires you to have that kind of concentration for that kind of time is bound to have a bad side effect. Zoning out, like I used to do in schools and colleges, was not an option because it's a conversation that requires you to say more than "hmm, interesting", "that's so cool", "really? neat!" etc.

Anyway, eventually I was done with my coursework, they got better at their English and we moved on. I was more than relieved that the episode(s) was over.

Act 2:
When it's too cold to play anything outside, I just sit home and play chess, online. But I easily get suckered in those egomaniacal marathons that before you know, the room is no longer bright with sunlight. By now you've been staring into black and white squares and moving little pieces with absolute precision (at least as far as the physical motion is concerned) for hours together in a CRT monitor. This is the kind of thing that makes you wear glasses. But it has other effects on me as well: starting with the proverbial headache and then the annoying "I want to throw up" feeling. After all, it is one of "those" activities.

One of "those" days: it was last Saturday and I had been playing chess for at least 4 hours without moving an inch. I finally gather some "courage" and decide to break the cycle. I wanted to expose my eyes to wider boundaries and let my pupils relax. I tell myself, "ok, this is the last game. Get up even if you lose in 20 moves, I cannot take it anymore". Just then I hear someone knocking my door. I simply resign the game, get up and open the door. Wow, great! It's my new Chinese friend.

April 1

I don't really remember being all that creative to 'fool' someone on April the first. It's probably because I would get really annoyed after getting "fooled" by some retarded logic/process and I assumed mine wouldn't appear any better to others.

I did, however, very willingly take part in the no-nonsense ritual that was common in Dindigul and, based on some anecdotal knowledge, in few other cities (but Madras) -- splashing ink at your friends, cousins and at times, passers by in the street. Sometimes it also involved crushing tomatoes/bananas in the face. No, they don't just throw them at you; they get really close with absolute stealth and attack you from behind -- place the tomato at your face and squeeze the last drop of liquid down your eyes and nostrils. Usually there's someone to distract you, so it's a two men job (I don't really remember watching girls do this stuff).

The most irritating line we get to hear on April 1 is "annei, wheel suthudhu" from second and third grade students when we are pedaling in the hot sun. They all want to take part in this seemingly fun activity and want to feed their tiny, budding egos with being bold and clever. Little bastards.

Years have passed since then and there's not a lot of memories for me, for this day. Maybe where I lived in Madras had a lot to do with the dry spell since I left Dindigul. The schools were pretty lame too, there were no trees, no play grounds, just concrete pavements. Come to think of it, schools in Madras did not have the 'splash ink at the end of a major exam' ritual either.

PS. Try some of the featured videos in youtube (before April 2). They are all somewhat funny.

Socialistic nuisance

It's still winter here (mostly below zero), and I live in one of those buildings that has several individual apartments and just two 'main' entrances. It's safe to say that no one would want to open their windows any longer than 5 minutes (if they even thought about opening them). So smoking, in these months, becomes a very edgy subject in apartments where one of the two (or three) residents doesn't smoke. Even otherwise, I would imagine smokers themselves wouldn't want the stench to be absorbed by their clothes.

Whatever the case is, at any given time you'll find at least 4 to 5 people -- mostly men -- smoking right outside the 'main' door. And because of the continuous feed of the carcinogenic gas, the whole area -- the small room between the two doors, the mail box area, the lift area etc., -- reeks so much that one could almost faint (well, at least I feel like it). I wasn't going to ask them to stop smoking because they were well within their "rights". Besides, I don't exactly look like Shaquille O'Neal. So I just thought about it as I got into the elevator, "they have two choices: one is to smoke in their own apartments and give migraine to their room-mates, or put all the residents through a 'mild' headache for one or two minutes. hmmm, the guys outside must be socialists".

Of course, the third choice, if you have to mention, is to quit smoking altogether. But we don't want to go there, do we?

Vetti pride

Although I give rude replies to the comments that I get in my youtube 'channel' all the time, there are a few I don't 'approve' at all. To top it, I also send an annoying personal message to their inbox. And sometimes, I become so full of it that I post it someplace where I can look at it and go "cha, ennama think panraan?".

Comment:

the mere fact that u have uploaded a clip on a public domain, allows all of us, 2 say whatever we want. and like what u yourself have said "dont tell me, what 2 say or like".
so practise what you preach Mr MGR! bet u r not married! mm why should we b surprised!!

Reply:

About "freedom of expression":

Sure, it does allow us to say whatever we want. Only that I decide whether your nonsense will be posted in my channel. I'm not stopping your wimp-ass from uploading a video showing any part of you (or saying anything).

So there: your freedom of expression in my channel is under my control and I'm snipping it. Why? Because you are not worth it.
When you decide to make anything worthwhile in your channel and if I happen to comment on it, you may then want to reciprocate this arrogance. Until then, STFU. (And this is the last time I'm replying you.)

PS. This post may be a little contradictory to something that I might have said in the past, but what the hell?

Reaction

I was mildly shocked to read that actor Raguvaran died. I think I feel bad about it.

adhu seri

CNN-IBN

Face the Nation: Does India feel Tibet is no longer a cause worth fighting for?

On the panel of experts (our emphasis) to debate the issue were former president of the Samta Party and sympathizer of the Free Tibet Movement Jaya Jaitly, member of Free Tibet Movement Dawa Lokyitsang and Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

After some usual exchange of stupid ideas, it was time to witness a spectacle. Singhvi asked the anchor before launching his rhetoric, "[d]id the 'Tienanmen Square incident' take place in 1999?", for which she promptly replied, "yes". Having "confirmed" that "fact", he went on, "what did the NDA do when the Chinese government was killing all those people? naan ketkiren....". (Of course, I'm quoting roughly what he said.)

Why should one worry when we have such "experts" among us?

ek gaun mein

Vetti Post - 9

It was the summer holidays of the year 1993 and I used to listen to a comedy gig by 'Moorthi-Gopi' in a cassette player. It had a lot of actors (i.e. impersonated voices) put together in interesting scenarios. There was a very funny line that I can never forget. Scenario: All the actors are gathered in TN assembly as elected representatives (on both ruling and opposition sides). The speaker starts the day with 'thamizh thaai vaazthu'. Chorus: paandiyanin raajiyathil uiyyalaala (because, Rajini is the ruling party leader) Kamal: idhuva thamizh thaai vazthu? (and sings angrily) oru vaai kozhupedutha...thamizachi paal kudichavan da! Goundamani: yow! appa naanga mattum enna vellakarichi paalaya kudichu valandhom? What reminded me of this? I was browsing through the headlines and found that the Mumbai's IPL team has been named 'Mumbai Indians'. appo mathavan ellam Nepal'kaarana?

 

 

Found this

WTF?

In the match between India and Australia yesterday, there happened a fielding accident/incident involving Michael Clarke and Tendulkar. Basically, Clarke ran into Sachin and ended up dragging him down in the collision. Here's what Ravi Shastri had to say about it when they were showing it in the replay: "Clarke was going for the ball and ended up having something bigger in his hands". Just as he was saying that with a rather 'straight-faced tone', Clarke was seriously grappling with Sachin's buttocks in slow-motion. This is why cricket is worth watching with commentary on.

Ostracized solitude (in Tamil movies)

This podcast is a general commentary on how solitude/family life etc., have been dealt with in Tamil movies over the years. It threads itself loosely around the movie Pirivom Sandhippom's theme, but it's not a review of the movie. (Download mp3.)

Apology: I realized that I had used the filler "vandhuttu" excessively throughout the podcast. Excuse me for that.

Sabapathy

It's one of the funniest movies in Tamil. Even as a kid I laughed so hard when I first saw the movie, probably around 1990. I found the movie online and started watching it again. Among a lot of new surprises from my first time viewing, I picked up some ridiculously funny expressions. It's not just the comic timing, but the use of language, acting etc from a historical perspective. The movie is over half century old, you can see that a lot of things have changed since then. But some of the 'changes' catch you off guard. One of the parts that totally cracked me up was this (In case you don't have the time to watch it yourself):

There are two Sabapathys: the young 'master' and his slightly older servant. The servant is a bit of crackpot -- a bit more than the 'master'. Sabapathy and his mother visit the 'would be' bride's place with the servant accompanying them. They reach the place and as they get down from the car they hear someone dancing upstairs (bharathnatiyam it would seem). At this point the exchange goes:

Servant: amma, edho thevudiya kacheri nadakudhu
mother: edho vishesham pola irukku, nalla sagunam dhan

The word thevudiya--which is now more than derogatory and often bleeped--is used again, rather casually, in another scene that follows immediately. If you want to watch just this part, click on this link and slide it to 35 minutes. You can watch the entire movie from here.

Aside: The link between the word thevudiya and bharathnatiyam may be understood from this interesting post on the movie Arangetram.

Maida

Based on some superficial research and a lot of painful experience, I want to say that maida and 'all purpose flour' are not the same. Maida has some minor percentage (I don't know exactly what %) of tapioca flour mixed in it, making it more elastic when made into a dough. Maida is also quite finer and whiter than 'all purpose flour'. Although the difference may seem insignificant, you'll feel the difference in the outcome of many dishes; especially when you try to make South-Indian style parottas. So all you cooking enthusiasts please start making this distinction in your recipes. Please don't continue with your dubious ingredients list and give others a hard time.

What prompted this post? The Patel guy who owns the Indian store where I buy my stuff, sold me a bag of 'all purpose flour' crudely labeled as maida. This is not the same pack I usually buy, so I ask if it's actually maida? He first argues that they are both the same. I almost refuse to buy this new bag because I get a strong feeling that, with the increase in wheat price and everything, they no longer export maida from India. And this guy just made his own little bags out of the regular 'all purpose flour'. Anyway, I bought it, got it home and got screwed up 'ceylon parottas'; disappointing my Sri Lankan friends and embarrassing myself.

PS. Both 'all purpose flour' and maida aren't the best food products for "healthy" eating.

Jodhaa Akbar

I tried to download the movie a day after its release and much to my annoyance it turned to be a fake torrent. Well, there was another movie in its place -- Super Star. I did, however, get the actual movie yesterday. After watching it, I so wished that the second download was a fake too.

The fact that this movie has been lauded as one of the greatest in recent times just shows the perversion in the mainstream consumption of mainstream art forms, especially movies[1]. It happened among Tamil cinema viewers in the last decade. When the dearth of 'good' movies and pseudo-critiques in TV created an illusion of differentiating the 'good' from the 'bad'. Of course, the need to put down the Other -- non-Tamil movies, especially Hindi -- effectively blurred the viewers possible 'objective' assessment of a movie further. Veyyil and Paruthi Veeran are lauded ubiquitously, almost (Paruthi Veeran is also "going places")[2].

I wonder if the same phenomenon has caught up with the Hindi movie viewers as well. The need to "have something on par with Hollywood". I'm not as surprised by a few "critics" on TV because they are known to be cronies of one faction or the other. After all, they need someone for their 'Grope a star' kind of shows. But the mainstream viewer's enthusiasm to suck up, in this context, is slightly disturbing. They are either gleefully buying into the false binaries created by the TV hosts (Hrithik can act, Sunil Shetty cannot. Aishwarya Rai looks like a feathered turkey, but she looks stunning etc.) or they are caught in some kind of self imposed binary. To choose between national pride, supposedly represented by this "great Indian movie", and being an American boot-licker.

The reason one likes this movie cannot probably oversimplified like above, but who cares? When one likes an oversimplication like Jodhaa Akbar, he/she better be prepared undergo the same treatment.

-----------------------------------
1. To quote from one of my previous posts: the perversion is not in the consumption per se, but how it's perceived. Ex: when a health expert appears on TV and starts explaining the benefits of consuming 500ml Pepsi everyday.
2. Read this interesting column by Sudhir Mishra

WTF(s)?

Dhoni is probably the worst batsman the Indian team has had in the last 5, 6 years. Whenever I talk about Sachin I say, "he brings in so much life and flavour to the game" at one point or the other. I think the opposite can be said about Dhoni. Everything becomes ugly and embarrassing. His unwieldy stroke-play, lack of technique -- ewww, this kind of cricket is probably fun to play; like in under-arm cricket at your 600x800 ft terrace, but it's so painful to watch. That's the way it has been since the day he stepped into the team (well, those days it was also his kuruvi koodu hair). But there was some hope that he'll be in and out, if not thrown out for good. No. What happened was the opposite -- he became the bloody captain. What's worse? Nobody in the media seemed to have a problem with that. Some even wanted him to be made the test captain. adhu seri.

A lot of people compare Afridi with Dhoni. There cannot be a bigger travesty. Afridi, as much as I hate him when he plays against India, is actually quite capable of playing decent cricket shots. This guy Dhoni, on the other hand, gives new meaning to the expressions "kaatan maadhiri", "kaatu adi" etc., (even that only when manages to send the ball to the boundary).

It's not so much his batting or the fact that he's been made the captain that irritates me, it's the unbelievable silence from the cricket commentators. Harsha came close to commenting on it, but chose to play it safe by asking Slater what the Australian cricketers thought about Dhoni's batting? The best that Slater could come up with was, "he's not the most orthodox player, but that's what is unique about him. The raw approach to the game." What?

Gavaskar to Shastri, none of them have a problem with the way he bats? Is this the big elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about? To top all this he has the nerve to assume self righteous authority when he talks. Who the hell said this moron is "humble"? "I could have a completed that run with my cramped leg"? Can you be a bigger asshole than this?

Disclaimer: some quotes may not be exact.

Found this

I spend no less than an hour on youtube, everyday. I thought I'll share this video here. These guys are awesome (of course, only if you like random humour).

The solution

I was running through a few comments for an article in a news website and an annoying exchange caught my attention for a brief moment. Because this is a common phenomenon, the site or the article is not really important. This is the pattern:
person 1: As long as we have blah blah blah, India will never improve (or something like that)
person 2: (in reply to person 1) It's easy to point fingers/criticize, but what's your solution?

I hate person 2, just as much as person 2 hates person 1. Maybe I hate person 2 a little more. As I've been asked this question several times and I've answered it a few times myself elsewhere, I'll mention it here. (It's often two stupid men, so let's go with that gender.) Why is he so obsessed with a solution? As if "solution" is the only problem. Except for a number of "purely" scientific questions, almost all other economic, political, sociological issues have been reasonably analyzed and 'answered' one way or the other. Only that the said answer, or "solution", if you will, would often exist as a moot point. So the "solution" is simply pushed aside and the queries are "analyzed" again with false teleologies; meanwhile funding certain brown men to upload cooking videos in youtube.

Applied, mutated versions of Marx's socialism to unapplied, much romanticized versions of anarcho-syndicalism, none of them can be a "solution" to anything. For the very notion of "solution" is inherently flawed, at least in the socio-political context. It can only exist and operate from within a continuum that transfigures the status-quo with respect to the new entry -- "solution" -- into the hitherto itself. And status-quo can't be anything but a problem, can it?

Anyway, you might want to ask, "so why is person 1 more agreeable than person 2?"
Well, person 1 is pissed off, and he wants to put his testosterone into an activity that will stop him from breaking his neighbor's wind pipe -- like, playing football, basketball or simply "whacking off" to porn (or "point fingers" in a blog). Person 2, wants to be the neighbor who wants to incriminate an innocent civilian to feed his masochism. Who would you rather?

India

In an NDTV 'debate', a student said "This is a democratic country, these politicians are trying to make it into a socialist country". I don't think he knows this: The preamble of the constitution defines India as a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic (wiki page).

"Equality" is a constitutional right in India (including reservations for 'backward' classes).

PS. Hindi is not India's 'national language'. It does not have one.

Bluetooth Users

karumam

India Vs. Australia - 3rd test; AUS' second innings. 253-8 to 326-9: haven't felt so irritated in a long time. It was such a horrible feeling; felt like giving ten tight slaps to Kumble and RP Singh.

ebook - Shantaram

I don't know anything about this book, but a friend has been asking me to read it for a long time. Apparently it's very popular. I found the PDF version online, I thought I'll share the link here: download page.

WTF?

No, the WTF moment didn't happen because of the video itself. But because of series of insignificant events that transpired over the last 36 hours.

I get an invite from youtube user 'Kandibanbala' to view his new video (embedded above). I don't know Balaji so well. I have seen some of his videos before and left a few comments. I've had an impression that he's a professional editor/film-maker who has worked in ad films etc (just an assumption). I think he sent me the invite just because I've left some comments before. I don't see anything else to it.

So I go see the video and get a "hmmm!" feeling. Not too impressed, but I say "it's alright". Then I start thinking why the video didn't really appeal to me, for a couple of minutes. Then I leave the following comments. (Italicized parts are those that I had to delete because of character limit.)

Comment 1:
Good skills, but the freestyle tri-hop/house moves get a little monotonous after a while (I understand, there's only so much you can do on the streets). And I would have liked it better had there been lesser focus/emphasis on the abstract 'fusion' moves too. Are they supposed to convey something?

I like the "curious indifference" of the people in 56", 1'22", 2'2" 3'20" etc.

Comment 2:
Problematization: Although, probably, unintended, there's some exotification of the 'tilak' and the "classical" dance moves as done by a white man. Celebration of the "global culture" that has subsumed the white man in the brown wilderness; providing him with a "rich and colourful" background for his performance. Invariably evoking this feeling, "wow! Isn't it cool that a white man (wearing a tilak) is so elegantly(?) fusing hip-hop and classical dance moves in front of all these people? Cha sooper pa, pul arikudhu po!" - emanating from good old self-imposed orientalist condescension:
White man speaks Tamil - vaaaaah!
White woman learns kalari payattu - vaaaah!
White man loves "Indian food" - vaaaah! and more.
I might be reading too much into things, but what is a white man's "classical dancing" supposed to mean when "Chennai is on the move"?

Comment 3:
My second comment might rile a few/many viewers here who might say "dei romba peter udadha" or "dude, don't look at everything so negatively, learn to enjoy art" or some nonsense like that.

So here's the disclaimer: one probletamizes things so that the hidden layers embedded in an art form (or any representation) is/are better understood before it's consumed a certain way.
That the creator himself/herself may be unaware of what it represents is irrelevant because the product itself communicates independently.

Comment 4:
This video works mostly because of its editing and music. Good job on both areas. Thanks for the video.

--end of comments--

This was yesterday (Jan 8, 2008). I was quite critical because, as I said earlier, he seems like a pro (of course, the problematization would apply for an 'amateur's product as well). I check today to see if he had replied any of my comments. I stop for a moment to make sure that I've landed in the right page. Yes. I don't see any of my comments. All of them have been deleted. WTF? (yeah, this is the moment).
I thought, "if you cannot take my fucking comments, why fucking invite me?" (ok, that sounded a bit like Chimbu!)
But seriously, the comments, I think, aren't that disrespectful or snappish; a bit detractive, may be. So if he didn't want to reply, the least he could have done is tell me that he's going to remove the comments. At least I wouldn't have had to retype the whole thing (here). adhellam illa, mayiru he has just removed it. People, don't pull these kind of stunts. It's beyond annoying.
Now the page is squeaky clean: hours and hours of work 'appreciated' by a few as "nice job" etc. That's probably all he wanted to hear. Well, whatever.

Quote

From the book 'Caste, Colonialism and Counter-Modernity' by Debjani Ganguly.

Chapter 3: The Anamalous Insider, p. 69-70.

--Quote--

Here I cite two instances to illustrate Ghurye's version of what constitutes 'true' India. In the first case, we see him agonizing over the attempt made by Annadurai, (the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu) to translate the national motto ‘Satyameva Jayate’ into Tamil. Such translation, Ghurye claims, is nothing short of sacrilege to Indian nationhood. How dare a lower-caste Tamilian upstart trifle with the sacrosanct Sanskrit of the Upanishads, and in the process deprive the 'true' Indian of a glimpse of his glorious nationalist past?

The national motto, 'Satyameva Jayate', a sentence taken from an old Upanishad, is in Sanskrit language and is written in the Devanagari script. The associations of the motto thus transport, or are expected to transport Indians to their glorious past of two thousand five hundred years ago. Annadurai's action has destroyed the national motto as a national symbol which it has been such [sic] for the last seventeen years.

Note how Annadurai and his Tamil ilk are excluded from this special journey to India's ‘glorious' past. The non-Brahman, non-Aryan claim to nationhood cannot but be counterfeit, and in some senses a betrayal of the 'genuine' claimants. A similar rhetoric informs Ghurye's critique of the DMK government's success in transforming parts of the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 by granting legitimacy to 'Self-Respect' or ‘Reform' marriages. As is well known in dalit studies, the Self-Respect Movement initiated by Periyar in Tamil Nadu has been among the most politically charged dalit liberation movements of modern India. Ghurye interprets the DMK government's action as inimical not only to Hindu morality but also to Indian nationhood:

Such conditions as of [sic] avoidance of certain relationship between the spouses considered to be part and parcel of the moral code of a people would evidently be difficult of being observed [sic]. Restriction of bigamy, an advance in morals and marital happiness, is of course non-existent. The sentiment of Hindu India as a whole is flouted and the right of any successful political party to change the Indian law of marriage for its own State of domination is asserted.

Ghurye's writing, in its critique of lower-caste militancy and its assumption of the Hindu Brahmanic essence of the Indian nation, can be situated in the cusp of two dominant narratives of Indian nationalism that are hegemonic to this day. They are:

• the secular, liberal democratic 'modern' discourse that attempts to focus on India's Unity and Oneness by seeing its cultural diversity in the image of many small streams that would eventually converge to form an awesome yet harmonious national torrent:

• the discourse of Hindutva that categorically traces the genealogy of the new nation to its hoary Hindu past and that, in its more benign form, expects non-Hindus to 'fit in' and not claim any special benevolence from the State.

--End quote--

Disclaimer: some spelling mistakes may exist.

Body

I haven't seen Saawariya yet, don't think I will. But I have seen parts of the 'towel dropping song'. It's been described as the most 'homo-erotic' song of 'Bollywood,' by a few people in the media. Sure, the guy shows a lot of skin, but is "homo-erotic" the best way to describe it?
It can only come out of one of the following assumptions: women don't watch movies anymore; or women who scream "Hrithik, I love you" are impressed by his "acting skills"(!) and don't care for his curves, I mean, cuts; or women shaking their "stuff" isn't homo-erotic because there are no lesbians watching it.

adheppudi!

Was watching Nayagan to clip out a scene or two. Just realized: this kid goes to Bombay when he's around 10. He spends the rest of his life there. But he still cannot speak Hindi. It's not that he does not speak Hindi, he cannot. He actually has someone to translate stuff for him. ennangada dei?

Request

I'm looking for certain clips from certain movies. I was hoping to get it from friends and others who have the movies either in Divx or DVD formats (or high quality WMV etc). I'll be specific if you're interested in helping me. It basically involves editing some clips from the movies you have and uploading it to a public server like rapidshare. Each clip will be no longer than 10 seconds, so uploading should be relatively easy (unless you want to splice different ~10 second clips together before uploading). Of course, if you want to upload the entire scene (say 3-5 minutes), that's fine too. Finding the 'appropriate' clips themselves is probably the most time consuming part of the process.

Ex: I don't have Nayagan or Guna with me, I would very much like to have some scenes from those movies. If you have either, you can help me.

I need clips from half-decent to really good movies (you be the judge). I hope the scenes to be somewhat visually compelling even if it's for a very brief time. Either that or scenes that are popular in general.

No Smoking

The movie was alright. Probably a bit pretentious in that Kashyap even chose to do such a film, except for that there's little in the movie that is self-indulgent (or, again, pretentious) as claimed by Rajiv Masand and a few other "critics". He even went so far to call the movie "one of the worst of the year." Some "critic" he is. Interestingly, the scenes which seemed to impress him the most were the ones I found hackneyed. (Well, he is, after all, the one who gave 4/5 for 'Black Friday.' It showed how much he loves manipulative BS.)

Given the kind of dreams I have myself I have had little trouble 'enjoying' movies like this. I just love the screenplay. But again there is a scene that was self-indulgent: the last part where Kashyap is probably trying to say "huh, you thought you figured it out?" and you feel like going "well, I don't give a damn, really!"

Swivelling Layers (of condescension)

Part 1 - mp3

3': life's decisions
8': 'interactions' affect 'conviction'
10'-21': random narratives from school and college
24': facing your enemies (or friends?)
28': what's important?; 'micro' vs. 'macro' perspectives

Part 2 - mp3

2': the call center conflict
5': shifting positions; "proud to work in McDonald's"
9': choosing what makes you "happy"
13': the software pride
18': vacuous questions and stupid logic
22': the 'sexploiting' woman
26': personal goal
32': need of the hour: a hot cup of shut-the-fuck-up

The Moderate Hindu

The controversy surrounding the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project has finally brought the “Dravidian rationality” out of the closet. For decades MK’s views on Hinduism were confined to a largely apathetic population – the Tamil Hindus. But today’s coalition politics and power struggle in the centre has ensured that the core “Hindu-Nation” is exposed to his rhetoric. From a general observation one may come across some of the following being discussed in the mainstream media: profit/loss estimates of the project, ecological concerns, “Hindu sentiments” and, of course, Ram.

The BJP, who I once sympathised with, was looking exactly for this kind of an opportunity on account of a possible midterm election. It masqueraded itself, as usual, as the "moderate Hindu" whose sentiments were hurt by comments made by Karunanidhi. But there are, somewhat to my surprise, some "moderate Tamil-Hindus" who were enraged by his comments, or so they try to pretend. This crowd comprises mostly of young men in their early 20s who are on their way to joining the elite pack of half-baked, self-proclaimed critics of Tamil politics - mostly belonging to the upper castes. They have, for years, tried to sound clever and witty simply by pointing to the hypocrisy of Dravidian parties, especially MK and his minority politics.
One of the questions that appear regularly is "would he have the guts to say the same about prophet Mohammed or Jesus Christ?" For many the question is a panacea for all anti-Hindu rhetoric and criticisms alike. But the question can only mean one of the two: either they have a problem with accepting them all as fictional characters -- at least to the extent their supernatural abilities are concerned -- or they agree that Ram is a creation of fiction and they want MK to take the next step (which he can clearly choose not to). To criticise him for not being so forthright about Islam or the Bible is only a deviation.

Note: in order to disengage the polemics around 'what Hinduism actually is', I shall propose that the word Hinduism used henceforth be understood as 'social Hinduism' -- one that exists as more than an abstract entity and provides a systemic structure that is identified as culture, tradition, ethos and even "Indian sentiment." One that is at the core of the caste system.

It doesn't take a sharp mind to see through the "rationality" propaganda of the Dravidian parties. Nevertheless, it has to be admitted that underneath all the hypocrisy and sleazy politics there is some rationale in their criticisms. To question just the hypocrisy is to lose focus, quite deliberately, of the larger, critical issue: are you batting for casteist, sexist, oppressive mythical figures just because you're sick of minority politics?

Yes, "Hinduism is not even a religion"; "Hinduism has some of the most ancient, liberal, intellectual doctrines"; "Hinduism does not force anyone to do anything" and a list of other things that I myself had said several times before to cut it some, no, a lot of slack. But who was I bullshitting? Why should I turn a blind eye to all the social inequities that it has been directly responsible for? Whose face was I trying to save?
Majority of Hindus in India, I presume, are just as racist, just as homophobic, just as patriarchal, just as moralistic and just as reactionary as the Christian right wing of America and far worse in some cases. Only that "moderate Hindu's" attitudes don't emerge as often in mainstream media.

Rediff through Orkut, there's no scarcity of "moderate Hindus" who proclaim that the Ramayana happened a hundred thousand years ago and the Mahabharata a few thousand years later. Do they know how old the wheel is? The "moderate Hindu" appears to be more creationist than Christians and Muslims. For he/she believes that humans were not only "created" but with a divine, innate social, hierarchical position (how one attains the rank being immaterial at this juncture).
Even if you leave these issues aside, the ever prominent inhuman subjugation of "lower caste" people stares at you right in the face. The "moderate Hindu" is so oblivious to the atrocities committed in the name of caste, past and present, that his/her only defence is "Hindus never tried to convert non-Hindus." (Assumption: is it just a coincidence that most of these "moderate Hindus" either belong to the "upper castes" or never experienced casteism?)

The contemporary "moderate Hindu" is a right wing nationalist who has inundated himself/herself with essentialist notions. His/her shelter against minority/caste politics is not rationality but pseudo-intellectual jingoism.

It is unfortunate that the Indian voter has to choose between Italian bootlickers and "cultural" fascists. But it's even more unfortunate that this dilemma clouds his/her judgment on more socially relevant issues that are clearly disconnected from electoral politics.
----------------------------

Personal statement: My loathing for Islam and Christianity have come across several times, quite conspicuously, in my posts and podcasts -- it remains the same. However, the same cannot be said about my views on Hinduism: it's been more apologetic than I would have liked. It was probably due to the "clouding" in my judgment or simply a residual effect -- the fact that I shared the 'Hindu' identity till a year ago. At this point, I think, the distinction between 'social Hinduism' and "actual Hinduism" is more than irrelevant, for the former is what forms the social reality of the present (except, may be, in elite metaphysical and theological discussions). Keeping that in mind, I would like to state that I now loathe Hinduism just as much as, if not more than, the other religions.
It goes without saying that I have been, in the past, what I have censured in this post in several instances. One can see this either as a transition informed by literature and reflexivity or simply a recent systemic bias.

Toon Teaser 6: self destruction

The Flow

Sept 8, 8.05 PM EST: I tune into the channel that telecasts US Open Tennis - TSN - to watch my favourite woman tennis player Henin hit it for the title. There's Carole King singing "God bless America." I get a little irritated and switch to the Discovery Channel. I see the twin towers collapsing - it's the documentary 'What really happened inside the twin towers.' I switch back to TSN; she's still singing "God bless America." Yeah, sure!

I remember

It's been a year since Steve Irwin died.

NRI

Peopal who is leaved motherland is no under standed what CHAK DE INDIA movie is it is. Only peopal who is has DESHPREM and DESHABHIMAN can surestly and sincirestly preys doesing this movie it is. THANK YOU .JAI HIND.
INDIANS OUTSIDE INDIA IS NO INDIANS. PEOPALS WHO IS LEAVED INDIA FOR PARSONAL BENEFIT IS NO INDIAN.
N...........NOT
R...........REQUIRED
I...........INDIANS.

Source

V-three: Streets of Coimbatore

Comments

I had once said that the comments section in youtube is what made it so popular in its initial days. There's something that makes people say some of the stupidest things (a lot of my comments included). It wouldn't just be stupid, it would be totally uncalled for. I'll probably say more about it later.
Anyway, the following is one of the typical exchanges you'll find.

Comment: Wow this is awesome!!! what programm do you need 2 make flash animation videos??

Reply: you need flash to make flash animation, noob

Vetti Post - 7

About 'Unnale Unnale:' I stopped watching the movie after some of 'those' scenes in the first 20 minutes. But one of my friends strongly recommended that I watch the whole movie, and I did. It wasn't too bad. The movie got very light towards the end. They stepped back from preaching sitcom clichés for sometime. And the ending is quite light and "new" to Tamil mainstream movies. So while I'm not surprised that this movie did well, I don't feel all that bad either. Actually, I would place it above Mozhi. This junk food's got way less calories and fat than Mozhi.
Even though the direct translation of 'American situations' is irritating on its own, it's a good cultural virus. While it lacks originality as an art form and reinforces age old gender stereotypes (and some new ones for TN) it slowly moulds the collective consciousness of scores of young people--albeit with a good dose of pretentiousness--into normalizing dating, boyfriend-girlfriend relationships and probably sex. It's the kind of movie that Ramadoss cannot protest against yet does exactly what he's supposedly opposed to. It slowly usurps "traditional" values(?) and puts in place a corporatized version of "love and affection." It is unrealistic for most of our social classes, but it will eventually percolate there as well.
If it's unclear as to what I prefer, I would always choose, as much as I hate it, the latter. Given our societal make up, I think the old stereotypes are far too dangerous in comparison with the ones highlighted in the movie.

PS. I know, it's another post based on a movie. This time it got worse: it's extension of a comment.

Discovery

You know why you suck it when you cut your finger and you're bleeding? Because if you don't, the blood drips all over your favourite white shirt and ruins it for good.

V-two: Police in Palani

idhellam eppudi mudiyudhu?

About my 'Roast of Sivaji', someone has the following to say.

Why don't you look at some of their talents, thoughts, creativity and so. At least they have the talent to fool you, destroy your expectation, your dream... And you publically admit saying that you are a fool and you have been fooled, cheated. Don't you feel ashamed to share them in your podcast. They know how to make you fool but what do you know? Your podcasts show that you can be a fool, joker?

Source

V-one

Vetti post - 6

For all the hype that surrounded the movie 'Puthiya Vaarpugal' it turned out to be a typical Bharathiraja's pseudo-revolutionary crap. I would have watched about an hour of the movie in all. Gave me a bad headache already. But it does seem like a trend-setter of sorts. The movie themes that dominated most part of the 80s may well have been inspired by this one. The movie hints a rape right from the beginning by building a lecherous 'oor periyavar's character(?). That in itself put me in a very uncomfortable position, because I guessed that a good part of the movie will then be spent on framing someone for the rape. Then it finally happens -- rape, murder and the protagonist is wrongly accused too. But it doesn't end there. It cannot. There is another attempt to rape in the climax. But this time the murder is redemptive (It better be, it's the climax). In between, there's juvenile 'rural romance' and sprinkling of sequences that assert "village mores". Of course, there's also a moral statement made in the end of the movie. I bought the DVD hoping that it will be worthwhile for others apart from if I released it as a torrent. But no. Well, at least now I know what the movie is. Rs. 30 for the DVD is worth that.

Songs: The songs were so bloody popular that I wondered how I missed the movie. May be I saw it in TV when I was too young and slept half way or something.

Aside: There's a long cross-dressed 'karakaatam' sequence which plays for roughly 8 minutes. The way it was played out and the apparent intention were both reminiscent of the one in 'Paruthi Veeran'.

Roast of Sivaji

I saw the movie in a theatre. Was one of the worst 3 hours of my life. (Yes, it was worse than the time I felt like my eyes were gouged and buried in sand--because I had looked directly in welding sparks for too long--and I could feel the sand in my gouged eyes.)
download

Note 1: The author of this podcast claims to know everything and is a 'periya vengayam' who does not respect anyone who liked this movie. He's also scared of getting beaten by wimps who leave anonymous comments. So his address will not be revealed here.

Note 2: If you think this podcast is done to attract comments, do yourself a favour and don't leave any. Comments: If I don't like it or feel the need to reply but don't feel like because it's too immature or too smart for me to handle, I'll delete it.

Let me, please

I'm going to Madras after quite sometime, and I can imagine how much I'm going to hate it when I have to sit at home. The only time Madras doesn't suck is when you are out in the streets -- being too busy to notice the hot, moist, sticky thing that's supposed to be air. And it's always been like this. There have been times when I would get off the train in Kaatpadi and turn back to Bangalore because it would get stickier as the train got closer and closer to Madras. It's not "vellakara aatam" or "veli naatu mogam."
So please, let me whine and complain. Let me act it out. Don't call me pretentious for feeling uncomfortable in this damn place.

Sivaji vaayila mannangatti

Download
Sivaji's trailer gave out everything the movie makers were trying to keep in secret for a long time. Of course, it doesn't include the fact that 'Shankar + Rajini = masala trash' was always known - not many would have guessed otherwise. It's just that more people feel shameless enough to openly admit that they are looking forward to watching Rajini's masala than Vijay or Ajith's.

Rajini is almost like religion: anything goes if he does it. Because he's been doing it for a long time, with people's apparent approval. But I, for what it's worth, will say what I feel: It's disgusting, it's irritating and it's high time idiots stopped pretending like he's got an aura. My interest in this movie is just like my interest in religion -- they both follow an inexplicable pattern of idiotic following, almost unquestioned.

Anyway, I saw the trailer and I thought of predicting how the plot is going to unravel. That's what I've done in this podcast (partly). Then there's some Rajini bashing in the end (how about that for a "commercial" podcast?).

Rajini Says

"Ritch is getting ritcher, poovar is getting poovarur"

Same side goal

Anchor: We have the CBSE exams topper Divya who scored 493 out of 500 with us. Congratulations Divya, you've got 98.6 percent just 7 short of maxing it up. Not to undermine your stupendous achievement, Divya, but do you think that academic performance is the best way to measure one's intelligence?

Divya: Yeah!

Source

Jingle

TV ads are almost nothing without music - most of them are. But sometimes the jingle is so catchy that it completely blinds the images.

Tamil Media: a reality check

The podcast is quite long (36 minutes), so I'll give a rough outline of what I've spoken about.



3': How we address celebrities in TV (Kamal sir, Rajini sir etc.)
5': Lollu Sabha. A historical moment - Pokkiri's parody - Bakery.
12': "Experts" in TV
15': Nayyandi durbar, Ari Giri assembly
17': Standup comedy in Tamil TV channels (Kalakka povadhu yaaru etc.)
23': Internet's influence on mainstream media
26': Lack of Tamil social commentary in audio-visual formats in the internet.
30': Mainstream hangover in non-mainstream mediums.
34': Interviews in Kumudam.com

Aside: Lollu Sabha issued an apology the week after 'Bakery' was aired. But the sentences were structured in a way that it was obvious that they were being sarcastic about the apology. It's good to see that these people not only have the guts do such parodies but the wit to deal with potentially serious repurcussions.

Caller ID

I: hi, this is suresh. I just got call from this number
other side (OS): oh yeah, I had got a call from your number
I: oh really? this is weird. I never called this number
OS: I know, but it's ok, not a problem
I: there must have been some kind of confusion, I just got home
OS: not a problem, take care
I: you too, bye

Alternative Lifestyles

The BBC has been running a Climate Watch series the past month. It’s been one of the few channels that have taken climate change as an apolitical issue that needs to be covered comprehensively at this point of time. For the most part, it has shown a sincere concern in what it is trying to convey. There is a bit of the colonial condescension here and there, but it is honest journalism – academic, in-depth and detailed.

It has had a report or more from all the most important corners of the world--the ones who are at both ends of climate change. In each report you can hear phrases like “at least a few million people will be left homeless”, “several thousands of people have been displaced”, “famines of this kind are likely to be responsible for at least a million people’s death every year.” People, people and more people.

Without having to go into details, it’s safe to say that increase in population is not helping any of the problems we are facing; climate change not being the least of them. But hardly do you come across anyone making a suggestion about that. Sure, people talk about birth control just like they have been for over fifty years, but not in the context of climate change. At least, it’s not a popular discussion point yet.

I really wonder what they have in their mind when right-wing intellectuals in India patronize ‘developed’ countries like Norway and Sweden for having low fertility rates. That their liberal, rather individualistic, lifestyle has landed them in such misery that we should feel ‘blessed’ to have our culture? A culture that makes procreation—obviously within marriage—and bearing children the prime responsibilities, or duties if you will, of every human being? “Do your share, have at least one child” is the subliminal message that is not so subliminally spread in everything that constructs social reality, in India and most of ‘less industrialized’ world. Then there’s the economically charged version of the same kind of flaunting--“we are one billion consumers”, “we are one billion strong labour force”, “it’s a billion people market”--subverting a very obviously worrisome number into something that we ought to feel excited about. Some are actually happy that we’ll surpass the Chinese in the next decade.

Coming back to the BBC Climate Watch series, they had an interesting documentary last week titled ‘Ethical Man.’ It’s basically about an average white, white collar Englishman with a wife and two children trying to adapt his life for changing times, for a better, lesser carbon emitting life. It’s a documentary meant to suggest an alternative lifestyle. One that is out of the current norm – without a car, without centralized heating, and reduced air travel. The concept is not so unique though. It’s something that many of the ‘environmentally conscious’ people have been campaigning for. Of course there are those who take the side simply because it makes better economic sense.

Here’s the connect: isn’t it high time that documentaries, soap operas, movies and other popular media start suggesting more alternative lifestyles? If they did I would probably not have to face a fellow Indian who thinks that I’m being selfish because I said I’m never going to have any children. I’m selfish for not having children? Really, what kind of a world is he envisioning? Whatever it is, I’m sure these 'reality constructors' had a big role in it.

Let’s bring in the philosophical side of the debate, just to the extent that it’s relevant to the main discussion. Most people who don’t plan to have kids don’t need a special recognition or claim that they are sacrificing their lives in order to save the world. They’ll be happy, I suppose, as long as they are not be pitied, ridiculed or patronized. There are several reasons ranging from conventional 'selfishness' that guides them to avoid the bullshit that children can bring, to having infertile spermatozoa. Given that there’s no macro goal or purpose for our existence in this world, at least to the rational mind, there’s no particular reason to believe that one of them is better than the other. Or worse than the other lifestyle altogether--one with children and 'stable family'.

I was evangelizing the ‘alternative lifestyle’ to one of my cousins and he had an interesting point. He said that he knows only two old unmarried men from the entire community and both of them had to resort to some ‘ashram’ type life before they could be left undisturbed. He said it would be practically impossible to live the regular life--going to work every day, hanging out with friends and relatives, watching TV and movies (let’s leave the sex part aside for now)--in our society without getting married. Not after you’ve crossed thirty.
He’s right. In India, every TV channel, every magazine column offers advice on managing your family or your relationships. There’s hardly any mention of the desirability of having a family without any children or being single for that matter. Mornings in Sun TV start with Sugi Sivam offering advice on doing random things citing random stories. All that with unwavering authority; doing his part to perpetuate the same lifestyle whose only uncontested merit (if you can call it that) is that it’s been around for a very long time. But these are strong forces. Omnipresent and overbearing. They build yardsticks for you to measure yourself--your 'progress', your status etc. So it takes quite a bit of training, reflexive deconstruction if I may, for a 40 year old Indian bachelor to not envy a 'happy family' with children. Or simply, disconnect from one's cohort in this regard.

As someone who trusts positivist knowledge for several things, I have little hope that the ‘alternative lifestyle’ will be embraced even by a tiny minority, in this century. Because, I don’t think the ‘forces’ are going to change their ways anytime soon. We may have more “ethical men” who cut down on their carbon emissions. We may develop better technologies that bring down green house gases. But the climate is going to worsen. Wars are going to be fought over water. Population growth is going to go on as predicted.
At least the ‘alternative lifestyle’ will ensure that there will be fewer, however marginal, people to witness all that.

Disclaimer: I have left a few points out because of the post’s length. I hope they would find a mention in the comments. Some of the references are specific to the South-Asian context.

Either stand straight or fall flat

Left hand: WTF?

I've been proctoring exams the past few days (I know, some irony!). I just noticed that at least 10-15% of the students in each exam were left-handed. It reminded me of an incident that happened in Dindigul when I was 11.
We would go to 'tuition' classes every evening and one of those times my eyes landed on the dough that was being prepared for 'brottas' (adhan pa, parotta). The 'master' was working the dough with both his hands, flavoring it with his sweat and other bodily fluids (hopefully just sweat). Yeah, this is one of those little hotels where they do everything out in the open -- mostly under a 'puilya maram' -- proudly putting their hygiene for public display. That scene triggered a craving in me and I couldn't wait for the tuition get over. When we were returning I stopped by the hotel and approached the master right in front,
Master: ennapa venum? (with a stern tone)
I: annei parotta sooda irukka?
Master: ellam ippo potadhu dhan
I look at the basin in which they're piled up--all wet and dead. I touch one of them just to make sure if it's even moderately hot. Suddenly I hear a loud voice that throws me off balance. It's the master.
He yells, "adhan sooda irukku'nu solren illa, appuram enna mayithukku nottangaila notti paakra? ippo adha ungoppana dhinban?"
I: !!!! --- ****?

Note: For "tube lights" who didn't get it - 'nottangai' is the offensive expression for idadhukai, oranttangai, peechangai etc. He was angry that I polluted that parotta by touching it with my left hand and now no one else would eat it.

Tamil TV

This one was a decent show.

Try parts 2 and 3 as well. It's pretty good.

The missing ‘rush': the narrative

It’s been close to 2 years since I left India – the same time it has been since I experienced genuine adrenaline rush. You know, the one that gets your heart so hot that you can feel it outside (no, I’m not being metaphorical). I’ve been addicted to that ‘rush’ as far as I could remember. As with most Indian children, there were very few means that I could exploit when I was very young. The most common was to ride your cycle fast down a slope with your hands in the air. Sometimes make turns too. Of course, the occasional accidents do scare you enough to stop doing it for a while. That’s the point though – the looming sense of danger is what gives you that rush.

As I grew up, more avenues were exposed. I lived in a relatively untamed environment. Fish was a major part of our lives then. And I imagine this craze with “kalar meen” was shared by children from other parts of TN as well (and probably, all of India). Some were so crazy that they wouldn’t care if it was a tadpole. But people like me, who wouldn’t settle unless it’s the real-2 inch long-thing, would stretch our permitted limits. Each class had its share of renegades who didn’t bother their teacher’s warning about what might happen if anyone is caught “fishing” in the “kenaru” near the school. Dindigul had several little pools and wells where you could “fish.” They were the unforgiving, ‘taken several lives’ kind of water sources – the ideal spots for us little wannabe ‘heroes’ to test our nerves. Some wells were so treacherous that you wouldn’t know difference between day and night once you’re in it. The neatly wound snake skins wouldn’t make the place any less scary. Not to mention, that’s where we usually learn swimming; with some ‘adult’ supervision, of course.

Then we moved to Madras. For a kid from Dindigul--not even Ooty, Mettupalayam or some exotic place like that--Madras seemed so lame. Only thing you can do is play underarm cricket in your street or pedal all the way to IDPL to have the ball lost in some bush. Oh yeah, you can also get on the terrace and spend all your money in some ‘kaathadi’ and watch it bite the dust because of a “deal.” But I can’t think of anything that could have replaced the things I had mentioned I did when I was in Dindigul. The times I almost drowned in the beach come somewhat close.

But it all changed when I got my hands on my father’s 100cc motorbike – I was 15 then. It provided a much needed upgrade to the stale TVS 50 I was riding around once in a while. For once I could hit speeds as high as 100 Km/h. As many teenagers, I didn’t care about holding a license. I didn’t till I was 21. But I took his bike to almost every corner of the city. The fact that I didn’t have a license made those rides a little more adventurous – helped that rush a bit more.

It got better during my college days. It was the time when we had group rides to Pondicherry, New Year nights to Besant Nagar and all the clichéd “adventures” most young men in Madras are known to go through. These occasions usually give you the opportunity to experiment with other bikes. But I always had a big fetish for Yamaha RX 100. I think all bike enthusiasts would agree that it’s the ultimate thrill machine for Indian cities.

I got my lessons directly from my cousins who had mastered the art of crowd control to crazy stunts with the bike. I got to own one myself when I was 21 – just when I got my license. The next two years during which I got to ride it, mostly in Bangalore, had some of the best moments of my life. I haven’t taken any drugs so far, but I think that’s how it feels to be high. When you are rushing through fellow motorists – like you’re travelling in a Star Trek space cruiser with the rocks and other objects disappearing in nanoseconds – your mind operates in a subliminal level. Only then would you be able to not worry about all the lives you put in danger. The top speed of my Yamaha was 120 Km/h ¹.

In all my years of bike-riding I’ve had quite a few accidents. Most of the damage done to myself and to my bike(s). Nothing fatal though. To be honest, each accident would slow me down quite considerably. It will take at least a few weeks before I can go above 80 Km/h without getting all shaky and anxious. As if there’s a dog or a bitch waiting just to jump in (pun intended). This is what differentiates bike riding from most other forms of adventure – you can never get used to getting hurt, at least not thoroughly. You get methodical and systematic about how you fall, how you roll and even how you heal. But nothing that will quite make you feel like it’s ‘routine.’ Of course, I’m talking about myself here. I’m sure there are several people who can do exactly that – get used to getting hurt with no residual effects.

Driving, I think, is slightly different. When you’re driving, the whole “I might die” effect isn’t as obvious as it is when you’re on a bike. It’s mostly the ‘got to get home without any scratches or dents’ urge that gives you that rush. And driving is slightly more comprehensive in its experience. Good music, good company, reasonable comfort plus the rush - they are mutually elevating.

Ever since I got here, I’ve driven a few times. That’s about all the “rush” I’ve gotten. Even the fairy ‘ride’ in Niagara sucked. I’ve missed the daily dose for a very long time and it’s taking its toll on me. I’ll write about it from a pseudo sociological perspective in the next post. As of now, I’m just looking forward to my trip to Madras and hopefully get a half-decent second hand car when I return.
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¹The bike was tuned for high speed. It usually doesn’t exceed 115 Km/h, but it was a long sloping road and I weighed just 54 kilos (still do).

adappavigala

Amar Singh is an Indian politician from the state of Uttar Pradesh.
...
He is infamous for his weakness for women, especially top bollywood actresses. He has affairs with Jaya Bachchan, Jayaprada, Hema Malini, Jayalalitha, etc.

Source

I hate these people, kind of

Although I don't have the luxury (ability) to sit and write fresh posts as of now, I do while away doing other random things. But this post is not only an empty filler - my last few posts - it's also meant to give a brief idea about where I stand about certain movies and movie makers that I may not be able to discuss in detail anytime in the future. This is another casual conversation with a very good friend. It wasn't supposed to be intellectually stimulating or inquisitive or whatever. I think we were in the mood to bash a few people and that's we did. Nevertheless, a lot of it is academically grounded and I stand by all of what I've said. Only that I may not engage in a detailed discussion in the comments section to defend everything - mostly because it's time consuming (and yeah, "subjective"). Rest is self-explanatory.

Edit: The exchange has been removed. I didn't ask my friend before I published the conversation and I think that was a terrible mistake on my part. To an extent makes me an untrustworthy person and an asshole. For that and just that, I sincerely apologize to my friend and to my 'better side' that I didn't care to respect when I published it. Thanks.

Note: An academic critique of a movie is quite different from conventional ones, try this one to get a rough idea. From the article,

Roja is not Mani Ratnam’s best film. It is not his only film that deals with politics, it is not the only one that won many state and national awards and is not the only one that is controversial. It is as flawed and fulfilling as many of Ratnam’s other, greater, better films. It is as ambiguous and paradoxical and as simplistic and superficial as his other classics. Yet, it is his most successful film till date and his only true all- India success...It can take on many forms, champion many causes, some more sinister than the others and can still be over-analysed in many an essay, this one included.

Disclaimer: This post is not intended to draw comments or to show what's supposedly a characteristic of this blog - put down "popular figures" just for the heck of it. But you're welcome to reject this disclaimer. The exchange has been edited spatially to fit the margins better

adhu seri

Source: Thuglak - 09/04/07 cover page

Sexual innuendos: WTF?

This is one of those excited/good natured wtf moments. I was watching 'Aan Paavam' after a long time. I couldn't believe the sexual innuendos I had missed earlier. Here's one for sample (conversation between a woman and her husband in hurry to leave for a "big function")

Man: enna pannikittu irukka? seekram kelambu
Woman: kolandhaikku paal kudukkanumnga
Man: adha dhan naan kudichtanla!
Woman: adhilleenga, naan butti paala sonnen

Don't believe me? Here's the movie - the link will take you the exact scene. I think this movie will easily qualify for one of the top 30 comedies of Tamil cinema*. It can be called the Tamil village version of the Clerks series. Pandya Rajan's 'Oora Therinjukitten' also attained a cult status among certain sections of the audience - late 70s and early 80s born - but the movie had a weird mix of tracks. Cheesy sentiments, slapstick styles lifted from 'Project A' etc., and some genuine sequences. They didn't gel together all that well. It had some memorable dialogues though - "rendaayiram, naalayiram...bimbilikkibilikki(?)" was the most catchy. That's what makes 'Aan Paavam' more special. It has its share of tragic moments and cheap sentiments, but nothing that will derail the comedic flow of the movie. One of the first few movies to bring the comedic sense of the rustics.
I've enjoyed almost all his movies in the 80s, especially 'Kadhaa Nayagan', 'Vaai Koluppu' and 'Nethi Adi'. He is someone who's definitely worth doing a podcast on (just saying, it's quite unlikely I'll do it anytime soon).

Watch out: Rajini be damned

* - If I put that list together.

adhu matter!

Narcissist alert

I'm so unlucky. I'm so weird. I'm so blessed. It was all my fault. This kind of shit happens to me all the time. It was my destiny. I'm so lucky. It was my fate. I'm such a freak. It was like I was meant to do this. I must have been the happiest person ever. There is not an idiot worse than me. I'm such a masochist. This should not happen to anyone else. For some reason I always endup having the worst job. I'm totally jobless. I hate myself.

PS. I don't use all of the above, but I do use some. I don't know if that irritates others, but when others say any of it they practically peel my skin. I won't reveal it when you do, but just know. How do I feel when I use one of the 'some'? Well, I hate myself.

Mozhi - meh!

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An Orkut scrap: now that india has lost, the presence of "god" has come under heavy doubt

Reply: now that india has lost, the effect of money has come under heavy doubt

Toon Teaser 5: Life

Toon Teaser 4: It's not my problem

Bangladesh beat India. naan appove sonnen!

Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi - one of the best Indian movies that I've seen in the last 12 months

People, products, whatever man.

This is a conversation that a very good friend and I had. It was based on another conversation and the exchange below is quite self-explanatory.*

I didn't ask my friend before I published the conversation and I think that was a terrible mistake on my part. To an extent makes me an untrustworthy person and an asshole. For that and just that, I sincerely apologize to my friend and to my 'better side' that I didn't care to respect when I published it. Thanks.

The topics, argumental points rather, in the exchange above have been discussed extensively in feminist literature. In fact, it's been the topic for several daytime talk shows in the US. Nevertheless, it is not a bad idea to ponder over it once in a while with new and "absurd" perspectives. Run through the follwing pages to have a rough idea - ref 1; ref 2; ref 3; ref 4.

* - The exchange has been edited spatially to fit the margins better

Random quote

The cultural guardians would sleep unconcerned if people perished in tsunami, if floods hit the State, even if news of rape and torture occupied the front page every day. They would watch Tamil films with songs full of double entendre, they would gush if a top is rolled on the heroine's stomach or an omelette fried on it. But the moment a woman mentions the body, all hell would break loose and the sleeping Kumbakarnas would wake up with a roar to save culture from getting corrupted by women. And that is what women are seen as — as those, who, if not guided properly, would ruin the great Tamil culture. Tamil men have to constantly pull women back from going astray and whatever women do is seen as a gesture of going astray, whether it is writing poetry or giving interviews.

Source

Cricket: ennavo ponga

Before you think, "hmm, Indian bowling seems to have improved," please see the wickets that fell this morning. How many do you think are wicket-taking balls? 1? 2?

Paruthi Veeran varuthi eduthan!

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Random quote

While Tabu was a big hit with the cameras, Zuleikha Robinson got even bigger attention with her cleavage-friendly dress.

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Random quote

Anger is not hostility, aggression nor violence. It is a human emotion. For centuries anger was considered a sin, a weakness and a madness to be avoided or contained. But anger is a signal that something is wrong. Several common themes emerged. These include injustices, denied rights, societal devaluation, abuse, harassment and dismissal
...
A group of lesbian and bisexual women, van Daalen-Smith's study found, coped with a double challenge – hiding their sexual orientation and conforming to feminine ideals. In displacing their anger, many were found to over-eat, overachieve academically, or use humour and wisecracks instead of confronting their feelings. Depression was a significant finding. Another group of visible minorities from South Asia, Korea, Tibet and the West Indies felt unable to overtly express frustration at cultural limits placed on them.

Source

Only two?

Why is it always Hindi vs. Tamil, where are the rest of the idiots?

Hey dude, at least people in Bollywood movies dont look like fucking idiots. People in tamil movies where the gayest ass clothes you could posibly think of. Tamil nadu makes india look bad.
...
The only language [Tamil] in india that doesn't sound gay. less gay than i.e. hindi, punjabi, bengali, gujarati and other north indian language which are know to be extremely gay, and those speakers tend to speak like women.
...
It is a beautiful language [Tamil], and does sound delightfully gay in an artistic silk and chiffon way!

karumam da sami! But I'm so proud.

Fashion in Iran: WTF?

Tamil pride: cherry picking

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