Review of the book:
Journalist and well-known blogger Amit Varma’s first novel, written in 2008, is out on the stands. Looking smart and new in a grey paperback cover carrying an embossed lizard and shocking-pink heart flaunting the title “ My friend Sancho,” the book really calls out to be picked up and read. The shock is not over, yet, as you find on reading the first few pages of the novel:
“I should introduce myself now. My name is Abir Ganguly. I work for a tabloid in Bombay called The Afternoon Mail. I am 23. I eat meat. I am heterosexual. I don’t believe in God. I masturbate 11 times a day. I exaggerate frequently, as in the last sentence. I am ambitious in the sense of what I want to be rather than what I want to do….”
Sometimes, such frankness in expression, when it stems from a deliberate desire to shock, can put me off, but I read on for good reasons: (a) The adventure or fantasy hinted at on the back cover had made me curious enough to go on. (b) My desk training held me back from judging it too quickly. (c) This novel, I knew, had been nominated for the Man Asian Literary Prize 2008! Amit Varma was in the longlist with promising Indian voices such as Tulsi Badrinath, Daisy Hasan, Salma and others whose books I had read before.
So I continued, and soon I found myself sinking into a fast and entertaining story of the life and thoughts of Abir Ganguly, the tabloid journalist. Abir, who has been put on a crime beat, is called over by one of his sources, Inspector Thombre, to cover, during action, an arrest he and his men are planning to make. Waiting outside as the cops enter the supposed gangster’s house, Abir and his camera man are stunned when they suddenly hear gunshots… the suspected criminal has been shot, they realise! Abir gets a clue that it’s a mistake, when they hear the inspector mutter, “…at least, it’s only a Muslim,” as if that would mitigate the consequences… Abir and his colleague beat a hasty retreat. Things may have ended there, if not that he is asked to do a big story on the same crime. In this manner, he gets to know the daughter, Muneeza, of murdered Mohammed Iqbal, and also gets to see the workings of Thombre’s mind. The rest is about the developing relationship between Abir and Muneeza, narrated in a very unsentimental, witty, style in the cyber language of the day!
.
Amit Varma was born in Chandigarh in 1973 and was educated in Pune. Starting as a copywriter, he got his first break into cyberspace, as managing editor of Cricinfo, India, in 2003. He then started blogging at India Uncut, in 2004, which soon made news -- picking up the Best Indiblog award (2005 Indibloggies) and nominations for Best Asian Blog (2006 Bloggies) and the 2008 Weblog Awards. A regular writer of op-eds and columns, his weekly column for the, Mint, called “Thinking It Through,” won him the prestigious annual Bastiat Prize for Journalism in 2007. In 2008, he gave up regular employment to focus on his first novel, My Friend Sancho. Now he is a based in Mumbai and is well into his second novel.
As things went, My Friend Sancho was not the winning entry in that competition; yet, it is unique and deserving in many ways. It is worth celebrating the author’s rare gift of being able to make the reader laugh out loud in places. One can feel the force of the new-age Indian English writing in it and celebrate its promise of the emergence of a generation carrying no memory of the wounds of the partition.
Interview with Amit Varma:
1. It was a lovely experience to read My friend Sancho. Did you have to rework many times to make it sound this spontaneous?
Once I hit upon the voice of the book, it flowed naturally from there. The book is a first-person narrative by the character, Abir Ganguly, and once I established the character and got his voice, all I had to do was stay true to it. After that events dictated themselves, and I merely followed Abir where he went.
2. How did you hit upon this concept?
I began with just a character and a setting —Abir Ganguly, this young, smart-alecky journalist, and his tabloid newsroom. I wanted to take him out of his comfort zone and see how he changed in the process. So the story evolved to have him meet this girl he would otherwise never have noticed, if not for these circumstances. His attraction to her makes his reexamine many things about himself, and that's the central drama in the book
3. Were you always sure that you wanted to be a writer; can you tell us about the chief influences on your writing?
Yes, I've wanted to be a novelist almost since I first learnt to read. I've procrastinated over the years, done various other things along the way, but I've never seen myself as anything but a storyteller, a person who writes one novel after another. I'm glad that I've finally gotten down to it.
There are too many influences on my writing to pinpoint a few. But what I aspire to do as a writer is bridge the gap between popular and literary fiction, with books that are both entertaining and thought-provoking. Other writers I can think of like that include Haruki Murakami and Nick Hornby.
4. What does (or did) journalism mean to you? How did it shape or affect your creative writing?
I used to be the managing editor of Cricinfo and have written for the Wall Street Journal, the Guardian and the Observer, as well as many Indian publications. I used to write a weekly column for Mint and a fortnightly column for Mail Today. However, I gave it all up to focus exclusively on writing novels last year, and that is what I'm doing now.
5. I have seen the reference to your blog (www.indiauncut.com) in the novel. What is the role of blogging today?
Blogging is a very versatile medium for writers of all kinds, and allows a writer an opportunity to connect with a readership in near-real time. I enjoy it a lot, and am fortunate to have built up a decent readership. It has nothing in common with writing novels, though—these two are totally different disciplines.
6. How does it affect writing and sales of books?
I think it helps. Look at these literary blogging sites, they actually increase the appetite for reading things you like. Unlike the media, blogs have more space and are not constrained by word limits or anything. If you wish to write a three-hundred word review or a forty-word one, it’s entirely up to you to choose.
7. The cover design is really a different idea. You can actually feel the embossed lizard and wonder what this character is going to do in the story. Did you think of the design too?
We actually used the blog to post a cover-design competition for those who are trained to do cover-designers but are not professionals. We announced a prize for the best design and this is the one that we found. Hachette has managed to identify some excellent cover designers in this process, too.
8. How much of the story is real? Is Abir Ganguly is based on yourself and your journalistic experience?
Very little. My experience in journalism is very different. I was never in the newsroom or on a crime beat. I used to write on economics and politics. Abir is a 23-year-old full Bengali and I am a 35-year old half-Bengali. In terms of setting and so on, yes, it is familiar from my life. Otherwise Abir is a very different person from me. He is young and story traces a sort of coming of age of this guy who doesn’t take life too seriously and has no definite moral compass…
9. As a first time author, it must have been a struggle to get past the filters of publishers... or was it?
Actually it wasn't. I believe if you tell a story well, it speaks for itself. I had offers from four publishers, and finally chose Hachette India.
10. And what a success!! You were in the longlist for the Man Asian Literary prize!!! How does that feel and how has it affected your life and working style?
I was delighted to be longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize, but the validation I really want is the enjoyment of my readers. Now that the book has been published, I'm waiting to see if readers enjoy it. If they do, I shall feel fulfilled; if they don't, then awards won't help me feel better. I write books for readers, not for awards.
11. About the recent boom in Indian writing…
India is not just a single country, it’s not even two, it is a population of a billion people each with their own story to tell. So there really are many stories to be told.
31 May 2011
Interview of Subroto Bagchi - Author of The Professional
The Professional, by Subroto Bagchi, Vice Chairman and Co-founder of Mindtree Ltd., was released in November, 2009. In this interview he talks about his views on professional ethics. To begin with a quote from the book cover – ‘Great public efforts are often rooted in deeply personal experiences and sometimes very private feelings’.
Corruption is not unique to India, so what is the focal issue for Indian professionals in this?
(1) The fundamental difference between corruption in India and other countries is that, in other places, it is not necessary to ‘take care of people’ in order to get a voter-ID card, a house allotment, or just to deal with the policeman.
The very fact that corruption is mainstream means there is a need to speak up.
(2) Independent India is entering adulthood. Today, we are a member of G-20. In 1980 when we were nearly defaulting on an IMF loan, there is no one who would have expected this of us. Now, we have grown in a way that people say India will determine the future of the world. Adulthood brings responsibilities and there are certain minimum standards that a country must follow to be worth its entry into the club of few.
The next sixty years is the age of the young Indian professional. When that professional engages with the world, the rules of the game will be quite different.
(3) Having said all that, finally, it is not for someone else, some kind of reformer to teach you this. At the end of the day it is a personal choice. Take the story of Mahadeva, a young boy whose mother’s died, orphaned at age eight, running around with the urchins, living on people’s alms - to that guy, all options were open. He could have become a pickpocket, a smuggler, Dawood Ibrahim... it would have been condoned by society, for who could blame this orphaned boy? But he did not choose that. Mahadeva is central to the question. No one can impose a rulebook on you. Finally, it is a choice between the right thing and the convenient. Neither can you expect a red carpet for making the right decision. Doing right is not about heroics. It is about who you are.
(4) Every professional has to develop within himself a self-awareness and depth. It is better to be a good criminal than a vascillating professional.
Who is the book for?
The book is not just for the corporate sector. I want the book to be read by every medical student, law student, chartered accountant, every professional who should know the difference between good and ugly.
If you go to a different country … as a software engineer, or a rocket scientist, or the next booker-prize winner, suddenly the world is aware of you! To handle that world you will need a change of attitude. You can take a short circuit, jump the queue for short-term gains, but when you take the longer path, you are building an inheritance for your forthcoming generations.
Issues in your organization -
Integrity issues such as sexual harassment or forging an LTA bill are not small professional mistakes: A few days ago, I was counting the number of professional mistakes that we had made that were above US $250,000 in their impact and I counted ten. [I found] It is okay to make a mistake in negotiating a contract, make a wrong hire, or mess up a software design, but it is not okay to forge an LTA voucher!
We are just saying that if you want to be one of our tribe, you must be like this.
Corruption is not unique to India, so what is the focal issue for Indian professionals in this?
(1) The fundamental difference between corruption in India and other countries is that, in other places, it is not necessary to ‘take care of people’ in order to get a voter-ID card, a house allotment, or just to deal with the policeman.
The very fact that corruption is mainstream means there is a need to speak up.
(2) Independent India is entering adulthood. Today, we are a member of G-20. In 1980 when we were nearly defaulting on an IMF loan, there is no one who would have expected this of us. Now, we have grown in a way that people say India will determine the future of the world. Adulthood brings responsibilities and there are certain minimum standards that a country must follow to be worth its entry into the club of few.
The next sixty years is the age of the young Indian professional. When that professional engages with the world, the rules of the game will be quite different.
(3) Having said all that, finally, it is not for someone else, some kind of reformer to teach you this. At the end of the day it is a personal choice. Take the story of Mahadeva, a young boy whose mother’s died, orphaned at age eight, running around with the urchins, living on people’s alms - to that guy, all options were open. He could have become a pickpocket, a smuggler, Dawood Ibrahim... it would have been condoned by society, for who could blame this orphaned boy? But he did not choose that. Mahadeva is central to the question. No one can impose a rulebook on you. Finally, it is a choice between the right thing and the convenient. Neither can you expect a red carpet for making the right decision. Doing right is not about heroics. It is about who you are.
(4) Every professional has to develop within himself a self-awareness and depth. It is better to be a good criminal than a vascillating professional.
Who is the book for?
The book is not just for the corporate sector. I want the book to be read by every medical student, law student, chartered accountant, every professional who should know the difference between good and ugly.
If you go to a different country … as a software engineer, or a rocket scientist, or the next booker-prize winner, suddenly the world is aware of you! To handle that world you will need a change of attitude. You can take a short circuit, jump the queue for short-term gains, but when you take the longer path, you are building an inheritance for your forthcoming generations.
Issues in your organization -
Integrity issues such as sexual harassment or forging an LTA bill are not small professional mistakes: A few days ago, I was counting the number of professional mistakes that we had made that were above US $250,000 in their impact and I counted ten. [I found] It is okay to make a mistake in negotiating a contract, make a wrong hire, or mess up a software design, but it is not okay to forge an LTA voucher!
We are just saying that if you want to be one of our tribe, you must be like this.
Englishman's Cameo , by Madhulika Liddle: A Review
Book Review Published in The New Indian Express
The focus is certainly on Mughal India, at Hachette, as hot on the heels of Raiders from the North, a fictionalised life of Babur, comes, The Englishman’s Cameo, by Madhulika Liddle. This is a murder mystery set in Shah Jahan’s Delhi. It is different from the former, in that it deals predominantly with the society of those times and very little with the famous emperors and warriors whom we often read about. The mughal period always allows room for descriptions of pomp and splendour and while the author does make use of this, the focus remains all the time on the lives, and deaths, of the main characters.
Muzzafar Jang, a young aristocrat and a nonconformist, is pulled into the investigation of the murder of a nobleman, Murad Begh, just to help his friend, Faisal, a jeweler’s apprentice, who has been implicated in the crime wrongly. Jang is in the privileged position of having friends in all strata of the society, and he uses this to advantage in cutting through the complicated webs to find out the criminal. This is a hazardous journey that even endangers his life.
The story holds some very interesting characters such as the extraordinarily beautiful courtesan, Mehtab; the ageing romeo, Akram, and his girl, Gulnar who become Jang’s co-conspirators in unravelling the knot; the sphinx-like inscrutable Nusrat; The clever Kotwal, Khan Sahib; Yusuf Hasan, his strongman; and lastly, the Englishman of the Cameo, who shall not be named here, for fear of spoiling the story for readers…
The author has a gift of conjuring up strong images, as for example, in the passage, ‘the tehkhana… was where many families retreated during the long, hot days…’ holds a description of architecture that subtly describes the people’s ways of coping with the vagaries of the weather.
To cite another instance of such a conversation:
‘… Not a bad man but he didn’t take to my pets, so I ended up not liking Turki at all.”
“Your pets?”
“I was nine at the time,” Muzaffar replied…”I’d built up quite a little collection of creatures, and most of them lived in cane baskets, or – during the day – on my shoulder.”’
This is an exchange that reveals how different Jang was from the conformist courtiers and nobles. While having an army of pets would be pretty normal behaviour to many present-day readers, the surprise in the voice of Akram, to whom Jang makes the confession, underlines the norms of that day and time. This is just one of the many occasions that allow one to notice and comment how ably the author brings out the background of space and time without actually describing it in so many words.
The novel could have used some tempo, however, and the story flags in places. Pages keep turning at a languid pace and nothing seems to be happening. Partly one is kept engaged by the descriptions, but perhaps something could have been added to speed up the flow. This is especially jarring because it happens more than once that when Jang is about to reach a clue, the corresponding character, who holds the answer gets murdered. One of these features – the languid pace, or the tantalising disappearances – could have been done away with. In fact, towards the very end, the book suddenly picks up speed and races to close, this could have been built into the story right from the middle part. Also, some stereotypes could have been avoided, as for example, the passages describing the Englishman with his ‘typically’ English humour.
The book, with its references to places in and around Dilli, may well bring on a wave of nostalgia in Delhi-ites. Whether it is the burning corpses in the ghats by the Yamuna or the crowded markets or the dusty winters that the author describes, she really does make suitable emotions ring in the reader’s mind. Madhulika Liddle has made a great start and one hopes she will continue to write more adventures for Muzzaffar Jang to live on.
Madhulika Liddle’s first novel, The Englishman’s Cameo, was released in Chennai on 13 October 2009. This is her first long work of fiction, but it’s far from being her first published work. Madhulika discovered her propensity for storytelling at age six, when she would entertain her family by telling stories. Even so she had to go through the route of working in the hospitality sector, advertising, and instruction design, before she would commit herself full time to writing fiction. Yet, despite holding jobs elsewhere, she has written many stories that went on to win international acclaim.
Her story, A Morning Swim, won the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association’s Prize (2003); A collection of five of her stories won the Oxfordbookstore e-Author, Ver. 4.0 competition (2006).
About her writing, she says, ‘The first of my stories to get published was a thriller-horror story about a haunted office, back in 2001. Since then I have written short stories in a variety of genre – humour; social drama; crime; and romance. Nearly all of these have one thing in common – a surprise ending! I write on two other passions: travel and classic cinema – Travelogues for Lounge (of Mint) and the international travel website www.igougo.com; About Old Cinema in the blog www.dustedoff.wordpress.com.
DS. You mentioned that you were interested in writing a mystery novel with a historical slant and later decided to set it in Mughal India. Did this have to do with the publisher's interest in that period in history? (Hachette has been publishing other books in that line recently.)
ML: Actually, the decision to set the story in Mughal India came right on the heels of the decision to write a mystery novel – mainly because I'm so fascinated by Mughal history. Hachette didn't have anything to do with it, since the book was begun almost five years back, when Hachette India didn't even exist.
DS. Did they provide you with resources that helped in your research of history?
ML. No – none. All the resources I used are either from books I own (or have borrowed), or in some cases, online resources such as digital libraries, museum collections and university sites.
DS. Are you a birdwatcher? What prompted the very specific references to birds in your novel?
ML. Yes, I am a birdwatcher. Very amateur, but I like to think I know more about birds than the average Dilliwallah! Since Muzaffar, in some ways, is a little like me (he likes reading, has a short temper, and so on) I decided to give him another trait that I possess: the love for birds – therefore the very specific references to birds.
Madhulika is already working on a set of short stories, which she may publish with Hachette. She says, ‘Muzaffar Jang was actually born in an earlier story of mine Murk of Art, which was published in the anthology, “21 under 40,” brought out by Zubaan. She believes that Muzaffar Jang, the main character in The Englishman’s Cameo has emerged into quite a character and will probably continue his detective work in novels to come.
The focus is certainly on Mughal India, at Hachette, as hot on the heels of Raiders from the North, a fictionalised life of Babur, comes, The Englishman’s Cameo, by Madhulika Liddle. This is a murder mystery set in Shah Jahan’s Delhi. It is different from the former, in that it deals predominantly with the society of those times and very little with the famous emperors and warriors whom we often read about. The mughal period always allows room for descriptions of pomp and splendour and while the author does make use of this, the focus remains all the time on the lives, and deaths, of the main characters.
Muzzafar Jang, a young aristocrat and a nonconformist, is pulled into the investigation of the murder of a nobleman, Murad Begh, just to help his friend, Faisal, a jeweler’s apprentice, who has been implicated in the crime wrongly. Jang is in the privileged position of having friends in all strata of the society, and he uses this to advantage in cutting through the complicated webs to find out the criminal. This is a hazardous journey that even endangers his life.
The story holds some very interesting characters such as the extraordinarily beautiful courtesan, Mehtab; the ageing romeo, Akram, and his girl, Gulnar who become Jang’s co-conspirators in unravelling the knot; the sphinx-like inscrutable Nusrat; The clever Kotwal, Khan Sahib; Yusuf Hasan, his strongman; and lastly, the Englishman of the Cameo, who shall not be named here, for fear of spoiling the story for readers…
The author has a gift of conjuring up strong images, as for example, in the passage, ‘the tehkhana… was where many families retreated during the long, hot days…’ holds a description of architecture that subtly describes the people’s ways of coping with the vagaries of the weather.
To cite another instance of such a conversation:
‘… Not a bad man but he didn’t take to my pets, so I ended up not liking Turki at all.”
“Your pets?”
“I was nine at the time,” Muzaffar replied…”I’d built up quite a little collection of creatures, and most of them lived in cane baskets, or – during the day – on my shoulder.”’
This is an exchange that reveals how different Jang was from the conformist courtiers and nobles. While having an army of pets would be pretty normal behaviour to many present-day readers, the surprise in the voice of Akram, to whom Jang makes the confession, underlines the norms of that day and time. This is just one of the many occasions that allow one to notice and comment how ably the author brings out the background of space and time without actually describing it in so many words.
The novel could have used some tempo, however, and the story flags in places. Pages keep turning at a languid pace and nothing seems to be happening. Partly one is kept engaged by the descriptions, but perhaps something could have been added to speed up the flow. This is especially jarring because it happens more than once that when Jang is about to reach a clue, the corresponding character, who holds the answer gets murdered. One of these features – the languid pace, or the tantalising disappearances – could have been done away with. In fact, towards the very end, the book suddenly picks up speed and races to close, this could have been built into the story right from the middle part. Also, some stereotypes could have been avoided, as for example, the passages describing the Englishman with his ‘typically’ English humour.
The book, with its references to places in and around Dilli, may well bring on a wave of nostalgia in Delhi-ites. Whether it is the burning corpses in the ghats by the Yamuna or the crowded markets or the dusty winters that the author describes, she really does make suitable emotions ring in the reader’s mind. Madhulika Liddle has made a great start and one hopes she will continue to write more adventures for Muzzaffar Jang to live on.
Madhulika Liddle’s first novel, The Englishman’s Cameo, was released in Chennai on 13 October 2009. This is her first long work of fiction, but it’s far from being her first published work. Madhulika discovered her propensity for storytelling at age six, when she would entertain her family by telling stories. Even so she had to go through the route of working in the hospitality sector, advertising, and instruction design, before she would commit herself full time to writing fiction. Yet, despite holding jobs elsewhere, she has written many stories that went on to win international acclaim.
Her story, A Morning Swim, won the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association’s Prize (2003); A collection of five of her stories won the Oxfordbookstore e-Author, Ver. 4.0 competition (2006).
About her writing, she says, ‘The first of my stories to get published was a thriller-horror story about a haunted office, back in 2001. Since then I have written short stories in a variety of genre – humour; social drama; crime; and romance. Nearly all of these have one thing in common – a surprise ending! I write on two other passions: travel and classic cinema – Travelogues for Lounge (of Mint) and the international travel website www.igougo.com; About Old Cinema in the blog www.dustedoff.wordpress.com.
DS. You mentioned that you were interested in writing a mystery novel with a historical slant and later decided to set it in Mughal India. Did this have to do with the publisher's interest in that period in history? (Hachette has been publishing other books in that line recently.)
ML: Actually, the decision to set the story in Mughal India came right on the heels of the decision to write a mystery novel – mainly because I'm so fascinated by Mughal history. Hachette didn't have anything to do with it, since the book was begun almost five years back, when Hachette India didn't even exist.
DS. Did they provide you with resources that helped in your research of history?
ML. No – none. All the resources I used are either from books I own (or have borrowed), or in some cases, online resources such as digital libraries, museum collections and university sites.
DS. Are you a birdwatcher? What prompted the very specific references to birds in your novel?
ML. Yes, I am a birdwatcher. Very amateur, but I like to think I know more about birds than the average Dilliwallah! Since Muzaffar, in some ways, is a little like me (he likes reading, has a short temper, and so on) I decided to give him another trait that I possess: the love for birds – therefore the very specific references to birds.
Madhulika is already working on a set of short stories, which she may publish with Hachette. She says, ‘Muzaffar Jang was actually born in an earlier story of mine Murk of Art, which was published in the anthology, “21 under 40,” brought out by Zubaan. She believes that Muzaffar Jang, the main character in The Englishman’s Cameo has emerged into quite a character and will probably continue his detective work in novels to come.
30 May 2011
Shining Seventies - Musical Evening with SPB and Lakshman Shruti
The evening held a musical treat what with SPB, Shylaja, SPBCharan and Gopika singing melodies from the seventies -- when flowery phrases and trumpets and bongos ruled the roost!! Musical support was by the Lakshman Shruthi Orchestra.
A beautiful list of Melodies carefully chosen and pre-rehearsed... (SPB, who designed the show, worked at making the list for two whole days, eleven hours each day).. was designed to transport the audience and it did achieve that.
To list some of the songs presented... நான் பேச வந்தேன், அவள் ஒரு நவரச , பூந்தேனில் கலந்து, ஆயிரம் மலர்களே, ராமன் ஆண்டாலும், ஒரே நாள் உன்னை நான், கேட்டதெல்லாம் நான் தருவேன், உன்னை நான் பார்த்தது...all absolutely calculated to bring on the nostalgia.
Shylaja was in form, singing the songs of P Suseela with a flair. Her voice is exceedingly beautiful and holds a hint of sadness that brings involuntary tears to your eyes when you listen. Listening to her I canot help wondering at what a great gift it is to be able to sing.
Kamaraj Arangam resounded to the sound of trumpets and bongos as SPB Charan continued some of the songs sung by his father. His style and tunes where impeccable. He seemed to find some of the songs funny, well, he wasn't even born when the songs were written so what appeared flowery to that generation might well appear fulsome to this young producer.
Many quips and jocular shoulder grazing happened very typically of the SPB genre of humour. Altogether one was glad to have attended the event and left holding a promise from the organisers of a forthcoming Part -2 of the Shining Seventies
A beautiful list of Melodies carefully chosen and pre-rehearsed... (SPB, who designed the show, worked at making the list for two whole days, eleven hours each day).. was designed to transport the audience and it did achieve that.
To list some of the songs presented... நான் பேச வந்தேன், அவள் ஒரு நவரச , பூந்தேனில் கலந்து, ஆயிரம் மலர்களே, ராமன் ஆண்டாலும், ஒரே நாள் உன்னை நான், கேட்டதெல்லாம் நான் தருவேன், உன்னை நான் பார்த்தது...all absolutely calculated to bring on the nostalgia.
Shylaja was in form, singing the songs of P Suseela with a flair. Her voice is exceedingly beautiful and holds a hint of sadness that brings involuntary tears to your eyes when you listen. Listening to her I canot help wondering at what a great gift it is to be able to sing.
Kamaraj Arangam resounded to the sound of trumpets and bongos as SPB Charan continued some of the songs sung by his father. His style and tunes where impeccable. He seemed to find some of the songs funny, well, he wasn't even born when the songs were written so what appeared flowery to that generation might well appear fulsome to this young producer.
Many quips and jocular shoulder grazing happened very typically of the SPB genre of humour. Altogether one was glad to have attended the event and left holding a promise from the organisers of a forthcoming Part -2 of the Shining Seventies
28 May 2011
Rubbish Heap Versus Oxygen Tank
The last time I passed by Pallikaranai Marsh was about fifteen days ago. I went there again yesterday and was amazed to notice that the rubbish heap that borders the marsh had grown to engulf more of the Marsh land again. The birds were conspicuous in the absence - whether this was due to my going there in the afternoon or whether they had given up the territory - remains to be seen.
27 May 2011
Vijay Music Awards
What with the news bringing in stories of Superstars in distress, arrested Paedophiles and foiled attempts to establish uniform standards of education,Vijay TV goes on unabashed with their entertainment drive with a meaning - this times by instituting awards for the best musicians in the film industry.
As is everything to do with films - this was a sure fire hit product, even more special because of the generous dose of "evergreens" gracing the occasion - Kamal Haasan, KJ Yesudas, Khusboo, all dressed in white to give us that dream time in all it's glory.
Words of wisdom were spoken by the stalwarts. "Hard Work, application,humility, the oceanness of music".... We were glued to the box as the pearls were shed in all modesty by the greats!
To revisit the newsmakers, even as everyone is praying for the well being of Rajinikanth, the controversy of equal education for all is making the headlines. When will our folk understand that more is not necessarily better, especially as long as the syllabus goes. we wait and watch as the experts and other academicians debate this...
As is everything to do with films - this was a sure fire hit product, even more special because of the generous dose of "evergreens" gracing the occasion - Kamal Haasan, KJ Yesudas, Khusboo, all dressed in white to give us that dream time in all it's glory.
Words of wisdom were spoken by the stalwarts. "Hard Work, application,humility, the oceanness of music".... We were glued to the box as the pearls were shed in all modesty by the greats!
To revisit the newsmakers, even as everyone is praying for the well being of Rajinikanth, the controversy of equal education for all is making the headlines. When will our folk understand that more is not necessarily better, especially as long as the syllabus goes. we wait and watch as the experts and other academicians debate this...
26 May 2011
A word of praise
A word of praise goes a long way. especially one that is genuine, or what you can believe is genuine. Though you always work harder when you get a kick, the occasional word of praise is really called for....
25 May 2011
Totally Blank
I have never encountered a complete blankout before -- and I can write pages about it!!!
Making way for the pigeons
I have been focusing so much on the painful things in life that the ridiculous totally escaped me . The last two months have had life nudging at us and making us laugh out loud when we saw what is happening to us. We are slowly being edged out of our own home space, not by the big baddies of the world but - would you even believe it? - a bunch of pigeons and squirrels and the occasional crow.
It is ridiculous when you think of it - We are the ones usually toted the villains of the piece, the insensitive humans driving out the birds and flowers out of existence. But in this case, starting from the way the birds built up their encroachment, it's nothing short of a strategic well-planned advent.
They first built a nest on the small hole surrounding the exhaust fan in the kitchen. On the outside of course. And we were all like " oh how sweet"... and then it was the balcony adjoining it and now the front balcony. Step by step sure as it can be, It's a damn takeover bid If you ask me. Now they flock in groups of two and three into our balcony and we keep shooing them away. They then invite crows and other friendly neighbourhood visitors, the adventurous squirrel once started to make tentative visits , now it's there all the time, shrieking its head off!!!
Well the jasmine plants in our narrow balcony don't seem to mind. But I sure do, and you would too, if your only balcony is sprayed all over with generous doles of white pigeon shit - you would not have time to exclaim that a few birds can produce so much in a day before the next load arrives!!!
It is ridiculous when you think of it - We are the ones usually toted the villains of the piece, the insensitive humans driving out the birds and flowers out of existence. But in this case, starting from the way the birds built up their encroachment, it's nothing short of a strategic well-planned advent.
They first built a nest on the small hole surrounding the exhaust fan in the kitchen. On the outside of course. And we were all like " oh how sweet"... and then it was the balcony adjoining it and now the front balcony. Step by step sure as it can be, It's a damn takeover bid If you ask me. Now they flock in groups of two and three into our balcony and we keep shooing them away. They then invite crows and other friendly neighbourhood visitors, the adventurous squirrel once started to make tentative visits , now it's there all the time, shrieking its head off!!!
Well the jasmine plants in our narrow balcony don't seem to mind. But I sure do, and you would too, if your only balcony is sprayed all over with generous doles of white pigeon shit - you would not have time to exclaim that a few birds can produce so much in a day before the next load arrives!!!
21 May 2011
Sudden Shower
Last night we were all taken aback by a sudden thundershower. It seemed that all the nervous tensions of the week had suddenly become too much for the heavens to bear up and that they suddenly let go. The political scenario appearing confusing,with celebrations on one side and mire on the other it has been difficult to predict where things are heading. It's testing times for TN politics - will it resurface and be as fit as it used to be.
Rajanikanth's illness and rumours that he is doing badly did the rounds. His family are all set to come around and reassure people that he is doing fine and will get well soon. The rumours however continue and we hope that he will indeed get better soon and come back to being the superstar that he is.
Rajanikanth's illness and rumours that he is doing badly did the rounds. His family are all set to come around and reassure people that he is doing fine and will get well soon. The rumours however continue and we hope that he will indeed get better soon and come back to being the superstar that he is.
14 May 2011
Columnists
A certain amount of inspiration is needed in everyone's life at every instant. This is a time when we can do with some ourselves. To that end I was searching for something I can do to give me a boost and I picked on this book of American woman columnists. A very interesting breed of persistent women, many of whom made it into the industry during the world war II when dearth of males made it compulsory for the management to engage women in what was otherwise a very male dominated industry - the press.
It is suprising how much attitude is needed to survive, as much as you need persistent hard work, wit and a voice. A columnist has to contend with many attacks, such as being predictable, being conservative, being a woman and so on and yet has to persist week after week churning out material that is consistent and engaging.
It is suprising how much attitude is needed to survive, as much as you need persistent hard work, wit and a voice. A columnist has to contend with many attacks, such as being predictable, being conservative, being a woman and so on and yet has to persist week after week churning out material that is consistent and engaging.
11 May 2011
A friendly call
After many days I got a phone call from a friend. We know each other since childhood but went about our own lives and very recently got back in touch with each other. It is such a pleasure to see someone you knew as a school kid looking so mature and shouldering huge responsibilities. The devil cannot help but sit on my shoulder and prod me to feel once again a little twinge on comparing my own in-a-shambles existence. But I cannot also help but reflect on how big time achievers especially women have to crumble inside to get what they want out of life.. what labels and abuse are stuck on them as they trudge along unabated.
This post is in appreciation of the marathons that women run to achieve and realise their dreams.
This post is in appreciation of the marathons that women run to achieve and realise their dreams.
06 May 2011
Ponniyin Selvan
It has become a fixation with me to complete reading Ponniyin Selvan. Reading five volumes of what appeared as a serial in a magazine in the 1950s (first time ) is not a joke I am beginning to realise. But the grip of history on our minds is amazing and I am totally fascinated by this tale of the cholas...
The story flows but in fits and starts and there are long pauses and descriptive passages to keep the reader engaged which you wish would pass so that you can get to the story.. in any case, it is an amazing read and right now, in the third chapter, I am so so so happy to read about Poonguzhali: The brave girl, in love with Ponniyin selvan, enthrusted with the job of safely smuggling PS to a Buddha Vihar, flouting the attempts of the rivals to arrest him or harm him.
The normally staid Kalki must have gone overboard with this Anubhavam I guess, he waxes eloquent about the night and the earth's love affair and teh scent emanating from the Thaazampoo shrubs lining the canal, the starlight and the treachery of the Earth, stole from its lover by the break of day!!!!!! The sad thing is Ponniyin Selvan sleeps through all this and our heroine only gets to gaze at him with all her heart....
Hmm. 2 1/2 down, 2 1/2 to go, but I'm determined to finish this and put it on my list.
The story flows but in fits and starts and there are long pauses and descriptive passages to keep the reader engaged which you wish would pass so that you can get to the story.. in any case, it is an amazing read and right now, in the third chapter, I am so so so happy to read about Poonguzhali: The brave girl, in love with Ponniyin selvan, enthrusted with the job of safely smuggling PS to a Buddha Vihar, flouting the attempts of the rivals to arrest him or harm him.
The normally staid Kalki must have gone overboard with this Anubhavam I guess, he waxes eloquent about the night and the earth's love affair and teh scent emanating from the Thaazampoo shrubs lining the canal, the starlight and the treachery of the Earth, stole from its lover by the break of day!!!!!! The sad thing is Ponniyin Selvan sleeps through all this and our heroine only gets to gaze at him with all her heart....
Hmm. 2 1/2 down, 2 1/2 to go, but I'm determined to finish this and put it on my list.
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