A century of fascination that is Cinema: Blog # 50

A century of fascination that is Cinema

       It was one of those lazy Sundays when I along with a few friends went for a movie. It was quite an emotional one and I saw one of our friends trying hard to fight the tears. That is the kind of connect this art form has with its audience. People internalize what is depicted on the silver screen. There is a bit of transmigration happening over those two hours in the cinema hall.

            I find Cinema, enamoring to say the least. It is one of the most beautiful depictions of creativity. Add to that there is this aura of charm and celebrity hood.

            There are few media which has as much reach. The beauty of it lies in the fact that it is effortless to enjoy yet not passive.

          Another noteworthy facet is the interpretation and thus the persona which the people involved lends to the story. No two actors can depict the same role in similar way. Same goes for the directors who are the custodians of a cinema’s soul.

       I would say no other art form captures the socio - cultural scenario of a time period with as much authenticity. To get a feel of how life was in the bygone era, all you need to do is to watch the films of those times.

     Cinema connects people of all demography – it cuts across age, wealth, religion, education – these days, languages too.

           Our kind of cinema is incomplete without our melodious songs and dance sequences. Hardly a day in our lives passes by without humming a song or at least listening to it. How bland our life would be without them!

          Over the 100 years, Indian cinema has evolved from a time when the ‘masses’ lived through their fancies for those 2 hours in the movie halls and the ‘classes’ emulated the on screen life styles to today’s raw – close to life and bold, experimental, unconventional stories.

There is more to cinema than entertainment. The ‘soft power’ that cinema lends to a country is unparalleled – our own country stands testimony to this fact. It is said Russians used to hum Raj kapoor’s tunes. And today, Indian cinema has transcended boundaries – commercially and other wise. There are very few film festivals where Indian cinema has not left a mark.

I do not remember the first film I ever saw. But what I know for sure is that it has left a lasting impression because my love for many things has changed in the growing up years, but for cinema.

                                                                                                           

Arun Babu

Keywords: Indian Cinema,Bollywood,Hindi Films, Indian films, Indian movies, Indian film industry, Indian actors, Indian actresses,100 years of Indian Cinema

            

Being a Recruiter: Blog # 49

Being a Recruiter

I would be lying if I say I had never given a thought as to how that moment will feel like. It did transgress my mind space quite often. But what I didn't know was that it would feel so great to stand in front of a 1000 strong audience in my Alma mater’s auditorium; being a recruiter.

The Sunday evening’s calm welcomed me and my friend Raghu at Planet E(that's what we fondly call the invitingly lush village of Ettimadai). As we drove in to the all too familiar road carpeted with the yellow flowers and bordering the university building, we knew we were home. We met some of the super seniors, thanks to the ongoing Alumni boot camp. It was heartening to know that there were some souls in each of the batches that preceded ours who longed to rush back to the foothills of planet E as much as we do, if not more.

We knew the juniors would have something up their sleeves. This time, it was a cultural event which had ‘Best of Utsav’ performances and boy, there was some serious talent on stage. Determined to meet up our professors, Kulkarni sir and DG sir,(whom we missed out during the convocation) Raghu and I marched past the store and the ashram to reach the faculty quarters. As is always, had a soulful chat with both the marketing gurus.

The next day morning, I came down to the guesthouse reception to be welcomed by a peacock in all its glory right at the door step. I realized planet E is a different world altogether, yet again.

         To quell a hint of apprehension that crept in early in the morning,I went to the faculty quarters to meet DG sir (as always). All it took was a hug to get my reassurance back in place that the Murphy's law won't wreak havoc.

Being in that auditorium where I sat through my convocation a week ago, now representing an organization, seemed surreal. There were quite a few familiar faces. I have each moment I spend there, tucked away in some corner of the happy place in my mind.

Each second seemed momentous. Be it interacting with the CIR personnel with whom I was discussing my job prospects hardly a year ago or going around in the golf cart on which I hopped on for a fleeting moment asking Vivek to take a quick pic, everything felt so wonderfully weird. Add to that, administering the test process for people with whom I have shared a PG hostel and had many a tea with.

Having got a break from the process, I walked through the stone laid pathway behind CIR block which lead to ASB, my B-School. Kulkarni sir walked in when I and our junior Geethu were having a tete-a-tete with Priya mam. As expected, sir made some veiled (and not so veiled) digs at HR, all in jest J.

The office staff were as welcoming as ever from where, I went for a quick tea at the canteen, just for the fun of it. After a small chat with some of the ASBians there, and post the process, we retired to the guest house.

Having had dinner, the whole team came out for a walk. With a hint of pride in my stride, I took all of them past the university building to the football ground and back to the guest house via the ashram. It was then that my Lead, Dinesh wondered how beautiful these mountains would look in the morning.

Before hitting the bed, I spend some time in the balcony which over looked the long road that came in to guest house. Sitting there listening to the creatures of planet E and the cool ettimadai breeze brushing past, I secretly wished if Dinesh would forget about the morning walk ;) .

I woke up to the morning train’s siren. We walked till the IT block recounting various incidents which made our campus life worthwhile, all the time admiring the elephant mountain basking in the twilight sun. The clouds moved at their own will revealing and hiding the twin mountains that marked the campus boundary.

The second day was even more unbelievable. Signing offer letters from the very same room where I awaited many a companies’ results and sitting through an interview in the room where I was interviewed!

Having finished the process by around 6, I came out for a walk and then for a Dosai and tea from the ASE canteenJ. I sat down at the ASB entrance making a couple of phone calls and sending out some smses when a girl and a boy walked up to me. Very sweetly, they said they just wanted to thank me for coming there and recruiting them. That moment, I knew I am doing a job that is real close to my heart.

Walking around aimlessly, I learned every corner, every road, every building in that campus reminded me of two years in my life which will rank right at the top, if I were to look back at the best years of my life.

The next morning too, we went for a walk. This time, I decided to take Dinesh to the Ettimadai village and walk back through the railway station. As we approached the gate, the security bhaiyyas let out a “hmmm??” with a hint of irreverence which gave way to a smile when I pointed at the welcome board kept at the entrance. There were quite a few light hearted moments like these which made the stay all the more pleasant.

When we stopped at the railway gate waiting for the train to pass by, I looked back at the elephant mountain promising myself I wouldn’t be gone for longJ.

                       

                                                                                                                        Arun Babu

This too shall pass : Blog # 48

This too shall pass

            I was in third standard when my dad got me and my sister, a pup. I don’t think I have ever loved a pet more. Three years later when it died, I learned what grief meant. 

                      

All of us would have gone through that one phase in life when we were drowning in such sadness that we wonder if Life would ever look better. But then, that phase also passes by.

Ever wondered why people who have gone through some heart wrenching incidents in Life are always emotionally stronger? It may be due to the greatest learning that tragedies impart - the fact that nothing stays. There is a silver lining around the corner. All that we need to do is hang in there. But that thought never crosses our minds, does it? – Not at least when we are in that frame of mind.

            Same goes for happiness – but let’s not be a cynical misanthrope ;). When we are happy, let’s live in the moment and forget the swift transience of life.

            The essence lies in not giving up. This might explain why people turn to a perceived higher power - someone or some entity, when life takes a stroll down the grief Ville. That source helps them to be resilient, to realize that this too shall pass.

                                                                                                                       Arun Babu.

Identity: Blog # 47

Identity

           

  It is one of those things in life which is evident yet so elusive.

             It can be as simple a thing as the way you greet a person from which a person derives your identity.

One’s attire or food habits can lend an identity. Many a time, one’s job becomes one’s identity. So does a person’s education.

The way a person speaks – the language, the lingo also form the shade of an identity of a person.

The faith that a person chooses to practice is also an identity. But Personally, I believe faith is something that should be private. It shouldn't be flaunted just like money shouldn’t be.

These days, one’s ‘posts’, ‘comments’ and ‘tweets’ also throw some light in to the kind of persona he/she has (or wish to project ;) ).

But all these are peripheral. Real identity should come from a person’s life – one’s thoughts, deeds, and conduct. Blessed are those who can derive an identity out of their passion.

What is interesting is; for people who strive to carve an identity of their own, it always needs to be chased and for those who do not care as much, it is bestowed up on!

 Arun Babu

A matter of Hope & Faith: Blog # 46

A matter of Hope & Faith

                       Hope! , One of the finest gifts to mankind. Imagine a life with nothing to look forward to. In times when life looks grey, we all think of a better tomorrow and that drives us. The absence of hope will make our life bland and exasperating. A feel good movie is banking on this concept, so is a political campaign.

              What has all the gargantuan scams done to us apart from the economic loss to the exchequer? Name any well known industrialist, bureaucrat, politician; he/she is tainted. The highest damage is the gaping hole it has left in our faith.

              Hope has its root in faith. If your life has not given you enough instances to believe in the concept of faith, chances are you might never really understand what hope is all about. This might explain why some of us are pessimistic about life and the rest prefer to look at the brighter side.

            For ages, the human race has feasted on hope. That’s how we keep the journey going. Absence of hope means a closure, a dead end. It leads to anxiety. Ever thought what a death sentence does to a convict? It does instil grief and takes that person down the abyss of fear.  But most of all, it kills hope. The scariest part will be the absence of the existence of future beyond a point in time.

            Hope is always extrinsic where as faith can be both. One has faith in oneself and faith in the society at large. Loss of faith in the society leads to the unrest that we see today around the world although loss of faith in oneself can be as much destructive, if not more.

 It is interesting to note that there is an element of uncertainty attached to hope. By nature, most of us prefer clarity, certainty. But hope looks at the positive side of ambiguity. This positivity translates in to energy which keeps us going and that helps us to endure. 

 In this day and age when uncertainty is the order of the day - be it in economy , governance  or life in general ; Let’s hope our faith endures the test of time.

                                                                                                            
Arun Babu

Friendship: Blog # 45

Friendship

                      Friends are those people whom we first learn to trust, outside our family. They are those beings who teach us to love, fight and of course to have fun. 

                     There is no secret so private that you can't tell your friend. No celebration so insignificant that you won't call your friend.

  

       No grief so hurtful that you won’t share with your friend. No mistake so shameful that you won't ask for your friend's forgiveness.

          

        They are those who you know for sure, Will be there- to give a hand, to lend an ear, to share a tear and to spread a smile.

         

             Almost all of our happier memories will be strewn around friends. Doesn’t that say something?

        

              You know why it is so special? - Because it is the most liberated of all relationships. No other relationship gives as much space. There is no other human bond which is so evolved yet so under stated.

       There is no friend who is not special - be it the first, best or the rest. A toast to all my friends – People, Life wouldn’t have been half as much fun if it were not for you guys. Here is to friendship! Love you all, Happy Friendship day :)

                                                                                      Arun Babu

Rail Diaries #5: Serendipity: Blog # 44

Rail Diaries #5: Serendipity

29th July 2012 – Onboard Aleppey Express J

                 

                          Remember this character from the olden days TV soap, ‘Chandrakantha’? And how does Kroor Singh feature in a rail diary? Read on to find out J.

                      Every Friday evening, the Chennai sky holds a false promise – of a torrential rain. Due to this, I have to get in to a worrisome rush to the Tambaram station and then further to Chennai Central. This week too was no different. This journey was full of chance meetings and that’s why the name, Serendipity.   

  

                        I took an auto to the suburban station from the place where I stay. Being fully aware that the driver will ask for 60 bucks, I tried my luck giving him a 50 rupees note. He said “What sir, last time also you gave me 50 and I asked for 60!” Then I realized it’s the same auto which I took last time and it’s the same person.

                        I made it in to the train parked on platform no.2, just in time. Searching for a window seat, I saw a familiar face. He is Devassy Uncle, the person whom I asked about the stations, route et al the previous week. He looks exactly like Kroor Singh J , complete with the thickest of eyebrows and a military style moustache and yes, not to forget the mean look. We had a chit chat and much to my friends’ glee, he asked me as to why do I go home every weekend! J . He got down at Nungambakkam and I got down at Park station.

                        After the usual Sharavana bhavan dinner, I was walking towards my compartment and there he was, my RAC friend. He is Girish, a PhD in Micro biology and working for Central government's Epidemic control and study department .Chances are I won’t see another person with the same profession in my lifetime – it is that niche!. We had a nice chat the last time. He said his family is also there this week. Having kept my baggage in s4, I went to s7 to meet Girish’s family. 

                   Coming back to S4, I met my cousin’s friend in S5!. This sort of serendipity was beginning to get a bit weird – it almost seemed like I was living in the past week. Not wanting to risk any more chance meetings, I hit the bed (berth) fast. J  .

Arun Babu.  

A Memoir that is Life...: Blog # 43

A Memoir that is Life...             

                   Do you remember the first time you balanced a cycle or drove a car without steering it away from the road? Have you forgotten the first time you stayed away from home or when you went on a second show with friends?

                    Life is a potpourri of memories, don’t you think? Its very essence is a string of memories – good, bad and ugly. The good ones keep us going, the bad ones humbles us and the ugly ones, just makes us wish if they were just not there.

    It is these memories which sail us through the voyage of life. Haven’t you seen people going through a low phase in life reminiscing about their hay days? It gives them the hope that things will change for good.

    Our likes and dislikes too are governed by our memories. Everyone love the city where they graduated as the memories associated with that city will be all sweet and good.

               You might like a film, not because the script is good but may be you might have watched it with a loved one. The memory of those happy times makes you like the movie.

      So it’s not exactly the entity which we dislike. Quite often, it’s the memories which define that object or person which make us love or loathe it. Even when someone close to us passes away, we do not grieve for that person per se, the memories which that person gifted make us miss them.

     The conscience acts as the custodian of memories – reminding us time and again of the pros and cons – making us think of the deeds and outcomes.

                 Our very existence is rooted in memories. They have made our yesterdays and they will mould our tomorrows. So let your life weave a fabric of memories which can be fondly reminisced about – for you and for those you hold close.

Arun Babu.

    

Rail Diaries #4 : Grinning from ear to ear: Blog # 42

Rail Diaries #4 : Grinning from ear to ear

22^nd July 2012, 7:00 PM, Onboard our own Aleppey Express J : Travelling in RAC ticket!

A coffee vendor came by. An elderly person sitting beside me waved at him. When he gave a 10 rupee note, the vendor told he doesn’t have change and left. I gave a judgemental smile (shaking my head in disapproval and all) to the elderly person. In a while, the vendor came by, gave back the 5 rupees change and he looked at me and smiled. He might have seen my disapproving smile et al. I flinched! May be my friend Sudarshan is right – I judge a tad bit too fast J.

I haven’t stopped smiling since I boarded – For no reason at all. I am not just happy, Ecstatic is more like it J. I am too distracted with happiness that I kept back the ‘Aleph’ I was beginning to read.   

  

Was it the afternoon meeting with Raghu and Vivek Or is it the last minute hug from Amma before leaving home? May be it was the small chat I had with dad about his Gulf days before I boarded. My sister’s sweet gesture of buying a biriyani and surprising her friend, Anju at the station also made me happy.  

         But come to think of it, there is a more valid reason – One of pride and humility.

There is this scene in the Malayalam film, ‘Ustad hotel’. The grandfather is hospitalised and the grandson (who is the protagonist) who loves him dearly says “I just hope he doesn’t ask me to stay back.”.The grandson was about to go on a much longed for job assignment abroad. I found myself in his shoes recently – well almost.

            My Grandfather has a younger brother who is unmarried. He is now 92 and he stays in an old age home. He refuses to come and stay with any of his relatives. I am close to him owing to my dad being his favourite. Earlier, there were times when dad used to suggest bringing him home. I was not in favour of this idea – don’t judge me –I am fairly good person ;) . There are certain handicaps for us as a family which makes it difficult for us to think of such a solution.

            But this time around, when dad brought up this suggestion again, I found myself absolutely quite. I couldn’t object. Have I become more mature or did I put myself in his shoes? Inspite of all our handicaps, I wanted to give it a try.

Being the quick fixer that he is, dad went ahead and called up all his cousins and found a solution which was in utmost consideration of his uncle’s preference and convenience. He also suggested all his cousins visit their uncle without fail and I know he will be the one who will be there first.  

When life throws such challenges at us, we need to think and act from within. My father did exactly that and I feel extremely proud of him and love him for what he did. 

           I realized watching ‘Satyameva Jayate’ , teary eyed and with a lump in my throat doesn’t solve the problems. Neither does the post show - intellectually and emotionally stimulated conversations pitying the current state of affairs of our society help.

            I pray and hope all of us feel and act with all heart and soul whenever we are faced with a situation like this.

Arun Babu. 

Rail Diaries#3 - WL...RAC...And CNF !!!: Blog # 41

Rail Diaries#3 - WL...RAC... & CNF!!!

                  Anyone who has travelled by train would have gone through this painstaking process of their ticket going through the stages of Waiting list, Reservation against cancellation and Confirmation. I did too, last Sunday.

               IRCTC shamelessly ditched, as always. With great difficulty, I got a tatkal ticket (thanx to Vivek’s chalakudy clout ;) ). And here I was, on board Aleppey express on 15^th July 2012 yet again.

          

     In our compartment, there was this person who got transferred from Delhi to Chennai. He said he is working in AAI and is going to work for a while in Chennai Airport. He said “Here, no one understands what I say. Neither can I make out what they are saying. There should be only one language in the country”.

          Being the language zealot that I am, I would never agree to that. The beauty of languages is in their diversity and little similarities. For instance, Bengali is one of the sweetest languages. It is similar to Malayalam in the sense that it doesn’t consider gender as much as in Hindi. Hence for mallus and bongs, “Gaadi aaya and Gaadi aayi” are one and the same J .

             I like the melodious ring of tamil as much as I like the buoyant spirit of Gujarati. And who doesn’t love the most vivacious of all languages, Urdu? Hindi gives a head start and acts as a talking point in itself with almost anyone from any part of our country.

           I think languages in themselves are a paradox. In spite of all their differences, these languages hold this great nation of ours together. People teach and learn each others’ languages and a camaraderie evolves from that.

The similarity in languages acts as a binding thread and the differences facilitates a melting pot of varied cultures.

          But having said that, I read somewhere that there are two nations of the world which are divided by a single language – US and UK by English!. Strange!

                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                            Arun Babu.

A Thousand Wind chimes: Blog # 40

     A Thousand Wind chimes              

                  Anyone who has ever listened to a Wind chime cannot NOT love it. Moreover, if they are made of wood or clay, you can get lost in their symphony for an eternity .Such is the power of Music. So imagine the ecstatic feel of it when tens of thousands of people produce the same music.  That is exactly what is going to happen when the London city ushers in Olympics 2012.

              It is said whenever a grand event of the scale of Olympics takes place, a large population of the country feels left out - It is called London Olympics and Not Olympics of Britain.

There is nothing which has the power of inclusion like music. It resonates amongst one and all and creates a common thread.

Considering the above two sponsoring thoughts, this might be the reason for the authorities to think on the lines of such a musical theme. That is nothing short of brilliance.

          And the artist behind this idea is Scottish Turner prize winner, Martin Creed. Across Britain, bells of all sorts – of churches, cycles, ships and even mobiles will ring for three minutes creating a cacophonous amazing (in their own words) sound.

        I wish if I were there to lend my ears to that magnificent musical moment which will definitely find its place in history. May be for next Olympics J.

                                                                                                                               Arun Babu.

Rail Diaries#2 - A journey to remember.... : Blog # 39

Rail Diaries#2 - A journey to remember....

*A birthday blog for my Professor

               Now that DG Sir has immortalised this breath taking scenery through his lens, I miss Planet E even more. A couple of months back, to witness this lush green landscape with the elephant mountains chalking out the horizon, all we had to do was  look out of the wagons.

               This B-E-A-utiful pic reminds me of the numerous train journeys to and from Planet Etti! Of those, one was with DG sir J. As always, it was fun having a tete-a-tete with him. Let me try and recollect what it was all about. 

          We were sitting on the platform waiting for the train to chug in. Sir walked towards us with a Cola (Believe it or not) in his hand – may be Planet E was too sunny that day. We had a deal that we won’t tell Mam about this J. But now, Mam being in a different continent altogether, let me take that risk J.

          We stood by the train’s door. Sir talked about his student days. How he got in to Ponds and how preoccupied he was during those two years at IIM, yet so gleeful. Then we talked about Saanidhya, their summer getaway and how they love to come back by bus and only bus J.He reminisced about his Berkeley days and Mam’s globetrotting days.

How he loves to see a city waking up. What great fun it is to take an early morning walk through the by lanes of Palakkad. His liking for Kanji, the Kerala dish and the mangoes of Delhi.

           My point here is, through light hearted conversations like these and through the class room sessions, the learning that you have instilled in us is immense. From the comment that you made “Even I want to wish dg sir a happy birthday”, I sense an element of surprise and of being overwhelmed - Surprised, may be because how exceedingly wonderful the years at ASB turned out to be and Overwhelmed, of course by our affectionJ.

          I know I speak for many many of your students when I say you have earned every bit of that affection. So here’s wishing many many more Decades of Goodness J. Happy Birthday!

                                                                                                                                            Arun Babu