22 October, 2006

Incredible India, well.......

Diverse cultures that infuse inclusivity
Communities that claim exclusivity
A nation is not built by mere numbers
People need to wake up from deep slumber

Was looking forward to a pleasant experience
A day that would increase national pride
Behaviour marking unprecedented indifference
All my expectations were taken for a royal ride

An event organised to showcase the identity
That we are one for all, and all for one
To a nation that is sportive and supportive
The incorrigible outlook, managed to impress none

A premise that education is an answer
To combat poverty and communalism
Was proven wrong with consummate ease
Ironically, on Diwali, it was darkness that prevailed

19 October, 2006

Finally it has Donned on me!

The movie buff in me wakes up every Thursday, and works feverishly to decide on the movie that would going to set the pace for that weekend.
And today, I just realized that I am actually looking forward to a Shah Rukh film, the Bollywood equivalent of Kollywood’s Vijayakanth. Theiir approach is going to be the same, irrespective of the character, still they rule the masses, either with sheer screen presence, metaphorically and literally respectively, or unintended comic sense.

The only difference this time, is that the movie I am looking forward to, incidentally has Shah Rukh, and to me he is not the one who will steal the show. I expect Boman Irani to steal the show, and Priyanka Chopra to steal my heart yet again J. If Shah Rukh sings ~Mein Hoon Kaun~, he might just get the best prize for winning the Fancy Dress competition for aping Big B.
And Farhan Akhtar’s technical finesse is something I am really excited about…

So, To see or not too see is not the question. when to see is the only question!

12 October, 2006

Reality Bytes

There is something about these reality shows that keeps me rooted to my seat, and watch it till the very end of the episode, even feeling uncomfortable to switch channels during ad breaks. Am I addicted to these shows? No. However, when I switch on the TV if there is a reality show on air, I find it tough to give it a miss….

So much so that, when I have lunch at home, and I find that the sambhar that I cooked is less spicy, my laziness prevents me to get up and get some salt or pickles, and I all I need to do is just switch on the TV and Dr Phil guarantees adequate masala to keep me quiet and supplements my bland food effectively. Not a single case where he has given a firm direction, and whats more, end of the episode, he asks his clients, who are fresh from serial domestic fights, whether they want professional advice to bring them to peace, one wonders, what he was doing consuming valuable air time.. nevertheless it is engrossing and entertaining. Lakshmi in Tamil sob show “Kadhai alla Nijam” has a long way to go if she has to reach the dizzying iconic status that Dr Phil has achieved in preaching nothing.

Dinner time, and the judges of Australian Idol, Mark Holden, Marcia Hines and Kyle Sandilands, ensure that the viewers are taken on a roller coaster ride of emotions, not seen even in a Sooraj Barjatiya movie. I am not a great fan of Firang music, so I really can’t appreciate when a singer actually sings well. But unmindful of the limitations, I enjoy this show for the melodrama despite the predictability in the character sketches of the judges.

I actually grew nervous when Aus Idol got over (I think its over J ), when I chanced on an episode of Survivor. My God.. Innovative bitching on co survivors behind one’s back is the USP of this show…extended my dinner intake because of this show!

If I go any further in this direction, I might prefer Big Brother to a Captain Flick.. May the Force be with me, and stop me from treading this unacceptable path…

08 October, 2006

All the world is a stage

Chennai – Melbourne –Accra. Nandan Nilekani’s vision of winning in a flat world was slightly modified to ‘Playing in a Flat world’. This was possibly just the fourth time in my life that I was performing on stage. The interesting aspect being, no two times with the same exploits.
This time around, I was part of a students’ ensemble playing the Djembe, which is a West African drum, an instrument I have been learning for three months now. We were performing at the Esplanade which is one of the oldest Hotels/ Pubs in St Kilda which is the Summer Capital of Melbourne for its beach and added fun and frolic ;).

Our part lasted for just about ten minutes, but it was truly memorable. Since this was the first gig that I was performing in, the intial moments were jittery, but once into the groove, it was masti! I had a bout of nerves, before the event, but after I saw my fellow performers already down with a couple of beers waiting for our turn, I just told myself that it would not be as tough I thought it would be.
Once on stage, I had the shock of the evening, when I found that only one of classmates was on stage, and the rest from a different batch! Fearing that I was possible ascended on to the stage earlier than required, I checked with my teacher, if I was in the right place, and only later did I realize that rest of my class mates were sitting on the chairs they had brought for the event, and hence were occupying the first quarter of the audience space themselves.

The group was truly multi ethnic and the output just vindicated my belief that Music can be a Great Unifier.

The performance/stage is not even remotely comparable to the December season concert in Music Academy, but never the less, it was an enriching experience. There is nothing that quenches a performer’s thirst more than the genuine applause one gets from the audience, not even two bottles of Castle Lager!

A big thanks to my friends Pramod, Sriram and Dhaval for turning up early for the event, and standing up (literally), for me!

If you are interested in catching glimpses of Shivamani II in the making, feel free to mail me, and I will send across the photos/video clips, proudly presented to you by ace photographer Pramod!