Category: Pictures Desi

Posted in Pictures Desi

Review : Lubber Pandhu (Rubber ball)

Posted on by veeskitchen

This is a must watch for cricket aficionados. Picture made with the backdrop of rural Tamil Nadu where the game of cricket is like religion, there is not a moment of lull or what we call ‘thoivu’ in Tamil, in the entire film. Not sure when this flick was released. Another thing is, the story dwells upon the life and times of SC or scheduled caste people whose plight has remained very backward for centuries. As notified communities, they receive government quotas in universities and jobs which has come under flak from forward communities of India. In reality, in spite of the sops that came their way, the community drew courage to come out in the open only after the 1970s or so. Kudos to the film director who obviously must come from a rural setting himself. This picture to me came across as a classic – as classical as the Carnatic music and the dance form Bharatnatyam. Only the form of creativity is different. But the spirit in the picture is so invigorating. Nobody plays the victim card unlike in ‘Pariyerum Perumal’ (which is of different genre under same category), and the entire picture is on a positive note which is a welcome change in attitude for this community that is emerging from darkness that cloaked them for generations. After Dhanush’s Asuran, I swore never to watch a picture of theirs. Neither can I stand those directors like Pa Ranjith who made ‘Kala’ with Rajnikanth. You cannot justify by any act of violence, whatever injustice was historically done to you.

The forward communities of India are like the over-cultivated farmlands that have lost their soil nutrients. The notified communities of India are the freshest brains that when tilled can yield mindblowing yields. Super bumper harvests. Its like farming on a fresh parcel of alluvial soil that has never been sowed upon before. This is how I see the reserved categories of this country. They hold so much of promise for a bright future with their untapped potential. Backward communities are the future of the world as the forward progressive ones go stale with time. This is the law of nature and that is how civilizations rose and fell for eons.

The hero Harish Kalyan comes as a breather. This is my second picture of him, the first being ‘Parking.’ I get to watch such offbeat films only with my son who being the next gen knows what to pick. Otherwise, I am kind of blank on the current filmy scene in India except for the blockbusters. In fact I came to know that a hero called Harish Kalyan exists only 3 days back! He is a refreshing face. Not sure if he has some filmy background or support system. If he is a newbee who is completely on his own like Siva Karthikeyan, then my heartiest congratulations to him. He is a natural and he has a great future. In fact he could be the next Siva Karthikeyan.

A realistic film that totally caught me off guard. The fertile rural Tamil Nadu is brimming with innocence. Look at the most backward pockets in my state – and they are still doing absolutely well! It shows the healthy lifestyle of not only Tamils but also Indians in general whose lots have improved with times.

As a cricket lover, I enjoyed this picture. Without the knowledge of cricket, you may still watch it but you could miss some subtle nuanced cricket plays and terms. Some delightful interchange could be lost on you.

Highly recommended.

Watching a bevy of pictures with my son: PS1, PS2, Mei Azhagan (these 3 were repeats for me), Parking and then this one Lubber Pandhu.

This low budget picture which I learn was a box office grosser proves that you don’t have to be flashy, glitzy, sophisticated etc., to succeed. A shoe string budget can still give a slick flick with perfect script, story and screenplay direction.

Before I close, my heartiest congrats to the entire team and especially ‘Gethu!’ Heartwarming film. I especially appreciate the spirit and sensibility of the director in not playing the SC victim card but just throwing a hint to those who may not be aware of the community (that is notified in gazette by govt of India. ) Indian muslims can take a leaf out of this picture to appreciate the blessings that come their way being born an Indian citizen. The blue passport is much respected around the world.

Plus, wherever whichever corner of the globe you may go today, you see injustices. All historic injustices cannot be undone overnight. We have to accept reality but at the same time take care that WE DON’T TURN MONSTERS WHEN WE GO FOR WITCH HUNTING. This is what I liked about this picture the most. For scheduled castes of India, this must be an important reckoning. India a lot fairer country. Enjoy the motherland with open heart. Being part of the largest democracy in the world with the kind of inclusivity we have for the most marginalized, is not something you can find even in the first world nations.

Of course we can watch this picture for JUST CRICKET. Wholesome family entertainment with ABSOLUTELY ZERO VIOLENCE CONTENT OR VULGARITY. Characters have strength. And what a subtle sense of humour that flows like a steady stream throughout the picture! We can leave out the politics. My views are my personal observations, that’s all.

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Wrapping up the week with ‘Good night’ – another low budget family friendly lighthearted feelgood flick and ‘Thiruchitrambalam’ – surprise one from Dhanush who I steadfastly avoid. Along with ‘Thalaivettiyan Paalayam’ remake of ‘Panchayat’ in Prime, screen comes down for interesting tv show with my son in the US.

Posted in Pictures Desi

Two back to back great flicks: Meyyazhagan and Amaran (Tamil)

Posted on by veeskitchen

Got to watch Meyyazhagan (or is it Meiazhagan) in Netflix and Amaran in cinemas today in Doha. After a long time, watching meaningful films without an iota of violence or sex felt good.

Meyyazhagan: Hero Arvind Swamy once our heart throb omg can’t believe! Now he looks like our neighbourhood mama but I have to agree that we all too have become typical middle aged mamis! Finally seeing Arvind Swamy like this was kind of satisfying! Loved the flow of this picture which some found to be dragging and pointless. Exactly for me this was very much appealing. Such a ‘yadaartham.’ Kudos to Karthi who practically lived his role. Such a happy-go-lucky character. Is it a coincidence that he lands this kind of roles. After PS 1 & 2 and Meyyazhagan, one feels compelled to think so. He is too good and comes off as a natural. In PS I did find him to be a bit overacting. The overenthusiastic character play just fit him perfectly in Meyyazhagan.

Amaran was simply great. How many young men lay down their lives for Mother India so readily. And we are here squabbling about petty things living materialistic lives not even aware of the men who guard our borders so that we can go to sleep in peace every night. A moving picture throughout and a heavy subject, it brought instant tears to my eyes in some scenes. Wonderful or rather realistic picturization even if it may be make-believe sets erected for the purpose (for the climax scene for instance). How the director mobilized those frenzied crowds for some shots is unbelievable. Logistics simply beats the logic! Looks like a group of Kashmiris were brought to Chennai and were actually trained to act in the film! Kashmir has been Hindu for 10000 years. The change is there only in last 400 years. 9600 years of peace and 400 years of bloody violence. Tell me what went wrong there and why.

Adi Shankara established one of the (Shankara) Mutts in Sri Nagar in the 7th century CE. The dating is by the British historians. Poorna river was mentioned a a hundred kilometers away from its current location as per original Shankaracharya life history. The river probably changed its course after a few centuries. It means, the original lifetime of Adi Shankara as per most ancient scriptures, could have been around 1st or 2nd century CE or even earlier in the BCE but the British put it at &th century CE. Anything older than Christ they cannot admit! For them world functioned only since Jesus came to earth! So the Shankara Mutt in Sri Nagar is that historic. For whatever reasons, Adi Shankara got the vigrahas (idols) back to Sringeri. It is said that he had visions of Islamic invasions and feared the destruction of shrines, so after establishing the mutt, he got back the original moola vigrahas back with him. You cannot disconnect history completely from the land. Even today Hindus continue to live in Kashmir. In last few years, Kashmir is thankfully returning to normalcy shedding violence. This is mostly growth driven. Economics is the base reason for trouble in any part of the world.

So many young lives wasted out there. Its deplorable that young men in productive age take to stone pelting and arms training and terror there completely misled by the militants. Generations of Kashmiris have lost their way and their lives for this reason. If you cannot co-exist with fellow Indians, you cannot live with anyone else in the world. But the picture is amazingly neutral. We have to give credit to the producer-director and for the screenplay-dialogue writer for carefully steering away and staying clear of politics, especially international politics. Not once Pakistan is mentioned or even hardcore terror is mentioned. No reference to religion. Maintaining that neutrality is very tough given the scene of action. I liked the way they treated this subject lightly yet profoundly. It shows that you can treat sensitive subjects so thoughtfully without having to affect anyone badly. Its important for those in media and in entertainment industry to stay unbiased and neutral. Its understandable why there is this representation angle even in Hollywood pictures giving token representation to every single minority group. That inclusiveness is what will sustain peace in the world.

Having said that, proud to be born in this punya bhoomi Bharat (INdia), the one and only country in the world with 10000 year unbroken Hindu civilization. Richest culture, rich in every way. I don’t want my nation to chase plastic prosperity. May humanity and culture prevail which are the best gifts we can leave for our future generations. Its okay when you are lived-in for millennia and millennia, you tend to be overcrowded and poor. My heart swelled in pride seeing how the sons of Bharat, Mother India, are defending her, laying down their lives in her defence. Not everybody is after money. Armed forces are one of India’s poorest paymasters. Services are not exactly lucrative. Yet when young men and women want to choose serving in our armed forces, it means they put nation first. If India can get aggressive at all, if Hindus can get aggressive, then it means its for a very good reason. I don’t want to talk more on Kashmir than this. But not a square inch anyone can wrench from India: our brothers and sisters in armed forces will see to that our territorial integrity is protected whatsoever and howsoever.

Finally, Major Mukund Varadarajan will be remembered as one of the bravest and selfless sons of India. You feel guilty and sad that such a young and brave life is snuffed out so early. Fate is cruel. My heart goes out to Indhu and and their little daughter.Theirs is a beautiful and inspiring love story.

Sai Pallavi slayed it literally! Siva Karthikeyan was good too. The one who played his mother was a pro. Was it Rahul Bose. He is probably curated for this kind of motivating roles. That the picture could be shot in Kashmir locales involving hundreds of Kashmiris by a Tamil director-producer from down south with a dusky hero, is testimonial to the fact that Kashmiris are changing for the better and are with India. I can’t believe the Kashmiris turned up in droves to partake in the filming of such a courageous story. It means they belong with rest of India without a second thought.

Sai Pallavi – the natural beauty with no make up, no glossy costumes, simply down to earth and such a natural all the way with no faking: she is my kinda heroine! After seeing the loud brashy types jingling with no stuff, she comes across as someone with grace and substance and of course, understated elegance.

Life can be short; only it has to be meaningful.

Posted in Environment, Pictures Desi

Tele series: Poachers (Prime)

Posted on by veeskitchen

As a wildlife enthusiast and lover of the Indian elephant, I cannot thank enough the producers of Poachers (Amazon Prime), the mini series that highlights the poaching menace in Indian forest reserves. Slick and sharp, the episodes are to the point and cannot come crisper. Not a single minute of sag. Real life story. Before I proceed, all round applause to Nimisha Sajayan, who plays the Forest department cop attached to Kerala state. She is backed by a very well cast crew including the ones who play the roles of Neel Banerjee Kerala state wildlife director, and Alan, a part-time wildlife dept staff and IT person. Its heartwrenching watching this series, but is a must for wildlife lovers around the world. Following some elephant pages in social media, it was heartbreaking for me even recently to note the tragic poaching of three wild tuskers who towered to the skies, within the Amboseli national park range in Kenya, Africa. India is a natural elephant country so we know what it takes to have the wild elephants roam about our forest corridors. India without her elephants is unimaginable. I have covered quite a few reviews in my blog on wild life and especially on elephants/Indian elephants. Its no open secret that the ivory contraband smuggling goes hand in hand with underground mafia dealing in dope and/or arms. Its in national interest to see to that the nexus is thwarted. Funding terror can only be the next step away.

About Poachers, I have done this copy & paste job from Google:

The series is based on the real-life events of “Operation Shikar” that unfolded between 2015 and 2017, spearheaded by the Kerala Forest Department. Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) assisted in the investigations along with the police and others who risked their lives to unearth India’s largest poaching syndicate.


This article also may be of interest in this regard:

https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2024/03/02/the-real-story-behind-the-amazon-prime-series-poacher.html

My takeaway from the series is the knowledge that ivory is also used to make small trinkets to instill interest in (new) (fresh) buyers hoodwinking law enforcement in broad daylight. This may be done by honing/sharpening the tusks of the temple elephants or elephants in captivity. Such a pruning of the domesticated elephant tusks may yield just enough shavings to cater to small buyers. There must be artisans devoted to the crafting art with the promise of a small/discreet market. Ultimately this may lead to sustained interest and big buyers who may be collectors of the exotic. So the only way to stop the tusk pruning of the tamed elephants is that, they may have to be let loose in the wild. NO MORE TEMPLE ELEPHANTS, NO MORE ELEPHANTS IN CAPCIVITY, NO MORE ELEPHANTS FOR ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. Destroy the ivory as and when found. China, needless to say, is the first and worst international ivory market. When buyers create a demand, a supply chain can possibly be established especially in weaker territories. Its one tough job out there for our forest department officials.

Review: The Elephant Whisperer – Lawrence Anthony.

It was shocking to note that the big Ambani pre-wedding party had a prop of an elephant – drumbeating about the virtues of Vantara at the same time. How hypocritic. Vantara will be zilch investment luxury forest safari lodge for the who-is-who of India, no more. Very clever Ambani marketing. Looks like they took over 200 ailing elephants for the project from all across India. Anyone who loves wildlife, will never do this:

Posted in Pictures Desi

Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway

Posted on by veeskitchen

Watched this moving flick in OTT platform. Real life story of a Bengali woman from India who moves to Norway with her husband on her marriage. Trouble brews on the arrival of her second child when Norwegian government appointed child supervision authorities (?) begin paying her home visits. For them apparently, everything Indian seems to be offensive and unsafe. In India, force feeding children, feeding babies with hands, eating with hands, kids sleeping in the same bed as parents – all these are very normal. Even spanking the kids is considered normal and actually happens! The Norwegian authorities regard this as human rights violation (!) and forcibly take the 3-4 year old son and 5 month breast fed baby daughter of Mrs. Chatterjee to put them into foster homes where they say the children may have a safe and better environment to grow up. How will a mother react to the circumstances? Mrs Chatterjee’s natural outbursts and enragement are misused to frame a false case accusing her of being mentally unstable and unreliable when it came to taking care of her children. Then start the crusades of Mrs. Chatterjee who takes on the Norway govt and Velfred, the child care trustees of Norway in getting back her biological children. Norway seems to be good at everything except for human emotions and humanitarian considerations. Its heartwrenching to see the mother fill bag after bag of breast milk, refrigerate it and pass on to her little baby not even weaned off mother’s milk. The authorities promptly do NOT feed the baby the precious milk. Mrs Chatterjee’s husband comes across as the most uncaring and typical male chauvinistic pig that INdia produces in tens of thousands. He is more focused on his citizenship papers and is unmoved by the plight of his own infant children or that of his wife. Court room after court room follow as Mrs Chatterjee violates unintentionally immigration laws trying to flee Norway and enter Sweden. She is deported while the children’s custody is passed on to her brother-in-law who lives with her hostile in-laws. The unmarried bachelor with no childraising experience gets paid big time (rs. 80 lacs in matter of 14 months as revealed in the court by the Norwegian attorney) on being entrusted with the custody of the children the papers for which are signed by Mrs Chatterjee on her husband’s persuasion as she remains unaware of the consequences. Finally after a two year hiatus, the heartbroken mother is reunited with her biological children in Indian courts that take cognizance of her trauma and nullify the Norway ruling. (Well Norway court laws are null and void in India, why can’t these guys get that). In this real life story, our late external affairs minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj played a vital role that helped in bringing the children back to India. It is alleged that Velfred is a scam which puts the immigrants’ children in the hands of local Norwegians who get paid hefty for raising the foster children to fit in their so-called ‘Norwegian society.’ Its cruel and heartless willfully separating the newborns, toddlers and infants from their biological parents and entrusting them from biological parents and entrusting their charge with strange cold foster homes, not all of which are conducive to healthy child raising. How civilized are these nations really that call themselves first world countries. The basic human emotion, compassion, empathy, sensitivity – these are absent in these highly developed societies where the human heart seems to be made of steel and stone. They seem to have absolutely no respect for cultural ethos of immigrants. Scandinavian countries want immigrants to boost their population but their greed is that, they do not want the children to be raised with native cultural values. Mrs Chatterjee now lives in Kolkata, divorced I guess, happily with her two children.

The assertiveness of the Indian government in the case without hurting the bilateral treaties with Norway is remarkable. Sushma was an asset to us the NRI community who live outside India. She took best care of us. We miss you, Sushma ji, none can replace you. Her warmth and care for the workers of Indian origin and her help in bringing trapped Indian women home from dangerous and unsafe zones around the world speak of her immaculate record.

India is not in any way inferior to Norway. We need not be like you at all. We are what we are. We all forcefeed our kids if they don’t eat properly for their own sake. We spank our kids. Our kids sleep with us parents in the same bed, until atleast they turn ten years. Whatever we do, we have the best interests of our children at heart. That is why we don’t have Mother’s day, Father’s day in Hindu society. Our parents live with us in one single JOINT family. We take care of our aged parents and do not banish them to condos or nursing homes. Bloody hell Norway. Only rakshas (demons) will take away a breastfed baby from her biological mother and put the infant in foster care. Is this even civilization. Is this what you call human rights? ARe you guys even human.

Years back this story was splashed across our mass media and print media. Its good to revisit this story as it has relevance even today as more and more Indians work/live abroad. Why are the Europeans and Americans wandering in Bikini in Bali. Why can’t you then adopt to Balinese culture and wear their native clothes.

In whole of this picture, the ruthlessness of the nation called Norway came through. They are very cold and heartless and think inferior of Asian nations and culture. Well, Norway you have everything except for HUMANITY. That is your problem. You have to be a monster to separate a 5 month old breastfed baby from her biological mother and put her in foster care when there was no criminal charges against her.

The case helped open many more pending cases in EU etc. While so, you see the pedophiles, child molesters etc., roaming the Asian cities. Most of them are from these advanced and so-called civilized nations only. They fly all the way to Thailand and Sri Lanka to have sex with minor children.

Asians have better family values. Family is one. Much more affectionate having no shame in exhibiting their emotion. There are things that can never be bought off. One such a precious gifts is the love of a biological mother. Throughout the picture as Rani Mukherjee played the title role, my eyes were pregnant with tears. The travails and shame and the indignity she suffers, the way she fights on nevertheless with such a courage for the sake of her children – these are proofs that these slinky Norwegian women can NEVER EVER match up to an Indian mother when it comes to sensitivity or emotion or love or care. Norway has to do a self-analysis to determine where they went wrong.

Finally, its not just a win for Mrs Chatterjee, its victory for India as India stamped her foot down and made her stance clear. It was a very proud moment as we refused to take nonsense.

Rani seems to have bloated but gave a stellar performance as usual. A natural, she is a treat to watch.

Highly recommended. Norway may find itself in quandary, so it be. Immigrants are not your slaves. Even America and Australia are nations of immigrants only. Neither are immigrants an inferior race. Everyone is abled differently that is all. We are gifted differently. Parenting style varies even within the confines of a society. There is no rule book to follow when it comes to parenting. The underscore is that, the child should feel SAFE AND SECURE AND LOVED AND CARED for by the biological parents. There is no substitute for biological FAMILY. There is no point in raising children in divided families or abusive families or violent families where the children may be pacified with games and gadgets to compensate for lack of love. Children growing up in India may not have the latest toys but they are blessed with parents devoted to them who cherish them, NEVER NEGLECT THEM, but raise them with total dedication, love, care and cultural values. An Indian mother is epitome of self sacrifice. We in India live for our children. They are our wealth. I have no ambition in life except to see that my family is well fed and happy. I have no shame in admitting that the whole purpose of my existence is for my family. My kids are my world. In their success and happiness I see my own. I don’t want individual glory. I am an Indian mother and now a grandmother.

the best security you can give for your child is that of a happy family.
Posted in Pictures Desi

Review: The Elephant Whisperers

Posted on by veeskitchen

Edited: March 13, 2023. Extremely pleased to note that the documentary has won an Oscar today. The two women creators of the film Karthiki Gonsalves and Guneeth Monga have made India proud.

*** *** *** *** ***

Watched this heartwarming documentary in OTT platform this evening. Surprised to see that its based in Mudumalai Tiger Sanctuary, right in Tamil Nadu, India. Mudumalai has an impressive population of Indian wildlife ranging from tigers and elephants to exotic birds in rich bio diversity. Been here but spotted the pachyderms in the shoulder areas adjoining the reserve forests over the protected sanctuary. Mudumalai meets Periyar Tiger reserve and Parambikulam tiger reserve of Kerala over the western ghats and driving to either side from one of the two could prove lucky for wildlife spotting – that I have fortunately done but unfortunately missed any worthwhile wildlife spotting. In fact, even the Bannerghatta reserve in Karnataka adjoins the three wildlife sanctuaries from south over the ghats. Makes for an interesting geographical territory.

Even if captive elephants bother me, I am not blind to the role of the mahouts in our society, especially Hindu, where the elephants are culturally cared for, accorded the divine status. We are raised to revere elephant like god. Most ancient and well funded Hindu temples in the south own elephants. Kerala temples typically own dozens each. Mahouts therefore become indispensable with their rare elephant rearing acumen garnered over generations. Pictures have been made earlier on the bonhomie that the mahouts share with their pet elephants. Elephants exhibit humanlike emotions as they are generally social creatures that live in complex societies comprising interesting family trees. Elephants also akin to the blue whales that roam the oceans, transmit low frequency vibrations and their broadcast can be heard over a distance of hundreds of miles – that makes the two species most intelligent almost at par with the homosapiens on earth. So that’s why, an orphan elephant calf can be a heart wrenching sight to some of us. Even if man=elephant conflicts are on rise in India, our tribals still enjoy holistic relationships with wildlife especially the elephants. Their communication channels are unique and they build bonds that are familylike.

Forest department is now doing a good job rehabilitating lost or orphaned elephant calves after rescuing them when they may be accidentally left behind or willfully abandoned by their herds. Its not easy to return the calves used to human presence to where and who with they belong. This is a tremendous feat and I am heartened to see Bomman and Belle doing just that with Belle becoming first woman in Tamil Nadu history to successfully rear two infant elephant calves and returning them to the wild. Tribals in India live in close contact with our wild life. They share a delicate balance in nature that has to be maintained at any cost so that both the parties stand to lose nothing. Increased encroachments are a threat to wildlife and forest reserves whereas wild animals foraging for food in the villages poses grave dangers to human settlements along elephant corridors. Its a big challenge that has to be acknowledged and tackled with careful study.

Hopefully documentaries such as these win global awards raising awareness. When I watch young female elephants in our temples such as Thirukadaiyur, Thirunallar, Kumbakonam etc., an indescribable ache clutches my heart and I end up question myself, if this is the point of elephant rescue missions. The degree of domestication of wild elephants has never been this acute as more and more of the gentle giants are captured and tamed for religious purposes in India. Mercifully, the circuses employing wild life ended long back in India.

The documentary is a feast to eyes bringing to our view some parts of the Mudumalai reserve that may not be accessible to public. The glimpse into tribal life is also appreciated. Serene and peaceful life in the woods, in the lap of nature, in the company of wild life. What more can one ask for. What a gifted life and what a rich lifestyle. The infant elephant calves Raghu and Ammu’s home among the Nilgiris that they shared with the tribal couple is a far cry from today’s mad and crazy materialistic world. May their tribe increase and may India forever be blessed with rich flora and fauna that are the most precious gifts from Mother Earth.

Mahouts in India are increasingly viewed as cruel men. A handful of them could be so. Most however look upon the elephants under their care like their own children. India is again a rare country where one’s occupation being an elephant mahout is considered normal and regular!

Fortunate to have visited a couple of forest reserves in the south. Blessed to have spotted wild elephants although never within wildlife sanctuaries but always along the shoulder belt. It shows, what we define as elephant corridors are man made. Elephants do not oblige the geographic lines drawn by man and forest department. As the forest cover shrinks in India, the wild elephants are more and more spotted along human settlements.

Thoughtful picture that did not go around a temple mahout. For a change, the plot of the story was on a mahout working with forest department stationed within the range of forest reserves. To make a film like this and to focus on wild elephants of India, you have to have a different heart. I see you, director!

Posted in Pictures Desi

Rocketry: the Nambi Effect

Posted on by veeskitchen

I have watched as many live launches of IRSO satellites over years. Watching Chandrayaan-I, India’s first successful lunar mission, live with my school going son on tv was awesome. As the trajectory is traced, how many millions of Indians would have their hearts in their mouth waiting with bated breath for the satellites/SLV to break through the atmosphere shedding stages and join the predetermined orbit in the space. Most of these launches would have textbook precision. I may not be a scientist but visiting NASA in Florida and seeing Elon Musk’s Space X and touching the moonrock with my very hands are some of the most cherished moments of my life. More memories made at Air and space museums in Virginia. Humbled. How brilliant is the human brain. And how inconsequential is my own existence!

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After watching Irrfan Khan investigate the Arushi murder case in the picture ‘Talwar’ establishing the truth, do we even need to be convinced of ISRO scientist Shri Nambi Narayanan’s innocence in the hastily filed spy case. How easily facts can be misconstrued and the media can ignite passions to mislead the public is very well illustrated in the tight and convincing script of Talwar. Its a must watch and it shakes the hell out of you. And it is not just story-screenplay-dialogue but is the very dissection of a criminal case step by step reconstructing the events and going by every single evidence and fact until the truth reveals itself. A clear cut scientific process. Irresponsibility when discharging their duties on part of those who held the office resulted in the innocent facing humiliation and punishment. Well, are those government officials and police personnel even sacked? Tried by the media and the masses, very quickly the doctor couple get judged. What an indescribable unquantifiable damage is done. Something like Arushi’s (bereaved) parents getting accused of murdering their only child and darling daughter should not happen to any Indian citizen. Dr Nambi Narayanan’s case is very similar, only the circumstances are different.

As far as I am concerned, there is this basic fact that clears the renowned scientist from the charges right in the first instance, that he should not even have come under the cloud of suspicion: nobody who foregoes a lucrative career at NASA on graduating from Princeton, to return to work for Indian salary can be capable of espionage against the country. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out this very simple logic (pun intended). Are these guys crazy. Kerala is perfectly capable of forging fake cases given the communist and Hindu minority state it is. Most Keralites happen to think they are Arabs when all that they are doing is applying bootpolish to the sheikhs.

As the scientist himself avers in the close of the picture, who is really behind the plot needs to be exposed to the world. Well, we get an idea. Like in Arushi’s case, minor slips and very feeble alibis lead to wrongful incarceration of the innocent when the guilty flee the net. It is pretty clear whose handiwork is the framing of the top ISRO scientist, aimed at setting India back by decades in space sciences. After all how many Indian scientists have died under unnatural and mysterious circumstances from 1947. Homi Bhabha of atomic research conveniently died in plane crash. Vikram Sarabhai of ISRO was found dead. And the list is getting long with every following year.

Yet India became the first country in the world to taste success in maiden attempt in Mars mission over the US or China. ISRO went on to produce and launch cyrogenic engines to fuel our rockets. There are ups and downs in India’s cyrogenic journey but its the nation’s pride that the engine is desi. India went on to succeed in lunar missions and ISRO now is a global player when it comes to commercial leg of space technology earning the nation billions of dollars from international clients launching hundreds of satellites into the space.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/tech-denied-isro-built-cryo-engine-on-its-own-4690709/

Justice delayed is justice denied true. But this story needs to be told. I won’t say Rocketry is a great picture but it serves the purpose of educating the ordinary Indian about how we betrayed a top scientist of India shamelessly and heartlessly. Every single Indian citizen needs to hang his/her head in shame for the horrible treatment meted out to this not only brilliant but also patriotic scientist. What the family must have gone through. Corrupt Indian politicians are stashing billions and billions in Swiss accounts but go scotfree while the brainiest and honest among us have to suffer for no fault of ours. Direction is by Madhavan. I won’t say Rocketry is a well made or entertaining flick, but as I said, it does the job.

Royal salute to the scientific community of India and to Shri Nambi Narayanan in particular. Not everyone can be bought over by the greed for money. Such a strong unflinching character. And the strings he pulls. What a single minded determination. The technical mumbo jumbo is hardly a deterrent as mostly the space lingo is understandable, broken down to layman level. Not only falsely implicated but also tortured in custody for a forced confession, the iron willpower of Nambi is admirable. On the supreme court clearing his name, the scientist is honoured with one of the nation’s top civilian awards which is a small consolation.

Vikas is indigenous and matchless rocket engine made in India! Proud of Vikas that has helped launch hundreds of desi/international satellites into space. Interesting referral to ex president late Abdul Kalam ji who was the missile man of India. In his initial years, Kalam, Vikram Sarabhai and Nambi Narayana seem to have done a great spade work for India in the space sciences. Kudos! What a dream team. ISRO did no wonder get a headstart! From transported on bicycles to functioning in a Kerala church to Mars mission and Brahmos, India has come a long, long way!

I would like to close the post wishing Shri Nambi Narayanan good health and peace. He deserves much, much more. Hearty wishes to his devoted family who stood by him in his hour of need.

ISRO is the dream of a billion Indians. You guys make us very proud. Thank you so much the real heroes of India! We the aam aadmi stand with you shoulder to shoulder.

Posted in Pictures Desi

Review: 83

Posted on by veeskitchen

Wow what an emotional picture that was. Had me in tears in many places. 80s kid!

Ranveer Singh lived the skipper’s role. But I was blown over by the appearance of the real hero in the stands in the match with Zimbabwe when the captain’s knock of 175 not out won India the berth into the finals. Impossible match, world record that never got recorded to posterity. Grateful to have it reconstructed or whatever in silver screen. Felt as if we were watching the match.

KAPIL DEV NIKHANJ: Let me tell you here, you were and are always our No.1 cricketer, not only because you won us our first ever world cup and you were a fine all rounder, but more because you played passionate cricket, and you played for India and not for personal glory. That sets you apart from selfish Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar who I could never come to like. After seeing you today, I feel like reviving my cricket interest. I saw the same streak of selfless passion and fire in M S Dhoni only, after you.

Excellent cast. Tamil actor Jeeva played Krishnamachari Srikkanth. Cheeka of course will always be our local hero. Very balanced picture where the power of captaincy is subtly portrayed without egos getting hurt. Interspersed with humour frame to frame, the picture makes an engrossing watch. While we Indians are today global CEOs, Brits I believe are now increasingly on welfare! But that doesn’t make me happy. Respect everyone that’s all.

I think we truly played gentleman cricket then. I have always loved Sandeep Patil, Roger Binny, Jimmy Amarnath, Kirmani, Vengsarkar, Srikkanth, Kapil and not to leave out Maninder Singh. They lent a grace and charm to the game, correct me if I am wrong. Never cared for technicality of Gavaskar or Tendulkar for that matter. The spirit of the game mattered more.

Lords and Melbourne are not only the cricket players’ dreams, but also the dreams of a billion Indians. No, not yet set my foot in both stadia but I have in our Chidambaram Stadium at Chepauk, Chennai 😀 We are members of the T N C A club but believe me the club is good only for eating bajji and bonda with lousy chutney. They never give us any tickets. We aren’t asking for free stuff.

Underestimation of India and Indians in UK is not unusual. Don’t worry fellow Indians, we left them behind way back. We are far ahead of them even if they would like to show our slums in the BBC and not our Mars mission. As Kapil says, we have to give them reply in action. David Firth chewing on his words was good direction.

Recalled so many names that’re almost forgotten, like rival cricket teams. Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Geoff Dujon, Ian Botham, Malcom Marshall omg, Holding and others.

The finance crunch in the Indian cricket in the 80s I have read about. Raj Singh Dungapur reportedly bailed the team out. From here, started the ruthless, mindless commercialization of Indian cricket and the sport has since not been the same. Somehow I wish we could recreate the 80s magic. Cash strapped but oozing with passion and potential.

All cricket players in the team are well represented and the picture is not most importantly Kapil-centric which is great.

One noticeable omission however was the match with Pakistan. A handshake of Kapil and Imran is all we have. Why? If the picture is lengthy, then a practice match could have been edited. There were two matches with West Indies apart from the final, one with England, and two with Australia, one with Zimbabwe. When the director could accommodate so much, why not the one with Pakistan with Imran Khan. We are talking about a key cricket playing nation. What is the world cup or cricket without them whether we like them or not. Imran was still a cricket player and captain of his team, not a politician. Or did he raise any objection. In that case it is understandable.

I literally relived the 1983 match. My mother used to be a huge, huge fan of Kapil Dev. Kapil is one of the connecting dots for me with my mother.

Not many houses in our street had tv back then. So every single house with b & w EC tv or Solidaire tv was bursting at seams with friends and family. I remember vaguely the fire crackers going up in my street. Yah, enjoyed the match along with my Mylaporean childhood friends who are still my best buddies. We always watched cricket matches together mostly in my house. 1986 Sharjah cup omg!

We are the 80s kids – i mean the 80s teens – the matchless. What we shared in the 80s, how we lived is something nobody else can fathom. We held a precious innocence and we were happy for no reason. This is what keeps us going today.

With IPL commercialization of Indian cricket, I slowly started losing interest in the game. I do watch the T20 world cup matches though. Otherwise have stopped totally. But 83 has stirred the dying embers of interest in cricket in me. May be I should start watching cricket again. I am not even sure of the whole team now. First time in last couple of years, I can’t recall the whole team.

Cricket may have been religion in India but other sports are also catching up in recent times. India has been doing well in Badminton, Tennis, Chess, Hockey etc., but it is true cricket continues to rake in the moolah, so naturally bags the best sponsors.

Must watch!

Posted in Pictures Desi

Why Is ‘Metti Oli’ Still No.1 Soap In Tamil Television.

Posted on by veeskitchen

Lockdown saw return of the old guard as far as tv soaps are concerned. ‘Metti Oli’ made one more comeback to our homes and is concurrently doing two channels easily even after all these years. How can it be possible to retain such a rapt audience interest during repeat telecasts?

Well, for these very simple and at the same time thought-provoking reasons:

*For truly middle class values.

*No glamorous or cosmetic content

*Down to earth portrayal of characters, characterization and scene settings

*No erosion or watering down of morality or ethics of the community in general

*No graphic or violence content

*No vulgar content

*Family oriented underscoring relationships and family and old world values

*No hidden agenda underlying the script and screenplay

*Honest portrayal of circumstances without exaggeration

*No villainification of family members deliberately pitted against each other

*No hero worship of a singular character

*Every character is fallible and no character is too perfect

*No spite or vengeance or intense hatred or malice beyond acceptable standards

*No sister-in-law planning to poison the new bride

*No brother-in-law rooting for his sister-in-law

*No daughter-in-law hatching plot to oust her mother-in-law

*No mother-in-law pining to strangulate her daughter-in-law

*No maligning of characters or character assassination

*No kids talking too much for their age

*No customary prison scene

*No alcohol consuming or smoking character

*No extra marital affairs

*No clandestine affairs

*No home breakers

*No brother-in-law scheming to usurp family business

*No plotting of murders in temple precincts

*No sense of hopelessness

*New hope even in dire situations

*No overt negativity

*Relatable to our very own lives and environment

*Nothing flashy or fancy

*More forgiving, more generous

*Dignity and earnestness in character portrayal

*Immense patience and tolerance and goodwill in/of characters

*Over-all feel-good factor

*Wholesome family entertainment that you can watch with family

*You watch this serial for the story content not for the glamour of characters or their clothes.

*No single hero/villain. Equal importance to all role players.

*Joint families crux of the story. Joint families are fast disappearing in India replaced by nuclear families.

*Life humbles characters. Life overwhelms characters who swallow pride and shame frame to frame to keep the family in-tact. Which is what matters over anything and everything. Family stays united at any cost.

I hope there is a lot to learn from this very decent and grounded and low-cost/budget production. You don’t need to invent conspiracies to cheat and kill and dupe and shortchange to have a roaring audience. I don’t watch soaps at all but years back, Metti Oli on its very first run was compulsive enough for me to let down my guard and watch some episodes from midway. Recently I caught my mother-in-law still hanging on to the old do over others. I leaned over from my dining to take a peek at what was playing in the tv screen and found that Metti Oli is still charming and appealing to my heart. This is the secret to success. It is easy to warm hearts without damaging anyone or pouring poison into someone. Let each one of us remind ourselves of this. We can take a leaf or two out of Metti Oli even for our very personal life.

Posted in Pictures Desi

What is Art.

Posted on by veeskitchen

After 8 years since it was released, i caught up with watching our superstar thalaiva Rajni Kanth’s Sivaji, tamil film, only last evening in Prime. Of course I have loved the songs tuned in by AR Rahman always, given a voice by S P Balasubramanyam. Rajnis pictures are gross (no pun intended) entertainers. I like him over Kamal Hasan in that, he seems to treat his heroines with a bit more of respect. In case of Kamal, I have the opinion that he is vulgar with his women on screen and makes you squirm in your seat. He can never become the family entertainer that Rajni is.

I have enjoyed Rajni’s Robot made by director Shankar in the cinemas starring Aishwarya Roy opposite him. In Sivaji, it was a visual treat watching the car fight scene although generally i abhor violence. Mostly switch off death scenes/violent scenes or fast forward. Switch off tv if they show macabre scenes or present gloomy news with disturbing visuals. No point in carrying that baggage in your mind. According to some people, i am already negative! The truth is, I block a lot of negativity from my life and focus much more on positivity than I really speak about. Never psycho or terror or scary pictures for me. To fill my home with positive vibes, I play bhajans, classical music etc., in an effort to offset any negative energy present. Mind is cleared of clutter.

As for art, i am no connoisseur of art but having a spouse with artistic leaning has helped me appreciate art better. Europe tour was much more enjoyable thanks to our familiarity with art, that way. While most tourists just walked past, we stood rooted for a time studying art and debating the artists’ mindset. Thanks to my husband who himself is a scrap artist as well (he is a self-taught amateur artist) and thanks to my friends who are Rangoli specialists, i am discovering the many facets of art such as myriad surfaces, tools etc., apart from about some remarkable art installations. The art installations are a challenge to our imagination. Thought provoking. They define a new plane of art taking art to another dimension.

In celluloid pictures, i have been able to somewhat guess what can constitute art. By art here, i am not talking of award winning pictures. Art also need not have to be limited to scene settings. Art can be sublime as well relating to frames. For instance, the word ‘art’ hit me when i watched the car fight scene in Sivaji last evening. One thought in my mind then was that, this car fight sequence is like an art installation. Modern art. Abstract. The wastage hurt me nonetheless. Still I have to appreciate the stunts director and the screenplay-direction that came up with such a stunning and unprecedented scene for the first time in Tamil silver screen. Not ruling out the possibility of copying from Hollywood. Or even Bollywood. But knowing director Shankar and his originality, I have no doubts that this is his matchless ingenuity. This is what I thought of when watching ‘Robot’ dubbed in Hindi as well. Once I watched Shankar’s interview and the director said, how ideas keep popping up in his mind and how he imagines them in 3D and tries to visualize them in his mind’s eye and how he tries to match up film making with exactly what he pictured in his mind. This conceptualization that is strikingly similar to his visualization is what his pictures are all about. Great director of Indian cinema. Legend. Many of his Tamil productions are dubbed/remade in Hindi including Robot, Hindustani etc.

‘Prarthana’ the outdoor theatre also used to be my favourite drive-in cinemas by the sea (although the sea is invisible). I think now it is redundant. Not too sure how it is faring now in the digital age of Prime/Netflix and Inox cinemas. Looks like the scene is shot here. No copyright infringement intended. This is what sets Shankar’s films apart.

(This is a dubbed scene from Hindi version 😀 that hardly does any justice to the sequence. Better footage in Prime HD)

To me, anything with an aesthetic appeal to not only your eyes, but also to your heart and mind, qualifies as art. Art is ever evolving. One is reminded of Dan Brown’s ‘Origin’ with its gala science/art museum that is surreal. Art transcends levels and planes and is of a multi-dimension that is beyond one’s imagination here. I am lucky that i could expand my horizons of thinking where it concerns art. The possibilities are endless. The rustle of a leaf in the soft breeze is art as much as the buzzing bee about it. The gentle roll of the waves is an art as every beautiful twilight and sunset. Corona has spared us time to pause and take stock of art that is omnipresent about us 360 degrees. Nature or otherwise. And most importantly you don’t have to have this creative genius to reckon art for what it is. All it takes is the elusive eye that can wring art out of the ordinary.

Posted in Pictures Desi

Lockdown Watch: Recommended Flicks

Posted on by veeskitchen

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Updated: April 29, 2020.

Watched ‘Lunch Box’ this evening in memory of the fine actor Irrfan Khan. I remember him from ‘Life of Pi’ and ‘Talvar’ and of course ‘The slumdog millaionaire.’ His role in Talvar that I watched once in flight made me change my opinion on the notorious (real life) Delhi murder case. Even today’s picture was such a gem. Irrfan’s character so original like the script. Well crafted. No other actor could have fit in.  Just too perfect. That’s what I was thinking.

Mother Goddess cherrypicks the best always from Her Garden.

***********************************

India is on total lockdown since mid March except for essential services.

How do most of us spend our time.

Watching pix in tv, Netflix and Prime of course. Besides cooking, cleaning, mopping, washing, drying that is.

I am on a picture-watching spree as well. I recommend the following Mallu pix (based in Kerala) plus some Tamil films.

MUST WATCH. You will learn the difference between third rate Bollywood and true and original/authentic Indian cinema which is regional,  that way. I just can’t stand Hindi pictures, sorry. To me, Hindi filmdom died with Sanjeev Kumar, Rajesh Kanna, Vinod Mehra and Shashi Kapoor. I miss the charm of Hindi films of the ’70s when Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan were the heartthrobs of ladies. Now I feel like throwing up looking at Kareena Kapoor and co. Can’t get more gross.

All the same, the south Indian films have been getting better and better. Tamil cinema of the 70s was matchless and far ahead of times. Groundbreaking pictures were made. Heavy subjects. Please catch ‘Apoorva Ragangal’ starring a very young Kamal Hasan and Rajni Kanth and Sri Vidya in black & white, in K Balachander’s direction, in Amazon Prime. Comes with subtitles. But knowing Tamil sure helps. Because certains idioms and puns have to be heard in local language.

Growing up on south Indian films, I can hardly stand the hollow pictures churned out by Bollywood. With superficial heroes. Heroes shaving their chests ugh omg!!! Rajni Kanth and Chiranjeevi may be overrated superstars down south, but they are a mere 10% of south Indian film scene. The rest, you have to discover. The magic called Indian cinema can work wonders for you,

I will post the flicks that I have watched since lockdown. Highly and heavily recommended:

  1. Trance  (Mallu)
  2. Charlie (Mallu)
  3. Driving Licence (Mallu) (good)
  4. Anveshanam (Mallu)
  5. Uyarae (Mallu)
  6. Lunch Box (Hindi)
  7. Silsila (Hindi)
  8. Ghar (Hindi)
  9. Kumbalangi Nights (Mallu) (sweet)
  10. Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Mallu) (the best best best, go for it)
  11. Amar Prem (Hindi)
  12. Vikruthi (Mallu) (good)
  13. Thappad (Hindi)
  14. Lift Boy (Hindi) (good)
  15. Kabhi Kabhi (Hindi)
  16. Anand (Hindi)
  17. Captain Philips (Hollywood)
  18. Avatar (watched a 1000 times)
  19. Choti si baath (Hindi)(sweet)
  20. Kaadhalum Kadandhu Pogum (Thamizh)
  21. Nadigaiyar Thilagam (biopic Tamil)
  22. Khatta Meetha (Hindi) (sweet)
  23. Padman (Hindi) (unmissable)
  24. One Child Nation (documentary)
  25. Helen (Mallu)
  26. Unda (Mallu) (one of the best)
  27. Badla (Hindi)
  28. Sui Dhaaga (Hindi) (one of the best)
  29. Life in a metro (Hindi)
  30. Wild wild country (documentary) (Netflix)
  31. To Let (Tamil)
  32. Varane Avashyamund (Mallu)
  33. Chandana – the daughter of the Elephant whisperer (Sinhalese) (documentary)(for elephant/wildlife lovers) (Prime)
  34. Mahout: the Great Elephant Walk (Documentary) (Prime)
  35. Mom (Hindi)
  36. Palm trees in the snow
  37. Visaranai (Tamil) (violence content)
  38. Sillu Karuppatti (Tamil) (sweet, unmissable)
  39. Rajnigandha (sweet)
  40. Shakuntala Devi (Hindi) (by far the best, best, best)
  41. Sufiyum Sujathayum (Mallu)
  42. Aakaashantinte Niram (Mallu) (slow pace)
  43. Good news (Hindi)
  44. Parineeta (Hindi)
  45. Stories by Rabindranath Tagore (Netflix)
  46. A suitable boy (Netflix)
  47. Soorarai Potru (Tamil) (inspired by true story)
  48. Koob surat (Hindi)
  49. Masaba Masaba (Netflix)

In my watchlist:

  1. Bangalore days (Mallu)
  2. Super Deluxe (Tamil)
  3. Joseph (Mallu)
  4. Lucifer (Mallu)
  5. Thanmathra (Mallu)
  6. Hindi Medium (Hindi)
  7. Anjaam Pathira (Mallu)
  8. Maheshinde Prathikaram (Mallu)
  9. Thannir mathan dinangal (Mallu)
  10. Thondi muthalum drikshashiyum (Mallu)
  11. Pranjiyettan and the saint (Mallu)
  12. Nandhanam (Mallu)

Other Tamil flicks I recommend: (no Art/Award film):

  1. Papanasam (2016)
  2. Sindhu Bhairavi (1985)
  3. Anbe Sivam (2000s)
  4. Saivam (recent past)
  5. Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaayaa (2000s)
  6. 96 (2018)
  7. Kaadhal (2000s)
  8. Asuran (caution: violence content) (latest)
  9. Kalyana Agadhigal (1980s)
  10. Poove Poochoodavaa (1980s)
  11. Autograph (2000s)
  12. Pirivom Sandhippom (2000s)
  13. Aval oru thodarkadhai (1970s) (b&w)
  14. Avargal (1970s) (b&w)
  15. Apoorva Ragangal (1970s) (b&w) (print not good)
  16. Aval Appadi Thaan (1070s) (b&w)
  17. Oru Nadigai Nadagam Paarkiraal (1970s) (b&w)
  18. Sila Nerangalil Sila Manidhargal (1970s) (b&w)Thanneer Thanneer (1980s)
  19. Raja Parvai (1980-81)
  20. Thunai (1980s)
  21. Keladi Kanmani (1990s)
  22. Kumki
  23. Thillana Mohanaambal (never tire of this classic) (1950s) (eastman colour)

After watching these, let me know why we need Hollywood at all. None of these come under Art film category. Rather, box office hits. Indian regional films can be real good. Sensitive and sensible portrayal of characters. Screenplay and direction a cut above the rest. Great editing with class cinematography. For the art of story telling, you only have to watch ‘Charlie.’ We don’t make sci-fis here sorry. We live in the present, logical world. Not imaginary, illusory. South movies not to be judged with Bollywood eyes. Let me say this, most of the nice and agreeable Hindi pictures have been remakes from south. But I do love mega movies of Bollywood like Padmaavat, not denying. For relaxation at home without headache, for making you pause and think and self-reflect, to be at peace with yourself, to feel good about yourself – you need the south Indian pictures. Bollywood to me mostly is junk. There have been some nice, thoughtful ones like those of Vidya Balan for instance, but a vast majority is utter crap. I am used to watching tanned mustached unruly Tamil heroes with dusky oily haired heroines because, that is how my folks are. I can’t palate the ‘Zindagi na milegi dho barah’ nonsense sorry. It is not my world. I will never belong there.