Posted in Political

Who killed Subhasri.

Posted on by veeskitchen

Extremely saddened :

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/anger-and-anguish-social-media-over-chennai-techie-subhasri-subhasree-death-108815

The bubbly young techie who was riding a two wheeler lost her balance and came under a passing tanker, crushed to death (was she wearing a helmet – what a dumb question to ask). Reason: An illegal (political party) hoarding (flex banner) fell on her throwing her off her Scooty. All my weekend enthusiasm seems to have deflated in a single stroke. The irresponsibility and callousness of those in authority is shocking. No word for the angel’s grieving parents. She happened to be my husband’s friend’s kid’s college mate and best friend. A very bright, cheerful kid full of life, reportedly: donning many hats: Software engineer working in the city’s IT corridor, Zumba trainer, linguist and a few more. It is at times like these I completely lose faith in God. Whoever’s kid is that… how can life go on after this… Her parents’ only child…

Lost my appetite totally. 23. Like my daughter. Her parents must be like us…

Posted in Political

Rs 60,00,000 Crore Thorium Scam In Congress-led UPA Regime

Posted on by veeskitchen

Dates back to UPA govt. Ironically a continuing saga till today.

https://rs6000000crorethoriumscam.wordpress.com/

I have received Whatsapp forwards on this to no avail. No political debate on any tv news channel. Silence from Arnab Goswami. I am blank here. No knowledge. Hoping for Republic tv to pick it up sooner or later.

Awaiting more information and investigation on this. No word from even Dr Subramanyam Swami???

Very painful watching this knowing (or rather learning) what is going on in India and how the nation is losing heavily while the common man is fleeced mercilessly. As I do not know much about this scandal, I rest my case. My only counter is a fervent prayer to set right things that are gone awfully wrong.

Posted in Lateral Thinking

Dear VIPs & Media, Please Allow ISRO To Do Their Job

Posted on by veeskitchen

If you think I was happy to see Sadhguru or our PM at ISRO Control room at the zero hour of this 7th September, you are wrong.

As much as I appreciate our PM’s thoughtfulness as to be there when ISRO was about to make history (without a wink of sleep right from the Russia tour), I wish he had rather missed the event (even in the rare case of being invited). I wish the Sadhguru had stayed away as well. The media presence was a menace, a nightmare. True, I was carried over by the hype myself.

My heart goes out to the scientists, technicians and engineers, especially the unassuming ISRO chairman Dr K Sivan who were distracted to maximum degree the D Day with the fuss that must have been generated around the VIP presence. Was it a space agency or circus?

Not that the critical manoeuvre of the Lander Vikram was a last minute job. Chandrayaan 2 has been an ongoing project since July 22nd. Everything was set. Only buttons needed to be pressed for the lander to separate from the orbiter and make it to the moon’s surface. Yet, one cannot underestimate the high level of significance attached to this grand finale. The ultimate climax.

None of us especially those from scientific community were enraged or disappointed. We only became sad. I am married to an engineer and I am mother of an engineer. I know what it takes to execute something with scientific precision. I know the stress levels. I know the men’s sense of responsibility. I know that success could still be all elusive, despite doing everything textbook-correct.

Only if you have a sound academic background can you ever think the way I do.

I read a funny comment on this in social media. It is good that many people share my views, especially working professionals.

A man had posted in Tamil that, ‘beloved parents of a girl may give away their darling daughter in a lavish wedding but that does not mean they have to insist to be present in her suhaag raath!’ It came as a bolt really.

How will a surgeon feel if the kith and kin of a patient insist on being in the operation theater when his cardiac bypass surgery could be underway.

Comparatively, Chandrayaan 1 launch was a low keyed affair drawing minimum media attention. We knew about facts after they were presented by ISRO to the media.

I hear Sadhguru lectures. In one of them, he says how he sought to be alone on his own for a number of days/weeks/years to gain inner consciousness. Or a higher level of consciousness. Solitude seems to be very important to this well known spiritual guru famous for lecturing everyone. Sadhguru ji, can’t you still realize what harm you were doing to ISRO with your unwarranted presence. I have respects for you, but i am not a blind follower. I have contributed to your Cauvery Calling in my permissible individual capacity, but neither will I forget the elephant corridor you took over for Isha. I have been there myself. I have seen it with my own eyes.  My heart did not stop because of the Isha. But it stopped thinking, ‘where will the elephants go.  I do not care about what the Karunya Christian group of institutions is doing. I only know this is not the way of Shiva. I may not be enlightened like you, but I am enlightened enough to have my heart dominate my mind.

Suppose the contractor company MD has to come and sit with the construction worker working on a temporary steel platform erected in the air for a 100 storey building. Dear Prime Minister, what do you think will happen to the poor worker. Civil engineering dare devils. In our culture we don’t even eat well in others’ presence fearing ‘nazar.’

ISRO can do without the glam cheer boys seriously! For them, this is just one more photo-op what else!

I wondered whether I must bare my heart and blog this. Then I told myself, who must I be scared of. I have to be scared of only my Manasakshi. My conscience. I am answerable only to my conscience. Who else must I fear or be answerable to. There are people who all fear and respect. Then there are those who are loved most. I would rather belong to the second kind.

Media too had a very damaging role to play in all this, trying to make a scientific feat into a third rate Bollywood tamasha – all for what? For stupid TRP ratings my foot! Shame on these guys!

DEAR VIPS AND MEDIA, PLEASE LEAVE ISRO ALONE TO DO THEIR JOB!

This minute by minute scrutiny will only make them feel acutely self-conscious and guilty at heart for no reason. These guys have done nothing wrong. They are doing their duty to their best. ISRO is not your fancy fast food restaurant to serve your ego at your whim and fancy.

The success of ISRO must not be allowed to be hijacked by any VIP whoever it may be. ISRO must not share credit for their milestones with anyone – the pride is India’s.

One of these days, who knows Vikram lander might communicate after all. Of the 14 solar days of it’s life, an estimated 11 remain as of today. Anything is possible.

Wishing ISRO all the success in future! One step at a time. I know the pain of hardwork, patience and failure. Nothing is possible overnight. But success will be around the corner soon.

 

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My blog post on Chandrayaan I, India’s first Moon mission way back in 2008 . Chandrayaan 1 incidentally found water on the moon. India discovered water on lunar surface. (with no edit)

Indian Tricolour flies high in the Moon

November 15, 2008

THIS MORNING I WOKE UP TO A BEAUTIFUL HEADLINE NEWS IN ‘THE HINDU’ FRONTPAGE WITH AN EXCELLENT PRECISION PHOTOGRAPH OF THE SURFACE OF THE MOON & WHOLE OF TODAY I SAW TIME AND AGAIN THE MOON IMPACT PROBE (MIP) FROM CHANDRAYAAN IN THE MOON’S SURFACE  IN TV WITH THE FAMILIAR INDIAN TRICOLOR FLAG PAINTED ON ITS SIDES – INDIA HAS ARRIVED ON THE MOON!   AND INDIANS ARE DEFINITELY OVER THE MOON RIGHT NOW TOO!
www.hindu.com/2008/11/15/stories/200811155841010054.htm

November 14th 2008 saw MIP landing in the Moon from Chandrayaan – 1 AND THE INDIAN TRICOLOR FLAG NOW FLUTTERS HIGH IN THE MOON!   Only USA, Russia and European Union flags have so far fluttered in the lunar surface.   Indian National Flag is the 4th national flag to fly high in Chand – the Moon.   “The Hindu” editorial proclaimed that this is 100% an indigenous effort.  It has made us all proud – and ISRO CHAIRMAN MADHAVAN NAIR SAID, IT IS A GIFT TO THE CHILDREN OF INDIA.   For the date of the MIP landing was 14th Nov which  is celebrated as ‘Children’s Day’ by Indian schools – after Jawarharlal Nehru’s birthday.  Nehru, the first PM of independent India luved children.  Nehru ruled from 1947 to 1964 when he died.  Incidentally it was during this period, ISRO was started.   It was, believe me or not, Nehru’s vision that one day Indian tricolor flag should flutter on the Moon.    It was the period when interest in Space began in India.   What a grand coincidence that the Indian MIP should land in the Moon on Nehru’s birthday?

U have no idea what this does to the present GenNext of India – those of my son’s schoolmates who used to talk about working for NASA are now talking about working for ISRO and those govt depts like Atomic Energy Commission of India.   Nodoubt these depts pay worst – but what a pride, what a career satisfaction?   Even i am asking my son whether he is interested in Space sciences.    Catch all Chandrayaan-1 pix at www.isro.org/

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PS: Just learned via Social media, due to precious fuel saving without corrections, the life expectancy of the orbiter has been revised from 1 year to 7 years. Kudos! That is an awesome news indeed but needs further verification.

 

Posted in Lateral Thinking

It’s Okay ISRO, You Are Still The Best And We Are Proud Of You!

Posted on by veeskitchen

Last night was Shiv Rathri for us Indians across the globe. Not only did the resident Indians stay awake, but also NRIs and PIOs spread across continents. The entire Indian diaspora if I may say so. Chandrayaan 2 launched July 22nd from Sriharikota, almost created history. The Lander Vikram separated from Rover Pragyan from the Chandrayaan 2 (the mother satellite in good shape orbiting the Moon) stage by stage in text book precision absolutely following the trajectory of projection. The Rough Break phase was torturous wait for even those of us with not much of astrophysics knowledge. Stage 1 of clearance success, stage 2, success, stage 3, overwhelming success… only stage 4 remained of the tension filled 15 seconds that was more like one hour when we waited with our bated breath for a signal from Vikram … but then followed a lengthy silence from the ISRO Control Room at Bangalore as the radio communication from Vikram snapped… (the landing time was calculated at 1.53 am September 7th)… a billion hearts broke as the nation plunged into despair. The grief was writ large in the faces of ISRO scientists and engineers. Chairman Dr. K Sivan who was in tears was embraced by an emotional Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji. What a moment to live for.  The final crowing glory that was denied, no more mattered.

So is Chandrayaan 2 a failure? No way! Only 5% of the Mission was lost with losing contact with the Lander Vikram. Chandrayaan 2 will be orbiting the Moon for the next one year, its estimated life. The orbiter has already beamed pictures of space, Earth and Moon back to ISRO center. India was attempting in this second Moon Mission of ours to soft land on the polar end of the Moon where so far no other nation (of the four to five countries that have their flags on the moon already) had dared to venture. It was risky and the probability of failure was very high. It is almost the dark side of the moon. India’s first Moon mission Chandrayaan 1 landed its probe near the equator of the moon, favourite landing spot for astronauts and other landers.

Chandrayaan 2’s lander Vikram was as close as 2.1 km from the surface of the moon where it should have landed. Whether it crashed or what happened to it will be revealed only through the scientific data. It is impressive that our scientists, technicians and engineers have given us such a precision in landing. Down there lies mystery that so far mankind has not known of. Unexplored space. Simply anything is possible.

 

Anyway, all is not lost yet guys!

https://www.livemint.com/science/news/-95-of-chandrayaan-2-intact-as-orbiter-flying-around-moon/amp-1567808505257.html?fbclid=IwAR04oc2ARHhIYW4mA8mX0-H8G1kUi8zPCjTcWPYaQMOl2_ak373zk8yS-Vg

But I can feel the heaviness at heart. Bravo ISRO team! You are the best and you will be back with a bounce sooner than we can expect!

Posted in Environment

Say A Big ‘NO’ To Birth Control For Indian Elephants

Posted on by veeskitchen

Govt of India authorized the Environment Ministry to carry out family planning on Indian Elephants ?

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/environment-ministry-plans-to-use-immunocontraceptives-for-wildlife-population-management/article28307106.ece

I do not know how to stop this in my limited individual capacity. I am recording simply my unhappiness and disbelief and frustration here because of my inability to do anything about this.

https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/india-elephants-immunocontraceptives-environment-ministry_in_5d6685dbe4b022fbceb43051

Already the Congress govt introduced birth control TO ONLY HINDUS and reduced our population systematically, limiting our family sizes to 1 or 2 kids maximum. Hindu population has plunged since the independence from 90% to 70% today whereas the minorities have more than doubled, trebled. Now is BJP trying to reduce even our Elephant (God’)s population? This is madness.

Mindless encroachment on wildlife habitat and especially on natural elephant corridors linking valleys and underpasses and mountains the way Mother Nature created it, is happening because of hectic industrialization. Can’t we find other ways to avoid human-wildlife conflict. India is home to wildlife especially Indian elephants, single horned rhinos, monkeys, Bengal tigers, Asiatic lions, cheetahs, first and foremost among other flora and fauna, and then finally to homo sapiens. Because even if we humans perish, nature will continue to have its way.  This wildlife is God given gift to India – and this beautiful nature. Are we even worthy of such a precious gift.

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Connected Read: https://vijiravindran.com/2017/02/12/stop-cruelty-to-elephants-in-the-name-of-religion-now/

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I request PM Shri Narendra Modi ji to immediately look into this affair and stop any such horrific plan on its tracks to introduce family planning to the jumbo family. Modi ji,on this Ganesh Chaturthi day, I submit to you this humble plea. Save the Indian Elephant. Please do not enforce birth control on any form on our wild life especially our elephants. Cannot imagine India without our elephants. Can you imagine India without Ganpati Bappa?

Elephants are endangered species already. While wildlife lovers are worried about their dwindling population, it comes as a rude shock that our government is actually planning to control our elephant population. Elephants have none to argue their case or champion their cause. Already domesticated (temple)/captive elephants are denied their right to mating. Forced to feed on imbalanced diet such as too much sweet (sugarcane and jaggery) for instance, leading to their ill-health. Their spirit broken and crushed, chained and enclosed in claustrophobic small spaces. Separated as calves from their herds. Is this not cruel enough. In the wild, every single day, an Indian elephant dies a torturous death either stepping on an animal trap or brushing against an electric fence of a farmer or hit by a speeding train along the railway crossing. Is there none to listen to their anguish. What a heartless society we have become.

I will watch out for any roll back on the government order.

Posted in Political History

What An August For India!

Posted on by veeskitchen

How August 1947 was, we never knew. Down south, hardly any ripple about the partition was felt. From what I learned from stories told and retold in my younger years, from the only transistor (public property) in Luz, Mylapore, the All India Radio broadcast Jawaharlal Nehru’s famous speech ‘when the whole world sleeps….’ – of the oft-quoted ‘Freedom At Midnight.’ Hundreds of men had gathered there waiting for hours to listen to this historic speech that was tuned to maximum volume. ‘National flag hoisting in schools and offices next day which was declared government holiday (August 15th) followed by sweets distribution, then all went home. Next day business as usual with schools reopening!!!’ is the exact way the Independence Day August 15, 1947 was described to me. As uninteresting as that!

72 years later, August 2019 is being a different one. Our Independence Day this year was a buoyant one, no doubt. What a journey this has been for India. A short recap of this whirlwind month of August’19:

CENTRE SCRAPPED ARTICLE 370 AND ARTICLE 35A GIVING SPECIAL STATUS TO JAMMU & KASHMIR ON AUGUST 5TH, 2019. LADAKH BECAME A DISTINCT UNION TERRITORY. FOR THE PRESENT, JAMMU & KASHMIR TO CONTINUE TO BE A UNION TERRITORY, TO BE RESTORED WITH STATEHOOD IN TIME. WITH THIS, THE NEHRU BLUNDER WAS RECTIFIED BY BJP PRIME MINISTER SHRI NARENDRA MODI’S GOVERNMENT IN A SINGLE STROKE. HISTROY REWRITTEN, HISTORY MADE! AFTER 72 LONG YEARS, JAMMU & KASHMIR WAS INTEGRATED WITH THE UNION OF INDIA.

CHANDRAYAAN 2, INDIA’S SECOND LUNAR MISSION, LAUNCHED JULY 22ND, CONTINUED ITS VOYAGE TO THE MOON, BEAMING THE FIRST SET OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF EARTH & MOON THIS AUGUST. AT LEAST TWO INDIAN SCIENTISTS HAVE THEIR NAMES ETCHED IN THE MOON NOW: SISIR MITRA AND VIKRAM SARABHAI, FOUNDER OF ISRO, WITH LUNAR CRATERS NAMED AFTER THEM.

Who is Sisir Mitra? The Scientist That ISRO Just Named a Lunar Crater After

INDIA’S PV SINDHU CREATED HISTORY BECOMING THE FIRST INDIAN TO WIN THE WORLD BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS (BWF) ON AUGUST 25H, 2019

INDIA AT G7 ON AUGUST 26, 2019 ON INDIA’S TERMS.

Earlier, our Prime Minister was also presented with highest order of awards by the UAE and Bahrain- two of them in a single day. This takes the count to 6 – the number of islamic nations that have honoured Shri Narendra Modi with their highest civilian awards.

Wonderful!

The other side:

INDIA LOST SMT SUSHMA SWARAJ, EX HOME MINISTER – INVALUABLE ASSET TO THE NATION, ON AUGUST 6TH 2019

INDIA LOST ARUN JAITLEY, EX FINANCE MINISTER ON AUGUST 24TH, 2019. JAITLEY WAS THE MAN BEHIND GST.

Two gems lost in a single month from the crown. This is not just BJP’s loss, this is national loss. With them, BJP and the nation have lost three precious sons and daughter of India including Manohar Parikkar who was our ex- Defence Minister. Irreparable loss.

What an August this has been for us. In between, there was the telecast of ‘Man Vs Wild’ featuring PM Modi with Bear Grylls in the Discovery channel. It came as a breather. None of us anticipated August 2019 to unfold this way. It has been one roller coaster ride for us Indians.

Neither is Rupee doing great. Once again after over an year or two, INR breached the 70 rupee mark against dollar, thanks to China-US trade spat. Markets are not good. Manufacturing slowing down. Registering Production losses and lay-offs. Monsoon mayhem everywhere in India except for in Chennai where it’s raining for a month now to no avail. Some gains and some losses.

We in India cannot say that the Amazon fires do not concern us. The enormous impact the fires will leave on our very existence in future is worth making the issue our top priority.  My humble request to everyone who cannot directly do anything in his/her/their lone capacity to put off the raging fires: say a small prayer for Bhooma Devi, Mother Earth. Pray for quick extinguishing of fires. The array of flora and fauna lost to the fires is unimaginable! The loss of habitat for the wildlife and the native tribes is worse. There is every reason to believe this is corporate managed which makes this whole tragic affair a sordid one.  Still, in whichever forum you can, please put in a word about the Amazon – Brazil and Bolivia fires. The fires now encompass nine Latin American nations. Wherever you are, write/add/speak a word about wildlife, environment, water resources, pollution. Thank you! You won’t be making a penny out of this probably, but neither will you be losing one!

Now what does September have in store, I wonder.

Posted in Extras

Political Memes

Posted on by veeskitchen

Compiled from Google Images. Reproduced here without prejudice. None of this is mine. Will keep updating. These memes got me ROFL !!! So sharing here in this space even if most may be already doing rounds in social media. By descending order. From latest to oldest.

Posted in Environment

Best Gift On World Elephant Day: Man vs Wild with PM Modi and Bear Grylls, on Discovery HD

Posted on by veeskitchen

What a man! Interesting to watch one of his many facets that make him what he is today.

Walking the Jim Corbett with Bear Grylls – doing this at his age even if with invisible security cordon, is a feat. Yoga must be his fitness secret.

Luckily no wild elephant or a Bengal tiger crossed their path although PM Modi was quick and sharp enough to spot elephant dung in the thick bush. His observation is very good obviously. Wildlife spotting is not really that easy. In fact I have always spotted wild elephants both in Kerala and in Tamil Nadu only in the shoulder areas adjoining the national parks. Wild animals do not know of or respect man-made boundaries. Animal/bird watchers also must have immense patience for any ‘sighting.’ Rare are lucky spottings.

I caught my breath as our PM boarded the haphazardly hand-built coracle (by Grylls) (what we call parisal in Tamil). I recently took a (plastic) ‘parisal’ ride in Kodaikanal where the lake depth was not much. Still the risk of tipping over is enormous. In his age and position, I got alarmed and wondered aloud, whether the PM must be doing that. Of course, his security must have been hovering in the background. The coracles originally made of bamboo are very popular with rural Indians when it comes to river/lake crossings in lieu of boats. They come in handy especially when the river depth is not adequate for boating and the river width is easily navigable.

Fully drenched in rain, PM Modi was treated with as much affection like a son by Grylls. That was heartwarming. The PM answered back Grylls in Hindi for the benefit of all Indians including those who may not be knowing English.

To one of the questions on keeping India clean, Modi ji replied that Indians have good personal hygiene but lacked social hygiene. He couldn’t have put it more aptly. That is a 100% true fact. I realized this during our days in Malaysia. We Indians or those of Indian origin showered maximum. The Chinese went to work straight from bed and showered late in the evening. Showering too many times they believed, could get you cold and make you sick! Yet the Indians stank and the Chinese looked better. Probably this body odour is in our subcontinent gene! We Indians sweat more compared to many other races. Many friends and relatives have remarked on this aspect as to how we Indians maintain better personal hygiene. Yet our breath smells!! When it comes to social hygiene, we draw a big blank almost. Just look at the airport restrooms! You just cannot teach the concept of dry toilets to our masses! Water, water everywhere! Never mind, now many in the west are of opinion that wet toilets (meaning those fitted with hand faucets) are more hygienic, less infectious and environment friendly than those with toilet paper roll! In Yoga centers in India, you can see only Indian squatting toilets used by even foreigners comfortably. Its good for your knees and it is regaining its status. May be one day as they say coconut oil and groundnut oil are actually good (after denouncing them for years that is), the west will come around to this point. Even the way we measure hygiene is different in both worlds. That said, India leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to keeping the nation neat and clean. It is a social consciousness, not a government job. Still, ever since Swachch Bharat was introduced by Modi, I notice a welcome change. Even if it is not a lot, it is good and holds promise for a better future.

The conversation was kept minimal and interesting, going with the flow of the nature trail as Grylls and Modi walked through the tall bushes towards the river.

Normally I hope and look forward to wildlife spotting but today I was anxious!  For once, I wished the tigers and the elephants stayed away! Remember it was none less than the Jim Corbett! The weather seemed awesome and amiable. Untiring, more than anything else. I am sure the rendezvous and the trail itself were handpicked and combed and checked out in advance. That may account for no chance encounter with the mighty Indian elephant or the Bengal tiger by the adventurous duo. Or even the venomous snakes.

The dollops of flashback from PM’s life right from his childhood told in his own words lent the show some extra spice. What a humble background and what an austere brought-up PM Modi has had. What a contrast this is from the spoilt Nehru-Gandhi lineage. His ascension to power is not surprising. The spark is still visible!

Critics of course will say, this is all stunt. So be it. Neither I care nor does Modi Ji hahaha!  He is daring as only he can be. And he is curious. Very inquisitive. Open to learning. Not afraid to ask questions. Or try the turf. Not embarrassed an ounce! Comfortable in strange surroundings. It is easy to see why he is what he is and where he is today.  India is truly a very beautiful and diverse and rich country! I am proud of my nation in every way and all ways possible! Grylls seems to share an affectionate bonding with India as well…

However I would request our PM to stay safe in future and let this be his first and last adventure in unchartered territory. As Bear Grylls himself says, PM Shri Narendra Modi is the No.1 and most important man in the country. Precious, priceless gem. We want him to live a 100 years and if possible 200. Please take better care of your health Prime Minister, India loves you. Love and adore your spirit and your sacrificing self. Sometimes I even wonder whether we Indians deserve such a committed man.

My personal request to you Mod ji, is to ban elephants from our temples and palaces and processions and tourism industry and conserve them in our forests. This way, you will be ensuring that Ganpati lives on for 100-200 more bargained years before going extinct (which will happen eventually in under 300 years. Of course, this will earn you the wrath of Kerala Devaswoms, Mysore and Rajasthan palaces and tourism industry. But Lord Ganesha will bless you and the nation. If anyone can do it, it is you Prime Minister. Believe me this has nothing to do with the Church. And even if this is a conspiracy theory by the missionaries, you will still be extending a fresh lease of life for the Indian Elephant. If you don’t, our grand children from 2100 will not be seeing a single Indian elephant in flesh and blood.

Posted in These Are A Few Of My....

Fave Films

Posted on by veeskitchen

Nobody asked for my fave pictures but I wanted to write the list down anyways:D Looks like it is a trend. My top 10 all time favourites: (List may grow as and when I remember)

  1. Avatar anyday. Seen it a 100 times, may be a 1000 times. Frame by frame, scene by scene by heart. Never tire.
  2. Lion King. Old one. Animated picture. It is like family film for us. We got to watch it only by 1998-99 for the first time in our new VCD in Malaysia. For months, we went to sleep watching the picture. The latest one is good. But as my now 25 year old son asks, how can you better a picture that is already the best. No scope for improvement!
  3. Personally for me the old film ‘King Elephant’ screened for us in our school auditorium in Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore – where I did my primary was a turning point. Nothing I can recall but it infused, fueled a love for wild life especially elephants in me. Now various versions are available in You Tube but I am not convinced I am looking at what I saw way back then with little girls and boys of that tender age.
  4. Mr. Bean, Tom & Jerry (old series), The bug life, The Dinosaur. Family favourites as we saw them as family as my son was growing up.
  5. Old Black & white Tamil pictures of director-producer K Balachander: Aval Oru Thodarkadhai (she is a novel or serial story common in those days in weekly magazines), heavy theme and way ahead of those times (late 1970s) (family drama)
  6. Old black & white tamil picture of K Balachander: Avargal  (them), ahead of his times (late 1970s) (family drama)
  7. Tamil picture of K Balachander: Thanneer Thanneer (water, water) (1980s)
  8. Tamil picture of K Balachander: Sindhu Bhairavi (1980s)
  9. Tamil picture B & W of Jayakanthan Novel remake: Oru Nadigai Nadaagam Parkiraal (an actress watches a drama) (1970s)
  10. Tamil picture of K Balachander B & W : Aboorva Raagangal (1970s) (rare raag or tune) (far ahead of those times)
  11. Tamil picture of Bharathi Raja: Padinaru Vayadhinile (at 16th year) that saw the debut of Sri Devi, Kamal Hasan and Rajni Kanth in late 1970s. May be not debut but their second films that brought them to limelight . The trio went on to rule the celluloid screen for next 20 years. Stars were born overnight. Sridevi as ‘Mayilu’ , Kamal Hasan as ‘Chappani’ and Rajni Kanth as ‘Paratta.’ A must watch. Director Bharathi Raja and Music composer Ilayaraja too became sensations who went on to conquer the south Indian film industry.
  12. Tamil picture Black & white: Aval Appadi Thaan (she is like that) (late 1970s) ahead of those times
  13. Tamil picture of Kamal Hasan : Thevar Magan (Thevar’s son) (remade as Viraasat in Hindi with Anil Kapoor) (1990s)
  14. The Sound of music. We all grow up with it. Needs no intro.
  15. Titanic: I still cry when Jack dies. Exposes the snobbish arrogance of the rich. Magical love story.
  16. Pretty Woman: Love Vivian to the moon and back and of course Richard Gere. There is so much of kindness and decency and dignity in this film. The hotel manager for instance. What a character. Then the way Gere treats Julia Roberts, respecting her as a fellow human being putting everything else aside. Vivian’s head held high under all circumstances. I like that. The picture comes as a ray of hope, a promise, a dream come true.
  17. Shall we dance: Midlife crisis. Another Richard Gere gold. Most middle age couples can identify with this film. Susan Sarandon, a gem. Jennifer Lopez omg ! Love the Latino dances. Dances can be therapeutic. I do clumsy Zumba myself!
  18. A Lot like Love: Ashton Kutcher! Adore him and his sense of humour! Unfolds in phases. This kind of love is more convincing and practical and sustaining!!!
  19. Pride and Prejudice. Classic Jane Austen. Old is gold.
  20. Little Women. Girls who grow up in all-girls home not with much male company can identify with this picture.
  21. Troy: Omg. Brad Pitt!!! I am like that ant and he is like that walking god whose boot i can’t see, but he is a dream!!! Achilles is demi god.
  22. Hindi pictures: I watch but nothing is heart’s favourite because I am used to watching south Indian pictures with strong storyline, characterization, good editing and screenplay-dialogue-direction, substance sans even make-up at times. That makes it difficult for me to accept Bollywood films even though I enjoy watching a few of them time to time. Tamil pictures too sometimes don’t have logic, but they are still better. Less stupid. More realistic. And also we get to watch the originals while most Hindi films are remakes of south Indian pictures. Love Sanjeev Kumar. For no reason. May be for his smokey eyes and voice.  Somehow he was and is my dream man always! Along with Vinod Mehra. Unfortunately he passed away very early. Chitchor could be my most favourite film from 1970s . Love it for its innocence and sweetness. Amol Palekar, another favourite hero. And of course a younger Rajesh Khanna. May be Shashi Kapoor also 😀 Never action heroes like Amitabh Bachchan. Tamil pictures in 1970s and 80s were way ahead of those times. Even today they may not be palatable to some. What a treat and what a feast to one’s mind’s eye. I can watch them over a 100 times even today in tv. Bollywood went into the hands of Dawood gang with the start of the 1990s that saw the Khans promoted in a big way. This has led to unprecedented levels of decay and quality destruction in the Hindi film industry.
  23. Shawshank Redemption: Years back recommended by my son. Got addicted to this picture ever since! Like it mainly because my son asked me to watch it 😀 also now I like it on my own!
  24. OMG how could I have forgotten Bahubali! India’s answer to Troy! Both part I and part II, with the picture dubbed in Hindi and other state languages. To be watched in Inox/Imax cinemas only – to do it justice. Of the same grandeur was Padmaavat. Prabhas and Rana Dagupathy from Hyderabadas hero and anti-hero in Bahubali became overnight national sensations. What a different breed from the hairless Khans of Bollywood!!! Padmaavat – aesthetically made with the beautiful dusky Deepika Padukone. Period picture. The climax!
  25. ‘Tare zameen par’ – i found the one Bollywood pic made by Aamir Khan who i normally loathe. You will understand this picture when you have grown up along with special children or children with learning disabilities. My  mother taught hearing and speech impaired middle school girls so I could connect with the film. Teaching or training even these grown up teens with functional faculties was not easy. I bear witness. Plus I see a number of ADHD children under autism spectrum these days. It is not easy on the kids or on the parents. Can freak us out, and what must be a happy dreamy life can turn out to be a nightmare for no one’s fault. I would say, these are God’s special children and if we beget them, it means in this janam we have accepted this Karma for a reason. This is our unfinished agenda/life mission. Of course easy to give a discourse until we are in the spot. My heart goes out to the parents of special children first, because the kids themselves remain unaware of their unique condition. ‘Tare zameen par’ deals with very light ‘dyslexia’ which is just the tip of the iceberg. Like step 1 in a 10 or 20 step ladder when it comes to impaired learning/learning disabilities. Extremes are Down syndrome/cerebral palsy for instance. I see them in my life. I am connected to them in my life. I have seen the parents’ denial and then finally their lame submission to destiny. I talk to these mothers. Fathers. Dyslexia and ADHD are nothing really. Not grave conditions considering what I have seen. My heart goes out to the parents first always for their selfless sacrifices.
  26. There are some more like ‘Mundhaanai Mudichu’ (the marital tie – actually the tie of the sari pallu with dhoti in the wedding ceremony as the newly wed walk around the Agni or holy fire) of Bhagyaraj for instance from early 1980s. I can go on and on, but stop here. This family drama set in rural surroundings was the first adult picture I saw. Released when my mother was still around, we girls were not taken to the cinemas by our parents. I got to catch up with it in my standard 10 (rather sneaked to see it) when a neighbour bought a new VCR in 1984. How to tell an adult story without vulgarity, how to crack adult joke that won’t still make you squirm – the picture did it. Excellent screenplay and intelligent humour that became the trademark of actor-director Bhagyaraj. Every teen wanted to secretly watch this so-called hit adult picture in those days! The only tv channel Doordarshan never played it. Finally I got to watch it with peace in tv as India changed, sometime after the turn of the millennium!!! It is still stamped in my mind that this film is adult film hahaha! Watching it these days I recognize the master story telling by the director and low production costs yielding maximum revenue in those times. The way it must be.
  27. Now I shouldn’t be going on… ! The rest that I love, I have here reviewed. From Pariyerum Perumal to 96, the latest from Tamil film  industry. Now real full stop!

As a policy, i switch off a picture if there is too much death, violence etc. Big no to horror pictures, serial murder films, scary movies etc because these leave negative vibes in our home and mind. If I am watching, even my hubby switches off tv whenever such scenes roll. Very disturbing and unsettling these could be even if only fictional. Always for positive vibes. Let’s fill our homes with happiness and contentment. Then there is no need to light aromatic candles! ( I never did that)! Good home food, good classical music and dance and cricket in tv/laptop, good books, good friends – heaven!

Funny part is watching films on tv as family. I remember that if steamy scenes were played, I would change channel. Once my son when he was 8 or 10 took the remote from me and changed channel whenever there was a steamy scene on tv!!! Kids learn from parents.

 

Posted in Political

The Roar Of The Lioness: Sushma Swaraj

Posted on by veeskitchen

SUSHMA SWARAJ: The Prime Minister India Would Not Have  …

Never expected to write sort of an obit for our beloved External Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj who right now is being cremated in Delhi. Almost as popular as PM Modi in diplomatic circles, Sushma made it on her own to the top, no blue blood in politics. She was 67. Not the age to die. She touched many a heart cutting across nationalities, forging closest ties with SAARC countries, serving her best to NRI community and standing tall at global summits with her short but fierce stature. It is not even an year since she became the first Indian minister to be invited to OIC where she quoted from sacred Sanskrit texts to an Arab audience. She minced no words in calling a spade a spade and did not desist from her scathing attacks on terror. No wonder, when most foreign dignitaries mourn her loss, our neighbour Pakistan BLACKED OUT media news coverage on her because, they were the hardest hit by her in world stage. Sushma Swaraj brushed shoulders with world leaders as an equal. She did India proud with her roaring addresses, all the while draped in beautiful saris with kumkum (vermilion) lighting up her bright, cheerful face. Sushma was striking as the bold and confident, yet traditional Indian Nari, the face of Modern Indian Woman.

Listen to Sushma Swaraj at OIC in Abu Dhabi, that made Pakistan, the founding member of OIC skip the meet! Sushma quotes from Rig Veda:

 

Yet, Sushma wasted no time when it came to issuing medical visas to Pakistanis who tweeted her for help. The ex External Affairs minister was easily accessible and approachable to the commoners not only from India but from world over via Social Media platform. She negotiated and rescued hostages and made NRI lives easier forever, streamlining procedures. Her humanitarian side despite the power she wielded won her many hearts from all sections of the society. She will be hard to replace.

Om Shanthi Sushmaji! You will be sorely missed! Many of us fancied you for No.2 after Modi ji, as his likely successor. It is not to be. Why cannot BJP leaders take better care of their health. Second precious gem lost after Manohar Parikar, CM of Goa and Ex Defence Minister. Mother India’s most cherished children.