Thinking Out Loud

A memory long buried, I'm resigned fragile echoes where no voice can find - the truths I fought for, the words left unsaid, a flame that burned but never spread. No legacy carved deep in stone flickers of thought, forgotten, alone a name drowned out in the hush of bars, a soul unseen beneath the burning stars. There is silence now, I do not resist yet the embers breathe, the desire exists a whisper clings to the edges of night yearning for meaning beyond fading light. (It's been a minute since I've revisited the remnants of old thoughts and unsaid words. In retrospect, it's strange how often I live in fragments, leaving behind silent echoes of what could have been said or done. There are times when I think I've moved on, but the past lingers, always present in the shadows, quietly waiting for its moment to be remembered.)

Those who plan to take the intercity (A/C) train from/to Colombo/Jaffna, in future, please refrain from doing so. It may have started off great (what with the reduced travelling time) but I don't think they have cleaned the compartments from whence they started. There were insects (you name the genus; it was bound to be there) crawling all over the compartment and I tried my best to safeguard my belongings (I hope I succeeded). Don't even think about the snacks available in the canteen: they were open to inspection and a good frolicking by the abovementioned insects. If that won't deter you from the food, then the eating habits our good citizens would surely change your mind. Look, I'm not one to have social pretensions and look down on others (and I believe I have a strong stomach), but there is a goddamned limit that should never be goddamned crossed. I never visited the toilet, so in this case let's apply the Schrödinger's toilet thought experiment: The Co...

The phrase "சனியன் பிடிச்ச மூதேவி" harkens back to a time of growing up in வட்டுக்கோட்டை (mostly) and கட்டுடை. It's nowhere close to a swear word (or phrase) but it is so effective where the intended recipient(s) may never recover for years to come. Indian accent, in my most humble and honest opinion, can never match the viciousness (or passion, however you want to look at it) with which the word "மூதேவி" be delivered in the Jaffna dialect. In Tamil films, there usually is a stereotypical retort to மூதேவி: "சீதேவி" or "ஸ்ரீதேவி" (in the மதராஸி dialect, of course), thus rendering the word ineffective and relegating it to a lower, fragile rung in the comedic ladder. My least favourite planet was Saturn. Why? Because the word "சனியன்" is the colloquial term for சனி பகவான் aka Saturn. What if Saturn catches you? சனி பிடிச்சத English-ல சொன்னனாக்கும். Well, once Saturn catches you, you will have to endure more than what Annamalai had...

My thoughts as a stream of consciousness while watching the epically epic, epicasiously epicness of a 3-hour election campaign video... ஸாரி for the break... film(?), Mersal. Only a Tamil film hero would be antagonised for wearing a veshti in a French airport so he could deliver punchlines in Tamil to French airport officials. "வேட்டி இஸ் டமிலன்ஸ் அடையாளம்" அப்புடி சொல்லிப்புட்டு அடுத்த ஸீன்ல ஜீன்ஸ் போட்டு டான்ஸ் (not பரதநாட்டியம்) ஆடுறாக நம்ம தலவலி... ஸாரி for the break... தளபதி (no more இளைய - the filmmakers are adamant on it). Do I smell pizza? "அம்மாவ மாத்த முடியாது." Vijay says at one point. நா அப்பிடியே ஷாக் ஆயிட்டேன் (வடிவேலு reference, because he is in the film). Then ஐ வோஸ் வெரி கன்பீஸ்ட். Then I realised it was not Apollo Amma (மம்மி பாவம், மம்மி பாவம்) but Tamil-Mother-Tongue-Amma (Whew! Less tension, more work). 'Best Punch of the Decade' Award goes to: Boat Club-ல வாக்கிங் போற உனக்கே இவ்வளவுன்னா, Marina-வுல ஜாகிங் போற எனக்கு எவ்வளவு...

"ஒரு கத சொல்லட்டா சார்?" (Shall I tell you a story, sir?) So starts the cat-and-mouse game between the cop (Vikram: Madhavan) and gangster (Vedha: Vijay Sethupathi) that never ceases to amaze you with its numerous twists and turns and leaves you in awe even long after the film has ended. Based on the trailer, you could walk into the cinema expecting a worn-out cop-gangster cliché of a story but (sorry for turning this into clickbait material) what happens next will blow your senses to kingdom come. Nothing is ever in black or white. Vikram Vedha explores the shades of grey (if anyone mentions fifty, I'll punch you in your nether regions) in all of us and whether we show our Vikram or Vedha personality in any given situation and if we are morally right for doing so. Vikram says he will sleep soundly after shooting a bad guy and won't give it a second thought, but will he always be right? What if he kills an innocent? Would he chalk it up to collateral damage o...

He wanted to outrun the car and I let him. He was fully geared up in his all-white tracksuit. I revved up the engine and checked my rear-view mirror. He was gone. I could literally feel my heart pounding against my chest. I heard a thud coming from the kitchen. My mouth turned to sand; I couldn't stand as my legs had turned to jelly. Another THUD! Fear washed over me completely as I stood, stock-still. I finally caught up with him at the butchers' buying meat. 'Hey, I've been waiting a long time.' 'Okay, okay, no need to blow your trumpet. I don't know how you did it but you just beat me only by a couple of minutes.' 'Couple of minutes? I have been waiting for you for the last 200 years!' Somehow I overcame my fear and tiptoed to the kitchen. All the drawers and cupboards were open, yet nothing was missing. Instinctively I looked over to the set of knives and there they stood, all of them, shining coldly in the dark night... All but one. Where wa...

யாழ்ப்பாணத்திலிருந்து கொழும்பு செல்லும் பேருந்துகளில் தேனிசைத்தென்றலின் கானா பாடல்கள்தான் பிரபலம். He reigns supreme... More than ABS brakes. என்னதான் Canon photocopier என்று நானே கிண்டலடித்தாலும் அந்த தேவா-கானா nostalgia எப்போதும் மனதிலும் உதட்டிலும் ஒரு புன்னகையை வரவழைக்கவே செய்கிறது. "ஜிஞ்ஜினக்கா ஜிஞ்ஜினக்கா ஜினுக்குத்தான்... என் ஜீன்ஸ் பான்ட்டு மேல ஒரு கணக்குத்தான்." Besides, I identified with the character in the films that gave brotherly advice (in a song, obviously!) to the protagonist/hero... Usually played by தலைவாசல் விஜய். "கவலைப்படாதே சகோதரா" காலங்காலமாக காதல் ஃபெயிலியேர்சுக்கு (so-called soup boys) தெம்பாக இருக்குமென்று நம்புகிறேன். Deva was a great influence in my teen years. Correct me if I'm wrong, but he was undisputed in the 90's. His music alone drew crowds to the box office. It's great to reminisce now and again. "கானாங்கத்த மீனு வாங்கி..." Over and out.

ஜெயகாந்தன் எழுதிய சிறுகதைத் தொகுப்பு ஒன்றை மட்டுமே படித்துள்ளேன் என்பது மனதை உறுத்திக்கொண்டே இருக்கிறது. வெள்ளவத்தையிலுள்ள பூபாலசிங்கம் புத்தகசாலைக்குச் சென்று ஜெயகாந்தனின் புத்தகங்கள் ஏதாவது இருக்கின்றனவா என்று கேட்டேன். பல முழிப்புகள் முகம்மாறிக்கொண்டன. சரி புதுமைப்பித்தன் (அ) அசோகமித்திரன் (அ) ஜெயமோகன் புத்தகங்களாவது உள்ளனவா எனத் தயங்கியபடியே நான் கேட்க, 'என்ன கேள்விப்படாத பெயராச் சொல்லுறார்' என்று எங்கோ இருந்து ஒரு குரல் கேட்டது. பி.கு. யாழ்ப்பாணத்திலும் தேடி அலைந்து நொந்து நூடுல்ஸாப் போனதுதான் மிச்சம். பி.கு.பி.கு. கொழும்பில் சுஜாதா பிரபலமென்றால் யாழிலோ ஓஷோ, சாண்டில்யன் புத்தகங்கள் மட்டும் அடுக்கடுக்காக உள்ளன. என்ன ஒன்று, கல்கி சுஜாதா வைரமுத்துவின் புத்தகங்களை மட்டும் அள்ளி வந்துவிட்டேன்.

The memes just keep cropping up. The movie is fantastic! The leads are magnificent! The director is amazing! The background score and songs are out of this world! The cinematography is breathtaking! Everyone and everything have come together in a wonderful synergy of almost absolute perfection in Irudhi Suttru, directed by Sudha Kongara and starring Madhavan and Ritika Singh. Story: Prabhu Selvaraj (Madhavan), an ill-mannered, drinking, debauching boxing coach (one of the best in India) is slapped with a false sexual harassment charge and exiled to Chennai to train new boxers. There he meets Madhi (Ritika Singh), a no-nonsense fisherwoman and sister of aspiring boxer Lux (Mumtaz Sorcar). Prabhu notices an aggression and passion in Madhi that seems to lack in others including Lux (as Lux wishes to become a police officer by means of sports quota). He offers to train Madhi who refutes his offer initially, only to take it up when he offers to pay her 500 rupees per day. And so begins the ...

I was surreptitiously wiping my eyes as I left the cinema, overcome by melancholy. I had just witnessed Kamal Haasan's (KH) exploration into his own mortality and superstardom. I have to provide an unbiased review. I should... but the emotionality is so overwhelming I find myself holding back tears as I reminisce on the utterly magnificent "Uttama Villain" (UV). The meta-nature of the film strikes multiple chords with KH's own life. Reality and art become so hard to distinguish, they start to merge as one. The narration switches between Manoranjan's life (as he tries to come to grips with his imminent death) and "Uttama Villain" (the film-within-the-film that parallels Manoranjan's life). The following are rather my observations than a review. Synopsis: An ageing superstar (*cough* *cough*) diagnosed with malignant brain tumour, chooses to act in a film in which the protagonist (Uthaman) inadvertently cheats death and is hailed as a "Mrityunj...

Did OK Kanmani break new ground? No. Has Mani Ratnam pushed the envelope? Maybe. Is Mani Ratnam Back? Yes! Ahmedabad. A. R. Ameen's voice pervades our subconscious with the haunting rendition of "Maula Wa Sallim". Thara (Nithya Menen), a student of architecture, films what seems to be a place of worship. As she pans her iPad, capturing the immense beauty of the structure, she films Aadhi (Dulquer Salman) - who had ingratiated himself in her trip - leaning against the structure. The camera zooms in on her face that registers multiple emotions for a few precious seconds and that is one of the many scenes in O Kadhal Kanmani (aka OK Kanmani, aka OKK) that proves Mani Ratnam leaves nothing to chance to cement his comeback in this most memorable, light-hearted tale of love. A master storyteller can captivate audiences with a wafer-thin storyline with his magic. And who better than Mani Ratnam, a genre unto himself, to pull it off? He has come up with a colourful mixture of a G...

Would you really want to know - - of the faux velvet sheets of a cheap motel room waiting to be burned? Were with them discarded a solitary night of intense passion or the mere warmth of a cold winter night? Would you really want to know - - of the agony of the silence of the lost words of a lost play lying in wait for its author? Were with them unsaid vain verses and solitary stanzas or mere hopes and lavish dreams? Would you really want to know - - of the golden effigy lighting up the starless night crackling with an eerie glow? Were with it burned the lies in the heart of men without a trace, never to be spoken of? Would you really want to know - - of the early morning dreams, of the desolate beach house watching its last silvery moonlight? Would with it crumble, the laughter and sorrows as the warm amber rays of a brand new day dissolve into the quiet ocean? Sometimes it's best to leave them alone - those who leave questio...

Unfortunately. Unfortunately I have to begin this review with "Unfortunately", because unfortunately Tamil film fans who are used to the frenzied expressions of stars with some kind of weapon(s), looking directly into the screen, breaking the fourth wall and our senses, delivering kitschy, out-dated dialogues with volumes set to eleven, will find "Maryan" quite tedious and sluggish. It is quite unfortunate indeed that, while people cheered on an abysmal-at-best Singam-2, Tamil (or any other) film fans have sadly overlooked a technically-sound, engaging (in my opinion) tour-de-force film by Bharat Bala. Does love have the power to move mountains? How does love instigate courage? Is there a limit to human endurance? Watch Maryan to find out. The love story in itself is nothing new. Girl loves boy; boy ignores girl. After a while, boy falls in love with girl. But, the treatment of it, especially the scene when after realising he in fact loves her, Maryan (Dhanush) t...

Terrorism; the word on the lips of many fear-inducing conversations, apocalyptic visions and knock-knock jokes. What is it all about? Kamal Haasan takes this touchy subject as the underlying theme of his latest film "Vishwaroopam", a slow burning thriller, which is more than your run-of-the-mill shootout with an open-ended climax, paving way for Vishwaroopam-2 (hopefully we get to see the sequel). Without mulling over the story too much, which is after all, a classic battle story between the good and evil (but the defining lines are murky), we see the "behind the scenes" of what makes a terrorist, their ideals and the indoctrination of children to make them fight against anything and everything that is not part of the terrorists' belief system. It is a relief to watch fully fleshed-out characters of terrorists (or fighters as they likes to call themselves), whereas one-dimensional terrorists were the norm in most films. The training of Al-Qaeda by the protag...

What makes a good or even great action movie? There are websites to look this up, surely. But, what makes a good/great Tamil action movie? If we were to go by the popular Tamil movie reviewers and audiences (for 2012), Thuppakki (Gun) seems to be the one, edging others out. I despair as prominent director A. R. Murugadoss dumbs down a story that made me want to slit my wrists or moreover kill myself with a thuppakki that Vijay produces in the movie, as an option for one of the bad guys to take his own life. There is a hero Jagdish (Vijay), a silly sidekick Balaji (Sathyan), a sillier heroine Nisha (Kajal Agarwal) and the villain/bad guy/terrorist (what else is new?) with a roundhouse kick which challenges that of Chuck Norris, Vidyut Jamwal (dude has no name; no, not akin to the Dollars trilogy, he's just a puppet terrorist, almost to the point of being cute) and some others who die and some who don't. Story? Hmmm, good guy defeats the bad guy, and in-between he manages to s...

I was eagerly awaiting the release of "Neethaane En Ponvasantham" by Gautham Vasudev Menon (GVM) since the film was announced. The excitement grew tenfold when the music was released (although I would have to admit, initially I was sceptical about Ilaiyaraja (IR) providing the score). Then, on Thursday, the day before the release of the film, I read a statement by GVM online to NOT go into the film with higher expectations. Well, I would have to say that statement along with some negative comments (Thanks Twitter!) DID NOT for one second, deter me from the fact I was excited (to the point of ecstasy even) to watch the film. The screenplay can be summarised as "moments of the relationship between Varun (Jiiva) and Nithya (Samantha) as they navigate through their lives". The moments have been captured beautifully, in a story that may test your patience a bit, but is completely worth the cathartic wait greatly supported by the lead performances and an excellent scor...

Christopher Nolan! What could I say? He has taken a comic book superhero and has delivered the BEST trilogy for years to come. Christopher Nolan has left the Dark Knight series on a high (highest in my opinion) note. The Dark Knight Rises starts off eight years after the previous, astounding "The Dark Knight". Bruce Wayne has shut himself up in his mansion as Batman had to disappear after taking the blame for the death of Harvey Dent. But his retreat is threatened with the arrival of Bane (formerly of the League of Shadows). It is Selina Kyle who starts the ball rolling by stealing Bruce Wayne's fingerprints. From then on, Bruce faces financial crisis, has a relationship with Miranda Tate, gets his back broken by Bane and rises (literally) to defeat evil (you know it is bound to happen) in one of the best finales ever seen on film. If you thought Heath Ledger was the ultimate personification of evil (yes, I do) then, Tom Hardy takes it up a notch with his physique an...

Sorry about the heading. Corny, cheesy or corncheesy it may be, I had to to do it. Do we live our lives in our terms even though others might consider them wrong? Should we live our life to make others happy? Or do we let others dictate on how we should live? Should we not care about how others feel and live according to our rules? Many of us won't like it when someone advises us on how to live our lives. We feel our freedom is at risk here. If we were given the options of living well or living in poor conditions, we would definitely choose to live well, won't we? But, if we were given no options, but to live well, I think most of us would be unhappy, wouldn't we? We love options, don't we? Sorry about all the questions; it is still early in the week to find answers to these psuedo-intellectual questions, but I have yet to meet the "one" with the answers, but that's a whole new ballgame. Why all these musings, one may ask. This was just a by-product of wat...

சில நேரங்களில் எனை மறந்த மனிதரின் முகம் கடந்த உணர்வுகளின் பின் தொடர்ந்த வாழ்வின் ஓர் அத்தியாயம் முடிவுறுகிறது இயற்கை மேல் காதல் கொண்ட இதயம் சுக்கு நூறாக, வெடித்த நிமிடங்களில் எல்லாம் மறைந்த வாழ்வின் ஓர் அத்தியாயம் முடிவுறுகிறது தூக்கத்தின் கனத்தில் கண்கள் மூடி எதுவுமில்லா எண்ணங்களை மொழிபெயர்த்து கண நேரத்தில் உணர்வுகளைக் கோர்க்கும் தருணத்தில் வாழ்வின் ஓர் அத்தியாயம் முடிவுறுகிறது கடந்த காலத்தை அசை போட்டு நிகழ்காலத்தில் மனிதத்தைக் களைந்து எதிர்காலத்தின் மீது அவநம்பிக்கை கொண்ட வாழ்வின் ஓர் அத்தியாயம் முடிவுறுகிறது

For some unknown reason, I like to take photos of dried branches. What does that say about my psyche? Especially with a grey background. On a clear day, I may take such a photo, but I'll be put off at the sight of even a hint of cloud; I just want the pure untouched blue sky. I haven't taken many since. Sunlight seeping through, making a cinematic feel. These kind of photos are rare; I was just testing my phone camera. It was all about the shaky effect, nothing in focus. If these were the photos that summed up my life, I'm pretty much screwed, I think.