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On the Discipline of Writing
As a kid, I knew no one personally who was a writer (now that sentence sounds so convoluted, did you think so as well? Hmmm.). So I always thought that being a writer was some kind of a divine calling. Like you are a person who shuts himself in your room for hours on end, and then emerges out with a book or a chapter, or something. Writing takes ( Read more... ) -
Thoughts that Meander
As I was finishing up my evening meditation, a whole series of thoughts entered my mind. They were familiar meanderings but this time around, they were clearer, more compact and cogent. I have often tried to evince an interest in Indian politics but each time I venture closer to the subject, I am reminded why it makes me want to run away and hide. ( Read more... ) -
An Unlikely Feminist, A Proud Daughter
In the good old days, when 'Kaun Banega Crorepati,' India's version of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' began beaming into our homes, it was a common question that the host Amitabh Bachchan posed to all contestants. He asked each one of them, " What will you do if you win a crore?" Many men responded readily, "Go on a date with Aishwarya Rai!" ( Read more... ) -
Performance Jitters and Complete Joy
I wonder if any of my friends would believe me if I told them that I was Shatrughna one time. And Dusshaasana too. Both male roles, all bravado and swagger, no feminine graces or smiles. As Shatrughna, I was destined to be defeated at the hands of my young nephews. But I gave that fight my all, ultimately getting routed by the two youngsters who ( Read more... ) -
Tripping on Gratitude
Daddy told me a little story about Albert Einstein. A reporter asked Einstein, "What is the one thing that, in your opinion, mankind lacks today?" or something to that effect. Einstein replied, "Gratitude."
Going online to learn more about Einstein and gratitude, I chanced on a bunch of quotes, attributed to the master physicist himself. Not ( Read more... ) -
Shy Lover
Yes, the one who blushes furiously, who wears her emotions on her face. Whose lips are constantly curving upward. The one who is so open about her feelings, yet can hardly say a word about them. Whose eyes drop downward as they come close. Who cannot meet the beloved's eyes without going red.
There is something oddly sweet, hopelessly endearing ( Read more... ) -
Always, Everywhere
Being part of the Art of Living Foundation for some years now, it is common to hear - "Oh, when did you meet Guruji? Wow, that's amazing, you lucky guy! You met Guruji in the 90s? Wow! It must have been so amazing those days, right? So few devotees... and now wherever Guruji travels, hundreds of people show up! Wow, you met Guruji when you were 16 ( Read more... ) -
Been waiting for you all my life, Darling
One of the earliest films I remember watching in this young life of mine... :)
Nokkethadhoorathu Kannum Nattu is a movie starring the lovely Padmini, Nadia Moidu, Mohanlal and a bunch of others. The film is funny-sad-hilarious in parts. An old woman lives a solitary existence, waiting for someone to come ring her doorbell. Where is her family? Who ( Read more... ) -
Brokeback Mountain
What can I say about Brokeback Mountain that hasn't been said already? That it is a love story, sweet and tender? That it is heartbreakingly sad yet beautiful? That it is a must-watch?
I saw the movie, couldn't get it out of my head. Finally got my hand on Proulx's story, read it twice one night. The movie is as sparsely laid out as the book, very ( Read more... ) -
The Help and The Help
Finally watched The Help, a couple of months after reading The Help.
What can I say? I know the old argument about how a film can never, within its constrained length, hope to describe what an author has unlimited pages to do. By the same token, the cinematic medium can bring the dullest images to brilliant realization on screen. So there, neither ( Read more... )