Day Light Robbery

Reading in the newspapers about snatch thefts, robbery, rape and murder which seem to occur almost daily in our country...I can't help to think that these are matters which you would think would happen to someone else and not to yourself...until it does happen to you, of course...

My house was broken into last Tuesday. No one was in the house at the time of the incident. I came back from my firm at 7 p.m. on that day and found out that I could not open the door to my house...it seemed to have been locked from inside...I then had to find the keys to the adjacent door...which we hardly use actually, and managed to open the particular door. On reaching inside, I found, true enough, that the door was indeed locked from inside...I didn't see how it could have happen.

At one glance, the living room looked intact...nothing seemed fishy and I still haven't got a clue as to why the door was looked from inside.

I walked to the kitchen and for no particular reasons, turned to glance at the my study room which is located beside the kitchen. To my horror, the ceiling of the room was broken and our ladder was there with debris all around the place. And again in this room too, nothing else was touched. All the things were in its place.

I quickly walked to the other rooms and my fears were confirmed. The two bedooms were in a total mess...my clothes were scattered all around the house...my gold earrings and ringswere gone...my mom's clothes were thrown out of her cupboard too and her cash was gone. It was a sight that I would never forget!

Just this morning, I read the newspaper and there was this news about a guy who murdered a young mother, a 5 year old child and the maid, all for the mere reason of stealing a laptop from the house!

And I was just thinking...Thank God that no one was at my home at the time of the robbery...cash and jeweleries can be replaced but not lives! And to think that there are some insane people out here who don't even know the value of a person's life...that's depressing.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the great mothers out there! And this post is a tribute to my mom, who happens to be more complicated than I am or ever will be...

Roses, chocolates, gifts, delightful lunch and dinners to mothers would all be a norm on this day. As for myself, I lazed around the house and watched all the Mother's Day programmes on tv in addition to doing my laundry, shopping, cleaning, etc. My mom left to my grandparent's place on Saturday...again without informing anyone. Yeah, there's something weird going on at my place.

My mother doesn't talk to me...she hasn't been for the past two months, actually. And I have no clue as to why she behaves in that way. I tried talking to her, asking her questions, but all I get is a brusque reply, or a stare. If it was done by someone else, it wouldn't have taken me a few seconds to give a remark, cynical and sarcastic enough to leave the person with a gaping mouth . But when it's done by your own mother, you just have to bear with it, I guess. So much so, that after a while, I stopped trying to communicate with her...I thought she would cool down or come to her senses but to avail. She goes about the house pretending that I don't exist.

So, on Mother's Day I thought of putting a stop to all these. I bought her a dress which caused me a hefty amount and thought of presenting it to her. Little did I know that she went to my grandmother's place a day before and stayed the night over there.

So I waited for her to be back the next day, that is the Mother's Day. She came back about 8 p.m. with a permanent scowl planted on her face. I wished her Happy Mother's Day and gave her the gift I got her. She looked at me, and said, "Why are you giving me? I don't want it." Off she wents to her room, leaving me in the living room with the gift in my hand and a gaping mouth. So much for trying out my luck.

Happy Mother's Day anyway...

Detained

I was at the court today when I received news that five lawyers were detained for representing 14 other detainees in the police station. And one of them was my former colleague! My God! I was dumbstruck!

How can the police detain lawyers who are there to render assistance for the detainees? Is this what you call freedom for all? Why is it that every single words/criticisms uttered against the government is looked upon as a crime? Does freedom of speech really exist in this country?

I'm frustrated with the government, totally frustrated! Agreed that we are not having political crisis as in Sri Lanka or Thailand...agreed that we don't have racial riots as in India...agreed that we don't need to live in fear as in South Africa...but is that all that we need in life? Don't we need the freedom to choose our leaders? Don't we need the be given the right to criticise the government which we elect? Don't we have the rights to protest if the government is doing what is clearly wrong? Are we too naive and ignorant to waive these rights?

Uyire

Ok, by now, everyone would now that I'm fanatic of Maniratnam's movie. I love his films, in fact, I could go on watching his films over and over again....at times even lingering over a particular scene just to watch the finest details of his work. He's magnificient! Just amazing...but then, that's my opinion.

Recently my friends and I went to the local DVD shop looking for the latest Indian movies out in retail...we didn't find anything interesting, but then I came across Maniratnam's Uyire (originally made in Hindi as "Dilse"). I remembered purchasing it many years back, when the movie was still the talk of the town...so my guess was, it must lying somewhere in my room.

True enough, I found it in my wardrobe the very next day...I don't know why, I just had the urge to watch it again, and so I did!

I still remember that when uyire was first released, everyone was letting out their frustration and disappointment at how bad Mani's first Hindi venture turned out to be, and that the movie was too depressing and there's no story, blah, blah, blah...

I don't know why but I liked it and now, after having the opportunity of watching it after many years, I found that I not only like it, I LOVED it! Yeah, so I'm different, maybe complex even.

I don't know where to start on Uyire actually...whether it's the direction, camera-work, editing, dialogues, acting or music...everything and everything spelt CLASS in capital.

The story is very simple actually. It's a journey of a man in love...what he goes through and what he endures to get the woman he loves...a classic love story having a political element as its backdrop.

It's a story of a young reporter (Amarkanth Varma) at All India Radio who meets a young woman at the railway station. He falls for her beauty and tries to gather a conversation with her but to no avail...the girl tells him to get her a cup of tea and while he's gone to do so, she alights on the next train available and leaves. Amar has no clue who she is or where she's off to and could only watch in despair as the trains leaves him behind....

Amar arrives at the Radio station and goes about doing his job when out of the blue, the girl appears before him again. Amar, not wanting to let go of this opportunity, tries to talk to her and again she scoffs at him and leaves the place.

Then the chase began...Amar sees her at different places and at different situations...she is mysterious but at times she seems to reciprocate to his feelings too, and he...well he seems determined to get her...to the extent of asking her to marry him, eventhough he has no clue of who she is. The only fact about her that he knows, but of which authencity he could never verify, is her name...Meghna.

However, Amar's journey in love with Meghna comes to an abrupt end when she disappears one day never to come back again, or so he thought.

He leaves the place to his hometown as a changed man...with a broken heart.

His mom aranges for him to get married to a bubbly girl (Preethi) and though he's reluctant to the marriage, at one point he relents and agrees to get married to Preethi.It was during his engagement that another shock awaits him...the mysterious girl, Meghna, arrives at his doorstep, looking for him! And on top of that, she wants a place to stay and a job at the radio station where he works...Amar is now in a dilemma...at one side he's about to get engaged to the girl of his family's choice, and at the other point is the woman of his heart but whose identity remains a mystery...and what he does? He goes on with the engagement and at the same time gives Meghna a shelter under his roof and a job at the radio station.
Amar seems less excited with his impending marriage to Preeti and more frantic to know the real reason of Meghna's disappearance and her sudden arrival...and the more he finds out about her, the harder the truth shocks him. Amar's shock is not shared by the audience though. The audience knew that Meghna was a member of the suicide bombers at the interval itself. But the reason why she turned to be one, is only told much later.

It is here that Maniratnam brings us to the other part of the world, which is full of terror and cruelty...Mani shows how the war brings the worst out of humans, how a young girl is raped and the trauma she goes through and of which she never gets over with, how children became the victims in the war-stricken state and eventually how these same children are recruited to become terrorists and fight for the separation of their land from India.Amar empathises with Meghna's situation but he also understands that turning into a terrorist or a suicide bomber for that matter is not going to change anything. He pleads with her to leave everything behind and to start a new life with him...afresh, but she refuses...

Meghna proceeds with her plans to become a suicide bomber in a procession...the authorities finds out about Meghna's true identity and they chase after Amar, believing that the latter has a part in Meghna's plans...Meghna's allies finds out about Amar and chases him as well...Amar runs for his life, runs for the life of his lover, frantically finding for ways to save Meghna...

In the climax scene, Amar finally gets hold of Meghna who's paving her way to the procession...It was the last day of her life. He pleads with her for the last time to abandon her plans, but Meghna's mind is made up...It was at that point that he decides to die for her...with her. Amar pulls her towards him and begs her to take him with her...He knew that he has reached the point of no return and that sacrificing his own life for the woman he loves is the only way to prove of his depth of love towards her.They hug each other for the last time and even at that point he keeps asking her if she ever loved him...and tears was her only answer. The next second the bomb blasts and the two dies together...for love...perhaps.

The movie was realistic and poetic all at the same time. I thought Shah Rukh was mind-blowing. After watching all his pathethic roles in Duplicate, Dil To Pagal Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai etc., this film is a proof that Shah Rukh is a born actor, if given a chance...He's amazingly energetic, surprisingly funny and violently emotional...I loved the scene between Amar and Meghna, the night before the latter's disappearance...and the way his expressions changes when he tells about his likes and dislikes in her, is magical.

And the scene in the climax, when he begs her to tell him that she loves him is lovely...you can feel his disappointment, his frustration and his longing...

Preity Zinta in her debut film is truly lively. She's like a livewire...chattering and giggling...she brings the laughter and light to the eyes of the audience...my favourite scenes featuring her...the scene in the bus when she ask him to say a lie about her, and her introduction scene, at the balcony where she talks about her former boyfriend.But all said and done...the movie truly belongs to Manisha...I loved her in Bombay, but here, as the mysterious Meghna...she's just amazing. The hurtful glances, the anger that she bottles up in herself...she's amazing. She does not have much dialogues in the movie but her expressions says a lot about her...The scene where she goes hysterical and could not move her jaws was just priceless...you just have to watch it to know how great an actress she is.Since the movie was originally made in Hindi, dubbing played a major role in the Tamil version. Arvindswamy dubbed for Shah Rukh's character and my, what a dubbing! I don't think he would have dubbed so well even for himself in any films. Here, his voice (though quite ill-suited for SRK) plays a huge role...the time when Amar talks at the radio station...even the finest sounds which Arvind gave were so fantastic! And the time he's being chased by Meghna's allies towards the climax scene...the way he keeps hitting himself and telling himself not to sleep...boy... Arvind's voice modulation was too good.

I'm not sure who gave voice for Manisha though...some said it's Suhashini, some said it's Anu Hassan...whoever it was, the voice gelled well with Meghna's character. It was definitely a full contrast to Arvindswamy's loud and spontaneous voice.

About the music....I have no words... A.R.Rahman's best work...even to date! From the fast and pacy Thaiya Thaiya...to the mesmerising Kannire Kannire...to the soulful En Uyire En Uyire...the heart-wrecking Ponggatrile...and to the beautifully naughty Nenjinile...each and every song will keep you asking for more.

My favourite is definitely En Uyire...the lyrics sums up the whole movie actually...it talks wholly on the journey of Amar's love for Meghna...and when the last verse is played in the final scene..."Inthe kadhalil maranamthan ezhu neelai, ithu illai endral athu deiviga kadhal illai, udel maraikinda kadhal maraipathillai" (The love's seventh stage is death, and if death don't do us apart, then it's not a true love in itself, the body may vanish but true love will never cease to exist)...you just know at that point that Amar's love is finally fulfilled.

Til death do us apart...

I was feeling a little down the whole of today. And the fact that I was just about to regain my health after two weeks of fever, cold and cough has nothing to do with it.

I was actually at the Marriage Registration Department today to obtain certain documents pertaining to my client's annulment and the amount of people queing up and waiting there to get married just amazed me.

Couples and families of different religion and races were scattered all around the department waiting patiently for their names to be called for the registration. There was even a couple who decided to get married at the department but failed to do so as the bride's passport (yeah, she's a foreigner) had expired and the registrar needed them to renew it before their marriage takes place. The poor groom was trying his best to exhaust all means in order to get married today, but all his pleas went to deaf ears.

And amidst all the chaos, laughs and happiness all around, I couldn't help thinking if the happiness would last for a lifetime or if it's just a moment spark as it most often happens.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in the sanctity of marriage. I have immense respect on couples who stick together in both happiness and hardships...but at times I feel that people tend to be more excited at marriage than at being married itself.

My sister recently announced that she wants to get hitched to a long-time boyfriend come June this year. Plus, a colleague of mine invited me to her sudden engagement last week and informed that she would be getting married this July.

I have this great itch of asking my sister if the man is right for him? I mean, I know her boyfriend for many years now, but I couldn't have spoken to him more than 10 words in all these years put together. Not that I haven't tried to but it's just so difficult to put up an intelligent talk with him. So, you can't really blame me when I wonder what my sister would have been talking to him all these while. Plus, my sister is a hot-tempered person and I've seen her shouting her head off at him...that too in front of others...Geez! Is that the amount of respect you have on someone who's going to be your life partner? I mean, I would lose my self-respect if I end up with a person who keeps shouting at me in front of a third person.

Then there was this colleague of mine. She fell in love with someone, but it didn't work out. As she was nursing her broken heart, her parents arranged for her to get married to someone else...who happens to be many years her senior...And on top of all that, this girl went along with everything her parents said and at the same time, hating her would-be to death. Why would anyone want to go on with a marriage that they are not interested in the first place?

Does marriage serves as an escape route whenever a person faces a failure in life? Or is marriage a license to dominate the other partner indefinitely?

I always thought marriage is something wonderful, something sacred and pure. Deciding to share your life with another person because you want to and not because you have to...confused? See, as a human, you can never decide on what sort of parents you want, or your siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. If you have bad parents and relatives, well....that's your karma then. You can't really do much about it, you have to live with it.

But you alone can decide on your life partner. He's the person you've going to spend the rest of your life with...you have to see his face everyday, talk to him, cry with him, laugh with him, and literally live with him...and all because you want to...no one can actually force you to get married...there's no duress here...you make the choice and live with it. So why do people opt to get divorced or annulment after marriage?
Because you just realized that the man is not the right person for you?
Because you can't go on living a lie?
Because marriage is such an eye-opener that you realized that you are better off without it? or
Because good marriages are like dinosaurs...they don't exist?

To me, marriage is a commitment...not to be broken. You don't make commitments easily, but once made, don't ever break it.

But what really triggers couples to retract on their commitments? Misunderstandings? Lack of respect for one another? Why these changes? The world changes, so people are likely to change too...but why is there a change in one's attitude? One's character? One's personality? Why is it that a person who once looked upon you with so much of love and care, has only anguish and hatred in his/her eyes now? Has the world really changed like one claims or have we just not taken some time out to think before making vital decisions pertaining to marriage?

Why should there be a break in a link to the commitment? Why do your spouse who loves talking to you day and night during courting period, hates the very sound of your voice after marriage? Where has all the eagerness of waiting to see your loved one's face gone? How did two people who talked about anything and everything under the sun at one point of time, has nothing more than two words to say now?

This more or less makes me think that people are looking upon marriage just as another happy occasion; a ceremony to be celebrated with family and friends...but marriage is more than that...I never thought highly of people who get married is an extravaganza style...marriage, according to me is an union of two people and to a larger extent, their families. It should be joyful, divine, personal, and at the same time, meaningful to the extent of not losing even an inch of the significance of marriages in the first place. It need not be grand and luxurious...what purpose does a grand ceremony serves really, when two people have decided in their heart to share their life together? Marriage is that...marriage is uniting these two, unknown strangers to lead a life together, the feeling of sharing and caring for a person who is not related to you by blood...that someone who will be there for you because he/she wants to... to know that there's a person in this world, who is no way obligated to you, nevertheless willing to risk his/her whole life for you, who's willing to throw the whole world behind him/her, if that is the only way to be with you...I know, I'm being filmy...but that's what you should feel about your spouse...that's what families are about, isn't it? Wouldn't our parents have done everything under the sun to help us in times of trouble? Wouldn't grandparents compromise their granchildren's taste and style of life even if it's totally contrary to what they believe? Wouldn't children have rushed to their parents the moment they hear a bad news about the latter? That is life...caring and loving each other...and compromises...I still would have let my grandmother to watch her Tamil soap operas, knowing very well that the tempting Lipstick Jungle is playing on Star World at the same time...my sister would have let me have the last piece of the chocolate cake even though she might have crave for it herself...or taking mom for her grocery shopping, even if that's the last thing you wanna do in your life...

So when these care, these love and these compromises can be made for your family members, why not do the same for your spouse? Why should there be a barrier by the name of ego in between of the two? Why should life with your spouse be any different than that with your immediate family members?

Life is not complicated, actually. Nor is it complexed...We are the ones who are making it complicated. Take a stroll in the park and see where you've misplaced the missing puzzle in your life all these while...it is never too late to go back to rectify our mistakes...the only problem lies is when we refuse to take the attempt to do so...