Simply Fabulous, I say!

Quick Gun Murugan is brilliant to say the least. With an amazing script and a hilarious storyline,this tale of an entertainingly created and superbly portrayed cowboy super-hero is sure to be one of the year's best comedies.
Cast: Rajendra Prasad, Rambha, Nasser and Raju Sundaram
Director: Shashanka Ghosh

Take the accent and dialogues of one of Tamil cinemas' most famous faces (read Rajnikanth), who is Marathi;add to that the style of a king of the yesteryears (read MGR), who is Malayali; get an actor who is of Teluguorigin to play the part (read Rajendra Prasad) and what do you have? Quick Gun Murugan, yes, but more importantly, one of the best pan-south Indian comedies ever made!

Quick Gun Murugan is caricaturing taken to the levels of a fine art. With elements thrown in from every corner of every state south of the Vindhyas, the accents and stylisations alone can make you pass through this one, thoroughly satisfied. A storyline that is simply the homework of someone who knows what being South Indian really means, be prepared to laugh your head off at the stereotypes represented to perfection.

The performances are amazing too. Rajendra Prasad is brilliant as Murugan. His natural talent for aping the icons combined with his problematic good looks (read Telugu good looks), add up to an interesting mix, that will surpriseyou at every stage.

Rambha as Mango Dolly is fun. She seems to have enjoyed the role thoroughly and that's evident in herhilarious on-screen portrayal of Dolly. I particularly liked Raju Sundaram as MBA. It's been quite some time since we saw his brand of comedy on screen. The out and out stealer is however Nasser. With his Telugu accent and mannerisms, he's sureto tickle the funny bone of anyone who's ever seen a 'mass' Telugu movie. What worked in the English version of the film was the huge chunk of sub-titled Tamil dialogues. Not only did they add extra much-needed flavour, but they retained an authenticity that would have otherwise been lost.

The cameos by Anu Menon(Lola Kutty) and Vinay Pathak were amazing, but Ranvir Shorey as the sansani reporter was the winner! The music stands out all through the film and most of the audience was humming some tune or the other from the filmas we left the show.

This one is an all out entertainer, so take your friends and family or take them each separately,because we're sureyou wouldn't mind watching the movie all over again, several times. I am surely going to!

Mind it, I say!

Mind it! Quick Gun Murugan might be the next funniest thing to hit Bollywood, but to someone like me, I’m not too sure that’s good humour anymore. In what seems to be a trend these days, television and the ad industry are cashing in on the supposed South Indian accent, and making loads of money at the expense of ridiculing a community. What’s wrong in that you say? Well, to begin, let’s talk about the concept. The idea of a South Indian accent, as has been endorsed so brilliantly by Bollywood over the last few decades, is a farce. I will agree that there might have been something similar that was spoken, which in turn was exaggerated beyond recognition into the ugly sounding parlance that is now passed off as South-Indian-speak. Why is that wrong you say? Well, it’s wrong because it’s factually incorrect, as factually incorrect as another existing notion that all Sardarji’s are stupid. The accents in the South are as interesting as accents get. Often as students of language, one cannot but marvel at the way these accents have evolved. Take for example phrases like, ‘Simply Adjust Maadi’ – a phrase that defines a whole generation and the ideology it stands for. Or for example the interesting ‘Tanglish’ (Tamil-English) words that have no English equivalent. I mean can the much-researched process of roaming around an area that houses one’s ‘heartbeat’ be more eloquently expressed than with the usage of the word ‘Suththify’? It’s just a joke, why take it so seriously, you ask? Well, I agree at some point it was funny. The days of the ‘ek chathura-naar’ being the funniest song on television have long gone and the accent that’s supposedly South-Indian over done with half a dozen Mithunda movies. Sridevi actually has a natural South-Indian accent and had to put on a fake, more identifiable South Indian accent for ‘Malini Iyer.’ Who even does that and more importantly why? Lola Kutty is funny and thankfully she’s appreciated for her sense of humour that is only made funnier with the Malabar-Twang, but cross your heart and swear that you’ve only heard Malayalis speak with that far-fetched accent? It’s not like movies haven’t ridiculed accents in good taste! Read ‘Thenali’ or the more recent ‘Dasavathaaram,’ where Kamal Hassan pulled off a brilliant Telugu accent, that was appreciated by several Telugites themselves. Shah Rukh Khan trying to be all South-Indian and funny on the other hand, the lesser said the better. Yes, all the North Indians in the theatre laughed their heads off, while one half of the South-Indians giggled just to please the crowd and the others, like me, swore that Bollywood was the last thing we’d turn to for comedy. Believe me that was a choice well taken. Rajnikanth might be an icon and his way of speaking at times hilarious. What Bollywood fails to realise is that South-India is evolving into a far prouder demographic. We love the way we are and some of us even see sense in our peculiarities, for good reason. With such a wave of newfound self-respect and love, Quick Gun Murugan might not be the best movie for us to be so excited about. Yes, we’ll still watch it and yes we’ll enjoy it, but that’s only cause we don’t mind laughing at ourselves and of course, Bollywood – will they ever get it? But for those of you who are planning to laugh in ridicule, all I’m going to say is – Mind it!

Prevention is better than cure?

“I am feeling faint, I feel sick, maybe I have swine flu, lol :P” read the status message of a friend just a few minutes ago. While I should commend this friend of mine for being so silly and brave while the whole city runs mad with swine flu panic, I also think maybe we’re taking it a tad too lightly. But then again are we? I remember my mother (the ever wise) always saying, “Eat well, and nothing can harm you.” Sometimes I wish it were that simple. A look at me and any one worth an opinion would swear that I am a good-eater and I am indeed! Is that why I don’t fall sick too often (touch wood)? But then, what about falling ill, being apparently poisoned by food, hardly a week ago. “Oh! That’s just bad luck,” my mother would say and I might just have to agree. Food experiences in India revolve largely on the notions of luck.Indians are world-renowned for being tough creatures. Yes, we are a prime example of the human race, evolved in every sense, tough from the inside and the outside. Our food is considered unhealthy, why even poisonous to a few, and yet we thrive and consume kilos of these ‘oriental delicacies’ per day and stay perfectly fine. We actually grow eating it, as much as many westerners might find that surprising. Hygiene is re-defined in the country’s many food-lanes. If it smells ok, the food looks clean and the cook has a smile on his face, the food is safe – any old grandmother would agree. Our stomachs have been lined since the day we were born with layers of protective coatings and most of the time, the old-oil from that last plate of pakodas, wouldn’t elicit a burp while it might have poisoned a whole township in Seattle. We’re tough yes, we agree! Yet, we’re also the same species who will run like wild animals to the nearest hospital the moment an epidemic is announced. “Doctor! My eyes are red, do I have swine flu,” a doctor friend was genuinely asked, by a patient earlier today. Remember Chikungunya? How we all thought we had it? Maybe panicking comes naturally to us, as a people plagued by epidemics for centuries (read the innumerous plagues and virus epidemics we’ve faced over the last few centuries). So maybe, it’s in our blood. But need we worry that much?All I’m saying is, “We’re Indians!” Fine! Be concerned and do keep track of what’s happening to your body, but the next time you feel an itch in your nose, please do take a minute to consider that all you need is a good scratch, not the run to the nearest swine flu center.

Maathey Malayadhwaja Paandya Sanjaathey...

I first heard this beautiful krithi raagam in Morning Raaga and I'm forever indebted to the movie, its makers and everyone who was involved in getting me to watch it, for it has become a part of my daily life... and I just can't seem to pass one whole day without one hearing of this amazing rendition...The following is the link from youtube of the Original Morning Raaga video of the song, which is also the beginning of the movie. What a way to start...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIYFIvhLO98

Here are the lyrics in all the languages I could use to write it in...Hope its of some use to anyone!I know I might have made a few spelling mistakes, especially in the Tamizh version where I was torn between the use of the grantha alphabets or the native equals... I chose the grantha :

மாதே மலைய த்வஜ பான்ட்ய ஸந்ஜாதே...

மாதங்க வதன குஹ ஸஹொதரி ஷன்கரி சாமுண்டேஷ்வரி...

சந்திரகலாதரி, தாயே கௌரி...

માતે મલયધ્વજા પંડય સંજાતે...

માતંગ વદન ગુહા સહોદરી શંકરી ચામુંડેશ્વરી...

ચંદ્રકલાદરી તાયે ગૌરિ...

ಮಾತೆ ಮಲಯಧ್ವಜ ಪಂದ್ಯ ಸಂಜಾತೆ...

ಮಾತಂಗ ವದನ ಗುಹ ಸಹೋದರಿ ಶಂಕರಿ ಚಾಮುಂಡೇಶ್ವರಿ...

ಚಂದ್ರಕಲಾದರಿ ತಾಯೆ ಗೌರಿ...

മാതെ മലയധ്വജ പാണ്ട്യ സന്ജാതെ...

മാതംഗ വദന ഗുഹ സഹോദരി ശങ്കരി ചാമുന്ടെശ്വരി...

ചന്ദ്രകലാതറി തായേ ഗൌരി...

మాతే మలయధ్వజ పాండ్య సంజాతే...

మాతంగ వదన గుహ సహోదరి శాంకరి చాముండేశ్వరి...

చంద్రకలాదరి తాయే గౌరీ...

Betrayed by a Democracy

This is a piece that appeared edited in the MidDay Bangalore a day after the fake encounter... Here's the unedited version...
Pic Courtesy: Tehelka

A quick glance through Tehelka’s exclusive coverage of the fake encounter in Imphal yesterday is a piece of evidence that’s been long pending. Our country is no more a nation but a set of individualistic territories not willing to give up their differentiating identities. Can a nation be more nihilistic? For years as a young Manipuri-Tamizh, I tried explaining my stand as an Indian to groups of intellectuals who always tried to convince me that our country had gone terribly wrong. I wanted to have faith. I wanted to believe in the idealistic India – a country that was a home to many, a nation built on difference, bound by a constitutionally guaranteed equality. I did believe, wholeheartedly, till I moved to Manipur in early 1999. Hardly a month in the state and I realized how naïve I actually was. Nothing seemed democratic in the state anymore. A deteriorating educational system, backed by a powerless government, that had plunged the state into a virtual black age. Troops from the Indian army had taken law into their own hands for a long time by then and funnily enough locals who were in the Indian army also indulged in these acts that can only take one name - Opression. Fine, the local people had asked for a separate state. Yes, they were an armed militia and of course, a few groups were always associated with illegal activities like extortions and abductions – but where was the army being any different? My two-year stint in the state came to and end and I ran back to the south to complete my education. Vague and often muted cries of help did catch my attention, and an occasional Manorama did make it to the national headlines, but that was it. I was blissfully ignorant and content. I spent my time researching culture and falling in love with the India of my dreams. My degree in journalism helped me get involved with the local media and I realized that the inequalities in this country were far too many. My India was no more the place I dreamt it was. It was it's ugly opposite that was the reality I saw. States oppressed communities by holding back infrastructure – read Telengana, and others suppressed the rich cultural heritage of minorities in bargain for a more unificatory identity – read Karnataka. Some states even went to the point of declaring state religions and imposing compulsory prayers in government school like the incomparable Madhya Pradesh. India seemed to be a democracy only in our constitution. The real story was something else altogether. It was hard to make comparisons and decide who was suffering the most. It was however obvious that the only states suffering from nothing less than a central controlled military backed opressive rule were the 3 North Eastern states of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland and Jammu & Kashmir in the North. These regimes were however justified by the government as security measures. The world knows enough about the Kashmir issue, but the plight of the North East is still one of the least reported military backed crime sagas. With the brilliant coverage given by Tehelka on the supposed encounter, it’s now for the world to see how our centre responds. Will the centre care enough to clean up these crimes and give satisfactory explanations to the people of Manipur or like always will they ignore it long enough and hope it disappears like a bad dream? The world is watching and this time the country is watching too – the core of our democratic India is finally being questioned. Can we blame this one on the militia too? And since we’re asking, are we really sure we’re not involved in Baluchistan’s terrorism as claimed? Are we that sure about anything anymore?

My Vision for India

A piece originally written for a magazine article that might never ever get published... Decided to publish it here...

The India we live in, is an India I love; ever changing and chaotic – a quality that’s often inevitable and necessary. Being a 22 year old gay man who has been associated with the media for the last five years – I now realise, know fully well and believe that India, as a democracy, has hope. I, like many others in my age group, grew up in a country filled with hypocrisy, double standards, failing government machinery, under-representation and stark ethnic biases. The country was defined by its several paradoxes, almost like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that would never fit in and yet we thrived and grew into thinking individuals. Representing varied ethnicities from, quite literally, corners of the country; I grew up in a family that imbibed, what I would like to call, ‘true Indian-ness’. We belonged to several cultures, had diverse religious backgrounds and evolved into the Indian who lived in peace and co-existence. We were, to put it simply, the post-independent-unified-India’s perfect Indian family. Language was never our barrier; because we chose a language that was ours and yet not ours – English, that belonged to everyone. The country, for as long as I remember, had violent and vehement identity politics at the very base of its functioning. Be it the less publicised ostracising of North-easterner’s, or the more vocal, obvious and often colour-based South-North divide. Communities that refused to fall under the well-camouflaged, yet widely implemented homogenising processes, had to bear the brunt and still do, by being considered enemies of the majority. Be it the Dravidian movement of the South or the Secessionist movements in the North-east and Kashmir, the only linking character has been the resentment of a culture imposed. The same can be said of the gay community, who even after a legal verdict in their favour, are still being judged, persecuted and pushed to the fringes of society, all in the name of majority politics. Will minorities ever have a right to exist equally? When did the majorities start to matter and why? Or rather, when did this anonymous majority, which does not really have one singular representational face, start feeling claustrophobic by every extra right given to the minorities? Why is there a need to impose a uniform culture in a country that prides itself in its diversity and for that matter why do we have one official Language of India? These questions will never be answered; the answers might just prove how un-democratic we’ve come to be. The future of India is in equality. Till, we as educated citizens of a well-rooted democracy, fight for every right that has been held back, things might never change. I envision India to be the democracy that will show the way to the world. We do have our loopholes in all our systems, but as long as we are motivated to demand what we deserve, the future seems worth-it. The struggle has just begun; we are fighting for a new kind of Independence; an Independence from our devolved selves.
We need to realise that we define India, India doesn’t define us.

Being Gay in Christ.

This is a piece I had written for DNA Mumbai and was published soon after the prides in three cities across the country.

I do not speak as an authority on Christianity’ but as a Christian who defines his life through his faith in Christ. The religion to me is a way of life and my choices, ethics and beliefs are built around the very core of Christ’s teachings. Christianity as I have understood it is a religion that teaches you that love is indeed supreme. As long as two people are convinced that they are in love and are not negatively affecting or influencing anyone else’s existence by being in love, they ought to be allowed to continue to exist in such a relationship. The faith has always called for acceptance and tolerance, always preferring the former. The church, catholic or otherwise, has been against homosexual relationships because as a structured organisation it has believed in their ‘deviance’. The religion as it has evolved looks at the institution of marriage with a rather one-minded approach, that of procreation and since most such supposedly ‘unnatural’ alliances cannot create life, they are deemed useless and even furthered to be sinful. Several interpretative readings of certain passages in the Bible are often used as the basis of this biased reasoning. My only question is, when did our churches forget, that Christ himself accepted. Churches will agree that Christianity is defined as a religion of fellowship, but they seem to forget that often more than not, it is more importantly defined as a religion of personal faith. I believe I am at peace with my personal faith and my sexuality and hence if the people I fellowship with or the church that I worship at have an issue with my sexuality, I will not think twice to disassociate myself with either. The choice at the end of the day is in accepting as Christ would have accepted, or in creating rules based on general biases that keep the ‘different’ out of the church. The church of today will have to consider the future of the religion, the teachings of Christ and then make this important choice.

Madras suththi paakuh ponaen!

I finally visited Chennai and thanks to the unending friendship of someone close, I ended up staying in hotels all through. Good for me. I got to see more of the city this way. As bad as the trip was, Chennai appeals to me and so here’s my list of why Chennai rocks and why it doesn’t. I’ve further added a comparison to Hyderabad, my least favourite city in South India for now, just to make comparisons more interesting!

What I like about Chennai:
1) The quaint white bridges, everywhere!
2) The super cool radio stations that always play my kinda music
3) Road names that speak volumes.
4) The central looking Central Station
5) The green. (It’s a myth that Chennai is not green enough!)
6) The friendly auto drivers, always willing to help.
7) The bus services that seem to run the city.
8) The stretches of beautiful beaches, finally looked after.
9) The street food – Yummy!
10) The fact that whatever happens, the city will always remain heavily Tamizh.

What I hate about Chennai:
1) The fact that every area looks the same! How!
2) That cable TV translates into well… 20 Tamizh channels.
3) The weather!!!!!!!
4) The lack of a Central shopping district/entertainment district.
5) The seeming lack of water.
6) The exorbitant auto rates and the fact that they don’t use the metres.
7) The ancient buses (Sorry! If Bangalore can afford a new fleet, so can Chennai!)
8) The lack of proper restaurants to eat at or the lack of choice thereof.
9) The superb ability of the city to make you feel useless.
10) The madness called life, where anyone can get lost.

Chennai V/S Hyderabad
1) Chennai has a local train system, Hyderabad has a metro rail system that runs on the same tracks but is extremely affordable and efficient – Metro wins
2) Chennai has amazing roads and the dust always seems settled, Hyderabad is a dusty paradise where breathing can become difficult if you’re not used to it – Chennai wins
3) I do not see garbage in Chennai, Hyderabad stinks of garbage – Chennai wins
4) Chennai has the Koovam, Hyderabad has the Moosi – Hyderabad wins even though they both stink terribly
5) Chennai offers more to do all over the city, Hyderabad has too few and all concentrated in a very unappealing area – Neither win! Bangalore wins.

Simply put – Bangalore rocks! :)

கன்றாவி பயலே!

I am angry! Seriously I am, I can’t show it, என் என்றால் I never have been able to, but for the sake of my own sanity, this blogpost is of the necessary right now!

I met this கன்றாவி பயலே long ago, six months to be exact and I fell for him. We became good friends and started singing இளையராஜா பாடல்கள் quite early. Now for a ஜுஜுபி like me, singing all these இனிமையான பாடல்கள்'s is equate to ಲೌ…
I am thinking for him also same to same…
But here’s where it all goes ಬೇಜಾರ್!
Apparently his கணவர் ditched him long times ago and left him a ദേവദാസന്‍. Now that is not my fault. My இனிய காதலன் also did that at least 4 years ago after one സുഖമാന 3 year ళౌ! But I got over it, he didn’t and this is six years after his.
Fine! All that is ok, but so much confusion ಯಾಕೆ?

He says he loves me one week ago, and now he says I have never been the one. I knew that from before wonly. And I always kept distance. But after sharing cot and firsht night like scenario with him, of course little more needs will come no?
Maybe I am too தமிழன் and all these friend with benefits – கூட்டாளி type emotions I cannot grasp… but for that I must get this type reaction ಆ?
Anyway, to close it all… For the సమాప్తం of this decade… I decide to give myself more भाव. He may be cute and he may know all my favourite songs and he may be தமிழ், but that doesn’t mean he is my only வசீகரன். I will find one more ಮನ್ಮಧಾ soon and this time I hope my आशिक stays with me என்றென்றும்!

Aditi makes my day!

It’s his birthday today and for the first time in 3 years I am not beside him, bringing it in with him. I’m sure he hasn’t realised it, but I knew it would be the hardest night yet, so I decided to watch a movie, alone. Most of you’ll would say that’s the worst thing to do… But I’m happy I did it. Dilli 6 was one of those movies I would have never watched, simply because I don’t really care for either Abhishek Bachchan or Sonam Kapoor. The movie however helped me get through those painful 3 hours and I ended up enjoying the movie immensely for several reasons…
1) I could cry my heart out in the darkness and the movie had several scenes that elicited such responses…
2) The supporting cast were brilliant – Aditi Rao Hydari at her cherubimic best, and Divya Dutta – worshippable!
3) The music was by AR Rehman. It caught my imagination from ‘GO’…
4) And the cinematography was excellent.
Save a pathetic storyline that could have been crisper and a clichéd narrative, I actually enjoyed the film – a first for a Hindi movie in more than a year…
Happy Birthday Boo and I wish we were still together, but fate has its own plans and neither of us can control that.

Aditi Rao Hydari, the beauty from Sringaaram is back and I am as excited as I can be. I remember being mesmerized by her simple good looks in that film and her nonchalance and confidence in being able to lip sync a whole Tamil movie and do it so well! The Sadir pieces in that movie were breathtaking and her performance shall go down in Tamil Cinema as one of the best portrayals of a Devadasi.

I hope a bright future is in store for this girl as she makes her Hindi debut with Dilli 6 and I also look forward to seeing her in more Tamil films…

ஏன் இந்து மாயமோ, என்னை அறியாமோ?...