I love Tamil. And more importantly I love the Tamil movies… and yeah I have watched a couple of them. On TV and mostly on DVD fitted buses. They are a true class apart. And I shall make a complete fool of myself if I even begin to compare them with the more popular Hindi movies. Well it would have been a different experience had I been watching a Kamal Hassan movie (despite dashavatharam) but then the daily dose is of other movies which I don’t know the names of, unfortunately. The first in line was about a year and a half ago, enroute to Pondicherry with Sam. They are like the Hindi movies of the 80’s you can laugh and laugh and yet not get head or tail of the script….even if you understand the language… and here I am at disadvantage… I don't…
And I guess what makes it even more interesting are its item songs. Here is an example… The hero is intensely pondering over the biggest problem of his life… for instance how to save his mother’s life or something… and suddenly you shall see the short skirt clad heroine singing in the most seductive way possible…and the hero dancing to the song with the biggest possible smile#.
There are other amazing things that can happen in a Tamil movie… the self-assured, confident, modern heroine of the movie is wearing a sleeveless and a skirt to the mall (you may say that is not strange, she is the heroine, and has every right to wear whatever will put her on the posters, but that isn’t the issue… read on) and well as it happens with every good looking heroine there comes a pervert asshole side villain (who will be the crucial means of making the hero and heroine meet and later fall in love) and tries to (emphasis – “tries to”, the ultimate touching will happen only in the mis-timed item numbers…anyone can touch her then) well ‘take advantage’ (for the want of a better phrase) and its then, the hero (pondering, serious, generally not so rich*) arrives on his bike… he first beats the shit out of the prankster (who only tried to fill his shoes) and then when the thin lanky idiot scampers with/without the vow to take revenge its then the “haughty” chick gets the lecture that her father forgot to give her… he goes a step ahead and calls the sleeveless a “bra!!” and the skirt ..(Y god y did u have to get me into fashion design???)…”well the other thing”.
Well to me it would have been an insult… I would have probably said “thanks sir, for being the Good Samaritan and saving my “izzat” but then I have kinda grown up and I know what to wear.” Or even seen the truth in it…but certainly wouldn’t have gone as far as falling in love with this idiot… yeah in their defense some chicks do fall for patronizing bastards like this one. Well what is hilarious is the fact that in the next scene the same woman, who was this (possibly) short haired woman, is in a saree (Chennai silks?) and jewellery (Chennai silks again? Yeah they are the same company) that would have cost my dad his year’s salary, her long hair plaited and white flowers on them running down to the temple, coz she has seen sense (that can be the only possible reason).
There are other examples but it would be stupid and boring to cite them all. But what I would suggest is, that everyone must watch at least one of these hilarious Tamil movies or maybe just put on surya TV once in the morning and watch the item numbers…
To add I have fallen in love with Siddharth, (the guy in ‘rang de basanti’?? He even sings apart from being “rombha cute”) and love some of the music
(pogadhe – deepavali; akkam bakkam – giridam; venmeham pennaha uruvanatho – Yaradi Nee Mohini; Yaro manthile – Thenavattu; etc… ) Apart from Tamil versions of A. R. Rehman songs… some of which sound better in Tamil. Seriously…
I have been listening into the coimbatore stations just to hear this one song from boys…”ayyo love is such a pain, poda love is just a strain” damn Siddharth is cute…and he smokes Marlboros… and being single doesn’t help….
End of story…
# the songs are generally sung by a group of pervert looking idiots in lungi and equally desperate chicks in short blouses and sarees draped like dhotis, and obviously everybody in red lipstick
* the ‘rich’ guys are allowed, in other movies, to be a part of the romantic comedies. Be close shaved, date cute chicks, not wear lungi even in one scene, and dance in foreign locales and also be copied scene to scene in Hindi movies by vivek oberoi, or diya mirza respectively
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
THE BONG CONNECTION
Sometimes just being a Bengali can make you "a lot of more people" than others around you can be. In a sense of duplication of yourself. It may not be a "Bengali" syndrome, but well I may like to give me bengaliness some credit for it.
Various reasons... various ways and I will try to put them up as much as I can.
The high society aparna sen bong... Well this type is very Bengali... you wear big bindis. Cotton sarees, attend all the socialite events and the events that have anything to do with 'social causes' you maybe capitalist also support the naxalites. you are cordially aware of everything around you. and you are the modern strong woman... despite everyone else.
The true communist... you believe in the Marxist principles, would much rather wear kurta, old trousers and hawaii chappals to office. you are absolutely ok with the meager salaries that your boss pays you to survive, and though it will not suffice for you daily diet of 'maach bhaath' you still feel you are getting more than your share, especially since the mill worker isn’t paid even one tenth the amount you get.
Delhi bong (which I am, but, in my defense... I’m not from cr park) you hate all other Bengalis and yet find a bong fellow friend to call up and gossip. you know the other Punjabi guys/girls are just a bunch of show offs with micro pea brains and yet you want to date them and think bong guys are sissy/ bong girls are too ninny. you do find some intellectual bong hot some or the other time in your life and yet stick to the sissy/ninny bong men theory. you hang out with the 'coolest' non bong people all year and yet dont invite them to the biggest part of your year.... durga puja. you think all other bong guys/ girls are assholes/bitches other than you. and at the end of the day you think you are stuck in a world full of bongs, despite whatever you try.
The true bong..... You hate rotis. you cant sleep without rice. you need to have ilish (hilsa) maach at least when it is full in season. you need to have mutton/chicken curry on Sunday afternoons, after which you take a nap. you love watching uttam kumar movies and swear by rabindra sangeet and najrul geeti. You can live your life with satyajit ray if given a chance (ok that’s me) and you would need nothing else. Your year revolves around durga puja.
Devdas… though fictional you want to live upto the image of this famous Bengali. you feel forever in love. In futile love, that is. You get many chances with other chicks/guys and you still are in love with one chick/ guy who is in love/ or married to some one else. You love drinking and smoking and not just coz you dint get the chick/guy. It is just love for the slow poisons of life.
The disenchanted Bengali youth…you see all the anomaly in the society just a façade, they are all the bloody same. And you feel that the blood bath of the 70’s, were after all needed. And you would love a new job/ house/ car/ love.. but continue to live in that old image. In your free time you listen to grunge and head bang to some Bengali rock music too….. and in its anglicized emo lyrics and feel your pain too….
The retrospectre… The most common type of bangali in the market, you just keep looking back to whatever was good in the world essentially bong in nature You keep dreaming that you will be the glorious ray, tagore, nazrul, bankim, bose of tomorrow and you never really get round to doing it.
There is another type which I don’t know what to name, this type scoffs at the merest idea of being a Bengali and will do anything to avoid being called one... “Oh, come on! don’t call me bong yaar”!! types!!! And yet they speak in Bengali to anyone who remotely understands the language.
Some times You also want to be Punjabi, gujrati, tamil, kashmiri, in the true sense Indian and/or American when it suits you, and pride your self in thinking that since the east India company preferred you over all other Indian communities therefore you must have inherited the true brit accent… preposterous I say. That despite the “aaiii am ‘phine’ thanku… you d’o’nt hab to bharry(worry) at ‘o’ll”.. you think you are multi talented and can achieve anything in the world… including competing with mallus to be at all the possible locations of the earth…
I’m sure there are more types of the Bengalis…. Quite literally, I have been one of the above types at sometime of my life or other. Well maybe not completing all criteria but have touched all types… and almost all other Bengalis do the same… be other characters.. in a way prove the much disputed multiple personality disorder… it is a mass syndrome… maybe true for other people too…but so far noticed in only one clan….
There indeed is a lot of time in hand…
Various reasons... various ways and I will try to put them up as much as I can.
The high society aparna sen bong... Well this type is very Bengali... you wear big bindis. Cotton sarees, attend all the socialite events and the events that have anything to do with 'social causes' you maybe capitalist also support the naxalites. you are cordially aware of everything around you. and you are the modern strong woman... despite everyone else.
The true communist... you believe in the Marxist principles, would much rather wear kurta, old trousers and hawaii chappals to office. you are absolutely ok with the meager salaries that your boss pays you to survive, and though it will not suffice for you daily diet of 'maach bhaath' you still feel you are getting more than your share, especially since the mill worker isn’t paid even one tenth the amount you get.
Delhi bong (which I am, but, in my defense... I’m not from cr park) you hate all other Bengalis and yet find a bong fellow friend to call up and gossip. you know the other Punjabi guys/girls are just a bunch of show offs with micro pea brains and yet you want to date them and think bong guys are sissy/ bong girls are too ninny. you do find some intellectual bong hot some or the other time in your life and yet stick to the sissy/ninny bong men theory. you hang out with the 'coolest' non bong people all year and yet dont invite them to the biggest part of your year.... durga puja. you think all other bong guys/ girls are assholes/bitches other than you. and at the end of the day you think you are stuck in a world full of bongs, despite whatever you try.
The true bong..... You hate rotis. you cant sleep without rice. you need to have ilish (hilsa) maach at least when it is full in season. you need to have mutton/chicken curry on Sunday afternoons, after which you take a nap. you love watching uttam kumar movies and swear by rabindra sangeet and najrul geeti. You can live your life with satyajit ray if given a chance (ok that’s me) and you would need nothing else. Your year revolves around durga puja.
Devdas… though fictional you want to live upto the image of this famous Bengali. you feel forever in love. In futile love, that is. You get many chances with other chicks/guys and you still are in love with one chick/ guy who is in love/ or married to some one else. You love drinking and smoking and not just coz you dint get the chick/guy. It is just love for the slow poisons of life.
The disenchanted Bengali youth…you see all the anomaly in the society just a façade, they are all the bloody same. And you feel that the blood bath of the 70’s, were after all needed. And you would love a new job/ house/ car/ love.. but continue to live in that old image. In your free time you listen to grunge and head bang to some Bengali rock music too….. and in its anglicized emo lyrics and feel your pain too….
The retrospectre… The most common type of bangali in the market, you just keep looking back to whatever was good in the world essentially bong in nature You keep dreaming that you will be the glorious ray, tagore, nazrul, bankim, bose of tomorrow and you never really get round to doing it.
There is another type which I don’t know what to name, this type scoffs at the merest idea of being a Bengali and will do anything to avoid being called one... “Oh, come on! don’t call me bong yaar”!! types!!! And yet they speak in Bengali to anyone who remotely understands the language.
Some times You also want to be Punjabi, gujrati, tamil, kashmiri, in the true sense Indian and/or American when it suits you, and pride your self in thinking that since the east India company preferred you over all other Indian communities therefore you must have inherited the true brit accent… preposterous I say. That despite the “aaiii am ‘phine’ thanku… you d’o’nt hab to bharry(worry) at ‘o’ll”.. you think you are multi talented and can achieve anything in the world… including competing with mallus to be at all the possible locations of the earth…
I’m sure there are more types of the Bengalis…. Quite literally, I have been one of the above types at sometime of my life or other. Well maybe not completing all criteria but have touched all types… and almost all other Bengalis do the same… be other characters.. in a way prove the much disputed multiple personality disorder… it is a mass syndrome… maybe true for other people too…but so far noticed in only one clan….
There indeed is a lot of time in hand…
If the world is to be believed…which it shouldn’t be… then finally I have come of age. How that was inferred is something that eludes me. And how I have come of age that is a perplexity I will never really overcome… it is a strange thought to know that you have grown up.. being 24 I think that’s high time to know it. And yet I live by the mere fact that I don’t want to grow up.
it’s a mere habit – to be grown up. and then again…
जीना भी क्या आदत है,
सास लेना भी क्या आदत है…
mere habit to be responsible, and understand all around you…and yet not really do anything anyway…
you can’t…can you?
Nobody can…
So might as well remain a child who you love….
Mere dreams…
After all I have come of age…
it’s a mere habit – to be grown up. and then again…
जीना भी क्या आदत है,
सास लेना भी क्या आदत है…
mere habit to be responsible, and understand all around you…and yet not really do anything anyway…
you can’t…can you?
Nobody can…
So might as well remain a child who you love….
Mere dreams…
After all I have come of age…
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
beer pitchers and the rest....
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| Image Copyright (C) Aparna Mudi For usage mail aparnamudi@gmail.com |
due to my dearest merchandiser... who is forever busy and has a forever tomorrow stuck to him i cant start my production work ... and believe it... its frustrating having no work to do... and a internet connection slower than the... uh.... mm mm.... well ok i cant think of anything to beat this shit in 'slowliness'
well, it seems a lot can transpire between two pitchers of beer shared between 3 people in MG road, bangalore... no matter how cool it sounds and looks i love delhi.... and im thoroughly missing delhi and well in a lot of ways missing college... and i thought that would never happen.
between the talks and the sips of beer, and music there were several points that can be notices
- more women in bangalore smoke and drink openly than in delhi or bombay or kolkata
- the music in bangalore is several times better, by that i mean that the overall sense....
- people like pink floyd... i mean in a room of 15 x15 there are more than 10 people who love pink floyd and can sing along if led zep is played, and its not all just wrongly timed head banging, and having beer and saying "yaar feel aa gayi"
- good humour, is very very necessary.... it stimulates brains... for that i should thank pokey. he kept me and sohan in fits of laughter for most of the time.
- pork and beer dont make a very good combination,.... especially if it is not crisp enough....
- all guys are jerks, they just cant get out of the wolf syndrome.... they have to turn around if a chick in a remotely short skirt walks by.
- i have loads of movies which i need to watch, a complete list that may fill 3 fullscape sheets if printed in font size 8 arial narrow.
- i need a music player, desperately. and i cant afford it.... yet.
- beer is costly. despite mallya.... especially in pubs... the music kinda balances it out...
- bash brothers are crazy... and i miss them, loads.... and all the crazy things....
- i miss beer, i really do.... tirupur doesnt offer beer
- actually tirupur offers nothing... and yet im not bored of it ... really... im bored but it has kinda got into the system... is this what im going to turn into.... boring, and systematic..
had a blast this time in bangalore... met up with mr faraz too... who is as usual, quirky...
met up with pokey. which was great...
anish and me had loads of fun, which may require a completely new blogpost...which is not coming up soon
and i had punjabi food.... yeah that is a novelty these days.... and momos and barista coffee... and i smoked in public after a long time.... its blissful to be not so bored
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
bangalore blues....yellows... and oranges.
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| Pic Copyright (C) aparnamudi@gmail.com |
hmmm.... one great thing that i waited for all the last few months ...was to go to bangalore to meet my best friend, and vamsi... what is strange is... i never knew i was so madly in love with him... dint even know i would cry coz of him so much. it's strange how i believed that i will never feel like that for anyone like i felt for sam ever in my life... but here i was... missing him crazy, thinking y am i wasting my time in tirupur whereas i can be with him... and knowing that he doesnt love me back...probably never will.... its subhav all over again.... and its been over six months i have been trying to get out of this.... convincing myself that i should not feel like that... he is rude for a moment... and i get all hurt...even if not deliberately.... those two days were one of the most beautiful days of my life... loved them and miss them and im going again.... i guess i am a sadist.. i like hurting myself...
by the way the pik above is sketched by me.....so no credits.
the humdrum of tirupur
I am in Tirupur... as many would know... and many wouldnt even know where that is... well in tamil nadu.. near coimbatore... and its a strange kinda place... exactly as i expected it to be..
small town
nice people,
nothing after 830
south indian food,
hardly any hindi speaking people,
a couple of odd food stalls here and there....
one thing that it is not is ...its not vegetarian(thank god)...unlike the last few towns i have visited.... maheshwar, hrishikesh, jaipur (in my defence... jaipur has more than required veg paradises{forgive the use of 's' in paradise}) i have non veg every day... infact a couple of dinners has been only chicken.. and im not complaining.
flipside.... i have forgotten how to speak in proper hindi...or at least thats what i think.....
so, the work is going great and greatly slow... the process is exceptionally a drag.. thr is practically nothing to do here..as of now. cant start the sampling work due to funny glitches... so im passing my time mostly being a part time computer engr (yeah bones, you can laugh) ....and part time HR executive (mostly data analysis) ...and part time entertainer....oh!!! and a part time receptionist..... and i guess that is cool... but the real problem starts when i get back home... with nothing to do.... friends episode re runs.. on star world and zee cafe, the odd movies on star movies and hbo and/or disney channel.....then NARUTO (wait for it all day) then some other movie.... then euro cup.... thank god i gained interest in football...sleep at 2 get up at 8 straight to office.
the buses are nice here... and i have learnt just kaam chalu tamil.. interesting language... there are hardly any abusive words in this language... and it is kinda complex..or maybe i find it complex.
and i met a guy.... yeah dont jump to conclusions... no romantic inclinations... its just that he is probably the only guy in tirupur who loves rock and most of all he loves pink floyd.... plays the guitar fairly well and doesnt crib about me smoking, or wanting to drink. and yeah he is not a tamilian... no offence to tamils alright... its just that its nice to speak to a guy in hindi or english without an accent....
trips have been made to cunnoor and bangalore... and both have been amazing... bangalore especially but that comes later.....
pictures will come up...but wait for that
small town
nice people,
nothing after 830
south indian food,
hardly any hindi speaking people,
a couple of odd food stalls here and there....
one thing that it is not is ...its not vegetarian(thank god)...unlike the last few towns i have visited.... maheshwar, hrishikesh, jaipur (in my defence... jaipur has more than required veg paradises{forgive the use of 's' in paradise}) i have non veg every day... infact a couple of dinners has been only chicken.. and im not complaining.
flipside.... i have forgotten how to speak in proper hindi...or at least thats what i think.....
so, the work is going great and greatly slow... the process is exceptionally a drag.. thr is practically nothing to do here..as of now. cant start the sampling work due to funny glitches... so im passing my time mostly being a part time computer engr (yeah bones, you can laugh) ....and part time HR executive (mostly data analysis) ...and part time entertainer....oh!!! and a part time receptionist..... and i guess that is cool... but the real problem starts when i get back home... with nothing to do.... friends episode re runs.. on star world and zee cafe, the odd movies on star movies and hbo and/or disney channel.....then NARUTO (wait for it all day) then some other movie.... then euro cup.... thank god i gained interest in football...sleep at 2 get up at 8 straight to office.
the buses are nice here... and i have learnt just kaam chalu tamil.. interesting language... there are hardly any abusive words in this language... and it is kinda complex..or maybe i find it complex.
and i met a guy.... yeah dont jump to conclusions... no romantic inclinations... its just that he is probably the only guy in tirupur who loves rock and most of all he loves pink floyd.... plays the guitar fairly well and doesnt crib about me smoking, or wanting to drink. and yeah he is not a tamilian... no offence to tamils alright... its just that its nice to speak to a guy in hindi or english without an accent....
trips have been made to cunnoor and bangalore... and both have been amazing... bangalore especially but that comes later.....
pictures will come up...but wait for that
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
from the lands of the neighbours
im sitting in thirupur, a small industrial town near coimbatore. and well it seems to be a good experience...rather mixed experience . the one thing enticing abt the city is every place around to visit is a night ride away....
ooty, connoor, munnar, kodaikannal.... and bangalore....
went to cunnoor and bnglr.... never mind... dont feel like writing any more
ooty, connoor, munnar, kodaikannal.... and bangalore....
went to cunnoor and bnglr.... never mind... dont feel like writing any more
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