Innovation at Roadblocks

I was on weekly train journey heading home. The best part is you get assorted with a wide variety of people everytime. Since lacking anything better to do, I sit observing them and making up stories mentally. This time there was a young couple opposite to me. From the fondness, they looked very recently married. Besides the fresh, new clothes gave them away. They sat together staring into their laptop uncaring of the world around. The girl looked so young and cute almost making it irresistible for the voyeur in me. I started listening to their conversation. They were obviously into their Facebook profiles.

An inevitable part of starting a relationship is sharing your profile passwords. Its almost like handing over the keys to your life. Some even o to the extent of moving into a single profile. Later when the shiny part of marriage is over there is nothing left, but regret and bitterness. Faith and Private space are two integral but conflicting components of marriage.

I was also carrying on with the pretext of reading a story. The young girl falls in love with a much older writer. She asks him ‘How was love in your days?’

‘Then, people used to think using words. Communications where done using words. Now people use imageries. Love can no longer be communicated in words ’

I was working with a group of youngsters. I asked them to present anything they wanted. It needn’t be conforming to any rule. I expected something round breaking. Sadly they presented an assortment of TV sops and popular movie scenes. Its time we accept the fact that our imaginations have become so convoluted and limited. And interestingly I will put Google in the culprit’s box. Answer to any problem is Google and the answer it feeds. In premier institutes assignments are plagiarized thanks to Google. Google is a revolution. But what if the revolution brings down quality of human innovation.

Movie Review- Indian Rupee (Malayalam)

It turned out into a Diwali with no friends to hang out with. I go to ‘Gold Souk’, one of the prominent shopping malls in Kochi. The loneliness gets worse when standing out in a crowd of young pretty girls and handsome guys. I walk onto the multiplex and finds out that the tickets for the Hindi and Tamil flicks have been sold out. The only tickets left are for ‘Indian Rupee’. Amusing is the average Malayalee’s change in priority and tastes.

Before entering into the robes of a critic, I would admit that my view might be a bit prejudiced thanks mainly to a masterpiece I was watching from Jean Luc Godard. The section of audience took up the movie with great enthusiasm and appreciation. Judging from the reaction even days after the openin we can safely say the movie is on its way to ring cash registers heavily.

From a personal viewpoint I expected the film to do a bit more technically and creatively. High expectations is a price geniuses have to live with. The movie falls a bit short of the mark taking into consideration that the director was Renjith.

The movie deals with a very relevant contemporary topic facing Kerala population- materialism. People of Kerala has been traditional business men. The onset of Arab Oil and US visas threw open the windows for bigger opportunities. A recent trend saw desperate attempt to park the black money somewhere. Hitherto unexplored, virgin real estate scene was the best place to do so. The after effect was the real estate business slipped out of common man’s hands for cold, greedy sharks. Our hero is a typical uneducated youth with all the trappings of a common hero. Unmarried sister, highly educated lover threatening to get married off and huge, rich dreams and shades of grey. The end of the story is he realizes he has a bit of ‘goodness’ in him and hence unsuited for real estate scene.

The movie also deals on the encroachment of materialism into the finer elements of our society. Relationships, values and education has been corrupted and convoluted. Thankfully Renjith stops short of taking a stand. Its left to the element inside you to judge.

I can help but comment and commend on touching the issue of huge amounts of cash floating in and around the society. The term ‘crore’ became a very common usage now. While we sing patriotism, we don’t mind dangling with black money.

There is powerful performances from everyone. Thilakan is back to his stellar self. Hope destiny provides him with good health and many worthwhile roles (latter difficult to get than the former). Prithvi might have done the best one of his career so far. Strangely I thought rest of the cast performed way beter than him.

The choice of Kozhikkode as the focal point is significant. Traditionally Kozhikkode Is known for good food, great people and culture. The real estate culture is eating into the very ethos of the ancient city. An eye opener for the ones who keep eyes open.

Still too many plots and issues have diluted the flow and focus of the film. Many high profile characters walk in and out. May be the narrative couldn’t hold them all. The pace is too slow in the first half and is not very catchy in second half either. Some of the sequences and even the climax goes unexplained. A few shots look forced.

Footnote: A must watch for the philosophical value. Keep your hopes a bit low on the way to ticket counter

The tiny adventure part II

The story continues.

He was quite surprised, when someone came calling on him at office. He found out that Div turned out to be a pretty looking girl. Rarely do someone come asking for him and that too a girl. He was quite elated. They learnt that they shared the same hometown and were neighbors back home. The coincidence didn’t simply stop when he learnt that her elder brother taught in his school. They did a little bit of pointless, forgettable chit chat before signing off.

Days passed by without any major instance or even bumping into each other. One day they met on the train again. The ‘one day’ took a lot of days to happen. AG had forgotten the name and he needed her friend’s help to recollect it, Needless to say, all the details had to be recollected. To his surprise, he found himself impressing her. She laughed helplessly at his poor jokes and even captured him on the camera. This was new to him, he did discreetly get women on his cam but the reverse never happened.

That day back in the privacy of his room, he stared at himself. ‘May be I am handsome after all’. On some flimsy pretext cell numbers were exchanged. And they did exchange texts quite often. AG made sure that he won’t repeat the past mistakes again. He had this stupid tendency of veering into sexual contents while chatting with women.

All the while AG made sure to examine if this was turning out to be something serious. He was never involved with a forceful girl before. This tensed him to a small extent. One day she addressed him by a term used by Christian women to address their husbands. It scared the shit out of him. He wasn’t ready for any commitment. This led to the first fight.

Subsequently the most important rule was laid down- there are not going to be any rules. He heaved a sigh of relief. Back to the world of casual recklessness. Still things were not the old self. They didn’t chat so often claiming huge bills.

One day he was totally drunk during a dinner. Div phoned him all of a sudden. He picked up a while later, when he thought he was sober enough. ‘Why now of all the time’ he kept thinking.

Later they arranged to meet and she made quite a lot of fun about his drinking. They were having a good time when she said ‘I want to drink’. He suggested a few decent pubs.

‘No, not a bar. Somewhere private’.

Wild thoughts creeped into him. Despite all the warning bells he took the big jump

‘Well I have a suggestion, if you don’t mind’

‘Hmm?’

Taking a deep breath, knowing very well that his life would change for the good or the worse…. He offered his bachelor pad!

A tiny adventure Part I

Read the following stuff with utmost diligence and care. The protagonist of the story hails from a society where it’s not so easy to enter into a dalliance with any girl. For an average guy it would be difficult to woo a girl, let alone get kissed. The society tells him that most women have no sexual feelings and their duty is to fake an emotion so as to quench the thirst of man.

The average guy, AG, hails from a somewhat orthodox family where sex and girls are a taboo. He has to live with a little extra curiosity and sensuality than the rest of the boys of his age. One day his friend mimics the process of ‘masturbation’. After many unsuccessful attempts in the secrecy of darkness AG triumphs.

Years go by AG enters college. He see many beautiful girls and handsome guys. After a few unsuccessful attempts he realizes he lacks the capability to attract someone from the fairer side. Years role by, he draws close to new ideas, ideologies and dreams. He interprets his sexuality and his dreams with respect to them. AG started despising the so called feeling of chocolate love which leads to marriage. Although quite weird, he tries to land in some raunchy ‘internet’ relationships, which again burnt his fingers.

Then through mutual friends he comes across this beautiful girl. A few chats later she openly tells him, she finds him attractive. AG is stunned and shocked. This is the first time in his life. The years have left a whiff of maturity in him. AG is not ready to get carried away, as he knows this is not the girl meant for him.

Here ends the first part…………………

Hic hic Kerala

There was a tradition in ancient Kerala. Whenever the landlord needed some cheap labor urgently, he called in the local tribal chief. In return of money the chief supplied him with his subjects- men and women. The landlord supplied them ganja and liquor lavishly. The men and women, high in spirits, worked tirelessly without a break.
The Syrian Christians had a tradition of consuming local version of liquor, Toddy, on happy occasions. The inflow of NRI money from Gulf and USA saw the Toddy giving way to more aesthetic and costly drinks.

The Kerala men had this great tradition of letting loose their humiliation, subordination and dissatisfaction on the bottle. This saw many families and people fragmenting. Thus many imminent personalities came forward with plea to banish alcohol. For a long time alcohol has been a secret pleasure, but an evil incarnation. Today the liquor has become more of a status symbol. Kids young enough to be at school would rather down a peg rather than milk shake. The wives don’t mind their better halves take a sip, which proves their masculinity. And the women downing a drink has become more a part of status symbol.

Sharing a drink is best way to socialize and make a few friends. It’s also good enough to make enemies out of friends. I recently made a few, whom I thought belonged to the opposite camp. But then the very next day a friend from my camp had a drunken brawl and yesterday’s mutual friendliness was forgotten.