Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Morning Raga!!

A song was playing far away. There was quiet some distance. The song which was playing seemed to be familiar, but there was something different about it. I just started listening to the song after it had those twists. It was kind of a fusion music. Just like that by colonial cousins.
This song used a carnatic song note, which is so familiar to me!! But the westernisation of the music sounded different. The ardent listeners of carnatic would put a stirct no no board for such songs!! But just widening the horizon of music, carnatic music can reach wide and far with such fusions.
It has been quiet some time that the movie Morning Raga was released 2005. It had a nice story line!! Majestic sceneries and mindboggling camera work throughout the movie. The story-line is well planned with good acting of Shabana Azmi to back it up. Her acting was the backbone for this movie. She has learnt bits and pieces of carnatic for perfecting her acting during the shots. My mom asked me, is this a hindi movie or a tamil movie!!

I told her this is an english movie. Made with international viewers in mind. The movie starts with an amazing music track and amazing scenery. Sudha Ragunathan has taken the music to another level, adding multi dimension to the songs in this movie. One should listen to marvel the amount of effort has gone into it to make it such a soul stirring experience.

One should applaud, the acting of all the co stars, especially Abinai, the violinist, leaves his presence after the movie!! All in all it is a very soft spoken movie, but with its own kind of music it leaves a mark in the hearts of people like me!!

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Chennai Superior Kings

The IPL has been a big hit. It has taken cricket from sports to entertainment category. How much money has been pored into such an event. To be the first ever event, of its kind, it has got all the accolades to be a great tournament every year.

A great deal of international players; playing in this event, has made it even more enjoyable and thrilling to watch. The added attraction of cheer girls, cheering for their respective teams, the dug out; the vibrant colours of the teams, flood lights, wow that sounds electric. These are the new attractions that have been added since T20 games.

I guess the 50-50 games will become boring now. It would feel quiet lengthy format as compared to the fast paced T20 games. Who wants to see a 100 overs game, when you can get results in 40 overs.

Such IPL games have normalized relationships between international teams. Say India and Australia; there has been too much rivalry and speculation among each teams after the recently concluded Test series and One-Day international games in Australia. The India-Pakistan rivalry has to take a back seat, as there are not a lot of games between Pak now a days. With both the team members jelling with each other in different teams has brought this stirfe among India and Australia to some kind of a normal. (for the time being)

There is one more debate, which says that IPL is creating a rift among Indian team members; after the Harbajan-Sreesanth incidence. Players of the respective teams should not take these games very seriously to their heart, as these games are played for entertainment cause. May be they can show some of their past rivalry against each other during domestic competitions. To sum this debate, players come into the Indian team after playing domestic games; like the Ranji and Irani trophy games, wherein they must have played against each other.

The IPL has give pure entertainment all these days, and it continues to defy the logic in attracting more people towards it!! The game between Deccan Chargers V Mumbai Indians, was watched by more than a million people in Australia. Gilly redefined gravity in this match as all the balls from his bat were always reaching the skies.

Even girls how have not watched or followed cricket, have been made to turn their heads as lot of bollywood masala has gone into the preparation of IPL. My heart wants Sachin to score a century everytime he plays in these games and make Mumbai Indians the champions, but the strongest team that has emerged so far is the Chennai Super kings, winning all their games.

Dhoni and his battering players, might have played really well in their games so far, but the withdrawal of strong players like Hayden, Oram and Hussey, has surely created a big rift. With the Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians winning their first games and catching up some impetus, other teams beware........the best is yet to come!!

Road blockers==mobile phones!!

What is a nightmare for a bike rider when he is at 60 kmph, travelling at speed of knots? No it is not a call on his mobile phone; No it is not dust into his eyes; No it is not what he is thinking; No it is not a bird shiting on his elbow;

It is a social animal with a instrument which has an antenna....yes it is an aunty with a mobile phone!! It is more than a road block to get rid off. Just the day before I was riding my new pulsar 220; which was at say 55 kmph, and acclerating with a dashing speed..

I was just overtaking an auto from its right, the auto suddenly came to a standstill, just I was going to overtake it. I had a blind spot as the auto was right in front of me. I still had some space, where I could go on. But my sixth sense told me to slow down.

I feared a speed breaker; at 55 Kmph, I have to suddenly brake. With my disc brakes, I could have made it; but there was no sign of it. So I thought I should acclerate again and leave the auto behind.

There came the 300 pound road block just inches before my bike; just as my involuntary brakes came on; I stopped just 2 cms in front of her; may be even that is too much of a measurement. Only 1 cms, I almost hit her by 1 cm....

I could hear what she was speaking; for a moment she seemed to be so casual as if nothing had happened. By the way she was not speaking to me; she was on the mobile; talking to her boy friend I guess. She said; "I just crossed the road!!"

I just told to myself; "You just crossed the gate of yamaraja!!" Just that here the bull was my Pulsar 220........

Faith in God!!

What is that, that makes us feel we have someone above watching us? How did we get this feeling of faith in someone who has not been seen by anyone currently living in the sphere of this earth. God who lives in kilasa; as per hindu mytology; is he so far from us? The religious way of looking at God, is as a superior person, an almighty with all the powers we can every think of......

What is that, that makes God the superior person? Is he really around? Is he watching us from above....If he is watching us from above; where does he live? Does he have a home at all? Is kailasa the home for this superior god?

What is that, that makes God so superior and makes him, so great, with limitless amount of people believing in him. Is it just blind belief in God? What if our ancestors, also have not seen God. What is the basis in which will we say for sure that God is omnipresent.

What is that, that which gives this blind belief food, our strong mythologies, ancient scripts, stories that say the presence of God, or is it just the ancient structures and monuments, which still stand today??

What is that, that we have been dependent on for the belief of God. Is this dependent belief? If God is as good as in ancient tales; why does not he take avatars in today's modern world? The spiritual way of looking at God says, god is omnipresent. He is inside every jeevatma....

What is that, which will show as God? How do we for sure say God is around? If he is present everywhere, then I better call Prahalada....... who will show me where he is!! Trouble if God existed, Lord Narashima, will come out and tear me apart!! :)
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