I chose the red pill

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa – A Review

hari — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:32:20 +0000

Gautham Menon is one of the best (and perhaps most successful) directors in the Tamil film industry. His long track record of eclectic successes range from sleeper-hit Minnale to an intense Kaakha Kaakha. An enthralling ‘Vettayadu Vilayaadu’ to an endearing ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’; the auteur has a habit of doing an encore of his spectacular successes, growing with each movie that emerges from his stable – ‘Photon Factory’.

When a movie like Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa is released and promoted with a barrage of PR, even the average joe has half a mind to drag his/her ass to the theatres, just cause it’s a Gautham Menon movie. Yeah, this is a movie which sells because of its director, not to mention other myriad factors – a long list topped by A.R. Rahman’s soulful music.

At the outset, the story seems mundane and hackneyed. Aspiring director, mechanical-engineer, Tam-dude Karthik (Silambarasan) woos landlord’s daughter Jessie (Trisha) who happens to be a Mallu Christian, and a year older to make things worse. He’s smitten by her at the first sight, follows her and speaks his heart out, only to get summarily rejected. He follows the female all the way to Kerala (with a movie-cinematographer for company) and meets her in the church to apologize. Spending a day with Jessie in Alappuzha (where Jessie’s native place is located), love starts blossomming between the two. What follows is a series of cascading events that are complemented by Jessie’s parents’ disapproval of the duo, a bitter physical exchange with Jessie’s brother and Jessie herself getting cold-feet. It all culminates to a very pragmatic and compelling climax that comes totally unexpected. And shocking.

As I said earlier, the two high points of the movie are Gautham Menon himself and A.R.R.s music score. Menon has moulded what is cliched story into total perfection and compelling awesomeness. The movie’s execution is taut and brilliant. Menon has a way with nuances, so we’ve attention to the minutest of details right – from Simbu’s check shirts to Trisha’s cotton sarees; no stone has been left unturned. Menon’s mastery of the language deserves special attention – the movie has some VERY classic lines, most of which are quotable. There’s one line which repeats itself all through the plot: “Ulagathille yevallovu penngal irunthum naa yen Jessie love panne?” (The world has many beautiful girls, yet, why did I choose Jessie? ) Plus, the movie has its share of goosebump-moments. The chemistry between the protagonists is again perfect, and this adds on to the beauty of such scenes. The subtle way Simbu collapses onto the gate of his on seeing the girl of his dreams, the first kiss in the train, the ‘central park’ scene towards the end… all are worked out wonderfully.

We see parallels with other Gautham Menon movies in this film. Menon himself plays a Cameo (the role of a spotboy in a shooting set), something he’s done in all his movies. He’s even dubbed the voice of Jerry – Jessie’s (Trisha’s character’s) brother. There are some references to the director himself, when Simbu’s protege cinematographer – the self-proclaimed cameraman of Kaakkha Kaakha mentions Gautham’s name. The frequent use of flawless English (and the F word) is also a Menon exclusive. Of course, there’s the Kerala connection as seen in previous GM movies (namely, Surya’s Kerala registration jeep in Kaakha Kaakha, the ‘Kozhikkode scenes’ in Vaaranam Aayiram) with Jessie being a Malayalee. There are two songs in Malayalam too; all of which leads to Gautham’s roots in Kerala; his dad hails from the state. Besides, the romantic scenes seem to be a direct transition from Vaaranam Aayiram and Kaakha Kaakha – an area where Menon excels supremely. As I said earlier, the ‘goosebump moments’ are just perfect, making Kaakha Kaakha’s intensive-passion and Vaaranam Ayiram’s whimsical-affliction seem puny in comparison. It requires significant foresight and creativity to do justice to such minutiae. Plus, at some point in time, one tends to suspect whether the movie has parallels with Gautham’s life. He too was a Mechanical Engineer and did a paradigm shift to movies, very soon. Menon’s first movie, incidentally, was a love story which went on to be a smashing hit – Minnalae (Simbu’s character goes on to direct a movie, later on in the movie). Which, perhaps, explains the extra mile.

Special acknowledgement goes to A.R. Rahman for the music. The oscar-winning musical prodigy needs no further mention and the soundtrack will go down in history as one of his best compositions ever. My picks are “Aaromale” – for its intensity and feel (sung by Malayalam Music director Alphons – his voice deserves plaudits) and a feel-good Hosanna. This is one album in which each song outperforms each other to such extent that it’s hard to pick out winners. The music has actually gone a long way to help the movie do brisk business.

Simbu and Trisha get applauds for their acting skills. Especially Simbu, who has carved a niche for himself with this understated acting. His expression of silent excitement and frustration, the unabashed, but controlled anger, the thinly-veiled hitting-on – all are classy, to say the least. Trisha also excels with her understated expressions. There are no flowing emotions/dramatic outpours in the movie. Everything is controlled, although the same cannot be said about the co-stars, who fade into oblivion as mere props, masked by the sparkling performances by the lead actors. At one point in the movie, you feel the movie has just two actors!

Realism is another striking feature of this movie. Perhaps, this is one singular accolade that every spectator would unanimous agree with. There’s no supernatural element whatsoever – not even within the stunt scenes. The plot, especially the climax, shines with stark realism that hits you straight in the gut, leaving you with an elegant depression of sorts as you walk trudge out of the theatre. I say elegant, because the sensation is actually enjoyable. Apart from the climax, every scene of the movie lacks hype/super-realism, which is typical of Tamil movies. Even the stunt scenes are natural to the core; although Simbu escapes unhurt after the two-odd stunts, there’s the redeeming explanation that he’s the boxing champion at college.

Editing by Anthony is taut, and makes what would’ve been an insanely-long movie, concise and watchable. So are the frames by Manoj Paramahamsa, which are rich in visual aesthetics.

Yet, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya is not a movie that would be loved by all. Not everyone would be equally endeared by the movie; many would tend to shun this flick, citing it worthless. Sad fact, since, most of us are hypocrites, escaping from reality, hence the ostracization – that’s the only explanation I can offer. There’s the evident con of a hackneyed story, which even makes you yawn at times. Even with Antony’s editing, the movie does drag. There aren’t many funny moments within the flick, and certainly you wouldn’t feel good once you’re out of the theatre, even though it does leave an indelible impression within your psyche. The portrayal of Kerala too, has drawn brickbats. There’s a fleeting glimpse of a ‘Sagar Alias Jacky’ flex board, which has let Mammootty fans down. (Dumb, I know!! ) Trisha’s character speaks appalling, stuttered Malayalam, which could’ve been worked out by using a better dubbing artist. Besides, the plot has a tad too many complications – which means, you’d have to see it a couple of times to properly comprehend the entire movie.

All said, the movie is certainly watchable, and is VERY STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. This flick is a total-must-watch. Pay a deaf ear to the negative opinions and give it try. The pic would be a refeshing addition to the clique of movies one should watch just for the ‘experience’ of it. Even if you’re brainwashed by the negatives, watch it for the music, watch it for the goosebump-moments, watch it for the chemistry, and the best of ‘em all – watch it for some of the best, quotable, pick-up lines!

My Rating: 4.5/5

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Friendship in these days of degenerating decency…

hari — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:21:42 +0000

Friends.

They’re the best things all of us have ever had. We talk about/to/with them 24×7. We have oodles of fun, we enjoy each and every moment spent in their company. We do fight, but eventually we make up. They’re there for us through thick and thin. They’re with us, holding our arms, lifting us up from the deepest of pits, dancing with us when we’re on the groove. Throughout life, we meet a few people whom, at some point in time, we’d feel are our soulmates. Things would be so perfect – we’d even think alike, we’d pre empt each other and we would enjoy the other person’s presence and company!

That’s ideal friendship for you.

They keyword here is “ideal”, ’cause, such things happen only in fairytales.

At the outset, you might relate to a lot of the ‘ideal friendship’ snippets I’ve written here, but come to think of it; how do you even know whether your friend is sincere enough? As long as you can’t conclusively “read minds” it’s hard to even make out whether your ‘friend’ is being true/honest/loyal to you. Which again brings the question, who’s your ideal friend? The person whom you’ve loads of fun with? The person with whom you converse for hours on end? The person whom you miss when he/she’s out of station?

Duh!!

It’s high time you realize, that most of these people, for whom you’d rather die for, are actually MAKING USE OF YOU! It’s essentially a give-or-take exercise. A ‘human barter system’ of sorts. Friendship is an excuse for exchanging favours – and the scales tip towards the person who gets more than he gives. He’s in the advantageous side of the friendship while his counterpart, stands only to lose out in the long run. I’m talking about this from personal experience. I’m a person, who’d die for friends – if someone close to me asks for a favour, I’d put all my tasks on hold, skip priorities and burn the midnight oil just to make sure that the other person gets his much-needed photostat or gets his/her PC repaired. I’ve this huge ‘pride’ which prevents me from asking for favours when I’m in a quandary – yet, I’ve had problems during which, I’d ask for favours. Only to be let down and demoralized. In the end, I stand alone - I’m all unto myself, all agog.

It’s worse for people, who attempt at bringing forth relationships, going the ‘friendship’ way. Yeah, the classic ‘hitting-on’ algorithm:

Meet girl/guy –> Talk to her –> Talk more –> Talk EVEN more –> Become ‘friends’ –> Good friends –> Best friends –> “Wiping tears off” BEST friends –> Bestest Friends –> Propose –> post-reject-best-friends —> Propose again —> In a relationship!!

Look at it in a different angle, and you’ll realize that this ruins the sanctity of what was once a sacred relationship. Such has become the case that the most platonic relationships between people of the opposite sexes get distorted with the love angle due to peer pressure. As in, when other ‘couples’ get born out of friendship, you’d get the urge to ask your best female friend out. People pass snide comments when you meet your friend at a public place. You’re accused of ‘going out’! I’m not saying that hitching a girl/guy the ‘friendship’ way is bad, perhaps it’s still the best way to get your girl. Yet, thanks to a gargantuan populace adopting this technique, things have been blown out of proportion. And if/when things get bad, your ‘friend’ suddenly calls it quits, cause he/she feels that you’re hitting on – which is mostly the case. (Personal experience, again!! )

Now, don’t get me wrong. This ain’t a cynical rant by a random maverick a$$hole who’s socially incompatible.

My intention was not to diss the institution of friendship and paint it in a bad light so as to dump it altogether. Friendship still exists, albeit screwed. It’s still the best form of human relationship ever, if you ask me. It might not be as perfect as what it was, but that’s the case with everything these days. It’s bloody Kalyug, dammit! And despite everything, most of us cling on to our friends, like babies snuggling up to their mothers. We forgive and forget. We trust, even when we’re being cheated upon. We ignore all we’ve been through, thanks to the God-given merit of forgetfulness. And to top it all, we do have those wonderous moments of fun, which aren’t exactly few and far in between. Many (if not most) of our buddies do stand by us in times of need and lift us up from the pits of shit to sunshine and rain, only to grow up once again! (imagery courtesy: ‘Shawshank redemption’ and ‘Three Idiots’:P ) Misunderstandings would happen, many ‘friends’ would fail to accede to your expectations; don’t let it hurt your ego and start throwing tantrums. Accepting them as they are, silently ‘move on’; don’t exactly ‘dump them’ or treat them the way they treated you. Just put the past behind you. That’s all!

And, ‘ideal’ friends do exist. But the problem is, we fail to notice them. It takes a keen eye and a sound mind to get that done, though. Most of us stick with people who give us a nice time, but they wouldn’t be the ones who’d be the right buddies, realistically speaking. I’d strongly recommend you to do a reality check – analyze each and every single buddy of yours. Who’s ‘been there’? Who’s pointed you to the right path? Find that person(s), and be closer to them. It would also make them happier, hence setting forth a relationship that would indeed last a lifetime.

Take it from someone who’s blessed with some of the best buddies ever (one of whom, inspired me to write this post).

P.S.

The title off the post might seem odd, but check this video out, and you’d (laughingly) get the connection. Knowledge of Malayalam is highly recommended to enjoy the vid, btw.

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Wake up Hari!

hari — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 06:25:15 +0000

Excerpts from a chat conversation with a friend, circa December ‘09.

Friend: dont get offended if i tell u somthing k
me:
yeah?
No, I wont. temme!
Friend: u saw wake up sid rit..i thot that whole character was like u..i mean not like the whole immature thing..
11:57 PM
me: yeah.

lol
I knew it long back!!
Friend: well the whole thing came up when i was talkin to my friends bot the movie and infy drive and stuuf
me: when I heard about this movie,
this was what I was telling people:
“This is my story.”.

11:58 PM
Friend: hehe.. i thot u r one person who shud get out of the whole BTech thing and do somthin creative
me: yeah.

Thus, my hypothesis was concurred by an intelligent friend – enough reason for me to see the movie. But, it had to wait. I had a lot of tasks to take care of.

Only until yesterday night.

Wake Up Sid is perhaps the most endearing movie I’ve seen in a while. Not because of the movie as such – alright, it’s a wonderful attempt, even though it failed miserably at the box office. I could draw a lot of parallels with Ranbir Kapoor’s character – the same childishness, the love for photography, “Living for the moment” – even the last minute ‘exam preps’ and the actual exam hall scene!

But no, I don’t have a super-rich “flowered bathroom fittings” dad who promises to buy his son a Porche if he joins office. Nor do I have an Apple Macbook pro, a Honda CRV, a Nikon D100, the PSP, and the iTouch to flaunt (but I soon will, if things go right! ). I’d die to have an Aisha (Konkona Sensharma’s character) taking me in, when I get kicked out of my place (that day ain’t far off, the getting-kicked-out day, that is )

Despite not having the goodies, the ‘Sid’ in me is perhaps more childish. A born procrastinator and perhaps the world’s most complacent person, I can be at ease with any environment and spend virtually all parts of the day whiling time away. Which is not a good trait, if you didn’t get me. The worst part is that these traits have proved deeply pernicious, and the ‘wake up’ is quite imminent right now.

That’s when the question arises, should I wake up?

The movie set me contemplating. If I ‘wake up’, I’d have to change myself. No, unlike Sid, I don’t have an endearing friend to ‘take me up’, mould me, and get me a job once my ‘life support system’ gets cut. But, changing myself wouldn’t be without dire consequences. As all management/inspiration gurus very popularly plagiarize, change ‘for the better’ is good. I don’t take that, though. When I ‘change’, I’d have to lose myself to an extent – which, at the outset, might seem good. But in the long run, I believe, would be harmful.

Besides, having looked back upon the 21 years of my life I’ve lived, I’ve realized that this is ME. There’s no way of changing. No ‘wake up’ would suffice. Perhaps, I should go with the flow and enjoy what life has in store for me. But yes, some of the ‘bad habits’ have to be pruned, for “success”.

So,

WAKE UP HARI!!!

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Daily Blunder | For want of ‘change’

hari — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:02:57 +0000

First year of college.

My Basic Civil Engineering exam was due that day, at noon. I was on my way to college with my trusted travel partner – KSRTC. (Don’t have many human ‘travel partners’ yet ) I was already late and hence abandoned the usual policy of choosing nearly-empty buses only to cram myself into a choc-a-bloc ”Thiruvananthapuram’ red. Five minutes into the journey and I realized what huge mistake I’d made. There I was, clutching a couple of Civil Engineering texts on both hands, with a huge backpack on my shoulders – crushed from all sides by an unruly mob fighting tooth and nail for personal space. I’d an entire text to read, but for fear of my dear life, I could neither open my texts, nor keep them back in the bag – for, both actions would result in irreparable damage to myself from all the ‘churn’ around!

Meanwhile, the conductor came ticket-mongering. After a superhuman effort, I managed to push away a fat man standing on my right side and fished out my purse. A 100 rupee note – its sole occupant silently grinned back at me. Screwed, the conductor guy is goanna swear at me. Yet, without a tinge of hesitation, I passed on the note to the condcutor, who, without looking up from his ticket-machine, issued me the ticket, pocketed the money and walked away. Thank God, I mused.

Soon, the bus reached a nearby stop – ‘Pongummood’, from where, my buddy Praseeth (batchmate at college) got in. He started his usual speech about how unprepared he was for the exams and how he’s goanna fail. He had no idea about the principle of Leveling, which was the only concept I’d learned well. He entreated me earnestly to explain the concepts to him, for levelling problems were the easiest way to score 10 marks in the essay. Realizing it as a way to revise what I’d learned, I started off, unmindful of the crowded environs. After a while, Praseeth’s sharp intellect had picked up the entire method and he was repeatedly mentioning how easy the whole method was. The bus had reached Pattom Junction and we were just a couple of kilometers away from college. He took a cursory glance at his watch and muttered that we’re really late.

Before I knew it, he’d opened the passenger door and pulled me out of the bus!

Praseeth, not always a punctuality person, was a tad too hyperactive today. He ushered me into an auto, and pushing his lean frame inside, commanded the auto driver to take us to college. He silently assured me that he’d foot the bill and that he wasn’t too enamored about crowded buses. Using the time to discuss other portions, we reached college in a few minutes’ time. Both of us alighted, and I took my purse to pay Praseeth – yeah, I’m very stringent about sharing, so I thought I’d share the auto-cost with Praseeth. I opened my wallet and fished for money.

The purse was empty.

Shocked, I took the purse and re-checked ever recess and niche. There were perhaps a few coins that amounted to Rs. 5/- not a penny more, not a penny less. Dumbfound, I kept searching, meanwhile Praseeth paid the money and was walking over to the classes. After some wild goose chase, I realized my blunder.

Dad had given me Rs. 100/- in the morning. I gave it to the conductor, from whom I did not buy change, thanks to the auto-sojourn and my absent-mindedness. There I was, broke, penniless and smiling inwardly at myself! Yet, I gathered myself and wrote the exam. Ironically, there was a leveling problem (of the same type I’d explained to Praseeth), and both of us got it right. After the exam, collecting all coins I could gather, I caught a bus back home and didn’t mention about my debacle to a soul.

P.S.

Six months later, the results came. Praseeth scored a neat 80 for the exam while my mark was an okay-ish 68. And I heard him proudly proclaim to his buddies:

“You should’ve studied leveling man! I knew the answer to the problem when I saw the question – that was the only thing I’d studied and I got whopping 20 marks for the essay!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

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Torment to Triumph

hari — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:38:35 +0000

Those magic eyes in perennial sparkling-glory,
And the vivacious smile that kills each worry,
Have abruptly muted their radiating presence;
Your face now betrays painful silence.

Perhaps fate played its game unfair,
Or you were overwhelmed with scare,
A blitzkrieg of failure broke apart,
All your hopes and crushed your heart!

Before you resign to tormenting depression,
Open your mind to the vehement realization,
That you’re now at the stepping stone of success!
So, learn from your losses and smash all duress!

Pluder that monster of pessimism,
Let hope fill your mind’s wide chism!
For, ghosts of defeat will forever haunt,
But your discerning grin will render them gaunt.

Find inspiration in every facet of life,
Bolster positivity to scrape all strife,
Your mind’s stronger than you imagine,
Equip it like a turbojet engine.

It’s high time you woke up to joy,
From life’s nightmares that made you a toy,
I’m sure you’d have the skies in thrall,
Simply ’cause you’re the best of ‘em all!

P.S.

Written for an enormously-talented close friend who’s going through depression, thanks to life’s myriad games.

Buddy, if you’re reading this – CHEER UP! I’m SO SURE about your success. These temporary setbacks happen for a reason. Just realize why, and come back in action! We miss you!

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Dork, Robin ‘Einstien’ Varghese, Sidin Vadukut and A review!

hari — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:10:18 +0000

When a pro-blogger like Sidin writes a book, he’s bound by the collective yoke of expectations. History proves that in most cases, such expectations about the ‘authorati’ tend to dissappoint readers to a great extent – Dan Brown’s latest being a case in the point.

But Sidin has bashed all his critics in style with Dork: The Adventures of Robin Einstein Varghese - his debut book, published by Penguin.

In a way, the book is an extension of Sidin’s blog. So is the story. So we have our unassuming hero Robin Varghese (with an interesting moniker of ‘Einstein’)who has a penchant for FRIENDS episodes and being unintentionally dumb; not to mention his proclivity for wild hangovers (some of which make you guffaw like the eponymous movie). So, Robin gets a ‘zero’th day’ placement at Dufresne Partners – a second rung consulting firm, as he passes out with 41st Rank from his prestigious ‘Ahmedabad BSchool’ (IIMA, obviously!). The story revolves around how his work-life at Mumbai spawns a series of blunders and misadventures, thanks to his ‘Einstein-ish’ abilities.

The plot unfolds in the form of a Compact-disc Word Document diary which Vadukut supposedly recovers from beneath a kitchen sink at his newly-rented flat! (Duh! whatay’ surprise! But Sidin almost makes you believe its true with perhaps, the world’s best ‘Introduction’) This diary-ish narrative, though tried and tested, is greatly invigorating. The high point of ‘Dork’ is Sidin’s insane humor. It’s earthy, and untiring. Each page offers you something to guffaw your lungs out – you actually have to exercise a wee bit of self-control when reading the book in public places (Yeah, I’m serious about this!!) There’s again a heady mix of mallu humour – Sidin’s forte. The book is fast moving and before you notice it, you’d have covered a hundred pages. The characterization (especially, of the protagonist) is also brilliant. Robin’s screwed up mind is brilliantly portrayed. Which brings us serious doubts of whether Robin is a pepped-down version of Sidin himself! He’s also strived his best to include references to modern times – ushering in a healthy mix of YouTube, Camera Phones, laptops, MS Excel and even a movie-obsessed protagonist!

But as the book’s title inexorably suggests, ‘Dork’ has a deeper, probing intent. Robin unveils a full-scale Tehelka style ’sting’ of Office culture! Every unethical practice in the corporate world is portrayed. We have cut-throat competition among employees, prostrate toe-licking of bosses by employees, plagiarism, and what not! At the end of the book, if you’re involved with a consulting company in some way or the other, you’d end that contract the very moment! And your mind would hesitate if you’re going to take up that fat pay check consulting job! Now, this is what I call laughable activism!

Nonetheless, Dork does disappoint at some levels. The book is not for a non-management enthusiast – so if you aren’t too enamoured with office culture et al. you’d find Dork a long read, even with the humor. Not just that, the story has a very abrupt ending. Just when you thought Robin would have a stupendous ending, the plot comes to a nasty halt. Besides, there’s too much dissing of the corporate culture involved. At one point, the criticism reaches nauseating levels. Then again, there’s always a profusion of details – a veritable blitzkrieg actually, that flusters you.

Yet, Sidin’s style and humour continue to be the saving grace of this hugely endearing and satisfying book. Perhaps, on Part II (yes, there’s even more Robin on the cards!), Sidin should do a serious revamp.

A must-read, in any case.

My Rating: 9.6/10

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FakeMECian – Another blogging crusader.

hari — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:02:42 +0000

"Everything is hostile. The whole place is now a cage, a zoo.
Now this move by the authority is more psychological."

"Where do you see the "technical excellence" that we are supposed to be
receiving here."

"If Smokey gets a fleeting glance at it or has a gut instinct that
something’s not right about your chaddie, you are obliged to strip and
prove your innocence/crime."

Before you glance at the above lines condescendingly, brace yourself.

*Mild-Drumroll*

There’s a hot new blogger in the block. Or rather, on the prowl. He (uh, I can’t conclusively say if it’s a ‘he’, but for sake of convenience, I allow myself to be sued by womens’ lib groups) blogs from an undisclosed location, apparently within the environs of a certain ‘Model Engineering College’ at Kochi (one of the best engineering colleges in the state, for that matter). And there’s a hell lot of caged emotion and angst involved, seemingly for valid reasons.

*Exalted Drumroll*

Behold, ladies an gentlemen, make way for FakeMECian – a home grown blogger from the bustling ‘metro’ of Cochin, Kerala. And he’s no mean deal; he’s a razor sharp tongue and a style that’d even put Adiga to shame. And he’s the guts to put out some gross injustices going on in his educational institution, under an anonymous garb, nonetheless.

*Drumroll concludes*.

Visit the FakeMECian at – http://fakemecian.blogspot.com/

Ostensibly, FakeMECian has taken inspiration from this celebrity counterpart – FakeIPLPlayer. His blog talks about the numerous flaws and foibles going around in his college, which he tries to uncover in a light hearted manner. So, we have exquisite (and insanely-funny) narrations about a (supposedly) unruly Principal of the institution whose hobby is to confiscate mobile phones and laptops and make students live in hell. He reads messages from confiscated phones, and causes immense problems to the students, who are towards the end of it, screwed. Plus, many student-unfriendly and academically discouraging policies are being dissed in a lighter vein.

Having bogged down by these and many such instances, a strict gag-order in-place within the campus, FakeMECian decided to take the law unto his arms and harnessed the power of the Internet to protest against the atrocities.

And he’s hit jackpot.

His blog posts average 30 comments within a couple of days’ of publishing. The first and the most famous post – “Laptop Ban” – has around 122 comments (when this post was being written), and that too within a week of being published. The blog already has 84 followers. And if the comments are to be believed, many of the incidents narrated by the MECian are true. Students, alumni and faculty have posted there comments in the blog posts – most supportive of the MECian, and others pledging concrete action.

Apparently, the Principal found about the blog and conducted an en-masse raid in the Men’s hostel of the college – but in vein. MECian is still continuing his covert operations in full form. And his gang of supporters is growing.

There’s a possiblity that MECian is just another miscreant hell-bent on creating a ruckus: but there’s every reason to believe that the possiblity is baseless. There’s an entire community of students and alumni vouching for the FakeMECian, who’s now being vocally praised as a champion within the college campus. If the allegations raised by the MECian are true, the success of his plan of action is quite guaranteed – the world will come to know of what’s happening within the college premises and hopefully, corrective action will be taken soon.

Allow me to conclude with a quote by the blogger – and don’t forget to visit the blog and feast yourself with all the juicy details!

“Vendetta?? No way. We are either too lazy or too busy to take action against such atrocities even if it questioned our own Privacy. We got assignments and home works to do. So lets get back to our “busy” life and do nothing about it.”

A.M.D.G.

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Papa kehte hain, bada naam karega!

hari — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:51:37 +0000

Last night, I was pursuing some long procrastinated work. The job was quite tedious and I had to sit up late into the night to get it done. As always, Amarok was blaring my favourite songs through my Creative 4.1, while I worked away. I’m in love with the Amarok shuffle algorithm – it beats the shits out of every other audio player in the market, even iPod/iTunes player, for that matter. My recently acquired the habit of putting all songs on shuffle comes from using Amarok – the song selection is eclectic in the best possible way. Hats-off to the community for the brilliant work on the music player!

It was roughly 2 AM in the morning, and I still had miles to go before I sleep. Nevertheless, I saved my files, switched off the monitor and flopped onto my bed, with music still on – albeit in low volume. It was time to call it a day. The ending notes of “Wish you were here” were fading away, probably taking cue from my sleep-deprived eyes. I’d almost slipped away into the valley of deep slumber when the Floyd song had concluded.

That was when Amarok decided to do a back-flip.

The psychedelic notes of Floyd gradually crossfaded to early-nineties jazz beats – complete with trumpets. Any Floyd fan would die for an encore of the favourite track – hence, the crossfade proved jarring to my ears. Enraged, I woke up with a start and rushed to the keyboard to plus the “Ctrl+V” shortcut for the next song.

I stopped, midway.

The jazz beats gave strong deja vu. The trumpets, the generous use of nineties’-electronic guitar; it was one song I thought I’d never forget – yet, I couldn’t place it fully. I sat down on the bed, as my head lowered itself involuntarily, as my mind raced through the portals of my long-term memory, in search of the track. (I could easily have walked upto the monitor and switched it on to check the track out, but somehow, I didn’t.) That was when the jazz beats paused momentarily, and a resounding male voice ensued.

The same voice that muttered “Aal izz well!” – the voice of Aamir Khan! I listened in silent recognition, involuntarily smiling in the process, as I listened to Aamir’s (famous) monologue from his debut-movie “Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak”:

Doston (Friends),

Aaj college ka aakhri din hai, (Today’s the last day of college)
aur aane waale zindagi ke liye sabhi ne kuch na kuch soch rakha hai. (And all of you would’ve thought what to do with the rest of your lives.)
Lekin maine apne liye kuch nahin socha hai! (But I haven’t done that!)
No, really I mean it.
Aur aaj, aaj mujhe baar baar, ek hi khayaal aa raha hai… (And today… Today, I this thought repeatedly comes back to my mind…)

As Udit Narayan’s voice took over from Aamir to sing the rest of “Papa kehte hai bada naam karega…” (My dad’s told me that I’d be famous.) - I couldn’t help lip-sync and sing the entire song, prancing about the room – in elation and goosebumps!

As the song concluded, I realized that I was smiling incessantly. I felt so ironic and overjoyed. Turns out that even I’m at the fag end of my college life, and I’m still at crossroads regarding what to do with the rest of my life, while the people around me have more or less zeroed in on their futures.

And the best part is, there used to be a time, I emphasize, there USED TO be a time, when my ‘Papa’ used to constantly reassure me that I’d have a “bada naam” in life!

Not having a clue about life used to bug me big time – it used to inculcate this huge wave of depression in me. Having already chosen the wrong career option three years back, and struggling to escape from it, I couldn’t make another mistake with my life – this fact used to plague me badly. Constant thoughts about careers barraged my mind with needless anxiety and I was confused. Even though I’d reached an interim conclusion about the career that I’d (hopefully) be pursuing post-B.Tech, the daunting task of preparing myself for it still scares me – considering the fact that I’m a habitual procrastinator afflicted by the ‘lazybones-syndrome’.

But this song, made the confusion seem ‘fashionable’ and actually inspiring. The first stanza of the song literal translates to: “My dad reassures me that I’d do well in life, but I’ve no clue where I’d end up.” But unlike Aamir Khan, I don’t have an inspired, teary-eyed dad watching his happy-go-lucky son sing glory about his long lost father’s belief in his capabilities. In my case, well, circumstances (many of which were self-made) made my dad openly retract his assurances, which is the worst thing a dejected son/daughter could get. But the song kindled sweet, long-lost memories of doting-praise and patient, endearing-encouragement – I got my much-needed recharge!

Perhaps, my dad was watching at a singing-dancing me through my room door’s peephole, silently-inspired, with tears welling in his eyes!!

P.S.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…
The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives,
Some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

- From Baz Luhrman’s Sunscreen

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To G, with love.

hari — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:37:11 +0000

A ‘ping’ was all it took;
Not a gesture, voice, or look,
Where books had many an angelic face,
Back then, I met my sis at amazing pace,

Adorable and cherubic, her smile,
Vanished my pains in absolute guile;
My tears evaporated in her voice,
That gurgled like a river with poise.

For many, she was a dear sister,
With brothers whose numbers stood sinister!
The diva of charm, she stretched her hand,
And did every bit to understand.

The epitome of beauty and elegance,
Her exquisite eyes depicted brilliance,
She made the random fashion statement,
In a calm shimmer of slurring enlightenment.

Today her love is all I seek,
In wondrous respect, silent and meek.
“I’m her bro!”, I shout out in pride,
For, she’s one in a million, with a heart as wide.

- 5th August, 2009 – (Rakshabandhan).

CC Credits: TiagoRibero

P.S.

G, if you’re reading this – you’re THE most special person in my life. Wouldn’t have lived through all this, had it not been for you. A torrent of emotions crossed me today, and I felt, I HAD to publish this.

I’ll be there for you, till my dying day.

And as I always assure you:

“You’re THE BEST, sissie!” >:D<

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Escape.

hari — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:58:36 +0000

I was having an extended conversation with my best friend, yesterday night. Now, she’s one person who has, perhaps, understood me the most, ’cause we share a lot of similar traits. She also has this uncanny ability to lift me up from all the waves of desperation that I’ve been through – one conversation with her, and bang, I’d be back to normalcy again!

The tables turned yesterday night though.

Her voice lacked the usual vibrancy and gusto that usually cheers me up. She was all down, like an orchid withered by sun. On further conversation, reasons behind her depression dawned upon me, and I couldn’t help but smile at the startling similarities – turns out that I was going through a worse variant of her problem. Escapism. Yes, both of us shut out our eyes and ears to the world and to quote her: “went numb, totally.” The classic ‘ignorance-is-bliss’ situation. A long conversation and a heady employment of pep-talk later, I cheered her up (to some extent) and bade her a good night’s sleep. As I flopped onto my bed, my grin widened. It was a smile of self-realization and deep irony. I was a bloody hypocrite – the biggest one Planet Earth has seen yet! I was consoling her even when there was a worse situation pinning me to the ground and I had no clue, whatsoever to tackle it!

CC Credits: Felipe Morin

Things weren’t this bad in the early days of my life. I must’ve been a non-conformist, but certainly not an escapist! Even though I used to have this tummy-back-flipping problem from the very beginning, I used to face adverse situations (albeit with immature response). But then, at some point in time, the problems just moved on from bad to worse. And I panicked – I couldn’t help it. Outward, I’d still be the same ol’ cheerful guy, but a storm would start raging in my mind. Yet, I’d face the situations as they are. Somewhere along the line, the dam of self-restraint broke lose. All of a sudden, I couldn’t face adversities – and to top it all, my world collapsed to such extent that abruptly, there was a blitzkrieg of inter-related adversities – each one devolving to another. To keep my mind sane, I practiced the well-oiled ‘ignorance machine’ of my mind, and scraped out of it. But the problems persisted and multiplied in magnitude.

Right now, my situations are at a crescendo – and I’ve fully mastered the ignorance art. But sadly, the time has come to act – and my mind has stretched itself to such extent that any more non-action from my part would see the (already-battered) wall of my life tumbling down! Having woven carefully crafted aspirations for myself in obnoxious optimism, that’s the last thing I’d want to happen – to see myself engulfed in a cesspool of disaster.

Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness.

- Architect, The Matrix Reloaded

Hope remains to be my greatest strength. It’s high time I stopped my non-actions and get down to some serious re-work of my life. Else, as the architect rightly puts it, (and as things are, right now), It would remain as my greatest weakness. I take full responsibility for my non-actions – and I admit that they’ve affected many loved ones – including my parents. But I need my redemption. I need to quit the process of escape and revert to the reality of life. And fight for it – it’d be a dreary battle I’m sure, and I might have to sacrifice a lot as part of it. Adversities tower overwhelmingly before me, and it’s high time I employed the canon balls of my intellect to blast them off. I have to stop lying to myself – the technique I employ the most to escape from reality; and I have to pit myself against the myriad odds that face me.

I’m always optimistic.

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