The Veshti and Lungi Conundrum

One of the perils of working from home for an extended period of time is the ‘wear and tear’ of casual clothes. What was once used moderately, became the permanent fixture on the body especially with the strict lockdown restrictions kicking-in. My mom was insistent that along with the regular Shorts I also try to wear a Lungi at home sometimes. I decided to step out of the house on a Monday morning, when the restrictions were relaxed between 9 AM and 7PM on weekdays, to do some shopping.

I entered a leading textile brand showroom to buy a Lungi and there was utter confusion ! The salespersons in the floor themselves were not aware of what a Lungi is. I tried to show what their Brand’s website describes a Lungi as but unfortunately the website had a message “No Products to show at the moment” under ‘Lungi’. I had to explain to them and then thought let me put it here for the benefit of those who do not know the difference between a Vaeshtee/Panche/Dhothi and Lungi. Though both of these are essentially “wrap around” clothing below is the difference according to me.

Veshti/Vaeshtee OR Panche OR Dhothi – This type is a “wrap around” for the lower part of the body, usually worn by men in the southern part of India. It is usually White in colour (there are coloured variants for religious ceremonies and purposes). This wrap around usually has a coloured borders lengthwise and breadthwise. There is also a version where there are special coloured stripes/borders breadth-wise, known as Kara Vaeshtee in Tamil Nadu. These are usually worn by Politically affiliated members with the coloured stripes showing the flag colours of their political outfit and hence their allegiance to it. This type of wrap around, the normal Vaeshtee, is worn both casually and formally, with the latter being of a premium fabric (Cotton or Silk) and golden coloured borders across the length and breadth. Due to the open ends, there is an opening across the length of one’s legs when worn, thought concealed between the layer of the clothing. The Vaeshtee comes in noticeably two sizes – 4 Muzham (~ 2 meters) and 8 Muzham (~ 4 meters).

Steps to wear a Veshti/Vaeshtee:

1. Wrap the cloth around from the back so that the open ends are held by both the hands at the front, held parallel to each other
2. Ensure the cloth is above the waist level over the stomach
3. With two open ends, one end is first covered over the waist – open end from the left side is covered over the waist towards right 
4. Then the other open end is wrapped towards the opposite end 
5. Lock at the waist by rolling the length of the cloth down together, twice or thrice, to make a “belt” like formation that holds the Vaeshtee tight against the waist

**The Left/Right can be switched to attain similar results with the opening on the other side

The Casual variant

The Formal variant with Golden coloured borders

Lungi OR Kaili – This type or wrap around is also for the lower part of the body and also usually worn by mean and like the Vaeshtee this clothing is also usually used in the southern part of India. But the main differences are that a Lungi is usually not white; they are commonly found in coloured patterns. Also unlike the Vaeshtee they do not have open end; the open ends are stitched together. It is available both in the unstitched and stitched version, but for the purpose of a Lungi the open ends are expected to be stitched together. So essentially it’s a wrap around clothing, with coloured patterns, with the loose open ends stitched together to form a tubular (or cylindrical?) clothing. The Lungi is worn in a more casual or informal setting like home or while running errands near home. It is never worn as a formal wear and might offend people if done so.

Steps to wear a Lungi:

1. Step into the tubular clothing and stretching the cloth with both the hands, held parallel to each other
2. Ensure the cloth is above the waist level over the stomach
3. Use the left hand to push the cloth towards the right, inside the left hand, around the waist 
4. Then use the cloth held by the right hand to cover the waist over the cloth from the Step# 2 
5. Lock at the waist by rolling the length of the cloth down, twice or thrice, to form a belt like formation that holds the Lungi tight against the waist

**The Left/Right can be switched to attain similar results

The Informal wear – Lungi

Popular cinema has wrongly depicted the Lungi to be worn by a certain section of people in the society or the henchmen of the antagonist. It is not correct and it is a casual wear that is preferred by many compared to the more “formal” white Vaeshtee. Unlike the Vaeshtee, the Lungi when worn does not have an opening across one’s legs when worn.

The next time you are talking about a Vaeshtee or a Lungi, I hope this post would have helped you to make sure you are talking about the right clothing.

R. Somasundarathin Kadhal Kadhai (R.சோமசுந்தரத்தின் காதல் கதை) – Book Review

R.சோமசுந்தரத்தின் காதல் கதை (The Love Story of R. Somasundar) by Don Ashok

A few days ago I was interested to try the Twitter Spaces and participated in one called “Books you would recommend others to read”. There were many speakers and I too listed some of my favourite ones and that’s when one gentleman mentioned a Tamil novel called “An R.S.S Love Story”. I was confused and intrigued by the title when he chuckled and said “Don’t go by the title”. I questioned him further to understand what he meant and he said “Please read the novel, its a short one and it’s not what the title might suggest”. He added that it is a novel that one can consider if they are starting to read Tamil books. I have read a few so far, so I decided to try it for two reasons – It was a short read, so I can finish it soon and go to my next book as planned and it was supposed to be humorous.

Cover of R. Somasundarathin Kadhal Kadhai
Publisher: Amazon (Kindle)

The novel is currently available only in the Kindle format and is about 42 pages “print length”. The book is written in a first person narrative and set in the city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. In the first two chapters the author sets the milieu and introduces us to some of the main characters who travel throughout the story. The story that goes from a character that doesn’t consider itself of any great value to one that is made to face some harsh blows in life. But all this narrated with loads of tempered humour. The humour is not Wodehouse like, where it is common sight to see people break into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, but the one that makes you want to laugh out loud but realising the scenario you let out a chuckle and move on. The writing is also full of references that take a dig or two at Politics, Cinema, Religion, etc.. The whole Cinema hall to Police station incident is a laugh riot with an amazing wink the social justice ideology. The other characters surrounding the protagonist too are not “cardboard-ish” and come with different flavour. The writing is not all humour and political and the testament to this is the short sensuous portion that is deftly handled by the author. The story moves in a fast pace, often jumping a couple of months to continue the arc. The short format of the novel feels a liability for the writing has potential to engage the reader for many more pages. But in a group conversation with the author in Clubhouse he mentioned that this was written for Amazon for a competition with a word limit. The kind of humour (Black?) is not easy to write and I was totally immersed while reading this novel. Though packaged as a humorous read, the novel does make you think, troubles you a bit, makes you question certain beliefs and practices in the society. It also made me think why does that one uncle always appear only funerals, but he rings the bell and comes in to ask a different question in the last page of the novel. I will encourage you to read the novel to find out the question lingering in mind. 

I loved the writing and my only grouse is that the novel was a very short read. I would love to read more of this author’s novels. 

The Rooster Bar – Book Review

I have always been a fan of John Grisham’s books – his legal thrillers and also his first non-legal based book “A Painted House”. He has always been able to keep us hooked into the stories, fascinated by the legal twists and turns and develop empathy toward some of his characters. It was wonderful to see him weave a nail-biting thriller inside and outside the courtroom and keep us turning the pages.

Cover of The Rooster Bar by John Grisham
Publisher: Hachette

With all these in mind, I picked up The Rooster Bar. It was a Grisham novel I picked up after a long time and I was excited. The excitement last for the first few days when through the first few chapters the characters are introduced and the plot was being setup. Usually the novel follow the traditional three act structure ; Setup – Confrontation – Resolution. As the pages were consumed, there is a realisation that the setup is taking a lot of time. The language and the style of writing reeks of disinterest.  Though touted to be a legal thriller, the courtroom and the associated drama is minimal almost reduced to a small sideshow. I could not connect with any of the characters, the main three included. There is no real effort taken to make the reader feel for these characters or at least root for their success (or failure!). The setup takes so much of time and with hardly any real work done by the protagonists, the whole affair comes to an end on expected lines – as a reader I was praying and hoping it could have ended a hundred pages earlier. The book became very slow to read through the midpoint and was trying to stay awake and finish the pages. Looks like the last line of the novel was the idea/knot that stuck the Grisham and he desperately tried to weave a story around it. Unfortunately, it is not a good read. 

Karaintha Nizhalgal (கரைந்த நிழல்கள்) – Book Review

கரைந்த நிழல்கள் (Karaintha Nizhalgal, available in English translation as Star Crossed) by Ashokamithran.

I have heard about Ashokamithran’s writing prowess for sometime, but due to the general reduction of reading time in my life (of which most part is dedicated to books in English) and the rarity with which I indulge in Tamil books, his works had eluded my attention till now. I had made it a point to indulge in the book this year at the beginning and got hold of it last month.

Cover of Karaintha Nizhalgal by Ashokamithran
Publisher: Kalachuvadu Padhipagam

The story is set in the workings of the Cinema industry and that upped my interest, but the real revelation is the literary command of the author. The authors use of simple prose to grab your attention with details and the dialects of the different characters that populate the book is astonishing .  With so many myriad emotions, the author takes a stance of a distant observer always trying to capture the realities in the lives of the characters and not being judgemental or sermonical.

There are so many characters that walk “in and out” of the narration at various junctures; but each one is important. Every chapter is told from the point of view of one of the many characters; a character that seemed like in the background in an earlier chapter will be the focal point of a later chapter. There is no romanticisation of the pitiable conditions of these characters, it is more like a documentary that registers their story. 

I wish to read more of Ashokamithran’s works and would recommend this book to others.

Sarkaari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu – Movie Review

I had a decent expectation from the film, Sarakaari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, after watching the trailer couple of weeks ago. Yes, promise to watch another Anant Nag movie on screen was definitely a prime reason for the excitement. And this is one of the few times that my expectations were not only met but exceeded. Let me refrain from the sugarcoated hyperbole and talk about my “experience” with the film … Yes! Some movies give you an experience and you become a tad little bit more than the usual audience. At least I do!… after all I’m the guy who sat and cried during the climax of Kal Ho Naa Ho… ok, let me not digress.

Poster of the movie – Sarkaari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu Photo Courtesy: Rishab Shetty Films http://www.rishabshettyfilms.in

The town of Kasargod and a Kannada medium school situated in the town form the crux of the narrative. But before you are introduced to the problem these entities are drawn into, Rishab Shetty (Director, Writer, Actor & Producer) takes the audience into the town – its people, theirs homes, their joys and their tears. He makes You a part of their lives and all this is done in an unhurried pace. There’s no itch to rush to the conflict. You are made to fall in love with the pranks and the juvenile “Love story” of the students. Some of those scenes might appear funny but smartly layered under the scenes is the depiction of the socio-political landscape (the depiction of Unity among people of various sections and also the initial reluctance of the community to protests against the language imposition etc.)

I can think of many ways in which the film-maker could have had the narrative eulogize about Kannada and take potshots at other languages, taking the easy route to please the crowd and catalyze the audience. But the film & the film-maker are clear – the issue is not the people of Kerala or the Malayalam language – the issue is about an imposition of a language at the cost of the mother tongue of the students. The film, if not for anything else, is a clearer winner for this approach.

None of the actors, the children or the adults, look out of place or “alien” to the milieu. Each one seems to be truly belonging to the place, even those actors whom we are more accustomed to like Prakash Tuminad & Pramod Shetty. The kids though run riot and steal the show for most parts. There is no place for under-the-belt of vulgar humor. Even the before mentioned juvenile “Love story” is charmingly portrayed and in a way that many of us in the audience would reminisce about. There is also this light humor that runs through the film, not as a side comedy track, but part of the narrative that is enjoyable – especially the ones that involve Bhujanga (portrayed by Prakash Tuminad) and his associates.

Two other notable contributors who elevate this film are – DOP: Venkatesh Anguraj and Music Director: Vasuki Vaibhav. Right from the start, when the title songs rolls with visuals of the town and its people, it is evident that one is bound for a visual treat. The title song visuals also reminded me of the title song of Oggarane, in terms of the visual treatment. But this treatment is not overdone so as to let the narration take the command. The title song is an amazing documentary of the people and the culture of the township. There are other moments, across the film, that are shot beautifully. And equally pleasing is the Music, Background score and songs. The only moment that I felt the music went overboard and should have been underplayed was in the climactic Court sequence. But for that small glitch I felt the songs and score are refreshing and engrossing. There is one special musical moment from the film, that I’ll write at the end of the review.

Let me now come to Anant Nag. Is there even a necessity to review his performance? Well even legends and seasoned actors have to be put through the performance review as every film is a new role and a chance to reinforce their legacy. His character, though featured prominently in the promotions, makes an entry only midway into the proceedings. But let that not dissuade anyone – it’s never about the length of the role! (Sean Connery’s Oscar winning role of Jim Malone in Untouchables is an example)… Just when the proceedings seem to be going downhill the audience are introduced to Ananta Padmanabha “P” – P in quotes because there is also a Ananta Padmanabha “M” (a cameo by Ramesh Bhat). Like most of his roles on-screen his character is instantly like-able. He enters the screen and takes it completely under his control. The highlight of the film for me is the 10-minute single-shot scene in the court – a spellbinding performance by Anant Nag in the scene takes the loudest applause in the entire film. That scene is also beautifully staged by the director

Let me now mention about the special musical moment in the film – the “Sundari Neeyum” song portion in the initial part of the movie. The “ಕೃತಜ್ಞತೆಗಳು” (Thanks) credits at the start did mention Ilaiyaraaja (IR) and I was expecting a fleeting music score of IR used somewhere but was pleasantly surprised when about a minute of the song from Michael Madana Kama Rajan plays on screen! Only correction in the subtitle, if I can suggest, would be to mention it as a “Famous Malayalam/Tamil song from a popular Tamil movie”. Well… it’s just my obsession with details!

All languages are good, beautiful and if there is an opportunity one should try to learn and respect as many languages as possible. At the same time, one should also be able to learn in his/her own tongue. It is the responsibility of the society and the government to ensure this basic right is affirmed and protected and not forced to learn and/or use a language that they are not comfortable with. Hope this film makes people who think it’s their “Right” (wrongly) to force an alien language upon others and deprive the latter of their “Rights”.

If you are someone who hasn’t watched a Kannada film yet and thinking on where to start, head to the cinemas and watch this film. If you are a regular to Kannada films (like me) … what are you waiting for??? … for me to end my review??!!!?! Entha Saav marre!!

Rangitaranga – Movie Review

Rangitaranga comes as a breath of fresh air for people who watch & follow Kannada films. The hype around the film has been growing steadily, and like ‘Lucia’ has been ably supported in this growth by the Social Media. There have been quite a good number of shows across the globe and the film has earned praise equally from all quarters.

Like the recent critically acclaimed film ‘Ulidavaru Kandanthe’ (Which I personally did not like that much), this movie too is set in Dakshina Kannada (Coastal district of Karnataka, India). The movie also features the local ritual art form called ‘Bhoota Kola’, prominently. Much of the work in the film – writing, directing, composing and writing the songs, have been carried out by Anup Bhandari, who deserves a huge applause and appreciation for this wonderful effort.

Rangitaranga – Movie Poster

The setting in which the plot unravels is beautiful and interesting. And these two aspects of that area has been wonderfully captured into the film by the Cinematographers – Lance Kaplan & William David. Especially the dark parts of the movie give the desired effect with some meticulous use of subdued and minimalistic lighting. Technically the other departments too have done a good job. Notably, the sound department brings life to the gripping climatic sequences. The ritual art form of ‘Bhoota Kola’ has been used to good effect in the film, unlike Uttama Villain (which featured ‘Theyyam’, the equivalent version prominent in Kerala). Performance wise, Saikumar walks away with all the applause (more about that later).

But the movie is not without its faults.

Though the story seems to have been woven with a “Bottom-Up” approach, it worked on screen. The screenplay could have been tighter, whereas it actually introduces a lot of unnecessary characters and subplots. After starting on a high note, the movie kind of slows down and takes numerous unwanted directions till after 20 minutes into post-intermission. Some sharp cutting in the editing room could have made the film more interesting than what it is in its present form. The light humor that is sprinkled along the storyline, too could have been better.

Another noticeable and glaring observation is the “acting” of the lead pair. Nirup Bhandari, the male lead, appears almost with the same dead-pan look throughout the film. One can understand the nature of a mysterious writer who has a past, but dead-pan look is not for that. With the female lead, Radhika Chetan, the problem is to get the right emotions. She either smiles too fast or smiles at the wrong timeline in the dialogue. Case in point is the scene where the two leads discuss about the possibility of the travel to their native village (Kamarottu) and what is supposedly an interesting tit-for-tat written on paper, is completely messed up by the lead pair with some awful timing sense. Though Saikumar’s chaste and stressed pronunciation of Kannada is kind of irritating at the start, the climax reveals the reason for shaping up his character in that way. It is also Saikumar who steals the show and the thunder at the end of the film. Other actors in the film have more or less done what is required and nothing special to write about.

The music is nothing to write about, which actually is a big negative.
Rangitaranga is definitely not the very best in Kannada Cinema. But, it really showcases the immense talent that is available to create some wonderful movies in the language, which has been in a kind of draught since a long time. All credits for Anup Bhandari and his brilliant technical team for bringing such a gripping tale on screen. Hope he has better and more interesting stories to offer to the Kannada Cinema audience. Make sure to watch this on the big screen – the effect would be lost in smaller screens.

The Golden Temple at Amritsar – From My Tour Diary

My decision to wear a ‘Khada’ (Metal bangle worn on the wrist) was born out of my quest for creating a definitive style for myself during my post-teenage years. There is nothing religious about it. The ‘Khada’ was sourced from a Gurudwara in Chandigarh through my parents while on their trip. Later I had few more sourced, through my parents again, from the Golden Temple at Amritsar.

My parents have visited the Golden Temple at Amritsar a couple of times. After each visit, they have had only words of praise for the place of worship. They are of the opinion that if there is one place of worship, in India, that should not be missed then it is the Golden Temple of Amritsar. Even if it were not for my parents’ suggestion, it was definitely on my list of places to visit. The visit did happen in the month of September-2014.

I have been to many places of worship, of different faiths, across India. Though these places are built for various faiths and Gods, there are certain aspects that are common to most of them – Commercialization & Unclean premises. Some of these places have created complicated procedures to ensure that the devotees thronging the place go through long lines, waiting for hours to catch that lightning glimpse of the subject of their devotion. It has been made to believe that the struggle that the devotees go through is a form of devotion by itself. Some of these places have made it a habit to segregate devotees on caste lines and even serve the meals separately in different halls. Some of these places are so filthy, that the moment someone steps out of the place devotion is instantly replaced with a strong sense of nausea. But none of these places have had any problems making money – from setting up multiple ‘Hundis’ (Donation Boxes) across the premises to leasing out to shops selling anything in the name of religion and God. Some have created a brand out of the place of worship and have diversified into Restaurants and other commercial ventures. In one place of worship in Tamil Nadu we were forced to “donate” 10 Rupees each into the ‘Aarti plate’ by the priest, without which he refused to distribute the ‘Vibhuti’ (sacred ash) and ‘Kungumam’ (Vermillion). In one place of worship in Karnataka, my father and I were led into different queues because of one wearing ‘the thread’ and the other ‘not’. I stopped wearing the thread around my torso sometime after that incident. Money is never a constraint or struggle for most of these places.

I may be Agnostic, but I have my strong views on how one should facilitate the meeting of a devotee to his/her subject of devotion. The devotee should not be harassed and made to sweat it out like it were his/her last days on this planet. Only a nominal amount of money should be procured from the devotee that shall be used solely for the maintenance of the premises and the proceedings. Devotees should not be rushed through and pushed through narrow lines between barricades; they should be allowed to move around at their will in silence and devotion. To this effect, even the people have to co-operate and maintain a certain amount of dignity in their devotion.

The Golden Temple complex at daytime

When I entered the Golden Temple, it was almost the place of worship that I wished it to be. There are rules to be followed here – followed by everyone. Everyone, without discrimination, was asked to remove their footwear and hand it over to the volunteers in the counters near the main entrance, who accept it with a smile on their lips. It’s a service that they do and they do it with happiness. Next, everyone is asked to cover their heads – men, who don’t wear a turban, can wear a handkerchief or a scarf and the women are required to cover their head with their Dupatta or portion of their Saree or a scarf. The third and the last rule before entering the temple courtyard is to go through a shallow pit filled with water to cleanse the feet. Someone who does not adhere to any of these rules is immediately approached by volunteers, like out of thin air, and requested politely to do so. There is no grumble, intimidation or high-handedness. Once inside the courtyard, it’s a visual treat (especially in the evening hours). The expanse has a ‘Sarovar’ (pond) in the middle which houses the main Temple. The corridors around the pond are laid in pristine white marble, which has a carpet running in the middle the entire length. People indulge inside the Temple complex in their own ways – some enter the pond and “cleanse” themselves, some take a brisk walk around the pond, some head directly to the main temple and some admit themselves into volunteering activities.

There are volunteers who are involved in maintenance activities, round-the-clock, across the premises. From collecting footwear at the entrance to cleaning the marble floors of the premises to cooking and serving meals at the ‘Langar’ (Community Kitchen) – the volunteers are everywhere. There are also regular staff of the Golden Temple who along with the traditional guards (dressed in Blue or Saffron, wielding a spear) ensure that there is nothing or no-one out of place. The guards too are not obstructive; on the contrary they are hardly visible. I had found a nice spot and fished out my tripod, fixed it nicely on the floor and started taking pictures of the beautiful Temple in the night. After a few minutes, a guard dressed in Blue approached me and enquired in a soft and measured tone, as to whether I had taken a permission from anyone for using the Tripod (Photography is permitted in the Temple complex; using a Tripod inside the premises requires a permission, I was told). When I answered in negative and explained that I didn’t know that I had to have a permission to use a Tripod, he replied with a smile and asked me not to worry. He told me that it was just a ‘customary permission’ that has to be procured from the office room. It was hard for me not to compare this treatment with the treatment meted out in other places of worship that I have visited, which have a rate card with a different rate for using the ‘Still’ camera and different rate of ‘Video Camera’ and lately they have added ‘Mobile Camera’ too!

The Golden Temple in the Night

The Temple complex is like a painting when viewed in the evening hours. I was fortunate enough to enjoy the beauty on a clear night sky. The pond with its near-still water reflects the image of the golden structure, if viewed from certain angles. The real with the reflected image on the water, with a thin almost invisible line is a treat to the eyes. When one enters the sanctum sanctorum, the golden glow is all around. The storeyed structure with a hollow main space, houses the holy ‘Granth’. Narrow spiral staircases lead to the upper stories from where one can look at the grandly secured and decorated ‘Granth’. This place is silent, but for the sacred chants of the guardians of the holy book and all one can do is watch everything in the milieu in awe.

The other important part of the Golden Temple is the ‘Langar’ – the community kitchen. I am not sure about other Gurudwaras in the world, but in here food is served to ‘One and All’ around the clock. The kitchen also is mostly run by volunteers, from cooking to serving the food to washing the utensils. Everything is done is an orderly fashion. People do not rush into the hall, like elsewhere. The streaming line of people are welcomed by volunteers handing over the dishes to have food with – a plate, a bowl, a spoon. Volunteers in the hall guide the people to places in the hall where they are made to sit on a carpet neatly laid out on the floor. Once seated the food – Roti (Indian bread), Dal (Lentils) and Kheer (Sweet porridge), is served again by volunteers. The other rule one has to keep in mind in ‘Langar’ is that the Rotis have to be accepted by holding forward your hands in a cupped fashion. There is no limitation to the amount of food one is served. Also there is no one to urge you to hurriedly finish your meals as is the case with one particular place of worship in Karnataka. After the meals, we are required to carry the dishes to an area where it is collected from us by other set of volunteers, again with humility and smile. The food, though a simple fare, is gratifying, sumptuous and delicious.

Food served at the ‘Langar’

Volunteers Cooking and Washing at the ‘Langar’

Near the main entrance to the Golden Temple a nondescript board announces the existence of a ‘Sikh Museum’. The laborious collection is hosted on the first floor of the complex that runs almost across the entire length of the face of the main entrance. The museum chronicles the history of Sikhs and the Golden Temple in detail; at times in gory detail. The museum also hints at the troubles that still exist between the different factions that frequently, even now, take to arms against each other. This factional disturbance is like a small dry twig in the midst of a delicious meal that leaves a small but bad taste. Nevertheless, the museum is worth a visit for its huge collection.

To sum it up, the visit to the Golden Temple at Amritsar is one of the most cherished memories of my life. Though I cannot still call myself to be attracted towards ‘Theism’, I was content at visiting a place of worship that is sans commercialization, filth and all that is Ungodly. If one has a desire to see all the beautiful places in India, kindly add the Golden Temple to the list, if it is not already. If there is no such list, create one that includes the Golden Temple that is formally known as the ‘Harmandir Sahib’.

Splendor Of Masters – Santoor in Jugalbandi with Ghatam and Tabla

My earliest memory of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma (and the musical instrument Santoor) is of the Doordarshan filler – ‘Desh Raag‘. The filler that featured stalwarts of Indian music performing the track ‘Baje Sargam..’ based on Raag Desh was a window to the amazing talent in Indian classic music from all parts of the country. I, like many others, still credit that filler for the knowledge of the various instruments (Santoor, Sarod etc.) and the musicians (Veenai Balachander, Shivkumar Sharma, Hariprasad Chaurasia and others). When my friend, Tejas, told me about this concert where the father-son duo of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma & Rahul Sharma would be performing, I was more than happy to accompany him. Another attraction to the event was the promise of a Jugalbandi of the Santoor masters with ‘Ghatam’ Vidwan Vikku Vinayakram.

‘Splendor Of Masters’ Concert Ticket

The concert was scheduled for 7:30 pm on a Friday evening, the 23rd of January 2015 at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Malleswaram, Bangalore. The hall was near full when we entered and the stage was beautifully set. After a brief introduction and a light warning to parents with infants, the artists made entrance to the stage, one by one. Pandit Anindo Chatterjee and Ramkumar Mishra, both Tabla players, made the first entrance amidst claps from the audience. Then came Rahul Sharma and the audience reciprocated with a higher pitch in their welcome. But the loudest of the welcome was reserved for the senior, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma with his mushroom cloud of hair now salt coloured. A sizeable number from the audience took to their feet to give a standing ovation. It was announced that Vidwan Vikku Vinayakram would accompany the musicians on the stage a little while later into the program.

Beautifully set stage at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Malleswaram, Bangalore

With a brief introduction from the Pandit himself, the duo set forth into an Alaap for Raag Charukeshi. They started in a slow tempo, as is the custom, and gradually built up the pace and the excitement of the audience. The Table duo too was not left out; their charged accompaniment was equally appreciated by the audience and the Santoor masters. This performance was the longest of the day, clocking almost a little more than 45 minutes. For the next performance, a light classical composition of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma based on Raag Pahaadi, the Ghatam Vidwan Vikku Vinayakram was invited on to the stage. The aged musician struggled to get onto the stage and set himself right next to Rahul Sharma, who dutifully touched the former’s feet, amidst glowing appreciation from the senior Santoor master. Once into the performance of the composition, the old man unbuttoned the front of his shirt and cast away with it his “years” too! He suddenly became alive and charged, belting out the perfect percussionist rhythm from his Ghatams – yes, he had 2 Ghatams of varying pitches and he skilfully switched between these two and at times played them simultaneously. He appeared suddenly, by some miracle, 20-30 years younger. This performance ended, similar to the previous one, with thunderous applause. The Ghatam expert too stood up, gave his salutations to the crowd and the musicians on the stage and made his exit. It was a short stint from him for the day, but one that is worth remembering. The last performance was based on Raag Mishr Pahaadi – the base Raag being Pahaadi but with interludes from other Raags as well (as described to me by my musically Knowledgeable friend). It was a quick and energetic piece to conclude the concert.

To me the most astonishing part of the evening was the co-ordination between the musicians. I don’t think so it came out because of them being a father and son – there was more to it. They were seated next to each other, and the Tabla players, one each seated at 90 degrees to the father and the son. So, the eye contact between the Santoor players and the Tabla players is understandable, but what kind of cue or co-ordination that the father-son employed is something that is beyond my grasp. One knew where the other would stop or go into the low pitch so that the other can take over. The instrument itself is unique – a trapezoid box with horizontal strings that are played with two antenna like contraptions. They created magic by playing a range of sounds from that “box” and at the end, enthralled the audience with playing it unconventionally – plucking the string with hand in tandem and holding the palm pressed against the strings to bring out an electronic kind of music.

The concert was aptly titled – ‘Splendor of Masters’.

I – Movie Review

‘I’ comes amidst the hype that usually is a tag for Shankar’s movies. A product of 2-3 years of making and with stalwarts like A R Rahman, P C Sreeram on board and also the combination of Shankar – Vikram which had delivered the blockbuster ‘Anniyan’, this hype was no surprise and to a little extent – justified.

Shankar, the film maker, has emerged as one of the top commercial director in Tamil cinema with a line of blockbusters to his credit. His movies have also been trying to be more opulent than the previous one. ‘I’ is no different. Erected on a grand scale (without any knowledge or credible evidence let me not talk about its budget) the movie is rich and lavish. But, the part of Shankar, that has always infused a low level humour bordering on the nonsensical, has not changed. ‘I’ is no different. More painful is to watch this humour being constructed on a person of the third gender. The treatment of the person in question is itself very insensitive. All tall claims of making a movie at par with Hollywood cinema, making scenarios showcasing his technical brilliance – everything takes a small hit with such insensitive and vulgar film making. Let it be clear – no one will have a problem with making the person of the third gender a main character in the story. But the treatment of the character should not be insensitive and stereotypical – this movie fails miserably in this area and that is a big negative.

“I” – Movie Poster

The other problems, albeit smaller ones are the length, the predictable turn of events and the gimmicks. The movie could have really enjoyed some trimming in the editing room. The first half more or less just skirts around the main theme and involves more in introductions, glamour and song sequences. The build-up to the ‘revealing moment’ also falls flat, because the audience already are pretty sure about it – at least I was. The other indulgence of Shankar, gimmicks – Bus made of glass in ‘Kadhalan’, 7 wonders in ‘Jeans’, painted trains and automobiles in ‘Anniyan’ and likewise – has now lost its novelty. I feel the gimmicks, especially in the song ‘Mersalayten’, though nicely done just add on minutes to the length of the film.

But all these take a back seat when Vikram sneers, growls and sashays in a long black dress with a hood. He steals the show with his portrayal of a hunchback on a mission. The other role of a bodybuilder is also essayed by Vikram with ease. The range of emotions displayed by the “Madras Tamil” speaking bodybuilder is praise worthy. Though the hunchback avatar has fewer dialogues to mouth, the emotional factor is high. One scene in particular – when the hunchback character happily totters towards his lover only to be rewarded by a coin as alms and his subsequent breakdown – is well done. Amy Jackson suits the role of a model perfectly, though the lip sync is totally out-of-sync in some places. She is gorgeous and makes the perfect “Beauty” for the “Beast” that is hunchback avatar of Vikram. The department that handled the makeup and effects is the backbone for this movie. The prosthetics and makeup done on the hunchback character (by WETA, Hollywood) appear so real and make the character believable.

If Amy is gorgeous, China is “Adhukkum Mela” in the movie. I have heard about the beauty of China’s landscapes from my friend, but seeing it on screen is a revelation. The breath-taking landscapes are made more exceptional by the brilliant cinematography of P C Sreeram. Be it the small lanes of North Chennai, the palatial residences of characters or the rooftops of China – his work has added another layer of beauty to ‘I’. One really strong reason to watch this movie on the big screen is his brilliant work in the song ‘Pookkale Konjam..’.

The other characters in the movie have little to do, but the actors portraying those have done enough justice, be it Ramkumar Ganesan (after a long time on the screen), Upen Patel, Suresh Gopi and Santhanam. Especially Santhanam – after a long time he makes his presence tolerable.

Story wise, it’s not a very brilliant work. It follows Shankar’s old template of revenge served in different ways by the protagonist. The screenplay has nothing much to do but play of the episodes of revenge, splicing in between the past in intermittent flashbacks. The absence of Sujatha is evident considering the dialogues do not make much of an impact, except in a few places. The music is usual Shankar-Rahman fare, but ‘Ladio..’ and ‘Aila Aila..’ make better sense when watched with the visuals. The background score is well done and keep the thrill and pace of the movie intact.

Though the movie falls into the usual ‘Shankar Template’ it’s good. It is definitely worth a watch, on the big screen. The movie might give us a feeling of revisiting “Anniyan” – but that should not take away the hard work that has been invested in this movie. Go watch this romantic thriller without any expectations – it will be good. Or, for some “Adhukkum Mela..”.

2014 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,700 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 28 trips to carry that many people.

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