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Few Indians in America make any attempt to integrate in American cultural or social life. So few visit an American home or a theater or an opera, or try to understand the American psyche. An Indian’s contact with the American is confined to his colleagues working along with him and to an official or seminar luncheon. He may also mutter a “Hi!” across the fence to an American neighbor while lawn-mowing. At other times one never sees the other except by appointment, each family being boxed up in their homes securely behind locked doors.

After he has equipped his new home with the latest dish-washer, video, etc., with two cars in the garage and acquired all that the others have, he sits back with his family counting his blessings. Outwardly happy, but secretly gnawed by some vague discontent and aware of some inner turbulence or vacuum, he cannot define which. All the comfort is physically satisfying, he has immense “job satisfaction” and that is about all.

RK Narayan’s My America is a simple-yet-devastatingly ironical look of an Indian’s American life. This article of RK Narayan was written for Hindu’s Frontline in 1985. I keep reading and re-reading this but now I am starting to appreciate it better. My America has the classical writing style of RKN. Very subtle, very genius.

Sujatha had written a similar article called Vellinaattu Mogam Konda Ilaignargalukku which was even more straight-from-the-heart and hard-hitting. I had just too many discussions on this with my friends. The last few were with Balaji and Latha. But don’t worry, to pick up a discussion on this again, is a cake walk for me. I’m ready !!

Other than Vidyasagar getting a neat break with Rajini film, was there anything special about Chandramukhi‘s music. But who wants to write a music review for a Thalaivar movie. I am not Anti-Rajini. I like him and hence to make him proud, no review/preview stuff for music. But then here is the sort-of-one-liner [not necessarily] for them.

a) Annanoda Pattu – A typical Kolla Kuthu Vidyasagar song. For Karthik it was Maya Maya [Baba]. This time it’s KK. Neat job but some bad pronunciation. Didn’t like KK crying, Ah!! Ah!!. Made it seem seem like a moan.

b) Devuda Devuda – Vidyasagar wants to compete the opening build-up music for Rajini, with ARR’s Muthu music. Never. Who else except SPB could do it for Rajini’s opening song. Shankar Mahadevan himself didn’t impress for the Baba song. SPB delivers. What a way to reach the high pitch and say Repeatuu. Cool.

c) Kokku Para Para – Cute song. Seems like an ARR song for a Rajini movie. Wonderful Harmony.

d) Athinthom – Did I hear Maankuyiley Poonguiley recently ? Very close to that Illayaraja classic. Don’t agree with me ? Listen once more. Yet again it’s SPB’s forte for such numbers.

e) Konjam Neram – Decent melody. May not have been in this album if not for Prabhu-Jyothika pair. I hope so at least. Madhu Balakrishnan’s voice suits Prabhu. Asha pronounces Alagu for Azhaghu. Could have used a Tamil singer. Honestly, I like Asha and Sadana Sargam singing except for their bad Tamil.

f) Raa Raa – Smokers, take a break. A classical number to move the movie. Very enjoyable except for the haunting voice that interrupts and pronounces kala kala kala kala. I know the movie plot is based there but then as an album the song fails because of that.

Pretty mediocre for a Vidyasagar album. He has given better ones before.

Marks ? 1190 out of 100 like Thengai Seenivasan rating Rajini in the Thillu Mullu interview. Remember Iyampettai Aruvadainambi Kaliyaperumal Indran. Same stuff. Rajini is out of the rating race, read more, for his fans.