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January 4, 2005

My Sulekha Sojourn

I don’t frequent Sulekha anymore. Not like how I was hooked onto it four years back. Initially when I discovered Sulekha online in late 2000, it was a dream website to me. Then Sulekha was still growing and wasn’t as big as now.

Until 2001, I didn’t even know a word called Weblog existed on the internet. Then, Sulekha was my haunt. I went back again and again because Sulekha had writings of Indian Diaspora with whom I could relate to. It wasn’t like a column nor it was like an email sent by a friend. Its writings were somewhere in-between and were truly classy. To think back, sub-consciously, Sulekha was a big inspiration for me to start blogging. I never wrote anything on Sulekha but admired the writings. Newshopper and Coffee house where the places of my interest. Newshopper had the best of Indian news items that never weren’t headlines but were just good opinions.

These days Sulekha is cluttered and full of ads sprinkled. The good writing is lying there somewhere but then who has enough time to dig them out. Their weblogs section really needs a re-org desperately. To put it simply, they have just too many information on a single page and they are trying to sell them hard. A part of the right side is devoted to those gif advertisements which keep blinking at unexpected intervals and keep pestering click here…click here for those cheap $5 phone cards. Sulekha have grown over the period and probably this financial model is doing well for them. In this internet age of Weblog boom and neatly designed websites, they probably should also look into designing their site, uncluttered.

The point here is that, while googling for the Giggles bookstore, I came across this article, The Chennai Sojourn, written by Ranga Rangarajan. Yet another Sulekha gem. This, I believe this is a work of non-fiction though only the writer can say what percentage of fiction is involved. However, Rangarajan brings in front the contemporary Chennai that I see everyday. His observations finest and his detailing very vivid. As someone pointed out in the comments there is a sad undercurrent throughout the article but that only makes it a engrossing read. Do read.
January 3, 2005

Devar ‘Oscar’ Magan

Was watching Devar Magan yesterday on the SUN. It was as gripping as it was on the first watch. Also yesterday we had a visitor who kept saying that Devar Magan would have grabbed an Oscar in the foreign film category if not for the silly mistake that was made. Kamal Hassan, the Devar’s son didn’t shave his head and his moustache after his father’s demise and that was considered as inappropriate by the Oscar recommendation committee. Because as the Devar community custom, a son should tonsure during the last rites. I know that this is a silly hearsay that we keep hearing.

He was probably not aware of the dynamics behind Oscar recommendation and the lobbying that happens to make the Oscar committee to watch a movie. We saw that happening with Aamir and Ashutosh for their Lagaan. But it stunned me that he was so sure that about the fact(?!) and kept harping on that.

Few other situations that this rumour was in circulation were – Kamalhassan not shaving his armpit hair as a male dance in Salangai Oli( this hair issue seems to come in rounds), Tinu Anand using his dead father’s pistol in Mani Ratnam’s Nayakan as pistols should not be given to the family of dead policemen.

I ask the same question again, why do we need to send movies for Oscars Awards and also expect it as an critical acclaim for Indian movies. Moreover such excuses for not be awarded an Oscar seems to become a serious joke.
January 3, 2005

Yesterday was a huge revelation.

Yesterday was a huge revelation. All that I blogged and blogged about Tsunami went for a big toss. I understood what it is to go out and help and I am satisfied that I did my best. This isn’t a brag. There are still so many unsung heroes helping the relief operation. They don’t have blogs or internet. They probably don’t even have an email id. And if you allow them to write or express how numb they have become towards death, pages wouldn’t be enough.

Even after you meet the first victim of the attack, you know all that is reported cannot even match that single man’s sadness. There are some emotions that couldn’t be expressed, written or reported. Pain and personal loss are probably the best representatives. They have to be felt. Again, yesterday was a huge revelation but it was not even close to the tear in that single man’s corner of the eye.
January 2, 2005

Not just Tsunami; also geeks

What is here is nowhere else; what is not here, is nowhere. If that sounds like Rajinikanth‘s quote, it isn’t. It is Mahabharata. Shashi Tharoor exposits on the rivetting epic, Mahabharata. Looks like the column would run into weeks, keep watching that space if you are interested.

And you thought software engineers just did coding. They also take up tougher tasks like the relief efforts at the Tsunami hit locations. BTW, What the heck am I doing here ?

Sevanti Ninan‘s column is always a refreshing read on sunday mornings. This time she has some nice things to say about Weblogs and Bloggers. Read more of The Tsunami Blog.

Is there a difference between this musician and her music ? KG Vijayakrishnan pays a tribute to the MS Magic.

I hate countdowns and numbering stuff but I certainly need to mention this article, Top Bollywood newsmakers of 2004. For a reason. Check out the top-most newsmaker and you know where Bollywood is moving towards. Also this guy, Karan Johar managed to get into the list even without a movie. Fancy that.
January 1, 2005

Looking ahead 2005

This ain’t an astrological predicition but might prove logical. The new year did start off with a sad note due to the heavy loss of life and property Tamil Nadu is facing right now. Last night, the Kamarajar Salai, the road that runs parallel to the marina beach was closed. This place is usually the epicenter of new year celebrations in Chennai. A candle light prayer near the Gandhi Statue, last evening, was a noble gesture.

The star hotels also closed down their new year celebrations. It must have been a heavy loss to them but again it was a very appreciative and responsible move. Even the huge cracker bursts at the stroke of midnight were missing except for a few. Places of Workship replaced sevas with prayers.

Overall, it was a come together by the residents of Chennai, in specific, to remember the doomed and the homeless victims of Tsunami attack. Let the sad note drift away to no-man’s land because this integrity by itself is a epitome of the bright future lying before us in the year ahead !!

My Sulekha Sojourn

Devar ‘Oscar’ Magan

Yesterday was a huge revelation.

Not just Tsunami; also geeks

Looking ahead 2005