I like that!

The other day, as a college tradition, the tams of NLS went out on a tam-dinner. While I insisted that it should be a good south-Indian restaurant and arranged for the dinner at Ponnusamy, one miscommunication led to another and eventually we landed up at Desmondes for a late dinner. There were around thirty of us of different sorts- full tams, half tams, quarter tams, tams from different parts of the country (and this time, different parts of the world too!), tams from chennai, non-tams from tamil nadu, etc. Tam dinners/lunches are a lot of fun. We get to know the juniors, treat them and try to welcome them aboard. I still remember my first tam-lunch at Sapattu Raman- we had lovely dosas and sambar, introduced myself in tamil (like: vanakkam, yen per krithika. nan chennai-lendhu varen. psbb-la padichen, etc) and now I can't believe four years have passed and this was my last tam dinner.

Desmondes had a great variety but we chose to order a few and share amongst us. Great food, hours of laughing together and racking our brains to divide the bill. And then we hit Corner House on Lavelle Road (did you know Corner House people, whichever branch, speak super tamil?). I had my favourite cake fudge while Vivek had litchis with ice cream, Shruti had something chocolate-y, Latcho was too full to have anything and Dv had choco mousse with ice cream. Shruti, our very own DISCO convenor, was being all responsible and sent off the juniors in the cabs first! And then we had a long long chat fully in tamil about nothing in particular while we waited for our cabs to come. This was different- nothing bitchy or intense but just a funny gathering of memories of four years! We didn't even realize the time until it was about eleven fifteen. And then we had to leave the place... but continued the laughter riot in the cab. At the end, Shruti's cheeks and my stomach were hurting so much. But who cares!! We had an awesome awesome time! Evlavu sirichom-nu oru alavu illa, edhukku sirichom-nu kooda nyabagam illa. Aana nariya sirichom, romba jillu-nu irundhudhu! :) :)

Ilaiyaraja-na Ilaiyaraja dhaan! ;)

Ilaiyaraja is a genius when it comes to making situation-specific songs and one of the classic examples is the song Sorgame Endralum from Oora Vittu Oor Vandhu. When it comes to lyrics, singing and the music, this is my all-time favourite. The genre is folk, set in Hamsanadham apparently, with Ilaiyaraja and Janaki rendering the song with brilliant expressions. I love Ilaiyaraja's version of Tamil folk and this song just stands out. The song, in the movie, appears when the lead couple leave their village and go to Singapore to accomplish their mission. The translation, however done, can do no justice to the spirit of the song but I still have tried:

Pallavi:

Sorgame endralum adhu nammooru pola varuma?
(Even if you take heaven, would it like our own city?)
Ada ennadu endralum adhu nam naatukeedaguma?
(And would any other country be so good as our own?)
Pala desam muzhudhum pesum mozhigal Tamizh-pol inithiduma...?
(There may be many languages but which one sounds as sweet as tamil?)

Charanam I:

Yerikarai katrum elelelo paatum inge edhum ketkavilaiye...
(I cant listen to the breeze on the banks of river and the sound of folk music here)
Padum kuyil sathham aadum mayil nithham paarka oru solai-illaye...
(Neither can I see cuckoos singing or peacocks dancing)
Vethalaiya madichhu maaman adhai kadichhu thuppa oru vazhi-illaiye...
(There is no way I can give my husband folded beetel leaves to eat here)
Odi vandhu kudhichhu mungi-mungi kulichhu aada oru odai-illaiye...
(And there is no lake here in which we can run, jump, play and bathe)
Ivvooru enna ooru, nammoodu romba melu,
(What kind of a place is this? Our city is so much better!)
Odum pala caar-u, veen adambaram paaru,
(There a hell lot of cars and unnecessary sophistication)
Oru dhaagam theerka yedhu moru...?
(But would I get buttermilk to quench my thirst?)

Sorgame endralum...

Charanam II:

Maadu rendu meikka meiyuradha paarka mandhaveli inga illaiye...
(There is not a farm here for the cows to graze or to see cows grazing)
Aadu-puli aatam pottu vilaiyada arasa-maram medai-illaiye...
(And there is no banyan tree under which we can play games)
Kaalai rendu pooti kattai vandi otti ganam paada vazhi-illaiye...
(There is no way I can sing songs while riding a bullock cart)
Thozigalai azhaichhu solli solli rasichhu aatam poda vazhi-illaiye...
(Neither is there a place I can take all my friends to sing, dance and chat)
Oru yendhirathhai pola ada inge ulla vaazhkai,
(Life here is like that of a machine)
Idha engai poi solla manam ishta padavilla,
(Where can I go coz I dont like to be here)
Nammoorai pola ver-ooru illai...!
(There is no better place than ours)

Sorgame endralum...

A damn cute video and great music- just the way Ilaiyaraja makes it work everytime. I repeat, Ilaiyaraja-na Ilaiyaraja dhaan! Someday I want to meet him and I will never forget that day in my life! :)

Manam Virumbudhe Unnai Unnai...

A very popular and typical Deva song of the 1990's. 

With the drive to listen to something different, I loaded my Ipod with songs I usually don't - one of them being manam virumbudhe unnai. Not really sure if I liked it when it released but I quite liked it today. Fresh and energetic with a lovely BGM. With a little Carnatic touch, Harini's pitch is really good. And the lyrics- SO cute!!! Easy to sing along. On watching its video from Youtube: Simran's enthusiasm to dance is a treat to watch despite the immature expressions, excessive hip-shakes and dowdy dressing.

Brought a smile to my face. Taste in music can never be defined. It doesn't have to be. I guess it is something you keep exploring always and it feels good to know you liked something different today. Something fresh. Something you could relate to in some way or the other, like the rush of energy in this song. 

And I hope to discover many such cute songs that make your day. Especially on those gloomy days- like the exam time! :D

MMKR. A Recall.

"...sundari neeyum sundaran n(y)anum sendhirundhal thiruonam..."

I am sure anyone of us with an ounce of interest in watching good tamil flicks would know this song, this movie and of course, about Kamal's stunning performance. MMKR- Michael Madana Kama Rajan. It is one hell of a movie. I was watching some of the scenes of MMKR on youtube today (yes! the movie is available on youtube) and couldnt resist it. Mention it somewhere. I had to blog about it. I had a big bellylaugh over watching Oorvashi and Kamal romance, man! They were stunning!




So here I go. Pen down things I liked about the characters in the movie-

• Kamal as Kameshwara- The Palakhadu accent was a step above perfect. And the character was so accurately structured to match a clear blend of an innoncent and an orthodox know-all. Without the need for any repetition or emphasis, it was smoothly fused in the plot continuously making us crack-up.
• Urvasi as Thirupurasundari- Effortlessly funny. Her method of telling Kamal of her pati's petty thefts was unmatched.
  
• Urvasi's Pati- How did they make this character? So cute! Yet irritating! Literally makes you talk to the screen! :(
  
• Kamal as Rajan- Slapstick so well adapted. The jokes flowed from conversations with other charachters. You didnt have to wait to hear him speak actually. His expressions were so GOOD!
  
• Beemboy- So goofy and adorable! The height and abnormal physique! And the way he would just listen to Michael, his boss.

A few picks... (Sorry I have just put in Kamal-Urvashi bits because they were just overwhelmingly funny!)

Kamal: Yarukku kalyanam? (And as Urvashi points a finger at him) Naeka? (And as she turns the finger to point it at herself) Noaka? (And as she does both together again) Naekum Noakum-a?...

Another. Urvasi: Enadhu idhu... katindrukom? Kamal: Katindrukom-a? (Pause and then realizes what he is doing) Oh... Aamam... Aana venumnu pannala kettiya... Pechuvakkula theriyalai...Nan poitu varen... (And he opens the cupboard) Urvashi: Ayayo ha ha he he ha ha... Kamal: Ha ha ha vashal-nu nenachu beerwa-va thorandhuten (!) Ha ha ha he he he hi hi hi...

Kamal: Propaer Palakhadu illa...oru kuk-gramam Urvashi: Gramamum cook-a, neengalum cook-u (!) Ha ha he he hi hi...

As he catches her red-handed with chella-petti, Kamal: Nee thirupura sundari illa, thiruttu sundari... :)

And then what? I just remember spotting myself under the bed in tears of laughter!!! I love these agraharam types comedies!! :)

Fortunately, a TAM!

Please don't mind the Tamness! :D

Somewhere in law school, one begins to feel the explosive need to defend one's language, one's caste, one's hometown...say one's everything. And I am no exception to it. I started to represent Madras and slowly shifted to telling people (who wouldn't listen) about the place and language, then to support...then to defend...and now wouldn't mind FIGHTING for it. At the same time, its beginning to feel like an exercise I am almost tired of. May be the moment has come to withdraw myself from these immature politics (that I was a part of) and just breathe out "fortunately, I am a Tam!" I mean withdrawal actually looks solemn when thought of as an idea to experience my culture without having to feel the need to defend it.

I am happy (probably the happiest) to come from Madras (as I would like to call it) and NOT any other place in the world. Tamil pesardh-la oru thani sugam irukku...Adhellam inga varadhu! To speak Tamil in this godforsaken place is not to be considered for a few reasons:
(a) dearth of people who know anything other than Hindi
(b) convenient use of Article 19(1)(a)... probably the only thing they can jump to
(c) fear of diluting the actual beauty of my language
(d) and of course, common sense (which I don't think is that common here) that language is for effective communication (i.e. at least the addressee must be able to understand the bloody thing) and NOT to create differences in the society.

But thankfully, there are a few others who look at it from a normal perspective- who believe and respect the diversity. May be, that is why I still haven't taken to any violent methods to combat it! Tell me which idiot would like it if you go on and on in some imperceptible language (and then say, sorry bhai, it comes out naturally yaar!).

Coming to why Madras is very special to me. I mean its not only because it brought me up or because I can express myself more freely there...but also because its so quiet and simple yet SO rich. Even if you want to criticize the place, it can only be for it's weather and the malicious autokaranga. Otherwise, it is a paradise. A gem. At least it is comparatively free of people who believe in one national language. It is reasonably clean and unpolluted. And it works best for me because people don't break things and kill eachother for nuts and cookies. Not much of a traffic jam here because the city wakes up early. Its conservative and hence, safer compared to its counterparts. Semma transport system (MTC rocks machi!). Marina Beach and sundal. And so much more.

Namma Madras. Tamil. Dosa-Sambhar. Suprabadham. Arisi-mavu Kolam. Madisar Mamis. Tea Kada. Gana Padalgal. Chettiyar kadai. Pillayar Kovil. Bharathanatyam. Margazhi Pugazh. I can instantly see a smile coming out of my face as the list goes on in my mind...! :)