Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson

Revisited this 222 page children's classic by Robert Louis Stevenson that had been glaring at me from my 'unread' bookshelf for several years. Written in 1886 by the famous Scottish writer who lived only to the age of 44 (1850-1894), and who wrote the classics such as 'Treasure Island' and the 'Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', it has real life incidents and people in the story and is set against the backdrop of a political murder, 'the Appin Murder', and is believed to be the influenced by the tale of one James Annesely who was shipped off in similar circumstances to America by his uncle, and who came back after 13 years to reclaim his inheritance.

The story is the tale of of David Balfour (Stevenson's real name was Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson) of the House of Shaws and Alan Breck, the reckless fugitive from law. It begins with David leaving his home after the death of his parents, who lived a modest life, and going in search of an uncle based on a letter his father has given him. David is an only child and he had never known of his uncle's presence and is delighted that he has a family, and a name. The uncle, Ebezener, is however not too fond of his new found relative and attempts to kill him. David survives the attempt, and the uncle makes peace, only to promptly arrange his kidnapping in connivance with the captain of a ship, to send him off to America as slave labour. Enter Alan Breck, whose boat is broken on collision with the  ship and a big fight on the ship with the greedy captain and the crew. Breck, supported by David, keeps them at bay, kills some, before the ship capsizes. The two find that they have totally opposite political philosophies, Alan supporting the House of Stuarts of Scotland and David sympahising with the Whig party of King George of England. But they become fast friends and soul mates. On land the two separate, meet again, in a moment when David witnesses before his very eyes the murder of Colin Roy alias 'Red Fox'. David is a suspect as he is on the scene and he flees only to find Alan on the scene of the crime as well, and David naturally suspects Alan has a hand in the murder as it had been Alan's desire to kill the tyrannical Red Fox. On the run the two go from house to  house, fleeing soldiers and meeting all sorts of people. After several twists and turns the duo return to the uncle Ebenezer ad reclaim David's property to him and his share of his inheritance which the uncle parts reluctantly with.

Written in a style of English that is different from modern day usage of the language 'Kidnapped' has so many twists and turns as David goes about following his heart and conscience. Stevenson also introduces so many new and interesting characters and disposes off some of them ruthlessly, as he does the sea hand Ransome, who is murdered on board by the ship's mate. David moves from scene to scene and there is no warning as to when any great calamity would befall him - the murder of Colin Ray itself coming up innocuously as he walks by seeking directions. The political situation in the background, the real characters, his own interest in legal history, all combine to make it all the more interesting to read as one can place and feel a slice of history in the mid 1750s when the actual story was to have taken place. The land is divided as that of the Campbells, Stewarts and such other names and the dialogue is delightful with the straight talking, easy-to-take-offence men. As always I feel that truth is stranger than fiction as the background story to 'Kidnapped' is as interesting or far more adventurous than the one David Balfour and the enterprising Alen Breck undertake.

Interestingly Stevenson it appears comes from a family of reputed 'lighthouse engineers' who built several lighthouses of the day. He joined an engineering course at the University of Edinburgh and dropped out, wrote stories almost all his life, was a sickly, eccentric child, became a bohemian, rejected Christianity and even founded a club that rejected everything that parents taught. He also travelled to America in search of his love, a married woman with children, almost died because of ill health, lived on forty five cents a day to make do, met her and married her finally despite their failing health, and produced a child as well. The marriage brought the estranged father and son together. Truth is stranger than fiction.

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Song of the Day - Panna ki tammanna mera Heera mujhe mil jaye

This is a fantastic slow number, all romantic, in every way. One of those songs I knew nothing about since I had not seen the movie nor did I know anything about it. I merely heard it many times over the radio in the 70s and 80s during my school and college days and loved the sound of it (the kind of a song you'd sing to your girlfriend on a quiet sundown). But you got to see the video of this 1973 movie 'Heera Panna' starring Dev Anand and Zeenat Aman. The way Dev Anand runs after the cap and his stylistic improvisations all through, the way he sees the paper, presents her the dress he wants her to wear for his photo shoot etc is really amusing. He looks so different, so naive almost that women must have really felt secure with him around. The song - fabulous. Another of those R.D. Burman compositions - how many did he do finally?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WealyzFhBW8

But now to learn the song's lyrics that go something like

Panna ki tamanaa hai ke Heera mujhe mil jaye,
Chahe meri jaan jaye, chahe mera dil jaaye

Heera to pehle hi kisi aur ka ho chuka (2)
Kisi ki
Mad bhari
Aankhon mein kho chuka
Yaadon ki
Bas dhul, ban chuka dil ka phool

Seene pe mein rakh doon jo haath phir khil jaaye
Chaahe meri jaan jaye, chahe mera dil jaaye

Dil to dete hai, lete hai log kai baar (2)
Hua kya,
Kisi se
Kiya tha tum ne pyaar
Yaadon ko chod de, vaadon ko tod de

Apni jagah se kaise parbat hil jaye
Chahe meri jaan jaye, chahe mera dil jaaye

Bhula na, mere dil ko kabhi, kisi ka khayal
Ho sake,
Toh use,
Mere dil se tu nikaal

Naa karoon main yeh kaam
To nahin mera naam

Baaton se yeh zakhm-e-jigar kaise sil jaye
Chahe meri jaan jaye, chahe mera dil jaye

Seems like high class poetry compared to some of the lyrics we hear these days.

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The Paradoxes of Our Lives - Ignore what we have, Crave for what we don't

We ignore that which we have with us, and crave for what we don't have. And once we acquire that which we don't have, we ignore that too, and crave for another thing we don't have. Our lives it would appear are about acquiring a series of things that we don't have. Is it any wonder that what we have disintegrates, dissipates or just disappears in time.

Maybe if we gave some attention to what we have, we could find that which we are seeking in what we don't have. Maybe we could find happiness, contentment and even a fair amount of excitement if we opened our eyes to what we have. (It would give us a better idea too, of what we need to set our eyes on next, instead of mindlessly acquiring stuff we don't really want.) Like I heard someone say - don't give up what you have, merely give up what you don't have! Good mantra for happiness I'd think.

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Kahaani - Movie Review

Watched 'Kahaani' and enjoyed it. Finally off the list of the to-do things. Kolkata looks the same it did when I was there in 1991 and I completely loved the way the camera takes in Kolkata and those wonderful bunch of characters who are so perfect (save the obviously Bengali babus in Tamil and South Indian names and the obviously Maharashtrian agent who is cast as a UP or Bihari). But the rest are incredibly good, the cops at the cop house, the tea wallahs, the taxi wallahs, the lodges. Wonderful.

It is obviously a story that cannot be told (because it must be seen) but it grips you completely and any holes that I perceived (I did!) in the narrative must be held back till later. Enough to say that one can pack everything up, sit back and enjoy a tautly made, thriller with the most unexpected of characters and endings - and all this with no loud dhan-de-dans ringing in your ears. And to enjoy Kolkata and its people and its culture too - the Agnes's, the Satyaki's, the Chatterjee's, the Bob Biswas's, even the little kid with the running water Bishnu (who incidentally has a smile that resembles that of Dhoni). Vidya Balan in the role of a pregnant Bidya Venkatesan Bagchi (she quickly throws off the South Indian stuff) is super in the way she walks, talks and carries herself, showing the right amount of fear and apprehension and showing her spunk at every occasion it demands. Difficult role surely and perfectly delivered - can't think of anyone who could have done a better job (Meryl Streep?). My fav character in the plot remains Bob Biswas the LIC agent and my sympathies lay heavily with his boss. Must watch on the big screen for the way it is shot and the way it brings Kolkata to life - the metro, Howrah bridge, Durga puja, the trams (the car behind was priced at 35 paise in 1991 I think, 10 paise more than the car in front, owing to a bigger fan), guest houses, the little gullies, the Maidan, Camac street, Park street. On the small screen it will be a caricature. So go for it now!

Well done Sujoy Ghosh. Interesting to see the story is developed by Advaita Kala, the best selling author of the chick lit novel 'Amost Single'. I think she also co-scripted 'Anjaani Anjaana' if I am not mistaken. And if this was meant to be a tribute to Kolkata, it is a wonderful effort.

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The Struggle and Betrayal, The Telangana Story - An Autobiography of Shri K.V. Ranga Reddy

Coming from the former Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, one who was born and brought up in Telangana, one who was a leading political figure of high stature during the inclusion of the Nizam's dominion into India (Telangana belonged to the Nizams dominion then) and later on during the formation of Andhra Pradesh, one who has led his life with high levels of commitment, fairness and justice as seen from his deeds and words, this is probably one of the best views on the way Telangana's political affairs unfolded since the end of the Nizam's rule. Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy (Dec 12, 1890-July 24, 1970) wrote and published his work in Telugu in 1967 and it was in 2010, (coincidentally at the height of the movement for a separate state for Telangana), that his son Shri Konda Ramchandra Reddy published translated it into English. Published by Vinyana Sarovara Prachurnalu, this 243 page book priced at Rs. 300, it is available with the Correspondent & Secretary A.V.College, Hyderabad.

The first part of the book devoted to the early days and struggle for education of Shri K.V. Ranga Reddy is as fascinating as the latter when his social and political career unfolds. Born in Peddamangalaram, Chevella district, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, and coming from a humble background of agriculturists, the efforts made by the diligent, focused and intelligent K.V. Ranga Reddy to educate himself after the initial encouragement by his foresighted father are highly inspirational. Living in a lodge near Nampally, hiring a cook, suffering the indignity of being asked to join first standard because he and his cousin knew only Telugu numerals (and not English numerals as was the norm in Hyderabad) it is a tale that must inspire many for his sheer resilience and steadfastness. I loved his disbelief when he realises that one can pass even with 30 or 40 marks out of 100 when he was all the time striving for 100 out of 100. In fact he got 100 out of 100 in all five subjects setting some kind of a record in the fifth standard and earned commendations and compliments from the teachers and authorities. Middle school, legal education and legal practice all followed, once again a result of single minded endeavour to be the best, to learn all the time. The importance of his tutors, Maulvi sahebs, as he refers to them affectionately, and the great dedication that the Maulvi sahebs showed towards teaching one and all without bias, cannot be understated. People's mindsets were innocent and true mostly those days it would appear. In the legal exams Shri K.V. Ranga Reddy was among the couple of hundreds who passed in the thousand odd students that took the exam. Soon after that he started showing his mettle, his intelligence and his independence in forming his opinions - three months after joining a senior advocate he quit and started practicing by himself.

Early on, he was clear that the shastras had not done any justice to women and Harijans. His practice of taking up cases for the underprivileged who had no recourse to justice even if there was little income kept him very busy but with little money. (During this period he also published volumes of judgements passed by the Hyderabad High Court and Judicial Committee from 1886 to 1917.) The moment he got elected to the legislative council (by about 3000 lawyers and advocates all over the state) he introduced 24 bills pertaining to rights of succession for women, to declare children of persons marrying into other castes as legitimate, to prevent child marriages, to declare widow marriage as legitimate, to remove untouchability, to abolish jagirs, to create a Public Service Commission for recruitment of government staff etc. Certainly a reformist in every way. The advent of Shri Madapati Hanumantha Rao and others and their call for increased participation in public service seized Shri. Ranga Reddy's imagination and he committed a lot more time in public service. They formed am Andhra Janasangham and started a library movement as no political activity was allowed by the Nizam what with the increasing popularity of the Indian National Congress and its ideas of a free India. It was later renamed as Andhra Mahasabha.

The commitment of the people of those days towards social welfare was evident in the activities that Shri. Reddy was part of - the Reddy Hostel, schools for boys, Rafe-e-aam Boys High School. Andhra Saraswati Balika Patasala, Girls Multi Purpose High School, Reddy girls hostel, Andhra Vidyalaya, Venkatrao Memorial Trust, Raja Bahadur Venkatrama Reddy Women's College, Narayanaguda Multi Purpose Girls High School, Indira Mahila Sevasadan, Sri Krishnadevaraya Andhra Bhasha Nilayam, Sarvodaya Movement, Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, Golkonda Patrika and so on. He served as the President of Andhra Mahasabha twice. Evidently he was busy handling several important social positions and making a difference to the underprivileged wherever he was.

As President of the Jagir Ryots Union he worked to bring to light some of the atrocities of jagirdars of the Nizam on the people. It is interesting to know that the Nizam's jagirdars levied taxes of which there were more than two hundred - for reasons such as a birth in the house of the jagirdar, a death, a marriage, purchase of horse, car, a tour, for Navratri etc. In 1918 the All India Congress Committee forced the Mahasabhas existing in Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra regions of the Nizam dominion to form the Hyderabad State Congress. Two factions emerged out of it - the Maharahstrian backed Ramananda Teertha group and the Karnataka-Telangana backed Ranga Reddy- Boorugula Ramakrishna Rao group. In 1947 political activity increased alongwith the freedom movement - Teertha was President of the Central Committee and Shri Ranga Reddy of Telangana - and they all courted arrest after offering satyagraha. At this time the Razakar movement was at its maximum as they attacked and killed Hindu families and so was that of the Marxists - the former committed atrocities by day and the latter by night. Hyderabad was a lawless land those days. After two months in jail the leaders were released for negotiations which failed. It was during this time that many people left Telangana and moved to Andhra including Shri Ranga Reddy's family which moved to Tenali. On September 14, 1948 the Police Action was initiated and Gen J.N.Chaudary and General Rajendra Singh led battalions that reached Hyderabad, Quasim Razvi, the leader of the Razakars, and Laik Ali, Prime Minister of the Nizam, were arrested. The Nizam surrendered on September 17, 1948.

Vinoba Bhave's bhoodan movement, seeking donation of land from large land owners had roots in Telangana with Vedire Ramachandra Reddy a landlord of Pochampalli village offering his land first. Harijans also attended this meeting. Shri Ranga Reddy was the Chairman of the Trust formed to redistribute the land offered by Ramchandra Reddy.

On the political front disturbances began as both Ranga Reddy and Boorugula Ramkrishna Rao were suspended from primary membership of the Congress by Swamy Ramananda Teertha due to a misunderstanding. Despite their many pleas their case was not heard and in the wake of their request for a fair hearing, seven hundred other members were stripped of their membership. Left with no alternative they formed a parallel Congress (which was later resolved). When the government to Hyderabad state was being proposed Shri Reddy proposed that since Telanganaites formed a majority and the region was backward, compared to Maharashtra and Karnataka areas under Nizam, the Chief Minister, the Mayor and the President of State Congress be given to Telangana persons. Shri B. Ramakrshna Rao became the Chief Minister, and Shri Madapati Hanumantha Rao became the Mayor. After many shenanigans Shri. Ramakrishna Rao became the Chief Minister in 1951. Shri Reddy and Shri Rao had some differences.

In 1955 the committee for reorganising states was formed with Fazl Ali, Kunzru and Phanikkar. Both Reddy and Rao had been propagating that Telangana and Andhra were culturally different and should not be merged. Swamy Teertha propogated the merger idea. But for some unknown reason Shri. B. Ramakrishna Rao, after a visit to Delhi, changed his stand and started propogating the Visalandhra idea as well. The Centre too had decided in favour of a single state. Left with no option, Shri Reddy proposed a regional committee with safeguards for Telangana. These included issues regarding expenditure, education, elected members among other issues. Andhra Pradesh was formed on April 1, 1956 with Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy as the Chief Minister. Shri Reddy was part of his cabinet.

The original Telangana movement began with Assistant Engineers of Telangana failing to get justice from the AP State Government regarding seniority and promotions (a case that the Assistant Engineers later lost in the High Court). At the same time a student agitation started in Khammam and caught on. Shri Reddy realised that the gentleman's agreement signed during the stipulation of safeguards for Telangana was being flouted and the safeguards suggested were not being implemented. (In fact he was to be made Deputy Chief Minister as per the agreement but was not.) Distressed, he made a representation to the government regarding the safeguards. On May 1, 1969, a rally from Charminar to Raj Bhavan turned violent and five protestors, including students were shot dead by the police.  Mr. Reddy's dismay at the Andhra politicians who have duped the Telangana people was complete and it comes through.

Chief among the injustices committed by the Andhra politicians against the Telangana people that are listed in the book are those concerning use of funds for Telangana development (the entire revenue from Telaangana was not spent on the region as promised), Housing Board (80% houses and quarters built out of the Board were given to Andhra employees and proceeds from sale given to Hyderabad and not to Telangana districts), RTC (running on funds of Telangana should first have given preference to Telangana but new buses were bought and given to Andhra and old buses to Telangana, 1800 of 2300 new buses went to Andhra when income of RTC was more from Telangana), Electricity (ratio of villages in Andhra and Telangana at the time of formation of AP was 3:2, but electrification of villages was 52:1, and out of 1664 villages only 1102 were electrified), Medical facilities (medical colleges were established in Kurnool and Tirupati, even while 60 beds were available for every one lakh in Andhra, 18 beds were available in Telangana, 80% of expeenditure under medical was spent in Hyderabad and not districts of Telangana, villagers had to travel 200 kms as against Andhra where they had to travel 60 kms), SCs (promised to spend 4:3 ratio, 28 lakh in Andhra and 20 lakh in Telangana, but had not), Personnel (appointments in Andhra were need based but not in Telangana), Education (out of five professional colleges only one was in Telangana, later on only six as against 12), Polytechnics (ten in Andhra and two in Telangana), Arts and Science Colleges (more teacher training institutions in Andhra led to more trained teachers from that region who got jobs in Telangana), Fee in schools (increased 4-5 times), Municipalities (grant of 75% and loan of 25% was scrapped and full loan system was adopted which was an Andhra system and which Telangana municipalities could not take as they did not have capacity to impose tax and repay loans), Irrigation facilities (ratio of 2:1 for fund allocation for irrigation cannot apply as Telangana is 41% of land, only 1% here is under wet cultivation while 58 % is under wet ciltivation in Andhra), Employees (promotions, vacancies were given to Andhra employees with fake mulki certificates) and so on and so forth. All this is what was written at the time of publication of the first version in 1967.

The book is probably the best in terms of a ringside view of all that happened, the origin of the issue, coming as it does from one of the leading lights of that time. The tone of the book is honest and earnest and one can sense the clarity, integrity and commitment of the author, even in the translated version, and many compliments must go to his son Shri Konda Ramchandra Reddy for keeping the voice honest. I was riveted to the book until I finished it, reading it as I had read no other book in recent times, wanting to know more about the region I was born in and grew up in, wanting to know what really happened from the perspective of the people. The Telangana area had been under the rule of the Qutb Shahis and the Nizam's for more than 4 centuries, a people subjugated by oppressive rulers and jagirdars. (There were reformists and good rulers too but on the whole the population had little rights.) Much of the lack of development of the area came from the days of the Nizam, for centuries, as the area close to Hyderabad suffered from lack of development as its entire revenue was for the Nizam's expenses (Sarf-e-Khas). One third of the dominion was for the jagirdars and the other third had some revenue and development model. The land was ruled by the 10% Muslims, with 90% Hindus under the rule. The culture was unique in that there were three distinct regions - Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana - ruled over by the Mughal, the Nizam dynasty, mingled with that of the English, the Persian and maybe Turkish. The official language was Urdu and all education was done in that language. There were ideological, language and culture issues within the Nizam's state itself (which were ruled over quite well by the Nizam it appears) - the rich and the poor, the land owners and Marxists, Muslims and Hindus  - and so on. In these circumstances, one cannot but help feel for the ordinary people of the land who have always been at the receiving end from the rulers of the land. Perhaps it is also the reason why there are leadership issues in the region - one finds few leaders - which is not surprising since the land has been under some powerful rulers. In the democratic set up, however, the non-adherence to the safeguards and the gentleman's agreement was something where one feels the Telangana leaders and people missed a trick because those two documents and agreements would have ensured parity and justice.

Shri Ranga Reddy is the grandfather of my good friend Sanjay Reddy, whom I know from my days at the Osmania University College of Engineering, and the translator of the book is Sanjay's father Shri Ramchandra Reddy. It is a riveting book for anyone who has any stake in this land and gives an insight into what went on in the initial days and the causes for discontentment coming from someone who was in the thick of things. I was pleasantly surprised to find the names of the grandfathers of two more of my friends from Osmania Engineering College - G.S.Melkote and Suravaram Pratap Reddy, related to Sagarika Melkote and Anil Kumar, both our juniors from the college. There is much for the reader, not the least, Shri Reddy's inspirational life which many students from undeveloped regions can take heart from and work as hard to get to a better station in life. A must read for all those who would like to know about the struggle for Telangana which rages on with the unfortunate suicides of students and civilians even as I review this fine book.

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Song of the Day - Ruk Jana O Jana

This popular song from 'Warrant' shot on Dev Anand and Zeenat Aman is one of those peppy travel numbers that will pick up your spirits anytime. More so if you watch the video. An irrepressible Dev Anand with one of those big moustaches (similar to the one that he wears in Gambler) follows Zeenat Aman who is going around in a red car (an Impala type of a car) on all modes of transport - by foot, by road roller, by bullock cart and once he even rolls down a hill slope in a bitumen drum to block her car. And finally, much to my amazement, at the end of the song, he delivers a chop between her shoulder blades which would have in all likelihood knocked the comely Ms. Aman out. Wonder what happened next. Was she the spy? Was he the spy? What, what what?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlkchceUUIs

Lively, romantic number that cheers the heart anyday. Enjoy!

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Thought for the Day - What's Your Relationship with Life

What is your relationship with your life? Think back, take a moment. Is life your friend? Is life constantly setting you up for failure? Is life disappointing you? Or as Amitabh famously sang in Muquaddar ka Sikandar, is life the bewafa, the betrayer, who leaves you finally to death's (the mehbooba, or lover's) embrace?

Love this picture I shot on the move somewhere in the Himalayas

Is life is our friend? The one who holds our hand all the time we are here on this earth. The one that sustains us, the one that goes ahead and picks the right lessons and situations for our overall growth, reducing our shocks when we cannot handle them - then we have a good thing going. In fact, looked at like a loyal and caring friend,  life can take on half the responsibility we are carrying - a friend who is always there for us, ahead, with and behind. Half the load is gone.

As they say, it is easier to trust the process of life than to suspect it all the time which is what perhaps, most of us tend to do.

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Manhattan - Movie Review

Been long pending on my list of must-watch movies from good ol Sagar's collection, 'Manhattan' is quintessential Woody Allen. It is probably one that is close to Allen's heart as well as he lives there and spends almost all his time in New York (he rarely moves out apparently). Allen plays Issac, a twice divorced 42 year old comic writer (a job he takes on often in his roles again) who impulsively quits his job to write a book about New York. If that is not enough he has a 17 year old girlfriend with whom he has great sex, and his ex-wife Jill, the second one (Meryl Streep), who has left him for a lesbian relationship,  is writing a confessional book on her marriage and divorce, much to his distress. In a scene that is typical of Allen's movies, he is first spotted at a cosy restaurant dining with his best friend Yale and his wife Emily, and his 17 year old girl Tracy (Mariel Hemingway) having an animated discussion. Conversation is typical of an Allen movie, rich, honest and funny in his self-deprecating and neurotic manner. Yale confesses post dinner to Allen (in on of those long walking shots of Allen) that he is actually seeing another woman Mary (Diane Keaton) and Isaac is shocked that Yale is cheating on Emily, a couple who he thinks are perfect and in love for the past 12 years.

When Yale introduces his girl friend Mary to Isaac and Tracy, Isaac takes an instant dislike to Mary's views and opinions which are exactly opposite to his. However he meets her later at a fund raising event and they go out for a walk and realise that they have a good conversation going. Issac however has no romantic inclinations with Mary. His relationship with the young school girl Tracy bothers him a bit and he encourages her to go on with her life as he is too old for her. Tracy however wants a long term commitment from him. Mariel Hemingway as Tracy is great, understated, as a clear thinking 17 year old who has much more clarity and maturity than her 42 year old lover.

Meanwhile Mary breaks off her relationship with Yale, because he is a married man who is dithering between his wife and his lover. Yale goes back to Emily and encourages Issac to see Mary. The two get into a relationship pretty soon and are almost inseparable. Tracy meanwhile gets a scholarship to study in England and asks Isaac to go to London with her. Isaac refuses and tells her he is seeing someone else, someone older. Tracy is heartbroken.

Meanwhile Jill, Isaac's ex-wife has released her book with several embarrassing references to her marriage with Isaac. The book is a hit and she also sells movie rights. Just when everything seems to be going right Mary confesses she still loves Yale and they get together. Isaac confronts Yale, Emily and runs to Tracy finally. Tracy is leaving for London and asks him to wait another six months asking him to have some faith.

'Manhattan' has all of what I see as Allen trademark shots and stuff - restaurants, conversations in restaurants, visits to museums, art discussions, cinema halls, watching exotic foreign movies, references to Groucho Marx, Ingmar Bergman and Paris, self deprecating humour (good fun), several bedroom scenes (with no sex but loads of conversation), fragile relationships and a steady witty dialogue that by now one would have guessed belongs to the intellectual as well as the pseudo intellectual. But it all comes together brilliantly and captures the mood, the people, perfectly and makes one want to be part of something like that despite the uncertainty, the unpredictability and pain that always follows Allen's characters despite their light hearted and seemingly shallow existences (as opposed to the heavy and serious characters one gets to see). One feels for the characters, identifies with the city that is the central character, and its a fine watch. Go for it.

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Thought for the Day - Everything comes out of a packet or container

I was wondering how kids these days, the urban ones, would ever understand where anything came from. Everything comes out of a packet or container. All you need to do is go to the supermarket and pick it up. How will they ever associate milk with cows or buffaloes, rice and wheat with crops, fruits with trees, flowers with plants, toys and chocolates with factories, chicken, fish and mutton with their sources.

It's sitting there neatly packaged, advertised and you merely pick it up and that is over for now - their sources do not matter at all, being far away from here. Sometimes I wonder if like the cigarette packets these items should also print the food cycle on their packages so we can send a moment's appreciation and prayer to the makers and the manufacturers.

And would there come a day when you can buy containers of love, of affection, of friends and relatives, of families? Just pick it up (your favorite brand) and take it home for current use? Not a bad idea to keep such containers in supermarkets - empty even (like the emperor's new clothes) - to see how many would pick them up. I suspect they might have a good demand.

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Anjali - But You Must Love Everyone

When I tease Anjali these days with 'I love you so much and I love only you in this world' she gets pretty distressed at my obvious lack of understanding at how it all works. She comes by and tells me patiently that I must not love her alone.

'You must love everyone Nannna. Otherwise people won't love you.' And to drive home her point she says further. 'See, I love you but I love everybody else also na. I love Mamma, Mythily atta, Manasi, Chimu, Baba (and a long list) ...also. Like that you must also love everyone.'

I act like I got it and after a while again tell her that I love only her. Hands on her hips she is back. 'Arre, how many times should I tell you Nanna. You must love everyone.' You can tell by her concern that she really thinks I might lose out on this wisdom and remain unloved.

And so it is true. From the lips of a young lady to the wisest of the wise - we must love everyone to feel the love that binds us. To find peace and to find ourselves. Another of those fine lessons from Anjali to me.

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Kashmakash - Movie Review

Based on Rabindranath Tagore's 'Naukadubi' this is Rituparno Ghosh's film that was dubbed into Hindi.by Subhash Ghai. Ramesh Chaudhry (Jisshu Sengupta), a romantic booklover and lawyer, is in love with Hemnalini (Raima Sen), an educated well-to-do young lady in Kolkata. Hemnalini's father, a renowned lawyer and his family accept Ramesh as their future son-in-law. On Hemnalini's birthday Ramesh is called away by his father to his village urgently and told that he has to marry an orphan. The father had already promised her mother. Ramesh flatly refuses saying he has also promised that he would marry another girl (Hemnalini) but succumbs to some fine emotional blackmail by the widowed mother and the father.

Post marriage the bride Suseela and the reluctant groom set off in a boat that capsizes - 'naukadubi'. When he comes to, he finds the bride, lying some distance away from him. He takes her home and sets up house but since his heart is with Hemnalini, does not consummate the marriage. One day the naive, rustic, pious and obviously likeable girl asks him why he calls her Suseela when her name is Kamla. Ramesh realises that he got the wrong bride home. He puts her in a school (why?) and instantly tells Hemnalini he wants to marry her - but does not tell her what happened and why (will tell you at the right time). His subterfuge comes to light (how? because the girl knows him only as Dr. Nalinaksh who she thinks she married and not as Ramesh but the girl apparently tells someone tat she is Ramesh's wife). Anyway stuck by this bad news of Ramesh's betrayal. the lawyer father and distraught daughter go to Kasi to recuperate and bump into the good doctor - Nalinaksh. Daughter is drawn to the ageing Nalinaksh and vice versa.

Meanwhile the unfortunate bride (but she really is not - she survives everything - the storm the capsize and even an attempt at suicide) jumps into the river after coming to know that Ramesh had given an advert trying to locate Dr. Nalinaksh. Though given up for dead by Ramesh and others who perform her last rites, she is rescued in Kasi by some sadhus and reinstated as maid in the good doctor's house. Surprisingly no one recognises her, the girl whom the is supposed to have married, including his mother. Anyway the maid recognises the guy as her husband but does not say a word. Ramesh comes to Kasi to perform her final rites and meets Hemnalini. The doctor realises that his wife is his maid thanks to the advertisement that she carries with her all the time and everyone marries whom they were supposed to finally. Alls well and that ends well.

Lots of twists and turns and plenty of drama. And in the end, I liked the all's well that ends well ending. If there is one flaw that comes across to me, it is the lack of deeper emotions or communication  between people who appear to otherwise love one another. But as a story it has a fantastic hook, the exchange of brides unknowingly in the boat capsize soon after the marriage.

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Powerplay at Hyderabad

As summer approaches the denizens of Hyderabad have to be as strategic as the Indian cricketers in handling power plays. We are faced with power plays at any and many times during the day. Unlike cricketers we have to be prepared not just for the scheduled power cut which is fine with us but the unscheduled power cut as well. For example my days these days have a power cut at 8 a.m. sharp (making shaving etc difficult in the dark so forgive my large tranches of unshaven patches), sometimes it returns at 930 p.m. and sometimes it does not. At times when it comes at 930 a.m. it is not with the assurance that it will stay with you for a long time because it could very capriciously take off  on some vacation and return only at 12 p.m. And so on and so forth it plays hide and seek - when we are ready it is not and we are not ready it is. A very difficult thing this power play business.

Model of proposed power house one can build in houses and small communities (provided there is water)

One industrialist acquaintance of mine was lamenting the other day - why do we run an industry at all? They apparently do not have power for days together ha ha. At least two of my friends were discussing the cost of inverters. Those inverters seem to cost as much as setting up a new power project so I gave up on those! It is time to produce our own power I guess or learn to do without it. Surprisingly, when I went to pay the power bill the other day, the young lady at eseva politely told me that there would be a new user charge of Rs. 10 from this month onwards. A user charge for what? I notice that these innocuous charges are adding up at the bottom of the bill these days.

Anyway more on that later but for the present I am planning my days well thanks to the power plays just like batsmen do. Shave early, take important print outs early, pick your clothes the night before, buy candles, check for breakfast stains before heading out (since we eat in the dark), plan my non-power activities like phones, exercise, reading newspapers and some other stuff that does not ned power during non-power play times. Thanks fellows, whoever is responsible now for the power plays, for bringing this much needed discipline in my life. Without you, life would just not have been so exciting.

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