A Walk Down Rahman Lane by Abhirami

If you are here for the first time, please read this post.
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Around the time my first son was born, there was a song that was topping the Tamil charts. It was a song that perfectly echoed the tumult of motherhood - the ecstatic peaks and the crushing challenges - with its soaring high and lilting low notes effortlessly rendered by a teenager who served to notice to the world that she was no ordinary talent. Deivam thandha poove (Oh flower, a blessing from God) from the movie Kannathil MuththamittaL quickly became a song I would sing to my firstborn. As a new mother grappling with raising her infant in a foreign country with little support, this song to me was a reminder that hidden amidst the incessant demands placed on my time, the obliteration of my own identity as a woman, the overwhelming fatigue that set in at the start of yet another day filled with nursing, cleaning and feeding, was a little gem that I called my child. 

A few years later, I would go on to have my second son and I had chosen to have him in UK on my own, politely declining all offers of help from family in India. Ten days after his birth, we organised a small Punjayajanam and invited some friends and neighbours to the ceremony. The priest performed a few rituals and I suggested that those of gathered each sing something on the occasion. If this had been in India, there would have been much fanfare, food and celebration. Somehow, that cold, grey English afternoon demanded enlivening and warmth from songs. It seemed so bereft and soulless otherwise. When it was my turn to sing, I chose Deivam Thandha poove. It only seemed fitting that I would sing this song that tells the child how they came as a breeze into one's life and remained as air to breath. Perhaps it was the wide range that A R Rahman had laid out for his singers that they so casually sauntered across that was beyond the grasp of this amateur singer, perhaps it was the full weight of the song falling on a new mother's shoulders, perhaps it was a sense of the occasion, I could not complete the song as my throat seized up. Despite the shadow that has been cast on the song (its lyricist Vairamuthu has been accused of sexual misconduct by its singer Chinmayi), this track never fails to remind me what a blessing my sons are. 

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About Abhirami

Apart from being an Akka to an illustrious sister, namely yours truly, Abhirami is a media professional and playwright who is pursuing a Master’s degree in documentary film-making while working in a film & training company. Currently, she is busy resuscitating her creative practice after a hiatus of a dozen years. 

Abhirami blogs here and you could take a look at her work on her site. Say hi to Abhi here and here. 

A Walk Down Rahman Lane by Viju

If you are here for the first time, please read this post.

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Down the memory lane

A.R. Rahman’s music, being very special to me, plays a very important role in my long distance runs. A lot of these long distance runs are run by me solo and it gets very lonely. There are moments when you feel like giving up and/or hit the wall. To ensure I have some company during the run I always listen to music (naysayers please excuse!) and this has definitely played an important role in my evolution as a long distance runner.

I list below five songs that have pushed me during my runs in the past few years and they will always have a special place in my long run and also on my iPhone (previously iPod shuffle).

Ladio from I: What a powerhouse of energy this song is! There was a time I would listen to all the songs from ‘I’ exclusively during my run and time a 7k to that. Ladio is one of those tracks that just changes its form every minute in the song and that refreshes me quite a bit on my run. A target for me is to run a full marathon with 4:41 as my pace per kilometer. May I will put this song on a loop 42.2 times!

Oru Nanban Irundhaal from Enakku 20 Unakku 18: The song has a constant tempo from start to finish and Chinmayi’s vocals alongside the chorus is something that keeps one going nonstop. Also the lyrics of this song about friendship also are something I liken to my relationship with my run. Particularly - Ada vaazhkkai padhai maralaam natpudhaan maaruma (our life’s path can can but will friendship change?)

Kadhal Vettukili from Parasuram: This brilliant yet lesser known duet from an immensely forgettable movie is another song that has an energetic set of beats and an amazing interlude between the first and second charanams. This always has a place on my running playlist and gives me that high every time I hear the first few seconds of the song!

Tanha Tanha from Rangeela: As a 90s kid, all I remember from watching this song in the 90s initially was Urmila running on the beach and then an ‘ugly’ Jackie Shroff creepily dancing with her. Well, with all those memories put aside, I revisited this song a few years ago and the orchestration in this - the flute, the violins, Sujatha and Srinivas’ alaaps before the first charanam make it such a grand song. And ensuring I maintain my strides fine with the beats in the song, especially when I am doing intervals, is a blissful experience.

Arziyan from Delhi 6: This song is always going to be ‘That One Song’ for me and I end up trying to ensure my races or significant long runs start or end with this song! The divinity in Kailash Kher and Javed Ali’s vocals and the positivity in this song takes me to an entirely different zone (both during my run and otherwise).

There are more ARR songs on my running playlist and probably I will write about more of those soon! Thank you Blogeswari for this opportunity and thank you ARR for all the music!
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About Viju

Zu (An)na, sometimes called Dr.Viju works with the Universities in India on understanding how computational tools are used in the curriculum and research to help accelerate the engineering and science learning process.

I'll give you a moment and more to process the above. Yeah, that's our Zu 'na. His CV will need a doctorate for you and I to decipher, dissect and digest.

A reluctant book worm, A Marathoner and a Padicha Pulla - Zu 'na has been spending this lockdown period reading, running (adhe!) on roads and running a poll on Twitter with the hashtag #FavARRite on ARR's songs and albums. Viju blogs here, here and here . 

Say Hi to Viju here and here.

A Walk Down Rahman Lane by Hari

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March 2015. The job season was at its peak, with multiple interviews lined up. ARR, too, reached his peak with the release of his OK Kanmani album. Three songs from the film played on my phone, and, eventually, in my mind, during my job search phase. 

 

The addictive Mental Manadhil, with all its buoyancy, was one of the more accessible A R Rahman songs on the first hearing. Director Mani Ratnam enhanced the song with visuals of Dulquer and Nithya biking through Mumbai's busy streets with unbridled energy. I wondered if I should approach my job phase tension-free. I wasn't too sure. 

 

The structure of Parandhu Sella Va is an analogy to that of the film itself. What starts as a light and fun track turns into something incredibly romantic after the halfway mark. Each time I played the song, I eagerly anticipated the portion where singer Karthik, a Me Too accused, begins Nanaindhu Kollava Mazhai Illamale to go into a romantic high. The chills, unmonitored eyelid closure all enhanced the dream-like state I was finding myself in when listening from the halfway mark. I thought, sometimes, being in a dream-like state was an excellent way to forget being worried about my impending final round interview for which I had to travel from one city to another. I thought I aced my job interview. 

 

Aye Sinamika made me long for a crush that did not exist. The song also felt like life: meandering but containing the highs that felt pleasant and the lows that made one yearn for such peaks. Unfortunately (and lucky for the one who got the job), I failed to land the job. But, the crests and troughs are what make life beautiful. We should try finding beauty in small things instead of complaining about things we may not have control over. 

 

I finally did find a job four months after the release of Mental Manadhil, and a month after the unsuccessful interview I mentioned earlier. It happened after over 200 listens of the songs from the film from a playlist that contained only OK Kanmani's songs. Maybe A R Rahman was telling me all along, “It's all going to be OKK in the end.”

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About Hari:

 

Hari is an engineer by day and cinephile by night. He has almost ended his love affair with cricket by sticking to just the IPL. He writes film-related articles whenever he gets a worthy topic to write about.

During the lockdown, he dabbled in song edits and realized he has taste.

 

Taste isn't an issue when it comes to his cooking because he's a great chef. He loves going on long drives provided he has company. Otherwise, he wastes his time on Twitter.

Say hi to Hari here.

A Walk Down Rahman Lane by A M Aravind

If you're here for the first time, please read this post
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The first time I heard this song was when my neighbour used to play it, and  it reached us in a muffled tone - because of the distance and the concrete walls interrupting the sound waves. I was intrigued. The neighbour played it again. And, again. And again. Several times that day. And for the rest of the week. But, I was not able to make out the lyrics or even the language, and I couldn't figure out what song it was. The introvert that I was, I never got around to asking him what it was.

 

What kept me hooked was these lines "Jao humko to Aati Sharm hai, Teri Aisi Adaa Pe to Fida hum hain". I found the way these lines were sung to be so fresh. And addictive. And, the tune, so unique!

 

Later that week, at school, some of my friends were to dance at our culturals, and were rehearsing, with an instrumental track. During a break, they played another song from the same film. And, guess what? It was my "mystery song". I finally asked what song it was. I got the reply, "Don't you know? This is A R Rahman's first Hindi film. And the song is called Hai Rama."

 

Though we were addicted to many of thalaivARR's Tamil songs in the 2-3 years he was in the industry, I wasn't following his work closely, and I was unaware of his Hindi debut. I quickly got hold of the cassette and it was a joy blasting all the songs from the album in our Videocon tape recorder.

 

What a magic Hai Rama turned out to be. If the "trailer" from my neighbour's house got me hooked, the full song blew me away. There was so much more in the song. Hariji and Swarnalatha in top form, accompanied by playful flute (the flute bit in the second interlude - from 4:45 - remained my ringtone for a long time), the vibrant percussion and passionate strings took me to heaven, not just then, but even now. 25 years after it was composed!

 

Thank you, Rahman sir, for blessing us with evergreen songs like this, and surprising us with extra-ordinary experiments, even after 28 years!

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About A.M.Aravind

An A.R.Rahman series without a guest post by AMA? No, Never, Nahin!

A die-hard fan of Rahman, Sachin and Federer, AMA, when not RJing on an online radio station, presenting ARR's songs, is usually in and around Pallikaranai Marshlands or Vedanthangal, marathon-ing.. ie Bird Marathoning. Don’t miss following his series on Youtube, for birders.
Also, have you listened to this song composed by Rahman for AMA? Yes, Nambungaji
Follow engaL Birdman here and here.

A Walk Down Rahman Lane by Susmitha Chakkungal

 If you are here for the first time, please read this post.

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I always felt that my era should be aptly called the “Trans Gen” as in, people caught in transition.  Be it oh! I walked to college/ I travelled by public transport/ I cycled/ I go by a two wheeler, Typewriter/Computer/Laptops/Blackberry to everything today happens on mobile. We are the generation that transitioned through transition some in thoughts some in actual life… Music was no different at home for me the argument was always, always …MSV is the best, Ilayaraja is the best, it was almost spiritual and political to listen to them in the background of these voices. Scared if you could err by liking one more than the other because they are geniuses and their music is indeed brilliant, wondering will I have a musician of my own. As I grew passing through the most important personal phases of my life searching an identity in friendship, love, career, politics, family, marriage, faith...ARR happened. Music that gave emotions to all that shaped my life as a youngster, so it’s not easy for me to pick one song that made a lifetime impact on me, for his music is inseparable from me, imbedded in every DNA. Now having said that personally two emotions stand out for me with ARR’s music, devotion and patriotism maybe because somewhere these two emotions intertwine with the musician’s personality or it could be purely because both these emotions are very personal and speaks of faith that is true.

Image - ARR's Instagram

The music that crescendo’s in Tamizha Tamizha,  the visuals of secularism in Thai Mannae Vannakam,  the hope of peace and togetherness that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and ARR’s voice in Gurus of Peace ,  the optimism when the Shehnai pierces your heart in “ Yeh jo Desh hai tera” . I’m actually absolutely partial to the unplugged version of the same, where ARR says…Undhan Desathil kural, tholaidurathil adho…seviyil vizhadha…i tear up and feel the pride that my country is and will always remain to me, giving me a purpose. Strangely enough I felt the same with all the music tracks of Pele : Birth of a Legend , when the eyes fill up in Pele’s fathers eyes…I was soaked in uncontrollable tears… so what if Pele is not from India, ARR is from my ooru …J

The closeness to a supernatural power that his music brings in Anbendra Mazhayilae… ( Honestly this is about the only song that I like of this singer) a God that will be within me and guide at times of distress in Oh Palan Hare nirgun our nyare… the purity and tranquility  ik onkar a simple hymn that tugs at your heart , the search to find faith in Kun Faya Kun…Khwaja merae khwaja… Maula Wa Sallim …his music only showed me the oneness in the supreme power a God that helps us and impresses all of us to be good, a God that transcends beyond differences a God that you understand.  ARR…a musician and music that brings us all closer to each other through our personal belief.

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About Susmitha
With a Double Master's Degree in Criminology and Human Rights, Sush continues to inspire her contemporaries including yours truly, with an envious career spanning over two decades in Electronic Media. As my go-to person for all career-related (read : boss related) problems, Sush is a level-headed problem solver and a much-needed motivator everyone needs.
It's no surprise that she was the most loved boss (as mentioned by her reportees) in her recent stint with a Radio station.
A Classical dancer and a super duper chef, Sush is seriously contemplating on setting up her cake business. That is, when she has some time to breathe amidst all the CSR work that she's involved in.
Say Hello to Sush here.

 

A Walk Down Rahman Lane by Rajasekar

 If you are here for the first time, please read this post.

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Though I'm aware of A R Rahman's songs and listened to his music right from my kindergarten days (1990 born), I was completely blown away by the sound he produced when my dad bought this Panasonic Five CD Changer and the first album I played was Parthale Paravasam.

I was eleven years old in 2001 so don't even know what heartbreak is and the melancholy associated with it yet the Azhage Sugama number pushed me to listen multiple times. I was addicted to the album (although people only remember KB's Duet with Rahman these days, for me, PP is a close to heart album. Love check, Nee Dhaan En Thesiya Geetham, Manmadha Masam, Nadhir Dhina, Moondrezhuthu would be continuously blasted in 1400W dual speaker in my home)

Back to Azhage Sugama...

Whenever I return from school, I'd listen to this song and strangely, it also gave me peace of mind and tune me to concentrate on the day-to-day homework and studies. For some reason, I used to play this number before entering the exam hall, before preparing for semester exams and it continued till I finished college.

Azhage Sugama... ARR ey Sugama..
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About Rajasekar

A film buff who loves movies as much as he loves Tenkasi kaatthu and ambience, Rajasekar is a film correspondent who writes for Sify and First Post.

A fitness buff who's always on a stringent diet, Rajasekar's loves to click pictures of nature which include Rainbows, Waterfalls, Birds amongst others. Do check them out here and say hi to Rajasekar here.

A Walk Down Rahman Lane by Ninad Sonawane

 If you are here for the first time, please read this post.

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My life is a series of dualities, twos...Unbelonging in either world... Like the mythical Trishanku, stuck between this world and the heavens above.

When I was going through particularly troubling times, transitioning, accepting, choosing one world over another, Rockstar was released. It was the last audio CD I bought. This was a confusing period in my life and swinging between love and lovelessness, the lyrics of "... Khaiyon Na Tu Naina Morey..." didn't have the same resonance they would have otherwise had. 

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What stuck a chord was the musical Jugalbandi piece "Dichotomy of fame"... Colliding two worlds, celebrating their individuality and cleaved together in a spellbinding manner. 

Marital separation and decisions about matters of heart are severe. Love, longing and loss leave deep wounds and searching your heart and mind to discover what direction you want to take takes a heavy toll on your sanity and peace of mind. 

I visualised the lived past and imagined past and possible futures while playing "Dichotomy of fame" on repeat. At the end of the day, what had to happen, happened. The pain and joy of contemplation while listening to the Shehnai and guitar, stayed with me. Belonging and Unbelonging to someone and losing exclusivity of those emotions is what my journey from Iruvar to Rockstar stands for. 

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About Ninad Sonawane

The one friend who one call anytime and who will have the answers to all of life's problems. Meet  my dearest Ninad, a 24*7 Social Scientist, Global Gyaani, Media guy, Storyteller, Shhunya Vad, Movie buff and an Ambivert.
And above all, a guy with a heart of gold. Thanks Nin, for writing this.

A Walk Down Rahman Lane by Pattukkaaran

 If you are here for the first time, please read this post.

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ARR is an integral part of every 90's kid’s childhood. He played a vital role in tuning my ears to music of different kinds. Both I & Rahman were introduced to the world at right about the same time. I was born 5 months before his debut, in a small town in South Tamil Nadu. 

'Kanne Kalaimaane' was my lullaby, Pettai Rap was my dance number, but Rahman “happened” to me through 'Oliyum Oliyum’. I was fascinated to see the glass bus in ‘Urvasi Urvasi’ I grew up listening to ‘Mukkala Mukkabla’, ‘Romeo Aatam Potaal’ etc. But no, I'm not gonna talk about those songs. 

I'm here to share about "Alaipayuthey" - the 1st cassette I owned, the 1st cassette I played in loop. I noticed Rahman's name in the cassette, little did I know that that meant that he was the magician behind those songs. I knew Alaipayuthey songs by heart. The 1st song in Side A, the 2nd song in Side B. I knew the lyrics, the time between each song in the cassette, the number of oscillations I had to do with the pencil to reach a specific song.. EVERYTHING! I used to sit near the speakers when the album played and keenly watched the vibration of my speakers! :P I played that cassette until it started jarring at one point and I had to get another copy. I have the cassette safe with me till date.

It always amazes me that this man keeps reinventing himself, every album. He keeps learning. He listens and keeps himself updated. Thank you sir, your smile calms me like your music does. I do go back to your old interviews when I feel low. You are AMAZING. Stay the same.

Btw, I love Rahman's Insta feed. Forget the copy posts, whatever he does on his own, has soo much life! :)

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About Pattukkaran

Pattukkaran (not to be confused with the famous milkman from the '80s) is a music industry professional and is supremely passionate about what-else-but-music. An avid consumer of music across languages and genres, he writes about the songs that moved him, on this blog. Don't miss my favourite post, 'Songs of Hope'.

Do follow this music addict, here and here, right away!

A Walk Down Rahman Lane by Govind Vasantha

If you are here for the first time, please read this post.

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One of my most favourite songs of ARR is Oru Deivam Thantha Poove from Kannathil Muthamittal. 

image from the video

I was in school when it released. And it struck me like a lightning because of the wild nature of the melody and orchestration. The rhythm pattern was very organic and unlike anything I have ever heard before and it almost sounded like thunder to me. And the best part is , it's not just a wild random tune that you find hard to connect to, instead it touches you so deeply that it  makes you cry. I even get scared listening to it. It was the first time I experienced all these emotions all in one song.

The shift of notes flows smoothly like a river. And of course Chinmayi just elevated the poignancy of the song to a level that will push you to stay away from the song.. oh the irony!

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About Govind Vasantha

Thaikkudam bridge's founding member, violinist and vocalist, Govind Vasantha's filmography as a composer includes North 24 Kaatham, 100 days of Love, Seethakathi, 96, Jaanu amongst others. This versatile musician switches from being an independent musician to a film composer, carving a niche in both.

We cannot wait for a Govind Vasantha song in ThalaivARR's voice. Thank you for writing this, Govind.

Say hello to Govind here and here .

PS - Special thanks to Santhosh Kumar for making this possible.

A Walk Down Rahman Lane by Sangeetha Devi

If you are here for the first time, please read this post.

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Once upon a school excursion

A song that makes me smile and recall the fun I had in school is ‘Rukkumani Rukkumani from Roja (1992), A R Rahman’s debut film. 

I was in Class 10, studying in Coimbatore. We had two kinds of school excursions conducted simultaneously - we could choose between a one-day trip to Yercaud and a three-day trip to Madurai-Kodaikanal. My parents were overprotective and didn’t let me go on the three-day excursion; I went to Yercaud. That’s a different story.

When we all returned from our respective excursions, my friends from the Madurai-Kodaikanal excursion group had tales to tell, which came with spurts of laughter even before the morning Assembly.

Their bus had a breakdown in Madurai and soon it was clear that they would have to wait several

hours. The journey to Kodai had to be called off; to kill time, they persuaded the teachers to book tickets for Roja. Mani Ratnam film. No questions asked. All was well when the film began. The new handsome hero (Arvind Swamy) was worth a lot of gushing (which the girls tried to do discreetly), Madhu was gorgeous and ‘Chinna Chinna Aasai’ was mesmerising. 

Then came ‘Rukkumani Rukkumani’. Imagine a big group of adolescent girls struggling to hide their smiles while watching it with frowning and disapproving teachers, which included Nuns.

My friends laughed, recalling the teachers’ comments and chides (for egging them on to book tickets for the movie).

By lunch hour, word had spread about the movie experience in the staff room.  

The Tamil teacher walked in later for her class. Her classes were partly moral science sessions. It wouldn’t take much for her to digress and talk about how the world was going to dogs and we are doomed. 

She didn’t watch movies (or maybe she did, who knows), and had heard about the Madurai ordeal. Fellow teachers had told her that they liked the film, barring a song sequence. 

In between explaining a Tamil ‘Seyyul’ (literary poem), she paused and said something like how poetry/songs are awful today - and said she had heard about Roja, in which elderly women sang and danced to ‘Rukkumani rukkumani’ with eroticism.  Most of my friends remained poker faced. I giggled. She threw me a sharp glance and said she didn’t expect it from me. I laughed some more and then said sorry. After the class we all laughed, again.

For many of us who were (I still am) huge Ilaiyaraaja fans, the early 90s was about being stunned by a strikingly new world of Tamil film music, thanks to ARR. 

My dad and I had a go-to music store in Coimbatore - Saraswathi Stores - where we would buy cassettes of Raaja sir’s music by the dozen. We bought Roja. And slowly our Raaja-centric personal collection of film music began to have many ARR albums as well. ******************************************* About Sangeetha Devi A journalist with The Hindu, Sangeetha writes on varied topics including films, art and culture. During this lockdown, Sangeetha is busy filling notebooks, jotting down notes from all the telephonic interviews. You can read this amateur photographer's articles here. Don't forget to say hello to Sangeetha here.

A Walk Down Rahman Lane by Rekha Bala

 If you are here for the first time, please read this post.

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It was August 1992. I was hosting a walk-in music talent show as part of some youth group (whose name I don’t remember now). The show had started at 6pm and even though it was 8pm already, there was no sign of people backing off. Most of the talent was good, with an interesting array of songs I loved.

I didn’t have to do much, just announce the name of the singer/performer, name of the song/composition and say some encouraging words at the end. But beyond 8pm was getting a bit too much for me. I would have to ask one of the boys to walk me home. It was small-town Kochi after all, broken streetlights at most places, with incessant rain, and even though I had called home to say I would be late, there would be some displeasure at the end of it.

 

Before I would let the organisers know I was not staying on until eternity (which was where the show was heading), I was thrust a chit of paper by a young man. It said, “Kaadhal Rojave, A R Rahman”.

“Eh, What is this, Who is this? Why have I never heard of this song and music director before?” I thought. After all, my neighbourhood cassette shop would always alert my brother and I, the moment something new released. “Wait till I get to that Gujju tomorrow!” was my first reaction.

 

I had no choice but to let that young man go on stage. Didn’t have to blabber much as I had no clue who ARR was, or how colourful his Kaadhal was. When he went on stage, I stood by in the wings, and waited till the end, mesmerised.

 

“Thendral ennai theendinaal selai theendum nyaabagam

China pookkal paarkaiyil dhegam paartha nyaabagam

Velli odai pesinaal sonna vaarthai nyaabagam

Megam rendum sergaiyil mogam konda nyaabagam…”

 

Wait, what was this magic. And why can’t I move? When the song finished, there was an uproar. They had all become ARR fan-actics like me.

 

The next day, I went to the cassette shop, berated Sunilbhai and proceeded to play Roja on loop on our Philips Powerhouse till the entire neighbourhood started playing along. In college, where I was doing my second-year degree, we were humming either Chinna Chinna Aasai or Kaadhal Rojave in the corridors or the lawns and very often, groups would break out into ‘Sol, Sol’. By the time, the movie had released, and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

The only regret I have is my bff pipping me to interview ARR during a show in Muscat. I was in India during that time, missed both an interview and a show. But as they say, if it’s GOAT, good things will be come to those who wait.

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About Rekha Bala

Rekha is a journalist who moved from Kochi to Bengaluru via Muscat. A huge music buff, Rekha reached out to me on twitter and shared her MemoiARR.
Thank you, Rekha and I hope the fellow ARR fan-atic in your family, your son, writes his MemoiARRs as well. Oh yes, Rekha, please do say Hello to ARR when you interview him soon.

Say hello to Rekha here.

That '70s show - Ungalil Oruthi

I love '70s, particularly when it comes to Tamizh films.
This is the decade of epic films by Sivakumar, Lakshmi, Jai Ganesh, Sujatha, Muthuraman, Jai Sangar, Thengai Srinivasan, K.R.Vijaya, AVM Rajan, Suruli Rajan, Ennatha Kannayya etc.
Also this is a decade, where one could see a glimpse of Madras of the '70s - the occasional car that would drive past Mount Road or the occasional human who'd be walking along in one familiar Madras road.

As a true fan of '70s films, I've decided to watch some epic padams and write about them. Today's film is 'Ungalil Oruthi'

Kya Re... Setting a?

Sujatha whose parents died off long ago, lives with her uncle, aunt, cousin.

They don't want her to get married, reject all proposals. But.. but…take money from ‘Ennatha Kannaiya’ and try one setup with Sujatha at their house only.

She beats ‘Ennatha’ who runs away. Sujatha moves out.

3 Idiots

Randomly, 3 men - Suruli Rajan, Thangavelu, R.S. Manohar make unwelcome advances at Sujatha and she invites them home, calls the police to teach them a lesson.

But after cop comes… she decides to lets them go.

But these men being villains hold a grudge against her.

When Sujatha became Sowcar

In the meantime, for some 1 hour, Sujatha cries.. and cries about.. what…I don’t know. Her neighbour Mr. hideous wig and Kannadi, Sivakumar falls in love with her and goes around calling himself her purusan. Sujatha is thrown out of her job thanks to him, but she falls in love with him. Wow, surprise!

Remember the 3 villains? They’re back and now they hatch a plot and convince Sivakumar that Sujatha is a sex worker.

Here's a pic of the louly Sivakumar from the film, for all of you.

I'm a Baaaaadddd Cousin

She is arrested and is thrown into a Remand home. She meets a lot of other "bad" women singing a song… She also meets her cousin! Vogaad, her cousin is a cigarette smoking-drinking bad girl who was also a sex worker. Sujatha escapes the home and hides in Jai Ganesh’s house. 

Wiggypedia

Forgot to say, this Jai Ganesh made his appearance in the first scene I don’t know why. Cops are on the lookout for Sujatha. She vows to ‘serthuvechify’ her cousin and Jai Ganesh. She vows to prove to the world is not ‘Vibaccchaaareeeee’. She hatches a plot with Mr.hideous wig, her lover Sivakumar. Yeah she is back with Sivakumar although he got her arrested calling her a ‘Vibachareeee’.

Pure Tamizh Ponnu

After long, tiring scenes, the three villains are exposed at her wedding where she calls the entire town. Ofcourse one old man had to call her ‘Vibachareeee’ and she puts one long dialogue that she is not one and she is ‘Pure’.

Oh that "bad" cousin doesn't smoke-drink and is a "good cousin" now & is in lou with Jai Ganesh.

There is also Manorama for kaamedy.

Final Verdict

Excellent, must-watch film for Tamizh pen-ness, empty Madras roads and Sivakumar's wig.

Subham.

Lockdown 2013

It was Deepavali 2012. A few months earlier I had quit my job after working for 17 years because I had wanted to take a break to... just sit at home for sometime and not worry about clients, concepts or currency. I was trying to put together a dish in the kitchen, for the festival.

Amidst all the not-so-hectic celebrations at home, the husband whispered "Er... wanted to tell you something..". He added, "... Things are not going good at work... nothing final yet.. Just thought I'd tell you". 

"What.. What. Wha..?" I didn't quite get what he said because my mind was mentally prepared for..."I'm planning to book their tickets for...". He sat me down to explain that things were not looking good at his organisation and well.. he may not have a job in the next few months repeating the "nothing final yet" a few times. At that point, honestly, I just thought "Poga Poga Seriaayidum..(We'll turn out okay)" in Stand up Comedian Alex's words, and was just not prepared for a traumatic year ahead of us.
It was only when he came home one day, in the next year, to say that it was his last month at work and he'd paid for the next 3 months, did it strike me that life was not going to be the same.

So - I didn't have a job and so did he. For the next few months, we just sat at home and did nothing but browse job sites all day. Sometimes if we were lucky, a consultant or two would call, once a month. His former colleagues and associates disappeared in no time not even wanting to take a call including a gentleman who lived in the same apartment complex as ours.

A few months later, thanks to a kind gentleman on twitter who had put out a tweet on a possible job opportunity, I landed myself a consulting assignment. Working from home made it less stressful... but only for a bit. With a huge EMI, our savings were saying tata bye bye to us , fast.

For the next many many months, we would be in two different rooms and meet or talk to, once or twice a day. For everyone's sake, let me add that I acknowledge the privilege of having two different rooms in the house before folks pounce and point out this fact.(happy?)
I would work from mine and he'd read / watch some series on TV (No Netflix then!) from his. I had stopped running / working out and would sulk all day long. We had stopped stepping out for movies, occasional restaurant visits or even that monthly parlour visit. We had to cook up different excuses for not visiting our parents in two different cities. "Busy with Work (Lol!)" was what parents heard from us every time they'd ask us about our next trip.

But one thing was clear. Except for, may be one or two persons known to us, we were not going to tell anyone about our tough times. Not family definitely, at least to avoid the "Did you get a job?" or for that matter "Do you need money?", every time they'd call. Ofcourse it was only obvious to expect them to be concerned, yet, we were exhausted.
As for others - I was definitely not in a frame of mind to fix appointments with friends / people I have known for decades, to call and discuss possible job opportunities. I detested (still do!) the idea of fixing up appointment with friends to call. Like what are you? Some dentist? Sure, not all of us can take calls 24*7. One would simply expect people to disconnect incase they're unable to take a call, text back with a time that they'd return calls. Anyway, when people were not a call away, too bad. Simply not worth adding to my pain.

Not blaming anyone, I guess everyone's so busy or wanting to pack their day with whatever they're doing , including liking instagram posts or watching whatever-the-downloadable-series-that-was-hot-then, that it was rare to find that one person who you could CALL AND SPEAK TO, to help you find a job, then. Things were going downhill. For those wondering why I didn't seek professional help, honestly, I found it extremely boring to meet a therapist when I had reached out to one 15 odd years ago. The drudgery of going to a therapist was more painful than the pain itself. Yeah, there I said it.

Back to Lockdown 2013 - It was traumatic to say the least, sitting at home, all day, for the next 9 months. Stepping out for anything would mean spending money. We had to be frugal. My Consulting assignments didn't fetch great money but kept me busy on calls and on online, all day.

Finally one of us found a job. One had to take a huge pay cut because one was desperate. It was the most boring job of my career in a television channel but I had to go through the stress. I'd cry every single day riding to work because I had to sit thru' insipid ideas and bum nakkis. But as a couple, we started enjoying the daily routine. At work, I'd look forward to a text at 5 pm from the husband to choose between Red and Green Pasta. For the next one hour, I'd dream of coming back home by 6 for a steaming bowl of pasta that he'd have prepared before heading for a walk. There was medical emergencies in the family and he could devote time being the care-giver, for a few months. We were both waiting for that good news of the job market bouncing back. I was working in a Business News Channel and the only question I'd ask the Editor of the channel repeatedly was when he expected the job market to be active again.

Things started looking good in the second half of 2014. Though the husband and I lived in two different cities, we managed fairly well because we finally had full-time jobs! We had a repeat of the same situation of just one of us with a job, again, in 2016, 2017** but we were better prepared this time. It didn't hit us suddenly because the two years had taught us to be prepared all the frikkin' time for a layoff, stress, anxiety and so on. Everything was in control except for my health. Things had taken a beating with all the stress in 2013 and 2014 and it took a good 3 years and several doctor visits to get back to normalcy. And I'd smirk every single time someone from a family or friends' circle ask me about my weight gain wondering where all this concern went 3 years ago.

Oflate, (in 2020) as we're going through the most stressful time of our lives - I have been reading about folks going thru' a lot of stress sitting at home, reading about rising Covid 19 cases. Ofcourse one needs to seek professional help whenever one needs.
The point of my post is that if you're reading this - Please be there for your friends and family. A lot of people out there don't have jobs. They have been laid off. Please reach out to them and give them a call. No, don't expect them to tell you. Please ask how they're doing at work and how the situation is. Don't be a Thumbsup idiot*. Don't whatsapp them giving them a time to call and expect them to share their anxiety between 3-3.25 pm on Tuesday because it's Ragukaalam or that's the time you'll be free when not liking instagram posts. Do let them know they can call you whenever they want to, specifically to address issues. for eg discuss possible job opportunities. Actively search for job opportunities for your friends and share it with them. Yes, all of us are going through a hard time, but some are suffering more than you and I are. And above all, please let not their political leanings decide your support. Some months ago, there was a huge campaign against a set of people by a social media gang, and folks were urged to unfollow, mute and shame people. I was wondering - what if one of them was your friend and someone who you could've helped professionally as an advisor, mentor?And you as an idiot, chose to unfollow, mute, disconnect from them because of some social media thugs. Will the same thugs or a Modi or Shah help your friend get back to normalcy?
NO! Don't be an idiot.

I repeat - Please be there for your friends and family.

*Persons who reply with a Thumbsup on 1-1 message. What are you? Some Salman Khan-Akshay Kumar-Ranveer Singh type Ambassador for Thumbsup?

**I realised I had mentioned the year as 2016 when I wrote it initially. Corrected to 2017, just incase those reading again noticed this.