Choices?

The Vogue video, quite stylishly made with Deepika Padukone talking about choices seems to have stirred up a lot of emotions. Such a video with dubious motives, can still be leveraged to have further conversations about women’s rights or lack thereof, can it not?

In a society where some of the said choices can lead to fatal results, perhaps an exuberant assertion or declaration however illusory, that these choices are ours to make is much needed.  

Of course every choice has a consequence. Especially the life choices talked about in the video go beyond 5 minute sound bites, so needs to be made with utmost responsibility. If not, it is just a masquerade.

In any context it is never useful to talk about choices and freedom without talking about consequences and responsibility. 

Heavenly weather

Kind of... Surprise showers have left the roads glistening with red slushy borders. It has been a monsoon like feeling last two days here. Only difference I noticed, with a startling realization is there wont be these pods of seeds on the pavements later half of the year. And the trees would be full of flowers.

There is so little opportunity in an urban setting such as this to feel close to nature. And when it comes, it is to be cherished.

Oscar

Watched the Oscar show in half hour flat - thank god for the remote! I liked the opening musical number, have always been a sucker for it since the Billy Crystal days.  Quite a few teary eyes after the Selma number. Fully expected Chris Pine to wipe away his tears for Lady Gaga as well.

Wasnt sure how to interpret the pitch for equal wage what with all the mother sentiment, but totally loved Merryl Streep's reaction.The top speech is that of Moore, writer of Imitation Game. I especially liked that he didn't feel compelled to explain on stage he was not gay. Reminded me of Edmund Hillary who didn't disclose who between him and Tenzing Norgay really ascended the peak first.  [Particularly because I read somewhere that Tenzing later said it was Hillary]. 

Fifty Shades

Last weekend saw the movie debut of the mother of all best sellers - Fifty Shades of Grey. As if there isn't enough publicity as it is, there were all kinds of take on the movie - the importance of consent in BDSM lifestyle, whether it should be welcomed by feminists or not, if the book is ultimately just a sweet romance, whether it is bigger than Jesus or not [in case you are wondering, that was a Fortune article on the relative box office numbers of Passion of the Christ and Fifty Shades].

I haven't read the book. No, not because of any moral or even literary objections, I simply haven't gotten around to it. When it comes to the movie though I am pretty sure I am not going to go to watch it. No, again not because of any moral objections. I would have if it had been Matt Bomer.

Bye Jon

Oh no! Jon Stewart is leaving the daily show.  But why? To direct a movie? To campaign for 2016?

What'll I do on sleepless late nights now? How will I know whats going on in American politics? How will I get introduced to talented folks like John Oliver, Jessica Williams, Asif Mandvi or Jason Jones [And learn about India]?

I'll simply have to cry myself to sleep from here on.

AAPu

After a really long time got caught up with the never ending news cycles thanks to the AAP sweep in Delhi. There are smarter people than me who have written smarter things about the reasons for the victory, have predicted or warned that its not going to be a happy ending etc. But this is a big enough news for an intermittent blogger like me to wake up and add my two paise worth opinion.

The biggest lesson in all this is the power of showing up. In other words, the need for perseverance and endurance and organization at the face of defeat. Three years later the civil society seems to be in a disarray, most of the stalwart members from then floundering about now, except for those in AAP. I think its because they continued to show up even after the results of the last election, even after getting hit, even after an ill received resignation.  Showing up, inspiring volunteers, relentlessly being at it.

There are countless of those who persevere longer under tougher circumstances who dont always win and who knows how this win will change AAP. All said and done, the title of the blog post is not a typo. It is a translation defying Tamil slang that describes the situation aptly. 'Vachitanya Aappu..'

Meaning of it all

What's up with these astrophysicists? Is it the countless hours of contemplating black holes and red giants, grappling with worm holes and space-time, or pondering about expanding and alternate universes? Is it the requirement to be able to think on things that are so abstract and so unreal?  What is it that makes them transition to the realms of philosophy so easily and so beau...tifully?

I am talking of course of Neil deGrasse Tyson's answer to the little boy who asked him what was the meaning of life. The answer was simple yet profound - I especially liked his words, a bit of paraphrasing - Meaning is not something that is waiting there somewhere to be discovered but it is something you have to make for yourself. You have to make your life meaningful in ways that makes sense to you.

Spy stories

Have always been a fan of spy stories. Have been watching this season of  'Homeland' with considerable interest. The series has definitely gotten better with the death of Brody.

While some of the dialogues about US interest in Saudi oil etc. is overdone already, it is quiet courageous of the writers to explore the grey areas like the way Carrie recruits or attempts to recruit Aayan. It almost works in her favor.

Last week's episode ending was predictable with Carrie clinging to the handsome, ISI operative Aasar Khan lamenting, 'Brody, Brody.' I think Aasar Khan is going to be a good guy after all.

Statesman

It was a grand spectacle. The crowd went crazy about him no doubt. I wasn't really sure how to interpret the Madison Square Garden show. I mean Prime Minister Modi's visit of course.

Balloons, Hugh Jackman, Star Wars quote... Seriously? In many levels, it resembled a high level sales call than a state visit. The kind where you put up a good show, you razzle-dazzle potential investors.And that's great. We do want our economy to strengthen, for India Inc to be oversubscribed.  It must really be my old fashioned misguided sense of restraint that wanted the revelry to be toned down.

Despite what John Oliver said I thought the Force quote was fun, Mr. Modi delivered it with commendable aplomb. Our PM cannot possibly quote Wolverine from X-Men First Class, can he now?

News, news

Mr. Modi somberly paying homage at 9/11 site, Hilfiger weighing in on his fashion sense, twitterati comparing his visit to that of Swami Vivekananda, Goswami on the streets of NY, all took a back seat. Amma has been convicted.

I wonder why no one picked up the clues. The fact that the judgement was scheduled on a Friday just before the 10 days high-court holiday should have told us it was conviction and that too over 3 years. As an armchair conspiracy theorist I could speculate all kinds of scenarios. The same prevents me from writing them.

Rain

It poured heavily couple of days ago. The traffic was a bitch, the long, clogged roads with fallen branches torturous, the journey in the dark pot-holed roads with sudden pedestrians precarious. I sat watching the thick curtain of water on the windows of my car, thankful.  

MOM yay!

It was quite thrilling to read the news about Mangalyan entering space orbit. Got reminded of the joke that used to go around during my school days – what does SLV stand for – Sea Landing Vehicle. GSLV – Guaranteed Sea Landing Vehicle, PSLV – Planned… and so on.  And in case you didn't know the actual expansion is Satellite Launch Vehicle. We have come a long long way. What a triumph that Mangalyan is a success in the first attempt.  And the cost effectiveness is astounding. Was a moment to get teary-eyed.

There was also the joke about Indian trains never being on time. That has been put to rest as well.

In the town of Baghdad...

These past months I have switched to getting my daily dose of news stories later in the evening. I settle down on my papasan chair with my shiny new ipadmini and trawl the internet for stories from all over the world. Needless to say, Iraq pretty much dominated the scene this week. There is the usual punditry – its Bush’s mistake, its Clinton’s mistake [or was that Crimea?], it’s Iran, it’s the Iraq government… But fundamentally the pictures and repeated coverage desensitize and dehumanize the stories.  It seems like we are stuck in a time-warp. Though one could argue its just tools, no one talks about the military-industrial complex or the easy access and mass production of the weapons.

Those stories I read as a young girl starting with the time immemorial phrase – ‘In the town of Baghdad’ were much simpler. They didn’t say whether Aladdin was a Shia or a Kurd.

Whats in a blog

After much hemming and hawing I have linked this personal blog to the radhikanathan.com one. Why would any stranger want to know my opinion on sundry matters just because I have scribbled [Okay not quite the manuscript type] a novel, I doubt.  Putting a non-intrusive link feels a little less conceited as opposed to an opinion fire hose in the same blog. On the other hand it is somewhat ironic and somewhat ridiculous to dwell over it so much. When a tree falls in the forest and all that...

More adventures

[Valmiki Sarga 31-, Kamban Velvi padalam]

Valmiki

There is one more skirmish before they could fully claim victory. Mareecha and Subaahu attack the vedic ritual. 

aavaarya gaganam megho yathaa praavR^iSi dR^ishyate |

tathaa maayaam vikurvaaNau raakSasau abhyadhaavataam || 1-30-11

The idea of  comparing the demons to dark clouds of torrential rain is a very powerful imagery. After all, what could create more havoc than massive clouds ready to pour down rains on the fire centric rituals. The demons actually pour down blood. Despite that Rama is at first reluctant to kill Mareecha. Is it because he just killed Mareecha's mother? Rama blasts a Maanava missile [expounded by Manu, clearly not The infamous Manu]. He kills Subaahu, even declares he is ready to kill the both of them but doesn't kill Mareecha. Perhaps because Mareecha is incapacitated and Rama doesn't want to hurt him then. Perhaps he knows as an omniscient being Mareecha is an important character that would bring about a major twist in the plot.

Whatever the case may be, the demons are out, all is well with the sages. Now comes the journey to Mithila. The bait is dangled - "there is this fantastic bow you must see." mind you, it is not - this fantastic girl you must see.

tvam caiva narashaarduula saha asmaabhir gamiSyasi |

adbhutam ca dhanuu ratnam tatra tvam draSTum arhasi || 1-31-7

A grand bow with such awesome powers, but sadly no one has been able to even lift it let alone string it, wouldn't he want to see that - what a tempting invitation for a twelve year old.

Doniger's book

Read the news about Penguin India's agreement to pulp The Hindus: An Alternative History with profound sadness. Many months ago I read the book. I found it gripping and read it in one breath. It helped I was travelling to Chennai by a day train. On the way back I got one of those four seater, two facing the other two. Three men sat around me while I got the window seat. When I raised my head for something the middle aged, bespectacled man across my seat asked if he could see the book. I gave it to him and he peered at the blurb and the cover. He quickly turned a few pages, in what could at best be called skimming. Then he handed it to me with a look of disdain. He said and his exact words were, "If you want to know about Hinduism, you read the Bhavan's journal, not these kind of books." I was quite astonished at his presumption, condescension [I am no school girl] and lastly the disdain. 

I still am not clear as to why this well researched, brilliantly written book that could have resulted only from someone's deep commitment to Hinduism studies, is provoking such anger. I was so moved and inspired by the book that I wrote a short piece on the Ramayana that I was planning to work into a series.

Sad, sad event. 

Sherlocked

The whole of 2013 went in anticipation of Sherlock season 3. I waited for only one other movie with comparable interest.

The movie was 'Star trek into darkness'. Naturally with all the speculation and no spoilers [it got released in India before the rest of the world could tweet that the villain was indeed Khan], it was a nail-biting wait. And I had mixed feelings after watching the movie. As an aside, it was easy to spot the few trekkies in the audience - I believe about five us gasped when Cumberbatch declared his name was Khan. I found the new version lacking in depth despite having so much material, and potential actors. With the strides made in genetics and with the very polished Benedict Cumberbatch available to deliver lines from Milton, I thought it was a missed opportunity. But then the movie was entertaining.

Now on to Sherlock season 3. Again mixed feelings. I kept thinking, 'this series is fun, but what have you done to Sherlock?' I found it somewhat annoying that Sherlock was folding opera houses out of napkins when there was an unsolved case. And did he really solve anything with Magnussen? It was like watching a nice rom-com. And I do love rom-coms. And yes I did miss Moriarty.

Melkote

Drove to Melkote in a sudden burst of piety. It was heartening to see the lakes filled up. Nothing like a good monsoon. The view from the top, on a cloudy day with a light drizzle against your skin is to die for. 

Prejudice

The recent judgment on the Trayvon Martin case and the sad demise of Ilavarasan in TN, reinforced the feeling how similar we all are. It is ironic and tragic. Though the details of the two cases are very different, fundamentally there is the common element of how our preconceived notions dictate what is perceived as aggression and what is perceived as defense.

In the Trayvon case a young unarmed black boy of seventeen is allowed by the system to be perceived as the aggressor. In the Ilavarasan case a young man of the lower caste is perceived again to be the aggressor because he married a young woman of the upper caste. And the act of aggression on them is justified defense!

'They are out to get us, so let us get them before'.

In the TN case, I don't even want to get started on the women's lib angle. Nothing so clearly brings to relief the stark reality of how women are fundamentally considered to be possessions!

Mature democracy

As it happens from time to time, after a long gap, I was compelled to visit my blog and update. The reason - a remark by the Italian ambassador. In the context of the row about the marines who were allowed to go home and are now refusing to return, he remarked the two mature democracies would sort this out.

Mature democracies - ha, ha, ha - I laughed my head off, had to really wipe my tears. Hilarious comments if one knew what is really going on in the Italian politics and in Indian politics.