Aurora from MGR to Rajni

I am not too sure whether my excitement is to see the movie Kabali or to see any tamil movie in Aurora.

It seems just like the other day when Aurora was showing MGRs Kavel Karen, rickshakaren, vetaikaran...from 12 to 3, 3 to 6, 6 to 9 and 9 to 12. Not to disappoint the Malayalee crowd, on Sunday 9 to 12 noon the classic and serioust flick of Madhu/Prem Nazir / Sathyen will be shown.

For a SIES student from tamil division, I always used to wonder why is that Malayalam movies have the same cast movie after movie. It was like a family of 15 odd people moving around as a troupe to act in some 100 movies.

At first sound of the bell,there will be a frenzy dash for gate which will be manned by a hapless guard, who will eventually leave his post to a much tougher looking local dharavi born bouncer.

 Bouncer will also have business interest of being the inside man for the touts sellingtickets in black. An Old lady will have 50 odd tickets rolled and hidden in her no look (can’t look) area.

Promoting a movie is not recent a phenomena, MGR and Shivaji, used their massive fan base to just do this 30 years ago.

The purist would like to sincerely see the photo posters of the existing movie neatly displayed on the left side of the entrance and to the right would be the ‘coming attraction’ Claims and prediction whether the movie will run for 15 weeks or 25 weeks will be made then.

Cat calls and whistles followed by roaring laughter and reprimanding by a serious movie buff will be followed by a nice live fight. It will be over in 5 minutes and they will continue to enjoy the movie being seated in the adjacent rows. When the show gets over, both will do their best to avoid each other but will loudly ask engaiya avan... The proud lady from his family would say .... vittu thallu ya....

With all these happenings, Aurora was the place to be with family for movie watching.

It is sad to hear that this could well be the last movie of Rajni and the last movie to be shown in Aurora. Chennai Super King.... ku whistle podu...Rajni will b probably be the last Super King from Tollywood.

The Cynic in me!

Just the other day, I was coming back from HK and as it always happens, the in-flight toilet was messy, the toilet cover was soiled, there were tissues lying everywhere.   I did manage to lift the cover with my feet and did my small job and came out with a sigh of relief.  I managed to convey to the next entrant that it was not my doing and prepared him for what he was about to experience!

Funny thing is, there were people of different nationalities in the flight but without giving the benefit of doubt to our own, I was sure that the mess was made by a fellow Indian. As always, I made small talk with a blonde lady sitting next to me and raved about our rich culture and heritage that she will experience in India. It was her first visit and she was going to visit some exotic places which most urban Indians do not wish to go.

During my working hours, I represent India with my principals from Europe/USA and China. I keep talking about our teeming millions under the age of 30s and the massive consumerism which is driving the economy. By 7.30 in the evening, I am mostly worn out and by virtue of habit, vent out my spleen on honking motorists.

I smile wryly, seeing people standing next to each other on the highway, attending to nature’s call, chatting freely, while at it. I’ve always wondered what might be the topic of discussion - the growing economy, PM’s drive for Swatch Bharat or the Greece’s fallout!!!

The challenge for any Indian executive or a businessman when they receive a foreigner is taking that route from airport to the suburbs without showing them our Mithi River or Dharavi!

Driving this point closer to home, in our own Bhakti Park, I have perfected the art of totally ignoring plastic, metalized wrappers and skilfully jumping over dog poop!

I guess,most people in India, like me, are pampered in getting things done for them, may it be washing the car, making tea, washing, ironing, domestic chores etc.  Picking the wrapper and throwing it in the dustbin is beneath us.  Why should we, when we have people to clean things for us?  

That is probably why I slyly choose to ignore what a foreigner supplier friend meant when he said, “You Live Royally in Pits!”

"15 or 50+”….does it matter?

As I take some more strides in 50s, I guess the life has taken a full circle. Till the age of 16, my life was all about sports. I never actually excelled in any of them. But then, if one had to consider just enthusiasm for the same, I might probably rank right up there.

Like many in their teens, I was oblivious of the talent of the others, I just thought it was a matter of being spotted whilst playing and I will make it to the Mumbai Team. Well, forget Mumbai, I did not make it beyond Division E in Kanga.  I made it to the first eleven mainly because the Captain liked to throw his weight around and I was the only player with whom he could.

I find it strange that people of my age actually think sports or any physical activities are behind them and their indulgence is limited to watching and giving their sports wisdom with full gusto.

 I can now afford a branded pair of shoes, tennis racquet or any accessories and feel totally convinced that I fit the bill.  But then, what I think is what matters and I am totally unmindful of the chuckle as I walk past guys of my age potbellied ( more than mine J), with a fag in hand thinking the world is meant for taking a pot shot at others.  Come to think of it, just the other day, I hit an ace not because the other player could not run towards the net to reach the ball. It was actually fast enough.

Till my late 20s, the Swimming Pool was something I could see only in movies. It was associated with ‘western ladies’ in ridiculous glares and polka dotted swim suits. Only stinking rich business men and their sidekicks hang around to get bashed up or get killed in the pool for the mystery to get solved by our hero.

It is a nice feeling to get into pool now. I splash around manage to reach the other end of the pool, filling all the void I used to feel those days watching extras and villains in their ill fitted swim suits.  Actually, more than the swimming, I always wanted to recline and read a novel by the pool side.  

Now, of course, all proper gear in place, swim glares, head cap ( more to cover the greys). Very careful to check when the pool is without any kids who just keep doing lap after laps much to my dismay. My best time is when I am out of the pool, hair disarray, getting in dry cloth but body wet enough for all to know I was in the pool.

So what was my passion in till 15, which I lost it in between is coming back in big way in my 50s.

I am not complaining nor am I taking a deep breath to tuck in my tummy which still is a pot of concern. Next year this time, it will not be there, I mean that ghastly extra flab.

Weekend Junkie

Yes, I am a weekend junkie. I look forward to the weekend from Wednesday onwards. It takes two days or so to get over it, I put in an honest day’s work and then start my plan for the coming weekend. 

The last weekend was a change of a sort. I went with a business associate with his family and friends. Total strangers to me and it took a while and the years of experience helped me with small talks to get over the awkward silence.

Their respective wives were not very helpful but were laughing in chorus for every attempt at humour from their life partner.

It was a beach resort. My first impression was it should have been a last resort. But then I started looking at the place from the villager’s point of view and not from a brown sahib pair of glasses.

The topic of fish, crab and other coastal delicacies stops only when it was served to my fellow travellers. The detailed discussion and analysis of the fish can only the compared with the spiel of Italians for coffee or wine. It does not matter, even if you were to order the same stuff from the same joint every time.

It is nice to see our countrymen getting involved in water sports. You get to ride a jet ski as a pillion rider!! Very brave indeed much to the lovely patronising smile of appreciation from the spouse.  I did ask whether I can ride on my own. It was a straight NO. Their grouse was that quite a few adventurers did not bother to come back. It still is a mystery whether it was jetjacked or the rider lost his turn in the deep ocean.

Quite a few took to para sailing. It is nice to see the expression of valour and satisfaction, when you see a typical pot bellied government clerk as he walks to his group after a sky ride. In Goa, you see much younger crowd but here in MS side of the beach front, I somehow felt, our  octroi agents and Mantralaya employees were more in numbers. 

Coming back to food, the quality of food when you travel is always compared to the previous outing. Of course, the last visit remains a memorable one till you travel next to talk about this one. 

I never can understand why this racial bias against black sand and also why Maharashtra/Konkan belt needs to be compared with Goa. They will remain a poor cousin to their more illustrious neighbours, even if the food is equally bad. The Goa booze tastes much better for they are devoid of tax or excise or perhaps both. But as my wise friends tells me you burn more petrol to reach there and hotel tariffs are dearer.

It is more homely here compared to Goa.. You are given the towel which is also used by the owner of the resort. By the way, they live here and eat the same food. Ghar ka khana and ghar ka towel. It can well be used as a tag line. 

Web site of these resorts are very innovative… the distance to the beach is always ‘walkable’. Food is always authentic, 24 hours water should not be mistaken for your bathroom. Well,they are referring to the SEA. 

My Bhandup Diwali

Bhandup Diwali as I Remember…. Year 1971

 

4pm the school bell rings, books are stuffed to my khaki bag. The bag sure has seen better days. There are spots of ink and stitches on the handle. That bag fight with CS Raman proved costly for me. But then we have our own sewing machine at home. Teacher wished us all Happy Diwali with some serious vacation homework. Anyways, those are to be done only on the last few days of Diwali. The front benchers wished her back in unison

Teacher reminds me in particular that she expects me to have brown cover once again for all my note books. I muttered and cursed slightly to get a hot stare back.

Of course, one dharavi student gets picked for bursting one atom bomb ( that square one) in the hallway.

I was glad not to be picked for that too. Time to go home for that shopping at chavan bros. Not sure whether I can get trouser /shirt and also a footwear for Diwali this time. The footwear is also used as stump for playing cricket and also as crease for runner.

In the evening, I go with Appa, to Chawan Bros and get greeted with a broad smile and the owner conveys with gusto he was wondering as to when we were coming. He does some profiling on his own and decides to show the mid-range first and then the lower one. Tags are prominent and what is written on that determines our budget for home for the rest of the month. Technicalities are discussed and it is conveyed for umpteen time that color will not fade.

I express my unavailability to my building friends Suresh, Mukund and Bhagu for cricket they had planned to play at night. We used to roll and flatten the ground to play cricket during vacation.

We reach Bhandup a day or two before Diwali. For us it is like boarding an outstation train. This is once or twice in a year the most awaited event. Working Chithees will have a a dabba or two of sweet box. The division and distribution is invariably Venguttu Mama’s forte and so is the distribution of crackers.

I still remember the first year when that thing made out of injection bottle was displayed. If I am not mistaken, it was a joint effort of Mama and Radhai.

Get up by 5.30 am… Manni will apply oil on our head and will be joined by Amma and Kamali for that epic song…. Someone help me here…. Which one is it?..”

Rafi and Lata’s songs will be played in the Bush or Philip Radio amidst karrrrrrrrrrrrr sound and Indira will write the wordings on the wall.

Indira, Radha, Kannan and myself were then the dare devils then for bursting the noisiest firecrackers. The whole stock of firecrackers will get over in some 20 min. or so amidst shouting of parthu, parthu, saree mela pidichukko from balcony. Best balcony accordingly to me built by any builder in Mumbai. This gets over by 6.00 am. We then have our Diwali sweets . By 8.30am I will have some mark or the other on my shirt… chutney or mulagapudi to invite the wrath of someone…. Ivan urupuddavai mattan..

Evening plan will be to visit back waters and then the next day first movie on a screen for me in Krishna…. CARAVAN… staring Jitendra.