X vs God - Requests and Denials

Many people believe in God. And equally healthy is the number of people who vehemently deny His existence. But for all the debate about His existence, one thing remains certain. Everybody has asked God of something or the other atleast once. Oh, you may not call Him God, but I bet you've wondered to a higher power if something could be different. Well, I'm a firm believer in God, and I feel that no matter what your faith may be, there are many times that these requests get fulfilled, and many times when they go unnoticed. Let's take a look at some of the classics.

Nervous Urban X:

X: I've ben playing Super Ninja VI the whole night, and the exam's in two hours! I desperately need to pass. Also, I'd really, really, really like an iPad 2.

God: X, I gave you two hands, two legs, two eyes, two ears, two lungs and one each of everything else. Yeah, I ran out of spares. So do your own stuff on your own time. And iPad 2? I have a gazillion things to do, so I'm on the Xoom. Ask for a Xoom, and I shall giveth it thee.

X: Ok, Xoom then.

G: Buy it yourself.

X: But you just said...

G: No.

X: Please?

G: Get a Kindle, and stop calling.

Frantic Rural X:

X: God, my first born is a girl. I have to kill her. Will you get her five - star accommodations and middle - class Brahmin parents in the city next time?

G: Why, because she couldn't manage her gender? Because you'd actually have to do something menial like clean sewers rather than working in the field if you really wanted to earn for a change, and not whittle away every last penny you have on ratgut? Or is it because you'd prefer to have more unprotected sex and ruin the chances any future kid you might have as well?

X: Hmm ... maybe.

G: Ok, you go ahead and kill her. She didn't do anything wrong, so she'll be a big - shot next time. But you... you'll be a dung beetle eaten by a duck with swine flu when your turn comes.

X: But god!!!

G: [Click]

Desperate Xs:

X Good: I didn't drink, I didn't smoke, I didn't do anything bad, but I still got cancer anyway. Can you please heal me?

X Bad: I did all those things, and I got it too. But I still want to live.

G: X Good, sorry, that was my bad. Life sucks sometimes. But I'll make it up to you. Susie, do we still have the Tendulkar template? We do? Good. X good, I cannot do much for you, but your son will be the next greatest cricket phenomenon. Also, I'm working double shifts trying to put smarter people on the ground who can find a cure for this damn thing, so hand in there.

X bad, sorry to disppoint you, but I put these evil things there to tempt you, and make you stronger. But you failed. You get an F. Better luck next time.

Religious Xs:

X0: I believe in you 100%.

G: Good for you. Keep it going.

X0: But X2 here seems to think that you're just a hokey pokey guy, so I'm going to deface him. I'm going to make sure he doesn't have a prayer on anything social, political, etc. [Haha].

G: What's your problem. You like me, he doesn't. Grow up already.

X0: But, here I am, doing the good deeds in your name, and he's insulting you everyday of the week!

G: Listen, I'm glad you're doing my work, but you need to chill out. He'll know me when he sees me. And you have to stop blaming the tsunami and Katrina on him. Next call please!


X1: God, I'm building a temple in your name.

G: Cool.

X1: But its only open to people who believe that you look like a dung beetle, and who smear this special powder on their nose this way on the right side. If you apply it on the left side, you're not invited.

G: Oh ...

X1: And they have to be fair skinned.

G: I see ...

X1: And they need to be born into a certain type of family.

G: Uh ... uh ...

X1: We will also be flogging anyone else in your name as an added incentive.

G: Listen, you piece of shit, you're going to lose everything you have! Hunger plague, pestilence, you name it, it will come to you! I try to be nice, and you spew garbage in my name! Screw you and your ilk.


Xa: God, there's this guy who seems to think that you're not the real deal ... that someone else is.

G: Did you kill any of his associates over this?

Xa: No, but I'm seriously thinking about it.

G: Did you know what happened to the last guy that did it? Susie, who's the ex - terrorist in hell wing D? Osama? He's burning in his own shit right now.

[Cut in ...]

Xb: God ... God ... I just bombed sixty kids that believed in the other guy. Are you happy? I did it for you! Are my virgins waiting for me in heaven?

G: What did you have for lunch?

Xb: Garlic pork with onion sauce.

G: Ohoho ... you're in for a world of pain.

[Cut in ...]

Xa: So ... um ... what should I do?

G: Be friends with the guy who hates me. You can both find middle ground, and agree to disagree civilly.

Politically Expedient X:

X: God, hi. Listen, I started a party in your name down here.

G: Okay ...

X: Yeah, yeah, I'm getting all these votes and people are fighting each other. Swamis and imams are starting up under my blessings. There's chaos everywhere, and the people are too stupid to realise what's happening. I just opened an account in Lichtenstein. My Hawala business is doing great, and I've already got 200 thousand investors for my Diwala Chit Fund Scheme. My son is going to be playing for India in the upcoming tour of Australia. So its all good.

G: How much money did you make?

X: 200 billion! And if I can just get this 5G thing going, I'm looking at a cool Trillion.

G: And how much power?

X: 5 terms in office so far. If only the that reform party guy will quietly take the Animal Husbandry ministry, then 3 more terms! Woohoo!

G: Multiply those two numbers. That's how many years I'm going to make you suffer in hell. Susie ... convert that figure to oil and firewood dear. Oh yeah ... enough fuel for 3 billion billion years. Burn, baby burn!

Reformist X:

X: Hey big G, I don't trust you. You're all lies, you know that?

G: Uh oh ... Here we go again [Sigh].

X: Yeah, you've got idiots calling themselves Hindus, Muslims, Christians etc. doing your dirty work for you.

G: What?

X: Guess what, superguy, I don't give a damn. I'm going to be fair to my fellow human beings no matter what. I'm not going to be judgmental. I'm not going to fight any wars for you. I'm not ...

G: Can I get a word in edgewise here?

X: Go ahead.

G: Ok, don't believe in me, fine. If you want to do something positive, bravo. If you want to end falsehoods about me, kudos. But get this, I'm not the problem. You don't have to question my existence to end all those evil things people do in my name. They are using me, just as you have been used by religious zealots all your life. And finally, whether you trust me or not, I'll still be here for you.

Real X:

X: God, I sincerely wish that the world was a better place, and that people respected one another. That there is universal peace, no suffering and happiness all around. We all have to live on this one planet anyway, and we don't have infinite resources to begin with. So, why waste what precious little we have? Help us all lead better lives and be kinder towards life.

G: Whoa ... Susie, are we on candid camera or something? Are we on a reality show? This caller ... is he for real?

Susie: Yes boss. He's the real deal. Actually, there are quite a few like him around. I think they call themselves human beings.

X: Well ... well ... Mr. X, you have echoed every sentiment I've ever had. Someone like you deserves to be known to the whole world. You don't have to be anonymous anymore. I'm going to give you a name. Gandhi.


So, friends, whatever your beliefs may be, we are all fundamentally the same. Not everyone is a Gandhi, but we can most certainly put our petty differences aside. Also, whether you believe in god or not, don't be a fair weather prayee. I think we can all afford to pray for the general good once in a while between asking for a longer life, new car, better business, more cash, and the new iPad 2.

8aam Arivu - I'm Judging You, Murugadoss!

Yeah, that's right ARM, I'm putting you in the hot seat. But don't worry. This here's a Kangaroo court, and you just made the cut. Your movie rocked, dude, and you should just keep going on like this. Please don't ever change your style, coz whatever you've got goin' on for it, its working for me.

Your latest offering, 7aam Arivu, blew my mind. Your vibes penetrated my skull boiled off the intra - cranial fluid and fired my neurons to an all new sensory level (hence the title of this entry). And here's why :) Wait, there's a why not section too, because questions on opinion should always be why - or - why - not type (CBSE gold standard 101).

Q: Did your latest offering blow my mind? Why or why not?

A1: Your latest offering blew my my mind because:

India:

Being a staunch patriot, anything that shows us in a positive light makes me smile and brings a fuzzy feeling to the base of my ... (this being a wholesome family oriented blog, go watch James May driving a Ferrari 250 GTO on Top Gear to get the rest of it). And you've got it - patriotism - in spades, judging by what you showed us in this movie and in Ramana. God, how many Discovery Channel and NatGeo documentaries on ancient Indian culture have I watched vainly hoping to see the day when a fellow Indian lets us know that the genes we were born with are worth more than the jeans we love to "live in."

Message:

Science is a big deal and superstition sucks. Yeah, yeah, Galileo said it, Gauss said it, Gavaskar said it (not really, but isn't a picture perfect straight drive a science in itself?). But you had Surya say it - say that turmeric is an antibiotic.

[Aside: Boy that sentence had too many says and saids in it.]

And as far as desi science goes, why is it that the Native American wolf - man synergy has more media exposure than Sukra's limb attachment surgery techniques or the ZERO for crying out loud? For god's sake, Surya - our G2V yellow dwarf (available in in an exciting range of colors from yellow to orange; specify zip code to get a quote from your friendly local dealer, terms and conditions apply), and incidentally the nice guy in your movie - had dibs on our solar system way before Copernicus stole that idea from us. So, way to go on that advert for Indian science, my friend.

China:

I've only ever loved two things about China ... the Chinese circus when I was a kid and my Chinese friends a little later in life. But you showed me that the Bombay circus is just as good. Honestly, I think we did a better job with the forced sterilization thing; atleast we had the decency to put the kabosh on Sanjay, and our we - two - ours - one slogan makes a much pithier bumper sticket than their if - you - first - born - wins - an - Olympics - gold - you - can - have - another - one! As for communism we were clever enough to bofors out Rajiv from office before he mortgaged all our gold (that was the idea anyway, but the Tigers got to him first!). Seriously, between cornering the junk - for - a - dollar market in the US, selling guns in Africa and stocking up on our steel - who's advising your politburo? Rupert Murdoch?

[Disclaimer: I don't personally believe that the People's Republic would wage bio - warfare (except on their own athletes).]

Surya and Shruthi:

This item had IT. They were awesome together. Surya is one of my favorite actors, and he looks very refined. While we're on the subject of looks, Shruthi Hassan does a commendable job of being the scientist next door. She's cute, but not vampish, and she somehow seems to hold sway in that gray zone for non - six - pack guys between "look at Surya, I want to kill myself :(" and "Hey, maybe she would go out with me :)" That's another kudos to you for showing a heroine as a regular person rather than a size zero supermodel.

I have tremendous respect for Surya for putting himself through the rigours of circus training for this role. He didn't have too many opportunities to showcase his acting talents (what with this being Die Hard meets Vector, and all), but you managed to make him seem like the guy who will bowl you an extra over for gaaji, while at the same time letting you know that you have an extra tire to get rid off. Whatever that last brain - fart meant, his performance was top notch, as always.

ARM, let me tell you something about your choice for female lead. You are one of several (four) directors that actually encourages your heroine to act, and it shows. Shruthi did a wonderful job in this movie. The scene in which one of her friends "Allah ke pyare ho jatha hai" was reminiscent of the time when Kamal's son kicked it in one of those horrible petrol bunk explosions that slay six (RIP Nizhalgal Ravi). Kamal sir, your daughter has the potential to be the best heroine after Saroja Devi (see fun fact below).

[Fun fact: Shruthi Hassan is only the second lead lady in Tamil cienma to dub her own dialogues. Do you know who was the first?]

Although, I must say that being the daughter of Pammal Sambandham, Sakthivel Gounder, Singaravelan et al., I think her Tamil accent would be better served in Thenkasi than on the Thames. Seriously though, she is a multifaceted person and I'm sure that she can hold her own opposite anyone.

Story:

In two words - "a fantastic and original socio - political - economic - family - thriller."

Visuals:

We seem to be getting better and better portraying a world unblemished by the human touch. Not so good with the action sequences yet. We're getting historical locations right, but kinda suck on the physics of acrobatics... Hmmm, why is that? Global warming?

Music:

Knew it was Harris with the Martian interludes in the Ringa song. A word to Harris: dude, I love your music, but you should really consider using more ... er ... um ... oh ... WORDS in your songs!

A2: Your latest offering did not blow my my mind because:

China:

Dude, for a country that runs half the world's economy and practically makes all the shit we use (and has a veto at the UN), why would it resort to bio - wars on potentially its single largest consumer? Not cool! I have Chinese buddies I have to answer to, so cut it out!

Pandemics in India:

From the plague to dengue to malaria to chickungunya to AIDS, India doesn't have a prayer on dealing with pandemics (hell, we needed Mother Teresa AND Steve Waugh just for leprosy, and we still haven't shown that the door!). Maybe, just maybe, show one scene on how to deal with these killer unicellulars on a national level competently for once rather than a nation in peril ... we see that every monsoon anyway.

Dong Lee:

Best hypnotist ever! Nah, this really isn't a why not ... just forgot to put it in the why section. Coolest villain, man. He rocks!

Hitler meets Stalin and they have high tea with Mao:

Seriously, who kills 30 million in 60 days? It took Stalin almost 40 years, Hitler six, and Mao atleast a 100 days. Get real.

Jingoism:

Did you know that the gun has killed more people than cars and dirigibles combined? Stop supporting the Tamil Eelam already. They were a terrorist organization that eschewed the peace process, and they killed Rajiv (see reference above).

Hormones:

Jon Stewart's excellent thesis - Earth: the Book - states that 92% of all the male brain functions are oriented towards sex. Why, oh, why, Mr. ARM did you have to put a romantic dream song just after your protagonists escaped a bloodbath? This may yet be the conlcusive proof needed to authenticate Stewart's claim!

Verdict:

Hollywood in Tamil. Go watch it!!!

Ajith's 50th - Does Thala rule? You bet he does!

I've never been a big fan of Ajith as an actor. But, as a human being, its a totally different issue. He is an individual I look up to in real life. Why? He's everything I want to be and more. He's a self made man, a successful actor, someone who will stand to politics and politicians even when he has everything to lose, and ... and ... get this ... he drives Formula 3 cars in Europe! Talk about jet - setter. This guy is probably India's suavest multitasker, and judging by what his comrades say, he's not even a Casanova. What a perfect guy, but as an actor?

Well, I had my doubts till Mangatha came along, but watching it last night, those washed away too. All I have to say now is ... what a perfect guy!

I'll do a detailed analysis of this movie later, because I have some strong feelings about it and want to use it as an example about where I think contemporary Tamil cinema is headed. But right now, this one is for Ajith and his gazillion fanatics (of whom I'm admittedly one). So, an ode to the Ultimate Star... a eulogy to to the Thala...

There's a distinct vibe about this guy ... he polarizes opinion. you either love him or you hate him, and there's hardly any middle ground. There's no other actor you can really cross your heart and say that about. Nobody ever hates Rajni. Some like his acting, others die for his style and charm, and yet others will stand by hi his spiritualism. With Kamal, his only detractors are those who take offense at his social and religious mores; but even they cannot deny his thespian prowess. No matter what you say about Vijay, the ultimate formula - man, he's really got his boy next door appeal. There's nary a soul in this world who dislikes Surya, and much as Vikram can grate on your senses sometimes, none will say that he doesn't put his life and soul into everything he does.

So, we come back to Ajith. The things that polarize people about him are the same things that feed all these other demigods. Sure, he's stylish, but you'd have to be as elitist as he is to imitate him ... nope sorry, that cigarette trick just doesn't cut it, pal. As far as acting goes, admit it... he's no Kamal ... no one is. Yes, he's handsome, but is he someone you can see standing at the street corner chatting it up with you, like Vijay? Surya is about as likely to sport a paunch as Ajith is to bare a six pack. Finally, even though he's diversified his portfolio as an actor of late, there's no way in hell he's put himself through so many different experiences as Vikram has.

So, there you go. This guy's stylish, but not gimmicky, he's trying his best, but the game's a hard one to play, he's suave, but a cut above you and me (not Navy cut, which he's too sophisticated to smoke anyway), he's fit, but not in an I-want-to-kill-myself-when-I look-at-you kind of way, and he's versatile but not wed to that philosophy. What he is ... what he is is REAL. He's a human being with goodness in his heart, down to earth and someone who knows his limitations and can make the best use of what he's got.

For instance, he can drive ... boy, can he drive! And so he does those handbrake turns and drifts himself. He's got style, so he makes sure that all his movies have the oomph quotient times extreme. He's understated, so he makes sure he gets roles akin to Eastwood and Brando, rather than deNiro and Carry. And above all, its clear that he has a deep empathy for his fellow human beings (which is why he's one actor who enquires about the day - to - day affairs of everyone in his cast and crew), and a great zest for life. His fan base is not only the most vocal in the state (after that one guy ... superstar or something), but also the most giving. His fans love him more for his offscreen persona than for the things he does on it. They do good deeds in his name, and when they go over the top, he keeps them grounded. And they adore him for it.

All this brings me back to the role he essayed in Mangatha. Director Venkat Prabhu said that Ajith wanted a Heath Ledger's Jokeresque part to play. And he delivered with aplomb (or as much aplomb as is possible for a non - Nolan director). You see, to do a Ledgeresque Joker, you either have to be a real life psychopath, or be so confident in your inherent humanity that you can pull off pure evil without it scarring you forever. Ledger (rest his soul), literally gave his life for that performance, and while Ajith is no psycho, is badass enough to realise that his innate goodness can save him from a similar fate. He did a fantastic job ... bottom line.

And this choice of role brings me to my second point. Rajni did Sri Raghavendra for his 100th. Vijay did Sura for his 50th. And more power to them (I'd give my left ball to spend a day with either of them). Rajni did that role to say thanks for his charmed existence. And Vijay portrayed his to acknowldge his fans. Ajith, on the other hand, constructed sixteen titanium inlaid carbon fiber balls to do what he did in Mangatha. High risk and on the edge is clearly what this man thrives on.

That is why he'll do a baddie to end all baddies in hi s 50th, that is why he'll invest his life savings on 200mph deathtraps when he's 40+, that is why he's stand up to the CM, and that too in his own appreciation ceremony (of which there were admittedly many). That's why, as I say ... what a perfect guy!

Reel Netas

Politics seems to be stuck with Tamil Cinema by a "Fevicol ka jhod - toot nahin saktha!" And it seems that for most, if not possibly all, actors with even a modicum of fame to be the final frontier they must reach. There are, I believe, three primary reasons for this state of affairs.

Fan Power
Nope, I'm not talking about windmills and wind power here. This is the power of the fan-base an actor manages to build up through his career. For instance, actors such as MGR, Ajith, Vijay, Surya, Rajnikanth and Vijaykanth have fans that are prepared to die for them. They will do whatever it takes to see their hero rise up the echelons of power because they believe that he can do something different. They always seem to in the movies, so why not in real life? In politics?

People tend to underestimate the capacity of an ardent fan-base in changing the dynamics of political power. But the reality is that, in a state with just over seven crore people, all an actor needs to have is a concerted base of around fifty lakh followers for him to pull something out of the hat. If you consider that people such as Sarath Kumar, Radharavi, Karthik, SS Chandran and Pandian have not only entered politics, but have also gone on to become MLAs and MPs with popular parties, its clear that their saleability to a huge party is primarily because of that party's belief that they will be able to garner votes. And these aren't even the A-list heroes we are talking about. Now, consider the case of Vijaykanth, who not only managed to start his own party, but has also successfully contested in two elections and has retained his seat, simply because of his persona and his millions of ardent fans. If Vijay or Rajnikanth were to start a party today, who's to say what heights they may not reach?

Secondly, and probably more important, is the image fan associations can create about an actor. Through good works, charities and awareness programs organized under the auspices of the star and through their banners, they not only help bring about grass-root welfare to society, but also create an aura around the star that is worth its weight in gold. Cases in point are the fan associations that owe their allegiance to Kamal Hassan and Ajith. This sort of feel-good factor that these associations create can go a long way in winning the star votes, when the time comes.

The Medium
Tamil Cinema is a very potent medium that can carry any message across to the masses. Infact, its the only real sustainable medium of doing so. This is because other forms of media are not reliable, and because Tamil Cinema has the liberty of being an art form and a mass entertainer, and is therefore capable of representing key issues that matter to people from all perspectives. When film-makers give us fare that is an exposition on good vs evil - which is the case in most commercial flicks, they are always portraying some evil that everyone must have experienced, or are showing us ones that we did not know existed. So, there can never be an angle that is left unexplored, and movie-goers can always expect to get the "truth", no matter how exaggeratedly it might be portrayed. This is not necessarily the case with other mediums.

No matter how many newspapers and magazines you have - the common man is not educated enough to even read one, that the print media can ultimately only cater to a small segment of the population. Also, apart from a few national papers which are not available in Tamil, most of even the very respected journals are polarizing and often paint only one side of the picture: a picture that seems to be distinctly discordant with the one which we see everyday. For instance, a newspaper may report that the government is doing everything it can to beautify the city, and yet, that claim seems to be only as real as the words that talked about this so-called action.

The same problem lies with television and news channels. News channels in India are predominantly owned by political parties and corporate bigwigs with each one answering to its own agenda and preaching to its own choir, that the Fox News vs Liberal Left fight seems to be a mere schoolboy tiff in comparison. So, atleast for the small number of people that are lucky enough to own a television (Kalaignar's Color TV scheme notwithstanding), there seems to be no veracity to be had through this medium.

For most people, the lack of education, or inaccessibility to both sides of the coin - such as internet forums, blogs and opinion pieces available online on both sides of an agenda means that intelligent conversation about the ground realities vs the election time fictions is often impossible. People by and large are therefore polarized not because they are well informed, but because of extraneous issues such as religion, caste, loyalty to an individual, and probably worst of all, the belief that a known devil is better than an unknown god. In this case, the known devil being the leader they elected last time around. For the few people, i.e. the educated urban middle class and worldly wise rural folk, who have access to both sides, sadly, their vote bank is too minuscule to count for much.

The Silver Screen - Political Nexus
The silver screen provides a forum for a star, or for a political party looking to use the star power of an actor, to portray their agendas in full color. It gives solidity to their image of the future. It gives credence to their role in changing social evils. This is simply because their ideas can be visually portrayed to the public on a grand scale. Actors such as MGR always played roles in which he was the savior of the oppressed. But this alone is not enough.

This ideal of a future needs to be sugar-coated. That sugar coating is the grandiosity of the cinema. The extravagant songs, the fights, the impossibly beautiful heroines, the locations, these transport the moviegoer to a fantasy world. For someone who works menial labor all week round to come and see a movie in which the hardships he fights everyday are simply washed away by this superbeing is something fantastic. Add to that the things the Hero does and places he goes, and that movie-goer is sold, hook, line and sinker.

It is this sugar coating that party manifestos and election time promises lack. They also promise a world in which there is no more pain, no more evils, but they lack the pulling power unless the face of the party is a strong, proven leader. This isn't always the case. Another problem parties in Tamil Nadu face is that but for minor local issues, there is no dividing ideology that separates one party from another. There is very little polarizing people by way of ideas or ideals. Everyone pretty much promises the same thing. So, the question then becomes one of loyalty to the party leader. All things being equal then, the bigger star you can get to endorse your party, the more votes you will win. And what better example of this truism than the nexus between Annadurai, Karunanidhi and MGR that created and has sustained the most successful Dravidian party in Tamil Nadu till date? And if a star is big enough in his own right, he doesn't need a political party to back him. He can start his own. And, what better example of this, indeed, than MGR's own party that has proved to be the only real competition to the most successful Dravidian party in Tamil Nadu till date?


So, there. But is this a good thing? Is this a bond we want to stay stuck on forever, or should we break it? Is it possible that actors are entering politics based on the high they get playing roles that are messiahs of their people and that they genuinely think they can change things for the good? Or is it just power for the sake of power, fame for the sake of fame, and politics for the sake of wealth? Are the biggest superstars going to simply join a well established party and tow the party line, while lining their pockets on the side, or are they going to start fresh, and really try to do something?

While there are numerous examples of lesser persons who have done the latter, there are also a few who have managed to really alter the course of history. MGR, on whose popularity, the then fledgling DMK party took to wings. MGR, who started the AIADMK and became the longest serving Chief Minister in one stretch of the state based purely on his Charisma. Vijaykanth who has started his own party, and promises to provide uninterrupted electricity to every household if he comes to power. Rajnikanth, who is a volcano waiting to erupt... all he needs to do flash his eyes at the yearning public, and he will be CM tomorrow. To quote his own Dialogue from Sivaji, "ore oru kan simital."

I think this Cinema-Political nexus is a good thing, if reel Netas become real Netas. Not just real Netas, but REAL Netas. History has shown that there is potential for this sort of thing to happen, that principled movie stars can come to power. MGR, Reagan, Jayalalitha and NTR are but a few examples. I think its fine for us to go ahead and chant, "Thalaivaa," but for the right person.

Message in a Bottle (Lite)

Vaazhkaingardhu soda bottle maadhiri,
Pagaloda mudivu dhaan raathiri.
Pondaatti pera modhalla sollardhudhaan purushalakshanam,
Indo-US nuclear agreement dhaan Manmohan Singhukku sigaram.

Life is like a soda container,
Night is the day's terminator.
Mentioning the wife's name first is the quality in a husband best.
The Indo-US nuclear deal is Manmohan Singh's Everest.

Deep stuff!

We live in such a confused modern world that we search for meaning in all things under the sun. One wonders who's behind the ten rupee hike in the price of onions and what they're upto this time. If a child is born unexpectedly, then it must surely have been a Dan Brown like plot by someone high up in the Catholic Church to sabotage the condom industry. Or worse still, God's way of telling us that the Kali Yuga is going to end all life by bringing in more and more. With your fan going on a hot day, and the other side of the pillow cooler, wouldn't you wonder if it would have been the other way round if the whole world turned the other way? Maybe Katrina wouldn't have happened, because the cyclone would have spun the other way and gone away? As Hercule Poirot would say, what we need in all this confusion is "order and method."

Yep, order and method. So we have movies like The Dark Knight and Indian and Dhrokhal and Varumayin Niram Sivappu made from time to time. These clear the cobwebs and put us back on the path of the most important issue... the search for inner truth. But what about those who don't believe in the inner truth? Or have gone past it? Or have simply decided its boring or useless and put it away, like a nice thick nine-hundred and seventy four page book on the philosophical musings of Pliny the Younger? For these people, the pudhu kavidhai (new-age poem) need not be logical. Or, it might be an algorithm for life, the universe and everything. So, either these guys simply don't care, or have gone so far beyond the meaning of forty two (which, if you don't know by now, is the answer to life, the universe and everything). For this club, there are guys in Tamil Cinema today. CS Amudhan, Venkat Prabhu, Pushkar and Gayathri, and to a lesser extent, TP Gajendran. Why him? He made Maganey En Marumagane, a shameless throwback to the 80s familial problems diatribe formula. But remember, he also made Budget Padhmanabhan, and Middle Class Madhavan, two forward looking gems like the Chennai 28s, Oram Pos and Tamil Padams.

The Western film industry has been miles ahead of the Indian film industry for several decades now. Stoner comedies such as the unforgettable 1974's Dark Star, cult favorites like 2004's Napoleon Dynamite, and just plain weirdos like 2007's Hot Fuzz have always cropped up amidst the more serious stuff. But Tamil Cinema has been giving us the "right stuff" with Vaanchinaathan, Narashimha, Veerasamy, 6'2" and Englishkaaran. With all the really cool philosophical ideas like zero gravity and faster-than-bullet travel exhausted, we've started seeing a new kind of cinema. Its like finding freshness in MF Hussain's stick men and nude women after years and years and years of Picasso's cubes and Dali's clocks (actually that one is really weird). Yeah, right! Ofcourse I'm being sarcastic. All Mother India taught us was that MF Hussain has a deep seated Freudian obsession with the female form, and all Gajagamini showed us was that brightly colored water probably has Azo dyes and Benzene. Don't drink from that river!

No, the new lineup of movies, Oram Po, Chennai 28, Saroja, Goa, Tamil Padam, Boss Engira Baskaran and Va Quarter Cutting teach us something more. They take us someplace away from having to sit through serious attempts at philosophical exposition or action explosion all the time. These new movies, and the kind of English ones I mentioned before tell us something that even proper "comedy" flicks don't. They tell us that life need not always have meaning. They tell us that not every moment has to have gravitas. They tell us that every though need not be analyzed, every expression studied, and every action scrutinized. More than telling us to laugh, they tell us that you can take yourself lightly from time to time. You can enjoy yourself a little bit more by losing yourself in the moment, not by getting lost in it. And that sometimes, a new-age poem may rhyme, but be meaningless. After all, what has the Honorable Dr. Manmohan Singh got to do with the Luni-Solar cycle, or soda bottles with marriage, eh?

P.S.: I've been told by many that my original post was too difficult to read or make sense of, and that I should simplify it. Hope this is more readable if you didn't enjoy the first one.