Pather Panchali

May 2, 2013
Today’s Google Doodle is dedicated to Satyajit Ray’s 92nd Birthday.

Seeing the doodle, my memories went down the lane when I was a kid and Doordarshan was the only option I had to watch movies. Entertainment for us is the occasional Tamil movies played on Sunday afternoon and Friday evenings Oliyum Oliyum.
By occasional Tamil movies, I meant those tamil movies which won National Award for Best Movie. I remember only watching Balu Mahendra’s Veedu again and again. Apart from that movie, the only other movie I remember watching is Pather Panchali with sub titles.
As a kid, all I remember about the movie is Durga and Apu running in the fields (exactly what’s in the doodle page today). Honestly I didn’t understand the movie by then. I was too young to read and understand the subtitles too… but the scene in which they were running, always stayed fresh in the memories (I didn’t even know the movie is in Bengali)
Few years ago, when I was reading an article about Satyajit Ray, I wanted to watch the movie again and I did. This time the movie made more sense. I am not a person, who goes deep in to see the technical usage in a movie. I don’t mind how well the camera is used or how good or bad the movie is edited. That’s just because simply I don’t know. I look into the story. Generally movies about poverty, death, tragedy or major social issues (or so called reality cinema) would either make me depressing or guilty. But this one didn’t really. May be because beyond poverty and illness Durga and Apu always find their joy and happiness in simple things.
I heard this movie is one of the firsts of its kind (though I watched a handful of such kinds before actually watching this). I wonder what influenced Satyajit Ray to make a movie like this.
I must agree this one is a difficult watch. Though my childhood memories drived me to watch the entire movie, I am yet to watch the other two movies to complete the Apus Trilogy.May be some time in Future, I should.

Told many times by many people, just couldn’t avoid putting here.

And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Books Offlate..

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Of all the books I have read offlate..I find this the best..

Its about this little guy Piscine Patel a.k.a. Pi Patel  (no..he is not named after the mathematical symbol  but a swimming pool)and his journey his fighting for survival..

And then Richard Parker,a Bengal Tiger accompanying him in his lonely estranged travel..

There are lot of good stuff about this book.. and i loved every page of this book..it is fantasy..it is reality..its fiction..it is adventure..

This book reminded me of  Chetan Bhagat’s One Night at a call center at lot of places..while life of Pi  is way different from the other one..and it is just my take…

One of my favourite quote from this book.. Where we can, we must give things a meaningful shape..

Train to Pakistan by Kushwant Singh

What an ending! I read the ending three times..Wanted to know whether i got it correct..No..Still I didnt..

 I was hesitant when I picked this book..but i couldnt keep it down..very few pages and an easy read..

Read very few novels by Indian Authors and amongst all I find this one the best..

The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fritzgerald

After White Tiger by Aravind Adigas, this is my 2^nd ebook..I’m not a big fan of PDFs

Loved the way it started..

‎’Whenever you like criticizing anyone,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had’

 I was more curious to know about this guy Jay Gatsby..and that made me to keep going on ..

I somehow felt..I would have loved it if i had had read this few years ago..

I’m not saying its a bad good..but not my best too..

Jail

Today’s ShasiTharoor’s tweet says

“ShashiTharoor

Frantic constituency day: inspected incomplete AirIndia hangar 2press for action, observed StateAssembly, inaugurated jail,spoke at a school”

He inaugurated a jail today. Is this something that we should be proud of? With the increase in populations, the crime rate is also increasing?

What exactly happens in jail? I’m a layman and I really do not know what is happening in the jail..I’d like to know what exactly happens in jail and how the prisoners are treated. Is it exactly the way they show in films or is it any different?

I have seen in most Government offices in India the officers with higher designation act like the masters to the one with lower ranks. When this happens in between colleagues, how a prisoner is treated by the officers in jail?

Is there somebody or some kind of process or something which concentrates on how to reduce the in mates in jail?

Are the inmates given any kind of counseling regularly?

P.S. : I’m not blaming Mr. Tharoor. Is just a thought or few questions after reading his tweet.

The French Lieutenant’s Woman

I wont say its the best of what I have read so far..But I loved the way, the author
(John Fowles )narrated the story..I fell in love with his writing.. and the heroine Sarah Woodruff and her nick name is ‘tragedy’..Never seen or heard about such woman who takes so much of pain.and the interesting part about this novel is, its three different ending…

More about it in here

couples retreat

heard couples retreat songs..

my favorite is kuru kuru parvaiyile.. not just because it’s a Tamil song..

every time I hear this song..I’m getting  lost in it..

Close to Nature..

Like last year…this year also along with few college mates, planned for a outing and we decided that we are going with the same organizers who took us to Kudremukh….We started last friday around 8 pm.. and it was rocking.. I enjoyed.. Completely out of my normal world.. Deep inside a jungle.. in a small island.. stay in a tent.. no electricity.. no mobile phones.. no computers..few friends and the nature…

Nature, You are amazing!!! Beautiful!!!

Loads of activities.. like trekking..rafting swimming.. a total camping experience.. I had fun.. total fun..

I’m not endorsing capture-earth group here.. but for beginners, if ur interested in trekking.. try them out..they are too good..

Ywake!!!

This post is all about my colleague.. friend..Vivek..

Few months ago..that was the time we started speaking to each other well.. He told me that he had lost his mobile in a parking lot near MG Road.. and this fellow is lucky enough and he found his mobile late in de nite..(and his new phone…..he dropped that in the middle of a traffic and he never got it back… thtsa lil sad ending at times…..)

Hamara mallu man, once travelling from Gods own country to Bangalore..he left his bike key in the bus..Bugger traced the bus..and got his keys back..Another time he told me that he lost his bike keys again and got a duplicate key made for his bike..and the original key was just lying down near his feet…once he found his helmet replaced by a solid pungent smelling small helmet at the parking lot…… he lost his another new helmet in the parking lot once…thats gone..

Tuesday Morning..he told me that he lost his bike..it (w)a(s) Pulsar 200.. he told me that he had parked the bike infront of his house the previous night..and morning when he came down to take his bike..it was missing..its an one year and half yr old bike..and the insurance was expired a lil over half yr…He told me that he had given a police complaint..Like me..most of my colleagues were feeling sorry for him..His gchat status on that day says, “Myself, cant stop losing things…. and this time something BIG. Thanks to those souls for helpin me lose it… So very Satisfied”“..

Yesterday evening he got a call from the police department..Saying that they found a bike without a number plate close to the place where he stays..he went and fortunately for this Lucky guy that bike was his…and now his gchat status says,”Myself, cant stop losing things…. and this time something BIG.    Thanks to those souls for helpin me get it… So very Satisfied”

God Bless Vivek!!!!!!!!!!!

Unveiling game-changing wearable tech

Just came across this!!!

Digged more above pranav Mistry..the man behind this sixth sense project..

got few more links…

http://www.pranavmistry.com/

http://ted.com/index.php/speakers/pranav_mistry.html

Nice Ad!!!

I dont know how many of you remember the Dairy milk Ad…few years ago… I should say..long long ago.. The girl entering in to the cricket pitch after a wonderful sixer.. I love that ad..That one used to be my favorite ad for a quite some time..

I’m one among the few who like watch advertisment..

Came across this one…recently.. this is for a cause..

I can’t follow you

everywhere

Avoid using mobiles while driving Is there any ads close to ur heart?

7 Phenomenal Wonders of the Natural World

Came across this recently…

natural-phenomena

The 7 phenomenal wonders:

Sailing Stones.. Wow!!!! I would like to visit this place..Looks like they are still trying to work out the theory behind this..

Columnar Basalt..

Blue Holes..this one looks beautiful!!

Red Tides..

Ice Circles..Amazing!!!

Mammatus Clouds.. Oooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh…………

Fire Rainbows