Few years ago, I sat down to find out the best of World War II movies and collect them. This was much before Netflix had come to India so the idea was to buy Blu-ray disc. Couple of movies I had seen, had figured in the list and many did not. I was thinking that... Continue Reading →
London – Calcutta – London. By Bus?
"Hold on! Hold on!" I am shouting at the conductor, running behind the bus, that was just pulling out of Victoria Memorial, Calcutta. The driver applies the brake and bus screeches to a halt, and I hop in. "Where to?" "London." I sit next to a window and watch as the city passes by. Soon... Continue Reading →
Famous Final Acts – From Movies.
This is one blog, I debated for a long time, with myself, should I write or not? What good will come out of it, if one writes only about the last scene in a movie. People who had watched already, know about it, and for the ones who have not, it is not a just... Continue Reading →
Operation Day Break – 1975.
Ramakrishnan, my uncle, took me to Safire Theater to watch this movie when I was in Class VIII. This was the first English movie I watched and also first time I stepped into a place which had air-conditioning. This may sound like an old Peter Pan lingerie ad, "The first time I wore Peter Pan,... Continue Reading →
Khrushchev, Gagarin & Kraftwerk.
Khrushchev: I admire the optimism of our leaders of the left parties. They are in a kind of Time Warp and still think that they can somehow transport India to Marxism and Leninism. Mr. D. Raja, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India, wrote an article in Indian Express, a leading Newspaper in India... Continue Reading →
Rubber Head – Rajesh Khanna.
Rajesh Khanna was a very popular Actor, probably the first Super Star of Indian Cinema. He produced fifteen solo hit films in a span of three years. I don't think this record is matched by anyone. Young women adored him; his songs were hummed by everyone. He became a member of the parliament and won... Continue Reading →
BCL Chennai – But Where is the Library?
"Nostalgia is an illness for those who haven't realised that today is tomorrow's nostalgia." Zeena Schreck. If you walk into any place after thirty five years of your last visit, it is inevitable you would see some changes unless it is a temple which is a thousand years old or you are standing at the... Continue Reading →
Food for Thought – rather Vegetarian Palate.
JK, dear brother, is in Japan with some of his colleagues to receive one of the most prestigious awards given for the industry, the Deming Prize. In the evening, he posted a picture in the group saying this was his vegetarian seven course meal menu. Look at the featured image. Vinay, my nephew asked immediately... Continue Reading →
Mahabs Magic.
Kalki Krishnamurthy, the famous Tamil Novelist is widely known for his magnum opus 'Ponniyin Selvan.' Actually one of his other novels - Sivakimiyin Sapatham (Sivakami's Vow) relates more to us because the novel is based in Mahabalipuram, the village/town where we grew up. Kalki's narration about any ancient city is so powerful it brings to... Continue Reading →
Half an hour or twenty minutes?
Vinay my nephew based in Toronto, Canada and I were chatting few Sundays back on WhatsApp video and somehow the conversation turned to some language howlers. He then mentioned an incident happened the previous day. He was checking the features of a mobile phone in a shop and the sales guy at the shop was... Continue Reading →