THE SEVENTH SENSE

A Murugadoss is the latest claimant to being a creative movie king, straddling north and south India. His last offering “Ghajani” was immortalized (in movie lore) by Aamir Khan in Hindi and by Murugadoss in Tamil. His next offering “7aum Arivu” (Seventh Sense) was released yesterday (2011 Deepavali day).

In the list of duties of a caring husband , what comes somewhere at the top is to ambush the wife by booking tickets for a much awaited movie in advance and displaying them with flourish ( today it is the internet printout or the SMS Message to be displayed). Out of considerable experience (and a personal curiosity to see this movie as Ghajini had incredible stunts and I love stunt movies) I booked tickets in the nearby multiplex for a night show.

The movie stars Surya and Shruti Hasan- both children of established actors. The story starts 1600 years before with the hero being a master of martial arts, medicine, hypnotism who travels to China ( seems to be favourite destination in those days -probably Chinese visa was easier then) to teach these skills. In true filmi manner, he takes blessings of his family, rides off into the yonder alone on a striking horse. He travels thru rivers, valley, forests, deserts in the same horse. No servants or followers accompany him. He does incredible things – cures an infectious and fatal disease, throws out invaders with out of the world powers and is buried there. He is Bodhi Dharma- respected and venerated by Chinese. However, we Indians do not know these important aspects. The director shows some Indians (speaking Tamil) displaying ignorance of such glorious achievements of Bodhi Dharma, and some Chinese looking persons saying “yes- Kung Fu master”. I felt they were referring to some black belt film “Action Director” or “Stunt Master”. There are some startling references to Tamil being 20,000 (yes, twenty thousand years) old. The movie emphasizes the glorious achievements of “Tamils” in all these centuries which we, in ignorance, have not cared to know or understand.

I felt that the power to hypnotise still exists. Andimuthu Raja’s colleagues in Governments may , after seeing this movie (shown now with helpful English subtitles ) testify to Raja’s power in this field.

The villain is a Chinese Government Agent bent upon inflicting germ warfare on India and then giving cure for it after extracting some favours. The villain obviously has to look like a Chinese individual. However, for us any Mongoloid face would do. So a Thai artiste with knowledge of martial arts steps in. He has great powers in hypnotism. So he lands in India and does strange things. He injects a stray dog with some disease and wanders around trying to kill the hero ( at present he is a circus artiste) and heroine ( a genetic engineering scientist). In the middle of all this , the hero and heroine break out into modern songs in exotic foreign locales at pre-determined intervals ( villain is about to kill these two chaps, but then they have to sing a song before we come to know what would happen next).

Murugadoss, the director, is an ordinary looking individual of less than average height and slim body. No one would associate him with movies containing graphic violence and blood shed ( we imagine directors to be tall, well built with a dash and flamboyance). He overcomes this disadvantage by bringing gratuitous violence into the story. Any body who has seen Ghajani in Tamil would testify that it was incredibly violent with heavy impact on the viewer’s senses.

7 Aum Arivu does not fall behind. Blood spurts out of forehead, neck, cars and vans fly across roads towards the hero and slim heroine (due to their drivers being hypnotized by the evil Chinese villain) , who naturally escape. Policemen shoot each other on the instigation of this same evil villain who smiles with satisfaction ( what you would feel if you eat a great quality Pani Puri or Pav Bhaji). A great many people die before the hero defeats this villain is a fight to finish (finish the viewer’s senses – what is left of them). The film ends with a lecture by the circus artiste hero (who is a lineal descendant of Bodhi Dharma) espousing the wealth of knowledge which was in Tamil which has vanished in the mists of time.

The viewers were all emigrant Tamilians who were thirsting for a flavor of their mother tongue and the ethos and culture of their homeland. So to replicate that, there were whistles when the hero appeared on the scene, when the past glory of Tamil was explained by the heroine ( in very labored Tamil). The distinction between fiction and fact , the character in the movie and the actor playing that role seemed to be blurred for the viewers. There seems to be desperate need to hero-worship an individual (film stars like MGR, Rajanikant, Vijay etc.) , Tamil (as a language, culture, background ) to the exclusion of the larger context of our existence. There is a lot that could be written on this aspect. The comments of the worshippers of these stars found in various websites make sad reading and shows the ugly side of the hero-worship.

Suffice it to say that there are thin layers between pride, arrogance and chauvinism. Also, the larger and closer context in which we live as Indians first and then in various sub-categories should be constantly considered.

Movie started late and hence ended late. The only family member (we were four of us watching the movie) looking refreshed after the movie was the one who had slept thru it with legs comfortably folded on the seats.

I wondered what the title meant. My son told me , it meant that the sixth sense is intuition and the seventh is DNA related (as the hero as the same DNA as Bodhi Dharma. Perhaps he is right.

If Tamil is 20,000 years old, I am sure Tamilians were all living in Thanjavur, Trichy, Tirunelveli or Kanchipuram then onwards. My ancestors too should have been around (they are a sturdy lot and “survivor” type). If only they had left their wealth of knowledge for all of us (as explained to us in the movie), then I would not have to struggle like this to earn a living. All this left over/spillover knowledge would have helped me to lead a good life, the way the hero Surya is shown ( he does not go back to being a circus artiste) in the movie.

Sigh.. if only reality aped movies….

SILK SARIS AND SHAMMI KAPOOR

Silk Saris and Shammi Kapoor

What is the right way to buy a silk sari (Kanchipuram variety)?

The least knowledgeable person (i.e. one who has the credit card) accompanies several excited women to a traditional shop where you squat uncomfortably on the mat laid on the ground in a small single gala shop. The salespersons are very patient (by dint of long experience of trying to sell to undecided and vacillating women) and strews expensive silk saris all over the mat in your front. After overcoming initial confusion (“I had this blue silk sari for my marriage – 18 years ago, I can’t repeat it”), women zero in on a few. This is where the stronger but patient and gentler sex steps in resolutely. (You would be staring helplessly at several confused women looking at similar looking saris for ages). The more intelligent and experienced ones look at a few of the selected ones with a critical look and suggest discarding a few of them. Then the remaining should be lovingly handled and with a far off look (the woman should imagine that the spouse is remembering when he first saw her as a maiden stepping into womanhood) order the woman to drape the sari and look at the mirror.

The trick is for the man also to look at the mirror along with the woman. This exercise is to be repeated with a few of the selections and after a secret look at the price, identify one sari in which you tell (in a whisper to her ear) that she would look gorgeous. Women have strong instinct and would look at you with doubtful eyes (wondering whether you know the difference between Rusk color and jamun color), but you should be able to convince her to select the one which you feel is the least damaging to your purse and to the woman’s appearance. Perhaps, you may by experience select the right one (saree I mean, as a man’s ability to select the right woman is at a huge discount).

I did all this couple of weeks back. The shopkeeper helpfully told us that he would complete the “falls and beeding” ( if you don’t know this is, then you are not married and should remain so) and we could collect it few days later. When we went to the shop, the sari was misplaced and we were perforce compelled to repeat the routine mentioned earlier. Both of us exclaimed that we had a better choice this time.

The shop is in Matunga (in Mumbai). It is where all emigrant Southies landed in last century. So it is still full of Udipi restaurants and lots of Gujaratis who love south Indian food. We had a choice of restaurants to go. Padma and I decided on Rama Nayak’s hotel near Aurora cinema, which serves only Idlis –yes only Idlis and coffee. It has over 20 varieties of Idli with their characteristics explained in the menu (unlike Thai or continental food where you wonder what ingredients it consists of). Rama Nayak started Udipi Hotels in Mumbai in 1920s and is quite well known in Mumbai. The Idlis we had were quite good and we were pleasantly surprised that a small hotel with 6 tables to serve only 24 seats and standing space for another ten persons could survive for many decades.

We then went to Shanmukhananda Auditorium where a Shammi Kapoor songs orchestra was scheduled. I had booked tickets in advance and dragged Padma with me. The Auditorium is the biggest in Mumbai with a capacity of around 3000 seats in ground, first and second floor. The program started in time to a sparsely occupied auditorium which filled up within the next 45 minutes. I looked around to gauge the response. Most were in beyond 40s (some came with walking sticks and some with their children holding their hands) and were nodding their heads enthusiastically and clapping in a disciplined manner. Anil Bajpai – one of the troupe- sings very well and is known for singing Mohd Rafi songs.

All of us had heard these songs several hundred times in the last few decades. But hearing them live weaves a magic. The tune whispers thru the music broad gauge of our brain and travels swiftly to the heart. Many older men and women (age being a comparative measure) lip sync the songs continually, and some portions of the songs evoke spontaneous applause. The long opening music of “aaja aaja” in Teesri Manzil is an eternal favorite. The drum beat is fascinating and coupled with guitar it simply creates an out of the world feeling. I have many times wondered how one or few human beings can create great music (whatever be the language or genre- film, classical, rock, blues etc.) through their imagination which etches a lasting impression in our souls.

The greatest reward that the world bestows is on new creations arising out of human intellect- painting, music, sculpture are some examples. The intrinsic value of the painting-canvas, paint, frame etc. may not be much. The value that the human imagination and intellect adds to it is hard to estimate at the time of creation or even many decades or centuries later. What today’s generation would more easily relate to in this category is Apple products –I Pad, IPod and so on.

The orchestra was not great, the singers other than Bajpai were competent but not of first grade. Totally thirty songs were sung. The mike broke down twice surprisingly. Padma and I felt that Golden Greats (run by another professional) is a better one. But some of the songs captured the original spirit very well. Shammi Kapoor was known for his efforts in injecting good music in his movies. Hard work always pays. Even after four or five decades, we find that the songs are sung by young persons who were not born when these songs were first heard by my generation. There must be something which touched these young individuals heartstrings when they first heard these songs. While such kind of singing has a huge commercial element to it, good music has a purity which the brain can recognize and the heart can admire at all times.

We had reached Matunga by local train. Train takes around 35 to 40 minutes from where we stay. Car travel can take at least an hour if not more, plus huge hassles for parking. The first class compartment was empty while going at 5 .00 p.m. Walking thru Matunga is a pleasure as there are lots of old memories which get refreshed. It is a lively place. Many old buildings are reconstructed now, however with little parking facility. It now has a dominant Gujarati community , with southies moving to inner suburbs in the last five decades.

While returning also we caught the local train. It was crowded and we had to skip one train. The next one had standing space for me. Padma travelled in the ladies compartment. Two young men were watching an English movie with subtitles and earphone in a lap top. I too watched it for some time. The hero seemed to have extraordinary powers which he later said emanated from his shoes. I then resumed reading my novel.

We got down and reached home within an hour or so of leaving the auditorium. It was a good evening, well spent. Good Silk Saree and Shammi Kapoor.

DISCOURSES AND THEIR IMPACT

Swami Udit Chaitanya is a persuasive and eloquent speaker. I and my family are hearing his discourses for the last few years. His philosophy is seemingly simple. God resides within us. We should seek him within ourselves so as to enhance or elevate our mind and thinking. Seeking God’s help to solve personal issues is futile. (Lord Rama and Lord Krishna had enough problems of their own during their sojourn in the earth. If they could not solve their own problems, how would they solve ours? ). The emphasis is no increasing mental strength to face the tsunamis during our existence.

I find this a frightening idea. I have survived so far by believing that my frequent visits to temples (near and far) and prayers turned the tide during difficult times. Now I am being convinced that God is a silent and perhaps inactive spectator to our vicissitudes. The corollary to this approach would be that while I could continue to make more PPTs to God in Sanskrit, matters would take their own course- with little or no inputs from God.

Actually the prayers recited in Sanskrit slokas sound impressive, but if recited in English or any other language the results would be less impressive. An English translation of one Para of Purushasuktha is given below.

Om= Name of God = World. Experienced as a+u+m.
Experience of waking state is “a’, dream is “u”,
sleep/death is “m”

Sahasra seershaa purushah=God has 1000 (a very large number) of heads.
Because all heads belong to the world=God

Sahasrakshah sahasra path =1000 eyes, 1000 feet. All eyes, feet belong to
God=world

Sa bhoomim viswato vritvaa=Covers the earth from all sides as sky/space

Atyatishtat dasaangulam=Yet he exceeds by 10 digits the whole world.
(exceeds finite space and time)

The real purpose is to understand and digest these prayers and not recite them unknowingly expecting some divine benediction.

While the above approach appeals to logic, the fact still remains that chanting sukthams and similar Sanskrit prayers, especially by a large and coordinated group, arrests our attention- physical and mental. Anyone who has learnt these chants (whatever is the age) starts repeating it mentally. The fact that some of these represent the earliest human record of prayers which were given from generation to generation orally is a testimony of their value and strength. (In today’s parlance – sustainability or Sustainable Development).

Progression in chronological age brings in external changes. But the mind can still retain its youth and strength. (not my original idea, but borrowed from Swamiji). Good example is Narayana Murthy. No one would call him an old fogey or one having out dated ideas. His achievement is to create a sustainable organization which has a huge ripple effect. Another example is Late H T Parekh. After retirement from ICICI , he created HDFC in 1977, at a time when Housing Finance was unknown. I know it because, I was newly married and was looking for my own house in early 80s. So age has nothing to do with freshness of approach or thinking by an individual.

What next? Is a question which gnaws at the back of my mind. If we are fully responsible for our actions and their results, then the sense of responsibility increases significantly (somewhat like boss telling a subordinate that you are on your own on this project, I have nothing to do with it). I wonder what the goal that I desire to achieve is and whether the efforts to reach it are worth it. It is nice to think that there is a fate (Lord Brahma or some other responsible God has a supercomputer which ordains what would happen to me and I could ascribe all actions and results to it) and my life moves according to it. Some paths are one way , some no entry and some you have to definitely pass thru .
Several years back, I used to visit electronic shops to look at latest TVs and Home Theatre systems and ask their prices. After some such visits, my wife refused to accompany me inside the shops for such visits. After I purchased the TVs and Home Theatre systems I desired, I would still look at those shops with longing- that is longing for something to look forward to.

Life is somewhat like that. There should always be something to look forward to. There is a tomorrow which will make a difference to my life and to others. Once that tomorrow holds only bleakness and lots of empty place, then the next cycle should start.

How would that start? According to Swamiji (the one referred to above) the life inside us represents some form of energy which is on continuous journey- thru human bodies. Once this journey ends (trains reaches VT station or Madras Central then the engine is separated from bogies), then another begins.
I find this appealing as under any circumstances, there is something to look forward to.

Do you agree?