RIFLE RANGE BOY

Kahlil Gibran's Little Book of Secrets, 2019 Kahlil Gibran, Neil Douglas-Klotz (Editor) (first published 1932) That is it. There is no secret. Like every seed we sprout, each extracting our own energies, in different shapes, forms and sizes, build our leaves and flowers, but have to face the sun to get our nourishments. We may take different routes like that, but lest we forget, all roads lead to Rome. Secrets? There are none. The answers are all within us. The problem is that the more answers we seek, the more questions pop up. Khalil Gibran, a Lebanese Christian from the Eastern Christian Church, landed in the USA after spending a fair amount of formative years in Lebanon. Exposed to either side of the hemisphere, his outlook on life is quite profound. Here is an example of his thoughts and invitation to think. A clergyman who preaches the dangers of sin and the need to follow the spiritual path meets a dying man during his travels. He was about to help him but was warned by the ...

Evil (Miniseries; 2016-22) S1-S3, 36 episodes. I s evil something extrinsic, or is it something within ourselves? Is the world comprised of two equally opposing powers trying to dominate the other? Is there a rational explanation for all the bizarre things that happen around us? Can science adequately explain them? A long time ago, actually, it all depended on where one hailed from. It was utterly acceptable to blame one's socially unacceptable acts on the forces of evil and get away scot-free. In ancient times, some civilisations preached we were responsible for our actions and needed to be repaid in this birth or next. The source of evil is the suppressed desires of the reptilian brain, whose ill thoughts are cancelled off by the conscious mind. Almost apologetically, some Middle East religions blame all misdeeds on rogue angels who strayed God's path. These deviants try to recruit mortals to their camp to give God and his teaching a run for his money. In the modern world, in...

Nenjam Marapathilai (நெஞ்சம் மறப்பதில்லை, The heart never forgets; Tamil; 2021) Story and Director: Selvaraghavan This film may not resonate with the average Kollywood movie-goer. It is supposed a thriller, a ghost story with corpses, gore and blood, but it is plentiful with hidden messages and symbolism. It is for the viewers to connect the dots and draw their own conclusions. A casual viewer would surmise the whole offering as a poorly made horror flick with poor VFX about an orphan, Mariam, from a Church taking up a childminder's job in a dysfunctional family. The man of the house is a two-faced eccentric tyrant, Ramasamy @ Ramsay. He is married to his bosses' daughter and is under her thumb. He appears to courteous to everyone, but beneath his pleasant demeanour, evil lurks.  Long story short, the minder is gang-raped by Ramsay and his servants, killed and buried in the large home compound. Mariam comes back as a spirit to avenge her bizarre death. In an interview, the dire...

21.5.2010 Aum…Shri…Sound…Music! In most cultures, music is synonymous with joy, celebration, victory and worship. In Indian folklore, I have heard of divine music healing the moribund and maybe raising the dead. Probably, only in the Indian (particularly South) subcontinent do you have songs sung to denote melancholy, tragedy and helplessness! No wedding, birthday celebration, church service, temple prayers, funfair, circus, street celebration or even sports event is complete without music accompaniment. Hence, one can say that the story of music is the story of the evolution of mankind itself. Now, have you heard of the Dark Forces using their subtle ways to pull us over to the Dark Side? From the turn of the 20th century, people have associated certain music with Satan's dark forces. Islamic fundamentalists like the Taliban also link music to evil, as it is addictive and hinders mankind from fulfilling their obligations to God. Hence, radio transmissions in Taliban Afg...