Showing posts with label lesson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lesson. Show all posts

Monday, 16 September 2024

Everyone loses in a war!

Once a war starts, nobody can control its trajectory. The promise of a swift surgical strike with minimal casualties is anything but a fallacy.


We have more than enough examples to tell us this wisdom in our present times, but we just refuse to listen. The Kuwait War and Iraq Wars were just propaganda wars attacking something non-existent. It also proved that there is no such thing as precision bombing with zero casualties. It is no use telling us it is just collateral damage. 

The Vietnam War showed how elections can be lost. When the body count piles up, and the disadvantaged fraction of society bears all the sorrows of seeing their sons returning in body bags while the elite dodges their way from drafting, the public knows they have been taken for a ride. It happens because, like a broken dam, war has a mind of its own that cannot be reined at will.

An episode in the Mahabharata tells us a thing or two about wars. All the war ethics were closely followed until about day 12 of the Kurukshetra War. With the battle heating up, casualties piling, and almost reaching a standstill, the Kaurava side decided to play dirty. Maybe the Pandavas, too. Krishna and Arjuna (of the Pandava clan) were steered away to fight with another faction. At the same time, Arjuna's son, 16-year-old Abhimanyu, was lured into a complex military calyx devised by master strategist Drona. As skilled as Abhimanyu was, he had learned about the military formation. He knew how to get in, but he was not taught how to escape from it. When Abhimanyu was caught in the maze, he was trapped and was unceremoniously killed from the back.
On learning of Abhimanyu's death, Arjuna took revenge the following day.

Legend had it that Jayadratha, who masterminded Abhimanyu's assault, had a special boon. His father, Vriddhakshtra, had learnt about Jayadratha's fall at war by beheading from his birth charts, had done severe penance and subsequently received a boon from Brahma. Whoever drops the son's head on Earth would have his head explode into a thousand pieces. With his unparalleled expertise with his bow and arrow, Arjuna shot Jayadratha's head to land right on
 the mediating Vriddhakshatra's lap. A shocked father instinctively moved his thigh, causing Jayadratha's head to fall on the floor. Vriddhakshtra's head broke into a thousand pieces as he wished/cursed. Be careful what you wish for; it is one lesson learned from this fiasco. 

Another lesson from this turn of events happened long before this episode when the Pandavas were exiled for losing a game of dice. Jayadratha had acted ungentlemanly with Arjuna's wife, Draupadi. Instead of severely punishing him for his misdeeds, Arjuna and his brothers let him off with a slap on the wrist. If not nipped in the bud, a minor wrongdoing would morph into quite a monster difficult to curtail. Hence, lesson number two is to nip evil in the bud. Do not let it branch out and grow deep roots. 


Sunday, 18 June 2023

Indian Fables

Vetalam dan Vikramaditya (2020)
Author: Uthaya Sankar SB 

I remember a time when a newly married couple rented a room in our house. My sister and I, 4 and 6 years old, respectively, were dying to hear the wife's stories that she did tell without fail every evening, with our persuasion, of course. She had a peculiar way of making us glued to her stories. We affectionately addressed her as ‘Atteh’ (Auntie, father’s sister or maternal uncle’s wife). 

Every evening, after she had her shower as she returned from work, it was storytime. Her stories usually carried a message, and many of them were Indian folk tales, including ‘Vetalam and Vikramaditya’. 

‘Vetalam and Vikramaditya’ stories always carry a moral dilemma that needs critical thinking. We were often disappointed as she never told us the answers to the questions she put forward. She would ask us to think carefully.

That is the thing about these stories. Legend has it (it is probably a historical statement now) that King Vikramaditya was a King based in Ujjain. A fun fact is that Ujiian in Madhya Pradesh is sometimes referred to as the navel of Earth or Greenwich of India. Before 1884, as per a 4th-century treatise, Ujjian was considered the prime meridian. Even today, the panchangayam (Hindu almanack) is based on Ujjian time (29 minutes behind IST).

Vikramaditya in Ujjian
Many kings took the honorary title of Vikramaditya. Hence, there was confusion about who the real Vikramaditya was. It is agreed that he probably ruled around the first century BC under the Vikrama Samrat era.

In the 'Vetalam and Vikramaditya' stories, King Vikramaditya is summoned by priests to capture a playful and sly demon from a cemetery by daybreak. The King manages to trap the demon, Vetalam. The trouble was that the talkative imp had a penchant to escape from the clutches of the King. The King was relentless, however. The demon made a deal with Vikramaditya. It would narrate stories that would need answers, to which the King had to answer. The King's head would explode if he gave the wrong, but Vethalam would escape if the answer is right.

The night goes on with Vedalam telling stories, expecting answers, the King giving the correct answer, Vethalam escaping, King capturing him again, and Vethalam starting a new story. Thus it went on the whole night. By the way, the King was not allowed to speak. It was done telepathically. Towards early morning, they had built a rapport and joined forces to crack the priests' ulterior motives.

One of the stories is similar to the story of P Ramlee's 'Keluarga 69' and K Balachander's ' Apoorva Ragam', where no answer is expected. One cannot put a name to a relationship when a King marries the daughter of a mother who marries the Prince. The offspring of the King, if it is a son, is also a stepbrother of the Prince and grandchild to the King's daughter-in-law; very confusing! 

P.S. A Tamil proverb describes a person who is unsuccessfully trying to reform as 'Vethalam recoiling into a marunga tree'.

Sunday, 27 February 2022

Don't fight fire with fire!

The Power of the Dog (2021)
Director: Jane Campion

King David, of the David and Goliath fame, went through troubles after troubles in his kingdom. He prayed to God. In the Book Psalm 22:20, it is said that King David had requested God to 'Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.'

'The power of the dogs', which the title refers to, is probably referring to the herd mentality of the mob that is out to humiliate, denigrate and decimate those who do not fall within the standard narrative. These dogs hide their deficiencies behind the strength of the pack. They may doubt their own convictions, but they know cognitive dissonance is too overwhelming. Hence, they just join in the barking match.

The best way for the abused to fight the crushing power of the dogs, as suggested by the movie, is to stand tall against the pack. There is no point in clashing head-on against this unruly band but to win them over with wit, on the sly.

The message behind this story is cryptic and requires higher-level understanding to appreciate the hidden subliminal messages. One who watches it at face value may not understand why this film is hailed as a top contender for the Oscars this year. Of course, the fact that homosexuality as a suggested theme did help. 

In summary, it is a story set in the 1920 mid-west where two brothers, George and Phil, work as wealthy ranchers. George meets and marries a widow, Rose, with an effeminate medical student son, Peter. Phil tries to exude his toxic masculinity. Peter is the butt of everybody's joke for his unmanly ways. The rest of the story is about how Peter and Phil find common grounds, and peace is maintained, albeit in devious ways.

The hidden message behind all these is there for our taking. In the ever increasingly hostile environment that we exist today, it is an exercise in futility for us to clash head-on with the correspondingly minds with mob mentality. For every reason that we state our case, they would do bulldoze with a bull in the china shop demeanour; resist and resist with dimwitted mind-boggling excuses. We should be action-orientated, focusing on the matter at hand and ignoring all the white noise. Be like the Jews or the Orientals. Despite adversities that befell them throughout history, the Jews stood steadfast against everything and came to rule the world. The Orientals, despite the slurs, abuses and bullying all through modern history, marked their dominance everywhere they went. Now, they are giving the colonial master a run for their money. It may not be the means, but the end results sometimes matter more.

(P.S. It may not be a gay movie like it is commonly perceived. It does not tread along the lines of 'Brokeback Mountain'.)

Saturday, 22 September 2018

The road to success is fraught with misconceptions?

Outliers, The Story of Success
Author: Malcolm Gladwell (2008)

Life had never been easy. Now it has been made more complicated. Kids all around the world had been fed with the idea that if you put in the hours and do as you are told, your future would be bliss. Nah, don’t buy that!

The secret to success still remains an enigma. Many factors affect the success of an individual. The author goes through the lives of a few successful people and a few who had the potential but did not quite make it.

One has to be born at the correct time. Sometimes the window of opportunity only comes once. One has to be of the proper state of mind and of the right age to grasp it. At the spur of the time when it happens, he must be willing to put in the long hours. That indulgence itself, an awful lot of hours, would determine your future success. The examples of Beatles and Bill Gates are mentioned here. Beatles' acid test was in Hamburg in 1962 when they took the challenge of playing long hours despite the difficulty. Computer maestros were obsessed with the new gadget to know it inside out. 

Of course, social strata of the individual’s family makes an impact. A rich kid has all the exposure, a parent who is willing enough to ferry him around, who would identify his aptitude, give him the coaching to be confident and assertive and to create an environment suitable for his goal.

However, the poor, if given the push in the right direction, would prosper. There, however, must be a concerted effort on the part of the individual, his family and perhaps the administrators and the governing bodies to organise appropriate platforms. The zest to succeed must also come from the individual.

The author goes on to analyse a few air crashes and to suggest that possibly cultural aspects played a minor but relevant role in them. He proffered the idea of Power Distance Index (PDI) - the measure of existence of hierarchy in a society, how it is accepted by a particular community and how it affects day to day conversation, particularly in life-threatening situations like a plane crash. A child nurtured in affluence would probably be more self-confident and assertive in getting his way around. One in a family taught to conform to authority or growing up in a dysfunctional environment may end up not trusting people in power and hence losing out many chances laid in front of him.

A lengthy discussion on PDI resulting from a cultural background as a contributing factor to plane crashes is put forward. Cultures which tend to hold people in high esteem (i.e. high PDI index) tend not to tell off their bosses when they are wrong and fail to exert their authority when needed. This had led to disastrous outcomes in many cases.

Unfortunately, I think the one on which he tries to explain the superiority of Chinese students in Mathematics as being too simplistic. He asserts that the labour intensive, highly skilled, lengthy duration of rice duration as well as the simplicity in the pronunciation of numbers as the reason for their excellence. He compares this to short planting days in the West and the shorter days there. Maybe he is saying that this may have engrained in the genetic level as many of these students are no longer planters' kids. And Singapore is hardly a farming society.

This dilemma is nothing new. Scholars from the Indian subcontinent, for aeons, have been trying to understand this conundrum - why two people develop and perform differently from each other. They try to invoke the time of birth, to place planetary positions as well as the constellation to predict the personality and aptitude of an individual towards a particular field. Unfortunately, it is not specific. Hence, its sensitivity is questionable.



Sunday, 22 April 2018

Yes or No, Right or Left, You are correct!

Vikram Vedha (2017)


Source: Wiki
Whenever one goes back to his wayward ways, I remember Amma would say, "See, Vethalam has gone up murunga tree!" The story of Vedhalam (Vetal) goes back to the tales of King Vikramaditya and the fables of moral dilemmas. In one instance, the mighty King had to capture Vetal, a demon, from a cemetery. He was supposed to keep a code of silence and not utter a single word, or the creature would retreat back to the tree it was hanging. The King followed suit. The imp was such chatty chap who kept telling stories upon stories and demanding answers. He asserted that if the King knew the answer and did not reply, his head would explode. If the answer were correct, the devil would jump back to the tree. The devil would stay if the answer were wrong. Like that the devil escaped captivity as the wise King could his tales that ended with riddles. 25 stories were told. The King could answer all 24. The demon dodged and the sorcerer caught him, and the cycle went on. The last one proved too complicated even for the wise king. Vikram brought Vetal back.

This is the basis of this film; Vikram, a hotblooded police officer and Vedha, the dangerous criminal he is trying to nab who attempts to justify the path that his life turned out to be.

Gangland fights in North Chennai are becoming nasty. Abandoning their traditional steely knives, the gangsters find guns more damaging. The bodies are piling, and the police had set up a special force of cops to keep the situation under wraps. Everybody in the team was specially handpicked for their dedication. Despite all the obstacles, they persevere. The team members all have their own sorrows to wallow; the chief was injured in an encounter, Vikram's buddy, Simon, has a child with a chronic debilitating disease, another with sex addiction, another who wants to give the best education to his child and yet one with a gambling addiction.

The team gets the opportunity to seize the gang leader, Vedha, but he gets out on bail. Thanks to Vikram's wife who happens to be a junior lawyer. Then a cat-and-mouse game starts as Vikram gets near to apprehending  Vedha. Vedha, in the meantime, engages in a 'catch-me-if-you can' routine whilst telling him stories of moral dilemma and his own justification for the predicament that he (Vedha) is in. Being born in the unfortunate side of the society with scant of opportunities, he had to do what he had to do to survive.

We all talk about one's own dharma*, the reason he is sent to Earth; the correct path that he is supposed to follow as it is what he is supposed to do.  But who is to know - that this is the path and that is the destination. We are all thrown into the deep end of the pool, some of us in cesspools, others in a seemingly nectar-filled rose scented pool. We are made to made to grope in the dark and make sense of what we are supposed to do. Irrespective of muck or rose petals, keeping afloat is a struggle, nonetheless. As we go on with the journey of life, we absorb guidance and knowledge from those around us and convince ourselves that that is our dharma, our reason for our existence. But who knows whether we made the right decision. We make up our minds as we wobble along. 

People in positions of power also go through the very same quandary.  A leader has to take the tough call to steer his downlines towards the right track. Decisions are not mere flowcharts guided by arrows, but different approach needed for different situations. There is no right or wrong decision; only bad choice in retrospect! In case our decisions proved less favourable, we convince ourselves that our conscience is clear. We did what we thought was best at that time and space.


Credit: devdutt.com
Vikramaditya and Vetal


# A king was performing the funeral rites for his father. As he was about to drop the funeral offering in the river, as ritual demanded, three hands rose from the water to receive it. The first hand belonged to a weaver, to whom the king’s mother had been forcibly given in marriage. The second hand was of a priest who loved the king’s mother and had made her pregnant. The third was of a warrior who had found the king abandoned on the riverbank and had adopted him and raised him on his own. “Now tell me Vikramaditya,” said the Vetal, “On which hand should the king place the funeral offering? On the hand of his mother’s husband, his biological father or his foster father? On the palm of the weaver, the priest or the warrior? 

#25. The unanswerable question. If a father and son conquerers seize a kingdom and marry the princess and the queen in captivity respectively, what would be the relationship between their children? (Hey it reminds of P Ramlee's 'Keluarga 69' and K. Balachander's 'Apoorva Raagangal'.)
* Dharma has multiple meanings in different religions. It is said that there is no one single-word that translates dharma in Western languages. It was in use in the Vedas and had evolved over the millennia.  In Hinduism, dharma signifies behaviours that are in accordance with the natural order of the Universe. It encompasses duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and "right way of living". In Buddhism, dharma is the "cosmic law and order" and is also applied to the teachings of the Buddha. In Jainism, it is the teachings of Tirthankara (spiritual teacher) and the body of doctrine about the purification and moral transformation of human beings. For the Sikhs, dharm is the path of righteousness and proper religious practice.

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Friday, 20 April 2018

Sitcom for nerds?

The Good Place (Seasons 1-2; 2016+ )

Yes, Ted Danson of the 'Cheers' is at it again. No, not a remake of the 1980s sitcom but he stars in another sitcom. Danson does not reprise his role of Sam Malone, the bartender. Maybe for old time sake,  he gets to the back the counter to serve in one scene.  

This show deviates from your typical offering of American comedy where canned laughter spliced with unimaginative jokes weaved with sexual innuendoes rule the day. Interestingly, this show deals with something out-of-the-world, literally, that is.  

It delves into the meaning of life and talks a lot about philosophers who gave their input trying to explain our existence,  the purpose of it all and the way one should live it. Questions like mortality, morality, telling white lies, mindfulness and inter-human relationships are dealt in a playful yet profound way. 

Bartender, at your service!
The first episode starts with a group of misfits dying and landing on the other side. The place is 'The Good Place' (vs 'The Bad Place') where people enjoy eternity in bliss after earning their brownie points on Earth. Michael (Ted Danson) is the Architect who masterminded the genesis of the area and is on-site to run the place as well. He is assisted by an A.I. being called Jenny. 

The four main characters in the show are Eleanor, a frustrated delinquent with deprived childhood, who is mistakenly taken in for an environmentalist; Chidi, an indecisive and 'too intelligent for his own good' professor of Ethics and Philosophy; Tahani, a haughty, name dropping and narcissistic Pakistani-British socialite with overt sibling rivalry issues and a drug-dealing social outcast and an amateur DJ, Jason Mendoza, who is mistaken for a Buddhist monk. 

Eleanor and Jason know that there must be a glitch in the system for being there as they know they do not deserve that heaven! Chidi, at first he thought that his admission was due to his knowledge and his deed on Earth. He soon discovers that his indecisiveness and procrastination brought harm to others. (His death was due to it too!) Tahani thought her philanthropic work did the trick but was made to realise that she did it for self-interest, not altruism.

With many psychological tests and examples, the series takes us to the end of the first season when the story takes a twist. (No spoilers). It becomes more interesting towards the second season when 'The  Good Place' goes through a turmoil.

The trolley problem: should you pull
the lever to divert the runaway trolley
onto the side track? (Phillipa Foot,1967)
We do good because it is the right thing to do as we, humans, set it to be; not because so and so said so. The inquisitive nature of Man is the one which would carry our race through time. Even though on the surface, we appear disjointed and in packs, in time of adversities, we join forces to combat a common enemy. The thinkers amongst us spur us to come up with answers and justifications for our action.

In many psychological dilemmas, there is no one 'correct' answer. Sometimes, there are no answers, but we still seek them with our nimble minds.

In the trolley conundrum, the answer is not so straightforward. Other parameters play a role too. The quandary of sacrificing a sole individual over five may seem easy enough. What if the one is a professor or a scientist who is the verge of a breakthrough discovery or a national leader or someone known to you and so on.  This issue is also dealt with when it comes to self-driving cars.
Can self-sacrifice be accepted as another form of solution to this enigma? Like God giving His Son, which is actually a part of Him, to die on the Cross to wash Man of his original sin and save him?

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Thursday, 15 March 2018

My word, look at the similarities!

Plato, in the book Republic, suggested that the state should be ruled by philosophers. But he also mentioned about groups of people attuned to different classes to do different duties for the upkeep of the nation. In modern times, these ideas may not be politically correct as it is not good virtues that spins the modern world, but rather, stashes of money. In the 21st century, conformity of the majority to the whims of the 1% goes a long way in keeping order but not peace and definitely not law. Creation of just wars seems to the calling of the century whilst the powerful maintain their stronghold on the hapless majority.

Harimandhir Sahib, was given the golden feel to the pre-existing temple by Maharajah Ranjit Singh. He has the honour of being the only power defeating the Afghanis. He created Punjab, ruled over Kashmir and Afghanistan. His royal regalia included the coveted Koh-i-Noor diamond which was snatched from the Persians who had looted it from Andhra Pradesh. The priceless gem was allegedly 'gifted' to Queen Victoria. The Brtish monarchy since had been shamelessly exhibiting their loot on their crown. The top tier of the temple is of solid gold, the middle tier is gold plated and the bottom is made highest quality marble. ©FG

These were some of the things that went through my mind as I was walking around the holiest shrine of professors of the Sikh faith. What started as a discontent to the discriminatory practices of the Hindus, Guru Nanak and his band of followers went wandering in search of the meaning of life. Through his journeys to the valleys of knowledge and meetings with mystic figures, with the help of poems and music, they attempted to put in words, perhaps how life should be lived. He and the holy men after him strived to find the reason for our existence.

The one-eyed warrior.
Maharajah Ranjit lost the vision of his left eye due to infancy
smallpox. His mother was behind many of his successes. ©FG
For a certain time, things were hunky dory. The invaders of the continent were inclusive in their outlook and engaged in finding commonalities amongst religions rather than exclusivity. Mishap befell this idyllic region. As the national coffers dried up with over-indulgence into extravagance, new taxes reared its ugly head. Division along religious line cracked open. Jiziya was justified on non-believers.

There was a need to protect the Sikh way of life which made a lot of sense to the people who believed in it; simplicity, equality, service, humanity, humility. compassion and servitude to mankind. The majority reeled behind faithfully under the banner of religion. They started identifying each other in an exclusive club which fell on five visible symbols. (5Ks- Kaccha, Kirpan, Kara, Kanga, Kesh).



The full splendour of the grandiosity of the aureum-hued building is visible at night. A sight to behold. The energy of gold and the positive energies of worshippers who throng with the purest of thoughts is set to awe believers and non-believers alike. Sadly, the cleanliness, orderliness and law-abiding spirit stop short within the perimeter of the pantheon. ©FG

The temple which fets the Grant Sahib, the key to the secrets of life floats in a pool of nectar. Legend has it that the wonder of the lake was discovered when many patients with skin diseases, including leprosy, had miraculous recoveries. Another tale tells of Amritsar being the place where one of Lord Rama's twins was injured by Lakshmana's arrows. Nectar (Amrit) was used to nurse him to health, hence the name. ©FG
The word, the knowledge, the wisdom is echoed in many religions as the divine entity called God.
(John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.)

For a brand new start? Perhaps it unchains the guilt of their past wrong-doings? Is the stain of the soul permanent? ©FG

The guardian of the faith ©FG
No one needs to be hungry! ©FG
No easy feat, the promise of feeding round the clock. ©EsKaySK

Courtesy of the utter of the strong Punjab cows and the fertile plains. ©FG
Humbling service to mankind is the tenet of Sikhism. Whenever malady befalls, langgar (kitchen) is there. Earthquake, fire, tsunami, care of the homeless, you named it. Ironic that Britain, which can be squarely blamed for the many famines and death in India during their heartless rule, has mobile kitchens set up by British citizens of Sikh faith to feed its many homeless citizens. ©Bob Mann

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Saturday, 3 February 2018

It comes around eventually!

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

They say that there is no such thing as the perfect crime. Even when a seemingly seamless crime is committed, somehow, something would go awry. A slight oversight, a chance DNA evidence or worse still when it involves two or more partners in crime, mutual suspicion and fear of double-crossing would spur one of them to act silly to arouse suspicion of the unsuspecting. The criminals occasionally appear at the crime scene to look at his 'trophy'.

Nature has its own way of punishing the perpetrator. Even though its fixing of things may not appear clear-cut, one can feel that poetic justice is served at the end of the day. Nature has a wicked sense of humour and warped amusement standards. Balance is maintained, nevertheless.

This classic film noir, made in 1946 and acted by John Garfield and the vivacious and sultry Lana Turner, grasps your attention from the word go. The first-person background narration and loud background music add to the suspense and the unpredictability of both characters on their next move. It starts with a rolling stone, Frank Chambers, stopping at a diner to work as a helping hand. There is an instant attraction to the owner's young and flirtatious wife, Cora. One thing leads to another, and a plot to murder the filling station owner - husband, is hatched and executed successfully in a planned accident.

After this, the plot becomes twisted where the members of the legal profession try to confuse Cora and Chambers. Frank hears about an insurance policy bought under the husband's name for the first time. Here, the story attempts to take a jab at the legal profession. It shows how the court makes a charade of the charge, admission of guilt and leniency.

The ensuing tension between Frank and Cora is illustrated beautifully in the rest of the movie to give real meaning to the film's title. Just like how we always hear the postman's second ring of the doorbell, fate has a sure way to trap us in our mistakes. We cannot run away from our wrongdoings.

Tuesday, 21 March 2017

Of what is expected...

Forushande (The Salesman, 2016, Persian)
Director: Asghar Farhadi

A wise man once said that we should not pass judgement when we are angry. Instead, we should suspend sentencing until we have cooled down. At the heights of emotions, our faculties are blurred, our vision is clouded, reasoning is obscured by raging hormones. Sometimes, there is pressure from without to act or set an example out of a scapegoat! And there would be a group who would insist that God's justice must be done on Earth, so as not to incur His wrath.

It is funny how the bar always changes when the affected party is our own flesh and bone. And how we ask for leniency when the offending is our kin!

Perhaps if we could be in the shoes of the other, we would realise how, sometimes, things are just not so black or white. This is exactly what advocates against capital punishments are trying to say.

In keeping with the Iranian tradition of making simple movies with profound meanings, 'The Salesman' moves slowly without much fanfare or melodrama. Emad, a secondary school teacher, and his young wife, Rana, have to move house as their apartment falls apart when a digger starts digging nearby. They move to another apartment recommended by a friend. After school, Emad and his wife act in a stage drama, Arthur Miller's classic 'The Death of a Salesman'.

One day, Rana leaves the door open thinking that it is her husband, only to be molested by an unknown person. This incident really shakes the previously harmonious matrimony. Emad cannot understand why his wife is so badly affected by the incidence. He cannot inform the police as his wife cannot fathom the idea of reliving the whole event again. Emad is also concerned what his neighbours would think of him as an incapable male of the household. He is also crossed with his friend for introducing the new apartment which was formerly occupied by a prostitute.

The perpetrator, in his hurry, had left his car keys behind. Through that and help from his student's father's help, he managed to track him down. It turns out that the molester is actually a middle-aged man, at his weakest moment, went in search of the sex worker who used to stay there thinking that she was still residing there. Panicked with the wrong identity, he scooted only causing Rana to panic and injure herself.

The dilemma that Emad has to endure is distinctly palpable, to decide between revenge, compassion and the need to mete justice as expected by social circumstance.

Just like play 'The Death of a Salesman' where the main character works till he drops dead believing in what he thinks is the right thing to do, the traditional values which our ancestors held close to their hearts may just need to be reassessed.

Nothing in this world can be so cocksure. Even when something looks so clear cut, there could still be a place for an element of doubt. We judge by our senses but how many times our senses have fooled us?

Wednesday, 7 September 2016

Flaunt it never?


Nitchiya Tamboolam (1962)




Met up with a friend after 30 over years. I did not have much to talk about then, did not have the opportunity to, but now, somehow we clicked on common grounds. After honing his survival skills with the courtesy of the School of Hard Knocks of Life, he has a leaning towards philosophy. We had talked a good one hour before we realised that we had others to meet up at the gathering.

When we spoke about films and philosophy, he was quick to add, "Why go so far as to look for philosophy in movies when you have tonnes of them in every Tamil movie!"

True. Just look at this happy tune from 1962. It shows a group of carefree youngsters, including the pudgy Sivaji Ganesan who is trying to portray a young punk, are seen singing merrily humming a tune and playing their harmonica and guitar, driving down a country road. Despite the temporary setback in the punctured tyre, they repair their damage and carry on their merriment with a little bit of help from their friends.

Roughly, the lyrics go like this...
God created it and gave it to me,
"live the life, boy!" He told me
and sent me down.
 
The world is in my hand,
money jingling in my pocket,
come to think of it, I am King.
Entertainment, romance, you'll find it here, friend.
 
One who worries about the past is silly,
One who worries about the future is stupid.
One to ignores what come may is a good fan.
That person is this person and this person is that person,
there is no today and no tomorrow,
there is no night or day,
there is no youth, old age or end.
 
It is absurd to save your money and hide it,
The money that God created is public domain,
Whatever money comes to me, I spend and enjoy it around, it's my duty,
It may me proud, it's my right!
When you have lots of money,
and you can see others jump around in joy, laughing with you
you will find a special kind of joy....
This goes against the grain of what I was taught in my childhood - be humble; save money, save for a rainy day; don't flaunt; life has it ups and downs, do not think that good times would last forever; friend will laugh with you when you are rich and laugh at you when poor; do not mock the poor. Of course, in that movie, the character is trying to portray the persona of rich man's kid spoilt by excesses of life. He seems to think he is god-sent to enjoy life, not to worry about the future as life would take care of itself. Everything is a cycle - good times and bad; so why bother? When life hits rock bottom, it can only go one way; that is up!

But then, over-indulgence and living in opulence have always been taught to us to be wrong virtues. A simple way of life and the path of moderation is said to be a sure way of attaining eternal happiness. Do they really?

Be thrifty, be like the ant, save for a rainy day. The economists, however, advise us to spend like there is no tomorrow, to spur the economy. The older adage advises us to spend within your means; a life free of debts is a happy one. The modern man immerses in credit to aim high; aim for the moon, they say, if you fail, at least you fall amongst the stars. The only problem is that the stars are light years away if compared to our lunar friend!

My mother used to curse her father for having spent the whole family heirloom within a single generation. Perhaps, he had the same mindset as that of the hero in the song. Live for today as you do not know whether you would live tomorrow. Perhaps, the generation next need a little push with economic help as people in the modern post-colonial world do not have goodwill and blessing for their meal and education. They had to sing for their meals!


The last stanza in the song probably shows the socialist/ communist stance of the lyricist. The verses in Tamil could also mean 'it is a joy to see people run after the money that I throw'! He is probably looking and laughing at our antics of the poor dancing to rich man's tunes for money and how the rich manipulate the poor with their wealth! That is the special kind of joy he is talking about!

In the snippet, as if in a symbolic manner, shows us travelling through time yearning for joy and happiness. The car, our journey, hits a rough patch, a puncture. We all help each other to get us going again, continuing with things that make us happy, until the next glitch. Happiness is all that we seek. When we attain that, we want more. We do not know where and when to stop. Perhaps, we should be an Epicurean to find pleasures in the simple things in life. Like Mugli and his jungle friends who only dwell in bare (bear) necessities to survive and have fun!

http://tamilsongslyrics123.com/detlyrics/447

“Be afraid. Be very afraid.”*