I want it all?

I want it all and I want it right now! That seem to be the mantra these days. The next of kin of the ill fated plane want to all the nitty gritty details down to the technical details of the search thus far. They feel that they are being taken for a ride. Too many rumour mongers and conspiracy theorist are out there every ready to spin yet another spanner questioning the legitimacy of yet another finding of experts. They say information is king but is it really?
Looks more to me that ignorance is bliss. The more you want to know, the more there is to be found out. When the roads are aplenty and the directions are aplenty, one is bound to be lost and maybe caught in maze or roller coaster!
The patient wants to know all the minute details of the operation that she is due to undergo, right down to the rarest of complications. Murphy's law, being Murphy's law, may strike at a time when we least expect. I wonder what she really wants to know. I remember an incidence in a University Hospital some 20 years ago when patient empowerment and medical litigation was rearing its ugly head. A lady was scheduled by a Senior Professor for a rather major cancer surgery. A day before the planned surgery, she was reviewed by an anaesthetic doctor to ascertain her anaesthetic risks. The doctor did his due diligence and rattled off all the possible problems that she could encounter in the long and tedious surgery. In not so many words, he told her that may die on the table after looking at the myriad of medical ailments she was having. She created such a ruckus in the ward that evening when she adamantly refused surgery. The senior Professor had to rush in to pacify the mortified patient. Anyway, everything went on well and she cruised to recovery.
A recurring theme in my favourite TV show of the 90s, X-Files, was to find the 'Truth'. The 'Truth' always remained elusive and Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully spent their whole sane life trying in vain to discover it. They were repeatedly told that they cannot handle the 'Truth'.
Many questions only open the door to more questions. So are we just going to take everything that is given to us? If we had not seek out, we would still thinking that we are the universe and everything revolves around us. Well, many amongst us still do!

The classico-folk fusion!

Sindhu Bhairavi (1985)

Director and Story: K Balachander

The plus point of this 80s flick is the simple story and the excellent musical composition of classical South Indian music by the maestro himself and rendered in no lesser way by KJ Jesudas and Chitra. The theme here are two fold, the first being an attempt to marry traditional folk songs and musics to the elitist's classical carnatik music. The second story is the masala that involve the main character family life. It is the first message, to me is the great pull to the movie. The affair that build between the main character and his admirer is plausible but was dealt with an unorthodox manner in keeping with surreal arty movie era of the 80s.
In many ways, there are similarities between this film and 'Salangai Oli' in that both deals with people who totally immersed in the arts. For the first time, one can really appreciate the little nuances that differentiate classical music to village songs and even dapangguthu (the funeral cry).
JKB is a happily married carnatic music maestro who takes a lot of pride in what he does. He is due to receive his Padma Prushan national award for his musical accomplishments. He, however, has an elitist haughty feel to his profession and hold steadfast to his orthodox belief that folk songs and other lesser traditional songs just do not live up to the splendour of classical music. He is married to Bhairavi, a devoted wife but unfortunately is kind of tone deaf and not educated enough to be at par with him to appreciate the beauty of music. Nevertheless, they are happy even when they are childless. Bhairavi is happy performing her spousal duties.
A bit of comedy relief by the musicians who accompany JKB in his performances.
On one such performances, an outspoken fan and critique earned JKB's ire for critiquing him to sing in an understandable language rather than traditional Telegu script. This fan, Sindhu (Suhasini), also argues that traditional Tamil folk songs also should given equal importance at the music arena. An obviously annoyed JKB challenges Sindhu to belt out a folk song on stage. What turned out was music to everyone's ears. JKB had to eat humble pie and that blossoms a strong bond between two souls who were deeply involved in music. This platonic relationship soon breaches common decency and an affairs ensues.
JKB's marriage is strained. A confrontation between the two ladies yearning for JKB's love and attention ends with Sindhu leaving the scene. A devastated JKB gives up music and hits the bottle. Things spiral down so bad that this former carnatic maestro had to sing to funeral cry songs to support his drinking habits!
By the way, Sindhu is an orphan who discovers her real mother who, hold behold, is JKB's family friend. There is another side issue between Sindhu and her long lost mother who deserted her after a humiliating productive premarital sex.
So all ends when Sindhu returns to motivate JKB to sing again and to present them with an offspring which resulted from JKB's extramarital tryst!
A nice movie from the musical aspect but the story is quite predictable, really. Illayaraja was flying high at this time with his prolific compositions. He, the master of village tunes showed his prowess in infusing classical feel to a folk songs. In the process, he apparently angered some die hard traditionalists for using a different tunes than the usually used one in his songs. Hey, what you don't try, you wouldn't know.
1986 National Awards for: Suhasini (Indians like characters who appear like candles, sacrificing themselves for well being of other: Best Actress); Illayaraja for Music; Chitra for Playback singing.

The times, they're achangin'!

There was a time, back in the days when the upper echelon of society would just exert their authority on the mostly illiterate, the helpless, the bewildered lower crust of society or natives. Words like 'you listen', 'I tell you', 'do as I say I say, not as I do' would be used with impunity to get things done. And the the elites, the one in power, the leaders could just get away with almost anything. The simpletons amongst the working class thought the elitist knew what they were doing. They thought everything was done in the interest of what they were sent to Earth to do. It was not their position to question. Some even believed that they had descended from the Gods. To disagree was cardinal  sin and treason of the highest order. Teachers, Rulers, Leaders, Heads of Family, professionals can do no wrong. Any mishaps were pure acts of God, predestined and misadventures.
Things changed and change it did. In my mind, education and dissemination of information are the prime mover towards this end. Education empowered the small men. Information exposed the masses to what others are capable of and drove them to do the same.
Parents feel the need to partake in their children's education and not just going to let go off their responsibility but keeping on their kids activities and perhaps of their teachers'. The man with the stethoscope who were given demigod status in most communities as their patients/clients/customers are fully aware of their rights and have no qualms of seeking redress if the outcome of their ailment not to their liking! 'What till your father gets home' used to be the dreaded mantra for children a generation ago. So what say the 'Like' generation. What can he do beside talk and advise? If he lays a hand on me, I have the social services to complain to. I can also blame my future failure on the account of he being an overtly strict disciplinarian! The wife is no more a docile subservient subordinate whose life accomplishment is to look pretty and to serve you tea! She is your equal partner, no longer made from a part of you but one who would shoulder to shoulder beside you.
Same to the leaders. The era of families ruling nation are long gone. The paternalistic condescending times are all passé. At most they are puppets on display to showcase the splendour of the bygone era. Whatever good intentions the leaders have on improving living conditions of the citizens, he is still going to be met with criticism and arguments that are sometimes difficult to brush aside. Don't they know every action has its merit and demerit? True, but critiquing for the sake of argument, we are not going anywhere.
Times change and we have to change.
Maybe two centuries ago, the masses could accept something as imaginable as a virgin birth or the concept God communicating through dreams. In those days, people would hail it as a Divine miracle, build a mammoth ark or justify temporary lapse of judgement. Try doing it today. People would sneer, ridicule or even get you institutionalised!

Thank you for the music

Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury

by Lesley-Ann Jones (2011)

If you plan to tell the world your legacy, that is if you had left one, it is always better to write your own autobiography rather than leaving it to people who claim to know you inside out. They can even tell the world how you think and what must have gone through your mind when you said or did some of the things in your life.

The biography was written by an award-winning journalist who had spent a lot of her professional time with the rich and famous. Of course, some would question her authority to write some intimate stuff about the man who had touched the heart of many, man and women.
The book runs swiftly through Farrokh Bulsara's early childhood in Zanzibar and Goa. It concentrates mainly on FB's adult life in the UK after obtaining his Diploma in Graphic Designing all the way through the trying times as a struggling musician to his superstardom and his fall.

We, the listeners, always assume that the Queen played one song which got the whole world mesmerised. The truth, is, however, far from that. The road to stardom involved many man hours manning a souvenir shop at Kensington Market and many failed attempts at creating bands - Smile and Ibex, Wreckage. It's a hard life, no bed of roses, no pleasure cruise. After many misses and near misses, fame and fortune came in abundance. With fame and fortune came ego, friction between friends, decadent lifestyle, up and down yo-yo of life, love, heartbreak, friends, foes and AIDS.

1946 - 1991

The trouble of biographies is that, like this one, the writer sometimes tries to analyse and psychoanalyse the person's behaviours and actions. Freddie Mercury's loneliness, being away from his family at such a tender age(since 9) is suggested as a possible reason for his close association with his longtime companion Mary Austin as a mother figure. The author also discusses the train of thought that must have gone through the mind of Freddie Mercury, his insecurities, his desire for the love of a different kind, his desire to come out of the closet, but at the same time not to let down his Zoroastrian parents, his disappointments in love etcetera. The author described him as a reserved man who treasured his privacy, felt courageous only in the company of friends, had been betrayed many a time and was not a confrontational person. In spite of shyness, probably because of his dental map-alignment,  he metamorphosed on the stage in front of his sea of fans.

The lyrics of the songs, as die-hard Queen fan may realise are quite cerebral. It is not your bebop teenage bumble pop songs. Infusing opera sounds and loud radio-friendly songs tell about varied topics from God, life, love and politics. The author, like others before her, stress that the innuendos in the lyrics and the metaphors of Freddy publicising his inner turmoils. Bohemian Rhapsody is said to be the public declaration of 'out-of-closet'. Look at the lyrics here and judge yourself!

The mind sees what the mind wants to see and the mind hears what the mind wants to see.
I guess all the fan and fortune overcame all his deficiencies. He came out with a bang, all pomp and splendour.

He really enjoyed his life, lived 5 lifetimes in his single short lifespan. His penchant for the gaudy and opera together with his exposure to kinds of music from the African continent, Indian subcontinent and the European continent managed to bring out the best that of a rock artiste could offer to the rocking world. His operatic manner of approach to rock and roll took him to dizzying heights.  

N.B. Freddie Mercury of Queen, the rock band, in the company of highly intelligent musicians - Brian May with Ph D in Astrophysics & Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University; Roger Taylor B Sc, the bored dental student who gave up Dentistry for a Biology degree and music; John Deacon, 1st Class Honours Degree in Electronics.

You say there is nothing wrong

Your boy, a toddler, plays with dolls, you say there is nothing wrong.
Your girl plays with guns, you say there is nothing wrong.
Your office staff dressed down to office, you say there is nothing wrong.
A doctor comes to duty with jeans and slippers, you say there is nothing wrong.
Your child is defiant of your orders, you say there is nothing wrong.
Your kid does badly in school, you say there is nothing wrong.
With his bad grades, he wants to do a professional course, you say there is nothing wrong.
He doesn't have the grades but the passion, you say there is nothing wrong.
You choose the back door to appease him, you say there is nothing wrong.
Then he fouls up, you say he did nothing wrong.

You cut corners and you say there is nothing wrong.
And yet you say, the country is coming to the dogs.
That is the status of the present world isn't it?
Like you tell the whole world about your feelings, like there is nothing wrong.
And yet to complain there is no privacy,
Yes, yes, there is something wrong...
You're just a special kind of stupid!

Venetian Frenzy?

Don't Look Now (1973)

Landed up watching this movie after encountering Julie Christie in the Barlow and Chamberlain saga 'Dadah is Death'. The height of her career must have been the role she played in 'Dr Zhivago'.
This film is supposed to be a thriller, supposed to be but instead it thrilled the audience with the thrill of watching Venice of its canals and buildings up, close and personal. Talking about personal, this movie also courted controversy during its release due to over-the-top and graphic depiction of carnal activity between husband (Donald Sutherland) and wife (Julie Christie) in this romantic city.
It is a pioneer in psychological thriller using fresh cinematographic method and some Hitchcockian ones. Overlapping  flashback scenes and slow moving pace augment its artistic feel to the movie.
The movies starts with the drowning of Christine Baxter at the Baxters' English estate. Some time later, John is in Venice to do some restoration work at some church there. Still reeling over the loss of their daughter and on medication, his wife, Laura, follows him.
They meet a pair of sisters. One of them is blind and a psychic warns of impending danger on John and reassurance that their dead daughter is actually quite happy. This, together with a raving mad killer on the loose forms a great recipe for suspense when the Baxter's son whom the couple had left at home in UK is injured and the wife has to go back home.

The splendour of modern cinematography

The Great Gatsby (2013)

Just wanted to see how modern cinematography added colour to this 1925  F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel and remake of 1974 film starring Robert Redford in the lead role. In spite of the many negative reviews about the movie, I found it quite refreshing. Unlike its predecessor, this one did excite me in spite of its lovey dovey and love-conquers-all theme. The main selling point is its costume, the excellent props and visual pleasing mesmerizing cinematography.
There is no change in story line. Nick Halloway (Tony Maguire) narrates to a psychologist when he is treated for alcoholism about a certain neighbour of his, Jay Gatsby who was an interesting character who held boisterous extravagant parties at his palatial palace. He had mysteriously amassed large amounts of money. Leonardo DiCaprio must be born for this role as he just fits perfectly as a suave love stricken millionaire with a shady background. He returns to be together with Nick's cousin whom he had fallen in love just before going to the Great War. The problem is the girl in question had been unhappily married for 5 years during his absence.
The husband, Tom Buchanan, himself has a mistress who herself is his mechanic's wife! The movie played in theatrics manner with flowery dialogue and melodramatically ends with Gatsby being shot by the mechanic who mistakenly thinks he ran with his wife down with his automobile. Actually, in the true masala fashion, the real driver of the vehicle was Lizzie and Gatsby took the blame. Gatsby died a broken man. The fickle minded Lizzie decided to stay with Tom. Tom and Lizzie moved out and did not attend Gatsby's funeral.
A true panoramic extravaganza indeed. Brings one right back to decadent times of the twenties when people thought they knew everything about making money and that the stock market and economic market can never crash, only went one way, up. Oh, how wrong were they!