MOVIE REVIEW – PREMIUM RUSH

                             

                                Hi People, Hope you are all in pink of your health. I am pretty sure, when you are blessed with good health it ultimately means that you have a bunch of keys with you, one key among them is the key to open the door to attain tranquility despite you don’t have wealth or a peace of mind. It was October 24, 2012 and it was a holiday on the eve of “Vijayadhasami” here in Bangalore. So I decided to take a sojourn to my office buddy Imran‘s house near Agara. I was accompanied by my office friend Nadeem to Imran‘s place. Having Imran, his roommate and my new friend Arif, I bet you guys it’s the best place in Bangalore to get rid of all your Mulley grubs. Arif whom I met for the very first time in my life didn’t even take an hour to gel up well with me. I have never seen such an energetic, invigorative and a practical guy like Arif in the recent times.

                              After scrutinizing and debating about our company policies for more than 2 hours altogether, the time was quarter past four before we decided to break for lunch. The twilight lunch at “The Bhagini Restaurant” was more expensive but also a pompous one to be frank. After the meal we 4 decided to watch a movie at the Gopalan Cinemas, Tin Factory. The 3 guys around me were insatiable Hollywood movie freaks and “Premium Rush” was the only new release left unwatched by them so we decided to give it a try although the IMDB rating was not too high for this movie. A Tamil Guy, A Malayali, A Bihari and a Bengali in a place where they speak kannada predominantly, buying tickets for a Hollywood movie can for sure never happen anywhere in the world other than ethnically, culturally and traditionally richest country, India and I am really proud and exultant being an Indian. Ok folks let us not deviate from the topic of interest, here we go

PREMIUM RUSH – MY RETROSPECTION:

                                                                            

                                                                            The Movie starts with a scene wherein Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) hits the deck from his bicycle and he starts bleeding badly. The clock goes back 90 minutes before wilee got injured. Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and his Ex-Girlfriend Vanessa (Dania Ramirez) work as a bicycle Messenger in a courier agency in NYC. Their daily routine include ducking and dodging speeding cars, trucks, two wheelers and pedestrians with their superb light weighted, No brake and fixed gear bicycles to reach the recipients destination within the stipulated time with extreme riding skills which might prove suicidal and insane most of the time. Nima (Jamie Chung), roommate of Vanessa delivers a sum of $50,000 to Mr.Leung (a Chinese hawaladar) that she has saved for more than 2 years and exchanges it for a ticket which she must deliver to sister chen before 7 pm so as to bring her son and mom to US through a ship that smuggles people from China to US. Nima reaches wilee to dispatch this ticket to Sister Chen. Wilee doesn’t actually know what is there inside the envelope and picks it up from Nima to deliver it to Sister Chen. Meanwhile Lin, a local goon learns of the ticket and approaches Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon), a gambling addicted NYPD cop and tells him to bring the ticket so that in return bobby Monday need not repay his huge debt.

                                               

                                               Bobby comes to Nima, asks for the ticket and gets to know that wilee has already gone to dispatch the ticket to sister chen. Bobby chases wilee and confronts to give the envelope containing the ticket to him. Wilee shrewdly escapes and heads to the nearest police station to lodge a complaint on Bobby. To Wilee’s dismay and astonishment, he comes to know that bobby is a NYPD cop over there and starts running back to the courier agency to give back this life threatening envelope. Manny picks up this envelope from the agency after wilee drops it over there and starts heading towards the destination, meanwhile bobby calls and changes the address to be delivered and Manny is now heading towards the villain’s address. Vanessa gets to know the seriousness involved in the envelope containing the ticket from Nima and tells it to Wilee. Wilee then feels guilty for Nima and joins hands with Vanessa so as to deliver the ticket to Sister Chen before 7pm and then the drudgery and the combat Wilee and Vanessa faces through Bobby Monday (NYPD Cop) while delivering the ticket to Sister Chen is what the rest of the plot revolves around. In the end Nima gets her child and Mom transported to US through that ship. Wilee and Vanessa Rejuvenates their broken relationship in style.

                                                The Movie was indeed racy all throughout except in certain dribs and drabs. For the first time I could find a logical loop hole in a Hollywood movie wherein I didn’t understand why a NYPD Cop chases wilee using a “bicycle” all throughout the story all though they had sporty and Racy cars and bikes in their department. We weren’t born yesterday to believe such a crap till the end of the movie. David sardy, the music director has given us some soul stirring BGM’s coherent to the situations in the movie. Hats off to Mitchell Amundsen, the cinematographer who has given us such a crystal clear visual delight although the movie was shot in the heart of the Manhattan and the NYC wherein you could no way see a beautiful scenic background rather than sky scrapers and buildings all the way. A big round of Applause and all praise to David koepp and his team for giving us a racy thriller with such a terrific screen play despite having a Numb and a Null impact storyline.

MY VERDICT:

                             

                              Fixed Gear, Steel Front, No Brakes and No strings attached and that is “PREMIUM RUSH” worth its brag J 

AN ENCOMIUM ON MAJOR MARIAPPAN SARAVANAN

I know very well that, this post is an obsolete one. Better late than never! And it’s not too late. I consign this post to My Beloved Brother S.K.Shiva Subramani. It gives me an immense sense of pride, privilege and a plethora of hyper patriotism when I start typing this post and feeling really proud in dedicating it to a real hero for a change. This post shall be an accolade for the “Hero of Batalik” and for an officer in the most esteemed Bihar Regiment of the Indian Army, Major Saravanan.

               “Men Love their country not because it is great, but because it is their own” said Seneca, the roman philosopher. The above slogan was indeed outlived by Major Saravanan. The Name “Saravanan” is a customary common name as and when you come across men from Tamil Nadu before 29^th may 1999, until, the hero of this article, Major Captain Saravanan lost his precious life while combating and killing four Pakistani intruders in the Line of Control during the Kargil War.

                   He was possibly the first Indian martyr to have been killed in the Kargil war. Major Saravanan was born on 10^th August 1972 in the island of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu. It’s not that easy to decide about your future when you have kids of your age group around you telling that they want to become a cricketer, Software Engineer, An IAS, A doctor, a lawyer and what not? But Saravanan was an exceptional kid who showed deviance from the rest. Having been born to an Lt.Colonel it would have been inane if Saravanan had chosen something else as his career rather than joining the most prestigious Indian Army; it was no wonder that the Army Blood was innate in Saravanan.

                    Saravanan Graduated from St.Joseph’s college, Trichy. As a first step towards joining the Indian infantry he joined the NCC infantry unit in his college. From then there was no looking back, Saravanan made rapid strides in his Army career, he joined the first Bihar regiment as a lieutenant. His dedication and sincerity then made him grow by leaps and bounds. He was ranked captain and Major in the successive years. When you spell out the name “Major Saravanan (INDIAN ARMY)” aloud, it will bring you boundless joy and a spirit that could ignite your minds with some positive vibration.

                    “Forgiving Terrorists is left to God, but Fixing their Appointment with God

                       Is our responsibility “ - INDIAN ARMY

         

                            As the above Awe-Inspiring Quote goes, Major was assigned a new operation. He was supposed to move to Kargil from Assam that would never be an easy mutation for any normal human being even if you are in your pink of health. Adapting to the coldest weather of Kargil all of a sudden from a sultry hot Assam weather is neither a joke nor that easy that too at an altitude of 14500 feet. Saravanan never knew that May 28^th, 1999 was going to be his last day in this world. It all happened when Major was assigned the operation of capturing a Pakistani position at the above quoted altitude in the Batalik sector. 

                              He and his fellow army men planned an attack at around 4 am. The plan was perfectly executed when our Army men along with Major Saravanan shot a series of bullets at first, which was then followed by an intensive back firing from our most hated rivals. There were plenty of ammos scattered all around that area which failed and fumbled to pierce the Noblest Indian Army. The brawl got intense and so our Major had to use the Rocket launcher during the combat which would have easily weighed somewhere between 3 to 5 kg. He triggered the launcher which killed two of our foes, during the launch Major Saravanan got badly hit by the shrapnel. He was then acutely injured; he never gave up.

                          
                        Major made the motive crystal clear in his mind “DO IT FOR OUR MOTHER AND THEN DIE”, his perseverance to save our mother India made him continue the combat. Meanwhile the Pakistani soldiers charged a volley of bullets which injured many of our men. The Commanding officer ordered our Major to retreat and elude because too many Indian Army men had been injured.  Major Saravanan was code named “Genghis Khan” for this operation. “Genghis Khan Fall back” came the order, “Not Today sir, we are almost close to the enemy position and the objective” replied major. He then went on to kill two more Pakistani soldiers, but this time Major Saravanan got hit by a bullet straight in the head. Major cuddled and curled up slowly before he became a martyr and his name got carved in the history of Indian Army. His fortitude and patriotism will always be etched in our memories. A true warrior, for whom the artilleries were the only backbones, had bereaved us.  You might wonder what is so very special about this particular martyr while there are plenty of others as well; yes it was only because of him I got to understand the meaning of a martyr for the very first time in my life when I was just 9 years old. It was he who taught me “For our better tomorrows the Army men have been giving their todays”.  It costed him his precious life to receive the highest individual award “VEER CHAKRA” posthumously.

MY SMALL TRIBUTE TO BELOVED MAJOR:

  “Major Saravanan would have enjoyed sleeping in his mom’s lap just like you and I

    He would have enjoyed his mom’s food just like you and I

    He would have enjoyed his childhood and adolescence just like you and I

    He would have enjoyed being with his friends just like you and I

    He would have enjoyed Rajni and Kamal just like you and I                                       

    He would have enjoyed Rahman and Ilayaraja just like you and I

    He would have also enjoyed Sachin, Dravid and Ganguly just like you and I

    But in the end he died for a stranger: U and I

If ever there is something called rebirth or next birth in my life, I would desperately want  to join the Indian Army and serve my nation. I take a bow, Respect and Salute all the martyrs of India who sacrificed their most precious lives in the noble cause of protecting our Mother India. Proud to be an Indian forever.  Long Live the Indian Army!

A DAY AT THE CHINNASWAMY STADIUM !

INDIAN TEST CRICKET - A FADING ART?

When people say “The Gentlemen’s Game”, we obviously envisage the men in white gears or the men playing test cricket. With the sudden burgeoning of T20 cricket and the extravaganza it has given us, I am sure most of the cricket lovers have lost the interest and patience in watching the test cricket ball by ball. When you have just lost the interest in watching the test cricket even in the television for that sake, no wonder test cricket has indeed lost its luster, charm and grace for which it was meant to be. The indelible fact is that, the recent Indian test cricket has been constantly failing to entice and captivate the crowd just because the “FAMOUS FIVE” (Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly, Laxman, Sehwag) as few say, and the mighty “FABULOUS FOUR” (Excluding Sehwag) as many say, have already hung their boots up and the very few in fact just two are on the verge of calling it quits very soon.

PULLING PEOPLE IN:

Despite Legendary Anil Kumble and speedster Javagal srinath’s poignant efforts to abate the ticket fares for the test cricket in Bangalore, I and my friend Sathish had to take a humungous effort in convincing my other friends to witness the second day of test cricket between India and New Zealand on September 1st 2012. The Ticket price was freaking nominal for just 50 Rupees which ploughed some sort of interest and eagerness amidst all of us to see our entire favorite Indian cricket stars live in action.

FIDGETY EVE:

The previous night before the second days play, all my friends were fast asleep, I was tossing and turning and was wide- Awake with an exorbitant enthusiasm and excitement while my friend Sathish was burning all his midnight oil mutating himself  into a nocturnal brux  in the office the other night. With my gang of 8 (Mukunth, Gokul, Sathish, Balaji, Raja, Hari, Debin and Omar) I was of the jejune intuition that these 8 guys are going to resurrect and rejuvenate the very interest in Indian test cricket as if we were there just to steady the fumbling KSCA board. There was a huge sigh of relief when my friend Sathish turned out early morning from the office.

OFF TO CHINNASWAMY:

 Guys then turned hare footed and we reached the Chinnaswamy Stadium much before the anticipated time with the help of “Namma Metro”. As we were nearing the “D Lower” and Gate 18, the adrenaline rush emanated up than ever before. The Stadium was under a serious bomb threat it seems, so we were all acutely scrutinized as if we were from Al-Qaeda or Al-Ummah. Once the checking got over we all shouted and ran inside the stadium like a bunch of guys who had got their Eye vision just quite some time back for the very first time in our lives .The Ground was indeed a visual delight and you can very well call it lush green .We entered the ground when the kiwis got bowled out by Ojha’s heroics.

We took some time and got settled quite near to the deep backward or Deep-Midwicket positions as and when the bowling end and batting end changes respectively. The Crowd went blatant and deafening when the Indian openers Gauti and Viru entered the ground. The Crowd was Ear-Popping and so I was not able to hear even the phone calls I was receiving from my friends. Much to my excitement my colleague and Good friend Praveen Bamane was just few rows above me. It would have been more fun if Imran Bhai, My office cohort had been with me, so that we both could have discussed some good cricketing statistics as we usually do in the office hours, but he was seated somewhere else with his gang. There were a plenty of hair-raising moments during the match, one was when the crowd went berserk when sehwag smashed the first boundary of the Indian innings. The Mexican waves made by the crowd were really a happening hullabaloo and a visual treat as well.

GOD’S ARRIVAL AND EARLY EGRESS:

There was a sort of awed hush amidst the crowd when Gambhir was bamboozled by Southee. Then came in Pujara who faltered for a meager sum playing a poorly calculated hook shot. This time we weren’t booing or there wasn’t a pin drop silence for a change when an Indian wicket went down. Yes the crowd ruptured, erupted, turned boisterous, went berserk for a while with a deafening noise as if someone was raising the roof, it was all happening out there at the Chinnaswamy stadium just because  the little man who usually comes in at two down for saving India is already padded up and is about to enter the ground. Here comes in the cricketing God for millions, my impetus, inspiration, Role Model and what not? “Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar”. We the spectators exploded in joy shouting out loud “S A C H I NNN ……… SACHINNNNNNNN....  The Moment I saw him at the crease, I just veritably forgot the enormous amount of bleakness, anguish and the dismal dumps that were accumulated in my mind. The Master took some time to execute his shots to perfection. The first and the only phenomenal straight drive came after an hour or so from the god’s willow, that was his 2000^th test boundary to add to his flurry of records. Sachin wasn’t playing his natural game that day (I wonder whether it was just because I deliberately burdened him with all my sorrows, agonies and stresses) A sudden chill went down the spine and everyone Indian out there went traumatized when sachin was castled by Bracewell. Then came in the in-form, rampant Virat kohli who timed each and every ball flawlessly along with the reposing Suresh Raina whose timber sounded as sweet as honey every time the red ball met his willow. Kohli and Raina went on to reach a century partnership with their individual fifties as well. Raina then got out to a blinder of a catch by Van Wyk. Then came in captain cool MSD for whom the plot was a fitting one and a cake walk to show his flamboyancy and elegance. Mahi did play his natural game although he took some time to read the pitch conditions earlier. It was half past two when the crowd went for a short nap during the tea time. Bang… Bang….Bang….it was the usual trademark helicopter shot from Dhoni which had woken the spirit depleted crowd up this time. Kohli started piling up his scores silently on the other side.

BAD LIGHT CALLS IT A DAY:

It was fifteen past five and we still had 9 more over’s left for the day, Kohli went in to his 90’s and Dhoni neatly crafted an artistic 45. Bad light couldn’t lit up the spirits of the players and the umpires and it even ended up in playing spoil sport when kohli and Dhoni were about to make their personal milestones of a ton and half a ton respectively. An eventful and a spirited day halted to a standstill end when the umpires called it stumps for the day due to bad light. At the end of the day I must agree that I witnessed a splendid day of test cricket, an indelible one amidst the busy corporate life and the monotonous and melancholic personal life.

PS:  I swear, it was not a combined effort from me and my friends to have just gone there to rejuvenate or resurrect the lack luster Indian test cricket or to see the entire Indian cricketing heroes play live in front of us, On the contrary, I hereby confess that I went there to Chinnaswamy only to witness one man called “SACHIN ” padding up and walk into the centre stage so that I shall salute and bow down for all that he has done to make me and the millions of Indians happy all throughout our lives .

 

PHENOMENON CALLED NOLAN !!!

It’s been a couple of months since I blogged and met you all lastly. Since then I never found anything interesting on the cards to be written on my blog until I was down with “The Dark Knight Rises” fever. I don’t want to call this a movie review because it is purely gonna be from my perspective or I can say I am not that good in reviewing someone’s sheer drudgery and uphill battle. I have to confess that I saw the batman trilogy last week only. I wonder and regret for having been missing it until the last weekend.

Christopher Nolan: 

                              Note that I am not a voracious or an insatiable English movie buff like that of my other friends, but on the contrary this gentleman and a prodigy named Christopher Jonathan James Nolan has mutated me into an ardent, insatiable Hollywood Movie buff. When you have a profuse fan following, the pressure that is built on you is sky high and having been given us the awe-inspiring, breathtaking and the magnum opus prequels like the “The Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” you need a witty and a clever gut even to think about the hype and the pressure you are about to face. Nolan has handled the enormous pressure that was heaped up on him, with such an ease which is evident from the way he has scripted and carved the final part of the trilogy “The Dark Knight Rises”. Nolan has indeed been bestowed with the natural talent of script writing, screen play and direction which is evident from the way the audiences are glued to their respective seats until the last scene and the very last frame of the movie. The casting, the logic and the plot at any point in the movie never ever resembled like it was emulated from the DC comics. If you are a person who will look over the nook and corner of any movie for its logical flaws and loop holes, then I must say this is not the movie you are looking for. The Nolan mesmerism and hypnotism will never let you think about the logical flaws for the entirety of the movie I must say. Let me conclude saying that Christopher is a real epitome of legendary direction and script writing. Now it’s time to hold the wire for the “Man of Steel” from the subtle man who has never disappointed his fanatics till date. I don’t care about the hype this is gonna create but I am damn sure that he will deliver a sucker punch to all his critics yet again. 

The Dark Knight Rises:

                                        Most of the guys must have definitely watched the movie by now or many would have read those bounteous reviews about the movies by now and for those who haven’t watched it yet, I don’t want to reveal the plot and I don’t want you to lose the thrill, the magic, the suspense and those hair rising moments which I personally underwent and experienced while seeing the movie. Please do make sure you watch it only at the theatres else you will be missing a master piece in your life time. I must definitely say that me and my two other friends Bala and Jerald who accompanied me for the movie personified ourselves as the citizens of “Gotham City “ initially when the movie started and ended up personifying ourselves as “The Batman “ alias Bruce Wayne who is the savior of the city.

Casting:

                I must definitely say that each and every person who has acted in the movie has indeed made cent percent justice to their characters. Christian Bale, as the multi billionaire Bruce Wayne shall be renamed as Bruce Wayne from now on. Tom Hardy, as the bane was banal at times, that’s just because you are missing the legendary Heath ledger here. Anna Hathway was a perfect fit as the cat woman and you will be blown away by her stunts in the movie. Michael Caine as “Alfred” and Gordon Levitt as “John Blake” were scintillating in their performances. Morgan Freeman and Gary Old man have lived as “Lucius Fox” and “Commissioner Gordon” respectively.

Hans Zimmer:

                         When two legends join hands together you can never expect anything less than a power packed project. Hans Zimmer and Christopher Nolan are not a mere exception here. The Sound Tracks and the BGM’s contribute to more than 50 % of those hair rising moments in the movie (G***a G****a moments as usually portrayed by my friend Navanee when he is in his peak of excitement). The legendary Oscar Award winner Zimmer was as usual an epitome of excellence.

Verdict:

               A Technically Sound and uniquely Crafted Master Piece in which you will hypostatize yourself as the citizens of Gotham City waiting a bit too long for the Batman to save you and your city for the entirety of 2 hours and 45 minutes. Take a bow - Christopher Nolan and three cheers to the entire crew of the Trilogy.                         

ONE LAST DAY IN MY COLLEGE - GRADUATION DAY !

The Most awaited day for oodles of comrades and the least expected day for a handful like me has come to an end. April 28^th 2012! Even before the date got announced, this very fine and a phenomenal day in any of my college mate’s life which had already started creating plenty of buzzes around and finally when the date got fixed, the bombination and the extremity of excitement and the curiosity of mine and many others  even touched the summit  is what I would say. A rare kind of adrenaline rush was pumped in me and it was pushing me from within as the date got closer on the contrary to what should have been a happily expected day ! Still wondering and befuddled of why the epinephrine of mine went more than a pine tree high! Might have experienced the pettiest of feel just because of the fact that I am going to see many of my friends after an year or for the very last time in my life. The harsh reality and the certainty of the above lines were crystal clear in the brain whereas my mind was involved in a verbal spat with my brain for portraying the inconvenient bitter truth. 


Graduation Day! It was filling my heart with mixed feelings, fulfillment and sadness, anxiety, and eagerness. We were about to say goodbye one last time to the most comfortable and secure life within the so called most strict and disciplined walls of my college. Friends of mine and I myself have already started marching forward to the commandments, and the beats of the hectic and stressful corporate as well as the business world. 'Look out for the selfish world around you,' warned one professor. 'Learn to identify opportunity and do grab it,' said another. The uncertainty of my future loomed very large in my mind and it shaped up as an impending occurrence although my graduation was not flawless and accurate.

The term “Graduation day” as personified by me and many of my friends is “ as if we were loaded with arms and ammunitions comprising of a bachelor of engineering degree and plenty of idealistic dreams with the deliberately known fact that we are not fully loaded”. Let me put an end to the lengthy baptism here. It was a sweltry morning. I was accompanied by my mom and grandma for that eventful day in my life! It was a big day for me! Make it very clear I was not a topper, I was just a mediocre student who toiled hard amidst plenty of diversions and obstacles to achieve this graduation! My college was always my home away from home! I always felt a lot more secured and comfortable in it, despite the fact that the college management never knew that a word called “Leniency” ever existed. The heart beats started rising high as if I was getting ready for a 100 meter dash when was I nearing the college premises. 


The excitement, zeal and the anxiety were at its peak when I entered the reception and met one of my lecturers and everything got balanced and accustomed when I went on to meet the rest of the others! Exactly of the same way of how team India will falter chasing a mighty total. Everything got settled and even my sleep deprived mind which was messing up with all those random, imaginative, picturesque thoughts that previous night, got used to the situation. My heart and eyes started to eagerly wait for the "Only best” turned “Parted” friend of mine whom I was missing all these days like how a kid’s heart will be mounting up with excitement and happiness to see its dad or mom after a very long time! The heart of mine even underwent that little excitement and jerk and it even succeeded in overcoming it. The scariest thing about being separated by distance is that you will never know if that special someone of yours is missing you or learning to live without you. Even I can say I somehow survived, surpassed, bleeded and even died in the last because of all those scares in my life. Distance here doesn’t mean the physical distance it’s just how far and strong your thoughts about the special someone of yours can travel.


Feelings apart let us get in to the arena which fetched me the degree certificate. So accompanied by my friends and my mom and grandma with the most hilarious of robes ever possible we all sat in the allotted seats enquiring and discussing about every other friend’s well being. So the moment came to a sudden end when I was awarded the certificate by the editor of “The Hindu “Mr.N.Ram. Many were busy clicking snaps with their friends and family so did I. I was really very happy to see many old relationships which once originated, sprouted and evolved within the four walls of my classroom rejuvenating again with the happiest of smiles although mine perished, withered , succumbed and drooped. At last after the lunch with the half filled stomach (Just because we guys went late for the lunch) and the fully filled heart we started bidding good bye and the best of the future possible from the bottom of the heart for the one last time to many of my friends present over there.


I thank the almighty for penning down such an emotional and an eventful day in my life which will ever be etched and cherished in my memories. 
To all my friends who were, who is and who will always be by my side   "If there is ever a day or time in the future when we're not together. There is something you must always remember. You are braver than you actually are and you are stronger than you actually believe in you, stronger than you actually seem, and smarter and cleverer than you actually think. But the most important thing is, even if we're far apart... I'll always be with you as a friend whom you can always rely on." See you all in my next post, until then it’s me signing off.  Wish you all a happy reading and  happiest of days ahead.

STOP TEACHING CRICKET TO THE ONE WHO TAUGHT US WHAT CRICKET IS !!

PROUDEST SACHIN AFFICIANADO:

                                                                                I am as Proud of Sachin as any other Indian would be of his success. The immortal and the unconquerable milestone took some time to reach out from the God’s own willow. What’s wrong in that?? The Saddest thing is that those people of India who once watched sachin ‘s play like how a kid used to clap and shout out with sheer ecstasy and joy while a toy conjures some good tricks have also started criticizing sachin . Being there for 22 odd years and performing better than the best in the business is not an easy task. He has made us wait many a times but he has never deceived or disappointed us in giving us what we wanted. He and his nervous nineties in the past have halted the time and even have made the time to a standstill in numerous occasions. Having been waiting patiently for all those beautiful centuries he has etched in our memories and given us in the past, I really don’t know and I can’t even trace out what made the people of India to lose their patience and to have lost their faith, trust, love and belief in the God of Cricket himself in his last 33 innings!


MY MOST FAVOURITE QUOTES ABOUT SACHIN:

                                 “I had to remind Gary Kristen often that he was in the covers to field against Sachin not To applaud him” - Hansie Cronje

                                

                                  “Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don’t know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat, people switch on their TV sets and switch off their lives” - BBC

NEVER REPENT IN THE FUTURE:                             

                                    One kind request to all the Anti sachinists and those people of India who have started hating sachin recently! Kindly don’t ask sachin to quit playing or retire because it was his decision to play for India and not ours so we don’t even have the rights to ask him to retire. After all isn’t he the cricketing God? Perhaps that’s why I also want him to quit but on one final note , With the head and his bat held high, With the helmet and the Indian flag carved in it kissing the sun for the one last time, No dragging of his willow and drooping of his shoulders that carried the hopes of over 110 Crore souls and wishes of a billion over two decades ! (I don’t realize why I shed tears while I type this, having known there is still a plenty of cricket left in him). Once he quits from cricket I am sure you guys are going to miss him badly so never repent or feel sorry for this in the future. Enjoy and shout out loud till he plays.

CRITICS – CAN YOU PLEASE MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

                   What I find Surprising and annoying is that people who have no qualifications in cricket are extremely prompt in commenting on everything about sachin in hindsight… wake up folks! There is no such thing as hindsight. When you are out in the middle the challenges and the achievements are to be experienced. To be believed try playing a single gully cricket for an entire day, let alone try and make a hundred in any form of cricket.

“It’s a shame that we live in a country where we worship freak politicians and movie stars and criticize the patriots of the game in the name of democracy ! “

IS SACHIN A SCAPEGOAT OR WHAT?  

                                I don’t know about others, but I do believe that people like me are happy about sachin‘s 100th ton because what he did, no one else has ever done before. May it be against Bangladesh or any other team, I will still salute the spirits of this man. It is very easy for everyone sitting in your own comfort zone behind a computer and criticizing someone who has put his country first and plays for the passion of the game. “For people who are criticizing sachin, I would like to ask them when was the last time you truly did something for your country? Other than criticizing a legend like sachin? more than all these things cricket is a team sport , how can it be sachin ‘s fault always when India loses the game ? Is sachin a Scapegoat or what?

“For all those who criticize the legend, try imagining being in sachin ‘s shoes for a second, carrying the hopes and aspirations of billions and billions of Indian fans from all across the world’s geography for the entirety of the career, even till day it’s not easy or highly impossible by any stretch of imagination !!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SACHIN:

                         “Wishing you a day as sunny as your smiles,
                           As warm as your heart,
                           As wonderful as you are!
                           Here is a basket of wishes,
                           Buckets and buckets of love,
                           Box and box of happiness, bundles of prayers just for you on your Birthday! “
                           “When I was a child, all my sadness,
                           Worries, pains, sickness and stresses
                           Got disappeared seeing your smile, straight drive, paddle sweep,
                           Leg glance, flick and what not?
                           Today I am a grown up man
                           But I still need a lot more of all those
                           To be seen forever to conquer a lot more in my life! “
                                                                                                    - With loads of love
                                                                                             Mukunth ( An Ardent Sachin Fan )

“THE” GENTLEMAN OF THE GENTLEMEN’S GAME

END OF AN ERA:March 9^th 2012, was not just a normal Friday like the usual ones which the corporate or the school kids be eagerly awaiting for. That frenzy Friday and Saturday was spent reading tributes, encomiums as much as to re-realize the value of a true cricketer who had called it quits to the game of cricket which he had been playing for more than 16 odd years for his country. A lump now is present in my throat and I am feeling a slight chill running up my spine as I start typing this. What could have been a rumor till the end came into reality for the very first time in my life. Yes the legendary number ‘3’ batsman of all times, the gentlest cricketer who had ever played the gentlemen’s game, the one who personified the gentlemen’s game, the great wall of India , the second leading run scorer in the test cricket, the man with the safest pair of hands on the earth, the legend who had faced humungous number of red cricket balls, the epitome of patience, the diligent hard worker, the man who has the most efficacious sudoriferous glands alias Jammy alias “sir” Rahul Dravid has bid adieu to his international cricketing career. What ended was more significant, it was not just a press conference for his ardent fans and true cricket lovers, and it was an era which ended.

MY CHILDHOOD PARAGON:

If you were a kid born in India and when cricket is not your favorite sport, then mark me when i say this… there is something wrong with your x and y chromosomes. I am happy and thankful to my dad and mom that i was genetically a perfect Indian kid who loved and who will ever love cricket forever. when you are an ardent cricket fan it won’t take much time to choose your role models and heroes and it was Sachin blindly who stole the show, but this most patient, neat, talented, technically sound, classy, flamboyant, stylish, rhetoric and educated cricketer Rahul Dravid took me some while to like him like how he used to take time for a prolonged match winning innings. it would be inane when you don’t like Dravid. Dravid was one such player who will be loved secretly by all the Indians but the only thing is that many failed to express it till now. You may like sachin and Ganguly more, and you may show it off or boast about them, but somewhere deep inside your heart you will always have a place for Dravid, you would have silently and secretly loved him at some point of time just like the way he silently steals your heart. i still remember and cherish the master class he showed against the new-Zealand bowlers in the Hamilton test series some 14 years back. I still remember watching it happily with my dad in the early morning around 2.45 am. Having said all these things it would not be fair if I don’t confess that i secretly loved Rahul Dravid although sachin was my god.

MORE THAN A HUMAN:

Apart from all the talent, technique and class which Dravid had one thing that stood out for me was he has never been a part of any controversies in his 16 years of illustrious career. This is a perfect example for him being called the most modest and the honest cricketer India and the world has ever given to us. “Becoming a Rahul Dravid fan is not easy, not when you have sachin around, sachin came, he saw, he conquered, Dravid came, he toiled, toiled, toiled and toiled”.

WHY NOT A FAREWELL GAME FOR THIS LEGEND?

A legend like Rahul Dravid knows it very well that cricket is larger than individuals, and it had made his life large. If he had wanted a fitting farewell match, he would have played a test match more, but he knows that happy endings happen only in fairy tales. So as a Dravid fan you can only expect him to have played a farewell but you can’t compel him.

MR.DEPENDABLE @ THE INDIAN WALL:

When sachin bats, we watch it with expectation but not with assurance. Every delivery, we expect him to conjure up a trick, an onside slog against a left arm bowler, even when sachin hits it hard, yet we will fear he will get out any time. But when Dravid bats, we go get a cup of tea or coffee, we go out to send off our friends or relatives, or even when we sleep peacefully for hours together… we can be assured he will be there for a longer time. Life for Dravid was not that easy… not every kid dreaming to play for India plays at the end… sachin is a blessed cricketer… Dravid is the one who showed us what and where those litres and litres and buckets and buckets of sweats he dropped could take a hard worker to. You need to be blessed to become a sachin, you need to toil hard to become a Dravid but it is not easy to emulate both these legends.

THANK YOU RAHUL: “FOR KEEPING THE SPIRITS OF TEST CRICKET ALIVE ALL THESE DAYS”

“FOR SHOWING US WHERE DEDICATION AND HARDWORK CAN TAKE A NORMAL HONEST, VERACIOUS AND A STRAIGHTFORWARD HUMAN”

“FOR SHOWING US HOW AN EDUCATED CRICKETER WILL BEHAVE”

“FOR SHOWING US WHERE SHEER PATIENCE CAN TAKE US”

“FOR PERSONIFYING THE GENTLEMEN’S GAME”

“FOR GIVING US NUMEROUS REASONS TO CELEBRATE”

“FOR MAKING THE WHOLE OF INDIA PROUD ALL THESE DAYS”

“FOR GIVING US THE MOST MEMORABLE AND INDELIBLE ADELAIDE AND EDEN’S TEST VICTORY WHICH WILL ALWAYS BE ETCHED IN OUR MEMORIES”

LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST THANKS A LOT DRAVID FOR ENTERTAINING US ALL THESE 16 YEARS WITH SOME BRILLIANT CRICKETING DISPLAY WHICH WILL EVER BE CHERISHED IN OUR LIFE.

“LIFE IS NOT ABOUT THE BREATHS WE TAKE, IT’S ABOUT THE MOMENT THAT TAKES OUR BREATHS AWAY”
YOU TAUGHT US WHAT LIFE IS. THANKS A LOADS FOR GIVING US SUCH BREATH TAKING MOMENTS WHICH MADE US FEEL AND APPRECIATE A PROUD AND DORMANT PATRIOTIC INDIAN INSIDE EVERYONE!

ALL ABOUT MY GOOD OLD FRIEND !

The “Guru” is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others. The Other forms of manifestation of this principle in Sanskrit can include parents, school teachers and even one's own intellectual discipline and why not my best friend who is an epitome of all the above ??? Yeah this post is all about my ever green and immortal buddy Guru Karthik who is fondly called “Guru “by me and other friends. I take immense pleasure in writing this post for my good old school friend who has been my most intimate chum right from my childhood. To begin with I met this guy some 13 years back in my class sixth which was my follow on or second innings in modern school after a short span of two years as my dad met with a severe road accident and became immobile . I had no other go other than continuing my studies in modern school after that incident. Everything seemed dark and morbid for an immature guy like me who never knew the seriousness of his dad’s accident. A lachrymose picture of mine could have been seen by most of my classmates since I was low spirited and totally dejected on that day. It was that day I saw this most pious and sanctimonious guy (whom no one would have ever imagined that he will my closest of comrades in the days to come) with a streak of holy ash similar to that of mine J (Additional note - my SST teacher Mrs.Maheshwari was taking geography when I walked into the class on that very first day of my come back). (Few memories are always eidetic just because of the people who made it sweet isn’t???)I never knew nor I could not even think of how we formed the gang so very quickly and how we 4 started having lunch together in quick successions… It must have been the destiny to have made us fast friends. Guru was one among the very few true friends of mine amidst the plenty of “fair- weathered friends” I had. So as the clock ticked faster and in turn as days started running faster the much closer we became. We almost started sharing A to Z about everything we knew ranging from sports, Movies, politics, TV Shows, music and what not in this world?? the list may go endless when I try to jot down those things… much to my bewilderment and excitement I wonder why I am always gifted and blessed with geekiest and academically sound guys as my friends in fact I don’t search for them instead it all just happens for a reason I suppose. Guru is never an exception for the above statements. He is as academically sound and studious, he is mind blowing quizzer but nevertheless we couldn’t participate in any quiz shows during my school days. This guy almost knows at least something about everything in this world. To be frank I never had patience to see an entire Hollywood movie during my school days and even now (in fact I don’t understand anything: P) but this guy is a freak when it comes to Hollywood movies and English TV shows .I really gained a lot inspiration and influence from this guy to watch those stuffs but I have never succeeded till now. At this juncture I still nostalgically remember the way we watched evil dead in his home which was supposed to be a horror movie but it later turned a hilarious one with such a set of friends we had. It would not be fair if I don’t mention the amount of cricket we had played during the school days in the Voltas colony ground, papa ground, parade ground, Vijay Avenue, Modern school ground and where not in the little kanchi ?? This guy had the bowling style of the Aussie legend Glenn McGrath with the ball and the look alike stands of Ricky ponting with the bat. With such deadly craze and passion towards the game of cricket we have played plenty of crickets more than any normal ardent cricket loving Indian boy could have played. Cricket till total dehydration was our motto and we have played that till we got obsessed to the sport and even to the extent that no more cricket was left behind in us. Only few sports remained untouched by us we almost played everything ranging from badminton, shuttle, football, kabaddi, ball badminton, basket ball (K.P’s home) chess, carrom etc... Even the card games like UNO, Ass, Wrestling cards, and cricket cards were not left behind. I still cherish the numerous terrace talks and gossips which we both have had in his home which may go for hours and days together although we had nothing to talk. The Radio Boyz recording and the CRY fund transfer in his house will always be remembered and cherished by me. He has always been by my side all throughout my happy and sad times in my school days and even now. He is the one among the very few souls my mind would obviously look forward to have aside me for a piece of solace during my hardships now and forever. Congenialities amidst us are a plentiful. We both are die hard Rahman, superstar and sachin aficionado in particular. We both like the style of Andy Roddick and the way he serves and Michael Schumacher both of who are now an extinct species in their respective fields and not to forget the Red color Hercules AXN bicycle which rode us the streets of Nanganallur. He has strived a lot.....Many a times to expel the innate pessimism and the deplorable inferiority complex in me which I am always known for. I am sure he did bring in some sort of optimism in me and he did succeed in breaking some part of the shell I was inside all these days. His exposure is as big as the cosmos, he knows A to Z about robotics and what not??? I am damn happy to be the part of the limited set of close friends he has had and he will ever have. He is one such guy whom you can always rely on when you want someone damn true to you and your feelings. He is an embodiment of self control, abstinence, benevolence, loyalty, dignity, diligence, perseverance and what not?? The awe-inspiring thing about Guru is that “HE IS SILVER-TONGUED” , the amount of vocabulary and the grandiloquent words he knows is just breath taking guys, he is as fluent and as eloquent as possible ....The real “GURU” indeed. The Hindi class funs and frolics have always been a blend of good times and sheer joyous moments with him. If he had not pulled me in I would have never learnt even this little Hindi which I knew now. Thanks a lot for that macha. Thanks a lot for being with me all these days... I always needed an outlet to share all my sorrows and happiness from my school days ...thanks a lot for lending me your ears as well as shoulders for all those senseless and imbecilic things which I had shared and will ever share with you .It would be inadequate if I just bid you thanks alone, because the happiest of pages in my life will always be having your name carved in it... Missing you badly da... All the best for your future endeavors... stay in touch as always macha.... pursuing your masters there at US is the first step towards attaining the global acclaim and I am damn sure that you are doing that as perfectly as possible and you will come out with flying colors the sooner... a million thanks for gifting me all those sweetest days in my school life macha .... See you back next year da ... (Kodaikanal enna kashmir eh polaam da senthu )....
“Everyone has a best friend during each stage of life, only the precious few have the same one till the end like you and me “

THANKS A LOT MACHA !!

At this juncture I would like to sincerely and personally thank my best buddy Gokul who has portrayed me the best possible way anyone in this world could do . It was evident from his congenital flow of writing in his posts about his friends that how well people make an indelible impression in someone’s heart. His innate way and the flow of writing has now kindled my spirits to live up to the expectations of people who trust me and believe in me when I am the only one they are looking out for. You need a big heart and a chivalrous soul to appreciate someone truly and deep from your heart in this world of blasphemy and prevailing antagonism . This guy is one among the handful of guys whom I have ever met in my life and who is uniquely and unanimously known for his altruistic nature. His benevolence is very well evident from the way he has portrayed and depicted others. I badly need to say this at this point of time “no one has ever described me the way he did”…. Thanks a lot for letting me know the latent potentials that are dormant and imbibed in me( hope I have one as said by him if he hasn’t really exaggerated about me just because I am his best pal !!! ) although he has exaggerated a lot about me to be frank. I take immense pleasure in writing this post as a token of gratitude for a very friend of mine to know the better if not the best about himself and the way he has influenced me many a times in numerous occasions. I bring in to everyone’s kind notice that I am writing this post not just because he has wrote about me but just to let him know that he has always been an unsung hero of mine and on a thanks giving note and to reciprocate what all he has done for me till now and for all those he will ever continue to do so in the ages to come. Yeah it’s all about gokul and his epigrammatic pensiveness (“Hope I have not offended you and your close friend’s resume“). Having been with gokul for the past 4 odd years I got to know the better and the best of him only in the final year of my college days . (Better Late than never). To start with the greatest uniqueness which we both share when it comes to the attitude is we both are the epitome of introverts. Contrary to what most people think, an introvert is not simply a person who is shy. A person like me and gokul is an amalgam of an element of shyness which as per most of the humans is the only trait an introvert possesses , but when the people of extreme introversion unite they obviously form a power packed combo like me and Gokul ... (Birds of same feathers flock together ). He is a kind of guy who energizes as well recharges himself by being isolated, and there is nothing wrong in being desolated or reserved rather than spoiling everyone’s broth ain’t it ??... One congenial trait we both share with our closest cohorts is the blind possessiveness over them for no reason and the extreme expectation over the people whom we love a lot but in turn when people don’t full fill it or fail to live up to our expectations we get badly hurt to such an extent which can never be explained in words …Maybe we both will learn how, but the only thing we can do is turn down parts that would hurt our conscience and that would break us both into million pieces... despite being a heart throb and a choco boy by his attractive looks for most of the girls in our college as well as in his school days this guy has numerous credentials to his credit which most of the good looking guys lack … a mind blowing quizzer, a flamboyant and the most stylish striker of the willow I have ever seen amongst my comrades, a bowler who hits bulls eye many a times, A passionate football player but unfortunately I have not got the opportunity to see him play the game even once… like I said he has been an unsung hero of mine on and off the field …. The most disappointing thing about this guy as far I am concerned is that he never gets what he deserves may you call it luck or sheer fate these two things have always played spoilsport and hasn’t supported him in growing to greater heights but that doesn’t mean he is a loser… it just means he hasn’t been recognized for his hard work is what I have felt many a times … that’s why I bring him under the tag of “UNSUNG HERO”…. Hope you get everything you deserve atleast from now da and I myself know the pain you had faced when you don’t get what you obviously deserve .... infact it just kills you. To continue with his astonishing traits... This guy is a walking thesaurus mark my words and trust me when I say this… he serves ace alone when it comes to the vocabulary and stuffs and I can even say that sky is not the limit for his English and his curiosity to learn new words in English … if its sachin for cricket you can brand Gokul for vocabulary ….. and to add a feather to his cap this guy has the best dressing sense among all my friends… and the list goes on and on and on……. It goes endless ! being a Vijay fanatic, being an ardent sachin disciple , being a A.R.R aficionado, being hurt by expectations, being hurt by possessiveness, be it mingling only with choosy friends, be it being reserved, be it trying to be the best out of the lot, be it trying to win hearts, be it trying to quit things once you lose , be it being damn true to loved ones , be it having 27th day in a month as birthday, be it being absolutely possessive, the congeniality amongst us is highly amazing and mind blowing… I wholeheartedly thank the almighty for bringing him in to me in the most crucial stage of my life as the saying goes “tell me your friends and I will tell you who you are “ its like when you know very well what Gokul is all about .… its almost certain that you know Mukunth very well even when you haven’t seen nor spoke to me .... i apologize for the abominable trait of mine which has created an aversion towards me da L I swear nothing was deliberately meant to hurt you nor others… infact I am one such guy who never wants to hurt others nor get hurt by others because I know the pain of being hurt by loved ones L I swear I will definitely live up to your expectations from this very minute ... to all those souls who have the thought that Gokul has hurt or deceived you I just wanna say only one thing don’t miss out this guy who lives and loves you truly and that’s the reason why Gokul and you were both the close in the past and that intimacy break is what has hurt you and not Gokul who has hurt you !Thanks a lot for being with me and trusting me all these days da J thanks a lot for penning down eventful pages in my most precious college days J these are not just words and I just mean it when I say these things da...
“I know a way to stay friends forever da .. there is really nothing to do with it.. i will tell you what to do and you do it :) ” “ I am sure we both will stay a live wire example for the proverb “True Friends last forever” !!
THANKS A LOT MACHA !!