ನೆನಪು

ನಿನ್ನ ನೆನಪೇ ಹಾಗೆ,
ಮುಂಜಾನೆಯ ಮಂಜಿನ ಮುಸುಕಿನ ಹಾಗೆ,
ಇರುಳಲಿ ಕಾಡುವ ಕನಸಿನ ಹಾಗೆ,
ಚಿಗುರೆಲೆಯ ಅಪ್ಪಿದ ಇಬ್ಬನಿಯ ಹಾಗೆ,
ಮೊದಲ ಮಳೆಯು ಇಳೆಯ ಚುಂಬಿಸಿದ ಹಾಗೆ;
ಆ ಸವಿಚುಂಬನಕಾಗಿ  ಹಾತೊರೆವ ನವಿಲಂತೆ ನಾನು
ನೀ ಬರುವ ಹಾದಿಯ ಕಾದಿರುವೆ, ಗರಿಬಿಚ್ಚಿ
ತಂಗಾಳಿಯ ಅಲೆದಾಟಕೆ ಮುಂಗುರುಳು ನಲಿದಾಡುವಾಗ,
ಎಲ್ಲೋ ಮರೆತ ಪಲ್ಲವಿಯ ಗುನುಗುನಿಸುವಾಗ,
ಸ್ಮೃತಿಪಟಲದೊಳಡಗಿದ ಭಾವಗಳ ಹೆಕ್ಕಿ ತರುವಾಗ,
ನಿನ್ನ ಅಸ್ತಿತ್ವದ, ನಿನ್ನ ಸಾಮೀಪ್ಯದ, ಆ ನಿನ್ನ ಸಾನಿಧ್ಯದ ನೆನಪು.
ಚುಮುಚುಮು ಚಳಿಯಲಿ ಬೆಚ್ಚಗಿನ ಅನುಭವ
ತಪಸ್ವಿನಿಯ ತಪೋಗಾಥೆಯಂಥ ಅನುಭಾವ:
ಬಾಗಿಲೊಳು ನಳನಳಿಸಿಹ  ಹಸಿರು ತೋರಣ
ಕೂಗಿ ಕರೆದಿದೆ ನಿನ್ನ, ಬರುವೆ ಎಂದೋ ನೀನು?
ನನ್ನ ಮನವ ತುಂಬಲು, ನನ್ನೆದೆಯ ಮನೆಯ ತುಂಬಲು
ಕಾಯುತಿದೆ ಜೀವ, ಆಸೆಯೆಂಬ ಹೊರೆಯ ಹೊತ್ತು
ಕಾಡಬೇಡ ಇನ್ನು, ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಬಂದು ಬಿಡು
ಕನಸಿನಲ್ಲಾದರೂ  ಬಂದು ನನ್ನ ಜೊತೆಗೂಡು...

Beyond the pale

I watched a movie last night. Couldn’t wait to post a blog about it. The movie name is `Rann’ starring Amitabh Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Paresh Rawal, Sudeep (kannada actor- thats the main reason I watched this movie) Hadn’t heard about this movie at all. Its theme is based on media especially the news channels.

Its about a news channel, India 24/7 headed by Vijay Harshwardhan Mallik (Amitabh Bachchan) , a renowned reporter and writer. He is a kind of person with insight and adhere to principles and values. His son, Jay Mallik (Sudeep), I think is different, is quite a character. In my opinion, he must be in a dilemma, to choose between being practical and value the principles. I ll tell you some more about him at the end. The TRP rate of India 24/7 will be falling, mainly because of a tough competitor,Headlines24, headed by  Amrish Kakkar. Amrish was an ex-employee of India 24/7, left that and had started a new channel.

Main story begins with an incident, Bomb blast, making headlines, starting a war of words between the ruling(Hooda- good one) and the opposition party leaders(Pandey- bad one) and later turns out into bloodshed. Pandey and Naveen, Jay’s bro-in-law, a businessman, manipulate the incident so as to blame Hooda for the bomb blast. They lure Jay to plan a plot against Hooda, in return promises good TRP and lots of money. A video was recorded by threatening 2 people to say that they are witnesses and the blast was done by Hooda and the two will be killed later. Jay convinces his father using the CD that Hooda is bad and this will be telecasted. Everything starts to fall in place and all is well until the truth is found out by the hero, Purab Shastry ( Ritesh Deshmukh). He is a new recruit in India 24/7, an ardent believer of Vijay mallik, respects him a lot. In every crime, no matter how clever the criminal is, he ll leave some clues. Purab catches on those clues and finally unveils the truth. But he is confused, doesn’t know whom he should be telling all these. If he ever says to Vijay he might cover up as it involves his son. So, he decides to meet Amrish of Headlines 24 and gives the cd's which are the witnesses to the truth, to him. But Amrish instead of telecasting them, he blackmails Pandey and ask for 500 crores. Purab finds out about this. His trust in media is shattered to pieces. Finally, he decides to give the cd's to Vijay and let him do whatever he wants with it. Ultimately, Vijay who thinks values are greater than family, telecasts the cd's on his channel. Story ends with Jay commiting suicide and Pandey, Naveen and Amrish are brought into the court for trial.

In the movie, Jay appears to have a very weak personality. He is not able to judge what is right and what’s wrong, lacks the ability for sound judgement, is easily influenced by other people. At the end, though he kinda realizes his mistake, he cannot face the truth, hence commits suicide. He could have been changed easily, but the harder part is to change the others who don’t even have little bit of regret. People have so much of faith in the media, they convey truth to the people, they are here to support the good and oppose the bad. I don’t know if something like this could really happen, because I always thought people working in media have conscience, integrity and they value the principles and morals. If it does happen, its a shame, people will stop trusting the media and politicians. These things happen only when a person is ready to do anything to succeed in life, and the success is often measured in terms of power, money and material things. The real success is within the heart of the person. The solution is not as simple as it might appear. People have to change for the good, they have to realize that rightfulness, honesty, integrity, morals and ethics are more than anything in life. They all should imbibe these qualities and put a decent effort to become good human beings.

Almost the same views are reflected in Peepli, live. Its based on farmer’s suicide. The director has criticized the business-minded media people and the mindless, corrupt politicians. It shows that media, just makes and telecast the news, but little it does to help the situation. All are busy big time chasing fame, publicity and money. I do hope that the media is not like this in reality, although I cannot say so in case of politics...

-S

"Whilst all the world is in pursuit of power, culture corrects the theory of success."

"I fear the popular notion of success stands in direct opposition in all points to the real and wholesome success. One adores public opinion, the other, private opinion; one, fame, the other, desert; one, feats, the other, humility; one, lucre, the other, love; one, monopoly, and the other, hospitality of mind."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

The other side...

‘Yet another day and I ll be gone’, she said to herself as she emerged out of the office and the door slammed behind her. Walking down the street fraught with people, she thought of what Jack had told her last month. But that was a month back. After that he had never called her. In an attempt not to think about it, she started looking at the people in the street, scrutinizing them, trying to explore a new meaning out of their blank faces.


It was a fine December evening.The entire city was festooned with lights on the Christmas eve. Cold wind was blowing on her face. She thanked the fur coat which helped her ward off the chill, otherwise she would have frozen. The crowd swarmed across the streets hastily to reach their cozy homes at the earliest. Yet she was in no hurry to reach her apartment which was just a block away.


Sauntering at her own pace she walked past the library which used to give her refuge when she needed the most. She thought of those days which used to haunt her day and night. During that time she would flee into the library and get herself engrossed in a book. That was past. Life has thought me lessons, given me strength to face the truth. This is not the end of the road. This will pass by, she thought.


She reached her apartment. Closing the door, she switched on the light. Realising there is no power, she lit up two vanilla candles, Jack’s favourite ones. Long time since he came to her apartment. So happy she was with him. She laid down on her bed and her memory slowly drifted back to her past, her childhood days. She was always a happy child until her father moved away from her life. Her mother couldn’t cope with it. After few years she passed away. And she was left all alone. Her life was filled with misery and melancholy. 

That was when jack had entered her life, bestowing her with a ray of hope. But now, what was happening? The only thing she dreaded was about to happen. Is he going to desert her the way her father abandoned her? Tears rolled down her cheek. Without knowing she drifted into slumber.


Amidst the woods, she was striding aimlessly. Every second her panic grew more and more. She was daunt with the wilderness, petrified by the scowls and howls of the inhabitants of the jungle which kept reverberating in her ears. There was no way she could get out of there. Every path seemed alike. It was kind of labyrinth whose complexity increased every time she tried to solve it. Desperate for life, she looked up the cloudy sky and prayed to god to rescue her from the terror-stricken place. At that moment, like a miracle, there was a silver lining which shone at the edge of the cloud. All of a sudden she got up from her bed, with a gasp, trying to remember the dream.


Her cell phone was ringing. As an impulse, she took the phone. Yes, its Jack, bless him, she whispered to herself. A smile grew on her sullen face as she spoke. Yes, there is a silver lining, definitely there is...


-Shwetha

Lead, kindly Light, amid th'encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead Thou me on.
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene one step enough for me.


I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on.

I loved the garish day, and spite of fears,           
Pride ruled my will: Remember not past years.


So long Thy pow'r has blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone.
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.


-John Henry Newman