Thursday, July 9, 2015
Bob Rupani's participation in a German Classic Car Rallye
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Will this nostalgic experience happen again this year?
November last year was very special in my life. I was going back to my Alma Mater after 45 years of passing out. It was really a nostalgic trip down memory lane for me. And, boy, was I in for a shock!
Let me start at the very beginning. Nineteen fifty three...or was it fifty four? Was I three years old or four? At sixty three years of age, some patches of memory gets obliterated, but what I do remember very distinctly is the kindergarten class, a matronly 'Aunty' holding my small hands in her pudgy paw and guiding me to write a, b, c and so on, on slate! That was the beginning of my tryst with St. Michael's Anglo-Indian Boys High School at Cannanore in Kerala. A student life that shaped my character, my personality, my future.
As I grew up and moved from KG to first and on to other standards, the predominantly Anglo-Indian populated school, with Anglo-Indian teachers and a variety of Jesuit priests, including Fr. Mayer, an American, had a lasting impression on me, my psyche, my education and attitude towards life. Not forgetting the fact that the old school, its boarding and vast playgrounds were located in a quaint cantonment called Burnacherry, or, Burnshire, as many of us 'anglicised' kids would refer it as.
English was not just the language we had to speak, it was also a way of life; even the meals had to be eaten with fork and spoon. Of, course, in language class - Hindi and Malayalam, we were encouraged to converse in those languages so that the nuances could be picked up.
As mentioned earlier, there was a strong Anglo-Indian presence in the school and many of my friends were from that community which not only excelled in education, but also in sports and games like hockey, for instance. Of course, the school excelled in cricket and football, too with many of the school's students playing at state, national and even international levels.
Forty-five years later, when about 120 of us converged on the school campus, it was at the new school premises, where I had also studied for roughly half of my schooling years. But, what shocked me was the non-existence of the entire old school and boarding campus which was now partly occupied by residential units and partly by overgrown vegetation. The only consolation was the existence of some ruins of the old school building and the famous music room where Mr. Crasta used to fiddle his way through our cacophonies.
Walking though the old 'Burnshire' I found that our neighbouring haunt, St. Teresa's Convent was flanked by a mammoth new church and old ramshackle buildings, many of them devoid of the original Anglo-Indian families and now owned by other communities.
Potholed streets and old houses in ruins, indifferently maintained by a cantonment active with army personnel, was all that remained of my good ole Burnshire.
As the day wore on, the 120 of us Old Boys of SMS from batches ranging from 1950s to 1980s socialised, caught up with old stories, brought up-to-date with each person's life and promised to keep in touch in the future.
While there was an eclectic mix of boys from several communities and religions, SMS was what it was, due to the strong presence of Anglo-Indian boys. These are some of the old boys, the ones that gave the 'Anglo-Indian' in the school's name, a true meaning, who made it to the meet in November 2103: Marie Alphonse Merandez, Pinto Aloysius, Condrad D'sylva, Douglas Simcock, Kenneth Pinto, Lester Noranho, Nelson D'couto, Nobert Mendonza, Norman Noranho, Norman Young, Robert Pink, Rodney Castelino, Rogers D'souza and Ronald Rozario and many, many more who I cannot recall.
Whatever be the case, it is my firm belief that it is the school years that lays a strong foundation for a person and most friendships built during those years last longer than the ones developed in universities.
Let me start at the very beginning. Nineteen fifty three...or was it fifty four? Was I three years old or four? At sixty three years of age, some patches of memory gets obliterated, but what I do remember very distinctly is the kindergarten class, a matronly 'Aunty' holding my small hands in her pudgy paw and guiding me to write a, b, c and so on, on slate! That was the beginning of my tryst with St. Michael's Anglo-Indian Boys High School at Cannanore in Kerala. A student life that shaped my character, my personality, my future.
As I grew up and moved from KG to first and on to other standards, the predominantly Anglo-Indian populated school, with Anglo-Indian teachers and a variety of Jesuit priests, including Fr. Mayer, an American, had a lasting impression on me, my psyche, my education and attitude towards life. Not forgetting the fact that the old school, its boarding and vast playgrounds were located in a quaint cantonment called Burnacherry, or, Burnshire, as many of us 'anglicised' kids would refer it as.
English was not just the language we had to speak, it was also a way of life; even the meals had to be eaten with fork and spoon. Of, course, in language class - Hindi and Malayalam, we were encouraged to converse in those languages so that the nuances could be picked up.
As mentioned earlier, there was a strong Anglo-Indian presence in the school and many of my friends were from that community which not only excelled in education, but also in sports and games like hockey, for instance. Of course, the school excelled in cricket and football, too with many of the school's students playing at state, national and even international levels.
Forty-five years later, when about 120 of us converged on the school campus, it was at the new school premises, where I had also studied for roughly half of my schooling years. But, what shocked me was the non-existence of the entire old school and boarding campus which was now partly occupied by residential units and partly by overgrown vegetation. The only consolation was the existence of some ruins of the old school building and the famous music room where Mr. Crasta used to fiddle his way through our cacophonies.
Walking though the old 'Burnshire' I found that our neighbouring haunt, St. Teresa's Convent was flanked by a mammoth new church and old ramshackle buildings, many of them devoid of the original Anglo-Indian families and now owned by other communities.
Potholed streets and old houses in ruins, indifferently maintained by a cantonment active with army personnel, was all that remained of my good ole Burnshire.
As the day wore on, the 120 of us Old Boys of SMS from batches ranging from 1950s to 1980s socialised, caught up with old stories, brought up-to-date with each person's life and promised to keep in touch in the future.
While there was an eclectic mix of boys from several communities and religions, SMS was what it was, due to the strong presence of Anglo-Indian boys. These are some of the old boys, the ones that gave the 'Anglo-Indian' in the school's name, a true meaning, who made it to the meet in November 2103: Marie Alphonse Merandez, Pinto Aloysius, Condrad D'sylva, Douglas Simcock, Kenneth Pinto, Lester Noranho, Nelson D'couto, Nobert Mendonza, Norman Noranho, Norman Young, Robert Pink, Rodney Castelino, Rogers D'souza and Ronald Rozario and many, many more who I cannot recall.
Whatever be the case, it is my firm belief that it is the school years that lays a strong foundation for a person and most friendships built during those years last longer than the ones developed in universities.
Gently blows the breeze on Windham Hill
About ten years ago I had picked up a CD, simply titled TOUCH. This was released on the Windham Hill label, released in India by BMG Crescendo in 2001. Then, after listening to the tracks for a couple of times, the CD was relegated to my rack as part of my growing collection of music, a result of having worked in the music industry for over 16 years.
Just the other day, I was dusting through my old collection of music, in an attempt to segregate them according to genres, I again chanced upon the Touch CD and slipped it into the player's tray. What resulted was 56 minutes and 49 seconds of sheer bliss. Here is why:
Windham Hill began as a label creating a renaissance of music for the guitar. In celebration of 25 years of the guitar, Windham Hill compiled a collection of exceptional guitar recordings ever since the label was formed. Renowned music producer Dawn Atkinson was assigned the job of selecting the songs to be put on the album. And, Will Ackerman, accomplished guitarist and founder of Windham Hill Records, was requested to provide the liner notes.
Founded in 1976, Windham Hill became a pioneer in establishing a new genre of music whose artists combine classical, folk and jazz backgrounds to create a new sound.The label has always stayed a small and dedicated one and in the 25 years leading to the release of Touch, it had grown in different directions while all the time adhering to the tradition of interesting, ahead-of-the-time, quality releases for which it is known.
Will Ackerman writes in his liner notes:
Windham Hill Records began without the label name attached to it when I recorded a simple collection of guitar solos in 1975 called In Search Of The Turtle's Navel. I followed that with my second LP, It Takes A Year, in 1977. The entire adventure was saved from being a vanity effort when I convinced my cousin Alex de Grassi to record Turning: Turning Back. We then added my Childhood and Memory and Alex's Slow Circle in 1979. Thus began a great journey which includes a wide range of releases by pianist George Winston.
Touch features two tracks by Michael Hedges - Aerial Boundaries and Rikki's Shuffle, two tracks by Will Ackerman - The Impending Death Of The Virgin Spirit and Shella's Pictures, two tracks by Alex Grassi - Western and Turning: Turning Back and Russ Freeman's Larry's World, Snuffy Walden's Who Lives Up There, Steve Erquiaga's Pavane, Sean Harkness's Coming Home, David Cullen's On The Way and Doyle Dykes' Nothing's Too Good.
Says Ackerman about some of the tracks, in his liner notes:
"Engineer Steven Miller and I were in a mobile truck with earphones on when Michael Hedges unleashed Aerial Boundaries and, without exaggeration, the world has never been quite the same since.
The liner notes of Turning: Turning Back and Slow Circle describe me as the producer of those recordings. I have never done less in my life. Alex Grassi always knew what he wanted, how he wanted to get there and precisely what he needed to exact from himself to accomplish it.
While best known for his work in jazz, Russ Freeman began in acoustic finger-style guitar. Larry's World is a wonderfully upbeat piece incorporating a lot of polished technique in a short space of time.
What makes Steve Erquiaga so remarkable is that his arrangements and performances so effectively blend his deep respect for that repertoire with the ability to create a new, personal and contemporary form. In the Pavane by Faure, which was written in 1886, Steve brings the piece wonderfully alive into the 21st century.
Sean Harkness thrives in every musical genre and ultimately it seems as if he, to put it simply, just loves music. Coming Home is a piece Sean wrote while visiting with his family and features him on both nylon and steel String guitars.
A recording artist in his own right, David Cullen has released a considerable catalogue of recordings, both solo and ensemble. On The Way, he describes as an attempt to capture the lyricism of Ackerman in combination with the technical prowess of Ralph Tower. It is a reminder, too, that the trip should be about the journey, not just the destination.
What struck me then (referring to a concert) still strikes me now: there are plenty of technically precise guitar players in the world, but to find someone who possesses that ability and combines it with musical expression from the heart is a rare and wonderful thing indeed. Doyle Dykes is very much that combination."
Touch will help you renew your enthusiasm for the great music that has come to be known throughout the world, a genre that Windham Hill Records has endeavoured to bring to the world of music.
Just the other day, I was dusting through my old collection of music, in an attempt to segregate them according to genres, I again chanced upon the Touch CD and slipped it into the player's tray. What resulted was 56 minutes and 49 seconds of sheer bliss. Here is why:
Windham Hill began as a label creating a renaissance of music for the guitar. In celebration of 25 years of the guitar, Windham Hill compiled a collection of exceptional guitar recordings ever since the label was formed. Renowned music producer Dawn Atkinson was assigned the job of selecting the songs to be put on the album. And, Will Ackerman, accomplished guitarist and founder of Windham Hill Records, was requested to provide the liner notes.
Founded in 1976, Windham Hill became a pioneer in establishing a new genre of music whose artists combine classical, folk and jazz backgrounds to create a new sound.The label has always stayed a small and dedicated one and in the 25 years leading to the release of Touch, it had grown in different directions while all the time adhering to the tradition of interesting, ahead-of-the-time, quality releases for which it is known.
Will Ackerman writes in his liner notes:
Windham Hill Records began without the label name attached to it when I recorded a simple collection of guitar solos in 1975 called In Search Of The Turtle's Navel. I followed that with my second LP, It Takes A Year, in 1977. The entire adventure was saved from being a vanity effort when I convinced my cousin Alex de Grassi to record Turning: Turning Back. We then added my Childhood and Memory and Alex's Slow Circle in 1979. Thus began a great journey which includes a wide range of releases by pianist George Winston.
Touch features two tracks by Michael Hedges - Aerial Boundaries and Rikki's Shuffle, two tracks by Will Ackerman - The Impending Death Of The Virgin Spirit and Shella's Pictures, two tracks by Alex Grassi - Western and Turning: Turning Back and Russ Freeman's Larry's World, Snuffy Walden's Who Lives Up There, Steve Erquiaga's Pavane, Sean Harkness's Coming Home, David Cullen's On The Way and Doyle Dykes' Nothing's Too Good.
Says Ackerman about some of the tracks, in his liner notes:
"Engineer Steven Miller and I were in a mobile truck with earphones on when Michael Hedges unleashed Aerial Boundaries and, without exaggeration, the world has never been quite the same since.
The liner notes of Turning: Turning Back and Slow Circle describe me as the producer of those recordings. I have never done less in my life. Alex Grassi always knew what he wanted, how he wanted to get there and precisely what he needed to exact from himself to accomplish it.
While best known for his work in jazz, Russ Freeman began in acoustic finger-style guitar. Larry's World is a wonderfully upbeat piece incorporating a lot of polished technique in a short space of time.
What makes Steve Erquiaga so remarkable is that his arrangements and performances so effectively blend his deep respect for that repertoire with the ability to create a new, personal and contemporary form. In the Pavane by Faure, which was written in 1886, Steve brings the piece wonderfully alive into the 21st century.
Sean Harkness thrives in every musical genre and ultimately it seems as if he, to put it simply, just loves music. Coming Home is a piece Sean wrote while visiting with his family and features him on both nylon and steel String guitars.
A recording artist in his own right, David Cullen has released a considerable catalogue of recordings, both solo and ensemble. On The Way, he describes as an attempt to capture the lyricism of Ackerman in combination with the technical prowess of Ralph Tower. It is a reminder, too, that the trip should be about the journey, not just the destination.
What struck me then (referring to a concert) still strikes me now: there are plenty of technically precise guitar players in the world, but to find someone who possesses that ability and combines it with musical expression from the heart is a rare and wonderful thing indeed. Doyle Dykes is very much that combination."
Touch will help you renew your enthusiasm for the great music that has come to be known throughout the world, a genre that Windham Hill Records has endeavoured to bring to the world of music.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Ban the Bhang?
Can you imagine Holi being celebrated without the ubiquitous Bhang? What is this exotic drink? Culled from the leaves and buds of Cannabis plant, the very intoxicating Bhang helps to escalate the spirit of Holi.
Cultivation of Cannabis is government regulated and illegal without a permit. The derivatives of Cannabis are Marijuana, Hashish and Bhang. In the US, several states have decided to legalise the recreational use of Marijuana; in India, such a similar use for Cannabis, was the norm till 1985, when due to US pressure to stop India becoming a conduit for drugs from Afghanistan and Pakistan, our government notified Cannabis as a narcotic.
A Times of India report says:
It is now medically proven that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol. In fact, the good weed has medical uses (as many as 19 US states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes). However, moderation is the key. While excessive and sustained consumption of alcohol can cause severe liver damage leading to death, excessive use of marijuana too can cause some damage, mainly to our sensory abilities. In moderation, marijuana is a gentle mood-altering relaxant.
So, if there is a rational policy towards intoxicants and we allow the sale and consumption of liquor, there is no good reason to not similarly allow sale and consumption of marijuana, hashish and bhang. For years, India has held this position. For 25 years since 1961, it has withstood American pressure to keep marijuana legal. Which brings us to the story of why it was banned in India.
Since 1961, the US has been campaigning for a global law against all drugs, both hard and soft. Given that ganja, charas and bhang were a way of life in India, we opposed the drastic measure. But by the early '80s, American society was grappling with some drug problems and opinion had grown against the "excesses" of the hippie generation. In 1985, the Rajiv Gandhi government buckled under the pressure and enacted a law called the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
(The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, commonly referred to as the NDPS Act, is an Act of the Parliament of India that was assented to by President Giani Zail Singh on 16 September 1985, and came into force on 14 November 1985. The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Bill, 1985 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 23 August 1985. It was passed by both the Houses of Parliament and it was assented by the President on 16 September 1985. It came into force on 14 November 1985 as The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (shortened to NDPS Act). Under the NDPS Act, it is illegal for a person to produce/manufacture/cultivate, possess, sell, purchase, transport, store, and/or consume any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance.)
Twenty seven (now, nine) years later, now that some American states have "shown the way", it is time to revisit the ban. When ganja, charas and bhang don't have obvious medical negatives and don't lead to addiction or violent behaviour (which alcohol may be accused of doing), why then should it not be legal as it was in India for centuries? Especially, when there is no social or cultural rejection of them. On the contrary, it is a way of life in our country. Poorly thought-out laws lead to corruption and the harassment of ordinary people. It also tells on the health of the nation. Instead, the NDPS Act should be amended and soft drugs such as ganja, charas and bhang should be made legal. (End of report).
ALTERNATIVELY, SHALL WE CAMPAIGN FOR BANNING BHANG TOTALLY?
Cultivation of Cannabis is government regulated and illegal without a permit. The derivatives of Cannabis are Marijuana, Hashish and Bhang. In the US, several states have decided to legalise the recreational use of Marijuana; in India, such a similar use for Cannabis, was the norm till 1985, when due to US pressure to stop India becoming a conduit for drugs from Afghanistan and Pakistan, our government notified Cannabis as a narcotic.
A Times of India report says:
It is now medically proven that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol. In fact, the good weed has medical uses (as many as 19 US states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes). However, moderation is the key. While excessive and sustained consumption of alcohol can cause severe liver damage leading to death, excessive use of marijuana too can cause some damage, mainly to our sensory abilities. In moderation, marijuana is a gentle mood-altering relaxant.
So, if there is a rational policy towards intoxicants and we allow the sale and consumption of liquor, there is no good reason to not similarly allow sale and consumption of marijuana, hashish and bhang. For years, India has held this position. For 25 years since 1961, it has withstood American pressure to keep marijuana legal. Which brings us to the story of why it was banned in India.
Since 1961, the US has been campaigning for a global law against all drugs, both hard and soft. Given that ganja, charas and bhang were a way of life in India, we opposed the drastic measure. But by the early '80s, American society was grappling with some drug problems and opinion had grown against the "excesses" of the hippie generation. In 1985, the Rajiv Gandhi government buckled under the pressure and enacted a law called the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
(The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, commonly referred to as the NDPS Act, is an Act of the Parliament of India that was assented to by President Giani Zail Singh on 16 September 1985, and came into force on 14 November 1985. The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Bill, 1985 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 23 August 1985. It was passed by both the Houses of Parliament and it was assented by the President on 16 September 1985. It came into force on 14 November 1985 as The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (shortened to NDPS Act). Under the NDPS Act, it is illegal for a person to produce/manufacture/cultivate, possess, sell, purchase, transport, store, and/or consume any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance.)
Twenty seven (now, nine) years later, now that some American states have "shown the way", it is time to revisit the ban. When ganja, charas and bhang don't have obvious medical negatives and don't lead to addiction or violent behaviour (which alcohol may be accused of doing), why then should it not be legal as it was in India for centuries? Especially, when there is no social or cultural rejection of them. On the contrary, it is a way of life in our country. Poorly thought-out laws lead to corruption and the harassment of ordinary people. It also tells on the health of the nation. Instead, the NDPS Act should be amended and soft drugs such as ganja, charas and bhang should be made legal. (End of report).
ALTERNATIVELY, SHALL WE CAMPAIGN FOR BANNING BHANG TOTALLY?
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Interview - Actor Vincent Asokan
Published in The Hindu Cinema Plus
Remember the television commercial for an online shopping portal
which asks, in Hindi "Real life mein aisa hota hai kya?" Similarly,
does menacing villains and fisticuffs at the drop of a hat, happen in real
life? Does a lanky youngster in real life manage to beat up scores of
well-built thugs with his bare hands? Well, that is celluloid for you.
Everything that happens on the silver screen is larger than life and is meant
purely to entertain the masses. After all, don't we all need an escape into a
world of make-believe from the drudgery of humdrum life?
And, that's precisely what actor Vincent Asokan is good at. He
would rather chase the good man (read: hero), rough up the damsel (read:
heroine) into more distress and eventually get smashed to a pulp by the said
hero. For, that's what the masses want and that's his profession - Villainy!
Since his introduction to the silver screen in 2004 in director A
Venkatesh's Aei, Vincent Asokan has done that in close to 30 films. That's an
average of 3 films a year! But, 2013 was different for Vincent as it must have
been for other villains and thugs of the film industry. That was the year when,
besides the odd 'Madurai-type-film', comedy and romance reared its head.
"For the first time in my career, 2013 was a dull year with no releases,
except a Kannada film, Lakshmi. But the bright side was the completion of two
excellent films and the ongoing production of four others," says Vincent.
Bright year ahead
That makes six films ready or getting ready for release this
year. And, Vincent is quite upbeat about them. "In Thottal Thodarum,
directed by Cable Shankar, I play a negative role with a difference. I have
absolutely no dialogues and the terror element is conveyed through menacing
looks, facial expressions and actions. I was quite apprehensive when Shankar
narrated the script, but I found a uniqueness in this characterisation which
gave me the confidence to do the role. At the end of it all, personally, I feel
that this will be one of the highlights of my career," confides Vincent.
Thaman Kumar is the hero of Thottal Thodarum, with Vincent playing a hired
assassin.
While, Vincent's role in Thotal Thodarum will come up for
critical acclaim, the one he plays in director Ramesh Selvan's Thalaivan will
take him back into
mainstream villainy. "Thalaivan is a proper commercial film with all the
right ingredients to warrant such a big budget production. It is a very
well-made film in which I play a Don. BAS Bhaskaran in the hero. Ramesh Selvan
has etched an extremely powerful character for me which takes me to action in
locations such as Goa and Ooty/Coonoor," says Vincent.
Besides Thottal Thodarum and Thalaivan, Vincent has four other
films, in almost completed status which will give him a variety of roles.
"For instance, in Eppodum Vendraan, for director Sivashanmugham, I play a
cameo role of a good cop. In Ennamo Nadakkuthu, director Rajapandi wanted me
for a guest role as a boxer; I spar with actor Prabhu. But, there are two other
films in which I am doing main villain roles that are ready for release.
Director A. Venkatesh has given me a thug's role in Killadi which has Bharat as the hero. In Mayyam
Kondein, director Arjunaraja has come up with an interesting script in which I
play a village bad man to Dilip Kumar's hero."
Trend cycles
Changing trends do not worry him. Vincent feels that, as in any
other industry, trends keep changing and there will always be a cycle. Consequently,
in films, villains, heroes and heroines will keep changing their styles to keep
with audience demands. "There have been instances when villains took to
comic roles, or heroes took to negative roles. Mainstream heroines have done
item numbers, too. Clearly demarcated roles are not the order of the day and we
as actors have also to understand the needs of the audience and keep
re-inventing ourselves. But, when it boils down to hard facts, villains have to
beat up the hero and in turn get beaten up."
Does he perceive a change in trend from main stream movies to
critically acclaimed small budget films with comedy and romance as the theme?
"While that may be the case with so many comedies, romantic films and
realistic stories doing the rounds, we must all understand that films are meant
to entertain. And, to properly entertain the masses, there must be commercial
elements - songs, dances, fights, thrills, good man, bad man, comedian, item
numbers, car chases - the works. Obviously, these will be big budget films with
big action stars, but these will also be box office successes, giving mass
entertainment value. Films are larger than life and so will the hero, heroine
and villain be. As long as there are good directors who come up with exciting
scripts to portray his film's characters differently, all of us will have our
work cut out properly,"
concludes Vincent Asokan, in a positive frame of mind, as he looks
forward to his first Bollywood film with a current favourite director from the
South.
Interview: Director Kaushik of Tamil film Adiyum Andamum
Published in The Hindu Cinema Plus
Here
is a one good looking director who did not get tempted to act in his own film,
despite the fact that his entry into Kollywood was through lead roles and
several television serials. "Since 1997 I have acted in four films – Indru
Mudhal, Kathal Saregama, Athu Oru Kanakalam, Thoovanam, and the short story
series on television, Kathey Neram. But I have always nurtured a desire to
direct and having waited many years for the opportunity to come up, I didn't
want to make a mess of things by indulging myself to act. Even while acting in
films I have always been curious about directing techniques, camera placements,
lighting etc and have learnt a lot by just observing and asking
questions," says Kaushik whose Adiyum Andamum is releasing on March 14.
His stint assisting director Haricharan in a biopic, after his role in the
director's Thoovanam, has helped him learn a lot about direction.
The
producer and hero of Adiyum Andamum, Ajaay and Kaushik have known each other
for some time and when the former launched his own production company in 2010,
Kaushik was requested to come up with a script. "Before this I was
peddling several ideas to many producers, in vain. When I narrated a basic
story line to Ajaay, he immediately showed a keen interest and thereafter, I
started working on the script, which eventually became Adiyum Andmum. In Ajaay
I found the right actor with the required qualities and temperament, as well as
belief in the script. At the end of it all, I must say, that he has brought the
character to life, like no other. I think his experience in doing TV serials
like Kolangal, has helped a lot. More so, because he wanted to get out of the negative
image that was impressed upon him, from the 'Adhi' character in the serial,"
says Kaushik.
Kaushik
is not willing to divulge much about the plot of his film, except to say that
viewers will see a totally different side to Ajaay and also identify with the
core message of the screenplay. "It is a psychological thriller and,
besides Ajaay, the two female characters played by Mitali Agarwal and Kavita
Srinivasan are a very integral part of the story. I do not believe in
ornamental characters in my films. Of course there will be romance and songs,
but these are required to take the screenplay forward to its unexpected climax.
When a viewer feels that he has got full satisfaction (paisa vasool) for the
120 bucks he spent on the movie ticket, for me, the film is a commercial
success - whether it has item numbers, fights and chases, or not."
Despite
the best intentions and sincere efforts, producer Ajaay went through a rough
patch half way through the making of Adiyum Andamum, from which he resurrected
himself by roping in an investor who came in as a co-producer. "Yes, there
was a bit of a delay and during that phase, I was offered another film to
direct," says Kaushik who started work on Panivizhum Nilavu. After Ajaay's project resumed, Kaushik had
the tough job of doing double duty to complete both productions simultaneously.
"That was a tough period, especially for someone who was directing for the
first time. But, the very experience has taught me a lot and I am now ready to
take on bigger projects. While I am eagerly awaiting the release of Adiyum
Andamum, I am also looking forward to Panivizhum Nilavu hitting the screens,
soon thereafter," concludes Kaushik.
Interview: Director Raju of Tamil film Cuckoo
Published in The Hindu Cinema Plus
The call of the kuyil
- 'cuc-k-o-o' - has a melody that is so symbolic of the lyrical magic of love. It
has a touch of symphony
that brings out the tender emotions of togetherness and belonging - that of true love. Such pure
love, according to director Raju Murugan, knows no colour or smell. It is all
about touch,
feel and imagination. For, how else do Thamizh and Swatantrakodi, two visually challenged people
fall in love in his tender love story, which
he has aptly titled Cuckoo?
"The film is a musical love story between the two who do not allow
their handicap to come in the way of their affection for each other. Their visual impairment is not an encumbrance in
their life. She is a very confident girl who does not expect any sympathy and
he is very humorous and full of life," says Raju. Dinesh (Attakathi) plays Tamizh, an
uneducated youth while Malavika Nair (Malayalam film Black Butterfly) plays
Swatantrakodi, a college student studying for a teacher's degree. Both the
characters are from economically backward communities.
The inspiration for the story of Cuckoo came to Raju
Murugan during his days as a journalist with Anandaviketan. "In the course
of my work I used to
come across scores of interesting people. One such person, was a blind man on whom the
character in Cuckoo is based. He used
to narrate to me his life, his experiences and the love for his girlfriend
who was also visually challenged. For years, this idea has been germinating
within me and later, during
my three years of assisting director Lingusamy, I had extensively worked on the story. To a large extent it is a true story as it is based
on the life of the couple who were so much in love, despite their handicap.
But, for cinema, certain liberties have been taken to make it more appealing to
the audience," informs Raju.
Initially, Raju had actually
presented it to director Shankar who saw a
great promise
in the script, but was already tied
up with Ai to take it up as a project for his S Pictures.
"On his suggestion and with a little help from a couple
of friends from the television industry, I
got the opportunity to present it to The Next Big Film Productions and Fox Star
Studios who gave me the go ahead immediately," says Raju.
Raju didn't
want big names for his lead roles, but someone who had a bit of experience as
well as the talent to grasp the nuances of acting as blind people. "We had
a two month workshop when the actors were made to interact with the original
couple who were the inspiration for my story. Both
Dinesh and Malavika quickly learned the way the
blind people move, interact and go about their daily chores. There
is another visually challenged couple, Elango and Nandini who act as friends of
Thamizh and Swatantrakodi. So when we started shooting, it
was quite a breeze for all concerned. More important was to get a
cinematographer who understood the need to neither downplay nor glorify the blindness factor. In P. K. Varma I found the right person
with the temperament to understand the script.
This is his next big one after Attakathi. He has achieved a perfect balance of
visual beauty that is so important to the screenplay. Being a musical love
story needed the right type of songs which Santosh Narayanan has brought out in
his inimitable style," states Raju Murugan who is eagerly awaiting the
release of Cuckoo on March 21.
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