Sunday Photos: Ready for R Day

Yesterday I went to Marina beach, casually, and come across the arrangements for Republic Day (Jan 26). I actually forget about it even I watched news on the rehearsals related to Republic Day parade on TV. I usually used to visit marina beach, a day ahead to the celebration to check what’s happening around. For the last few years I couldn't make up to the marina beach during that time, and it was nice to be there seeing a bit of the display.  Here I share some photo taken last evening:

 An elevated stage erected opposite to Ghandi statue, in Marina beach, as part of Republic Day celebration.

A helicopter displayed near the Marina beach lighthouse as part of Republic Day celebration – car procession.

 

Tanks (above and below)

Zoom on people watching from the top of Marina Beach Lighthouse

PS: I received another lovely handwritten card from our fellow blogger friend Indrani, following Chandra’s greeting. It is so nice to receive cards from friends and it gives a feel that words can’t describe. But it produces a sense that was truly bliss and inspiring to go ahead with a feel of significant. Thank for your support dear Indrani!

Here her beautiful card

Shanker’s "I"

There’s something impossible to avoid when it comes to Shanker films. Yes, Anticipation! He’s a man truly behind this cause and deserves much to look forward. Teamed with A.R.Rahman, except for Anniyan, they have rocked always. I really thought do I want to write a review on “I”? Because I can’t appreciate this film just like that or consider as another Tamil film, because each frame has something to behold and feel magical though the many marvelous beauties exhibited in front of the big screen. To say in a word/phrase “I” is a visual treat encompassed by delightful music, even the awkwardness provoke wonder and admiration.

Shanker’s “I” is not a regular film from the director of grandeur, but to say in their style “I” is beyond that and incredible.  Not that to say as a fan of Shanker, his knowledge and ability is sophisticated and so his daring to touch things that are practically impossible or narrow peak. With a director with international content, what upholds the structure (“I”) and burnish was Vikram’s double standard: as bodybuilder and hunchback. I don’t think I need to say anything about Vikram, perhaps, because I couldn't get a word to appreciate him quite.  But who needed when the protagonist is universally acclaimed for his acting and “I” is an added crown to his humble summit.

Thought the story of “I” can be shrunk within a line: where a bodybuilder (aspiring to become Mr. India) accidentally becomes a supermodel and how does him revenge those disabled him awful to take back their course, is set in super-rich scenario, awesome recreation with ambiance and settings and terrific characterization. As a bodybuilder Vikram has harshly worked out like ever bending from tip to toe... he’s sure to inspire many who aspire to become same and as hunchback he take possess everything within his hood. Emy Jackson looks literally super cool, sexy and admirable entirely.  But her performance has went beyond the expectation and skimpy to pickup her own place/space.

The foremost to take the center stage of “I”, as soon it begins, was the camera. P.C. Sreeram! Renowned as master of cinematography, has conveyed a lot and through his perspective our views get enrich and remarkable. The scenes relevant to China have been quite fascinating, and next to songs, either though visual or music, emphasis and produces enormous support in background was extraordinary when it comes to stunt and actions scenes. The fight using men and muscles was massive and amazing to watch, although it doesn't show off well, as every other men were muscular than Vikram, it was challenging and gives a feel of raw.

The film goes off partially fun filled and entertaining was quite thrill after the interval as they unleash how each get revenged. Santhanam played a decent role as supporting actor and humorist and Ramkumar and Suresh Gopi as indirect villains in their unusual/new role. The director has utilized the ad film making as the part of content and recreated real brands in his own style. The movie is also very stylish in trendy costume designing, had maintained the feel of local in slang and it’s funny to hear Emy spoke on. It is a movie truly enjoyed/experienced only in theaters; if you are my kind admire the advance in technology, beauty and quality in films. To feel Mersel – sound mesmerized!

Fence in chains

Here's a portrait on the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, inside the Bryant Park in Kodaikanal. Though the picture was shot in 2009, I find the fence in chains around the statue was pretty to link for Good Fences at Run a Round Ranch.

Our Pongal

The last we celebrated Pongal in our traditional way i.e. cooking in firewood stove, was five years back, on the terrace of our native home in Adyar. Surrounded by close family members, we settled for a firewood stove, enclosed in bricks, and placing a new mud pot atop and calling Pongalo Pongal as the Pongal (boiled rice/milk) overflows the pot, it was quite delight as we ever so directly celebrated the festival under sunlight. Pongal is a festival celebrated esp. to thanksgiving the sun for it’s entice source of energy and other natural elements for helping farmers in good harvesting. Not only farmers, Pongal is believed to bring auspicious to everyone, the way Pongal boils over the pot.

Mom's Pongal Kolam, - in front of the gateway

Shifted to an individual house in 2013, I planned to celebrate the festival in more traditional flavor, bringing my dear ones into another cheerful enclosure of firewood, mud pot and sugarcanes. But nothing worked out and I couldn't make anything as I wished, as I myself suffered with the fracture in my femur. This year, still living in an individual house with enough space to make firewood stove, we went ahead to celebrate the festival, in our personal interest, as it was not possible to recreate a then moment.  I think personally, Pongal is a social festival and it should be celebrated by all together. Not only Pongal, but I think every festival is celebrated to bring togetherness and sharing.

Follows our Pongal Pot: 

 

 

My celebrations and memories of Bhogi!

Among the festivals we celebrate, Bhogi has been my favourite one once, next to Deepavali/Diwali. A day ahead to Pongal – the harvesting festival of Tamils – Bhogi (Jan 14)  is celebrated according to an old phrase in Tamil: “Pazayana Kazithalum Puthiyana Puguthalum” which means discarding the oldest and let in newest, in all possible ways. Though the way of celebrating Bhogi has changed latterly from the real cause, which is relevant to cleaning up and replacing old seed grains in the storehouse with newly harvested. The generation of ours and the previous ones celebrate it simply by lighting a bonfire, at the dawn, with the old and useless woods and materials related to same.

Pic shot back in 2007 (my last witness to bhogi)

My Bhogi celebrations with bonfire have ended even before the beginning of 21st century or age less than 15-16. It was a time I wasn't conscious about much anything, including the pollution of environment and endanger of fire, and liked burning things without an idea. Though we haven’t burnt tyres or plastic things, or to say literally, my mom never let us uses tyres despite having many in my uncle’s workshop. We usually put card-boards and old cartons into fire, along with household items like worn out grass mats, broomsticks and winnowing baskets. In our street we are the only to make bonfires – as most residents are faith in different and modest – but compared to our neighbors in backyard, who set huge blazes and light tyres, we put less flame.

I think it is the passion for Bhogi influenced me to always wish for bonfire whenever I visit a hill station or mountain landscape with chillness. Bhogi, being the last day of the Tamil month Margazhi, which is a midwinter time here, the bonfires produce enough warm to bask during the cold winter dawn. Personally I used to look forward to this day, as previous celebrations haunt me while festival nears and more than burning things, gathering along with friends make it keen. What is there a festival without some sound? And having a bonfire in front of us how can we miss a beat? Of course, beating the skin drum is a part of the Bhogi which is impossible to forget.

One doesn't need to be skillful of these drums, which is made of bovine skin covering a terracotta ring, but whoever takes the small skin drum is a composer on their own gesture of hands. Waking up early in the morning we keep beating the drum, heating it often by showing on the bonfire flame so that the skin become tight and make loud noise. And we don’t stop there, but go further around the area beating the drums with friends until it quite dawn. For some time or until the Pongal holidays end, we take the drum and beat whenever it feels and sometime heat the drum on the gas stove. Few times I have saved the drum to beat next year by hiding it somewhere, if unbroken, because  parents don’t allow to have skin products at home.

My brother mostly get two drum each year, as he will broke it very soon it was bought, we sometime fight for the one, if drums anymore available. Because the accessible to these drum are limited for a day or two with Bhogi and we used to get it from the pot-pan makers in our area.  Usually we use to beat the drum with a stick removed from the coconut broom, but many used to stick tar to the tip of theirs. Seeing those I too wished having a similar one but except couple of occasions (to my memory) I couldn't make it out. One of my memorable trails with Bhogi was carried out to the streets. During an occasion we (friends) took a cycle tyre from a bonfire in the neighborhood and carried out along our way to show heat to the drums.

I have seen some people used to boil water with the last bit of fire on the bonfire to take hot shower on the cold winter morning. On this day households carry out cleaning process and some whitewash their house with fresh coat of paint. I spent the Bhogi only once at my grandfather/mother place and being a congested/crowded residential area, the festival is light up heavily and waking the street in barefoot means dyeing in black. Many residents there burn mostly tyres and at the entrance of each by-lane a pile of ashes would wait to spread all over the tar road. These years I almost forget there was a day like this! But memories...