Yellow flowers grin,
the barrier in chain fence
couldn’t stop its outgrowth.
Here is a kind of line houses in
Valparai, what is just a piece of what was washed off in the recent landslides
and flash flood in the high mountain ranges of Munnar; killing nearly 50 people
belong to the families of tea labourers. The southwest monsoon is smashing around
the Western Ghats Mountains of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and many a places
are flooded and Munnar, a beautiful hill station in the Idukki district of
Kerala is one of the top producers of tea and many a labours work here are from
the plains of Tamil Nadu.
The landslide turned into a major disaster,
where rescue operations are still underway as people are being dug out of the
mud. The disaster location being close to the Anamudi, the highest peak of
south India and the popular tourist spot (Eravikulam National Park) for Thar
goat sighting, exposed to cold winds and rain to extend the rescue operation. Valparai
is nothing less to Munnar, and these two places are bordered by a valley that
separates the two states. And their living conditions were also similar and the
workers were all settlers from the plains to work in the tea plantations. It’s
the workers of Rajamalai tea estate went to grave before buried really. While
the covid eradicating away the lives in plenty, the plane crash and landslides
were doing their better half. Nature has its own plans and no one can predict
its move and we could only mourn for those died.
The bird is often or to say daily found
around the house esp. after the lockdown they frequent the trees in the neighbourhood.
As they mostly perch on tree tops or go behind the branches I could only listen
to their sounds than shoot with camera. Here is couple of shots on Myna from
the past.
Myna is a commonly visible bird anywhere in
India and perhaps so it is called as common Myna or Indian Myna. The bird found from Middle East to Southeast
Asia is readily identified by the brown body, black hooded head and the bare
yellow patch behind the eye with bright yellow bill and legs.
I watched this beautiful Tamil film last
week, in Netflix, and I quite liked the movie.
Taking love in hand, Mehandi Circus did a soothing performance overall,
caring us back to the melodious era of 70s and 80s, when the filmdom was under Ilayaraja’s
regime; composer Sean Roldan using the maestro’s finest tunes recreated magic in
the background along with his own beautiful composition of songs. The director (newcomer
Saravanan Rajendran) has set up the tent/plot at a picturesque location that
parallelly protect the pretty love story what move us like a cool mountain
breeze along Ilayaraja’s rhyme notes.
Did I sound more musical and of course it
was and the hero of the film has a music store and he falls in love with a girl
from a circus troupe that visits his village. And what could we expect him to
do to convey his love other than playing melodious songs to please the woman
and what could do it at best other than Ilayaraja’s heartening songs? Set in time of
early 90s, the story travels back (to that period) in the colourful memories of
the hero (Jeeva) when he goes to meet his love (Mehandi), after many years of part
as the caste and other kind of challenges interfered their cute love and break
paths apart.
The debutants to Tamil, Madhampatty Rangaraj
and Shweta Tripathi carried their lead rolls very decently and as Mehandi, Shweta
Tripathi exhibits charming acting what anyone would like watching. And the
location of the shoot is dramatically colourful and charming at its own, as it
shot in one of my favourite places on earth – Kodaikanal, aka Princess of
Hills, was captured in an ever so beautiful and colourful angles and views to
feel close to heart. Thanks to the cinematography, by Selvakumar SK, for
capturing all the wonderful moments of the film. Though the circus related
scene were very less, the impalement arts comes as a real challenge to the hero
to get hold the heroin, who lives with his love at heart despite married to
someone forcefully, creates a silent revolution at the end!
P.s. It’s been long time or more than a year I
wrote a review on movies and mostly I write review on films I watch in theatre
but I haven’t went to the theatre in last 1 ½ year. But I like writing reviews on movies that moves me, just like Mehandi Circus, and I feel many good films goes out of sight as soon its release because having no star cast or big budget, I think of writing at least to show my circle there's a film like this. Right now I’m content with
the OTT or used to it but still watching movies in theatre is an experience that
not our home theatres produce. The HD contents on online streamings are far better these days and
some are available in 4k as well and along with a good sound system you can experience
the best.
Last Sunday happened to be another rainbow
evening and second in the month of July. The former one is here, if u want to
see. I was happy to see the favourite thing appear over the sky again, exactly close
to the same location, direction and angle. Though it was mild this time, the blue
sky and clouds on the backdrop steer the sky to look prettier. Following that
we got a sort of pleasant weather for few days caused from mild to heavy rain,
and some time the sky looks cloudy and altocumulus spread wings over the blue
sky. The sky comes up in pretty pattern these days and the altocumulus show up
in day times settle for mild showering or supposed to rain scenario. But not to
forget, the menacing mosquitoes had doubled its troops and began attacking from
evening through night.
Altocumulus clouds from the morning of the same rainbow evening.
Above is the rain scene (snapped through the
balcony) from two days back and it was a heavy showing for nearly an hour and
it continued for few more hours pulling back slowly in pace to rest.