Queen of People's Hearts

A piece I wrote for The Hans India - a reputed daily in Telangana

Come August 31st, twenty years will have passed since the death of Princess Lady Diana in a car accident at Pont de l'Alma tunnel, Paris, France in 1997. Her sudden demise sent shock waves across the world. Admirers left a sea of flowers and tributes at the gates of Kensington Palace. While world dignitaries expressed their deepest condolences, her devotees held placards declaring their undying love for the princess and refused to leave the streets of London even at midnight. Her funeral, which was held on 6th September 1997 at Westminster Abbey, attracted over 32 million television viewers - a record of sorts.

Diana Frances Spencer was born on 1 July 1961, in Park House, Sandringham, Norfolk to John Spencer, Viscount Althorp and his first wife, Frances. The Spencer family has been strongly allied with the British royal family for several generations. When her father inherited the title Earl Spencer in 1975, she became Lady Diana Spencer. 

Diana had several distinct facades to her personality. She was an accomplished pianist. She excelled in swimming and diving and was also adept at tap dancing and ballet dancing. Her love to become a ballerina was cut short when she realized that she grew too tall for ballet dancers. Additionally, she did an advanced cooking course; which again puts her with the best of chefs. 

Princess Lady Diana’s most unforgettable moment would perhaps be her wedding at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, United Kingdom. Her strikingly beautiful visage through translucent veil held a distinct touch of royalty. Her train of robe filled the aisle. Adding further mystic regalness was Prince Charles royal attire. The ceremony was nothing less than a “fairytale wedding”. Royal families across the world, along with other dignitaries celebrated the moment with pomp and pageantry. Little wonder it was called "Wedding of the century". Diana was only 20 years when she married Prince Charles.

After the lofty and royal nuptial, their marriage coming off in a divorce was a sore sight. The princess squarely blames Charles for rekindling the fire with his former lover, Camilla Parker Bowles. Talking about Prince Charles relationship with her ex-lover, Diana says, "Our relationship was getting a little crowded".

Diana’s extra-marital relationship with Major James Hewitt didn’t go well either with the public. Further, the publication of Andrew Morton's book, "Diana: Her True Story" revealed intimate details of her life, including suicidal unhappiness which caused a major media uproar. The issue burned stronger with leaked tapes of telephone conversations of both Prince and Princess with their paramours, adding fuel to the fire. The sordid telephone transcriptions were published in The Sunday Times Hotline in 1992 and 1993 further deteriorating the relationship. The marriage eventually ended in a divorce in 1996.

It is believed that Prince William and Prince Harry are the only interesting outcome of this marriage. The two sons stand second and third in the succession of the royal British throne. 

Princess Diana’s death too was embroiled in several controversies. Some say it’s due to the negligence of the drunk driver who was harassed by paparazzi. There are also allegations that she was actually murdered. But the stark truth is: she is dead. 

On the occasion of her 20th Death Anniversary, for one full week, the whole England and several countries across the world are commemorating her anniversary in a huge manner. TV shows are airing Diana’s documentaries. Minute details of her life are being discussed and debated. Her weaknesses and her strengths are being analyzed and put forth to the world.

Amidst all these controversies, let’s not forget the other beautiful aspects of her life. Let’s celebrate her amicable and caring personality. Let's celebrate her decent upbringing of her kids. Let's celebrate her support for taking up numerous social causes and defending them. Well, after all, even after twenty years of her death, Princess Diana, "Queen of people's hearts", still remains a vivid and burning memory. 

Click on the link to access the e-paper 

http://epaper.thehansindia.com/1334516/SUNDAY-HANS/SUNDAY-HANS#page/9/1

YO HO HO A BOTTLE OF RUM...

When Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of Treasure Island, wrote the lines "Fifteen men on the dead man's chest; Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum; Drink and the devil had done for the rest; Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!” who would have thought the lines would go immortal. The lingo of the seafaring pirates hasn’t taken a beating even though many moons have passed. However, the tribe’s fast disappearance is the veritable truth. Not that anybody is sad or worried. 

Hollywood had its fair share of movies about pirates, although the old movies lacked the charm and quick-paced adventure to hold audiences at the edge of their seats. “Treasure Island”, “The Sea Hawk”, “The Crimson Pirate”, “Captain Blood” and" Cutthroat Island" are a few one can afford to spend time watching, while most others often put you to sleep or let’s say a deep slumber. 

Unlike the old, the new breed of pirate-driven movies did fairly well sailing over the rough seas of mediocrity and monotony. What definitely added a twist to these flicks is the eclectic mix of genius coupled with interesting CGI along with the unconventional portrayal of pirates as good people who know how to pull out of a dastardly comical mix of confusing events. The storyline often plunges the audiences into the depths of the unknown. 

No points in guessing in which direction we are steering – “The Pirates of the Caribbean” series. What started the spark as "The Curse of the Black Pearl" has fanned into an undying flame across the seas with its string of interesting series like “Dead Man’s Chest” “At World’s End” and “On Stranger Tides”. All these ‘Titles’ hold a certain significance to the world of pirates and to the old hats’ sea-faring lingo. 

The recent movie “Salazar’s revenge” better known as “Dead Men Tell No Tales” is as adventurous as it’s entertaining. “The Pirates of the Caribbean” has thrived on two aspects. One, the strength of the hero’s character. Two, the strong-knit storyline. What adds the charm to the hero’s character, which is his hedonistic mix of a gentleman and a hardcore thief. The scarlet bandana on the head, topped with a captain's hat and scruffy yet enchanting attire, Johnny Depp has come a long way sporting the reckless, carefree, adventurous, and bold character – Captain Jack Sparrow. 

Screenwriters, Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio, are behind creating this character, which is believed to be the combination of Rolling Stones’ guitarist Keith Richards and Looney Tunes cartoon character Pepe’ Le Pew. One can’t think of any other actor than Johnny Depp to easily slip into the role of this giant persona. And the storyline too, which has its thread of plot running through the entire series, is a great idea by the directors to hold the story in a tight knot. 

However, the recently released "The Pirates of the Caribbean:  Salazar’s Revenge", featured the death of the captain “Barbossa” who sacrifices his life to save his daughter, whom he thought he never had. This must have put the directors on tricky ground. Since it needs to bring in new characters to add to the existing charm and the beauty of the series. All said, the entire series of "The Pirates of the Caribbean" was a delight to watch. Hope, Jack Sparrow leads a long and charming life to give us more hits. 

Songs of Laura Branigan, Modern Talking, Eruption and others!

I didn’t really know who "Laura Branigan" was.  Neither do I know her that well even now. But my queries on Google reveal it's Laura Branigan who sang the song "Self Control" that literally melt my heart. The tune got stuck so into my heart the moment I listen I am effortlessly shifted back in time to the early 80s. 

I was only a kid who could hardly decipher English words properly  when this song first struck me. I was dead. Travelled to other galaxies and starred as the hero and returned home to tell the story. Fantastic is a very low-key word to describe the high I enjoyed listening to this awesome song as a child. Every time, I hear this number inexpressible feelings flood my soul as I stand transfixed hoping for a bolt of lightning to hit me dead. Well, dead in a good way of course!    

Such feelings lend themselves to a couple of other mesmerizing numbers which hold similar galaxy-transportational capabilities. Among them are Modern Talking's "Cheri Cheri Lady" and "Brother Louise". Even to those Indians who haven't heard these songs before, the moment these songs roll out, there's bound  to be a twinkle of enlightenment in the eye and a familiar sign of recognition that's going to dawn on the mind. 

That's because  Bappi Lahiri, our regional Indian music director, unashamedly stole the tunes and introduced them as his own in Mithun Chakravarthy movies. The songs were super duper hits. Of course, the credit, along with the stolen tunes, were warmly received by the music director.  

Not that I don't like Bappi Lahiri. He is an amazing composer, but somehow, I hate it bitterly when guys of good caliber try to sneak in on western songs and without a hint to the composers steal their tunes. 

Throwing a blind eye to plagiarism once,  let's look at another song that dazed me into the same transcendental peak - Boy George's "Culture Club". The smooth silky voice sinks deeply into you as it leaves in totally blissful state. My likeness for Boy George's songs is purely musical and nothing else - lest one thinks otherwise. 

There are other numbers that have put a spring in my walk long back for that matter they do even now, but they belong to the largely well-known musical groups such as Boney M and ABBA. One from the team-  Eruption called "One way ticket" too. The timeless songs are memories that won't desert you even after you grow up! Well, there are hardly any who won't love the rhapsodies of yesteryear?! To be honest, music isn't made like that anymore!  

Roger Moore Forever

A piece I wrote for The Hans India  - a reputed daily in Telangana 

Roger Moore, the renowned English actor died a few days ago. Another great Hollywood actor’s presence has been robbed off from us. Moore was an incredible actor who never failed to charm the audiences with his on-screen persona. Although he had starred in several television series, including  “Ivanhoe”  “The Alaskans” “Maverick” “The Saint” “With Earl Green in the Saint” and “The Persuaders!”, he would be hugely remembered for his role as 'James Bond' in the Bond movies, which he donned with a panache. 

This man literally swept women off their feet with his charming personality and evoked laughter from his audiences with his quirky acting that combined mischievousness amusement with deadly action. Of course, he may not be on an equal footing with Sean Connery, who unfortunately called it a day in playing the role of James Bond in 1972, but definitely commands respect for filling the big boots of Sean Connery as James Bond. 

Moore’s first appearance as 007 was in the movie “Live and Let Die”. The resounding success of this movie had a slew of other projects lined up for him.  Moore continued to portray Bond in ”The Man with the Golden Gun” “The Spy Who Loved Me” “Moonwalker” “For Your Eyes Only” “Octopussy” and “A View to a Kill”.  Unlike Sean Connery, Moore lent a sense of casualness to the Bond personality and a smug attitude that had its own devious but powerful approach. 

The quirkiness of Roger Moore in Bond films was that he used to make "the mission" look silly and “the damsels” significantly important. Though, not many were in favour of this line of depiction, he still had his own crowd whistling at his performance. In some incidents, where the Bond personality was generally supposed to be silent and introspective, he altered the pattern and used to don a sporty attitude punctuated with an unexpected wink. Eventually, he still used to pull off a surprising on-screen manipulation. Which incident would only send the villain up the wall crying and seething for his blood! 

What perhaps endear anyone are his Karate chops, which made him stand in a fine line and length and deliver the chop with a flamboyance that is totally inimitable. Of course, this being cinema, the villains would fly off and land gently on a sofa or padded table. Sofa, because, you can't see Moore, as a person, who would want to seriously hurt others, even if he had to draw some powerful karate chops. Such was the endearing personality of Roger Moore. 

His movie, Octopussy, had captured the rich flavour of his acting as well as India's uniqueness. The movie, which was shot in India, had Vijay Amritraj, the renowned Indian tennis player, donning on a significant role. The damsels, the spectacular palaces, crocodile infested waters; the never-ending adventure… the movie would send anybody’s adrenaline pumping. Yes! Moore is the man if you are hunting for movies with fun and adventure in the same breath. 

Apart from the Bond Movies, Moore also starred in other flicks that showcased his extraordinary acting skills. In fact, he donned several different hats, including that of acting, directing, producing and of course playing a key role as the good will Ambassador of UNICEF.  He had a checkered career amply accentuating his versatile personality. Unfortunately, he lost his battle against cancer. We are sure to miss this terrific film personality.  

Click on the link to access the epaper 

http://epaper.thehansindia.com/1223841/SUNDAY-HANS/SUNDAY-HANS#page/22/1

The Musical Marvel

A piece I wrote for The Hans India a reputed daily in Telangana

Unbeatable is perhaps the word that best describes Bahubali 2 – The Conclusion, success. The movie has swept the nation with a never-before craze and is steadily edging towards a mind-numbing record of 1500 crores at the box-office. A feat that is sure to be etched in golden letters in the chronicles of Indian cinema.  

While Bahubali 2 is blazing guns at the box office, the songs of the movie are receiving rich accolades for their high-octave compositions and soothing lyrics. Hats off to M.M. Keeravani for his masterpieces! Poignant drumming, restful violins, melodious guitars and haunting choruses have all been breathtaking. Even the background score is highly evocative.

While the songs are lauded across on all parameters, fervent discussions on global platforms are rife as to in which language one should listen to these songs?  However, YouTube comments’ section is flooded with remarks from across the world that mellifluous Telugu lyrics have struck the right chord and added their own charm to the songs. Many north  and south Indians  have also laid it threadbare that Telugu lyrics have a soul of their own and are greatly pleasing to the ears. News that is sure to put the Telugu speaking states on a different plateau altogether with delight. 

For those who are a little unaware, Telugu language is considered to be the sweetest among the 22 other languages that exist in India. 

Whether its Saahore, Dandaalayyaa, Hamsa Naava, Kannaa Nidurinchara or Oka Praanam, it doesn’t take a genius to sort out that all lyrics end in vowels. Perhaps the reason why the language has a very calming and soothing effect on people. This unusual vowel-ending was first noticed by the 16th-century Venetian explorer Niccolo' de' Conti, who visited the Vijayanagara empire. He discovered that almost every word in Telugu ends with a vowel much like his native language - Italian. It is no hidden fact that Italian is one among the sweetest sounding languages on Earth. Similarly, Telugu is mellifluous to listen and boasts of 56 alphabet just like the Italian language. Little wonder it  is called "The Italian of the East".

Speaking on the beauty of the language, Rabindranath Tagore, the great Bengali poet and writer, when he heard Telugu, exclaimed ''Is this language or music?'' The distinctness of Telugu language was also noticed by other renowned poets and writers of yesteryears. Tamil poet Bharatiyar praised the language as 'Sundara Telugu' (Beautiful Telugu). 

The unforgettable praise, of course, comes from Sri Krishna Devaraya, the south Indian king and non-native speaker of Telugu, who said "Desabhaashalandu Telugu Lessa" (Telugu is the best language in the country) which has become a sobriquet of sorts and is often taken as a reference to revel in the grandeur of the language. 

There exists a good influx of Sanskrit words into Telugu language. Telugu retains a lot of the features, especially with regards to the pronunciation of some vowels and consonants. Approximately 10,000 inscriptions of Sanskrit exist in Telugu language. In fact, the melodious Telugu lyrics of Bahubali 2 movie are so captured that their Sanskrit flavour is at its peak. No wonder the lyrics are incredibly outstanding! 

Click on the link to access the epaper

http://epaper.thehansindia.com/1215276/SUNDAY-HANS/SUNDAY-HANS#page/20/1

The Man Who Made the World a Better Place

A piece I wrote for Hans India, a reputed daily in Telangana 

Born on 16th April 1889, Charlie Chaplin was an incredible English script writer, actor, and filmmaker. He is perhaps one amongst the most brilliant actors to have ever graced the silver screen. His inimitable acting, unbridled energy, and impeccable timing are sure enough to rib-tickle anyone into splits. Even today, close to a century later, his movies strike a chord amongst audiences and are hilarious without a trace of being archaic. However, if you thought he had it all on a silver platter, you are miles away from the truth.

Charlie Chaplin’s is more of a ‘rags to riches’ story’ and perhaps the only kind of it. Early on, his father abandoned the family. His mom, who was an occasional nurse and dressmaker, was barely able to make ends meet. Financially, the family was on a terribly rough patch. Chaplin was living in utmost poverty, struggling for basic necessities.

As a result of the financial crises, Chaplin along with his brother was sent to a workhouse twice before the age of nine. Later, his mother, as a result of malnutrition, developed mental illness and was admitted into an asylum.

Undaunted by poverty that set him to fend for himself, Chaplin started acting at a young age. He started out touring music halls and performing as an actor and comedian. At 19, a lucky break with the prestigious ‘Fred Karno’ company took him from England to America. His scorching desire to star as an actor in Hollywood led him to scout for acting roles. Subsequently, he appeared for keystone Studios. This was when he developed the Tramp Persona and honed his film personality further. Shortly, he changed companies from Essanay Film Manufacturing Company to Mutual Film Corporation to First National Corporations. Steadily his fan base grew and he became an extremely popular actor! By 1918, Charlie Chaplin’s fame knew no bounds; people across the world recognised and adored him for his funny yet affable acting.

Chaplin was greatly obsessive about his work. His obsession, which fringed on impractical levels of perfection, led him to script, compose and direct his own films from an early stage. In 1919, with the intention to have complete control over his films, he co-founded the distribution company ‘United Artists’.

The move ensured he got the opportunity to do some phenomenal films, which went down the history as unparalleled. His first feature-length film ‘The Kid’ (1921) was made after the unexpected death of his child with his marriage to his first wife.The movie’s phenomenal success ensured there were others in the pipeline: A Woman of Paris (1923), The Gold Rush (1925), and The Circus (1928). Later, he refused to be a part of the sound films in 1930s, and went on to shoot silent films like City Lights (1931) and Modern Times (1936) which have gone on to script a new history.

Looking at the funny acting, he dons in his movies, one could easily assume he might be a nice person, but definitely not courageous. But sorry! Nothing could be more wrong.

During the Nazi regime, Hitler had Chaplin's name printed on the hit list in a book of Nazi propaganda. The book, Juden Sehen Dich An (The Jews are Watching You), brands him a "pseudo-Jew".  In response to this, in 1940, Chaplin makes a complete mockery of Hitler in his first talkie movie, ‘The Great Dictator’. Chaplin plays a Nazi-like tyrant, Adenoid Hynkel, dictator of Tomainia, obviously satirising Hitler. This proves how audacious this seemingly slapstick comedian in reality was.

Unfortunately, the 1940s also saw his fame gradually dwindle. He abandoned the Tramp image in his later films like Monsieur Verdoux (1947), Limelight  (1952), A King in New York (1957), and A Countess from Hong Kong (1967). Towards the fag-end of his career, his personal life was in lot of legal entanglements because of marrying women much younger to him. He was compelled to leave the United States and settle in Switzerland.

In 1972, for his contribution to the world of motion picture and as part of a renewed appreciation for his cinematic work, Chaplin was handed out an Honorary Academy Award. An achievement totally well-deserved! Even after all these years, a glimpse of his acting and the way he donned the Tramp persona with a panache none could match, Chaplin will forever remain an actor par excellence.  

Today, as the film industry celebrates his 128th Birth Anniversary; let’s remember this soul who often delighted in lighting up our faces with smiles! Frankly, the curtain might have fallen on his film career, but the memories of his awesome acting won’t cease playing in our minds…

Click on the link to view the article on the epaper 

http://epaper.thehansindia.com/1173170/SUNDAY-HANS/SUNDAY-HANS#page/22/1

Sound of Love

This was published in The Hans India, a reputed daily in Telangana 

Come 14th February, Valentine’s Day carries its own mystic air of romanticism for young couples - assorted chocolates, bunch of fresh blooms, colourful love bands, cuddly teddies, are the norm of the day. However, what’s a romantic day without a few soul-stirring love songs to warm up the heart?!  This 14^th February, here’s our pick of 14 most beautiful love songs to revel in and cherish the bond of love all over again.  

First on the list, Beatles’ ‘She loves you’. A foot-tapping number whose lyrics happened almost accidentally - John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote them on a tour bus to Yorkshire, England. The rest is history, the song caught up with love birds like wildfire.

Stevie Wonder’s ‘I just called to say I love you’ never fails to strike the right note. So much so that Bollywood film makers snatched and played a part of the melody as their theme song in the flick ‘Maine Pyar Kiya.” What’s remarkable is even in Hindi the melody was a runaway success.

Another haunting love song is ‘Nothing’s gonna change my love’. Although singer George Benson was the first to sing this pulsating number, it was Glenn Medeiros, the Hawaiian singer, who made it hugely popular. Sung way back in the early 80s, this enchating number even today connects with young couples like no other.

Lionel Richie’s ‘Hello’, when it first got released, swept people off their feet. The story behind the fascinating lyrics is that when Richie greeted James Anthony Carmichael, with the words, ‘Hello, is it me you are looking for?’ Carmichael said, “Lionel, finish that song’s lyrics please”. It’s needless to mention the heights of popularity the song scaled later.

Berlin’s ‘Take my breath away’ is no less romantic either. The theme song of the flick ‘Top Gun’ has made inroads into the youngsters’ hearts with its breathtaking music and has won awards for its haunting rhapsody. Roxette, Swedish pop rock duo, performed an array of interesting love songs. Sung by Marie Fredriksson ‘It must have been love’ is a romantic number, which served as the perfect background song for the movie ‘Pretty Woman’. Undoubtedly, a must-listen for young couples.

Another perfect illustration of how a lovelorn feels is ‘Everything I do, I do it for you’. Brian Adam, who shot to higher plains of glory with this number, tenderly puts forth how the world of youngsters turns up-side down when in love. A song definitely for the love-stricken.

Whitney Houston’s ‘I will always love you’ speaks of her musical genius. The song gives chills as the composition peaks to unimaginable heights, which only Whitney is capable of performing. It’s bound to give you goosebumps.

‘My heart will go on’ is much on similar lines. Celine Dion’s iconic theme song from ‘Titanic’, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet’s thrilling escapades on board the Titanic, has transcended and grown to be one among the most sought-after romantic numbers.

‘You are still the one I love’ - Shania Twain, who also sang several heartwarming country songs, stops dead in your tracks as she croons this unorthodox number in her soulful voice. A love song whose melody you can’t but appreciate for its sensuous appeal.

Beyonce Knowles, the diva of today’s music world, has her own inimitable style for ‘Crazy in love’. With rapper Jay Z lending a touch of class to the love song, its rendition is so magical it places youngsters on a different plateau altogether.

Taylor Swift’s songs are incredibly haunting. ‘Love story’ is one among them. Based on her own life, the song outlines the story of Romeo and Juliet, ironically, with a happy ending. The tune is so soothing; it would be hard to get it out of your head, once you hear it.

Adele’s ‘Make you feel my love’ is a soothing melody that comes as a breath of fresh air. First, written by Bob Dylan, many artists have sung this song later. But with her soulful voice, Adele literally owns this number.

Rihana’s ‘Diamonds’ is another classic love song in its own right. Interestingly, the song’s a tad different as it sidesteps her regular theme of songs and presents zestful feeling of love towards life. A must-listen love song on the Valentine’s Day.

To access the e-paper please click on the link below:

http://epaper.thehansindia.com/1102651/SUNDAY-HANS/Sunday-Hans#page/15/1

Awesome Anthem. Irksome Move!

It’s been sometime, since I watched a movie in the theatre. I knew they were playing the national anthem in theatres, but was completely surprised that I had to stand and religiously honour it. This is sheer non-sense. I don’t mean to demean the national anthem, but I feel this is supposedly useless and ill-thought of ‘calisthenics’ of the white kurtas.

Why should the general public be put to inconvenience? I go to a theatre to get entertained, not to entertain anybody – especially not the government, which hasn’t had the decency of offering me one single government job so far. All it did was to stealthily put its fingers into my wallet and pick my money in the name of taxes.

Well, if you think I haven’t applied to government jobs, you are wrong. I had applied to several and a few of them called me for an interview and few others didn’t even bother to. The ones, who did, asked me all the wrong questions - deliberately. Later, I came to understand the jobs were handed out to people who didn’t even appear for an interview. Perhaps I wasn’t into greasing hands except watching few snippets of ‘Grease’, where John Travolta greased his hair so much, I lost all appetite for greasing. You don’t believe it?! Believe it (Stole it from the Ripleys! Sorry, it was too good to miss it ;))

Anyway, talking of government driven issues, the sliminess gets even dirtier. I once wrote a PhD exam and the results looked a little tampered. Later, the newspapers carried in the headlines that the pre-doctoral entrance exam was all gobbledegook.

Worried about my future, I rushed to meet the Director. His interest in what I was doing and why I was wasting my time pursuing a doctoral degree caught me completely unawares. When I questioned what he was driving at. He moved closer and whispered, “These exams are for time-pass. Most students get into the doctoral stream so they can avail the university’s boarding and lodging for at least five years”. I was gobbledegooked, again!

Cutting to the chase, why on earth does the government play the national anthem in theatres?! The other day while surfing on the topic I thankfully found a friend who aired similar views – Ram Gopal Varma, the notorious film director. Not all his views match with mine. Which incidentally is a good thing.
  

Ram Gopal Varma’s stinging remarks “If you plan to play the national anthem in theatres, why not in bars? Why not in nightclubs? Why not print it in the first page of the newspapers, everyday?!” created a quite an uproar. But the point wasn’t really taken seriously for the simple reason that it was Ram Gopal Varma’s opinion.

Varma isn’t taken seriously by anyone. Well, how can they?! Especially, when he writes a book and names it ‘Guns & Thighs’! The title is so horrendous, people from literature background wouldn’t know where to hide?! And Nobel laureates would die of shame. Unawares, Varma shamelessly claims the book has a terrific title and is selling like hot cakes. One can do nothing but pity him at times!

However, with all his insanity, he shared one sane opinion ‘Ban the national anthem from playing in theatres’. Finally, someone calls a spade a spade. Although never a fan of Varma, I for one wanted to hug him on his perspective of this illogical and dim action of the government. May Varmas of this kind increase in their tribe!  

New Year Greetings

For long, it has been mandatory on my blog to begin the year with greetings. This year, I won't bypass that rule either. So, here's wishing my readers a happy new year and adventurous and fun-filled  days ahead. Though this greeting comes a tad late in February, it's my request that you dwell on my sincerity rather on the delayed greetings. Cheers!