Araku Valley Reminisces!

A few months ago, I decided to take a break from the hectic office work. I could sense the mountains calling out to me. I absolutely had no interest in displeasing these once-in-a-while magical utterances of the nature. So, citing a non-existent marriage as a reason to a very strict management, I took a bow from the daily duties and set off to relish an unforgettable time in the lap of nature.

Initially, I was undecided as to where to go! Then, Araku valley filled my thoughts. I had visited this place during my college days and had an awesome time! Hoping the trip would do a world of good to me, I caught the next train to Vizag. 

Araku Valley is supposedly around 4-6 hours journey from Vizag, depending on how many hours the train driver plans to stop at each station. I had huge expectations of the train journey, but everything fell flat. The hazards of travelling without proper preparation sprang surprise after surprise.

On train, it was people, people and people everywhere. It was nothing short of miracle that I managed to grab a seat. I sat petrified as any wrong move would leave me seat-less. Imagine, a ride with people falling all over you for 5 hours. Of course, a few among them were good looking ladies too! Not that I liked it, but just saying. ;)

As the train chugged along the tortuous way up the valley the delightful sights gave me chills. The faraway waterfalls descending from canopied shrubbery, the fog romancing the mountain tops, the incessant drizzle drenching the nature around, and the cool zephyr that caressed the skin were enough to put a spring in one’s walk. 
  
But all didn’t go well at the camp. When I stepped on to the shores of Araku, I ran around in circles as almost all hotels were booked. And I had nowhere to go. The thought of returning back in the same train did cross the mind. But, fortunately, there was an old man at a certain hotel’s reception, squint-eyed and hard at hearing, who offered a room. My delight knew no bounds and wanted to hug him, but didn’t, as he might think otherwise. 

Next day, when I ventured out, it was raining again. Still, I trudged along and caught a jeep ride to nearby tourist spot called ‘Chaparai’. By then, the rain had trickled into a mere drizzle. I had an amazing time. There were tribals who did the Dhimsa dance. Bamboo Biryani, which tasted real yummy. The river was only knee-deep and the water gently overflowed on the big rocks making it an exciting tourist spot. 

The weather, which by then was a gentle drizzle, added its own charm. After sometime, I visited the nearby tribal museum which was informative and gulped down coffee at a closeby shop. The coffee beans cultivated at Araku are supposed to brew a greatly delicious coffee. I was glad I had a taste of this ambrosia. However, I skipped the Borra caves. Somehow, I didn’t find it interesting.  I stayed on for almost three days and trekked the forests and relished nature at close quarters. 

As a tourist, if you are looking for exciting stuff to happen, then Araku is not for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for peace and tranquility, it’s an idyllic destination to relish the invigorating greenery all around. The return journey wasn’t so exciting. So I am going to spare you the trouble and steer right away from mentioning it. On the whole, the trip had its own aura of charm which I am sure will remain as an enchanting memory! 

Aparajeethudu – A book launch

It’s quite rarely that I get to attend book launches. Not that I am keen on these events, but this one was unique since the book was translated from English to Telugu. What makes it a little more unique is that the author was none other than my brother-in-law. His autobiography in English – ‘I Will Survive’, launched a few of years ago, was a phenomenal hit. I for one read the book till the wee hours of morning. And without an iota of doubt I agree, it’s a masterpiece!

Although my initial thoughts when he informed that the book was being translated into Telugu language were: why would anyone even think about this?  Why would anyone plan to purposefully commit Hara-kiri? Of course, my anxiety rested in the comprehension that when the book is going strong in English, why tamper with aesthetics of advancement. But, I was proven dead wrong.

The book – Aparajeethudu (Meaning: a victorious person) had a grand festive opening. The launch, which took place amidst the stalwarts of Telugu literature, dazzled with ladies draped in traditional apparel, lending a distinct touch of the Telugu culture. The perfume of jasmine flowers intermingled with musk had one thinking that one was gracing a traditional ceremony of sorts. The venue was lit up with Telugu language lovers and, of course, acquaintances, friends and family members too graced the event in good numbers.

There was Dr. Pattabhiram, the noted psychologist and hypnotist, and a couple of other leading journalists. Their adulations and enhancements on the book delivered goose bumps. Rama Krishna, who I presume is a noted journalist, bestowed praise on the translator for thoroughness of work, while highlighting subtle events that touched a special chord in him. Though a slightly lengthy speech, people listened in rapt attention, because of the enticing narration.

The ladies who compeered the programme knew how to engage the audiences in rapt attention. It was easily evident that those who read the book were touched by its contents. Bhavana, the translator, was appreciated for her hard work and for retaining the rich flavor while succinctly conveying the message. She too praised  the book and its contents while underscoring the difficulty to stand to the expectations of the readers in a different language.

On the whole, the event concluded on a beautiful note and I held the privilege of meeting old friends and relatives and was seriously encouraged to engage in some sort of action. Since, lurking in the shadows isn’t doing any good to my already non-existent image. I hope I can draw some inspiration and set out to write a fiction, which has been one of my dreams. Hopefully…soon. 

Sitcoms with standup comedians

Stand up comedians are gaining significance this side of the globe too! Earlier the phenomenon was a hit only in the US, but with the rage catching up with Indian audiences, there is no dearth for laughter here as well. Throw in the Indian-English accent and harp a bit on cultural and regional differences and spice it up with office innuendos, the comedian has an eclectic mix of humour that lights up comedy houses. The new crop of comedians are no jokers either. They are all wit, intellect, suave and charm in a good dose. Where humour is concerned, Indian comedians aren’t that dumb or belong to the Neolithic age. They can set one off in giggles anytime -- day, noon or night. 

Of course, the best part is you needn’t attend a show or an event to watch them live. Simply sink into your favorite chair and catch them on ‘youtube’ as almost all shows feature here. The glitch-free entertainment of the new-age era. 

Actually, one of the pioneers who held the beacon of light for other comedians to follow suit was Vipul Goyal, the IITian, whose performance kindled the wrath of parents and ignited rave reviews of students. His take on dads and moms and how they victimize the kids with their typical Indian mentalities is something that’s food for thought and laughter to bones. What perhaps gives him an edge is his dialogue delivery and unmasked expressions, striking up a distinct chord with the audiences!  Taking the laughter business a few notches up he even launched his own comedy promotion company called ‘Humourously yours’. 

Kenny Sebastian is another young lad who knows how to bring the house down. The dialogues which are often laced with heavy humour come out rolling confidently. Sarcasm and subtlety of presentation makes you want more of him. While his funny take on diverse themes is hilarious enough to make you roll on the floor laughing, his delivery of jokes with deadpan expression will remain etched in your mind. No wonder he remains a hot favourite among young crowds. 

If you think only the north Indians guys are good at humour. You got it absolutely wrong! Manoj Menon, whose standup comedy is doing rounds on internet, knows how to connect with you in a matter of 0.03 seconds. The funny part is  (pun unintended) is that these comedians get to the heart of the matter as they speak the language of youngsters. In other sense, Jokes on WhatsApp, Facebook, Linkedin, Flight cancellations and desi incidents and slangs! “Gone are the ant and elephant jokes. Dead and buried. If you are still spreading these jokes you are an oldie” cries Manoj. Whose jokes on Whatsapp are sure to crack you up! 

Praveen Kumar is another popular face on the youtube who knows how to pulls one’s leg, including his own sometimes. When he jokes about his performance of Bhartanatyam with his big wiggly stomach shaking, you just can’t hold your laughter in. Add to the whole narration a heavy Indian accent and typical Indian incidents that go awry, you are sure to have your ribs tickled. The funniest line on his personal website goes like this “His love for comedy is so much he decided to get married”. 

Finally, the Indian standup comedians are getting a chance to stand in the spotlight, grabbing their fare share of fame and money (I seriously doubt this part). The audiences are ever eager awaiting in cafes, pubs, dance bars (Non-existent? I doubt) or whatever to relish these silver tongued comedians' performances. With the number of performers shooting up, I am sure comedy is taking its wings and going places on the Indian horizon. 

Analysing Hollywood!

I have never been a great fan of Ben Affleck, but this movie turned the tide in his favour and won my appreciation. Here's my review of the film...

The Accountant

Unlike other movies, this one’s a tad different as the protagonist, Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck), suffers from high-functioning autism. Ben Affleck’s portrayal as the man with Autism cannot go unnoticed, if not marveled. Trained in martial arts of every kind, Wolff works for dozens of drug cartel groups and weapons dealers who are neck-deep in big money. Apart from working as a forensic accountant for international criminals, who are into big time money laundering, he doubles up as a deadly assassin.

When ‘Living Robotics’, a reputed bio-technology company, calls on his expertise to unravel huge chunks of missing money, that’s when he bumps into the sweet-talking Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick), who first notices the massive discrepancies. Though the chatty Dana Cummings evokes interest in making friends, his solitary sentences and brusque responses halt progress of a small talk. Ironically, Wolff jumps into action when he senses that Dana Cummings’ life is in danger, making the body count rise significantly.

Meanwhile, in the Treasury Department, the agents are hunting for ‘The Accountant’ who is handling the financial operations of several top-rung gangsters. ‘The Accountant’ has not one, but several clients, and the police are baffled of his survival skill  - since as a thumb rule the gangsters generally dispose of the small fry once a major deal is done. What definitely lends a certain subtlety and intrigue to the story is the stoicism of the protagonist. It’s not your regular crime thriller as it is laced with an emotional drama that depicts a tumultuous personality going through multiple mood swings.

However, there exist a few things that throw the monkey wrench in the works. Things such as where has been his brother all along? How did he surface in the middle? And more importantly, where did he disappear in the end is something the director seems to know but forgot to tell the audience.  Although the movie has quite a few loose hands hanging, it is refreshingly different since it not only deals with a unique subject, but also connects with the audience on a different plateau altogether.

Rating: 3 ½  stars

Cast: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K Simmons, Jon Bernthal

Director: Gavin O’ Connor

Thumbs up: An appealing storyline, a decent portrayal of the character and interesting dark humour

Thumbs down:  Loose ends and lack-luster performance of actors.

'The Greatest' Bids a Goodbye to His Boxing Fans!

Muhammad Ali, the man who immortalized the words, ‘Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’, passed away at 74 yesterday. This is a huge and irreparable loss to the boxing world!  Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer, reckoned as the greatest heavy weight champion in the history of sport.  He was crowned as the ‘Sportsman of the Century’ and figures in the top sportsman in the 100 years by the Sports Illustrated and declared as ‘Sports Personality of the Century’ by the BBC. He authored several best sellers which includes ‘The Greatest: My Own Story and ‘The Soul of a Butterfly’. 

Ali’s stardom rose slowly and steadily. He made his debut in 1960, beating Tunney Hunsaker in a six-round match. By 1963, he had a cumulative record of 19-0 - most of them through knockouts. He won against competent opponents like Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, Alonzo Johnson, George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, Lamar Clark, Doug Jones and Henry Cooper.  All the matches weren’t in his favour. He nearly lost the game in a few but made an astounding come back.  What’s surprising is, ahead of each of his fight, Ali used to belittle his opponents with verbal remarks. To Ali “Jones was an ugly man”, “Cooper was a bum” “He was embarrassed to get in the ring with Alex Miteff”.   

Nobody will ever know if it was Ali’s strategy to let loose his tongue on the opponent before he let loose his fists.  He would intentionally pick up verbal punches. Bash them to pulp with vicious remarks and then go on to win the fight. Such was the confidence of this man. Of course, Ali was nicknamed the “The Greatest” for nothing. He was involved in several historic boxing matches. Popular among these is the Liston fight, three with Joe Frazier and ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ with George Foremen’. 

Ali’s fame as a boxer rose to its peak when he beat Liston for the world heavy weight title in 1964. Liston was almost unbeatable. Before the pre-match build up of the Ali- Liston fight, Ali taunted Liston as “The Big Ugly Bear”, “Liston even smells like a bear” and “After I beat him I am going to donate him to the zoo”.  Everyone thought Ali’s behavior stemmed from fear and anxiety, some even wondered whether he would turn up for the fight. But the skeptics had to eat their words at the decisive outcome of the fight when Ali emerged as the winner.  

Shortly after the Liston bout, Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali on converting to Islam. Later, when he refused to be inducted into the Army Service to fight against Vietnam, the centre stripped him of his title. Subsequently, his boxing license was suspended.  He stayed away from boxing in the country during his peak performance.  

However, later, Ali was granted to license to box on winning victory in the court. This time Ali had to face Joe Frazier for the title. Both were undefeated fighters. The excitement of the bout caught everyone’s attention and ultimately the fight was broadcasted to 35 countries. Ali as usual came out winner stunning all the cynics yet another time. 

The stunning win set the stage for a fight with George Foreman, who was known for throwing hardest punches in the history of boxing. During the match with Foreman, Ali taunted Foreman saying “Is that all you got George, They told me you could hit hard?” while he leaned on the ropes inviting his punches. The move was later came about to be known as ‘Rope-a Dope’. Everyone thought Foreman would win the fight since he had already defeated Frazier and Ken Norton who gave tough fights to Ali. Contrary to the widely held belief, Ali emerged winner. 

Ali’s next opponents included:  Chuck Wepner, Ron Lyle, and Joe Bugner. In fact, it was the match between Ali and Wepner that inspired Sylvester Stallone to script the iconic movie, ‘Rocky’.  Ali went on to script success like no other in the boxing history. Today, Ali is not only popular for his incredible matches but also for his memorable and punchy Quotes:  “Don’t count the days. Make the days count”, “A man who has no imagination has no wings”, “If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it – then I can achieve it.” Finally, let’s not forget his popular oneliner, “Float like a butterfly, Sting like a bee.”  May his soul rest in peace! 

The day the stars smiled on me.

The other day, I caught sight of a snap of Virat Kholi, with his upraised hand and a bat in his hand. Underneath the slightly raised shirt sleeve existed a tattoo that screamed ‘Scorpio’ - the astrological sun sign that stands as a mystery to scores of individuals. I wondered if there was any relation with his sun sign and his success. Not that I am a stern believer in this incantation, but instincts were customary as I indulged in my fair share of studying stars when I was a college graduate. 

Over the years, on appraising myself with countless astrology books, I comprehend Scorpio is a powerful sun sign. It exists in three variations. One, the sign of eagle that regenerates as the phoenix that rises from the ashes; other, the sign of Scorpion, which stings itself to death, finally, the sign of the grey lizard, which withdraws into itself often wallowing in self-pity. 

During the pre-university days, I was so obsessed with astrology that I read more number of occult books than subject books. This was furious enough for my parents to think of throwing me out of the house. But my siblings convinced my parents it was only a passing fade. 

Passing fade, my foot! I still read all that stuff! Though it may not be in the same breath and admiration. 

My earlier obsession fringed on insanity as I had my natal chart drawn and analyzed. As if this fixation was not enough, I hung on to every word this chart predicted; as if my whole destiny was pre-determined by the stars at a distance. And  I absolutely had no say in my destiny. 

Not the one to keep the knowledge to self, I dragged many a friend into vortex of occult sciences. I was a personal counselor to countless star-crazy youngsters who clamoured around to find out which girlfriend would best suit their respective sun-signs.  Deep discussions over cups of coffee, calculations, assumptions and planetary influences were analysed debated and discarded before deciding the fate of the would-be or may-not-be girlfriends. 

For all the knowledge of the stars, I was treated as a star myself. And I thoroughly enjoyed the adulation. 

The reading wasn’t just restricted to astrology but spanned almost every sphere of occult science. Cheiro, Linda Goodman and others would have been greatly thrilled at the mammoth crush I had on their predictions. Their writings were scriptures in which my entire life and scores of others lives lay trapped.  When I think back now, I can only say what a sheer waste of time! 

However, I wouldn’t say it was all a waste of time, as many girls clamored around to wherever I was just to listen to their future predictions through someone who is a die-hard fan of Cheiros or Goodmans or Duruwalas. 

I wouldn’t say there was any fortune in doing so, but I would I say I was fortunate enough to hold hands of beautiful damsels as they gazed into my eyes - the reason enough to drive all my other classmates’ wild with envy. Then it suddenly dawned on me - studying stars wasn’t all that waste. I knew for certain, the stars did smile on me in other ways.  

Star Movies Brings Back Memories.

Will someone tell me where Mel Gibson is these days? 

Actually, I was watching his movie ' Lethal Weapon 2' on Star Movies and my thoughts instantly drifted back to this handsome hunk, whose hairstyle and dressing we used to copycat as youngsters. Frankly, there were some cool movies of his that really bowled us over. Remember?! A Bird on a Wire, Ransom, Lethal Weapon, Lethal Weapon 1 , Lethal Weapon 2, Brave Heart, The Patriot, Maverick, What Women Want… all of which featured Mel Gibson in his inimitable style and he never failed to impress us. 

I still remember how I grew my hair long after seeing him in 'Lethal Weapon 2'. My dad even though he secretly condemned the act, was glad I didn’t look that bad either. Growing your hair long back then was nothing less than a sacrilege which invited neighbours, relatives and family’s full wrath – all at once. The repentance for such rebellion was getting one’s head tonsured. 

However, I was only subjected to occasional outbursts of anger. After a month back, I was forced to relegate back to my original short hair.  I secretly wished if I only could have them out of my hair. Now, I could only chuckle over those things. 

Anyways, talking of Mel Gibson, 'Lethal Weapon 2', which featured on star movies the other day, was awesome. The story was tight. The dialogues, punchy. It’s been a long time since I saw the movie, so, everything seemed brand new. This perhaps is one movie where the heroine is killed yet you see nothing askew.  

Danny Glover adds zing to the movie. There’s this particular scene that’s really uproarious. Danny Glover, a police officer in the movie, invites Mel Gibson, another police officer, over to his house to watch a commercial in which his daughter featured. Everyone’s excited. The family is glued to Television. When the commercial turns on and is half way through, everyone realizes that the advertisement is of a contraceptive product. You should watch Danny Glover’s face turn to stone as he switches off the TV and with a dazed look asks everyone to leave the room. Unabashedly hilarious! 

Joe Pesci spices up the movie a bit more. His comic timing is amazing. I simply rolled over with laughter at the dialogues. His acting skills come to fore in the movie ‘My Cousin Vinny’! Anyways, ‘Lethal Weapon 2' will always be remembered because we, friends, bunked the college and stealthily burgled ourselves into theatre to watch  this cop movie!