Alcatraz

It happened while I was in my primary classes. We visited Thiruchi and visited Srirangam, travelling over the big iron bridge over the vast sand dunes. My dad was telling me that this place used to flood and Srirangam is in the middle of water , like an island. (But I visualized Cauveri flooding with water only when I was reading the first chapter of Ponniyan selvan.) Back in school one day was teacher was teaching about peninsula, island and I wrote srirangam as an example for Island. The teacher scowled at me for it. I wished I would bring her to Alcatraz and show her the name plate that showed "Alcatraz Island".

Alcatraz technically qualifies to be an island as it is surrounded by water, but actually it is just the tip of an rock, whose total size is 20+ acres. Lot of things happened in this place just like on any other piece of land on this earth.But its mostly known for the jail it had, might be because it was the last of the biggest things to happen there. There was an self guided audio tour to help to walk through the jail. The audio tour was nicely crafted with supposedly voices of the wardens, jailer, prisoners etc and with the screeching sounds of the cell gates.

We were walking through one of the aisles, it has the cells opposite each of them there was a small glass window. They were supposedly the brightest cells, as there was a grilled wall above the glass panel. Through the glass window one can watch the San Francisco. The Freeland that is so near, but still so far. In the background the voice of one of the prisoner is reeling, " we could hear the voices of celebration, happening, new year sounds, sounds of girls giggling...". That was the moment I realised what 'JAIL' means. the biggest punishment of all was seeing the freedom in front of ones eyes and still not able to enjoy it. How cruel it would be?

When we started the tour , we were talking about the statement in the pamphlet. Food, shelter medicine will be provided. Everything else is privilege. My friend was asking what else one need. I got the answer when I was viewing the beautiful landscape through the glass panel.
I was wondering whether is this a bliss compared to be locked in dark cell or is this the cruelest punishment where the roaring waves and the sky scrapping buildings on the other side of the water teases you about what you miss. Not surprisingly most of the tour was about various failed attempts made to escape. Well that's one of the basic urge of an human to be free. Whatever be the dangers that lie ahead it can't stop the man's innate urge to be free.

attempt-2

It could have been another sunny day except for the grey coloured clouds which like a hollow brick blocked the sun rays. I am sitting inside a not so crowded bus and looking at the sky.

Will it rain? Here, it either rains or cloudy. There is a dampness everywhere. Heck..

Is umbrella in my bag?

Last time it rained and i kept my umbrella in the common area to not wet my office space. Did I take it back?

No...

Yes.... I took it. I remember carrying it and running to catch the evening bus.

No this happened week before that. During last rain, the evening was quite sunny and I was having a relaxed walk with my colleague till bus stop... A pleasant weather for which I was longing..

May be I have to check it in office ....

Oh.. I have to drop the rent cheque. Its still in my bag.. Its already a week late.

It all because of the issue in office. Sometimes I am just staring at the results paper as if it will disclose something which is hiding behind all those numbers. What all I need is deus ex machina ...

shit....How long I am staring this man? When did he take this seat? I just looked into the bus. Bus is almost full. I smiled at him. He was tall well built guy in a shabby clothes. There is mild liquor smell over him.

"Where are you from?"

I am from alameda. May be I should have told him India. That's what he might want to know.

"I am from ....... I used to play basketball in college" and he pointed the logo in t-shirt. "This place is always raining and more crowded..Back there..."

I am having little trouble in following his accent. It is more rhotic and cocky. His eyes are fixed at me. He is asking something.

" Why are you here?"

mm..I got a ...

He continued not waiting for my answer. "We have to be somewhere and this is not so bad place.."

The stop had come so I ran to get down and it started to drizzle. But I have to be somewhere and this is not so bad....

சுயம்

பையன்,

தம்பி,

அண்ணன்,

மாமன்,

தோழன்,

சகபணியாளன்,

அறைவாசி,

அரைவாசி- என

எல்லோரிடமும் இருக்கிறது,

எனக்கான பெயர். இன்னும்

எனக்கு மட்டும் கிடைக்கவில்லை,

எனக்கான என் பெயர்.

Attempt-1

I arrived at the station at twilight, 15 minutes ahead of the time, I told my friend. I called my friend before I started.

“Dei, I’ll be there sometime around 7.30. It depends on which train I board. But surely between 7.15 to 7.45”

“OK da, I’ll come to pick you up at 7.30, if you reach there early call me”

When every one takes it for granted about the availability of mobile it is mandatory for those who don’t have to declare it up-front.

“Can I call your number using pay phone?”

“You can call da”

I put back the receiver, jotted his number in a paper and rushed for the door. If I miss the shuttle, it will delay my schedule further.

In the deserted station, I am looking for phone booth. They are placing it in a corner as if now one might need it or so as to provide privacy for the caller from the traffic getting in and out of the train.

A guy in torn, greased t-shirt and jean, looking as if it was long time since he had a bath or combed his hair, is walking towards me with a bag in his hand. I always get an uncomfortable feel to have eye contact with these people. What if it reminds him his condition and if he see me as an embodiment of what he don’t have? I look like a person sitting under a tree and opening his lunch box, praying no crow up in the tree shit in it and fly…

I saw the phone and moved towards as if to dodge him. Then I remember I had placed the phone number inside my purse, I have to take it. Voices swirl inside my head

“Don’t walk alone in dark; don’t carry much cash in purse”

“If someone sees you take purse and ask you, hand it over. Who knows, anyone will have a gun there…”

I am in a confusion to take it out or not. Don’t want to turn and see where he is. I have a feeling he is in my back.

He asks me something, showing something, from the bag. I turn slightly towards him and raise my head to a level good enough as if responding but not high enough to see his face and mumbles something which sounds like not needed or no cash or simple no with my head swaying horizontally and my hand still inside pocket holding the purse…
He walks away. I see the bag in his hand, which has fanta, axe etc..

As I take the phone number I remember I brought a different bag today as I have to carry more items and the coins are left in other bag.

I moved towards the place where my friend asked me to wait. I have 15 minutes. My brain started to fill with desolateness, poverty, communism, capitalism, comrades……

Harry Potter

It might be after Half blood prince release or sometime before it, I started to read Harry potter. It all started on a casual chat. One of my friend is a fan of HP series an we were kidding him because he was not appreciating some of Tamil novels which we liked. His reason was their style was archaic and so we are laughing at the usage "You-Know-Who". Then I thought why should not I give a try?. I finished Philosophers' stone and my opinion was its a good book to read , but one doesn't miss much if he doesn't read it. I am still wondering what made me to read the second part and third .... (may be divine intervention, if I am not speaking about JKR works, who explained all those lucky breaks not with God but with Love). I loved the conversation between Harry and Dumbledore or the speech that Dumbledore makes towards the end of each part, but for that not much to say....

Then I landed up on the third part. First it was the concept behind dementors Vs Patronus charm. The organism which lives by sucking out of all happiness and drive people to insanity by keeping them in depression. How can you win them? Patronus charm, an embodiment of one's innermost positive feelings, the desire to survive. There are books in which the reader has to use all his hope to turn every page. Those are the books whose last chapter was read by none other than the proof reader of that book. Then are those in which the reader breathes only when he finishes the last page where protagonist invariably runs for life not knowing from whom he is running. These are really interesting books to read as they engulf the reader so much. Till that moment HP was that kind of book to me. But there is one more type, which won't make you to turn the page quickly but make you to halt at a line or at a page. It make you to think about something happened . They will be shouting inside the readers brain for long time to come. I think this is the instant where HP moved to this bracket for me.

The goblet of fire ends with a death which makes the starting point for the future deaths. I personally feels this is the point where the story really started to move towards what it was all about (which becomes more clear in the last part). The impact of death and what death actually means that's what the novel is more about . The last 4 volumes speaks on this, sometimes subtly, sometimes loudly.

Another thing that made me to hook with the book is the chemistry between Hermione, Ron and Harry. Every character that comes in the book was etched so nicely. This is the main reason which made people to hook with the book. The success of a writer lies in the empathy the reader feels with the characters, or they way reader identifies himself with a character in a novel. The plot, story are secondary. That's why I could remember more dialogues than the spells. To put in other way the thing which glued me to the book is the greatest magic which Voldemort had no idea about .


Before reading deathly hallows, the part that I liked most was order of phoenix, because it was more about emotion than about magic, the Sirius death is the peak. Some may say I love tragedy, but to be honest Half blood prince is more tragic than its predecessor. In that Dumbledore & co lose more than they gain. They end up in a fake horcrux and lost their captain, whereas Voldemort becomes more powerful. So its not because of tragedy or a losers soul which find solace in someones failure but because of empathy one feel on seeing how difficult it is to stand for something which most do not believe, the importance of friends who can understand and stand by you in the darkest hours of the night . The order of phoenix is not much about good Vs evil but much about doing easy thing Vs Right thing.

Half blood prince is more about past and horcrux. The idea of horcrux is nothing newer than the "அரக்கன்" who keeps his life in an parrot guarded in someplace behind seven hills. But what it means, what makes a person to protect his soul , becomes clear in last part. Horcrux or hallows, no matter what you chose, you may survive but can't LIVE.

In deathly hallows for the people who follow HP there are no surprises, except that of Dumbledore's past, which too looks like what we see in most Hollywood style movies and novels, a protagonist with disturbed past, with the urge to overcome the survivors guilt. But we are once again completely taken over by JKR power of imagination and the interconnections across different parts. Who might have thought "Young Sirius Black lent it to me" has any significance other than to catch a child's fantasy by writing about a flying motorbike. JKR's writings may be of literary quality or not, but everyone will accept the fact that she is a master in toying with reader emotions. That's why we are getting a sense of relief and not a kind of banality when harry repeatedly escapes by sheer luck and Voldemort always reaches the place after harry left . I really enjoyed the moment when harry calls Voldemort by the name Tom Riddle. Dumbledore calls like that in one of the earlier encounters.

But what makes one to think about this book again and again is the way it speaks about life and death. I could not help but to think about Ayn Rand after reading harry potter. I still wonder what makes these two authors' work, as most close to my heart, though they represent the two different ends of a line. If History is different and JKR was before Ayn, Ayn Rand, might surely scoffed at a book which spends reams and reams of paper just to show that the only possible way to survive is not invincible skill or the skill to bring back lost or creating more of us but the skill to remain hidden. This is a story which speaks about the victory of selflessness , complete surrender , 'too weak to dare' over an ' self -made ' chauvinist. A man loses the duel not because of less skill but because , "he does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend, Of house-elves and children’s tales- of love, loyalty, and innocence" . What makes " the boy who survived" to survive is not his possession of the "invincible wand " or the power to bring back dead, but his decision to embrace death and the cloak which makes him invisible. He gets the more powerful tools only when he knew "enough to not to use them".

But the fact is I liked both books. I felt something close to my heart which I am unable to put in words. May be both these writers are so good (interestingly both are female writers) in fiddling with emotions and both speak about same thing, living for what one believe , against powerful opponents with the help of small crowd which believe in him. Well there may be thousands of story on this premise, but what makes these special is the way these characters are shown. The Personification.

பூங்குன்றன்+இளங்கோ

நீர்வழிப் படுஉம் புணைபோல்,
வாழ்தல் வேண்டி,
ஊழ்வினை துரப்ப,
ஆருயிர் முறைவழிப் படுஉம்.

தம் பிடித்து..:)

நித்தம்
ரத்தம்
சிந்தும்
யுத்தம்,
சித்தம்
பித்தம் ஆக்கியதே...

ண்ணாங்கிறேன் :)

என்
மண்,
பொன்,
பண்,
நான்,
வீண்
உன்
முன்
கண் ணம்மா....

SOLITUDE

Have you ever felt the pang that occurs when you are going to take the first bite of your food sitting alone in a table in cafeteria or hotel while all other tables have more than one occupancy or while eating the food you cooked for yourself in your room (forget home , it doesn't qualify to be house too...) with the television or laptop on?

The most ill-fated habit a person can have is thinking about the meaning of His Life or the direction its heading when he is chewing his first bite of his food. It never get swallowed...

சிவாஜி

சில படங்கள் பார்க்கும் வரை நன்றாக இருக்கும். முடித்து வந்தால் கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாக அதன் மேலிருக்கும் பிரேமை குறையும். சிவாஜியும் அப்படித்தான். பார்க்கும் நேரத்தில் சிரித்து மகிழ்ந்தேன். style-இல் எனை மறந்தேன், பாடல்களின் பிரம்மாண்டத்தில் விழி விரித்தேன். ஆனால் படம் முடிந்து யோசித்தால் படம் வெரும் கேலிக்கூத்தாக தெரிந்தது. சங்கர் 'சந்திரசேகர் பட்டறையில் இருந்து வந்தவர். ரஜினி- அசாதாரணமான விசயங்களை மட்டுமே செய்ய வேண்டிய கட்டாயதில் இருப்பவர். நான் எதிர்பார்த்தது ஒரு குறைந்த பட்ச coherency. comedy, fight, style, நடுவில் எதோ கொஞ்சம் தொங்கி கொண்டிருக்கும் கதை என இருக்கிறது படம்.

தன் star imgae பற்றி எல்லாம் கவலை படாமல் comedy- இல் பின்னி இருக்கார் ரஜினி. "தம்பிக்கு எந்த ஊர்" ரஜினியை பார்த்த திருப்தி. அதேபோல் style-இல் பல ரஜினி படங்களுக்கு இது ஒன்று சமம். சங்கரின் பிரம்மாண்டம் ஒரு துளி கூட குறையவில்லை.

ஹவாலா மோசடிக்கு உடந்தையாக முஸ்லிம்களை, ஒரு பொழுதுபோக்கு படத்தில், காட்ட வேண்டியது, சில கேள்விகளை எழுப்புகிறது. அதே போலத்தான் கறுப்பு நிறம் சார்ந்த நகைச்சுவை காட்சிகளும்....

ஒரு இளைஞன் கனையாழி கடைசி பக்கதில்.. படத்தில் சம்பந்தமே இல்லாமல் வரும் காட்சிகளையும், அது சார்ந்த செலவுகளையும், ஒரு கெட்டவார்த்தை சேர்த்து "தடித்தனம்", எனச் சொன்னார். இந்த நிலைமையால் நான் 100 வருசதுக்கு சினிமா எடுக்க மாட்டேன் என்று கூடச் சொன்னார். வாழ்க்கை அவருக்கு தன் முதுமை காலத்தில் "சிவாஜி"க்கு வசனம் எழுத கற்று கொடுத்துள்ளது.....
சுஜாதா -உங்கள் வாழ்க்கையை திரும்பி பார்க்கும் பொழுது என்ன தோன்றுகிறது????

சிவாஜி பொழுது போக்காக இருக்கிறதா?-100% இருக்கிறது,
பார்க்கும் பொழுது ஒரு பார்வையாளனை தன் பிரச்சனைகளை மறந்து இருக்க செய்கிறதா-100%..
ரஜினி என்கிற மனிதனின் திறமைகளை பயன் படுத்தியுள்ளதா- 100%.
காலம் கடந்து சிவாஜி நிற்குமா? படம் பார்த்து முடித்து சில நாட்கள் கழித்து எதாவது ஒரு நொடியில் சிவாஜி நியாபகதிற்கு வருமா? ...எனக்கு 1% கூட நம்பிக்கை இல்லை.

Institutionalised

I was watching "The shawshank redemption". In the movie there comes an explanation on the word "Institutionalised", which is "You hate it, then adjusted to it and finally fully depend on it."
Now I am able to much appreciate what I heard some time back "Marriage is an institution , which one can't avoid in our society".
What a succinct truth it is that an elderly family man could say..

சொற்களைத் தாண்டி

எழுதி முடித்து பார்த்தால்,
சில சொற்கள் ஒதுங்கி நின்றன கவிதையில்..
எதிரில் வரிசையற்ற பற்கள் கொண்டவர்,
ஏதோ அழகாய் சொல்லி கொண்டிருந்தார்,
துருத்திய சொற்களை திருத்தாமலே
விட்டுவிட்டேன்.

Why it de-railed?

When I watched Pachaikili muthucharam, i decided i shall read the original version : derailed -novel. The main reason was certain things were hanging out as unwanted appendage in movie. I was wondering why it was so? Is it because of story he took? Before speaking much on that I have to make some points clear.

Its really difficult to capture a novel into movie and it always disappoints the person who read the novel . There were certain things that makes the reader to love that novel and they might be simply cut in movie or the visualization of that never matches reader imagination. Even the best movies (critically acclaimed and commercially successful)were just close to the novels, they were never better than the novel, at least for me. Saying this, I never rated a movie based on what it tries to replicate. I have liked the movies which claims to be based on real life incident or based on novel and deviated much from them but still enjoyable one. I see them essentially as another creative output and as an independent entity.

Derailed is not a great novel. Its not a worse novel, but the problem is it was too ambitious. An novel is not just a collation of incidents. In our childhood , when someone tells us stories, we like to hear the story from the person who adds lot of color to the story than from the person who just states (may be narrates) the incident. Well James Siegel is not just narrating, he has included lot of sub-plots, some moments to stand still and cherish, but the problem is he has introduced lot of complications in the story, and takes the story back and forth just to surprise reader. Beyond a point things look like forced into the novel which makes the reader to yawn.

About Pachaikili muthucharam, the film fails simply because it tried to make too many compromises.The problem is not that movie deviates from the novel largely (Absolutely I have no issues on it. A good painting and good replication are different things).The problem is even after deviating from novel the director wants to use some elements from the novel which he liked. But they were not fitting well in to the new picture he had created . It goes like this. I decided to replicate a drawing which depicts a countryside with few men standing. People started to say something and I change it but I love the way the people dressed and want to keep it. so at last I come out with a different background and people costume just looks inappropriate.

They decide not to show the hero as a character having a weakness for opposite sex. They want to show as it was the lady who was desperate, that makes us doubt was he not suspicious of something?

All of a sudden he sees her again (after the blackmail is fully settled up)and just like follows her and know about her. Why he started to smell something fishy. An ordinary man probably will either try to move away or go and speak but why will he spy unless otherwise he smelled something wrong. The novel had it but for some reason movie skips it.

In novel, the protagonist knows that the main person is alive and wants to confront him and finish the story for ever. But in movie he thinks the story is over and so final duel does not look like a finishing touch but hangs like unwanted addition.

The novel brings the police into picture (though it does not use them exhaustively). But the movie never brings them, which looks odd in a movie which looks like near to life because of the dialogues, camera, lighting etc..

The crux is: The novel is essentially about a person who knows nothing about the dark world , but gets involved and learn their game through his experience (after mistakes and with lots of pain) and finally out play them. The movie has everything except those inside parenthesis. That make the viewer not to believe it.Its not we don't have the movies that lack that logic (all our super hero movies). The point is those movies don't disguise themselves as near to real life . They don't have the color, texture that our realistic movies have.

Potpourri-2

Among the various things I did in last few weeks, I watched Rhapsody in August, Gone with The Wind, Saving Private Ryan and read Arundhati Roy's An Ordinary Persons Guide to Empire. The one thing that was common in all these was "WAR".

Rhapsody in August is a Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa. Its a simple story which shows how 3 generations react to the bombing of Nagasaki. It is not considered as Akira's best one, but this movie fulfilled my long desire of watching an Akira movie. My another wish of watching Sathyajit ray's work was also fulfilled with Aparajito. With subtitles and with powerful use of cinema language watching neither an Japanese film or Bengali film is not so difficult. I liked Rhapsody. The location, background score and the way the story moves, like a stream running silently through woods, reminds me Adoor's Nizalkuthhu. The main character is an old lady who lost her hair and husband in bombing of Nagasaki. Her grand children are with her for vacation as their parents went to Hawaii to visit a person in dead bed who is considered to be old lady's brother. The old lady is not able to recognise her brother and so she is not ready to visit him. Further he married an American woman. The grand children persuade her to visit Hawaii, so that they could also visit. But they gradually change their idea (especially after visiting the place where bomb dropped in Nagasaki). Finally the lady accepts to go and so they send a mail she will come to Hawaii after anniversary of bombing which will be the anniversary for her husband too. Meantime the second generation people come back and in all praise for their new relatives, because of their affluent status. The old lady and the younger ones get irritated by this talk.When the old lady's son and daughter come to know about the reference to bombing in the mail sent , they are worried that it will embarrass their new relatives and the welcome hand may be withdrawn. But on contrary the Japanese-American relative (son of old lady's brother) come to take part in the anniversary and feels sorry for his uncle's death. The film ends with him leaving back to Hawaii as his father expires and the old lady behaves in hallucination on the anniversary day of bombing. More than the film I loved the title which sounded like a poem and represented movie well. Through the story he beautifully shows the emotions the different people undergo about bombing. The war is over but its haunting thoughts still linger. The story is not blaming anyone for war, it just show how cruel a war and what a war can achieve is nothing but loss for all. A beautiful statement about war comes in Gone with the wind. At the end of war nothing exists and no one knows why they fought it and what they want or got.

Gone withe wind uses American civil war as a backdrop. Its a lengthy movie with wonderful acting by the two leading pair. The story is too complex. More than story what was great in the story is the characters consistency. Its more about people than about incidents. Incidents exists to establish them. The interesting thing about the movie is, it is not about good Vs Evil, which I fell never exists in real life. The people are not black or white. They are Grey. People who openly proclaim that they are selfish and act so and who always want to prove that their benevolent hearted and try to live so and under some instances expose their selfishness. This is a thing which I liked in this movie than Rand's work. In her novels in the heart its always good vs evil and only difference is the evil are those who were generally shown as good in most of the works. she too will present people in the middle but her story won't be about them and she also say service as a sin. But gone with the wind just points the selfishness which lies deep inside the benevolent face we wear. It doesn't say It is good or Its bad.It just says It will exist. Its a movie at the end you won't fall in love /try to emulate one character or loath one. But on contrary you will learn to accept the versatility of life. On the flip side the film shows slavery with an soft corner, but for that it's a good cinema.

Saving Private Ryan- Hollywood -Steven Spielberg film. It spares no chance to show how caring American government on its citizens (well the whole film is all about it). It takes us through the modern battle field which is nothing but the streets and beach shores in which we will relax on a normal day. The film shows, what drives the military men to fight- kill otherwise will be killed,the way man behaves in front of death, the moral consolation he says to himself for the butcher he does and the need of strict status quo in war front. Above all the film reminded me how precious the peace that I enjoy now is.

Arundhati Roys "An ordinary persons Guide to Empire" has nothing but her hatred for American and Indian ruling power. I wonder is this how Ellsworth Toohey's writing would be- may be or may be not. When she reason out why she hates these power centres, it makes perfect sense but it fails to impress as her solutions are hollow. I wonder do they have any alternative? The result is a highly rhetoric work (with excellent use of metaphors and language- i liked the phrase " do turkeys enjoy thanksgiving?") which looks like the oration our political leaders make during election. What she suggest is destruction of existing system. But what next? We have several examples in history where people who desired to build a new system and started the road map with complete destruction of existing system and lost path after that. But still people do it . Is it the only path available? or is it the easiest path to become a demagogue?

கதை கதையாம் காரணமாம்

"பாட்டி அப்பளம் சுட்டாள்"-சிறுகதை.
"பாட்டி வானலியில் எண்ணை ஊற்றினாள். அப்பளக் கட்டை எடுத்தாள்....." -நாவல்.
இந்த பகுப்பை ஆதரிக்கா விட்டாலும் எதிர்க்காதவன் நான். ஆனால், நாவல், சிறுகதை சார்ந்து என்னுள் இருந்த எண்ணங்களை தெளிவடைய செய்தது R.K. Narayan இன் Malgudi Days. இந்த சிறுகதை தொகுப்பு நான் இதற்குமுன் படித்த சிறுகதைகளில் ரசித்தவையையும் , அதற்கான காரணத்தையும் உணர்த்தியது.

நான் படித்தவற்றில் பெரும்பாலுமானவை நாவல்களே. பெரும்பாலும் நாவல் படிக்கும் வேகத்திற்கு சிறுகதை தொகுப்பு படிக்க முடிவதில்லை. ஒரு சிறுகதைக்கும் மற்றொன்றும்கிடையே போதுமான இடைவெளி தேவைபடுகிறது. தொடர்ந்து 3/4 சிறுகதை படித்தால் அடுத்த சிறுகதையை ரசிக்க முடியவில்லை. ஆனால் நாவலில் தொடர்ந்து பல அத்தியாயங்கள் படிக்க முடிகிறது. இது கூட நான் சிறுகதையை தவிர்க்க காரணமாக இருக்கலாம். மற்றொரு விசயம், வார பத்திரிக்கைகள் கவிதைக்கு பிறகு அதிகம் கொலை பன்னியது சிறுகதைகளைதான்.

சிறுகதைகள் பெரும்பாலும் பேசுவது ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட நிகழ்வைதான். பெரும்பாலும் அது சாதரண மனிதர்களின் வாழ்வில் நிகழ்கின்ற சற்றே வித்தியாசமன நிகழ்வுகளை பற்றியே பேசுகிறது. ஆனால் நாவலுக்கோ சற்றே அசாதராணமான நிகழ்வுகளும், நிகழ்வுகளைவிட ஏன் அது நிகழ்கிறது என்பது சார்ந்த நம்பகதன்மையை ஏற்படுத்த வேண்டிய அவசியமும் ஏற்படுகிறது. சிறுகதை சாதரண மனிதர்களை சுற்றி நிகழ்வதால் charachter establishment/ consistencyக்கு ரொம்ப மெனக்கெடவேண்டியது இல்லை. அப்படி chrachter establishment செய்ய முயற்சிக்கிற சிறுகதைகள் ஏதோ அரைகுறையாக முடிந்ததாகவே தோன்றுகிறது. நாவலுக்கு ஒரு முழுமையான முடிவு அவசியம் ஆகிறது. ஆனால் ஒரு சிறுகதையின் பெரும்பகுதி வாசிப்பவரின் கற்பனையில் இருக்கிறது. அந்த கதை பேசும் நிகழ்ச்சிக்கு பின் அந்த கதாபாத்திரம் என்ன செய்யும் என்பது வாசகனின் கற்பனையில் நிகழ்கிறது. அதனால்தான் சிறுகதைகளுக்கு இடையே இடைவேளை தேவை படுகிறது.

swami and friends மட்டுமே படித்திருந்ததால் R.K Narayan ஒரு நகைச்சுவை எழுத்தாளராகவே தெரிந்தார். அது எவ்வளவு தவறு என்பது இந்த வாசிப்புக்கு பின்தான் புரிந்தது. ஒருசிறுகதையில், நாய் ஒன்று பிச்சைகாரனிடம் இருக்கும். அதை அவன் அடிமை போல் நடத்துவான். சிலர் அந்த நாயை விடுவிப்பார்கள் , ஆனால் சில நாட்களில் அந்த நாய் மீண்டும் அவனிடமே அடிமையாகி விடும். இந்த கதை எனக்கு எதோ நாயை பற்றி மட்டும் சொல்வதாக படவில்லை. வாழ்க்கையில் மாற்றங்களுக்கு மருகும் மனிதர்கள், பிரச்சனைகளை சமயோதிகமாக சமாளிப்பவர்கள், கடந்த காலங்களிலே வாழ்பவார்கள், என எல்லா மனிதர்களையும் காணமுடிகிறது.

கற்பனைதிறன் நிறைந்த அதே சமயம் உலகியலை உற்று கவனிப்பவரின் படைப்பு.

Red Dragon

There are some disadvantages when we read the two books by same author and same genre in succession. We may feel like things becoming repetitive or predictable soon. Especially the odds are high if we read the earlier of the two later. But in spite of these things Thomas Harris "red dragon" is nice.

I am not sure he had much in mind about Hannibal Lecter , when he wrote this first. It does not revolve much around him as silence of the lambs revolves. The interesting part is the way the protagonist will graham, the detective character is sketched out. Two planned murders have happened at two different places. He is trying to find the link. He lives with the problem. In his subconscious level he is always trying to solve the puzzle. One of the characters in Sujatha's first novel நைலான் கயிறு says that every crime is like a design/ building made using play cards. It may look complex. But if you remove the correct card it will fall down. This story is also about picking that correct card. But the good thing is when Graham pulls out the correct card the reader believe he did it. It does not look like "the author had done 300+ pages and he wants to finish it off, so the hero picks right card."It looks natural.

But the portion which shows why the antagonist had become so looks like an page filler. It does not have the sincerity that exists when Harris writes about the Graham. As a result the antagonists love affair also looks weak.

திருக்குறள்-4

"சொல்லப் பயன்படுவர் சான்றோர் கரும்புபோல
கொல்லப் பயன்படும் கீழ்"

எனக்கு தெரிந்து கரும்பு உவமையாக்க பட்ட ஒரே குறள். மன்மதன், கரும்பு போன்றவை காமத்துப்பாலில் பயன்படுத்த பட்டு உள்ளதா தெரியவில்லை. எல்லா தவர வகைகளையும் நாம் கொன்று தான் உண்ணுகிறோம். ஆக இந்த கொல்லுதல் பிழிதலை அர்த்தப்படுத்துவதாக கொள்ளலாம். அப்படியென்றால் திருக்குறள் காலத்திலே கரும்பை எதைக் கொண்டோ பிழிந்திருக்கிறார்கள். பிழிந்து என்ன செய்து இருப்பார்கள் சாரயம்? சக்கரை? சக்கரை செய்தார்களோ இல்லையோ கரும்பை பிழிவது என்ற அளவிலாவது தொழில்நுட்பம் தெரிந்து வைத்துள்ளனர். 2000 வருடம் முந்தியே கரும்பாலை வைத்திருந்தோமா? என்னளவில் இது ஆச்சரியமாக உள்ளது, மற்றொரு விசயம்: கரும்பை கடித்து தின்பது அன்றுதொட்டு அந்த அளவு பழக்கதில் இல்லை, இருந்திருந்தால் இந்த குறள் அர்த்தம் இழக்கிறது.

Potpourri

There are several things which I thought of writing and got slipped as I am travelling in all the 4 ships valluvar said in kural 605 . I am trying to put everything in this blog . Possibly there could be some accuracy errors as I have to refresh my memory and write.

1. I watched pachaikili on the first day, in a theatre in San Jose which is being used to screen Indian movies alone. The theatre was too small and screen looked archaic. Still the movie watching experience was not bad, because of, good air circulation, good sound system and not so bad chairs. I think the rural theatres in Tamilnadu can also be maintained like this. But the catch is these theatres charge same as the good looking theatres but in Tamilnadu there is a huge difference. About the movie, every one has their own reasons why pachaikili fails to satisfy. When I watched the first half I could not help but to think of Balumahendra. Everything is same except colors and background. In Balu movies it will be simple (i don't have a better word to put) which makes us to feel we are watching it in life and not in screen. Here its like Mani movies. The color contrasts ,tints and background music which often shows its presence makes us to remind we are watching a movie. The second half is typical Gautham masala, and the last session is an unwanted appendage. Further dialogues are not so consistent. In a conversation which is interspersed with English words, the lady uses the word"கணவர்". I don't think no one will use that word in such place. I wish he could have given more care for dialogue and avoided these glitches.But still I like the movie for the first half and enjoy it in the second half except for last 20 minutes or so.

2. Read 4 Novels in last 3 weeks. Black Friday by James Patterson, lord of rings part1, Eye of the needle by Ken Follet, Silence of the lambs by Thomas Harris. Most of the page-turner genre novels search for something or someone. This is common in all the three novels (Lord of Rings has also something like that but in different context. So lets leave it). But what makes the difference is the way it is presented. Black Friday fails miserably because its too brief. It does not establish any character. It has all the things that these genre of novels have: protagonist has to win over time, there is an insider, the negative character is misguided by someone who exists in both good and evil group. But all these happens in a hurry. So we don't feel an exhilaration or relief when all veils are removed . We neither feel the sense of urgency or the weight of expedition . The one-liners are too banal. The novel fails miserably.

Eye of the needle becomes great because of the meticulousness of details. First few pages clearly shows its written by an English novelist. Its a simple spy novel (Might be a path break when its published. But now I am reading it after reading some novels which came later.) A spy gets some privileged info, police want to stop him. Certain lines uttered by the main characters are nice but its few. What makes it interesting is the details. A worthy read. Looking forward to read more from the author.

I took silence of lambs as there are more references for the movie and I could not get the movie. I could not remember anything I read so far as vulgar / crude as this. May be its because of the people it deals with. But the novel has correct mix of thriller and emotion. There are not much details about why the serial killer had become so, but the novel is not much about him. There are several instances which reminded me some of the scenes in Tamil film. We can call it inspiration or plagiarism depending on where we belong. Especially the personal reason of Kamal to chase the psychopath in vettayaiyadu vilaiyadu or the scene Nandhu introduced in Aalavandhan. Lot more. There are lot of details about the way how the FBI zeros down the serial killer. The interrogations with former forensic psychiatrist turned cannibalistic sociopath is well crafted. FBI knows he knows the serial killer, but made him to believe that they are using his intelligence and asks for clue and traces from it. The spiralling way the story moves based on his clues, the complications that comes in the middle, altogether makes a nice plot. The movie is not much action and mostly based on interrogation and I wonder how it was made as a good film . It should be a good work. Have to see it.

3. I watched Charlie Chaplin's City Lights. Its a simple love story. There is an interesting piece of comedy sequence in the movie. There are also some nice acting scenes by Chaplin, especially in the climax. But when I see the movie with the idea that it came some 75 years back, i could not help but to remember how much the movie is used by Tamil film makers(whom only i know to comment). The whole film was broken into different pieces and used by most of our directors.

கவிதை

வெண்பா இலக்கணத்தை மீண்டும் படித்தது முதல் எதையாவது ஏழு சீருக்குள் தளை தட்டாமல் எழுதி விடவேண்டும் என முயன்று தோற்று போகின்ற நொடியில் தோன்றிய வரியை கொஞ்சம் மாற்றி அமைத்தால் குறள் வெண்பா இலக்கணத்துக்குள் அமைந்த சொற்றொடர் வந்தது. இதை கவிதை என்று சொல்ல மாட்டேன். எப்படி ஆங்கிலத்தில் house, home இரண்டுக்கும் வேறுபாடு உள்ளதோ அது போல் கவிதைக்கும், கவிதை போலுக்கும் இடையேவும் உண்டு. அந்த வித்தியாசத்தை வார்த்தைகளால் வரையறுக்க முடியும் என்று எனக்குத் தோன்றவில்லை. அது ஒரு 'feel factor'.
கவிதை அனுபவம்/ உணர்வு சார்ந்த ஒன்று. ஆகையால் அனைவருக்கும் ஒரு கவிதை, கவிதையாக தெரிய வேண்டியதில்லை. ஆனால், 'கவிதை போன்ற' ஒன்று யாருக்குமே ஒரு உணர்வை தராது. அது வெறும் தட்டையான சொற்களின் தொடர்ச்சி. மரபு கவிதை என்பது புள்ளி வைத்து கோலம் போடுவது போன்ற ஒரு செயல். மரபு கவிதைக்கு ஆதரவாக பல காரணங்கள் கூறபட்டாலும் (இசைக்குள் சுலபமாக நுழைவது ...) என் பார்வையில் தோன்றும் ஒரு காரணம், அது படைப்பாளிக்கு கூடுதலான நிறைவை தரும் என்பது. ஒரு நெரிசலான சாலையில் லவகமாக பேருந்தை ஓட்டுபவனுக்கும் புறவழிசாலையில் ஒட்டுபவனுக்கும் உள்ள வேறுபாடு போல். நீ சொல்ல நினைத்ததையே, நான் இன்னும் குறைவான சாத்தியங்களுக்குள் சொல்லிவிட்டேன் என்ற ஒரு edge. இது தான் பெரும்பான்மையான தமிழாசிரியர்களை மரபு சார்ந்தே எழுத தூண்டுகிறது என்று நினைக்கிறேன். அதே போல் இலக்கணம் அறிந்த வாசகனுக்கும் ஒரு பிரமிப்பு. "இத்தன fielder நிக்க வெச்சும் 4 அடிச்சிட்டான்யா!!" என்பது போன்று. இந்த பிரமிப்புக்கு ஈடு செய்வதற்காகத்தான் மரபு சாரா கவிதை எழுதுவோர் ஒரு புன்முறுவலையோ, இமை உயர்தலையோ தரக்கூடிய புத்திசாலிதனமான வரிகளை தங்கள் கவிதையில் வைத்துவிடுகிறார்கள். பரவலான மக்களால் ஏற்று கொள்ள பட வேண்டிய மரபு சாரா கவிதைக்கு இந்த 'புத்திசாலித்தனமான வரியே' ஒரு இலக்கணம் ஆகி விட்டது.

நான் எழுதிய அந்த 'குறள் வெண்பா' சொற்றொடர்:

தளை:
"எப்படிச் சொன்னாலும் எங்கேனும் தட்டு
வதுதட்ட வில்லை இதில்"

திருக்குறள்-3

"சொல்லுதல் யார்க்கும் எளிய அரியவாம்
சொல்லிய வண்ணம் செயல்"
அர்த்தம் புரிந்து கொள்வதற்கு மிக எளிமையான குறள். எங்கள் ஊர் பேருந்துகளில் அதிகம் பயன்படுத்த பட்ட குறள். ஆனால் என்னுள் இந்த குறள் அதிகம் தாக்கம் ஏற்படுத்தியது வேலைக்கு சேர்ந்த பின்தான். வார்த்தைக்கும் வாழ்க்கைகும் இடையே பள்ளம் விழும் இடங்களில் எல்லாம் மனதுள் ஒலிக்கும் குறள். திருக்குறள் பகுப்பு முறையும், அது ஒருவரால் படைக்க பட்டது என்பதும் பலரால் நிறுவ படுகிறது. இருந்தாலும்,
அது தொட்டுச் செல்கின்ற கருத்துக்களை காணும் போது அது ஒருவரால் ஒரே சமயதில் படைக்க பட்டிருக்க முடியுமா என்ற சந்தேகமே/ மலைப்பே எழுகிறது. துறவறத்தையும், காமத்துப்பாலையும் ஒரே stretchil எழுத முடியுமா? அப்படி இல்லை என்றாலும் முதல் குறள் படைத்த காலத்திலேயே இவ்வளவு பெரிய படைப்பு பற்றிய எண்ணம் இருந்திருக்குமா? ஆனால், என்னிடம் ஒரு முடிவை எடுத்துக்கொள்வதற்கு தேவையான அளவு ஆதாரங்கள் இல்லை. இன்றைய நிலையில் நான் திருக்குறள் ஆதிமூலம் பொருத்தவரை ஒரு agnostic.
இந்த குறள் வினைதிட்பம் கீழ் வருகிறது. ஆனால் எனக்கு இது 'ஒரு தனி மனிதனின் எண்ணங்களுக்கும் சமூக எதிர்பார்ப்புகளுக்கும் இடையே வேறுபாடுகள் தோன்றுகிற இடத்துக்கும் பொருத்தமான' குறளாகவும் தோன்றுகிறது. theory of relativity எப்படி இயற்பியல் தாண்டியும் பொருந்துமோ, அதுபோல இது செயலை தாண்டியும் அர்த்தபடுகிறது.

திருக்குறள்-2

"கற்றதனால் ஆய பயனென்கொல் வாலறிவன்
நற்றாள் தொழாஅர் எனின்."

குறள் படித்த அனைவரும் கட்டாயம் கேள்வி பட்டிருக்க கூடிய குறள். நீண்ட காலத்திற்கு இக்குறள், கல்வியின் பயன் கடவுளை வணங்குவது எனும் பொருள் தருவதாகவே மட்டுமே தோன்றியது. பின் வாலறிவன் என்ற சொல் சமண சொல் என்ற வாதம் கேள்வி பட்டேன். கல்வியின் பயன் அறிவில் மூத்த பெருந்தகையாளரின் முன்னே வணங்கி நிற்றல் எனும் 'நாத்திக' கருத்து அறிமுகமானது. இதன் தொடர்ச்சியாய், வாலறிவன் = அனைத்தும் அறிந்தவன் எனும் அர்த்தம் வருமோ எனத் தோன்றியது. அப்படி சாத்தியப்பட்டால் , அனைத்தும் அறிந்தவர் பாதம் தொழாவிட்டால் கல்வியின் பயன் இல்லை என அர்த்தபடுகிறது. அனைத்தும் அறிந்தவர்(ன்) இருக்க முடியுமா ?( கடவுள்??). அல்லது ஒட்டுமொத்த அறிவுக்கு கொடுக்கபட்ட உருவம்தான் வாலறிவனோ?. பாதம் பனிதல் என்றால் அடக்குத்துடன் இருத்தல் எனக் கொள்ளலாம். அப்படி என்றால், "அறிவுலகின் முன் பணிவுடன் இருத்தல், அதாவது கற்றது கைமண் அளவு என்பதே கல்வியின் பயன்."

திருக்குறள்-1

என் பள்ளி காலங்களில் நான் திருக்குறளை கவிதை என்ற வட்டதிற்குள் வைத்ததே இல்லை. எல்லோரும் குறளை புகழ்வதை படிக்கும் / கேட்கும் (என் அப்பாவும் மற்றொரு மாமாவும்) போதெல்லம் எனக்கு, “இதில் என்ன இலக்கண வரையறைக்குள் எகப்பட்ட கருத்துகள் உள்ளன , ஆனால் கவிதை?....” என்ற எண்ணமே தோன்றும். வைரமுத்தும், மேத்தாவும் எழுதிய "கவிதைகளில்" சொக்கி கிடந்த காலம்.

காலம் மாற உணவு ரசனைகள் மட்டும் அல்ல கவிதை சார்ந்த ரசனைகளும் மாறின. இந்த மாற்றதிற்கு காரணம் சில வாழ்வியல் அனுபவங்கள், அந்த நொடியில் மனதில் மின்னிய குறள்கள். மற்றொன்று, நம்ம ஊர் அரசு பேருந்துகள். என்னோட எண்ண படி 20 குறளுக்குள் ஒன்றைதான் எல்லா அரசு பேருந்திலும் எழுதி இருக்கிறார்கள். சினிமா பாடல்கள் கூட ஒலிக்காத அந்த பேருந்து பயணங்களில் நம்மையும் அறியாமல் நம் உள்ளே போய் தங்கிவிடும் அந்த குறள்கள் ஒரு புதிய பரிமானத்தை காட்டும்.

நான் பதிவு செய்ய விரும்புவது திருக்குறளுக்கு அர்த்தம் அல்ல. மு.வா தொடங்கி வைத்ததை பல பேர் தொடர்ந்து விட்டார்கள். சான்டியல்யன், சுஜாதா கூட உரை எழுதி உள்ளனர். நான் குறளையோ, எந்த உரையையோ முழுதாக படிதவன் இல்லை. ஆனால் நான் புரட்டிய வரையில் பெரும்பாலும் குறளுக்கு உரை எழுதிய நொடியில் மட்டும் எல்லாரும் மு.வா ஆக இருந்திருக்கிறார்கள். சுஜாதாவின் கதைகளில்/கட்டுரையில் இருக்கும் எள்ளல் கலந்த நடையையோ, கலைஞரின் வார்த்தை விளையாட்டையோ எதிர்பார்த்தால் மிஞ்சுவது எமாற்றமே! ஒரு வேளை இவர்கள் எதோ குறிப்பிட்ட குறள்களுக்கு மட்டும் (சாண்டில்யன் காமத்து பாலுக்கு) உரை எழுதி இருந்தால் நன்றாக இருந்திருக்குமோ..

நான் பதிவு செய்ய போவது என்னை ஈர்த்த குறள்களை பற்றிய என் உளறல்களை தான்.

Hopefully, next round

After a hiatus, i hope i'll start again to scribble. However there are some issues like, the utility to type in tamil is not getting installed in vista. so may be no tamil blabbering still there is an alternative.