Life & Lessons

Time sails, moments pass,

Yet the feelings remain,

Unquenched and expectant,

Parched in the end.

For the test of time

Leaves treasured scars,

More profound than before,

More draining forever.

Yet the teachings abound,

Lessons that stand testimony

To whatever remains of time.

Alas, if only there were a trial,

If only there were an option,

If only there were a choice

To relive every moment again,

Life would be far easier! But

Then that would be a myth,

And not truly life!!!

What does life really teach?

Why does life really teach?

How does life really teach?

You see, for every lesson,

There is a cost,

There is a maturity,

There is less of wonder!

As we graduate,

With more wisdom 

We lose time,

We lose innocence,

We lose life itself.

With all that it teaches,

We grow more numb,

We grow more silent,

We keep our distance.

Because we know

Those lessons, those teachings,

Can never be put to test again.

After all, life is but once!!

Life as it is..

 Life is not always fair.  

You give a little, expecting nothing.  

You give your all, still expecting nothing.  

Yet life, at times, throws shit at you.

For all the sacrifices made,  

Fairness was never its promise.

For life was always about living!

Living as it unfolds,  

Celebrating as it arrives.

Loss or gain,  

love or hate,  

Melancholy or joy,

Each moment belongs to the journey.

For every journey is unique,  

Every life is unique,  

Every moment happens just once.

So accept life as it is and gently celebrate it,

For the quiet peace within the self.

Age & Time

They pass, unbending, unkind.

Like feelings, they never come back the same and

Most often, they never return at all.

Life unfolds, moments vanish, 

Time sails quietly on but 

Some scars refuse to fade,

Like truths no dawn can erase.

Time does not heal.

It only numbs the soul,

Teaching us to carry our wounds

As though they were destiny.

We may rise tomorrow,

Rich beyond measure, but

Nothing can undo the footprints

Of pain already etched in us. 

And maybe that is the beauty of life,

That it never forgives, 

Never bends, never pities.

It simply moves, indifferent, 

Yet worshipped by all.

We dangle by a thread,

Fragile, unseen, never

Knowing when it will snap.

Between laughter and sorrow,

Failures and fragile hopes,

we live inside illusions!!

Dreaming of victories that may never come,

Mouring the moments already gone.

From birth to death,

Life whispers the same lesson!!

How brief, how fragile,

How insignificant we truly are.

மௌனம் பேசும் திமிர்

 சொல்ல ஆயிரம் உள்ளது

சொன்னால் மாறுமா?

கதிரவனோ அம்புலியோ

சுற்றமோ நட்போ

செல்வமோ வறுமையோ

சிரிப்போ அழுகையோ

எதுவும் மாறாது!

கேட்கும் மனம் நோவும்

சொல்லும் மனம் கதறும்

இதில் மாற்றம் இல்லை!

சொன்னாலும் மாற்றம் இல்லை!

கேட்டாலும் மாற்றம் இல்லை!

உன்னிடம் தான் கேட்கிறேன் —

அவ்வளவு திமிரமா?

கேட்டவர்கள் பலர்!

வாய் மட்டும் இல்லை,

மனமும் சாய்ந்து போகும் —

சொல்லாத கண்ணீர் வழிய,

ஊரார் முன் திமிர் கொண்ட

முகமூடி அணிந்து,

மௌனம் என்னும் நகை அணிந்து,

புன்னகையின் பின்

உணர்வுகளை புதைத்துத்,

வலம் வந்தான் — நகைத்து கொண்டு,

தன் நிலைமையின் திமிரை எண்ணி

Born to win

In faith, we trust -

In trust, we hope -

In hope, we live.

But when faith falters,

When trust decays,

And hope betrays —

Life moves, unfazed -

With a mocking grin,

A hollow cheer and

A smile veiling bitter fear.

Yet through the cracks, resolve breaks free -

No faith to cling to, no trust to see.

No hope but a great certainty within,

This life was always meant to win. 

Inevitable

For every life, death awaits!

A good life, a bad life,

A great life, an ugly life — Still 

Death greets us all!

As much as life happens,

So does death — it happens!

Not why, not how,

Not where, not when

We know - it just happens.

Sometimes as a shock,

Sometimes as a relief,

Sometimes as a surprise,

Sometimes as a closure,

Sometimes even as happiness —

It happens, for it is inevitable!

Infancy’s laughter,

Adolescence’s dreams,

The restless pulse of teenage years,

Adulthood’s burdens,

The fragile grace of old age —

Yet death can caress at any time,

Even before birth!!

In love, in pain,

In smiles, in laughter,

In contentment, in void —

Death does not care,

For it is inevitable,

For it is the only truth.

For every heartbeat, a stillness lingers.

For every life, a death is inevitable. 

Sometimes, mostly every-time!

Sometimes, mostly every-time

We end up learning the hard way!

Lessons we read and re-read million times

Morals we sworn by and told ourselves a million times

Boundaries we set and took pride in, a million times

Ethics we lived and was praised for a million times - yet

We just love to re-learn them - The hard way!

We test ourselves brutally - for

Life is once! Moments are once!

We love lessons etched for eternity - not

Sometimes, mostly every-time!

Life’s worth

 Everything is worth what it offers,

Everything is worth what it deserves.

Worthy of all things,

Yet worthy of none.

Life cycles endlessly,

Until life perishes, giving up on evaluating - 

Anything's worth.

Sleep

 Sleep, we all experience everyday

When we trust

When we are trusted

When we promise

When we plan,

When we hope

When we cry,

We all sleep, everytime

Until we sleep forever!

I Me & Myself

 Of the aches and whims we have

Of the missess and losses we cry

We miss the many chances

Of love and kindness 

Of gratitude and forgiveness

We can give and be thankful for

Life happens just like that

Whether we miss

Whether we give

Whether we thank

Whether we forgive

Life happens, moments pass,

For a later day

Of remorse and regrets,

That we can avoid today

Just if we pause on the thought 

Of I Me & Myself.

மாயோனே

 மாயோனே என் மாயோனே

மாயோனே நான் ரசிக்கும் மாயோனே 

என்னைக் காக்க மறுக்கும் மனமும் உனக்கு உண்டோ?

என்னை ஆளும் மாயாவியே!

மாயோனே என் மாயோனே 

உன்னை காண கோடி கண்கள் வேண்டாமோ?

மாயோனே - என்னை காக்கும் மாயவா 

உன்னை துதிக்காத தருணம் வேண்ட - வரம் 

அருள்வாயோ கருநீல அழகா!!எனை ஆளும் மாயாவியே!

 

மாயோனே என் மாயோனே 

வைரம் சுழலும் சக்ரதாரி -

ஒரு க்ஷணம் போறாதோ மாயவா ?

என்னை சுழலும் மாயச் சக்கரம் உடைக்க,

உன் திருவடி விட்டு நான் நகராமல் வைராக்கியம் கொள்ள?

ஒரு வரம் அருள்வாயோ? எனை ஆளும் மாயாவியே!

மாயோனே என் மாயோனே 

அபய ஹஸ்தம் கொண்டு காப்பீரே,

உன் மாய வலையில் மீண்டு - நான் 

உன்னை காண வரும் தருணம் 

இவன் பால் இரக்கம் கொண்டு- திருமால் அடி சேர 

வரத ஹஸ்தமும் அருள்வீரே,எனை ஆளும் மாயாவியே!

மாயோனே என் மாயோனே 

என்னை காக்கும் மாயோனே 

நான் துதிக்கும் மாயோனே 

என்னை துதிக்க வைக்கும் மாயோனே 

உன் புன்முறுவல்  ஒன்று போதாதோ?

இந்த மாயையில் சிக்கி தவிக்க 

கோடி ஜென்மம் எடுப்பேன் 

மீண்டும் மீண்டும் உன் புன்முறுவலை ரசிக்க,

எனை ஆளும் மாயாவியே!

மாயோனே என் மாயோனே....

Kaala - Karikalan

Having watched Pa Ranjith + Rajini combo movie, I am still not able to get out of it. The fact that I have wasted half the movie running time and making me feel guilty for wasting my time and money that too on a Rajini movie , adding to that combo of making me feel kabali was a million times better movie - even after multiple twist and turns on the bed, trying to sleep over night and digest the fact which I still not able to  - there goes my longest rant in one breath!!!!! Having set the tone, if you done like the post above please don't waste your time to read further, these are my opinion and I am entitled to have one, and I don't give a damn of what u or anyone else might feel is general right for the society. Well I am taking the same stance as the director of the movie, where each one is entitled to have their own version of the story, even though the original author might have penned it differently.

The story is no different, a robin hood styled don, fighting for the masses and their rights, even if the path is a crime. We have seen 1000s of movies across the globe. The speciality of this script is the screenplay, suited to go with the likes of Tamil audience, involving the recent protests across the state of TN and showcasing the black politics in general behind the scene on all such protests suiting the imagination of well, whomsoever wants to have one :).  Split in two halves, the first half is paced well and a lot of likeable things. Second half does drag a bit and one wonders towards the aim what really does the director want to convey!!!!

The positives first, Rajini!!! Anything more to ask for on the screen? At his age, the charisma, screen presence that he brings to the stage along with the histrionics are a joy to watch. His dialogue deliveries are impeccable and still caries a punch. Not to mention his subtle humor. Played along with him, Eswaro Rao as selvi has a lot to offer and they both make a fine pair on the screen to enjoy whenever they share the screen. Dilipan, Manikandan literally plays as the poles apart sons of a don. Dilipan while literally carrying all the weight of a Rajini action chances, Manikandan has carried the justice ideals of rajini we know. Along comes Anjali Patil and Samuthrakani showcasing their versatility and a charm to watch. On the bgm, Santhosh Narayanan helps the movie as much as Rajini has. His awesome combo with Pradeep Kumar kannama lingers with us even after the movie, and their winning streak continues.

Nana patekar wins us with his eyes and subtle facial expressions. Stacks up well as a worthy opponent to superstar. That is the only Ok part of the movie.

As much as Rajini was a power pack, he is totally wasted towards the end. The director seem to have had multiple personalities and was in a hurry to have his name bring up in the end cards. He is neither able to justify the mass image of rajini, nor is he able to stick to his idealogies nor is he able to keep the screenplay engaging and sticking to the core plot. Nane patekar is absolutely wasted. Huma Quereshi as Zareena has a screen presence and well nothing has been made out of it. It just helps us to understand there was a love interest for Kala. When a character dies on screen, you want to feel the emotion, you want to feel bad. But well ranjith has other ideas. On every death there goes a happy rap song. Who comes up with such ideas? Probably the team wanted to improvise on the age old Tamil olam songs. But hey don't get me wrong, if we get to have a rap song on every death the world would welcome death more happily than births. That sums up the worst parts of the movie.

Somewhere between upholding the story, director's idealogies and wanting to brutally kill the safron flag politically - the screenplay and rajini both are lost. As the movie touches the 90min mark, director realizes he has to close the show soon. Things rushes on the screen and you don't feel anything moving inside you, just your stomach turning and your mouth about to open wide unable to digest the abomination on the screen with the star as Rajini.  While the screenplay preeches and shows the unity of multi religion , it for somehow fails to show the unity within the same religion...well only one sect of the society  can always be taken for a ride and expect them to be happy with it. So director makes use of it well.

If not for Rajini, this movie would not be watched!!!

Pa Paandi

Happen to catch this during a recent travel. I was very skeptical to watch the movie initially even after all the reviews. I though the reviews were are over exaggerated for the love of Danush. Even when i sat to watch the movie I was reluctant that i had to watch....But boy oh boy, i was in for a treat. Just like the actor Danush, the story was simple but packed a punch. The movie conveyed some very important things of life in a simple and a lighter way. The way Danush has handled the screenplay and direction does not look like a first timer. Probably its in the genes :)

The casting is really good. The BGMs are just adequate and songs are very nice. Special mentions must be made for Rajkiran , Revathy and the teenage friend of Power paandi in the movie. This is one movie, which has high names and does not rely on any skin show or vulgar dialogues. That is a major plus for the movie. If it is running in cinemas near you do take your parents also, they will enjoy this movie and my parents just loved it. 

Baahubali 2 - Conclusion

Having watched the movie almost 48 hrs later, I am still not out of the Baahubali world. This is one movie, which is beyond any review or criticism. If one says, he/she has reviewed this movie, I am sure that is made just for the sake of making one review. Has the movie lived to its hype? It is something that someone will never be worried about after experiencing Baahubali. It is an epic that has set new standards for movie making. 

Baahubali is just another movie with a son coming of age and taking revenge on the villian. Its a tried and well beaten plot, in all corners of the world and is still a subject that gets dumped on the movie goers time and again. So what sets Baahubali apart? Is it the CGI? Is it the bgm? Is it the visuals? Is it the acting? It is the mix of all the above and above all we have our man of the project Rajamouli's finest story telling blended with the right choice for acting/bgm/visuals that makes it the epitome of all such stories.

The cast rightly chosen have well complimented the tempo of the story, with the expression that is neither overdone or not much underplayed backed by the perfect BGM (from keeravani) and the CGI just enthralls the viewers. There is not a single moment when you can take the eyes off the screen, even if you are watching it the second time in cinemas. 

What stands out is the orchestration of Baahubali epic in front of you with so many things that are well crafted to relate past to the present. The high intensity drama where loyalty, corruption, love, betrayal, sibling rivalry and then finally winning of good over evil, that narration and story telling cannot be questioned. If we thought the interval block of Baahubali 1 was awesome, Baahubali 2 is thousand times enormous than that and also makes a perfect sense as to why Bhallala Deva feels bad after 25 years. There is so many such instances that co-relate and compliment the story till the end and that comes only with the best of narration. 

Even if you watch a 100 times, you will still come out of cinemas wanting more of Baahubali. 

Dhuruvangal 16

Sometimes we catch a movie for the sake of it and find them interesting, sometimes we find a movie interesting for its star cast or the star team behind it and find it - Ok not bad for a watchable. It is really, really, really really really rare you come across a movie recommended with much hype and you get to feel the same as you watch the movie and more rejuvenated once you see the title cards.

Dhuruvangal 16 is one such movie. A class movie that I have enjoyed in years. The acting was at its best, just the right amount of emotions, dialogue delivery as much as the script demanded. The editing was slick, direction and screenplay looked well orchestrated 1000 times before the actual shoot. Cannot really comment on any particular scene, since there was a subtle twist with each frame.

Will I enjoy it again? Maybe yes if I watch it after a long time. One neat product that will stay with you for long as you leave the screens.

Singam 3

So happen to watch a movie in a cinema accidentally and it was singam 3. The story starts with the murder of a commissioner and the super cop singam is deputed to investigate this further. Once you decide to watch this movie from Hari+Surya combo there are certain rules one must follow.

1) do not over think logic
2) expect lot of action sequences
3) there has to be SUVs in every frame of the movie
4) if possible get a high noise cancelling headphones

With all those criteria, is it worth a watch? Absolutely if you can sit through the
1) tedious, what and why on earth these abominations happen in the name of movie songs
2) hari's idea of a comedy track that is just turning to be a melancholic show with each movie

Surya carries the movie throughout, but one wonders whether he is out to prove his mettle as an actor or compete against BGM to prove a point as to who is louder...Sadly we could never arrive at a conclusion till we reach home. At least I cannot see a clear winner between  bgm and Surya's voice modulation. At the same time I must also acknowledge the effort put in to maintain the same physique since singam 1. The plot is good which talks about some social sense, but I wonder how many are really going to carry it home. Anushkha still seems to be in her size zero time frame, but gets the work done. Shruthi hassan has a purpose both in terms of the plot as well as the commercial perspective for the movie. Everyone else from old franchise including aachi gets to have a screen presence at least for few seconds.

All said and done you can enjoy it once if you liked the first two films and is definitely watchable in screens, ofcourse you need to have a high temperament for loudness.

Life's like that

We cry and whine but give a damn,
We laugh and smile but are never happy,
We shout and yell but know not what to talk
After all life's like that...

Full of ifs and buts in the past and future -
Never in the present nor about the present,
And when it dawns it is already too late

For memoirs of past locks us up in a gate

With worrying lines of fate

Enacting the far and near future.

After all life's like that...

Time flies by and thoughts sails by
Neither waits nor rests,
Thoughts at the right time and
Times with the right thoughts
Are a rarity to encounter,
For we have no time to rest
And dont rest enough on time
And when its time to rest finally
We still wish we had more time.
With thoughts of good and bad
Flashing in a jiffy
With thoughts of near and dear
Full of iffy.
After all life's like that...

Look not at the future nor at the past,
For there is no greater gift than present
That life can bestow upon you
With loads of time and thoughts to mince
Let it set you on a note of joy
A bond of love and a time of bliss.
Fret not of what you not have
Fret not of what you might not have
For you already have everything
All the time to smile and thoughts always to love

After all life's like that...

-sramven

Love...can you?

Between life and death
For a mortal soul
The longings are many
Sometimes even for death.

Departures are always sudden
And arrivals mostly on time.
Wretched soul never knows
It always happens....

Not of love, Not of hate
Not of joy, Not of melancholy
It always happens and
Always for a reason.

None can reason
How good it is- For
None can envision
How bad otherwise - Oh!!
The heart aches and
The soul cries - For,
The happenings never met
The happenings in its dreams.

With the million words
And the million hymns,
Prayers are in plenty
For a better life and
For a peaceful death,
With love in plenty
Through the passage.

The heart never lives
Where love is abundant and
The soul always craves
Where it is ignored.
For the life sails
In search of the mythical love,
And when it is time
The abundance is too heavy to float.

In search of love we live
In regret that we missed we die!!!
Oh isn't that all we do?
Too poor to stop death
Too arrogant to love back.
Ohh!! Poor mortal soul,
Love before its too late.

For love is wonderful
You give or take
You always gain in love,
You slap and kiss
You always gain in life.

Between life and death
For a mortal soul
The longings will be none
Sometimes even in death
If the heart is loved
And the soul loves back.

-sramven

Still..

She asked me
Why am I sitting still?
For I wanted to leave...
I decided to leave, But then
I did not have a company.
I passed,  But then
I did not know where to go.
I passed,  But then
I did not have money to spend.
I passed,  But then
I did not have time to invest.
I passed, But then
She came around asking me
Why am i sitting still?
I wonder if time has paused!!
Hell no!! My life just paused!!

Changes....

Life is a dance
With Moments of romance - And
With Moments of penance
With thoughts that are dense
And tears that condense
Leaving you in a trance

At every step a story,
With every glance an emotion,
Of life that changes -
Of time that branches
In pain and vain,
Insane and slain,
Yet sway and  spin
For life is to win.

After all life is once
With memories in tonnes
Which never changes once
For a life -  that changes in tonnes.