Last day at my first job

29^th July 2010: “Bid Adieu; please help yourself with some sweets at my desk”. This was my first email of the morning to my fellow colleagues.

Just sat back in my seat, thinking about the last 22 months.

June 11 2007(If I am not wrong), I was recruited by my first company to work with them when I was in my final year of college. As all, even I was ecstatic and felt above the world. After a long wait, I joined the company on 25^th Sep 2008. I was off to trivandrum for my training for little over 4 weeks. And was back in Chennai to work from my base branch. Initially, I was in what is famously called the bench period (ppl in service industry would know what exactly I mean here). All my friends were into projects quite early. My bench period was long enough that one of my close pal’s mom recognized me as a guy who goes to office just to sign (“Ho avana? Company poi sign pottu vanthuduvane… :D)

As time passed, I was in and out of few projects. May be I can term even this as what is called my FATE. Mixed emotions, hard feelings, few sensible and few insensible thoughts were flooding my mind. Got some serious time to read a lot, to watch movies, to enjoy all sporting actions on TV, long biking trips (solitude my only company), thinking about lots more (which I thought I should never think). Anyways, ALL iz well!! All iz well!! I got some time to think about what is next in stock for me. I had to concentrate on things which would keep me occupied and move further.

Needed a change; needed a change that will keep me away from few things; needed a change that will keep me occupied; needed a change that is going to keep me going; needed a change that is going to help me;

“Sala, sweets acha thaa re!!!” the voice of Asis brought me back to reality. Well, he is one guy probably I have been with too often, whether it was for regular fag sessions or fixing up couple of drinks during Fridays or lending my ears to listen to some of his sensitive issues. It was coz of this guy, I learnt conversing in Hindi to a considerable extent, actually “urndi” (Urdu + Hindi ;)).

Folks flocked to my desk for some sweets and short conversations. Hari, Sathish, Santhini, Shalini, Vijay, Prince, and all the others were at my desk. “Thanks for the sweets”; “nice sweets”; “All the best” blah blah blah. Passed some time talking with them. And now, back to my reverie.

Those were the days, I was into serious thoughts of how to change the way I was. Lots of questions flooded my mind; “Why am I thinking all this?”, “What am I doing?”, “Where am I gonna end up” etc etc. I just had to make some quick but coherent decision to change all this. That was my decision to spend some time in further technical studies. Decided this time it should be different, different in all terms. And there started my preparation for the hunt. (In pic: My work place in Chennai)

Concentrated pretty hard, doing some homework and researching on places where I can end up, doing some serious work. Spend long hours on the internet, educated myself about the process. Satisfied all the pre-requisites and decided what I actually wanted. Started applying for Universities, kept my fingers crossed for their decisions. At the same time, Work at company kept me engaged for most of the time after that. Leaving for home at 12, 1 at midnight was quite new to me. Spent some really good time with people at work place. This was supposed to be the liveliest time at my company.

On the other hand the admission decisions started flowing in. My most ambitious university stroke a bounce, in the very beginning. However, all the other three were and I had to decide from my options. Well, that was not a babbling task at all ;). Next in was the VISA process, got it quite easily. On 1^st July 2010, sent my resignation letter to the HR in-charge.

“Hey! utt, break chale”, It was again Asis calling for a break.

Back to reality, And, I was counting the last few hours of my first job.

In the evening, I was given a small souvenir. Yea, this is one team which has to be remembered for some time to come. Plenty of “hand-shakes”, lots of “all the best”, plenty of “keep in touch”; Met my HR for the final formalities, handed over my identity card and made my way back home, with the thought, I will not have to return back for my job the next morning. No formal attire, No daily bus jaunts, No cubicle chit-chats and No longer a salaried person as-well :D

You can Blame me...

as life goes on and on,
things I did had affected people who have
been close to me, who have helped me,
and been with me

I take this space to apologize
for things
that I have done,
and for things
that are yet to occur

may it be bitter combats or cold wars,
or misconceptions; You can blame me,
I might have been a reason
for all these, and may be more

You can blame me for things,
I have forgotten to do,
I have forgotten to tell,
I have forgotten to act,
and for everything I have not done

I didnt know, wat I spoke had affected ppl
I didnt know, wat I did had an impact on ppl
I didnt know, wat can be done for all that
you can blame me for all these,
and may be more

If I cant apologize, for all that I have done,
It is a shame on me,
and again you can blame me even for that

I still remember...

Looking for the reasons for all de feelings in my life
do I need to move on without any strife,
the pain I am having is worse than cut by a pruning knife,
all I have to do is carry on alife

I still remember the day when I said I am needing you,
just couldn't realize that the time just flew;
I still remember the days walking by your side,
and now searching for the footsteps beside;

I could still feel the fragrance of you
that haunts me, I suffer the pain of blue;
I could still feel the touch of you,
making me cry, making me dull;

I still remember the eyes for which I was allured,
and that which made me stay immured;
I still remember every move you made,
every word you spoke, and it just cant fade;

Thanks for the time you gave me,
thinking if it was bide a wee,
hours together with you just flee
and now, its just the paining spree;

I still remember the smiling face that you threw,
to make me strong
but I don't deny it was the pain you were going through,
and that makes me weak

I just cant stop loving you,
But, still have to bid adieu
Soooooooorry! Sooooooooorry!

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa!!!

After the opulence success of Varanam Aayiram, Gautham Vasudev Menon comes up with a subject for which he is most sort of, a love story. The director with a brilliant knack of narrative capability comes up with a simple love story with a dramatically simple screenplay which is handled very meticulously. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (VTV) is full of different emotions with LOVE as a stable base of emotions.
VTV has an altogether different cast for gautham, with Simbu (Karthik) and Trisha (Jessie) donning the role of lead pair. The film has a very limited renowned cast line. The blood in de vein does never change, so as gautham menon's protagonist as a mechanical engineer. Karthik is a mechanical engineer aspiring to become a film director, falls in love with Jessei at first sight. The love, the confusion, intercast problems, the stability and the destiny of the couple are explicated by gautham in his own style of film making.

Simbu, known for his finger-tricks, thrifty punch dialogs, unimaginatively despairing stunt sequences has undergone an entirely different makeover and has become an exact gautham menon product. His expressions, ease in dialogue delivery, chemistry with trisha have all worked perfectly well and has fitted the shoes of a boy next door image. His leg shakes for the hossana number has to have a mention out here. With Maniratnam's film lined up next for simbu, we can expect a change in audience's attitude towards him. Trisha has done her job in a satisfactory manner with clarity in expression and no unwanted glamor. Ganesh as simbu's friend has done a considerable job and the conversation between them are realistic and thoroughly enjoyable. KS Ravikumar has played his real time character and at his best as always. All other characters just make enough contributions to the movie.

ARR numbers were top on charts before the movie could hit the silver screens. BGM in the scenes at kerala was scored in a congenially soothing manner which testifies the mellowness of kerala along with the hint of romance. Its always good to know that the academy award winning music composer has more under his kitty to make his fans ecstatic through his music dexterity. Camera by Manoj Paramahamsa has scripted every individual scene in a very aesthetic and shrewd manner. The camera work has always been an important attribute in any Gautham's movie and so as VTV an example.

Dialogues like "Gautham menon, oru padathaiye rendu varusham edupaaru", "Avan Avan love'kaage america'ke poran, na kerala pogamaatena", makes the audience burst into realistic online humor. The only blemish one could consider about the movie would be its second half which was on the lengthier side which took its own time to move on and tests the forbearance of the beholders. Nevertheless, VTV is enjoyable and one can feel the authentic emotions of love and pain very patiently.

Bottom line: A simple love story dealt with a dramatically simple and aesthetic screenplay with a visual treat.

Aayirathil Oruvan

A movie which was awaited for more than 2 years is finally at silver screens, and is straight away worth the wait, purely for the people with a movie watching dexterity. The Dream Valley Corporation's Aayirathil Oruvan deals abt the war between the Pandyas and Cholas. The notion of the war and its intensity in the current era. Dealing with such a complex motif, Selva has given a perfect period drama of 2.30 hrs.
The film begins with the cholas chased away from their native(Thanjai). The muddle conceived by them during their evacuation forms the reason for the combat in the modern era. The trick(read it as casuistry and delusion) handled by the pandyas to solve the snare laid by the cholas, and who won the battle forms the core of the storyline. Selva has taken pain in giving the viewers the exact feel of a period film, which is quite evident in the second half of the film. Beholders are expected to have minimal tamil (Sokka Tamil) and medieval tamil history knowledge to enjoy the piquancy of the film. (Thanks for my 10th grade Tamil)

There are surely few scenes in the film which no one can have a justification, except Selva himself. Few gore scenes do make your face go crooked, but one just cant avoid most of the on screen display. Few Scenes involving reema sen, and the others involving the army during the latter part of the film are quite disgusting, however this indeed does provide the quintessential emotions.


Karthi and Parthiban have done their job to perfection. The dance sequence for the theme song was a sure "once more" at the theatres. Reema Sen's lip sink seems to be very grisly on screen and Selva should have had a second thought in selecting an artist for such a powerful role. But yes, her performance is sure to gain appreciation from all corners. Andrea's inane acting skills would hardly earn her a name, may be she should restrict herself in just the singing department. Although the screen is almost crowded with a huge clan of junior artists throughout the film, other familiar faces to share the screen are Alagam Perumal and Pratap Pothan.

Camera my Ramji has attributed to the film to a very good extent. G.V.Prakash's BGM was a big plus to the film and the songs have undoubted grossed to a huge amount even b4 the film hitting the silver screens. The only glitch abt the flim would be its extended and a little obfuscating screenplay. But, handling such a complex subject, these minimal flaws should be condoned and overlooked. The targeted audience are not all of the theatergoing "freaks", but the sophisticated movie beholders who do enjoy the feel and auro of ecstasy. (Ecstasy: The feeling of having a feel to feel a feeling which has never been felt before)

Selva has provided a movie which surely cannot be explicated as a trendsetter. Such movies would rather have the value only if they are filmed by great people and once in a decade. They are not easy to make and not easy to enjoy. Selva has laid a visual platform for Kamal Hassan, who has been aiming to make Marmayogi and Maruthanayagam which would be period films on its own terms.

Bottom Line: Hit the theatres if you have the oomph to enjoy.

Aayirathil Oruvan - SelvaRaghavan

A Responsibility

"Cop attacked, Ministers mere spectators"

"Irresponsibility from ministers"

"Cop died on road, struggling for help"

These are the few phrases hitting the headlines of the media in the recent days. This is one of the brutal acts to have happened in the recent past. The term "Brutal", I am quoting here is not the attack on the cop, but the lose of a life on the camera.



"Cop attacked", Ho yes!!! "Ministers were spectators", Ho yes!!! So what was the guy with the camera doing there? Shooting a live death for a blunt publicity, obtuse money and perfect exhibition??? In first place, people to be questioned in this act are obviously the politicians in white and white, but as of now, we should be tired of complaining about the politicians. All what is expected from the politicians is "I seriously condemn this incident". I have been struggling to conceive the connotation of this very phrase for a long time now. Anything happens in Oz for the Indian students, the External Affairs Minister condemns it; For a very serious terrorist drama, the Prime Minister and Home Minister condemn it. That is the best thing they have been doing all these years. So, its mere desolation in investing time and faith on such egocentric, narcissist politicians. (It wont be of a great surprise, if the word POLITICIAN becomes the synonym for egocentric and narcissist in the near future)

So, now the next person who can take the responsibility of such acts are the public in the proximity and the dignified camera men, who are very patriot over their job. The priority of shooting a live death over the humanity of providing an assistance to a man on the verge of losing his life is a perfect example of the uncivilized, boorish, uncouth characteristic of the media. This ignorance should be considered as a high priority criminal act.

Countries like Albania, Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Croatia, Hungary, Finland, Russia etc have this law seriously implemented. In Germany, "Unterlassene Hilfeleistung" (neglect of duty to provide assistance) is a serious offense according to the para 323c.

Under para 323c of German Law: Whoever does not render assistance during accidents or common danger or need, although it is required and can be expected of him under the circumstances and, especially, is possible without substantial danger to himself and without violation of other important duties, shall be punished with imprisonment for not more than one year or a fine.

A notable incident to quote is, the investigation carried out against the photographers, who were present at the scene of Princess Diana's fatal car accident for violating the French law of "non-assistance à personne en danger" (deliberately failing to provide assistance to a person in danger).

The need of such a law in India is highly indispensable at this point of time. When the section 377 of Indian Penal code can easily be amended to decriminalization, under huge publicity, then this law has to be implemented at any inevitable cost. Hope this gets materialized as soon as possible and courtesy and responsibility among individuals increases atleast during pathetic crisis.