*From To Sathish* - Thread 3 - Page 26

BAHUBALI-MY THOUGHTS



"Comparison is the thief of joy," according to Theodore Roosevelt.


Comparison of anything and everything is something we indians delight and indulge in openly and secretly.To catch the average indain doing this,all one needs to do is stand still in some public place and observe.All secrets will be revealed and all secrets that plague our minds and lives are revealed.Constant comparing ourselves with others and their possessions lead not to happiness and surely leads to pain and stress.

With the burden of shifting house over,i finally worked up energy to go see Bahubali and was relieved to know that it was still being screened in thyagaraja theater on LB ROAD.Although satyam cinemas have taken it over and have totally revamped the place and given it a feel that compares well with the other elite multiplexes,i somehow have not mustered courage or energy to go catch a film there.Well,i have to confess what i confessed to avinash on the drive down to the theater that i knew that i was a bit of closet snob when it came to watching films with the extremes of society.Not that there is any difference between both sides and all that lies between for assholes still leave their mobiles on and have the gall to answer it while the film is playing.

Things that i am still cheesed of with

1-All things concerned with mobile phones.forget the call and the talk for even messaging shines such a bright light that it is downright distracting.
and
2- why do people book tickets and still manage to come twenty or thirty minutes late into the film and step on all toes and mutter " sorry,sorry " and meanwhile popping popcorn in the holes that pass of as mouths.some stand still with their buttocks in your face and try to watch the movie in that position.well.if it was deepika padukone i wouldnt mind but everyone else,get my drift.

3-sorry parents for bringing in infants and toddlers is just not done.



The film opened with the eternally spicy and sexy ramya krishnan who has finally managed to top her neelambari role in padayappa for they will now talk of sivagami character.I sat,watched,waited,waited and left the theater thinking " so what was the big deal."

remember my lines on comparison.well forget some great graphics and some equally poor graphics and scenes and backgrounds that remind you of films like lord of the rings,300,sleepy hollow and the mask.

The film stands purely on the performances of ramya krishnan,anushka,tamannah and satyaraj.Prabhas is prabhas and i just wondered if hrithik would have shown more intensity and style.Daggubati rana was okay.

Tamannah looked really hot and sexy and her acting skills has improved vastly from her earlier movies.

The story and scenes were just passable and predictable and the same old mother and son revenge story.

The songs were downright irritating and frustrating to sit and watch and even the great rajamouli focuses intently many times on tamannah's navel.well,below the navel is the real deal and that which obviously cannot be shown,so our filmakers continue to bake cakes,fry omletes and do other things with the stub of the umbilical cord.So understand and remember that Navel means that which lies below.

The women in the film have outclassed the brawny men with their lethal combination of beauty,brains and brawn.all the gook and all the layers cannot hide anushka's classy looks and acting.

satyaraj the veteran stands tall and takes one on his shoulders and chest and the old warhorse shows what he is made of which he showed us in Kadalora kavithaigal and vedham pudhidu.Bravo boss,bravo

Ramya wipes the floor with her huge eyes and steals,dominates in every scene that she is in and has some action too.

Bahubali stands in indian cinema as a film which has taken a mighty leap i terms of technology and vision.But sadly the story lets the film down for there is no great and lingering emotional attachment to the film or the characters and comes across as half baked and so near and yet so far.

I believe director rajamoulis other films such as MAGADHEERA AND EEGA were much better in story and screenplay.Maybe the second part will be more gripping and will leave you aching for more.But when the film ended abruptly and the words " Bahubali-2 in 2016 " scrolled across the screen,nobody flinched or most importantly nobody clapped.


Yes,nobody clapped although they were treated to some fantastic visuals and graphics.That tells the story of hype,marketing and mass hysteria.

Everybody asked me for my opinion and when i said i had yet to see the film,the withering and disappointing glares and glances that were showered on me shrunk my genitals and made me feel worthless and impotent.But i took my time and finally caught the film yesterday and what little joy the film gave me vanished in a jiffy when i found my car surrounded by two wheelers haphazardly parked and the exit blocked.well i am never taking my car to thyagaraja and if i have to go i will either jog my way or catch a auto.Be well.

Any gaalis,any vulgar swearings should please be directed to my inbox.Now my next few nights are going to be haunted by ramya and anushka.come women,come into my world.

Thanks for the "Bahubali" review, Satish.

Hi spain,
I have no idea why you cancelled your ticket for bahubali.I did not say the film was bad and my review is a reflection of my thoughts and opinions.Honestly,you might like the film and might like ti just for ramya,satyaraj,anushka's performances.Give it a try for timepass and go without any expectations and it might just work for you.

I am going to see bajrangi bhaijaan next week and then rogue nation mi5.

I thought of watching "Bahubali" on dvd instead.

TWO COINS

Time pass story or time itself.

One day Krishna and Arjuna were taking their usual walk, when they came across an old Brahmin begging, taking pity on his condition, Arjuna gave him a bag of gold coins. The man was overjoyed and went home. On his way he was robbed by a thief in the forest. He cursed his fate and the next day set off to beg again.

Arjuna and Krishna saw again and when Arjuna got to know of his story, once again took pity and gave him a large diamond. The man took it home and kept it in an old pot which had been unused for many years in order to keep it safe and went to sleep. The next morning before he could wake up, his wife went to fetch water from the river and on her way back, she slipped and her pot broke. She immediately remembered the pot at home which lay unused and brought it to fill it with water. Just as she dipped the pot in to the river the diamond escaped the pot and went in to the river. When she returned home the Brahmin was desperately searching the house for the pot and when he saw it in his wife's hands, he got to know what had happened. Dejected with what had happened, he once again left home to go begging.

Once again Arjuna and Krishna saw him and when Arjuna heard of the unfortunate incident that had happened, he told Krishna ," I don't think this man is destined to be blessed at all, I don't think I can help him anymore". Krishna then gave the man two pennies and the man took them and walked away. Arjuna then asked Krishna," My Lord, if gold coins and diamond could not change his condition, what good can two pennies do to him?". Krishna smiled and replied, "let us see".

As the man walked home he was cursing his fate when he saw a fish that had just been caught by a fisherman and was struggling for its life, he took pity on it and thought to himself," these two pennies cannot fetch me food anyway, let me at least save the life of this creature" and he purchased the fish and was about to throw it in the river when he saw that the breathlessness of the fish was caused due to some large obstruction in its mouth and when removed it , it was the very diamond he had lost in the river. He was overjoyed and started shouting "Look what I found! Look what I found". At this very time the thief that had robbed him in the forest was passing by and heard the Brahmins shouts, he recognized the Brahmin and thought that the Brahmin too recognized him and was thus shouting. Fearing that the Brahmin may take him to be executed, he rushed to him and begged for his forgiveness and returned all the gold coins he had stolen from him. The Brahmin was happy and walked away joyfully with all his wealth. He went straight to Arjuna to narrate the turn of events and thanked him for all his help and went away.

Arjuna then asked Krishna,"My Lord, how is it that my gold and diamond could not help him but your meager two pennies did?. Krishna replied," when he had the gold and diamonds he was only thinking of himself and his needs, but when he had the two pennies he put the needs of another creature before his and so I took care of his needs. The truth is O Arjuna when you think of the pain and needs of others and work to help them, you are doing God's work and hence God Himself takes care of you"

Wow. What a humbling and a truly enlightening lesson!

Chapter 82


"The most inefficient and self-harming thing a person can do is go out looking for love. Let it find you when the time is right and you're out doing what you love to do. Only then will you find it in its truest form." A.J. Darkholme, Rise of the Morningstar



Queen of the mountains


To or not to go was the question and it was tearing thenmozhi into shreds and finally she made up her mind and decided to follow azhagan and tell him that things were different now.Nearly ten days had passed and thenmozhi knew that she had to hurry for her instincts warned that time was now of the essence and time did not wait for anyone.She informed her father Nikantan and with just two of her closest aides went after Azhagan.

Ten days and nights had passed since he had left madurai and he stepped into the forests that bordered the magical land of Sairandhrivanam.An immediate feeling of peace and a sense of destiny filled his mind and azhagan felt joyous that he would be seeing his old master again.After a few minutes of searching he found a small stream and shedding his clothes,gently entered the cool water.he lay on his back and felt the water gurgle over him and stared into the sky.After sometime,he slowly sat up and started splashing water on himself and scrubbing himself and then hearing the noise behind him gently smiled for he knew who it was.

She came running,she came running with no care of shame or any thought,she came running with love and passion and she launched herself onto him.Her hot tears bathed his back and her long,black unruly hair lost themselves in his unruly hair.She lay on his back sobbing and the minutes felt like hours before she finally let her feet fall into the water and came around to stand face to face with him.

Azhagan smiled gently and stroked her cheek " malar,my beautiful malar.how have you been ?"

Malar's cheeks showed the rivers of tears that flowed from her eyes and azhagan let them flow for he knew she cried them in happiness and since her soul overflowed from joy and passion.

Malar gently took azhagan's hands and kissed them softly and pulling his head down kissed him deeply and for a long,long time.

Azhagan gently pushed her away " How is your father and the rest of the villagers faring ? I have come to stay for a while.so i guess i will be coming often to the village for good food,since my master gives me just water and little fruit when i am there learning from him."

Malar tugged at the thick growth of azhagan's beard " you look old,very old for your age and new lines that were not there before have carved themselves around your eyes."

Malar gently placed her head on his mighty chest and then looked up and stared at him " mighty one,so much seems to have happened.even you heartbeat feels different for it beats with lot of pain,whispering that is does not want to beat at all."

Azhagan eyes filled with tears and he turned away not wanting malar to see the sadness that filled his soul.

Malar gently kissed his eyes and then kissed his forehead and lowered his head and held it close to her bosom.

" Cursed must be the land and cursed are the times that have brought tears to our eyes.Mighty one,if you cry then how will i live on for seeing each tear of yours fall is like watching a piece of my soul being torn out with a sharp knife.Seeing you,our protector,our hero in tears must be signs of bad omens indeed."

Malar gently placed the sobbing azhagan on her lap and hugged him tight and both stayed like that crying their hearts out.

She looked into the mountains " mother goddess,i am but a simple woman.I have never asked anything for myself but from the time i can remember i have prayed for the well-being of the forest,the village and the people who live in it.But now i pray to you,i ask you,please bring peace and happiness into this great man's life.I am willing to sacrifice everything,even my love and my very life for his peace and happiness.so listen to my prayers and fulfill them."


For the first time,in many a day azhagan slept a dreamless sleep and nothing disturbed him.She sat with his head on her lap and she sat with her eyes and ears open and she watched over him like a lioness watches over her cub.


She stood watching for she could now see since she was dead and she watched her son sleep in safety,safely in safe's arms.

I am malar.I am the queen of the mountains.I rise now with my song of my love and my lover in my soul.I will be the light that brings peace and happiness in his hour of sorrow and darkness.

I let it fall, my heart,
And as it fell you rose to claim it
It was dark and I was over
Until you kissed my lips and you saved me

My hands, they're strong
But my knees were far too weak,
To stand in your arms
Without falling to your feet

But there's a side to you
That I never knew, never knew.
All the things you'd say
They were never true, never true,
And the games you play
You would always win, always win.

But I set fire to the rain,
Watched it pour as I touched your face,
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!

ADELE-SET FIRE TO THE RAIN

Chapter 83



"We die to each other daily. What we know of other people is only our memory of the moments during which we knew them. And they have changed since then. To pretend that they and we are the same is a useful and convenient social convention which must sometimes be broken. We must also remember that at every meeting we are meeting a stranger."? T.S. Eliot, The Cocktail Part

you are here safe in my heart and you will never die
lie,a beautiful lie and why do you say it is love.why
safe in your head as your memory,but i will be dead as a canary
love is it a word,is it a name
do all,do we all play this game
love games,blame games
life is such a ballroom dance
couples swing by,lovers swing past
eyes meet,eyes say i wish you were mine and i yours
love games,life games
so why do we play this game at all
game of words,games of lies
games of love


Father asks " father or son "


Her soul and her keen mind led her unerringly on the path that Azhagan had taken away from the city.It was late in the night and so Thenmozhi and her companions decided to halt for the night and rest.After they had eaten,they fell asleep tired from the hard riding they had done through the day.

Thenmozhi heard her name being whispered and she woke up to see the shimmering,dancing lights among the trees and something stirred in her soul and knew that they called for her and she went.she went boldly,majestically and stopped short of the lights.

one light separated itself from the others and came forward and just like that the light covering the form inside vanished and Thenmozhi saw what lay inside.

" who are you ? what are you ? why do i feel a sense of kinship and bonding with you even though you are nothing like me ? "

The king smiled " you,me we are all the same and we all come from the source.you and us are connected more deeply than you understand and soon you will know and realise what and why "

" please go back and don't follow Azhagan for he is being readied for a greater cause and does not need you to distract him from his what he is destined for."

Thenmozhi laughed " so you know about Azhagan and if you know him then you know the relationship that we both share."

The king of lights nodded gently " it might come as a shock to you,but we know everything about you and Azhagan.not only now but from the time you both were born."

Thenmozhi's eyes brimmed with tears " if you know so much,then please tell me why you are asking me to avoid meeting him.Don't you know what is happening in my body right now ? so,please don't stop me from going to see him for he has to know that i am carrying his son."

The king looked at her sadly and shook his head " i think i can understand what you are feeling and going through but the answer is the same.no.you should not meet Azhagan for then all our plans will be for nothing and we are already running out of time."

Themozhi's eyes flared and flames and lights of orange lit up brightly and angrily " enough,i have heard enough from you.you will not stop me from doing what i want and if you come between me and him,then you will surely die."

The king stared at her intently and sighing heavily " so be it.but remember my words for they are my final warning and you will surely regret it if you do not heed them."

Thenmozhi's right hand blazed like lightning and grabbed the sword that hung on her left hip and drew it out in a split second.but the king was faster,much much faster and he grabbed Thenmozhi by her throat with his right hand and effortlessly lifted her into the air.

the green flames that jumped out furiously from his huge frame gripped Thenmozhi and he spoke " stupid child.ignorant child.you are but just a pawn,a plaything in my son and the future kings life.and you dare raise your hand against his father and your king.look into my eyes and see who you are and what you are and learn to follow wisdom and not passions of your heart."

Thenmozhi hung like a doll in the kings right arm and he whispered " i warned you and i will warn you again.if you try to follow Azhagan then you will lose your life as well as the life that grows in you.but if you stay quiet and follow your other plans that you had already made before you left to see azhagan then you will live and so shall your son.decide now " father or son "

He flung her to the ground and Thenmozhi shivering in fight now realised who she was and who Azhagan was.trembling in fear she bowed to the king " mighty one,my king,forgive my ignorance and stupid mistakes.caught in this body i cannot but help feeling what i feel.i cannot be blamed for falling in love with him for he has been in my soul from the very first moment of my life.but now i see and now i know what our journey is and why we felt what we felt.please forgive me and have mercy on me and my child."


The king looked at her " child,i did not mean to scare you or hurt you in any way.but i had no other way in which to show you how important Azhagan is in our destiny and in our prophecies.Go now,live in peace and let him walk his path which has been laid out for him.You and your child will always have our protection and no harm will ever come to you.i promise you this and will keep it as long as you keep your promise."


Thenmozhi whispered,whimpered " i promise,i promise on the life inside me.i will not come in the way of Azhagan's destiny."


I pray,you pray,we all pray
tears in our eyes and fears in our soul
we pray,we cry for help
pray tell me whose prayers fall in gods ears
do tell me whose wishes he follows
how does god decide who is to have this or have that
whose cries are heard by the creator,whose needs are first
for the source,for the force behind this farce called life
life in whose page,every word and action is like a knife
thrust deep into our heart

Azhagan's destiny,Thenmozhi's love,the kings' yearning and wishes,Malars love, all hang in balance as all our lives hang in balance.what is right ? who is right ? will it be a fight to death ? will it mean death and sacrifices.the ball is in everybody's court and the games begin and so the story now shrugs itself from 83 chapters of journey and rises now to meet and answer the questions that come as always with the climax.come believe in my words of magic,come lose yourself in illusions and in my wild imaginations of love and high adventure.

a story might end but it will lead to other stories and other heroes and their tales.so the end is not the end but just a beginning to another start.be well.

Chapter 84


"It's sad that in a world of billions, people can still feel isolated and alone. Sometimes all it takes to brighten up someone's day is a smile or kind word, or the generous actions of a complete stranger. Small things, the tiny details, these are the things that matter in life " the little glint in the eye, curve of a lip, nod of a head, wave of a hand " such minuscule movements have huge ripple effects."? Shaun Hick

I am by birth a solitary life.I am by nature a solitary type.I am by external circumstances a solitary person.I am out of need a solitary soul.Even when i go for a walk or a jog, i prefer to do them in sparsley walked roads and with very few people,and hopefully people with my mindset.But sometimes when i take time to enjoy the sea,sunrise,rest my weary body on the sand cushions,capture and freeze the horizon on my computer via my digital camera i get lost and it is bright and people are out in might on the roads.I get very claustrophobic among people when they number more than two or three.this invariably has drastic and dramatic consequences on my psyche and soul and out emerges the clown who tries to cope with crowds and people with his sometimes funny and usually rude and brutal observations.alone again i stop to ponder and wonder what i did and said and swear never to do that.But the best way to do that is to stop going out or meet people only when they number one or two.I am the best and most comfortable when you catch me alone but i agree and accept that i am at my worst when i am in crowds.Oh well,i tried and am trying to change that,or whatever it is that happens to me but i lose more times than win.



One pebble in the pond and yet many ripples in all directions

Always,always do the shimmering and slithering surfaces beckon
they cry,they whisper " cast a pebble,hear the noise of my depths"
In and near small puddles,small and large ponds,streams and rivers
have i stood,thrown pebbles and skipped stones on their liquid tops
always and always i have stood in awe of the ripples going away
gliding away in all directions
a ripple,two,,three so many
they go,hit the banks and ripple back

pebble,pond,ripples
actions,words,life,lives
consequences,drastic,dramatic,good and bad
but wait,halt,do we see all the ripples of our words and actions
do we get to see all the consequences of our lives and lies
or are they still rippling away,still gliding away,waiting for their banks
oh,damn what will they bring back when they hit the banks
what will they hit me with when they join ripples of others

The Ripple Effect is based on the understanding that we are all connected. These connections stretch like an incredibly interwoven and complicated tapestry. Each of us exists within this tapestry. Thoughts and actions are like stones dropped in a pond and they create ripples that travel outward.Everything we do and think affects the people in our lives and their reactions in turn affect others. The choices you make have far-reaching consequences. Each of us carries within us the capacity to change the world in small ways for better or worse.


Keep the faith


The old king sat quietly lost in silence and thoughts and looked achingly at the east,waiting for the sun to rise and shed light on his aching body and mind.His companions gathered quietly around him and waited for their king to speak.

He looked at them and lowered his head " what i have done has been done with everything in mind and yet my heart feels heavy and i feel my actions have sent ripples in the fabric of all lives as a whole.With immense faith in the source and with complete trust in its guidance i have acted and yet so many questions arise now and there are no easy answers for any of them.Thenmozhi,is as much our child as azhagan is and yet we feel and are driven to protect him from his own blood and family."

They looked at him in confusion and one spoke " my king,your steps are our path,your words are our commands and if you falter now,then what about our race and the future of all those who wait for us to return with the king to lead the mighty war that has yet to be fought.we have waited thousands of years for the coming of the true one who carries the marks of the prophecies.you have seen it,we have all seen it and that chosen one is azhagan.we have hung on and are barely hanging on to our lives with the hope that azhagan will be ready and capable enough to lead us once more into battle.so,please take courage and keep the faith in yourself,keep the faith in azhagan and most importantly keep the faith in the one source that is the light."


The king nodded tiredly " i have kept the faith and my faith will be fully restored when azhagan passes the final barrier,the final test to show he is the one.This is the most important test and if he passes it then we can reveal ourselves totally and also remove the barriers that we have placed in his mind and soul.but until then my heart aches and my soul fears what if he does not pass the test,what if he proves to be just one of them."

No one had answers to this most frightening question and so they stood with their old king and waited for the sun to rise and bring light to the world and to the darkness that seemed to be gathering in their minds.


"Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light."----- Helen Keller


The Ripple Effect is based on the understanding that we are all connected. These connections stretch like an incredibly interwoven and complicated tapestry. Each of us exists within this tapestry. Thoughts and actions are like stones dropped in a pond and they create ripples that travel outward.Everything we do and think affects the people in our lives and their reactions in turn affect others. The choices you make have far-reaching consequences. Each of us carries within us the capacity to change the world in small ways for better or worse.

Pictures shared by Satish..