The Patliputra Chronicles (5): The Day of the Underdog - Page 2

My very dear girl,

I was deeply touched by the compliment you have paid me. No, not the one about my posts, which is, as always with you and many of my young friends, very kind. But to remind you of your favourite teacher is indeed a rare encomium, and I value it accordingly.

I was considerably amused by the tale of your PG thesis. You must be truly brilliant, my dear, for it is not possible to pull off something like that in ten days and come thru unscathed, and in fact impress your research advisor. But had I been in his place, you would not have had it so easy! I am a stickler for discipline and for systematic work. So you were lucky to have had him and not me!😉

Shyamala Aunty

Originally posted by: shailusri1983

I will try my best to maintain and keep this up whenever I can. I was always Scarlett Pimpernel ki Beti in terms of consistency and putting up repeat good performances. My post graduate research advisor would be the best person to tell you how erratic I was. I had to do a research project, a comparative study on Eugene O'Neil and Maxim Gorky.

I literally did not put pen to paper for the first five months of the semester neither did I give him a single appearance during the whole period to even discuss a single idea. And during the last month I bet I wrote the entire 80 page thesis under the influence of the Lady Muse of Inspiration in just ten days.

But my advisor was very patient and also understanding throughout this whole period. He accepted the first draft of the project itself with very few corrections and minor changes. It still beats me to this day how he had only good words to say about it. He told me later on that he was actually expecting me to come to him to seek a change in the topic of research to something simpler and that he had given the same topic to five batches of my seniors and none of them actually took it up!

Aunty I know the reason why both of us share similar views and agree on a number of points. I know that I or anybody in this forum cannot replace you or even come up with a very close imitation of your style of writing. You have an inimitable style and way of expressing yourself. But the curious thing is that I knew somebody just like you with a similar vision towards life and literature. She was one of my undergraduate teachers. Her classes were also phenomenal. All of us literally relived all the literary texts she taught. Some of her words are etched even today in mind like indelible print. She used to sound just like you. Her name was Lalita Nair and the most curious thing, she even resembles you in appearance. I had the good fortune to be her student for two years. I took her as my role model. So perhaps that is why on many occasions both of us are of one mind and express in a similar fashion.

Though I would love to keep this up consistently, my technical handicaps are reducing my effectiveness. The absence of my lappy is severely hampering my writing. Curse my phone, it is extremely slow and severely bugs me when I am typing that I lose focus by the time I finish two paragraphs. It makes such odd corrections to every word I type. I am actually planning to take a Tab at least for the time being. If that happens, I will be able to make regular posts to some extent. But again since I am living in US in the State of Iowa and I get to watch CN twelve or thirteen hours after the telecast in India and by the time I see and post on it, it becomes like an old newspaper being read after the publication of the new one. Glad you liked the new name of my episode analysis post. The Day of the Underdog is inspired from another popular text The Day of the Jackal.

Originally posted by: sashashyam

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">Well, my dear Shailaja, that is one hope gone with the wind! That you could take my place when I could not keep up my regular posts, that is. A pity.

I did not know of your Scarlet Pimpernel tendencies, for I myself was in the CAS EDT for only about 2 months at the end, but if you say so I shall have to accept it. But why can that not change? Think about it, my dear, for as you would have realised by now, I am greatly taken with your perspectives on things, both when they match mine, which is very often, or when they offer something new and interesting, as on that Avantika-Nandini equation, that had not occurred to me.

Besides, I do not think you need to worry about violent reactions to whatever you might write. I did a lot of often iconoclastic writing in about 4 forums, and I have never faced any such thing, except for that one occasion in the last CAS EDT when you rushed so promptly and tenaciously to my defence!🤗That is why I was so surprised and taken aback, but then I tackled it coolly, as befits someone of my age. That was a freak reaction, and I do not think you need to hold off because of concerns about such things. As noted above, I speak from personal experience.

Thank you very much for falling in with my request and changing the title of your current and future posts. It will avert a lot of avoidable confusion. The new name is splendid, and I already liked the second half of the title.

I have just finished a lot of typing and my hand is already tired, but I wanted to respond to this one of yours before taking a break. I will comment on your post as soon as I am back. And if I do think of something that you have not covered for my own take on Episode 5, that will not be till tomorrow morning. I cannot face any more typing today!

Take care, my dear. Are you on the east coast of the US, in the Mid-West, or on the west coast?

Shyamala Aunty

Hello Shailaja Di (I guess I spelled it right; hope you won't mind me calling you di? 😳)... I am loving your episode-reviews from first, and this was was not an exception obviously. 😳 I found your title very interesting. 😊 I would like to share my feelings about the episode as well. 😃

Originally posted by: Shinning_Stuti

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="3">Hello Shailaja Di (I guess I spelled it right; hope you won't mind me calling you di? 😳)... I am loving your episode-reviews from first, and this was was not an exception obviously. 😳 I found your title very interesting. 😊 I would like to share my feelings about the episode as well. 😃</font>

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="3">After 2 bogus episodes, 1 so so episode and another better episode at last this one was something that was able to pull me towards the show... No doubt the 5th episode was the best one among all of them, where we got a very pacey movement of scenarios and the fluent illustration of the characters which makes the episode intriguing. The one plus point of the episode was it's speed. There was not much scope of getting vexed as the scenes was changing in a constant speed without stretching much... We got a energetic encounter between Chandra and Padmanand with Chanakya as witness, the most powerful Chanakya's oath to destroy Nand dynasty and a intriguing meeting of Chanakya and Chandragupta written by the destiny in a single episode without any extra needless ranting, which maintained the excitement and interest to keep on growing inside the viewers and succeeded to satisfy the viewer with a complete episode; and it will always be the most important episode of the show.</font>

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="3">The first scene of Moora getting hint of Chandra's footstep in Pataliputra from moonlight was cinematic but significant. I am not much impressed with the actress playing Moora, else the insane hope and yearning of a helpless woman for her child whom she left just after birth to come as her rescuer and avenger is a poignant point of the story to realize and feel. The hope of her son has given her the strength to be alive and to fight with Nand for so many years... Nand is mad for Moora, the reason is very hazy... as you said it is neither love nor lust, but a strange addiction to those things that can't be got. I think Moora's stubbornness is a prestige issue for Nand, he can't bear the fact that he will lose in front of a helpless, defeated woman's firmness so he keeps on trying to allure her, sometimes by fearing her, by torturing on her... I don't think it was the first time in 14 years that Moora has insulted Nand this way and he being uncontrollable has ordered toassault Moora publicly. I think he gets a kind of indirect satisfaction by seeing how much helpless is Moora, tries to think her as his plaything by wooing her hence satisfying his male-ego which getsfragmented by Moora's words each and every time and he becomes horrible; but he cannot let Moora die, neither get her forcefully... Moora is not another one of his countless mistresses, hence she is most demanding to him. </font>

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="3">However, little Chandra who has a heart of a real king was left stunned to see the strange rules of Pataliputra. Eventually he saved his biological mother who was being beaten by the blind and coward mass... I think the mass was throwing stones on her only out of the fright of the king else may be they would be hanged with the allegation of being rebels... it was a very touchy scene indeed; Moora did not get to know the boy who saved her life from the mob is none but the same one in whose hope she is alive till date. Chandra got a glimpse of little Nandni, but the strangediscrimination in the state amazes him and he set out to seek the answer...</font>

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="3">Chandra's personality is very much clear in this particular episode. He has a clear view on what is right and what is wrong, and has the voice to venture that. He is smart, intelligent and stronglydetermined; he is fearless, does not value his life in front of his responsibility that he takes on him; and most importantly the gravity of his personality and the regal attitude in such a tender age. The whole scenario in front of Nand was definitely a treat to watch... (not taking the long-jumps like Krishh in account 😆) The attitude with which he entered, the way he put his priceless coin in the weight to save the poor subjects, the way he started conversing with the king and started arguing fearlessly; at last his confident open challenge to the king and the ability to defeat him in his own capital created a great aura around him without much effort... the fearless determination and rigidity of personality like a king and the great heart of loving all the men and risking own life for them clearly reflected the core of the character...</font>

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="3">Reminding the little kid of 'The Naked King'<i></i>while watching Chandra... the child who had the courage of seeing the truth of the king and to question about that directly instead of overlooking like the others.</font>

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="3">Chanakya's dialogues to that peculiar-looking minister was excellent.👏Hope we will get a lot of them now and then with the development of story.</font>

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="3">The famous oath of Chanakya of destroying Nand dynasty is treated very powerfully. I don't think Chanakya would get a better treatment from Nand if he would maintained proper protocol of Magadh and not became that much excited... Nand is not that type of person who knows to listen to other's advice.</font>The insult was truly boiling blood, and the promise never looked overacted or forceful anywhere.They treated the scene boldly... only I wished the camera work was a little better. The unnecessary zooming on Nand's face time and again was irritating and problematic as well!

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="3">The oath-making scene was followed by the first meeting of Chanakya and Chandragupta. I really didn't hope to see this so soon but I am glad that they made it so easy, smooth and lively. Chandragupta saved Chanakya's life without caring of own, and Chanakya got a crude diamond in his hand instantly. I liked the approach that they showed Chandragupta to saving Chanakya, signifying that their interaction was two-way and both needed themselves... The VFX was more than worst🤢and the scene was so unclear that it finished before I could distinguish the darkness and the fight, but overall it was an awesome part... Chanakya looked affectionate in the particular scene when he tried to stop Chandra and Chandra looked lovely when he offered his food to the stranger Bramhin and when he smilingly told that though he has all ability of king, he is not a king...</font>

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="3"></font>

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="3">Quite a happening episode it was, wasn't it? Hope we will get a lot of powerpacked episode from now on like this which will keep on increasing the interest to the show. I wish they work better on VFX effects, and show us a lot of action sequences with proper camera work (also political developments and a little bit of kootneeti of Chanakya with emphasizing on the process of making CGM a king... is it too much to expect?) along with the love story... The start of Chanakya-Chandragupta chemistry is all good, let's see how it matures up along with time... I think this 5th episode, and may be the half of the next episode will end the introduction part of the story. Tomorrow the elder CGM will take over the show, and from that the real story will start to take shape slowly... Waiting for further...</font>

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="3">O God I have written such a long essay! 😲 Bear with me please... Thank u. 😃</font>

Stuti I loved your take on the episode. Now when I think of it I remember The Naked King fairy tale. A very apt observation! Chandra is just like that brave little boy. I hope from now on we get less of Nand and more of Chanakya- Chandra chemistry. The stage has been nicely set for Rajat's entry. But from now on the special effects have to be properly worked on so that they don't stand out like the odd man out and gel with the rest of the episode.

My dear Shailaja,

This excellent analysis of the Friday episode carries your characteristic stamp. This is an emotional take on most aspects: Mura's longing for her son to somehow reappear and rescue her from this living hell, Chandra's horror at the cruel misgovernment in Padmanand's Magadha, which you compare to pre-revolutionary France in the 18th century, Chandra's attempt to make Nand disgorge at least some of the wealth he had extorted from his unfortunate citizens, and finally both Chanakya's rage at Nand's gross misbehaviour and his corresponding joy at the treasure he has found in Chandra.

I am marking in blue the parts I liked the best. As you can see, the post has ended up looking like an ad for the old Robin Blue! My comments are in blue italics.

Shyamala Aunty

Originally posted by: shailusri1983

Shyamala aunty I am playing truant today. I just could not resist making this post on the fifth episode. I was waiting for you to first make the post and was intending to reply to it. But I cannot hold up anymore. It was the best among all the episodes we have seen till now. At last it was the day when an underdog not only spoke, but also challenged the existing power structure and won.

Chandra arrives at Patliputra and Mura senses it in the gently wafting breeze blowing around her and the brilliant moonshine. She recalls the night of Chandra's birth and speaks to the letters she has etched on the ground as though she would to her son and says,"Chandra you were also born on one such brilliant moonlit night. My instinct tells me that we are going to meet each other soon!"Her instinct is not wrong either because the next shot we are shown in of Chandra entering the boundaries of Patliputra.

On the other hand, Chanakya also arrives at Patliputra with the background music of 'Asatoma Sadgamaya' playing on as he applies a tilak on his forehead applying the mud or matti of his motherland, Magadh. He meets his old school mate who is now a minister in Padmanand's cabinet. He is the same hunchbacked guy whom we saw with Amatya Rakshas and the Senapati Vakranaas whom Chandra and his friends had earlier raided.

We see two men from the same Alma Mater but with diverging viewpoints. The first sought his own professional betterment and career advancement by joining the existing king's cabinet while the other was least bothered about professional laurels or achievements. To him knowledge was not a means to an end but an end in itself. Chanakya's friend smiles and says, "You have not changed even one bit. You're still the same!" To this Chanakya just quips, "You wanted to serve a king but I have the ability to make a king if I will it!" None of them go any further into this discussion and leave it hanging at that point as it is irrelevant to the topic of their actual intention of meeting each other.

Chanakya requests his friend to get him an entry pass into Patliputra. The man tells that getting him an entry pass is not an issue but he feels that Padmanand may not take Chanakya's words in the right spirit as he hates Brahmins.

Then we get our standard Nand and Mura scene where Nand comes again to seek Mura's love and get insulted by her. It got me thinking what actual charms does a middle-aged Mura hold for a man like Nand? It is not love? Neither is it lust? This man must be having hundreds in his harems by now to beat Mura in beauty and youth! Even if Mura consents now, he must have known by now that he can only have her body but not her loyalties. My only conclusion from this is that Mura holds the fascination and charm that any unattainable thing holds for a human being. The hankering for a fruit beyond one's reach!

But by now even Nand's patience had wearied off! He orders his soldiers to take Mura to the town square and get her flogged in public. Mura again repeats herself like a stuck record player of how her son will avenge her! What else could the poor lady do but hold on to the last bit of straw for hope. She just left Chandra as a newborn. What was the guarantee that he had survived? But as they say 'Duniya umeed par kayam hai!'

A person does not die as long as he has hope left. It is only when even hope dies that he has nothing to live for. This lady still has some hope, her son, and that's why she gets the courage to face everything coming her way. I really want to see a day when Nand is bereft of all hope. That would be the most perfect punishment for him before his death. To feel that there is nothing to remain alive and experience living hell and wish for death as a relief is the correct poetic justice for such a criminal like Nand!

The scene after this instantly shifts to Chandra thinking about the strange feeling of presentiment he is getting on setting foot in Patliputra. He ponders on what kind of strange connection do I have with this place? After this he witnesses several things which shock him out of his wits. He is totally disillusioned and disoriented by what he sees in the town square of Patliputra.

A man is being flogged and thrashed for not parting with his hard earned wealth by the soldiers. This sets little Chandra thinking, "What kind of state is this? What kind of king rules this state?" There is not even a semblance of some kind of administration present anywhere around him. There is no law and order of any sort. Everywhere he turns around, he finds the same scene, the weak getting exploited by the powerful.

Mura is led into the town square just then. The people are told that she is a traitor and her husband murdered the previous king and that Nand has ordered her to be stoned by the general public. Nobody even stops to think. Nand is highly unpopular and also cruel as a king but his orders are instantly followed and complied with by everyone the minute he says so without any pre- thought displaying mob and herd mentality of the worst kind.

It is not quite that. The guards announce pointedly that Mura, the wife of Suryagupta who was the assassin of the previous, and undoubtedly very popular King Shishunaag, was also a rajdrohi and should be beaten up. The crowd reacts and starts hitting Mura because they hold her husband responsible for the murder of their much loved king, and thus for their having been left to the tender mercies of this tyrant Padmanand.

Chandra barges in and tries to drive some sense in but in vain. They are saved by the announcement of the passage of Nandini's chariot the same way from further harm. There is a glance of smoldering hatred in Chandra's eyes for Nandini though for no fault of hers because she is a visual symbol of the decadent royalty. This exorbitant luxury that lives off the blood and sweat of its people without giving anything back to the people puts him off.

This utter lack of social responsibility displayed by the ruling king amaze and shock him to the core. It is almost similar to a mosquito or a parasite living off another person's blood and hard work. There is a searing anger in him to put things right if he can. But to do Chandra justice, he assumes that these things are happening behind the king's back and that he must be unaware or ignorant of all this.

His feelings are similar to what thousands and thousands of French citizens must have felt against the injustices and inequalities in their society hundreds and hundreds of years later during the French Revolution. The feeling of being exploited without getting one own due is very terrible. It keeps on simmering beneath the surface until it bursts open one fine day like a volcano. All great revolutions in history begin like this with a single spark which eventually turns into a blazing forest fire with the passage of time.

Unfortunately, most revolutions led to even worse tyrannies. The Bolshevik one led very soon to Stalin and his gulags. The French revolution soon swallowed up most of its initiators, and led, in the short and even medium term, not to democracy but to the horrendous consequences of Napoleon's folie de grandeur, his obsession with grandeur, and to continued misrule and corruption under a series of short lived governments, both royalist and republican.

After this, both Chandra and Chanakya are standing in the line to gain admittance into the royal court of Magadh. When the soldiers refuse to let Chandra in even after seeing the Rajnandini coin given by Amatya Rakshas, he cooly and boldly stands his ground. In a steadily rising voice that becomes a shout by the time it ends, he asks to soldiers to ask Amatya Rakshas if he gave him this coin and also get ready for the punishment of not letting him in contrary to the intentions of the Chief Minister. Chanakya and his students are impressed.

Then comes the Nandini Tuladhan scene. Chandra' s coin sways the scale. Nand asks him who he is and how he got the coin to which he answers that Amatya Rakshas gave it to him. This is seconded by the words of AR himself who also recommends that he be inducted in the Magadh army. So far so good. Chandra begins enlightening Nand on the sorry state of affairs in his kingdom under the assumption that he is ignorant of all this. Nandini is duly dispatched inside and Nand clarifies that everything is happening according to his orders. Chandra is disenchanted that the root of all the evils he saw is Nand himself.

Nand asks Chandra to get lost. Another day he would perhaps have killed him but today being his daughter's birthday, he will give him an opportunity to escape. He says, "I give you five minutes! Run before my soldiers catch you! If they do, I will imprison you!"

Chandra has a quick repartee to this, "If they can't catch me in five minutes will you return all this wealth to the people?" Nand has no option but to accept this challenge to save a loss of face. Chandra wins the challenge but Nand goes back on his words and tells that there was no challenge in the first place and that all this is just a game for his entertainment.

Even here Chandra gets the last word by telling there is no use talking to one who cannot even keep up his words. Nand could keep all this wealth as it means nothing to him now. Chandra had won both the battle of brawns and wits beating Nand in his own game fair and square. He walks out with his head held up high and a dare devil attitude as though Nand did not deserve to be even his shatru and that he had wasted his time on an incompentent foe.

There could not have been a more resounding victory of the underdog. Not only was his voice heard but the powerful king was completely ground to dust in this encounter. Surely it was the day of the underdog. If there was a proud and paternal smile curling up Chanakya's lips and his eyes dancing with abandon and glee, I would not blame him. Chandra was so adorable and at the same time magnetic. Who could help being drawn and influenced by such a talented boy.

Nice, rousing stuff, my dear, and I love your enthusiasm.

However, I see all this, and Chandra himself, rather differently. I am too tired to go into that now in detail. So keeping it short, young Chandra is not in the least like an underdog here, for he confronts the king as an equal, with a kind of brash self assurance that seems to be rooted more in an uncharacteristic recklessness than in the kind of calculated risk taking and measured courage that were his principal characteristics till now.

On any other day, Nand would have either imprisoned Chandra or had him executed on the spot. Whom would that have helped? Not the praja of Magadha. Nor would it have advanced Chandra an inch toward his real goal in coming to Pataliputra, which is to make a lot of money and rescue his mother from her brute of a husband.

This was just showing off to no purpose at all, and in those days, no kid could have spoken to a king in that fashion and been allowed to leave unscathed. The whole thing seemed to me to be both unrealistic in terms of the scripting and lacking in consistency as regards Chandragupta's character as shown to us earlier.

The next day, we have the Chanakya Apman scene. Chanakya barges into the court, apologizes for his intrusion but tells that he had to do so as this matter could not wait and starts off in full eloquence about a danger looming over the whole of Central India in the form of the foreign invader, Sikander and how it was imperative to devise an effective war strategy to deal with the situation and how he had one. He spreads out his map at a handy table in front of him and is about to proceed when he observes that his audience reaction is not what he would like it to be. He stops in his tracks. The vibes he gets is the kind any artiste or speaker would get before an audience intending to throw rotten eggs or rotten tomatoes.👏

Nand interrupts him and asks who he is to which Chanakya states his testimonials. Nand is unimpressed and tells who are you to tell me what I should do. Chanakya tells that this is a serious matter and he is not here for his own personal benefit. Nand is amused and tells that he is nothing but a comedian and insults Chanakya by throwing coins over him for the entertainment and catches hold of his shikha and chucks him out.

Chanakya is furious by now and retorts that just like Ravan he is inviting his own destruction. He vows to destroy him and tie up his shikha after drenching it in his blood just like Draupadi. Nand is unfazed and amused. He dismisses the entire episode as a case of dogs barking behind the back of an elephant. The soldiers drag Chanakya away and throw him in a heap at the outskirts of Patliputra.

Chanakya is hurt and bleeding. He gets up and realizes that a wild boar is about to attack him and takes a step backward after observing the blood oozing from his temples that is attracting the boar. Chandra leaps in between and fights the boar. He is furiously hurled off twice but Chandra is not the least bit scared or afraid. He doesn't even heed Chanakya's words to let go the boar. Finally he deals a heavy blow right on top of the head of the boar which is its weakest spot and scares it off from there.

Chanakya reprimands him telling you could have lost your life to which Chandra tells if I had not stepped in between you would have lost yours. Chanakya is visibly moved. Chandra opens his bundle and tells, "Let's share this food!" Chanakya refuses telling it is not sufficient for two people to which Chandra tells "Two half- full stomachs are better than one full stomach!" Chanakya sees a king in Chandra.

In this whole sequence of Chanakya Apman at the Sabha of Padmanand one could blame Chanakya for over enthusiasm and an error of judgement in going to the court without prior notice or intimation. But that's it! He got carried over by the fact that he was an esteemed professor at the Taxilla University and would be properly heard and received. Kings those days respected the learned and sought their advise on many matters.

Chanakya could have kept his thoughts to himself and given advice when Padmanand seeks it from him. But he knew that he would never ask but the situation was such that some action had to be taken and that too only by a powerful king like the king of Magadh. Moreover Chanakya would never have anticipated even in his wildest dreams that he would be insulted like that.

It was his nation at stake and he could not keep quiet. So even at the risk of not being heard, he had to give this option a try. Kings those days at least patiently listened though they might not act upon it. Chanakya perhaps would not have minded that though he might have been disappointed. He would not have become such an inveterate foe of Padmanand and wanted to destroy him at all costs.

I have summed up my impressions of the episode along with a few of my views. I hope all of you like it. I would love to hear what all of you think about the episode. As far as I am concerned it met with all my expectations from it.

Originally posted by: sashashyam

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">My dear Shailaja,

This excellent analysis of the Friday episode carries your characteristic stamp. This is an emotional take on most aspects: Mura's longing for her son to somehow reappear and rescue her from this living hell, Chandra's horror at the cruel misgovernment in Padmanand's Magadha, which you compare to pre-revolutionary France in the 18th century, Chandra's attempt to make Nand disgorge at least some of the wealth he had extorted from his unfortunate citizens, and finally both Chanakya's rage at Nand's gross misbehaviour and his corresponding joy at the treasure he has found in Chandra.

I am marking in <font color="#0000FF">blue </font>the parts I liked the best. As you can see, the post has ended up looking like an ad for the old Robin Blue! My comments are in <font color="#0000FF">blue italics.</font>

Shyamala Aunty

My only grievance with the Magadh Praja is that someone feeds them a lie as truth and they gullibly believe it without seeking any further evidence, proof or confirmation. Did any of them see Suryagupt or Mura drive a knife into Shishunaag? Further what circumstantial evidence is there to prove these two guilty? Wasn't it too improbable that both Suryagupt and Mura would try something like that during a diplomatic visit to a neighboring state? Was an enquiry conducted into their former king's death? If so by whom and is it reliable or fabricated? Wasn't Nand's rise to power very fishy and his continuing in power despite his numerous follies even more so? None of them revolted. If they have anybody to blame for their sorrows and miseries it is they themselves and not Mura. Their anger is totally misplaced. One does something, the other blindly follows suit like a herd of goats one behind the other.

Chandra had questioned something nobody had the guts to do till then. He might have lost his life in the bargain too. It was a bit outrageous and over the top behavior. But he is still a small boy. It was a minor error from a small boy who has his heart in the right place and wears it on his sleeve. Moreover the intention behind showing all this bravura was an attempt by the CVs to make Chanakya notice him and also get Chandra into his good books. I instantly forgave my little bacha Chandra for this minor indiscretion of his! Won't you too forgive him aunty for his stupidity? The boy is in good hands and will become everything that you expect him to be!

If you had seen my words, I only wrote about how all the great revolutions began! Clever me! I never wrote about their end because most of them had a sorry and disastrous ending! I also caught the Robin Blue joke! Another pat on the back!

Originally posted by: sashashyam

<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">My very dear girl,

I was deeply touched by the compliment you have paid me. No, not the one about my posts, which is, as always with you and many of my young friends, very kind. But to remind you of your favourite teacher is indeed a rare encomium, and I value it accordingly.

I was considerably amused by the tale of your PG thesis. You must be truly brilliant, my dear, for it is not possible to pull off something like that in ten days and come thru unscathed, and in fact impress your research advisor. But had I been in his place, you would not have had it so easy! I am a stickler for discipline and for systematic work. So you were lucky to have had him and not me!😉

Shyamala Aunty

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Aunty you would actually not blame me for being indisciplined if you knew the titles of the plays I was supposed to do a comparative study of. The first one was O'Neil's The Iceman Cometh and the second one was Gorky's The Lower Depths. I had read and re- read both these plays a number of times but could not make any sense out of either the story or the characters initially. I could give the summary but that was it. It proved to be completely incomprehensible as far a explaining why the characters or story was so. Without that any comparative study would ultimately fail. That was when I asked my dad to read and ask if he could make sense. He said 'YES'. I said 'GREAT! In that case please write this project for me'. His answer was a firm 'NO'. He then advised me to read up the psychoanalysts like Freud, Jung, Erik Erikson, etc and said that everything would fall into place if I read them and then read the plays. I am happy I did that. It helped me in my project and has stood me in good stead ever since.

Hello.

Outstanding post and a very detailed analysis. It was so beautiful that I have almost nothing to say to add. The comparison between Chandra's feelings with the French citizens during the French Revolution, plus the whole way you described the confrontation in which Chandra outwitted Nand to the point of humiliation was the cherry of the top.

Keep it going!👏

Originally posted by: khalessi75

Hello.

Outstanding post and a very detailed analysis. It was so beautiful that I have almost nothing to say to add. The comparison between Chandra's feelings with the French citizens during the French Revolution, plus the whole way you described the confrontation in which Chandra outwitted Nand to the point of humiliation was the cherry of the top.

Keep it going!👏

Thank you!