Eye-opener...

Two/three weeks ago,

Was heading towards Malleshwara to meet Hemanth, Yogesh n Susheem @ Beagles. I boarded a BMTC from Byats.

Come Hebbal, three dumb fellas board the bus. They were busy communicating among themselves through sign language (which differed from our sign language... I felt it much more complex. Couldn't make much outa it) By their outfits they looked like Malayalis. How stupid am I to associate dumb with a language?

They incessantly communicated while I was busy playing dominoes on my mobile watching them at random intervals.

Two were seated at my back, One was facing me. You know, it was that kinda bus where four people can face each other on one compartment.

The expression on their face appears atleast over-acting; atleast to me. Ex: Laughing forcibly... Thats how they communicate. I might be a bit harsh here but thats the case with most of the handicapped.

While they communicated I never noticed the person in front of me using mobile. I was of the notion that mobiles are with everyone these days even with sweepers (not to condemn them, but addressing by their job)

I had overlooked the dumb chap using mobile. It all suddenly flashed to me when we were at Mekhri grade seperator. Of all of them, why a dumb guy has a mobile phone? What would he do with that if he cannot speak to it?

It was not a smartphone or a phone that can have any applications like games, video, audio... It was a plain Vodafone ZTE 125. You can't even listen to radio on it.

I now noticed him. Thanks to SMS. They communicate via SMS. Glad they teach them English along with their sign language.

I observed the guy till I got down at Central, and was smiling to accustom another simple but eye-opening experience.

On a lonely Sunday night...

February 3rd 2008.

After a day's long work! (9:45 AM to 10:45 PM), I set myself to get back the so called home (Place where I sleep and get ready to office =( ). My collegue Suneet accompanied me till the bus stand when it was 10:55. We waited for a bus. Didnt get one at that point of time.

Waited till 11:15 to get a cab. He said, He'll stop at Airport. I was not in a mood to board it. My mind was telling me that I'll get a bus somehow. I didnt want to take risk. Also, Suneet forced me to board the cab. I took it. He got down at Vimanapura entrance by 11:25. He asked me to come to his home and stay for that night which I clearly denied (not because of ego, I really don't know why!!!) It takes no time to reach anywhere at that point of time. I got down @ the arrival junction of HAL airport just to find that I need to pay 10 bucks to the driver. I hesitated but unfortunately, I didn't have change. Had to give him.

It was 11:30. I thought of waiting for the bus. A weird thought came to my mind. There will be less buses at this point of time. Let me walk till I get a bus.

I started my journey.

Reached Murugesh Palya in no time. may be 3 minutes. Cooooool!! Lemme check how long I walk. I walked on n on n on ..... Was accompanied by many police constables and drunkards on my way( Also dogs! =)). Reached NAL main gate to find a Bus pass by. I ran to the next bus stop but couldnt keep up with the speed of the bus. I missed it.

Big deal. I continued walking. Crossed the Airport road flyover. Crossed Domlur. I have to mention the one thing that gave me company all the way till home. FM. All channels. I kept changing channels. It is such a good experience.

Two more buses passed by at the military school. Same thing. They didn't stop for me. Took the way to MG road instead of the richmond road junction. While I reached Trinity circle, A bus stopped for me. It was heading to Majestic. I was the lone passenger along with the conductor and obviously, the driver.

Reached Majestic by 12:30 to find that the last bus to Yelahanka by 12:15 has left. Was thinking.
I can't stay at majestic. Just can't think of it. Continued my walk. The police constables were watching me like a thief. I kept walking like an innocent school student with a bag on my back.

Reached Anand Rao Circle, which was pretty busy even at that time ( people were busy waiting for their late night bus to a remote location, many were having their supper.) A few people stared at me like I am willing to have food with them. I went on. ( Need not mention...)

Reached Shivananda to find a biker stop for me. (12.40)

Biker - Ell hogbeku saar? ( Where are you heading Sir?)
Me - Yelahanka.
Biker - Banni mekhri circle thanaka drop maadtheeni. Yaak isht late aagi office bittri? (Come! I'll drop you till Mekhri Circle, why did you leave your office so late? what took you so long?)

We continued chatting. He said that I shouldn't have taken a bus to majestic. Should have taken a bus to Shivajinagar where I get lots of cabs. I didn't want to take a cab. I prefer walking. I really enjoy it. He dropped me @ mekhri square by 12:45. took a right turn to R.T. Nagar I guess. I thanked him for the favor and he replied, "Bidi saar! Namgu ee thara yaavaththadru aagaththe!(Leave it Sir! Even we will be in the same position some other day.")

Bid him farewell. Dunno how! I get into contact with such people. Good to meet them. Keep meeting them quite often. Continued walking. Meanwhile I got say 3-4 calls from home asking my current location. I lied my mom that I got a bus. Even my sister. Just to calm down the situation. "Na bhruyaath satyamapriyam"*

12.50. Came to Gangenahalli. Was welcomed by the barking of my old friends. Wild dogs. you see, even they are afraid of us. They just bark from a very far off distance, they are afraid that we may carry some batton to hit 'em. I must mention three dogs which were just a feet ahead of me who were silently listening to the barkin of their fellow comapnions, not finding any reaction on my face or my body language,(may be they found a indifferent, concerned Sandesh there) started staring at me sympatheticaly. Even they understand human emotions. (They say, Dog is the best friend of man, Dunno how true it is). Those three dogs, and the expression on their faces cannot be forgotten.

1:00, Helped by dogs, I crawled further to Veterinary College, when my mom called me back again, I consoled her that I would be home by 20 minutes at the max. The stretch of veterinary college to Hebbal is usually terrorized by the Dagaars of Veterinary College. I think their shift was over, I found no one at that time. Thanks. Reached Hebbal by 1:13. My dad had called to ask my location status. I said I'll be there in 10 minutes.

1:15, was in a dilemma to take the flyover or the road below. At the same time, I found two workers (Kaat workers), coming to me with Rods @ Hammers. No, dont get the impression that they are rowdies.

They came to me and asked, "Time eshtanna?" (Whats the time Bro?)

I was impressed by their speaking Kannada. Appreciate them. I said, "Ondu Ippaththu" (1:20)

One who was pretty okay with Kannada understood, the other asked, "Enu? Enu??" for which the former replied "Onnu iruvadu da".

P1 : "Anna, illi railway station elli baraththe??" (Brother, what is the route to Railway station?)

S : "Nodi, heege kelage hogi. Railway track sigaththe. Alle balakke thirugidru aagaththe, illandre swalpa munde hogi Ring road ge hogi!" balakke thigugi kolli. Haage hogtha iri. 5 nimsha nadkond hogi! Nimge Railway station sigaththe." (Just told them the route)

P1 & P2 : "Thumba thanks anna!" ( Thanks a lot brother!)

I dunno one thing. People use Thanks more easily than Dhanyavaada or olledu. If we use either of them, i seems odd to the rest.

Forget it, I thanked them and continued over the flyover. Was greeted once again by the police chowkiright atop the hebbal railway track. They noticed I'm a college stud. Didn't come to question me. I continued. Was just opposite to Shani devasthaana to find an Omni stop for me. He asked my whereabouts, felt pity for me and asked me to board the car. I agreed. He works for a garment factory in Jakkur and was returning after dropping his Boss home. We just spoke for 3 minutes to reach Byatarayanapura. I thanked him and walked my way home. He responded in a humble fashion and continued.

I found my dad waiting for me at the gates of my house. =). Explained him everything, had my food, Slept, to finish one of my wonderful experience walking...

----------------------------
*Quote taken from Kalidasa.

Meera Madhava Raghava

Had been to Meera Madhava Raaghava with Janna n Seena last Sunday and here is my short review on that.

Before all, lets list out the main guys of the film

Director - T.N.Seetharam, Gauribidanur
Hero - Digant
Heroine - Ramya a.k.a Spandana
Villain - Tilak
Music & Lyrics - Hamsalekha

Supporting actors n actresses - Babu Hirannayya, Sundar Raj, Tulasi Shivamani, Sudha Belavadi, Anand, Nanjundaswamy, Harini, Vanishri, T.N.Srinivas Murthy( Brother of T.N.Seetharam) to name a few.

This movie had great expectations and doesn't satisfy them to the extent expected. Many flaws are so glaringly visible (which is not expected from the director, T.N.Seetharam). Even Hamsalekha has lost his usual touch with music in this movie.

The story goes on like this...

Meera (Ramya), daughter of Meshtru (Babu Hirannayya, named only meshtru name not disclosed even after his death) is a karnataka shastreeya sangeeta teacher who helps her family by teaching Karnataka Sangeeta to kids around her locality. The initial scene wherein she sings a song while teaching fails to create an image of sangeeta teacher for her. Lack of concentration depicted in that scene. I started losing interest since that scene.

Enter the villain, Raghava Bharadwaj (Tilak) who comes in search for a guy who had taken loan from him and who lives in the house just in front of Meera. Forgets everything listening to Meera's song. Comes to her house listening to the song. She stops looking at him with a LONG. He asks her to sing and she sings outa fear. Meanwhile the person who had taken loan comes to his house and looking at him, Raghava's chelas belt him up black n blue. Raghava will be listening to Meera's music and he asks both of them not to utter a single word if police enquires about them. So does the police come n they lie.

Raghava bids his thanks to both of them and asks Meera what shall i present you?? Her father replies by saying that if he leaves his home, that would itself be a big gift for them. He falls in love with her but she doesnt love him. Many things happen from then, he starts following her. Asks for her ring(not a gold ring, fake one), keeps it in a golden box and gifts her a golden ring and asks her to marry him in front of her family members. Her mother lies that she's engaged.

He gets upset n warns them that he'll make a mess if this turns out to be false. Just to make this true, her parents arrage for an engagement asap with a poor chap from Mysore named Madhava (Digant). This guy is pretty fair but can still learn a lot in acting. Raghava interrupts in the engagement but Madhava agrees to marry Meera.

Marriage will get over easily. She comes to Mysore (Madhava's home). She'll be offered a contract to sing for three years to a company based in Mumbai. All arrangements will be done by the company and she'll be paid Rs 40,000 per month. Everybody in the family will be dreaming of the job in her new family but she rejects it because Madhava is not ready for a detachment of 3 years.

Meanwhile, Meera's father passes away and she comes back to her house to finish off the final rituals. She'll have a happy discussion with her husband about his needs. He is interested in doing his IAS and discusses this with his wife at that stage. Fortunately, she has her dad's house and they were about to sell it. It was a house which would easily come upto 50 lakhs. She asks for her share in dad's property and her brother denies it pledging her about his problems.

But, Madhava is all set to go to delhi, he leaves his current job as lecturer and leaves for Delhi for training. The training institute would demand 6.5 lakhs, and including all the expenses it would take 10 lakhs for his completion of IAS. She says that she'll arrange for it and he leaves for Delhi! ( The same person who was uncomfortable with his wife going to Mumbai for three years). He passes the entrance test and asks about the money. She says that it is on the way.

She then goes to her friend's dad who works for a finance company seeking loan. This has a background. Madhava's dad died because of loans. So Madhava is dead against loans. He takes a promise from Meera asking her not to take loan in any condition. She was about to break that promise for his welfare. Accidentally, the owner of her friend's dad turns out to be Raghava.

She denies taking loan from him. But looking at the critical condition, she agrees and takes 10 lakhs loan. She didnt have any security to give. So, she forges her husbands' signature as well as her signature as the proof of taking loan.

Things get more interested as time passes as she hasn't paid any interest for the loan amount. Raghava forces her to sing songs in a pub and says that that would make him get his interest. She somehow manages things and Madhava is now an IAS officer.

He comes to the same district as Raghava is currently in and takes charge. At the same time, the MLA of the constituency gets murdered. Madhava looks at things happening in his constituency and decides to bring in law and order back in the city. He finds that the single anti-social element in the district is Raghava and summons a bill against him to get out of the district.

Raghava will be planning to become the next MLA of the constituency and this summons is obstructing him from becoming that! He plays all sorts of games( To enjoy that you gotta watch the movie. Things get interesting from this point). I won't dig in more about the tricks. Will he be able to become MLA?? Will Madhava continue to be prompt to the Government?? What happens to Meera??

Interested?? Go watch the movie.

Now to the flaws to name a few.

First half of the movie is simply CRAP. It would have been easily shrinked to 15-20 minutes. This would have made the movie more interesting. Some songs could have been easily avoided specially the remix song when Meera gets an opportuniy to fly to Mumbai.

One more thing is that, the family members who were frequently shown in the first half, disappear in the second. Once Madhava becomes Deputy Commissioner, he lives only with his wife and not with his mom and siblings. (Strange eh??)

Once Meera's father dies, Madhava is not moved by it neither he attends his karmakanda. Seems so unreal. In fact, he agrees to get money from his property.

Actingwise, Tilak steals the show. He is the real hero of the film. Performs really well. Has a great future if people in Gandhinagar look upon him. Has umpteen talent. Ramya is as usual. Acts childish quite frequently. Seetharam hasn't churned much outa her. Digant is charming but there are lots to improve. Anand, Sudha Belavadi et al are okay. Mandya Ramesh has done justice to his role but could have been used better.

If you ask my views, they would have shortened the first half and made a shorter movie though effective. The film loses its charm by some of the flaws i mentioned.

Hamsalekha hasn't given his best with music. Two songs are hummable. "Vasantha Vasantha" and "Bellulli Bellulli". Expectations were more on him.

All in all, worth watching once. Try avoiding first half or take it in lighter sense. Seetharam hasn't come outa Mukta as you can see from the district name he gives. It is still "Hemagiri". You can find many mukta terms in this movie.

Coming to producers, It is being financed by some NRI's in America. They had asked Seetharam to direct one film for each of them but Seetharam agreed to direct one film for all. Movie budget is 90 lakhs as they say. The script and the presentation would have been better.

Pour in your comments.