The “Raja” named “Rahman”

February 23.. the nation woke up, prayed, perspired,chewed nails( and some fingers),anticipated,waited and froze when A.R.Rahman won the Oscars ! The first Indian to win two in a row, the first Southie, the first Tamilian and on a personally satisfying note the first PSBBian

It would have been too easy to get carried away and fake your identity, but being the humble man Rahman is, he remembered it all.. the Sherwani, his love for mother and most importantly his mother tongue-TAMIL ( All the Saviours of Tamil who wear Western Suits for gatherings and send your kith and kin to English convents, please spare the corporation wells, they can not take you all at a time )

Amidst all this, perhaps the only aspect that pained me was the way a few fans of Ilayaraja received this news and their sequence of reactions right from the build up to the Golden Globe. It is a blessing that India has been fortunate to enjoy the best works of possibly two of the greatest musicians that ever walked on earth, yet it is a pretty shameful that some amongst us do not have the stomach to digest the success of both the musicians equally.

I am a great fan of both ARR and Raja, and both in their own ways have achieved astronomical fame. Ilayaraja revamped film music with his impeccable orchestration,mind blowing BGM and melifluous folk tunes. Rahman revolutionised it by teaching India what “sound” meant to music.While Ilayaraja stayed within South Indian horizons, ARR’s unbridled talent enabled him venture into Hindustani,Arabic,Sufi,Irish folk,Jazz,Rap,Hollywood,Sky,Moon,Stars and above !

Sad that we , in India, always have this mindset of choosing one over the other. North vs South,Tamil vs English,Hindi vs Tamil,Rajni vs Kamal,MGR vs Shivaji,Sachin vs Saurav, IPL vs ICL.. if only we realised that everything could co exist !

I did not know how to end this one, so to wind up on a pleasant note, I will try listing my favourite numbers composed by both these geniuses.

Ilayaraja

10. Enakku Piditha Paadal (Julie Ganapathy)
9. Amma Yendrazhaikadha (Mannan)
8. Then Paandi Cheemayile (Nayagan)
7. Enna Sattham Indha Naeram (Punnagai Mannan)
6. Kodai Kaala Kaatrey (Panneer Pushpangal)
5. Ninnukori (Agni Nakshathram)
4. Sundari Kannal Oru Seidhi (Thalapathi)
3. Ilaya Nila (Payanangal Mudivadhillai)
2. Aagaya Vennilave (Arangetra Velai)
1. Mandram Vandha Thendralukku (Mouna Ragam)

Rahman

10. Thazhuvudhu Nazhuvudhu (Ah Aah-Anbey Aaruyirae)
9. Sahana Saaral (Sivaji)
8. Vennilave Vennilave (Minsara Kanavu)
7. Thenmaerku Paruvakaatru (Karuthamma)
6. Pudhu Vellai Mazhai (Roja)
5. Narumugaye (Iruvar)
4. Theekuruviyai (Kangalal Kaidhu Sei)
3. Thirupachi Aruval (Taj Mahal)
2. Chandhralekha (Thiruda Thiruda)
1. Minnale Nee Vandhadhenadi (May Madham)

Now, what is your favourite ?

P.S ( My original list for Ilayaraja songs had the number “Oru Kadhal Devadhai”.. One of my friends Aravindan rightly pointed out that the credits for the song belong to Shankar Ganesh )

Plethora of Emotions

Arjun applied his breaks just in time to pause for the signal.. the traffic was heavy as people were being help up to clear the road for a safe passage for the minsiter’s convoy.

He was staring without an aim and reflecting on his thoughts..his emotions were getting the better of him and his mind was clouded and disturbed..

He was feeling pretty low and sorry for himself, perhaps the worst state one could ever wish to be..

He had let ANGER get the better of him, picking up fights with his friends for no apparent reason,his DEFEATist attitude was making him feel bad with every FAILURE,he wished certain things would go his way: with a mixture of EXPECTATION and HOPE and when reality had something else in store, he was cursing himself in self EMBARASSMENT.

His own INDECISIVENESS and that of people around him was adding to his frustration and he was lamenting the fact that not enough SUCCESS came along despite him pitching in the best of efforts and the grief and PAIN of disappointment and unfulfilled EXPECTATIONS were haunting him.Harsh realities in schooling days had taught him that REVENGE eats up half your time and peace of mind, and it takes strength of mind to abstain oneself from seeking it, and the best way to avoid JEALOUSY was to celebrate others’ success. The traffic was starting to clear and the road ahead seemed clearer now, and Arjun was moving forward through the army of vehicles..

Just then, Arjun’s ears began revebrating with the dreaded hissing sound..yes it was a flat tyre..Luckily, the garage was nearby and Arjun asked the mechanic to hand over the car at his home when it was ready, and he proceeded to have a walk towards his home which was a couple of kilometers away.

An old woman was waiting patiently for her turn to cross the road, and inconsiderate people seemed to be unmindful, hardly caring to stop, yet there was not even a hint of ANGER due to frustration in her visage. She waited patiently, knowing her turn would come.Arjun clasped her wrinkled hands firmly and helped her cross the street.

As he walked on, he saw a few kids playing a game of marbles. A kid narrowly missed his shot, and the winning group traded high fives and the losers sulked for a moment. Almost immediately, “one more time” said the losing group captain.. ” get ready for the next win” said the victorious captain to his team. Arjun watched with keen interest as to how the losing kids quickly shrugged off their DEFEAT, and how the winning team wanted more SUCCESS.This time around, the other team won and soon the kids were holding their hands together, gazing at the huge billboards in awe, with no trace of PAIN,REVENGE or JEALOUSY.

A herd of goats were scampering accross, almost reaching the other side only to come all the way back on hearing a loud horn..so much for INDECISIVENESS and yet Arjun could spot them realligning themselves, sticking to their original plans ,determined to give it a try all over again.

Arjun was just a couple of cross streets away from his home and
on one side of the road, a lame beggar was sitting besides a magnificient paiting of Lord Hanuman. Arjun stopped, admiring the beautiful piece of art, and the beggar looked up at Arjun with HOPE. Arjun thrust a ten rupee note into the beggar’s hand. “Thank You, Sir this is a bonus as I usually expect just a well done or a one rupee coin from people for all this”. So much so for EXPECTATIONS for efforts !

As he moved ahead, Arjun observed a middle aged man squatted under the street lights. Arjun walked up towards him, partially wondering how one could take up such a job. “I can guess what you are thinking Sir, I can tell you I dont see any EMBARASSMENT in doing this: I need to feed my wife and kids and I prefer stooping down and polishing shoes for a living rather than standing upright and stabbing others behind their back for instant success! ”

Arjun was speechless ” Polish ?” the man asked cheekily. Arjun was retiring to his home for the night and obviously he did not need one but still, he decided to have his shoes gleamed up and handed out a two rupee coin. ” And now tell your wife that though you bent down to polish my shoes, you recevied your pay with your head held high !” said Arjun with a wink.

Arjun was coming out of his cocoon,thanks to a flat tyre, and the realities of the outer world made him realise that everyone else was having their own set of emotions to keep them occupied as well.

Back at home, Arjun unbuttoned his Orange shirt and let it hang neatly.After some minutes, he was all by himself in his room, lights switched off, the moonlight finding its way, tricking through the curtains, blissfully illuminating the room. The Moon is a magical mix of charm, mystery and romance Arjun looked up at the fast revolutions of the ceiling fan, going back to those glorious days as a kid..

Arjun longed for those days when ..

1.INDECISIVENESS meant being unable to choose between a packet of Uncle Chips and Cadbury’s Crackle
2.JEALOUSY was when you looked with hate at the big ice cream cone on your sister’s hands when you were struggling with a sore throat
3. ADAMANCE meant refusing to let “Paatimma” watch Mahabharatham when the timings clashed with India’s cricket matches
4. REVENGE was all about letting the air out of the cycle wheels of your friend who won the race to touch the school gates first
5. PAIN was something that you experienced when the family doctor drove his sterilized syringe right through your bum
6. EMBARASSMENT made you blush when the girl next to you pointed out that you had failed to pull up your zip after attending nature’s call
7. APOLOGY was never at premium especially when the Social Science teacher expected one and the clang of bells meant the next hour was the P.T period
8.DESIRE meant longing for a gulp of “Goldspot” after having spent the entire day playing under arm cricket in the blazing sun
9. DEFEAT and FAILURE meant a lost opportunity to be the first person to wish the prettiest girl in class on her birthday
10. ANGER made you fume when Mom refused to let you indulge yourself in the rain but vanished as soon as she opened the window to let you admire the rainbow
11. EXPECTATION and IMPATIENCE meant glancing at the intercom longingly, waiting to utter the chants “hari ohm shanno …”- the evening prayer so that you could crash straight into mom’s arms for a tight hug after having won a prize at school
12 HOPE meant you would still keepy praying for an Indian win, even after the fall of Sachin’s wicket
13 COURAGE meant the guts to walk upto your neighbour and ask if you could retrieve the ball,after having just smashed his window with a swashbucking hit
14 And most importantly, SUCCESS meant both “NOTHING and EVERYTHING” and CELEBRATIONS NEVER NEEDED A REASON

Arjun was reflecting on all that had happened, the lessons he had learnt on the streets that day. He was tossing and rolling over from one side to another,unable to sleep.He was just hoping for better days ahead and realised that no one else but Arjun himself had to take the initiative if he wanted his state of affairs to improve. Slowly, the effect of the moonlight softened, upto a point of non botheration ,Arjun stopped sensing the comfort of the breeze and he could not hear the sounds made by the rotations of the fan blade against the wind anymore…

And in case you thought Arjun had breathed his last, courtesy a massive cardiac arrest…

Arjun was in his own dreamy world by that time, a world where the Aishwarya Rais and Nayantharas were waiting to welcome him with open arms

Life is too short to be spent worrying. Live for the moment