chaotic order

Shashi Tharoor : The rise and fall of an intellectual. Historically, the clan of “Tharoor” traces its origin to nearly two thousand years. They were an integral part of Namboodri’s, the great matriarchal lineage of Malabar - Theravada of Kerala, a community known for its learning, racial superiority and social exclusivity. Even today, a Nair (a member of this clan) in Kerala is a distinct breed; easily spotted by a demeanor that can only come with generations of genetic purity and polish. A cursory glance at Shashi Tharoor in the media, as he prepares to address an audience; or as he speaks in an interview; or as he saunters in a gathering, brushing shoulders with Lutyen’s crowd or seasoned intellectuals; or posing for a picture projecting his well-groomed persona embellished with impeccable taste - one senses, that, here is a man who was born privileged, bought up in the lap of luxury and now lives audaciously with aplomb and style. Born in London in 1956; educated in Montfort,

The dark lure of a towering Man, clad in black with a flowing cloak caressing the earth as he strides – tall and scrupulously groomed; magnetic deep eyes that seems to beckon from a world far removed from the present, a voice that is at once seductive and charming; a physical attraction that draws young nubile and lissome women irresistibly into his arms, yearning for that solitary long warm, wet and lascivious kiss that could appease their seething passion; their placid white swan necks yielding itself like a flower to the Sun with its throbbing veins pressing itself against their glistening skin - and then the Count lowers his face with a rapacious look in his eyes numbing the beholder with its hypnotic intensity, his red lips opening up ever so slightly revealing short, sharp fangs, ready to bite just enough into their succulent veins throbbing with blood; evoking a light lusty, throaty hiss from his victim, slurping up all vitality in the form of cabalist red liquid; those ghos

“Analects” of Confucius - brilliant ramblings of an extraordinary mind The benefits of eclectic reading is the chance to encounter some of the finest ideas in a broad spectrum of human endeavor. One of the oldest known books of wisdom is the “Analects” of Confucius - a sage, social reformer, revolutionist, soothsayer, political manipulator; he is as elusive a figure as ever to cross the threshold of history. Yet, for almost the entirety of Chinese civilization, his name and ideas have resounded and penetrated the lives of its Men and women in a manner that is quite unimaginable in any other known culture. Like Socrates, Buddha, Jesus or Mohammed there is no written body of work composed by him. All that we know is that is he was a wise old man, who offered a radically different perspective to life and living in society. Kings sought his advice and some chased him away, commoners flocked to him for practical solace, he arbitrated crimes with a fairness and directness that turned jur

“Flawless” - a 2007 film… There is always a fascinating perversion, an overpowering thrill in breaking the law; to subvert a system; to infiltrate into areas that are designated as prohibited; to cross moral and ethical taboo’s; to explicitly attempt to break something that is established as sacrosanct - Man is forever looking for opportunities to stretch the boundaries of social limitations. In fact, if history is to be studied as a series of challenges and responses, one would find that every epochal event: socially, morally and scientifically is an act of rebellion against a known system. Some of these acts are absorbed into the existing scheme of things as revolutionary and fit to emulate; and others are branded and discarded as repugnant; and laws, safeguards are made to prevent them from occurring again. The History of Cinema has celebrated Robberies and heists from its very early days. From Stanley Kubrick’s “Killing” to “Great Train robbery” to “Reservoir dogs” to “Entra

The word Parent is derived from its Latin verb "parere" - which means "Bringing forth". Interestingly. the origin of this word in the mid sixteenth century meant an opening up to reveal or bring forth a fully formed being. I was tempted to understand the root of this word because one of the important issues being debated today in western circles is about "single sex parenting". Two members of a the same gender approach a sperm donor or an uterus loaner, as the case may be, and decide to raise resulting children by being a parent to them. So there are two moms or two dads and the other half is missing from the equation. From an evolutionary perspective, this is quite a remarkable turn of events. Except in early forms of multicellular organisms, which is quaintly called unisexed, we don't have this phenomenon ever recorded in paleontological history. Every known organism that qualifies to be included in reproductive tradition have always exhibited a

In the annals of American History, none holds a more affectionate and respectable position in public mind than the scholarly figure of Benjamin Franklin. In fact, one would run of words and epithets to describe his multi-dimensional personality. A statesman, scientist, philosopher, philanthropist, Ambassador and more importantly the founding father of thirteen colonies that originally constituted the United States of America. In fact, it seems unbelievable, at this distance to contemplate that a single individual could have affected the destiny of a nation so profoundly in its formative years and give it the necessary moral and intellectual momentum to propel the country towards its growth, stability and prosperity – traits that have sustained this country for last two hundred odd years. This essay is however not about his political or scientific accomplishments, but a rather a facet of his life that is not widely known. He was the editor, publisher of a gazette, (a precursor to th

"Mardaani" - A Rani Mukherjee film... Many years ago, I remember watching "Hey Ram" , a Kamal Hasan movie on the Hindu Nationalist movement during partition. It was, if I recall correctly, a three hour feature film. At this distance, what I can conjure about it vividly in my mind's eye is the little cameo role essayed by the young Rani Mukherjee , as a Bengali teacher, killed during the madness of Hindu-Muslim riots. It was not only the passionate kiss executed with intense abandon, but her lilting husky voice spoken in low tones; sultry complexion; those gorgeous hazel colored eyes that seem to float around its orbs with fluid artistry - keeps leaping out of my memory again and again. I did not get to see too many of her films until the mid or later part of the last decade, but within a span of two years I chanced to watch "Hum tum", "veer Zaara" and then the masterpiece "Black". Here was a young lady, who had come into her zon