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Jottings : Slice of life-21 ( dedicated to a friend and an accomplished artist)

Jottings : Slice of life-21 To appreciate an art in its finer forms, one needs to be inducted into its secrets. Nowhere is this need so visible as it is in mu sic, the most prevalent and accessible of all arts. It is one thing to just allow sound to envelop you in its melody or rhythm , and it is a totally different experience to listen to the same piece of sound with a finer ear for details. That is the reason not many of us can enjoy Classical music - whether it be Indian or western. And the reason is not far to seek. There are intricate forms of sound and harmony in a well conceived and studied composition that is not readily apparent to an average listening ear, unless it is pointed out by a Master or a connoisseur or by someone who has a natural ear to pick those nuances. And once its hidden beauty is indicated, an astute listener picks up that insight instantaneously, after which the experience of listening to Music undergoes a gestalt change. There arises richer depth and pr

Jottings : Slice of life -17

Jottings : Slice of life -17 1936, Berlin Olympic Games. One of the most poignant and controversial moments of sports and athletic history was enacted between the days of August 6th and 9th. I say poignant because, it was a defining event in racial history of twentieth century. Jesse Owens, the greatest American athlete, had just shattered Nazi propagandist myth that Blacks were inferior to Aryans. Owen’S amazing versatility helped him sweep the medal tally with consummate ease. The world of track and field would not be the same after that. I call it controversial because legend has it that Hitler not only refused to shake hands with Owens on the podium, but refrained from attending remaining award ceremonies for rest of the Olympics as well. Sometimes history can be one-sided, depending upon who is telling the tale. And when it comes to Hitler, all that we are fed upon is Myth, hearsay and extremely biased theories. Contemporary research throws up an entirely angle to this story.

“Talvar” - the slippery slope of justice

Jottings : slice of life. – 19 “Talvar” - the slippery slope of justice The word Kafkaesque means nightmarish, illogical quality of a situation one happen to be in. For Franz Kafka, one of the greatest German existential novelists, this would have been the greatest irony he could have ever conceived -that a word bearing his name becomes an irreplaceable part of English Language. During his lifetime, a reticent, shy and introverted Kafka was virtually unknown; but after his death , the wealth of his novels, letters and unfinished manuscripts were bequeathed to reading public by his close friend and lawyer Max Brod. They were profoundly moved by depth of Kafka’s vision and sensitivity to modern Human condition. “The trial” or “der Process” (in German) was published in 1924. It was an incomplete short novel when Max unearthed it, and Kafka had only written a draft of what could be a possible ending. But it was published nevertheless. It became a literary sensation. It was a story ne

Jottings: Slice of Life- 20

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Jottings: Slice of Life- 20 It is widely believed, and to a large extent true that "Sholay" - the 1975 blockbuster movie by Ramesh Sippy is one of the finest entertainers ever made for Indian cinema. It had everything in it. Melodrama, a convincing story line, magnificent performances, scintillating music, rollicking slick edits, compact screenplay, liberal doses of glamor and titillation, heart stopping villainy, stylish heroism- and above all a breadth and scope of cinematic vision that enthralled audiences of all ages and types. It is one of those rare films, which like vintage wine, grows upon you as time passes by. I own only two Hindi DVD's, and Sholay is one of them. This jotting is about the other DVD I have, which in my opinion, is as good if not better in conception and execution than Sholay is. Feroz Khan's "Janbaaz" released in 1986 is the movie I am talking about. As a young boy, I grew up watching Qurbani. When one is 10 years old, Movies

Jottings : Slice of life - 21

Jottings : Slice of life - 21 There are moments in one's professional life, when you feel deep satisfaction in the thought that you belong to an organization which nurtures deep, committed and passionate loyalty in its employees. Perhaps "loyalty" is a wrong word. It indicates a sense of submissiveness; but what I am talking about here is something entirely different. When extremely talented, accomplished and seasoned professionals choose to stick to an organization, they do so not because they have nowhere else to go, but because they see value, growth, satisfaction and contentment in what they do right here - this is the sense in which I wish to use the word "Loyalty". Not many organizations can provide such an environment. It needs the confluence of many diverse factors to retain talented people for extended periods of time. A sense of psychological security, roles that churn out the very best in them, periodic professional challenges to raise their own b

Farewell Chittappa - The sun sets on a triad of brothers

Farewell Chittappa -  The sun sets on a triad of brothers. That death is a irrevocable finality - all of us know and acknowledge; but, when faced with the actuality of it, something deep within recoils, churns with pain, anguish and unfathomable regret. Today Morning (IST), my Paternal uncle-  the last of three brothers decided it is time to leave this stage. My father died in 2012, His elder Brother in 2013 and now Ambhi Chittappa in 2016. It seems as though, all three had a secret pact to follow each other in regular succession. In life, all three were so very different,  but in death, they resembled each other by passing away peacefully with as little pain as possible. What better exit can there be? My earliest memory of Ambhi chittappa is that of a physically active man, kind to the point of excess, workaholic, supremely religious, and above all - a wonderful father to his children, husband to his wife and genial Uncle to all of us. Our summer vacations in Chennai were always enliv

Achilles - Hero of the Trojan war ( A book review)

( This is my first essay penned from my new home. It was important that my grey cells continue to be well-oiled  :)  I am deeply satisfied with the penetrating silence of my neighborhood, stillness which stimulates thought, and an atmosphere that will sustain my writing. I remain grateful to life and God.) Achilles - Hero of the Trojan war ( A book review) Just as Ramayana and Mahabharata are part of Indian psyche, whether we acknowledge it or not; Homer's Iliad and the Odyssey lie behind the highly individualistic Western personality. These epics are our wise voices from the past, from antiquity, from those beautiful days when conflict between the Heart and Mind was almost non-existent ; when Men and women lived by an inner force that drove them irrevocably towards a destiny which they could neither chose nor control; when each act - whether Good or Bad, right or wrong- had its place in the universal scheme of things; when Men and Women lived as they were born to live, in tu