Dance

Today evening, while lazing in the cold waters of the swimming pool at my bro’s place after few consecutive laps, I saw what I thought was art: a jet trail high above in azure skies, an eagle gliding and circling right below the trail, a small cirrus cloud hovering near the jet trail, seven coconut trees swaying in the breeze, and to complete this picture, a praying mantis awaiting its next meal by the pool side.

A still-life painting… of Life presented itself to my feasting eyes in a glance. A moment across time and space. I thought it would have been great, if Gopu was here to photograph this scene…

Meanwhile, before the previous thought could make its way out of my mind, another one played itself on the screen:

• I am not a painter or sculptor.
• You are my dance; I am the dancer.
• What you see is me in creative motion; I do not exist separately from my creation.

Contented, I dipped into the cold water once again for my dance to continue.

Arunachala, a most silent muse

The mystic mountain is at works as always. 

Five months since i started dwelling near its visible shadow, unknowingly it has been silently seeing me in motion from afar... It peeps into my humble abode. On both full moon and new moon nights alike, it pours love into my overflowing heart. 

It is by far my most silent muse; the others chat or chatter. Over facebook, over email, in personal conversations, or in my imagination. 

It knows that my memories still rise and heave with deep sighs between mammaries where I had snuggled, nestled, laughed, and cried in the past. 

It knows all my intricacies, my 'what ifs', my unasked questions, and its unanswered answers. 

Sometimes, when the power goes off and the world is silent and sleepy, i hear His whispered words along with the soothing breeze and a mosquito's hum: Om shanti... shanti... shanti hii.

Raining muses

It's raining this winter; and it is not raining cats and dogs. It is not just another drizzle. 

This season, it's raining muses! 

Is this yet another seasonal shower?

Your Self

Whatever is done should be done not for yourself, but for your Self.

Whatever you want

i can be whatever you want me to be... for all relationships are nothing, but labels put by minds unable to understand them.

Diamond Necklace

His wicked smile. His guilt-ridden look. His infectious energy maybe fueled from years of subdued life with his mother in Kerala. These stay with me as a reflection of a part of me that was once me.

Theft, betrayal, guilt, fear, embarrassment, friendship, love, longing, acceptance, and confession are portrayed pretty well. And temptation… well, don’t we know that very well?!

Fahaad Fazil has given good montages and reactions in this film: Diamond Necklace. A movie that grows with repeated viewing; my interpretations adding up to make it better than intended, perhaps.

And in to this ‘happening’ life of Dr. Arun in Dubai, three women enter one by one. Pretty uninvited but without resistance too…

First, he falls in love with a charming, innocent village girl (working as a nurse) and takes her to bed. She is falling in love for the first time; he does not give it much thought.

He goes through life with all its motions. He is in debt: bad debt. He marries one of the girls thinking that that will end his financial worries and hoping that at least his mother will be happy. But life is not about solutions and borrowed happiness alone, as he discovers.

His heart falls for another woman, an interior designer. I think she is what he was looking for but by then he is married. But he loves her and so does she. They make love.

Even when loved truly by three women, he has no choice. Or so it seems.

After this what happens is… Few twists and turns but life takes care of everything.

Venu ettan, the quintessential Malayalee in the Gulf, helps him out. For Dr. Arun, life comes full circle.

He is just a pawn and dances according to strings being pulled by circumstances. Maybe, there is free will; maybe, not.

But do we control our 'free' will? Can we?

Anyways, in the end, we see:

• A simple village girl can make a big difference.
• A sinner can inspire a saint.
• A married woman can choose love over diamond.

Yes, these things happen.

Usthad Hotel and Adaminte Makan Abu

Ever watched a Zen movie? Apart from The Last Samurai or Seven Days in Tibet, etc.?

Usthad Hotel is a very contemporary Zen movie. The movie is a coming-of-age film wherein the lead actor finds his true calling and pursues it practically. He finds help and support from unexpected quarters. He receives his training, initiation, and instructions from his own grandfather, who is a chef and runs a small but popular seaside restaurant.

Thilakan, who plays the grandfather’s role, like only he can, has given one of his finest performances in years in a highly restrained role. His voice modulation is apt and so is his dialogue delivery. The way he mouths a dialogue while sipping sulaimani is worth watching the movie for.  

He trains his grandson, hands over the restaurant to him (his only legacy), and leaves on a final pilgrimage to Moinuddin Chisti’s dargah in Ajmer. Much earlier in the movie, he had talked about watching rainfall in a desert…

The cinematography and photography are top-notch. It reminds me of another recent classic: Adaminte Makan Abu. A simple story of a Muslim couple and their lifelong wish of going to Hajj. The film shows the struggles and travails they go through to fulfill their wish. How honesty and principles come in the way of fulfilling their dream makes your heart weep. Well, do they manage to fulfill their wish at the end of the movie?

“Do they need to go to Hajj?”… For me, that was the question answered by the end of the movie.