Rasikara Rajya

MTR Packets

2012-01-16T00:14:00.000-08:00

ಕತ್ಲಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಲಿಗೆ ಬಾದಾಮಿ ಪುಡಿಯನ್ನು ಹಾಕೋಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗ್ಬಾರ್ದು ರೀ, ಅಂಆ, ಅಂಆ
ಎಂ ಟೀ ಆರ್ ಪ್ಯಾಕೇಟು ಓಪನ್ನು ಮಾಡ್ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಹಾಲಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಕ್ಬಿಟ್ಟೇ ರೀ, ಅಂಆ, ಅಂಆ
ಕುಡಿದಾಗ್ಲೆ ಮಿಸ್ಟೇಕು ಅರ್ಥವಾಯ್ತು ರೀ, ಈ, ಈ, ಈ.
ಮೆಣಸಿನ್ ಪುಡಿ ಅಂತ ಗೊತ್ತಾಯ್ತು ರೀ. ಹಾಹಾ!! ಹಾಹಾ!!

(ಯೋಗರಾಜ್ ಭಟ್ಟರ ಪರಮಾತ್ಮ ಚಿತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿರುವ 'ಕತ್ಲಲ್ಲಿ ಕರಡಿಗೆ ಜಾಮೂನು ತಿನಿಸೋಕ್ಕೆ ಯಾವತ್ತೂ ಹೋಗಬಾರದು ರೀ' ಹಾಡಿನ ಪ್ರೇರಣೆ)

Midnight in Paris (2011)

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: Midnight in Paris

Write/Director: Woody Allen.

Verdict: Beautiful and enjoyable movie about human desire to live in a different time.

It weaves a story of nostalgia with stunning details and magical visualization. The start of the movie itself is a treat with a series of great snaps of Parisian life. It recreates the golden era of cultural icons like Picasso, Dali, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein. Have you wished you had lived during their times, with them in PARIS?. You will enjoy this romantic movie.

The cast is awesome - Owen Wilson, Adrian Brody, Marian Cotillard, Kathy Bates (many more). The background music enhances the mood.

This movie justly won the 'Best screenplay' award at the 2012 Golden Globes for writer-director Woody Allen. It was perhaps the award winning script and screenplay which contributed to the richness of the story and the visual grandeur in the film.

2012-01-08T01:01:00.000-08:00

Margin Call (2011)

Writer-Director J.C. Chandor

Watched Margin Call (2011). Have you been puzzled by how the US stock meltdown of 2008 happen? This movie takes an inside look at a financial firm (Lehman Brothers?) which discovers that it has made extremely risky investments. Perhaps these are now worthless assets on the company's books. What happens inside the company's power structure? What does it do on the trading floor? How does the market react? This story unfolds in a very engaging manner. It has exciting performances by an ensemble cast that includes Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Stan Lee and Simon Baker. The film does a great job of showing the financial players as real humans with multiple emotions and values and not just as heartless crooks on Wall Street. Any one with an interest in finance and business will like this movie. I gave it 7 out of 10.

My memories of Dr. C Aswath (29 December 1939/2009)

2011-12-29T01:34:00.000-08:00

On a Wednesday morning in September 2008 I went to Saratoga in California where Dr. C Aswath was staying with his niece. I was there to take him to Stanford University for my itsdiff radio program for which I was to interview him. I was meeting him for the first time. It was 6.15 in the morning. He was ready and waiting in front of the house wearing warm clothes and a shawl around his shoulder. Seeing me in regular clothes he asked 'nimage chali agolva?" ("aren't you cold?") I said I am used to the weather here and that SSeptember was still summer for us. He sat next to me in my car and as we drove to Stanford University we talked about Kannada films and music. The conversation we had in the car, helped me overcome any anxiety I had about interviewing him.

After we reached the studio we got the microphones tested and got ready to start the interview. After putting on the headset he just got completely involved. He was very kind and forthcoming in talking with me. It was a great opportunity for me to talk with him about his early life, his various interests and his thoughts about the present and future state of Kannada Sugama Sangeetha. When we played his song 'jali barinalli', it was so thrilling to see him join in and sing along joyfully with the pre-recorded song. The interview lasted a little more than an hour and was very well received by the listeners. Many listeners telephoned during the interview and enthusiastically talked with him over the air. (There is a link to audio/video recording of the interview at the end of this article.)

After the interview, as we headed back home we chatted more about music and films. I thanked him for kindly agreeing to the interview. He too expressed pleasantries and I dropped him at his place and went back to my regular work. Many of my friends and listeners had emailed me saying they enjoyed listening to Dr. C Aswath.

But something that left a deep impact on me happened just three days later when I met him at the Kannada Koota function in Palo Alto, California. That day a crowd of more than one thousand were treated to a wonderful experience of listening to his musical performance . The crowd cheered when he sang his then recent hit 'tappu maadadoru yaaroure" from the movie Mata. But when he danced to its rhythm the crowd went wild. After the program I went to meet him. He greeted me with such warmth and affection, I felt he had known me for a long time. He put his arm around my neck and told me "Madhu my sister called me and told me that the interview came out very well because you knew a lot about me".

Today is a good day to for me to recollect those memories of Dr. C Aswath.
Here is the web page which contains the audio recording of the full interview . Please click here and scroll to the bottom

Below are two short video snippets of the interview.

Allide Nammane illi bande summane - A beautiful movie

2011-12-19T01:43:00.000-08:00

Title: Allide nammane, illi bande summane (Kannada 2011)

Starring: Sriraj, Saurav Babu, Yagna Shetty, Reena Mehtha, Dattanna, Padma Kumuta,Amarnath Gowda, Tumkur Dayanand Yamuna Srinidhi, Dr Thani, Shivashanker. Adam, Mike, Chris, Caroline, Chanice Baylor, Jason Curt Miller, Shoran Wright and Antwoine Steele

Story, screen play and dialogues: Sourav Babu
Direction: Gopi Peenya
Music: Gurukiran
Editing: Kempraj

Photography: PKH DOss

Produced by: Sorav Babu

Verdict: It is a beautifully crafted movie about aspiring software engineers who come from rural India to the USA. It wonderfully narrates the awkwardness of fresh NRIs, their challenges and triumphs. It also juxtaposes this with the hard truths of life in US. Very heartfelt and realistic script, written by an NRI brings authenticity to the movie. Sharp editing allows for a lot more story to be told within 2 hours. The movie shines with very natural acting and mature direction. For me, the the movie scores a 9 out of 10.

This is the story of typical Non-resisdent Indians (NRIs). Even though there have been earlier Kannada movies on the subject of NRIs and their issues, this movie is unique in that it is a story written by an NRI. It is narrated from the NRIs' point of view. It is for this reason that I think the makers of this movie have very much succeeded in presenting an authentic story. Another highlight of this movie is that it is very realistic while not ignoring the entertainment aspects.

I heard quite many people during and after the movie say "this looks so much like our story". This fact that an audience identifies itself with a movie is possible only when the movie has at its core a very real and authentic expression. I felt the writer Gourav and the director Gopi Peenya have tried to give an honest and heart felt expression and they have succeeded. All the more notable becuase it is a maiden venture for each of them.

The story is that of a typical Indian who ends up being an NRI. Kenchappa Babu is from a village in Karnataka, India. He is the son of a farmer. He comes over to US on an H1 visa and in search of contract jobs. He comes across Sudarshan another software engineer with similar background and they soon develop a strong friendship. These story revolves around the lives of these two characters.

What impressed me most was that the writer and the director have shown excellent restraint in how they want to tell the story. The first half of the movie shows the struggles and triumphs of a newly arrived NRI. Here there was a big risk of turning it into cliched jokes and crude display of the material comforts of NRIs. Instead the movie has some genuinely funny moments and goes about briskly showing the initial excitement of an American life. As many NRIs can attest to, this is just one part of American life. The second half brings up the serious and difficult parts of life which NRIs have to face in America. Here too the film very consciously avoids sentimentality. In its place we see real heartfelt emotions.

The editing is so brisk that it would not be an exaggeration to say that not a single frame exists that should not have been there. Just when you start fearing you are in for some sequences which will spoon feed what is obvious, the movie spares you that misery. Instead the story goes far ahead trusting that the audience are intelligent enough to fill in the unseen parts. For example when Kenchappa Babu gets married, I was so relieved that I did not have to live through a movie wedding scene. Instead we get to see the more important life of the newly married couple in US. Similarly, we see this in the later half too . Without revealing too much of the story, I liked the way the concluding scenes were briskly shown without pulling the audience through cliched sequences.

The dialogues are appropriately funny and touching. Many acting talents in this movie have fresh faces and their performances are equally fresh. Sourav Babu, Sri Raj, Dattanna, Padma Kumta and Yajna Shetty have performed so well that it does not look like acting at all. The expression that go through Yajna Shetty and Sri Raj's faces, when they do text-chat for the first time is arresting. The scenes towards the end involving Dattanna, Padma Kumta and Yajna is stunning to say the least. And to top it of all, do not miss Jaggesh and Komal dancing through the streets of downtown Chicago.

This movie brings in a freshness to Kannada films that is very welcome. Not only that, it shows that life is both sweet and bitter and the movie ends with a very powerful message.

Gulabi Talkiesu (Kannada Movie 2008)

2011-12-12T00:37:00.000-08:00

Title: Gulabi Talkiesu (Kannada 2008)
Story: Vaidehi
Director: Girish Kasaravalli
Starring: Umashree, MD Pallavi
Awards: State Awards for Best Movie & Best Director.
National and State Award for Best actress (Umashree)

Gulabi Talkiesu tells the story of Gulabi a burkha clad Muslim woman in the fishing community in the western coastal region of Karnataka. Gulabi is a very useful member in her community since she is a midwife and helps out by delivering babies. As a result she is greatly needed by the community which has both Hindus and Muslims. Gulabi is fond of movies and she never misses an opportunity to watch a movie in the theatres. She enjoys the magical and dreamy experience provided by the movies.

One day she helps in delivering the baby of a local women and as a token of gratitude the woman lets Gulabi have her TV. And she also helps in setting up a dish antenna on the sea shores near Gulabi’s house (which is almost a hut). This changes Gulabi’s life. Not only does she start watching and enjoying the serials and movies that appear on the TV, but she also attracts the women folk from her fishing community to her own movie house. Both Hindu and Muslim women start gathering in her home to watch the TV. Hence the name ‘Gulabi Talkies’, talkies being a colloquial name for a movie theatre in India. This starts a whole chain of events including some domestic altercations in some of the families.

In the background there is also the story involving the livelihood of the community, namely fishing. The community has been working together and sharing the fishing resource equitably until the arrival of Suleman Barri who is rumored to be rich with gulf money and owns a big fishing boat. He upsets the ecosystem by fishing beyond his fair share and thus starts eating into the livelihood of the local fisherman. He also steals the employees from established locals. The other fisherman are unable to stop Suleman Barri. The issue soon takes on a communal tone. The ongoing Kargil war between India and Pakistan becomes an excuse for the ill-treatment of Gulabi and other members of the Muslim community.

This is the backdrop on which the story proceeds. The movie is based on the story written by prominent Kannada writer Vaidehi. It is a great education for those who are not familiar with the western coastal region, its society and its fishing trade. In addition one gets to hear dialogues spoken in the charming local Kannada dialect which is the common language spoken by both the Hindus and the Muslims.

Umashree’s performance as Gulabi is adorable. She rightfully received the National and State awards for best actress for her performance. Others in the cast including M D Pallavi give very natural performances. I felt I was seeing real people of the western coast and not actors.

Girish Kasaravalli who is known for his directorial abilities gives this movie a feel of authenticity and captivates the audience with a very interesting narration. The locales are beautifully captured. The movie brings home the fact that vested and political interests whip communal feelings and sow discord among the members to advance their personal interests.

A conversation with kids

2011-11-29T23:02:00.000-08:00

Whenever I have a chance to be with my children I use it to have a chitchat with them. I get such an opportunity, when I am taking them to their music class or dance class,. The fact that they are bound to their seats by their seatbelts helps me in getting their undivided attention.

From personal experience, it is not very difficult to talk to your own children. The best way to go about this is to ask them, simple and open-ended questions about things that are part of their daily lives. By open ended questions I mean those questions that cannot be answered with a yes or a no. As they answer these questions, you show them that you are interested in what they are saying, by responding with more questions. This back and forth creates a conversation. It does not have to be about any serious topic. In fact it is more fun if the subject is casual.

Here is a simple example. You could ask "who is your favorite teacher?" or "who is your best friend?". When they answer this question, you can react by saying "How come I am not your best-friend?". For this specific question, the response from my daughters aged eleven and five, would be one of disbelief at their father's ignorance. They will say "Appa!!!! Don't you know you are a dad!! You can only be our dad. You cannot be our best friend". For fun you can ask silly questions such as "Are there any moms or dads in your class?" for which they might say "Appa you are so silly". That is OK. In fact it is not just OK, it is actually true. That is the whole point. Believe me, the last and only chance you may have of being silly and childish, is in front of your own kids. Have faith that whatever you do, they will find it funny or interesting. Don't worry about the possibility of them getting bored and running away from the conversation. It is not for nothing that I suggested the inside of a car as the ideal setting for this conversation. They are stuck in their seats and you have the keys and the steering wheel .

Last Sunday, as I was driving my daughters to their dance class I decided to start a conversation. As can be guessed from the previous paragraphs the questions about best friends and favorite teachers were already used up during previous occasions. So, while driving on that Sunday morning, in my mind, I start to look for a topic. It is 8.15 in the morning and as we are driving on Interstate 880 in San Jose, I see that the whole area is engulfed in thick fog. It is cloudy but it is not raining. We could not see beyond one hundred or two hundred meters. Trees, buildings and oncoming traffic were made obscure by the thick fog. It was fun to see a big truck with lights, emerge suddenly from behind the fog on the other side of the divided highway. I was enjoying this setting but the daughters looked a bit perplexed by the fog and were watching it with quiet trepidation. So I decided to break the ice by talking to them about the fog that was all around us.

I addressed both my daughters and said " Oh, I really love this fog. Do you like this fog?" My eleven year old daughter Ruchira responded "But wait! why do you like the fog appa?". My mind was in favor of going into a tizzy wondering how to answer this question.

But I ruled against it and concentrated on the question and I got the answer. Then the conversation proceeded thus.

Me: "I like it because it appears mysterious. Do you like things that are mysterious?"

Ruchira: "I like mystery novels"

Apurva: "Me too" (the little five year old did not want to be left out of the conversation)

Ruchira: "You haven't read any mystery novel Apurva. Do you even know what is a mystery novel?"

Apurva: "Yaa. I know. What is a mystery novel"
Ruchira: "It is like a detective story"
Apurva: "What is diktektive story?"
Ruchira: "A detective is like Sherlock Holmes"
Apurva: "Oh yaa. I know Sherlock Holmes"
Ruchira: "C'mon Apurva!! You don't know Sherlock Holmes"
Apurva: "Yaa I do"
Ruchira: "No you don't. Have you read any Sherlock Holmes mystery?"
Me: "It is OK Ruchira. I believe Apurva. So Apurva, you know Sherlock Holmes? Who is Sherlock Holmes puttu?"
Apurva: "She is a princess"
Ruchira:" See I told you. She does not know Sherlock Holmes"
Apurva: " Ya I do. "
Me: "How come you know Sherlock Holmes paapu?"
Apurva: "Because I saw her in Tom and Jerry"
Ruchira: "Oooohhhhhh! That one!!! Appa she is talking about the movie 'Tom and Jerry meet Sherlock Holmes'. But Apurva, there is no princess in that"

Apurva: "Yaa there is. She has red hair"

Ruchira: "Apurva!! Not everybody you see in a cartoon movie is a princess. She is just a person. Don't you know that"

Apurva: "I knew that"

Ruchira: "No. You did not know that. You don't know anything"

Apurva: "No! You don't know anything. (crying).. Appa, Ruchira is being mean to me"

Ruchira: "No I am not being mean. I am just saying"

Apurva: "Stop it. I don't like you".

As the situation is about to take a wrong turn, we fortunately arrive at the dance teacher's house. They both get down from the car and head towards their dance class. As they walk, I can hear them say in hushed voices "You don't know anything". "No, you don't know anything".

I lean back on the driver's seat and for the next hour loose myself in T. K Rama Rao's detective novel.

Kannada Rajyothsava on Stanford Radio. 2011 Nov 9th Wednesday 6.00 AM to 9.00 AM PST

2011-11-07T21:53:00.000-08:00

Kannada Rajyothsava on Stanford Radio. 2011 Nov 9th Wednesday 6.00 AM to 9.00 AM PST

Date: 2011 Nov 9th Wednesday
6.00 AM (PST) - 7.30 AM (PST) - Music
7.30 AM (PST) - 9.00 AM (PST) - Suvarna Karnataka Vaibhava - a review of Karnataka's history, art, culture, literature, movies, music and famous personalities - starting from 300BC to contemporary times. This is a rebroadcast of the program that was first aired in 2006 November to celebrate Karnataka's Suvarna Mahothsava. (50th year).

Live On Radio: Stanford KZSU 90.1 FM (in California Bay area)
Live On Internet: http://www.itsdiff.com/Kannada.html
(listen from anywhere in the world)
Host: Madhu Krishnamurthy
Please also check this site for latest information. http://rasikararajya.blogspot.com/
Note to people listening in India: The program is from 7.30 PM to 10.30 PM IST on Wednesday night.

Temptations

2011-08-29T23:21:00.000-07:00

Oh look, what's here!

A bowl of M&Ms.

I feel like having one.

nope..

Just keep walking away,

don't even look at it.

But, it is so tempting!

True, but this is your chance

to learn to overcome temptations.

But wait,

the best way to do that

is by yielding to them, right?

So, I guess it is ok

to have just one and not more.

Yes, but listen,

after the first one

there is no stopping.

Ok, here is the deal,

I will have one and

let the temptation grow bigger.

For, greater the temptation,

greater is the satisfaction of

overcoming the temptation.

Yes,

One M&M now, is the right choice.

ಶ್ರೀ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಜನ್ಮಾಷ್ಟಮಿಯಂದು ನೆನಪಾದ ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜರ ಹನಿಗವನಗಳು

2011-08-22T00:04:00.000-07:00

ಇಂದು ಶ್ರೀ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಜನ್ಮಾಷ್ಟಮಿ ಪ್ರಯುಕ್ತ ಮಿಲ್ಪಿಟಾಸ್‍ನ ಸತ್ಯನಾರಾಯಣ ದೇವಾಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀಯ ಸಂಗೀತದ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳ ಗುಂಪೊಂದು ಕೆಲವು ಕೃತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಮತ್ತು ಕೆಲವು ಭಜನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಹಾಡುವ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮವಿತ್ತು. ನನ್ನ ಹನ್ನೊಂದು ವರುಷದ ಮಗಳು ಹಾಡುವವಳಿದ್ದರಿಂದ ಅವಳನ್ನು ಕರೆದುಕೊಂಡು, ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆ ಮಂದಿಯೆಲ್ಲ ಕಾರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಗ ಕಾರಿನಲ್ಲಿ 96.1 FM ರೇಡಿಯೋದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೇಳಿಬಂದಿದ್ದು ಮಹಿಮಾ ಕ್ರಿಯೇಶನ್ಸ್ ಅವರ ಗಂಧದಗುಡಿ ಕನ್ನಡ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ. ಇಂದು ಗೋಕುಲಾಷ್ಟಮಿ ಪ್ರಯುಕ್ತ ಕೃಷ್ಣನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ರಸಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ – ಕೃಷ್ಣನಿಗೆ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಪ್ರಿಯವಾದ ತಿಂಡಿ ಯಾವುದು? ನನಗೆ ಕೂಡಲೆ ಹೊಳೆದದ್ದು ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ ಎಂಬ ತಿಂಡಿಪದಾರ್ಥ ಅಲ್ಲ! ಬದಲಾಗಿ ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ ಎಂಬ ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜರ ಈ ಕವಿತೆ.

ಯಾಕೆಂದರೆ ಕೃಷ್ಣನಿಗೆ ಪ್ರಿಯವಾದ ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ ನೆನಪಿಗೆ ಬಂದರೆ ಅದರ ಹಿಂದೆಯೇ ಬರುತ್ತದೆ ಅವನ ಮತ್ತು ಸುದಾಮನ ಗೆಳೆತನದ ನೆನಪು. ಕಡು ಬಡವನಾದ ಸುದಾಮ, ಶ್ರೀ ಕೃಷ್ಣನನ್ನು ಕಾಣಲು ಅವನ ಆಸ್ಥಾನಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದಾಗ ಕೇವಲ ಒಂದು ಹಿಡಿ ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ ತಂದುಕೊಡುತ್ತಾನೆ. ತನ್ನ ಸ್ನೇಹಿತನು ನೀಡಿದ ಈ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯ ಕಾಣಿಕೆಯಿಂದ ಸಂತುಷ್ಟನಾಗಿ ಶ್ರೀ ಕೃಷ್ಣನು ಸುದಾಮನಿಗೆ ಅಷ್ಟೈಷ್ವರ್ಯವನ್ನು ನೀಡಿ ಅವನ ಕಡು ಬಡತನವನ್ನು ನಿವಾರಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಕಥೆಯ ಈ ಸಾರವನ್ನು ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜರು ಈ ಕೆಲವೇ ಸಾಲುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸೆರೆ ಹಿಡಿದು, ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ ಪದದೊಂದಿಗೆ PUNಆಟವಾಡಿ ಸೊಗಸಾದ ಹನಿಗವನದ ರಸಪಾಕವನ್ನು ಓದುಗರಿಗೆ ನೀಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ

ಗೆಳೆಯನ ನೋಡಲು
ಹೋದ ಸುಧಾಮ
ಕೊಟ್ಟನು ಹಿಡಿ ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ
ಸಿಕ್ಕಿತು ಬದಲಿಗೆ
ಅಷ್ಟೈಶ್ವರ್ಯ
ನಿಜವಾಗಿಯೂ ಅವ ’ಲಕ್ಕಿ’

ನಾನಂತು ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜರ ಹನಿಗವನಗಳನ್ನು ಓದುವುದಷ್ಟೆ ಅಲ್ಲದೆ, ನಾನು ಓದಿದ್ದನ್ನು ನನ್ನ ಸ್ನೇಹಿತರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಅಥವಾ ಸಂತೋಷಕೂಟಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇತರ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಹಂಚಿಕೊಂಡು ಆನಂದಿಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಇವರು ನಾಟಕಗಳನ್ನು ಮತ್ತು ಆಂಕಣ ಬರಹಗಳನ್ನು ಸಹ ಬರೆದು ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧರಾಗಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಇವರು ರಚಿಸಿದ ನಾಟಕ ’ಕೊರಿಯಪ್ಪನ ಕೊರಿಯೋಗ್ರಫಿ’, ೨೦೧೦ ಮೇನಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಯಾನ್ ಹೊಸೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರದರ್ಶನಗೊಂಡಿತು, ಶರ್ಮಿಳಾ ವಿದ್ಯಾಧರ ಅವರು ನಿರ್ದೇಶಿಸಿದ ಈ ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೊರಿಯಪ್ಪನ ಪಾತ್ರವನ್ನು ನಿರ್ವಹಿಸುವ ಅವಕಾಶ ನನಗೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದ್ದು ನನ್ನ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಭಾಗ್ಯ. ಈ ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೊರಿಯಪ್ಪನಾಗಿ ನಾನು ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜರ ಮಾತುಗಳನ್ನು ಆಡುತ್ತ, ಅವರ ಶುದ್ಧವಾದ, ಅದ್ಭುತವಾದ ಹಾಸ್ಯವನ್ನು ಪ್ರದರ್ಶಿಸುತ್ತ ನಟಿಸಿದ ಅನುಭವ ನನ್ನ ಪಾಲಿಗೆ ಒಂದು ಮಹತ್ ಘಟನೆ. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ ನನಗೆ ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜರ ಮೇಲೆ ಅಪಾರವಾದ ಅಭಿಮಾನ ಬೆಳೆಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

ಕಳೆದು ತಿಂಗಳು ನಾನು ಭಾರತಕ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರವಾಸ ಹೋದಾಗ ಅವರನ್ನು ಫೇಸ್‍ಬುಕ್ಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಪರ್ಕಿಸಿ ಅವರನ್ನು ಬೇಟಿಯಾಗುವ ಆಶಯವನ್ನು ತಿಳಿಸಿದೆ. ಅವರು ಬಹಳ ಸಂತೋಷದಿಂದ ಅವರನ್ನು ಭೇಟಿಯಾಗಲು ಅನುಕೂಲವಾಗುವಂತೆ ವಿವರಗಳನ್ನು ನೀಡಿದರು. ಮತ್ತು ನಾನು ಅವರನ್ನು ಭೇಟಿ ಮಾಡಲು ಹೋದಾಗ ಬಹಳ ಆತ್ಮೀಯತೆಯಿಂದ ಮಾತನಾಡಿಸಿದರು. ಅವರನ್ನು ಭೆಟ್ಟಿಯಾಗಿ ಅವರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಕೆಲ ಹೊತ್ತು ಮಾತನಾಡಿದ್ದು ನನಗೆ ಬಹಳ ಸಂತೋಷವಾಯಿತು.

ಈ ಮೊದಲೇ ತಿಳಿಸಿದ ರೇಡಿಯೋ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ಅಮೇರಿಕದಲ್ಲಿ ನೇರ ಪ್ರಸಾರವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಇಂದಿನ ಗೋಕುಲಾಷ್ಟಮಿ ವಿಶೇಷ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನು ಕರೆ ಮಾಡಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣನ ಪ್ರಿಯವಾದ ತಿನಿಸು ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ ಎಂದು ಸರಿಯುತ್ತರ ನೀಡಿದ್ದಷ್ಟೇ ಅಲ್ಲದೆ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಸುದಾಮರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜರು ಬರೆದ ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ ಕವಿತೆಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹೇಳಿ ಆ ಕವಿತೆಯನ್ನು ವಾಚಿಸಿದೆ.

ನಂತರ ಹಾಗೆಯೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಯೋಚಿಸಿದಾಗ ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜರ ಇನ್ನು ಕೆಲವು ಹನಿಗವನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೀ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಕಾಣಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾನಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ನೆನಪಾಯಿತು. ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜರ ಈ ಕವನಗಳನ್ನು ನೆನೆಪಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಈ ಬಾರಿಯ ಶ್ರೀ ಕೃಷ್ಣಜನ್ಮಾಷ್ಟಮಿಯನ್ನು ಯಾಕೆ ಆಚರಿಸಬಾರದು ಎನಿಸಿತು. ಹಾಗಾಗಿ, ಹನಿಗವನದ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಟರು ಎಂದು ಕರೆಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜರ ಕೆಲವು ಹನಿಗವನಗಳು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಸವಿಯುವಿಕೆಗಾಗಿ.

ಚಕ್ರ
ಎಷ್ಟೊಂದು ರುಂಡಗಳ
ಚಂಡಾಡಿತ್ತು ಅಂದು
ಮುರಾರಿಯ ಚಕ್ರ.
ಇಂದು ಆ ಕಾರ್ಯ
ನಿರ್ವಹಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ
ಬಸ್ಸು, ಕಾರು,
ಲಾರಿಯ ಚಕ್ರ

ಈಗಿನವರು
ರಾಧೆಯ ಗೆದ್ದನು ಆ ಗೊಲ್ಲ
ರುಕ್ಮಿಣಿಯ ಕದ್ದನು ಆ ಗೊಲ್ಲ
ಹದಿನಾರು ಸಾವಿರ
ಮಡದಿಯರನ್ನು
ಸಂಭಾಳಿಸಿದನು ಆ ಗೊಲ್ಲ
ಈಗಿನವರಿಂದ
ಆಗೊಲ್ಲ

ಈ ರಾಧೆ
ಹತಾಶಳಾಗದೆ
ಕಾಯುತ್ತಿರುವಳು
ಪಾರ್ಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ರಾಧೆ
ಕೃಷ್ಣ ತಪ್ಪಿದರೆ
ರಾಮರೂ ಇದ್ದಾರೆ
ಎಂಬುದೆ ಅವಳ ಇರಾದೆ

ನನಗೆ
ಕೃಷ್ಣನಿಗೆ ಸಾವಿರಾರು
ಹೆಂಡಿರಿದ್ದರಂತೆ
ನನಗೆ ಒಬ್ಬಳೆ
ಆದರೂ
ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಚಿಂತೆ

ಗೀತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ
ಗೀತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣ
ಹೇಳಿದ್ದಾನೆ
ಧರ್ಮದ ದಾಸ್ತಾನು
ಖಾಲಿಯಾದಾಗಲೆಲ್ಲ
ಅವ
ತರಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ

Dare to raise your hands

2011-08-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

"I wish I had utilized my college days to develop the courage to ask for clarifications, to gain the skills of being open about my understanding of an issue in a group and to develop the confidence to face criticism and disapproval from peers and authority figures.

About two weeks back, I visited my Engineering college in Bangalore and walked past many of the old haunts and took some pictures. Now I am back in US and a couple of days back I read David Brook's blog about Living with Mistakes. The article talks about the importance of not being afraid of making mistakes. It asserts that many great organizations have achieved success only after making mistakes. What made a greater impact on me was a comment to the article which I have reproduced here. "Dare to raise your hand even if you're not sure of the answer, because even if you get it wrong, the benefit of your remembering the right answer, after getting it wrong, is well worth it!". I felt this was a very powerful comment and felt motivated to write this article.

Puzzled in college

As I was looking through some of the pictures I took of my Engineering College, a lot of memories came back to me. I could not help wish, that I had the benefit of David Brook's article during my college days. I regret I did not have the confidence to make mistakes and learn from them during my college days.

At that time in my college I had started feeling that everyone else in my class knew more than me. In class the professors would call on students and ask questions. When ever I did not understand some topics, it appeared there were many others who seemed to know it all and would ask what were apparently intelligent questions or 'doubts' as we used to call them. So there was a lot of pressure to appear competent or to not appear incompetent, while answering a question or while asking one.

Interesting professors

Some professors said things which were unforgettable. One professor would ask students to stand up when he asked question and if the student answered wrong he would say "tappu" (WRONG!). Then he proceeded to rub it in by saying "Didn't you read the notes from last class? Where is it? Show me! Do you have it or did you use it to wipe your nephew's bottom?"

There was another professor who's class would start at 7.20 AM in a dusty corner room at the end of a long corridor. It would be quite gloomy there and having to travel an hour in a BTS (Bangalore Transport Service) bus before the class, did not help. During the class the professor would call on students who had nervous looks on their faces and conduct a spot quiz. When the student did not answer satisfactorily he would scold them in a very intimidating way. There were some students who were unfortunate enough to be picked up for this treatment too often. One such unfortunate student was a nice guy called Bisi Reddy. I suspect the professor picked on him simply because he found his name interesting and he could admonish him with "I need to put some Bisi (heat) on you".

Another favorite person of this professor was 'last man'. 'Last man' was any student who was unwise enough to sit in the last bench. The professor would routinely keep writing something on the board and suddenly without turning would say " Last man! Stand up and tell me what are the advantages of a Yagi Uda antenna". No one would want to own up to the name of 'last man'. Hearing no response from the class he would quip "So is the 'last man' absent today?". Then he would turn around and call on one of the occupants of the last bench to answer the question. If the student did not answer, the professor would turn red with anger and scold him with choice words. Most students were quite scared of landing up in this situation. (If I think of it now, I wonder why we had to be so scared. Now I am a bit concerned because, soon my little daughters will ask a similar question "Why should we be afraid of dad giving us a timeout")

The subject taught by this professor was Antennas and for various reasons I was not receiving it well and often found myself tuned-out in the class. The biggest concern I had was that I would be called on to answer a question. I was convinced that I would not know the answer and would face horrible embarrassment and verbal abuse. Many other students feared the same and we all had found a way of avoiding it. The strategy was to come to class ahead of others and occupy the front bench before anybody else does. The adage "the safest place is right under the nose of the enemy" was literally true for us. The professor would stand right above us on a platform and would mercifully look over us training all his weapons on the unfortunate 'last man'. I must add that the professor taught well and was no enemy of us but the proverb is useful in this instance.

As is evident, I wanted to hide from the professor and avoid being asked questions. Such being the case, it was way out of line for me to ask questions on my own or participate in a class room discussion. Added to this was the feeling that every other student in the class seemed to be better prepared than me. Whenever I did not understand some concepts, I would just think that I needed to go home and read it on my own rather than risk embarrassment by asking for a clarification or for greater explanation of the concept. This I realized later was a very unwise thing to do. I wish I had utilized my college days to develop the courage to ask for clarifications, to gain the skills of being open about my understanding of an issue in a group and to develop the confidence to face criticism and disapproval from peers and authority figures.

Pre-University days

Before going to Engineering college we all had to study the eleventh and twelfth year of school in what is called a Pre-University course.

My college was very selective in giving admission and the student population generally included very good students from the best schools in the neighborhood. Subjects like calculus, trigonometry and science were a bit overwhelming - especially the labs in chemistry and physics. I was experiencing labs for the first time and it was very confusing. The experiments needed a series of steps and I wanted to make sure I got them right and so I would ask a lot of questions. While the teacher answered the questions patiently my own teammate with whom I had to do the experiments seemed to be getting extremely embarrassed at all my questions. At some point he made a very curt remark at me "You are asking too many silly questions. Stop asking them". The stupid guy made such an impact on me that from then on I hesitated to ask questions even when I did not understand the topic. This kind of hesitation is self serving. In the beginning you don't ask questions because you think it may be a stupid question. Before you know you will be half way through the course and you would still have lingering doubts and questions but it would be too late and embarrassing to ask them. The term would end with an unsatisfactory learning experience. This carried on to engineering too leading to the situations I wrote earlier in this article.

A second chance

After completing my Engineering I took up a job and I would often wish that I could go back to my college days and go through the education again - this time doing it the right way without making the same mistakes. I would think "If only I could get a second chance, I will not hesitate to stand up and ask for an explanation when it did not make sense to me. I would seek out the professors and clarify my 'doubts' at the risk of appearing incompetent in front of the professors and other students." I did get a second chance at going to college after working for four years. But this time it was at an university in New Mexico, USA where I went on to complete my graduate degree.

I don't get it Prof

Given my past experience, student life in New Mexico, USA had a pleasant change of atmosphere which was greatly welcome to me. The relationship between the professors and students was more casual. The professors wore shorts and students would call them by their first names without adding the title 'professor'. The staff treated students as if they were equals. Students would come to class with a can of coke and sit with their legs crossed on the table. One fact that certainly caught my attention was this. When the professor asked questions the American students did not hesitate to say "I don't know" or answered with whatever they knew. What appeared even more impressive to me was this. During the lecture a student in a pony tail would tell in a loud voice "Hold on David. I don't get it. You are going too fast". At which point the professor would patiently explain what the student was missing. I must admit, this had a lot to do with the fact that we were graduate students. (I also admit I secretly desired that someday I would be able to talk to the professor as the American students did)

Questions welcome

There were also situations when things were slightly different. There was one professor who taught a subject called Finite Automata which was very challenging or at least the professor made it tough and kept reminding students how it is not going to be easy. He was very tough in the class and more so when he graded the exam papers. He believed in tough love and some students (including Americans) were generally scared of him. Most students played it safe by remaining quiet in the class. But this being my second chance, I had the benefit of experience and I had decided that I would not make the same mistakes I had made in my previous college life. Early in the course I had a difficult time understanding a concept and reached a dead-end in my efforts to learn it on my own. I had no choice but to go and ask him for help. I went to visit him in his office and explained that I was having problems with a certain concept and wanted to clarify my understanding. When I asked him my questions ('doubts' as many Indian students would call them much to the amusement of Americans) he not only answered them well but said something that encouraged me. "See it is good for me to listen to your questions. For me, the concepts in my subject are quite clear because I am familiar with it. But there are lots of missing links in your mind, The problem is, I do not know what those missing links are. I do not know what puzzles you, what confuses you. But I would like to know. So, you should come and talk to me as often as you can". These words from him had such a comforting effect on me that I found myself being very attentive in his class and was able to get a better grasp of the subject. In fact the class turned out to be very enjoyable after that. His attitude towards students has helped me be a better person whenever I am in the position of a teacher such as teaching my own daughters or while explaining to my co-workers.

Handling incorrect answers

When it comes to the topic of a professor quizzing the students, I am reminded of another professor whose style of asking questions and responding to students was really encouraging. This professor would ask a question and if somebody answered wrong he would grin and close his eyes and wrinkle his nose and say "uuummmm ... you could say that.. but I am looking for something different". Eventually he would go around asking whoever raised their hand and finally get the answer he was looking for. Such supportive environment gives the students the confidence to open up and participate in class activities, which is very important to develop self-esteem and confidence, which become extremely important in the real life which come after college.

Honest feedback

When it comes to giving feedback or praise to students, I do agree that the teachers have to be honest and deliver critical feedback instead of avoiding them. But there is also some merit to the sentiment that there are times when it is wise to hold back honest critical assessment - especially when such critical feedback runs the risk of throwing cold water on the receiver's enthusiasm. Such criticisms might have the sad outcome of completely extinguishing a person's spirit.

The intent of this article is not to generalize the teaching styles in India or in the US. It is just my personal experience. I have come across professors in US who just recited mechanically what they knew, without bothering to know how much the students had understood. On the other hand I have had many teachers and professors in India who were such noble people that they personified the image of the knowledgeable and benevolent guru. They not only excelled as teachers but also showed love and care towards their students. I wish more and more students get to benefit from such teachers. Such teachers are sensitive to the needs, strengths and limitations of all their students. Such teachers will not only teach the right lessons but will also help their students learn from their mistakes.

Golden opportunity

Irrespective of the teachers and their methods, it is the student who has to take personal responsibility for getting the best out of his or her educational experience. Students should dare to raise their hands when asked questions and should not shun participation for the fear of making mistakes. Life in school and college provides golden opportunities for the student to gain invaluable life skills and grow as a person. Good teachers will enable the growth of their students by providing and maintaining a supportive learning environment.

Movie: "Inside Job" looks for culprits in the global financial crisis of 2008

2011-06-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

New York's financial district

Title: Inside job (2010)

Awards: Oscar Award Winner for the Best Documentary film of 2010

Produced, Written, Directed by: Charles Ferguson

Narrated by: Matt Damon

Score: 7 out of 10

Verdict: A very good documentary about the financial crisis of 2008 that caused ripple effects across the globe. It explores the roles played by various individuals who were inside players in the world of finance and their complicity in the economic meltdown. The movie features tough face-to-face interviews with financial consultants, lobbyists, some people from the government and of course the villains from Wall street. Odd as it may sound this movie features some great music and excellent aerial photography of New York's financial district.

The movie is organized in 5 parts.

Part 1: How we got there

Part II: The Bubble (2001-2007)

Part III: The Crisis

Part IV: Accountability

Part V: Where We Are Now

The movie starts off with the caption "Tens of millions of people lost their savings, their jobs and their homes. This is how it happened." That line supports one reason why I like to watch documentaries. Some times when a potentially important news story breaks out, I miss the beginning. Then I start paying attention only when the issue becomes front page news daily, leaving me feeling that I need to know how it all started. So I like watching a documentary to catch up on the details right from the beginning.

The director Charles Ferguson lamented during his Oscar acceptance speech that not a single person has gone to jail for his or her role in causing this crisis. After watching the movie I felt that he has the conviction to say it. In this movie he demonstrates his good understanding of the financial systems. Watching him pose tough follow-up questions to the alleged culprits, we can appreciate his solid preparation for making this movie. It is also good for us that he also possesses good skills in making movies. Through expert evidence, illustrative information and interviews, he lays bare the criminal neglect displayed by the regulatory bodies. In some cases we see that they actively contributed to the financial crisis.

The movie refers to great number of academic papers and memos which had tried to warn of the impending financial crisis. One paper that draw my attention was by Raghuram Rajan - Chief Economist from the IMF. In this paper titled "Has financial development made the world riskier?" the author's conclusion is a 'yes'. The movie helps the viewers grasp key material from such papers by highlighting the appropriate sections.

It is a treat to watch and listen to highly analytical and scholarly dissection of the problem by financial and economic experts like Paul Volcker (Fed Chairman in the late 70s and 80s) , George Soros (investor), Nouriel Roubini (academic), Charles Morris (Author of The Two Trillion Dollar Meltdown); Elliot Spitzer (former Governor of New York). The movie even features some conversation with Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the now-disgraced Chairman of the IMF.

This movie should be of interest to students of finance and economics and anyone interested in knowing who were responsible for the global financial crisis of 2008.

Radio Interview with Dr. Master Hirannaiah on June 1 at Stanford Radio

2011-05-29T23:18:00.000-07:00

Interview with Nata-ratnakara Dr. Master Hirannaiah on Stanford's Itsdiff Radio.

Please tune in to listen to a beloved personality from Kannada theater world. Dr. Master Hirannaiah is well known for his sharp wit, a great sense of humor and stinging satire. During the program you can call in and talk to our guest and share your thoughts. Phone number will be given during the show.

Details:

Date: 2011 June 1st Wednesday

6.00 AM (PST) - 7.30 AM (PST) - Music

7.30 AM (PST) - 9.00 AM (PST) - Interview with NataRatnakara Dr. Master Hirannaiah

Live On Radio: Stanford KZSU 90.1 FM (in California Bay area)

Live On Internet: http://www.itsdiff.com/Kannada.html (listen from anywhere in the world)

Host: Madhu Krishnamurthy

Please also check this site for latest information.

http://rasikararajya.blogspot.com/

Note to people listening in India: The live interview with Master Hirannaiah will begin at 8.00 PM IST on Wednesday night.

Here is a picture taken when K Hirannaiah Mitramandali made a contribution to Prime Minister Nehru's defence funds in 1962. The contribution was made in the form of silver equivalent in weight to that of Dr. Master Hirannaiah. Also seen in the picture: Noted Kannada literary figure Ta. Ra. Su and then Chief Minister of Karnataka,

S Nijalingappa. Thanks to Master Hirannaiah for sharing it with me and allowing me to use it.

What my mother taught me

2011-05-07T20:02:00.000-07:00

This was when I was in my 10th grade. I would come home walking from my school around 4.30 in the afternoon and I would be very hungry. After the traditional practice of cleaning my hands and feet, I would head straight to the kitchen. My mother would be standing at the cooking platform and perhaps giving the final touches to the plate of food which she was preparing for me. I would stand next to her telling her about the happenings at school while I waited for her to hand over the plate to me.

This one day she had mixed ಅನ್ನ ಹುಳಿ. (anna huLi). This was a staple in our house. For those who are unfamiliar with this simple food, it is cooked-rice mixed with a soup-like dish prepared with vegetables and spices. It was usually the leftover food from the day's afternoon meal. That day my mother filled anna huLi in a plate and held the plate towards me. I took the plate from her. However, the plate accidentally slipped from my hand and fell down. The stainless steel plate made a loud banging sound as it fell and rolled on the ground and the anna huLi was splashed all around the kitchen. Anger, hunger and disbelief was writ large on my face at being so clumsy. I was also saddened that I had disappointed my mother. I knew my mother's nature well and knew she was not the kind of woman who would throw a fit. But still I looked at her with apprehension.

I could see that her first reaction was one of anger. Her anger was understandable because there was nothing else left to give me unless she made something fresh. But that expression of anger stayed on her face only for a moment. Within less than a second, that expression gave way to a display of love and affection. She gently said "ಹೋಗ್ಲಿ ಬಿಡು. ಪರವಾಗಿಲ್ಲ. ಬೇರೆ ಏನಾದ್ರು ಮಾಡ್ಕೊಡ್ತೀನಿ." (Don't worry. Let it go. I will make something else for you). As I watched with remorse, she quickly went on to make some other dish and gave it to me which I ate with satisfaction.

This incident is imprinted in my mind for ever. Within that one fleeting fraction of a second, my mother had realized what was going through my mind. She had understood that I was feeling sad and very disappointed with myself at what I had done. She had decided that she did not want to cause any more pain.

My mother not only dealt with that situation with motherly love and wisdom but also planted in me, a good lesson in parenting. Every time my children do something messy, I remember how my mother had reacted when I did something messy. I curb my urge to get angry. I curb my urge to pass judgements on my little daughters. I curb my urge to allow myself the liberty of venting out my pent up frustrations which may have nothing to do with my kids.

I calm myself and say "It is OK paapu. It was just an accident. I will help you with it". It is a good practice for adults since it helps us to learn to react to adverse situations in a calm manner. It is good for children because they learn that it is OK to make mistakes as long they learn from it.

Every year when I call my mother to wish her on Mother's day, I always make it a point to remember and talk about the above incident. Each time she reacts by saying "Really. I don't remember that." And she does not forget to add "ಇದೆಲ್ಲ ಎಷ್ಟು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಜ್ಞಾಪಕ ಇದೆ ನಿನಗೆ" (How well you recollect these incidents!). I know she will react the same way when I call her today and wish her "Happy mother's day"

Ugadi Radio Program 'enri hosa suddhi'

2011-03-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

“ಏನ್ರಿ ಹೊಸ ಸುದ್ದಿ”.

ಮಾರ್ಚ್ ೩೦ರಂದು ಸ್ಟಾನ್ಫರ್ಡ್ ರೇಡಿಯೊದಲ್ಲಿ ಯುಗಾದಿ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಪ್ರಯುಕ್ತ ಕನ್ನಡ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ “ಏನ್ರಿ ಹೊಸ ಸುದ್ದಿ”.
ಶ್ರೀ ಖರನಾಮ ಸಂವತ್ಸರದ ಈ ಹೊಸ ವರುಷದ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಏನು ಹೊಸತು? ಎನು ವಿಶೇಷ. ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ದೂರವಾಣಿ ಮೂಲಕ ಕರೆ ಮಾಡಿ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಸಾಧನೆ ಅಥವ ಗೆಲುವುಗಳನ್ನು ಸಹೃದಯ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಹಂಚಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಇದು ಸದಾವಕಾಶ. ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಹೊಸ ಕನ್ನಡ ಚಿತ್ರಗೀತೆಗಳನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ ಆನಂದಿಸಬಹುದು.

ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದ ವಿವರಗಳು:
ದಿನಾಂಕ: 2011 ಮಾರ್ಚ್ ೩೦ ಬುಧವಾರ
ಸಮಯ: (ಕ್ಯಾಲಿಫೋರ್ನಿಯ ಸಮಯ)

ಬೆಳಗ್ಗೆ 6.00 AM PST – 9.00 AM PST (ಕ್ಯಾಲಿಫೋರ್ನಿಯಾ ಸಮಯ)

ಬಾನುಲಿ ಕೇಂದ್ರ: ಸ್ಟಾನ್‌ಫರ್ಡ್ KZSU 90.1 FM [ಕ್ಯಾಲೀಫೋರ್ನಿಯ ಸ್ಯಾನ್‌ಫ್ರಾನ್‌ಸಿಸ್ಕೊ ಬೇ ಏರಿಯ]
ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಮೂಲಕ: http://www.itsdiff.com/Kannada.html (Listen live and to archives from anywhere in the world)
ನಿರ್ವಹಣೆ: ಮಧು ಕೃಷ್ಣಮೂರ್ತಿ

Whats' new?

Kannada Radio program “What’s new” on Stanford Radio KZSU 90.1 FM to welcome Sri Khara naama samvatsara. On the occasion of the new year for Kannadigas, what is new in your life? Any new accomplishments? Do you have anything special and joyful you would like to share?

Please call during the show and share with fellow listeners and also listen to new Kannada songs.
Details:
Date: 2011 March 30 Wednesday
Time: 6.00 AM PST – 9.00 AM (California Time)
Radio Station: Stanford University’s KZSU 90.1 FM
On Internet: http://www.itsdiff.com/Kannada.html (Listen live and to archives from anywhere in the world)
Host: Madhu Krishnamurthy
Note to listeners in India: The program is from 6.30 PM to 9.30 PM IST on Wednesday March 30
Please visit my blog: http://rasikararajya.blogspot.com/

The Raghu Dixit Experience athawa RDXp

2011-03-12T02:07:00.000-08:00

Video: Raghu Dixit calls on the audience to come out and dance in Mysooru bhaashe

at Sunnyvale Temple auditorium on March 5 2011

When I read Raghu Dixit's words that his concert will be such that everybody will start dancing I had thought that I could agree with it only after being in the concert myself. It is not that I am not familiar with Raghu Dixit's music. I have heard his songs before and like them for their distinct style but had not imagined how it would be to hear the band live.

But the band Raghu Dixit Project (known as RDX in cool circles) played at the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple auditorium on Saturday, March 5th 2011 and lived up to its promise totally. This concert was organized by Kasturi Media (http://www.kasturimedia.com/) in collaboration with Kannada Koota of Northern California.(http://kknc.org/) It was a sell out crowd with an estimated audience of five hundred to six hundred.

When I showed up with my family at 5.45 PM the doors were closed and there was an excited crowd of one hundred or more in the lobby of the auditorium. What struck me was that a large section of the crowd was very young in its twenties and they were all speaking Kannada. They were all excited about this rock concert and their excitement was as much reflected in their dresses as in their conversations. It was good to see this section of the Bay area Kannada community which we do not see in the regular Kannada Koota functions.

As the entrance doors remained closed beyond the stated start time, the crowd in the lobby got bigger and the voices of the organizers got hoarser as they bravely tried to explain the cause for the delay in opening the doors. At one point Raghu Dixit himself opened the door, explained the delay which was due to their flight arriving late and requested every one's patience. Finally at around 6.45 they let us in only to be seated not in the auditorium but in a half way room. It might well have been the transit lounge in the Singapore Airlines' section of Taipei airport.

Finally the doors between the 'Transit lounge' and the auditorium opened and people ran in to grab their quota of six or so seats in a row. (May be four for their own family and two for their friends - the newly-married-no-kids-yet couple). Some people were mildly disappointed when they were out paced by colorful duppattas which flew past them and deftly landed on the right number of chairs. The owners of the duppattas could be heard patting the duppattas and saying "oh I am so proud of you". Still it appeared that the duppattas were later complaining amongst themselves that Raghu Dixit did not serenade them with "hava mein uduta jaaye, mora laal duppatta mal mal ka".

In spite of feeling irritated that I got crappy seats with poles obstructing my view and forcing me to tilt my head, I was really pleased with the way they had arranged the chairs. It was done with audience participation in mind.

Then the band 'The Raghu Dixit Project' walked on to stage and got a rousing welcome. They appeared totally cool in colorful shirts, 'panches' (the un-stitched cloth, wrapped around the waist) and anklets. The majority of the crowd showed how much they were fans of Raghu Dixit by enthusiastically cheering and clapping. RDX implored the audience to just get up from their seats and come up front and be ready to dance. I went up immediately if only to watch over my daughters and was among the jostling crowd right in front of the stage.

True to their promise, RDX had their audience singing and dancing to their tunes. They sang both in Kannada and Hindi. The music was very catchy and attractive especially because it combined exotic Indian and Kannada folk music and lyrics with the powerful rhythms and sounds of rock music. It was an amazing experience to watch the band perform as one entity. Raghu Dixit interacted with the crowd in a very friendly and personal manner. The audience cheered and responded with excitement when RDX mentioned his own neighborhood Jayanagar and talked in Kannada with typical local accent.

I stood right in front below the stage for most of the concert. The crowd there included little children, teenagers, young adults and pre-middle aged men and women. Almost everybody shed their inhibitions and danced. The excitement was building up and I was watching around to see if anyone would up the stage and dive into the audience. Obviously it did not happen. (The safe mosh pit at the Sunnyvale Temple)

I was hesitant in the beginning but then, before I knew I had lost myself in the music and was totally immersed in this hugely entertaining rock concert. The band rendered their hits such as 'Hey Bhagwan', 'Mysore Se Aayi', 'Gudugudiya', 'Khidki', 'No man will ever love you, like I do', 'lokada kaalaji', 'just maath maathalli' and the audience favorite 'ninna poojege bande mahadeswara'.

Video: Mysore se aayi

The audience soaked up the excitement the band offered. They enjoyed and cheered everything the band did including when RDX scolded the audience a couple of times for talking amongst themselves or for not participating in the concert enthusiastically.

I felt proud watching these superbly talented musicians perform. They are from my home state of Karnataka and they spoke my language Kannada. They looked hip and they knew how to rock the audience. Best of all, they demonstrated that they are equally talented in and capable of performing both contemporary popular genre like Rock music as well as traditional Indian folk music. Now that was cool.

The band is comprised of Raghu Dixit, Gaurav Vaz, Vijay Joseph, Karthik Iyer and Wilfred Demoz.

Deccan Herald article on kelade nimageega

2011-03-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

Here is an article from Deccan Herald a respected and long standing News Paper in India, on 'Cinema Santhe Reel -1' a short film festival organized in Bangalore on February 25th 2011. The entire Yuga Creations team should be feeling a sense of elation for getting this recognition. Congrats to all the team members responsible for such a successful and well appreciated movie. These words from the article are worth noting - "The film was rich in technical elements and all the artists did a commendable job".

That's right. Three cheers to the Yuga team especially those who worked in the background.

Please click here to watch the short film 'kelade nimageega' (15 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M_GW0wSD9g

Audience Reactions
Please click here to view a 3 minute compilation of reactions from audience who watched the movie at the Suggiyaana function organized by Kannada Koota of Northern California at Gunn High School in Palo Alto in January 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/yugacreations#p/a/u/1/zqxFGKAouY0

Since the text in the attached picture is not very clear, I have included the entire article below. It is from 2011 March 5th edition.

A touch of reality DHNS

WeMove Theatre in association with Yuga Creations organised Cinema Santhe, a special premiere of short films by a young bunch of artistes, at K H Kala Soudha, Hanumanthnagar recently.

The event, which was aimed at bridging the gap between film-makers and audience, succeeded in doing so.

Four films — Aaa Raatri, I’m, Kelade Nimageega and Bhagavanta Kai Kotta —were screened for the first time in front of a big audience.

All the movies had different themes and left a lasting impression on the minds of the audience. The best thing about the event was the interaction which made both the audience and film-makers take cinema seriously.

First came Aaa Raatri which turned out be an edge-of-the-seat entertainer for the spectators. Directed by Sujay, the story revolved around a set of mysterious events that happen in one night.

The peaceful life of Ram, the protagonist, gets affected by his neighbour’s murder. Excellent expressions by the actors and wonderful music were highlights of the film.

Next up was a six-minute film, I’m, which dealt with the psychology of a kid. This film was shot in just three days. Athena Clarke, the child artiste, got all the appreciation from the audience.

The next film, Kelade Nimageega, succeeded in touching the hearts of everyone present through the relevance of its subject.

The short movie focussed on the plight of the parents of NRIs, who long for their children to return. The film was rich in technical elements and all the artistes did a commendable job.

Bhagavanta Kai Kotta, directed by Abhijit Mahesh, was a pleasurable experience due to its comic elements. Using humour, the film heralded a subtle message that everyone should be content with whatever they get.

The story was about a greedy person who is always sad though he gets everything he wishes for.

The interactive sessions held after each show were quite lively as the audience gave its feedback instantly. Sampath, a professional, shared his wish to join the team in their upcoming ventures.

“I enjoyed all the movies and each one was different from the other. Aaa Raatri succeeded in creating a kind of fear among the audience while Kelade Nimageega was very touching. The efforts of these young artistes are appreciable. After watching their films, I want to work with them,” he expressed.

Rains Today as I was driving home from work

2011-02-25T01:09:00.000-08:00

As I was drove home from work today evening I experienced how a waft of rain-scented cool breeze on the face and wet, shiny road reflecting the lights from vehicles, can enhance the spirits.

The weather-people have predicted that during the coming weekend it will snow at sea level in San Francisco Bay area. In preparation for that event, nature had commenced the hostilities with extremely cloudy skies and very annoying incessant rains.

Getting out of my office building and running to the car parked in the lot, got me drenched a bit. I don't mind that. But it riles me to no end when I open my car trunk and a stream of water, hiding somewhere on the car roles into the trunk. This is very annoying especially since there are important documents lying around in the trunk. The person who discovers a way to stop this from happening will make a lot of money.

But the worst is actually getting my soaking wet shoes onto the carpet in the car. I feel sick knowing that the carpet my foot is on, has actually soaked in, a few ounces of puddle.

But I get over it as I drive out of the lot. As I enter 237 highway it was nice to see the wet roads which reflected a string of red tail lights of cars in front of me. I took some pictures from inside the car.

As I rolled down the windows to take some more photos, the NPR radio program 'All Things Considered' starts broadcasting a live commentary on the revolution going on in Libya. A local business man was giving a bullet by bullet description of the pitched battles between the rebels and Gaddafi's henchmen in Benghazi. It was so exciting to hear it, I rolled down the windows and listened.

It was exciting to hear live the struggle of Libyans, that too within the safety of my car. I turned on the heater for added comfort. I took some pictures of the rain outside my car which you can see here.

Here is a link to that radio segment. Please give it a listen get a first hand account Click Here

In the morning when I was driving to work I was fully impressed by the three women panel on KQED's Forum. All three women were from the middle east and were highly educated, accomplished, very knowledgeable and extremely articulate. They presented a good analysis of womens' issues in those societies and peeled apart a lot of mischaracterization and over simplification which is presented to us by the media. You can listen to it here.

Review: No One Killed Jessica (Hindi - 2011)

2011-02-19T20:58:00.000-08:00

Title: No One Killed Jessica (Hindi - 2011)
Starring: Vidya Balan. Rani Mukherjee

Directed by: Raj Kumar Gupta

Music: Amit Trivedi

Score: 7.5 out of 10

Verdict: A very gritty portrayal of a commoner’s quest for justice after the tragic murder of a young woman. Good acting and tight narration makes it a very satisfying movie experience.

Not withstanding the culture shock I experienced when I watched the attitudinal shifts of the young and hip Indians as seen in this film, I must say I liked the movie ‘No body Killed Jessica’. It is bold in its pursuit of realistically representing a real life incident. In this case it is a crime that goes unpunished and a victim’s family who is denied justice. All this happens because powerful people in India have the muscle to twist the law enforcement agencies to do their bidding. They have the means to subvert the judicial system for self preservation against the interests of innocent hardworking law-abiding citizens.

The movie sets this mood with a bang in the opening sequence with a solidly delivered song ‘di di di dilli dilli’. It has strong background music and gritty lyrics and is sung effectively by Tochi Raina, Shriram Iyer, Aditi Singh Sharma. It is very effective in juxtaposing the symbols of power and the struggles of the daily life of common citizens.

The story starts with a young Sabrina who runs a travel agency, being woken up to the shocking news that her sister Jessica has been shot. We see the flash back where there is wild revelry in a posh club where Jessica a ravishing young girl is manning the bar and serving liquor to a crowd of young men and women who are consumed in wild dance and revelry. The club is owned by Jessica’s parents. It puts to shame any country club in the decadent West especially with the knowledge that dusty poverty stricken life lies just around the corner in the case of the Indian club.

It is in this backdrop that Jessica gets murdered. What follows is the police investigation, the political machinations by the involved parties, the court trial and the outcome. Jessica’s sister Sabrina doggedly pursues to seek justice for her dead sister. On the way a gutsy TV reporter Meera also gets involved in the case.

What stands out is the bold and understated performance by Vidya Balan. She has taken on a role which is not glamorous but has given it a great stature with her natural and unpretentious acting. The director Raj Kumar Gupta has ensured that the movie does justice to the serious nature of the theme he has chosen while giving proper attention to cinematic effects.

Culture Shock
Now coming to the culture shock I was taken aback watching Meera Gaity played by Rani Mukerjee. Meera is an audacious TV news reporter and anchor who is daring and fearless. She is ruthless in how she pursues her journalistic goals. That is great to see an attitude of grabbing life by its horns. But what I was not prepared for was the free flow of foul language from her which seemed to cross over to arrogance and crassness. I am pretty sure I would have had the same reaction even if it was coming from a man. Rani Mukherjee plays the role well and gets to drop choice obscenities which would draw applause from Chicago mobsters.

I am all for portraying life and characters in raw, realistic terms. I do understand that there are men and women like Meera in India but showing it in a film as if it is normal part of everyday life is a turning point. Another suspicion I have is that ‘Bollywood’ is accentuating aspects of life which can create sensationalism to benefit the film.

My greatest suspicion is that I am just out of touch with Indian films. But I would be really shocked if it turns out that I am out of touch with India and how Indians in India see themselves.

Here is a trailer of the movie.

Review of the movie RED;Isn't there something else I should be doing?

2011-02-19T19:28:00.000-08:00

The short review of the movie is at the bottom. This is a preface.

Now a days I feel guilty after watching movies. Actually I feel guilty even while watching them. Here is the source of my guilt. Every movie I watched recently was an opportunity lost in my attempts at writing an article.

It seems there is absolutely no time to do what I want to do. The running theme of life at the moment seems to be 'isn't there something else I am supposed to be doing?". Life is busy at all times. In the morning it is time to get ready to go to work. There is also the job of assisting in getting the kids ready to go to school. In the evening there is kids' homework and other daily domestic responsibilities. Weekends do not come alone. They bring with them kids' dance and music classes and a basketful of laundry.

So weekends and weeknights are both busy times and I can't find time for even watching movies. Writing about the movies I watched is a far cry and time is passing by.

There used to be times when I would look with pity at people who skipped watching late night TV shows Leno and Letterman because it is too late in the night. Hello? Eleven Thirty is too late in the night ? Come on. My day would not be complete without enjoying Leno's monologue or Letterman's Top 10 - often flipping between the two shows trying to catch both as much as possible. These two shows were like desert for my brain that had been fed with the daily dose of boredom. I would even stay up beyond Leno and watch Charlie Rose. Those were the days when I was working on my MBA and I would enjoy watching the occasional 'CEO Exchange' . These were beyond 12.30 in the night. I would watch them anyway. I wanted to enjoy my day beyond its standard ration of twenty four hours.

Okay. After that digression, my mind is now free to address the original problem I brought up, which is the guilt I experience during and after watching movies. Having subscribed to Netflix, there is a treasure trove of movies to watch and learn the fine art of appreciating good movies from all over the world. Isn't it understandable that I would feel guilty for being a passive spectator instead of learning..ahem.. the art of movie making, acting, music, and photography. OK, that is a bit too many droppings of buzzwords. It might be more believable if I wanted to "learn the fine art of talking about movies".

There is truth to the saying "There never is time. You need to make time". With some determination I have decided to write about one of my latest movie experiences. One of the obstacles is that we become overwhelmed by the thought of writing an article that is substantial and meaningful. Instead, to make it less daunting I have decided to write a short review of this movie - just about 10 lines. So there.

Title: Red (2010)

Score: 7 out of 10

Synopsis: Retired CIA operatives seek excitement for old times sake. Good silly action. Ensemble cast. Fun to watch the old boys and girls take part in action.

Starring: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland, John Malkovich, Richard Dreyfus, Keith Urban

The star cast itself is a great attraction. I like all the actors including Bruce Willis. This is a super cool movie where a bunch of retired CIA operatives get back into action. Bruce Willis can kick rear even though he keeps being called Grandpa in the movie. It is a fun romp with over-the-top situations and fire fight sequences. Some scenes are so absurd they remind me of the arrow fights in old Kannada movies where 'sarpastra' (snake arrow) from the left and garudaastra (eagle arrow) from the right keep flying at each other, taking a long time to make contact when one of them undergoes destruction. Good to see a bunch of old CIA guys beat the bazookas out off of the current tough looking young CIA guys. Nice action movie with good amount of thrill and mild comedy. Acting by the veteran starcast is impressive. May-Louise Parker shines in her role as the romantic interest of Bruce Willis.

Here is a trailer of the movie.

Premakkoo Permitte? Valentine's Day program on 'Love and Romance in Kannada films'

2011-02-13T21:54:00.000-08:00

In Kannada films, the time for romance was not limited to Valentine's day. In fact the proof lies in a song from the movie 'Bili Hendathi' by veteran director Puttanna Kanagal. In a typical romantic duet, with the traditional 'running around the trees' (more precicely, walking around the hanging roots in Bengaluru's Big Banyan Tree), the heroine Arathi declares that the first word that came out of God's mouth was 'Prema'. In the movie 'Gejje Pooje' yet again by Puttana, the hero submits that love is actually the Fifth Veda. So in Kannada films Prema predates everyone except god and is also a sacred text. So, that was the background of the radio program on 2010 Feb 13th aka Premigala dina .

You may please listen to the recording of this program by clicking on the link below. When you click on the link please scroll down to the bottom and you can see the links to the archives.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/gandada-gudi

James Bond in Shankar Nag Chitramandira and John Barry (1933 - 2011)

2011-02-05T01:53:00.000-08:00

It is the day my 10th-Standard exam is over. Six of us friends have decided we will go to watch the rerun of the James Bond classic Dr. No. We have no phones but we all live within a few kilometers of each other. We all congregate in my house. Any way my house is near to Deviah Park bus stop. We catch the first bus that is on its way to Shivajinagar. 63 or 68 or 95 - one of those. The relief that came with having crossed a major milestone in adolescent life has made way for celebration and the excitement of watching an English Movie on the hip place called MG Road. We make our presence in the bus felt with our excited conversation about the exam paper and our chances of getting the tickets for the movie.

The bus reaches Shivajinagar and we hop off and now is the exciting walk to MG road. If anything cool is happening in the garden city of Bangalore, then it is happening here on MG road. What better place to celebrate than this spot. The show starts at 6.15 in the evening. Will there be a long line? Will we get tickets? Going by our record, we should, since it is still 4.30 PM.

After a 20 minute walk we are at Symphony theater. There are about one hundred people in the line to purchase tickets for the "Rear Class". How ever there are only 25 patrons in line for the expensive Balcony class. Daya says 'ivottu ondu dina balcony ge hogona'. (Just for today, lets go to the upper Balcony class). Harsha is all for it, TM, Jay and I are hesitant. Viji smiles and says "hengadru sari" (anything is fine). Kiran tilts the scale by speaking in English "What ever it is, we need to decide fast". The balcony line now has 30 patrons including us. The ticket counter opens at 5.00 PM and we make sure our seats are at the back after we buy the tickets. We also ask when we can go inside the theater. We have another 45 minutes.

TM says lets go to India Coffee house. That is the first thing that comes to his mind since his father worked in Coffee Board. Idly-Vade, Cutlet, Rave Idli and Masal Dose are savoured and topped of with Coffee. We are back in Symphony theater (which is now-a-days called Shankar Nag Chitra Mandira) in time to see the first image projected on the screen which is Gandhiji on the India map. We then watch advertisements for Vicco Vajradanti where an old man crushes some nuts and sugar cane with his bare teeth. This is followed by Sangeeta Bijalani applying Vicco Turmeric Ayurvedic Cream to her ankles which in turn is followed by advertisements for Liril soap and Vimal fabrics. We then get warmed up to the movie with trailers of coming attractions.

"Now starts the movie" I say knowledgeably. But it turns out I am wrong since we need to watch one more trailer. After a couple of such wrong calls from my side, the screen is dark with some scratchy sounds which usually come when something blank is projected on the screen. I am hesitant to call the moment the start of the movie because I was wrong the previous 3 times. So we just watch and there is silence in the theater. Then without warning...

The three zeroes from 007 start moving in from the right of the screen with Sean Connery walking in step to the music. He reaches the middle of screen turns towards the audience and fires with his revolver and immediately....

The big brassy bombastic 'James Bond theme' erupts and we are all sitting on the edge of the seat soaking up this excitement. For me this was the best part of the movie experience. This piece of music so effectively expresses the excitement in James Bond's adventures, the mysterious aura needed for a spy movie and more than anything else it gives such a boost to the listener's mood. And this piece of music with its mysterious aura keeps coming up at tense moments through out the movie to suggest something cool is going to happen to follow. The movie made such strong impression on us, that after watching the movie, we had adjusted our ambitions to be "I will be like James Bond when I grow up"

Even now this music gives me goose bumps. Now imagine my thrill this Friday morning as I sat in the car and turned on NPR's Fresh Air. Who should it be but the man who orchestrated that thrilling music Mr. John Barry himself!! It was a recorded interview and it was being rebroadcast to remember Mr. Barry who died a couple of days back on Jan 30. Even though it is sad that a man who gave such exciting music just passed , I certainly relived my college days listening to this great British Composer.

Here is Mr. John Barry conducting the theme for James Bond. Also at the bottom is Terry Gross's interview with him. May his soul live with us, through his music, for ages and ages.

Here is the link to NPR's Fresh Air program in which Terry Gross interviews John Barry.
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/04/133372739/remembering-james-bond-film-composer-john-barry

Gandada Gudi : My Kannada Radio/Internet based Program on Sunday 4 PM To 5 PM PST

2011-02-04T13:37:00.000-08:00

Please listen to my program today on Mahima Creations' Gandhadagudi on
KEST 1450 AM (SFO Bay area).
Sunday Feb 6th 4.00 PM PST to 5.00 PM PST.
I will present 'The Golden Era of Novel based Kannada movies - Part 2'.

We will talk about the time in Kannada films when they made movies based on Novels written by such literary figures as Triveni, Ta. Ra. Su, Vani to name a few. It is going to be a fun conversation with quizes about Kannada literature, cinema and trivia. There will be music for sure. These movies always came with hit songs. It will be nice if you can join the harate katte and talk about Kannada cinema and novels.

Call in and share your thoughts during the show 408 454 6004.
You can listen to the program from anywhere in the world. Click here to listen.
Listen from any where live on internet too http://www.ustream.tv/channel/gandada-gudi
(Please note the stream will become active when the show is on)

You can listen to last week's program by clicking here any time. The Kannada program will start after the advertisements. It is only audio and there is no video. 'The Golden Era of Novel based Kannada movies - Part 1"

PS: If the above links do not work please go to http://www.ustream.tv/
and search for mahimacreations. There you can choose gandadagudi.

My film Kelade Nimageega (Kannada)

2011-01-31T05:49:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting to share this for a long time. Here is the full video of my first significant acting performance in a film. Please watch this short film (15 minutes) made by Yuga creations. You can turn on English subtitles by clicking on the red CC button at the bottom of the video.

I am very happy that I got a chance to be part of this fantastic project. Thanks a lot to Sujay and this fantastic team of young people at Yuga who are passionate about film making.

Please subscribe to Yuga Creations channel here http://www.youtube.com/yugacreations

Your feedback is the fuel for our continued growth. Please share your feedback.

My Kannada Radio Program Today: Sunday Jan 30 4.00 PM PST to 5.00 PM PST

2011-01-30T11:15:00.000-08:00

Please listen to my program today on Mahima Creations' Gandhadagudi on KEST 1450 AM (SFO Bay area). Sunday Jan 30 4.00 PM PST to 5.00 PM PST. I will present 'The Golden Era of Novel based Kannada movies'. Call in and share your thoughts during the show 408 454 6004. http://www.mahimacreations.com

Listen from any where live on internet too
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/gandada-gudi
(it will only be active when the show is on)
If the above link does not work please go to http://www.ustream.tv/
and search for mahimacreations. There you can choose gandadagudi.

kelade nimageega - my film as an actor

2011-01-25T11:01:00.000-08:00

I am excited to share this with you all. Here is a trailer of my film titled 'kelade nimageega' by Yuga Creations and directed by Sujay Ramaiah. It will be shown at the Suggiyaana function of Kannada Koota of N. California on 2011 Jan 29 at Gunn Highschool, Palto Alto. CA. Your presence will be most appreciated.

A tribute to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi on Stanford Radio's Itsdiff program - 90.1 FM

2011-01-24T21:12:00.000-08:00

You can listen to the audio recording of this program at http://www.itsdiff.com/Kannada.html

On Jan 24th 2011, the Indian music world suffered a great loss in the passing away of one of the greatest exponents of Hindustani music Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. It is some consolation that he lives amongst us in the form of the wonderful music he has left behind.

It is our privilege that well known Hindustani musician Sri Nachiketa Sharma will be on itsdiff radio program to talk about Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.

Please remember to tune in to this special tribute to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi

Details:
Date: 2011 January 26th Wednesday
6.00 AM PST - 7.15 AM PST - Devotional and classical music
7.15 AM PST - 7.30 AM PST - Interview with Padma Rao, President, Kannada Koota of N California
7.30 AM PST - 8.45 AM PST - A tribute to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi by eminent musician Sri. Nachiketa Sharma.

Live On Radio: Stanford KZSU 90.1 FM (in California Bay area)
Live On Internet: http://www.itsdiff.com/ (listen from anywhere in the world)

Host: Madhu Krishnamurthy

Please check this site for updated information. http://rasikararajya.blogspot.com/

For people listening in India. The program 'A tribute to Pandit Bhimasen Joshi' is from IST 9.00 PM to IST 10.00 PM on January 26th Wednesday night.

A profile of our guest Nachiketa Sharma

Nachiketa Sharma is originally from Dharwad, Karnataka. His exposure to Hindustani music and initial training came from his parents, who continue to inspire him. In Madras Nachiketa learnt from Shri B. N. Simha and Shri B. Hanumantachar.

It was under the great meastro Pt. Basavraj Rajguru that his extended training and burnishing took place. Nachiketa has performed all over India and North America. He runs the Rajguru Sangeet Vidyaniketan school of music in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a senior teacher at the Sangeetaanjali Institute of Music.

Holiday Blues

2010-12-30T17:19:00.000-08:00

Holiday Blues

Holiday spirit every where
Holiday wishes coming from all around
Seems like everyone is immersed in holiday fun

A week long stay at home
don't know what to do
but everyday the to do list keeps growing.

A nice day came after a rainy spell
still can't do anything
can you believe it, it is terribly cold

Waited the whole year for holidays
now everyone else seems to be having fun
I am waiting for Monday when the grind will begin

Audio Recording of B.R Lakshman Rao and Dr. H S Venkateshmurthy's interview

2010-11-08T22:51:00.000-08:00

Please click here to listen to an Audio Recording of BLR and Dr.HSV's Interview. The interview was conducted on itsdiff radio program at Stanford's KZSU studio on Sept 15 2010.

Radio Interview with Kannada Poets B.R. Lakshman Rao and H. S. Venkatesh Murthy

2010-09-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

Accomplished Kannada poets H.S. Venkateshmurthy and B.R. Lakshman Rao. Photo by: Poornima Swamy

Kannada Radio Program on Wednesday Sept 15 on KZSU Stanford Itsdiff Radio
Interview with famous Kannada Poets B.R. Lakshmana Rao and H. S. Venkatesha Murthy

Details:
Date: September 15th
6.00 AM PST - 7.30 AM PST - Devotional and classical music
7.30 AM PST - 8.30 AM PST - Interview with B.R. Lakshmana Rao and H. S. Venkatesha Murthy
Live On Radio: Stanford KZSU 90.1 FM (in California Bay area)
Live On Internet: http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/ (listen from anywhere in the world)
Host: Madhu Krishnamurthy
Please check this site for updated informtion. http://rasikararajya.blogspot.com/
To listen to previous programs please visit. http://www.itsdiff.com/Kannada.html

For people listening in India. The interview is from IST 8.00 PM to IST 9.00 PM on Sept 15th Wednesday night.

Movie Review: Pirate Radio (2010)

2010-09-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

Title: Pirate Radio (2010)

Starring: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branaugh, Emma Thomson (in a short role).

Written and Directed by: Richard Curtis

Verdict: Light hearted and fun movie set in the rock-n-roll era - the sixties. Feels great to listen to superb rock and roll music including Rolling Stones, The Who, Beach Boys, Smokey Robinson, Jimmy Hendrix, Moody Blues and more.

Score: 6.5 out of 10.

There is great fun in watching a bunch of middle aged men playing the immoral rock-n-roll music and thumbing their nose at the guardians of social sanctity. They live together in a steam boat off of England and are beaming exciting romping music to eager listeners on the main land. They are the 'Pirate Radio'.

This is a movie that is easy to watch and is thoroughly enjoyable not withstanding the fact that it is too easy on itself. The plot is a bit frivolous and the situations are created in such a way that the movie does not stray away from safe light hearted entertainment. Still one can't help admire these men having fun and adventure living on a boat sailing at a distance from the society. Each of them have their radio time slots when they broadcast their music shows to eagerly waiting listeners who go wild at the first sound of their voice. Then they play popular rock and roll numbers. We are shown men and women in various walks of life enjoying listening to these shows. There is of course the customary screaming and dancing from teenage girls.

The boat is fully equipped with supplies and even some one to cook. While the men are not playing music they are playing games like 'Truth or Dare'. Every now and then each men is allowed to be visited by a fan ('an adoring, enthusiastic and female fan').

You can now see why the British government is bummed out at the corrupting influence this radio is having on good men and women of the society. They make it their mission to put this pirate radio out of commission. The people at Pirate Radio are so passionate about music and what they do, they are willing to put a fight. The movie plays out this tussle.

Acting by the cast is very jovial. The captain of the ship is played by Bill Nighy and he turns in a cool performance with his colorful suits and dance moves. The music rocks!

A fun movie. I will give it a 6.5 on 10

Chandamama - The magical magazine

2010-08-30T22:53:00.000-07:00

Today I saw my childhood's favorite magazine Chandamama for the first time in more than 2 decades. My friend Srivatsha Joshi writes a weekly column 'Paraga Sparsha' in the Kannada daily Vijaya Karnataka. In his recent writeup he had written about the wonderful days of one's childhood. Starting with Jagjeet Singh's ghazal "yeh daulat bhi lelo" about getting back childhood, he had gone on to reminisce about one's younger days. It is a beautiful article. The link to podcast version is provided at the end of this article. While I enjoyed the article for many reasons, one thing that hit me deep was that it pointed out a link to the website of my childhood's favorite magazine 'Chandamama' - the colorful publication which came every month and contained colorful illustrations and stories. As soon as I heard about Chandamama's web presence I was there looking up the web page. The website is pretty cool with links to Chandamama in various Indian languages as well as in English. It has various categories and you can look up older stories. You can go to the archives and choose older issuea and read them as if you are flipping the printed magazine. The link to Chandamama website is at the end of this article.

Looking at the various pictures and stories I was transported back to my primary school days in Bangalore. During those days we got the English daily Deccan Herald, delivered to our home. Once a week (on Wednesdays) we would receive 'Sudha' the Kannada magazine which had a loving fan-following among Kannadigas. It was a very dignified weekly which catered to refined tastes with serial stories (dharavahi), cartoons, photo comics, interviews and a decent film section. Reading it and discussing its contents formed part of the family's activities. As children, I, my brother and my cousins enjoyed reading comics strips such as Dabu, Majnu, Shuja, Inspector Azad.

I remember that one day I had gone to my aunt's house with my mother. A small book sized magazine caught my eye with its colorful pictures and grand representations of Indian mythology. Flipping through a few pages was enough to suck me into the wonderful magical world this small magazine, namely Chandamama, had created. That particular issue had a picture of Hanuman, his tail wound to form a huge pedestal for himself to sit on. From this tall perch he was staring down at Ravana. Besides this, there was the image of the most spectacular Ashoka Vana, which occupied one full page. When my mother noticed my excitement at reading Chandamama in my aunt's house, she made the decision to subscibe it and I became a regular reader.

Thinking about it now, I feel a lot our mental pictures of ancient India has been painted by magazines like Chandamama and Amar Chitra Katha. I still remember the beautiful representation of Amaravathi - the beautiful capital city of the gods in heaven. I can also recall that eerie picture at the end of the Mahabharatha epic, the picture in which Yudishtira accompanied by a dog, crosses the Vaitharni river to enter the 'after-life' world.

At the beginning of the magazine was the Panchatantra series by Vishnu Sharma. Panchatantra taught valuable life lessons through stories involving characters like foxes, elephants and humans with names like dushta buddi (evil mind) and paapa buddi (bad mind). It was with uncontrollable excitement that I would hold these magazines as they were delivered on the appointed day in the month.

Oh how can one forget the series involving Raja Vikramaditya and the Beethala (ghost). In between all these there would be stories which involve normal human beings. There would be stories about villagers, sanyasis, old time businessmen with names like Ratnayya Sreshti. This was the world from a by gone era. That world was untainted by modern life, technology or vices. Once, I had felt odd when a small story referred to a radio. How can the wonderful world of Chandamama have a radio which is from our 'realistic' world.?

It was mainly through Chandamama that I learnt to read longer Kannada passages. At that age I was perhaps the only kid in my English medium school who could read Kannada stories so fluently. It feels great to experience again that thrill from my child hood days. Here is the link to Chandamama online. Hope you will enjoy it too.

Here is a link to Srivathsa Joshi's Kannada podcast article 'Give me back my childhood.'

Kannada Movie: Beru (The Root)

2010-08-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

Title: Beru (2005) (Kannada with English Subtitles).
Starring: H.G. Dattatreya, Suchendra Prasad, M.P Venkata Rao, Baby Sowmya, Neeta, Vidya Murthy, Lakshmi Chandrashekar, T.N Seetharam
Direction: P Sheshadri
Produced by: Mitra Chitra
Music: PraveenKiran
Photography: S Ramachandra
Story: J M Prahlad
Screen Play: P Sheshadri and J M Prahlad

Verdict: An excellent movie which brings out the extent to which corruption and apathy has seeped into the social fabric of the Indian society. Winner of 2005 Indian National Award for "Best Kannada Film" and 2005 Karnataka State Award for "2nd best Kannada Film". This DVD is available in Cupertino Library.

Score: 9 out of 10

Corruption in public life is not a new theme in Indian movies. We have seen many commercially successful as well as critically acclaimed movies before. But Beru by P Sheshadri does a very good job of showing to the audience the entrenchment of corruption and the damage it can cause in the Indian society. We are not talking of corruption in the corridors of power but in everyday lives of the common man.

The story in this movie involves a young and honest government official Raghunandan who takes charge of a Taluk office in a remote village called Karadi Gudda in Karnataka, India. Within a few days he faces his first challenge. A minister's visit is forthcoming and his superiors in the government give him the responsibility of making lodging arrangements for the minister in the government Inspection Bungalow (IB). As it turns out, his own subordinates have used the IB as an excuse to misappropriate funds. At the center of this misuse of funds is the head clerk Venkateshiah played by Dattattreya. Venkateshayya is a regular family man but allows himself to misuse the government funds because he thinks his financial problems are a valid excuse. A central theme that runs in the film is that the house of a poor man is about to be destroyed by the creeping root of a huge tree. He needs government permission to cut the tree and save his house. But the government officials are so corrupt that they barely look at his plight. The director uses the metaphor of the house to show the possible destruction of the Indian society by the deep rooted corruption.

The movie is really beautiful in the sense it has characters which are quite complex and human. The best effect the film has is that it puts us inside the minds of the characters and challenges us to think what we would have done if we too were faced with similarly difficult situations as the characters. Sheshadri the director ensures that movie stays tight and focused without any slack in the pace of the story.

Music by Praveen-Kiran provide a good backdrop with folk tunes. One minor thing I found odd was that the theme music and during some situations (like meeting the Meti) the back ground music try to set a mysterious mood which is not the intention of the movie.

The actors have given superb performances. HG Dattatreya as the corrupt head clerk Venkateshiah simply lives the role. Suchendraprasad as the official Raghunandan is a great study in character. It is very rare to see an Indian movie in which the characters lead the story's movement and display interesting behavioral changes. But this movie is an exception. His role develops so well that we get the satisfaction of seeing and understanding a person up close. Venkat Rao as Goravayya and baby Sowmya as the little girl shine in their roles. Neetha as the wife of Raghunandan's turns in a beautiful performance. All others provide excellent support.

life chitranna

2010-07-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

This article was first published in Swarnasetu 2004, an annual magazine brought out by Kannada Koota of Northern California. Later it was also published in thatskannada web portal.

ಏನ್‌ ಗುರು ಸಮಾಚಾರ? ಸಪ್ಪೆ ಮುಖ ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದ ಆಪ್ತ ಗೆಳೆಯನ್ನ ಈ ರೀತಿ ನಾನು ಕೇಳಿದಾಗ ಬಂದ ಉತ್ತರ ’ಲೈಫು ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ ಆಗೋಗಿದೆ ಗುರು’ ಎಂದು. ಮನಸ್ಸಿಗೆ ಬಹಳ ವ್ಯಥೆಯಾಯಿತು. ಪಾಪ! ಹೀಗೇಕಾಯಿತು? ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನಕ್ಕೆ ಈ ಗತಿ ಏಕೆ ಬಂತು? ಜೀವನದ ಅರಾಜಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಹಾಗು ನೀರಸತೆಯನ್ನು ವರ್ಣಿಸಲು ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನವೇ ಆಗಬೇಕೆ? ಹಾಗೆ ನೋಡಿದರೆ ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ ತಿನ್ನಲು ಬಹಳಾ ರುಚಿ ಅಗಿರುತ್ತೆ. ಜೊತೆಗೆ ನೋಡಲು ಅಂದವಾಗಿರುತ್ತೆ ಕೂಡ.

14 ವರುಷದ ಹಿಂದೆ ಚನ್ನರಾಯಪಟ್ಟಣದ ನನ್ನ ಚಿಕ್ಕಮ್ಮ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದ ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನವನ್ನು ಜ್ಞಾಪಿಸಿ ಕೊಂಡರೆ ಇಂದಿಗೂ ನನ್ನ ಬಾಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೀರೂರುತ್ತೆ. ಮಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಹೂವಿನಂತ ಹಳದಿ ಬಣ್ಣದ ಅನ್ನ, ಎಣ್ಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹುರಿಯಲ್ಪಟ್ಟ ಕಂದು ಬಣ್ಣದ ಕಡ್ಲೆ ಬೀಜ, ಅಲ್ಲಲ್ಲಿ ಮೆರಗು ನೀಡುವ ಹಸಿ ಮೆಣಸಿನ ಕಾಯಿ, ಕರಿಬೇವು ಮತ್ತು ಕರಿ ಸಾಸಿವೆ! ಇಂತಹ ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನವನ್ನು ಇವನ ಗೋಳಿನ ಜೀವನಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಲಿಸುವುದೆ? ಅವನಿಗೆ ಹೇಳಿದೆ ‘ತಪ್ಪು! ದೊಡ್ಡ ತಪ್ಪು! ಇನ್ನೂ ಬೇಕಾದರೆ ಸಾರನ್ನಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಲಿಸ್ಕೊ.’ ಇದನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿದ ಸ್ನೇಹಿತ ನಿಬ್ಬೆರಗಾಗಿ ನನ್ನನ್ನೇ ನೋಡುತ್ತಾ ನಿಂತ. ಸಾರನ್ನದ ಈ ಮಹತ್ವ ತನಗೆ ತಿಳಿದಿರಲಿಲ್ಲವಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ಅವನಿಗೆ ತನ್ನ ಬಗ್ಗೆಯೇ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ನಿರಾಶೆಯಾಗಿರಬೇಕು. ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಇರಬೇಕು ಅದಾದ ನಂತರ ಅವನು ನನ್ನ ಬಳಿ ಆ ವಿಷಯ ಮಾತಾಡಿಲ್ಲ.

ನಿಜ ಹೇಳ್ಬೇಕು ಅಂದ್ರೆ ನನಗೂ ಸಾರನ್ನಕ್ಕು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಅಷ್ಟಕ್ಕಷ್ಟೆ ! . ಒಂದು ಮನೇಲಿ ಇವತ್ತು ಅಡಿಗೆ ಮಾಡಲಾಗಿದೆ ಅನ್ನೋದಕ್ಕೆ ಅನ್ನ ಸಾರು ಒಂದು ಸುಳ್ಳು ಸಾಕ್ಷಿಯೇ ಹೊರತು ಅದಂರಿಂದಲೇ ಹೊಟ್ಟೆ ತುಂಬಿಸ್ಕೋಬೇಕಾದ್ರೆ ಬಹಳ ಕಷ್ಟ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ. ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಹಪ್ಪಳ ಸಂಡಿಗೆ ಕರಿದಿದ್ರೆ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿರುತ್ತೆ. ಆದ್ರೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಅಮೇರಿಕಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಅದನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಕರಿಯೋದೊ ಂದು ದೊಡ್ಡ ತಲೇನೋವು. ಕರಿಯೋದು ಸುಲಭ. ಆದ್ರೆ ಆ ಕರಿದ ಎಣ್ಣೆ ಎಸಿಯೋದು ಒಂದು ರಂಪ? ಅಂಗಡಿ ಸಮೋಸ ಇರೋದ್ರಿಂದ, ಏನೋ ಒಂದಷ್ಟು ಸಾರನ್ನವನ್ನ ಗಂಟಲಲ್ಲಿ ಇಳಿಸ್ಬೋದು.

ಸಾರನ್ನದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನನ್ನ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ ಏನಾದರು ಇದ್ದ್ಗೊಂಡ್‌ ಹೋಗ್ಲಿ. ನನ್ನ ಚೀನಿ ಸಹೋದ್ಯೋಗಿಯೂ ಅದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಆಕ್ಷೇಪಣೆ ಮಾಡೋದೆ? ಒಂದು ದಿನ ಊಟ ಮಾಡುವಾಗ ಕೇಳಿಯೇಬಿಟ್ಟಳು How come you bring rice inside some kind of soup? ಎಂದು. ಸಾರನ್ನದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಈ ರೀತಿ ಲಘುವಾಗಿ ಮಾತಾಡೋದೆ? ಅವಳು ತರುವ ಊಟದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಏನಾದರೂ ಖಾರವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ಮುಷ್ಟಿ ಬಿಗಿದು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ಪಟ್ಟೆ. ಬಾಯಲ್ಲೇ ತಡವರಿಸಿದೆನೆ ಹೊರತು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಹೇಳಲಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ. ನಂತರ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಯೋಚಿಸಿ ಅವಳ ಊಟದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಒಂದು ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ವ್ಯಾಖ್ಯಾನವನ್ನು ಸಿಧ್ಧ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡೆ. ಅದನ್ನು ಹೇಳಲು ಸರಿಯಾದ ಸಮಯಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಎಷ್ಟೇ ಆದರೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಊಟ ನಮಗೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚು.

ಅದೇ ದಿನ ನನ್ನ ಜಪಾನಿ ಸಹೋದ್ಯೋಗಿಗೆ ಸಾರನ್ನದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕುತೂಹಲವುಂಟಾಯಿತು. ವಿನಮ್ರತೆಯಿಂದ ಕೇಳಿದ May I try it ? ಎಂದು. ನಾನು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಅಳುಕಿನಿಂದಲೆ Sure ಎಂದೆ. ಅವನು ಒಂದು ಚಮಚದಷ್ಟನ್ನು ಬಾಯಿಗೆ ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡ. ನಾನು ಅವನ ಮುಖವನ್ನೇ ನೋಡ ತೊಡಗಿದ್ದೆ. ಅವನು ತನ್ನ ಕಣ್ಣುಗಳ್ಳನ್ನು ಮುಚ್ಚಿ, ಕತ್ತನ್ನು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಹಿಂದಕ್ಕೆ ವಾಲಿಸಿ ಸಾರನ್ನವನ್ನು ಮೆಲ್ಲುತ್ತ ‘ಊಂ ಊಂ ಊಂ ಹುಂಹುಂ’ ಎಂದು ತಲೆದೂಗ ತೊಡಗಿದ.

ನಾನು ಕಾತುರತೆಯಿಂದ So What do you think ? ಎಂದೆ. ಅವನು ಕಣ್ಣು ಮುಚ್ಚಿಕೊಂಡೇ It is really cool. I can feel it soothing at the back of my head ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿ ಮತ್ತೊಮ್ಮೆ I can really feel it here ಎಂದು ಪರಮಾನಂದದಿಂದ ತಲೆಯಾಡಿಸುತ್ತ I can really feel it here ಎಂದು ತನ್ನ ತಲೆಯ ಹಿಂಭಾಗವನ್ನು ತೋರಿಸಿದ. ತಕ್ಷಣ ನನ್ನ ಮನಸ್ಸು ಮನೆಯ Fridgeನಲ್ಲಿ ಕುಳಿತಿರುವ ಸಾರಿನ ಪುಡಿಯ ಕಡೆ ಹರಿಯಿತು. ಹೋದ ವರುಷ ಭಾರತದಿಂದ ತಂದ ಸಾರಿನ ಪುಡಿ ಇತ್ತೀಚೆಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಬರಿಸುವ ಗುಣಗಳ್ಳನ್ನು ಸಂಪಾದಿಸಿಕೊಂಡುಬಿಟ್ಟಿತ್ತೊ ಹೇಗೆ? ಅಷ್ಟು ಹೊತ್ತು ಊಟ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿದ್ದ ನಾನು ಕೂಡಲೆ ಒಂದು ಚಮಚ ಬಾಯಿಗೆ ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡೆ. ಅದರ ರುಚಿ ತಲೆಯ ಹಿಂಬಾಗಕ್ಕೆ ಪರಿಣಾಮ ಬೀರುವುದಿರಲಿ, ನನ್ನ ನಾಲಿಗೆಯ ಮೇಲೆ ರುಚಿಯಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಹರಿದು ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ಹೊಟ್ಟೆ ಸೇರಿತ್ತು. ಜಪಾನಿ ಸಹೋದ್ಯೋಗಿ ಉತ್ಸಾಹದಿಂದ ಕೇಳಿದ Can I take some for my wife? ನನಗೆ ಆ ವೇಳೆಗೆ ಏನೂ ತೋಚದಂತಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಆಗಲಪ್ಪ ....ತಗೊಂಡು ಹೋಗು ಎಂದು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಕೊಟ್ಟೆ. ಮಾರನೆ ದಿನ ಊಟದ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿದೆ. So, what did your wife think of ಸಾರನ್ನ?. ಅವನು ಸಂತೃಪ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಬೀಗುತ್ತಾ ಉತ್ತರಿಸಿದ Oh, she liked it very much. She too felt it was soothing to the nerves on the back of her head. ಅದನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ ನಾನು ಸುಸ್ತು ಹೊಡೆದು ಹೋದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ನಿಧಾನಿಸಿ ಯೋಚಿಸಿದಾಗ ಅವನ ಸಂಸಾರದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮೆಚ್ಚುಗೆ ಉಂಟಾಯಿತು. ಪರವಾಗಿಲ್ವೆ! ಗಂಡ-ಹೆಂಡ್ತೀರಿಬ್ಬರೂ ಸರಿಯಾಗಿದಾರೆ! ಏನು ಹೊಂದಾಣಿಕೆ. ‘ಇಬ್ಬರಿಗೂ ತಿಂದ ಅನ್ನ ಒಂದೆ ಜಾಗಕ್ಕೆ ಮೈಗೆ ಹತ್ತತ್ತೆ’. ಅಥವಾ... ಇಬ್ಬರಿಗೂ ನೆತ್ತಿ-ಗಿತ್ತಿ ಹತ್ತಿಬಿಟ್ಟು Confuse ginfuse ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿರಬಹುದೊ? ಯೋಚನೆ ಮಾಡಿದಷ್ಟೂ ತಲೆ ಕೆಡಲು ಶುರುವಾಯಿತು. ಅದೇ ಯೋಚನೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾ ನನ್ನ ಸಾರನ್ನಕೆ ಕೈ ಹಾಕಿದೆ.ಅನ್ನ ಸಾರು ಹೊಟ್ಟೆ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಮನಸ್ಸು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಶಾಂತವಾಯಿತು. ಸಾರನ್ನದ ಮಹಿಮೆ ಇರಬಹುದೇ ಎಂಬ ಸಂದೇಹ ಸುಳಿಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದಂತೆ ಅದನ್ನು ಅಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಮೊಟಕುಗೊಳಿಸಿ ಆ ವಿಚಾರ ಅಲ್ಲಿಗೇ ಮರೆತೆ.

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ನನ್ನ ಅಜ್ಜಿ ನನ್ನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಮಾತು ನೆನಪಿಗೆ ಬರ್ತಾ ಇದೆ. ‘ಇವನಿಗೆ ಊಟ ತಿಂಡಿ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಕುಷ್ಪಿಷ್ಟಿ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ’ ಅಂತ. ನನಗೋ ಅದು ಭಾರಿ ತಮಾಷೆ ಎನಿಸುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಈ ‘ಕುಷ್ಪಿಷ್ಟಿ’ ಅನ್ನೋದು ನಮ್ಮ ಅಜ್ಜಿಯೇ ಹುಟ್ಟುಹಾಕಿದ ಪದ ಎಂದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಈಚೆಗೆ ನಿಘಂಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಅ ಪದ ನೋಡಿದಾಗ ಅದರ ಸರಿಯಾದ ಉಚ್ಛಾರಣೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅರ್ಥ ಈ ರೀತಿ ಇತ್ತು. ‘ಕುಸಿವಿಷ್ಟಿ - ಅತೀ ನಾಜುಕಿನ; ಸುಲಭವಾಗಿ ಮೆಚ್ಚದ’. ಇದೆಲ್ಲ ಊಟ ತಿಂಡಿಯ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನನಗಿರುವ ಧೋರಣೆಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ! ಇಷ್ಟಾಗಿ ನಾನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದುದಾದರೂ ಏನು? ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಅಡುಗೆಯ ರುಚಿ ನೋಡದೇ ಅದನ್ನು ಬರಿ ಕಣ್ಣಿನಿಂದ ನೋಡಿ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ‘ಉಪ್ಪು ಕಮ್ಮಿ’ ಅಂತಾನೊ, ಅಥವಾ ‘ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಖಾರ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಅಂತ ಕಾಣ್ಸತ್ತೆ’ ಎಂದೋ, ಹೇಳುವ ಚಾತುರ್ಯ ನನಗಿತ್ತು. ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಹೀಗೂ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದುಂಟು - ‘ಅಮ್ಮ ನೀನು ಮಾಡೊ ಇಡ್ಲಿ ಚಟ್ನಿ ಮದುವೆ ಮನೇಲಿ ಅಡುಗೆಯವರು ಮಾಡೊ ತರ ಯಾಕಿರಲ್ಲ?’. ಕೊನೆಗೊಂದು ದಿನ ನನ್ನ ಅಮ್ಮ ಸಿಟ್ಟಿನಿಂದ ಹೀಗೆಂದಿದ್ದರು ‘ ನಿನಗೆ ನೀರುನಿಡಿ ಸಿಗದಲೆ ಇರೊ ಜಾಗಕ್ಕೆ ಕರ್ಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗಿ ಬಿಡಬೇಕು. ಆಗ ತಿಳಿಯುತ್ತೆ ನಾನು ಮಾಡೊ ಅಡುಗೆಯ ಬೆಲೆ’. ಇದೆಲ್ಲ ನಡೆದು ಅನೇಕ ವರುಷಗಳಾಗಿವೆ. ಈಗ ಆ ಕುಸಿವಿಷ್ಟಿ ಅಂದರೆ ಏನು ಎಂದು ಅರ್ಥ ಹುಡುಕುವಂತಾಗಿದೆ. ನಾನು ಪ್ರತಿದಿನ ಬೆಳಗ್ಗೆ ಕಾರು ನಡೆಸುತ್ತ ಎರಡು Slice ಬ್ರೆಡ್ಡನ್ನು ತಿನ್ನುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಉಪ್ಪು ಹುಳಿ ಕಾರ ಒಂದೂ ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೂ ಕಳೆದ ಮೂರು ವರುಷದಿಂದ ತಿನ್ನುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ಯಾಂತ್ರಿಕವಾಗಿ ತಿನ್ನುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ Drive ಮಾಡುವ ಭರದಲ್ಲಿ ಬ್ರೆಡ್ಡನ್ನು ಸುತ್ತಿದ ಪೇಪರನ್ನೂ ಸಹ ತಿಂದುಬಿಟ್ಟಿರುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಗೊತ್ತೇ ಆಗಿರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

ಆದರೆ ಈಚೆಗೆ ನಾನು ತಲ್ಲಣಿಸುವಂತಹ ಒಂದು ಘಟನೆ ನಡೆದುಹೋಯಿತು. ಹೀಗೆ ಯಾರೊ ಪರಿಚಯದವರ ಮಗುವಿನ ಹುಟ್ಟುಹಬ್ಬದ ಸಂದರ್ಭ. ನನ್ನ ಹೆಂಡತಿ ಹಾಗು ಮಗಳು ಮುಂಚೆಯೇ ಹೋಗಿದ್ದರು. ನಾನು ತಡವಾಗಿ ಬರುವ ಹೊತ್ತಿಗೆ ಬಹು ಪಾಲು ಜನರ ಊಟ ಮುಗಿದಿತ್ತು. ಊಟ ಮಾಡಲು ಹೊಂಚುಹಾಕುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ನನ್ನನು ನೋಡಿ ನನ್ನ ಹೆಂಡತಿ ‘ಬಿಸಿಬೇಳೆ ಬಾತ್‌ ಇದೆ. ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದೆ! ತಿನ್ನಿ’ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿ ಬೇರೆ ಕಡೆ ಗಮನ ಹರಿಸಿದಳು. ನಾನು ಬಿಸಿಬೇಳೆ ಬಾತ್‌ ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡು ತಿನ್ನತೊಡಗಿದೆ. ಚೆನ್ನಾಗೇನೂ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ ಹಸಿವಾಗಿದ್ದರಿಂದ ಎರಡನೆ ಸುತ್ತಿಗೆ ಇನ್ನಷ್ಟು ಬಿಸಿಬೇಳೆ ಬಾತ್‌ ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡು ತಿನ್ನತೊಡಗಿದೆ. ಆಷ್ಟು ಹೊತ್ತು ಯಾರೊಟ್ಟಿಗೋ ಮಾತನಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ನನ್ನ ಪತ್ನಿ ಗಾಭರಿಯಿಂದ ಕೇಳಿದಳು ‘ಅಯ್ಯೋ ಅದನ್ಯಾಕೆ ತಿಂತಾ ಇದೀರಾ?’. ನಾನೆಂದೆ ‘ ನೀನೆ ಹೇಳಿದ್ಯಲ್ಲಾ! ಬಿಸಿಬೇಳೆ ಬಾತ್‌ ತಿನ್ನು ಅಂತ!’ ‘ ಅಯ್ಯಾ ಇದು ಪಾವ್‌ ಬಾಜಿದು ಪಲ್ಯ’ ಎಂದಳು. ಅಷ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸದೆ ಪಿಸುದನಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನುಡಿದಳು ‘ಅದೂ ಹಳಸಿಹೋಗಿದೆ’.

ಈ ಪ್ರಸಂಗ ನನಗೆ ತೀರ ಆಘಾತವನ್ನುಂಟು ಮಾಡಿತು. ಛೆ! ನಾನು ಈ ಮಟ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಇಳೀ ಬಾರದಿತ್ತು! ಬಿಸಿಬೇಳೆ ಭಾತಿಗೂ ಪಾವ್‌ ಬಾಜಿಯ ಪಲ್ಲ್ಯಕ್ಕೂ ವ್ಯತ್ಯಾಸ ತಿಳಿಯದ ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಹೋಯಿತೆ ನನ್ನ ಕುಸಿವಿಷ್ಟಿ? ಪೇಪರನ್ನು ಬ್ರೆಡ್ಡೆಂದು ಭಾವಿಸಿ ತಿಂದಿದ್ದು ನಿಜ. ಒಪ್ಪ್ಕೋತೀನಿ. ಆದರೆ ಹಳಸಿದ್ದನ್ನು ತಿಂದರೂ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗದೇ ಹೋಗಿದ್ದು? ಇದನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಳ್ಳೋಕೆ ನಾನು ಖಂಡಿತ ತಯಾರಿಲ್ಲ.

ಒಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನು ಹೇಳೋದು ಇಷ್ಟೆ. ಒಂದು-ಪಾವ್‌ ಬಾಜಿ ಪಲ್ಯ ಹಳಸಿದರೆ ಬಿಸಿಬೇಳೆ ಬಾತಿನಂತೆ ರುಚಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಎರಡನೇದು -ಯಾರಾದರು ಕಷ್ಟಸುಖದ ವಿಷಯ ವಿಚಾರಿಸಿದರೆ ‘ಲೈಫೇ ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ ’ ಅನ್ನುವ ಬದಲು ‘ಲೈಫೇ ಸಾರನ್ನ ’ ಅಂದರೆ ಹೇಗೆ? ವಿವೇಕಶಾಲಿಗಳಾಗ ತಾವುಗಳು ಯಾವುದಕ್ಕೂ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಪರಿಶೀಲಿಸಿ ನೋಡಿ.

Sham Sundar, thatskannada and my first article

2010-07-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

In early 2005 I got an email from SK Shamsundar, chief editor of thatskannada web portal in which he mentioned that he happened to read the Swarnasetu magazine and found my article 'Life Chitranna' very fascinating and suggested that I send it for publication on thatskannada website, which I promptly did. I still remember the morning after a few days, when I saw an email from S.K. Shamsundar telling me that he had just published my article 'Life chitranna' and had congratulated me on a good article. Immediately following was another email from an unfamiliar person saying that he just read my article on thatskannada and he liked it. I see in this how Sham's encouraging gesture had an immediate effect on a potential writer.

I clicked on the link provided by Sham and there came up a web page with my picture and article . Even though I had published articles in KKNC Kannada magazines before, it was a rush of excitement, happiness and satisfaction that filled me when I saw my work in print on a public website. It was on thatskannada that my article reached thousands of readers. This one gesture on Sham's part encouraged me to write more and I am really happy that I have now developed the habit of writing in Kannada and in English. Much more than that it was a great feeling to see readers' comments on my writings.

It is well known among NRI Kannadigas, especially in the California Bay area, that thatskannada is like a training ground for many budding NRI Kannada writers from all over the world. Many of us have got our first Kannada article published in thatskannada and kept writing as a result of encouragement received from thatskannada team and its readers. This web portal has brought together Kannadigas from all over the world and has spread awareness about their life and activities. As a result we have come to form friendships with many many Kannadigas across the globe forming a truly global Kannada community.

Here are some people I know who we are frequent writers on thatskannada website. Some of them were well known for their writings before they started writing in thatskannada. The list below is proof of the impact thatskannada has had on the NRI Kannada community. The list is in no particular order. I am sorry if I have missed out some names. I will be happy to add if you bring it to my attention.

Harihareshwara, M.S. Nataraja, Sreevathsa Joshi, Shesadri (Baraha) Vaasu, Yogesh Devaraj, Sandhya ravindranath, Alamelu Ayyangar, Chandrashekhar, Nalini Maiiyya, Ahitanala, Vallisha Sastry, Srinath Bhalle, Savitha Ravishankar, Jyothi Shekhar, Dattatri Ramanna, Kumbasi Srinivasa Bhat, Triveni Srinivasa Rao, Meena Subabarao, Meera Rajgopal, Mangala Kumar, Sukumar Raghuram, Jyothi Mahadeva, Ravi Gopal Rao, Janardhana Swamy, Vishvanath Hulikal, Anupama Mangalavedhe, GS Sathya, Madhu Krishnamurthy, Malli Sannappanavar, Krishna Sastry, Vani Aravind, Vani Ramadoss (Singapore), Suguna, Gopinath Rao (Dubai), Prashanth Beechi (Nigeria), Prakash Paiyyar, Rajaram Kavale (England), Prakash Rajarao (New Zealand), Seetha Keshava and so on.

I am sure the list does not end here. Hundreds of additional names will be added to it as new writers start writing and publishing their beginning articles. Whenever I am in doubt about whether to write or not, I find guidance in these words spoken by well known Kannada writer Kum Vee. These words (paraphrased by me) apply to all aspiring writers. " There is a writer in you. You need to make that writer work hard. Get a lot of work done by him/her. Do not think too much about what to write. Write about whatever you feel like writing".

Good luck to all budding writers.

Please click here to read my first article published on thatskannada.

(Photo below: Sham Sundar and me during Navika - 2010 in Pasadena, Ca.

Kannada radio program: Interview with S.k. Shamsundar of thatskannada.com

2010-07-24T23:12:00.000-07:00

ಜುಲೈ 28ರಂದು ಅಮೇರಿಕದ ಬಾನುಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕನ್ನಡ ರೇಡಿಯೊ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ

ದಟ್ಸ್ ಕನ್ನಡ ಜಾಲತಾಣದ ಮುಖ್ಯಸಂಪಾದಕರ‍ಾದ ಶಾಮ್ ಸುಂದರ್ ಅವರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಸಂದರ್ಶನ.

ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದ ವಿವರಗಳು:
ದಿನಾಂಕ: 2010 ಜುಲೈ 28 ಬುಧವಾರ
ಸಮಯ: (ಕ್ಯಾಲಿಫೋರ್ನಿಯ ಸಮಯ)
ಬೆಳಗ್ಗೆ 6.00 AM PST - 7.30 AM PST - ಕನ್ನಡ ಭಕ್ತಿಗೀತೆಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀಯ ಸಂಗೀತ.
7.30 AM - 8.30 AM PST ದಟ್ಸ್ ಕನ್ನಡ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಸಂಪಾದಕರಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ಶಾಮ್ ಸುಂದರ್ ಅವರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಸಂದರ್ಶನ. ಭಾರತೀಯ ಕಾಲಮಾನಕ್ಕೆ ಕೆಳಗಿರುವ ಟಿಪ್ಪಣೆ ಗಮನಿಸಿ.
ಬಾನುಲಿ ಕೇಂದ್ರ: ಸ್ಟಾನ್‍ಫರ್ಡ್ KZSU 90.1 FM [ಕ್ಯಾಲೀಫೋರ್ನಿಯ ಸ್ಯಾನ್‍ಫ್ರಾನ್‍ಸಿಸ್ಕೊ ಬೇ ಏರಿಯ]
ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಮೂಲಕ: http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/ (from anywhere in the world)
ನಡೆಸಿಕೊಡುವವರು: ಮಧು ಕೃಷ್ಣಮೂರ್ತಿ
ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ವಿವರಗಳಿಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಹಿಂದೆ ಪ್ರಸಾರವಾದ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮಗಳನ್ನು ಕೇಳಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಭೇಟಿ ನೀಡಿ: http://www.itsdiff.com/Kannada.html

ಭಾರತೀಯ ಕಾಲಮಾನ: ಶಾಮ್‍ಸುಂದರ್ ಅವರೊಂದಿಗಿನ ಸಂದರ್ಶನ ಬುಧವಾರ ರಾತ್ರಿ ೮.೦ ರಿಂದ ೯.೦೦ ರ ವರೆಗೆ.

Movie Review: Shutter Island (2010)

2010-07-24T00:38:00.000-07:00

Title: Shutter Island (2010)
Genre: Mystery
Starring: Leonardo Di Caprio, Mark Ruffalo, Sir Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Photography: Robert Richardson
Edited by: Thelma Schoonmaker
Screen play: Laera Kalogridid

Verdict: OK thriller. Very good plot line with good suspense and twists. You will enjoy it if you like mind-bending psycho movies. But the narration looses grip during certain parts of the movie. It could have been an even more gripping movie. I watched it dutifully because it was directed by Martin Scorsese considered one the greatest directors .

Score: 6 out of 10

Yet another Scorsese and Leonardo combo following earlier movies such as The Departed, The Aviator and The Gangs of New York. The story starts with a scene in which the protagonist Teddy played by Leo is sailing on boat. He is a US Federal Marshal heading to Shutter Island to investigate the escape of a deadly psychotic criminal. With him, is his partner Chuck played by Mark Ruffalo. The island houses a mental institution headed by Dr. John Cawley played by Ben Kingsley who says he is following new procedures in psychiatry to cure psychopaths. He belongs to the school of thought which believes in curing dangerous psychotic offenders with understanding and compassion. It is 1952 and there are many situations which have shadows of the second World War on them.

As the US Marshals pull into the island they are met by the deputy warden who gives them a set of rules they need to follow, the first one of which is that they should hand in their weapons. To add to the suspense the Dr. Cawley is very uncooperative a d appears very reluctant to share information with the US Marshals. All he can say is that a female inmate who killed 3 of her own children has disappeared from her cell in mysterious circumstances. As they find out more about what is going on in the island things become more mysterious. It hard to say anything beyond this without giving away the critical parts of the movie.

The highlight of the movie is the island itself. The movie succeeds in creating a sinister aura about the mental institution. The savage storms coming from the ocean makes the island more menacing. But the movie is a bit disappointing. In spite of the very interesting plot the movie meanders away in the narration and fails to generate the thrill we have seen in other movies with similar theme. DiCaprio and Ruffalo are quite convincing in their roles. DiCaprio has succeeded in transitioning from boyish looking roles into role which require a mature persona.
Scorsese is a great director and as is common in his movie, the plot is driven by the characters. The movie has done a good job of bringing out complex relationships and characters. But I felt the movie pulled on for a bit longer than required during many scenes in the island. That was a minor disappointment.

Score: 6 out of 10

Shivanna does the kamsale dance at Navika-2010

2010-07-23T23:10:00.000-07:00

Meravanige (traditonal parade) at Navika-2010 World Kannada Conference. Time: 8.30 AM on Sunday July 5th 2010. The downtown was empty. The streets outside the majestic Pasadena convention center were filled with Navika attendees. It was a very nice feeling to 'think' that we have the downtown all for ourselves. The meravanige passed through a couple of down streets around the convention center.

In the video below, after the 54th sec, watch Shivanna perform the kamsaale dance with folk artists from Karnataka.

Audio Recording of Sri Janardhana Swamy's interview

2010-07-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

Today I enjoyed my radio interview with Chitradurga MP Janardhana Swamy.I was very impressed with his down to earth attitude and genuine concern. A wonderful comment he made was "If you are not part of the solution, then you are on the side of the problem".

And he still has an Engineer's heart. He was extremely comfortable in handling the post-processing on the audio files. Here is a link to the recording of the audio interview. Please listen for your selves as he addresses issues relevant to India, the issues that India faces and NRIs and what they can do for their country.

(In the Photo: Swamy with Madhu, Raghu Halur and Willy Raj. Photo taken by Basu Ullagaddi)

Audio Recording of itsdiff radio interview on Stanfod Radio with Sri Janardhana Swamy - Member of Indian Parliament

Itsdiff Radio Interview with Sri Janardhana Swamy,Member of Parliament. Wed June 30

2010-06-22T01:45:00.000-07:00

Listen to a special Interview with Sri. Janardhana Swamy - Honourable Member of Parliament from Chitradurga Constituency in Karnataka.

Swamy was a technology professional in the valley till 2008. He took the bold step of returning to India and contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 and WON. This is an amazing feat for an outsider. With in a short span of one year Swamy has gained the reputation for being a very dedicated and honest politician. He is also very well know for his simple style and genuine interest in the public well being. Tune in to listen to his ideas and get inspired to be involved in public life. Please read more about Swamy at http://www.jswamy.com/ Click on 'Press' to read the good reputation Sri Swamy has earned for being a very dedicated MP.

Itsdiff Radio Program details:
Day and date: Wednesday June 30.
Time: 6.00 AM to 9.00 AM
KZSU Stanford 90.1 FM in California bay area
Listen live on the Internet at http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/
You can listen live and to previous programs here. http://www.itsdiff.com/
(Kannada, Tamil and Hindi program archives)

Highlights:
6.00 AM to 7.40
Regular Programming including Indian Classical Music, Devotional Music, Vanuli Kadambam and Thirulkurral

Interview with Dr. Sri Iyengar (President and convener) and Mr. Vallisha Sastry (VP) of Navika. http://navika2010.org

Interview with Mr. Raghu Halur President of Kannada Koota of Northern California. http://kknc.org

7.45 AM
Interview with Sri Janardhana Swamy - Member of Parliament from Chitradurga

namm aNNa (Our Father)

2010-06-20T02:50:00.000-07:00

It was on June 19, 1910 that father's day was celebrated for the first time to honor fatherhood. Soon in the 1930s, commercial interests saw an opportunity to increase business by using father's day as a pretext to promote sales of gifts and greeting cards.

In general I have refrained from getting involved in father's day formalities. The idea of an institutionalized celebration of a very personal figure was and is, anathema to me. However yesterday on radio, I was listening to Eric Idol of the Monty Python fame. There were many middle aged men calling and telling how they got their children interested in Monty Python. I too realized how much my father has influenced me. As a result, this father's day, I felt I need to use this opportunity to recollect some of my fond memories of my father whom we called aNNa.

Since mid 70s, our family of 4 lived near Sreeramapura, in Bengalooru. At that time my father's office was in Shivajinagar. In the mornings my younger brother and I, who were both in primary school at that time, would sit with Anna, as he ate break fast which include the day's special such as UppiTTu or avalakki or chapaati and a glass of hot Horlick's milk . As our mother prepared the 'carrier' (lunch) for aNNa, he would start pacing up and down and start raising fears of missing his bus-number-58 which ran from Rajajinagar Ramamandir to Shivaji Nagar. My mother had a trick to stop this fussiness. In her own words "I will make the Horlicks very hot. That will buy me some time". At 8.40 AM, I and my brother would go and drop him off at the bus stand and wait till his bus leaves. He had a big friend-circle who had formed a passengers-of-58 club and they thought it was cute to see me and my brother at the bus stop in the mornings.

In the evening he would come back in the same bus number 58 which arrived in Devaiah Park at around 7.10 PM. It was a road train with two compartments colored gray and yellow. The sides of bus would carry advertisements such as "kshema nidhi or bala nidhi safe deposits' by Corporation bank. I would receive him at the bus stop as he got down from the bus and take his lunch bag and walk all the way home with him. Many times when my mother was not home, I would make him tea after we came home. I used to look forward to dinner. Not in the least because my mother would cook the most Delicious simple food. Rice, saaru (Karnataka style daal), cucumber kosambri and diluted butter milk immediately come to mind. Another rare delicacy she would make is kaDle bELe and red chili chutney made from chana daal. Such delicious dinner would be accompanied by me telling the jokes I had added newly to my list. My father was always eager for a laugh.

I have come to realize that I have acquired many of my personal traits watching and adopting my father' mannerisms. My grand father was a railway station master and as a result my father lived in different small towns across Karnataka and had collected varied life experiences. He would engage our relatives with his fascinating retelling of hilarious and exciting personal experiences. He would tell a story of how he was attacked by a bison when my grandfather was the station master in the remote Makali Durga railway station. The bison knocked him to the ground and charged at him with horns pointing at him. The only reason aNNa escaped was this - the sharp horns missed anna and got stuck in the ground giving my father enough time to get up and run away.

Watching him narrate the incidents in his own style I felt it was not only OK to talk in one's own unique way but it was the natural thing to do. I was totally influenced by the way he narrated anecdotes. He had a naturally humorous style of speaking which I seem to have adopted. Many of my relatives fondly see my father in me when they hear me tell jokes or recount anecdote. It is common to hear "yalla avarappan thara ne" (just like his dad) or "namm moorthy maataDida haage annisalava". (Does not he sound like our Murthy).

I would help my dad do his work around the house. This was when I was still 4 or 5. My father was fixing an electrical issue . It was common for him keep stool atop a table and he would stand on the stool to reach the ceiling and do his electrical work. I was assisting him by holding the table, the chair or screw drivers etc in my hands. I was also thinking that I was securing the table and stool with my 5 year old hands and helping aNNa not fall down. Once when aNNA was perched in this position he received an electrical shock and he came crashing down along with the stool and table. I remember him telling his friends with a hearty laugh "As I hit the ground I looked around to see what had happened to Madhu and I noticed that he had run away and was peeping from behind the door". He taught me how to iron clothes. Right from when I was 9 or 10 it was my proud job to press his old style woolen trousers and bush-coats. That was when I learned the art of pressing trousers - especially the ones which had a generous dose of pleats.

One of the biggest influences I have had from my father has been his thrill for movies, music and popular entertainment. He would take me and my brother for watching second show movies at the nearby theaters namely Geethanjali, Navarang, Sampige, Central, Savitha and Nataraj. We have seen many movies this way including 'naagara hole' , 'naarada vijaya', 'bangarada manushya', 'singa poorinalli raaja kulla', 'aalemane' 'bara' ans 'sampattige sawal'. His taste for comedy is what runs in me. I can recollect his enjoyment of movies by Dwarakish, Mehmood and Johnny Walker. At the beginning of Dwarakish's movies there is the standard scene where a Karnataka map shows up and Dwarakish roars like the MGM lion. He would get a kick out of it.

He introduced me to Laurel and Hardy which we watched for the first time in Cubbon Park's Bala Bhavan. He also took us to other English movies including 'McKenna's Gold', 'Its a mad mad world' and 'The Crazy Boys' series which was very popular those days.

He was a great fan of Shammi Kapoor, Joy Mukherjee and Mohammed Rafi. He would enjoy songs like 'tum se accha kaun ho' and 'lakho hein nigahame'. The 'Rafi and Asha hit' from Aradhana "gun guna rahi he bhavara khil rahi hi gali gali' had a special place in his heart.He also liked the Junglee title song. He would be beaming as he said "Do you know who screams yahooo in the song. It is actually Jai Kishan of the Shankar Jaikaishan duo'. He would repeat famous dialogues from movies. Consequently my fascination for movie dialogs is equally deep. This was how I learned that being interested in tidbits can provide for great conversation material and is a genuine way to warm up to strangers and friends. When the popular Kannada song 'gombe aatavayya' played on the radio he would wait for the right moment and say "watch now, he is going to softly say 'krishna'" which PBS does in between background music. When the song 'onde ondu hosa haadu' started playing, he would get the same thrill into his face and say "listen to the guitar piece, it is very nice". Such innocent excitement really fills me up even today.

During Ramanavami celebrations, I would go with him, amma, my grand mother and aunts to attend the concerts by star Carnatic music performers at Sheshadripuram college. His favorites included Jesudas, Kannukudi Vaidhyanathan and Kadri Gopalnath. In one of Kadri's conccerts my father got so excited after a piece that he jumped up from where he was sitting and gave a good round of applause. Kannukudi's antiques with his violin like playing it like it is talking was enough to send him into bursts of enjoyment. The concerts would end late after midnight. I must have been 12 or 13 then. It was such a comfortable thought that at 12.30 in the night, we could safely walk back home from Sheshadripuram with women, children and elderly. In fact we would groups of such families on the streets, walking back home, talking about the concert.

He introduced me to the exciting Cantonment area (which according to him were all areas that were not under the influence of Kannada culture and environment). He came from a small town far away from Bangalore. He was brave enough to explore a big new city all by himself and that spirit - I carry with me today too. My mother would often say, "You are just like your aNNa. You seem to be familiar with all nooks and corners of the city".

He had a child like fascination for seeing himself in pictures. He would cheer when he saw his own picture and point at picture and say "hey, guru illidaane'. Seeing the pictures in this article, I am sure he would have been extremely happy. I find it interesting today - especially since it is father's day, that when ever I called him aNNa he would also address me as aNNa'. If I called out to him 'aNNa' he would lovingly reply 'yen aNNa' (What dad). Even though he was echoing my words in an affectionate way, I guess he had seen me going on to be a dad like him one day.

Happy father's day to all.

Photo credit: Thanks to my sister-in-law Archana, brother Arun and my mother for providing the photos. Archana even transferred the old photos from their physical form into electronic form and enhanced the quality of the pictures. Hats off to my mother for preserving these photos in her Godrej bureau. Having received what I asked for within an hour gave me the additional impetus to write this article.

Kannada Radio Program on American airwaves

2010-06-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

I will be presenting itsdiff radio programs on the following days.
June 16, June 23, June 30 and July 7th
Time: 6.00 AM to 9.00 AM

Highlights:
6.00 AM to 7.00 - Indian Classical Music
7.35 AM to 8.35 - Special segment 'SPB - the versatile singer!!'

KZSU Stanford 90.1 FM in California bay area
Listen live on the internet at http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/
Further details will follow.

You can listen to previous Kannada programs here.
http://www.itsdiff.com/Kannada.html

Review: Naanu Nanna Kanasu (2010)

2010-06-12T00:40:00.000-07:00

Title: naanu nanna kanasu (Me and my dream)
Starring: Prakash Rai, Ramesh Aravind, Achyuthkumar, Seethara, Veena Sunder, Rajesh, Sihikahi Chandru and others.
Direction: Prakash Rai
Screen play, Dialogues: Prakash Rai
Photography: Ananth Urs
Produced by: Duet Movies and Media House Studio

Verdict - An excellent entertaining movie which explores the love a father has for his daughter which gets tested when she becomes an independent adult. It has good funny dialogues, great acting, superb photography and nice music.

Score: 9.5 out of 10

While watching Kannada or Indian movies, have you got bored of the stale adventures of the hero and heroine who fight against all obstacles and eventually teach us that love conquers all - that too not before the most stupid misunderstandings between the lovers themselves.? Have you got sick of how the hero-heroine gyrate in response to gross lyrics and head banging music? Now don't even get me started on movies that try hard to prove that in order to protect our personal dignity and survive in this unruly world, each of us men need to be the equivalent of a Jackie Chan or a Bruce Lee capable of beating the pulp out of twentyfive knife and chain wielding thugs !!

Yes.We badly need an antidote to such movies. We need a movie where the story is about some thing we can relate to, where the characters speak the kind of lines that are spoken around us? Still better, why can't the hero or heroine be in situations which are plausible and natural such that we the audience can relate to it?

Well, seek no more. Such an antidote has arrived. It is the Kannada movie Naanu nanna kanasu directed by Prakash Rai.

Prakash Rai (also known as Prakash Raj) is a popular national award winning actor well known in South Indian cinema. With this movie he has given a stellar performance as a director too.

The story is very new compared to what gets shown on Kannada movie screens. It is about the beautiful relationship and love a father enjoys with his daughter. The story is told by the father as he recollects one joyous event after another involving him and his daughter kanasu right from her birth. The story warmly unfolds as the girl grows from a baby to a toddler, to an adolescent and steps into adulthood. All along the father has been fully engaged in every walk of his daughters life and enjoying it. We also see very humane tendencies displayed by the father. It is to be admired that the story explores some very sensitive aspects like the father's resentment at his little baby growing up to be an independent individual.

In this movie, Prakash Rai has adopted the original Tamil movie (Abhiyum Naanum by Radha Mohan) and transformed it into a movie which fits the Kannada environment very well. Ramesh Aravind, Sihi Kahi Chandru, Seethara and Veena Sunder are very good in their roles

Prakash Rai shines in the role of the dad who tempers his desire to make his girl a strong and capable individual while at the same not wanting to let her out of his circle of love and influence. He has given a really genuine and bold performance bringing out his character's vulnerability, immaturity and fatherly love. His transition from a tense father to a relieved father is very nuanced and convincing.

AchyuthaKumar shines in his role as Patel and executes some juicy moments with assurance and confidence. I am always thrilled when young actors take charge of their role and hold their own. Amoolya as kanasu has given a dignified performance and personifies the role of the adorable daughter. Rajesh Nataranga's portrayal of the role of the supportive friend is very likeable and refreshing.

There are some very colorful picturization of songs with Hamsalekha providing interesting lyrics and fine music. The photography is pleasing. The dialogues are very natural, meaningful, sharp, funny and heartfelt. The song sung by Kailash Kher 'ondu maamara' has a haunting melody and is sure to be a hit.

I liked the cool and confident attitude displayed by Jogi when interacting with his prospective in-laws. This is in keeping with the times and shows the audience a character that has real personality as against the traditional tough guy hero who never-the-less exhibits over the top humility and modesty in front of elders. (I mean the dude who does not forget his culture of folding his hands and stands respectfully in front of guru hiriyaru).

The movie succeeds in being very entertaining while being realistic and natural. The movie demonstrates that a wholesome entertaining movie can be made while being highly artistic too. Going by the box office news, people are coming to watch this movie in large numbers in Karnataka.
So, Gandhinagar, you cannot give this excuse anymore. "We make crude cheap entertainment because if we make clean realistic movies, our Kannadigas do not come to watch it". I have always maintained that this is just taking the easy way out. I know there is always a market for movies which appeal to our base instincts. If people want to cater to it, that's fine. But if they channel their enormous resources they can make movies which they themselves can feel proud about.

I submit there is a huge segment of Kannada film goers who are desirous of watching well made movies. Let's not forget that the most popular and commercially successful director in Kannada is till today Puttanna Kanagal who appealed to such film goers. If Kannada can produce high quality literature, there is no reason why we cannot make high quality movies on our own. As can be see with movies made all over the world, it is the story and script which is the foundation for a good movie. I think we need more people like Prakash Rai who have the desire and confidence to make good movies based on good stories and strong scripts.

naanu nanna kanasu is the kind of movie Kannadigas deserve and have been craving for it. It is a very nice movie which must be watched by all kala rasika kannadigas especially fathers with daughters.

Pictures from our recent Nataka Chaitra 2010

2010-06-05T23:06:00.000-07:00

Pictures from Nataka Chaitra 2010 - San Jose CA Nammologobba Najookayya written by T N Seetharam Koriappana Koriography written by Dundiraj. (I was Koriappa) Director: Sharmila Vidyadhara Photos: Ravi Subba Rao

ದೋಸೆ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹಾಗು ಇತರೆ

2010-06-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

ಪುಟ್ಟಿ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದಾಗ

ಇದೇ ತಾನೆ ಊರಿಗೆ ಕಾಲಿಟ್ಟ ಖಾಲಿ ಹೊಟ್ಟೆಯ ಪುಟ್ಟಿಯು
ತಟ್ಟೆಯನು ತಾ ಮುಂದಿಟ್ಟಾಗ, ದೋಸೆ ಹಿಟ್ಟಿನ ಕ್ವಾಲಿಟಿ ತಾ ಮುಖ್ಯವೆ ?
ಸೊಂಯ್ಯೆಂದು ಬಿಟ್ಟ ದೋಸೆಯನು ಕಾಯ್ ಚಟ್ನಿಯಲಿ ಅದ್ದಿ
ಅಮ್ಮನು ಪುಟ್ಟಿಯ ಬಾಯ್ಲಿಡಲು,
ಐಸೊ ನೈನ್ ತೌಸೆಂಡಿಗೆ ಕಿಚ್ಚು ಹಚ್ಚೆಂದ, ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞ !

ಮೇ ಐದು ೨೦೧೦
ಐದು
ಐದು
ಹತ್ತು
ಈವತ್ತು
ಯಾವತ್ತೂ

ಬೇಗಲ್‍ಏ ತಿನ್‍ಈ ದೋಸೆ

ಕೆಂಪಗೆ ಕಾಯಿಸಿ, ಬೆಣ್ಣೆಯ ಲೇಪಿಸಿ
ಮಸಾಲೆ ದೋಸೆ ಎಂದೇ ಭ್ರಮಿಸಿ
ಟೋಸ್ಟರ್ ಎಂಬ ಕಾವಲಿಯಿಂದ
ಬೇಗಲ್ ಎಂಬ ಒಣಕಲು ಬನ್ನನು
ಬೇಗನೆ ತೆಗೆದು ಮರೆಯಲಿ ಕುಳಿತು
ಬಾಯ ಚಪ್ಪರಿಸಿರೊ ಮಂಕುದಿಣ್ಣೆಗಳ
ಎಂದನಾ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞ

ಟಿಪ್ಪಣಿ: ಬೇಗಲ್ ಎನ್ನುವುದು ಅಮೇರಿಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಯಂಕರ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧಿ ಹೊಂದಿರುವ ಒಣಗಿದ ಖಡಕ್ ಬನ್ನು

Two Words. SPB ROCKS!!

2010-05-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

As I close my eyes and hear the jumpy tune of 'Santhoshakke haadu' (Geetha 1983) with its foot thumping rhythm, I see the image of the bearded man in a hurry, the daring Shankar Nag in his dark glasses. When I hear the classic 'elliruve manava kaaduva roopasiye' I can only picture Ananth flying his helicopter over thick forests. If I listen to 'naa haadalu, neevu haada beku' from kalla kulla the picture that comes to mind is that of Sahasa Simha Vishnuvardhan. But still, one key ingredient in all these songs is the voice of perhaps the most versatile and beloved singer SP Balasubramhanyam. SPB or Balu as he is lovingly called is the most successful play back singer in the South Indian film industry. He is definitely the one singer who has given the most popular songs in Kannada film industry. SPB himself has talked about the love he has received from Kannadigas and has shared his love for the Kannada film industry.(See video link at the end) He has given his musical voice to all prominent actors in the Kannada film industry including Dr. Vishnuvardhan, Anant Nag, Shankar Nag, Ambarish, Suresh Heblikar, Srinath, Rajesh, Dwarakish, Narasimha Raju. In the movie Bahaddur Gandu, the song 'gandu endhare gandu, bhoopathi gandu' sung by SPB is picturised on Dr. Raj. So SPB seems to have left his mark across the board in Kannada movies.

Though not classically trained SPB has the talent and the spirit to bring out the most creative musical performance. In fact one of the advantages of his lack of classical background is that it gives him the freedom to be unbound by the framework of classical music.

I had the opportunity to see him live at the Kannada musical night on May 9th at Hayward California. Most of the songs he sang were my favorites. It was somewhat reassuring to see 1200 other people like the same songs as I did and respond they way I would. SPB delivered the program professionally. They did not waste time between songs. SPB would add tidbits about various songs and established an affectionate bond with the crowd. After doing the traditional somber songs, he sang jeeva vene (Hombisilu) the popularity of which is a great symbol of Kannadigas good taste in music. Then SPB chose my favorite "Entha Soundarya nodu" from mathu tappada maga composed by Ilayaraja. The background music (BGM) in this song reminds me of the BGM in nagu naguta nali nali - the ever green PBS song for Dr. Raj from Bangarada Manushya composed by GK Venkatesh. That is not at all surprising since Ilayaraja arranged the music for over 200 Kannada films as an assistant to GKV.

During the program SPB did sing many melodious songs including 'jotheyali jothe jotheyali(Geetha), ‘naguva nayana’ (Pallavi Anu Pallavi). They were all melodious and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But I love SPB for his jovial and cool spirit which he brings into some of his songs. I feel SPB is the only singer who has established a type of singing which is very original and creative. It is not just his musical ability I am talking about here. It is his ability to innovate in singing which is so distinctively SPB. That makes his songs more entertaining. I honestly feel, it is very rare to find a singer who creates his own style, sticks to it and is successful. I feel most of the singers of the current generation are some what normalized. They do not have a very original style of singing. They try to follow in the lines of legends like Rafi or Kishore. Initially SPB was trying to follow in Ghantasaala's footsteps but luckily for us music lovers, he got out of it and established his own domain where he innovated as he desired and people have simply loved it.

There are the classic SPB hits which are so universally appealing that they speak for themselves. I am referring to Neera biTTu (Hombisilu), aakashadinda dharegilidu rambhe , maamaravello , nammora mandara huvve. These songs are a great joy to listen to. Apart from these, for an example of SPB's creativity, listen to this song from Maagiya Kanasu. The song "ellelloo neene, elliruve jaane" I get goose bumps when he says ellellu neene ehE eHe, elliruve jaane ohO ohO". Another good example is 'hema hema. naakondla naaku' (Shubha mangala) Similarly the rustic songs 'notadaage nageya meeti' and 'teranEri ambaradaage" from Parasangada Gende Thimma" set a new trend in Kannada films resulting in songs like “entha marulayya idu”, "kempaadavo ella kempadavo". There are many such examples including those where SPB displays his talent for comedy in songs. "vahare mere murgha' (Sipaayi Ramu), "nammoor nage naanobne jaana' and "barhtale kanasina raani" are a few of the good funny songs.
SPB also has distinguished himself with his unique talent to morph his voice to suit the actor on whom the song is being picturised. In one of his interviews he says that it is easy for him to mould his voice to suite comedic actors because they have a very distinct mannerism and so it makes sense to imitate their voice. In the case of the regular heroes of Indian movies he says he imitates their style of speaking and adopts it in his singing. This explains why SPB's voice seems to suite a wide range of actors. It is worth noting that he does not try to imitate the actor’s voice as much as the rhythm in their speaking.

It was the first time that I saw SPB live and it was a thrilling experience. I was totally in awe at this great talent who at 65 still sings like he sang 30 years ago. How much can we be in awe of a person who still has the spirit to sing jumpy numbers, romantic poems and who can rock the audience and drive them crazy with his ability to sing cool romping numbers. Two songs towards the end of the concert were very well chosen and drove the audience wild and screaming. He gave a small tidbit about Hamslekha and his song about places in Mysore. The audience smelled what was coming and hooted with excitement. And them SPB put the mike near his mouth and belted in a high pitch ‘are yaarri hedarkoLLoru, bedarkolloru’. The voice shot out like an arrow from great depth and went flying and weaving through the audience. Now the audience went wild as SPB rendered this cool song “koorak kukkralli kere wa wa”. The best was the next song, the grand finale “santhoshakke” from Geetha. It was totally cool when he sang “Hai folks. Good evening. Happy mother’s day. Listen to the crowning music from your fabulous Sanjay”. Enough said. I should just let you experience yourself, the joy this song brings(click here to listen).

Here are some video links which you may enjoy. Thanks to those who uploaded these songs. These videos are really a gold mine.

A Japanese fan singing santhoshakke from Geetha

SPB on the love he has received from Kannadigas.

SPB singing kurigalu saar in Mysore Ananth Swamy’s style.

SPB singing DVG’s baduku jataka bandi

SPB and Ajay Warrier singing C Ashwath and Mysore Ananthasamy’s “Jolly baarinalli koothu”.

SPB Live Jotheyli Jothe Jotheyali from Geetha

The awesome song 'naagara holeyo ammale (naagara hole)

elliruve manava kaaduva roopasiye (bayalu daari)

aakashadinda (chandanada gombe)

neera bittu nelada mele (hombisilu)

Audio

tarikere eri mele - one of the best rock song in Kannada (Devara duddu)

click on 'tarikere' and click 'play selected'

naguva nayana (pallavi anupallavi)

koorak kukkralli kere (nenapirali)

yelu male meleri (Jogi)

Indian Movie Stars need to be more media savvy

2010-05-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

Sudeep is a well respected actor in the Kannada film industry. His arrival as a lead actor in the movie Sparsha was welcomed by Kannada cine lovers which was looking for some fresh talent. With his good looks and screen presence he has established himself as a dependable star and has also done his stint as a director. Such being the case I was terribly upset when I watched this interview of Sudeep on youtube (click here to watch the interview. It is on a Kannada TV, but they speak a lot of English). I thought he treated the interviewers with total disregard. I could not help conclude that his handling of the interview lacked finesse and professionalism. I have seen other actors fail to impress as individuals, not because they are not good individuals but they stop being themselves and start behaving arrogantly, once they acheive some amount of stardom.

Obviously this interview is a couple of years old and as such Sudeep may have left it behind him. My views are definitely not a personal comment on Sudeep. It is just that this interview is a typical representation of the mentality of many current Indian movie stars which is worth commenting about.

Now let's take some points raised in the interview. When asked about the success of recent hits like 'Mungaru Male' he was much more interested in denying credit to Ganesh the star of the movie than on talking about what led to the movie's success and learning from it. In fact Ganesh did have a great part in the success of Mungaru Male. Sudeep was upset that so much credit is being given to Ganesh for the success of the film. His comparison of Darshan and Ganesh was unwarranted. It sounds totally ridiculous when one movie star puts down another by saying "Darshan is 6 feet tall and Ganesh is juts 3.5 feet. avanelli ivanelli". I hope Sudeep recognises the irony in his view. Doesn't he know that irrespective of physical attributes the hero always beats the life out of the bad guy and his menacing bunch of 20 or more hoodlums armed with longs and machetes. More ironic was his denial of Ganesh's instant stardom with a reference to how much hard work a superstar like Vishnuvardhan had to endure before he was recognized as a star. We have not seen Dr. Rajkumar or Dr. Vishnu behaving like this in an interview. Even though they are from a previous generation, nothing stopped them from being snooty. But I am mindful of the fact that times are different now. Celebrities are in the public view more now than before what with 24 hour TV and Internet. Comparison is futile in such situations. But public life is as much an opportunity to present yourself impressively as it is a risk of revealing one's dirtier side.

The interviewers looked like very enthusiastic kids who were just eager to do a good interview. They asked pertinent questions. But Sudeep's demeanor was as if he was saying "I know what I should do and I know better than you ." They seemed excited to be given this opportunity to interview a star and he could have been encouraging. But he seemed to gain some satisfaction in putting down their views and questions.

I was impressed with the mild tenacity shown by the interviewers. In spite of being brushed aside by a domineering personality they kept pressing him on with their questions. The way the subject reacts to a question reveals a lot even if the subject does not answer the question.

The Indian film stars will do well if they can demonstrate the skills needed to present a professional public persona. I can't help compare this situation with the way the Nicole Kidmans, Tom Cruises and George Clooneys or the Obamas for that matter, charm the interviewer and the audience leaving a favourable impression.

Now that the world's gaze is falling more and more on the so called 'Bollywood' films industry, our stars will do well to learn that presenting oneself in a public forum is much different on the world stage. Self absorbed boorishness is not the way to go. A charming behavior with a touch of gentle humor sounds like a better choice. If they can demonstrate a whiff of intellect that would make them very sought after guests.

For your viewing please here are some links which speak for themselves. I liked the way Shah Rukh Khan handled his interview. He was very impressive with his awareness of the world around him. Thanks to those who have provided this content.

Sudeep's Interview on Kannada TV (But they speak a lot of English)

Aishwarya Rai on Letterman

Shah Rukh Khan on NPR. (Audio only)

You can also search for Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bacchan's interview on you tube.

Americadalli Bevu Bella (in Kannada)

2010-03-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

ಈ ಬಾರಿ ಏಪ್ರಿಲ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾರತಕ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರವಾಸ ಹೋದ ಪ್ರಯುಕ್ತ KKNC ಯುಗಾದಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾಲ್ಗೊಳ್ಳಲಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ. Thatskannadaದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾದ ವರದಿಯ ಕೊನೆಯ ಸಾಲು ನನ್ನ ಗಮನ ಸೆಳೆಯಿತು. ಲೇಖಕ ಪ್ರಭು ಮೂರ್ತಿ ಅವರು ಬರೆದಂತೆ KKNC ಯುಗಾದಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದ ಕೊನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾರತದ ಅದಿನಾಯಕನಿಗೂ ಹಾಗು "ಲ್ಯಾಂಡ್ ಅಫ಼್ ದಿ ಬೇವ್"ಗೂ ನಮನ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿದರಂತೆ. ಈ ಅಚಾತುರ್ಯದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾಪಿಸಿದಾಗ ಪ್ರಭು ಅವರು ಗಾಬರಿಯಾಗಿ ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ತಮ್ಮದೇನೂ ತಪ್ಪಿಲ್ಲವೆನ್ನುತ್ತ, ಮುದ್ರಾರಕ್ಕಸನತ್ತ ಅನುಮಾನದ ಕಿಡಿ ಹಾರಿಸಿದರು. ಅವರಿಗೆ ಅಮೇರಿಕಾದಲ್ಲಿ ತಪ್ಪಕ್ಷರದ ಅಪರಾಧಕ್ಕೆ ಇರುವ ಕಠಿಣ ಶಿಕ್ಷೆಯ ಭಯವಾಗಿರಬೇಕು. ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ವಿಚಾರಣೆ ನಡೆಸಲಾಗಿ ಈ ತಪ್ಪಿನ ಹಿಂದೆ ಮುದ್ರಾರಕ್ಕಸನ ಕೈವಾಡ ಇರುವುದು ಮನದಟ್ಟಾಯಿತು. ಯುಗಾದಿಯ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ land of milk and honey ಉರುಫ಼್ land of the brave ಅರ್ಥಾತ್ good old US of Aಯನ್ನು ಹಾಗೆ ಕರೆಯುವ ಉದ್ದೇಶವಿಲ್ಲದೆಯೆ "ಲ್ಯಾಂಡ್ ಅಫ಼್ ದಿ ಬೇವ್" ಎಂದು ಕರೆದಿರುವುದು ಒಂದು ಮಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಸಂದೇಶವೇ ಸರಿ. ಇದು ಮುದ್ರಾರಾಕ್ಷಸನ fruedian slip ಅಲ್ಲದೆ ಮತ್ತೇನು?. ಯುಗಾದಿ ಹಬ್ಬವನ್ನು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ (ಅನೇಕ ವರುಷಗಳಿಂದ) ಆಚರಿಸಿದ ಫಲವಾಗಿ ನಮ್ಮದು land of bevu bella ಎಂದು ಅರಿತು ಬಂದಿದ್ದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಅಮೇರಿಕಾದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹೇಗೆ ಎಂದು ಯೋಚಿಸಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. NRIಗಳ ಧ್ವನಿಯಾಗಿರುವ thatskannadaದ ಹೊಟ್ಟೆಯಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲೊ ಅಡಗಿದ್ದು ಈ ಸತ್ಯ ಈಗ ಹೊರ ಬಿದ್ದಿದ್ದೆ. ಆ ಗಾಢಾರ್ಥದ ಗುಟ್ಟು ಇಷ್ಟೆ "America is the land of ಬೇವ್ [and ಬೆಲ್]".

ಈ ಗಹನವಾದ ವಾಕ್ಯ ಏನು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿದೆ? ಮೊದಲಿಗೆ land of the ಬೇವ್ ಹೇಗೆ ಬಂತು ನೋಡೋಣ. ಇದು ತೀರ ಸುಲಭದ್ದು. ನನ್ನ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯದಲ್ಲಿ ’ಲ್ಯಾಂಡ್ ಆಫ಼್ ಮಿಲ್ಕ್ ಎಂಡ್ ಹನಿ’ಯಾದಂತಹ ಅಮೇರಿಕಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಾಳಲು ಮುಕ್ಕಾಲು ಪಾಲು ಭಾರತೀಯರಿಗೆ ಇರಲೇಬೇಕಾದ ಒಂದು ಅರ್ಹತೆ ಎಂದರೆ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ Stressಉ. ಬೇವು ಈ ಕಹಿ ಸತ್ಯದ ಸಂಕೇತವಿರಬಹುದೆ? ಹಾಲು ಜೇನಿನ ಕಣಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅಡಗಿರುವುದು ಬೇವಿನ ಹೂರಣವೆ?. ಅಥವಾ ಅಮೇರಿಕಾದ ಸಂಕೇತಗಳಾದ ಕೋಕ್ ಮತ್ತು ಪೆಪ್ಸಿಯಂತೆ ಬೇವ್‌ರೇಜ್‌ನ ಸಂಕೇತವೆ? ರೋಡ್ ರೇಜಿನಂತೆ ಈ ಬೇವ್‌ರೇಜ್ ಅಮೇರಿಕ ನಮಗಿತ್ತ ಬಳುವಳಿ. ಅಮೇರಿಕದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಕರಿಯರು ಈ stressಗೆ ಮಿಕ್ಕವರಿಗಿಂತ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿ ಬಲಿಯಾಗುತ್ತಾರೆ ಎಂಬುದು ಯಾರೊ ಸಂಶೋದಕರು ಪತ್ತೆ ಮಾಡಿರುವ ಒಂದು ಅಂಶ. ಈ ಬೇವು, Stress ಅಥವ rageಗೆ ಸಂಕೇತವಿರಬಹುದು ಎಂದೇನೊ ಹೇಳಿದೆವು. ಆದರೆ ಕರಿಯ ಜನಾಂಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿರುವ ತೊಂದರೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಅಂದರೆ ಕರಿBEVRAGEಇಗೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಕರಿಬೇವಿಗೂ ಯಾವುದೇ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಕಲ್ಪಿಸಬಾರದು ಎನ್ನುವುದನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಮರೆಯಬಾರದು.

ಇನ್ನು ಬೆಲ್‌ಗೆ ಬರೋಣ. ತಕ್ಷಣ ಹೊಳೆಯುವುದು Taco bell.
ಅಮೇರಿಕದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಭಾರತೀಯರು - ಘಂಟೆಗೆ ೭ ಡಾಲರ್ ಸಂಪಾದಿಸುವ ವಿಧ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳು, ನೂರೈವತ್ತು ಕೇಳುತ್ತಿದ ಕನ್ಸಲ್ಟೆಂಟುಗಳು, ಕಾರಲ್ಲಿ vacation ಹೋಗುವ ಮಂದಿ, ಗ್ಯಾಸ್ ಸ್ಟೇಶನ್ ಪಂಜಾಬಿಗಳು, ಮೋಟೆಲ್ ಗುಜುರಾತಿಗಳು , ವೀಸ ಸಿಕ್ಕ ಭಾಗ್ಯಶಾಲಿ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳು - ಎಲ್ಲ ಹೊಟ್ಟೆಹಸಿವಾದಾಗ ನಿರ್ಯೋಚನೆಯಿಂದ ನುಗ್ಗುವುದು TACO Bellಗೇನೆ. ತಿನ್ನುವುದು ಅದೇ Seven layered burritoವನ್ನು. ತಿನ್ನಲು ಏನೊ ಖಾರವಾಗಿ ಸಿಗುತಲ್ಲ - ಅಷ್ಟೇ ಸಾಕು. ಮೆಕ್ಸಿಕೊದ ಪದ್ದತಿಯ ಅಡುಗೆಯಾದರು - TACO BELL ಅಮೆರಿಕದ ಜೀವನದ ಒಂದು ಮುಖ್ಯ ಏಳೆ.

ನೆನಪಿಗೆ ಬರುವ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಬೆಲ್ ಎಂದರೆ ಫಿಲಡೆಲ್ಫಿಯಾದ ಓಡೆದ ಲಿಬರ್ಟಿ ಬೆಲ್ಲ್.1776 ಜುಲೈ ೮ರಂದು ಅಮೇರಿಕ ತನ್ನ ಸ್ವಾವಲಂಬನೆಯ ಘೋಷಣೆಯನ್ನು ಬಂದು ಕೇಳಲು, ತನ್ನ ಜನತೆಗೆ ಈ ಘಂಟೆಯನ್ನು ಮೊಳಗಿಸಿ ಕರೆ ನೀಡಿತಂತೆ. ಅದೇಕೆ ಓಡೆಯಿತು ಎನುವುದು ಬೇರೆ ವಿಷಯ.

೭೦ರ ದಶಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ದಿಯಲ್ಲಿದ ಬೆಲ್‌ಬಾಟಮ್ ಸಹ ಅಮೇರಿಕದ ಕೊಡುಗೆ. ಅಮೇರಿಕ ಎಂದ ಮೇಲೆ ಹಾಲಿವುಡ್ ಮರೆಯಲಾಗುವುದೆ? ಹಾಲಿವುಡ್‌ನ ತಾರೆಗಳು ವಾಸ ಮಾಡುವುದು ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಗೊತ್ತಲ್ಲ! ಬೇವರ್ಲಿ ಹಿಲ್ಲ್ಸ್ ಮತ್ತು ಬೆಲ್ ಏರ್. ಓಹೊ! ಹಾಗಾದರೆ ಹಾಲಿವುಡ್ ಎನ್ನುವುದು ಬೇವ್ ಮತ್ತು ಬೆಲ್ ಮೇಳೈಸಿರುವ ಜಾಗ. ಇನ್ನು ಈ ಸಿಲಿಕಾನ್ ಕಣಿವೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾರನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿದರೂ ಎಲ್ಲರದೂ ಒಂದೇ ಗೋಳು. ಯಾವಾಗ ನೋಡಿದರೂ ಆಫೀಸ್ ಕೆಲಸ. ಹಗಲು, ರಾತ್ರಿ ಹಾಗು ವಾರಾಂತ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ - ಗಂಟೆ ಗಟ್ಟಳೆ ಕೆಲಸ. ಗಂಟೆಗೆ ಇಂಗ್ಲೀಶ್ ಪದ ಗೊತ್ತಲ್ಲ - ಬೆಲ್. ಗಂಟೆಗಟ್ಟಳೆ ಕೆಲಸದಿಂದ ಮತ್ತೆ stressಉ. ಅದೆ ಬೆಲ್, ಅದೇ ಬೇವು. ಈ ರೀತಿ ಹೊರಳಿ ಹೊರಳಿ ಬೇವ್ ಮತ್ತು ಬೆಲ್ ಒಂದಕ್ಕೊಂದು ಹೊಂದಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವುದು ಕಾಣಲು ಸಿಗುವುದು - only in america -the land of bev and bel.
(This article was first printed in Swarnasetu 2005)

Cut Saar and Ganji - A generic recipe

2010-03-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

Before the recipe

So! why dont I start this blog post with a technique which comes highly recommended by speech coaches all over the world. Off course when I say world I mean America. It is not the world whose countries have formed that thing called UN. The technique of course is to 'Start your speech with a joke'. Once you have the audience relieved of their apprehensions of your lack of sense of humor you can get into your really serious drivel. By the time the audience realize that the initial promise was only a bait and switch technique you will have finished your speech and you can heave a sigh of relief now.

So I need a joke. Let's see. When I was in India this joke was being told sickeningly forever as if it were a new joke. More sickening was to see at least 90% of the audience laugh at this stale joke. People seem to have a knack for forgetting jokes. Oops! I have slipped a bit in using this technique since after about more than 150 words I still have not told the joke. So the effectiveness of my rant today is not guaranteed. If you do not use the trick in the way it is intended to be used, don't blame the creators if it fails. It is guaranteed only if it is the first thing you say. The only thing you are allowed to say before the joke is perhaps "LET ME START MY SPEECH WITH A JOKE". I am now worried because I have passed almost 2 paragraphs without getting to the goddamn joke. If you are still reading, either you are waiting for the joke or the joke was after all not needed to be the first thing at the beginning to hold your interest. ( not sure if it makes any difference that you are a reader and not a listener)

Now since I have lost the element of surprise I must warn you that the joke is pretty lame. I believe I already said that. So why don't we hold off on the joke... no lets get it out of the way. The joke is timely because the cold virus has touched the Silicon Valley including yours truly. I have been suffering from this disgusting cold for more than 11 days. After the third day I was deceived into thinking it had subsided, only to be blind sided with a knockout fever the same night. Things got slightly better after the 8th and 9th day. However, just when I thought the cold had given up and the game was over for it, I had to content with a stodgy rear gaurd resistance by the tail enders cough and headache on the 10th and 11th day. They carried the night 'not-out' and are playing for a draw today.

The joke is "Don't take medicine for common cold. It will go by itself after 7 days. But if you take medicines it will be gone quickly in just one week". I had warned you that this was not funny.

As was well established before now, last night I was facing a gritty onslaught by cough and head ache. On Face book I posted this blurb for my upcoming recipe for Cut saar-anna also referred to as daal rice, rasam rice by other similarly sick compatriots from India.

Here is the teaser "Steaming hot daal rice with the consistency of soup, generous sprinkling of grated green chilli, hing, jeera and mustard seasoning, salt a bit on the higher side. What does that say to you? To me it says 'wake up, you sick, coughing, on-and-off fevered, fellow'.

This blurb generated such excitement (along with some sympathy) I decided to put down my recipe for Cut Saar. The word Cut is used only to produce the Kannada sound kuT It does not mean anything.

Recipe for Cut Saar
Ingredients:

2 cups of (Ravi) rice
2 cups of Toor Daal
Half a jalapeno, which is a fat Mexican chili which has a strong flavor of Indian Chili but is not as spicy. This is ideal for making menasina kayi bonda. Cut the jalapeno into 1/2 inch pieces so that you can separate them from your soup. Or chop it smaller if you enjoy eating them in the soup
Half a spoon of Jeerige (jeera/cumin)
Half a spoon of black mustard seeds
4 curry leaves
1/2 an inch of ginger - minced
1/2 spoon salt (3/4 if you like salty)
2 spoons of ghee or butter
11 cups of water. (the water needs to be split between Rice and Daal).
2 tablets of Extra Strength Tylenol or similar generic.
Steam cooker gas stove, tongs, a pan big enough to make daal

Procedure:

Take 2 extra strength Tylenol with 1 cup of water. Don't drink too much water. You need to save water for the rice and daal. Also better to avoid a bio break.
Bake 2 cups of rice with 8 cups of water to make it soupy in a steam cooker.
Bake 2 cups of toor daal in 4 cups water in a steam cooker. The daal is expected to be not too watery.
At this point you should have run out of water (in your water container of course) . Else you did something wrong. Retrace your steps.
Wait for the daal and rice to be done (indicated by 3 whistles on your steam cooker followed by 15 minutes of cooling period)
Heat 2 spoons of ghee or butter in the pan in which you plan to make the daal. Don't use a small bandley (small frying pan). It means you have one more dish to wash.
When ghee/butter melts add a pinch of hing, half a spoon of black mustard seeds and the chopped curry leaves.
When mustard seeds pop add 1/2 spoon of jeera. Now you should be careful not to over roast the jeerige. So IMMEDIATELY after 10secs,
dump daal into it.
Add the minced Ginger to the daal.
Add 1/2 a spoon salt. Boil for 5 min. Now turn off the stove
Mix 2 measures of the above daal to one of measure of rice (assuming you remembered to cook it).
When nobody is looking use your hands to mix the rice and daal
It should have the consistency of a soup.
Eat hot. ( Instead of 'Serve hot' as suggested by traditional recipe writers)
To eat (or drink) use a soup bowl and a deep round spoon like they have in Chinese restaurants in India.

Recipe for Ganji

It is very simple to make Ganji (or GnajooTa) from the same recipe.
Skip making the daal. Cook 2 cups of rice with 8 cups of water.
Add the seasoning to the rice. A minor update here. After you add the seasoning to the rice, you need to add the ginger and boil the Ganji for about 4 minutes after

Review of Dr, U.R Ananthamurthy's novel Bharathipura (in Kannada)

2010-03-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Click here to read my English article about the book ananta mukhada murthy
(UR Ananthamurthy - A Multifaceted Icon) here

ಆದರ್ಶವಾದಿಗೆ ಭಾರತಿಪುರದಲ್ಲಿ ಸವಾಲುಗಳು
ಮಧು ಕೃಷ್ಣಮೂರ್ತಿ

ಈ ನನ್ನ ಲೇಖನ ಮೊದಲು ಪ್ರಕಟಗೊಂಡದ್ದು ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕದಲ್ಲಿ. ಅನಂತಮುಖದಮೂರ್ತಿ: ೨೦೦೯. ಸಂಪಾದಕರು: ಅಹಿತಾನಲ (ನಾಗ ಐತಾಳ). ಪ್ರಕಾಶಕರು: ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯಾಂಜಲಿ, ಕ್ಯಾಲಿಫೊರ್ನಿಯ ಮತ್ತು ಅಭಿನವ, ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು.

ಹೊರದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾವು ಸ್ನೇಹಿತರೆಲ್ಲ ಸೇರಿದಾಗ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿನ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅದರ ಸುಧಾರಣೆಗೆ ಏನೇನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಬಹುದು ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ವಿಷಯಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಚರ್ಚೆ ಶುರುವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅಮೇರಿಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಬ್ಬ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಪ್ರಜೆಯೂ ಕೂಡ ಹೇಗೆ ದಿನ ನಿತ್ಯದ ಬದುಕಿಗೆ ಬೇಕಾದ ಎಲ್ಲ ಸೌಕರ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಅನುಭವಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ ಎಂಬುದು ಕಂಡಾಗ ನಮ್ಮ ಕಣ್ಮುಂದೆ ಬರುವುದು ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿನ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಪ್ರಜೆಯ ಸ್ಥಿತಿ. ನಿಖರವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳಬೇಕೆಂದರೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಕಣ್ಮುಂದೆ ಬರುವುದು ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅಥವಾ ನಮ್ಮ ಬಂಧುಮಿತ್ರರ ವಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಅನುಭವಿಸದೆ ಇದ್ದ ಈ ಸವಲತ್ತುಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಅನುಭವಿಸಿದ ಕಷ್ಟ ದುಃಖಗಳು. ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿ ಬರುವ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯಗಳು ಈ ವಿಷಯಗಳ ಸುತ್ತ ಇರುತ್ತವೆ ಎಂದು ನಾನು ಕಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ವಾಯುಮಾಲಿನ್ಯ, ರಾಜಕೀಯದಲ್ಲಿಯ ಭ್ರಷ್ಟತೆ, ಮುಂದುವರಿದ ರಾಷ್ಟಗಳಲ್ಲಿರುವಂತೆ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿಲ್ಲದ ಆಧುನಿಕತೆ, ಜನರಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣೆಯಾಗುತ್ತಿರುವ ಪೌರ ಪ್ರಜ್ಞೆ, ಉಗ್ರಗಾಮಿಗಳ ದಮನ ಇವೇ ಮುಂತಾದ ದೈನಂದಿನ ಬದುಕಿನ ಕಾಳಜಿಗಳು. ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಸಂಚಾರ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಸುಧಾರಿಸಲು ರಸ್ತೆಗಳನ್ನು ಅಗಲಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ಹಾಗೆ ಮಾಡುವಾಗ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿದ್ದರೆ ಬದಿಯ ಅಂಗಡಿ ಮನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಒಡೆಯಬೇಕು. ಆ ಅಸ್ತಿಯ ಮಾಲಿಕರಿಗೆ ಅಂದಿನ ಬೆಲೆಗನುಸಾರವಾಗಿ ಪರಿಹಾರ ಧನ ನೀಡುವುಷ್ಟೇ ಸಮಾಜ ಹಾಗು ಸರಕಾರದ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯ - ಎಂದೆಲ್ಲ ಸಲಹೆಗಳು ಬರುತ್ತವೆ. ಅದೂ ಇಷ್ಟೆಲ್ಲ ಯಾಕೆ? ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿರುವ ನವ ಶ್ರೀಮಂತರುಗಳು ಕಾರಲ್ಲಿ ಓಡಾಡುವಾಗ ತೊಂದರೆಯಾಗದಿರಲಿ ಎಂದು. ನ್ಯಾಯವಾಗಿ ನೋಡಿದರೆ ಮೇಲಿನ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳು ಭಾರತದ ಮುಕ್ಕಾಲು ಭಾಗದ ಜನರಿಗೆ ಇವಾವುದೂ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳೇ ಅಲ್ಲ. ಅವರಿಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲಕ್ಕಿಂತಲೂ ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಬೇಕಾಗಿರುವುದು ಎರಡು ಹೊತ್ತಿನ ಊಟ ಮತ್ತು ಅವರ ಆತ್ಮಾಭಿಮಾನದ ಬೆಳೆವಣಿಗೆ. ಈ ಹಿನ್ನಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಯು. ಆರ್. ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರ ಭಾರತಿಪುರ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯು ಬಹಳ ಮುಖ್ಯವೆನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.

ಕಥಾನಾಯಕ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥ ಶ್ರೀಮಂತ ಜಮೀನುದಾರರ ಪುತ್ರ. ಬಹುಶಃ ಇಡೀ ಊರಿಗೆ ಅಗ್ರ ಸ್ಥಾನದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಶ್ರೀಮಂತ ಮನೆತನದ ವಾರಸುದಾರ. ಎಲ್ಲರು ಈತನನ್ನು ಬಹಳ ಗೌರವ ಮತ್ತು ಆದರಗಳಿಂದ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಈತ ಉನ್ನತ ವ್ಯಾಸಂಗಕ್ಕೆ ಲಂಡನ್ನಿಗೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಉದಾರವಾದಿಯಾದ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥ ಲಂಡನ್ನಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲ ಅನುಭಗಳಲ್ಲೂ ಭಾಗಿಯಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಮಾರ್ಗರೇಟ್ ಎಂಬ ಸ್ಥಳಿಯ ಹೆಣ್ಣೊಂದಿಗೆ ಇವನ ಸಂಬಂಧವೂ ಬೆಳೆಯುತ್ತದೆ. ಗುಜುರಾತಿ ತಂದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಬ್ರಿಟೀಷ್ ತಾಯಿಯ ಮಗಳಾದ ಮಾರ್ಗರೇಟ್ ಭಾರತದ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಆಸಕ್ತಿ ಮತ್ತು ತಿಳುವಳಿಕೆ ಉಳ್ಳವಳಾಗಿರುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ ಅವಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಗಾಢವಾದ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಬೆಳೆದು ಅವಳು ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನ ಅಂತರಾಳವನ್ನು ಹಂಚಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಗೆಳತಿಯಾಗುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಲಂಡನ್ನಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನವನೆ ಆದ ಚಂದರ್ ಎಂಬ ಸ್ಫರ್ಧಿಯೂ ಮಾರ್ಗರೇಟಳ ಸಾಂಗತ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಹೊಂಚುಹಾಕುತ್ತಿರುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಇವನಾದರೋ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಒಬ್ಬ ಹಿಪ್ಪೊಕ್ರೇಟ್. ಈ ಮೂವರು ಆಗಾಗ್ಗೆ ಫಿಲಾಸಫಿ, ಅಂತರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಇವೇ ಮುಂತಾದ ಇಂಟಲೆಕ್ಚುವಲ್ ವಿಷಯಗಳನ್ನು ಬೀರು ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತ ಚರ್ಚಿಸುವುದರಲ್ಲಿ ನಿರತರಾಗಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ.

ಲಂಡನ್ನಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಮಾರ್ಗರೇಟ್ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನಲ್ಲಿ ಉತ್ಕಟವಾದ ಒಂದು ಜಿಜ್ಞಾಸೆಯನ್ನು ಪ್ರಚೋದಿಸುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಅದೇನೆಂದರೆ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನು ತಾನು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಪ್ರಾಮಾಣಿಕನಾದ ಮಾನವನಾಗಬೇಕು ಎನ್ನುವುದು. ತನ್ನ ಪೊರೆಗಳನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಕಳಚಿ ತನ್ನ ನಿಜವಾದ ಸತ್ವವನ್ನು ಅನುಭವಿಸಬೇಕು ಎನ್ನುವುದು. ಇದಾದ ಕೂಡಲೆ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥ ದೃಢ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಿಂದ ಗಂಟುಮೂಟೆ ಕಟ್ಟಿಕೊಂಡು ಭಾರತಿಪುರಕ್ಕೆ ಹಿಂದಿರುಗುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಲಂಡನ್ನಿನಲ್ಲೆ ಉಳಿಯುವ ಮಾರ್ಗರೇಟ್ ಕಥೆಯ ಉದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ತನ್ನ ಇರುವಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ತೋರಿಸುತ್ತಿರುತ್ತಾಳೆ - ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನ ನೆನಪಿನ ಮೂಲಕ ಮತ್ತು ಜಗನ್ನಾಥ ಅವಳಿಗೆ ಬರೆಯುವ ಪತ್ರಗಳ ಮೂಲಕ.

ಭಾರತಿಪುರದ ಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಎಂತಹುದೆಂದರೆ ಅದೊಂದು ತಟಸ್ಥವಾದ ಸಮಾಜ. ಪಟ್ಟಣದ ಅಸ್ತಿತ್ವಕ್ಕೆ ಆಧಾರ ಆ ಊರಿನಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಮಂಜುನಾಥನ ದೇವಾಲಯ ಮತ್ತು ಅದರ ಮಹಿಮೆಯ ಕೃಪಾಕಟಾಕ್ಷ. ಭಾರತಿಪುರದ ಮೇಲೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥನ ಮಹಿಮೆಯ ಹಿಡಿತ ಪ್ರಭಲವಾದುದು. ಮಂಜುನಾಥನಷ್ಟೇ ಅಲ್ಲದೆ ಆ ಪಟ್ಟಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಭೂತರಾಯ ಎಂಬ ಗ್ರಾಮ್ಯ ದೇವತೆಯು ಜನರ ಮೇಲೆ ತನ್ನ ಹಿಡಿತವಿಟ್ಟುರುತ್ತದೆ. ಭೂತರಾಯನು ಒಬ್ಬ ಮಾನವನ ಮೇಲೆ ಆವಾಹನೆಯಾಗುವ ಮೂಲಕ ಜನರಿಗೆ ಆಗಾಗ ಕಾಣಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿರುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಈತ ನ್ಯಾಯವನ್ನು ನಿರ್ಧರಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. ತಪ್ಪು ಮಾಡಿದವರು ಈತನ ಎದುರು ಬಂದರೆ ರಕ್ತ ಕಾರಿ ಸಾಯುತ್ತಾರೆ ಎಂಬ ಭಯದಿಂದ ಜನರು ತಪ್ಪು ಮಾಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಹೀಗೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥನ ಮಹಿಮೆಯಿಂದ ಮತ್ತು ಭೂತರಾಯನ ಭಯದಿಂದ ಜನರು ಸಜ್ಜನರಾಗಿ ಬಾಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಎಂಬುದು ಭಾರತಿಪುರದ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಜನರ ನಂಬಿಕೆ. ಈ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ-ಭೂತರಾಯರ ಪ್ರಭಾವಕ್ಕೆ ಕುಂದು-ಕಳಂಕ ಬರದಂತೆ ಕಾಪಾಡುವುದು ಭಾರತಿಪುರದ ಸಮಾಜಕ್ಕೆ ಬಹಳ ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿದೆ.

ತನ್ನ ಮೂಲ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಾಮಾಣಿಕವಾಗಿ ಕಂಡುಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನ ಉದ್ದೇಶದೊಂದಿಗೆ ಹೆಣೆದುಕೊಂಡೇ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಉದ್ದೇಶವೂ ತೆರೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳತೊಡಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅಸ್ಪೃಶ್ಯತೆ ಎಂಬ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಕಾಹಿಲೆಯನ್ನು ತೊಡೆದುಹಾಕಿ ಹರಿಜನರನ್ನು ತುಳಿತದಿಂದ ಮುಕ್ತಗೊಳಿಸುವುದು ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನ ಉದ್ದೇಶ. ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಹುತೇಕ ಕಡೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಯುವಂತೆ ಈ ಊರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಹ ದಲಿತರ ಮೇಲೆ ದಬ್ಬಾಳಿಕೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅಸ್ಪೃಶ್ಯತೆ ಪ್ರಚಲಿತವಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ. ಮಂಜುನಾಥನ ದೇವಾಲಯವನ್ನು ಇವರು ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸುವಂತಿಲ್ಲ. ಆತ್ಮಾಭಿಮಾನದಿಂದ ವಂಚಿತರಾದ ದಲಿತರು, ಆತ್ಮವಿಶ್ವಾವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಈ ಹೀನ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯ ಮುಂದುವರಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವುದೇ ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನೆ ಇಲ್ಲದೇ ಭಾಗಿಗಳಾಗಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಮಂಜುನಾಥ-ಭೂತರಾಯರ ಜೋಡಿ ಮಹಿಮೆಯು ಈ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯನ್ನು ಜೀವಂತವಾಗಿಡುವುದರಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಪಾತ್ರ ವಹಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ ಎಂಬುದು ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನ ಅನಿಸಿಕೆ.

ಹೊಲೆಯರಿಗೆ ಈ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯನ್ನು ವಿರೋದಿಸಿದರೆ ತಮಗೆ ಕೇಡು ಉಂಟಾಗುವುದು ಎಂಬ ಮುಗ್ಧ ನಂಬಿಕೆ. ಈ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಕಂಡ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನು ಈ ಸಮಾಜದಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಧಾರಣೆ ಆಗಬೇಕಾದರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥನ ಪ್ರಭಲವಾದ ಹಿಡಿತವನ್ನು ಸಡಿಲಿಸಬೇಕು ಎಂದೆನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಸಮಾಜ ತನ್ನಲ್ಲಿಯ ಆತ್ಮವಿಶ್ವಾಸ ಬೆಳೆಸಿಕೊಂಡು ತನ್ನ ಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯವನ್ನು ಬಳಸಿಕೊಂಡಾಗ ಮಾತ್ರ ಸಮಾಜ ಪರಿವರ್ತನೆಯಾಗುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂದು ಆಲೋಚಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. ದಲಿತರ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಉತ್ತಮ ಗೊಳಿಸಬೇಕಾದರೆ ಅವರು ತಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಿಹಾಕಿರುವ ಸಂಕೋಲೆಗಳಿಂದ ಮುಕ್ತರಾಗಬೇಕಾದರೆ, ದಲಿತರು ಸಾಂಕೇತಿಕವಾಗಿ ಸಧ್ಯದ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಪದ್ಧತಿಯನ್ನು ಧಿಕ್ಕರಿಸಬೇಕು - ಹೊಲೆಯರು ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದ ಒಳಗೆ ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ಇದು ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನ ಉದ್ದೇಶ.

ಭಾರತಿಪುರವು ಭಾರತದ ಸಮಾಜವನ್ನು ಅನೇಕ ವಿಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿನಿಧಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ನಂಬಿಕೆ ಇದೆ. ಅಡಿಕೆ ತೋಟವೇ ಮೊದಲಾದ ಕೃಷಿಕ ಜೀವನವಿದೆ. ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವ್ಯಾಹತವಾಗಿ ಕಾಣುವ ಹೊಲಸು, ಮಾಲಿನ್ಯ ಊರ ತುಂಬ ಇದ್ದು, ಇದು ಒಂದು ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರವೆ? ಎಂಬ ಅನುಮಾನ ಹುಟ್ಟುತ್ತದೆ. ಈ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆಯನ್ನು ಬಳಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರು ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿನ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ತೊಂದರೆಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಅವನ್ನು ನಿವಾರಿಸುವ ಕಾರ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಎದುರಿಸಬೇಕಾದ ಸವಾಲುಗಳನ್ನುದ್ದೇಶಿಸಿ ಒಂದು ಪ್ರಭಾವಶಾಲಿ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯನ್ನು ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಭಾರತೀಯ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ, ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ನಂಬಿಕೆಗಳು, ಪುರಾಣ, ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಇವೆಲ್ಲವನ್ನು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಅರಿತು ಬಳಸಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವ ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರ ಲೇಖನಿಯ ಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯ ಬಹಳ ಮೆಚ್ಚುಗೆ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಸುವಂತಹುದು. ಅಷ್ಟೆ ಅಲ್ಲದೆ ವಿಶ್ವದ ಅನೇಕ ಕೃತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಅದನ್ನು ಭಾರತೀಯ ಪರಿಸರ ಹಾಗು ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶಗಳಿಗೆ ಅಳವಡಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತ ಪೂರ್ವ ಪಶ್ಚಿಮಗಳ ನಂಬಿಕೆಗಳು ಘರ್ಷಿಸುವಂತಹ ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶಗಳನ್ನು ಸೃಷ್ಟಿ ಮಾಡಿ ಅದರಿಂದ ಹೊರಬರುವ ವೈಚಾರಿಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ನಿರೂಪಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಈ ಕಥೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರ ಇತರ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡು ಬರುವಂತೆ ಕಾಮದಿಂದ ಪ್ರೇರಿತವಾದ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳು, ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶಗಳು ಎದ್ದು ಕಾಣುತ್ತವೆ. ಹರಿಜನರು ಮತ್ತು ದಲಿತರು ಶೋಷಣೆಯಿಂದ ಮುಕ್ತರಾಗುವ ಕಥೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ದಲಿತನೊಬ್ಬನು ಮೇಲ್ಜಾತಿಯ ಹೆಣ್ಣೊಂದಿಗೆ ಲೈಂಗಿಕ ಸಂಬಧ ಹೊಂದುವುದು ಒಂದು ಪ್ರಭಲವಾದ ಸಂಕೆತದಂತೆ ಬಳಸಿರುವ ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗಳು ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಇವೆ. ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿ ಅವರ ‘ದಿವ್ಯ’, ಲಂಕೇಶರ ‘ಸಂಕ್ರಾಂತಿ’ ಮತ್ತು ಕಂಬಾರರ ‘ಜೋಕುಮಾರ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ’ ಇವೇ ಮುಂತಾದ ಕೃತಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮೇಲ್ಜಾತಿಯ ಹೆಣ್ಣು ದಲಿತನೊಂದಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಬೆಳೆಸಿಕೊಳುವುದರ ಮೂಲಕ ದಲಿತನಲ್ಲಿ ಆತ್ಮಾಭಿಮಾನ ಬೆಳೆಸಲು ಕಾರಣಳಾಗುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಅಂತೆಯೆ ಭಾರತಿಪುರದಲ್ಲೂ ಸಹ ಅಂತಹ ಲೈಂಗಿಕ ಸಂಬಂಧಗಳ ಮೂಲಕ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಪರಿವರ್ತನೆಯಾಗುವ ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆ ಇದೆ ಎಂದು ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿ ಸೂಚಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿ ಅವರ ಇತರ ಕೃತಿಗಳಲ್ಲೂ ಲೈಂಗಿಕತೆ ಹಾಸು ಹೊಕ್ಕಂತೆ ಇರುವುದು ಗಮನಿಸಬಹುದಾಗಿದೆ. ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತ ಮತ್ತು ಪತ್ತೆದಾರಿ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇರಳವಾಗಿ ಸಿಗುವ ಶೃಂಗಾರ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯಕ್ಕಿಂತಲೂ ಇದು ಸಮಾಜದಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿ ಉಂಟುಮಾಡಲು ಬಳಸುವ ತಂತ್ರದಂತಿದೆ. ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರು ಈ ಕಥೆಯ ನಿರೂಪಣೆಯನ್ನು ಯಾವುದೆ ಮುಚ್ಚು ಮರೆ ಇಲ್ಲದೆ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಮನಸ್ಸಿನ ಆಳದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಡಗಿ ಕುಳಿತ ಕಾಮಾತುರತೆಯನ್ನು ಬಚ್ಚಿಡದೆ ಹೊರಗೆ ಚೆಲ್ಲುತ್ತಾರೆ.

ಈ ಕಥೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಎದ್ದು ಕಾಣುವ ಒಂದು ತೊಂದರೆ ಎಂದರೆ ಕಥೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ವೈಚಾರಿಕತೆ ಮತ್ತು ಆಧುನಿಕ ಮನೋಭಾವವನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿರುವವರು ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರೆ ಆಗಿರುವುದು. ಸ್ವತಃ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣನಾದ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನಂತವರು ಇರುತ್ತಾರೊ ಎಂಬ ಸಂಶಯ ಸುಳಿಯದೆ ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಕಥೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನನಗೆ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡು ಬರುವ ಆದರ್ಶ ಮತ್ತು ತತ್ವಗಳು ಕಸಿವಿಸಿ ಉಂಟುಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವನಲ್ಲಿ ಆ ರೀತಿಯ ಮನೋಭಾವ ಹೇಗೆ ಬೆಳೆಯಿತು ಎನ್ನುವುದರ ಮೇಲೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಬೆಳಕು ಚೆಲ್ಲಿಲ್ಲವೆನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಆ ಊರಿನ ಅತ್ಯಧಿಕ ಶ್ರೀಮಂತರ ಮನೆಯ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ, ಇಡೀ ಊರಿನ ಗೌರವಕ್ಕೆ ಪಾತ್ರನಾದವನೂ ಆದ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನಿಗೆ ತನ್ನ ಸಂಪತ್ತು ಮತ್ತು ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಸ್ಥಾನಮಾನಗಳನ್ನು ಉಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲ್ಲು ಬಲವಾದ ಪ್ರೇರಣೆ ಕಾಣುತ್ತದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಇಂತಹ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿಯ ಭಾವನೆ ಹೇಗೆ ಉಂಟಾಯಿತು? ಹೀಗೆ ಮಾಡುವುದರಿಂದ ಆತ ತನ್ನ ಸವಲತ್ತುಗಳನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಸಿದ್ಧನಾಗುವುದು ಸಹಜವೆನಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಈ ಸ್ಪುರದ್ರೂಪಿ ಹಣವಂತ ಯುವಕ ಯಾವ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ತನ್ನನ್ನು ಪ್ರೀತಿಯಿಂದ ಕಾಣುವ ಸಂಸಾರವನ್ನು ತ್ಯಜಿಸಲು ಸಿದ್ಧಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ? ಇಡೀ ಊರೆ ನಂಬಿರುವ ಮಂಜುನಾಥನನ್ನೇ ಇಲ್ಲವಾಗಿಸುವಂತಹ ಆದರ್ಶವಾದಿಯೆ? ಮಹಿಮೆಯಷ್ಟೆ ಅಲ್ಲದೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥನಿಂದಲೇ ಊರಿನ ಆರ್ಥಿಕ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ನಿಂತಿರುವುದು. ಹರಿಜನರು ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸುವುದರ ಮೂಲಕ ಮಂಜುನಾಥನ ಮಹಿಮೆಗೆ ಕುಂದು ಬಂದರೆ ಊರಿನ ಜೀವನೋಪಾಯಕ್ಕೆ ಕುತ್ತು ಬಂದಂತೆ. ಆದರೂ ಬಹುಜನರ ಹಿತಾಸಕ್ತಿಯ ಮುಂದೆ ಒಂದು ಸಣ್ಣ ವರ್ಗದ ತೊಂದರೆಗಳು ಗೌಣವಾಗುತ್ತವೆ ಎನ್ನುವುದು ನಿಜ. ಆದರೆ ಈ ರೀತಿಯ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿ ಶತಮಾನಗಳಿಂದ ತುಳಿಸಿಕೊಂಡ ದಲಿತರ ನಡುವಿನಿಂದಲೇ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ್ದರೆ ಇದನ್ನು ನಂಬಲು ಸುಲಭವಾಗಿರುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಹೀಗೆ ಹೇಳುವಾಗ ಭಾರತೀಯ ಸಮಾಜದ ಸುಧಾರಣೆಯುಲ್ಲಿ ಮೇಲ್ಜಾತಿಯವರ ಕೊಡುಗೆ ಬಹಳ ದೊಡ್ಡದು ಎನ್ನುವ ಅರಿವಿದೆ. ಮಹಾತ್ಮ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಮತ್ತು ರಾಜ ರಾಂಮೋಹನ್ ರಾಯ್ ಇಂತಹ ಮಹನಿಯರಲ್ಲಿ ಇಬ್ಬರು.

ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರು ಸ್ವತಃ ಸಮಾಜದ ಹುಳುಕನ್ನು ಎತ್ತಿ ತೋರಿಸುವ ಮತ್ತು ಅಂತಹ ಸಮಾಜವನ್ನು ಧಿಕ್ಕರಿಸುವ ಚಿಂತನೆ ಉಳ್ಳವರಾಗಿರುವುದನ್ನು ಅವರ ಕಥೆ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನಂಥ ಆದರ್ಶವಾದಿ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಬಹಳ ಸಹಜವಾಗಿ ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ಬಹುಜನರಿಗೆ ಅಹಿತಕರ ಎನಿಸುವ ವಿಷಯಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊರ ಚೆಲ್ಲಿ ಅವುಗಳನ್ನು ಚರ್ಚೆಗೆ ಒಳಪಡಿಸುವುದು ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರ ಗುಣ. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿ ಅವರ ಕಲ್ಪನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥ ನಿಜವಾದ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯಾಗಿ ಕಂಡಿರಬಹುದು.

ಭಾರತಿಪುರದಲ್ಲಿ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನು ಹುಟ್ಟುಹಾಕುವ ಈ ಘರ್ಷಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದ ಪುರೋಹಿತರು ಮತ್ತು ವ್ಯಾಪಾರಿಯಾದ ಪ್ರಭುಗಳು ಒಂದು ಪಂಗಡವಾಗಿ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿಗೆ ತೊಡಕುಂಟುಮಾಡುವುದು ಪುರೋಹಿತಶಾಹಿ ಮತ್ತು ವ್ಯಾಪಾರಿ ಮನೋಭಾವದ ಶಕ್ತಿಗಳು ಹೇಗೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಹಿತಾಸಕ್ತಿ ಕಾಪಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಅಸ್ಪೃಶ್ಯತೆ ಮತ್ತು ಜಾತೀಯತೆಯನ್ನು ಹುಟ್ಟು ಹಾಕಿ ಬೆಳೆಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿವೆ ಎನ್ನುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿಯಾಗಿದೆ. ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ರೀತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇದು ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣ ಸಮಾಜ ತನ್ನೊಳಗಿನ ಕುಟಿಲತೆಯನ್ನು ಮತ್ತು ಅಮಾನವೀಯ ತತ್ವಗಳನ್ನು ಜಾಡಿಸಿ ಹೊರಹಾಕುವ ಆಂತರಿಕ ಘರ್ಷಣೆಯೂ ಆಗಿದೆ.

ಕಥೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲವು ಸೂಕ್ಷ್ಮವಾದ ನಡುವಳಿಕೆಗಳನ್ನು ನಾವು ಪಾತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ಶ್ರೀಪತಿ ರಾಯರು ಒಬ್ಬ ಗಾಂಧೀವಾದಿಯಾಗಿ ಒಬ್ಬ ರಿಯಲಿಸ್ಟ್ ಆಗಿಯೂ ಬದುಕುವುದು ಒಂದು ಉದಾಹರಣೆ. ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನ ಧ್ಯೇಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರಿಗೆ ನಂಬಿಕೆ ಇದ್ದರೂ ಆ ದ್ಯೇಯಗಳು ವಾಸ್ತವಕ್ಕೆ ದೂರವಾಗಿವೆ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಮನಗಂಡೇ ಆವನಿಗೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಬೆಂಬಲ ನೀಡುತ್ತಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಜಾತಿ ಪದ್ಧತಿ ಎಷ್ಟರ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಸಮಾಜದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೇರೂರಿದೆ ಎನ್ನುವುದನ್ನು ಶ್ರೀಪತಿರಾಯರಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ಜಾತಿಪದ್ದತಿಯ ವಿರುದ್ದ ಹೋರಾಡಲು ಪಣ ತೊಟ್ಟಿರುವ ಶ್ರೀಪತಿ ರಾಯರೇ ಲಿಂಗಾಯಿತರು ಮತ್ತು ಗೌಡರು ಜಾತಿಯತೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುವಾಗ ತಾವೆ ಜಾತೀಯ ಪದ್ದತಿಯನ್ನು ಪಾಲಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಎನ್ನುವ ವಿಪರ್ಯಾಸ ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ವಿಪರ್ಯಾಸವೆಂದರೆ ಆ ಪ್ರಾಂತ್ಯದ ಜಿಲ್ಲಾಧಿಕಾರಿ ಸ್ವತಃ ದಲಿತನಾಗಿದ್ದರೂ ಆತನು ತನ್ನ ಜನರ ಹಿತಕಾಪಾಡದೆ ಮೇಲ್ಜಾತಿಯವರ ಜೊತೆಗೂಡಿ ತನ್ನ ಹಿತಾಸಕ್ತಿ ಕಾಪಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದರಲ್ಲಿ ನಿರತನಾಗಿರುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಮೇಲ್ಜಾತಿಯವರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಘರ್ಷಣೆಯ ನಿಲುವು ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದೇ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಇನ್ನೂ ಒಂದು ಹೆಜ್ಜೆ ಮುಂದೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಈತ ತನ್ನ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವವನ್ನೆ ತೊರೆದು ತನ್ನ ಜನರನ್ನೆ ದೂಷಿಸುತ್ತ ಆತ್ಮನಿಂದನೆ ಮತ್ತು ಆತ್ಮದ್ವೇಶ ತೋರಿಸುವುದು ಸಮಾಜದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಸವಾಲುಗಳಿಗೆ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿಯಾಗಿವೆ.

ಕಥೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನನಗೆ ಬಹಳ ಆಸಕ್ತಿ ಮೂಡಿಸಿದ ಪಾತ್ರ ಪುರಾಣಿಕರದ್ದು. ಈತನಿಗೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಭದ್ರಕೋಟೆಯಂತಹ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸದಾ ತಮ್ಮನ್ನೆ ಕೂಡಿಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡು, ರೇಡಿಯೋ ಮೂಲಕ ಹೊರದೇಶದ ವಿದ್ಯಮಾನಗಳನ್ನು ತಿಳಿದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಖಯಾಲಿ. ಬರಿ ಸಮಾಜದ ಹುಳುಕುಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾತಾಡುತ್ತ ಉಡಾಫೆ ಹೊಡೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಬಾಳುವ ಈತ ವಿಪರೀತದ ವಾದಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಲೇ ಕ್ರಿಯಾಶೀಲನಾಗದೆ ತಟಸ್ಥವಾಗಿದ್ದುಬಿಡುವುದು ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡುಬರುವ ಎಲೈಟಿಸ್ಟ್ ವರ್ಗದ ಪ್ರತಿಬಿಂಬವಾಗಿದೆ. ವಿಸ್ಮಯಕಾರಿ ಸಂಗತಿ ಏನೆಂದರೆ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥ ತನ್ನ ಸಮಾಜ ಪರಿವರ್ತನೆಯ ಕಾರ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಡವಿದಾಗ ಅವನು ಆಶಿಸುವುದು ಪುರಾಣಿಕರ ಸಹವಾಸ. ಜಗನ್ನಾಥ ಆದರ್ಶದ ಬೆನ್ನು ಹತ್ತಿ ಕೆಳಗೆ ಬಿದ್ದಾಗ ಕಾಲು ಚಾಚಿ ಮಧ್ಯ ಸೇವಿಸುತ್ತ ಅದನ್ನು ಮರೆಯಬೇಕು ಎನಿಸುವುದು ಆತನ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವವನ್ನು ಇನ್ನಷ್ಟು ಆಸಕ್ತಪೂರ್ಣವಾಗುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡಿದೆ ಎನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನ ಈ ಗುಣ ಆತನ ನಿಜವಾದ ವ್ಯ್ಕಕ್ತಿತ್ವ ಎನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.

ಸಂಪ್ರದಾಯವಾದಿಯಾದರೂ ತನ್ನ ಮಾನವೀಯತೆಯನ್ನು ಕಾಪಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಬಂದ ಚಿಕ್ಕಿಯ ಅಳಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾರತೀಪುರದ ಸಮಾಜದ ಅಳಲನ್ನು ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ಮಾನವರಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂತರ್ಗತವಾಗಿ ಬಂದಿರುವ ಮಾನವೀಯತೆಯನ್ನು ಹೊರತರಲು ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನಂಥವರು ಬರಬೇಕು. ಆದರೆ ಆ ಕಾರ್ಯ ಪಟ್ಟಭದ್ರಹಿತಾಸಕ್ತಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಹಾನಿಯುಂಟು ಮಾಡುವುದರಿಂದ ಅವರು ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಎಲ್ಲ ರೀತಿಯ ಅಡೆ ತಡೆಗಳನ್ನು ಒಡ್ಡುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಭಾರತದಂತ ಬೃಹತ್ ದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಶತಶತಮಾನಗಳಿಂದ ಬೇರುಬಿಟ್ಟಿರುವ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಶೋಷಣೆಯನ್ನು ಇಂಥ ಶಕ್ತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಚಾತುರ್ಯದಿಂದ ಬಳಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದರ ಮೂಲಕ ವಾಸ್ತವಿಕತೆಯ ಚೌಕಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಹಂತ ಹಂತವಾಗಿ ತೊಡೆದುಹಾಕಬೇಕಾಗಿದೆ. ಈ ರೀತಿಯ ಸಮಾಜ ಪರಿವರ್ತನೆಯ ಕೆಲಸ ಪುನರಾವರ್ತನೆಗೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದರೆ ಒಂದಲ್ಲ ಒಂದು ದಿನ ಭಾರತಿಪುರದ ಸಮಾಜದಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಧಾರಣೆಯನ್ನು ಕಾಣಬಹುದೇನೊ!

anantha mukhada murthy (Dr. U.R. Ananthamurthy - The multifaceted Icon)

2010-03-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

The book ‘anantha mukhada murthy’ is yet another fruit of Dr. Nag Aithal’s passion towards Kannada literature. The book was released in Bangalore on Dec 21 2009, which is also URA’s 77^th birthday. Later on Feb 3^rd 2010, it was re-released at mELige, Dr. Ananthamurthy's birthplace. At this function, the `pustaka parichaya' or the formal introduction of the book was made. Here is a write up of my experience, being part of this project. You will find my Kannada review of URA’s Bharathipura at the end.

Last year one of my elderly well-wishers Dr. Naga Aithal contacted me and told me that he was planning to bring out a book to commemorate the 77th birthday of the famous Kannada Literary giant Dr. U. R. Ananthamurthy (URA). He asked me if I wanted to write a review of one of URA’s novels. Since I had not reviewed URA's books before, I was a bit hesitant. However, I did not want to loose this great opportunity to discover if I had any ability in critically evaluating the work of a writer whose name is frequently mentioned as the next Nobel winner from India. Along with this, the power of Mr. Aithal's suggestion is such that I could not gather myself to say no to him.

At this point, I should tell you some things about Mr. Aithal who now lives in Southern California, in retirement, after serving as a scientist in the field of Bio-Chemistry in various universities across US. He is in his late 60s and by his own assessment, has lost complete vision in one of his eyes. In addition, the other eye only has about 25 to 30% of vision remaining. I have seen him use a huge magnifying glass to read printed text with his one eye. Now a normal human being would have been fully justified in not exerting himself with any activity that strains the eye. However, Mr. Aithal is fully active in his literary pursuits. He has founded a publishing establishment called `Sahityanjali.' Through Sahityanjali and in cooperation with Abhinava Publishers of Bangalore he has so far published seven books and intends publishing four more this year.

This noble task involves constant reading of the current and past works in literature, writing about literature, scouting for prospective writers to contribute articles to the books, evaluating their articles, helping them in improving the quality of their articles. Apart from one needs to take care of the logistics of getting the books printed, having it released in a book release function and making sure the book reaches the authors who contributed articles to the work. Mr. Aithal and his team have had tremendous success in achieving their objectives. Their passion and love for literature is worth emulating.

Therefore, you will now understand what I mean when I tell you that the power of Mr. Aithal’s suggestion is such that I could not gather myself to say no to someone who is working against such odds. Well I am happy I said yes. Even though I have no illusions about the quality of my review, I am happy I did it.

Mr. Aithal himself reflects on his passion thus. “The job I am doing now gives enormous satisfaction to me. Besides it keeps my retired life engaged without which I would probably go 'bananas.' So there is a selfish motive in selecting my work.”

Strangely enough, MS Word flags the word Abinava's as a typo and guess what is the suggested alternative – ‘bananas’. Try it for yourself. But let me not digress.

Coming back to the subject at hand, the book was released in Bangalore on Dec 21st 2009 which is also URA’s 77^th birthday. Later on Feb 3^rd 2010 it was re-released at mELige, URA's birthplace. At this function the `pustaka parichaya' or the formal introduction of the book was made.

I was pleasantly surprised when Mr. N. Ravikumar of Abhinava Publishers in Bangalore kindly had two copies delivered to my home in California.

Please click here to read my article from the book ‘ananta mukhada murthy". It is a review of URA's novel Bharatipura. Thanks to Mr. Aithal for giving me permission to put it in my blog. For my non-Kannadiga friends, I am sorry I do not have the review in Kannada. But please check on the web if the novel is available in English. It is great story of an idealist youth Jagannatha who returns to India from England to rebel against the social injustice such a approachability and casteism.

My Kannada article on Sneha Saptami

2010-02-28T10:42:00.000-08:00

Please click here to read the article on thatskannada.com http://thatskannada.oneindia.in/nri/article/2010/0225-sneha-saptami-kknc-north-california.html

A friendly atmosphere at Sneha Sapthami

2010-02-21T08:57:00.000-08:00

KKNC 2010 - Sneha Sapthami program on Feb 20.

The bay area is home to 5000 Kannadigas (5K-K) according to one estimate. Kannada Koota of Northern California (KKNC) formed in 1972 has been doing a wonderful job in providing a forum for the community to stay in touch with their culture, language and traditions. Continuing that agenda the 2010 committee made a very good start with the program Sneha Saptami. (Photo: Gowthami Nagaraja).

Having Sneha (friendship) as the objective of this event was a very good idea. In all aspects of the program there was a well planned effort to maintain a friendly and family spirit and it was highly successful. It started right at the doors where smiling committee members. welcomed the arriving attendees. Inside the auditorium one could see people smiling and talking to friends while enjoying the entertainment on the stage. It was like a family event . The hospitality committee did a good job mixing and talking cordially to the with the attendees. The only thing missing was the traditional mantra heard during marriage celebrations "tumba taDa AghOytu. nidhannake OOTA maadi".

This committee with Raghu Halur as President appears highly enthusiastic and motivated. They had a well planned agenda and had come up with creative ideas to engage the audience. The team exhibited cordiality and enthusiasm which rubbed off on the attendees too. (Below: Crowd of more than 1000. Photo: Yogi Subbaiah)It is a good forum for talented members to display their talents under the gaze of a supportive audience. More importantly for women, it is a great occasion to display their grand sarees and latest acquisition in jewelery department. It appeared that some of them could not decide which jewelry to wear and so played it safe by wearing their entire inventory from their safe deposit boxes. This burden explains why they could not reign in their kids . It was left to the men folk to take care of the kids while at the same discussing economy and world peace. Reminds me of a hanigavana by famous Kannada poet Dundiraj.

shopping mugisi manege baruvaaga
hendathiya mukhadalli santrupti, nagu,
ade gandana kaiyalli -
byaagu magu

(Elegent Front Decoration: Photo by Yogi Subbaiah)
The program line up was short by previous standards but I did not feel that I missed any thing compared to previous programs. KKNC programs have developed a bad habit of going on for long hours causing the audience to leave half way through the programs. Those who stay back feel exhausted by the time they reach their homes close to midnight. This committee had promised to start and end the program on time and lived up to it.

The program was started off with wonderful music by Padmaja Kishore's students. Anitha and her troupe performed a spirited dance to the tune of 'cheluvayya cheluvo'. 'Kaalinga mardana' dance by students of Reema Kashyap was nicely done. (Right: Photo by Yogi Subbaiah) Kiran Mohan and team put up a hilarious program called Mad Ads which reminded me of my college days. This program was noteworthy because it displayed a freshness which is very welcome. Their string of short sketches were well created and well acted. This program was funny and spoofed many current events. I am sure we can expect many more innovative and novel performances from this team. Padma Rao and team's 'Mysooru mallige' was a tribute to the late Dr. C Aswath. They sang K.S Narasimhaswamy's poems really well and had small enactments in between. The stage setting was nicely done too. (Photo below:Scene from Mysooru Mallige: by Yogi Subbiah) . The last program was 'Saamarasyke ondu Salahe' by the drama veteran Alamelu Iyengar. It was hilarious with barbs on the behaviour of men, women and the confused NRI parents. Apart from being funny Alamelu delivered a very thoughtful analysis of the relationship between children and their NRI parents. This program was very well received by the audience which rolled in laughter at the way the drama laid bare their own foibles. It is a good sign that people are wiling to laugh at themselves. The anchors Satheesh Heddese and Kavya Kurbur did a good job in providing transitions between programs. There was an elegant artistic display in the front.

In the spirit of the Silicon Valley Inc.'s corporate mantra, there is always scope for improvement. Here are some. Speeches should be kept short. It would have been more effective if the talking between programs was a little bit shorter . The food was not up to the mark. The Biryani was dry and the sabji spicy. The fact that my 3 year old daughter emptied her water bottle into my food tray did not solve either of these problems. I understand it is a bit hard to come up with a universally appealing menu. It is not for nothing that they say "oota tanna icche, nota parara icche'. (taste is personal)

I liked the theme of Sneha (friendship). The audience picked up on this queue and indulged in a whole lot of friending. (The new addition to the English lexicon, thanks to Facebook). I myself had very pleasant conversations with my college mates, old and new friends. It was a great sight to see the members sitting on the floor eating food and chatting and laughing.

The audience appreciated the motto of this team - 'every one should go ba ck from the function feeling they had a friendly experience'. The team led by Raghu achieved this objective. They deserve a pat on the back. I am sure KKNC will continue to flourish under this team.

Review: MaLeyali Jotheyali

2010-02-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

Title: MaLeyali Jotheyali (Kannada 2009)
Starring: Ganesh, Anjana Sukhani, Yuvika Chaudary, Rangayana Raghu, Dattanna, Sihikahi Chandru, Sihikahi Geetha, Sharan
Directed by: Preetham Gubbi
Music: Hari Krishna
Photography: Krishna

Verdict: Enjoyable and worth watching.

Now-a-days there are lots of Kannada movies being screened here in California bay area. As frequently as once a month we get the opportunity to watch a movie which has been certified as a 'recent hit' by Kannada audience in India. Some times the movies are so mediocre that they leave the bay area audience wondering how such a movie could be a hit. Many times these movies 'running to packed houses in Karnataka' not only lack in quality but they also peddle shocking levels of crass and tasteless entertainment. So it is hard to have an expectation of a movie watching experience. My simplified yardstick is 'if it is a Kannada movie, just go and watch it'. And it is always fun to watch a movie with a crowd.

Theatre Atmosphere
So on Saturday Feb 6th, I was at Serra theatres in Milpitas for the 6 PM show. I stood in a long line to but tickets and I went into the theatre. I was in disbelief as I saw a noisy and excited crowd of about 150 eagerly waiting for the movie to start. That was in itself a thrilling sight. And when the Golden hero Ganesh made his entrance, there was whistling and screaming. I was pleasantly surprised at Ganesh's stardom in this part of the world.

Plot (does not reveal the whole story)
The movie's protagonist is Preetam (Ganesh) who has passed his PUC (12th) exams in his 7th attempt. He is a road-romeo who proposes to any young girl he finds attractive. His box of tricks to charm the girls include flattering the girls with extremely over-the-top poetic phrases. He gets into form especially when it starts raining. His rich but good natured simpleton dad (Rangayana Raghu) wants to get him married in the traditional arranged way. So Ganesh's friend Venkatesh (Sharan) hatches a plan where they convince the dad that Ganesh should go and meet Venkatesh's military uncle Tamayya (Dattanna) and marry the uncle's (fictitious) daughter. Tammayya lives in the hilly Sakaleshpura. Ganesh arrives there to meet 2 love interests - Sandhya and Anjali. Sandhya (Anjana Sukhani)is the modern aggressive female whereas Anjali (Yuvika Chaudary) is the traditional demure heroine. The story revolves around this love triangle in a filmy but good natured way.

Analysis
The director Preetam Gubbi has treated the story line in a mature way and has attempted to keep it lively and handles the emotional scenes with good restraint. He has avoided overt sentimentality and avoids syrupy dialogues and situations. But the movie does occasionally slide into formulaic dialogues and situations not wanting to let go of the tried and trusted tricks to win the audience. For instance the irritating and over-talkative hero who tries to woo the girls with his goofiness.(I find it hard to believe that women keep finding this attractive). Then there is over-cute child who talks beyond her age. But in spite of making these objections I find the director ends up on the positive side.

Performance
The movie has a lot of attractions. The lush mountains, homes and life of the Malnad area in and around Sakaleshpur have been captured beautifully. Background music by Hari Krishna is very good and there are some melodious songs by Sonu Nigam, Tipu, Shreya Goshal and Ganesh himself. It was funny that Hari Krishna has used an All India Radio tune during sombre emotions.

Ganesh reiterates that he has very good talent for histrionics and that his star value is dependable. Rangayana Raghu devours the role of the goofy dad. Yuvika (Anjali) has a freshness about her looks, smile and acting that she has a good future. Anjana who plays Sandhya looked like an unlikely choice for a heroine but she uses the opportunity to show her acting ability. The two heroines and Ganesh bring a lot of charm to the movie. But I am still peeved that the have bring heroines from outside.

This movie is definitely worth watching and provides good entertainment in spite of hanging on to some boring cliches.

Score: 7 out of 10

We don't quit. I don't quit

2010-01-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

After his first year as President, Obama gave his first ' State of the Union' address today broadcast on TV from 6.00 PM to 7.30 PM PST. The recent loss of the Senate seat held by Ted Kennedy has given the Republicans a sudden jolt of hope and they seem to think that they now have the Democrats on the defensive. The Democrats also suffered setbacks in the Governor's race for two states. All this had given an opportunity to Obama opponents to start pulling him down. The Press joined in contributing its part by crying hoarse that one Senate seat-loss implies that the entire country has lost confidence in Obama. It is pathetic on the part of the TV and News media to use this one isolated loss as an attractive story to increase their ratings. Every news outlet now wants to be seen or heard talking about what the Massachusetts loss means to Obama or the Democrats or the whole country. The confidence with which the so called experts speak on TV programs gives you the impression that they know what they are talking. I am now totally suspicious of such people. They only know as much as any common man. The only advantage they have is that they have access to the media outlet and they are brash enough to give baseless opinions.

With this background Obama's confident and hard hitting address today was very welcome. He spoke with an authority and clarity that inspired confidence in me. He impressed that he still has the situation under his control. He has such an excellent mastery over the language and idea formation and a brilliant way of sharing his thoughts that he can win over many independent minded people to his side. He gave very convincing arguments for the bank bailout, for the investment in energy research and his push for Universal health care.

In a very combative mood he derided the people whose intention is only to block him from doing his work just to score political points over him. He said "In this new decade, it's time the American people get a government that matches their decency; that embodies their strength. And tonight, I'd like to talk about how, together, we can deliver on that promise.....". That was a very pointed reference to those people who are in the way between him and his objectives.

If anybody had thought that he will back off from his goals because of the loss in Massachusetts or the problems faced by the health care bill, he proved them completely wrong. He implored the republicans to do the right thing and not oppose him for short term gains. He said if our fathers had thought of only short term gains, America would not be what it is today.

Far from sounding disheartened he said he was never as hopeful as he is today about the bright future of US. So that is the man who reminded the voters the Obama during the Presidential campaign. I think it restored the hope and confidence Americans had in him which might have been dented thanks to the Media and his opponents going over board in reading too much into the recent short term losses.

His most reassuring statement was when he sternly said "We don't quit. I don't quit"

Movie Review: Sin Nombre (2009 - Spanish)

2010-01-26T00:14:00.000-08:00

Title : Sin Nombre (No name)

Spanish with English Subtitles

Starring: Many unknown actors

Writer and Director: Cary Fukunaga

Score: 8.5/10

This is the story about the aspirations of an impoverished family from Guatemala for a better life. The father and his son and daughter Seyra take up the arduous journey to come to the US border through Mexico. I am a sucker for any movie which involves the characters being on road and giving us a visual glimpse of different towns, people and terrains. This movie had all of it. The journey starts with the family getting on top of a train's roof with the intent of making it to US.

At the same time across the border on Mexico we watch the life of Willy also known as Casper, a teenager who is part of a violent gang which is involved in turf wars with a rival gang. Killing the rival gang members is their main activity. It is led by a brutal leader who shows his mettle when he kills a rival gang member and cuts him up and feed him to dogs. Willey introduces a young boy of 13 or 14 years into the gang. We watch the initiation of the boy when he is mercilessly battered by a bunch of gang members while the leader counts from 1 to 13. Since the boy survives this assault, he is now inducted into the gang. For reasons I will not divulge Willey becomes disheartened with his gang. This movie becomes interesting when these 2 stories intersect each other in the form Willey and Seyra's relationship.

The movie successfully captures the abject poverty and the resulting distress and destitution in the third world countries. This drives the young members into gangs and the related dangerous life styles. The scenes of a large group of men, women and children lying on the railway tracks waiting for the train to come is a very powerful image and gives a very good background on why the characters are trying to cross into US. The train journey and the natural landscape provide a fantastic reflection of the situations and emotions in which the main characters find themselves in. The start of a new morning also brings a glimmer of hope on the faces of the travelers. The beautiful landscape of Mexico is a great backdrop and it is a pleasure to see it amidst the couple of towns through which the train passes with these prospective illegal immigrants. One very memorable scene involves a group of boys and girls throwing fruits into the hands of these travelers much to the gratitude of the recipients . In the process of this story we are given a fantastic study of many different types of human emotions and characters. Large part of the credit should go to the script writer Cary Fukunaga for weaving a complex set of realities into a visually stunning and gripping story. The director (Cary Fukunaga again) also has exercised complete control and maturity in how he handles the story without giving in for gimmickry and populist techniques.

The photography captures the rough and beautiful terrain of Guatemala and Mexico in a spectacular style. The picturization of the train journey and choice of locales such as the desolate railway station is very effective. The music is different and is haunting. The actors have given some excellent performances. It is a very humane story exposing the way people make choices in their lives.

I am really amazed at the number of good movies that are coming out of Mexico. This one is definitely one of the most exciting movies I have watched.

This gets 8.5/10

Kannada Films - 75 years. Radio program

2010-01-20T22:49:00.000-08:00

You can listen to "75 years of Kannada films - a flash back" interview with Dr. Puttaswamy here.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Review: Gokula Nirgamana (2010)

2010-01-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

Title: Gokula Nirgamana dance drama
Written by: Padmasri Pu. Ti.. Narasimhachar
Director and Choreographer: Gargi Panchangam
Produced by: Alamelu Iyengar
Music: Subhapriya Srivatsan and Hemmige Srivatsan
Location: Smithwick Theatre at Foot Hills College, Los Altos, California.

Score: 9.5 out 10

The great Kannada poet Pu. Ti. Narasimhachar has penned some of the best lyrical works in Kannada literature. Gokula Nirgama is perhaps the most beloved and popular among his works. I think this is not only because of the timeless and universal appeal of Krishna and Radha's romance but also because it has been captured in very beautiful lyrics with an inbuilt musicality which shows that Pu.ti.na was not only a great poet but he also had a deep understanding of music. The ending of the this story is also of great importance .

The current production which I watched was produced by the poet's daughter Alamelu Iyengar who is well known for her wide ranging involvement in cultural activities including drama. It was organized as part of a concert series by the group 'South India Fine Arts' in California.

The story is a depiction of Radha's love and devotion for Krishna. The entire presentation was in the form of a dance drama based on the Bharatanatyam dance tradition. The verses of the poet's work were performed by a live music group and the emotions in the verses were depicted by excellent dance performances set to the beat and tune of the music.

The dance choreographed by Gargi Panchangam had a class of beauty and artistry. Some of the songs are already popular among the music lovers. To watch Radha and Krishna dance to this music with the Gopikas was a feast to the eyes. Gargi as Radha was simply exquisite in her dance and in her emotions. As Alamelu rightly put it she personified the Radha of Pu.ti.na's imagination. Pushpa Ramanujam as Krishna embodied his charm and also helped to enhance the beauty of Nandagokula and his romantic relationship with Radha.

The Gopikas were a beautiful compliment to Radha and Krishna. Their dances were excellent and most notable was the Raasa Leele piece. The arathi offered to Krishna and the way the entire troupe froze in their devotion to Krishna made a deep impression.

The music provided the strong base for the dancers to perform. The composition and rendering by the troupe headed by Hemmige Srivatsan and Subhapriya Srivatsan was a display of fine artistic performance.

Stage settings and sound provided good support. The tree on the stage looked more symbolic than being a natural part of the scenery. Lighting added a lot to make the performance look as good as it did. The costumes were grand.

In an otherwise perfect execution there is some scope for improvement. The first 20 minutes or so felt a bit disjointed. Individually the dances were very good but there was no seamless transition between 2 pieces. To put it in a different way, it was after the arrival of Krishna that the audience got glued to the performance. Radhe's anticipation of Krishna was electrifying. The dances of the gollas could have been performed better as a group. The gollas could also add finer touch to their dance instead of the pop-folk style of dance. The contrast between the bharatanatyam dancers and the gollas stood out. It will be nice if the gollas' dances blend with the main style. The sticks in their hands were a distraction or they moved randomly affecting the dance. Perhaps the speeches at the end should have been without frequent interruptions. Now this one is more about the venue - it is really unfair to expect the elderly patrons and children to climb the hill. It is quite strenuous. The organizers did offer to mitigate this trouble by offering rides to people who required it. But not many people knew of it. All these external issues do have an effect on the audience's experience of the performance.

On the whole the production is commendable for its conceptualization and performance.

Kannada Films - 75 years. Radio program

2010-01-17T21:48:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,
I am doing a radio program in California. It will be on Stanford's KZSU 90.1 FM called "75 years of Kannada films - A flash back". You can listen to it through internet from any where in the world. Lively chat with our guest Dr. Puttaswamy who has authored a book on this topic. Call in and share your favorite movies, actors , songs and memories from Kannada films.

Also please listen to archives of t the kannada/Tamil/Hindi. radio programs we have been doing for the last 3 years.

Details:'75 years of Kannada Cinema - A Flash back'. Interview with Dr. Puttaswamy - author of "Kannada cinema - 75 - a flash back'
Date: Wed Jan 20th.Radio: KZSU 90.1 FM in California Bay area.Listen on the internet http://www.itsdiff.com/Kannada.html (Click on Listen Live)Time: 7.30 AM to 8.30 AM PST (Morning) California Time.

Happiness is a mode in the mind

2010-01-11T22:32:00.000-08:00

My friend Vishvanand raised the issue of happiness and its elusive nature. To state a cliche 'Happiness is a state of mind not a goal to reach". It means that no matter where you are in life, happiness is a state which the mind takes on. In other words you can be 'decide' to be happy at anything. Off course I am not saying that you should try to be happy where genuine unhappiness is natural. I am talking day to day situations. Let us say you have decided to be at work before the boss comes to work. Your expectation is that the boss will think that you must have been at work since a long while whereas you have deftly times to be there just 5 minutes before the boss. Now this is a great idea. While boss may not even bother to think when you came, the problem is this. No matter how you try you are always late and the boss has visited your cube a couple of times by the time you show up. (so your colleague tells you)

So now that is a situation when you have to decide, in what state you want your mind to be in. You may feel extremely disappointed and unhappy that even though you know this secret recipe for success you have not been able to capitalize on it. This is the 4th year since you made this new year resolution that you will be at work early, It is a valid situation that makes you unhappy. Or you can be happy in spite of it. In that case you need to consciously 'disassociate' your happiness from this situation. Even before that you should not make this a cause for unhappiness. A good situation would be that you derive happiness from some thing else. May be playing with your kids. Could be watching your favorite program too.

One of the best quotes I have heard is " It does not matter where you live. All of us live in one place and that is our head". So if you keep your head a happy place then any place or any situation should not affect that happiness in your mind. Off course it is easier said than done.
But at least it prevents us from having wrong expectations. Expecting happiness to come 'if only you get your green card' or 'if only I got that promotion' is not the right thing. One needs to be happy in the mind irrespective of the external situation.

Other way of saying is that in order to be happy you should appreciate what you have. So whatever you have or don't have your mind should adopt a state of happiness.

You may think this is cheating oneself. But there is a well established fact that says "You are what you think". So it may be OK to cheat yourself into believing you are happy. There is no one thing which is capable of making everyone happy. So if in your mind, having nothing to so on a weekend makes you happy, I think you should believe it and just enjoy that happiness. By doing this you are training your mind to be happy independent of external situations. (i.e what happens outside does not take away your happiness).

Audio Recording of the Interview with Ratnamala Prakash on itsdiff.com

2009-12-16T23:34:00.000-08:00

The links to the interview are now working.
Please listen to audio archive of my live interview with Rathnamala Prakash on Wed Dec 16. 7.00 AM to 7.40 AM PST(Caifornia). Rathnamala Prakash is a famous singer in Sugama Sangeeta. (Light music based on Poetry). KZSU 90.1 FM (Bay area). You can listen to future programs on the internet from anywhere in the world. For older Kannada programs and other language programs visit. http://www.itsdiff.com/Kannada.html

You can listen to the interview here.
Rathnamala Prakash Interview Please click here.

Review: Kabaddi (Kannada Movie)

2009-12-05T00:09:00.000-08:00

Dec 5 2009
Title: Kabaddi (2009)
Starring: All new people.
Director: Narendra Babu.

Score: 8 out of 10.

In my reviews I will only reveal what the movie is about. I do not want to spoil the movie for you.

My friends Ashita and Govardhan have combined their passion for Kannada movies and their entrepreneurial skills and have started screening Kannada movies frequently in the US. It is a good thing since nobody else is doing it and we get to see Kannada movies in spite of being far away from our native places. Tonight (Friday Dec 4th) was the first show of the new movie Kabaddi. Even though the movie runs through the weekend, Friday night is the best time to watch it. For one, Friday night is still nascent with the excitement of the coming weekend. Once we wake up tomorrow i.e Saturday morning it will be all down hill from then. It also brings back memories of watching 'Second Show' in Bangalore. So at 6.30 I called Ganesh, my friend since College and we both were there at 7.45. The movie was being screened in Sierra Theaters in Milpitas.

This a very new movie and is doing well in Karnataka now. It is a sports movie. It is about the Indian sport Kabaddi. The story is set in a small city - Mandya. A very dedicated and highly respected teacher called Guruji in the movie is building a Kabaddi team with the local college students - all aged less than 20. He and the team's sponsor Venkatesh - the local bigwig have the ambition of making it a high caliber team which would shine at the national level. Enter the Hero - Praveena a poor teenager. The affectionate Guruji sees in him a prospective Kabaddi star. But as it always happens in Indian movies Venkatesh conveniently has a sister who after the initial display of arrogance etc, promptly falls in love with him. So we have a poor boy and a rich girl, the girl's brother who does not like it and tries everything to stop it. Venkatesh is provided 2 thug like brothers. So taking care of Praveena is handled by the family. We are now in familiar territory. This boy-girl part adds the masala to this otherwise healthy movie. Since it is a sports movie, expect a lot of Kabaddi matches which are exciting to watch.

The movie is really well made. The director Narendra Babu has shown a lot of maturity, sense and restraint in developing this movie. The movie has a freshness about it which is really welcome in Kannada film world. For one, it is not a remake. Secondly and most importantly, all the actors are new comers. At least I did not know any of them except Avinash. They are all young, new and offer the viewers a chance to expect something unseen. They deliver it in good measure. All the actors have shown tremendous love and enthusiasm in the way they have portrayed their roles. Hamsalekha gives some good songs. I think he also plays one of the roles. The movie captures a lot of lively sequences involving the people, their life and their language and greenery in and around Mandya.

The unique thing about the movie is that it has an Arjuna Award winning Kabaddi player.

Overall it is a very good movie. It is very entertaining and very professionally made. Narendra Babu should be congratulated for a successful display of the art of movie making.

I do want to make a special mention. The guy who plays Guruji - he steals the show. He conveys a lot of emotions through his eyes and restrained acting. His acting is so dignified and subtle I feel it is one of the best performances I have seen recently.

I give it 8 out of 10.

Play Review: A Chrstmas Story

2009-12-01T20:24:00.000-08:00

Dec 1 2009

Last Saturday on a whim, we decided to go to 'A Christmas Story' at the San Jose Repertory. We got a box seat where only the 4 of us could sit. At $119 for the family pack it was not bad.

The drama is about a boy's desire to get a Double Barrel Gun as a Christmas present. The story presentation is interesting with the elder version of the boy recollecting his childhood memories. We see the boy in the drama and the older version standing at the end of the stage. Similar to the trick we did in Namma Oorina Rasikaru. But we had Gorur in his older age only recollecting his village without him being a part in the recollection.

The stage setting and changes were made very efficiently. They had a turn table on which they had set up the inside of the house. When the table turned we could see the street view of the house. The main players were a working class father, homely mother, a 12 year old boy and his 7 year old brother. The drama was so well done that we were taken back to the 40s. The life of such a family, their simple and relaxed pace of life shows is what we missed.

The drama's main strength is the acting, sets and lighting. There is absolutely no music. So it was different from the Nut Cracker which was a ballet. But still this was worth it.

The bonus was that we got to see the Christmas in the Park in down town San Jose. The crowd was lean, the weather was warm and we were all not tired. I am glad we watched this show this Christmas season.

I give it a 8 out of 10.

Review: Death Proof (2007)

2009-09-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

Title: Death Proof (2007)
Starring: Kurt Russel, Rose Mcgowan, Quentin Tarantino, Rosario Dawson, Zoe Bell,Sydney Tamia Poitier
Written and Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Director of Photography: Quentin Tarantino

Score: 6 out of 10

I was listening to NPR recently and I listened to Terry Gross's interview with Quentin Tarantino on Fresh Air. I was quite taken in by Tarantino's ideas, they way he conversed with Terry and his apparent passion for movies. He started out as an aspiring actor but at one point realized that he actually liked directing more and so started making the movies which have started a new genre. Terry Gross seemed very impressed with Tarantino's latest release 'The Inglorious Basterds" and listening to her description made me want to watch it. One of the impressive things I heard was that many lines from the movie 'The Reservoir Dogs' have become classics. I heard the one about naming different hit men in the movie with different colors. So before watching the latest movie I wanted to watch Tarantino's other movies and so I got Death Proof.

The movie starts off with three young women going off in a car to a lake side house. One of them is a radio show host who has made an announcement just that morning that her friend will give a lap dance to the guys who comes up to her and says the required lines. They go to a bar where Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russel) comes up to her and wins the lap dance. What starts off like a jolly conversation between girls ends up in a terror situation. Tarantino dishes out this Terror in his famous style including obscenities, blood and gore. What is quite enjoyable to watch is the breezy way Tarantino has captured the carefree life of the young women. We see a second part of the story where there are four other young women who encounter Stuntman Mike. I liked this second part more because the conversation between the women sounded more natural and fun. The stunt scenes on the rustic country side are very thrilling and quite believable.

Kurt Russel is quite menacing. The girls have a cheerful presence. Rosario Dawson's acting is a treat to watch. Tarantino himself has a cameo.

But what caught my attention most for the music. There are some spectacular and very unique tracks which remain in your mind for long. The theme song which is 'Chick Habit' by April May is really cool. The song 'Down In Mexico' by The Coasters is also very nostalgic and takes you to a music world which is starkly different from the music we hear everyday.

The movie was interesting to watch. I would not say there was anything that drew me in. It was like watching a video game. Dialogues and chase scenes and music stood out. But I did not get the same kick as I did when I watched Kill Bill Vol1 or Reservoir Dogs.

Score: 6 out of 10

Review: Last Chance Harvey

2009-09-15T01:22:00.001-07:00

Title: Last Chance Harvey
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thomson, Josh Brolin
Written and Directed by: Joel Hopkins

Score: 7.5 out of 10.

I will start off with what comes to my mind when I want to write about this movie. Emma Thomson has a line in which she talks about what many people face but cannot say as succintly as her. "I am more comfortable with disappointments. In fact I wish for them". This says a lot about a person's spirits and the kind of treatment the young director Joel Hopkins gives his well crafted movie.

The movie is about Harvey who has one of most feared life situations - he is not making it big in his career, his family has left him, he is composing jingles for advertisements while all along wishes he was a Jazz Pianist and the worst thing is this - he thinks or perhaps knows that he is a mediocore composer. We find Harvey travelling to London to attend his daughter's wedding. We start liking Harvey early on during his flight to London. He tries to develop a conversation with a fellow passenger only to have that person politely shun it. We see Harvey is not offended but simply gives her the space. It seems like Harvey has a natural talent to make people hate him. It is this loveable character who goes to attend his daughter's wedding and learns that he will not be giving her away but instead her step father whom Harvey obviously hates will be giving her away. He does not want to stay for dinner. He decides to go back to NewYork. But it is here I will not reveal anything more except that Emma Thomson comes into his life. The way the relationship develops between Harvey and Kate (Thomson) is treated in a very natural and believable progression. It does not have flashy or in your face touches.

Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thomson give great performances. Emma Thomson an have a spring in her feat and dance away on the floor while immediately following it with a complex and dour performance. Hoffman is offcourse the experienced actor who is so controlled in his performance it reminded me of an acting tip I read recently about hand movement. A director is know to have said "You only get one hand movement in my drama. So be sure to use it at the right place". Dustin Hoffman does not do one extra muscle moment other than rekuired. Even at times when he has to show deep emotions he does it naturally and not in a way that says he is acting.

The director has done a good job of keeping the movie disciplined with out going for cliches and melodrama.

I give this movie a 7.5 out of 10.

Review: A Wednesday (Hindi)

2009-09-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

2009 Sept 6th

Title: A Wednesday (Hindi)
Starring: Anupam Kher, Nasiruddin Shah,
Directed by: Neeraj Pande

Score: 7.5 out of 10

Here is yet another tightly spun movie with good police work, suspense and some excellent acting. Having Anupam Kher and Nasiruddin Shah in the lead leaves no doubt that the performance of these two veteran actors would be nothing but mature. The act of casting these two actors in the lead role itself shows that the director is doing something different. This is a movie which has conscisioslly shunned all the Bollywood Cliches and in the process bring along a freshness which the Hindi movie industry need in large doses. I cant help contrast this decent movie with that pathetic excuse for a crime thriller called "Gajini". While Gajini was utterly unbelievable, A Wednesday is very convincing. The realistic treatment given to it by the director ensure we take the movie, the roles and the director seriously.

The movie starts off with a phone call to the Mumbai Police headkuarters that bombs have been placed in a police station itself. The way the charceters are introduced sets up the story kuite well. The retired police chief Anupam Kher being brought a chair to sit on the beach side by a Police man shows how powerful he is. Similarly the director uses good tricks to play on the audience. What follows next is the negotiations between the Police chief and the terrorists about what is the give and take. This makes for an exciting movie.

It was nice to see that the Indian police atleast in Mumbai have at their disposal some sophisticated computers and other technology and they do use it to track down the terrorists. At the same time it is scary to see that Mumbai is such an attractive target for terrorists. The cops have to been always careful not to allow any slipups. It is reassuring to see that the Police department has excellent personnel who are ready to give their life for the sake of the country. They are decisive and responsible.

I liked this movie simply for its honesty and adherence to realistic portrayal. Anupam Kher and Nasiruddin Shah simple dominate the whole movie with their nuanced performance. Shah has some really juicy lines and he delivers them well.

The makers of this movie should be commended for their brave attempt. It is entertaining, fresh and well made.

I give it 7.5 out of 10.

Review: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

2009-07-27T22:30:00.001-07:00

Title: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009)
Starring: Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Felton
Directed by: David Yates
Written by: J. K. Rowling
Screen Play: Steve Clove
Music: Nicholos Hooper
Director of Photography: Bruno Delbonnel

Score 6 out of 10.

Summary: Director David Yates: "oops..we are 3 minutes beyond our limit of two and a half hours...stop it and roll the credits. We will continue in the next installment".

Plot (I wont spoil it): Harry Potter and his mentors takes on the challenge of battling evil for the 6th time.

I was a bit of an anti-Potter since the first installment came some 7 year ago. I felt it got famous beyond what it deserved. I had felt that J.K Rowling was running away with so much fame just for creating a character which got propelled by good marketing and a crowd that jumped on the bandwagon. Not withstanding my contempt, the movie franchise is turning out to be a money machine. Now the latest installment -the 6th one - is alleged to have made more money than the reigning champion 'Batman The Dark Knight' for an opening day.

But I had became a convert when I watched the 4th in the series (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). I must admit I was also influenced when when 'The Hindu' newspaper known for its balance and restraint wrote an editorial extolling the virtues of this franchise and praising it for giving children a magical story rich with imagination. Having watched most of the movie on DVD, me and my wife thought that this was a good movie to be watched on the big screen and we drove ourselves with the kid last Friday night for a 9.30 show at the AMC in Valco Mall, Cupertino. The bright neon sign on Wolfe road bearing the AMC name brings an atmosphere of yesteryear Hollywood... but I digress.

Although the dark atmosphere of Hogwarts, the flame lit halls of the temple of education majoring in magic and some of more-sinister-looking-than-the-bad-guy Professors can be interesting, it gets tiring after more than a few repeat productions. In fact I got so bored in this movie that when the movie ended abruptly, I found myself feeling relieved that the heavy stuff came to an end.

Having gone in thinking I will watch a magical fun film which gives shape to the imagination of children (of all ages) I kept waiting for it. Most of the story was about dark concepts in life like evil and death and people in the University of Magic seemed immensely serious about looking gloomy and sinister themselves.

In fairness the movie does have excellent visuals, settings and special effects. The locales are beautiful. But they all seem to aid this quest for exploring darkness. The usual suspects in the Potter franchise are here too - complete with their "it-may-look-clumsy but this is the costume I wear always".

The plot involves a character called The half blood Prince. The protagonist Harry Potter seems to be a passenger in a journey along with the bearded sage Prof. Dumbledore and others on the good side who are battling the dark side led by a character called Draco (played well by Tom Felton) with his own band of evil guys. Potter (Radcliffe) still remains a kid and does give a dignified performance. I was impressed by Prof. Slughorn played by Jim Broadbent - a performance which is brilliantly idiosyncratic.

In spite of its great box records I feel Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince falls way short of deserving the attention and accolades it is getting. The biggest letdown was the ending. It leaves you feeling that the director suddenly realized "oops..we are 3 minuted beyond our limit of two and a half hours...stop it and roll the credits. We will continue in the next installment".

I rate it as 6 out of 10

Review: The Duchess (2008)

2009-07-15T22:27:00.000-07:00

Title: The Duchess (2008)
Starring: Keira Nightly, Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Ramping, Dominic Cooper,
Directed by: Saul Dibb
Written by: Jeffrey Hatcher (screenplay) and Anders Thomas Jensen (screenplay) ...
Story: Amanda Foreman (Georgiana The Duchess of Devonshire)
Music: Rachel Portman
Director of photography: Gyula Pados

Score: 7 out of 10

I wanted to watch this movie since it was being talked about during the awards season. It won the Best Achievement in Costume Design for Michael O'Connor.

This is a movie about Georgiana who is the daughter of royal family. She is a young and peppy girl. She is playful and we see her having clean fun with other young women and some young men. Such a girl gets sucked into a reluctant wedding. She gets engaged to Duke of Devonshire who is a a middle aged man but more importantly a man with a constipated sense of self and not a bit fun. When G's mom tells her "I heard a rumor that I will be addressing you as Her Grace the Duchess of Devonshire" her response is "But does he love me". This statement basically tells that G would at least be happy with a loving husband. But as the story progresses we get to see more and more of the Duke's serious nature. Over the years they become parents to 2 daughters. G is such a noble soul that she takes in an orphan daughter fathered by the Duke with a maid.

But the Duke gets more and more upset that they are not having a Son. This turns into anger against G and eventually another woman steps in with her 3 sons and starts living with the Duke. I will not tell more of the plot.

The movie itself is very well conceived. Acting by Keira Nightly and Ralph Fiennes is a treat to watch. I enjoyed Ralph Fiennes acting for his very studied performance in portraying the complicated character of the Duke of Devonshire. The Duke seems to have a mix of traits like a sense of self which is undeserving except for the fact that he was born into royalty. He also hides a sense of shame for not being able to Sire a son. And at certain times he even tries to be apologetic of his rude behavior. Mr. Fiennes handles all this with aplomb. Ms Nightly should be credited for a good performance. The movie is engaging and is a good display of acting and period setting. The music and photography add to enhance the effect of the movie.

The movie looks closely into the life of Duchess Georgiana who was one of the earliest female politicians who used her charms to move the people. It is interesting to see that England had a parliament and opposition leaders and elections as far back as late 1700s.

I give this movie a 7 out of 10

Review: Shiver

2009-07-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

Title: Shiver (Original Spanish Title Escalofrio)
Starring: Junio Valverde,Blanca Suarez
Director: lsidro Ortiz
Written by: Jose Gamo
Music: Fernando Velasquez
Director of Photography: Josef M Civit

Score: 7.5/10

In recent days I had been watching the Oscar circuit movies. So a good scary thriller was what I needed. Netflix had this Spanish movie Shiver for instant watching. It was really Worthy watching.

The story involves a teenage boy Santi have a nightmare in which, as he comes to Sunlight he gets burnt. The boy has a medical condition called Photo-phobia which makes him extremely sensitive to sunlight. So the doctor advises his mom to move to nearby country side which is thickly vegetated and surrounding by towering mountains. Santi and his mom move to the country side.

They rent a house and as the story progresses we get introduced to various segments of country life. Even though it is sparsely populated there is school, cell phone works and there are also quaint village grocery store locate on cobbled streets. But all these beautiful environment starts revealing a scary underbelly. It starts with a Sheep being killed. It is not just a horrible killing. Somebody has sucked blood out of the animal. Then as the story progresses we encounter a few more gory murders and blood being sucked out of the bodies. This times it is a boy who is the victim. In addition to all there is weird noises and strange happenings in Santi's house. The story proceeds relentlessly revealing little by little. What makes the movie a thrill to watch is the thick jungle setting where the murders happen.

I will not reveal any more here. One should watch the movie for the thrill as well as for the abundantly interesting Spanish country side. I never felt that people were acting. It looked like we were having a front seat view of crime in a village,

The director combines many movie making and story telling techniques. It is a mind bending experience. Two people who watch the movie can have different understanding of what happened. As is usual with murder mysteries there are situations which lead the viewer in the wrong direction but the director maturely handles it so that it does not become just a trick. There is a real reason why the viewer got distracted.

SPOILER FOLLOWS - STOP READING NOW IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW A KEY REVELATION.

This movie reminded me of Spyder by David Cronenberg starring Ralph Feinnes. What we see may not be the truth at all. The director can employ tricks to mislead the viewer while still being truthful. Since I had watched Spyder I was somehow able to guess the secret. But its possible there is a different interpretations.

I was entertained by this movie.

I give it 7.5 out of 10

Review: The Wrestler

2009-07-05T22:43:00.000-07:00

Review: The WrestlerSunday, July 5, 2009 10:42 PM
Title: The Wrestler
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marrissa Tomei, Evan Rachael Wood
Directed by: Darren Arnofsky
Written by: Robert D Seigel

Having totally agreed with the choice of Sean Penn for the best acting award in Milk, I was curious to see Mickey Rourke's performance because he beat Penn to the Golden Globe acting award. The sight of him in the Golden Globe ceremony with chains had left me wondering what kind of a character was the Wrestler if Mickey Rourke did well. In all fairness Mickey has given truly nuanced performance. The story is about a proffesional wrestler Randy The Ram who is feeling lonely inspite of his celebtrity in the WWF circuits. He befriends Cassidy ( Marissa Tomei) who is an exotic dancer. She suggest that he should reconnect with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachael Wood). How this turns out is the movie. The story itself does not have much twists or turns. But there are many situations which are emotional. The director aided by Rourke have created some very nice and tender moments. Infact what stands out in the movie is the bonhomie between opposing wrestlers who band togethar like a family outside of the ring. There are some nice scenes invloving the interactions between the wrestlers. Inspite of all their bravado, the WWF wrestlers seem to have a tender heart and have the same ups and downs as the rest of us.

It is a well directed and acted movie. But it does not have a very complicated story to tell. For that reason it is difficult to appreicate the movie beyond "well done".

Score: 6 out of 10

Review: Revolutionary Road

2009-07-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

Title: Revolutionary Road
Starring: Leonardo De Caprio, Kate Winslet, Kathy Bates, Michael Shannon
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Original Novel: Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates.
Screenplay Written by: Justin Haythe
Music: Thomas Newman
Director of Photography: Roger Deakins

Score: 7.3 out of 10

There is a very evocative piece of music which keeps coming up through out the movie. I guess it is like the central characters Frank and April keep getting into their disappointments because they see their life is empty and hopeless. This mind you with a typical American middle class family. The couple have all the material comforts they need. They have a nice house in the suburbia, 2 little children, a handsome husband and a wonderful wife. Beneath this trankuil surface there is emptiness and hopelessness.

The movie high lights the plight of people who have a certain vague dream and they do not celebrate their everyday success because they are waiting for the dream to come true. In the movie, the couple get married with one such dream - which we never come to know clearly in the movie. That is good. In real life too we are prone to be running after something which is very nebulous and abstract and feel very disappointed when that exact expectation does not materialize.

The highlight of the movie is definitely the screen play by Justin Haythe. Based on a 50s novel by Richard Yates by the same name, the film is replete with many complex scenes which explore the nature of the relationship between Frank and April. It is shot in closeup. These scenes reveal about the lead characters in an helps a picture of the character evolve in our minds. Leo and Kate's acting brings out the scenes spectacularly. The general aura of the film brings back the 50s America when the post war prosperity can be seen but the movie paints a picture of homogeneity suggesting that this prosperity is not deep.

The director Sam Mendes and the director of Photography Roger Deakins and the music director Thomas Newman get credit for bringing the audience closer and closer to the world between Frank and April. I think Kate Winslet's performance in this movie is far better than her role in the Reader for which she got the oscars.

I give the movie 7.3 out of 10

Radio Program: Interview with Dr. Veena Shantheshwara

2009-06-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

Radio program to mark the Centennial celebration of women writers in modern Kannada literature.

It was 100 years ago in 1909 that Santu Bai Neelagaara became the first women writer of modern Kannada literature. Her first novel 'Sadguni Krishna Bai" laid the foundation for future generation of women writers in Kannada and called for rational awakening of the women's world and for women's education. To mark this occasion there will be a live interview with Dr. Veena Shantheshwara who is a well known progressive writer in Kannada. Click below to know about Dr. Veena Shantheshwara

http://tinyurl.com/n4blp8

You are invited to call in and share with others your thoughts and questions.

Date: Thursday June 11
Time: (California Time)
6.00 AM to 7.30 AM PST - Regular program with music
7.30 AM to 9.00 AM PST - Special program and Interview with Dr. Veena Shantheshwara

Radio: Stanford 90.1 FM KZSU. (California Bay area)
Internet: http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/ (from anywhere in the world)
Host: Madhu Krishnamurthy

Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2009-05-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

2009 May 18

Title: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Nominated for 13 Oscars. Won three.
Lost out to Slum Dog Millionire in major categories including best picture.

Starring: Brad Pitt, Taraji P Henson, Kate Blanchett, Julia Ormond, Elias Kuotaes
Directed by: David Fincher
Written by: Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
Music: Alesandre Desplat
Makeup: A big team lead by Greg Canom (Oscar)
Director of Photography Claudio Miranda
Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt and Set Decorator: Victor J Zalfo ( Joint OSCAR AWARD Best Acheivement in Art Direction)
Visual Effects: Team of four. (Oscar)
Rating: PG 13

Score: 6 out of 10

Having been a favorite at the Oscars along with Slum Dog Millionaire, this movie has a really fascinating story line. The story starts of with Kate Blanchett as an old and frail woman who is expecting to die shortly. She asks her daughter to read a diary the narration of which is the story. At the heart of the story is the thought of what would happen if we were able to reverse the march of time. To underscore this angle the movie starts of with the installation of a clock which runs backwards.

The story has at its begging the birth of Benjamin into the Button family which owns the hugely profitable Button company. Benjamin as new born has an ugly face and the family members find his look reprehensible. Adding to this woe the mother dies due to complications during birth. Mr Button is so furious that he tries to kill the child but ends up leaving it in the care Queenie (Taraji) who is taking care of elderly people in a nursing home. Queenie is happy that she found a new born baby and names him Benjamin.

There is some heart warming but incredulous developments here. When Taraji and every one discovers the baby has the face of really really old man, it is odd that they do not have some kind of fear of it. I can understand feeling love for a baby that is deformed or is unfortunate to be thought of unattractive. But an old man in the shape of a baby is a scary and weird happening which needs some display of horror. The fact that I did not see this a bit less unnatural. I am not questioning the old man baby syndrome but the reaction of the people around the phenomenon.

I guess there is some strong meta physical meaning to the fact that an old man is born and start growing younger and younger while other children grow older older. The very obvious thought that comes to mind is the universal desire to not grow old. The movie get more aggressive in talking about not only not growing old but in fact growing younger. Obviously you have to be old in order to show that your getting younger. So baby had to be born as an old man. This is odd. It would have been interesting to see what would be the story if Benjamin was born normally, grew old and then started growing younger.

The phenomenon of Benjamin growing younger down to marriageable age and a little girl Daisy (Kate Blanchett) growing up to be of a marriageable age and meeting half way is interesting. It is interesting how both Benjamin and Daisy loose their innocence on the way. Benjamin goes to sea and experience his initiation into adult life including romance, sex, war and camaraderie. Daisy experiences the same by going to New york to become a ballet dancer. It is the meeting of these two souls which throws up some interesting drama.

I guess what the films shows if not intentionally is that growing young is not pleasant. On the contrary it is a very stressful experience. It is interesting to see where Benjamin is heading as he gets younger. Kate Blanchett's character on the other hand is growing old in the natural way and it appears that this natural process of getting is in fact quite beautiful though apparently dreaded by humanity.

The movie begin with a a woman giving birth to a OLD man baby and ends with Baby old man. The whole story is narrated by a young woman who is growing up normally to a dying mother.

All these make for a fascinating story. There is some quite believable make up wizardry that helps to show Brad Pitt going through different stages of life. Good acting by Kate Blanchett. But that is all I took from this movie. I did not find the movie neither high on entertaining nor did I have a learning experience. So I am even surprised that it got as many as 13 Oscar nominations. Apart from making Brad Pitt look like a baby-that-looks-old or an old-man-that-looks-like-a-baby I do not see any film making artistry in play here. And the movie was long too, crossing 2 hours 17 minutes.

Now I think that it was only justifiable that Slum Dog swept the Oscars.

I give this movie a 6 out of 10.

Kannada Sahitya Goshti program on May 16.

2009-05-14T23:17:00.000-07:00

Panel discussion on 'ondu haley chaddi' written by Mogalli Ganesh.

You can listen to the story 'ondu hale chaddi' read by Madhu here.

Here is a very good sounding board to bring up some good discussion on social issues, writing style, character development and use of language

This Saturday we will be having a very interesting discussion on MogaLLi Ganesh's short story oMdu haLe ceDDi. The story is a vivid depiction of life, its ups and downs and customs of the invisible majority of India.

A panel of 6 members will discuss this story and share what goes on in their mind when they read this story or hear others discuss it.

Program details:
Date : May 16th 2009, Saturday
Time : 2:00 to 4:30 PM
Place: Community Room, Los Altos Library
13 S. San Antonio Road
Los Altos CA 94022

Panel:
Suresh Babu
Ravi Gopal Rao
Vishvanath Hulikal
Ganesh Kadaba
Prabhu Murthy
Prakash Nayak

Moderator:
Madhu Krishnamurthy