As I saw it

Maybe I can write an entire thesis on this movie but I will keep it short to say that after Gandhi, Amruthangamaya, October and the movies by Raj Kumar Hirani, I am yet to see a film like this with so much of depth, breadth, story, characterisation, screenplay and so much more. Don’t be misled by the trailer and the language to dismiss this movie. The thing with most Malayalam movie trailers is their genius that you can never predict what the movie is all about simply by watching the trailer. This should by far be not only one of the best ever Malayalam movies I have seen but if I were the Chairman of the National film awards committee, I would have given it the best picture award for 2021 and it would have certainly got an Oscar. You can never predict the twists and turns in this amazing story. So, so heart touching and inspiring with so many lessons for all of us, cutting across generations, ages, civilisations and cultures. Please watch it even if it’s with subtitles. Currently on S...

So, a new scam: I thought only the auto drivers of Delhi-NCR, Chennai and Kerala are the rapacious ones. But the Uber cab drivers in Hyderabad have joined the bandwagon. I booked an Uber cab in the morning today from my hotel in Hi-Tech City to the airport. It showed 4 minutes waiting time. And that’s at 6.55 in the morning. After 10 minutes I found that the cab was still at the place it was earlier on. I called the person - one Jatoth Pradeep with an all 5 star rating. He wanted to know the destination and the fare it was showing. Even though I found his request odd I finally relented and told him it was 643 Rupees. Without any second thoughts or even hesitation he told me that he will give me a bill of 1500 Rupees and that out of that I need to pay him only 1200 Rupees! I asked him if he thought I was an idiot? Again nonchalantly he told me that he won’t get any return fare from the airport in the morning and I should pay him the return charges. He refused to cancel the ride from his...

I believe in return gifts and reverse service. Do you? So I was in this Vistara flight to Hyderabad last Wednesday for a client engagement when one of the stewardess bent down near me and asked me if I had a meeting in Hyderabad? I guess she assumed that based on my formal dress. Let’s just call her A, based on one of the alphabets in her name. I said yes and she wished me good luck while she served me my breakfast. As she came by to clear the table, I had my mask down as I was sipping coffee. As I smiled in acknowledgement and thanks for her service, she remarked that I had a nice smile. I don’t know what made her say that but it certainly did broaden my smile and I sensed an expansion in my heart. And then as she came to clear the trash, I motioned to her and asked if she believed in return gifts? Taken aback a little, she said yes. I told her to come back once her job was done. As she came back a few minutes later, I showed her the stuffed hearts that you see and asked her to pick o...

I have noticed a pattern in the lives of leaders from different walks of life who make a positive difference in the lives around and even after them. They all go through what Stephen H Baum calls as life shaping experiences. In this article, Bernie Swain talks about the level of self-awareness that leaders possess about what shaped their future choice to take initiative, responsibility and make a positive difference; not that I agree with all the ‘leaders’ who are featured in the article. The author brings to attention three things that contribute to these life shaping experiences - People, Events and Environment. As I look back into my own life, I have lots of people, events and environments that had a positive impact on my life through moments where I could have easily slipped and fallen. With lots of gratitude for all of them. 😌🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

Even though I loved Merchant of Venice in school, I could never understand Shakespeare. The language was too complicated for me and I couldn’t find anything interesting in the way the film makers had portrayed his stories. That is until yesterday when I came across this in my continued pursuit of self awareness and self development. This helps me see the characters in a new light now. Will attempt to understand the stories. I just hope I am able to overcome a language that primarily uses words like thou and thee.

I first passed by this railway station on 5th January 2001 when I was on a train from Trivandrum to Korba. I had boarded it at Chengannur where I had gone to meet my maternal aunts. I was on my way to Kochi to attend a young friend’s wedding that day. I didn’t deboard here that day. And then I happened to be at this station 21 years later last month on 24th March on my way back from Kochi, to board a train to, coincidentally, Chengannur, to meet my remaining maternal aunt. And this time around I was to travel by the Island Express train from Bangalore to Kanyakumari. As I stood on the platform early morning after my breakfast of Appam and coconut chutney, my mind went to remember the famous Malayalam character actor with that famous, deep voice - the late Shri MS Trippunithura. Many a mimic feasted on his voice and mannerisms in their stand up acts. Even as I could never meet him, each time I think of this place and the station, I remember that famous son of the soil and scenes from th...

Do you remember the name John Garrideb? It’s a character in one of the Sherlock Holmes stories that came out in 1924 titled: “The Adventures of the three Garridebs.”   Well, about 98 years after the story came out, I happened to remember that title when a simple set of incidents happened with me last month in Kerala. And that’s why I have adapted the title from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s story even though nothing singular or peculiar happened in my case.   Sreekumar is a relatively rare name outside of Kerala. And certainly not with a name that is spelt with two e’s as in Kerala.   But my father gave me that name and so did the father of another batch mate of mine from Kerala School, at the erstwhile Canning Road in Delhi. He joined us in the 11 th standard back in 1991.   We passed out of school in 1993 and reconnected once Facebook came into picture.   We finally got to meet on 23 rd March this year after almost 29 years. It was a great meeting in Ko...