I havE this padosan who keeps borrowing items like aloos,hari mirchi,kanda( marathi 4 onions ),adrak,et al.The iritability is about the time of the demand- it is when I am in a tearing hurry- when I am readying my kid's dabba at 7 in the morning ! She is most impatient - expects me to drop all my work when she walks in & cater to her. To think of it - the kind of service she is getting from me, I doubt if she will get in any shop ! She also leaves her house keys with me but expects me tom return the same before I go out of town.Recently when Iwas going 2 pune ,I remembered that I had to return her house keys otherwise,I wouldud have to travel all the way from Pune just to return her house keys!
Yesterday, she came& borrowed potatoes & as they were developing shoots,she had the audacity to drop the shoots in my house itself ! In the evening, she came in to demand change for a 100 rupee note - she just handed over the note to my kid through the slit in the safety door-I was livid but managed to gather all my & warned her never to take the money like that-suppose she had dropped it .It might get lost with my padosan having no patience & I would have to give change as well as lose a 100 bucks -maybe God alone knows how much.
I am sure u all hav similar stories about ur padosis but then we hav 2 live with them- as a cliched saying goes- all five fingers r not the same.moreover, padosis r the only 1s who will b the 1st 2 b with us in times of sorrow as also in happier times- they r the 1s with whom v can share the ups n downs of life before others even come 2 know about it.also ,i am sure even my actions wud hav irritated my padosis sometime r the other.so having padosis is an occupational hazard !
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
PRAYASCHIT
While in chennai,i saw a relative doing a puja on the rishi panchami day.she had placed an idol of lord krishna standing in a pose with one feet crossing the other with a flute in his hands & a cow at his back almost kneeling its face 2 the feet of the lord.she had covered an asan ( a mani in kannada n peeth in marathi) with a rangoli & placed the idol on that.she recited some shlokas n lighted a lamp.i asked what this was all about n she replied that this was like atonement for all the poojas done earlier by a woman when she would hav knowingly/unknowingly done acts for puja when she was out of doors .it is something like confession in christianity.this puja is 2 b done on rishi panchami day 4 5 years.n i believe this can b done by ladies when they r in menopause.i am sure various sects hav some r the other atonement procedures like this.but r they only 4 women ? does this mean that only a woman is impure when she does pujas - not all the times but sometimes ?r v all really pure in mind & r body when we set in obesience before the lord ? can v say 4 sure that v r ekchit - 1 mind before the almighty ?but 1 good thing about this is that there is an act - the act of poojas 2 atone- something like an appeal before the higher courts,if v hav been impure physically & mentally.as one of my friend says always " Every sinner has a future ,every saint has a past ".in other words,past actions need not fetter us- v can always b better n even god will allow n help us in our endevours.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Chennai visit
V left 4 chennai by jet airways courtsey my husband's booking at Dammam. If i had booked jet ,i wud b asked if i was unable 2 get a cheaper flight -so i asked him. he replied that he was unable 2 get thru any other site n so he got tickets booked vide an agent .anyway,only i n harini travelled from mumbai 2 chennai as my husband had flown from dammam 2 chennai on 2nd sept. v reached at nite having taken an evening flight.Jet gave us food - dinner -salad, roti,sabzi ,kaali dal ,rice,some sweet .
My husband was there 2 receive us at the V went 2 my eldest nand's place at Tambaram( it is a suburb of chennai ) .V were 2 stay there at her bunglow 4 performing the 1st death anniversary of my father in law.when v reached the house,all my husband's family members had not arrived.my jethani n jeth arrived a little later folloed by my mother in law ,my devrani n her kids.my husband's 2 younger brothers n the eldest sister whose bunglow we were all staying was already there.V went 2 sleep on mats n some pillows made by folding bedsheets.but chennai heat allows sleep even on bare floor.by 6in the morning,v were up except the as curent goes off from 6-8.v then took urns 2 bath in the 2 bathrooms.v were told 2 take head bath on all days leading 2 the death anniversary- this is all so as chennai thrives on orthodoxy which is very extreme.cooks arrived at 7 2 start cooking .priests arrived at 102 start the ceremony.kids were served somethings as breakfast. but elders were given oats ( only ladies)-sons were not as this is the custoim when any death anniversary is performed.v sat 4 lunch at around 12.30 - sambar,rasam,etc n 1 sweet was served.this was a regular feature on all the 4 days.
my youngest nanad who stays in uk had got a bridesmaid dress 4 harini which harini wore the moment it was handed 2 her alongwith the pink pearl necklace,bracelet et al.my nanad is also very orthodox even though has been in uk 4 the last 6-7 years. i continue 2 b amazed by her actions.she sits out of doors during the monthly menses n her husband who is an M.tech cooks during those days.her 2 sons r terribly naughty n she has her hands full. v went 2 c her off at the airport n were wondering as 2 how she will manage the flight- the eldest son is 6 yrs od while younger 1 is yet 2 b 3.but then she reached safe n sound - she called up 2 say that she had no problems n all was fine.
on the day after the death anniversary,v had a pavmaan homa ( yajnya -dedicated 2 hanuman).as per madhwa ( i am a madhwa brahmin)- before n after marriage)tradition,Sri narayana cannot b directly approached- only by praying 2 hanuman,v can approach narayana.the yajnya was for the whole family- but my youngest nanad had already left 4 london the earlier nite as she was unable 2 get her tickets resheduled.the yajyna went off very well.afterwards in the evening v were ready 2 leave 4 mumbai- i,harini n my husband.v took my mother-in-law's ashirwad( my husband asking her 2 give ashirvada of boundless wealth) . the jet flight was good- there was a tv screen n i enjoyed sarabhai v/s sarabhai sitcom n harini also watched on her screen some sitcom. my hubby just tried 2 sleep- he hates tv.v had a nice dinner n jet even had buttermilk as a welcome drink n it was real good.v reached home at 11 n went 2 bed.
My husband was there 2 receive us at the V went 2 my eldest nand's place at Tambaram( it is a suburb of chennai ) .V were 2 stay there at her bunglow 4 performing the 1st death anniversary of my father in law.when v reached the house,all my husband's family members had not arrived.my jethani n jeth arrived a little later folloed by my mother in law ,my devrani n her kids.my husband's 2 younger brothers n the eldest sister whose bunglow we were all staying was already there.V went 2 sleep on mats n some pillows made by folding bedsheets.but chennai heat allows sleep even on bare floor.by 6in the morning,v were up except the as curent goes off from 6-8.v then took urns 2 bath in the 2 bathrooms.v were told 2 take head bath on all days leading 2 the death anniversary- this is all so as chennai thrives on orthodoxy which is very extreme.cooks arrived at 7 2 start cooking .priests arrived at 102 start the ceremony.kids were served somethings as breakfast. but elders were given oats ( only ladies)-sons were not as this is the custoim when any death anniversary is performed.v sat 4 lunch at around 12.30 - sambar,rasam,etc n 1 sweet was served.this was a regular feature on all the 4 days.
my youngest nanad who stays in uk had got a bridesmaid dress 4 harini which harini wore the moment it was handed 2 her alongwith the pink pearl necklace,bracelet et al.my nanad is also very orthodox even though has been in uk 4 the last 6-7 years. i continue 2 b amazed by her actions.she sits out of doors during the monthly menses n her husband who is an M.tech cooks during those days.her 2 sons r terribly naughty n she has her hands full. v went 2 c her off at the airport n were wondering as 2 how she will manage the flight- the eldest son is 6 yrs od while younger 1 is yet 2 b 3.but then she reached safe n sound - she called up 2 say that she had no problems n all was fine.
on the day after the death anniversary,v had a pavmaan homa ( yajnya -dedicated 2 hanuman).as per madhwa ( i am a madhwa brahmin)- before n after marriage)tradition,Sri narayana cannot b directly approached- only by praying 2 hanuman,v can approach narayana.the yajnya was for the whole family- but my youngest nanad had already left 4 london the earlier nite as she was unable 2 get her tickets resheduled.the yajyna went off very well.afterwards in the evening v were ready 2 leave 4 mumbai- i,harini n my husband.v took my mother-in-law's ashirwad( my husband asking her 2 give ashirvada of boundless wealth) . the jet flight was good- there was a tv screen n i enjoyed sarabhai v/s sarabhai sitcom n harini also watched on her screen some sitcom. my hubby just tried 2 sleep- he hates tv.v had a nice dinner n jet even had buttermilk as a welcome drink n it was real good.v reached home at 11 n went 2 bed.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Anuradha - the movie.
Recently I saw Anuradha ,directed by Hrishikesh Mukerjee .It stars Leela Naidu, (who, as per the late directer Satyajit Ray was a classic beauty) Balraj Sahni & Abhi Bhattacharya.The film was way ahead of its times.
A doctor,Balraj Sahni falls in love with a girl, as she had a fall & is injured. She is an upcoming singer.She is the beautiful Leela Naidu.She marries him despite opposition from her rich parents who feel that Abhi Bhattacharya, is the better suited boy as per their stature in life.
Post marriage,Leela follows her husband to work in a village, where he treats patients. Leela toils hard.She is doing housework & attends to their small daughter.Singing which was her life, has been long forgotten. Her husband has no time for her .He is too involved, in treating his patients.
One day ,Abhi & friends comes visiting & insist that she sing for his group of friends.She agrees & sings ! One of the best songs in the movie..."Kaise din beete ,kaise beeti ratiya,piya jaane naa......( how does the day get wasted,how the night gets wasted,.....my lover does not realise.....)" . When she is singing ,Abhi & friends are in rapt attention, taking in the soulful voice, while the hubby, that is the Doctor is immersed in reading a medical journal.
Will she stay with the husband & not leave for the city where she could set the music world on fire ! Why ? Because she loves her husband more than she loves music.Or the love for music will force her migration to the city ? The husband can accompany her as well.
A doctor,Balraj Sahni falls in love with a girl, as she had a fall & is injured. She is an upcoming singer.She is the beautiful Leela Naidu.She marries him despite opposition from her rich parents who feel that Abhi Bhattacharya, is the better suited boy as per their stature in life.
Post marriage,Leela follows her husband to work in a village, where he treats patients. Leela toils hard.She is doing housework & attends to their small daughter.Singing which was her life, has been long forgotten. Her husband has no time for her .He is too involved, in treating his patients.
One day ,Abhi & friends comes visiting & insist that she sing for his group of friends.She agrees & sings ! One of the best songs in the movie..."Kaise din beete ,kaise beeti ratiya,piya jaane naa......( how does the day get wasted,how the night gets wasted,.....my lover does not realise.....)" . When she is singing ,Abhi & friends are in rapt attention, taking in the soulful voice, while the hubby, that is the Doctor is immersed in reading a medical journal.
Will she stay with the husband & not leave for the city where she could set the music world on fire ! Why ? Because she loves her husband more than she loves music.Or the love for music will force her migration to the city ? The husband can accompany her as well.
Maybe reel life imitated by real life...too many examples...Ravi Shankar-Annapurna Devi Nargis-Sunil Dutt, Amitabh -Jaya, Mazhar Khan-Zeenat,& many more.
There is a feminist message ...that the husband must have some regard for the talent of the wife.Yet the message is too subtle ...will the wife continue to be a home maker though she can be someone else ? Will the husband do something so that the talented wife does not fade into oblivion ?Many of us who have to give up our jobs for any reasons whatsoever will surely identify with the character portrayed by Leela Naidu.
There is a feminist message ...that the husband must have some regard for the talent of the wife.Yet the message is too subtle ...will the wife continue to be a home maker though she can be someone else ? Will the husband do something so that the talented wife does not fade into oblivion ?Many of us who have to give up our jobs for any reasons whatsoever will surely identify with the character portrayed by Leela Naidu.
All were stellar actors...Balraj Sahni,Abhi Bhattacharya &others. This was Ms India,Leela Naidu's debut movie ! She looks stunning, though it is a black & white movie.The suave Balraj Sahni, was a member of Indian People's Theatre Association & an excellent actor.It was Hrishikesh Mukherjee's creditable direction which never makes the audience feel that this was the first movie for Leela Naidu.
One of the first songs in the movie "Bahut din huye ...."was a story I had read in my Hindi class decades ago .It is about a princess-Phulkumari, who never laughs & then all try to make her laugh.Finally ,a funny man makes her laugh.He is a prince & he wins her hand.So, this movie brought back school memories !
Music by Pandit Ravi Shankar is super ! The songs do full justice to the fact, that the heroine of the film is a singer par excellence, who gets lost in the life of a house holder. Lata Mangeshkar's voice is so young & fresh ! The lyrics speak of joy,agony & the sadness of the singer who gets eclipsed completely by the homemaker !
Though its ironical, that Ravi Shankar was the muisc director for this movie. Ravi Shankar's first wife, Annapurna Devi stopped performing in public as Ravi Shankar was unable to accept that Annapurna Devi was much more talented than him.
This movie won the 8th National Film award for the best feature film in 1960 .It went on to be nominated for the Golden bear for the 11th Berlin International Film Festival in 1961.
If this movie was to be made today ,I am sure, it would have a very different ending .
If this movie was to be made today ,I am sure, it would have a very different ending .
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