Thalaivar Rajni Rocks!!

I’m a whole hour early. That’s a first! I’m pacing up and down restlessly. The watchman stares at me judgementally and I pace just a little bit faster. My palms are sweaty and I can barely breathe. What’s going to happen? Will everything be ok? I’m so tensed! This is it; the big day is finally here - Sivaji is finally releasing! Like every other dedicated Ranji fan, I have waited and dealt with many disappointments about the date of release. Those days are long gone now and here I am outside the preview theatre feeling a whole lot of emotions that I only felt before my 12th std. board exams.

Time is suddenly lazily ticking by when I want it to speed up to get me through the next one hour before the movie starts. Then suddenly the bell rings! Hundreds of people like me - anxious, nervous, excited, expectant; all rolled into one, settle into their seats. The lights go out and I can feel my pulse race as my heart pounds noisily in my chest. Then comes the sight every Thalaivar fan comes to see - the screen lights up with two words that have now become synonymous with Rajni - Super star! Amidst the hoots and the whistles; the cheers and the claps; the laughter and the excitement, I look around and am suddenly at ease. Yes, Thalaivar is back! The next three hours have me cheering loudly just to make sure Rajni can hear me above everyone else. I laugh at every joke and throw a hissy fit at every villain who mocks him. I throw air punches and a few hip shakes for good measure! Ah yes, its just like I remembered it to be.

The movie now over, as we leave the theatre perfect strangers exchange glances and knowing smiles. We all know this movie is going to make it. We all know the man we came to watch will mesmerise people all over the world a hundred times over. As I get into my car and drive home, I feel a little light in the head and physically spent after all that activity! I pass a bus on my way home that has images from Sivaji plastered all over it. I drive by, lower my window and honk loudly and persistently. Twelve guys stick their head out and we scream together, “Thalaivaaaaaaaaaaa”! I have just this to say - if you only visit Chennai once in your lifetime, don’t come during Pongal or Diwali or any such festival. Come for the real festivities when the city is at its euphoric best; come when my Thalaiva’s movie releases!

One

When I was a kid, I loved my English Teacher at school. He was the most special person and I honestly believe that he made me love the English Language and made me want to study it as much as I have! Everytime it was someone's birthday in class, he would take 10 mins out of his teaching time and hand out little pieces of paper on which we had to write three good things and three bad things about the kid whose birthday it was. The good things made you feel special.. "WOW! They really think that about me?!" and the bad things made you reflect and maybe even correct it! I remember how special it made us feel. I still have those little bits of paper hiding in some box under my bed!

Last week I got an email fwd that said "Describe me in one word". It brought back an avalanche of memories and I decided to play along. Here's a list of responses I got..

"Bajari" - I resent this one!
Engrossing
Colourful
Narcissist
Loveable
Short
Child
Sexy
Fascinating
Magnificent
Mesmerizing
Intriguing
Glamorous
Sensual
Huggable
Pretty
Penny Lane (ok, thats two words but I'll accept it!)

Yes, I feel incredibly special! Maybe being a narcissist once in a while is good for you! Cheers to you Bro.Anthony.. wherever you are!

Back to School!

As I write this, my heart goes out to all the kids who were forced down from the branches of their mango trees; kids who were torn away from the ponds and corner streets; kids who had to leave behind the aromas and tantalizing tastes of their grandma's cooking. Really, my heart bleeds for you. I remember it like it was yesterday - I would spend those summer days in a frenzy of activity, never stopping to rest until sheer exhaustion just eventually caught up. Those summer nights were even better. We would spend the nights on my grandmother's terrace counting the stars and listening to the melody of various creatures chirping in the still darkness.Those were the days! We hoped and prayed they would never end.

Then suddenly, like a rude awakening, we would be yanked back to reality. Nothing signaled the end of summer frolic as effectively as the arrival of new uniforms from the tailor's shop. Then the dismal countdown began - " 4 more days of freedom", "3 more days of fun" and things began to look progressively worse. I knew that I would love seeing my friends again but the teachers and homework, I had no trouble missing! Just when my young life would begin to resemble a melodramatic tragic film, my parents would always find a way to turn the whole thing around! You see, a new year at school meant new books and new books needed to be neatly covered in brown paper, labels attached and names neatly printed. My parents, my brother and I would gather in the living room and together as a family we turned this ritual of covering books into a full blown family party! My brother and I would compete for the prestigious role of writing the respective name and subject on the labels. By the end of the night, when all books lay neatly in a pile ready to be packed away into our new school bags, my brother and I would be filled with excitement to get to school! We couldn't wait to show off our cool new bags and pencil boxes! I still remember the smell of newly sharpened pencils and unused erasers!

Yesterday as I watched my young niece mourn the impending return to school after a fun-filled summer, I avoided her confused look as I sniffed her pencils and smiled!