I see so many posts and so many people chronicling their lives as if it is the last day or if they are saving all the memories to relive in future. I wonder how do they find time ! My lo have turned one and I haven't realised it at all. I barely have pictures with them or any decent memories. All my memories will be lugging my son back and forth from hospitals, leaving my daughter and husband staying away. This is definitely not how I pictured my life to be. But it is what it is. I need to be strong to pull away from the situation and try and make most of it. I keep saying this to myself so that one day I will act on it.
I made several plans but didn't see even one through. What I will do definitely from this month onwards is losing weight and making more memories with my children. Situations keep happening and people will continue to be difficult but my little ones wont be so little. Even before I know , they would be grown up and I don't want to miss out on the memories. I have waited long enough for this and if anyone has to do it, its me. Second, is to write more. It always feels cathartic when I pen down a few lines. Here goes -
I am a butterfly caught in a storm,
To fly they say is the norm.
Clipped wings, broken dreams
A future bleak as it may seem
I still soar ahead in all my form
I am a butterfly caught in a storm.
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Saturday, March 25, 2017
Monday, December 12, 2016
Life as we know it
So life is chugging forward in full speed. Even before I could blink my eyes, my two darlings have turned 9 months old. I wonder it was just yesterday I was so anxious about them. All I could think was how will I manage these 2 precious frail beings who are completely dependent on me. It is such a roller coster ride with them but what I was really enjoying is my stay with my parents. As most Indian married girls, I got set in my new life and my new found independence. All of a sudden I was back with my parents and it took sometime to get into the groove. It is a controlled atmosphere and there were bickering, fights, arguments but it is all worth in the end. Now that I am back at my house, I miss the fun, laughter, candor and most importantly the pampering of parents. One does not realise the importance of parental home unless they live on their own.
Life teaches you all that you need to know. But what it does not teach is to not miss your childhood dreams woven in the comfort of your bed, plans made in your room and laughter in the house. What I would not give to get it back. How I wish !
Life teaches you all that you need to know. But what it does not teach is to not miss your childhood dreams woven in the comfort of your bed, plans made in your room and laughter in the house. What I would not give to get it back. How I wish !
Monday, October 31, 2016
So called birthday !
Yesterday i turned 34! Phew it feels like i already lived for 70 years. The same day last year was full of surprises with R and my family throwing surprise parties and baby showers etc. Cut to the same day now, no one is remotely excited in wishing. I got plenty of texts wishing me but exactly 2 phone calls - one each from family and friend. R gave me a philosophical parody to wish for birthday and I wonder is it the same !
How soon one person goes from being important to not so important in an relationship ? It gets uglier if you face the truth in front of your family who will be quick to judge on one look. I guess i should stop looking for importance from outside and feel important from within. In any case the battle is mine till I live. Let me fight it the way I want !
How soon one person goes from being important to not so important in an relationship ? It gets uglier if you face the truth in front of your family who will be quick to judge on one look. I guess i should stop looking for importance from outside and feel important from within. In any case the battle is mine till I live. Let me fight it the way I want !
Wednesday, October 05, 2016
and the trial still continues !!!
Usually there is a lot of excitement surrounding newborns. And my case was no different. The whole family was super excited to receive both the babies but the challenge was to maintain sterile atmosphere back home. How do we do that ! A whole lot of deliberation followed, suggestions given , frantic calls to relatives and their relatives were made. The babies had to fed via pallada which was super difficult. Angad was being extremely colicky and used to have immense crying spells. Since no one from my side had the knowledge of pallada, my sister in law was asked to step in and she graciously did. She and R kept me company back home with the babies and did rotational shifts along with my parents taking care of the background work.
Maybe thats what spoilt the whole show. Sometimes we need to take a strong look at ourselves before opening to another human being. The little fights started and the whole thing precipitated into a big showdown right before R had to leave for 2 months to Bucharest. I was torn between him and my parents. I wonder why is there so much of expectation only from a daughter in law where as a son or son in law is given free hand. I ponder maybe is it the lack of communication or cultural differences that has prevented me from establishing a smooth relationship with my inlaws. R seems to be doing just fine. I was so let down hearing the inlaws views about me ! So if i dont do something or dont call them, does that give them right to accuse my parents for their upbringing. Is it alright for only them to worry about the babies catching infection whereas my mother does not have the right to question it ? R has never been subjected to all this but I always thank him from bottom of my heart for standing beside me and my family even in trying situations.
The babies arrival was such a joyous occasion but silly misunderstandings like this spoilt the whole show. My facebook wall was filled with cousins uploading their babies pictures and here I was - after years of yearning for this joy, I am struggling to find a balance in my marriage. What an irony !
Maybe thats what spoilt the whole show. Sometimes we need to take a strong look at ourselves before opening to another human being. The little fights started and the whole thing precipitated into a big showdown right before R had to leave for 2 months to Bucharest. I was torn between him and my parents. I wonder why is there so much of expectation only from a daughter in law where as a son or son in law is given free hand. I ponder maybe is it the lack of communication or cultural differences that has prevented me from establishing a smooth relationship with my inlaws. R seems to be doing just fine. I was so let down hearing the inlaws views about me ! So if i dont do something or dont call them, does that give them right to accuse my parents for their upbringing. Is it alright for only them to worry about the babies catching infection whereas my mother does not have the right to question it ? R has never been subjected to all this but I always thank him from bottom of my heart for standing beside me and my family even in trying situations.
The babies arrival was such a joyous occasion but silly misunderstandings like this spoilt the whole show. My facebook wall was filled with cousins uploading their babies pictures and here I was - after years of yearning for this joy, I am struggling to find a balance in my marriage. What an irony !
Wednesday, September 07, 2016
And the trial continues!
So Angad and Aarohi arrived in style on February 19th at 8:33 and 8:31 am respectively. Aarohi came out in a flash crying her way into the world. She was so tiny with pink flushed cheeks. I had imagined all gross images but she was a very pretty baby. The doctors took her away but did not show Angad to me. I was dizzy with the amount of blood loss which had covered the entire OT and was wheeled into the ward. It was exhilarating, tiring process and I was still in shock trying to grapple with the new status - Mum of two ! Everyone around me were jubilated and were congratulating me. I was waiting to see my precious angels but no one told me that Angad had the umbilical cord around his neck. Hence he had to ventilated with oxygen. Only after 24hrs inspite of the pain of stiches, I pulled myself to see my babies. They were all bare wearing just a diaper inside an incubator. Both of them hardly opened their eyes. I could not touch them but could sit beside them and talk. Post discharge after 3 days, I would run down to the NICU daily to feed both of them and spend some time. After a week, Aarohi was given to me only to do KMC- a process where the baby is put on the mother for skin to skin contact and we could sit as long as we want. The nurses kept telling to go and rest and recover faster but how could I? I couldn't tear myself from them and be at ease. Angad was still offlimits since he had to be under more ventilation. There were days when I would run and come to feed only to find out that they already were fed or being fed or were under phototherapy and I couldn't touch them. Those days broke my heart and I would cry silently.
While the world celebrates their kids arrival, I was running daily back and forth from hospital and home. I hardly had the time to rest and recuperate. This probably had an effect on my lactation. Slowly Angad was given to me for KMC and I would shift my time between two. But he immediately latched on me. It was so gratifying feeling but Aarohi still could not latch on. I just wish I could lactate for both so that they did not have to depend on supplement milk. I would go to the hospital night and day and days would just pass.
Finally on March 20th, we got to know that the babies will be discharged and our excitement knew no bounds !
While the world celebrates their kids arrival, I was running daily back and forth from hospital and home. I hardly had the time to rest and recuperate. This probably had an effect on my lactation. Slowly Angad was given to me for KMC and I would shift my time between two. But he immediately latched on me. It was so gratifying feeling but Aarohi still could not latch on. I just wish I could lactate for both so that they did not have to depend on supplement milk. I would go to the hospital night and day and days would just pass.
Finally on March 20th, we got to know that the babies will be discharged and our excitement knew no bounds !
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
The Arrival -Feb 19,2016
Life is one big stage and all of us have our bit to play in it. My life is full of drama and surprises and without a doubt there had to be enough drama during my labour too. I had a very easy pregnancy and through out the period, my father would plan the D Day. He made 4 checklists and Plan A,B,C and incase required D. Cousins who lived nearby were reminded time and again and he would make sure the car was perfect incase of an emergency. When I was formally bought home, we decided to do pest control so that the house is ready for the babies. I had secretly made tons of plans to enjoy my last leg of freedom. Feb 18th,2016 I felt a little queasy not sure why. Maybe it was the smell of the pest control tonic or my food, I was tired and wanted to sleep the whole day. Since we had to lock up the whole house for 24hrs, I was shifted to my cousins house. As soon as I entered the house, my father joked with my sister in law saying ' See there are 4 cars incase we have to take Revathi to the hospital '. The clock struck 12 and when I climbed the bed, my water broke. I rushed into the bathroom thinking I have urinated on the bed. I was extremely uncomfortable and felt sorry for my uncle thinking I ruined his new mattress.
R had just left to our house. He was supposed to drop his parents to the railway station in the morning and come over. After minutes of deliberation, I was rushed to the hospital at 3am in full filmy style. 3 cars drove back to back to the hospital emergency section with my brothers screaming at the doctor ' Her water broke and she is in labour '. I was petrified thinking that there was time and honestly I didn't want to deliver so soon. I was praying that the doctor sends me home. But I was 3cm dilated. An emergency C-Sec was planned at 6am since my doctor was in middle of a delivery. It was further pushed to 8 AM. R rushed to the hospital with his parents and I had no clue why people around me were getting excited. I was given a baby monitor and asked to keep a check on it.
Again I was prepped and ready by 7am but the doctors asked R to step out of OT. Today in hindsight, I wish he was there to hold my hands and boost my spirit. I was wheeled in to the OT and there were fleet of doctors inside. The anesthesiologist was very polite. He held my hands and explained me the whole procedure which got over in 20 minutes flat. My lill princess made a grand entry into the world crying at 8:31AM and my prince at 8:33AM. When the doctor showed my daughters face to me, I was speechless. It was a moment of sheer bliss and happiness and more than anything contentment. However my son had the umbilical cord around his neck due to which he was blue. The doctors were not confident on his survival since he didn't cry so they shifted him to NICU and kept him on ventilator for 2 weeks. My son weighed 1.6 kgs and my daughter was 1.48 kgs but both were in NICU for a month.
February 19th 2016 - the day which changed mine and R's life forever. We turned into a family of 4 from 2 and completed us.
BTW - We named our princess as Aarohi and prince as Angad. Aarohi turned on her own today which was quite an achievement for us. Angad turned over last month twice and this month on August 19th, he turned again.
R had just left to our house. He was supposed to drop his parents to the railway station in the morning and come over. After minutes of deliberation, I was rushed to the hospital at 3am in full filmy style. 3 cars drove back to back to the hospital emergency section with my brothers screaming at the doctor ' Her water broke and she is in labour '. I was petrified thinking that there was time and honestly I didn't want to deliver so soon. I was praying that the doctor sends me home. But I was 3cm dilated. An emergency C-Sec was planned at 6am since my doctor was in middle of a delivery. It was further pushed to 8 AM. R rushed to the hospital with his parents and I had no clue why people around me were getting excited. I was given a baby monitor and asked to keep a check on it.
Again I was prepped and ready by 7am but the doctors asked R to step out of OT. Today in hindsight, I wish he was there to hold my hands and boost my spirit. I was wheeled in to the OT and there were fleet of doctors inside. The anesthesiologist was very polite. He held my hands and explained me the whole procedure which got over in 20 minutes flat. My lill princess made a grand entry into the world crying at 8:31AM and my prince at 8:33AM. When the doctor showed my daughters face to me, I was speechless. It was a moment of sheer bliss and happiness and more than anything contentment. However my son had the umbilical cord around his neck due to which he was blue. The doctors were not confident on his survival since he didn't cry so they shifted him to NICU and kept him on ventilator for 2 weeks. My son weighed 1.6 kgs and my daughter was 1.48 kgs but both were in NICU for a month.
February 19th 2016 - the day which changed mine and R's life forever. We turned into a family of 4 from 2 and completed us.
BTW - We named our princess as Aarohi and prince as Angad. Aarohi turned on her own today which was quite an achievement for us. Angad turned over last month twice and this month on August 19th, he turned again.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
August 15,2015 - The D Day !
Though the day today is August 17th, I fondly remember August 15th which changed my life for better. I discovered that my long cherished dream of becoming a mother came true but it was confirmed 2 days later. Today after a year, I look back at my nervous self sitting at the clinic. I prayed to all possible gods but what surprised me was that the doctor told me I am going to be mum to 2 instead of one. I went through series of emotions - hope, nervousness, despair etc. I didn't know what to emote since I was prepared only for one child. God probably heard me twice and granted me my most precious gifts in pair. My father who dropped me at the clinic had equally shocked reaction. All that he could muster is ' Lets go and eat something '. We had coffee in MTR and thought of strategy on how to break the news to the family. All our strategies went kaput coz dad could not control his emotion. But my mom and brother took time to understand our reactions. After 15 minutes of explaining, she finally squealed in happiness. My brother who is quiet and reserved jumped to hug me and it felt wonderful to see the joy on their faces.
This is something which I will always miss. I thought of waiting for R to come and share this news in person but it was too much of a wait. I could not wait that long and I just typed 3 words ' Good morning Dad '. Over skype we had to share this happiness which had eluded us this long. Though both of us wanted to be happy and share it with the world, we were being cautious also for many reasons -
a) Its twins and no one is sure till 3months go along
b) Its first time for us and we didn't want anything to go wrong.
Inlaws were next to know and as expected they were over the moon. MIL kept shedding happy tears hearing the news. My whole pregnancy was a delight. I had zero sickness, no cravings and absolutely healthy outlook. It was a dream pregnancy which included my dream photoshoot and baby showers etc. But manybe I got a little over excited and forgot to rest during my last trimester. my 8th month saw a lot of functions - baby shower- mum side and inlaw side and right after a week, my water broke. I was just 32 weeks and 4 days along.
This is something which I will always miss. I thought of waiting for R to come and share this news in person but it was too much of a wait. I could not wait that long and I just typed 3 words ' Good morning Dad '. Over skype we had to share this happiness which had eluded us this long. Though both of us wanted to be happy and share it with the world, we were being cautious also for many reasons -
a) Its twins and no one is sure till 3months go along
b) Its first time for us and we didn't want anything to go wrong.
Inlaws were next to know and as expected they were over the moon. MIL kept shedding happy tears hearing the news. My whole pregnancy was a delight. I had zero sickness, no cravings and absolutely healthy outlook. It was a dream pregnancy which included my dream photoshoot and baby showers etc. But manybe I got a little over excited and forgot to rest during my last trimester. my 8th month saw a lot of functions - baby shower- mum side and inlaw side and right after a week, my water broke. I was just 32 weeks and 4 days along.
Monday, August 01, 2016
Man Proposes God also proposes..
For people who know me and R, know now clearly that we are sort of borderline atheists. I am not saying that there is no God but I feel some super power guiding us. It so happened that I had to travel to Mumbai for work and R to Calcutta immediately after shifting our house. R was to join me post his work. I finished my work a day early and set off on Mumbai darshan. Top of my list was the Siddhi Vinayak temple also since it houses many eating joints nearby. Monsoon had just set in and it was pouring like crazy when I got down Dadar station. I got my token for darshan but as soon as I entered the sanctum, there was a mob of 100 people screaming 'ganpati bappa mourya'. I was pushed and cornered to a side and was about to get back, when a pandit lounged forward, took my offering and placed it in front of the idol. I didn't pay much attention since I was lost in my own thoughts and more importantly on how to get to the hotel safe and sound.
We finished our Mumbai tour and almost missing our return flight, made it to Bangalore. R left to US immediately after our return and I got busy in setting up our new home. It was gruelling running after labourers and finishing remaining work. I was completely occupied in construction of our house and finishing my work commitments. Never once I thought of my periods though I was late. A chat with a close friend reminded me on checking ...you know just incase.... Its all crystal clear - August 15th 2015...a day etched in my memory. Early morning 5am I nervously peed on a stick anticipating tears and heartache once again. One faint pink line and my stomach was to the floor. I was about to discard the stick and cry my lungs out when something prompted me to wait. A faint second line appeared and suddenly my hands were shivering....I could not believe my eyes and the negative self in me screamed '' Go check again. It must be a mistake.'' After 5 checks, I finally found myself grinning and smiling at the 2 strong pink lines which completed me.
We finished our Mumbai tour and almost missing our return flight, made it to Bangalore. R left to US immediately after our return and I got busy in setting up our new home. It was gruelling running after labourers and finishing remaining work. I was completely occupied in construction of our house and finishing my work commitments. Never once I thought of my periods though I was late. A chat with a close friend reminded me on checking ...you know just incase.... Its all crystal clear - August 15th 2015...a day etched in my memory. Early morning 5am I nervously peed on a stick anticipating tears and heartache once again. One faint pink line and my stomach was to the floor. I was about to discard the stick and cry my lungs out when something prompted me to wait. A faint second line appeared and suddenly my hands were shivering....I could not believe my eyes and the negative self in me screamed '' Go check again. It must be a mistake.'' After 5 checks, I finally found myself grinning and smiling at the 2 strong pink lines which completed me.
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Good News ! Or is it ?
So what happened these last 4 years ! Few ups and lots of downs if you ask me but that is just my pessimistic view.. Like all couples, R and me finally decided to expand our family but it was not all hunky dory. I guess in India a couple's life revolves around just one question 'When are you giving us the good news' ? I want to ask all the nosy uncles, aunties , extended family, friends and my house help - Isn't my happy relationship good news to all of you ? In fact why India, worldwide women are measured only on the basis of their marital status and their ability to reproduce. Rest doesn't matter
We weren't spared either. Family functions became painful, friends became alienated when they popped out their babies , relatives started getting peskier. The only saving grace was our folks who kinda respected our privacy. Else I would like have turned cuckoo by now. There were hints and advices thrown at us - visit this doctor, go to A, B,C temple, pray, fast and what not.... Somewhere the race caught on to both of us and in middle -R and me had catastrophic fights on this. His patience grew thin and my anxiety grew high. A loss in the family added on to it and precipitated the issue. Month on month we would wait eagerly for the good news but nothing happened. I must admit that it did take a toll on our relationship but we kept the communication lines open. I quote my gynaec here 'In the process of having a baby, don't lose each other. ' I guess we took it seriously. We talked about our priorities and kind of worked around it. I quit my job to reduce my stress levels but now in the hindsight, it was a wrong decision to make. So anyone reading this blog who are yet to get into the baby making business - please be as active as possible else your brain will turn into a devil's workshop in a jiffy. I would sit around the house trying to play the role of perfect home maker. Twiddling my thumbs, my days revolved around Facebook, twitter, and tons of pregnancy websites. Friends kept posting their happy pictures and conversations were only about their babies. Days would look bleak and nights silent... My life was on a complete standstill. I kept postponing all decisions - whether it is travel or shopping or even taking a holiday. Believe it or not - It has been 5 years since R and me took a holiday and boy do i need one now ! Around 2014- 2015, we decided to take a break from all the baby making business and left it to the supreme power. We consciously decided that if it has to happen it will happen no matter what. What we did not stop is regularly visiting our doctors. Those who know me - I am partially atheist and so is R. So our faith in science is equal to faith in God and religion. Around the same time last year, we shifted into our own house and in a month - Our lives turned topsy turvy.....
We weren't spared either. Family functions became painful, friends became alienated when they popped out their babies , relatives started getting peskier. The only saving grace was our folks who kinda respected our privacy. Else I would like have turned cuckoo by now. There were hints and advices thrown at us - visit this doctor, go to A, B,C temple, pray, fast and what not.... Somewhere the race caught on to both of us and in middle -R and me had catastrophic fights on this. His patience grew thin and my anxiety grew high. A loss in the family added on to it and precipitated the issue. Month on month we would wait eagerly for the good news but nothing happened. I must admit that it did take a toll on our relationship but we kept the communication lines open. I quote my gynaec here 'In the process of having a baby, don't lose each other. ' I guess we took it seriously. We talked about our priorities and kind of worked around it. I quit my job to reduce my stress levels but now in the hindsight, it was a wrong decision to make. So anyone reading this blog who are yet to get into the baby making business - please be as active as possible else your brain will turn into a devil's workshop in a jiffy. I would sit around the house trying to play the role of perfect home maker. Twiddling my thumbs, my days revolved around Facebook, twitter, and tons of pregnancy websites. Friends kept posting their happy pictures and conversations were only about their babies. Days would look bleak and nights silent... My life was on a complete standstill. I kept postponing all decisions - whether it is travel or shopping or even taking a holiday. Believe it or not - It has been 5 years since R and me took a holiday and boy do i need one now ! Around 2014- 2015, we decided to take a break from all the baby making business and left it to the supreme power. We consciously decided that if it has to happen it will happen no matter what. What we did not stop is regularly visiting our doctors. Those who know me - I am partially atheist and so is R. So our faith in science is equal to faith in God and religion. Around the same time last year, we shifted into our own house and in a month - Our lives turned topsy turvy.....
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
So today is the D-day - Inagurating my blog after 4 years again. So what made me stop writing ? Laziness, Work, No fresh thoughts - actually a whole lot of things which I will reveal in my subsequent posts to come. I promise to write juicy stuff and no boring life changing thoughts !... Lets start this journey with a few lines which I penned last night -
A miracle, I have been chasing
It chose to come at its own timing
I wonder... am I going to be nuturing
to 2 pieces of my heart,,that kept beating
I look up to the sky imagining
Our joyous future...this is just the beginning.....
A miracle, I have been chasing
It chose to come at its own timing
I wonder... am I going to be nuturing
to 2 pieces of my heart,,that kept beating
I look up to the sky imagining
Our joyous future...this is just the beginning.....
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Last sunday when R and me got extremely bored of watching the idiot box, we decided to watch a movie instead. Checked online for any good movie but got a heart attack instead seeing the prices. Rs 500 for JTJH ! Seriously !
Thats when i started checking out regional movies and 2 movies caught my attention - Thupaaki (Tamil-Vijay starrer) and Sangolli Rayanna (Kannada- Darshan starrer). Hubby showed complete lack of interest in the tamil movie though it was of his fav hero, we went ahead with the Kannada one. Here is what i thought of the movie -
Sangolli Rayanna - 3.5 hrs - Darshan,Jayapradha,Nikitha Thukral.
The movie is about a freedom fighter by name Sangolli Rayanna who was a commander in chief for Kittur army. The queen Rani Chennamma faces a dilemma in which the British are trying to ursurp her throne due to lack of biological heir. How Rani Chennamma and Rayanna wage the freedon war forms the crux of the story.
To start with - The movie has been shot well. Screenplay is excellent. The producers have selected right locations, used different kind of shots and spent time and energy to take each shot. The war sequences have been executed and shot brilliantly something which is extremely rare in Kannada movies. We have seen this kind of camera work in Mungaru Male after which it created a trend. This movie too will create a seperate path for cinematographers. Special kudos to Ramesh Babu - Cinematographer and producer Anand Appugol.
Direction - This is where the movie falls a bit here and there. The director - Naganna in attempt of creating a demi god status for Darshan, has gone out of his way to give him punch dialogues. You can see Darshan doing a la Sunny Deol in every frame. What happens after some time is - you lose interest because of the constant screaming. The director should understand that messages can be given in a subtle manner too and it is absolutely not neccessary to pump fists in air and stomp feet every 2 minutes.
The detailing and costumes of the movie are excellent and adds richness to the frame. The makers have done homework in terms of language and props used in the movie.
Acting - Darshan has done a very good job and lives upto the image of the late freedom fighter. Jayapradha too meets expectations but a special mention has to go to Umashri for playing Rayanna's mother. She lights up the screen and shows tremendous acting skill. A delight to watch indeed !
A noticeable flaw is where the British were depicted.It is comical to make foreigners speak Kannada. This is perhaps the only sore point because it decreased the movie's impact totally. The director and producers should take a cue from Aamir's - Lagaan where foreigners spoke in English and there was a Hindi translation imposed later.
Other actors include Sashikumar, Ramesh Bhat, Srinivas Murthy, Saurav,Avinash, Doddanna do complete justice to their roles.
Songs - Strictly ok but could have been avoided also especially the one which plays at a crucial point in the climax. This song could have been eliminated totally.
Overall - It is a movie which is def worth watching especially with family and children. What is even more appreciable is Kannada movie makers have finally arrived. Apart from the regular masala stuff, movie makers are finally giving due importance to script and are making off beat cinema. I am totally impressed with this change.
PS - The other thing which caught my attention is the narrative at the start and end of the movie. The director adds trivia - one of it is Sangolli Rayanna was born on 15th Aug, 1798 and died on 26th Jan 1831. Both the days are historic in nature - First was when India gained independence and second when India's constitution came into light. It seems when Rayanna was about to be hanged, he made a declaration that the British will flee India at mid night like cowards and just like he said, they did !
It was this thought which made me think and write this huge post ! A def thumbs up for this movie and highly highly recommended.
Thats when i started checking out regional movies and 2 movies caught my attention - Thupaaki (Tamil-Vijay starrer) and Sangolli Rayanna (Kannada- Darshan starrer). Hubby showed complete lack of interest in the tamil movie though it was of his fav hero, we went ahead with the Kannada one. Here is what i thought of the movie -
Sangolli Rayanna - 3.5 hrs - Darshan,Jayapradha,Nikitha Thukral.
The movie is about a freedom fighter by name Sangolli Rayanna who was a commander in chief for Kittur army. The queen Rani Chennamma faces a dilemma in which the British are trying to ursurp her throne due to lack of biological heir. How Rani Chennamma and Rayanna wage the freedon war forms the crux of the story.
To start with - The movie has been shot well. Screenplay is excellent. The producers have selected right locations, used different kind of shots and spent time and energy to take each shot. The war sequences have been executed and shot brilliantly something which is extremely rare in Kannada movies. We have seen this kind of camera work in Mungaru Male after which it created a trend. This movie too will create a seperate path for cinematographers. Special kudos to Ramesh Babu - Cinematographer and producer Anand Appugol.
Direction - This is where the movie falls a bit here and there. The director - Naganna in attempt of creating a demi god status for Darshan, has gone out of his way to give him punch dialogues. You can see Darshan doing a la Sunny Deol in every frame. What happens after some time is - you lose interest because of the constant screaming. The director should understand that messages can be given in a subtle manner too and it is absolutely not neccessary to pump fists in air and stomp feet every 2 minutes.
The detailing and costumes of the movie are excellent and adds richness to the frame. The makers have done homework in terms of language and props used in the movie.
Acting - Darshan has done a very good job and lives upto the image of the late freedom fighter. Jayapradha too meets expectations but a special mention has to go to Umashri for playing Rayanna's mother. She lights up the screen and shows tremendous acting skill. A delight to watch indeed !
A noticeable flaw is where the British were depicted.It is comical to make foreigners speak Kannada. This is perhaps the only sore point because it decreased the movie's impact totally. The director and producers should take a cue from Aamir's - Lagaan where foreigners spoke in English and there was a Hindi translation imposed later.
Other actors include Sashikumar, Ramesh Bhat, Srinivas Murthy, Saurav,Avinash, Doddanna do complete justice to their roles.
Songs - Strictly ok but could have been avoided also especially the one which plays at a crucial point in the climax. This song could have been eliminated totally.
Overall - It is a movie which is def worth watching especially with family and children. What is even more appreciable is Kannada movie makers have finally arrived. Apart from the regular masala stuff, movie makers are finally giving due importance to script and are making off beat cinema. I am totally impressed with this change.
PS - The other thing which caught my attention is the narrative at the start and end of the movie. The director adds trivia - one of it is Sangolli Rayanna was born on 15th Aug, 1798 and died on 26th Jan 1831. Both the days are historic in nature - First was when India gained independence and second when India's constitution came into light. It seems when Rayanna was about to be hanged, he made a declaration that the British will flee India at mid night like cowards and just like he said, they did !
It was this thought which made me think and write this huge post ! A def thumbs up for this movie and highly highly recommended.
'Man proposes and God disposes'- How true is this proverb ? Extremely in my case. As my previous posts suggest that i was having a fit on my 30th birthday. Incase you are wondering what did i do on the D-Day, well here it is and nothing short of an adventure
The day began at 12 am when my husband suprised me with a cake lit with magic candles ( for those who don't know R, it is BIG deal for him to make that effort of getting a cake ). The candles were supposed to be magic candles (ones which dont get blowed out) but it blew out immediately. After a good night rest, we were planning on doing something wild. My idea was to do something out of ordinary and really memorable BUT as looked out of the window, the weather was dull and gloomy. I was prancing around waiting for my bai to come and finish all chores. Bai decided to take off stating ill-health as a reason. In between the plan kept on changing and finally at 11am, I decide to get my hair done at a parlour. Just when i was stepping out of the house, clouds thundered and rain gods were at their best. Finally i make it to the parlour only to see my hair done half -heartedly. The only saving grace was my dress from Marks & Spencer which kinda made my day !
I come back home and switch on the TV only to get to know that Cyclone Nilam has hit Karnataka and the next 2 days its going to badger the city. Though it did kind of upset me, i was still ok trying to plan something for the evening. After much ado, we decide to go to a violin concert at Alliance Francaise which is a good 15 kms from my house. We left early inorder to reach the venue ontime but got stuck in heavy traffic for almost 2.5 hrs. By the time i reached the venue, i was wet and shivering desperately waiting for a shawl. The concert caught out attention for sometime and because our stomachs started disturbing the audience, we left hoping to have a quiet romantic dinner. We setlle down for Little Italy which is a fine dine Italian restaurant. With wine glasses clinking, hot pasta and garlic bread, we finally did what we had to - Enjoy our dinner and laugh on all the things gone wrong the whole day.
Though what ever my husband planned for me went wrong, what matters is his thought. It was def the most memorable birthday in an adventurous way ! Thank you R and Here's to the next 30 years......
The day began at 12 am when my husband suprised me with a cake lit with magic candles ( for those who don't know R, it is BIG deal for him to make that effort of getting a cake ). The candles were supposed to be magic candles (ones which dont get blowed out) but it blew out immediately. After a good night rest, we were planning on doing something wild. My idea was to do something out of ordinary and really memorable BUT as looked out of the window, the weather was dull and gloomy. I was prancing around waiting for my bai to come and finish all chores. Bai decided to take off stating ill-health as a reason. In between the plan kept on changing and finally at 11am, I decide to get my hair done at a parlour. Just when i was stepping out of the house, clouds thundered and rain gods were at their best. Finally i make it to the parlour only to see my hair done half -heartedly. The only saving grace was my dress from Marks & Spencer which kinda made my day !
I come back home and switch on the TV only to get to know that Cyclone Nilam has hit Karnataka and the next 2 days its going to badger the city. Though it did kind of upset me, i was still ok trying to plan something for the evening. After much ado, we decide to go to a violin concert at Alliance Francaise which is a good 15 kms from my house. We left early inorder to reach the venue ontime but got stuck in heavy traffic for almost 2.5 hrs. By the time i reached the venue, i was wet and shivering desperately waiting for a shawl. The concert caught out attention for sometime and because our stomachs started disturbing the audience, we left hoping to have a quiet romantic dinner. We setlle down for Little Italy which is a fine dine Italian restaurant. With wine glasses clinking, hot pasta and garlic bread, we finally did what we had to - Enjoy our dinner and laugh on all the things gone wrong the whole day.
Though what ever my husband planned for me went wrong, what matters is his thought. It was def the most memorable birthday in an adventurous way ! Thank you R and Here's to the next 30 years......
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
‘This is my last post as a 29 year old girl'.... Wanted to start my post saying this but then it felt too dark. If someone would read this, they would assume that I am no longer in this world. So I am going to beat around the bush and rant about me turning 30 tomorrow. So what is the 'big' deal in turning 30 and why are people around me not making it a 'BIGG' deal. While talking to a close acquaintance I was advised to finally 'Grow up' from today. My question is what am I now? Sitting on my couch, I am reminiscing 29 years of my life. So where do I start from -
Born on 31st Oct 1982 after mom suffered 2 days of labour pains, I was born and the family was overjoyed since I was the first child. Naturally and obviously, the most pampered one till my brother arrived 3 years later and the pampering got divided. I had rather have the most normal family and normal childhood which was full of day-dreaming, summer vacations, class tests and getting beaten up by mom once a day. The whole drama started when I entered the forbidden age - Teenage. Tried unsuccessfully to be a rebel but I had some fun in my own way. Bunked college to watch movies at 7 am in a dingy theatre, eating masala puri from a thela, one day trip outside Bangalore with friends without informing parents, creating extra classes out of nowhere, playing cupid for most of my friends, wearing my brothers clothes to college, having crush (es) on all hot seniors (who turned out be duds later), losing friends phew! What a phase. I can say though it was not all hunky dory but most memorable. Though it’s the most clichéd phrase that college years are best, for me it was!
As I entered my 20’s, I tried to act all grown up unsuccessfully again. Started working right after my graduation and meanwhile met my husband (friend then). Took parents for granted and hardly spent any time with family. Met new friends, made new relationships, kick started my career. Late nights parties, night shifts, office politics, re-thinking career path became the most important thing in my life. Naturally like all Indian parents, folks wanted me to settle down. I still thank god that there was no filmy drama when I revealed about my 'good friend'. To be honest I am still surprised that my parents understood and accepted the matter easily. Maybe they had their reservations but I never got to know. Then came the BIG FAT INDIAN WEDDING. This is where life takes a turning.
A new life, new family, new responsibilities on top of it A new city. Maybe I couldn’t digest so many new things so tried to resist as much as possible. In all this I never realized that 29 years of my life had already passed away so soon. Today when I look back, I see a lot of happy n sour moments, mistakes that could have been avoided, to be relationships which could have survived with time, friends who got lost due to lack of my effort to keep in touch, lost family time, guess the list never ends! Can’t I do it now? Of course I can. There would be no earth shaking moment when I turn 30. So while trying to stay optimistic,I would say this is again a new phase of my life which I live without any regrets.
PS - Maybe the only regret I will live is spotting of my 1st grey hair now and I am screaming my lungs out to my mom...
Born on 31st Oct 1982 after mom suffered 2 days of labour pains, I was born and the family was overjoyed since I was the first child. Naturally and obviously, the most pampered one till my brother arrived 3 years later and the pampering got divided. I had rather have the most normal family and normal childhood which was full of day-dreaming, summer vacations, class tests and getting beaten up by mom once a day. The whole drama started when I entered the forbidden age - Teenage. Tried unsuccessfully to be a rebel but I had some fun in my own way. Bunked college to watch movies at 7 am in a dingy theatre, eating masala puri from a thela, one day trip outside Bangalore with friends without informing parents, creating extra classes out of nowhere, playing cupid for most of my friends, wearing my brothers clothes to college, having crush (es) on all hot seniors (who turned out be duds later), losing friends phew! What a phase. I can say though it was not all hunky dory but most memorable. Though it’s the most clichéd phrase that college years are best, for me it was!
As I entered my 20’s, I tried to act all grown up unsuccessfully again. Started working right after my graduation and meanwhile met my husband (friend then). Took parents for granted and hardly spent any time with family. Met new friends, made new relationships, kick started my career. Late nights parties, night shifts, office politics, re-thinking career path became the most important thing in my life. Naturally like all Indian parents, folks wanted me to settle down. I still thank god that there was no filmy drama when I revealed about my 'good friend'. To be honest I am still surprised that my parents understood and accepted the matter easily. Maybe they had their reservations but I never got to know. Then came the BIG FAT INDIAN WEDDING. This is where life takes a turning.
A new life, new family, new responsibilities on top of it A new city. Maybe I couldn’t digest so many new things so tried to resist as much as possible. In all this I never realized that 29 years of my life had already passed away so soon. Today when I look back, I see a lot of happy n sour moments, mistakes that could have been avoided, to be relationships which could have survived with time, friends who got lost due to lack of my effort to keep in touch, lost family time, guess the list never ends! Can’t I do it now? Of course I can. There would be no earth shaking moment when I turn 30. So while trying to stay optimistic,I would say this is again a new phase of my life which I live without any regrets.
PS - Maybe the only regret I will live is spotting of my 1st grey hair now and I am screaming my lungs out to my mom...
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Monday, April 02, 2012
After a long hiatus,I decided to open my blog again by glancing through an online shopping site called Shopo.in (http://shopo.in/). Since the theme is ' A Summer Secret ', i started rummaging through all my memories associated with Summer.What is the first thing which strikes as soon as the word 'Summer' is said ? - For some it is hot weather , for boys it means looking at girls in short dresses and for me it means vacations. Let me share a fond memory which i fondly recall now.
Date - March 98
I was in my last year of school and all my friends were preparing for our board exams.We were tensed,excited,nervous and little sad with the thought of our future. Autograph books were exchanged,phone numbers and photographs were given and we made tall promises of keeping in touch till eternity. There was a particular boy whom i am naming as N. He was tall,lanky,silent and brooding types. Though we just said hello at start and end of day, most of the times i used to get paired with him for assignments. N was good at mathematics and science which was a huge pain area for me. On the day of our Science practical exams, I was asked to complete an experiment with H2SO4(sulphuric acid).I tried remembering the steps but was stuck right at the beginning.Images of all possible gods flashed in front of me and i was cursing my fate.As luck would have it,N sneaked into the lab like a knight in shining armour.He slid a small piece of paper and even passed on few tips.Within no time i completed and passed my practicals too.
Its not like we became great friends after this incident but i did ask him why did he take so much of a risk for me? Till date i remember his answer -' Do you remember our fight last year.I felt guilty since then but didn't know how to say sorry.This is my way of saying sorry'. Thanks to N,i passed that dreadful science practicals with decent scores.On the last day of our school,i walked upto him but didn't know what to say.We parted without saying a word but after a few years i met him on a social networking site.
Everytime i see pictures of school graduation day,i remember N - a friend who never had to prove his friendship for me but remains a dear friend till date.
Thankyou Shopo for giving me an excuse to recall this incident -
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Friday, December 23, 2011
Winter brings in many hidden pleasures.The weather is soothing for a change.One can indulge in all sinful delights.Oct- Dec are my fav months. For a change i can see colleagues in office completely covered :)a stark contrast to their revealing outfits daily.I can really enjoy my cuppa of caffeine everyday without feeling bloated or guilty.Mornings are dewy with light mist,afternoons are breezy best enjoyed with fresh filter coffee and hot pakoras, evenings strolling around lanes and nights indulging in hot chocolate curled up in bed with a nice book.Is it really OTT to say, '' Winters bring out the best in everyone and every thing ''. I don't think so.....
Thursday, December 08, 2011
So i am keeping up my promise of updating my blog regularly. Last week has been primarily hectic due to work,social life,personal life UFF ! I don't know how i managed to get past it. Had my friends come over from different states and visit me.A particular incident triggered me to vent it out on my blog. Amongst one group of friends there are 2 people who absolutely hate each other. Both of them cant stand each other and completely ignore when we catch up. However its the rest of the group is getting divided unknowingly. My question to both of them is - Why cant both of you just continue ignoring each other without making it difficult for the rest of the group ?. My loyalties was divided. I know that both of them are right in their own ways.
You do come across so many different people in your life. Can you take all of them seriously?Hell no.. Whats the fun in having similar personality people as your friends. One learns how to be more adaptable,giving and understanding when you meet more people. I wish both of them get the group dynamics right and maintain it well !
You do come across so many different people in your life. Can you take all of them seriously?Hell no.. Whats the fun in having similar personality people as your friends. One learns how to be more adaptable,giving and understanding when you meet more people. I wish both of them get the group dynamics right and maintain it well !
Friday, November 11, 2011
Though i was thinking of posting on my trip from a long time, i wanted to do it today just because of the fancy date of 11/11/11. Maybe one day when i am old,i can read my posts and relive this moment.From now onwards i am going to be gloating big time. Goa was beautiful but what was special was my bday. I thought its going to be just another day coz R forgot to wish me in the morning. Me was getting ready to step out and when i came down to the lobby, there was a cake with a lit candle. R with the entire hotel staff sang' Happy Bday song '. I had not celebrated my bday with R like that ever.Second surprise was when we were roaming with P & P in Mumbai - Inorbit Mall, Malad. He gifted me this real cool Casio Sheen watch which just costed around 7 K. I was floored with this but what touched my heart is his want to do things special. After 9 yrs of being together, you do take each other for granted. I just like being loved and being in love.
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