Food for thought

Brahmana Bhojanapriya: — so goes an adage in Sanskrit. But, I consider everyone as a bhojanapriya (lover of food). No, this is not going to be a churn-out-a-new recipe post. And, sitting in the Commodities desk, I cannot but crib about the crop prospects and monsoonal vagaries. and, I'm not gonna give any big numbers (like most typical biz journos. Hope our 'thala' takes it in the lighter vein!).
Weather plays a prime role in any crop harvest and so let's connect weather systems with foodgrain output first. Let’s look at the global scenario: hot summer (unusually) in the US (lower supplies of corn, rice wheat), drought in Russia, Brazil (hitting grains), heavy rains wreaking havoc in Canada and Europe (affecting grain and oilseed crops to a large extent).
A global food crisis situation looms large. As soon as the US’ corn stockpiles hit a 14-yr low, prices hit the upper circuit at Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), the world’s biggest futures exchange and as such, prices of agri commodities rose in tandem in Europe. If this price rise continues, food inflation woes will get worser. And this is likely to be aggravated by the entry of speculators who may push up the prices further.
Coming to India, we are, this year, blessed with one of our best agricultural years and record grain stocks. But the blessing seems to have a great flaw — inefficient food management system. We are saddled with a double-digit food inflation while a huge chunk of foodgrains rot in public warehouses. Rigid formulae and archaic rules (such as the disbursement of grain to States thro’ PDS a year is based on the average offtake for the preceeding three years. This was actually framed to release the grains ca
refully during times of shortage. But now, this seems to be an outdated law but yet it prevails) hinder the govt to quickly release grain to overcome crisis situations. Although the Economic Survey and experts like Pronab Sen offer a handy solution in the form of food coupons, again, one wonders whether it will be as successful here in India as in other developing countries given our inefficient and not-so-transparent governance!

Faded out

Used to be an avid movie-watcher. But these days the interest seems to be fading out. thanks to "real" cinemas - violence and sex hits on ur face. Another in thing seems to be the new-found interest on rural subjects. Started with kunguma poovum konjum puravum, I think. and then there were scores of films on dealing with rural storyline - new 'heroes' with an unshaven face and unkempt 'parattai' thalai to give a rustic look. Whoa! All the faces seem to be alike and not to mention the heroines (barring Priyamani) with their 'thiruttu' muzhi. All these faces sport a look - suttu potalum enakku nadikka varaadhu! Don't know who imposed such a rule. Look at the 80s movies, majority of them dealt with rural storyline, but the heroes looked good with a shaven face, if not nice - Rajini (Murattu kaalai, Thambikku entha ooru), Kamal (Sakala kala vallavan, ullasa paravaigal - ok semi-urban).

Another noticeable thing is the missing sets - yes, those masjestic ones that evoked a sense of grandeur to any song. we use(d) to watch MGR songs keenly for those superb sets as in - Raajavin paarvai, Anbe vaa (title song), aayiram nilave vaa, azhagiya tamil maghal ival, etc... Next to him, I think kamal hassan. Romantic songs of his early masala movies contained this element - Kaadhal Parisu, Kaaki Sattai.(My uncle says TR's songs too sported good sets but i don't think i'll watch a full-grown bear doing exercise.) These days pan the cam to Alps 'adivaram' or US with the hero fully covered and the heroine scantily dressed shivering and shaking legs (i dono whether it is a dance form or really shivering) in minus temp. I think the last time we saw 'set' is in Shivaji (Vaa ji vaaji song) grandly erected for a thatha-pethi bath scene (Lol!)

Aayirathil Oruvan

M G R - the name itself has got some charisma there. Even after many years of his death his legacy lives and rules. Okay, happy being an MGR fan but at the same time very much frustrated when everyone uses his name as their self-rewarded 'adaimozhi'. In Mylapore, i see the walls near RK Mutt painted a picture of some moron with the letters "Chinna MGR". And near Royapettah - a 10 min drive from Mylapore, I see a famous actor-turned-politician being called as Vaazhum Karuppu MGR (Enna kodumai sir idhu!).

It all started with Bhagyaraj being proclaimed as MGR's filmdom heir (God knows on what basis!). Can any of these guys compete with MGR in beauty, talent, statecraft, screen presence and mass appeal. I know, some sick perverts will tend to see only his affinity, at a later stage of his career, towards his heroines. Leave that. Compare that "bewitched, enigmatic" (as described by ex-DGP Mohnadas in his book MGR-nijamum nizhalum), bunny-teethed smile with the 'asadu vazhiyum' sirippu of these guys. Look at the mass appeal the man had and still has! Still his re-released films run to packed houses and he still lives in many huts.

Even in statecraft he is second to none. He efficiently tackled the Naxals issue in Dharmapuri during the 80s (to tell in his 'dosth' MK's tone - andai maanilangalana Andhravai paarungal, pongu maangkadal ulla vangathai paarungal, oyindhu poi vitta orissavai parungal :-P ). and when the teachers threatened to go on strike demanding salary hike (as always) during the public exam time, he handled with great ease and put them in place. He has never acted in smoking/drinking scenes barring Thirudathey and Oli Vilakku.

PS: For these morons, one small piece of advice - y stop wid Chinna mgr or karuppu mgr? Go on, silly fellas - kutty mgr, kuttiyoondu mgr, dhammathoondu mgr, ithunoondu mgr, thakkanoondu mgr.......

Bharathi en kaadhalan

Being an ardent fan of Shri Krishna (mind, not a devotee) and an amateur singer, I like Oothukaadu Venkata Subbaiyer & Subramanya Bharathi for their wonderful compositions on Lord Krishna. While the former envisions the Lord as 'Vishamakkara kannan' with a 'paal vadiyum mugam', as his lover, as the powerful Creator the latter envisions Him as his lover and even his servant (Kannan en sevakan). And on Ganesha Chaturthi when I was doing pooja & singing some songs in praise of Ganapathi, I sang Bharathi's 'enakku vendum varangalai'. And when I was towards the last line (Ganakkum Selvam nooru vayadhu ivaiyum thara nee kadavaye), my eyes welled up with tears over the fact that the composer didn't get any of the boons he asked for (in fact, the great poet led his life in poverty and died at an young age)... And suddenly, after completing the song, in a fit of anger I was shouting to our clay Vinayakar - "Andha nalla manushan kettadhe tharalai; nan kekaradha thaana nee tharapora?" People @ home were surprised -"just now u did all the poojais & kozhukattais and in a jiffy u have put on an atheist role". I dinna bother. Yes, I was a little bit angry over the muzhu-mudhal kadavul for not granting Bharathi with his boons.
A revolutionary poet he was, he saw beauty everywhere; in each of his creations. "Ethanai kodi inbam veiththaai iraiva". And he even sees beauty in the striking contrast of God's creations thus: "Chiththinai Achiththu udan Inaiththai Anghu Serum Aymbhoodathin Viyanulagu amaiththai" (You have created knowledge and ignorance together ; in that creation you have set the beauty in the 5 elements of Nature). A good musician by himself, he composed several classical songs and set them to tune in various ragas. He originally set his famous "Chinnanchiru kiliye kannamma" in Bhairavi raga but that was popularised in Ragamalika and in his work Bharatha Deviyin Dasagam he has composed hymns in 10 (Dasa - 10) different ragas! His words "Aayudham seivom, kaagidham seivom" have become true now.
And for such a visionary national poet, what has the Nation done? The Govt woke up from its woodchuck-ish slumber only in 1993 and brought his Triplicane home from a marwari (who had already embellished the house with granites/marbles like garnishing their ghee-laden sweets with pista/cashew gratings :-P) and then "renovated" (?!) it. Fie!

Enakku Vendum Varangalai Isaipen Nee Kelayi Ganapathi
Manadhil Sanchalam Illamal En Mathiyil Iruley Thondramal
Naan Ninaikkum Pozhudhu Nin Mouna Nilai Vandhida Nee Seyal Vendum
Ganakkum Selvam , Nooru Vayathu , Ivaiyum Thara Nee Kadavaye

( Oh Ganapathi ! Will you listen to my Boons; Without any anxieties and without darkness in my mind; Whenever I desire you shall give me your state of silence; Till then its your duty to bestow me with heavy wealth to survive in this material world and a 100 years of life)

SUJATHA & KARUNA

"Arasaanga saapadu, arasaanga TV, arasaanga kaelikkaigal, arasaanga marundhu, ellaame arasinudaiyathu; naamellam enngal (numbers) thaan" - so goes a line in Sujatha's En Iniya Endhira.

I'm not a great fan of Sujatha. I read La Sa Ra, Thi Ja, Jeyakaanthan, Cho, Devan. But this line, I struck a chord with. Sujatha's lines hold good with today's situation (arasaanga TV - Sun, kalaignar; arasaanga sapadu - Re 1 rice; arasanga kaelikkaigal - Red giant, cloud 9, sun pictures, kalaignar pictures; arasaanga marundhu - kalaignar kaapeedu). And Mathi (of Dinamani fame) portayed this in his cartoon and drew flak from thatha. MK is overreacting these days with his regular TM words - paarpanrgal soozhchi, poonol pottorin aatchi, aariya maayaiyin neetchi. Doesn't know to differentiate between literature and politics. In a literature gathering, he speaks politics and in a political gathering he will speak about literature/cinema and his contribution blowing his 'vuvuzela' loudly. We suggest MK visit a geriatrician and retire, plssss.

Back to Sujatha, methinks he has some soft corner towards breasts. In each and every work of his, he describes the beauty, esply breasts of his lead ladies - Priya (aval parandha maarbin mel sadhurangame vilayadalam pol irundadhu), Meghangalai thurathinavan (rathnavin meth endra andha edathil mugam pudhaikka vendum endrirundhadhu), En iniya endhira (pointing out at bra - enaku indha ullani elaam anindhu pazhakam illai.Man- naan eppedho adhai parthu vittaen), Meendum Jeeno (kuzhandai pirandhal lactation ku payanpadum idhanaal veru evvalavu payangal irukkiradhu - the dog wondering so), etc.

PS: Hubby dear likes Sujatha the most. Should ferret out why?! LOL. Infact hubby was planning to intervu him, alas, he kicked d bucket!

Rajavin Raajangam

August 14,2010 - a day that I'll never forget in my lifetime. Met the great Ilaiyaraja (chellama 'mottai') and wowed by his simplicity. Actually, it was a book release function - Sangeetha Saagaram Semmangudi authored by Shankar Venkatraman on Semmangudi R Srinivasa Iyer. I owe my heartfelt gratitude to my darling S'mani (:-P) for taking me to the event.
The venue was Kamakoti Hall at Krishna gana sabha. The hall looks simple and elegant with acoustically designed walls. But what impressed me most was the portraits of musicians such as the Trinity, Swati Tirunaal with an inset picture of their 'ankita' mudra!!!
And when I was awed by it, Hubby dear, a classical music ignoramus that he is, enquired and I started explaining. For eg, Swati Tirunaal portrait carried an inset pic of Anantha Padmanabha swamy and Annamayya's carried Lord Venkateswara. Some of the composers and their ankita mudras are:
Tyagaraja - tyagaraja
shyama sastri - shyamakrishna
Muthuswami Dikshitar - Guruguha
Muthiah bhagavathar - harikesa
Papanasam Sivan - Ramadasa
Purandara Dasa - Purandara vittala
St Vadiraja - hayavadana....
and Ilaiyaraja's - Raja!
Here are some of the songs containing his 'ankita'- Raja rajadhi rajan indha raja (Agni Nakshatram), raagangal thaalangal nooru raja un per sollum paru (Valaiiyosai from Kamal-starrer Sathya), poongatru soodaachu rajaave yaar moochu (nan thedum from Dharmapathini, an excellent work in Hindolam), rajavin mutham kollum rojapoo kannam (poongaatru un per solla from Vetri vizha), rajanodu rani vandhu serum (Sathi leelavathi) etc.
The range of ragas that IR handled is simply stunning - from the very ubiquitious Kalyani (amma endrazhaikkadha, kaatril varum geethame), rare Chakravaaha (metti oli kaatrodu, poongatre neeyum) to the rarest Andolika (raaman aandalum raavanan aandalum).
An interesting thing I heard in the event - Semmangudi mama had only two pictures in his room, lord Balaji of Tirupathi and our own IR! And once when he was asked why Raja's picture in his room, Semmangudi replied: "Ivar talkie musicoda doctor da, ivar padam illama eppadi?"

Aamra tomake bhalo bhashi, didi!

Well, enough is enough.. It's an accident, it's a disaster, dats all... People speak as if Mamata didi has conspired against her own customers (okie, passengers). People, from their dusted memories, recollect Lal Bahadur Shastri's resignation in 1956 following a train accident that killed around 150 passengers near Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu and demand Mamata didi to do the same. An interview (of course, imaginary) with didi and here we go.

Reporter: ma’m people quote history and demand your resignation. What’s your take on it?
Mamata: I too know history. I too have read about Nero, Louis XIV, etc.

R: There is an accusation that you hardly visit New Delhi’s Rail Bhavan and you are often seen in Bengal?
M: Home is where heart is.

R(taken aback): Ma’m we found out that as many as 20,000 posts lined to railway safety lie vacant.
M: Just now an accident occurred. We are speaking to the victims’ relatives. The more train accidents and casualties, the more the rate of compensation and job disbursement. So, we will be able to fill these 20000 vacancies soon, I think. My aim is to create a super-rich class of Railway employees in the society.

Reporter goes speechless and faints.