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New Year Resolutions

First week of January. It is that time of the year, right? Have resolutions, then have selective amnesia, only to remember them by the start of the next year and repeat the cycle all over again. I have a friend who paid for an annual gym subscription at the start of every year for three consecutive years, only to visit the gym half a dozen times. You could even say he went there only to pay the subscription fee if you’re willing to round it off. From my learning about his approach and experiences in the first year, I did foretell and warn him not to make further investments when he was going to renew his membership for the next couple of years. Apparently, gyms thrive on such subscriptions. I am sure they can hardly accommodate all the New Year resolution joinees if they actually became regulars. But he did understand all of that. His theory was that once the payment was made, the idea of not wasting money would motivate him to make regular visits to the gym. Making the payment was his...
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Kishkindha Kanda

 What does Kishkindha Kanda mean? It is a section or chapter in Kishkindha, the mythical kingdom of monkeys, in the journey of Rama in search of Sita—his journey towards self-realization and truth. In this movie as well, people living in a kingdom surrounded by monkeys are on a never-ending journey towards self-realization and truth, or what they perceive to be the truth. Throughout the movie, there is an underlying theme of a quest: a quest for a lost gun, a quest for a lost child, and a quest for lost memory. Interestingly, neither the gun nor the child was ever lost—nor was the memory, if we look at it that way. Appu Pillai repeatedly finds ways to retrieve his lost memory but prefers to literally burn it and repeat the journey all over again. We easily notice that the character Appu Pillai goes through this cycle repeatedly. But aren't the other two lead characters doing the same? Both are on a quest to find the child, though they take different journeys. One knows the truth, w...
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Bramayugam

 friend of mine recently asked, why it is that no one is able to dethrone big Ms of the industry. Though I don't agree to a throne concept, there is no denying the fact that they have been a part of our collective consciousness for the past four decades or so. As to why part, it has got to do with the body of their work. Diverse characters and genres of movies they had done so far. And when it comes to choice of characters, none recently has done it better than Mr Mammooty. Bramayugam is one such movie. It is a tale from folklores, and it is in black and white.  Movies that encapsulate legends from yesteryears is always a captivating watch. Thevan, fleeing from war, unwittingly walks into a ruined house owned by Kudamon Potti, the last surviving member of a bloodline known for dark magic. Trapped within, Thevan's attempt to escape and the supernatural elements he encounters form the crux of the movie. The narrative is also about the hardships faced by the underprivileged and ...
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Anveshippin kandethum

  It's relatively easy to review bad movies. Ok to good movies are often hard to write about. I am talking about the kind of movies that neither disappoint nor particularly excite. I felt this film falls into that category.  Anveshippin kandethum is actually the sum of its parts. The story of first half doesn't have much to do with story of second. They could have both existed on their own. At the end of the first half, I was wondering what's left to investigate. Actually there was none, it was totally a new investigation altogether. Movie is about two different investigations done by same team in different circumstances. Possibly a first of its kind in that regard.  As the character, a policeman by profession chef by hobby, rightly pointed out, in a real life scenario an actual investigator, in terms of the complexity, would possibly find  the first case easier to solve, compared to the second one, if not for the ulterior motives of the senior officials. But however...
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Valiban

 It has its moments, but Valiban isn't everyone's cup of tea. Following a string of mediocre movies, there was considerable anticipation for an LJP-Mohanlal collaboration, with expectations running high for the actor to stage a strong comeback. Statements made during the promotions set expectations even higher. It weighed the movie down. People possibly went to the theater expecting a swashbuckling Valiban but didn't get it in adequate quantity. Movies worse than this have garnered better numbers. I am not saying the movie is without its flaws, but it has to be said it received more flak than it deserves. The movie tells the story of a warrior, drifting from place to place, looking for worthy opponents to fight for both thrill and money. It carries the flavors of old folklore stories we all grew up listening to. The story unfolds in an unknown place and time, vivid with colorful characters, with a blend of Western and Japanese samurai influences, paying homage to those genr...
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Food

 Food is a memory. I am not sure it is the right usage. But food do have some connection with creating good memorable moments in life. Good food or having food with right set up of people is always memorable. Certain foods evoke memories as well.  I recently had neypathiri and beef stew from Sona restaurant in MG road Cochin. Food was good. it was with right set of people. And it did revoke a sweet childhood memory.  When I was young, we hardly frequented restaurants like we do these days. It was mostly on occasions like festivals or celebrations. Having food from restaurants was always enjoyable.  My father and I, normally walked back to our home after buying groceries. On one such occasion, as we were returning home, a sweet aroma from a restaurant made me stop in my tracks. My father noticed me standing infront of the restaurant. Slight tilt of the head and flared nostrils possibly indicated what I wanted. With a smile he took me inside the restaurant. And we con...
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നിശബ്ദത

                        മുത്തശ്ശൻ ക്ലോക്കിൽ മണി പന്ത്രണ്ട് അടിച്ചു. മഴ പെയ്തു ഒഴിഞ്ഞിട്ടുണ്ട്. ഇറ്റു വീഴുന്ന വെള്ളതുള്ളികളും ഇടയ്ക്കുള്ള ചീവീടിന്റെ ശബ്ദവും ഒഴിച്ചാൽ ചുറ്റിലും എങ്ങും നിശബ്ദത. എല്ലാവരും ഉറങ്ങി തുടങ്ങി.   ഒരാൾ മാത്രം ഉറക്കമൊഴിച്ച് കാത്തിരിപ്പുണ്ട്. പൂർണ്ണമായ നിശബ്ദതക്കു വേണ്ടി. ഇന്നത്തെ ജോലി അതീവ ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ ചെയ്യേണ്ടത് ആണ്, അതിനു പരിപൂർണ്ണ നിശബ്ദത അയാള്ക്കു ആവശ്യമുണ്ടു. ശബ്ദം ഉണ്ടാക്കാതെ അയാൾ കുറച്ചു കൂടെ കാത്തിരുന്നു. പതിയെ ചീവിടുകളും ഉറക്കത്തിലായെന്നു തോന്നുന്നു.  ഒരു ശബ്ദവും കേൾക്കാനില്ല. സന്തോഷത്തോടെ അയാൾ എഴുന്നേറ്റു. തന്റെ പക്കലുള്ള ചെറിയ വെട്ടം അയാൾ തെളിയിച്ചു, ചുറ്റിലും നോക്കി. ഇല്ല അപകടം ഒന്നും ഇല്ല. കാലത്തു നോക്കി വച്ചിരുന്ന വീടിനടുത്തേക്ക് അയാൾ പതിയെ ചെന്നു. പതുങ്ങി ഇരുന്നു കുറച്ചു നേരം അയാൾ  കാതോർത്തു. ശബ്ദമൊന്നും കേൾക്കുന്നില്ല. എല്ലാവരും നല്ല ഉറക്കത്തിലാണ്. ജനവാതിൽ തുറന്നു നേരത്തെ ഇളക്കി മാറ്റിയിരുന്ന ജനൽ കമ്പികളുടെ വിടവിലൂടെ ശ്രദ...
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