Learn Tulu Online : Part 7 - Learning through Tulu Songs, Movies and Celebrity Talks!

Learning a language can be fun. Listening to songs, watching plays/movies of the particular language help us learn faster since in doing so we not only learn the tongue but also enjoy the performance. Also, one can  learn the pronunciation of words and the accent. Isn't it the way we learnt Hindi apart from the lessons at school? Well, now I present to you clippings of some of the well known songs, movies and plays in Tulu. Hope you enjoy these videos and pick up Tulu quickly! Also, I would like to add the video of Aishwarya Rai speaking in her mother tongue Tulu, which should serve as an inspiration to those who want to learn Tulu!

Song : Dennana Dennana
Translation : You can find the translation of the Dennana Dennana song in English here.
Film : RangiTaranga (Kannada)
Background : RangiTaranga was a blockbuster movie in Kannada in 2015, which had a Tulu song, Dennana Dennana, which became very popular. Here's the video of Dennana Dennana song from RangiTaranga!

Song : Pakkilu Mooji onje goodudu badukonduge.

Translations : Kannada - hakkigalu mooru onde goodinalli badukkattive

English : 3 birds are living in a nest

Film : Pagetha Puge (translations : Kannada - Hageya Hoge, English : Smoke of Hatred)

Background : This song depicts the happy family of 3 birds in a nest. The younger one is acquiring wings and   family is leading a happy life. Rest of the song is about the conversation between husband and wife regarding their child. Here's Kannada singer B R Chaya and Ravishankar singing Pakkilu Mooji onje goodudu badukonduge.

Aishwarya Rai speaking in Tulu : Following is the video of Aishwarya Rai, former Miss World and popular Bollywoord actress, speaking in Tulu at Kannada Rajyotsava function in Mumbai on November 14, 2007.

Here is the translation of what Aishwarya Rai spoke in Tulu on that day - "Thank you all for welcoming me with your love and affection. I could not attend this function all these years because of my busy schedules. This year, organizers had informed my father about the function, 4 months in advance. I thought this is the best occasion to attend along with my husband. Definitely this programme would have been recorded. I would carry a cassette / CD of this function and show it to my husband. He was telling how children gave a good cultural programme today, showcasing our culture."

Suniel Shetty : Popular Bollywood action hero, who was born in Mulki near Mangalore, spoke in Tulu when he came to Vishwa Tulu Sammelano(World Tulu Convention) in 2009.

Here is the translation of what Suniel Shetty spoke when he came to Ujire - "Whoever is present here is part of my family. My fellow Tuluvas, I am very happy to come here and see all the arrangements (in this grand function). You have put in a lot of efforts under the leadership of Anna (Dharmashree Veerendra Heggade, head of Dharmasthala temple trust) and done a wonderful job. I feel that this work should have been done long ago! But I am very happy today seeing this. Nobody is there anywhere who puts in efforts like we do. We have established ourselves in whichever part of the world we have gone. But we have not ignored our language! We should come to our native(Tulu Nadu) every year twice or thrice and celebrate our culture!

Shilpa Shetty : Shilpa Shetty visited her native near Mangalore after marriage. Here is the translation of what Shilpa Shetty spoke to media persons that day - "I wanted to come to my native place to seek blessings but I could not come immediately after my marriage. But I have come now after making time amidst my busy schedule. Also, my mom used to tell that we need to visit our native place from a long time. So, we came here. We visited our places of worship - Nagasthala, Bhuta Sthanas (of Jaarendaya, Mesandaya, Sathyavathi, Anna Panjurli). We visited Kateel temple before coming here."

Then the media person asked 'What is special about Kateel Temple?' for which Shilpa Shetty replied - "I believe a lot in Goddess of Kateel temple (Sri Durgaparameshwari). My grand mother(doDDa) used to believe too. So, I have continued that! Even I have a photo of the Goddess in my pooja room (in Mumbai). Culture of Mangalore is deep-rooted in me and I continue to follow that. Then she said "My husband accompanies me in these visits. He has no choice but to come with me and even he is very religious." Shilpa had visited during the time of Cricket World Cup in 2011. So she was asked by the reporters to predict the winner of the cricket world cup! For that, Shilpa answered saying Firstly, India need to win the semi-finals against Pakistan. It is not my prediction but my wish! What else - if India wins the world cup everyone is happy. Even I pray for that to happen! Incidentally, India won the world cup in 2011 and made everyone happy!

Ee Daane Mulu, Yeregavuye Kirikiri : This is the popular dialogue from the 2015 Tulu movie, Ekka Saka, which is creating a buzz  these days in social media. Translation of the phrase is 'Why are you here?(ee daane mulu). Who would want that trouble/nuisance?(yeregavuye kirikiri). To find out more about this phrase, please click here.

Conductor Training School : Now its time for some comedy! Private buses are the life line of people of Mangalore. Following clipping shows a 'conductor training school', where a bus conductor demonstrates how he will attract the passengers by telling the names of the places where the bus will stop. Its really funny, enjoy watching the video!

Learn Tulu Kannada Online : Part 6 - Tulu Kannada Idioms, Sayings with Translations

Idioms form integral part of any language and add spice to the speech. In this part of Learn Tulu series, I am making an effort to put down idioms I know in Tulu language. There are few now and I hope to add more in the future. You can use these phrases in your speech to surprise your Tulu speaking friends :) More importantly, do let me know your opinion on this write up! Also, find the audio guide for this lesson below.
Tulu : bittilda dai yepala mardatt ge.
Kannada : hittala gida maddalla.
English : Literal translation - herb in your backyard is not the medicine. This idiom refers to the attitude of people who ignore the solutions which they already have(like their own ideas or ideas suggested by people at home) and seek external advice.

Tulu : dasme popunavule muchchune, kumbuDa popunavule budpune.
Kannada : saasive nashTa taDedrante, kumbalakaayina hange biTTrante.
English : Literal translation - stopping the mustard wastage leaving aside the wastage of pumpkin! Penny wise, pound foolish.

Tulu : mooleD ittna maDu nu kaar g paaDlekane.
Kannada : moolelidda koDalina kaal mele haakkonDrante.
English : Literal translation - hurting one's leg with the axe at the corner. This explains us how people knowingly invite trouble.

Tulu : notna peTT maaju, panDi paatera maajand.
Kannada : hodeda etannu mareyabahudu, helida maatannu mareyalaagadu.
English : Literal translation - physical wounds will heal but not the scars made by harsh words.

Tulu : pagel guDDeD paterre balli, irl illal paterre balli.

Kannada : hagalu beTTadalli maataaDbaardu, iruLu maneli maataaDbaardu.
English : Literal translation - Don't speak in the hills in day time and in the night, don't speak at home. This conveys that people will always be around to overhear your conversations.

Tulu : konDeda baayi muchcholi, anDeda baayi muchchere balli.

Kannada : loTada baayi muchchabahudu, doDDa handeya baayi muchchalaagadu.

English : Literal translation - you can close the bowl with a lid but cannot shut the mouth of the big cylinder. This conveys one cannot stop the spread of rumors amoung people.

Tulu : neendere teerandinaaye kedukku laayti leka.

Kannada : eeju baaradava kerege haarida haage.

English : Literal translation - like the one who jumps to the river without knowing how to swim. This refers to people who jump to something without knowing the basics.

Questions from Landmark Quiz 2011 Bangalore

• A daffodil with scientific name Narcissus poeticus, also called ___ in Persian is the name of the 7 billionth baby born - Nargis
• Picture - painting of Jesus Christ - what is the popular form of imagery called ? - Good Shepherd
• Which is the highest grossing bollywood movie with the figure of 189 crores? - 3 Idiots.
• What is special about F1 tracks in Brazil, Singapore and Abu Dhabi? - Here, the circuits run anticlockwise.
• Kalidasa - Asti Kaschit Vagvisheshah - asked by his wife - his works - Kumarasambhavam, Raghuvamsham and Meghaduta - start with Asti, Kaschit, Vagvisheshah respectively.
• Music - BEATLES - grey album - Jay 2 Black album of beatles
• Audio/Video - Hollywood - Wilhelm Scream - first in 1951 movie Distant Drums
  
• Discoverer of animal electricity - Luigi Galvani - Novel based on this phenomenon - Frankenstein
• Episode from Ramayana at Kodandarama temple, Hampi - coronation ceremony of Sugreeva
• Fulgurite - fossilized lightening - formed at 1800 degree Celsius
• Export from Louisiana to Europe - cash crop - after 18th century planter turned to sugar, cotton, tobacco - which crop ? Indigo
• Video - 2 songs - guess the third - non-English songs to win an Oscar - 3rd one - Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire
• Figure of 8 in F1 track - Suzuka Circuit, Japan
• F1 - The car is guided into its pit by the 'lollypop man'
• Before each event the center piece of this sport is weighed because as per regulations, it must weigh no less than 460 kg. What is the center piece - Bull in Spanish Bullfight
• Unique test record at the 100th test match at Lords - England vs WI in 2000 - parts of all four innings played on the 1st day itself
• Identifying the symbol of Ham Radio
• In 1982, on the occasion of IAF's golden jubilee, IAF formed a group - The Thunderbolts or Surya Kiran
• 1961 - Project by US Government for the peaceful use of nuclear bombs - Project name ? - Operation Plowshare
• Nobel peace prize winner from China - Liu Xiabo presented a charter named Charter 08 - this is based on which earlier charter? - Charter 77 issued by dissidents in Czechoslovakia
• Often the raga compositions of Tansen are prefixed with some words - what are they - Miyan Ki - e.g : Miyan ki Todi, Miyan ki Malhar, Miyan ki Mand, Miyan ka Sarang
• What are the 3 UNESCO heritage sites in Madhya Pradesh? - Sanchi Stupa, Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka and Khajuraho temples
• This word means "putting to flight" in Greek - winning word - monument erected by winners - TROPHY
• Episode from Chanakya's life - he comes across a mother scolding her child for burning himself by eating from the middle of a bun or bowl of porridge rather than the cooler edge - then he attacks Nanda empire on its edges after his initial attack on core part of the empire fails.
• Name of the plant - term means finger in Arabic - BANANA
• Swami Vivekananda and formation of IISc by Jamsetji Tata after former wrote a letter to him.
• Novel The Fifth Horseman - by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre - plot - Libyan leader Gaddafi holding New York City hostage with the threat of setting off a hidden nuclear bomb.
• When facing an economic crisis consumers will be more willing to buy less costly luxury goods - this theory is called ____? Lipstick effect
• What does a dolphin do to avoid nasty surprises by predators and other threats during sleep? It sleeps with an eye open!
• Which event was banned after 1924 Paris Olympics after the contestants went missing after the event? Cross Country Running
• USSR project which was called svetloe budushchee or 'a radiant future'? - Moscow Metro
• Video - song from movie Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge - Who is the music director for the movie? Raghu Dixit
• Formation of Google Chrome logo.
• Lewis Carroll - Through the Looking-Glass - The Walrus and the Carpenter - 1871
• Event which was banned by Karnataka Government in Bangalore recently - La Tomatina
• Which is the world's loudest non-brass acoustic music instrument? - Nadaswaram
• What is measured in bbl's? - Petrol or Oil
• This business in its 120 years of existence never was shut down even for a day. But recently it was shut down for a day in support of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign in August 2011. Name the business - Mumbai Dabbawalahs
• Question on Rajanikanth - born in 1950 - son of Ramoji Rao and Jijabai - fan base in Japan.
• Video - Kannada movie Super clipping - What is unusual about naming of this movie? - Initially it was named as a 'hand symbol' denoting best. Subsequently named as Super.
• Video - Identifying the animated character - Lady Goo Goo
• Video - Identifying the sportperson - His farewell speech was shown - Lou Gehrig
• Connection between films 'Farenheit 9/11' and 'Celsius 41.11' - significance of 41.11 - 41.11 degree Celsius is the temperature at which brain begins to die.
• It is a 360 km long wall in India, next only to Great wall of china - located at 82 km from Udaipur - built to protect Mewar region - Kumbhargarh
• Moore's law - for computers, Haitz's law - LED lights
• Badrinath of South - temple on hillock surrounded by a fort - Melkote(meaning "high fort" in Kannada)
• Picture - 20th anniversary celebration of 'Fall of Berlin Wall'
• Lawsonia inermis - Henna, Mehendi
• Ambedkar - statues in blue - why? All colors taken by other parties, wanted to represent Dalits with seperate color.
• NASA's Juno probe spacecraft - August 5, 2011 - products of which company - LEGO
• 36th cake festival in Bangalore - Mumbai landmark was prime attraction - Taj Mumbai
• American Civil war and battle of Gettysburg
• Who got the divine sword Chandrahasa from Lord Shiva - Ravana
• Audio - connection with the words translated from hindi song - chaahe koi mujhe junglee kahe - Jonathan Swift - English writer
• Concept car by Tata - Pixel - Device that can be used to control car's - iPad
• Style of song and dance - Rumba
• Clipping of pre-production of movie - The Hobbit - presenter - Peter Jackson
• Whose birthday is celebrated as Teacher's day in China - Confusius
• Who was the first Kannadiga to receive Bharata Ratna - Sir M Vishweshwaraiah
• website www.simran.in launched on 19th Oct 2011 by RDSO, Lucknow and IIT Kanpur - what is the purpose of the portal - Tracking trains on the Indian Railways Network
• Why is Uruguay named officially Oriental Republic of Uruguay - because it lies on the eastern part of Uruguay river
• TP Kailasam - Kannada song Namma Tippaaralli Baludoora - based on original English song - 'It's a long way to Tipperary'
• Only US president to wear a Nazi uniform - Ronald Reagen in film Desperate Journey
• SUV - were given a new expansion by Jairam Ramesh - Socially Useless Vehicles
• First sporting event to be live on youtube - IPL 2010
• Name of Music band by Malcolm, Angus Young - AC/DC
• Question about Timbuktu - capital of Mali empire
• Question on Indian Antarctic Program
• Question about spear phishing.

FAQs on Ninasam Culture Course at Heggodu

It was by chance I got introduced to the yearly Ninasam Culture Workshop/Course through one of my friends. In the end, the one who introduced me to this did not attend the program for the full week but I did attend and it was a wonderful experience in Heggodu, amidst the greens! Well, I thought in this post I would provide FAQs on the same, which would benefit the ones with literary interests.

What is Ninasam Culture Workshop/Course?

• It is a week long workshop on culture appreciation - day sessions full of literary discussions and the evenings filled with theatre performances - drama, classical music.
• Held yearly, normally during the first week of October. Ninasam has been holding this workshop for more than 2 decades now.
• Majority of the discussions are in Kannada with few in English.
• Every year workshop will be based on some theme. This year the theme was 'Indian Languages'

Where is Ninasam located?

• It is located in Heggodu, 10km from Sagara in Shivamogga district of Karnataka.
• For more information on Ninasam, please visit their official site : ninasam.org

What do you feel are the key take aways from the workshop?

• One gets to know people with similar interests and enjoy their company.
• One also can engage in open discussions with who's who of the literary world during and after the sessions.
• This year's workshop had some big names - Kannada writers - U R Ananthamurthy, Giraddi Govindaraju, H S Venkateshamurthy, Vaidehi, K V Akshara, Kum Veerabhadrappa, M S Sriram, Theatre person - Prakash Belawadi, Bollywood script writer - Atul Tiwari (played the role of Mantriji in '3 Idiots'), Professor of Philosophy - Dr. Sundar Sarukkai
• In the mornings, before the literary discussions of the day began, there were 2 sessions participants could choose to participate - basics of acting and photography basics. I chose photography basics. I must say that was an enlightening session for me. It changed my perspective of looking at photographs. I also came to know how to see it as a work of art. Karnataka's well known photographers A N Mukund and Rajaram took the sessions.
• If you are interested in creative writing and confused about what and how to write, Ninasam Cultural Workshop could well provide you the inspiration. It may not teach you how to do creative writing but certainly prepares you to recognize good works and well, in some time you could start on your own!

What to do if you get bored during the workshop?

• You could get bored during the workshop. At least I did because it is week long and after 2-3 days you could feel bogged down. Also, not every discussion held my attention. But then you are in Malnad region of Karnataka and you have plenty of travel options to explore.
• Me and my friend Manjunath took a day off from workshop and went on a ferry ride to Sigandur!
• There are other options you can try too - Ikkeri and Keladi (historical places - 6 km and 8 km from Sagara respectively), famous Jog Falls(2nd highest plunge water falls in India, 30 km from Sagara). To top it all, October is a suitable time to visit Malnad - no incessant rains!
• You can also visit Charaka - the Khadi manufacturing unit in Heggodu.

Fees for the program and accommodation

• Cost of the program was Rs.1500/- (for food, stay and shows in the evenings) for the Oct 2-8, 2011 workshop. One can pay and register for the program a month in advance.
• Registered participants are provided with common accommodation in dormitories at Ninasam, Heggodu for the whole week.
• Otherwise, you can stay at a hotel of your choice in Sagara on a seperate expense and reach Ninasam in the mornings to attend the sessions. After the performances in the evenings, Ninasam bus drops the participants to Sagara.
• Or if you just want to attend the sessions for a day or two, you can do so without any fees.

Number of participants, their demography and feedbacks

• There were around 200 participants in the workshop.
• Participants include artists, students, people from academia, industrialists, engineers - on the whole people from diverse backgrounds sharing a common passion.
• For the first timers like me, it was an exciting experience.
• There were veterans who have been coming here for the last 5-10 years. For some, this time is a relaxing break from the busy and monotonous city life. There were students of arts who had enthusiastically come for the workshop and there were few who wanted a break from the boring college lectures!
• Some were of the opinion that the same speakers came every year and wanted to see new speakers at the literary discussions.
• I felt that this year's theme 'Indian Languages' could have been presented in a better way - people quoting, analyzing works from the past is fine. But it would have made more sense if there was a conscious effort to bring out the current literary scenarios and throw some light on recent works in various Indian languages.

Pour in your comments for get more details!

In 2016, Ninasam Culture Course will be held from Oct 8th to 12th (5 Days). You can get the details of joining the course here.

Bit Philosophical, Bit Comical - Thats Paramathma for you!

Read this article in Kannada here.

Most of who watched Paramathma pointed out at the lack of linear story in the narrative. But when I saw the movie, I thought it is this mindset Yogaraj Bhat wants to break and for some part he succeeds too if you observe the turn out in the first week.

Bhat-Harikrishna Combo : Right from the audio release of Paramathma, songs of the film have created a rage among the audience. Bhat as lyricist and Harikrishna as music director have delivered another power packed audio after the hugely popular Jackie songs. Bhat's witty lines in perfect tunes provide enjoyable experience - so much that we forget there are melodies from Jayant Kaykini too!

Picture Courtesy : nowrunning.com

Philosophical : Bhattru gets philosophical at times in the film and tries to present the shades of human relationships. Scenes like Puneeth visiting Buddhist monks, Avinash hitting Puneeth disguised in Bear's(Karadi) costume go to show that. Add to that the noise making dabba(box)! Even in the Kannada rap lyrics(with Kanglish lines) director infuses philosophical lines - Anumaana irada anuraaga illa(There is no love without doubt). Or take the example of mocking song about failed students. Systemme sariyalla chombeshwara, Prime minister aagbidla onde sala(System is not right, How about me becoming a Prime minister at once!) summarizes it all. Though Yogaraj Bhat presents his own philosophy, the questions presented in the movie are universal like following one's dreams and the dilemma in making choices. In a single line, Yogaraj equates one's heart to the almighty(Paramathma)!

Happy First Half : First half of the film presents the happy outlook of life. Witty dialogues turn the whole theater into a sea of laughter. Even the media created love story adds to the fun. Kone Male(Last Rain) presenting the stereotyped film makers of Gandhinagar is hilarious.

Serious Second Half : Second half of the movie gets a bit serious. You also start feeling whether the movie is going into disarray. But the protagonist constructing his dream house which is linked to the first half gets it back on track.

Extreme Reactions : Extreme reactions are expected of a film like this. After watching the film on the first day my friend Sandeep messaged saying Paramathma is too complicated for Sandalwood. On the other hand, reaction of a frustrated movie-goer was 'Ee film nodokke black ll bere barbeku' ((Why) I should buy tickets in black to watch a movie like this!)

Though I would not state that the film is without flaws. Even with its shortcomings Paramathma presents a new look of the Kannada cinema. But I would ask Bhat to do one thing - "Sir, change the theme of love in your films :)"

You can now watch the movie Paramathma online on hometalkies.com - Thanks to the efforts Pawan Kumar, the director of Lifeu Ishtene.

Here's an interesting post on Paramathma.
5 lessons Bollywood can learn from ‘Paramathma’

Lifeu Ishtene is refreshing!

Read this article in Kannada here.

'Refreshing' - if Lifeu Ishtene has to be described in a single word. Directorial debut by Pawan Kumar entertains, makes you laugh and introspect too!

Contemporary : Movie portrays the current generation in a precise way. Audience can easily relate to the movie since many scenes are based on their life or of their peers! Director Pawan Kumar also knows where to put breaks too! I can not remember any other Kannada movie, which has shown the present youth, their confusions the way Pawan did. Well, hero's parents too are not stereotyped. They have changed. Now, you say that it is a new age movie. There is also attention to details - just to give an example - the reception party scene looks so authentic(thank god, there is no Kalyana Mantapa scenes added!).

Wit and Fun : Witty dialogues form the essential part of the movie and then there is Satish Ninasam, playing brilliantly the role of Vishal's(Diganth) friend to guide our misguided hero and make you laugh. Raju Talikote too adds his flavour to the humor. Sindhu Loknath and Samyukta Hornad(daughter of Sudha Belawadi, who played the role of Ganesh's mom in Mungaaru Male) sizzle on screen. Diganth as a confused youth plays his role well. "Film in film" - clippings of films shown in this movie stitch well - which avoids unnecessary talk!

Rewind and Forward : Many of us would have got bored with the flashback shown in movies. Here though the same trick is employed, flashback is not sequential. Instead it switches back and forth. With Diganth becoming narrator for some time gives a break from that monotonous way of rewinding life. Childhood memories of the protagonist makes you go back to innocent school days. This is also one of the highlights of the movie.

Audio Visual Treat : Good cinematography with excellent screenplay make the movie a worth watch. Songs shot in Ladakh are a visual treat and what to say about Dubai's beautiful locations. Simply awesome. Not to forget our namma Bengaluru which itself is shown beautiful on screen. Choreography for some melodious songs go on familiar lines. Also, I am wondering what happened to the contest for lyrics for the tune provided in the audio CD of the movie!

Facebook : Just like how Facebook has become integral part in our lives, it forms the core part of the movie too. In the final scenes it is more evident. It goes to show how our lives have changed in this information age.

Paradigm Shift : Indian cinema has come of age with Bollywood making some brilliant efforts at finding meaning in life through its movies and with this movie, Kannada cinema is following suit. On a different note, though the maker has not tried to convey any message, some may feel so in the climax. But this should be looked as circumstantial inference than a generic one! I would also like to see this as life's dualism or dvandva - which path to choose - and this continues throughout one's life!

Review by Sandeep aka Shande - www.naanushande.com

Jokulatike - A Commendabale Effort

After watching the Tulu play, Gopala Ee Paar Bala at Townhall, Bangalore on 7th August 2011, I bought the DVD of Jokulatike, a Tulu tele film, primarily because of the star cast - Naveen D Padil, Bhojaraj Vamanjoor and Aravind Bolar, prominent names in Tulu theater. Well, Jokulatike did not disappoint me.

Picture Courtesy : Daijiworld.com

Directed by Sai Krishna M and produced by Ahalya productions, Jokulatike is a well made tele film. Sai Krishna M, who had acted in ace film maker Girish Kasaravalli's Kannada movie, Gulabi Talkies, does a neat job here. One should also applaud for the production value of the film.

Story revolves around the real estate agents in Mangalore. Ashok(Bhojaraj Vamanjoor), Ashraf, Allwyn(Aravind Bolar) are childhood buddies. They are into real estate business to make some quick bucks. How they outwit one another to get that elusive deal forms rest of the story. Naveen D Padil plays the role of a don with a heart of gold. Dialogues and sequences leading to loads of laughter make it a commendable effort.

So, do pick your DVD of Jokulatike soon.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara : Film Review

Simplistic but a very engaging film - this is my one line review of ZNMD. No extraordinary dialogues, no extraordinary sequences either. One can easily connect to the characters and the situations they are in. That is the precise reason why it has set the cash registers ringing at the box office.

Crux: Three friends (Hritik Roshan, Abhay Deol and Farhan Akthar) are on a bachelor road trip in Spain. In the three week long trip, how they discover themselves forms the crux of the story. Not to forget the fun part along which keeps your funny bone tickling.

Picture Courtesy : nowrunning.com

Screenplay : Seems like bollywood has moved on with its stereotypes. There is more talk through gestures. Less dialogues give more time for the viewers for the introspection of a scene. Even in introducing - deep sea diving, sky diving and bull run, which is somewhat alien to the Indian audience, Zoya has consciously not put the rules or the jargon which might have made the film boring.

Conquering Fears : On a philosophical note too film scores high. Conquering one's fears, looking for meaning in life - if it sounds too heavy to digest now, well, you will not feel the same after you have seen the movie.

Exotic locations in Spain add to the richness of the movie. On the whole, it is a well made movie. A definite watch for all.

Tulu Dramas in Bangalore This Week

Tulu drama fans in Bangalore have something to cheer about as there will be 2 Tulu comedy dramas staged at Town hall, Bangalore coming Sunday, 7th August 2011. Gopala Ee Paar Bala and Kala Kambula are the 2 plays directed by popular Tulu dramatist Devdas Kapikad. Tuluvere Chaavadi, Bangalore has organized the shows.
Name of the drama : Gopala Ee Paar Bala
Date and Time : Sunday, 7th August 2011, 1:30 PM
Artists : Ramaa BC Road, Bhojaraja Vaamanjur, Mahesh K Shaktinagara, Thimmappa Kulal, Satish Bandale, Shobharaj, Richard Pinto, Panduranga, Suresh Kulal BC Road, Sujata, Monica
Name of the drama : Kala Kambula
Date and Time : Sunday, 7th August 2011, 5:00 PM
Artists : Ramaa BC Road, Bhojaraja Vaamanjur, Thimmappa Kulal, Satish Bandale, Shobharaj, Richard Pinto, Panduranga, Deepak Rai Panaje, Suresh Kulal BC Road, Sujata, Monica

Playwright and Director : Devdas Kapikad
Music : Guruprasad Bayar, Varma Vitla
Make-up: Suresh Master, Naani Bantwal
Troupe Name : Chaa... Parka Kalavidaru

Venue for both the plays : Sir Puttanna Chetty Town Hall, JC Road, Bangalore

Tickets are priced at Rs.1000(entry for 2), 250, 150 and 100

For tickets you can contact the following numbers:
9741561897, 9845126989, 9449112306, 9449344484

Let us meet on Sunday for a laugh riot :)

Mahabalipuram Trip - Part 3 : Arjuna's Penance, Krishna's Butter Ball, Varaha Cave Temple and Tiger's Cave

Arjuna's Penance : The huge relief structure, Arjuna's penance is also called the Descent of the Ganga. Story from Mahabharata, where Arjuna performs tapasya(penance) to get Pashupatastra from Lord Shiva is depicted here. In addition, the story of Bhagiratha's efforts to bring divine river Ganga to earth finds place here.

Arjuna's penance, Mahabalipuram

Arjuna's penance is a structure measuring 30m (100ft) long by 15m (45ft) high, quite huge compared to human figure. Near to the Arjuna's penance, you can find the Krishna Mandapa. Walls of the Mandapa tell the story - how Lord Krishna lifted Mount Govardhana to protect the villagers when the rain god Varuna vented his anger by bringing incessant rains.

Lord Ganesha Temple, Mahabalipuram

Varaha Cave Temple and Krishna's Butter Ball : Moving on we spotted Varaha cave temple next. On way to cave temple, one finds Lord Ganesha temple, where unlike many temples in historic places, poojas seem to be conducted. But surprisingly, there was no statue of the god in the Varaha cave shrine. But one could find carvings of Varaha on temple wall. On the rocky hill nearby, Krishna's butter ball is a huge mounted rock, with virtually no support. People posing for photos as if they are holding it from rolling down was a common sight. Well, we did take our turn in doing so too! Down the hill, we found one more cave temple but dedicated to Lord shiva.

Varaha Cave Temple, Mahabalipuram

Tiger's cave : That brought an end to the visual treat we could have at Mahabalipuram town. But I had read in a travel guide about the Tiger's cave which is located 5 km before entering the Mahabalipuram town. So, I made sure to ask the driver to stop there. Apart from the cave, it is surrounded by trees, making it an ideal place for picnic.

Krishna's Butter Ball, Mahabalipuram

Chennai Bits : Don't know is it because of the part of Chennai we explored, I noticed only few big commercial complexes or modern glass buildings, a far cry from a city like Bangalore. Of the few, Hilton Chennai caught my attention for a while! Chennai traffic which greeted us on that day morning did say bye in the evening too, again in the same fashion - traffic jam. We had to get down from the Volvo bus we boarded to reach CMBT and walk to catch the KSRTC Corona to reach Bengaluru next day morning.

Hilton Chennai

Afterthoughts : After completing a series of posts on Mahabalipuram, I felt that any documentation on India's heritage site always leaves genuine readers wanting for more, purely because of the intricacies of architecture and not to forget the history and mythology associated with the place and the work of art. Here, I have tried to highlight only few aspects. If it arouses interest in the minds of readers about the rich heritage of India, I would consider my efforts fruitful. For more details on Mahabalipuram, click here. Also, another thought passes by - if Mahabalipuram trip travelogue has to be stretched into 3 parts and required as much effort, what it would take to document the vibrant Hampe(Hampi)? :)

Carvings on wall of Varaha Cave Temple, Mahabalipuram

Cave Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, Mahabalipuram

Tiger's Cave, Mahabalipuram

Sunset at Chennai

Oriyardori Asal - Film Review

Movies can be entertaining or thought provoking. Tulu movie Oriyardori Asal, falls into both the categories. So, it is clear that why it has drawn crowds in Mangalore and Udupi districts. Oriyardori Asal literally means one better than the other. The film is based on the Tulu drama of the 90's of the same name. Punch dialogues of the drama are part of modern Tulu folklore! Evidently, the film has been able to take full advantage of that.

Objective Note : Film begins with talks of highs and lows of Tuluvas, takes note of the people who have excelled for the right reasons and mentions few who have become infamous for wrong reasons. Also, it discusses the present challenges faced by Tulu Nadu, Tulu language not being included in the 8th schedule of constitution. Director of the movie, Vijaya Kumar Kodialbail has dared to present several issues upfront, which is a positive note for the marginalized linguistic community as well as for the coastal region. In his effort, he also makes a passing mention of the communal tensions marring the region in recent years.What to look out for : Needless to say dialogues are the most entertaining part of the movie. With the likes of Naveen D Padil and Aravind Bolar you are destined for full throttle of laughter all the time. Some of the dialogues and characters have been modified to suit the new age - like driver Babanna's never ending lines - Yaan panpun daada panda... (translated : What I want to say is..) during Bhoota Kola have been totally removed and replaced with his cell phone histrionics or say the character of coconut plucker Naathu who comes well dressed with a brief case to hold the coconut plucking tool! Film is also not devoid of glamour too as it has Ramya Barna of Pancharangi fame as heroine. Famous song from the original drama Bhageerathammana Per, Aitundu Ardhala Neer finds new tune here. There is also a song shot entirely in Mumbai, with lyrics in Tulu and Hindi with a Marathi line too - Sundar Sundar Amchi Mumbai shows Tulu dramatist's longing for Mumbai. Technically, I have no doubt in my mind to say that this Tulu movie is on par with the films made in Gandhinagar.

'Star' Cast : Kannada music director Gurukiran who hails from Mangalore makes a guest appearance in a song. Mr.World Raymod D'souza has a brief role in the film too.Thought provoking questions : An inept government body governing the city, leaders who are not ready to protect the fertile lands from polluting industries, deteriorating values among people - all come under hammer. High literacy rate and the presence of Tuluva people in prominent positions - have not ensured the constitutional recognition for the lingua franca of this coastal region. Though the film puts across these questions to the audience, treatment is superficial.

Asserting identity : Vijaya Kumar Kodialbail already said that he will announce the name of his next movie on the 100th day of the movie Oriyardori Asal. Nice to see such development for Tulu cinema which has only about 40 films to its credit. Apart from that, two other minority languages of Karnataka - Kodava and Beary are also finding their voice through cinema. Kodava movie - Jadi Male got released last year. Kannada actor Shiwadhwaj Shetty is directing the Kodava movie - Naa Puttna Mann. Beary language got its first film ever this year.

Going places : Encouraged by the stupendous success of the movie, Vijaya Kumar Kodialbail intends to release the movie in neighboring Kasaragod, of course Mumbai and Gulf countries, where Tuluvas have a good presence. Not to worry, film is going to be released in Bangalore too. As per the latest information, Oriyardori Asal will be released in Bangalore on Friday, 22nd July, 2011 at Gopalan Cinemas, Mysore Road (7 PM show).

Update - 25/07/2011 : As per the latest info available in media, due to technical reasons, Oriyardori Asal was not released in Bangalore on 22nd July 2011. Instead it will be released this Friday, July 29, 2011.

Update - 18/01/2012 : New Tulu film - Aamet Asal Eemet Kusal starring Naveen D Padil, Sai Krishna and directed by Ranjan Raghu Shetty will be released in the month of February 2012.

Happy viewing!

Mahabalipuram Trip - Part 2 : Pancharathas and Hill Temple

Back from Shore Temple, we went to Pancharathas(literally meaning five chariots). These monolithic structures which date back to 7th century, are named after the five Pandavas and Draupadi. Knowing a bit history of the place whenever you visit a tourist place can add to the excitement and thrill of the trip! Well, I have experienced it when I visited Chitradurga fort. I had read the Kannada novel, Hamsageethe. Though it is a work of fiction, historical elements are nicely blended, which makes you feel it is a real story. Now, lets turn back the pages of history about Pancharathas.

Pancharathas, Mahabalipuram

Bit of history about the Pancharathas : This is what ASI(Archaeological Survey of India) plaque at the place had to say about the Pancharathas - "These monolithic temples are known as Rathas as they resemble wooden chariot and they are an innovation of Pallava king Narasimhavarman I (Mamalla)(630-668 AD). A huge rock sloping from south to north was utilized judiciously to cutout different forms of temples, besides few animal sculptures. Though these monolithic temples are termed as Panchapandava rathas, they have nothing to do with Mahabharata. These rathas with their ekatala to tritala vimanas and different in plan and elevation exhibit splendid forms of south Indian art and architecture.

Draupadi Ratha, Mahabalipuram

The Nakula-Sahadeva ratha has apsidal vimana. A relief sculpture of Ardhanariswara on the wall of Dharamaraja ratha with perfect balancing of the masculine and feminine features is considered to be one of the finest specimen of early Pallava plastic art. The ratha also contains pallava grantha inscription recording the titles of Narasimhavarman I. The group of five rathas were executed as models of south Indian temples and were not consecrated as their stupas are still attached with the bedrock."

Bhima Ratha, Mahabalipuram

The first structure you find here is named after Draupadi, is different from other rathas as there are less carvings and the dome resembles the roof of a hut. Also, this is the smallest ratha. Next you can find the Arjuna Ratha. Further Bhima Ratha covers a large area, seemingly attributed to the large built of Bhima. Dharmaraja Ratha, is a larger version of Arjuna Ratha. You will find Nakula-Sahadeva Ratha on your right. For more info on the Rathas, you can visit this link. Apart from these structures you will also find statues of Nandi(bull), lion and elephant.

Nakula Sahadeva Ratha, Mahabalipuram

From Pancharathas, on way to Arjuna's Penance, you will find the hill temple. You can walk up the hill, to get a nice view of the Mahabalipuram town and sea nearby. I felt the hill temple similar to the Stone chariot at Hampi though the wheels are not present here.

Dharmaraja Ratha, Mahabalipuram

Nandi Statue, Mahabalipuram

Hill Temple, Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram Trip - Part 1: Shore Temple

First Impression: It was my first visit to Chennai and the first sight when we(me, Manju and Harish) reached Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus or CMBT at Koyambedu on a Monday morning was not a pleasant one. Several bays in the bus stand full of plastic and garbage made it an eyesore. Coming out from there, we were greeted by several auto drivers making a beeline for potential passengers, a familiar scene in any Indian city. Well aware of the fact that Chennai auto drivers do not use meters for charging customers, we went to the prepaid counter to get an auto to Virugambakkam. Though the guy at the counter issued a receipt which was half the price others were quoting right at the gate, we soon realized that was more than double the price we would have paid in Bangalore for the same distance(around 3-4 km's)

Shore Temple amidst greenary

Oh no, Traffic Jam here too! : Jammed traffic was an inconvenience which did delay the process of reaching our venue. When asked about the jams, auto driver maintained that it was only on Mondays. But roads dug up for Chennai metro work indicated it was not a weekly affair. Having a Tamil speaking guy(Harish) in our group made things simpler when we had to inquire with the hotel receptionist in Tamil about the booked rooms. We had come for a friend's wedding which was scheduled in the evening. So, we had a whole day free to explore in and around the city. With my interest in historical places, I already had Mahabalipuram in mind. After checking into our room, we got a call from our bridegroom-friend. First thing he asked was whether the AC is working properly. We thought it was the right question to ask in a city like Chennai, where temperatures can rise up to 42 degree Celsius. On the other hand, Harish's friends in Chennai advised against going to Mahabalipuram because of two reasons, chief being the hot weather and the time it will take to reach there tackling Chennai traffic. But we had already made up our mind. Soon, we called up a taxi guy for a day's rental.

Close up of Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram

ECR : When we started from Virumbakkam, it was around 11 30 am. Though we had to counter the Chennai traffic again, once we reached East Coast Road(ECR), it was a smooth drive. ECR running along the sea coast is dotted with resorts. Thought it would be good option to try next time. 60 km distance was not a long one and after one and half hours, at around 1 pm, we were at the outskirts of Mahabalipuram getting down for lunch. Ready to experiment with the East coast sea food cuisine, I ordered a fish curry only to find it not good:( Oh! Forgot the name of the fish too!

Front view of Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram

Shore Temple : Entering Mahabalipuram, first we stopped at the Shore temple, picture of which you will find in travel brouchers or in google image results! This is the first historical temple, I have seen at the sea shore. Amazing sight it is - with sea waves on one side and an architectural wonder on the other. Green pasture around the temple is well maintained by Archaeological Survey of India(ASI) and gives the temple the unique look. Unlike the temples in the main land, temples at the sea shore suffer from erosion. It was evident from the lack of fine carvings, if you see the temple today. But it should be noted this has been in existence for more than 1300 years now. The temple dates back to 700-728 AD during the reign of Pallavas. Though it seems like there are 2 shrines looking at the 2 gopuras, there are in fact 3 shrines.

Main sanctum sanctorum of Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram

2 of the bigger shrines with gopurams are dedicated to God Shiva and the smaller shrine in between is dedicated to God Vishnu, thus honoring the beliefs of both Shaiva and Vaishnava sects. This is very rare as you will find either temples dedicated to either God Shiva or Vishnu in other historical places in India. Main sanctum sanctorum (garbha gudi) houses big Shivalinga. But as I clicked flash on my camera there, I could hear some creaky sounds from inside the temple. When we went to see what is it, battalion of bats was hanging from the roof. It seemed ironical that even after being one of the World heritage sites in India, place was in such a pathetic condition. Then we went to the Vishnu shrine where a reclining Vishnu idol is carved. Yet to find the significance of the carving of reclining Vishnu.

Reclined Vishnu Idol, Mahabalipuram

Camera Fiasco : Soon after that we had the inevitable photo sessions at the historical place, some for Facebook and some for the memories!! When we had to take a group photo, we handed over the digital camera to a guy who sincerely told us he does not how to take a picture using it. As usual, we insisted to hold the click button for a few seconds. To our surprise, he held the camera in opposite direction about to take a picture of himself without knowing where the click button was. Now, we were sure that we gave the equipment to the wrong guy. It also made us feel we should not take things granted like this - assuming everyone in the world knows how to operate a digital camera! Fortunately we found another person who knew how to use it.
Bang on Target : After the shore temple visit, our immediate destination was the beach nearby. On the way, we could spot a Thiruvalluvar statue. Nearby that we saw few people standing around the balloon shooting place. We took a plunge. Harish was the first to pick the gun for the shots and he had all six bullets on target - six balloons busted. When our turn came, me and Manju drew blank - none of the bullets made an impact! Walking on the sand, we went on to touch waves of Bay of Bengal. Till today, I have seen only Arabian sea. So, to have a glimpse of Bay of Bengal in Mahabalipuram was special. Though the sea, the waves were the same here too :), sun over the top was hotter than West coast of India. Without spending much time, we headed back to our next destinations - Pancha Rathas. While returning from the sea shore, inspired by Harish's performance, I picked the gun again - this time the score was better - 3 out of 6 shots were on target!

Thiruvalluvar Statue, Mahabalipuram

Bay of Bengal, Mahabalipuram

Idols on display, Mahabalipuram

To be continued...

Kanasembo Kudureyaneri Film Review

Girish Kasaravalli's latest venture Kanasembo Kudureyaneri looks at how differently men view death. Changes have been made to the original story by Amaresh Nugadoni on which the film is based and it presents the rational side of things as is the case with most of Kasaravalli's films.

At the beginning of the film, audience is presented with a quote of Jean-Luc Godard, a famous French film maker - “A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end... but not necessarily in that order” and spectator realizes this as the movie progresses. The film presented as a sequence of events happening during three days are not in chronological order. This presentation may create confusion in the minds of those who have already read the story and also those who have not read it. This may also prompt them to go for a second viewing too.

Picture Courtesy : nowrunning.com

But to get the gist of the story, this is not a hindrance. This technique of randomly presenting the scenes is not new to Kannada industry, as director Upendra presented the same in his debug film as hero in 'A'. He called the technique '2-D' then and asked for a intelligent audience for his film. One different aspect of Girish's films is his use of different dialects of Kannada. If it was Kundapura Kannada in Gulabi talkies, it is North Karnataka lingo here.

Man's dreams are a product of his beliefs. There are no dreams without beliefs, and there is no life without dreams. Modern civilization has impacted human thinking in a profound way. His beliefs have changed. Hollowness of human relations gets exposed very easily during these times. As he becomes more logical in his thinking with selfish motives he tries to keep away from his loved ones(or once?). The film explores all these aspects in a sensitive manner. Film has been presented with light hearted humour as well as sarcasm. Vaijanath Biradar who is branded as a comedian gives one of his best performances here as a grave digger. So, is Umashri who acts as his wife.

As far as the title is concerned(Kanasembo Kudureyaneri - Riding the stallion of a dream), it is appropriate as the film is the sum total of Eerya(Biradar) and his wife's dreams. It is difficult to present dream on screen. Kasaravalli succeeds partially in that. Film as such is a worth watch.