The Obstacle is the Way - Ryan Holiday

Rajiv gifted this book to me a while ago and though i thought I would get done in a jiffy because of the easy format, it took me longer than I thought - mainly because of my other engagements. But in the end it was a worthy read and Holiday makes a case for us to not see obstacles as obstacles and to see them in fact as a way to better yourself.

Holiday quotes extensively from the Stoics, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius and gives examples by the dozen of people who used adversity to their advantage. It is not a common trait but it is not uncommon either and one must first not resist or get scared of obstacles, look at them with wonder and then, perhaps look at them with gratitude for allowing us to learn and become better people by pushing our boundaries further. For the woman with spirit and character, this is indeed the way.

Thanks Rajiv. It is a very thoughtful and much cherished gift from you. Will always adorn my bookshelf.   

Good Luck Leo Grande - Movie

 2022. Emma Thompson.

A retired school teacher who has had a boring life living by the rules decides to experience pleasure by hiring a young sex worker two years after her husband died - and discovers a new dimension to life. In those four meetings the two realise they can actually life life differently - be themselves. Movies like these give everyone a chance to live life, to enjoy life, to seek pleasure and not feel guilty and apologetic about it. I guess it must be really freeing now for older women who have had boring sex lives to reach out and enjoy a part of their life that they probably missed out on. I loved it.

  

Sagar's Poetry Corner - Patha Pata (Old Song)

Another poignant poem from Sagar. This one is as brilliant as the rest. 

పాత పాట 

ఈ పాట 

వినగానే బాధేసింది.

కారణం తెలియదు.

ఆ పాట పల్లవిలోనే

నా గతం ఏదో దాక్కుని ఉంది.

కాసేపు వెతికా.

దొరకలేదు.

ఈ పాట

రెండు సార్లు వస్తుంది

సినిమాలో.

ముందు ఓ లాగా.

చివర్లో పాథోసు.

ముందు ఓ లాగా ఉండే పాటే

ఇప్పుడు నేను విన్నది.

కాస్త బాధల్లా,

ఇంకాస్త విస్తరించింది.

మనసుకి 

మబ్బు పట్టినట్టుంది.

దేవుణ్ణి పట్టించుకోకుండా

పాత శివాలయం 

ముందు నించీ 

అలజడిగా వెళ్లేప్పుడా?

అస్సలు రద్దీ ఉండని

అయ్యర్ దగ్గర 

ఇడ్లీ కట్టిస్తున్నప్పుడా?

స్కూల్ యూనిఫాం ఇమ్మంటే

శేషగిరి బట్టల కొట్టు

చిరాగ్గా తీస్తున్నప్పడా?

ఎక్కడ్నించో..

రేడియోలో విన్నానా?

కుదిరితే

చెరిపాయలనిపించేంత 

దుఃఖంగా ఉంది.

ఎక్కడ విన్నా?

ఏమైందప్పుడు?

ఇంకాస్త గతం లోపలికెళ్ళా

దీపావళి...

ఎండలో ఏ టపాసులూ 

పెట్టలేదు.

అప్పుడు విన్నానా?

అసలు దీపావళి ఎందుకు గుర్తొచ్చింది?

పండగలన్నీ 

వెతికి చూడ్డం మొదలుపెట్టా.

ఆ పాట 

పండగల్లో వినుండను.

ఎందుకంటే 

పండగలే ఎక్కువ బాధగా అనిపించాయి.

పండగలు 

పక్కన పెట్టా.

ఓ రోజు

పక్కింట్లో 

ప్రభాకర్ బాబాయ్

సిగిరెట్ కాలుస్తూ 

మెట్ల మీదకి వచ్చాడు.

పలకరింపుగా నవ్వాడు.

బయట వాళ్ళెవరూ 

చూడకూడదు అన్నట్టు

అప్పటిదాకా 

ఇంట్లో

స్వేచ్చగా తిరుగుతున్న నిశ్శబ్దం

నోరుమూసుకుని 

అమ్మ కళ్ళల్లో

నాన్న నడకలో

దాక్కుంది.

వడగాలితో పాటు

భయం కూడా

ఆ వాతావరణంలో

కలిసిపోయి ఉండేది ఎప్పుడూ.

నిశ్శబ్దం 

భయం

తట్టుకోలేక

ఏం చెయ్యాలో తెలియలేదు.

నాకు తెలియకుండానే

దైర్యం నటిస్తూ

ఓ పాట పాడుకున్నా ,

నాన్నతో పాటు నడుస్తూ.

ఏదో అర్థం అయినట్లు

నాన్న నవ్వాడు నా వైపు చూస్తూ.

ఇది అదే పాటా?

అవును...

ఇంట్లోనే...

చాలా సార్లు ...

అదే పాట.

ఇంతలో

ఆలోచనలకు బ్రేక్స్ వేస్తూ,

సుబ్రహ్మణ్య విలాస్ లో విన్న

సరిగంచు చీరలు పెడతా

కవరింగు తననన తననా

పాట వచ్చేసింది

ఆలోచనలను తోసుకుంటూ

ఎందుకో.

భలే అనిపించింది.

గుడ్డూ గాడితో 

క్రికెట్ కి వెళ్ళే ముందు,

శివుడితో ఖాళీ సాయంత్రాలు,

నాన్నతో అప్పుడప్పుడూ,

స్కూల్ కి వెళ్ళేముందు హడావిడిగా,

అర్థమవ్వని జోకులేసి నవ్వుకునే విజ్జి, కాంతీలతో,

బిల్లు నేకట్టేస్తా మీరెళ్ళండి అన్న సత్తిబాబాయ్ తో,

ఇప్పటికీ 

హోటల్లో అడుగుపెడితే చాలు

ఆనందంలో మునిగిపోయే

ఇడ్లీ సాంబార్ గుర్తొచ్చింది.

ఇందాక

వినగానే బాధేసిన

ఆ పాట

మళ్లీ గుర్తొచ్చింది.

దాన్ని పక్కకి నెట్టి

యూట్యూబ్ లో

సరిగంచు చీరలు పెడతా

కవరింగు తననన తననా

పాట పెట్టా.

A Country Called Childhood - Deepti Naval

One wonders what a memoir by Deepti Naval will contain - maybe stuff about those movies we so loved told by the girl we so loved because she seemed so adorably non-threatening and amicable - but no, Deepti stops short of that journey and stays in the country called childhood. But this part of her life is no less interesting and appealing than the one she played on screen, and one gets a wonderful view into the life of a family that settled down in Amritsar after going through the separation of Partition. Her lawyer grandfather, her grandmother who came from Burma walking into India when the Japs attack and take over their properties (she could not bear to leave hr precious gramaphone and records behind despite the arduous walk and how she threw them away when it became too much to bear in a heartbreaking moment). How her father and mother met and their classic love story - she never hearing a  word against him, he fully passionate about her and his literature, their little vacations up the hills with the children, Deepti's older sister and younger brother, their Chandravaali home at Amritsar next to a mosque, the rides to school, the bridge they had to cross, the mad man, the house help, the mochi walas, the war, Deepti describes her childhood with a lot of love and passion and one feels like one is there fully with her on this journey, peeping over her shoulder as she writes.

The growing up years, the odd fight between their father and mother, her interest in cinema, her tryst with Balraj Sahni and Asha Parekh, her own little crush and the boy on a bicycle, her friends and mostly the poignant chapter about her friend Neeta - it brought tears to my eyes. Now it made more sense abut what she said in her talk at Hyderabad Literary Festival after reading a poem about mental health - she spoke about her role in 'Ankahee' and how she prepared for that role by visiting a mental asylum and stayed longer than she intended to. The girl gang that beat up eve teasers, her walks to a temple in the middle of school and even those rides on bullock carts staring at the sky lying on their backs in the hay. The autograph books and the little message sin them. Its beautiful, like a melody that comes to you from the past.

As memoirs go, this one was one of the better ones because it left me with vivid images of the places, the people and left me with mixed feelings - just like I felt when their family left for the USA (why did you have to go) and  was also glad she came back to join films. Glad I got the book and got her autograph on it too. When did I ever think I'd meet Ms. Chamko! 

Koomam - Movie

 2022. Malayalam.

Interesting film about a police constable who is prone to be super-sensitive and wants to take revenge when slighted. For some reason he gets into a situation where he starts thieving and somehow uncovers a series of suicides that are actually murders. Wanders off here and there but kept me watching.

Bheeshma Parvam - Movie

 2022. Malayalam. Mammootty. Two feuding families, powerful and mafia like, end up with internal and external conflict - mish mash of Godfather and Mahabharatha - but very well done. I could catch myself thirsting for revenge towards the end and realised that there's something in these emotions! Action film so if you like the genre go for it!

 

Wonderful News from Sahithi Ajjarapu

Sahithi was my student at the Department of Dance, University of Hyderabad where I taught the Arts Management course. Sahithi was always a keen learned and was interested in many of the concepts we discussed on how to manage their careers as artistes. In fact she would tell me that after the class she would discuss the concepts with her husband which meant that she looked for practical applications of the concepts. Sahithi is also among the students who reach out to me every now and then to say hello and share when a particular concept worked. or example she would talk of the way the '2 minute rule' from James Clear's book 'Atomic Habits' helped her in her practice routines.

Now, one session I began in the course was about financial management - just the basics. Practical ways to slowly increase their financial condition - save 10%, invest 20% in long term assets etc. Sahithi shared a message yesterday about how her financial journey in the past few years.

Sahithi Ajjarapu

"I want to share one thing,

I resigned hcl job exactly one year ago, that time my dance income was 6000/-, and I was worried to be stubborn but I decided to be in this, because I came to know I can be only sustainable in dance field, so I was in this field completely and now exactly my income was 60000/- sometimes more than that, which is 3 times higher than my hcl job.😁😁😁

I started RD of 500 now I increased it for 3000/-

And for gold I paid 2000/- per month, then 3000/- and now I am paying 6000/- per month😊😊😊

I gifted iphone 14 pro max, and today I bought 1 gold ring cost of 70000/- to my husband😊😊😊😊

I felt really happy and confident sir 😃😊😃😊

Just want to share this story with you, because not even a day of me will pass without your inspiration."

What a lovely message. So glad that Sahithi has been practicing and focusing on the right processes and getting good results. I asked her to share details of her classes etc so I could also share those for interested parties. Here they are.