Hichki - Movie

Naina Mathur is a teacher with Tourette's syndrome (which causes her to make barking sounds and have some physical tics like jerking her head violently every now and then) who gets a chance to teach an unruly and unwanted bunch of students. How she becomes the teacher she never had is the story. It is based on an autobiographical book 'Front of the Class' by Brad Cohen.

Nice watch. Rani Mukherjee does a brilliant job of a teacher with TS.

Wise and Otherwise - Sudha Murthy

Another one of Sudha Murthy's books and she has now probably become the author I have read the most. 'Wise and Otherwise - A Salute to Life' is a collection of 51 insights into people and how they react to life situations. Most stories are related to the work she does as Chairperson of the Infosys Foundation.

There are stories about honesty -how a poor scholar returns a small sum of scholarship money that he has not used and how another person lies to her about winning the gold medal which Sudha Murthy won that year, about an old man and his son who cheat the old age home by lying that the old man is a destitute when in fact he has enough money with him, about people with material dreams, an author trying to sell his books to the Foundation by lying that he knew Sudha Murthy when he evidently did not, about students who do not remember our history, how two of her friends who were so different at twenty turned out differently at forty - the beautiful and smart one withered away and the ordinary one blossomed, how a headmaster feels that the independence day celebrartion is a waste of time, how ministers hogged the limelight in a hospital wing inauguration and an old woman recognised Sudha Murthy and gave her flowers in gratitude for helping build the new building,  an educated  friend who could make no decisions and an uneducated lady who took equal decisions with her husband, a pessimistic woman, a woman who constantly bad mouths everything and everyone, how the next generation is both good and bad, a rich man's boy who wanted an idea IT job versus a poor fisherman's son who studies and sells crabs, a headmistress in rural Orissa who lives in the school building and runs the school in dilapidated rooms, a rich woman who does not give to charity and a poor man who donated 4 lakhs for charity, a woman diagnosed with a fatal disease who decides to enjoy her life because she never did and her phlanthropic husband - and how they chose to react to the same situation, the principal's wife who went into depression because of his rigid behavior and the three young men who had benefited form the Foundation but who responded in different ways when they met her - one gives her a gift and another does not give her a discount on the dental work.

The stories that I liked were the one about the head of a small tribe who insists on giving her something in return for what she gives them and concludes with 'there is a grace in receiving also'. Wisdom of the highest order. He was clear that he would not take anything without giving something in return. The nurse who stuck to her guns about the missing mop in the Operation Theatre. An old man from Kalahandi who says that this is God's earth and we cannot buy or sell it. The story about dowry deaths. About the leper colony where an old lady had no clothes to wear. Zubeida's cancer treatment and how her father and daughter return the unused money after she died. How a couple get married after reading her novel 'Mahashweta'. The family that travels to Kutch after the earthquake for the disaster benefits and find much happiness and a new life thanks to the earthquake,  The young mother in Ahmedabad who was happy at being treated as a human and gives back a return gift.

Simple yet profound stories that she witnessed or experienced first hand. My one grouse is that the theme forces the author to differentiate between wise and otherwise. She has to paint one white and one black. Most times we are otherwise, driven by our circumstance, ignorance and do not behave in a manner that is best perhaps. But the fact that we are all evolving, we all have our own motives for why we do certain things in our insecurities or because of our limitations cannot be forgotten. The good person may not be good to all people, nor will the bad person be bad to everyone.

I can understand her point of view when she mentions somewhere that when people invite her to an event it is with an ulterior motive and at some point will seek a favour from her. She must be getting dozens of such invitations, in fact, she says the Foundation gets 10000 letters annually. Here I must confess that even I was guilty of prompting one such invite. When launching 'This Way is Easier Dad' in Bangalore last year, my editor friend Keerthi, to whom I had given the responsibility of helping me find the right guest to launch the book, decided to approach Sudha Murthy, whom she knew. Sudha Murthy was busy then,  and we finally went with the wonderful Malavika Kapoor. But if I had read this book then, I would have told Keerthi not to take the trouble of bothering her simply because she is far too busy with much better work to do.

That said, of all the books I have read of hers, this one comes across as being a mite judgmental and harsh on human behavior. I feel it's because of the black and white theme of the book. I normally find her writing gentle, humble and compassionate. But notwithstanding that small element of discomfort for me, these are wonderful stories I also deeply admire the wonderful work the Foundation does. Very readable. as always.

Sunday Cricket Lessons - Most Don't Even Know What They are Good At

I was chatting with Baig sir about the seam position and how some swing bowlers get the seam to be upright after release and thereby get a pronounced swing movement in the air. 'I envy those bowlers,' I said. 'My seam wobbles in the air.'

'No no,' said Baig sir. 'You have good seam position. 9 out of 10 times the seam is upright and going well. This is the problem with most people. You don't know what you are good at and what you are doing right.'
I was taken aback. All my life I thought that the seam wobbled after I released it. This was news.

And then I wondered, how much such stories I believed about myself - good and bad - which were probably way off the mark. 

Anjali - Handling Unfairness

It was one of those days when I picked Anjali from school. She got into the car and started with the good stuff that happened at school. And then suddenly her face crumpled. 'For the second week in a row, our PT sir kept me out of the game. It got so bad that all my classmates told him to let me play instead of them. But he still would not let me play. I can understand one week, but two weeks?'

She is a big one on fairness.

I asked her if she asked the PT sir to give her a chance. She said 'He knows. But he kept me out. It's unfair.'

I could fully identify with her. Many a time, when I was left out, I felt exactly like her. So I told her how I had many such experiences and how I had felt bad too. But then I told her, I ended up feeling bad but never got what I wanted - play or whatever else I wanted. I told her that now I feel I could have done things differently because the outcome was perhaps more important than feeling the unfairness or injustice. Instead of expecting the teacher to understand my situation and be fair, I could have insisted.

One way was to complain and feel the PT sir had been unfortunate. We parents could get involved etc but was there a better way. Maybe she could tell her teacher in the next class, politely and respectfully, pleading or requesting or whatever, one way or another, that she should get her chance now because she waited out for two classes. Somehow find a way to get the outcome while she was still there, while she had an opportunity to set that right. Could she think a different way to get what she wanted?

I drew her attention to something similar when she had the same unfair behavior by her teacher - a few years ago. When Anjali forgot her fruits on her designated Fruit Day, her teacher had taken her off the list. But Anjali resolved the situation by putting her ego and hurt aside and pleading with her teacher until she relented. 

She heard me out and nodded.

Yesterday she came home and said she put her case across to her PT sir before the class began. She asked not to be made to sit out for the next two classes because she was the only one who missed two in a row.

Good show Anjali. If the outcome is not what you want, adjust the process. Most times it is about putting our ego aside. 

The Ministry of Love - My Column in the Sunday HANS

It's time for a Ministry of Love to handle this love business!

http://epaper.thehansindia.com/1764500/SUNDAY-HANS/SUNDAY-HANS#page/1/1

My Musical Notes Part 5 - Olivia's Greatest Hits

It was soon after I bought the 'Grease' cassette and also the fact that Yuvavani never let us forget Olivia Newton-John. It was but natural that I got my hands on this one -don't know from where. Perhaps it was a barter or a cassette someone gave me and forgot to collect but I do not remember buying it. Olivia's Greatest Hits. I did not see Grease - though I saw a few clips of the famous songs so all I had was Olivia's playful voice. Much later I realised that she sold 100 million records and was one of the world's best selling artists of all time. Glad to be one of those 100 million!

The cassette had all the big numbers of Olivia - 'Physical' which played non-stop on Yuvavani those days and which I never liked. (Check out the video - very sexy.) 'You're the one that I want' was and still remains a great hit. I certainly remember listening to the slow number 'Xanadu', 'Hopelessly Devoted to you' (Grease), 'A little more love', and 'Magic'.

Listening to Olivia is a personal experience because I did not watch the movie with anyone, nor did I listen to these songs with anyone. With Yuvavani, I remember the mornings clearly. The radio in the hall, the morning sunlight streaming through the white lace curtains on to the dining table, and life seemed perfect in a place where parents could not reach nor could society nor could anyone else. So it was just Olivia and a 15-year-old me perhaps in the tenth class at All Saints High school or younger. Olivia had a devastating effect on me with her voice.

However recently when I saw her performance with John Travolta reprising their 'You're the one that I want' it made me fall all over in love with Olivia again. But listening to 'Physical' in 1981-82 remains the lasting memory, and 'Xanadu' later on when I bought this cassette.

Olivia and her sunlight tinted voice.

Botham - My Autobiograpy - I.T. Botham

Botham's autobiography, gifted to me by Abhinay, starts off on a note that threw me off what I was expecting. Most autobiographies I feel somehow shatter the illusion we have of the person by revealing parts of them that we do not know. My impression of Botham was that nothing would affect him and he would just go out and have fun and live life up. But Botham starts with how he felt upset over his sacking from the English team, how pathetic the selectors were and how bad he felt. As a reader we all want the heroes to accept their injustices gracefully and get on - the world is imperfect but you are not. But then he quickly moves on to his life and things become normal again. As a kid he was mischievous and as a school kid, he loved playing soccer and cricket, especially when it came to making money that was put out as a challenge. as he grew older he played well enough to get a job as a ground staff at Lord's, the mischief of young lads who are broke and live in tough conditions - it's all pure fun. Growing up, Botham loves his life, his drink, and his practical jokes. Always on the edge. And they called him Beefy.

When he starts playing cricket in second division he falls in love with his wife Kath when they were nineteen (Kath) and eighteen (Botham). Botham's career skyrockets (something to do with his marriage) when he enters the Test arena scoring runs and taking wickets and winning matches. Astounding stats - hundreds and five-wicket and ten-wickets hauls. Botham takes the world by storm and the worst hit are the Aussies against whom he seems to reserve the best he has.

As a person, he is quick to use his fists, loves his drink, loves practical jokes, loves trying new things and pushing life to the limit. His stint with Somerset, his friendship with Viv Richards, his dabbling with drugs, sex and rock n roll (Mick Jagger, Elton John, Eric Clapton are all his personal friends), his many run-ins with the administration all show Botham as he was. Then the burden of captaincy, a dip in form and fortunes, sacked from captaincy and a miraculous return to form all make the fairy tale.

But things are changing and the administration wants more hard work and not just results. Gower and Botham are the casualties and soon the fairy tale comes to an end. Botham's famous 900 mile walks to raise money for leukaemia are well described as his dabbling with Hollywood, stage, flying, racing, soccer, adventure sports etc are. He dabbles with the rebel tours in South Africa. Somehow his marriage survives it all - and he confesses several times that it is no credit to him and all because of Kath who puts up with a lot. A love-hate relationship with tabloids keeps his life spiced up.

Botham's cricket is interesting. He does not believe in nets. Only believes in having a good time which is a drink with the boys - and he could drink a lot. He is hopeless at man management as he himself accepts and says that the players need to be suitably motivated when they are playing for England. Another aspect he mentions is that he had a knack of picking up wickets with deliveries that normally would have got hit for four - a happy knack some have - I believe it's their attitude that does it. Wonderful to have such guys in your team. Botham also said that he always believed that anything could be done - sometimes to the point of being bull-headed about it. But it served him well as his career stats show - 102 Tests, 14 centuries at 33.54, 383 wickets at 28.40, ten 5 wicket hauls and four 10 wicket hauls.

Some of his best pals were the Aussies - Border, Lillee, Greg Ritchie. Viv Richards of the West Indies. Bob Willis and David Gower in England. Geoff Boycott is not a favorite with him though he admires his batting immensely. Gavaskar finds a place in Botham's all-time World XI.

He sued Imran Khan when the latter speaks about ball tampering, agreeing that he has done it, but in the same breath says it was not tampering as far as he is concerned. Botham is not too pleased at the insinuation that he may be among the many players who may have tampered the ball and sends Imran a legal notice. Botham is convinced that what Imran confessed to was tampering. He is equally clear that he has never resorted to tampering. He is also very clear on the subject of racism and detests those who differentiate based on color. Botham quit Somerset when they sack Viv Richards and Joel Garner on flimsy reasons. Modeled after Brian Close the gutsy Somerset captain, Botham breaks bones, suffers injuries and lives through it all to tell his tale.

It's an interesting and unapologetic version of his life. For me, lasting impressions are of his taking 13 wickets and scoring a hundred in the Jubilee Test when Vishwanath recalled Bob Taylor and that signaled doom for us. Botham has favorable memories of India though. Nice read. Thanks Abhinay.