Ayyappanum Koshiyum - Movie Review

'Ayyappanum Koshiyum'

A nice movie is engaging; a well directed movie makes you feel the same emotion along with the characters...but a great movie, along with those, just lingers on...even after days, months, you remember the scene, the idea, the characters vividly...(and at least your own impression of the movie is etched in your memory for years.) Ayyappanum Koshiyum was one such after a while. The last one was 'Kaakka muttai'!!

Yes, the recent movie, starring the same hero Prithvi Raj, driving license and this one, both deal with an ego clash that start from a small mistake/misunderstanding but take up the whole movie.

I was wondering, then, what makes AK stand out. Didn't 'driving license' have a neat story line in fact, just sticking to what's needed to the story, no digressions, yet engaging, actually more nail biting than AK,funny dialogues, the same smart hero? Starting from that very comparison, below are

What stood out and made it just adorable to me:

1. The depth and detail - 'Attappadi' setting

When I was just about to think why attappadi, why mix of so many characters, why the different ideals of liberation, maoism etc. for the theme? etc. (why so much paraphernalia to present the same theme as driving license) I realized how amazingly it builds the character of the protagonists rather, every role in the movie is characterized with such depth, so clearly and precisely that each one seems so important and essential to the story!!

2. So real that makes it surreal.

The village and the characters are so real that it makes you feel as if you are there, know all of them, reading through their minds...

you know Kannamma, Kurien John, CI Satheesh, Sujith, Faizal, Jessy, Kuttamani, the stoen thief, Kumarettan, Joby, Ummen , Ruby , advocate all...

It seems the one who plays Biju Menon's wife's mom is Nanjamma, an actual tribal woman from Attappadi and is the one who has also sung the song 'Kalakattha'.

3. Music: And this song should be the highlight of the movie

https://youtu.be/mR2wpadUDUA.

It is the real raw voice of the native Attapaadi singer . Kudos to the music director for packaging it so beautifully - the bgm has no jarring instruments; probably all country instruments were used - the rhythm touches your heart and gives an instant energy. p.s. Dont miss the warm dialogue between Prithvi Raj (his awesome voice) and Nanjamma's innocent laughter in response, at the end of this video-  you feel like giving her a hug.

Love all the songs , esp. the one that Prithvi Raj and Biju Menon have sung and also the pallavi of ariyaathariyaatha....

4. Of course Biju Menon and Prithvi Raj - Used to be a die hard fan of Biju Menon and to see him back in this awesome role ..aww that 'nice guy ' smile, the composure, the fights, the jump on to the jeep ....and Prithvi Raj, super talented, as always awesome voice, flawless dialogue delivery. Every scene displays his amazing talent...eg. when he puts up this brave mask but asks for lift or his reaction when his driver Kumarettan says Biju Menon is all set to kill etc ...wow!! Wonder how many days he took to grown his loong, thick beard!!

5. What a strong character ! Kannamma. Apt casting too. See the contrast , Kannamma is a poor villager but such a strong character with deep ideals, independence, just whose words scare this macho hero away and make him stagger but there is Ruby the affluent but is so helpless in her own home !! And how nicely it was portrayed...this was the first thing that struck me in the movie.

6. The police camaraderie - its so cute to watch all the characters ..CI Satheesh, Faizal, Jessy how they stand up for each other. It was a change from the usual conspiracies, manipulation, power fight and the female shown as subject to sexual victimization.

7. The central theme of how the safety of 'affluence and influence' net instigates all the crime in the world!! Isn't that so true? The good and their sincere work is taken for granted!!!

8. Feeding the ego - the role of Kurien John by Ranjith makes you feel so irritated but that again is so real and convincing...it is often these ego boosters that instigate most of the crime also....daring somebody to be stupid and reckless....

9. The good Samaritan act - the tip by CI Satheesh about the 'hand trap' in the end that finally makes them step back and think..while they both know neither of them is really 'bad' its just the rage and ego to not give up...

10. Crushing down the house, burning down the jeep seemed a little too much but that is how far rage can get you and the director had kind of justified giving the ' kummatti ' background etc....and that he needs to be tamed and the best part is Koshy just understands that so well!!

#Reposted from my Facebook post 

First Step into the World of Thevaraaram

Blogging after more than 4 years. Facebook took over blogging. Yet, blogging has its own charm :)

First Step into Thevaaram
I knew who the Naalvar were - Thirugnyana sambanthar, Appar, Sundarar, Thirunaavaukkarasar because my parents used to do annual poojai at the Vairan Temple in Vairavanpatti called Naalvar Guru Poojai. There was a dedicated sannidhi for them. Knew they were one of the Siva devotees but nothing about their contribution, only the yummy prasaadams  - the super yummy pulisaadham we go after the poojai!! ;)
And since 6-7 years started hearing the terms  Thevaaram, Muttrothal, Thirumurailand so on more but had never actually listened to them.
Recently, Shri Pazha Pazhaniappan ayya of Kamban Kazhagam gifted me a little book - compiled by him titled  'Payan Tharum Pathigangal'. They had selected pathigams with a short description about each. I could not have asked for a better introduction to this Ocean of Thevaram. With sincere thanks and seeking his blessings here is my first attempt.
 Thevaaram_moondraamThirumurai-VedaVelviyai


Experts, please pardon that this is not in the prescribed pann or tune but only my humble attempt to recite in a tune that came to my mind and is comfortable. But honestly, as I recited it a few times it was really very very satisfying. Hope you like it too and benefit from it. This pathigam is believed to help fulfill any task you take up successfully. Hopefully someday I can grasp the right tune also.

THiruchittrambalam

Narayaneeyam for the wealth of health !!

Happy New Year to all ! இனிய ஜெய வருடப்பிறப்பு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள் !! വിഷു ആശംസകൾ !!!

"If you take one step towards Guruvayurappan, he takes 100 steps towards you !" 

"Ever since your goal found out that you were traveling towards it, it has been running towards you " - Paulo Coelho !  (A "not so religious" equivalent for that) !! 

Ever since I took interest in Narayaneeyam, any search on the internet, and the events around me lead me to Narayaneeyam. Probably, I was struck by the history fact that the author himself got cured of his 'vaadam' (arthritis so severe that he was paralyzed) when he finished writing the 100 dashakams on Lord Guruvayurappan.

I have tried everything for my slip disc / back-neck pain other than surgery - chiropractor, 3 different physical therapy centers, accupunture, Ayurveda centers both in the US and India, steroid shots from time to time. Thanks to all the wonderful therapists and my genuine well wishers who provided me with the resources to get to these and other specific stuff like certain Yoga poses, Baba Ramdev Yoga, vaazhga valamudan exercises and this book called '8 steps to a pain-free back'  by Esther Gokhale and of course valuable advice. All work  to manage the pain better but the annoying pain is just not gone and gets frustrating and limiting pretty regularly. 

When everything else fails, Faith prevails !!!   

So want to take up Narayaneeyam as a  challenge for this year -  to write or recite Narayaneeyam completely ( at least once to set the expectations low). Hoping to use this blog space to share my experiences and progress with Narayaneeyam ! 
Here is my video on youtube - Intro to Narayaneeyam.

My Narayaneeyam References:

Text

Meaning

Prabhashanam Playlist

Text with recitation (based on  meter and set to specific ragas)

FAQ on Narayaneeyam 

Audio source of my favorite recitation rendered by Dr. A. Sukumar ( Like this chanting the best to listen to - it immediately transports me to the temples of Kerala).

Youtube playlist of the same audio uploaded by user ramyagiri

Jazzercize - A healthy indulgence !

Regular exercise is just one of the things that takes a really hard drive but doing it in a group can be highly motivational. Combining physical exercise routines with hit music, dance and the happy spirit that is contagious from fellow exercisers, Jazzercise fits the bill perfectly.

Had enrolled myself into Jazzercise last summer. Could not do justice to the exercise part personally but  am doing too much to the jazz - have become a regular of 106.1. Cannot stop appreciating the modern philosophy in some of the lyrics ;) that is the ones that I get ! The rest are either hard to hear in the heavy beats or the ones that I will keep away from (the words)!

Love it all...Roar..., Let her go, Lorde ... Queen bee...., hips dont lie....
"Everything that kill me makes me feel alive" from Counting stars is just genius.  Love the line  like a daily prayer!

Here is a playlist of my favorites with the lyrics 

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrCrJMse5oAh5ixE0OgMVo8UDnLnA7ILj
Enjoy!!

Hoping to fix my back, become fit enough and join back soon for health and happiness!!
As a challenge to myself, will comment back when I complete one whole month !

Chottanikkara Amme Jagadambike

This is one song that gives me peace whenever I hear it . There is something magical about this song, not sure if it is the tune or the simple  words or the voice Ganesh Sundaram and party or because it is on chottanikara Bagavathy. It just lingers on

Chottanikkara Amme Jagadambike song on Youtube

My kids have also listened to it when I heard it first a couple of years back. And surprisingly they still remember a couple lines from it.

So, now when I found  a Tamil version with the same tune on "Aadhi Parashakthi", I was thrilled to make a shorter version of the same with lyrics for my kids and their friends to learn to perform for a Adhiparasakthi Guru Birthday. Here is the : Adhiparasakthi thiruvadi saranam 

And here is a short version of Chottanikkara amme also that I have made an attempt and uploaded on youtube.

Hope you like it !!

Somvar Vrath Katha and my vrath routine

Successfully completed my Solah Somvar Vrath ! Blogging the modalities I followed for friends who would be interested.

I was advised in India to follow somvar vrath but was not sure what exactly to follow - the one where they eat fruits at the end of the day or just refrain from rice ....Thanks to my friend who was observing the sixteen weeks fast which starts with a puja in the morning, allows eating any fruits, nuts and milk  through the day and one meal without salt at the end of the day. I decided to follow that picking some more details from the web and customized a little :) .

I have created a video of the puja reciting mrithyunjaya manthram and reading the story as a dedication - Somvar Vrath Katha Video.

Somvar Puja

When to start

Any Monday in the waxing period of moon is good preferably in the month of Shravan . I started on August 12 2012. 

Puja needs

A small shivalingam for abhishekam and Puja.

Water, Milk, sandal powder, vibhoothi, flowers, fruits, rice, agarbatthi, ghee lamp.

The vrath story to read or listen to. I followed this link Somvar Vrath Katha in English to read.

Puja Needs

Puja Procedure

I would take a shower in the morning, arrange everything, light the lamp and agarbathi. Would play Anuradha Paudwal's shiv arthi while doing abhishekam - first with milk, then water, then sandal, again water and then finally vibhoothi and let that stay. Then would read the vrath katha and then done. If time permitted I recited the "mrithyunjaya mantram" in the evening.

What to eat

Fruits, Nuts, Milk, yogurt, Tea, Coffee but only one meal with no salt, no pulses. My friend told you can eat saboodana any time during the day. I do not know what kind of meal exactly. I started my day with tea, breakfast was mostly banana, lunch was apple or something and milk. And then early dinner around 6 PM.  Luckily my mom was here.  So she made wheat puttu with sugar and coconut with banana for dinner  and that was the best option. Chapathi without salt , wheat dosa etc., ragi semiya are other options I tried.

Udhyapan

This is the consummation of the vratha on the 17th week when you do the puja with family and friends making a prasad. It seems you make it with wheat, ghee and jaggery.

I enquired with the local temple, the Durga Mandir in Route 27 and Somvar Vrath Udhyapan was one of the services offered. So chose to do that. Paid the service dakshina to the temple and as intructed took 1/2 gallon milk, white vasthram 1.5 yards ( a white towel is accepted), 16 white flowers ( a bunch would do also) and 16 fruits (not necessarily)  and a white sweet ( I took kheer but dry sweets like kaju katli is good since it is easy to distribute). 

The priests did a wonderful puja with all the devotees who joined that day for this vratha. In the end all devotees did abhishekam to the Shivalingam at the temple while all shiva sthothras were chanted by the priests. I followed the same diet for this day also.

Benefits

It seems whatever you wish for when you take the pledge to do this vratha comes true. In my case, I do not really long or wish for whatever I wished for  anymore...isn't that even better :) . Thanking God for that little transformation.  

Note: Both men and women can do this puja. Women can continue to fast during their periods skipping the puja.

Oruneramengilum ....

Happy Janmashtami, Krishna Jayanthi everyone !!

ഒരു നേരമെങ്കിലും കാണാന്‍ കഴിഞ്ഞത് എന്റെ ഭാഗ്യം  !

Sheeveli, Guruvayurappan temple

It was for the day we had planned to leave Palakkad, we had planned to visit the Guruvayurappan temple - our train back home was from Thrissur and at 11 PM.
But alas, just as it often happens in Kerala, the previous evening a '6 AM to 6 PM All Kerala Hartal' was declared...
I remembered that the first time I had visited Guruvayur, we had waited in the queue for  a couple of hours...I said to myself  "even if we started as soon as the hartal was over...we might reach at the closing time ...." but somewhere deep inside, I had a strong hope that we will get a darshan of guruvayurappan!!
However we had cut so close...we were one of the last ten visitors or so to be let in; there was queue only after entering into the temple. Within ten minutes after a quick darshan, the shree kovil was closed. But to my greatest satisfaction and a pleasant surprise, got to light the chuttu vilakku and walk with the sheeveli !! :)  Even  a well planned visit could not have guaranteed that !
In fond rememberance of that wonderful experience,  have attempted singing 'oru neramengilum kaanathe', my favorite devotional song on Guruvayurappan sung by K.S. Chithra from the album Thulasi Theertham
(Music Director: Radhakrishnan TS
Lyrics: Chovallur Krishnankutty
Original singers: KJ Yesudas, KS Chitra)

Lyrics in Malayalam

ഒരു നേരമെങ്കിലും കാണാതെ വയ്യെന്റെ

ഗുരുവായൂരപ്പാ നിൻ ദിവ്യ രൂപം  

ഒരു മാത്രയെങ്കിലും കേൾക്കാതെ വയ്യ നിൻ 

മുരളി പൊഴിക്കുന്ന ഗാനാലാപം (2)

(ഒരു...) 

ഹരി നാമ കീർത്തനം ഉണരും പുലരിയിൽ 

തിരുവാഗച്ചാർത്തു ഞാൻ ഓർത്തു പോകും (2)

ഒരു പീലി എങ്ങാനും കാണുമ്പോൾ അവിടുത്തെ (2)

തിരുമുടി കണ്മുന്നിൽ മിന്നി മായും  (2)

(ഒരു...) 

അകതാരിലാഴ്തുവാൻ എത്തിടും ഓർമഗൾ

അവതരിപ്പിക്കിന്നു കൃഷ്ണനാട്ടം (2)

അടിയെന്റെ മുന്നിലുണ്ടെപ്പോഴും മായാതെ (2) 

അവതാര കൃഷ്ണാ നിൻ കള്ള നോട്ടം (2)

(ഒരു..) 

Lyrics in English

oru neramengilum kaanaathe vayyende
guruvaayoorappa nin divya roopam

oru maathra engilum kelkaathe vayyanin
murali pozhikkunna gaanaalaapam (2)

(oru...)

hari naama keerthanam unarum pulariyil
thiruvaaga chaarthu njaan orthu pogum (2)

oru peeli engaanum kaanumbol aviduthe(2)
thirumudi kanmunnil minnimaayum (2)

(oru...)

agathaarilaarthuvaan eththidum ormagal
avatharippikkinnu krishnanaattam (2)

adiyente manasilundeppozhum maayaathe(2)
avathaara krishna nin kalla nottam (2)

(oru ....)