Editorial Dashing magazine - July Edition 2013 Harish Srinivasan - Executive Editor Sathish Kumar - Associate Editor Priyanka Ravi - Senior Editor Sathyanarayanan Raveendran - Senior Editor Harsha Jayakrishnan - Output Editor Sivaranjani Ganapathy - Design Editor Shradha Jain - Chief Correspondent Ashwini Ashokkumar - Creative Writer Aafreen Nawresh - Creative Writer
Management
Darshika Rajasekaran - Senior Correspondent Atma Pai - Correspondent Bhusan Sivakumar - Editotial Administrator
Sheik Mohaideen A , Co - Founder,
Sujata Sridharan, Correspondent
Vidhya Sagar, Co - Founder,
Mehavarshini - Correspondent
Jayashree , Head Marketing
Hassan Ali - Correspondent
Ashwin Raman, HR Manager,
Grishma Raj - Correspondent
Surya Rathakrishnan - Talent Manager
Rathnakar Sundaresan - Correspondent
Arun Prasath, Legal Advisor
Venkatesh Aravindh - Sub Editor
Anish Steve - Head, Photography
Aparna Mano - Creative Designer
Rajesh Thanikasalam - Senior Photographer
Preethi Ravi - Visual Designer
Abinaya Shankar - Senior Photographer
# New member’s names will be added from next edition.
Nanda Kumar - Senior Photographer Achuthanand Ravi - Senior Photographer Priyadharshini - Senior Photographer Nivedditha Elangovan - Creative Director Swetha Renukumar - Research Executive (Documentary) Vignesh Ravi - HR Executive
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Editor’s note. Dear Readers, We present to you the fifth edition of our magazine. As our motto says “Results Matter”, due to your feedback and the dedicated efforts of the Dashing team our results have raised linearly and we have come a long way from where we started. In this edition we present to you four articles ,two interviews, a book review, two movie reviews . The articles we project is centered around the recent Uttarakhand floods, how emotions and art are related, technology and the continuation of article “Placement Preparedness” from our fourth edition which was
aimed at aiding the students during
placements. In this edition “Grooming” aspect is addressed. Also, we present to you an interview with Vaer a start up aimed at providing organic foods and another interview with a NGO Nakshtra. I hope you enjoy this edition. Your feedback is our strength.
I once again thank the team
members, founders of Dashing magazine and the readers for their constant support in bringing out the magazine. Regards,
Harish Srinivasan, Executive Editor, Dashing Magazine.
Emotions Hidden in Art
MEGHA
The magniďŹ cent things that we feel in our heart are called Emotions. They are like the waves in an ocean. An object is seen either beautiful or ugly, based on how we feel it in our heart. Sometimes the feel in our insides don't match up with our outsides, and then we try to voice it out to balance. Emotion is often the dominant force behind our behaviours.
Art is a channel through which people find that their emotions and thoughts can gleam. Past or present emotional states can be converted to beautiful artworks. Every art is an expression of emotion, it can convey a feeling that we have no word for. Messages and ideas can be transmitted through works. Emotions can be represented through numerous art forms, like finding the meaning in the flow of colours in a painting, realistic and complicated expressions in a sculpture. Wearing different dresses based on occasions like bright colourful ones for a wedding and white colour to express mourning in a funeral, beauty of still life through a medium of photography. Music for every mood, books and poems can also provoke emotion. Representing emotions through facial and body language in drama and dance makes a film and the list goes on. Most importantly one should express the feelings in such a way that others understand it completely. Art works are made and treasured by people for countless reasons. Art has the ability to connect with us in a deeper emotional way. Art expressions can make us think. Successful work of art has a lot of emotional impressions. The power of these expressions can influence huge number of people to believe and act. Artists with a difference in themes, styles, or ideas create a long lasting influence. Emotional arts in a subject matter can open our eyes, but effects of a work on one person may be entirely different from the other. Even though the influence and beauty of art may be obvious, understanding the essence behind the work is not always clear. Mostly conveying a message in art form is done indirectly. Discover the artistic work around you and enjoy them. Whenever you see a form of art, remember to take a good look, you never know what you will find. Don’t forget to leave your artistic impressions even if it is a Hi-Bye talk or e-mail. Make, Discover or Enjoy artistic works all around you.
Photography : Saravanan Ekambaram
PRIYANKA RAVI
A BEAUTY IN IMPERFECTION An interview with Ms. Sherin Bosko from an NGO called Nakshatra
Have you ever had that moment of realization when you just think, “What
have I been doing in my life all these years?” My moment of that realization came on one fine Sunday morning on which I was supposed to interview someone for this article. I was very well preoccupied with thoughts about the movie I was going to go to with my friends that evening and worries about that assignment submission I had made who’s evaluation I was to get the following day. I was anxious about how my hair was just not under my control that day and worried whether the interview will take longer than I imagined. I just wanted to get back home, go back to sleep and wake up fresh to go for the movie. With so many such thoughts running through my mind, I picked up my interviewee Ms. Sherin Bosko to take her to Dashing office for the interview. She seemed very young for a person who runs an NGO I thought, must be very rich to do something for free, my mind added; must have a huge set of friends and volunteers who help her I mused. “Stop being so judgmental!” my brain screamed. I choose to listen to it, considering it’s almost always right, I turned off my mind voice and concentrated on the person in front of me. “So Nakshatra you’ve named it… what exactly is this NGO for?” I asked.
She smiles, too polite to take any offense.
times unwilling to come out of it! I wanted
“’Naksha’ means ‘to approach’ and ‘tra’
to do something for them, anything at all.
means ‘to protect’ in devangri script. So the
That one spark has brought me where I am
obvious meaning of that is, that we
now, doing what I’m doing now, helping
approach people with issues and problems
them!”
and protect them from it. We primarily deal
I was already gripped, I wanted to
with anti-trafficking and rape-crisis but we
know more about this girl who has done
never restrict ourselves to it. Kids, women,
something that most others talk about and
girls… anybody who suffers, we try our best
few others even give a thought about!
to protect!” You wanted to help them, but it You seem to look very young. I’m
definitely must have been difficult to
very surprised how someone so young
identify the ways in which you can and
in age has co-founded and is running an
undoubtedly even more so to form an
NGO all by herself. So how did it
NGO. So how did that happen?
happen?
“It would be completely unfair if I
“Every person, I believe has a turning
took all the credit for this by myself. To be
point in their life. A moment of inspiration
honest, Dr. Albonse Raj- the Vice Principal
which leads them to their destined path.
of Loyola College where I did my masters in
Mine came when I was in college and I got
Medical Sociology was the person who
this weird opportunity to visit one of the
stood by me through it all. In fact he is the
red light areas in Mumbai. I saw girls of all
founder and I, the co-founder of Nakshatra.
ages dressed provocatively, guys of all ages
When everyone else from friends to family
coming in, the whole place crowded and
told me that it was an impossible task, he
drowning in the stench of sweat and other
asked me to get “out there” and do it! I was
things. I saw a girl, who I’m sure, couldn’t
quite unsure about it myself, but that
have been more than 8 or 10, who was
inspiration is what made me realize that I
holding the collar of a man and asking him
could do it! So I set up a small office at
for money. I saw little kids walking around,
home, registered Nakshatra as an NGO in
toddlers crying, girls counting money. It
the Government and it’s been 7 months
was the typical scene you would see in a
now and it’s still an ever growing thing!”
movie! It was very overwhelming and definitely not in a good way! I felt like throwing
There is definitely a certain level of
up, I just wanted to get out of there and I
difficulty attached to doing something
did! But after I returned, I couldn’t stop
as risky as this! And it definitely
thinking about it, those girls who all
wouldn’t have been an easy go for you
seemed like they were leading a very
at times. So how did you deal with
robotic life, unable to come out of it, at
things like that?
“Easy go? It NEVER was an easy go. I’ve had mothers threatening me for stopping them from marrying their child off at a young age. I’ve had husbands telling me they’ll burn me alive for bringing the abuse he does to his wife to light. I’ve had parents who pull children out from my evening tuitions to send them out on errands. I’ve had a mother call me all the names any girl wouldn’t possibly want to be called! I’ve faced it all and it’s just made me stronger! It’s just made me realize I want to do this more than anything else in life! And I will continue doing it!” In every person’s life, there is a situation or an issue that could make you stop and think if what you’re doing is in fact right, so what was that point in your life? All issues I’ve dealt with so far have been difficult and mentally weakening in
If you don’t mind me calling these-
their own way. If you want me to answer
“projects” of yours, what is the project
with one situation in particular, I’d say it is
you are currently working on?
when I employed an HIV affected girl as a
*laughs* Right now I’m working on
maid in my house as no one else was will-
teaching kids. I have about 30 kids from the
ing to give her a job and when I went back
slums in and around Besantnagar who
to my parents’ place, my parents asked me
come to me in the evening from 6-8 and I
to use a separate set of towel, soap, glass
teach them all the basic subjects. I’ve been
etcetera as they were scared of what I
doing this for quite some time now and by
would have brought along with me from
now the kids see me as their mother and
that girl! That moment was one which
sister. It’s a great feeling when kids come
weakened my resolve several notches and I
back to me and show mark sheets of 80
nearly came to giving up! But then I
and 90 when they’ve been scoring below
returned back home and one look at the
40 before. It feels even better when little
faces of the girls and children I consider as
children confide in me, things that they
my own and I decided that nothing can
would be afraid to confide in their mother
stop me!
or father!
If
working
in
such
difficult
Winding up the talk, highly inspired and stirred, I
situation is one issue, the money will
asked Sherin if there was anything she’d like to add
surely be another issue. So where do you
on.
get the money to run the NGO from?
There are a lot of people out there who
To be honest, since we started this
desperately need help to make their life better; they’re
NGO, I’ve become good at begging. If I talk
simply not in a position to help themselves. All I’m
to a person for more than a few minutes, I
doing is: HELP THEM, HELP THEMSELVES! HELP THEM,
would let go of all my ego and ask them if
FORGIVE THEMSELVES for all the things they’ve done
they can donate any amount of money
in life and beyond that they learn to cope up with life.
possible for these girls or kids and so far
Even if people cannot volunteer in helping such
I’ve been successful enough in getting
affected girls, they should at least have the mindset to
money from people around me. I don’t
accept them as one among them. To work with them,
have a staff in my office to handle the
be friends with them. That is all it takes to boost their
finances or do the documentation job,
confidence. This would be my smallest request to
simply because, I believe that, if I get to a
anyone reading this article!
position of hiring a staff, I’d much rather involve them in community activities, than pay them to sit at office doing documentation work! Do you have volunteer involvement in this teaching project? Because I’m sure kids can be a handful! Yes I do. My friends come and help me whenever they can to teach the kids, conduct activities for them and play with them. And if I could, I would like to use this chance to ask for youngsters who have even an inkling of interest in social service or teaching, to lend a helping hand in what
And that’s when I knew that the moment of revelation in my life was then! I knew that my worries about my hair and lack of sleep on a Sunday morning and the dress I was going to wear for the movie were all nothing compared to the kind of issues people face in life. All of us keep thinking that our problem in life is the biggest problem out there, but when you look around, there are people who’ve faced even worse problems and still staying strong! Still not willing to give up! And that was when I decided two things in life! One: that I would involve myself sincerely in Community Service at all points in my life. And two: that I would never, ever, complain about any of the imperfections of my life!
I’m doing now. Teaching kids from the
“Being happy doesn’t mean that you have everything
slums is not an easy task because first and
you want in your life, it just means you’ve decided to
foremost the parents must be made aware
look beyond the imperfections! -UNKNOWN
of the importance of education for their kid and only then would the parent send their kid to school and us. So it is a long process which requires a lot of hands working together.
To anyone wishing to become a volunteer with Nakshatra or helping them out when time permits, you can check out facebook.com/nakshatra.ngo or you can call Ms. Sherin Bosko at +91 9884057856 or email her at ngo@nakshatra.com.co
SHARATH RAM
The Shiva we seldom see Inside the shrine, the most divine shrine of
hands, calling upon Lord Shiva, their last
the nation, safely within the reaches of the
and best hope, to bail them out of the
majestic lord Shiva, the snake on his neck
brinks of the death. Shiva’s eye on the
slithering away bad omens, the eye on his
forehead remained close, so did the pair of
forehead forbearing the demons, Kedarnath
his eyes below his eyebrow. Pessimism
was a safe haven;
swept across, yet the flippant ones were
only until the deluge
lashed the city, washing away with it a
perseverant;
million beliefs and hopes. The city was in
fruits though, Lord Shiva was out there with
tatters, completely flooded and deluged in
ropes and choppers to bail them out, they
one of the most pernicious floods ever. With
were saved from the jaws of death, reborn.
a lakh pilgrims stranded in the hills, Lord
That moment, Lord Shiva wasn’t in the
Yama Dharmaraja was playing the number
majestic 20-foot idol, he was within the IAF
games.
personnel who had their lives in stake, in a
When
the
situation
turned
precarious, when one could sense death in
desperate
close proximities, the thousands raised their
countrymen.
their
bid
perseverance
to
evacuate
reaped
their
Before getting down to brass tacks, this
An ironical situation is when pilgrims bribe the
article isn’t a needle in the haystack that
gate in-charge, make thousands wait, bye-pass
bickers over atheism and the existence
the democratic/communistic queue and prefer to
of God. That would open a Pandora’s
have a personal Darshan with God. You trade your
Box
mean
surplus for time, other’s time. The moment you
cyclostyling a billion copies of the
bribed, you’ve taken a stab at him, so the irony
scriptures, the logistics of which might
entails when you pray to the idol that is abuzz with
get too treacherous, though it would
contagious negative energy. Had you adhered
assuage a whole lot of manmade
with the voice from within, that idol, that statue
calamities.
would have assumed ebullient positive energy
and
closing
it
would
that would empower and enhance you. It goes For all the survivors of the nasty
further. You spend thousands in ‘Abhishekam’
calamity at the Kedarnath, God was no
materials and ritual materials that would go to the
more bundled up in the idol to which
fire. The money spent in procuring ghee and oil to
they prayed, to which they bowed, to
burn the flame of rituals could well be used to
which
was
burn the gas in ten kitchens of the less affluent. I
pervasive, he laid in the hearts of those
no way aim at undermining the rituals of
who carried them food, those who gave
Hinduism,
them shelter, in those who ushered
religion, and I am well aware of the scientific
them to safety and last but not least, in
implications of these rituals and ‘homams’.
those
they
who
prostrated.
prayed
for
He
their
the
most
scientifically
supported
safe
evacuation. That is the underlying
Yet,
premise the entire society revolves
superfluous amount of resources could be put to
upon. It is convenient to point up to the
better use that would eradicate generations of
skies, playing the blame game, however
hardships and poverty. God would be more than
coming down to the political sphere, he
delighted and the good Karma accumulated
lies right within you.
would be manifold than the Karma accumulated
from
an
egalitarian’s
perspective,
the
by an ‘Abishekam’. Such benevolence is what the He’s being thwarted and drubbed daily,
God within vouches for; you would be Lord Shiva
so much so that the realisation by itself
for all those reel under your benevolence. The idol
is far-fetched and high handed. Every
at the street ends, the ‘Ganesha’ at the end of the
time your conscious tried to dissuade
street, to whom the impoverished pray every day,
you from perpetrating something and
would assume bouts of power, you would bolster
you evaded the voice from within, you
it.
had inhibited the God within you, and when he cries, you feel the guilt. When
Such unawareness and misconceptions have led
you comply with him, there is the
to Draconian elements at temples, thereby
inexplicable warmth felt and that is
washing away the sanctity and divinity of the
when he laughs.
temple, the sole purpose being lost. A wad of
currency notes could get you closer to the God, get you
In
more services in the temple, and earn you respect and
numerous deities and religions
everything except Karma. Today, everything in a temple is for
and caste. Unfortunately every
sale, Shiva himself is for sale, but the sanctity and the
deity is based outside one’s soul
positive energy that comes along with the temple can never
for the actual deity lies deep
be sold.
within you. At Uttrakhand, when
I do laud people’s effort in the development of temples, the amount that goes into the Hundis as donations for it is one’s duty to uplift and uphold his religions. However, the one who drops a hundred bucks into the ‘Hundi’ wouldn’t drop a single penny into the plates of the beggar right outside the temple. I am of the firm opinion that begging shouldn’t be encouraged and it should be eradicated from the society, but a tenth of the money that went into the ‘Hundi’ could fill up the beggar’s stomach for a day. When such benefactions come to the fore, you’ve obliged to the God in you. That stands above a million prayers. Shiva wasn’t there in the idol you prayed to, he was there in you, your gesture of benefaction towards the poor. Temples and other religious places in India are the comfort home for a million and it needs to be intact at the behest of a billion and it is one’s foremost duty to safeguard it and hence the funds are a mandate. However, judicious directing of the funds is what every religion calls for.
this
country
there
are
the lifters carry on their backs a thousand people daily, giving life to a billion, they have awakened Shiva within them, and for those stranded there, Lord Shiva is at their doorstep to serve them. Shiva cannot curb global warming or set the tectonic plates right as Shiva doesn’t lie in the skies with supernatural powers. Shiva lies right in you, right next to you. In every gesture of benevolence, in every gesture of love, in every gesture of care, in every gesture of good deeds lies Shiva. The benighted
ones
blame,
the
enlightened ones envy, Shiva is to be felt, not to be seen.
DARSHIKA RAJASEKARAN
For a Healthy Life Making a commitment to healthy eating is a great start towards a healthier life. Beyond eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and good fats, however, there is the question of food safety, nutrition, and sustainability. The way the foods are grown or raised can impact both your health and the environment. This brings up the questions: What is the difference between organic food and conventionally grown food? Is “organic” always best? What about locally grown foods? Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods of farming that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides, and chemical fertilizers. They are also not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives. Foods claiming to be organic must be free of artificial food additives, and are often processed with fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions, such as chemical ripening, food irradiation, and genetically modified ingredients. The term “organic” refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed. Specific requirements must be met and maintained in order that products are labeled as "organic". Organic crops must be grown in safe soil, have no modifications, and must remain separate from conventional products. Farmers are not allowed to use
synthetic
pesticides,
bioengineered
genes
(GMOs),
petroleum-based fertilizers, and sewage sludge-based fertilizers.
Organic foods provide a variety of
Organic food is usually fresher when
benefits as they have more beneficial
eaten
nutrients, such as antioxidants, than their
preservatives that make it last longer. It is
conventionally grown counterparts. In
often produced on smaller farms near
addition, people with allergies to foods,
where it is sold hence, they are always
chemicals, or preservatives often find
fresh. Organic farming is better for the
their symptoms lessen or go away when
environment as it reduces pollution,
they eat only organic foods. Pesticides
conserve water, reduce soil erosion,
are
increase soil fertility, and use less energy.
chemicals
such
as
fungicides,
herbicides,
and
insecticides.
chemicals
are
widely
These
it
doesn’t
contain
In addition, it is better for birds and small
in
animals as chemical pesticides can make
conventional agriculture and residues
it harder for creatures to reproduce and
remain on, and in the food we eat but
can even kill them. Farming without
organic
pesticides is also better for the people
produce
used
because
contain
fewer
pesticides. Fresh food tastes better.
who harvest our food.
There are very few people who start up venture for the wellness of society. Vaer is such a start up that focuses on a healthy lifestyle. This is an online organic store founded by Mr.Shriram and Mrs.Kalyalvizhi Shriram with a very simple thought of providing an access to fresh, organic fruits, vegetables and eggs to the people of Chennai. But as the work to open the store progressed, they decided that it should not just be about organic fruits and vegetables but it should also provide an opportunity to transition into following a wholly organic lifestyle. This in turn provided an opportunity for them to develop strong relationship with the farmers who were the backbone of the venture. Mr.Shriram said,� We consider it a true blessing to get in touch with those passionate souls and understand the challenges they face in order to put food on the tables�.
Organic farming is not that easy and organic farmers follow certain rules and guidelines in order to grow food that is delicious and the way that nature has intended it to be as a truly flavorsome and wholesome food. It also offers grains, small millets, oils, spices, masala powders, health mixes, soaps, herbal infusions, honey and many more in addition to a wide array of fresh fruits, vegetables and eggs at door step for a healthy lifestyle. The millets are considered have a very high demand as they are rich in fiber with a low carbohydrate index but, provide energy level equal to rice. It is good to add ragi, cornmeal jowar, bajra and many grains that are rich in protein that aids in a better health factor. There is another section dedicated to the niche country variety vegetables and traditional rice varieties- labeled as Native Variety or Country Variety. Mr.Shriram explained the process involved in growing organic crops and their health benefits while; Mrs.Kayalvizhi Shriram expressed her concern for the present food style that has a higher chemical level which leads to adverse health problems. The major challenges could beare
the unpredictable
climatic conditions and logistics yet the originality and taste of the organic products are maintained with a very good quality. But the basic question that arises in the mind is how to use these natural, healthy products at home. Many healthy recipes are posted on the, “Grandma’s corner” in the website
where one can seek wider options in
cooking with these natural elements.
You can visit www.vaerorganic.com to order organic products online which will be delivered at your doorstep. Photographer : Praveen Balu / Credits to : Vaer Official Pics
PLACEMENT PREPAREDNESS-2
Importance of
Soft skills Soft skills play a major role in changing ones destiny
throughout life; however it plays a crucial role during placement. When it comes to placement a student goes through aptitude test then technical and finally lands up in HR round. During HR round a candidate’s personality is checked. Personality predominantly speaks about attitude. We can showcase our attitude by our Dressing
sense,
Smiling
face
and
Exhibiting
confidence while answering. All these looks very simple, however very few know they are a group of skills. Dressing up well is called Grooming Skill. Smiling is a Social skill and Confidence is a Professional Skill. The good news about these skills is that they can be learned at any stage. Like any other skill development,
T.Vimala Rane
developing the above said skills needs patience and perseverance. To learn these we need not have any
Vellamal Engineering college.
background, except willingness to be successful. It really makes a world of difference if we are ready to learn and practice these skills
Grooming Skill – Dressing up is an Investment!! We communicate with others through our appearance before we take the opportunity to speak .Let’s respect the statement “First impressions can make or break a job interview.” When it comes to Grooming the first thing one should concentrate is on ones comfort. When we wear a comfortable dress we feel confident. At the same time it should be professional. Fashion takes a back seat when one aims to look professional. Our outfit reflects our personality. Our dressing will add on to our credentials. When we take great attention to details into our image, it tells the interviewer we mean “business” and we are “meticulous”.
Professional Dressing Having
said
so
much
about
“Professional Dressing” let’s move on to know what exactly one should wear to look professional. We should make sure that we have neat hair, trimmed fingernails, well-ironed and well-fitted clothes and appropriate footwear.
Men’s Wear: Men should wear a full suit with matching jacket and pants. A collared shirt should be worn with a black belt and
tie.
Shoes
should
be
a
complementary color. Should have a professional hairstyle, clean shaven and limit the aftershave.
Women’s Wear: Women can use cotton suit, crepe salwar kameez or patiala salwar in formal color instead of embroidered suit or jazzy color suit. Remember to go
with
limited
jewelry,
neat,
professional hairstyle, sparse make-up and perfume. Keep it simple as possible.
Do
not
wear
sneakers,
chappals, noisy shoes or overly high heels.
General Tips for both Men and Women: Before
entering
the
interview
room, make sure to freshen up. We should take care of sweaty palms by using handkerchief perfumes, bad breath by breath spray or strong mints. Ensure that we have one more set of clothes if the interview is stretching for a long day. Let’s make sure we have a light but high energy breakfast, for definitely it has an effect on our looks. If possible let’s carry enough snacks if the day is long so that we don’t lose out on energy. Please remember that investing on clothes is an investment on us. Instead of spending on too many dresses, we can be choosy and buy few for the same money. Let’s start focusing on quality than quantity. Well
dressed
people
are
considered to be more intelligent, capable and hence well paid. Let’s make sure our outlook make us look
attractive,
confident
and
sophisticated. Let’s walk tall and set the right impression the very first time. Grooming is an attitude. Success depends on our attitude. So let’s have a power dressing attitude and ace the interview. Cheese!!!!
INNO VATION
SARANYA PALANIAPPAN
"There's a way to do it better—find it.� said Thomas Alva Edison, the prodigy behind some life altering discoveries. Ground breaking research in all fields of study has made innovations the order of the day. Man is on a constant search to enhance or fine tune all existing inventions to better suit the human race. It is these innovations, which have ousted life threatening diseases, unraveled the genetic code and caused satellites to shrink the globe. Leave alone these remarkable advances, there are those little pragmatic tweaks that go a long way in bringing sustainability and ease. It is a process of looking at simple familiar things in a whole new light.
An 18 year old NRI master mind, recently hogged all the lime light at the Intel International Science and engineering fair at Pheonix, USA. She has probably ended battery woes of millions of smart phone users
in
the
world.
She
has
invented a device, dubbed to be a super capacitor that can charge mobile phones in about twenty seconds.
A
nano
chemistry
student, heading to Harvard, Esha Khare, bagged the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award of $50,000. She has already attracted interests from tech giants like Google. The old adage, necessity is the mother of invention; itself needs a mild
tweak
as
inventions
are
leading to a plethora of new requirements.
A
new
silent
revolution is being ushered into the world, today. A revolution called ‘Innovation’ that is solving problems that we have redesigned ourselves to. But who does not love challenges? ‘Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all,’ said Helen Keller. Here is to an outlook of phenomenal innovations and a sustainable future.
ASHWINI ASHOKKUMAR
BROKEN
HEARTED
BOOK REVIEW It was one of those days when nothing made sense. Life seemed like a meaningless itinerary I had to stick to, only the only places on it were work and home. I questioned life and its purpose. I sat at work wondering why I was there in the first place. Aimless blog hopping led me to a blog named ‘The diary of a white Indian housewife’. Piqued, especially by a picture of a tall brunette clad in a red lehenga, I read more. In no time, I was on Flipkart looking for the cheapest copy of Henna for the Broken–Hearted. This is one of those books you begin to like even before you read it; it’s the essence of thetheme, perhaps. This book, you can quite judge by its cover. The calm waves, a blend of azure and frothy white, nudging the side of a lonely boat and the intricately patterned teal floral designs on top of the cover page are certainly indicative of the pacifying story in the pages to follow. The illustrative description of the henna designs adorning a woman’s palm and the possible implication of something on a level much beyond is nothing less than brilliant. home and lives with Aryan for a long time to come.
When Sharell’s husband breaks to
Sharell puts out her emotions in every other
her one day, that he has an affair, it
paragraph of the book, hiding nothing. I empathized
ruins her happiness and breaks her
with her when she had a tough time fitting in, when
world apart. Suddenly life feels
she was gazed at by strangers, when she was unsure
empty. Work was never fulfilling,
and scared and angry. To anyone that’s unsure or
but now, every second seems to
scared, the book is comforting and heartening.
bellow that into her ear. Lost and
Sharell becomes a new friend, you relate to.
anguished, she decides to find a
Suddenly, all that you thought was not practical
new life; one all for herself. She
seems
travels all the way to India, on a
conviction and hope.
volunteering
stint.
In
plausible.It
certainly
leaves
one
with
Kolkatta,
where she stays initially, she meets
If you’re looking for just any good book to lounge
a lot of new people: both Indians
with after work, parts of this book might seem like a
and visitors like her.One of those
repetitive rant. You might not want to read twenty
days, she meets Aryan, a rather
times in two hundred pages about someonelonging
calm with a beautiful smile. There is
to run home and hide herself from people, to find
definite attraction and liking. In
solace. Forty instances of the concept of Indian time,
India, Sharell finds something to
unexpected visits and wet bathrooms might not be
keep her going, despite the initial
the best choice for a world you want to engross
glitches. She learns a lot, to adapt:
yourself in. The zigs and the zags and the ceaseless
hindi,
pestering
vacillation can cause the book to get slightly
vendors, bargaining, shooing away
draggy.The writing style is simple, too simple that it
the pesky strangers and the nosey
may seem dreary. At a point, my dream to write a
acquaintances and also what she
book didn’t seem like a task as colossal as I thought
sees
Indian
it to be. However, this book is certainly more about
washroom ways. Eventually, she
the experiences and emotions it recounts than the
quits her job back in Australia and
writing itself, which can cause you to overlook the
moves to India. That, she sees in
latter.
handling
as
the
the
amusing
hindsight as the best decision she ever made.The story goes on,
As
along with Sharell, partying in
broken-hearted, inspiring them to keep faith. For all
Kolkotta, traveling to the Varkala
the others, it can be a fascinating read about a brave
beach down south and then high
girl, a seemingly unfeasible decision and inconstant,
up in the valleys nestled in between
nomadic life which all ends well or a passable
the frozen white peaks of the
almost-daily written diary of a white Indian
Himalayas and then finally, to
housewife.
Mumbai which she makes her
the
name
goes,
Sharell
soothes
the
SHARATH RAM
Evergreen movies by evergreen directors and evergreen actors are seldom to be remade lest should override the enchanting memory etched deep in our hearts. ThilluMullu by K Balachander starring Rajni was one such priceless treasures of Tamil cinema. A remake by itself, ThilluMullu was Rajni’s first shot at comedy and probably his best shot. Comparisons and parallels are inevitable in the film industry and more so when the film is a remake. However, compare ThilluMullu II with the original at your own peril. Before I get into the review, I laud director Badri for he made sure he doesn’t remake the movie scene by scene and the lead actors made no attempt to imitate the yesteryear actors of the old film. He just borrowed the plot and improvised on it to suit the current generation viewers. The movie kicks off with Pasupati(shiva)’s gimmick, and sows the seed of his character, a witty and foxy youngster who takes to such gimmicks to make ends meet. He loses his father’s property in a legal battle and is in dire need of money to marry off his younger sister Kavita. At this juncture, his maternal uncle, a lawyer (Singampuli) intervenes and informs Pasupati about a job opening in his friend’s water packaging company. His friend however is a strict disciplinarian, a staunch Muruga devotee, a flippant Sivagurunuthan (Prakash Raj). The lawyer, having known his friend inside out, gives a character sketch of Sivagurunathan to his nephew Pasupati. Pasupati, in a desperate bid to acquire the job, disguises his unruly hooliganism beneath the veneer of a staunch Muruga devotee and abets his original character. The twists and tangles that follow and how the protagonist finds a way out of the labyrinth maze forms the plot of ThilluMullu II. One lie leads to another and further the plot gets complex. I cut short the story as most of Tamil Nadu would be aware of the plot given the runaway hit the yesteryear ThilluMullu was.
The bedrock of humour here lies in innocence of Siva Gurunathan and how easily he is taken for a ride. However, the director has tried to procreate humour in other trivial scenes and the effort turns out to be futile. Shiva has got the uncanny knack of having the viewers in splits with his dialogue delivery with his inimitable voice, however this time he goes overboard. Such humour evokes laughter only when it is given in judicious doses and this is where the director has flawed. To be fair, comedy did work in certain scenes between Shiva and Prakash Raj, but on the whole it wasn’t the rib tickling affair the original movie was. Humour is a petite and delicate art that needs to be maneuvered with precision and not be forced upon. It should be subtle and before you could realise you should be in splits. K Balachander, the legend he is, handled the subject with utmost subtlety and jokes there not only evoked laughter but also did it evoke an inexplicable mood that set the movie apart. This is precisely where the director has lost track. What the director failed to cater in the two and half hours was delivered by Santhanam in his cameo towards the end. As I already put it, comparisons are inevitable in a remake. First of all ThilluMullu was a movie which shouldn’t have been remade. However when you embark upon such an expedition, you got to have done with a protagonist who’s get a classy sense of humour and not one who would make a clown of himself as the role essayed by Rajni was of such stature. I don’t look to denigrate Shiva for his humour is of a different genre and that was what made flicks like Saroja and Chennai 28 remarkable ones, yet Shiva was a misfit for this role. Moving on to Prakash Raj, I would say his character was underwritten. ‘ThengaiSrinivasan’ was Ramachandramoorthy in every frame; however Prakash Raj isn’t Sivagurunathan in every frame. Given the adept actor he is, he could have got into the skin of the role, which seldom happened. The role of Parota Kumar was nugatory as it had no genuine impact on the plot and Parota Kumar could have just remained the stereotypical hero’s friend providing the comic relief here and there. The heroine IshaTalwar plays the typical heroine the current state of Tamil cinema has stereotyped and doesn’t come anywhere close to Madhavi’s expressions or appeal, the heroine of the original version. KovaiSerala, playing the surrogate mother of Pasupati and is getting louder and annoying film by film. High time somebody the directors downplay her character.
The chemistry between Shiva and Prakash Raj sets the sparks at times and the director should have capitalized on this and made more such scenes. One crucial unforgettable scene of ThilluMullu was the interview scene and the audience came in with high expectations about that particular scene. To one’s dismay, that scene wasn’t half as breezy as the older one; the reason being ‘Thengai’ Srinivasan’s performance was on a different plane. He got into the thick of things, his expressions; his dialogue delivery and his body language were spot on. He was the typical strict and stern yet innocent and naïve boss who could be cheated upon in a jiffy. Prakash Raj fell short of the high standards set by his predecessor. Old is gold is for sure a overridden cliché. However it holds true in more than context in this film. MSV’s numbers ‘ThilluMulluThilluMullu’ and ‘Raagangalpadhinaaru’ remain blissful. Yuvan Shankar Raja too has come up with some peppy numbers but however the Yuvan of previous decade is yet to resurface. On the whole ThilluMullu II is a one-time affair. Comedy hasn’t clicked to its fullest partly due to expectations and partly due to the inefficacy of the director. However there are scenes which tickle the funny bone and have you in splits. Though memories of the yesteryear ThilluMullu is indelible, make sure you erase it before you step into the movie for comparisons would spoil the entire two and half an hour affair.
HARISH SRINIVASAN
World Cinema
Directors-Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson Cast- Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan,Rob Lowe ,Tina Fey Year:2009
The invention of lying is a film centered in a world where lying has no meaning and people are blatantly honest about their opinions. As interesting as the one liner seems what more can you add to make it more interesting? Yes, invent lying in a world where everything you say is considered true. It takes a couple of minutes to get into the mood of the film as the dialogue delivery is truth told in a cold manner. Once you get inside you feel you are a part of it.
The lead character Mark Bellison enacted by Ricky Gervais is a screen writer who is about get fired for not producing good outputs. He is forced to evacuate his mansion and he has very less money in his bank to cover the expense. It is at this time he invents something strange , an unknown concept of telling what is not there. From then on he goes on twisting things in a fashion which suited his needs yet in an ethical way. He gets back to this job and is back on track in his life. Beyond a point of time, Mark gets to differentiate evil lie and a white lie and uses it to manipulate things and writes scribes like a prophet and presents it to the world. One emotional moment where he tells his mom about a life after death which is filled with eternal happiness instead of eternal emptiness was heartwarming and sweet. The comic sense in the film was good yet it makes you think and reflect on the world we live in. The places where Mark expands his ability to describe people makes one think of seeing the deeper meaning of the heart, looking beyond instead of judging things at the face value. Also, in a fictions world where marriages are made looking at the most favorable child based on genetics instead of the feeling of love brings in a lot more subjectivity and hypothesis to the film. But the way it was handled towards the end showing love wins is clichĂŠ yet soothing. Overall a subtle comic film adds philosophical thoughts to the mind. Just be careful not to be blatantly truthful moments after you see the film because it could take you there.
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