Of all the blogs in all the sites in all the world, you read mine

Casablanca Title...(1942) :) I hope you got it... :)

This is gonna a loooong post. Browse down. Take your time. Read the titles you're actually curious about if not all...

For all the crap I write, there are a hundred movies, ATLEAST that deserve their own post. The list is quite endless...
Let me try making a list. A small one...

Metropolis(1926)
Schindler's List (1994)
The Godfather Trilogy(1972,1974 and 1990)
The Lion King(1994)
Its a Wonderful Life(1946)
ROCKY "Hex"ology?? (1976 to 2006)
Fight Club(1999)
Dr. Strangelove(1964)
A Clockwork Orange(1974)
Casablanca(1942)
Scarface(both 1932 and 1983)
The Green Mile(1999)
Judgement At Nuremberg(1961)
The Grapes of Wrath(1940)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance(1975)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington()
Dog Day Afternoon(1975)
..And Justice For All(1979)
Network(1976)
Scent Of A Woman(1992)

Now I have a lot on my list. This was from the Top250 of the IMDb list. Makes it easier...
By the way, for the critics of IMDb and the list, I don't think its a perfect list. Definitely flawed on several accounts. But it is one of the more reliable lists. IMDb is unfortunately unfair to comedies. The top list has Monty Python( Life of Brian, Holy Grail ) and Charlie Chaplin( The Great Dictator, City Lights ). But the more modern slapstick is horribly rated. I mean, movies like "Baby's Day Out", "Ace Ventura" and "Father of the Bride" are rated at 5's and 6's. Even parodies, good ones, like "Robin Hood:Men In Tights" are rated low. And I laugh like a clowns business when I watch them. Anyway.. This post is more of a rant of a handful of the greats.

Metropolis(1926)

Fritz Lang was a visionary in his field. Metropolis is considered one of the very first greats. A silent movie. For its time, the score was fantastic. And I'm getting warmed up. The sets and the screenplay were light years ahead of the time. It never got slow. The movie was classic. Character descriptions were perfect. You can understand the minds and the ideas of the silent characters if they just gave you a look and a wave of the hand. The sets. Huge... It was amazing. I couldn't believe it. I remember thinking, "Was this actually made in 1926?"... The robot poster is a great. It wants to make you watch the movie ASAP... :) I had a hard time getting the movie. But when I did, it was so totally worth it... I could go on. But I wont. Watch the movie.. And be amazed...
Amazing Scenes: When our young protagonist realises how different the world below is...
When he tries to save the minions..

The Godfather Trilogy(1972,1974 and 1990)

Technically, the Godfather Trilogy needs no introduction. Everyone has heard of them and you, reading this post have most likely seen them as well. One of the very few adaptations that did the book any defined justice at all. Screenplay, Cinematography, Characters, Acting, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Score, Direction, Art Direction, Sets... Yes.. I'll stop. The first movie is a classic. The second isn't even a sequel. It stands so strong on its own. Robert De Niro barely even spoke English. And you could've sworn it was a younger Marlon Brando acting instead. Now.. Part 3. I don't think it got all it deserved. It was more complex. Unless you catch every dialogue and meaning, its unlikely you'll get the story. It spent so much time on Michael's relationships as well. And not just on him being the Godfather. Joe Mantegna was amazing. And Andy Garcia was very James Caan... Part 3 had stellar performances and a very good story. It actually helped the series come to powerful pack up. Michael can do whatever he wants. He spent his whole life protecting the family he eventually lost. You will see the movies one day. And you will nod and say, "Yep, these movies are cult for a reason"..

Amazing Scenes:
Part 1: James Caans monologue when he chides Michael for wanting to shoot Sollozzo...
Every time Marlon Brando speaks...
When Michael tells Carlo not to lie to him... And another 2 hours worth of film time...
Part 2: Michael Corleone on screen... Every expression and look...
"You broke my heart Fredo... You broke my heart"
Fredos death... and the rest...
Part 3: "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in"
When Vincent Mancini becomes Don Vincenzo Corleone
When Michael screams at the end...

Schindlers List(1994)

Very long. Very engaging. Very disturbing. Steven Spielberg is a great director. No denying. This movie was stunning. I wouldn't sleep for 2 days. I needed 3 romantic comedies to counter the affect this movie had on me. It was so well done. I cannot possibly tell you how. And why... Everything. Everything. It had to be as long as it was. Again, technically, it was a masterpiece. Liam Neeson has since become one of my favourite actors. He has played some great characters.. Oskar Schindler here... Michael Collins(Michael Collins, 1996), Qui-Gon Jinn(Star Wars Episode 1, 1999), Ra's Al Ghul/Henri Ducard (Batman Begins,2005) and Brian Mills(Taken,2008).. Schindlers List was only the beginning. Schindlers List defeated great movies of the year to the Oscars. They included, Philadelphia(Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington) and In The Name Of The Father(Daniel Day Lewis.. The only fault was that it released along with Schindlers List. Any other year, it would have probably been destructive at the Oscars)...
Schindlers List takes a patient mind to watch. And it takes a strong one to finish. And believe me when I say, if you don't shed a tear at the end, you need to see a shrink...
The little girl in red.. Never a word said. But so much communicated with so little.

Amazing Scenes: "One more man"...
Ralph Fiennes tries to be the man with power...
Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley...(anytime on screen)
The train station
The body burnings

The Lion King(1994)

Where do I even start? Do you watch cartoons? Have you seen this one? The Lion King is quite simply the greatest animated movie ever made. This movie was a cricket match. Isme action hain, emotion hain, drama hain... It also had a great score, fantastic music, destructive storyline, killer characters, solid animation, great screenplay... So much was put into just 85 minutes. It was so good, you have to wonder how...
Let me go long here.

Mufasa: A true king. I would follow this lion to end if he was ever my king. So powerful. Looks and voice. James Earl Jones was also Darth Vader...
Rafiki: When he finds out Simba is still alive, the happiness is so sincere, I feel like celebrating with him. Fun loving and the philosophy of the gods. He preached with a manner that made us all listen. Rafiki is a man you all wish you had in your lives. A guide and a friend whom you respect and can love to be with.
Timon and Pumbaa: Heh... Hehe... For all the inappropriateness... :D
Scar: Jeremy Irons makes you get chills up your spine with every line. He slithers like a snake and still makes sure you know that he has the brains of a Machiavellian conspirator. No physical strength. But scary as hell.. Be Prepared...
Ed, Shenzi and Banzai: You gotta love them.. For all they try to do.. You cant deny it..
And please, Hans Zimmer, Elton John,Tim Rice... Take a bow...
Amazing Scenes: Am I actually gonna try narrowing this down...

Its a Wonderful Life(1946)
This movie was a commercial disaster when it released. It has since become one of the most popular Christmas movies of all time. And no matter when, this movie a lovely movie. The timeless story of hope, love, family and friendship. George Bailey is every small mans hero. He is everything that symbolises honesty and loyalty. George Bailey never thought he could do with his life what he really wanted. Things just never went his way. But he did what was right. He did what was important. But of course, we never know what we have till its gone. Neither did George. At a point when he finally questioned his existence, he learns a lesson that makes him understand that no matter how life goes, whether a person succeeds or not, whether he follows his dreams or not, life is still beautiful. Its hard sometimes, but its never as bad as you believe it is... Frank Capra directed the movie. He is a king among directors. A man who truly made movies which gave happiness and hope when he was done. Even though Its a Wonderful Life failed commercially, it has made many lives richer... I am one of them. I shed tears everytime I watch the ending.. EVERY TIME...
James Stewart of course, deserves a special mention. A fantastic actor. Harvey(1950), Mr. Smith Goes To Washington(1939) are movies which I ought to write about. But I have reached the end of my strength. My fingers beg me to stop.
But of course,
Amazing Scenes: Auld Lang Syne
The alternate reality
When George tries to keep his customers at the Housing and Loan
So much more... Amazing movie..

I don't expect you to have reached this point... But if you have, Wow... :)
I have not mentioned many. And have not done justice to all the movies I have mentioned...
Maybe you ask me, and I'll talk a lot more.. :)
I'll fill in more movie reviews and discussions soon...
Tell me if these helped. Tell me if these made you want to watch the movies. If they did, then there are so many more... :)

Movies are art. Not just that, they are also a platform for learning. You don't learn lessons like the ones in Lion King and Its a Wonderful Life walking along the street. I have learnt a few things. And I believe I have changed for the better. Not just the movies... Another thing helped as well... Gr8.. :)
I love the arts. I can appreciate painting and music. But movies are something much more personal...
I don't expect you to understand... Just read.. :)
Comment...
And yes.. again..

"...You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"
Inspector "Dirty" Harry Calahan
(Clint Eastwood, Dirty Harry, 1971)

The Zone

I'm not discussing the damn show.. The Twilight Zone..
I'm not discussing the famous diet programme... The Zone Diet..
I'm not discussing the sports term.. "Being in the zone"..

This is mine. Its mine. Its all mine. So whether you understand it or not, is your prerogative. I don't really care, do I... You can fiddle wit it. You can alter it. You can revise it, rework it, whatever.. for yourself. But THE ZONE is mine. This one is mine.

You already put an idea in your head when you saw the title. It could mean a thousand things for a thousand people. When I talk about the zone, i mean a gap. A big ass gaping hole. It contains everything I had and have. Its endless. So I can fill it with whatever. So when I say I'm feeling tired, that's the zone. When I'm happy, I'm in my zone... The monkey can make it all clear.

The zone illustrates the damned reason you got pissed the day. You didn't think within the zone. You left the zone. So get back. Think about it. Its not that easy. You obviously don't even have your own zone. You're gonna be thinking for a long time to develop your own. So don think like an idiot. Think like you want to think. Go make something. Up or bloody down, I don't really give a rats brown hairy butt.
My zone is my religion. It preaches the right for me to tell you to bugger off (pardon the mild language) if I so pleased. And you may not listen to me in the real plane. But in the great Argand plane (to the math knowing people, you should know this. So don't smile if you got the point.. you're supposed to), its done. You have left me and left me to my own senses and environment. You do not exist. Why?.. Because that's my zone.
It also preaches the right to be drunk on well water. And sober on the taste of a leaf in paper. The smoke will clear even if the wind doesn't stop blowing. When you are in my zone, if you're a guy, you have to have a top hat. If you're a girl, it has to be... Yes.. You *u*king perverts will call it kinky. Jump in a well. But anyhow.. girls must wear slippers... Rubber. Why? Go to hell. All my rules.

You can have a thousand reasons, conditions and borders in your own zone. If you do not understand the point, you may ignore having one.
My zone is where I need to go when something kicks my ass. Where I can celebrate in solitude and enjoy the pleasure of my own company. The existence of a foreign entity is a highly complex issue. The company of another is an event which marks something very special. It means that someone else has been altering the effects of the winds and typhoons at my end. And I at theirs.
My zone is very clear to me. It isn't a matter of explanation. Its about understanding.

This isn't spiritual. It isn't the deal of finding myself or the matter of self-discovery or of coming of age. That's been done.
My zone works as a strength of its own. And I make a move to it and withdraw whenever I wish...

My zone is represented by the Screaming Chimp...

The picture is a bad Paintbrush job. I would probably use Photoshop. But I don't have it...
The Screaming Chimp is what every single person is after he reads the newspaper or watches the TV. So no matter how different you are in principle and looks, this is a symbol or a face everyone has.
The Zone is the future. We all live independent of everyone else. Even though our pasts are all different, the future is all the same. And the Zone defines the future of me. Of me with you and of you with the third guy.

Develop your zone. Its all the specifics...

If you're reading this, leave a comment. And don't leave asking, "What the hell was that?"...

I never think of the future. It comes soon enough
- Albert Einstein

I wonder if Einstein ever had a Zone...

BREAKing News

News is about reporting an issue. Its about telling the people through words and pictures and nowadays videos whats happening and how. What the issues are, and who is responsible. This post is a me being pissed at the modern press and journalism.
The news media in India either doesn't quite understand their influence on public opinion in India, Or understands it all too well. In India, where the newspaper circulation is only quite about 30.7 million in 2002. I wont be able to give any better stats for 2009. But back then, the number of newspapers circulated for the number of people hit about 50 per 1000. The 50 is assuming that circulation has increased. Assuming that each paper caters to one person, that's 3%(THREE PERCENT, just to amplify the point) of the population that reads the paper. In whatever language. This clearly showing that newspapers aren't exactly the most popular news delivery system. There is TV, which is obviously significantly more attractive. And that's about the topic of the post.
EVERY channel loves breaking news. But the entire concept of breaking news is a significant piece of news about an event that is important enough to warrant an interruption of regular broadcasts is order to report the news to the population. Now I am not going to argue the use of the term itself. That's a different argument entirely and not relevant to the current post.
you watch Indian news channels these days, and we have breaking news ALL THE EFFING TIME. Everything. Honestly, its annoying. After 26/11 (after the 5 days), we had breaking news on the television for a week atleast. RGV going to the Taj was breaking news. ?¿?¿?¿?¿ Prioritize. Of course, it isn't half as much fun watching news that is "just about stuff"... When its breaking, its so much cooler... Um.. Again ¿. Of course, it a lot about ratings and viewership. So its all business. But new broadcasting is an important service. It needs to be shown some respect. Check the comments on this article.
And everyone has an opinion. The number of talk shows with speakers on it just because they are available. Shows like "We the People" and "The Big Fight" and whatever-its-called on channels like StarNews and HeadlinesToday are more of a screaming and shouting fest of little appreciable content. The talk shows on NDTV, I used to hold in high esteem. But the speakers nowadays think laughing and huffing and puffing makes them put across their points better. And what points. Stupid points some are. I won't go so far as to say that they aren't good st the topic they were called in to discuss. The channels are hopefully, not THAT bad. But they make silly points.
A good debate also means respect between the speakers. Leave the hall and call your opponents whatever you want in private, but when the debates begin, you need to be responsible and respectful. Everyone is getting heard.

The Mangalore issue. It has to be about the most talked about topic on television nowadays. There was a show with a BJP Leader, some top person from the BJP Mahila group with Raghu form Roadies and a Restaurateur. The "leaders" were all against the corruption of Indian culture and "sanskriti"(which is something else). The restaurateur spoke minimally. Only once as I saw it and apparently only one other time. both times, with a little disappointment about the situation as a whole. Now, Raghu, who has a reputation of being a straight talker with lots of "attitude" and the king of sarcastic kickbacks, was probably the worst. I'm not trying to stand separate from a crowd here. He was screaming. Disrespectful. And had nothing of substance to say. He interrupted the other speakers. Whether or not their points made any sense themselves. That was low and wrong. He kept on arguing about his right as a person to do whatever he wanted. And the sarcasm was a serious step down from his regular style we see on Roadies.

Now,I am no judge here. I'm not asking to become the editor of national newspapers or the marketeer. I don't ask to become adviser to any news channel. And though I am neither a viewer nor a fan of Roadies, I will likely be first in line to agree that there are very few people who could do what Raghu does.
But I find some faults. I mention them. Like I said, not a judge. So if any of you are thinking, "Kunal thinks he knows a lot... But ... ", then please... PLEASE, comment. And tell me the "". Bhai will probably be first in line... :P I'd be right behind, come to think of it... :P

Chaar aane ki murgi, baarah aane ka masala - Sarkeshwar 'Circuit'

The Whole Wide World

I have a dream... A wish actually. To be precise, it wouldn't count as one... Its a collection. But first... I was born in 1987. And for those who don't know, the Halley's Comet was visible, that is, it crossed the Earth in 1910. Again in 1986. 76 years later. When I read about it for the first time, I was probably in class 3 or 4. Around 8 or 9 years old. I read that it appears every 76 years. I was excited and looked u when it passed the last time. When I read it came around in 1986, I was pissed. I felt vaguely cheated that I missed it by one year. YES... I KNOW. Even if it came in 1989 or something, I wouldn't really know. I KNOW THAT I WOULDN'T KNOW... You can stop shaking your head like a Chinese doll. But either way, its how I felt. And its what I thought. Ever since, I've decided that I wanna see it again. I wanna see it before I die. That means I'll have to be 75. In the year 2062. Blood far off eh...? I know. I don't know if I'll get hit by a bus or something else before then. But its just a dream. If I die before then, then I'm gonna go upto God and pull his long white beard. He will, of course be able to show it to me immediately.. But the wait itself is much cooler than the prospect of seeing it. Just in case, for a few of you who are thinking it, NO. Its not a different way of wishing I live till 75.
Continue reading.
I wanna see the world. Nothing amazing about that. I wanna live in New York and stand at Times Square. I wanna go see the Berlin Wall. I wanna pray at the Wailing Wall. I wanna see Mecca. I wanna LIVE in Africa. I wanna see Sierra Leone. I wanna drift on the Nile and swim in the Amazon. I wanna get caught in a rain in South America and sail through the Suez canal. All these and more. I wanna experience the world. I wanna live the world in my 75 years till the Halley's Comet. I'm 21 now. I have 54 years. FIFTY FOUR years. Its a long long time. 54 years, not given to me. 54 years that I have allotted to myself, hoping that I'll have it.
I have read about people who have moved country and place to settle down in They live in another place and have a family there.
I think its lucky that they did. Experiencing a new lifestyle is something quite amazing. I imagine. I want to. I'm not saying I will.
For a person who would want to do something like everything I described, they need a longer life than 75 years. Let me be clear here. I don't want to visit these places. And those I mentioned above are not even a tenth of the actual list. I don't only want to see these places. I wanna live there. I wanna make friends with the people there and I want to visit the grocer. I want to live in all these beautiful places for the experience they will give me.
But I was standing at the railway station yesterday when this thought struck me. Being able to do all of this would make me happier beyond my means. But I don't think it is necessary. We haven't been designed to survive the world. We can travel as far as our means will allow us. But we cannot hope to cover the globe in a lifetime. I'm not calling sour grapes. I'm just saying that it is how I feel. I have lived in the UAE. It is a different lifestyle. I have lived in Hyderabad and Chennai. Even the differences between cities within India took some getting used to. I cannot imagine what 5 cities in different countries would do to me. ha...
I like pani puri and chola batura. And I'm happy in Hyderabad and I actually have come to love Chennai. I don't like tea, Irani or otherwise and love sambar on my Vadai...
I'm a hybrid of a Hyderabadi and a Chennaite and am a little bit of a citizen of the world. I honestly say I could watch an Italian movie wearing Bermudas and a baniyan, sipping coffee and eating a lasagna while living in Moscow. A little bit of everything...
And I kinda hate this post. But I have effing typed the whole effing thing and if you have started and come to the end, you have suffered the equal agony of me typing it.
Joy to the world...

Sleepily I say...

I wanna sleep. I totally lack direction and topic and find nothing better to pick up a book and read myself into a good nights sleep. Whats the last book I read? Harry Potter... Book 7. Light reading. And I enjoyed it. I read 3 chapters a day and finished it slow. Second time. I already knew what happens.
Before that. 'Tis by Frank McCourt. Nothing fancy. An autobiography of the author(i know... i know.. duh...). A good book. Enjoyable. Not too many fundae. But he does manage to turn gears at certain points. He doesn't seem to intend to do so. But he does. Then again, the dude is a teacher. And he won the Pulitzer. So I'm guessing that's what good teachers do. They make you think. There's this nice part. He teaches this bunch of women. Night school. Illiterates trying to get a little education. Read and write. They discuss issues. So they come around to racism. Hot button topic all over the world. And its like the number two way of getting movies to become blockbusters. Number 1 way is Steven Spielberg. Anyway... getting back. So they discuss racism and MalcolmX and Martin Luther King and stuff. Its based in the US... So they talk about how people are bad and how the world is unfair to blacks... All this time, they are also learning to read and write.
Then one day Martin Luther King gets killed. They all get worked up. They discuss the actions of the white man and how he's wrong and bad and all that. Then 2 months later, JFK gets shot. The incidents are unrelated. I think. But it affected them far differently. For the 36 black ladies who want to be able to write a letter to their kids. They sit and now they have no argument. They sit and are confused. They don't know who to blame and how to think. The best thing to do is to continue and to just keep reading.I may have the exact facts wrong. But the premise is the same. 36 ladies put their heads down and go on reading. They have nothing to say. We have no understanding and no idea why the things that happen, happen.
Its a small part of the book. It does its part. I spent time reading it again. It had no powerful meaning jumping out. But you have to figure it out.

The same happened with the autobiography of MalcolmX. It begins and continues quite unremarkably. You begin the book and read all that he writes. I was quite stunned reading it. MalcolmX is one of those people. The kind you hear about and read a few paragraphs about. Pretty much everything is appreciative. Pretty much everything tells us how MalcolmX was a great man who changed lives and brought about the change that the world needed. But he doesn't say that. He lived his younger days among junkies and gangs. He was part and participated in them. And was pretty damn good at it too. It wasn't till later that he reformed. He was caught and sent to prison. He read there. He learnt there. He became a follower of the "Honourable Elijah Mohammed" and became a Muslim. He then became a preacher. He "recruited" for Islam. The error with it all was that MalcolmX was bent on colour. He was a racist too. I was disappointed and sad when I read that. He used to preach that the white man was evil. I was upset intellectually. I didn't like what I was reading.
But the greatest signs of a good movie and a good book is transformation(eg The Godfather)... In an autobiography and true story, it is magnified. On his pilgrimage to holy Mecca, he saw white man and black man pray together. He understood the error of his ways and amended. He never claimed to be enlightened overnight. But it happened. MalcolmX was the most arrogant and at the same time humble person I have read about.
What turned here was morality and past. Everyone runs from the past. I do. A little. And the present too actually. He did too. A great man. He was haunted by his actions all his life. I realise that I am not perfect. But I have an inkling of MalcolmX, Bhagat Singh and Mahatma Gandhi inside me. At the same time, I have Ivan The Terrible, Adolf Hitler and Aurangzeb thumping within me as well.
I hope I will one day choose correctly between the good and bad sides of me. Jekyll lost. I hope I will not. My Hyde is what you see. I am all the right and wrong. I am the example of the purest and vilest of sentient being.

But right now, I am sleepy. And this post is an example of that. Good Night everyone. Sleep happy... Dream that you fell naked on a pile of cow-crap and pig-droppings. Waking up will never be better.
Forgive the tangents of this post. I enjoyed typing it though...:)

Unchained Melody and Auld Lang Syne

Unchained Melody is my favourite song. Number 1 all the way. I heard it for the first time as an instrumental. Where... On my 16 bit Sega console. It was the a midi format background score for the main menu of the game. I played that game a lot. So the music left a print on my mind. I would be able to identify that music anywhere in the world. I agree, that its possible that my vague introduction to the song is a reason I have such an affinity for it. The song is more than 50 years old. Introduced for a movie, 'Unchained'. I haven't seen the movie and have no judgement to give. I have heard several versions of the song. The midi to begin with. Then there was also The Righteous Brothers, Elvis Presley and U2. I personally consider the version of The Righteous Brothers, performed by Bobby Hatfield the ONLY version of the song that does it justice. I haven't heard the first and original version. Even so...
Honestly, I think Bono was high when he rendered his version. And it was Elvis Presley's last ever Live performance when his version was recorded, so you can say where I'm going with this. Don't get me wrong. U2 is very good, and Elvis Presley truly is a god. I could probably write whole posts about some of his songs. But I truly wish he had never performed Unchained Melody. While Gareth Gates' version got its share of recognition, I didn't like it. His voice is too feminine for a song where the guy is professing his love to a girl. Or so I think. It was overdone.
I've been listening to the song or a variation for nearly 16 years now. And I probably heard it with lyrics about 11 years ago. And I probably understood the song about 5 years ago. And i related to it 2 years ago. I love this song. If anyone asks me, its this one.

Auld Lang Syne. Its old Scottish. Now I don't go hunting for Scottish and arbit-language music, but this quite popular. Loosely translated, it means, "long long ago" or "days gone by" (courtesy: Wikipedia). The reference will be understood listening to the song when it comes to

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne

Its obvious what it means. For the thick-skulled, it reminisces days gone by and is all nostalgic. Take a cup is the equivalent of toasting the good old times.
This song, in variations is the most popular all over the world for Christmas and New Years. It has a beautiful meaning. But the prize here is the melody. And with the two put together, you get a piece of art. Undeniably fabulous and loved by mostly everyone. You've heard this before. You almost definitely have. Its one of those songs. Others similar are 'Ode to Joy'(Beethovens 9th Symphony), and probably Tubthumping by Chumbawamba. Tubthumping is a one-hit for Chumbawamba, but it still serves the purpose of the point.
I first hear Auld Lang Syne as a ringtone on my Dads Nokia. One of the older bulkier models, which made its appearance in India. My new phone, Nokia3110c doesn't have Auld Lang Syne. Its moved to Bach :D...
Anyhow, I used to take this phone and go to a quiet corner and listen to the tune a couple of times a day or something. At the time, I didn't know what it meant. There were no words, it was monophonic. But the melody strung a note for me. It stayed. I never forgot the name. I did however, hear the songs at various times. In movies, TV shows and stuff. The Godfather Part II features it. A group of nurses sing it a hospital just around the time Michael tells Fredo that he knows it was him who attacked him. New Years Day midnight in the movie.
This song too, I have heard several versions. They include Kenny G, Boney M etc etc.. Several versions are choir performances. Two renditions, which I have listened to over and over and will not ever get tired of are,

1. From, "Its A Wonderful Life". Fabulous and amazing movie. It features at the end. I wont post any other spoilers. But in context and given the moment, it makes you smile with a tear and feel like singing along. This is one of the movies during which I shed a tear. For critics, go stuff yourselves.
2. Dropkick Murphys. For a group that's also released songs named, "F**k You, I'm Drunk" and "Irish Drinking Song", it seems like an odd choice. But Auld Lang Syne has many versions and several mutations. The Dropkick Murphys strung out a fast rock theme of the Pub Version. Great music and feet tapping.

I am not doing justice to several songs by singling out these two. I have plenty of favourites. I'm not saying I have greater exposure, just that I have lots of interests. Music related. But these are two songs, I don't ever remember skipping over or fast forwarding. I either repeat it innumerable times or listen to if it pops on my playlist.

One of the greatest regrets in my life is never to have learnt how to play a musical instrument. Its a lifes pursuit to learn how to play the violin, in a sound-proof room if nowhere else... And whether it happens at 22 or at 40, or 60, I will do it...

Take care readers. Thank You, faithful ones. This isn't a "smart blog". I'm just bakwaasing here... So if you read all this stuff, I'm grateful. I won't know if you did, but if you do, I'm voluntarily thankful. Take care...

Change... The Green is gone...

Everyone has something that they're deeply attached to. An object. Most people atleast. A car is probably number one on most lists. Sportstars wear the same hats and underwear for games for luck. Michael Jordan has apparently kept his college shorts(that detail is true, not from Space Jam alone.. so There!!)... I have my own things. One thing, and most people from Chennai, my friends, people who know me, know this.
My green bag. I've had two actually. First a green sling bag which Rojin(for those who don't know, he's a good friend from college). He bought it for his sister. But my need for a bag was imperative. He gave it to me... Thanks man, if you read this. So it was a dark green Puma (imitation) sling bag. I carried it to college everyday.. I carried it outside when I went out. Even if its just one book. Always. Me without the green bag was non-existant. But it was imitation. And it was falling apart. Slowly... It started with the strap. Then the zipper... Then the bag cloth itself. Started coming apart. I spent more money than it was worth getting it fixed... So many times. There were strands of cloth hanging off. Christy offered more than once to have it repaired. It probably bothered a couple of people and unnerved a few others. "Why would Kunal carry that trash around..?"... I had it for over a year and it became kind of synonymous with me. However, I had to let it go. Eventually, I had to. I still have it. Its in a crappy shape and will probably hang on my wall later. I loved that bag. However, it gave way to something new.

I went for a Cognizant event in Chennai once. They were giving out bags. I got one. I was black and algae green. It succeeded the Puma. It was a backpack kinda thing. It probably has a specific name, but I dont know it. It was a good bag. Nice pouch in front and string things to wrap over my shoulders like a backpack. Now that lasted through life till two days ago. Unfortunately, its been a long time and its time to retire that beauty too... I'm officially done with that one too...

I dont know why. But these bags went everywhere that I did. And they became supremely important. Dont ask... Anyway. They're done. And its made way for a new black sling bag. Just got ot... So lets see how this goes...
Change sucks sometimes. But lets see where it goes...