NAMMAL ENTHUKONDU THOTTU....???

Sankaradi is one of my favourite actor...

Personally, in malayalam films I have seen no other actor- who in so natural in any of his character, maybe a small scene with couple of dialogues, or a thru-out character....supporting actor, comedian or villain- I have never seen him with a bad performance.

Any actors, if you see their graph-may have started in a low phase and might have an impact of the period they have started their carrier, but with Sankaradi-even if you watch a very old B&W movie-you will never find an 'over dramatised' performance or dialogue rendering.

He was very much ahead of his time from those days itself.....

It was during an era, where the whole body was used to prompt a scene, dialogue presentation was so un-natural (actually it was believed that acting and dialogues should be dramatised to the maximum to prove the height of calibre) -and here we find Sankaradi so natural and genuine.

Born in 1924 at Cherai (a place close to Kochi)-his actual name was Chandrasekhara Menon. Sanakaradi was his family name-he really dominated malayalam film industry for decades, to be precise from 1960's till 1980's I think there were only a few films that you could count on with fingers- in which Sankaradi may have not appeared during this period.

I have read that he passed intermediate from Ernakulam Maharajas College.

Before entering films, Sankaradi was involved in politics, journalism and theatre. His political life started in Indian National Congress, but later became a cardholder of the undivided Communist Party of India but he returned his party card after the CPI split in 1962 and turned to theatre.

Also joined the trade union movement at Baroda Railways while he was studying Marine Engineering at Baroda, and later he abandoned his studies to pursue journalism in Mumbai.

It's belived that the stint in theatre during the mid 1960's in Kerala-prepared Sankaradi for his clear polished entry into films.

His debut film was Kunchacho's Kadalama- the story started, and then he remained an integral part of Malayalam cinema till his death.

He even holds the record for featuring in over 300 films with evergreen hero Prem Nazir.

It was a late marriage for Sankaradi- his wife Sharada came to his life in 1980; the couple had no children.

He died in Oct. 2001.

There are hundreds of films that I could list to prove his versatile acting talent-and as I mentioned before, from the very old B&W era-to medieval films- and the third and final phase films after 80's

And one among them is from the film "Sandesham"-one of the best political satires in Indian cinema, is my all time favourite too- I would like to point out his role in this film.

Though not a lengthy role-even today when this film is discussed -Sankaradi's presence is so strongly felt..!

Whenever I see this scene, I cannot control myself and laugh......

The questioning by Bobby Kottarakara....NAMMAL ENTHUKOND THOTTU.???...........................and Sankaradi's answer to it....or as it says 'Thathvika avalokanam'...

Vigadanavadhikalum prathikriyavadiakalum prathamadrishtiyal akalchayil ayirunnuvenkilum avarkidayilulla andardara sajeevam ayirunnu.............boorshwashikalum thakam paathu irikukayayirunnu...

(Spice to this clip is Sreenivasan's 'pennukaanal'scene...........really memorable..! )

Lead me towards light......

Today, I found this- hmmmn... informative.

I need to share it with you

Asato maa Sadgamaya
Tamaso maa Jyotirgamaya
Mrityorma Amritam gamaya
Om Shantih, Shantih, Shantih

Meaning
Lead me
From untruth to truth
From darkness to light
From death to immortality

(From the transient world of decay lead me to the everlasting world of Bliss. Let the effulgence of Thy Grace illumine by being with Truth. Save me from this cycle of birth and death and destroy the craving of the mind, which produce the seeds of birth).

Explanation

When the room is dark, we stumble and fall; we are terrorized by imaginary fears; a number of insects move about freely and make us uncomfortable. When we put on the light, we are comfortable and happy, so also when our minds are dark, the pests of Moha, Lobha, Mada, Matsarya, Kama and Krodha trouble us and make our lives miserable. So we pray to God to illumine our minds.

Ignorance is like darkness. In this darkness, we fail to see that we are all related to one another and to God, by the kinship of Atma. This gives rise to greed, envy, jealousy, hatred and anger. These evil tendencies make our lives miserable. Hence we pray for the light of Jnana, which dissolves all the differences.

Relative Story

When the Lord is pleased with us, what boon will we ask him to grant us? To pass us in an examination? Or to give us lots of money? Then what else? The only treasure in this world that one should possess is true knowledge and the knowledge is light: That knowledge is self-realization.

Once there lived a king called Uddalaa. He was once performing a yajna. In that sacrifice, he was giving away a lot of wealth, cows, etc. His little son Nachiketa was sitting by his side and was observing all that was going on. Though young in age, he was very intelligent. He understood the vanity and deceit of his father, in giving away all the barren cows. He felt a great pain heart. In order to save his father from sins, he asked the father, "Oh! My dear father! To whom are you giving me away?" The father didn't reply for some time. When asked repeatedly, he got angry and said "My son, I am giving you away to Yamaraja". Nachiketa was very pleased. He at once went to the abode of Yamaraja. But to his great disappointment Yamaraja was not in Yamapuri. He had gone out for some urgent work.

Nachiketa had to wait for three days and three nights at the door of Yamaraja's palace. At last on the fourth day Yamaraja returned. Seeing this little boy at his gates, Yamaraja was quite amused. He offered the boy three boons, as the boy had to wait for three days. The first boon Nachiketa asked for was to forgive his father for his ignorance. The second one was to cool his father's anger. And the third one was to bestow upon him the knowledge of self-realization. Lord Yama didn't want to grant the third boon. He tempted the child with many worldly attractions and pleasures. But nothing could change the child's mind. His only prayer was Mrityorma Amritam Gamaya.

He wanted to go from mortality to immortality. At last seeing the child's perseverance, Lord Yama had to grant the boon to Naciketa.

We too mustn't ask for worldly pleasures, as they are all just temporary. But immorality is everlasting.

Kuruthola Perunnal

Kuruthola perunnal or Osana perunnal at Cochin always makes me remember some of my x'tian friends....and also Easter special 'Kozhukatta'......still I wonder how kozhukatta is related to Easter..........but it is during this time I had the best Kozhukattas from those christian houses..!

It's the main dish on the eve or morning of Palm Sunday-don't know why kozhukatta is made and how it is related to this occasion, but I think its like a custom, shared and passed on from generations.

Usually they say Osana Perunnal or Kuruthola Perunnal for Palm Sunday and since kozhukatta is a main dish, its also known as kozhuketta perunal...not a joke, I have heard this name on several occasions.

Easter ahead....will be back with more from those days.........!

Down memory lane.....

I had a small nap today afternoon- and had that dream again..............

the dream I always like to see. The dream I always wish I could see again...and again..............

............Walking thru roads of Kochi......

I really miss those lazy afternoons of Palace road, my school days often makes me remind Shanti La'l's tea shop, the air has a flavour that’s hard to miss. Coming from a nostalgic- familiar faced less crowded small city like Kochi, laid back pace of this place life is addictive to the point of making you want to stay back here forever.....

Just a thought about Kochi is like rewinding to past, my childhood and adolescence, full of nostalgic sweetness that I hold close to my heart. Just a drive past the lanes of ''palace road' and 'jew street' is enough to bring back to life several moments spent in adolescent fervour.

Now gazing out through my window here -at smothering sunlight outside reminds me of the evenings spent there at Kochi.....those days...!!!

The earthy smell of smoke emanating from the neighbourhood marwadi family kitchen at the dusk, the doves flying fearlessly across the clouds, the kites soaring high in the sky;..............memories, which take me back into time, to delicate memories of the decade gone by........in that beautiful place of earth I would say.!

I have moved far away from simplicity to resounding noise, yet even the smallest thought, the simple things I have grown up on............ pull me back to a life of careless whisper..........my home town.!

My dreams still take me to 'fort kochi' , Napier street, parade ground, Vasco-da-gama square, my schools St. John De-Britto, Gujarathy School, Cochin College, .................which made me what I am.

It is magical, I could still recollect many a days from those years I spent there..........…and each step was a discovery of my past.

My College....the joy with which my teachers and other staffs received me in those memories were heartening............…the joy on their faces is something I will cherish for a long time...... The assembly portico where I have presided so many times ....elections.....campaign......fights.....each and every part of it where I have painted some fine canvasses of my life, the library where I spent time editing the college magazine, auditorium............. the corridors where we queued up before entering the classes, the classes and the smell of dust where I had given long speeches , the simple sweet college life still enamours me. it was all still so very same.....

In Kochi, no friend is too far and no relation too old to be revived, you are never too far to be forgotten. All around, I see familiar faces that I have grown up with; I know I belong here, and will never fade into oblivion of anonymity.

Such is the umbilical cord that ties me to the city.

Of all things nice and beautiful, most cherished are my friends-without them, life wouldn’t have been this fervent and eventful if I have to say......though all of us are geographically apart........

After that, till today I have missed friendship the most, in all its colours, the quarreling, the loving, the hating, the solitude or the aloofness that came after, the shopping, the eating, the dancing, the drinking, the crushes and the heartbreaks, the caring and the crying, and finally the coming back to each other after all that......!

How much I wish I had stayed there forever, like a star that found its own Universe, gravitating inwards, till its time for it to say good bye, letting its glory submerse in its own sweet sky......!!

NDE (Near-death experience)

I still remember that day-

almost 21 years ago, I was doing my 1st pre-degree at Cochin College-it was the inaugural day of our family project Hotel Chandini Park at Kalamasherry.

While the function was in full swing, I met with an accident;slipped away from the second floor and fell down- hit on the chairs arranged for the party. Didn't feel anything wrong first, got up-but slowly felt a pain in between my ribs...somewhat like a knife piercing.......feeling hard to breathe....!!!

I knew something was going wrong.........

I couldn't speak, chocking.....

Crowd gathered around me, and then Jayan chetan(he is no more today; left us in a tragic factory accident at FACT years later) rushed towards me- picked me up and swinged me to and fro so that I could get a relief from the suffocation....but that was the last thing I remember.........

...all of a sudden darkness filled my eyes, I could hear a sound as if a thousand whistle-aloud in my ears..........echoing.........then i felt as if i am falling into a deep well, or a tunnel...........deep black tunnel, darkness than black........the phase in which I was going down could not be explained.....I could see a blue spot somewhere faaaaaaar away at the end......it was like a blue ray spot.....something like an ultra violet spot...........but it was so far........and I was falling into that infinity......

Suddenly I saw an old man...with white long hair and beard...he looked more like a sanyasi...but I think I know him.

Yes, I have met him somewhere...!

He had a smile on his lips...so graceful was his face, the smile that spoke a thousand words...I know this man...!!! I heard him say, no actually that was a whisper......"See, I said you will believe what I said, you will believe in God...!'

That made me remember, where and when I had met him-it was just a few days before this incident-

I was sitting in a friends textile shop near my house-and this old man came there. He had a few Rajastani blankets in his hand, a few on his head- looked more like a gypsy-wearing colourful dress, big long thilak on fore-head with white long hair and beard.

We didn't buy anything from him- but had a good chat..I was a good listener ....even got him a tea from the nearby hotel.....the stories he shared about his village, myths and beliefs they still keep on........strange traditions etc..etc.

I was highly influenced by the atheist movements during that age....reading regularly the books I could get from atheist society and a tough non-believer in god. I tried to clarify with the scientific bases on the beliefs he shared....laughed at the incidents he described proving the existence of God.

But he was so calm, I remember there was a smile always in his lips, his eyes were so sparkling ....and he said:'You might be a non-believer, but god loves you kid. He has vested many responsibilities on you which I am sure you will fulfil in your life'

He took my palms and kept it upon his-closed his eyes and said-'a phase of your life is ending; very shortly you will conclude it-and if he wishes and wants you to live again, you will come to know what GOD wanted to prove thru you in your life...!'

I laughed at him-

he got up slowly, took the blankets-placed a few on his shoulder and rest in his hands-calmly he walked and in a slow tone he said ' shortly, in near future you will believe whatever I said, you will be a strong believer of GOD.'

Suddenly, I opened my eyes-

it was like a flash light first, then slowly I became aware that I was in a hospital, and my loved ones surrounding my bed. It seem that I was unconscious a day long, had 3 bones of my ribs broken- and when they tried to swing me-the broken bone was again effected and I lost my conscious. Situation was critical, the broken bones could have bent and punctured my internal organs..... I was rushed to hospital- and after a day I was out of the coma stage.

The conclusion in one simple line is-

it had a great impact on me, I was a changed man, I really started loving life, I became a strong believer in god.....!!

Now how did this happen.......

I went on discussing this with many people, started reading on this and then came to know that there is term in science called NDE (near-death experience)where they study such cases...

One such case which I could relate mine personally was that of a lady- at Atlanta-Ga, a resident Pam Reynolds had a near-death experience . Reynolds underwent surgery for a brain aneurysm, and the procedure required doctors to drain all the blood from her brain. Reynolds was kept literally brain dead by the surgical team for a full 45 minutes. Despite being clinically dead, when Reynolds was resuscitated, she described some amazing things. She recounted experiences she had while dead -- like interacting with deceased relatives. Even more amazing is that Reynolds was able to describe aspects of the surgical procedure, down to the bone saw that was used to remove part of her skull.

What's remarkable or unique about these experience is that it is the combination of an NDE and OBE an out-of-body-experience. How it has braved this territory on the edge of reality, explaining how near-death experiences work and how a person can have an out-of-body experience. I would say science still hasn't made its own headway toward explaining these weird phenomena which many has experienced.

Also many case studies proved that as many as 18 percent of people brought back from death after a heart attack said they'd had a NDE.

I am not superstitious-respects, believe in the facts that science prove-

although religious adherents might not be surprised by these accounts, the idea that human consciousness and the body exist distinctly from each other flies in the face of science while scientist believe that NDE's are actually intrusions triggered in the brain by traumatic events like cardiac arrest and that it means the experiences of following near-death are confusion from suddenly and unexpectedly entering a dream like state.

Maybe- but personally I still have the questions that remains unsolved-

What was that sound of a thousand whistles I heard.........what was that black well or tunnel........darker than black colour.......what was the blue ray point I saw, while falling in a speed that could not be described...????

Was that death? Is this the way death starts it journey.........!!!

And just before waking up again from the clutches of death I would say-

why did I see that old man again?? who was he...???!!!

..from where did he come from, where did he go....never ever I have met him after that?

Why did he meet me........was that a prediction.........????

From the pages of OSHO....

Other day I read a book Of Osho........a quote from it; which really I liked-thought share it with all:

A fool is one who goes on trusting; a fool is one who goes on trusting against all his experience.

You deceive him, and he trusts you; and you deceive him again, and he trusts you; and you deceive him again, and he trusts you.

Then you will say that he is a fool, he does not learn.

His trust is tremendous; his trust is so pure that nobody can corrupt it.

Be a fool in the Taoist sense, in the Zen sense. Don't try to create a wall of knowledge around you. Whatsoever experience comes to you, let it happen, and then go on dropping it. Go on cleaning your mind continuously; go on dying to the past so you remain in the present, herenow, as if just born, just a babe. In the beginning it is going to be very difficult.

The world will start taking advantage of you...let them.

They are poor fellows.

Even if you are cheated and deceived and robbed, let it happen, because that which is really yours cannot be robbed from you, that which is really yours nobody can steal from you. And each time you don't allow situations to corrupt you, that opportunity will become an integration inside.

Your soul will become more crystallized........

Parallels in life.....but..???

.

Yesterday, I met with a college friend who I had not seen in 16 years.

Although our lives have taken completely different courses – he moved to north India for several years where he met his wife, while I flew to Dubai – but the parallels in our lives was astonishing.

Consider:

• we both have two kids, a boy and girl each.
• My friend’s daughter is one day older than Chandu (my son).
• My daughter Gauri is 1 day younger to his.
• We both work in almost same nature of job ....
• We both have the same brand car.

Many more are there but above all..............we both still have hair on our head, though mine have started turning grey.