In Search of Saints.

    In Search of Saints.

When saints walked from place to place,
The earth cast a vision of Heaven.
Their footprints became a starry cluster
Throwing light on life's lofty journey.
The thorns turned into flowers.
The thoughts of men were filled with fragrance.
Each day was born to spread goodness,
Like the smiles of new born babies.
Soon the earth was filled with
Slimy selfishness and dust of arrogance;
Trading minds threw the saints in exile;
Or those holy, took a holiday for a while.
What we see now is a transformed bulk of soil
Trumped by storms,floods and droughts.
The deserted earth draws no dreams,
To drive out the downing syndrome.
Leaders are not saints and saints alone can lead.
When power glitters in new costumes,
The eyes of men and women begin to dazzle
In an emptiness, that the saints are not used to.
The saints lead by the glow of their eyes
And the grip of their feet to the sacred soil.
Where there are no saints but leaders,
The earth warbles notes of sound and fury,
Losing its core of sweetness and light.
What is lost, could perhaps be recovered.
But what has been deliberately deserted,
Drains our breath to its last gasp and groan.
                                                    P.Chandrasekaran.

Bhairava, Not a Top Notch category..

   

       Punch dialogue, tempo, fiery stunts and nimble dance movements are ever the trademarks of Vijay. They are found in plenty in Vijay's Bhairava as Pongal gift to his fans.From the start till its finish the movie moves at an even speed not sagging anywhere.The cricket stunt scene and the sparkling stunt just before the interval, would make the audience sit up and watch with excitement.A couple of new ingredients of the film are the uxorious [wife doting] villain, [played by Daniel Balaji}and the darling concept in the friendship of Vijay and Satish. The graceful song sequence 'Nillaayo' at the marriage hall is a melodious number of Santhosh Narayanan adding to the aesthetic component of the film.But unfortunately, in the case of other songs, the worthy lyrics of Vairamuthu get extinguished in the fire of Santhosh Narayanan's musical decibel.The budding music composer did much better in Madras and Kabali.
    Bhairava needs a special acknowledgement for bringing together actors from all the Southern region.Apart from a huge list of men and women from Kollywood,the film has the main villain Jagabathi Babu from Telugu,Sharat Lohithashwa from Kannada,and Vijayaraghavan from Malayalam. Of late, Jagabadhi Babu has become a popular villain of Tamil Cinema, with Vikram's Thandavam, Rajini's Linga,Vishal's Kathi Sandai and now Vijay's Bhairava. He has got a wholesome role, to play villainy and he has performed it with a combination of sweetness and brutality.As usual Daniel Balaji essays his role with characteristic clarity and force in dialogue delivery.
   The noise free comedy of Satish is always a heart warming factor. Keerthi Suresh seems to be bent upon making her substantial innings in Kollywood, with her looks and acting mettle.The film carries a huge load of cast.The clippings from old films Nam Nadu,Enga Veettu Pillai and Uzhaippali from the Nagi Reddy family's proud film production unit, speak of the glorious place this film production unit has held in Tamil Cinema.This great film house has dealt with a variety of themes such as family values,and political corruption.
       Here, they have dwelt upon the plight of higher education in the hands of wrong players.Some of the scenes and dialogues make us recall actual happenings in medical colleges in Tamil Nadu, that drew large scale media attention and public ire.I have heard some of my own relatives and friends saying that they received just a slip of paper mentioning certain number in pencil, in lieu of hefty donations they gave for a Medical or Engineering seat.But the sad factor is, such a sensational issue has taken a highly cinematic route for highlighting the horrid state of affairs in higher education. However, there is a dialogue in the climax from the hero's voice, stating that, when yardsticks are placed for the selection of students and appointment of teachers,there is no eligibility yardstick for those, who happen to manage most of the private institutions of higher education.
   Vijay's Bhairava is definitely an action packed film, in the line of his earlier hits like Thiruppaachi or Vettaikaaran in the sense, the film contains quite a lot of twists in narration as in those films.But some where something pulls it down from the top notch position.May be the narration could have been a little more realistic and refined instead of being an attempt to surpass the demands of logic and acceptability of common sense, by presenting the course of events, in a make- believe manner and in projecting the hero, as some one endowed with super powers of body and mind.
 

         

பொங்கல் திருநாள்.14/01/2017

   

                    பூரிப்புப் பொங்கல். 

ஒருவராய் நின்றிடின்,  ஊரென்ப துண்டோ!

பருவம் பலதும், கூடிடும் வாழ்வில்,

இரவினை இருளும், பகலினை ஒளியும்,

நெருங்கிடாப் பொழுது நாளென் றாகுமோ!

எருவும் மண்ணும் கலந்திடா  திருப்பின்,

பெருகுமோ பூமியில் பசுமையின் பாங்கு;

பிரிவின் பொருளது, தனிமையின் வலியாம்;

புரிந்திடின் ஆறுமாம், பூசலின் காயம்.

அரிதெனக் கிட்டிய மானுடப் பிறவியில்,

ஆர்த்தலில் அடங்குமோ, ஆளுமைத் தேர்ச்சி !

நேர்ந்திடும் நன்மைகள் நிறைவுடன் தங்கிட,

ஊர்ந்து சென்றாலும்,ஒருவழிச் செல்வோம்.

பார்த்தலும் கேட்டலும் பலபெருள் கூறிட,

நேரில் அறிந்திடும் நன்மைக் காட்சியே,   

ஊரையும் உலகையும் உயர்த்திடும் என்று,

பூரித்துத் திளைத்திட, பொங்கிடும் திருநாள்.

                                                                 ப. சந்திரசேகரன்.