Mundane Musings

A courier guy who glanced past me into my house wanted to know if her body had been brought back. Without even asking who "her" was I replied with that slight clenching of my stomach muscles that she would be probably brought back in the afternoon (which because of sudden findings has now got delayed further more). Beautiful Sridevi.     Pic courtesy: Santabanta I have been strangely affected by Sridevi's untimely death. Since hearing about it yesterday there has been a sick feeling in my stomach. There have been very few deaths of celebrities that has disturbed me this way. When S had informed me about it early Sunday morning, I just didn't accept it. He had received a forward and I discouraged him from doing so himself without verifying the source. The news of course was all over the internet and on TV we soon learnt. Questions were buzzing about in my head. How could she die in her early 50s? How could she go when this talented actor with such an expres...

R. D. Burman: The Man, The Music by Anirudha Bhattacharjee My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book is almost a labour of love on the evergreen musician R D Burman. This is a music lover's must-have, a R D Burman fan's must-possess, a Hindi movie buff's must-read book. Though it has a lack luster title for a book about a man whose music has been relevant till date, it makes up for it in the well-written and researched content. The book is divided into 3 parts and it charts his musical journey from when he assisted his father (the great S D Burman) to his meteoric rise in the late 70s and then his subsequent fall in the late 80s and early 90s. I love reading books about our Bollywood actors and musicians from early days as there is so little known about the times they lived in and the magic they created. This book shares so many of those trivia and tidbits through interviews with people who worked with RD and whom he came in contact with while composing music. I especially love...

No other day in the life of a cupid-struck person comes loaded with pressure than the one that falls on 14 th February. Valentine’s day is and will be a major commercial jamboree for years to come. People who are in love, who might be in love, who suspect they have a chance in love are going to make this day matter. And as long as that happens, the celebrations and the pressure of that day is going to build up. In the rush to be a part of it, it is easy to forget the true essence of the day. Valentine’s Day celebrates love, rightfully so. It is of course infamous for being the day you ask a loved one to marry you or may want to know if the status of the relationship has progressed to the next level (whatever that might be). A married couple may need that day to appreciate the other’s presence and so on. Yes, these milestones needn’t necessarily have to fall on the 14 th of February every year, but a day set aside to nudge you to do something that can enhance your life is a welcome...

A few years ago, during my first visit to Europe , I admonished S for harping on about India whenever he got conversing with the locals. He was unashamedly singing praises of our country and at every opportunity he let people know what his country had to offer; never once falling on the poor country spool that I have generally heard people talk about really. I was the one feeling embarrassed I realized. The foreigners or locals in this case, were lapping it up genuinely and in some cases like our host in Brussels, were also vehemently agreeing with S.  And by the time we made our way from Paris to Belgium (Brussels and Bruges) I admired this genuine love for his country and his desire to keep up his faith in it. He was not willing to put down or malign our country without any basis and there was never a certain casual dismissal of  our country's achievements or our rich culture. Our expressive National Flag There are many reasons why I love S, but that trip reminded ...

We spent a better part of yesterday afternoon at the Farmers Market (Santhai ) in Nungambakkam, organized by SunnyBees . This was a first attempt by the organizers and from the response it got, I think they would be motivated enough to host it again. Here’s a quick low-down on what to expect if hosted again: This initiative by Sunny Bees, which is a chain of grocery stores that I believe sells fresh produce, is for farmers and customers to meet without the middleman. If that were the case, I don’t know what SunnyBees' role is here. The farmers showcase their produce for us to buy, but most of the billing is done by Sunny Bees. That brings me to the produce. I must say, most looked very fresh and lovely. There were strawberries from Mahableshwar, apples from Kashmir, oranges from Nagpur and the like. Potatoes, onions, beans, coriander leaves, mint leaves, gourds etc were also for sale. Almost all the produce was fresh, considering some had to travel from as far out...

All it took was a well taken photograph published in a widely circulated newspaper...a picture of a grinning girl in chef's whites holding a trophy with confetti flying all over her and an equally ebullient group, to end the month long suspense that kept me glued to the idiot box come rain or sunshine. All it took was that one photo, published before the actual episode got aired on TV. Talk about raining on a parade. They had given a spoiler alert in teeny tiny letters instead of blazing it across the newspaper as good folks should do. MasterChef Australia 2017 I wanted to tear the paper apart, but you don't live on earth for 39 odd years without some maturity kicking in. So I folded the offensive piece of recycled pulp as calmly as I could and tried to look for the silver lining. Yeah, Ben was not going to win MasterChef Australia 2017. It was Dizey...dear old Diana who was going to walk away with the coveted trophy and prize money. Now that I knew the results, the o...

Nutshell by Ian McEwan My rating: 4 of 5 stars Nutshell - Ian McEwan What a marvellous conceit this book is. It tells the story of a woman having an affair with her brother in law,and of the two plotting something sinister. Only, the story is told by the most unexpected narrator - the foetus of the unfaithful woman. And far from being gibberish the language and tone of the narrative sways to the other end of the scale - it is eloquent, astute, perceptive and exquisite. How can the author get away with this you wonder? Right from the first part of book.. ."So here I am, upside down in a woman. Arms patiently crossed, waiting, waiting and wondering who I'm in, what I'm in for" we understand that this is no ordinary narrator. He is sharp and he peppers his monologues with exceptional opinions about things in life which he has experienced second hand through his mother's womb. "I'm hearing pillow talk of deadly intent and I'm terrified by...