Mr.stallone has come a full circle was his Rocky balboa persona. With age catching up, he has moved to mentorship over action in the ring. After entertaining us with his action yarns over the years, this time he has decided to entice us with his performance. With Creed, Mr.stallone has exhibited immense grace with his performance as an aged champion who reluctantly takes under his wings the budding boxer, the son of his old friend, who was an able match to him in his boxing days. The film focuses on the bonding between the young gun and the legend. The movie rather than being yet another underdog drama, surprises us with its human approach and satisfies us at an emotional level. The film worked for me.
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Saturday, October 03, 2015
My first and the best trek ever
For the first time in my life, I went on a road trip with my buddy to Udayagiri which is about a 100 kilometres from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.Our trip started at 05:15 AM on 26th September 2015. We reached Nellore around 08:15 AM. With the help of my cousin in Nellore, we headed to Celebrations, a popular place for breakfast. We had steamed idlis soaked in Sambar, then Vada, Masala dosa and Pesarattu Upma, an Andhra speciality item. It was a great start for a long way ahead.
With the help of a kind hearted localite, we figured our way to Udayagiri. After a good three hour journey, we reached Udayagiri and found ourselves staring at a rough patch of road and a tall hill in front of us. With no sign of life, but for a few bikes parked there, we confidently parked our vehicle and started our long trek. The steps to the hill were too steep to climb and after about a mere 15 minutes, we were gasping for breath. We reached for our first sip of water and headed again. Our surroundings were thick with trees, creepers, monkeys, noise of the crickets, bugs and quite eerie. We started to experience fear and an uncertain path ahead. But to our comfort, we bumped into a few people on the way. We continued our trek without talking to any of them. Our several short breaks were centered on the stunning surroundings and surprises that nature and history threw at us. We became the shutter bugs among those countless harmless micro bugs that we came across.
We wondered at the remnants of the fort walls on the hill and how perilous the construction would have been in those times. The best part of our trek was the visibility and the level of the adjacent hill that at regular intervals indicated how far we got ahead in our trek. The adjacent hill seemed like a marvelous piece of nature's work with its rust colored rocks and lush green trees. We were awe-struck many a times at the sheer grandeur of the hills and the surroundings. Given the task at hand, we controlled our anxiety and admiration for the nature's and the man-made wonders or rather blunders. After a good two and a half hour trek, we came across directions to a big mosque and a small mosque. We choose to take the path leading to the small mosque. The path was too narrow with the tree branches too low and a good number of monkeys perched on them. We retreated at the sight of those monkeys that made us quite uncomfortable. We found respite at a jamun tree that was quite different in every aspect. The tree wasn't that tall and most surprisingly, it had berries that were as small as green peas and they grew in huge bunches all over the tree. With hestiation, we had a small bite of the already tiny berry. It tasted like the jamun fruit but with less flesh. And, also to our surprise, we found a couple of young guns who told us that they've taken the path to the big mosque but to no avail. They said it was the top most part of the hill. We were disappointed to hear that. But having gone that far, we wanted to complete the trek to the top most part of the hill. We took the path that seemed treacherous and instilled in us a fear of the unforeseen, reminding us of some horror movie set-ups. But soon, we were awe-struck at the almost Scotland-like sight in front of us. The last remaining ruins of the fort walls were magnificent and the adjacent hill seemed to say hello to us.
We felt happy and had a sense of achievement of conquering a peak. But then, as a twist in the tale, my friend and I had a disagreement over the path that led to the peak. Not to hurt his judgement, I agreed and followed him on a path that was even more scary. It was going downhill and too steep and it then made us realize our wrong step. We lost no time in heading back and soon found ourselves familiar with the terrain. It was a huge sign of relief and with dusk only a few hours away, we made our path down at a hurried pace. We again, came across a another group of youngsters who checked with us about the path to the mosques. They choose to head towards the small mosque and we headed downhill. Very soon, the young group came down and we were taken aback with their swift return. When I asked them about their quick return, one of them said, "We are youth". The reply made me feel older and made me realise that I had slowed down in life and that I was yet to come to terms with the reality. But deep in my heart, I never felt older and age was just a number.
Finally, after five hours of "knees and ankle" war, we dragged our famished bodies to the foot of the hill. We saw some families and few youngsters who had their share of adventure or some leisurely moments. We splashed our faces with some sun-warmed water in our vehicle and slipped into some dry clothes. With our barely-there energy levels and some disappointment (we expected a grand fortress, some palace remains, but had to be content with the ruined walls), we headed back to Nellore to refresh our starved bodies and souls with some beer and biriyani. Thanks to my great cousin again, we found a good place to dine. And, that was a mini-adventure indeed. After some chilled-beers for our souls, we reached for biriyanis for our bodies. The food turned out to be great, and it had me asking for more. Something, that never happened before. It was then, too late for us to head back to Chennai. We drove to a nearby hotel and treated ourselves to a much-deserves slumber. As the sun began to shine, we rose up and revved up to our source of life (livelihood), Chennai. On the way back, we had some flashbacks of our prior day episodes, shared some life moments, domestic and career disturbances, and all along, paying some toll fees and cursing the governance of the nation. Although, we are back to our daily grind, we do take time to discuss the time gone by. We do keep getting flashes of the memory of our wonderful trek. Yes, wonderful, it was.
With the help of a kind hearted localite, we figured our way to Udayagiri. After a good three hour journey, we reached Udayagiri and found ourselves staring at a rough patch of road and a tall hill in front of us. With no sign of life, but for a few bikes parked there, we confidently parked our vehicle and started our long trek. The steps to the hill were too steep to climb and after about a mere 15 minutes, we were gasping for breath. We reached for our first sip of water and headed again. Our surroundings were thick with trees, creepers, monkeys, noise of the crickets, bugs and quite eerie. We started to experience fear and an uncertain path ahead. But to our comfort, we bumped into a few people on the way. We continued our trek without talking to any of them. Our several short breaks were centered on the stunning surroundings and surprises that nature and history threw at us. We became the shutter bugs among those countless harmless micro bugs that we came across.
We wondered at the remnants of the fort walls on the hill and how perilous the construction would have been in those times. The best part of our trek was the visibility and the level of the adjacent hill that at regular intervals indicated how far we got ahead in our trek. The adjacent hill seemed like a marvelous piece of nature's work with its rust colored rocks and lush green trees. We were awe-struck many a times at the sheer grandeur of the hills and the surroundings. Given the task at hand, we controlled our anxiety and admiration for the nature's and the man-made wonders or rather blunders. After a good two and a half hour trek, we came across directions to a big mosque and a small mosque. We choose to take the path leading to the small mosque. The path was too narrow with the tree branches too low and a good number of monkeys perched on them. We retreated at the sight of those monkeys that made us quite uncomfortable. We found respite at a jamun tree that was quite different in every aspect. The tree wasn't that tall and most surprisingly, it had berries that were as small as green peas and they grew in huge bunches all over the tree. With hestiation, we had a small bite of the already tiny berry. It tasted like the jamun fruit but with less flesh. And, also to our surprise, we found a couple of young guns who told us that they've taken the path to the big mosque but to no avail. They said it was the top most part of the hill. We were disappointed to hear that. But having gone that far, we wanted to complete the trek to the top most part of the hill. We took the path that seemed treacherous and instilled in us a fear of the unforeseen, reminding us of some horror movie set-ups. But soon, we were awe-struck at the almost Scotland-like sight in front of us. The last remaining ruins of the fort walls were magnificent and the adjacent hill seemed to say hello to us.
We felt happy and had a sense of achievement of conquering a peak. But then, as a twist in the tale, my friend and I had a disagreement over the path that led to the peak. Not to hurt his judgement, I agreed and followed him on a path that was even more scary. It was going downhill and too steep and it then made us realize our wrong step. We lost no time in heading back and soon found ourselves familiar with the terrain. It was a huge sign of relief and with dusk only a few hours away, we made our path down at a hurried pace. We again, came across a another group of youngsters who checked with us about the path to the mosques. They choose to head towards the small mosque and we headed downhill. Very soon, the young group came down and we were taken aback with their swift return. When I asked them about their quick return, one of them said, "We are youth". The reply made me feel older and made me realise that I had slowed down in life and that I was yet to come to terms with the reality. But deep in my heart, I never felt older and age was just a number.
Finally, after five hours of "knees and ankle" war, we dragged our famished bodies to the foot of the hill. We saw some families and few youngsters who had their share of adventure or some leisurely moments. We splashed our faces with some sun-warmed water in our vehicle and slipped into some dry clothes. With our barely-there energy levels and some disappointment (we expected a grand fortress, some palace remains, but had to be content with the ruined walls), we headed back to Nellore to refresh our starved bodies and souls with some beer and biriyani. Thanks to my great cousin again, we found a good place to dine. And, that was a mini-adventure indeed. After some chilled-beers for our souls, we reached for biriyanis for our bodies. The food turned out to be great, and it had me asking for more. Something, that never happened before. It was then, too late for us to head back to Chennai. We drove to a nearby hotel and treated ourselves to a much-deserves slumber. As the sun began to shine, we rose up and revved up to our source of life (livelihood), Chennai. On the way back, we had some flashbacks of our prior day episodes, shared some life moments, domestic and career disturbances, and all along, paying some toll fees and cursing the governance of the nation. Although, we are back to our daily grind, we do take time to discuss the time gone by. We do keep getting flashes of the memory of our wonderful trek. Yes, wonderful, it was.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Excitement rides high on the Fury Road
I'm one of the many action junkies worldwide who's smitten by the splendid metallic adrenaline rush of Mad Max Fury Road. Things that got going for me: the color palate, action choreography, characters, vehicles, carnage and most importantly the background score that lifted the movie to a whole new level. With a barely there plot, Fury Road is one mega chase sequence that is an action aficionado's delight. Best watched in Dolby Atmos. Watch out for the flame spitting guitars, drums and woofers that bring a new meaning to the term, "war cry".
Saturday, February 28, 2015
It's not just a movie for me
Well, what can a movie do to you? It can make you laugh or cry or cringe. Or, possibly ruin your entire day. It can also be a good tool for learning. Any movie is a result of team effort. It is possible to single out one aspect that could make a movie, an instant classic or just another one. The plot, performance, cinematography, direction, music are all key aspects that could make or break a movie.
I have learnt may things in life from the movies. Gait, perspective, patience, art appreciation, passion for food, clothing, style, and most importantly, my English vocabulary. They keep my sanity intact in this otherwise unforgiving world of insanity. The one big negative is that it has taken away a chunk of my time, the most precious thing in this universe. The biggest positive being hope. Yes, movies have given me hope that I too can do something meaningful in life.
I have seen a nobody become a somebody and then a somebody become a nobody in no time. It taught me how tricky that fate can be or rather how people could let themselves be undone. I have learnt to keep fighting despite the odds, and wait for my day of reckoning. Sooner, or later, it is bound to happen.
It all starts with a single step. And, I have taken that single step. Keep walking, says, a certain Walker, and in good spirit. Now, for the proof of the pudding. Gladiator taught me patience, Rocky taught me to keep fighting, Forrest Gump, Castaway, Nightcrawler, The dark Knight have proved what sacrificing body and soul can do.
On a end note, I'd like to say, Life is like a movie, sometimes interesting, sometimes not. The greatest thing would be to make a movie out of one's life. So, do you just watch a movie or be a movie?
On a end note, I'd like to say, Life is like a movie, sometimes interesting, sometimes not. The greatest thing would be to make a movie out of one's life. So, do you just watch a movie or be a movie?
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