Everytime I think I have understood what death is all about, he strikes right on, blows me down, makes me gasp for breath and forces me down to my knees and stays on until I let go and say - 'All right, you've won again'. All the Gita and Upanishads in this world seem to lend no help when he decides to strike on the bull. He catches you unawares, tramples all of the hope that is left, and nails you down. The damage at the end of it is devastating. And if time heals, why does it stop now. When the sheer reality of death and its morbid consequences dawn, time seems to stop. Just when the coast appears to be clear, death storms in all its power and regality. Yes, in his own way, the great leveller is regal, sparing no one. But he never gives me a chance to understand what he really is, and remains one more of the several mystifying mysteries. Peace.

Well...am back again..and am sure all of you who read my blog are bored big time by this statement of mine. I know I just disappear for quite sometime and then make a comeback (if you can call it that). Ok, that apart, a lot has been happening over the past month, but then I'll be writing about Chandramukhi in this post.

Brrrr...I am still shivering after watching that movie. I have never had a penchant for horror movies. And I dint know that this one would be scary either. Had I known, I would have never watched it on full screen. I have always been a sucker for breezy romance and emotional tableaus over horrors and thrillers. So going by my standards, this one was pretty scary. I know many of you would have laughed through the movie. But I have this tendency of getting deeply engrossed with what happens on the big screen and end up laughing and crying with those imaginary characters. Needless to say, during 'Chandramukhi', I ended up hiding my eyes every now and then from "scary" Jo's eyes.

Well, since Chandramukhi, I've been wondering why my mind gets so scared and hallucinates long after the movie is over. I am ordinarily afraid of the dark and no amount of persuasion can make me stay alone after watching a horror movie. I remember my childhood days when I would watch a horror movie with a cushion in front of my face, vieling and unvieling it suitably as and when the 'devil' strikes. And now, even a sudden increase in the hum of the airconditioner scares the hell out of me.

I am not scared of roller coaster rides. I am not scared of cockroaches. I am not scared of brinjal and bitter gourd. I am not scared of my erstwhile Maths teacher. I am not scared of fire and water. But I am dead scared of 'non-existent' spirits. Any help ?

Two of my poems have been published in the February edition of Serenelight Inc.. Click here to view the poems at Serenelight.

Serenelight.Org is a non-profit organization networking women across the globe. Their support services include New Friends - Assistance for immigrant women, Programs in rural areas, workshops, etc.

And their site hosts this beautiful motto -

May the light we share
With Kindness, Compassion and Care
Brighten our Life's journeys
With Hope ,Love and Serenity

"Cry, my beloved India" is a nice article by Francois Gautier. It can be read at - http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/jan/25franc.htm

We have grown up hearing the puranas on how evil forces troubled the non-violent, pure, gentle forces - how the asuras troubled the devas. We never imagined that this era would also witness history repeating itself. Do we need a hundred policemen inside a Mutt to arrest a righteous Saadhu ?

It is said in the holy text of Thirupaavai that when Mutt heads are ruffled, the sea will rise in protest. How else would you explain a tsunami which is otherwise unheard of in this part of the globe ?

Truth will prevail. Sathyameva Jayathe.

God bless us all and lead us from ignorance to knowledge.

If someone's debut movie gets nominated to the Oscars, turns out to be an IIM case-study, generates rave reviews on being a brilliantly classy entertainer and creates a major impact at the box-office, then how would you expect his second movie to be ? Anything that Ashutosh Gowariker makes is bound to be compared against the standard he has set - the historic Lagaan. And Swades is nowhere near Lagaan.

Swades lacks the magic ingredient that Lagaan had, although the undercurrent is the same in both movies. A goal to be achieved, suppressed societies, a motivating leader, team work and a victorious finale - all this interspersed with minimal romance that does not hinder the flow of the story. Though Swades is not even half as convincing as Lagaan, it was definitely fun.

Swades is about Mohan Bhargav, an NRI NASA Project Manager, who visits India in search of his childhood caretaker - Kaveri Amma. His five-week India stay open up to him all that he hadn't felt about India until then. Witnessing all the struggle, poverty, illiteracy and lack of empowerment that seized the nation, he takes it upon himself to do his might for the village where Kaveri amma stayed. As the first step, he succeeds in bringing electric power to the village. And for the rest of the steps, he has to get back from the USA for good. And whether he gets back to his roots or not is the climax - well you wouldn't call that much of a suspense either. It was an obvious ending.

Shah Rukh is perfectly understated without any of his usual histrionics. Gayathri Joshi does well for a big screen debutant. AR Rehman's music is awesome. Udit, Rehman and Hariharan's vocals are amazing.

Still Swades is no Lagaan because of its weak storyline. Swades - we the people are kind of disappointed.