Meri Ma-Taare Zameen Par

"Meri ma" is a beautiful song from Taare Zameen Par, one of my friends (Kanthi) translated the entire song into simple English...and it is still beautiful:)...IMO, the feelings of a child seperated from its mother for the first time could not have been expressed more beautifully

I never say it .... but I am afraid of the dark ma.....
I never show it off.... but I always care about you ma.....

You know everything right, ma
You know everything, my ma

Dont leave me in the crowd like this ma, that I wont be able to come back home ma
Dont send me so far ma, that i may not be able to remember you ma

Am I so bad, ma...
Am I so bad, my ma...

Whenever dad swings me fast on the swing ma, my eyes always searches for you,
and I think that you will come and hold me ma....
I never tell this to him, but I get frightened ma....
I never let it out on my face, but remain in fear from inside...

You know everything right, ma
You know everything, my ma

I never say it .... but I am afraid of the dark ma.....
I never show it off.... but I always care about you ma.....

You know everything right, ma
You know everything, my ma

Basking in poetry...

Adding one more...
Movie: Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu

"Ulagathin kadaisi naal
Indru thaano enbathu pol,
Pesi pesi theertha pinnum
Etho onru kuraiyuthae!"


Bharathi is one of my favorite poets. Baghu and I used to try our hands at composing some tunes for Bharathiar songs during those idle hostel days. Ofcourse one doesn't expect the standards of Bharathi in movie songs these days, but I do expect to enjoy the lyrics of the song as much as the beats and music carrying it.

I am listing a few lines which impressed me the first time I heard them...

Movie: Thotti Jaya

"Engayo un mugam naan partha nyabagam.
Eppotho unnudan naan vazhntha nyabagam."


Movie: Kadhal Kondaen

"Natpinilae natpinilae pirivu enbathu ethumillai
Un manamum en manamum pesa varthaikal thevai illai."



Movie: Kannathil Muthamittal

"Katrin perisaiyum mazhai padum padalgalum
Oru mounam pol inbam tharumo
Kodi keerthanamum kavi kortha varthaigalum
Thuli kanneer pol artham tharumo.."



Movie: Alaipayuthae

"Kilaiyil kanum kiliyin mookku
Vidalai pennin vetrilai naakku
Bhoomi thodatha pillaiyin patham
Ella sivappum unthan kobam... "


Movie: Ghajini

""Parthu pazhagiya naangu thinangalil
Nadai udai bhavanai matri vittal
Salai munaigalil thuritha unavugal
vangi unnum vadikkai kaatti vittal.

...and there are lot more...will add them next time I listen to them. Do add your favorite lines in the comments if you are reminded of any.

A ray of hope in TN at last...

Some heartening news from home...
http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/28/stories/2006022818150100.htm
TN High court has struck down the governments ill-conceived attempt to abolish Entrance exams and just use the State Board marks for admissions to professional courses. The State Board exams, if any are a test of memory and recollection capabilities of the students and in no way identify students that can successfully compete in the academic rigor of a professional course. In addition to that seperating since large number of students get the same marks (read 100%), it would be a herculean task frought with pitfalls to rank them. Am happy to see that there is some authority that uses logic in arriving at judgements.
There will definitely be appeals and exploration of other ways of "rescuing" the students...but the government would do extremely well to stipulate one entrance exam for ALL admissions and improve the standard of that exam so students dont face the hassle of preparing for one exam after another.

Mayakkamaa...Kalakkama...

There is a line in one of favorite songs-Mayakkama Kalakkama-which goes like this...

Unakkum Keezhae Ullavar Kodi...Ninaithu Parthu Nimmathi Naadu...

This translates into something like this:

There are crores of people even below you...think of it and seek peace.

This might sound like a very cynical way of seeking peace, but I rediscovered the meaning of this over the last week. I had the opportunity to interact people from different walks of life at one place. When these people discussed their problems with me, I got a sense of real guilt-what I used to call as my problems were not problems at all when compared to the magnitude of problems these people were talking about. And most of them had successfully come out of it (infact I knew some of them for some time and not in my wildest dreams could I have guessed their burdens from their demeanour). Now my problems really seem lighter...almost comical when I think about them:).

Yun Hi Chala Chal Rahi.....

This song has captured my imagination recently as I listen to it in repeat mode endlessly. ARR is definitely my favourite music director and Javed Aktar my favorite lyricist in Hindi. When the two combine they seem to have some strange chemistry which creates a rendering that sings directly to the heart!!



What I like most about the song is the enthusiasm and optimism bubbling at every word and every beat...."Kitni Hasin hai Duniyaa....", "Badi Rangeen Hai yeh Duniya"-which translate to something like..How beautiful this world is and "Nadiyan pahad jheel...inmae hain kiske isharae". The song is set to address a traveller...drawing analogies to the journey of life where the traveller enjoys every bit of it, the freedom it gives to explore, the excitement of the unknown, the strangers he is yet to meet who become a part of his life....I am reminded of Godfather where Corleone dies with the words "Life is beautiful" and Michael wonders how amazing this man is to say that life is beautiful after so much of hardships and trouble. He is the eternal traveller, never growing old or weary, ever facing life like a child with unpolluted ambitions.



I have a very bad habit of listening keenly to the lyrics of any song that I come across inspite of the blaring music nowadays that tries its best to keep it suppressed and this one has kept me more than satisfied with the lyrics.



AR Rahman is one director who I think has a feel for the lyrics and sets the music in such a way as to give exactly the same effect that the lyricist envisaged though there are definitely instances where I have found immense difficulty in hearing the lyrics in some of his numbers. But the ones that click are immensely soothing and convey the tone undiluted. Who can forget "Chale Chalo.." from Lagaan!!



I am really waiting eagerly to see Sharukh fill the screen to make a perfect combination of the best of three worlds-Music, Lyrics and Acting.



Seven and half minutes of magic;)