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My Story

I am a Keralite by birth. A Madras-ite and a Banglorean by upbringing. A Bombay-ite after marriage and by virtue of working there. And I date myself by calling these places by the names they were originally known by.  I am now an American by virtue of my passport. Lekin phir bhi dil hai hindustani. You cannot take India out of me. My roots are too well-entrenched in its ethos.

I stumbled into writing. It is both my profession and my hobby. It is also an obsession. Unlike many people who can keep their writing diplomatic and suffer from chronic foot-in-the-mouth disease, I have a reverse sickness - the pen-in-the-hand one. Give me a pen and paper, or a computer keyboard, and I end up pouring my heart out. On the other hand, I am quite circumspect when I talk. (Truly.)

I love films. Black & White, Colour, arthouse, independent, commercial, masala, Indian, European, Asian, Middle- Eastern, Hollywood (though it does have to be early Hollywood) - label it what you want. If it 'speaks' to me, I like it. I love the music, though being a wordsmith, it is the lyrics that call to me. I love the sets, the scenery, the background, the camera angles. 

All I ask of a film is that it entertain me, or give me pause to think - or preferably both. But entertainment will do. My tolerance for 'masala' films is quite high. I will buy plot-holes, lack of logic, hero-in-dire-poverty-but-singing-in-Switzerland-wearing-designer-wear, brothers separated at birth - I am willing to stretch my imagination as much as you want, just so long as it entertains me.

I do not like sci-fi movies unless they have dollops of songs, and drama and yes, masala in them. I cannot sit through an all-out 'action' film either.

I love Amitabh Bachchan. No qualifications. No defenses. So much I will cry when he dies in a movie. I will watch Deewar for the nth time and still cry when he is shot dead. Heck, I cry if he cries on screen.

I also love Shammi Kapoor. Again, no reasons, no excuses. 

I love music - old hindi film songs, old Malayalam and Tamil and Bengali film songs, some of the newer film songs, classical Carnatic, some classical Hindustani, classical Western (with the exception of Wagner), Simon & Garfunkel, Beatles, Billy Joel, John Denver's 'Annie's Song' and 'Take Me Home, Country Roads', the sound track from My Fair Lady, and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?... and much more... that I like at different times for different reasons. 

And I love to read. A lot. Anything from Asterix to fiction to non-fiction - it does not matter as long as the subject catches my interest, and the author can hold it. My 'anytime-reads' are PG Wodehouse, Georgette Heyer, and Agatha Christie. And yes, Asterix and Phantom comics.

In this blog, I couple my love for writing with my love for movies, music and books. As I said on my home page, come in, sit down, converse. Have a cup of virtual chai. Leave a comment, start a discussion, tell me about the movies you like, feel free to disagree with anything or everything I write. But please be polite while doing so.

161 comments:

  1. I stumbled in here from 'humse nain milana - JPG' while on the
    'youtube-aapka chehra mashaallah - c ramchandra wiki - c rmchndra google images'
    journey of exhilaration.
    And my, what a place to land! Partly myself, but mostly the perfection I would always
    dream to achieve in terms of patience and attention to detail while narrating
    another person's trysts with life. As I keep telling my 20+ son, I firmly believe that all
    the lives that have been drawn into the world of showbiz, surely are the incarnations of
    the Gandharvas in pursuit of a short-time hobby of entertaining the mortals.
    Envision Charlie Chaplin's menacing speech into the intimidated mike, Rajesh Khanna breaking
    into a smile, Prem Nazir's empassionate dialogues, Vyjantimala's graceful dance moves,
    Ilayaraja's soulful numbers, Walt Disney's translation of a dog's life in creating Pluto...
    the list is endless. So are the stars twinkling away in the cosmic constellation! But all these
    lives have endured, to endear! I can never tire of being enamored of these mystic humans - any and every information/tidbit
    on them is the protein I live on. So, kudos, hats off, etc., for putting in so
    much to feed us back with all that's there in this blog. I have just stepped in here, and hope to
    delve more in the days to come. Meantime, do keep up the wonderful feed for the fraternity!
    Also would like to mention the fluidic finesse in the written language - a rarity in these
    days of short message service, where 'with' becomes 'wid' and the poor 'the' is transformed to 'da'.
    Rock on...!

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  2. Thank you so much for visiting, and for this comment. It is the appreciation of my readers that helps me keep this blog going. Please keep visiting.

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    1. One more (unique) thing, I would like to appreciate you for...i.e. for replying to each and every comment.


      If one was the find the ratio of number of replies of writer to that of the comments by the readers, yours will be close to 1....which must be a record for any writer across various fields

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    2. But what is a blog without its readers? I appreciate each and everyone of you who take the time to read and comment.

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  3. Neevu Bengaloorinallooo iddra? Goththiralilla :-)

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    1. Naanu elu varshagala kaala vaasisuthidharu. Forgive my mistakes; I can still read and write Kannada, but my spoken language has become very bad.

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    2. Paravaagila, paravaagilla. Innu chennaagi maatada bahudu :-)

      Where did you stay in Bangalore?

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    3. Thanks. :) I lived in Cambridge Layout for two years; then, we moved to Indiranagar. I have fond memories of Bangalore, though the last time I visited (2008), it was dusty, over crowded and getting from point A to B was a nightmare!

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    4. Nice "My Story" page. I think I am looking at it for the first time, don't know why I haven't been here before. I particularly like this paragraph:

      "It is also an obsession. Unlike many people who can keep their writing diplomatic and suffer from chronic foot-in-the-mouth disease, I have a reverse sickness - the pen-in-the-hand one. Give me a pen and paper, or a computer keyboard, and I end up pouring my heart out. On the other hand, I am quite circumspect when I talk. (Truly.)"

      Wow, can I relate to that! Throughout my life, there have been people who couldn't help but notice how different I usually am when I speak from when I write.

      I grew up in Bronx, NY, U.S.A. and have no part of the Subcontinent in my background, but I've made connections with many such people :) , which is pretty easy to do in New York City.

      I owe my obsession with classic Indian and Pakistani films in part to a longer-standing affinity for the music and some aspects of the culture(s). And for some of that, I credit a Pakistani woman who was my girlfriend in the mid-late '90s (not one of my longer relationships, at half a year, but obviously extremely influential). She actually found me through my writings on an e-mail list and in a related journal (which consisted of some political and cultural discussion). And after spending some months with me, she told me that she wished my personality in person was more like my personality in writing. :)

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    5. Richard, thank you. For me, writing has always been my solace, my catharsis, and my sanctuary. It is a safe repository of my feelings and emotions.

      I smiled when I read what your Pakistani girlfriend had to say about you. However, I must say I am thankful that her influence, at least in the fields of music and film have been so strong. :)

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  4. Thank you, Anu. Actually, she didn't have any direct influence on me in terms of films, though I think her encouragement of my affinity for certain music(s) (and other cultural things) a was a factor in all of this. I discovered and fell for classic Indian films a little later, through browsing on my own in the DVD stores in Jackson Heights, combined with checking stuff out online. I owe most of my Bollywood education, which advanced tremendously in the past five years (especially in about 2007 to 2009), to my blogging and YouTube-posting friends. :)

    And re. writing, yes, for me, it has always been all those things, too. And a source of some nice compliments over the years... But, unfortunately, not the source of a living wage!

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  5. Writing doesn't pay my bills either. :) But it used to, and now I've moved to editing. So, the blog has become all the more important to practice my writing.

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  6. Thanks a lot for sharing this interesting story with us!

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  7. Awesome piece - and blog; felt i was reading about myself - well, to a certain extent

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    1. Thanks for dropping in, Rajeev. And for commenting. I'm glad it resonates it with you.

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  8. I enjoyed your blog. To be honest I was attracted by the name. I am also "Warrier" by caste, malayali by birth (obviously), bangalorean by upbringing (33 years), now living in Trivandrum due to exigencies of married life (husband is posted here). I do love old movies, Amitabh, Shammi. Don't you like Dev Anand (the pre-wig era)? His songs are to die for. I also love PGW, GH, AC, etc. Glad to know that there are others who share my (weird?) tastes. I have thought of writing a blog but not done much yet. Keep writing.

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    1. Hello, Nalini, welcome to my blog and thank you for the appreciation. Yes, Dev Anand is another one of my favourites, as you can see by my posts on him. :) Another Warasyar? From where?

      So sorry to have been so late in replying to you. For some reason, my blog refuses to send me emails when someone comments, and your comment did not show up on the sidebar. It is only now that I'm going through the comments one by one and seeing how many I have overlooked. :(

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  10. Hello and yes, I am another warasyar. From a small village called Killimangalam in Thrissur Dist. Where are you from? I have been a bit busy during the last 2 months but now I have some time to spend in front of the Computer which is why I have been posting quite a few comments. I love cinema of the 60's and 70's, Hindi and Malayalam. Do you watch Kannada movies, old ones? Good music and some nice stories, specially the "socially relevent" or novel-based ones.

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    1. It is funny, that. I'm beginning to think the world is a small place after all. I'm from Trichur, obviously, though I grew up outside, but my Warriam is in Ollur. Edakkunni.

      I used to watch Kannada films, and have liked quite a few. Nowadays, there is a problem of sourcing them, and besides, I really have no idea what is good and what is not.

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    2. It IS a small world. My husband is from Edakunny-Ollur. I am sure my Mom-in-law will be able to connect you up, she's an expert because she grew up in Trissur (in your old Tharavadu) and has lived there for the last 20+ years. Anyway nice to get in touch with people with similar tastes.
      I don't really like new Kannada films at all, only the 60's and 70's ones. As you said I find it difficult to get them.

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    3. Wow! That's really funny. My mother's name is Nirmala, and my late grandmother's - Malathi. So, who is your husband/mother-in-law and if the latter still lives in the tharavadu, surely I must have met her? I go there every year.

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    4. My husband's name is Mohan Babu but very few of the Edakunni crowd know him well because he's spent most of his life in Sriharikota. He's an engineer with ISRO. My Mom-in-law is Remani. She is the second of 4 sisters and her sisters are Indira, Lalitha and Usha. But they shifted out of the Tharavadu I think in the 70's, and went to live at Trikkur. Now they live in Machingal Lane near the Round. You have probably met them at weddings and functions. I am not really knowledgable about the Edakunni family relationships though my mom-in-law keeps trying to educate me. But I've a thing about family trees and relationships and yours has always fascinated me, even before my marriage, because many of my relatives have married into your family. I'm pretty sure I met somebody called Nirmala, an elderly lady, at a function last year. Will check out with my mom-i-law. Anyway it's nice to connect up.

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    5. I always end up seeing the comments on this page late because it doesn't show up on the sidebar. Interesting. I should ask amma about your in-laws. Pretty sure she will know of them. My mother never lived in the tharavadu, anyway. Her grandfather had built a house in Chembukkav, and that is where she grew up. But they were always at the tharavadu for holidays and festivals.

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    6. Been a bit busy these days so I hadn't read your reply. Yes, I do know a bit of the Chembukavu crowd, in fact my cousin is married to one of them, one Ravindran (Doc. Comp Sc) and presently they live in California. Do you know him? By the way, I am glad that you've taken up the blog again though I am sure it must be tough to fit it in.

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    7. As I said, glad to see that you have recovered. I was introduced to your mother but because it was at a wedding and the noise of the orchestra was quite deafening I was not able to actually say anything much. Keep blogging and a very happy new year to you.

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    8. Nalni, I wish Blogger would show me the comments on my Pages as well as on my Posts. :( I saw this just now. Happy New Year to you too, and thank you so much for your good wishes. Amma did tell me that she had met you (she thinks!); she too mentioned that it was very crowded and that she didn't talk to you much - but then, amma would not have 'talked much' even if you had met over tea!!

      I probably am related to your cousin's husband, but we have so many Ravindrans in the family, I'm not quite sure who is being referred to, here. There are many people in the family who live here in the US, and I'm ashamed to say I know very few of them. :(

      You live in Bangalore, do you not? Do you know Anu and Raju? And Indu and Sunil? They are my first cousins on my dad's side.

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    9. Yes, she thought right, that was me (should really be "I" they say, but it doesn't sound the same). And like you said, I am also quite ashamed that I don't really know many Warriers from Bangalore (being too lazy to attend Warrier Samajam meetings which are always held at the other end of Bangalore, i.e., a hour's drive away). Actually I lived in Bangalore for many years but right now I have given up my job and am staying at Trivandrum 'cos my husband's posted here. Which is why I am attending weddings and functions at Thrissur. I used to know a girl called Indu who married a guy named Sunil but that was some time back. The younger crowd, the IT crowd, I have very little contact with. Anyway I am enjoying the blog. Maybe next you could review some of the Farookh Sheikh-Deepti Naval series?

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    10. Nalini, I do not know if you will see this, but apparently you did meet my mother at some wedding recently? Padmachechi's daughter's? And finally figured out that you and I are related through some tortuous means. :) Your husband and Padmachechi's (my mother's first cousin) husband are cousins, I think?

      I should review some Farooque Shaikh-Deepti Naval films, yes. Thank you for reminding me how much I liked them. :)

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    11. Oh yes, I do see the replies but maybe a little late because I am a bit busy right now, a state of affairs that is likely to continue till Mid-March. Yes, I did attend Padmachechi's daughter's wedding and met your mother there, my mom-in-law introduced us. And yes, I guess we are related, how can we be warriers from Trichur dist and not be related? Padmachechi's husband belongs to my husband's father's family. So keep blogging.

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  11. a very different and refreshing blog. I will keep visiting at the very least to find out about those movies, I would not have known about otherwise. Keep writing.

    - http://www.kaunquest.com

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    1. Welcome to my blog, Ajay, and thank you for the appreciation. That helps to keep me going. :)

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  12. Stumbled upon this blog while looking for chords for aap ke haseen rukh pe. Liked it because of some commonality of likes and lucidity of your expression. Though not from Kerala, I have lived most of my productive life in your state. You have qualities which have universal appeal. At the same time you still retain what I have often been, a fidgety witness to, your weakness for a fello-mal. The thrill at finding a fellow warrier, the exchange which starts from veedu evide and invariably ends up with finding a common friend/relative, forgetting that there may be other people on this planet too. Keep it up. I thought I should not go without adding a north indian to your kannadiga, phirangi and naadan admirers.

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    1. :) Interesting observation. I plead guilty to the veedevide/naadevide queries, which is actually very strange because I never lived in Kerala long enough to be called a native. I was always the marunaadan Malayali, and like you, spent most of my productive life outside the state. But I'm equal opportunity offender - if I find someone from Bombay or Bangalore or Madras (all places I have lived in), I will end up asking pretty much the same questions.

      With the poster above, it is also because she is a Warrier, not just a Malayali. Our community is very small, and as such, one is pretty sure that one is related somehow to another Warrier. :)

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    2. :) Thanks for the quick response. I didn't mean any offence and so no defence was needed. But it is hard to resist responding to your "Warrier,not just a Malayali" comment. As if being a non malayalee was not bad enough. One is out by two circles now ;)
      But your blog is really good and I have shared it with other like minded people. Maybe we will have a chance to meet when you visit your naad next time. :)

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    3. Hai la! Mea Culpa! :)

      As if being a non malayalee was not bad enough. One is out by two circles now ;)

      There is only one circle here on my blog - me and my readers, with some of whom I have been fortunate to form very good Internet 'friendships'.

      I'm honoured that you not only read my blog, but that you thought it good enough to share with your friends. Thank you so much.

      ps: If you remain 'anonymous' we will never meet. :)

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    4. And oh, no offence taken. At all.

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  13. Hi Anu..The epic movie Deewar brought me to your blog..and instead of reading about Deewar, i went to the list of movies..my eyes, and tongue filled with water..when i saw six words from the english alphabets...assembled it nicely............SHOLAY!..

    Read, got drowned in the write up about my all time fav movie.

    I will go through all the movies you shared your emotional space. A wonderful blog about the movies which had moved me. It is not that want to tell about myself..but the magical movies which helped me a lot in my growth can found in this link http://moved-movies.blogspot.in. (i write in english, in kannada depending on the language i watch)

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    1. Thank you, Srikanth, and welcome to my blog.

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  14. Ms. Anu Warrier, I was searching around for various facts/ reviews relating to the movie, Chitralekha, and stumbled upon your blog. Dear God, you're good, brilliant, profound. More power to you ... No what what your audience is, it deserves to be larger !

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    1. Thank you for all those compliments, Harish. You've made my day, even though I'm responding almost a fortnight later. Thank you for visiting, reading, and commenting.

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  15. Harish M Belani27 March 2013 at 05:20

    I'm too bad as an editor but a terrible proofreader. That should read,'No matter what your audience is...' etc :)

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  16. "I love Amitabh Bachchan. No qualifications. No defenses. So much I will cry when he dies in a movie. I will watch Deewar for the nth time and still cry when he is shot dead. Heck, I cry if he cries on screen."-

    You know when I was a kid I used to think that 'Amitabh Bachchan is the only HERO and rest all are villains'. Now when I am a 22 yr old man (or as some say a man-child) I can replace the word 'villains' with 'side-kicks' and that statement would still hold for me. No kidding!

    Anyway great to read your short bio and and I am happy we both share quite a few fields of interests (for instance I ill take a 70's Masala film over possibly any think else anyday and twice on Sunday). I think I will have lot of fun reading and commenting on the blog, making 'friends' (for the want of a better term) and learning from them (and of course you).

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    1. I'm glad you dropped in, and I'm glad you find it worth your while to stay. Thank you. Where would I be without my readers?

      Yes, drop in frequently and you will make friends. Some of my regular readers have become very good friends online, and if you read my post on Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai, you will see that some of them have transitioned to real-life friendships as well. It is always nice to discuss films and music with like-minded people.

      Please continue to visit.

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  17. hi Anu, what an amazing blog! It brings back all the magic of the movies and music we grew up with. It has been such fun reading your reviews; they are full of humour, passion and feeling, not to mention the anecdotes and nuggets of information. One can spend hours browsing through the many categories of songs, artists and films.
    It is a a rich feast that one will keep coming back to! Keep writing!

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    1. Hi Nisha,

      I'm so sorry for the belated reply. I haven't been on my blog much this month. Thank you so much for visiting, reading and commenting on my blog. It is readers like you who keep me blogging. I'm glad you liked my writing.

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  18. Hello and glad to be back. Enjoyed your blogs on Manna Dey and looking forward to some more lists.

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    1. :) Thanks, Nalini. The blog has been sadly neglected off late, I'm afraid. Young A dropped my laptop and I have lost the dozens of lists I had compiled, a few drafts and the many hundreds of screenshots, apart from more important files. :( We are in India now, actually.

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  19. Hi Anu, another Varier saying Hi from Trichy- stumbled into this blog like others while searching for some songs. Roots in Shornur- branched of to Kottakkal, Srikrishnapuram ( Palakkad)-extended family members in Ernakulam, Thrissur etc. Are you on Face book by any chance? Would like to take this outside blogspot.
    Regards
    Nirmala Varier ( blogger id: Ardra Vamshi)

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  20. And a Hi to Nalini Ikkandath too :-)
    Nirmala Varier
    Trikovil Variam

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  21. Hi Nirmala.

    Sorry for the belated reply but I have been Internet-free (not quite by choice) for a few weeks now. Interesting to see another Varier land up on the blog. :) Incidentally, my father's Warriam is in Kottakkal and we too have extended family in Ernakulam, Palakkad, Coimbatore and Madras. Not on FB, actually. I have resisted the call so far. :) Drop me an email and I will respond to you outside the blog.

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  22. golden memories, very nicely written. For a moment, it took me to my earlier days watching rajesh khanna/ amitabh movies and coming out humming kishore songs and still thinking what would have had happened to film story if it had continued. Very nostalgic read. Thanks Anu for such a nice piece.

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    1. Thanks, Anand. Glad to have you dropping in, and stopping to comment. Thank you so much.

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  23. hi anu, i came across your blog while searching for songs in desh raagam. i'm geetha warrier from tripunithura. from what i've read about u, both our grandfathers were great friends i.e ramman of yours and krishnan(communist: keeran) of mine. nice to meet u at least this way. pl do keep writing. regards. geetha

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    1. Good God! They are also probably related. My grandfather's warriam is Keerankulangara. :)) (Now I'll have someone come up to tell me I'm being very parochial!) Glad to meet you. :) :) Thanks for commenting.

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  24. not a warrier but yes a lot similar . born and brought up in calcutta now touched base in thrissur . i do have friends from edakunni and keerangulara warriams in thrissur and yes i do love music , films eand a lot more

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    1. Welcome, mysticdoc. All who love music and films (and more) are welcome here. :)

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    2. Hi .I am seeing this again after years. Just want some information of a singer who sang in a couple films only before disappearing. Her first film was Nirmakyam where she sang the famous Sreemahadevan Thane along with KP Brahmandan. Her name is Padmini warrier and someone told me she is from Tgrisur possibly Edakkuni Ollur or elsewhere . Any info

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    3. Hi mysticdoc, that's really interesting. Padmini - I didn't know she was a Warrier. Will check with amma and see if she knows anything. I certainly didn't.

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  25. Hello Anu and it's been some time since I could visit your site. Somehow life seems to have become very busy all of a sudden. Hope the winter is not affecting you badly. Still hoping for a blog on Farooq Sheikh, (cried buckets at his death), particularly his movies with Deepti Naval. Hello to Nirmala Varier too. Keep going.

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  26. It's been pretty busy here as well, Nalini. I was quite shocked at Farooque Shaikh's death myself, and yes, after Chashme Buddoor, I haven't written anything about him. There's a long list of posts in the queue to be published, but yes, I do hope to get back to reviewing one of his films again. Thanks for visiting. Hope you and your family are well.

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  27. I have read a book on Amritanandamayi writen by a Warrier from the US.Is it you?

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    1. Ramachandran, grinning over here at your comment. No one who knows me in real life will ever mention Amritanandamayi and me in the same breath. :) So, to answer your question, no, I'm not.

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  28. But it is a well researched book,written by a lady warrier!(N V Krishna Warrier used to say that it should be warrior!)

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    1. :) I wish I could claim authorship, but I'm not the only lady warrier.

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  29. Oh,I got it from my shelf:its Maya Warrier.The book is,Hindu Selves in a Modern World:Guru Faith in the Matha Amrithanandamayi Mission.Maya now teaches Indian religion & anthropology of religion at the University of Wales,Lampeter.Published in the Routledge south asian religion series.Amrithanandamayee was not aware of the book,I gave it to her,im not a devotee though.I own an english bookshop called HAMLET.

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    1. Ah, see. :) I'm glad we got that sorted out. But now I'm curious, The most interesting part of your comment was that you own a bookshop. Whereabouts? We love books, all of us here, and to be honest, I'm running out of space to put bookshelves at home. But we still buy books!

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  30. In Cochin-that is secondary.Basically am a journalist & writer.3 books have bn published.2 story collections & the third History of the Communist Movement in Kerala:Nakshatravum Chuttikayum.

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    1. Ok. My native town is Trichur - quite close by. :)

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  31. Oh my God!I just read Keeran's grand daughter Geetha is in Tripunithura(in one comment here).Im from Tripunithura & has mentioned Keeran(K K Warrier) in my communist history.

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    1. Yes, I saw that. My grandfather's warriam is Keerankulangara, and KK Warrier is a much talked-about ancestor.

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  32. In Madurai party congress,Keeran said about EMS:Velimmal Irikkana Kakka!

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  33. Umpteen number of stories about him.Try a biography of Keeran.

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  34. Hello Anuradha,

    Congratulations first of all. I marvel at your lovely blog which is one of the best that I have come across. You must be a truly creative person to have conceived an exceptionally appealing blog like this one which has instantly won my heart for its very beautiful layout and design, enriched with great content particularly on music, movies,evergreen melodious songs, creative writing, and pictures of my favorite movie stars of the golden era of Indian cinema and lot more.

    I consider this as a great gift to all of us readers like myself, so thank you very much for the same. My parents too are from South India, Chennai / Madras and I would love to stop by and say hello to you whenever I happen to visit there if conveniently possible. I found your lovely and highly creative blog so interesting that I would try to read it regularly. Keep up your excellent work.

    I came across your superb blog just by mere chance and a stroke of good luck while wandering on the world wide web recently and I am glad that I did, for through it I was able to come across a person of your talents, creativity and writing flair, the latter being my passion as well, besides reading and music / songs of indescribable melody sung by all time great legends like Lata, Rafi, Mukesh, Talat, Kishore, Saigal, Asha, Suman kalyanpur, Jagjit and Chitra, and the like whose lovely songs uplift my soul and give me great joy every time I listen to such great songs / music

    Best regards

    Sincerely,

    Farook

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  35. Inspired by u & maddy,i wrote some blogs.hamletram.blogspot.in

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    1. Cool. :) I will scoot over and take a look. Thanks for the link.

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  36. Hi! I just stumbled upon this little treasure-house of films, music, reviews, and remarkable impressions. Wow - what a surprise! Would love to follow you on your tracks. Thanks again!

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    1. Hi, SASS,

      Welcome to my blog. Thank you so much for that appreciative comment. It is readers like you who keep me going. Please feel free to drop in whenever, read and leave, or join in the discussions if you would like, even if it is only to disagree with what I write. The entry fee is the currency of politeness. :)

      Delete
  37. Hi Anu, it's good to see someone writing about various films made in India, Tamil cinema in particular. Part of me feels that I should start watching some of the Malayalam films which you've mentioned here . Keep posting :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Venkatesh,

      Welcome to my blog. Thank you for the appreciation. It is thanks to readers like you that my posting becomes so enjoyable. Please feel free to recommend movies you have seen as well. Being in the US, I rely on word-of-mouth for regional cinema. :) Keep visiting.

      Delete
    2. I have a strange habit of searching for people that I come across (not a stalker though). During the process I happened to see a member (a lady scientist) in a networking website who shares the same name as you :)

      Delete
    3. :) I know who you are talking about. (I don't know *her*.) No, I'm not she. Apart from one professional networking site, and my blog, I do not have an online presence. :)

      Delete
    4. Seems much difficult to find out who you' re :) Though not an active blogger (thanks to my laziness) after going through your blog, I thought I should post something today and after months of hibernation, my blog is finally opened to the public :)

      Delete
    5. :) My story is here in black and white, both in the post and in the comments. No, you won't find me 'online'. I don't do FaceBook or Twitter or whatever the latest social media is. Email me, and I will reply. Otherwise, I'm a private person, and my blog is the only persona you will know. As much as one can know someone through their writing. :)

      You blog as well? *Going off to take a look*

      Delete
  38. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True! I'm not able to find your email id even in your blog :)

      Delete
  39. You like Country Road by John Denver! That is awesome. I already thought you were cool because I like reading your blog, but now your VERY VERY COOL. I love that song - probably because I grew up out in the country and I'm a country girl... Grew up listening to Johnny Cash, John Denver, Willie Nelson you name it. I come complete with country drawl when I speak too, though why I have a drawl is Inexplicable I'm from the Canadian, specifically BC country side lol.
    Anyway I just thought that you should know that you've been promoted from "cool blog" to "Awesome blogger with even better blog" thanks for keeping me occupied at work and my productivity down (that's a good thing. More billable hours and it gives my assistants something to do! Lol)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. *grin* Thank you for my promotion. I'm glad to help you produce more billable hours. Do I get a commission? :)

      Delete
  40. Hi Anu,
    taking liberties addressing u thus.
    I love reading ur blog. I started to comment and lost the whole of it as iam quite tech challenged. Never mind , will try again some other time. but thanks a lot for everything that u write so superbly well. I reached here as I was trying to buy Anahat which is not available in India. it is to be a gift for a psychoanalytic thinker. loved ur review of it and hope to read many more here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome to my blog, Usha and thank you for the compliment. Please don't be a stranger. :) Join in the virtual chai.

      Delete
  41. Have u watched Antarmahal a Bengali movie with bollywood stars like jacke shroff, abhishek bacchan, soha ali khan and draupadi(?). more interesting becos of the story too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have. I liked parts of it, not all. I thought Rituparno Ghosh went a bit overboard in some places.

      Delete
  42. Stumbled into your most interesting blog last night white searching for 'anahat'. Meandered into the piece about your father. It triggered memories of appa and I reading aloud on Sunday afternoons, in the old days in Bangalore. Fathers and daughters! Ruminating about the years away in foreign lands, carrying the culture and values appa amma instilled into me all those years ago, lessons that have stood the test of time and kept me unique in societies on a mission to create robots out of humans!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry for the late reply, Meenakshi. I just saw this comment. I'm glad that piece on my father resonated with you. Thank you for reading, and commenting. Please don't be a stranger... continue to read.

      Delete
  43. I love Amitabh too, unconditionally! please post more of his movie reviews (though i have watched all of them)! and interesting tidbits about him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I posted one just recently - The Great Gambler. And if you look through the 'Films on My Blog' tab under the Header, you will see many more reviews of Amitabh's films, that I had done earlier. Thank you for reading and commenting.

      Delete
  44. One of yr critics has posted a very nasy blog with referenece to yr blog .you may mail me for details vtkmenon@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mysticdoc, I apologise for the delay in replying. I've been travelling. I'd much rather not fill my life with negativity. I've already had one bad experience where I had to clear my name, and luckily, was able to do so.

      Thank you for taking the time to let me know, though. I appreciate it.

      Delete
  45. Do you read Tamil?

    When I search the movie name Muthal Mariyaathai in google I landed up in your blog. I read your writeup with the pictures about the film. Its great to see the interest you have with movies, music and books. I would like to share about the movies (especially the "speaking" ones) with you. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry for the delayed reply, Sakthivel. The comments on my 'Pages' don't show up on the sidebar so I sometimes miss them. Welcome to my blog. I can read Tamil. But now, I have become very rusty since it has been years since I've had a chance to read anything. :)

      Please continue reading, and commenting.

      Delete
  46. Hi Anu

    I wanted to share this song with you but did not want to post it out of context in your other posts. Let me know if it takes you back to your 'Tharavadu'. One of the rare songs that I took an instant liking to.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie5wzoS6GEI

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    Replies
    1. Not particularly nostalgic, Krishnan. I'm a pan-Indian mutt - we moved around too much for me to feel nostalgic about any one place. :) But I like the song, and I liked the film as well, though not Balachandra Menon.

      Delete
  47. hi another warrier here, of the female variety and claiming to be a writer as well, main interest being malayalam cinema. based in Trivandrum, admirer of Anoop menon as well. Loved your piece on Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Hi Sulochana,

    Please forgive me for the delayed reply to this comment. I only saw this today since Blogger does not notify me of comments on my pages. Thank you for your kind words. Please visit again.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Hi Anu
    Yves is doing disservice and gross injustice to Nutan by publishing horribly wrong information on her horrible inferences and it enrages me when one provides the fans with utterr rubbish.Though Yves wrote a nice article on Nutans intelligence.Read the muck by Mr basu and do what?...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Seema,

      I cannot police what Yves writes. :) And I haven't bothered to go to Mr Basu's site, and I have no intention of doing so. I would advise you to do the same. :)

      Delete
    2. Yves didnt write it but encouraged Basu to write it.Name 'cradle'!I have corrected every single misinfo,pulled up Basu and have written to Yves also.He agreed that he didnt know details like me.I just cant stand anybody spreading wrong info on her.Anyways leave it.I have patched up with Yves long ago:).Sent an English poem by her and translated bahajans to him.Advised him to write to Tanuja and get more bhajans;D

      Delete
  50. Seema, went and looked at it just now because of your comment - what a lot of hogwash that man writes! So many assumptions, so many 'wild guesses' that I couldn't even finish one page! It is disgusting. Ugh! Please don't encourage him to write any more!

    ReplyDelete
  51. I gave him only a bashing and not encouragement.his reply to my acidic fact filled comments was garbage too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :) Never mind. Waste of time to do anything more. I can do without such flights of fancy as to what Nutan thought, what her mother thought, what they dreamed of, and other such assumptions.

      Delete
    2. you put it nicely.now dont give in to the temptation again:D

      Delete
  52. You can delete this comment if you wish. I didn't know how to contact you other than this space. I didn't want to ask you this on Baradwaj's blog. Did you see the tamil version of Baahubali? And where? I saw it on the same day as you...Just curious, that's all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Didn't we exchange a couple of emails before? I couldn't find your email in my contacts list, so I'm replying here: I watched it in Showcase Cinemas, Worcester North. The 6.30 show was in Tamil, and the 10 p.m. show was in Telugu. I didn't know they were showing both, so it was great that I got to see it in Tamil - it is wonderful when you can actually understand the dialogues and don't have to depend on the sub-titles, though my husband and son were happy they had them.

      Delete
    2. Anu, we did exchange e-mails or possibly converse here previously. I couldn't find you in my e-mails either and hence reached out here. In any case, feel free to e-mail me back (since you potentially have it based on my sign-in here). It's so funny....we were in the same (minuscule) audience together watching the film! I suspected that and that's why I wanted to ask you. I was there with my wife and son! And there was another group of thatha and pattis who came later and sat down in our row. It's a small world! :-)

      Delete
  53. Then I think I saw you. :) I was sitting in the row in front towards the left side. There was a young couple with a baby in front of the thaatha-paatis.

    I have to reply to you here, because I'd turned off comment notifications from Blogger and so it doesn't log your email when the comment is posted. I don't remember which post you commented on, so that is a no-go as far as searching for your email is concerned. If you post a comment on one of my recent posts, I will have your email id. For obvious reasons, I don't want to post my id here.

    I was wondering - did you come for the Ilayaraja show that was held in Framingham a year or so ago? It was held by a local band called Aaroh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gosh, you were sitting right in front of us. I remember your husband went out at intermission and the film kept rolling...see, how we notice these little things! :-) The kid in your row kept varying its decibel level based on the scene!!

      So, even though I'm replying here, you don't get my email? Ha! I'll try replying to one of your recent posts then.

      Yup, I was at that show. I remember you writing about it on INE.

      Delete
    2. I was the compere. :)

      And yes, I wanted to strangle that kid's parents - they couldn't keep her quiet? Or take her out?

      Delete
  54. This has been my the best ever google search- I am mad now would take a vacation and read all your blogs, to stay updated. What have I been missing on the earth. Thank you Anu, this is serious treasure.
    I often like to listen the same songs sung by two different singers, perhaps Rafi Sabb and Kishor da will be a real treat. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Thanks for such 'vocal' appreciation, Debu, and welcome to my blog. Please stay and read and join in the discussions.

    ReplyDelete
  56. I like the new look and titles of your side bar !

    ReplyDelete
  57. hey Anuradha,
    I chanced upon your blog Conversations Over Chai Blog on The Legends-Kishore Kumar-Part2 when I was searching for something about Kishore Kumar. It is very informative & reminded me of my childhood days when I used to read-up every article written by Raju Bharatan about Kishore Kumar & Bollywood Music etc in the mid-1970s published in the Illustrated Weekly of India.
    Is your blog on Wordpress?
    Do you have an email address so I can send you an email?
    Regards-Venu

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Venu, sorry for this delayed reply. Your comment was stuck in my Spam folder. Since I don't get any intimation from blogger any more when people comment, I had no idea until I decided to do some housekeeping today.

      If you see this comment after so many months, please do comment on one of my posts? That way, Disqus allows me to see *your* email without it being public, and I can reply to you from my personal email. I apologise once again for the delay in responding. :(

      Delete
  58. Hello, I am writing from National Film Archive of India Pune. Can I have your mail id so that we can communicate. Liked your posts on Kishore Kumar tremendously. Thanks Prakash Magdum

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Prakash, I'm so sorry that I did not see this comment until now. Could you email me at the other gg at yahoo? (No spaces in the id.)

      Delete
  59. Hi Anu,

    Stumbled on your blog recently and have been devouring your entries/reviews since. You have an amazing flair for writing. Just awesome. Hope you continue to find the time to add new film reviews.

    Just as an aside, wondering if you saw any old Telugu movies at all ?

    Once again, do keep blogging. I am a regular visitor now. :)

    ReplyDelete
  60. Hi Shekar,

    Sorry for the delayed reply; the comments on the pages do not show up either on my sidebar, nor am I notified of them by Blogger, so I see them quite late.

    Thanks for the kind words, and do continue reading, and don't be shy - comment! :)

    As to your query, no, I haven't watched many Telugu movies since the good old Doordarshan days, when we watched everything under the sun. One, it is because I lack the time, and two, it is because I don't really have any good recommendations, and what I've seen of the Telugu industry recently doesn't make me enthused about searching out Telugu films. The last 'telugu' film I watched (and enjoyed) was Bahubali, but I watched the Tamil version because I know the language and therefore, enjoy the film more than watching with sub-titles.

    ReplyDelete
  61. wonderfully well researched blog
    well done, Anuradha
    Nasreen munni kabir

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the compliment, Ms. Kabir.

      Delete
  62. Happy to see a Malayali among Hindi films' bloggers' world. All d very best :)

    ReplyDelete
  63. Thanks, Sandhya. :)

    ReplyDelete
  64. You are a prolific writer. Please write something on gazal meastro Jagjit Singh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Satish, I'll keep your request in mind - however, there are so many people I want to write about first. :)

      Delete
  65. Awesome...

    Just sharing an old songs medley...
    http://www.nashikites.com/old-songs-medley-by-vivek-sharma/

    I love old Hindi songs too...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Prakashan. I did take a look at that link. Thanks for that as well.

      Delete
  66. Hi Anu,

    I am a long reader of your blog. THE BEST Filmi blog that I've followed, seriously. And I love it even more because my tastes match a lot with yours. Would've been awesome to have been able to discuss movies, actors, music etc. with you. Well, hope you keep coming back to your blog. I will follow it for sure.

    Regards,
    Shekar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Shekar. That's much appreciated. Yes, it would have been nice to have an adda where like-minded people could gather to discuss movies, songs and books. Right now, I have to make do with the comments section. Please keep reading.

      Delete
  67. To let you know I was here :)

    ReplyDelete
  68. hye and hello. just read your review on muthal mariyathai. you made me cry. beautiful excellent writing

    ReplyDelete
  69. Amazing reviews! Loved the Ijazat review, please review the movie Ghar starring Rekha and Vinod Mehra, the music and lyrics are by RD and Gulzar

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's on my list of movies to review, but I just haven't gotten around to it.

      Delete
    2. Good ...r u in new Jersey?

      Delete
  70. I have become a fan your write ups on films. About me, I left birth place of Hubli Karnataka in 1972 with engg degree for Goa and in 1973 I reached Chennai to work as scientist in a national lab and retired in 2010 to start a R&D Lab in SRM University. Retired this year from SRM to go Bangalore where my family stays now as my wife is Bangalorean by birth and education till marriage. This is just to show that I had exposure to Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam (little bit because of my many wonderful colleagues and students) and Telugu (as a language of Dravidian Family). You had also similar wonderful even more intense exposure to different languages, culture, etc. Therefore, your views are more broad and intense. I like these qualities. Your review of Andaz 1949 film, your write ups on Kishoreda, Asha’s book, etc were superb. I wish you all the best. It would be nice if I can express my thanks to all your blog writing on phone personally. My number is 9840076821. My second son joined NJIT New Jersey USA this Jan 2020 for his masters in Civil Engg. Wish you all the best. I had visited USA long back in 1979-1980 as a UN fellow to study new concretes in places such as BNL, NY; U of Texas at Austin; US Army Waterways Expt Station, Texas; USBR, Denver; IIT @ Chicago; U of Washington; etc. After that, since 2005, I visited France, Germany, Netherland, Czeck, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand. Respected highly knowledgeable Anuji, what is your view on Lata vs Rafi. I always felt Rafi is ahead of everybody, Lata is no where near to perfect singing of Rafi. I want to know your write ups on this topic. Even Lata agreed that she can not sing like Rafi when she was asked forcibly to sing Rafi’s song of Kashmir ki Kali for heroine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your kind words, Mr Rajamane. I'm glad you appreciate the blog and my writing.

      As for talking personally, I don't give out my phone number in public, and honestly, neither should you. :) You never know who can abuse it. Nor should you be giving out so much personal information on the internet. It's a humble request. Cyber security is a huge issue.

      Delete
  71. Hello Mam,
    I got to know about your blog while searching about The Great Gambler. Just watched it & loved the storyline. Yesterday I watched Don which was a blast! There wasn't a second where I checked that how much time had passed. From 1st to last , it was pure entertainment.
    I am very fond of crime thrillers, crime drama & the noirs. Got to know about some of them from your blog. Next on my list are the films by Vijay Anand. By the way Mam, you should definitely watch Johnny Gaddar & Andhadhun, both of which are co written & directed by Sriram Raghavan.
    Thank You.

    ReplyDelete
  72. Thank you. Yes, I've seen both Andhadhun and Johnny Gaddar. Sriram Raghavan is one of my favourite directors, so I tend to see whatever he makes.

    If you do like murder mysteries, try Shikar with Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar. Rather decent mystery.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Hey there!

    Saw Katha a few days back and I was googling if anyone had written about the movie and I came across your post :) Agreed with everything you wrote about. I have a lot of thoughts in my head about movies but I have trouble penning them down exactly as it is in my head. You did that quite well. Subscribed now and will read all the other stuff you've written. Keep writing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Swapnil. For both reading, and commenting. I hope you find the posts interesting. Please feel free to join the discussion.

      Delete
  74. Thanks for creating this personal blog. Lots to like. I too like old Hindi songs and sing a few of them (in solitude or in Karaoke group). Old school, consider Karna from Mahabharat as my hero (my older son's name as well), like emotion and a warrior in men, was obsessed with Amitabh, enjoy the victory of downtrodden - David vs Goliath- have watched Trishul, Kalaa Patthar and Deewar many times. Also like Yul Brynner for his smouldering gaze, mesmerizing, majestic, magnetic personality and prowl like walk, resonant voice and overall a quietly macho presence, despite being bald.
    came across your blog while searching songs with Zulf, and will leave a separate comment there....You write well, cogent and crisp - the way it shouild be! Keep writing......current LOL generation needs it! 👍

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so sorry I missed this comment - it's been months! Thank you for reading my blog and taking the time to comment.

      Delete
    2. This was me repyling to you, by the way - Anu. Blogger is acting up and not allowing me to comment on my own blog!

      Delete

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