Wish Wisely

In a hamlet, the three old men sat, under the canopy of the infinite sky,

Gazing at the hues of the fading light, each lost in thought of the years that had rolled by.

Twilight gave way to a dazzling night, decked in her inky best of mysterious black,

resplendent in all her nightly finery, her velvety robes shimmering with twinkling stars.

A shooting star zoomed across the inky sky – make a wish, make a wish, make a wish!

 

The first man wished – I wish, I wish, I wish,

I wish to be reborn in this village into a place where I would have not to give or share

all that is mine, but to get and get and get some more!

The second man wished – I wish, I wish, I wish,

I wish to be reborn in this village into a place where I can give and give

and have enough to spare!

The third man wished – I wish, I wish, I wish,

I wish to be reborn and lead an indolent life

where I can sit idle watching the world go by,

Yet, have those people who toil hard and go about their business

part with me a fraction of  their day’s reward!

 

The first man’s wish did become, for he was reborn as the village beggar’s son,

All his life his begging bowl stayed his best companion to get and get some more,

For anticipation and expectation in a beggar harbored none.

The second man’s wish did become for he was reborn as the rich villager’s son,

To give you must have and have enough to spare,

For he was blessed with enough and more and a generous heart that never got him to despair.

As for the third man, his wish did also become,

For he grew up and landed a job at the pay counter of the newly built pay toilet,

He sat idle all day long as the many people walked in, finished their business

and never forgot to tip him from their hard day’s earning!

 

Be careful what you wish for!

Good Morning

 

Wish Wisely has been featured on January 5, 2017, on Imperfectly Perfect. WISHING you all a happy Sunday!

Yellow – The Flower of Friendship

Malayalam Short Film Review  :      Yellow – The Flower of Friendship                          (https://youtu.be/sInfTORzquA)

Writer & Director                          :      Nimisha Kannath

Producer                                           :      Muraleedharan Kannath

Cast                                                     :      Shajeeer Pakkarath, Vidhya Lakshmanan, Vipin                                                                      V and  Nihal

What are your most precious moments when you think back about your college days?

For almost all of us Friends will top the list while books and studies will feature just above that strict lecturer whose thought can still give you the jitters.

Our sweetest memories will include the silliness, the shared moments, the teasing, the baseless jokes that had us cracking in the middle of a quiet class, the shared lunch boxes and then for that lucky some, that one person with whom you secretly shared that special bond – a bond that superseded friendship yet cannot be specifically categorized or defined.

Or in the words of Nimisha Kannath, Writer and Director of Yellow, a special bond that diminishes the whole wide beautiful world into that one person; that one person who can upturn even the dreariest day into a single moment of inexplicable joy with nothing more than their presence.

Yellow is a coming of age Malayalam Short Film with English subtitles that revolves around the bond of friendship between ‘him’ and ‘her’ currently running in YouTube on Muzik247 (https://youtu.be/sInfTORzquA). A bond that is skillfully portrayed by the actor, Shajeer – whose charming smile entices the audience into their little world of friendship, arguments, silly banter and shared moments while the actress, – Vidhya’s expressive eyes leaves the audience captivated. Their roles are well supported by Vipin and Nihal.

‘He’ is a passionate writer and she becomes his inspiration to keep his words alive, treasured in a book presented by ‘Her’. Their silliness and fights add to the joy of this peculiar bond of friendship that they rarely express but choose to simply experience – both of them scripting their shared moments in a diary that they secretly treasure.

I can assure you that post the 14 minutes, you will refuse to believe that this simple yet beautiful story of friendship has been directed by the young and vibrant, Nimisha Kannath, a college student who passionately professes this to be her maiden venture with no previous experience or expertise whatsoever.

I caught up with Nimisha as she and her crew were celebrating 50K views three days after the release of Yellow.

How does it feel after this exemplary response for your movie Yellow?

Quoting Paulo Coelho – When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it, I have come to believe that in spite of all the challenges that we had to face, the response has been overwhelming and worth all the effort. I feel grateful, very grateful for all the unexpected support that I have received through the making of this movie which is my first, entirely driven by passion and the support and encouragement of my brother – Nidhin Kannath, uncle and Producer – Muraleedharan Kannath, HOD – Vetrivel and the group of friends who have stood by me through the thick and thin of the shoot.

Now that you mentioned it, what were the challenges you faced?

I have begun to believe that everything happens for a reason – even challenges. Being beginners with no experience whatsoever, the crew and I faced several challenges.

The first one was when the protagonist, Shajeer, met with an accident during the shoot sustaining a fracture to his hand. We had to suspend shooting for an entire month. Though unfortunate, this break gave me time to revise and better the climax.

Being a fresher in this field, re-shoots were often required when the scenes did not seem satisfactory causing the project to lag. From setbacks that included issues with dubbing, power cuts, meeting deadlines, extending the release date – that was originally scheduled for a Valentine Day release, we faced innumerable challenges through the shoot.

Considering that the crew members are all college-going students, exams and other deadlines had to be tackled amidst the duration of the shoot. But I will always be grateful that with every challenge, came opportunities to improvise the script and the scenes. Luck was on our side as this break gave us immense support in the form of unexpected people who came along and contributed to making this project better.

What was the duration of the entire project and what inspired you to write this script?

The shoot began in the month of October and was slated for a February release but as I mentioned there were lags and challenges that pushed the release date. The story has been inspired from the special bond I share with my bestie – Greeshma, along with the bonds that I have been witness to among friends and relationships that were beyond friendship, yet have remained unexpressed.

The story was written more than a year back with no intensions of it becoming a script for my first short film but the support and motivation from friends, my brother, my uncle who readily agreed to produce, my mentor – Richy KS, my inspiration – Shruthy Gopinathan and many others who encouraged and pushed me to start pursuing my passion that sowed the seeds of an idea to turn it into a short film.

You first showcased your pictures on Instagram that always received rave response; did that help you realize your dream?

The camera has always been my best friend. Random clicks that I first showcased on Instagram received rave responses that was the beginning of realizing my passion, however, it took a lot of coaxing from my friends to help me come out of my shell as I was not very confident that I could go this far. But once I made up my mind and started, there has been no looking back. Now that I have realized my passion, I wish to pursue a career in advertising which is slowly taking a more definite shape since the success of this project.

Do you have any new projects in the pipeline?

No, not yet. I am currently basking in the joy of this success, even in the midst of examinations.

Do you have a message to friends and viewers?

Firstly, thank you all for the support and the response that I am currently receiving. Considering that we have not used any promotional techniques other than just sharing the link – https://youtu.be/sInfTORzquA – with friends and family, and now this blog review, we have had an overwhelming response.

I also wish to use this opportunity to tell everyone that it took a lot of effort to be able to get out of my shell to pursue my passion but the joy in doing so is one that cannot be expressed into words, so please do not hesitate to showcase your talents and passion to the world – the world needs more of it!

Yellow – The Flower of Friendship is a Malayalam Short Film with English subtitles that is currently running in YouTube on Muzik247 ( https://youtu.be/sInfTORzquA ) and has received an astounding 50K plus views already. Please be sure to watch the 14-minute short film by a group of passionate college students whose talents are evident in their maiden venture.

Wishing, Nimisha and her amazing crew, loads of luck for many more success ventures.

 

 

Drawing the Curtain on 2017

From the introduction of the iPhone X to Sid calling out to ‘Siri’ more than his mother,

From the discovery of the largest batch of Earth-sized planets to the wonderful editor at Gulf News finding my work worthy of publication,

From the first robot ‘citizen’ Sophia to Little Princess taking her creativity from the walls to the paper,

From the #MeToo movement to the honor of being invited and interviewed by a popular anchor from a regional channel……

2017 has been a year that brought joy, hope and new friends. As for the other side of the same coin, I choose to look at those experiences as speed breakers that helped me slow down, reflect and learn.

Thank you my dear friends and virtual friends from the WordPress family for all the support, suggestions and taking time to read my work and leaving your feedback.

As we move the many moments of 2017 into the tomes of history, here is wishing you and your family better health, more smiles, progress, joy and a lot of optimism this New Year.

How was 2017 for you? Would love to hear about your memorable moments of the year.

 

‘Inspiration’ has been served!

Hope is a good breakfast, a wise person once said.

Keep your hopes high as you trust your instincts and take your pick from life’s limitless choices.

Be sure to add a dollop of ‘resilience’ into your cool ‘happiness’ smoothie.

Spread in a healthy layer of ‘perseverance’ and ‘optimism’ onto your golden crust of ‘goal’ with just a hint of ‘patience’ and a generous sprinkle of  ‘honesty’.

You may need to sometimes ‘give in’ or otherwise ‘break out of your shell’ in order to get a taste of life’s choicest ‘opportunities’.

Don’t be boxed in, just squeeze out your ‘creative best’.

Even out ‘the praises’ with a level head and take the ‘bitterness’ with a pinch of salt.

And just when your efforts take shape, your doubts vanquished, your struggles and forbearance worthwhile – together they magically become your custom-made ‘emperor’s breakfast’, remember to garnish it with your best smile!

Good Morning!

 

Are you de-emotional?

The King of Bollywood, Mr. Shah Rukh Khan, recently added a new word to the English dictionary – ‘de-emotional’.

Whether it impressing Yale with his ‘Be a Funambulist’ speech or his quirky humor and charisma at interviews and shows, Mr. Khan has always impressed his audience (and fans) even when they are not watching his movies!

As for being de-emotional, it is the state of being detached emotionally.

Would not the world be a healthier, happier place if your biggest competitor is YOU?

Depression rates would sink faster than the Titanic if we focused on the goal of being better individuals, working smarter and making our today more productive and worthwhile than yesterday.

We learn, unlearn and relearn from our experiences and people around us but have our blinkers in place and run our own races.

Tell me what you think.

Have a wonderfully de-emotional week!

Age is just a number….

If you discount the fact that dressing up essentially includes you having to thrust your face onto the mirror for a careful scrutiny if new ‘worry’ lines that have added to the existing ones, on a face that prided spotless beauty not too long ago; and this close scrutiny leading to the painful discovery of your receding hairline that has receded, may be a wee bit further, since the last time you checked (that was just the previous day!).

Or the possibility that an impromptu game of football with your son and his friends (as you played the super-cool-fit dad) caused you to slow down considerably for the next few days so that your family (your son in particular) and colleagues did not notice that little limp that was a result of strained muscles and joints.

Or that last bit of left-over dinner that you so gladly polished off on the pretext of setting an example of  not ‘wasting’ food or that extra piece of chocolate cake that had unintentionally ended up in your mouth just to soothe another mood swing end up as love handles, bulges all about you a little to0 faster than you expected.

Or that your constant ‘forgetful’ episodes have actually got you Googling for ‘Alzheimer’s’.

Well, the good news is that we all, yes every one of us, are going to see this day and no ‘magical’ elixir will come to our rescue.

Today, if it is me, tomorrow it will be you.

But, we could magic out some ‘laugh’ lines in place of ‘worry’ lines; ditch that meaningless soap on television for a 30-minute walk – it not only helps you get fitter but is a sure shot help to uplift your mood. Enjoy a hobby – even if it is gossip mongering! Stay fit, eat healthy, and keep a tab on your weights for as a fellow blogger rightly said – ‘your posterior is not going to look great in a hospital gown.’

Age is just a number….so age gracefully!!!

 

PS. I decided to write this post after I spent my morning with my 61-year-old friend, who is not only young at heart but can still look elegant in an evening gown. A retired English teacher, she enjoys traveling when she is not spending her time with her children, grandchildren and old students.

Happiness is…..

Young artists from the primary section of Sid’s school were asked to paint their picture of happiness. Creative minds and little hands came up with a colorful depiction of what happiness meant to them.

Here are some pictures of ‘Happiness’ as seen through the eyes of little children…

 

A child finds happiness in life’s simple pleasures.

“We are the most comfortable generation on this planet but are we the happiest too?” questions the mystic Sathguru.

What does happiness mean to  you?

 

What is your Happiness Quotient?

My patience was ebbing and keeping Little Princess safe from the busy road on either side of the bus stop was only fast adding to my growing impatience and irritation. The wait for Sid’s school bus to arrive on that Thursday evening had stretched to a menacing half hour of playing hide and seek around a pillar that had a camera perched upon it; a game of shooing away pigeons that flew down from its hideaway in the little crevices of shops that lined the bus stops and many more.

Even as I barely manage to control the enthusiasm of a toddler who has made it her life goal to explore the little bus stop where Sid’s school bus will drop him off, I notice the cars with bored and irritated office-goers who had hoped to catch the much-anticipated weekend (on this side of the world, we start our weekend a day earlier than the rest) a little early, stuck in a long snaking traffic jam; not to mention the steadily growing crowd of impatient public transport users, some of whom are seen pacing about anxiously, a few have caught the attention of Little Princess and her new-found friend who are gleefully running about the pillar; and others who have taken to quiet corners, their eyes glued onto their phones.

In my mind’s eye, I see my son hungry, tired and sleepy eagerly waiting to get off from a bus ride that has already lasted a good two hours.

Finally, his bus arrives and to my surprise, Sid and his friend come skipping down the bus. A quick peek reveal children of all ages eating, laughing, playing and having a good time with one another; however, the bus driver’s face is pinched tight with the tension of maneuvering his way through the traffic to get the enthusiastic lot back to their homes while he attends to the zillion calls of anxious parents (like me).

“It was fun. It was like a party on the bus,” quipped an excited Sid; “I suppose I might have to skip tuitions today, but I can always make up for it tomorrow,” said his friend who was to the best of her spirits.

I later found out that the children indeed had a wonderful time together as another kid exclaimed – “we had a sleepover in the bus.”

It made me wonder that as ‘serious’ know-all adults who value our ‘precious’ time and crave the monotony of routine, we may have a lesson or two to learn from our children, who simply let go and enjoy the simple pleasures of life that go unnoticed in a lifetime of achieving, succeeding and progressing.

As the Sadhguru rightly said, “It is time to learn from our children to make something out of nothing. A child finds an act and makes it interesting enough to make a universe of the act.”

So the next time you find your irritation growing and your patience ebbing as you wait in the confines of your car in a traffic jam you can reminisce the words of the mystic Sadhguru, “You are sitting in your dream car; traffic is only helping you stay in your dream a while longer!”

My Daddy Strongest

I know I am running late. I rush to the school auditorium balancing cranky Little Princess on one hand (who has refused to sit on her pram), a camera and a handbag stuffed with her paraphernalia (that I could require for my two hours away from home) on the other. I barely reach the auditorium when Little Princess chooses that exact moment to throw up (Oh!!!). We rush to the nearest washroom to clean up with practiced speed (considering that this is one job that I have mastered over the weekend). I gather up a very angry toddler and the baby-bag-cum-hand-bag (that accompanies us on our every trip out of home) and rush to the school auditorium to watch Sid give his solo performance for English Elocution.

I manage to find a seat (thanks to sweet mommies who have reserved one for me thoughtfully) and settle down, only to find out that I just missed Sid’s recitation of the poem “Mrs. Stein”. Little Princess who is now fresh and comfortable, unaware of the sudden emotional outburst that I am under, decides to play “head, shoulders, knees and toes” with her new-found friend (another enthusiastic toddler) who is sitting on the seat beside us. A quick decision that ‘Peppa Pig’ on the phone (which is on mute) is better than this budding noisy friendship between the toddlers is made owing to the fact that this newly found toddler game could persuade the school authorities to politely show us mothers and our exuberant toddlers out of the auditorium.

I feel sad, upset, disappointed (so much for all the planning that went in to give him a surprise). My presence during his recital was indeed intended to be a surprise for him or  (if I were more truthful) my way of making up for not being able to help him enough during practice sessions at home for I was too busy cleaning up and attending to Little Princess who was down with a viral infection. One of the ladies say, “everything happens for a reason and definitely for good,” convincingly and on an afterthought adds, “he performed well…too well. He is one of the best so far,” adding to my growing guilt. There is no point crying over spilt milk, I convince myself. Little Princess has calmed down the phone in hand and I am soon absorbed listening to talented children bringing beautiful poetry alive onstage. I see the parents burst with pride as they juggle between recording every detail and waving to get their child’s attention while the children deliver their best on the stage.

This takes me to a time a place back in time when my father and I had walked into my school one late evening for the annual concert. He dropped me off at the green room when one of the nuns in charge pointed at my shoes disapprovingly. I had worn the wrong shoes and we had exactly one hour to begin on stage. He left me with the nun and dashed off home only to get back just in time with the right pair. I remember looking out for him from the stage and then spotting him amongst the other parents in the audience. I was quick to hold my head up higher and deliver my lines better for which I later got to eat two full packets of caramel popcorn from the school canteen. I heard him brag about my performance to his friend who visited home the following day.

It was a moment of absolute pride for me as ‘praise’ did not come easy with my father. He was not one to engage in an open display of affection or endearment. He gave us the best of what he could possibly afford, be it education or a surprise treat. An absolute stickler for discipline, his glare was enough to control two brats – my brother and I – who, for the most part of our childhoods, tested his patience. We secretly named him ‘volcano’ owing to the sudden eruption of anger that burst forth followed by a cold glare after another one of our ‘accidents’ during a game of catch or a remark from the teacher after we simply ‘forgot’ to get our report card signed or mysteriously ‘lost’ the notebook with an incomplete homework or came home an hour later than usual after play when there was an entire lesson to be studied for test the following day or after that fierce fight that followed a bitter argument regarding whose chunk of that shared piece of chocolate was bigger. His insistence on sticking to routines is what I follow up to this day. Our early morning walks around the lake, followed by a few exercises in the park and a quick explanation of the role of physical activity in daily life and its impact on our health is one I continue to follow. Most of what I am today, I owe it to him – his actions, his words of wisdom and his support have been my guiding light during my darkest times.

Sid, after all, did win a trophy for his performance (that I never got to see) at the English Elocution and I stood in the audience and understood what it must be like for my father to see me perform and emerge a winner.

It is a few days past Father’s day, but it is never too late to wish my dearest daddy, my children’s daddy and all the wonderful daddies of the world – Happy Father’s day!!!