Foursome

Bro is here for the long weekend (3+1 day) - longer than the long weekend :)

Having a wonderful time at home pulling each others leg - for all four of us!
Went to the Sithaladevi temple (Mariamman kovil of Pune) this evening and later to Rasta Peth to Dad's sister's place and it was a good evening. Later me and bro ended up visiting the family dentist after a gap of about 15-20 years. Both of us got diagonised for gum problems and cleaning treatment required :D

Maharashtra maazha - Mi Marathi

Today, I watched the Marathi movie 'Mi Shivaji Raje Bhosle Boltoy' - a must watch movie on issues related to and about the 'Marathi identity crisis' - Mahesh Manjrekar has just chosen the right time to release the movie during elections with a climax making people realize that the people themselves are responsible for their acts and what they are facing now.

I saw the movie at Gold Adlabs - and thought being a Thursday evening show - there won't be crowd. I was wrong - there was a crowd - more of 'gaav' (village) crowd rather. I could see old and young people, from all strata - whether Marathi or not .. at the movie.

Throughout the movie - I remembered my friend - Kaushal Inamdar and his works related to Marathi language-literature in past two years (I have known him for that long - personally).

The whole movie was an experience - and I have always been and I am proud to be a Maharashtrian - though my ancestors (two generations back) belong to Tamil Nadu. I could relate to all the characters and relationships between parents and children, and it reminded of my history lessons in school too (5th and 8th standard respectively).

Dedicated to Chennai

Recently, I bought an album called 'Mazhaithuli' by Prana - The Band which has a song called 'Chennai Geetham'. The song only reminds me of the year 2007 spent in that city... This song being repeatedly played for about the 25th time, while I post this!

To start with : I was a Chennai-hater right from childhood, but my work-life had its second gear in that city, and it taught me to live by myself with whatever I earned (that experience taught me to value money ). Each city has its plus and minus... In the name of work, I enjoyed the culture and music concerts apart from being questioned at times about my Brahmin accent (annoying enough) or stared many times for the North Indian attitude I had - can't help that as I am totally bred outside TN.

I made many acquaintances, and I still maintain contacts with friends who were with me through thick and thin, and few of them are friends for lifetime. What I miss ...

• Kalakshetra colony - where I lived, and obviously Besant Nagar beach
  
• Aarupada Veedu Murugan kovil - Though am not a religous person, I spent an hour in this temple every evening listening to the waves of the sea nearby
• At home feeling, whenever I visited friends - thanks to Sara, Rouse, Dhans and Sums
• Quality time spent with friends like Avi, Sums and KP (whenever he visited Chennai)
  
• Concerts at Music Academy or any Sabha - be it the recitals, or the gossips oldies usually have there about the 'tiffin', 'coffee' or saree-jewelry of the female vocalists!
• Riding my MH-12 registered vehicle from Bessie upto Anna Nagar and returing back
• Orphanage visits and some random OI meets whenever I attended them
  

All this and much more, but had some personal commitments to leave the city.

Old jingles

Some late 1990's hindi songs I was listening to, I found this jingle of one of the songs at end.
Voltas Max Clean Washing Machine



Another good jingle, found this in a Girija Devi's Hindustani recital CD.
Allwyn refrigerator

Hawa-Paani aur Sandaas

Seen at a petrol bunk in Nasik Road



The arrows do give a wrong impression...