PAGDI Explores Our Life And Times

Dhalwinder Singh is a typical happy go lucky guy who has followed the regular path of an I T professional and now he is about to land in the world of opportunities – The United States. Dhalwinder, brought up in a middle class conservative family in Amritsar, always dreamt of life in live and happening Delhi. So, when he gets a chance to pursue his engineering degree in the capital, he grabs it. Life in Delhi and an IT job in Bangalore – Dhalwinder’s dreams of a materialistic life come true. In the process, he would have soured ties with his family, his father in particular who was not in favor of him leaving his hometown.

In the US, when he receives a message of his father’s death, he comes to know of a fact which disturbs him. He then recollects his past years to know what went wrong. Presented in first person, life of Dhalwinder is portrayed brilliantly by Samta Shikhar and Vivek Vijayakumaran.

What do we lose in our endless pursuit of world of opportunities and wealth? How much we give up in this chase or rather how much should we give up? The English play PAGDI tries to answer these questions in a subtle way.

Dhalwinder is proud of being a software professional unlike Bunty his cousin, who runs a travel agency in Amritsar. He is proud to be in the US. He had seen his father showering praises on foreigners for them being polite and courteous and terming his own countrymen as barbarians. Dhalwinder was puzzled at his remarks then. Also, it made no sense to him why his father was so religious. He always wanted to come out of all the mediocrity surrounding him. But at what price? He was soon going to find out as he starts pondering over the end result of the race for a better life. One interesting part of the play is the climax. Though seems unconnected many times in the play the sequences, they converge in the climax which is sure to thrill the first time audience. Kudos to the playwright Swetanshu Bora for keeping the viewer puzzled till the end.

Dialogues of the play are hard hitting. On landing in US, Dhalwinder quickly proclaims ‘A job in the US cut shorts the years of slog in India’. After introducing him to the employer he sheepishly says ‘I will not leave your country’. In these competitive times, he asserts ‘Nobody has the time to look at and analyze the past’. Looking at profession Bunty is in, he questions ‘Do you think you are more successful than me?’ When Dhalwinder's sister Pummy messages him about her marriage in English mentioning 'Marriage Next Month' with venue and timings without any pleasantries either in English or Punjabi, for which Dhalwinder exclaims 'We have gone so far that language between us had changed' indicating the missing hospitality of mother tongue and sweetness of inviting lines.

Though PAGDI does not explores many facets of what we lose in our materialistic desires, it uncovers a face and it is worth watch.

Lucia is brilliant

Lucia made news right from its funding. Every move team Lucia made was exciting for the audience which is predominantly Facebook generation which was getting regular Facebook updates from Pawan Kumar. Many of us became integral part of the movie in various ways - by becoming producers, by being part of the film shoot, by competing to become a contributor to the movie or simply by observing the developments. Now after seeing the movie, its brilliant execution makes us proud for a movie which we call our own.

Lucia is a ground breaking movie with a story line which is unusual for a Kannada flick. Awesome camera work captures the essence of the engaging movie. Nikki is an usher in a talkies who suffers from insomnia. He starts getting wild dreams of becoming a film star after a fateful encounter. Real and imaginary halves of Nikki which are intertwined form the crux of the story line.But to find when the fine lines between reality and illusion blur you need to watch movie.

Though a thought provoking film, Pawan Kumar has not shied away from adding commercial elements to the movie like an item song and action sequences which fit perfectly. Witty dialogues add to glamour of the movie. As in his previous movie, he presses for the cause of Kannada without being rhetoric. One can also see the dig at the way Kannada film industry is run today without being explicit. You can also find Pawan paying tribute to other equally good directors in the industry today in some scenes which is an encouraging sign. I believe Lucia should herald a new era in the Kannada film industry and Pawan Kumar has found the audience he was targeting at for these kind of movies.

Following is the video where one of finest actors of Indian cinema, Irrfan Khan shares his thoughts about the movie.

Buy Lucia Kannada Movie DVD here

Renovated Putturu Shri Mahalingeshwara Temple and Annual Chariot Festival

800 year old Putturu Shri Mahalingeshwara Temple was renovated recently. With the help of devotees and volunteers temple was restored to its glory in a year's time. Punarpratishta and Brihmakalashotsava ceremony was held from 5th May to 16th May 2013. Due to renovation, annual chariot festival of the temple had been postponed and was held between 16th to 26th May 2013. Here are some photos of the temple after renovation. Also, included are the pictures of chariot festival held this year.

Mahatobhara Shri Mahalingeshwara Temple, Putturu, D.K

Shivalinga in front of the Temple

Temple Chariot of Putturu Shri Mahalingeshwara Temple

Entertainment stalls at the Festival

Toy store at the Festival

Bird's View of Puttur Mahalingeshwara Temple Festival Ground

Temple Chariot (Brahma Ratha) electrified

Dragon Train at the festival

New cartoon characters on display at a traditional setting

Koormavatara Kannada Film Review

Lord Vishnu takes the form of tortoise(kurma) in his second avatar according to Hindu puranas. Girish Kasavalli's film Koormavatara which is based on a story written by one of the finest writers in Kannada, Kum Veerabhardappa, takes this pretext in its plot. 

Dr Shikaripura Krishnamurthy as Mahatma Gandhi in Koormavatara

Rao, a government employee cares less for his family but more for his work resembles Mahatma Gandhi in appearance. On being asked to play the role of Gandhi in a TV serial, though he initially refuses finally he yields to familial pressure. But Rao, an emotionally withdrawn person, finds it difficult to act. Also, he does not know much about the Mahatma. Gradually Rao improves his acting skills as well as his knowledge about father of the nation. In the process, he also imbibes Gandhi's ideals. How does this change his life and lives around him forms the crux of the movie.

For most past, feature film draws parallel between life of Mahatma Gandhi and that of protagonist. It also represents different perceptions prevalent about the man. But Rao's transformation to a man of emotions does not look convincing. I also found lack of clarity in some sequences. For instance, there is a sequence where Rao helps a guy in renewing his license to operate a shop which sells tobacco products (which is located near a school) when officials did not renew it even after accepting bribe. But here, there is a rule which says one should not be allowed to sell tobacco products within one hundred meters from the school premises. Gandhi's ideals do not come into play here, which is surprising. Next example is of share trading compared with gambling.

In the end, abrupt climax leaves the viewer in bitter taste. Definitely, not one of Kasaravalli's best.

Bangalore - One Day Trip

Being a proud Bangalorean, I am often being asked about the tourist spots in the city. I faced the same question when I wanted to take my relatives for tour of our city. I jotted down and made a decent list of places to see in namma Bengaluru. If you hire a multi purpose vehicle like Chevrolet Tavera or any other vehicle for that matter for a day tour of Bangaluru, they charge you as follows - There will be fixed charge for the first 8 hours which assumes that you don't travel beyond 80 kms. For every additional hour, you will be charged 100 Rupees. Also, for every km beyond the fixed 80 kms, you will be charged according to the vehicle you hire. I had to keep all these constraints in mind to make the trip optimal and economical by utilizing the available time following a shortest path algorithm. Anybody remembering Dijkstra's algorithm?

I hired Chevrolet Tavera starting from Vijayanagar at around 9 30 am. First place we visited was Basavanagudi. I believe Dodda Ganapathi Temple and Bull temple are must visits for a newcomer in Bengaluru. 

Bull Temple, Basavanagudi

Basavanagudi : Lord Ganesha sculpted in a huge rock is a treat to the eyes. It would be great if you visit the temple when the idol is decorated with butter. Next, horns made of rock invites you to the famous temple of Bengaluru - the Bull temple. The biggest temple to Nandi, the bull houses huge sculpture of Nandi.

Basava Statue, Basavanagudi

Lal Bagh : Our next stop was Lal Bagh. Glass house, floral clock, aquarium, bonsai garden, Lal bagh lake are the prime attractions here.

Lal Bagh, Bangalore Entrance

Namma Metro : Trip to modern Bangalore is incomplete without a joy ride in Namma Metro. We boarded to Namma Metro at M G Road station, went till Indira Nagar and came back to M G Road again. Ya, it is a kind of toy train till it completes all the stretches are complete.

Glass House, Lal Bagh, Bangalore

Shiva Temple, Old Airport Road : Shiva temple behind the Total Mall in old airport road though not visible from the road, once you enter premises 65 feet Shiva statue sure to delight you.

Shiva Statue, old Airport Road, Bangalore

Vidhana Soudha, High Court (drive through) : I instructed the driver to drive through Vidhana Soudha and High Court to reach K G Road.

Adigas Majestic : Adigas Majestic was my choice for the lunch that day.

ISKCON : After lunch, we headed towards ISKCON. In ISKCON, cameras are not allowed. Situated on top of Hare Krishna hill, from ISKCON, you can have a panoramic view of West Bangalore. New landmark of Bangalore, World Trade Center can be seen from here.

After visiting ISKCON, when we reached Vijayanagar back it was 5 30 in the evening.

Bonsai Garden, Lal Bagh, Bangalore

Statue of Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, Lal Bagh, Bangalore

Floral Clock, Lal Bagh, Bangalore

Following is the map of places visited.

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Hunt for Alexander's treasures in Indian subcontinent

If winning numerous battles to form one of the largest empires in the world was a big challenge then, bigger challenge was to manage the huge wealth acquired during the process. One of the most celebrated emperors of the world, Alexander the Great faced the same problem during his conquest of Indian subcontinent. K N Ganeshaiah's novel Chitadanta begins with this dilemma of the emperor. If Karisiriyana, Ganeshaiah's earlier novel focused on the history of south India, canvas here is bigger. It spans from the present Afghanistan to modern day Patna. The story even revolves around several kingdoms - Mauryas, Nandas, Kingdoms of Kalinga, Burma and Sri Lanka. 

Chitadanta Cover Page

Decoding the treasure map by making use of Buddhist, Mauryan and Greek symbols and riddles makes this book a fascinating read. In the process, the author busts few historical myths. You would definitely find the answers to the following questions in the book - Who are Ajivikas and Theravadis? What is the significance of Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic at Kandy in Sri Lanka? Why did Buddhism almost vanish from the country of its origin, India? Though Buddha was against idol worship, how did his idol become the most recognizable symbol of Buddhism all over the world? Who are the people of Kalash community living in the present day Pakistan? Why did Chanakya make Amatya Rakshasa, a Nanda loyalist who was dead against the Mauryan empire, the minister of Chandragupta Maurya? What is the significance of the solar eclipse which occurred during Emperor Ashoka's reign? Why did the famed king Ashoka build a hell(naraka) in his kingdom? What was the reason behind Alexander building the city of Alexandria Bucephalous? What more, you have real life characters like Osama Bin Laden and Dalai Lama. I think these teasers are enough for the history enthusiast to venture into the amazing world of Chitadanta. 

Buy Chitadanta Here