Urumi - Review

A beautiful canvas of mesmerizing metaphors, a canvas of disjointed yet perfectly connected motifs a canvas where the ethereal is in perfect synch with the tangible- URUMI, the resurrection of Malayalam Cinema.

Santosh Sivan’s work is always a visual treat. But with URUMI he has gone the extra mile ensuring each and every scene is a story in itself. Based on the cult story of Chirakkal Kelu Nayaanar whose mission is to kill the Protugese Viceroy of India Vasco D agama, Sivan poignantly examines whether Vaso d agama was really an explorer or an invader. Made from the ornaments of dead women and children who were burnt alive in the massacre of Miri, the Mecca ship in AD 1502 commanded to be set ablaze by Vasco Da Gama, the golden Urumi is the recurring motif that symbolizes sacrifice, strife, and ultimately success.

What is striking about Urumi is the method of narration adopted by Sivan. In the beginning you may just wonder how the same characters play roles, both from the past and in the present. There perhaps could not have been a technique more fitting to communicate the fact that we are still caught in the tentacles of imperialism. Yes, we have succeeded as a nation and broken free from the shackles of foreign dominion and abuse yet, we are alas; still subservient to the imperialism of commercialism, the imperialism of political treachery, the imperialism of exploitation. If the forest of Kannadi in the movie, is protected by the goddess (Vidhya Balan) in the flashback, the mineral rich Kannadi is protected by the social activist Bhumi (Vidya Balan) in the present. The scheming minister to the Zamorin (Jagadish) reincarnates as the politician in today’s times. Vasco da Gama recurs as owner of the mining conglomerate eyeing Kannadi.

Urumi, is cinematography and art at its peak. Sivan has taken care of the minutest of details… the sand timer, the archaic pistol, the canons, the costumes.. everything has been carefully researched. Deepak Dev, has done a fantastic job with the background scores. But the songs do not live upto the expectations. Aaaro nee aaro, is perhaps the only hummable score. Pritviraj and Geneila I must say make a great pair. Genelia has matured as an actress, and the poise and elegance of her role has to be appreciated. But I really feel the show stopper is Jagathi Srikumar. His portrayal of the effeminate , scheming mantri in the court of the zamorin, and his reappearance as the politician in the fag end of the movie is simply mind blowing. As Jagathy steps out of his car, the plot suddenly becomes crystal clear, every doubt just vanishes and all you would just gasp and say “Wow!! What a movie…..”

There are bits of the movie where you just would seem lost, especially given the fact that the Malayalam in use is the archaic one..but this is something that cannot be helped! Hats off Santhosh…

URUMI my rating 4/5

My last spech at College - the convocation speech!!

Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. Today represents one of the most promising accomplishments of our lives. But the dream does not end here. We are graduating to the most amazing, challenging and stupefying era ever witnessed by any generation. An era that is limping back after suffering the travails of an economic meltdown, and era of the I-pad, the blackberry, and yet an era that realizes that the only real hope is a radical inner transformation. An era that realizes that the most exciting breakthroughs will occur not because of technology but because of an expznding concept of what it means to be humane.

XIME has made us humane. 2 years ago, as we set foot into this great institution, we were just crude chunks of rock. Many of us were pampered and spoilt; some of us believed we ruled the world! Our experiences in XIME has smoothened the contours, and today well, I don’t know if we are gems yet, but pebbles... o! Yes we are!

When some of us were first told that we would have to share our rooms in the hostel, it was like the world had fallen apart. To make things worse, we were also informed we were not free to choose our roomies. But nevertheless we complied and many of us ended up spending two of our most valuable years with people from Bihar, Gujarat, Kashmir, Kerala. Places we had never been to in our 25 yrs of existence, but got a flavor of, here at XIME. Let us take a peek into room no 27 of the ladies hostel. Here you would find Ishitha who is basically from the UP, but settled in Chennai, Jaysree frm West Bengal, Gia from Mumbai and Gisha, a malyalee who does not know any malyalam! Such diversity.. where else but in XIME! It was at XIME that many of us first celebrated festivals like Holi and Dandiya. All of us at XIME know a minimum of three languages.. Coming from the South Hindi was an enormous challenge for me. Par aaj mey Hindi bahut achi se baat kar sakti hoon. It was at XIME that a small town girl like me got to wear my first mini skirt and party! XIME taught me my first skills in negotiation.. no.. no not during the MSK –III sessions, but each time I went with my leave letter to Tyagraj sir, or pleaded with warden ma’m for a night out. Many of us have found our special someones.. for those of us who haven’t well we know the tricks and trades of the process!! We’v learnt to cram and write exams without a wink of sleep.. We’v learnt to make presentations in a jiffy, we’v learnt that peculiar skill of confounding and confusing people with jargon, we’v learnt to shove entire dosas down our throats in 2 minutes and 37 seconds. For us girls, the dreaded Monday mornings have become blessings in disguise. All of us are experts in the art of saree draping today!

On a more serious note, XIME has inspired us. XIME is testimony to the fact that inspiration is not garnered from the litanies of what may befall us; it resides in our willingness to restore, redress& reform.

XIME has taught us not to be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done. It just takes hard work and a dream. Each of us is as complex and beautiful as all the stars in the universe. The most unrealistic person in the world is the cynic, not the dreamer.


XIME has taught to grab opportunities. We Recognize that there will be failures, and acknowledge that there will be obstacles on the way.
We realize there is no such thing as self made success. We are all gifts to each other, and my own growth as a professional has shown me again and again that the most rewarding experiences come from my relationships. I for one can say this degree is not just the result of my hardwork alone, my friends & faculty have toiled with me too.. helping me understand a theorem, sharing with me those notes I was too lazy to take down. Our institution has helped sharpen our sense of discovery, and there is no better catalyst for success than curiosity.

The college has constantly reminded us to investigate our motives along the way, and make choices, without compromising on our integrity,
A man was out walking in the desert when a voice said to him, "Pick up some pebbles and put them in your pocket, and tomorrow you will be both happy and sad."
The man obeyed. He stooped down and picked up a handful of pebbles and put them in his pocket. The next morning he reached into his pocket and found diamonds and rubies and emeralds. And he was both happy and sad. Happy he had taken some - sad that he hadn't taken more.
And so it is with our lives at XIME… As we leave XIME to face the challenges of the big mean world outside, I wish I had gone that extra mile, utilized the abundant resources more effectively and learnt a bit more…
But, yes we are winners today. And a lot of people have contributed to our success. People who joined us in celebration, and comforted us in sorrow. Who excited us about the future and reminded us of the past. Our dear president sir…XIME is the manifestation of his dream… we r privileged sir, to be part of yr dream…and we also realize our responsibility towards this great institution. You are practical and a realist yet u talk the language of the visionary & idealist. Your actions have helped us to dream more, learn more, do more and become more. Many of us came dejected with an IIM dream shattered, but sir your sweat and your blood has made us no less than any IIM graduate. Our dreams are no less than an IIM passout…for you have empowered us sir.

Our dear tyagraj sir.. for the numerous times we’v called him up at unearthly hours.. for your kind and patient hearing of all our complaints, and for that infectious laugh however despairing the situation was.

Our dear director, Prof. Jaffar for all the encouragement and support…For those pearls of knowledge and insight you hurled at us, during class hours and the love and personal interest you showed in each of us after class hours.

All our dear teachers, well springs of wisdom and knowledge. I don’t think any college would have such dedicated faculty. Faculty who was there for us 24*7. Faculty who were no less than our parents these two years. It was on their shoulders that many of us cried our hearts out, it was their faith in us that gave us the courage to face the pressure and trials of student life. Our placement week was when we realized how blessed we were. The agony and pain many of our faculty felt during our rejections was more than what we felt ourselves. We may not be the brightest students, but with them we felt like absolute geniuses! Thank you for believing in us, thank you for telling us 0! yes you can! Thank you for your unconditional love and please forgive us for our misgivings.

All our non teaching staff..The awesome threesome.. gopisir, joseph sir and rose mary ma’m.. Our ever smiling and helpful Smishi ma’m.. Nancy mam rita ma’m and prem kumar sir who tirelessly worked at their computer systems ensuring the college ran smoothly. Sridhar sir our Messiah when our laptops crashed. Our dear Mark , Noel , Prabhu and Shabari uncle who ensured every class was ready for the days lecture sessions and treated us to jokes every time we passed them. Warden ma’m and Kevin sir for taking care of us in the hostel. Justin chetan and his team who spolit us with lip smacking biriyani, fried rice , chicken tikka and aloo paratha & ensured we ate to our hearts content every day. Each time I went home for my semester break , mom would complain how fat I had become! The wonderful akkas who cleaned our washrooms and classrooms every day. The gardners and maintainance staff , because of whom we can proudly show off our campus to friends and visitors from outside. Our security for all the nights you’v stayed awake and ensured our safety while we slept comfortably under the warmth of our quilts and blankets. To all of you, we realize it was your untiring efforts that made our stay at XIME a little more comfortable. We love you.

Lastly, those wonderful popl who have always taken the back seat so that they can see us move ahead in life. Even today, here they are seated right at the back of this auditorioum. Our wonderful parents… Its your sacrifices, your prayers and your love that has seen us through.

This is a great day for us. A special thank you to Mr. Bhaskar Bhat, MD Titan Industries for coming and sharing in our joy. You have bowled


Our big thankyou to our dear chairman Mr. Sarosh Ghandy, who makes it a point to visit us during all our special occasions, and enthrall us with his oration. Today was no exception sir, thank youvery much.

All our board members, thank you for gracing this occasion with your presence.

As we leave our home of two years, we realize its not going to be easy out there! `But our experiences at XIME will definitely stand us in good stead. We know there will be trouble, but we will not be crushed, sometimes in doubt, but never despair, there will be many enemies, but we’ll never be without a friend and though badly hurt at times we will not be destroyed! Thank you XIME… Congratulations Batch 14… We’ve done it!

Anti reservation bill speech I gave at College

The women’s reservation bill, which seeks to provide reservation for women in 1,370 of the 4,109 seats in 28 assemblies, has been heralded the next big thing of Indian politics. The Proponents of the bill claim that the bill is tantamount to women’s empowerment.
Well, I beg to differ. Around 23% of the seats in parliament are reserved for SC/ST members since the ‘90s and yet we do not see any results to ascertain the success of this reservation policy. The benefits of parliamentary reservation for lower caste members have not 'trickled down' from the 'creamy layer' to the truly oppressed. And this is the fate of this women's bill. Empowerment should be the prerogative of all Indian women, not just some. The women’s reservation bill will only succeed in creating ‘empowered puppets’ who will serve as proxies for established male leaders.
The reservation is a mockery of democracy as it deprives the electorate the right to choose their representatives irrespective of sex. Instead of outright reservation, political parties should be encouraged to nominate more female candidates. There should be more equitable distribution of party tickets based on performance and ability.
But the damning criticism of the bill lies elsewhere. There is no proven linear relationship between the representation of women in parliament and their emancipation. Pakistan’s assembly has 22% female representation, more than double the figure in India. Yet Pakistan ranks near the bottom in most global rankings on women’s freedom and status. Thus the solution is not in increased representation of women in parliament, but in the altering of social mindsets. Millions of Indian girls die before they are even born – the stark foeticide, infanticide and dowry killing figures are testament to this. And if a girl child manages to see the light of day, she lives a life of discrimination when it comes to nourishment, healthcare, education and opportunities for employment. Women live in constant fear of suffering the indignity of harassment, abuse and rape.
How much of this is going to change with more women in parliament? The Constitution and a number of laws already provide for gender equality. The problem does not lie in our society’s ability to pass women-friendly laws, but rather in implementing them .What we need is increased social activism in daily lives at the grassroots level, not more female legislators. The judiciary, the police force those bastions of male hegemony that implement the high-minded laws promulgated by our legislators needs to change, not the ratio of women in parliament.
The women’s reservation bill presumes that aspiring women legislators in this day and age need the proverbial crutch. Spare us, we do not want sympathy. The test for whether or not I can hold a job should not be the arrangement of my chromosomes. Judge me for my abilities n my abilities alone. I would like to conclude by citing XIME as an example. 50% of the students of the class of 2009-2011 are women. This, without any reservations or quotas. XIME has proved women can definitely thrive amid cut throat competition. We do not want any relaxation of rules, neither do we want cajoling, because as a woman I have no barriers. As a woman the world is my footstool.

HUMANIZING MANAGEMENT
A recent Associated Press story claims “It's about to become official: The recession is over”. The last year saw B-school students in the dumps. Students can heave a sigh of relief this year. But what did we learn from the recession? As Mel Ziegler said, “By seeing the seed of success in every failure we remain hopeful. By seeing the seed of failure in every success, we remain humble.”
The mad race for material prosperity and success at any cost was the mantra. All of a sudden a global meltdown became reality. The pundits declared that the greed and speculative nature of managers was the cause for the downturn. The irony is that the very foundations of business management have encouraged greed and speculation. So in a sense, the educational system is to blame.
Create leaders
Management education needs to change. A manager has to be a leader. The supreme quality for leadership is integrity. Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall. Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. It is for us to decide what we want to become — mere managers, or leaders with vision.
Management professionals remain managers and fail to become leaders because of the overemphasis on quantitative rather than qualitative aspects of education. Science and economics have become the alpha and beta of management education. Economics has reduced everything that can be measured into units of money. Even the theory of utilitarianism has been reduced to a cost-benefit analysis. Economic rationality is the only rationale that managers of today understand.
Management education today does not incorporate failure tolerance. Business students believe they should manufacture success at any cost. Students are only exposed to the success stories of stalwarts such as Narayana Murthy and Azim Premji. How often are they reminded that there are many others who miserably failed? Leadership comes from learning lessons taught by failure.
Accountable to society
A B-school must be accountable to society at large. A radical change is required in the very fibre of the curriculum. A change that would help us see profits as a consequence of greater goals such as work satisfaction, social equality, economic empowerment and true happiness. For this, incorporation of the humanities in the curriculum will help. The humanities remind us we are but mere human beings, limited by the vagaries of an uncertain future. It teaches us to see in shades of grey. The Spiritual Quotient (SQ), fast gaining popularity in corporate circles, has also been overlooked in management education.
SQ is not about religion. It is the ability to introspect, to open up to myriad influences and ideas and thus become more tolerant. The conscience becomes the driver, intellect takes a back seat. A conscientious manager is one the world is in desperate need of. The finance managers who hailed toxic loans as assets and sold them as securities definitely lacked this conscience.
It is time to realise that business can be compassionate, ethical and moral. It is time to go beyond the analytical.

Tete a tete with Jaisree misra

I was in the 8th standard when I first read Ancient Promises by Jaisree Misra. The book had a profound impact on me. The characters haunted me. If my heart bled for Janu, it skipped a beat for Arjun. When Janu cried, I wept, when she smiled I laughed. I do not know if any other book has had such a major impact on me. The plot of Ancient Promises evolves around Janu, a failed marriage, and the final triumph of true love. I do not know how many times I have read the book, but each time I reached the epilogue, I would resolve to ask Jaisree Misra, “ but why, O! Why did Janu have to suffer all that she did?! She just had to say a simple, emphatic, “NO”!” I did not know how, but I was sure I would.

When I joined St.Teresa’s for my graduation I chose B.A Literature as my stream of study. As I entered class, something pulled me towards the second bench of the left row. I went and sat there. When my class teacher came into class, she looked at me for one long moment, and said” O! Seated in Jaisree Misra’s bench. Huh?” I went blank for a second, and suddenly a wave of euphoria gripped me... Wow!! Jaisree Misra sat on this bench? And all of a sudden, my dream seemed so near… yet… so far!!!

It was the first of February, 2008. I was a final year student now. I woke up to the clang of dishes from the kitchen. Damn!! Why was making breakfast such a noisy affair? I got out of bed and went to the dining table. “The New Indian Express” was neatly folded and kept next to dad’s coffee mug. I grabbed the paper before dad could come. The headlines remained the same... the 1, 2, 3, deal, the markets plummeting, speculation about whether Ash was pregnant and then, there in the corner ,a headline caught my eye!! “RENOWED AUTHOR JAISREE MISRA IN TOWN” I knew my dream was going to become a reality today.

I managed to coax my friends into accompanying me to the DC book fest. Jaisree Misra was to inaugurate it. The program was to start at 10. We occupied our seats in the second row by 9:15. By 9:45, an elegantly dressed lady in a saree, occupied a chair in the front row. I managed to steal a glance and O! My god!! It was Jaisree herself!! We broke into beads of perspiration and suddenly we were caught by a sudden bout of rigor mortis. We somehow managed to gather some courage, and suddenly we were face to face with ‘the‘Jaisree Misra. We introduced ourselves to her as students of St. Teresa’s College. She broke into a warm smile and before we knew it we were in conversation with the legend.

Lea: How does it feel coming back to Kochi?
JM : Cochin has changed a lot. It’s so busy. The traffic is crazy. I saw St. Teresa’s on my way here. I really wanted to go n see everyone. But I just can’t seem to find the time. St. Teresa’s is really special for me. I was not just a student there; the college gave me my first job. I worked in the college for 6mts as a guest lecturer.

Gayathri: Was the transition from Delhi to Kochi difficult?
JM : (smiling) I’d never say it was easy. But the college helped me a lot with the whole process. In Delhi, the churidaar was in vogue and that was what I wear usually. I remember, the first day of college, every one was staring at me like I was some kind of an alien. Within a week though, most of the girls were in churidaar. It had become a style statement (laughs) I was very active as a student, and the college provided me with the best of opportunities, especially when it came to theatre.


Sunshine: You work in the British Board of Film Certification, which is similar to the Indian Censor Board. You are an author and a strong advocate of creative freedom. Don’t you think the two spheres contradict?
JM : That is a good question. As authors, we should keep in mind that there are people who get provoked very easily. These people make mountains out of mole hills. Now, I can’t restrain my thoughts and feelings keeping them in mind. I enjoy total freedom of expression, but let me tell you, I don’t believe in the concept entirely. As a writer I have the authority to hurt, but this authority is not my license to hurt. I should be sensitive. Being sensitive is not being afraid. The
new generation of authors, should keep this in mind.

Sunshine: Your opinion on the literary scene in India?
JM : In the west, the reading population is diminishing at an alarming pace. In Britain we have kids who can’t read even at the age of eight. Foreign publishers have taken note of the Indian market which has been fuelled by the tremendous on English and English education. Publishers like HarperCollins and Random House have envisaged enormous projects with India in mind. The future looks bright.

Arathi: Ancient Promises was essentially feminist, and now your recent book is about the Rani of Jhansi. Are u feminist?
JM : I was not born one. But I believe circumstances have made me support the cause. I don’t believe in clamorous feminism. Mine is the calm and composed type.

Sunshine: Has being the grand niece of Thakazi had an impact on your writing?
JM : Valiyachan has definitely had an impact on me. I guess my instinct for writing comes from him.

Tina : Your message to the girls back at St. Teresa’s?
JM : Well, looking at you girls I definitely feel the women of Kerala have come a long, long way. I could never dream of being so outgoing in my time. As girls, we were fettered, and we longed for the freedom you children are enjoying now. All I have to say is believe in yourself and never quit dreaming. Thank you!


…… and as JM breezed out of that hall, I suddenly realized, why Janu had to suffer all that she did!!

"Congratulations -Welcome to the Teresian family.. classes willb egin on the 6th." Suddenly , like a thunderbolt, the truth struck me! I could never, ever, become what i had dreamt of sinse the day amma huddled me close to her chest and whispered " your r going to become a great doctor" Sorrow like a sharp edged sword plunged into my heart - I cried!!!

My fate had long beesn sealed with the announcement of the Kerala CET results. But, i hung on! I had written scores of other tests. Surely something would come up. Something did come - In plenty ..... Rejections!! I'v heard people say that goodbye is the saddest word. But i felt " NOT QUALIFIED" was more suited for the title. After each result was announced , i would burn the hall tickets of the tests in the privacy of my dark bedroom. Even the bluish yellow flames that came forth, seemed to be mocking me. The black ash that remained i would blow out of the little window throught which i had often gazed into the deep blue skies smiling at the thought of being addressed as a doctor. The black ash would flutter in the gentle breeze, like a swarm of bees before I lost sight of them. Then, one day i realized i had no more hall tickets to burn. But i was not some one who would give up so easily. I waited and waited in wain for the phone call that never came, the post man who never turned up! Meanwhile zubin n sunu had already got admission to Kottayam medical college. We were often called the three musketeers. I wondered why there was no 2 musketeers.. as i tried to hide rivulets of tears streaming down my cheeks. " my lord, my lord why have you forsaken me?"my heart cried out as we parted ways.

On the 6th of july I entered the portals of St. Teresa's College, Ernakulam. I was startled by what i saw before me! The same white building, the same flight of stairs... everything resembled the medical college I used to visualise in my dreams. There was a slight difference though, instead of reading Kottayam medical college, the sighn board said, St. Teresa's College, Ernakulam. As i was climbing the steps to my class room I came across an open bible. My heart skipped a beat as i read Jeremiah 29:11 "I alone know the plans I have for you. Plans for your prosperity, not disaster." A sudden calmness engulfed me, I felt peaceful for the first time in many months. The college had meanwhile arranged an orientation course for us first years. The 3 days of praise and worship, lifted me to the pinnacle of spiritual bliss. On the last day we were asked to write on a piece of paper stuff we wished to erase from memory. I scribled " My dream to become a doctor" We were then asked to cast the bit into the flame before us. As i burnt the bit, the yellow flames no longer seemed to mock me. They seemed to be dancing.. dancing to the song that arose from the depths of my heart.

hmmmm.... the phase of my life after my 12th grade, was one horrific ordeal. But as the saying goes, " every dark cloud has a silver lining". St. Teresa's was the silver lining for me. I have regained the lost rythm of my life and risen from the ashes of shame and defeat. Indeed i have finally attained my Canannan of freedom.

to be or not to be: that is the quest

whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

th slings & arrows of outrageous forthune

or, to take arms against a sea of trouble

and by opposing them.... END them?

nb: I prefer the latter! I intend to be..........