On a day on Kovai Express

The headlines on the front page of the newspaper read: India on a gold rush.

Commonwealth Games continued to dominate these days. And why not?

I thought India is now fast catching up with developed countries.

As I looked away and turned the page, I noticed a young adult of about twenty-five years of age, sitting two bays away from mine in the Second Sitting Class of the Kovai Express on way to Chennai from Erode. I could clearly make him out from this distant: washed fair in complexion and lips of prominent pink in colour. Had he combed his black curly hairs well he would have looked quite handsome.

He wore a navy blue striped trousers and a black-and-white checked half-sleeved shirt. I could tell he would make a software engineer, given his looks.

After taking a bite on a fresh samosa that his mother handed him he seemed to look across at me. As he broke into a smile, pieces of the snack fell off his mouth on his lap. He didn't seem to bother to brush it clean. It was quite disgusting to watch, so I looked away, and in the newspaper.

The second page was full of entertainment news with stills of newly released movies. I thought too many theatres screen Endhiran. I decided to watch the movie some day. I folded the page to the next. Somewhere a temple celebrated a kumbabhishekam. As I held the paper close to look at the picture of the temple, I noticed the fair guy get up and come towards me.

What on earth is he coming for?

He sat opposite to me and tried to read the backside of the newspaper. I folded the paper towards me and looked at him questioningly. The crumbs of snack that he was eating a while ago were still sticking around his mouth. It was disgusting.

He smiled and said,”Paper.”

I tried not to look displeased and replied, “Wait, please.”

He insisted,”Sir, please, I shall read and return.”

I didn't like him. “Oh yes, but wait please, I shall finish and...”

He held on to the paper now and quite appeared to snatch. I was shocked and annoyed. By now others were watching this. In order to dominate the scene I raised my tone,“Look, would you...”

Just then his mother came and put her hand on his shoulder. “Oh, Manu! Come, come, my son. Come with me like a good boy. I'll get ice cream for you.

The guy got up.

"But first say sorry to uncle," his mother held his hand and looked at him. He was tight-lipped and turned away. The mother apologised to me helplessly, "Sorry, sir!" and left.

I nodded and murmured, “It's ok!”

The guy turned and waved at me,”Ta-ta!” as an afterthought.

I waved back, and felt sorry for him, and was unable to concentrate in the newspaper anymore.

CPM in India and their 'secularism'

A fact written on the wall is that communists are atheists. They ought not believe any religion.

Communist Party of India (Marxist), known as CPM, are now up against India's Hindutva policy, a long and carefully thought out doctrine which while respecting other religious faiths, seeks to resurrect the Hindu ideology in India.

The different stance that CPM so daringly takes with regard to dealing with secularism in India is very shameful. Kiran Khanna, in his editorial of 10.6.2005 in indiadaily.com, raised some questions as follows:

Why is CPM not going after other religions? The communists are atheists, right? So, why not call all religions bogus?

Well, they need other religious votes (votes from other religions) and that is why (the) communists are singling Hindutva. If they can kill the trust of Hindutva, they will take over India in no time.

How about criticizing 6000 Bangladeshi Jihadists entering India illegally everyday?

How about the fact that western and middle eastern money is endlessly pouring in(to) India for decades to convert poor Hindus into other religions?

Now, do the CPM have any real answer?

(For the full editorial, go to this link: http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/3099.asp)

Irving Wallace

One of America's best selling authors is Irving Wallace (1916-1990). He began his career as a journalist at the age of 15 years. After serving the US Army Air Forces during the Second World War, he wrote for America's leading periodicals. Later, for nearly a decade he either wrote singly or co-wrote for Hollywood productions before he fell out.

A unique feature about all Irving Wallace's novels is that the titles begin with 'The'.
His first novel was The Sins of Philip Fleming was not received well. That however was a non-fiction. With The Chapman Report Irving Wallace was noticed the world over. The daring novel was based on a true Kinsey report. The book was made into a film and expectedly received much controversy.

Subsequent novels were mostly popular. In his novels Wallace easily blends sex, politics, life, discoveries, etc. in his own inimitable style. As is common with many American writers he is no exception to using intriguing villains from the Soviet Union!

The Man (also my favourite) received much acclaim and awards. The story is about an American President who happens to be a black. The President who was hitherto an ordinary and unpopular senator is resented by other white senators. How a serving American President is impeached and put to trial (in American history), and how he comes clean of it forms the rest of the story.

The list of fictions that he wrote include: The R Document, The Miracle, The Man, The Almighty, The Prize, The Three Sirens, The Golden Room, The Word, The Fan Club, The Seven Minutes, The Second Lady, The Guest of Honour, The Pigeon Project, The Plot, The Celestial Bed, and The Golden Room.

Sholay facts

1. Sholay was the first film to run for five consecutive years since its release at Mumbai's (then Bombay) Minerva on August 15, 1975.

2. In the film Sholay, there is a scene where Jai brings Veeru's marriage proposal to Basanti's mausi. The scene is an interesting one and it was inspired by Javed Akhtar's (of the film's script writers Salim-Javed) real life incident. Javed Akhtar was in love with actress Honey Irani and asked his partner, Salim, to meet her mother, Perin Irani, on his behalf. Salim met and talked to Perin.

This conversation was used in the film, almost verbatim.

3. Originally actor Danny Denzongpa was thought of by script writers Salim-Javed to play the role of Gabbar Singh. Director Ramesh Sippy insisted that Amjad Khan be given the role. Salim-Javed were initially apprehensive about that. Finally, how Amjadbhai lived Gabbar Singh in the film is history.

4. It is also said that Amjadbhai remembered a dhobi from his childhood days, who used to call out his wife, "Arre, O Shanthi!" The "Arre, O Sambha!" by Gabbar Singh in the film came from this dhobi!

5. At one time Sanjeev Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan wanted to play Gabbar Singh. And Dharmendra was after the role of Thakur Baldev Singh. When the director pointed out that in that case Sanjeev Kumar would play Veeru and get Basanti (Hemamalini), he gave up because in real life he was in love with her! Sanjeev Kumar had just then proposed to her!

6. And there was Macmohan as Sambha who uttered just three words in the entire film: "Poore pachchas hazaar!" However, that brought him instant fame.

7. The last but definitely the worse thing about Sholay is that a remake of the film is on the cards and probably on the floors. Sholay has become such an obsession with almost every Indian that a true lover of the film would not quite sit quiet. Because you cannot recreate art, can you?

Did you know? - 10/12/2005

Sound travels through water three times faster than through air.

The length of a single human DNA molecule, when extended, is 1.7 m (about the average height of a man!)

Lord Brahma Temple

The most famous Brahma Temple in Pushkar, in the state of Rajasthan, is the only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma (the creator of the universe according to Hindu mythology) in the entire India. This is an important pilgrim centre for the Hindus. It is nestled in the Pushkar valley which lies beyond Nagaparvat and the Anasagar lake.

This place is full of natural beauty and holds a special place in the hearts of the Indians for it is believed that Lord Brahma, together with all the gods and goddesses, performed a here. Legend has it that the ancient lake Sarovar had appeared miraculously, when a lotus fell from the hands of Lord Brahma and dropped into this valley. You can identify it by its red spire and by the image of a hans (the goose considered to be the sacred vehicle of Lord Brahma). This temple is built with marble and decorated with silver coins. There is also a silver turtgle on the floor of the temple.

Did you know? - 27/11/2005

Whales, shellfish, starfish and dolphins are not fish.

If Microsoft were to pay $1 as damages to every user because of hanging of their computers using Windows, Bill Gates would be bankrupt in three years.

Did you know? - 25/11/2005

Gatsby, a novel by Ernest Vincent Wright, does not contain a word with the letter 'e'. (His name ironically starts with 'E'.)

Did you know? - 24/11/2005

Should the amount of water in your body be reduced by just one percent, you'll feel thirsty.

The concept of zero and trigonometry originated in India.

Did you know? - 23/11/2005

Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other, simultaneously.

Piano is known as "The King of Instruments" for its widest tonal range covering the full spectrum of any instrument in the orchestra.

Haydn's witty sense

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), called the "Father of the Symphony", was once employed as Vice-Kappelmeister with the Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy in Vienna. He had composed eleven operas, sixty symphonies, five masses, thirty sonatas, one concerto, and hundreds of shorter pieces under him.

Haydn's sense of humor often came into play during his thirty-year tenure with Prince Esterhazy. The prince had become complacent when listening to Haydn's symphonies, even falling asleep at the performances. This was something that seared the feelings of the diligent composer, especially when the prince emitted a loud snore during a part of the symphony over which Haydn had especially laboured. Haydn decided to create a new symphony for the prince, a symphony that he hoped would "get Prince Esterhazy's attention." This particular symphony was written with a long slow movement, designed to be so soothing that the prince would surely fall asleep. On the evening of the performance, the prince did indeed drift off. Then, suddenly, a loud chord shattered the serenity of the murmuring movement. The prince awoke with a start and almost fell off his chair!

That was his Symphony No.94, and Haydn adeptly named it "Surprise".

Did you know? - 22/11/2005

The opposite sides of the dice cubes always add up to seven.

The very first bomb that the Allies dropped on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.

Did you know? - 21/11/2005

Lightning heats up the atmosphere by over 50,000 deg F.

Queen Elizabeth sent her first email in 1976.

Did you know? - 20/11/2005

Carrots have zero fat content.

Between 1500 and 1600 urine was supposedly used as a tooth cleaning agent in Holland and Spain.

Did you know? - 19/11/2005

An average adult human brain weighs 3 lbs.

Over 99% of the present energy in the universe was released 13.7 billion years ago when it was born.

Did you know? - 18/11/2005

An octupus' pupil (of its eye) is rectangular.

Hydrogen is the least dense substance in the world, when in gaseous state, and the most dense substance in the world, when in solid state.

Did you know? - 17/11/2005

It takes five years for a coffee seed to yield its consumable fruit.

The word, "queueing", is the only English word with five consecutive vowels.

Did you know? - 16/11/2005

The world's first travel agency, Thomas Cook, was founded in 1850.

A person can live without food for about a month, but can go without water only for a week.

Did you know? - 15/11/2005

Eskimos use refrigerators to keep food from freezing.

Due to earth's gravity it is impossible for mountains to be higher than 15,000 m.

Did you know? - 14/11/2005

The names of the three wise monkeys? They are: Mizaru (See no evil), Mikazaru (Hear no evil), and Mazaru (Speak no evil).

No letters are assigned to the numbers 1 and 0 on a phone keypad. They are called "flag numbers", kept for emergency or operator services.