Until I write about this incident, I can't rest!
I was passing the Cenotaph Road on my way to office by auto.
Due to traffic congestion the auto had to slow down a bit.
I watched a dashing young man, alighting from his red car after parking it in the bay of Wescare Towers, a few buildings before the Padma Apollo Cancer Hospitals. This young man was very well groomed and was wearing a bright red shirt. He looked so handsome and dashing.
He looked at me and I could not place him at all in those few seconds. But he seemed so familiar and yet not from anyone I know personally. Only after I reached the Nandanam Traffic Junction, I realized he was the actor Riyaz Khan.
Then I thought of how show biz people always look their best. They are so presentable. They take a lot of care in good grooming. Their hair styles are just for their kind of face, the clothes which are among the best, fit them so well. They have a shine to their skin which they must be taking good care of anyways. They look fit as they gym or exercise to keep in shape always.
For quite some time now, I have been planning a movie script with actors Prakash Raj and Meera Jasmine in the lead roles. I have worked out a part for Riyaz Khan as well in the story, after seeing him that day, in passing. In my mind's eye I have seen the picture several times now. Prakash Raj is a powerful actor. Jasmine is tender and portrays her roles so sensitively. Added to her great acting skills is her beauty. Her eyes convey so much without a word spoken. Once I have my script ready I shall wish God to take care of seeing it come alive on the screen!
One of my three projects will be to start writing this script and that will be soon after I am through with the present one which ends on 15th July. The scenes are rushing through my mind, too often now. I have got to download it all on paper before it evaporates into thin air! I realize it's a long way to go before seeing my story unfold on the large screen. I do not know anyone from the film industry. As raw as raw can be!! Yet nothing prevents me from having stars in my eyes :D
I need all the luck and good wishes I can garner. God bless me.
Mahalakshmi
Friday, July 1, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
The Zha Cafe, Chennai
Zha is a slippery Tamil alphabet which is difficult to pronounce even among some Tamilians!
I pass by a newly opened cafe called the Zha Cafe, in Sastri Nagar, Adyar, Chennai quite often, but seldom got inside to have a peek. The sign board cleverly displays the name 'Zha', in Tamil too, alongside to dispel any doubts about such an unusual name.
A power cut in an office where a meeting was to take place got shifted to this cafe, giving me a wonderful reason to check out the place.
The meeting was interesting too, as the other 4 were all enthusiastic young men, raring to get started on a web company which is about to be launched very soon.
Each ordered his drink. I went for iced lemon tea. It came in a tall glass, all froth at the top. The taste was just right, light and refreshing for the humid noon time. Then came along a platter of hot, crispy, banana flower vada (Vaazhaipoo vadai, a Tanjore speciality). It was simply gorgeous. A melt-in-the-mouth with a slight hint of roasted sesame seeds here and there.
Tea and snacks later, went around the rooms in the cafe. This place has got that rare, homely feel about it. An old house, left undisturbed, except that the rooms have become separate dining areas with interesting and different types of backdrops for each, such as toys in one room, a table running down right from the false ceiling with a large snake and ladder board game displayed all over the surface along the length. Yet another room was done with things from the world of cinema; single chairs whose covers were embossed with labels such as, heroine, hero, director, villain, etc. and sitting on the shelves of this room were film roll cans, CDs, an old typewriter, etc. There's privacy, different styles of seating arrangements - High, low, boat shaped, all of which makes the place interesting and informal.
It scores high on taste too though it is just the tip of the iceberg.
Should visit another day to try out their special dishes. I am sure that will be very soon. :D
Cheers!
Mahalakshmi
I pass by a newly opened cafe called the Zha Cafe, in Sastri Nagar, Adyar, Chennai quite often, but seldom got inside to have a peek. The sign board cleverly displays the name 'Zha', in Tamil too, alongside to dispel any doubts about such an unusual name.
A power cut in an office where a meeting was to take place got shifted to this cafe, giving me a wonderful reason to check out the place.
The meeting was interesting too, as the other 4 were all enthusiastic young men, raring to get started on a web company which is about to be launched very soon.
Each ordered his drink. I went for iced lemon tea. It came in a tall glass, all froth at the top. The taste was just right, light and refreshing for the humid noon time. Then came along a platter of hot, crispy, banana flower vada (Vaazhaipoo vadai, a Tanjore speciality). It was simply gorgeous. A melt-in-the-mouth with a slight hint of roasted sesame seeds here and there.
Tea and snacks later, went around the rooms in the cafe. This place has got that rare, homely feel about it. An old house, left undisturbed, except that the rooms have become separate dining areas with interesting and different types of backdrops for each, such as toys in one room, a table running down right from the false ceiling with a large snake and ladder board game displayed all over the surface along the length. Yet another room was done with things from the world of cinema; single chairs whose covers were embossed with labels such as, heroine, hero, director, villain, etc. and sitting on the shelves of this room were film roll cans, CDs, an old typewriter, etc. There's privacy, different styles of seating arrangements - High, low, boat shaped, all of which makes the place interesting and informal.
It scores high on taste too though it is just the tip of the iceberg.
Should visit another day to try out their special dishes. I am sure that will be very soon. :D
Cheers!
Mahalakshmi
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Mr.N.Murali of The Hindu
Today's The Hindu, put up a photo plus news about Mr.N.Murali getting elected as President of The Music Academy, Chennai.
Reading about this great man brought back pleasant memories of a meeting with him, (he is now the Senior Managing Director of Kasturi & Sons) in the mid- 1990s and came back feeling so good about this gem of a person. He was such a thorough gentleman and listened so patiently to what I had to say, though I was meeting him for the first time and knew nothing of him or his background at that time at all.
The meeting lasted about 20 minutes and he asked another person to guide me to their newsprint section to get more details for a project I was doing then, for a market survey company called MARG.
Very rarely do we come across people who treat women with so much respect. His family, culture and class showed in his simplicity and humility. Such are self-realized people for whom outward shows do not matter. They wear their titles and positions so lightly without any airs about them. What struck me the most was his treating others as humans despite his position in one of India's leading newspapers.
Though more than 15 years have passed by and the meeting din't last more than 20 minutes, yet this memory has lingered on for me as a most cherished one, though I must have been one among the so many, meeting him that busy day. Yet I came away feeling so good about myself. I think it's all about the respect the other gives us that makes us feel so good.
Alas! God makes such gentlemen in limited editions.
Mahalakshmi.
Reading about this great man brought back pleasant memories of a meeting with him, (he is now the Senior Managing Director of Kasturi & Sons) in the mid- 1990s and came back feeling so good about this gem of a person. He was such a thorough gentleman and listened so patiently to what I had to say, though I was meeting him for the first time and knew nothing of him or his background at that time at all.
The meeting lasted about 20 minutes and he asked another person to guide me to their newsprint section to get more details for a project I was doing then, for a market survey company called MARG.
Very rarely do we come across people who treat women with so much respect. His family, culture and class showed in his simplicity and humility. Such are self-realized people for whom outward shows do not matter. They wear their titles and positions so lightly without any airs about them. What struck me the most was his treating others as humans despite his position in one of India's leading newspapers.
Though more than 15 years have passed by and the meeting din't last more than 20 minutes, yet this memory has lingered on for me as a most cherished one, though I must have been one among the so many, meeting him that busy day. Yet I came away feeling so good about myself. I think it's all about the respect the other gives us that makes us feel so good.
Alas! God makes such gentlemen in limited editions.
Mahalakshmi.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Auto Driver Part 2
Yesterday's auto ride was the worst of its kind!
I was busy chanting the morning prayers but the auto driver was applying too many brakes and with sudden jerks. I got alert and watched what made him jerk the auto to a halt all of a sudden and so many times.
This driver was clearly not for women riding scooters, cars or walking along the roads!
He would drive the auto dangerously close to the ladies walking along or close to a lady's scooter or car and watch her frightened and at times angry reaction. I could feel that he was getting cheap thrills by doing this but it was plain harassment for women drivers.
I saw many of them glaring at this fellow. quite a few times it would have ended in an accident if the auto's brakes were to fail at the nick of the moment. My wrists and hands started aching from holding on tightly to the iron bar to prevent my nose or teeth from breaking a few bones here and there!
When I asked him to be careful while driving he started a never-ending argument and I had to shout at him several times before I reached my destination. Whew! Was I relieved and thankful to God that I reached safely in one piece!
After a very long time I saw such base tendencies like this at close quarters. Wished I was never seated in such an auto ever.
May God put some sense into his head for good.
Mahalakshmi.
I was busy chanting the morning prayers but the auto driver was applying too many brakes and with sudden jerks. I got alert and watched what made him jerk the auto to a halt all of a sudden and so many times.
This driver was clearly not for women riding scooters, cars or walking along the roads!
He would drive the auto dangerously close to the ladies walking along or close to a lady's scooter or car and watch her frightened and at times angry reaction. I could feel that he was getting cheap thrills by doing this but it was plain harassment for women drivers.
I saw many of them glaring at this fellow. quite a few times it would have ended in an accident if the auto's brakes were to fail at the nick of the moment. My wrists and hands started aching from holding on tightly to the iron bar to prevent my nose or teeth from breaking a few bones here and there!
When I asked him to be careful while driving he started a never-ending argument and I had to shout at him several times before I reached my destination. Whew! Was I relieved and thankful to God that I reached safely in one piece!
After a very long time I saw such base tendencies like this at close quarters. Wished I was never seated in such an auto ever.
May God put some sense into his head for good.
Mahalakshmi.
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