The story of my Birthday

“It’s going to be legend-wait for it-dary… Legendary”

Barney Stinson’s most famous tag line from “How I met Your Mother” is what my friend quoted when she reckoned how my Birthday is going to be.

Midnight phone calls, FB messages, parties and treats constitute any Birthday. But it has also become a routine isn’t it. The human touch to it, the effort that goes into putting a great Birthday party is missing these days. Mostly it’s booze and restaurants. My 28^th birthday celebrations had all the above along with the element of human touch to it. In fact, I felt the overwhelming feeling of being loved by everyone on that day that I just had to write about it.

So, how lucky can a guy get on his birthday?

One of his best friends makes her folks believe that it’s an OFFICIAL work, travels all the way from Bangalore to spend the Birthday weekend with him.

His best friend defies family, claims that he is going on an OFFICIAL work and joins his friends and starts planning for the day.

His best friends tricks him to believe that they are busy, but in fact, help arrange in secret an amazing set of gifts (28 for his 28^th Bday) handpicked by the darling of them all who also masterminds the timing of each gift.  

The evening before his Birthday, they take him to one of the city’s most happening clubs to kick start the celebrations. (Agreed the music was only okay, but still…) They have the DJ wish for him but he barely remembers anything coz he was absolutely sloshed by then. He cuts the cake before blowing the candles (“Dei Panni..! Modalla Candlea oothura..!”) J Guess what he gets as a gift at that time? A cough syrup and a strip of Paracetamol tablets, cutely gift wrapped because he had not been well for the previous few days. How thoughtful yet cute! He also gets an amazing set of Liverpool Football Club accessories because they knew how big a fan he is of the club. Then in an amazing sequence of events, each gift is unveiled at a specific time throughout the 24 hours of the day. Merchandise, Puzzles (Apparently my intelligence is on the LIGHTER side it seemsL), Cards, Coffee, Books, it just keeps coming. His close friend, who is Manchester United fan, gifts him with a Liverpool Jersey (Gerrard 8… Yay. How is it possible Machi?)

He and his friends gather at CCD inside IIT to leave for the treat, when all of a sudden, the heavens open up… The racketeer of friends inside CCD, the sound of the rain outside, the view of IIT’s greenery from the glass walls as it rains, it was pure bliss.

Finally the climax at Zha Café in Adyar. The Birthday Boy chose this spot for the final act because of its close proximity to everyone and for its distinct Tamil theme. His friends close to his heart, who reside in the city comes to wish him. Despite his wife not keeping well, his childhood best friend makes time to come and wish him. His best friend who has become so much like family that she never really bothers to wish him on his Birthday before, actually takes time off to come see him. So what’s so unique about friends wishing? It’s the fact that except the birthday boy, no one knew everyone in the group. Despite the obvious awkwardness, they all came for one reason. They have heard him talk about every one of them but never really met them. But at the end of 3 light hearted hours of banter, they all become friends like they have known each other for a long time. And that is the return gift he gave to everyone, new friends. It’s amazing what silly school time games like Dumb Charades and Snakes & Ladder can do. But then what is friendship if not for the silliness. At the end of the day, he had everything. His room full of gifts, his heart full of happiness and a day full of memories that will stay with him forever.

I have never really been a materialistic person. I am an old world person who believes that the time spent by someone is the greatest gift that they can give to another. But what amazed me is that the gifts they gave would not have been possible without knowing who I am. They picked the gifts from their memory of me and not some random ones which really made me feel special. The most special gift of them all was… Naah I’m not gonna reveal that coz it’s just too special and too personal. This coupled with the amount of time they spent with me… I can say for sure that this is my best birthday ever.

Yes you were right sweetheart… “It was indeed legend-wait for it, no why wait for it coz everybody knows by now that it’s indeed-dary… Legendary”

EPL Season Review – A Generation Gone

Sports can be such a different career in a lot of ways. Sports persons peak at an age when young men and women take baby steps in their careers. They retire in an age where every other professional attain their peak powers. The moment their bodies don’t respond to the mind, they call it quits. Yet in such a short career span, sport can be so satisfying and fulfilling. As a professional sport, dominated by club games, football can be so demanding on a player’s body and mind. Yet with their endurance and skill set, they manage to illuminate our hearts as well as the stadiums they play in. This particular season in English football, many players who would be branded as greats in the not so distant future and one manager who is probably the greatest of them all, chose to call it a day. Here is a look at those amazing people.

He was the most naturally gifted striker that England has ever produced. Fast as a blur, boyish charm and with the kind of instinct inside the box, he was a nightmare for defenders around the world. But post his explosive start and prolific scoring for Liverpool, Michael Owen never really found that gear at Real Madrid where he found his chances limited among the galaxy of stars at the Bearnabeu. His career hit rock bottom after a plethora of injuries he sustained during his stay at St James’ Park. But that did not stop Sir Alex Ferguson from signing him (Being a Reds fan, I was livid to say the least).  Though he played fewer matches during his time at Manchester Unted, he did make his mark with a signature last minute goal in that amazing Manchester derby. Despite his move to United, he is still my favorite striker. Two moments still stays fresh in memory, that amazing goal at the ’98 World Cup game against Argentina and his brace in the FA cup final against Arsenal in 2001 where the Gunners did not lose to Liverpool but to Michael Owen.

He would probably go down as one of the last one club player in the premier league. The great wall of Liverpool, Jamie Carragher’s legacy lies in his loyalty, commitment, using maximum use of one’s potential, fighting instinct and most of all, being the ultimate team man. He was the bedrock of Liverpool’s defense for the past 15 years and every time I see his name on the team sheet I feel secure and assured. Images of an exhausted Carra fighting cramps but still throwing his body around against a marauding Serginho in 30 tiring minutes of extra time at the Champions  Trophy finals in 2005 still stands out. Wonder if anyone can replicate that. 

He retired a year ago only to come back at his boss’ request. Though he had a very ordinary season by his high standards, one can’t take away the fact that Paul Scholes is one of the strongest pillars on which lies the museum of those glittering trophies that United won in the Ferguson Era. United will sorely miss and will need a midfield general that was Scholes. Who is going to deliver those killer passes from deep in the midfield? Who is going to dictate the game? Can Michael Carrick step it up? 

He is a superstar in more ways than one. Despite not being an exceptionally talented player, with his dead ball skills and that precise, defense splitting pass, he was such a potent weapon in any team’s midfield. But David Beckham’s footballing legacy lies beyond the pitch. He was an icon, a poster boy who drove people, especially women to watch the game. Though the game is much bigger than him, he became the reason why a lot of people watched football. That is something very few people can do. You can talk about Dennis Bergkamp’s technical acumen, laud Steven Gerrard’s leadership or wonder how cool Alan Shearer is every time he puts it past a keeper. But you always need a Beckham to make people watch all that in the first place. He was football’s brand ambassador. 

The English Premier League has indeed lost its sheen a bit after the decline and retirements of so many greats in recent years. When I first started to watch the game seriously, I remember the great battles between two amazing quartets. Sir Alex Ferguson’s trump cards Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Ruud Van Nistelroy for Manchester United against Arsene Wenger’s invincible geniuses Robert Pires, Patrick Viera, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry for Arsenal. When will we ever get to see something like that again?

 

And now the biggie, the actual reason why most of you are reading this article. Being a Reds fan it is such a difficult thing to talk, let alone praise someone from 40 miles away, especially one who vowed to knock Liverpool off their perch and did that successfully. But of late, Sir Alex Ferguson is held in such high esteem that it’s okay to do so. Looking at him from beyond my mental borders, I have to say, “Thanks Fergie”! I remember my time in Manchester when I used to work at the Theatre of Dreams as a bartender, interacting with the club’s long standing members. They spoke so fondly of Sir Alex and how he is the source of all the glittering trophies that begs for space in the Museum downstairs and that no matter who comes and goes, as long as he is there United will be fine. I wonder if they can still say that next season.  Yes they do have a credible replacement in David Moyes, handpicked by Sir Alex himself, but it remains to be seen how the Red Devils play from here. Of course in all those interactions, I had to put up with a lot of RED faced poking, making a mockery of Liverpool’s current form and I had to endure all that with a straight face. Damn me and my dignity! I also vividly recall the aura that he carried. I remember this one time in the 1969 Suite inside Old Trafford where I was working, suddenly there was a buzz around the place. It was strange because I already saw Christiano Ronaldo, Nemaja Vidic and Ryan Giggs walk into the suite a while back and it was all normal. But this time there was a lot of buzz and this time it was Sir Alex himself. In a flash, the whole place transformed into some sort of a hypnotized magic hut. Everyone, including the players themselves was looking at him and only at him as he moved from table to table greeting the members. That aura is carried only by one other sporting icon that I know;  a little man who got the most British of all crowds in Brighton buzzing when he walked in during a tour match, a certain Sachin Tendulkar. Very few personalities justify this increasingly over used term, but from the next season “Football will never be the same again”.

This season significantly closes the chapter of the end of a beautiful era in EPL. With only the likes of Gerrard, Lampard, Terry, Cole & Ferdinand left, let’s hope that the Suarezs, the Carricks, the Matas, the Hazards, the Wilsheres, the Bales and the Walcotts will step up and become the next set of greats to have played the beautiful game. There certainly is talent but it also needs careful nurturing. This is where I hope the Rodgers’, the Villas-Boas’, the Martinez’, the Ladrup’s and the Mourinho’s will step it up.

Shiva Trilogy – Decoding the myth of the revenge of a Mahadev

Bending forward Shiva kissed Sati Passionately.

He turned around hearing a sound. “This is an open deck. Can’t you both get a room?” asked Veerabhadra as he entered the deck even as Krittika patted his chest in embarrassment.

A smiling Shiva hit his friend playfully on his shoulder.

This was one of the many reasons that kept me engrossed to the Shiva Trilogy, the thought of the God we fear the most, is depicted as one among us. A chillum smoking barbarian with a haunted past carefully chosen to be a Mahadev, not only of gift, but also of reason. Then why did the trilogy that made us worship Shiva not as a God but as a hero, ended up as just another revenge novel? May be this first time author panicked at the wake of such enormous pressure or he wanted to shock us in the end and make a sensation of it. Well, for what it’s worth, he made us talk about it alright, but not in the right way. The feeling was more of betrayal on the part of the author than of a shock in awe.

The series had all the ingredients of a blockbuster commercial movie. A reluctant hero who takes up his chosen task in the wake of disturbing events, a leading lady put under enormous hardships only to be rescued by the hero, a two faced father of the lady & her weak mother, an angry young man with a heart of gold who is out for answers, a gifted son, an honest lieutenant, a mastermind who stays in the background, friends of the hero ready to die for him, sounds like Bollywood isn’t it?

The series unfolded swiftly with a bit of twist here and there (Sati’s predicament, the identity of the hooded naga, the secret of the nagas being a person & the unveiling of true evil) ready for an enthralling finish only to falter at the final hurdle. But that will not take away the amazing journey that we took along with Shiva along the vast expanses of India, relishing in her rich history and deep philosophy.

Mr. Amish Tripati has treaded a careful path while dealing with four very delicate matters, Religion, History, Philosophy and Politics. We all know the history and been told about the mythological characters right from our childhood. One slip and it would have been a never ending fall. Philosophy had profound meanings and history, although twisted at times (Sangamtamil? Lord Manu a Pandya King? Please!), was still good enough for the plot. But the point where it captures the viewers was the humanization of the gods we revered. To me, Karthik mouthing bad words was like “wow!” rather than “eew!”

Then why this supposedly modern take on the Shivapuranam, end like a B-Centre commercial movie? Having discovered the true identity of evil and set on course to destroy it, why did Shiva, hell bent on revenge, did the unthinkable? His anger, which his uncle had repeatedly asked him to control, took the better of him. When he had to let Parvateshwar go, despite protests from everyone he let him go and said that it’s important to win the battle the right way. If he had that vision, then why did he destroy an entire city because of Sati’s fate? It contradicted with the claims of him being a Mahadev. And the whole villainy was so weak. I expected more from Bhirgu’s character and was so looking forward to his confrontation with Shiva. Puff! So disappointed!

Imagine this! After Sati had met with her fate, it should have come down to the use of Somras to rescue her (Remember, they had healing powers that saved Sati after she was stuck with a fire arrow). Shiva now has to decide whether to use it on his beloved wife or stand by his belief that the Somras is evil and let Sati die. That would have been a grandstand finish. Instead what transcribed is an incompetent climax that left everyone shell shocked, mind you not in the right way. In a brief 10 minute conversation with Amish when I met him at the (belated) book launch in Chennai, I put forward the same scenario. He thought about it for a moment and replied “That would have been difficult to finish!” First time author blues maybe! But he also said that he wanted to align Sati’s fate with that of the puranas in which she dies. And in the climax where Shiva uses the Pasupathiastra, he said he wanted to portray Shiva as a human and also justified it by the fact that Shiva had asked anyone not involved in the manufacture of Somras to leave. Still not convinced I must admit. It may be down to our denial to see our gods anything other than gods, even in a human form. Remember even Ram wanted Sita to testify and Krishna used a number of questionable tactics to get the victory in Kurukshetra. But even otherwise, the climax left a lot to be desired.

On an overall scale, yes it’s been an incredible journey, one that we all made, screaming Har Har Mahadev in our hearts during the first battle (Illayaraja’s Sanskrit song “Har Har Mahadev” that gives me goose bumps every time I hear it, was in my ears at that time & how perfect it was!). We felt sorry for Sati’s fate both when she was a vikarma & in the end, hoping against hope that Daksha would be a stronger person. We got bored of Parvateshwar’s style of life (We are all Chandravanshis aren’t we!). We were first so intrigued on who the hooded naga was, believing him to be the ultimate bad guy only to be shell shocked, this in the right way, with his true identity. We frowned at Karthik’s over confidence but admired when he did the right thing in the end. We loved Bhadra treating Shiva as a friend even if he was a Mahadev. So it had its moments, a lot of it. But ultimately fell through when it mattered most. It was like a world champion racer, leading from the start, only to crash in the final lap of the race. That’s how it felt in the end. But it was a refreshing read, a trend setter. What it did was to bring out the child in us. Reading the book was like listening to our grandma’s stories, full of imagination. And for that, I salute Amish Tripati. Hoping that with his take on the Mahabharatha, (Shiva’s permission or not, he will write on the mother of all storytellers I can guarantee that) he will take the chequered flag.

“Har Har Mahadev”