Masala shift in Mollywood!!

Its a long time since I wrote on my blog. Something that I noticed recently....I just watched a couple of movies this month.What struck me is, there is a change in the malayalam movie structure. The story, music concept everything seemed to be different and had a lot of suspense that drove you to the theater.Anwar had a lot of action, but it was justifiable for the concept of the movie.Story was Superb and music so soothing to the ears..One need not explain how "Shreya Ghosal" sounds...for me her voice is like tinkling crystal glasses ...so melodious and she adapts to any language so naturally...Anyone who has heard "Kizhakku Pookum" would'nt even have dreamt it was sung by a Bengali girl!!!!....Wonder if she would be the next "Lata Mangheskar".....Cocktail was suspense driven right from the beginning...you keep guessing who's the culprit and there goes the first time I've ever seen a movie with the Picturised villain turning hero and the glamourised Hero turning villain .....Stories well crafted....Music directors like Gopi Sunder , Ratheesh Vega and Alphonse have proved they are here to stay and make it big in the film Industry..Such nostalgic songs....Gets you to the 80s and 90s nostalgic era...Well Pranchiettan and the Saint was another hit movie this year.....A small sweet humorous story...thats what i heard from one of my friends....The way of story telling has indeed changed in the Malayalam film industry. Way away from the masala, foreign "locationised" songs and mimicry comedy. Hope the so called Malayalam Film industry crisis is melting down and is giving way to new and upcoming actors like Prithviraj, Indrajith, Anoop Menon, Kunjacko Boban, Jayasurya
.....No wonder why every good malayalam movie is being remade into Hindi and Tamil.....

Whats in a name???

“Sharon Ann Elsa Tom George”,,,Howzzit?? Pretty sophisticated, modern and seems like a person of substance. Well, I still wonder why you require 2 names….leave alone 4 or 5 names? When u name your pet you just pick one name…I have never heard of pets with double names like “Tiger Brown”….But just imagine the plight of this kid who has to carry her own name, church name,grand mothers name, fathers name, grandfathers name etc all in her very own name…..too heavy right?
Its understandable when we say the second name is the Surname - The name used to identify the members of a family (as distinguished from each member's given name).It shows which family u belong to. Distinguishing us from other family members without confusion.This is necessary as the generation grows. We need to identify ourselves to the coming generations.
So I feel my name is fine.. (not boasting here)… Priya Thomas (Priya means dear) Thomas my dad’s name. Well my husband’s surname was also Thomas. So I was lucky to not change my name  after marriage.
I have had an experience….A simple questions to a kid at a party..”Whats your good name”…the kid didn’t know what to say..She looked at her mom…I was shocked…..then came the answer….”My name is Ria”…her mom hurriedly said….we call her “Tinku”at home…at school teachers call her “Twinkle” because her eyes twinkle like stars they say……..In church her name is “Elsa”….Her official name is “Ria Elsa Jagan”…what a pain……..I wondered….why all these names? I’m not saying your kids shouldn’t have a pet name…Having all these names are also fine…..but imagine the plight of the kid having to look up at her mom to say which name……..She is not sure how she should identify herself…..Its like writing a 10 page CV which at the end is not at all impressive to the employers. Make it short and precise and to the point.
What about those tongue twister names? I feel its a torture to the kids. They wouldn’t be able to tell their names well until they are atleast 4 years old. These tongue twister names are chosen with great pain by the parents..usually moms…..from big big baby name books and websites. Well I appreciate the effort taken by anyone to put a meaningful name for their precious children. But most often we see they end up in strange, high fashion, tongue twister names that they are least bothered about whether the kid would be able to utter it. I feel they choose names such a way that it should reflect their status, style statement, celebrity craze (Ive heard of a lot of sushmitas after Sushmita Sen got the Miss universe Title), fascination towards certain personalities end up kids having those names and parents pressurizing them to be like those people…for Example Nafisa Ali-Social Worker and ex Miss India…So the information that goes down the kid is ohh Ive been named after her..So I should be like her or try to be like her….Priyanka Gandhi or Priyanka Chopra…Tom Cruise…Nisha Pillai….Arundati Roy…..Queen Rania…Sachin Tendulkar…..Princess Diana…….Angelina Jolie…John Abraham…Lisa Ray…Aishwarya Rai Bacchan…All these have become style names..just because they have made a brand out of themselves. We need not copy them? Why should we.??We should always try to make a name for ourselves……Whether it be a Sushmita Thomas or a Manju Pillai…Never try to imitate somebody else..By naming your kids after famous personalities..they are taught not to think out of the box…..Let them be free..Give them a name you would love to call them with…..Rather than dreaming how to make them the next beauty Queen or actress….Let them identify their talents and help them to nurture it…..and inturn become a famous personality by their own efforts.
Give your precious little one a beautiful name that definitely should have a meaning..from wherever or whichever language you have chosen the name. It definitely should have a meaning, shouldn’t be too long and tongue twisting. Identifiable with the family backgrounds and last but not the least, the kid should be confident of his/her name and personality as he/she grows up. Otherwise what’s in a name??!!!!

Signing off for now………

Priya Thomas
Officially @ priya@learnwareindia.com
Web @ http://www.learnwareindia.com/

Taare …Meri Jeevan Mein…

Hey now I understood why Aamir Khan kept showing Ishaans liking towards water and fish…Aamir belongs to Pisces Zodiac and its symbol is fish…..

After the Malayalam film Achuvinte Amma this is the movie I really kept crying for some touchy and magnificient scenes that Aamir has created in TZP. Om Shanti Om was a pure entertainer,,,, Hey guys Hindi movies are worth watching now….

No doubt Aamir is here to stay as a director…Kids..Kids..Kids…What a wonderful creation of God….I always think what would life be without kids? What’s the meaning of life? Well we could have pets, plants, art, books, career etc to keep us moving forward.. But still a small life that’s our own is something incomparable. Aamir has beautifully portrayed kids and how valued they are to their parents however physically or mentally challenged they are. Ishaan hats off to you…acting or was he living through the movie?!…..Oops Darsheel Safary that’s Ishaans real name.
Thanks to Aamir on that talk on how parents compare their child to their peers on basis of talents, marks, ranks, sports etc and how it adversely affects their own special personality . Well I know this magnificient movie alone wont bring a change in the people around and the parents within us(there maybe exceptions already or on the way :-)… But I believe our society is changing today but will take time.
If a child doesn’t do well at writing and reading, instead of being whipped he needs to be taken care off and given more attention and find out what his real difficulty is. Whether he needs his eyes to be checked so on ..it could be any of the factors ..like they seeing parents always quarrelling....something serious or even silly that’s disturbing him, that he is not able to concentrate.

Numbers and Alphabets are not the only things that kids need to know.. When they feel the fresh air, see a butterfly in the garden, when they see a puppy cuddling with its mom, pouring water for the plants…helping parents like washing the car, or like Shaun helps me prepare noodles for him. its lots that they learn and experience and feel ..which you cant read from a book. We also need to explain where the kid belongs to ..patriotism he need to go out tomorrow to serve our country..the Love for the nation….people…animals ..plants…this whole environment…..All these should be taught to a kid apart from bookish knowledge. There are kids who grow up outside the country develop a disgust for their own nation.. This is something very bad…If God has created you to be Indian.. Be an Indian wherever you go…There would be a reason He created us Indian…Work for India…..We wouldn’t be justified if we stand out and complain…Like Japan rebuild its nation after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki….we need to work altogether with one aim…With IT booming than ever before, tourism , and ofcourse Bollywood reaching international audience and the Rising Indian Rupee ….India is today creating news…..Create a wonderful nation for us and our kids and our next generation….….

Kids also needs to be corrected whenever required. We also need to show them the world ..I mean kids should learn to love and care other kids whether physically or mentally challenged. We need to let them know how fortunate they are to have good food, shelter, parents, schooling etc.

Children are gifts of God, God gives them to us because He loves us; so that we take care of them experience their love for us and bring them up with utmost care and love. There is one more reason God gives us babies. A lesson or to teach us how great our parents were .Only when I got a baby did I understand the amount of pain, love, patience and time did my parents give to bring me up as a baby. How much I started respecting them after that? God is great!
A must see movie…Don’t miss it….Taare Zameen par….Every child is special…coz its optimism or positive mind that makes our small life meaningful and happy.

Signing off for now………


Priya Thomas
Officially @ priya@learnwareindia.com
Web @ http://www.learnwareindia.com/

Educational Cds, Animated Cds, Kids Stories, Language Grammar , Phonetics Cds, Nursery and Action Rhymes

www.virgin.com

Reading is not one of my hobbies as everyone mentions it as one bulleted point in their CVs. Well I mean I won’t read any 500 page novel you give me and convince me however interesting it was.

But yes during my teenage and college times I used you read Famous Five, Secret Seven, Sherlock Holmes, Sidney Sheldon, Archies and of course Mills & Boons. But those had really catchy story lines and had lot of Mystery, Suspense and Fiction that kept you glued till the last page. I feel I had the patience to read those books simply because there was no personal TV or internet in my hostel room or it was my vacation time. Otherwise I used to always be studying J

“Losing My Virginity” The Autobiography of Richard Branson-This Best Seller was just like any other book in my Husband’s large library.(You can find books on any topic ranging from “How to Sell and Effective Management”, “Encyclopedias”, “APJ’s Wings of Fire” to the last edition of Business line.)

One day after returning from office I had a bad headache, after my Daily Sudoku war.I was just lying down on the bed, when my hand accidently found this book.His face was familiar and even the name “Virgin”. But I was not sure what it was about .

After reading the first page,I think my headache took a jetplane to an unknown location that I was drifted to an entirely different European Countryside era where Branson was born and the early 1950’s till today. He is lucky to have parents who supported him and encouraged him to whatever creative idea he had. This book is candid and humorous too. This incredible and unusual man bares even his soul to accomplish the task he has undertaken. Some have called him “Madman” because of his strange innovation,insight and commitment ideas to the future. But that was an era when he hadn’t proved himself. Today “Virgin” is one of the biggest and happening Business empires of the world. The name “Virgin” was chosen by one of his girlsfriends whose count I lost while on the 50th page of this 600 page book.. :) :)

Right from the start of Virgin Records today called Virgin Music…..and then Virgin Airways, Virgin Cola, Virgin Energy, Virgin Money, Virgin Territory, Virgin Unite etc etc till to the latest “Virgin Galactic” which will open doors to a new era of commercial space travel.I wish I could travel for a vacation on Virgin Galactic to the Moon or Mars in the future.”Tubular Wells” by Mike Oldfield was a significant turning point for the Virgins Records.

Conceived in 1970 by Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Group has gone on to grow very succesful businesses in sectors ranging from mobile telephony, to transportation, travel, financial services, leisure, music, holidays, publishing and retailing.Virgin has created more than 200 branded companies worldwide, employing approximately 50,000 people, in 29 countries. Revenues around the world in 2006 exceeded £10 billion (approx. US$20 billion).

Man this Richard Branson is indeed another Albert Einstein mixed with Bill Gates or rather APJ Abdul Kalaam mixed with Vijay Mallya. What I mean to say is “Invention and Innovation” mixed with “Smart Business” takes you to the Top.Making a difference in the customers eyes that’s their motive. Believe it or not he is just a normal man, who just couldn’t get his Maths and English spellings right. But he always took up challenges that he would have created for himself, be it the adventurous yet extremely Dangerous Virgin hotair ballon rides to the now Virgin Galactic where he’s going to travel into space so casually as you traveled by bus like on any other day.

To conclude I would say guys do read this book without fail. He is a true inspiration to all those innovative, young businessmen out there. His story proves how hard work pays one day, even when people around you laughed and called you crazy saying your dreams are weird. He is a modern living legend. He is also lucky to have a very supportive , brave and loving family.

I’m a fan of his at the 100th page so don’t know what will happen at the 573rd page !!!! :-)

To know more about the Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson do visit http://www.virgin.com/home.aspx or http://www.richardbranson.com/home.aspx



……May be continued after I finish reading the book! :-)


Signing off for now………

Priya Thomas
Officially @ priya@learnwareindia.com
Web @ http://www.learnwareindia.com/

Gone are the days....

Gone are the days when parents whip their kids to learn the alphabets or numbers correctly or tell them by heart.Not only does it cause mental strain to the kids but also makes learning an averting experience for them. Today life has changed a lot.Long before kids had the experience of running around their ancestral house and do naughty things...and be on their own ie imaginative and creative spree.Today kids gets to see only four walls of their room..go to school,come back from school,have their food,have a nap,do their homework and go for tuitions!!!Oh my God how can I forget that....That ends the day.What a plight!Tuitions today is a fashion..or I should say a unnecessary necessity.Students go for tuition just because their peers go for tuition or mainly because their parents force them to do so.What if they loose a rank?Which means popularity,photo sessions,press meets....Parents taking their kids for tuition..what a waste of money,time,petrol and self confidence??!!!I did my 12th std without a routine tuition..well I did attend a vacation class for chemistry just because I found the topics tough.But I thought ill take a chance...let me see what happens!!To my surprise and by Gods grace due to my systematic study and careful attention in class I got an easy 82 percentage..well many people who went for extensive tuition cudnt get that.
About kids today...I feel learning should be made an enjoyable experience for them...for example http://www.learnwareindia.com
you can view the various sessions there that kids would love to enjoy...well when they enjoy they will learn it...U dont need to force them to study..we should promote elearning for kids in this generation.Its more quick,eye catching and develops their IQ better.Well when I got fully computer literate by the age of 18,my son who is 3 yrs old is computer literate already! Well he started singing the Nursery Rhyme "Baa Baa black sheep" even before he was 1 yr old...just because he would hear our development team working on the software daily. The internet is booming today whether it be education,online stores,communities,search engines....Since the internet is filled with junks of information ,you should rely on trusted sources!

Priya Thomas

Officially at priya@learnwareindia.com

Working Mom....My Executive Mummy !

Reference:November 27,2006 India Today, "The Mummy Factor"
As this eye opening article by Ms Kaveri Bamsai beautifully describes

"Children of working women have usually been portrayed as freaks and as objects of sympathy.Moms or Ammas are shown in Tv Ads as those with sari and hair put up and making puris,steaming cups of tea and magically removing stains......"

Well is this all a mother has to offer her family?I agree that women do certain chores perfectly than men,and thats because she is genetically created that way by God.That doensnt mean she has to be destined in the kitchen and locked up in the house all her life.Now there are ladies who loves to be just "House wives" and relax.I would say its not the urge to be just a house wife.Its because there are certain ladies who are not very outgoing,and would like to be in a shell.For those its a good option!But for those who have had a 3 or 4 year professional degree cannot afford to do it.Their scruples wouldnt allow it.
Working women not only can help the family monetary wise,she can also work for the society and gain satisfaction and respect.But the only loop hole is women should find enough time for the family.She can be in stress in this situation.She has to look after the home and the family.She can be in stress in this situation.She has to look after the home and the family,get to work on time.Definitely she will be more stressful than her partner.But again its her responsibility to balance all this to be a "perfect" wife,"perfect"daughter inlaw and "perfect"mom.I think a woman gains more self respect when she is a working woman.Staying at home can cause friction with relatives and inlaws making life all the more miserable..Husbands get to accept the capabilities and qualities his wife has other than looking after the family.She gains respect,appreciation,care and love from him for being an allrounder.But guys do remember one thing,ladies should not be lazy creeps in the name of the job she has.She has to know how to prepare her hubby's and kid's favourite dishes and should know exactly where all the groceries are kept in the kitchen.Only if she is perfect in her home chores can she outsource this work to a maid.
I know ladies who dont even know how to cook rice or a cup of tea in the name of the corporate work they have.Thats a very bad and shameful excuse to depend on your maid for every little thing.Thats failure and a lazy mom.Being a corporate mom and failing at home.....Those ladies by the time you get back home from work you will have a "maid" managing you!!!! So beware ! You ladies out there do what you are supposed to do and be a perfect wife and mom before you go out to work!!!!!

Priya Thomas
http://www.learnwareindia.com/

Fanaa..a refreshing hindi movie

Fanaa is different from the various hindi movies I have seen.A person who expects a normal hindi movie treatment might be dissappointed.This is because Fanaa is different in its own way.Frankly speaking it touched my heart.Its not a fairy tale or love triangle or college campus or night clubs or vulgarity or commercial hindi film formulas, that Fanaa is trying to bring forth.Its the pure love story of a blind girl Zooni and a terrorist Rehaan.Fanaa has portrayed the beauty of Delhi,Agra and Kashmir(Though second half of the movie was shot in Poland for shooting conveniences)
Fanaa has proved many facts:
1. Patriotic feeling
2. True Love
3. Picturised the real beauty of India
4. Heart throbbing music
5. Beautifully picturised songs
6. Climax that keeps u on the edge
7. The storyline - unheard and impressive story
8. The career success of actress Kajol

The last point forces me to speak more on it.Kajol shows a success path to all those married actresses.She looks ten times gorgeous than she was before.She has proven that she is here to stay in Bollywood.

Sara
Offically at www.learnwareindia.com