I’m not proud to confess this, but flying thousands of miles and then lining up to visit a museum doesn’t do much for me. To your right, ladies and gentlemen, is the house in which Charles Dickens lived. Okay – and? This is the desk at which he hammered out The Pickwick Papers. Okay – and? I mean, unless Dickens’s ghost is still hovering around, possessing visitors so they’ll write like him, I don’t quite see the point. Wouldn’t you rather re-read the books to get a sense of the man? But most tourists go, “Please sir, I want some more.” And there’s more, all over the world. This is the first car Ford built. Okay – and? Something must be wrong with my circuitry. Others see history. I see four wheels, a seat. A friend once laughed when I suggested a museum visit. “It’ll be full of dust,” he said. I smiled at what I thought was ignorance, but now I see what he meant.
I’m not proud to confess this, but flying thousands of miles and then lining up to see paintings doesn’t do much for me. At home, yes. But I’m talking about public spaces, where paintings reside behind velvet ropes, crowned by bald spots from artfully placed lamps. People save up and go to these places just to see Mona Lisa smile, the last supper being supped, time persist. But I’d feel self-conscious. I know I could rearrange my face to suggest serious contemplation, and people would think I really know art, but I don’t, not much anyway, and I’d rather have a browser window open with the painting, another window with an analysis of the painting, and spend two hours understanding why some secretary from Shillong would sacrifice a month’s salary to stand near it.
Palaeolithic rocks. Moon dust. Knives from the Sepoy Mutiny. Rare stamps from Monrovia. These too I can resist. I’ll peek into the glass cage. Spend a second or five waiting for the wow to kick in, and if it doesn’t I’ll move on to whatever’s next, an urn from Mesopotamia, a god from Thebes. But put me inside a pyramid, and the same god might be worth the air ticket. Communion, I think, is the point, and that’s hard to achieve when you are amidst throngs. Once in Vietnam, in the Mekong Delta, I went into one of the narrow tunnels used by the Viet Cong. There were people in front, people behind, but for once, they added to the experience. I was sweating – from the heat, from the claustrophobia. The person in front who’s just the back of a head, the person behind who is just hot breath – they could be the Viet Cong. This is the communion I’m talking about, a time capsule. (How funny that sounds, a little pill filled with minutes and seconds, to be taken every hour.)
That is what a vacation should be. No velvet rope. No glass cage. No docents – though I have nothing against docents. I’m sure they’re very nice to have a cup of coffee with, when your flight is delayed. They’ll never run out of interesting things to say. “You know, Nefertiri did not add milk and sugar?” That sort of thing. And I’ll nod, grateful that I don’t have to talk. Do they have docents in India? But I’m not going to think about that now, not while my head is filled with vacation thoughts.
There’s so much to do. Maybe I’ll people-watch (definitely some form of communion). Or, when in a less sociable mood, maybe I’ll do Brontë-ish things like walk the moors with Bill Sikes’s bull terrier racing ahead. Ahead lies a cliff, a sheer drop, and when I look down, I’ll see an umbrella bouncing on the waves. The outside is black, the inside has a plaid pattern. I don’t know whose it is, but somebody must have had a black-and-plaid umbrella snatched away by these wild winds. And oh, a Cornish sunset. I don’t know what that’s like, but I imagine that will go well with this scenario. Think about it, this is a museum too. It’s Heathcliff’s museum. This is where he walked, that is where he spied on Cathy. What do you mean he’s not real? I first met him when I was in school, when no one knew what it meant to wuther.
A few years later, there was a chap called Howard Roark I hung about with quite a bit. Every time I remember him, I recall the taste of soya nuggets, which is what I used to have with Maggi as I worked through those 1000-something pages, in a little room I was sharing with a friend who was working in New Bombay. Nutrela, the brand was called. I wasn’t working then (that explains the dirt-cheap diet), or maybe I was supposed to be looking for a job, I can’t remember. But I do remember roadside booksellers, long bus rides to watch movies, and wrestling with life decisions that often ended with the question: “What would Roark do?” Then there was the time I was crushing on Tess, the poor thing. Someone could make a tour of her “three-mile walk, along a dry white road, made whiter by the light of the moon.”
But not like that Harry Potter theme park, where you’ll be able to take selfies with Moaning Myrtle at Hogwarts. This should be something else, vacation meets fan fiction. Hey enterprising person, I’m giving you an idea. Run with it. But keep it clean. I don’t want to stumble into Constance Chatterley doing it with the gamekeeper. Though I’d like to chat with her later. I imagine she’d have things to say about life that I could come home and write gender-themed op-ed pieces on. Who said vacation memories should survive only in photographs?
An edited version of this piece can be found here. Copyright ©2016 The Hindu. This article may not be reproduced in its entirety without permission. A link to this URL, instead, would be appreciated.
Iswarya
February 9, 2016
BR: Wow.. This piece resonates so much with me. Especially the part about paintings. It feels so good to know that our expert critic too could prefer to do the two-window art analysis rather than genuflect before the ‘real’ Mona Lisa!
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Mani
February 9, 2016
BR.. Totally relate to the feeling about vising museums. But one exception I have seen is the Franz Kafka museum in Prague.. where they have created some interpretations of Kafka’s mindscape. Really felt like some of those kafkaesque things came to life.
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tonks
February 9, 2016
Absolutely loved this write up. Who would want a real life museum amidst noisy crowds when you can walk the moors, fly through Hogwarts, romance Darcy : any darn thing at all, just by turning a page (or touching that Kindle)? My happiest holidays are in bed with a good story, preferably when its monsoon and a hot cup of coffee close at hand. Bliss.
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Ram Murali
February 9, 2016
Nice write-up, BR.
I have done my share of “Oh, look at me in front of Louvre” kind of snaps. But over the years, I have developed a fondness for quieter, less ‘flashy’ vacations where I just spend quality time with family or friends.
There was this scene in “The Namesake” where Irrfan asks his son to not worry about not having a camera and instead to just relish the moment (at the seashore). I don’t know why but that scene absolutely blew me away. To the point that ever since, I have become a lot less obsessed with capturing memories in photos and just focus on enjoying myself and being in the moment. I know that sounds absolutely mushy. But hey, I am being honest at the very least!
On a lighter note, my vacation to India 3 years ago gave me a tremendous high. In my “to do” list before I headed to Chennai, one of my items was, “Try & meet with Lakshmi Seshadri miss.” She was my favorite teacher from middle school and since I was visiting India after five years, I was in absolute ‘autograph’ mode 🙂 To my delight, when my Mum and I visited her place (which was located close to the school where I studied), though she didn’t remember my name, she remembered that my Mum and I visited her back in the early 90s ahead of a quarterly exam (when I was in the 5th grade) to get permission for coming to an exam late. She was absolutely right! It was because my Chithi’s wedding muhurtham was that morning ended only around 9:00 am! I was totally floored that she remembered that! Now, that’s the kind of memory that I want to keep recording in MY vacation notes 🙂
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tonks
February 9, 2016
a time capsule. (How funny that sounds, a little pill filled with minutes and seconds, to be taken every hour.)
I first read about this in the delightful Diary of a wimpy kid series of books, where these kids (after hearing about such a thing from a TV show) put objects from their everyday life into a box and bury it in the ground hoping that it will be discovered by people from the distant future. And that this tiny capsule of time from the past would then help future races know about how people used to live then. They also hope that these people from the future will then travel back in time to meet these kids and reward them for their efforts 🙂
Its an amusing concept. I think theres a thread here somewhere in the blog (cannot recall which one) that muses about what movies we would choose from our pop culture to save for future eyes, as representing us.
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Lalitha Balasubramanian
February 9, 2016
Lovely piece! I was smiling while I was reading it. So honest! Having been to a few museums including the dreaded wax museums because it is the “done” thing, and done guided tours for the convenience factor, I have made a promise to myself that I will and should just go somewhere and stay for a few weeks and soak it up. That would be the ideal vacation.
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An Jo
February 9, 2016
I am sorry but I don’t know where else to post this..this needs to be mourned,,,big, big loss..
Noted Urdu poet Nida Fazli passes away : Noted Urdu poet Nida Fazli passed away today. He was 76. Fazli suffered a heart attack.
He became known among readers and ghazal singers for his elegant presentation and exclusive use of the colloquial for ghazals, dohaas and nazms, while avoiding ornate Persian imagery and compound words.
Some of his famous film songs include Aa bhi jaa (Sur), Tu is tarah se meri zindagi mein (Aap To Aise Na The) and Hosh waalon ko khabar Kya (Sarfarosh).
He wrote columns for BBC Hindi website on various contemporary issues and literature.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee condoled his death, tweeting, “Saddened on the passing of noted Urdu poet,lyricist and Sahitya Akademi awardee Nida Fazli #RIP.”
Urdu poet Nida Fazli passed away on Monday and several celebrities paid their respects on Twitter:
Lata Mangeshkar: Aaj mashhoor Shayar Nida Fazli sahab ka inteqal hua is baat mujhe bahut dukh hai. Allah unhe jannat ataa farmaaye ye meri dili dua.
Mahesh Bhatt: Ghar se masjid hai bahut dur chalo yu kar le. Kisee rote huye bachche ko hansaaya jaaye… Nida Fazli Saab Khuda Hafiz!!!
Shabana Azmi: Nida Fazlis poetry was influenced by Mir n Ghalib also by Kabir n Meera.Urdu poet who did MA in Hindi Our composite cultures shining eg RIP.
Annu Kapoor: Great poet Nida Fazli is no more may his soul rest in peace a gem of Hindi Urdu literature and a learned man my deep condolence.
Madhur Bhandarkar: Kabhi kisi ko mukammal jaha nahi milta… Saddened by the demise of legendry Urdu poet and lyricist Nida Fazli. May his Soul RIP.
Shaan: Khushbu hu main Phool Nahi hu, jo murjhaunga.. Jab jab mausam lehrayega..Main aajaaunga. His own poetry gives us strength to bear his loss.
Sudhir Mishra: #RIPNidaFazli Tumhari kabr mein main dafan tum mujhme zinda ho Kabhi fursat mile to faatha padhne chale aana.
Source: rediff.com
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uniquebluerose
February 9, 2016
Sir,
Of all the characters in Harry world you want a selfie with moaning myrtle…..
What do I say????
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ramitbajaj01
February 9, 2016
“Who said vacation memories should survive only in photographs?”
nice 🙂
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Iswarya
February 9, 2016
tonks: I recall that article on our filmic records for posterity had something to do with Sunny Leone 😀
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Anu Warrier
February 10, 2016
Resonates big time with me. I still remember our trip to Paris many years ago – it’d been a dream for years, and we finally managed to go there. My brother-in-law, who lives in France (lucky sod!), decided to play tour guide. So, instead of roaming the streets of Paris like my husband and I would have liked to do, and perhaps taking in the ‘must-see’ sights on the way, we had our itinerary planned for us – a ferry down the Sienne, up the Eiffel Tower, but no waiting to go up to the top floor, into the Notre Dame, and out, up and down the Champs-Élysées, in and out of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, see the Louvre from the outside (no time, no time to go in)…. no Moulin Rouge, no walking slowly down the cobblestone streets of Paris, soaking in the ambience… we even went to Versailles (in and out!) only because I threw a mini tantrum. But he did reserve one whole day for Euro Disney! Aaaargh! (And I do like the Mouse. Only why should I go see the European one when I live in the US?)
We have plans to return to Paris. Some day. And this time, I will let my BIL know only after we’ve already been there for a week. 🙂
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Prasanna
February 10, 2016
Brangan, Museums are like buffet, you pick what you want. You don’t have to savor everything that is served. There are people with genuine interest who can spend a whole day looking at the Sistine chapel or entire week in a science museum. We can get a analysis of many exhibits online, but nothing to beat your own interpretation. To sum it up, It is like watching a movie even after reading your review with spoilers or the Tamil Talkies review on YouTube. We want to rely on our own judgement.
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Rajan Iyer
February 10, 2016
True. Some of the ‘Been there, done that’ photo ops can leave you feeling flat, not having touched the heart. But that said, I think one should give these things a chance and see what happens.
For instance, I went along desultorily to the Thanjavur Art gallery after visiting the nearby Brhadeeswarar temple about thirty years ago. That’s when I first saw the magnificent bronze of Rishabhavahanar (Siva as a cowherd). It was truly one of those moments where art spoke to me. I now have an active interest in Chola bronzes, am friends with a 10th generation sthapathi in Swamimalai and have begun building a collection of replicas.
Similarly, whilst on a Work trip, having heard so much about it, I decided to explore Kyoto. For my money, of the places I have seen in Japan, Kyoto is one place I would willingly go back to again and again. In fact, I have often railed at the fact that Japan’s remarkable aesthetics are not reflected in their famously bland automobiles! But that’s another topic altogether.
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RT
February 10, 2016
Some works of art deserve to be experienced in person. I can say from personal experience that no matter how many times I’d seen it in books or on a computer, nothing compared to the time I walked into the Sistine Chapel and looked up at the ceiling.
“I’d rather have a browser window open with the painting, another window with an analysis of the painting, and spend two hours understanding why some secretary from Shillong would sacrifice a month’s salary to stand near it.”
This is a bit like watching a shaky pirated version of a movie captured on a phone while simultaneously reading all its reviews on Metacritic and wondering why anyone would want to pay to watch it in a theatre. 🙂
I do agree with you about going thousands of miles to visit a museum. Museums have always been way down on the list of my priorities when traveling. I might go to a museum if there’s nothing better to do but if you want to see some art or paintings, there’s usually plenty to see everywhere around you without having to go to museums.
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Shalini
February 10, 2016
RE: Nida Fazli – Sorry to hear of his passing. His “kabhi kissiko mukammal jahan nahi milta” is a personal favorite.
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brangan
February 10, 2016
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R
February 10, 2016
I expected this thread to survive…
Someone somehow steers the conversation toward something totally off topic…
No offence, still nice…
Goes on to prove, “We are like this only”…😀
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tonks
February 10, 2016
Ha ha, yes, Iswarya, spot on : I knew it was something funny but had forgotten exactly what 😀
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Rahini David
February 10, 2016
We live in a world that everything is just an Alt+TAB away that it so different from the world where if you wanted ART, you SHOULD travel for it.
About 12 years back, I got interested Impressionism and would willingly spend an entire day in Connemara Library, reading about Monet or Renoir. At that time, easy access to Internet was not available and the slow connections of the Internet Centers meant that I can’t waste ALL my spare money looking at French Art. Easier, cheaper internet came in saved me and I found that if I had access to ALL types of art, I would spend even more time staring at Bouguereau’s apple-cheeked peasant girls. This is not something you can know in a typical library in Chennai.
Museums, caves et al. Yes, I would like to look at stuff made by people who lived a 2500 years old. It beats spending time shooting down men in dark green uniforms or running down narrow roads using your Up-Arrow and turning east using your right-arrow anyway. But I wouldn’t spend too much for the privilege of doing so.
If I can go to the Sistine Chapel sometime in my life, I would surely count it as a high point in my life and the same goes to Taj Mahal. I visited Tanjore Temple and Velankanni when I was 12 and the school organised their annual trips to some place in or around TN. My school’s attitude and my parents’ attitude regarding travel was the same. All travel is educational. I profited from it. Visiting a temple for educational reasons beats looking at pictures of the same. Any day.
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Punee
February 10, 2016
I think its about doing what you want to instead of doing what is expected.
I am hugely into the Renaissance and a big-time WWII buff, so when I finally take off on my grand European trip it will be spent at the Berlin Wall, the Beaches of Normandy, WWII museums in Germany and anywhere else I can find them.
Finally at least half a week at the Louvre and anywhere else I can see some Monets, Van Goghs, Raphaels, not to forget Berninis 🙂 I mean do you really think stuff like this doesn’t look different when it’s live?!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b3/The_Rape_of_Proserpina_1_-Bernini–1622-_Galleria_Borghese,_Rome.jpg
What about the Winged Victory of Samothrace? Its survived from the 2nd century BC….
Not to forget a full-day at the Parc Astérix. Anu is right, why would you visit Disneyland when Asterix is around!?
PS: I like the Roark references 🙂
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Punee
February 10, 2016
Sorry, that’s a dead link for Bernini’s The Rape of Persephone. Here’s a better one with Poseidon and Persephone in all their marble glory!
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Punee
February 10, 2016
I saw an interesting article today and thought it was pertinent to this thread 🙂
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/feb/09/in-defence-of-pretentiousness?CMP=fb_gu
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Nee
February 10, 2016
Tourism is industry like any other. Create a museum, happy museum, sad (halocaust) museum and people will come. Create a “change of guard” ceremony outside a shady palace, in grandeur and people will come and come in hordes. It is economics. So we should also create something like Raja goes to annual trip to this temple show etc to promote tourism. Some countries like France (maybe whole of europe) survive on tourism money. No matter how great history buff or art buff you are, it gets boring after few hours in the museum (the brain can take only so much info) thats why these museums MoMa this-that have excellant and rated restaurants so people can take ‘break’ from info bombarded at them. I know a family who takes trips to Galápagos Islands and places like that… bicycle trip from thailand to xxx… etc… “real” stuff, every year.
I like staycations. In this economy they are huge. Stay at home (instead of sleeping in strange bug-ridden hotel/motel bed), eat out (find locally owned non-chain, hole-in-wall places), read a book, garden, tan in the hammock tied bet. two trees and watch the snakes swimming in the backyard lake, watch movies in home theater, play music and cook nice meals and enjoy time with family.
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Snehal
February 10, 2016
Great, great write up! I was nodding yes to every sentence in it. I don’t get either art or museums. Bang on with the harry potter idea too, would love to chat with Snape and Hagrid. Universal should really look into this.
I have been to Sistine chapel and it is great. But it doesnt evoke emotion like some mountains or canyons do. Somewhat like Sajay Leela Bhansali and Imtiaz Ali’s movies. I can appreciate SLB’s movies but they don’t draw me in. Imtiaz Ali movies are something else altogether.
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Bayta
February 10, 2016
Prasanna and RT: Loved both your movie analogies. That’s pretty much how I feel about art and museums as well. Except, I don’t analyse but rather just experience and then prefer to read the analysis of others (same goes for movies).
The difference between seeing a painting or a sculpture on a screen versus going to a museum and seeing it in person is to me the same as the difference between listening to music digitally and listening to it live or on a record player. The physicality adds to the experience immensely. For me, anyway.
BR – Your idea for a fiction-themed vacation spot is interesting, but I’m conflicted. On the one hand, it does sound like a lot of fun, but I wonder if it won’t run into the same roadblock that movies based on books do. As you so beautifully put it in that old piece of yours, those half-formed wispy images in the head that make reading such a joy would be ruined by seeing someone else’s idea of what the place and people in the books actually looked like, don’t you think?
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Santosh Kumar T K
February 10, 2016
In the early few lines you did actually sound like Piku’s Bhaskorda! 🙂
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SVeR
February 11, 2016
Ram Murali – seeing your comments in a lot of posts here, I just get reminded of what Aringyar Anna used to say – “Ennangal yeppangal alla, vandha udan veliye viduvadarkku”. No offence meant, just feel you write too much eye-rolling stuff.
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Rahini David
February 11, 2016
SVeR: No offence meant. But that quote suits you better than it suits RM. And you achieved it is a single comment. Kudos.
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Naveen
February 12, 2016
i am sure most of you guys would have developed a distaste for museums or those relics after visiting them. the first visit was a must, was it not. it is like saying, i have been to all these places but you don’t go there because they are not good.
our relics and museums tell a lot about how our predecessors evolved to where we are. would not mind visiting Louvre or the Tower Museum or the Pyramids or the Mysore Palace once in a few years. there are many interesting forts in Maharashtra belonging to Shivaji’s times. their location and strategic positioning and architecture are marvellous. so are the numerous chola period temples around Tanjore…the list can go on
I found BR’s presumption too generalizing and others’ nods too patronizing 🙂
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Ram Murali
February 12, 2016
SVeR – thanks for your comment.
No offence meant, just feel you write too much eye-rolling stuff.
–> 🙂
This reminds me of a funny exchange in a movie starring Albert Brooks.
“Look man, I don’t mean to sound insulting.”
“Okay…?”
“Your writing is no good.”
“And, what would the insulting form be?”
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Snehal
February 12, 2016
Naveen: I don’t think anyone here is saying that those places are not good. They are great but how much one enjoys a place is very subjective.
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Radhika
February 12, 2016
I’m museumed out for a while, having seen all the greatest hits that I wanted to. And I do think that travel should be savoured for the places, the people, the experiences, not just the objects. But I totally agree with RT – there is something to be said about experiencing the art in person. Especially sculpture or architecture – there is no app that can make you gasp in the same way, at the scale of the Assyrian winged bulls, give you a sense of the magnificence of the serene Amitabha Buddha as you take the stairs around him, or sense the weary repose in Hercules’ exagerrated muscularity.
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Mehar
February 28, 2016
What would Howard Roark do? So many of times so many of us have been led down that road. Nice.
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apex
February 28, 2016
@ mehr
“So many of times so many of us have been led down that road. Nice.”
Btw talking of “museums”, one should try out Amsterdam, oops lemme stop there..:
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Eddiered
February 29, 2016
Hi Apex… I am sorry, I understand this comment was not directed towards me, but can you please explain exactly what you mean by Amsterdam and why your the word museums is in double inverted quotations. Thanks, regards.
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apex
March 1, 2016
@ Eddie red –“what you mean by Amsterdam”..
Coz Amsterdam has endless (about 50) museums & galleries mostly famous (some ‘wierd’), besides museums, there’s “stuff” that’s “unique” & novel (for “normal” people) & deserves to be “museumed”. But I shouldn’t release that info to u without knowing ur age (should be >21 or atleast >18 mentally) and gender lest it’s not “appropriate” for u. 🙂
@ Mehar –(sorry not Mehr, I know I know it’s different)
To check ur not an ‘autobot’ or a ‘virus’ I clicked u and found this lovely site of yours
https://bikhrelavz.wordpress.com
Wow beautiful poetry & lyrics. Really liked your post “jagaava”
But the one on “zakhm” is even better –what depth
I’m v new into this and find this somewhat ‘intoxicating’
So in this site I’ve got two lyrical stalwarts to teach me
Incidentally both from banglore?
I form a lyrical 3some.. Punee and Mehar 😉
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Eddiered
March 1, 2016
Why isn’t it appropriate, though Apex? And again, why are you putting stuff, unique and novel and museumed in double inverted quotation marks? I am fairly sure we are all adults here, and I am also certain you’ll agree with me that the implication can be more vulgar than the reality, so can you please speak freely? What exactly can you be implying on this post by Mr. Rangan about his aversion towards excess museumming in your reply specifically to a young woman with a profile pic, asking her personal questions that you suddenly seem to be getting so bashful that you dare not finish the sentence? (“…oops lemme stop there…) Do let us in on the joke, won’t you?
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B
March 1, 2016
Wow apex. If your comments had a face this would be it.
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apex
March 1, 2016
“I am fairly sure we are all adults here”
Nope gal, there r lots of kids and minors typing away on keyboards and gettin exposed to objectionable content online. I feel we should maintain a certain ‘standard’ and ‘decorum’ ..
I think U r v keen to interact with me– will try to get bak 2 u shortly..ok?
I’m currently busy (along with Punee and Mehar) trying to write some poetry,,,
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Eddiered
March 1, 2016
Apex: I would be very surprised, given the nature of this blog and the calibre of (most) of the commenters on here that we wouldn’t be able to maturely deal with the comments made here… unless of course you are implying that your comment to the comment on this blog above, the one that got you to censor yourself by saying “…oops lemme stop there” is SO pornographic and blue in nature that you really shouldn’t even have made it in the first place. That’s not the case, is it?
Do forgive me… I can be rather persistent, it’s one of my less redeeming qualities. I just like to sort things out and understand them to the best of my abilities. Why Amsterdam though, in particular? Amsterdam while a very fine city is not the first destination that springs to the mind when one says museums. The Van Gogh museum is quite wonderful, and so is the Anne Frank one – but usually one would think of Paris, or Brussels, or Geneva. Which museum in particular is it that you were mentioning? Do be specific, you spoke with such authority in your comment above.
Also, why the single quotation marks here for standard and decorum, is that a mark of sarcasm or something else?
I am very patient, Apex, please do continue your conversations – do remember we are all privy to them if you choose to continue here, and I must gently warn you that I might have to jump in from time to time if I need you to clarify something in the vein of bashful half sentences, double (or single) quotation marks etc. It’s the nature of open internet fora, no?
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apex
March 1, 2016
@ B: not sure why u r getting so edgy n frustrated ?
Told u not to smoke so much
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apex
March 1, 2016
@ Rahini David /Eddie red /etc etc
U r distorting facts
It was YOU eagerly wanting more juicy detail about Amsterdam et al
And it was me NOT obliging u…
Also u seem to be the one person commenting more in multiple monikers than your actual moniker… Girl: Plz Stop these childish games and grow up 🙂
Your attention seeking behaviur needs to be dealt with (though it’s fun)
Also : “why the single quotation marks here ”
U r NOT my English teacher and I do NOT need to answer your every question.
Back to my ‘poetry’ session with Punee & Mehar (poor Mehar jus got sucked into this ‘debate’ but I guess we don’t mind that) 🙂
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Rahini David
March 1, 2016
Eddie: persistence maybe one of your less redeeming qualities but your gentle curiosity and quiet patience has made me a life long fan already.
Where were you all this while? Or to put the same sentiment in tamil “yaarupa nee, ivalavu naal enga irundha?”
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Anon
March 1, 2016
BR, how many women have to complain about Apex to get you to do something? I know you’ve blocked people before. I can tell you as a woman this guy is a huge sleazebag that adds zero value to this blog but cranks up the creep factor of the comments section by a 100. Already, women have felt the need to change their DPs. This guy will comment on every girl’s dp, come sleazily on to whomever he thinks is a woman and continue to blame Rahini for every single comment that calls him out. As a woman, I’ve started dreading coming to the comment section and that is sad because I’ve been reading your blog since you started it.
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brangan
March 1, 2016
I’m sorry. I’ve been quite preoccupied of late and don’t seem to remember any complaints. Can you point them out, please?
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Anon
March 2, 2016
Ok I may be the first person to complain.
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Anon
March 2, 2016
But if you haven’t been keeping up with the comments, may be read through the recent threads? It’s mostly been people engaging him directly, but I don’t need that level of stress in my life. I know I should just lump it but I still get bent out of shape by creeps on and off the internet.
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Eddiered
March 2, 2016
….Apex! Color me Shocked! What on earth could you be going on about? I am so hurt by your sudden attack! You brought up Amsterdam with SUCH relish that I just HAD to ask more… is there something inherently dirty about the reference? Then why would you bring it up at all in the first place? There’s nothing dirty about this is there? No?
Also, about the quotation marks… don’t get defensive, it’s all good, dear friend… I am just interested in your rationale behind using punctuation in such a creative manner! In the same way that you are such a fan of the young women on this site who have profile pictures up… a little admiration and curiosity can’t offend your fine sensibilities, right?
Are you upset? Are your feelings hurt? I didn’t mean to at all….
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Eddiered
March 2, 2016
Rahini: ‘salllllll good, sistah soljah.
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olemisstarana
March 2, 2016
Seconding Anon here. (<3 Rahini).
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tonks
March 2, 2016
BR : For the record, I’m with anon, olemisstarana and Rahini here. apex has been behaving in a creepy way with some women here. I hesitated about speaking up because admittedly he has been extremely polite and decent in his interactions with me personally (and I do thank you for that, apex and I apologise for this) but I found his attitude to Mehr, his *Incidentally both from banglore?
I form a lyrical 3some.. Punee and Mehar ;-)* particularly creepy.
Eddiered : Seconding Rahini, that was a class act. 10 points to Griffindor 🙂 . Male or female, its always heartwarming to see chivalry.
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Nee
March 2, 2016
eve-teasers on net cannot do anything to you virtually. Especially if you refuse to engage with them.
For that matter no one can do anything to you on comment section.
If you refuse to engage with them.
I am living proof of that.
🙂
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Anu Warrier
March 2, 2016
Since I already made my views known to BR in a private email (and BR, you’re perfectly within rights to publish it if you deem fit), I think I’ll join in the chorus to put my two bits on record as well. Apex has been polite to me directly, but I concur with anon, olemisstarana, tonks and Rahini that his behaviour to some posters verges on the cringe-worthy. It has certainly lowered the tone of discussion here.
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apex
March 2, 2016
“admittedly he has been extremely polite and decent in his interactions with me personally (and I do thank you for that, apex and I apologise for this)”
Thanx Tonks, but u r perhaps the one I have interacted with.
Most of the other(s) are just piling on and barring the odd occasion, I haven’t really interacted!
For the record, I also find Rahini David VERY CREEPY and interfering
And I have never tried to interact with her but she jumps in as if she owns the blog world and this blog. Like in this occasion and soemtimes in multiple names
And I won’t be surprised if Rahini and or some other(s) above post in multiple names…
Like Eddie, anon, anon1, Chagall
Such people don’t really have the right to question others when they themselves are indulging in dodgy tricks lol
Can someone tell Rahini David to stop following me around and mind her own business plz ?!
Soemtimes it’s more out of irritation and retaliation and perhaps may appear a bit “creepy” and for that I can only convey to poor Mehar that it was to meant that way. I totally avoid communicating with anybody outside the blog anyways (inspite of being asked sometimes).
Finally as was asked by BR, the person(s) I interacted with didn’t seem to have any complaint except “anon” and henceforth will avoid any further interaction with the likes of Rahini David and anon(s) and request that they too don’t try to mind her own business (which shouldn’t be a v difficult job!)
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apex
March 2, 2016
“It’s mostly been people engaging him directly, but I don’t need that level of stress in my life.”
@ anon: we are not here to deal with your stress in life
Plz cope with it and learn to mind your own business .
And plz let me know Ur other moniker so I can avoid u in future —big time. It’s not difficult not to read or respond to a particular person
In your own words (I think it was Rahini or one of the many anons!) , nobody need to be defended here, male or female and are adults
The few person(s) like Punee I have interacted with had no problem and infact I have restricted all my interactions to the blog to avoid any issues
so it shouldn’t rake or rile u up like that in bends or whatever …
Cheers, have work to do..
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apex
March 2, 2016
“Are you upset? Are your feelings hurt?” Yes
” I didn’t mean to at all….”– well if u have grace, an apology is due..but given ur tendencies I won’t be surprised if u don’t
Btw FYI my poetry session went well, some nice lyrics were written, cope with it 🙂
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Saurabh
March 2, 2016
Thank you Anon for bringing this up. I completely agree with you about apex. A below version of events also creep me out.
Punee: abc… xyz
Apex: @Punee intoxicating … transcendental … star .. my guru + 4 lines from BM
Punee: @apex Some personal remark with tones of smileys (assortment of heart etc) + 2 lines from BM
Seriously, I have no problems with the appreciation. Sometimes what someone else has said appeals to you greatly and you feel like adding a token of appreciation but in every post.. every time ..
My gentle request is to not dilute the quality of the discussions here. I am sure in today’s times it wont be difficult at all to find different avenues on internet for expressing such appreciation.
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B
March 2, 2016
Apex,
‘apex’ is as much of an anonymous name as ‘Anon’ or ‘B’ or ‘Eddiered’. So ‘anonymous people are attacking me’ is a bit of a whine.
You have no proof that Rahini is impersonating anybody. So that’s slander.
You make some good points in other threads, and like everybody else’s movie-opinions on this blog, I did enjoy reading yours.
But pray, why do you need to specifically address women with profile pictures with sleazy comments that have nothing to do with what they said? Mehar talked about following the Howard Roark path. nothing about museums. You brought up Amsterdam and ended it with ‘oops let me stop there’. Why the innuendo?
I don’t know if you realize this but the general tone of your comments is very off-putting and creates a rather nasty vibe. You didn’t engage with her point. You see her as a pretty face you can talk down to. That’s insulting.
IRL, if a guy made that kind of a comment singling me out in a social setting, I’d move as far away from him as possible. It’s not very different online. Sadly, such attitudes might detract women who are new to this vibrant comment section from voicing their opinions.
If you like people’s blogs, feel free to comment on their posts and take it forward in whatever way suits you. Your comments really brings down the quality of discussions here and actively creates a culture where women’s voices are silenced. The former is BR’s prerogative to moderate, but the latter is not okay, and as a woman I’m telling you: cut that shit out.
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brangan
March 2, 2016
So yes, apex and everyone else: I know it’s not possible to stop having asides and personal interactions not really relevant to the topic at hand. Plus, that would make it very boring. But do limit these interactions and — in general — unless you know the person well (online or otherwise), please refrain from personal comments.
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brangan
March 2, 2016
Also, as much as I like to think I have created a place for people to hang out and chat, it shouldn’t be just that. Please avoid endless reiterations of points already made. Thanks.
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Anon
March 2, 2016
Apex, you are so very fond of asking others to mind their own business but you so rarely do that. We’re all here because of your inability to mind your own business. Every girl’s picture, what she does and where she is is NONE of YOUR business. Please please stop saying 5 or 6 people are all Rahini. I’m not Rahini. Nor am I anon1 or Eddiered or Chagal. Ask BR. It is possible for multiple women and men to have problems with how you behave on here. Every anonymous commenter who has a problem with what you say need not be a woman or Rahini. Believe it. You are making this whole section tiresome. People have mostly ignored you and only called you out when you said something exceptionally creepy. Yes, you HAVE said THAT many creepy things. Stop saying women want to interact with you because they ask you to stop being creepy. Stop asking personal questions. Stop making nonsense comments with no punctuation or logic. Stop vote brigading. Stop acting like you don’t get anything anyone is saying and making asinine assumptions. Just stop!
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Yossarian
March 2, 2016
@Apex
“For the record, I also find Rahini David VERY CREEPY and interfering”
– Right, just because her extremely lucid comments are beyond your comprehension skills?
“And I won’t be surprised if Rahini and or some other(s) above post in multiple names…
Like Eddie, anon, anon1, Chagall”
– As opposed to you bumping up the likes for all your posts and declaring “victory” over anyone opposing your views? (and I am sure my post is going to get 20+ downvotes)
“Can someone tell Rahini David to stop following me around and mind her own business plz ?!”
– Ok now I cannot stop laughing. Seriously dude?!
Please do us a favor and stop this juvenile trash. This blog has enough dedicated readers who can see through your pretentious posts.
I wish we had RR (sorry KayKay!!) around to respond to your stuff, THAT would have been fun.
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apex
March 2, 2016
Kool it folks, couldn’t read those long emails .. Sorry.
Like me: Put some sunglasses on and enjoy the sun… Life’s short–Make the most of it.
Still trying to write some original lyrics 😉
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olemisstarana
March 2, 2016
Oh wow… just waking up here on the East Coast. During the thread on race (Not a Black and White Issue) some of the comments made toward me by Apex were straight up eve teasing. I felt as though I were back on a DTC bus in high school and had to suffer in silence because no one else would say a word – except Aniruddha Chagall and Rahini. So ^^ this, is vindicating. Thank you all for speaking up, this time.
Anon – thank you for addressing directly what (I think) Eddie Red (is it in homage of Redmayne?) started teasing out.
Eddie Red – that interaction was brilliant, though I do have to say you are far to smart for Apex. I did, however, take notes. Again, thank you.
To Nee: I am glad you have found your own way to deal with eve-teasers on the net. That works for you. But do you think it solved the problem? I realize that by not interacting with Apex AND by changing my profile pic that I had had for over a year, I diffused the situation. But WHY should I? What did I do? Also, did that really solve the issue if we are dedicating so much printspace to it on a thread that is several weeks old?
BR: I wrote to you already. I don’t see a solution here. Banning Apex will not do a thing, because that is the nature of the internet. Trolls are hydra here. Practically: Have you considered disabling up and down vote buttons because that adds unnecessary fuel to the fire? I discovered yesterday just how easy it is to mess with them, so how are they even of any use? I am certain there is vote brigading going on here, and it is on the most suspect comments.
Apex: As everyone had said before, stop. Just stop. I know it feels like we are all piling on, and sometimes the invective can get very cruel… Aniruddha Chagall was spot on in some characterizations, though very cruel – not undeserved. Do you really think that so many of us would have an issue with you if you weren’t doing something so off base? I remember several comments of yours which have been interesting and insightful, particularly one on the Berlin film fest. I enjoyed those, but trust me, seeing your name on the latest comment side bar makes my heart sink like a stone because 9 times out of 10 you are asking women such slimy, sleazy, disgusting questions. This cannot be the first time you are getting such a reaction on the Internet, is it? Please, if you have the slightest capacity for self reflection, can you just ask yourself if you are in the wrong instead of piling on, cherry picking and answering insouciantly and continuing in your rather misogynistic roadside romeo avatar?
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Eddiered
March 2, 2016
This is productive. Not.
Baradwaj: Condolences, your blog now has an incurable STD.
Apex won’t ever get it, but I’m not going anywhere. And unfortunately for him, he just can’t stop replying. And even more unfortunately for him, I am also the most stubborn mofo in the world. And I am not Rahini. I’m not awesome enough to be Rahini. STFU about her.
Apex: So, about the Amsterdam comment – what did you mean by that? And yes, I am sorry you feel upset… perhaps even molested. Huh, Ironyyyyyyy. So here is your apology. Now you explain exactly what you meant when you self-censored yourself. 😀
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Anon
March 2, 2016
Olemiss, Gotta say I’m slightly disappointed that it’s only women speaking up.
Yossarian, I never thought I’d like for Rameshram to come back but might actually have been good to see. He might’ve gone over to Apex’s side though.
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ThouShaltNot
March 2, 2016
It takes a special kind of depravity for a tormentor to turn around and play victim when called out for his incessant bullying. Despite all the filthy garbage thrown at Rahini (in particular), she has shown commendable restraint even when she chose to respond (some others have opted for dignified silence hoping the bully will soon go away on his own). Is there a flicker of hope that in light of all these fervent appeals, the bully will alter course, stop messing with our heads and stick with the program instead (of which he also seems quite capable)? Maybe so, but, don’t hold your breath.
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Iswarya
March 2, 2016
Eddiered: Count me as a fan too. It takes your kind of courage, persistence and strangely, politeness (that is definitely undeserved) to tackle the creepy nonsense that’s been going on here for weeks now.
And I’m breaking silence here to join the many other women commenters to put it down, just for the record, that the tone of discussions in this blog has deteriorated rapidly in the last few weeks and we all know whom to thank for it. Of all the unimaginably creepy things that apex has said here, the most exasperating has been his mud-slinging at Rahini.
And in case you don’t know this, apex, I’m not Rahini. Though I really really wish I were Eddiered!
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Eddiered
March 2, 2016
All: Thank you. Your words make my cold dead heart flicker with a trace of life.
Here is what I want – everyone should be held accountable for their words, whether on or off line. If you have the courage to allude, have the courage to say. If need be, I don’t mind being a contagion chamber for this nonsense because a) I am the most tenacious pitbull you have ever had the misfortune of knowing, b) I am also (happily!) jobless at the moment and c) I think the part of my brain that is capable of feeling shame never quite developed. (I suppose Apex and I have that in common… huh.)
So in between sipping maitais and asking my cabana person to bring me fresh towels on the beach, I consider this my social service for the day. I love this community, enjoy BR’s writing and have since that Omkara review so long ago. My dearest wish is that I escalate this situation so much that I get banned, because I am not needed any more.
Till that happens, hello Apex, hello new online home.
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brangan
March 2, 2016
Eddiered: I am the most tenacious pitbull you have ever had the misfortune of knowing
In that case, I guess I should say ‘welcome’ 🙂
PS: That Omkara review changed so many things for me. And it really was so long ago.
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Anon
March 2, 2016
Eddie ❤ oopssss forgot to ask if you are boyyy or girrrllllll ;P ;-P ;-P
doesn’t really matter ;-P ;-P ;-P Which part of the world are you in and why does it lead to nothing if I click on your dp??? :(((((((
But seriously, you are awesome.
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Nee
March 2, 2016
There is something I will agree with. Though it is not my policy to interact with anyone in particular:
1) there is a coterie that exists and binds together; people who are holy and untouchables (at least in their own eyes) not capable of any wrongs ever. And needless to say they know everything under the sun and they are right always.
2) they will pounce on you like pack of lice(s) and bite you all over the place till you get head shaved or scratch yourself till you bleed. So are they terribly different from Apex?!? Need to introspect here.
3) That person you mentioned as creepy, R.D., is indeed creepy. Also Warrier, Olemiss have this superiority complex in the sense that a) they are always right b) they own BR and think that they can make him dance to their tunes; they atleast try to. creepy.
If you are stupid enough to post your face pictures on net and then cry wolf (jaisey rape hi ho gaya) and runny to bigdaddy br with complains. Then YOU are stupid idiot not the wolf.
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Eddiered
March 2, 2016
Anon: You need to add some gratuitous double quotation marks, “like” “so” and also “accuse” me of “being” Rahini. T”u”t tut 2″/”5
🙂 ty.
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olemisstarana
March 2, 2016
Nee: Why are you afraid of strong, opinionated, outspoken women?
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brangan
March 2, 2016
Nee: they own BR and think that they can make him dance to their tunes
Hey, don’t you know Norman Mailer wrote a book about me? “Tough Guys Don’t Dance.”
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Rahini David
March 2, 2016
Nee: I will reply to all that been said here tomorrow. Meanwhile I just want one thing clarified.
___That person you mentioned as creepy, R.D., is indeed creepy. ___
Does this mean RD mentioned someone as creepy
(or)
RD is creepy??
And RD is this Rahini David, right?
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Anu Warrier
March 2, 2016
@Nee – ‘Superiority complex’, ‘always right’, ‘ bwahahahahahahaha 🙂
I don’t know about BR’s dancing abilities, but I have two left feet, so I usually refrain from dancing, or ‘making’ someone dance to my tunes. I’m also tone-deaf musically, so anyone waiting for me to play tunes for them to dance will wait for eternity.
Also, what olemisstarana said.
(p.s. Am I horrible for having this mental image of me with a been and BR writhing inside a straw basket?)
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olemisstarana
March 2, 2016
Anu, fess up. How many people have you sexually harassed on the interwebz today, you louse-woman you?
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Anu Warrier
March 2, 2016
Awww, you discovered my secret, woman! I wake up in the morning, and muse, ‘Hmm, whom shall I harass today? before drinking my coffee and oiling my whip in preparation. I also have a spreadsheet on which I mark my superior, always-right opinions, along with whom I harass about them.
Now, if I can only figure out which tunes BR will dance to… Hmm…
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Anu Warrier
March 2, 2016
p.s. Nee – I will show my ‘always right’ attitude in one case: ‘Lice’ is already plural; it’s singular noun is ‘louse’. So, ‘lice(s)’ is wrong.
And it is ‘complaints’, not ‘complains’.
(Might as well be hung for a sheep, as a lamb.)
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Kid
March 2, 2016
I have been a long time reader of this blog and and a huge fan of BR’s writing. I have long wanted to comment here and join in the discussion (I have been following the comments of the some of the commenters- MANK, Kaykay, Olemisstarana, Rahini, Ram Murali, Iswarya and quite a few others; I really love the way all of them enrich the discussion here), but stayed away from commenting simply because I hardly know anything compared to most of the commenters here. One of the reasons I have followed the blog religiously is the homely atmosphere around here… a spirit of camaraderie and mutual is maintained here even when there are heated discussions going on. But, and let me put this as bluntly as possible, suddenly this place has become polluted because of Apex’s comments. I am a male so I will never be able to fully understand what Rahini and other women felt when Ape passed sleazy comments w.r.t them, but a part of really felt like standing up for these women when I first saw this happen on the “Black and White” thread. I don’t know why I remained silent then. I really should have spoken there, because Rahini was being bullied there. But now I have gathered enough to courage to say this- Ape is getting on my nerves. It’s one thing to have fun and say silly things from time to time (we all do that), quite another to really indulge in SHAMELESS eve-teasing and yet continue to be shameless about it. Ape(x), this has to stop! Please!
Also I love the way Rahini and other ladies here have handled this matter… with dignity and quiet fortitude. And while I am nobody to interfere in your personal decisions, I would like it if you ladies don’t get cowed down by online trolls; I wish you women wouldn’t have changed your d.p. because it encourages people like Apex to continue with their disgusting activities. That being said I understood why some of the women would to choose to become “faceless”. But really, love the way you ladies have handled all of this. Respect!
Incidentally Nee’s last comment here is plain disgusting. That “rape” bit in particular is in remarkably poor taste.
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Ram Murali
March 2, 2016
olemisstarana – I was about to respond in detail but your words “Don’t tone police; people are entitled to their outrage” came to my mind “like a geetha-upadesam!” (like what Rajni says to Nagesh in “Thillu Mullu”).
All I will say is that I have tremendous respect and admiration for not only BR but also many of the regular commenters like Anu Warrier, Rahini David, olemisstarana, MANK, Honest Raj, et al that I look fwd to the blog getting back to being about issues, movies and all that stuff that, to me, is way more fun than analysis and name calling of the commenters.
olemisstarana – see, I didn’t tone police at all 🙂
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Anu Warrier
March 2, 2016
And ‘Its’, ‘Its’ – I swear I know the difference!
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pavi
March 2, 2016
Nee — I am a 76 year old woman, so please forgive me if some of my words can be grandmotherly. My son just had twin baby girls a month ago, and I am over the moon about this. They both have my name in their names and if there is anything that worries me is the atmosphere they are born into. When I was a much younger woman traveling with my youngest on a train, I was forced to endure the most loutish behavior on a train whilst trying to breastfeed as discreetly as I could. I still remember my mother in law saying, be very thankful that you didn’t get raped.
When you say “jaisey rape hi ho gaya” it gave me a very sad sense of deja vu. Do you think I should have gone to the toilets (toilet on long distance trains in India were much worse in those days) or endured my child staying hungry and crying throughout the 48 hour journey? Was I asking for it? Should I really be thankful?
I would love for my granddaughters to be loud and opinionated and badly behaved, not at all like how I was told to be when I was growing up – quiet, retiring and shy. I have no idea who or where or how I would be if I were. And I also hope to god that there are enough people to stand up with them, like in this discussion… too many lovely names to mention, godbless. I hope you don’t mind me interrupting your conversation here.
Baradwaj: I want to add something here that brings the conversation back around to the original post. I love museums, though I agree, they can get tiring sometimes. But for me, it is finding an unexpected treasure that makes it all worth it. I study textiles and fabrics from different countries as part of my academic work, and I remember finding a quilt that had been part of the underground railroad in the National Museum of African American History that really affected me… I had read volumes about this form of handicraft and was very unsure about whether I wanted to continue studying it, but when I saw this piece, I felt as though there were all these other people in the room, people who had left all these stories behind for me to read and write about. For me, this is why I go to museums. Thank you.
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Shalini
March 2, 2016
“If you are stupid enough to post your face pictures on net and then cry wolf (jaisey rape hi ho gaya) and runny to bigdaddy br with complains. Then YOU are stupid idiot not the wolf.”
Let me guess, you also believe a woman who dresses “provocatively” is “asking” to be raped. I confess to being a tad disappointed by the lack of imagination deployed in the line of attack. Just a garden-variety blame-the-woman troglodyte. Yawn.
@Eddiered – Thank you. May your joblessness be of short but productive (and amusing) duration.
@Rahini – You’re so awesome that if you had a blog of your own, I would read it all day long. Oh, wait – you do and I do. 🙂
@Anu – Have you not seen BR’s “kajra re” video? His “angdaai” hasn’t been the same since…
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brangan
March 2, 2016
pavi: Thanks so much for that wonderful comment.
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sachita
March 3, 2016
Been a long time reader(mostly silent) of the blog.I have to say the one thing this makes comment space sane is ‘ignoring troll works’.
Not asking to ignore harassment, this comment thread has already expressed its disapproval. Condone it but what is the point engaging beyond that?
Dont remember if there had been sexually harassing trolls( actually BR himself had one), but there had been varied trolls who occupied tons of comment space and finally when no one replied to them they got bored and left.
ofcourse, some one like apex seems to be the person who will comment and come back in a different avatar and reply to that comment in another pseudoname.. who cares about him though.
BR: I have seen you describe few paintings now and then – from painters who seemed high brow to my engineering brain. So surprised you dont enjoy museum visits. I suppose, your love for word suprasses all.
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sachita
March 3, 2016
sorry condemn not condone! err..
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Honest Raj (formerly 'V'enkatesh)
March 3, 2016
Ram Murali: Man, I bow to thee! Despite closely following this blog for 2+ years, I have been commenting here only for the past 6-7 months. I’m humbled to see my name alongside these Maharathas!
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olemisstarana
March 3, 2016
@Ram Murali: Kyun sharminda karte hain saheb…. even tangentially putting me in same brackets as Thalaiva (sp?), I am not worthy…
Also, Amen to returning this blog to normal. Amen!
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Ram Murali
March 3, 2016
pavi – that was such a timely, touching comment. Thank you for taking the time to write. Congratulations on your grand daughters. Based on your eloquent, thoughtful comment, I can say that they’re blessed with great genes. So, they’ll be alright! They’ll gently put people in place without an iota of arrogance or pretentiousness
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olemisstarana
March 3, 2016
Nee: I remember you! You made those really cowardly just-by-the-way comments directly to BR calling me (and several other women commenters on the blog) witch and haggle toothed, cleaning lady with big whiskers or something… and me directly RRS and quoted someone very authoritatively as “…and African-American” – no name, because you didn’t think that important to include. 🙂
Klassy.
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Anon1
March 3, 2016
Nee: You are wrong when you say that nothing can happen to you online, and all you have to do is ignore it. Cyberbullying, cyberstalking, doxxing are really and quickly coming into the purview of the legal system as actionable offenses. But if you go way down the spectrum, and just try and quantify the chilling effect that misogynistic speech can have on women’s voices, you might get a clue. Also, your concluding sentence… truly shameful. I thought you were a man, making this statement (not that it makes it any better if you were), but was quite surprised to learn otherwise.
Also, Apex, I am not Rahini David either. I feel like we should print out T-Shirts. Taking a small page out of Eddiered’s book, why didn’t you have anything to say when Rahini pointed out that the “vulgar” link you were so shocked by was posted by Punee and not Rahini?
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Saurabh
March 3, 2016
Since this post is currently red hot, I will use this one for some advertising.
Surendar Chawdhary (former FTII student and professor of Direction) has started this new blog called Professor Satyajit Ray which is based on publishing the chapters of his book (http://www.amazon.com/The-Pather-Panchali-Satyajit-Ray/dp/0786463538) as blog posts.
I own the book and I I enjoyed reading it immensely.
Here is the link to the blog.
https://professorsatyajitray.wordpress.com
He also used to run another blog with posts around recounting his college days (Mani Kaul, Jaya Bachchan etc were his college mates). I have enjoyed reading them too.
Here is a link from that blog
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apex
March 3, 2016
Ok guys n gals–I will reply with just ONE comment & pardon my typos etc
the “problem” is that I work “hard” – Frankly, Not bcos I HAVE to. (Dats Crucial) – But bcos I WANT to (I thank god 4 making me 1 of the privileged lot!) hahaha
But it does SUCK the life outta me (pun also intended here, sorry) – So I’m a bit “spent”…rite now – I envy the jobless one(s) here ..
I could NOT read most of the comments addressed to me. Also Bcos I have a POOOR attention span but will try. Those I can’t answer, sorry, better luck, will try next time , ok?
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Iswarya
March 3, 2016
Anon1: I have a caption for that T-shirt! (In the spirit of ‘Je suis Charlie’…)
“I am Rahini.. Oh, wait, no.. I’m not, actually!” 😉
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brangan
March 3, 2016
apex: I don’t mind the innuendo, and don’t mind strong retaliations to others’ comments either — this is the Internet, after all; no commenter is a sacred cow (and neither am I) — but am disallowing the comments where you refer to people as “aunty” and “grandma.”
Earlier, it just sounded like joshing around, but am seeing all this in a new light now — so again, unless you know someone really well, let’s do away with the backslapping.
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brangan
March 3, 2016
sachita: So surprised you dont enjoy museum visits. I suppose, your love for word suprasses all.
I’m a little surprised that this piece was taken so literally and everyone started to talk about their museum visits, etc. Of course I like art and aesthetics. I had a fantastic time recently moderating a discussion at Kalakshetra about the Kalakshetra sari, for instance.
I look at these pieces as free-flowing writing, more than anything else.
My reviews, yes — those are who I am, those words are what I think and feel. But these other pieces, they’re borderline fiction. I just wake up one morning with a half-dream of an idea and run with it. And sometimes a thought will lead me to another person’s shoes just because it feels “right” from the writing POV — not necessarily from a personal POV.
I hope this is not too confusing 🙂
PS: Good to see you’re still around these parts 🙂
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P
March 3, 2016
Apex: I have been staying away from this blog because that last discussion about race and caste really fried my brain. I decided to get back to what I love which is films and writing.
I have always had great interactions with you (even when I assumed you were a woman way back in the beginning of the BM thread) but I am disappointed. You never really apologized to Rahini for assuming that “dirty link” was posted by her when it was actually posted by me- that too to make a funny point. ( I don’t think vaginas or penises for that matter are dirty)
I don’t think people are right in demanding you explain your innuendo-laden sentences (when everybody knows what it means) but you were wrong in your accusations to Rahini that she is operating multiple anonymous accounts.
As a victim of such an accusation (incidentally made by Rahini and Anu Warrier- who of course later apologized) I remember appreciating your support and concern for me. I had to write in to BR so he could clear the air that it was not the same IP address especially because comments about someone else’s kid were made. I remember crying for an hour or so when that accusation came up so even though Rahini’s made of stronger stuff than I (which I am sure she is) this is extremely wrong of you to say.
I wish you would apologize to her.
Yes, there is a group-think attitude here, but that exists everywhere else in the world, people of one opinion band together and try to make everyone else agree with them- that is how the world works from Kindergarten upwards. Its just that here they try to police your grammar ( I remember when I was trying to explain what I meant by child-like vs. childish) but instead of staying strong and battling the point you got way too personal.
This makes the attacker look weak honestly- when people attack you instead of the point you make- it basically means that they have nothing to say anymore- and that is what you are doing. And having been at the receiving end of this, I must say that it doesn’t feel very good…
I admire you and always liked your presence here, and I don’t want that to change.
PS: To those who bitched about it, you’ll be glad to know I didn’t edit any emojis out of this post, it came out exactly like that.
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apex
March 3, 2016
An “edited” (sanitised) version–
Hiya Punee: missed u —gimme a high5
Agree to what uve said fully.
Coming to some comments —
Exhibit 1 (of many such prototypes & there are umpteen egs of this here!)
“I have been a long time reader of this blog and and a huge fan of BR’s writing. I have long wanted to comment here and join in the discussion …”
This is how these LOSERS start their first post …
@ “kid” –lemme rechristen u (since u have that penchant of changing others’ names while continuing to act decent) by turning your name around to a “dck” rather a “dckhead”
And lemme not waste more time on u…over n out.
I will ignore some negative, fake and useless comments
Coming to some good ones–
@ eldiered: I like how u r civil and polite, I bet u r a gal (or a woman)
“And yes, I am sorry you feel upset… perhaps even molested.”
Yes I’ve been molested but I’m not particularly upset by it lol
“. So here is your apology. “–thanx girl
“Apex! Color me Shocked!”–reminds me plz do watch, “blue is the warmest color ” and will discuss.
@ pavi –u rock, great comment, well said (the bits I read..)
@ Tarana–c’mon first remove the “ole”, u do NOT look “old” @ all (in a good way)
“I realize that by not interacting with Apex AND by changing my profile pic that I had had for over a year, I diffused the situation.”
U can’t run away from yourselves (& good people like me). Accept it haha
Now I wanna give a gentle warm hug to Nee & Tonks for their “support”
U know “one on my right arm and the other on my left” type
Also, there’s been lot of “criticism’ directed towards me
but it didn’t sound bad coming from Tonks and Tarana (esp Tonks, even anu!)
Lemme think. Why? My lord..
Tonks /Tarana : Can do anything to “serve” u, if u shield me from that eye of Rahini David 🙂
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apex
March 3, 2016
Wow Punee
That’s an EPIC comment by u
A class act, totally agree….
Ps: missed u a lottttt…..
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Priyangu
March 3, 2016
So, when are you writing a piece on the discussion at Kalakshetra on 29th? I saw you at the event, but missed out on the discussion, as I came in towards the end. I saw that you had a notepad, so I was expecting an article on it soon.
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Kid
March 3, 2016
Apex: Oh dear, I didn’t know you (or your online persona) are so full of yourself. Anyone with a trace of self-respect would have apologised to Rahini by now. You, however, are a creep of the highest order…it does takes a special kind of shamelessness to keep referring to women here as grandmas and aunties (as BR pointed out). You remind me of Kamal’s character in Tik Tik Tik who openly (and with a lecherous glint in his eye) clicks photos of a woman breastfeeding her child without even feeling a little guilty about what he does/did
Sidenote: Tik Tik Tik was the first Bharathiraja film I had seen 9a couple of years) apart from his Hindi works…. I don’t follow Tamil so I had to rely on subtitles and hence my “estimation” of the film would be a little compromised, but I think this is the director’s strongest polemical/social statement- even more so than Sigappu Rojakkal- where the deracinated “urban” Tamilian/Tamilians are depicted as sleazy, creepy douchebags of sorts. Of course this point becomes even more considering the authentic, rural Tamilian first found his actual voice in Bharathiraja’s films..atleast this is what I understood from whatever little I have seen of Tamil cinema. incidentally what is interesting here is that the Hindi remake of Tik Tik Tik, Karishma (IV Sasi diected this one and I had seen this film while growing up) doesn’t have that opening scene (or atleast I don’t have any memory of it…I think they also changed the climax and gave it a more masala ending)
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Kid
March 3, 2016
P: “I don’t think people are right in demanding you explain your innuendo-laden sentences…”
I am sorry, but this statement smacks of unfairness. No one would have an issue if Apex would have simply made innuendo laden comments (though I wish they would an iota of wit). But the red flags go up when people see that he has directed 99% of those comments towards women. That too would be bearable to an extent, but as Eddiered rightly pointed out, this chap uses those innuendos to “talk down” (as Eddiered said earlier), but also look down upon some of the women here. But here is the thing, this guy doesn’t restrict himself to innuendos. He goes ahead and makes rather personal, sleazy comments and some of them are intrusive of someone’s personal life and space. My apologies, but I can’t simply ignore his comments as “fun and games”. This guy deserves a virtual kick-in-the-nuts and then some more.
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Rahini David
March 3, 2016
BR: Please avoid endless reiterations of points already made.
Hell is breaking loose and you have a problem with the redundancy of the points being made? Well ok, I will try to stick to the fresh ones. 😀
Punee: Long time no see. There is a lot of things I want to tell you. I hope you take this in the right sense.
1) I was telling MANK that had I been accused of sock-puppetry, I would reassure that I wasn’t using one or two or 15 and then a giant shrug will take care of this. I have been accused of sockpuppetry and meatpuppetry and I really have shrugged it off and thereby kept a promise I made.
2) I have been a commenter for almost 2 and a half years now, many have seen my personality and belief systems shine through these comments. My current ability to shrug this off comes with the belief that my personality and character has been well established and has very good foundation. It isn’t easy to knock off an oak tree. You, however, were a new commenter who started commenting because of your passion for BMastani and were just testing waters in your second thread because you liked Amala in AgniN. So something unsavoury was happening and you were being accused. It is easy to get your name tarnished for good in that stage. Your insistence that you’d NEVER do such a thing is right. I am very glad you did it. Putting your foot down is essential at that stage.
3) It is very understandable that you felt a bit embarrased that a link that you shared was being used to throw me in a bad light. But you kept quiet. I clarified the source. Then Anon1 spoke up. And then Apex threw out a flippant “My bad” and then proceeded to share some youtube video and the significance of that video was lost on me. You “liked” Apex’s comment. Elsewhere you and Apex were exchaging poetic lines as if nothing was amiss at all. Do you see that you are projecting yourself in a very bad light here?
If you had been totally absent it would not have seemed so bad. We can’t assign a OOO against our name here. But the choice of comments you “liked” and the thread you continued to be active in when someone else was being accused of being dirty, what does this say about your priorities?
4) Apex: Btw “nee” seems to be the girl “needhapa” from the other thread now in a shorter name (& dress?)
P: I wouldn’t want to assume that about NeDhaPa who has always kept it civil. shush now
I remember crying for an hour or so when that accusation came up so even though Rahini’s made of stronger stuff than I this is extremely wrong of you to say.
One time a “shush now” sufficed and now it is “extremely wrong of you to say” and when it was you it was “crying for an hour”? Self-centered much?
5) I wish you would apologize to her Where is yours? And it took a loooooooooooooooot of anti-Apex comments to think about disagreeing with him and start chiding him, eh?
6) Regarding the groupthink attitude here and regarding the “I don’t think people are right in demanding you explain your innuendo-laden sentences”, I need to address Nee on these points. So bye for now.
🙂
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Anon1
March 3, 2016
So you do censor after all… 😉
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Saurabh
March 3, 2016
Punee,
This is a very genuine comment to understand your point of view.
I would not argue about group-ism issue that you have referred to. Some people have complained about it and might have genuinely felt that way and it is only fair and correct to put it forward.
However, lets keep it separate from the way apex has been behaving.
You wrote:
“I don’t think people are right in demanding you explain your innuendo-laden sentences (when everybody knows what it means) … I admire you”
Please look at a very small subset of comments made by apex:
– Btw “nee” seems to be the girl “needhapa” from the other thread now in a shorter name (& dress?)
– Tonks /Tarana : Can do anything to “serve” u
– Hiya shalini aunty….say my hello to the cute kid.. (& sorry couldn’t resist saying, u look awsum
– I form a lyrical 3some.. Punee and Mehar
– Brangan wrote: am disallowing the comments where you refer to people as “aunty” and “grandma.”
I thought Bajirao was what you liked? You really admire a person like this who makes such sleazy, creepy comments towards other people. A lot of woman have been complaining and I am sure as a woman you can understand their point of view much better than me (and believe me, I find all these comments not only puncturing the discussions but also done in extreme bad taste).
I come here to read/engage in discussion about cinema and related subjects and if I feel that something is puncturing those discussions, I have every right to protest just as apex has the right to continue with his behavior and you have the right to sympathize with his sleazy behavior.
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Kid
March 3, 2016
Rahini: What a beautiful comment Ma’am. How can you remain so dignified while responding to this kind of crap being churned about by Apex? You have displayed as much grace as Lal did while dancing in Vanaprastham!
BR: With all due respect (and I have a lot of respect for you), do/did you really believe Apex is (or even was) simply joshing around?! And while I have no issues with him calling me a dick/dickhead, what do you make out of his comment to Olemisstarana {“U can’t run away from yourselves (& good people like me)”}? In my books, this qualifies as plain eve-teasing (though I will let Olemisstarana speak on this if she decides to do so). And this is after he has repeatedly been called out by some of us. You have yourself gently warned him on this very thread. And yet he continues in the same vein. By the way, that last comment of his also has some other very objectionable statements (check out the “molested” bit though here probably he has restricted himself to being sexist which, I am afraid to say, isn’t the worst crime of his online self on this blog).
P/Punee: I hope you will not let that particular “skirmish” on the race post hold you back from commenting (and interacted with others..and not only on the Bajirao post 🙂 ) here in the near future. I really enjoy reading your comments which I find very refreshing (even when I disagree with them). I also like the way that inspite of being at the receiving end of some rather strong comments by others, you kept your civility and never went out of line. That’s such a difficult thing to do. Perhaps there is more to life than simply trying to be “the last man standing” (on an issue) at any cost. Sometimes (though not always) tone is the content for me. And you have always been pitch perfect with your note
Anyway. for long I had thought that someday when I do comment here I will probably spar with BR on Bharathiraja/Balachander and would try and convince him how the best of Bharathiraja is more “relevant” (in contemporary Tamil cinema) than Balachander’s :). I had planned that I will probably try and talk to MANK about Malayalam cinema (on why Ponthan Mada should be considered a seminal moment in Indian cinema considering it brought two of our finest actors- Naseer and Mammootty- together and actually made use of that pairing…unlike say what RGV did with Aag where what pained me more than the actual quality of the film was the fact that Lal and AB didn’t have one decent scene together) and learn from him in this regard (considering old Malayalam films with subtitles are hard to come by… I have merely been able to watch a dozen each of Mammootty and Mohanlal’s pre-2000 films. Not that the situation is any better regarding old Tamil cinema, but atleast I have gotten around to most of Bharathiraja, Mahendran and Balachander’s works though even here more than a few important films are unavailable with subs).
Also BR, I chanced upon your fine interview of Dasgupta (actually the best interview of his I have ever come across even though I wish it was longer.. that Sohrab Modi bit was truly eye-opening. Incidentally so was Govind Nihalani mentioning Sant Tukaram as one of his influences). I don’t think there is another Indian filmmaker in India other than Dasgupta who has consistently employed “ellipses” in his narrative right from his first film (Neem Annapurna here is one notable aberration because this is in the more Benegal/Mrinal Sen). It isn’t as if Dasgupta doesn’t have a proper narrative in his films, just that he doesn’t follow the rules of “narrativity” I know you had a line or two on the new Dasgupta film (Anwar ka Ajab Kissa), but I wish you could expand your thoughts as and when you get a chance especially since the film isn’t going to find a theatrical release anytime soon and so you might never get a chance to write about. Incidentally while Dasgupta and Rathnam both operate in completely different cinematic spheres, I think the last time an Indian filmmaker used this kind of an elliptical narrative other than Dasgupta was Rathnam in Raavan.
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tonks
March 3, 2016
Now I wanna give a gentle warm hug to Nee & Tonks for their “support”
You seem to have gotten it very wrong, apex.
1) I’m saddened that the blog and the quality of comments have plummetted ever since you made an appearance in the Bajirao Mastani thread.
2) I’ve been irritated beyond endurance to have been obliged to read through all your flirting there with Punee.
3) Ive disliked the patronising, familiar way you have of addressing most female commenters with personal remarks (you’ve done it with Iswarya, Vanya, Shalini, olemisstarana and others in various threads)
4) And last but not least, its shameless the way you keep dishing out insults and far fetched accusations without proof to one of my favourite commenters here (Rahini)
If I’ve been relatively silent till now its only because I dislike confrontations on the net with strangers. I genuinely believe nothing anyone says is ever going to change peoples’ core traits, at least not after they become adults. I’ll say it again : you have been, for some strange reason, decent in your personal interaction with me. But when it appeared that BR needed convincing about certain grievances raised here, I thought not speaking up about what I felt would be a crime and so I did.
I used to enjoy coming here to read the comments. I do not, anymore. I am seriously considering quitting the blog. And you are one of the reasons for that. So no, I’m sorry, but I most certainly do not support you.
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Rahini David
March 3, 2016
Tonks:
I am very sorry I have to say this to you.
You said: “I hesitated about speaking up because admittedly he has been extremely polite and decent in his interactions with me personally (and I do thank you for that, apex and I apologise for this)”
Apex said: “Now I wanna give a gentle warm hug to Nee & Tonks for their “support” U know “one on my right arm and the other on my left” type”
And later “Tonks /Tarana : Can do anything to “serve” u”
Do you now see why the whole “He is nice to me … personally …for now” comments backfire? You do realise that Apex’s hate for me is not because of anything I said against him and more about me “liking” a few anti-Apex comments here and there? If it was Olemisstarana yesterday, Mehar today, then please realise that it may you be tomorrow. It has already happened as I had predicted it would. Please be aware that politeness to Apex-like people will inevitably backfire.
BR: How did the whole “dck rather a dckhead” comment pass your radar? Would a similar one made to a woman be censored? Or is that fine too? You were just objecting to a “Grandma” comment. Is that not double standard?
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Iswarya
March 3, 2016
Have really forgotten which old movie this sequence is from:
(Otherwise demure) Heroine slaps PS Veerappa.. Or some similarly cartoonish villain
PSV: Hahaha.. Ennaiya adikkiraai? (Leers at her some more) Aanaal un mael kobam koLLavillai. Ennai adikkum bodhaavadhu poovinum melliya un karam en mael pattadhae.. Adhuvae en baagyamaga enni koLgiren, kaNNe.
Heroine: Chee.. Dushta uLLam konda kayavanae. Neeyum oru thaai vayitril dhaane pirandhaai.. (And so on, until she’s rescued by the hero)
—> And I thought this scenario and related sentiments had gone out of fashion since the 60s! I find a creepy replay of this in the disturbing response that Tonks and Olemisstarana now got here! Just what the hell is happening here?
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Kid
March 3, 2016
Rahini: I really appreciate your concern here regarding the dickhead remark, but I completely understand where BR is coming from on this particular thing. I think invectives and innuendos (especially when they are gender-specific) work differently with females vis-a-vis males. Unlike a lot of what Apex has said to other folks (especially to the ladies), “dickhead” really comes across as completely harmless (and is of course devoid of the the gender/sexism related ‘charge’ some of the other invectives carry). Moreover I can’t play victim here, because my first comment here addresses Apex as Ape on multiple occasions. Here is the funny bit though, in that particular comment the only time I actually “wanted” to address him as “ape” was on the last occasion where I say “Ape(x)”. The rest of the times I actually meant to type Apex, but because the “x” key of keyboard as faulty, it came out that way. LOL. And I myself realised when I re-read my comment after Apex pointed it out in his own comment. Anyway I do apologise to Apex for this particular bit, but I [OF COURSE] stand by the rest of comments.
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Ram Murali
March 3, 2016
Tonks – You wrote, “I used to enjoy coming here to read the comments. I do not, anymore. I am seriously considering quitting the blog.”
–> I don’t know you personally so, pardon me if this comes across as presumptuous. But please do not quit the blog on account of these comments. From his latest comments, it is clear that BR sees the seriousness of this issue and I am sure things will return to normalcy soon.
Everyone, esp. the men – I don’t want to make any “peacemaker” kind of comments lest I be called a “joker” again but may I request you to re-read pavi’s thoughtful, touching comment before we pass any comments that would make a person like pavi cringe. Gosh, a 76-year old person who has just been given double dose of happiness thanks to her twin grand daughters comments on the blog for the first time. And, it is because she gets sad memories of an era that she thought was long gone only to resurface in an ugly manner because of the internet??
olemisstarana – If only people were to “tone police” themselves…:) By the way, I apologize, I don’t know Hindi well at all. Could you translate your “Kyun sharminda karte hain saheb” comment into English or thamizh?
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Vanya
March 3, 2016
@Tonks: I don’t have any new insights to offer to the topic(s) at hand, but HAD to come out of my silence to protest your comment — really hope you don’t quit this blog, or if you do, hope it’s very, very temporary. 😦
Sorry BR, for already disregarding your request to keep discussions on topic. But hey, in for a penny… Two more thoughts:
I’m genuinely surprised by the group-think comment. BR and his commentosphere have appealed to me precisely because of the diversity of opinions and knowledge here. Perhaps readers on this site tend to align on one part of the political spectrum, and that’s what the group-think alludes to? But when it come to cinema and music, I can’t tell you how much delight I find in mentally constructing Venn diagrams of people’s preferences, and discovering surprising points where the circles deviate sharply.
These threads are why we can’t have nice things. Here’s another humble request to remove the vote buttons (but not the like button). Also, BR, I know it wasn’t your intention to create a cinephile-adda, but now that it’s happened, would it be possible to create a discussion forum on the side? (I vaguely remember this suggestion coming up a year ago, but can’t find that discussion.)
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Ram Murali
March 3, 2016
Honest Raj – “Neengalum Ilayaraja liker-a…naanum Ilayaraja liker…like like same same!”
(Abbada, I have paraphrased MMKR Kamal once today. Iniki pozhudhu nalla vidiyum…it’s 6:01 am in Philly!)
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tonks
March 3, 2016
Rahini :
I agree. I sort of regretted my earlier politeness as soon as I read his subsequent comments. Its my weakness, this abhorrance for net confrontations and rudeness that I have which conflicted with my desire to stand up against him.
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Iswarya
March 3, 2016
Tonks: Please don’t quit. I realise that I shouldn’t have kept quiet all this while either. Should have stepped in even when Rahini came under attack for the first time. It’s only that I felt totally confident then that she would come out unscathed, knowing her to be of the cool, gritty sort. Also, l was somehow hoping against hope that this Ape pestilence would get bored and quietly fade away.
And, again sorry (like Rahini) to say this: See what comes of being courteous to scumbags! 😦
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Kid
March 3, 2016
Ram Murali: “Kyun sharminda karte hain sahab” could be roughly translated as “Why are you embarrassing me Sir”.
Iswarya: Could you please translate those Tamil dialogues please since I don’t understand Tamil? Thanks.
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Anu Warrier
March 3, 2016
Punee, I call BS on your post. But why am I surprised? This has been your modus operandi from Day 1. You first make your statements, you get called out on them [And no, just because multiple people find fault with your poorly thought-out responses doesn’t mean that there’s ‘group think’; it just means that multiple people find your reasoning flawed.], then you have someone come and support you by being absolutely crass and sleazy, then you return, all indignant that they should dare to say such horrible, horrible things, and you would much rather fight your own battles…
This happened on the Bajirao Mastani thread, the Black and White thread, and now, here. As Ian Fleming said, Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence and three times is enemy action.
As Rahini pointed out, it’s taken you quite a long time to ‘call’ apex out, hasn’t it? Especially since you have been interacting with him all along, and ‘liking’ several of his comments? Did it just occur to you that not one, but many women have an issue with his comments and you felt you had to make a point? BS, once again. Your whole screed is one long excuse for apex masked as a rap-on-the-knuckle.
Especially when you come down to, “I don’t think people are right in demanding you explain your innuendo-laden sentences”… Really? This is the internet; people have a perfect right to call out innuendo. Whether you think it is ‘right’ or not. And did you see the ‘apology’ that apex made, ‘influenced’ by you? It’s full of the sleaze and innuendo that, as a woman, if directed against you, should make you cringe. But because it isn’t, it doesn’t matter, does it? And you admire a person who can make such comments? That doesn’t say much for him, or for you.
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Anu Warrier
March 3, 2016
@Tonks – I want to agree with everything you say.
Secondly, I must apologise to Rahini. I kept quiet when apex made sleazy comments because it was not ‘my battle’, so to speak. And as BR says, this is the internet. If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. But that is not true in all cases. All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. And I’m ashamed that I did nothing.
Yes, I wrote to Rahini on her blog to assure her of my support, but I should have said something here. This is where she and olemisstarana were targeted, and this is where that support should have come in. To stay quiet in public, while offering support in private is reprehensible. And for that, I’m truly sorry.
My tip o’the hat to you for remaining as dignified and polite as you have been.
BR – as Rahini points out, apex’s ‘apology’ post is full of sleaze and you let that pass? Here’s a sample:
My god, man, can’t you see these for what they are? Do you really feel that this should be allowed? Innuendo is fine in small doses, and it is fine when it is genuinely witty. But when 99% of his statements are filled with innuendo, when 99% of those double-meaning statements are made against women, when he makes sleazy, personal remarks to them, when he patronises them, your response smacks of a gentle rap on the knuckles.
Like tonks, I think I’ll take a sabbatical from this site. It’s no longer a place where I feel comfortable engaging. And that is a shame because I love your writing, I’ve come to ‘know’ so many people here, know their voices and agree with them, or disagree, it was a place where stimulating discussions took place in a civil manner.
I’ve no objection to strong disagreement, or debate. I do have a problem where the moderator of the blog – that’s you, BR – stays mostly silent when a poster makes the most egregious comments, despite half his commentariat pointing out that that poster is making them uncomfortable with his innuendos and sleaze.
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P
March 3, 2016
@apex: You still haven’t apologized to Rahini. Not acceptable. Two accusations- both untrue have been levelled against her without any rhyme or reason by you- this is not good and this is not done. Remember the last line of my previous comment- “I admire you and always liked your presence here, and I don’t want that to change.”- please don’t do these things that make me change my stance about you. I am as passionate and vituperative in my anger and hate as I am in my love and admiration.
To all the people accusing apex of creepiness I understand that he could come across that way. FWIW my interaction with him started with me believing he was a woman(an assumption on my part!) and then being absolutely delighted that he was a man and giving him access to everything from my gmail to my twitter handle to my blog to my facebook account and even my (easily google-able) name- forget stalking me or creeping me out, he has not even followed me on twitter or added me on google+ till date, trust me- I have waited and looked out for it. Maybe he is just different to the rest of you (or even me). Just saying. YMMV.
@Rahini: Thank you for proving to me that I was right in staying away from here for my own sanity.
Since you brought up a fun little J’Accuse chargesheet, let me address your points:
1) I was telling MANK that had I been accused of sock-puppetry, I would reassure that I wasn’t using one or two or 15 and then a giant shrug will take care of this. I have been accused of sockpuppetry and meatpuppetry and I really have shrugged it off and thereby kept a promise I made.
—-I can’t think of any reason why you would bring this point up with me except to try and make me feel that my reaction to your accusation was wrong or whatever on that Amala thread. You do realize that we are different human beings with different brains and souls and can react to the exact same movie or accusation for that matter- differently and that doesn’t take away from the correctness or validity of our reactions?
2) I have been a commenter for almost 2 and a half years now, many have seen my personality and belief systems shine through these comments. My current ability to shrug this off comes with the belief that my personality and character has been well established and has very good foundation. It isn’t easy to knock off an oak tree. You, however, were a new commenter who started commenting because of your passion for BMastani and were just testing waters in your second thread because you liked Amala in AgniN. So something unsavoury was happening and you were being accused. It is easy to get your name tarnished for good in that stage. Your insistence that you’d NEVER do such a thing is right. I am very glad you did it. Putting your foot down is essential at that stage.
—-So you an experienced commenter tarnishing me just because I was a few days old was ok? I thought I was self-centered, no?(as you indicate further down in the chargesheet) Lets not put it so blandly as “you were being accused” or your name was tarnished” lets put the facts baldly- *YOU accused ME and not just that, you convinced Anu too of my “crime” and all done in a sarcasm-laden diatribe that I didn’t even understand was addressed to me for the first few minutes. Just like Apex is now accusing you. Both are extremely disappointing items of behaviour no matter if you are 100 years old on this blog and or just 10 days old.
3) It is very understandable that you felt a bit embarrassed that a link that you shared was being used to throw me in a bad light. But you kept quiet. I clarified the source. Then Anon1 spoke up. And then Apex threw out a flippant “My bad” and then proceeded to share some youtube video and the significance of that video was lost on me. You “liked” Apex’s comment. Elsewhere you and Apex were exchanging poetic lines as if nothing was amiss at all. Do you see that you are projecting yourself in a very bad light here?
If you had been totally absent it would not have seemed so bad. We can’t assign a OOO against our name here. But the choice of comments you “liked” and the thread you continued to be active in when someone else was being accused of being dirty, what does this say about your priorities?
—Honestly I exited that thread ASAP and I didn’t see the whole thing about Apex accusing you until this morning when I saw it mentioned in this thread(which I happened to see by chance!). I was only active on the Bajirao Mastani thread, because I posted my blog post on the topic for SLB’s birthday. Nothing more. I don’t even read BR’s reviews because none of the new movies interest me (I shall be back when Ki and Ka releases BR- love you)! Your strong streak of assuming things about a person you have never met continues. And for the record, I am not embarrassed that my link was used. I am upset that apex would do such a thing, no matter who had shared the link.
4) Apex: Btw “nee” seems to be the girl “needhapa” from the other thread now in a shorter name (& dress?)
P: I wouldn’t want to assume that about NeDhaPa who has always kept it civil. shush now
I remember crying for an hour or so when that accusation came up so even though Rahini’s made of stronger stuff than I this is extremely wrong of you to say.
One time a “shush now” sufficed and now it is “extremely wrong of you to say” and when it was you it was “crying for an hour”? Self-centered much?
—I didn’t think Apex would make a habit of accusing people like this. At the time I honestly thought he was joking. Again, nice assuming.
5) I wish you would apologize to her Where is yours? And it took a loooooooooooooooot of anti-Apex comments to think about disagreeing with him and start chiding him, eh?
—Why should I apologize to you Rahini? what have I done wrong? In fact, have you forgotten on that Amala thread, you wrote at least 3 comments after BR confirmed it wasn’t me who wrote those rude things before you tendered anything resembling an actual apology(and unlike you I didn’t even demand one). I repeat, I have not been on this blog except for on SLB’s birthday so I don’t really know whether there has been a tidal wave of anti-Apex comments.
6) Regarding the groupthink attitude here and regarding the “I don’t think people are right in demanding you explain your innuendo-laden sentences”, I need to address Nee on these points. So bye for now.
—This is not an accusation per se…but let me reiterate- people with similar opinions tend to have a group think attitude. It is but natural, I have never had a grouse against anyone for that. I have never accused any of you for that. Its like a natural bias- who am I to say that you should get rid of it?
Peace out.
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newbie
March 3, 2016
Pavi ma’am – Your comment made me very very happy! Thank you for that 🙂
Nee – “That person you mentioned as creepy, R.D., is indeed creepy. Also Warrier, Olemiss have this superiority complex in the sense that a) they are always right”
But they (inc “R.D.”) ARE almost always right, no? In the only one instance I have noticed where Rahini David and Anu Warrier did make a misjudgement with the ‘Punee sockpuppet’ comment (in which thread I forget now), they both promptly apologised unreservedly. Honestly, what more do you want or expect? If people like Apex follow their example in making amends when it becomes apparent that they have hurt someone, we wouldn’t be having this protracted discussion in the first place.
Rahini – “BR…Hell is breaking loose and you have a problem with the redundancy of the points being made?…”
Haha. Exactly, no? I genuinely wish I could spend as much time as I want to reading this blog (especially all the comments) but at the present moment I am unable to do that. So apologies, I had missed some of the more hurtful comments (like that dirty link one) directed at people like yourself until others had called out such behaviour. From personal experience, I used to find “don’t feed trolls” strategy effective to some extent at least, but the conversation here has made me re-think that because if speaking out (even just once) actually comforts the hurt person, then its only a good thing. So, in summary, your voice adds brilliantly to the awesomeness of this blog – thank you for that 🙂
olemisstarana – With you on the up/down vote point. Also wish we had alternatives to the ‘like’ button. Like ‘ROFL’, ‘eww’ etc…
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P
March 3, 2016
@Anu: I haven’t been on this blog since an argument with olemistrina on the Black and White thread went horribly wrong and I fell sick post that. I have not seen any of the posts except the Bajirao Mastani one which I visited on his birthday this past week to post my write-up since I had promised MANK and apex to do so. So, no I haven’t seen any of the apex-related drama until this morning when I came to check if BR had posted anything about Neerja, saw he hadn’t and then happened to see activity on this old Vacation Notes post on the comment “roll-call” (is that what it’s called?) of his homepage and came here to see all this…
Re: ” This has been your modus operandi from Day 1. You first make your statements, you get called out on them [And no, just because multiple people find fault with your poorly thought-out responses doesn’t mean that there’s ‘group think’; it just means that multiple people find your reasoning flawed.], then you have someone come and support you by being absolutely crass and sleazy, then you return, all indignant that they should dare to say such horrible, horrible things, and you would much rather fight your own battles…”
I don’t even know what to say. You seem to have figured me out completely from two and a half months of online interaction. Despite our numerous disagreements I have never made comments about your modus operandi or style of argument because i do not think that is a judgement that I have a right to make- no matter how incensed I might get by your viewpoints or arguments. I am not here to “call” anyone out on anything. Everyone has the right to whatever opinions or behaviors they do- all I do is argue and present my case- I have no intention to convert or change or purge. Since I have realized that that is not the way everyone else here does it, I have thought it prudent to stay away. But even that seems to be problematic. Lose-lose.
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P
March 3, 2016
Saurabh: Hey! I remember you, from a long time ago…on the Bajirao thread wasn’t it…yes, I do admire Bajirao- a lot!! He’s my version of Ram, the maryada purshottam.
Since you were there, you know that I was the first person who apex flirted with on this blog, so I guess I kinda got used to it and charted it down to his personality being that way, didn’t ever think for a second that what delighted me would make others uncomfortable. And as a flirtatious, gregarious person myself who has been chided and “called out” for everything from my use of emojis to my love of Amala, I guess I was sympathetic to apex’s position only because it was on the defensive…but now that you have brought Bajirao to my mind, I realize that Bajirao would never do something like this. 😦 Time to make some changes in my assessment of him I think…
Thank you for writing to me from an honest place and being polite and not making assumptions- its so rare a trait out here.
Kid: I appreciate your invite so to speak, but I think I was foolish to continue on here after Bajirao-Mastani, I am not made for this place (the comment section) though I shall continue to enjoy BR’s write-ups(which I have been reading from two years since Ram-Leela). It has reached the point where I regret ever becoming active- I just came here to have fun arguments, never thought it will turn into a “call out” session, where people don’t share views but jibe at each other 24/7. Also time-constraints on me have increased as I will soon be moving to Bombay and will have to hold down two jobs at a time- my tendency to verbal diarrhea on BR’s blog may put a dent on that 🙂 Thanks for the appreciation, I do really appreciate it.
Re: “Perhaps there is more to life than simply trying to be “the last man standing” (on an issue) at any cost.”
A true argument is never about the last man standing, do you know that the founders of the USA Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington had intense disagreements on almost every topic that were never resolved for as long as they lived and yet they managed to build and create on of the greatest Republic nations of the world. Converting people to your stream of thought is not half as important as living with disagreements peacefully. (more on the founding fathers disagreements here: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704911704575326891123551892 )
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Anu Warrier
March 3, 2016
@Punee – I’ll respond one last time. No, I’m not ‘figuring you out after two and a half months of interaction’, I’m calling out what I have seen you do. Time after time after time. You make comments, you are disagreed with, someone – three someones – support you by making ad hominem attacks against the posters who disagreed with you, you come back full of righteous indignation that they dare, dare!, to say such things when you haven’t asked for their support, and you’re the nice guy whom everyone wants to comfort because ‘you’ve been crying your eyes out’ at such horrible happenings.
I saw it happen not once, or twice but thrice, and so, yes, I stated what I saw happening in front of my eyes.
Two. I’ll not comment on whether you read all of apex’s comments or not. Fact remains that despite seeing this imbroglio, you’ve come back to say how much you like him and admire him, on a thread where he’s been the most egregious and you still claim innocence? When you wrote that response to Rahini, are you telling me that you didn’t read apex’s sleaze filled response to your call for apology?
Ok, let’s say for argument’s sake that you didn’t – obviously, you read my comment? I’d quoted him – you didn’t read that either? And it is okay because Maybe he is just different to the rest of you (or even me). Just saying. YMMV. Really?
Ugh!
never thought it will turn into a “call out” session, where people don’t share views but jibe at each other 24/7
Really? I’ve been active on this blog a long time now, and have been an avid BR reader for even longer, and I haven’t really seen either much ‘calling out’ or ‘jibing at each other 24/7’. But ever since apex has put in an appearance, this has been a part and parcel of 99% of the threads. It is a shame because when he comments on the post itself, he has something of value to say. So, before you accuse everyone else of ‘calling out’ or ‘jibing’ at each other (meaning at you particularly) please do take a close look at the man you profess to ‘like and admire’.
Signing out.
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Anon1
March 3, 2016
P: That’s Olemisstarana, not Olemisstrina.
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P
March 3, 2016
Thanks Anon1. Apologies, Olemisstarana for getting the name wrong!
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P
March 3, 2016
Anu: I fail to understand what you mean by you saw it “thrice”.
It was only on the Amala thread that I was ” the nice guy whom everyone wants to comfort because ‘you’ve been crying your eyes out’ at such horrible happenings.”
Rahini accused me of being a “sock-puppeteer” all while being extremely snarky about it, you agreed, I was upset, I asked BR to confirm and he did, you apologized, she apologized and people(around 5 or 6 of them) sympathized with me. Thats it.
I am quite amazed that you think something happened which never did. To recap the two other threads on which I participated:
Nothing happened on the Bajirao thread, me and MANK had a great argument that went on for reams on comments, and thats about it.
On the Black and White thread, my arguments with olemisstarana went out of hand, and I realized because of my personal perspective of being a tribal outcaste in India, I was being way too biased in the discussion and I decided to leave. I have no idea what happened after that.
I did not come back to this blog until SLB’s birthday where I directly went to the Bajirao thread. Post that I have come on here only today. Re: my opinion of apex, it is on the verge of changing, but only because of what Saurabh said.
As for this, “You make comments, you are disagreed with, someone – three someones – support you by making ad hominem attacks against the posters who disagreed with you, you come back full of righteous indignation that they dare, dare!, to say such things when you haven’t asked for their support, ” I haven’t seen it happen. “Nee” tried to align with my position on caste and race on the black and white thread and I said I have no need for her support after her comments on the Peshwas and vegeterianism. That one incident turned into three?
This is absurd.
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Amit Joki
March 3, 2016
Holy god! I never thought there would be anything of substance in this post and hence there will be no interesting comments and here I am after BR made another post out of it.
I have a strong urge to reply in Tamil, cause it would be more effective, but the users of this blog might be from different demographics, so sticking to English.
First thing first. If you are making an adult statement to another adult, either you do it fully or not do it at all. If you do, or do it half-way, you’re going to be bashed and for rightful purpose. It’s plain wrong.
But man, seriously I sort of found the Kaamal R Khan of this blog. Any twitter user will be knowing of his antics. Such manly, much handsome. Such persona, much female followers. (Seriously, search Kamaal R Khan before you fail my sarcasm)
And commenting to individual women who have their DP put on is called – in double quotes – “Stalking”, don’t paint it in other colors.
Someone is very dry, I guess. (People who speak Tamil might get the meaning out of it, and for the others, I’m sorry).
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Iswarya
March 4, 2016
Kid: Don’t know if a translation would capture any of the effect of that archaic Tamil as much as the archaic thought-processes associated with it. Anyway, there must be a rough equivalent of the following situation in any Indian-language movie of a certain period, I guess. If someone could find a relevant YouTube clip for the non-Tamil audience, that would be great:
Heroine is locked up by or otherwise stuck with a creepy, lecherous villain.
For some reason, after much provocation, she slaps him.
This is the first time the pure as camphor/cow’s milk (forgive the weird Tamil idiom) heroine has ‘touched’ the villain at all.
The ridiculous villain, who is equal parts idiocy and lechery (of the Bluto template from Popeye) is wildly excited by this touch.
He takes it as a chance to leer some more at her for finally condescending to ‘touch’ him.
She protests again in chaste Tamil about this outrageous development
And so on.. Yawn.
Implication being that the villain is so ‘dry’ – as Amit Thambi just put it. 😀
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Anu Warrier
March 4, 2016
Just because you called my account of this happening thrice before – the first instance was with eenup, the second with Nee, and now with apex – I count three.
You blasted eenup and Nee at two separate times, and have now been sorrowfully resigned with apex, begging him to apologise, and to quote-unquote please don’t do these things that make me change my stance about you.
So it is not ‘one incident’ which I ‘turned into three’. I do not fabricate accusations. I state – plainly – what I’ve seen occur.
I post under my own name, I own my statements, and I apologise for things I may impulsively utter that are wrong. I do NOT make up facts.
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apex
March 4, 2016
Man, whateva happened here – It seems there’s been a CYCLONE in this blog over the last few weeks…since bajirao? Can I help?
“My reviews, yes — those are who I am, those words are what I think and feel. But these other pieces, they’re borderline fiction. I just wake up one morning with a half-dream of an idea and run with it. And sometimes a thought will lead me to another person’s shoes just because it feels “right” from the writing POV — not necessarily from a personal POV.”
This is the ONLY portion I’ve read twice rather thrice in a while – (coming from a person who has zero patience& rarely reads a comment fully even once!)
This is someone I feel like havin a drink or two
Cheers M8
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apex
March 4, 2016
@ Tonks
“You seem to have gotten it very wrong, apex.”
Yup, I was wrong in the sense that thought u will “get” it but but somehow haven’t even begun to understand “apex”. Anyhow, yours is the ONLY comment that hurt somewhat. But what is hurt and pain if I adopt a paradigm shift it’s just hyperactivity of some neurotransmitters and interplay of endorphins?
@ Rahini David
Just read bits of your comments-Whilst u admittedly write very well & your writing has a well thought out and a CONSCIENTIOUS manner, you should understand that words only have a limited meaning. Words without soul, context or relevance are, jus words. What will any ‘apology’ do (or not do) if you think of me what you seem to. It shouldn’t matter innit.
Plz try to shed this prudery & don’t take yourselves so seriously …this “advice” may do u more good than some ‘apology”. C’mon, I know u have the “maturity” to take this in the right context.
@ some unnamed person(s) here
Now there are people (some of them possibly with changed monikers) sermonising me when I know (& they know) what all they’ve been upto in the past. I don’t wanna “name and shame” them and I know (& they know) who they are! but I will leave this there…& not embarrass them.
@ the “technically” obsessed
Will quote an example: Not long ago, I was travelling/exploring like I often do and was joined by a backpacker, a European scientist/physicist of some sort & we had to share stuff. Whilst encountering breathtaking natural wonders, all she would do was analysing the climate, height, depth, sunlight levels and hypotheticate why it felt like the “best experience of her life” etc etc instead of jus soaking up the scenery. Obviously I have avoided any contact & haven’t responded to mails/ calls etc since. Certain elements are just meant to be instinctively felt, not dissected or theorised.
@ Punee
U do possess the IQ AND EQ & the toolkit to grasp most (not al though) aspects of “creeps like apex”. Also, you were literally held at gunpoint by many to join them to “condemn and malign” apex but u didn’t. Thanks. I knew u wouldn’t, all the best with your jobs and maybe u won’t get time for “creeps like apex’
” then being absolutely delighted that he was a man and giving him access to everything from my gmail to my twitter handle to my blog to my facebook account and even my (easily google-able) name- forget stalking me or creeping me out, he has not even followed me on twitter or added me on google+ till date, trust me- I have waited and looked out for it. ”
I know, I know, will admit these things are somewhat disappointing even painful. Sorry.
And I will take this opportunity to express the same sentiment to some other(s) who have tried to (or hoped to) contact me from this blog and elsewhere with not much success now & earlier for a while. U know I’m taking bout u. Perhaps it’s REAL “self censorship” on my part in action not just verbal , though lately I feel if I should change this policy soon? Shudder,,,,,,
& folks plz stop attacking and harrassing Punee.
It’s so funny how some people are hellbent to persuade, brainwash, force Punee to change her “assessment of apex” 🙂
For eg Saurabh, Anu, Rahini and so on
Hope these people get some joy from this haha
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Iswarya
March 4, 2016
Er.. Eddiered, where are you?
This column’s crying out for your intervention! 🙂
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Saurabh
March 4, 2016
Apex,
You accusing me of trying to force/persuade/brainwash Punee to change her assessment. If you don’t remember, I reproduce the comment below that I made during BM thread
Punee –
@apex: I swear I am in love with your comments, if you were a guy I would ask you to marry me, but I somehow get the feeling that you must be a girl 🙂
Punee, now we know that apex is a guy (but hot-blooded passionate brazen, mind u) 😉
I guess Bajirao-Mastani made your 2015 end super awesome. Cheers to that.
As you can see, I too can enjoy some humor along with all the discussions that happen here. I am sure everybody does.
But dude what went wrong? I ask you. Below are the sample of comments you have made. I can understand that you might find them acceptable and might have thought that everybody else would find it acceptable as well but you have continued even when lot of people (especially woman) have called it out. Frankly, I have no idea why would you do that? Also, believe me, I have no personal interest in you and your relationship with Punee (I am happily married, by the way). The only reason I am putting an effort to write all this is because I like the blog and the discussions that happen here. If there were alternatives to this blog/comments, I would happily switch rather that write all this crap sounding like a 1000 year old guy.
– Btw “nee” seems to be the girl “needhapa” from the other thread now in a shorter name (& dress?)
– Tonks /Tarana : Can do anything to “serve” u
– Hiya shalini aunty….say my hello to the cute kid.. (& sorry couldn’t resist saying, u look awsum
– I form a lyrical 3some.. Punee and Mehar
– Brangan wrote: am disallowing the comments where you refer to people as “aunty” and “grandma.”
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P
March 4, 2016
@Saurabh: I agree, those comments on the Bajirao thread seem so innocent and far away from what is happening here and now.
This completely sums it up:
“But dude what went wrong?”
I think apex, that you should take a break from this blog, it can make you lose perspective. I realized this on the Black and White thread. I had started checking in on this blog every break that I had, even when I was on a walk with my dogs and it can being on the defensive can seem natural. I am back here after almost a month and I don’t feel that great but I still have better perspective than before.. In the meantime if you want to talk it out you know where to find me.
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P
March 4, 2016
@Anu: What happened with eenup was absolutely valid- and that was the one and only time that I cried and was upset and BR came to my rescue.
What happened with nee was completely different- I just told her to stay away from me and not attempt to include support for me in her comments- there was no crying and no rescuing.
Same here with apex- neither am I crying nor is anyone rescuing me.
So yes, you are in fact conflating one genuine instance and making it three. Its the theatre of the absurd.
And yes, I will request apex -whose comments on the Bajirao thread, (whether you or others liked them or not I do not care!) even before I realized he was a guy- were interesting and admirable, because I think his annoying battle against Rahini will lead to ME losing a voice I like seeing around these parts. Who are you to decide how I interact with people? why shouldn’t I request him? What is your problem if I “beg” him to apologize? BR on his other thread too has asked apex to apologize, so?
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Kid
March 4, 2016
Iswarya: Thanks much. Oh, and such a situation would be commonplace in a Hindi film of the 80’s as well (Ranjit would be playing the ubiquitous rapist/molester there). For instance, there was time in the 80’s where a “sister” (of the hero) character would be shoehorned into the script just so that villain gets a chance to rape her because the producers believed that including such scenes would increase footfalls.
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hari
March 4, 2016
Apex, you remind me of the “Vance Munson” character in Hitch and this is what Hitch had to say about him.
“Hitch: And Vance Munson is a pig! And I refused to work with him. You need to get your facts right. It’s because of jerks like him that I even have a job… had a job!”
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Eddiered
March 4, 2016
Iswarya: I don’t really think I am needed right now, am I? I think the commenters here have spoken and BR, who I have very great faith in is aware of the issue. That’s all I was really hoping for. And in some really petty, backslapping, self serving way, I think I may have laid out the tinder that caught fire. These conversations are good. It shakes the cobwebs out, it lays down a hard line about what is acceptable and what isn’t. I just want to read more Hindi/English movie reviews on here now. Cheers.
Unrelated – I don’t speak Tamil, but I really enjoyed the “dryness” translation.
Even more unrelated – In the spirit of full disclosure, particularly since I have been at the receiving end of hesitant Apexian flirtations, just wanna say that I am socially, culturally, physiognomically, anthroposcopically, spiritually, anatomically, biologically and every-which-way-ally quite male.
This is for you Apex, 😉 😉 ;-* ;-* ❤ Waddup Waddup.
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brangan
March 4, 2016
Eddiered: These conversations are good. It shakes the cobwebs out…
The tone of this line reminds of these lines from The Godfather, after Micheal shoots Solozzo and the cop and all hell breaks loose 🙂
Michael: How bad do you think it’s gonna be?
Clemenza: Pretty goddam bad. Probably all the other Families will line up against us. That’s all right. These things gotta happen every five years or so, ten years. Helps to get rid of the bad blood. Been ten years since the last one. You know, you gotta stop them at the beginning. Like they should have stopped Hitler at Munich, they should never let him get away with that, they was just asking for trouble.
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Eddiered
March 5, 2016
BR – I was thinking more of The Purge, but this works even better with the families aligning themselves and particularly the always very appropriate and not gratuitous at all Hitler=Apex comparison. 😀
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brangan
November 5, 2018
Rahini David: Why art thou prowling around old posts? 😛
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Rahini David
November 5, 2018
Brangan: I just love love love Eddiered’s quote “If you have the courage to allude, have the courage to say.”
And sometimes I need to hear the voice of a non-placative sort of wisdom. I’d never forget to be grateful to Eddiered for bullyragging a pitbull on my behalf when I was feeling exhausted and down.
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Iswarya
November 5, 2018
Wow, this post has aged well. Honestly. The comments section, sadly, hasn’t. But yeah, it’s a time capsule of its own, the more innocent times when bad behaviour wouldn’t go unpunished. Thanks BR and Rahini for bumping this up in the comments section.
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sanjana
November 5, 2018
Wonderful post and wonderful picture.
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