1 Madhav Baug

Yesterday was a very fulfilled day after a real long time. Well not because my husband was out of town, not really. Somehow I could catch up with this 'far-fetched' concept in my dictionary - 'punctuality'. Starting my classes in the morning to being available for the get-together in the noon, I could make myself present on time. And to wrap all that up, a pleasant visual treat - impacts created by 1 Madhav Baug, at Ranga Shankara, ended my day in full contentment.

So whats all about this: Putting aside the story of the Play, which more discussed about the relationship between a Mother and a homosexual son, what impressed me was "Other Voices" and how the theater went on to conceptualize such an amazing idea! More here!
The play was at 9.30 in the night, Bangalore's weather contributing to the mind's chillness. It wasn't conducted in the auditorium where usually all the play/activities happen, which came across to be a sweet surprise. We climbed close to 4 floors up the building, lit by huge scented candles all along the path way. And there we have this cozy rectangular room at the corner set up with dim lights, mattress covered with a white bed linen and a couple of chairs on the sides., for the audience to sit... sit so closely to the actor. A very simple ambiance, dark wood table, a chair and a couple of lamps, created for the play, it added up to the richness of the idea. Revathi was all around the space, performing, the roles of the son and more of the mother. A role well done that she could push a few of them into tears and touch the emotional Q of a lot in the crowd. Hats off to Arundhathi Nag or whomsoever who contributed to all of it.

The play had a quite a lot of simple yet strong ideas to be conveyed. 'Everybody is unique and just someone, because it's a blood relationship, cannot be taken for granted';'Why is your children not growing up to be someone whom you expect them to be is a wrong question, have we all grew up to be what our parents exactly wanted us to be!' - they came across like a hard slap on my face - it felt very timely!

They had a simple Q&A at the end of the play and Revathi answered everything. During the play she often reiterated that the play has got nothing to do with her personal life that evoked this 'why' thought in me and 'whats wrong just if that's the case' which I asked her and was answered partly. What I liked the most is, when someone in the crowd confessed that he is a homosexual himself and his parents accepted him the way he is, she said its also about drawing a midway, before turning to be rebellious or accepted completely - how true!

It was a totally different experience, and I agree, it did create an impact to an extent that I did not expect it to!
Job well done! Kudos!

The best way

to kill time as I discovered is behavioral analysis. As in finding out the answers for the five magnificent "W"s in your own way. On that note, penning down a few funny and curious behaviors of people as I got discuss with 2 of my favorite friends over the weekend.

1. The previous generation, moms/dads and sorts, are so poor at covering up stuff.
- My friend explained an incident with his Mother. Like they planned to go out somewhere where his dad did not want them to go that day. They come back home with a Spencer's packet and his dad got to pull out some eatable, upon tasting he commented 'where did you buy this from, it tastes so bad. You must get this exchanged'. His mom answers curtly, 'the Spencer's next door.... NEXT DOOR na beta errrrr...'. The friend smirks wondering if he was on his dad's shoes, it would have just taken zero effort for him to get the situation so well. Now that's the previous generation for you. This is funny!
Another example: there is something about you that your relative knows already and they just want to open it up with you as if they had no clue about it while you can so very well make out the lame attempt! Now this is annoying!

2. The kind of people who just want to prove their point. As in a point that would be of no use proving it.
- A set of relatives (very elderly people - higher risk if they are in-laws) at home and then there is this someone who stays opposite door, that implies the one who can just watch your moves day in and day out. The previous night before the relatives arrived, I was "out" partying crazily. I was home late that the neighbor had noticed. The next morning while all the relatives are around, she pulls up this topic "so it was verrrrrry late by the time you were home last night, I peeped out at 11.30 and could not find your bike". I was like damn, is it so important to be talked now kinds, "not really I guess I was in by 11.30". Her: "no no.. not at all". Me: "Hmmm... may be 11.35 or something then". She says "Haaannn that's what! I checked exactly at 11.30" like as if she can NEVER be wrong. I mean I just could not make any sense out of the whole act. Or is it that the point proved is I was put at risk and there's some fun behind that? And this is more annoying :P

Onto, this set of elder generation who can never agree to what the younger ones say, well at the least not as a counter argument or as a "suggestion", not even while you have a general conversation. I'm unsure if I should call it ego or stubbornness or a time pass. Really. I mean there are people who want to make an argument, for the sake of passing time.
And then you find these people in town who make random comments. What's funny is that the amount of satisfaction they feel by doing that, how foolish! They can know that thing that doesn't even exist anywhere in the world, I mean that so random and then they can give you great ideas on all that if ever you tend to try that out!
Okay, its not that I want to create a Revolution 2020 that I want people to start thinking into stuff and work towards harmony. Just some passing thought, and of course, for the records ;)

So I wish you, the reader, to meet people who are that random, at some point of time in life, just to have some good laugh when you look back :)