The first time I heard Eric Clapton, I HATED him. I hated his stinking guts.
In my defence, I was only 6 years old and cartoons were a rare precious dream on DD 1. Let me explain. Folks had gathered to watch a video cassette recording of the Grammy awards and amongst the many nominees was the title track of 'Beauty and the Beast'. Just as I watched with wide eyed wonder at the magical world of Disney's animated magnum opus, the host cut to the next nominee. This happened to be Clapton with 'Tears in Heaven'. He later won too. I would play this reel again and again, and everytime, right when I wanted to see more of the Beauty and the Beast swaying all over th ballroom, the host would cut in and give us Clapton. Ahem, that's my defence.
I grew up reading 'Clapton is God' on T-shirts or a Reader's Digest story on his life and times and since I had forgotten his earlier tresspass, my dislike must have mellowed to indifference. I was 15 when I heard 'Tears in heaven' once again. I wouldn't put my regard for it in words, because I am sure they describe only a dull image of the actual sentiment. Then I heard 'Layla' and the lyrics aside; I wasn't being able to put a finger on what was made the song so good. I just knew I had to hear it being played again and again. Here I realised that playing the guitar isn't just about simply following the vocals. The guitar makes a music of it's own that complements and completes the vocals, making the song richer. (I don't know if this makes sense, it's just my own logic)
All I know is that I have come a long way from grudging Eric Clapton those 15 seconds of screeen space 17 years back.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Aryaa - the comic book
I know it's hard to read this here and I wish I knew a way to upload a pdf on my blog. Till I figure out how to do that in blogspot, you'll just have to download this and read it like a jpeg. :( The artist in me says Boohoo! But zee engineer says, "If you leave behind an email id, I'll mail you the pdf. Promise!"
Read the FAQs about Aryaa in my next posts
Read the FAQs about Aryaa in my next posts
Aryaa - Official press release
No reporters! No cameras. No problemo. The author, the cartoonist and the media manager (who happen to be the same people) will do both the questioning and answering.
Q: Who is Aryaa?
A: She's just a regular kid with perhaps a wee bit more special powers than the rest of us. Of course she has no clue she's special (like the rest of us, anyone?). The comic traces her path to discovering her extra-ordinary powers, finding why she has them and how she eventually puts them to use. Set but not restricted in the backdrop of corporate world.
Q: Will people sue me after reading this?
A: Aah, I don't know wether to be flattered or offended. But that's a good question. See that is why I write under a secret pen name (7Miles Per Hour) and a secret publisher (Lawn Mowed Cheap Publications).
Q: Why pick 'Aryaa'?
A: I liked the name coz it means Saraswati. Also I didn't want to create a superhero called 'Adrianna' or 'Celtica' becasue this comic is Indian. Indian setting, Indian story, Indian spirit. You'll find Everest Reddys, Uttam Banerjees, Rainas in it too. You don't have to extrapolate your imagniation. Aryaa is YOU. Made, drawn, published for YOU.
Q: Is Uttam Banerjee you idea of a perfect bachelor?
A: Who said Banjo was a bachelor? But yeah, he is pretty funny and he does have a ruthless charm, if that is what you mean. Though why he remains so put off with the world is a secret yet to be revealed.
Q: Everest Reddy, he isn't real.
A: First thing, that wasn't a question. Second thing, in this cynical world we need a little hope and goodwill. Reddy is my contribution towards bringing a little joy into an otherwise brutal comic book. And I have met an Everst Reddy in real life, so I am not being unrealistic. Also don't underestimate Everest's role in the episode to come. Who knows?
Q: How did you concieve the character Acharya? What is the conept of Fourth dimension?
A: I just hate it when people leak names and stories from unreleased episodes. You will know about Acharya when I release 'The Awakening'. (Tight lipped silence)
Q: Raina...
A: Ok enough questions. You just don't seem to want to wait for the second episode to release before spilling out all the fun facts. Thank you. This press release is now officially over.
Q: Who is Aryaa?
A: She's just a regular kid with perhaps a wee bit more special powers than the rest of us. Of course she has no clue she's special (like the rest of us, anyone?). The comic traces her path to discovering her extra-ordinary powers, finding why she has them and how she eventually puts them to use. Set but not restricted in the backdrop of corporate world.
Q: Will people sue me after reading this?
A: Aah, I don't know wether to be flattered or offended. But that's a good question. See that is why I write under a secret pen name (7Miles Per Hour) and a secret publisher (Lawn Mowed Cheap Publications).
Q: Why pick 'Aryaa'?
A: I liked the name coz it means Saraswati. Also I didn't want to create a superhero called 'Adrianna' or 'Celtica' becasue this comic is Indian. Indian setting, Indian story, Indian spirit. You'll find Everest Reddys, Uttam Banerjees, Rainas in it too. You don't have to extrapolate your imagniation. Aryaa is YOU. Made, drawn, published for YOU.
Q: Is Uttam Banerjee you idea of a perfect bachelor?
A: Who said Banjo was a bachelor? But yeah, he is pretty funny and he does have a ruthless charm, if that is what you mean. Though why he remains so put off with the world is a secret yet to be revealed.
Q: Everest Reddy, he isn't real.
A: First thing, that wasn't a question. Second thing, in this cynical world we need a little hope and goodwill. Reddy is my contribution towards bringing a little joy into an otherwise brutal comic book. And I have met an Everst Reddy in real life, so I am not being unrealistic. Also don't underestimate Everest's role in the episode to come. Who knows?
Q: How did you concieve the character Acharya? What is the conept of Fourth dimension?
A: I just hate it when people leak names and stories from unreleased episodes. You will know about Acharya when I release 'The Awakening'. (Tight lipped silence)
Q: Raina...
A: Ok enough questions. You just don't seem to want to wait for the second episode to release before spilling out all the fun facts. Thank you. This press release is now officially over.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Why Seven Miles Per Hour?
If what I hear and understand about Meditation is correct, then Running is meditation. Running is meditation, when for the first 20 years of your life, you have avoided anything remotely athletic like the plague. Having embaressed myself at virtually every sports try-out during my school years, I decided the most graceful thing to do was to duck, hide and scoot everytime anyone mentioned sports. Of course, there were the less graceful days when the PT teacher had to have me dragged out from underneath the benches, and brought kicking and screaming to the Physical Ed. class. But I am sure the fond memories of these times will remain close to his heart forever.
On my 21st birthday I realised that I had reached the point-of-no -return into adulthood. Out of the joy or fear, I don't remember which, I decided to turn my life around by going for a run every evening. Absolutely incoherant as this logic sounds right now, it did seem like a very 21st-birthday-thing-to-do then. I suppose I picked running because I figured amongst all sporting activities, it required the least skill and talent. Oh, the innocence of those days!!
Now when I started running, one thing became clear - it takes every last ounce of my physical and mental faculties to simply keep the 'Run' going. It is an unforgiving arena where the reward of covering one step is, that you have to muster up the strength to take the second. Step after step you pull your legs and command them to carry your entire body weight to a forever receding horizon. Stride after stride, all my organ systems threaten to cease one by one; the lungs leading the rebellion. It is only after a few hundred metres of coaxing and doggedly running at a laughable pace that the mind falls into accepting this fate and the body buoys the process with a grudging shot of adrenalin. It is at this pace of seven miles per hour, when all your effort and focus is devoted to running, that all the unimportant and unneccesary clutter occupying your thoughts leaves. The mind is just so overwhelmed, it won't stand to waste it's resources on something inconsequential. And if at this point something is still on your mind, whatever it is, it has got to be worth thinking about.
Here's what I think about at Seven Miles Per Hour.
On my 21st birthday I realised that I had reached the point-of-no -return into adulthood. Out of the joy or fear, I don't remember which, I decided to turn my life around by going for a run every evening. Absolutely incoherant as this logic sounds right now, it did seem like a very 21st-birthday-thing-to-do then. I suppose I picked running because I figured amongst all sporting activities, it required the least skill and talent. Oh, the innocence of those days!!
Now when I started running, one thing became clear - it takes every last ounce of my physical and mental faculties to simply keep the 'Run' going. It is an unforgiving arena where the reward of covering one step is, that you have to muster up the strength to take the second. Step after step you pull your legs and command them to carry your entire body weight to a forever receding horizon. Stride after stride, all my organ systems threaten to cease one by one; the lungs leading the rebellion. It is only after a few hundred metres of coaxing and doggedly running at a laughable pace that the mind falls into accepting this fate and the body buoys the process with a grudging shot of adrenalin. It is at this pace of seven miles per hour, when all your effort and focus is devoted to running, that all the unimportant and unneccesary clutter occupying your thoughts leaves. The mind is just so overwhelmed, it won't stand to waste it's resources on something inconsequential. And if at this point something is still on your mind, whatever it is, it has got to be worth thinking about.
Here's what I think about at Seven Miles Per Hour.
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