Valentine's Day

Having worked in projects related to optimizing search engine marketing and click through rates and the kind, I thought having the blog title as “valentine’s day” might attract traffic J.

No. It was not a complete ruse to lure you here. I am not that wily. What I am going to write is related to it.

A brief background on why I wanted to write something related to Valentine’s Day. A couple of days back during my usual quick fly through the Hindu I came across this week’s Nxg supplement. And no prizes for guessing, this week’s main focus was the V day. There was this page where people were explaining their versions or views of what relationships are or how relationships should be. I was going through them with the usual “wow this will be fun” attitude and then I got blown away! One 11^th or 12^th standard school kid was talking about relationships. I remember my school days. I remember me discussing exams and subjects and movies and syllabus and videogames but satandammit! I don’t remember talking about relationships. As far as I remembered, I don’t think I even knew what “relationship” is per se then. In fact I was explained what are the different “bases” just a couple of weeks ago (if you don’t know it either, trust me, it is not worth knowing it now because you are only going to look like a dumbass) and what are the different stages in the commitment spectrum just a couple of days ago. And I couldn’t help feeling like a failed student. Terrible. In fact it is terrible because I wanted to say something too when a school kid can say about it. Yeah. Ego. Definitely. And so I decided I am going to put something on my blog about Valentine’s Day and in fact created a word doc with that as the name. Opened the doc and the cursor was blinking and I was waiting for a flood of words to simply course through my fingers from my mind, words that will give some profound insight into relationships and I was waiting.. and then...

I was waiting some more.

Mmmmmmmm

I saw a mosquito buzzing which came and sat on the monitor.

Hmmmmmmmmm

Drawing on my immense –experience-rich-profound life of 2.4 decades...well... actually I couldn’t draw anything.

I swatted the mosquito away.

Pffffffffffftttt.

And a small voice on my mind was also nagging me saying “what are u doing instead of finishing that library book like you planned to?” That is when I realised why I am not qualified to write about relationships because even if I could write it will be theory, which I have realized over time, would earn me the look that ranges from the condescending - “oh you poor naive ignorant boy” to the angry-“shut up about things you don’t know about”. Even though I can strongly hold my fort when it comes to an argument, I have learnt that it is not wise to argue against battle hardened experience with home grown ideologies that are not even put to test.

So I closed this doc, started my favourite playlist in the media player and went to bed and started reading “the graveyard book” by Nail Gaiman. Interesting book. It’s a children’s book though. And as usual I was singing in full volume along with the laptop which would have driven the laptop insane if it had been a person. And then I knew what I can fill that doc up with. J

Without reading further if you had guessed what I am going to write, then tell me and I will get you an ice cream.

And I can write them without even thinking much because it is one of those things that I am relatively good at remembering and in fact I have indeed discussed these things at school and college. Ah. Finally something is making me feel better than a failed student...phew

Yes. Lyrics.

So following is a small fractional collection of my favourite lyrics from the Tamizh film industry. I know. I wish I were multi lingual. But anyway regrets aside, I am still motivated enough to translate them into English J . Obviously it loses its shine when it’s translated because I am not that good in both the languages and some phrases are unique to the language. And certain metaphors cannot be captured with the same succinctness. And the rhyme will be missed too. But I will do my best. And yeah, you can be really thankful to me in case you didn’t know Tamizh and you enjoyed the lines anyway. And in case you didn’t, still be thankful to me because I took the pains to do it. I won’t mind it. ;)

Get ready. You would probably not be enthralled at the end but you can try and be anyway.

I am going to do a countdown of the 10 best lines (according to me of course) that came in some form of a romantic song because...ahem...afteral...the blog title is “Valentine’s day”... And I am going to specifically not choose the guy-describing-the-girl/girl-describing-the-guy/ loss-sad-melodramatic side of things (though some of the best lines are used in melodrama).

Considering only the positive-hopeful- feel-good sunny-side lines with some ponder-able value to it.

And the ranks are specifically for the particular lines. (not the song or the movie)

Rank 10************************************************************************

Song: Irumbile oru Ithayam

Movie: Enthiran

“Unnaale than en vithigazhai maranthen......”

“Because of you, all my rational rules and self imposed discipline got screwed...”

Why: For using science fiction to showcase the simple truth that all rationality breaks down before emotionality

Rank 9************************************************************************

Song: Thavaminri kidaitha varam

Movie: don’t know

“Ni suriyan naan vennila, un ozhiyaal thane vazhgiren; ni suriyan naan thaamarai, ni vanthaal thane malargiren; ni suriyan naan van mugizh, ni nadanthidum paathai aagiren; ni suriyan naan aazh kadal, en madiyil unnai enthinen”

“You are the sun, I am the moon- I live by your light; You are the Sun, I am the lotus – I bloom only when you rise; You are the Sun, I am the Cloud – I am the path you tread on; You are the Sun, I am the Deep sea – I protect you in my embrace”

Why: For sheer metaphoric value

Rank 8 ************************************************************************

Song: Elangathu

Movie: Pithamagan

“ulagathil ethuvum thanichu ilaye...kuzhalil ragam malaril vaasam servatha pola”

“nothing in this world is singular by design.. like tune fusing with the bamboo, like fragrance fusing with the flower”

Why: For brilliantly explaining the proposition of inevitable pairing

Rank 7************************************************************************

Song: uruguthey maruguthey

Movie: Veyil

“Saami parthu kumbidum bothum, nithaane nenjil iruke”

“Even when I am praying looking at the God, you fill my heart”

Why: For describing the collateral shifting down of all other priorities and belief systems in the light of love, in a religious yet sacrilegious way

Rank 6************************************************************************

Song: nenjukuley innaru nu

Movie: Sinthamani

“ulagey azhinthalum un uruvum azhiyathey..uyirey pirinthalum uravethum piriyathey”

“Even if the world is annihilated your form would not..Even if life untwines (from the body) (our) bond would not”

Why: For efficient usage of technically-not-feasible-convictions to portray one’s ardent loyalty

Rank 5************************************************************************

Song: Manjazh veyil maalai ithey

Movie: Vettaiyado villayadu

“ulagathin kadaisi naazh indruthaano enbathu pol, pesi pesi theertha pinbum etho ondru kurayuthey”

“Even after conversing like it is the last day of the world, it feels like something is still missing”

Why: For glorifying conversations in a profoundly simple way

Rank 4 ************************************************************************

Song: Paravaye engu irukirai

Movie: Tamizh MA

“kadhai pesi kondey vaa kaatrodu povom...urayaadal theernthaalum un mounangazh pothum”

“Come lets go with the wind, exchanging stories...even if we use up “conversation”, your silence is enough”

Why: For glorifying silence in an innocently elegant way

Rank 3 ************************************************************************

Song: Kanmani anbodu kadhalan

Movie: Guna

“endhan kadhal enna vendru sollamal yenga yenga azhugai vanthathu..enthan sogam unnai thaakkum endrennum bothu vantha azhugai ninrathu”

“As I longed to convey my love, the delay kept adding to my woes drawing tears..but when the thought that my sadness might affect you rose , my tears stopped”

Why: For using an interesting self referential, seemingly perennial, logical loop

Rank 2************************************************************************

Song: Kannukulley unnai veipen kannamma

Movie: Pennin manathai thottu

“ni anbai parkum parvayile en jeevan vazhuthadi..ni atharavaga thozh sainthaal en ayuzh neezhuthadi”

“My soul is sustained on your affection laden glance...my lifespan increases when you supportingly rest on my shoulder”

Why: For poetic brilliance and powerfully emotional statements

Rank1************************************************************************

Song: Nenjukkul peidhidum

Movie: Varanam Ayiram

“enodu vaa veedu varaikum , en veettai paar ennai pidikum”

“Accompany me to my home, see my home and you will like me”

Why: For it is the kind of line that I might say if I have to convince a girl. Ahem: shy: blush:

I did think it over. Whether this deserved the first rank. (And it’s my blog. Duh...my decision...ppbbrrr)...It has no poetic value. No great metaphors or similes. Not exactly eulogising affection or emotion. And then I thought, probably that’s why this deserves the first rank. It is the most pragmatic thing to say isn’t it? Establishes the fact that the male protagonist is serious about his feelings, that he is someone who is close to his family that he keeps no secrets from them and that he is so sure of his family’s good nature (this is important for as the saying goes people marry each other’s family right?).

“Oh...such a beautiful house. You selected such a talented architect and mesthri. I am going to like you”... No...That is not the expected reaction from the female protagonist. It’s the other meaning..You know....about how the family would shower affection and a feeling of good heartedness that would get the female protagonist bowled, alleviating her fears that the guy’s family might be schizophrenic psychopaths. But then, as long as the objective is successful, it doesn’t matter how something works right?

****************************************************************************

So that’s it folks. Thanks for your time. May be you can use these lines if you are stuck somewhere in your endeavours. J Happy Valentine’s Day.

Oh, rats... there has to be some message right... hmm...ok...

Irrespective of what you are, single/committed/married / “its complicated” / “looking for friends”, whenever things seem low, whenever things seem bleak, whenever the world looks like a hurtful place.........remember Super Star’s punch “kidaikirathu kidaikama irukathu..kidaikama irukarthu kidaikathu” and then play counter strike/ read some novels/study for some exam/ watch some TED videos/ browse Wikipedia/ and get a good night’s sleep. The next day, the world would automatically seem a sunny place.

**Tadaaaa!***