The Comic Creators - PART 1

Newspapers!

As a 90's kid, I had only one newspaper growing up. It was "The Hindu".  I always looked at the paper with reverence and fear; too many complicated words and phrases. I remember sitting with pocket dictionary to decipher the hidden meanings those sentences held. But my favorite part was that page that held the comic strips, carefully sandwiched between Economy and Science and Technology section.

As a kid, comic strips intrigued me. I could not understand how someone came with the idea of presenting running images with dialogues; a movie feel but on paper. My artistic talent being very minimal, stick figures and mountains, I never even thought of venturing into that front.

The Indianess and finesse of Amar Chitra Kathas, Tinkle, Champak, Chandamama and the likes and the sophistication of  DC and Marvel comics quenched my book thirst. They became the first "books" I read.

Growing up with such memories, I was pleasantly surprised when, one day, a 7th grader of my class, Chaitanya, came up to me after school and gave me a notebook. He said "PSP miss. We 3 did it. Read and tell miss". I was curious, I asked what PSP stood for. The other member, "The Director" as he likes to be referred as, Manikandan AKA Big Mani proudly said "Picture Story Products". I was delighted. The story line was very simple and almost childish with many Kollywood level scenes; but what caught my fascination was the way those 3 depicted the scenes, their attention to detailing. For example, patch work in dresses of the poor people, crumpled papers on the road and so much more.

After their first attempt, with more encouragement from their classmates and the teachers, they decided to create more such masterpieces; each creation more refined and better than the previous one. They decided to upgrade their works. They brought in their classmates to get story ideas. When asked why, Mani simply smiled and said "Fresh ideas miss".

After 4 stories, they came with their first mind-blowing page-turner named "Ambu". It is about a military guy Ambuli aka Ambu, who saves the world with his wit and intelligence. Even as 12 year olds, they brilliantly understood that not all superheros have capes and superpowers. The ordinaries are the ones with extraordinary powers. Wisdom and clarity that makes me believe in a better world.

Seeing negative news all over the world, PSP is all about the hope that these kids will bring about when they become big. The original creators of PSP have promised us that they will keep creating more such works.

Who knows, maybe these kids are the next generation R.K. Laxman and Uncle Pai.

Although I barely played any role in their creation, when i saw my name in the credits, I felt that overpowering sense of pride and success, with Bharathiyar's lines* "When people praise you, I get overwhelmed", ringing in my mind.

HERE is the link to the PSP stories "Poor to Rich" and "The Danger Carrot". Feedbacks, comments and wellwishes are welcome!

*மெச்சி யுனை யூரார்- புகழ்ந்தால் 
மேனி சிலிர்க்குதடீ.

That Proud Teacher Moment!!

Ever since the fellowship started, it has been a roller coaster ride. Some days, I felt that I was perfectly cut out for this job while most days I was completely lost. "So much to do and so little time".

But if there was a day that I would remember, cherish and flaunt, it would be the following. 

It all started with a phone call from this school called Vidhyasagar that specializes for differently-abled children. They were to host a conference on Inclusive Education and guess who was invited to co-host the event. *Yeah! My school, CHS Kottur* alongside one other private school in the Kottur area. 

The one instruction that we got was that this event was a student led conference and the teacher is to only accompany the organizers and not help them with the planning. After some serious discussion, me and my co-fellows (Viveka and Kiran) selected 4 kids (2 from 7th standard and 2 from 8th standard) 

Leg 1 of planning arrived! The 4 students (or should I say organizers) and I reach Vidhyasagar to 'organise' the event. My kids were really nervous and were honestly lost at this new place. I just told them what might be expected out of them and we entered the planning area. After the ice-breaker game, when it came to the actual planning part in terms of the things needed, people to be invited and such, my kids were tongue-tied. They barely opened their mouths; the only conversation they had was with me. I have to say, their points were brilliant but before they could voice them, the kids from the private school would talk and end the discussion hands down. With very dejected faces, the kids returned to school and we (me and my co-fellows) had a pep talk with them about expressing opinions irrespective of the fear of it being right or wrong. 

Leg 2 and Leg 3 went pretty good compared to Leg 1. They spoke words as opposed to silence and I was more than glad to see that their voices were heard in that mixed platform. 

Leg 4, the final one, where the kids were supposed to finalise the logo, tagline and the certificate design, was also the last of the meetings. Soon after the discussion started, Vidhyasagar's principal came into the room and literally pushed the teachers out saying that the kids would work better without adult supervision. I, being a newbie teacher, was all scared and nervous as to what my kids will do or say. After a very painful wait (oh! for me it was) of 20 mins, the kids invited us back to the discussion room. I was almost in tears at all the planning that went into it. They not only got the food menu and T shirt color finalized, they also voted on our school designed logo to be the final version that will be printed on the certificates, banners and the shirts. My kids were unanimously voted to be the Master of Ceremony and to do an opening presentation. I was all smiles that day; 

                                           

The day before the conference, the kids stayed in school till 7:30 PM to perfect their presentation and it was such a cute sight. 

                                       

Day 1 of the Children's meet on Inclusive Education happened in an amazing way. More than 10 schools (private, international and government) participated in the conference; there were close to 50 participants. I was in tears when the audience cheered so loudly after my kid's presentation (She made the PPT on her own and I didn't even move my finger. 

Guess that's the plus about a student led event; maybe, the kids do a better job than us) . The looks people gave initially when they knew that my kids were from a government school changed to awe when they spoke flawless English and Tamil during the course of the event. They handled the stage like pros. And I would hands down say that this is the kind of exposure I would want all kids to have, to show them that they are as talented as any other kid! It is all about how much they are willing to push their limits!!

Today I am on cloud nine! My HM had happy tears to see her children flourish amidst students from other sectors of the society. 

My kids learned that unless and until spoken, no one can hear their voice and without anyone hearing, what is the use of even having a voice! 

                                     

I learned that, some little moments make a really huge impact on our lives and this is my moment! And today I am glad that I became a teacher.

A few snaps of them managing the participants and the event on the whole!  

One more day of the conference to go! But honestly I am not worried, The kids have grown their wings and all I can do for them is to make sure the sky is ready to take them :)

Women Empowerment: Why The Hypocrisy?

For some reason, people have always considered, from time immortal, that jobs are gender specific. Each and every job comes with a tag pertaining to certain gender.

When all outdoor tasks were for the Male members, female were to be confined to their indoor tasks and this was the case until about the late 20th century. Slowly the situation changed and there came a situation were any task can be done by anyone; all it needs is passion and persistence.

When a male looks after the household chores or when a female becomes the breadwinner of the family (even when the spouse was alive and well) the society is not able to take this as the stepping stone towards a better living. The society as a whole considers this scenario as an ill-effect of either the "powerless male" or "over-powered female".

If you are thinking that this isn't happening in OUR society, think again. Ask the lady in middle 30's who sells flowers at the corner of your street, or the old lady who stands everyday under the scorching sun to sell coconut water or to the teenage girl who sells these cheap scarves in the traffic signal.

Had they been treated the same way their sibling brother was treated, a lot would have changed; they'd have escaped those consent “wish you were a boy” talk from their parents, those ill-words from their spouses, those “you are a prey to me” look from the men whom they deal with day in and day out.

Who do you think is responsible of this gap?

When we boost we are technologically developing leaps and bounds, women who have unfortunately lost their husbands are still treated without humanity. Though there is no more of setting them on fire, they are still killed everyday by the looks, words and deeds of others. Just answer my single question, is a widower treated the same way? Isn’t the loss the same on both sides? Yet how can it be so different?

And being a woman, I can say that the gap has been narrowed to what it was a few decades ago. But still we have a long way to go.

I am raising my hands to bridge this gap. Are you? 

The Movies And The Controversies: Why The Ban?

By Harinie Thiagarajan:

A few days ago, while returning from work, a particular tit-bit played in a local FM caught my attention and kept me thinking for a long time. The scene in it goes like this. “There is a wealthy king who wanted to take a movie that will be an entertainer and as well as an eye-opener for the people of his country. After many months of intense thinking, he called up his minister and advisory board to reveal his 3 top stories among which they had to select the best. With each story he told, the listeners came up with some protest for either its title or the story or the character depiction. Frustrated, the king gave up the idea of making a movie forever.” This ad ends with the RJ saying comically, it is way easier to direct an adult movie as it draws less controversy than any other movie in India.

Now think again. Isn’t there a bitter truth in whatever he said? Despite all the protests related to women empowerment and women safety, adult movies are still being filmed and screened in cities without much trouble whereas the movies that have actually been directed to bring about some revolution in the minds of the people have got caught in the most troubling controversies.

But the shocking thing is, it is not something new to our film industry. Right from 1970’s, certain movies have been critically devastated. Be it the Aandhi (1975) with its screenplay similarity to Indira Gandhi’s life and political trajectory, or the Bandit Queen (1994) which is based on the true story of Phoolan Devi, or Bombay (1995) for its depiction of communal riots, or Fire (1998) for portraying a lesbian relationship, or Aaja Nachle (2007) for citing caste-demeaning remarks in the title track. Not just them, Black Friday (2007), Parzania (2007), Jodhaa Akbar (2008),Firaaq (2008), Billu (2009), My name is Khan (2010), Singham (2011), Aarakshan (2011), Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012) and now Vishwaroopam (2013) have all been the victims of such controversies.

Though controversies actually kindle the viewers’ curiosity and eventually help the movie to become a blockbuster hit, it puts the movie and everyone in it, into a bad light. I agree that an entertainer shouldn’t crash anyone’s feelings. But it isn’t fair on our parts to blame the entire movie or its maker when some things are to be said point blank. I am not supporting the fact that movies are to be made to hurt people’s sentiments, but my point is that there is no need to create unwanted hype and controversy over movies that are actually made on a much plainer sense than perceived.

If people really want to put sense into the movies, then my humble request is to eradicate those songs and dialogues that have cheap meaning. Isn’t that more awkward than depicting the truth?

Check out my other articles on Youth Ki Awaaz here on http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/?s=harinie

It is not a matter of seconds!!

Recently I saw this advertisement in a regional channel where a mother asks the audience what makes a kid double smart and says that they need for wait for a few more days to know that secret.  I, like the million or so fans, was curious that secret. After weeks for prolonged trepidation, the answer was unveiled. It was an advertisement for some dhal variety.

Now, don’t think I am getting nowhere to the point. When we were all kids, the products that were targeted on us were candies, ice creams and other such mouth-watering delicacies. I still remember the song of the ad when for the Bubblegum named Boomer was first introduced (which would be like more than 10 years ago). Kids in those advertisements were happy and enjoying; they didn’t not bother marks or tournaments or anything. And the moment I saw such an ad, I had also enjoyed it and went along with the next 20-30 seconds it lasted.

My point is, the kids in today’s generation are pressurized to the maximum and that being showcased in the ads too. Why should a kid always be a smarty-pants to make his parents happy? Why should a kid always has to excel everyone in his class (that includes his friends too) to make his teachers all proud? At the end of the day, this makes the children a mere mark making machine. Is that what we want from the group of the society who has, at the maximum, a few more years to be care-free before they start running in this marathon of life?

I know that in this competitive world, I shouldn’t be lethargic and never bat an eye because even in a split second, thousands and thousand would race me and reach the destination before I did. But isn’t it up to the individual to choose that destination?

We aren’t sheep to follow the herd and the moment everyone realizes it, the so-called race for living will become a comical phrase; we all will start living for work than work for living! 

Ah!!! 2012...

2012! Everything I asked for and even more..

Just like any other New Year’s eve, 2012 started off the same way, never-ending expectations and hopes with fear tagged along. I asked for just one thing in 2012. That was, to have no regrets for whatsoever that happens this year. And now, I say proudly that I really don’t have any regrets at all. 2012 was one hell of a roller-coaster ride for me.

I am and have always been unstable as far as emotions are concerned and 2012 made me realize that there is nothing wrong in being so.  I was happy, strong, sad, naughty, vulnerable, week, flirty, rude, sweet, heartbroken, emotional, lovely, irritating, in love and possibly everything that a human can possibly be. And what’s more, every time I was one of those things, something or the other happened that made me realize it is never wrong in being who you want to be.

This year is possibly the year, when I have interacted with so many new people, visited so many new places, did so many new things that I have never dreamt of in 2011. From a small town girl college, I got introduced to media, received an honorary award (which is by and large, the biggest possible award I have ever been acknowledged with), traveled all the way to Pune and started my first baby step in returning the goodness to the world.

So here I say, with head held high, I have grownup and all thanks to you, 2012..

Madurai: How Long Will Its Grandeur Last?

One of South India’s great temple towns, Madurai, is synonymous with the celebrated Meenakshi Temple. Situated on the banks of River Vaigai, Madurai has a rich cultural heritage passed on from the great Tamil era more than 2500 years old. Madurai was an important cultural and commercial centre even as early as 550 AD – it was the capital city for the great Pandya kings. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu.

The city attracts a large number of tourists from within the country and abroad. As high as 7,000,000 tourists visit Madurai every year, out of which foreigners number 4,500,000. I am certainly honoured to have spent the most part of my life there.

Whenever I go to the Meenakshi Amman temple or to the Gandhi Museum, or any other tourist spot for that matter, I see always see a bunch of excited tourists with guide maps in one hand, digicam in the other, with a smile on their faces and excitement in the eyes. No matter where the tourists are from, ladies invariably wear sarees and jasmine flowers, while the gents weardhotis to respect the tradition of this place. In this current situation where Indians prefer foreign tradition and pick spots to spend their vacation, seeing those people come to Madurai is certainly an honour and pride.

Though I get all elated to be a part of this amazing heritage, there is one part of me that is cursing the authorities very severely. Would you prefer differential treatment at your own house, that too for dumb reasons? That is exactly what’s going on here.

While standing in queue for Darshan, if you look like a wealthy, born-with-a-silver-spoon kind of person with jewels in every possible part of your body, then you get to see the Lord from the front row. But if look like an ordinary, I-belong-to-this-place person, then you will certainly not get more than a minute to pray. Isn’t this atrocious? Give a few hundred bucks extra; you can even get those specially-blessed garlands and holy ash. That is not all. The entry fee for any tourist place depends of the location you are from, probably the lowest rate to people from Tamil Nadu, a bit higher for other state tourist and few more hundreds for foreigners. Had these extra bucks been utilized in development of these areas, then I would have certainly appreciated it. But, like any other form of revenue in India, they are only going to the pockets of the already-rich.

The cleanliness of the city is also getting degraded by huge leaps. The boundary wall of the very divine Gandhi Museum is studded with pan spits and cigarette bud marks. Who is to be blamed for this? When foreigners visit this place to get tranquillity, why aren’t the locals realizing the importance? The look on the faces of these tourists when they find a local urinating or defacating is indeed, humiliating. I am not insisting the people to go on to do community service of cleaning the city and picking up the wastes. It is more than enough if each person just puts the waste in appropriate places. That itself is a huge contribution.

However, if no action is taken to improve surroundings and this current situation continues, Madurai will not only lose tourists, but only lose the charm that has been preserved for all these centuries.

Read full article at: http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2012/03/madurai-how-long-will-its-grandeur-last/