Good Morning 02

At the end there is hope. So make it to the end.

Good Morning 01

All things steel lying stagnant in the rains rust! Probably why ‘Real Steel’ was not shot in the monsoons except the scene where they find Atom, dirty, old, rusty and discarded. All it took is a child’s belief.

Thrills for free

Sunday evening and there's a buzz of energy all around. The families washing and drying their clothes, bathing their children at the tiny pockets of water between the rocks. The couples that have claimed their space for romance. The foreign tourist who is venturing out with her DSLR towards the waves. All others who choose the comfort of the promenade over the unevenness of the rocks. Clicking fake pictures with their IPads, digital cameras, DSLRs and mobile phones. An elderly man tries to capture his wife through his iPad and is driving her all over the place for a perfect shot. There is litter around and we have left it there, we're comfortable with it and it is part of our scene. All of this is me.

Picture Perfect Pawana

Photo Courtesy: Vasant Salian

She makes it seem as easy as breathing. Fearless and fourteen she wades off without a sound, except for that of our egos shattering with shame. Each one secretly knows the apprehensions they hold inside.

Snapping from this humbling realisation we swiftly hop into the kayaks. Straight out of a movie, except its real. Reflection of the setting sun, silhouette of blue mountains, storks flying...an experience so serene that we'd rather tire rowing than turn back.

'Right is left and left is right' were the instructions to row. And we quickly figured it out just to experience the awesomeness of lake Pawana.

Magic

Silenced by the rhythmic drops hitting the water, we watch the diamonds fall all around us. Is this what abundance feels like; a sense of fulfillment without owning?

We float amidst our plunder. Light showers caress our face. Though they vanish quickly, the magic of the moment remains.

Can do Kundalika

I'm looking at the water not knowing what to make of it.
'Kuudh,' urges one of the spectators.
One look away from the water and doubt sets in.
'Nahi nahi,' I back off into the raft.
'Chal chal,' a hand pulls me back into the stoplight position.
'Saath kudtey hai,' I say relieving the pressure to do it myself.
'Saath kudtey hai,' is the fake reassuring response.
'Dhakka de,' shouts a pushy soul.
'No dhakka,' Gopal watches on.
'Khudh kudengi.'
The water is nearing in slow motion.
It shoots though my nose at jet speed.
My eyes stay shut from the intensity of the embrace.
Welcome home after 10 long years.

A day with young talent

These young adults have etched themselves in the mind and soul of their audience.

They put themselves out there with fierce determination. Their passion was well recognized by the celebrity judges; Genelia D'souza and Prahlad Kakkar. Also, well rewarded by event partners like Whistling Woods and AOL Cool Age.

Navaneeth Venkateswar who asked the audience to shut up during his performance was awarded the Best Actor, Director and Winning Play. The play used techniques that attempted to erase stage boundaries and interact with the audience. 

Anoud who acted as Mesopheles, Cleopatra's pet cat and narrator also won Best Actress. A brilliant job at impersonating an animal through pure acting.

The third noteworthy perforrnace was David Lobo as King Victor who was true to his character and the 'darkness of it's soul.'

What was supposed to be an intercollegiate drama competition turned out to be way more than what I expected with hilarious fillers by Franklin and Akash Raj as well as commendable dance routines. Kudos to St. Andrew's for it's 13th edition of Olio!