Are you Single? - she asked

I boarded the train, shifted my luggage bag underneath the seat and made myself comfortable. Neighbouring family of four were still figuring out the solution to squeeze in more luggage in the small space below the seat. Twenty minutes into it and they were free and easy.

“Ok, yes,yes,ok ok I'll have dinner on time, I'll take care of mobile, luggages….”, I said to my mom before I hung up the call.

Time - 7:00pm.

Train halted at Shoranur Junction, a pretty girl  pretty of about my age came into view as she had the  upper berth reserved next to mine.

How to start a conversation?? How to introduce?? What's her destination city?? her course of study?? All imaginary questions were running in my head.

The best way to start a conversation during train journeys is to ask your co-passenger just one question- “where are you heading ?” yes just start with this question and conversation will continue for decades.

Study, job, sports, relatives, friends, hobbies,love etc..  all this topics will come up after that one question during Indian train journeys.

So I gathered all the courage I had, to ask that one question to the  girl, “To which city are you heading ?”

No sooner did I turn my head to start a conversation than I noticed she was already staring at me. I was completely blank for a second and I forgot the lines, I mean I forgot the question which I was about to ask….

Within no time she said- “Are you single?”. Yes, she said exactly those words loud and clear.

I was totally dumbstruck, shocked, flabbergasted, stunned, frozen, everything…

This question was out of syllabus I wasn't prepared for it, I mean I wasn't prepared to answer this directly.

You could have started with hii, hello, …, or start with nice journey ,nice weather..

The boy who was with family of four paused his game and was eagerly awaiting for my reply.

I was still figuring out the way to hide my face and avoid the question but I was already frozen with mouth wide open from which words were trotting out but couldn't!!

“ooh I meant are you travelling alone or with someone else?" -she said finally.

A sight of relief ran down my spine and I finally answered “yes I'm travelling alone"

“ok; it would really be helpful if you could exchange your seat with my uncle whose seat is next  block away, seat no. 55”-she asked with cute smile on her face.

With that smile she can even melt rock, so those imaginary conversations which I planned with her after asking about destination, slowly started fading away making me glum and tearful.

“yes, sure I'll exchange the seat, not a problem”- I said painfully.

Next step, I took my belongings and shifted to her uncle's seat.

Finally uncle was satisfied, she was  happy and I was………….well you know it.



My Other Train Stories :        A Second Class Journey 
                                             The Harthal Punk
                                             EKM to PUNE TRAIN TRAVEL
                                            The Missed Train Part - 1

The Harthal Punk

Another journey post but doesnt have any shades of my previous one,A Second Class Journey.
This time due to unavailability of tickets I couldnt book a direct train to Chengannur(Kerala).Hence I decided to book a ticket till Ernakulam(Kerala) and then catch a passenger train to Chengannur.I don't know why but I love travelling in trains.

I feel train journeys are slow for longer distances,but it gives enough time to think,pause your thoughts,rest your mind,enjoy the beauty around you,listening to the noise of the wheels of the train hitting the stones beneath and much more.There are countless moments like these on my train journeys lasting more than 30 hours.

 I reached Ernakulam at 5 in the morning and the connecting train was around 6.
Had a cup of tea with Pazham Pori(Banana Fritters) and waited on the platform listening to train sounds,announcements and the chaos.The train arrived early I got in quick so that I could grab a window seat.Meanwhile, I got a call from home that there is a Harthal(strike) in Chengannur and there will be no transportation until 5p.m.So they insisted me to stay back in Chengannur station upto 5p.m, to which I agreed.
There are two things that I am very jealous of Kerala- Harthals and the beautiful girls :P
Harthals - there are atleast one strike in a month. And all the schools and colleges get holiday.How joyous it is when you wake up in the morning and you know there is no school/college today!
 The train starts moving and by the time the bogie gets crowded,filled with office-goers,college students etc.
All were busy in newspapers,mobiles wondered why arent they enjoying the green beauty outside like me,then thought they might be bored seeing the same everyday.
Reached Chengannur and as said there was no buses outside the station.

 

Had made up my mind to stay till 5 because I had no other options. But then thought it would not take more than an hour to reach the next town so why not set out by foot.
 I have seen in few Malayalam Movies that people travel in an ambulance during Harthal days because its the only vehicle which wont be stopped, was waiting for such an occasion but none came.There was this uncle with me who advised me to take a boat from nearby riverside and would reach Kozhencherry easily.
I reached the riverside, saw the boat but there was no one around it.

 Image for representation purpose only

 "Enthuvade nokuune"
 (What are you upto?) said a lungi clad man with a bidi in his hand..
"Chetta akkareku ponam" 
 (I need to go to the opposite shore)
"Ithu njaan meenu pidikyuna vellam aa kadathuvellam alla!" 
 (I use this boat to catch fish not for passengers)
"Vere vazhi illa chetta, please" 
(I dont have any other options)
"Vaa keru"
 (Get in then)
"Evdunna Varrune?Malayalam keetitu ivadthe alla en thonnunu"
 (The way you speak in malayalam doesnt seem you stay here)
 "Pune il aa thamasam" 
(Stay in Pune)
"Avde Joli aano?" 
(Working?)
"illa padikyua"
 (No,studying)
 As said the boat had a pungent smell of fish.Reach the shore.
"Ividuunu nere nadanu poya madhi main road ezthum" 
(Walk straight and you will reach the main road)
"Appo sheri Thank you "
"O aayikyotte"

Had to walk a bit again, reached the main road took an auto.
While walking to home I get this weird looks from passers by because they dont see me often.
Saw Grandfather sitting at the verandah with the newspaper.
Surprised to see me so early
"Nee engane ethi?" (How did you reach?)
to which I replied 
"Enikku Veshakunnu" ( I am hungry)



  Inspired from : North 24 Kaatham

  

Malayalam Movies I want the World to Watch!

Mollywood Cinema have their own class and you wont regret after watching them at least the ones that I am going to suggest ! There have been remakes to other languages but still they miss something.
There has been a plethora of cult classics in malayalam movies before the 2000s but I am not focusing on that.
I started loving malayalam movies during 2010s when there was a different wave in film making. There are few of them which I can watch again and again and never get up without a different kind of feeling over powering me , the feeling which comes to you when you know you have watched something really good!
So these are my personal favorites which I want others to watch.


Traffic (2011)

A trend setter in Malayalam. The treatment and pace of the movie was pretty new to Malayali audience. Was really impressed by the screenplay which is said to be inspired from an incident happened in Chennai.The trailer of the Hindi remake has been released.Hope Bollywood goers find this interesting as it doesnt have big names excluding Manoj Bajpayee and Jimmy Shergil.


Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi (2013)
(Blue Skies, Green Waters, Red Earth) 

My all time favorites.The movie is about a teenage guy,along with his friend travels from Kerala to Nagaland to meet his college love, who was not accepted by his parents.But on the way to Nagaland they keep halting, for good amount of time,in several places, which gives them first hand experience of different kinds of people from different circumstances.
A single thought which has truly inspired my heart from the movie:
 “എന്റെ വിധി, എന്റെ തീരുമാനങ്ങള്‍ ആണ്”
  “My destiny is my decisions”   



North 24 Kaatham (2013)

Another Road movie.The story occurs during a strike/bandh day.Three strangers due to circumstances need to travel to from South to North Kerala.The cameraman captures various shades on a harthal day and different modes of transport taken by the characters to reach their destination.The lead Fahadh Faasil also suufers with OCD.


Drishyam (2013)

A gem by director Jeethu Joseph.Most of you might have seen the Hindi remake starring Ajay Devgn.I havent seen the Hindi flick yet, but I am sure its no way near to the acting of Mohanlal.A brilliant innovative plot.The narration of story line was clever and natural which  enables the audience to stick in their seats till the end.


Memories (2013)

Yet another brilliant thriller by Jeethu Joseph.The director has shown his brilliance in plot of serial killing.A suspense thriller, where the lead is an alcoholic police officer who is investigating a psychopathic killer.


Mumbai Police (2013)

A crime thriller movie.ACP Antony Mosses finds the killer of his friend ACP Aryan Jacob and just before revealing it, he meets with an accident, causing him to forget everything. Days later, he is forced to investigate the murder once again.An engaging thriller with the mind-boggling climax.If rumours are correct it is being remade in Hindi with John Abraham playing the lead.


 Manjaadikuru (2008)
Theatre Release : 2012
(Lucky Red Seeds)

A surprise entrant to the list. :P I guess even most of the Malayalis havent watch this movie,reasons being an art movie which are only screened in Film Festivals.Directed by Anjali Menon won many awards in International Film Festivals.A story of homecoming from late 1980s, when a 10-year-old boy arrives at his grandparents home in rural Kerala to attend his grandfather's funeral. Vicky discovers more about himself, his family and culture than he had expected to. The journey is narrated through the memories of an adult Vicky who returns to the same house to recount the experience.



Thattathin Marayathu (2012)
(Behind the Veil)

 A beautiful, simple, muscial love story set against the usual cultural norms which leaves a smile at the end.Vinod an average student from a Hindu household falls in love with Aisha born in a wealthy and influential Muslim family.



Premam  (2015)
(Love)

There was no trailer/teaser released for this movie,  only two video songs and couple of posters.Yet the movie was able to attract cinema lovers.The story tells the matters of the heart of a young guy named George David from his adolescence to his late 20s.Premam is a cinematic brilliance with both music and cinematography, a few nostalgic moments as well.



Usthad Hotel (2012)

The storyline created by Anjali Menon is beautiful.All in all, it is a good family movie, about love ,between a grandfather and a son, between a girl and a guy, between a man and his goal.Doesnt have any thrilling plots or dramatic twists but it is etertaining to watch and at some instances make your eyes moist.



Shutter  (2012)

The story is set in teo days and one night in Calicut.It showcases unexpected incidents bteween three men when they happen to meet a women.A suspense thriller, was also remade in Marathi with the same name starring Sachin Khedekar.

Chappa Kurish (2011)
(Heads or Tails)

 As the name suggests shows two sides of a human being which changes due to unexpected circumstances.The film follows the life of two young people from the two extremes of society.Their lives get entangled with each other when one loosed his phone and lands in front of the other guy.

 
 1983 (2014)

A cricket based film.The story of a man,wanted to be a cricketer  tries to look upon his dreams through his son.It also brings in a lot of nostalgia for those malayalis who were born during the late 80s.But I am not not sure how this aspect would connect to the non-malayalis :




Maheshinte Prathikaram (2016)
(The Revenge of Mahesh)

One of the simplest movies ever seen.Debutant director Dileesh Pothen has portrayed a simple story of photographer in an aestetic but detailed way.Mahesh(Fahadh Faasil), a studio photographer and studio owner gets into a fight and loses. He ends up taking revenge which leads to certain realizations in his life. The scenic beauty of Iduuki is well captured by DOP Shyju Khalid.The Idukki  song beautifully captures the scenery and everyday life of villagers living there.Every single detail has been taken care of by the director, which is not limited to the main characters, but also the ones in the sidelines too. 

KammattiPaadam (2016)

A story of how poor Dalits in old-time Kochi were driven out of their homes by the builders who transformed it into the megacity as it is today, filled with high-rise residential complexes and other modern structures.The movie spans for about 30 years, starting from the childhood to their adulthood of two friends and ending as a revenge thriller.Though Dulquer Salmaan is the lead in the film but the movie is all about the memorable performace of Ganga and Balanchettan played by Vinayakan and Manikandan respectively.Kudos to the director Rajeev Ravi for making such an attempt.

Charlie (2015)

One of the best movies to show someone who doesn't know Malayalam.Tessa (Parvathy Menon)wants to go go away from daily chaos of life and she lands in a hotel room,where she finds a poster where ishe is enchanted  by Charlie played by Dulquer Salmaan.The poster is incomplete and she finds people potrayed in the poster to enquire about Charlie.Each person share their own experiences with Charlie.Tessa discovers herself and Charlie throughh the stories narrated.Dulquer,Nedumudi Venu,Aparna Gopinath and soubin Shahir have done their job with pure excellence but Paravathy Menon mesmerizes the audience with her expressions and acting skills.Half of the movie's charm is due to amazing camera work by Jomon T John.

Vinod (Nivin Pauly), an average student from a modest Hindu household falls in love with a beautiful girl named Aisha (Isha Talwar), hailing from a wealthy and influential Muslim family

Read more at: http://www.sify.com/movies/thattathin-marayathu-review-malayalam-pcma0Jfgdcjcf.html

three strangers due to circumstances have to travel from South to North Kerala on a bandh day forms the crux of this road movie.

Read more at: http://www.sify.com/movies/north-24-kaatham-review-malayalam-pcmbaCbeiadgb.html