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ന്യൂയിയിലെ സി. ഇ. ഓ. യും സ്ത്രീയും

    “ഒരു സ്ത്രീയുടെ സ്വപ്നങ്ങളുടെ എക്സ്പയറി ഡേറ്റ് ആര് തീരുമാനിക്കുന്നു?”. ‘ഹൗ ഓൾഡ് ആർ യു’ എന്ന മലയാളം സിനിമയ്ക്ക്കുറെയധികം സ്ത്രീഹൃദയങ്ങളുടെ കയ്യടി നേടി കൊടുക്കാൻ അവസരം ഒരുക്കിയത് അതിലെ ഈ പ്രസക്തമായ ചോദ്യം തന്നെയാണ് എന്ന് വേണമെങ്കിൽ പറയാം. ഒരുകാലത്ത്, പെൺകുട്ടികൾ ജനിച്ചാൽ അത് രക്ഷിതാക്കൾക്ക് ഒരു ബാധ്യതയും മറിച്ച് ആൺകുട്ടിയാണെങ്കിൽ അത് ഒരു മുതൽക്കൂട്ടുമാണ് എന്ന വിശ്വസിച്ചിരുന്നു. ഒരുപക്ഷേ അക്കാലത്തെ പല സ്വാഭിമാനമുള്ള പെൺകുട്ടികളിലും ‘എന്തുകൊണ്ട് അങ്ങിനെ?’ എന്നൊരു ചോദ്യവും ഉയർന്നിട്ടുണ്ടാവും എന്നുള്ളതിൽ സംശയവുമില്ല. നോക്കിക്കാണാനും കണ്ടുപിടിക്കാനും പെൺകുട്ടികൾക്ക് എന്നും ഉദാഹരണം ആയിട്ടു ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നത് അടുക്കും ചിട്ടയും,  അടക്കവും ഒതുക്കവും, അതിലൊക്കെ ഉപരി പാചക കലയിലെ മികവും പുലർത്തിയിരുന്ന വീട്ടിലെ മറ്റ് സ്ത്രീകഥാപാത്രങ്ങൾ ആയിരിക്കാം. ഇന്ദിരാ ഒരു സാധാരണ പെൺകുട്ടിയെ പോലെ തന്നെ സഹോദരിയായ ചന്ദ്രയോടൊപ്പം കളിച്ചും ചിരിച്ചും ഭാരതത്തിൻറെ സാംസ്കാരിക പൈതൃകം ഉയർത്തിപ്പിടിച്ചു വളർന്നുവന്ന ഒരാളായിരുന്നു.അവരുടെ ജീവചരിത്രത്തിൽ പരാമർശിക്കപ്പെടുന്നുണ്ട് ഇന്ന് അവർക്ക് നേടിക്കൊടുത്ത ഓരോ പുരസ്കാരത്തിന്റെയ
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A Walk with Najeeb

   Quarantined during Omicron in January 2022, it took me to reading 'Aadu Jeevitham' by Benyamin. Sitting and completing the entire book in one stretch happens rarely. Turning off the hissing cooker, spreading clothes following the alert from the washing machine, attending to the doorbell rung by the cooking gas delivery person - these disruptions often break the rhythm of reading! It was a blessing in disguise, contracting Covid-19 and being forced into quarantine while the rest of my family remained safe and healthy outside, taking care of me. Reclining in the room, waiting for the knock at the door that brings delicious and healthy food, was enjoyed for a couple of days. Fortunately, my taste buds were left untouched by the virus! It was then that I recollected Najeeb's story lying unread and untouched on my table. It wasn't easy to read the book in one go as my body yearned for complete rest. Every time I closed the book for short breaks and returned after a nap, I
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Wars, Warriors and the Phoenix

   Though, not a frequent movie goer, an unexpected invite to watch  Ponniyin Selvan  reached last month, on the third day of its release. Being weak in history and remembering dates is a boredom, I decided to know about the movie in advance. Unlike other commercial movies, epic movies contain plethora of characters with tough names. Moreover, heroes are portrayed more heroically having known by different names their valour earned them. So, the attempt was to make thorough the characters and the actors well in advance before the real story took place on the screen. (See the difficulty in watching a movie! Spending an amount of Rs. 200 for cinema ticket, around Rs. 100 as refreshment (ice-cream plus popcorn is much needed), Rs. 50 as travel expense and in addition to the expense part, a painstaking understanding of the plot and characters are badly required beforehand to follow the storyline properly. My family laughed at my 'folly') The hardest part was that, the actors of the
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Frangipani for the Soul

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  On social media, a video of a teacher and a student of an elementary school has gone viral. It takes the viewer to a classroom where a little boy is trying to win his teacher’s care because she chides him for his mischief. However, finally, the little boy is found to win his mentor’s heart. This video created ripples in my memory taking me back to my days working in a CBSE school, long back in 2005. The first few days were horrible as I had to struggle and fight to manage the kids and maintain discipline in the class. Like any beginner, I too had doubts about continuing in that profession. As days went by, I discovered that these little kids have started conquering my heart with their innocence, love, and mischiefs. The doubts that I had slowly faded away and gradually got wiped off. There was a pleasure factor lingering while interacting with elementary school kids. They are deprived of vanity and flaunting is unknown to them. Apart from the remuneration part, the job instilled a pa
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Meetups!

  Movies play a vital role in bringing change to society. They have the power to influence the people in different aspects. One such Malayalam movie is 'Classmates'. This Lal Jose creation walked the viewers back to their memory lane, and the movie-goers relived their campus lives. This was a harbinger to the Alumni meets! The first step to such meetups was collecting phone numbers of old classmates. The task is not so easy for the schoolers of the 20th century. The reason is that Reliance Mobile Company made the Rs. 99 scheme of GSM mobile phone facility only in the wake of the 21st century!  The Whats App took over the whole world within a few years of its inception. It was the first place where meetups took their birth. Though collecting the contact numbers of the old-schoolers is quite a difficult task, creating a whats app group is easy. The more liberal the group admin is the faster the group grows stronger (the group coordinator has to be lenient enough to share his ‘adm
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On the Road

  Driving is a passion for many! Speeding the car, overtaking the vehicles racing ahead, offering no side to that which sounds horn from behind, enjoying the smooth road and cursing the rough one, gearing up to the top when no obstacle forbids your path and slowing down to climb up the slopes, so on and so forth. Have you ever made attempts to relate a car journey (or any vehicle) with the journey of life? Let us start the car! You are in the driving seat. First, adjust your seat and fasten your seat belt. Yes! The roller coaster is ready to take off. Slowly insert the key (kindly ignore, if you have a keyless one), apply the clutch, start the engine, release the handbrake and into the lane and off you go!  Drivers who are not seasoned might find the vehicle jerking and coming to an abrupt stop if the clutch is not applied properly. The current generation are in a hurry to accomplish their wants in a matter of a second. Remember to start slowly (Slow and steady wins the race). Once you
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Attention! Janaganamana

 The latest movie in Malayalam that hit the screens in the last few weeks is Janaganamana. It encompasses political, racist and sexist ideologies prevalent in the society. Similar to Lucifer and Ramleela, the movie is centred around the vitality of Media in creating truth.  The ACP, Sajjan Kumar, plays a vital role throughout the movie by winning the hearts of the college students who rose to their feet against the mysterious murder of their teacher, Sabha Mariyam. As the plot progresses, it is revealed that the incidents portrayed in the movies are mere recreation based on the plans made by the political leaders. It was a twist in the movie when Suraj in the ACP's role is found having a vital part in devising the whole drama.  Media as a weapon to create 'truth' is manifested in the movie. Sabha, a teacher who raised her voice against the hypocrites, was hit and run by her colleague. A case of hit and run was reported as raped and burnt to death merely out of news value th
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