The Choice of Happiness

Hey everyone!

I know it has been quite some time since I have reached up to you, and that's why I am back here, and with some wonderful news. To start with, my first short film GAURI will be out this April, and the works are being completed in a good pace. Meanwhile the pre-production works for MORS VOLUNTARIA and SHE AND HE are on full swing.

Considering the similarities between the conversational dramas I am presently setting up, I have decided to call the series THE MAN AND THE WOMAN SERIES. This will deal with two people of opposite sexes discussing on various topics. Now that the first two screenplays are set, I am also done with my third screenplay in the series, THE CHOICE OF HAPPINESS. And here is an excerpt from the same.

What can people do when the system is screwed? They ask you to be honest and obey the system that has been built to ensure you a better life, to reap the best of the fruits, when the tree no longer bears fruits for they get plucked before they get flowered. They ask us to listen and obey to the elders, because they have lived long, and hence they are wise. But we are also living in a society where older men rape young women in the name of social justice. Where is the wise thought in that?

They ask us to be nice to all. They always quote ‘if they hit you on one cheek, show the other’, and when you do, you get slapped both ways. They ask us to live as a good person, study well, get good marks, better marks than the neighbors’ kids, get a good job, marry a good person, have some good kids, and in India, that good person is mostly a stranger, then have a good retirement, have a good after job life and then a good death without sins to get a place in a world we still do not have any proof of. And then they say ‘you are free’! Where’s the logic in that?

Are someone’s grades or paper of appreciation good enough to rank an individual? Is bending over to be the nice guy to all the best option to be living in? We live in a world where pioneers like Tesla are ignored, while business men like Edison are praised. We live in a world where when Steve Jobs died we mourned, but when Dennis Ritchie died, we didn’t even realize the contributions that man made to make our lives better. We remember not the ones who leave a mark, but the ones whose marks have been left open by the so called superior people.

Here, we have god men. Here we have businessmen. Here we have people who work less and earn more, and people who work more and earn less. Here we have a system that puts a pipe in our head and drinks everything out, and then takes the credit for themselves. And what do we get in return? Freedom is what they term it. I do not what that is!

I am not asking for freedom. I am not asking for you to seek the same either. But isn’t there a better way? Most of the time we get disappointed because we do not get what we want from those who ‘may’ have promised something, or from where we deserve to get something. But I would rather say that life is better lived when we expect nothing and make everything out of what we have.

If there is something you want to do, do it. If there’s something you want to eat, eat it. Being fat, dark, short, these aren’t problems; it may be for the system, but not for you, and not for the ones who love. According to my understanding they who care for you wouldn’t bother, and they who are bothered do not care for you.

Philosophy is not about escaping questions. It is about questioning the questions and answering the answers till we get the utmost satisfaction. You may not be great thinkers, or great students, you may be an alcoholic, drunkard or even a stripper. But if you are living your life the way you want, you eventually make the world a better place to live. The system, or your family, or people…they cannot say what will make you happy. But if can make yourself happy, then everyone becomes happy because at that precise moment, the universe will reflect your happiness.

Because trust me when I say this, Tesla and Dennis lived a really happy life doing what they wanted to do, the way they wanted to do, criticizing, improvising and correcting no one else but themselves.

My new short film screenplay - FIRST EXPERIENCE

Hey guys. It has been quite some time since I have written something here, so here I am sharing with you all my latest short film screenplay.

And quick updates on my progresses. I am working n a new screenplay titled VIKAARAM for a friend of mine. Now this is a major movie script, and for the first I am writing it, not typing it. Scanned copies will be shared with you once it is done. Meanwhile the edits on my first venture THE CHILD is on progress, and is expected to be done by mid-January. I have also finished all the works on my first ever screenplay WAR, which gives me a lot pleasure.

So here it is, my new short film screenplay excerpt:

1.         Int. Joseph’s apartment – Morning

We see four guys in a rather shabby room. Three of them, Sooraj, Jijo and Paul, are shabbily  dressed, while Joseph, young, elegant and around 25, is dressed up in a really nice and cool way. And they are pestering him.

Sooraj

Neeyathu paranjittu poyya mathi?

Joseph

Edaa! Enthonnu parayaanada?

Paul

Njangalude okke first experience njangal ninnodum parannjitundallo? Nee angane thane paranjal mathi!

Joseph

Angane parayaan mathram onnum illedo. Njaan pokunnu.

Jijo suddenly grabs him and pushes him to the empty couch. As he looks at them, they three sit well.

Jijo

Neeyathu paranjittu poyya mathi. Edaai….first experienceinthe athrayum vere onnum varilla. Athu paranjittu kuthan poyya mathi.

Joseph looks at them all suspiciously, as they stare at him carefully. He smiles and leans forward.

Joseph

Seri. Pakshe vere aarodum ithu paranjekaruthu. Etto?

Everyone together shouts ETTU! And he leans back.

Joseph

Seri! Enkil parayam!

We cut to blank screen, to reveal the title FIRST EXPERIENCE.

A moment of change

They say change is a must, for the earlier change you get along with is now a comfort zone, and it is necessary to get away from it. And here I am, cornering a new change. Tomorrow is my last day in the office, of which I have been a part of for the past 2 years. I joined this office on a November 1st, 2011, and 2 years later, I am leaving, on 30th of November 2013.

These two years have given me a lot. To start with, I joined here as a content writer, and started working as a social media manager, and before I knew it, I became a digital brand manager, digital and social media manager and client servicing guy. In times, I went through many road by simply sitting on the corner chair at the end of the table. Yeah, in two years, no matter how the positioning of the table changed, I always reserved my part at the corner.

It had been a hilarious time period for me in here. For one, not a single person has read any of my works, and yet they found enough time to criticize it, which gave me a clear insight on how the critics work. In here I learned to be independent. In here I learned to be friendly. In here I threw away the face of a formal tidy old boy and became a dirty young man.

In the two years I got along with many people, who I would like to mention here. To start with is the first person I knew here, Hiran, who personally is also a mentor to me in my movie dreams. His teasing way of guiding way has always been a help for me. Then there was Arun, Andrine, and Sunil,. the board members who have been helpful to me in one way or the other.

Then came my first team, which included Ashwin, Desmond, Manoj, Chethan, Jishnu and Rubin, and later on additions, which included Devi, Jasna and Ajmal. Then came along many others, like Anitha, Prem, Subin, Athif, Akhil, Yasar, Kaushik, Gayathri, Mokshatha, George, Sreenadh, Orion, Saji, Ritty, Vinu, Abhilash, Gokul, Sreehari and many more who I can not remember now.

And of course the interns, notably Manoj Mathew Varghese, Hitha Gujjar, Anjali Egbok and Sruthy Herle, who have been a strong hold for me even in their short period here with me. There were many others too, who I shall mention in a later on time, many who mocked me and many who stood by my side.

They say marks matter in a school, degrees matter in a college, and experience matters in an office space. But in all three spaces, I have found that it is the moment to cherish that matters the most, and not something that you can brag about for a short while. It is what you are capable of doing and what you do, professionally and personally, that matters the most. In here I have made many friends and gained lot knowledge, which will always be a worthwhile moment for me.

But time is now for me to say adieu, for I have to leave, seek a bigger dream, and not look back, except to cherish these moments. I wish good luck to Links Saltmangotree in its future ventures.

Cornering a joyous moment

It's been quite some time since I have typed anything in my blog, and the best thing about the lot is that it was not because I was lazy. I had been very busy with the pre-production works of my short film, which is nearing to an end. By the end of August, the shooting will begin, and I will be marking my name officially as a director.

The journey was not easy, for I had been trying real hard to get The Child a live project for the past 7 months. But to people who I told the story, it seemed an unreal project. In the words of one particular person, "My stories sound senseless and is not appealing to the general public. People want reality." In my opinion, if people want reality, they should stand outside their house and watch the people. That would provide reality. And if it is entertainment that they want, well, that;s a different scenario.

A very helpful mentor and a close friend of mine has once told me that my works were different for one simple reason, that I write them not to impress others. It always came out of genuine passion. The problem arises once I complete the works, for then I try to get people to read and like the,m. He insisted that I stop doing that, and simply write more. They who wants to read will read, and those who won't, just won't. Ultimately, and this is the most important thing he told me, it has to be a project that I enjoy. If my project fails to satisfy me, it will not be a project of anyone's liking.

There are many movies that come around, where many elements are added to to the liking of people, say it be new generation, adult contents, tragedy, amazing cinematography or so. He asked me to stand aside, and take examples of legends like Satyajit Ray, Charlie Chaplin, Stanley Kubrik, and my idols (namely Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino), who worked mainly to satisfy themselves. Once you get to satisfy your world (which is you), you get to satisfy the world.

Frankly, I had been depressed for no one seemed to understand me for quite sometime. But later on, when I realized that no one would actually work with me on this project, I took a firm step (this happened a month back, thanks to a very dear friend of mine). I finished the screenplay, talked to a friend and asked him to hold the camera for my project. And he obliged.

And I just moved on, setting out casting calls and trying to make a team, and everything was falling in the rightful places. It was like the universe was waiting for me to start acting. I started a new production house, thanks to a very dear friend and mentor in my office, who helped me coin up the name Smok'd Up Movies. Under this banner, my first short film will be coming out, and soon more will come.

At this stage, I am really glad that things are working out nicely. And I am grateful to all those who stood by my side, namely Nithya and Varun, Amrutha, Justin, Hiranbhai, Kumpa and Anjali. Thank you. Thank you all.

Now I am cornering that joyous moment of my life.

The dare to do the new

We all have that one moment when we stand under the umbrella and look at the rain, wondering how good will it feel to simply step into it. We may most probably be under a roof, or under the umbrella, under its safety, that we simply look at the rain at sigh. Because when you want to do something different, lot questions arise. How difficult is it going to be? Where will I reach? Will I get what I want? Where is this leading to? What will others think? What will I do?

We are so immersed in the questions that we fail to take a step ahead. We prefer staying under the safety of the umbrella. But you have to realize that you are not meant to stay dry for the rest of your life. At that point all you have to do is throw away the cover you are holding, and simply walk into the rain.

At first it is going to feel good. But then you are not meant to stay there. To enjoy the rain you have to walk in it. It is not going to be easy. The rain will get harder. The wind will start pushing you backwards. The raindrops will be like bullets on your skin. People will look at you, laugh at you, call you a fool. They will laugh when you get pulled down, when you lose your step. They will say "I told you so" and stay under their covers. They will call you insane. But to enjoy the rain you have to walk ahead.

When the rain grows harder, you will find yourself in the flood. The flood with strong current and flow. But you have to move forward. It is going to be extremely difficult, but the more you push, the more you will enjoy it, because there is no more fun that doing what you like doing.

And when you struggle hard doing what you like to do, even nature will help you out. And finally you will reach the shore, from where you can look back at the people on the other side, the ones who laughed at you, staring at you and exclaiming, "He did it!" And you can laugh then, because when they could do it, you just did it!

But that is not all, for you have just crossed a lake. And now you are standing still. Ahead of you is a river, ahead of which is a sea, further is an ocean, further a planet, the solar system, the galaxy, the whole universe for you to cross. But it doesn't matter. Because you are not going to stop.

It is going to be more difficult. It is going to be tougher. But it is going to be fine. Because the universe wants you to do it. He who dares to do the new is the one who shall make a change. So all you have to do is run and jump, because my friend, there will come a time when you will look back at all the hurdles you have crossed, and you will say to your grandchild, "I had an umbrella once! I threw it away, and it made all the difference."

For it is better to be insane in an imperfectly sane world.

Thank you Robert Frost, William Ernest Henley, Paulo Coelho and Mother Nature for making me realize this.

The Wait - An old song of mine

I was just going through some of my old mails when I came across this poem that I had written for someone who meant a lot to me. Well, presently, now that I am blissfully with the presence of a very interesting person in my life, whose role in my life  is still not certain, let me dedicate this old song of mine to all lovers out there, who wait for a response from their loved ones. (I have edited it, because the original was really crappy!)

The wait

And there in the night

Moonless as I see

I waited for that I felt in thee

And I walk alone

Alone, along the beach

Wishing for your hand to hold mine

Love me you did never say

And I waited for your words

Waited for you to say

Blind, are you, to not see

Or is it another act

For you to hide what you feel from me?

The night, still moonless

You were hidden with the moon

Hearing my heart beat for you

On the sand that I sit

The breeze over me, your love wandering

I waited for you

You never came

Never told me what you felt

Not the ones from your heart

You never told

What your heart whispered to you

What is it that I’m to you

And over the dark sky so starless

I see you dance, I see you smile

And I waited for your descend

I waited and I waited

Under the moonless sky, along the shore

And I will wait, for lives to come

Along the roads of history

I had been planning to go out for months, ever since a dear friend from my office had asked me to go alone to a place I had never visited before. And when I rode my friend's bike to the Cochin Boat Jetty to take a boat to Mattancherry, I had two intentions in my mind. One was to fulfill my promise to her and myself as a writer, by visiting a place I knew less of, and secondly, to find a location for the short-film I am trying to make.

Frankly, Sundays aren't good for a boat ride, especially if it is mid-June and a lot wet. Only the regular travelers, and some occasional couples who would sit in the back-end of the boat, would be there. And I was one among them, looking forward for a nice walk despite the rain.

The people in the boat were silent. The couples were trying to make-out. I was reading midnight's children. Not the kind of fun ride I expected, but when you choose to go alone to an unknown place, this is all that you should expect.

I reached Mattancherry Boat Jetty in just 15-20 minutes, and from there I started walking. The famous Mattancherry Palace (aka the Dutch Palace) was the closest, so I walked to that ancient place. (Now I am not a photographer, or they wouldn't let us take pics. But since I am not a historian or a traveler, I am just adding the pics from Google, while I narrate about my day)

Image Courtesy: keralatourism.org

What was most captivating about the palace, apart from the historical data that they have put in all the rooms and the amazing displays of our ancestors who ruled us, was the mural paintings that was there in different rooms. What made me sad was that they have started to fade, thanks to the 'proper' way of taking care of priceless art. But nevertheless, it was beautiful. Inside the palace, one could feel the depth of the people who once stayed there. Now it is museum. Once people lived there, ruled us from there. Of all the museums I have gone to, I believe this could make me feel something deep. Maybe perhaps the souls of the ages were still wandering, watching me as I astonishingly looked at their portraits and photos.

From there I walked to the Jewish Synagogue, and to reach there, I took the long and amazing route of the infamous Jewish Street, the street that sells numerous artifacts, goods, handicrafts, and more. There were many spices shop that sold genuine and amazing spices too. Coffee shops with aromatic coffee that one could smell even from outside. Man, that road alone is a perfect place for all the senses of mankind.

Image Courtesy: smspostcard2.blogspot.com

The Jewish Synagogue is truly one of its kinds. I first met a lady, who was truly frustrated with people with cameras, and I was guided first to a room that the history of the Jewish Synagogue. Later, I was guided to the inside of the Synagogue, which was small and yet breathtaking. Inside I didn't feel God, but peace was a certain emotion that I experienced (peace is not an emotion, but I felt it there, so let me call it an emotion now).

Image Courtesy: wikimedia.org

From there I walked ahead to the Jewish Cemetery, and I couldn't go in, because the gatekeeper had gone home. So I walked back, and reached the Crafters, a cafe at the junction that diverts to the synagogue and Police museum. I had a Chicken Cutlet and Coffee from there, having which I realized that I have just found a location for ANOTHER story of mine.

I walked back to see many arts shop, where they sold paintings of artists. People would just go in and look and leave, while I saw the efforts the artists took in those breathtaking paintings. They even had a painting that looked as if it was not a painting, but a photo. I wish if I could buy one particular painting from there, which showed lust at its peak.

I took the boat back to Marine Drive, and I was feeling happy. I met many people, Jews, Artists, shop keepers. I feel in love with the street. One day I will go back there, but I will make sure that it is not just  a mere visit, but I will be taking a full-scale movie there, just to capture the beauty of the roads of history, where people doesn't fight, and all you can feel is peace and harmony.