Vexing the Purists

For as long as we’ve communicated they’ve also been ways to restrict it. In the present, every idea – be it written, verbally and musically is criticized first by someone or another. What seems like human right to one seems like rebellion to another. Expression, no matter through which medium, is always challenged and questioned. This was the main theme of the play last night. Beneath the humor, the rhythm and the choreography lay an important message – art, constantly the target of the Indian censor board. There were three characters that performed their best and made the crowd respond to each and every move. The director- Ajay Krishnan, too was part of the action. An onlooker. He looked very much like the director and the audience at the same time. It’s been long since I’ve watched a play and seeing it last night only made me tell myself that I’ve got to do more of this in the future. So Runa and I decided to make it back to Rangashankara on Sunday for the play titled ‘Double, Triples and Quadruples’. The posters looked interesting and I figured it’s the best way to spend the Sunday evening.

Ajay Krishnan - Director

“Laugh lines :

“Our stars are not aligned. Your rahu is in my khetu” –
Vinod’s response as a female politician to Gulshan’s question about why they
cannot be together, as he presses against her.

“Dry humping is part of
Indian culture” – Gulshan’s response as the senior censor official about why
pelvic thrusts shouldn’t be banned in films.”

I’m done with four trips through Coldplay’s new album- ‘Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends’. And good news for all you Coldplay fans- It’s everything you wanted and expected to hear, maybe even better. When we heard the premier of the single ‘Viva La Vida’ on the radio, Runa thought that they had experimented with a new sound because there was none of that trademark piano sound. Hey Runa, good news! If you liked the old piano based Coldplay sound there are songs here for you. With the four boys fronted by Chris Martin each and every song on this album is unyielding and different from beginning to end. I highly recommend this album to all Coldplay and non- Coldplay fans. Kudos boys for the stellar work.


Yesterday, at the play I met an old friend- actually an old crush. Met him for the first time during Christmas of 2002. He was a tabla maestro, a photographer, a DJ and he had the weirdest hairstyles that made me adore him all the more. We spoke for hours on nights that seemed endless and when we’d meet it would be so hard to keep a straight face and not look hopelessly in love. He left to Mumbai a few years ago and I never heard from him until last night. It was great catching up with him. He looked rather ordinary with all that crazy hairstyling gone. Not that that’s a bad thing.

For my late night caller. My new Coldplay favorite - 'Violet Hill'