Petals!

A colleague called out to me, from the news desk, "Did you see this breaking news, Swapna?" I froze when I saw the breaking news that read: "Kalpana dead." My first thought was, "There's been some mistake, this can't be true."  But this news turned out to be true.  Many actors in the Malayalam film industry are still in a state of shock on hearing this news. People from all walks of life are paying emotional tributes to her. She was an accomplished actress but that's not the only reason why people love her.  She mingled with people easily and warmly. She showed love and warmth to everyone she met.  Like hundreds of Malayalam movie goers, I too grew up watching many of Kalpanachechi's comedy sequences.  Charlie was her last film, she had a heart wrenching role in it as 'Queen Mary'.  I had closed my eyes in the scene where she embraces death.  As actor Prithviraj tweeted, "What a sign-off in Charl...

For those of you who wrestle with thoughts and want to do some quality control, Eknath Eashwaran's book, Conquering the Mind is a good reference. [DO READ: Signs of Progress in Meditation  ] Here's what kept me glued to E knath Eashwaran's book: 1. You get practical examples of how to control the quality of thoughts that arise in your mind. [Do READ: How Raja Yoga unites Mind Power with Cosmic Power ] 2. Simple but useful tips for meditation.  [BONUS READ: What happens within you when you meditate  ] 3. The daily challenges we face when we try to control the quality of thoughts that arise in the mind are dealt with using simple examples.  As a working mother, the most important takeaway for me is this: I have seen a positive change in my 9-year-old son when I cite Eknath Eashwaran's 'quality control' arguments to him.  It makes sense to him. Using specific tips from this book, it is possible to instil the hab...

I watched Charlie, starring Dulquer Salman, Parvathy Menon, Aparna   Gopinathan, Nedumudi Venu, and directed by Martin Prakkat. Gopi Sundar has blended in some magical melodies that will tempt you to sit back and simply put everything else on hold while you listen to it.  [BONUS Read:  Anju Sundarikal,   Theevram ,  Premam , Bangalore Days ] Dulquer Salman is brilliant in this film, gets into the skin of the character and he has set the bar very high for his next batch of movies, with Charlie . The way he transforms himself into Charlie is impressive and almost effortless. The way Charlie bonds with every character in this movie is heart-touching, sheer magic.  Tessa (starring: Parvathy) caught my interest from the first scene till the last. The way she talks, dresses, walks - everything has a spark. She goes in search of the distant and the forbidden. The only persons who understand her quirky spirit are her grandmother and a bestie who...