--I wrote this in 2009--
It's not surprising that the first elevating musical experience I choose to share, is an A.R. Rahman song.
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=_WOWIH41W4c (courtesy: Youtube)
It's from the much-talked about (and very deservedly so) Slumdog Millionaire.
It was a cold Sunday morning. 3 days into the new year. I was on a train. Calling it a train takes away from what it really was. The Palace on Wheels is luxurious, to say the least. It has a lovely hot water shower (with bad but forgivable water pressure). Only students of IIM-C will know the value of a hot water shower. The sun was still low in the sky, hidden behind clouds which looked like elephants. On some other day, they could look like a Vera Wang gown but that day was an elephant day.
I could hear strains of Bach in the lounge. Yes, each 'bogey' (they called it cabin) had a lounge with a television, dvd player and the usual entertainment essentials. No Bose though. Since it was an elephant day, I chose to skip breakfast. Since it was an elephant day, I wore black. But nothing really helped.
On top of that, my life's balance sheet was quite discouraging. I was teetering on the edge of my now-familiar new year depression. It's a variation of my birthday depression, a little more pronounced.
I opened my sister's laptop, clicked on itunes and let it play. I closed my eyes, expecting a random Fatboy Slim song and hoped the loud, repetitive beats would drown out my thoughts. Then a song with lilting sitar notes started playing.
It seemed to me a song of naive happiness but I was too lazy to change the song. It took me to a place where a light drizzle, made the roses in the garden shine afresh, with drops on their scarlet petals. I was supposed to be wallowing in my self-pity! This song didn't help. I got up.
Then the tone changed. A more determined, purposeful tune. My heart beat a little faster. I felt like I was in a treasure hunt, searching, not knowing what I might stumble across. Running towards the light at the end of the tunnel, as fast as I could. Almost breathless, gasping for air. Faster. Then I stop. It suddenly dawns on me. A profound understanding. Of destiny. Of what lies ahead.
It was uplifting, inspirational and calming. My theme song for 2009.
(Edit on 12th Jan: ARR creates history! http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20090079691 )
It's not surprising that the first elevating musical experience I choose to share, is an A.R. Rahman song.
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=_WOWIH41W4c (courtesy: Youtube)
It's from the much-talked about (and very deservedly so) Slumdog Millionaire.
It was a cold Sunday morning. 3 days into the new year. I was on a train. Calling it a train takes away from what it really was. The Palace on Wheels is luxurious, to say the least. It has a lovely hot water shower (with bad but forgivable water pressure). Only students of IIM-C will know the value of a hot water shower. The sun was still low in the sky, hidden behind clouds which looked like elephants. On some other day, they could look like a Vera Wang gown but that day was an elephant day.
I could hear strains of Bach in the lounge. Yes, each 'bogey' (they called it cabin) had a lounge with a television, dvd player and the usual entertainment essentials. No Bose though. Since it was an elephant day, I chose to skip breakfast. Since it was an elephant day, I wore black. But nothing really helped.
On top of that, my life's balance sheet was quite discouraging. I was teetering on the edge of my now-familiar new year depression. It's a variation of my birthday depression, a little more pronounced.
I opened my sister's laptop, clicked on itunes and let it play. I closed my eyes, expecting a random Fatboy Slim song and hoped the loud, repetitive beats would drown out my thoughts. Then a song with lilting sitar notes started playing.
It seemed to me a song of naive happiness but I was too lazy to change the song. It took me to a place where a light drizzle, made the roses in the garden shine afresh, with drops on their scarlet petals. I was supposed to be wallowing in my self-pity! This song didn't help. I got up.
Then the tone changed. A more determined, purposeful tune. My heart beat a little faster. I felt like I was in a treasure hunt, searching, not knowing what I might stumble across. Running towards the light at the end of the tunnel, as fast as I could. Almost breathless, gasping for air. Faster. Then I stop. It suddenly dawns on me. A profound understanding. Of destiny. Of what lies ahead.
It was uplifting, inspirational and calming. My theme song for 2009.
(Edit on 12th Jan: ARR creates history! http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20090079691 )
