My latest book is The One Who Swam With The Fishes.

"A mesmerizing account of the well-known story of Matsyagandha ... and her transformation from fisherman’s daughter to Satyavati, Santanu’s royal consort and the Mother/Progenitor of the Kuru clan." - Hindustan Times

"Themes of fate, morality and power overlay a subtle and essential feminism to make this lyrical book a must-read. If this is Madhavan’s first book in the Girls from the Mahabharata series, there is much to look forward to in the months to come." - Open Magazine

"A gleeful dollop of Blytonian magic ... Reddy Madhavan is also able to tackle some fairly sensitive subjects such as identity, the love of and karmic ties with parents, adoption, the first sexual encounter, loneliness, and my favourite, feminist rage." - Scroll



Sign up for my newsletter: The Internet Personified

5 January 2006

Hello, hello, hello, how low, hello, hello, how low, here we are now, entertain us! I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now, entertain us!

> Bluffmaster was seen last night at Wave Noida, with friend and friends of friend. I love Wave Noida, the seats are fucking enormous, and often when I'm in them I find myself reaching behind me for a seatbelt. Not only that, if you go for a night show, the hall is usually empty, so you can pick wherever you want to sit. And they are the only people in Delhi who say Butter Popcorn and MEAN IT. You order your popcorn and they reach for this cool gadget with a little press down nozzle filled with a butter-like substance and they pour it all over your popcorn. PVR Saket doesn't do that, they give you plain popcorn that sticks. But they do make a superior hot dog.

The movie was excellent by the way, I fully recommend it. Only one bit jarred, where this doctor dude tells Small B that he should think with his head and he goes (in Hindi, of course) patting his heart and his head, "If this don't work, this doesn't matter." Where's that from you ask? STRAIGHT from Jerry McGuire, the lines of which I have memorised.


But the theme song of this movie was quite good, I have been looking for it online. Is it just me or does it sound a lot like Bittersweet Symphony to other people also? Oh and the item song at the end, "Ek mein, ek tu hain", I was doing full-on head-bops at this point while around me sleepy aunties stretched and exited the hall and my friend watched me bemused.



> Crisis situation has happened. Small and I find ourselves minus a roommate shortly, coz Priya is moving out. So it's either leaving our BEAUTIFUL house, because we can't afford it, just the two of us, or finding a flatmate, for which dear Internet, I turn to you. We want someone cool, boy or girl it doesn't matter, who doesn't mind living near Saket and we can offer our brilliant, beautiful company, one DVD player, two laptops, one Worldspace system and a room with cupboards! Ooh, and we have a bathtub! And we're really very nice people, we seldom fight and we're super-cool. I have witnesses also, who will vouch for this. So if you're interested, email me, okay? Oh, almost forgot, if you're like new in Delhi, this will work out, because Small and I apart from being Visions of Wonder and Delight are also very popular so you will have many new friends. (We're also very modest, as you can no doubt tell. Hell, if you're going to sell something, sell something, right?)



> It's a cold, cold, cold January people. It's been drizzling and my fingers are all frozen, so I'm making a typo with every sentence. I've been discovering some excellent music though, while on my holiday. One is You Had Time by Ani DiFranco. She has the most plaintive voice, and I'm most surprised I hadn't heard her before. Actually, I was re-reading Nick Hornby's 31 Songs and he mentioned this song, also quoted from her lyrics, "You are a china shop, and I am a bull. You are very good food, and I am full." I thought those lines were so brilliant that I immediately downloaded. And I've been listening to it over and over again. Also, not a new discovery, but something recently downloaded and now on repeat on my iPod is White Flag by Dido. I mean, I know the song is a little dumb, what with this chick refusing to move on and everything, but her lyrics just sound like a poem. I mean take the line: "And when we meet, which I'm sure we will, all that was there, will be there still. I'll let it pass and hold my tongue, and you will think, that I've moved on." Come on, how can you not identify with this song? Sentimental songs, while they make up a large chunk of my playlist, isn't everything I've been listening to. I'm on a very big Gwen Stefani thing these days, especially If I Were A Rich Girl. It's a really dumb song, but I love driving and yelling, "See, I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl. No man could test me, impress me, my cash flow would never ever end. Cause I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl!" Only, what's a Harajuku girl? It's the kind of song that makes me all jumpy and toe-tappy and doing bumps and grinds at traffic lights. Everyone should have a song like that.

28 comments:

  1. You can be a good saleswoman.
    But Bluffmaster is crappy.

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  2. I have'nt seen Bluffmaster, but that song is just the too coolz. It's called Right Here, Right Now.

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  3. Hey, what's up? Been trying to call you since 31st. Have loaaaaads of news. Please call. And in the meantime, a very happy new year to you. Paromita

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  4. So I went and downloaded 'white flag' solely because of those lines you quoted from the song. And I loved it!!!! It's playing on repeat right now! And probably will for the next three hours methinks!!! :)

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  5. A harajuku (?) girl is one of the super trendy in the outer edge of fashion way, girls who stalk the harajuku district in Tokyo. International trend spotters (yes its a real job) and designers visit the district to find the latest inspirations for the street fashions market. Gwen actually flew 2 of them to the US and now they are a part of her entourage.

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  6. I discovered You had time the same way you did. I love it, I love how simple it is.:)

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  7. I'm not sure it's legal to have a Nirvana named entry immediately follow a Billy Joel named entry. Even if it isn't illegal, it just seems wrong.

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  8. Harajuku girls are these chicks from Tokyo who meet up every sunday on some street in outrageous, rebellious type of clothing. They're the 'don't fuck with us we have different colored socks on' type of Jap girls we see sometimes? The ones with multicolored hair and shit.

    Hmm. Not the best definition, but now you know at least.

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  9. I'm glad Jan is cold. About time, too. I was afraid the world was warming.

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  10. But what will we do with two Worldspace receivers?

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  11. How I wish that I had a reason to stay back in Delhi other than the one you have advertised. hehey!

    I loved the bluff master video, when it was aired on TV I could see the entire population of the hostel moving to it.

    I have a fav song to declare too. It is by Avril, called "I dont want to fall to pieces" It makes me want someone to write/sing a song like that for me..

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  12. This is Mihi Ahn in Salon's review, a good read:

    "Real harajuku girls are just the funky dressers who hang out in the Japanese shopping district of Harajuku. To the uninitiated, harajuku style can look like what might happen if a 5-year-old girl jacked up on liquor and goofballs decided to become a stylist. Layering is important, as is the mix of seemingly disparate styles and colors. Vintage couture can be mixed with traditional Japanese costumes, thrift-store classics, Lolita-esque flourishes and cyber-punk accessories. In a culture where the dreaded 'salary man/woman' office worker is a fate to be avoided for this never-wanna-grow-up generation, harajuku style can look as radical as punk rockers first looked on London's King Road or how pale-faced Goths silently sweating in their widows weeds look in cheerful sunny suburbs."

    http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2005/04/09/geisha/index.html

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  13. very impressive blog. u mind if i add u to my blogroll?

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  14. Haven't seen Bluffmaster, have been intendingto mainly because its been shot in South Mumbai, never seen this part captured effectively in a film. The film apparently has done it well. You think so??

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  15. oh didn't see the moderation enabled line. Why are we choosy about public opinion even on a blog?

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  16. i can't believe you mentioned if i were a rich girl and forgot abt the original if i were a rich man in fiddler on the roof. it's the uber cool song in which tevye, the father jumps arond in his stable dreaming of 'if i were a rich man, yabba dabba yabba dabba doooo.. " or something like that..

    or um should i go back and read. mebbe i missed it..

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  17. > renegade: aww, I thought it was rather good! :)

    > srin: I know! Downloaded it and listening to it now :)

    > p: called, as you know, and for others who might be reading this, my cells not working, but it should be in a few days.

    >wishful: isn't it a lovely song? I'm so glad i could turn someone else on to it!

    > gypsnan, scout, raghu: Thanks! I think I've seen those girls, one or two in the Hollaback Girl video?


    > aishwariya: isn't it? I love her throaty voice in it, though I do wish she hadn't got the clumpsy piano riff in the beginning. you should listen to her version with aimee mann of When Doves Cry. It's brilliant.

    > tony: I s'pose. But i love BOTH songs, and I've been singing them, so there you go.

    > bad hair day: ooh faith! I love faith.. well I guess it would be nice, if I could touch your bosy, I know not everybody, has a body like you :) any more suggestions of good driving songs, anyone?

    robert: with a username like yours, i'm not surprised! but it was such a pleasant MILD winter, and now my hands are constant icicles.

    hyde: we put one in my room and one in yours. stereo effect :)

    kd: thanks for the song tip! have put that on download, right now :)

    imhunt: oh the shooting is fabulous. one of the things i loved about the movie, especially the views, the sunsets and all. incredible. And comment moderation is just to filter out nasty, sexist comments, of which I get quite a few :)

    aki: thanks! and go for it :)

    methinks: but i didn't KNOW it needed to be mentioned! I thought everyone already knew :) I pwomise. *looks innocent*

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  18. A verrry hungover hello, dear eM :)...And yes, if i were a rich girl...I love that song too. My second feel-good song after Ugly Kid Joe's "Everything About You"...
    :)

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  19. I actually like the piano at the beginning. The way it starts out hesitant and slightly discordant and then she finally finds the tune. It is rather long though...two minutes!

    Try and get her version of Silent All These Years with Tori amos.:)

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  20. Uh huh, no speakers then?

    Find me a job in Delhi and I will be willing to take the room offer. :-))

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  21. oh why dont you hold an old fashioned essay writing competition on "why em should have me as a room mate" and put it to vote among your blog readers. That should be fun!!!

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  22. if u liked 'you had time', u might like 'superhero'. the lyrics are awesome.

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  23. Ani DiFranco is brilliant. I had a bloody CD that was in my car when it went for service. And it never came back. Fark, and I had it brought all the way from US of A.

    Anyway, do try 'Self Evident', the best comment on 9-11, she's a poetess through and through.

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  24. If you throw in a job in the city, would love to move in with you guys!! :)

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  25. I find Dido v.v.good.
    Her lyrics, though weepy seem to be 'real'...Have you listened to the first two numbers from her first album, 'No angel'(Here with me, Hunter)?
    They will stay with long after the song is over...
    Yup, this is a Dido fan reporting :)

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  26. hey Wave Noida, reminds me of home!!! I love that place too! All the best with finding a room mate

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  27. CC,

    The Bluffmaster theme is a rip off off BitterSweet Syphony.

    Regs,
    Kenan

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  28. Oh and in the senti category, there's Two Steps Behind by Def Leppard and Again by Lenny Kravitz!

    -N'a

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