Bring on the Romance

would you like to change your life around

rally your senses, get them all in line

send them out, send them all out

in search of romance

here are a few places it is usually hidden,

at least, where I have managed to hunt it down

The Old

beautiful old buildings, sometimes the mouldier, dingier, ricketier, creeper-ridden, the better. Sunlight loves beautiful old buildings, how it falls on them is a world different from how it falls on anything else, greets them like an old friend and is reluctant to leave.

_______

old movies, whether you prefer english, hindi, or in my case tamil, there is nothing in this world that can pull at the strings of the heart like an old movie. A time different from ours always brings out wistfulness, which is a strong and large component of romance. In old (tamil) movies, life was always simple, and the problem which drives the main plot of the movie was mostly singular, straightforward, and easily understood. There was this actor called Shivaji Ganeshan. He is one of my all-time favourite actors, and when he died I cried. His acting was always understood by everyone as 'over-acting'.

Yes, he exaggerated. But therein lies the romance. If he cried, he Cried. When he felt love, the pain and happiness was written harsh across his face. When he was dying, oh how he dies. Yet, there was always class. In those movies, there was always class. The emotions were the highlight, and they were exaggerated as highlights should be.

There is romance hidden in these movies, sometimes where you least expect to find it. Watch one, look at their roads, look at their cars, look at the clothes on the people walking by. See how the shops looked, see how an actress (who at this day and age would be cut down for her figure, or lack of one) shines with such beauty, even you would write her poetry. See what she does armed only with her eyes and her smile. How simple it was for her to be perfect. How simple it was for life to be perfect. You long for it, there is your romance. My favourite actress in tamil cinema is Padmini, and she was beautiful in her movies.

As for comedy, there was nagesh. Looks were never on his side, but I don't believe there is another actor, nor any other person, who has made me laugh half as much as he has. He was not just a comedian, he was a wonderful actor, who has made me cry just as much. He died as well recently, and meeting him before he did was high up on my wish-list. He fell sick, just as that meeting looked like a possibility. and I cried.

The music, ah. I lack the ability to describe any of this any further, and I have not done justice so far. But it has to be said.

_____

old photos, of anything, anyone. Have you seen how they were so careful as to how they looked, because a photograph was rare, and it was treated with respect. Years from now, they knew and felt, they'd be remembered as they looked, in these few photographs. Most sit solemn, most sit in studios, well dressed, well arranged and pretty. I do not have very many with me, but there is this one old photo of my grandfather, with my aunt and uncle. I love this photo.

____________

The New

New age photography, new art, new writing. While the old ones hold my interest for wist, the new ones blow my mind with the creativity so evident behind them, how transparent they render the artist's mind. The capacity to create beauty has always existed, but in new art I find identity and boldness of a quality I have not found otherwise. At least, which I have not identified with the way I do now.

_________

Disney. Yes, that is my one stop shop for a quickie romance injection. Not the movies, the animation. It can fill my heart up, make me feel young and standing strong against the incredible rush of hope that invariably floods in, when all ends well, when love creates magic and saves you.

True, life is not exactly how they put it in these movies. But I would never say they were misleading.

__

for me simple is beautiful, simple is romantic

anything simple makes me happy,

but my heart and mind tirelessly lead me away from simple.

while drama is exciting, it sure as hell is not romantic.