Rajinikanth’s
Petta | Gleanings
This February
2020, some of us teachers, we had asked all our final year students, who are
graduating this semester, to be present in classes, for the last few weeks of this,
their last semester with us in particular!
“These are
classes when we usually give y’all some good tips and suggestions on facing
your future, career guidance etc”, we had then told them!
But as things
have turned out, with the corona virus forcing us all indoors, and the shipload
of ‘end semester classes’ having sailed past us, it’s only meet that we
continue the momentum full throttle on our e-platforms!
In this regard, this
little series hopes to give you all, our dear students, some high-octane
motivation [with some literary allusions as well], to face up to your futures
with the brightest hope and the fullest confidence possible!
So here we go in
right earnest into the first part of our Little Literary Nuggets for Life!
Well, last year I
had the blessed opportunity of watching actor Rajinikanth’s movie titled, ‘Petta’.
And yes! Nobody who
has spent the best part of their lives in South India, would ever want to give
you a reason for watching a Rajinikanth movie!
A ‘Rajinikanth
movie’ is reason enough, you see! ;-)
One of my wards back then, was doing a paper presentation on the movie!
‘Added reason’ to
watch ‘Petta’ right away, ain’t it?
Now let us move on to Rajinikanth’s
‘Petta’ -
Rajini is, as
usual, the titular hero in the movie.
As the movie
opens, Kaali or Petta Velan (Rajini) is shown arriving at a college (that’s ensconced
in a beautiful hill station) to take up duties as Warden of the boy’s hostel of
the college [the fictional St. Woods College!]
The boys who
reside in the hostel are quite unruly, most of them having teamed up with a
local gangster who also doubles up as the contractor of the college canteen!
Adding to the
woes of the hostellers, the food quality in the hostel mess is alarmingly
pathetic!
When the Warden
Kaali (Rajini) questions the mess people on the pathetic quality of the food
served, the mess warden expresses his inability and helplessness to set things
right, blaming the corruption rampant in the contract allocation for the sordid
state of affairs and for the awful, woeful food!
Hence, one fine
day, Kaali takes upon himself the responsibility of preparing lunch for all the
inmates of the hostel.
Giving y’all some
snippets from the film, right away!
Here goes –
Kaali (Rajinikanth)
is seen listening to his favourite Ilayaraja number, ‘Yen Iniya Pon Nilave’, on
his good ol’ transistor radio, even as the boys in the hostel mess are having
their breakfast.
He is seated quite
casually at the dining table, twirling a tumbler and watching the entire
scenario at the breakfast tables with sharp, probing eyes!
Chittu, the cook now arrives on the scene, and promptly starts serving them all, their share of idlis for breakfast.
This is when some
of the boys muster some little courage on them and ask him,
“Chittu sir, why
are the idlis so awfully bad?”
“The grinder did
not work properly. Better eat up whatever you are served and leave the dining
hall!” says Chittu.
[Now, Kaali is
also served his quota of idlis,
which, when dropped on his plate, give out one helluva booming sound that’s similar
to a paper-weight landing with a thud onto his plate, to his utmost disbelief, shock
and consternation!]
[Kaali then tries
to use both his hands and summons all his might to help crush the idlis to size, in order to down them
without much ‘suffering’!] ;-)
When Chittu
remarks,
“Guys, make sure
you have as much idlis as you need,
without wasting anything. Because the idlis
you eat after your stomach is full, belongs to someone else. This is your
thought for the day!”
[Now Kaali quietly
takes one such power-idli in his hand,
aims it at Chittu the cook, swaing-o-swaing knocking him down in the process.
The impact is so powerful that, Chittu, swoons and falls down under the sudden
onslaught of the unexpected ‘idli’
attack!] ;-)
The boys are
quick to express their glee and elation at this, his discomfiture!
Chittu, (regaining
his composure in a few minutes) exclaims,
“Oh my! Oh my!! Looks
like this unexpected idli attack has
resulted in a brain injury for me! God! Save me!!!”
Kaali then takes
the ‘power-idli’ ;-) in his hand, and
showing it to Chittu asks him,
“Chittu sir, what’s
this?”
Chittu replies in
a nonchalant tone,
“Idli! nope
something like idli!”
“Do you guys eat
this everyday?”
asks Kaali to the dejected boys, who are already reeling under the
devastating disaster of downing the ‘idlis’
served to them!
“Yes sir, yes sir”,
they all chorus back in such bonds of togetherness in this, their disaster, and
add up to their woes, saying,
“Thanks much to your
presence here with us today sir, the food is somewhat okay! Else, it’s quite horrible
to say the least!”
“Guys listen! only
if your stomach is filled up, you will be able to study well”,
Kaali reasons
out, and turning to Chittu remarks,
“Chittu, you guys
are getting such a huge amount from each hosteller. Why can’t you give them
good food?”
“If they want
good food, then they should go back to their homes, and have it there! But
here, this is a contract-based cooking. So you can’t expect much! Things can’t
change. Easier said! Try cooking for 200 people and you’ll know for yourself”,
he
reasons out to Kaali!
“Sure. Let’s see!
Let’s see!”
remarks Kaali, and then, turning to the boys he says –
“Children, you
now go to your classes. Come back for lunch. A delicious lunch is awaiting you
all this afternoon!”
[So saying, Kaali
now goes along with Chittu the cook to the mess kitchen to prepare lunch
for all the inmates!]
[Now, even as Chittu
is seen helping Kaali prepare lunch, he expresses his deep sense of irritation
with the preparing of vegetables,] -
“My eyes! My
eyes!”,
he cries!
Kaali now turns towards Chittu the cook and remarks in his own inimitable, characteristic style,
“Chittu, when you
cook, remember to do it with great love and cheerfulness brimming on you. Therein lies half
the taste of your food! Even when you chop onions, do it with cheerfulness and
love overflowing in you”,
he opines.
[And in a short
while from then, after the cooking is done, Chittu the cook gets to taste the food
and finding it so tasty-o-tasty, is very elated and overjoyed! Kaali promptly gives
all credit for the cooking to Chittu the cook, and says,
“Chittu brother,
whatever work you do, you should do it from your heart, with love and joy welling up from deep within you! All of
the time!”
“I now
understand! How about a hug for this, brother”,
asks a now-cheerful Chittu!
[Kaali here happily
agrees for a hug].
After this
incident, Chittu’s attitude to his work undergoes such a dramatic
transformation, for the better!
Indeed, Chittu the cook
from then on exudes an air of positivity on him!
To such an extent
that, even when he serves food to all the 200 plus residents of the hostel, he does it
with such joy and happiness writ large on his face!
This little scene
in this Rajinikanth starrer, although a passing one, and a scene which by no
means has any great significance whatsoever to the advancement of the story
line in the movie, in fact conveys such valuable life lessons for us all, ain’t
it? :-)
The message as
such, is so cute and simple –
Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, with all
your might, with cheerfulness, enthusiasm and love!
Therein lies the secret
of all your happiness!
Therein lies the
secret of all your success!
And what’s more!?
The enthusiasm and
the cheerfulness of Kaali was so contagious that it promptly rubbed off on Chittu,
and on all the other mess workers, and subsequently on all the boys in the
hostel as well!
From then on, Chittu
started serving folks at the dining hall with such cheerfulness and positivity
on him!
Yes! Enthusiasm
is contagious!
Cheerfulness is
doubly contagious!!
How beautifully
has it impacted and influenced Chittu the cook way beyond measure, with just a
little nudging from Kaali!
In fact, therein lies
your joy!
Therein lies your
peace!!
And that’s hence eminent
critic Scupin Richard says,
“When you do what
you do with joy, cheerfulness, enthusiasm and involvement, you pave your path
with peace, prosperity and positivity”.
How trueee!
And that’s
exactly the path to a really meaningful and a fully rewarding life, ain’t it?
To be continued…
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