Some time back, there was a rage about this tele called enge brahmanan in my community. As usual there were characters speaking in the most ridiculous tongue that they claimed, was very similar to the brahmin tamil .Still, I liked the spirit of this tele as the title verbalised my thoughts pretty accurately. In this world, it’s very difficult to place yourself based on dated practices and many a time people are confused as to what to and what not to drop from our vast traditional rituals.
It came as a surprise to me that this was being taken up at depth and analysed. But in due course I realised that it was very similar to other teles, heading towards the same dark, dank place in my heart. But this one was different in some ways. Its theme entailed even the kids to watch it as it was a ‘good thing’. “nalla vishayam naalu keta thappila” . The Brahmin group sessions had to touch upon this subject with such reverence that you forgot it was just another tele.In due course, it became a cult symbol; “naagalam rathiri aana enge bhramanan thavaradha pathuruvom”. The kids lapped it up because it gave them some respite from their mom’s constant glare. The viewing of this tele gave our class unparalleled pride and unfathomable punniyam (OK i just exaggerated a little there). Suddenly ''thangam" which occupied the minds of most mami janatha became cheap and tawdry; ramya started looking fat and the screenplay much more boring.
What was this phenomenon? What could possibly usurp the position held by a lady whose hot voice was so misplaced in her fat body that it was actually funny to watch her speak? Well,structure wise, it’s very similar to the ramanujan serial aired a few years ago. The lead character goes around cracking everyone up in the process of finding the true Brahmin. He becomes more and more dazed and sleepy and his voice more husky as he gains valuable knowledge in this direction. comic relief was partly provided by the childish attempt at the ‘tambhram’ tongue and partly by the over inquisitive ‘doubt seeker’ (resembling an auto Walla) who kept asking questions after question like some bumper prize was waiting to be won.This guy also kept bobbing his head, much to the consternation of cho, who thought his head needed more air time.
As far as i'm concerned nothing good happened out of this laborious attempt in finding 'the true Brahmin'. All it did was give a fillip to the patronizing maamis who were already boasting about his son's zest in fulfilling the duties of a true brahmin.That her son did/performed/executed sandhyavandhanam daily and somehow that it was better than the other kid who knew only his pariseshanam and abivadhaye and whose mom in turn claimed that he was still better than one who hasn’t got his poonal on yet .
In an average middle class home the sandhyavandhanam is did/performed/executed (whatever) after extensive negotiation, hard bargaining and veiled threats.The defeated boy generally ends up with a stainless steel ‘tumbler’ and spoon and a face that expresses all the sorrow in the world. So, while the kid goes about it with all the enthu of a rheumatic dog going for a walk, the maami’s spin stories on his son’s piety and faithfulness.
The irony is that people who follow the Vedas , who actually go to vedapatashalas and who have pony tails are still ridiculed and laughed at; sometimes by our own clan. They are lost in this world that finds no value for them. Hence some of them become the stereotypical money minded kurukkls,vadhiyars etc.Anyway, there was also a second edition to this; part deux .Poor lad, that had to go through the half asleep, wheezy voiced routine one more time. This time he had to include the dopey smile also as he was much more divine now,than in the previous edition.
The irony is that people who follow the Vedas , who actually go to vedapatashalas and who have pony tails are still ridiculed and laughed at; sometimes by our own clan. They are lost in this world that finds no value for them. Hence some of them become the stereotypical money minded kurukkls,vadhiyars etc.Anyway, there was also a second edition to this; part deux .Poor lad, that had to go through the half asleep, wheezy voiced routine one more time. This time he had to include the dopey smile also as he was much more divine now,than in the previous edition.
