One taught me about love, the other man taught me how to live.

The man whom I learnt from, what love is and how love should be portrayed on celluiod screen, is none other than Karan Johar (KJ)

I still remember the day when my friend gave me her recently-bought Bollywood film dvd. I watched, I cried, I laughed and knew this is love. It was love-at-first-sight towards Bollywood.

It was the dvd of “kabhi kushi kabhi gham”. The bench scene in which shah rukh and hritik appear, is one of the best scenes that KJ has written till today. I didn’t know much about Bollywood then. After watching K3G, I went to research about KJ. Since then, my pyaar for KJ has become eternal. He gave super duper hits after that (except student no 1).

 His film songs especially the disco ones were mandatory to be played in every party I attended. During parties, the one song I request the DJ to play was- Where is the party tonight? His film songs were nothing short of slowly gripping one with its ingenious and surprising twists and turns after beginning as a seemingly-routinely catchy composition. KJ was one of the pioneer directors from Bollywood who aimed for cross-cultural targets and he brought Bollywood to the international arena and tasted roaring success.

Films don’t just invite us to take a peek into the lives of its characters- they force us to reflect on our own existence and the way we see the world. Great movies, more than just vicarious experience, impel us to move. KJ’s films, despite being very dramatic, have its own beauty. It may seem to be on the other end of the intellectual spectrum sometimes. But he deals with emotions. Human emotions that strike the chord too well that I can’t resist, but fall in love with this man call KJ. As KJ’s stories unfold on the big screen, their lives become our lives, even if it’s only until the theatre lights are turned back on. And as the end credits start rolling, we think back on the scenes that made us laugh, cry, or cheer, and find that we are forever changed.

Quintessential. Probably, KJ’s favourite word. He mentions this word atleast once in all his interviews. How do I know? Because being his hardcore fan, I have seen almost every interview/every youtube video that has the tag- KJ. If his films are the primary reason for liking KJ, then his intelligence would be the secondary reason. The most sexually attractive feature of KJ is his intelligence, I would say. It is evident in every interview he gives. He is a master degree holder in French. He hasn’t read books for about 8 years. He doesn’t read fiction but purely gets his stories based on observing people and life.  He is the first Indian filmmaker to be in the panel of judges at the Miss World 2007 contest. Smart guy, ah?

I have shamelessly confessed my love for KJ on facebook for which some of my friends think that I have gone pagal. But guys, this is not pagal, this is pyaar! On that love note, let me once again wish my love, my darling, my pyaar,

Happy birthday darling Karan Johar!

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The other man who taught me how to live- Goundamani!

He has largely influenced the way I think, speak and write. If there is any tinge of humour in the way I speak or I write, all credits go to Goundamani.

Comedy offers us a way of having a better time around things which, otherwise, can feel pretty disastrous. Gounder,  affectionately called by many in the Tamil cinema industry, gave comedy a new outlook in the early 1980s and its therapeutic potential was enjoyed by everyone since then. His humour was deliberately cultivated as a benign response to the entrenched difficulties that people faced. They loved everything he did. I adore everything that he says. 

At the age of 10, the only criteria that I set to watch any Tamil film, was to see if Goundamani was part of the film. If yes, I would sit throughout the entire film to enjoy his scenes.

Love, Laugh, Live. If KJ is love, then Goundamani is the one who makes me laugh and gives me hope that life depsite filled with tragedies, is indeed a comedy.

• Whenever we get upset with our dads, we go “Dei Thagappa!”

• Whenever we feel happy, we go “Kaantha kannazhagi, start mujic”

• Whenever we feel disgusted during a day-long meeting, we go “ennaiya yen da intha kazhusadai pasanga kooda serthu vaikure.”

• Whenever our friends are too adamant about something, we go “petromass light-ey thaan venumaa?”

• Whenever irritating indian aunties ask you why you have not gotten married, you feel like saying “sangu oothra vayasule Sangeetha!”

Goundamani is a phenomenon that is part and parcel of my daily life. Another interesting info that I came to know about, recently was the fact about how he got his name. Goundamani’s original name is Subramani Karuppaiya. He is popular of giving counter to the co- actors during stage performance which garnered him the name "Counter Mani". This in Tamil polyglot became as stage name "Goundamani"

So thalaiva goundamani, happy birthday dey dey dey to you!!!

Both the men whom I admire, respect and love share the same birthday, this day is indeed a special day for me too!