Punch Lines for Life and Management

When you go to a bookstall you choose a book. In an airport bookstall the books choose you. The difference is, you visit a bookstall with a purpose to buy a particular book and in airport bookstalls you accidently find some books that would provide you with an exciting reading material during your flight.

I chanced upon this book, ‘Rajni’s Punchtantra’ written by PC Balasubramanian and Raja Krishnamoorthy in one of the bookshops at the Mumbai airport. An ardent Rajini fan I could have left anything behind for this book. So I picked it up out of sheer admiration and growing curiosity.

As the title shows, this book deals with the punch lines from Rajini’s films. Rajini’s punch lines are famous and infectious and the proof to this viral effect of his punch lines could be seen amongst the people all over South India as they repeat those lines relentlessly with or without purpose, with or without context. The very recital of these punch lines give people a sort of pleasure and a kind of reassurance; almost a reassurance like Shwarznegger’s ‘I will be back’ or Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Mein Hoon Na’.

The moment I flipped through the pages and the blurb of the book I could make out that it was a type of book that Arindam Choudhury or Dr.Johnson would write. It is a feel good book that helps you to see Rajini’s punch lines both in management and life situations. Indisputably, the authors of this book are successful corporate managers and business consultants.

Like any other Rajini fan I too am familiar with his punch lines. For example, “Malaeda…Anna Malai” from the movie Annamalai had been a great inspiration for me during my twenties. When you repeated these lines you felt like a hill, the great Annamalai. It takes you to the heights of the hills and at the same time you get a hint at the great saint, Ramana Maharshi who had found his abode at Thiruvannamalai.

The authors analyze thirty punch lines from different Rajini films. I will mention a few of them. In his Shivaji –The Boss, Rajini says, “Panningathaan Koottamaa varum. Singham Singlathan varum”- “Pigs come in a crowd. Lion comes alone’.

The authors say that a corporate should not have the herd mentality. It should be like a Lion, with a unique quality of daring and brand building. Also in the life situation, the authors advice that each human being should have the quality of a lion not that of pigs.

You may now interpret these lines for yourself:

“Pon, penn, pugazhu pinnadi ambalai pogathu. Ambalainga pinnadi ithellaam varanam”- You should not be chasing wealth, women and fame; rather they should chase you. (Basha)

“En Vazhi, Thani Vazhi”- My path is unique path. (Padaiyappa)

“Naan yosikkaama pesa maatten. Pesina pirage yosikka maatten”- “I think before I speak and don’t doubt what I say.” (Baba)

“Naan yaana allai, kuthirai..keezha vizhuntha takkunnu ezhunthupaen.”- I am not an elephant but a horse, for I get up in a jiffy when I fall- (Chandramukhi)