NRI, what is the cost?

Every now and then a video appears where someone returns from abroad to surprise their family. The scene is always the same. A mother bursts into tears, a father tries to hold back emotion, a wife runs forward in disbelief. These moments are celebrated as joy and shared online as if they capture the essence of love. This is particularly visible in Kerala where migration has become part of everyday life.

Behind these emotional reunions lies a truth that is less comfortable. For such a surprise to move people to tears there must have been years of separation. The videos may capture a few minutes of joy but it cannot show the long absence that created it. The daily silence in homes, the empty seat at family events, the distance between partners, or the fading connection between friends is never part of the video.

Migration is often justified as a pursuit of financial stability. Families accept it as a sacrifice, believing that money will make up for what is lost. But wealth does not accompany parents in their old age. It does not replace the time a couple spends apart. It does not bring back the years missed with children or the companionship of friends. The cost is not just separation but the gradual erosion of relationships that once defined life. Time once lost does not return, no matter how much wealth is gathered.

What is rarely questioned is the pride associated with this choice. Those who leave are celebrated as successful while those who choose to stay are often seen as lacking ambition. The truth may be the opposite because staying requires a different kind of courage. It means choosing presence over prosperity and valuing moments over wealth.

Just one question to all the NRI's out there

Whether this pursuit of wealth abroad is worth the years of absence it demands? 

The Blog That Writes Me

When I began writing I thought of blogs as pages filled with my thoughts. I believed I was the one in control by deciding what to say and how to say it. Yet as I look back at the long trail of blogs, I begin to wonder if it was never just me shaping them. Perhaps the blogs have been shaping me all along.

Each time I wrote I put a part of myself on paper and each time I finished a part of it remained within me. Some blogs made me face truths I had avoided, while others forced me to question what I thought I already knew. Slowly without realizing I began to live with those questions even outside the page.

There were days when I struggled to find a topic, but the act of searching itself opened doors I would not have noticed. A casual observation became a thought then the thought became a paragraph and the paragraphs turned into a blog. By the end of writing I would find myself not the same as when I started. 

And after two hundred blogs, I realize that these are not just records of what I thought at a certain time. They are teachers. They have taught me patience when I struggled to finish, honesty when I was tempted to soften the truth and courage when I feared how my words might be taken. 

If I had not written I would have been someone else. Writing has not simply been a habit. It has shaped my identity, as much as my choices and my journeys do. I thought I was writing to preserve my voice but in truth, the voice I have today was carved by the very act of writing.

So the question is no longer about what I have written. The real question is what writing has written into me.

Soothravakyam Review

Soothravakyam released under the direction of Eugune Jos. The film stars Shine Tom Chacko in the lead along with Deepak parambol, Divya Nair, Vincy and co. The film promised a different take on a crime investigation drama and came with the usual Malayalam authenticity.

The plot is indeed different but it could not hold its grip for long. Till the interval the pace is slow but not boring. After the break it picks up and finally settles with an emotion towards the end. The plot line is not that interesting. There is not much of an investigation happening except for a few moments. The crime is in plain sight. While it brings a bit of suspense the depth is missing.

The acting holds the film together. A few extra characters were poorly cast and acted lousy. But the core cast delivers strongly. Shine Tom Chacko especially takes on a different sort of role in his career. A serious fun type that works well. The supporting cast supports where needed.

On the technical side the cinematography is good just like in other Malayalam films. It has the natural look and authenticity. Costumes, lighting and locations stay grounded and real. But a core scene is missing. An important moment is never shown and only told later. That hurts the impact. The screenplay is the weak link. Certain characters are poorly written. A few scenes happen without explanation. The writing loses grip in crucial places.

The music and background scores are a major strength. The bgms brings intensity to the film. They were well done. The songs also conveyed story in parts. Using songs as a storytelling tool is a smart move and it worked here.

So what makes Soothravaakyam a decent watch and not a great one is its genre. It is yet another usual crime investigation, but loses grip here and there. Not much of the investigation is shown. Most of the film moves through dialogues rather than scenes.

Overall it is a decent watch.

Rating: 6/10⭐️