What Neeraj Pandey may have not told you about “Baby”

by | Aug 9, 2020 | Movie Review | 0 comments

This post is long long overdue. In fact I have been wanting to write this review for almost 5 years when the movie was released way back in 2015 and I had better do it now. Over the years I have read scores of reviews but not one reviewer has reported from where Neeraj got the idea for this “disappointing” (will explain why soon) film. The very first review of “Baby” I read was one in “The Hindu“. I will not name the reviewer but the title of his reiview was “Baby = Zero Dark Thirty + Fargo + some other film“. In the format of the title the reviewer gave to his post I found an uncanny resemblence to the title I gave to my review of the movie “Talaash” on my movie review blog (now defunct but going to be revived very soon). “Talaash” was released in 2012. My review of “Talaash” was titled “Talaash = What lies beneath + Gothika + The Sixth Sense“. Sadly the reviewer in The Hindu not only got his equation wrong in his title but also failed to know from where Neeraj got or can I say lifted the idea for his film. In fact it even surprises me that not one reviewer could find the resemblance between the storyline of “Baby” and one of the biggest post-World War II real-life dramas of the capture and abduction of the biggst organizer of the holocaust, Adolf Eichmann. Eichmann is quoted to have said that he would leap laughing into the grave because the feeling that he had five million people on his conscience would be for him a source of extraordinary satisfaction. After the fall of Berlin and Hitler‘s suicide most of the Nazi criminals went into hiding. They fled to other countries using fake id’s. Mossad and several other hunters were on the hunt for these Nazi criminals. The Mossad was particularly looking for Adold Eichmann and Joseph Hengele. 

Adold Eichmann flees to Argentina and begins life there with a fake id. Mossad come to know his wherabouts and plan and very cleverly capture him. They could have finished him there and left without a trace but then they get orders to bring him alive to Israel. With extraordinary brilliance Adolf Eichmann is kidnapped to Isreal on a flight where his identity is changed to that of an Israeli. He is drugged and made to look as an injured mechanic to the Argentinian authorities. Back in Israel, Eichmann is tried, found guilty of multiple crimes related to the genocide and is sentenced to death by hanging. His trial gets huge coverage on the media. Argentinians meanwhile are enraged. This story was first telivised in a series in 1979 and then stitched together as a movie, “The House on the Garibaldi Street” and I watched this film at the O.A.T, I.I.T Madras. Even if no scene seemed similar between this movie and “Baby” the final climactic Airport and Airplane scene is a pure “lift-off”. Another T.V series, “The Man who captured Eichmann” in 1996 and then finally a movie in 2018, “Operation Finale” starring Ben Kingsley as the notorious Adof Eichmann were also made.

Adding to it “Baby” is filled with masala scenes like Akshay Kumar knocking off a bloodless-tooth while negotiating with an Indian officer. Add to it Aupam Kher‘s impossible wig and Tapsee Pannu‘s terrible walk (wonder how they couldn’t edit that out) and propogating theories like muslims terroritsts based out of Pakistan were planning an “Azad Kashmir” made “Baby” such a poor watch. No wonder, Pakistan banned this film.

In conclusion, “Baby” is no original.  And sequels are being planned?

Four weddings and a “Naalambalam” visit!

by | Mar 17, 2020 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Little did I know what I was getting into on my trip to Payammal from Irinjalakuda two Sundays ago, 23’rd February to be precise. Having made an aborted attemtp to visit “Shatrugnan Swami” at Payammal earlier, this time I was determined to make it and so I start early for the day.  I was later told that a bus going to “Mathilakam” via “Edakkulam” was the one to take and that it would depart at around 8:30 AM. I did as advised and did  board the bus on time. I did mention to the conductor to inform me of the “Bus Stop” at Payammal. Thanks to him and a  passenger I got off the bus at the right stop. The temple is still a 800m walk to the temple from the bus stop.  Had a nice little chat with someone from the bus till the temple (ok, pretty young girl, who happened to be an ex-St.Josephite where I was currently teaching). The temple is the smallest when compared to the temples of the other brothers namely, Lakshmana, Sri Rama and Bharatha (in the order of increasing sizes of the temples) but an important one nevertheless. It is considered very auspicious to visit all four during the “Ramayana” month by noon. I was not looking for a 4-Temple visit but it happened that day, thanks to His Grace.  But there were other surprises, read on!

I was on time for the morning Darshan of  “Shatrugna Swamy” but just when the “Nada” or the door of main deity was being closed, two people stepped arrived. There was a lady (dressed in white Sari and I should have realized why she was dressed that way) accompanied by someone who I guessed was her son. There seemed to be a “buzz” in the air on their arrival. Within a short while the “Nada” was closed and it was a good decision I did not leave the temple premises when the “Nada” was closed. I had been at the temple for just a short while anyway and didn’t want to leave.  After the the doors were opened, I paid another visit inside. Meanwhile I already noticed one person in the temple tell the lady and her son, “I have watched you on T.V…” and I gradually get the feeling she may be a popular figure but I couldn’t figure for what. As we were all leaving the temple I heard them talk about Moozhikulam, Lakshmana‘s temple. It was here I thought I would ask them if I could join them. “Are you going to Moozhikulam?” I asked. “Yes” came the reply from them. “Can I join you?” I asked. “Sure” came the prompt reply. I felt blessed. Their car was emptly anyway and could take another passenger as well. 

It was only during the journey and in conversation with the son (whom they were adressing as Jishnu, actual name Uthrajan) that I came to know that his mother Ramadevi who had given birth to quintuplets (4 daughters and a son) and was well known all over the Malayali world. She raised the children single-handedly after the passing away of her husband. All 5 children went to the same school, same class (probably same section too) though now they have varied interests and therefore have qualified for their specialized jobs. The four daughters are all getting married on the same day, same time in April and the best part is that I was being invited too. What an honour!

I only pray the wedding goes well inspite of the Corona virus problem. 

4WeddingsSameDay

We reach Moozhikulam just in time before the temple closed its doors. What another blessing! Two temples down and I was slowly beginning to wonder where we are headed next. I couldn’t believe when I was told they were driving to Guruvayoor via Thriprayar. I asked if I could be dropped at Thriprayar and to which they gladly agreed. My other choice would have been boarding a bus at Mala to IJK.  So after the darshan at Thriprayar I would have time to visit Koodalmanickyam and make it a complete “Naalambalam” visit, Wow! 

The only gripe was that I reached Thriprayar at noon and the temple “Nada” was closed though I was allowed to sit inside the premises, which was good. So I wait till 4:45 when the doors open, have my darshan of Sri Rama and head back to IJK to visit Koodalmanickyam and there’s my story of visiting all four temples in a day. Was dead tired by the end of day!  

P.S – Except Koodalmanickyam men can wear Pants (trousers) at all the other temples. Of course shirts, tees need to be removed at all temples.

Full mockery & exposé of the Christian Ministries

by | Feb 26, 2020 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Jesus! Honestly what guts! Full credit to Anwar Rasheed and the writer of this film, Vincent Vadakkan for a movie as this. It was my first day, first show probably for the first time in my life and I have been dying to get this review out. In fact I am wondering why Christians here in Kerala weren’t offended by this film, or probably they are. I know one lady who walked out of the film. I’m told it hasn’t been released in Chennai and I wonder how the Christians there are going to take it, if it does get released there. Such miracle healing shows are almost legend in Chennai and other parts of Tamizhnadu.

How savvy businessmen make these Christian Ministries into money making Juggernauts is what the movie describes vividly though there is a story line which again was not the “main thing” for me. How millions are fooled into believing these ministries is the highlight. And these fake men pull it off with drama, staged healings, emotional tugging at the hearts, song, music, dramatic special effects and whatever it takes to fool people in the name of God, and in the process amass huge amounts of money. Some are brainwashed to such an extent that they even refuse hospital treatment of their sick ones thinking the healing power of God will help.

Fahadh Faasil does a stellar role and there are stellar performances from other cast and crew, notably Dileesh Pothan and Gautam Vasudev Menon who does his first good complete role compared to the cameos he does in his movies. The only let down was Nazriya whose character gives away whenever she resorts to her childish antics (that she is popularly known for) which doesn’t do justice to her role in the film. On the other hand someone like Andrea Jeremiah (Annayum Rasoolum) would have nailed this character.

My recommendation, Go for it.

A Legend is no more, Neil Peart

by | Jan 12, 2020 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

“Rush’s Neil Peart is no more…of brain cancer, he was 67”. I wake up with this message on WhatsApp yesterday from my friend Shaji Samuel in the U.S. My day of mourning begins. The next thing I am doing even before I start for the day is checking for “News” of his passing away online. Why wasn’t there any news of his illness? Reminded me of Freddy Mercury‘s passing away in 1991. I had just joined my first job then and I didn’t want to go to work that day.  The Band’s official announcement of Neil’s passing away is on their website at www.rush.com.

You say you listen to rock music. You say you don’t know Neil Peart of Rush. I am sorry, “You don’t know rock music”. In fact you haven’t listened to rock at all.

You are learning to play drums. You say you don’t know Neil. You don’t know how much of a better drummer you will be only if you knew him. Neil inspired millions to take up drumming. Mike Portnoy the legendary drummer from Dream Theatre was such a big fan, he would actually go for Rush’s concerts to watch Neil (there is a YouTube video of Mike attending one such concert).

First time I hear about Rush is at school (VanaVani, IIT M), way back in the early  80’s when my classmate K. Shivakumar used to brag that Rush was the greatest band in the whole world. His brother was in the U.S and he had music sent to him from there. The name Rush was stuck in my head though. While at college (MCC but always hung out with my friends at IIT, M) I listen to songs “Fly by night“, “Cinderella Man” and “Bastille Day“. I am not very impressed and then in 1986 I listen to a complete album, “Permanent Waves“. The mark that was left in my mind by  Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and that one hell of a drummer Neil Peart, was of course, “Permanent for ever”. Thanks to “Bond” Sridhar (the wealthy dude on the BSA Bond bike from Alakananda Hostel pursuing his B.Tech Mechanical) who could procure us any album under the planet. I, Shaji Samuel and T.P (T. Parthasarathy) the other dudes from IIT M would spend hours of our precious time listening to Rush though TP would eventually move on to more heavier music later on. By the time we got to “Moving Pictures” Rush’s mark on our minds were indelible. Though “2112” ranks as the fav first album of many a Rush fan (actually it’s the official Rush initiation album) for me it was “Permanent Waves“. Other classics just followed “A farewell to Kings“, “Hemispheres“, “Caress of Steel“. These are of the more Prog Rock kind. Even “Signals” retained their former sound but succeeding albums didn’t do the magic for me like these did though flashes of brilliance always came shining through. Though Alex and Geddy’s contributions on these albums were brilliant it was Neil that outshined with his impeccable drumming. Show me one Rush fan who will say “No” to this. Though I did love and admire several other drummers (Steward Copeland in particular for his style), Neil was undoubtedly a “Drum-God”. Still recall Alex Lifeson mentioning in The Rush Rockumentary how Neil beat the crap out of that drums when they checking him for auditions after their first drummer John Rutsey was being replaced. John Rutsey himself is also no more having succumbed to diabetes and other health issues in 2008. 

I recall another incident. While in the U.S. many years ago a colleague would mention how in one of the 2112 concerts he had been to, Neil’s drums were connected to lights, one drum to a light. Each light would light up only when he struck that drum. At the height of his solo it was unbelievable to watch the number of lights that would go “on”. Wish someone had made a video of the same. 

Neil’s life was not without personal loss and tragedy having lost a teenage daughter in a car accident and his former wife 10 months later after his daughter’s accident, to cancer. It was almost the end of Rush when these incidents happened and Neil went on a hiatus. But he bounced back. 

Even the drums he played will miss him because there is no drummer who can play them like the way Neil Did.

Rest in peace, Neil. You will be missed. 

 

A good movie for the weekend

by | Dec 1, 2019 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Hotel Mumbai Poster

First of all kudos to Anthony Maras for making a film of an incident of which a movie, “The Attacks of 26/11” by Ram Gopal Varma and a documentary “Surviving Mumbai” were already made. The documentary was the inspiration for the making of this film. For many who do not know of what actually happened, this film is certainly an eye-opener.

Watching a movie as this one wonders if what the NRA is doing in America can also be good for us in that that one is actually tempted to go and buy a gun to fight these brainwashed cowards who attacked us and caused so much harm and suffering in 2008.

The movie may not be perfectly historically accurate and it also doesn’t mention or show the various Policemen (encounter specialists) and Commandos who sacrificed their lives in the event but it still does a good job of capturing the horror of what the victims would have gone through in an event as this. One reviewer on Wikipedia has written about Hotel Mumbai, the following, “Sitting through the harrowing events again nearly a decade later could hardly be described as entertainment, and the film plays to many of the same unseemly impulses that make disaster movies so compelling, exploiting the tragedy of the situation for spectacle’s sake” but then how else can one explain the horror of this incident. Watching this movie is certainly not like watching a fictional “Rambo” or “John Wick” movie. This is what took place and this is how many of the victims actually suffered. 

The acting is top notch with Dev Patel, Anupem Kher and a good list of international stars delivering gripping and stunning performances. The movie actually is a year old and the theatrical release has been delayed in India. 

Highly Recommended. Go for the English version.

Diego Maradona, Good but could have been better

by | Oct 16, 2019 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

diego maradona documentary film cover

Even now, I keep pulling my son Chaithanya’s leg saying, “You were just an hour or two away from Maradona when he was opening Chemmannur Jeweller’s showroom in Kannur and you missed him.” Chaithu was vacationing in Kerala and he knew all about the superstar footballer’s visit. Even Mammooty and Mohanlal fans wouldn’t gather this much to watch their favourite actor as did Maradona’s fans who came from all over Kerala. Two of them (not confirmed) even had a heart attack. 

Back to the documentary film now playing in theatres in India. The presentation of the documentary is good, very similar to what Peter Jackson did with the “They Shall not grow old” documentary on the World War 1 veterans in that that there aren’t any personal interviews with people talking to the camera about Maradona. Whenever a voiceover occurs only a mention in titles is made on screen as to who is speaking. Considering the amount of free footage still available online it is surprising some very important footage was left out, particularly of a crying Maradona after the defeat in the 1990 World Cup Final to Germany. It was a heart wrenching moment for Maradona fans all over the world. Germany’s defeat in the 1986 World Cup Final was avenged but only with a controversial penalty kick in favour of them. It was really no big victory. Claudio Cannigia who alongwith Maradona won most of the games that year was out on yellow cards. Argentina entered the game with four players suspended and ended it with nine men on the field, overall losing over half their squad due to injury or suspension. They also should have been awarded a deserving penalty but that didn’t happen. But what was not mentioned in the documentary is the fact the Maradona was fouled over 50 times in the 1990 tournament, a world record. Every team including Germany (Guido Buchwald was the guy for the Germans) had at least one player to mark Maradona. Such was his stature in the tournament. 

One annoying moment was at 1:45 of the film when there is a shot of Maradona at a Christmas party. For over a minute the camera just focussed on his face, Maradona seems to be intensely thinking and looking into some void. It is a painfully tiring scene and one that could have been replaced with the one (from the 1990 world cup) I mentioned earlier.  Two lovely instrumentals end the documentary. They have been composed by Antionio Pinto. They are available on Jiosaavan. Overall, a must watch for Maradona and football fans. To quote the current Argetinian legend Messi, “Even if I played for a million years, I’d never come close to Maradona. Not that I’d want to anyway. He’s the greatest there’s ever been.”

U2 in India!

by | Sep 29, 2019 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Is God this benovelent? Oh Yes, He is! When U2-clone “Coldplay” performed in Mumbai in 2016 I had expressed my disgust of the U2-clone-band in this post and guess who comes to perform in Mumbai three years later, U2. Can it get any better?

Very sadly I will not be making it to the concert as I will not be able to postpone my trip to Sabarimala which falls on the very next day after the concert. During the 42 days of fasting leading upto the pilgrimage one is not supposed to indulge in such festivities either. Though initially I took the concert as a blessing from Lord Iyyappa, I have some other big reasons too for not going and maybe I’ll explain them later. As I write tickets can be purchased till the end of today via the Phone Pe app. From October 1 it can be purchased online from Bookmyshow (app or website). For those of you who don’t want to miss U2 in India, here’s your solid chance. Don’t let go!

“Shoplifters” Beware!

by | Jul 22, 2019 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Oh yes! I am writing afer a Hiatus.

Warning! Adult content discussed in this post.

shoplifters movie poster

Two Fridays ago I read in “The Hindu” that the Oscar Nominated film “Shoplifters” from Japan is going to be screened across several metros in India as a regular film. How this film went on to win the top prize at Cannes in 2018 and subsequently be nominated for the foreign language Oscar in 2019 and for the Golden Globes 2019 is a wonder to me. Even the eventual winner, “Roma” wasn’t my choice. In my opinion “Gems” were ignored at the Oscars and the Golden Globes in this category.

But back to our main topic, the “Shoplifters”. My advice, “Do not waste a second of your precious time on this film”. If the film is cleared by the censors, which I believe it may be, one is in for surprises. The film is filled with WTF! moments, that will hit you from nowhere. And do not watch this film (and “Roma” too, more on that film later on) as some family film. Shocking surprises are in store! I am not talking about some stray dialogues about “sideboob”, “was hostessing all night” etc., About 30 minutes into the film, without any warning you are transported to a scene inside a “hostess club”. By the way if you are guessing what a “hostess club” is, just read on. A guy there (maybe a manager) is talking and joking with the female employees, most of them young girls who are all getting ready (dressing) for their job shift. He chides one of the girls saying a customer was complaining that she was wearing double panties and tells the girls “no fingers inside panties”. The other girls accept all this with laughter. Most of the girls are getting into school uniforms, the ones with small skirts. I had a feeling of what I was going to get. Most of the girls seem to be positioning themselves before a full length mirror the ones where people on the other side can watch them though the girls can only see through a portion of the lower part of the glass through which their guests are communicating with them by writing out their requests on a whiteboard. The girls then act out the requests. All of a sudden, one the right of the screen, one of the girls in the skimpy school girl uniform is seen in a squated position bouncing herself with her hands on her genitals (her back turned towards the glass). I leave it to you to guess what she is doing. Several other girls are getting ready for their customers. Meanwhile one of the girls in a revealing sweater (back turned towards the cameral) and with her legs spread to her customer is seen doing the bouncing act again with her hand, obviously on her genitals. I leave it to you again to guess what she’s doing. She then stands up turns around and is seen rubbing her behind on the glass, up and down. Then our family girl is unbottoning her shirt talking to her customer about ‘boob” and “ass” and it is not very long when her customer’s request via the whiteboard is heeded to and she has spread her legs and starts bouncing with her hands you know where, by now. Honestly WTF! And this is just the beginning. The movie has enough lewd dialogues and gesticulations. Then there is an ugly lovemaking scene (actually they have sex and talk about it) between the two main characters of the film. More of that ugly behind of the older elderly male displayed later on. The father talking to the small boy about “boobs” and “erections”…. Holy Crap! and this goes on to win top prize at Cannes, get nominated for the Foreign Language Oscar and the similar award at the Golden Globes? And get released in India in 5 or 6 metros as a regular movie? As it is the movie is filled with endless “slurping the gooey stuff while eating” routines. I waited endlessly to see what is so moving in this film. Literally nothing but a waste of your precious time. Actually the acting in several places was also very unnatural.

And if you thought “Roma” the Oscar winner is the one to watch with family as they are calling it a family movie, watch out for full frontal and rear male nudity in one of the scenes where you’ll be running for the fast forward button. So much for Oscar winners and nominees. As I mentioned earlier, “Gems” were ignored for this category including the one that I considered the winner. More on that, hopefully soon.

Debunking the Montessori method

by | May 30, 2018 | News Post | 15 comments

Are you considering the Montessori method for your child? Are you aspiring to become a Montessori Teacher? Are you looking to enroll yourself in the AMI Montessori Training Course, Primary (3-6 yrs)?  From August 16, 2017 till early February 2018, I was a trainee of the Navadisha Montessori Institute at Velachery where I had enrolled for the AMI Montessori Certification Course. I had a horrendous experience doing this course (I was recommended to audit) and I have detailed all about it in this post. In the process (as part of the course) I had been to Montessori Schools where teachers (AMI Certified) were looking after and teaching children using this method. Here are my observations and this post reveals it all. This is a fairly long read but I assure you, it will be worth your time.

First of all I must confess that I joined the AMI Montessori Primary course with a  RAGE of a PASSION. I thought Montessori was the holy grail of alternative education for children but IT IS NOT.  Here is a list of the 17 best alternative schools in India and not even one is a Montessori school.

17 best-known alternative schools in India, 2018

and here’s another link. Even this one doesn’t list a single Montessori school.

https://homegrown.co.in/article/18240/take-a-look-at-some-of-indias-most-interesting-alternative-schooling-systems

For an excellent compilation of alternative schools in India check out the link below where you can even search alternative schools by state in India. It came as a very big surprise that I just found 4 Montessori schools in the entire country of which only 3 were fully Montessori.

https://www.alternativeeducation.in/learning-spaces

And then there are fantastic schools that the above lists don’t cover. Here are two of them.

Here’s one that is run by Kiran Sethi, wife of billiards fame Geet Sethi.

http://www.schoolriverside.com/  I know a special child (child who had acute ADD problems) who after graduating is pursuing a course in design in an institute of repute in Bangalore.

And here’s another, Puvidham. This novel school is just incredible! You’ll have to watch the video below to believe. In fact the documentary itself was made by the 8’th graders from this amazing school.

More and more innovative methods for teaching children are cropping up all over the country and so it will be in your best interest to explore the one best for your child.

So coming back to the topic in question. What’s wrong with Montessori? Actually I was shocked with what I have observed and so I’ll call them shockers one by one and discuss them.

Shocker 1 – In the Primary classes of a Montessori School (Ages 3 – 6) children aren’t  allowed to play.  Isn’t this shocking? Even if there are playgrounds there is no scheduled “games period” or “playing time” for the children for all of the 3 years in the primary classes. Now if the trainers are telling you that in the Montessori system every act is play then I can only say, “Sorry No”.  Play is something different and the Montessori method CANNOT be play. In fact it isn’t. In the 5 weeks of Observation and Teaching practice (which is part of the AMI Primary Montessori Certification course) I found just one exceptional case when some child had soiled the floor of the classroom and while the floor was being cleaned the children were taken out to play. And I cannot tell you what a joy and a release it was for the kids! Now THAT is play.

Shocker 2 – Each child does his or her own activity. Well that is what the Montessori method is all about. In demonstrations and exhibitions held abroad children are put in a glass cage like classroom (one of our trainers even said that one class was without any barriers) and children can be seen going about their work, unhindered, unobstructed, each child calmly doing his or her activity. While this is not an impossibility it is not always the case. Ideally we would all want it that way but that isn’t the case simply because children are unpredictable. And if they are forced to do things they are disinterested in they will resist or cry. Also, let us not name the act of forcing a child to do some activity as “disciplining”. That is precisely what I saw in the classrooms. Children being cajoled, coaxed and eventually forced to engage in some activity (I’ll come to activity soon) and they resist and even cry. In a class of 30 children you can imagine the chaos. Many a time children would get distracted, disturbed and would abandon work half way through and join another child doing another activity. While there are teachers who are kind and soft to children there were others, AMI Teachers who were strict and even very angry. Several of the children would walk away from the classroom and loiter around for hours before they would pick up any activity. Some presentations would last over an hour as the child would either not co-operate or show interest. So where is the freedom of the child that Montessori emphasized so much in her work. The problem is not entirely with the Montessori method but in the way it is being implemented.

Imagine the task of the teacher. In the classes where I had been to, 30 children were being monitored by 2 teachers. To me 30 children, each doing his or her own task is “chaos” and monitoring each of these 30 children and simultaneously giving presentations is nothing short of “hell”. It was already taking a toll on the teachers. One of the most nauseating thing that you’ll hear in a Montessori class is the teacher repeatedly pleading with children “I am sorry (name of the child) you can’t be doing this/ you are not supposed to do this / is this the way…..”. Now this command can get very stern as in, ” I am verrrry Sorrrrry (name of the child)……..” emphasizing anger and thorough disapproval. It is as though she wants to give the child a spanking but sadly she can’t do that as the Montessori method says, “no punishments or rewards”. But the teachers have other ways of punishing the children and these are listed below.

The teacher’s task gets even more complicated than that. I mentioned about activity. On my last count, there are well over 100 activities a Montessori child is presented between the ages 3 and 6. These include activities under Practical Life, Math, Sensorial and Language. Now do the math. The teacher has to present each of these 30 children, all of these presentations in the 3 years of primary school. Each child has to be given the presentation on an individual one-on-one basis at the appropriate ages. The onus is therefore to give the presentation at the right age of the child, not earlier or later. Apart from these, group presentations are there too that involve groups of 3 and more children. So she has to keep a tag (an accurate log) of each child separately. Imagine the difficulty of the task! Wouldn’t it be just nice if she could give a class to 15 or more children at a time as they do in normal schools? In fact this is what they do in several alternate schools as well.

Shocker 3 – No fairy tales, tales with morals, fantasy stories are to be told to children in the age group 3 – 6! Can you actually believe this?  The Montessori Method for the age group 3 – 6 years insists that only stories related to real-life and believable events are to be told to children. A typical story would go like this –

Rama went to the store to buy a shirt. He liked a blue shirt. His mother asked him to try a red shirt instead. Rama liked the red shirt. His mother buys the red shirt for him. They then leave the store.

However contrary to this I found books in the “book corner” of Montessori classrooms where birds are talking, animals are talking and what not. How is this possible?

Shocker 4 – No punishments or rewards in the Montessori system?  – This one literally shocked the hell out of me! There is no “practice what you preach” here. Children were punished in a myriad of ways, being given “Timeout” where the child is segregated and kept away in a corner of the class or outside the class is the most common one. I watched one child made to sit in the “Book Corner” for an entire day. Can you believe that!

One teacher was extremely rude, scaring the little ones with angry looks, talking to them in rude tones and holding firmly the little hands of children (wonder how much it hurt them), dragging and forcing them to a sit in a corner while giving them a “Timeout”. If only the parents of these children came to know of what was actually going on.  It gets even worse. Continuously crying and wailing children were tightly held to her chest from their behind in almost martial-arts kind of a choke. Children would wail and cry but the teacher would remain unmoved no matter what. I could only pray the child would stop crying in these situations. It was absolutely painful to watch!

I had almost tears in my eyes when one very meek child was held back and rudely told that she would be made to leave the school after every child has left the class. The teacher was so stupid that she wasn’t able to identify the child that was screaming and mistook the meek girl among the children who were making loud noises when they were leaving for the day.  I didn’t want to intervene as the teacher was already very in a very bad mood having taken over the class as the regular teachers were both absent for several days.

Other harsh punishments include a barring of talking to a child i.e no one is allowed to talk to a particular child if he or she has been found at fault by the teacher.

The most harshest of them was this. I saw this being done in two schools where I had been to for Observation and Teaching Practice.  Children who are considered “unruly” are taken to other environments, i.e totally removed from their classmates and placed in another class. One can imagine the pain the child would be going through. The child in the new environment feels lost and subdued. He or she is kept there for hours, most of the time the child just sits in a place and does nothing. Their spirits are completely crushed. You wonder if these ladies had anything to do with children let alone be Montessori teachers. It is heart-breaking to watch these helpless children in these situations, their sad faces and tear-filled eyes.

Shocker 5 – Ludicrous teaching methods. Honestly I wonder what fun is there in using several of the methods. It is boring and tedious for the teachers too. Wonder if the child finds them fun. Take for instance the 1000 beaded chain for learning to count from 1-1000, that is 30 ft long. It cannot be laid out in most classrooms (not with 30 students doing their activities) and so the child has to take it out of the classroom (whatever happened to the prepared environment here?). I saw one child lay it out in the open outside the classroom. Others spiral it like a snake inside the classroom making it very inconvenient for the other children to perform their activities. Several other teaching methods in math are similarly very tedious and cumbersome. Then there are the list of Triangles to be learnt which even high school kids may not know, capitals, flags and important cities of all the countries in the world, there are even material which the child is asked to get familiar that is supposed to sow the seeds for Binomial and Trinomial expansions. All at an age between 3 – 6yrs?

AMI’s Primary Montessori course is to be completed in a period of 9 months, an excruciatingly painful course.  In such as short time trainees go through so much tension and stress that it shows at their work too after certification. Or is the idea of AMI to spread Montessori philosophy as there is so much competition from other types of alternative schooling methods (Waldorf, Charlotte Mason, Reggio Emila, Sudbury Democratic) and therefore proliferate the society with Montessori teachers? I have observed a teacher surf the net and even sleep in class.

Do you really love teaching children? Are you looking continuously for better and better methods to teach little children? All I can tell you is that such methods are available. All you need is to seek out for them and mix and match then, try them for their efficacy and best, trust your common sense and see what works and what doesn’t. Some schools are doing this too, i.e making a good mix of various teaching methods. Each child is different and one method doesn’t work for all but if you love kids you’ll love the challenge. Montessori needs careful implementation. While several methods do work I will not say the same for many of them. Worst of all if teachers cannot love and understand children then even the most excellent method will fail as I have seen with AMI Certified Montessori teachers in Montessori classrooms.

A horrendous experience at Navadisha Montessori Foundation

by | May 26, 2018 | News Post | 19 comments

Update – 22’nd, August, 2024. Just realised that Navadisha Montessori Foundation has changed their name to Supraja Montessori Study Centre and even relocated to a new premises. It is run by the same folks who were running Navadisha.

Read on… 

The post could alternatively be titled “How to obtain the AMI Primary Certification” as it also serves as a superb helpful aid (cheat sheet) in lessening your burden and tasks to obtain one. If you are aspiring to apply to the much hyped (and told that it is difficult-to-obtain), “AMI Primary Montessori Certification” here’s a post that you will definitely want to read. This is a fairly long read but I am sure it will be worth your time and most importantly, could save you, your hard-earned money.

On April 6’th, the graduation ceremony for the 14’th batch of the AMI Course (Primary) at Navadisha Montessori Foundation, Velachery took place. The course itself came to an end on the 11’th of April. From a class of 39 students, a dozen of us didn’t make it to the graduation. I was one of them. Fortunately for me I opted to “audit” the course way back in January this year after it was recommended by the trainers that I “audit” the course (more on that later). One other person had also opted for “auditing” much early on. For the rest it was an excruciatingly bitter struggle till the very end only to either fail or not allowed to take the exams. My heart goes out to these ladies who went all the way till the very end only to face utter disappointment. These include two foreigners who pay “3.3 times” the fee Indian nationals pay. Was it worth it? This post answers it all. Let me remind you that this course is “no fun”. I repeat, “no fun” at all.

The Hype – First of all there is a hype that is created way back from April onward about the fees. The course gets more pricier (by an additional Rs. 10,000 for Indian nationals) if it is paid just a month or less than a month, before the course commences. But that’s not entirely true. I know one classmate who joined the course just two weeks before the course began and she paid the original fee only, without any fine. Several others “could” have also paid in a similar fashion without any late fee. Also, fees are collected within a four month period before the course commences.

The Selection Process – While applying, besides filling in an application form one is also asked to write an essay about oneself. I guess this is to assess one’s English. Two classmates (one whose English was certainly not poor), I came to know later, were asked to do a short assistant’s course prior to joining the course in August. What intrigues me is that if this write up was a test of assessing one’s English skills, why were candidates with “poor” and deficient English asked to take up the course. Two of them did fail eventually. But here’s another surprise. Several others whose English vary from poor to even very poor have even passed the certification. How? Read on…

At the interview I was told the following –

  • that there are no marks given for the exams and submissions, and that only feedback is given
  • that at the end there is a written exam and an oral exam and that there is only a pass or a fail. Sounds so easy, doesn’t it! Yes, but that is only if you are allowed to appear for the exams and worst of all if you are allowed to pass the exam.
  • that one must not interfere while a lecture is going on and only after it is complete, should one ask questions. I was only wondering why such an emphasis on this rule was being made and that too at the time of the interview.

More intriguing, isn’t it? Read on…

So this brings me to the Untold Rule No.1 (untold at the time of your interview) – There are two sets of exams at the end of the course. 1. Theory and 2. Practicals and Viva (Oral). There are two Theory exams and these exams are corrected by your trainers here at the institute. When asked about who was correcting the theory exams I wasn’t given an answer but this IS what happens to your theory papers. They are corrected by your trainers here at the institute. The Practicals and Viva are conducted by an external examiner. Now here’s the worst part that is not told to you. You may or may not be allowed to sit for these exams. At the interview you are only told that attendance is strict and arriving on time very punctual and that if you don’t have 90% attendance and all your albums and materials completed, one is not allowed to sit for the exams but that is not the the only criterion for not allowing one to sit for a particular exam. Considering the way it was going for me I was afraid if I would be allowed to pass the exams but not allowing someone to appear for the exam despite meeting the criteria for attendance and submissions and review exams, came as a very big surprise!

Untold Rule No.2 – Buy a printer. The EPSON L130 (by the way, it only prints) is a great choice. Yes, these are additional costs but there’s no way around them. Do not think you can run to the nearest cyber cafe or friend to get the pages of your albums printed. There are tons of pages to print. By the way, I assume you have a computer or a Laptop, otherwise you’ll never be able to complete this course.

Another valuable tip – Do not buy the books being “sold” there. Some publisher comes there to sell books on the day you sign up and on the innaugural day of the course. These books are exhorbitantly priced. Several of these books are available online for “free”. Do a search and download them. Otherwise the library at the institute has multiple copies that can be borrowed.

Very Valuable Tip – Do not draw manually unless you are told to do so. Manual drawing is asked of you for your GK album. For the rest USE your computer for drawing (MS Word, Libre Draw etc.,). I guarantee that you’ll spend so much time drawing and colouring that you will not have time for anything else. In the process I learnt Google Sketchup and I was even chided for that. Imagine!

Extremely valuable tip if you have decided that drawing is the only way – There are many sites online that convert pictures (any image) to black and white sketches for free. You need to play around with these sites to get your sketch just right. After that draw the outline that has already been sketched using a black ball pen. Then shade, colour, paint as required. This will save you a ton of time if you are drawing all the images manually.

Other expenses – Other than this you will need to buy “quality” A4 paper (75-80 GSM for best results), files with pouches on the inner side of the front flap of the file to hold these papers, and plastic clear page protectors (again superior quality). Besides these there are a number of materials you’ll be asked to make. Be absolutely clear of what material is needed to be purchased or else you’ll end up buying a lot of things that will be unsuitable and rejected.

The biggest surprise at the time of paying the fees was the signing of the “no-refund” agreement where you agree to not ask for any refund of the fee if you opt to leave the course midway or before completion. Never did I realize in my wildest dreams that I would have to worry about signing this agreement till I commenced the course.

The icing on the cake was an additional Rs.500 collected at the time of joining as a “refundable” caution deposit. When asked about it I was told that during the rainy season transport is arranged during difficult times. Nothing of this kind was arranged and neither was a refund given to me. In fact the very first day I came late was the day when it rained the most. I had submissions and had to take an auto that went all over the place and reached the institute half an hour late.

The Course – “A concentration Camp”

Surprisingly, one of the trainers even used these words in the class and I was surprised she used them, saying, “Subash is walking up to the front of the class as though he is in a Concentration Camp….”

Intense Work – This is “one HELL of a course” when it comes to intensity of work.  Say “Goodbye” to all your “Quality time”, “T.V time”, “Movie time”, “Party time”……  You’ll be doing so much work (typing on your computer, drawing, sticking, painting, colouring, making materials, preparing for exams…) that you’ll end up doing overtime and sleeping very less. By the time the first album, the GK Album was submitted I was wondering why was such an intensive course designed to become teachers of little children. Even one lady who did Engineering admitted that Engineering was easier than doing this course. Many or most of us were drawing, painting and shading for the first time in decades. In fact one wonders how many trainees passing out of this course can actually remember and put into action the content and training from this enormous information overload. Most chances are that they will not be able to.

Missed classes – The process to recover notes from a class is so elaborate that you had better not miss the lectures. Ladies were even recording classes to help those who missed them. Sadly that came to an end when mobile phones were banned in class.

Tips – If you are taking help, do so, but don’t get caught. Actually several ladies were taking help. Why won’t they? This is what is going to happen if a course were to be so unreasonably intense as this. AMI should take cognizance of this. Why can’t they make it a longer course? I even mentioned to the trainers that this should have been a 1 year or a 1.5 year course and I am sure the comment didn’t go well with them (Warning – saying such things is Blasphemy!). Husbands, brothers, fathers, sisters and maybe even boyfriends were all helping ladies taking this course. One lady even confessed to me that her entire album material and theory was being done by someone else. Another who passed the course had her entire written work (all albums, teaching and observation practice albums, theory albums, plant and animal observation) done by her husband. Even Navadisha’s eagle eyes couldn’t catch them. Just imagine, for years these suckers at Navadisha have been labouring hard correcting the work of their trainees, which was in fact, being done by someone else. I also know one lady who wrote her entire plant and animal observation from memory. Navadisha will never check you on this. They only provide feedback on your work.  These are the alternative measures trainees take due to the overwhelming stress and pressure from the course.

Copying from the internet – Several trainees who couldn’t write text of their own were copying from the Internet but again my advice – “Don’t get caught”. The same goes if you are sharing content with your classmates.

I knew one lady who was caught and warned (yes, via the dreaded meeting, explained later) for “lifting off” something from the Internet. Two of them who were caught under the suspicion of sharing notes were asked to leave the course. The two ladies took legal action. One of them rejoined, the other left citing harassment by the trainers and even got most of her money back.

The Attendance Call – Just imagine, while attendance is being taken every morning, no one is allowed to talk and everyone (the trainees) must constantly keep looking at the person taking the attendance whether their name is called or not. No one is even supposed to glance at their books or take a note. If someone is caught talking or writing or glancing at his or her book, the person taking the attendance stops everything and keeps staring at the trainee doing the talking, writing or glancing at her book. It is a very uncomfortable moment. The entire class goes silent. Classmates sitting adjacent to the person being stared at elbow or pinch the person so that she stops what she is doing and once the stared-at-trainee fixes her glance back on the trainer,  the attendance taking resumes.

Punctuality – Do not be late to class. You are expected to leave a note if you do so. Late attendance is marked.

Pin-Drop silence – During the classroom sessions you can almost hear a pin drop. In a way it helps with the training but observing it to perfection only makes the entire environment so uncomfortable, reeling with tension. While answering do not answer in a chorus. The “one person please”, “so many Radhas (example name)?” is a common and nauseating thing you’ll have to get to used to from the trainers if you answer in chorus.

You’ll be watched – Literally every move you make, every word you say, your behavior, are all monitored. There are even people appointed for this purpose. Anything out of the norm and you’ll be called for the meeting.

and therefore –

Any time is “viva” time – Any time any of the trainers ask you anything related to the course make sure you give a valid reply as though you are being tested for the exam. No funny answers please! Never! They will all go against you.

Follow all rules and orders obediently – There is absolutely no other choice. There are rules for using the toilets, your mobile phone, your locker……. Any rule broken and you’ll be called for a meeting. The trainers rule the roost here and exert a vice like grip.

The Meetings – One of the most dreaded part of the course. Apart from feedback (which are also not easy to take either) any violations are dealt personally in a meeting that involves the director and at least one or more of the trainers. One lady even told me how her thighs were shaking as she sat in front of the trainers.

In the meeting room, get ready for these lines that are repeatedly told to you, “We are there for you, we are there to help you, we know what it is like to go through this course……” To me, every time the director spoke these lines it sounded to me as though they wanted to make sure the course is intense for the trainees because they themselves (the trainers) had been through a course as intense as this. Honestly, it didn’t look like “helping”. With repeated meetings one is only demotivated and discouraged to the point of leaving the course.

Barely just over three months into the course comes the dreaded meeting of all, the one-on-one in late November or early December. This is a meeting that decides if you will continue the course or not. Imagine, it happens just a little over 3 months into the course. If the trainers recommend to you that you “audit” the course, mind you, it’s over. You are asked to sign a document indicating the reasons why. I should have not signed the document because I was still thinking I would prove them wrong. No way! Not when your fate has already been sealed! And that was when I was fully convinced that I may not be allowed to pass even if I did take the exams. Also, arguing or not signing the document will only ensure your doom! It sure did come as a big surprise how some were even not allowed to sit for the exams considering they weren’t recommended to “audit” the course. Auditing means you can sit through theory but can “opt” to not submit any more submissions or give the exams.

Answer all questions in the meetings as though you were in a real “viva” oral exam.

Early morning cleaning and caring for the environment – Even here you are watched. The intriguing thing is that you may end up cleaning and dusting the same things over and over again even when they are clean. But just do them silently, no questions asked.  Mentioning why trainees were cleaning and dusting in the mornings over and over again just for the sake of practice I am sure didn’t go well with the trainers as well.

Directed practical – Here you demonstrate one of the several presentations (there are hundreds of them) to the entire class. It is nerve racking and if you don’t do well, you are noted. Two ladies who didn’t do well here did not make it.

Don’t become the marked person –  This is probably the most important advice I can give. If you do become one (which I believe I became in their eyes) chances are that you’ll never make it successfully through the course. So, how does one become a marked person?

Answer –

  • Do not show over enthusiasm for the course. ( I did )
  • Do not be funny. Never crack jokes.
  • Do not ask too many doubts and questions even if they were smart ones. (one lady was even told not to ask questions if it didn’t make any sense to her, in another session the entire class was called after they were dismissed because someone had asked a question to the trainer after the class was over, you’ll also be told to find answers for yourself for questions that cannot be answered, you’ll also be told initially that some answers will manifest during the later part of the course. I am sure I did ask valid questions.)
  • Do not talk about topics outside the course even if it meant something related to the course. (I did this too)
  • Do not offer suggestions or improvements to the course.
  • Do not get friendly with any of the trainers or trainers in training or the staff.
  • Do not get overly friendly with your own classmates or show that closeness in class.
  • Do not be talkative in class.

Tip – Remember the Chinese kung-fu movies where total subservience is expected from the students to their masters in total silence (answer only when questioned) and in total obedience. Observing that for the duration of the course will be of immense help if you are keen on getting the AMI Certification from Navadisha.

And this is how you also become favoured even if your English is poor.

Once you are marked, bear in mind you’ll get such unimaginable comments such as “you are walking in the corridors too often”, “you are making us call you for meetings often”, “you are restless in class”, “you are impulsive”, “Are you taking notes?”. I was even told twice that my writing starts in one place and then moves to a totally different direction. It gets unimaginably touchy. I even wondered if the trainers had a morbid fear of the AMI organization itself.

Such intensity and strictness obviously rubs off the trainees and I could witness this anxiety and tension in teachers who have passed the course. Instead of practicing what the method teaches, teachers were punishing children (we are taught that there are no awards or punishments in the Montessori system) and some even very harshly. Why can’t teaching little children be an enjoyable experience instead.

Surprise Surprise – Forced to go for the IMF conference. This may or may not happen to every batch but all in my batch including myself (even after I opted to audit) were asked to attend the conference in January this year and that too paying a fee which I guess was Rs.6000. Anyone not going was called for a meeting to give an explanation and in the process coerced to attend the conference. I was asked to but refused to attend the conference.

A serious flaw in the training material – I found atleast one and that too I could detect this flaw with my eyes closed (so much for being told that I wasn’t focused). I couldn’t believe the trainer when she mentioned it in a lecture in class.

So, isn’t there Anything good at Navadisha? – I do have some good things to say too. The Trainers are dedicated, yes, but if only they could have been a lot more easier to work with. I had my favorites too, one I was almost in “awe” of and another for whom I had great sympathy (don’t know if I can say “love”). I did admire some traits in the other trainers too. Sadly that doesn’t and didn’t help. Overall it was only a bitter experience and that too after struggling and working so hard till January 2018 (4.5 months).

Bottom Line – Would I recommend this course at Navadisha? No and Never! In fact after going through the course (I sat through the entire theory), I would not recommend the Montessori method either for both student or teacher. I will admit though, that several of the techniques in the Montessori method do work, and several schooling systems use a part of the Montessori pedagogy but personally I wouldn’t say every Montessori technique is the best you can use for schooling a child. I have debunked the method in another post and you can read all about it here. If you are still interested in the Montessori method look for courses elsewhere and online. There are great courses online though I am not sure how the online courses provide the practical experience.

As for me I came to this course with a RAGE OF A PASSION. I was of the impression that Montessori was the holy grail of alternative schooling methods, particularly for children although that isn’t the case. The opening days passed normally as any course would but then gradually I could sense fear, authority and an unusual strictness which only seemed to grow in intensity over the days. Considering the number of meetings I have had with the trainers, I would joke with my classmates saying the trainers are so fond of me and that is why they call for a meeting with me so often. I took it all patiently and tight-lipped thinking somehow work hard, get the certification and leave but that was not to happen.

Save your valuable time and money! Stay away from this institute and this course.

P.S – This is an unverified piece of information but I was told by more than one source that in the previous Primany batch (2016-17) more than half the students left the course unable to cope with the difficulties of this stringent course. Most of these students were from Singapore. Over the years I wonder how many trainees were asked to leave the course and if they were asked to leave, did they get their money back? People who are asked to audit the course and those who leave (on their own accord) don’t get anything, not even the exam fees.

Latest Update (April 2020) – This doesn’t seem to end. Actually I heard of this news way back in December 2019 but posting only now. As though the current activities weren’t “hell” enough new activity has been introduced to the students. From now on each student has to conduct a talk on “The Montessori Method” somewhere in the city. The student will need to formally invite (yes, make invitations too in the process) 15 guests to a formal venue (not a house, street corner etc.,). It must be in a Hotel or a hall or a place where there are chairs, microphone, other infra etc.,. Then the student needs to give a talk on Montessori and its benefits, advantages etc., for 15 or so minutes and later take answers from the audience. Later the student will need to take proof of this meeting back to the trainers at Navadisha, and these include feedback forms from the audience (yes, you need to make them too), content you spoke at the meeting and photographs from the meeting. Can you imagine this! Nice advertising gimmick for Navadisha and that too at the students’ expenses.

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