There were a couple of interesting stories posted on the news tab last Friday. The first is the tale of a diminutive Columbia University mechanic (5’5″) named Veeramuthu “Kali” Kalimuthu who heroically saved a man’s life (significantly larger than him) at a train station and then just got on the next train home as if it was no biggie:
“I heard everybody was screaming, you know, and everybody was running in different direction,” Kalimuthu said.
A man had fallen onto the tracks from the opposite platform, all the way on the other side of the station.
“People were getting their cell phones out trying to call the police, somebody’s got to help him and then I looked over and I saw the gentlemen Kali jump down, hop over the rails,” said witness Ed Dijoseph, who brought Kali’s story to CBS 2 HD.
Kali made it across three sets of tracks, and knew about the three third rails, which are electrified with 600 volts — enough to push a 400-ton train.
“I was jumping from one over one rail, to over the next rail, over the next rail until I get to him,” Kali said…“He was trying to lift the guy up, but he was struggling because the guy who fell was bigger than him,” Dijoseph said.
With the help of someone on the platform, Kali hoisted the guy up…The hero then jumped across the tracks again, back to his platform and his train home to his wife and two children. [Link]
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p>According to Gothamist, the guy who fell on to the tracks was an alcoholic on his way to detox…drunk. I guess it was his last hoorah. Thank goodness for the cat-like reflexes of Kali (a name traditionally more associated with taking heads than saving lives).
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p>[note: I once asked my mom why nobody ever names their daughter “Kali.” She rolled her eyes and just said “no,” you can’t do that. Hmmm, there’s always a first.]
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p> The next story features a video clip of a 54-year old Indian woman named Gitanjali Kolanad performing poses used in the ancient martial art form of Kalaripayat. The magazine Desi Life thought it would be, you know, all artistic and shit if she did a “lion pose” with an actual lion near by for one of their stories with accompanying photos. I think the lion pose must have been very realistic because…the lion mauled her when he saw it. I hope Desi Life has a good lawyer on staff:
Kolanad, 54, practises the ancient Indian martial art of Kalaripayat, fashioned after the movements of such animals as the lion, elephant, wild boar and peacock. The magazine suggested she pose with a lion.
“I thought, ‘Sure – Photoshop,'” Kolanad recalled. When she understood better, she was excited, she said, and an appointment was made with “Leo” for Feb. 20…The 3-year-old lion was lying nearby when Kolanad began her movements. Apparently still wanting to frolic, the animal jumped up and fell on her, knocking the wind out of her, bruising her left lung and breaking four left ribs. [Link]
Word has it that Kolanad has since decided to add a dagger to her routine and has promised to “cut that Aslan-looking motherf*cker” if he ever f*cks with her again.
For those of you looking for a more effective demo of Kalaripayat, I found this clip on YouTube. Unfortunately there aren’t any wild animals fighting against the men in the video so it isn’t nearly as entertaining to watch.
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This guy has big cajones.
I know! The leash did not stop him at all.
awesome, that guy is a total hero. i love it!
also, incidentally, some girls ARE named Kali– it’s just rare. i definitely knew one back in the day.
…i want to learn kalaripayat!!!!
Mallu should have explained to kitty that they should put aside traditional enmity and unite against class oppressor/Microsoft/Coke
If my sweet adorable kitty-cat cat weighed 400 pounds, I’d be dead.
Desi Life is published by the Toronto Star, I’m sure they more than covered their asses for that shoot.
Thank goodness Kali was at the right place at the right time. He is truly a hero.
The awesome Kalaripayat moves are reminiscent of the Brazilian Capoeira, yoga and fencing combined. (At least to my amateur eyes.) Thanks for the introduction to this intriguing form of Desi martial arts.
Wild animals are completely unpredictable. They can be sweet adorable cuddly guys one moment and then become Satan incarnate if they feel they are being threatened, etc. In this age of Photoshop, etc the editors/authors of Desi Life magazine could have just pasted an image of a lion next to Kolanad. Or put a stuffed doll version of a lion from Ty, Gund or Webkinz, whatever.
This lion wasn’t that unpredictable. In the video, it knocked over one person and lunged at two others just before this happened. Warning signs, anyone?
At what point does a martial art become performance art? This is as good as any!
Speaking of names, I like the name Kali. But is it pronounced “Kahlee” or “Kaylee” or “Cali” (like the first syllable of California as commonly pronounced by Americans?) This obsessive compulsive Desi demands to know.
When my daughter was 2 years, there were these 3 ballerina mice from the book “Angelina Ballerina” that were unamed so she christened them “Cali, Nima and Flemise” (the last one rhymes with Denise.) And those names stayed consistently with those mice for the next 50 or so times we read it together. I realize this has nothing at all to do with the post, but it just brought back some funny memories when I saw the name Kali.
Also, from what region of India does the name Kolanad originate? Just curious.
Come on! If that was a mauling, I’m the queen of a she-bar. Dude looked like he wanted to play… all 180 kg of him.
BTW, I don’t know why the last syllable is being swallowed by everyone, but shouldn’t it be pronounced Kalarippayattu?
Judging from the last name, Kerala.
On second thoughts, I realize that while it wasn’t a mauling, the lion certainly gave the Mallu lass a good moleying.
9 · gm said
Veeramuthu Kalimuthu is from Guyana apparently (and a former professional cricketer also, btw). It’s possible they pronounce things differently in the Caribbean (L-aa-kshmi Singh anyone ?) but his cousins back in Tamizhnadu would pronounce it “Kahlee”. I’m actually surprised he doesn’t spell “muthu” with two o’s “muthoo” (like most other descendants of 19th century desi immigrants seem to do).
That’s because the correct pronounciation would be something in between “payattu” and “payatttt”, right ? Just like Tamizhnadu isn’t pronounced Tamizhnadooo but Tamizhnadddd.
Next pronounciation/transliteration question please. 🙂
Thanks to Pingpong (10) and Ashvin (12) for the info regarding the names.
That guy is so cool. I wonder what he was thinking all night afterwards.
That’s horrible about the photo shoot. Interestingly, I was reading some of Gitanjali Kolanad’s writing some weeks ago…
Sorry for the broken link, I’m on a mac and have no clue what I’m doing. Admins, could you fix it with a prefix and delete this post, thanks!
They should have taken cues from Bollywood producers. In “Om Shanti Om” they used a stuffed tiger and still achieved the desired effect.
The same martial art was seemingly depicted by Ash Rai in the movie The Last Legion. In the movie, she used the same type of daggers and mentioned she learned to fight in Kerala. BTW, it’s a mediocre movie made infinitely better when viewed on long flights. The fight scenes where Ash is using this martial art are rather good actually, not believable, but still good.
First Tatiana the Tiger and now this. For the safety of all concerned, there should be a moratorium on any activity involving Desis and any cat-like animals over four feet.
For those who haven’t been to NY and seen a subway tunnel, “Kali’s” feat is truly remarkable when one considers the distance and danger involved. From one side to the other it has to be a good 10-20 yards (depending on the tunnel) with possible trains moving in and out in either direction. Further, these third rails carry approximately 625 volts (with at least 3,000 amps or more running through the rail) more than enough to kill a man.
I wonder if that lion was an asiatic lion (very rare) or an african one.
Kalaripayatt Malayalam superstar Mammootty’shtyle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz8gR6YownE&feature=related
By the way, he won the National Best Actor Award for this character- Chathiyan Chanthu (Chanthu, the cheat), the most misunderstood of all Kalaripayatt folklore villains.
Hi, In India there are lots of women named Kali in Bengal( e.g.,Kali, NityaKali, AnnaKali etc..). It is not a fashionable name anymore but yes women are still named Kali. Probably because she is worshipped as a goddess in Bengal.
Gitanjali Kolanad is one of the best-looking 54 yr olds I’ve seen. That “Leo” knew what was up, she looked like an enticing cat toy and he wanted to play.
Jangali Jaanwar, is that where you’ve been all this time? On long flights?
where does this woman live and does she offer lessons?
21 · bess said
Lots of work, a few long flights, and a preference to lurk and learn from both the veterans and newbies commenting had kept me from posting. Nice of you to notice the absence.
Ancient indian martial arts, attacking tigers, and a hero named “Kali” created a perfect storm for me to comment on.
Naming someone Kalidasan or Kalimuthu is very different from naming someone Kali. I have never met anyone named just Kali. Not ruling it out though. It wouldn’t be the most unusual name.
I thought I kept hearing the name “Kali” in this Tamil song from the film Anniyan, but…oops! I was told that the word is “kaari” randakka randakka randakka. Are there no songs about Kali?
Jangali Jaanwar, and here I thought I was all alone on the swings at the SM playground. Glad to know I’m keeping fine company with you while observing the cool ladies (Camille, ANNA, Sandhya et al) skippin’ rope; the SM scrappers (Manju, Rob, pingpong et al) playing roughed-up dodgeball; sassy portmanteau under the willow tree holding court, Rahul running around with his peashooter, khoofia building trippy castles in the sandbox and then there are all the new kids that have moved into the SM ‘hood. But where in the world are: DJ Drrrty to get the place hopping with his boombox, Shodan with his groovy moves, Harbeer who brings good cheer, ak – the sister from O.L., Nala the rhyme-maiden..where oh where could they be?
Never met a Kali and never met a Sita. I have met a Kalipati and a Seetapati–both were guys of course. My mother said, Sita was just plain unlucky.
18 · Amitabh said
whatever the case, those handlers were clueless. Even though the best handled big cats always have an unknown amount of agency, any fool will know that a young big cat wants to play all the damn time. If this had happened in the US, the handlers could have had a somewhat legit civil suit brought against them for representing themselves as professionals and then farking up.
18 · Amitabh said
I was wondering the same. It looks more like an African lion, and what with the rarity of the Asiatic, it probably is. Also, Asiatic lions aren’t nearly as large, and ultimately less impressive looking (the males have rather scraggly manes), so thinking in terms of marketing for a magazine, African would seem more appropriate…
Those familiar with the Devi Mahatmyam, the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam and various puranas and stotras may recall that Kali saves the world from demonic forces by jumping into the fray. This is the whole reason she lops off the demon’s head in the mythology and drinks his blood – to save the world. The demon and his blood that springs up countless other demons as it touches the ground is the symbol of unquenchable desire that keeps us separate from our true Selves and thus Brahman; the war depicted is that struggle in our own selves. So when Kali cuts off the head and drinks the blood to keep the demon from replicating himself endlessly, she is breaking the illusion of desire and bringing all things back to Herself so that it can be returned to the Divine and transformed into the Divine itself. So, in fact, Kali is completely known for saving lives – she saved the universe!
Also, plenty of women in places like Bengal, Assam and Kerala are named Kali. These are places where Kali is known and revered as the great Mother Goddess, though most especially in Bengal.
To answer someone else, the name is pronounced KAH’-LEE. As in the “caw” of a crow or to rhyme with “wall.”
Is that what the kids are calling it these days?
I take deep offense at this slight to Sooperstaar, who in his bell-bottomed jalopied glory owned the name as a one-armed man out for revenge.
Do not forget the technically accurate exposition of Kalaripayattu by Kemel Saar who shows how Botox injections and Bosley medical gone awry can lead the idealistic to an orgy of vigilantism by pinching and knife-work.
Ye gOlden Rahul, I just get giddy when you spit one my way. You are a Sooperstar!
Interesting that the author calls 5’5″ diminutive because that’s usually considered average height for males in the desi context unless the author thinks his intended audience is Dutch or Zulu (two of the world’s communities with the tallest people).
9 · gm said
Looking at the name, I’m guessing the guy is a Tamilian or of Tamil origin. So you would pronounce his name kaa-Lee where the L is a retroflex version of the regular l. Or in simpler terms, it’s very similar to Carl-ee (Carl, as in the name but pronounced with an American accent).
15 · Ravi the Lurker said
It was the lack of “http://”, but are macs known for that? I’ve always used one, it would be good to know.
Fixed, btw.
I have no idea why people believe that ‘trainers’ and ‘handlers’ in the 150-200 lb weight class can handle wild animals in the 400 lb weight class. It’s bad enough relocating the poor tigers and lions themselves – from India and Africa to North America, but then giving them over to inexperienced ‘handlers’ who haven’t grown up around the animals to know them well enough. On top of that, bringing the animals into unfamiliar situations which unsettles them and put them in situations they can maul people – is unforgivable.
Just months ago there was the SF Zoo incident, at which time videos like this one, showing a particularly clueless ‘handler’ got linked into blogs – in fact I did it myself. The idea to drive home is that these big cats are quite unpredictable, perhaps no more than the small ones, but the damage they can do is a hundred times worse – so play it safe, no big cats where they can get at people – not on stage, not in photo shoots.
And even if it is conceded that the kalaripayattu art needs to be preserved – it is well known that no lions ever lived in Kerala during historic times. By what stretch of the artistic license should they form the motif in a photo shoot of the kalaripayattu? In the name of preserving the ancient art, and seeking ‘authenticity’ of representation, are we mangling them completely out of shape, in this case quite literally?
interesting to note: veera means brave in Thamizh.
Veera Muthu indeed!
NOTE: #1, if you are stupid enough to display fighting moves around a lion, you can guess you will arouse some kind of challenge #2 anyone that stupid and unable to sense trouble should not be teaching anything other than feeding lions live game.My pet persian loves when I do my tai chi and often attacks me mid move. Luckily, tai chi raises awareness and I can move before fangs sink into my flesh.