bundle of joy ! - sight of a new born !!!

Attahasam; Michael Madana Kamarajan, Enga Veetu Pillai, ........  all Tamil movies (Ajit, Kamal, MGR starrers) – can you connect them  !!!!  ~  and what would you describe as a ‘bundle of joy’ ? 

To almost everyone the sight of a new born gives immense happiness.  Parents & others  might be surprised by how the newborn looks. Before birth, babies are immersed in amniotic fluid and folded up in an increasingly tight space. Then in most deliveries, they're pushed through a narrow, bone-walled birth canal. So many newborns look bluish, are covered with blood and a waxy goo, and can even look bruised. These features can make a newborn look strange, but they're temporary. 

Away in the animal world, birth of more than one is normal but they have to fight hard to survive, they are vulnerable to diseases and predators.  They are completely dependent on the mother for food and if the mother dies the orphan will need a foster mother if it is to survive.   

The birth of a child brings immense joy to all concerned.  There is nothing greater in life than being blessed with a baby and seeing it for the first time, as the Doctor shows the new born is the greatest ecstasy -  newborns are traditionally whisked off to a bath within the first few hours of their birth. 

Apgar score :  "Each newborn is given a score of 0, 1, or 2 (a score of 2 meaning the newborn is in optimal condition, 0 being in distress) in each of the following categories: heart rate, respiration, colour, muscle tone, and reflex irritability. The scores are to be given to a newborn one minute after birth, and additional scores could be given in five-minute increments to guide treatment if the newborn's condition did not sufficiently improve."  The Apgar scale is determined by evaluating the newborn baby on five simple criteria on a scale from zero to two, then summing up the five values thus obtained. The resulting Apgar score ranges from zero to 10. The five criteria are summarized using words chosen to form a backronym (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration).. 

American anesthesiologist Dr Virginia Apgar, may not be a well-known name everywhere  but she worked heavily in obstetrics and is responsible for creating the "Apgar score" which is given to newborns to quickly assess their health. 

Attahasam, released in 2004 directed by Saran featured Ajith in dual roles – one in Chennai and other in Tuticorin.  Michael Madhana Kama Rajan  was a hilarious comedy released in 1990 – directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao with Crazy Mohan’s dialogues had Kamalhassan in 4 roles. Michael, Madhanagopal, Kameshwaran, and Raju, all played by Kamal distinguishing  characters with his body language and language lingo.  Decades ago, Enga Veettu Pillai had MGR in dual roles.  This  film was a remake of the 1964 Telugu movie Ramudu Bheemudu which had N. T. Rama Rao in the lead role.  Apoorva Sagodharargal, again a great comedy  directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao had Kamal performing 3 roles – one as father – two as sons of which one was a mechanic and other a dwarf performer at Circus.   

Wondering the link of those movies  ?  - ‘separated at birth’ is a recurrent theme in many movies.  The kids upon birth would be separated and would grow in different environs but unite in the end to settle score with the villains !

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
5^th Apr 2024.