Friday 30 May 2014

The Punisher ...

"I Have A Dream. And In That Dream I Never Stop."

-The Punisher


I remember, it was the year 2005. We were in our house in coimbatore. It was one of those regular nights during the weekdays when you were just in front of your computer and wondering whether to surf for porn or go into a live chat. My brothers who were very young at that time were toying with the mouse and scrolling for wallpapers of famous models in swimsuits. And then, it happened. I told my brother Rimoh, “Bro, go to the yahoo movies page na. I wanna see which are the new movie trailers for this week.” He did as told and we were then scrolling through the pages and links. But then a voice inside of me told me I had to do something. There was a certain curiosity in me which made me say the following words, “Bro, search The Punisher. I want to see how the trailer is.” And the rest was history. Since that day in 2005 till the moment now, I have never loved or worshipped any other man more than The Punisher. So this blog is dedicated to the one man solely responsible for carving and shaping up the boy who was once lost, to the man who has now become a survivor.

"Men Fear Death. Not Me. I Am The Punisher."


I know there are many fans out there of The Punisher. Go on Instagram and you will see many guys and girls wearing the famous Punisher Skull Tee. So, what makes me different? Well, I guess I have a soft spot for him ‘cause he has been my best friend since 2005. He came into my life when I really needed motivation and a vent for my feelings and emotions. He practically saved me from my own destruction. I have told this story to so many but sadly, all have either just nodded their heads or laughed on my face. I am still misunderstand to be a boy who never grew up. But for me, it doesn’t matter what people think of me when it comes to The Punisher. He is the greatest superhero on the planet and no one can take his place. The reason I am so connected to him is because I see a lot of myself in him. It is like looking at a mirror only that the reflection you see is of a man who wears a Skull T-Shirt and who embraces his duty with relentless pursuit and zeal. The Punisher is everything that I want to be. He is tall, has a superb physique, eyes cold as death, very focused, disciplined and is calm in the face of adversity. The Punisher isn’t just a Superhero in my eyes. For me, He is like a God!

"Sometimes I Like To Get My Hands On God."


Ask me how good it feels to relive the excitement of his comics over and over again. Ask me how great it feels to watch his movies back-to-back. Ask me the joy I feel when the latest issue comes out. And ask how great it felt when Thomas Jane himself tweeted me back. Not once not twice but three times! I wanna share a story with you. As I had mentioned earlier, it was all the way back in 2005 that I had gotten hooked to The Punisher. So once I got bit by his bug, I went frantic and crazy over him, which meant that I saw the 2004 Punisher film over 40 times and went on the net to search the Diet and Training Routine of Thomas Jane and how with extra-ordinary handwork and determination he sculpted his physique for the role of The Punisher. I read every interview I could. I searched every website and then finally, I landed up at the Men’s Fitness web portal page and there was the complete Diet and Exercise and Preparation Routine of Thomas Jane with his Candid Interview. The first thing I did after reading it was taking a print out and glueing that paper on my door and the thing I did after that was one of the coolest things I could had imagined doing. I emailed the editor-in-chief of the magazine expressing to him how I am a big fan of The Punisher and how it would make me the happiest man alive to actually get the same magazine edition as a personal copy. What he did was even better. He sent me the pages in which the interview was, all the way from america to a remote location in coimbatore and also with a letter attached to it. It read, “This is for you. I admire your love and dedication for The Punisher. Hope to see you make a built like him one day too. Glad Men’s Fitness could help.” Those lines brought tears in my eyes. It wasn’t only because I had gotten a personal copy of that interview, it was also because I then believed and knew that when you really love something with all your heart, the universe will give it to you.

"Somebody Has To Punish The Corrupt."


Today, I have more than 50 Punisher Tees, 3 hoodies, a mug {which got broken by my maid, Yes, I am heart-broken ‘cause of it}, all the 3 films on dvd and blu-ray, a mouse pad, a traveller bag, a wrist band which I wear every time I go out and a book shelf consisting over 100 graphic novels and comic books. It has taken me a span of 9 years to have a collection like this and I must say, the patience has payed off. But the road wasn’t all smooth and silky. I have faced a lot of criticism and hate from the people. Even today, I have to be very careful ‘cause here in India a ’Skull’ is supposed to be a negative sign or a bad omen. Luckily, my family has always been super chilled out and supported my love and dedication towards The Punisher. But to make others feel the same way, it has always been a heathen task. Only a few months ago, I was at a recording studio with my dad. We were waiting for the singer to arrive and in that wait, I came across two ladies who for no rhyme or reason thought it would be best to have a quick chat with me. Me, being the polite guy I am {narcissist}, decided to tag along. We were 5mins deep in the conversation when one of the ladies who owns a bakery shop in town happened to notice my Punisher wrist band. She immediately started telling me that what I was wearing was a bad thing ‘cause she had experienced only negativity when it came to skulls and demonic things. My blood started to boil the moment she said and to top that, she also gave an example of her brother who experienced exponential growth the moment he got rid of this clothing which consisted of skulls and monsters. When it came for me to defend, I simply said the following. “Oh that’s nice. I am very happy for you and for you brother. But you are mistaking this Skull as a demon. It is actually quite the opposite. What this Skull symbolises is actually an Angel. An Angel who protects the innocent from the corrupt and who fights against all the wrongs of society.” With that statement both of the ladies fell silent and the only thing I could see was their heads going up and down and hearing the word, “Ooohhh!” When it comes to me defending my love, I have an arsenal of statements and facts to back it up.

"I Wear The Skull 'Cause It Scares The Hell Out Of Them."


The one thing I have learnt from The Punisher is that we should always fight for what is right and that there is a huge difference between doing the noble thing and the popular thing. The Punisher has always fought for what is right. Kept his stance and faced extreme difficulties. He has been through hell and back and even though his body has broken a countless times over, his will hasn’t and it never will. The Punisher is a beacon of hope for me. He has taught me to be wise and kind and just to all. And more than the way he has influenced me, it is the connect I share with him. I somehow feel his pain. I know how that feels like. The emptiness he has inside of him. The guilt he carries for the death of his family and the lust for war which never dies. I see it in myself too. The Punisher did three tours in Vietnam ‘cause War was the only thing that made sense to him. I wish I find a war also. And The Punisher Punishes the guilty because he doesn’t want any one to feel the way he did. He doesn’t want the burden to be on someone else’s shoulders. The Punisher is a saviour the world isn’t ready for. But I feel what he feels. He is misunderstood and alone. just the way I am. And that is why my love increases everyday. I somehow feel I am the only one who can feel what he feels. And it is my duty to speed his message to the world. Like it is my destiny. Last year at Comic Con I was dressed up as The Punisher and you should had seen the way the people were complimenting me {this isn’t narcism, this is an actual fact}. Whether it was the boys and girls approaching to me for a picture or the comments I got on Facebook, all said I dressed up well. My friend Nadira said the following words, “Holy Shit bro, You Actually Look Like The Punisher!”. You can imagine how much joy I would had felt when I received such wonderful compliments.

"Your City, My World."


But my job isn’t over. The punisher is a part of me. He is a part of my soul and I know I have a lot more to do when it comes to spread the message of The Punisher. It is one of my grandest Dreams to play The Punisher on the big screen. I have the script ready and also the way I will prepare myself to become The Punisher and give the role the justice it deserves. I look up to Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane and Ray Stevenson ‘cause they were chosen to play The Punisher on the silver screen before me. But I am only turning 30 now and I know that I will get my chance also. To wear that Skull T-Shirt and strike fear in the hearts of my enemies. To Punish the corrupt and to make right when all else is wrong. I know that my journey has only just begun. Until then, I will encounter many non-believers, many haters and people who will nod theirs heads and say “Ooohhh!” but that won’t stop me. This is my mission and this is my dream. I will fight for what I believe in. I will fight for The Punisher, the same way, he has always fought for me. So yes, this blog has been dedicated to The Punisher and I hope this way, I have somehow spread his message yet again.

"This Isn't Vengeance. It's Punishment."


This is Me, Mahaakshay Chakraborty And You Just Witnessed The Love I Possess For The Punisher.

With All My Might,

Your No.1 Fan,

Mahaakshay Chakraborty.



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1 comment:

  1. Now thats a blog, before i realised i was done reading it. And bro i always knew your die hard love for the Punisher and i love the way you always carry that iphone case you made outta that poster i made to cheer your love for Punisher..
    You are always the Punisher for me..

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