The Man who used the little Grey Cells

She has always been my favorite author and he my favorite fictional character. In the past two years, her novels that were made into movies have become the Mr.'s favorite and the man who portrayed this character has become our favorite actor.

If you were among those who watched the TV programs that were relayed on DD on Sunday, without fail, I am sure you would have watched the half hour episodes of "Poirot" - that started with the most haunting music that I have ever heard.

Yes, I am talking of Agatha Christie's Poirot - the British Television seires that was aired on DD somewhere in the early 90's.

If only Agatha were alive today, she would have been proud to see David Suchet play the part of Poirot. He very well could have been the "actual" Poirot in some Janam, if a character did exist. He dresses, acts and also sports a moustache that fits to T to that of the actual character described in the book.

I love the way this particular TV series has captured every single nuance of the little Belgian detective, who is just so unlike anybody you would have ever met. There is this one episode where we are shown Poirot having breakfast - he applies one dot, exactly one dot, of jelly/jam on 1 square inch sized crackers, and pops them right into his mouth delicately and dabs at his mouth with a napkin - it is as if that particular paragraph in the book comes to life and acts. I am amazed at how much Suchet would have studied the character of Poirot to have done that one simple act.

When one, who has read most of Poirot's books, watches these episodes or the movies which have cast David Suchet as Poirot, one is amazed just how Suchet manages to do every single quirky habit of Poirot's just as the author has described. Scenes where his displays his voilent abhorrence for crime and crime doers, scenes where he obliviously raves on about his intelligence while insisting that he is quite modest, scenes where he brushes and touches his moustache with great care and love, scenes where he arranges stuff on his desk or the scene of the crime with utmost carefulness, scenes where he puts the perfect expression of digust at finding sand on his carefully pressed suit, or on finding sorrounding that are not most perfect and elegant. There is little doubt left as to how Poirot would love and behave had he been alive.

They would have coined the word Meticulous after he came into existence you could say. Neatness being his first name, middle name and last name. Despite having lived in London for the most part of his adult life, he is one who never liked or got used to the "typical" english routine, especially food. The best of this ingenious character which I liked the most, is his study of the human character and behavior. Most of his analysis often revolves around the analysis of the human nature, which he stresses more on than easy-to-find evident clues.

The best example of this is the book - "Five Little Pigs" where Poirot solves a crime committed nearly 20 years ago, just by studying and talking to all the principal characters involved during the time of the crime.

There have been couple of others who have acted as Poirot in a few movies - Albert Finney and Peter Ustinov; the latter having done quite a number of movies as Piorot - but they have not been able to do even 1/4th just to this impeccable character.

These days every evening the Mr. and I long to be back home soon, to cosily sit in our couch sipping hot tea and enjoy Mr. Suchet's company as we 'drink' episode after episode of Poirot.