My Iconic 8'

Clockwise from Top,

TamilSelvan, Iruvar:

Prakash Raj's finesse performance in a political drama revolving around the dravidian politics of the state. The character graph maneuvers from how he befriends a fellow cinema actor Anandhan, what creates a rift among them and how they reunite spiritually at Anandhan's death through the emotional poetry he delivers about the depth of their friendship.

Parasakthi Gunasekaran: 

Penned by the prolific fire band writer Muthuvel Karnunanidhi, the impact this legendary persona at that point of time was immeasurable. Encapsulating the fight against superstitious, irrational beliefs in the society, Gunasekaran a victim of fate dealing him a disgusting hand finally bursts out in the court scene where he reprimands the entire societal structure and it's venomous caste-oriented mental illness. This overnight propelled Sivaji Ganesan into the magnetic star status which he held for the next few decades to come.  

Super Deluxe, Shilpa:

From his manhood, Manickam undergoes hormonal transformation to a transgender named Shilpa and revisits his family after years of estrangement. The story goes about how society treats a third gender with the interesting part kicking in with this magical relationship blossoming between Shilpa and her son, Rasukutty who inherently accepts his father for the way he is("Nee Aambala yaa iru, pombalaya iru...But enga kooda iru"). Yet another attestation on Vijay Sethupathi's versatality as an actor, who has never shyed away feasting on the heavy meat served on his platter.

Aadukalam, Pettakaaren

The undisputed reigning champion of the rooster fight tournaments in Madurai, trainer Pettakaaren enacted by a non ethnic Jayapalan
(his voice too dubbed) slowly gets intimidated by the rise of one of his mentees- Karuppu played by a rustic Dhanush. The conflict in drama is created how someone who stood tall as a guardian of his associates goes on to bad-mouthing, inciting face offs among them, hurt by ego and jealousy. Winning the Special mention National Award for this, it will go down as one of the most memorable characters in tamil cinema.

Kokki Kumaaru, Pudhupettai:

This exemplary personality of a gangster who rises up all the way from the rags until to find himself embroiled in the vicious political jungle. The Darwinist tagline-" Survival of the fittest" in a sense captured the essence of kumaaru: Hunger, power, Sex and Survival and he seems to bolden the signal for all modern day politicians that "crime does pay off" in the end. Ultimately it was the magical wand of Selvaraghavan which gave life to this cult classic.


Edawrd Anna, Onayum Aatukuttiyum:

Loosely based on the "crime and punishment" by Fyodor Destoevesky, film-maker Myskkin himself dons the cap of the Protagonist Edward to explore life's most imperative questions and what he deems as moral act. Building a surreal world with larger than life characterization yet retaining the rawness of human condition, The animal metaphorism is spelt out to the audience 
however rather than subtle references. Result: A dark cynical fable which unfolds to a child in one of the best ever monologues told on redemption. 

Assault Sethu, Jigarthanda:

An eccentric thug meets an aspiring filmmaker which eventually draws us into a world of musical Indie. With stylized narrative, it allows the audience for engagement throughout it's run time with the prima-centric Sethu who lives in the high of fear of others for him. What initially takes off as a serious plot turns into a baffling comedy in the second half with Sethu re-christened Aa.Kumaaru. The one liner defintion of him is in that one well written dialogue: (" Namma Vaalanum, Semmaya Vaalndhaan da nu Vaalanum...adhuku enna venaalum seiyalaam"). What makes this character so unique is it's anomaly and psychotic mood swings, brilliantly done by Bobby Simha, who unfortunately failed to make a mark after this iconic role


Rathakaneer, Mohan:

M R Radha: The Poster boy of filling the air in the theatre with rationalism, satirical take on societal establishments played the lead in this feature film.(adapted from one of his infamous stage play). Revolving around a westernized foreign return Mohansundaram who is arrogant to people below his social standards and averse towards anything that is a part of Indian Culture and how this philanderer starts realizing the true righteousness and values of life in the final scene.

Renaissance of TN (1967-77')

It's yet another regular day in our ancestral home in Madurai and my grandfather was hooked on to the TV with his wrinkled eyes. For us the kids in the house, meh it was some sort of boring news stuff which elders are always obsessed with. Meanwhile I figured it out to be a public meeting of a politician of whom I have a stereotypical image.(Credits to Manivannan cinematic universe), my tiny tod brother is battling with my gramps to get hold of the remote to switch to Jetix. The old guard won finally with his acute stubbornness stating- "I will not yield till Kalaignar finishes his speech". I was taken aback and finally burst out saying- "What has he even done to impact your life that you put him above your grandson?". He instead flashed a wry smile and continued watching. 

It was from then I started exploring about this man with resources in hand to find out how someone has managed to not only stay relevant in a dynamic environment like politics but also creep into hearts of the people with his sly stochiometric mix of oratory skills and brandishing Tamil pride. In-spite of having my reservations for his stand on institutionalizing corruption with his infamous
honeycomb analogy and filling his party's coffers reflective of typical corporate operatives, I am constraining myself only to the primitive years of his governance.

The Dravidian party's meteoric win in the Assembly elections in 1967 riding on the height of self-respect movement championed by the deadly ghost of the savarnas- Mr. Periyar passed on the baton to his proteges- Anna and a then young Karunandhi who both were instrumental in transforming the social justice war cry of the bearded man into legislative reforms. Implementing 49% reservation in government jobs and admissions to higher education was a milestone affirmative action which aimed at ensuring equal access to opportunities for the historically disadvantaged/oppressed communities. This gave the state a broad based workforce for IT sector when the economy was opening it's doors for liberalization in the 90's. As opposed to the earlier times, wherein the medical profession was dominated by the upper caste this scheme also gave the necessary human capital for setting up a robust rural health infrastructure, ensuring fair treatment for all.

When India was still sticking to the Vedic Texts of treating the female gender as secondary human beings in the Hindu social order, it was during this regime that a law was passed advocating for equal property rights for women. Meanwhile Self respect(devoid of an religious rituals) and inter-caste marriages were given legal status: crusade for a casteless society. The literal banning of hand-pulled rickshaws was a loud and daring message to the hegemonic forces that "No Man is above another".The entire state was covered by the public distribution system within a span of 10 years, eminent economists like Amartya Sen credit this to the upliftment of people out of poverty in Tamil Nadu. Fixing the land ceiling by amending the land reforms bill, the surplus land was distributed to the landless peasants, putting an end to their woes.

The era was an attempt at rationalism in culture, democracy in politics and secular ethos in religion and inclusivity in development. Despite aplenty criticisms, recent years have seen resurgence of interest among the youth about the legacy of this period filled with egalitarian initiatives in establishing the welfare state it is today with unaddressed challenges.

'Anbu': A four lettered consience

Names attached to a person is too less for a judgement to be passed upon their personality.Four good traits as described in my mother toungue to live as a good human being are Anbu, Aram, Arivu, Arul. (Plagarised by the house names in my high school). Here I have chosen four films whose one of the leads is named Anbu to explore what they represent in different premises
   

Pudhupettai: Bala Singh here as Anbu is raw and stunning. A interesting catch and misnomer here is that his misogynistic attitude physically abusing the sex workers under him barely does justice to his name but when it comes to other side of the wall he extends a sense of endearment to the henchmen under him- raving hard in the peppy number 'Variyaa' earning their goodwilll for his operatives. In a latter scene where the Azhagam Perumal character laments abt his death( "Anbu poitaan da") accomplices the loss.

 Vadachennai: Anbu here stood for the love of his soil protecting it's intrusion from outsiders. If protecting our land is rowdyism, let's do it. A befitting caption for the sequel in the end- "The Rise of Anbu"-is how his fondness for his root grows multifold taking charge along  with the nexus of his safeguarding  mechanism.

Madras: A Jovial companion of the protoganist bitten by the betrayal bug from his mentor is a unique proposition in this whole list. Agitating against the hitehrto establisments to advocate for the rights of people in his colony, he stands tall as the true embodiement of Anbu. Instead of preaching utopian thoughts of Humanity above all( Anbe Sivam lmafo) the filmmaker sends a strong signal that equality is not something which is to be asked for, it's one birthright to be fought for, in which the character Anbu is the most powerful weapon he unleashes.

Kaidhi on the last of the list: With not much light to shed upon here, Arjun Daas who seems to be igniting RX100 in his voice is deadly, sending shivers down the spine ironical to his physique and his character's name. The choice here could have been intentional
as a necessary paradox for someone who totally represents brutality and mercilessness to the core.

In a world where social stratification is dancing across a spectrum of factors, there is a vaccum for anbu and people drunk in their own ideologies become devoid of love for their fellow human beings. While I finish writing this piece, my feelings are exactly the same as the verses below, taking a leaf from Gaana Bala's book.

          "  Iranthidava Nee Piranthaai Anbe Nee Oorukullae
         Un Nanbargalai Pirinthu Šendraai Neeyo Mannukullae "

A Countryman's Farcry: Uzhavar Santhai

"To thy who feeds , the entire society ought to be grateful and bow down to him", this is something I personally believe in. One can seek a comfortable way of life in plush corporate jobs but there is a greater novelty in toiling hard in the fields and treating the entire world as it's baby to provide the basic living essential- 'FOOD' and making a living out of it.(If at all I romanticized in the first half) 

Empowerment to such a Farming community, is a stride on the path of social development !! The 'Uzhavar Santhai' conceptualized in 1999 by the erstwhile Chief Minister Mr. Kalaignar was one such significant leap for TN. Implemented first in my hometown Madurai, I distinctly remember my father taking me there while I was in 4th grade (which almost then became a standard Sunday Ritual) who pointed to me the flocking footfall and the smallest of the impact a deserving revenue can have for the working class and their families. Drawing inspiration from an pre-existing model in Chandigarh, it spawned the dawn for agricultural economy in the state. Simple in it's framework: Farmers can sell the commodities which they grow directly to the common man with no intermediate 
interfaces. The benefits reaped by these village folks are :

• No commissions need to be paid to the middlemen\traders in the value chain 
• Rental Space for business activity is provided by the government
• Saving on Transport and Logistics costs
•  Regularized Price slabs

Close to where I Live

Meantime an average person is able to take back home vegetables and fruits at an affordable price. Having said all this,there are issues still which plague such as inadequate toilet facilities, power cuts which if addressed will make this a benchmark for socio-economic schemes. On the whole it as an important public policy case where a win-win situation arises for both the producer and the consumer, which can a guiding objective to implement such groundbreaking civic proposals in various sectors for the future.

PS: Ela Ulaven Kezhaven ivunga rendu perum mattum dhaan le uyiroda irukaporanga.

'The more spoken Sandiyar and Less Spoken Cult'

The statement -"Grew up watching Mr.Hassan's films" is a cliche', nevertheless it is the undeniable truth. Now time travelling back to high school days, surfing up on Kamal's filmography I came across this catchy, vernacular title-" Virumaandi". Just as the name, the movie has it's own due course of riveting and enigmatic touch. Before Virumaandi had released, a whole bunch of movies were made based on the Madurai-backdrop, but this was all together a mind-blowing narrative. I was in awww of the entire arc, to break it down here were my best picks.

Andha Kandamani Song : 'Cold Shivers everytime'

Power-housed with excellent performances by the leads- Kamal, Pasupathy, Napolean .(Quoting UlagaNayagan from an 2003 interview excerpt: " More than the story, Virumaandi is a Nadippu Thiruvizha"). The plot experimented the non-linear structure with the account being narrated from two persepectives by Viruman and Kothala Thevar respectively. The way the premises were bulit from the very beginning on how the feudal clash between two villages (Chinnakolarpatti Vs Nallamanayakanur) goes on to impact a lot of lifes. The rural aura (Not to forget this iconic Panchayathu scene below ) and the rustic aesthetics gave the rawness a new dimension, a delight to watch !!   

Virumaandi embodied a lot of values based on humanity. It was one of the first movies to openly talk about why death sentences was inhumane in nature and needed to be abolished (infact the opening documentary clippings). In the sub-context, to cite examples there are two peculiar scenes- The one where a drunken Kamal refuses to part away with his late Appatha's land and equates the soil as his "mother's blood" and swears at those who come with an offer to buy it. It was a hard slap on those affluent pocket-filled class who think agricultural land can bought off with might of money and stresses how important is agriculture for our country. The other one is where Naicker walks out of the court after losing in a illicit manner says- "Manusu dhaan da courtu aprom dhaan da idhellam" ( One might escape the loopholes in the judicial system but eventually will fall prey to the karma ). Finally, special mention
the end credits dialogue: Manippu keka therinjaven Manusen, Mannikka therinjaven periyamanusen.

Steered by strong-woman characters, be it Ms. Anjela Mathew (who comes to interview the imprisoned inmates) or Annalakshmi- playing the love interest of Viruman as opposed to the streotypical heriones was a progressive step forward. Ilayaraaja's heart-stabbing eerie background score is nothing short of staying truthful and paying respect to this piece of art. It was unarguably his best album of the decade. Still hooked on to 'Unna Vida' and it's lyrics on my playlist. The Maestro-Nayagan duology always have been promising but this was one notch above imo.

Many current-gen filmakers like Pa. Ranjith, Karthik Naren have spoken about how Virumaandi has been a great source of inspiration for screenplay and the craft as a whole in the landscape of tamil cinema. Ultimately the movie has it's own deep flaws like Caste Glorification but it will forever remain as my favourite Kamal Hassan venture in my world of pop culture. Those of you who haven't watched it has one been of the regulars airing on KTV and hope it makes your eyes stay glued like it did for me.

PS: Forgive me if at all I was an ignorant Casteist Bigot.

Summer 18'

                                   

The journey began on May-20 with leaving India for the first time which wasn’t emotional until parting ways with my parents but mixed emotions creeped in once I took off from Chennai. The connecting flight happened in Dubai where I managed to rush to my gate in-spite of the midnight-drowsiness just half-an hour early to my boarding time…phew!! Wish I had spent more time staring at the grandeur of that airport…...Nevertheless the Emirates flight for Washington was all a smooth, less turbulent journey with good hospitality. Upon landing in the Capital city the immigration check happened with a shorter queue but collecting the baggage was a long wait. Finally, I reached the exit of the Dulles International airport that’s when this 20-year-old Indian boy saw America for the first time with all the flyovers, towering buildings and greenery all over. Next I checked in a pre-booked cheap motel closely.

The following morning, I took a bus ride to Blacksburg by Virginia Breeze. The five hour-travel route was really cool with mountainous countryside to look upon with gaze. Upon landing here in the afternoon at Alumni Squires, Virginia Tech I took help of my house owner to reach the room which I had rented. It was now that I realised that pain had started kicking in my body and slept like ghost for the next 12 hours straight.

The next day I officially met my faculty advisor and got myself a hokie passport/ ID-card (which I used illegally to travel in BT-Transit Bus) and access to my respective lab and Wifi. Initial days I struggled with even cooking basic stuff and started exploring various restaurants and relishing Mexican, Thai and American food in Downtown.(Phase of becoming too obsessed with the USDàINR conversion rate). I enjoyed devouring Haggen-Dazzs ice-cream tubs at an all-time high frequency. 

Along with attending the weekly meeting, I reached out to various buildings in the campus like Moss Arts Centre, Student Activity Hall, Drill field…etc. Mid-June I also got the opportunity to watch a popular local band-performance at a pub where I was literally bashed out by the thugs for not abiding my age bar restrictions and that was a narrow escape…. lol!! In free-time got myself watching classic 80’s Tamil movies and recent web-series which kept me away from boredom. Might sound clichéd but it was during this time I really started to miss my family and friends badly inspite of not being a social person way back-home.

The most memorable event of the stay was the visit to Washington DC for watching the July 4 Independence Day celebrations at the National mall at night 9 with the lit-crackers lasting for the next 30 minutes. Before that I and my friend visited Capitol Hill, White House, Jefferson Memorial, Smithsonian aerospace museum, National gallery of art which totally drained our energies. The sleepless night we spent at Union Station to catch our respective buses the next day morn was physically exhausting. After coming back to campus again I worked for more hours and finally submitted my Project report.

In the final leg of the Intern days, I also got a free ticket to watch the Soccer World cup final 2018- France Vs Croatia at the Lyric theatre. Finding my contribution to the project above satisfactory, on the very last day my mentor took me out for lunch at a niche restaurant and sponsored Starbucks shakes too- something which I used to look upon as a layman. Forbidding good-bye to all my roommates and lab fellas who ensured my pleasant stay here ,the very last traditional thing I did was to get chocolates, eatables for my family and friends back home. Boarded my return flight on June 18, thus ended my US Internship with lots of takeaways- most important among them striving hard to be a more independent man and responsible for myself rather than being a parasite.

Special Mention: Beef -steak is all you want to stay happy in life !!

Tribute

                                                                

It reminds us of many sweet, bitter, unforgettable memories which continue to linger in our hearts forever. They form a integral part in our social circle and the affinity towards it ,is difficult to express in words. What if such a relationship is portrayed on stage in the most amicable and humorous way, yet uncompromising on the core of it's theme. Yes , I am talking about the most ever celebrated TV-show in the history of America.  F.R.I.E.N.D.S!!

It was third semester, when you get roasted and tortured in an asylum mentally I began watching the show. A little more than condensed with 10 seasons, it is about the incidents and events revolving around the day-to day life of six guys named Chandler, Monica, Joey, Ross, Rachel, Phoebe living together in Manhattan. Well- crafted scenes with natural comedy is the most striking feature of F.R.I.E.N.D.S with each season ending with a bang, which kindles the fervour in you to proceed to the next one. The cast crew pull off their roles with ease which takes us to the thought- Do they exist really?? The on-screen bond is so exquisite that it makes us jealous to make you yearn for one such group of people around you always.

The characterization is worth appreciating with diverse persona, where each one of them is unique. The creators have given space for all the characters to contribute which in turn gives a distinct shade to each of one them. Joey’s subtle way of flirting using the catchphrase – ‘How you doin?’ and his craze for food when he says ‘ Joey does not share food’. Chandler’s sarcasm of blabbering the wrong thing at the right time. The orgasm Monica gets when she organizes stuff and Dinosaur maniac Ross is described as a guy unlucky with girls having so many failed dates and three divorces. Phoebe entertains us with her weird expressions, high- pitched scream and ‘Smelly Cat’ music track. One cannot imagine about the most mature, well-placed proposal scenes!! The comedy is mind-boggling whose true essence never dies even on watching it for the nth time. It is a wholesome treat filled with fun and laughter.

The impact of this melodramatic show is magnified when it nears towards the end really, I would say it could be one of the most emotional moments in your lifetime. It will further instigate you to make new friends and cherish your left-over days with your loved ones. If you haven’t started watching yet, what are you waiting for?

I’ll be there for you

Like I’ve been there before

I’ll be there for you

Cause I know You will be there for me too.