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Aalavandhan was ahead of its time then; how about now?
After Rajinikanth re-released his 2002 film Baba in 2022, which unfortunately became a damp squib again, like 20 years ago, his peer Kamal Haasan is set to come back with a digitally toned-up version of his 2001 film ‘Aalavandhan’, also a box-office dud back in the...
Better Tamil Nadu
A selfless act by teachers gets school new floors
It was a lesson in self-reliance taught by the teachers of a school, not through books but through action. One of the three buildings of the panchayat union middle school at Murugankudi in Cuddalore district had been functioning with badly damaged floors for a long time. It made things...
TN doctor cures 40 cattle diseases with Siddha medicine
Dr N Punniamurthy, 65, has demonstrated the efficacy of Siddha medicine in curing about 40 cattle diseases, setting an example for other states to consider and emulate. He has worked as the head of the Ethno Veterinary Medicine Training and Research Centre, Thanjavur, affiliated to the Tamil...
His resolve, sisters’ sacrifice make him the doctor he is
Government school, Tamil medium, poverty in family and marginalised social status…all these factors are seen as deterrents to success. Yet Aravindhraj triumphed over all the heavy odds stacked against his education, and finally donned the coat of a doctor. Born into a marginalised family in...
Parivadini honours flute-maker with Parlandu award this year
Parivadini has carved out a niche in the world of Carnatic music, webcasting live music concerts held at Raga Sudha, home to Nada Inbam in Mylapore, Chennai, so the connoisseurs of Carnatic music can relish classical notes from the cozy comfort of their home. The credit for this must go to Jaya...
Gokila’s grit does Ramanathapuram proud
Twenty-three-year-old Gokila is another beacon of hope and exemplifies the can-do spirit of TN youth today. Social marginalization and poverty did not stop this young woman from pursuing her dreams of becoming a doctor. She found encouragement not only in her parents but also in the teachers...
Opinion
Why Governor Ravi’s use of ‘Thamizhagam’ is inaccurate
Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi’s open dislike of the words ‘Tamil Nadu’ and replacing it with ‘Thamizhagam’ has led to a political storm in the state. The ruling DMK and its allies are of course opposed to it, but so is the opposition AIADMK. The party declared it would...
‘Dravidian model created disparities in districts’ growth’
A recent report by the State Planning Commission of the Government of Tamil Nadu, titled “Regional Growth Pattern In Tamil Nadu” has revealed huge imbalances in growth between districts — the northern and western districts are doing significantly better than the...
Is Udhayanidhi the new Puratchi Thalaivar?
Kalaga Thalaivan is a taut thriller that could potentially work for multiplex audiences. It has a complex storyline and a grand ideological premise. It grandly declares that corporates rule Indian life and that includes all political parties. KT has Thiru, aka...
Mathi Memes
Mathi Memes: He can’t act, he can’t dance. Yet Ajith’s Valimai is a smash hit
Actress Khushbu was referring to the reception to Ajith's film Valimai. In what seemed like a mix of admiration and envy, she tweeted in Tamil: “Only you [Ajith Kumar] draw such crowds.” On Wednesday (Feb 24) evening, at a theatre in Thoothukudi, there was a large...
Editor’s Pick
Handling a rogue wild elephant: Two paths by two states
The increasing man-animal conflict in the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border region of the Nilgiris recently sparked a debate on the two different approaches taken by the two states in handling the issue of a rogue wild elephant wreaking havoc with human lives and homes. Pandalur Makhna 2 (PM2), a young...
Permanent Chennai Book Fair long overdue: Publisher Olivannan
The Book Fair in January is an important event in the cultural calendar of Chennai. The 46th edition of the Chennai Book Fair took off at YMCA Grounds, Nandanam on January 6 and will go on till January 22. This time, the first edition of an international book fair is also being hosted in...
How Pudukottai style of mridangam playing came about
Author Lalitha Ram, in his biography on Palani Subramaniya Pillai titled Dhruva Natchathiram, unveils the fascinating background to the style that the mridangist represents. In a quick yet comprehensive sweep, Dhruva Natchathiram looks at the historical, musical and personal aspects of what...
Who’s the superstar now — Vijay or Ajith?
Who is now the superstar — Vijay or Ajith? This question has been generating much heat in Tamil tinsel town for the past few weeks, ahead of the top two heroes’ new films — Varisu and Thunivu — set for release for Pongal. It all feels like a showbiz game no less intense and interesting than...
Shobana case: Prosecute officials for pothole deaths
The death of 22-year old software engineer Shobana near Maduravoyal on January 3 could fade away as another statistic in India’s world-leading road accident death tally, unless civil society pushes back against governmental indifference to abysmal road safety conditions in Chennai and its...
Politics
Governor Ravi pits nationalism against Dravidianism
Governor R N Ravi is a BJP asset in Tamil Nadu. His constitutional position gives him the gravitas that the vocal state BJP president Annamalai lacks. Keeping a check on the DMK government more effectively than the opposition parties, Governor...
Rahul ensures Congress a place in DMK front
As the new year starts with debate on the poll strategy of opposition parties against the BJP in next year’s Parliament elections, especially on the role of the Congress party, Tamil Nadu is one state where the alliance question looks settled....
Jobs for Tamils: BJP’s Tamil politics faces litmus test
The BJP has been trying to corner the ruling DMK’s territory of Tamil identity politics by demanding medical and engineering education in Tamil medium, and conducting cultural activities such as the Kasi Tamil Sangamam. But the party is now...
DMK govt torn between ‘jobs for Tamils’, industrial growth
The DMK government which is keen on bringing new investments and industries to Tamil Nadu is facing protests demanding jobs for Tamils in the newly set up industries. Whether it be the expansion project of the Neyveli Lignite Corporation,...
Will BJP contest Erode East bypoll against AIADMK?
Once Pongal celebrations are over, political parties in Tamil Nadu are sure to turn their attention towards the Erode East bypoll to be held in a few months. Though former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has a good chance of proving his strength in the seat...
Culture
Promising jallikattu bull tamer Arvind Raj gone too soon
As the winter sun was gradually turning intense in the sky, it seemed like everything was falling into place for 25-year-old Arvind Raj on Monday. The annual Pongal jallikattu was gaining pace and it was his home turf, as the youngster hailed...
Why did Bharati hide in Puducherry for 10 yrs?
Born in Puducherry, historian Dr J B Prashant More developed an interest in the life of iconic Tamil poet Subramania Bharati, who stayed incognito in Puducherry from 1908 to 1918. More has written books on the life history of the poet in French,...
No pride of place for repatriated stolen artefacts in India
The movement to restore stolen artefacts including precious 1,000-year-old antiquities to their countries of origin is set to gather momentum in 2023, with India making new claims to museums abroad and individual collectors. Potentially, they...
As farmer marches on amid tragedies, a life lesson for all
What’s recorded alone is not history; in fact, there are several great lives that have sunk into oblivion unnoticed and unrecorded. Life, after all, is no bed of roses; thorns too have been woven into it. Only those understanding this have...
Some forest tribes celebrate Pongal to honour elephants
The Pongal festival ingrained in the popular imagination conjures up images of cooking rice in an open fire, buffaloes and cows being decorated and celebrated and people meticulously arranging sugarcane, turmeric leaves, flowers and other paraphernalia. In tribal...
Food
Once poor man’s food, mushrooms elevated to five-star dish
Once consumed by people on the lowest rung of society to satiate hunger in times of food scarcity and drought, mushrooms now figure prominently on glossy menus of five-star hotels in the country. The transition of a mushroom’s character from...
Plant the seeds of good health in your diet
Seeds are a powerhouse of nutrients. After all, a seed contains a latent tree. In recent years, a variety of seeds such as flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds and the age-old sesame seeds have become popular as superfoods. How do...
Researchers pen Tamil encyclopedia on food and nutrition
More awareness and understanding of food items consumed in our regular life can help us lead healthy lives. Food is not only for energy and growth, it is necessary to repair tissues, rejuvenate cells and protect against diseases. Spoilt food and...
The pleasures of home-made pickling
March and April were pickle season at home when we were children and the smell of salted mangoes filled the house. It was to fun to open the piece of muslin cloth that covered the tall porcelain jars of chopped and marinating fruit and pick a...
Delicious country brinjal can combat rise of GM varieties
Brinjal (‘kathari’ in Tamil) is a vegetable that is great tasting by itself or mixed in with other veggies or even meat in various cuisines. It finds a key place in ‘aviyal’ (a mixture of stewed veggies) and is also a sought-after side-dish of biryani. Brinjal...
Civic Issues
Wanted: Political will for better public toilets in Chennai
Chennai continues to struggle with its problem of poor public sanitation, even as it tries to change an unflattering reputation. Open defecation is still not a thing of the past, public toilets are few and far between, lavatories built under Swachh Bharat have been...
Will Tamil Nadu take road safety seriously on SC orders?
Another annual Road Safety Week is around the corner, this time from January 11 to 17, and the Supreme Court has set the stage for it. State governments may not be giving road safety top priority, but a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud has...
Environment
Hard climate ahead for a few years: What TN can do
After several years of water prosperity through the monsoon months, the alarm has been sounded globally that some periods of 2023 and all of 2024 could bring unpredictable climate due to the return of the El Nino phenomenon — extreme heat, drought, and in some...
Move to create forest buffer zone to impact millions
Farmers in The Nilgiris have been agitating against the proposed buffer zone around the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, fearing that it would prevent them from cultivating crops of their choice, constructing or renovating buildings and selling land. The Nilgiri...
Sports
Skilled like Priya, these women footballers must get govt aid
The wrongful death of young football talent Priya is bringing attention to other young women footballers like her. They too come from meagre means and have overcome the stranglehold of social mores to follow their passion. For these women from North Chennai, a...
New TNCA chief a sign of N Srinivasan-DMK nexus
Dr. Ashok Sigamani, son of Higher Education Minister Ponmudi, has been elected president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA). This was an unopposed election as his rival Prabhu had withdrawn his nomination and also the case he had filed in the Madras High...
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