Noted film director Pa Ranjith has been talked about a bit in the Tamil social media – context, his hosting a conference in Madurai recently to celebrate the Dalit identity. A few claimed that he was cutting across sectarian identities and hence could indeed provide a refreshingly new...
The DMK has sought to project its ideology in Delhi. The DMK has sought a national profile and opened its Delhi office recently. But the practical side is that the DMK has little heft in the Delhi establishment. Some DMK leaders have personal equations in Delhi but they don't benefit the state....
Who is Dravidian is a perennial question in Tamil public life. Even the Ilaiyaraja controversy has meandered to that question. The Ilaiyaraja row is not a naturally occurring event that is the job of journalists to uncover and write about. It is a staged event orchestrated to create hype,...
Vijay's Beast, produced by Sun Pictures and distributed by Red Giant Movies, has created a very audible buzz among people. Fans and others are eager to see what the latest movie has to offer. Brisk sales of tickets are being reported. Vijay fans are hoping Beast will get past Valimai’s ticket...
Sri Lanka is a pace-setter for the world, but not in a good way. Food prices are rising worldwide. Unrest seems sure to follow. Food prices there have been outpacing general inflation, but the growth of food costs, which was roughly double the general inflation rate for most of 2021,...
In his swearing-in when he was elected President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa proudly said that he was elected President by Sinhala Buddhist voters and that he came in a dynasty of lions. But the same Sinhala Buddhist voters have risen in revolt against the rule of the Rajapaksa dynasty. More people...
Body shaming shamed the 94th Oscars ceremony held in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022. It grabbed headlines the world over not because of the customary glamour and glitz but because a best actor winner was worked up to the point of ascending the stage and catching the presenter and comedian...
Rajamouli's RRR is a film that has caught the imagination of many. The box office collections are proof of how much the film is loved all over. Though it is a period drama, the manner in which the Hindi mythology angle of Ram and Hanuman is showcased, has started a discussion. Social media is...
The results of the five station elections make us wonder if there is any hope for sanity in India. Is it whither India? Or is it just wither India, the India of Gandhi and Nehru? Across the country the more secular liberal sections are wringing their hands in despair, more aghast than ever...
Commentaries on the Tamil Nadu budget 2022-23 presented by finance minister P Thiyagarajan (PTR) focused on how it served the Dravidian model. The ideological hegemony of neoliberal fiscal fundamentalism was evident in many of these commentaries. This is not surprising. However, what is...
