CYCLE SAAVI

The second day Thiruppavai is one among my favourites. The hymn gives a set of protocols to be abide by, during the season. One should stay away from drinking milk and taking ghee. The direct translation means, “We would not eat milk or ghee”. This eat might sound poetical for a poet or a scholar. However, I take it seriously. Every time I drink milk, I gulp down but milk is not something to gulp down. It is more than eating. Drinking milk is a comfort.           In our hostels, we had to take tokens for milk. We had many friends, who would forgo milk just to save 270 bucks, a month. (I beg your pardon for the “just”) Ghee, how sophisticated is that to hear the name and eat meal with it. Sorry for bringing my hostel repeatedly into the picture. We were chided for flaunting a ghee bottle in the mess when we were eating. When I complained about it to my mother, she gave me the right explanation (a mother’s usual business) and not a favourable explanation (which I expect). She said, “Gi

       Margazhi signifies mysticism. There is something in Margazhi, may be the hymns and the kolams or the delayed and most awaited dawns. It is synonymous with another alliterative Mylapore, the place that hosts Brahmans. Every time I’m taught the hymn, “Vaazhga Anthanar Vaazhiya Anninam”, I’m reminded of Mylapore and Gokula. Margazhi is associated with Gokula too, when it comes to listening to Andal’s Thiruppavai on Lord Krishna, who would be her husband in the future. I had planned to visit Mylapore this year for Margazhi, as I would be free from my academic responsibilities. The hymns singers would sing every morning, kolams that adorn the ‘vasals’ of every house, the bajans at Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, a sip of Mylapore filter coffee and prayers at Kabaliswara Swamy and Madhava temples. However, things do not correspond to what we scheduled; they could never be compartmentalized. More than the times waves hit the shore, the waves of the virus keep hitting the country. Every Ma

   The Phenomenon of Kollywood Comedy Phase-  I In this pace, where the cinema comes to the doorsteps of the people, there is a chance of people being a part of the direction team. In this basic thing, there is a static element in the cinema- the comedy. From the very beginning of the Tamil Cinema, there is a huge attention paid to produce the best comedy.  Initially, people were interested in the comedy that was functional in driving home some moral.  Comedy of N.S. Krishnan was more of moral science classes but still provoked laughter among people like how the Shakespearean clowns and fools did.  Another most legendary comedian was Kalyanaparisu Thangavelu, who stimulated the nerves of people to smile and laugh with his ever popular Mannar & Mannar Co. Then came character like Nagesh, who cracked harmless jokes and tried reforming the society.  Then were Goundamani, and Senthil. The next phase is ruled by Vadivelu and Vivek.  After that it was a monopoly of innuend

l When I used to sit in the verandah and talk with my friends, my father or any uncle or brother would say, “ Women usually gossip but not too early in their lives. Go and do something productive”. l  A shocked girl of 13 got her brothers’, uncles’ and father’s “Facts” wrong during the quarantined days. l  All ammas, pakkathu veetu aunties (neighbours), akkas and grannies are busy trying to have a me-time, all men in the appartments leave the house sharp at 5. l  We assumed them to go for a walk inside the apartment but what’s happening was different to the core. l  Gathered in the playground, Auditor Uncle on the swing, daddy on the parapet wall, Professor uncle on the trunk of the see-saw, Engineer Anna on the rails of the playground were doing something  When the government imposed 144 rules, (as they all respect the PM and are scared)  another form of conversation started- "Con call" (Conference Call). Daily a group of men will do something: “productive”… Soci

Paradoxes not only exist from a gendered perspective but also in another way.  When a famous dialogue from the movie, Draupati hit the screens, there was ultimate disharmony. The heroine of the story says in a rough translation, “According to us both the land and women are important and we cannot allow anyone spoiling it”. Many people raised voices against the dialogue because there was objectification of women, it seems.  How can I make these people understand that we hardly objectified women but all we did was personification of the motherland? Land is considered a women because land offers life for many people like the woman, who is in charge of life forces. If this is objectification, then what is to do with the perfume bottles of some famous companies that are in shapes of a woman’s torso with contours?  I chant Shlokas, celebrating women; recite Hail Mary prayer, celebrating women; pray for my mother, teachers, aunts, cousins and friends daily, celebrating them…. The

( Disclaimer: The content presented in the following series is to evoke laughter and thought and is not subject to any form of insult on anyone in particular. However, let’s be a little subjective to understand the comic situations and reform ourselves.) Women’s Day was the sole subject to talk about for the last week. If I had written about the same thing last week, I would not have become that “Ayirathil Oruvan”. When it’s Women’s Day, wow…. what an ultimate fun for all the women. You have some cliche criteria attached to women’s day: Situation 1: Venue: Cell Phone: Background song: “Manithi, Veliye Vaa”; “Singa penne” Continuously flashing: Photos of amma, chithi, sisters, paatis, friends…… What happened to that sleeping kutty papa in the bus? On listening to my status, the kutty papa assumed it to be their school anthem and stood up. Situation 2: Venue: Pamphlets Template: Rani Lakshmibai, Kalpana Chawla, Mother Teresa and Sarojini Naidu Words: “Happy women’s day”, “