DesiDabba - Boss, Thoda Sa Roomani Ho Jaye

Way back in the 60s Tamil films were dominated by the big three namely Sivaji Ganesan, MGRamachandran (or MGR as he was called ) and Gemini Ganesan (known in the north more as Film actress Rekha’s father ). Each had his own style and also his own fan following. Film related activities being predominant in Kodambakkam ( a Chennai Suburb ), Tamil Film industry came to be referred as Kollywood .

Even today Tamil Nadu is associated with film crazy crowds who make giant cutouts of their favourite filmstars and sometimes even build temples dedicated to these actors ! As a young girl, during the family’s annual trip to meet all the relatives down south (all the way from Delhi ), I used to be fascinated by these giant cutouts so prominently displayed on Beach Road – the Big three smiling down at the population crowding Marina beach.

Continue reading ‘The Big Three – Kollywood (Tamil film Industry) Movies’

The other day I was watching a cookery show in one of the regional channels- the presenter was the director of a catering college and a well known chef too. Armed with my pad and pen I eagerly looked forward to adding yet another recipe to my collection. At the very start when he announced he was going to prepare suraa ( a type of fish ) kuzhambu (or sambar), my enthusiasm took a beating. Being a veggie, the very name put me off ! To kill a lazy afternoon I anyway decided to watch ( curiosity got the better of me, I guess !).

The host – a man of generous proportions (khathey peethey type – like Obelix of Asterix fame !)- set about the task of preparing the dish while giving a running commentary.

Continue reading ‘Haath Ka Kamaal‘

9X was showing Roja today. I came across it while channel-flicking as usual and for a split-second wondered which patriotic event we were commemorating.

Roja, released in 1992 has come to be clubbed in that genre of semi-patriotic movies that grace our television sets every Independence Day/ Republic Day/ Gandhi Jayanti. The other favorites being Karma, Bombay (?), Bhagat Singh (both movies) and the occasional Mother India.

Grave mistake, I believe. A classic case of being successful for all the wrong reasons. Roja wasn’t a patriotic story at all. Well yes, it had some nationalistic flavour, given the setting and situation. But it was the story of a young girl facing difficult circumstances and how she dealt with them.

Continue reading ‘Re-review Roja: Unseen roses’

I was most amused (and delighted) to see one particular commercial on air yesterday. Maybe it is the fact that da BOSS a.k.a. ‘sooperstar Rejini’ is ruling the roost in box-offices around the country, I feel particularly close to my roots at the moment. And as the only South-Indian on the panel of contributors to this blog, I feel compelled to make a point of it….errm, is that correct incidently, feel free to sock me if I claim wrong!

Coming back, here’s the ad I saw….it is for a product called Krd Rys. Before you think that’s some exotic East European brand of clothing, try saying it out loud. Yup. So finally the humble ‘thair sadam‘ gets its due credit while some smart marketers put it in a neat box and stick a smart-alecky brand name onto it. The ad shows a guy (played by actor Prakash Raj) receiving a call from his wife who says she forgot to give him lunch. He whoops for joy with a telling “This is what I’ve been waiting for!” and trots over to the nearest shop to pick up his favorite meal – the manna for Tams world-over – Curd Rice!!!!

I have to say that as a self-confessed thair-sadam conoisseur, it looks pretty appealing in the ad. If I were in Chennai, I’d trot right out to pick up a box. And yeah, I loved the name! So who says the South doesn’t have a sense of humour? Remember ‘Quick Gun Murugan’? You got it….mind it!

On the occasion of the ‘World Theatre Day’ , the Academy of Theatre Arts, University of Mumbai , brings for Mumbaikars a bouquet of India’s finest plays, in an 11-day ‘National Vasant Natya Mahotsav’.

The Mahotsav, to be staged between March 22 and April 1, 2007 at the Kalina Campus of the University of Mumbai , will present plays by renowned directors like Ratan Thiyam, Ramesh Verma and Ranjit Kapoor.

Famous Indian theatre groups like the Chorus Repertoire Company from Manipur, The National School of Drama Repertoire Company and the Mysore Rangayan will be performing in Mumbai after a long time. “This is the speciality of the festival. There will be plays in various Indian languages by some of the prominent directors this country has produced,” says Mr Waman Kendre, Director of the Academy. Along with this, several theatre luminaries like Anupam Kher and Naserrudin Shah too might grace the festival. Professor Waman Kendre himself is a very famous Marathi Theatre artist.

Continue reading ‘Celebrate with the Colours of Vasant Natya Mahotsav’