Lights Out!

As a NRI, I have great pride in my home country. I always expect great things from/for India – am not sure if its the nostalgia factor or because am so far away from it, I want to hear only progressive news from home.

So when I heard about the massive power cuts, not only was I filled with rage but also left with a sense of disappointment. When I’m so thoroughly convinced that India is moving forward, such news indicates that we are not really moving anywhere. Inertia is factor associated with poor planning and massive developments. I had to vent it out.

Read on…

http://www.the-nri.com/index.php/2012/03/electricity-necessity-in-america-luxury-in-india/

Coupon Crazy

Every time a mail or a flyer arrives with the word “Sales”, I get dizzy. It annoys me when a blouse or a dress I got for $30 is now $15 on sale. I just feel like whacking my head in frustration. To top it off, people get even more crazy and buy brocolli and beans on sale. If you are as averse to couponing as I’am and haven’t learnt the art yet, join the club.

Coupons have become the smart shopping mantra, another reason to rejoice for the frugal immigrant. Read on…

http://www.the-nri.com/index.php/2012/02/coupon-crazy/#comments

Women in Tamil Cinema

Women have defied rules to become astronauts, scientists and even politicians. But in Tamil cinema, they will still portray the lusty lover, dormant wife, affectionate mother or the loyal sister. They will remain in the shadow of their male counterparts and will never shine in the limelight on their own.

My latest column is about how the trend of feminist movies and strong women roles is deteriorating in Tamil cinema.

Read on…

http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-column/Women-in-Tamil-Cinema-08-02-12.html

Hermes Silk and the South Indian

Some thought it was condescending and cocky, some opined that it was reserved for Bollywood plastic figures. Yet some more thought it was for wallets in poor taste.

Introducing a silk sari at an astronomical price in a country that has been wearing them for centuries together is quite ballsy. It definitely does not strike me as a proper way of thanking the Indian customers. Imagine if I went to Italy and tried selling my pizzas(a blander version) at a sky-high price.

Hermes introduces a silk sari line in India. Clearly, they haven’t met their Indian counterpart – the traditional Kancheevaram.

Read on

HERMES silk and the South Indian

2011 – The Year that was

A New Year is always a great landmark to assess how things went and to plan how interesting life is going to be. Although resolution seems like the key word here, we avoid using it fearing failure.

2011 was a great year for my writing career. Who knew I would go this far? I have become a regular at Behindwoods.com and I could cook up recipes for a popular bay area monthly. The year end opened doors to yet another magazine for a regular column and to top it off, I could also pen stories in Tamil which seemed like an uphill task. All this has only urged me to plough forward more vigorously in 2012. So get geared up for more reading….

Here’s a list of a couple of countdowns we penned for the year end. Although I don’t agree with the rankings, you can let me know what you think.

Top 20 Directors http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-slide-shows/movie-4/2011/top-20-directors-2011/intro.html

Top 10 Music Directors http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-slide-shows/movie-4/2011/top-10-music-director/intro.html

Dhanush – The Rising Star

It did not take me very long to become a fan of Dhanush. Of course I completely ignored him in the beginning when he did movies like Thulluvatho Illamai & Kadhal Kondein. But there is a certain charm associated with Dhanush…I don’t even know if you can pen charm and Dhanush in the same sentence but this actor is best when he is portraying the struggling son, the lost lover or the wandering slumdog. He has risen beyond anyone’s expectations and this week’s column charts his way. If he keeps continuing this well woven path, there is no denying the heights he will reach.

Read on…

http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-column/Kolaveri-Dhanush-17-12-11.html

Flop Song!

I really did not want to write anything about Kolaveri di. Enough has been said, discussed, listened to and written about. There is one post about the marketing mantra behind Kolaveri di – Viral marketing claims IIM’s studs. Imagine a class full of MBA grads discussing the phenomena behind the soup song and I thought they would discuss about the tactics involved in marketing holiday gear to lure shoppers… Hilarious!

Although Dhanush claims that he did not had to delve into the nuances of the language and the lyrics were penned in a jiffy, we will not rest until we beat the issue to a pole. We will also not let it go that the lyrics are not in poetic Tamil but is a crass mix of English and Tamil. One of my favourite writers even dismisses the song as a Tamil one. Maybe if it was composed by ARR and been the track of a Kamal movie, these strong emotions would have piped down to a mild flutter and no feathers ruffled?

I like celebrities who don’t pretend. It is so rare that I have begun to appreciate this trait. So when Dhanush accepts that they did not expect the song to go viral, I want to pat the team on their back. When Javed Akhtar pooped on the lyrics, this team did not let it dampen their spirits, they even agreed with him. Because I like Kolaveri Di does not mean I do not like Vellai Pookal.

Kolaveri Di is all over the place. My niece and my father can’t resist taking a swing when this song plays. One talks gibberish and the other has given up on Tamil lyrics. The Kannadasan days are gone but music is music. I don’t care that the lyrics are in English or it makes little sense. It is an energetic, foot tapping and an extremely local song. One that anybody can enjoy. Music transcends language and when global audiences are talking about a Tamil song, I don’t want to delve into trivial issues. There is lot of talent in Tamil cinema and if the spotlight is manned by Dhanush, I’m not complaining. There are lyrical, elusive, haunting and mesmerizing numbers in Tamil but if Kolaveri Di is making people knock on our doors, I want to welcome them with open arms.

Yes Kolaveri Di is a Tamil song. One that has set records in an unprecedented yet peculiar way. I want to embrace this soup song and No I don’t want to get into any lofty discussions. Just let it be. Turn on the music.