The evenings in temples and concert halls are a lot busier. It is festival time and music is an integral part of the celebrations. The months leading to Margazhi set the tempo for the music season. The series of concerts that happen in Tamil Nadu during Navratri is a precursor to what is in store... Continue Reading →
As Madras turns 378, sharing this post again where the legendary Dhananjayans share their memories of a Madras where films were shot in Besant Nagar, neighborhood rumoured to be haunted and full of trees
Madras has turned 375 today. As one sees various images that define the city, one cannot miss the dancers of Kalakshetra, rigorous in their practice, dedicated to the art. I spoke to the legendary Dhananjayans on the occasion of Madras Day, who drew a vivid picture of the Madras that was….
Tucked away in one of the silent corners of Thiruvanmiyur is the Kalakshetra campus, where students can be seen undergoing a rigorous regimen of training in Bharatanatyam and other art forms. The lush green campus, lined with countless trees, is an oasis in the midst of the humdrum of traffic in the city. Six decades back, when VP Dhananjayan, a doyen of Bharatanatyam arrived in Madras (as it was known then), the city was a totally different place to be in. His memory is still fresh about the journey he undertook from his village in Kerala to Madras…
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More than a century after he passed away, Thyagaraja’s name bears the torch of Carnatic classicism. He's enriched it with his vision and devotion. After the samadhi of Thyagaraja, his disciples like Sundara Bhagavatar, Rama Iyengar and Venkatramana Bhagavatar played yeoman’s role in spreading his musical genius. Since then, his compositions have been lapped up by... Continue Reading →
I was hardly six years old when I watched Ramu Kariat's classic blockbuster Chemmeen (1965), which took the Malayalam film industry by storm. It is a film, which every Malayali is initiated into, right from his childhood. The only scene I retained for a long time to come was the one where Pareekutty (Madhu) sings... Continue Reading →
Madraswallah 