Chennai News 91

CHENNAI NEWS
(NEWS OF CHENNAI AND TAMILNADU BY ENVERNATHAN)
Volume 91 (July 2008)

Enver’s Rambling.

I am now back in Chennai and enjoying every bit of it even though it is quite hot. As I could not get a seat on the direct flight from Durban to Mauritius I had to take the Sunday flight which left from Johannesburg. This was a real pity as it meant that I had to miss the second day of the National eisteddfod and also the forty year celebrations of the formation of the SATF. The other downside was that I had to book my own flight from Durban to Johannesburg and had chosen Mango as it was the most convenient. This was the first time that I had flown Mango and they were quite strict with their luggage rules. They told me that I was only allowed 20kgs and I had to pay R225 for the extra 9 kgs. I have flown on Nationwide and 1Time previously and they always gave me an allowance as an international passenger. However the girl at Mango was quite curt and did not want to budge. I will not recommend this airline for people who have to take international flights.

One of the places that I visited while I was in Durban was a factory that makes granulite and other products from resins. Granulite is an artificial form of granite and it is actually better. I also went along to the new hospital near Nandhi drive to see some of the counters were made from this product. I was really amazed at how this product could be used in so many different ways. If you want to know anything more about this product you can mail my good friend Pregasen Govender at granotops@telkomsa.net.

Normally a Tamil book translated into English is a very serious high brow one which does not interest the general reader. However all this has changed when Rakesh Kumar Khanna came to Chennai. He was fascinated by the myriad of these pulp fiction books which are sold at bus stops and railway stations and ‘millions’ of small stalls. However he could not read it in the original language nor could he find an English translation. So he decided to start his own publishing house called Blaft together with his wife Rashmi Ruth Devadasan and their friend Kaveri Lalchand. Starting with Ramini Chandran the queen of Tamil romance and 9 other authors, Blaft has come out with a compendium of 10 stories called Tamil Pulp Fiction translated into English by my sister-in-law Pritham Chakavathy. The cover which has also got rave compliments was designed by her daughter Malavika. The first edition has been sold out and it has made the English best sellers list. I just started reading the book and found it very interesting. It gives you a real feel of the day to day literature of the average person in Tamilnadu. Blaft has also published Zero Degree a novel by Charu Nivedita also translated by Pritham. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of Tamil Pulp Fiction then please mail me as I am trying to get the book to South Africa. You can also order it on amazon.com

Chennai and most of the metros are on high alert after the bomb blasts in Bangalore and Ahmadabad. However the people do not seem unduly perturbed and are going about their daily business. Honestly I feel quite safe here and in no way worried about my safety.


Eisteddfod scene

Here is the date for the Lower North Coast Adult’s Eisteddfod.
Date: 02-03 August 2008 (Sat and Sun)
Venue: Stonebridge Community Hall, Stonebridge, Phoenix
Time: Sat- Starting at 1.00pm
Sun- Starting at 8.30am
Tentative dates for the others.
I will give you the times and venues in the next CN.

Upper North Coast – 16 AugPietermaritzberg - 17 AugSouth Coast - 23 AugDurban - 24 AugDurban South - 30 AugSouthern Region - 31 AugNorthern Natal –Still to be announced.Finals – 6/7 September

This year I went to four regional eisteddfods, the Finals and the first day of the nationals. One must admire the work of the officials and the candidates and their parents and teachers. It was sad to see that the number of groups and candidates participating have come down. However the enthusiasm and excitement is still there. Some people in Newcastle told me that they desperately need Language and Music teachers and are willing to pay for people to come there and teach.
I was a bit disappointed by the number of disqualifications of candidates in the regional and finals. It showed that some candidates and teachers did not fully understand the rules. Maybe the language of the syllabus should be simplified.
Although some of the disqualifications were unavoidable there were many that could have been avoided with a little use of discretion and flexibility. A veena candidate was disqualified because she did not have someone keeping thalam for her. Although I cannot understand why someone has to keep thalam for her (I have not seen this in all my attendance of concerts in Chennai) surely she could have been told before she started that the rules stated that she needed a thalam keeper. This would have made sense especially as she was the only Veena candidate in the finals. Then there was a mrithangam candidate who had two thalam keepers. Here again it could have been so easy to tell him to remove one of them. Maybe instead of outright disqualification some marks could have been deducted from the candidate for not knowing the rules (even this is extreme). We want more participation rather than less. The irony is that in most of these disqualifications there was just one candidate in the section. This meant that these candidates lost the chance of participating in the finals and the nationals. Also the KZN team lost out on some points because they did not have their full compliment of candidates in some of the sections. I am sure that no candidate wants to win as a result of other candidates being disqualified.
However at the Finals it was suddenly realised that all the little ones taking part in the nursery rhymes could have been disqualified as none of them had music accompaniments as stated in the syllabus. However it was pleasing to note that the adjudicators were flexible and ignored this rule.
Internet

I have finally registered my website www.envernathan.com I am now in the process of developing this site. If you can help me please do so.
Some of you who visited India a few years ago promised me space on your server. I did not follow it up at that time but now that I have a web domain I will need that promised space. Please mail me.

One of our groups in Facebook is called Learn and Teach Tamil. (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6084403897) This was started on 1st December. This is an interactive site for people who want to learn Tamil and also for people who want to teach. As it is aimed at adults we are using the English font. Please join in to get involved. Kamesh has prepared some lessons, which I will share with you. However to get really involved on a daily basis it will be better to join the group.
This site is becoming very popular and is increasing daily. An article on this site appeared in the July 13 edition of the Sunday Times extra. You can read this article by clicking on the following. http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/News/Article.aspx?id=800351

For those of you who are interested in Tamil movies you can join the group Tamil Movie Club. (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6526801521) Not to be confused with the Movie club that you pay R100 as an investment. The one in Facebook is of course free. You can join in some lively discussions on all aspects of Tamil cinema.
Tamil Eisteddfod group. (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7818284447) This is a place for all of you who ever took part in an eisteddfod whether as a participant, administrator, Adjudicator or the audience. The rule of the group is that you must introduce yourself. Hopefully we will have a collection of experiences that will inspire others to take part.
The latest addition is the Chennai Super Kings (IPL). This is off course for all supporters of the Chennai Super Kings 20/20 cricket team. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18926205926

For those of you who are looking for a Tamil word processor then you should look at the Azhagi software. This is also excellent for transliterating Tamil songs etc. You can get a free basic copy by downloading from the site www.azhagi.com If needed you can then opt for the more advance version. You don’t even have to know Tamil to use it.



My son Kamesh has his own blog site, which can be accessed at http://kameshgovender.blogspot.com/. It is quite interesting and he loves putting pictures etc in it.
Film scene

I was quite surprised at the number of Tamil movies that were released while I was in SA. I will try and see as many of them as possible.

The first movie I saw was Kamal’s Dasavatharam which seems to be doing very well all over. I could not understand why the vaishavites were so agitated before the film’s release. If anything it is propoganada for vaishnavism over saivism however none of the saivites protested. Kamal dons 10 different roles although some of them were maybe unnecessary. I guess he just wanted to be one up on Sivaji Ganesen. However one just marvels at how excellent the movie Navarathri was - and filmed so long ago.
Of the ten roles the one of the pompous Andra police officer stands out the best. He plays the part to the tee and you forget that it is Kamal in disguise. He also plays the role of a 95 year old granny but at times seems a bit too sprightly. He also dons the role of a Japanese martial arts expert which he does fairly well. He looked rather amusing as a short George Bush and a very tall Muslim man (probably because the tallest man in the world is a Pakistani). Asin is most irritating in this movie and seems to be screaming Perumale on the top of her voice most of the time.
The story is about scientist Kamal who wants to save the world from a vial of deadly virus – a kind of viral bomb. It somehow gets sent by courier to Chidambaram to granny Kamal. American assasain Kamal also joins in the search. Japanese Kamal also comes to India to avenge his sister’s death. Off course police Kamal is on their trail. They all land in Chidambaram and there the vial lands in the Perumal statue. Thus the statue is taken by Kamal and Asin with the others in hot persuit. On the way they meet Mislim Kamal, Dalit Kamal and Punjabi singer Kamal. If you wondering who is the tenth Kamal. He is the ancient Kamal who is put to death by drowning with a statue of Vishnu because he refused to utter the mantra “Om Na Ma Si Va Ya”.
Most people here are excited by the Hollywood type touches. However with all the hype I thought it could have been better. The music and songs are excellent and is very popular here.

Santosh Subramaniam stars Jeyam Ravi and Genillia. This is a lovely movie which I enjoyed very much. It is in the same genre as Something Something which was just as entertaining. Subramaniam played by Prakashraj is one of those dominating fathers who even selects the clothes to be worn by his sons. I told my son Kamesh how lucky he was that he did not have a father like Subramaniam and although he agreed I found that his answer was a tad bit slow.
Santosh is told that he has to marry the girl that his father has chosen and a proposal is done. However just after this he meets Genillia and is taken by her lively behaviour. Predictably they fall in love and it is now time to break the news to his family. However the story takes a twist when Subramaniam tells his son to bring Genillia to stay with them for one week so that he can gauge whether she will fit in with the family. Genillia endears herself to the rest of the family. However one small mistake and she earns the wrath of the father. How they get together and the reaction of her father is part of the climax. The songs here are also very good. Really this is a movie for the whole family to watch.

Kuruvi is Vijay’s latest movie and also stars Trisha. Vijay milks the formula process and there is sameness about his movies. However his fans do not seem to mind and his movies always do well. Kuruvi (bird) is slang for people who are hired to go to Singapore and Malaysia to bring back goods on their travel allowance to be resold here. The kuruvees get a free trip, food and shelter while there.
Vijay whose family is cheated goes to Malayasia on this scheme so that he can get a check honoured by a man who owes his father some money. His friend Vivek also goes on this scheme. While there he realises that the man who is a big don has no intention of honouring the check and steals a diamond which he hopes to use as a bargaining tool. Trisha who is the sister of the don wants to escape from an arranged marriage and is saved by a masked Vijay. She decides to escape to Chennai to look for him. Vijay hides the diamond in her bag and then has to try and get it back from her. He also learns that his father is being kept captive in a quarry in Cadapah (Andra Pradesh).
He then goes to Andra to save his father from the gang there. The film has lots of humour, good music and dance and lots of unbelievable fights and stunts. If you like this genre of movies then you are sure to enjoy Kuruvi.

Subramaniyapuram is a movie set in 1980. This is very nostalgic as I visited India in 1981 so can identify with the movie. The director Sasikumar has very successfully captured the mood and the ambience of that era. The story revolves around a group of unemployed youth who while away their time doing petty jobs or just loaf the day away. One of them Azhagar played by Jai fancies Thulasi (Swathi) the pretty daughter of the village big deal Somu. Sasi himself (Paraman) and Ganga Karupasami (Kasi) are the other two. Three of them are tricked by Somu’s brother to commit a murder for his benefit; however once they kill his rival he deserts them. They are helped by another rich man who in turn asks them to commit murder on his behalf. Although reluctant to accept they are paid for their deeds. They then turn to hired killers and earn money which they share with their friend. However Jai will not rest till he kills the man who set them up and this leads to more murders, deceit and treachery. The movie is slow moving at times but I enjoyed it. There is a very beautiful duet Kangal Irandal that has become the rage here (http://www.musicplug.in/songs.php?movieid=30568. The innocent romance of the two is done very realistic and matches the mood of the times.
The movie started very low key in just two cinemas in the city but has become such a hit that it is now showing in 12 cinemas in Chennai.

REUNION OF SALISBURY ISLANDERSA reunion of everyone who was part of the family at Salisbury Island since its inception in 1961 until its closure in 1971 is planned for 2009.
It is intended to include all Salisbury Island graduates and members of staff as well as those students who registered there and did not complete their degrees or diplomas.
If the idea of a reunion appeals to you, please update your contact details and provide suggestions about any aspect that should be considered on the attached form and forward to Zanele Ndlala of the Alumni Affairs Office: Corporate Relations (Email magwaza4@ukzn.ac.za and Fax: 031-260 3265).
Tourism Scene

Just as I got back I had Chitra and Lexi who arrived in Chennai driving all around Kerela and Tamilnadu from Cochin. They told me that they were not unduly affected by the weather and would not mind coming back the same time next year. Strini Moodley and his family also had the same to say even though they had come in the latter part of June. I missed them as they took the same flight out of India as I took into India. However they were waiting for me at Chennai airport and we had to talk through the thick glass.
Chitra and Lexi were thrilled at meeting devotional singer Pithukuli Murugadas especially as Chitra is a very good devotional singer in her own right.

This is the last call for the September tour.

01/09 Leave for Mauritius and India
02/09 Arrive in Chennai. Rest
03/09 Day for shopping
04/09 Kanchipuram/Tirupathi
05/09 Puttarpathi
06/09 Bangalore
07/09 Bangalore
08/09 Mysore
09/09 Ooty
10/09 Ooty
11/09 Coimbature/Pallakad
12/09 Cochin
13/09 Cochin
14/09 Allepey/Kollam
15/09 Kanyakumari
16/09 Kanyakumari
17/09 Madurai
18/09 Trichy
19/09 Thanjavur/Kumbakonam/Chidambaram
20/09 Mahabalipuram/Chennai
21/09 Chennai City Tour
22/09 Chennai Free day for shopping, entertainment etc
23/09 Leave for Mauritius. Night in Mauritius
24/09 Mauritius. Morning free. Afternoon. Leave for Durban.

Price: Cost of ticket + R7200. Working out to about R15,200 per person sharing. Includes all accommodation on Bed and breakfast in 3 star hotels and equivalent. All transport by Air Con vehicle. Includes all taxes, parking, tolls,.Price will change as the Rand fluctuates. Mauritius: One night Hotel accommodation with transfers. Includes breakfast and dinner allowance.

As a new service I have now added accommodation and tours in Mauritius as an extra service on to the holiday. I find that it can be done quite cheaply when booked directly with the owners in Mauritius.