Theatre Refined recreationR. IlangovanThe stage adaptation of “Ponniyin Selvan”, presented in Chennai in June by Magic Lantern, does not disappoint as an honest attempt to retain the s
Balu Mahendra Visual poetR. ILANGOVANBalu Mahendra (1939-2014), the award-winning cinematographer and director, made lyrical films on human relationships and created fine artists.
Interview Celebrating diversityR. IlangovanYaadhum, a documentary tracing the roots of Tamil Muslims, evocatively portrays a syncretic tradition that allowed inclusiveness and peaceful coexiste
Martelli’s sigh of reliefR. IlangovanThe verdict commuting the death sentence of four people convicted in the Palar bomb blast case brings cheer to a little village on the Tamil Nadu-Karn
Nammalvar Soldier of natureR. ILANGOVANGovindasamy Nammalvar, 1938-2013, carried on a crusade in Tamil Nadu to free agriculture from the use of chemicals and “from the vile grip of corpor
Controversy Seeing beyond SadirR. IlangovanAn interpretation of the role played by the Dravidian movement in liberating devadasis from “sacred slavery” kicks up a controversy in Tamil Nadu.
Police reforms Reluctant moveR. IlangovanLegal experts and activists describe the Tamil Nadu ordinance on police reforms as “a half-hearted attempt” that does not conform to the Supreme C
Interview: Kamal Hassan ‘There is no separate pedestal for the performer’R. Vijaya SankarR. IlangovanKamal Hassan. Having been part of the film world for 54 of his 58 years, Kamal Hassan is today an epitome of versatility. His career started with a ba
Cover Story Taking on patriarchyR. ILANGOVAN in ChennaiSAGNIK DUTTA in New DelhiIn Tamil Nadu, there are Muslim women activists fighting on all fronts for gender justice.
Spotlight Fetters on freedomR. ILANGOVANIn acting at the behest of the police to cancel the lecture of Islamic scholar Amina Wadud, the University of Madras not only offends the scholar but
Are Hindi films problematising history? After Padmaavat, the Hindu historical tasted blood and sharpened its fangs, but the recent Samrat Prithviraj is a weak offspring of the genre, neither
SlideshowPostcards from Khasi hillsImages that mix politics, history and discomfort to document how the Khasi people made Christianity, a “foreign faith”, their own.
