Its all about art

                     AYYA!!! EN PERU MANICKAM…ENAKKU INNORU PER IRUKKU…

“My name is Manickam, I have another name…BAASHAA…” – The music plays and whistles blow all around…

This is one of Rajinikanth’s several famous dialogues that can set the silver screen on fire even today. 

This is the story of a man who is all to set to work for the Superstar's upcoming blockbuster ‘Kabali’.

He is not an actor with any screen presence…he is someone who is always behind the screens & not many know about his story. 

Meet Ramalingam - the art director….Oh wait! He has another name - Thangavel Ramalingam.

What Ramalingam has been doing silently is something outstanding. He is on a mission to revive one of the oldest art forms in Tamil Nadu known as ‘Therukuthu’ – Folk drama.   

Hailing from a lesser known village called Peravur in Villipuram district, Ramalingam has served as an Art director in 10 Tamil films.

From ‘Attaikathhi’, ‘Vadacurry’ to ‘Madras’ – Ramalingam, has several achievements to flaunt in the Tamil film industry circles but what makes him proud is the fact that he has been instrumental in reviving the age old art of ‘Therukuthu’ in his village.

Interacting with 'Kabali' Director Pa. Ranjith, a close friend & a colleague 

Peravur village once known as the hub of Tamil folk art has now vanished from the art map of India. Hailing from a family that was into folk art for generations together, Ramalingam, a student from the Government Fine Arts College in Chennai forayed into the world of cinema. Today, he has got a golden opportunity of working with one of the legends of Tamil cinema Superstar Rajnikanth - a chance that many in the industry long for.  

But for Ramalingam, street play has been his passion and first love. He says “today the purest form of folk art is vanishing.”  He has revived his family run ‘Sri Muthalamman Nadaga Sabah’ a street folk art troupe named after his community god.  Inspired by his father Thangavel, who was a veteran folk artist…Ramalingam’s aim is to create awareness among the youth on the rich heritage of dramas.

Many in his Peravur village have quit performing on the streets as they consider that performing folk art on the streets demeaning. Ramalingam however, wants to prove them wrong and send across a message that it’s not something to be ashamed of. It is an art form which is his identity and more than that - his pride.

"After entering into the Tamil film industry I have become quite famous in my village and all I want to do is use my popularity to give a new lease of life for ‘Therukuthu’," says Ramalingam.

Ramalingam, has been quite successful in his endeavor. After the re-launch of his troupe ‘Sri Muthalamman Nadaga Sabha’ has been getting huge response in and around his village circle - so much so that a new troupe is getting ready to compete with his team.

Muthuperumal is an advocate  

With Northern Tamil Nadu being gripped by caste politics and clashes, the youth seem to be getting drawn towards divisive politics. "I want them to focus on enhancing their skills…I want them to focus on education and folk art - all of which is our culture, tradition and identity," says Ramalingam.

2 months ago when he first performed on the streets after several years, Ramalingam couldn’t control his emotions. It was a ‘dream come true’ moment for him. He says, “I consider this the biggest achievement in my life. Even bigger than being identified as an art director.”

I stand with Nakkeeran Gopal

Before reading going ahead... please read this article

Courtesy: www.thenewsminute.com

"I have 211 cases against me' - Nakkeeran Gopal on his battle with criminal defamation" 

http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/i-have-211-cases-against-me-nakkeeran-gopal-his-battle-criminal-defamation

I just read this story and realized that Nakkeeran has done a lot in terms of fighting long legal battles to ensure freedom of press in this country&particularly in a state like Tamil Nadu where defamation cases&criminal defamation cases are filed at the drop of a hat by politicians. Kudos to Mr.Gopal.

Nakkeeran Gopal is also one of the petitioners who has challenged defamation laws 499&500 IPC in the SC along with Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and Subramanian Swamy.

What i am still unable to understand is...While Nakkeeran is fighting a case against defamation and wanted it to be scrapped. Nakkeeran's Associate Editor has filed a criminal defamation case against me for something that was reported by all the media houses in the country during the 2G raids. (Not getting into specifics) The case was filed in the year 2010 and its still going on.

When i read this article i completely understand the pain and trauma that a journalist undergoes when there is a defamation case against him or her...

In Mr.Gopal's words : The legal battles are expensive, both in terms of time and money. “In most cases, there is a court hearing or summons every 15 days or a month. Lawyers' fees, court fees, all have to be paid. Each time reporters from districts have to travel to other courts.

HOW TRUE...I am undergoing the same. I have been spending my hard earned money for this case, I have to seek permission from my office to appear in the court on a busy news day, wait for long hours, pay advocate fees, spend money for court documents and etc...for the past 5 years i have been doing all that&i cant agree more with you on this.

I am not questioning you double standards here sir...But as a fellow journalist I want to extend my support and no doubt this draconian law must GO. Because freedom of press & freedom of expression is something that needs to be protected at any cost.

I wish you all the very best sir...

If you win... it will be a very big day for me as well :) :) :) 

The voice of the puppets

Meet Mr. Muthuchandran…

The 6th generation shadow puppeteer - The man with many voices and the man who has mastered the art of shadow puppetry... I happened to meet him at my friend’s terrace. He was busy performing the centuries old art called as "Thol Paavaikoothu" – which means “Leather Puppet Show”.

Hailing from Nagercoil in Kanyakumari district - the southernmost tip of the Indian Subcontinent, 41-year-old Muthuchandran manages to keep the art alive even in the age of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube & Instagram.

A casual chat with Muthuchandran, gives us an insight into his world…He says, "Thol Paavai Koothu is nothing but a one man show…yes you will have your colleagues around to support you with musical equipments & helping you, but ultimately you will be the one who will have to run the show."

Thol Pavai Koothu is believed to have been originated around 1025 AD in Southern India as a theatre form to convey Hindu myths. With so many years of experience Muthuchandran, is now an authority on Ramayana & Mahabharata. He learnt this art from his father…There is no script for this art form...whatever he has learnt is only what he heard while observing his father’s performance since childhood.

Some of these leather cut-outs are more than 100 years old

He can speak in more than 20 voices and has been lending his voice to all the characters in Ramayana and Mahabarata. It’s a traditional art that reaches the general masses no matter if they are educated or uneducated - Even now "Thol Paavai Koothu' is considered as a powerful medium to communicate in rural areas because its a crowd puller. Sometimes the government uses them to launch its awareness campaigns on AIDS, Malaria, Dengue & Polio in rural areas.

But now the traditional art form is fading away. It doesn't fetch him the money he wants to maintain his livelihood. At this digital age the government is not doing enough to support this art form. Though he teaches 'Thol Paavai Koothu' at schools upon requests, he doesn't want his kids to take up this as a profession because of lack of support and Muthuchandran says if this situation continues the art is soon going to become part of history.

Muthukumarasamy suicide - If this doesn't shake your conscience, nothing will

Tamil Nadu Government seems to have mastered the art of ‘covering up’. This could be the only State where anything and everything can be covered up without anyone being questioned. Let’s not forget the fact that this was the State government that managed to cover up something as big as 61 people being killed in a building collapse and no official was punished or even pulled up. The trend continues even now...without any hitch or glitch.

How it all happened...

Senior engineer Muthukumarasamy, who was working with Tamil Nadu's Agriculture Department gave up his life by throwing himself before a train...Reason - he could not withstand the pressure exerted by the Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister SS Krishnamoorthy's (now sacked) office.

The senior engineer wanted to go by the book in recruiting drivers for the agriculture department but the Minister’s office had other ideas. They wanted Muthukumarasamy to flout rules and sanction the list that was given by the Minister. The Senior Engineer refused to do so. Result – he was hounded by the Minister, his personal secretaries, agriculture department officials and the local AIADMK functionaries.

The Minister & his men were allegedly baying for his blood. They wanted him to compensate the loss. The calculation is simple - each driver's post is up for sale for Rs.200000/-.  So they wanted Muthukumarasamy to pay 14 Lakh rupees. The Minister’s PA’s kept calling him, the officials threatened him & the local AIADMK politicians were humiliating him and unable to handle the mounting pressure (read torture) he ended his life.

Role of Opposition Parties

Now comes the real story…The issue gets reported by Junior Vikatan & is picked up by the PMK & Congress party. The demand for CBI inquiry & arrest of the Minister grows. The Minister is sacked from the AIADMK District Secretary post & 2 days later dropped from the Tamil Nadu Cabinet. No reasons given whatsoever!!! And as expected the case gets transferred to the CBCID. 

The worrying factor in all this is the way Tamil Nadu opposition parties have been reacting to this issue...Every major political party in the State seems to have set a limit for itself, only issuing statements and sound bytes. The main opposition party DMDK is nowhere in the scene..Maybe they are yet to wake up from the deep slumber. The MDMK's fire brand leader Vaiko is unusually silent probably chalking out a strategy on how to get back into the AIADMK's fold for the 2016 assembly elections. The BJP, which is dreaming of making inroads into the state claiming to be an alternative for the Dravidian parties is lying low. There is a reason for it - AIADMK's support to the land acquisition bill in the Rajya Sabha is more important than justice for an honest officer like Muthukumarasamy.

The DMK kept issuing statements but conducted an agitation (clubbed with Anti-Land acquisition bill) a month after Muthukumarasamy committed suicide. Its leader M Karunanidhi forgot to speak about Muthukumarasamy during the agitation & DMK’s heir apparent participated in the agitation at Thiruvarur district while the issue was burning in Tirunelveli.

Citing a bit of history is important here - I hope MK Stalin is aware of DMK Chief M Karunanidhi’s infamous ‘Needhi Kettu Nedum Payanam’ (Walk for Justice) that took place during the MGR regime in 1980-81. C Subramania Pillai, the jewel verification officer working with the TN govt’s Hindu Religious & Endowment Board was probing into the theft of a diamond studded lance. When he found out the involvement of some AIADMK members he was murdered in cold blood inside the Tiruchendur Subramanya Swamy Temple premises. 

Then opposition parties were raising the issue and were clamoring for an Inquiry commission. Even though the DMK was on a weak wicket then, an aggressive M Karunanidhi launched a massive campaign called ‘Needhi Kettu Nedum Payanam’ from Madurai to Tiruchendur. Karunanidhi accused the then ADMK minister R. M. Veerappan and alleged that he was involved in the temple heist & the murder. With pressure mounting from all sides finally the then Chief Minister M G Ramachandran, gave up and order a probe headed by C.J.R Paul, which was known as the Paul Enquiry commission. The commission report had adverse remarks against the then Minister RM Veerapan. The report was leaked by M Karunanidhi & later the matter was hushed up but that’s part of history. The point here is M Karunanidhi managed to achieve his goal. Now, the circumstances are no different… May be the DMK heir apparent should take a lesson or two from the nonagenarian leader. 

While TN Congress Chief has been vocal about the issue, the Left parties are holding demonstrations in some parts of the State, the new entrants in the state dared to take on the mighty AIADMK. Close to 70 volunteers belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party stormed into Chief Minister O Pannerselvam’s residence demanding a CBI probe into the death of Muthukumarasamy and were put behind bars for 10 days. From Tirunelveli the issue was now lying at the doorstep of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. The regional media which is mostly controlled by political parties made it seem like yet another protest. Party workers storming into the residence of a Chief Minster can’t be a 10th story on the news bulletin…Here the role of the media too is highly questionable. 

Vulgar Governance?

If this is the state of the opposition parties…the Government seems to be competing with them in terms of proving who is most incompetent. It’s been almost 40 days and the government hasn't spoken about it and neither has there been a single statement from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister or any other ministers on this issue. Everyone thought that the government was under pressure and that's the reason why they ordered a CBCID probe in the first place, but now political parties claim that it was to ensure a royal cover up.

Unlike in the IPL betting case where daily statements & press briefings were given to the media, the CBCID is also rather quiet on this case.  Even off the record information is not being shared. There is no clarity on who was questioned and the status of the investigation. Instead, information maligning the image of the engineer was selectively leaked to some newspaper.

With the involvement of the AIADMK bigwigs…the State government is adamant and unwilling to order a CBI probe as it will open a can of worms.

The Role of Civil Society

Where have the activists gone? Where are the Human Rights groups? Where are the public interest litigants? Where are the ‘Fact finding teams’? Where are the government employees?

If the political class fails…it’s the job of the civil society to wake them up. But what if it’s a collective failure? People like Muthukumarasamy will continue to be crushed by the system. There are many other unknown faces who are being hounded by politicians. Not all government employees are corrupt. There are some honest men too. 

57 year old Muthukumarasamy, was a normal government servant belonging to the salaried class. His retirement was due in December 2015. He had a family; he was a husband and a father. He had no post retirement plans…all he wanted was to get both his sons married and breathe easy just like every other person. Now his family is in hiding & has already paid a heavy price.

Muthukumarasamy’s only crime - he was honest. 


Courtesy: Google Images 

Newspaper boy to Newsman

It was sometime in March 2004 when all my friends were appearing for the final year University exams but I was waiting for them outside our college. Yes!!! I was not allowed to appear for the exams as I had poor attendance. And that because I was an ‘out’standing student – quite literally. I had no idea what to do until I met my college senior Narayanan. Since I was actively involved in student activism during my college days I was in touch with some of the student leaders of the Students Federation of India. Narayanan was one among them. It was a casual chat that I had with him where he was asking me about my future plans. I was searching for answers and the only thing I could tell him was that I wanted to do something beneficial for the society. Who knew then that the casual chat over a cup of tea would change my life forever. I am what i am today thanks to him and that chai pe charcha. 

That chat led to a few meetings and soon I was offered a job as a freelancer in the marketing department of 'Theekkathir' daily newspaper - a mouthpiece of the Left parties. All I had to do was bring advertisements. After taking it up I realized that it was the toughest job in the world. There was no fixed salary - I got a 25 per cent commission per advertisement - that was all. Oh but wait. There's more. Along with marketing for the paper I also had to deliver 'Theekkathir' at 20 shops in my area. Even though I was taken aback, I wasn't in a position to deny. It was a challenge and I decided to take it up. There were 3 commandments given to me along with the job.

1. Deliver papers

2. Read 5 Tamil & 3 English news dailies compulsorily

3. Keep your eyes and ears open. 

From that day on, my days began at 4.30 am. I was following what I was told - delivering papers at stands, reading news papers and bringing advertisements. I didn't even have a two wheeler at that time so I had to depend on public transport. A monthly pass of 600 rupees and I was crisscrossing Chennai like nobody’s business. I brought revenue in the form of advertisements to the newspaper and I was also making new friends in the process. And amidst this all, I was also keenly observing all that was happening around me in the world of politics and the ongoing 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

That journey is still continuing till date. Neethirajan (Hindu Tamil) - the Guru, Mayilai Balu, A Kumerasen, Jaffar and Gavaskar were the people who taught me politics, news and photography. I learnt the basics of Journalism at 'Theekkathir'. And for that I'm deeply thankful to these people who have a great contribution to making me who I am today. But it was time to move on and look ahead.

My next stop was the television medium ... Win TV. The only non-political regional channel to have a news license apart from Sun Network and Jaya TV. It was a place where I could experiment all that I had learnt. I was into reporting first and then got pushed into the programming department to handle a show called 'Needhikaaga' (For justice). The show helped me in bringing out real stories & issues into the public domain and for that learning I am thankful to SM Backer, Muneer sir, Manimaran & Senthil sir. 

I neither did Visual communication nor have I been to any J School. Whatever I learnt was on the job. I grew up listening to stories of Sandalwood smuggler Veerappan and Nakkeeran Gopal but never imagined that there would be a day when I would get to work with the latter. I was hired as an online reporter for 'Nakkeeran'. The place taught me how to cultivate sources & how to get to the bottom of each story. Karthigai Chelvan who was my then immediate boss (The then online editor or Nakkeeran now with TOI) were very supportive in allowing me to learn.

Then I was back to TV with full enthusiasm - Raj TV, my next stop. Loganathan, the then Chief Reporter at Raj TV was like my mentor. A reporter whom I used to admire when I attended DMK Chief M Karunanidhi's press conferences as a cub reporter. He would be the first one to question him loud and clear ... something that I learnt from him. No one could match his energy levels & his understanding of politics & local issues. I took his advice seriously and decided to move to English medium and I'm extremely grateful and thankful to Dhanya Rajenderan (Former Times Now & Now The Newsminute Editor) for dragging me in at the right time.

I still tell my friends & colleagues at Times Now that she was the one who dragged me into the English media. Her strong recommendation to the then NDTV-HINDU's Senior Editor Saptarishi Bhattarcharya worked and I was taken into the channel - the only English city-specific one at the time. With average English knowledge & not so strong self-confidence, I entered RMZ Millennia - the NDTV-HINDU headquarters. 

From a regional channel to an English channel was like a culture shift for me. Every single thing starting from the language to the way news is collected, processed and put out was different. And for me, the challenge became easy with the help of a lot of people. NDTV-HINDU was a place that taught me more than any J school would do. And for that I'm thankful to Jennifer Arul and Saptarishi Bhattarcharya for even giving me that opportunity. 

That was the place where I learnt the ABC of professional journalism. And here, I must pause and thank a few very special people without whom, I would probably not be where I am now. First and foremost, I thank Roohi Saleem for being a friend, philosopher and a guide. She was there for me as a support system at the early stages of my career at NDTV-HINDU. I would also like to thank Madhavi ma'am, senior video journalist Seenu sir, Sara, Surya, Evelyn, Avinaash, Menaal, Ramanathan and Nithila - I must say they were all like a divine blessing for me in a completely new environment. I was fortunate that i got an opportunity to work with the star journalists of Chennai who i used to look up to - Sanjay Pinto & Sam Daniel. Sanjay Pinto gave me a lot of freedom and space to do stories that are like feathers in my cap, particularly the TNHB Scam involving the high and mighty which led to the scrapping of discretionary quota.

Then it was time to go national ... I was scared because its a different ball game altogether. I owe this entirely to my friends Meenakshi Mahadevan & Ajith Rangachari. They have been my pillar of strength. Meenakshi, Vikram Gopinath & Ajith's efforts of bringing me into the national media paid off well and after two years at Headlines Today I moved on to Times now.

Many people have helped me on the job, but there are a few who may not have worked with me but have still done their bit in shaping my career. A special thanks to Barathi Tamizhan, Mani Annan, Kosalram ans Swathi Narayanan for always having my back and an equally big thanks to Krishna Ananth sir & Madhavan aka Maddy for guiding me always and my friends in the Tamil Media (Kodambakkam Group). 

In these 11 years I have met many people and learnt a lot. I have also been fortunate in earning many well wishers, friends and even a few foes. Nevertheless the journey from Theekkathir to Times Now has been remarkable. 

I would be wrong if I didn't thank my parents for giving me the independence in deciding what I wanted for myself and my sisters for being there for me. But an even bigger thanks is due for all the people who have trusted me enough to share information knowing fully well that they would never be able to take credit for the stories. Thank you, thank you and thank you for trusting me. 

Without you all, I am nothing.