The issue of their discussion of irrelevant here.
But the specific use of the word 'mami' is decidedly casteist here. But in the skewed politics of TN the one is who is referred to as mami will be branded as casteist.
And also those folks, who wear their wokeness on their sleeves should remember, the Dravidian types will eventually come for you and your caste. No matter what! Exhibit B:
And those self-anointed wokes, whose holier-than-thou act is always grating, are no different. But their cabal will always look the other way. This man, if he were on the other camp, would have been called "vile", "scumbag" by the commissars of woke culture.
It is always topsy-turvy in TN. A Kamal who has openly disowned his caste he was born into is called casteist. But a Sathyaraj, who has never uttered a word against his caste that is alleged to have perpetrated caste violence from time to time, is a Periarist, whatever that is.
Many of Sathyraj's movies actually place his caste in shining light. But he never gets called out.
Well, this is a land where even Bharathiar's clarion call "சாதிகள் இல்லையடி பாப்பா" is drowned by those seeking to see him as a "paapaan".
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Today is the final day of Kanda Sashti, the popular 6-day celebration of Lord Muruga in these parts. Here is a personal musical thread on His songs that I grew up (and continue to live) with🧵
Our kula deivam is Lord Muruga, so our household reverberates with Kanda Sashti Kavasam and Arunagirinathar songs every day. Needless o say, Sulamangalam Sisters' offerings were/are a cinch.
My favourite from them is this 51-versed Kandhar Anuboothi, with each one tuned to different raga. Soulful, both devotionally and musically
As Vinayagar Chathurthi fills the streets with Pillayar idols, one's mind drifts to Trichy, 1953, when EVR & his minions smashed Ganesha idols in public. A moment of bigotry that could’ve spiralled unchecked, if not for one unheralded man: S Veerabadran Chettiar.🧵(Pic: Internet)
A 'devout Shaivite', Veerabadran took EVR's bigotry to court. Not once. Not twice. But four times, all the way to the Supreme Court. Despite personal threats, technical dismissals & pressure to withdraw, Veerabadran stood firm. His fight wasn’t just legal. It was civilizational.
Lower courts could dismiss his case only on technical grounds: "The idol wasn’t consecrated." "No government sanction." "It was EVR’s personal property." Each verdict failed to deal with the larger immoral act. Lesser men would have given up. But Veerabadran, he didn’t flinch.
I have been receiving mails from people surprised that there is a KJ Yesudas Malayalam version of Raaja's show-stopping Ananda Ragam song from Panneer Pushpangal.swarajyamag.com/people/k-j-yes…
Yes, the song in female voice in Tamil is a male one in Malayalam. Listen to it. Tharunya Moham. Vintage Yesudas voice. You know why it was changed in Malayalam
This song is what set me on this thread. A bunch of songs popular in one language and a KJY version in another. Some of it well known, some others not so.
I was recently at a concert where a top singer (not going to name the one) rendered a Kalyani ragam krithi that was flat without much spirit. Mortified, I came back and listened to the same ragam by my most favourite singer K J Yesudas.
It was then it struck me that KJY has sung at least 20 different songs in Kalyani alone in films & Carnatic concerts. So I went to YT & checked out the songs that I could remember. The sheer variety that our music directors have shown in strumming songs in Kalyani is tremendous.
These days almost all the standard restaurants in major cities in TN have podi idli on their menu. And that, sirs, can be a problem. For, podi idli, if it's true to its conception, does not belong in a hotel menu.
It is not a dish to be served hot. It is, unlike revenge, not to be served cold either. But it acquires its flavour & feel over a bit of time.
Many people tend to remember actors, who have not been big stars, through the songs that were picturised on them. If there were even half-decent songs on the actor, there is a good chance of him being recalled even more fondly. In that sense Pratap Pothen was lucky.
Aside from iconic ones in Tamil like En Iniya Pon Nilave (Moodu Pani) and Kodai Kaala Kaatre (Panneer Pushpangal), he was lucky enough to get some handy melodies and fun songs. A small thread on them.
When I heard the news of his death, for some strange reason this simple melody came to mind. Shankar Ganesh in his most Raja wannabe mode.
Mazhaiye Mazhaiye (Amma)