Oct 1, 2022Mani Ratnam and the art of allowing the magic to happenThere is comfort in the known. Like the grandmother’s tale she might repeat any number of times to a child. The same twists, the same turns and the same revelations … they simply play out beautifully every time. Because the child has taken a comfort to the story. It is…Ponniyin Selvan10 min readPonniyin Selvan10 min read
Feb 6, 2021Sundal, pepsi cola and cricket nirvana: memories of cricket at ChepaukInconspicuous: that’s not a term you would associate with large cricket stadiums or any sports arena in the world. Yet if you were to drive down along Wallajah Road in Chennai on a non-match day, there is a good chance that you will miss M.A.Chidambaram to your right. …8 min read8 min read
Oct 22, 2017My experiments with JournalismThis is a story that is nearly 13 years in the making. Over the past two years, I have written this a few times but have hesitated to publish. I didn’t want to come across as seeking attention. But of late, I am realising it is better to record some…Journalism11 min readJournalism11 min read
Oct 18, 2017Goodbye Journalism?I am going to be 41 soon. And I cannot write this note on a better day. Today is Deepavali — the festival of lights. Celebrated on the night of Amavasya (no moon night), this festival is all about lighting the darkness with knowledge. (or that is my understanding). Today…Journalism2 min readJournalism2 min read
Oct 6, 2017An encounter with a masterBalu Mahendra is one of Tamil cinema’s few true auteurs — the French word for a film maker who influences various aspects of his films that it comes to have a distinct aesthetic and sensibility. …Cinema4 min readCinema4 min read
Published inStartups & Venture Capital·Sep 19, 2017Human relationships as commoditiesWe seldom talk about this. Because of what is to follow — probing personal questions on where a person has arrived at this, what personal reasons there could be to have arrived at this thought. But today I am risking those questions by being a honest writer. In these modern…Musings4 min readMusings4 min read
Jan 24, 2017Why I err on the side of optimism not win on the side of cynicismI happen to know a few of the students who participated in the Marina protest peacefully and left yesterday morning after I requested them to. At least one of them respects me a bit and bothered to call me for counsel. I also asked him specifically if there were any…Education2 min readEducation2 min read
Jan 21, 2017The horses of MarinaHow many of you noticed Integrated’s winning streak? You don’t know Integrated? That’s probably because like many you don’t care. Not in the way you care about Jallikattu now. Let me get to something more relatable. Have you been to the Marina beach in Chennai? If so, you might not…Horse Racing2 min readHorse Racing2 min read
Published inPrajakatha·Dec 16, 2016Citizens of DecemberLast year on December 1, Chennai received 374 mm of rains. This came at the back of one of its heaviest rainfall months ever: November 2015 recorded 1,218 mm of rains, close to the annual average of 1400 mm for the city. A deluge of floods followed. Tens of thousands…Chennai Floods8 min readChennai Floods8 min read
