முத்தைத் தருபத்தித் திருநகை

I was invited to this beautiful Golu this year hosted by someone who I deeply respect and admire. Loved the entire Golu display and loved one of the bommais , in particular.

The Golu Bommai narrates the story of Saint-Poet Arunagirinathar who decides to end his life jumping from the Temple tower. Lord Murugan comes to his rescue, preventing him from taking his own life. He blesses Arunagirinathar who goes on to compose Tamizh religious songs called Thiruppugazh. Take a look at this beautiful bommai featuring Arunagirinathar and Lord Murugan. 

Had written about the Iconic Thiruppugazh, 'Mutthai Tharupathi ' earlier in Kollywood Kisnan.

There has been a lot of discussion this year, on how Navarathri Golu is strictly for married ladies, women with kids. And that there is no place for those who are divorced or have lost their husbands. I believe Navarathri Golu is a festival to invite people across gender, marital status, class, creed , home and have a good time. It's unfortunate that people are being excluded from a celebration like this.

 I am specifically talking about this in this post because the host of this Golu featuring the Arunagirinathar bommai mentioned she doesn't live with her husband any more. She added that the house they lived in had become toxic and it exuded negative vibes. The pandemic and the lockdown made it worse for her. Thankfully she is out of it now, hosted Golu , invited everyone and was busy attending other Golus. I was quite happy hearing that there are still people in the world who do not care about being பழுத்த சுமங்கலி, பழுக்காத சுமங்கலி and all that. People like you and I reading this, who genuinely want to make it all inclusive, thankfully still exist.

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Please read my earlier posts on Golu

Kuratthi Magan

தந்தனத்தோம் என்று சொல்லியே

The Vyjayanthimala Pose

Idhu Muthuraman Ya

Bored Man 

The Saree Influenza

Raga Sisters 

Danceu Papa Danceu Papa

The Reluctant Poser

Twins - Separated at Birth?

Masterji

Harini's Paatti - I met her last in October 2019, if I remember right. Maama (her husband) had passed away, her son and family had moved to UK. She was living alone in Mumbai. Have been trying to contact her with her mobile number and it seems to be switched off. 

Bommaigalil Oru Blooper

Dasavatharam

Chittie

Golu 2012

Bead Work

Golu 2008

Golu

Kuratthi Magan

Cousin Balaji, my அத்தை's son, and I have been living in the same city for decades. Yet , somehow we haven't met for years now. The last meeting in 2014 was opposite Kamala mills at Lower Parel, Mumbai where both of us worked. It was a filmi meeting to say "Hey neeeeeee Balaji daaaneee..." . After Upayakusalobaris, we promised to keep in touch, meet etc. and it never happened.  Golu was a good opportunity to meet him and wife and they were kind enough to visit us this year, last weekend.

Balaji's family continues to live in Nagpur. His father never missed to attend any wedding in the family on his wife side. He would travel all the way from Nagpur to Madras to be a part of the celebrations. Balaji and his sister would visit us in Madras every Summer to spend their holidays. Actually , nobody knows him as 'Balaji'. He continues to be 'Bun' Balaji or 'Bal Bal' for us. His love for Mylapore Universal Biscuit Factory's Bun was well known and our Uncle would stock up on buns whenever he'd visit.

During his visit last weekend he shared great memories of his Madras summers remembering the beautiful Mylapore veedu, the endless supply of food and buns, the vetti games we'd play and so on. He narrated this particular incident from the '80s and I am sharing it here.

In Mylai, we had this huge hall on the first floor, where all of us cousins would sleep. Balaji would sleep at the farthest end of the hall. "Apparently", I'd bully him to say the Kuratthi atop the tree on the road would catch* hold of him and take him away in the night. 

Balaji kept repeating on what a bully older sister I was as he was scared to death trying to sleep. Ofcourse, I have no recollection of saying this. I kept asking if it was indeed me and wanted to jog his memory to check if it was my brother or sister who may have said this. He kept repeating that it was indeed me and only me who bullied. Voh my gaad. The husband was quite amused because he thought I was this paavam child growing up and this Balaji came all the way to break this 'Ambi' image of mine and make me an Anniyan.

Vena and Mylaporaaan, the Narikuravas , an indigenous group, sold beads in and around Mylapore. I remember them carrying the Dalda dabbas often,  taking the leftovers post dinner time from home.  This bommai reminded me of them and had bought them in KuraLagam in 2018. I wonder where Vena, Mylaporaan and their families are, now.

*Before outrage Uncles and Aathas take over, I was a poor little kid in the '80s who had associated the Indigenous groups with crimes. Please forgive me and stop your outrage.

PS - As a big fan of Kuratthi Magan, the film, had to use it as a title. The film is Silver Jubilee hit on KTV and Golden Jubilee Super hit on Sunlife. The film stars K R Vijaya, Gemini, Master Sridhar, Jayachithra and ofcourse Kamalagassan in a thundu beedi role, Incase you haven't seen it, I'd urge you to, right away. 
Here's the link.

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Please do read my earlier posts on Navarathri Golu.

Kuratthi Magan

தந்தனத்தோம் என்று சொல்லியே

The Vyjayanthimala Pose

Idhu Muthuraman Ya

Bored Man 

The Saree Influenza

Raga Sisters 

Danceu Papa Danceu Papa

The Reluctant Poser

Twins - Separated at Birth?

Masterji

Harini's Paatti - I met her last in October 2019, if I remember right. Maama (her husband) had passed away, her son and family had moved to UK. She was living alone in Mumbai. Have been trying to contact her with her mobile number and it seems to be switched off. 

Bommaigalil Oru Blooper

Dasavatharam

Chittie

Golu 2012

Bead Work

Golu 2008

Golu

தந்தனத்தோம் என்று சொல்லியே...

"தந்தனத்தோம் என்று சொல்லியே வில்லினில் பாட... ஆமா...வில்லினில் பாட.. வந்தருள்வாய் கலைமகளே..."

If you sang the above in Thiru. Subbu Arumugam and group's chorus voice, then you'll definitely relate to this post.

This year, while it was fairly easy to explain most of my Golu Bommais including deities, art forms and Influenzas to non-Tamilians, I got stuck at Villu Paattu . I had to leave it at "It's a traditional Tamizh art form where singers use a bow and stick like this one" pointing at this bommai.

We were introduced to Villu Paattu by the Legendary Thiru. Subbu Arumugam. Accompanied by his children, Gandhi and Bharathi, Subbu Arumugam was a regular on Doordarshan in the '70s and '80s.
Stories on Murugar, Gandhi, Ramayanam, Mahabharatam were narrated in a simplified format with tunes that one could sing along. 

(pic - The Hindu)

Here's another picture from my 2004 Golu. I don't quite remember whether Amma bought these or if I had purchased these here, in Mumbai. Most likely, it's Amma.

Subbu Arumugam passed away today. Much before Karaoke became the in thing, it was Subbu Arumugam who brought the sing-along technique closer to us on our TV screens. If not the entire song, we have atleast "ஆமாம்" போட்டு-fied with Gandhi and Bharathi, haven't we?

வாழியவே பல்லாண்டு காலம், சுப்பு ஆறுமுகம் புகழ் வாழியவே...

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Please do read my earlier posts on Navarathri Golu.

தந்தனத்தோம் என்று சொல்லியே

The Vyjayanthimala Pose

Idhu Muthuraman Ya

Bored Man 

The Saree Influenza

Raga Sisters 

Danceu Papa Danceu Papa

The Reluctant Poser

Twins - Separated at Birth?

Masterji

Harini's Paatti - I met her last in October 2019, if I remember right. Maama (her husband) had passed away, her son and family had moved to UK. She was living alone in Mumbai. Have been trying to contact her with her mobile number and it seems to be switched off. 

Bommaigalil Oru Blooper

Dasavatharam

Chittie

Golu 2012

Bead Work

Golu 2008

Golu

The Vyjayanthimala Pose

We went on a #Pondicherry trip with friends from college in December 2009, if my memory serves me right. On the way back spotted a road-side shop that sold #GoluBommais and I managed to buy a few including the one in the picture in red frock (called "dress" these days).

Thanks to Sriram V's blog post, I learnt that this particular doll was inspired by the Legendary Vyjayanthimala's pose in the following songs from the '40s and '50s:-

- Saiyyan Dil Mein Aana re from AVM's Bahar

- Gopalanodu Naan from AVM's Vaazhkai

Amazing how films have had and continue to inspire Golu Bommais. 

Image credit - Sriram V's blog and Screenshots from Youtube videos

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Please do read my earlier posts on Navarathri Golu.

The Vyjayanthimala Pose

Idhu Muthuraman Ya

Bored Man 

The Saree Influenza

Raga Sisters 

Danceu Papa Danceu Papa

The Reluctant Poser

Twins - Separated at Birth?

Masterji

Harini's Paatti - I met her last in October 2019, if I remember right. Maama (her husband) had passed away, her son and family had moved to UK. She was living alone in Mumbai. Have been trying to contact her with her mobile number and it seems to be switched off. 

Bommaigalil Oru Blooper

Dasavatharam

Chittie

Golu 2012

Bead Work

Golu 2008

Golu

Idhu Muthuraman Ya

When a friend Swathi Rishi, had visited the Golu in October 2022, was explaining the Influenza (Influencer) bommais to her. Each of them, to me represented one type of influenza - Be it the I-am-single-and-happy-nambunga types or the typical saree types. (Ref earlier post/s)

When it came to this particular doll of a man in glasses wearing a purple shirt and Khaki ‘doLa doLa’ pant, told her that he didn’t quite have a name yet.

“Idhu Muthuraman ya” , pat came her reply.

OMG OMG! Yes indeed, this guy resembled retro Kollywood star Muthuraman and how.
Check this pic of Muthuraman from the epic ‘Sumaithangi’ and you will know how much they resemble each other.

Idhukkudhaan I say - you need mamma Madras friends who appadiye help you with such content. Thanks Swathi for the visit and look forward to more such epic gems from you.

Will sign off with a “Sunlife… Idhu Namma life”


PS - Muthuraman was one of the first “celebrity” deaths I heard as news. Was at school when there was major commotion as Muthuraman’s final journey was going past the main road near the school. Yes, #UselessInformationNobodyNeeds

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Please do read my earlier posts on Navarathri Golu.

Idhu Muthuraman Ya

Bored Man 

The Saree Influenza

Raga Sisters 

Danceu Papa Danceu Papa

The Reluctant Poser

Twins - Separated at Birth?

Masterji

Harini's Paatti - I met her last in October 2019, if I remember right. Maama (her husband) had passed away, her son and family had moved to UK. She was living alone in Mumbai. Have been trying to contact her with her mobile number and it seems to be switched off. 

Bommaigalil Oru Blooper

Dasavatharam

Chittie

Golu 2012

Bead Work

Golu 2008

Golu

The Saree Influenza

Vanakkam. 

She is Confident. Stylish. Fierce. Y00thful. Also, Body Positivity. Also, Bharathiyar's Poems. Also Blade.Meet your favourite #Saree #Influenza.

She believes in ethically sustainable eco-friendly brands. She practises conscious living. She blesses this planet with regular 'pre loved' sales of pre-torn XXS Shaani Surunais. 

Sooooo Prettttty ya.

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Please do read my earlier posts on Navarathri Golu.

Bored Man 

The Saree Influenza

Raga Sisters 

Danceu Papa Danceu Papa

The Reluctant Poser

Twins - Separated at Birth?

Masterji

Harini's Paatti - I met her last in October 2019, if I remember right. Maama (her husband) had passed away, her son and family had moved to UK. She was living alone in Mumbai. Have been trying to contact her with her mobile number and it seems to be switched off. 

Bommaigalil Oru Blooper

Dasavatharam

Chittie

Golu 2012

Bead Work

Golu 2008

Golu

Bored Man

“Kannathula Kai Vaikkadha” (Don’t rest your hands on your chin) was one of the many things that was told to us when we were kids. And one has no idea why older makkal said all these. Not that one followed anyway. If you think am going to discuss “toxic parenting”, sorry to disappoint. Head to outrage Aathas’ instagram profiles.

Back to resting the hands on the chin - It helps one control yawning at blade meetings where one can continue to nod pretending to be interested.


This man wearing a green Jubba and white Dhoti carrying an umbrella is , I’d assume sitting in a park looking at
❤️y00th couples romancing
Or
😰Stressed about his loans thinking about how he will repay
Or
🙃 Generally vetti and sitting there to while away his time.

You know who he reminded me of?

#YouRemember

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Please do read my earlier posts on Navarathri Golu.

Bored Man 

Raga Sisters 

Danceu Papa Danceu Papa

The Reluctant Poser

Twins - Separated at Birth?

Masterji

Harini's Paatti - I met her last in October 2019, if I remember right. Maama (her husband) had passed away, her son and family had moved to UK. She was living alone in Mumbai. Have been trying to contact her with her mobile number and it seems to be switched off. 

Bommaigalil Oru Blooper

Dasavatharam

Chittie

Golu 2012

Bead Work

Golu 2008

Golu

Raga Sisters

Here's attempt in making a clay doll. Wanted to make ‘RaGa’ a.k.a Ranjani-Gayatri bommais featuring dolls with contrast pallu sarees. Chose Purple and Green and used the contrast in their blouses.

It was sheer coincidence that when I had completed painting and opened Instagram, saw ‘RaGa’ Sisters post the same colour sarees that was used to paint the bommais’ sarees.

Please do read my earlier posts on Navarathri Golu.

Raga Sisters 

Danceu Papa Danceu Papa

The Reluctant Poser

Twins - Separated at Birth?

Masterji

Harini's Paatti - I met her last in October 2019, if I remember right. Maama (her husband) had passed away, her son and family had moved to UK. She was living alone in Mumbai. Have been trying to contact her with her mobile number and it seems to be switched off. 

Bommaigalil Oru Blooper

Dasavatharam

Chittie

Golu 2012

Bead Work

Golu 2008

Golu

Danceu Papa Danceu Papa

This is a guest post by my sister Ammani . 

Although it is a 9-day festival, preparations for Navarathri would begin quite a few days earlier. Chitthi, my great-aunt who lived with us, would summon help to bring the big cardboard boxes down from the loft. Careful, careful, she would say as the boxes would be brought down on uneven shoulders and arms. You would think they contained delicate heirlooms (which they did, but more about that later). The boxes would be dusted down with old cotton towels and carefully unpacked to reveal a mountain of crunched up newspapers cushioning bundles of old cotton veshtis. One by careful one, Chitthi would unravel the bundles and we'd finally get to see what they'd been holding. Painted mud dolls of dancing girls, shopkeepers and eleven cricket players and an assortment of gods and goddesses. Some would have lost tips of their noses in handling, others would look like they could do with a lick of paint but they would almost come alive under Chithi's gentle caress. Who knew what she was thinking of while handling them? 

Chitthi was a child bride and I wonder if she thought of the years she never got to spend playing with dolls. Soon a rickety old contraption resembling the framework of steps would be assembled and wooden slats would be placed on them. They'd be covered first with old cotton veshtis and then with a layer of clean and crisp veshtis since their plain white background showcased the dolls better. Old dolls would jostle for shelf space with bright shiny ones and finally the Kalasam would be placed bang in the middle of the fourth of seven steps. And this would mark the official start of nine days of festivities. During Navarathri evenings, neighbours and relatives would drop in to look at the dolls, ask after each other, sing songs (often exquisitely off-tune), collect small tokens of gifts and invite you around to theirs.

On the last night, Chithi would lay the dolls down on their side as if to prepare them for retirement and the next day, they would be packed away. After Chithi's demise, we downscaled Navarathri celebrations and barring a few dolls my sister inherited, I have no idea where the rest went. Luckily for me the memories, the stories and the songs have remained and there's not a single blemish on them. And that alone is worth celebrating.

(From Blogeswari - Whenever I see this bommai I tend to sing an old Tamizh rhyme "Danceu Papa Danceu Papa Kobam koLLadhe... Appa varaar neramaachu, Kobam KoLLadhe" and hence the title)

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Please do read my earlier posts on Navarathri Golu.

Danceu Papa Danceu Papa

The Reluctant Poser

Twins - Separated at Birth?

Masterji

Harini's Paatti - I met her last in October 2019, if I remember right. Maama (her husband) had passed away, her son and family had moved to UK. She was living alone in Mumbai. Have been trying to contact her with her mobile number and it seems to be switched off. 

Bommaigalil Oru Blooper

Dasavatharam

Chittie

Golu 2012

Bead Work

Golu 2008

Golu

The Reluctant Poser

A few years ago, we visited our husband's hometown in the Southern most part of the country and decided to do a food-based trip in Tamilnadu. From Gopu Iyengar's Tiffin in Madurai to Needamangalam Paalgova to the breakfast place near Thanjavur Railway station, to Asoka Alwa in Tiruvaiyaaru, we went around the Thanjavur-Madurai belt to test some fantastic food / snacks.

As part of the trip we also ended up visiting quite a few temples - Srirangam Ranganathar, Thanjavur Periya Kovil and Pillayarpatti amongst others. Completely unplanned though, we managed to visit 5 out of the 6 Arupadai Veedus including Pazhani, Pazhamudhir Solai, Thirupparangundram, Swami Malai and Tiruchendur. 

We were also at Karaikudi for a day and visited the Chettinad Bungalows and antique shops that sold stuff from Chettinad families who had stayed there once upon a time. These shops were filled with huge photo frames, Chettinad utensils, chandeliers and quite a lot of Golu Bommais.

Spotted amongst the lot of big and ofcourse expensive Bommais, was this tiny Pazhani Murugan who's less than 4 ft tall. The seller didn't quote much as he knew we were only window shopping and were not serious shoppers there buying vintage pieces to add to their collection. This bommai was sold for Rs.100 if I remember right.

Look at Him. He almost seems like being forced to pose for a passport photograph or being made to smile for his parents' instagram reel.  By the way, what is Murugar's favourite food item? Like his brother has Kozhakkattais, his Maama's Krishnan avadharam has seedais, He should have something no? May be it's Cheese. And he's waiting for someone to say "Cheeeeeeese" to smile.

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Please do read my earlier posts on Navarathri Golu.

Twins - Separated at Birth?

Masterji

Harini's Paatti - I met her last in October 2019, if I remember right. Maama (her husband) had passed away, her son and family had moved to UK. She was living alone in Mumbai. Have been trying to contact her with her mobile number and it seems to be switched off. 

Bommaigalil Oru Blooper

Dasavatharam

Chittie

Golu 2012

Bead Work

Golu 2008

Golu
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Twins - Separated at Birth?

Navarathri Golu Bommais means ki Mylapore Maada Veedhi only. Ya I know, that sounded like a Radio ad. It's one of the many things Mylapore boasts of unlike its poor distant cousin T.Nagar which has only Javuli Maaligais and Saree Stores by the kilo.

The KuraLagam, Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan were / are still there, yet the joy of bargaining like Pakkis and buying the dolls is something else only. What's even better - Going to Maada Veedhi on Vijayadasami day or the day after and buying dolls at better prices as they wind up business. 

Aatha is an expert bargainer. So going to Maada Veedhi with her means ki you can safely look the other way not to be embarrassed seen with her when she bargains. For eg a vendor selling a doll for Rs.50 means, Amma will safely ask them "Kadaisiya solren, Patthu Rooba" and she will end up paying them Rs.15 and buy.

With barely any space left to store the bommais, I have stopped buying dolls altogether with a few exceptions of individual dolls that one ends up picking up once every few years. These are the ones belonging to a large set of bommais that managed to survive when the rest of them got broken.

In 2018 or 2019 (and I don't quite remember), I had picked up an individual doll from a Mylapore store in Maada Veedhi - a Lady in a green saree and red blouse , holding a flower, wearing a crown sort of thing. She looked regal and I loved how well she was styled. The seller mentioned that she was part of a set and the rest were broken. Bought it immediately. As soon as I came back she was promptly packed and stored along with the other bommais and forgotten about. 

Cut to 2022 - Was passing by a Navarathri bommai kadai (doll shop) in Matunga in Mumbai. Came across a bommai in a green saree and red blouse, holding a flower, wearing a crown sort of thing. Loved it so much and it was being sold dirt-cheap. Here again, the seller didn't know which set she belonged to.

After a few days as I unpacked the older dolls a.k.a existing collection of dolls I came across the Green saree lady from the box and was taken by surprise with the sheer reoccurrence of buying the same bommai again after four years.

What do you think? Were they twins separated at birth in Madras - where one grew up in Mylai and the other in Matunga?  Kuzhandaiyum-Deivamum or Vani-Rani (the film) or 'Yaar Nee'?

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Please do read my earlier posts on Navarathri Golu.

Masterji

Harini's Paatti - I met her last in October 2019, if I remember right. Maama (her husband) had passed away, her son and family had moved to UK. She was living alone in Mumbai. Have been trying to contact her with her mobile number and it seems to be switched off. 

Bommaigalil Oru Blooper

Dasavatharam

Chittie

Golu 2012

Bead Work

Golu 2008

Golu
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Masterji

Please do read my earlier posts on Navarathri Golu.

Harini's Paatti - I met her last in October 2019, if I remember right. Maama (her husband) had passed away, her son and family had moved to UK. She was living alone in Mumbai. Have been trying to contact her with her mobile number and it seems to be switched off. 

Bommaigalil Oru Blooper

Dasavatharam

Chittie

Golu 2012

Bead Work

Golu 2008

Golu
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If there's one thing I would've loved to carry from Madras from parents' place , it was the lot of Golu Bommais we had, which featured in the 11-padi Navarathri year after year. We had a band set, two cute babies with hands on their chins, Dasavatharam amongst many others. Over the years, most got broken and now I wish I had helped maintain them doing the bare minimum of wrapping them in newspaper before storing them back.

Navarathri Golu back home was a grand affair with a stream of visitors morning and evening, for 9 days. The brunch was grand and the Sundal, grander. There were no dearth of saree gifts for my mother as she was a VIP guest at friends' and family Golus. Hip families used to send printed card invites for Navarathri Golu. And Amma would look forward to a certain 'Ezhaikketha Yelakkai' family invite at Santhome. 

At the end of 9 days, the house was flooded with return gifts including plastic koodais, tiffin dabbas and ofcourse blouse bits. Nothing was discarded. At best recycled, may be when Amma fell short of her return gifts for our home guests.

Post mid 90s, the 11 padi became one padi in the ground floor for convenience's sake. There were very few bommais but the grand brunch and Sundal continued. From the few lot of Bommais that survived, I managed to bring a few. The only clay bommai is this Masterji. It was one of the easier ones to carry from Madras and thus it's survived with me for the last two decades. 

It's funny how something as small as a one foot bommai can trigger so many beautiful memories. As I type this, I can still smell 'Pattu' maami's fantastic payasam and the Friday Puttus. 

A Walk Down Rahman Lane by Abhirami

If you are here for the first time, please read this post.
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Around the time my first son was born, there was a song that was topping the Tamil charts. It was a song that perfectly echoed the tumult of motherhood - the ecstatic peaks and the crushing challenges - with its soaring high and lilting low notes effortlessly rendered by a teenager who served to notice to the world that she was no ordinary talent. Deivam thandha poove (Oh flower, a blessing from God) from the movie Kannathil MuththamittaL quickly became a song I would sing to my firstborn. As a new mother grappling with raising her infant in a foreign country with little support, this song to me was a reminder that hidden amidst the incessant demands placed on my time, the obliteration of my own identity as a woman, the overwhelming fatigue that set in at the start of yet another day filled with nursing, cleaning and feeding, was a little gem that I called my child. 

A few years later, I would go on to have my second son and I had chosen to have him in UK on my own, politely declining all offers of help from family in India. Ten days after his birth, we organised a small Punjayajanam and invited some friends and neighbours to the ceremony. The priest performed a few rituals and I suggested that those of gathered each sing something on the occasion. If this had been in India, there would have been much fanfare, food and celebration. Somehow, that cold, grey English afternoon demanded enlivening and warmth from songs. It seemed so bereft and soulless otherwise. When it was my turn to sing, I chose Deivam Thandha poove. It only seemed fitting that I would sing this song that tells the child how they came as a breeze into one's life and remained as air to breath. Perhaps it was the wide range that A R Rahman had laid out for his singers that they so casually sauntered across that was beyond the grasp of this amateur singer, perhaps it was the full weight of the song falling on a new mother's shoulders, perhaps it was a sense of the occasion, I could not complete the song as my throat seized up. Despite the shadow that has been cast on the song (its lyricist Vairamuthu has been accused of sexual misconduct by its singer Chinmayi), this track never fails to remind me what a blessing my sons are. 

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About Abhirami

Apart from being an Akka to an illustrious sister, namely yours truly, Abhirami is a media professional and playwright who is pursuing a Master’s degree in documentary film-making while working in a film & training company. Currently, she is busy resuscitating her creative practice after a hiatus of a dozen years. 

Abhirami blogs here and you could take a look at her work on her site. Say hi to Abhi here and here. 

A Walk Down Rahman Lane by Hari

If you're here for the first time, please read this post
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March 2015. The job season was at its peak, with multiple interviews lined up. ARR, too, reached his peak with the release of his OK Kanmani album. Three songs from the film played on my phone, and, eventually, in my mind, during my job search phase. 

 

The addictive Mental Manadhil, with all its buoyancy, was one of the more accessible A R Rahman songs on the first hearing. Director Mani Ratnam enhanced the song with visuals of Dulquer and Nithya biking through Mumbai's busy streets with unbridled energy. I wondered if I should approach my job phase tension-free. I wasn't too sure. 

 

The structure of Parandhu Sella Va is an analogy to that of the film itself. What starts as a light and fun track turns into something incredibly romantic after the halfway mark. Each time I played the song, I eagerly anticipated the portion where singer Karthik, a Me Too accused, begins Nanaindhu Kollava Mazhai Illamale to go into a romantic high. The chills, unmonitored eyelid closure all enhanced the dream-like state I was finding myself in when listening from the halfway mark. I thought, sometimes, being in a dream-like state was an excellent way to forget being worried about my impending final round interview for which I had to travel from one city to another. I thought I aced my job interview. 

 

Aye Sinamika made me long for a crush that did not exist. The song also felt like life: meandering but containing the highs that felt pleasant and the lows that made one yearn for such peaks. Unfortunately (and lucky for the one who got the job), I failed to land the job. But, the crests and troughs are what make life beautiful. We should try finding beauty in small things instead of complaining about things we may not have control over. 

 

I finally did find a job four months after the release of Mental Manadhil, and a month after the unsuccessful interview I mentioned earlier. It happened after over 200 listens of the songs from the film from a playlist that contained only OK Kanmani's songs. Maybe A R Rahman was telling me all along, “It's all going to be OKK in the end.”

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About Hari:

 

Hari is an engineer by day and cinephile by night. He has almost ended his love affair with cricket by sticking to just the IPL. He writes film-related articles whenever he gets a worthy topic to write about.

During the lockdown, he dabbled in song edits and realized he has taste.

 

Taste isn't an issue when it comes to his cooking because he's a great chef. He loves going on long drives provided he has company. Otherwise, he wastes his time on Twitter.

Say hi to Hari here.