Akila Kannadasan

1 week ago | thehindu.com | Akila Kannadasan

‘Vinveli Nayaga’ is the song of the moment in Tamil Nadu. It is from AR Rahman’s album for the soon-to-release Kamal Haasan and Silambarasan starrer Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam. The song has some beautiful poetry by Karthik Netha, woven into its electrifying rhythm. The poet-lyricist has also written lines for the song ‘Anju Vanna Poove’ from the film. An elated Karthik says that he is happy his endeavour to bring good poetry into film songs is being received well.

1 week ago | thehindu.com | Akila Kannadasan

It is a sea of heads inside the recently-opened Erode Amman Mess near Hope College. Even as we enter, a small crowd has gathered at the entrance, waiting to be called inside if a free table comes up. Luckily for us, we have a table to swoop in on and quickly elbow our way past hungry diners. The restaurant, that serves a range of Kongu non-vegetarian staples, is packed through the day. Erode Amman Mess’s roots can be traced back to a small thatch-roofed eatery in the 1980s in Erode.

2 weeks ago | thehindu.com | Akila Kannadasan

Pungent, sweet, earthy, and nutty all at once, padaneer is best had before noon off large pots attached to nungu sellers. They serve the drink in cradle-like baskets made of palm leaves, sometimes mixed with translucent chunks of the jelly-like nungu. Now that summer is here and palm nectar is in season, Pulicat-based non-profit Art & Architecture Research Development & Education (AARDE) Foundation has launched bottled padaneer.

2 weeks ago | thehindu.com | Akila Kannadasan

There is less than 30 minutes to go for the Olympian Circus’ evening show, but the artistes are relaxed backstage at their tents. Melody is walking with her baby on her hip while her friend and co-artiste Malemnganbi busies herself with making faces at the little one. In the tent next door, Leishem Khaidem and his team of gymnasts are lounging on plastic chairs. The artistes are all from Manipur, and are part of the 60-member circus company that was formed just a year ago.

3 weeks ago | thehindu.com | Akila Kannadasan

A squirrel has scooped out a tiny hole in an Imam Pasand mango that farmer K Baskar has set aside. “I had left the box outside just a few minutes ago!” he chuckles. Animals and birds make away with a lot of the produce at his 40-acre organic farm that borders Dindigul district. But he works his way around this, given that his farm at Andipatti in Tiruppur district also abuts the Anamalai Tiger Reserve. Baskar grows Alphonso, Imam Pasand, Neelam, and Malgova varieties on his 800 mango trees.