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Aiwa Screen to Aura Park

I started Pre-Kg in 2007, right around the time Azhagiya Tamizh Magan soundtrack came out. As a child, my world would come to a halt when Vijay appeared on our aiwa screen.  To this day, before anything important, I play “Ella Pugazhum” through my headphones. My friend has it downloaded in case my device fails. Somehow, every major exam I walked into while listening to it, with the right timing, I’ve scored an S.    The song is an amulet, not of luck, but of the reassurance it gave me that all I had to do was put in the work.  Songs from Vijay’s movies have soundtracked my childhood. Scenes have accompanied me through numerous fevers and crying episodes. We had three cds of azhagiya tamizh magan alone, not to forget about the countless number of vijay dance mix cds. “Arjunaru Villu” was my cocomelon. I played kabaddi for my school house match because Vijay played kabaddi in Ghilli. Nanban left a deep sense of responsibility to learn something rather than just doing i...
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Living on the edge

Oh the thrill you get Knowing that you don’t  Cannot beat anything That you own.  Living on the edge is hell You tread carefully And struggle to choose Where to fall, where to stand tall.  Because the edge teaches you That the depth on either side is same It is the max equilibrium you can achieve In the linear life to fame.  You think you’re comfortable  Being in the dark Until you see people around you Getting answers on the mark But the only thing you can do Is to stay calm and go ahead For this darkness is temporary And soon another will be bred.

LIK – Afterthoughts

  Had the chance to catch LIK in theatres over the weekend. And I have thoughts. Spoilers ahead. The film showed real promise in Suriyan’s courtroom scene. It should’ve been built on the privacy vs trust, privacy vs safety argument. It had all the elements. A hero who represents the boy next door. A comical, larger than life villain who just makes sense. And can easily steal the show. A heroine, though easily replaceable with a lamp, who is your typical representation of the online generation. Yet, it goes on to preach another interpretation of what true love is.  The 3% match being the central turning point felt very ill thought of. I get it. It’s the same guy who made Naanum Rowdy Thaan, but he’s now over 40. But anybody using any app, would realise that app data builds up over time and usage. So, the fact that Vaas only had 3% match with Dheema had nothing to do with love. He’s been on the app for a week, solely to talk to her. There are no usage patterns, and his usage...

Benne Dosa Comes to Me

Benne dosa comes to me probably to say hi and see how easy is it for me to change my allegiance. It has been well over a month since I moved to Bengaluru, a city that has always been a part of my upbringing. Strangely, despite not starting over from scratch, this city has offered two lenses for me to play with. A brand new lens for the road ahead, a tinted lens reflecting all my previous selves that have stayed in Bengaluru over the years. From coming here for quick getaways to planning how quickly I can navigate through the city’s traffic, perhaps Bengaluru did witness my life as much as every other city I’ve known, if not more.   Surely it cannot match Chennai. At least, not yet. The city and I aren’t the best of friends yet, but we tend to be kind to each other. Chennai formed the foundation of who I am. Varanasi taught me to trust. I’ve been to Delhi twice and we have been as formal as strangers could be. Bombay taught me to be unapologetically myself and embrace my quirks. Ben...

The beauty of antithesis

It is human to crave order Inhuman to resist the antithesis. One steadies the room The other wakes your doom It is all around us, omnipresent. Dare I say, nay, I declare. In nature, in physics In perfect relationships In the blank space of art Or the black text in a white part Youth teaches you to embrace it Experience forces enjoyment Conservatives, resistance. Yet Immortal, its existence.

Recap 2025

    2025 was a year of trials, tribulations and triumphs. A mixtape of emotions. A year where either conditional probability did not apply to my life or there were more variables in play. It was a year of shedding: both light and deadweight. The year quietly announced itself towards the end of 2024, when I had a wonderful exploration of the Ripon Building and its surroundings. It quietly set the tone for the new year – wandering, observing and letting curiosity take the lead. The first two months were mildly eventful. I was selected to be the head of Registration Committee for Vibrance. I enjoyed the hustle – the checklist, the controlled chaos and the celebrations. I was simultaneously handling my submission for the semi-finals of the Google Girls’ Hackathon, and I’m grateful to my committee and my parents for being supportive. I had an instrumental phase, and I remember blasting the Imperial March in the middle of the night while working. It turned out to be much better ...

Dude - Review

TL;DR - A Rare mainstream surprise with its heart in the right place. To begin with, I didn't expect any movie to make it to my blog this year, especially Dude. I was skeptical even while booking the tickets, and the pessimism only grew when a couple of close friends said they didn’t like it. For context: I didn’t enjoy Love Today , and Dragon was just okay. But if skepticism can ever lead to a pleasant surprise, Dude definitely proves it. I usually look for one out of two things from a film - a compelling narrative or solid entertainment. I don’t comment much on Tamil films because Tamil cinema, at least from what I have sampled, often misses both and at its worst, treats the female lead as an interchangeable prop, contributing no real agency to the story. It has been a long while since a mainstream entertainer offered a female character with intention, dimension, and presence. Dude does, and that alone deserves acknowledgement. PR struck like a typical Gen-Z actor in his first...