K Bhagyaraj with his mentor When people speak about Bharathiraja’s legacy, the conversation often begins with the actors he introduced and the heroines he transformed into stars. But perhaps, his greatest contribution to Tamil cinema lies behind the camera.For nearly five decades, Bharathiraja’s sets functioned as an informal film institute, producing a generation of assistant…
Madurai: Allinagaram was cloaked in silence on Wednesday as the news of Bharathiraja’s death crept through a street leading to his ancestral home. Elderly men who had witnessed him leave for Madras as a young dreamer recalled the years when he was still known as Paalpandi, and not Bharathiraja. The villagers weren’t mourning a renowned…
Chennai: A 94-year-old woman died after she was assaulted by her grandson in an inebriated state at a village near Kalpakkam in Chengalpet district.The deceased was identified as P Saroja, of Poonthandalam village near Vengappakkam. She was living with her son Munusamy and his family.According to police, the incident occurred when Saroja was resting on…
Tamil Nadu’s food system relies a lot on a workforce that rarely gets noticed. Bees. The primary pollinators of crops such as mango, coconut, sunflower and cotton, without them yields could reduce by 40%, or in some cases, 90%. Yet across the state, from Kanyakumari, the honey capital of India, to the Nilgiris, these pollinators…
Residents gathered outside the Maduravoyal Electricity Board office late into the night following a four-hour power outage, while wiremen inspected distribution boxes and worked to restore electricity supply. Chennai: From lack of sleep to difficulty in cooking, frequent, unannounced and prolonged power cuts over the past 20 days have disrupted the daily routine of residents…
Greater Chennai Corporation Chennai: Chennai mayor R Priya strongly criticised minister Aadhav Arjuna for blaming local body representatives for recent power cuts and alleged delays in civic works, saying councillors had no role in electricity supply issues. She also urged the minister to “learn the basics” of governance.Reacting to the minister, who had earlier alleged…
Chennai: Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) mayor R Priya on Tuesday directed officials and contractors to expedite a series of civic infrastructure projects in the Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar zone.The mayor visited Mudhalvar Padaipagamon Krishnadas Main Road in Mangalapuram and on Subburayan Street, where she interacted with users and reviewed the available facilities. Following requests from visitors, she…
Chennai: “Good morning, Professor. Can we study Vijay today?” When Congress leader and visiting Ashoka University professor Praveen Chakravarty walked into class after C Joseph Vijay assumed office, he was greeted with songs from the actor’s hit films, whistles and a barrage of questions about Tamil Nadu’s new chief minister.“This was a university in Haryana…
Chennai: Social activist Geetha V stands at the entrance of a crumbling old building at Pursaiwalkam in Chennai. Before the 74-year-old begins her day’s work, fighting for the cause of unorganised workers, she must first face her own uphill battle: two flights of steep, narrow stairs. Her ailing knees do little to help. Leaning on…
NAMAKKAL: The Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners’ Association (TNLOA) has resolved to raise freight rates by 25% with effect from June 15, citing increasing diesel prices. The decision was announced by state president C Dhanraj after an executive committee meeting here on Wednesday.During the meeting, members reviewed concerns such as the rise in diesel costs, freight…
