Balamani Ammal was among the earliest superstars of Tamil theatre | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Among the many forgotten Tamil theatre pioneers is Kumbakonam Balamani Ammal, who shattered the glass ceiling and was one of its earliest superstars, She remains an intriguing personality, with most details of her life and times being scant. Born into…
Ilaiyaraaja (left) and poster of the Tamil movie ‘Dude’ | Photo Credit: The Hindu The Madras High Court, on Wednesday (November 26, 2025), reserved orders on a plea by acclaimed musician R. Ilaiyarajaa to restrain Hyderabad-based Mythri Movie Makers, the producers of Tamil movie Dude from continuing to exhibit the movie, in any medium including…
Musician Siddhant Bhatia | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Earlier this year, all roads led to Prayagraj, which hosted the ‘Mahakumbh 2025’. An event that happens once in 144 years, Mahakumbh 2025 — or the Kumbh Mela — put the spotlight on spiritual enlightenment, attracting visitors from across India and the globe seeking to take a…
A still from ‘Kokuho’ | Photo Credit: TOHO Kokuho, Japan’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, has shattered a two-decade-old box office benchmark, becoming the highest-grossing domestic live-action film in the nation’s history. Distributor Toho confirmed the kabuki-themed drama has earned more than ¥17.37 billion (about $111 million), edging…
I am 74 now, and I say the number quietly, letting it rest in my mouth like a stone softened by years of water. Seventy-four. There was a time when I imagined age would arrive like a clearing, a soft field, a place of rest. Instead it has come like a long corridor lined with…
Poster announcing Vijay Sethupathi’s casting in ‘Arasan’; Silambarasan TR in a still from the film | Photo Credit: V Creations Tamil star Vijay Sethupathi has joined the cast of the highly anticipated Vada Chennai film Arasan, directed by Vetri Maaran and starring Silambarasan TR, the makers announced on Tuesday (November 25). This marks Vijay’s second…
Oliver Laxe’s Sirat is overwhelming by design. I went in wanting a desert movie with cool music and walked out with the Sahara forming in the cave in my chest. If you’ve ever wondered what a subwoofer manifesting purgatory sounds like, Sirat is the answer. The French-Spanish filmmaker opens his Cannes Jury Prize-winner with a…
Stills from films that will be screened at the festival | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) is set to return for its fifth edition from December 4 to 14 this year, with events happening in 33 cities across the country. The line-up was unveiled recently. The festival will…
The South Asian Symphony Orchestra at a previous recital in Chennai | Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ “Music is our way of building bridges,” says former Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, the founder of the South Asian Symphony Foundation (SASF) and its orchestra, “established with the foundational goal of using music as a universal language to…
Soumyadeep Guin | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Bengali film cinematographer Soumyadeep Guin, popularly known as Vicky, was found hanging at his home in south Kolkata on Sunday (November 23), a Kolkata Police officer said. He was 40 years old. Guin’s body was recovered from his room by his family around noon. Though an investigation has…
