Playing With Dolls
Barbie in her many avatars might be a much loved possession for many kids and a much hated figure for parents who worry about the psychological impact thisdoll with a figure to die for might have on their little girls. But one can't deny that she is going places. Even to the gollu arrangement that marks Dassehra in the south. This is the season where every self-respecting mami brings out her collection of dolls and arranges it on different steps - five, seven or nine depending on the number in her prized collection – and invites the neighbourhood to get shocked and awed by them. This is also the time for young girls/ women to showcase their talent in Carnatic music, a stepping stone for bigger things, if you like. In the old days, festivals like these gave women a chance to bond with other women and even, perhaps, show off that they had better artistic skills. Because Gollu is not only about dolls, but also about parks (grown by sprouting mustard seeds), sometimes even an entire township if you could afford enough toys.
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My mother used to cherish her doll collection, particularly the Raja-Rani figures which she used to dress in silk, and wrap in tissue paper, and then mothball after Dassehra was over. In Karnataka, the Raja-Rani dolls are de rigueur because the Mysore Maharajah and his Maharani (and his ancestors before him) were seen as representatives of God. Somehow I did not get that divine feeling when I saw a photograph this week of Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wodeyar (who is an MP and a shrewd businessman) perched on the golden throne, when Mysore annually keeps its date withdassehra.
Commercialism has hit this festival too as it has in every sphere of life. You get sets such as Dasarathar durbar, Gajendra Moksham, etc sold in Khadi crafts and Poompuhar and even on the pavement at Mylapore andT'Nagar.
Off with the old, on with the new, they say. New is not always bad. For instance, Jayashree gets her sons to put their creative inputs into gollu. And Latha's husband – unlike husbands of yore who indulged but did not get involved in Gollu – is your Renaissance man. During his travels around the world, he picks up dolls and even gets involved in the aesthetics of display atDassahra.
Is Chennai A Small Town Or A Metro?
"Chennai is a small town pretending to be a metropolis," says a friend who moved here two years ago after living 16 years in Bombay. "Professionalism in every sphere is what I miss most," she declares, confessing that her turnover of maids is 16 in two years whereas in Bombay she had two maids in 16 years. She says that the guys who come to fix her TV don't know what they aredoing and, in short, nothing works for her. Another friend who was born here, moved to Bangalore briefly before settling down in the US, says, "I cannot bear the filth and heat in Madras. Bangalore is my "native place"". But another friend loves Chennai and unlike, Bangalore, where she never goes out on her own, hits the shops and cultural venues here with an ease that her husband marvels at.
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Chennai -- in fact, Tamil Nadu -- is perceived as a centre of learning, of polite people and considered as being culturally alive. TN is supposed to have the most number of foreign students. Now the jury is out on whether they come here for the learning or whether the marketing done by TN institutions abroad is top notch.
Incidentally, Chennai Corporation celebrated its 320th year this week and a photo exhibition was got up to show Chennai through the years. M K Stalin, once the mayor of Chennai and currently the minister of local administration, tracing the evolution of Chennai, said the corporation had only eight wards in 1868 and had now grown to encompass 155. Its population which was 3.9 lakh in 1871 now stands at 50.17 lakhs. And streetlights which were a mere 15 back in 1871 have now grown to 1.24lakhs!
Of Father And Daughters
Abhiyum Nanum is a film about fathers and daughters. So it stands to reason that thefilm's producer invited the most famous father-daughter in Tamil Nadu to receive the CD of the film. Yes, CM Karunanidhi and his daughter Kanimozhi, Rajya Sabha MP. His political detractors, chiefly AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha, constantly criticize the CM for being preoccupied with cinema and his family. But that's another story. It seems Kanimozhi too, despite her busy schedule of politics and culture, finds the time for Tamil movies andto critique them. Her grouse: Tamil films are not realistic. "Such movies are made routinely in Bengal and Kerala. Even in Telugu, such films are produced." But the good news is that she found Abhiyum Naanum "realistic in its theme and portrayal." But she found one big flaw. "It has a scene in which the husband slaps his wife. This has for long been perceived to be an expression of man's superiority over women, but it is an offence under the Domestic Violence Act." She told the red-faced filmmakers to at least insert a card in the scene to say that domestic violence was against the law.
Of Sons And Fathers
At another function in the city this week, it was another father who was puffing out his chest in pride. Suriya-Jyothika, one can say loosely, is the Brangelina of TN, even if the former couple are low profile. Unlike Brangelina who travel the world with their brood giving the paparazzi the time of their lives, Suriya –Jyothika let the world in on Diya only at her first birthday recently where she made a pretty picture in pink while her parents looked on adoringly.Suriya, who bulked up to get six pack abs on Aamir Khan's advice, is having his day in the sun with Varanam Aayiram on the verge of release. The film's director, Gautham VasudevMenon, says Suriya is the most talented actor in the business. Wonder what Kamal Haasan will say to that? But Suriya's dad, yesteryear actor Sivakumar, was more lavish in his praise. Suriya, who portrays a 17-year-old in the early part of the film, lost 10 kgs for the role. "For 16 months, all he did was to eat vegetables and fruit. I know the 75-year-old history of Tamil cinema and I've not seen anybody do this feat, not even MGR and Sivaji Ganeshan," he boasted. The truth is that in his time, it was histrionics that counted not eye candy value. Not that I am complaining!
Foot In The Mouth
When Srikanth was appointed as the chief selector of the Indian Cricket Board, I was reminded of my chat with him during his playing days. I had telephoned to get an opinion on a cricket controversy and heblurted out, "Please leave me out of this. Every time I open my big mouth I get into trouble." Well, let's hope he does open his "big mouth" in his new job and steer cricket out of controversy and whispers of match fixing.
