Monthly Archives: June 2014

MELANGE: LIGHTS, CAMERA, CONVERSATION… Four decades later, a flashback

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All

Singeetam Srinivasa Rao remembers Dikkatra Parvathi, his first film in Tamil, based on Rajaji’s story

Singeetam Srinivasa Rao’s first film was in Telugu, a 1972 comedy named Neeti Nijayiti. It flopped. For his second film, he wanted to do something different. “At that time, there was this big art-cinema movement,” he told me last week. “We were very inspired by the neorealistic films, and by Satyajit Ray. That’s how Dikkatra Parvathi happened.”

A still from Dikkatra Parvathi / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
A still from Dikkatra Parvathi / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Ray’s Pather Panchali had become the touchstone for young filmmakers, and Rao followed its lessons scrupulously. Because Ray’s film was scored by a classical musician (Ravi Shankar), Rao brought in the veena maestro Chitti Babu to compose the soundtrack for his film, which turned 40 this month. And because Ray’s film was based on a classic work of literature (by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay), Rao too decided that his film would be based on a literary story that had fascinated him: Fatal Cart.

That was the English translation of C Rajagopalachari’s Dikkatra Parvathi. “Those days,” Rao told me, “it was easier to get funds from the Film Finance Corporation [the earlier avatar of the National Film Development Corporation] if your film was based on a classic.” He put in fifty thousand of his money, and the rest of the two-lakh budget came from FFC – Dikkatra Parvathi was the first Tamil film financed by the organisation.

Filmmaker Singeetam Srinivasa Rao / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Filmmaker Singeetam Srinivasa Rao / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Seeking further financial assistance, Rao decided to shoot the film someplace a little beyond the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border, because the Karnataka government was offering subsidies (up to fifty thousand rupees) for films shot in the state. But when they discovered that Rajaji’s birthplace, Thorapalli, was just seven kilometres from Hosur, where the unit was camped, Rao’s wife convinced him that the film had to be shot there. “The village looked exactly like the one described in the story,” Rao said. “Plus, we got the satisfaction of shooting Rajaji’s story in Rajaji’s birthplace.”

Rao was hesitant, at first, to approach the 94-year-old Rajaji and take permission to film his story. “He hated films,” Rao said. “I wanted to make a film from a story of a man who hated films.” Later, Rajaji assured him that he only hated bad films. Rao remembers the day he met Rajaji: 7 December, 1972. “December 10 was his birthday and there would be a constant stream of visitors. So I went earlier.” Rajaji died soon after, on Christmas day, and the permission letter he gave Rao contained his last signature in an official capacity. More than a year later, his children attended the preview of Dikkatra Parvathi, which was “dedicated to the memory of Rajaji.”

The story is about newlyweds Parvathi (Lakshmi) and Karuppan (Srikanth), whose happy – if impoverished – life is ruined when he becomes an alcoholic and is unable to repay his loans. Two stretches stand out. The first occurs when Karuppan, goaded by a cohort, begins to drink. This is his first time. He asks, almost innocently, if drinking isn’t wrong and if you begin to smell if you drink. He takes his first sip and spits out the cheap liquor. The people around him laugh – we don’t see them (the camera stays focused on Karuppan), but we hear their mockery. And as if to prove a point to them, Karuppan drains the bottle.

This self-destructive male behaviour is balanced, towards the end, by self-destructive female behaviour. Parvathi is constantly hounded by a moneylender’s son (YG Mahendra) who is panting after her, and at one point, he enters her home when Karuppan is away. What happens next? We are kept in suspense, as the film cuts away to the aftermath: a court case. (Rao shot these scenes in a courthouse in Hosur, corralling local lawyers into the cast.) Over the song Enna kuttram seidheno, we get incremental flashbacks that lead us to the climax, where we learn what really occurred that night. It’s one of the rare times a Tamil-film heroine has been allowed to remain human.

Lakshmi was cast because Rao was impressed by the mobility in her face. “She was acting in a lot of ‘glamour roles’ then,” Rao said. “I saw her without makeup one day, and knew she was right for the role.” As for Srikanth, he was cast because he was not “the regular hero.” Dikkatra Parvathi was shot in 22 days by the cinematographer Ravi Varma, who had just finished work on a Malayalam film namedSwayamvaram, made by a first-time filmmaker named Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Rao said, “Adoor used to come by for the rerecording sessions of Dikkatra Parvathi.” The score, though, hasn’t aged well. Over the opening credits alone, we hear the veena, mridangam, morsing, tabla, shehnai, sarangi, flute – the resulting symphony, today, sounds too ostentatious for such a small, intimate film.

Dikkatra Parvathi was censored on December 31, 1973, but the film couldn’t be released due to an impasse. The FFC demanded repayment of their loan before they would issue the release letter, and the distributors insisted on the release letter before they coughed up the funds that would allow Rao to repay his loan to the FFC. When the director ran into MG Ramachandran, the Chief Minister, and spoke about his predicament, the latter instructed his secretary to buy the film.

This was the first time in the Indian film industry that a film was procured by a state – though MGR wasn’t exactly looking at it as a work of art. He had in mind other, more practical uses – as a propaganda film to further the cause of prohibition. Still, Dikkatra Parvathi was back in Rao’s hands. It was released in one theatre in Chennai, Little Anand. It would be almost a decade before he made his next Tamil feature, Rajapaarvai.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Baradwaj Rangan / June 28th, 2014

Nagore fish landing centre to have breakwaters project

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technologies

To provide secure harbour for fishing boats

Taking the recently constructed fish landing centre at Nagore to a higher degree of functionality, a new project of building breakwaters (bulkheads) to prevent siltation of the bar mouth at Vettar in Nagore has been launched here.

The project envisages setting up of breakwaters of up to 330 metres long, with an underwater depth of 4.3 metres and above water height of four metres.

The proposal envisions providing a secure harbour in the fish landing centre for the fishing boats that were hampered by intense and frequent siltation resulting from long-shore drift.

An official source told The Hindu that the heightened siltation and sedimentation is caused by similar bulkheads built by the Marg Port in Vanjoor in the vicinity of Nagore.

The fish landing centre was recently made operational at a cost of Rs. 6 crore.

However, the fishing boats faced difficulties in passing through Vettar bar mouth because of siltation, posing the need for frequent dredging.

The breakwater project under the Modernisation of Coastal Inlet of the Vettar and funded by NABARD under its Rural Infrastructure Development Scheme envisages an estimated cost of Rs. 11 crore.

For NABARD, it is the 19th scheme under RIDS for the district.

The project implemented by the Fisheries Department has been awarded to Erode-based Sripathi Associates with a completion period of 12 months.

Consultations for the project has been provided by IIT Madras.

According to the official, the project is proposed to be completed within nine months, with a three-month buffer period in the event of monsoon hurdles.

Earlier, the foundation stone for the project was laid by Minister for Fisheries K.A. Jayapal here.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli  / by Staff Reporter  / Nagapattinam  – June 24th, 2014

United India Insurance wins contract for pensioners’ health insurance scheme in Tamil Nadu

Records, All
United India Insurance wins contract for pensioners’ health insurance scheme in Tamil Nadu
United India Insurance wins contract for pensioners’ health insurance scheme in Tamil Nadu

Chennai :

The Tamil Nadu government has chosen United India Insurance, the public sector insurance company, for implementing the health insurance scheme for pensioners and family pensioners.

The company was chosen in an open bid and contract had been awarded for four years, said a government order issued by the finance department on Thursday.

The scheme pertains to provision of medical insurance to pensioners and family pensioners. The state government will pay the insurance premium along with the service tax to the insurance company on behalf of all the pensioners and family pensioners.

Finance minister O Panneerselvam made an announcement in the budget speech about the scheme and the finance department fixed the quantum of assistance at Rs 2 lakh to the pensioner and his or her spouse as well as family pensioners.

The pensioners and family pensioners will have to contribute an amount as subscription and the rest will be contributed by the government.

If the spouse is also a pensioner, the subscription would be collected from one person only, based on the option exercised by them, said a finance department official.

The amount of the pensioners’ contribution to the scheme would be decided after the selection of the insurance company and finalisation of the costs, said the order.

The scheme for pensioners and family pensioners is different from the general free insurance scheme which is for people whose income is below Rs 72,000 per annum.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by  B. Sivakumar, TNN / June 27th, 2014

11-year-old’s liver, pancreas, bowel transplanted in middle-aged man

Science & Technologies

Chennai :

When a transplant team from Apollo Hospitals walked into Sri Ramachandra Hospital in the early hours of Friday to harvest three abdominal organs — liver, pancreas and small intestine — for transplant, they had little medical literature on what was a complex transplant within the country. But they seemed confident.

Although the surgeons have carried out complex liver transplants, they have done just one pancreatic transplant in the past, and no intestinal transplant. “Transplanting pancreas and intestines is very rare, and the combination makes it more complex . Intestine transplant has high failure rates. One surgery in Chennai had failed,” said a transplant surgeon. The surgeons could not speak in detail after the 12-hour transplant, but said they used refined techniques, effective immunosuppressive drugs and had better quality donor organs this time.

In the 2000s, transplant surgeon Dr Shanmugha Bhaskar performed a bowel transplant at Madras Medical Mission with organs harvested from a brain-dead patient at Government General Hospital, but the patient died. There were no attempts at bowel transplant in the state after that. In November 2012, Delhi-based Medanta Hospital did a small intestine transplant on a 30-year-old patient. “This is the first time we are doing a small intestine transplant, and we have combined it with two other organs,” the surgeon said.

Patients with intestinal failure, on most occasions, develop nutrition-related complications. But doctors say they have ensured the patient at Apollo Hospital was fit for surgery. While a team of surgeons were preparing the patient, another team retrieved the abdominal organs and rushed them to the transplant hospital. In the next 12 hours, doctors transplanted the three organs into the patient who had suffered multiple organ failure. The patient, who is in an isolated room of the ICU, is recovering well, doctors said.

However, doctors warn that it’s too early to call the transplant a success. “Post-operative care is the most difficult part in a cluster organ transplant. The recipient’s system may reject the organs or the patient may develop infection,” said liver transplant surgeon Dr R Surendran of MIOT Hospitals. The patient will be kept on high doses of immunesuppressive drugs to ensure that his body does not reject the new organs. This in turn increases chances of infection. “A sterile environment in post transplant medication and round-the-clock care is needed,” he added.

About 70 such transplants occur worldwide every year and the survival rate is about 65% to 70% in the first year.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by Pushpa Narayan & Janani Sampath, TNN / June 27th, 2014

Doctors cure toothache that was almost fatal

Science & Technologies

Chennai :

When 59-year-old V Srinivasan fixed a dentist appointment for a toothache, little did he know that two weeks later he would end up in an operation theatre with life-threatening complications.

By the time the bank employee was admitted to a city hospital, he had a huge swelling in his neck, slipped in and out of consciousness and suffered from breathlessness. A preliminary glimpse of his scan reports was sufficient for doctors to pinpoint the cause.

The tooth infection had spread to his carotid artery – the vessel that supplies blood to the brain – causing severe swelling that constricted his wind pipe and limited blood supply to his brain. “The fact that he was diabetic added to the complication,” said neurosurgeon Dr K Sridhar. He led three surgeons and a dozen others to conduct a 12-hour surgery removing about 9cm of the diseased portion of the artery and creating a bypass to resume blood supply to the brain. At every stage of planning, doctors had to monitor Srinivasan’s sugar levels. “He had undergone an amputation of a few toes after they developed gangrene. First, we thought the infection was from his foot, later we realised the infection had spread from his tooth,” said Dr Sridhar.

The scan reports revealed three aneurysms (blood-filled balloon-like bulge on the wall of a blood vessel) in the carotid artery. “One had already burst, if the other two also ruptured, we knew we would lose the patient,” said neuro interventionist Dr Joy Varghese

Before the surgery, an infectious diseases specialist was roped in to help control the diabetes and infection in the body. “The surgery was complex as we had to be wary of the two aneurysms which could rupture at any point,” said Dr Varghese.

Two weeks after the surgery, Srinivasan was out of the intensive care unit and presented before the media on Thursday. Tubes still ran along his frail body as he was wheeled into the room, but his family vouched that he looked much healthier than a month ago, when they thought they had almost lost him. “When doctors at the hospital explained his condition, I had a sinking feeling. They told me the risks involved, but I decided to take the chance,” said Surya S, his wife. Doctors say he will be discharged in a week.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai /  TNN / June 27th, 2014

With trophies from past, he travels for an informed future

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Hosur :

A wide range of ancient terracotta vessels, pieces of smoke pipes, roof tiles and tools that belong to pre-historic period are spread on the table. C Veeraragavan’s love for ancient pieces began 25 years ago when he first found a three-legged terracotta jar near his home in Villupuram. Today, with more than 40 rare pieces, this 66-year-old conducts exhibition in various parts of Tamil Nadu to create awareness among youngsters about our history and arts.

The retired school teacher, who travels across the state showcasing his rare collection, says: “It’s not for money, it’s my passion. I spend from my pocket most of the time, as transporting these ancient pieces is not easy. They require proper care. But, I love doing it. I want children to know about our history.” Veeraragavan had exhibited his pieces as part of a two-day national seminar on ‘Hero Stones’ held in Hosur recently.

Veeraragavan also maintains a collection of 60 estampages of hero stones and inscriptions from various parts of Tamil Nadu. Hero stones are a type of memorial stones erected for the dead, who did exemplary work for the benefit of a society or community. “Taking the estampages of hero stones is not easy. I would go to the spot early in the morning, and start my work. It would take many days to get a perfect copy. Many hero stones faced vandalism in the later years, but I am happy that I have at least the copies of those rare pieces,” he says.

Veeraragavan’s collection has stone tools dating back to paleolithic and neolithic periods. He will even tell you about the minute differences in the tools from the two different pre-historic era. The terracotta vessels dated back to 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD. Although he is happy to conduct exhibitions, he is a bit worried about the pieces that were stolen from his collection during exhibitions. “Someone stole a beautiful chariot from my collection two years ago. Recently, someone stole a precious bronze jar,” he says.

But, these problems apart, Veeraragavan says he will continue his exhibition across TN. “I know the importance of this job. I have collected all these ancient pieces from the surface of the earth. Nobody is allowed to do excavation without permission. I am preserving it for the future generation,” he says.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by M. T. Saju ,  TNN / June 25th, 2014

Watts of energy from sugarcane, soon

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies

Sugarcane Breeding Institute develops varieties that can be alternative energy source

Coimbatore : 

The Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore has developed two types “energy canes” – one which can provide sugar and energy and the other which can be a feedstock for ethanol.

The canes are being field tested, according to institute Director N Vijayan Nair said.

He told Business Line on the sidelines of a National Symposium on “Bio-energy for sustainable development – the Potential Role of Sugar crops” that a few clones of energy canes are being tested at Samalkot in Andhra Pradesh.

The institute has registered the clones with the National Bureau of Plant Registry.

Stating that the energy canes were only at the testing stage, he said that the can which can produce sugar and energy can be processed in the existing sugar factories.

The second type, which can be handy for generating energy, has high fibre and biomass yield. It has been developed with an eye on the future. “This can be used for production of cellulosic ethanol,” Nair said.

The Institute plans to promote cultivation of such canes in marginal lands, he said adding that the initial results have been positive.

Nair also said that the technology for cellulosic ethanol was changing rapidly. It nevertheless offers enough opportunity in the coming years.

The Institute, he said, was not a front-runner in this technology, but foreseeing the requirement of feedstock for ethanol, developed bio-energy canes.

“While the development this far has been appreciable, the issue is, we are not integrated on feedstock development or integrating other technologies or in development of research labs that work on process optimisation and other related technologies. Each exist in silos,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Markets> Commodities / by L N Revathy / Coimbatore – June 25th, 2014

Language of preservation

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Sandwiched between the stark walls of two-storied concrete buildings is a small tiled-roof structure with wooden beams and trellis work painted green. The 100-year-old building in which the Madras Sanskrit College began stands dwarfed by newer structures that have come up around it to accommodate the 80 students that the college teaches today.

“Though other structures have come up around it, we have kept the original building intact as we are proud of being a 100-year-old institution. We wanted to keep it while expanding the college to meet modern needs. Classes are still conducted here,” said college manager H Subramanian, showing the staircase to the first floor, which has railings made of Burma teak.

Constructed in 1910 by jurist and philanthropist V Krishnaswami Iyer, who contributed a fair share to the growth of Mylapore, it was the only building on campus when the college — established in 1906 with about 500 students — moved from nearby Pellathope. It was constructed on 5,000sqft with a single floor. The building looks more like a house with a small verandah and plants curling across the windows and red roof tiles. The building cannot be classified into a particular style or type but follows the style of construction adopted in the early 1900s for office buildings. “You’ll find many collector’s offices and other government buildings in this style in the districts. There were many of them in Mylapore too. This was the style of office buildings in the early 20th century with high ceilings and large windows that practically touched the ground,” said Intach convener S Suresh.

The college was set up by Krishnaswami with two others, who formed a committee to prevent the loss of Sanskrit. Back then, as now, students studied the basics of the language and its grammar and get a ‘Visarada’ in Veda and Vedanta certificate at the end of five years.

The building is supported by iron and wooden beams with high ceiling which makes it well ventilated. Similar structures surrounded it for many years, and the campus had a lot of trees. “Classes used to be conducted under the trees for many years,” said Subramanian.

Over the years with the expansion of the college, trees gave way to buildings and the house-like structures on either side of the heritage building had to accommodate a hostel and a research institute, said Subramanian. A few trees are still left on the front and rear side of the main heritage structure.

“The main building was whitewashed in January. The old tiles and wooden beams were carefully removed, painted and replaced during the renovation. As the tiles were in good condition we did not change them,” said Subramanian. The building houses the college office and lecture hall on the ground floor and examination hall and mini hostel for students on the first floor. “Despite having new buildings, the principal conducts lectures and holds discussions on the first floor. It is so well ventilated that we don’t have an airconditioner though a proposal is pending,” said Subramanian. On the first floor are wooden cupboards from the old days.

Over the years, the building has had many famous visitors. On April 28, 1915, Mahatma Gandhi visited the college. A few years later on October 9, 1922, Rabindranath Tagore visited the college and said he was pleased with the teaching of Advaita philosophy.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by B. Sivakumar, TNN / June 27th, 2014

3,000-year-old paintings found near Palani

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All
This cave painting depicts men, women and children dancing during a festival | Express
This cave painting depicts men, women and children dancing during a festival | Express

Paintings that are over 3,000 years old, belonging to the Sangam period, showcasing the love and valour of Tamils, were discovered in the Andipatti hills near here on Sunday.

V Narayanamorthy, Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Archaeological Research Institute, and his team came upon the paintings when they were inspecting some caves, west of Andipatti hills.

He said, “The faded paintings have been found in over 10 places in the cave and were painted in white colour using a mixture of limestone, natural gums and herbal extracts.”

One of the paintings shows a group of women carrying pots of water on their heads, while another shows men, women and children dancing together at a festival, holding hands. What’s interesting is that this kind of dance can still be seen in the Paliyar and Puliyar tribal communities, the archaeologists said.

Another picture shows people getting ready to sacrifice a goat for a festival.

The paintings also tell stories—one of an elephant captured and trained, on which the king goes for a ride surrounded by guards. Several scattered paintings depict men, women and tigers and hunts undertaken.

The caves were in frequent use about 2,000 to 3,000 years ago.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sates> TamilNadu / by Express News Service – Palani / March 04th, 2014

New stapler method to treat constipation

Science & Technologies

Chennai :

Malar, 49, was suffering from a problem she thought was unspeakable and untreatable. She had been suffering from chronic constipation for 15 years and no amount of laxatives or fibre-rich food helped.

Malar’s is not a stray case. Doctors say many people suffer from this and nearly 70% of them are women who have given birth. Most of them suffer from a condition called obstructive defecation syndrome (ODS). In this, the lining of the rectum juts out every time the patient strains and obstructs motion, thereby making it impossible for the person to pass motion regularly. ODS causes severe headache, depression and decreased self-esteem. Dr Rajkumar of Rigid Lifeline Hospitals said that it is also one of the common causes of colorectal cancer.

“Since the surface of the bowel is in constant contact with toxic body waste and carcinogens, it puts such people at a cancer risk,” he said. The doctor pointed out that many people who suffer from ODS are not aware of it and suffer in silence. “Till very recently, there was no cure for this. But now we have a new method called stapled ano-rectal resection which is a safe and cost effective method involving minimal pain and hospital stay,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / June 27th, 2014