The glamour, glitz and crowds are elsewhere, as the celebrations for the 100 year of cinema culminate in another grand finale in the city. In contrast, it’s nearly idyllic in Film News Anandan’s flat in Mylapore. South Indian cinema’s chronicler is instead following up on the latest releases, updating his filmography.

Film News Anandan is, to use a cliché, a living encyclopaedia of Tamil cinema, and up to the 1980’s South Indian cinema. For journalists writing on film and harking back to the past, the absolute ‘go-to’ man is still this elderly person, his faculty of seeing dimmed, but his memory razor sharp even at 87. Give him a keyword, and he rattles off statistics and events, merely drawing on his memory.

A drama enthusiast and organiser, Anandan, whose parents named him Mani when he was born, entered films when he was about 25 years. Some friends of his had started the Film Fans Association and they decided to honour best performances in cinema at that time.

They asked Anandan to take pictures at the awards function, and the young man, already in love with cinema, swung by, with his Rs. 12 box camera. “It was too dark to shoot inside the Gaiety Theatre complex where the function was taking place. So I took pictures of the best actor B. Nagaiah, and best heroine Padmini when they came out,” he recollects.

It was in 1954 that Anandan acquired ‘Film News’ to his name, when he joined one of the early magazines to focus on cinema in the region as a photographer. By then, he had also wandered serendipitously into the office of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce and found himself a job with their journal. “I was asked to compile, every month, details about films releasing in all four south Indian languages. That is how everything began.”

He went from studio to studio gathering this information, driving his father’s car. Striking up friendships at the studios, he managed to get stills, memorabilia, and song books. That grew into a collection – piling up to an awe-inspiring 6,000 films – dating from the 1930’s talkies. With his collection of photos, he grew famous for preparing 100-film albums of the stars of those days – Sivaji Ganesan, MGR, K.R. Vijaya, Jayalalithaa, Sivakumar, even Kamal Haasan. These albums, that contained 100 stills, one from each of the films, were exhibited during the launch of their 100 films, to much applause.

These stills are today stored in two of his children’s homes. “I don’t think anyone else has this kind of database, in any of the languages,” he says, as a matter of fact but tinged with faint pride.

He fills up a sheet painstakingly, listing out key facts about films, even those that are being released today. “I can’t see any more, so my family helps me.” He’s also learnt the power of the net, and finds it easy to download stills of the newer films. In 2003, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa financed one of his long-pending dreams: she funded the publication of a book, which, arguably, is the most comprehensive filmography of Tamil cinema since 1930, till that date.

Film News Anandan is not a very happy man today, he feels ignored by the industry that he has helped chronicle. Regret is trying to peek in, held in restraint only by his love for cinema. “I loved it so much. I spent my entire time and money on my passion, even ignoring my family.” Even today, the meagre sum that he earns is spent on buying stills of films. “I don’t let a single still go, if I know about it,” he says, pride forcing its way back in.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> CinemaPlus / by Ramya Kannan / Chennai – September 30th, 2013

It is easy to write off a community by stereotyping its members. But to learn about them – and their contributions to the country they have made their home, is a difficult but rewarding job.

S. Muthiah decided to do the latter and thus brought forth a book tracing the origin and developments of the Anglo-Indian community, which has a 500-year-old history in India.

Mr. Muthiah and Harry MacLure, have jointly co-authored the book ‘The Anglo-Indians: A 500-Year History’, which was released on Tuesday.

Richard O’Connor, a customs officer has also contributed to the book. At a function organised by publisher Niyogi Books and The Madras Book Club, the book was launched by Beatrix D’Souza, former member of Parliament. It was received by Geoffrey K. Francis, former MLA.

Mr. Muthaiah, who introduced the book, said his association with the community began 80 years ago, when he was three years old. Since then, he had made friends, had had colleagues at work and that had prompted him to consider writing a book on Anglo-Indians.

By definition a person born of male European descent who has made India his or her home is an Anglo-Indian. The Indian Constitution has also accepted this definition. At the time of Independence, there were 5 lakh Anglo-Indians, but two thirds migrated to Australia, UK, Canada and US. Today, the community is 1.5 lakh strong in India.

Dr. D’Souza and Dr. Francis urged the community to take pride in its achievements and contributions to India. Consul Generals of the UK, the United States and Australia who commended the book said the community had assimilated the culture of the host land they inhabited and had richly contributed to it.

source:  http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – August 08th, 2013

“These stand testimony to the fact that Chola culture was quite predominant in Chidambaram”

Voluntary efforts being made by the people of Chidambaram town to desilt and revive the Oma Kulam have brought out the historic significance of the ancient waterbody.

After the five-foot high siltation was removed, the place has now revealed the existence of two terracotta ring wells dating back to the 12th Century AD. This was vouchsafed by J.R. Sivaramakrishnan and P. Kalaiselvan, assistant professors of History Department at Annamalai University.

Mr. Sivaramakrishnan told The Hindu that terracotta ring wells were very common structures prevalent during the Chola period. These two wells found on the now defunct waterbody stood testimony to the fact that the Chola culture was quite predominant in the temple town of Chidambaram.

“Each terracotta ring measures 4 cm in thickness, 12 cm in height and 65 cm in diameter. These rings are usually placed in a well sunk in a sandy soil. Besides these two terracotta structures, four wells constructed with brick walls too have been detected in the Oma Kulam,” he said.

The waterbodies were known by two different names in Tamil: ‘Keni’ and ‘Kinaru.’ The ‘keni’ was the one dug in sandy soil and happened to be the perennial source of water supply whereas, ‘kinaru,’ surrounded by brick structure, used to yield water seasonally.

The term ‘keni’ also found place in a couplet in the Tirukkural where it is stated that the deeper the ‘keni’ is dug, more abundant would be water availability. Similarly, one’s horizon of knowledge would be broadened with constant study, the couplet describes.

Mr. Sivaramakrishnan also noted that traces of Chola period could be found at Kondareddipalayam and Kanisapakkam near Panruti, at Vada Hari Rajapuram near Bhuvanagiri, Maruvai near Vadalur and Vada Rangam near the Kollidam.

These were thickly-populated places during the Chola rule. He also said that other brick wells too must be at least 250-year-old. “Therefore, it could be safely assumed that Oma Kulam played a vital role in the spiritual and social life of the people of Chidambaram.”

The legend has it that Thiru Naalai Povar Nayanar alias Nandanar used to make his ablutions in the wells and offered prayers to Lord Nataraja from there. As he constantly put off his visit to the hallowed precincts of the temple ‘the next day’ (which earned him the nick name Thiru Naalai Povar — one who would go tomorrow), he replied stoically that he would do so in different form.

It was stated that Nandanar entered into the flames of yagna, performed at the Oma Kulam, and came out unscathed. Thus, the waterbody had come to be known as Oma Kulam.

People from all walks of life have been taking active role in the desilting operation that began on August 1 under the aegis of the Hindu Temple Protection Committee.

Social activists, nature lovers and believers want encroachments on the southern side of Oma Kulam to be cleared and sewage lines diverted to preserve the sanctity of the place and restore its past glory.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Tamil Nadu / by A. V. Raghunathan / Chidambaram – September 26th, 2013