Solo Review: A Different Experience For The Tamil Audience

Solo is one of those arty-farty movies that the Tamil masses would not understand. Not yet, at least. Perhaps that’s why it didn’t gain as much traction as it rightly should have. Directed by Maniratnam’s protégé, Bejoy Nambiar, Solo depicts four tales, each one themed around an element of nature.
The four narratives are as different as chalk and cheese, and the only common factor is Dulquer Salman, who helms each tale with ease. This may have much to do with the fact that Dulquer is easy on the eyes, but he also has a flair for carrying out the roles of four vastly different characters remarkably well. Each story spans over 4 years.
The soundtrack of the movie deserves a special mention. The movie boasts 22 songs composed by 12 music directors, some songs have both Tamil and Malayalam versions. Needless to say, the music carries the film with a kind of poise that tugs at the heart of the viewer.
Neer

This is our favourite chapter of the movie. It could be Shekhar’s (Dulquer) stutter or his hairdo that could not be more apt for the setting. But the real star of this quarter is Dhansika. She steals the show portraying Radhika, a gorgeous blind dancer who loves the water, and dances in it. It is refreshing to see a differently abled lead character in a Tamil movie, and one with sass to boot.
When Shekhar tells her that his friend who was previously interested in her has given him permission to pursue her, she questions him, “Permission ah? Avan enna, en appa va?” Their love story unfolds, and we are reminded of OK Kanmani. Dulquer and Dhansika share such an incredible on screen chemistry, that we get goosebumps. We are told a story of how their love progresses, the drama that unfolds, the tragedy that follows and eventually, the beautiful ending.
Must listen: Devathai Pol Oruthi, Singa kutty – Bring on the Chaos
Bhoomi

The story begins with a female cyclist (Arthi Venkatesh) colliding with a luxury car. She lies on the earth, dirt and blood covering her body, writhing to live. The driver of the car (Azhgam Perumal) refuses to save her, but the passenger, his son in law Justin (Anson Paul) carries her into the car and insists on saving her.
Dulquer comes into the picture 4 years later, in a serendipitous twist to save Justin from when he is involved in an accident. This story is gripping and keeps the viewer at the edge of her seat, wondering what is going to happen next. The plot twist hits us like a ton of bricks.
Must listen: Sajan More
Agni

Multiple themes are tied together in this narrative. Alcoholism, a brother’s love, gangsterism, friendship, and the familial love, to name a few. Dulquer plays a gangster, Shiva whose loyalty knows no bounds. Having had his mother desert their family as children, Shiva loves his younger brother Siddhu (Rohan Manoj) but has trouble showing it. Guns are a central feature of this story, hence Agni.
The characters are mostly forgettable, but the story is an interesting one, with another plot twist that packs a punch. The chapter begins and ends with Dulquer’s family playing with sparklers, happy.
Must listen: Aal Aayal, Aigiri Nandini – Eye for an eye
Rudra

This was an entertaining chapter, Dulquer carried out the role of Rudra, an army officer who’s a mischevious son and an adorable boyfriend to a tee. Suhashini Maniratnam plays the role of Rudra’s mother, and her performance stole the show. Neha Sharma plays Bama, Rudra’s love interest. We do not understand why Rudra’s parents are opposed to Rudra and Neha’s love until the very end, but trust us, it’s worth the wait.
 Must listen: Sita Kalyanam, Roshomon
The viewer is left guessing what the common factors are between the four stories. But it is easy to forget that all our lives tell similar stories as the snippets in Solo, those full of love, tension, despair, and joy.
Kudos to the technical team behind Solo. Girish Gangadharan’s cinematography is nothing short of beautiful. A film ahead of its time for the Tamil audience, this anthology does what a regular masala movie cannot. Solo engages the viewer, creates tension, pivots the plot, and ends gracefully before starting the cycle all over again.
Each story is seperated by a beautiful illustration of Lord Shiva by Vijaykumar Arumugam surrounded by the element featured, with Dulquer narrating a poem. Don’t stop watching once the movie ends. The closing credits showcase more fantastic illustrations which the Plexus team has done justice to, in 3D!
Source: Solo FB
Yes, you’ll be seeing a lot of Dulquer. But it’s far from an overdose of the hero like in Yennai Arindhaal where it was just Ajith, Ajith and more Ajith. Watch Solo if you want a Tamil movie that doesn’t reek of hypermasculinity, objectification of women, stale jokes and shoddy acting.
Watch Solo if you want a totally different Tamil movie experience. Watch Solo if your yearning for a feel good Tamil movie has not been satisfied with the drivel the industry has been churning over the past few months. Watch Solo. And after watching, if you need to nurse that Solo hangover, we’d recommend the soundtrack album on Spotify for your long drive home today.
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Filed Under bejoy nambiardulquer salmansolo


Sid Sriram, Parthiban and Santosh Narayanan Create Magic With Kulirudha Pulla

Who would have thought that Parthiban would give us chills in a song sung by Sid Sriram, composed by Santosh Narayanan?
Well, the tune Kulirudha Pulla does exactly that. From Parthiban’s upcoming film Othatha Seruppu, the tune also features young songstress Sangeetha Karuppiah.
Othatha Seruppu is written, directed and produced by Parthiban. He will also be assaying the lead role.
The filmmakers have released the lyrical video of Kulirudha Pulla, and we have never heard anything like it in the Tamil industry. With beautiful lyrics by Vivek, this song is an emotional powerhouse.
Check the song out here, and be sure to listen till the very end.
https://youtu.be/hq76ou5UaWE
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Filed Under oththa seruppuparthibansangeetha karuppiahSantosh NarayananSid Sriram


Kollywood Films Overshadowed By COVID-19 Global Pandemic

A full rundown of all the ways COVID-19 is changing the entertainment landscape around the world is something we have all somehow gotten accustomed too, well at least in these last few challenging months. Movie buffs were denied the privileges of watching their favourite blockbusters in the comfort of a cinema, in lieu to the strict procedures by governments the world over due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In Kollywood, film releases and festivals go hand in hand. One of the two major occasions for the big release is during Deepavali. Over the past endless years, it’s been a common feature to have a variety of 8-10 movies hitting the big screens on the propitious day. However, this year Deepavali will be very different as the Tamil entertainment world is hiding and barely there’s any buzz or excitement that is ordinarily related to the release of blockbusters as the celebration of lights approach.

So, is that a blessing for our local film industry?
“Local movies have their own fan followings and we Malaysians should support local movies. Lotus Five Star (LFS) Cinemas provide full support for local talents and this upcoming Deepavali would be an encouraging platform for our local producers to release their movies to a larger-scale audience,” he was quoted as saying during an interview with Bernama.
Doraisingam, who runs LFS Cinemas, one of the largest cinema chains in Malaysia, said they would continue adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the government to stem the spread of COVID-19, by allowing only 100 viewers in a 200-capacity cinema hall.
Meanwhile, three local Malaysian films namely Poochandi, Paramapatham, and Mr Peyi will slat on Deepavali which falls on the 14th of Nov 2020. Poochandi is expected for a Nov 12 release, while the latter two will be released on Nov 26 and Dec 17, respectively.
Guys, its time to show support to our local talents, give em a chance!
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Filed Under A great opportunityKollywood FilmsLocal Film IndustryMr PeyiiParamapathamPoochandi


A Brief History of the Ramayana in Southeast Asia

The Ramayana is an ancient epic Sanskrit text written by Valmiki around the 8th–4th centuries BCE. It is one of the two most important texts in Hinduism, the other being the Mahabharata. The Ramayana, which is widely known by Tamils of all faiths alike, was translated into Tamil only in the 12th century AD by the prolific poet Kambar. Because of historical ties through trade, the mythology of Ram soon found its way to Southeast Asia. Just as there are many regional variations of the Ramayana across South Asia, the same is true in Southeast Asia.
It is important to view this as how stories travel from one place to another and that we are a family of nations that have influenced one another culturally, economically, and historically. It also shows how this alien tale influences other cultures to express the story of Ram creatively through their own cultural heritage.
Image taken from utkarshspeak.blogspot
Thailand

It was through trading with the various kingdoms in ancient India that the Khmer kingdoms and Srivijaya were influenced by Hindu culture. The Thais adopted that influence from the Khmers. They perform the epics through the Wayang Kulit, which was adopted from the Indonesians. The Thai version of the epic was written down for the first time in the 18th century. Known as the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Ramayana sheds more light on Hanuman. It is still a very popular epic among Thai people, as it is regarded as an important cultural emblem for them.
Image taken from tvpsdm
Malayan Peninsula

Known as the Hikayat Seri Rama in Malay, the Ramayana has held a wide readership among the Malay-speaking people across the Malayan peninsula. The text is believed to have been translated from Sanskrit to Malay somewhere around the 14th century AD. The Hikayat Seri Ram was instrumental for many scholars in studying ancient Malay manuscripts and cultural history. Just like the Thais, the Malay-speaking people of the Peninsula would perform the tale through Wayang Kulit.
Image taken by Jeff Pioquinto, SJ/Flickr
Indonesia

Related:  Neduianseleya Urgently Requires Funds To Cover Transportation To Bring Him Back To MalaysiaThe Kakawin Ramayana is an ancient Javanese poem that preserved the tale of the tale. One of the longest recorded remains of Old Javanese scripture is the Ramayana, dating somewhere between the 9th and 10th centuries. In Indonesia, the tale is dramatised through the Kecak dance form, which is a traditional art form created by Balinese Hindus. It is most widely performed in temples and villages for everyone to enjoy the ancient epic tale of Ram.
Source: sea.mashable, Bangkok Post, tvpsdm
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Filed Under hinduismIndonesiaMalaysiaramayanaThailand


Hiyo; Teejay Arunasalam’s Funky Fusion Of ‘Haiyo Pathikichu’

Teejay Arunasalam, the actor who slayed our hearts in Asuran, has recently released a music video titled ‘Hiyo.’
Picture credit: Teejay Arunasalam Instagram
 ‘Thean Kudika,’ his previous venture, was a fusion of his favorite composer, AR Rahman’s classic, ‘Kuluvaaliley Kuluvaaliley Mottu Malarndhallo’.
Picture credit: Teejay Arunasalam Instagram
Similarly, his newest release, ‘Hiyo,’ is another of the Maestro’s masterpieces, ‘Haiyo Pathikichu.’
His cover, on the other hand, is unique that it created with a funky twist unlike other covers. The music video’s visuals are also very goofy, with additional cartoony pop-ups here and there, and Sridhar Master’s choreography has spiced up the entire video.
Picture credit: Teejay Arunasalam Instagram
Teejay mentioned that;
I’ve featured Yanchan Produced, from Canada & the voice teen, Madhuvy Vaithialingam, from Sri Lanka. I am proudly introducing a very own talented singer Mayee, from UK. Also a huge thanks to Kanath VFX Studios, Jumani MUA, One Leaf, Venky & Mickey for being a crucial part of this music video.
On the movie front, there are rumors that the multitalented one will be a part of Vikram’s upcoming project with director, Ajay Gnanamuthu, which is still untitled. An official confirmation, however, is still awaiting.
Having that said, have you watched Teejay’s Hiyo yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Click below to watch it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za91DGHG624Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Hiyo – Official Music Video | TeeJay ft. Madhuvy Vaithialingam | Yanchan Produced | TeeJay Melody (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za91DGHG624)

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Filed Under AsuranDhanushHiyomusic videoteejayTeejay Arunasalam


Kamal Hassan Announces Retirement From Acting

“Indian 2 will be my last film,” announced veteran actor Kamal Hassan yesterday in an interview.
The actor and founder of Makkal Needhi Maiam will be focusing on his political career moving forward. “Makkal Needhi Maiam will field candidates in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Tamil Nadu. I will quit acting after the upcoming project Indian 2, the shooting of which is slated to start on December 14,” shared the actor.
Kamal Hassan was very open about his move into politics, he announced it earlier this year on Bigg Boss Tamil 2. A promotional video of the party was also played at the beginning of every Vishwaroopam II screening worldwide.

“But I will have my production company continuing in the field. Somebody else will run it,” assured the actor, who runs Raaj Kamal Films International. The company has produced Kamal’s movies since its inception in 1986. Nala Damayanthi and Magalir Mattum were the only two non Kamal movies under their banner.
The move may be unprecedented, but most fans saw it coming when the actor decided to step into the world of politics.
It is unclear if two of his other projects, Thevar Magan 2 and Sabaash Naidu will ever see the light of day. Thevar Magan was a cult classic released in 1992 in which the actor starred alongside the late Sivaji Ganesan. Rumours were abreast that Kamal will be working on the sequel of the film, to be released next year.

Sabaash Naidu is a spin off of Kamal’s Dasaavatharam character, Balram Naidu. Reportedly, 40% of the film has already been shot. At this point, there has been no mention if Kamal will complete the movie.
Related:  Actor Sarath Babu Passes Away; The Film Industry Mourns the Loss of A Versatile ActorThis move also gives the boot to Marudhanayagam, the long awaited high budget Indian historical drama produced and directed by Kamal.
Kamal Hassan began his career in films at the tender age of 6. It is hard to get the image of the orphaned boy praying to Lord Muruga out of any Tamil film fan’s head. He has been in the industry for 58 years. He is known to be one of the most versatile Tamil actors, with the ability to morph into the character he plays effortlessly, never once worrying about tainting his style.

Kamal Hassan gave the Tamil audience laughs with the timeless Michael Madana Kama Rajan, shivers with Sigappu Rojakkal and made us weep in Nayagan. And then he repeated it for the next generation with films like Pancha Thantiram, Vettaiyadu Vilayadu and Papanasam. His work has earned him plaudits the across the globe, almost 6 decades on.
While this may be the end of an era for the Ulaga Naayagan, it is certainly the beginning of a new chapter for Tamil Nadu.
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Filed Under Kamal HaasanMakkal Needhi Maiam


WATCH: Vijay Sethupathi Dubbing ‘Super Deluxe’ Dialogue Is Too Epic

Earlier this week, we were all blown away by the intense trailer of Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s Super Deluxe. In under 24 hours, the trailer gained over 5 million views and fans cheering on the impeccable cast that features Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil, Samantha Akkineni, Ramya Krishnan, Gayathrie and child actor Ashwanth.
The two-minute-long trailer is accompanied by a lengthy dialogue that Vijay Sehupathi narrates with different emotions and speech modulation. While the internet is flooded with fans trying to reenact this monologue, film makers have decided to release a behind-the-scenes video of Vijay Sethupathi dubbing the renowned script on twitter.
Filmmaker Thiagarajan retweeted the post and wrote, “Thun muyarchiyil satrum thallaraadha @VijaySethuOffl (sic)”, which is loosely translated as, “Vijay Sethupathi being relentless in his effort.”
WATCH the epic dubbing video HERE:

Oru naal..Oru aal..Dubbing theatre pakkam thaniyaa pogaiyila..#SuperDeluxe #SuperDeluxeFromMarch29 @VijaySethuOffl @Samanthaprabhu2 @thisisysr @sash041075 @itisthatis @ynotxworld @alchemyvisionw1 @onlynikil @SGayathrie @meramyakrishnan @gopiprasannaahttps://t.co/b0B0Ar5au0 pic.twitter.com/tD277mfkyE
— Tyler Durden And Kino Fist (@tylerdurdenand1) February 24, 2019

Super Deluxe, which has been in the making for several years, is all set to hit the theatres on March 29.
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Filed Under AshwanthFahadh FaasilgayathrieRamya KrishnanSamantha Akkinenisuper deluveThiagarajan KumararajaVijay Sethupathi


Aarav & Radikaa Sarathkumar – The Dons In Market Raja MBBS

Radikaa Sarathkumar will assay the role of a don in the upcoming film Market Raja MBBS. The film is directed by Saran, the person behind Kadhal Mannan, Amarkalam, Gemini and Attagasam. Market Raja MBBS will be helmed by actor Aarav.

Market Raja MBBS will be in the action-comedy-fantasy genre, something Saran has not attempted before. Aarav plays the titular character, Market Raja, who is a railway contractor by day and local don by night. Saran has clarified that there is no connection between Kamal Hassan’s Vasool Raja MBBS and Market Raja MBBS.
“Radikaa plays Arav’s mother, a don in Perambur in Market Raja MBBS,” shares Saran in an interview. “She has stepped into her father, MR Radha’s shoes to play this character. She will be mimicking MR Radha’s body language and voice modulation to a certain extent,” he says.

Saran is also reportedly very happy with Aarav’s acting and professional conduct on set. “He doesn’t feel like a newbie at all,” the director says. The first look of the film was released yesterday, and fans of the dashing actor are in a tizzy over this film.
Radikaa’s character in Market Raja MBBS is reminiscent of her role in the 1998 movie Jeans. Having said that, we can’t help but wonder if the conservative Tamil audience will have anything to say about the cigar she is smoking.
Market Raja MBBS is set to hit the screens in the last quarter of the year.
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Filed Under Aaravdirector saranKavya ThaparMarket Raja MBBSRadikaa Sarathkumar


Maddy’s ‘Maara’ Set To Take Us By Storm This January!

Yesterday, our beloved Maddy surprised us with his new movie, ‘Maara’ which will be released on 8th January 2021 on Amazon Prime Video.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by R. Madhavan (@actormaddy)

Initially, it was revealed that the film will be released on 17 December 2020 on Madhavan’s Twitter.

here to bring smiles and win hearts with love, watch #MaaraOnPrime this dec 17 on @PrimeVideoIN#WorldPremiereOnPrime@ShraddhaSrinath @SshivadaOffcl@dhilip2488 @ShrutiNallappa @pramodfilmsnew @DesiboboPrateek @karthikmuthu14 @GhibranOfficial#MaaraOnPrime #WorldPremiereOnPrime pic.twitter.com/aC59BR68zI
— Ranganathan Madhavan (@ActorMadhavan) October 9, 2020

‘Maara’ is a musical love adventure with Paaru, who sees a fairytale, overheard as a child by a stranger. It will be a romantic fest to see Madhavan and Shraddha sharing the screen Yet again.
Sshivada, T. S. B. K. Moulee and Minon John will be featured along with Madhavan and Shraddha Srinath, in this film. It is directed by Dhilip Kumar, who is a newcomer and produced by Prateek Chakravorty and Pramod Films’ Shruti Nallappa.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shraddha Rama Srinath (@shraddhasrinath)

Ghibran composed the music and Dinesh Krishnan, Karthik Muthukumar and Bhuvan Srinivasan handled cinematography and editing.
It is a remake of Martin Prakkat’s Malayalam movie Charlie (2015) and in February 2016 the producers of ‘Maara’ obtained the Tamil remake rights of the movie Charlie (2015).
Charlie wikipedia
According to Sify,com, “Charlie sweeps you off the feet with its inherent charm. It may be far from perfect, but is an entertaining film for sure.”
Bringing this movie to the Tamil audience would be a fantastic feast definitely. Who is ready to enjoy Maddy’s charming performance in ‘Maara’?
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Filed Under Amazon Video primemaaramaddy new movieMaddynew movienew directorShraddha and Madhavan


Another Horror Film For Tamannaah

Tamannaah has signed yet another Tamil horror film. The unnamed flick will be directed by Rohin Venkatesan who did a fantastic job with thriller Adhe Kangal.
Tamannaah’s latest Tamil film, Devi 2, is currently playing in the cinemas, and her Hindi film, Khamoshi is set to release soon.

This film is the remake of Telugu comedy Anando Brahma, which featured Taapsee Pannu in the lead alongside popular comedians ‘Tagubothu’ Ramesh, Srinivasa Reddy, Vennela Kishore and Shakalaka Shankar.
Anando Brahma revolves around four characters who team up to spend four nights in a haunted house to make some money.
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Filed Under adhe kangalhorrortaapsee pannuTamannaah


Suriya And Karthi’s Sister Brindha Is Ready For Her First Movie

Brindha Sivakumar hails from an incredibly talented family that consists of her father, Sivakumar and brothers, Karthi and Suriya and gorgeous sister-in-law, Jyothika. She has followed in their footsteps to be a part of the Tamil movie industry, but not on screen.
The talented lass will be a part of Gautham Karthik’s upcoming movie, Mr Chandramouli, as a singer! Brindha is set to sing the title track of the movie composed by Sam C S, with Vithya Damodharan’s lyrics.

Suriya was present at the audio launch of the film yesterday at Sathyam Cinemas in Chennai, to support his sister. In her speech, the crooner thanked the music director for the opportunity and for making her feel comfortable throughout the recordings.
The youngest of the Sivakumar siblings also thanked the Mr Chandramouli team for having her on board.

Mr Chandramouli will be released later this year and will feature Gautham Karthik and his father, Karthik alongside Regina Cassandra and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar.
We’d like to wish Brindha the very best on her foray into the Tamil movie industry!
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Filed Under Brindha Sivakumar


Malaysians Share Their Valentine’s Day Messages From Around The World

As we all know, yesterday wasn’t just any ordinary Sunday. It was Valentine’s Day where people celebrated their love and passion for their dear ones across the globe.
We hope you all had a great Valentine’s Day with your special ones.  However, while many are celebrating this day together, sadly, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic there are some souls who have been distanced.
Worse is for those who have been tested COVID-19 positive, they do not even get to meet their spouse or family member as they are quarantined. While for many others, the borders remain close and have yet to visit their respective families back in Malaysia.
There are people who are miles and oceans away, without meeting their family and friends.
Team Varnam got in touch with Malaysians living abroad who made the best Valentines that they could despite being far away from their loved ones and this is what they had to say.
Tlamaraty, Australia

I would like to send this message to my family and friends, it’s been a year, 1 month and 11 days away from all of you and even though technology brings us together nothing feels like being in person with someone you love to be around. I want to send this beautiful message on this beautiful day, to all those people that have brought memories in my life. Thank you soooo much and I’m so grateful for all the love and I miss you all.
Satish, France

Nothing would have felt so special then being around with the people you adore the most. But sadly, this Valentine we had to celebrate away from people we love but thanks to technology, we could at least connect through it but we really can’t wait to come back and meet our friends and family there.
Akanksha, India

No matter where each of us stand, together we can look upon the same sun, the same moon, and the same sky, so we are forever one family. COVID has taught us that, at the end of the day if we are alive and healthy we should be so grateful to god !
Having my parents and brother living 3500KM away, and not being able to go visit them for over a year has been the hardest thing of 2020 & 2021, but it has also taught me that love has no bounds, and the internet has been the biggest boon, being able to talk to them for hours together in a day. Well, this too shall pass.
Reading all those messages, you can only say one thing, love knows no bounds.
Even if they are far apart, it is really beautiful seeing how much love is treasured, perhaps that’s why they say love knows no distance and time. Even though it is difficult, they make things work. That’s the best thing about love.
Love is not always between two people who are in a relationship. Your family, your friends, your pet, your plants and whatever means so much to you bounds together because of love.
Picture credit: Behind the Mom Bun
If you have your dear ones just next to you, don’t hesitate to savour all the moments together because, especially at this time, you should be lucky to have them by your side. Let’s not just do this for one day, but celebrate your loved ones every day- like Valentine’s Day.
How did your Valentine’s Day go? Share your story with us in the comments section below.
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Filed Under Akankshacovid 19 valentinessathishTlamarathyvalentines 2021Valentines messages


You Can Now Register Your Children To Receive Their Jabs

In Malaysia, vaccination for children (PICKids) will commence on February 3rd, 2022. Parents and guardians can now use MySejahtera to register their children aged 5 to 12.
According to Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, the aim of this initiative is to vaccinate 70% of children aged five to 11 with the Pfizer vaccine within two months of the program’s launch in early February and to fully vaccinate 80% of children within six months.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Access Assurance Special Committee (JKJAV) has issued important notes about the COVID-19 vaccination programme for children.
Children aged between 5 to 12 years old are qualified for this vaccination programme
If you have kids around that age, you may now get your little ones vaccinated too.
2 doses that will be given is free
Each dose that will be administered is 10mcg/0.2ml which is one-third of what is given to adults.
The list of children who are eligible are as stated below:

School and pre-school students
Children under institutional care and protection
Vulnerable children (Orang Asli, children with disabilities, homeless, refugee and non-citizens)

Following are the steps on how you can register your little one for a vaccination appointment:
Image credit: JKJAV/facebook
Image credit: JKJAV/facebook
Image credit: JKJAV/facebook
Click HERE to visit JKJAV’s official page for updates.
Source: JKJAV/Bernama
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Filed Under covid-19Health Minister Khairy JamaluddinKids vaccinationVaccination


SP Bala Fights Covid-19 In ICU With Life Support!

Veteran singer SP Balasubrahmanyam got himself admitted in the hospital earlier this month, confirmed to be diagnosed with a COVID-19.
Currently, hospital officials have confirmed that he is put under the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to his the deteriorating health condition.

He is being treated in MGM healthcare where he has been receiving treatments for more than a week. The hospital officials have released a statement stating , “There has been a setback in the health of Thiru SP Balasubrahmanyam who had been admitted at MGM Healthcare for symptoms for Covid-19 since 5th August 2020. In a late night development on 13th August 2020, his condition had deteriorated and based on the advice of the expert medical team attending him, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and he is on life support and his condition remains critical.”

The nightingale of India, whom has sung over 40,000 songs for more than 5 decades is under serious health condition from this air-borne virus. Despite being 74 years old, he is still fighting strong and is very determined to beat this virus based on a video released by him earlier this month on 5th August on his Facebook handle.
The current Covid-19 cases in India has reached up to 2.46 million with 48,040 deaths! Other actors in the Tamil film industry that has also been reported to be in contact with the virus are the Bachans’s family and Actor Karunas.
We at Varnam wish SP Bala sir a speedy recovery and hope he gets well real soon! We are keeping you in our prayers sir!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news. Related:  Dr Vinod Balasubramaniam Receives 'UniteHealth's COVID-19 Influencers Award'
Filed Under coivd- 19 in Indiacovid-19critical conditionmgm healthcareSP Balasp bala in icusp bala in mgm healthcare


Nadigar Sangam’s New Committee

The South Indian Artistes’ Association, popularly known as the Nadigar Sangam, has set up a committee to safeguard the interests and protect the self-esteem of artistes.
“Yesterday, key members of the Nadigar Sangam met to discuss few issues, and have set up a special committee to safeguard and protect the self-respect, public life evaluation and self-esteem of artistes. While the powers, responsibilities and functions of the special committee are not clear yet, the members, it’s believed, will work towards empowering cine artistes.”
A member of the association said the internal committee would take up complaints.
The special committee came for a meeting to discuss about issues related to safety of artists.
Nadigar Sangam had announced that they would be forming a panel for the safety of artists in October 2018 due to the allegations of harassment against a few members of the Tamil film fraternity last year.
Steps will be taken to ensure the safety of theatre and cinema artistes as well as prevent gender-based harassment and ensure that they work in a safe environment.
Karthi, Suhasini Maniratnam, Rohini, Lalithakumari, Kitti, Poochi Murugan and lawyer Krishna Raveendran were among those who had attended the meeting.
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Filed Under KarthiNadigar SangamSuhasini ManiratnamTamil


Health DG: 147 Fled From Quarantine Centres

147 people have ran away from quarantine centres in Kuala Lumpur. The Health director-general, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said most of them were foreign workers from the construction sector.
Credits: BERNAMA (2020) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA
All of these people have been tested negative, but they are still required to be quarantined for 14 days. It was reported that seven foreigners ran away from a quarantine centre housed in an educational institution in Kuala Lumpur.

Their disappearance was noticed around 10am on Monday (May 4), after the doctors in charge made their rounds examining patients under quarantine.
Dr Noor Hisham added that the ministry has lodged a police report, and that police are taking action against those who ran away. He also explained that there was no problem with its standard operating procedure (SOP) in light of those running away.
“But what is sure is that these people are not positive, they are quarantined because they have been exposed to a positive case,” he said.
News Credit: The Star Malaysia
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Filed Under corona viruscovid-19Kuala LumpurMalaysia


The Backstory Of Enjoy Enjaami Song Fame; “Valliamma Perandi” Arivu

While most of us are still grooving to the 2 weeks old song, “Enjoy Enjaami”, some people have been wondering about the song’s deeper meaning as well as the lyrics, Arivu, also known as “Valliamma Peraandi” from the song.
He is a self-taught rapper who uses his music to call attention to the social oppression that exists in society. Despite his status as a musician, he is still known for his powerful lyrics that addresses social inequality.
He also wrote the enthralling lyric for “Maara’s theme” in Soorarai Pottru, in addition to “Vaathi Raidu” in Master.
According to THE HINDU, Arivu‘s story begins 200 years back when his family immigrated to Sri Lanka from India to work as tea estate labourers. After the Sirima-Shastri Pact, they returned to India 60 years ago. (When tens of thousands of Tamilians from Sri Lanka were repatriated to India.) His grandmother was unable to abandon her sisters. He has no idea whether they are alive or not.

Valliamma, who appears in the song’s lyrics and visuals, worked as a railway construction labourer and a domestic helper in Tamil Nadu while her husband worked menial jobs. The couple made certain that their daughter, Arivu‘s mother, received an education.
Arivu says;
Because of my mother’s decision to become a teacher, I was able to pursue my dream of becoming an artist. I owe it to her.
Arivu‘s family has always kept him from speaking out about their patriarchal past. “Our heritage isn’t one of bravery or pride. However, I recently wanted to start sharing it; our heritage is rife with exploitation and labour. My grandparents toiled away on the property they will never own. I decided to add a few tidbits from the past.”
‘Thottam sezhithalum en thonda nanaiyalaye’ (My garden flourishes but my throat remains dry) is a line from the song that refers to people who have sacrificed every bit of their life yet living in hardship.
“Oppari” and Arivu have a strong bond. He says, “I believe Oppari is my root.” Mukil Paranthaman’s collection contains the line “Anju maram valarthen.”
The late Paranthaman, also known as Paavalar Mukil and a member of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association, went from village to village gathering folk songs and publishing them as books. Arivu says that specific line was dedicated to him.
I have an important task ahead: to speak about land, about migration. I have written a song for a documentary titled Soru (Food) for Poovulagin Nanbargal. It’s called ‘Enga nilam enga’ (Where is our land?) And for Vellai Yaanai (an upcoming Tamil film by Subramaniam Siva), I’ve written a song titled ‘Vaazha vachone’ about a farmer forced to migrate. I am haunted by labour on land people can’t own, by their constant forced migrations.
He is now one of the founding members of the band “The Casteless Collective.” The band was founded in 2017 by musician Tenma with the help of filmmaker Pa. Ranjith’s “Neelam Panpaatu maiyam.”
It takes a lot of bravery and nobleness for him to stand up for causes that deserve the world’s support and change.
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Filed Under Arivu Enjoy EnjaamiEnjoy EnjaamiHIstory of Enjoy EnjaamiThe India Rapper


Dangal Review: Wrestling Is The Arena, Feminism Is The Subject

Dangal is available to stream on Netflix.
Dangal is not a film about wrestling, but about a man struggling to help his daughters break free from the shackles of society. Winning the gold medal for India in an International tournament is more than just a major sporting accomplishment. It is a symbol.
Before the finals, this father, Mahavir Singh Phogat (Aamir Khan), tells his eldest daughter, Geeta, “Winning the gold medal would be a victory for every girl who is considered inferior to boys; who is forced into household chores; who is married off just to raise children.”

https://youtu.be/x_7YlGv9u1gVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Dangal | Official Trailer | Aamir Khan | In Cinemas Dec 23, 2016 (https://youtu.be/x_7YlGv9u1g)

Mahavir Singh Phogat desperately wants to give birth to a boy. He believes his son would be able to achieve what he couldn’t during his days as an amateur wrestler – a gold medal for India in an international tournament. Unfortunately, Mahavir Singh’s firstborn is a female. And so the disappointed Mahavir goes around his village asking everyone, from temple priests to chatty old men, for tips on how to birth a male.
Some suggest special mantras, others tell him to control his urges and only have sex on Sundays. One lady even suggests feeding their cow sesame seeds. I’m surprised nobody told him to strip naked and do the Hokey Pokey. What’s interesting is the sudden shift in the score’s tone during this extended sequence, from soft and somber, to a comedic bounce. The director is poking fun at these ridiculous, baseless religious rituals.
Of course, these rituals don’t work – you can’t actually select the sex of your child, not without undergoing tedious medical procedures – and Mahavir and his wife give birth to another three girls. Mahavir loves his daughters very much, but there’s always a look of defeat plastered on his face. He knows that he has to let go of his dream.
That is until the day he receives complaints that his daughters, Geeta and Babita, have beaten up a couple of the neighbourhood boys. He apologises to his neighbour nonchalantly, but once they leave, his face lights up like a giant Christmas tree in the middle of Times Square (New York, not Jalan Imbi). This is where our story truly begins.
Source: The Indian Express
We know how this movie will end. It is based on a true story, after all. What’s exciting is the journey. Like how he’s willing to chop off his daughters’ hair against their will, as he feels it’s a distraction to their training. And how the entire neighbourhood treats the young girls, who are no more than 13 years old, like they’re pieces of meat, just because they’re running in shorts.
Many of the elderly men behave crudely towards these girls. During a local wrestling competition, one of the men laughs and says he hopes Geeta’s clothing tears. It’s disgusting. But it is an accurate reflection of our society.
It reminds me of the controversy surrounding Farah Ann a couple of years ago. In 2015, Farah Ann represented Malaysia in Gymnastics at the Singapore SEA Games, where she bagged six gold medals. But instead of hailing her as a national hero, many religious zealots (AKA dumb mafakas) went on to verbally bash Farah.
One cleric, who presumably has lower IQ points than a dead donkey said: “Gymnastics is not for Muslim women. It is clear that exposing one’s aurat and the shape of one’s body is haram.”
Yo dumbass! Just because you’re a sexist, horny, misogynistic piece of shit who can’t get a girlfriend to save your life, doesn’t mean women should dress a certain way. And if you want to be holier than thou, at the very least say the same thing to Sazali Samad, who regularly flexes his chiseled booty (which is awesome, btw) wearing nothing but a tiny G-string (also very awesome). #Nohomo
Source: Bollywood Hungama
What director and co-writer Nitesh Tiwari does really well, is not writing these characters and the situations they find themselves in, black and white. Geeta and Babita are not happy with their dad’s decisions. They cry and beg their father when he gives them a haircut and they feel uncomfortable wearing shorts (how can they feel comfortable, if everyone is staring at them?).
In school, their friends laugh at them. Mahavir doesn’t give them a choice, which begs the question: What if the girls WANT to be regular teenage girls, with long hair and makeup? But I guess you don’t really know what you want when you’re a child.
One of the most uncomfortable moments of the film takes place during a wedding, in which we see all the adults celebrating, with booze, laddu and a fantastic song to accompany the scene. What we also see, but none of the characters seem to care about, is the teenage bride, not more than 14 years old, looking as if her life has just ended. In a manner of speaking, it has.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMfvlh0tjyoVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Dangal – Title Track | Lyrical Video | Dangal | Aamir Khan | Pritam | Amitabh B | Daler Mehndi (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMfvlh0tjyo)

Recently, I praised the acting talents of young Jacob Tremblay – Room and Wonder. Here’s another child actor, who deserves an equal amount of praise. The first half of the film wouldn’t have been nearly as effective if it wasn’t for the tremendous range and charisma shown by Zaira Wasim, who plays young Geeta.
She, just like Tremblay understand the importance of subtlety; to know when to cry and when to hold back your tears. She’s incredible to watch. I can only imagine that it isn’t easy to direct child actors, which is why immense praise should be given to Nitesh Tiwari, as well. Zaira Wasim is even better in this year’s Secret Superstar, which I hope to review very soon.
Source: The Indian Express
The second half of the film focuses on a grown-up Geeta, this time portrayed wonderfully by Fatima Sana Shaikh, who is now a part of the National Sports Academy, training for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Here, Dangal continues to be about more than just wrestling.
Nitesh Tiwari takes the relationship between Geeta and Mahavir in interesting directions, exploring our protagonists’ egos. Mahavir is getting older, a shell of his former self. Ripped abs are replaced by a belly which clearly grew as he did. He’s not as strong as he was and it’s sad to see.
There is a powerful scene where Geeta calls home from the NSA. She hasn’t spoken to her dad in ages. There is a long pause. We look at Mahavir as he decides if he should pick up the phone. He does. He doesn’t say a word; his tears tell you everything you need to know. Watching that scene again yesterday made me wonder if Aamir Khan is the best actor working in India right now. Perhaps.
Source: The Financial Express
Dangal is the second film in what I’d like to call “The Aamir Khan Middle Finger to the Narrow-Minded Trilogy” (PK and Secret Superstar are the other two). Its biggest flaw – and it is a glaring, annoying flaw – happens during the climactic sequence, whereby an officer working at the stadium locks Mahavir up in a closet. It is, of course, an “evil scheme” by the “villainous” NSA women’s wrestling coach. What is this? Tom and Jerry? It is a ridiculous outlandish scene that sticks out like a sore thumb. Why is this B-movie, straight to DVD quality sequence in a film of this quality?
Hey you! Yes you, hot stuff. Like this article? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Also, don’t forget to share it with your buds.
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Filed Under Aamir KhanDangalNetflix


Hariharan’s KL Concert – A Missed Opportunity To Showcase A Maestro

When the organisers of ‘Uyire Uyire: Hariharan Live In Concert’ announced that Padhmashree Hariharan was returning to Malaysian shores after many years, fans rushed to purchase their tickets and cleared their Malaysia Day weekend of any existing plans to witness the maestro. I made sure the Hariharan playlist was playing in loop days before the show in anticipation for the concert.

But, was it the concert everyone had hoped for?
A Full House For Hariharan
Uyire Uyire: Hariharan Live In Concert was held on 14 September at the KL Plenary Hall. The crowd was very well managed and shown to their seats in an orderly manner. Venus Productions picked a brilliant venue for this concert as the KL Plenary Hall has been built to deliver acoustic perfection to its audience no matter which tier or seat you are in with its technologically-advanced audio visual, sound and lighting systems.

I had a good seat a few rows from the stage in the right corner of the hall, with a clear view of the stage. Unfortunately, no amount of brilliant acoustic engineering could have saved the evening from the unpreparedness and mismanagement of the sound system.
Bad, Bad Sound System
For a concert goer, there are only 3 things that matter: the singer, the music and the sound.
Unless you are at a rave, even visual and lighting effects are just added elements. During a concert, the sound technicians have the biggest responsibility of ensuring the singers, musicians and audience are in synchronicity and harmony. It was unclear who was to be blamed for the faulty sound system but the sight of sound technicians running on stage to fix microphones and mic packs were far from appeasing.

The singers were also clearly disturbed by the frequent technical mishaps that was happening. At one point, when the musicians started playing, singer Chinmayi had to interrupt the song and said that she was not receiving any feedback on her earpiece. She deliberately said, “If I can’t get my cue, I can’t sing this song”. The musicians were stopped halfway and had to restart the song after her earpiece was fixed.
In another episode, after a huge thud occured during ‘Telephone Manipol’ (most of us were actually confused and thought it was part of the EDM segment.. read on to know more), Hariharan jokingly said that he almost got a heart attack with the sound. Observing technicians running in and out of the stage, Hariharan said in much dismay, “So, this is what it has come down to.”

Chinmayi Sripada In All Her Glory
Chinamayi Sriprada is definitely a force to be reckoned with, especially with how she has been spearheading the #MeToo movement in the South Indian cinema industry. On that night, Chinmayi reminded us of her immense talent and the mellifluous vocals that brought magic to the silver screens.

Dressed in a blush and mint lehenga with soft curls, she was relaxed and jovial on stage. It almost felt like she drew up everyone’s energy and focus with her stage presence. When she sang the 2002 hit Kannathil Muthamatil, the crowd swayed in reminiscence and nostalgia to her pitch perfect rendition of the AR Rahman masterpiece. Chinmayi effortlessly complemented Hariharan for the duet numbers such as Kurukku Siruthavale and Malargale Malargale and delivered an impeccable rendition of K.S. Chitra and Mahalakshmi Iyer’s verses.

Naveen Kumar, The MacGyver Of Flutes
Everything about flutist Naveen Kumar had great vigour and panache; from his entrance, enthusiasm on stage and colourful outfits. The flutist’s segment was divided into two; one with him playing incredible tunes such as Ennavale Ennavale, Anjali and Vaseegara and the other segment, I would like to refer to as, the MacGyver of Flutes.

Naveen showed how everyday items such as a PVC pipe can be turned into a blow instrument and displayed many oddly shaped pipes and flutes that created a myriad of tones and sounds. The crowd was engrossed in the whole segment but the only problem was that it was already 10.20PM and very little of Hariharan was seen till then.
As people started anxiously checking the time and shifting in their seats, the emcee made a few weak attempts of ending the segment and moving the evening along but Naveen decided to stay put on stage.
MK, An Incredible Emcee With Misplaced Priorities
A chameleon of conversations. A wizard with words.

In more than one occasion, I have admired the warmth and linguistic breadth of MK as an emcee. MK was mostly entertaining and did very well at managing the thousands of people in the auditorium. It was clear that he had a following of his own as the crowd started chanting his name during an intermission and requested for him to sing a few songs.
MK was not spared from the reckoning of technical issues as his mic was turned off at the most awkward moments on stage. He tactfully managed the shortcomings of the show but unfortunately was a let down at moving the event along. As master of ceremony, I wish he had a stronger grip of the flow and transition between segments on stage. Perhaps, then, we would have seen more of Hariharan.
… And Suddenly It Was An EDM Concert!
At this point, I was so happy I didn’t bring my Patimma to the concert. I would have had to make sure her pacemaker was still working well.
In 1996, Hariharan revolutionised the way Indian music was heard as one of half of the Colonial Cousins. Hariharan and Lesle Lewis, as the Colonial Cousins, bagged a handful of awards for the album including the MTV Asia Viewer’s Choice Award and the US Billboard Viewer’s Choice Award.
Hariharan has always been experimental with music. The only problem with experiments is that, sometimes you fail at it, like this segment.
Hariharan introduced his son, Akhsay, in a special segment and humbly took centre stage to say that he hoped that the audience would give him their blessings as he just started his career in EDM. Unfortunately, it was apparent that Akshay did need lots more practice. Masterpieces like Telephone Mannipol and Romeo Aatam were butchered with tacky electro beats. The sound technicians were clearly underprepared for the vast difference in audio output and so all we heard was a rough bass exploding through the Plenary Hall speakers.

I had buried my face in my palms. Whyyyyyyy?
Hariharan or Hurry-Haran?
I remember choking on tears in the cinema when I watched the 1995 film Indra. It was not when Indra was asked to marry a random guy from the neighbouring village. Not even when Indra’s father was stabbed to death. I cried when Hariharan’s voice flowed out of the speakers in a gentle, defeated version of Nila Kaigiradhu.

When Hariharan opened the show with Nila Kaigiradhu, I knew that it was going to be a brilliant evening of tune and time. Hariharan performed his hits impeccably and his voice was no different than in the movies or stereos. His stage presence was both vibrant and ecstatic, as he broke into little dance moves and celebratory gestures throughout the playlist.

The auditorium was illuminated with swaying phone flashlight when Hariharan performed the 1999 Taalam hit, Kalai Maane. The crowd clapped and cheered on as he defied lung physiology by holding a note for over half a minute. The magnificence of his performance of Malargale Malargale moved the crowd to tears, as people sang along and were lost in the voice of this Ghazal extraordinaire.
As the evening unfolded, small mishaps turned into noticeable inconveniences. The poor time management gave Hariharan very little opportunity to be on stage. Two Malaysian movie trailers were played unnecessarily during the eleventh hour and you could see people sigh in frustration. It was almost 11PM and we had not heard some of his greatest hits such as Ay Hairathe*, Vaaji Vaaji and Thamizha Thamizha.
Hariharan ended the concert in a hurry to catch up with time by picking up tempo for Kurukku Siruthavale and ending the night with a performance of Uyire Uyire.
End Note
At the end of the show, I sunk in my seat, head hanging low and sighed in disappointment. This is NOT the Hariharan show I was looking forward to.
Hariharan, in all his eminence and lustre, needed more meticulous management and a commitment of perfection. It was a shame that an opportunity to showcase such incredible talents slipped through in the name of technical errors and time management. Perhaps in the future, things will look better. If there is one thing that is apparent in the Malaysian Tamil concert scene is that things get better with time and repetition.

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Artist Ruby Subramaniam Amplifies Malaysian Women’s Voices Through ANTIDOTE

This international Women’s Day, artist Ruby Subramaniam is celebrating women in an unconventional way. Ruby will be launching ANTIDOTE: Uncovering Skin and Soul, a powerful collection of photographs that embody her conversations with 30 Malaysian women from all backgrounds.
Artist Ruby Subramaniam. Image credit: Visithra Manikam
Ruby speaks to Varnam about ANTIDOTE, the project that she has been working on for the past year.
The stories of women translated into art on their bodies
“I’ve always been pushing for the voices of women to be heard,” Art just happens to be Ruby’s passion turned weapon to push for her cause.
ANTIDOTE is a virtual art exhibition that addresses global conversations on womanhood, in a localized Malaysian context, layered with societal demands, cultural beliefs and traditions. The project is a result of Ruby’s honest conversations with the 30 women. Their stories were translated into art, and their bodies, the canvas.

Supported by  INXO Arts Fund and the Krishen Jit ASTRO Fund, ANTIDOTE was performed and documented during Ruby’s month-long art residency with Rimbun Dahan.
“Painting on a woman’s body is a romantic idea of decay for me,” Ruby shares that painting on skin is not the same as painting on a canvas. “I am painting the woman’s story, she has her curves, her pigments, her unique skin tone, and her eyes. There’s always a deeper layer of emotion in her eyes.”
Many lives, many stories

Ruby’s project is truly inclusive and will include people who identify as women from marginalized communities, such as older women, differently abled women, transwomen and plus size women.
Each woman had her own story to tell. Some had grim experiences – abortion, domestic abuse, suicidal tendencies, eating disorders, even raw accounts of remembering being raped as a child. One participant anonymously spoke about how she found videos of herself in porn websites. She tells Ruby, “He recorded the video and published it. He did it without my consent. It is still being watched today, without my permission.”
ANTIDOTE is a way these women can share their stories and experiences. So that women looking at these pictures know that they are not alone. And this will hopefully spark conversations about dealing with these experiences.
A virtual art exhibition

ANTIDOTE will be a virtual art exhibition. “The website will be a home for all the stories, there will also be reactions to these stories, in the form of prose, poetry and music. It is going to be a host of artistic responses to the pictures,” the artist reveals. With the help of Barni Rajah, Ruby has laid out her art on the website for public viewing, beginning 8th March 2019.
Having quit her job as a digital marketeer to pursue art full time, Ruby opens up on why she was not keen on solely social media to promote ANTIDOTE, “We always host things on social media and it comes and goes so quickly! Putting everything on a website gives a level of seriousness to the message, and also collates everything to one place.”
As for a brick and mortar exhibition, Ruby tells us, “If i have an exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, I am only accessible to people in the city and its surroundings, and only for that week or two. With a website, it transcends the boundaries of time and geography,”
The female body as a canvas

“Two years ago as Thaipusam neared, a group of people threatened the female devotees with spray paint if their saree blouses were too revealing,” Ruby recalls.
We all remember this incident. What’s worse was the temple committee’s response. “The temple committee literally came up with some guidelines on which saree blouses can be worn for worship,” Ruby was bewildered by this reply. “The temple committee took these guys seriously, and began singing there we-are-trying-to-protect-you song!” Like most of the female temple devotees, Ruby was livid. “I figured, I might as well paint on these women, it will surely be prettier!”
Using the human body as a canvas is not a new concept. For this project however, it was the right medium. It is a daring statement from Malaysian women to reclaim their bodies from our society, owning them boldly.

“It is just about being observant of the issues that women face on a daily basis. Guys seem to get away with it easy,” Nevertheless, Ruby is aware that men suffer from body issues too, “Of course men go through it too. And if a male artist wants to work on a similar project featuring men, I’m all for that!”
Ruby tells us that this project was a team effort. “ANTIDOTE is not just my work. It is a culmination of a woman’s story that I have painted on her, her gaze into the camera, and the lens of the photographer taking the picture,” The project is truly layered, according to Ruby.
This collection of work has made possible thanks to BawahPokok’s founder, Mathubalan Gunasogaran. Accompanying her throughout the month, Mathu was responsible to take photographs and record the videos for documentation. He was there with his heart on his lenses and became Ruby’s pillar of strength when emotions got too heavy
A wake up call for the artist herself

ANTIDOTE was quite a journey for Ruby. “I was painting women every day for a month, and these were really long hours. I was only seeing women, and speaking to women. It came to a point where I had to have a reality check. Am I practicing and preaching the same thing?”
“It is easy to say that I am body positive, because those are just words. But how do you feel when you look into the mirror?” Ruby shares that ultimately, it was about finding a balance. “I realized that I am a lot more than my skin, but I still want to take care of my body, with movements that I actually enjoy. It’s not a punishing train of thought,”
The ripple effect of ANTIDOTE

“I explored the women’s responses and gathered wisdom to help each other to navigate and counteract this modern day problem. I believe this project on its own, is not able to capture all the challenges that women face and solve them.” But Ruby is optimistic about the ripple effect of ANTIDOTE. “It is humbly hoped that it will trigger more dialogues to find solutions, and attempt to reduce the gender gap.”
Ruby is currently working on a documentary, the next step for ANTIDOTE.
“There’s no deadline to the project,” Ruby shares, her voice tinged with excitement. “I would love to visit the rural villages of Sabah and Sarawak and talk to the women there.The stories and experiences of the mak ciks, the kakaks and the adiks there need to be heard too,”

On behalf of women from every corner of Malaysia, this writer thanks Ruby for letting the often shushed voices of women be heard through her art.
ANTIDOTE: Uncovering Skin and Soul launches today. Be sure to check it out at www.skinandsoul.art. All images are credits of Ruby Subramaniam and her team.
Keep up with Ruby’s art at her website, or on her social media handles.
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Yuvan Will Be Composing Music For Santhanam’s Dikkiloona!

Former Indian team cricket player, Harbhajan Singh was announced to have been roped in to play an important role in Santhanam’s upcoming science fiction film titled Dikkilona.
The makers of the film have also announced that Yuvan Shankar Raja has been roped in to compose music for the film.
Produced by KJR Studios, the shooting for the movie directed by Karthik Yogi is set to start in November and the movie will be ready to hit the screens on April 2020. The word dikkilona is a word that was found by hit comedy duo Goundamani and Senthil in the movie Gentleman. Santhanam will be playing a triple action role in this film and the script seems to be a challenging one.

And the second massive announcement for the day from Team #Dikkiloona 🔥 Little maestro @thisisysr #YuvanJoinsDikkiloona 🤩 It keeps getting bigger! Can’t wait for his magical music…@iamsanthanam @karthikyogitw @sinish_s @SoldiersFactory @Ezhumalaiyant @proyuvraaj pic.twitter.com/usMWCFU4j9
— KJR Studios (@kjr_studios) October 14, 2019

It is told that Santhanam will be seen playing the role of protagonist, antagonist and the comedian in the film but we will have to wait to see it all in the film.
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Filed Under DikkiloonaSanthanamTamilyuvanYuvan Shankar Raja


Vanizha Vasanthanathan, The Homegrown International Model

With changing times, inclusivity in beauty and fashion has been an agenda that is being shoved down the throat of capitalism globally. A homegrown talent who is actively campaigning towards more representation in the beauty and fashion industry is Vanizha Vasanthanathan.

Vanizha Vasanthanathan is an Odissi Dancer at the critically-acclaimed Sutra Dance Theatre under the tutelage of Padma Shri Datuk Ramli Ibrahim. She has travelled around the world to perform Odissi and has walked at so many international fashion shows. In 2018, Vanizha modelled for Farah Khan at her show in Halcyon Gallery, London and she was even featured on the spreads of Vogue magazine. She walked at Lakme Fashion Week, Beijing Fashion Week, China Fashion Week and the list continues. Her next ramp walk is for the Jakarta Fashion Week 2020 (JFW 2020).

Recently, Vanizha landed in an international beauty campaign for Sephora. She will be seen on SEPHORA advertisements in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, India, Thailand AND Philippines. In a heartfelt note on social media, Vanizha shares about the social importance of this milestone to rest of the community.
As an advocate of inclusivity, Vanizha also said that, every dark skinned person, regardless of gender should be proud of how they look and believes that it is about time for everyone to break barriers and stigmas.
WATCH Vanizha’s journey right here:

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Filed Under modelVanizha VasanthanathanWOMEN OF IMPACT 2019


Kalakka Povathu Yaaru – The Tamil Comedy Show Of The Year

Over 10,000 fans filled the halls of Stadium Malawati last weekend for the Tamil Comedy show of the year – Kalakka Povathu Yaaru. Outside the stadium, a 30 minutes crawl of motor vehicles lined up as more and more people arrived with their families and friends to the event.
KPY Hosts; Erode Mahesh, Priyanka & Thadi Balaji (L-R)
Kalakka Povathu Yaaru is one of Star Vijay TV’s highest rated shows where teams of comedians undergo various rounds and challenges to prove their talents as the best stand-up comedian.The show has been the building grounds for the career of popular South Indian cinema actor, Sivakarthikeyan. Sivakarthikeyan went from a struggling comic to a superstar almost overnight and this success has inspired many others to follow suit.
Kalakka Povathu Yaaru has filled homes with laughter and when the show announced its tour to Malaysia, fans jumped at the opportunity of seeing their favourite comedians live. We were lucky to get front seats to Kalakka Povathu Yaaru Live Tour in Malaysia and here is what we’ve got to say:
Arathangi Nisha – The Best Act of The Evening
The Season 5 runner up of Kalakka Povathu Yaaru is no stranger to Malaysian audience. Aranthangi Nisha has been to Malaysia a couple of times for different live events and we can see why she is a returning comedian. Nisha appeared on stage twice during the show and crowd went wild every time she appeared. She was dressed in bright hues but nothing was as bright as her vibrant personality.

Nisha teased the crowd and her co-stars relentlessly. In her second act, Nisha acted as a NRI or “foreign return” and faked a ridiculous accent that made people burst out in fits of laughter. Nisha who was recently seen on the big screens in Maari 2 was so entertaining and a delight to watch. She left the audience wanting more long after she finished her sets.
Mimicry & Slapstick Madness
Almost every other artist who performed on stage did voice mimicry, some better than others. After 3 Rajni, 2 Kamal & 5 Vadivelu voices, the audience were already shifting in their seats. The one that stood out the most was Naveen who mimicked Madhavan’s voice and the resemblance was uncanny.
Naveen from Kalakka Povathu Yaaru
Another performance that left the crowd in stitches was the one by Pugazhenthi and Nanjil Vijayan from Siricha Pochi Team. People even started laughing as they walked down the aisle to the centre stage dressed as women, with their chests up to their chins and waist-length wig. The dynamic duo were on fire with their jokes as they tried to diffuse a love triangle with their ‘husbands’. They even got physical in their fight with kicking, fist-fights and hair pulling (Disclaimer: No comedian was hurt in the staging of this performance). It was a feast for folks who enjoyed slapstick humour and all the madness that followed that.
Malaysian Celebrities Roasted Alive
At first, it was meant to be a Pattimandram – a form of debate between two teams on a given topic. The topic of the day was ‘Love Marriage vs Arranged Marriage’. The unsuspecting Malaysian team, comprising of Uthaya THR, Rabbit MAC, Mahen Vikadakavi, Puvanan, and Dharshamini Kesavan, were instead roasted mercilessly by the Kalakka Povathu Yaaru team.
Malaysian Team vs Kalakka Povathe Yaaru Team
For once, we saw Uthaya dumbfound and unable to respond to the quick rebuttal by their opposing team. Mahen Vikadakavi went completely off tangent and spoke about caste and social class, leaving audience members completely confused. When the Kalakka Povathu Yaaru team teased Mahen, he was lost as a deer in headlights. Rabbit MAC was received with roaring cheers from the fans but he retracted into a rabbit hole very quickly after the first counter by the Kalakka Povathu Yaaru team. The last speaker, Dharshamini, was the closest to presenting any sort of argument for the Pattimandram.
By the end of the session, we were certain it was NOT a Pattimandram in any way shape or form, just a live roasting session of Malaysian celebrities.
A Comedy Show For EVERYONE
If there is one thing that really captured our attention, it was the widespread demographics at the Kalakka Povathu Yaaru tour in Malaysia. There were little children, adults, college students and older folks enjoying the full 3.5 hours show with much delight. They howled in laughter and enjoyed each others’ company. While more and more shows are targeting specific groups of people, Kalakka Povathu Yaaru proves that there is still much need for family entertainment.
KPY anchor, Erode Mahesh, interacting with the crowd
We at Varnam My had an amazing journey as the official digital partner for Kalakka Povathu Yaaru Live in Malaysia and we can’t wait for them to return with more fun and laughter!
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Filed Under Aranthangi NishaKalakka Povathu Yaaru


Bhaagamathie Review: A Convoluted Mess With Some Fun Moments

G Ashok’s Bhaagamathie is another one of those LOUD, jump scares-filled, cliche horror movies you kinda hope people would stop making. And among the cliche nonsensical horror movies, this is quite frankly one of the worst in recent memory. Bhaagamathie is so NOT scary, that the hair at the back of your neck crawls back into your pores and takes a two-hour nap.
It’s the kind of trash where subtlety and proper character work are sacrificed for 257 jump scares accompanied by horror scores you can download of the copyright free section in the YouTube audio library — screeches, wails, you name it.
That is until everything flips on its head completely and you can’t help but smile.

Former IAS officer now convict, Sanchala (Anushka Shetty) is being taken in for interrogation by the CBI — they hope to uncover some deep dark secrets about her former politician boss, Minister Eshwar Prasad (Jayaram). But the interrogation isn’t a government sanctioned one and so Sanchala is transferred to a secret location. That secret location is, of course, the old, abandoned Bhaagamatie mansion.
The first two-thirds of this movie plays like a made in China version of Chandramukhi. We have a haunted mansion formerly owned by royalty. We have two groups of people, the comedians who’re scared shitless of ghosts, and the serious bunch who scoffs at the very idea of anything supernatural. There’s also a female lead who enters a room that she isn’t supposed to, uncovering giant sized portraits of a beautiful queen that used to live there. And then talks of possession, followed by talks of multiple personality disorder. It is beat for beat like Chandramukhi except not nearly as interesting.
Chandramukhi is entertaining from start to finish. It has interesting characters you care about, great comedic banter, intense moments of drama and an air of mystery that slowly creeps up on you. And of course, there’s also Jyothika, who delivers a performance so note-perfect, she steals the movie from Superstar Rajnikanth himself. She is electric!

Bhaagamathie, which now that I think about it, even sounds like Chandramukhi, is LOUD. Very loud. I know, the sound mixing in most Indian films are bad, to begin with. Their motto seems to be ‘the louder the better.’ But here, it is outright criminal. All you can do is sit back and endure your ears getting raped over and over and over again. While I was watching the movie, I heard a thud in the audience. I think that was the sound of an audiophile dropping dead.
The opening credits read story-screenplay-direction by G Ashok. I can’t help but wonder how long it took him to scribe this, seeing as a large chunk of the film is just Anushka wailing on top of her lungs. Anushka is believable as Bhaagamathie, but that has more to do with her presence than her performance. Unlike Jyothika, Anushka’s doesn’t show any range here. As Sanchala, she screams in fear, when she’s Bhaagamathie, it’s screams of anger. This isn’t her fault, but the writing and directing. Anushka, who has ample charisma, makes this character work to a degree.
Bhaagamathie would have been a terrible film, had it not been for the twist that happens towards the end of the movie. A twist that makes you realise that there is an interesting story being told here. But alas, that would be venturing into spoiler territory. For those who do not wish to read further, I can tell you this much: These twists and turns don’t make the movie great, or good, but they do make it much more entertaining. But despite the interesting story, the screenplay does not improve one bit.
From this point on, there will be spoilers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM8rMC3OwKoVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Bhaagamathie – Official Trailer | Anushka Shetty | Unni Mukundan | Ashok G | S S Thaman | 4K (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM8rMC3OwKo)

Not only is Bhaagamathie a Chandramukhi ripoff, it also heavily copies the ending of Bryan Singer’s modern day classic, The Usual Suspects. Some would argue that it’s ‘inspired by’, understandably so. To me, it’s nothing but a cheap knockoff. But heck, it’s a cheap knockoff that is fun.
Sanchala is admitted to a mental hospital for multiple personality disorder. Minister Eshwar Prasad visits her there. At first, he seems like a concerned father. But then, he pins her to the wall and says, “Are you lusting over me?” My initial thought was, F**k! This guy has been an asshole all along. Shit! Now he’s going to violate her. Only, we see Sanchala’s head slowly turn, and her look of sadness and confusion turns into a sly grin. Holy shit!
While this happens, we cut to the CBI officer who is jogging with her daughter. Something her daughter says makes everything click. She visits the Bhaagamthie mansion again and just like the officers do in The Usual Suspects, realises that Sanchala has been playing them all along. Sanchala was never possessed nor suffering from multiple personality disorder. She just made up random stories using information from words and books she found lying around the house.
It is a cool moment. Unfortunately, it is one that only lasts a couple of seconds. It would have been awesome, had Sanchala and Eshwar been the villains of this movie, with Sanchala murdering her activist husband and going to jail to run away with Eshwar, who has swindled millions of dollars. They cook up a plan to get Sanchala out of prison and then ride off into the sunset with all the money in the world.

Nope. G Ashok couldn’t resist throwing in another 40 different twists and turns that it stops being fun and turns into a jumbled up mess that makes less sense than a crackhead. As it turns out, Sanchala doubled crossed Eshwar, but not because she wants the money all for herself, but because she’s a noble person who has been plotting to expose his dark secrets to the world.
Her pretending to suffer from split personality disorder wasn’t to escape the clutches of the CBI officers nor to protect Eshwar, but to feed them the truth about the corrupt politician via cryptic speeches about Bhaagamathie. For whatever reason, the CBI officer is able to decode everything Sanchala previously said in a manner of seconds. Well, she did have the ‘stare at the ceiling while thinking’ look while the camera does a 360 around her. I guess that’s something. #SherlockWho?
This shit is so convoluted, that even the CBI officer asks her, “Why did you have to come up with something so elaborate? Why not just tell me during the interrogation?” Which makes sense, considering the entire investigation was about uncovering ESHWAR PRASAD’S SHADY BUSINESSES. To which Sanchala replies, “These days people would much rather listen to ghosts than humans.” Huh? What? Gosh, maybe you do belong in a mental asylum.
Hey you! Yes you, hot stuff. Like my article? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Also, don’t forget to share it with your buds.
You can check out my top 15 movies of 2017 here.
And if you’d like to talk to me (or send me hate messages), you can follow me on Twitter here: @dedpewlsays
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Filed Under AnushkaBhaagamathie


Madras High Court: Chinmayi Can Work In Tamil Films

Singer Chinmayi who was ousted from the Tamil Nadu Dubbing Union after she came forward with allegations of sexual harassment by lyricist Vairamuthu, has now been legally allowed to work in Tamil films by the Madras High Court.
When Chinmayi spearheaded the #metoo movement late last year, actor Radha Ravi, the president of the Dubbing Union terminated her membership, citing non payment of subscription fees for two years. This affected her livelihood, as she was one of the lead dubbing artists in Tamil Nadu, having just worked on the film 96.

Chinamyi took the issue to the court. In March, the Madras High Court issued an interim stay on her ban from the Tamil Nadu Dubbing Union. The court also asked the union, led by actor Radha Ravi, to respond to the order by March 25.
Yesterday, Chinmayi announced that the court has extended the stay on the ban on Chinmayi’s working in Tamil Films by the Dubbing Union. This means that she is legally allowed to work in Tamil films henceforth.

The Hon’ble Court has extended the stay on the ban on my working in Tamil Films by the Dubbing Union headed by Mr Radha Ravi.
?
— Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) April 24, 2019
Congratulatory messages and wishes have been pouring in to Chinmayi’s social media accounts from all over the world since the news broke.
There were a few wet blankets who questioned the singer on who will give her work after all that has transpired, to which Chinmayi candidly replies, “The Tamil Film Industry should!”

The Tamil Film Industry should, no? ? https://t.co/ChwVhzRgWL
— Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) April 24, 2019

Congratulations, Chinmayi!
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Filed Under #metoo96chinmayidubbing unionmadras high courtRadha Ravivairamuthu


Five Monotonous Habits You Should Begin Before Your 30s

Before we begin, why should we initiate these habits before we reach our 30s? According to a study, our brains mature in our late twenties than in our early thirties, better allowing people to make critical judgments closer to 30 than closer to 20. So, in order to have a proper 30s life, we should begin planning for it in our 20s. That’s why you’ll see a lot of articles and infographics with titles like “goals to achieve before 30” or “bucket list to complete before 30.”
What are boring or monotonous habits? Maybe those are habits you’ve always been urged to cultivate but haven’t because you find them monotonous. I mean, who wants to take a 2 liter bottle with them and drink it all day? Isn’t it boring and repetitive? Yes, but don’t you believe it’s the best way to stay hydrated?
So those are the kind of boring habits I want to bring up because, while most of them may sound like repetition, they are something we should establish sooner rather than later, and you will benefit from it. Without further ado, let us begin with the first habit on the list.
Picture credit: Steel supplement
Be active in the morning – simple stretching, yoga, walking or workout
Mornings appear to be hectic for many people these days. Most of us get up, brush our teeth, take a shower, dig through our closets to get ready for work, and then we leave without even eating breakfast. A rushed morning will not only impair your mood for the rest of the day, but it will also have a negative impact on your health. Studies have shown that simply exercising in the morning has numerous benefits such as improving metabolism, assisting with sleep patterns, and so on. Typically, starting your day early itself is often an excellent habit to develop.
Picture credit: Hospital and Healthcare management
Consuming enough water every day
Because we live in a country where it is humid almost all year, staying hydrated is one of the greatest methods to avoid minor health concerns such as dehydration, constipation, and dull skin. To track your water intake, have a regular water bottle with you at all times. If you’re drinking less, gradually increase your intake and try not to make it better by infusing lemon or other alternatives in your water.
Picture credit: USA Today
Getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night is essential.
I can’t emphasise this enough: most of us have terrible sleeping patterns, and we go through our days with little vitality. Anything, whether it is a human body or a mechanical device, requires adequate rest in order to function properly. If you don’t charge your phone enough and keep using it, it will eventually shut off, right? It also applies to your body. Allow it enough time to rest before it’s too late.
Picture credit: Fitpage
Avoiding as much fast food and junk food as possible
I know we can’t help but go to fast food places to catch up with our friends and family every now and then. However, try to keep it balanced because fast food is often low in nutrition. It contains a lot of sugar, salt, saturated and trans fats, and a lot of processed preservatives and additives. It is far worse than what is stated here. So, as much as possible, consume home-cooked meals.
Picture credit: Compleet Controller
Manage your funds and begin saving if you haven’t already.
This is for people who have begun working; please save up. Each month, set aside at least 20% of your income for savings. The 50/30/20 rule is a simple budgeting approach that can help you manage your money successfully, simply, and long-term. The general rule of thumb is to divide your monthly after-tax income into three spending categories: 50% for needs, 30% for wants, and 20% for savings or debt repayment. There are other budgeting methods to consider before deciding what is best for your finances.
Some of you may have previously seen a few of the habits outlined above, but it is very human to lose focus over time. So, take this as a reminder that these habits aren’t just for people in their twenties. Even if you are in your 30s, you may acquire these habits because nothing is too late to start until you start today.
Please let us know if you have any other habits you’d want to share with us. Happy Sunday folks!
Source: 1, 2, & 3
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RIP Sujith, A Two-Year-Old Kid Who Fell In A Borewell!

This is so devastating!
Sujith, a two-year-old child who was trapped in the abandoned borewell near Tiruchirapalli died. The officials said that the body of the kid was in a highly decomposed state.
Efforts to save the child was going on full-fledged for more than three days. Unfortunately, the long-lasted efforts to save Sujith from the borewell couldn’t save his life.

சுஜீத்தின் மரணம் மனதிற்கு மிகவும் வேதனையளிக்கிறது, அந்த குழந்தையின் ஆத்மா சாந்தியடையட்டும். சுஜீத்தின் பெற்றோருக்கு என்னுடைய ஆழ்ந்த அனுதாபங்கள்.
— Rajinikanth (@rajinikanth) October 29, 2019

Sujith and his family

It’s Really Heartbreaking To Hear The Horrible News About Sujith. Rest In Peace little Champ. You Will Always Be In Our Heart. #RIPSujith pic.twitter.com/HpcNqPcNoG
— LEO Movie (@LeoMovie2023) October 29, 2019

சிறுவன் சுஜித்தின் உலகில் நாம் அனைவருமே குற்றவாளிகள். 'இனி இப்படியொரு சம்பவம் நிகழக்கூடாது' என்பதற்கான அடையாளமாக  சுஜித்தின் மரணத்தை மனதில் ஏந்தி, அரசு தன் நடவடிக்கைகளைத் தீவிரப்படுத்த வேண்டும். நீ எங்கள் மனதில் வாழ்வாய் சுஜித், போய் வா. என் அஞ்சலிகள்.
— Udhay (@Udhaystalin) October 29, 2019

Sujith had fallen into the abandoned borewell while playing with friends. He had initially been stuck at about 10m (30ft) but then fell further into the 180m-deep abandoned well. “Special equipment” was used to retrieve the body from the well, and a team of doctors “took around 45 minutes to confirm his death and give a special report”.
“We found his body to be highly decomposed,” Tamil Nadu official J Radhakrishnan told reporters on Tuesday.
The body was sent to a government hospital for autopsy and then handed over to his parents, who buried him later in the morning. A borewell is a narrow shaft drilled into the ground to extract water. Heavy machinery had been used to try to dig a second hole parallel to the one the child fell into.
Condolences to his family and everyone grieving! Such tragic incidents should not occur again!
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Filed Under borewellsujithtamil nadu


Arya’s Brother All Set To Marry His College Sweetheart

We doubt we’ll ever be able to forget Arya’s reality TV show, Enga Veetu Mapillai.
The show ran, which is India’s version of The Bachelor, for over two months with all of us glued to the TV screen every night. However, the show had the most disappointing ending – Arya said he could not choose a bride from the Top 3 as he could bear hurting the girls.
https://varnam.my/2018/2300/arya-winner-enga-veetu-mapillaii/
The hunky actor still remains unmarried until now.
However, things are different with his younger brother. Several online sources report that Arya’s youngest brother Sathya is all set to marry his college sweetheart. Sathya will be getting married to Bhavana, and the wedding will take place in Chennai on the 22nd of June.
Congratulations, Sathya! But we’re still waiting to know who will Arya finally succumb to…
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news. Related:  Tamil Movies Releasing In Theatres This June 2023
Filed Under AryaEnga Veetu MapillaiSathya


Singaporean Sudesna Roy Chowdury Launches Translator Portal For Medical Teams Treating Migrant Workers

In light of the rising cases of Covid-19 among migrant workers in her country, Singaporean Sudesna Roy Chowdhury built doctors and nurses a website to help bridge the language gap. Most of the island nation’s migrant workers plagued by the virus hail from South Asia.
The graduate of National University of Singapore had been volunteering as a Bengali interpreter since the pandemic began. If she was not on the phone assisting doctors attending to Bangladeshi patients, she was helping medical facilities to translate sets of instructions into Bengali.
Her sister, an emergency doctor, would send voice messages of medical terms in Bengali for her colleagues. Even their parents were roped in as more translation requests came in.
There had to be a faster, easier way to communicate with these patients, Sudesna thought. “I wouldn’t wish for any doctor to say that patient care was compromised because of a communication error.”
Photo credits: Sudesna Roy Chowdhury
Sudesna’s two goals for the portal was for frontliners to be able to conduct the first consultation with a patient without needing an interpreter and for them to be able to contact an interpreter directly without a middle-man.
She spent two hours inputting the Bengali translations of relevant phrases and terms used in the emergency department – such as when checking on a patient’s travel history and symptoms – which her sister helped compile.
The Bengali font was made bigger so that patients would not have to squint. “The website had to be accessible on the phone and very easy to use,” she said.

Many Singaporeans and permanent residents who speak these languages have also reached out to help. As a result, the website is now being translated into seven other languages, says Sudesna, namely: Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Sinhalese, Malayalam, Malay and Mandarin.
Related:  Dr Vinod Balasubramaniam Receives 'UniteHealth's COVID-19 Influencers Award'Sudesna also hopes that more doctors would call up a volunteer interpreter to assist in follow-up consultations.
“It gives us the opportunity to ask about the patient’s concerns, as they might not share their needs readily with someone who speaks English,” Sudesna said.
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Filed Under covid-19Launches Life-Saving Translator PortalNUS Yong Loo Lin SchoolSudesna Roy Chowdhury


Malaysian Couple With A Toddler Found Dead From Apparent Suicide In Their West London Home

A mother, 36 and her three-year-old were reported to be dead “for some time” until their bodies were found in a flat in West London. The father, Kuha Raj Sithamparanathan, 42 was treated by paramedics for stab wounds but was pronounced dead at the scene after Metropolitan police officers forced entry into the house. The family of 3 were nowhere in sight nor heard off for more than two weeks, only to be discovered horrifically dead.
Officers found the dead body of 36-year-old Poorna Kaameshwari Sivaraj and her infant son Kailash Kuha Raj next to one another at their residence in Clayponds Road, Brentford, just before 1 am on Tuesday. Her husband, 42-year-old Kuha Raj Sithamparanathan, was also found dead at the scene with stabbed wounds.
Neighbors at Golden Mile House were indeed in shock following the deaths of the trio. A neighbour, Sheri Diba commented that the family was “very cool” and frequently saw them take their dog for a stroll.
I’ve always seen them in the elevator. They’ve been really helpful. They always greet others and are always seen walking together.
Diba, a mother of one, said she had been living in the building for seven years and described it as a “good neighbourhood,” but said she hadn’t seen the family for a number of months. She remarked the family of 3 were really nice and friendly, and this sudden news of their death really devastates her.
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding of Met’s Specialized Crime Command said, “As we’re in the early stages of this investigation, it seems that Poorna and Kailash had been dead for some time. Sadly, their family dog, a Cockapoo breed was also killed in the gruesome incident.
‘This is a murder case, and my team will work closely to ascertain the chain of events that led to the murder and death of Kuha Raj Sithamparanathan and family. Our initial enquiries have shown that Poorna and Kailash have not been seen or heard for some time, maybe since around September 21st.’ – Chief Inspector Simon Harding
The Directorate of Professional Standards reported to the Independent Office for Police Actions suspected that Kuha had injured himself after hearing the police breaking into the house, which sadly led to his death.
The couple have been married since 2015, but according to neighbours, they had been heard screaming at each other in recent months.
Suicide or Homicide?
Mental health issue is becoming really prevalent these days. If you find the need to talk to someone for having any discomfort in your mental well being, kindly contact the helplines that are ever available to help you through. When it reaches the peak of its state, you may never know how it spirals and the bad causes it leads too.
If you ever happen to know someone who is in any sort of abuse or their closed ones are going through issues with their mental health, kindly reach out to them and extend help. Don’t keep silent. Do not play the role of a mere spectator just because you are not in their shoes!
For help; reach out to the helplines listed below:-
Befrienders KL: 03- 7956 8145
Sisters in Islam: 011- 2370 1006 (Hotline/Whatsapp)
Women’s Aid Organisation: 03- 7956 3488
Sneham Malaysia: Emotional Support and Awareness For Suicide Prevention
1-800-22-5757
Women Centre For Change:
Penang- 011- 310 84001, 016- 428 7265
Sebarang Perai- 016- 439 0698, 016-4180 342
Whatsapp- 016- 4480 342
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Filed Under A motherfamily of 3 dead in residenceher three-year - old son and husband were reported to be deadKuha Raj Sithamparanathanmental healthPoorna Kaameshwari Sivarajsuicide or homicide


Andrea Jeremiah To Play The Lead In Vetrimaaran’s Film!

Andrea Jeremiah worked with the National Award-winning director Vetrimaaran in Vada Chennai and is all set to team up with him again.
Sources say that Vetrimaaran will be producing a film under his banner Grass Root Film Company and he has roped in Andrea Jeremiah and Lovelyn Chandrasekar, daughter of actor Viji Chandrasekar, to play the lead roles.

Both these actors are currently attending workshops to get to know their characters better and the shooting of the film is expected to begin after the coronavirus scare is down.
The filmmakers are expected to announce the cast and crew of this film in April.
Andrea is currently in Vijay starrer Master in which she plays a pivotal role. Vetrimaaran, on the other hand, is busy with the prep work of Vaadi Vaasal, for which he has roped in Suriya to play the lead role.
It has been reported that the film will be an adaptation of the novel with the same name penned by CS Chellappa. The director had acquired the rights in 2017 and is in the process of doing extensive research before taking it to the floors. As the title indicates, Vaadi Vaasal will be based on jallikattu, a popular sport in Tamil Nadu. GV Prakash has been roped in to compose tunes for this flick. Kalaipuli S Dhanu’s V Creations, which had produced Vetrimaaran’s last directorial Asuran, will be bankrolling Vaadi Vaasal.
Andrea also has Maaligai in which she will be seen playing the role of a cop for the first time in her career.  The upcoming Tamil horror-thriller is directed by Dil Sathya, a popular choreographer-turned-director. Interestingly, the film will also feature Andrea playing the role of a princess for a portion which is set in the past.
Related:  Top 10 Songs that Symbolises Thenisai Thendral Deva’s Music

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Filed Under Andrea Jeremiahkollywoodlovelyn chandrasekarTamilvetrimaaran


Vinsha Confinement Service Continues To Work Tirelessly Even During A Pandemic

Most pregnant women will not bother to hire a post natal professional because their mothers or grandmothers will be well trained in it, as they were in the days when our ancestors were all pros at handling things without the assistance of a medical helper.
Things have changed since, and we now have very few individuals at home who are knowledgeable about postnatal care. To put it another way, postnatal mothers and their newborns should be given a lot of attention in order to reduce the number of unintended outcomes. But worry not , services are now available for these new moms.

There are numerous confinement services, like Vinsha Confinement Service, which has received countless positive reviews even from those who had their first child experience with their service.
Vinsha Confinement Service is a registered confinement service centre that provides expert postnatal confinement services. Sharmeela, who is only 28 years old, founded Vinsha Confinement Service.
She began her career in confinement in 2019, after receiving her professional certification in postnatal care from the Selangor government.
“I thought this may be a major stepping stone for my profession and life, so I jumped right in.”
Sharmeela sought to kickstart her business and attract prospects by promoting it on Facebook and in communities where mothers socialise. Vinsha Confinement Service, on the other hand, had a significant increase in customers in just two weeks.
Sharmeela has a postnatal care certificate, as well as a breastfeeding peer counsellor course through the National Lactation Centre and a Wilmington Metropolitan University Diploma in Postnatal Care and Management.

Her business, on the other hand, did not cease to operate during the outbreak, albeit with some minor setbacks. Of course, it didn’t stop because postnatal care is extremely vital and will never dry up or fade because of the lockdown.
However, Sharmeela had to take extra caution because she is working with postpartum women as well as babies whose bodies will be weaker and sensitive to illness or the present virus.

So, with the support of her husband, she sent her only son to her mother-in-law to look after and manage this service.
“Neither of us would simply leave our house since we can’t take the risk of endangering our clients’ safety. Even if it cost a little extra, we would get food and other items online.”
Both husband and wife would not leave the house unless it was for work, and while performing their duties, they always make sure to follow the government’s SOPs.
They made note of their time by only taking on two consumers per day. However, because they are perceived to be those who provide confinement services, there are no issues or compounds received when they come across police roadblocks.

Even though it is more difficult to conduct their services during the pandemic, Vinsha Confinement Service did not raise their prices and maintains the same dedication towards their clients.
“There are ups and downs in our services as a result of the virus outbreak, but we are attempting to manage things as smoothly as possible.”
Visit Vinsha Confinement Centre’s social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook for more information. You may also call them at +60146489974.
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Filed Under confinement servicesMalaysia post natal centrepost natalVinsha confinement service


SOCSO’s New Wage Enforcement; With Maximum Monthly Salary Ceiling Limit Raised To RM 5K

A new wage ceiling has been enforced by the Human Resources Ministry through the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO effective 1 September 2022 for employees who earn RM4,000 to more than RM5,000 a month.
The contribution amount that applies to employees with salaries exceeding RM4,000 per month is stated in the Workers’ Social Security Act 1969 (Act 4) and the Act Employment Insurance System 2017 (Act 800).
As per the Press Statement, the benefits that employees can appreciate are such as Temporary Disability Benefit (FHUS), Permanent Disability Benefit (FHUK), Dependent’s Benefit (FOT), disability pension as well as pension in case of death for surviving nominee under Act 4 as well as Jobseeker’s Allowance (EMP), Reduced Income Allowance (EPB) and Early Reemployment Allowance (EBSA) under Act 800.
The Rate of Contribution from the employer and employees summing up to the total contribution for different wages can be found at the link HERE.
Rate of Contribution for Employees’ Social Security Act 1969 (Act 4)

Rate of Contribution Employment Insurance System (Act 800)

According to SOCSO’s Chief Executive Dato’ Sri Dr. Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed, this initiative will enhance SOCSO’s social security coverage by increasing the existing interest payment rate up to 25.3%.
For employees with salaries exceeding RM5,000 per month, the contribution amount is subject to the wage ceiling of RM5,000. Accordingly, the contribution payment for the month of September 2022 and the subsequent months shall be made by the employer according to the new wage ceiling.
Image Credit: Borneo Post
“Starting this September, the contribution amount that will apply to employees with a salary exceeding RM4,000 per month is as stated in the Third Schedule, Act 4 and the Second Schedule, Act 800.”
The contribution amount will be determined by the salary ceiling limit of RM5,000 for employees whose monthly salaries are more than that amount, he said in a statement on Wednesday (Aug 31).
It is Socso to enforce a new salary ceiling limit that there will be 1.5 million employees, both foreign and local, which is 19% of all SOCSO contributors, involved in the following salary ceiling increase. Since the establishment in 1971, the salary ceiling has been increased five times to date.
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Filed Under Dato’ Sri Dr. Mohammed AzmanperkesoSocial Security OrganisationSOCSO