Culture & Community

Culture & Community

Latest news from and about the homeland

Following his recent hit, 2023’s ‘Mark Antony,’ Adhik Ravichandran returns to the screen having teamed up with his idol Ajith Kumar for ‘Good Bad Ugly.’ Fanboy cinema has yielded interesting results for the industry recently: Karthik Subbaraj collaborated with Rajinikanth for 2019’s ‘Petta’ and Lokesh Kanagaraj worked with his idol Kamal Haasan for 2022’s ‘Vikram.’ These films are primarily…

Bridgerton star’s ‘dream production’ would be on Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka

British Tamil actress Charithra Chandran, one of the breakout stars of the hit Netflix show Bridgerton, told Teen Vogue that her “dream production” would be on the Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka, as she spoke on colourism and culture this week.

Speaking to Versha Sharma, the 25-year-old Oxford graduate brought up the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka when speaking about her dream projects and future roles.

“My dream production, whether I’m producing or starring in it, I’d love to make a film about the crisis in Sri Lanka with the Tamil population,” said Chandran. “I think it is so complex and nuanced: the situation with the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government, the genocide that happened. It’s something obviously near and dear to my heart because it’s my community.”

Breaking the Bias' - Canadian Tamil Congress celebrates International Women's Day 

Sahithya Rajith's performance on the Veena

The Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) marked International Women's Day by hosting a virtual event discussing "gender equality and breaking the bias for a successful tomorrow" and showcasing several talented Canadian Tamil women. 

The Facebook live event included a keynote speech from Canada's Minister of National Defence, honourable Anita Anand, several dance and singing performances, and a guided discussion between four accomplished Tamil Canadian women.

Handball tournament held in Denmark in memory of Anton Balasingham

A handball tournament was held in Vejle, Denmark over the weekend in memory of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)'s chief negotiator and political strategist, Anton Balasingham.

The tournament commenced with the lighting of a candle and a floral tribute in honour of Anton Balasingham.

Royal Borough of Kingston celebrates Tamil heritage month and twinning with Jaffna

The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames has unveiled a plaque commemorating the twinning with Jaffna in celebrations held to mark Tamil heritage month in London. 

‘Eelamplay’ - Special Eelam Tamil streaming platform to be launched

A subscription-based streaming platform tailored towards Eelam Tamils is set to be launched in January 2022. A venture devoted to the portrayal of the Eelam Tamil homeland on screen, Eelamplay will feature nearly fifty short films, full-length movies and documentaries that have been made so far on Eelam Tamils, right from its launch. 

Indian consulate partake in opening of 'Karthikai Vaasam' flower garden

The Tamil National Green Organization (TNGO) opened 'Karthika Vaasam' flower garden at Nallur Kittu Park in Jaffna on Saturday, as karthigaipoo flowers were pinned on participants including the Indian Deputy High Commissioner, ahead of Northern Tree Planting Month.

‘A revolutionary night!’ – London’s Tamil Comedy Club breaks barriers

This month saw the launch of Britain’s first ever Tamil Comedy Club, in a jam-packed event with a diverse range of comics tackling politics, sex and life in the diaspora in front of a sold-out audience.

The Tamil Comedy Club, hosted by Sunthar V, was envisaged to be a space that was inclusive to Tamils from around the world and all walks of life, breaking barriers that had been longstanding in the Tamil community and the world of comedy.

Learning is lifelong' - 87-year-old Tamil graduate speaks of her journey through university

"Learning is a lifelong journey," said Varathaledchumy Shanmuganathan, who earned the distinction of becoming one of the oldest women to obtain a graduate degree from a Canadian university at 87 years old, in an interview with the Tamil Guardian this week.

Born in Jaffna and affectionately known as Varatha, Shanmuganathan has lived in and taught in four continents before immigrating to Canada in 2004. While at York University, she chose to focus her studies on non-violence for national peacebuilding and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

“I Have Had So Many People Connecting To Me” — Reflecting On Media Attention

Tamil Canadians donate over 18,000 lbs of food in Thiyagi Thileepan Food Drive

In collaboration with several other Tamil Canadian organizations, the Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action (TCCCA) donated 18,792lbs of food in their second annual Thiyagi Thileepan Food Drive. 

Eelam Tamil music artiste Varna Rameswaran passes away

Renowned Tamil Eelam playback singer and musician Rameswaran Varnakulasingam (popularly known as ‘Varna Rameswaran’) passed away in Canada last month, after contracting COVID-19.

Varna passed away on 25th September 2021, at the age of 52.