Nelson Venkatesan’s previous outing was a well-made family entertainer called ‘Monster,’ starring a typically cartoonish SJ Suryah as a man haunted by a mouse. The film is innocent fun, which are two words I would not use to describe his most recent work ‘Farhana.’ Venkatesan completely shifts gears, to deliver a solidly thought-out thriller. It impressively weaves through themes of masks, desires and self-control.
Venkat Prabhu’s latest cinematic offering arrives not too soon after his best work with 2021’s ‘Maanaadu’ and last year’s middlingly received ‘Manmadha Leelai.’ ‘Custody’ is a bilingual venture, featuring names from both the Tamil and Telugu film industry, including lead Naga Chaitanya. Despite a cult following for his films, Prabhu’s filmography has been spotty at best - ‘Mankatha’ seemed like a fluke until ‘Maanaadu.’ With ‘Custody,’ Prabhu has slipped back into cruise control.
Seven months after the release of the first instalment of ‘Ponniyin Selvan,’ the conclusion of the two-part film hits screens worldwide.
The Divisional Secretariat of Karaithuraipattu organised an Iftar event on 18th April for the Muslim community of the area to break their fast. Muslim residents and others locals participated in the event. During Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims worldwide commemorate the first revelation of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him, by fasting from sunrise to sunset, prayer, reflection, and community. The first revelation is an event described in Islamic tradition, in which angel Jibril visits the prophet and reveals to him what would later become the Qu’ran. The Iftar...
Despite the second year of the economic crisis, Tamils in the North-East celebrated the first day of the Tamil Puthandu, the New Year, on the first day of the Tamil calendar, which falls on 14th April. Puthandu being the equivalent of the Spring equinox is celebrated by many cultures in South Asia and South-East Asia and by the diaspora communities from these cultures. The Tamil solar calendar developed during the Chola empire, from the 9th to the 13th centuries, was part of a method used to mathematically compute the age of the earth using astronomical data. This calendar has been referenced...
On 2nd April 2023, the inaugural inter-university Tamil society athletics competition was set up and held by Queen Mary’s Tamil society, Bart’s Tamil Society and ES sports. Universities from across the UK competed to be crowned the TSOC Olympic Champions by participating in multiple field, track and mixed events. The team of organisers aimed to promote inclusivity across the Tamil community by including both male and female participants from each university competing in every event. The competition also included a TSOC All-Star football match that involved a team of players hailing from...
Note: there are some cuts made to the theatrical release of 'Soppana Sundari' in the UK to suit the family audience. The name for SG Charles’s film ‘Soppana Sundari’ hails from the 1989 film ‘Karakattakkaran,’ a film with a densely packed and iconic comedy track. Borrowing its title from a titan of Tamil comedy, ‘Soppana Sundari’ has a sizeable reputation to live up to. Unfortunately, the film flounders. We follow Agalya, played by Aishwarya Rajesh, the winner of a brand new car from a prize draw. Her family, composed of her mute older sister, stroke afflicted father and naive mother, rejoice...
On Easter Sunday, Tamil youths in Mullaitivu organized a boat race and other festivities to celebrate the occasion. The boat race was divided into two categories, with 25 horsepower boats and 40 horsepower boats competing. The festivities continued into the evening of 9th April and were open to participants of all ages, from children to the elderly.
A grand midnight mass was held at the St. Sebastian Cathedral in Mannar to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. The service was a joint service that combined the congregations of many parishes in Mannar and was led by Right Reverend Dr. Fidelis Lionel Emmanuel Fernando and other priests from neighbouring churches. Security for the service was provided by the Police and the Army, following the Easter Bombings, in 2019.
TW: distressing scenes Since his debut with 2007’s ‘Polladhavan,’ Vetrimaaran has been steadily improving his filmic craft, which cannot be said about many of his peers. His films place equal importance to maintaining artistic integrity and showcasing social injustices, resulting in some of the best films of the 21st century. His latest film, ‘Viduthalai,’ continues the director’s impressive streak. Viduthalai is the first half of a two-part film. The film depicts the frictions between a revolutionary group called the ‘People’s Army,’ led by Vijay Sethupathi’s Vaathiyar Perumal, against the...