Culture & Community

Culture & Community

Latest news from and about the homeland

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The annual Mahotsavam, or grand festival, of the historic Thiruketheeswaram temple in Mannar concluded last month with the Theertham ceremony, drawing thousands of devotees to one of the most ancient sites of Tamil Saivism on the island. Thiruketheeswaram is revered as one of the five Pancha Ishwarams, the ancient coastal temples dedicated to Lord Shiva that ring the island, and it is among…

Vettaiyan - Predictable police procedural

TJ Gnanavel’s previous feature film, Surya starrer ‘Jai Bhim’ was received with widespread acclaim, causing a movement to submit the film as India’s official selection for the Academy Award for Best International Feature. The film did not work for me, however, and the entire movement felt like an extreme overreaction for a mediocre film - an issue which plagues the Tamil film industry, where the ‘message’ of a film often trumps the quality of it.

Eelam Tamil receives prestigious Danish National Award in Education

Vashanth Selvadurai, an Eelam Tamil who fled to Denmark during the armed conflict was honored with the Danish National Award in Education, marking the first time a Tamil individual has received this prestigious recognition.

Meiyazhagan - Truly beautiful

C. Prem Kumar’s debut feature film entered the pantheon of the greatest romantic dramas produced by the Tamil film industry; 2018’s ‘96’ starring Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha is a delicate film told by a first-time director with an assured and gentle tone.

Chitra Soundar brings Tamil representation to the BBC with 'Nikhil & Jay'

The BBC recently announced the voice cast for the upcoming CBeebies animated sitcom ‘Nikhil & Jay’, a series that spotlights the adventures of two dual-heritage British Tamil brothers.

The sitcom is based on a series of young chapter books by Chennai Tamil author and storyteller Chitra Soundar, who told the Tamil Guardian in an interview, that "the show is going to be funny, culturally authentic, and showcase a really lovely blend of British and Tamil culture!"

 

 

 

 

Italian Tamil smashes world record three times to take gold at Paralympics

Paralympic athlete Rigivan Ganeshamoorthy won gold in Paris on Sunday evening, in an unforgettable night where he smashed the world record for the F52 discus throw three times on his way to victory.

Paralympic athlete Rigivan Ganeshamoorthy won gold in Paris on Sunday evening, in an unforgettable night where he smashed the world record for the F52 discus throw three times on his way to victory.

Vaazhai - The childhood of a king

In six years, Mari Selvaraj has established himself as one of the foremost voices in the Tamil film industry. Since his debut with 2018’s ‘Pariyerum Perumal,’ he has released a string of films which have been both politically and emotionally charged. His fantastic symbolic use of animals in his films are what come to mind first when looking back on his filmography, paired with beautiful cinematography. His latest feature is ‘Vaazhai,’ presented by the director as a semi-autobiographical slice of his life. 

 

 

Sid Sriram talks Eelam Tamils, A R Rahman and embracing his identity

Ahead of his headline London show in October, musician Sid Sriram sat down to speak with the Tamil Guardian about how he grew to embrace his identity, recall midnight recording sessions with A R Rahman and his deep love for the Eelam Tamil community worldwide.

 

9-year-old Tamil schoolgirl becomes England's youngest national player

Bodhana Sivanandan, a 9-year-old Tamil from Harrow, north-west London, has been named as a player in the England Women's Team at the Chess Olympiad this year.