Rags to riches

 I always have been a great admirer of  Avant Garde Film maker Manirathnam. Right from his vintage "Mouna raagangal" & "Nayakan"  -which have been my all time favourites -which I never tire of watching time and again. Later day Manirathnam movies, of course, carry a a severe dose of commercial cinema compelled compromises, which do leave a slight bad after taste. You stop cherishing those films like you did with the first two mentioned. But , at any given time ,they are ,by far ,better several times over  than the run of the mill kind which gets turned out by Kollywood. Given a choice, the former will be an automatic preference. Mani, like Steven Spielberg rides on his meticulously assembled team- Cinematographer P.C.Sriram, A.R.Rahman (or Ilayaraja before Rahman replaced him as  the permanent accompaniment for Mani),Art Director Thota Tharani- No wonder, Masters in their own craft. Mani is like Mahi Dhoni -calm, cool, low visibility except on the field, hig...

 In our primary school days, in small towns, the only means of public transportation between home and bus station or railway station was the 'Jutka.' An horse drawn carriage, which can accommodate around five persons including driver.  Invariably, two persons used to  be sitting at the rear, with legs freely hanging outside the hooded body of the Jutka, with access to fresh air and a good receding view of the roadside.One or Two will have to compress themselves inside with no view whatsoever. In the front ,one passenger can be accommodated, sitting alongside the Jutka owner driver, though a little squeezed. The rear side was always for adults both for safety and male hierarchical reasons. The middle  claustrophobic space was for ladies, who used to sport a lot of jewellery,usually on outstation trips. But for children, the front seat next to driver was always coveted.  Apart from an avant garde view,  and fresh air,  you felt very important.Sometimes, ...