SUNDAY 8 27 JANUARY 2019 newstodaynet.com newstodaydaily ntchennai CHENNAI | R CHITRA | when we arrived. People, sitting on the the Pancharatna Kritis (the soft sand spread on the ground, were fi ve gems of Thyagaraja kri- ot all the years of watching Thyagaraja Aradhana on busy taking selfi es and videos with their tis), as many raiskas could TV prepared us for the sheer grandeur and mesmeris- N phone. be found singing along. A ing atmosphere at Thiruvaiyaru on Pushya Bahula THIRUVAIYARU Another surprise element was that I had Tamil daily had specially Panchami, the day the saint-composer attained samadhi. expected to be surrounded by Carnatic published and distributed a The festival pandal, set up as usual in front of Thya- music afi cionados from Tamilnadu. But I booklet containing the fi ve garaja’s samadhi this year, as always, was fi lled to found many groups talking animatedly in kritis. capacity not just with the scores of Carnatic musicians Telugu; another family was speaking in Using this booklet, but also rasikas. The audience spilled on to outside the Kannada; then came many Malayalees. many joined the chorus, pandal and were standing 10-deep in some never mind that they were spots. I was hoping nobody would see my jaw drop. pushed and pulled in the THYAGARAJA Attending the Thyagaraja Aradhana I have come from Chennai and this relative of mine has come from Banga- crowd outside the pandal this year was the fulfi lment of a long- or that they could barely time wish. Apart from the electrify- lore for the Aradhana, said one of the rasikas I struck up a conversation with keep their balance in the ing atmosphere, it was the village rush. fair-like (thiruvizha) atmosphere at the pandal. I found a small group that attracted our attention. A And then it dawned on me: They sitting on the side of the Jagadeeswari school-going resident of Thiruvai- were all united by their devotion samadhi (which had its and her yaru, Jagadeeswari, had drawn a to the great saint, Thyagaraja. ARADHANA collapsible gate shut) and Thyagaraja kolam beautiful portrait of Thyagaraja And why was it that he was singing along. They did not in place of a kolam in front of special that he drew people have a view of the Thyaga- ness, ‘Keep the kritis her house. That was the kind in droves to the Aradhana raja idol or the singers in booklet safe. We will of attachment the localshave to festival? His songs were not the middle. Yet, they sang use it next year.’ the festival. just music but they were liber- with gusto. Apparently, one Though we thought we were ally coated with his bhakti At the end of the rendering, year is not enough to early birds at the Aradhana towards Lord Rama. IS FOR THE SOUL This was further impressed one of the male members of pay your tribute to pandal, we were shocked to fi nd the group said in all earnest- the saint-composer. that it was already overfl owing on me during the rendering of Vijay Sethupathi, Taking‘MEHANDI thappu CIRCUS & HAS Soori in poetry to all Vijay Chander’s next | NT Bureau | FREE-SPIRITED MUSIC’ aalu and Sketch fame director Vijay Chander is all Vset to begin shoot for his next movie starring Vijay Sethupathi. It will be bankrolled by legendary Vijaya Pro- | NT Bureau | ductions. Much recently, the fi lmmaker roped in Soori to play the comedian in the fi lm. Search is on the rest of the ehandi Circus is the maiden venture of cast and crew. Mdirector Saravanan. The audio of the movie Thambi Ramiah Meanwhile Vijay Sethupathi is busy shooting for Mama- was launched recentiy in which veterans Bhag- nidhan, directed by Seenu Ramaswami. yaraj Sivakumar, directorsturns Lenin musicBharathi, Vijay Sethupathi’s next release is Super Deluxe in which Mari Selvaraj, Raju Murugan, Karu Palaniya- composer he plays a transwoman. He also has Sindhubaath and ppan, Ezhil, singer-actor Vijay Yesudas, music Ramya Telugu fi lm Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy in the pipeline. director Sean Roldan, producers SR Prabhu among others took part. Suriya’s NGK Mehandi Circus has music by Sean Roldan. Speaking on the occasion, he said, ‘I had a great & a time with director Saravanan as he gave me the liberty to do a free-spirited music.’ teaser from V-Day ‘I am big fan of Bhagyaraj. Whenever I feel | NT Bureau | stressed, I used to watch Bhagyaraj sir’s Indru song Poi Nalai Vaa. I must have seen that movie he much-awaited teaser of Suriya starrer NGK, directed nearly 200 times,’ he added. Tby Selvaraghavan, will be out 14 February (Valentine’s On his part. Bhagyaraj said, ‘This movie seems Day). Produced by SR Prabhu’s Dream Warrior Pictures, the to be a musical love story. I am happy that peo- movie has music by Yuvan Shankar Raja. A political drama, ple are now doing fi lms in different genres in the movie features Suriya as a rebel politician named Nanda their fi rst venture itself. It’s really welcoming Gopalan Kumaran. Sai Pallavi, Rakul Preet Singh and Jaga- trend.’ This fi lm is produced by Studio Green. pathi Babu are also in the cast. Sivakumar Vijayan of Irudhi Madhampatty Rangaraj, who is from Coim- Suttru fame cranks the camera. batore makes his acting debut with the fi lm, Suriya is currently busy with K V Anand’s Kaappaan. while Masaan fame actress Shweta Tripathi He will begin shoot for Sudha Kongara fi lm. The big news is the heroine. Raju Murugan has penned the is that close on heels of that Suriya will join hands with dialogues. director Hari again soon. Vishnu Vishal | NT Bureau | ctor Vishnu Vishal is sharing SAMANTHA Athe screen with Rana Dag- gubati for Kaadan, directed by injured during Prabhu Solomon. TO ACT IN 96 Gemini,The latest is Gemini...that Vishnu on Gavani, Gavani... Thursday suffered injuries REMAKE shoot while performing a stunt | NT Bureau | scene. The actor took to Twitter he blockbuster Tamil movie and wrote, ‘Who T96 will be remade in Telugu. said our lives r And playing the lead roles are easy always... Sharwanand and Samantha. To stunts can do be directed by Premkumar, who ‘I was not just a anything. Neck, made the original, the Telugu ver- spinal chord n sion would be bankrolled by Dil fan, but a friend shoulder inju- Raju. Premkumar has made many and also a brother ry... cant wait to changes to the Tamil script of 96 get back out of to suit the nativity and the taste of to him. A brother this excruciat- the Telugu audiences. Remember with whom Gemini ing pain. Always the Tamil version featured Vijay respect n keep Sethupathi and Trisha in the lead anna never the stuntmen in roles. They played Ram and Jaanu, hesitated to share heart n prayers.’ a lover couple in school, who end Vishnu Vishal up meeting in their reunion after even his personal has suffered a two decades. Music was by Govind life incidents’ nerve compres- Vasantha. sion and inju- Shooting for the Telugu movie ries in his spinal would begin this March. chord. Published by T.R.Jawahar on behalf of News Today Media Private Limited., from 85, Mount Road (G.S.T Road), Guindy, Chennai 600 032 and Printed by him at Frontline Printers Private Limited, M-7, Thiru-Vi-Ka Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai 600 032. Editor: T.R.Jawahar. Tel: (044) 22504000 E Mail: [email protected]. Website: www.newstodaynet.com.