Pinned Tweet
#SJanaki's voice is as sweet as nectar from golden flowers, collected by golden bees and stored in the golden hive. Love. Love. Love. ❤️
I dont understand a word in this song, but the melody and the Queen's voice is just to die for ❤️ youtu.be/b8pOaK9VUBI
Ananth retweeted
Hindi has:
Streeling
Purushling
Napunsakaling
Meanwhile in Tamil:
Appadilam onnum illeeng.
Ananth retweeted
Based on the request from passengers, Chennai Metro Rail has changed the train timings. From 23 Oct, in Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch, train services have been advanced and will start at 6 am. The last train service remains unchanged and it will be at 9 pm @THChennai
Ananth retweeted
Due to Rain Schools in Tiruvallur District are declared with holiday today (21.10.2026)
- District Collector , Tiruvallur
Ananth retweeted
அபூர்வ சகோதரர்கள் லோக்கல் டிவில ஓடிட்டு இருக்கு !!
இந்த FB POST தான் ஞாபகத்துக்கு வருது.. Writing stage laயே fix பண்றதுதான்ல இதெல்லாம்👌🙌🏼
Ananth retweeted
It's interesting that two popular eateries in Chennai have Carnatic musical connections to their names.
Sangeetha was named as a hat-tip to the owner's fandom to the music of MS & KJ Yesudas.
Vasantha Bhavan got its name b'cos its founder was a fan of NC Vasanthakokilam.
Ananth retweeted
The new L shaped skywalk which links the phase I and phase II networks of the Vadapalani Metro Rail station @THChennai #Chennai #Metro
Ananth retweeted
Unlike phase I wherein trains are operated from 5 am till midnight, in phase II train services will be operated only from 7 am to 9 pm. Sources said, this is because construction of the balance stations between Porur and Vadapalani have to be finished at night.
UPDATE: Chennai Metro Rail to start train services on Oct 11 from Poonamallee to Vadapalani from 4 pm till 9 pm. From 12 Oct, the train timings are 7 am to 9 pm. Peak hour frequency is 10 min and non peak hour 15 min @THChennai @the_hindu
23 years ago --Thatha got this book, and it was the first Jeffery Archer book I read. Later went on to read many more of Jeffery Archer books and loved reading them too!
Thanks to both for lovely memories. 🩷
Singeetham Srinivasa Rao and Dr. Rajkumar family: A lasting bond - The Hindu share.google/nC98HwDex6mJys8…
Ananth retweeted
Need to share an incident related to MMKR.
My maternal uncle [Sodara Maava (K) / Taayi Maama (T)] was an ardent Kamal fan. He bought MMKR songs audio cassette and listened to it multiple times a day.
My young 3 yr cousin also was hooked to those songs, especially sang and danced for "Rambambam Arambham..."
During his Choodakarma (first haircut ceremony) and Aksharabhyaasa, the priest performing pooja and the father reciting the Mantra "Saraswati Namastubhyam Varadé Kaamaroopini, Vidyarambham Karishyaami....."
As soon as my kiddo cousin heard "Vidyarambham", he stood up and started to dance and sing "Rambambam Arambham...."
@ikamalhaasan #MMKR #SingeethamSrinivas
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what I mean, but they cant be so mean!"
"Enna ezhavu, ellarum meen meenungara?" (What the heck, why is everyone talking about fish?)
"Ava English meana pathi pesara da!" (They are talking about the English mean!)
These hilarious dialogues are from the iconic Tamil comedy classic, Michael Madana Kama Rajan (MMKR), a lost-and-found story featuring quadruplets (all played brilliantly by Kamal Hassan) filled with several laugh-out-loud adventures.
Perhaps the funniest character is Kameswaran—Kamal Hassan playing a Palakkad Iyer cook—followed closely by "Paati" a hell-raising old lady, whose grand-daughter he falls in love with.
The film's dialogues are among the funniest. Here are some gems
- "Thiruppu thiruppu nu sonnaan, thirumbitten!" (They asked me to turn, so i turned!) (Thiruppu is a pun - meaning turn and also the short name of the girl he falls in love with)
- That classic line featuring the guy who played Bheem in Mahabharat... "Bheem boy Bheem boy, andha locker la irundhu aaru latchathai eduthu indha Avinashi moonjiyil vitteri!" - translated as "Bheem boy, take six lakh rupees from the locker and throw it on this Avinashi's face!"
- "Aiyyo, brake pidikilaye..." (The car brake is not 'catching') "Pidichido, pidikilayo, pottu daan aaganumen!" (Whether you like it or not, you have to put the brake right?) - A superb pun on the fact that the words for "liking" and "catching" sound very similar in Tamil!
MMKR owes a lot of gratitude to its genius dialogue writer, Crazy Mohan (who also makes a small cameo as a shop owner) and of course to the insanely talented Mr. Hassan.
But the person it owes the most is probably the guy at the helm of affairs—Director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao (who also made the iconic Apoorva Sahodarargal, remade in Hindi as Appu Raja).
I just read that Rao passed away, aged 95, on Sat, 3-Oct... Maybe he was needed in heaven to entertain the Gods with his Storytelling...
Here's a heartfelt thanks to him for the several hours of laughter and entertainment he has gifted to millions of people.
And yes, if you get the chance do watch the movie with subtitles, even if you don't understand Tamil. The movie is worth it for the crazy antics itself.
Ananth retweeted
Dear Singeetham sir,
Talkie cinema are the new normal they said, you disagreed it and made Pushpak.
Aesthetics are not necessary for commercial cinema they said,you disagreed and made Apoorva Sagodharagal .
Comedies can never be classics they said, you disagreed and made Micheal Madana kamarajan.
You loose relevance with age they said ,you disagreed and made Sing Geetham.
Artists are mere mortals they said, today you disagreed again by becoming the immortal piece of art!
Always proud to say that I worked and learned under you! Those 7 months in the year 2012 will always guide me throughout my life! I will miss that child’s enthusiasm, your teachings, the tea at your place, your humour and especially the way you laugh!
Rest in peace Legend❤️
Ananth retweeted
Two years ago, I got a call from Singeetham Srinivasa Rao —out of the blue — saying he enjoyed Culture Vulture and also another film he had caught… While You Watched. He asked me to pass on his congratulations to @ravish_journo.
So when I visited Chennai in August 2025, we caught up at his office for an hour, talking about his writing process without ever having gone to a film school. I told him I wanted to interview him about this at leisure. He needed time to prep. I returned to Mumbai.
Months passed and I heard he had finally made Sing Geetham, a film he had tried pitching to a couple of platforms/production houses through me a few years ago. The idea seemed ambitious on paper, but that didn’t stop him from bringing it to life at 94.
I featured Sing Geetham in my half yearly review - the best six films of 2026. He texted to thank me, and I thought I’d try my luck again to do that interview on his writing process, at least over Zoom.
August 26, 10.30 am. He finally gave me the slot after I sent him a preliminary questionnaire about the areas I wanted to cover. Zoom cut us off once, but we spoke for an hour and, to my shock, I realised that the recording hadn’t been saved to the computer thanks to Apple’s updated privacy settings!
I wrote the interview from my notes and memory and sent it to him to check if I had got down everything right. I waited for a whole day nervously.
And then he texted back: “Re your writeup, it is excellent. Fulll of spirit. No comments from my side. Only a small feeling from my side.”
He ended his go-ahead text with an all the best, wondering when it would appear in print. I sent him an ePaper copy.
I last texted him on his birthday, saying: “Happy birthday Sir!! Hope the thriller script is shaping up great! Can’t wait for you to start shoot!”
Was hoping to meet him in Chennai at the end of October. So this has been too much of a shock.
I remembered him telling me in the interview: “I am hale and hearty because I laugh a lot.”
You brought many a smile to millions. Hope you are up there watching us celebrate your life. With the heaviest of smiles.
Thank you for the laughter, Sir. It heals, and will continue to heal us every time we miss you.
You live on, through our laughs.
This appeared on September 4, 2026.
Probably his last interview.
