Author: THE HOPE MAFIA & THE ASTRAL SURGE + Writer-Director: MONUMENT UNIVERSE + Radio Jockey-Western Music: ALL INDIA RADIO, CHENNAI
Saint Maverick! A sobriquet I identify with so much, 'cause, it describes me perfectly! The name which I penned the very first version of THE ASTRAL SURGE with! The name I didn't embrace as an author, 'cause, it clashed with my registered name! The name, therefore, I shied away from, 'cause, it also left behind... Continue Reading →
Compared to handles such as Instagram that throw us right into a crowd of people when we post something (thereby bombarding us with loads of both dopamine and cortisol at the same time), this blog is a serene and secluded space, visited only by those select few who are keen to know a bit about... Continue Reading →
But, interestingly, the state of perfection is never absolute. It's ever changing. We can't achieve something and we can't be like, 'This is it! We've arrived'. 'Cause, a higher standard would get set the very next moment and we would start lagging before we even realize it. It's for this single reason that passion gets... Continue Reading →
Because, like God, logic graces us only at the zenith of severe penance... the penance of very deep thinking! Skip this part and proceed with production... the entire effort nosedives into utter cacophony. Absolutely enthralling landscapes of Kasaragod, the northern tip of Kerala, the endearing local dialect, and the stunning performances, especially that of the... Continue Reading →
Stars do sparkle in the sky but when the vast space gets clouded, they disappear. How apt this simple analogy is to the stars of the filmdom too! When the creative canvas gets clouded by a prosaic and predictable script, the stars don't shine anymore. They even stop being seen as stars. So, the time-tested... Continue Reading →
Which is more critical? Ideation or execution? Execution, however perfect, slides into abyss when not supported by a well thought-through concept. Wow... what we see is mind blowing, but where's the story? Equally disastrous will be a situation that's well conceived but poorly executed. The shoddy treatment has totally eclipsed a terrific script. Rarely do... Continue Reading →
Yesss! A brand new day it has to be! How vacuous these words sound... especially for those who have to suffer dreary drill everyday, just to make ends meet. What brand new day for them? Sounds rather elite, this life edict! Made for the elite! But, what stuns me is that strange and almost inexplicable... Continue Reading →
Yet another fabulous experience, interacting with the writers-to-be at Women's Christian College, Chennai, on 24 February 2023. To see 60 of them seated in the spacious, semi-circular auditorium was quite a swell experience. And so was reading their variegated takes on this creative lead. LOOKING AT THE TRAFFIC PILE-UP AHEAD THROUGH THE CAB WINDSCREEN, YOUR... Continue Reading →
Creative writing just isn't easy! Souls who have tried their hands at the craft will vehemently nod for this simple yet deep truth. Given the fact that we're dealing with a tough craft, what we do to facilitate it becomes so critical... especially in contest scenarios such as the one organized by the Stella Maris... Continue Reading →
Jogging an hour isn't the same as footing a thousand steps. Which is what I discovered while watching the steps inch past my feet as I inched up this hill which is in the midst of nowhere, somewhere between Trichy and Tanjavur in Tamilnadu. This sweaty (ad)venture happened during our recent trip to Tanjavur to... Continue Reading →
Following the contest I was invited to judge at WCC on the 23rd September 2022 on creative writing, I'm delighted to be a part of another one coming up in the same college this Friday... the 24th February 2023. What excites me the most is the opportunity the occasion gives me to see multi-dimensional perspectives... Continue Reading →
It was a pretty ecstatic experience shooting the Manora Fort - gifted to the British by the Maratha king Sarfoji the second in 1813 A.D., for the Monument Universe app. Situated around 70 kilometres away from Tanjavur, the fort stands tall among the coconut trees, literally dwarfing them. A bird's eye view from atop the... Continue Reading →
SAINT MAVERICK 