Honoured to have Mrs. Meenakshi Meyyappan - the heart behind The Bangala, the traditional Chettinad bungalow converted hotel at Karaikudi - on the full-length feature currently being produced by Monument Universe on Chettinad. Watch out this space for more updates on the feature/virtual tour. Disseminating well-researched and authentic content on the monuments and the heritage... Continue Reading →
CRAFT DRAFT | TURNING THE MIRROR ON OURSELVES
What makes us humans? Emotions! Bonding, affection, hugs and embraces! They define us. But, they are so finely laced into our biological network that, many a time, we don't even know we are governed by them. And so, we stay oblivious to their very existence. Until come those revealing moments when we see emotions explode... Continue Reading →
MONUMENT UNIVERSE – CHETTINAD ARCHITECTURE AND HOWARD ROARK
One of the remarkable highlights of the Chettinad region (surrounding Karaikudi in southern Tamilnadu) is its stunning architecture. Most of the typical Chettinad houses are literally palatial in terms of the vast space they're erected in and the high standards of grandeur they're built on. Interestingly, hardly anyone lives in any of these. The reason... Continue Reading →
CRAFT DRAFT – THE ART OF WAR GORE
Positive endings! That is the psychological thumb-rule that drives our decision to either watch a movie or read a novel, almost all the time. Why would we waste our time on something we know is gonna make us unhappy at the end? Not that we don't wanna see the struggles, the tribulations, and the fight... Continue Reading →
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AUTHOR AND THE SCREENPLAY WRITER
Monument Universe just gifted me with an opportunity to upgrade myself to screenplay writing. Context: A feature on Chettinad! The idea is to treat this feature / documentary with a new perspective that would make it look different from the way we've been documenting monuments so far... and on that token, would demand a fresh... Continue Reading →
CRAFT DRAFT | THE ‘OUT OF THE BOX’ THRILL
FALL, THE MOVIE! Creativity is always equated with out-of-the-box thinking. Script anything commonplace, people will be like, "What's new?" So understandable! But, so very tricky! Because, technically, we don't create anything new. If we do, it will be literally so new that people can't even understand what we are saying, 'cause, they haven't heard of... Continue Reading →
MONUMENT UNIVERSE – MANORA FORT POST PRODUCTION
After an exciting and almost adrenaline packed shoot with Suresh Sethuraman, the archaeologist, and Narayan, the cinematographer, followed by the equally satisfying voiceover recording with Sara Mohan, we (Narayan and I) are on to the next engaging phase of the Manora Fort project. The post production! Just with a couple of illustrations of Sarfoji the... Continue Reading →
CRAFT DRAFT – MOB VIOLENCE AND CINEMATOGRAPHY
Violence is in our blood. It has to be, cause, it's a manifestation of energy. A weak person can't be violent. Movies mirror our subconscious. Romance, sabotage, fear, exploitation, adventure, affection, protection, violence. These are very much part of us, which is why we relate to these depictions on the screen. But, how we relate... Continue Reading →
MONUMENT UNIVERSE | PUDUKOTTAI SHOOT
The solitary Vijayalayacholishvara Temple set atop the scorching, barren rocks of a mountain in Narthamalai - near Pudukottai, Tamilnadu - was a pleasure to shoot... all the more so because it was deserted. And, like a good looking model, the monument looked striking from different angles too. The Thirumayyam fort, which is about a couple... Continue Reading →
CRAFT DRAFT – MORE THE PASSION, MORE THE PERFECTION
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 →