Samanth Subramanian's book, This Divided Island, is a brave attempt at chronicling a savage period of Sri Lankan history. It is not a commentary about the war. It is a journalistic narrative of the author's quest to record the events of the war. Samanth, in recording the stories of the dead and survivors, stays at... Continue Reading →
How much a book impresses or affects me depends, quite obviously, on when I happen to read the book in my journey as a reader and individual. There have been lesser books that I have picked when I was starting out, when my ideas were nascent, that have had a much larger impact than more... Continue Reading →
This first appeared here for the film magazine The World of Apu. I recently watched two Tamil movies and couldn’t help compare them. I thought they were representative of two major camps of film-making in the Tamil movie industry. One movie was the big budget Petta, starring Tamil matinee idol Rajinikanth. It got top billing, prime... Continue Reading →
I watched Maari 2 yesterday. I have no excuse as to why I did it. I generally do not bother with these kinds of movies nowadays. Not because I am above them, or because they corrupt society, or depict women badly. Sure, I have those gripes, but it's just that I am bored with these... Continue Reading →
When I first stepped off the train at Stirling with my suitcases, from Edinburgh, I was rooted to the platform. It was a clammy foggy day, the cold wind was blowing the sprays of rain onto my face, but all I could see were the mountains on the horizon. I do not think I have... Continue Reading →
The first public library I ever visited was in Canada Waters, London, in 2006. I do not even remember how I discovered the library, because, though the internet was picking up, I did not have a laptop, and I had no visibility into what was happening around me beyond walking distance. I suspect, like any... Continue Reading →
Every day I wait for my phone to light up with the familiar blue light of a WhatsApp Video call. I swipe up to pick the call and two faces beam into my world filling me with happiness. The joy I get from my family undermines my vocal cynicism of marriage and my words of... Continue Reading →
Biting arctic winds swept down from the north across the great lake and Chicago froze last week. I landed in O'Hare airport just as Chicago was thawing, on Monday, the week after the polar vortex hit. It was still cold but some semblance of balance had been restored. Chicago was back to being warmer than... Continue Reading →
Airplane travel drives home the absurdity of my existence. Why would a human have to be transported across oceans and lands ever? Are we that vain that such needs are a common occurrence nowadays? What could be so pressing a need for such drastic transportations? I still have not come to grips with the sight... Continue Reading →
As I navigate through this life ...
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Epic Literary Reviews & Insights
my VOICE
