Posts

From Thuppakki’s "I Am Waiting" (2012) to Jananayagan’s "I Am Coming" (2026): My14-Year hiatus, 18-Km E-Bike Pilgrimage to Witness Vijay’s (CM Vijay Sir's)Political Masterclass

Image
There is a distinct, electric hum that only a Chennai theater during a major release can produce. It’s a mix of raw anticipation, the scent of popcorn clashing with the ECR sea breeze, and the shared heartbeat of thousands of fans waiting for the lights to dim. For nearly fourteen years, this was a world I only visited in memory. My journey took me far from these silver screens—from the intense academic corridors of completing my PhD at IIM Indore to professional stints across the map. The ritual of the first-week Chennai cinema experience was put on a shelf. Until Jananayagan called me back, forcing a head-on collision between my personal past and Tamil cinema's historic present. The ECR Pilgrimage to Seat J3 The journey started 18 kilometers away. Armed with my trusty e-bicycle, I took to the East Coast Road, heading toward PVR Heritage. Navigating an 18-km stretch of Chennai traffic to catch a blockbuster might sound unconventional, but as the pedals whirred, it felt like shedd...
Post a Comment
Read more

Good at Arrivals, Terrible at Staying

Image
  The email arrived on a Tuesday, the way these emails always seem to. Polite. Grateful for my "contributions." Wishing me well "in my future endeavors." I read it standing in my mother's kitchen in Chennai, kettle just off the boil, my father's blood-pressure log open on the counter where I'd been about to fill in the morning reading. Six months at IIM Udaipur, in a village called Salumbar where I'd spent my days inside primary health centres asking frontline workers why the medicines never arrived on time—and now I was the one asking why the position never arrived at all. This is not a resignation letter. It is not, I hope, a complaint either. It is an accounting—the kind I was trained to do, and the kind I am now forced to do about my own life. The Pattern, Named Plainly Look at the last five years on paper and a shape emerges that no single institution intended but that all of them, together, produced. Sixteen months at a business school in Sonip...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Eternal Nightingale: A Farewell to S. Janaki

Image
- T he voice that taught generations how to love, how to yearn, and how to heal has fallen silent. With the passing of S. Janaki , the Nightingale of the South , an era of unparalleled musical storytelling comes to a poignant close. Janaki Amma did not merely sing; she breathed life into the blank canvas of a lyricist's words and a composer's notes. Her voice possessed a rare, almost supernatural empathy—an ability to seamlessly morph from the fragile innocence of youth to the profound ache of a mother’s heart. As we grieve the loss of this monumental icon, we find solace in the timeless sanctuary of her discography. Here is a personal, final tribute through the melodies that will forever echo in our souls. The Dawn of Innocence and Longing "Sendhoora Poove" ( 16 Vayathinile , 1977) The Legacy: This is where the magic felt raw and breathtakingly real. Singing for a rustic, vulnerable character, Janaki’s voice carried the scent of the wet earth and the gentle breeze ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Parandur U-Turn: Inside CM Vijay’s Decision to Choose Environmental Resilience Over a ₹27,400-Crore Blueprint

Image
  "When Chief Minister Vijay stepped in to officially shelve the ambitious Parandur Greenfield Airport project, it wasn't just a political pivot—it was a definitive choice to prioritize regional ecology..." For over a thousand days, the residents of Ekanapuram and surrounding villages in Kancheepuram held onto a simple, unwavering chant: “Vivasayam vendum, vimana nilayam vendam” (We want agriculture, not an airport). What began as a localized struggle by farmers defending their ancestral lands evolved into a massive case study on climate resilience and infrastructural blind spots. With the Tamil Nadu government officially shelving the ₹27,400-crore Parandur Greenfield Airport project, it stands as a historic victory for natural ecosystems. But as the dust settles on Parandur, a critical question remains: Chennai’s aviation capacity is fast reaching its limit. Where do we go from here? Part 1: Why Ecology Won at Parandur When the mega-airport project was conceptualized, i...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Art of the Narrative: Mirrors, Mentorship, and Moving On

Image
Every office is a microcosm of human behavior. Between the hum of the fluorescent lights, the rhythm of keyboard clicks, and the shared intensity of lab experiments, you don't just share a workspace with people; you share chapters of their lives. A few years back, I spent days working alongside a colleague on a demanding project. As I spent  hours troubleshooting data and celebrating small breakthroughs together, I started to notice the quiet ways people anchor themselves in a high-stress environment. For her, it was a simple routine— a personal ritual at her desk. To me, it looked like a small, fierce act of self-sovereignty in a sterile corporate world. It inspired me. It made me think about the intersection of professionalism, gender, and personal identity, and I penned a piece about it on a professional platform. But words, once released into the wild, don't always land the way we intend them to. What I saw as a tribute, the other person saw as an unwanted spotlight. The ma...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Heart of Innovation: Reclaiming the True Promise of Academic Freedom

Image
We often talk about academic freedom as the defining privilege of life at top-tier institutions. When I first stepped into the academic world, the sheer scope of that freedom felt intoxicating. One is handed the autonomy to design one's own intellectual path, cross-pollinate ideas across disciplines, and explore ambitious research frontiers. Senior mentors and lead academics are there to provide broad guardrails, encouraging you to step out onto a limb and build something entirely your own. It is a beautiful, deeply inspiring framework. But over the years, as I have lived, breathed, and worked within these spaces, I’ve realized that this open landscape comes with its own silent, deeply personal challenges. When an environment relies heavily on informal collaboration, the lines of intellectual ownership naturally blur. Without intentional care, the very freedom meant to liberate our minds can leave early-stage ideas—and the researchers who conceive them—incredibly vulnerable. The Si...
Post a Comment
Read more

Khamma Ghani to Vanakkam: A Journey of Public Health & Rajasthan Byways

Image
  In January 2026, I packed my bags and moved to the rugged, beautiful landscapes of Rajasthan. I had accepted a contract job as a Research Lead with the Centre for Healthcare at IIM Udaipur—a brief but intense window to apply operations management to public health systems, specifically working with Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in regions like Salumbar. Now, as June draws to a close and I prepare to move back home to Chennai, I am looking back at a whirlwind half-year that was equal parts professional milestone and spectacular cultural immersion. The Twin Landscapes: Research and the Field My days were anchored in the intellectual ecosystem of IIMU, collaborating with colleagues to streamline healthcare delivery. But the true heartbeat of the project was out in the field. Spending time in and around Salumbar —conducting hands-on operational training with local healthcare staff—grounded all our theoretical models in the raw, inspiring reality of rural Rajasthan. But when the weekend cam...
Post a Comment
Read more