From Kovai '85 to Udaipur '26. Some movies aren't just films; they are time machines. Happy Tamil New Year
Tamil New Year has always been more than just a date on a calendar for me; it’s a sensory experience. Usually, it’s the smell of Manga Pachadi , the sound of new clothes rustling, and the roar of a theater crowd. But this year, Puthandu feels a little different. Currently, I find myself in Udaipur . It is a city of stunning palaces and serene lakes, but it is also a place where the latest Tamil blockbusters don’t often grace the silver screens. Yet, distance has a funny way of making you lean harder into your roots. Today, I decided to bypass the modern releases and travel back exactly 41 years . I hit play on Kaakki Sattai , released on Tamil New Year, April 11, 1985. As Kamal Haasan appeared on my screen, I wasn't just a researcher in Rajasthan anymore; I was a young boy again, sitting in a packed theater in Kovai (Coimbatore) . I could almost hear the echoes of the whistles and the legendary Sathyaraj's "Thagadu Thagadu" dialogue bouncing off those old cinema wa...