Rohit

Chennai | Rahman | History | Cricket

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

Happy #MadrasDay Tweeps and X'eeps!

India's history is deeply rooted in Madras.

And the flashback of the East India Company before they became the British Empire is largely based on their fight for survival in Madras.

An attempt on stringing #TheMadrasStory together:

[Today Years Old @todayyearsold]

Hollywood has spent nearly $600 million trying to bring Matt Damon home.

Have they considered maybe he just doesn’t want to come back?

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

Was it too much to ask for a happy ending for the family? #Drishyam3

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

Anywhere I have been in India has been intimidating, strangely familiar, but always incredibly beautiful! Lot of boxes still waiting to be checked.

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

I never thought this was or would be possible! Ready to get fooled again but Vijay gives me great hope.

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

@rahulsagar One could say that any part of India that started to see the colonial plan play out immediately started to resist. They were staggered over the course of a century, but there was always opposition.

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

Here's the original:

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

Inspired by some recent images on my feed, I asked Grok to reimagine an 18th Century painting of Fort St. George as a photograph from the 21st century - and I was rather impressed with what it came up with #Madras!

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

The easiest way to sum up PS for me:

I loved it when it was PS: The Adventures of Vandhiyadevan. I liked it less when it became PS: The Unrequited Love Story

There is a serious shift between 1 and 2 and this change is at the heart of it. Overall loved it BIGly!

[PS @dostoevesque]

Ponniyin Selvan is a great movie series, and I will always defend it. As much as the film was about the history of the Cholas, I believe Mani Ratnam had a particular affinity for Aditha Karikalan over any other character in the film.

The truth is that Mani Ratnam and Jeyamohan gave the characters, especially Aditha Karikalan, far more depth and nuance than Kalki did in the book. Kalki was heavily inspired by Alexandre Dumas and adopted the French serialized novel format, mapping it onto Chola history. Nandhini feels almost directly drawn from Milady de Winter. Both are exceptionally beautiful, deeply scarred, and fiercely intelligent women who use seduction and manipulation to dismantle empires. Both carry a hidden, dark past and function as the central engines of political intrigue.

Vandiyathevan fits the classic d'Artagnan archetype. He is a quick-witted, slightly naive provincial youth who rides into the capital on a horse, quickly becomes entangled with royalty, and survives largely through charm, luck, and courage.

However, Kalki did not have the same flair for psychological depth as Dumas, nor did he offer insight into the human condition in a way that makes the reader pause and reflect. That can be partly excused by his primary goal, which was cultural revivalism. He aimed to instill a sense of grandeur, pride, and romantic idealism about the Tamil past. In doing so, Kalki chose sweeping romantic heroism over the messy and contradictory depths of human nature. Whether this was a conscious choice or a limitation is uncertain.

Mani Ratnam, on the other hand, reconstructs Aditha Karikalan entirely for the screen. He takes the skeleton of Kalki’s character and infuses it with the weight of a Shakespearean tragic hero. Vikram's portrayal leans heavily into a Macbeth-like descent into madness. A man haunted by the ghost of his own violent actions, entirely self-aware of his impending doom, and practically begging for release. The film fills the emotional and psychological gaps left in the novel and reshapes a sprawling adventure into a more intimate and tragic character study.

Unfortunately, I believe people are obsessed with Ponniyin Selvan because it is a great gateway into Tamil literature, but objectively it feels closer to something like Harry Potter than to what one might call a truly great work of literature. Unfortunately, we do not have many strong entry-level novels to ease readers into the tradition. Over time, it drifts into memory and grows larger than it really is, to the point where nothing else can quite match the version they have built in their imagination.

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

Look, I am all for truly global production value.

But, we all agree Hans Zimmer's primary contribution to the Ramayana movie is marketing purposes, correct?

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

Vida Karo (Chamkila) is a great song for many reasons, but one in particular is Jonita Gandhi's part.

I didn't know she had that gear in her singing, completely transformed her voice.

Hadn't heard that before and haven't since

[Pico Iyer @PicoIyer]

If we get so caught up in what we can’t affect, across the globe, we neglect the lives we can actually positively help, in our home, our neighborhood, our family. Our greatest civic obligation is surely to keep distraction at bay and to attend to the ones we can be of service to.

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

I was sick with 100+ fever, so I did not have to go to school and instead lay on the sofa in front of the TV.

And though I still didn't fully understand the nuances of Test cricket, fell in love with the sport forever. The innings unlocked the emotion in the 5 day game!

[VVS Laxman @VVSLaxman281]

25 years ago at Eden Gardens Rahul and I shared a partnership that will forever remain special. In a moment when the game looked beyond us we chose belief, patience and resilience. That stand was not just about runs but was about trust, teamwork and fighting for every session. Grateful to have shared that journey with Rahul and to be part of a Test that reminded us all that in cricket comebacks are always possible👍 @BCCI #PowerOfPartnership #Believe #Resilience

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

3. Ishq Mitaye

https://t.co/DYQme5Uvwb

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

Contenders for Song of the Decade (2021-2030)

1. Rasathi
https://t.co/MwWhGvKr9n

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

2. Nandanandanaa

https://t.co/CfVkUjYeFc

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

@nirmal2291 Pretty good run since that debacle!

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

Just one time, I’d like for India’s exceptionally talented team to overcome conditions and make their own luck even if some things don’t go their way to win a tournament.

Not happening today. It’ll be a sweet sweet day as a fan when it eventually comes together! #INDvsAUS

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

@nirmal2291 I remain hopeful they’ll keep getting better 😊

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

Sanju THEMANson!

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

@simongerman600 @chingucha Logical next step in your Rahman influence tracker

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

Finally, a Sanju Samson legacy game!!

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

@chingucha Haha third time got Spiritual Conceptual - I think I can collect all 6 with enough attempts lol.

[Rohit @chennaidiaries]

The most beautiful architecture is not necessarily the tallest, widest, biggest, etc. It just makes you happy to see it.

America's Handsomest City is not New York. It is 800 miles west, in Chicago.