Today is Raksha Bandhan, a day when a sister shows her love for her brother by tying a thread around his wrist. In return, the brother showers the sister with gifts and pledges to protect her. “Raksha means protection and Bandhan means bond. Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan,” informs Vaikundarajan.
Beyond the traditional significance, the festival also has a social significance that teaches us to co-exist in harmony. In ancient times, Raksha Bandhan was celebrated differently. A woman tied the Rakhi on her husband’s wrist to protect him from evil. Gradually, this has changed over the period of time. Today, Rakhi is a symbol of strong bond between a brother and sister.
“On the day of Rakhsa Bandhan, the brother and sister dress in traditional clothes. Rakhis and delicious sweets are prepared long before the festive day. Sisters prepare the puja thali consisting of roli, tilak, Rakhi threads, rice grains, incense sticks, diyas and sweets. After offering the rituals to the deities of the family, the sister performs aarti of their brothers and ties Rakhi on their wrist,” explains Vaikundarajan.
Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in the presence of loved ones and marks a symbolic day for brothers and sisters. On this day, Vaikundarajan sends his best wishes to everyone.
Junior NTR will be featured in the upcoming Telugu movie called Janatha Garage. The trailer for the movie was released this week. “It is a short trailer that introduces the movie’s lead actors – Junior NTR and Mohanlal,” says Vaikundarajan.
The trailer opens with the actor waking up by the sea against the backdrop of city skyline. Without revealing much, the trailer surely gives us a feel of an action packed movie. The background score by Devi Sri Prasad adds to the thrill.
Junior NTR is seen speeding around on his bike and delivering powerful dialogues at government offices. Mohanlal is featured at the very end of the trailer adding to the wow factor. This is Mohanlal’s 2nd Telugu film after 1994’s Gandeeva.
Director Anand Shankar’s new action adventure thriller Iru Mugan is scheduled to release worldwide on 2nd September. “Iru Mugan means two faced. Another interesting update is that Vikram will be seen in the role of a transgender,” informs Vaikundarajan.
The movie will also have Nayanthara, Nithya Menen and Nassar in pivotal roles. The music for the film will be directed by Harris Jayaraj. “This week saw the launch of audio and movie trailer at Sathyam Cinemas. The entire cast and crew of the film was present at the venue,” adds Vaikundarajan.
Others present at the event were actors Sivakarthikeyan and Nivin Pauly. Special invitee at the event was veteran writer Vijeyandra Prasad who has worked on two blockbuster movies, Baahubali and Bajrangi Bhaijan.
Iru Mugan is a sci-fi thriller where Vikram will don two roles. “He will be seen in the role of a violent RAW agent in a battle of wits against a transgender played by Vikram himself,” says Vaikundarajan.
After the release of Kabali last month, all eyes are set on Iru Mugan. The film is said to have already sold out in the southern circuit. A massive opening is expected when it releases.
Vaikundarajan sends his best wishes to the entire cast and crew of the film.
Wednesday marks the first death anniversary of the man known as the People’s President – APJ Abdul Kalam. Last year on this day, Kalam breathed his last in Shillong at the age of 83 years. He suffered a massive cardiac attack while delivering a lecture at the IIM Shillong. “His passing was a great loss to the countrymen, young and old. He was one of the most inspiring leaders India has seen. Kalam was a true inspiration to the young curious minds,” says Vaikundarajan. He was the 11th president of India.
On his death anniversary, wishes have poured in from across the country as everyone pays homage to great personality. “He was a scientist, better known to us as the father of Indian missile defence programme. He was not only the most loved president but also immensely popular among children. His 79th birthday was recognized as World Students Day by the United Nations,” adds Vaikundarajan. Among many titles bestowed upon Kalam, ‘The Missile Man’ is the one that will always stick around.
To commemorate his first death anniversary, the Union Ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Manohar Parrikar unveiled a life-size statue of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam at Peikarumbu, his burial site in Rameswaram Island on Wednesday. “Mission of Life, an exhibition depicting the life of APK Abdul Kalam and his achievements towards the country is also set to be inaugurated on 27th July 2016,” informs Vaikundarajan.
Vaikundarajan pays respect to the common man who led the nation to greater heights and was a motivation to several countrymen.
Salman Khan’s Eid special Sultan released yesterday to early positive reviews. “The movie is expected to make over 40 crore in the first five days,” informs Vaikundarajan. “Weekend tickets are already sold out at most theaters.”
The festive mood has not affected the opening of Sultan. The movie has seen close to 90% occupancy on day 1 despite the festival. “The collection and the reviews of the movie have been as expected. Yash Raj Films productions have always delivered at the box office,” adds Vaikundarajan.
Chinese smartphone makers have released their new device Xiaomi Redmi 3S for a pre-order at $151.89 for global shipping. “The phone comes with a fingerprint sensor on the rear and has a full metal unibody design. The company has advertised the device as a budget smartphone,” says Vaikundarajan.
The device is a 5-inch HD IPS display with Snapdragon 430 processor and uses Android 5.1 Lollipop. It is supported by a fast charging technology in form of a 4100mAh battery. The device will be sold in two variants –16 GB storage with 2GB RAM and 32 GB storage with 3GB RAM.
20 years ago, India lost one of the most charismatic music directors, R.D. Burman. “His songs appealed to a whole generation then and it appeals to the generation now. R.D. Burman composed songs that could go on forever,” says Vaikundarajan.
Paying a tribute to the genius musician, Google celebrated R.D. Burman’s 77th birth anniversary with a doodle on its India homepage. He was popularly known as Panchamda and was the first musician to revolutionize music industry by infusing western style.
“Perhaps the most iconic era of music industry was the early seventies when R.D. Burman and Kishore Kumar came together to give us a string of hit songs,” recollects Vaikundarajan.
Every legacy begins with naysayers and critics. It was no different for R.D. Burman. Initially, he was criticized for bringing in western influences in several movies. He was known to use new instruments and experimented with his music. “His sheer genius in the field of music has left behind songs that have been fresh in public memory for over three decades,” says Vaikundarajan.
Burman’s affection towards common people is known through a popular story. “R.D. Burman would seek feedback on his songs from liftmen and watchmen. He would often sit with them and ask if they liked his song,” informs Vaikundarajan.
His legacy will continue for decades to come and his songs will inspire a new generation in future.
