KALAIMAGAL
It is commendable that Kalaimagal has maintained the standard of its Deepavali special. Short stories have always been a high point of Kalaimagal. The special (Rs. 150) does not disappoint, writers including Asokamitran, Vidya Subramaniam and Devibala. Appusamy and Seethapatti are back. Profiles of Jayakanthan and Lata Mangeshkar make for interesting reading. How is film making different from ours? S.P. Muthuraman answers in an interview.
There is a generous spiritual content, beginning with Paramacharya’s essay on Subramanya. Nuggets on Tirumala dot the pages.
AMUDHASURABI
Veteran Gopulu’s Thamizh Thai adorns the cover of this volume that has some interesting features. ‘Pioneers of contemporary literature’ throw the spotlight on Na.Pa, Bharati, Kannadasan, RV and so on. ‘Literary Heirs Write’ has sons and daughters of illustrious writers wielding the pen. Among them are Dr. V. Maithreyan, K.R. Vasudevan’s son, Uma Balasubramaniam, Ki.Va.Ja’s daughter, L.S.R. Saptarishsi, La.Sa.Ra’s son and Sita Ravi (Kalki’s granddaughter, Rajendran’s daughter. Writers and celluloid have had a close link. Jayabharati examines how.
GOPURA DARISANAM
Front to back, the volume (Rs. 150) is filled with spiritual matter. Travel essays, literary articles, poems and so on. Ma.Se, Padmavasan and Raja provide visual treat. Dr. Sudha Seshaiyyan in fluent style expands on the grace of Sakti. Reprint of Ki.Va. Ja’s article on sight and perception with Maruti’s illustration is a gem. Randor Guy looks back on M.S.’s directed by Ellis Dungan. Running through the pages are short notes on Siddhars.
SRI SAI MARGAM
The journal (Rs. 125) that has a close-up of the green marble Shirdi Baba celebrates the Sai cult through articles, and devotees’ experiences. Of special interest is extracts from the diary of Sri Ganesh Krishna Khabarde, Bal Gangadar Tilak’s secretary. Boxed answers of Baba to questions give the saint’s philosophy in a nutshell.
LADIES’ SPECIAL
The interesting miscellany of articles, short stories and poems, most of them authored by women, have the Woman in different dimensions. What are the 16 auspicious aspects with which couples are blessed during marriage. Paruthiyur Dr. K. Santhanam expalisn through a beautiful verse of Abhirami Bhattar.
