Madurai & Thalaivan padam

It’s still buzzing in my ears. That was the time when Baasha had released. I was a college kid, an aspiring physicist. Kattabomman silai the evergreen junction was abuzz with activity. The complete traffic jammed, we started walking. Someone said there was an accident near the Periyar bus stand, someone else said it was a fistfight, “Probably not the first of fistfights in Madurai” I remarked. Only when we neared the KAS Sekar Lottery kadai did we realise that someone is on top of the Thalaivar cut-out trying to do something.

Is it a suicide attempt, no he was trying to bathe the thalaivar cutout with a pot of milk. The 5 aspiring physicists crawled their way into the crowd stood at striking distance trying to gauge the viscosity of the milk that was flowing down the thalaivar cut out. Once done, the man dropped his kudam down and he was jumping with joy not realising that he was some cool 70 feet above the ground and he bathed a damn cut-out. The crowd was electric they were whistling, clapping and shouting slogans – “Varungala Mudalamaichair Rajini” as usual. The atmosphere was so electric that one of the physicists became too excited and started whistling and clapping.

Man that’s madness. That’s what they call Madurai!

Cut to Chandramukhi…

Chennai, Satyam Cineplex, Saturday 21.45 hrs. I could only see the hawkers selling 70 for 200 near the theater entrance. No cutouts, no paalabishekam, no electric atmosphere, no slogan-shouting crowd. I could hear the girls chattering, “Hey this guy is so cool ya”. First thought they were discussing me, but unfortunately it was about Will Smith. That is stupid, the crowd at the entrance of a theater running my thalaivar padam discussing Will Smith? How dare they?? I was first furious, only then did I realise that I was one among them waiting in queue for a ticket to watch The Hitch. Yes I have become a cosmopolitan yuppy watching English movies.

Man this is MAD RAS…

I miss my Madurai… Miss the buzz my thalaivar padam creates… I miss life.

Long live Madurai…