
‘Like coolness under a ficus tree'; Nithya Menen pens a gentle ode; calls THIS film close to her heart
Nithya Menen
has always had a way with words, and her recent reflection on the Malayalam film '19(1)(a)' is no exception.
Taking to Instagram on the film's third anniversary, the actress described the experience of working on the film as 'coolness under a ficus tree.'
The line, poetic and serene, is a perfect metaphor for the mood and message of '19(1)(a)'.
'The kind where you want to lay down and go to sleep because it's so peaceful,' she wrote, capturing the film's meditative pace and tone in a single stroke.
A first with
Vijay Sethupathi
Directed by Indhu VS, '19(1)(a)' marked Nithya's first-ever collaboration with Tamil star Vijay Sethupathi. Though their screen time together was limited, the film's impact was profound.
Nithya plays a reserved photostat shop owner who unexpectedly finds herself holding a politically charged manuscript written by Vijay's character—a reclusive writer with revolutionary ideas. Interestingly, while this was their first film together, the duo soon reunited for Thalaivan Thalaivii, where they played a constantly bickering married couple.
'Same actors, but such diametrically opposite films,' Nithya noted.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
No annual fees for life
UnionBank Credit Card
Apply Now
Undo
Idli Kadai | Song - Enna Sugam (Lyrical)
The blessing of variety in storytelling
In her post, Nithya also expressed gratitude for the diverse projects she continues to be part of, calling it 'some sort of great blessing or luck.' Whether it's the stillness of 19(1)(a) or the dramatic intensity of Thalaivan Thalaivii, the actress seems to thrive on variety. She also referenced the actual presence of a ficus tree on set, saying it became a kind of silent witness to the story unfolding around it. 'We had one of those trees too, as a strong presence around us and in the film,' she shared.
Meanwhile, Nithya Menen and Vijay Sethupathi's recently released drama film 'Thalaivan Thalaivii' is getting decent reports from the audiences. The movie is also doing good box office business.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
CM Pinarayi Vijayan slams communal narratives in cinema, inaugurates Kerala Film Policy Conclave
THIRUVANTHAPURAM: Condemning a recent National Award-winning film for misrepresenting Kerala and discrediting its globally respected secularism, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged the state's film fraternity to unite against the misuse of cinema as a medium for spreading communal narratives. Speaking at the inauguration of the two-day Kerala Film Policy Conclave in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, the Chief Minister emphasised the need to uphold the cultural and secular foundations of Malayalam cinema. The conclave is aimed at formulating the state's first comprehensive film policy through democratic and inclusive dialogue. "This is not the recognition of art, but an endorsement of a toxic cultural tendency. Malayalam cinema has achieved greatness by being rooted in truth, humaneness, and a secular way of life, a foundation now under attack," said Pinarayi Vijayan. He added that the conclave provided an opportunity to confront these challenges and shape a policy that preserves both cultural values and the rights of industry workers. Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian, who presided over the function, said the decision to host the conclave followed a meeting between women film workers and the Chief Minister, during which key concerns within the industry were raised. "This is a free and democratic platform. A committee was constituted in response to those concerns. Its recommendations, along with findings from other reports such as Adoor Gopalakrishnan's, highlighted the urgent need for a formal film policy," said Cherian.


Scroll.in
26 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
‘Tamil: The Best Stories of Our Times': Tamil modernity, a field of tensions between past and future
In Tamil: The Best Stories of Our Times, editor and scholar Perundevi brings together 22 short stories by some of the most acclaimed voices in contemporary Tamil literature, including Jeyamohan, Perumal Murugan, Salma, and Imayam. The stories carry the sediment of caste, class, gender, and postcolonial legacies in their syntax, their silences, and their small rebellions. The editor's introduction traces the Tamil short story's genealogy from its Manikodi-era roots in the 1930s to the hyper-realistic, genre-bending work of the present day. She invokes Pudumaippithan's idea of suchumangal – the 'subtler aspects of life' –and sets the tone for the stories to follow. What I've always liked about Tamil fiction is how they're not outright wrapped in moral clarity and, instead, find their meaning in the more minor contradictions of society, family, and life. They refuse to be indulgent character studies and instead are very matter-of-fact in asking the numerous, seemingly heavy-handed questions they do. How does a woman's worth become entangled in her womb? How is a tailor's pride interwoven with a worn-down sewing machine? More importantly, they all seem to ask the same question of how identity – ethnic, religious, and gendered – splinters in the echo chamber of diaspora and memory. Confronting social forces The variety of narratives that Perundevi has chosen reflects the editor's disinterest in sticking to only one particular undertone within a social subject. It's not just a woman's distress; it's also class and caste that come into play. Many of these stories confront large social forces – patriarchy, religious orthodoxy, and neoliberalism. But they're not overly didactic, and they couldn't afford to be, since they stirred up masses and had a significant impact on readers. A favourite of mine was JP Sanakya's 'The Rules of the Game' in Janani Kannan's translation. Its opening is visceral, and plays out as a scene from a film: a woman, pregnant from gang rape, becomes a figure of familial shame rather than sympathy. What the editor also comments on, in the introduction, is that the story refuses to follow the traditional victim arc and instead overturns the trope on its head with the protagonist quietly resolving to shove her elbows to crawl from her own societal, protective bubble. However, we see the trope handled in a sensitive way in Imayam's 'Heartbreak', also translated by Kannan, with the protagonist constantly giving the benefit of the doubt to her husband when he starts misbehaving with her after their time together as a married couple violently progresses ahead without a child. Another quietly explosive story is Devibharathi's 'The Tool of His Trade', translated by N Kalyan Raman, which is very similar to the Marathi film Lathe Joshi, directed by Mangesh Joshi. Like Joshi, the protagonist here is rendered obsolete by changing times. His tailoring tool is not just a physical object; it is the crux of his dignity, his history, and his self-worth. The story echoes a broader theme whose vein runs through the anthology, along with others: how technological, social, and political changes subtly displace the working class, often without offering anything to replace what is lost. What I also appreciated about the collection is how the stories balance realism with allegory, even magic realism, without losing political urgency. In Keeranur Jakirraja's 'The Saga of Butchery', translated by Raman) a man sacrifices a camel on Bakr-Id to stand out, only to be haunted – literally – by its severed head. 'Hussain knew that the weapon of last resort was always money and that it had no substitute,' the narrator remarks, a line that captures the tragic comedy of class aspiration. The translator effectively brings out the stink of camel meat, which, quite poetically, could be taken to reflect the stink of class aspirations that haunt the protagonist, much like the camel. The writer merges the grotesque with the satirical and gives us a story about masculine pride and performance (or performance pressure) in the face of 'giving your word' to society. Elsewhere, magic realism turns poetic. In Perumal Murugan's 'The Blouse', translated by Raman, an elderly village woman refuses to wear a blouse at her son's wedding, despite her family's attempts to civilise her into 'respectability.' The moment she relents, a blouse-induced cyst grows under her armpit 'as big as a newborn's head.' 'She imagined the blouse as a hacksaw that would cut off all the fingers of her daily activities,' Murugan writes. Like 'The Saga of Butchery', several stories examine the fragility of male identity within modern structures of power. In Aravindan's 'Screening', translated by Yashasvi Arunkumar, a man's polite, self-effacing demeanour hides an internal crisis that erupts when he voices a desire considered too crude for public discussion. 'Whether it was anger or desire, he had long learnt to lock it away inside himself. After so many years of such discipline, what kind of disgrace was this?' the protagonist wonders. The story unfolds like a psychological thriller, using silence and suggestion to critique a social order that rewards restraint but punishes emotional honesty. The eyes of the beholder At their heart, many of these stories return to questions of how we are seen and how that gaze reshapes the self. Latha's 'Cheenalatchumi's Queue', translated by Kannan, is set in Singapore, and reclaims diasporic Tamil womanhood from both Western racial hierarchies and intra-community casteism. The protagonist rejects the derogatory name 'Cheena Latchumi' and insists on being seen on her own terms. The translations throughout the collection are on the whole excellent. Raman's translations stand out for their clarity and precision, while Kannan captures the inner rhythm of women's emotional landscapes with restraint and empathy. As a collective effort, I think the translations maintain fidelity to Tamil idioms and cadence without overwhelming the English narrative with excessive gloss. However, I would've liked a tiny glossary at the end to better understand the lesser-known Tamil terms. As somebody who is entirely unfamiliar with the language, some of the specific references were a little opaque to me, especially sensitive terms like yov. Finally, I'd like to add I find it refreshing that Preundevi's anthology does not aim to represent Tamil identity in any fixed or homogeneous way. Instead, it offers something more valuable: a recognition of Tamil modernity as a field of tensions between past and future, caste and class, men and women, language and silence. The anthology, like the literary tradition it emerges from, offers no easy resolutions.


Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Blake Lively misses Taylor Swift; hopes to reinstate their friendship amid legal mess with Justin Baldoni
While the precious moments slip in time, Blake Lively doesn't want to give up on her darling friend, Taylor Swift , just yet. The 'Gossip Girl' alum has hope for the better, while she is left distraught by the singer's silence. Taylor Swift's personal messages can now be accessed Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, being in one of the messiest dramas, dragged the 35-year-old billionaire through the legal mud. Adding salt to the wound, the judge has now ruled that Swift's personal messages with the actress can be accessed by his lawyers in the s**ual harassment case. The sources whispered that Lively reportedly said, 'I won't let Taylor cut me off,' to her friends, as she looks forward to rebuilding the castle that crumbled, according to Radar Online. Blake Lively didn't mean to drag Taylor Swift 'She's heartbroken about how everything has unfolded. She can't accept that their friendship has ended and is pleading for an opportunity to make things right,' the insider said. Furthermore, the report claimed that Lively never meant to drag the renowned singer through the case in the first place. Feeling that her friendship had been exploited, Blake reportedly faced a heartbreaking experience when she was shut down by the person she once considered family. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Unsold 2021 Cars Now Almost Free - Prices May Surprise You Unsold Cars | Search Ads Learn More Undo 'Salma Hayek has been a strong support for her during this time. She's doing everything possible to demonstrate to Taylor how much she cares about her,' the source revealed. The inner circle cut Blake Lively off Meanwhile, the inner circle broke down into devastating pieces, as Gigi Hadid , Selena Gomez , and Cara Delevingne have all shown support to Swift and distanced themselves from Lively. The actress is upset that they pretended to be close friends until Taylor got upset and swiftly cut her off. 'But Blake is bizarrely holding on to hope she can win Taylor back and get back into her 'girl squad.' She's hanging onto the fact that communication hasn't been fully severed,' the source said, before adding, 'But Blake understands Taylor rarely offers second chances. Even so, Blake isn't ready to give up. She loves her deeply and misses her beyond words.'