What’s in a name? A lot, says the Tamil Nadu government. Film producers in this cine-crazed state are in for trouble if they do not name their movies carefully. The government has decided to withdraw tax concessions to films with Tamil titles if the names commit the sin of ?tarnishing or destroying the language itself?. The objective of giving tax sops to films was to promote the use of Tamil as a language, not to abbreviate and mangle it. So filmmakers, watch out. The nomenclature police is on the prowl.
The ID box
In Tamil Nadu, political power apparently flows from TV studios, which accord instant visual recognition to the high and mighty. The famous spar between the DMK and the Marans, who own Sun TV, saw the launch of a separate TV channel by the CM?s family. The Congress has two channels: Mega TV floated by party MP KV Thangabalu and Vasantha TV launched by MLA Vasantha Kumar. The AIADMK, led by J Jayalalithaa, has Jaya TV to air the party?s views. Similarly, the Pattali Makkal Katchi has Makkal TV. The latest to join the TV war is Vijayakant, who plans a 24-hour entertainment channel to drive his party?s point home, appropriately packaged. With more actors slated to enter politics, channel zapping is likely to become an avid sport.
Last item
Eavesdropper has large and flappy ears, a crucial job requirement, but has not ventured anywhere close to a zoo in a long time, except circum-tangentially in a book, let alone had enough thoughts to present a ?paradigm? on the subject. Tuesday?s column in this space (?Zoo paradigm?, March 11), on investigation, was found to be the work of Headless Chicken disguised as Eavesdropper. Something to do with escaping bird flu, one presumed. However, it turns out to have been just a good ol? slip-o-the-keyboard.
