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Reel-time blogs
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The blog has become the preferred medium of interaction for Tamil cinema buffs, says M. ALLIRAJAN
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IN THEIR virtual world, comment is free. Probably, that's what drives many of them to create their own corner in cyber space. From being a medium for largely opinion-based articles and personal details, the blog has now become an active forum for Tamil cinema buffs.
Chennai-based software engineer Guru Subramanian (www.lazygeek.net) , who has been blogging about Tamil cinema since 2002, is thrilled with the response he gets for his blogs. "On an average, I get more than 500 hits a day. Besides acting as a place where I can give vent to my feelings, the blog has opened up a new world of friends who have become regular readers and commentators. Their perspectives have changed the way I look at Tamil cinema," he says.
He writes about the paradoxes of Tamil cinema and has even won awards for his weblogs. Suresh Kumar, an engineer employed with Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS), has been writing on cinema for the past 18 months.
"I review Tamil music albums, Hindi movies and music albums, English movies and music. It is more than just a hobby. It is a passion," he observes. So much so he has been trying out screenplay writing. The blogging community is getting bigger by the day. "It is catching up, especially among the youth. Many have started their own blogs. Every now and then I come across a new blogger writing about Tamil cinema," Suresh points out.
If you don't have a real-time person with similar interests to interact with, the blog becomes your natural alternative. "I don't have people around to share my thoughts about movies and movie making. I needed an outlet to communicate with people. When my views are heard and debated by someone who has a similar interest, it gives me a lot of creative satisfaction," he says.
Blogging evolved as an alternative medium for airing opinions and Tamil cinema blogs are no exception. However, some do get predictable. "Though there are a lot of websites on Tamil cinema, many are stereotypical. Instead of giving an intelligent personal touch and an alternative view of Tamil cinema, they act as mouthpieces of filmdom," a blogger points out.
"What seemed like an amateurish bunch has evolved into an alternative source for opinion about Tamil films," avers Hemanth Kumar (www.taekada.com) , another avid blogger.
A group of cinema bloggers even organised a meeting recently at the Besant Nagar beach in Chennai. Says Guru, who organised the meeting: "Even non-bloggers attended the meeting. Our discussion centred on the joys of blogging, movies and music. We are trying to form a community to encourage blogging."
Focus on cinema
"A large number of Indian blogs focus on cinema," notes Pon. Rathnavel, a net movie buff. "It is an excellent medium to reach out to the people around the world. It can also be used to propagate Tamil cinema," he adds.
Many bloggers are professionals. So, do they get enough time to pursue their passion? While a few say that they have plenty of time to work on reviews, many rue that they are not able to concentrate on their favourite pastime.
"Most bloggers have a day job. Due to this, the frequency of updates and sustainability suffer. But, dedicated bloggers have maintained their enthusiasm," says Hemanth, who also blogs about Chennai, Tamil Nadu and politics.
Some bloggers are even trying to form a forum for Tamil film appreciation. That might well become the new meeting point for these `virtual commentators'.
Sites you could visit
http://indibloggies.blogspot.com
http://madrasblogmeet.rediffblogs.com
http://theultimatereality.blogspot.com
http://themottaiboss.blogspot.com
http://rightho.com/blog
http://extrospectrivia.blogspot.com
http://superstarksa.blogspot.com
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