Rangarajan

"Karthik,

I do reply interesting mail like yours. It is a good idea to make shortfilms based on short stories. Modern Tamil literature is full of filmworthy short stories. Ray's teen konya is a masterpiece. Try and see Fellinis Yesterday Today andTomorrow and also Puttanna's "katha sagara" in kannada.

with best wishes

Sujatha"

This e-mail will go to my grave as one of my proudest possessions. I met him at a play in Mylapore fine arts and took down his e-mail address. I wrote to him the next day, saying I wanted to make a film of a short story by Ray. This reply came back in minutes.

Months after this, I was reading his 'vignana siru kathaigal' (science fiction short stories) and was intrigued by one titled "computeray, oru kathai sollu" (computer, tell me a story). The intrigue had to do with the central character of the story, 'Thambu' - a robot that takes news papers as input and gives short stories as output. An 'expert system', pretty much. This story was published in the mid sixties and expert systems were not a reality until the early seventies. I immediately started writing an e-mail to him, asking him whether he ever realized the significance of what he had done.

I also wanted to tell him that I have finished 'haze'.

I also wanted to ask him about his health and whether I can send the dvd to him sometime.

I never finished that e-mail. Now, I will never be able to send it. Ever.

I am on page 26 of "Kanavu Thozhirchalai" - Factory of dreams.

quick notes from Madras...

• Mylapore smells the same, but for a whiff of Davidoff in the air
• Theres traffic jam on mount road at 11:30 PM on a thursday
• An Apollo "1066" ambulance (siren blaring), for heart related emergencies was stuck with me in the same jam. We both took an hour to go from little mount to guindy. Ironically, their tag line is "every minute counts".
• Am definitely having the "1066" episode in my film
• Aachi masala is presenting "National Treasure - book of secrets" in the city
• After years of yearning for it, finally made it to a family wedding. Filter kapi, Nadaswaram, the smell of sweat+jasmine+Davidoff+homam+pongal, paati, chiti, gorgeous relatives.....life's good!
• The foodworld in city centre has snickers, mars and cigarettes near the checkout counter
• Have been holding on to Shantaram for a long time, but surprisingly have not crossed page 11. I think I will start Sujata's "Kanavu Thozhirchalai" instead
• There is no "comedy central" in dad's satellite TV plan
• Went to Akkarai sisters' violin kacheri. I am now a fan!
• I think the 100 rupee note is the new 10 rupee note.