Talk of the Town

- ILA ARUN'S husky voice and folk-modern combo music in videos never leave the audience with mixed feelings. They either love it, or don't like it.

Now, the ``Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai'' singer has built a fan following in Tamil Nadu, with her song in ``Kadal Kavithai''.

Ask her about the project and she says her ``special voice'' wins her an exclusive spot from music directors.

In her pop music albums, Ila writes lyrics, composes the music and sings. ``I am not a playback singer, but an actress, writer and theatre personality'', she says.

Ila's song in one of her albums is in nine Indian languages - Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Hindi, Marwari, Gujarati, Punjabi and Assamese.

So what is it like to sing in Tamil? ``I was nervous singing with the music by Ilayaraja. I have worked with his son Karthik Raaja in Grahan'', she says.

Incidentally, Ila was helped along with the song by Ilayaraja, who spoke to her in Hindi and English. Karthik Raja has composed three songs for a Hindi album, ``Houle Houle'' by Ila.

Apparently, literature and music transcend the war of words over language, that most people have become so familiar with.

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- FOR TRADERS in Chennai, donation is just a genteelism for `extortion'. The traders who have to reckon with demands for donations by local political leaders, youth for temple festivals are now very sore as they are being fleeced by none other than members of their own tribe.

It is learnt that the traders are being forced to shell out Rs. 100 each by a traders association to meet the expenses for a rally and meeting scheduled to be taken out on May 5. Several associations in the city are protesting and refusing to pay as only a few months ago they had collected money for presenting a vehicle for an association office bearer.

Most of the traders are small time businessmen and they are not willing to voice their protest as their business could get disturbed by anti-socials.

Office bearers who do not co-operate find their names missing from the publicity campaign.

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- LAST FRIDAY, just before the High Court closed for vacation, the Court of the Chief Justice, drew a large assembly of curious advocates. Reason: an unusual legal question was being heard.

An advocate Ms. R. Vaigai arguing a writ petition, questioned whether a High Court Judge, who holds a Constitutional position, can simultaneously hold a post under the State government?

She said that Mr. Justice E. Padmanabhan had been named president of the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission of a neighbouring region. A Judge's post is an independent function, while under the Consumer Protection Act, the Commission president's appointment is made by the Government. Her argument was that this position could not be compared to holding of posts in the COFEPOSA Review Board, which, unlike the Consumer Commission, was only an advisory body and not an adjudicating body. The First Bench, which heard the arguments for about 15 minutes, posted the matter for further hearing after the vacation.

By S. R. Ashok Kumar, S. Shivakumar and K. Ramachandran.

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Section  : Features