Kannammaa Writes

My Abortion Story This is not the story of the abortion I had - this is a story about women thinking ahead about a child's future and quality of life. I was conceived when my mom was 30, and my dad, 50. Immediately, my mom didn't want this pregnancy because: My dad will retire in 7 years. My mom doesn't have a job with consistent salary. Her concerns: Who will educate this ball of cells if it's born? We don't even have our own house. There are already 6 children in the house who'll need higher education and funds for marriage. The household is already hostile - and this unborn's stepmother hates them already. Mulling over all these, my mom decided to have an abortion - and she asked my dad, who was a physician's assistant. And like all these dumb pro-lifers, he wouldn't hear any of it. He didn't care that he didn't have the resources to raise another child. He didn't care that his advanced age would impact his sperm quality - hence me. My...

  Why I Love Dum Dum Dum So Much One of the movies I didn't grow to dislike is Dum Dum Dum. Directed by Azhagam Perumal, with music by Karthik Raja, and released in 2001, Dum Dum Dum is a a feel-good movie that makes me feel that directors these days could refer to it before writing female characters. 1. Intelligent lead female character who knows what she wants - to study further. Ganga ((Jyothika) is the 2nd state topper and wants to go to college in Chennai - but her father fixes her marriage with his former boss' son, much to her frustration. So, she plans to stop the marriage with the groom, Adhityan (Madhavan) who is also uninterested in marriage - preferring to enjoy life as a bachelor in the city.  2. No love at first sight BS - Ganga and Adhi start liking each other after getting to know each other - and that's refreshing. Only a handful of Tamil movies don't show how the hero is smitten by the heroine purely based on how she looks, upon laying eyes on her - Du...

  I was 18 when the movie Citizen released in 2001. Ever since, I am obsessed with Nagma's character in the movie: CBI Senior Officer Sarojini Harichandran who leads the investigation involving a vigilante named Citizen, played by Ajith Kumar. Everyone tried to diminish Nagma's acting as the lead CBI Officer. They were saying that her voice is too guttural. Her widened eyes and snarly way of speaking didn't sit well with many. People were complaining that she over-acted in this role. They preferred her roles in Kadhalan, Love Birds, Pistha, Mettukudi - typical. The way Sarojini leads her team to get to the bottom of the case involving Citizen and a lost hamlet called Atthipatti is nothing short of inspiring. Seeing a woman with intelligence and able to put two and two together feel refreshing in a world fixated with women's body parts. Sarojini's passion and vigor to uncover the mystery surrounding a lost village prove that women aren't only intelligent - but al...

  Dhanam is a movie that reveals the bad and good side of society and law enforcement - courageously breaking caste perceptions and showing how astrology can and is manipulated for selfish interests. Dhanam is a s*x w*rker who is a do-gooder to the people in her neighborhood. While many men view her as an object for their lust, economically poor men in the neighborhood regard her as their sister, mother, and an angel who helps sate their hunger and protect their children. A college student falls in love with Dhanam and expresses interest to marry her after approaching her as a customer. Dhanam refuses him. When he takes her to meet his conservative Brahmin family, they disapprove his choice of a bride. The family's astrologer tells them that Dhanam is the lucky charm that would bring windfall to the family. So, the conservative Brahmin family keeps their caste pride and their norms aside and agrees to the marriage - not because they suddenly believe in equality - it was all for mon...

  A befitting tribute to Bharathiraja is by reminiscing his feminist film, Karuthamma. A Film That Refused to Look Away Some films entertain. Some films move us. A rare few force an entire society to confront its own reflection. In 1994, filmmaker Bharathiraja released Karuthamma , a film that dared to speak about one of the darkest realities hidden within rural India: female infanticide. At a time when the subject was rarely discussed openly, Bharathiraja brought it to the center of public consciousness, exposing a practice that many preferred to ignore. The film is not merely a story about the killing of baby girls. It is an examination of the social, economic, and cultural forces that make such violence possible. It asks uncomfortable questions about patriarchy, dowry, poverty, and collective complicity. More importantly, it asks a question that continues to resonate today: What kind of society destroys its daughters while worshipping motherhood? The Horror of Normalized Violenc...