Inside Kovai: Valparai emptying out as wild animals thrive, atleast 25,000 persons relocate over the last 10 years

Over the last one week alone, four families of tea estate workers who had been living and working in the tea estates that abound  the rolling, lush green hills of Valparai in Coimbatore district, vacated their homes to settle down in the plains. Two more families from the Mudis Estates, a few kilometers away from Valparai town are packing their belongings to relocate out of the scenic hill station known for its cool climate and breathtaking vistas.

Locked homes and fleeing families are not an anomaly in Valparai but indicators of a disturbing trend. According to the census of 2011, the population of Valparai Municipality, which includes 21 wards, is 70,771.  The population during the 2001 national census was 95,107 signifying an alarming dip over just a 

Non descript theatre in TN-Kerala border makes record profits through Viswaroopam

Located barely a kilometer away on the TN-Kerala border town of Velanthavalam along Palakkad Road is a non descript, almost rundown, C-class movie hall called Sree Dhanalakshmi theatre. Until ten days ago, this theatre was known only two a few thousand residents who live in and around Velanthavalam and frequented to the theatre to watch popular Tamil and English movies.

Since January 25, Sree Dhanalakshmi theatre has been the centre of attraction across Tamil Nadu as hundreds of Kamal fans and movie lovers thronged this theatre from as far away as Chennai to watch the banned Kamal-starrer Viswaroopam. Fans came here from as far away as Chennai catching flights and trains to watch the nonstop screening of the film.

Inside Kovai: Kings and Queens of pulp fiction reign from here

While a plethora of personalities have made Coimbatore famous through their achievements, writers,  especially novelists, still do not find a place in that elusive list.  Ideally, the city ought to be termed the capital  of Tamil pulp fiction as two of the most prolific writers in the field, Rajesh Kumar and Vimala Ramani, claim this city as their home and muse. 

Together, these two writers have published over 2000 novels that have been well received among the public ranging from university vice chancellors to middleclass housewives to the annachi who sells cigarettes in bunk shops next door. 

To the reader of Tamil crime thrillers (non-literary) of the 80s and 90s, writer Rajesh Kumar is a legend.  His thick moustache, dark glasses and dense, curly hair have added such an enigma to the personality that it is hard to believe that he lives in modest two-storrey home in a quiet residential neighbourhood at Vadavalli churning out crime thrillers week after week.