CHENNAI: Language has always been a barrier while teaching of media courses.Keeping this in mind, Loyola College launched India’s first regional language course in Media Arts, at the postgraduate level. Also, the students association of the department was launched today in the campus.
The Tamil medium course offers technical education in media arts, and provides students with the technology and infrastructure to exercise their creativity. The association aims to organise conferences and competitions among various other media-related events in the coming year.
State Minister for Information and Law, G Senthamizhan, lauded the commitment of the Dean of Media Arts, Father Rajanayagam, in bringing Tamil into focus in the study of media. “The title of the association, Thedal, is apt. Search is essential for development. It is for the same reason we have scientific Tamil being taught in schools,” he said.
Prominent filmmakers Prabhu Solomon and Seenu Ramasamy were also present at the function. Both have directed award winning hits, which were critically acclaimed. Dr Revathi Robert, faculty of the department, introduced the guests.
Prabhu Solomon said that Tamil is dying in the film industry. Speaking about his stubborn nature, he said, “I wanted to make a typical Dravidian film, which is what Mynah was. When people mocked me for not having `5 for a cup of tea, I used to pull a script out of my pocket and say I have `10 crore here. If you want to succeed, you need to persevere and continue with your own ideas.”
He also added that anything conveyed without using words is visual communication. “Silence is a powerful tool. People used make-up in earlier days, when they performed on stage. Technology has advanced so much, so what is the need for makeup? It looks artificial,” says Prabhu. He also encouraged students to travel as much as possible to get a feel of their country and to get inspired to come up with new stories.
Seenu Ramasamy, director of Then Merku Paruva Katru, which won three National Awards, said that any cinema showcasing your world is considered world cinema. “Just because dialogues are in Tamil, it does not make it a Tamil movie. In that case, dubbed films of Jackie Chan would be the best Tamil films,” he said.
He also told students that there would be pressure to bring out the same kind of material repeatedly but they should not succumb to it. “We should not ride the same horse again and again, just because it won the race once,” he said.
P Jayaraj, principal of the college, welcomed the gathering. Students sang songs of Bharatiyar, and orated on the state of Tamil in this generation.