Latest news with #Bharathan
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Napoleon's son Dhanoosh gets married again in US in ‘American style' wedding months after tying the knot in Japan. Watch
Veteran Tamil actor Napoleon's son, Dhanoosh, has recently remarried his wife Akshaya, one year after their first wedding ceremony in Japan. The actor and his family, who relocated to the US a few years ago for Dhanoosh's medical treatment, as he suffers from muscular dystrophy, conducted the newlywed couple's second nuptials in 'American style'. Napoleon took to social media to share the happy news with his fans worldwide. Sharing a video of the ceremony on Instagram, the senior actor noted that the event was organised at the Sri Ganesha Temple in Nashville and was attended by their relatives and friends living in the capital city of the state of Tennessee. Officiated by a person authorised by the US government, Napoleon said, the wedding took place with the blessings of senior priests at the shrine. Having obtained a marriage license from the US government, he noted that the ceremony was held according to American customs. The eldest of Napoleon and Jayasudha's two sons, Dhanoosh, was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at a young age. The family eventually settled in the US for his treatment. A few days ago, Napoleon celebrated Dhanoosh's birthday in grand style and shared photos and videos from the event. Dhanoosh and Akshaya first tied the knot in November 2024 during a grand ceremony in Japan, which was attended by actors such as Karthi, Sarath Kumar, Meena, Khushbu and Suhasini Maniratnam. Around 100 guests from both India and the US, as well as 50 from Japan, were present for the celebration. In a video from the ceremony that went viral on social media, Napoleon was seen getting emotional and tearing up in joy. The wedding festivities included haldi, mehandi and sangeet functions. A post shared by Nepoleon Duraisamy (@nepoleon_duraisamy) A post shared by Nepoleon Duraisamy (@nepoleon_duraisamy) Following his acting debut playing the antagonist in legendary filmmaker Bharathiraja's Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu (1991), Napoleon went on to appear in many movies. He was a leading actor in Tamil cinema in the 90s and delivered many hit films. Some of his most notable works are MGR Nagaril, Bharathan, Oor Mariyadhai, Yajaman, Minmini Poochigal, Dharma Seelan, Maravan, Kizhakku Cheemayile, Vanaja Girija, Ettupatti Rasa, Pokkiri and Dasavathaaram, among others. He has also worked in Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and English languages, delivering strong performances in movies like Devasuram, Hello Brother, Ravanaprabhu and Devil's Night: Dawn of the Nain Rouge. Previously a member of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Napoleon served as the Villivakkam constituency MLA from 2001-2006, and then as a member of Perambalur Lok Sabha constituency from 2009-2014. During his tenure as a parliamentarian, he also served as the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment. He joined the BJP in 2014.
The Hindu
16-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Coimbatore's Kamarajapuram was once a hub for artisanal leather footwear
J Parthiban is mending a pair of sandals with meditative attention. He never looks up — neither the blare of traffic on Mettupalayam Road nor his grey cat that ambles restlessly about his tiny workshop — wavers his focus. As among the last shoemakers in Kamarajapuram, he and his fellow craftsmen were once sought-after in the city and beyond. 'Not any more,' he says bitterly. The 52-year-old from the neighbourhood remembers the entire stretch being lined with around 15 shops that sold footwear in the early 90s. 'There were 200 members in the chappal thozhilalar sangam in the 1980s,' he says, pointing to the closely-knit houses at Kamarajapuram nearby, 'Apart from the shops, several men would hand-stitch footwear from home too. It was a full-fledged cottage industry.' A little across the street, E Bharathan mends footwear in his small shop. 'Coimbatore once used to be a hub for hand-made slippers,' he says. 'We would buy leather from agents in the city who sourced it from Vinnamangalam near Ambur.' These men were experts at creating custom-made footwear. 'I can make slippers of the perfect size by merely looking at a pair of feet,' says Bharathan. They rolled out several trend-setters: such as the Padagotti-style leather slip-ons with a curved tip in the front, sleek slippers that gave off a crisp 'tik-tok' sound with every step the walker took, slippers with sequins embroidered on them. 'But we couldn't compete against machine-made products that started filling the market some 15 years ago,' says Bharathan. He adds that customers would stop by to give their feet measurements and would even pick the design themselves, sometimes sketching it for him. 'I will create the exact pattern for them,' he says, as he sticks a piece of Velcro on a customer's old pair of sandals. Bags for conductors Parthiban adds that the cost of raw materials almost doubled over the past decade, forcing a lot of shoemakers into other lines of work. 'Most of us are now auto-drivers and daily-wagers,' he says. During their good days, the men would regularly supply footwear to wholesalers at Town Hall, apart from selling at their own shops. Jaganathan, his father, was always ahead of his time. 'He started making leather shoulder bags for bus conductors,' he says. Today, it is among his best sellers, and Parthiban continues to get enquiries for the bags that will also make for trendy handbags. The youngest son in a family with 12 children, he joined his father at his shop when he was in his teens, and continues to run it. 'There was a time when we employed four men to work at our shop. Our footwear were sold in Chennai, Erode, and Salem,' says Parthiban, adding that Covid wiped out even the handful of shops that managed to keep their heads above the water. With the emergence of large enterprises powered by advertising, he wonders if people have the time and inclination to appreciate something that is hand-made. S Shiva, who mends footwear at a rented facility in Kamarajapuram, says that their designs are simple, but the end product, hardy. 'A pair would easily last two years,' says the 52-year-old. He points to an old pair of slippers he made for a farm worker. 'I made thick soles so that thorns do not cut through,' he points out. This attention to detail is what sets these men apart. Shiva mends footwear for several major shops in the city. 'They send them over, and I get a small portion from what the showroom bills the customer,' he says. J Murugesh continues to make footwear at his workshop in the locality, that he supplies to wholesalers. The 55-year-old says that Kamarajapuram had the manpower and skill to turn into the Kolhapur of the South. 'But it was not to be,' he says. Kamarajapuram is located on Mettupalayam Road, diagonally opposite to Brookefields mall.
