Long before Sima Aunty and dating apps, Tamil Nadu had one matchmaker — ‘Kalyanamalai’ Mohan.From the rise of television to changing ideas of love and marriage, this OG Tamil matchmaker looks back on his rich 26-year experience of playing Cupid and facilitating over 6.5 lakh weddings.In this Valentine’s Day special interview with The Hindu, Mohan talks about matchmaking, marriage trends, love and how decision making have evolved over decades — from horoscopes to modern expectations.

Soundarya Rajinikanth returns to Tamil cinema as a producer with With Love, starring Abishan Jeevinth and Anaswara Rajan. In an interview with ‘The Hindu’ for the 'This Changed my Life' podcast, she chats about her comeback, why she took a long break and what she plans to do now. She also revisits Kochadaiyaan, her 2014 animation film starring her father and Tamil superstar, Rajinikanth, and talks about her lessons from that experience.

Recorded and edited by: Shivaraj S and Naveen Kumar V

For 50 years, the Rehabilitation Centre for Blind Women (RCBW) in Tamil Nadu has empowered visually impaired women through skill training. From tailoring bedspreads and weaving baskets to baking fresh goods, the centre helps women earn a livelihood and live independently. Founded in 1975 by Dr. Joseph Gnanadhickam, RCBW continues to transform lives with free training and support for education. Discover how touch, resilience, and creativity shape their journey.

Description: Cinematographer Arvind Kashyap, who worked in the pan-India blockbuster 'Kantara: Chapter 1', directed by Rishab Shetty, talks about his life-altering moment in The Hindu's 'This Changed My Life' podcast.

Arvind opens up on learning the tricks of the trade in the indie Kannada psychological thriller 'Lucia' (2013) and how his career evolved from being a drone flyer in marquee movies to shooting big projects across industries.

Reporting: Vivek MV

Editing: Ravichandran N

Popular vedic speaker and harikatha exponent Dushyant Sridhar is busy this Margazhi season. Through his collaboration with singers and dancers, he is blending music and storytelling during this season to draw younger listeners and take classical discourse beyond traditional spaces.

In an interview to ‘The Hindu’, 39-year-old Dushyant talks about the essence of spirituality, how he cites modern examples when he talks about ancient scriptures and his journey as a storyteller so far. He also explains why he appears on advertisements, and why he walked the ramp during a recent fashion event in Chennai that celebrated classical musicians. Dushyant also talks about the trips he puts together for yatris; in 2026, he has Kerala, Cambodia and Egypt on the list.

Reporter: Srinivasa Ramanujam

Video: Johan Sathyadas, Thamodharan B

Edit: Johan Sathyadas

Ajaneesh Loknath has had a busy 2025, with 'Kantara: Chapter 1' being his biggest project of the year. In this episode of 'This Changed My Life' podcast, the Kannada music composer opens up on how meeting Rakshit Shetty and Rishab Shetty proved to be a game changer in his career. From craving for commercial success to scoring music for blockbusters, Ajaneesh opens up on some of the key moments of his journey so far.

Director Suresh Krissna, who is known for his four films with Rajinikanth (Annamalai, Veera, Baasha and Baba) and two with Kamal Haasan (Sathya and Aalavandan), is excited that his Annamalai, his first film with Rajinikanth, is re-releasing on December 12, 2025, coinciding with the Superstar’s birthday.

“Back in 1992, fans celebrated the film as if it was their own. The fact that many elements – including friendship, revenge, love and fights – were part of the cinematic package appealed to them. I hope they love it today too.”

In an exclusive with ‘The Hindu’, as part of ‘This Changed my Life’ podcast, the director talks about how Rajinikanth influenced an entire generation and how his films were lapped up.

Interview: Srinivasa Ramanujam

Video: S Shiva Raj

Edit: Johan Sathyadas

Rukmini Vasanth was just one film old in 2023. Cut to 2025, she has the experience of working in some of the biggest projects of Indian cinema. The Bengaluru girl, who broke through with an intense performance in 'Sapta Sagaradaache Ello', is one of the busiest actors in India today. Having worked in pan-Indian movies like 'Kantara: Chapter 1' and 'Toxic', she opens up in the latest episode of 'This Changed My Life' podcast about her eventful journey.

Did you know that music composer-actor-director Darbuka Siva’s participation in an arts residency in the US changed his life? Watch to find out why – in this latest episode of ‘This Changed My Life’, in which Siva chats about his beginnings as a musician and how he chartered a unique approach towards songs and filmmaking.Darbuka Siva also talks about his fascination for football and why he adopts a ‘football manager style’ mentality when he does films.

#darbukasiva #thehindu #tamilmusic #cinema #podcast

Guest: Darbuka Shiva

Host: Srinivasa Ramanujam

Shot by Shivaraj S

Edited by Johan Sathyadas

Did you know that Tamil actor Vishnu Vishal is very close to Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, and considers the star as ‘God’?Vishnu, whose recent film was ‘Aaryan’, talks about how Aamir Khan came into his life, and how his interactions with him shaped his recent perspectives. He talks about this unlikely friendship in ‘This Changed my Life’, the latest podcast offering from The Hindu.

Guest: Vishnu Vishal

Host: Srinivasa Ramanujam

Shot by Shivaraj S

Edited by Johan Sathyadas