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About

I am: A writer. Humour. Travel. Films. Music. Sports. Books.

This blog is primarily a journal of the column that I write for the newspaper I am employed at in Chennai. What you read here is all about humour since I say so.

The column’s main audience are Chennaiites, and ergo much of the references and metaphors and similes are taken from Indian and Tamil Nadu context. Some in-jokes, therefore, may miss some of the international readers. But if the jokes miss Indian or Tamil readers too, I am not to blame.

If I say there was a demand for an online version of my column, you will think that I am joking.  So I’ll merely jump to the next paragraph.

The column’s size may be ‘long’ for typical blog posts, but readers here should remember that I am a print journalist, and all scribes operate under the credo ‘all white space need to be covered, and to hell with the readers’ time’. If newspapers ever really went about their business by listening in to what the readers wanted and read, well there wouldn’t be any editorial written at all. Papers would end up carrying nude photos of young actresses.

If you think there was some humour in the previous sentence, then you can be happy that you came to the right site. If you have landed here, guided by a search engine for your query ‘nude photos of young actresses’, well sorry to disappoint you. But if you find a site for that, please mail me at: mail@kbalakumar.com or balakumarkb@gmail.com


  • Just wanted to let you know how much my son and I enjoy your column in Vadapalani Talk (we get it though we are at Porur). Just happened to see on IndiRank that you have a blog too. Keep those smiles coming!

    Best wishes!

  • K Balakumar

    Thanks a lot for your kind words.

  • Veni

    How do we get Vadapalani Talk Times in Ch-92?

  • You have been tagged. I know its a drag, but my hand was forced.

  • Nandini

    I take great delight in reading your page in Chromepet Talk. It’s the first page I pore over when I chance to get a copy!

  • CHANDRASEKHAR

    Dear Balakumar,

    Cool stuff. Your style of writing and the humor quotient is excellent. Let us meet up in the real world one day

    Regards
    Chandrasekhar

  • SURI

    cool stuff keep it going!

  • Write2ragavan
  • Anonymous

    Thank you, sir 🙂

  • Cool

    Bala Sir,

    Thank you so much for meticulously churning out such beautifully humorous articles. Im a great fan of your style of writing. Cranks corner is the first column I read on seeing the Mylapore talk. Thanks for the fun and keep them comin.

  • Anonymous

    Thanks Sriram sir 🙂

  • Lingam

    I lived in Chennai just for 6 months and then shifted to B’lore. I  have a  highly developed sense of humour and read only Astetix comics, MAD magazines, and weather forecasts.  Now I got addicted to  Pillar Talk too and the writings of Balakumar and Jawahar.  Is there any way I can continue to receive this paper? I can pay for postage expenses. Otherwise tell me where can I find a de-addiction centre.

    PG Lingam

  • Lavanyasree Sekar

    dear balakumar i am a writer myself and contribute articles and satire columns to my organization. i just wanted to say that i love reading your columns and sometimes model mine on these as well! would love to know you better and get an opinion on my writing. if interested( and u better be!) u can reach me at 9940096395..lavanya

  • Anonymous

    Thanks for the kind words. Nice to know that you’re also into humour writing. Get across your pieces to my email id (balakumarkb@gmail.com). Shall look at them, and convey to you what I feel about them. 🙂

  • Preeti

    You really do make my weekends livelier with your column in T.Nagar Talk….keep up the great work and spirit 🙂

  • Anonymous

    Thank you. Have a great New Year, Preeti.

  • Om_sivanesan2002

    Balakumar:

    I came acroos your blog when I searching for “Ilayaraja Symphony” and ended up reading your column “Ilayaraja’s symphony” and laughed …well..sort of… more like guffawed.

    Nice work! Made me happy …relieved a bit of my stress…

    I will be reading more of your stuff!

    Kind regards,
    Om

  • kbalakumar

    Thanks mate 🙂

  • S.Sridharan, Chennai

    Your sense of humor , sarcasm and out of the bix thinking is matchless.

  • kbalakumar

    Very kind words. Thank you 🙂

  • Swetha Naidu

    I’m a huge fan of you Sir. I’ve practically read almost every single one of your articles, well atleast most of them. I shifted to Chennai a couple of years back and frankly I wasn’t a huge fan of the shift. But then my sister introduced me to one of your articles and I’ve been reading them ever since. I love the way you write. The ‘humor’, ‘sarcasm’ and the way you think…..I utterly have fallen in love with the way you write. And I also happen to be an aspiring journalist. And truth be told your writing has inspired me to take up Journalism.

  • kbalakumar

    Hi, thank you for the kind words. Nice to know that you want to take up journalism. Do well.

  • Sapphire

    Your sardonic voice, crooked sense of humour gets a laugh out of me every time. I love to read your columns in the Talk. Sometimes I miss the posts one or two weeks. Good to know you have a blog. Thanks for the regular dose of humour!

  • kbalakumar

    Thank you 🙂

  • Ganapathy

    Balakumar, You know there’s a thing about working overseas, people actually work. More so, they don’t even go to the cafeteria in groups to have lunch, they tend to sit at their desks to eat while they work! For a pure bred Indian workhorse like me this practice is fairly off-putting. So while I sat at my desks to wolf down my food, your words tend to give me humorous company. Thank you for entertaining me and scores of others like me, desis caught overseas, through these numerous drab lunches with a little bit of India (Tamilnadu) to hold onto! May your words continue to entertain us! Cheers!

  • Hi I’m Kalai from Houston Texas.. I was just browsing and found your Blog.. Very interesting n Humorous.. I have just started my own blog a couple of days ago n am struggling to write well..I wished I could write as well as you. Anyway I love chennai and everything about it fascinates me..visited Chennai a couple of times n absolutely love it.. Anyway keep up the good work n keep writing. I throughly enjoyed reading it..ROMBA THANKS!!!

  • Ergo

    Which paper are you employed in? And where do your articles appear?

  • kbalakumar

    News Today and Talk Media. Both Chenna-based.

  • Krishna

    I am a huge fan of yours and i make sure that i don’t miss out on your dosage of fun in Selaiyur Talk and i was inspired by your sense of humour. I would really love it if you check out my blog and give your opinion on the same. https://krishbk.wordpress.com/