A drishti doll from the book Kolli Kannu: Drishti Paintings of Tamil Nadu by Amar Ramesh
| Photo Credit: Amar Ramesh
“Touchwood.” “Kannu pada pogudhu.” “Nazar na lag jaye.”
The very idea of protecting nascent beauty from the evil that you may bear in your eye, dates not just back to your grandmother’s tongue. Earliest sightings of these symbols exist in the form of alabaster idols with incised eyes in ancient Mesopotamia. Then there are the gargoyles of Gothic architecture in Europe, and the blue beaded eye from Turkey, promising to protect you from envy and malice.
A drishti doll from the book Kolli Kannu: Drishti Paintings of Tamil Nadu by Amar Ramesh
| Photo Credit:
Amar Ramesh
How it came to become a formidable mustachio-ed man in chrome yellow, brandishing a menacing red tongue adorning the walls of Tamil Nadu is a story in itself. This tale will reveal itself in a conversation between Ashvin E Rajagopalan, director, Ashvita’s and Piramal Foundation, and Amar Ramesh, photographer and author of Kolli Kannu: Drishti Paintings of Tamil Nadu on November 28 at MadCo on Cathedral Road.
Part of the The Hindu’s Lit for Life Unplugged, this event borrows from the popular Lectures on Tap movement that began in New York City in 2024. Experts here will speak about an array of interesting subjects, over 40 minutes, followed by a classroom-style free-for-all barrage of questions.
The Hindu’s Lit For Life Unplugged
Ashvin says, “Nazar’s function is the same as the very word. The objective is to remove the focus from the object of beauty or the self, and shift the focus of the negative energy away from the main subject, object, or person.”
He adds that iconography showcasing drishti can be found in every Kanchipuram stone temple since the 5th Century. Once inspired by the yaazhi, a mythical creature from South Indian mythology that is often depicted in the form of a lion, elephant, and serpent, drishti in this State now looks like a monster. A rakshasan. “This is because the potters of Tamil Nadu, who made terracotta masks and the Ayyannar statues, decided to play around with the form and changed it to look much like a man. The iridescent colours came to be when enamel paints were introduced in 1890,” he adds.
A drishti doll from the book Kolli Kannu: Drishti Paintings of Tamil Nadu by Amar Ramesh
| Photo Credit:
Amar Ramesh
Amar Ramesh says that chance made him begin shooting the images of these drishti dolls back in 2010. “Some had symbols of scorpions, others had images of snakes. Many are based on caste too. The more I captured them, the more I was fascinated,” he says. Amar says that moulds have replaced the painted form of drishti which is why it is essential to preserve it. He also hopes to popularise it in pop culture.
“As die-hard fans of everything kitsch, colourful, and wonderfully weird, we’re thrilled to host this talk at MadCo,” says Santhosh Zachariah Abraham, managing partner, MadCo. He adds, “Amar Ramesh’s book is a riot of drishti bommais — those comically monstrous faces we’ve all seen a thousand times but never really looked at. It’s a reminder that art hides in plain sight. Our bar has always celebrated Tamil flavours through its food and cocktails, so bringing a little culture into the mix feels just right.”
A drishti doll from the book Kolli Kannu: Drishti Paintings of Tamil Nadu by Amar Ramesh
| Photo Credit:
Amar Ramesh
There are many other mystical reasons why drishti takes away from the object of desire and superimposes the negative on the grotesque. Join us, and find out why — this is an event that will definitely keep nazar away.
Lit for Life Unplugged, part of The Hindu’s Lit for Life festival, takes place on November 28 at 6pm. Entry is free — the programming is on us, the drinks are on you. Seats are limited to 50, so please register. DM @madco_chennai to save your spot, and do not ghost us… we’ve got the drishti bommai watching.
Published – November 19, 2025 07:26 pm IST
