Malayalam Film Industry’s Woes Reflect Kerala’s Own Hierarchical, Feudal, and Patriarchal Structure
In recent weeks, patriarchal norms and male dominance in Malayalam cinema have come under scrutiny following the release of the redacted version of the Justice Hema Committee report. This report, commissioned by the Kerala government, has highlighted the various challenges faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. The committee
Kannada and Tamil Cinema Face Their Demons; But Can They Exorcise Them?
Sujata V, 51, is a psychotherapist based in the US. In the early 1990s, she went by the screen name of Soumya, a teenager who acted in one Tamil and three Malayalam films, Poochakkaru Mani Kettum, Advaitham, and Neelakurukkan. In September 2024, 32 years after she left the industry, she
Hema Committee Report: A Golden Opportunity to Create Safe Workplaces for Women in All Film Industries
The Hema Committee report has caused a whirlwind in Malayalam cinema and society, but if the report is to bring about lasting change, it must be seen as something more than an exposé on the industry. One must look at the report as an opportunity to create conditions that will
Book Excerpt | Kuvempu’s ‘Bride in the Hills’ Recounts Love Stories in a Caste-Afflicted Social Order
Set in the stately, forest-clad hills of Malnad in the Western Ghats during the late 19th century, Bride in the Hills tells the love stories of young men and women aspiring for a life of freedom, dignity, and fulfilment in marriage within a caste-ridden social order. Kuvempu’s multi-centred text, with its
I Often Compare Indian History With Game of Thrones: Historian Ira Mukhoty In Conversation With Anirudh Kanisetti
Historian Ira Mukhoty’s latest book, The Lion and The Lily: The Rise and Fall of Awadh, challenges long-held views about the fall of the Mughal Empire and the rise of British rule in India. Through her focus on the kingdom of Awadh, Mukhoty reveals a complex narrative of regional courts
Is Realism In Movies Edging Out Fantasy And Romance?
Hindi cinema seems to be facing a crisis of confidence, with theatres screening older films rather than newer ones. And these films are doing well too: Laila Majnu (2018) and Tumbbad (2018), for example, earning more at the box office now than when they were initially released. Perhaps it is nostalgia, a sense of
Madhulika Liddle’s ‘An Unholy Drought’ Chronicles Delhi’s History Through Generations
The three sultans who made up the Lodi dynasty figure through much of the book, as do the structures that have immortalised them in what is now known as the Lodi Gardens in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: KRISHNAN VV Madhulika Liddle is well-known for her creation, Muzaffar Jung, a
Kris Kristofferson Dies at 88: Country Music’s Revolutionary Songwriter and Actor
In 2015, during his MusiCares Person of the Year speech, Bob Dylan declared: “Everything was all right until Kristofferson came to town. Oh, they ain’t seen anybody like him. He came into town like the wildcat that he was, flew a helicopter into Johnny Cash’s backyard, not your typical songwriter.
Nobel Prize in Literature 2024: Is the Jury Set to Move Away From Choosing Yet Another Eurocentric, Male Writer?
Since its creation, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been a Eurocentric, male affair. Of 120 laureates, only 17 have been women, with eight of them in the past 20 years. | Photo Credit: JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP The Nobel Prize in Literature has honoured predominantly Western writers since it was first
“Bhakti Is A Matter of Fire and Blood’: Jerry Pinto on Translating Bhakti Poetry, Its Challenges, Rewards, and Cultural Bridges
It is hard to find a form of writing that Jerry Pinto does not revel in. He started as a poet. His 2006 biography of the Bollywood dancing star Helen (Helen: The Life and Times of A Bollywood H-Bomb) changed that. These light-hearted literary avatars were pushed aside by the tender