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
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
Kali Is A Goddess, A Symbol, and A Felt Presence In A DAG Exhibition In Mumbai
The spectral presence of goddess Kali pervades DAG’s flagship gallery in Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace hotel. The exhibition, “Kali: Reverence & Rebellion” (August 25-October 19), organised by DAG there, is all about the fiery goddess as imagined by artists from the 5th to the 20th centuries. Curated by Gayatri Sinha, the
TRIBUTE | Artist by Day and ‘Daku’ by Night, Hanif Kureshi (1982-2024) Brought Art and Creativity to the Masses
Street artist, designer, and creative entrepreneur Hanif Kureshi lost his life to lung cancer in September. The 41-year-old co-founder of India’s first street art organisation made his mark in Indian cities and abroad with his ingenious use of public space as a canvas. A student of art and visual design
W.E.B. Du Bois’ Enduring Admiration of Mahatma Gandhi Stems from a Shared Belief of Nonviolence
In May 1929, Gandhi received a letter from W.E.B. Du Bois, the Black American scholar and civil rights activist, via British missionary C.F Andrews. Du Bois expressed his pleasure at meeting Sarojini Naidu and Andrews, requesting Gandhi to contribute a message for Black people in his magazine, The Crisis. Gandhi
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.
With the Nobel Prizes Facing Mounting Criticism, Do They Still Remain Relevant In An Era of Global Research?
Every October, a handful of scientists get woken up by a phone call to find out they have won a Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, physics or chemistry. Startled and bleary-eyed, they throw a shirt on over their pyjamas, join a video call to Stockholm and try to explain