How the Women in Cinema Collective Introduced a New Wave of Feminism in Kerala
One of the most remarkable things about Kerala in the 21st century is the recurrence of feminist revolts that are sometimes without a feminist. No, I do not mean state feminism. State feminism in Kerala, at least from the 1990s, has by now had three major effects. First, it
Editor’s Note | Vaishna Roy Writes: Hema Committee Report a Defining Moment in India’s Mass Feminist Awakening
Writing in this issue of Frontline, the feminist scholar J. Devika says: “Malayalam cinema has been historically structured by feudal funding and practices, and women artistes were inevitably taken to be sexually available to the big male names.” This is true not just of Malayalam cinema but of every film industry across
Book Review| ‘The Big Book of Odia Literature’: An Anthology of Odia Literature in English Translation
An inscription in the 13th century Siddham script, from which the modern Odia alphabet has been derived, at Ananta Vasudeva Temple, Bhubaneswar. | Photo Credit: By Special Arrangement The Big Book of Odia Literature is indeed big, at 672 pages, in addition to 50 pages of front matter that includes
Book Review| ‘The Menstrual Coupé’: Women’s Protest on Gender Inequality and Patriarchy
Scenes from daily life in Allepey, Kerala. | Photo Credit: Davor Lovincic/Getty Images Debates on gender equality tend to overlook lived realities. Writer and columnist Shahina K. Rafiq’s collection of short stories, The Menstrual Coupé, takes adeep dive into real life as experienced by women. It is an unabashed and
Book Review| ‘The Menstrual Coupé’: Women’s Protest on Gender Inequality and Patriarchy
Scenes from daily life in Allepey, Kerala. | Photo Credit: Davor Lovincic/Getty Images Debates on gender equality tend to overlook lived realities. Writer and columnist Shahina K. Rafiq’s collection of short stories, The Menstrual Coupé, takes adeep dive into real life as experienced by women. It is an unabashed and
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
Sexual Harassment in Telugu Film Industry: The Reality Behind the Glitz
The Telugu film industry, which spans Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, is as huge as its people’s obsession with cinema. It produces the largest number of movies in India: 317 out of 1,796 in 2023. It accounts for one-fifth of India’s box office revenue of Rs.12,226 crore. And these States house
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
The Keeper of Desolation: A Hindi Story in Translation
This story is from a time that no longer exists. The traditional methods of thievery have given way to approaches that are more dangerous and lethal. Thieves no longer drill holes through walls to steal—only the memories of such activities remain. Pickpockets no longer need any tools; the teeming crowd