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
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
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
One Year of Gaza War | Shashi Tharoor Writes: What Qualifies as ‘Genocide’ Depends on Which Side You Are On
Palestinians bid farewell to relatives at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, following an Israeli strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza, on October 1, 2024. | Photo Credit: Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg In his famous 1946 essay ‘Politics and the English Language’, George Orwell wrote about how language was being corrupted in
Tolstoy’s Letter and Gandhi’s Insights on Love, Nation, and Politics
Two years before Tolstoy passed away at the age of 82, he wrote a letter, “A Letter to a Hindu”, dated 14 December 1908, in response to a letter from Tarak Nath Das, a Canadian immigrant from Bengal who ran the newspaper, Free Hindustan. The letter gained historical significance when