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
Kashmiri Shawl Weavers: Unsung Heroes of Art, Rebellion, and Cultural Heritage
In the annals of Kashmir’s tumultuous history, the Zaldagar agitation of 1865 is a watershed moment. On April 29, 1865, the community of Shawlbafs (traditional weavers of the famed Kashmiri shawl) hit the streets of Zaldagar in Srinagar in a peaceful protest against the high taxes levied upon them by
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
Book Review | Tejinder S. Randhawa’s Book Listens To the Whispers of Vernacular Indian Architecture
“If only haveli walls could talk, what fascinating stories they would tell, having witnessed many generations of children growing up and daughters getting married and leaving their familiar surroundings forever.” This is how Randhawa, using a portrait taken from his family archives, explains the extraordinary gathering of Sikh men, most
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