Beyond the Shadow Lines: Borders, Memory, and Belonging
Revisiting Amitav Ghosh’s The Shadow Lines to explore how memory, migration, and imagined borders shape our understanding of home and identity.
ZAINAB S QAZI
An independent writer and researcher working across film, multimedia storytelling, and strategic communication. Interested in editorial writing, research, brand narratives, and creative production.
'Every migrant carries a deeply human story'
Tribeny Rai, director of the ‘Shape of Momo’ that released last month to rave reviews, reflects on return-migration, the search for belonging, and complex womanhood.
Shape of Momo: Migration, memory, and the myth of homecoming
In her latest film, filmmaker Tribeny Rai crafts a tender, yet insightful exploration of migration, womanhood, and belonging.
Mothers, Daughters, and the Diversity of Womanhood in India
At Play and Other Stories is a feminist commentary which is powerful and empowering at many levels, dealing with the many complexities of human emotions.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig: Resistant, Powerful and Extremely Brave Take on Freedom of Expression
Set against Iran’s “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi” movement, the film follows the life of an investigative judge, his wife and their two teenage daughters, and how they all get affected amid rising protests.
Mo Season 2: A Heartwarming Sequel to the Tale of Food, Family, Hope and Resistance
In a heartwarming sequel to the 2022 semi-autobiographical series Mo, that delves into food, culture, politics, immigration, family and much more, Mohammed Amer, the protagonist and one of the creators of the show, returns promising humour and tears.The Netflix drama centres on the power of resilience and hope for the Palestinians, reflected through one of the most powerful dialogues, “The world will always try to tear us down. And when they do, we smile.”In Season 1, the audience is introduced...
Cultural Appropriation of the Pheran is a Culture Lost
Lying down in the grass as the warm winter sun sets in, I find the sight of most students wearing the pheran – a traditional Kashmiri cloak – unsurprising. Like other central universities in New Delhi, Jamia Millia Islamia University has become an institutional hub that welcomes people from different cultural backgrounds. As a result, an influx of cultural markers like clothing, food and fashion is not uncommon.However, as a non-Kashmiri, I have always been curious about the rapid rise of the ph...
Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par (Pyaasa, 1957): Between the Craftsmanship of Sahir Ludhianvi & the Genius of Guru Dutt
It is one’s miserable fate to watch something as reflective as Pyaasa (1957) for the first time in the centenary year of Guru Dutt, nearly seventy years after the film’s release. And once done, it is inevitable to return to it every few months; perhaps, that is where its genius lies, for it remains timeless and relevant, continuing to mirror the anxieties of each passing decade. In fact, it resonates more so with the present-day India, an India that is more divided and fragmented than ever befor...
Is Urban Infrastructure Resilient to the Growing Climate Change Risks?
Growing urbanisation in India has impacted the rising population within the major urban centres. Rapid changes in infrastructure, transportation, and energy consumption have greatly affected people's ways of living, a new study has found. In collaboration with Deloitte, Artha Global’s Centre for Rapid Insights – a research, consulting, and network-facilitation organisation based in Mumbai – conducted a series of surveys on issues relating to public transport, water supply and energy...
Jamia Nagar, Where Religion and Food Find an Uneasy Comfort
Walking from Jamia Millia Islamia University to my home in Zakir Nagar, I observe the hustle and bustle of an area that long existed and continues to exist on the peripheries: of both, the capital city and simultaneously, of people's imaginations and perceptions of the city. As someone whose parents migrated to this region and have been living here for the more than 20 years, I have internalised all that it has offered me so far. On one hand, I have absorbed regional segregation and i...
Rajasthan: BJP MLA demands ‘Bulldozer Attacks’ Against Muslims during Communal Clashes
In Jahazpur, Rajasthan, communal clashes took place between the Muslims and the Hindus on Saturday. The Hindus alleged that the Muslims pelted stones at their religious procession during the Jaljhulani Ekadashi from inside the Jama Masjid.
As a result, shops of Muslim traders were razed and closed down, internet shutdown took place as Hindus demanded arrests of the Muslims.
Gopichand Meena, local MLA of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded necessary actions to be...
As a result, shops of Muslim traders were razed and closed down, internet shutdown took place as Hindus demanded arrests of the Muslims.
Gopichand Meena, local MLA of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded necessary actions to be...
Fact check: CM Himanta Sarma's claim of Assam’s Muslim population at 40%, up from 12% in 1951, is false
Himanta Biswa Sarma, leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Chief Minister of Assam made a controversial and hateful remark in Ranchi on Wednesday where he said that the rising Muslim population in the state is a “big issue” for him and “a matter of life and death.” He mentioned that the Muslim population is increasing in Assam and has reached 40% already, a significant increase from 1951 when it was just 12% of the total population.
His comment “…Changing demography is a...
His comment “…Changing demography is a...
FII Interviews: In Conversation With Author And Literary Historian Rakhshanda Jalil
Dr Rakhshanda Jalil is one of the most influential academicians, translators and literary historians in contemporary India. As someone who has published over 25 books so far and over 50 academic papers as well as translated the works of renowned writers like Premchand, Saadat Hasan Manto, an...
Why 'Kaala Paani' Is A Must Watch Thriller Of 2023
Spoilers Ahead!If you are someone who is always on the watch out for thriller series, you must have come across the critically acclaimed Kaala Paani (2023) streaming now on Netflix. Directed by Sameer Saxena and Amit Golani, the 7-episode long series is a survival drama and focuses on a water-borne deadly disease that has recently broken out in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.Kaala Paani holds your attention till the very last scene, addresses a range of contemporary issues and the relatability...
Anees Jung's 'Beyond The Courtyard': Stories Of Strength From Remote And Metropolitan India
Beyond the Courtyard (2003) by Anees Jung, a sequel to her previously published book Unveiling India (1987) is a collection of 20 essays, an account of the author’s journey as she travels across India, finding stories within women of different cultures, religions and regions.The book is a delight to read as it not only narrates tales of different women across the subcontinent but also asks serious questions about the identity of women and what it means to be a woman in the remote areas and in th...
'OMG 2': A Failed Attempt At Raising Awareness About Sex Education
Amit Rai`s OMG 2 (2023), the sequel to Umesh Shukla`s OMG – Oh My God (2012) is a humorous drama commenting on sex education in India. With such a “taboo” issue being the centre of the film, it, unfortunately, does not do much justice to it and is a failed attempt at educating people about it. It does a lot many things under the pretext of it being a comedy yet trying to raise serious awareness. This is precisely where the problem with OMG 2 begins. Kanti Mudgal (Pankaj Tripathi) is a devout fol...
The Demise Of Newspapers As A Popular Form Of News Consumption
With the advent of technology and the rapid spread of information on social media, a large section of society likes to consume news and current affairs via popular handles like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Apps etc. With young people abandoning news websites altogether, much cannot...
Narges Mohammadi And Her Dauntless Journey To The Nobel Peace Prize 2023
In 1998, when Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian journalist and a human rights defender was first arrested for her criticisms of the Iranian regime, she must have had no idea of what was in line to follow. Since then, multiple cases have been lodged against her, including confiscation of her passport and a complete ban on her mobility, around 154 lashes, and 13 arrests for around 31 years. Added to all these is her being locked in one of the most notorious and dangerous prisons in Tehran i.e., the Evi...
Madwomen In The Attic: Exploring Mental Health Via Woolf, Plath And Gilman's Work
The 20th-century British literature or modern literature as it is infamously called is the period that often marks a new way to another millennium. Amidst this background emerged some great classical novels, poetry and drama which was to leave an impact on the ages to come. At a time when pr...
Why Sujoy Ghosh’s 'Jaane Jaan' Is A Failed Feminist Project
Sujoy Ghosh is a big name in thriller cinema for giving films like Kahaani (2012) and Badla (2019). His recent release Jaane Jaan (2023) has it all – mystery, thriller, entertainment. However, unlike his previous films, Jaane Jaan largely fails. At one level, it is a story of a mother who is...
Decoding Audre Lorde's 'Uses of Erotica: The Erotic As Power'
Audre Lorde, the feminist icon of the 20th century, who described herself as a “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet,” committed her entire life to fighting against the injustices of white supremacy, homophobia, racism, misogyny and classism.While all of her iconic works remain immortal, on...
'While We Watched': A Story Of Strength, Dissent And Courage In The Face Of Injustice
Namaskar, mai Ravish Kumar: a phrase every NDTV viewer has grown up listening to and will never forget how it was always followed by detailed, logical and factual information. Ravish Kumar, the popular face of NDTV and renowned journalist who now runs his own YouTube channel did brave journa...
If Anything, My Feminism Is Simple And Uncomplicated
As a young visible Muslim woman in a world that is rapidly growing accustomed to feminism, I take some parts of it all in and reject some others. I tend to perceive myself as a woman with multiple and varied identities standing at the cusp of feminism and her religious identity. This becomes challenging when I belong to a religion perceived as “oppressive,” for its women but I choose to be both every day – a vocal feminist and an assertive Muslim woman, countering every challenge that comes my w...
Alarming Rise In Violence Against Christians, A New Report Indicates
India celebrated its G20 Presidency by hosting world leaders from across the globe, while on the other hand, the United Christian Forum (UCF), a civil society group of Christians based in New Delhi, reported to The Hindu that there have been as many as 400 attacks against Christians in the f...
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