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Headcanon Magazine •

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...
Headcanon Magazine •

Hoping Against Hope In The Universe of “The Teacher Who Promised The Sea”

Forgetting is a burdensome task; the act is taxing, demanding more than you can possibly offer. More so, if it is linked with the sense of sight, where each detail of a particular event functions like muscle memory, eternally worn on your sleeve, and recalled promptly. I have often been fascinated by memory; the idea of reliving the moment, however differently you remember it, each time. 


If that is the case, I wonder, how do the children, whose teacher promised them the sea, ever forget and...
The Wire •

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...
The Wire •

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...
The Wire •

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...
The Wire •

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...
The Observer Post •

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...
Maktoob media •

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...
Feminism in India •

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...
Feminism in India •

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...
Feminism in India •

'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...
Feminism in India •

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...
Feminism in India •

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...
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