A number of disturbing questions have come up in the context of the communal violence that has engulfed Haryana over the last three days and the manner in which it is spreading to neighbouring regions including Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. There are striking similarities to a repeating political narrative and project previously tried out in the run-ups to earlier elections in several States and the Centre.
The AIDEM discusses the varied issues related to the obviously orchestrated violence in the Nuh district of Haryana and its political ramifications. The panel consists of Aridaman Jit Singh, a former BSF Officer and a Security Affairs Specialist who has done a lot of groundwork in the region, Sheetal P. Singh, political analyst and senior journalist and Venkitesh Ramakrishnan, Managing Editor of The AIDEM.
Discussion anchored by senior journalist Anand Haridas. The discussion unravels the complex social mechanisms at work, which are constantly under attack by the forces of communalism.
<img alt="KSFE_ad-1024x1024 (1).webp" src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/KSFE_ad_1024x1024_1_a485d571ee.webp" />

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A number of disturbing questions have come up in the context of the communal violence that has engulfed Haryana over the last three days and the manner in which it is spreading to neighbouring regions including Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

The Causes Behind the Haryana Communal Violence: And Why is it Spreading to Delhi?

Recently, Malayalam social media platforms witnessed a viral media clip themed around a scene from the 1972 classic, The Godfather. However, what made this rendition a hit among Malayalis was the recreation of the roles of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), Moe Greene (Alex Rocco), and Fredo Corleone (John Cazale) by replacing them with Malayalam superstars Mohanlal, Mammootty, and Fahad Fazil respectively through Deepfake, one of the cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology tools. Even though this tool has been there for a while, it is perhaps now for the first time that the common Malayali has taken note of this particular generative AI technology. <img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/God_father_web_300x212_179e35b1c3.jpg" alt="God-father-web-300x212.jpg"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/God_father_O_Gweb_300x212_ee59566436.jpg" alt="God-father-OGweb-300x212.jpg">As everyone can see, it opens up a myriad of possibilities for the creative and entertainment industry. You can insert the images of popular figures into historical videos or make Hollywood classic actors speak Malayalam. Do you remember the famous scene from the Tamil movie Indian where Senapathi, the protagonist, receives a medal from Subhash Chandra Bose? Creating such computer graphics-related scenes has become a lot easier with the use of artificial intelligence. Unlike other generative AI techniques like ChatGPT and DALL·E 2, which deals with texts and images, deepfake is going to pose a bigger threat of being misused. Such artificially made videos/audios can be used for malicious purposes like blackmailing people, or damaging someone’s reputation by spreading misinformation and pornography involving their images. According to a 2018 report by leading AI research firm Deeptrace, a staggering 96% of the deepfake videos found online were pornographic. Earlier, high computational power, large datasets and exposure to advanced machine learning algorithms were absolutely necessary for creating a deepfake video. But with the latest advancement in generative AI technologies, people with limited machine learning expertise could make use of this technology with very few photos and fake videos. This obviously raises a lot of ethical, legal and social concerns for society.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/image_2023_07_05_144439577_1_473951cf8a.png" alt="image_2023-07-05_144439577 (1).png"> Demographic breakdown of deepfake videos from top five deepfake pornography websites and top 14 deepfake YouTube channels | Source: DeeptracePolitical RepercussionsMisinformation has become one of the key challenges faced by the online world for quite some time now. In the recent past, we witnessed a flood of photoshopped fake images claiming to be images of development, especially during elections. In a country like India where the Internet landscape and reach are extensive and accountability is minimal, the rapid spread of fake news, half-baked truths, gossip and unfounded rumours find eager recipients.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/image_2023_07_05_144319835_89288f639f.png" alt="image_2023-07-05_144319835.png"> Techniques behind creation of a deepfake contentFor example, a malicious user can create a deepfake video/audio of a politician saying something that he/she never said. Such misinformation can damage the politician’s reputation in the short and long terms affecting his electoral prospects. In fact, such tactics are already being deployed but we don’t have any specific mechanism in place to counter it.For example, a few days ago, a case was registered in Karnataka against Amit Malviya, the national head of the BJP’s IT wing, for allegedly posting a fake video of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. This created a political furore, and a long legal battle is ahead.What is Deepfake and How did it all start?In 2017, a fake sex video of Gal Gadot (the Wonder Woman star) appeared in the online platform Reddit. The porn video, purported to raise an allegation of incest against her, was made from deep-learning algorithms by affixing Gal Gadot’s face onto a porn star’s body. It originated from Reddit handle with the pseudonym ‘deepfakes’. This was believed to be the first public exposure of the effect of a deepfake technology and the technology was named after that Reddit handle.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/image_2023_07_05_144919775_1_1ea09cfe5e.png" alt="image_2023-07-05_144919775 (1).png"> Screengrab of the fake porn video featuring Gal Gadot | Source: ViceHow can you spot Deepfake? As the machine-learning algorithms get smarter, it becomes increasingly harder to detect deepfake with human eyes. However, these are some tips to identify a deepfake created by a less-trained person.<ul><li>Unusual skin tones, color tones and lighting</li><li>Differences in audio quality</li><li>Unnatural body shape or movements</li><li>Repeated unnatural eye movements</li></ul>During the initial days of deepfake in 2018, researchers found that deepfake eyes don’t blink. That was mainly because the models were trained with images that had the eyes open (which was available in public domain). After this was observed, this issue was ‘fixed’ in the latter versions and deepfake faces started to blink. This only underscores the rat race that we engaged in. A lot of academic research is happening in this direction.How are Governments dealing with Deepfake?One can argue that this technology creates more problems than it solves. Revenge porns and politically insinuating videos will pose a tough challenge to legal systems across the world. Over the last few years, many countries, including the United States, China and the United Kingdom started amending the laws to address this new phenomenon.In the United Kingdom, the Online Safety Bill amendment process started in 2022 to address issues such as revenge porn, voyeurism and deepfakes; and now the U.K. has criminalised exchange of deepfake images showing intimacy. China has also banned creation of deepfakes in January 2023 on the basis of the guidelines of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the country’s Internet regulator. The United States is planning to introduce curbs on sharing non-consensual AI-generated pornography, and making it illegal. A bill moved by Congressman Joe Morelle is currently under discussion. India too might consider moving in a similar direction to address the challenges posed by deepfakes.References:<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.7;margin:0px 0px 15px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-laws-to-better-protect-victims-from-abuse-of-intimate-images">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-laws-to-better-protect-victims-from-abuse-of-intimate-images</a><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.7;margin:0px 0px 15px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://regmedia.co.uk/2019/10/08/deepfake_report.pdf">https://regmedia.co.uk/2019/10/08/deepfake_report.pdf</a><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.7;margin:0px 0px 15px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/gydydm/gal-gadot-fake-ai-porn">https://www.vice.com/en/article/gydydm/gal-gadot-fake-ai-porn</a>

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Recently, Malayalam social media platforms witnessed a viral media clip themed around a scene from the 1972 classic, The Godfather. However, what made this rendition a hit among Malayalis was the recreation of the roles of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), Moe Greene (Alex Rocco), and Fredo Corleone (John Cazale) by replacing them with Malayalam superstars Mohanlal, Mammootty, and Fahad Fazil respectively through Deepfake, one of the cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology tools. 

Deepfake Dystopia

How do social media and smartphones affect the mental well being of our kids? A pertinent question that all parents among us ask ourselves. A new study from the US paints a bleak picture and warns about terrible consequences. A report from The AIDEM Desk.
Psychologists like Jean Marie Twinge have been warning the world about this for a while. Now the US Surgeon General has published an advisory corroborating the negative impacts of social media and smartphones on the mental health of children and young people. The advisory is based on the current body of evidence available regarding the use of social media and its impact on the young. It also points to the existing lacunae in serious and comprehensive research in this field. The major worry that this advisory expresses is about the potential threat that social media poses in the brain development of young people in their critical formative years. 
The negative impact depends on the time spent on social media, the disruption that it causes to sleep and physical activity, the type of content each kid is exposed to, and the kind of engagement. The advisory says that brain development in an individual happens between the ages, 10 to 19. The problem is that this is also the age when risk taking behaviour is at its peak, and mental health issues such as depression sets in. When the impact of social media co-evolves with the mental vulnerabilities of this age, it is observed, life satisfaction is greatly reduced. 
The advisory does not completely ignore the benefits of social media and smartphones, community and connection being the best of them. Access to information is also another crucial benefit. 
Yet, the advisory cites many US-based studies to point to concrete evidence suggesting the potential harms of social media use for young people. One study reveals that adolescents who spend more than 3 hours per day on social media have double the possibility of having mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Since social media was introduced in the US, there has been a 9% increase in depression and 12% increase in anxiety among the college-aged population. When social media use was reduced to 30 minutes daily for 3 weeks, the severity of depression also came down.
The US Surgeon General’s advisory concludes that social media perpetuates “body image concerns and eating disorders”. Another major issue of concern is the finding that 6 in 10 adolescent girls reported that they had been contacted by strangers on social media platforms “in ways that make them feel uncomfortable”.
Problematic social media use has been associated with reported and diagnosed Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The advisory says that there is a serious evidence gap here which needs to be addressed immediately.
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Actions Suggested by the US Surgeon General
The advisory does not mince words when calling for interventions from policy makers to strengthen protection for children and young adults on social media platforms and ensure data privacy. Create a family media plan, create tech-free zones, encourage children to develop in-person friendships, be a model social media user for children, teach kids to be responsible online participants, teach kids about proper use of technology, report cyberbullying and online abuse, work with other parents to establish shared norms… these are the advices that the US Surgeon General gives the parents.
More Study Outcomes on Social Media and Young People
Here are a few more reported study outcomes related to social media use among children and young adults.
In the US, between 2011 and 2021, clinical depression among teenagers doubled. Between 2007 and 2019, suicide rates among teenagers nearly doubled. Among the 10-15 year age group, suicide rates tripled. Mental health of Gen Z (18-24 age group) is worse than their previous generations when they were at this age.
The China Interventions
In China, it is reported that the government has enforced rules for social media companies for compulsory blackout hours, and time limits for young people. Douyin is the Chinese version of Tiktok. For children aged under 14, the app will work only for 40 minutes per day. The government also made the companies add “go to bed” and “put down the phone” messages after each video is played for a child or adolescent user.
The Indian Situation
In India, no major comprehensive study has been conducted so far on the impact of social media on young people. A few studies with limited sample size and scope have identified both positive and negative impacts. Dr. A K Jayashree, a medical doctor, renowned community medicine expert and gender activist of Kerala, told The AIDEM that there is still no concrete evidence to pinpoint the roots of the mental health issues faced by the youth on social media. However, she agreed that during the pandemic and after it, mental health issues among children and young people have increased in alarming proportions, the major manifestation being suicides and depression, and some of these could be attributed to excessive social media use as well. She also said that mental health issues caused by lack of physical activity and insecure body image would most probably be directly connected to social media use but stressed the need for in-depth studies before we reach conclusions. 
To assess the impact of social media use, it is clear, India also needs comprehensive studies based on unbiased approaches and methodologies.

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How do social media and smartphones affect the mental well being of our kids? A pertinent question that all parents among us ask ourselves. A new study from the US paints a bleak picture and warns about terrible consequences. A report from The AIDEM Desk.

Social Media and Mental Health of Adolescents: New Warnings

“Any incident in which an employee is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work is unacceptable and not tolerated. This includes the serious or persistent use of verbal abuse, aggressive tone and/or language and swearing/foul language.”This signage covering every other wall in a local NHS hospital in the United Kingdom came as a pleasant surprise for a junior doctor like me who hailed from a country where abuse was the norm.Over the years the poor practice of medicine in India, the constant abuse from patients and family, the poor pay for the inhumane hours, the insane hierarchy rules, and the abuse from corporate management were some of the reasons which prompted us to leave to the UK.The system here is so different from what we practise in India that it definitely gave me some culture shock.Before ensuing employment, each employee is educated in detail regarding safety measures and protocols. There are entry portals for each ward which can be accessed only by ID cards or authorisation by staff.There are guards who actually look like they mean business with proper training and necessary equipment in case of an emergency.But most of all there is a proper protocol (CODE GREY) placed for the safety of healthcare personnel following recurrent government funded audits that take into consideration every incident seriously, and make necessary plans which are later reassessed by reaudits.But most importantly respect starts in the house in the most gentle and respectful way in which junior doctors are treated by even the most senior doctors. Their behaviour sets an example for how the patients regard us.I’m sure we all have the nice little memory of being treated as an imbecile during ward rounds for a bit of an ego play.3 years ago, it was during a busy night shift at the Government General Hospital (Kozhikode Beach Hospital) that I faced my first significant abuse from a patient.A middle aged man who had come with a trivial rash of a month’s duration waved his OP sheet at me at the busy casualty setting.With a sigh of indignation, I calmly reprimanded him saying, “Chetta (brother), can you read the board behind me that advises people that trivial cases should be consulted at the OPD? There might be more significant cases waiting in the line that might reach us late if we spend time treating non-emergency cases.”Before I knew it, he had balled up the paper and thrown it at my face, pushed back his chair loudly while yelling, “If you can’t treat people, why don’t you go sit at home? It’s with our tax money, you people are learning.”Hot with embarrassment and aghast at what had just unfolded I watched in dumb shock.The entire Casualty which was teeming with people quietened and the consultant doctor who sat at the head of the table just mildly shook his head at me asking me to not react.Only my racing heart beat and echoed in my ears seemed to have witnessed the spectacle and reacted appropriately.After all that’s what we are taught from the start of medicine.Empathise, be kind and move on.When I came home with a heavy heart to discuss this with my husband, he told me not to take it to my heart and recalled a similar story at Calicut medical college where he was shoved and yelled at by a bystander of a fracture case because he did not attend to the case fast enough.My husband was dealing with a dying man but who cares?!The ‘letting go’ of passive aggressive comments of how we loot patients, sometimes even from close family, the recurrent verbal abuse and direction of anger at doctors for delayed treatments while it is the failing infrastructure, suboptimal funding and poor hiring that is to blame, the indignation towards doctors for the bills placed by the hospital management and even physical assaults for something as logical as denying access to the ICU has all finally culminated in this, a death.A death so avoidable.Dr Vandana Das, a mere 22 year old girl was killed at Kottarakara Taluk Hospital due to the absence of proper protocol in dealing with a potentially combative person.Combative people are not new to this state yet there weren’t any policies or protocols in place but rather the government chose to give a primary comment of her cause of death as her being ‘inexperienced’.She was a mere green horn house surgeon obviously frozen in the face of brandished surgical scissors because her expertise was limited to caring and healing and not to pull out a gun from apron pockets or swish the stethoscope and catch the assailant in the eye.The more ‘experienced’ government with their ‘should have been there’ policies, the hospital management with their ‘should have been there’ security services and the law enforcement with their ‘should have been there’ instincts and training, failed her.All we can hope for now is proper law enforcement and alteration of policies from the Kerala Health Ministry pertaining to all such cases.Patients under substance influence above a certain degree shouldn’t be brought into the casualty without taking proper measures or should be allotted a different treatment room anticipating an episode. The escorting police personnel should be given proper training regarding identification of signs of mental instability, potential combative behaviour and how to tackle them successfully.It’s only with the team efforts from the law enforcing agencies, health ministry and hospital management that such a protocol can be placed for the safe practice for doctors.And senior doctors, with the utmost respect from our hearts, we know you mean well but please treat us with respect in front of patients for they are watching every move; possibly imbibing on unsaid opinions on how to treat us junior doctors.We want to help people, we do. But not at the cost of giving our own.Or Kerala is just going to lose their brightest minds to safer countries.<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;display:inline !important;float:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Click <a style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://theaidem.com/regarding-health-workers-safety-what-we-could-learn-from-england/">here</a><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;display:inline !important;float:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"> to read this article in Malayalam.

Any incident in which an employee is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work is unacceptable and not tolerated. This includes the serious or persistent use of verbal abuse, aggressive tone and/or language and swearing/foul language.”a

Safety to Doctors at Workplace; What to Learn from United Kingdom

2022 was another year that bore testimony to the fact that when it comes to matters of gender inequality and gender violence in the everyday, Kerala had yet another innings at not daring to dream of change, but of buttressing social inertia with studied reluctance and privileged insolence, in order that nothing would upset its staid and conservative mores or topple the apple carts of its benevolent patriarchy. Of course, feminists or ‘feminichies’, as they are ‘lovingly’ called had another year of vociferous debates, critically and rigorously engaging with many of the events that unfolded in the social milieu, even while issues like the sexual harassment case against Civic Chandran brought to the fore ideological faultlines that divided the camp and created acrimonious and sometimes vitriolic debates. The reluctance to see that feminisms is also about multiplicity, difference, and ‘differance’, that each reaction to an oppression need not run the same course as any other, and the insistence that one’s feminist credo was the one and truly “correct” one led to a fair amount of heartburn and divisiveness that challenged sorely needed feminist solidarities.The human sacrifice of two women, their bodies cut to pieces and buried after gory rituals, which shocked the conscience of Kerala’s public sphere, nevertheless brought to the fore the pernicious conservatism and superstition ridden underbelly that hides in and haunts its literate surface and civil society engagements. Kerala’s endogamous big fat weddings that legitimise dowry, while diligently stabilising caste and class and conservative religious mores belie its much-touted renaissance values. The Supreme Court judgement on women’s entry into Sabarimala and the ensuing menstrual debates and feminist activism that created a huge neo-conservative backlash testify to the half-baked project of Kerala’s modernity and the false bravado of its enlightenment project while busting the myth and mystique around its gender investments. Yet, women are coming out, as never before in Kerala, to question its benevolent patriarchy, to claim spaces in its emergent digital public spheres, muddying male logic and its mansplaining practices with multiple kinds of online and digital women-speak. Young women have begun challenging the overarching burden of carrying mainstream definitions of feminism, bringing their own lived experiences and their individual resistances to chart their journeys of everyday resistance. That said, gender migration from Kerala seems on the rise, many young women and sexual minorities choosing to run away from the unbearable oppression of its mundane conservatism.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/human_sacrifice_9ab5691aeb.jpg" alt="human-sacrifice.jpg">Kerala’s journey on its exemplary trangender policy, along with iconoclastic moves for gender reforms such as transgender reservation, while continuing to be ridden by pitfalls and issues, often revealing the yawning gap between the cup and the lip, nevertheless saw the year offering an ‘Idam’ or space to sexual minorities, making many general hospitals in the state transgender friendly. The novel drive for ‘gender-neutral’ (unisex would have been more appropriate) uniforms in the state, was caught up in the problematics of the nomenclature, with the government backing away hastily after conservative religious outfits expressed their moral outrage at the move. Once again orthodoxy and reactionaryism would triumph over politics and perception, even as forlorn civil society protests would be bulldozed under the sheer mass power of the moral majority vote bank. Kerala’s higher education portals have ambitious syllabi on ‘Gender and Sexuality’ and ‘Queer Studies’, leaving many wondering as to what the sum and substance of student takeaway from these classes in a society would be, where the fact that gender is a spectrum and not a binary seems to have been the least of intellectual or social concerns.Yet, hope bloomed sometimes in mass dream machines. Kerala’s most potent schools of misogyny have been its popular culture industry. After the success of the Great Indian Kitchen which offered a sneak peak into rotting mess of Malayali kitchens, films like Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey, while having many inherent ideological issues at its core, had audiences cheering when the female protagonist, a wife at that, beat the male hero husband to pulp. Long have been the years when Malayalam Cinema had audiences, both men and women, burst into applause as one superstar after another mouthed crassly misogynist dialogues or slapped heroines into coy submission, awakening them to new forms of feminine bliss. That spectatorial pleasures had changed, and the spectacles of colossal male machodom were coming undone at the seams, yielded fresh hopes for the future, both for Malayalam Cinema and the viewing public.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/jaya_jaya_hey_fe06f87da2.jpg" alt="jaya-jaya-hey.jpg"> Movie Poster of Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey2022’s mixed bag of gender equality for women Kerala, its violence and gaps exacerbated by the pandemic, nevertheless holds the promise of a new dawn. A dawn that will hopefully exorcise the new age shadow pandemic induced by the age old and deadly virus of patriarchy, one for which a new generation of ‘she, he and they’ will strive to invent more potent vaccines.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.7;margin:0px 0px 15px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003314653/affective-feminisms-digital-india-meena-pillai?_gl=1*1eax1ey*_ga*MTkxNTgyMjk4OS4xNjY1MjQ1ODM0*_ga_SR2P22QVQQ*MTY3MjIwOTAyOC4xLjEuMTY3MjIwOTg0Ni4wLjAuMA..%20https:%2F%2Fwww.routledge.com%2FAffective-Feminisms-in-Digital-India-Intimate-Rebels%2FPillai%2Fp%2Fbook%2F9781032322834">Link to Prof. Meena T Pillai’s Book</a><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.7;margin:0px 0px 15px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">&nbsp;<hr><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.7;margin:0px 0px 15px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Subscribe to our channels on <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/c/THEAIDEM">YouTube</a> &amp; <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/ELqD1D1bImgAP6MrG8jskq">WhatsApp</a>

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2022 was another year that bore testimony to the fact that when it comes to matters of gender inequality and gender violence in the everyday, Kerala had yet another innings at not daring to dream of change, but of buttressing social inertia with studied reluctance and privileged insolence, in order that nothing would upset its staid and conservative mores or topple the apple carts of its benevolent patriarchy. 

Gendering 2022 – Dare to Dream?

It has come a long way from glorification of caste to portrayal of its harsh realities.
Kerala is often projected as a progressive State in terms of human development and social welfare. Its culture marked by communal harmony and the effective functioning of the state machinery are repeatedly cited as reasons for its emergence as a shining example for the other States. But this assessment of Kerala is very much a relative phenomenon which might prevent its people from taking an honest look at the other side of the story. A social evil that the collective consciousness of the State has consistently failed to acknowledge fully is casteism. The land redistribution initiated by the first E.M.S. Namboodiripad government in 1957 and the social renaissance at the turn of the previous century are indeed revolutionary moves that changed the course of history but they have also led to a smugness and misconception among the privileged that caste is simply a thing of the past in the State. This reluctance or refusal to acknowledge that caste has been problematically alive and thriving in the collective consciousness of the people of Kerala finds reflection in the way caste is represented or not represented in Malayalam films.
The old normal
In the past, the cinematic representation of caste had mostly been in the form of heroic declarations of upper caste pride. Looking back at how consistent and strong this trend was in the most mainstream of films is quite repulsive. The biggest and most respected film stars in Kerala glorified upper caste identity countless times in the roles they essayed. This tendency calls for a deep and honest soul-searching. What is the need for such prideful portrayal of caste in a ‘progressive’ State? Mainstream commercial hits like Dhruvam, Aryan, Mahatma, and Adiverukal starring the big guns Mammootty, Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi glorify upper caste identity while bemoaning reservation as a tragedy that has befallen the upper castes. Mahatma, a film written by T. Damodaran and directed by Shaji Kailas, is toxic in its prejudice against the ‘lower’ castes and religious minorities. This toxicity is present in varying intensities in many films penned by Damodaran. Looking back, the blatant, heroic display of such pride and prejudice is shocking. A logical question that follows is: why didn’t the audience and society at large find it problematic and raise their voices against it. As a young individual who was born and brought up in Kerala, I have never experienced any kind of discrimination based on caste in my immediate surroundings. My caste and class privilege has always shielded me from such harsh realities. So the idea that Kerala is a progressive haven was a matter of pride for me. From this angle it is completely understandable why some would say caste is a thing of the past or righteously declare that they don’t see caste as a social reality in Kerala. They don’t see it because they don’t belong to a ‘lower caste’ and probably haven’t been exposed to the humiliations and marginalisation experienced by these sections of people.
Checks and balances of social media
Perhaps one reason for Kerala society not finding such cinematic glorification of the ‘upper castes’ in the 1980s and 1990s problematic was the lack of social media. For a majority of the people, there was no access to traditional media to express any resentment instantly. However, in recent years social media has come in handy (literally!) for people to express their opinion and re-evaluate the views of hardcore fans of film stars. Netizens have been relentless in their criticism, sometimes in the form of serious discussions but mostly in the form of memes and trolls, the modern-day tools of satire. Perhaps no other filmmaker has faced their wrath more than Priyadarshan. Malayalam cyber-space is filled with reevaluations of films that my generation grew up watching on television. It’s now well documented that the protagonists in Priyadarshan films consistently belong to the Nair caste. Critics have highlighted many dialogues from his films glorifying Nairs. One highly problematic dialogue is from Chandralekha, where the lead character played by Mohanlal boasts that he is a Nair belonging to a good family, and the character played by Innocent, seemingly impressed, tells himself that the protagonist does not indeed belong to a ‘venomous’ caste. One is left wondering what exactly that reference is to.
Decentralised and diversified
This push-back some of the old films have received on social media might be a product of the times we are living in. Along with this, cinema itself has now become decentralised and diversified. The growth of digital technology and the general fatigue of the audience watching the same old formula of superstar flicks have now opened the doors for fresh perspectives. Cinema is now more accessible to the common man than ever before. The caucuses of upper caste, upper class men who ‘ruled’ Malayalam cinema, so to speak, have now crumbled under the ‘new generation cinema’ that has taken the industry by storm in the last decade and a half. These phenomena have collectively led to the issue of caste returning to the silver screen with a perspective that is sensitive to the contemporary and largely neglected reality of the lives of those in the lower rungs of the social ladder. Although they are not directly about caste, films like Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, Ee. Ma. Yau., Kumbalangi Nights, Pada and Kammatipadam tell stories of people from the lower castes and classes, effectively breaking the longstanding monopoly of storytelling by the upper castes. Of late, there have been films that face the issue of caste upfront. Exploring their themes, success and potential cultural impact will give us an understanding of the evolution of Malayalam cinema’s relationship with caste. 
Puzhu
Puzhu, directed by the debutant Ratheena P.T, is a bold depiction of casteism and bigotry in a contemporary setting. The most impactful aspect of this film is that it casts superstar Mammooty in the role of a villainous, mentally unstable bigot. Mainstream cinema has never before embraced the cause of caste liberation as this film has done. The cultural impact of a great actor and a fan favourite superstar like Mammooty unapologetically portraying such a negative character gives a certain mainstream acceptance and credibility to the problems lower caste people face in urban settings in Kerala. It also hopefully generates awareness and promotes introspection among those privileged classes whose caste and family pride rudely interferes in a family member’s personal choice of a life partner. Mammooty essays the role of Kuttan, a violent authoritarian upper caste police officer who deeply distrusts his sister’s lower caste husband. The most defining element of this film is the paranoia of Kuttan that his sister’s husband would try to kill him. This is symbolic of how the privileged generally feel threatened when someone who has been historically subjected to their will is free from their hold for the first time. Freedom and equality are misperceived as a victory against them. Kerala is still a place where people rarely marry outside their caste and a twisted sense of family/caste pride and ‘us vs them’ mindset is still very much prevalent. The film shines light on these issues while using the star power of Mammootty and Parvathy Thiruvoth to deliver its powerful message. 
<img alt="Puzhu_Poster_18032022_1200-768x512.jpg" src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Puzhu_Poster_18032022_1200_768x512_84d83f9b13.jpg" />
Mammooty in the film “Puzhu”
Attention Please
Jithin Issac Thomas has made his debut with the explosive Attention Please. The film, thanks to its unique screenplay, made waves at IFFK 2021 and later became the talk of the town when it was released on Netflix a few months ago. It tells the story of Hari, a dark-skinned lower caste man aspiring to be a screenwriter who lives with a group of upper caste flatmates with unrealised cinema dreams. The film is a brilliant portrayal of how a life full of small, seemingly insignificant wounds leads up to a breaking point. We start off feeling sympathy for Hari’s struggles as his friends are derisive and dismissive towards him and his art especially because his stories are often good and he emotionally moves us with his heartfelt narrations. He comes across as a passive, submissive man who feels overlooked and insulted by his friends and the society at large. He reaches a point where he cannot take it any more and to the surprise and sheer shock of the audience, plunges into violent insanity.
<img alt="Vishnu-Govind-in-Attention-Please-Malayalam-Movie-768x397.png" src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Vishnu_Govind_in_Attention_Please_Malayalam_Movie_768x397_b5804306bb.png" />
A still from the film “Attention please”
From this point on, the film shows us its true direction and subject matter. It was not about a struggling writer but about the countless struggles and sorrows inflicted upon a lower caste man in our society. His reality is dark, lonely and painful. Which is something alien and not relatable to the vast majority of people. If one could step into Hari’s shoes, there would be no surprise about why all of Hari’s stories are violent and disturbing. By the end of the film, it becomes clear that the real antagonist of the film is the reflection we see in the mirror the filmmaker holds against our face. Jithin Issac Thomas cleverly uses the film to shine light on the psychological trauma and desperation of someone who has never been accepted or appreciated in his whole life.
‘Pra.thu.mu’
<img alt="pra-thu-mu-768x384.jpg" src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/pra_thu_mu_768x384_15356bea95.jpg" />
A still from the film “Pra. Thu. Mu”
The short film Pra.Thu.Mu was the second outing by Jithin Issac Thomas. It was part of the anthology film series aptly named “Freedom Fight” and it tells the story of a group of manual scavengers who have been called to clean the septic tank of a prominent politician. The film tackles the issues of both class and caste. Caste, although sometimes dormant, has a long history that keeps people away from a good livelihood and wellbeing in the present day. The film is notably shot in black and white. According to the director, white represents the politicians and their preferred outfits, while the black on the screen represents the dark dirty realities of the daily lives of the lower castes. Manual scavenging is an issue India as a country still hasn’t solved. The nature of this problem fully reveals itself when we consider how these occupations are “reserved” for a few communities that were kept at the lower end of the caste ladder for thousands of years.
Mainstream Malayalam cinema’s new-found interest in confronting class and caste is a welcome change. And it offers genuine hope to an informed audience about the industry’s future. As more and more grassroot perspectives reach the silver screen, there will certainly be a new wind of cinema that intimately portrays the lives, struggles and dreams of the downtrodden, a cinema created by people from the same section of the society who have long been kept on the fringes of the industry and society at large.

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Kerala is often projected as a progressive State in terms of human development and social welfare. Its culture marked by communal harmony and the effective functioning of the state machinery are repeatedly cited as reasons for its emergence as a shining example for the other States. 

Malayalam Cinema’s Tryst with Caste

A group of prominent scientists, academics, and concerned citizens drafted an open letter criticising a project by India’s leading scientific research body, The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The project aims to design an assembly of electronically controlled mirrors to ensure that the sun rays will fall on the idol of Lord Sri Ram on Ramanavami every year. It is carried out by the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), one of CSIR’s constituent laboratories. According to reports, not just scientists from CBRI are involved in it. Experts from other premier research institutions like the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) also are being consulted. The project became the subject of public debate when CSIR, on November 20, tweeted that CBRI demonstrated how the sun’s rays will fall on the Ramlala’s head in Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir on the day of Ram Navami in 2024.
The scientists behind the open letter point out that there is nothing new about devising a way that allows sun rays to enter the inner sanctum of a place of worship on a fixed solar calendar date. But doing so for Ram Navami every year is a tricky proposition as it is based on the lunisolar calendar. Days of the lunisolar calendar do not coincide with a fixed date in the solar calendar. This complication will make the system CBRI design an overengineered resource-heavy complex solution. At a time when scientific research in the country is paralyzed by multiple and severe underfunding issues this is a criminal waste of resources and money, the letter argues.
“Bringing out a cannon to kill an ant” as seen here is not the only issue. The letter says that it is shocking to see the institutions supposed to promote scientific temper as envisioned in the constitution are involved in foolhardy projects like this.
Following is the full text of the letter:
An Open Letter from Scientific Community and Scientifically Oriented Citizens
On Sunday 20th November CSIR tweeted about a new project by one of their constituent institutes (Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee).
<img alt="image_2022-11-24_125402865.png" src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/image_2022_11_24_125402865_d79308d356.png" />
Tweet by CSIR (Now Deleted)
More detailed reports about the project were published by several news outlets as seen here: 
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/ayodhya-sun-to-shine-on-ram-with-science/cid/1899477
https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/sun-rays-on-idol-csir-in-row-over-ram-temple-project-1164561.html
The reports also mention that researchers at CBRI claimed that IIA and IUCAA are involved in this project.
Based on reported description of the project, we have following observations:
<ol>
<li>
Installing a door or window at a strategic location such that sun rays reach the inner sanctum on a chosen date is not a novel feature in Indian places of worship. One finds many temples as well as Buddhist caves with such windows and doors. For such an opening, the sun rays will reach a designated spot every year on a fixed date as per solar calendar. However, Ram Navami date is determined by a luni-solar calendar and hence it doesn’t coincide with a fixed date in the solar calendar. Thus, a static opening will not achieve the desired result.
</li>
<li>
The CBRI researchers seem to have correctly realised this practical difficulty. Their solution is to design a contraption which will keep adjusting itself in an automated way to match with the 19 year Metonic Cycle. This approach, although technologically feasible, is against the spirit of scientific process for two reasons:
</li>
<li>
Firstly, this approach overcomplicates the solution. There are other much simpler ways to achieve the falling of sun rays on the idol exactly on the Ram Navami like some temple staff manually turning the mirror. Instead, the CBRI has chosen to design a set of mirrors mounted on a gear assembly controlled electronically to achieve exactly the same effect. 
</li>
</ol>
This is akin to badly designed school level science fair projects that many of us see each year, where purpose is not solving a problem in an elegant way but it is to devise as complicated and as resource heavy solution as possible in a hope to impress the audience / judges merely by the complexity of the solution. Or as is said in a popular idiom “bringing out a cannon to kill an ant”.
1 . Secondly, the chosen approach doesn’t advance our scientific or technological understanding in any way. Engineering such a device may be a good learning exercise for an undergraduate student, but researchers are expected to focus on quests which advance human knowledge. Researchers in a CSIR laboratory wasting time on such trivial pursuit, which does not lead to any scientific / technological discovery or a new insight, is a criminal waste of skilled human resources and public money. Even more so in a context wherein younger science researchers are facing horrendous and demoralising delays in disbursement of their allocated research grants and fellowships.
2 . Scientific institutions of excellence like IUCAA and IIA perforce work in a framework of scientific temper, and spread scientific thinking which is their core value, thus upholding the constitution. It is shocking to see their names associated with such a foolhardy pursuit. It would be in the best interests for these institutes to clarify the air about their alleged role in this project. Their peers deserve to know where these institutes stand on the issue of scientific temper.
Signed by Prof. Aniket Sule, Mumbai, Prof. Prajval Shastri, Bengaluru, Prof. Soumitro Banerjee, Kolkata, Prof. Naresh Dadhich, Pune, Prof. Sabyasachi Chatterjee, Bengaluru, Prof. Nissim Kanekar, Pune, Prof. Ravinder Kumar Banyal, Bengaluru, Prof. S. P. Rajaguru, Bengaluru, Prof. Manoj Puravankara, Mumbai, Dr. Shriharsh Tendulkar, Mumbai, Dr. Ruta Kale, Pune, Prof. Anandmayee Tej, Thiruvananthapuram, Dr. Shadab Alam, Mumbai, Prof. Preeti Kharb, Pune, Prof. Pravabati C., Bengaluru, Prof. P. Ajith, Bengaluru, Prof. Arnab Bhattacharya, Mumbai, Prof. B. Sury, Bengaluru, Prof. Gautam Menon, Sonipat, Prof. Sharadchandra Lele, Bengaluru, Prof. Nandita Narain, Delhi, Prof. Rahul Nigam, Hyderabad, Prof. Ayan Banerjee, Kolkata, Prof. Aurnab Ghose, Pune, Prof. Bittu K R, Sonipat, Prof. S. Krishnaswamy, Madurai, Prof. Suresh Govindarajan, Chennai, Prof. Jyotsna Vijapurkar, Navi Mumbai, Prof. Mujtaba Lokhandwala, Pune, Prof. Medha Rajadhyaksha, Mumbai, Dr. Deepshikha Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram, Prof. Pradeep Kumar Datta, Kolkata, Prof. Anindita Bhadra, Kolkata, Mr. Kollegela Sharma, Mysuru, Prof. Aahana Ganguly, Bengaluru, Prof. Shanta Laishram, Delhi, and 300 others.

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A group of prominent scientists, academics, and concerned citizens drafted an open letter criticising a project by India’s leading scientific research body, The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Scientists Question CSIR Project in Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir

Geethanandan M, a prominent Dalit rights activist in Kerala, explains why the Supreme Court verdict on the Economically Weaker Section quota raises many questions of constitutional validity.The AIDEM explainer on the Supreme Court Verdict on reserving a quota for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.7;margin:0px 0px 15px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Listen to this article in English (4 minutes)<span class="mejs-offscreen" 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Geethanandan M, a prominent Dalit rights activist in Kerala, explains why the Supreme Court verdict on the Economically Weaker Section quota raises many questions of constitutional validity.

Economically Weaker Sections Quota Imperils Social Justice

<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:center;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">&nbsp;<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;display:inline !important;float:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:center;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">The theme of ‘man vs nature’ is at the heart of Kantara. And there could not be a more relevant time in human history for a film to discuss it. The Tulu tribes, who’s history, culture, traditions and livelihood comes under the threat of extinction, garner the complete sympathy of the audience.Let me begin by saying this outright, Kantara is an absolutely primal and electrifying experience that must be enjoyed in a theatre and not on your phones or laptops. Rishab Shetty, who is the writer, director and the lead actor, has crafted a vision that is truly special. Connecting back to his roots in Udupi district of Karnataka and its prominent Tulu culture, he brings alive its magnificent and hypnotic folklore. Along with depicting the beauty and mystery of the long standing ritual “Bhoota Kola”, he also uses the film to make a definitive statement on the bureaucratic disregard of tribal communities and the destruction of their way of life at the hands of the authorities.The film begins with the tale of a 19th century king, who has everything a man can wish for and yet cannot feel peace of mind. His desperate search for peace leads him to a tribal forest land where he comes across a stone worshipped by the tribe. The sense of peace he feels standing before the stone, compels him to ask them to hand it over in return for anything they ask. The stone represents the deity “Panjurli Daiva”, who possesses one of the villagers and agrees to the king’s demand on the condition that he gives this forest land to the tribals for perpetuity. However, Panjurli warns the king that if the king or his successors go back on their word, he will take his destructive form, “Guliga Daiva” and bring down vengeance upon the king’s family. This agreement made by Panjurli and the king sets the stage for all the events that follow. The film drives home the seriousness of this agreement by showing the mysterious death of a successor who tries to take back the tribal land. This event also depicts the magical powers of the one who performs the Bhoota Kola ritual, as he becomes a vessel possessed by the Panjurli Daiva. This magical event in the opening scene of the film, with the protagonist’s father at the centre of it, becomes an important motif in the main plot of the film.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/kantara_kola_768x512_0b066bfb05.jpg" alt="kantara-kola-768x512.jpg"> A still from the movie KantaraShiva, our protagonist, roars onto the screen while taking part in ‘Kambala’, the annual buffalo race. He comes across as powerful and authentic in his personality and somehow more intimidating and physically imposing than the beasts at his disposal. This raw wildness of Shiva fills the audience with excitement every bit of the way as the story progresses . The characteristics that Shiva often displays throughout the film are parallel to the mythical story of Guliga Daiva, the spirit worshipped by the Tuluvas. He is rough around the edges, unruly, dismissive of authority figures and has an insatiable hunger for hunting and eating wild animals , very similar to Guliga, the spirit that attacked Lord Shiva’s bull and is known for its eternal hunger. Rishab Shetty deserves all the praise in the world for taking on the challenging task of simultaneously being the director and the lead actor of Kantara, and passing the test with flying colours. It’s strikingly clear that this is a subject matter close to his heart and his upbringing, and the success of the film proves his statement that “local is the new global”. Kantara definitely benefits from this unique, unabashed rural pride; which allows audiences in even the biggest metro cities to reconnect with something primordial in them they’ve lost touch with.The theme of ‘man vs nature’ is at the heart of Kantara. And there could not be a more relevant time in human history for a film to discuss it. The Tulu tribes, who’s history, culture, traditions and livelihood comes under the threat of extinction, garner the complete sympathy of the audience. We find their simplicity and coexistence with mother nature as the side of goodness and the encroaching, disruptive police state as the side of greed and evil. It is worth noting that if we are to be wiped out by a global climate catastrophe, the skyscrapers and glass palaces will not remain standing, but somewhere a hunter gatherer tribe will likely persevere and ensure the continuity of the human species. Kantara treats the plight of the tribal communities with the gravity and empathy they deserve. Actor Kishor Kumar, who portrayed the role of the stoic, fascistic forest officer Murali, needs to be pointed out. His performance as the lethal Murali is effective in making us as an audience align with the tribals for majority of the runtime. Another key character who stands out is Devendra Suttoru, played by Achyuth Kumar. Achyuth kumar’s performance is as nuanced and tricky as the character himself.Part of the reason why Kantara is getting the response it has received is due to its screenplay. Rishab Shetty has crafted a well written script, with a near perfect dramatic structure. How the film efficiently establishes the story of the myth in the opening minutes and how it all ties back to where we began in an epic, goosebumps-inducing climax is a thing of beauty. It is clear that the screenplay and its structure is very well planned as there are many clever references, call backs and motifs sprinkled throughout. The strong sense of closure and wholeness the audience feels by the end of the film is also a testament to this. Kantara manages to do justice to its themes while at the same time being an out and out mass entertainer that delivers comedy, action, heroics, and wishful serving of punishment on the unjust. One flaw in the screenplay worth explicitly mentioning is how quickly the heroine, Leela, played by Sapthami Gowda, falls in love with Shiva. This particular point sticks out unbaked in an otherwise delicious treat. Especially considering how disrespectful Shiva is towards Leela in their first meeting. Helping her secure a job is simply not enough motivation to instantly break into a romantic song. Shiva is an animalistic, toxic man in the context of how this relationship begins, which is something we see in commercial Indian films all the time. But one must remember that even today, things are not any different in rural India and this film is set in a rural tribal village in the 1990s. I am fully aware that the filmmaker’s responsibility is towards making the most authentic film and staying true to his vision; and not towards my utopian vision for humanity. However, the scenes where Shiva disregards the consent and privacy of Leela, would , in all probability, trigger reminders of their own trauma in many female members of the audience . Leela’s character from this point on is well written as she stands by her truths repeatedly in disagreement with Shiva. Sapthami Gowda has done an excellent job as Leela, showing her potential as an actor to look forward to.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/kantara5_768x432_be4f1c0e59.webp" alt="kantara5-768x432.webp"> A still from the movie KantaraThe filmmaker’s decision to shoot in real locations was the right one, as it allowed Arvind Kashyap to showcase the majesty and allure of the forest and ritual grounds with his perfectly elegant framing and lighting. Kantara is without doubt a visually rich film. This seems to be Arvind Kashyap’s year, as he was also behind the camera of the critical and commercial success “777 Charlie”. There is something so emotionally poignant about his shot selection that really brings the director’s vision alive. The muddy, raw and dynamic kambala scenes, the mysterious and spiritual yellow mist of the Bhoota Kola rituals, the blood red fiery shots in the final conflict all need to be pointed out for how much richness they add to the film. C.P Ramesh, the colourist of the film, also deserves credit for bringing Arvind’s vision to life. Kantara starts off with a bang and never slows down. The film is a brilliantly paced freight train that culminates in the atomic blast that is its climax. The editors of the film, K.M Prakash and Pratheek Shetty, have not allowed the audience’s attention to drift away even for a second . Even in the middle of such a power packed, energetic film, the slow somber moments are still given the right amount of time to simmer. Perhaps nothing adds to the authenticity of the world of Kantara like its production design and costume design. Dharani Gangeputhra’s choice of sets, props, along with the costumes designed by Pragathi Rishab Shetty are all clearly a result of extensive research and brilliant colour sense. When I left the theatre, nothing stayed in my head more prominently than the primal scream let out by Guliga Kola throughout the film. That central element of sound which remains throughout the film has been used to perfection. Even in Shiva’s entry in the kambala scene, that scream is there as a reminder that we are not looking at any ordinary human being. Raju Albert, Sandeep Kumar, Arun S. Mani and Narayanan Sp who did the sound design for Kantara have done an exquisite job. Along with that powerful scream, the other most important sound element of the film are the songs by B. Ajaneesh Loknath. They elevate the film to new heights, especially ‘Varaha Roopam’, which is the very soul of that masterful climax. It is very rarely that a song becomes this central to the final act of a film. ‘Varaha Roopam’ deserves special mention even though it has now been mired in controversy over seemingly legitimate accusations of plagiarism by the group ‘Thaikkudam Bridge’ of their song “Navarasam”.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.7;margin:0px 0px 15px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Kantara is a special film in terms of what it achieves. It is authentic, heartfelt, mystical and powerful. It champions the underdog by bringing the attention of the masses to their harsh realities. 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Let me begin by saying this outright, Kantara is an absolutely primal and electrifying experience that must be enjoyed in a theatre and not on your phones or laptops. 