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“See, this is how a ‘Child of Karkitakam‘ becomes ‘Kismet’s (destiny’s) child’. Or rather, it is a rarest of rare classical instance of such a turnaround.” This was how N. Gopala Krishnan (NGK ) as his friends call him, writer, translator and erstwhile senior administrator in government services, referred to the media coverage of the 80th birthday celebrations of M. T. Vasudevan Nair. This comment was made in a private conversation in 2013 at Kozhikode, the coastal town in north Kerala where NGK and MT resided.

A Renaissance man with a wrong birthday

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

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The film Ntikkakkakkoru Premandaarnnu (My brother had an affair) expresses manifold ideas in explicit and implicit modes of storytelling. On the face of it, it has all the predictable elements of a feel-good film. 

Ntikkakkakkoru Premandaarnnu: The Return of Bhavana, and the Political Imagination

For a retired 60-plus film addict like me, over-the-top (OTT) releases are a blessing. Even before the pandemic had made theatre screenings impossible, getting to watch regional releases in Bangalore City where I stay, was problematic for me because of the odd timings of the shows even in the nearby theatres.Now, one can watch the latest releases sitting in front of the desktop, while having lunch or dinner or skipping the afternoon siesta. It is just great.And what a feast of really watchable movies that the Malayalam film industry is churning out without any of the “star” elements to attract you. A reason for watching them is: one is past the Mohanlal-Mammootty megastar attraction. The larger-than-life heroes have had their days of glory, I guess. But the bar has been raised. Whether the new trend has come about because of a fresh crop of scriptwriters and directors or because of the growing expectations of the more discerning viewers, the outcome is definitely good for Malayalam cinema.Frankly, when I sat down to watch Saudi Vellakka (2022), written and directed by Tharun Moorthy, the title gave me no clue as to what the film was about. Later, when one of the various Magistrates before whom the case was presented also appeared equally clueless, one was amused.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Saudi_Vellakka_Malayalam_2022_20221215214205_500x500_1_d4d07aa8d3.jpg" alt="Saudi-Vellakka-Malayalam-2022-20221215214205-500x500-1.jpg">The story in a nutshell is literally just about that…a small fruit of the coconut, called ‘vellakka’ in those parts of Kerala, with which a group of lads were playing cricket using a part of the palm from as a bat, hits the forehead of an elderly woman, Ayesha Rawther, in the locality called Saudi. The kids were playing on the terrace of her neighbour Radhakrishnan with whom she has an ongoing feud. Incensed, she climbs up to the terrace and gives the kids a mouthful and a nice whack to the boy Abhilash, who is pointed out to her as the culprit. The kid’s front tooth, which had started to come loose before that whack, falls out, with a little bit of blood.Instigated by the neighbour, the kid’s father files an FIR in the police station, citing the the palm as the weapon with which the child was “assaulted”. Thus begins the case numbered CC 225/2009 and a 10-year-long court battle follows.The peg for the film is the fact that 47 million cases are pending unsolved in the Indian courts.Whoever was responsible for choosing Devi Varma to play the role of Ayesha Rawther deserves applause. Seemingly irritating in the initial scenes, she grows on you with each scene that unfolds. Even when the character she plays finds herself isolated from her family and left to fend for herself, she does not come across as a self-pitying, vulnerable, whiny old woman. Devi Varma plays the role with a perfection that leaves the viewer mightily impressed. Her slow gait, her body language and stoic expressions hiding her quiet determination, the slow smile that lights up her face when she gets a chance to make snacks for another group of children playing outside her new dwelling – all of these make her presence so hauntingly felt throughout the film. Her silence through most of the film adds to the power of her acting.All along, one finds the little nuances that constitute the warp and weft of a society – the wiliness of Radhakrishnan and his urge to offend and put the neighbour in her place; the unpleasantness that the old woman’s daughter-in-law exudes because of the sheer oppressiveness of her circumstances; the helplessness of the good-natured son Sathaar; the glory Britto’s good heart; the mixture of self-interest and compassion in the old woman’s lawyer; and the urge of Abhishek aka Kunjimon, whose fallen milk-tooth had set in motion the prolonged courtroom battle, to redeem himself when he is unwittingly made to bear the brunt of the pettiness of the elders.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/bg_saudi_vellaka_b8b955fb6f.jpg" alt="bg_saudi_vellaka.jpg">No frame seemed to be wasted. Their slickness and sequence makes the viewer feel part of the “everyday” ordinariness of life in the closely packed houses and narrow lanes of Saudi, the police station, the streets or the courtroom ambience. Each one of the actors, however small their character in the scheme of things, has played his/her role with remarkable conviction.Does the way the film ends appear improbable? But why should we harbour mistrust in the goodness of our fellow-beings? For me personally, that is what I took away from this film….the element of goodness in our fellow human beings is what has sustained us and will continue to sustain us.At one point, feeling desperately frustrated at the way things were moving against the old woman, Abhishek asks Britto, “This is all that human beings can be summed up as, isn’t it?The film ends with Britto’s clincher, “This is also what human beings amount to.”Ah! “Hope is that thing with feathers” as Emily Dickinson expressed it.<strong style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(33, 37, 41);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;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"><strong style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(33, 37, 41);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;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;">YouTube</a><strong style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(33, 37, 41);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;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;"> &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"><strong style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(33, 37, 41);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;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;">WhatsApp</a>

Soudhi-vellakka-1.jpg

For a retired 60-plus film addict like me, over-the-top (OTT) releases are a blessing. Even before the pandemic had made theatre screenings impossible, getting to watch regional releases in Bangalore City where I stay, was problematic for me because of the odd timings of the shows even in the nearby theatres. 

Saudi Vellakka: The Best of times & the worst of times

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

<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;">In this episode of Screen Time, Malavika reviews the latest Malayalam film 4 Years. 4 Years is a 2022 Malayalam drama movie, directed by Ranjith Sankar. The movie features Sarjano Khalid and Priya Prakash Varrier in the lead characters. 4 Years is movie Set during the final two days of college life, 4 Years revolves around the journey of its protagonists Gayathri, a spiritual, independent women with plans for her life, and Vishal, a temperamental youngster with a boatload of supplementary exams and talents that don’t take flight because of his attitude. The duo tries to find closure in their relationship, while wishing the final day doesn’t end.<hr><h4 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;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.2;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(247, 168, 16);display:block;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration:none;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(0, 0, 0);display:block;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration:none;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/ELqD1D1bImgAP6MrG8jskq">WhatsApp</a></h4>

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In this episode of Screen Time, Malavika reviews the latest Malayalam film 4 Years. 4 Years is a 2022 Malayalam drama movie, directed by Ranjith Sankar. The movie features Sarjano Khalid and Priya Prakash Varrier in the lead characters.

4 Years; A Simple Tale of Heartbreak and Closure

<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;">മലയാളത്തിലെ പവർ ഗേൾസ് ഒരുമിച്ചു വെള്ളിത്തിരയിലെന്ന പോലെ ക്യാമറക്കു പിന്നിലും സൗഹൃദം പങ്കിട്ട ചിത്രം. അഞ്ജലി മേനോന്റെ വണ്ടർ വിമെൻ എന്ന ഈയിടെ പുറത്തിറങ്ങിയ ചിത്രത്തിന്റെ ചില ചിത്രീകരണ നിമിഷങ്ങൾ.<hr><h4 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;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.2;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(247, 168, 16);display:block;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration:none;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(0, 0, 0);display:block;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration:none;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/ELqD1D1bImgAP6MrG8jskq">WhatsApp</a></h4>

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മലയാളത്തിലെ പവർ ഗേൾസ് ഒരുമിച്ചു വെള്ളിത്തിരയിലെന്ന പോലെ ക്യാമറക്കു പിന്നിലും സൗഹൃദം പങ്കിട്ട ചിത്രം. അഞ്ജലി മേനോന്റെ വണ്ടർ വിമെൻ എന്ന ഈയിടെ പുറത്തിറങ്ങിയ ചിത്രത്തിന്റെ ചില ചിത്രീകരണ നിമിഷങ്ങൾ.

Behind the Scenes of Wonder Women

<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;">The Teacher’ is a 2022 Malayalam drama movie, directed by Vivek. The movie stars Amala Paul, Maala Parvathi and Chemban Vinod Jose in the lead roles. The movie depicts the story of a teacher whose life is turned upside down due to sexual assault, leading her to seek revenge says our reviewer Malavika.<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;<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;">സ്ക്രീൻ ടൈമിന്റെ മുൻ എപ്പിസോഡുകൾ കാണുവാൻ, <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://theaidem.com/tag/screen-time/">ഇവിടെ ക്ലിക്ക് ചെയ്യുക.</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;">To watch previous episodes of Screen Time, <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://theaidem.com/tag/screen-time/">click here</a>.<hr><h4 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;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.2;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(247, 168, 16);display:block;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration:none;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(0, 0, 0);display:block;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration:none;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/ELqD1D1bImgAP6MrG8jskq">WhatsApp</a></h4>

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‘The Teacher’ is a 2022 Malayalam drama movie, directed by Vivek. The movie stars Amala Paul, Maala Parvathi and Chemban Vinod Jose in the lead roles. 

Teacher; A Revenge Flick With a Social Justice Theme

Screen Time reviews Wonder Women, a much awaited movie by Anjali Menon. Malavika, the reviewer, explains how this film represents the diversity of a pan Indian Womanhood but how it also leaves a feminist viewer wanting for more.<hr><h4 style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;line-height:1.2;margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;text-align:left;">Subscribe to our channels on<a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(247, 168, 16);display:block;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration:none;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(247, 168, 16);display:block;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration:none;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/ELqD1D1bImgAP6MrG8jskq">WhatsApp</a></h4><div class="mdp-liker-box after-content two-buttons style-border-fill row-right" style="--mdp-liker-bg-color-active:rgba(255, 33, 40, 1);--mdp-liker-bg-color-hover:rgba(255, 33, 40, 1);--mdp-liker-bg-color:rgba(255, 33, 40, 1);--mdp-liker-border:1px;--mdp-liker-radius:50px;--mdp-liker-text-color-active:rgba(255, 255, 255, 1);--mdp-liker-text-color-hover:rgba(255, 255, 255, 1);--mdp-liker-text-color:rgba(255, 33, 40, 1);box-sizing:border-box;font-size:initial;font-weight:initial;margin:0px;padding:0px;" id="mdp-liker-19495" data-memory="on"><div style="align-items:center;box-sizing:border-box;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;margin:0px;padding:0px;"><div class="mdp-liker-description" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:Manjari;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;max-width:60%;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;</div></div></div> &nbsp;

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Screen Time reviews Wonder Women, a much awaited movie by Anjali Menon. Malavika, the reviewer, explains how this film represents the diversity of a pan Indian Womanhood but how it also leaves a feminist viewer wanting for more.

Wonder Women; A Nuanced Picture of Indian Womanhood

<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;">Padavettu (പടവെട്ട്‌) explores and depicts serious themes such as political violence, corruption and the agrarian crisis while simultaneously delivering as an action packed mass entertainer. Nivin Pauly shines in this standout performance, says our reviewer Malavika in this episode of The AIDEM film review program, Screen Time.<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;">To watch other episodes, <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://theaidem.com/tag/screen-time/">Click Here</a>.<hr><h4 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;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.2;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(247, 168, 16);display:block;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration:none;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(0, 0, 0);display:block;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration:none;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/ELqD1D1bImgAP6MrG8jskq">WhatsApp</a></h4>

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Padavettu (പടവെട്ട്‌) explores and depicts serious themes such as political violence, corruption and the agrarian crisis while simultaneously delivering as an action packed mass entertainer.

Padavettu; The Gruesome Realities of Political Battles

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<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_9_45ef5452cd.jpeg" alt="images-9.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_9_45ef5452cd.jpeg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_images_9_45ef5452cd.jpeg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;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-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;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">The following article is part of the Trailblazing Women of India series. A series presented by The AIDEM, exploring the lives and ideas of women who played a decisive role in shaping India’s social, political, and intellectual history.The AIDEM underscores the enduring contemporary relevance of revisiting the lives of these women leaders and the ideas they championed. Click <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://youtu.be/G_sxvcXO0tg">here</a> to watch the video.<hr>Picture this: It’s 1930. A 27-year-old woman stands before Mahatma Gandhi, telling him he’s making a historic mistake.Gandhi is planning the Salt March. His vision? Men march and women stand on street corners selling salt and singing songs.Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay says: No.“Women have stood shoulder to shoulder with men, building the Congress party. They deserve to march,” she insists.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:654px;" id="attachment_42087" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42087"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Kamaladevi_Chattopadhyaya_Leading_a_Congress_march_in_the_early_1930s_a72f010da1.jpg" alt="Kamaladevi-Chattopadhyaya-Leading-a-Congress-march-in-the-early-1930s.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Kamaladevi_Chattopadhyaya_Leading_a_Congress_march_in_the_early_1930s_a72f010da1.jpg 102w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Kamaladevi_Chattopadhyaya_Leading_a_Congress_march_in_the_early_1930s_a72f010da1.jpg 327w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_Kamaladevi_Chattopadhyaya_Leading_a_Congress_march_in_the_early_1930s_a72f010da1.jpg 491w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-42087">Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya leading a Congress march in the early 1930s</figcaption></figure>Gandhi concedes. But she’s not finished. “Issue a formal call to action.”“Why?” Gandhi asks. “Don’t you know your sisters?”Her response? Pure political genius: “Because history will record that YOU called them to participate.”&nbsp;History did record it. Women marched beside Gandhi, breaking salt laws. Kamaladevi became one of the first women arrested for civil disobedience. She auctioned “freedom salt” at the Bombay Stock Exchange for Rs. 501. On January 26, 1930, she clung to the Indian tricolour during a scuffle with authorities, refusing to let go.Who was this woman bold enough to challenge Gandhi?Born in 1903 in Mangalore, married at fourteen, widowed at sixteen. She remarried—scandalous. She divorced—one of India’s first civil divorces. In 1926, encouraged by Margaret Cousins, she became the first woman to contest a legislative office, losing by just 55 votes. In 1927, she founded the All India Women’s Conference as its organizing secretary.In 1936, she became a founding member of the Congress Socialist Party, working alongside Jayaprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia. Yet when we celebrate Indian socialism, we remember only the men.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:300px;" id="attachment_42084" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42084"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Kamaladevi_Chattopadhyay_aa0f5dde3b.jpg" alt="Kamaladevi-Chattopadhyay.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Kamaladevi_Chattopadhyay_aa0f5dde3b.jpg 113w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-42084">Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay</figcaption></figure>Her ideas were revolutionary. She connected capitalism, imperialism, and women’s subjection: “This imperial capitalist system encourages endless wars and expects women to produce children who become soldiers.” She challenged glorified motherhood itself.In the 1930s—decades before global women’s liberation—she championed bodily autonomy and birth control. Not for population control, but for women’s choice. She traveled to America, worked with Margaret Sanger, and in 1951 established India’s first family planning commission centered on women’s autonomy.She championed what we now refer as feminist economics, preceding the Feminist Care Ethics Debate by decades. She documented sexual division of labor, wage discrimination, and systematic underpayment of women workers in industrial and agricultural sectors—when labor movements barely acknowledged women as workers.Interestingly, she refused the label “feminist,” understanding that in her hostile patriarchal environment, strategic pragmatism mattered. But her ideas? Profoundly feminist.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Kamaladevi_4_58727afc75.jpg" alt="Kamaladevi-4.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Kamaladevi_4_58727afc75.jpg 216w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Kamaladevi_4_58727afc75.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined">After Partition, heartbroken, she resettled 50,000 refugees from the North-West Frontier Province, helping create Faridabad—independent India’s crucial early industrial township. In 1948, she founded and led the Indian Cooperative Union for the rehabilitation of the refugees.Her greatest legacy? Reviving India’s dying crafts as economic empowerment. As chairperson of the All India Handicrafts Board for twenty years, she understood that handicrafts meant livelihoods for millions, grassroots democratic participation, and India’s answer to exploitative industrialization.Her institutions still stand: Indian National Theatre established in 1944, which later became National School of Drama, All India Handicrafts Board established in 1952, Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1953, Crafts Council of India in 1964, and Delhi’s Crafts Museum in 1967. She made Indian handicrafts a major export, serving as an Advisor to the World Craft Council and first President for the Asia-Pacific Region.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:555px;" id="attachment_42085" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42085"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Leading_Their_Imperial_Highnesses_to_the_dias_60795d4aa2.jpg" alt="Leading-Their-Imperial-Highnesses-to-the-dias.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Leading_Their_Imperial_Highnesses_to_the_dias_60795d4aa2.jpg 216w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Leading_Their_Imperial_Highnesses_to_the_dias_60795d4aa2.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-42085">Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya leading their Imperial Highnesses to the dias</figcaption></figure>From UNESCO Awards to the Padma Vibhushan, her legacy endures in every artisan earning a dignified living today.Kamaladevi died in 1988, but her question echoes: What does freedom mean without bodily autonomy, economic independence, and cultural sovereignty?As you explore her work—and I hope you will—ask yourself: What would Kamaladevi be fighting for today?<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G_sxvcXO0tg" title="Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay and the Idea of Cultural Sovereignty by Priyanka Jha | New Series | EP 02 " frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></div>

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Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay: The Woman who taught Gandhi a Lesson

<div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;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-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;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">Shuruart Foundation has been using art to make education more joyful and effective since 2017. Does your child often draw the same thing again and again? Should parents be worried if this happens? In this episode of Child and Art: Myths &amp; Facts, we talk about why children repeat drawings and what it really tells us about their confidence and emotional growth. Learn how your positive feedback and encouragement can help your child express freely, think creatively, and build genuine self-confidence. Watch the video to learn more.</div></div>

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Same drawing again? Is that good or bad for your child’s growth?

<div class="post-featured-image" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px 0px 50px;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;</div><figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:undefined/undefined;" src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Wearing_My_Face_Before_a_Media_that_Has_the_Power_to_Make_and_Unmake_4_optimized_100_f65d7f55f3.png" alt="Wearing_My_Face_Before_a_Media_that_Has_the_Power_to_Make_and_Unmake_4_optimized_100.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Wearing_My_Face_Before_a_Media_that_Has_the_Power_to_Make_and_Unmake_4_optimized_100_f65d7f55f3.png 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Wearing_My_Face_Before_a_Media_that_Has_the_Power_to_Make_and_Unmake_4_optimized_100_f65d7f55f3.png 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"></figure><div class="post-featured-image" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px 0px 50px;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;">As advocates, our lives are consumed by briefs and arguments, leaving little room for leisure. For me, the finest pastime is research and writing, a legacy I proudly inherit from my late grandfather, Shri S.A.A. Rizvi, IAS (Retd.). He was a gold medallist and a remarkable scholar of his times. His example instilled in me the conviction that the pursuit of knowledge is not merely an adornment, but a discipline that enriches both profession and personality.</div><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;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-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;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">It was in this spirit that a casual exchange with my colleague Nadeem Murtaza at the High Court rekindled this passion. His query, whether I had ever heard of “Douglas” or “Kinnaird Hospital” of Lucknow was not a passing remark, but a spark that illuminated a forgotten chapter of Lucknow’s medical heritage. His mother, Zahida Auntie, had often spoken of it, pointing to the site near today’s Lari Cardiology Centre, where the geriatric and mental health departments of KGMU (King George Medical University) now stand. That conversation became the bridge between my inherited love for inquiry and the living memory of our city, compelling me to delve into archives and dissertations, and to uncover the remarkable story of a hospital that once stood shoulder to shoulder with Queen Mary and Lady Dufferin Hospitals in Lucknow.&nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:426px;" id="attachment_41918" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41918"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Kinnaird_Memorial_Hospital_1_1_1024x666_2b0c4cee0d.png" alt="Kinnaird-Memorial-Hospital-1-1-1024x666.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Kinnaird_Memorial_Hospital_1_1_1024x666_2b0c4cee0d.png 240w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Kinnaird_Memorial_Hospital_1_1_1024x666_2b0c4cee0d.png 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_Kinnaird_Memorial_Hospital_1_1_1024x666_2b0c4cee0d.png 750w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_Kinnaird_Memorial_Hospital_1_1_1024x666_2b0c4cee0d.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-41918">Lady Kinnaird Memorial Hospital</figcaption></figure>The story begins in 1875, when Elizabeth Bielby, a nurse sent by the Zenana Mission Society, began her medical mission near Lucknow. Though beset by tragedy, her sister Alice died soon after arrival, and Bielby herself fell gravely ill, the mission still endured. By 1891, through the efforts of Dr. Grace Mackinnon, the Lady Kinnaird Memorial Hospital was established on government-granted land, named after Lady Kinnaird. She was a devout Presbyterian philanthropist remembered for founding the YWCA.&nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;margin:15px auto 10px;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:416px;" id="attachment_41915" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41915"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/CMS_CRL_IW_1899_08_0007_cropped1_7b434dba61.jpg" alt="CMS_CRL_IW_1899_08_0007-cropped1.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_CMS_CRL_IW_1899_08_0007_cropped1_7b434dba61.jpg 244w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-41915">England Zenana Missionary Society</figcaption></figure>In 1910, Dr. Ethel Douglas took charge, and for the next 36 years she transformed the institution, expanding facilities, raising standards, and establishing training protocols that led to the North India Board of Examiners and State Registration Councils. Her dedication earned her the Kaiser-i-Hind Medal in Gold in 1927, and government grants that enabled new wards and modern equipment. As Beth Bullock Spencer’s dissertation records, Douglas’s “extraordinary influence” kept the Lucknow hospital “overflowing,” even as she grappled with challenges ranging from reluctant purdah patients to the infamous monkey menace.“Even the veteran doctor Ethel Douglas struggled to find a solution to the monkey problem, for some of the local people regarded the monkeys as sacred; harming the monkeys was out of question. Douglas resorted to shouting and shaking her rifle at the monkeys, but with little effect.”Snakes, too, were a recurring hazard, and cultural beliefs often complicated medical practice. Patients observing purdah resisted operations, some postponed surgeries at the last minute deeming the hour “inauspicious,” while others consulted village elders who determinedhe hospital became a sanctuary for women’s health, normalizing dental extractions, eye surgeries, and maternity care in a city where traditional practices often prevailed.The British contribution to Lucknow’s health system was profound. Alongside Lady Kinnaird Memorial Hospital, the Lady Dufferin Hospital was established in 1889 under the Countess of Dufferin Fund to provide safe maternity care. Later, the Queen Mary’s Hospital arose in the early 20th century as a centre for women’s medical education. Together, these institutions marked the colonial effort to embed Western medicine into the city’s fabric, particularly for women and children. They were not merely hospitals but symbols of reform, philanthropy, and the gradual acceptance of modern medical practices in a society negotiating tradition and change.<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;margin:15px auto 10px;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:396px;" id="attachment_41916" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41916"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Lady_Dufferin_Hospital_Virabijee_Katrak_Maternity_Wing_768x432_4cbd6e4487.jpg" alt="Lady_Dufferin_Hospital-_Virabijee_Katrak_Maternity_Wing-768x432.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Lady_Dufferin_Hospital_Virabijee_Katrak_Maternity_Wing_768x432_4cbd6e4487.jpg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Lady_Dufferin_Hospital_Virabijee_Katrak_Maternity_Wing_768x432_4cbd6e4487.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_Lady_Dufferin_Hospital_Virabijee_Katrak_Maternity_Wing_768x432_4cbd6e4487.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-41916">Lady Dufferin Hospital, Lucknow</figcaption></figure>By 1965, however, Lady Kinnaird Memorial Hospital succumbed to financial constraints and closed its doors. In 1971, the site was absorbed into King George Medical College, now popularly known as KGMU, housing its neurosurgical and mental health departments. Today, its memory lingers only in archives and recollections, overshadowed by its contemporaries. Yet, its legacy remains unique – a Christian missionary hospital that combined philanthropy, medical progress, and social reform. A place where doctors braved not only disease but monkeys, snakes, and cultural resistance to bring care to the women of Lucknow. An institution that has produced some of the world’s finest medical professionals, researchers and administrators. The pictures of these alumni are featured below.&nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;margin:15px auto 10px;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:276px;" id="attachment_41910" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41910"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/download_4_26ce212e58.png" alt="download-4.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_download_4_26ce212e58.png 235w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-41910">Dr. BM Hedge – Alumni of KGMU</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;margin:15px auto 10px;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:293px;" id="attachment_41911" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41911"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/download_5_c239ac1c62.png" alt="download-5.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_download_5_c239ac1c62.png 245w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-41911">Dr. Sanduk Ruit – Alumni of KGMU</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;margin:15px auto 10px;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:300px;" id="attachment_41912" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41912"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_1_d076bb83d3.png" alt="images-1.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_1_d076bb83d3.png 245w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-41912">Dr. Naresh Trehan – Alumni of KGMU</figcaption></figure><figure class="wp-caption alignnone" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;margin:15px auto 10px;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:211px;" id="attachment_41913" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41913"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_1_1_300x300_b57c8c7015.png" alt="images-1-1-300x300.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_1_1_300x300_b57c8c7015.png 156w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-41913">Dr. Anil Kohli – Alumni of KGMU</figcaption></figure>As I reflect upon this heritage, I am convinced that Lucknow’s medical history is incomplete without acknowledging the forgotten jewel that was Lady Kinnaird Memorial Hospital. Its story is not merely of bricks and mortar, but of pioneering women doctors, missionary zeal, and the evolution of healthcare in colonial and post-colonial India. Remembering it is essential to preserving the dignity of our city’s cultural and medical legacy.</div></div>

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