There was a time when the press was revered as the fourth pillar of democracy, owing to its contribution to the service of the downtrodden masses. It was a weapon to fight against corruption and class-based biases. Our freedom fighters took to print media in order to create a furor against the British regime a century ago.

However, with the passage of time, different forms of journalism evolved, and with the advent of technology, the media started getting commercialized.  From being the fourth pillar of democracy, it has now become the first pillar of corruption and injustice.

When India achieved independence, our leaders envisaged a nation where everyone irrespective of their faith, creed, and community can live together in harmony. The present-day news channels are campaigning for political parties and politicians and catering to the interest of those in power by broadcasting paid news.

A senior journalist said that media has failed the citizens of this country by tweaking reality and spreading fake news. He asked the so-called news channels to show the reality and stop fuelling hatred in society on the basis of religion and communities. Since the terror attack that took place in Pulwama, few anchors have not only been baying for war against Pakistan but have also been inciting communal disharmony in the nation.

A few days ago, a grenade explosion took place at the main inter-State bus stand in Jammu. By the efforts of Jammu and Kashmir police, the culprit was arrested within hours and was sent behind bars. JKP always does a tremendous job and I salute their dedication and commitment. As soon as the attack took place, the mainstream media channels started spewing venom against Muslims and shifted the entire focus from the issue of terrorism to the attacker who happens to be a 16-year-old “Kashmiri boy”.

When a man was caught red-handed with grenades at the main gate of Rajouri police station, where a recruitment rally was being held under the supervision of senior police officers, no media house bothered to highlight the incident as the accused was not Muslim. Is it any less of a crime just because the convict happens to be a Hindu?

Most of the TV-news channels solely cater to the whims and fancies of their political masters and fabricate the stories to further their political propaganda. Paid news is lowering ethical standards of journalism and with each passing day, the trust of the public on media platforms is eroding.

The news anchors sitting within the comforts of their air-conditioned studios and engaging in hateful commentary against certain sects of people are to be blamed for the current state of unrest in the country. It is time we took a stand against this madness and completely boycott such TV channels.

The post Here Is Why The Indian Media Is Loosing Its Credibility appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

In 2015, there were 249 recorded acid attacks in India. According to the Human Rights Law Network, there is under-reporting and these figures hide the scale of the problem. It estimates the number of acid attacks to be around 1000 per year.

In 2017, the Indian government brought into force legislation designed to help tackle the pervasive crime of acid throwing by giving victims official recognition. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act will now define acid attack survivors as physically disabled. Its implementation means they can gain access to employment in the government and education sectors through disability quotas and reserved places.

Under Section 326A of the Indian penal code, acid attacks have been classified as a distinct, specific offence, carrying a penalty of imprisonment for a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life The new act has been hailed as progressive, but some activists have raised reservations about the law’s implementation. This is because most victims come from low-income groups with minimal education and limited computer skills. More than free medicines, they need safe places to stay and witness protection from the attackers and their attempts to stop the prosecution. The right intervention would have been to stop attacks from happening, be serious about punishing perpetrators and ensuring proper medical treatment by introducing more burns unit in hospitals.

The Supreme Court of India has already ordered to limit over-the-counter acid sales to people over 18 and mandates the maintenance of a register recording details of the buyers. The implementation has not been really effective as acid continues to be sold for low as Rs 15-20 a bottle. Twenty rupees is all it takes to scar someone’s life irrevocably. In fact, what the government needs to do is introduce a complete ban because acid has only harmful effects and has destroyed the lives of so many women in our country.

According to Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI), 80% of acid attack victims are women. Reasons for the attacks include revenge for turning down a marriage proposal, family and land disputes, suspicions of infidelity, domestic violence and spurned sexual advances.  The act, done in a matter of seconds, takes around four to five months for just the life-changing physical wounds to heal.

When the acid is thrown on a face, the eyelids, lips and nose may burn off completely, closing the nostrils, and the ears shrivel up. The skin and bones including those on the skull, forehead, cheeks and chin might dissolve. At times, the splash causes acid to drip over the neck, trickle over to chest, back, arms, hands and legs, burning every inch of the skin it touches.

When the wounds from an acid burn heal, they form thick scars that pull the skin tight and cause disfigurement. In 90% of the cases, the eyesight of the victim is adversely affected, causing blindness. The victim has to live with both physical and emotional consequences for life.

If you have wondered why the perpetrators commit such a heinous crime, it is aimed at destroying the individuality and identity of a person. The act changes people, from how they look to how they feel. Like any other criminal, the attacker at that moment feels the power to cause chaos to a human being, leaving her agonised and helpless. For this act of nihilism the person who commits this act is a criminal who you cannot reason with and for this reason, the government should ensure that they face severe punishment.

Women who have faced this brutality have refused to back down. They have emerged as strong fighters. It is time that we share the stories of those who have refused to hide their scars and emerged as heroes for others to get inspired. One such woman is Laxmi Agarwal whose story will be brought on screen by Meghna Gulzar.

On March 25, Deepika Padukone released the first look of Chhapaak (Splash) which marks the first time an Indian movie takes up the issue of acid attacks. It is based on the story of Laxmi Agarwal, who was attacked for rejecting the advances of a man twice her age. When the attack happened, Laxmi was 15.

View this post on Instagram

A character that will stay with me forever…#Malti Shoot begins today!#Chhapaak Releasing-10th January, 2020. @meghnagulzar @atika.chohan @foxstarhindi @vikrantmassey87

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on Mar 24, 2019 at 8:30pm PDT

Padukone plays Malti, “a character that will stay with me forever.”

A Twitter user wrote, “She is courage. She is hope. She is Deepika Padukone as #Malti in#Chhapaak” 

This is POWERFUL.

Her eyes projects both lingering sadness and undying hope.
As I said earlier too nobody portrays both fragility and steely grit with mere eyes the way Deepika does among her contemporaries.
Prosthetic artist deserves highest applause,come thru team #Chhapaak .. pic.twitter.com/40k9SqBAuq

— Filmy KEEDA (@manishtamancha) March 25, 2019

Since her attack, Agarwal has campaigned for stricter regulation of acid sales in India. She has walked the runway for New York Fashion Week, delivered a TEDx talk and received the US State Department’s International Women of Courage Award from Michelle Obama.

“Chhapaak” is scheduled for release January 10, 2020. Let us hope that with films like this, the attention is brought on the shining example of women like Laxmi whose unending inquisitiveness, ceaseless bravery and world-changing creativity inspires each one of us. They are heroes for the world.

The post Chhapaak – Capturing The Strength Of Acid Attack Survivors appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

From ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs, to modern day ‘Hinglish’, language is the cornerstone of every civilization, and plays a major role in making us the social beings that we are. It connects, moulds and conditions people in obvious, and not-so-obvious ways.  

So, how much does sexist language contribute to our inherent gender, racial or economic biases? Vitamin Stree takes a closer look at it!

Gender biases in language can be found everywhere – from everyday life and pop-culture, to school curriculum and classic literature. Examples of these can be found in our daily communication – ‘bachelor’, for example, is a word used for single, unmarried men. It comes with connotations of having fun and not being ready to settle down yet, no matter how old they are.

‘Spinster’, however, is a word used for unmarried women who have crossed the threshold of the ‘marriageable age’. Examples like these reinforce gender roles of men being free to marry as and when they wish, but women have to be aware of a constantly ticking clock.

So, how far back do we go to find gender neutrality? School? Turns out, textbooks used by lakhs of children across Indian schools are filled with preconceived, sexist notions of each gender. A book by Narendra Nath Kalia titled ‘Sexism In Indian Education: The Lies We Tell Our Children’ chalks out the different ways in which sexism resides in education. One author believes that ‘it’s only women who indulge in ideal gossip,’ while another believes that ‘God has made women cent percent stupid.’

Classic literature too has always had cringe-worthy examples, and for a society that’s relatively woke today, the problems should be evident and yet, no one seems to care. Milton’s Paradise Lost– an account of the creation of earth and hell, and the fall of ‘man’ from his initial paradisiac state, says that the man is created in the image of God, and the woman is created in the image of man, therefore establishing their inequality at the level of creation. It also goes on to blame Eve, solely, for this ‘fall of man’.

Pop culture isn’t far behind when it comes to misogynistic lyrics.

What do they make dreams for
When you got them jeans on
What do we need steam for
You the hottest bitch in this place

                           -Blurred lines, Robin Thicke

This is an excerpt from ‘Blurred Lines’, by Robin Thicke. It’s hard to believe that lyrics like these are widely accepted and no one has any problem at all. And if this comes across as problematic, our boy Honey Singh went ahead and did one better.

Par mai hun womanizer (I am a womanizer)
Mujhe akele mein mat mil (Don’t meet me by alone)
Silicon vali ladki ko main pakadta nahi (I’m not interested in women get silicon transplants)
Brown girl se mera dil bharta nahi. (I never seem to get tired of brown-skinned girls)

Language is a strong tool, an inherent part of who we are. Over decades and even centuries, it’s been used to drive home the point that women and men are associated with certain definitive tasks, words, and roles in society. The problem stems from (mostly) male authors controlling the narrative and getting away with it, but now, it’s time to reclaim words for what they are – descriptors, not judgments; a tool for progress through communication, not steps back into the Dark Ages.

Got problems with how sexist our language is, or thought you were the only one who believed so? You’re not alone, and now, you hopefully know where it’s coming from.

Watch the full video here.

*Featured image credits- Bollywood Bubble

The post Sexist Lyrics, Cuss Words, Or Fairy Tales Should Never Have Been Okay! appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

March 29, 2019 is much-awaited Friday for the film “The Least Of These: The Graham Staines Story” releasing across India. However, I had the privilege to attend the guest premiere show of the film on March 22 in New Delhi. And the first thing that I wanted to do after watching the film was to write a review. So, let’s begin.

Why should you watch this film?

This film is one of a kind for multiple reasons. Firstly, you see two mainstream popular actors from two varied industries complementing each other, i.e., Stephen Baldwin and Sharman Joshi. Both the actors are impeccable in their roles in this tragic story. Moreover, an excellent subtly underplayed performance by both the actor echoes throughout the film, without distracting the audience.

Who should watch this film?

The film anticipates reaching out to less than 3% of the Christian population of India. However, the film cuts across all religious boundaries and focuses purely on humanistic value and ethical framework for life. It is a must watch for any Indian and global citizen who is self-reflective, compassionate, believing in the better for the society as a whole. Indian students must definitely give it a try. And most importantly, cinema students and cinema historians might be enthralled watching the film purely from the point of view of the craft of making a film with a streamlined plot and simple characterization.

Now let’s examine a few departments of the film –

Background Score and Music: The overall music of the film helps the subject sail through smoothly, especially when the film is dealing with the true story of the brutal killing of the Australian missionary working with people suffering from leprosy in the state of Orissa in 1999.

Cinematography and Editing: In these two departments, conventional cinematic editing fastens the film more than enough to keep it interesting to the end. However, in some portions, the cinematography excels all the other departments and the look is soothingly pleasant and pleasurable to watch, in the case when the subject of the film demands the reverse.

Production design and Drama: The production design is one thing that separates any film from the other. In this one, some portions actually make you travel through the experiences of those times. The drama is reliable with a pinch of sporadic laughter, and comic relief parallel to the gruesome killing of the missionary along with his two kids in the van while they were asleep.

Supporting Actors, Scripts and Screenplay: With a moderate screenplay, the film has a self-sufficiently powerful script. Albeit, the over-arching message of the film and screenplay is beautiful and gripping. Supporting actors like Prakash Belawadi playing the editor is believable and does justice to his role. Shari Rigby in the role of Staines’s wife is honest. The performance of the two actors enhances the pleasure of watching a mainstream cinema. At the same time, Sharman Joshi as an investigative journalist is authentic to the demand of the role. Aditi Chengappa who plays Sharman’s wife is beautifully flawless in her appearance of a semi-urban character.

What does this film preach?

Good cinema doesn’t preach and neither does this film. The film doesn’t preach anything other than human values of compassion to overcome hate. The film is a bold attempt by the makers in the times when religious sentiment among masses across the globe is at an all-time high compared to the last few decades. Hence, in today’s time for a story like this could not have better to reinstate hope, faith and peace among the audiences.

Feel free to comment on this post after watching the film this coming Friday, 29th March.

The post Reasons To Watch “The Least Of These: The Graham Staines Story” appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

If you plan to watch one film this weekend, let it be Vasan Bala’s “Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota”, a delightful film that breaks all ideas of conventional storytelling. The film was released at the MAMI 2018 where it received a warm reception and also witnessed a grand opening at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film stars Abhimanyu Dasani, Radhika Madan, Gulshan Devaiah, Jimit Trivedi, and Mahesh Manjrekar.

The film, says Bala, is a tribute to all the films that he has watched growing up and this explains much of its eccentric style. From breaking genres to almost oddball lyrics, even the songs follow an incongruous route. Don’t get confused. Listen to the soundtrack composed by Karan Kulkarni and written by Garima Obrah and you will find references to the Nirma washing powder’s jingle and to Star Wars. The avant-garde style of the music ensures that you cannot assign a genre to it or for that matter even a time period.

Coming to the film itself, the story is bizarre and keeps you on the edge of your seats in anticipation. The film is about Surya, played by Abhimanyu Dassani, an almost alien-like misfit boy who is born with a rare congenital condition that makes him insensitive to pain or in true Bollywood style, Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota. Our hero then, in true filmi style is the perfect action hero that we all are waiting for. Being free from pain, however, causes him other problems. He has to be careful of injuries, drink more water so as to not get dehydrated and wear swimming goggles (please do not look for medical explanations to at least the last two). So our hero, the Mard jisse dard nahi hota, sets out to become a superhero, well, almost. His girlfriend is, however, more relatable with the usual ambition like getting married, being financially stable and moving to a different country to look for a better life.

He spends much of his day watching a diverse range of martial arts films on VHS tapes that includes “Game of Death”(1978), “Aaj Ka Gunda Raj” (1992), “Gymkata” (1985). The scenes here are a profound dose of wistfulness, iconic dialogues, and vintage reels, all lensed through the film. For any 90s kid who grew up watching martial arts films, this is nothing short of nostalgia.

The film’s narrative also makes the audience uncomfortable for it tries to dismantle familiar Bollywood tropes. Life is after all not a film. And yet, the film uses every familiar trope be it that of bachpan ka pyaar or judwa bhai or the lost tavez. In a sense then, it borrows from popular culture but manages to create its own storyline.

The small budget film is a mix of smart dialogues, solid action sequences good comic timing pepped with black humour, the characters in all their eccentricities are believable, the only problem I think is that its avant grade style is at times difficult for an audience used to expecting a masala films given its simple title – Mard ko Dard Nahi Hota. To be honest, when I first heard about the film I thought it would be an Amitabh Bachchan style movie with the hero covered in blood trying to save the heroine from a bunch of sleazy goons.

This partially also explains its low box office collection. The film is being screened at few multiplexes and much of the publicity has been word of mouth. A content-driven film like this, once available on platforms like Netflix or Amazon prime could have reached and appreciated by a wider audience.

But if you do plan to watch it, let me tell you that despite its shortcoming, it remains a very watchable film with relatable characters which in its goofy style and stylish presentation offers one-of-a-kind cinema experience for the Hindi film audience. The characters are innocent and the way Bala has brought them alive will leave you smiling days after you have watched the movie. The movie is an overall joyful experience which teaches that even in difficult circumstances, never forget the simple pleasures of life.

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The rise and development of global commodification mindset has turned everything into a product with a value. In this whole process of capitalist flap the idea of myth has been playing an immense role especially in the field of history. The legendary historical figure Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara continues to represent an embodiment of anti-capitalistic and anti-systemic movements from Palestinian nationalists of the Middle East to freedom fighters of Latin America.

But, sadly we have been experiencing a shift in the idea and image of Che Guevara from a radical political identity to a globally attractive ‘Pop figure’. From 1970’s, commercialization of Che’s identity started constructing various myths, providing something more than the historical necessity of the figure and labeling him as a mark of a ‘freethinker’ and a ‘liberal’ and it has been passing through decades.

Clothing, coffee mugs, hair bands and posters throughout the globe has become sample of the American mode of commodification and trivialization of this radical, revolutionary figure. Historically and politically, Che is a symbolic representation of 20th century global leftist revolutionary sphere, who left us with a great insight even in present day. But, at the same time, the way he has been popularized through mass consumption and subsequent commodification has resulted in Che becoming a mark of American style consumer capitalism.

Looking a little deep into the idea of myths surrounded by Che, historians have come to recognize the importance of the idea of ‘social conflict’ over how to define his past, and discussions have appeared on who ‘controls’ what is to be remembered and how. Scholars argue that the collective memory of generations is created and manipulated by (construction of Myths) the bourgeois elites in the society to establish and influence dominant, hegemonic and interpretations of the past. The memory of Che Guevara can be completely incorporated in this form of interpretations.

The whole process of commodification of Che implies the idea of ‘Massification’ of his figure on a different dimension, more than relying on history, public has started paying attention on fallacies (Myth) on his identity and ideas. Presently, Che stands as a Latin American ‘Pop Figure’ or to a maximum extent of a ‘liberal icon’. Therefore, the question is – do these Che clothing wearers know who Che Guevara was and what he signified to represent in History? The answer would be no, clearly, the dominant business interest group has won the challenge and they’d conceived the memories and hearts of the people.

When we talk about the myths, it has got multiple dimensions that would interlink and substantiate the central point. Keeping this point in mind, Walter Salles ‘remarkable’ movie “Motorcycle Diaries”(2004) provided a new set of myths on the idea of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara. What is noticed by anyone in the movie is the great aspect of humanity in the character and his enthusiasm for ‘Self Exploration’. Even though the movie showcases a bit on Che’s political maturation process, a large number of viewers developed an idea of a ‘Gallivanter’ on Che rather than conceiving him as the most adorable political ideologue of 20th century.

The world has only a little understanding on the historical aspects of Che’s revolutionary life and his philosophy for liberation. Anthony Daniels in his famous article, “The Real Che”, argues, The film (The Motorcycle Diaries), is thus the cinematic equivalent of the Che Guevara T-shirt; it is morally monstrous and emotionally trivial. Daniels also clearly argued that the idea of myth on Che Guevara is intentionally keeping active by the strong presence of commercialization for the interests of cultural consumerist capitalists.

Roland Barthes describes “Mythologies are not lies, they are formed as a distortion of a previous signification, they are a new situation, and they bring up different concepts”. Therefore, the consumerist capitalists’ circles have been using the history, without having a right direction and building up multiple narrations (myths). Today, the revolutionary figure has become subjected to commoditized “narrativization”, becoming consumerist products such as a movie, a novel, clothing, posters and so on.

Marxist political scientist Fredric Jameson in his article “Globalization as Philosophical” argues and reminds the possibilities of the imposition of “Americana”(American way of life) not only economically but also ideologically in world markets. Indirectly, it implies the control over the outlook, ideas and ideology of the mass public by the culture consumerist mode of production. Therefore, the present purpose of myths and representation of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara prompts global customer attention and stimulates consumerism; displaying the ‘unconscious’ and ‘insentient’ present day society of twenty first century.

The post Myth, Representation: Changing ‘Image’ Of Che Guevara In The Consumerist Society appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Propaganda movies are, by no means, an invention of the recent past. They have existed since times immemorial, precisely since the inception of World War II. The intent of propaganda is to glorify an idea and stir public opinion in a particular direction. During World War II, propaganda movies were made to infuse nationalistic feelings within the audience. Today, they still continue to do so, as seen in several movies released in the past year such as Uri, Sui Dhaga, and Paramanu.

Germany and America are the two greatest examples of nations that used propaganda movies effectively to garner support for the War. These movies made in the U.S revolved around six themes: the nature of the enemy, the nature of the allies, the need to work, the need to sacrifice, the need to fight and what we are fighting for.

While the nature of the enemy and the nature of the allies, shown in the movie Thirty Seconds To Tokyo, stirred hatred and hostility amongst the public towards America’s enemies and feelings of unity towards America’s allies respectively, the need to work and the need to sacrifice, urged American women to take up jobs in factories to support the war (as shown in Women in Defense) and encouraged the American public to give up luxuries till the war was over (as shown in Destination Tokyo).

Furthermore, the need to fight and what we are fighting, shown through the movie Why We Fight, infused feelings of patriotism within American citizens and glorified fighting not only for America but its values such as democracy. In Germany, another form of propaganda was on the rise. Hitler and his aid Joseph Goebbels, who was the head of propaganda in Germany, conspired to garner people’s support for the Nazi regime. This was done through the movie Triumph of the Will, where Hitler was glorified as a leader leading Germany out of international oppression and building a society devoid of any form of inequality. The real picture of Nazi Germany, contradictory to this, was rife with concentration camps where millions of Jews perished.

In more recent times, propaganda has been used to attain objectives such as recruitment, as done by ISIS and to change public opinion prior to elections, as seen in U.S. in 2016. Charlie Winter, in his report ‘Documenting the Caliphate’(2015), talks about how the Islamic State creates a Utopian view of its caliphate which is characterised by good governance, a flourishing economy and as the only land where true Islam is practiced. This distortion of the real Islamic state is instrumental in recruiting members of the ISIS. 

Another factor that plays a crucial role in determining what stand the media takes, or what it conveys, is the ownership of news channels. Krishn Kaushik, in an article for The Caravan, writes how five news companies including news 24, India tv and network18 are indebted to either Mukesh Ambani or Mahendra Nahata. As a result, the control that they wield over these news channels is about 20 to 70%. Noam Chomsky, in his book Manufacturing Consent, talks about five filters that media is subjected to i.e. the owners, the advertisers, flak from others, the dissemination of information by powerful men and lastly, a common enemy such as communism or terrorists. These factors are the filters through which news passes and in turn shapes public opinion.

When we talk about India, movies such as Uri and Paramanu glorify the BJP rule and portray that they have upheld the country’s reputation on the global stage, through surgical strikes and nuclear tests. Sui Dhaga and Toilet, Ek Prem Katha popularise initiatives of the government namely Make in India, Startup India, and Swachh Bharat. Thackeray, a biopic of Bal Thackeray, aims to gain support for the Shiv Sena prior to the 2019 general elections. Moreover, the last two years have seen an increase in movies with a nationalistic tone.

However, propaganda movies in India too aren’t a recent invention. Two movies namely ‘Kisaa, Ek Kursi Ka’ and ‘Aandhi’ were banned during the 1970s as the former satirised Indira Gandhi’s politics and the latter depicted her relationship with her husband. In more recent times, shows such as Mann Ki Baat serve as an effective tool for the Prime Minister to connect with his audience and to portray himself as a man of the people. TV debates too play their part in polarising public opinion and creating binaries, often deviating attention from issues that really matter, such as hunger and poverty while talking about issues such as sedition or Ram Mandir.

Overall, propaganda isn’t only prevalent in movies but pervades all forms of media. While propaganda movies in America are known to be successful in rallying the American citizen’s support for the war and driving women to factories to work, shows like Mann Ki Baat in India effectively allow the Prime Minister to connect with the common man.

The post Propaganda Movies Have Been Shaping Public Opinion For A While Now appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali, its sequel Aparajito and the final installment Apur Sangsar, which form the famous Apu Trilogy based on the works of Bibhuti Bhusan Bandopadhyay, is not the story of Apu but everything and everyone around him that makes him possible.

Set in early 20th century colonial Bengal and Banaras, the story set forth a canon of films which were later catalogued as Parallel Indian Cinema. Even though Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen were already making original socio-political commentaries by the time Pather Panchali came out, but it launched the movement to a global audience.

Every story is larger than life if it is told in that way. Pather Panchali was made on a shoestring budget of Rs 1.5 lac on real locations outside studios. Both path-breaking for the period. After a long struggle to find a producer, Satyajit Ray got the money from the West Bengal state government, which produced the movie. It was a time when digital media was not even thought of, and even retakes in film reels cost a lot.

Even though it apparently looks like a story of the boy Apurbo Kumar Roy. Yet, the story has many characters which need to be taken into consideration. All of them remain central to the development of the plot.

Harihar was a Brahmin, albeit a poor landless one. He learnt the Vedic rituals and customs and also studied Brahmanical literature extensively, but ended up being jobless. Thus, he had to move out to Banaras in search of income leaving behind his family to their fate. And this is set in the pre-Gandhian Indian society (the early 1920s). The notion of class and caste interplays here. It is one example, even though in fiction, that clearly depicts that in India class and caste need to be analyzed together. An upper caste Brahmin might be poor and oppressed too.

To me, however, the central character remains Sarbajoya, not Apu. The story is about her struggle to keep her family alive and well in a late colonial rural society. Harihar represented that rural Indian class which couldn’t get out of the Brahmanical structure even when modern education had reached the length and breadth of the country. But Apu did, but only because of the fight that Sarbajoya fought, against a patriarchal world which left no stone unturned to let her and her insignificant family perish. She moved on from all the deaths that came in her way and let her son do as he wished. As a reward, Apu turned into an educated young man in modern Calcutta breaking all ties with his ‘purohit chele’ stereotype. The story is about Sarbajoya’s journey, not Apu’s.

Everyone who has seen the movie would say that the tragedy reaches its peak with Durga’s death. Maybe it does, but we grossly ignore one very important aspect of the story which has been invoked by Bibhuti Bhusan very subtly and Satyajit Ray portrays it brilliantly: Senior Citizen as a social class.

Indira Thakrun, who was fondly called Pishima by the kids was representing that class of the society which lives and dies in dilemma. Her life becomes like that of a parasite hopping from one home to the other at the mercy of her younger generation. Even though she was dead old and behaved mostly like a kid, Sarbajaya doesn’t even think twice to turn her away from the home when she got a chance.

It is not surprising to find her singing “Hori din toh gelo, shondhe holo, paar koro amare…”. Even though the patriarchs are treated with a sense of revere, the elderly retired women are not even considered for advice in our society. We can see it unfolding in the story too. The only people who consider the old woman’s words seriously are the kids. But ironically Sarbajaya argues that Pishima should behave and be less demanding, for the future of kids are at stake and they need to be taken care of first. Maybe somewhere Sarbajoya was convinced that Pishima was a useless burden while the kids were her future pillars. But in Karmatic justice, even Sarbajoya dies alone as Apu could not make it in time to attend her on her deathbed.

In the trilogy, Apu remains the most visible character. Durga and Aparna remain the characters which attract a lot of sympathies. But, to me, Pishima and an old and dying Sarbajoya remain the most important and engaging characters. These characters got me into thinking if we are doing moral justice to the senior citizens as a society.

The post A Review Of Apu Trilogy: Characters Who Need To Be Understood Between The Lines appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

If the film is simple, you can include a hundred details that create the illusion of actuality better.

-Satyajit Ray

Cinema could be referred to as the ‘bread and toast’ of the Indian audience. With one of the vastest and most expanded film industries in the world, Bollywood reaches upto 1.2 billion Indians and to the world outside this continent.

If we were to debate about the changing trend that has occurred in this realm of the Indian cinema, we have to look at the abyss of the history of Indian cinema.

From The Archives

‘Raja Harishchandra’ (1913) is a legendary film directed by the father of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke. This 40-minute silent film can be regarded as the first full-length Indian feature film. The film is primarily constructed on the eponymous legend of King Harishchandra, who immolated his wife, his children to keep true to the promise of sage Vishwamitra. The theme of integrity, morality and the repercussion of traditional Indian mythology is predominant in its approach.

Our discussion would be of no significance, without the indication to one of the periods that brought India on the global map, an era(1940-1960) that was adorned with filmmakers and actors that left an indelible ramification on the films that are produced today.

Movies like Shree 420 (1955), Pather Panchali (1955), Mother India (1957), Mughal-e-Azam (1960), The Cloud Clapped Star (1960), Misamma (1955) to name a few. The socio-political impact, the struggle and the drudgery that the every Indian had to go through is subtly reflected in the conscience of the films. The movies generally whirled round the reverie of a common man, floating to and fro, dashed by the adversities of life, and in the course of the novel is revealed as a round character, with shades of grey, but ultimately finishing off with a ‘happy ending.’

It should also be indicated that regional cinemas of this time, especially Malayalam cinema, derived much of its strength from its literature (e.g =Cheeman (1965)), winning the National Award, as we all as director Mrinal Sen’s production of ‘Bhuvan Some’ which made its mark in the long run.

The second phase of Indian cinema constitutes the reversion of themes from the poor, feeble man to the urban working class society. The story line transformed to a larger extent. By the early 1970s, the backbone of the cinema was musical comedy, underworld mafias of Bombay, cunning villain, love stories of protagonists divergent in their economic status.

The Angry Young Man

We can assert it as a personality which bears the traits of a hero, who is sterling in the art of dancing, to the rhythm of music to punching and kicking, and acting as a savior to the ‘damsel in distress’. Movies like Aradhana (1969), Deewar (1975), Zanjeer (1973), Sholay (1975) mark this period. This can be interpreted as the birth of ‘commercial Bollywood’, which was charged with elements of action, comedy, musical, melodrama, and the point of convergence being the male heroes, leaving a spinnet of place for the evolution of the female protagonists. Down in the South, the new wave cinema originated in Karnataka and Kerala. Pattabhi Rama Reddy’s Samskara(1970) and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Swayamvaram(1972) were the trendsetters in Kannada and Malayalam respectively.

The 80s witnessed the most diverse shift in the thematic representation. The science-fiction made its appearance on the big screen with Mr. India (1987) starring Anil kapoor and Sridevi. Quayamat se Quamat Tak, Jo Jeeta wohi Sikandar, Maine pyaar kiya, Baazigar and other rom-coms dominated the screen in that era. Among the renowned South Indian movies, we could name a few movies e.g : Elippathayam, Pokkuveyil, Chidambaram, Oridath and Piravi etc.

The Cinema Of Today

The last phase began in early 2000s to the cinema of to-day. The major change that these movies depict is the 21st century human race; a concoction of human misery, mirth, escapades, simplicity of domestic life, visual effects, global appeal, the desire for realism, and the lack of utopia which had been previously given a splendid importance.

With the introduction of web series, and world cinema, India has definitely woken up from its dream vacation in an Indian ecstasy (mostly European delights shown as Indian places) to the innate feelings of a protagonist and there has been a great emphasis on the storyline, the cinematography, the power of its actors to maintain the attention of the audience through their hearty performance.

Irrefutably, Indian cinema, in older times, had seen undaunted, courageous filmmakers who forged stories that defied social taboos, and the questions of homosexual relationships, illicit affairs but the embracement came in full fledge during the millennial age.

We reside in a world which is biased and stereotypical and yet there is a cramped relation with a bold adaptation of issues which were earlier perceived as wrong, and have suddenly gained the title of being progressive. We might have to go a prolonged way before we can be truly, liberally modern in the very sense of that term.

Padman, Dangal, Lipstick under my Burkha, Pink, Piku – every and each one of this masterpiece shows the way frame of mind can be shattered, and the changing vigour of Indian cinema, it’s growth from its pithy, narrow circle. Women are now casted as protagonists, and the sexual orientation is not a matter of discomfort anymore.

Cinema is a world view of a community and directors, by taking the crucial changes in the mainstream lifestyle into the canvas of 2 hours is no less than an enchantment.

May cinema continue to flow in its accelerating wave, and provide us with stories that reflect every facet of this mundane yet magical human (and alien) life.

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In what is not breaking news anymore, election season is upon us. With the fervour of polling taking over the lives of 1.2 billion people in the next few weeks, what is also upon us is carefully constructed propaganda.

As someone who lives on films, I must make my disappointment apparent. There has been a steady decline in the quality of films that we have seen in the last five years. Don’t @ me. For whatever reason Ranveer Singh may have appealed to you as Alauddin Khilji, fact remains that it was a grossly irresponsible depiction passed off in the name of art.

In fact, the BJP government could have taken a leaf out of (the actual) Khilji’s revenue and market reforms, which led to the establishment of a well-maintained army and broke the chain of profiteering Hindu traders who lived off of overcharging cultivators and farmers in the name of taxes. Instead, they implemented the GST and demonetisation while successfully ruining the autonomy of the one pan-Indian film industry that we have: Hindi movies.

Seeing as this propaganda is about a reach a peak – with Vivek Oberoi and three other actors actually, willfully essaying the role of the first PM in our history who hasn’t held a single press conference during his tenure, here are 10 films you should see, before you strut to vote.

1) Yuva/Aaytha Ezhuthu

A Mani Ratnam masterpiece. Originally made in Tamil, the story traces student politics through the eyes of three men, who belong to three different stratas of society. It remains an important commentary on the fragility of youth, the freedom of a university space and the power of will.

2) Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi

Shedding light on a watershed moment in the struggle for a united student identity, Sudhir Mishra carefully draws a picture of the Naxal movement and the attached incident of the Emergency. If you’re worried about finding problematic rhetoric attractive, this is the watch you need before April 11.

3) Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani

You can un-scrunch your forehead. This one is slept on. I, for one, miss when you could make movies that had democratic elements and not hyper-nationalist ones (yes, I’m talking about Uri, Parmanu, and the like).

A fully commercial take on the TV news revolution India saw post the 1990s, who better than Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla to tell us how truth can get lost in the TRP race? We tend to forget that the film had a powerful narrative: two rival news reporters who try to save a man from a wrongly imposed death sentence, when suddenly a hidden case of rape changes everything. Do you see how subtle the statement is?

4) Shanghai

Not many have heard of this, fewer have actually seen it. This is a gritty watch, for the reality as well as the dirt. The premise is what every Indian is familiar with, a small town being developed as an industrial and technological novelty. Shanghai follows this development through the eyes of citizens, students and the bureaucracy. All ingredients for a well-brewed reality check.

5) Kai Po Che

The only instance where the film is better than the book. An essential lesson in understanding where present-day politics in India comes from. The story is a fictionalisation of what happened in Gujarat in 2002, but a sensitive and informed one. Most importantly, it brings to light the uncomfortable reality that even strong bond of friendship may not survive divisive ideology.

6) Gulaal

What Anurag Kashyap should have actually been noticed for. For a country that is obsessed with legitimacy in politics while being intensely hypocritical, it’s a wonder this film isn’t more known. Tracing student politics simultaneously with a separatist movement, this is an underrated gem, and crucial if you are to understand where students stand in the political ladder.

7) Ardh Satya

The pivotal character in this movie is the system. And the futile human struggle against it just the backdrop. A man within the institution grapples with the wrongs of the walls that surround him, all the while wondering if being a policeman is even worth it.

Besides being one of the finest films ever made in Hindi, it also remains one of the few to have actually addressed the existential crisis that characterises the young Indian’s experience of capitalist Brahminical patriarchy and oppression. If you do see this, I suggest you be prepared for your life to change.

8) Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro

The thing is, Indians have a great capacity for humour. For some reason, it’s always downplayed. The very serious issue of corruption is turned upside down in this comedy. Multiple layers of satire culminate in a stage adaptation of Draupadi’s cheer-haran episode from the epic Mahabharata. As I stare pensively into the distance, I wonder if this would even be permitted for release by the CBFC today.

9) Dil Dosti Etc.

One of the most liberating things about college is the heterogeneity on campuses. Students come from different backgrounds, bundle up into one classroom and sparks fly. This movie explores the ambiguity of being in college, that leads to as much randomness as it does to life-changing decisions.

10) Rang De Basanti

The list would be incomplete without this movie. Despite being controversial, it remains an important lesson on what a commitment to being anti-establishment implies. It tears away at the superficial levels of dissent, offering a raw and striking look into being a student in the nation’s capital.

It is of course, not without flaws. However, even though many critics termed the movie unnecessarily violent, recent examples suggest that parts of the movie are closer to reality than we would like to think.

The post 10 Unbiased Political Films Every Student Should See Before They Vote This Year appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

First and foremost, it is an undeniable fact that the media has always played a vital role in every election starting from 1951. During the first couple of elections, there was not much prevalence of media, especially electronic media. Pamphlets, posters, banners, newspapers, etc. were used to woo voters. The culture of political campaigning began on a serious note during the 1971 general election, when Indira Gandhi used the slogan of “Garibi Hatao.”

It was an era when the radio was evolving at a rapid pace and the television had just been introduced to general masses. Further, when we talk about the popular “India Shining” campaign by Vajpayee or “Achhe Din” by Modi in 2014, the media has always played a leading role in the propagation of their slogans. But why is the 2019 election different from the earlier ones?

This, in my opinion, is because the media has witnessed major changes with the course of time: technologically, professionally as well as ethically. Even if we compare the upcoming election with the preceding ones, the media has witnessed huge growth. According to an IANS report, the number of Internet users in India was around 25 crore in 2014. Today it is 55 crores; smartphone usage has crossed the 40-crore mark; Facebook has nearly 30 crore users active on a monthly basis in India, WhatsApp has over 20 crore and Twitter approximately 3.4 crore.

In the 2014 election, Rahul Gandhi did not even have a Twitter account, but today he has 88 lakh followers, which is nowhere close to Modi, who has 4.3 crore followers. Anyway, the times have changed and television media no longer dominates the information dissemination scenario.  So here, we can go with a basic premise that unlike the 2014 general election, which in my opinion, was fought on the television, this upcoming one is being fought on social media.

Now a question may arise, why should we call social media platforms ‘the biggest battleground?’ Because this particular form of media incorporates all other forms, whether we talk about print, electronics, the internet, etc. In other words, we can say that on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube we can have access to all types of content that is being disseminated by traditional media.

As we all know, the demographic dividend, i.e. working age population [youth] is about 64%, and substantial numbers of them are primarily dependent upon social media for information. It is not only the youth, but people across all ages these days that are active on various media platforms. So, certainly the content which is circulated through these platforms influence the mindset of the people.

But the youth is way more vulnerable to social media, as it is almost addicted to it, and according to me, shows less maturity in interpreting messages in multiple ways. So this group is an easy target by political parties for increasing their vote banks.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal has already proved  how  social media can play an enormous role in manipulating the election verdict. The scandal played a significant part in inciting public discussion on ethical standards in the context of social media companies, politicians, etc. Consumer advocates made a case for greater consumer protection on online media and the right to privacy and filters on misinformation and propaganda. As expected, this scandal had a major impact on Donald Trump’s campaign in 2016, the Mexican election in 2018 and many more.

Social media which has facilitated the freedom of speech and expression is also a huge platform for fake news, trolling and manipulated content. It  has indeed become a blessing for the political fraternity, with less investment and more profit. Realising the importance of technology, every political party has its own IT cells run across the country, propagating agenda and garnering people’s faith.

Every political party is busy trolling each other, and no one cares about the misinformation flooding the social networking sites. Usually, I find that the viral content in these platforms is short, biased and strong in nature. And today’s youngsters have no time to question or verify the consumed content, which results in manipulation of their minds. We want more information within a short span of time, without knowing that much of it could be misinformation or simply lack of information.

Keeping in view the adverse impact of social media on election outcomes, the Election Commission of India has issued a handful of guidelines for the use of social media by the 2019 candidates and parties which includes pre-certification of ad. As a result of this, Google, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube can now run only pre-certified ads. SMSes sent in bulk and voice messages will also require pre-certification. Apart from sharing the expenses for online campaigning with the Election Commission, the political candidates will also have to share details of their social media accounts. An app called C-Vigil has been developed which will allow citizens to report violations confidentially.

The guidelines set up by the election commission sound nice, but the implementation is still under scrutiny. Further, the commission has not clarified any specific penal provisions for violation of those guidelines. Although the menace of fake news through social media becomes severe during the election, it has become an integral challenge for the democratic set up in digital era. And this certainly needs immediate attentions and a permanent solution.

The German parliament in 2017 voted for a law that included the provision to levy fines on major social media enterprises such as Facebook and YouTube, given their failure to remove hate posts within a given time. Facebook has introduced a tool in Germany that allows users flag suspicious content, this will be monitored by a team of 700 employees in Berlin.  Why can’t such initiatives be taken in country like India too? If this menace of fake news circulated via social media platforms is not sorted out, the democracy would continue to be a kingdom of blind people, ruled by one-eyed kings.

Featured image for representative purpose only.

The post Not TV, Social Media Is The Biggest Battleground For The Upcoming Elections appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

From stories, backdrops, dialogues, scenes, shots, characters, etc. in movies, even the titles have their much-needed significance. The title defines the movie in a nutshell and also presents the basis/foundation of the theme. This way of representation through titles sometimes function as director’s trump, but sometimes it also fails and how. This essay will attempt to address the aforementioned representation and the politics it entails through the examination of movie titles of Fire and Father, Son and Holy War and themes associated with them.

Deepa Mehta’s ‘Fire’ is the first of the famous Element trilogy preceded by ‘Earth’ and ‘Water’. This trilogy attempts to deal with the issues of social taboos giving the viewer insights into social evils and the orthodox ideologies which gives birth to them. The title ‘Fire’ could be defined as latent desires. Additionally, it also represents a purge from crude and regressive society. When one brings these two ideas together, one understands that desires are the purge from the repressive society itself.

The ‘fire’ of desires aren’t everlasting instead are fulfilling. Firstly, Deepa Mehta presents the ‘fire’ from the first scene of the movie and continuously unfolding with each character’s advent. But the center of the story remains the lesbian relationship which Sita and Radha explore later in the movie.

Sita’s and Radha’s desires are presented through multiple monotonous and underwhelming depictions of sex or loving making sequences. However, it surprisingly manages to establish the much-needed oddness about a same-sex relationship and certain unusual desires. Second is Ashok’s (Radha’s Husband) quest to control his temptation, in a lot Gandhi like manner, and sexual desires to attain celibacy.

Next comes Mundu (the servant) who desires Radha and uses Blue Films to conquest his fire. Eventually, the director uses fire to depict the purge of the character Radha creating a similarity with Agnipariksha which ‘Sita’, the character from Ramayana, had to go through to prove her loyalty to Shree Ram, the protagonist of Ramayana. Hence, the title of the movie has greater relevance.

It is imperative to mention that the movies which depict homosexuality in India are as rare as Halley’s Comet. Hence, the depiction or we say the representation of the same remains very stereotypical as can be seen in ‘Dostana’. They depicted everything but a real homosexual relationship. Also, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga never attempts to represent the theme of a lesbian couple but the movie is promoted as one. Instead, it looks at homosexuality through the lens of the society which apparently is still Hindu.

Second is Anand Patwardhan’s ‘Father, Son, and Holy War’. The title itself represents patriarchy, masculinity and its association with violence and aggression. The title saliently also addresses the fact how ‘men’ in a patriarchal system of living tends to behave like a protector like a self-nominated and eventually, self-appointed savior of the weaker section which generally is women. Once you are part of this self-nominating-appointing system you are left with least or no agency to choose.

As presented even in the title ‘Father-Son’, it represents the transfer of baton or power from one man to another without consulting the successors. The term ‘Holy War’ represents the fight to save/protect the religion or religious practices from foreign influences. Basically, anything which impacts their religious sentiments or practices are a foreign influence – the age-old easy blame game.

Hence, they have to fight against foreign influence to protect their religion. Therefore it is known as the Holy War.  The title of two parts– Trial by Fire and Hero Pharmacy– also render the theme of respective parts. The movie also depicts the sexual violence which women face, in the first part. In the second part, how masculinity in society promotes violence. The title and part titles are hence very significant to Anand Patwardhan’s documentary as well.

The representation of themes in both the movies has been directly-indirectly, implicit-explicit. The tone and symbolism also varied with the intensity of the scene. Hence, the politics of representation is a very curious and interesting domain of exploration. These representations are used to instill the written apparent lies as truth and reality. Furthermore, they draw an outline of the nation or mindset one lives within.

To conclude, the overwhelming portrayal of both homosexuality and masculinity in each of the two movies was through a Hindu lens. The very advent of Indian cinema was a movie based on a Hindu ruler, Raja Harishchandra. Simultaneously, when color television was introduced in India, Indira Gandhi insisted on creating and telecasting mythological and religious shows, which she has explicitly said in a lot of interviews, to bind the country together through identical ideologies which were predominantly Hindu.

This biased representation of apparently secular state leads to politics of representation which can be termed as convenient representation. It could eventually lead to ignition of communal sentiments due to the insignificant representation of minorities in the visual media. The representation and misrepresentation of a certain section of the society are done continuously in cinema, sometimes consciously and sometimes unconsciously and sometimes, unapologetically. It leads to prescribed categories of functioning in various sects of society. This, when done over a period of time, elevates differences and creates divides in an already divided society.

Bibliography

Menon, Nivedita. Seeing like a Feminist. Penguin Books, 2012.

Derné Steve. Globalization on the Ground: Media and the Transformation of Culture, Class, and Gender in India. Sage, 2008.

Chatterjee, Partha (. Nationalist Thought and Colonial World: a Derivative Discourse. Zed, 1993.

Kishwar, Madhu. “Naive Outpourings of a Self-Hating Indian A Review of Deepa Mehta’s ‘Fire’.” Review of Fire by Deepa Mehta.

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Tamil cinema has played a crucial role in Dravidian politics in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) which is now led by M. K. Stalin, a Dravidian party that extensively used media for promoting its films.

C.N. Annadurai, the first Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and Karunanidhi were screen writers who wrote powerful dialogues for their films to promote Dravidian ideals which were to some extent anti-Brahmin. The film Parasakthi, written by Karunanidhi and released in 1952, is now considered a major milestone for the Dravidian movement. The major features of Dravidian politics are centered on liguistics, ethnicity, and cultural identity. In particular, the ideas concerned with the dominance of the Brahmin culture in the civil and political society, as well as the propagation of the Tamil language have been some of the biggest hallmark of this movement.

Among the seven Chief Ministers that Tamil Nadu has seen till date, five have been from a film background. This includes M. G. Ramachandran, popularly known as M.G.R, who was the first film-star-turned-politician in any Indian state and the founder of the AIADMK. Later on in the year 1982, Jayalalithaa also joined the party as a propaganda secretary. And after her mentor MGR’s death in 1987, she took over the party leadership and became the opposition leader to the DMK-led government headed by M. Karunanidhi at the time. Following Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in May 1991, the AIADMK swept the subsequent elections. Marred by allegations of blatant corruption, Jayalalithaa lost the 1996 elections.

The DMK as well as the AIADMK have always been the two major players and the primary deciding factor in every central government election till date. In the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the DMK leader M. K. Stalin has offered to support the Prime Ministerial candidate Rahul Gandhi. And the AIADMK has already said that it is going to ally with the Bharatiya Janatha Party.

Two of the most celebrated actors of Indian cinema Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth have announced their entry into the political domain. But what is their game plan? What steps are they going to take to change the course of politics in the state ? Will their fan base make it easier for them to get into power? Who is going to be the next Chief Minister? These are some of the questions waiting to be answered.

Kamal Hasan has announced his party Makkal Needhi Maiam, with the party symbol depicting six hands holding onto one another. Three of the hands are in red and the other three in white. At the centre of the flag is a six spoked star in black, forming a white core. According to Kamal Haasan, if one looks closely enough, one can find the new map of south India. He also made it clear that he would contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and ally with like-minded parties. On the other hand, THALAIVAR has still not revealed his party name and symbol. The 2.0 actor has announced that he is not going to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and is not supporting any specific political party. But he stated that he is going to contest the Assembly election of 2021 in Tamil Nadu from all constituencies.

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फेक न्यूज़ यानी झूठी खबरें। हालांकि इसमें समझने जैसा कुछ नहीं है लेकिन इसका उद्देश्य समझना बहुत ज़रूरी है। फेक न्यूज़ या झूठी खबरों के ज़रिए कई राजनीतिक संगठन, आपका फायदा उठा सकते हैं। वे आपको दंगों के लिए भड़का सकते हैं, वे आपको गलत आंकड़ें पेश करके गुमराह कर सकते हैं और अंततः वे आपको एक भीड़ बनाकर छोड़ सकते हैं। पिछले कुछ सालों में फेक समाचारों का सिलसिला अपने भारत देश पर हावी हो चुका है।

मीडिया, जनतंत्र का चौथा स्तंभ जो अब लड़खड़ाने लगा है-

जनतंत्र का चौथा स्तंभ माना जाने वाला मीडिया, आज अपने आपको स्वतंत्र महसूस नहीं कर पा रहा है। फेक समाचारों की वजह से पिछले कुछ सालों में देश में मॉब लिंचिंग के आरोप भी बढ़ गए हैं। 2018 में हमारा देश ‘वर्ल्ड प्रेस मीडिया‘ द्वारा जारी की गई एक रिपोर्ट में स्वतंत्र मीडिया के विश्लेषण में 180 देशों के बीच 138वां स्थान हासिल कर पाया है।

इसके अलावा अगर हम सोशल मीडिया पर फैल रही झूठी खबरों की बात करें, तो शायद हमारा देश सोशल मीडिया पर फेक न्यूज़ फैलाने के लिए नंबर वन देश का दर्जा प्राप्त कर सकता है।

मीडिया की अहमियत-

हमारे देश का जनतंत्र विश्व का सबसे बड़ा जनतंत्र है और आज इस जनतंत्र का चौथा स्तंभ यानी कि मीडिया स्वतंत्र नहीं है और खतरे में है। हम मीडिया को जनतंत्र का चौथा स्तंभ क्यों मानते हैं? आखिर मीडिया जनतंत्र के चौथे स्तंभ के रूप में कितनी अहमियत रखता है? हम सभी को सबसे पहले मीडिया की अहमियत समझनी चाहिए। हम अपने मतों का इस्तेमाल करके अपना जनप्रतिनिधि चुनकर संसद में भेजते हैं और उम्मीद करते हैं कि वह हमारे द्वारा की गई उम्मीदों को और हमारी ज़रूरतों को समझेगा तथा उनके लिए कुछ कार्य करेगा।

लेकिन जब हमें इसका उल्टा परिणाम मिलता है, तो हम इस स्थिति में नहीं होते कि अपने जनप्रतिनिधि से सवाल कर सके और पूछ सके कि अखिर हमारे हकों और अधिकारों से हम वंचित क्यों रह गए? तब उस आवाज़ को उठाने के लिए मीडिया हमारे काम आता है।

ज़िम्मेदार मीडिया की जगह ले रहा है फेक न्यूज़-

मीडिया हमारे द्वारा चुने गए जनप्रतिनिधियों से सवाल करता है और हमारे हक की लड़ाई के लिए लड़ता है लेकिन आज देश के मीडिया का माहौल एकदम उल्टा है। आज हम क्या, अपितु कुछ पत्रकारों की आवाज़ को भी मीडिया का समर्थन नहीं मिल रहा है। उनकी आवाज़ को भी दबाया जा रहा है।

फेक न्यूज़ इतना अहम मुद्दा क्यों है, इसका अंदाज़ा आप इससे लगा सकते हैं कि जनवरी 2017 से जुलाई 2018 के बीच अपने देश में मॉब लिंचिंग जैसी 69 घटनाएं हुई हैं, जिसमें 33 लोगों की मौत हुई।

यह आंकड़ें बहुत हैरान करने वाले हैं, जिनमें की ज़्यादातर वारदातें बच्चों के अपहरण या बच्चा चोरी गिरोह की अफवाहों से संबंधित हैं।

फेक न्यूज़ पर भारतीय कानून व्यवस्था की उदासीनता-

हालांकि, दुख की बात यह है कि भारत सरकार फेक न्यूज़ फैलाने वालों के लिए अब तक कोई ठोस कानून नहीं बना पाई है। व्हाट्सऐप्प ने इसके मद्देनज़र अपने ऐप में मैसेज फॉरवर्ड करने के लिए एक लिमिट तय की है, साथ ही किसी और से आए हुए मैसेज को आगे भेजने पर फॉरवर्ड का टैग लगाने का नया अपडेट भी दिया है।

ये फीचर व्हाट्सऐप्प ने हमारे देश में तेज़ी से बढ़ रहे फेक न्यूज़ के आतंक से निपटारे के लिए ही जारी किया है। साथ ही फेसबुक ने भी इसके तहत ज़रूरी कदम उठाने की बात कही है।

राष्ट्रवाद का नया हथियार फेक न्यूज़-

BBC की एक रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक भारत में जागते राष्ट्रवाद को फेक समाचार फैलाने के लिए ढाल की तरह उपयोग किया जा रहा है, जो कि लोगों को फेक न्यूज़ फैलाने के लिए प्रेरित कर रहा है। लोगों में डिज़िटल शिक्षा का ना होना इसका एक प्रमुख कारण बनकर सामने आ रहा है। यहां पर आपके साथ फेक न्यूज़ से संबंधित कुछ साक्ष्य साझा कर रहे हैं, जिसे एक बार में देखकर आप इसकी सत्यता की परख नहीं कर पाएंगे।

पहली फोटो में इसमें रिपब्लिक टीवी नाम के एक ट्विटर हैंडल से एक ट्वीट की फोटो डाली गई है और इस बार राणा अयूब नाम की पत्रकार इसका शिकार बनी। क्योंकि रिपब्लिक टीवी एक मीडिया चैनल है, इसलिए लोग इस इस ट्वीट को सच मानकर इस झूठी खबर को धड़ल्ले से शेयर करने लगे। असलियत में यह ट्विटर हैंडल एक फेक पैरोडी अकाउंट है।

इसी प्रकार दूसरे साक्ष्य में एक “हिंदुस्तान सपोर्ट मोदी” नाम के पेज ने रवीश कुमार को निशाना बनाते हुए, उनके खिलाफ फेक न्यूज़ फैलाई थी। इस पोस्टरनुमा ट्रोल में यह लिखा है कि रवीश कुमार ऐसा कहते हैं, “14 लेन का हाईवे बनने से चोरी बढ़ेगी, हज़ारों पेड़ काटे जाएंगे और प्रदूषण बढ़ेगा”। साथ ही नीचे छोटे अक्षरों में लिखा है, “यह पत्रकार के नाम पर कलंक हैं। देश में कुछ काम हो या ना हो इन्हें आलोचना करनी ही करनी है।” खैर, यह भी एक फेक न्यूज़ है।

इंटरनेट पर फेक न्यूज़ ढूंढने निकलेंगे तो फेक न्यूज़ का एक बहुत विशाल सागर आपके सामने होगा। इस चीज़ से बचने और सतर्कता बरतने के लिए हमे फैक्ट चेकिंग वेबसाइट का सहारा लेना होगा। इंटरनेट पर आज के वक्त में कई सारी ऐसी वेबसाइट उपलब्ध हैं, जो कि अफवाह और झूठे समाचारों का सच दिखा रही हैं। मैं आपसे आशा करूंगा कि अब से आप किसी भी समाचार की सत्यता की जांच करने के बाद ही वह खबर किसी को बताएंगे।

The post दंगे फैलाने वाले फेक न्यूज़ से कैसे बचा जा सकता है? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Love per Square Foot was India’s first and official entry into the coveted space of Netflix original series. It was, however, Sacred Games that hit the bull’s eye and got hundreds of Indians hooked to the web series world. The series, based on a book by the same name written by Vikram Chandra uses Mumbai as the thrust of its narrative. It is surprising for me that a beaten to death background of Mumbai in Indian Cinema still manages to hold a charm over the viewers, and that we still enjoy the ‘ghisi pitti(done to death)’ stories that revolve around the city of dreams, ‘mehbooba(beloved)’ of the mafia and the mother to the underdogs.

A statutory warning comes up with Sacred Games. It is that you have to watch it while keeping the earplugs on, all the time. Hands free will result in something of a cultural shock in the bourgeoisie spaces that Netflix users populate. The reason? Every second sentence begins and ends with some of the choicest of Indian gaalis. Of course, by the time we get down to the third or fourth episode, we more or less get used to it.The violence is graphic and gory; the sexual scenes are raw, somewhat devoid of passion and can appear even virulent to some. There are times where you could get repulsed by the sheer objectification of women in scenes like these; they are showcased in a way where the desires of the women were simply not taken into account over the pleasures of the men who lead the act.

Corruption and the nexus between crime and film industry and crime and politics are brazenly exposed. Surprisingly then, the same series managed to portray the feelings of a transgender person with a rare sensitivity. However, it is hardly possible that this tiny little part would suffice to divert the attention of the viewers from the scenes which normalize violence, crime, systemic corruption and the objectification of women throughout the series.

Indeed Sacred Games plays on the dark side of the human mind, where the fear of being unworthy rules and the need to suppress and eliminate others becomes paramount to your own survival. All the three of its main characters in this way are lured by this feeling of proving their mantle to the world and to themselves. Daljit Singh (Saif Ali Khan) struggles with his principles which come in the way of his success as a police officer. Radhika Apte who plays a RAW Agent is marred by the usual insecurities that women undergo while trudging on an unconventional career path. Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin, his usual brilliant self) wants to wash down his past and become a bigshot in the world of crime. The three traverse through issues that are larger than life and bigger than their imagination.

Scared Games is as much about their journey against all the odds as much as it is how the characters deal with the rights and the wrongs that their rationality and conscience let them decide. Thus, those who are willing to look beyond what may appear as the cheap thrills and explicit sexual scenes that Scared Games seems to sell, it also offers a deeper insight into human psychology. It exposes the unpleasant truth that we already know, of how the thirst for power, attention, and glory often define people’s choices in life over what is just and right.

In Ganesh Gaitonde’s aspiration to become the man that his father could not, we see the extent to which a person can be willing to go in bypassing what is right for his personal ambitions. If characters like Ganesh represent the sadistic side of the human mind, the one which derives pleasure in the suppression of others, we also have others to advocate for the humanity that still exists in the darkest of the alleys.

Finally, the series clicked because of its enticing storytelling that hooks the viewers. The unique and somewhat compelling personalities of several of its characters are the subject of many memes and jokes on social media. This is just the reflection of the popularity of Scared Games. Like many others, I am also waiting for the second season of the series.

The post Much Awaited Season 2 Of Netflix’s Sacred Games Is Almost Here! appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Mass media consumption and its influence on people’s emotions, beliefs and actions have been an inevitable aspect of present-day life. To explain this point carefully, Oliver Stone’s historical movie, ‘JFK’ (1991), can be used as a lead.

The movie presented and intensified the controversy over the nature of the murder of United States President John. F. Kennedy in 1963, and it constructed wide scale myths regarding the involvement of United States agencies in the murder.

As a movie, Stone has established a larger public framework on a broad-based conspiracy behind President Kennedy’s assassination and its cover-up. Stone outrightly argued and wanted to communicate to the whole world that, then Vice-President, Lyndon. B. Johnson, influential weapon manufactures, the CIA, FBI and Pentagon officials and even the state police had been involved in the conspiracy behind the assassination of John Kennedy.

Looking a little deep after the release of the movie ‘JFK’, the American state had started facing severe criticism, which further led to the release of almost all official documents regarding the assassination, into the public discourse. Following that, Oliver Stone participated in various public meetings and raised the objective of responsibility of filmmakers to safeguard and substantiate historical facts, and conducted multiple nation-wide talk shows to promote his movie, as well as his take on the whole conspiracy theory, according to psychologist, Lisa D. Butler.

Immediately in the aftermath of JFK’s assassination, the United States set up the 1964 commission on JFK assassination, widely known as the Warren Commission. Almost after a ten-month long period of investigation, the commission came up with a conclusion that an American Marxist and former U.S Marine staff, Lee Harvey Oswald, acted alone and fired three bullets to kill President John. F. Kennedy.

Throughout the 60s, the Warren Commission report had been widely welcomed among the public. But, gradually from the time, when the mass-media started illustrating multiple narrations/possibilities, with historical movies, ‘JFK’ being the most celebrated one, the officials started losing their public credibility.

The mass media, especially the visual form of presentation, influenced public judgment and knowledge of everything from general information to public affairs topic. Historians and political observers prospected these media influenced judgments had been developed as ‘myths’, where a contentious chapter of JFK’s assassination had become an inevitable aspect of the American public political consciousness.

Some general questions arose: Did Oswald act alone? What was the prime intention behind the murder? Before the mass-media conception of JFK, the American public believed that Lee Harvey Oswald committed the crime because of his Communist-Marxist ideological inclinations and later led to the influence of Russian-Cuban state forces.

Later on, post the release of the movie, a Newsweek poll clearly reported that 74% of American public believes in the possible involvement of the United States’ agencies in the crime. This sudden change in the perceptions of general American public triggered the United States officials to present all the related documents and reports and to initiate a classification process. But, none of the official documents could provide a convincing substantial explanation as to why Lee Harvey shot down John Kennedy.

‘JFK’ as a ‘historical’ movie, showcased that the United States higher authorities wanted to kill President Kennedy since the time he proposed plans to withdraw from the Vietnam war, soften the issues of Cold war and deconstruct agencies such as FBI and CIA.

Notable public intellectual and The New York Times Journalist, Anthony Lewis stated “The movie provides an insight to the public that our government cannot be trusted even to give an honest account of a presidential assassination’. Even though during the peak time of controversies and criticism, Oliver Stone argued that the movie is a product of the idea on ‘Counter-Myth’ against the United States officials and Warren Commission’s ‘Fictional Myth’.

The movie also attained to achieve to present the invisible power structure of America, where major weapon manufactures, large scale established corporate entities, and intelligence and security agencies (FBI and CIA) play a significant role in national level decision-making mechanisms.

In a data analysis study conducted under International Society of Political Psychology, the film’s psychological effects were estimated using T-tests to compare the preview to the post-view group mean ratings of emotions; opinion regarding the involvement of state agencies in the assassination; confidence in opinions and other general political views.

The movie influenced and generated a new set of interpretations among people concerning the matter of JFK’s assassination. As per the data analysis, 61% of the public believed that the aspects showcased in the movie ‘JFK’ on conspiracy theory was accurate and faithful. Near about 20% believed more than 50% of the aspects in the movie was convincing. That being the case, ‘JFK’ can be observed as an absolute example to argue that mass media platforms are capable of impacting and influencing the politics, history and even the mindset of the larger population in the contemporary society.

The post How ‘JFK’ The Movie Shaped Public Opinion Around The Assassination appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Okay! So after having a long day of literally doing nothing, I sit back with my family and we all relax while watching our most beloved show on television,  “Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain!”.

Nothing surpasses the amount of laughter it brings to us, tickling every funny bone in our body. With its desi accent, creative dialogues and light double-meaning humour, it’s a recommended show for youth and adults who are bored from daily soap ‘saas-bahu’ dramas or the so-called reality shows. It’s a must watch serial.

So, all was going well until I saw this favorite show of mine tilting towards a political ground promoting a positive image of the party in power. It was a very normal episode when suddenly out of the context, the lead protagonist Manmohan Tiwari starts preaching the ‘holy trinity’ of the show – Teeka,  Malkhaan, and Tillu about our one ‘supreme leader’ of the nation and his fight towards cleanliness. See, I am not against any leader or the good work they are doing. I respect them and appreciate their efforts but to bring politics into everything is not my cup of tea. Also, I am not biased towards any particular political party so I don’t want to be caught up in a political debate about where I stand.

My only concern is that infiltrating our funny television shows is NOT COOL. I am not proposing the idea to keep comedy and politics separately. In fact, the way our political environment is in real life, it’s the most comic thing of our lives. Just switch to any news channels and you’ll know what I am talking about. They are such a rib-tickling means of entertainment.

Now, as an informed citizen and aware individual on the political activities of our nation, I am sure that this instance is not a part of an experiment in creative content writing. I strongly believe that it was propaganda to advance a political ideology, garnering the mass support for one track ideology on the wide spectrum of political opinion. Maybe I am wrong altogether and such political gimmicks may seem normal to a layman. But I think in the time of elections, it’s a really clever way to bypass the model code of conduct set by Election Commission of India. Hats off to the people at the top for coming up with such an ingenious idea to reach the voter’s mind!

As I carefully observed the other shows, I found that on the same channel &TV, another show “Main Bhi Ardhangini” is carrying similar writings of political partisanship. We can see lead characters of the show boosting political schemes for no reason, without giving adherence to the storyline.

It is good to inform citizens about government welfare programmes but election season carries a lens of doubt with itself. And I think I am not wrong with this one. Anyone can see these shows and judge for themselves.

Therefore, seriously, do not play vote games in shows which are only ruled by impartial political ideology catering to the rule of humour and cheering people’s hearts. A normal citizen loves their country very much and I do too. But we can’t be wearing nationalism on our sleeves every time. It will only lead to political frustration and that will just make the things more messy and polarised in nature.

Hoping to see our television shows the way they are intended to watch. A light and happy time for families looking for a few touches of laughter on the character’s lives and not a mockery on their own lives.

The post Leave My Bhabhiji Out Of Your Politics appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

In 2018, Sacred Games and Mirzapur gave the female actors the requisite leverage to display their mettle. Shweta Tripathi, Radhika Apte, and Rasika Dugal made the most of these opportunities and carved a niche for themselves. 2019 has started to a great start, female actors are yet again leading the web series domain. With Made in Heaven introducing some of the strongest female characters, Shweta Tripathi and Shobhita Dhulipala had an opportunity to redeem themselves and how well they have done.

All the female actors who have made a mark in the web series industry this year:

1. Shweta Tripathi:

 From playing a fighter in “Gone Kesh” to being a role model in “Made in Heaven”, Shweta Tripathi is acing every role that is coming her way. Shweta Tripathi does a cameo in TVF’s Tripling and breaks a lot of stereotypes. If you have a powerful role that tends to abolish stereotypes and change status-quos then Shweta Tripathi is your one-stop shop. She is just unbelievably exquisite in Made in Heaven and “TVF Tripling”.

2. Anveshi Jain:

First seen in ALT Balaji’s “Gandi Baat 2”, this actor became one of the top 5 most Google personalities of 2018-19. Anveshi Jain grew popular after her lesbian scenes from the Web Series Gandi Baat went viral. Anveshi Jain is a model, actor, singer, anchor, and a show stopper. Anveshi Jain is enjoying her new found fame and is also signing a lot of other projects. Alt Balaji and varied other production houses are already in talks with her for more web series. Anveshi Jain is least bothered about what everyone has got to say about her figure and this is what makes her stand out of the crowd.

3. Yashaswini R Dyama:

This talent was first noticed in “Dear Zindagi”, where she played Alia’s friend. Yashaswini R Dayama is a constant in Filter Copy’s video and web series. 2019 has started on a great note for Yashaswini, she was in “Made in Heaven” and also in “Delhi Crime”. These two web series are cited to be India’s top five web series and Yashaswini has a special role to play in both. In “Made in Heaven”, Yashaswini plays this school going student, who stands against after father for taping a gay man and handing him over to the police. In “Delhi Crime”, Yashaswini also plays a school student whose mother is in-charge of Delhi’s most brutal rape case. She goes to varied protests and chants for justice and opposes police department in all vigour.

4. Sobhita Dhulipala:

Often referred to as the Amazon Prime’s Radhika Apte, Sobhita has her plate full of character-oriented role. In “Made in Heaven”, she plays a ‘gold digger’ and convinces us that she is not wrong. In Hotstar’s “Criminal Justice”, she has again played a very crucial role. Sobhita Dhulipala is all set to be seen in “Bard of Blood”, which is going to be Emraan Hashmi’s debut in the Digital Content arena.

5. Sakshi Tanwar:

One of the most prominent faces of the Indian TV industry is now making it big in the web series industry. Sakshi Tanwar plays the head of Air Traffic Control Mumbai in ZEE5’s web series “The Final Call”. Her performance is exemplary and showcases what goes through the ATC whenever a plane is hijacked. Her cool temperament and calm demeanour adds to her role and makes it appear layered.

We all have praised Pankaj Tripathi, Vikrant Massey and Nawazuddin for the great work they are doing in the digital space but it is now time we take a second look and also appreciate these women, who are shaping the digital content for the better. Shweta Tripathi alone has made web series worth watching. Radhika Apte and Shobhita Dhulipala are perhaps the best actresses to have stepped in the digital arena and Yashaswini R Dayam is talented enough to fit in varied roles.

The post These 5 Women Are Ruling The Web Series Domain In 2019 appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Three things we Indians are crazy about are politics, cinema and Cricket. Of course, off late, cricket has been in various controversies including match fixing which has cast an impression of impurity on the sport which leaves us with only two holy things (apart from the cow) that draws an undivided attention from the people – politics and cinema.

Cinema has always been used as a propagating tool of political ideology. “Firaaq” and “Parzania” releasing just before the Gujarat Elections in 2009 is one such example. It is probably for the first time the medium of cinema is used by the state to glorify its limited scope. I mean, if you want to make a film on anyone, you are free to do it and if you want to make a movie on the two Prime Ministerial candidates, you have to be a little careful. Last week my eyes were bombarded with three trailers – a movie on the PM, a web series on the PM and an almost B-grade looking film on the Congress President.

After watching these trailers, I thought the documentary on Arvind Kejriwal was more interesting. You start to worry about the state of Indian Cinema when a documentary is more entertaining than a full fledged fantasy film. Yes, all those films seem to be a fantasy of the people in power. Well, it is their right to make a movie but I just hope that these films won’t cut their votes.

Talking about fantasy and power, the most fantastic actor and the most powerful actor in Bollywood is the one who is being human still, the superstar Salman Khan. Having survived all his films, I can safely say as a survivor, that his films are the best descriptors of the Indian elections. Who knew the big event of the Indian cinema (Khan’s movie) is so similar to the big event of the Indian democracy (Indian elections)?

Khan has been in the industry for over two decades and have been a part of plenty of forgetful yet mega successful films. Some of the films have bombed at the box office, some were good in parts and the rest bored us to death just like some of our governments. In some cases, the performances of governments have been better than Khan’s films.

How Do You Describe A Salman Khan Flick?

A film mostly about the masculine hero who fights to save the world. A film where the women have very little to do. A movie which promises to be a banger through its trailers and posters but ends up being a bore fest. Ironically, the Indian elections are no different.

A film, much like Indian democracy, ideally is a collaborative exercise where the individual contribution adds up to the larger picture making it look like a wholesome experience than the individual celebration. But a film involving Khan is all about himself looking into the camera (who else loves camera?), staring into the souls of the audience and telling him that they have just been fooled. Look at some of the so called national parties in the country. They have a face which is projected as the “Superhero” who would save the country from the evil (read as opposition parties) and would uphold the sovereignty of the state. The “Superhero” often comes across bigger than his/her party.

Both Khan and the “Superhero” have massive fan following. Die Hard fans as they would like to call them. Some actually have sacrificed their lives for their divine hero. If anything goes against their divine hero, like their hero himself, the fans would not mind to break the law. They are kind enough to acknowledge that the law exists but would not follow it.

If you look closely and objectively, the one important thing the “Superhero” and Khan share is their affair with crimes. Some small ones and few big ones as well.

People who adore Khan doesn’t bother to look at the trailers and the teasers before deciding to watch his films. They are the ones who decide to watch his films, share the trailer on all social media platforms and then watch the trailer. They are quite similar to those who vote for their “Superhero” without going through the manifesto of his/her party.

Manifesto of the popular parties is the biggest joke of the Indian Democracy just like the trailers of any superstar’s films. The only time these people bother to go through either the trailer or the manifesto is when a smaller player enters the system. Manifesto is to Indian elections what script is to Khan’s movies.

If I had to equate Khan’s films to Indian politics, the 2017 film ‘Tubelight’ which was as entertaining as KRK’s ‘Deshdrohi’ would be an apt film to get an insight into the life of Congress Party President. The film, much like Congress under RaGa, is all over the place. Noble, idiotic, repetitive and delusional.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) is like the 2014 film ‘Jai Ho’. To begin with, the posters of ‘Jai Ho’ had enough red to qualify as a communist film. Like Communism, on paper, as an idea, the film is as good as anything but the problem arrived when they decided to go ahead and shoot it. When I first saw the trailer of ‘Jai Ho’, I was intrigued but the moment I saw it on the big screen, it turned out to be just like any other Khan film. Another factor which makes me compare the film with CPI is that it was a remake.

The biggest blockbuster of Khan’s career ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ is pretty much like the ruling party, BJP. If there was a mixture of Bajrangi Bhaijaan and any Sooraj Barjatya film, it would have been a perfect film for BJP. The ‘Bhaijaan’ is sure to hurt the supporters of the party who are reading it. Let’s just stick to Sooraj Barjatya film. Like all his films including the depression friendly ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’, the BJP has lot of messaging in their politics. The messaging is largely about loving your culture, upholding your sentiments and respecting elders (Advani?). Have you noticed that none of Sooraj Barjatya’s films show a Muslim character or a LGBT character or a financially poor class? His films is all about the rich.

The bigger question here is, in spite of knowing how his films turn out, why do people still buy a ticket and watch his films? Why do people keep giving him an opportunity to prove his mediocrity?

Because a well packaged mediocrity always sells. Once every five years, the same mediocrity is packaged differently and is offered to us. The packaging appeals to us. We buy it. When we open the package to find out that it is the same mediocrity which we got the last time around, we don’t feel cheated. We don’t get passionate about it. We aren’t dejected. A sense of hope refills our souls and we whisper to ourselves, Apna Time Aayega.

The post The Ruling Party Is Well Packaged Mediocrity, Just Like A Salman Khan Film appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Have you ever looked back at your life and realized that there are some missteps you could have avoided if you had the right guidance? Have you ever pondered over your life’s problems and become so clueless and realized that you have no idea where your life is heading? Have you ever sit alone and thought for a long time about how beautiful and easy your life would be if you knew what you want, and if you would have understood yourself completely? I am sure we all have done that at some point in our life. I cannot assure you that it would be easy because if it’s easy, it’s not life but I can assure you about one thing that it would be much more sorted in your own mind if you knew the way.

Well, no problem if you did not know the way, take a tough stand now and make the life of your choice than to regret missed opportunities and live an unfulfilling life.

So today, I will take you through the 7 life lessons I learnt from the movie “Dear Zindagi” when I recognized and found my inner ‘Jug’.

1. It is okay to choose an easy path

Sometimes we choose a difficult path because we think that to achieve something desirable we need to choose a difficult path, we punish ourselves because we think it’s important to get the things we want. But why can’t we choose the simple path, what is wrong in that especially when we are not ready to face the consequences of the difficult path? You will see in the movie that Kaira (Alia Bhatt) breaks up with her boyfriend Raghuvendra (Kunal Kapoor) but she is stressed as she might miss the chance of working with him in New York on an assignment which is one of her biggest dreams. She was not able to decide whether she should be emotional or professional at this point in her career. She decided to choose the easiest way by saying no to the assignment. Sometimes, you don’t need to ponder much about your decision, you should not stress and give all the attention to that decision, sometimes letting go is the best decision you can make, just like Kaira made hers.

2. We are all our own teachers in the school of life

Teachers play a very vital role in shaping our lives, we find teachers in many forms when we grow up. We are taught by teachers in school but when it comes to life, when we grow up, we need to become our own teacher because as humans, make mistakes and in the school of life, we need to learn from our mistakes. In real life, there is no better teacher than you to rectify your own mistakes. We need to talk to ourselves in order to get all doubts cleared.

3. Take the steering wheel of your life in your own hands

 If we do not take the steering wheel of our life in our own hands, then someone else will sit at the driver’s seat. Exceptionally meaningful dialogue, isn’t it? When we understand ourselves, when we recognize ourselves, when we know what we are capable of doing, when we know our inner strength, when we know the all of ourselves, it does not matter what others think about us. So do not let someone else control your life even if they claim to know you more than you because they might have been with you, with your ups and lows, but they definitely haven’t spent the time you have spent with yourself. Keep the steering wheel in your hands and be ready for a joy ride because it is worth all the effort.

4. Don’t let your past blackmail your present to ruin a beautiful future:

What is the point of dwelling on your past, not enjoying your present and eventually ruining your future without even realizing? If you remember the movie, Kiara’s childhood memory (where she wanted her parents to love her, to understand her, to spend time with her) haunts her and because of that, she was not able to make life decisions out of the fear of getting hurt again. However, Jug (her therapist played by Shahrukh Khan) makes her realize that she needs to let go of her past and should live in the present if she wants to create a beautiful future for herself and that applies to every human being because most of the time we live with a small guilt without even realizing that that small guilt goes a long way and ultimately ruins us.

5. If you won’t be able to cry openly, then how will you able to laugh candidly?

Have you ever controlled your tears, your laughter, your feelings because you felt like no one cares? Well, in that case, if you think that they do not care about you then why do you need to care about them? It is better to scream, cry and tell people what you are thinking rather than curbing your feelings. The thing is, if you cannot cry freely, how will you be able to learn to laugh, to express love freely? That makes sense, right?

6. When you see a pattern forming in your life, think about it attentively

Whatever is happening right now in our life is, in some way or the other, interconnected with our future. Some decisions you make in life may look difficult and can be wrong sometimes, but this is how life works, you make mistakes, you learn from them, you live and repeat but whenever you see a pattern forming in your life, good/bad whatever it is, just sit in silence and think about it carefully, do not ignore it because that is your way out of everything you are stressing about now. Think about that pattern because it can be your way of happiness in life, it can be for what you want in life, it can be for everything that makes you happy. So think about it attentively.

7. Have some patience

Genius is not the person who has the answer to all the questions; a genius is a person who has the patience to reach the answer to every question. Sometimes, it is okay to make mistakes in life, sometimes it is okay to be sad but it is not okay to criticize yourself just because you are not getting what you want, and it is okay because trying chairs after chairs until you find that comfortable, cosy chair is a must. So, go easy on yourself and wait for the moment, learn to build that patience in yourself because it is the key to solve all the mystery of your life if you want to reach wherever you want to.

You are lucky if you have a Jug in your life, but if there’s none, then you should be the Jug of your own life. It’s said that everyone has a great counsellor, a great adviser somewhere inside their head. Maybe yours is coming together, but if you can’t find the right time to bring that counsellor into your life, just wait for it, remember the 7^th lesson, because one day you will be able to.

The post 7 Life Lessons I Learnt From The Movie ‘Dear Zindagi’ appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.