‘The Kerala Story 2 Goes Beyond’ movie review: Communal rhetoric masquerading as a cautionary tale

The history of cinema tells us that in propaganda films, women are frequently depicted as vulnerable victims to generate fear, suspicion, or hatred toward a targeted community or minority group that is framed as an enemy. If Gadar and Dhurandhar prototypes seek to win over the foe’s female, The Kerala Story is about guarding ‘our’ girls from falling into ‘their’ trap….

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‘Masthishka Maranam’ movie review: Krishand’s latest offering is a wild, wild ride for sci-fi lovers

Krishand’s latest offering and his first big theatrical release, Masthishka Maranam: A Frankenbiting of Simon’s Memories, has Krishand’s stamp all over as he has, after all, written and directed it. The sci-fi flick – ‘retro-futuristic/cyber-punk’- feels more real than fiction, set in the not-too-distant future, 2046. It is as simple as it is complicated. If…

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Himanshu Srivastava’s nuanced take on Gopikeshwar

Himanshu Srivastava performing at the Jharna festival. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath Gopikeshwar, a symbolically layered form of Shiva in Vrindavan, is closely associated with Krishna’s Raas Lila. Himanshu Srivastava’s ‘The Abandoned Gopi’ presented at the annual Jharna festival, explored this lesser-known deity and the ideas surrounding him. It is a narrative that is rarely…

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