Islamic State and the Motif of Sacrifice
Last year, there was a discussion on violence with reference to Denis Vilenueve’s then recent film Prisoners. One of the important points I wanted to bring home was that the director wants to emphasize our being beholden to the idea of violence as something ‘others’ are doing on us. I put this point, for easier elucidation, […]
The Line Dividing Fatwa and Outburst
The evolution of AR Rahman, popularly referred to as the ‘Mozart of Madras’, is the stuff of a legend. From being listed in Time magazine’s ’10 Best Soundtracks’ of all time for debut composition Roja to winning the Oscar for the background score in Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman has reached dizzying heights in the world of […]
Islam and Local Customs: A Reflection on Onam and Lamp Lighting
One month ago, the Kerala public sphere had a hot topic to debate on. At a function organized on the readers’ day in the state, Education Minister Abdu Rabb, who belongs to the Indian Union Muslim League which is a party in the coalition that rules the state, was reluctant to inaugurate the function by […]
Does Germany indeed welcome you?
To watch Almanya : Willkommen in Deutschland is quite fitting in this time. In translation, it is ‘welcome to Germany.’ We wake up every morning to the gory news reports about Syria and the nightmarish reveries of people dying in droves. Juxtaposed with this is Pope Francis’ benevolent appeal to Christendom to open its gates for refugees […]
Hip-Hop: A Culture That Transcends Songs
Say Yo! Wear a hip hop cap, bling it up with diamond earrings and garland a gold chain or two around your neck, then sport a loose T-shirt that almost hugs your knees. Round it off with a collection of bright ankle length shoes for everyday of the week. And hey, there’s hip hop for […]
The Grace of Wistful Laughter
I finished reading The Blind Lady’s Descendants while travelling in a train. I don’t think any other place is fitter to be a spot for reading this book. Trains and railway gave Anees Salim the subtext and context for this charming tale. We hear while our eyes pore over the lines the honking and clatter of a train, […]
Cyber Space and Misanthropy: The Case of Kerala?
Two years back, Former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh kicked up a row with his statement that ‘now’ India needed toilets rather than temples. Though this statement, which reflected the socio-political reality of the country, was not meant to incite communalism, the Sangh Parivar assailed him, terming the statement as anti-Hindu. Activists belonging to VHP and […]
Islamic Philosophy: The Legacy of New media Art
Should criticism of art be the exploration of the philosophy of art? If by art we mean making sense of infinite folds in nature through their temporal or at least transient representations and if art, thereby, transcends the limited possibility of its being kitsch, art criticism is by and large the criticism of the […]
Islamic Philosophy: The Legacy of New media Art
Should criticism of art be the exploration of the philosophy of art? If by art we mean making sense of infinite folds in nature through their temporal or at least transient representations and if art, thereby, transcends the limited possibility of its being kitsch, art criticism is by and large the criticism of the philosophy […]
Death of a Provocation
An easy way to mourn the demise of a controversial author is to write a review of her not so controversial book, if her oeuvre is extensive and large and if she is not someone like Taslima Nasrin, a factory of tilts. I am not saying that an author’s controversial work should be left unscathed, […]
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