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Supporting the Supporting Actors: Riders of a New Wave in Films

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“If you’re a lead actor, people are just waiting to say ‘you’re too old’ or ‘you’re too unhip.’ If you’re a supporting actor, you can just work forever.”

-Gilbert Gottfried

Actors in Bollywood and other Indian film industries have been immortalised and worshipped by hordes of loyal fans since time immemorial. By these actors, we obviously mean the heroes and heroines, the superstars who are expected to sport the complexion of Greek goddesses and bodies of Greek gods. This does not mean that these actors are not great performers; it’s just that they have been glorified in such a manner that the support system of the film-the supporting cast get ignored from mainstream discussions. From the angry, young days of Amitabh to the romantic gentleman days of Shahrukh, there was a time when it felt like supporting actors in India were just ‘supporting’ and nothing more than that.

Actors like Om Prakash and Amjad Khan (aka GabbarSingh) got some healthy critical acclaim for their performances, but fell victim to typecast and did not always get the roles that could have tapped more of their Filmfare winning potential. Meanwhile in the West, even popular lead actors like Al Pacino and Robin Williams were being mentioned in headlines for their supporting performances.  However, now the winds of change have started blowing in Indian cinema as well. Last year, Vikram Vedha emerged as a classy edgy Tamil thriller. The handsome middle-aged hunk Madhavan shone in the title role but critics and the audience went gaga over Vijay Sethupathi, who played the antagonist. He was no conventional villain; here we could see a baddie who was philosophical in his approach and could give a memorable soliloquy whenever the script demanded. Rajkumar Rao has become Bollywood’s heartthrob in recent times but in his postmodern political classic Newton, the consensus would agree that the film would not have been the same without the humorous yet realistic performances by Pankaj Tripathi and Raghubir Yadav.

These are just a few of many examples in a new Renaissance in the film industry, with filmmakers trying to get an authentic feel with authentic characters and settings. That might also explain the sudden rise in significance for the supporting artists. Often, the supporting actors are expected to get realer accents, looks, and the whole persona which is characteristic of the dweller of the town or the city in which the story is set. These actors anyway do not need to have a manufactured body and dialogue delivery because the script does not demand them to act sassy, impress the heroine and do other conventional ‘hero’ things. This ultimately leads to lesser distractions and more focus on getting into the skin of the character they are portraying. The newer generations are demanding  a cinema that provides voices from places all over, be it Bareily or Wasseypur, the quest for authenticity in the supporting acts is only increasing.

Nowadays, conventionally handsome hero material boys like Vicky Kaushal are trying to indulge themselves in supporting roles. In contrast, character-actors who started with supporting roles like Sanjay Mishra and Irrfan are getting their faces printed on major portions of film posters as they are being offered lead roles. Magazines like Forbes are proudly showcasing Nawazuddin Siddiqui on their covers. Radhika Apte has emerged as the queen who has successfully colonized the “Republic of Netflix”. This shows that supporting actors are finally getting their due.  They are inspiring the coming generations, and make sure the same is done with determination and raw talent. They are a step towards battling evils like typecasting and nepotism. The ones whose names dwelled in oblivion and did not see the light of the day are now finally basking in the limelight. 

 

Feature Image Credits: The Lunchbox 

Shaurya Thapa

[email protected]

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Radhika Apte and Ayushman Khurrana promote ‘Andhadhun’ at Miranda House

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Radhika Apte and Ayushmann Khurrana promoted their upcoming film Andhadhun in Miranda House today, amidst loud cheers.

In a packed auditorium filled with teachers and students (and some bouncers) actors Radhika Apte and Ayushmann Khurrana greeted the audience for the promotion of their movie Andhadhun. The members of the Miranda House Students’ Union who had organised the event, welcomed the actors.

The trailer of the movie was showcased to the students as well as an unplugged version of a new song Naina Da Kya Kasoor, sung by Mr. Khurrana that was shot in a school for the blind in Mumbai. The audience were extremely appreciative and reacted with loud cheers and claps. Pratibha Jolly, Principal  Miranda House, welcomed the actors, reminding them of the “historical place” that was Miranda House with a number of films that had been shot in the college in the past including Tamasha, Half Girlfriend and Fukrey, and its list of illustrative alumni in the performative arts such as Mira Nair and Nandita Das.

Mr. Khurrana and Ms. Apte thanked the college for inviting them. On the request of the audience, Ayushmann sang two songs. Ms. Apte described her role in the film as “twisted, but true”. She said that she enjoyed the twists and turns that the movie is replete with and hoped that the audience would also enjoy it. The movie narrates the story of a blind piano player (played by Mr. Khurrana) who witnesses a murder. Tabu, a member of the film’s cast was also supposed to be there for the event but could not make it.

However, several complaints regarding the arrangement of such an event during the college hours were raised by students. The issue of allowing commercial events like movie promotions to happen within the college premises was also deemed problematic by several students our correspondent talked to. The volunteers of the event also raised several objections. For instance, Aafreen Fathima of B.A. Programme told DU Beat, “We were told that because they are avoiding bouncers and security, human chains have to be formed. We planned out strategies and got instructions for an hour and a half, but then just 10 minutes before they arrived, bouncers came out of nowhere and asked us all to move, and that there was no need of us volunteers.”

The volunteers were also asked to dance blindfolded for two minutes when the actors were being welcomed and “act surprised” upon their arrival. Amola Shrivastava, a volunteer, said, “At the end the people who were the backbone of the event were not allowed inside the venue and were told off saying that they are done with us. I understand the importance of such events but the way it was organised and we were treated is categorically unacceptable.”

Andhadhun is a romantic thriller film directed by Sriram Raghavan.   It is set to be released on 5th October, 2018.

Feature Image Credits: Vaibhav Tekchandani for DU Beat

Sara Sohail

[email protected]

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Bollywood, Are You Listening?

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The Hindi film industry, right from its very inception has been misogynistic and has sexualised women. Bollywood glorifies homely or ‘sanskaari’. Women deserve better portrayal and it is time Bollywood shunned these stereotypes.

Gal Gadot’s character, Diana in Wonder Woman made me feel so powerful, that my words wouldn’t be able to do justice to describe the feeling. I cried while watching ‘Wonder Woman’, with tears of joy rolling down my cheeks. No, Diana wasn’t the hero’s love interest. She was the female lead in a film directed by Patty Jenkins, a woman. She fought for herself and for others and defended her values and principles. Men around her didn’t feel intimidated. The film got over 50% female audiences in movie theatres, an achievement for the superhero world, which generally appeals to the young and male audience.

Let’s talk about the Hindi film industry where women through the ages have been shown as weak and passive. They are made to have an identity by virtue of their association with male characters. The directors show women wearing skimpy clothes in the dance numbers and use derogatory language against women. Women’s bodies are reduced to tools for control and domination. Women are given significantly shorter, less relevant roles and speak fewer words in films.  It is quite obvious that women, even in the leading roles are replaceable; their presence on the screen doesn’t leave much of an impact or doesn’t take the story forward.

Bollywood has also been successful in normalizing stalking. Men in real life get inspired and keep on pestering and harassing women who reject them. They do not understand the word ‘No’ and believe that a woman who has rejected them is actually just playing hard to get. When they are unable to deal with said rejection, they decide to teach her ‘a lesson’, something that contributes to the revenge centric mentality that is on the rise.  One might also notice how young women are always paired with much older men. Aged women are never given substantial roles to play in films. All women characters talk about in the films are about their boyfriends, husbands and how their lives revolve around them.  Bollywood has also set absurdly high, unrealistic standards for women in terms of having an ideal body which is desirable to men. How a woman should look, dress and behave is also dictated by them.

This does not mean that film or art needs to curtain or portray women unrealistically. However, the portrayal of “real women” is extremely important. We need women who are architects, engineers and doctors, women who have careers and a life outside nurturing other men and doing emotional labour for them. We need women who defy the stereotypes and do exactly the same things as men do, except for harassing others. We need women who are in charge of their own lives and do not let others define their life choices for them. The Dirty Picture, Anarkali of Aarah, Lipstick under my Burkha and Pink changed the perception that women-centric films do not perform well at the box office. They brought the spotlight on women and how powerful and courageous they can be. It’s time that the rest of Bollywood follows suit.

Disha Saxena

[email protected]

Feature Image Credits – Forbes

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Tinsel University: Cultural Icons of DU

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From theatre artists to filmmakers to photographers, the list of remarkable alumni associated with the University of Delhi runs into volumes. The article focuses on some such names for whom the university played a crucial role and who continues to inspire its students.

While researching for this article, I bumped into some surprising names I had no idea were part of the University, a humbling reminder of the generations of history that this place has kept hidden. While we have all heard of Shahrukh Khan’s Hansraj and KMC being called the “Bachchan College”, there are many others in the field of entertainment and arts who used to walk the same corridors as we do today. Here is our not-so-comprehensive list of notable alumni in such (and allied) fields:

  1. Deepa Mehta: The critically acclaimed director who shot to fame because of her films like Fire (1996), Earth (1998), and Water (2005) is an alumnus of Lady Shri Ram College for Women in philosophy. While some have called her a transnational filmmaker, Mehta’s films have often broken boundaries such as Fire, a fierce lesbian love story that hit a whirlpool of controversy with its release. The film stars Nandita Das, a Miranda House alumni and Khulbushan Kharbanda, a Kirori Mal graduate.
  2. Rohit Bal: A leading fashion designer in India, Bal hails from Kashmir and is a graduate in history honours from St. Stephen’s College. The city also saw him starting his career with his brother Rajiv Bal in 1986. Today, Bal’s collections are sought after all over Bollywood and many celebrities like Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor, and Shilpa Shetty have walked the ramp for him.
  3. Anjolie Ela Menon: Veteran painter and Padma Shri awardee, Menon is a graduate in English honours from Miranda House. She is now considered one of the leading contemporary artists of India, her paintings beings showcased in major collections all over the world.
  4. Anurag Kashyap: The gritty, “director of the masses”, is an alumnus of Hansraj College. Kashyap’s films such as Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) and D (2009) have been both commercial and critical successes pushing him into the limelight.
  5. Manoj Bajpayee: National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee studied in both in Satywati College and Ramjas College, immersing himself in the campus theatre scene during his college days. As he told Times of India, “Those three years of DU were life-changing for me. I went from someone who could not read the front page of the Times of India to reading George Bernard Shaw and Shakespeare.”

 

Feature Image Credits: 24 Update News

Sara Sohail

[email protected]   

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Arts & Culture

Rajputs versus Khiljis: Reviewing Movie Padmaavat

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Malik Muhhamad Jayasi of Awadh penned a poem in the sixteenth century, glorifying the beauty of Rani Padmini. She, whose existence is itself a controversial issue, did not fail to enamour the readers of the poem and the spectators of the movie through the legend of her beauty and bravery.

After many contentions to the release of the historic movie Padmaavat, it was finally showcased on the 25th of January – almost two months late after the original release date. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is an artist of great taste and has a penchant for the historical Indian royal portrayals. From Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) to Bajirao Mastani (2015), this producer and director has never failed to awe the Indian audience. This movie is one of the most expensive movies Bollywood has ever produced – with a budget of over Rupees 200 crores.

This movie, Bhansali’s magnum opus was originally titled Padmavati, after the name of the poem Padmavat by Jayasi. The title was modified as the filmmakers have attributed their creative source to the fictional poem, and not history. The existence of the events described in this poem has little authenticity. Though Alauddin Khilji had won Chittor, during that period there is no mention of any character as Padmavati in history. Historians point that not even Amir Khusrau (prolific writer of Alauddin’s court) mentioned Padmavati and the ruler’s longing for her. However, Rajputs claim the existence of Rani Padmini of Chittor.

The entire cast has been terrific throughout the movie. Ranveer Singh played the tyrannous Alauddin Khilji, Deepika Padukone portrayed Rani Padmavati, and Shahid Kapoor depicted the King of Chittor Raval Ratan Singh. From the very first look of Padmavati, Deepika portrayed feminine delicateness along with Rajput valour with finesse. The onscreen chemistry of the King of Chittor and the Rani was missing but the grandeur of the couple and their heroism while fighting the tyrannous Khilji was portrayed perfectly. Alauddin has been portrayed as the oppressive ruler who longs for Rani Padmavati after he hears about her from the traitor of Chittor, Raghav Chetan. He contrived the Rajputs to possess the beautiful Rajput queen. After the foreseen defeat of the Rajputs, Rani Padmavati and the women of Chittor commit jauhar (self-immolation) for the sake of their honour. The very last scene has been applauded by many, as the queen stepped into the burning pyre in the entrance of the fort – marking a great sacrifice in the name of the kingdom.

Despite all high alerts due to the upheavals by the Karni Sena, this movie is worth the wait and money. It is an amalgamation of considerable hard work from all the artists involved and deserves to be thoroughly appreciated.

 

Feature Image Credits: India

Radhika Boruah
[email protected]

 

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Arts & Culture

Bollywood Imitates Life and Vice-Versa

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Bollywood movies take inspiration from real life but commits mistakes as well. People take the liberty of imitating anything from Bollywood which they need to careful about.

It is widely acknowledged that art imitates life. Movies as art forms constitute a big part of our lives. Movies take inspiration from real life whether the genre is comedy, romedy, action or horror.

Over the decades, Bollywood has imitated from life and produced movies like Mary Kom, Guru, Border, Chak de India, No One Killed Jessica and more. By turning a real-life story into a movie, it reaches masses that are free to form their interpretations of the same. Turning a real-life story into a movie gives a personal angle of the story to which people connect.
Some people complain that certain movies paint a rosy picture or don’t portray reality. For instance, the extravagance or grandeur of movies like Dil Dhankne Do or Ae Dil Hai Mushkil don’t lie entirely. To some extent, they showcase the reality of the upper strata or relationships in their crudest form.

On a funny note, Salman Khan’s signature step of Dabaang movie was inspired from his makeup-men or security guards. Movies like Dabaang and Singham try to reinstall our faith in the police force. We often come across similar stories.
To add to the touch of reality, celebrities often shoot on real-life locations and even campuses like Delhi University, IITs or IIMs. It so happens that most of the students seen in such movies are actual students of the institutions.

One of the most heated debates of recent times has been the endorsements of skin-lightening creams. Why does the country require them? It’s because girls are conditioned that beauty is only about fairness. When people started accepting their bodies, Bollywood changed its perspective too.

There are numerous instances that people imitate Bollywood as well and I don’t just mean clothes. Smoking is often portrayed in the movies as cool which the youngsters have adopted too. People are made to believe that drinking alcohol helps in solving problems but it never does. Bollywood movies often validate stalking of women by whistling or passing lewd comments. It even normalizes the fact that pursuing a woman aggressively will make her fall in love with you but all these notions are so incorrect.

There have been incidents in the past when young kids would imitate movie stunts endangering their lives but such things have finally stopped. But people often take inspirations from Bollywood movies to plan and execute thievery or even murders.
Both Bollywood and people need to be careful of what they portray and imitate.

 

Feature Image Credits: The Edge

Prachi Mehra
[email protected]

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Sexism And The Big Screen

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Recently, with the movie mogul Harvey Weinstein being accused of sexual misconduct by various female celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Ashley Judd, etc, we are bound to think about the ugly insides of this superficially glamorous industry. All of woman kind, from the subjugated woman working silently in the kitchen to the A-listed women with the commanding personality seen on the bigger screen, everyone at some point has been victim to patriarchy and male chauvinism.

In all of history, the film industry, primarily Hollywood and it’s Indian compeer, Bollywood have been reinforcing sexism. Over sexualizing and objectifying the female characters has always been a marketing strategy. Women in the film industry are often seen as a sum of their sexuality, rather than their talent.

The sexism existing in the film industry is too transparent. In mainstream commercial Bollywood films, the institutionalization of the “item” songs, derogatory lyrics, dialogues like “Marriage se pehle ladkiyan sex object hoti hain aur marriage ke baad they object to sex” – Kambakkht Ishq suggest the blatant sexist nature of the industry, while depicting the idea that the ultimate goal of the woman is to satisfy the male gaze. In this adulterated industry, too often the commodification of women is sugar coated in the form of entertainment.
In an entertainment driven country like India, things seen on screen have a great influence on the larger audience. The over sexualized content, results in the increasing brutality against women. “For most Indian men, social interactions with the opposite sex are severely limited. What they see on screen guides much of their perceptions of women,” opined journalist Ruchika Tulshyan on Forbes. “Portraying women as sex objects has far-reaching ramifications from normalizing eve-teasing and stalking, to glorifying rape and murder.”

Other than being constantly objectified, actresses also encounter other problems in the face of this corporate misogyny like the disparity in the wage gap, where an actor is paid more on the sole basis of the fact that he is a man. The idea of the male breadwinners is outdated but the paychecks do not reflect that, because the pay is not at par. The women in the industry are also verbally and sexually harassed. A little cleavage turns into sensational news, interview questions directed towards knowing which of their co-stars would they rather sleep with, or being propositioned with various decadent conditions for a role.
The position of female actress in the film industry is a strenuous one. She is made an object of scrutiny. Where everything she does bears numerous repercussions. Barring few exceptions, mainstream cinema in India “has a “patriarchal, sexist and misogynistic” character,” says Ranjana Kumari, Director of Centre for Social Research and member of the National Mission for the Empowerment of Women . “Our cinema exploits the Indian psyche and the mindset that has sexist notions about women’s bodies and this is used and exploited by cinema. Barring some films, where women have been in lead roles or acted as protagonists, in most cases, women are used as a representation of good bodies. This is done to titillate,” she adds.

 

Feature Image Credits: Tes Teach

Trishala Dutta
[email protected]

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Pahlaj Nihalani removed as the CBFC Chairperson

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Pahlaj Nihalani, the former chief of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is perhaps one of the most popular heads the board has ever had. His two year tenure came to an end this Friday, on August 11, 2017, as he was removed from the position by the decision made by Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B ministry). His career as the chief  has been marred with criticism, controversy and feuds with the film fraternity, echoed by film directors and producers as well.

His decisions have always gained traction in terms of media attention and welcomed backlash. Soon after joining office and taking charge, he introduced a ban on 28 swear words, despite their usage being restricted to Adult (A) Certification films.  This rule was followed by the decision to ban all (A) Certification movies from being displayed on television. This pronouncement invited a negative reaction from the audience, with questions of creative freedom being raised. In 2015, he found himself amidst another controversy, this time around a film based on homosexuality, called Unfreedom by Raj Amit Kumar. He publicly disapproved of the excessive nudity displayed in the film  and said that it would “ignite unnatural passions” within the Indian society. In the same year he reduced the duration of kissing scenes from the Hollywood movie Spectre as he found them to be “too long and unnecessary”.  He was again faced with dissent for suggesting 89 cuts in Udta Punjab. Nihalani has also made public statements against films that talk about important social issues, such as Angry Indian Goddesses, Lipstick under my Burkha, Aligarh etc, defending his decisions of restricting their viewership by claiming them to be “too women oriented” and that “homosexuality is not for the youth to watch”.

When we think of cinema, we think of concepts like creativity, art and expression. Interestingly, Nihalani’s decisions as the chief of CBFC have curtailed just that. Unnecessary cuts from movies like Befikre; showcasing instances of public display of affection to clearing movies full of sexual innuendos, objectification of women and sexist jokes like Mastizaade, Kya Kool Hain Hum, and Grand Masti, highlights his hypocrisy on what he deems “appropriate” for the Indian culture which he glorifies, spearheading to uphold and preserve in our society.
At a time when concepts like feminism, gender equality, awareness about sex and sexuality are imperative in the Indian society, his “ban-this-ban-that-ban-all” policy pushed the conversation in the wrong direction and takes an extremely regressive turn. Instead of understanding the importance of the impact of cinema on the public, when expressed in a positive manner,  his approach of completely dismissing and not acknowledging numerous important social issues, one of them being the expression of sexuality, has only forwarded the conservative mindset in the society, and has pushed awareness surrounding these issues under the carpet.

Since the inception of censorship in independent India, CBFC has inculcated very ambiguous three-fold objectives for censorship, (a) the medium of cinema remains responsible and sensitive to the values and standards of society, (b) artistic expression and creative freedom are not unduly curbed, and (c) censorship is responsive to social change. However, neither the I&B Ministry, nor CBFC have yet provided a clear definition of “standards of society” and has been silent on who sets these standards and on what basis. Controversies are bound to surround this issue of censorship when the CBFC starts acting like a watchdog of what it deems are Indian morals.

The former chairperson told the Economic Times newspaper after he was replaced, “Censorship was necessary and doing away with it would mean filmmakers will resort to showing pornography and vulgarity even in normal films…The more you show vulgarity and obscenity in films, more such incidents will increase in society.” He claims that there have been elements working against him in the ministry and within CBFC as his dismissal came early since his tenure was going to end in the coming five months. He hopes the next chairperson works in a direction similar to his and doesn’t give in to “false notions of liberalism propagated by pseudo-progressive elements in the film industry. “

Prasoon Joshi, one of the leading lyricists and screenwriters in the Bollywood film industry, and the winner of the  Padma Shri in 2015 will be taking over as the CBFC chief. He has worked in Rang De Basanti, Taare Zameen Par, Neerja and many other films. Vidya Balan, a leading Bollywood actress actively working towards social causes is also expected to  join CBFC.

With the recruitment of new members known to have a progressive outlook towards the society, a new wave in the Indian cinema can be hoped, that allows for greater and responsible  freedom of expression of art .

Feature Image Credits- Twitter

Bhavya Banerjee

[email protected]

 

 

 

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Best of Delhi University: Personalities who visited DU

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There is no doubt that, each year, Delhi University attracts acclaimed personalities from across the various fields. So, it was no surprise that on year 2016-17 the varsity was host to an array of journalists, social activists, politicians, comedians, business tycoons and Bollywood actors who visited the campus. We take a look at all these visits of 2016-17:

  • Dr Shashi Tharoor attended SRCC Youth Conference

September 2016.

The eminent author and former diplomat shared his personal experiences in Delhi University and spoke freely on controversial issues such as secularism and the current national leadership, while also entertaining questions from the audience. Many other distinguished personalities like Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, bestselling author Anuja Chauhan , comedian Papa CJ and director Prakash Jha were present to grace the event and speak to the young audience.

Read full article here

image-credits-harshit-thukral-for-du-beat

Dr. Shashi Tharoor at SRCC

  • Anurag Kashyap goes candid at Hindu College.

October 2016

Noted filmmaker Anurag Kashyap was cordially invited to an event “Update  Democracy” organized by the Hindu College’s Symposium Society in association with Polit. Anurag candidly talked to students about things as varied as censorship, finding the right career path, and stories from Anurag’s college days. He spoke exclusively to DU Beat before the event and said, “Right now, there’s a whole lot of chaos and a lot of noise and we don’t really know what people want. Who gets heard is decided by who’s the loudest – whoever can afford to create more noise, gets heard.”

Read full article here

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Anurag Kashyap at Hindu College

  • P. Chidambaram attends Blisspoint ’17 at Sri Venkateswara College

January 2017

On 23rd January, 2017, former Finance minister P. Chidambaram arrived at Sri Venkateswara College as a chief guest for Blisspoint ’17, the annual fest of the Economics department. The minister spoke about the origins of a liberal economy, since the theme of the fest was ‘Celebrating 25 Years of Economic Reforms’. His speech, laced with advice for the younger generation, seemed befitting for an audience comprising economics enthusiasts.

Read full article here

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P. Chidambaram at Sri Venkateswara College

  • Durjoy Dutta attends  Zion’17 at Jesus and Mary College

February 2017

On February 21st, 2017 Mercatus, Marketing Society, Jesus and Mary College organised their Annual Marketing Convention – Zion’17. Mr. Durjoy Datta , bestselling novelist, an entrepreneur and screenwriter was present in a capacity of  the Guest Speaker. During the event Mr. Durjoy Dutta enthralled the audience by his sense of humor and success story. He talked about how he was able to come out of his work life to do something he is passionate about.

Read full article here

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Durjoy Datta at Jesus and Mary College

  • His Holiness the 14thDalai Lama graces Jesus and Mary College

February 2017.

Dalai Lama addressed the students of Jesus and Mary College on February 7th, 2017. In his short speech, his Holiness spoke about how institutions like various colleges in Delhi University have blossoming potential to produce compassionate human beings, he then went on to express his undying adulation for Mother Teresa and also touched upon relations between China and India.

Read full article here

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His Holiness at Jesus and Mary College

  • Romila Thapar examines the idea of Heritage at Miranda House.

February 2017

On 15th February, 2017 eminent historian Prof. Romila Thapar along with Prof. Kumkum Roy participated in a conversation on ‘The Many Meanings of Heritage’ in an event organized by the History society of Miranda House. Pertinent questions on the idea of heritage were raised and addressed by the two speakers.

Read full article here

photo-courtesy-jasmine-chahal-for-du-beat

Romila Thapar at Miranda House

  •  Najma A. Heptullah inaugurates centre for North East studies in Miranda House

Dr. Najma A. Heptullah, governor of Manipur and Prof. Dinabandhu Sahoo, Director of Institue of Bio resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) celebrated the second edition of annual North East Fest, Leirang organized by Miranda House’s North East Cell on 27th February. The guests inaugurated the IBSD centre for North East studies in Miranda House.

Read full article here

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North East Fest at Miranda House

  • Bollywood at DU

Delhi University takes pride in producing some of Bollywood’s most famous actors, singers and directors. Perhaps, that’s one of the reasons why the campus is abuzz with the attendance of Bollywood hot-shots throughout the year.  While some came to promote their movies, perform during fest session or simply to visit their alma mater. Here is a glimpse of who all visited the varsity from film industry.

Actress and theatre veteran Ratna Pathak Shah inaugurated Reverie 2017,  the annual cultural festival of Gargi College. Actress, model and an alumna of Gargi College, Urvashi  Rautela also visited Gargi College and reminisced about college days when she was a part of Enliven, the western dance society. Sanya Malhotra of Dangal fame also visited her alma mater Gargi College on the third day of the fest.

Singers like Armaan Malik,  Shalmali Kholgade, Raghu Dikshit, Jasleen Royal of Love You Zindagi fame, Prateek Kuhad, Anish Sood, Kanika Kapoor and Jubin Nautiyal and Sukhwinder Singh serenaded the crowd at Delhi University through the fest season.

Lucky Ali, with his evergreen voice, performed his classic commercial as well as indie hits of the last two decades at day 3 of Tarang- annual cultural fest of Lady Sri Ram College. Musical maestro Kailash Kher performed with his band Kailasa at Nexus, Sri Venkateswara College’s Annual Cultural Fest on 25th of February.

While most star nights went on pleasantly,  Diljit Dosanjh’s concert was cut short with just a couple of songs due to the unruly crowd and various circumstances for safety reasons at Confluence- The annual cultural festival of Hansraj College.

Actor Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan promoted their upcoming movie, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, at Hindu College on March 3rd.

Actor Akshay Kumar, Tapsee Pannu and Manoj Bajpayee arrived at Gargi College ?on March 27th, to promote their upcoming action spy-thriller – Naam Shabana.  Apart from the usual song and dance, Akshay Kumar also emphasized on the importance of Martial Arts for girls and women. ?

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Ratna Pathak Shah at Reverie 2017

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Alia and Varun showing their moves at Hindu College

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Dazzling the DU stage

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Lucky Ali serenading the crowd

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Akshay Kumar and Tapsee Pannu at Gargi College

Picture Credits: DU Beat Archives

Niharika Dabral

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Why Hype over Hollywood and International Awards?

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It’s commonly said that Bollywood makes movie stars and Hollywood makes star movies.

Bollywood and Hollywood rule hearts of billions of movie-buffs worldwide. Despite various similarities, both the movie industries draw their inspiration from varied sources, which provide basic ideas for commencing with a celluloid venture. Indians are always shy when it comes to comparison between Hollywood and Bollywood. Now, it’s fair to say that Bollywood is behind Hollywood when it comes to experimenting with a variety of genres. India has been making films for a hundred years; getting started just ten years later than America. Storytelling is a craft as much as anything else.  So is screenwriting.

As the film industry grows, so does the list of film festivals and awards ceremonies across the globe. What better way to spend two to three hours of your day than to watch a masterfully-written movie? From the good old movies to today’s featured flicks, film industry has something for everyone. From the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Cannes Film Festival in France to International Indian Film Academy Awards, there is an awards ceremony for various types of films. There are awards distributed by critics, the festival and industry professionals as well as the general public. But here comes another comparison between the Hollywood award shows and the Indian award shows. First, Hollywood is inclusive of films and artists from all around the world which tends to be encouraging for the artists for being recognized in a global platform. But, as the trend goes with awards of Indian Cinema, most of them include Bollywood actors only.

Of lately, Indian viewers have turned to appreciating Hollywood and to tuning to International Award shows to keep track of the best films released globally. Hollywood studios put out between 200-250 movies a year and own 85% of the world market share, while Indian movie industry puts out about 1000 movies and has 4% market share. This is not to say Hollywood always makes better movies than Indian industries.  It just means Hollywood is able to tell more universal stories. Not one Indian movie has been a mainstream movie that audiences all over the world have flocked to see.  Every year, Hollywood puts out a handful that the whole world, basically, pays to watch.  If a comparison is to be made standing on neutral ground, Indian film makers rarely venture out to tell universal stories that everybody in the world can understand. Thus, Indian viewers in the present time have turned to Hollywood as a large part of Indian Cinema is about conventional song and dance sequences whereas Hollywood rarely follows the trend of relying on music heavily, except for a few movies and it drives its motivation from a diverse set of emotional, fictional and non-fictional subjects with a universal appeal. Bollywood in general is a genre as recognised by the world but, Hollywood is a style. Also, B-Town actors like Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone are creating news because they got into Hollywood. It is an achievement to enter Hollywood. Is it true vice-versa? Not really.

Image credits: india.com

Radhika Boruah

[email protected]

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