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Movies versus Morality: Decoding the Rom-coms We All Love

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Different films have been loved and hated over the years for different reason,s and by different people. What remains standing over the years is the debate over Movies versus Morality.

Movies are called a basic source of entertainment; couples watch Romantic-comedies for their movie dates, families enjoy Dramatic-comedies for their family outings, and a group of friends go out to watch their favourite fantasy franchise films that come out. An average middle-class family spends 200 bucks per ticket for plain and pure entertainment purpose, so in this scenario does morality even play a part?

How does it affect a cinemagoer that the film they are watching is regressive, politically or socially incorrect, and offensive to a section of people, misogynistic or plain problematic? The bitter truth is that it doesn’t. We go watch a comedy movie which uses derogatory slangs, laugh at these “jokes”, have a gala time and come back unaffected. Some films fat shame, some are insensitive towards the LGBTQ+ community, while some just do not evoke a sense of diversity, but they are still loved and famous. Old classics like Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham or Pretty Woman are good examples of such films.

Even recent Bollywood Rom-coms or Dramedies like Lukka Chuppi or De De Pyaar De use derogatory slurs to invoke humour. Many found them funny, they did well on the box-office and the question remained the same, should these films be given the benefit of the doubt for the sake of humour?

The obvious answer is no, some might say otherwise, that comedy requires one to be free of judgement and in doing so,  they perpetuate societal stigmas. But anything that does not respect one’s identity is not funny, it is just problematic. I was six when my family went to watch Partner in the multiplex. It came out in 2007 and the experience was fun: the over-priced pop corn, large screen, the whole family together watching a funny movie. At the age of six I laughed at a grown male pretending to be a transgender to enter into a wedding as a wedding planner and this stereotypical representation engrained in my brain. The process of unlearning began early for me to understand that this representation is problematic but, for many this remains funny forever.

Unlike the popular notions, films like The Big Sick, Always Be My Maybe and Bareilly Ki Barfi prove that simpler narratives can also remain funny and distinct without depicting anything blatantly wrong. The former two get representation of diverse American population right, while the latter uses societal norms to critique the basics of our upbringing while remaining funny.

Many critics comment that not all films can have a moral base, the target audience matters along with the budgeting and production. All that remaining, I wonder why many cannot even try to put an effort to get the basics right. Yes, every film cannot be a Raazi, Piku or a Pink but the basics of being funny without hurting any sentiments, that is not a lot to achieve, specially when many shows, movies, and short films already have.

Feature Image Credits: IMDB

Sakshi Arora

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Your Beat

Sustaining through Narcissism in College

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If you thought college would be a fresh start after the grind of the school system, you are only partly right.

In spite of all the glamour-doused imagery on celluloid—all thanks to Dharma Productions and Balaji Telefilms—college is NOT all that. In college, you will be made to confront issues and situations that you would have never confronted before. Experiences that you have never been a party to. People you never thought you would meet. And in many ways, this unpredictable nature of college is what gives it the edge. Randomness shapes a routine, gradually. However, this transition can be highly taxing. Change always disrupts our balance, and to deal with such a disruption, we need a constant. This constant comes to us in the guise of narcissism.

A google search of the word ‘narcissism’ delivers rather alarming results: A disorder in which a person has an inflated sense of self-importance. Often, psychologists and writers try to distinguish between self-love and narcissism and declare the former to be a healthier exercise. Although there is no denying the fact that there is a disease called Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), the practice of self-love can sometimes be undermined. In such a case, it becomes important to transcend the subtleties associated with self-love and practice narcissism instead. Self-love can sometimes be deceiving, in that it entails a certain level of responsibility towards others. There is an element of consideration involved. Quite possibly, one might not have the ability to indulge in this exercise at times.

Ovid’s “Narcissus and Echo” is a story wherein Narcissus, a beautiful youth falls in love with his own reflection, rejecting sexuality. Narcissism has been misunderstood to mean self-adulation of physical characteristics. Again, it is about that, but it is much more.

College somehow makes us more vulnerable to tension, because, from the safe space of school competition, it throws you into a world of versatility. You might have been the best at Fine Arts in your school, but the society President at your college is definitely better. This is when narcissism helps. It hauls you out of your insecurities. It gives you self-awareness and boost, that is often found lacking in college societies or academic circles.

The boost of self-importance goes on to define our behaviour. It is good to be self-absorbed for the simple assurance that “yes, you have got this.” Self-love fails us here, because it is considerate, and as previously mentioned, the faculty to be considerate for others might be lacking in personal crises. You need to be there for yourself, sometimes more pressingly than you need to be available for others. There is a lot of joy in giving, but such joy is retained in our potential to be happy in our own first. And given that we are, no doubt, a generation of burnt-out dreamers, which constantly needs validation and assurance, narcissism is the way forward.

College is about giving yourself time, finding your mood and your element, and that invites a lot of mental strain. So be a narcissist and applaud yourself, be a narcissist and claim you are the best until you are indeed the best.

As long as you are not drinking from a cup that has your picture in a victory pose or wearing a similarly styled shirt to college, you are fine. If you have already done these things, well, good luck.

Feature Image Credits: Mail and Guardian

Kartik Chauhan

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DUB Speak

A Summer with Grandmother

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A large part of our childhood is made of summer vacations at our Grandmother’s house. It is the single most vibrant memory full of being pampered, getting stuffed like a roasted chicken, made-up games that ended up in fights and screaming matches with cousins and days that ended too quickly. 

With dirty faces and flayed knees, we ran around amok like a flock of wild geese with no sense of propriety or fear of parents. In short, it was unadulterated freedom served to us in huge beautiful summer away from studies and parents.   

Even as summer heat roasted us red and brown, it still was hard to tame us and get us to stay put in one place. It feels like another lifetime when our energy was limitless and wicked ideas came to us in spades. 

My grandmother was a warm oasis of affection who told me mythical stories, showed me constellations, fed me mysterious things and scolded my cousins when they left me out from their games because I was the only girl. She protected me from my parents when I fell off a cliff while aping my brothers in acts of daring and bravery which they specifically told me not to do.  

When you are all grown up, the whole meaning of summer vacations changes. In college, it is either interning, vacationing at some exotic place or staring at your ceiling fan filled with the existential crisis while your work is calling your name with the insistence of that one clingy ex. 

The summer vacations at grandmother are not similar to what you were used to. The annoying cousins are all grown up with their noses stuck deep down their books and breaking manly voice under the pretext of which they act like gangsters but come off like cheap cronies. The communication is no longer around a carrom board pulling each other’s leg relentlessly but sitting in the same room and sending each other inane texts. 

The whole ecstatic environment has changed and feels grown-up. 

You are no longer spending your days out in summer heat creating havoc with the relentless energy of a child who has a lot of time and no worries. You are cooped up inside the four walls and still staring at your ceiling fan worrying about the trivialities of life. Even in the face of the broken arm, you were dauntless and strong, a small paper-cut can now result in complete breakdown.

However, Grandmother is the only constant. Even though she is old now and suffering her own health woes. She still scolds you for being thin, not coming to meet her and not regularly calling her. She still sings her hymns in the low lilt and you still wake up to her low humming at the break of dawn. She still protects your bad habits from your parents and spoils you rotten with her affection and love. 

The timeless quality of that one amazing summer is fading and only your memory preserves it. But whenever you are feeling blue and low, that memory will always serve as a constant source of happiness. 

Feature Image Credits: lisa.falson via Instagram.

Antriksha Pathania
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Admissions 2019

DU Admissions 2019: ECA Schedule and Guidelines Out

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After the declaration of results, several rounds of admissions to follow in the supernumerary seats of the ECA category.

On Monday, 15th July, the University of Delhi (DU) announced the schedule as well as detailed guidelines for aspirants seeking admission to its colleges under the Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA) quota.

The University conducted the Preliminary rounds of trial for fourteen categories of the ECA quota from 25th June 2019 to 5th July 2019. The results of shortlisted students to appear for the Final round of trials was released on 6th July 2019 and the Finals were conducted from 9th July 2019 to 14th July 2019.

Schedule for Registration and UG Admission via ECA quota Image Credit: Delhi University
Schedule for Registration and UG Admission via ECA quota Image Credit: Delhi University

According to the recent information uploaded on the DU website, the result or the merit list prepared after the Finals, will be notified on 17th July, 2019 at 5 pm. After which, there will be several rounds of registration and admissions for candidates whose names figure in ECA Merit Lists – four rounds have been scheduled so far. Aspirants should note that each college will conduct its registration process separately, and that there is no centralisation of this process. Therefore, they will have to apply separately to each of the colleges they are seeking admission to, during each of the registration and admission rounds.

The first round of registration is scheduled from 18th July 2019 to 20th July 2019, and the colleges will release their first notification of admitted candidates on 22nd July 2019 by 10 am. The candidates who secure admission in each of the rounds of admission, are required to pay their fees on the DU portal by 3 pm on the next day of taking admission.

There are 1,050 seats up for grabs under the fourteen categories according to the DU’s Bulletin of Information for candidates seeking admissions to Undergraduate programmes. The varsity has also specified that a maximum of five percent of the total seats in a college have to be put up for admission under this category.

Lastly, the aspirants seeking admission under ECA must keep in mind that they are required to carry all relevant documents in hard copy for the admissions procedure, and will also have to sign a bond on a non-judicial stamp paper, committing to take part in that ECA activities of the college, throughout their stay in college.

Feature Image Credit: Rishabh Chauhan for DU Beat

Bhavya Pandey

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Admissions 2019

Discovering DU: Indraprastha College for Women

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The University of Delhi (DU) is famous for a lot of things. From the food to the gala experience the University offers, there’s something more that lies hidden in plain sight, something that’s at the heart of DU’s life: the acclaimed architecture with its glorious history. Dig in deep to explore how Indraprastha College for Women stands as one of the tall bearers of DU’s proud architectural history.

Fests? Check.

fest

Politics? Check.

election

Protests? Check.

protest

Apart from the quintessential characteristics which are often associated with the University of Delhi, one seemingly evident, yet highly ignored one is that of the architectural history that the University has to offer, be it to its students, professors or the celebrities and stars.

Bollywood has been a great contributor in bringing out the campus life on the big screen, showcasing DU to the world; mirroring the liberty, expressions,  and emotions which buzz through the DU experience.

Shooting of the film Raazi (2018) at Miranda House, University of Delhi
Shooting of the film Raazi (2018) at Miranda House, University of Delhi

The architectural history of DU is one which is associated with the culture of British architecture, remnants of the freedom struggle, the graffiti art, walls of democracy, and well, the famous red walls.

It is this heritage of the architectural history, which DU has carried forward with itself. This heritage that has survived the tests of times and has become an integral part of the college and University experience a student gains here at DU.

Looking up at the architectural history, Indraprastha College for Women is one such gem of DU that boasts of a rich and glorious past.

Indraprastha College for Women- 95 years of excellence.
Indraprastha College for Women- 95 years of excellence.

Formerly the residence-cum-office of the British Army’s Commander-in-Chief, the college is famous for its quiet ambience transporting you back to the era of the British the moment you step into its campus.

Being the oldest women’s college of the University, the college offers the charm of the past in its aura. Founded by Annie Besant, the college still speaks of its glorious past, both via the structures as well as the discussions in the campus.

The college building has been declared a heritage building by the Government of NCT of Delhi, as well as a recognised heritage site, thereby strengthening the deep historical ties the college holds with history.

The colonial architecture greets you as soon as you step into the college, with the presence of two pavilions situated at the entry that comprise of the elegant Roman Tuscan columns.

As one moves ahead and stands before the main heritage building, the rich infrastructure captures attention. The British colonial architecture featuring wide arches, massive wooden doors, square columns, and a pristine white building against the backdrop of a small fountain, gives the college the appearance of being straight out of an English classic.

The college also comprises of a museum and archives centre wherein lies an amazing collection of photographs, artefacts, articles and magazines which date back to the early 1920s.

So, what are you waiting for? The rich history of IP College awaits for you to discover it!

Feature Image Credits: Times of India, Hindustan Times, DU Beat Archives.

Amrashree Mishra

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Campus Central

Display of Entrepreneurial Innovation at Enactus Nationals 2019

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The young visionaries from across the nation showcased their innovative endeavours in the field of social entrepreneurship at Enactus National Symposium and Competition 2019.

The Enactus National Symposium and Competition 2019 was held at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi on 13th July. From a number of active Enactus chapters across the country, around 70 colleges applied for the championship out of which 30 colleges had the opportunity to compete and present their projects as contenders for the prestigious Enactus National Cup.
Enactus is a worldwide platform that facilitates an exchange between students and business leaders with an aim to create sustainable leadership for the future. Student groups in colleges are encouraged to work towards problems affecting the communities around them by the means of social entrepreneurship. Enactus opened its Indian chapter in 2008 and has since made headway into 108 institutions across the country. Every year these teams compete for the opportunity to represent India in the Enactus World Championship held in September.
The preliminary round of the competition saw the 30 teams being allotted to five different leagues. Presentations were held simultaneously at five halls. These halls were completely packed throughout as competitors and observing teams were earnestly listening to the presentations. Each team was permitted to present two of their successful projects to the judges; this was quickly followed by a thorough question and answer session.
The range of issues tackled by the participating teams was incredibly impressive. Going well beyond basic research, the teams sought to create projects which benefitted communities who are often overlooked. One such example was Project Oorja undertaken by Hindu College. The idea was to provide a sustainable and affordable source of electricity to street vendors who normally spend atleast INR 25 per day on electricity. The solution was solar powered lamps which was a one-time investment and promised durability for at least a period of five years. A lot of the projects displayed were also aimed at reusing the enormous amounts of waste that the consuming class generates. Projects that used waste tires as a sole for footwear and plastic waste as a filler component in pillows were also presented.

The final round of the competition kicked off with Mr Arun M Kumar, Chairman, Enactus India National Advisory Council and Chairman and CEO, KPMG India, addressing the competitors and emphasising that more and more young people are now thinking about making a difference through entrepreneurial action. Mr Devdip Purkayastha, President and Chief training officer of Enactus India commented on the importance of the Symposium as “a platform to reach out to leaders to maximise the power of an individual.”

The five finalists in each league category were:

League 1- Shri Ram College of Commerce

League 2- Shri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce

League 3- Delhi College of Arts and Commerce

League 4- Ramjas College

League 5- IIT Delhi

The judges’ oath was sworn in by Mr Arun Kumar,  post which each team got 12 minutes to present their story of innovation and social change.

Ramjas college presented their Projects Aarogya and TeleSwasthya based on affordable and accessible primary healthcare for the people who cannot afford the heavy expenditure on health facilities. The projects based in Hapur and Naggi district have impacted several beneficiaries by making affordable healthcare available to 70%  of the target population. Today, the project runs 24 health centres in Delhi-NCR and has seen a path-breaking success to empower the lives of many.

The second finalist to present their project was Delhi College of Arts and Commerce who presented their flagship projects Taleem and Sahas. Working for the education of the refugees in Shaheen Bagh and Shram Vihar, project Taleem aimed at solving the primary education crisis through their Taleem Centres. Project Sahas helps breast cancer survivors regain confidence post mastectomy by the use of cotton based breast prosthesis- “Canfe” developed by the team, and underprivileged women. It has developed an online platform where one can purchase mastectomy bras.

Shri Ram College of Commerce presented their projects Viraasat and Asbah. The former project helped the Thateras of Jhandiala Guru to improve the out-dated designs of their local craft and the latter brought in a water revolution in Haryana and Muzzafarnagar through the community filtration plant.

Shri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce showcased their e-commerce platform BOOK A PLANT which brought in an innovative idea to make a positive impact on the environment. The other project Kasthi was based on the idea to  convert a “Gaon” into a smart village.

The last finalist to present their project was IIT Delhi, who presented their first project Nirmalaya based on special pots for vermicomposting, which were further categorized as Sugriha and Ruchitra. Their second project Arth presented the idea of redefining rituals by manufacturing cowdung based logs for burning the funeral pyre.

Finally the nervous air entered the hall as the results made their way. Enactus Ramjas and Enactus LSR won the 77-seconds video-making challenge.

After a fierce and edgy competition of entrepreneurial action between the finalists, the results of the top three winners were announced. The home team, Enactus IIT Delhi lifted the prestigious National Champion trophy. The team would represent India for the Enactus World Cup at San Jose, California this September. Enactus Shri Ram College of Commerce and Enactus Ramjas College won the second and third position respectively.  

Feature Image Credits: Gauri Ramachandra for DU Beat.

Sriya Rane 

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Pragati Thapa

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Campus Central

Live! DU Fourth Cut-off Released

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After a hectic admission season, the University of Delhi has finally announced the fourth cut-off list for admissions to its colleges.

According to reports, more than 52,000 students have been admitted in the first three lists. Despite the special provision for EWS categories, seats remain vacant due to high cut-offs. Most of the top colleges have closed admissions for general category admissions.

Check this space for the latest updates on the fourth cut-off list.

Click here to check the fourth cut-off list for Gargi College.

Click here to check the fourth cut-off list for Miranda House.

Click here to check the fourth cut-off list for Satyawati College.

Click here to check the fourth cut-off list for Shaheed Bhagat Singh (E) College.

Click here to check the fourth cut-off list for Hindu College.

Click here to check the fourth cut-off list for Lady Shri Ram College.

Click here to check the comprehensive fourth cut-off lists:

Arts and Commerce

Science

 

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Admissions

DU Releases Third Cut-off List; Percentage Predicted to See a Marginal Decline

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With less than 20,000 seats left to be filled in the University of Delhi (DU), the principals of colleges affiliated to the varsity said that the cut-offs for admission to courses will see a marginal decline in the third list, on July 7, 2019. According to the data shared by DU, 43,854 admissions have taken place after 778 withdrawals since the beginning of the process. The number of cancellations since the second cut-off stands at 3,082, as reported by India Today.

Check here for live college cut-off updates.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Gargi College.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Shaheed Bhagat Singh College.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Satyawati College.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Shri Ram College of Commerce.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Vivekananda College.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Shivaji College.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Kirorimal College.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Maharaja Agrasen College.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Aditi Mahavidyalaya.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Zakir Husain Delhi College.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Ramjas College.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Jesus and Mary College..

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Janki Devi Memorial College.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Mata Sundri College.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Miranda House.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Keshav Mahavidyalaya.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for P.G.D.A.V. College.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Lady Shri Ram College.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Hansraj College.

Click here to check the third cut-off list for Shyam Lal College.

 

Click below to access the comprehensive third cut-off lists:

Arts and Commerce

Science

B.A. Programme 

Feature Image Credits: Akarsh Mathur for DU Beat

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Admissions 2019

High Court Denies Petition on Accomodation For All

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The Delhi High Court refused to consider a petition which sought University of Delhi to take responsibility for providing all regular college students with hostel accommodation on Wednesday.

The High Court bench comprising of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice C. Hari Shankar gave unanimous decision on the aforementioned matter, and also said that the varsity was not under any statutory obligation to provide hostel accommodation to all students.

The petitioner Parveen Kumar Singh invoked section 33 of the Delhi University Act of 1922, which states that every student of the University shall reside in the College Hall or under such circumstances as prescribed by the Ordinances. This plea furthered that the regular students who were unable to secure a hostel seat should get a monthly stipend of INR 10,000.

The court was of the view that this interpretation of the section 33 was not economically viable as it would cost the University crores of rupees.

The petition which is filed through advocate Kamlesh Kumar Mishra further stated that of the 1,84,668 students enrolled in DU as per an RTI reply, only 6,235 or 3.37% have hostel accommodation.

Accomodation crunch in the University has been an issue for a long time. Due to lack of subsidised accomodation facilities, students have to give in to privatised facilities. The students who do not get the hostel accommodation are exploited by the landlords and property dealers who charge excessive amounts of money for accommodation.

The previously mentioned plea also sought to declare the area in and around the 5-kilometres radius of Delhi University’s South and North Campus as a “Special Students Zone”. It was suggested that this zone should have a fixed minimum rent for the accommodations.

The same plea also sought to end the inequal rates of departmental canteen food for staff members and canteen food for students. It stated that the prices of both should be harmonised, and operate on a break-even basis.  

On this matter, court pointed out that it is not incumbent upon the present judicial body to regulate prices in the University canteen. It is a policy issue that has to be looked at by the competent authority itself.

Advocate Mishra said that he would now move the higher court against the decision of High Court.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat archives.

Antriksha Pathania
[email protected]

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Admissions

Mission Admission: A Tough Bargain

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The continuing problems related to admissions in the varsity have raised several questions on the functionality of the administration.

Student organisations Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and National Students Union of India (NSUI) of the University of Delhi (DU) have voiced their concerns and demonstrated against the DU Vice Chancellor regarding the difficulties faced by students during the time of admissions. The demonstation also sought to question the fee hike that has taken place for almost all courses in the University.

ABVP has voiced the concerns of the students by protesting at the Arts Faculty, addressing various issues related to admissions. The increment in college fees has been challenged along with irregularity in Sports Category admissions. Provision of admission by accepting undertaking, and introduction of EWS category in M. Phil/ PhD admissions has been requested. Importantly, inadequate arrangement in colleges for parents at the time of the admission process are some of the issues amongst other key issues that have been raised by the ABVP.

They (ABVP) has brought into the limelight how the admission staff in colleges who were admitting students to the first cut-off were not aware of the rules prescribed by the University. This caused problems in the smooth functioning during the admissions process. Admissions of students were also cancelled due to loopholes in the admission process.

Siddharth Yadav, the State Secretary of ABVP Delhi, said that if the demands are not met within the time period of ten days, then there will be more resolute protests against the administration.

DUSU President Shakti Singh also highlighted the issue of fee hike by saying, “There has been an arbitrary unaccounted fee increase in many DU colleges.” The issue Ramjas College’s fee hike has been previously reported on by DU Beat.

A memorandum to the Dean of Students Welfare had been submitted after the protest ended by the the ABVP delegation.

Attempts have been made by the student organisations so that the DU admission process does not become tedious and burdensome for the students. The true effects of the protests remain to be seen.

Feature Image Credits: Prateek Pankaj for DU Beat

Amrashree Mishra

[email protected]

 

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