News and Views

Four years after she burst into Bollywood, Zaira Wasim announced that she would no longer be a part of the establishment. While she explained in clear terms that her decision was her own choice, there was tremendous hue and cry, both for and against her decision.

“She’s ungrateful to Bollywood. She’s been brainwashed. She’s choosing religion over art,” the arguments go on ad infinitum.

So, we at The Quint, wanted to explore some of the arguments that have been put forward in this situation and answer the question, “Who gets to ask if this was her own decision?”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Four years after she burst into Bollywood, Zaira Wasim announced that she would no longer be a part of the establishment. While she explained in clear terms that her decision was her own choice, there was tremendous hue and cry, both for and against her decision.

“She’s ungrateful to Bollywood. She’s been brainwashed. She’s choosing religion over art,” the arguments go on ad infinitum.

So, we at The Quint, wanted to explore some of the arguments that have been put forward in this situation and answer the question, “Who gets to ask if this was her own decision?”

The most striking scene in Article 15 has not a word of dialogue.

We see a man climb out from a filthy, clogged drain. His expression is unfathomable as he is covered with an almost black slimy liquid. As he ducks again to remove more garbage, the man becomes invisible, but this image is stark – as unforgettable as it is unforgivable.

The garbage and overflowing gutters outside the police chowki are a physical manifestation of the rut that runs deep in the system. Even in 21st century India, manual scavenging is a grim reality – one that Bollywood has finally become brave enough to depict.

For the uninitiated, Article 15 of our Constitution states that “the State shall not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.”

And that’s what this movie is about. Listen to the podcast for the full review.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most striking scene in Article 15 has not a word of dialogue.

We see a man climb out from a filthy, clogged drain. His expression is unfathomable as he is covered with an almost black slimy liquid. As he ducks again to remove more garbage, the man becomes invisible, but this image is stark – as unforgettable as it is unforgivable.

The garbage and overflowing gutters outside the police chowki are a physical manifestation of the rut that runs deep in the system. Even in 21st century India, manual scavenging is a grim reality – one that Bollywood has finally become brave enough to depict.

For the uninitiated, Article 15 of our Constitution states that “the State shall not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.”

And that’s what this movie is about. Listen to the podcast for the full review.

No matter who governs India, the essential challenge remains the same: To resist the crippling old tropes of statism and neutrality and pursue economic liberalisation and global engagement at all costs, so that India might finally convert our potential into power. We have survived – thrived, even – decades of flawed governance and backward policies; imagine what we could do with visionary leadership and enlightened practices! Indians deserve as much. The global stakes are higher than ever, and the clock is ticking.

It’s all here in my latest book, Super Century: What India Must Do To Rise By 2050.

You can order your copy on Amazon and Flipkart.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No matter who governs India, the essential challenge remains the same: To resist the crippling old tropes of statism and neutrality and pursue economic liberalisation and global engagement at all costs, so that India might finally convert our potential into power. We have survived – thrived, even – decades of flawed governance and backward policies; imagine what we could do with visionary leadership and enlightened practices! Indians deserve as much. The global stakes are higher than ever, and the clock is ticking.

It’s all here in my latest book, Super Century: What India Must Do To Rise By 2050.

You can order your copy on Amazon and Flipkart.

Capernaum is a Lebanese film by Nadine Labaki. It officially released in India on 21 June.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Capernaum is a Lebanese film by Nadine Labaki. It officially released in India on 21 June.

Blame the cyclical nature of online debates, there is a distinct sense of déjà vu permeating the discourse surrounding last Friday’s release Kabir Singh. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blame the cyclical nature of online debates, there is a distinct sense of déjà vu permeating the discourse surrounding last Friday’s release Kabir Singh.