In this blog post, I revisit the Academy Award-nominated 1990 Chinese film Ju Dou (Directors: Zhang Yimou and Yang Fengliang), reigniting the discussion around the much-explored national allegory that this film provides for the China of the past, present and future. Ju Dou is a film about gender roles and generational conflict, but these themesContinue reading “Revisiting Ju Dou (1990) and its allegory for China”
Author Archives: Anjaney Kothari
Edward Lucie-Smith’s poem ‘Silence’ is a multi-layered masterpiece
I recently had the good fortune of reading the poem Silence by the British poet Edward Lucie-Smith. It held my attention for quite a few days, which is why I thought I should write something about it. For starters, this poem was published in a poetry anthology that was edited by Lucie-Smith himself. The anthologyContinue reading “Edward Lucie-Smith’s poem ‘Silence’ is a multi-layered masterpiece”
The Rebirth of Life
(I wrote this story more than 10 years ago for a college competition that I ended up winning. As a biology and mathematics enthusiast who had just joined the bioengineering program in an amazing institution, I found this story fueling my inner scientist until the moment I finished my PhD a year ago. Today, itContinue reading “The Rebirth of Life”
Bringing fictional small towns to life on TV: what we can learn from Parks and Recreation and Schitt’s Creek
I am an avid comedy fan, especially of critically acclaimed and classic (or soon-to-be-classic) comedy TV shows like Parks and Recreation, The Office (US version), 30 Rock and Schitt’s Creek. One of the things that draw me to these shows is the importance afforded to the towns or cities in which they are set. ParksContinue reading “Bringing fictional small towns to life on TV: what we can learn from Parks and Recreation and Schitt’s Creek”
The Trial of the Chicago 7 has a minimalist background score that intensifies in just the right scenes
The 2020 film The Trial of the Chicago 7 (director: Aaron Sorkin), available on Netflix, is making headlines and sweeping nominations and awards galore, most recently receiving a nod from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in as many as six categories. None of these categories, however, recognizes the brilliant scoring provided byContinue reading “The Trial of the Chicago 7 has a minimalist background score that intensifies in just the right scenes”
How the soundscape of colonialism changed through the centuries
The soundscape in the age of colonialism was defined by new sounds heard by colonisers and natives for the first time, the voice and noise of dissent and protest, propaganda broadcasts over the radio, revolutionary speeches, patriotic music, and sloganeering, among others. Sound became a source and expression of rebellion, the announcement of a culturalContinue reading “How the soundscape of colonialism changed through the centuries”
Why Graham Greene’s ‘The Destructors’ is linguistically and philosophically ambiguous
I recently had the opportunity to read Graham Greene’s short story The Destructors (1954) (If you haven’t read it yet, you might want to read it here – https://www.shortstoryproject.com/story/the-destructors/ – before going through the rest of this post). I was intrigued by the story’s highly ambiguous tone (both linguistically and philosophically) and soon discovered thatContinue reading “Why Graham Greene’s ‘The Destructors’ is linguistically and philosophically ambiguous”
The Globalization of Bollywood
Bollywood and other branches of Indian cinema have become truly global, serving audiences all over the world. As a devout consumer of Indian films, I was mulling over the reasons why they have gained such a vast audience worldwide. A profound reason for the increase in the appetite for Indian cinema has been the constantContinue reading “The Globalization of Bollywood”
How art and architecture integrate politics and religion
The use of monumental art and architecture to combine politics and religion has been a historical phenomenon transcending eras, cultures and geographical locations. People often used places of worship to beseech the Gods for prosperity, wealth and victory in war. Moreover, invaders and conquerors always devastated the major temples in an empire to establish theirContinue reading “How art and architecture integrate politics and religion”
Inspiration comes from wild places!
Every once in a while, I like to dabble in the fine arts. And while my art is certainly embellished with flaws, I still like to share it whenever I finish a new project to my satisfaction. Recently, I have even started uploading descriptive videos of my artwork on YouTube. The point of this shortContinue reading “Inspiration comes from wild places!”
The Roaring Kotzilla 