Sharada

It's not surprising at all. The only time Indian men speak up about violence against women is when nationalism or national image comes into play. When it comes to the living hell that India is for women in general, they normalise it to a housekeeping issue that doesn't need immediate attention.

Who's solving the louvre robbery? Right answers only

Screenshot of the episode from SATC with an illustration of a woman scowling on a mural in an Indian restaurant.

The original illustration by Bapu. A woman scowls throwing a sideways look, appearing irritated.

After it stewed about my subconscious for years, my brain finally put it together! This scene from S03E2 (aired 2000) of Sex and the City has a mural in an Indian restaurant which was enlarged from an illustration by the Telugu artist Bapu! An interesting choice by the art dept!

And today, because my subscription card didn’t work on a movie, they just gave me a O€ voucher for the film I wanted to watch to exchange, and scanned my pass into a different film at the same time today so they receive the fee. Can’t ever imagine corp chain theaters of the world doing this! 2/2

I ❤️ independent cinema theaters in NL! The one I go to usually in my town, has been super kind. Once I missed watching Santosh cause I read the date wrong, and they gladly switched the showtime to the following day because I had already paid for the ticket. 1/2

The film poster of The Golden Spurtle. An illustration of the judge sat at a table sampling porridge, and various contestants standing behind holding up their bowls of porridge, while looking on. In the backdrop are the Scottish highlands.

If you’re looking for a super cosy and heartwarming watch, much like a bowl of porridge, then The Golden Spurtle is screening widely! Took a chance and watched it at the town indie cinema, and came away feeling warm and gushy. Perfect for autumn!

YouTube video by Ramakant Gaikwad Ramakant Gaikwad | Aan Milo Sajna | Khamaj Thumri | Gadar Movie | Ajoy Chakraborty Parveen Sultana

It was through a reel of his little son identifying the swaras in every song instinctively for a family friend of his that I learned of Ramakant Gaikwad. His rendition of Aan Milo Sajna is simply atmospheric for a crisp, magical autumnal night. #MusicSky

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x7F...

Durga Puja Idols on a stage.

Ooof tonight’s Pujo Pandal in NL really was lovely! Closest in atmosphere to the ones in India. With decent space to walk around, introvert a bit and jump back into the melee when ready to. Could do with a lot more food stalls though!

Durga Puja idols on stage surrounded by prayer material and offerings. Utrecht 2025.

Mandatory Pujo 2025 photo!

Also pinning Indian cultural clothing presence overseas into, “this is why Indians are being attacked,” is dangerous thinking. It literally escalates into, “She asked for it by wearing desi clothes in the west?” It’s powerful sexism rolled in the lint of internal racism.

As women we are policed for wearing jeans in India or niqabs and sarees in in the west. People need to leave women’s clothes and women alone. This constant burdening of women anywhere to reject or assimilate to protect cultural or patriarchal insecurities is repulsive.

By the yardstick of these “apolitical”sons of soil types, I suppose even Cornelia Sorabji or Bhikaji Cama or Amrita Shergil were all orthodox, oppressed conservatives and tradwives for wearing sarees in London and Paris cause they felt at home in their bodies and clothes.

This judgement, internal racism, and bad faith criticism 99% lands on women because desi men largely have stopped wearing routine south Asian clothing unless for “ethnic days,” or “festivals,” or “ceremonies” as normalised by corporate culture or the old fashioned “savage clothing,” trope.

Truly abhor that exoticising, model minority strain of thinking among desi diaspora whose politics are wishy washy; where if you as a woman wear kurtas or sarees in the west, you’re trying to show off, impose hyper-nationalism, or are conservative/hyper religious. Anything but comfy in your skin.

Anand and Balya interact on the front porch of Anand’s home in Sabr Bonda. The subtitle says “when you fall in love, you must sing and dance like in the movies.”

Been tracking Sabr Bonda ever since Jim Sarbh mentioned in an interview at the start of the year, that he had co-produced it. Caught a screening in AMS today. A beautiful portrait of queer love set in rural Maharashtra, with an absolutely rooted story and gaze. Screening globally, please watch!

Taba Chake - Live in Amsterdam — Serious Time Pass Films Taba Chake – Live in Amsterdam TIMING Saturday, 27th Sept | 07 PM LOCATION Witte Huis LANGUAGE Hindi/English AGE 12+ Taba Chake – Live in Amsterdam Taba Chake is a critically acclaimed Indian fingerst...

Arunachali performer Taba Chake will be in Amsterdam next weekend! :)

serioustimepassfilms.com/events/taba-...

Joy As Resistance: Pranav Reddy's ‘Occupied’ Captures The Rebellion Of Palestinian Artists Joy As Resistance: Pranav Reddy's ‘Occupied’ Captures The Rebellion Of Palestinian Artists Filmmaker Pranav Pingle Reddy captures the stubborn joy and resistance of Palestinian artists living under s...

Hyderabad based Pranav Pingle Reddy's documentary on a group of Falastini artists and their enduring relationship to their home, is possibly one of the finest out there. Currently on Mubi, highly recommend watching it.

homegrown.co.in/homegrown-cr...

You must. It's spectacular. A nice early Fall Dibi Party!! :D

YouTube video by YRF Mangalayam | Saathiya | Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukerji | KK, Shaan | A R Rahman, Gulzar | Wedding Song

Ooof, this beautiful scene set to this stunning song showed up on my YT playlist after ages. It’s also one of those syncretic Indian instances of a ceremonial Sanskrit shloka used by Gulzar in a song set to music by Rahman. We need this India back. :(

#MusicSky

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Tried Senegalese Lamb Dibi with some red rice the other night. Lord I thank you for the gift of life. I could eat Dibi for the rest of my time here on Earth. Dare I say, a good dibi can give most subcontinental kebabs a run for their money?

Chp 336. RIP - Zika

Zika used to ride on buses and cabs in the town of Chaltlang, eat fruit and pooris and then ride back to the ‘burbs. :) He was unfortunately shot by someone in a neighbouring town. Here’s an old memorial post and a tribute song from 2010. 2/2

mizohican.blogspot.com/2011/02/chp-...

A Malabar grey hornbill which is fruit eating, at a feeding table. The banana leaf plate has jackfruit pieces, and a papad.

Two Malabar grey hornbills at the bird feeding table which now has ada payasam too! :)

Watched a very sweet video of a family offering an Onam fruit sadya to birds, and they had grey hornbills visit the table!

Reminded me of Zika the Wreathed Hornbill of Mizoram that Nimesh Ved had reported on to the wider birding community in India. 1/2

I guess i ate some rogue variant here in NL. It was so disgustingly salty, I’m sure my blood pressure hit the roof. Not even the honey I poured on it helped. 🥲

Did you not find them overtly salty?

A scene from Yojimbo. The lead character who plays a samurai stands in the middle of a desolate street with dust billowing around him.

After having shamelessly slept through a 4K restoration of Ran (thanks to a long train journey and food coma), managed to finally make Yojimbo my first Kurosawa. :D

Wondering how financially viable it would be for the Indian left media to offer bundle digi subscriptions. It's expensive on readers to patronise multiple individual outlets. I'd love an affordable fee/year to access collabs like scroll+newsminute+newsclick or Frontline+Caravan etc.

A san Damiano cross of gold with a long tailed tit building a nest inside it

Finding Safety, is a painting I’m working on today of a long tailed tit building its nest in the heart of a San Damiano cross.
It must wait now for a beak full of nesting materials because coffee is calling me and I can no longer resist

He's really something else onscreen and when he behaves himself. :D (I watched a few of his PC-SRK fling videos to bring myself back to reality :D)

incorrigible. My spouse has caught me smiling sappily at his interviews way too many times. I don't even realise I am zoned out staring at him. :D Khuda ki aankhein indeed as KJo said.