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‘The Kerala Story’ movie review: Adah Sharma’s performance marred by half-truths and an emotionally exploitative gaze

The premise of ‘The Kerala Story’ demands attention and emotional investment, but director Sudipto Sen’s treatment is guided more by local politics than cinematic sagacity

                                         Adah Sharma in ‘The Kerala Story’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Said to be based on real stories of how innocent non-Muslim girls are recruited for the Islamic State, it follows three nursing students in Kerala who are brainwashed by an extremist group into thinking that their gods are no good and that only Islam can be the guiding light. Lured by love and lopsided logic, the girls are trapped in a heinous game where they become fodder in a purported clash of civilisations.

Shalini or Fatima Ba (Adah Sharma) is one such girl who is converted and sent to Syria with her husband to fight for the cause of the Islamic State. Caught and imprisoned in Afghanistan, she tells her story in the flashback where she and her two classmates, Geetanjali (Siddhi Idnani) and Nimah (Yogita Bihani), were enticed to join the mission by another classmate Asifa (Sonia Balani). While Shalni succumbs, the other two have to bear the brunt of resisting the sinister plot.

While the premise demands attention and emotional investment, the treatment gets increasingly guided more by local politics than cinematic sagacity. There are some poignant moments but for the most part, it is either the gullible girls eager to buy the propaganda or sly creatures with Muslim names; there is no voice of sanity, and nuance is nowhere to be found. With so much pain on paper, the treatment demanded a soft, subtle touch, but Sen seems keen on hammering the message throughout.

The Kerala Story (Hindi)

Director: Sudipto Sen

Cast: Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, Siddhi Idnani, Pranav Misshra,

Runtime: 138 minutes

Storyline: Follows three nursing students in Kerala who are brainwashed by an extremist group into thinking that their gods are no good and that only Islam can be the guiding light

The long passages on the art of indoctrination dull your senses, for the makers’ understanding of Islam, communism or any other ideology sounds as churlish as that of the villains of the piece about Hinduism and Christianity. The thoughts about Islam and conversion seem to have been sourced from hate-filled WhatsApp groups. With an adult certificate in hand, Sen leaves little to imagination in depicting brutality to eke out an emotional response from the audience.

ALSO READ: The Kerala Story row: A R Rahman shares video of Hindu wedding on mosque premises at Kayamkulam

Curiously, the writers don’t posit the narrative in the complex geopolitical issues as to who created Islamic State and why its heart is not bleeding for the cause of Palestine. It is busy decapitating women for wearing lipstick in pockets where there is a political void, rather than taking on the big fish. It doesn’t provide space for the view of many academics and experts who often ask what had prevented Indian Muslims from joining the Islamic State. Instead, towards the end,  The Kerala Story goes on to extrapolate the numbers by peddling half-truths.

However, it is good to see the scenic beauty of Kerala in a Hindi film and it is aptly contrasted with the harsh landscape of Afghanistan. 

Adah Sharma delivers an earnest performance and captures the pain of the vulnerable Shalini who is robbed of her innocence but retains her spine. The way she brings the Malayali accent into her Hindi makes the character all the more believable. The rest indulge in an amateurish exercise where every emotion has to be worn on the sleeve. Overall, it is a story that has little thought concealed in lots of provocation!

ALSO READ

Think about the money sunk into The Kerala Story and actors’ labour, SC tells petitioner

          The Kerala Story is currently running in theatres

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 IPL 2022 Final GT vs RR:

IPL 2022 Final: Gujarat Titans defeat Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets.

    Gujarat Titans team lifts the winners trophy.

IPL 2022 Final, GT vs RR Highlights: Debutants Gujarat Titans were crowned the Indian Premier League (IPL) champions on Sunday after they beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in the final in Ahmedabad. Opting to bat first, Rajasthan never got going and posted a below-par 130-9 with Jos Buttler, this IPL’s leading scorer, top scoring for them with a rather subdued 39. Gujarat captain Hardik Pandya (3-17) led by example with the ball. Pandya shone with the bat too, scoring 34 and forging a 63-run stand with Shubman Gill to help Gujarat overcome a slow start to their chase. Opener Gill remained unbeaten on 45, sealing Gujarat’s victory with a six and with 11 balls to spare.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 ended with newbies Gujarat Titans (GT) lifting the trophy by defeating inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 29. In this article, we will take a look at the full list of awardees of IPL 2022.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, which was the 15th edition of the professional Twenty20 cricket league established by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), commenced on March 26 with the battle between last year’s finalists Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Indian Premier League 2022 saw the addition of two new teams – KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) – to the cash-rich league.

All the group stage games of the IPL 2022 were played entirely in the state of Maharashtra, with Wankhede Stadium, Dy Patil Stadium, Brabourne Stadium and Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium hosting the matches.

Meanwhile, the four teams that made it to the playoffs were Gujarat Titans (GT), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) To Play Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) In The Eliminator On May 25, Wednesday.

In Qualifier 1 Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on May 24 to book a spot in the Indian Premier League 2022 final.

The Eliminator saw Royal Challengers Bangalore earn a victory over Lucknow Super Giants by 14 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on May 25 to seal a spot in Qualifier 2.

Inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals won Qualifier 2 against Royal Challengers Bangalore by 7 wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 27 to cement a place in the final of the cash-rich league.

In the summit clash, RR won the toss and opted to bat first. However, the decision didn’t turn out to be a good one as they were able to score only 130/9 in 20 overs. Star opener Jos Buttler once again top-scored for the side with 39 runs in his bag.

Chasing the target, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya and David Miller played brilliant knocks to help GT secure the victory. Also, Hardik Pandya became 4th Indian captain after MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma to win the Indian Premier League championship.

IPL 2022 Final, GT vs RR: List Of All Prize Winners

Punch Super Striker Of The Match (Final) – David Miller

Dream11 Game Changer Of The Match (Final) – Hardik Pandya

Unacademy Let’s Crack It Sixes Award (Final) – Yashasvi Jaiswal

CRED Powerplayer Of The Match (Final) – Trent Boult

Upstox Most Valuable Asset Of The Match (Final) – Hardik Pandya

SwiggyInstamart Fastest Delivery Of The Match (Final) – Lockie Ferguson

Rupay On The Go 4s Of The Match (Final) – Jos Buttler

Player Of The Match (Final) – Hardik Pandya

IPL 2022 Emerging Player Of The Season – Umran Malik

Unacademy Let’s Crack It Sixes Award Of The Season – Jos Buttler

Punch Super Striker Of The Season – Dinesh Karthik (SR – 183.33)

Dream 11 Game Changer Of The Season – Jos Buttler

PayTM Fairplay Award – Gujarat Titans & Rajasthan Royals

CRED Powerplayer Of The Season – Jos Buttler

SwiggyInstamart Fastest Delivery Of The Season – Lockie Ferguson (157.3 KMPH)

Rupay On The Go 4s Of The Season – Jos Buttler

Aramco Purple Cap Winner Of The Season – Yuzvendra Chahal

Aramco Orange Cap Winner Of The Season – Jos Buttler

Tata IPL Catch Of The Season – Evin Lewis

Upstox Most Valuable Player Of The Season – Jos Buttler

IPL 2022 Runners-Up – Rajasthan Royals

IPL 2022 Winner – Gujarat Titans

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Film Review

 Panchayat 2 review: Jitendra Kumar show is heartwarming ode to India's villages; wish there was more Neena Gupta in it

• Panchayat 2 review: The Amazon Prime Video dramedy is a heartwarming show that tugs at your heart and gives a relatable and unsanitised look at India's village life.
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  Jitendra Kumar in a still from the second season of Amazon Prime Video's Panchayat.

If you thought Panchayat 2 was going to be a run-of-the-mill light-hearted comedy, the kind which has existed on Indian television for decades, prepare to be proved wrong. The second season of this Jitendra Kumar-starrer slice-of-life dramedy released on Wednesday, May 18. And this time, apart from delivering the laughs, the show challenges you to think, introspect, and by the end, hold back your tears too. It is by no means a great show, but sure is a good one. Add to it the solid performances of its cast and crisp writing, and Panchayat 2 becomes a must watch. Also read: Neena Gupta says it's ‘maze hi maze’ at home with her and daughter Masaba Gupta's shows releasing back to back

Panchayat’s first season followed Abhishek Tripathi (Jitendra Kumar), who unwillingly accepted the job of a Panchayat secretary in the middle of nowhere--more accurately in Phulera, a remote village in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. The second season shows how Abhishek aka Sachiv Ji--has acclimatised to his role in Phulera and even developed bonds with the locals, chiefly with the village’s former Pradhan (Raghubir Yadav), his wife and the actual Pradhan (Neena Gupta), and the other two office-bearers (played by Faisal Malik and Chandan Roy).

The premise of the show is simple enough--how the city boy who has never spent time in the village, goes about adjusting to  a new life and over time realise that some issues are universal. There was a risk of the second season being repetitive but Panchayat deftly avoids that. It shows growth, both in the characters and the story, allowing Abhishek to discover new dimensions of Phulera and its residents. It also avoids a trope that many shows and films set in rural India have been guilty of: showing it as an exotic freak show that is to be laughed at or ridiculed. Panchayat presents the Indian village as a real place with real people. Yes, humour exists but only in the situations people find themselves in and not in the nature of rural life.

Another thing that works in favour of Panchayat is that it is not strictly a comedy. There is no laughter track, no slapstick humour, just some mild situational comedy. It will draw the occasional chuckle and keep you entertained. But like most successful slice-of-life shows over the years (see Wagle Ki Duniya, Ye Jo Hai Zindagi or even Gullak), it’s strength lies in presenting an issue or a problem with simplicity. It deals with local politics, rivalries, and even relatable issues like standing up for your friends. But there is no melodrama. There are no monologues. The show is, by definition, a juicy slice of life.

The show’s strength is its subtlety and that is something that extends to its performances as well. Jitendra Kumar is, of course, the show’s star and he carries it on his back quite ably. The actor has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, evident by his ability to hold his own against the likes of veterans like Raghubir Yadav and Neena Gupta, who both are--as always--in sublime form. The most striking performances in the show come from two actors who can easily be mischaracterised as the comic relief. Chandan Roy’s Vikas and Faisal Malik’s Prahlad breathe new life into the show with their pitch-perfect acts. And Faisal does steal the show in scenes in the season finale. Won’t spoil it for you but let’s just say, the show gets you close to tears in parts.

Panchayat’s second season is by no means perfect. There are flaws and faults. The biggest one is that it was criminal to give the amazing Neena Gupta such limited screen time. Every time her Manju Devi is on screen, she lords over everyone. And that is why you are left wanting for more. Another complaint is that in trying to infuse drama, it does at times gives in to the temptation of using tired tropes. So you get the egoistic foul-mouthed politician that you have seen a thousand times. And it could do with fewer jokes about fasting women. Patriarchy exists in the villages, we get it. But why further amplify it with needless humour in such a clean show.

Panchayat 2 is a worthy second season of an already good show. To say that it improves upon the first season wouldn’t be an exaggeration. It makes you laugh, it almost makes you cry, and all this while, you can feel you have seen these people and these stories somewhere. That relatability is its USP and what truly keeps the viewer engaged till the end.

The show was originally supposed to release on May 20. It was released, almost without announcement, two days early. Some reports had claimed that the show was leaked online earlier in the day, which may have prompted the streamer to prepone the release. But whatever the reason, viewers are not complaining, I am sure.

Series: Panchayat season 2

Director: Deepak Kumar Mishra

Cast: Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav, Neena Gupta, Faisal Malik, Biswapati Sarkar, Chandan Roy, and Sanvika.

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This photo is captured by SOUMEN MANDAL in Ranibandh Area in Bankura dist, WB. 

Here we going to share some information about this bird named Red-Whiskered Bulbul  . 

The red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus), or crested bulbul, is a passerine bird native to Asia. It is a member of the bulbul family. It is a resident frugivore found mainly in tropical Asia. It has been introduced in many tropical areas of the world where populations have established themselves. It has a loud three or four note call, feeds on fruits and small insects and perches conspicuously on trees. It is common in hill forests and urban gardens.

         Scientific classification

Kingdom:                    Animalia

Phylum :                      Chordata

Class:                              Aves

Order:                       Passeriformes

Family:                      Pycnonotidae

Genus:                       Pycnonotus

Species:                     P. jocosus

 

Taxonomy

The red-whiskered bulbul was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Lanius jocosus.[2] The specific epithet is from Latin ioculus meaning "merry" (from iocus meaning "joke").[3] Linnaeus based his description on the Sitta Chinensis that had been described in 1757 by the Swedish naturalist Pehr Osbeck.[4][5] Linnaeus specified the location as "China" but this was restricted to Hong Kong and Kwangtung (now Guangdong) by Herbert Girton Deignan in 1948.[6][7] The red-whiskered bulbul is now placed in the genus Pycnonotus that was introduced by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1826.[8][9]

Hybrids have been noted in captivity with the red-vented, white-eared, white-spectacled, black-capped and Himalayan bulbuls.[10] Leucism has also been recorded.

Subspecies 

Nine subspecies are recognized:

P. j. fuscicaudatus - (Gould, 1866): Originally described as a separate species. Found in western and central India. Has a nearly complete breast band and no white tip to tail.

P. j. abuensis - (Whistler, 1931): Found in north-western India (type locality Mount Abu[12]) Is pale and has a broken breast band and no white tip to tail.

P. j. pyrrhotis - (Bonaparte, 1850): Originally described as a separate species in the genus Ixos. Found in the Terai of northern India and Nepal. It is pale above with white tail tips and a widely separated breast band

P. j. emeria - (Linnaeus, 1758): Originally described as a separate species in the genus Motacilla.[13] Found from eastern India to south-western Thailand. Is warm brown above with a slim bill and a long crest (also introduced into Florida[14])

P. j. whistleri - Deignan, 1948: Found in the Andaman Islands and has a warm brown plumage above, a heavier bill and a shorter crest than P. j. emeria

P. j. monticola - (Horsfield, 1840): Originally described as a separate species in the genus Ixos. Found from eastern Himalayas to northern Myanmar and southern China and has darker upperparts than P. j. pyrrhotis

P. j. jocosus - (Linnaeus, 1758): Found in south-eastern China

P. j. hainanensis - (Hachisuka, 1939): Found on Hainan Island (off south-eastern China)

P. j. pattani - Deignan, 1948: Found from southern Myanmar and northern Malay Peninsula through Thailand and southern Indochina

Distribution and habitat 

This is a bird of lightly wooded areas, more open country with bushes and shrubs, and farmland. Irruptions have been noted from early times with Thomas C. Jerdon noting that they were "periodically visiting Madras and other wooded towns in large flocks."[17]

It has established itself in Australia and in Los Angeles, Hawaii,[18] and Florida[19] in the United States, as well as in Mauritius, on Assumption Island[20] and Mascarene Islands.[21][22] In Florida, it is only found in a small area, and its population could be extirpated easily.[23] It was eradicated from Assumption Island in 2013–2015 to prevent colonisation of nearby Aldabra, the largest introduced bird-free tropical island.[24]

The red-whiskered bulbul was introduced by the Zoological and Acclimatization Society in 1880 to Sydney, became well established across the suburbs by 1920, and continued to spread slowly to around 100 km away. It is now also found in suburban Melbourne and Adelaide, although it is unclear how they got there.

 Other sources 

Fraser, F.C. (1930). Note on the nesting habits of the Southern Red-whiskered Bulbul (Otocompsa emeria fuscicaudata). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 34(1): 250–252.

Michael, Bindhu; Amrithraj, M.; Pillai, K. Madhavan (1997). "A note on Isospora infection in a Southern Redwhiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus fuscicaudatus)". Zoos' Print Journal. 12 (12): 5.

Kinloch, A. P. (1922). "Nidification of the Southern Redwhiskered Bulbul Otocompsa emeria fuscicaudata". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 

SOURCE : WIKIPEDIA 

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News Reporting: Petrol and Diesel Prices are Rising Dangerously

 Petrol, diesel prices are rising but why govt does not look worried

Petrol and diesel prices have been rising to record high levels. Yet a divided and seemingly weak Opposition, multiple protests over ideological issues and a pandemic-hit economy seem to work favourably for the government on fuel price issue.

Petrol and diesel prices rose on Wednesday for the ninth consecutive day. Petrol and diesel prices have seen a rise 21 times in 2021, till now. Combined, the increase in the petrol and diesel prices has been roughly Rs 6 for the two fuels.

Petrol and diesel have been selling at record high levels but this spike in oil prices does not seem to worry the government. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has already ruled out the possibility of the government intervening to regulate petrol and diesel prices in order to check the cost of fuel.

Petrol, diesel pricing

Earlier, petrol and diesel prices used to be a tricky political issue for the government. Any increase in petrol and diesel prices led to a backlash against the government, and rising prices in the international market put an extra burden on the government's exchequer.

In 2010, the Manmohan Singh government deregulated petrol prices. In 2014, the Narendra Modi government deregulated diesel prices as well. Subsequently, the subsidy that the government used to pay to the oil marketing companies ended.

So technically, the petrol and diesel prices became dependent on international market rates. A rise in the prices of oil in the international market would lead to a corresponding increase in the prices of petrol and diesel, or vice versa.

In 2017, the government ended the practice of changing petrol and diesel prices every three months, allowing oil marketing companies to revise fuel rates daily.

Then why petrol, diesel didn't become cheaper in 2020?

Crude oil prices crashed in 2020 during the severest phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. But the prices of petrol and diesel did not come down in India.

The coronavirus pandemic led to a very strict lockdown in many countries including India. This led to an almost total closure of business activities. The revenue generation for the government practically dried up.

But during the same time, the government's expenditure went up sharply as it opened up its coffers to fund the fight against the pandemic and to provide relief to crores of migrants and the poor, who were the most adversely impacted by the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Taxes including the GST, the corporate tax and income tax inflow had reduced. Revenue from liquor and petroleum was the principal income source for the government. To ensure its income flow remained intact, the government raised taxes on petrol and diesel in a way that the prices remained static while the government earned more money.

Are there any alternatives?

Now that the international crude oil prices have started rising again, fuel prices are rising in India. The government has an option of reducing taxes on petrol and diesel to bring the prices down. But it faces a dilemma.

If the government reduces taxation on petrol and diesel, its revenue will be impacted. To compensate, the government could have to increase direct tax on sectors that saw growth during the Covid-19 pandemic. But a direct tax may become politically counter-productive.

Secondly, any further reduction in revenue would widen the fiscal deficit gap. In a year, when the government is ready to borrow money for its capital expenditure, a widening fiscal deficit would ultimately make borrowing more expensive.

Weak Opposition

The fact that the BJP is in majority in the Lok Sabha and a ruling power in most of the states makes it easier for the Modi government to set a favourable narrative. At the same time, the Opposition is divided and the principal Opposition party, the Congress, appears to be weak.

The Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi have been attacking the government over rising petrol prices. But most of the criticism has happened on social media with little support from the ground.

Another factor that seems to be easing the pressure on the government is a constant supply of narrative setting issues -- the anti-CAA agitation, the Ram temple issue, and the farmers' protest -- in recent months.

These issues have shifted the public debate to a larger question of the political ideology of the BJP and the RSS. Issues such as rising petrol and diesel prices, and unemployment have taken a backseat offering the government a little extra elbow room.

Last but not least, the Lok Sabha election is still more than three years away. The government had cut the excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 2 in 2018 -- a year before the Lok Sabha polls. But the excise duty on petrol increased by Rs 10 and on diesel by Rs 13 in May 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Covered by: Soumen Mandal, Dated: 7th July,2021