A humming word

Sita and Rama are the most unfortunate couple in the Hindu mythology. When I was growing up, my mother would often tell me, one must never name their daughters Sita or Janaki. Their fate and life was deplorable.  Volga, the pen name of Lalitha Kumari, is a noted feminist writer and is a stalwart in the Telugu Literature. And hence, this fictional account is written with its ink dipped in feminism. The right kind, ofcourse.  This book is set in Valmiki's ashram and Lava and Kusa are now grown up and explore the forest. Sita, along with the mothers in and around the ashram, performs the duties of a mother. However, nudged by fate, she begins her internal journey by meeting Ravana's disfigured sister, Surpanakha, who is now tending to a beautiful garden, Parsurama's abandoned mother, Renuka, the wronged Ahalya, and lastly Urmila. The book ends with the chapter on Rama, who was equally wronged, wrapped in the ethos and pathos of Arya Dharma. Also, my favourite chapter.  What ...

  Raaga Katta is an illustrator based out of Anantapur. Her page Grey Brains is fun and witty and I found it endearing that it is bilingual: Telugu and English. I recently ordered a calendar from her and it sits on cutely on my grey desk.  Here’s a quick interview with Raaga via email! She is equally perky on email too.   Why Grey Brains? When did you conceptualise it? Spill it all out :)  This was back in 2017 (while I was pursuing my MBA), YouTube videos and content creation was a rage. I quite liked the idea of saying quirky things on social media and calling it content. I also wanted to do something like that, but I was and still am a little camera shy (for recording, I love getting photographed) so I thought I will draw and say what I want, I can make characters and make them do any thing that human beings would not be open to do.  It's a different thing that I later learnt this is an actual thing and it is called Illustration (cos like any other Andh...

Feminism, as per dictionary.com, is equal opportunities to both men and women. But often, this definition is reduced to male bashing and disempowerment of their rights. And, Feminist Rani (published by Penguin in collaboration SheThePeople.TV), make an honest attempt to capture voices of feminists. Feminist Rani by Shaili Chopra and Meghna Pant is a record of conversations with fourteen modern men, women, and a transgender. It doesn’t complicate the concept of feminist. Instead, it gives layers to its meaning with each of these celebrities adding a colour with their life story. For them, feminism is not a choice but a way of life. Kalki Koelchin to Gauri Sawant, the range of dialogue, discussion and dissent is vast and deep. The most popular version of feminism is humanity and defying the mind-numbing rules that serve no purpose but demean women and their desires. While Kalki did not want to be boxed into any role in Bollywood and enjoyed the variety of roles she perform...

/an ode to Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary/ They wrap death as their headgear, Even Yama weeps at their willful gait when marching on a carpet of will, grit For a nation, their death doesn't seem fit The deathly noose reluctantly tightened; their stubborn, proud heads hanged low fierce in their revolt; in their rebuke, kind, What a fine example of the human mind!

Poetry that urges you to write is qualified as good poetry. But poetry that compels you to write leaving your chores behind is great poetry. That’s what Gulzar Saab is all about. Selected poems by Gulzar (tr. by Pavan Verma) is an effective read. The variety in the subjects and the varied lengths leaves you gasping for more. It is like a beautiful love letter on a rainy day that you wish to read and re-read till the words soak inside of you. Sample this: Meaning From the square,  through the mandi,  past the market  Along the red street floats the paper boat  Helpless, bobbing about in the unclaimed,  orphaned waters of the rain  In the wanton streets of the town, frightened,  it asks: If every boat has a shore  Will I too have mine? Gulzar Saab dabbles in pain, humor, love, books as easily as he writes about his daughter, whom he fondly calls: Bosky, his friends and his mentors. The earnest lines in the poem:1857 will boil you...