The problematic representation of women in many recent Telugu blockbusters like Peddi and the Pushpa films have stoked controversy. When mainstream commercial cinema consistently turns the sexualisation of women into entertainment, who should be responsible for the world these images help create? By Sumithra Prasanna
Poem by Anju Devadas R D: ‘someone once said / the soul is lighter than breath / but the soil keeps secrets / the sky cannot hold.’
Delhi Crime is a breath of fresh air in its realistic portrayal of police investigation and the heroism of intelligent, emphatic cops. But the crime drama leaves a stunning blind spot about the brutalities, corruption, and systematic failures of the Delhi Police itself. By Karan Madhok
Bena Sareen, winner of the Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize, speaks about her latest honour and the “huge responsibility” of designing a memorable literary cover. By Chittajit Mitra