The several thousand-strong audience that had come to attend the inauguration of the 28th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) on December 15, 2022 was in for a surprise. During a song and dance recital, conceptualised by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the huge background screen beamed a picture of Lord Ganesha, accompanied by Amitabh Bachchan chanting a shloka-Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha-in his familiar baritone. To many who had been present at earlier KIFF inaugural ceremonies, the paean to a Hindu deity was a first. It seemed out of place at an event where the retrospectives of films of such global film luminaries as Pier Paolo Pasolini and Michael Cacoyannis were to be shown. But, then, it was just another sign of the change in political messaging that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is increasingly, and aggressively, pushing in the state.
The TMC has been at the receiving end of the main opposition party BJP's constant accusation of 'Muslim appeasement'. Then there was the electoral scare in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and charges of misgovernance and corruption-two of its heavyweights, Partha Chatterjee and Anubrata Mondal, are under arrest for their alleged complicity in scams. To counter the negative popular perception, the TMC had had to take refuge in its own brand of Hindutva. From Mamata chanting Chandi shlokas and proclaiming to have a "staunch Brahmin" background to the decision to build replicas of Jagannath and Vaishno Devi temples in Bengal and the organisation of Varanasi's Ganga aarti along the Hooghly, the TMC is leaving nothing to chance in its desperate effort to woo Hindus. The immediate goal is the impending panchayat polls; but looming ever closer is the big prize-the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
TRINAMOOL'S GRADUAL SHIFT
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 30, 2022 من India Today.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 30, 2022 من India Today.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
ARTS AND THE MAN
In his centenary year, F.N. Souza: The Archetypal Artist tries to make sense of the recurring themes in the artist’s work
The Reluctant Art Critic
Advertising executive, art critic and possible catalyst of the modern Indian art movement, Rudolf von Leyden was an intriguing figure in pre-Independence Bombay
PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST & POET
ANINDYO ROY’S THE VICEROY’S ARTIST IS A FICTIONALISED ACCOUNT OF EDWARD LEAR’S TRAVELS IN INDIA
Lady of the Light
This artist has transformed the humble bulb into a thing of beauty
S'more to Think Of
Called Marshmallow, this penthouse in Gurgaon with soft curves and plush aesthetics stays true to its name
A Marvelous Melange
From stylish living quarters to multipurpose adaptive space, this home in Mumbai turns every nook into a showstopper
TECH MEETS TEXTURE
Smart fabrics and intelligent textiles are changing the way we view home furnishings
Refresh and Revive
That old table, those cabinets or even the console can be given a new lease of life, one that is tailor-made to the latest trends
Standout Spaces
Want dramatic interiors but don’t know how? This home in Mumbai becomes a lesson in learning the nuances of adding magic inside.
Vernacular Wise
Forget international brands and design, the beauty and simplicity of local materials and ancient techniques is gaining momentum
