ideasmithy

[ideasmithy]

The Safest City: Mumbai 26/11 Terror Attacks

In 2008, the city that raised me became a battlefield. This is my story of Mumbai during the 26/11 terror attacks. Through the eyes of one of its citizens.

I’d been performing stories about Mumbai on stage for a few years when Radiocity invited me to shoot with them. It was for an episode marking 10 years since the terror attacks on 26 November 2008. A story? Of course, I had a story. Like every other dramatic (and otherwise) experience I’ve had in this city, it taught me something about myself and gave me wounds that made me love the city harder.…

[ideasmithy]

How We Talk About Violence: The Bengaluru PG Murder

A Bengaluru murder reveals deeper issues of gender violence, victim-blaming & cultural conflicts. We need to reconsider how we think about violence.

‘Woman from Bihar brutally murdered in Bengaluru PG’ screams the article headline while TV news anchor hosts experts who opinie on the finance minister’s statement about more women in the workforce, question the safety of PGs, articulate the lack of empathy shown by the victim’s roommates as they watch Kriti Kumari die. Look for the latest news on violence against a woman and you might miss it…

[ideasmithy]

Review: ROLE-PLAYING - Cathy Yardley: Feminism Via ChickLit

Explore the feminist evolution of ChickLit with Cathy Yardley's 'Role-Playing'. Delve into diverse characters, complex conflicts & a fresh take on romance.

ChickLit was always a more feminist genre since it centred the stories of women. True, it began as stories about young, white women with homes, families and jobs but it was still a step forward in recognising the anguish of breaking glass ceilings, internalised misogyny and highlighting female friendships. Even if it had to be marketed with the disrespectful term of ‘Chick Lit’. So many women…

[ideasmithy]

Language No Bar, Rashtriya Bhasha Har Baar

A woman & I separated by glass makes me think about the dance of language & identity. I trace colonialism & nationalism with my tongue. How shall I reach her?

There is a woman on the road. A few feet between us. A glass wall. And much else. I know something about her that she doesn’t. How shall I tell her? She doesn’t look into this airconditioned coffeeshop & I know she doesn’t speak English. Being a people tourist, window-shopping human beings Is only for those with English in their throats. I’m in a city that speaks the language of money. And in the…

[ideasmithy]

Decolonizing <i>Ted Lasso</i>: Race & Gender On A Football Field

Ted Lasso - A critical analysis of the show's portrayal of race and gender dynamics. Unpacks themes of predation, tokenism, and white supremacy.

This story starts with Ted Lasso. A dear friend loved the show and I wanted to share that experience with him. It was a stretch because being Indian, nothing about British complacency is going to feel enjoyable to me. Britain is the culture at whose hands mine suffered racism, economic exploitation, multiple genocides and colonisation for over three centuries. If you’re not from the subcontinent,…

[ideasmithy]

A Non-Medical View Of The Heart: Angiography & Angioplasty

A family member had an emergency heart procedure. I had to place overnight trust in strangers, make blind assumptions, examined conflicting information & many emotions. We were lucky. Yet, it was life-changing. This is that story of heart health care.

2023 closed with a family member needing an unexpected heart procedure. My family & I found ourselves in the chaotic world of emergency healthcare. In a short span, we had to make sense of information from unknown sources as we grappled with difficult decisions. I’m only starting to make sense of it – overnight trust in strangers, blind assumptions, conflicting information and many, many…

[ideasmithy]

REVIEW:<i>Honour</i>- Elif Shafak: Trauma Love Of Brown Women

'Honour' by Elif Shafak examines Turkish patriarchy mingling with Western traditions & values. It addresses gendered violence, racism & economic exploitation.

HONOUR replaces The Bastard of Istanbul as my favourite book by Elif Shafak. Once again, this story is about Turkish women navigating the changing faces of patriarchy between Western notions and their traditional values. But this time, we also see the journeys of the men through these same paths. The Turkish characters originate from poor remote villages rather than the bustling city of…

[ideasmithy]

Hello, AI World: Jetpack AI, ChatGPT For A Blogger

Is Artificial Intelligence really going to replace me? A blogger explores ChatGPT, Jetpack AI and a few other AI content tools.

I wrote this post last year. Unfortunately, a series of things in my personal and medical life made it difficult for me to publish. This post has sat in my Drafts for months, complete (as far as a WIP prediction of a new kind of technology can be). But I started my journey as a blogger, as IdeaSmith as a work in progress, allowing myself all the freedom of delays, errors and vulnerability. So…

[ideasmithy]

Notes From The Newly Diagnosed - Depressed & Anxious

I was diagnosed. I'm still the same person. Or am I? I have new words. And as I lose the ones that were longtime mine, I grasp them to cope.

I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. The simplest way to say it is the only way. Like ripping off a bandage. That is how I have powered through life, head-on, shedding dead weight. Powerful. Fearless. Strong. And I feel like none of those things anymore. It might have been caused by the double dose of COVID I had in a short span of time Or the coronavirus may just have been the last…

[ideasmithy]

Mad Men: THE JET SET Was About Unwanted Children

Mad Men S2E11 episode THE JET SET offers a deeper look into the show's underlying theme by exploring the choice between hedonism and domesticity.

[ideasmithy]

Thank God: Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid & Bombay Riots

Over three decades ago, an agnostic city called BOMBAY experienced the might of GOD. I was a child when religion met politics in a thunderclap of violence. This is my story of the Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid riots and how they affected my city.

This month, a temple will be inaugurated in Ayodhya, thought to be the birthplace of Ram. It happens the same week as the 75th Republic Day of India. This is not a coincidence. 32 years ago, a mosque stood at that same place. It was believed to have been built by Babar and was the focus of communal disputes for centuries. On 6 December 1992, a political mob demolished the masjid, triggering…

[ideasmithy]

Thank God 🛕🕌 - 1993 Bombay Riots

Over three decades ago, an agnostic city called BOMBAY experienced the might of GOD. I was a child when religion met politics in a thunderclap of violence. Listen to the story 'Thank God  - 1993 Bombay Riots' here.

Over three decades ago, an agnostic city called BOMBAY experienced the might of GOD. I was a child when religion met politics in a thunderclap of violence. Read the story ‘Thank God‘ here. Babri masjid demolition – 1992

[ideasmithy]

Annapoorani: What The Film & Right-Wing Got Wrong On Caste

ANNAPOORANI promised a caste discourse but served up a Brahimin fantasy. Right-wing backlash to the film only furthers saffron politics via Brahmin propaganda.

Making a big splash in pop culture reportage is the news that Netflix took down the Tamil film ANNAPOORANI (TheQuint, EconomicTimes). This is supposedly in response to agitation by right-wing groups claiming that the film hurts Hindu sentiments. There is a specific reference to the scene of Annapoorani doing namaaz as being a form of love jihad. I have filed complain against #AntiHinduZee and…

[ideasmithy]

Mad Men: THE SUITCASE Is Full Of Peggy's Baggage

Peggy Olsen contends with her choices of relationships, desire & work in the fan favorite MAD MEN episode 'The Suitcase' through three men Mark, Duck & Don. #MadMen #PeggyOlsen #DonDraper

One of the best stories I’ve ever watched on screen has been Mad Men. At the peak of prestige television, this show nimbly trod the fine balance between authenticity and morality by viewing the 1960s through a post-millennium gaze. It didn’t hurt that everyone looked good. The set and costumes were as instrumental in moving the story as were its dialogues and scenes. Its detailed plots and…

[ideasmithy]

I Have A New Home!

I Have A New Home!

I have a new website! It’s still a work in progress. But if you’re reading this, it’s likely you know that describes my entire journey as IdeaSmith. Maybe you’ve been part of this journey since 2004, when I begin as a twenty-something on the internet, my curiosity about new tools overcoming my conditioning as a woman to fear everything and venture nothing. Maybe you came my way via my first…

[ideasmithy]

I Have A New Home!

I Have A New Home!

I have a new website! It’s still a work in progress. But if you’re reading this, it’s likely you know that describes my entire journey as IdeaSmith. Maybe you’ve been part of this journey since 2004, when I begin as a twenty-something on the internet, my curiosity about new tools overcoming my conditioning as a woman to fear everything and venture nothing. Maybe you came my way via my first…

[ideasmithy]

Seeking Sincerity

Does anybody remember Sincerity? She hasn’t been seen in a long time. We read about her in Moral Science textbooks. We co-opted her name in the style of the (insincere) British as we learnt to sign letters. Sincerely, Yours.Sincerity was never in vogue. He’s come in under attack by Popularity who really got a leg up when it partnered with Charm. And when Diplomacy came to beautify their union,…