#Media portrayal of India

[debasishsinha]

Unveiling Biases: Decoding Western Media's Portrayal of India

A growing number of people are worried that various news organisations are covering stories in a biassed or partial way, which is a major problem in today’s ever-changing media environment. This does more than just damage to journalism’s credibility; it also makes it much harder to promote international understanding and collaboration. This article explores the complex depictions of India in…

[bohemian-nights]

Like clockwork, the moment that Sophie is almost surely going to be played by a Black woman there is a sudden uptick in the Sophie should be a man or trans because that would be “true representation” discourse.

Representation for all communities is important(although that’s not what this rally is about), but Sophie Beckett is the last character in Bridgerton who should be gender-bent or made trans since her story is directly tied to her being a working-class biological woman.

It's because she's a woman that her only means of employment is as a maid. It's because she's a woman that she was almost raped by a pack of men. It’s because she’s a biological woman and fears birthing children who will be illegitimate and who may have to go through life as she did that she refuses to be Benedict’s mistress.

You can’t just plop a (white cause that’s what the real issue is) man or a (white) trans woman into her place without changing her story which is unique in the Bridgerton universe and dare I say the most empowering. So while yes it would be nice to see a gay love story on the show or a trans person, Benophie isn’t the couple to turn to for this representation.

And said representation definitely shouldn’t come at the expense of representation for Black women who are rarely shown as love interests or get to be leading ladies in media. Representation for Black women may not be your representation, but it's still representation for an under-represented marginalized group.

Seriously if your idea of representation hinges on the fact that Black women should step aside and wait “our turn”(aka we shouldn't be represented because y'all always come up with some excuse for why it isn't “our turn”) you need to reassess some things because that isn't going to happen any longer.

This also goes out to the people who keep saying that there are “too many” Black people on show therefore Sophie shouldn't be Black when the only Black woman* that has been featured has been Lady Danbury who is a side character who most certainly does not have a happily ever after(HEA).

*I love Queen Charlotte and both India and Goldie’s portrayal of her and I loved the spin-off, but both women are mixed.

Let’s not forget the people who said Sophie being Black would be too “problematic” since she’s slave(she’s not a slave you’re insulting the enslaved when you refer to her as such) while cheering on every other group of women playing Sophie.

That was what some said a year ago when people suggested Sophie could played by a Black woman, but now that it’s coming you’ve moved on from that excuse to needing to see two white men on your screens.

So once again this isn't about representation it's just another instance of fandom misogynoir aka trying to keep Black women off your screens useless we are there to serve you or be tortured.

Cause somehow seeing Patsey getting wiped and raped 23 million times is “powerful” representation, but seeing a Black woman being loved and cared for and getting a HEA with a man who adores her is “problematic.”

Again I do understand the ones who genuinely want to see themselves represented on screen, but to make this much of a fuss about a Black woman in the role of Sophie Beckett, it’s inexcusable.

Reference point to this rant.

[crossdreamers]

Trans+ History Week launched in the UK with billboards in major cities

The inaugural Trans+ History Week runs from May 6 to May 12, focusing on the history of trans, non-binary, gender-diverse, and intersex people.

May 6 will from now on be known as Trans History Day.

The week features articles, podcasts, and a lesson workbook based on academic research to educate the public on transgender and intersex history.

Twenty emerging trans+ creatives share stories spotlighting global trans+ history, including the Hijra communities of India and the portrayal of trans+ individuals in media.

The event marks the 91st anniversary of the Nazi raid on the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft in Berlin, a pivotal moment in trans history.

Pink News reports that the large, vertical billboards have the words ‘ALWAYS BEEN HERE. ALWAYS WILL BE” written in large font.

More here!

Transgender World articles on transgender history.

Articles on transgender history from Trans+ History Week.

Photo: Trans+ History Week/QueerAF

[ashesandhackles]

10, 15, 24, and 26 please, pal :)

Thanks for the fun questions eithne :D

10. most enjoyable swear word in your native language?

For Hindi, going to concur with @padfootswhiskers and say "madarchod" (or even "behenchod" - sisterfucker- which you will hear often if you are in delhi) is very satisfying.

In Malayalam/Tamil - "mayir"(pubic hair) is one. But the odd one is "pulle' (which means grass. I always found this one hilarious - yelling at someone and calling them grass).

15. a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get?

The meme everyone here will get is: "POOJA WHAT IS THIS BEHAVIOUR?" And "HOW CAN SHE SLAP?"

Both from reality shows, and they were widely used as meme formats.

We have context based common sayings, such as - if you ask a really stupid question after every detail has been explained, we say something like, "Poori Ramayan khatam ho gayi (we finished the entire Ramayana)- and "you are asking this now?"

This particular bit is funny because the Indian epic of Ramayana is really LONG.

24. what other nation is joked about most often in your country?

Bangladesh. The influx of refugees from Bangladesh in the states of Bengal and Assam are quite contentious issues in those state's politics, but it is often dealt in jokes by rest of the country. (In the similar vein of the kind of jokes western countries would make about finding Indian cab drivers everywhere)

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal?

Yup. Well, I am generally quite tired of these things in Hollywood portrayals:

- we are not all Hindus, and not all Hindus worship Ganesha. I sometimes wonder whether this is because of the kind of class (which is also tied to caste) who can afford to move abroad.

- we are not all super religious. However, India is a country where religion is woven into the fabric of its culture - so those cultural markers are there.

- India is not just (outskirts of) Mumbai or Varanasi. India is a vast country - and we not only have the tropics, we, along with Nepal, Pakistan, house the belt of highest mountains in the world. Unless it's an explorer, I see very little interest in these parts of India. North East India gets very little attention on Bollywood itself (unless it's an indie movie), I don't know whether white people that part of Indian exists.

These are off the top of my head. I am sure there are more I have issues with.

I am not from US ask sets

[tiredguyswag]

15, 20, 26<3

Already answered 15 but it was referring to the Pooja meme, the Sudeep meme, and Bhupendra Jogi

20. Which sport is The Sport in your country?

we both know the answer to this 🏏🏏🏏🏏🏏

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal?

GODDDDD DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED the only good portrayal of India in American media is monkey man. and dr bellum too ig making her Like That was an inspired choice

[misalpav]

you don't understand the makers of the kerala story speared propaganda against islam and kerala and you are navie lured to hindu fanaticism

first of all, if you're denying the existence of ISIS conversions in Kerala and the larger India then, the Observer Research Foundation published, in a 2019 report, that between 60-70 individuals in Kerala joined ISIS between 2014-18. Also, the NIA has entered various times into Kerala due to suspects of ISIS interactions. ISIS has existed in India for a while now and denying it would require your eyes to be closed.

You're saying that this movie is against Islam and Kerala but from where I stand, it's a movie against ISIS. That's something I will support to the end, both as someone who's lived through the repercussions of 9/11/2001 and the fact that they are literally a salafi jihadist terrorist organization. Anyone minus a few select people who went and watched TKS today are making conclusions about the entire movie from a short teaser/trailer clip, which, many times, isn't even an accurate portrayal of a movie. People who watched the full movie in the Kerala Supreme Court themselves had refused to restrict the release of the movie on the same premise of being against ISIS, not Islam.

Obviously, the biggest argument being made right now, and one I'm 100% expecting you to bring up if you choose to come back into my asks, is the figure of 32K conversions in Kerala. I don't believe in that number. What I do believe in though, is that The Kerala Story is a mere movie. All these people arguing against this movie claim to be "secularists". News flash, any film in a secular industry is gonna be dramatized because in a secular industry people look for viewership and how to make any small story compelling be it through caricature or exaggeration. As far as I care, people can consume whatever media they want and then are responsible for researching and fact-checking on their own. Quick examples of this that I can think of are the Netflix TV show Narcos where they antagonized a supposed "judy moncada" who was completely made up, and The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, a supposed retelling of events in the Vietnam war that he later concedes wasn't accurate apart from the emotion. Authors, writers, and any other artist for that matter take creative liberties in storytelling. I don't know how or why people are taking this so seriously. Congratulations you can do your research!

Now in terms of being a "navie" that's lured into Hindu fanaticism, what's naive about loving a culture that's been here for centuries that resulted in the construction of beautiful architecture and tells the some of the most enthralling stories? If anyone called any of the Abrahmic religions fanatical, they'd immediately be pegged as islamophobic, christianophobic, etc, why can't Hindus get the same respect? Honestly, the one common trait in any land with foreigners is the sheer lack of respect for natives and it shows, be it India, the USA, Australia, etc. I'd highly recommend you get a reality check on yourself.

[padfootswhiskers]

16, 21, 26 ask game

thank you for the ask! these are all great questions

16. which stereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhat agree with?

oooh. like @ashesandhackles said, it's very annoying when people are surprised we can speak english, lol. i've seen people being surprised at the fact that we have internet. almost every instagram reel about india will have comments about how the people all shit in the streets😂

ones i agree with? hmm the cows everywhere one is true 😂😂india also is genuinely quite dirty. it's very common for people to be casually racist 😂and we do shake our heads while talking

21. if you could send two things from your country into space, what would they be?

food and dance, i think. aliens deserve to see kathak and enjoy mutton seekh kebab

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal?

it does!

when i think of india in hollywood, inevitably i think of slumdog millionaire. now i fucking love that movie. and i love danny boyle (shout out to steve jobs 2015) but it does paint a certain picture of the country. which isn't...inaccurate, exactly, but it's a tiny little pixel of a massive painting. the events/setting of the movie is by no means unrealistic for a modern india but for someone like me who has only grown up in major cities in a pretty much upper middle class family, it feels like a completely different universe. all that to say, india contains multitudes and the usual poverty porn of the country you get is not at all relatable to a significant amount of the population. i think the very location of slumdog millionaire proves my point, really. dharavi is the largest slum in the world, and right across the street lives mukesh ambani, the 9th richest man in the world.

tangentially, my favourite portrayal of india in western film is wes anderson's 'the darjeeling limited'. it's not set in a major metro city but it's not poverty porn either. and i think, somehow, it really captures an essence of india! little scenes like adrien brody being amused at boys playing cricket with a tennis ball....it makes me feel so fond of my country <3

“hi, I’m not from the US” ask set

[abihastastybeans]

Hi!! Hope everything is okay at the hospital!! For the ask game!!

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal?

Hello friend!! Yup, all okay at the hospital, thanks❤️ - I found a new thing in my teeth and had to go get it checked. I have a filling procedure scheduled for Tuesday tho😬😅

26. Does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? What do you think about the portrayal?

Yup yup there are a number of Indian characters in Hollywood media - Mind, I'm not familiar with most of them :p but yeah.

As for what I think about the portrayal... I mean, it can be better😂 But I don't blame them (unless it is intentionally raciststereotypical) because India is huge bruh and not to mention the degree of overlapping between the cultures and stuff. It would be very difficult to represent something in a way that is - what can I say - perfect? So yeah. It can be better but atleast it's better now than what we had in idk the 2000s lmao

People have told me that that series Never have i ever - I should try watching it but ehhhh I might. No guarantee tho 😂😅

Ask game here!

[superbluebirdgirl]

Okay so I saw Monkey Man today, and decided to make a post reviewing it! I highly recommend you see this movie (although you might wanna look up content warnings beforehand if you're sensitive to dark themes) and so I'm gonna put my spoilery discussion under the cut:

Okay so WOW I totally loved this movie, more than I honestly expected. I had heard a lot of good things beforehand, but I was honestly kinda blown away by just how much the movie affected me. I think the visceral nature of the fight scenes is a big part of that. Even if I found myself covering my eyes and getting squeamish, I wouldn't change a thing about the gore in this movie because it was used perfectly and added so much to the overall experience.

I'm usually not an action movie person but this movie had so much raw emotion and thematic substance that it really smashed through a lot of notions I had about the genre. I don't live in India or have any Indian ancestry, so some of the political content may have been lost on me, but from what I could gather it was used very effectively and gave the movie a lot of weight. The movie isn't about a guy going up against just a few bad people, it's about a guy going up against an entire system, which I think a lot of films about rebelling against those in power kinda miss.

I also really loved how the Hijra characters were portrayed in the story. I'm not transgender (not currently at least lol) but from what I've heard the portrayal of the Hijra has gotten an extremely positive reception from the trans community, and I can totally see why! I really liked the main member of the Hijra group who becomes a mentor figure to Dev Patel's character and how she and the other Hijras were portrayed in such a human way. I know that might seem like a low bar to clear, but a lot of media with trans characters tends to make them into symbols rather than people, so this was a really welcome change from that. Plus, it was awesome to see them get to kick ass in fancy outfits near the end :)

As for the main character, I thought his backstory was really well fleshed out and you could practically feel his rage pulsing from the screen with what a great performance Dev Petal gave. The villains in this movie were absolutely skin-crawling and repulsive in the exact way they needed to be. Pretty much every character in this movie was memorable in their own way to be honest.

All in all, this was a great movie and I can't wait for it to come to streaming and DVD so I can watch it again!

[shivasdarknight]

@koopytron

Forgive my ignorance, but doesn't a set like this help expose people to cultures that they might not have known about? What about players that live in that country and want to dress up in their traditional clothes, are they not allowed to?

I’m responding over here mostly because my reply got a bit long.

First off, I’m no authority on the Sámi.  I want to make that very clear - I’m just echoing what has been said so far by people who have a vested interest in this gear’s removal.  And again, I want to reiterate by pointing out that for information your best bets are the initial letter to Square Enix, as well as this thread by a Sámi player.

The argument for exposure looks nice on paper, but usually isn’t ever executed well - especially in the case of the Far Northern attire.  FFXIV isn’t set up to teach people about cultures (unless it’s Stormblood and the two different fantasy Japans), it’s set up to use cultures as an aesthetic to give each nation a bit of flavor.  Thavnair is India, Ul’dah is your typical desert city, the elves are French, Ala Mhigans are Kurdish and Armenian, Xaela are Mongolian etc etc.  And how much care that goes into representing and educating players about these cultures varies depending on who it is and if Square cares about them.  And every instance of an indigenous culture has been the exact opposite.  Even their treatment of the Xaela and Ala Mhigans are extremely demeaning, but that’s a different topic altogether.

If Square had any interest in exposing people to Sámi culture, they would have contacted the tribe for a collaboration and make them have more of a presence in game than just a glam item that costs $18USD.  They would’ve also done research into what gákti actually look like, and maybe named each piece appropriately.  Instead, we have an offensive caricature that costs $18USD, doesn’t have any cultural presence in the game, and is nothing but a disconnected costume meant to line their paychecks.  And as a reminder: the Sámi were never contacted, Square has not reached out after this demand, and they’ve received no money for Square using their material culture for profit.  What’s sad is Disney did better than them after Frozen, as they similarly appropriated their regalia and even took their music.  Frozen 2 saw them collaborating and the film was even released in one of the Sámi languages, though I’m not entirely sure if they ever saw any amount of the film’s revenue - if someone happens to see this and they know, feel free to correct me.

I think the more important thing here is: do we even want Square to be exposing players to Sámi culture?  Because they do not have a good track record when it concerns portraying indigenous cultures.  Anyone can feel free to add in stuff I’ve missed, but there are plenty examples through the entire Final Fantasy franchise - including, but not limited to: including monsters that have roots in nativist imagery (anthropophage) but naming them after a particular spirit in Algonquin folklore that people keep asking to not be named or included in media; the entirety of Red XIII’s character (even the name he’s introduced by, despite him actually being named Nanaki); the initial portrayal of the Ronso in X (that then got “sophisticated” into the suddenly Icelandic Hrothgar); and the palewashing of Viera (mesoamerican indigenous coded in XII) in the jump to XIV by only focusing on the palest of individuals and making most of them white-looking.

And then there’s the stuff in XIV.  Most of the Tribes (which up until recently were literally known as beast tribes) up until Stormblood are based in some racist depiction of indigenous peoples - like Square did all of their research through racist American movies from the past century.  Many speak in the stilted English you’d see in racist advertisements and media (eg. the Vanu Vanu, and the yoda-like speak of the Ixal), they’re all anthropomorphized animals to some degree and not at all...y’know, human; you spend a significant amount of the game hunting them and being rewarded for doing so (especially if you do daily Clan Centurio marks), many are based on real cultures (Ixal are clearly meso-/south american, Vanu Vanu literally have totems and everything), and the Amalj’aa embody the entire Noble Savage trope to a T (only source for this is unfortunately Wikipedia because everything else was paywalled or didn’t touch on how racist this is).  We only saw this shift in not calling them “beast” tribes anymore around Stormblood because we suddenly got the Kojin (respected merchants based on Kappa), and the Namazu - techincally also the Lupin, but the shared factor is that they’re all predominant Japanese cultures that they’d never bastardize because the entire Doma half of Stormblood is them drinking the Japanese Imperialism kool-aid (again, another topic altogether and best discussed by someone like the journalist, Kazuma Hashimoto - who goes into it a lot on streams).  After that, we saw a deemphasis on indigenous cultures in the tribe quests and the removal of the name once Dwarves, Pixies, Arkosodara, Loporrits, and Omicrons were added.  Qitari are loosely here because they are the First equivalent of the Qiqirn, but they’d still “fit” in the old category by Square’s measure.

And then of course the Whalaqee, the entire New World nonsense, how they portray the Mamool’ja (who are from the “New World”), and the entire racist premise of the BLU questline.  Which is literally just “White Savior is the only one who can save this dying native tribe from evil oil ceruleum barons who brought diseases over, and your main reps are two animal looking guys and a very pale native boy like the tropes from the old movies”.  And yes, this is where the racist New World gear comes in, because that’s the clothing every single member of the Whalaqee wear despite it being a disgusting caricature of ceremonial gear with the war bonnet and everything.  The Mamool’ja are also frequently depicted as unintelligent and only suited for war, and are extremely sexual and there’s a fate where one gets kicked out of the Camp Bronze Lake baths for being too sexual.  Which again: nativist stereotypes that don’t just apply to indigenous tribes of the Americas, but also Japan’s own indigenous peoples - especially the Ryuukyuuan!

The New World gear wasn’t put in there to expose players to indigenous cultures.  They included a racist caricature so people could play dress up with those pieces, and locking their (racist) context behind a side quest most people skip or ignore.  And what ends up happening is whenever I do see players wearing it, it’s almost never people of those cultures doing it “for their own sake” - as it’s a racist caricature and not actually their cultural clothing or what they’d wear - it’s instead people playing out the racist caricatures.  I’ve seen white catgirls with neon pink war bonnets and bikinis, I’ve seen literal red-skinned players in the full get up, and many other offensive costumes that’s come as a result of this set being in the game.

But that set is obtainable through normal gameplay.  The Far Northern set is paywalled, making this especially egregious that it’s a racist caricature of Sámi regalia that they’re making a load of money off of.

There is no in game “Far Northern” culture - it’s just a racist costume for players (and they’re designing this for the majority white, and Yamato Japanese player base) to play dress up with.  They design the game with dominant cultures in mind (hence why everything is so heavy handed with European and Japanese aesthetics and gear, but there’s a suspicious lack of Korean and SWANA names, material culture, etc. when both exist in the game in their own ways through “Far Eastern” attire and Ala Mhigan stuff).  If they’d had any intention on exposing the players to Sámi culture, they would’ve contacted the Sámi for sensitivity or even just copyright issues.

But they didn’t.

Exposing and teaching other people about cultures varies depending on who you’re talking about.  It’s especially sensitive when you have a matter of appropriating not only a minority culture, but one that’s being suffocated by colonization and majority culture appropriation.  It’s why it’s not really an issue that places like Ishgard are a few mixes of European stuff, or that Hingashi is based in Japan pre-border opening, but it’s a major issue for them to bastardize Mongolian, Armenian, Kurdish, and the various indigenous cultures that they have in their inclusion through the Xaela (described as barbaric, and “will eventually be their own extinction” according to the Namazu quests), the Ala Mhigans (who are not treated with the same level of dignity or respect as the Domans, and are portrayed as aggressive and lower class), and the ARR-HVW tribe quests + the Whalaqee (see the above).

It’s fine to want to expose people to other cultures.  You just have to do it on the terms of the cultures themselves.  And going behind the backs of the Sámi people and creating a racist costume that costs $18USD isn’t exposing anyone to their culture (if they did, it’s through discourse like this); it’s just Square making money off of a racist costume so people can play dress up with regalia that isn’t theirs.

[leidensygdom]

In regards to your post on poor representations of Romani, in the US as a kid one of the major media representations I came across of Romani people was “my big fat g**** wedding” and as I grew older I realized Damn, we were specifically spoon fed a very carefully curated example to paint the Romani people in a very unflattering light (and also attempted to reinforce the notion that g**** is not a slur, even though that is not the opinion of the majority of Romani people as we were lead to believe) but yeah whoever made that show was just showing…….an extremely (like white supremacy type extremism) narrow and bigoted view of an entire people and purposefully trying to get entire populations to believe that’s all there is to this culture and that kind of purposefully and intentionally hateful media portrayal is (not new but still) mind blowing

Yyyyep! These sort of shows are incredibly common in many places. I know Spain had that show airing here too, as well as a good bunch of others. It is the main contact many people get with Romani culture and such, and... Of course, they're shows recorded and produced by non-Romani people who don't really want a nice portrayal, they want to shock, they want to get that exoticism going, and make a caricature out of a culture. (In my experience from what I've seen of Spanish ones, these are also often showing only very rich Romani families, which fails to show how most Romani actually fare.)

It's incredible how even in places where other flavours of racism/xenophobia would be more covert (still very present, but finding a tv show with a n-word in the title would probably prove very hard nowadays), Romani can and will still be treated like this.

There's this "writer" (who is actually 3 white guys using a woman's pen name, who are known for making really culturally insensitive books that sell like crazy towards middle aged women) made a new book named The G**** Bride, which is also getting a tv show, where so far the advertising has been a... dead Romani woman in wedding attire. It's a murder mystery. A terribly portrayed one. And this is, uh, the closest to popular representation Spain is getting in mainstream media of sorts.

And I had to deal with my mother-in-law fawning over it, asking my partner (who works at a book store) to bring it to her once it was out ASAP, and... Yeah. It's uncomfortable as hell.

I kinda struggle explaining how deep anti-Roma sentiments runs in Spain (and all of Europa tbh) because it feels quite... unique. It's so deeply ingrained media won't bat an eye before putting out some horrid content, it is present even in otherwise very progressive places, all while people don't know anything about Roma at all. I'm sure the average person would be deeply puzzled if you mentioned Roma came from India, even.

[lhostgil]

A small tidbit re. the translation of Kurt’s codename in Chinese

[Because I am bilingual, and my mother tongue is Mandarin Chinese.]

Kurt’s codename, “Nightcrawler” is translated as “夜行者” in Chinese.

Translated in the sense of individual word character (aka direct translation); the words can be taken as thus: 

“夜” --  (noun) night;  nighttime; evening. 

“行“ -- (literary) go; walk; travel.

“者” -- a term affixed after a noun phrase to indicate a person or persons (think of it as the English equivalent of adding “er” or “ist” to a noun: eg. Labour --> Labourer/ Work --> Worker. In the present case, Travel --> Traveller.) 

Therefore, it can be said that Kurt’s codename in Chinese is literally translated to “Night traveller”

However, here’s the interesting part. Either the original person who came up with such a translation did it unintentionally because by themselves the words do make sense...or they selected those words on purpose.

Because “行者” is a literary term that carries 2 meanings: 

1. Passerby (in the sense of a wanderer); or 2. An itinerant monk (a Buddhist monk prior to his tonsure)

And before people start getting the wrong idea due to popular media portrayal; yes, there is a fairly strict cultural definition attached to the 2nd meaning of the term. [The closest equivalent in western culture (I believe) would be the mendicants.]

In essence, the term refers to a person who is a practitioner of the belief and philosophy but helps with chores in the temple. They can be monks and they can be lay adherents who have not yet shaved, or have yet to renounce their present lives to devote the rest of their time to study (aka have familial ties, are married, etc).

The origin of such a term developed during the ancient dynastic times (specifically during the Tang and Song Dynasties when Buddhism was being spread through the East-Asian sphere; i.e Ancient China, Korea and Japan). In the past, those who wanted to renounce their mundane lives to become a monk had to first become a “行者”. 

In that period, the individuals learnt the theory + ‘hard knowledge’ and then embarked on their journey to obtain experience; to learn more about themselves and the world around them--the purpose of doing so, being to cultivate their own form of wisdom. Throughout such a journey, some chose not to follow through to the end; becoming teachers (teaching basic literacy) in rural areas where education was unavailable, or even settling down to become protectors of rural areas where a military presence was unable to be established (stories of bandits being dealt with/reformed, ferocious wild animals driven away etc). 

Either way, from an objective standpoint--the main purpose of this was to help the individual find their way and place in the world. In a sense, the outcome wasn’t as important as the process undertaken to achieve it; this is about knowledge becoming wisdom--obtaining perspective and understanding of the world, not just mindless striving towards a goal.

You may wonder why all this is necessary if you are unfamiliar with the relevant culture/history; monks did not spend all day praying or meditating in their respective temples. They also acted primarily as emissaries and translators for the government. 

It is only after passing the following government stipulations could a person be considered qualified and then be ordained as a monk: 1. passing screening by the government, 2. passing the examinations required, 3. obtaining the necessary certificates, 4. being appointed to be part of a monastery.

With their travelling to different countries to learn/obtain scriptures from temples in different countries (primarily India) a lot of cultural exchange was conducted in this manner--meaning that they had to have proper grasp of various spoken and written languages + cultures (at minimum for the time, China, Japan, Korea, India and Central Asia.) As a result of their travels, they also had to be in good health + some basic knowledge of self-defense and medication. In all but name, these monks were both scholars and warriors; they just didn’t go into the route of becoming a civil official and serving in the capacity of a bureaucrat.

In any case, the above would then give the translation the following nuance:

“夜” --  (noun) night;  nighttime; evening. 

“行者” --  (literary) Someone seeking the Path to Enlightenment (in context, a life removed from suffering); a wandering individual seeking Absolute Truth.

[entropy-sea-system]

Nobody seems to be talking about Spin(2021) but

I wanted to at least post something about it and I just watched it. Its the first disney channel original movie (outside of India perhaps bc I do know we have tv shows and perhaps also movies set in India on disney channel here) with an Indian American protag, and I feel like that should be significant? Its probably one of the hollywood(?since this movie was made in the states) movies with better south asian rep, especially when most hollywood movies tend to just have side characters(Pacific Rim: Uprising, Phineas and Ferb, etc. Need I go on) or even the villain be south asian(Venom) and thats not even touching on the orientalism and racist portrayals.

The director is Indian herself and in the production of the movie they took steps to make the portrayal authentic. I don't know about plot? I don't care too much about that and I don't know why people would expect some kind of complex plot from a disney channel movie if thats a criticism they have. As an Indian who used to live in the states, I did not see myself represented in most media there. And it was nice to see a movie that had a protagonist from my country (even if not the same region Im from or same mother tongue).

[bolllywoodhungama]

The Trial's pivotal Track was inspired by a Sushant Singh Rajput, Rhea Chakraborty, and Arnab Goswami episode.

Three years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic was causing havoc in India, but the Sushant Singh Rajput death case was also receiving attention from the media and some online users. Rhea Chakraborty's portrayal as the villain eventually turned the situation into a media spectacle. A number of outrageous accusations—the majority of which lacked any supporting evidence—were made against her in connection with the actor's death. This iconic episode is covered in a key track in the most recent web series, The Trial, which debuted today on Disney+ Hotstar.

In the leading role, Kajol plays a mother trying to support her family after her husband is implicated in a bribery and sex scandal in The Trial. To make ends meet, she must work at a law firm. Every episode depicts Noyonika Sengupta (Kajol) battling a different case. The death of cricketer Mohit Singh, which occurred in mysterious circumstances, is one such case that is quite memorable. Juhi Bhatia, his girlfriend, has been detained on suspicion of aiding suicide. Despite the fact that the deceased is depicted as a sportsman, it is obvious that the Sushant Singh Rajput case served as inspiration for the film's creators.

The 2020 case is also notable because popular news anchor Arnab Goswami tried his best to persuade his viewers that Sushant Singh Rajput was killed by Rhea Chakraborty by presenting them with various theories. Daksh Rathod (Atul Kumar), a character based on him, also treats Juhi in the same way. Daksh Rathod is depicted as working for SNP News while Arnab happens to be the owner of Republic Network.

Crucial track in Kajol’s The Trial inspired by Sushant Singh Rajput – Rhea Chakraborty – Arnab Goswami episode : Bollywood News

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[ebelal56-blog]

Unlocking South Asia's Economic Potential

Learn about the interconnectedness of South Asia with research from the Pew Research Center. Explore the cultural connections within this diverse region. You know, it's fascinating how we often think of countries as these isolated entities, each with their own quirks, cultures, and histories. But if you take a closer look, especially at South Asia, you'll see a rich tapestry of interconnectedness that goes beyond borders. Just think about it: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. Each of these nations has its own unique identity, but they also share so much in common. They're like neighbors in a bustling apartment complex, each with their own stories but also intertwined in ways that can't be ignored. According to recent research, the perceptions people have about their neighboring countries can be quite revealing. For instance, many Indians might view Pakistan through a lens shaped by history, conflict, and media portrayals. Yet, there's also a sense of curiosity and a desire to understand the culture, the food, the music. It's like when you have that one neighbor you don't talk to much, but you hear them playing music at night, and you can't help but be intrigued by their life. And then there's Bangladesh, which often gets overshadowed in discussions but is such a vibrant country with a rich cultural heritage. Many Indians see Bangladeshis as kindred spirits, sharing not just a history but also a love for cricket, spicy food, and, let's be honest, a good monsoon. It's like being part of a big family where you might argue over who makes the best biryani, but at the end of the day, you know you've got each other's backs.

[werindialive]

Kangana Ranaut Reacts to the Delay of Her Film's Release: "It's Like an Emergency Has Been Imposed on My Film'' 

In the latest turn of events, Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has voiced her frustration over the delay in the release of her much-anticipated film "Emergency." The film, which has already garnered significant attention due to its sensitive subject matter and Ranaut’s involvement both in front of and behind the camera, is now facing delays that have left the actress disheartened. In her characteristic style, Ranaut took to social media to express her disappointment, stating, "It feels like an emergency has been imposed on my film." 

"Emergency," directed by and starring Kangana Ranaut, is a political drama that revolves around the 1975 Emergency declared in India by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The film has been under the spotlight ever since its announcement, with Ranaut's portrayal of Indira Gandhi being one of the most talked-about aspects. The film is expected to shed light on one of the most controversial periods in Indian political history, and Ranaut's bold approach has added to the intrigue. 

However, the road to the film’s release has not been smooth. The delays in its release have been attributed to various factors, including production challenges and unforeseen circumstances. Ranaut, who is known for her outspoken nature, did not shy away from addressing the issue publicly. In her social media posts, she drew a parallel between the film’s subject and the current situation, humorously yet pointedly remarking that an "emergency" seems to have been imposed on her film. 

This delay has understandably caused a ripple of concern among the film's fans and the industry alike. Many had been eagerly awaiting the release of "Emergency," given its promise of a gripping narrative and Ranaut’s powerful performance. The actress, who has a history of taking on challenging roles and speaking her mind, is known for her dedication to her craft. The delay, therefore, comes as a significant setback not just for her but also for those who have been closely following the film’s progress. 

Despite the setbacks, Kangana Ranaut remains hopeful. In her social media message, she assured fans that the delay would not dampen the spirit of the film and that it would eventually be released. She encouraged her supporters to remain patient, expressing confidence that the film's impact would be worth the wait. 

As the release of "Emergency" hangs in the balance, all eyes are on Kangana Ranaut and her team. Whether or not this delay will affect the film’s success remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Ranaut’s resolve remains as strong as ever. For more entertainment news in Hindi, subscribe to our newsletter.