#about time love wins for india

[cheriecelestial]

Batboys as Desi Films

𝐃𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐨𝐧

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)

Raj and Simran meet during a trip across Europe and end up getting stranded in the middle of nowhere after they miss their train. Despite their initial clashing, they fall in love. However, Simran’s traditional father has arranged her marriage elsewhere. Raj must win over Simran’s family to marry her, leading to a series of heartfelt moments, comedic misunderstandings, and ultimately, a dramatic climax where love conquers all as the couple fights for their happiness against societal norms.

Dick is so raj coded with his quips and charisma. Their chaotic banter and chemistry is off the charts. Any Indian who hasn’t watched this gets their desi card revoked immediately, I don’t make the rules. This movies fits Dick’s dramatic flair perfectly.

𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐝

Goliyon ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013)

The modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” set in rural Gujarat, India. It follows the love story of Ram, from the Rajadi clan and Leela, from the Sanera clan, who belong to rival gangster clans engaged in a long-standing feud. Despite the enmity between their families, Ram and Leela fall deeply in love, leading to a tragic and tumultuous journey filled with passion, violence, and sacrifice.

It fits Jason’s love for guns and classics. An absolute visual treat with cinematography and all the songs are absolute bangers.

𝐓𝐢𝐦 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐞

Jab We Met (2007)

Aditya, a heartbroken business tycoon, someone who was dwelling in the lowest ebb of his life and was almost on the brink of giving it all up, aimlessly boards a train to escape his depressing life. On his journey he meets Geet, a talkative and vivacious young woman. Geet is on her way to meet her boyfriend, but her plans go awry, and she ends up stranded. Aditya, feeling sorry for her, decides to help her get to her destination safely. Along the way, they encounter various adventures and challenges that bring them closer together. Despite their contrasting personalities, they develop a deep connection. However, when they part ways, Aditya realizes his love for Geet and sets out to find her. In the end, they reunite, realizing they are meant to be together.

Grumpy x sunshine. The OG green flag. Epitome of ‘if he wanted to,he would’. Makes my chatterbox heart happy because of how much I relate to the FL. Favourite comfort movie of all time. ML kinda looks like Cillian Murphy’s scarecrow. “I like you a lot but that is my problem, you don’t need to worry about it.” Their fights and his little sassy comebacks and rants were so cute and fun to watch.

𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞

Jodhaa Akbar (2003)

The Mughal emperor Akbar, seeking to forge political alliances, marries Jodhaa, a Rajput princess. Initially a marriage of convenience, their relationship evolves as they learn to respect and love each other. Jodhaa struggles to adapt to Mughal customs, especially with their cultural and religious differences but her courage and integrity win Akbar's admiration. Despite conspiracies and opposition, including from Akbar's own court, their love prevails. The film explores the transformation of a young ruler, initially groomed for ruthlessness by his mentor Bairam Khan, into a wise and compassionate emperor who values mercy, diplomacy, religious harmony and cultural acceptance. Akbar's realization of the importance of religious tolerance, showcased through his abolition of discriminatory policies and his respect for all faiths.

The arranged marriage tag and the ‘raised as a weapon but softens and shows more compassion out of respect and love for his empress’ tag fits demonhead!Damian so much. The way he said mashallah after he pulled off her veil in the middle of a sword fight >>>>. I love how it captures the essence of India’s rich heritage and diversity. “Why seek paradise ? It is before me now.”

𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞

Khoobsurat (2014)

Milli, a free-spirited and eccentric young woman becomes the physiotherapist for a royal family. She brings her lively yet clumsy personality into the conservative royal household, shaking up their structured lives. It clashes with the formal atmosphere of the palace, especially with the stern matriarch, Nirmala Devi. Despite initial resistance, Milli's unconventional methods bring joy and laughter into the lives of the family members, including the brooding prince, Vikram. As Milli navigates the challenges of fitting into the royal household, she also finds herself falling in love with Vikram, leading to a series of comedic and heartwarming moments.

Very cliched (well it is a Disney film) and the second hand embarrassment is unreal but sometimes after a long day all you need is a feel-good cheesy rom-com. Oh to sit next to Fawad Khan in a red convertible while gazing lovingly at him. I like how she emphasises on improving the patient’s mental health to help him heal. Incase you haven’t noticed already, cold brooding™️ x silly goose is my favourite character dynamic.

𝐀/𝐍 - I’ll be honest with y’all, this was to satiate my desire of writing x desi! reader cuz I don’t have enough motivation or time to do it T^T

[theresthesnitch]

“Oh, sorry. I didn–Oh. Hi.” 

Remus hasn’t even bothered to look up before he heard the voice, and for a moment, he isn’t even sure if he really hears it. It’s like a shot from the past, someone he never thought he’d see again. Someone he isn’t sure he wanted to see again. 

“Oh. Hi Sirius.” 

“Remus, wow. It’s been so long. You look– You look really great.” 

“Thanks,” Remus says. “You do too.” 

He looks beautiful, of course. He couldn't even have the decency to get ugly in the years that have passed. Not that Remus ever thought that he could win that particular break up battle. Sirius was never going to be anything but beautiful. You’re so beautiful it hurts to know you, Remus had said one night when they’d laid on the top of Gryffindor Tower. He meant it. It’s still true. It still hurts. 

Sirius glanced over his shoulder, then smiled back at Remus. “Could you stay? We could grab a table and catch up?”

Remus looks down. He doesn’t really have anywhere to be, but he’s certain he doesn’t want to stay. “I don’t know. I’ve got to–” 

“Please, Remus?” Sirius asks, and Remus knows he’s going to say yes. He’s never been able to deny Sirius when he asks like that. “Come on. Just five minutes.” 

Remus sighs, fidgeting with the scar across his knuckles as he considers. It’s new. One that Sirius won’t know, not like before when he’d memorized every part of Remus’s skin. “Alright. Five minutes.” 

---

They grab the only open table at the back of the shop, a small little two seater that feels far too intimate for the years that have placed distance between them. Remus holds his coffee mug between his hands, letting the warm liquid warm them. It’s close to the full moon, and his joints are already aching. Sirius once memorized every full moon for the next decade. Remus wonders if he still remembers them. 

Silence drags before them, carried by the metaphorical elephant in the room. This was Sirius’s idea, so Remus fully intends to let him start the conversation or let his five minutes run out without speaking. It seems like it would be easier that way. It’s killing him not to fill the silence. Remus sips his drink instead. 

“Merlin,” Sirius says, a strained chuckle choked out of his throat. “I don’t know what to say now. Sorry.” 

Remus shrugs. He could make this easier on Sirius; he won’t make this easier. Why should he make this easier for Sirius? So, how have you been? Where have the years put you? I’ve thought about you every moment since I left. I miss you. I hate you. I still love you. I think I love you more than I hate you. 

“What’s it been, ten years?” Sirius asks. “Where’ve you been?”

“Twelve,” Remus says, clearing his throat. “It’s been Twelve years.” Twelve years, nine months, three weeks, six days. Not that he’s counting. “I’ve been around, I guess.” 

“I heard you left the country,” Sirius says. 

“I did,” Remus says. “I–” he clears his throat. “I decided there wasn’t any reason to stay in England anymore.” 

Sirius looks down–shame or regret, maybe both, coloring his cheeks pink. “Where’d you go?”

Remus sits back with a sigh. “Everywhere. No, that’s not me trying to be difficult. It’s just true. I started on the Continent–honestly, it would be easier to name the countries I didn’t send time in. Went down and stayed in Egypt for a stint, then East. India, Vietnam, China. A few dozen countries between.” He shrugs. “Everywhere.” 

“Why didn’t you ever come back here?”

Remus huffs derisively. “Come on, Sirius. You know why.” 

“I really don’t,” Sirius says. 

“There wasn’t really anything to come back to, was there?” Remus snaps. “Not when all of my friends decided I was the spy and iced me out of everything.”

Sirius looks away, picking at the sticker on the outside of his coffee cup. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” 

Remus isn’t sure it’s worth anything. Or maybe it’s worth everything. Maybe it’s been so long it doesn’t even matter anymore. “Yeah, well.” 

The silence returns, throwing its weight about in a space that once would have been filled with laughter. It’s a terrible reminder of what they once were, of what they no longer are. Remus considers whether there’s some way he can get up and leave now, or whether standing and walking away without a further word would be rude. 

“What brought you back now?” Sirius asks quietly. 

“Dumbledore,” Remus says. “Apparently traveling the globe as a freelance beast and creature control specialist makes you particularly well suited to teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, and he’s in need of someone.” 

“You’re going to teach Defense?” Sirius asks, clearly surprised. That burns Remus. What right does he have to be surprised? Why would he doubt that Remus is capable of doing this?

Remus huffs. “Of course, that’s what would surprise you. I’m capable, thank you so very much, and despite your beliefs a decade ago, I didn’t study the Dark Arts any more than you did.” 

“Remus, that’s not what I meant–” 

“No, you know what, I think my five minutes are up here,” Remus says, standing swiftly. “I have to be off. Got lots to get done before the semester starts. Goodbye, Sirius.” 

Remus walks out, despite Sirius’s protests, and apparates as soon as he gets to the alley behind the coffee shop and away from muggle eyes. 

[volturissideslut]

What if the Humans adopt a child just to see what’s so special about humans and why the Cullens like them so much, not knowing how troublesome a 8 year old can be?

𝖁𝖔𝖑𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖎

strap in because this is going to be one hell of a ride (also I'm assuming asker meant volturi adopt a chaotic human child)

Aro, ever the curious one, cannot even fathom why dear Carlisle cares so much for these... creatures

And it's been like over 3000 years since he was human and he can't really remember much about living

It would also help if it would stop making Marcus be such a miserable slab of stone, and perhaps even Caius could do with a new toy

It just seemed like destiny when an 8 year old child strayed from the feeding group one day, too entertained by chasing a fat tabby cat that had jumped the wall to the garden

Whatever parent or guardian that came with seemingly hadn't noticed - not that they were alive long enough too

And, of course, Felix was the one to deliver the child to Master Aro considering he's the only one with a modium of decorum or respect for life in the castle

Any of the other guards would have eaten you on sight to be honest (they wouldn't in the future but you're just some random human child right now, they don't care about you yet)

Aro takes one look at you're little form, sticky fingers; muddy knees; grazed elbows; a leaf in your hair

Perfect

They're keeping you

easy, right?

wrong

Why is a overexcited yet hysterical human child such a lovable inconvenience, you may ask

well

1) none of them can fully keep track of you're emotions,why are children so confusing???

2) they can't fully keep track of your whereabout either

"HOW ON EARTH DID YOU GET OF THE ROOF YOU HEATHEN CHILD" - Caius probably

3) they know nothing, and I mean nothing, about humans. Expect them to ask the secratery for help next time you're sobbing, only to find out you're hungry because they haven't fed you a proper meal in days thinking you'd forage for it yourself

I swear Marcus is the only one who is knowledgeable, despite how small it is

"the child requires sustinence again" - Jane, fed up of this shit

4) they're used to the traumatic stuff of vampire life, you are not, they don't realise that

poor kid is gonna be so traumatised, by the age of 10 killing someone over cereal seems socially acceptable

At least Caius actually has a soft spot for you, otherwise you'd be dead dead by now

Marcus reads you bedtime stories

Aro wants you to grow up appreciating everything he does, there are many 'daddy/daughter dates' where he takes you to see plays, musicals, concerts, or whatever that he deems suitable

Caius pretends to be impressed with your drawings and fakes excitement at whatever lego monstrosity you've made

Alec shows you the world, taking you around on his days off to Scotland, Brazil, India or wherever you randomly point to on a map

Felix let's you use his cloak as a blanket when he's not using it, you like to play with it and use it for dens and pillow forts (it can also be used as one of those massive fabric parachute tent bubble thingys the class played with in nursery/FS1/kindergarten and hid under (you know what I'm talking about))

Demitri let's you win at hide and seek despite his gift letting him know where you are at all times. He is also not above pretending to play to keep you out the way and quiet for a solid five minutes before you come out giggling saying you won again

Jane will capture butterflies and set them free with you because she knows you love them and you also love to chase them

The queen's are always dressing you up like a doll and doing your hair, they basically get a list from the secratery of everything humans need (food, water, socialising etc) and fulfil those needs for you

The secratery is the only one who actually knows what you want and need most times, being human herself. The kings are seriously considering turning her instead of just killing her you your sake

And God forbid anyone touches their precious baby, you've grown on them and they'd burn the world for you in an instant

[m1ssunderstanding]

Understanding Lennon McCartney Rewatch Part 2.4

It's in the paper that Allen Klein was involved in 40+ lawsuits and John doesn't question it? At this point, I feel like he just didn't want to let Paul be right about anything. 

My question is who did that work on before? I mean who fucking does business like that? Let alone business with the most successful man in the world. 

John's complaining about Paul being too good at his job is both hilarious (what the hell is Paul supposed to do with that) and sad (it shows just how far their musical relationship has degraded from partners to rivals)

How did they lose Northern Songs? Genuinely, if anyone can break it down for me I'd be so grateful. Anyway I'm sure it was devastating for both of them. “Who'd have the children?” “Dick James”. 

I know I'm insane, but can I be allowed to see a glimmer of goodness here? I really do think it's John's kinder side winning out when he decides not to lie. Like, yes, he gets a buzz off of watching Paul go white at his words, but I think he also just – in that moment – didn't have the heart to trick Paul into staying. 

But also. Why are we trying to maneuver Paul at all if the end game is for John to leave? It just doesn't make sense to try to trick Paul into signing the contract unless John's divorce threat is at the very least not meant to be final. 

I will never understand this picture. Even in the emotional state he's in, he's still hamming it up? There is something seriously wrong with this man. 

I do find it interesting that the fact that Paul cried his eyes out after that meeting isn't even mentioned in the doc. I wonder why. 

Let's put the bizarre, super-warped timeline in this quote aside for a minute. Apparently the depression started after Brian died and it lasted for about two years and John was still in it during Pepper. Okay. That aside . . .

I have to assume this negative lense on what I can only assume means the period between 66 and 68 is highly influenced by hindsight bias. I agree that John was depressed at the time, in an unhappy marriage, doing too much LSD, etc and that looking at Paul's prolific talent and expansive , fast-paced life would have been maddening. But everyone go back to the end of part one really quick. He looks extremely happy. He sounds extremely happy. Everyone who knows him says he's never been happier. I think he just can't accept right now that there was so much good and he's lost it. 

“I look from the wings at the play you are staging . . . I don't know why nobody told you how to unfold your love.”

Insanity quote Hall of Fame. Paul explaining why the Beatles just had to break up, obviously, because he and John "didn't marry the same girl." Someone write the fic where John and Paul both marry the same girl. Could be Yoko or Linda. Sister trad wives au. 

Okay, cool, so this means I have full permission to interpret and tin hat about any lyrics I want then, right?

But also. Are we just not going to talk about the fact that Paul dumped a bucket of garbage water and punched this person? And are we not mentioning the depression and alcoholism and heroin abuse during this time?

It's so embarrassing how he looks to her for confirmation here. John, they asked you what you think. Just you. Not some complicated definition. Not Yoko's definition. Just your own thoughts.

“I couldn't wait for them to make up their mind about peace or whatever. About committing themselves.” Yeah, John. You sound real committed to peace. Or whatever. Here's a theory that anyone can shoot down if they want: John asked Paul for some kind of commitment (a friendship wedding, a partnership contract, a mutual wanking pledge) in India and Paul was a chicken about it. 

What was that day like, I wonder? I imagine extremely stiff and professional and horrid. But who knows. Maybe it was nice, and maybe that made everything worse.

I will go to my death believing that instant karma was for Paul. 

Do we think John actually did send Paul “about twenty postcards from Denmark” all covered in hearts none of which Paul responded to? Paul could be just as cruel in his lack of reaction as John was in his over reaction.

I'm sorry but that is not what a man says when he's just lying to the press to buy time for business. That's what a man says to the press when he's trying desperately to communicate with someone who he can't get through to any other way. 

But really, I just don't understand why the creator chose to minimize Paul's emotional response to John's divorce statement. If we don't see him bawling his eyes out and losing the will to live, he comes off like a self-assured, uncaring, jerk. Which. To be fair. John didn't see those things, and that is exactly what John thought of Paul during this time. But still. The audience now comes away from this doc with a skewed view. 

All we get is Paul being pissed off about Phil Spector butchering Let it Be without his consent and John and George trying to change McCartney's release date without his consent. Which are both a) understandable and b) strong, male, angry reactions. Making this section portray Paul in the same one-dimensional hyper-masculine way that John so often is. Which isn't my favorite. But hey, it's my only complaint about this doc so far.

Anyway, update: I won't be able to do part three until it gets reuploaded, so we're on hiatus for this project for the time being.

[crumblinggothicarchitecture]

Hi, I absolutely love the way you breakdown tswift songs, and I just wanted to clarify something, that's been bothering me. In 7 she mentions this part "we'll move to India forever" at first I was just like yeah, but the more I listened to it, the more I was like what kind of fucking colonist/white mindset is that? You'll never tour to India but you want to move here?? LIKE??? NO!!!! Don't!!! We've had enough of you white people exploiting us without ever actually ever caring for our country.

Feel free to vent about whatever Taylor Swift lyric you hate. I literally love it. :)

Because you're right, I always saw the line "we'll move to India forever" in the most charitable light. I remember thinking to myself, when I first heard it, that maybe she just loves India.

It made sense to me- because during the pandemic I fell into reading a BUNCH about India's culture, religion, food, anything. (My interest was mostly a result of linguistic interest into how India has shaped the English Language over time). Despite English only being present in the region due to colonialism, India has had a remarkable impact on shaping the Language itself! I emphasize post-colonial theory in my real job- and while I don't write much on India's relation to English Linguistics, I enjoy reading on the subject. So that's why I find it so interesting- because it really speaks to human ingenuity and perseverance. You know? The linguistic diversity present in India alone is so cool- and I really could talk about it forever.

So, I heard the line, and my first thought was like "yeah, okay maybe she just loves India?"

I think I was being too kind with that initial response.

But dude- she's never even toured in India? Like she just refused to go? She's never once talked about India in a positive light at all. So then why would she write that line? Like she will go to any random country in Europe, go to any random state in the USA, and go to couple of select places in Latin America, but it seems like she outright ignores Southern parts of Asia? Except Singapore- because they gave her a boatload of money, I guess. So, why write that line? Why write all of "Karma" is she has no genuine interest or respect for the people from which that philosophy comes?

In combination with her obvious pro-colonialist imagery in her other work, like the "Wildest Dreams" music video, the line in "Bejeweled" about reclaiming the land, and the latest line in "But Daddy I Love Him" about how she wants to win the West, I now believe her line about moving to India to be pure Orientalism.

Plus, the whole issue with the "Karma" song in which she is denigrating the philosophical concept of Karma and making it seem like nothing more than a shallow idiomatic ideal on revenge.

I think she's just an idiot who wants to mention "India" like it's some fantastical realm far away from "reality" (Eg), to her, the USA, as if India is not a real place with a real history and real culture. This is what I mean when I say she offers India no respect or appreciation- you can't liken a place to a mystical realm removed from reality without removing it from its history, culture, and people.

If the whole line is "Pack your dolls in a sweater/ We'll move to India forever/ Passed down like Folksongs" ("Seven" 2020).

She is intuitively linking the concept of moving to India with that of a childhood fantasy- with the word "dolls"- one childhood fantasy which will be ultimately unfulfilled. Thus, I support the argument that her line about moving to India is only in reference to the fact that it's like an unreal fantasy- worlds away from reality.

In literary theory, we call this process of subjective reality removal, and fetishization of the East as a fantasy realm, Orientalism. Orientalism is the act of creating a fantasy of the East, in this case India, that is often full of stereotypes or predicated solely on the myopic lens of western perspective.

Naturally, this facet of literature was mainly popular during the height of British Colonialism in India- in the 19th century. So why is Taylor Swift negotiating Orientalist attitudes in a song in the year of 2020? WHY! Uh- (because she's a fucking Racist with no respect for anyone who's not White and from USA). I've been blind- I fear.

It's such a rude oversimplification of such a diverse and interesting place- and all of her many nods towards Colonialism are so disgusting - I'm actually pissed off about it.

Anyway- That was my long-winded way of completely agreeing with you. You're right it's a shitty colonialist attitude and she should not be getting away with it.

[sirenjose]

Analysis of Ganji Gupta

Ganji was born in India during a time when Britain still ruled over it.

Britain came to India after a sea route connecting Europe to India was found, and Britain initially came due to the economic prospects of trade, but eventually this turned into the desire to acquire territory.

The British presence in India began with the establishment of the British East India Company (the British government having no authority over them at this time). Initially, the focus was trade and acquiring goods such as silk, cotton, spices, and more. Trading posts were established and British communities developed, but eventually they started to meddle in Indian politics and transformed from a trading company to a ruling one. It was at this point that the British attitude towards Indians degenerated (a sense of superiority vs inferiority formed, biased views regarding non-western cultures arose, British disdain increased, and so on). Racism, frustration from the British forcing their own way of doing things (including the English language) on them, policies benefiting the British, and so on contributed to the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (aka Revolt of 1857, First War of Independence, or Sepoy Mutiny).

As a result of this rebellion, the British East India Company was replaced by the British Raj, which was when the British Government took direct control from the East India Company, with Queen Victoria later proclaimed Empress of India. Britain continued to focus on profit and change beneficial to themselves, which led to subjugation and exploitation, and their views of Indians did not improve (still viewed themselves as superior, believed in stereotypes as well as believed Indians were in need of British guidance and governance to civilize them and bring them modernity).

This background is important for Ganji as it is clear this is what he experienced, especially due to Ganji’s 1st letter.

Ganji we know grew up with a talent for cricket, which was the “British national sport”.

 His 2nd deduction implies he was a “prodigy”, with many people who knew him recommending him to participate in the regions “open tournament”. We know from Ganji’s trailer that he received “Love, Happiness, Hope and Pride” from playing cricket, showing how much he enjoyed the sport and how much it meant to him.

According to this same deduction, combined with Ganji’s backstory, we knew he was a “kind, obedient, and friendly” person, “mild-mannered” (aka gentle and not given to extremes of emotion, which is curious considering later on in Ganji’s story), quiet, and well-behaved. One of Ganji’s backstories states this event (where he was recommended to participate in the Open) took place when he was 16 years old.

During this competition, we know he was skilled enough to earn 12 consecutive wins. The next game after those 12 was a semi-final with the British Royal team. It does not say if Ganji won or lost that match, nor if he won the competition in general, but we do know he was skilled enough to receive an invitation from the Royal team to join them and an offer to help him train. As the deduction uses the word “exception” and applauds him for his performance, I’m assuming he did manage to at least defeat the British team and could’ve won the competition too, but it’s impossible to say for sure right now.

We do know that Ganji saw this invitation as a “good chance” and he “looked forward to a better future”. As a result, he left India with the British Royal team, where he stayed at the Queen’s Guard’s manor. Unfortunately for Ganji, it isn’t until he has arrived that he realizes the truth: “he discovered that no one here cared about him at all, and that he was just a toy that was called away for entertainment when the Guard had a little fun. No one knew where he came from, and no one had seen his family. He was struggling alone in this strange place”.

This was echoed in Ganji’s trailer, which says: “Yet when I was brought here I finally realized, These gentlemen simply needed a proper toy to play with. The funny thing is they were far from gentlemanly themselves. All they longed for were our submission and servitude”.

The terms “submission and servitude” tell us how Ganji was treated while in Britain at the Queen’s Guard’s manor. This is further emphasized by Ganji’s deduction 5, which states Ganji was only given 1 day to train, while 2 others (Oliver and Willie) were given 3 days to train. As that deduction says, despite how Ganji hoped for a better future from this opportunity, the “other sided” ended up only being a “mirage”.

Considering Ganji’s earlier invitation and how he is now being treated combined with only being given 1 training day, it seems the British didn’t want Ganji to be outstanding, which potentially could relate to the feelings of superiority discussed earlier. They didn’t want to feel inferior to someone like Ganji, and thus could further explain why they didn’t give him much training time. In the trailer, we see him picking up balls, and if this was all he was allowed to do, that’d further hurt his ability to train and improve. Lastly, Ganji was only allowed to train on Sundays, and back then, this was seen in Britain as a day of rest, when people didn’t work. This could’ve included cricket as well (there are instances of people being prosecuted for playing cricket on Sunday), which shows how much the Royal team tried to hinder Ganji’s ability to train, meaning he likely wasn’t being trained very professionally.

(If the room we see Ganji in before the fire in his trailer is the one he was given upon arriving at the manor, the state of the room could further show how the Royal Team felt about Ganji. The only identifiable items in the room are the cricket ball, as cricket is what he enjoys, and a blurry picture that we can see Ganji in, which could potentially have been of his home and thus ties to his desire to return to it.)

This fits with Ganji’s design notes which say “his social status and the agenda of politicians did not allow him to have obvious extraordinary talent”. It is because of this the design notes say Ganji’s gentle personality was forced to change into “a personality that takes strong measures to fight against fate”. (It is also right after this that it mentions Ganji being “manic”.)

Going to Ganji’s 1st letter, it further reveals how people thought and felt about Ganji and others like him. The part where the author says they need to “take the lead so that the rest of us may get the chance to educate the foolish” fits with how we earlier discussed the British felt they had to govern and civilize the people of India for their own good. This is emphasized with how later the letter says “If it weren't for your insight, he would have spent his life in the mud without ever being touched by the empire's light” and Ganji getting “the chance to lead a civilized life”.

This letter describes Ganji as a “gift” with his “only desirable qualities” being his “average cricket skills and humble personality”. Their sense of superiority is clear hear considering they call Ganji’s skills “average”, yet we know he was talented considering he at least managed to receive 12 consecutive wins in the competition, while the comment about Ganji being “humble” could tie in to how Ganji in his trailer says they just wanted “our submission and servitude”.

Despite how badly Ganji was treated, the one exception was the son of the owner of the Queen’s Guard’s manor. We know he was friendly to Ganji based on Ganji’s deduction 6, which is title “relieved” and shows that the kid thought Ganji was “brilliant” and asked Ganji to play with him. It is possible Ganji is the one who feels “relieved”, and that could be due to actually finding someone friendly in this place. In the JP and CN versions, it potentially has the kid use the term “big brother” for Ganji, so altogether, the kid was likely being honest about his feeling regarding Ganji’s skills and honestly just wanting a real playmate (rather than a toy like the others saw Ganji as).

In this same deduction, it mentions a “well-made board” that has Ganji’s name carved in it. As this is the deduction that involves the son of the manor owner of the Queen’s Guard, it is possible this board was a gift from that kid, and that board may have actually been a bat for cricket.

Going back to Ganji’s 1st letter, it mentions a “Duke Elgin” and a “Viscount”. Based on the mention of “the Viscount’s prominent father” and how this Viscount “demanded” Ganji to “take classes with him instead of just playing cricket with him”, it’s possible the “Viscount” could be the son of the owner of the Queen’s Guard’s manor. We know this boy asked Ganji to play cricket with him due to how cool and talented he thought Ganji was, so it could also fit he might also ask Ganji to take classes and spend other time with him. I’d like to imagine Ganji enjoyed spending time with the boy, as taking classes and playing cricket with him was likely much better than being treated as a toy by the others or languishing along in his poor room.

Ganji continues to play cricket, despite his anger, though he does form a relationship with this boy. If Ganji was 16 during the Open when he was invited to join the Royal Team, and Ganji is at least 21 in game (as he can drink Demi’s dovlin), he was likely subjected to the mistreatment of the Royal Team and owner of the Queen’s Guard’s manor for a fair number of years at least. As we know, he was never able to meet his family while he was at that manor and he was forced to “struggle alone in this strange place”. The “last straw” came one day when he received news “bad news” about his hometown, with his deduction 7 saying he’d received a letter saying “Go home and save them!”

It is soon after this that a fire breaks out and burns down the manor of the Queen’s Guard. The only survivor was the owner’s son and Ganji.

This is also the same time that in his backstory trailer it says “Stop being nice to everyone. I need a new identity. I want to go home. Perhaps that is the only place where there's still hope”.

This matches with Ganji’s last deduction, which is “a letter to home” that he wrote to his mother, saying that “everything’s fine with me. I’m coming home soon”.

Right after the fire starts in one of his backstories, it says Ganji became a “manic patient, often falling into uncontrollable irritability”, so it seems the fire and around this time is when he is first said to be manic. His deduction 9 has a diagnosis saying “Mania, easily irritated. Avoid looking at fire. Suggest locking all windows and doors and staying at home alone”. It is because of his worsening mania that is says people stayed away from him and called him a “thug”, but Ganji only cared about going home.

Once again returning to Ganji’s 1st letter, the end of it talks about getting info on Ganji’s “hometown and the extraordinary spice extraction”. The mention of spices fits our earlier discussion on Britain’s interest in India in part for its spices. This info about Ganji’s home and spice extraction is apparently helpful to whoever this “sir” is and an “upcoming mission” he will be going on. This same “sir” is apparently someone responsible for the idea to bring Ganji to England (though for now I’m thinking he isn’t the Queen’s Guard’s manor owner, who I think is the Viscount’s father).

Considering the talk about Ganji’s hometown and the obvious interest in its “spice extraction”, this could mean this “sir” is someone behind whatever “bad news” came from Ganji’s hometown, and likely the “bad news” and “upcoming mission” had to do with their clear interest in its spices. And if they wanted info on Ganji’s hometown, that could mean one of the few reasons they invited Ganji over was for that info so they could exploit his hometown for the “spice extraction”.

(One side note about Ganji’s 1st letter, but in the CN and JP versions, it says this “Sir” is someone who is recovering their health in “Delhi”, which further shows it’s not the owner of the Queen’s Guard’s manor, who we know was in Britain. It’s possible, if this is someone capable of going on missions and is mentioned regarding “we need… people like you to take the lead” that this “sir” is someone higher up in the government regarding rule of India, who could order a mission to Ganji’s home for it’s “spice extraction”).

Next is Ganji’s 2nd letter, which unlike his 1st (which happens before the fire) his 2nd happens after the fire. We hear he tried to board a freighter. Likely he was attempting to stowaway to return home, but he was caught and taken away by someone working for Duke Elgin. Ganji was placed in a detention center, where he was examined. They mention a “strange scar on his forehead”, which potentially came from the fire that burned down the Queen’s Guard’s manor. We do see Ganji with the owner’s son while the fire burns the manor, so if he had to go in to rescue him, that could have been when.

Considering how they say Ganji, besides his scar, seems “as strong as ever” to me kind of feels like they’re still talking about him like an object or one of their possessions.

After this, the letter mentions how Ganji would be “quiet during the day” but would go “mad” at night, with him “either holding his head between his hands while slamming it against the wall with a pained expression plastered across his face or attempted to snatch the candles used by the guards to keep the place lit up. He only settled down once we locked him in the darkness of the dungeon. But once the next day arrived, he was back to normal again”. It was due to this behavior that the author states he went to purchase “strong sedatives” (to be used on Ganji if he went out of control). During this time while the author was away, Ganji was able to escape despite the guards around him. Despite this, the author believes Ganji will return as they still had several of his possessions, including “medical records, an invitation, and that "treasure" of his.

It says the part with the signature had been “burned off”. If Ganji was messing with candle fire while in the detention center, it’s possible he did something similar to this letter if he got ahold of it (unless it’s nothing important).

The mentioned “treasure” is likely the note from home that reads “Come home, child”. Considering it says “child”, there’s a chance this could’ve been written by his mother. We know Ganji’s written to her himself before, so him receiving correspondence from her would make sense.

Another treasure we know Ganji owns is his accessory Cozy Fleece, which is a sheep toy “given to Ganji when he was young” and said to be “one of the several treasures in his luggage”. This was likely another item given to Ganji by his mother, when he was still home, and thus why he treasures it. Another potential treasure could be Ganji’s bansuri accessory, which has the description that mentions its music helps to recall his hometown.

As for the medical records, it says that the patient is suffering “severe homesickness” and displays “impulsive behavior during times of extreme depression or anxiety”. This means that Ganji’s “mania” is caused by his “severe homesickness” in moments when he’s suffering from “extreme depression or anxiety”. That could mean, with Ganji already being homesick for years before the day the fire started, Ganji’s “last straw” when he received bad news about his hometown now makes sense why the fire likely started then. That “bad news” triggered his anxiety and severe homesickness, depressed him when he realized he was stuck at this manor with no quick way home, before then making him impulsive and “manic” in his desire to go home as soon as possible. Whether or not it was on purpose or an accident, it is possible one of his “impulses” resulted in the fire starting, or a confrontation that triggered his irritation causes it to accidentally begin. Maybe a bit of sanity returned to him afterwards, and that could be when he rescued the boy as we see him with the boy during the fire in Ganji’s trailer. But for now, information is scant on the specifics of this event.

Potentially after escaping detainment could be when we see him living by himself like in his other backstories. It’s possible he was in hiding from those that had captured him. We don’t know for sure whether he returned to them for his treasure (it’s possible with how important his note from his mom likely was). We know from Ganji’s backstory that it says he “lived in a cold room with little furniture for years” and “seldom stepped outside during the year”. He had no friends, always looked solemn, and people found it “difficult to get to know him”. Ganji is described as “peculiar and lonely”, and someone his neighbors “loved to gossip about”.

His backstory mentions “random loud noises coming from his room”, which could tie to the behavior he displayed at night in the detention center, when he’d hit his head against a wall.

Regarding Ganji hiding in his room all the time, this connects back to his deduction 9, the diagnosis that suggested “locking all windows and doors and staying at home alone”.

The part about “avoid looking at fire” implies, whether or not he did it and whether it was on purpose or accident, it implies he’d been deeply affected by the fire that burned down the manor. Maybe because of all the feelings (and irritation) he had from how long he spent there, being mistreated and never being allowed to train. Maybe because of the boy he’d formed a relationship too and how this fire took away his home and family, just like Ganji was without his home and family. Maybe any conflict he had if he was somewhat responsible, whether accidentally or on purpose, as his trailer does mention wanting those “gentlemen to repent for their sins” but also because this was a place he’d had such high hopes for regarding his future and now it’s turning to ashes, as well as was a place he’d suffered alone, away from his family, for a long time, but more conflict because Ganji was deep down still a “kind” person (and maybe regretted not saving more people, or regretted if he had a fit of anger and its consequences that day that causes all these events). Just another boy, like the son of the owner of the Queen’s Guard crying at the sight of his home on fire, that was crying out for his family and home as it was threatened or attacked but Ganji unable to do anything about it.

The backstory continues by saying he kept his appearance “hidden” whenever he went out, which could relate to if he was in hiding from the people who’ve been trying to capture him in his letters, or to the mistreatment he potentially receives if people knew where he was from, or to hide the scars on his face from people if he knew how they’d react upon seeing it (as they did describe his face as “horrifying”). It also fits with how his trailer said he needed a “new identity”.

Despite how they treated him, Ganji was said to give “softly spoken words of appreciation to the neighbors’ trivial kindness”, which seems to connect to Ganji’s original personality (as he was described as kind, friendly, and mild-mannered before he came to Britain).

Others debated the reason for Ganji’s behavior, suggesting “regret” (tied to the fire that ended his training with the Royal Team, as other people wouldn’t know the full truth about his feelings towards the Royal Team) or “cautiousness” (from living in a foreign country). Unfortunately for Ganji, everyone decided that Ganji had “a lot of secrets” and “might bring trouble to the town and decided to stay away from him”.

The last thing we hear about Ganji is he still dreamt of returning home, and eventually received an invitation from the manor, offering a “huge reward”, enough for Ganji to use to go home, and he “decided to take the risk”.

Side note regarding Duke Elgin.

I couldn’t find any “Duke” Elgin, but I did find an “Earl” of Elgin. The 9th Earl of Elgin, Victor Bruce, was the Viceroy of India.

I don’t think this is the exact same “Duke Elgin” but it could be a basis for the character (for Netease when designing this).

These were individuals appointed by the British monarch. They represented the British government in India and exercised authority over British India on behalf of the British crown. Victor Bruce served as Viceroy during 1894-1899m which was a particularly troubled period in Indi’s history, and his tenure was not seen as a successful one. During his administration, there was economic and social unrest, a famine, bubonic plague, and the Tirah campaign (Afridi Frontier Rising). This campaign took place in Northwest India and involved the British seeking to restore control over the area after an uprising occurred (with 1 of the challenges they faced being the mountainous terrain).

I don’t think this is exactly where Ganji is from, but this event, as well as all the other issues occurring at the time, could relate to or be a sort of basis (to Netease) for whatever did actually happen to Ganji’s hometown.

Apparently the “bansuri” is a flute connected to north Indian music (with the venu being connected to the south), which could mean (with how the Tirah Campaign happened in the Northwest) Ganji could be from somewhere in the North part of India.

[littleliterarylesbian]

Dear James,

(part 2, backstory, James POV, accidental misgendering, 2k+ words) Part 1 Part 3

James Potter is a man who has lived with many regrets in his considerably short life. It's not surprising, living through a war that only made him do more and more morally gray things to win and not let Voldemort and the Death Eaters win. Thinking back on the height of the war makes him sick. Thinking of what officially kicked off the war for him makes him sick, it's surprising, but that's his biggest regret to date. Meeting her was never a regret, it was how they ended that ate at him until he could do nothing more than stare at the bed in his room. The last place he ever saw her.

She came to his home, shaking with red eyes and red cheeks, clutching her stomach. She had been crying, that much was obvious. James remembers watching as she made a beeline to his bedroom, slipping beneath the covers as if she lived there, and he hoped one day she would.

He got in behind her, holding her close, trying to warm up what seemed like her permanently cold skin. She had goosebumps where he touched her, rubbing her arms and legs. It was clear she needed this and he was more than happy to help.

"What do you want, love?" He remembers asking, softly as he brushed her long hair out of the way to plant a kiss on her neck.

"Let me help you feel better."

She nodded, softly, but he could feel her movement against him. She wasn't too far gone into her thoughts that she was lost, which was good.

"Tell me-" She took a deep, shaking breath, "Tell me about our future. Please." She pushed the words out of her like it pained her.

James didn't hesitate. He loved talking about their plans for when the War is over, he didn't even think the request was odd. He never thought about what she asked, James usually just did it without question. He trusted her with his life.

"The war will be over, and we'd have won. We'll move away," He said, talked of the future like it was a given, and at the time he thought it was, "To France or India, go to our roots. We'll have a big house, but not too big to make it seem lonely. We'll live far enough away from muggles to not disturb them, but close enough to go to town every weekend." He felt as she went limp in his arms and he admired her. Her long, wavy black hair, the freckles that dotted her skin, the mole on the back of her neck that eventually connected to more on her back which resembled the constellation her star is a part of.

"We'll get married, nothing too big, just with close family and friends, maybe a second wedding just to show off like us purebloods like to do." He paused waiting for her usual small giggle at that joke, but all he got was a sniffle. He frowned, but kissed her shoulder through her shirt, leaving his lips there so she could feel the words he was speaking into her skin.

"We'll have at least two kids, and they'll be set for life from the start. They'll have your eyes and your cheekbones. They'll pout the same way you do and make me crumble with just a please."

She seemed to curl into herself more at the mention of kids, James tried to reach for her hand, only for her to quickly shove both of them between her thighs. He sighed, but let it go. She always had those moments. He assumed at the time that she had another fight with her mother. And it was always a fight, never an argument.

"You'll be the best mother anyone could ask for, and you can start your apprenticeship like you've always wanted to but have never been able to. I'll be a quidditch player, because despite me never winning against your team, I'm the best chaser Hogwarts has ever seen."

He tried for another joke but felt her shoulders start to shake before he could actively hear her sobs. It's quiet, but he could hear her breath hitching along with the gasps.

James frowned, but before he could do anything she turned over, facing him. She gulps for air and James brings her in closer. They stayed like that, her burrowed in his arms, clutching his shirt as she cried. He doesn't know what caused this reaction, she's never cried this hard in front of him before. He almost doesn't know how to react, he probably wouldn't if he didn't live with Sirius for several years.

When she speaks James almost didn't hear her.

"I-I did something." Her words were quickly spat out through her tears, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

James frowned, kissing her head softly, "It won't change anything," He said, something he knew now was a lie, "I love you."

Those words seem to make her cry more.

She shook her head against him, pressing herself as close to him as she possibly could.

"You'll hate me-"

"I could never."

The truth, this time, he knows.

It takes a few seconds before she nods, removing herself from his hold. She looks devastated and James couldn't help but feel his heart crack for her.

At least that's how he felt before she reached for her sleeve.

He hardly had to wait long before he could see the tip of the mark. He immediately shot up from the bed, eyes wide as he stepped away.

She looked up to James, and looking back at it now, she looked so scared, so small, not at all like the strong, noble, cunning Black Heiress he knew and loved so much.

"James-" She reached out to him, but all he could focus on was the mark. The Dark Mark. Pressed into her skin permanently. Pressed into the arm that she used to reach out to him. The mark of people who want to kill innocents, the mark of an evil man who wants nothing more than to see the world under his control.

"What- What is that." It wasn't phrased as a question. He knew what it was. He just wanted to hear it come from her lips. Bile rose in his throat as he watched her scramble up, tears still dripping from her eyes.

"James, please, you know my family-"

"I know Sirius." He couldn't stop looking at it. Knowing that people with that mark have been trying to kill his friends, her friends.

"I know the person who truly cared about you," He saw her flinch at the use of past tense, but he was more focused on the mark that marred her pale skin, he couldn't even see her anymore, "How could you?" He hisses, his own tears coming to his eyes, "Was it fucking Crouch?" He asked, because he truly couldn't not wrap his head around it. Sure, he knew about Walburga and Orion, the abuse that they dish out to their children like it's just another afternoon, but whenever James asked her, she said they didn't need her to join the Death Eaters, not with Bellatrix there So that means there was another reason, a reason she wasn't saying.

She shook her head quickly, "No, you know-"

"Do I!?" He tried to ignore how she flinched, he swallowed down wanting to care for her.

"Because I just can't wrap my mind around this! Was all of this for nothing? Did our plans mean nothing to you?" He asked, not even wanting to hear her reaction as he yelled, "Was earlier just some way to rub salt into the wound?"

"No-"

James turned around, facing the wall, "I can't look at you right now." He spit out, "Leave."

He could hear her scramble out of the bed, her steps on the floor coming closer before it paused for just a few seconds behind him.

He hated the part of him that wanted her to stay, the fact that he could never truly hate her.

The silence in the room lasted only a few more seconds before she practically ran out of the room. He didn't hear the front door open, but instead the bathroom door. He heard her puke but he did nothing to help her. His forehead was still pressed against the wall as tears of his own rolled down his face. Remus was right, never love a Black. It never ends well.

She finally left, and that was the last time he ever saw her.

Several weeks later a letter arrived. He knew that handwriting. He dreamed about it almost some days.

But he couldn't bring himself to open the letter. It stayed at his bedside, haunting him every time he woke up and every time he tried to go to sleep. James needed to talk to her but also couldn't bear to. It was so confusing.

An Order meeting is what finally convinced him to read the letter. It was three weeks after it arrived and it's been haunting him ever since. He still finds her clothes in his wash, she haunts him.

It starts, as it usually does, Dumbledore reading out the names of the deceased. James didn't notice the name said at first, near the start, as her last started with B.

James didn't process it until after Sirius.

He watched, in real time, as Sirius heard about the death of his sister. Eyes going wide as Dumbledore paused. James saw the blood drain out of Sirius' face. Then James felt his own so the same as he finally processed the name being said.

"What-" Sirius choked out, "She's-?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Black." Dumbledore nodded towards him before looking at James, "And I'm sorry Mr. Potter."

James felt his breath catch.

"No-" He said, glancing to Remus and Sirius, Sirius was nodding already, looking so confused, "She can't be, I saw her-"

"She was reported missing two weeks ago, considered dead as of today."

Sirius got up and left. James and Remus joined him.

He watched as Sirius apparated and Remus and he followed, they knew where he was going. Potter Manor.

James watched as the door slammed open and Remus jogged in afterwards. James stayed outside for a second. Remembering her last moments with him. He felt his heart crack. He never listened to her. The last time he ever saw her was when he was angry and upset and they were both crying. He walks into his own home, and he watches Sirius break down.

Unlike his sister, Sirius won't curl into himself, he won't shield himself, he won't try and make himself invisible. He'll lash out, he'll break things, he'll scream and sob and make himself as loud as he possibly can.

It's what he was doing then. The Potter Manor is lucky it's seen this many times. James is lucky that he's seen this many times.

James walked in and photo frames were cracked and on the ground, the table split, the couch ripped. Sirius was screaming and James was pretty sure it was intelligible. Remus was trying to calm him down but it didn't work. It never worked when Sirius got drunk or too tired and forgot his sister was gone from the world. Despite all the times they had fought they still loved each other.

Sirius took three hours to calm down, collapsing onto the floor in sobs, Remus held him while James cleaned and mended everything before joining them.

"She's gone." Sirius cried, clutching at Remus' sweater.

"And I'll never fucking hear from her again!"

It's then James remembered the note. The one he never opened that was sitting on his night stand.

He accio'd it to himself, turning himself away and opening it as Sirius sobbed. He had to make sure it was okay for Sirius to read.

Or at least, that was his plan before a photo fluttered out of the folds of the envelope.

He picked it up and could do nothing but stare.

It was of her.

Not completely, but she stood in front of a mirror face forward for a few seconds, her shirt pulled up and tucked under her bra, before the photo moved and she turned to the side. His breath hitched and he felt his heart shatter. He was glad Sirius was a loud crier. She turned to the side and, just visible, just starting to show, was a baby bump.

He scrambled for the letter, unfolding it too quickly to the point where it ripped slightly.

Dear James,

I tried to tell you at your home, but I understand that it was a lot at the time. I wasn't in my right mind myself, but I have a plan.

Bellatrix let something slip, I needed to know more. I think I have figured out how to end the man who is called unkillable, but I needed to know more and this was the only way I could do it.

I was almost put in Ravenclaw for a reason, however this is dangerous, I do not expect to live with what I have found out.

But I have also found out that I am with child. Yours, obviously, as I have never been with another. Our plans were sped up, but now so were mine. Our child shouldn't be raised in war.

I cannot say much, but I wait for the man who calls himself The Dark Lord to die by my hands, but I, we, may parish before that happens.

But just in case, please send a letter back, within the next two weeks, as that's when I plan to leave, so I know, if I'm alive, that I can come back home to you. That we can come back home to you.

If you don't want me anymore, I understand. I ruined your trust, and I cannot build it back up by telling you what I'm doing.

I love you,

D.W.B

James started to cry, and when Sirius and Remus questioned him, he just held out the letter.

James doesn't know what would have happened if he opened the letter right away, if he responded, what he would have felt, if she had lived, and he thinks he'll forever hate himself for it.

The war is over now, ending as The Dark Lord's body was strung up grotesquely in front of the Ministry of Magic before he burst into flames in front of a crowd of people only three years ago. James is making food. It's a good day today in terms of his mental health and grief, he didn't immediately burst into tears while looking at the empty spot next to him, when an owl, one he doesn't recognize, flies through the open window and drops a letter. The owl doesn't wait for him before it flies back out. He frowns, confused. He wasn't expecting any letters today. Whenever anyone wants to tell him something they'll usually just walk or floo in.

He picks it up and drops it back on the counter almost immediately.

He recognizes that handwriting. He's reread a letter with that handwriting almost every night before he falls asleep and every morning when he wakes up.

One thing he doesn't recognize however, is the name. Regulus Arcturus Black.

[demeterdefence]

Thinking about your "Rachel bashing og greek myths" post, methinks she believed herself to be making greek culture a favor similarly to the author of The Phantom of Manhattan, the unofficial sequel to The Phantom of the Opera

In the preface, the author begins by saying that Phantom, unlike Frankenstein or Dracula, barely made a dent in world culture until Andrew Lloyd Webber came along to make the musical, which he considers the "true" version even tho like...it wouldn't exist without the novel! He bashes Gaston Leroux and basically states that his attempt at writing failed miserably and it's like DUDE, again, the musical and your problematic sequel wouldn't even exist without it, and just because it was bigger in France than in the usa it doesn't mean it had zero impact in culture

But of COURSE unless it's usa-approved then it doesn't count and isn't worth anything *sarcasm*

PHENOMENAL point, FANTASTIC point, absolutely true and correct

i can't be a total dick and say this is an issue solely created and implemented by rachel, because we've seen non-western cultures and religions absolutely whitewashed to hell and back - like, people have been drawing jesus of the bible as white for centuries when he was a middle eastern palestinian jewish man, and good god look what the west has done to the religions of india, china, and japan. but it's the way these kinds of stories drip with a sort of smugness in removing the original culture, in depicting it as backwards and broken.

rachel wants to claim she's making a feminist retelling, but the original myth was already feminist. ancient greece didn't pretend their society was not fiercely male dominated and patriarchal, and hades stealing persephone was absolutely in line with the traditional myths - the twist is that demeter wins. demeter punishes the male gods who stole her daughter, and the ferocity of her rage and grief forces hades and zeus to give in. if persephone hadn't eaten the pomegrante seeds, she wouldn't be in the underworld at all! this is a story that is so clearly a triumph for the mothers and daughters of ancient greece, of many worlds over, because it depicted explicitly that a mother's love was more powerful than even the gods. and rachel pisses all over that.

literally even going beyond that, looking at the society that is olympus and the underworld - all the technology they use, all the innovations they have. who exactly is making these??? where exactly is the material coming from??? you can handwave away most of the inventions by saying it's magic, but we've seen demeter talk about algebra, which was invented in the ninth century by a muslim scholar from persia. in speedrunning to this so called perfect modernized world, rachel actually erases the cultural offerings and developments of dozens of other ancient worlds, and kind of just gives the credit to the underworld, which is run by a slave driver.

persephone constantly bemoans the dullness of the mortal realm, and prefers to literally lounge around doing nothing, when the mortal realm is inventing the olympic games, the democratic forum, FOOTBALL. you have thousands of things to show the gods involved in - largely because the gods were the patrons!!! why do we never see zeus looking over the olympic games??? they happen in his sanctuary!!!

like the disdain rachel has for ancient greece is insane. she can't even bother to research the food typical of the time period, seeing as she writes persephone being looked down on for being vegetarian when vegetables were a key and staple diet of ancient greece. one could argue that a vast majority of ancient greece were vegetarian by general habit. she's baking cheesecake and french desserts and having fast food and carrot cake and maybe - maybe - she'll mention baklava. the ancient greeks are FAMOUS for their art, but we sure wouldn't know that from lore olympus. the only character who even references ancient greek music is apollo, with his lyre, and that's not exactly a ringing endorsement.

and this is not to say that an adaption has to follow the ancient text to a t - that's just not feasible and no one is expected to do so. but there's really something to how rachel does dismiss or ignore the canonical importance of so many of these stories to replace them with a western interpretation. even the therapy speak is grating. in episode 227, when persephone is talking about the concept of virginity, she's absolutely correct in pointing out how that's largely a social construct - but in light of the world she lives in and the world she helps control, the same idea could have been reached through means other than americanized psych talk.

so often, people will look back at the ancient world and think we are morally superior because we do not have the same views, or we have seemingly "developed." that is a view i abhor, because it removes the very act of learning and developing and understanding. rachel really talked big about how removing the incest of ancient greece made the story better, but incidentally, she managed to also take out the feminism, and literally the entire lgbt culture of ancient greece. apollo was even considered the patron of homosexuality! he was called to bless same-sex unions! zeus had DOZENS of male lovers; ares, hephestus, and hermes had known male relationships, and several of the ancient heroes and gods of greek mythology were described in terms we would refer to as transgender in modern times.

if rachel had gone "i'm writing a love story that's originally inspired by the myth of persephone and hades but it's very much modern and removed from the myths" that would be one thing, and i would not be bristling at that; myths have inspired countless stories over the centuries and will continue to do so for centuries to come. the problem is rachel wants to claim a rooting in these myths with zero understanding of how they work or why they work, and absolutely lets her contempt for the ancients shine through in every single aspect of her comic. it's gross and it's petty and she deserves none of the self-appointed "mythology expert" she's given herself.

[atlafan]

Here’s what else I’m pissed about because now they’re going to have to change Francesca’s story completely.

Okay, so in her book, John dies. She thinks she may be with child. She finds out she isn’t, so Michael goes to India because he feels guilty for John’s death because he loves Francesca and has LOVED Francesca for years.

Two years go by, and Francesca is like okay I’m done mourning, I want to try having kids with someone, and re-enters the marriage mart. She’s a hot commodity because everyone knows she’s not a virgin, so a ton of men go after her. She was also basically running the estate while Michael was gone.

Francesca had fertility trouble. It’s such a real thing that happens, and I connected with her so much for this. Watching your siblings continue to have babies and grow their families while you can’t is one of the hardest things to go through. Being ready to be a mother and not knowing if it’s ever going to happen is a horrible pain I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

So, now they’re just going to skip all that because in order for the Killmartin estate to stay as it is, they’ll need an heir. And since Micaela is a woman, the estate can’t be given to her. So, that means Francesca is either going to be pregnant with a boy, or will have already have had a son by the time John dies. And now what? The girls are going to bond while they raise the baby together? That’s almost insulting. Like oh these girls are going to fall in love because of maternal instincts???

Michael yearned for Frannie for years. Are we going to get that with Micaela? Because the way the show just set it up, it looks like Francesca is going to be the one yearning. And that’s fine, but I hate the storyline of, “oh I’ve been gay this whole time and I guess I never really loved the person I married”. It’s been done, and that’s not fair to John. I understand that in those days it obviously would’ve taken a person a little bit longer to realize they may not be straight, and that’s fine. But I think it’s going to negate all of the love John and Francesca had.

In the book, both she and Michael fought so hard against their feelings because they both felt guilty about John. But eventually, Michael helped Francesca realize she didn’t need to feel guilty. And she finally went to John’s grave and talked with him and she knew deep in her heart that he would want her to be happy. Michael would make her happy. And Michael is right by her side with all of the fertility struggles. He’s even open to adoption! Most men of his status wouldn’t be.

And I feel bad for even complaining because the representation absolutely matters. It’s a huge win for the community. If I hadn’t read the book and been so attached to tue characters, I’d probably be excited about this change. But I’m just disappointed because I wanted so badly to see Michael on screen, truly being pained by how much he loved her. And I wanted to hear his deep voice say all of the wicked things to her that he does in the book.

Ugh!!

[yesloulou]

pleaseee sort all drivers, i am here for this crossover!

thank u for this ask i had so much fun i acc made a lil graph for it lol

first of all. daniel is a slytherin 100%!!! see tags on this post:

max -> hufflepuff: he's hard working (training in the rain) he's patient (waiting all those yrs at rb for a winning car) he's loyal (actually said he'll retire at rbr) and he's extremely fair (ad 22 when he refused to block charles to help checo his teammate get p2 in wdc)

(my chirlie mutual started hate shipping lestappen after this lol)

checo -> hufflepuff:the fact that his loyalty still lies with force india/racing point to this day... also the fact that he's able to maintain a surprisingly good relationship w daniel even though every day 20730847 articles come out talking about daniel taking his seat?? (according to c horner max and checo actually get on better when daniel is there). i feel like this is bc checo is a compassionate person (he had been in daniel's shoes in 2020) and he sees that it's fair daniel will ofc take the chance if he's able to get his old rb seat back.

charles -> slytherin: 1. the ambition of envisioning himself driving for ferrari since he was like a fetus 2. the being comfortable with lying for the greater good 3. the following jules his god father who was a first gen FDA driver pretty much step by step (heritage) 4. and the resourcefulness of getting himself endorsed by the Todt's at age 14.. that mouse is a slytherin!!! in fact. did you know he's affectionately known among the italian tifosi as 'viperella 🐍'? plz refer this brilliant scholarship by @dhufflebee.

carlos -> hufflepuff: when he said 'i was very good i was very fast today' with barely suppressed tears.... when he said his penalty was 'not deserved it is TOO SEVERE i said please please please please to wait to wait until the race is finished and speak to me'........ that was a man trembling w rage bc he was treated unfairly and his hard work was not valued

lewis -> ravenclaw: he's obviously either ravenclaw or slytherin and i think the fact that he likes to distance himself from his peers a lil bit to focus on racing puts him in the former. also whenever he's asked about things happening on the grid (daniel losing his seat, seb's retirement...) i get a feeling that he's very cordial yet doesn't get involved all that much.

george -> slytherin: you would think he has a similar family background to lando's bc of the extra posh accent he maintains and the way he dresses so well... wrong. you're actually looking at a man who values heritage more than you might think. he's ambitious and prepared and driven yet subtle about it (suffered all those years in williams for the merc oppurtinity). he's also a very prideful person imo (see: flipping vb the bird immediately after portugal 21 crash). slytherin thru and thru

fernando -> slytherin: next

lance -> ravenclaw: i can see the slytherin argument bc he comes from money but i feel like he values truths and facts more than he is prideful or unrelenting. see: fact checking max over 180 cm height (where the iconic 'he claims that?' came from). see also: 'ask george about my vegas tag junior win in 2012.. ask him about it.. yeah hahaha ask him about it...' also he has a certain calmness and resignation that comes from valuing facts and observations above else. see:

lando -> slytherin: i love him but the amount of times he whined on the radio so mcalren would team order daniel to maintain position and not fight..... the cunningness, the being comfortable with exaggerating his situations to his engineer... the benefiting from his heritage (the millions of pounds of norris money injected into mclaren).. the resourcefulness of somehow getting z brown involved with his personal brand quadrant which subsequently established mclaren and himself as a package deal... he's a slytherin. he makes fernando alonso proud.

esteban -> ravenclaw: idk esteban that well but the fact that he used to count checo's sins to every media post race back when they were teammates at racing point, then go on twitter with receipts knowing full well it wouldn't change a thing bc checo had the sponsors he didn't... este speaks with facts and he embodies ravenclaw's signature 'resigned cynics'

(the 'perez tried to kill me 2 times!' 😭)

pierre -> gryffindor: suzuka 22 post race where he hesitated but then started talking about jules anyway ("i don't think what happened today was respectful towards jules and his family"). he got a very heavy handed penalty from the fia afterwards which to me feels retaliating. that's a very brave boy. also he is not afraid to show his temper (example) and doesn't easily back down (the alleged shouting match with, and i kid you not, adrian newey). he is very gryffindor.

yuki -> gryffindor: he's obviously passion driven, hence temper <3. also i think the fact that he and pierre became such good friends despite being teammates and having incidents on track rlly speaks for how much they trust and are loyal to each other

alex -> hufflepuff: idk alex that well but the whole concept of drs train conductor is so very hufflepuff coded. i worked hard i was patient i dragged my tractor in front of yours so you're not overtaking me. it's all fair game.

logan -> slytherin: i mean obviously this was taken right outside of their commom room

– end –

p.s. shout out to @tyrannosaurus-maxy for organizing the sort the grid polls you're truly our trend setter!!! ✨

[skippyv20]

Notes about The Diana Award

Hi Skippy & Friends-This year’s Legacy Award marks the start of The Diana Award’s 25th Anniversary year –20 exceptional young people, from across the world, were acknowledged. Taking place every two years, The Legacy Award is the most prestigious accolade a young person can receive for their social action or humanitarian work.

All the Legacy Award recipients – who come from the UK, USA, Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, UAE, Oman, Romania, Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Australia - have had a huge impact on society. Independent judging panel was chaired by Baroness Doreen Lawrence- the title sponsor, Gilead Sciences Alex Kalomparis, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs.

My thoughts after taking a peek, is the award winners have been actually WORKING hard in the trenches of their societies to help very impoverished woman, children and families. They are doing serious heavy lifting, unlike the ones who strut on stages spouting word salad, wearing designer outfits (trying to at least) acting all so regal and intelligent. She would not last one hour with any of these winners IMHO.  Check out The Diana Award site and read all about them-they are the ones to know about!

By the way, we watched the latest Canadian/Dev Patel produced award winning documentary film called “To Kill a Tiger” which is incredible! It is the real-life story, filmed as it happened, (without them there covering this families awful legal battle it would not have made international news) fighting for justice for the gang rape of their 13-year-old daughter-the first time EVER in India a father has demanded a judgement??! It is riveting and you will be amazed at how fast it engages you…we were shouting at the screen from the get-go, at the insanity of what they had to deal with! The community, the legal system, the brutal beliefs, all make real life drama that had us on the edge of our “sofa” rooting for this very loving, intelligent father, who said this would be like trying to kill a tiger.

So, I hope this type of work by young, bright people will begin to help transform archaic behavior and reduce human suffering. I think the Joker Prince showing up on the screen as if they were at a local bar/pub, calling them “guys” sounding terribly sophomoric…was a downer to the importance of their awards. The real prince had left the building. Over and out for now. Pilgrim

Thank you dear Pilgrim!  Great post!❤️

[jonquilyst]

MILAN VINCA FOR @flocy-sims NESTLED WITH NAFISA

Milan, an aspiring horse rider/trainer, is looking for more than just horses to spend his life with. He's been actively searching for a chance to win a special person's heart via a BC. Sadly, he's been rejected from the two BC's he's applied for, but he's willing to try again after hearing about the beautiful Nafisa. Will Milan be able to capture her heart with his goofball charm? Or will his lifestyle involving horses prove to be too sloppy for the neat Nafisa?

Name: Milan Vinca (pronounced MEE-lawn; he has the Slavic name that means kind/loving and isn’t named after Milan, Italy)

Age: Young Adult

Pronouns: He/Him

Traits: Horse Lover, Goofball, Loner

Aspiration: Championship Rider

Career: Unemployed in-game but wants to become a professional horse rider someday

Likes: Blues and ranch music, the colors orange and brown, horse riding, silly behavior (comedy, jokes, pranks, potty humor), affection, funny people, nature enthusiasts, pet enthusiasts, rascals, homebodies, arid locations, and wide open spaces

Dislikes: Small talk, pessimists, and arguments/argumentative people

___

Biography: Milan was born in San Myshuno to a single father who had a little oopsie when hooking up with a woman one night… However, he wasn’t the only oopsie. Milan has an older half-brother, named Amias (uh-MAI-us), who is only 6 months older than him because he too was an oopsie after a hook-up. His father moved him and his brother out to Oasis Springs when they were toddlers, and it was here that Milan discovered his love for the desert and horses. He has loved horses since he was a child and has always wanted to own his own country home in the desert with lots of land so he can ride into the sunset every day. Eventually Milan and his family moved into a smaller home in coastal San Sequoia, where he spent his teen years. During this time he missed the desert of Oasis Springs and was impatient to return, but as if it was destiny, his father met horse trainer Sienna Grove and the two began dating. They eventually became exclusive and after Amias moved out, his father and Milan moved to Sienna’s residence in Chestnut Ridge, where he currently resides. His father is now currently engaged and Milan is close to his future step-mother for their similar interests and the fact that he gets to live with her horse Flapjack.

Personality: Besides being a horse-lover, Milan is a goofball. He loves jokes of any kind, even mischief, and this stems from growing up in a lax boys-only family. In-game they all of the jokesters family dynamic with each other. However, Milan is the introverted one of the family (loner) and likes to primarily stick with people he knows, which makes it hard for him to branch out and meet new people. His preference for horses over people also tie into this, but with his family members busy building families of their own (his father marrying Sienna and his brother Amias just having his first child with his new wife), it may be time for Milan to meet someone new.

Fun facts:

He has a very diverse ancestry. He can trace his ancestry to Europe, Africa, India, Asia, and Latin America.

Since they’re only 6 months apart, he and Amias are close enough in age to have been apart of the same year in school, but their father kept them a grade apart so they could be separated and be allowed to make other friends besides each other

He’s a Sagittarius

His brother Amias is a famous actor, so Milan has a little notoriety for being his brother

Milan comes from my legacy family (that I don’t share on simblr bc I like having a family to play privately). He is a spare and is from generation 5 (Amias is the heir). As such, he is related to other sims I’ve submitted to people. He is the grandson of Marcella Vinca and the great nephew of Cylene Vinca (both seen here with Marcella on left and Cylene on right)

Once again, he is not named after the city in Italy. He has the Slavic name. He has this name because the Vinca’s have a naming convention in which the heir’s children’s names correspond to that heir’s generational theme. For example, his father (the gen 4 heir) was a serial romantic and dated a lot of people, so Milan’s name and his brother’s name each have meanings related to love.

PRIVATE DOWNLOAD IF CHOSEN

[anotherfanaccount]

Jawan again. Spoilers included.

I know I know. Got sick and all this useless scrolling through the tl is just adding more thoughts. Why do I have so much thought regarding a movie. I hate my brain sometimes.

So I think it's safe to say this movie won't win awards. Maybe for VFX or stuff like that. Again random acts keep winning stuff these days in India so who knows.

But I wanna talk about srk specifically. He was the main actor here even with plenty of characters having their own arc but you saw srk the actor shine through.

Now I'm no expert but his Vikram Rathore before memory loss, after memory loss and again regaining memory was absolutely perfect.

Because you see in first phase, he's this confident and brave man who loves his wife and has a band of soldiers that would die for each other. Come in second phase, right in the beginning, forget about medical accuracies, he has no memory but goes feral over the goons. And drops his weapons in confusion right after and asks who is he? I was sold right here actually. And we don't see him until the interval. He comes in with a goal, to save his son, a son he has no memory about but is he a man who avoids responsibility. No sir. He comes and straight up tells his son, that I don't really have feelings for you because you see convenient memory loss. But you don't hate him, neither does Azad.

Also he has acquired a different swag while in the village all these years. And you can't tell me that he's not high most of the time. Because he's sorta dazed always, and my theory is that he might have not recovered entirely, maybe there's just dreams or phantom pain that's way too painful for him and thus the constant cigar. Adds another swag entirely though.

So when he recovers his memory, you see the actor in his finest, the eyes, they do everything. Split seconds, and he remembers bit by bit. Imagine getting back memories of about 3-4 decades and it's tragic at best. The final nail, Aishwarya calling him, and he loses it. All that pain comes out in a raging howl. Oh boy. There, the movie actually ended there for me.

It's amazing how a secondary character played by the same actor can overshadow the main lead. I love looking at actors playing double roles honestly. It's fun trying to see when they'll break.

[shitpostingperidot]

Kamala Khan’s bookshelves

Kamala’s room in The Marvels is an absolute treasure trove of little details to zoom in on, and I’ve identified so many books on her shelves!

Shelf 1, top to bottom:

1. Landmark Experiments in Twentieth Century Physics by George L. Trigg

College-level book about experiments that helped us learn about x-rays, lasers, isotopes, superconductors, and all kinds of other things I don’t understand. Meant to be more practical than theoretical since it talks about the actual methodologies of these experiments. Could be for school, or for Kamala and Bruno to run their own tests of Kamala’s powers. The first of many books in the Khan house that come from Dover Publications.

2. Space Time Matter by Hermann Weyl

“An esoteric initiation into space time physics” -Amazon reviewer. I’m gonna be real, I don’t understand half the words in this book description, but apparently it’s famous for introducing gauge theory, which was later reborn as phase transformations in quantum theory. I can see this being something Kamala reads to try and understand the bangle transporting her to the Partition. Also from Dover.

3. A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong

A graphic novel about a high school girl’s basketball team learning to work together despite their many differences and conflicts. Also it has a gorgeous color palette. Seems fairly self explanatory why it’s in this movie. I’ll definitely be borrowing this from my library! Like my friend Kamala recommended a book to me herself.

4. The Good Immigrant anthology edited by Nikesh Shukla

21 essays from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people in the UK about their experiences. It was crowdfunded initially, extremely critically acclaimed, and has gotten spinoffs and sequels. Riz Ahmed, who is British Pakistani, is one contributor, and a fun fact is that Rish Shah (Kamran from Ms. Marvel) worked with Riz Ahmed in an Oscar winning short called The Long Goodbye. Also, the editor, Nikesh Shukla, is currently writing the Spider-Man India comics series!

5. Bright Lines by Tanwi Nandini Islam

A coming-of-age story about 3 young adults with complicated family, friend, and romantic relationships between them. They have to travel from Brooklyn to Bangladesh together one summer and thereby discover a lot about themselves. I haven’t read it, but there seems to be a ton of complex representation of LGBTQ, POC, immigrant, and Muslim characters. I wonder how much the three main characters can be compared with our three characters with complex relationships in The Marvels, and I wonder which character Kamala most relates to!

6. I can’t tell! The font is bugging the hell out of me because theoretically, with that amount of contrast, I should be able to read a word when I get two inches from the TV and mess with the settings. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

7. I also can’t tell, but I’m being easier on myself because the title is written in white on a yellow background. It’s not the only book I know off the top of my head with this color scheme (Yellowface by RF Kuang) because the title is definitely multiple words. Help!

Shelf 2, right to left:

1. One Night that Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt

A YA romance where, through a convoluted series of events, a teenager must face all of her insecurities in one night. I can see Kamala devouring this as brain candy after wrestling with those advanced science books, or using it as fic inspiration!

2. Can’t tell, but love the color scheme!

This next one is a weird one, because I am 100% sure of what book it is, but I cannot find a picture of a matching edition.

3. Wizard at Large by Terry Brooks

It’s definitely, without a doubt, this book (where a character and a magical medallion are accidentally transported to Earth from another realm and switches places with an evil genie). Like those are the words on the spine and the plot of the book is an obvious choice for this movie. The fonts match on the audiobook, the ebook, and the next two books in the series. But try as I might, I cannot find any proof on the internet that the physical book that appears in Kamala’s room, that uses those two fonts and that spine formatting, exists. This is haunting me…

4. (On the other side of the box) It’s not The Twilight Saga Eclipse, but I definitely thought it was before I could watch in high definition. I think it’s a journal or sketchbook of Kamala’s; there are a bunch scattered throughout the room.

Shelf 3:

I’ve only identified the bottom book, which is Einstein’s Theory of Relativity by Max Born (Dover Publications). The third one up is HAUNTING me, it looks SO identifiable and yet!

Living Room Side Table:

1. Amateur Astronomer’s Handbook by JB Sidgwick (from Dover Publications)

2. Cosmology by Hermann Bondi (also Dover)

Both of these seem less difficult than the science books in Kamala’s room, but reviewers note that it helps to know calculus when reading Cosmology. Idk which member of the Khan family is reading these, but I love their family’s connection to the stars 💫

Tbh I’m having so much fun doing this! And I really wish we got to see Monica’s living space so I can analyze her books 😭

[taylortruther]

(im sorry sometimes i just send you long asks about my opinions, but it’s because i feel like even if you disagree or think what im saying is dumb (for the lack of a better word), you would be nice and gentle about it haha. ignore me if you want!)

maybe the way i view celebs is “wrong” but i grew up in india, and i literally learned to never rely on them. they do and say the dumbest things, but no one bats an eye because it’s like “ofc this famous person said and did this.” in the same vein, i don’t rely on her to feel that im making a difference in society by calling her out. as for everyone always talking about expecting better from her, i literally don’t expect anything from her. i obviously recognize that her outreach is so very wide so of course i would love if she did say something and addressed certain things, but i have seen that she will not speak on issues pertaining to other countries and sticks to her lane with 3-5 major things in the US, so why would i expect her to speak about anything else? having followed her for so long, based on past, how could i and why would i? (this sounds unkind i think but i actually mean it in a kind way lmao). her speaking on things would just bring me personal peace that she did her part and that i support a good person, but beyond that, if i actually want change, why would i focus on her at alllll instead of focusing on an actual political figures? that’s time spent doing something that will result in nothing instead of something else (i realize this is extremely ironic because im typing this long ask and spending time on it 💀 i love being a hypocrite i guess)

instead of focusing any of my energy wanting her to do things she probably won’t do, i spend my time actually supporting things i believe in, and constantly having uncomfortable conversations with people around me. and the impact i have is actually very little compared to all that other people do, so instead i spend time feeling guilty about it and thinking what can i do? (that’s kinda a joke but also not a joke at all alkjgdgsj)

also, like im so in terms of how she and i are different. im a poc immigrant, and im extremely privileged in general, but compared to her it’s nothing. she is the biggest star in the world. no way our approach or thinking aligns. i feel like calling her out and constantly thinking about her “wrongs” just makes me feel conflicted about her. i don’t want to align myself with her politically and not because she is a conservative or something but because there are other people who are more sensible to align myself with. and it’s not that i don’t critically think about her, but that im being selfish and affording myself this luxury.

basically, all that word-jargon to say i love her music and i love her as a person and her traits very dearly, and the way she approaches political issues is something i used to be in gripes with but have accepted and come to terms with. and maybe i have cognitive dissonance and im actually blind to how evil she is because im a “cupcake” swiftie, but oh well. i guess i just have no morals then 😭

arshia i completely agree with you and imo this describes my own mentality about it really well. she does not represent me and frankly i do not really want her to try. of course, i wish she'd come out and say some shit like "MONEY FOR WAR BUT NOT FOR CITIZENS? CALL YOUR REPS AND SIT IN IN ALL THEIR OFFICES" fjdkasl but i'm not going to hold my breath. taylor's conscience is her own, i can't control it!

and if someone cannot stomach celebrities at all because of what they represent - FAIR! i turn off that part of my brain to be on here, because this is my fun lil hobby. and i think i am making more of an impact irl than i ever could on here. although, if anyone learns anything about their own politics through my blog, i consider that a win.

[drivingsideways]

Year-end discussion in the Indian film space was dominated by the success of controversial film maker Sandeep Reddy Vanga's latest offering of undiluted misogyny and rage, appropriately titled "Animal"; but the best commentary I've seen on failed fatherhood and violent, toxic masculinity this year comes in a 2 minute scene in Kaathal: The Core, where a wizened old man testifies quietly in a family court that yes, he always knew that his son is gay, and still coerced him into a heterosexual marriage.

Kaathal: The Core isn't a film without flaws; one could argue that it's the quintessential film made about queer people by straight allies- actually more interested in the reaction to queerness and the adjustment to queerness by cishets, than in queer lives; that it has a one dimensional view of the reality of queer living in India. It has its moments of what I call "educational speechifying" that feel tonally at odds with the rest of it, but again, this paternalism in Indian cinema of the self-consciously "progressive" variety isn't unfamiliar.

The ending feels a little trite, and some artistic choices- an actual rainbow in the sky appears as the two lovers drive off into the sunset of their newly liberated lives-feel particularly anvil-like- much like the ending of another of director Jeo Baby's films, The Great Indian Kitchen, which was an exploration of the brutality of Indian-flavoured patriarchy. In short: a movie filled with intricately and deliberately placed subtleties that occasionally - somewhat inexplicably-loses confidence in its audience, and chooses to remedy that by being a bit over the top.

But those are minor quibbles. This movie gutted me. The story revolves around a middle-aged closeted gay man from a small close knit village community in Kerala whose life- and the lives of those around him- is thrown into disarray when his wife of twenty years files for divorce citing his gayness as the reason for the breakdown of the marriage- a step she takes just as he's nominated as his party's candidate for the local elections. With this premise, you'd be forgiven for expecting the movie to be high decibel melodrama- and possibly a tragedy- from start to finish. Instead, it deliberately chooses the quieter route, the most tender one; while not flinching away from the grim realities of widespread homophobia, it portrays both individuals and a community who , in a moment of crisis, discover that they are better than they think they are. And it does this not from a jingoistic, self-congratulatory ethno-nationalist perspective- but from a place of genuine love- as a reminder and a beacon in these dark times.

All of this is anchored in some fantastic performances- Mammootty once more showing up to remind us why he's one of the greatest living actors in the world, and Sudhi Kozhikode as Thankan in what should be a multiple-award winning performance as his long time lover. I've rarely seen an actor make so much of their limited screen time. When I say that minutes 50-52 of this film are the most devastatingly tragic-romantic moments in world cinema, you'll think I'm exaggerating and perhaps I am, but I can also guarantee that you're going to want to rewatch that sequence at least ten times and cry about two old geezers in love. Lives were changed in those moments, no lie.

My one disappointment in terms of performances is Jyothika, playing Omana, the long suffering wife. Omana is one of the stand-outs in the history of female characters in Malayalam cinema, and Jyothika is- barely adequate. When you contrast it with a similar role - say Hsieh Ying -xuan's performance as Liu San-lian in Dear Ex (2018)- the flatness is even more jarring. Still, the sheer love with which her character and her relationships, especially with her husband, are written carry the film through.

Tl;dr: watch it on Amazon Prime or at a theatre near you! You will not regret it.