Latest news with #Basheer
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Calicut varsity's Board of Studies, academic council to take final call on exclusion of Vedan's song from syllabus
The Board of Studies (BoS) for undergraduate courses and the academic council of the University of Calicut are expected to take a final call on the proposed exclusion of a song by rapper Hirandas Murali (Vedan) in the syllabus of the four-year BA (Malayalam) course. M.M. Basheer, former head of the Department of Malayalam, University of Calicut, was recently asked by Vice-Chancellor P. Raveendran to look into the complaints over the inclusion of Mr. Murali's song Bhumi Njan Vazhunna Idam and Michael Jackson's song They don't care about us in the third semester of the course for a comparative study. Mr. Basheer had also suggested that the comparative study of Kathakali music and Carnatic music citing singer Gowri Lakshmi's rendition of Ajitha Hare also be removed from the syllabus. Nothing political Mr. Raveendran told the media on Saturday that there was nothing political about the proposals and it was an academic issue. He pointed out that the core question was whether students learning Malayalam literature should engage in a comparative study of music. 'I have forwarded Mr. Basheer's proposal to the BoS,' he said. The board and later the academic council would take a call on the issue, Mr. Raveendran added. Chaos at Senate meeting Meanwhile, a Senate meeting held on the day ended up in chaos after members affiliated to Left parties, Congress, and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) raised slogans highlighting various demands. While the pro-Left members protested against the move to exclude Mr. Murali's song from the syllabus and the 'unauthorised grant of marks' to a students' union leader at 'the behest of the V-C,' pro-Congress members and pro-IUML raised slogans against the alleged assault on staff during a recent protest by the Students Federation of India on the university campus and also sought steps to address the concerns over selection of minor (subsidiary) courses.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Remove Vedan's song: CU panel
Kozhikode: The expert committee appointed by Calicut University vice-chancellor P Raveendran has recommended removing rapper Vedan's (Hirandas Murali) song 'Bhumi Njan Vazhunnidam' from the third semester BA Malayalam syllabus. The panel said comparing the musical aspects of the song with Michael Jackson's 'They Don't Care About Us' would be too demanding for students. The VC had asked the panel to examine the inclusion of the song in the syllabus. The report submitted by former head of Malayalam department MM Basheer to Raveendran said the comparative study of the musical features of Vedan's and Jackson's songs should be removed and replaced with a more suitable topic. The song was part of the Introduction to Comparative Literature course, under the module Puthu Pravanathakal (new trends). BJP-affiliated member AK Anuraj had objected to including Vedan's song in the syllabus and filed a complaint with governor Rajendra Arlekar. The governor sought a report from the VC, who then instructed Basheer to examine the issue. Basheer was also asked to review the inclusion of Kathakali song Ajita Hare... Madhava by Muringur Shankaran Potti and its modern version Ajita Hare by Gouri Lakshmi. The report said that Bhoomi Njan Vazhunnidam is Vedan's lyrical declaration. As the title suggests, the song has a strong rhythmic beat. It refers to political events from different periods in world history, aiming to remind listeners of these moments, even briefly. Some parts contain factual errors and ideological contradictions. Basheer also recommended removing the comparative study of Gouri Lakshmi's song, saying it would be hard for BA Malayalam students without musical training to compare Kathakali and classical music. According to university officials, the report will go to the board of studies, which will decide the future course of action.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Narivetta: They won't let you watch the shadow-banned Santosh, so you should watch Tovino Thomas' blazing new film 10 times as revenge
The Central Board of Film Certification's screening process can often be arbitrary. Only recently, Indian audiences complained about the CBFC's decision to have a 30-second kiss shortened in the film Superman. A person on social media pithily observed that the scene would've made the cut had Superman been slapping Lois Lane instead of making out with her. There is an element of truth to this, of course. It wasn't too long ago that the CBFC deemed Marco — a movie in which many children die cruel deaths — fit for public viewing. At the same time, they've stalled the release of films such as Honey Trehan's Panjab 95 and Sandhya Suri's Santosh. Sometimes, however, this chaotic approach to film certification allows certain movies to slip through the cracks. Narivetta is one of them. Directed by Anuraj Manohar and starring Tovino Thomas, the mere existence of the Malayalam-language film is enough to suggest that the movie gods have a sense of humour. The CBFC can block Santosh, but while they were abusing their power, Narivetta snuck under its nose. A more populist cousin to Santosh, the film fixates on many of the same themes. Narivetta is about the systemic oppression of minorities, and mass corruption in organisations meant to serve and protect; but more than anything else, Narivetta dares to raise objections about police brutality at a time when Rohit Shetty's cinema has basically coated the concept in Teflon. Also read – Rekhachithram: Indian movies have been mistreating women for decades, but Asif Ali's Malayalam thriller attempts to redeem the entire industry Like Shahana Goswami's character in that film, Varghese Peter in Narivetta had no intention of being a cop. He stumbles into the position, and makes it clear to everybody around him that it isn't his cup of tea. Even though Santosh carefully avoids drawing any overt parallels to real-life incidents, and goes to the extent of setting its drama in an unnamed Indian state, the movie has been shadow-banned by the CBFC for a centrepiece sequence in which the titular character essentially murders a Muslim murder suspect in a blind rage. It is made quite obvious that the suspect was innocent, and that Santosh's actions were influenced by her prejudices and peer pressure. Varghese goes through similar turmoil in Narivetta. When he raises his hand against a protester, he is told to rein it in. 'Don't be an action hero,' is the advice he gets from his bosses. One of them, a man named Basheer, offers kindness instead. Played by Suraj Venjaramoodu — the husband from The Great Indian Kitchen — Basheer takes Varghese under his wing, and advises him to do his job with utmost sincerity. Narivetta goes out of its way to highlight Basheer's Muslim identity. You wonder why; there has to be a reason. And there is. Not too long afterwards, a platoon of cops including Varghese and Basheer is deployed in a nearby jungle, where a group of tribal folks is protesting against the government's encroachment over their land. Tensions are high; the peaceful protest could erupt into violence at any moment. Basheer instructs Varghese to remain calm and follow orders. Their superiors tell them that the tribals are, in fact, being used by Maoist terrorists as proxies in their war against the government. They've hidden caches of weapons in the jungles; it's a trap! Two teams are sent to locate the artillery; Basheer and Varghese are separated. Only one of them returns, and that, too, empty handed. A concerned Varghese begs the bosses to send out a rescue party for Basheer, and after a while, they do. He's found in a river, tied to a chair, dead for hours. This gives the police enough of a reason to launch an all-out attack against the tribal protesters, many of whom are killed mercilessly in the ensuing massacre. Narivetta asks questions that perhaps never even crossed the minds of the people behind Kesari Chapter 2, a movie so blindly devoted to its masters that it was willing to manipulate the truth. Certainly, nobody behind the Cop Universe films would even want to consider the possibility of nuance. Why craft a real character when you can have them jump out of a car instead? In Narivetta, the police are shown to be no different from the stormtroopers in Star Wars, or the German infantry during World War II. They are the foot soldiers of authoritarian regimes built on the back of bloodshed. They are the villains who murdered one of their own — a member of the minority himself — just to find an excuse to commit an even more horrific crime. Varghese takes the role of a conscientious objector. Read more – Officer on Duty: Cruel and convoluted, Kunchacko Boban's woman-hating washout could give Bollywood a run for its money Varghese is shocked by his discovery; Basheer was sacrificed like a pawn in the government's scheme to quell the protest. The reluctant hero, mocked in the first act for being an aimless loafer, finally finds his purpose. In his trauma, he has a moment of clarity. Varghese is ridden by guilt for his complicity in the crime. He resolves to blow the lid on the operation, which was covered up — quite literally — by the cops in charge. The tribal protesters did nothing wrong, and yet, they were murdered for exercising their democratic rights. Disillusioned by his experience, Varghese confides in his girlfriend, who can't believe her ears. Not only is Narivetta critical of governments, it's also quite plainly suspicious of the institutions that serve under them. One of these institutions is the film industry itself. By dedicating thousands of theatres to slop, and by allowing the continued silencing of films such as Santosh, the industry is playing into the hands of power. It doesn't realise that by contributing to the erosion of basic free speech and by kowtowing to the crown, it is essentially dooming its own future. Post Credits Scene is a column in which we dissect new releases every week, with particular focus on context, craft, and characters. Because there's always something to fixate about once the dust has settled. Rohan Naahar is an assistant editor at Indian Express online. He covers pop-culture across formats and mediums. He is a 'Rotten Tomatoes-approved' critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild of India. He previously worked with the Hindustan Times, where he wrote hundreds of film and television reviews, produced videos, and interviewed the biggest names in Indian and international cinema. At the Express, he writes a column titled Post Credits Scene, and has hosted a podcast called Movie Police. You can find him on X at @RohanNaahar, and write to him at He is also on LinkedIn and Instagram. ... Read More
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Multiplexes, declining footfall turn villains for small cinemas
KOCHI: The quality of films made in Kerala and the acceptance for other language films among Malayali audiences have prompted multiplex companies to expand their footprint in the state. While they offer cinemagoers a better audiovisual experience, the development is posing a threat to small cinema halls, according to industry experts. Rising business costs, decline in viewership, and fewer hit films have affected single-screen cinemas, especially in cities. To put things in perspective, PVR INOX, the largest multiplex chain in India, has 42 screens across Kerala. Mexico-based international cinema chain Cinepolis has 11 screens in Kochi, including three VIP screens. According to Liberty Basheer, film producer and chairman of the Kerala Film Exhibitors Federation, these multiplexes are now focusing on Kerala because the state has better films compared to other states. 'People in Kerala accept and watch movies of all languages. Also, these multiplexes can collect a larger amount as ticket fare as there is no limit on ticket prices in the state,' Basheer tells TNIE. The Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) also has as many as 17 screens in six districts. 'Work is on to launch nine more screens, three in Kayalam (Kozhikode) and two each in Payyannur (Kannur), Alakappa Nagar (Thrissur), and Vaikom (Kottayam). The new screens will be opened in six to seven months,' says an official with KSFDC. K Vijayakumar, president of the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK), points out that the number of screens is increasing but the number of cinemagoers is not. 'The growth of multiplexes has been affecting single-screen cinemas. People go to a cinema only if the film is good. In the case of multiplexes, more often than not, people watch a film while visiting a mall for shopping or other purposes. Small cinemas don't have such an option to offer,' he says, adding that the trend has affected cinemas in Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram more.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Kerala students sketch vibrant tribute to Basheer's legacy
PALAKKAD: In the open courtyard of Sreekrishnapuram Higher Secondary School, a remarkable wall has come to life. Not with bricks or cement but with imagination, stories, and ink. Stretching 24 feet wide and soaring 15 feet high, a wall stitched from cloth and soaked in black acrylic sketches, has become a living tribute to one of Kerala's greatest literary voices – Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. Titled 'Varakondoru Kottamathil' (A Castle Wall of Drawings), this installation is a collective meditation on Basheer's world, brought alive by the hands of 75 student-artists, all armed with brushes, black paint, and a deep reverence for the 'Beypore Sultan'. Organised as part of the Basheer Remembrance Week by the school's student groups Vidyarangam Kala Sahithya Vedi and Varappada Arts Club, the wall was envisioned as a canvas where literature meets lines. The instructions were minimal: choose your favourite characters, dive into Basheer's world, and reimagine it in monochrome. What followed was a creative outpouring – 100 detailed sketches that are as expressive as they are stark, each drawn with striking restraint using only black lines on cloth. Walk past the wall, and you'll see Abu's wide-eyed innocence, Pathumma's fierce simplicity, Majeed's longing, Suhara's silence. You'll meet Ottakkannan Pokkar and Mandan Muthappa, figures etched in literary folklore now reborn in bold, youthful strokes. The sketches aren't just portraits, they are distilled emotions. Sometimes humorous, sometimes melancholic, but always honest. 'The students have managed to capture not only the characters but also the mood, the rhythm, and the soul of Basheer's writing,' Vibin Nath T K, the school's art teacher and mentor behind the project, tells TNIE.
