Latest news with #Shaitan
Metro
01-07-2025
- Metro
Major health update on toddler who was hurled onto floor at Moscow airport
A toddler who was bodyslammed to the ground by a thug at an international airport has opened his eyes after more than a week. Shocking CCTV footage of the attack at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on June 23 showed the 18-month-old leaning against a suitcase. Suddenly, Belarusian Vladimir Vitkov, 31, a nuclear power plant construction worker, picked up and hurled little Yazdan on the ground. After a brief spasm, the boy, named Yazdan, becomes motionless as someone picks him up in their arms to keep him safe. The tot had arrived in Russia minutes earlier after he and his mother fled the bombing in Iran, according to local reports. Local media have now said Yazdan has opened his eyes and is breathing on his own, but is still in intensive care. His father, Mohammed Shahim, said yesterday: 'Two hours ago, he was disconnected from the ventilator. Doctors say that he will remain in intensive care until tomorrow. 'He regained consciousness, opened his eyes, but is not saying anything yet. I am here every second, I am with him 24/7.' Chief physician at Moscow's L.M. Roshal Children's Clinical Centre, Tatyana Shapovalenko, said: 'The child was extubated, meaning that the boy is now breathing on his own with a high flow of oxygen.' 31-year-old Vitkov remains in custody and has reportedly refused to apologise to Yazdan's family. Yazdan's father, Mohammed, said: 'He is not a man, he is Satan, he is Shaitan. He mocked us: me, my wife.' Vitkov was reportedly high on drugs and told the police he was a schizophrenia patient. The Belarusian was reported by some outlets to have been on the same flight as the child and his mother, who were escaping from Iran, where they had been visiting relatives. Initial reports found he was returning home through Moscow after failing a drug and alcohol check for a job in Egypt. Vitkov later confessed to being high on drugs when he threw the toddler head-first onto the ground. In police discussions, Vitkov seemingly confessed to the crime when asked to explain what he did. More Trending He told an officer: 'I attempted to murder a child… at Sheremetyevo Airport.' When asked what his motive was, Vitkov said he 'didn't know' because he was 'under the influence of drugs'. Reports said cannabis had been found in his possession, and there were traces of the drug in his blood. Mash news outlet reported today that he had drunk three bottles of whisky and obtained cannabis in Cairo before the incident. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Boy, 15, stabbed to death with hunting knife by fellow pupil during lunch break MORE: British volunteer who died 'fighting bravely' for Ukraine given final farewell MORE: Three arrested on suspicion of manslaughter at hospital where Lucy Letby worked
The Hindu
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Review of On the Brink of Belief: Queer Writing from South Asia
One of the central lacunae in Indian queer writing is its sheer lack of rich regional voices. Not only does queer literature still remain largely Anglicised, but the parameters of its criticism are also dictated by Eurocentric notions, thereby gatekeeping local expressions and experiences. To then read On the Brink of Belief: Queer Writing from South Asia is in fact to engage in a suspension of disbelief, as 24 freshly minted writers, standing at the intersection of their marginalised identities, narrate their stories of love and loss, longing and belonging, and the liminal, chaotic spaces that exist in between. The idea for this anthology emerged after the successful conclusion of two editions of The Queer Writers' Room in 2023-2024, a joint initiative by The Queer Muslim Project and The International Writing Program at the University of Iowa. Steered by Kazim Ali (also the editor of this anthology), among others, the week-long writing residency with two queer and trans writers each from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, has become a space for creative nurturing, quiet transformation, and critical interrogation. The stories in this collection remain obsessed with djinns, shaitans, and shakchunnis — the ethereal, metaphysical, and perhaps queer beings in Islamic mythography that linger between faith and fact. In her moving essay 'A Fever, a Djinn and the Collectibles of Grief,' Sara Haque draws parallels between herself and the 'rootless, bereaving djinn', after her dadi, 'shrunk and shrunk' till she vanished one fine day. In Ipsa's flash fiction 'On This Afternoon, Like Every Other', the female lover becomes a shakchunni (spirit of a married woman), and the act of lovemaking becomes the 'cloying honey of kolke phool, being sucked like a fish bone' — the very things that repulse human beings. This coalescence of the divine and the devil finds resonance in another short essay, 'Even Shaitan Showers' by Begum Taara Shakar, where the bathroom, a place of shame, transforms into a place of security. Later, the protagonist wonders: 'I always thought God was in love with Shaitan. Did no one notice that a whole world was created to prove Shaitan wrong?' Promising voices This contradiction, this uncertainty, this perpetual state of questioning, for me, is the central tenet of good writing. With queer writing, this rift between being and non-being is accentuated, as the real world offers no refuge. The beauty of queer writing, then, lies in its refusal to flatten difference and in its power to imagine radical, alternative futures. The anthology also reinforces the fact that queerness is not constrained to the choice of a partner, but extends to include political engagement, modes of kinship, and everyday resistances. The shifting world order, the metallic claws of capitalism, and the ghettoisation of communities remain overarching themes in stories such as 'Keithal da Eramkhi' by Mesak Takhelmayum, 'Silver' by Kahless Jaden Hameed and Tanisha Tekriwal's 'American Embassy, 2046', where the city is 'lit [not] by the moon but by oil refineries, their silver chimneys keeping the dark a half-dark'. While the anthology introduces some new, promising voices, it unfortunately delivers more misses than hits. 'Dog Days', 'Darling', 'The Beauty and Complexity of Being Queer and Muslim', 'Darjeeling and Desires', and 'Your Birthmark in My Memories' are among the many stories and poems that start on an interesting note but lose steam halfway through. Many of the stories could have been salvaged by skilful editing. These writers are trying hard to cut a new path. Time will tell where it leads them. The reviewer is the author of the Hindi short story collection 'Yeh Dil Hai Ki Chor Darwaja'.
New Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Megha Ramaswamy Interview: I am not interested in stories about men
At first glance, Shoby (Parvathy Thiruvothu) and Miriam (Rima Kallingal) seem to be having what looks like a mundane day, wearing their burqas with a heart pinned in the front, and speaking their mind in Mumbai where religious hatred is casually thrown at them every other day. This is, until they meet a young girl Lalanna (Nakshatra Indrajith), who shakes their core. Director Megha Ramaswamy presents this child, at the centre of Lalanna's Song (now out on Mubi), as someone who opens the protagonists' eyes through an unsettling tragedy. Megha believes that, along with her, every woman she has met is a Lalanna. "We all go through moments where we're pushed off the cliff by people. Some of us survive; some don't. The short Lalanna's Song is an homage to both—those who made it and those who didn't. But at its core, it's really about the women who were pushed off the cliff in the first place," she says. Megha, who wrote Bejoy Nambiar's Shaitan (2011) and made her directorial debut with the Netflix film What Are The Odds (2020), confesses that although she wanted to cast Rima and Parvathy from the get-go, she thought they wouldn't be interested in the film. "Geetu Mohandas, who I was collaborating with at the time, introduced me to them. She suggested, 'Why don't you reach out to them?' It just clicked," she reveals. For her, magic wasn't just in the film and its surrealistic themes, but also within the actors. "Trust me, when I saw them together, I became even more ambitious about my project. They instantly understood the importance of making space for all kinds of women. With actors like Rima and Parvathy, who are so instinctively intelligent, you don't need to sugarcoat characters for them," she adds. Shoby and Miriam are flawed, but strong women. They speak about men in passing and discuss sex and intimacy despite the stigma surrounding it. These were intentional choices for Megha, who shares that even though it is normal for all genders to have a conversation about it, she finds it interesting to explore the awkwardness men feel when women discuss this topic. "Honestly, if two men were writing a scene like this, they'd probably turn it into a rape scene, because that's how they often frame it. When men talk about sex in a populist, cinematic way, it often comes across as crude or crass. Women, on the other hand, can dignify their experiences—whether it's sex, violence, or the complexities of love in relationships," she says.
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Delhi HC directs Centre to expedite guidelines on accessibility in OTT media
The Delhi High Court on Monday (May 19, 2025) directed the Centre to speed up the process of issuing guidelines for incorporating accessibility features on Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms for persons with disabilities (PwDs). The court issued the order while hearing a plea that sought the inclusion of accessibility features—such as audio description, same-language captioning, and Indian Sign Language—on OTT platforms for individuals who are visually or hearing impaired. The court also ordered Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms and film producers to ensure that accessibility features, such as audio description and same-language captioning, are incorporated into a set of specified films released on their platforms. This order would apply to films such as The Buckingham Murders, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Shaitan, and Article 370. Advocate Rahul Bajaj, appearing for the petitioner Mr. Akshat Baldwa, argued that although some films have now incorporated accessibility features, producers must ensure these features are included at the time of their release. Mr. Bajaj had earlier argued that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act places an obligation on the government to ensure that all content available in electronic media is in an accessible format. He said the principle of reasonable accommodation requires that necessary and appropriate modifications are made to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy their rights equally with others. The court will hear the case again on July 17.
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘I've played their father, lover': Rajit Kapur on his three-decade-long career, relationship with co-stars, style, and more
It's no secret that Rajit Kapur is a master of his craft. Having spent over three decades in the entertainment industry, he is widely recognised for his rich and varied work across theatre, television, and cinema. From his iconic turn as the detective Byomkesh Bakshi in the acclaimed Doordarshan series, to his National Award-winning performance in The Making of the Mahatma, and impactful roles in Shaitan and Uri: The Surgical Strike, Kapur has consistently chosen substance over spectacle. As a founding member of Rage Productions alongside playwright Rahul da Cunha and fellow actor Shernaz Patel, Kapur has been instrumental in shaping contemporary Indian theatre. His latest outing – as a narrator in Aadyam Theatre's production Mumbai Star along with Srishti Shrivastava – marks yet another chapter in his commitment to pushing theatrical boundaries. In an interview with the veteran actor discusses the challenges of being a multi-faceted actor, his seamless transitions between the different performance mediums, his collaboration with Aadyam Theatre, and the invaluable lessons he learnt from a career dedicated to artistic exploration. Read the edited excerpts below: Rajit Kapur: One of the earliest challenges was starting our own production company – Rage Productions – that I run with Rahul da Cunha and Shernaz Patel. We were inspired by seniors performing classics, but wanted to do something contemporary, in our own voice. With that shared vision, we started the company with just Rs 14,000 in the bank. It sounds filmy, but that is how it began. Our first play was Tigers in the Congo, which dealt with AIDS, an important, topical subject. There were many challenges, but the idea was to keep going since we loved theatre. A post shared by Rajit Kapur (@rajitkapurofficial) Rajit Kapur: Aadyam launched a decade ago with Mr Birla's backing, something rare in theatre. Few people are willing to invest in this art form. Aadyam provided fledgling and established groups the chance to raise the bar with capital, production value, and creative freedom. Rage's The Siddhus of Upper Juhu was one of the five plays in Aadyam's first season, and it's still running, even after 10 years. Guess we are blessed with that particular show. For Mumbai Star, Devika, the producer, and Nadir, the director, are close friends, so there was already mutual trust and a certain comfort level. The show originally existed as a dance production that Devika took to Japan. It was reworked to include narrative elements, and that's where Srishti and I came in. We had to integrate storytelling without disrupting the rhythm of the dance – something 15 incredible dancers put their soul, life, and everything into this production. It's high energy and quite the adrenaline rush. Rajit Kapur: It's hard to explain, but I've got used to doing this balancing act. Recently, I spent a year and a half working on Sardar Patel: Game Changer for Doordarshan—my return to television after a long gap. I think I look for material that excites and challenges me, across mediums. If something makes me stretch my limits as an actor, and I can say, 'I don't think I've done this before, don't think this is very comfortable,' I would try it. That's what makes me do this so-called balancing act. Rajit Kapur: Lots of things. Discipline, for one. There's a certain sense of grounding, building step by step, brick by brick. The whole process of working on a play, the rehearsal, these are fulfilling. There's nothing to beat that. Every performance may differ, but the process becomes a part of you. Cinema is more fragmented. Collaboration doesn't always happen in the same way, but it's changing for the good. On stage, you're the driver. Mistakes are yours to navigate. But in cinema, you're part of a much larger mechanism—direction, cinematography, editing—all of which shape the final product. Rajit Kapur: COVID taught me a lot about slowing down and cherishing small things—walking on the beach, watching the sunrise. I've developed a deeper respect for nature, which automatically determines your day and lifestyle. So I think giving myself me-time, whether it just means quietly sitting and reading a book, has become more important. Rajit Kapur: On stage, there can be no one other than Shernaz Patel, because we've worked together for over 35 years. And when you build that kind of trust with and respect for each other, you can do anything together. Another person I've built that connection with, because we've done films together, is Rajeshwari Sachdev. In both cases, I've played their father, and I've played their lover. It's something you build over time, but I think the most essential thing is trust. Rajit Kapur: I've never really thought in terms of 'making it'. There was no fixed target or goal. I've always just wanted to do fulfilling work, projects that push me, energize me, and help me grow. So, there's no metre to judge that. I don't know whether that is successful or not, it has never played in my mind. I have never thought of 'I want to have this big mansion and that huge car.' I just want to do good work and have enough at my disposal to be able to travel. Rajit Kapur: Oh, there are so many. And believe me, even in our country. I still sometimes tell myself, 'My God, I haven't been to Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves and it's just an hour's flight away.' I want to go to Greece, to look at all those historical buildings and see what that has to offer, to Machu Picchu, to Cambodia, to the Kaziranga forest sanctuary, and to see the rhinos. The list keeps increasing. Rajit Kapur: Oh, it's totally me. And that's something right from college. I used to wear bright coloured trousers when I was in Sydney and people used to look at me as if I'd fallen from some other planet. I don't care about what anyone thinks. I create my style. I think it always catches eyeballs because there was a time where I was living in pyjamas and I would design them and create them myself. Not because I thought it was some style, but because I liked it and I thought they were just very comfortable. A post shared by Rajit Kapur (@rajitkapurofficial) Rajit Kapur: It's a very simple story, but the most incredible thing is that the 90 minutes of this play is infused with so much energy that you are going to go back feeling good about yourself. Rajit Kapur: There are no shortcuts. You have to build a solid foundation, whether it is through training, assisting, and doing courses. To play with yourself, to explore yourself, to open yourself out, you need to build it slowly. When your foundation is strong, nothing can shake you. And of course, that passion should be there because it's not going to be an easy path. And neither is it a '9 to 5' job where there is a structure. Swarupa is a Senior Sub Editor for the lifestyle desk at The Indian Express. With a passion for storytelling, she delves into the realms of art & culture, fitness, health, nutrition, psychology, and relationships, empowering her readers with valuable insights. ... Read More
