Karina Pandya

What if you were declared guilty of being born with criminal tendencies, separated from your parents  for no real reason or whether it was just because of India’s hidden apartheid. The entire film revolves around aukaat (Status) and jaat (Caste) of Article 15.  This film brings to light the provision in the Indian Constitution which has been ignored – Article 15 that prohibits discrimination based on the grounds of religion, race, caste or place of birth. Unlocking the stark reality of India’s caste system, this Bollywood movie’s trailer was watched by more than 8 million viewers on Youtube!   However, is it really true – in today’s society over 50 years post Independence?  In a country of 38,598 villages (as per the 2018 consensus); which consists of 68.84 % of our population. This is our rural to urban distribution, yet it boasts of being the world’s largest democracy!  Solanki and Sinha are very meticulous at portraying the unju...

Known to be the Haiku of Cinema, short films are especially well known for the story behind the short film seen. These films (original motion pictures) which do not run for more than 40 minutes fall under different categories such as drama, humour, emotion; anything that can grasp the attention of the audience.  These films have been given the Academy Awards, popularly known as Oscars since 1929, the time of its inception at a dinner party hosted by American actor, director & producer – Douglas Fairbanks in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.  The First Academy Awards ( Oscar Awards ) https://youtu.be/vJv38K0mrRo via @YouTube      However, the exchange of these awards is not exactly a new phenomenon as a result of the cinematic affect found in the Lumiere brother’s films or even Georges Melies’ trick films, known for A Trip to the Moon.  These awards bestow the artistic and technical merit in the film industry and are given by th...

Cardboard, plastic, tin, mud, concrete, brick and waste material; all it takes to make a slum. Imagine… this is your house… the place you sleep every night and wake up inside every morning! However, there is no choice – you were born in poverty and life is a battle, battle for survival!  This is the life of billions and billions of people living across the world - in different slums, in countries. As a result of rapid urbanisation decent living conditions have become very scarce and cities are not at all prepared to accommodate any sort of growth especially when formal structures are not in place. The urbanisation is not only steadily increasing, but no one can really estimate when it will stop.  How residents of the world’s five biggest informal settlements are shaping their futures. A five-part package featuring exclusive drone photography, interviews and reportage is worth watching.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0OU-TXqtgo&feature=youtu.be ...