Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / 2019 / Archives for February 2019

Archives for February 2019

Film Awards Round Up

by

 Malyalam Film ‘Ee. Ma. Yau’ Bags Prestigious Critics Award

 In what could be a favorable move for cinema of Malayalam, Ee. Ma. Yau, a morbid satire by auteur filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery has garnered over half the votes polled by 23 film critics from all over India to bag the prestigious FCCI “Best Indian Film of 2018” Citation Award. 

In earlier years, this citation instituted by the Film Critics Circle of India to encourage the production of cinema of high artistic & aesthetic value had been awarded to Village Rockstars (Assamese), Thithi (Kannada) & Court (Marathi / Gujarati / Hindi / English); in 2018, 2017 & 2016, respectively.

 In this year’s nomination list, Rahi Anil Barve’s Tumbbad (Hindi), Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Jonaki (Bengali / English) & Rima Das’ Bulbul Can Sing (Assamese) were the 3 other films that found a place. Also recommended were Andhadhun, Ashwatthama, Badhaai Ho, Bhayanakam, Ek Je Chhilo Raja, Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon, Love Sonia, Maassab, Manto, Mulk, Olu, Pariyerum Perumal, Poomaram, Raazi, Soni, Sudani from Nigeria, Vada Chennai & Uronchandi; in the preliminary round.

 Pellissery’s Ee Ma Yau had earlier bagged major awards at the Kerala State Film Awards & at IFFI & IFFK. He made his debut as a filmmaker with the critically acclaimed Nayakan in the year 2010 & followed it up with City of God in the year 2011, Amen in the year 2013, Double Barrel in the year 2015 & Angamaly Diaries in the year 2017.

Hindi Film Review

by

Total Dhamaal Is A “Leave-Your-Brains-Behind-At-Home” Entertainer

 Banner: Ajay Devgn Films, Maruti International, Fox Star Studios, Pen India Limited & Mangal Murti Films

 Producers: Fox Star Studios, Ajay Devgn FFilms, Ashok Thakeria, Indra Kumar, Sri Adhikari Brothers & Anand Pandit 

Director: Indra Kumar

 Star Cast: Ajay Devgn, Madhuri Dixit, Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffrey, Anil Kapoor, Riteish Desmukh, Esha Gupta, Boma Irani, Sanjay Mishra, Mahesh Manjrekar, Pitobhash Tripathy, Sudesh Lehri, Niharica Raizada, Swati Kapoor, Vijay Patkar, Manoj Pahwa, Rajpal Yadav, Johnny Lever, Crystal – The Monkey,  Sanjay Dutt, Ashish Chaudhary, Jackie SHroff & above all Sonakshi Sinha  

Music: Gourav-Roshin & Sandip Shirodkar

 The Dhamaal franchise might not be counted in same league as Golmaal or Housefull films. But fact is that both Dhamaal in year 2007 & Double Dhamaal in year 2011 have been successful ventures & have worked on small screen arena as well. Therefore, recall value is quite strong. Hence, it’s no surprise that 3rd part of franchise namely Total Dhamaal, carries a lot of expectations. Makers have even upped scale & madness by not only getting 3 prominent actors (Ajay Devgn, Madhuri Dixit & Anil Kapoor) in addition to existing star cast minus Ashish Chowdhary but by also making it an adventure comedy, a rarely explored genre in Bollywood. 

Scripted scenario of Total Dhamaal reveals story of a bunch of greedy madcap characters on an adventure. Guddu (Ajay Devgn) is a small-time conman. He along with his partner Johnny (Sanjay Mishra) gets a tip that a large sum of money is being exchanged in a hotel room. They reach there only to realize that one who is receiving money is a police commissioner (Boman Irani). Nevertheless, Guddu & Johnny rob money from commissioner & escape. At this point, their driver Pintu (Manoj Pahwa) double crosses them & runs away with money, amounting to Rs. 50 crores. Meanwhile, Avinash Patel (Anil Kapoor) & Bindu (Madhuri Dixit) are married for 17 years & have now filed for a divorce. Lallan (Riteish Deshmukh) & Jhingur (Pitobash Tripathy) are firemen who are fired from their job for taking a bribe. And Aditya Srivastav (Arshad Warsi) & Manav Srivastav (Jaaved Jaaferi) are in need of a job. They are employed in an antiques arts gallery by its owner Altaaf (Sudesh Lehri). Unfortunately, Manav Shrivastav ends up breaking these antique materials worth crores. With no other option, they run away from gallery & that too by stealing Altaaf’s high-tech car. They along with Lallan-Jhingur & Avinash-Bindu are on highway when they see a plane crashing. They go to site & see Pintu who is inside ill-fated flight. He’s about to die & he blurts out to them that he has hidden money he stole from Guddu at a zoo in Janakpur, located almost 450 kms away from site. Before he confesses, Guddu reaches there & tells others to back off since it’s his money. But others threaten to go to cops. That’s when Guddu devises a plan, whoever reaches Janakpur Zoo first will be sole owner of those Rs. 50 crores. Thus begins race of these guys towards Janakpur. What happens next forms rest of crux of film.

 Ved Prakash, Paritosh Painter & Bunty Rathore’s story is lame as it’s just borrowed from 1st ever part. There’s absolutely no novelty & it’s completely predictable. Ved Prakash, Paritosh Painter & Bunty Rathore’s screenplay thankfully is a bit better as funny situations this time are different than last time. But at certain points, it’s also a bit random. This is especially true in 2nd half. Ved Prakash, Paritosh Painter & Bunty Rathore’s dialogues are one highpoints & add to fun. 

Indra Kumar’s direction is a bit outdated. He hasn’t realized that times have changed. Plot & script already takes viewers intelligence for granted & his direction doesn’t help much either.  Film gets stretched in middle of 2nd half. Also certain communities are made fun of & it might not go down well with a section of audiences. On positive side, there are numerous sub tracks as there are so many characters but he nicely shifts focus equally between them. 

Total Dhamaal begins with a bang. The entry scenes of all characters are hilarious, especially that of Guddu. Lallan’s entry scene would also raise loads of laughs, manner in which all principal characters bump into each other is also quite nicely done. But then, there’s no story movement as next 80-90 minutes are devoted to characters trying to reach Janakpur Zoo & varied obstacles they encounter on their way. Some scenes here are funny & genuinely raise laughs like madness in railway tunnel, Avinash-Bindu’s attempt to take a shortcut, sequence involving GPS (voiced funnily by Jackie Shroff) & Lallan’s scary helicopter ride.  

Post interval though it begins to seem repetitive. Also, 2nd half is devoid of humor especially when compared to 1st ever half. Skydiving & waterfall scenes just don’t work. Notice how makers have taken a jump in narrative. They don’t explain how Avinash-Bindu escape from waterfall & how Lallan got hold of a motorbike. It seems like director Indra Kumar suddenly realized that he’s invested too much time in doing Total Dhamaal & hence quickly jumped to climax. However he ought to have done it in a better way, finale is also quite long drawn & again like Dhamaal, it gets emotional. Thankfully element of wild animals & humor surrounding them give climax a nice touch. 

Gourav-Roshin’s music gets no scope & thankfully, no songs are added in middle of adventure. “Paisa Yeh Paisa” is most memorable from lot. “Mungda” is disappointing while “Speaker Phat Jaaye” is played in end credits. Kookie Gulati’s song direction is visually great.

 Sandeep Shirodkar’s background score suits genre of film. Keiko Nakahara’s cinematography is satisfactory. Durgaprasad Mahapatra’s production design is a bit gaudy & even poor in some scenes. R P Yadav’s action is fine while NY VFXWaala’s VFX is average. In scenes of animals, VFX is quite good but in some sequences, it’s a letdown. Dharmendra Sharma’s editing could have been crisper. At same time, way focus shifts from 1 character to other is praiseworthy. 

Performance wise Ajay Devgn is hilarious & his expressions are spot on, thereby inducing maximum laughs. Anil Kapoor is loud but it works overall. Madhuri Dixit gets her comic timing just right. Her character also has a sensitive side. However, Anil-Madhuri’s tu-tu main-main gets on one’s nerves after a point. Riteish Deshmukh sadly gets a raw deal & gets dominated, although he too gets his share of funny scenes. Arshad Warsi is sans complaints as always. Jaaved Jaaferi, one of biggest strengths of franchise, is quite good. Since there are too many actors, his screen time is a bit less as compared to last 2 films. But his admirers will surely have no reason to complain. Esha Gupta as Prachi has a very late entry but leaves a mark. Boman Irani is decent & his scenes with Ajay Devgn & Vijay Patkar as Inspector Patkar are quite funny. From supporting cast, Vijay Patkar, Sanjay Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Pitobash Tripathy, Sudesh Lehri, Mahesh Manjrekar as Chinappa Swami & Srikant Maski as Reddy are notable. Johny Lever as Shubroto however leaves  maximum impact out of these supporting actors. Special mention should also go to Crystal (monkey Zoo security official) as he’s funny & cute & also to Jackie Shroff who is funny as voice of GPS. Sonakshi Sinha is okay in “Mungda” song.

 Tail Piece: Total Dhamaal is a “leave-your-brains-behind-at-home” entertainer with its share of funny moments. If you are not looking for wisdom & rationale in a light-hearted entertainer, then this movie is definitely for you.

 At the box office turnstiles, it’s only masses who might give film thumbs up & they’ll majorly determine fate of film. Period!!!!!

Security beefed up for Modi’s rally in Bihar

by

Nasheman News : Security has been beefed up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Sankalp rally here on March 3 when he is likely to launch NDA’s campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, police said on Thursday.

Top officers of Bihar Police along with officials of advance security liaison (ASL) of Special Protection Group (SPG) – an elite commando force – Intelligence Bureau and other security agencies have been working for a full-proof security in and around rally venue Gandhi Maidan.

Security has been tightened across Patna, including at airports and railway stations. 

Gandhi Maidan has been completely sealed for the public. Security personnel have been deployed on high rise buildings around the venue, Patna senior Superintendent of Police Garima Malik said.

According to a police officer, every move near the venue is under high tech surveillance. Bihar will be on full alert during Modi’s rally. 

During the rally, 4,000 policemen along with hundreds of officials from various intelligence agencies will be deployed. 

“NDA leaders, workers and supporters will come in 30 trains for the rally,” Janata Dal-United (JD-U) General Secretary and party’s Rajya Sabha member R.C.P. Singh said. 

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Bihar Cabinet Minister Nand Kishore Yadav said more than 5,000 buses will come to Patna for the rally, besides hundreds of four vehicles. 

Leaders of the BJP and its allies JD-U and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) have been busy touring different parts of the state to mobilise support for the rally.

The Sankalp rally will be the first joint rally of Narendra Modi and JD-U chief Nitish Kumar and their first big show after Nitish Kumar joined hands with the BJP in July 2017. 

India praying for you’, Navjot Sidhu hopes for safety, early return of IAF pilot

by

Nasheman News : Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who counts Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan as a friend, on Wednesday prayed for the well-being and early return of captured Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman.

In a poetic tweet on Wednesday, Sidhu said that the whole of India was praying for his well-being and return home from Pakistani captivity.

“Wing Commander Abhinandan akele nahi ho aap, Hindustan ekjut hokar aapki salamati aur ghar wapsi ki dua kar raha hai… dua hai ki aap ki hasti kuch aisa nazara ho jaaye, kashti bhi utre maujon par, toofan hi kinara ho jaaye (Wing Commander Abhinandan, you are not alone, Hindustan has become one in praying for your safety and return home, (we) pray that your presence takes such a form, that even if the boat leaves you on the waves, the storm itself becomes the shore),” he posted.

India on Wednesday said that a Pakistan fighter jet was shot down in the aerial engagement between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) but it lost one of its MiG-21s, with its pilot, later identified as Varthaman, the son of a retired Air Marshal, in Pakistani custody. It has demanded he be handed back to India. 

Sidhu, who takes every opportunity to harp on his friendship with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, a former cricketer like himself, has been under fire in recent days from various quarters for defending Pakistan in the aftermath of the February 14 Pulwama terror attack which left 40 CRPF troopers dead.

On Tuesday, after India announced the air strikes of a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot, Sidhu tweeted: “In the war of right & wrong, You can not afford to be neutral, The war against terror outfits is spot on… Bravo Indian Air Force @IAF_MCC Jai Hind.”

Sidhu was, however, trolled after his earlier comments defending Pakistan.

“Wherever wars are fought and such things (Pulwama-type attack) happen, dialogue also continues simultaneously.

“There is a need to find a permanent solution (to issues between India and Pakistan). Such people (terrorists) have no religion, no country and no caste. When a snake bites, its antidote is also snake poison,” he had posted, seeking to justify his take on the dialogue between the two nations.

Though Sidhu condemned the Pulwama terror attack on the CRPF convoy, he added that the entire nation (Pakistan) could not be blamed for the actions of a handful of people.

This had earned him flak, but he had defended his comments claiming that his statement was “deliberately distorted” as the people were scared of him. 

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who does not agree with his minister on many issues, had said “everyone had the right to voice their mind and it was up to Navjot Singh Sidhu to explain his stand”.

Nasheman News : Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who counts Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan as a friend, on Wednesday prayed for the well-being and early return of captured Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman.

In a poetic tweet on Wednesday, Sidhu said that the whole of India was praying for his well-being and return home from Pakistani captivity.

“Wing Commander Abhinandan akele nahi ho aap, Hindustan ekjut hokar aapki salamati aur ghar wapsi ki dua kar raha hai… dua hai ki aap ki hasti kuch aisa nazara ho jaaye, kashti bhi utre maujon par, toofan hi kinara ho jaaye (Wing Commander Abhinandan, you are not alone, Hindustan has become one in praying for your safety and return home, (we) pray that your presence takes such a form, that even if the boat leaves you on the waves, the storm itself becomes the shore),” he posted.

India on Wednesday said that a Pakistan fighter jet was shot down in the aerial engagement between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) but it lost one of its MiG-21s, with its pilot, later identified as Varthaman, the son of a retired Air Marshal, in Pakistani custody. It has demanded he be handed back to India. 

Sidhu, who takes every opportunity to harp on his friendship with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, a former cricketer like himself, has been under fire in recent days from various quarters for defending Pakistan in the aftermath of the February 14 Pulwama terror attack which left 40 CRPF troopers dead.

On Tuesday, after India announced the air strikes of a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot, Sidhu tweeted: “In the war of right & wrong, You can not afford to be neutral, The war against terror outfits is spot on… Bravo Indian Air Force @IAF_MCC Jai Hind.”

Sidhu was, however, trolled after his earlier comments defending Pakistan.

“Wherever wars are fought and such things (Pulwama-type attack) happen, dialogue also continues simultaneously.

“There is a need to find a permanent solution (to issues between India and Pakistan). Such people (terrorists) have no religion, no country and no caste. When a snake bites, its antidote is also snake poison,” he had posted, seeking to justify his take on the dialogue between the two nations.

Though Sidhu condemned the Pulwama terror attack on the CRPF convoy, he added that the entire nation (Pakistan) could not be blamed for the actions of a handful of people.

This had earned him flak, but he had defended his comments claiming that his statement was “deliberately distorted” as the people were scared of him. 

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who does not agree with his minister on many issues, had said “everyone had the right to voice their mind and it was up to Navjot Singh Sidhu to explain his stand”.

Pakistan suspends Samjhauta Express

by

Nasheman News : Authorities in Pakistan have suspended the Samjhauta Express between India and Pakistan in view of rising tensions between the countries.

The train, which was to leave Lahore for Attari in India early on Thursday, was cancelled and did not arrive here, security officials said.

Passengers who were to travel to India were told they could seek a refund for their booked tickets.

The train runs between both countries on Mondays and Thursdays. It links Lahore with Attari in Punjab.

A link train (of Samjhauta Express) ferries passengers from Attari to Delhi. 

On Wednesday, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said the Samjhauta Express (link train) service will continue as per schedule from Delhi to Attari in Punjab.

Following the Jaish-e-Mohammad’s suicide bombing of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama which killed 40 troopers, the passenger footfall in the train fell drastically. Hardly a hundred passengers travelled on Monday.


NIA to question Kashmiri separatist leader over Pak hotline

by

 In the ongoing crackdown against separatists in the Kashmir Valley, the National Investigation Team (NIA) is likely to summon Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for questioning. The summoning would follow raid at Mirwaiz’s residence earlier this week on Tuesday during which a Pakistan hotline was discovered.

Raids were conducted at the properties of separatist leaders on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of investigations into a terror funding case. Raids took place at seven places on Tuesday including at the residences of separatist leaders like Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Mohammad Ashraf Khan, Masarat Alam, Zaffar Akbar Bhat and Naseem Geelani, son of Hurriyat hardliner Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani.

On Wednesday, the NIA carried out searches at 11 places of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists and separatist leaders in relation to the Pulwama terror attack and terror-funding. Apart from JeM’s overground workers, three separatist leaders — Mohammad Shaban Dar, Shawkat Maulvi and Yasmine Raza – were also raided.

CRPF and Jammu & Kashmir Police teams accompanied the NIA teams while the raids were conducted.

It would be for the first time that Mirwaiz would be summoned and questioned by a central investigation agency under anti-terror laws.

The NIA is expected to write to the director general, Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to undertake technical analysis of the equipment seized from the Hurriyat leader’s house and recover data stored in them.

The NIA is also likely to approach the Ministry of Telecom to find out the licensing and purchase conditions of the high-tech internet telephony equipment seized.

The central agency seized various incriminating materials and documents during the raids, including property papers, financial transactions receipts and bank account details. Electronic devices like laptops, tablets, mobile phones, pen drives, communication system and DVRs were also seized.

The agency also found letterheads of various terrorist organisations.

The biggest seizure, however, was a high-tech internet communication set and independent technical servers from the residence of Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. NIA sources said Mirwaiz used this special internet communication exchange to speak to his masters in Pakistan.

It was reported that the hotline had a 40-feet long antenna which had been set up at the Kashmiri separatist leader’s residence in complete violation of rules and regulations that are in place in a sensitive area like Srinagar.

Agencies

I was misquoted : Yediyurappa

by

Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa today said he was quoted “out of context” amid criticism over his comment that that India’s air strike on a terror camp in Pakistan on Tuesday has created a wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will help the party win over 22 of 28 seats in the state in the national election due by May.

“The atmosphere….day-by-day the wind is increasingly blowing in favour of the BJP. Yesterday”s action of destroying terror hideouts by entering inside Pakistan has resulted in a pro-Modi wave in the country, the results of which can be seen in coming Lok Sabha polls,” Mr Yeddyurappa said on Wednesday in Chitradurga.

“Just now we got news that a Pakistani jet which tried to enter our border has been chased back. Pakistan has been taught a lesson, after 40 years PM Modi has done it. PM said we’d reply to every drop of blood of our soldiers and he has shown that today. Youth are celebrating; all this will help us in winning more than 22 Lok Sabha seats (in Karnataka),” said the former chief minister. The BJP has 16 parliamentary seats in Karnataka, the Congress 10 and Janata Dal Secular, two seats.

This morning, he tried to blunt the attacks but it didn’t help. “My statement is being reported out of context. I said that ‘situation favourable for BJP’ which I am saying for last couple of months. This is not first time that I said BJP in Karnataka will win minimum 22 seats under the able leadership of Modi ji,” he tweeted.

The clarification came shortly after he was rebuked by his party colleague, Union Minister VK Singh.
 

Mr Yeddyurappa’s comments have redoubled the opposition’s attacks on the ruling party. On Wednesday, 21 parties alleged “blatant politicisation” of the sacrifices of the armed forces by the “leaders of the ruling party (BJP).” The parties added that “national security must transcend narrow political considerations.”

The Congress unit in Madhya Pradesh tweeted: “They have no shame. The country is tense, our pilot is in Pakistan’s custody, soldiers’ families are worried, and BJP is counting seats…Such lowdown politics.”

In the early hours of Tuesday, Indian Air Force fighter planes crossed the Line of Control for the first time since 1971 and bombed a training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, the terrorist group responsible for the February 14 terror attack in Kashmir’s Pulwama in which over 40 soldiers were killed.

The government said the strike was successful and a “very large number” of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders were killed.2

Amid escalating hostilities, Pakistan yesterday captured an Indian Air Force pilot after an air combat, after which the government put out a strong statement demanding his safe return.

Andhra CM calls for protests against Modi’s Vizag visit

by

Nasheman News :  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said his Telugu Desam Party (TDP) would participate in the protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to this port city on Friday.

In a teleconference with TDP leaders, Naidu said the party would support the protest called by Prateekya Hoda Sadhana Samiti Joint Action Committee over the Centre not conferring special category status on the state and not fulfilling other promises made in Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

The JAC, which comprises various like-minded parties and groups fighting for special category status to the state, has said that Modi has no moral right to visit the state without fulfilling the commitments.

Political parties, people’s organisations and trade unions which are not part of JAC have also called for the protest against Modi’s visit. They include the Congress, Jana Sena and the Left parties.

Modi will address a public meeting at Visakhapatnam. Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Anil Chandra Punetha on Wednesday held a meeting with top officials in state capital Amaravati to review the arrangements for the Prime Minister’s visit.

Modi had faced black-flag protests during his visit to the state’s Guntur on February 10. Addressing a public meeting, he made a scathing attack on Naidu. 

Meanwhile, the TDP chief alleged that main opposition YSR Congress Party was busy in mobilising people for Modi’s public meeting. He reiterated that YSR Congress is hand-in-glove with Modi and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.

Simultaneous elections to Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Lok Sabha are due in April-May.


AI re-routes flights to Mumbai, Ahmedabad; 16 cancelled

by

Nasheman News : Amid escalating Indo-Pak tensions, the Air India (AI) has re-routed its to and from the USA and Europe flights, while as many as 8 incoming and 8 outgoing flights of private and international carrier were cancelled, said officials here on Wednesday.

The cancellations included two arrivals and two departures of Jet Airways, three arrivals and departures of IndiGo, and one arrival and one departure each of GoAir and Vistara, mostly to Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Chandigarh and Dehradun.

Besides, United Airlines’ one arrival and one departure flights from and to Newark were also cancelled due to the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued earlier on Wednesday for nine airports by the Directorate-General (DG) of Civil Aviation. It was withdrawn later.

The AI said its inbound and outbound flights for the USA and Europe and for Delhi were being re-routed to Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

Besides, flights landing into India from the USA and Europe are being diverted to Dubai and Sharjah due to technical reasons, and will land with a delay, but no AI flights have been cancelled.

The DGA had earlier restricted all flight operations at Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Pathankot, Amritsar, Shimla, Kangra, Kullu-Manali and Pitthorgarh. It was restored later.

Meanwhile, most airlines have waived penalties for cancellations, rescheduling, no-show, refunds, due to the closure of air space at these airports.

Nayantara Sahgal unveils new novel, slams Modi

by

Nasheman News : Veteran author Nayantara Sahgal unveiled her new novel “The Fate Of Butterflies” at a function attended by bibliophiles and several known faces from the literary and political world, here on Wednesday.

The novel, Sahgal said, confronts the toxic dangers of “war, religious polarisation and authoritarian charisma — a dystopian future that is already upon the world”.

Sahgal was introduced by author Namita Gokhale during the launch at Oxford Bookstore. “The Fate Of Butterflies” is published by Speaking Tiger and is priced Rs 450.

In a conversation with Sanjoy Roy, producer of the Jaipur Literature Festival, Sahgal said all her novels have been stories of the times she has lived in and how they contributed to the making of India. “But this novel is about the unmaking of India,” she said, pointing to the horrors of innocent people being lynched.

Sahgal, a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family and one of the most vocal critics of Indira Gandhi during the Emergency, alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government draws inspiration from Nazi Germany.

Alleging that India was under a dictatorial regime, the 91-year-old writer said while Germans were told that Jews were a danger to them, the majority community in India is being told that it is under threat from the country’s Muslims. She said ministers have spread this fear.

Remarking that she is a believing Hindu, Sahgal said she “absolutely rejects” the ideology of Hindutva.

“What’s happening in the country has nothing to do with Hinduism, but a political ideology that has nothing at all to do with religion,” she said.


KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives