How and why do certain films make the viewer feel that they are being followed? Shonima N. analyses two recent Malayalam films to examine how they play with the male gaze to unsettle the spectator.
Read more
Category: Issues
[Podcast] കഥകളിയുടെ അണിയറയിൽ (Part 1: Kathakali Music)
കഥകളി അവതരണത്തിൽ സംഗീതജ്ഞന്റെ പങ്ക്, കഥകളി സംഗീതത്തിന്റെ സവിശേഷതകളും ശിക്ഷണരീതിയും, ആധുനിക കാലഘട്ടത്തിൽ കഥകളി സംഗീതത്തിൽ വന്നിരിക്കുന്ന മാറ്റങ്ങൾ എന്നിവയെപ്പറ്റി പ്രശസ്ത കഥകളി സംഗീതജ്ഞനായ ശ്രീ കോട്ടക്കൽ മധു സംസാരിക്കുന്നു.
Read more
Playful Pastiche, Hybrid Subjects: David Kalal’s Diasporic Art
New York-based artist David Dasharath Kalal takes us through selections from his “Ravi Varma Recreational Vehicle”(RVRV) series combining the heavily reproduced work of Raja Ravi Varma, ever-familiar to the Malayali, with present-day South Asian Americans.
Read more
പുലയത്തറയിലെ അടിയാള ജീവിതങ്ങൾ
ദളിത് ക്രൈസ്തവ ജീവിതാനുഭവങ്ങളെകുറിച്ച് 1962 ൽ പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിച്ച ഒരു കൃതി ഇന്നും പ്രസക്തമാകുന്നതിനെക്കുറിച്ചു സിതാര എഴുതുന്നു.
Read more
Tropical Cyclones and Flooding Woes in Kuttanad: A Clarion Call for Risk Mitigation Measures
Climate change and poor water management are leading to a situation where catastrophe is the new norm in Kerala’s low-lying regions. Aswathy and Varughese explain the gravity of the situation and the solutions at hand.
Read more
Third Anniversary Editorial
Ala turns three with this special issue! Read on to learn more about just what is special, what our past year was like, and what is up ahead for Ala.
Read more
A Smartphone of One’s Own
Renu Susan explores how smartphones have transformed women’s TV-viewing practices in contemporary times, and carry implications for identity formation, independence, and a sense of oneself.
Read more
Who Cares? Disability, Caregiving, and Women
Drawing on narratives of female caregivers in Thiruvananthapuram, Therese Abraham sheds light on the gendered dimensions of caregivers for disabled persons covered by the government’s Ashwasakiranam scheme.
Read more
A Karkidakam Homecoming
In her journey to reconnect with her ancestral roots after moving to Kerala, Shruti Tharayil discovers how her familial practices during the month of Karkkidakam are intertwined with cuisine, climate, and local ecosystems.
Read more
Lotteries and COVID-19: Fiscal Shock and the Livelihoods Behind the Gamble
Shravan M K discusses how the pandemic has affected the sale of lottery tickets in Kerala, and consequently, the livelihoods of lottery ticket sellers, many of who are elderly, women, or persons with disabilities.
Read more