Your cover story on the making of ‘Naatu Naatu’ was well-written, and the interviews made for a delightful read (‘BOP of the world!’, March 26). The article on The Elephant Whisperers provided deep insight into the minds of director Kartiki Gonsalves and producer Guneet Monga.
Winning an Oscar is a great accomplishment, but why are we seeking western validation? Isn’t gaining legions of fans in our country enough? We need to get out of the mindset that everything we do needs to be validated by the west.
Rashi Sharma,
On email.
Your cover story was interesting. It decoded the life of Oscar winner M.M Keeravani. The win for ‘Naatu Naatu’ was well-deserved. The Oscar glory is a stepping stone towards worldwide recognition of Indian cinema.
Muskaan Kousar,
On email.
Ram Charan and NTR Jr are the toast of the nation. The way they danced for ‘Naatu Naatu’ was mind-boggling. Regional cinema in India is breaking boundaries like never before. Just because Hindi is the most widely spoken language in the country, it does not mean that Hindi films are watched by the maximum number of people. The streaming platforms are enabling viewers to discover hidden gems of regional cinema. On every streaming platform, films of all languages can be viewed with subtitles. And this has helped regional cinema the most. Now a person living in Himachal Pradesh or Bihar knows about a Kannada or Malayalam film, and admires some of the popular actors in Karnataka and Kerala.
Gaurav Malhotra,
On email.
Take it easy
Andhra Pradesh comprises Rayalaseema known for its arid lands and abutting stretches of fertile land (‘Powerdrive’, March 26). People, therein, are inequitably placed and inextricably caught between a clash of the titans—Jagan Reddy and N. Chandrababu Naidu. Knee-jerk decisions are based on reactionary impulses than responsive instincts.
Commoners are sandwiched willy-nilly between the YSR Congress and the Telugu Desam Party. The proposal of three capitals—Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool—was a needless one by any reckoning. All disagreements can be avoided when cooler heads decide in the interest of the people.
Rajasekaran B.,
On email.
Come back to India
Yes, student migration has seen a sharp increase in India, but what you have not reported is that many of these students who are going abroad for studies are coming back to India after not getting the desired results in that country (‘Race to the door’, March 26).
It is only when one faces a dire situation would he or she migrate to sparsely populated countries like New Zealand or Canada. Going abroad and working should be encouraged for exposure, but one should always come back to their beloved motherland at some stage. Or else, what is the point?
Pradeep Kumar,
On email.
Why glorify them?
THE WEEK should not have glorified hunting and taxidermy (‘Skin in the game’, March 19). Your cover story showed the apathy of the Indian royalty and the cruelty of British hunters, who plundered not only our wealth but also our natural resources. We need to demand an apology from the British government for these ghastly acts. The British ill-treated both humans and animals of India.
P.S. Mehta
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
Navin J. Antony, Prathima Nandakumar, Bhanu Prakash Chandra and Jomy M. Joseph deserve cheers for their elaborate research, and for having brought out such a fantastic cover story in the true spirit of THE WEEK, known for such great articles!
Ironically, the destruction of wildlife in India, which the Britishers as well as India’s erstwhile royal families termed as “sport”, has been a blessing in disguise, since the government of India woke up to realise the importance of preserving the flora and fauna of by bringing out regulations on hunting, and opening national parks.
Krishna Chettyankandy,
On email.
I am Nick Gifford, Rosamond Van Ingen’s only son, and Tilly’s father. Navin J. Antony and Prathima Nandakumar have written a superbly researched and well-balanced article on my uncle, Joubert Van Ingen, which I read with interest.
In 1973, I made, probably, the only film of the Van Ingen & Van Ingen works—Burra Sahib. At 50 minutes, it is in the British Film Institute archive collections, and can also be viewed internationally without charge on my own website (www.nickgiffordfilms.com). It is an intimate picture of my uncles, their daily lives, and the Van Ingen taxidermy process.
As to Mike Eshwar’s kindness to my ageing uncle: Joubert’s electricity and water were cut off the from his quarters in the last 18 months; he lived in squalor and was malnourished due to the intentional neglect and isolation curated by Eshwar. There is a CID report, which details how he was duped into signing documents; it makes for tragic reading.
Tilly nursed him in the final week, was with him when he died, and arranged the funeral.
Nick Gifford,
On email.
Good decision
I am glad that the Supreme Court has brought in a law governing appointments to the Election Commission (‘Order and chaos’, March 19). Questions have been raised over the functioning of the Election Commission over the last few years; no matter what Narendra Modi and Amit Shah do, the EC has always given them clean chit. I am waiting for that day when the Election Commission will chide Modi and Shah for their wrong conduct.
Radhika Gupta,
On email.