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Is our Pillar of Kindness Round enough?

February 17, 2022February 17, 2022
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

As Google popped out one of its reminders of today’s Random Act of Kindness Day, it occurred to me that have I ever asked myself the last time I did something nice for someone out of blue in my random state of mind? There have been so many celebrations and events around the globe every day of our lives. But without a hint of self-interest can we develop our sense of instinctive kindness? Sounds like such a random thought but its relevance is quite intense in everyday living. There have been several research where one’s ability to act kindly is directly linked with the individual’s feeling of contentment, health, and happiness. This pans across ages and genders and their achievement of mental peace and stability. It is strange that in today’s times, a special date must be allotted to celebrate this inherent human quality. But in a way perhaps there is a dire need to promote it as a celebratory date so that humanity can come to realize its integrity and importance. The popularity of its celebration is increasing every year in groups, individuals nationally and internationally but what is interesting is to understand whether the practical actions of being kind randomly are following these celebrations or not. Since what goes around comes back, what we need to answer is whether our Pillar of a random act of kindness is round as well. Do we need to sand it further or is there a balance in the action and intention?

When a small child tries to comprehend the butterfly effect theory in science class, that thought doesn’t just stay as a piece of scientific theory. It finds its way through a multitude of passages in the brain and creates new dimensions, meanings, and experiences. This theory projects that even a small flutter of the wings of a butterfly can bring typhoons to a faraway land. The concept may seem to be far-fetched in its practicality, but its magnificence seems way too large for a young mind and there are chances that the same concept resonates in another context in the latter part of that child’s life. The random act of kindness is almost like that butterfly effect where you are kind to someone unplanned. That act of kindness comes back to you in another shape and form for that one random act of yours might have been a boon for someone else. It may sound bizarre to the practical mind but then emotions have their logic that many times contradict the logical humanity. The tiny aspect of our humane actions done in a spur of the moment might be capable of having a non-linear effect over complex situations in society. The unpredictability of our good behaviors can have equally unpredictable happy conclusions.

Your random act of kindness towards random someone has the power to bring immense happiness in their lives. It may help in developing positive relationships and new friendships. This action can even bring a sense of self peace and kindness in return thus completing the circle around your pillar of life. A small smile, a random genuine compliment, a comforting pat on the back, or even a soft-supporting gaze can reduce an impending sense of anxiety, anger, and uncertainty in a person near you. We undermine their weightage of soft skills and compassionate behavior because the world has made us hard in our outlook of its being. Perhaps this is the reason why we refrain consciously from being that kind self. Our skepticism overshadows our emotions, and we end up refraining from letting ourselves go with the flow.

Dr. Daniel Campbell-Meiklejohn, the study lead and Director of the Social Decision Laboratory at the University of Sussex along with psychologists at the university confirms that there is warmth in kindness even if there is no motive behind it. He further explained that the motivation to be kind can vary in people. While some decide to be kind because they feel the need to be a good person. However, the other may do it because they have some invested interest in that act of kindness. There is a view regarding this that elaborates it is the act that matters more than intention. Why does it take a back seat as long as the act of kindness occurs? There may be several contradictory opinions while discussing the mentioned study. Then there is another concept that involves doing the act of kindness without any need or motive. The act is so random that reason has no space in its explanation. This is where the true test comes in. When there is no need for intention focussed on committing this act of kindness, then the resultant ripples can be felt far away and lasts for a longer period.

This random act of kindness involves people who are close to you along with those who are total strangers. Action speaks louder than words in those moments. The pillar of kindness becomes not only tall but also complete in its roundness. The holistic experience of experiencing that random act of care along with imparting the spontaneous show of respect towards mutual existence is what makes the act worth its celebration. Be it personal relationships or professional interaction, our soft approach to humanize surrounding work and residential conditions is worthy of how we talk our walk. This is where kindness comes full circle and unconsciously becomes a part of our everyday life. We need to realize that this random act of kindness and mutual whole-hearted acceptance is integral in today’s chaotic world. That casual helping hand can perhaps assist in lifting another being to their real potential. As Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fibre of free people. A nation does not need to be cruel to be tough.” We need to absorb Darwin’s thought that man is an extremely social being that cares a lot by instinct. Sympathy and kindness come naturally to him and his actions. So, the question that arises here is, has our pillar of kindness reached its full circle, or are there more steps left to cover the round productively? It shouldn’t just remain a random food for thought!

Opinion Shack

Touch me not for I can Heal!

December 31, 2021
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

Humans are emotional and our response to these emotions, in turn, makes us a part of the race. The way we react to a simple comforting touch or harsh physical pull and push is just one way to show our immediate response to the sense of touch. This response comes as naturally to us as the breath that we take every day. We get these responses to our stimuli so often that we almost take them for granted. As individuals, we develop our thoughts and opinions based on our responses to those stimuli, be it physical, emotional, or psychological. Our everyday correspondence is the result of that tactile build-up. This synthesis arises when we experience our ideas along with each moment of our interaction with anything living or non-living.

How wide or close is the space between that stimulus and corresponding response, makes up our opinions and reactions in our behaviours. Similarly, if we consider our interaction with plants, they are unable to react to us physically as per their basic characteristics. However, plants like Mimosa Pudica in a way defy the norm and manage to surprise even the most sceptical of us! Its characteristic of shutting its leaves the moment we touch them is a reflex that makes us realize that nature provides us with elements of surprise now and then. We just need to come closer to enhance our knowledge.

Apart from its response to our touch, this plant even shows its capacity to open and close at sunrise and sunset, respectively. Since there is such a unique quality of Mimosa with its reactions to the ability of touch, usually it becomes a perfect specimen for experimenting upon for the memory repetitions of its habit of closing. There is a mimosa pudica in all of us. It may be visible or hidden as a trait, but each one of us responds to the stimuli that we come across in our lives. We experience life through a variety of touches that we experience in our daily living. Our vision may overshadow our thoughts, but the touch makes us more receptive to creating our perceptions, actions, reactions, and psychology. Apart from psychology, there is a deep philosophy that makes us who we are because of the sense of touch we develop throughout our lifespan. A simple touch, pressure, or an innocent poke has the power to depict our emotions and perceptions about our relationships and personality.

Our response to stimuli is so intense that one simple touch can develop our sense of trust and connection by reducing the stress hormones (cortisol). A kiss, a hug, those back rubs, an unconscious gentle physical contact for twenty minutes, is enough to release oxytocin. This is the confirmation that pushes medical science to heighten the usage of touch with the new life that is born. More physical proximity with young ones has proven to develop their cognitive, motor skills and decrease chances of violence and aggression in their behaviour. In a way, the touching becomes more therapeutic, almost like a healing power for the productive development of humans. The intensity of the impact of this sense of touch can be similarly observed in plants like ‘touch me not’.

We, humans, are sometimes so selective that just like despite Mimosa Pudica’s major healing abilities to be antibacterial, anti-venomous, antifertility, antidepressant, and others, what strikes us as a normal human being is its ability to shy away and take time off from being a subject of touch. The same goes with our interaction with other humans as well. Every kind of interaction has its relevance and importance but unconsciously what deepens our connection with any stranger is the body response, the way we react to their physical proximity is what makes or breaks our connection with them. One physical connection can change our perception and response. The subject we behaving as a mimosa can always be in the focus of discussions as part of human response.

Our memory and response to it are also quite like the memory that is unique to mimosa that connects with human memory and its compliance. Where the plant has its memory to realize whether it needs to close its leaves as a defence mechanism, humans also react to any new entry with a sceptical approach. We initially close our barriers to new things to prevent ourselves from any prospective harm. However, like a mimosa, the continuous touching of its leaves, sometimes reduces its effort to utilize its energy to close its leaves once it finds the touch to be the same. Similarly, we also react in likewise manner when we are sure of a person or a situation on whom with time, we build our trust. We too tend to open our arms and develop acceptability to the known trustworthy individuals and situations. Such an interesting observation!

Then there is the element of surprise that brings out its intense action of closing away its petals making one curious further. In a way being shy and reclusive is more attractive. It is as if the plant wants to say that we can term it as a paradox. Just like the plant, we also believe in the forbidden fruit. The more something becomes unattainable for us, the more we try to capture it. It is the mystery behind that lures us to dive deeper. When someone tries to get away from us, that triggers our brain to know why! We want to unfold the person’s mystery so that there can be a conclusion for our self-gratification. It is our need to reach our sense of peace that we either totally reject their existence or run after them to know more and satisfy our curiosity about them. We can reserve or reject the power the other person holds over us just like the plant.

This touch-me-not like those who are unattainable to us, have the power to become our craving to know more about them! When Edward Thorndike explained in his Stimulus Response Theory, he believed strongly that all that we learn in our lives is a result of the connection between the stimulus and the response. He in a way opens our mind to the idea about why we believe what we believe in and how we behave because of our beliefs.

Even though psychology may differ and point out that there are other factors apart from the response and its stimulus, but we cannot ignore them because how we react to things in our everyday life shows a strong reflection of these two in our behaviours and the reasons behind! The importance of stimuli just like in Mimosa Pudica is remarkably like human relationships to their reactions to a sense of touch. This may have become a controversial topic to discuss with time because of the development of various other factors, but our proximity to emotions and behavioural pattern relies heavily on how we as individuals respond to the other when in close physical proximity compared to our reactions when far away. Therefore, our sense of stimuli pulls our gears to react to others in a unique way, human or otherwise!

Opinion Shack

Questioning the Divinity of ‘Y’ Chromosome

November 15, 2021November 17, 2021
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

women's march, sign, child, political, rally, human, rights, women, international, day

When an argumentative project the idea that feminism was born so that women who are physically not satisfying the stereotypical social parameters gain relevance in society at large, there is a strong tussel that rightfully developes around the corners of reason. This tussle between coexistence and potential supremacy of ‘y’ over the ‘x’ chromosome raise a significant question regarding the existing divinity of one over the other. It makes me realise with time that I have been lucky enough to grow up in a family where my mum was as vocal and loud as my father. There was a constant chaos over the difference in opinion among our family of five. I never realized I had to speak in a certain way, behave in a particular manner and project the image of ideal gender type! And I am so thankful for that because as I transcend further in life, I realise this is not a common act in society. There are differences that we need to respect and appreciations that we need to award based on gender demarcations. Perhaps my upbringing in this manner made me what I am. The credit goes to my insane parents who never even discussed the topic of gender and associated behaviour. What used to matter to us was how are we as an individual. There was a contentment in being in our own skin. The unconscious mutual respect as human beings with minds of our own always took precedence over our genders!

Most of us when discuss gender and subjects surrounding it, do not miss out on the familial aspect of it. This engulfs the concepts of marriage, area of financial concentration, as well as tight-knit arena of parenthood. All three has their own boundaries that surrounds relative aspects. For instance, the idea of marriage may include the topics of communication, difference in opinions, physical or emotional intimacy and physical and mental abuse. Then there is financial aspect of the relationship which may include economic provisions or supporting role in providing financial assistance to each other. Then if we take into consideration the area surrounding parenthood, we can very well associate with role of genders as individuals in the child rearing. Keeping these sections in mind what we need to focus is the way each gender is placed or has place itself in individual category. This implies how the genders see themselves and others as performers in relation with the above-mentioned aspects.

During mid-18^th century Mary Wollstonecraft advocated that a decent marriage is the one where there is compatibility in intellectuality of the genders involved. Keeping these views, she called out the various existing and upcoming social thoughts by promoting that the divine rights of husbands, just like those of king must be readily accepting to be contested and challenged without any fear. According to her it was of integral importance that women need to be educated to be able to gain economic independence that was one of the main factors of putting men at a pedestal in society and proclaim their supremacy over other existing humans. However, her relevance in today’s times have become somewhat limited since emergence of various bifurcations in perceptions of genders. With different formats in spouse types like they may be supporting, ruling, flexible etc.; they have capacity to transcend among gender roles or may stay rigid to their existing identities. The divinity of a particular gender may seem to be more obviously prevalent in certain societies compared to the others, however there are few common traces that are consistent throughout.

The gender ideology of male divinity can be seen in our social discourse as well. Men subconsciously dominate the conversation and in fact many times women themselves subconsciously let them overtake the dialogue as part of their very deliberate yet subtle brainwashing regarding the upper hand of their male counterpart. Even though during the debate over gender differentiation and male supremacy when it is put forward that the difference among their image projection is because of their individual choice. The reality is this individual choice many times is engraved since the very beginning in the mind of both the genders regarding the suitability of their directed roles. These so many times result in the existing presence towards choice that both the genders make eventually in mutual agreement with each other!

We most of the time do not even realise the gravity of these unconsciously conscious decisions that we make in everyday lives as individual flag-bearers of existing genders. We then tend to forget that there is divine in all of us. Gender apart, we as individuals can be put on wrong pedestals most of the time due to our own narcissism. This perception towards wrong doings and negative choice of putting any gender on divine level, is an important factor that fall between the demarcated responsibility towards personal, professional, and individual capability in any relationship. When a man is divine in his existence the credit goes to not only male community, in fact the responsibility lies on the very capable shoulders of women as well for they themselves are actively as well as passively involved in trying to raise the bar of an entity that in its organic frame of roots have been created in similar capacity. With occasional and basic physical differences, the rest of the gap has been created by our mindset to suppress one gender compared to the other!

Being a nurturer does not categorise one gender to be weak or dependent just as being a provider does not win the title of being divine. The roles can very well be reversed and have in fact interchanged in quite a few cases. What is of relevance is accepting the selected role as part of equal contribution and making it a subject of choice and not compulsion for all genders in questions. The role of motherhood and fatherhood have a scope of interchange, exchange and even mergence for with time we need to realise that none of the gender in indispensable and there is a desperate need of harmoniously respectful coexistance of all for the mutual survival of future generation, whatever gender they belong to. Be it partnership that is based on physical proximity, emotional endurance or psychological connectivity, there is an integral grasp of distribution of power and duty in equality across the genders. For each of us need to forgo the divine amongst us. The concept of superiority has become very inferior in respectability and the quality of them having the quality of divinity has run its race towards redundancy!

Poetry

Tangled Path

October 31, 2021October 31, 2021
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

A paradise that is absolute

Music, art, romance that is pure

But like a free spirited joy of life

Frightfully honest about what to come

Look at tangled paths that rant away

Bringing about their own theories’ end!

The consequences bringing in sadness

Voices that look effortlessly harmoneous

Darkness inside irrespective of gender

Becomes that extreme loud constant

Which look at tangled path that rant away

Bringing around their own theories’ end.

It is now safe to say or is it?

Strangers end up thinking the same

Even though each concert may wary

And the safety net may not be for all

Since we look at tangled path that rant away

Bringing around their own theories’ end.

They say troubles need to be avoided

For end in tragedy is enevitable

A long commitment may not be wise

Delight lies in staying one night

For we need to look at tangled path that rant away

Bringing around their own theories’ end.

When we end up a little nervous

For the article passes its hands

The wilderness need to be experienced

Rather than taming of its shrews

Who look at tangled path that rant away

Bringing around their own theories’ end.

I was told only the best survives!

For they have actual zeal to fight

Forgoing the concept of heaven or hell

For idea of heaven lies within ourselves

Rather than looking at tangled path that rant away

They bring around their own theories’ end!

Films

Are we really Accepting Feminism?

October 29, 2021October 29, 2021
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

While watching Erin Brockovich on my “night alone”, I heard her telling her boss Ed upon his judgement of her physical appearance, “I Think I Look Nice. And As Long As I Have One Ass Instead Of Two, I’ll Wear What I Like, If That’s Alright With You….Maybe You Should Re-Think Those Ties.” That dialogue just clicked wirth my sleeply self and I immediately picked up my laptop to write about the perceptions. Then I further realised why are we even thinking about men like Ed? Do they really matter that much? why don’t we think about women like us, amongst us, who I feel end up becoming their own worst enemies while judging so many of us! It is a such a serious topic to write, think and discuss among ourselves. Breeding our prejudices as women and criticising our own just so that we can be accepted at a particular, so-called desirable level in society; are we not digging our grave and constantly falling in the never-ending pit? I just wonder is it wrong to need self-affirmations and yet remain a feminist at heart? Am I creating a confusion or pushing towards chaos when I proclaim my love to look beautiful and I like when people appreciate that beauty? But just to calm the waters a little, I live when other see the beauty in me that I see in myself and what if they don’t. For that is the point where I want all of us to focus that what matters is we how we see ourselves. Others are just others in random! When I see the mirror covering a large part of my bedroom wall, I feel it is me. I feel beautiful however I am. I feel I might rough up some collars when I find my feminine power to have beauty, grace creativity, nurturing the warmth that is me being female. But that is just how I look at myself. Others may feel just the opposite. And that is okey too. There are many who are truthfully right in saying that women are still discriminated and disproportionally represented in our society at large, however my point here is not to negate them in any way or lessen their importance, for what they are saying is so true. My point is when they are suffering so many of such problems all around, then do we really need them and their likes to face another set of irrelevant and unimportant problems of self-negation and non-acceptance from their own sex? It may seem a trivial topic to discuss by many but if we are unable to discuss so-called smaller issues then how will we address and resolve the existing bigger ones? It is all about freedom to self-exist and co-exist and be able to do or not do what we want. Many of us may find great power in selective silence and just existing, but that need to be and I quote, ’self-selective’ and not obligatory. If we do not need the confirmations of beauty from others then we also do not need Backlash for not being the career driven, outgoing fighter. Why not let us explore our own individual corner and find strength in that. Won’t that be included in our individual fight of feminism? Just accepting who we are and accepting who other like us are as individuals is a big step taken in our journey towards understanding the focal points of feminism.

Feminism is no more just about beating the baton about difference and discrimination of men and women. It is more about our inner fight now. It is how we fight with ourselves, our insecurities, our views about our own gender. How we treat our own and ourselves as well. We need not be identified just for our traits for we are way above and beyond these pointers! We need to realise that it is as okey to be able to dress femininely and celebrate visual beauty, as it is fine to be all masculine in approach identifying more with emotional stability. With time these feminine and masculine words need to have an interchangeable acceptability for these were mere one of the traits used to demarcate not only between men and women but even among women. This myth that women dress beautifully to confirm to male standards, and dress masculine to barge in and compete with them needs to die sudden death. We need to realise that feminism does not need men in any way to proclaim its strength. They are no more in the racefor there is no need. They are welcome to have their own theories, debates, and research papers to discuss their own plight and conditions as well! We won’t and don’t to mix that with our point of focus. They are there to enlarge the world’s horizon physically and emotionally and have their own individuality but that it where their interference and presence should end. They are a separate entity, but we need to realise and accept in totality that so are we as indivisuals and as whole!

The only concepts we need to stay away from is pressure, force, and obligations. These are the words that involuntarily demarcate our own sex. We tend to demean each other keeping in focus our own prejudices about the other side. It’s a basic logic of harming our own with result being feminism to be typecast as a cliché terminology! While criticising each other for perhaps being too feminine, masculine, too career-oriented, too domestic, too dependent, too independent, and so much more, we are weakening our own and in return ourselves only. When we trash each other, we are benefitting only those who stand outside our circle ready to pounce and demean our efforts to rise above all. When Joe Freeman in 1976 wrote, “it is not done to expose disagreements or resolve differences. It is done to disparage and destroy.” This is well applicable in my idea of feminism as well. Instead of blaming our own and name calling within our own beliefs, what we need is to just come together, break down our own barriers and boundaries and accept! We need to fill our own gaps and level the bumps among our existence. How about we take the exclusivity from feminism and make it a common part of our being. The more inclusive we make, the more strength the concept of feminism will become! How about we really accept feminism and be there for women like us no matter how different they may be…

Films

Women and their Theories of Cinema

October 1, 2021
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

Feminist Film Theories go way back in the 1970s. Their emergence caused upheaval for the perception of films in the eyes of audience. Let us zero our interest on some of the path-pavers whose work brought about a revolutionised change in the mindset of many. They provoked and enticed people to study them, their, work and study the cinema in general as-well-as in particular. The thinkers like Laura Mulvey, Barbara Creed, Kaja Silverman, Teresa de Lauretis opened up new avenues to study films. They zeroed upon concepts that were of extreme importance for analysing a film keeping in mind the male gaze, queering desire, the monstrous feminine, the female voice, masculinity in crisis, technologies of gender. Since 1970s was the time when feminist film theory made great interesting findings in the film industry, the filmmaking was also deeply influenced by it. Though today it may seem that the effect has loosened its lustre, still its study is very important to know about the rise and fall of this empire and how fast is its currency in today’s cinema.

HERE, THERE, EVERYWHERE… HIS GAZE

Whenever we see a movie and when a woman comes on screen, According to Mulvey the is a creation of physical, psychological, emotional, hypothetical gaze that identifies male view. The way they dress, the way they talk, their body language, what they represent id in a way dictated by how men would want to perceive them. Even the women in audience try to identify themselves with the image created for them. That is their unconscious identification and agreeability wit how men want them to be consciously or unconsciously. The visual pleasure is quite dominant right from creation of character to its visual consumption on screen leading further to offscreen identification as well. This develops into scopophilia, a narcissism that viewers identifies with. This consumption is spread throughout the three looks in cinema, the look of camera of real world, the look of audience of the final result, film; and how the characters look at one another. Even if it is the narrative where a female is driving the film, it is in fact the ideals of how her visibility in real life should be, in a way the male perception of her consciously or unconsciously governs. Be it voyeurism or fetishism, the duality of feminism is visible at the top because it is almost always female spectators’ views are subconsciously dominated by male confirmation to the feminism that they give approval to so as to move forward in its level of acceptance by the audience at large. You may differ in the opinion or may come up with something more. However this base cannot be denied and river may flow ahead and may divide into diverse streams from here but its origin remains!

Films

One Thing that we do Every Day!

September 27, 2021October 2, 2021
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

The dawn of today was like any other. With my tired being after last night’s slumber, I woke up after innumerable failed attempts of shutting off my phone alarm. I dragged my drooped soul towards my morning rituals and like a repetitive mechanism I did what all I had to do. While I was trying to tie the threads of my life with a monotonous cup of honey-lemon warm water, cradled in my hand, it suddenly dawned upon me, how many things I have been doing the same way, every day. They have been my ‘one thing’ that I do each time every 24 hours. The lukewarm darkness coated its pain upon me and once again. Here I am writing about so many ‘one thing’ that we women do every day of our unique life given to us.

We wake up with the baggage of responsibilities that we so-readily mistake to be our duty (the sense of duty has been so well-engraved in our x chromosomes even before we are born!) Work, home, kids, husband/partner/better half/another half and many more. For once there is weak-dying and dependent wish to do away with these titles, then we are awake again! Then we move ahead through the day checking the tick-boxes so that our stupid self-massaging ego gets satiated and those ever-so powerful so-called invisible others can open that ‘acceptability door’ that is almost like an ever-sucking suction hole. It drains away every possible ego from us. As we move forward there are droplets of smooth moments that if or when trickles towards us, have our utmost gratitude that we guise under the garb of gratification of being a woman and identifying it with our essence of existence. What we forget to ask is why we, why us? If women are categorised still as ‘weaker sex’ by quite a few according to their convenience, then why the double standards? It is as if we are bestowed upon with the title of carer, and someone who can do it all, at the same time our invisibly visible demons in various shapes and genders unconsciously or subconsciously are pulling us down to that rock bottom where the value of women is nothing more than that figment of imagination which totally downsizes their presence. According to “wise men” women are genetically made physically weak yet they are made in a way that they are emotionally strong. It is such a narcissistic declaration! We are being empowered by keeping a strict check on our list of do’s and don’ts! We are supporters for all the possible people who are in a different capacity than us provided we stay in our unimaginably complex boundaries drawn by so-called significant others.

Why not take ‘her’ out on a merry-go-round of our glamorised and idolized world of cinema that claims to give a panoramic canvas to the representation of women. Be it the role of mother, wife, lover, vamp, sister and many more, there is always a justification for her reserved representation.

We see her in one role or the other in almost all the movies, still it feels that her representation is like just another projection of any minority. We applaud the strong roles that have come up today for her and feel so proud that at least those roles have strength to earn the moolah or critical acclaim at the box office. However, if we look deeper, we will realize that the underline bed of truth speaks the same old tone, maybe a little sugar-coated but still the same. The opportunities have increased but are there enough of them to give a justifiable representation? According to Judith Mayne in her article ‘feminist film theory and women at the movies’, pub. (1987), there is no easy fit between ‘real’ women and their cinematic representation. In fact, sometimes it does not fit only. This fit is what brings about the point of contradictions that hover over her reality. The line almost always blurs when we realise that what we see on the screen, the ideal or could-have been ideal woman is what we are wanting in our daily life. Someone who must fall under a certain parameter of societal acceptability. Onscreen if a woman is been shown as a strong character that has human traits of being capable of negative personality of having a downward graph, then either she meets her negative end or she returns to her true hypothetical identity of goodness and purity. The yardstick is so fictional in itself that when women in real life look at ourselves or like our own, we start justifying our doings or otherwise we are considered the rebellious few with no real respect or self-worth on others’ or our own eyes!

The concepts of morality, duty, happiness, selflessness, and everything that is respectful according to the social norms and constructs, has a concentration of muddy puddle in the core of their construction. The never-ending expectations and trickling down of women empowerment as charity to her, need to be realised that it is not something that is or should be given to her, even as support. The right to own her own being is like her skin that has its own blemishes and scars. She needs to be proud of herself as a separate entity and must be alright if and when she does not confirm to the rules of society because in the end it is ok! It is ok to be wrong, it is ok to flunk, it is ok to not just care and not to keep on giving and giving. It is perfect to not feel the guilt of being that idolised perfection of figment of human reality. It is ok to be just a human!

Films

Intertextuality and Cinema

September 22, 2021February 15, 2022
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

It is not the case of chicken first or egg! Nothing comes to life in thin air. There is almost always a base when any concept or idea takes birth. Similarly, whenever a film is made there is a point of start behind it. This gives volume to the idea and weightage to the reflection of any concept. When we tell a story there is another vision and mission under it. Likewise, when we show a movie or encourage others to see it, there is a pre-existing concrete idea and ideology behind it. This relation of dependence on existing text or thought that gives life to the new and emerging views is termed intertextuality. More than being a plant that grows, it is more of a concrete tower that is built upon from a solid existing base to be developed further. Thus the films emerge as a result of peaceful coherence of different cultures and meaningful amalgamation of already existing text such as ideas, ideologies, poetry, painting, literature, music, and many more. It is not something that is stolen. It is liberating when we can pick up traces of the past and existing in something that is looked at and pondered upon in present to be consumed by our future. It is as if a larger-than-life fantasy is thought upon and the text gets captured in the realistic and relatable world for a real audience. The influence of our past emerges as part of history that the directors can use to create an idea and bring it to life in the form of films. However, the choice of that influence depends upon the decisions that are made in the present so that relation and relevance can be built in the cinematic depiction of earlier events.

What most filmmakers choose at topics to make cinema on depends consciously and unconsciously on the historical, cultural, social, political, philosophical texts that they have glanced upon. They do so to bring a voice to the things they have learned and the text that has influenced their vision and ideas. Along this line the various genres of cinema come to life, strengthening the concept of intertextuality more. The ideas emerge and start taking shape and what becomes integral is to make them fall into specific categories. This is further realized by categorizing films into different segments (genre). The type of theme or idea that a film defines decides under what bracket will it lie. Will they be fantasy, horror, scientific, romantic or period films, etc? Moreover, the genre also breakdown the type of films on the basis that whether they are falling in aesthetic, industrial, narrative headings or sometimes they even extend and merge their boundaries if need be to bifurcate with a broader perspective. This further explains the term ideology where the social, cultural, emotional, personal, physical, psychological as-well-as political thought of the filmmaker is highlighted. Thus films get their weightage for being literal game-changers and inspirational for the audience who watch them, in turn increasing their value of existence.

Films

LA DE DA DA of Films

September 21, 2021October 2, 2021
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

The tune that you and me dance to, the songs that make us groove have their own apeal. However add a n image to it and bring a different flavour to the composition. Now let us add series of moving images, and the aesthetic of the whole song or music totally flips! Then what if we ass this whole combination to a storyline or script. Can we imagine the potential it will hold? The power that the whole film radiates will have a totally different impact on the audience that is watching it! Be it a score, a tune or a song. Each has its own importance over the movie in focus and it hols the power strong enough to bring out varied emotions in the audience. The music is not only the soul but infact it capsules the whole essence of the film genre. Where speech is silver, this is a definite gold! Sound in cinema, in whatever size, shape and form; has a magnitude of weightage for it rounds up a complet picture and bring sense of peace for the audoence as well as people behind the camera. In the chapter, The Role of Music Communication in Cinema by Scott D. Lipscomb and David E. Tolchinsky [to be included in Music Communication (Miell, MacDonald and Hargreaves, Eds.)], it is explained that according to (Bordwell and Thompson, 1985, p.184.) sound has the power to explain the images and script, oppose them or even leave them to unexplainable.

Even though for someone who argues that music cannot communicate with the audience in a way dialogues do, still it has its own crucial position in the establishment of film narrative. It provides correct emotion to the concept. The visuality of cinema is enhanced manifold by bringing in variety of music at different appropriate places. The background score, the songs sequences affect the audience at many levels. It captures their attention and bring out their emotions rather even more than their conscious mind. It is not of importance whether the music is background score, theme or incidental, what matters is the amount of power it must build the emotiveness of the audience. It is extremely important aspect of a film since it has the capacity to carry a large part of cinema on its strong shoulders. The essence of music is what and how it connects with the film and its audience at multiple levels. Even though there is a complexity of the nature of music and its usage in films, we may not be in full coherence with the views regarding its usage. However, music does function on multiple levels in creating a wholistic film for the audience. Infact it rounds up to bring a sense of closure to the whole pachage of fim making as-well-as film watching.

Films

The Science of Signs

September 20, 2021October 2, 2021
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

“Signs and symbols rule the world, not words nor laws.” These words of Confucius resonates well with films. Cinema holds on to aspects of signs and symbols very religiously. When Ferdinand de Saussure spread the study of signs, he assured that the future generation is not left bereft of the principles of sign and its presence. Films are communicating complexity of human emotion and existence, in order to do so effectively, they must keep in mind, how the receiver will accept it. In order to have desired impact on the audience, the makers of cinema should have clear vision of how the films communicate. They should be very open to understand how a shot, a picture or an action on screen will be accepted by the variety of audience. This is where the imagined ideas work in consensus with the semiotics and its signs. The signs are one of the most integral part of movie making. They are the core that can further bifurcate into various unimaginable meanings for different type of recipients. A sign can be any visual prop or unclear point of focus that is visible but explains and idea that can be very abstract and cannot be seen. A sign can be minute or very visible, but its crux is to establish a thought or idea that identifies certain concept and ideologies. A film however is a pot-pourie of signs that are co-related to help audience travel through a movie maze. These signs can be scene-specific or they can travel throughout the film to bring about a connection of the whole concept. The signs can be in cluster to give a specific thought or they can slide throughout to engage the whole film in one bond.

The two parts of signs are based on their physicality and having psychological hold. Physical part is which we can see with our eyes, like our eyes moving towards rock lying on the ground. It stimulates the external reaction thus is called as ‘signifier’ The integral stimulation is by ‘signified’, which implies the real meaning of sign, for instance frown on forehead implies disapproval or discontentment. However, the crucial thought is that there is one signifier of a sign but there are multiple signifieds with many potential meanings. These altogether creates attachment of audience towards a scene. Similarly, there is ‘synecdoche’ that tells that there is a small thing which symbolised a whole. For eg, flag is a synecdoche that identifies whole nation thus, becoming part of the whole.

Then there is ‘metaphor’ which explains when one thing identifies with the other eg. a lion in a battle. While ‘metonymy’ is establishing relation on the basis of associations like, pair of hand associated with labourers, crown for monarchy. Similarly the connoted meaning and denotation has their own relevance as well. Eg. White coat with doctors and in connotation white coat is related to kindness, empathy, selflessness.

Then there are codes in cinema that helps to communicate the concept. These codes were developed by French Semiotician Roland Barthes who put them into five sections.

Enigma Code – These evokes interest in the audience and help the film to push forward. For eg. The suspense, reason, problems, etc.
Connotative Code – the physical aspect that unfolds the character. For eg costume, look, dialogues, dialect etc.
Action Code – when the action speaks louder than the words. For eg kissing scene when film ends implies more than just a kiss, switching of light on the wedding night implies a more intimate encounter.
Symbolic Code – the pattern that defines the idea for eg. Truth-lie, hero-villain, good-bad.
Culture code – the idea already known but is coded in a cultural way. For eg. Politics, ideologies, society, morality etc.

Just like hands have number of fingers, similarly the sighns and symbols have a number of divisions that combine torm a whole idea that once applied creatively has the capacity to churn out a very emotive piece of art in bracket of cinema.