Sunday Long Reads: Pandemic’s effect on our social skills, Madhuri Dixit interview, gender-fluid sculptures making a wave globally, and more

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‘If you take yourself too seriously, it’s dangerous’: Madhuri Dixit

Madhuri Dixit in a still from The Fame Game. (Photo: Netflix)

THERE is a moment in the recently-released web show The Fame Game, when veteran superstar Anamika Anand feels awkward as the upcoming star Jaslyn calls her “an inspiration” and seeks her blessing. Taking a jibe at the paraphernalia that surrounds a celebrity today, Anamika tells Jaslyn that with an army of PRs, trainers and stylists at work, an actor today “doesn’t need talent”, let alone her blessing, to succeed. They, however, create a perfect photo-op for the paparazzi with Anamika’s hand placed on Jaslyn’s head.

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Why the gender-fluid polychrome sculptures by a Sri Lankan-Australian artist is making waves globally

Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran (Courtesy: Jessica Maurer)

Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran’s sculptures are as colourful as the world’s deadliest mushrooms. They smile like Cheshire Cats. Embellished with a profusion of spikes, limbs, penises, lips, breasts and heads. Everything about them spells danger. But, instead of walking away from these feral mutants, we are drawn to them. It doesn’t even matter whether we like them or not. They tug at something primal and instinctive, earning our curiosity and teasing our desperation to understand.

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Holding on and letting go in Stay Awake

A still from the film Stay Awake. (Source: Alejandro Mejia)

Most films which deal with bare-knuckle addiction of any sort — alcohol, drugs, porn — view the world from the addicts’ point of view. While of course their story is primary, what usually goes missing is the story of their loved ones. Very often, addicts are oblivious to the needs and wants of others. Caregivers bear the brunt, constantly having to shift and adjust, so much so that they feel out of control and overwhelmed.

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How I got hooked on to nature

Awe struck brand new leaves. (Source: Ranjit Lal)

It’s a question I get asked rather a lot: “how did you get interested in nature?” Usually followed by, “how can I get interested in nature and help save the environment?” Those asking, happily, usually are schoolchildren and those just heading for the heady days at college.

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