DIRECTOR'S NOTE
I wish you all a happy and musical 2018!
Director, Strategy and Planning
Ajay Prabhakar
Director, Business Development
Pragash VM
Director, Marketing & Operations
Sneha Ramesh
Editorial Advisor
Nikila Srinivasan
Creative Director
George Vedamanickam
Creative Designer
Manasi Doshi
Content Contributors
Shreya Bose
Pramita Bose
Amogh Rao
Sriram Ravishankar
Malik Arshaq
In this editorial, I would like to call out a recent disturbing trend I am
witnessing in South India: Virality through defamation. For some unknown
reason, revered and prominent artists who we look to for inspiration have
unfortunately chosen to use their influence to insinuate castist and sexist
motives to legends who can no longer defend themselves. A prominent example
is the case of a recent article on MS Subalakshmi, which portrays her as
an opportunist, willing to "brahminize" herself to be get accepted into the
Carnatic music circles and that the whole community is a bunch of conniving
supremacists who only want to assert their hegemony perpetually.
I see multiple problems with this assertion: An artist choosing a persona that
fits his or her inner image a trend as old as time itself. Do we attribute motives
to Lady Gaga whose onstage antics and dress code shocks and awes? Do we
attribute motives to prominent Carnatic singers who like to be more acceptable
to a certain political image (TM Krishna)? or do we attribute motives to actors
who make another city and industry their home and gladly align themselves
with the aspirations of their adopted home (Rajnikanth)?
Let us instead accept all artists have had to adopt a persona and that a personal
choice that was made because of societal constraints, audience demand, or
because of a strongly held personal belief. Our society has made great strides
in reforming itself and I believe it is only going to get better with every passing
generation and with societal changes, so will the audience. While I salute the
Mavericks, I will certainly refrain from outrightly criticising the conservatives
for their beliefs and choices.
In conclusion, I must say that; While some people don't have any qualms about
reopening deep cast wounds again and again if only for their personal fame, I for
one believe in focussing on the future and not whining about the past.
PRAGASH VM
Director - Business Development
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