Parinamam: The artist who refuses to stand still
'Parinamam', his 34th exhibition that is now going on at Vylopilly Samskrithi Bhavan, could thus be called a record of his evolution. 'Since 2000, I have exhibited almost every year. I cannot stick to one style forever. Once my mind says, 'That's enough,' I end it and move on,' he says.
Dethan's artistic journey has been a restless evolution. His famous 'Kali' series, created over six or seven years in pen and ink, became a turning point. Stark, haunting, and deeply unsettling, the series was born from meticulous preparation — sometimes 50 or 60 sketches before a single stroke touched paper.
Published in Kerala Kaumudi, 'Kali' sparked strong public reactions. 'If you ask me what the most important work of my career is, I would say 'Kali' without hesitation,' he admits. The inspiration, he reveals with a mischievous grin, came with a story---part myth, part social allegory---imagining humanity as a mix of demonic impulse and envy, gifted with compassion only as a last-minute divine correction.
That philosophical darkness shaped the mood of the series, but it came at a cost. 'The works haunted me. After a while, I needed to step away.' When asked why 'Kali' was so haunting, Dethan leans back and grins. 'I made up a story,' he confesses. In his telling, creation itself had a twist. 'My grandfather once told me that after the Creator made all living beings, humanity was created last. Before that, the angels asked the Creator 'What should we add to this new being?' And the answer came, 'Give him a little of the envy we mixed into the demon, the creature we made before this.''
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New Indian Express
11 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Parinamam: The artist who refuses to stand still
Most artists find comfort in a signature style a recognisable stamp they never abandon. But for BD Dethan, that very idea feels like a cage. For over two decades, he has been deliberately breaking his mould, shifting styles whenever familiarity starts to feel like repetition. 'Parinamam', his 34th exhibition that is now going on at Vylopilly Samskrithi Bhavan, could thus be called a record of his evolution. 'Since 2000, I have exhibited almost every year. I cannot stick to one style forever. Once my mind says, 'That's enough,' I end it and move on,' he says. Dethan's artistic journey has been a restless evolution. His famous 'Kali' series, created over six or seven years in pen and ink, became a turning point. Stark, haunting, and deeply unsettling, the series was born from meticulous preparation — sometimes 50 or 60 sketches before a single stroke touched paper. Published in Kerala Kaumudi, 'Kali' sparked strong public reactions. 'If you ask me what the most important work of my career is, I would say 'Kali' without hesitation,' he admits. The inspiration, he reveals with a mischievous grin, came with a story---part myth, part social allegory---imagining humanity as a mix of demonic impulse and envy, gifted with compassion only as a last-minute divine correction. That philosophical darkness shaped the mood of the series, but it came at a cost. 'The works haunted me. After a while, I needed to step away.' When asked why 'Kali' was so haunting, Dethan leans back and grins. 'I made up a story,' he confesses. In his telling, creation itself had a twist. 'My grandfather once told me that after the Creator made all living beings, humanity was created last. Before that, the angels asked the Creator 'What should we add to this new being?' And the answer came, 'Give him a little of the envy we mixed into the demon, the creature we made before this.''
News18
5 days ago
- News18
War 2 Ending Explained: Jr NTR's Shocking Twist, Hrithik Roshan's Fate And Kiara Advani's Arc
Last Updated: War 2 ending reveals if Jr NTR is hero or villain, what happens to Hrithik Roshan's Kabir, and Kiara Advani's Kavya in Ayan Mukerji's spy thriller. Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, and Kiara Advani lead Ayan Mukerji's much-hyped War 2, which arrived in theatres on August 14, just before Independence Day. The film had fans wondering who would emerge as the hero, whether Jr NTR's character would stand by Kabir (Hrithik) or oppose him, and what role Kiara's Kavya would play in Kabir's turbulent journey. The ending has now answered these burning questions while setting the stage for the next chapter in the YRF Spy Universe. Spoilers Ahead For War 2 Kabir's Double Game And Vikram's Betrayal Kabir (Hrithik Roshan), once a celebrated RAW agent, has turned mercenary, working under a deadly syndicate called Kali. With his sword skills and unmatched precision, Kabir is feared as 'the man who doesn't miss." But beneath the surface, he is playing a dangerous double game—pretending loyalty to Kali while secretly infiltrating it to destroy the organisation from within. Parallelly, Wing Commander Kavya Luthra (Kiara Advani) is honoured for her valour, but tragedy strikes when Kabir shockingly kills her father, Colonel Karan Luthra (Ashutosh Rana), after being ordered to by Kali. The betrayal leaves Kavya shattered, even as RAW intensifies its hunt for Kali and Kabir's daughter, Ruhi, becomes a target. In a surprising twist, Anil Kapoor takes charge as the new War Chief, assigning Vikram (Jr NTR) to eliminate Kali. Kabir and Vikram cross paths, and after Kabir confesses his true agenda, the two form an unlikely partnership. Vikram even calls him 'partner," giving fans hope for a formidable duo against Kali. However, the tables turn when Vikram mercilessly slaughters a minister's family, revealing his allegiance to Kali. In a shocking betrayal, he pushes Kabir out of a plane during a mission. Yet, his cryptic gesture sparks Kabir's memory of his childhood friend Raghu—hinting that Vikram may not be a straightforward villain. A Broken Bond And The Final Showdown The film delves into Kabir and Raghu's painful past. As children, both were imprisoned after a theft, where they met Karan Luthra. Kabir was chosen for a military programme, while Raghu was rejected, breeding resentment. Over the years, Kabir rose in RAW under Karan's mentorship, while Raghu turned bitter. The bond that once defined them crumbled under the weight of ego, rejection, and diverging paths. Kavya, meanwhile, confessed her love to Kabir years ago, only to be rejected as he chose his mission over personal happiness. Their relationship resurfaces in War 2, when Kabir shares the truth about his past. This time, Kavya chooses to stand by him, believing in his redemption. The climax delivers high-stakes drama. While Kavya and her team foil Kali's attempt to assassinate the Prime Minister, Kabir faces Raghu in a brutal, emotionally charged duel. Old wounds resurface as the two unleash raw power and bitter dialogues, confronting betrayal, loyalty, and their fractured brotherhood. By the end, Kabir emerges alive, but his future remains uncertain. Vikram/Raghu's survival is left deliberately ambiguous, sparking speculation about his role in upcoming films. As for Kavya, her arc ends on a note of resilience, standing tall as both a soldier and a woman who chooses strength over heartbreak. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Mint
6 days ago
- Mint
‘War 2' review: Laboured sequel fails to capture the silly joy of first film
Metaphors in Hindi films come with brass bands and neon signs. War 2 opens, as Pushpa 2 (2024) and Thug Life (2025) did, with dreams of Japan. A yakuza family is sitting down to dinner when a raggedy wolf walks in, followed by a panicked emissary with news of an approaching army. The army, it turns out, is ol' green eyes, erstwhile RAW agent turned freelance assassin Kabir (Hrithik Roshan). He looks wilder than he did in War (2019), dispatching waves of armed killers with a grim smile until it's just him and the hound left. It's almost like he's become… a lone wolf. After the Japan job, Kabir is hired by Kali, a shadowy crime cartel with a representative each from Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. They're bent on some kind of world domination, though all their plans invariably centre on India. Kabir is key, the superspy patriot who now kills his own people, for a price. But writers Sridhar Raghavan and Abbas Tyrewala know that even if Kali believes Kabir has turned, the audience knows better. And so, soon after, it's made clear that Kabir going rogue is part of a mission to destroy the cartel from within. The problem is, only Kabir and former RAW chief Luthra (Ashutosh Rana) know of the plan. The new boss, Kaul (Anil Kapoor), immediately sends a guided missile his way in the shape of special ops soldier Vikram (also headed in his direction, with more mixed feelings, is Luthra's daughter, Kavya, played by Kiara Advani). Vikram (NTR Jr.) is introduced singlehandedly demolishing a ship-full of pirates who've taken a group of Indians hostage. It's a splashy, ludicrous set piece, in keeping with the YRF house style. And yet there's something lacking, that dancer's agility and tongue-in-cheek creativity that made the first War such a delight. NTR Jr. for Tiger Shroff isn't a like-for-like replacement. Their acting evens out: Shroff with a lighter touch, NTR Jr. a marginally stronger dramatic presence. But where the Telugu star is a similar screen fighter to Roshan, Shroff's martial arts skills offered a useful point of contrast in War. Shroff also elevated his co-star: seeing Kabir through Khalid's worshipful eyes made Roshan seem all the more godlike. There's a different dynamic in War 2, that of blood brothers who've fallen out—a very common framing in modern Indian action cinema, and less interesting as a result. The other big replacement is Ayan Mukerji for Sidharth Anand, director of YRF actioners War and Pathaan (2023). Last year's Fighter showed that Anand needs the wit of Tyrewala and Raghavan to avoid coming off like another hawkish government shill Bollywood director. But perhaps YRF needs Anand too. He understands these films in a way Mukerji can't. The edifice remains the same, what's missing is the knack of bearing down on the right moment. There are few scenes in modern Hindi film as giddily effective as the camera panning to John Abraham smirking in the pool in Pathaan. War 2 offers similar opportunities, none of which are sold with the same verve. Mukerji has practically the same team that did War: Tyrewala-Raghavan writing, Aditya Chopra producing, cinematographer Benjamin Jasper, editor Aarif Sheikh, score by Sanchit and Ankit Balhara. But he can't make their work sing—even the catchy 'Janaab-e-Aali' number struggles to seem like anything other than a reheat of 'Jai Jai Shiv Shankar'. War 2 has every kind of set piece you'd expect from a Spyverse film, on top of trains and up belltowers and in ice caves, wielding samurai swords and brass knuckles and grenades. Even with a three-hour runtime, you won't lack for quantity, though quality varies (the sequence where they're hanging off a plane but somehow landing precision kicks is too stupid even for YRF). After Brahmastra, it was always going to be a gamble to hire Mukerji for a big action film. Perhaps the studio figured it wouldn't matter, that the expert and very large group of stunt and fight coordinators (including regulars Se-yeong Oh, Sunil Rodrigues and Craig Macrae) would handle things fine. But it's never the same: there are filmmakers who direct action persuasively and those who can't, and fans can tell the difference. If Mukerji seems cautious, so does Yash Raj. This is the sixth Spyverse film, and the second with Kabir. We can assume there'll be a Pathaan sequel at some point. But in case the studio decides to pull the plug on Salman Khan's Tiger—and it should—they might find themselves short of leads, even with the female-led Alpha in the works. This might be why War 2 closes very few character arcs and introduces a new central figure in Kaul. It's risk-averse universe management, but it denies the film the sense of completeness that War and Pathaan had. There's an awful end-credits montage that flies in the face of the emotional tenor in the film's second half. You've got to know when to walk away, know when to run…
