Latest news with #Radha
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Radha & Rukmini: Two Facets Of Love In Krishn Lila
In Krishn's divine lila, love reveals itself in many shades, not to confuse us but to awaken us. At first glance, Krishn's bond with Radha may seem puzzling, especially since Rukmini was his lawful consort. Yet across centuries, temples, songs, and hearts remember Krishn not as 'Rukmini-Krishn' but as 'Radha-Krishn'. Radha and Rukmini are two expressions of the same Divine force. They symbolise two dimensions of love - the worldly and the transcendental, the composed and the consuming. They are not in conflict but in complement, reflecting the soul's journey towards the Divine. Rukmini, the queen of Dwaraka, embodies maryada, the love that lives within the boundaries of dharm. She is Lakshmi incarnate, graceful and steadfast. Her love stands for a sacred partnership rooted in harmony, order, and purpose. She represents Apara Shakti, Krishn's manifest energy that sustains worldly life. Radha, the gopi of Vrindavan, is Krishn's Hladini Shakti, his bliss, inner song. Her love transcends all boundaries. It is romantic, yes, but not merely earthly; it's the soul's cry for union with the Infinite. Radha is Para Shakti, the soul's longing for the Divine, unbound by law or logic. She is not another love; she is love itself, raw and pure. To a layperson, Radha and Krishn 's romance is emotionally relatable, a tale of longing, stolen glances, and secret meetings under moonlit skies. But to the seeker, it reveals a profound truth: that the soul, like Radha, yearns not for a husband or a protector, but for oneness with the Divine Beloved. This is why their love stirred saints and poets alike. Meerabai , too, wept and sang for Krishn, not as a king but as her eternal lover. Her devotion mirrored Radha's fearless and boundless love, pure, sacred, and beyond the bonds of this world. Rukmini's love is the temple. Radha's the sacred fire within. Rukmini walks with grace, and Radha dances in divine ecstasy. Both are true. Both are sacred. One represents Krishn's presence in worldly life. The other reveals Krishn in the innermost heart. Sri Aurobindo saw Radha as the symbol of the psychic being - the soul's flame moving toward the Divine. In this light, Radha and Krishn are not two lovers, but the seeker and the sought. Their union is not merely emotional. It is spiritual and cosmic. Some traditions view Radha and Krishn as Shakti and Shiv, two forms yet ultimately one. Rukmini represents Krishn's role in society and dharm. Radha is his inner music, his hidden joy. Both are divine movements of the same truth. To truly understand Krishn, one must embrace both these aspects. He is the cowherd of Vrindavan and the sovereign of Dwaraka. He is Radha's eternal beloved and Rukmini's devoted husband. One whispers the mystery of divine ecstasy. The other upholds the strength of divine grace. Krishn's lila unveils love in its fullness. In Krishn's world, love has many faces. Each of them is sacred. Through them, we do not just learn how to love. We learn how to become Love itself. Authored by: Ganesh Kolambakar Why Arjun Was Chosen: The Untold Secret of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, Verse 3
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
DYK Manju Warrier's Railway Track Scene In Sallapam Almost Claimed Her Life?
Last Updated: In the film's emotional climax, Manju Warrier's character Radha, devastated after losing her true love, decides to leap in front of an oncoming train. News18 It's been nearly 30 years since Sallapam premiered on screens but behind-the-scenes moments created on sets are still etched in the hearts of the cast and crew of the film. At the center of these unforgettable moments remains Manju Warrier 's iconic railway track scene in the film that still sends shivers down the spine. In a recent interview, the actress' co-star Manoj K Jayan revisited the scene, revealing that the terrifying incident that unfolded during its filming could have ended in a tragedy. Talking to a television channel, Manoj K Jayan recalled, 'Everyone watching realised immediately that she was operating on another level." He added, 'She had completely surrendered to the character. It didn't feel like acting anymore—something shifted, and the situation almost slipped out of control." In the film's emotional climax, Manju Warrier's character Radha, devastated after losing her true love, decides to leap in front of an oncoming train. Shot on the 24th day of production, the sequence involved a real train approaching close to the actress. During the interview, Manoj remembered gripping Manju's arm with all his strength. 'Had my hand even slightly loosened, she would have gone under the wheels. I told myself I couldn't let go—whatever happened," he continued. Both the actors were left drained physically and emotionally after the scene was filmed and the director finally called 'cut'. Manoj K Jayan, however, felt like giving Manju a scolding after the shot but the entire unit erupted into applause watching their determination. 'Had I not been there that day, Malayalam cinema might have lost a future icon before she had truly begun," said Manoj, signing off. Manju Warrier was just 17 when she stunned audiences and critics with her performance in Sallapam. Written by the late AK Lohithadas and directed by Sunder Das, the romantic drama was released in 1996. Manju's portrayal of Radha in the film won her the Kerala Film Critics' Award for Best Actress and carved her name into the industry as a talented actress. After the film's success, Manju Warrier went on to become one of the most respected actors in the Malayalam industry. She continues to deliver powerful performances, earning love and applause from fans and critics. 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.
India.com
4 days ago
- Science
- India.com
Meet Indian woman who captivated Oppenheimer's attention, the father of atomic bomb, she worked as..., her name is...
Women are making tremendous advancements in a wide variety of fields and are leading the way for future generations of scientists through their research and discoveries. The presence and contributions of women in science and other disciplines are changing the scientific community. In this article, we will discuss the story of an Indian woman scientist, T.K. Radha, who entered her scientific career at a time when women were often not even permitted to enter laboratories. Growing up in a traditional family in Kerala, Radha broke the traditional barriers set around women; she overcame obstacles to get to one of the world's greatest institutions — the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, USA — the same institution that was home to the legendary physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, also known as the 'Father of the Atom Bomb.' Thayoor K. Radha started her journey in a traditional, male-dominated environment. In rural India, there was hardly any precedent for women entering the scientific world. Radha was born in 1938 in Thayyur, a small village that did not even have basic electricity. Using kerosene lamps during her studies, she was determined to pursue education and push the limits that were placed on women's access to scientific education. When she started her physics studies in Madras, it was a brave act for a woman to even be attending university. Radha got to work with the famous physicist Alladi Ramakrishnan, who was in the process of building India's first fully modern institute for theoretical physics — the Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Radha was one of an extremely small number of women who would ultimately be a part of the first initiative of that institute. She followed her passion and did not back down, while most of the students were men. Radha was bright, focused, and courageous, and it showed. T.K. Radha's story is not only a reflection of her academic brilliance, but mainly of resolve, spirit, and resilience against gender stereotypes. Her journey inspires generations of women to dream big and pursue science careers — regardless of the hardships. T.K. Radha is more than eighty, and she lives in Edmonton, Canada. A 21st-century archivist should be commended for the revival of Radha's inspiring story, rediscovered from forgotten letters, academic records and oral history. It was 1960s by this time Thayoor K. Radha's pioneering work was achieving worldwide notoriety. Her proficiency in quantum mechanics and particle physics gained the attention of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the 'father of the atomic bomb' and the director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. In 1965, a pivotal letter arrived: an invitation to join an esteemed group of physicists in the United States, where the foremost scientists were shaping the future of the world. This was a significant milestone in Radha's career, allowing her to gain access to the world stage as a woman from a community not generally characterized by its access to international travel.
The Print
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Print
Sholay is 50. What scholars have written about it
Set in Thakur's (played by a sombre, greying Sanjeev Kumar) house, it shows his daughter-in-law Radha (Jaya Bachchan) slowly turning down the lamps in the balcony, bringing the day to a close. Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) plays a soulful melody on harmonica as he watches her. One scene in the Ramesh Sippy movie even inspired an academic paper in the 1990s. New Delhi: The blockbuster Bollywood movie Sholay has been referenced in a thousand memes over the years. Its dialogues, songs, dances, and trademark moves are all part of Indian vocabulary. It is also a movie that university scholars love to sink their teeth into. University of Delhi professor Nellickal Jacob called it 'dialectics of desire and its repression'. Sholay is 50 today. But the movie is a gift that keeps teaching. Between memes and research papers, it has seen it all. Jacob's paper is one of the many academic reflections on Ramesh Sippy's film. The fascination with the so-called 'curry western' has even crossed borders, drawing interest from international scholars. The moniker was bestowed on the film for its desi avatar, inspired by the cowboy movies, and Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954). 'The film was on the radar of every cinema studies scholar and a popular text to research and write books and scholarly pieces,' said Professor Karen Gabriel, whose research areas include sexuality, visual cultures, and social theory. When he presented his paper in the 1990s, Jacob focused on the lamp-and-the-balcony scene as an interplay between desire and social taboos around a widow's silence. 'Hers is a muted and unspeakable desire that, for the most part, is revealed through minimal gestures and facial expressions,' said Nellickal Jacob about Radha 'Her encounter with Jai clearly awakens in her a desire that Sippy realises can only be obliquely referenced. Hers is a muted and unspeakable desire that, for the most part, is revealed through minimal gestures and facial expressions,' said Jacob. He argues that it is one of the best scenes in the entire film. Radha's slow, laboured movement shows how her repression is a reiterated ritual, and how Jai's gaze is not voyeuristic but a mix of melancholy and longing. He doesn't articulate his desire with words, but plays the harmonica. Emergency and Sholay 'The audience derived vicarious pleasure from playing the avenging angel, playing out their fantasies of securing justice against evil moneylenders, corrupt policemen, and rapist,' said Meenakshi Shedde. Released in a few months after the Emergency was imposed by Indira Gandhi, Sholay has been read in context with the making of the nation, and its political preoccupations. It was a time when the young democracy was gripped with all kinds of existential questions. In her paper 'Bollywood Cinema: Making Elephants Fly', Meenakshi Shedde explains that the 1970s were a watershed moment, as cinema became the 'conscience keeper' of the nation, both mainstream and parallel. 'In the mainstream, it definitely shaped the early success of Bollywood's superstar Amitabh Bachchan, now in his sixties. His protagonists broke the law to deliver justice and equity. The audience derived vicarious pleasure from playing the avenging angel, playing out their fantasies of securing justice against evil moneylenders, corrupt policemen, and rapists,' writes Shedde. Outside, political opponents of Indira Gandhi were being jailed, and underground protest movements were being mapped. Sholay marks the subaltern hero—a figure that was also synonymous with the growth of Bachchan's career. Such a hero was either an orphan or of ambiguous lineage, an affiliation with the masses, and capable of mobilising them. As film scholar M Madhava Prasad puts it, he offers 'a pleasurable 'subversion' without undermining the supremacy of the law'. 'The 'villainy' of Gabbar Singh is established through the gaze he casts on women too,' said Karen Gabriel Thakur is the only character who is referred to by his upper caste surname and class status in the village. He represents the feudal system, a status quo that the film establishes.'Thakur's plight elicits sympathy and by sharing in his desire for vengeance, we are also seduced into participating in a reaffirmation of the feudal order,' writes Prasad in his book Ideology of the Hindi film: A historical construction. Even Thakur's dismemberment serves a dual purpose. On the one hand, it represents the disabling of the apparatus of law and order, especially through its confrontation with criminality, represented by Gabbar (Amjad Khan). On the other hand, it also signifies a temporary breach of the coalition between the rural rich and the state. The film is also a nod to restoring the feudal system, which is equated with law, and the removal of all peripheral elements, represented by Gabbar. Though Jai and Veeru are petty criminals, they are employed by the state, rendering them 'infra-legal' but not irredeemably criminal, unlike Gabbar. 'They are figures with whom the new proletarian and other disaffected audiences could identify. One of the truly astonishing features of the developing cinema culture of this period is the success with which criminality could be deployed as a metaphor for all forms of rebellion and disidentification,' writes Prasad. It is also what separates them from the dacoit Gabbar, another subaltern figure, who challenges the feudal system. Thakur, who used to be a cop, temporarily sets aside legal protocols to deploy justice that the law cannot bring about. ' There is, of course, also the commentary that the legal and due processes in India are slow, by making the police arrive late in the movie, and the jailer, played by Asrani, a comical figure,' said Gabriel. In Sippy's film, there is a restoration of order rather than rebellion, through the figures of Jai and Veeru. Since Jai and Radha's love story is impossible in the society they live in, Jai is eliminated while Radha also goes back to her spectre-like existence. Veeru assimilates himself into the society by ending up with Basanti (Hema Malini), and most likely, marrying her. 'The 'villainy' of Gabbar Singh is established through the gaze he casts on women too—how he makes Basanti dance or how he looks while Helen is performing in front of his men,' said Gabriel. Sholay's 'ideal' men are shown as homosocial and transformed by the women into being pillars of the state. Veeru and Jai want to be better human beings, even refusing Thakur's money, to avenge Gabbar. They start caring about the people in the village and their plight due to the dacoits. The next few years, however, took a different route in scholarly ruminations over the movie. Homoeroticism in Sholay 'If Amitabh Bachchan can express undying love for other men on the screen, all in the name of yaari, why can't they too indulge in a little mischief?' asked R. Raj Rao. In the late 2000s, a wave of queer readings of Sholay began. Prominent Indian scholars focused on the camaraderie between Jay and Veeru, locating their interactions as one laden with sexual innuendo. Scholars R. Raj Rao and Ashok Raw Kavi, in particular, focused on the lyrics of the song 'Yeh Dosti', celebrated as one of the best songs of friendship in Hindi cinema. They interpret the text as a declaration of homoerotic desire. 'One verse, openly sexual, says: 'I will take anything from you'— 'Tere Liye Lelenge.' 'Lelenge' is Hindi street slang for the phrase, getting fu****', writes Kavi. In a similar vein, Rao calls the 350cc motorbike a phallic symbol in his essay, 'Memories Pierce The Heart.' According to Rao, Bachchan's popularity as a male brooding hero created a homoerotic bond with his young audience. 'The bond that Amitabh Bachchan formed with other male actors on the screen, complemented by the presence of an all-male audience that had gathered to watch him, engendered a sort of homoeroticism in the dark of the movie hall,' writes Rao. He does acknowledge that men in India are open about physical proximity, and even show affection among themselves through physical contact. But when an actor like Bachchan sings the song with lyrics ' People see us as two, but actually we are one, o God, bless us, so we never separate, never wound one another,' it opens up possibilities. 'If Amitabh Bachchan can express undying love for other men on the screen, all in the name of yaari, why can't they too indulge in a little mischief?' asked Rao. However, these readings have also been challenged as limited and inadequate and as a bit of academic retrofitting. Mausumi Bhattacharya, in her paper 'Bromance in Bollywood: Is it dismantling homohysteria and homophobia?', interprets the friendship between the two as bromance with a homosocial subtext instead of homosexual or homoerotic. She uses Kavi and Rao's works to highlight that reading the song as a homoerotic text dilutes the essence of 'bromance' that exists in the social fabric of India. 'Being brothers-in-crime underlines the aspect of shared interest, a key criterion of bromance. Though much is not revealed about the background and upbringing that they belong to, the identical socio-economic condition can be presumed. They partake in crime together, get arrested together, and serve jail sentences together is all too evident from the film's narrative,' writes Bhattacharya. Homoerotic or not, the song and the film established a definite career trajectory for Amitabh Bachchan. Also read: Feroze Khan's Dharmatma released the same year as Sholay and Deewar. It still stood out The Bachchan phenomenon 'As an actor, Amitabh's anger was never ugly. Other actors mix anger with arrogance. Amitabh's anger was mixed with hurt and tears,' said Javed Akhtar When the film was released in 1975, it was promoted as a significant multi-starrer, and the first poster had passport-size images of the entire cast. They were placed in a line at the bottom with the wild brushstrokes of smouldering orange flames and the title occupying the rest of the frame. 'The first week was difficult for Sholay, creating a minor stir among the producers and distributors. Subsequently, another set of posters with Bachchan and Dharmendra prominently in the frame, along with Amjad Khan (as Gabbar Singh), were printed,' writes Ranjani Mazumdar, who teaches cinema studies at Jawaharlal University. A few weeks later, Sholay was declared a success at the box office and Gabbar Singh its most popular character. A new set of posters was made with Amjad Khan as the dominant icon of the poster, clearly indicating the film industry's perception that Gabbar's persona had been successful with audiences. Khan, while continuing to do many hit films, was nowhere close to creating the brand of films that Bachchan eventually did. From the occasional drunk and gentleman of Hrishikesh Mukherjee films, he developed his brooding persona in a full-fledged brand with the Salim-Javed movies, especially with Zanjeer (1973), Sholay and Deewar releasing in quick succession. 'Amitabh doesn't tower over his strapping co-star Dharmendra in Ramesh Sippy's Sholay, the groundbreaking 'curry Western' that confirmed his arrival as a new kind of superstar, a disaffected Angry Young Man who takes the law into his own hands. But with his short-waisted, long-legged physique, he can look downright gangly, and when strategically photographed, he becomes an honorary giant,' writes David Chute in his 2005 essay, 'The BIG B: The Rise and Fall and Rebirth of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan'. Javed Akhtar, one half of the writing duo Salim-Javed, gave his take on why Bachchan's portrayal of proletariat or subaltern characters became popular with the audiences. 'As an actor, Amitabh's anger was never ugly. Other actors mix anger with arrogance. Amitabh's anger was mixed with hurt and tears,' said the screenwriter and lyricist in Talking Films: Conversations on Hindi Cinema with Javed Akhtar. He does, however, note that the later Bachchan developed arrogance. But in the 1970s, he was very much the guy who won because he did not let the more privileged determine his worth. Scholars have continued to read Sholay through multiple lenses to understand its undying appeal. As Sholay enters its 50th year, its charm is far from over. Naman Kumar, a law student at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, was fascinated by the movie. His term paper for the contract law course looks at the 'promise' made by Jai and Veeru to Thakur to get him Gabbar, under the ambit of the then prevailing definition of contracts in Indian law. Jai dies, but Veeru fulfills the promise. That, however, is not enough, under the laws of the times. 'In the contract scene between Thakur and Jai and Veeru, while Veeru completes the promise on behalf of Jai as well as himself after his death, due to the lack of consideration, it will only be a promise. Additionally, it can't be considered a contract because the object of the promise/contract is illegal, and renders it void,' writes Kumar. (Edited by Ratan Priya)
Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
IND vs ENG T20I series takeaways: Sree Charani, Shafali Verma impress; fielding perhaps biggest positive in India's historic win
India's first-ever women's T20I bilateral series win in England is a good enough achievement in isolation, but carries a bit more weight with less than one year to go for ICC Women's T20 World Cup in these conditions. Harmanpreet Kaur's side were dominant for large parts of the series, winning three matches rather comfortably, losing one after a run-chase that they controlled, and missing a chance to effect a Super Over in the fifth. It's so often been a source of criticism against the Indian team, that it's only fair to point out the improvements they have shown with their fielding. Often in the past, we have been used to the broadcasters panning to the coaching staff when the team has been guilty of misfields and dropped catches. But, not just throughout this five-match T20I series, India were pretty sharp in the recent Tri-Series in Sri Lanka as well. The odd dropped catches do still happen – as it did in the fifth T20I – but the athleticism and game awareness to cut down angles while approaching the ball with aggression have witnessed marked improvements. Leading this were Radha Yadav, Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur – three gun fielders who have ben assigned hotspots. Radha's catch in the last over of the 5th T20I to dismiss Amy Jones is a contender for cricket's catch of the year, as she dived forward full length at deep midwicket to complete a stunner. 'One of the best catches I have seen, she has been phenomenal, puts in a lot of hard work behind the scenes with her fielding. Not many people know it. Radha is somebody we need to stop, sometimes,' head coach Amol Muzumdar said. Early in his tenure, Muzumdar had said that improving India's fielding and fitness was one of his priorities. While it has taken time, the results are starting to show. Fielding coach Munish Bali said the camps at BCCI's Center of Excellence before this England tour had a big focus on this aspect. 'All these kids, they really want to become a good fielding side. There is an attitude change. I am very happy with the commitment they show, not just in the match, but during our practice sessions,' Bali said in a press conference. But he repeated more than once that there is a still long way to go, and the dropped chances and a massive missed runout chance off the last ball by Smriti Mandhana in he fifth T20I were a reminder of that. 'In the camps, we did some specific work on high catching, ground fielding which involves cutting the angles. What that involves is having a good approach, you have to take a shorter route to stay towards the ball. We did lots of drills regarding that. How fast we can come to the ball. And for that, our players need to be good athletes,' Bali added. There is just one year separating N Sree Charani and Shafali Verma but the T20I series in England came at very different points in their careers. For the 20-year-old left-arm spinner, it's very early days, as she made her T20I debut. For Shafali on the other hand, it's a second chance of sorts, having been dealt the first big challenge of her career after getting dropped last year from both white-ball formats. And both youngsters impressed. With 10 wickets at an average of 14.80 over the five matches, Charani outbowled every other player in the series. India have been chopping and changing over the past year and a half across both white-ball formats to find a lead left-arm spinner, but if Charani keeps up this trajectory, she might just be India's first-choice for the World Cup. 'I guess, you know, from WPL we identified her and then I think her progress has been fantastic,' Muzumdar said, calling her a find of the WPL, where she featured for Delhi Capitals. 'She's been phenomenal in this series. We had a good look at her in the Tri-Series, where we played South Africa and Sri Lanka. So, I think she's been the find. We were searching for a left-arm spinner and she's fitted the bill perfectly.' In the batting department, Shafali's talent has never been in question, but her consistency was an issue. While she had a slow start to the series, she finished strong, ending up as the second-highest run-getter (176 runs at a strike rate of 158.55) behind Smriti Mandhana (221 runs). Her return to domestic cricket has already proven that she is perhaps too good for that level, but she still has to prove she can translate that to international cricket. And the return to form now makes for an interesting headache for the management, as Muzumdar conceded. Pratika Rawal has made a dream start to her ODI career and has struck a wonderful partnership with Mandhana. But Shafali could perhaps still find herself in the mix for the World Cup, even though she is not in the squad for ODIs that follow in England. Vinayakk Mohanarangan is Senior Assistant Editor and is based in New Delhi. ... Read More
