We Want MoreCan We Move On: From the ‘Happily Ever After’ Trope That Doesn’t Include Unconventional Paths to Happiness What's the point of a happy ending for all if it's tailored to a narrow vision of what a fulfilling life looks like? By Aditi Murti
They'll Be There For YouThe Buzz Cut: Reunion Shows Are Rarely Satisfying. So Why Do We Keep Asking For Them? This week in The Buzz Cut, we unpack the villain trope in "Cruella de Vil" and the politics of family WhatsApp groups. By Saumya Kalia
Casting A ShadowIn ‘Ajeeb Daastaans,’ Caste Compels People To Lead Secretive, Manipulative Lives The characters navigate their life choices using lies and deceit to survive a world set up against them. By Hannah Stephen
Time of Death?Can’t Let Go: of ‘Dill Mill Gayye,’ Despite the Drama and Toxic Relationships 'Dill Mill Gayye,' in Mumbai's fictional world of Sanjivini Hospital, is a classic example of being at the right place at the right time. By Saumya Kalia
After 30 Years‘The Simpsons’ Actor Who Voiced Apu Apologizes to Indians for Stereotypical Portrayal The show was founded on good intentions, Hank Azaria said, but it contributed to the “structural racism” in the U.S. By Saumya Kalia
Most WantedWhy Do True Crime Stories Fascinate Us? “As humans, we want to understand the darker side of our nature.” By Saumya Kalia
You Can FailCan We Move On: From the Trope of the Feisty Small Town Girl Obsessed With Upward Mobility Though depictions of a small-town girl's dreams represent feminist progress, she is never given the ability to fail or appear vulnerable. By Aditi Murti
Best of Both WorldsThe Buzz Cut: Miley Cyrus’s Letter To Hannah Montana Is a Reminder That Growing up Is Messy, but Beautiful This week on The Buzz Cut, Demi Lovato's documentary and the politics behind Jay-Z's new song. By Saumya Kalia
Sexism With A Silver SpoonCan We Move on? From the Posh Girl Trope That Uses Privilege to Justify Misogyny Silly, frivolous, and thoroughly misrepresented, the Posh Girl's persona needs a retelling. By Aditi Murti
Freedom of StreamingSupreme Court Rules That Amazon Prime Video’s India Head Can’t Be Arrested in Tandav Case The court stated that the Government’s current social media and OTT rules "have no teeth," thus no power for prosecution. By Aditi Murti
Level UpBollywood Is Finally Shooting Overt Sex Scenes. How Can the Process Be Ethical, Safe? Armed with crotch pads, communication skills and trauma handling know-how, intimacy coordinators can uncomplicate intimacy in Bollywood. By Rajvi Desai
Gatekeeping The SpotlightHow Tollywood’s Two ‘Rival’ Castes Work Together to Maintain Political, Industry Power The rivalry of the Kammas and Kapus is mostly for show. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Stranger Than FictionSC Denies Plea to Protect ‘Tandav’ Creators From Arrest, Rules “You Cannot Hurt Religious Sentiments” Even in Fiction "[The show] is a political satire. If people are so sensitive … then art, cinema, TV, all will be destroyed,” argued counsel for the show's creators. By Satviki Sanjay
Who Could She Be?Can We Move On: From The Long‑Suffering Woman Trope As A Vehicle To Highlight Men’s Virtues She is beautiful, altruistic, tragic, and never ever in control of her own narrative. By Aditi Murti
Cut!Pakistan’s Entertainment Industry Is Finally Confronting Its Sexual Harassment Problem Cases like Meesha Shafi's and others' highlight how patriarchal norms worsen an exploitative system. By Neha Maqsood
A New LensNumber of Women Directing Major Hollywood Films Reached an All‑Time High in 2020 Despite the progress, the "[gender] imbalance in behind-the-scenes roles remains stunning." By Devrupa Rakshit
Set Him FreeCan We Move On? From The Man‑Child Trope As The Only Counter To Traditional Masculinity Bollywood offers an unsatisfying alternative to hyper-masculinity: the goofy, utterly confused, dithering man-child. By Aditi Murti
Refocusing“Sir” Joins Small Canon of Films Challenging Bollywood’s Classist, Formulaic Depiction of Domestic Workers Rohena Gera's film pushes the viewer to see a household helper as a human being with the same romantic and sexual desires as everyone else. By Poulomi Das
