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Books Editor's Note

Teardrops – Selected Poems of H.S. Venkatesha Murthy; Edited by M.R. Dattathri

THE EDITOR’S NOTE Dr H.S. Venkateshamurthy, as we affectionately call him HSV, is a significant poet of modern Kannada literature.  His contribution to the Kannada literary and visual art fields is vast in terms of quality and quantity. Though HSV is most famous for his work on poetry, he is also a playwright, essayist, novelist, critic, children’s literature creator, scriptwriter, and moviemaker. He taught Kannada literature as a professor in a college in Bangalore, but that never limited him to mentor new writers. Most of us, contemporary Kannada writers, stay within the circle of his influence and have our stories personally associated with him. HSV is a Bhava Kavi. The term, which is common in the Indian languages, can be loosely translated as – the poet of emotions. Though we may argue that the function of every art is nothing but the reflection of human emotions, poetry is champion of […]

Blog Review

P. Sheshadri’s Kannada film Beru (The Root): Navigating the Thin Line Between Justice and Injustice

To me, P. Sheshadri, an eight-time consecutive winner of the National Film Award, is first and foremost a storyteller—much like a novelist—and only subsequently a filmmaker. This impression has solidified over countless interactions I’ve had with him. His approach to engaging with, interpreting, and critiquing a narrative is fundamentally that of a writer. Only when I would prod him with questions like, ‘Alright, Sheshadri, what are the visual elements here?’ would the filmmaker within him emerge, offering a detailed response. The notion that a filmmaker can simultaneously be a literary storyteller is one that many renowned directors have exemplified. Given cinema’s intrinsic connection to literature, this is hardly surprising, with Satyajit Ray being the most prominent example. Furthermore, the creative fundamentals of writing a novel are remarkably similar to those of filmmaking, making it challenging to separate storytelling from filmmaking entirely. Both creative endeavors rest on the three pillars: character, […]