Ajanta Sircar
Biographic Data
| ID | 801597 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Ajanta Sircar |
| GIVEN NAMES | Ajanta |
| FAMILY NAME | Sircar |
| SIGNATURE | SIRCAR A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Vellore Institute of Technology University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-3258-6689 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 12 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 3 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 12 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1991 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Re-reading the reception politics of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer’s Shabdangal in Kerala
The essay closely studies the debates triggered by Shabdangal (Voices, 1947), the first work in Malayalam that touched upon themes of non-heteronormative union, written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (1908–1994), which opened up dialogues on the notions of “reading” as an endeavour of culture and self-making in Kerala. We argue that the controversies and debates triggered by the work are useful sites to reflect upon the limitations of paradigms of pr…
Feminist scholarship and new Malayalam cinema
This review paper examines the feminist scholarship surrounding the new waves in Malayalam cinema. The 1970s–1980s and the post-2010s are the periods considered here because films released in these years are frequently referred to as ‘new’ or ‘New Wave’ or ‘New-Generation’ cinema. The objective of the article is to evaluate the gendered responses to a critically appreciated ongoing phase of Malayalam cinema, often called the new ‘New-gen Malayala…
Translation as circuit-breaker
Translation has traditionally been envisaged as a tool of communication between languages and cultures. This article examines the role of two websites, https://kafila.online/ and https://swatantryavaadini.in/, in bringing visibility to dissident works (fiction and nonfiction) of the early twentieth century of Kerala, through their English translations. In Kerala, the formative years of the literary public were presided over by Patriarchs located …
Asanghadithar
since the 1960s, women's collectivization in the Indian state of Kerala has been closely linked to labor exploitation dynamics, with women's workforce concerns being ignored in order to firmly establish the status of male (socialist) workers. This article examines the semi-fictional portrayal of the working women's rights movement in the Malayalam-language anthology film Freedom Fight (2022), produced by filmmaker Jeo Baby. It focuses specificall…
Baahubali franchise
Transmedia convergence in India is a relatively new and underexplored phenomenon. Within this evolving cultural context, we take the case study of Baahubali (2015–present) that exemplifies how mythological storytelling is reimagined through cinema, animation, literature, graphic novels, and digital gaming to create a unified and immersive media experience. As a historical fictional fantasy franchise, Baahubali has expanded beyond celluloid cinema…
Unveiling the Voices
The literary landscape in Britain has been enriched by the works of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) writers who have brought diverse voices and perspectives to the forefront. These writers have brought attention to important social issues such as race, justice, and creativity through their unique perspectives and cultural experiences. Their artistic expression has served as a powerful tool for resisting injustice and challenging traditio…
Sports celebrity to superhero
Female celebrities in digital age
Stardom in the present day has evolved into a comprehensive apparatus with its intersection with emerging digital media paving way to myriad star varieties. This paper tries to analyse the diverse ways in which female stardom manifests in the Malayalam film industry with the emergence of new digital domains and virtual sensibilities. This article traces the evolution of female stardom in India and explores the new possibilities of Malayalam femal…
Indian cricket, popular culture and “national Thing”
Cricket in India has evolved much beyond its fundamental definition as a game or form of entertainment in the present century. The liberalization process in the 1990s, followed by the drastic social changes in the country, impacted the game, leading it to acquire new meanings as cultural text. Currently, Indian cricket forms part of collective enjoyment, forming people's habitus and playing a central ideological role in the politics of ethnonatio…
Translation as Process and Protest
The proposed paper attempts to situate the layered stakes involved in translating Dalit literature from Malayalam to English. Dalit writers while envisioning their literature as a mode to establish their visibility and dissent have also observed how language itself has limitations in conveying their radical politics. Their counterhegemonic writings are often ignored or labeled "uncouth" for the literary public. Through a reading of Pulayathara (1…
Of 'Metaphorical' Politics
Having followedModern Asian Studiesfor some time now as being among the major journals to have sustained a high degree of sophistication on debates relating to the historical and cultural developments of modern South Asia, one was greatly distressed to read Akbar S. Ahmed's article 'Bombay Films: The Cinema as Metaphor for Indian Society and Politics'. Practices of representation always implicate positions of enunciation. In what follows, I wish …
Individualising History
Of 'Metaphorical' Politics
Having followedModern Asian Studiesfor some time now as being among the major journals to have sustained a high degree of sophistication on debates relating to the historical and cultural developments of modern South Asia, one was greatly distressed to read Akbar S. Ahmed's article 'Bombay Films: The Cinema as Metaphor for Indian Society and Politics'. Practices of representation always implicate positions of enunciation. In what follows, I wish …
Individualising History
Individualising History
Of 'Metaphorical' Politics
Having followedModern Asian Studiesfor some time now as being among the major journals to have sustained a high degree of sophistication on debates relating to the historical and cultural developments of modern South Asia, one was greatly distressed to read Akbar S. Ahmed's article 'Bombay Films: The Cinema as Metaphor for Indian Society and Politics'. Practices of representation always implicate positions of enunciation. In what follows, I wish …
Indian cricket, popular culture and “national Thing”
Cricket in India has evolved much beyond its fundamental definition as a game or form of entertainment in the present century. The liberalization process in the 1990s, followed by the drastic social changes in the country, impacted the game, leading it to acquire new meanings as cultural text. Currently, Indian cricket forms part of collective enjoyment, forming people's habitus and playing a central ideological role in the politics of ethnonatio…
Translation as Process and Protest
The proposed paper attempts to situate the layered stakes involved in translating Dalit literature from Malayalam to English. Dalit writers while envisioning their literature as a mode to establish their visibility and dissent have also observed how language itself has limitations in conveying their radical politics. Their counterhegemonic writings are often ignored or labeled "uncouth" for the literary public. Through a reading of Pulayathara (1…
Unveiling the Voices
The literary landscape in Britain has been enriched by the works of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) writers who have brought diverse voices and perspectives to the forefront. These writers have brought attention to important social issues such as race, justice, and creativity through their unique perspectives and cultural experiences. Their artistic expression has served as a powerful tool for resisting injustice and challenging traditio…
Sports celebrity to superhero
Female celebrities in digital age
Stardom in the present day has evolved into a comprehensive apparatus with its intersection with emerging digital media paving way to myriad star varieties. This paper tries to analyse the diverse ways in which female stardom manifests in the Malayalam film industry with the emergence of new digital domains and virtual sensibilities. This article traces the evolution of female stardom in India and explores the new possibilities of Malayalam femal…
Re-reading the reception politics of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer’s Shabdangal in Kerala
The essay closely studies the debates triggered by Shabdangal (Voices, 1947), the first work in Malayalam that touched upon themes of non-heteronormative union, written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (1908–1994), which opened up dialogues on the notions of “reading” as an endeavour of culture and self-making in Kerala. We argue that the controversies and debates triggered by the work are useful sites to reflect upon the limitations of paradigms of pr…
Feminist scholarship and new Malayalam cinema
This review paper examines the feminist scholarship surrounding the new waves in Malayalam cinema. The 1970s–1980s and the post-2010s are the periods considered here because films released in these years are frequently referred to as ‘new’ or ‘New Wave’ or ‘New-Generation’ cinema. The objective of the article is to evaluate the gendered responses to a critically appreciated ongoing phase of Malayalam cinema, often called the new ‘New-gen Malayala…
Translation as circuit-breaker
Translation has traditionally been envisaged as a tool of communication between languages and cultures. This article examines the role of two websites, https://kafila.online/ and https://swatantryavaadini.in/, in bringing visibility to dissident works (fiction and nonfiction) of the early twentieth century of Kerala, through their English translations. In Kerala, the formative years of the literary public were presided over by Patriarchs located …
Asanghadithar
since the 1960s, women's collectivization in the Indian state of Kerala has been closely linked to labor exploitation dynamics, with women's workforce concerns being ignored in order to firmly establish the status of male (socialist) workers. This article examines the semi-fictional portrayal of the working women's rights movement in the Malayalam-language anthology film Freedom Fight (2022), produced by filmmaker Jeo Baby. It focuses specificall…
Baahubali franchise
Transmedia convergence in India is a relatively new and underexplored phenomenon. Within this evolving cultural context, we take the case study of Baahubali (2015–present) that exemplifies how mythological storytelling is reimagined through cinema, animation, literature, graphic novels, and digital gaming to create a unified and immersive media experience. As a historical fictional fantasy franchise, Baahubali has expanded beyond celluloid cinema…
South Asian Cinema and Culture (7 works) · Sociology (6 works) · Art (5 works) · Cinema and Media Studies (4 works) · Malayalam (4 works) · Law (3 works) · Media studies (3 works) · Movie theater (3 works) · Philosophy (3 works) · Political science (3 works)