Knowledge Arsenal

Tamas is a scarring movie set in the undivided India of 1947. Based on the novel by the famous Hindi author Bhisham Sahni, the story spotlights one of the bloodiest events of modern history: the partition of India. Directed by Govind Nihalani, it originally aired as a serial on the national broadcasting channel Doordarshan in 1987. Starring Om Puri and Amrish Puri, the film featured many other notable artists of Indian cinema. In the early weeks of 1988, it found itself caught in a whirlpool of controversy over religious issues. The director also received multiple threats due to which he was even placed under police protection for 8 weeks. Numerous lawsuits were filed against it. Ultimately, it received a clean chit from the Bombay High Court but was later compiled and projected in theatres as a 4-hour film to avoid further problems. For some years, it completely disappeared from Indian television. Today one can watch it for free on online streaming platforms like YouTube, just as I di...

Bhagavad Gita is undoubtedly the most revered book of Hindus. Some people believe that it is meant only for retired octogenarians or people who seek detachment from the world. But nothing can be further from the truth. Gita does not contain dogmatic practices, but pragmatic guidelines which apply to everybody’s daily lives, covering diverse issues ranging from social dilemmas to corporate affairs. It does not contain the commandment of Krishna but rather the advice given to Arjun when he was filled with confusion and trepidation on the battlefield. The stories of Indian mythology and the lessons associated with them have always fascinated and intrigued me. Every event complements the other and is part of a bigger jigsaw puzzle. For me, Ram and Krishna are like teachers and role models, and not just Gods. Below is a synopsis of the first 6 chapters of the book ‘My Gita’ written by the famous mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik, mixed with my own comments and observations. These chapters expou...

Schindler's List is one of the most heart wrenching English films from the 1990s. Directed by Steven Spielberg, it brings Oskar Schindler's forgotten contributions to humanity in limelight. Moreover, it portrays a  poignant picture of the Jewish people in Germany during World War II. Starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes, it won many Academy Awards. The filmmakers used a black-and-white theme for the audience to empathize with the victims of the Holocaust. I would recommend this film to all those who take interest in knowing about modern history. However, I must warn all readers that the film contains some adult scenes, thus viewer discretion is advised. 27th January 2025, the day I began writing this blog also happens to coincide with the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It was instituted by the UN General Assembly to commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp from Nazis by the Allied forces in 1945. There were many political factors tha...

'Rise of Empires: Ottoman' is a Netflix Docuseries about the Turkish conquest of Istanbul (then known as Constantinople). Here I am going to talk about the first season only. The reason I found it so enthralling was that this conquest was not just about battleground warfare but also dealt with the backroom politics and diplomatic manoeuvres of the 15th Century. It was a significant geopolitical event that altered the course of history for the next 500 years, not just for Europeans but also for the Indians. Earlier, when Constantinople was controlled by Romans, there was free passage for European traders to Asia and subsequently the Indian subcontinent. After its control fell into the hands of the Turks (also known as Ottomans), this free trade was no longer possible as they levied exorbitantly high taxes and duties. The price of Indian spices skyrocketed. This prompted the Europeans to find a sea route to India, which the Portuguese sailor Vasco da Gama ultimately did in 1498. ...

'Lawrence of Arabia' is undoubtedly one of the most classic English films from the 1960s. I happened to watch this film last week with my father. Until then I had never even heard the name of this movie. It was directed by David Lean starring Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif and won many Academy Awards, including the Oscar in 1963. Anyone who takes an interest in history must watch this film. In short, it is to English cinema what Sholay is to Indian cinema! Being an Indian, I was never really a fan of the British. There is no denying the fact that they looted our country and imposed harsh laws on the masses for almost 200 years. But there is a lot that we can and should learn from them. England is a small island country with an even smaller population. Yet they managed to rule a large portion of the globe. There was an era when the sun never set in the British Empire. This film, which is about a British army officer, gives the viewers a glimpse of the global order during Worl...

Introduction If one has seen India in all its splendour and beauty, he/she might have noticed that a single God is worshipped in many different forms. For instance, if we take the example of Lord Vishnu, he has a thousand different names and is venerated in many distinct ways in various states of India. Similar is the case with other Hindu Gods. Source of the Image: Pinterest However, none of the Gods' stories is as fascinating as that of Lord Krishna . In Indian mythology, there is a beautiful story that explains the reason for His omnipresence in every Hindu tradition. The Legend Many years had passed since the bloody battle of Mahabharat had taken place. Vajranabhi , son of Aniruddha and king of Mathura, wanted to know how did his great-grandfather Krishna looked like. Everybody praised his glory, but nobody remembered how did he exactly look like. So he travelled from Mathura to Hastinapur , hoping to meet someone who could describe his appearance. Krishna had been a steadfa...