THE 1980S HAD been a turning point in Kerala history. It was the decade in which Mammootty and Mohanlal established themselves as the undisputed superstars of the Malayalam film industry. The decade also saw Kerala’s predominant political formations—the Congress-led United Democratic front (UDF) and the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF)—becoming entrenched in the state’s political landscape. The people of Kerala loved this duopoly—in politics and in cinema. Well, at least, till recently.
The Malayalam film industry is undergoing a huge churn. A new generation of filmmakers and actors are changing the very lingo and grammar of the industry. Something similar is happening to the UDFLDF binary, too. The duo had been the only players in Kerala politics, capturing power alternately in every election held since 1980. The BJP has been trying to break their dominance and establish itself as a major player, backed by its undisputed hold over power in Delhi. The saffron party’s presence is gradually changing the way politics is being played out in the state.
The BJP has just one seat in the Kerala legislative assembly, but it has broken the political equilibrium the state maintained for the last 40 years. The party enjoys an oversized presence in the media, which has forced the opposition Congress to repeatedly insist that it is the primary challenger of the ruling LDF.
“The fight is between the LDF and the BJP. The UDF is a distant third,” BJP state president K. Surendran told THE WEEK. “Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala only repeats what I say in news conferences. The 2021 assembly elections will seal the fate of the decades-long UDF versus LDF pattern.”
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin January 03, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin January 03, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Trump And The Crisis Of Liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
