The first part of ‘Our Gods’, Umbra’s special double-issue that focuses on and contemplates the various representations of divinity in Indian popular culture: film, television, stage-plays and graphic novels. It then examines their role in the cultivation of a popular consciousness that exists at the peculiar intersection of religion, politics, media, and indeed, life itself. The issue features a lengthy interview with Sanal Kumar Sasidaran, the director of Sexy Durga, a review of Amruta Patil’s Sauptik, and a study of Bernini’s sculpture The Ecstacy of St. Teresa, among other pieces.
In this Issue
Article

A recollection of an era in the history of Indian television, with a special focus on Vikram aur Betaal and Alif Laila.

Interview

An exchange with Sanal Sasidharan about his recent film, Sexy Durga, as well as his background as a filmmaker, and his engagement with the concept of God.

Review

An evaluation of the very singular style employed by Amruta Patil in her latest novel, Sauptik, contained within a larger examination of her body of work.

Essay

An essay on the inseparability of pain and pleasure in mysticism through a study of Bernini's The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa.

Festival Report

A report from the fifth edition of the Lakeside Doc film festival, an event that takes place annually in Naukuchiatal.

Reprint

A reprint of a 1985 essay from the catalogue of the tenth edition of IFFI, contemplating Indian cinema's intersections with mythology.

Umbra 8 | 'Our Gods: Part I' | June 2017

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