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fatehbaz · 4 months

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Endangered Indian sandalwood. British war to control the forests. Tallying every single tree in the kingdom. European companies claim the ecosystem. Spices and fragrances. Failure of the plantation. Until the twentieth century, the Empire couldn't figure out how to cultivate sandalwood because they didn't understand that the plant is actually a partial root parasite. French perfumes and the creation of "the Sandalwood City".

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Selling at about $147,000 per metric ton, the aromatic heartwood of Indian sandalwood (S. album) is arguably [among] the most expensive wood in the world. Globally, 90 per cent of the world’s S. album comes from India [...]. And within India, around 70 per cent of S. album comes from the state of Karnataka [...] [and] the erstwhile Kingdom of Mysore. [...] [T]he species came to the brink of extinction. [...] [O]verexploitation led to the sandal tree's critical endangerment in 1974. [...]

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Francis Buchanan’s 1807 A Journey from Madras through the Countries of Mysore, Canara and Malabar is one of the few European sources to offer insight into pre-colonial forest utilisation in the region. [...] Buchanan records [...] [the] tradition of only harvesting sandalwood once every dozen years may have been an effective local pre-colonial conservation measure. [...] Starting in 1786, Tipu Sultan [ruler of Mysore] stopped trading pepper, sandalwood and cardamom with the British. As a result, trade prospects for the company [East India Company] were looking so bleak that by November 1788, Lord Cornwallis suggested abandoning Tellicherry on the Malabar Coast and reducing Bombay’s status from a presidency to a factory. [...] One way to understand these wars is [...] [that] [t]hey were about economic conquest as much as any other kind of expansion, and sandalwood was one of Mysore’s most prized commodities. In 1799, at the Battle of Srirangapatna, Tipu Sultan was defeated. The kingdom of Mysore became a princely state within British India [...]. [T]he East India Company also immediately started paying the [new rulers] for the right to trade sandalwood.

British control over South Asia’s natural resources was reaching its peak and a sophisticated new imperial forest administration was being developed that sought to solidify state control of the sandalwood trade. In 1864, the extraction and disposal of sandalwood came under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department. [...] Colonial anxiety to maximise profits from sandalwood meant that a government agency was established specifically to oversee the sandalwood trade [...] and so began the government sandalwood depot or koti system. [...]

From the 1860s the [British] government briefly experimented with a survey tallying every sandal tree standing in Mysore [...].

Instead, an intricate system of classification was developed in an effort to maximise profits. By 1898, an 18-tiered sandalwood classification system was instituted, up from a 10-tier system a decade earlier; it seems this led to much confusion and was eventually reduced back to 12 tiers [...].

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Meanwhile, private European companies also made significant inroads into Mysore territory at this time. By convincing the government to classify forests as ‘wastelands’, and arguing that Europeans would improves these tracts from their ‘semi-savage state’, starting in the 1860s vast areas were taken from local inhabitants and converted into private plantations for the ‘production of cardamom, pepper, coffee and sandalwood’.

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Yet attempts to cultivate sandalwood on both forest department and privately owned plantations proved to be a dismal failure. There were [...] major problems facing sandalwood supply in the period before the twentieth century besides overexploitation and European monopoly. [...] Before the first quarter of the twentieth century European foresters simply could not figure out how to grow sandalwood trees effectively.

The main reason for this is that sandal is what is now known as a semi-parasite or root parasite; besides a main taproot that absorbs nutrients from the earth, the sandal tree grows parasitical roots (or haustoria) that derive sustenance from neighbouring brush and trees. [...] Dietrich Brandis, the man often regaled as the father of Indian forestry, reported being unaware of the [sole significant English-language scientific paper on sandalwood root parasitism] when he worked at Kew Gardens in London on South Asian ‘forest flora’ in 1872–73. Thus it was not until 1902 that the issue started to receive attention in the scientific community, when C.A. Barber, a government botanist in Madras [...] himself pointed out, 'no one seems to be at all sure whether the sandalwood is or is not a true parasite'.

Well into the early decades of twentieth century, silviculture of sandal proved a complete failure. The problem was the typical monoculture approach of tree farming in which all other species were removed and so the tree could not survive. [...]

The long wait time until maturity of the tree must also be considered. Only sandal heartwood and roots develop fragrance, and trees only begin developing fragrance in significant quantities after about thirty years. Not only did traders, who were typically just sailing through, not have the botanical know-how to replant the tree, but they almost certainly would not be there to see a return on their investments if they did. [...]

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The main problem facing the sustainable harvest and continued survival of sandalwood in India [...] came from the advent of the sandalwood oil industry at the beginning of the twentieth century. During World War I, vast amounts of sandal were stockpiled in Mysore because perfumeries in France had stopped production and it had become illegal to export to German perfumeries. In 1915, a Government Sandalwood Oil Factory was built in Mysore. In 1917, it began distilling. [...] [S]andalwood production now ramped up immensely. It was at this time that Mysore came to be known as ‘the Sandalwood City’.

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Text above by: Ezra Rashkow. "Perfumed the axe that laid it low: The endangerment of sandalwood in southern India." Indian Economic and Social History Review 51, no. 1, pages 41-70. March 2014. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Italicized first paragraph/heading in this post added by me. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism purposes.]

#a lot more in full article specifically about #postindependence indian nationstates industrial extraction continues trend established by british imperial forestry management #and ALSO good stuff looking at infamous local extinctions of other endemic species of sandalwood in south pacific #that compares and contrasts why sandalwood survived in india while going extinct in south pacific almost immediately after european conques #abolition #ecology #imperial #colonial #landscape #indigenous #multispecies #tiger

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introspectivememories · 11 months

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at the center of gotham, lies its oldest public hospital — gotham general. it’s staff are kind and compassionate, if a little intolerant of bullshit. the city may not care about the crimes that occur in it but the people certainly do. gotham’s emergency services are renowned throughout the nation as one of the best.

the ER nurses at gotham general love to gossip and their latest is about how their ever-reliable EMT bernard dowd, who'll rush into burning buildings if he thinks he can save one more person, who smiles so brightly and brings them cupcakes on his days off but has such sad eyes, seems so lonely. they determinedly decide to find a date for him. maybe dr. zacharia thomas, their latest trauma surgeon? yes, yes! he's only a few years older, bernard knows him, they get along, and most importantly, he's got a stable job. he'll be perfect for their bernard!

and then, literally only days after they decide to set up dr. zacharia and bernard on a date, head trauma nurse marissa santos comes running in with a copy of gotham daily, clutched in her hand.

"look! look! nakita mo ba ang balita?" she whisper-yells, "did you see the news?!"

instantly they're all crowding around her, trying to see the paper. covering the front page is a blurry photo of a black-haired man engaged in a passionate game of tonsil-hockey with someone who is unmistakably their youngest EMT. he's still wearing his uniform for christ's sake! in the largest font known to man, "WAYNE'S NEW PARAMOUR?" is written at the top.

"he's dating the wayne ceo!" marissa gushes excitedly.

"isn't he a little too old for bernard?" someone pipes up from the back.

"not the father, you idiot! the son! timothy!"

that's way better than their candidate. everyone is stoked. by nightfall, everyone in the ER knows that bernard dowd is dating timothy drake-wayne, the youngest ceo wayne enterprises has ever had.

when bear stops by, at around 2 in the morning, dropping of the last patient from his shift, he's immediately accosted by the nurses.

"whoa! hey!" he exclaims as they lead him to the nurse's station and sit him down in a chair, "what's going on?"

marissa slams the paper down in front of him, "spill."

bernard groans and turns cherry red, "oh my god tita. don't you guys have patients to attend to?"

"already taken care of." nurse gu says.

"what about mr. gomez, the one with third degree burns that just came in?" bernard tries desperately.

"dr. zacharia is already on it." dr. esperanza responds, "so spill."

their youngest tries one last time, "how do you even know if that's me?"

"there are like 10 blonde people in the EMT department and considering all of them are older than you and none of them seem to have the three ear piercings that kid in this picture does, we're gonna have to assume it's you." dr. farah nasim, one half of the head of the ER, says.

bernard turns on her with a betrayed look.

"sorry kid," she snorts, "also, you're still wearing your uniform in the photo. it says 'dowd' on the shoulder."

"im too old to be bossed around like this." he mutters before sighing, "alright what'd'ya want to know?"

"tell us everything!" marissa says, "how did you two meet?"

"we were friends in high school and we fell out of touch after junior year. he hit me up on insta 6 months ago and we reconnected."

"oh my god!! they're high school sweethearts!" nurse gu squeals, "that's so cute!"

"tell us more! who asked who out?"

"okay well, technically he asked me out but he didn't know he was asking me out. but we went on this date at this restaurant and it got attacked by some villain and red robin, but he was going by robin at the time, rescued. so i told robin, 'hey if i make it out of this, tell tim drake, i would've liked to finish our date'. and then, tim, shows up at my door the next day and says 'i don't know what this feeling i get when i'm near you is, but i'd like to find out'. and the rest is history."

"bernard, what the hell?" dr. esperanza says shocked, "that's the most rom-com-esque story i've ever heard."

"what?" bernard blushes, "no it's not."

"bear," esperanza says slowly, "he showed up at your door and said 'i don't know what this feeling i get when i'm near you is, but i want to find out.' that is something straight out of the notebook."

"no, no! he's such a dork!" bernard assures them frantically, "he does this thing, when he laughs too hard, he snorts and it sets him off again and it just keeps going. and you should've seen him in high school, the biggest skater boy to ever exist. he's teaching me..."

and bernard goes on and on for the next 15 minutes, trailing off only when he notices them all smiling at him.

"what?" he says shyly.

"you're in love with him, aren't you?" dr. farah says.

bernard chokes, "what?! no! ...maybe?"

everyone shares a look between each other. marissa steps forward, "well on behalf of the gotham general ER staff, i can assure you, we all approve."

"thank you?"

"bring him around sometime!" nurse gu says, "we'd all like to meet him."

"why? so you can give him the shovel talk?"

"of course!" dr. farah says, smiling widely, "he’s dating our youngest! we have to threaten him!"

bernard's voice is suspiciously wet when says a few moments later, "thanks guys."

and so on it goes for the next few months until marissa comes back after her break, deathly pale. everyone worries but she refuses to tell anyone what's wrong. and then a few weeks later, nurse gu goes on his break and comes back shocked. and then a month later, dr. zacharia comes back from a quick step outside, lips sealed shut.

and on it goes until there is one glaring truth the gotham general ER night staff cannot ignore:

bernard dowd is dating red robin. open relationship or cheating, to be determined.

a year after the news about tim drake and bernard had been released, and half a year after the, what the staff has taken to calling it, Red Robin Scandal™ began, dr. farah calls a night staff meeting.

the staff meeting is boring as usual until the end when dr. farah opens the conversation to the staff to voice their concerns.

"are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?" dr. esperanza asks.

"i think bernard might be cheating on his boyfriend!" marissa blurts out before slapping her hands over her mouth, horrified.

“oh thank god.” esperanza sighs.

"wait you saw them too?" nurse gu asks.

"in the narrow walkway," dr. zacharia starts.

"between the ER and jacobson building." dr. esperanza finishes.

"exactly!" marissa says.

"i caught them in the parking lot once." dr. farah admits, mouth pressed into a grim line, "they were pressed up against the fence in the back — y'know where the light doesn't shine? — kissing each other like they'd just come back from world war 2."

"ay, how could that boy be so stupid?" marissa sighs, "getting caught up with a vigilante?"

"maybe it's like polyamory?" esperanza says, ever hopeful.

"whatever it is," farah says, "he should know better than to get involved with those people. we have to talk to him."

they pull bernard into an unused conference room, just the 5 of them, 3 weeks later.

"hey, hey!" bernard exclaims as they shove him into a chair, "what's going on?"

nobody speaks.

"guys?"

"are you cheating on tim drake?"

"what?"

"are you cheating on tim drake?" marissa repeats.

"no! why would you think that?"

"everyone on the night staff has caught you kissing red robin at least once. wanna try that again?" farah says.

bernard sighs, "is that what this is about? doc, i swear to god, i'm not cheating on tim."

"so he knows?" zacharia asks.

"yes zach, tim knows about me and red robin."

"and he's okay with it?"

"yes. tim doesn't mind me dating both of them." bernard says, a smile playing on his lips.

nobody speaks for a while.

"so..." bernard breaks the silence first, "are we good here? do you approve?"

"no." esperanza says, "we don't approve."

"what?"

"he's no good for you." nurse gu says.

"you don't even know him." bernard says incredulously.

"oh and you do?" zacharia says scathingly, "he's a vigilante bear. how much do you really know?"

"more than you zach!"

pleadingly bernard turns toward farah, "c'mon doc, you don't agree do you?"

"you know, when you first started dating tim drake, i had my reservations. rich people and all that. but i figured with all that money, if you ever got roped into rich people problems, tim's money would help out. you'd be taken care of and he clearly loves you, so i didn't mind too much."

"but this..." farah trails off, "i can't accept this."

turning towards marissa, "tita, please."

"don't do that, bear. wag kang tanga. it's not good to be with him."

"he loves me! is that not enough?" bernard near-yells, "i thought that's what you wanted. someone who loves me!"

"enough to quit being a vigilante?" esperanza asks.

"quit being a vigilante? are you guys hearing yourself?" bernard asks angrily, "he saves the city on a near-nightly basis and you want me to ask him to give it all up because what? he's dating me?"

"so let him save the city without you." nurse gu says, "why does he need to drag you into it?"

"he's not dragging me into anything! i am a full consenting adult! i chose him! what’s so different about what he and i do anyway?"

“well for one, our job is legal. and two, there are safety measures put in place so that you don’t get hurt. so that your coworkers don’t get hurt. your man walks into the joker’s lair with an inch of kevlar and a prayer on his lips.” zacharia says.

nurse gu sighs, "look. nobody here is mad at him for saving the city. everyone here knows somebody who has been saved by the bats. but the deal is that they save the city and they don't drag anybody else into it."

"the bats, whoever they are? they chose that life. for whatever reason, they chose that life and all the dangers that go with it. you’re not stupid bear, don’t get involved with whatever he has going on. pick literally anyone else.” farah says.

“you need a third person that badly? take zach! the ER was planning on setting you up with him before we found out about tim, anyway.”

“what?” zacharia says, rounding on nurse gu.

“you know what?” bernard says, pinching the bridge of his nose tiredly, “ i don’t have to explain myself to you guys.”

“you can’t marry him.” marissa says.

“who said anything about marriage? i’m 22!”

“you clearly love tim. you two seem like you’re going to last a while and if you love red robin they way you love tim, them somewhere along those years of being together then you’re going to start thinking of marriage. what then? how are you going to explain red robin to the people you love?”

“we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

“look, bernard,” farah says gently, “we’re not doing this cause we don’t want you to be happy. you mean a lot to me, i think of you as my son. we just-”

“you’re not my mom.” bernard snaps out, “you’re not my mom, you’re not my aunt, my uncle, my brother. you guys aren’t anything to me!”

he turns and walks away.

“farah do something.” marissa hisses.

“let him go. he said he’s an adult right? then let him make his choices.”

“but,” she says, raising her voice so bernard can hear her, “if anything goes wrong, and i mean anything at all, i hope he knows that adults don’t have to do everything by themselves. that they can ask people for help.”

bernard’s hands still on the doorknob. “thank you.” he says voice rough, “nothing will happen, but thank you for the offer.” and he walks out the door.

bernard dowd, is 22 year old EMT that has too much heart and not enough brain. he’ll rush into burning buildings if he thinks he has even a minute chance of saving someone. he’s kind and he’s sweet and more importantly, he’s dating timothy drake-wayne, ceo of wayne enterprises.

if you ask the ER night staff at gotham general, after a lot of prodding, they might tell you that bernard dowd was one of the youngest EMTs to ever join the gotham county emergency medical services. they might tell you that bernard dowd has been wondering if he should become an AEMT or a paramedic. they might tell you that as the major receiver for all patients, bernard saw them all the time and imprinted on them like a baby duck. and if you’re really close they might, tell you the ER’s biggest secret: bernard dowd is dating both timothy drake-wayne and red robin. or they might just let you walk in on them making out behind the ER. whatever comes first really.

(if you get close enough to a certain group of people on the ER night staff, they’ll tell you that bernard dowd has two hands and he uses them to hold onto his boyfriends.

they’ll tell you that tim drake is a nice boy and they’re a little worried about their bernard fitting into the circles a wayne walks in, but he’s a nice boy who clearly loves bernard, so they’re not too worried.

they’ll tell you that that red robin character is no good for their bernard and has no business getting so close to their youngest. that red robin is going to get bernard into trouble one day, the kind of trouble that you don’t come back from.

and if you get really close to them, they’ll tell you over lunch breaks and muttered whispers, that both boys are going to break their youngest’s heart. and that if they had to pick, red robin will do it first. that their bernard loves a little too deeply and that they're worried that it’ll break bernard.

but they’re not too worried, they say. because bernard has them and if that bastard red robin breaks his heart, then they’ll pick up the pieces, they’ll sew him back together if they have to. after all, bernard stitches up half of gotham every night, this is the least they could do.)

#oh my god #what the fuck is this?#literally wrote this in a fugue state #this is not proofread #this is my ugliest first draft #my dumbest version if you will #why is this 2k #anyway #nurse gu's legal name is nurse gu #esperanza is gorgeous. like drop dead gorgeous. the best damn anesthesiologist you've ever seen. the yin to zacharia's yang.#farah is the smartest woman you will ever know and can give ten backhanded compliments w/o the other person realizing #marissa santos is filipino. bc filipinos are the backbone of our nursing industry #also she will cut a bitch. gives bear a plate of lumpia every week. is the reason bear is passable in tagalog #zacharia is your everyday indian. he is my sweet boy #he would've formed a crush on bear if he thought about for more than two seconds but alas #he is married to the job #also they mean well and they do raise some serious point but bc tim is also red robin it kinda... falls flat?#tagging time #tim drake #bernard dowd #timbern #dc #what should this be called #concerned friends try to save man afflicted by love au

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nando161mando · 4 days

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Bloomington (USA): Anarchist sabotage of recruiting service cars | Attack

Fourteen tires were punctured on seven army recruitment service cars near the shopping center. Fourteen other tires at a security company nearby. Against the military machine. Against every nation state. Against those who protect private property.

Those who try to maintain peace in this time of upheaval are enemies of freedom. Those leading the ongoing death march are our primary targets.

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buh-dass · 1 year

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Indian Cinema💗

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fanfictionroxs · 1 year

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what are ethics, rights and justice in the face of tastebuds and superiority complex, am I rite? 🙄

#animal industry is a slap in the face of justice #this is not a civilisation i can assure you #animal cruelty #animal rights #save animals by going vegan #indian vegans #desi vegans #go vegan #speciesism #anti speciesism

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jackoshadows · 13 days

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Avantika Says Bridgerton Stars Charithra Chandran & Simone Ashley Made Her Feel “Seen”

The star opened up about Bollywood versus Hollywood and colorism in a new interview.

Avantika was asked about colorism within the Indian film industry and admitted that while it “is primarily one of the biggest reasons why” she’s “definitely always felt uglier in India” than in the U.S., seeing other actors with similar backgrounds, like Chandran and Ashley, achieving international success gave her the push to never settle for less.

“I’m South Indian, and there’s this perception that North Indian women are more beautiful than South Indian women,” Avantika explained. “And the South Indian women who do reach insane levels of success in India are very light-skinned—some have become lighter skinned. So seeing myself represented in Bridgerton season 2’s Charithra Chandran and Simone Ashley—beautiful, dusky skinned women—South Indian women— in Hollywood has made me so, so happy.”

“I have definitely found that the odds are a bit less stacked against me here [in the U.S.] than they are there [in India] because I can’t change my skin color,” she continued. “But I can convince people that I’m talented and that I deserve an opportunity or that I have a voice that needs to be heard.”

#Avantika #Simone Ashley #Charithra Chandran #Bridgerton #Mean Girls #South Indian representation #Colorism #Bollywood is so freaking colorist #The Indian film industry in general is so colorist and racist

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me-uglypretty · 3 months

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i won't recover from that lucy bronze interview where it feels so much like a date and i just- i literally have a degree in journalism. that could be me?? what am i doing with my life?? how do i get there??

#pov where no one gives a fuck about the indian girl and in the entertainment industry??? they rather die than give me a chance #and with my fucking attitude??? this country hasn't move forward that much yet #and with my actual interest??? this country never heard of women football #lmao goodnight lads #lucy bronze #me-uglypretty talks

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news4dzhozhar · 3 months

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kestrellady · 23 days

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A wild Ea-Nasir appeared!

#the book is #The Ocean of Churn #by Sanjeev Sanyal #very readable history of the Indian Ocean trade #this section is kind of hilarious because Ea-Nasir doesn't really have anything to do with anything?#it's just background 'yeah there used to be a massive copper industry in Oman'#and the section is more about how we know that egypt traded with india and oman #because of peppercorns and frankincense #and they probably came through ethiopia/eritrea #it really seemed to me like it was just irresistible to throw one of the best preserved and funniest merchants of the area in there #ea-nasir #tumblr's favorite copper merchant

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nisreensartworld · 1 year

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Shakti

Drawing by me

Pencil, paper

#pencildrawing #jr ntr #jr ntr movies #ntr jr #ileana d'cruz #indianactress #indian cinema #telugu film industry #indian actor #sakthi #shakti

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bespectacledbun · 7 months

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I had a lot of things to say about Azel Radwan :) and his description being “perpetually broke” :)) and his beast encyclopedia highlighting that he gets his gold from Silvio :))) very coincidental that he has an Arabic name and comes from an explicitly middle east-coded country, of course

#rant.txt #if i had to list all the craft industries and academics and luxury goods that were invented by historical indians and arabs #we would be here all fucking day and im not even joking. SO MUCH of the wealth and academic treatises that elevated europe are from us #saw someone on tumblr make a post like ‘haha what if azel was secretly emidio actually’ and i deadass fucking saw RED #like seething with anger. how fucking dare you stand there and say a WHITE EUROPEAN character is actually a brown man???#the ONLY brown man in game mind you even if he doesnt look like it. my post on jin and luke was just speculation and headcanons #but azel is EXPLICITLY coded arab. fuck you fuck yiu FUCK YOU for saying hes emidio #and putting emidio’s crimes on him when emidio fucking ricci is a white european piece of shit #I should go drink some mango juice before i burst a blood vessel gods

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wikipediapictures · 11 months

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Indian Oil Corporation

#indian oil corporation #gas station #petrol #petrol pumps #wikipedia #wikipedia pictures #petrol station #fossil fuels #industry #khammam #india #telangana #transportation

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nnmarudkar · 1 year

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Jubilee

First thing first, Jubilee shows you the realism of the Bombay talkies era with an interval by building huge and royal studios, cinema reels, crew chairs, hand painted posters, an ambitious producer with business acumen, smoking pipe, outfits, and so much more. The series in itself is quite symbolic for the purpose of depicting the golden era. Yes, I call it a golden era. I read the show is pretty much inspired by the life of Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani. Let’s kickstart.

Praise worthy angles from the entire series that are responsible for the story:

Blazing journeys of 5 characters Roy, Binod, Jay, Niloufer, Walia

The unparalleled fate of 2 studios Khanna studio and Roy studio

The transformations, transitions, and evolving cinema with a blend of crime, love, conspiracy and fame.

Beginning, Rise and Fall

It is commendable to see how the makers combined the most essential attributes of the black and white cinema - Dialogues, Music, Drama and great frames.

The 3 compelling dialogues that summarize Cinema which are crafted beautifully in the film with the scene,

'Power is within this weapon of cinema.'

'Cinema can raise a level by giving the audience a taste of poetry, photography, music and aspirations.'

'Cinema can empower people.'

Let us put the stars on the shoulders of the team. Vikramaditya Motawane, Atul Sabharwal and Soumik Sen are the names. I should say, a gorgeous job on the series by all the teams.

Supposedly it has to be one of the most expensive projects as it costs a fortune to build a city entirely. Especially a city which used to look a certain way but not any more. It is bound to attract criticism, comparisons and judgements. Hence applause for the art department.

Moving to the title, Jubilee. Good one. The word Jubilee was significant in the non-bollywood era. It marked a big success of the film if it reaches Jubilee unlike the crore club where films are less than 2 stars but box office is 200 cr.

Vikramaditya Motawane has created a web series that is uncommon among current subjects. Lots of makers tried to recreate the golden era but most of them went unnoticed. I am fond of Khoya Khoya Chand for the infamous vintage era. However, reaching everybody through OTT through Jubilee with a 10 episode series of 50 minutes is a master thought. That breathing space to judge the success with an olden times ‘interval’ but of a week is outstanding. However, such a big risk.

Mentioning positives of the show to move with. It has a decent Star cast that is not very glittering and glam. Subtle and real. When you cut on the star factor you can actually see through the show and its potential. So I liked the cast to portray that era. Apararshakti Khurana as one of the leads is huge. Names to mention: Wamiqa Gabbi and Prosenjit Chatterjee. I am all praises for Wamiqa Gabbi. Simply Wow. She is a complete package of dance, acting, nakharas, ada and reality. An actress who very clearly takes you to the era of queens like Waheeda Rehman, Mala Sinha, Nutan and the list goes on. She does not imitate anybody. Prosenjit Chatterjee, an innovative and ahead of his time producer who wants to make a mark but probably wishes to stick to what sells on screen with a traditional cinema perspective. The curiosity that both Roy and Niloufer go on building in their own way is really good. Sidhant Gupta’s energy matches the character’s but his acting felt an over-do at times. But when he walks as a star is one act you can’t miss but notice. It shows a mix of stardom and simplicity. Great work there. He is the Guru Dutt effect as a one man show with actor-director qualities. Aditi Rao Hydari is just being herself, a beauty. Ram Kapoor, Shweta Basu are names known for good acting just like that. All the supporting actors have done a celebrated job in their roles. Amazing to watch Arun Govil in a web series. The casting decisions are appreciable. The character Govil plays as a calm father is peaceful for the eyes and ears.

Music is magnificent. Thanks to Amit Trivedi for giving one more album that can be put on loop. The compositions of jubilee prove that even today a melody is possible with sensible ‘Hindi’ lyrics which are louder than the music and each word, chord and instrument is heard and worth a praise. Kudos to Amit Trivedi and Kausar Munir for creating songs that calm people like us can humm. My personal favourites are Voh Tere Mere Ishq, Dariyacha Raja, Na Koi Mera and Saare Ke Saare Akele. Rest you would not like to skip as well. It has the sound of the period it belongs to. The lyrics bear to our usual spoken Hindi language - simple and understood. I can’t put this more straight. Those days were about melody and dialogues that hit the audience.

Dialogues as expected are filled with drama and conviction.

Favourite frame from the series is Jay and Nilo sitting on the road drenched in the rain in front of a theatre under the poster of Baiju Awara. Splendid! You do not have to show intimacy by stripping down and making love. Sometimes it's just the way you sketch love on screen. Quite a romantic frame. Other Mesmerizing frames:

Binod first in front of the fire that also marks the end frame of Roy in front of fire.

Sumitra sitting in front of the mirror in the train.

Roy, sitting in his private screening theatre, calls the man to project the reel.

Jay Khanna in his own studio on the first day against the Taxi cut out.

The last shot of Roy studio with lights dimming symbolizing the fall.

Jay Khanna’s cabin with Taxi Driver Poster of Jay and Nilo.

And the favourite of many, the RK inspired Jay and Niloufer umbrella scene.

I am glad to see one series with no skin show, no kissing at every alternate shot and most importantly close to no violence. Every other show today is either lust or violence with litres of blood flowing. This series is like detox.

Some curiosity creeps in. Was Phone tapping really a thing? Would the show not be as captivating as it was if tapping was not a part of the show? Mysterious.

Coming to an end resembles a Guru Dutt film with a song like Dekhi Zamane ki Yaari. Saare ke Saare Akele went on flipping pages and how heartbreaking every page was!

Looking at Jubilee overall,

What’s remarkable is the tragic ending given to all the characters like most of the yesteryear actors saw. It is not a fictitious act of drama. We have heard stories where either people disappeared from the industry or their demise was not a very pleasant one or some love stories were not as happy as their film’s or their stardom just vanished with a flop. I admire the way fiction was weaved with the inside stories from the film industry. But across 10 episodes we saw a lot of screen time invested in long pauses. Not sure why the typical fame was not shown like ordinary fans gathering around Madan or crowds at the red carpets of premieres. No premieres at all actually. But the pre-independence period, partition and its effect on the cinema industry was precisely connected. The makers very smartly keep awards at bay as filmfare started in 1954 and this story wraps up by 1953. Also, the details that were very well shown were salaried crew, technicians and even actors associated with the studio, the refugee camps, international interventions and the editing on negatives of the reel. What is incredible to see is the grey shade every character gets with situations. It's meticulous writing.

All the characters had a closure but I wonder what happened to Shamsher Walia.

I was waiting for the last ‘The End’ or ‘समाप्त’ after we saw Interval post the 1st batch of 5 episodes. But that did not come. Another season in making? Giving benefit of doubt as the glorious era of cinema has just started in Jubilee. But I must say first is the only first. What follows is to piggyback on the popularity of last success. It loses its charm. I hope the makers continue the legacy if they plan seasons.

To end this I would say Jubilee gives you the pictorial version of the tales and accounts narrated by the legends and insiders. I will not deny that the series seems stretched or sluggish at times but I think establishing the actors and an entire past generation will take its own time.

Jubilee is a must watch for people who believe in the essence of cinema and Hindi film industry of yesterday. It is for obsessed film lovers who have not yet fallen prey to Bollywood’s faux stardom.

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