Nimeshika Venkatesan | SSN College of Engineering (original) (raw)
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Papers by Nimeshika Venkatesan
Creative Saplings, Oct 21, 2023
The story of Sita in the Indian epic Ramayana has over time been subject to several transformatio... more The story of Sita in the Indian epic Ramayana has over time been subject to several transformations, reinterpretations, and recontextualization. Sita the fiercely dedicated wife of Lord Rama has evolved to become a woman protagonist and, in some cases, even a feminist idol. Although there have been several modern interpretations of the Ramayana, Nandini Sahu's Sita composed as a poetic memoir running into 25 cantos, in its form, content, and context is situated in a liminal space between the real world and the mythical world. This liminality is otherwise referred to as the "permeable membrane" in the words of A. K Ramanujan provides scope for many voices to emerge; from orality, from marga and desi mediums all of which oscillate between the temporal zones of the past, present, and future, constantly engaging with one another. Furthermore, the figure of Sita and her narratives extend to what Sahu refers to as the "Sitaness" in every woman whose agency has been snatched. For instance, she yokes together women protagonists from the Literary domain such as Desdemona, mythical namely, Trijada, and historical such as Meerabai, Mother Teresa, Kalpna Chawla, and even Nirbhaya respectively to create a uniquely Indian feminist discourse highlighting various instances of injustice meted towards women. Moreover, the poem is crafted using self-reflexive storytelling inspired by oral tradition and folklore. It also implements multilayered intertextual allusions to reimagine Sita as a woman protagonist transcending time and space. Therefore, this paper will investigate the intertextual and folkloric allusions in Nandini Sahu's Sita consequently exploring the relevance of this composition as a contribution towards the creation of a desi-feminist discourse.
Creative Saplings, 2023
The story of Sita in the Indian epic Ramayana has over time been subject to several transformatio... more The story of Sita in the Indian epic Ramayana has over time been subject to several transformations, reinterpretations, and recontextualization. Sita the fiercely dedicated wife of Lord Rama has evolved to become a woman protagonist and, in some cases, even a feminist idol. Although there have been several modern interpretations of the Ramayana, Nandini Sahu's Sita composed as a poetic memoir running into 25 cantos, in its form, content, and context is situated in a liminal space between the real world and the mythical world. This liminality is otherwise referred to as the "permeable membrane" in the words of A. K Ramanujan provides scope for many voices to emerge; from orality, from marga and desi mediums all of which oscillate between the temporal zones of the past, present, and future, constantly engaging with one another. Furthermore, the figure of Sita and her narratives extend to what Sahu refers to as the "Sitaness" in every woman whose agency has been snatched. For instance, she yokes together women protagonists from the Literary domain such as Desdemona, mythical namely, Trijada, and historical such as Meerabai, Mother Teresa, Kalpna Chawla, and even Nirbhaya respectively to create a uniquely Indian feminist discourse highlighting various instances of injustice meted towards women. Moreover, the poem is crafted using self-reflexive storytelling inspired by oral tradition and folklore. It also implements multilayered intertextual allusions to reimagine Sita as a woman protagonist transcending time and space. Therefore, this paper will investigate the intertextual and folkloric allusions in Nandini Sahu's Sita consequently exploring the relevance of this composition as a contribution towards the creation of a desi-feminist discourse.
Dogo Rangsang, 2022
The legend of the just king Vikram and the war of wits waged against the mischievous vampire, Vet... more The legend of the just king Vikram and the war of wits waged against the mischievous vampire, Vetal has delighted people across age groups for over decades. While on one hand the stories serve as a moral fodder for children, on the other it makes one probe deeply into the notions of truth and justice. Vetala Panchavimshati or the 25 tales of Vikram and Vetal was compiled from an ancient recension in the Sanskrit text Kathasaritasagra during the 11 th century by Somadeva; he excavated it from an even earlier source which is lost as of today. These ancient tales have meandered into the realm of folklore across regions with their own unique variations and have gradually been assimilated as folk tales. While the original folktale was founded on the notion of moral absolute, the visual adaptation of this narrative plays with moral ambiguity. This study seeks to explore the assimilation of folkloristic narrative techniques in the riveting visual adaptation set in the cop-gangster genre, Vikram Vedha (2018) directed by Pushkar and Gayathri. The legend of the Vikram and Vetal becomes a subtext for dealing with the larger theme of moral ambiguity. Filmic Folklore (Zhang 2005), [Folkloric] Intertextuality(Kristeva 1980)are conceptual frameworks that would be used to examine the dialectical interaction between the folk tale of Vikram and Vetal and its postmodern manifestation in Pushkar Gayathri's visual adaptation Vikram Vedha.
Kalyan Bharathi, 2021
Therukoothu or sometimes referred to interchangeably as kattaikkuttu traces its origins to Gingee... more Therukoothu or sometimes referred to interchangeably as kattaikkuttu traces its origins to Gingee, a small town in the Viluppuram district (formerly known as South Arcot district) in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. An oral tradition that emerged during the Sangam period around 600-700 AD, Therukoothu is religious folk theatrical custom performed in various parts of Tamil Nadu and in select Tamil speaking regions of Sri Lanka. Usually epics such as the Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Shivapuranam among others are enacted as a part of a ritual, however the theme may vary depending on the presiding deity in the temple; Gingee home to several shrines of Goddess Draupadi celebrates the Draupadi Amman by locally hosting a therukoothu performance based on the epic Mahabharatha through a dramatic re-enactment of episodes from the Tamil version of the epic composed in the 14th century by Villiputtur Azhwar. Dance, drama, music, poetry and prose stream seamlessly in and out of the various acts of a therukoothu performance; improvisations, deviations from didacticism into slapstick humour and social satire keeps the audience informed and engaged. Although once a popular theatre form, therukoothu is a dying tradition, facing stiff competition from the distractions of the digital world. This study is an attempt to explore the various folk aesthetics of this cultural heritage emphasizing on therukoothu as a medium of transmitting religion through vernacular practices.
Literary Voice, 2021
This paper discusses how Mirabai, the 16 th century saint hailing from Rajasthan transitions from... more This paper discusses how Mirabai, the 16 th century saint hailing from Rajasthan transitions from a religious figure into a 'folk cultural icon' by acquiring complex over-layering of connotations over a period of time, using Intermediality as an approach. Additionally, the Bakhtinian theoretical framework of "chronotopes" relating to the intrinsic connectedness of temporal and spatial relationships, artistically expressed in the mediums chosen for this study, situates the narratives within specific regional and cultural contexts. More specifically, this study illustrates how the popular appeal garnered by Mirabai also seeps into the socio-religious practices. Most renowned as Lord Krishna's ardent devotee, Mira was a bhakti poet whose poems reveal the intimate aspects of her life, struggles and victories. Her fearlessness and utter disregard for societal norms and conventions makes her relatable to people belonging to different groups. Several folktales and legends feature Mirabai's quest and adventures in attaining her divine lover, Lord Krishna. Therefore, in this paper intermediality is used an approach to examine the ways in which the saint poet Mirabai is integrated in the cultural imagination as a 'folk cultural icon' in varied textual mediums more specifically in Kiran Nagarkar's historical fictional adaptation Cuckold, 1997 and the Comic Book series Mirabai by Amara Chitra Katha, 1972.
Creative Saplings, Oct 21, 2023
The story of Sita in the Indian epic Ramayana has over time been subject to several transformatio... more The story of Sita in the Indian epic Ramayana has over time been subject to several transformations, reinterpretations, and recontextualization. Sita the fiercely dedicated wife of Lord Rama has evolved to become a woman protagonist and, in some cases, even a feminist idol. Although there have been several modern interpretations of the Ramayana, Nandini Sahu's Sita composed as a poetic memoir running into 25 cantos, in its form, content, and context is situated in a liminal space between the real world and the mythical world. This liminality is otherwise referred to as the "permeable membrane" in the words of A. K Ramanujan provides scope for many voices to emerge; from orality, from marga and desi mediums all of which oscillate between the temporal zones of the past, present, and future, constantly engaging with one another. Furthermore, the figure of Sita and her narratives extend to what Sahu refers to as the "Sitaness" in every woman whose agency has been snatched. For instance, she yokes together women protagonists from the Literary domain such as Desdemona, mythical namely, Trijada, and historical such as Meerabai, Mother Teresa, Kalpna Chawla, and even Nirbhaya respectively to create a uniquely Indian feminist discourse highlighting various instances of injustice meted towards women. Moreover, the poem is crafted using self-reflexive storytelling inspired by oral tradition and folklore. It also implements multilayered intertextual allusions to reimagine Sita as a woman protagonist transcending time and space. Therefore, this paper will investigate the intertextual and folkloric allusions in Nandini Sahu's Sita consequently exploring the relevance of this composition as a contribution towards the creation of a desi-feminist discourse.
Creative Saplings, 2023
The story of Sita in the Indian epic Ramayana has over time been subject to several transformatio... more The story of Sita in the Indian epic Ramayana has over time been subject to several transformations, reinterpretations, and recontextualization. Sita the fiercely dedicated wife of Lord Rama has evolved to become a woman protagonist and, in some cases, even a feminist idol. Although there have been several modern interpretations of the Ramayana, Nandini Sahu's Sita composed as a poetic memoir running into 25 cantos, in its form, content, and context is situated in a liminal space between the real world and the mythical world. This liminality is otherwise referred to as the "permeable membrane" in the words of A. K Ramanujan provides scope for many voices to emerge; from orality, from marga and desi mediums all of which oscillate between the temporal zones of the past, present, and future, constantly engaging with one another. Furthermore, the figure of Sita and her narratives extend to what Sahu refers to as the "Sitaness" in every woman whose agency has been snatched. For instance, she yokes together women protagonists from the Literary domain such as Desdemona, mythical namely, Trijada, and historical such as Meerabai, Mother Teresa, Kalpna Chawla, and even Nirbhaya respectively to create a uniquely Indian feminist discourse highlighting various instances of injustice meted towards women. Moreover, the poem is crafted using self-reflexive storytelling inspired by oral tradition and folklore. It also implements multilayered intertextual allusions to reimagine Sita as a woman protagonist transcending time and space. Therefore, this paper will investigate the intertextual and folkloric allusions in Nandini Sahu's Sita consequently exploring the relevance of this composition as a contribution towards the creation of a desi-feminist discourse.
Dogo Rangsang, 2022
The legend of the just king Vikram and the war of wits waged against the mischievous vampire, Vet... more The legend of the just king Vikram and the war of wits waged against the mischievous vampire, Vetal has delighted people across age groups for over decades. While on one hand the stories serve as a moral fodder for children, on the other it makes one probe deeply into the notions of truth and justice. Vetala Panchavimshati or the 25 tales of Vikram and Vetal was compiled from an ancient recension in the Sanskrit text Kathasaritasagra during the 11 th century by Somadeva; he excavated it from an even earlier source which is lost as of today. These ancient tales have meandered into the realm of folklore across regions with their own unique variations and have gradually been assimilated as folk tales. While the original folktale was founded on the notion of moral absolute, the visual adaptation of this narrative plays with moral ambiguity. This study seeks to explore the assimilation of folkloristic narrative techniques in the riveting visual adaptation set in the cop-gangster genre, Vikram Vedha (2018) directed by Pushkar and Gayathri. The legend of the Vikram and Vetal becomes a subtext for dealing with the larger theme of moral ambiguity. Filmic Folklore (Zhang 2005), [Folkloric] Intertextuality(Kristeva 1980)are conceptual frameworks that would be used to examine the dialectical interaction between the folk tale of Vikram and Vetal and its postmodern manifestation in Pushkar Gayathri's visual adaptation Vikram Vedha.
Kalyan Bharathi, 2021
Therukoothu or sometimes referred to interchangeably as kattaikkuttu traces its origins to Gingee... more Therukoothu or sometimes referred to interchangeably as kattaikkuttu traces its origins to Gingee, a small town in the Viluppuram district (formerly known as South Arcot district) in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. An oral tradition that emerged during the Sangam period around 600-700 AD, Therukoothu is religious folk theatrical custom performed in various parts of Tamil Nadu and in select Tamil speaking regions of Sri Lanka. Usually epics such as the Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Shivapuranam among others are enacted as a part of a ritual, however the theme may vary depending on the presiding deity in the temple; Gingee home to several shrines of Goddess Draupadi celebrates the Draupadi Amman by locally hosting a therukoothu performance based on the epic Mahabharatha through a dramatic re-enactment of episodes from the Tamil version of the epic composed in the 14th century by Villiputtur Azhwar. Dance, drama, music, poetry and prose stream seamlessly in and out of the various acts of a therukoothu performance; improvisations, deviations from didacticism into slapstick humour and social satire keeps the audience informed and engaged. Although once a popular theatre form, therukoothu is a dying tradition, facing stiff competition from the distractions of the digital world. This study is an attempt to explore the various folk aesthetics of this cultural heritage emphasizing on therukoothu as a medium of transmitting religion through vernacular practices.
Literary Voice, 2021
This paper discusses how Mirabai, the 16 th century saint hailing from Rajasthan transitions from... more This paper discusses how Mirabai, the 16 th century saint hailing from Rajasthan transitions from a religious figure into a 'folk cultural icon' by acquiring complex over-layering of connotations over a period of time, using Intermediality as an approach. Additionally, the Bakhtinian theoretical framework of "chronotopes" relating to the intrinsic connectedness of temporal and spatial relationships, artistically expressed in the mediums chosen for this study, situates the narratives within specific regional and cultural contexts. More specifically, this study illustrates how the popular appeal garnered by Mirabai also seeps into the socio-religious practices. Most renowned as Lord Krishna's ardent devotee, Mira was a bhakti poet whose poems reveal the intimate aspects of her life, struggles and victories. Her fearlessness and utter disregard for societal norms and conventions makes her relatable to people belonging to different groups. Several folktales and legends feature Mirabai's quest and adventures in attaining her divine lover, Lord Krishna. Therefore, in this paper intermediality is used an approach to examine the ways in which the saint poet Mirabai is integrated in the cultural imagination as a 'folk cultural icon' in varied textual mediums more specifically in Kiran Nagarkar's historical fictional adaptation Cuckold, 1997 and the Comic Book series Mirabai by Amara Chitra Katha, 1972.