dailyO
Gautam Benegal

Gautam Benegal

Filmmaker and author

Award winning animation filmmaker, artist, author, and social commentator.

By Gautam Benegal

Kashmir's Slippery Slope: Article 370's revocation sets a dangerous precedent for us all

The idea behind Article 370 was to respect culture, history and a political agreement made with immense belief. That stands broken today and the effects won't be limited to Kashmir.

...Full Story

More loyal than the king: Those protesting liberals' letter to PM Modi have had their brains turned to mush

As India’s best creative minds write a serious missive to PM Modi, urging him to curb communal crime, some others are complaining about the complainants themselves. Why is evident.

...Full Story

Vedic Talk, Western Walk: How BJP-RSS actually ignore Vedic knowledge and are destroying our environment for growth

The tokenism is funny, if it weren't frightening. It's like carrying the Union Budget wrapped in a 'bahi khata', not a colonial briefcase, but arriving in a BMW to do it.

...Full Story

From sacred to profane: How the holy 'Jai Shri Ram' chant is now a cry of violence to lynch the terrified

Once words of calmness and beauty, the Hindu chant is now a signal, a dog-whistle, a weapon in the hands of lynch mobs targeting the most vulnerable.

...Full Story

World Cup 2019: Why I've stopped watching India play cricket

Once known as the gentleman’s game, the sport has turned bats into weapons for hyper-nationalism and for advertising opportunities. This is now war, of a different kind.

...Full Story

The Battle for Bengal: Why Mamata Banerjee is Kolkata's only hope against BJP

Mocked once as 'lower class' compared to the suave Buddhadev and the urbane Jyoti babu, Mamata is now the only hope of the same bhodrolok against the surge of the Sangh Parivar.

...Full Story

Hate in the Air? The BJP's victory has been followed by worrying attacks on Muslims

The Hindutva mob is now emboldened and could victimise minorities with impunity. If you call them out, you're labelled the ‘Khan Market gang’. Is this the real India we voted for?

...Full Story

The Afternoon After: Will we see violent, focused Hindutva following the BJP's victory? Or just politics as usual?

India has finally shrugged off the 'socialist', 'secular' tags of the Nehruvian generation. If the spirit of 2014's mandate was ever in doubt, the 2019 choice has cleared it. But what lies ahead now?

...Full Story

Far from Busted: Right-wing goons vandalized Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar’s statue. But they can't destroy his iconic Bengali thought

The very politicians whose foot soldiers are blamed for shattering Vidyasagar's statue are vowing to rebuild it with ornate ‘panchadhattu’. This is exactly the outlook Vidyasagar stood against.

...Full Story

Lowest Uncommon Denominator: Why I think Narendra Modi knowingly lowered the level of political discourse

It has been helpful to Modi and the BJP to cover up failures and flaws with insults and allegations. However, when the Opposition responds in kind, the PM doesn't seem to like it.

...Full Story

Please log in
I agree with DailyO's privacy policy