Adithya Kamesh

Senses of Cinema • 20th July 2025

Vinothraj’s Pebbles: A Meditation on Solastalgia – Senses of Cinema

Set in the sun-scorched interiors of rural Tamil Nadu, Pebbles (P.S. Vinothraj, 2021) explores the emotional and psychological toll of surviving in an environment that is both intimately known and becoming increasingly unliveable. It is a quiet but searing portrayal of solastalgia – the deep psychological distress caused by climate change, where one suffers not from displacement but from the slow, steady death of the land they call home.

Feminism in India • 18th April 2025

Rape As Gameplay: What 'No Mercy' Says About Tech, Culture, And Consent

'No Mercy'—a story-based PC game centered around a male protagonist who engages in rape and coercion—has sparked widespread online outrage.

Feminism in India • 5th March 2025

The Anatomy Of Control: Representations Of The Vagina And Female Genitalia In Literature

Depictions of the vagina have profoundly shaped our views on women's bodies and sexuality, and this is reflected in art, literature, medicine, and other spheres of life even today.

Feminism in India • 25th February 2025

Wombs And The War On Freedom: A Study Of The Fascist Obsession With Reproductive Control

We are at a pivotal moment in history, where sexual and reproductive rights are under growing threats. Access to safe abortions—a fundamental right—is becoming increasingly restricted across countries.

Headcanon Magazine • 30th January 2025

Claustrophobia and Control: Discussions on spaces in Girls Will Be Girls by Adithya Kamesh

Girls Will Be Girls is the poignant coming-of-age story of Mira (Preeti Panigrahi), set against the backdrop of strict environments. Written and directed by Shuchi Talati, this movie is also her first feature directorial debut. Girls Will Be Girls premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the audience award and critical acclaim. It is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Feminism in India • 7th January 2025

Footbinding And The Endless Struggle For Women’s Bodily Autonomy

Footbinding is the custom of binding the feet of young women with tight bandages to change their shape and size. This practice was prevalent in late Imperial China and lasted a whopping thousand years, from the 10th century to the early 20th century.

Footbinding is a stark reminder of the lengths to which societies have gone—and still go—to control women’s bodies and movement.

Feminism in India • 3rd January 2025

'Feminist Fathima' And The Roast Of Patriarchy: A Discussion

Feminist Fathima is Fasil Muhammed’s directorial debut, a profound, satirical take on patriarchal control and religious fundamentalism. This film premiered at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), under the International Competition category. It went on to win five awards at the festival, including the jury prize and the audience poll award. Because of its rich, multi-layered narrative and profound themes, this film calls for a detailed analysis.

The Polis Project • 13th December 2024

Kottukkaali: A Homage to Resilience in the face of Patriarchal Oppression

The Tamil word “kottukkaali” refers to a young woman who acts according to her own will, but whose actions her family and society consider wrong. Loosely, it translates to “an adamant girl.” 

Directed by PS Vinothraj, Kottukkaali (The Adamant Girl) is the story of Meena (Anna Ben), who is taken on a pilgrimage by her family under the pretext of exorcism, to “rid” her of her rebellious behavior: falling in love with a man outside her caste and insisting that she will only marry him.

Inverse Journal • 1st December 2024

No Other Land (Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor) — A Film Review by Adithya Kamesh

No Other Land is a riveting documentary that captures the mass expulsion of the Palestinian villagers of Masafer Yatta, a community of 20 hamlets housing native Palestinians.

The film is a collaborative work by four activists—Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor. The film premiered at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama section, where it received critical acclaim. It went on to win the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary Film and the Berlinal...

Writing Women • 8th November 2024

Flaming Forest, Wounded Valley: Stories from Bastar and Kashmir by Freny Manecksha, Book Review – Writing Women

“A bold account of those who dare to tell their stories of struggle, and even go to jail for doing so.”

The book opens with this powerful statement, setting the tone for what the readers can expect: a deep exploration of the human spirit amidst the harsh realities of two regions most heavily militarized by the Indian State – Bastar and Kashmir.