Back in Time, Ep 1: Anand Patwardhan on religious extremism
Diving into independent India’s sociopolitical, cultural and economic history with Kunal Kamra.
Welcome to Back In Time, our brand new show hosted by Kunal Kamra. Kunal sits down with writers, filmmakers, journalists, lawyers and economists to, well, go back in time and discuss critical moments in independent India’s history.
In episode 1, Kunal revisits 1990s India with documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan. Anand takes us back to his time shooting Ram Ke Naam, which explored the sociopolitical climate leading up to the Babri Masjid demolition. Hindu fundamentalism drummed up wide support for the demolition, he says, adding specifically about BJP grandee LK Advani’s mobilisation campaign, “Wherever the rath yatra went, people were being killed.”
They also discuss how patriarchy and caste played into the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.
Watch!
Subscribe now to unlock the story
Why should I pay for news?
Independent journalism is not possible until you pitch in. We have seen what happens in ad-funded models: Journalism takes a backseat and gets sacrificed at the altar of clicks and TRPs.
Stories like these cost perseverance, time, and resources. Subscribe now to power our journalism.
- Paywall stories on both Newslaundry and The News Minute
- Priority access to all meet ups and events, including The Media Rumble
- All subscriber-only interaction – NL Chatbox and monthly editorial call with the team
- Stronger together merch – Fridge magnets and laptop stickers on annual plan
₹ 500
Monthly₹ 4999
AnnualAlready a subscriber? Login