This week’s episode of South Central, hosted by journalist Dhanya Rajendran and co-hosted by Pooja Prasanna and Leena Reghunath, explored two pressing topics—youth violence in Kerala and the growing influence of hyper-nationalism in Indian cricket. The episode featured filmmaker Don Palathara, senior sports journalist Sharda Ugra, and social media influencer Aysha Mahmood.
With Kerala witnessing violent crimes, the state is debating whether movies, drugs, or the internet were fueling these incidents. Don Palathara argued against blaming any single medium, including cinema. He emphasized that cinema does not dictate behavior but is a reflection of the larger society.
Aysha Mahmood, however, highlighted the impact of technology on behavior, particularly among children. “Our brain has been rewired to have instant justice, instant dopamine hits, instant gratification,” she said.
The conversation then shifted to Indian cricket, examining the power of the BCCI and the rising wave of hyper-nationalism. Sharda Ugra pointed out how nationalism in cricket is being deliberately amplified. “This kind of jingoism has been amplified by the government at the centre, and by the broadcasters,” she said. She likened BCCI’s dominance in cricket to the U.S.’s global influence, saying, “BCCI is like the United States of cricket.”
All this and more—tune in.
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Audio Timecodes
00:00:00 – Introduction
00:02:05 – Subscribe & Support TNM
00:02:52 – Headlines
00:06:44 - TNM turns 11
00:08:03– Cinema & Violence
00:42:23 - Indian Cricket and Hyper-nationalism
01:05:51 - Letters
01:08:41 – Recommendations
References
Asianet Kumbh controversy: Kerala BJP gunning for Rajeev Chandrasekhar? | Powertrip #92
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
How Jay Shah destroying Indian Cricket…
Modi operandi: The politicisation of Indian cricket – Almanack
Recommendations
Aysha Mahmood
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
Sharda Ugra
The Hachette Book of Indian Detective Fiction Volumes
Don Palathara
Leena Reghunath
Pooja Prasanna
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
Dhanya Rajendran
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Produced by Bhuvan Malik, edited by Jaseem Ali, written by Maria Teresa Raju.