Sober choice
Sir — The party seems to be over for liquor companies. Alcohol sales have plummeted 87% among Gen Z, amounting to a 830 billion dollars in losses for major alcohol companies over the last four years. It turns out that the generation which is often criticised for being escapist and unreliable is actually escaping the one thing previous generations could not. While earlier generations treated happy hour like a mandatory socialisation ritual, Gen Z is avoiding the pub to prioritise clear heads over hangovers. By dismantling a long-standing association between relaxation and alcohol, Gen Zers are rewriting the social script and setting a healthy example for
future generations.
Aditi Sen,
Hooghly
Tune of the times
Sir — The Oscar-winning composer, A.R. Rahman, is facing backlash for his comments on an alleged communal bias in the Hindi film industry. Rahman indicated that his work in Bollywood had slowed down over the last eight years, suggesting a communal bias. The remarks sparked debate, with some critics alleging he was blaming others for his recent lack of new, impactful work.
C.K. Subramaniam,
Navi Mumbai
Sir — Unable to bear the reprisal against him for alleging a communal slant in Bollywood, A.R. Rahman has gone on the defensive, trying to convince the public that he has been misunderstood and that his words are being twisted out of context. People like Rahman should choose their words carefully because what they say has a disproportionate impact. Access to cameras and microphones has both advantages and disadvantages.
S. Balakrishnan,
Jamshedpur
Sir — The legendary musician, A.R. Rahman, is facing criticism for comments he made in a recent interview. His criticism of the film, Chhaava, for which he composed the music, also triggered widespread debate online and offline.
S.S. Paul,
Nadia
Sir — A.R. Rahman’s remarks are illustrative of how the right-wing wishes to capture the platforms of art and culture. This is not the first time that innocuous statements made by artists belonging to a minority community have become grist to the mill of the Hindutva project. Since 2014, members of the right-wing have not let go of any opportunity to disrupt the film industry and convert it into a platform for their own brand of nationalism. A part of this strategy is to feign offence and intimidate major voices into silence and submission.
Khokan Das,
Calcutta
Sir — After attributing his dwindling projects in Bollywood over the past eight years to possible communal bias, A.R. Rahman has now changed tune, clarifying that he loves India and did not mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. Bollywood has produced many great composers whose compositions are loved even though they have passed on. Ilaiyaraaja, who is considered a maestro, is no longer as busy as he once was, but he is not complaining about it. If Rahman is busy with industries in the South, it is because audiences there love his music.
V. Jayaraman,
Chennai
Sir — A.R. Rahman’s unsubstantiated claims of communal bias in Bollywood have been amplified without adequate rebuttal. He is a music director who is too expensive for many Indian film producers to afford. This might be the actual reason for him receiving
limited work.
Vidyasagar Reddy Kethiri,
Hanamkonda, Telangana
Sir — The claims made by A.R. Rahman about the communal discrimination he has faced in Bollywood sound misleading. They overlook the structural shift in the industry and the kind of music that is popular. People’s taste in music is dynamic and subject to change. This has nothing to do with religious sentiments.
Kabir Ahmed Saikia,
Jorhat, Assam
Sir — A Bollywood personality has every right to have an opinion on the changing environment of the industry based on his or her personal experience. Forcing A.R. Rahman to tender an apology of sorts for expressing his independent opinion is a form of authoritarianism that goes against the basic ethos of the Indian Constitution and democracy.
Kajal Chatterjee,
Calcutta
In name only
Sir — The selection of Nitin Nabin as the next Bharatiya Janata Party president is hardly a momentous event. The newly-anointed party president will only be the de jure head since there can be no doubt that the Union home minister, Amit Shah, will continue to wield enormous power within the organisation. Further, nobody is under the illusion that Nabin will be able to take independent decisions without deferring to whatever the prime minister, Narendra Modi, wants done.
G. David Milton,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Sir — The unopposed election of Nitin Nabin as the BJP’s new president is a ray of hope for the party. One hopes that the new party president will bring about some change in the actions of the BJP.
Kirti Wadhawan,
Kanpur
Lost empathy
Sir — The death of Ritesh Kumar in Bihar is heartbreaking. A Class VII boy was killed on his way to coaching class after being hit by a fast-moving pickup truck carrying fish. Bystanders did not call the police or seek medical help. Instead they looted fish from the scene and ran. This is a collapse of basic decency. Schools can teach lessons in road safety but what about empathy?
Aloke Kumar,
Gaya