Blind spot
Sir — The actor, Timothée Chalamet, stirred controversy after remarking that he would not want to work in fields like opera or ballet where people seem to be striving to “keep this thing alive even though no one cares about this anymore”. The comment drew criticism from artists and institutions that argued these centuries-old art forms remain vibrant and influential. However, there is a sliver of truth in what Chalamet implied. Popular imagination is dominated by film stars; far more people can rattle off names of Hollywood’s A-listers than those of leading figures of opera or ballet. But opera, ballet and cinema have long enriched one another and drawn from shared histories of performance. Championing one’s own art need not come at the cost of belittling another.
Titli Dasgupta,
Mumbai
In charge
Sir — Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the recently killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been chosen as his successor (“Iran picks Mystery Mojtaba”, Mar 10). Unlike his father, the 56-year-old cleric has largely kept a low profile. He has neither held office nor delivered public speeches or given interviews.
Having lost his father, mother, wife and son in joint strikes by the United States of America and Israel, it is unlikely that Mojtaba Khamenei will bow to Western pressure. At the same time, he faces the daunting task of ensuring the survival of the Islamic republic and convincing the Iranian public that he is the right person to steer the country out of political and economic devastation. His selection is historic because Iran’s Establishment post-1979 has rejected the idea of hereditary succession.
P. Victor Selvaraj,
Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu
Sir — For decades, Mojtaba Khamenei functioned as a discreet yet influential presence around his father, cultivating strong ties with senior clerics and particularly with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His appointment reflects the growing dominance of hardline factions within Iran’s power structure. Analysts say Tehran may thus have little appetite for compromise with the US and Israel.
Despite sustained bombardment, Iran has claimed that it is yet to deploy its most advanced missiles. With Russia, China and North Korea backing Iran, the conflict is not expected to end anytime soon.
Bhagwan Thadani,
Mumbai
Sir — In “Need for balance” (Mar 9), Nirupama Rao aptly underscores the tightrope India must walk as the West Asia crisis shatters the illusion of a stable multipolar order. With Iran’s armed forces already pledging allegiance to Mojtaba Khamenei, the possibility of a prolonged confrontation in West Asia cannot be ruled out.
For India, the stakes are particularly high. Nearly 10 million Indians live and work across the Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz remains critical to India’s energy security. Equally significant is the future of the Chabahar port project in Iran where India has invested about $120 million. The ongoing conflict could thus complicate both logistics and diplomacy surrounding this crucial gateway. India remains one of the few countries maintaining working relations with both the US–Israel axis and the Iranian leadership. New Delhi must use that unique position to advocate for an immediate ceasefire.
Vidyasagar Reddy Kethiri,
Warangal, Telangana
War’s victims
Sir — The editorial, “War and women” (Mar 8), rightly highlights that conflict does not merely form a backdrop to suffering but actively dismantles women’s hard-won rights. It is a tragic irony when military intervention is portrayed as liberation. A bombed-out clinic cannot advance reproductive freedom, and a school turned into a barracks does not expand girls’ access to education. If global powers genuinely wish to champion gender equality, they must promote conflict resolution with equal urgency. Peace is not merely the absence of war; it is the essential condition that allows every other right to flourish.
K. Chidanand Kumar,
Bengaluru
Sir — Women across West Asia continue to suffer the devastating consequences of war. In almost every conflict, women bear the brunt of hardship because they are often the most physically and socially vulnerable. All warring parties must recognise this grim reality. War plunges women into unbearable distress and deprives them of dignity and security. For the sake of our sisters and mothers, wars must stop.
B. Sanyal,
Malda
Crisis of intellect
Sir — As we encounter the growing wave of Artificial Intelligence, I have been plagued by a sense of discomfort. For the first time in my life, the one asset I always believed to be my greatest strength appears to be under challenge. That asset is intelligence. This feeling may not be mine alone. It may resonate with millions of Indians, especially middle-class Bengalis. Wealth or property has rarely defined this social coterie. Instead, what has endured across generations is a deep reverence for intellect. Books, debates, theatre, literature and politics have long shaped everyday conversations. In such a milieu, intelligence is not merely a skill but a form of dignity.
Against this backdrop, the rapid rise of AI now produces an unexpected psychological tremor. For communities that have historically defined themselves through intellectual achievement, the idea that machines can now perform many cognitive tasks raises deeper questions of identity. When algorithms can analyse literature, generate arguments and assist reasoning, human intelligence begins to seem more technologically replicable. This is not an argument against AI. Nor is it a prediction of cultural decline. One hopes this moment will deepen rather than diminish our understanding of intelligence.
Sugata Dasgupta,
Calcutta