Capturing the Politics and Poetics of Everyday Life....

Posters. Roadshows. Reels. Drama. Kerala’s election looks like a movie set—and maybe that’s the point. Welcome to Polllywood ‘Polllywood’ in Kerala 2026: When Democracy Turns into a Festival of Performances Polllywood→ (Poll + Hollywood) Captures elections as spectacle—drama, scripting, image-making. In this blog post, I coin the term Polllywood to describe the transformation of electoral politics into a mediatized spectacle — where campaigns are scripted, circulated, and consumed like cinematic productions, blurring the line between governance and performance.  If you step into Kerala in March – April 2026, you don’t just see an election — you experience it. It feels less like a political process and more like a travelling cultural festival. Somewhere between a Kalolsavam, a film release, and a temple festival, the state transforms into a vast stage. Welcome again — to Polllywood, Kerala edition. Opening Scene: The State as a Moving Stage The campaign does not begin with speec...

New medicines, better technologies— that’s what we usually think of when we hear “translational research.” But what about trust, empathy, democracy, and critical thinking?  Translational research has moved from lab to society. But without the humanities, can it really understand society? This blog explores why the humanities are essential to truly improving life. Beyond Labs and Devices: Why Translational Research Needs the Humanities In recent years, one phrase has quietly become central  to academic and policy conversations: Translational Research. At its core, the idea seems simple. Take research out of the lab. Make it useful in real life. Governments, universities, and research centres across  the world are investing heavily in this idea—ensuring that knowledge does not remain locked inside journals, but becomes something that improves everyday life. But here is where things get interesting. Where Translational Research Began The idea of translational research did no...

Ever noticed how a political poster can make you feel something instantly? Comfort. Trust. Strength. From tea shop debates to campaign posters — politics in Kerala is not just argued, it is felt.  Here’s a closer look at how emotions shape elections around us. (for general readers) Beyond “Political Science”: How Politics Sneaks Into Our Feelings Let me start with a simple question. When was the last time you felt politics? Not thought about it. Not debated it. Not analysed it. But felt it. Maybe it was during a casual tea shop conversation. Maybe it was a heated WhatsApp argument. Maybe it was just a moment—quiet, personal—before pressing a button on a voting machine. Now think about this. We call it Political Science . A field that sounds precise, structured, almost like a laboratory discipline. But the politics we actually live? It doesn’t feel like science at all. Politics Doesn’t Happen in Classrooms In classrooms, politics is neat. There are theories. Frameworks. Models. You...