South Central 17 | Indian Cricket, BCCI’s Power & Cinema’s Role in Kerala’s Crime

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!

Write to us on what you would like to speak about to southcentral@thenewsminute.com

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

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Produced by Bhuvan Malik, edited by Jaseem Ali

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