Arundhati Roy’s 1988 film, a student production made while she studied architecture at the School of Planning and Architecture in Delhi, sparked an immediate and visceral reaction at its first public screening. Roy, recalling the event, described how students “jammed into the hall and crowded on to the floor,” and within minutes, the audience began “to yell, roar with laughter and wolf-whistle through the film.” The response, she said, stemmed from a recognition of their own lives reflected on screen – their language, clothing, jokes, and everyday experiences.
The film, details of which remain largely undocumented in readily available sources, resonated with a generation of Delhi students. The intensity of the initial reaction suggests a powerful connection to the film’s themes and characters. Roy, born Suzanna Arundhati Roy on November 24, 1961, in Shillong, Assam (now Meghalaya), later gained international recognition as the author of the Booker Prize-winning novel The God of Small Things (1997). She is also a prominent political activist, focusing on human rights and environmental issues, and was recently awarded the 2024 PEN Pinter Prize.
The screening’s atmosphere, as described by Roy, points to a film that captured the nuances of student life in Delhi during the late 1980s. The spontaneous and boisterous response indicates a level of authenticity that resonated deeply with the audience. While the film itself remains a relatively obscure work in Roy’s broader career, the memory of its debut highlights its impact on those who witnessed it.
Recent artistic endeavors by Delhi students demonstrate a continuing engagement with classical and contemporary figures. Vidhika Roy, a Fine Arts student at an unspecified Delhi college, recently gained attention on Reddit for a clay sculpture of William Shakespeare. The sculpture, posted on the r/Delhi forum, garnered praise for its detail and craftsmanship, alongside other works by the artist including sculptures of Lord Buddha and former Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. This suggests a vibrant artistic community within Delhi’s educational institutions.
Elsewhere in Delhi’s academic landscape, Hansraj College recently faced protests following a wedding held on campus, reportedly the son of the college principal. The event sparked backlash from students, prompting intervention from the Delhi University Registrar, Vikas Gupta, who stated there was no cause for concern. This incident underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding the use of campus spaces and the potential for conflicts between administrative decisions and student interests.
