Papers by Gautam Pemmaraju
Nidān: International Journal For Indian Studies Volume 7, Issue 1. July 2022, 2022
Jayasurya Naidu (b. 1899) was the eldest child of Sarojini Naidu, the acclaimed poet and leader o... more Jayasurya Naidu (b. 1899) was the eldest child of Sarojini Naidu, the acclaimed poet and leader of the Indian National Congress. Carrying the onerous burden of high expectations, he travelled to Scotland in 1921 to study medicine, much like his father did, but unexpectedly shifted to Berlin. Influenced early on by the radical anticolonialism of his mother's brother, the (in)famous Virendranath Chattopadhyaya or Chatto, Jayasurya veered away from the path his illustrious parents had hoped he would continue on. His rebellious, mercurial personality was complicated by his many troubles-psychological and otherwise. Of a melancholic and often depressive nature, Jayasurya was highly sensitive to the inequities and hardships he witnessed. His family was constantly worried as to his condition and the course of his actions and much to their displeasure, Jayasurya discontinued his medical studies in Germany and became increasingly entangled with Comintern-backed politics of the League Against Imperialism (LAI) in the late 1920s. His correspondence with his family, an 'affective archive', reveals great insights into a unique phase of anticolonial politics through the intersection of his personal and political trajectories, enmeshed and entangled as they inevitably are. His life in Germany, from 1922 to 1934, as seen primarily through his correspondence with his siblings and sparse archival documentation, appears as an idiosyncratic narrative thread in a broader, complex tapestry of transnational anti-colonialism and entangled histories. A largely ignored figure, Jayasurya Naidu's life in Germany, as a medical student, researcher, and as a confused, homesick anti-colonial political activist, adds very interesting and illuminating textures to the network of Berlin Indians in the interwar period.
Fifty Two, 2022
A century on, the nationalist and revolutionary movements of this time are well documented. But o... more A century on, the nationalist and revolutionary movements of this time are well documented. But one vast arena remains relatively unexplored: the surveillance and intelligence operations that the British deployed against communists and other dissidents.
Here is one fascinating thread of that mostly hidden history. While Gandhi, Nehru, Jinnah and other national leaders represented overt resistance, M.N. Roy posed a covert menace. He became the primary target for British intelligence. This is the story of how the Empire cast the dragnet for this enigmatic man, whose extraordinary web of agents, collaborators, lovers and enemies made him the central, shape-shifting figure of an existential threat.
https://fiftytwo.in/story/the-dragnet/
MARG, 2019
What is the urban soundscape? Is it one unified entity? Is it something that we can describe accu... more What is the urban soundscape? Is it one unified entity? Is it something that we can describe accurately? In cities, or for that matter wherever infrastructure exists, is being built, modified and reimagined, do its sounds impact us? If we design our cities to look a certain way with certain amenities, is it possible to also design them to sound a certain way, with other kind of amenities? This essay engages these and related questions as a preliminary step towards a possible pragmatic-aesthetic program for thinking about the soundscape of infrastructure, and thereby of the city and urbanisation.
Available here:
https://marg-art.org/product/UHJvZHVjdDo1MjUx
Serendipity Arts Foundation: Projects / Processes Volume I, 2020
A slow but inevitable foregrounding of sound in sensorial, material, and conceptual domains over ... more A slow but inevitable foregrounding of sound in sensorial, material, and conceptual domains over the second half of the twentieth century, has unfolded in art, literature, and the humanities, not to mention popular culture. Often referred to as the “sonic turn”, a shifting of cultural markers and practices that the scholar Christoph Cox describes as “a broad turn in the academy and also in visual and sonic arts”1, it carried the legacy of a century of theory and practice, during which the plastic arts flourished, and conventions of music and musical performance were challenged vigorously by a wide range of stakeholders.
CARAVAN, 2015
Hailed as the badshah of mizahiya shayri, Khateeb, who is still relatively unknown across the sub... more Hailed as the badshah of mizahiya shayri, Khateeb, who is still relatively unknown across the subcontinent, was prolific, and composed and performed a great number of his works in Dakhani. Suffused with regional idioms, pithy folk wisdom and the sumptuous inflections of the Deccan’s vernaculars, his poetry was accessible to and singularly popular among the people of the region. Khateeb was not just a guardian of Dakhani, he became one of its most be- loved ambassadors. He lit a lamp in the darkened corner to which the language had retreated; his poetry was like a stick of incense burnt in propitiation to its glorious history.
Indian Quarterly
What do we know about how we have slept? When we awaken—either transitioning gently into wakefuln... more What do we know about how we have slept? When we awaken—either transitioning gently into wakefulness or shaken awake abruptly—are we aware of how we have slept? Are we conscious during sleep? If so, what is it we are conscious of?
'Loud' is the word that most easily springs to mind when one describes the soundtrack of the arch... more 'Loud' is the word that most easily springs to mind when one describes the soundtrack of the archetypal Hindi film. The main purpose of sound is to heighten the melodrama, to imbue the hero with a mythic aura through blood-and-thunder dialogue. What, then, is the role of sound effects in the composite soundtrack and how are they conceived? Drawing from conversations with several sound professionals and filmmakers, Gautam Pemmaraju gives us an insider's view of effects production and aesthetics during the analogue era of sound production in Hindi cinema. From the age of the talkies he takes us through the dubbing era to the digital age, when technology brought about a radically different tone, texture and timbre to contemporary sounds.
...one thing that can certainly be extrapolated with some degree of certitude here, is that sound... more ...one thing that can certainly be extrapolated with some degree of certitude here, is that sound/music is profoundly linked to human experience and as we extend our artistic and intellectual traditions, drawing from what we know and what has been, it must include the investigation of our sonic worlds, primordial as they are, and futuristic as they often appear.
Book Reviews by Gautam Pemmaraju
Nidān: International Journal for Indian Studies, 2024
The book Anarchy or Chaos by research scholar and writer Ole Birk Laursen explores M.P.T. Acharya... more The book Anarchy or Chaos by research scholar and writer Ole Birk Laursen explores M.P.T. Acharya’s itinerant life as a revolutionary nationalist in Berlin who fled India in December 1908 in search of a safe haven, the company of like-minded associates, and stable employment. Acharya’s writings, and his life, offer us with “new ways of thinking about emancipatory politics from below.” To the lay reader, it's an extraordinary story of a forgotten Indian freedom fighter and his peripatetic, tumultuous life plagued by uncertainties and upheavals.
The long-standing debate on Hyderabad’s sovereignty is often obscured by opposing binary argument... more The long-standing debate on Hyderabad’s sovereignty is often obscured by opposing binary arguments, and in the postcolonial state it is mostly drowned out by nationalist rhetoric. But aside from whether the state was sovereign or not in a simplistic oppositional manner, what assumes great interest was the hazy shades of its sovereign character which manifested in complex ways through state policy, its organs and officials, and associated interlocutors alike.
Books by Gautam Pemmaraju
"This biography of the Dalai Lama—blessed by His Holiness himself—is the most authentic and intim... more "This biography of the Dalai Lama—blessed by His Holiness himself—is the most authentic and intimate profile of the world’s greatest living spiritual figure. Tenzin Geyche Tethong, a close aide of His Holiness for forty years who became family, offers readers unprecedented access to the Dalai Lama in this beautifully illustrated book. The Dalai Lama’s youngest brother, Ngari Rinpoche Tenzin Choegyal, who was only 12 years old when he accompanied His Holiness on his dangerous 1959 escape to India, is a personal friend of Tethong and the mentor for this book project. As “elders” to the Tibetan community in exile, these men have come together to tell the true story of His Holiness—their brother, friend, and leader.
Featuring previously unpublished photographs, as well as interviews and memories of those closest to him, this book renders unparalleled insights into the Dalai Lama’s experiences as the preeminent leader of Tibet, and the wealth of his compassion and gentle humor in the face of the ongoing conflict. This is in no small part due to Tethong and Ngari Rinpoche’s unique perspectives on many sensitive issues.
Richly compelling, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama: An Illustrated Biography is a stunning visual celebration of the Dalai Lama, sketching a memorable portrait of an icon and a cause that have won the attention and hearts of billions across the world."
Bombay Brokers (ed. Lisa Björkman), 2021
This poem was recited to me by an octogenarian scholar in a long conversation about the “social l... more This poem was recited to me by an octogenarian scholar in a long conversation about the “social life” of Urdu in Bombay and what we may consider a city dialect: Bambaiya. Many paths of inquiry animated the conversation: variations across different neighborhoods; the wide word pool drawing from languages including Marathi, Gujarati, Konkani, Portuguese, and English; and broad types of slang, trade registers, comedic use, and other forms of street language. Bambaiya, a word derived from the name of the city, is also found beyond the streets in literary forms: poetry, prose, and dialogues and lyrics for the stage and for Hindi cinema.
Talks by Gautam Pemmaraju
From the link between bird calls & human speech evolution, reconstructing an ancient Tamil harp, ... more From the link between bird calls & human speech evolution, reconstructing an ancient Tamil harp, performance & politics in early Hindi film talkies, sonic imaging of ancient archaeological remains, and specialty music production with philosophical underpinnings, here is Sonic Legacies—a series of five recorded conversations with some excellent practitioners and researchers.
Featuring behavioural ecologist Manjari Jain, luthier and musician Tharun Sekhar, film scholar Debashree Mukherjee, sound technician and researcher Umashankar Manthravadi & music producer and record label owner Kavi Alexander. Hosted by Foundation for Art & Culture Education & DHI Art Space.
It is in part inspired by the British musician, writer and artist David Toop's wonderful work (and his 1995 book Ocean of Sound); he speaks in the introduction.
Available to watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUSKQO8uowTyg4f0p2gKAlojFZ9bCuTkK
Uploads
Papers by Gautam Pemmaraju
Here is one fascinating thread of that mostly hidden history. While Gandhi, Nehru, Jinnah and other national leaders represented overt resistance, M.N. Roy posed a covert menace. He became the primary target for British intelligence. This is the story of how the Empire cast the dragnet for this enigmatic man, whose extraordinary web of agents, collaborators, lovers and enemies made him the central, shape-shifting figure of an existential threat.
https://fiftytwo.in/story/the-dragnet/
Available here:
https://marg-art.org/product/UHJvZHVjdDo1MjUx
Book Reviews by Gautam Pemmaraju
Books by Gautam Pemmaraju
Featuring previously unpublished photographs, as well as interviews and memories of those closest to him, this book renders unparalleled insights into the Dalai Lama’s experiences as the preeminent leader of Tibet, and the wealth of his compassion and gentle humor in the face of the ongoing conflict. This is in no small part due to Tethong and Ngari Rinpoche’s unique perspectives on many sensitive issues.
Richly compelling, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama: An Illustrated Biography is a stunning visual celebration of the Dalai Lama, sketching a memorable portrait of an icon and a cause that have won the attention and hearts of billions across the world."
Talks by Gautam Pemmaraju
Featuring behavioural ecologist Manjari Jain, luthier and musician Tharun Sekhar, film scholar Debashree Mukherjee, sound technician and researcher Umashankar Manthravadi & music producer and record label owner Kavi Alexander. Hosted by Foundation for Art & Culture Education & DHI Art Space.
It is in part inspired by the British musician, writer and artist David Toop's wonderful work (and his 1995 book Ocean of Sound); he speaks in the introduction.
Available to watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUSKQO8uowTyg4f0p2gKAlojFZ9bCuTkK
Here is one fascinating thread of that mostly hidden history. While Gandhi, Nehru, Jinnah and other national leaders represented overt resistance, M.N. Roy posed a covert menace. He became the primary target for British intelligence. This is the story of how the Empire cast the dragnet for this enigmatic man, whose extraordinary web of agents, collaborators, lovers and enemies made him the central, shape-shifting figure of an existential threat.
https://fiftytwo.in/story/the-dragnet/
Available here:
https://marg-art.org/product/UHJvZHVjdDo1MjUx
Featuring previously unpublished photographs, as well as interviews and memories of those closest to him, this book renders unparalleled insights into the Dalai Lama’s experiences as the preeminent leader of Tibet, and the wealth of his compassion and gentle humor in the face of the ongoing conflict. This is in no small part due to Tethong and Ngari Rinpoche’s unique perspectives on many sensitive issues.
Richly compelling, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama: An Illustrated Biography is a stunning visual celebration of the Dalai Lama, sketching a memorable portrait of an icon and a cause that have won the attention and hearts of billions across the world."
Featuring behavioural ecologist Manjari Jain, luthier and musician Tharun Sekhar, film scholar Debashree Mukherjee, sound technician and researcher Umashankar Manthravadi & music producer and record label owner Kavi Alexander. Hosted by Foundation for Art & Culture Education & DHI Art Space.
It is in part inspired by the British musician, writer and artist David Toop's wonderful work (and his 1995 book Ocean of Sound); he speaks in the introduction.
Available to watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUSKQO8uowTyg4f0p2gKAlojFZ9bCuTkK