The realms of dark fantasy and horror constantly evolve, with readers hungry for fresh nightmares and unexplored mythologies. In the vibrant landscape of contemporary Indian genre fiction, author K. Hari Kumar has carved a powerful niche. He masterfully blends ancient Indian folklore and deep Indian mythology with the anxieties of modern life, creating chilling narratives […]
There are stories that come with thunder, and there are stories that arrive like a sigh at dusk. The music video adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s He Sakha Mama Hridaye Raho is one such sigh—gentle, almost silent, yet carrying the weight of lifetimes. He Sakha is also rendered as Hey Shokha, and that’s how it is spelt in the music video that came out in 2024. In this hauntingly evocative retelling, the sacred Rabindra Sangeet becomes more than a hymn. It becomes the pulse of a man torn between two women, two kinds of love, and ultimately, two versions of himself.
When I write women, I don’t create them as symbols or archetypes. They are people, shaped by the worlds they inhabit. Some fight against their circumstances, some carry wounds that refuse to heal, and some embrace the darkness that has been thrust upon them. A reader who read Dakhma once told me that Anahita gave
The cultural uniqueness and identity of Tulu Nadu is closely tied to the beautiful Kola dance performances, as depicted in the film – ‘Kantara’.
Written by bestselling author K. Hari Kumar this is, perhaps the only book on daiva worship, with a deep dive in Tulu Nadu’s folklore, published by a mainstream Indian writer in English.
The seed of ‘Daiva’ may have been planted just a year ago, but the inspiration for this exploration of Tulunadu’s mighty deities stretches much further back. Interestingly, the wellsprings of creativity that fueled ‘Daiva’ may surprise you – they don’t directly involve the Daivas themselves. Let me take you on a journey through time as I unveil the literary gems that ignited the spark that became ‘Daiva.’
