Aranyak (A Trip into the Jungle), 1994. Director: Apurba Kishore Bir, Hindi

Bougies, colonial hangover, hunting, party, and an unusual dinner! Ankita and Azhar bring you the criminally underrated and one of the most haunting Hindi films, Aranyak (1994), directed by the legendary Odiya cinematographer and screenwriter Apurba Kishore Bir. This film is a testament to Hindi cinema's versatility and uniqueness. It asks you to question the thin line between control and cannibalism, appreciation and objectification, and so much more. It is one of the earliest Hindi films to examine the subject of cannibalism and the objectification of the Indigenous people of Odisha, India. Hailing from Odisha, there can be no better storyteller than Bir himself, who carefully braids patriarchy, native elitism, and the rise of postcolonial capitalist machinery through the theme of cannibalistic consumption.  As always, please subscribe to the podcast if you like what you hear, and don't forget to leave us a review!