Xplained

Imagine ₹2 Making Cinematic History

When Indian Farmers Crowdfunded A Film!

When Indian Farmers Produced A Film!

In 1976, legendary director Shyam Benegal wanted to tell the story of India’s milk cooperative movement. But Dr. Verghese Kurien (the Father of the White Revolution) refused to risk the farmers’ hard-earned funds on a movie.
The solution? India’s first-ever crowdfunded film. 5 Lakh dairy farmers donated just ₹2 from their daily milk earnings, raising the ₹10 Lakh budget in less than a week to create the masterpiece, Manthan. The film was later taken to remote villages with 16mm projectors, inspiring millions to defeat exploitative middlemen and join the Amul cooperative.
Decades later, the 4K restoration of this historic film just received a massive 5-minute standing ovation at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. A proud moment for Indian cinema and the power of collective action! 🥛✨

Trojan Horse Plan?

A shortcut to the sea vs. a Trojan Horse in the heartland.

When India Stopped A US-China War!

When India played a crucial role in stopping a US-China nuclear war

Imagine being sent to the UN to fight for your country, only to find your mother standing on the opposing side.

This isn’t a movie script. It is the tragic, real life story of Raja Tridev Roy, the 50th King of the Buddhist Chakma Circle.

The story actually begins in 1947. During Partition, the British assigned the Chittagong Hill Tracts to Pakistan, even though the region was 97% non-Muslim. Decades later, when the 1971 war broke out, the Raja made a fateful choice. He feared that a new Bengali majority nation would swallow his tribe’s identity, so he chose to side with the Pakistani military.

By 1972, the drama peaked in New York. Pakistan sent the Raja at the head of a 21 member delegation to lobby against the recognition of Bangladesh. In a brilliant and brutal move of diplomatic chess, Bangladesh sent his own mother, Rajmata Benita Roy, to stop him.

The mother won that day, and Bangladesh joined the UN. But the Raja paid the ultimate price. He was barred from his homeland forever. He spent the rest of his life in a house in Islamabad, just miles away from a Presidency he could never hold because he refused to renounce his Buddhist faith.

Kissa Kursi Ka..