We all know what it’s like to be looked at. Some are loving, others malicious and menacing. All forms of media, ranging from literature to music and cinema, have their own defining works detailing as such: Franz Kafka’s Letters to Milena, Kishore Kumar’s ‘Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas’, and that one infamous ultimate scene from La La Land are popular examples. However compelling, these only majoritively provide the perspective of the one that gazes, creating a clear subject/object binary divide. Through this issue, we aim to provide a platform that reverses this dynamic: what happens when the object gains subjectivity and looks back? Is it possible to have two subjects, or does the gaze always objectify?

The gaze prompts us to confront questions of representation and identity and recognise the power dynamics inherent in the act. We interrogate how systems of privilege and oppression shape how we perceive and are perceived, and celebrate the voices that disrupt and redefine the dominant narrative. But, where there is hate, there can be love – there is transformative potential in truly seeing one another. Through stories of vulnerability and real connection, one look can serve as a bridge—a conduit for understanding, compassion, and solidarity.

Our carefully curated issue includes the best that linguistic creativity offers, unrestricted by and across all genres. Poetry pieces such as ‘I’ve Never Had Anyone To Love My Body’ and ‘My Father’s View’ inform you of the constant victimisation of the self due to insecurity and paternal patterns. ‘In The Looking Glass’ will interrogate resisting the urge to look back and suicidal ideation. Academic interrogative perspectives on the theme will be provided to you through critical analyses in ‘The Hall of Mirrors: Reflections and Ruptures in Bajirao Mastani’ and ‘Partition and the Indian Muslim – An Analysis of Garam Hava’. All submissions featured will engage with the fundamentality of looking back in various contexts.

In embracing the complexities and sometimes, the inherent contradictions that come with the exploration of our chosen theme, we ask you to reflect on your experiences. As you move through the issue, think of whether you feel seen, and whether you see reality for what it truly is. Today’s world is inundated with computational leaps, questions of surveillance have never been more pressing. Think of whether reciprocity exists here, and whether it can. It is only to inspire criticality, observance, a strong sense of self and subjecthood, that we present to you, Ayaskala’s 2024 Issue: Returning the Gaze.

Warmth,
Urvie Bhattacharya
(Managing Editor)