Joaquin Phoenix: A Superhero Hiding In a Supervillain’s Role
While his rendition of a deranged Joker set off alarm bells at the FBI and in military headquarters, Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar speech could not have…
Pride and Pedicures
Beauty parlours in small-town India were a refuge for women, where they walked in and shed everything, from their clothes to centuries of inhibition. But…
Broken Bones to Broken Heart: My Family’s “Thuk Patti” Quick Fix for Everything
Thuk patti is not just a temporary fix, it is a spot of amelioration. When my father left his parents’ home, my grandma grudgingly agreed…
Ruskin Bond, the Storyteller Who Made Us Fall in Love with the Mountains
It’s hard to beat the nostalgia that the mountain air brings with it. Maybe it’s the majesty of rolling peaks and valleys. Or maybe we…
Naseeruddin Shah: A father figure for all seasons
In Gehraiyaan, Naseeruddin Shah plays yet another version of the fatherly figure that has endeared him to a generation of viewers. His ability to embody…
Jagjit Singh, Our Saint of Endless Sorrows
If I were to compartmentalise my heart into different rooms, all the vacuum left behind by my last heartbreak would be filled by Jagjit Singh’s…
The Melancholic Majesty of Guru Dutt
In the history of Indian cinema, there have been many definitions of masculinity, but few are as seductive as the brooding melancholic. And no one…
Raju Srivastava and The Legacy of ‘Gajodhar Bhaiya’
In his prime Raju Srivastava was a brilliant observer and possibly mainstream cable television’s first brush with the heartland.
Knock Knock, Your Parcel’s Here
Whizzing around Mumbai’s gallis are the delivery boys – foot soldiers of a $16.4 billion e-commerce boom. Arré rides pillion with one, delivering everything from…
Grief and the Comfort of Strangers
When my brother died in a car accident, I couldn’t bear to be around friends and family. My only relief was talking to a…