Posted inPeople
Crossing the Line
When countries are divided, the stories that endure need not be catastrophic. My grandma's memories of one of the greatest human migrations are bundled into small, bright oranges.
Posted inPeople
The Autowallah Who Takes Cancer for a Ride
On World Cancer Day, the story of an autowallah for the terminally ill who straddles the role of driver and counsellor with ease.
Posted inPeople
Give Way, There’s a Heart on Board
K Anthony is a transporter of hearts, and he drives like the devil to deliver them on time.
Posted inPeople
Chhatth Puja and the Gulshan Kumarisation of India
Chhatth Puja, a celebration of the sun, is an integral part of Bihari cultural life. But what has stayed with me is the harsh aesthetics of it all. A sea of humanity amid all the muck of the riverfronts. The blaring loudspeakers, the long traffic jams, the arguments on the roads.
Posted inPeople
The Not So Simple Su
Like clockwork, when resident tinfoil hat expert Subramanian Swamy says something silly, we chuckle and shake our heads. But he has a PhD from Harvard.
Posted inPeople
What Will It Take for India to Stop Honour Killings?
Inter-caste marriages in India are fraught with danger, as the high-profile honour killing of Premulla Pranay by his father-in-law in Telangana proves. Monika and Vikramjeet knew their inter-caste marriage would anger people, but they had no idea that they would have to be on the run for 12 years, escaping their murderous family.
Posted inPeople
The Curse of the Big Bad Beard
An important thing that every beard proprietor needs to remember is that having a big beard is not an achievement. And just because everyone can sport one, that doesn’t mean everyone should.
Posted inPeople
The Poet Who Belongs to Everyone: Finding Gulzar Wherever I Go
With Gulzar, the more you discover, the more you crave. Even when I didn’t know it, Gulzar was all around. That is how enmeshed his songs and lyrics are in our lives – and how our lives are reflected in them.
Posted inPeople
The Greatest Jungle Story Ever Told: Why Mowgli Continues to Captivate Us
The Jungle Book was my ticket out of the crowds and noise of Mumbai to the unspoiled beauty of the Indian jungle. No homework. No rude bus conductors. The Seeonee Hills and the thick, fragrant forests of central India were my emotional retreats.
Posted inPeople
How Gulzar Sahab, My Imaginary Friend, Made Me Fall in Love With Words
On Gulzar Sahab’s 86th birthday, I can’t help but reminisce on the relationship I developed with his prodigious artistry with words, early on in life. Gulzar Sahab is the reason I can, without trying, use words like aabshaar (waterfall), taskeen (contentment), and ruhaniyat (spirituality) when I want to.