Articles

Why We Can’t Stop Talking About Poo & Geet When We Talk About Kareena Kapoor Khan

So inextricable is Kareena Kapoor Khan from Poo and Geet, that even after two decades of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and a decade since Jab We Met, we are still searching for that precise point where she stopped being herself and started being the two women with an exaggerated zest for life and their own existence.

Poulomi Das April 23, 2016

Pop Culture

What Bhobishyoter Bhoot Gets Right About the Double Standards of Indian Politicians

Anik Dutta's political satire Bhobhishyoter Bhoot, re-released after being pulled off theatres in February. It's a timely offering in this election season, because the film is a solid critique of how non-partisan art is a victim of the whims of political parties.

Meghalee Mitra April 23, 2016

Pop Culture

The Handmaid’s Tale and the Age-old Desire to Control Women’s Bodies

The Handmaid’s Tale has returned with a searing second season that dwells on how the spirit of Gilead, where women have no control over their bodies, has always been alive in the real world. It’s a horrifying watch, particularly in the wake of what we’ve witnessed in Kathua and Unnao.

Poulomi Das April 23, 2016

Culture

What If We All Laughed a Little More Like PG Wodehouse Would’ve Wanted Us To?

The rose-tinted escapism that defines PG Wodehouse’s oeuvre speaks volumes of a social observer who knew that the days of this rarefied existence were numbered. In his tumultuous times, his refusal to take anything seriously, be it political patriotism, the sacred lion of MGM Studios, or his own work, was its own form of irreverent resistance – one that is just as effective today as it was a hundred years ago.

Kahini Iyer April 23, 2016

Pop Culture

Tumhari Sulu and the Real Housewives of India

The solitary afternoon of the homemaker is a deeply interesting space. And that is what Vidya Balan’s Tumhari Sulu delves into. It’s the only time of the day most housewives acknowledge the loneliness they harbour.

Poulomi Das April 23, 2016

Pop Culture

Why Are Women Going Gaga Over “Unconventional” Malayali Actor Fahadh Faasil?

In an industry that is obsessed with perfectly sculpted appearances, Fahadh Faasil has a receding hairline, no six pack, and painfully regular looks. He is not trapped by any notions of hyper-masculinity. In his films, like Super Deluxe, Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, and Kumbalangi Nights, Fahadh is man enough to not be a man.

Naomi Datta April 23, 2016

POV

Aata Majhi Satakli: What’s Pissing the Marathi Manoos Off?

There’s a certain breed of Maharashtrian man who believes it’s his birthright to bully and beat. We recently saw the Always Angry Marathi Manoos, not to be confused with just the Marathi Manoos, in action when MNS workers beat up a multiplex manager in Pune.

Mrunali Shinde April 23, 2016

POV

Why 2020 is the Best Year to Stop Celebrating New Year’s Eve… Forever

If there’s one good thing that can come out of 2020 (apart from the latest Taher Shah song), it is that we don’t need New Year’s Eve parties anymore. As we approach the last day of the year, no one is asking “31st ka kya plan hai?”

Hardik Rajgor April 23, 2016

Pop Culture

Game Over Review: A Taut Thriller Single-Handedly Elevated by Taapsee Pannu

A woman’s body is both, her biggest weakness and her greatest weapon. If the world derives pleasure out of brutalising it, women respond to that assault by using their bodies as tools of resistance. Ashwin Saravanan’s Game Over thrives on this precise duality and there’s no actor who can bring this out better than the physically alert Taapsee Pannu.

Poulomi Das April 23, 2016

Books

“Keep It Simple, Silly”: A Life’s Worth of Writing Advice

After writing a book, most writers get delirious thinking of the glamourous launch party; they don’t realise that they will soon have to face some very tricky questions. I was prepared for all of this with some smart, snappy answers. Although I felt like I had scaled a mountain, the anxiety of producing my next work soon consumed me. That is, until I realised, the only way to write is to keep it simple.

Indu Balachandran April 23, 2016