Posted inPop Culture
Vikram Vedha Review: Wholesomely Entertaining
Saif Ali Khan brings grace to the role of Vikram but it is the charisma of Hrithik Roshan’s Vedha that delights in this mass entertainer shouldered by a terrific script.
Posted inPeople
One Night @ a Viagra Call Centre
The little blue pill ushered in a sex revolution 20 years ago. Today, Mumbai millennials continue to reap its benefits – helping middle-aged Americans boost their sex lives, over the phone.
Posted inCulture
Lessons from Navratri in Gujarat: You May Not Get Laid, But You’ll Feel the Love
Like every outsider I believed Navratri in Gujarat was about music and mating. But after attending a garba night in Baroda, I learnt it wasn’t the sausage fest everyone thinks it is. It’s just all of Baroda having the time of its life, soaking in the music, twirling, skipping, and jumping.
Posted inBollywood
21 Years of Dil Se: A Long Affair With Bollywood’s “Shortest Love Story”
Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se.. shed a light on human rights violations and the government’s indifference to the state of affairs in India’s North East. It also remains one of the finest depictions of the all-consuming insanity of love, and leaves you with the idea that love is no less damaging than war.
Posted inBollywood
20 Years of Hello Brother: The Embarrassing Yet Enduring Legacy of the “Pungi”
In 2019, twisting your homies’ nipples in public is a flagbearer of inappropriate behaviour. But in the hallways of my school back in 2001, a time when we boys lacked foresight and sensitivity, “pungis” were all about brotherhood.
Posted inGender
When Did India Become Ashamed About Breastfeeding in Public?
Breastfeeding was perfectly normal in our culture that otherwise advocates modesty for women. Possibly because we celebrate and eulogise motherhood to such an extent that we’ve completely denuded an exposed breast of all sexuality. So what’s with our newfound coyness around breastfeeding?
Posted inPOV
The Wall vs the Mandir
Donald Trump may be the “worst president ever”, but unlike our politicians he actually puts into action his outrageous campaign promises.
Posted inPop Culture
F/riction: Asaram, Spotlight, and the Unchecked Power of Faith
Welcome to F/riction, a column on films and books that mirror the big nasty of the week. This week, the conversation around sexual assault and the sentencing of Asaram, the godman who raped a teenager in 2013, takes us back to Spotlight, which lifted the veil on systemic child abuse in the Boston area by Roman Catholic priests.
Posted inPOV
The #UBLRaid Tweets: An Exercise in Grandstanding & Glorification
The CIA’s celebration of Usama’s killing is like a digital version of chucking tomatoes at his severed head. Wouldn’t a simple, respectful announcement be enough?
Posted inPop Culture
What the Bold Makeup in HBO’s Euphoria Teaches Us About the Lives of Gen Z
In Euphoria, no passing reference is made to the makeup that its characters wear scene after scene, not even as a compliment, which feels refreshing in a world where women are constantly made conscious of their appearance. The show nudges us to look at makeup as more than a means to an end.