Posted inPop Culture
A “Yay, Whoopie!” For the Great Indian Middle Class
Growing up in Allahabad, my family had a lot in common with Monisha Sarabhai. But we’re definitely in the same league as Maya Sarabhai now.
Posted inBollywood
Manmarziyaan Review: The Bollywood Love Triangle, Redefined
Anurag Kashyap’s Manmarziyaan is both a manifesto of modern love and a statement against Bollywood's unrealistic portrayal of love triangles. Aided by smart writing and affecting performances, the film subverts the nice guy trope and squashes the idea of the one true love.
Posted inPop Culture
Sniff and the Smell of Nostalgia
In Amol Gupte’s Sniff, Sunny, who cannot smell, thinks of himself as inadequate and different. And this great weakness brings him down. It’s like what many of us felt while growing up.
Posted inGender
I Refuse to Use the Menstrual Cup. Does that Make Me a Bad Feminist?
There are numerous advantages to a menstrual cup: cost benefit, safety, larger capacity for blood, and reduced carbon footprint. Yet, I find it hard to accept this imposition at the cost of my comfort. In a world that demands propriety, is it okay to not do the right thing once in a while?
Posted inPOV
Tum Saale Presswalleh
If it isn’t the media’s job to introduce nuance to debate, to question prevailing narratives, to side with the people – all people, and not just the privileged – whose job is it?
Posted inPeople
Neeraj Chopra, 2021’s biggest star and saviour
After a brutal second wave that had dented a country’s confidence to perform the bare minimum, an unheralded, humble young man stepped into the shoes of a saviour we didn’t know we needed. Thank you Neeraj Chopra for reinstating our self-belief.
Posted inSports
Dear Indian Fans of English Football, It May Be Coming Home, But Nowhere Close to Yours
The catchphrase, “It’s coming home,” recently became annoying as fuck, after it turned into a meme that Indians are repeating unironically. This is the World Cup we’re talking about guys, not the Kohinoor.
Posted inFashion
The Dawn of “Protest Fashion”: What India Wore to the Anti-CAA Protests
The anti-CAA/NRC protests that have gripped the country in the last two months, is testament to the fact that fashion and revolution have gone hand in hand. Several images have stood out during the protests – from Chandrashekhar Azad’s blue scarf to the women who’ve worn the hijab as a political statement.
Posted inPop Culture
The Future’s So Bleak, I Gotta Wear Shades
Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium eerily resembles Mumbai’s skyline. Dystopian narratives only appear far-fetched. Strip away the costumes and elaborate sets, and we’re in trouble.
Posted inAnimals
India is No Stranger to Elephant Cruelty
A few years ago, Shibu, the mahout of Kerala’s tallest elephant, committed suicide. The media spun a tale of a heartbreaking love story – but love had no role to play in this tragedy.