On the 20th anniversary of Blade’s film debut, it’s worth remembering his role in making superhero movies what they are today. He was the first black superhero before Black Panther, the first gritty franchise before Batman Begins, and Iron Man and Captain America owe their popularity to him.

The #MeToo movement has changed our perception of who a sexual abuser can be – but not our view of victims of sexual assault. Who exactly is the “perfect” victim? The Asia Argento case challenges that notion, letting us know that a victim of assault can also be a perpetrator.

Perhaps the most enduring image from the Kerala floods is of a fisherman selflessly kneeling to help victims climb aboard inflatable boats. It’s true. Some superheroes don’t wear capes.

There’s a new stock character type in Bollywood, and she is the token feminist. Always powerful, headstrong, and argumentative, you’ll see her in everything from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil to Sacred Games. She’s the effeminate gay man of this decade.

I used to think of accidental connections as a deceptively simple concept in the guise of a grand scheme of life-changing events. But I soon realised that they aren’t. They are, at best, idealistic dreams that cannot be a party to the realities of life.

There was a phase in Indian cinema when our beefy leading men were both, the poster and the song – the hero and the wit. But the sun is setting on the ripped male form. For a cross section of audiences, the sculpted male body is now an object of ridicule.

Punjabi music, despite having roots in the Pind, has managed to consistently appeal to international markets. With a humongous global fanbase and ability to churn out hit after hit, bona fide superstars like Badshah and Diljit Dosanjh have helped make Punjabi music India’s biggest cultural export since Bollywood.

The floods in Kerala, considered the worst in a century, have claimed over 324 lives and displaced over three lakh people. Once Kerala survives this, it’s evident that God’s own country will have to be rebuilt from scratch. And they'll need our help.

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.

Ever since we discovered that our bodies were built for comfort rather than speed, us fat people have drawn out a mental list of places that we choose to avoid lest we inconvenience our flabby selves. Of late, this list is only growing longer.