Nihal Bambulkar, Author at Arré

Why Delhi Belly is the Most Accurate Representation of India’s Millennials

In a sea of formulaic youth-oriented films like Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and Wake Up Sid that sugar-coated the lives of the youth, Delhi Belly stood out for how rooted it felt to reality. In real life, bachelors don’t live, they survive. And Delhi Belly accurately represented it.

Nihal Bambulkar July 28, 2016

Health

Maybe He’s Born With It, Maybe it’s Social Anxiety

Ever since I was five years old, I’ve struggled with even the simple act of saying “Hi” to strangers. Unfortunately, today’s world revolves around how social you can be. Which means my anxiety has cost me many job interviews, lapsed friendships, and annoyed relatives.

Nihal Bambulkar July 26, 2016

Love and Sex

Will We Ever Find Love Like Our Parents Did?

My parents have been together for over three decades, while my relationship seems to come with a shelf-life of about three months. How were my parents so happy spending their lives together, while my generation runs away from commitment as if it were a jail sentence?

Nihal Bambulkar July 21, 2016

Modern Family

Parents in Cars Getting Cocky: When Will Indian Parents Stop Backseat Driving?

Who makes their child ferry them to the farthest places in the city, doesn’t pay for gas, and then complains about his driving? Every Indian parent sitting on the backseat.

Nihal Bambulkar July 17, 2016

Bollywood

10 Years On, I’d Do Anything but “Rock On!!”

At 12, I was convinced that music was my calling and Rock On!! was the closest I could get to the ultimate rockstar experience. But today, as the film turns 10, I find nothing redeeming about the film, except its music.

Nihal Bambulkar July 8, 2016

Love and Sex

Why We Should Not Be Sleeping with Our Friends

Friends with benefits is an amazing concept – in theory. Everyone loves sex with no strings attached, but in reality, it rarely works without leaving its scars on your emotional psyche. By the end, you’re left with way too many harrowing questions and no one left to answer them.

Nihal Bambulkar July 6, 2016

POV

What Riding On the BEST Bus in An Age of Uber Taught Me

The longest strike in BEST’s history means my commute to work has taken place in a comfy air-conditioned cab, which shows up on demand. I hate it. Others may have switched to cabs like a kid takes to fries, but I remain stubbornly loyal to the big red bus.

Nihal Bambulkar June 30, 2016

Pop Culture

Hank Moody is My Writing Hero, But My Life’s Not Californication

American TV portrays real, challenging careers as vague backdrops in the lives of their characters. Some of us fall for this mirage. Hank Moody’s effortless spewing of punchlines and black T-shirts has succeeded in convincing so many of us that writing is our true calling, that we must fashion ourselves as budding Bukowskis.

Nihal Bambulkar June 21, 2016

Pop Culture

Why Brooklyn Nine-Nine Would’ve Been Better Off Without Season 6

Despite what audiences demand, I believe it’s better to leave people wanting more than to die serving horrible seasons in the coming years. This is exactly why I fear that, with most conflicts resolved, Brooklyn Nine-Nine might return with a horrible Season 6.

Nihal Bambulkar June 9, 2016

Culture

The Diwali Shopathon: When Mothers Bargain Like Pros and Children Become their Personal Coolies

A Diwali preparation is incomplete without a trip to the old city market. In Mumbai, it’s Dadar; in Delhi, it’s Chawri Bazar. This is the time of the year, when every mother across the country trots out their bargaining A-game.

Nihal Bambulkar June 8, 2016