Posted inGender
The Life and Times of a Surrogate Mother
Leaving stigma behind in the dust of the fields they toil in, Gujarat's surrogate mothers are scripting a narrative of change.
Posted inAnimals
An Ode to Mumbai’s Spirit Animal: The Resilient Rat
The humble rat has proved that he is a Mumbaikar to the core. He’s got it all – the die-hard spirit, the indifference to unhygienic surroundings, the apathy to the din of construction and an immune system that quaffs anything edible, and lives to tell the tale.
Posted inPop Culture
Why Madhuri Dixit Overshadows Bucket List
In the Marathi film Bucket List, Madhuri Dixit plays the sweet vahini from a regular upper-caste Maharashtrian Puneri neighbourhood. What happens when Bollywood’s most famous diva lands in an industry in the midst of a beautiful churn? Her stardom becomes a stumbling block.
Posted inCyber
Bitcoin, for the Good Guys
The Isle of Man has bought into the vision of an Indian mathematician to develop a virtual currency that helps prevent bribes. Could this system be replicated in India?
Posted inFirst Person
Only the Lunatics Watch the Moon in Mumbai
Inboxes flooded with images of the super moon from across the globe as it traversed one time zone to another, bewitching everyone with its triple magic. A city had managed to remember that there’s a moon in the urban sky.
Posted inPOV
How Mumbai Stopped Romanticising the Rain and Started Dreading It
Come June, you could be walking on the street and be felled by a falling tree in Mumbai. Or you could get stuck inside a jammed SUV and drown. The possibilities are increasing every year. Every year, the Mumbaikar is a little more fearful than fond of the monsoon.
Posted inEarth
Life After Plastic. It’s Fantastic
Years before plastic became pervasive, you went to buy ration swinging a cloth bag. The local butcher wrapped up your mutton in yesterday’s newspaper. But plastic adapted itself like a shape-shifting hydra to suit our urban needs.
Posted inEarth
The Fruit Ninjas of India
The humble pear and the doctor-approved apple no longer cut ice. As city folk up their fruit game, the person most thrilled with this one-upmanship is the farmer.
Posted inPeople
The Case of the Vanishing Doctor Uncle
In a Parel gaothan, Dr Nayak continues a tradition of treating families for everything from the flu to sprains. But with the rise of multi-specialty clinics, his days are numbered.
Posted inPeople
Goodbye, Kiran Nagarkar: Genius Author, Tireless Activist, Flawed Man
Even in his 70s, Kiran Nagarkar, the Sahitya Akademi award-winning author and playwright, maintained an active interest in Mumbai and its affairs. He was able to straddle the worlds of the intellectual and the common man, while understanding the pulse of both.