Few characters have the kind of sway over Rabindranath Tagore’s followers as Labanya – arguably, his most complex and nuanced character – from Shesher Kobita (Last Poem). Almost nine decades later, Labanya remains as relevant as she was when she first stormed into popular consciousness.

In a government that is often criticised for its inaccessibility and opaqueness, Swaraj won hearts around the world for her ability to reach out and make a difference. And her outreach efforts began well before the advent of social media.

In April this year, a guide from Ranthambore National Park was suspended for pelting stones at a sleeping tiger. At Periyar Tiger Reserve, safari vehicles were found entering the core area unaccompanied by authorised guides, setting fires and littering. Our insatiable appetite for spotting a tiger in the wild is threatening the existence of the very creature it is meant to protect.

I began my first job as a presenter for Yuva Bharati, the AIR’s “youthful” section, in the late ’90s. The studios were nothing like the zany spaces of Tumhari Sullu but more like retro bunkers from a sci-fi movie set. And there were massive BBC books that guided us on how to pronounce Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.

Like mental diseases, caregiving is endless; it tends to become the sole identity of a caregiver. My mother-in-law takes on the role of a caregiver for my father-in-law, who is in the advanced stages of dementia. She is 75; he is 87. She hates every minute of her so-called “wifely duties”, but hesitates to reach out for help.

To some Bengalis who felt betrayed by those who voted for the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections, the Beep Festival’s cancellation was merely a trailer for the blockbuster cultural clampdowns that are sure to follow.

Malgudi Days introduced my family, which until then had only read some of Girish Karnad’s works, to his charm and subtle elegance. His WT Srinivasan represented an entire generation of Indians who had been exposed to English education and civility but stuck to their roots when it mattered the most.

Jiggs Kalra, the flamboyant chef, changed the way we looked at Indian food – how it could be cooked and consumed. He put a bit of Kashmir in Kanyakumari and Bengal in Bombay. Today at 71, Kalra breathed his last, ending a delicious chapter in the kitchens of India.

In Guy Ritchie's Aladdin, we look at Princess Jasmine through the prism of a feminist gaze: The Sultan’s daughter isn't ready to accept that she can never claim the throne. Yet, the problem is that the reimagination of Jasmine, exists in the film to convey just one thing: Disney’s earnest attempts at a progressive rebranding

Those who grew up in the ’70s and ’80s, learnt about national integrity and unity through a seven-minute animated film that aired on Doordarshan called Ek Anek Aur Ekta. The woman behind this little film with a big heart, Vijaya Mulay, passed away on Sunday, at age 98.

During BJP President Amit Shah’s roadshow, BJP and Trinamool workers clashed on the streets of Kolkata. A statue of 19th century reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised. And though the violence was unprecedented, for as long as I can remember elections in the state have been a bloody affair.

Long before hipsters gathered at pubs to watch the Battle of Winterfell, millions of people came together every Sunday to watch the Battle of Lanka and the Battle of Kurukshetra. With Ramayana and Mahabharata, Doordarshan gave us sprawling epics filled with kings, queens, monsters, magic, and intrigue decades before Ned Stark ever lost his head.

As a child growing up in Calcutta, we were raised to believe that if the mango was the king of all fruits, the Himsagar was the emperor. It is all about swag, style, and a symbol of Bengali pride. When I moved to Mumbai, I approached the Alphonso with all the cynicism of a Bengali. And then I was smitten by its fragrance.

In the desi version of Game of Thrones, aka the general election, there are as many claimants to the throne as there are house symbols. Ranging from the hand to the hammer, lotus to the lantern, sickle to the cycle, and the cock to the clock. It’s poll season, and the drama of democracy dwarfs anything HBO’s entertainment juggernaut could offer.

Travel plans have done what TV could not – divide the Great Indian Middle Class Family. Our #wanderlust no longer accommodates the now-unfashionable image of three generations of our thepla-quaffing family, waving from a snowy background.

The Bengali voter is in an unenviable position for the first time. What used to be a simple exercise in saying yay or nay, now presents a moral, ethical, and ideological challenge for Bengalis. Gone are the days when the voter in Bengal could simply vote for the Left Front or against it.

The political battlefield is a playground and Rahul Baba needs to think beyond winks and hugs, cheeky tweets and puns to counter Modi & Co. You got to play fast, you got to play smart. And you got to stop scoring own goals. No more chaiwala and chowkidar quips, please.

Since he’s assumed the post of Prime Minister, Modi ji has given us a reason to smile, get creative with our memes, and show the middle finger to the world. From his Republic Day outfit to his famous Modi hug, which one is your favourite?

Generations of Bengalis have grown up on the Satyajit Ray fantasy musical Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, which, in its 50th year, has got an animated update. The films have a powerful anti-war message that could not be more relevant in the India of today.

From an assertive Uddhav Thackeray to the contrarian Mamata Banerjee, our prolific leaders are doling out relationship lessons — you just need to know where to look. If Priyanka Gandhi teaches you to stand by your bae, Mamata is the perfect example of how to be in a supremely happy relationship with yourself.

The rules of love have changed; competitive social media PDA is the order of the day. Celebrity couples are leading the charge with the most perfect kiss and the warmest hug. But who are the King and Queen of Insta-love? Nickyanka, DeepVeer, or Virushka?

As most of the country grumped their way to work on Monday, West Bengal enjoyed a long weekend to mark Saraswati Puja. After the rampant trade unionism during the Left Front era, Bengali work culture now faces a new challenge — a festive calendar that gets longer and more complicated every year.

Congress rivals have already begun taking sexist potshots at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s “chocolatey face”. But for those of us without political inclinations, her appearance allows us to talk about how power fashion just got an interesting twist in the Indian political arena.

Mamata Banerjee is all prepped for the big fight at the Centre. She has set herself up as the face of the anti-BJP team. And if her dharna in Kolkata is any proof, she has arrived on the national scene.

Two students from a medical college in Kolkata killed 16 puppies and paraded their carcasses for all to see, as some kind of a trophy. But what probably makes the incident even more disturbing, is that the people who are justifying the murder are as vocal as those condemning the act.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill aims to protect Hindu migrants and by extension keep out Muslims. But the BJP government’s one-size-fits all vision might not work for the Northeast, where locals do not want “outsiders”, irrespective of what religion they belong to.

I do not hold a high-profile, high-maintenance job. And I am certainly not a star who needs to look radiant every single day. I’m an average, middle-class woman in her 40s. Am I still eligible for that botox shot?

Rose Weissman from The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and humari Sulu are cut from the same cloth as Simi of Andhadhun. This sisterhood of formidable women are giving the world a taste of the wild, wacky, disturbingly dark, and irreverent inner lives of older ladies.

In Bengal, food is the only religion that matters. And in the current scheme of things, Mamata Banerjee is the head priestess at the altar of this all-powerful reigning deity. If the BJP wants to make inroads in the state, it needs to understand that trying to tell a Bengali what he should eat for lunch is a terrible idea.