Articles

The Eternal Agony of Being a Delhi Capitals Fan

Delhi’s IPL team is like a sweet but nagging girlfriend — regardless of what she says or how bad a fight you get into, you always know, even in those moments of frustration, that this is only fleeting and you cannot ever afford to lose her.

Saksham Mishra April 24, 2016

POV

“Everything Will Be Fine!”: Will It Really? Let’s Talk about Toxic Positivity

The “positive vibes only” clan has been on an overdrive during this pandemic. When I was struggling to find work last April, I was bombarded with messages asking me to “cheer up” and “look at the bright side”. I felt like everyone was forcing optimism onto me and it was really suffocating.

Riddhi K April 24, 2016

Bollywood

Vishwatma: Bollywood’s Flashiest Story of Patriotism in Pardes

On Republic Day, we look back at Rajiv Rai’s cult classic Vishwatma, where Bollywood took deshbhakti to the diaspora. The film, which released 28 years ago, gave us the greatest masala national integration song, “Dil le gayi teri bindiya,” and reminds us of a time when no one was asked to prove their patriotism.

Pragyan Mohanty April 24, 2016

Bollywood

Drive Review: This Netflix Heist-Action Drama is a Pile-up of Fiascos

Drive seems to be either completely unaware of its sub-standardness or weirdly boastful about it. It’s a nightmarish love child between the Dhoom series and the Fast and Furious franchise.

Poulomi Das April 24, 2016

Pop Culture

#Throwback 2018: Thank You, Sacred Games, for Ganesh Gaitonde, Katekar, and the Gang of Gopalmath

Sacred Games single-handedly ended the drought of smartly written and performed shows of Indian origin, on the internet. It was that unicorn that treated the small screen with the same level of ambition and respect usually reserved for the silver one.

Arré Bench April 24, 2016

People

Bollywood’s Mr Brightside

Ranveer Singh has played the self-aware clown in Bollywood’s self-aware circus. This reckless unpredictability has defined his career.

Parthshri Arora April 24, 2016

Pop Culture

Bohemian Rhapsody Review: A Lesson in Failure from Freddie Mercury

Knowingly or unknowingly, most of us are uncomfortable acknowledging our failure, because as Freddie puts it, “The human condition requires a bit of anesthesia.” Bohemian Rhapsody speaks to everyone who’s ever struggled to face their own frailties.

Damian D'souza April 24, 2016

Culture

Ancient Indian Texts Are Filled with Stories of Same-Sex Unions. Why Are We Opposing Them Now?

Opposing same-sex marriage, the Centre argued that marriage, by definition, should only take place between a biological man and woman. But mythology and ancient texts are replete with stories of same-sex unions. And let’s not forget the temples of Khajuraho.

Kahini Iyer April 24, 2016

Bollywood

60 Years of Mughal-E-Azam: Anarkali, Jodha Bai, and Bahar Remain the Film’s Biggest Strength

Sixty years on, the women of Mughal-E-Azam need to be celebrated. Anarkali is the soul of the film, but even Bahar, a jealous lady-in-waiting, is graceful in her pursuits. Jodha Bai is an unconventional mother figure, not a standard 17th century queen who only exists to produce heirs

Shakun Saini April 24, 2016

Love and Sex

Counting Coitus and the Mathematics of Sex

Research suggests that sex once a week is optimal for a couple’s happiness. But the “how much” lobby always leaves out the all-important quantity vs quality question, displaying, once again, modern romance's fetishising of numbers.

Parthshri Arora April 24, 2016