25 Years of DDLJ: Come… Fall in Love With a Tale of Two Fathers
Posted inBollywood

25 Years of DDLJ: Come… Fall in Love With a Tale of Two Fathers

Aditya Chopra’s Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, which turns 25 today, was as formulaic as any of its romantic predecessors. For most of India, it is a love story, but for many small-towners like me it was and remains the story of two fatherly figures: One that I had but could not change, and the one that I wished for.
Posted inPop Culture

No Sex Please, We’re Superheroes

June was quite a month for superheroes (and supervillains). Loki, the smooth-talking god of mischief officially announced himself as bisexual, a day after it was revealed that Batman got flak from DC bosses for going down on Catwoman in the animated series Harley Quinn.
A Case for Marriage in an Age that Celebrates Being Single
Posted inLove and Sex

A Case for Marriage in an Age that Celebrates Being Single

Every time I think marriage is not for me, I see my parents, and the weirdly hypnotic co-dependence that I would have sneered at a decade ago, but have come to appreciate in the last few years. I’ve seen a facet to the infuriating, irrational togetherness that is marriage that escaped me while I was revelling in the invincibility of my youth.
Shortest Horror Story Ever: The Indian Family Gathering
Posted inPOV

Shortest Horror Story Ever: The Indian Family Gathering

An Indian family gathering could go either way – flat-out boring or laugh-out-loud exciting, just like Uday Chopra’s Twitter timeline. There’s your grandmother’s ghost nudging you to be on your best behaviour and long-distance relatives asking intrusive questions about your salary.
Sex on a Shoestring Budget
Posted inVice

Sex on a Shoestring Budget

While Mumbai hotel owners continue to behave like self-appointed custodians of “Indian culture”, Manori offers young couples a judgement-free zone to come make love.
India’s Netas Might Not Care for the Minority. Its People Do. The CAA Protests Are Proof
Posted inPOV

India’s Netas Might Not Care for the Minority. Its People Do. The CAA Protests Are Proof

When you spend two whole days looking at videos of bleeding students staggering around campus, it’s hard to be hopeful. But considering the spirit with which India is fighting back, maybe there is a silver lining to be seen here. No matter what the politicians say about the colour of anyone’s clothes, the protests are proof that democracy is still alive in this country.