India Archives

Finding Faith: How I Discovered Religion When I Left India

Belief in something – anything – undergirds our lives. It anchors us to an idea, offers us an understanding of the world that goes beyond our immediate selves. As a person indifferent to ritual and ceremony, I discovered religion only when I moved to the west.

Srishti Chaudhary June 29, 2016

Love and Sex

Sex Diaries from Chawl Life: Belan, Chappal, & Other Kinks

Bondage using nylon sarees, some light spanking using a chappal, and a bit of butt play using the belan might sound like kinky sex acts to some. But in the confines of chawl living, it’s life as usual.

Damian D'souza June 29, 2016

People

One Night @ a Viagra Call Centre

The little blue pill ushered in a sex revolution 20 years ago. Today, Mumbai millennials continue to reap its benefits – helping middle-aged Americans boost their sex lives, over the phone.

Damian D'souza June 28, 2016

Gender

When Did India Become Ashamed About Breastfeeding in Public?

Breastfeeding was perfectly normal in our culture that otherwise advocates modesty for women. Possibly because we celebrate and eulogise motherhood to such an extent that we’ve completely denuded an exposed breast of all sexuality. So what’s with our newfound coyness around breastfeeding?

Runa Mukherjee June 28, 2016

Sports

Bhuvi and Bumrah: Team India’s Jai and Veeru

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have become the most destructive weapon in India’s arsenal. This is the first time ever India fans can boast of a bowling partnership that can match the ferocity of Wasim and Waqar.

Raghav Ganesh June 28, 2016

Pop Culture

A Bihari Prince’s Guide to Finding a Half Girlfriend

In Half-Girlfriend, Chetan Bhagat and Mohit Suri come together to provide an educational PSA for Romeos looking for their One Indian Girl.

Poulomi Das June 28, 2016

People

Black Nights Matter

Tucked away in a corner of Bangalore, a cosmopolitan night club appears like a safe zone for Africans, but like the rest of India, even this is not.

ila ananya June 27, 2016

Pop Culture

What Padmaavat Gets Wrong About Alauddin Khilji

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat is a gross misrepresentation of facts… just not the ones the Karni Sena has been so upset about. Alauddin Khilji certainly did not dress in black furs and rip meat from the bone like a Viking.

Dushyant Shekhawat June 27, 2016

POV

The Delusional Doves of Peace

The Doves of Peace are outraged, as India talks tough with Pakistan. Why can’t we simply deescalate the tension over a free phirni?

Karan Mujoo June 27, 2016

Pop Culture

Why Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Khilji Let Us Down

In Padmaavat, Alauddin Khilji is reduced to a unidimensional villain. All that the script required, was a Muslim ruler to serve as a vessel into which a depressingly contemporary take on communal relations could be poured.

Dushyant Shekhawat June 26, 2016