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'Baahubali: The Beginning' Review: A Giddy Spectacle, If Somewhat Uneven
As the titles for Baahubali: The Beginning showed up on screen, a decidedly juvenile thought crossed my mind. "It'll be hilarious if they write 'Baahubali: The Intermission' during the mid-way mark and...
View ArticleThe Hare, The Tortoise And The UPSC's Superwomen
As news broke of women dominating the upper ranks of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams, arguably one of the toughest series of tests in the world, I burst into a celebratory jig, pumped...
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Tasneem Zakaria Mehta: The Revivalist
This article is from Open Magazine. By Payal Khandelwal With piles of books scattered everywhere, the large office of art historian Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, managing trustee and honorary director of...
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DU Admissions: Cut-Off And Cut-Throat
This article is from Open Magazine. By Sonali Acharjee As she stood on the front lawns of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi waiting for the first cut-off list to be announced, Mehak Lalla, a...
View ArticleIra Singhal And The Disabilities Of The Government, Society
"The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but no vision." -- Helen Keller Recently, Ira Singhal gained the distinction of being the first differently-abled woman (she has...
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'Kaaka Muttai' Sets A New Benchmark For Indian Films
Packed with nuance and equal parts uplifting and thought-provoking Kaaka Muttai (The Crow's Egg) is a game-changer for Indian cinema. Released in June this year, the Tamil film tells the story of two...
View ArticleSwapan's Picks: 5 Splendid Musicians That Add Harmony To My Life
I started listening to music seriously just about fifteen years ago. I listen to all kinds of music. Even in languages I just do not understand. Old fashioned as I am, I buy CDs. I do not own an IPod...
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Yes I Went To The Tiger Reserve, No I Didn't See A Tiger
A crested hawk eagle at Bandhavgarh National Park They call it 'Kanha Tiger Reserve'. It goes without saying that you blaze in on your jeeps, expecting to come face to face with a tiger. One or two...
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An Interview With The Makers of 'Walls And The Tiger' [Trailer]
"A nationwide state-and-corporate economic-development push is forcing many Indian farmer-villagers off their land and depriving them of their livelihoods and age-old ways of life. Walls and the Tiger...
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Why I Love Lahore
I am a voracious traveller and have had the good fortune of visiting about 40 to 50 cities across continents in the last two decades. Whether it is Naukuchiatal or New York, Periyar or Paris, Delhi or...
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Five Must-Have Vegetarian Dishes In India
India is one of the easiest places to be vegetarian. We use a lot of pasteurised butter (ghee) or cream in our food so being vegan is a little hard, but vegetarian, that is super easy. Imagine walking...
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An Apology: Divorce Is Not Predictable And There Isn't A Definite Cycle
A complete stranger recently messaged me on Facebook to say that a post from my series, 'The Predictable Cycle Of Divorce', had helped her somewhat, as she was thinking through her divorce. But her...
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Why I Don't Want Praise For Being A Stay-At-Home Mom
Without much ado I present this recollection with a gloomy heart but a hopeful mind. When I shifted to this upscale villa community, it was all everything I could have desired: well-maintained...
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The Big Ban Theory
If you're outside India and have read about the ban on Uber cabs in Delhi, it's likely that you'd think the taxi-riding app is out of business in the country. Currently in Delhi for my research work,...
View Article4 Signs That Indian Agriculture Is Headed In The Right Direction
Almost all discussions on agriculture begin and end with concerns about the plight of the farmer, the margins of the intermediary, and the ineffectiveness of government policy to address the real...
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Without A Strong Football Culture, Indian Football Has Little Scope For...
Football is as important to society as society is to football -- this always has been, and will continue to be true. As fans, our significance to the game is reflected in our ability to associate it...
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Photos: Rendezvous With The Gentle Giants Of Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage,...
Many years back, a friend had approached us for help. She was a part of a non-profit organisation that used to help animals in distress. She sought help for an orphaned elephant calf they had named...
View ArticleThe Trouble With Kejriwal's Referendum Proposal
India's constitution does not provide for an issue-based referendum. Elections to legislative bodies and a few executive posts are the only form of mass public opinion exercise sanctioned by the...
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Sania Mirza: From 'Pakistan Ki Bahu' To 'India Ki Beti' Again
Sania Mirza has created history. She is the first Indian ever to have won a Wimbledon Women's Doubles title. From the moment of the Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis victory, social media has been abuzz with...
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Letters From One Mom To Another
Dear Office-Going-Mom, I have been meaning to write to you for some time. We cross each other everyday as you leave for work and I for my yoga class. We smile but we never have time to chat. I confess,...
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