In JAWAANI JANEMAN, Bollywood wrestles - and loses - with the idea of accepting an alternative lifestyle
Set out with potential to challenge Indian societal norms, Nitin Kakkar’s Jawaani Janeman instead ends up ‘settling down’ - in disappointing fashion. Review by Nidhi Choksi Dhakan
Night Drive
Short story by Jamie Alter: ‘Suddenly, from just ahead of the lamppost in front of the hawa-ghar, appeared the frame of an elderly man. Mr Rathore could swear that nothing had been there just seconds ago.’
The Manic Medley of the Maximum City
A Mumbai native searches for methods in the madness, in her city’s daily abilities to survive and thrive on a prayer - by Shaista Vaishnav
Mussoorie Writers: Colleen and Hugh Gantzer read from INTRIGUING INDIA: THE ALLURING NORTH
A short film from Mussoorie Writers, featuring Colleen and Hugh Gantzer reading from their 2011 travelogue The Alluring North, part of their Intriguing India series.
Pardesi Pahadi: The frozen, lost paths to Bali Pass
‘It was late October, too late for shepherds, and we had the mountains to ourselves.’ Read Zachary Conrad’s vivid narrative of another perilous and rewarding hike in the Himalaya.
City On Screen: Bombay to Mumbai
A megacity seen through the eyes of its dreamers - Ankur Choudhary writes about dreams, nightmares, hope, and despair at interplay in some of the best cinema about Mumbai.
Achieving Zero: The loud silences of art from the 2020 India Art Fair
In a country where the loud, brash voices are exceedingly muting dissent, the best of the 2020 Indian Art Fair presented art’s response for peace, sustainability, and inclusiveness - by Karan Madhok
Mist Curtains
Poetry by Sarvesh Wahie: “Humans seeded in comfort of their jackets / Murmur about, isolated in looming stillness”
The Newlyweds
Short story by Jamie Alter: ‘It was an exciting thought, at once devious and thrilling. In his thirty-nine years in the postal service, Bisht had not once opened someone else’s mail. But suddenly, the notion of taking this mysterious package home made him tingle.’
Music from the Hills: All efforts matter in the Indian indie scene
Obama listens to Prateek Kuhad and DIVINE signs with Nas. What’s next? Ady Manral writes about how musicians and artists around India can contribute to the rapidly growing indie scene in the country.
Mussoorie Writers: Bill Aitken reads from THE NANDA DEVI AFFAIR
A short film from Mussoorie Writers, featuring Bill Aitken reading from his 1994 book, The Nanda Devi Affair
The Last Stand
‘It is as if the book-eaters have seeped in through cracks and crannies, like succubae swarming up from the hellish bowels of the earth itself.’ - A short story by Rahul Kanvinde