The sixteen-year wait between Bunty Aur Babli and its sequel projects the face of a new, millennial Indian generation and their aspirations—even for the latest brand of the film’s con-artists. By Toonika Guha

What’s The Chakkar? Episode 14: This special end-of-year episode features our favourites of 2021, including music by LIFAFA; novels by S. Hareesh and Yaa Gyasi; and a roundup of the year’s best film/TV, including Sardar Udham. Featuring Ady Manral, Shaista Vaishnav, and Prateek Santram. Hosted by Karan Madhok.

In another difficult year of the pandemic, many of us leaned deeper into the contemplation of literature. From Rijula Das and Josy Joseph, to Amitava Kumar and Shrayana Bhattacharya, Saurabh Sharma presents his twenty favourite Indian books of the year.

‘The ground is shifting… It is symptomatic of a tension, a threat.’ Writer, academician, and filmmaker Anubha Yadav spoke about the process behind her book Scripting Bollywood: Candid Conversations with Women Who Write Hindi Cinema, feminism in the Hindi film industry, and much more. By Shibani Phukan

Contemporary retrospection—an attempt to comprehend not the distant past but the present day—was the central theme of Episteme, an exhibition in New Delhi featuring ten emerging Indian artists. - By Karan Madhok.

The pandemic presented fraught challenges to our connections with the rest of humanity, the people and acquaintances in our world. In her personal photo-essay, Sufia Khatoon attempts to forge links with the strangers with whom we share our breaths.

Short story by Aishwarya Khale: ‘When I thought about the past, I thought about memory. I wondered if Mr Shinde would forget us, like shattered dolls collapsing through the broken chambers of his mind.’

Streaming music giant Spotify’s ad campaign blurs the line between fact and fiction, a meta conversation that offers the listeners less annoyance with more upgrades. Does it work? By Shambhavi Gupta

For his collection “Poetry of Impermanence”, Sanoop P.C. turned his environment in Anchangadi, Kerala into his inspiration, allowing the profound experience where the site of observation is also one of creation. By Reema Kurikkalot

Despite some negative stereotypes, there are the wonderful ways in which nearly 14,400 species of fungi, specific to India, live, breathe and slay. Babli Yadav explores this fantastic, beautiful world with young naturalists from around the country.

‘Theatre is a collaborative art form. It has that mongrel quality. We take from everyone, and finding community is key.’ Greeny Francis discusses her calling towards the theatrical arts, crafting immersive and experiential theatre, and stories from the production process. By Varud Gupta

With viral videos like “I Come from Two Indias”, Vir Das and other modern comedians can afford to be more biting in their attacks against the ruling class, as they don’t receive direct patronage from them. But they are now bound to the attention economy, desperately pushing for extremes instead of striving for meaningful cultural critique. By Aditi Murti