A Mumbai inspired by ‘The New Yorker’
Rachita Vora’s ‘The Mumbaikar’ art series pays tribute to Mumbai and its people, in a homage to the iconic magazine covers of The New Yorker. By Medha Dutta Yadav
Statues of Eternal Silence: Two poems by Christ Keivom
‘I simply mean: our image of forever / Is not forever, the way a painting / Of an ocean is not wet.’
A BUNTY AUR BABLI for the Millennials
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
The Best of 2021 - What’s The Chakkar?
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.
2021: A Year in Reading
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 Women Behind the Screen: Anubha Yadav discusses her book SCRIPTING BOLLYWOOD
‘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
With ‘Episteme’, Ten Indian Artists Translate the Language of Now
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.
Breath, Life, and Connection – A Photo Essay
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.
Fading Away
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.’
Do You Hate This Ad? Spotify and the Self-Reflexivity of Advertising
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
The Studio as a Canvas: Sanoop P.C.’s Poetry of Impermanence
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
The Fantastic World of Indian Fungi
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.