The Ever-Moving Wheel: G.N. Devy on the Mahabharata
What is the purpose of the Mahabharata? In his short, succinct volume Mahabharata: The Epic and the Nation, G.N. Devy tackles the biggest questions behind one the greatest epics ever composed. By Karan Madhok
‘I Float, You Rise’: The art of Rahul Chauhan
In his work, Rahul Chauhan interrogates the democratic, new-age space aura of technology to develop a coronation of colour, a palpable palette with a touch on the canvas, a wonder and other-worldliness. By Nirali Lal
TRUTH DREAM: Breaking Gender Norms through a Phantasmagoria of Lived Desire
How a photo exhibition in Bengaluru narrated lived desires that break through ideals of beauty and ageing, of fixed gender identities and permitted dreams. By Anna Lynn
Naming the Unnameable: Daribha Lyndem’s NAME PLACE ANIMAL THING
In Daribha Lyndem’s novel Name Place Animal Thing, the effective use of layering of time, space, and cultural practices culminate into a generational arc of south Asian female adolescence and young adulthood. By Paromita Patranobish
In BADHAAI DO, a small story asks big, bold questions
A poignant, nuanced comedy drama, Badhaai Do (2022) tests the complexities of a lavender marriage in a small Indian city. By Ankur Choudhary
Art and Ecology: Listening to the voice of art collectives in Assam
How recently-formed collectives in Assam have focused on the socio-political and ecological issues of the state, and initiated a new public imagination through engagement in arts. By Jahnabi Mitra
Flights of Fancy: Kothandaraman Sambandan’s Journey in Art
From India to Europe, art to photography, the canvas to the dark room, Kothandaraman Sambandan continues on an undefined journey to explore more avenues of creation. By Satarupa Bhattacharya
The Maya and the Meta
The advent of the metaverse will present new challenges, and even require a new definition of what it means to be human. Vipin Labroo explores the curious frontiers of the future, and how Eastern and Indian philosophies may have already prepared us for this brave new world.
Perumal Murugan Q&A: ‘It has always been my nature to go against the grain’
Acclaimed Tamil author (most-recently of Resolve) Perumal Murugan spoke about satire and literature, about men and women, and about being ‘controversy’s favourite child’. By Medha Dutta Yadav
The Great Indian Waste of Potential
Despite its ambitions to be a crime drama at the grandest scale, The Great Indian Murder (2022) falls into a trap of stereotypes and cliches, offering only an amalgamation of old ideas wrapped in a shiny new box. By Karan Madhok
On the refractive indices of words: The poetry of Sridala Swami
In his review of Sridala Swami’s collection Run for the Shadows (2021), Saurabh Sharma celebrates a poet whose ‘craft is like a prism, from which white light disperses into colourful bands’
Mir Kashif Iqbal, Gehraiyaan, and Chandan Pandey - What’s The Chakkar?
What’s The Chakkar? Episode 17: We’re listening to Mir Kashif Iqbal; watching Gehraiyaan; and reading Chandan Pandey and Alice Munro. Featuring Anurag Tagat, Prateek Santram, and Shaista Vaishnav. Hosted by Karan Madhok.