In the run-up to the 2024 elections, the films that hit the big screens, the books showcased on the windowfronts, and the music crawling into our ears, has mostly sung the songs of propaganda. It’s art without dissent; art that rages for the machine. By Karan Madhok

Imtiaz Ali’s biographical drama Amar Singh Chamkila (2024) returns to the profane and scandalous themes of the Punjabi artist’s music, reclaiming the singer’s societal impact, and exposing the flawed notions of morality in Punjab’s cultural milieu. By Deepansh Duggal

Does the reader choose their book? Or the book its reader? Satyarth Pandita explores this grand moment of literary connection and resonance.

Poetry by Mary Tina Shamli Pillay: ‘Often dreams / Collide but they swiftly / Comply, dusting sorrows / Off their wired feet’

Chronicle of An Hour and a Half (2024) establishes Saharu Nusaiba Kannanari as a writer fierce and loyal to his craft, as he invites the readers to reflect on the spectacle of violence in our technologically-powered society. By Akankshya Abismruta

Debut novelist Atharva Pandit discusses why he chose to render the true-crime story as fiction in Hurda, the polyphonic nature of the narrative, and his uninhibited portrayal of the investigation and the actors involved in the case. By Saurabh Sharma

Personal Essay by Deepak Sridhar: ‘You have arrived at the footsteps of Indian uncle-dom when, watching someone in the public sphere do something of note, you think to yourself: “That could have been me.” In my case, the “what-if” pursuit was stand-up comedy.’

Poetry by Sunkara Gopal: ‘From elsewhere, the wind breaks into a room, turns the pages, / Writes four sentences. / The song, somewhere born, dismantles the silence.’ Translated from Telugu by Jyothsnaphanija

India’s high youth unemployment should be a cause for greater alarm. Not only is it a question of under-utilization of the most precious resource of a nation—its young people—but it also raises the spectre of social tension and unrest. By Vipin Labroo

In a wide-ranging conversation with, acclaimed poet and dancer Tishani Doshi spoke to Ronald Tuhin D’Rozario about her literary work, the fundamentals of ‘Vilambit’ in her writing, and artistic journeys through space and time.

In a new collection, Goan artist Harshada Kerkar paints intimate portraits to celebrate the lives of locals and villagers around Mussoorie. By Karan Madhok

“What is the relationship a person has to a landscape, their land, and a home?” Shalmali Shetty speaks about her career as a curator, global themes of home and homecoming, and the changing atmosphere for artists around the world. By Deekshith Pai