With the participation of women in the workforce telling a sobering story, the journey toward true equality in India remains unfinished. Palak Singh and Paritosh Sinha discuss the magnitude of this ongoing plight.

C. Prem Kumar’s Meiyazhagan reminds viewers of the beauty of pausing for a while, reflecting, and reconnecting. It shows that deep down, we are all broken souls, yearning for a companion to listen, to open our hearts without the fear of judgements. By Deepthi Mary Alex

With tens of crores of expected visitors, the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj is among the largest human gatherings in the world. The mythologies associated with the Samudra Manthana and Shiva’s affinity for bhang often associate it with spiritual cannabis use, too. By Karan Madhok

Fiction by Tansy Troy: ‘It is his image which comes to me now, teaching me mastery over illusion, instructing me how to transform my present suffering into future fortune. When we met him in the flesh, he blessed me with the name Tashi Tsomo. Auspicious feminine ocean.’

‘I had only met Jumma briefly the year before, while Helene knew neither of them before that night. Yet, for us, this kind couple was willing to undergo the supreme sacrifice and give us the most precious thing in their lives: their beloved son.’ By Stephen P. Huyler

In an uneven year for Bollywood, Nivedita Dey picks seven of the finest releases—films that combatted themes of patriarchy, politics, disability, religious fanaticism, and more.

Age and youth, love found and love lost, a city of excess and a city of scarcity—Sarthak Parashar examines the many contrasts balanced by Payal Kapadia in the acclaimed All We Imagine As Light (2024).

Indians have long held a close respect for the rhythm of nature, working in close consort with the environment. But recent big-ticket government projects have ignored ecological concerns, threatening India’s rich biodiversity and causing severe damage to forest lands. By Vipin Labroo

Essay by Tansy Troy: ‘As arresting now as when first sculpted, Navjot’s contemplation of the feminine form is no less contemporary, no less urgent to consider than when she created the red-and-blue lady thirty years ago.’

In a famous verse, Kabir wrote, “The river that flows in you also flows in me.” Inspired by this grand uniting spirit of humanity, transgender artists of the Aravani Art Project presented their artwork in front of the Ganga in Varanasi. By Karan Madhok

Extract from the work of Mir Taqi Mir: Mir’s poetry abounds in bawdiness, the pain and enjoyment of life, instances of homosexuality, Sufi themes, close and wise observation of the world, and insistence on man’s dignity. Translated by: Shamsur Rahman Faruqi

Poetry by Tabish Nawaz: ‘I breath to fluidize the gravels / but they fall back / like the debris in a city / bombed for months.’