12,40,530 killed

The unprecedented level of air pollution in the country is no longer just an environmental concern. It has become a murderer gone berserk and killed over 12 lakh indian citizens in 2017 “Everyone has to wear masks when they are out. And just like electricity. Oxygen is now supplied to homes and offices. Today oxygen […]

CAPITALIS MANJUL

‘I got taken for quite a ride!’

I am from Kolkata — the city that had the first Metro in India. When I first moved to Delhi, I thought the Metro would be very easy to negotiate because I am familiar with the process. The first time I travelled in a Metro, I was supposed to go from Rajiv Chowk to Connaught […]

Glimpses of the war within

In war, the honour and glory are primarily reserved for those involved in active combat. Books, documentaries and feature films about war are often dedicated to the valour and sacrifice of the soldier or the courage and strategic brilliance of the officer. But seldom is there much consideration for the individuals who also place themselves […]

10.2 years choked off

An index developed by the university of Chicago predicts the number of years cut off from your life depending on the city you live in. No prizes for guessing the worst The University of Chicago launched a new tool called Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) which quantifies air quality data as the number of years […]

One bird, two heads

You saw the wedding pictures. Now read the mythical story of the two-headed bird on Deepika Padukone’s wedding sari India’s architectural history is rife with innovative and ornate decorative motifs. The spillover of such motifs on to the subcontinent’s textiles was a happy happenstance. So the lotus medallion, amalaka (decorative stone disc on top of […]

Jack and the Brahminical Stock

Jack fell down. And broke his crown. And Twitter’s share price, supposedly, came tumbling after. Or so they say Dear Jack bhaiyaji, I know for sure that deep within you are a good person and will have no problem in seeing me as your chhota bhai. So, I am writing this letter as a heartfelt […]

let’s rename movies!

Listen up Yogi Adityanath, we have some ideas The government’s current rechristening exercise is perhaps the most grandiose of schemes that have been introduced in recent times. Not just grandiose, its political gains are guaranteed too. With that kind of assurance, every politician worth his name, from West Bengal to Faizabad, has jumped onto the […]