Love, identity, reckoning

Voices belonging to the LGBTQ community share their stories of struggle “I GOT sick of the intense pressure to get married and finally told my mother that I have no interest in girls. You know what her retort was? “Why? Do you like boys then?’”. Today, Deepak chuckles at the memory, recounting how his courage […]

Amazing cultural mesh

The sights and sounds of the Old City of Jerusalem entice visitors — not just its historical ruins and sites that tell fascinating tales, but also the enduring connections with India “Are you Indian?” is a question that almost any Indian tourist is likely to be asked often in Israel. Not just because Israelis love […]

Shades of Manto

Shikari Auratein (Women of Prey) — a collection of some of Manto’s stories and sketches published in 1955, has been recently translated in English by Saba Mahmood Bashir. It shows a different side of the iconic author IN RECENT times, Manto has been read widely. The reason could be the movies and plays that have […]

Florence of India

An encounter with conservationist architect Urvashi Srivastava opened a whole new world of art in an unlikely location RENAISSANCE STARTED in Italy in the 15th century when painting, sculpture and architecture excelled and literally advancements pulled Europe out of a millennium-long dark ages, it was also the time when philosophy, literature, music, science and technology […]

Reinventing the steel frame

Seasoned bureaucrat Deepak Gupta, who was chairman of the UPSC entrusted with the task of selecting civil servants, writes a comprehensive history of Indian Administrative Service  DEEPAK GUPTA is best suited to write The Steel Frame–A History of the IAS. He is from the service, was the chairman of the UPSC that selects civil servants. […]

Transformational artist

The journey of artist Balbir Krishan from a small village in western Uttar Pradesh to New York is inspiring. A truly global artist from India, he’s currently showing his artwork in New Delhi, Bangkok and Detroit ART HAS the power to transform society and is a distilled reflection of its time. It also has the […]

Celebrating Sridevi

Satyarth Nayak’s book on Sridevi celebrates both the phenomenon and the person she was, and gives us an insight into the world of the legendary actor “A ZANY chorus of Tathaiya Tathaiya Ho blared from the speakers. A bunch of garishly dressed dancers bopped before the camera. Sridevi twirled, Jeetendra whirled, surrounded by pots, feathers […]

CHEF OF THE WEEK

ARMED WITH a degree in hospitality from Jaipur, Chef Hemant Negi is currently shouldering the responsibility of handling the entire F&B operation of Romeo Lane restaurant as Executive Chef. Earlier Negi had gathered culinary experience at Royal Caribbean Cruise company where he honed his skills. In a candid conversation, he talks more about himself and […]