Ripples in stillwater

Salman Usmani is one of the select few Delhiites who practice the art of fly-fishing diligently. It has a profound impact on his persona Stillness is at the core of all activities, and if one is oblivious of this it can be destabilising. Many Delhites, to escape the hustle-bustle of a busy metropolis, get out […]

Being Indian and gay 

Spanning five decades, Sunil Gupta’s works exploring sexuality, representation, and cultural differences seek an answer to the question of what it means to be a gay Indian man Subversive, impulsive, personal and political – that is how artist Sunil Gupta’s work is best explained. His socially engaged practice has focused on themes of identity, family, […]

No ticket to ride 

With the festive season in full swing now, people stuck in metro cities planning to visit their  hometowns have been confronted with another problem: non-availability of tickets  Every year during Chhath Puja, 26-year old Arun would go to Patna to celebrate the festival with his family but since Covid lockdown, he has been stuck in […]

Perils of pedalling solo

With the increasing popularity of cycling in the National Capital, the challenge of ensuring the safety of cyclists, especially women cyclists, is a major challenge  On 26 October, a 35-year-old Delhi Police sub-inspector was arrested for sexually harassing and stalking three women and a minor girl in Delhi’s Dwarka between 17 and 20 October. One […]

Spectrums of art 

Bringing together the works of two diverse artists, Chitra Ganesh and Manjunath Kamath, Gallery Espace is hosting a unique online exhibition on Art In Touch  Two artists with very different visual vocabularies are comparable in the way both use pastiche and fantasy to interrogate reality and open new ways of considering the world Gallery Espace […]

Modern at 100

An alumnus celebrates the quirkiness of his alma mater Modern School, Barakhamba Road is celebrating its centenary year.  The institution was founded at a time when the capital of India was shifting from Calcutta to Delhi by Lala Raghubir Singh, a prominent Delhi-based businessman and philanthropist who wanted to create an educational institution that would […]

Beyond borders 

Geetanjali Shree’s Ret Samadhi is one of the rare pieces of Hindi literature that brings to life the struggles and growth of women in India, without being preachy In last few decades, Hindi literature, especially novel writing, has become quite inclusive with many Dalit and women authors keeping abreast with contemporary socio-political dynamics, writing with […]

Liberal Noida 

Many of Delhi’s Africans, Afghans, and other foreigners who feel discriminated against and alienated have shifted to Noida and Greater Noida There are localities in Delhi that have become ghettos for people of certain ethnicity and community—Afghani, Nigerian, Koreans, people from the North-Eastern states of India, not to forget Muslim ghettos.  There’s a general tendency […]