Golchakkar Series - The May panel of our virtual literary talk features Sonnet Mondal, Anju Makhija, Aakriti Kuntal, and Ashwani Kumar: Poetry and the Pandemic.

The Disney+ Hotstar series OK Computer (2021) is an uneven but entertaining show, swimming in the ambitious territory of mystery, comedy, science fiction, and philosophy, all in an uniquely Indian setting. By Karan Madhok

Given how the pandemic’s second wave has devastated India, the BCCI’s decision to postpone the IPL should’ve been made much earlier. Cricket, in the time of crisis and tragedy, had felt plain wrong. By Jamie Alter

“Floundering in a bottomless ocean”: A new English translation of Manada Devi’s landmark 1929 book, An Educated Woman in Prostitution: A Memoir of Lust, Exploitation, Deceit underlines the historical and cultural value of this text. By Saurabh Sharma

An interview with author Saba Karim Khan: “Skyfall illuminates the soul of a Sufi love song. It is underpinned by a longing for hope, a desperation to see the glass half-full, despite the bleakness we envision about the future.”- By Chintan Girish Modi

The four short films in Netflix’s Ajeeb Daastaans—far removed in theme and setting—are bound together by their ability to shock. And it’s Neeraj Ghaywan’s beautifully-crafted Geeli Pucchi that elevates the uneven anthology. By Harshita Murarka

Two poems by Antara Mukherjee: ‘The war cry has long bled the emblem, all sons / Headless heap now, trumpetless coronation’

Short story by Vedant Srinivas: ‘The guards meanwhile had crept through the bushes on both sides and brought back big brambles. I looked at the pile, then at them and guessed what they were planning. But I was too terrified to ask.’

Photo-essay: In long walks across Kolkata, Sufia Khatoon comes across lives in motion, lives continuously moving forward, each person an immortal story that fuels the city and adds to its history.

In their latest live release Grugs Are Dood, Mumbai band Punk on Toast present a melodic, controlled chaos, a politically-charged sound of young Indians in musical rebellion. - by Karan Madhok.

Poem by Aaqib Khatibi: ‘I see them drifting along the smoke by the ocean / to lavish lands which are mine no more’.

What’s The Chakkar? Episode 6: We’re listening to Punk on Toast; reading Lori Gottlieb and Franz Kafka; and watching India’s best worst film, Deshdrohi. Featuring Ady Manral, Shaista Vaishnav, and Prateek Santram. Hosted by Karan Madhok.