The Politics of Female Longing in Fire and “Lihaaf”
In the art of filmmaker Deepa Mehta and writer Ismat Chughtai, Farah Ahamed explores themes of patriarchy, infidelity, and a testament to the desires of women.
The Lunar Learning
Personal Essay: Who has access to knowledge? Ph.D. scholar Swathi Priya explores how multidisciplinary lenses of caste inclusion, neoliberal market, liberal ideology, mental health imperatives, and literature inform her larger research goals.
The City That Remains: Guwahati, and the Poetry it Inspires
Through memories, juxtapositions, and observations of the intricate, the poems about Guwahati in The Penguin Book of Poems on the Indian City (2025) portray a city that no longer exists, having metamorphosed into a new ‘synthetic’ space marred by politics and reckless urbanisation. By Ayaan Halder
Beneath the Golden Dome: Gurpurab in the Capital
Photo Essay: From the historic lanes of Chandni Chowk to the healing sarovar of Bangla Sahib, devotees reaffirmed the timeless message of equality, service, and oneness of humanity on Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary. By Aditya Sharma and Sana Kauser
“Revolutionary literature requires revolutionary politics”: An Interview with Meena Kandasamy
Acclaimed author Meena Kandasamy discusses the uncompromising and unapologetic resolve in her writing, confronting violence with art, and why activism is a form of love. By Saurabh Sharma
The Storm and the Storyteller: Arundhati Roy’s MOTHER MARY COMES TO ME
Through her memoir, Arundhati Roy revisits the foundry where her courage was forged, to the mother who didn’t prepare her for success, but inadvertently trained her to withstand both adoration and hatred to determine her survival. By Amritesh Mukherjee
The Pendant of Exile and Inherited Memory: How the Dejhoor Chronicles the Passage of Kashmiri Pandit Women
The dejhoor had been an ornament for Kashmiri Pandit women for thousands of years, narrating a story of continuity under pressure, womanhood refracted through history, and identity surviving the corrosion of displacement. By Prerna Bhat
Innocence Lost: Sarvesh Wahie’s Poetic Lament for Mussoorie
Written with understated, sublime beauty, Sarvesh Wahie’s Mussoorie Daze (2025) is a literary and philosophical text that examines the ontology of a lost Himalayan paradise, and the changing character of memory, self, solitude, and community. By Abhimanyu Kumar
The Curious Case of Tripti Dimri
Tripti Dimri has become the newest face of self-made stardom, paving her professional path with roles ranging from complex feminist heroines to objectified ‘items’ for the male gaze. With her career at a tipping point, can she avoid the industry’s pitfalls and rise to the apex? By Sneha Bengani
Zubeen Garg: Assam’s Cultural Maverick and Timeless Icon
A singer and a passionate lover of humanity and nature, Zubeen Garg’s legacy is not merely a memory, but a living beacon that will inspire Assam’s people and culture for generations. By Anusuya A. Paul
Nothing Impure: Why misogynist taboos around menstruation continue to plague India
In religion, politics, and mainstream pop culture, there is inexplicable hypocrisy and stinging prejudice surrounding the subject of menstruation in India. It begs for more proactive activism around the same. By Nivedita Dey
From Meme to Mania: The Cult Resurgence of Lord Himesh
“Jai Mata Di, let’s rock.” Himesh Reshammiya’s career has come full circle: from topping the charts, to flops and cringe compilations, and back to dominating global rankings. By Himanshi Aggarwal