Bollywood has had a long history of finding “inspiration”—or barefaced plagiarism. Nivedita Dey recounts the many films, songs, and creators who imitated from the West (and more) and muses on the value of artistic originality.

Considering the polarizing socio-political climate in the country, Sneha Bengani examines censorship and outrage in Hindi cinema, and the consequences of heightened intolerance towards this democratic, transformative medium.

What’s The Chakkar? Episode 24: We’re reading books by G.N. Devy and Haruki Murakami; watching the film Laal Singh Chaddha; and listening to music by Ahmer. Featuring Shaista Vaishnav, Prateek Santram, and Aditya Manral. Hosted by Karan Madhok.

Despite being a flawed film, Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha further extends the thesis of the superstar’s life’s work: a pan-India aspiration to live in a better country. By Karan Madhok