In a new collection, Goan artist Harshada Kerkar paints intimate portraits to celebrate the lives of locals and villagers around Mussoorie. By Karan Madhok

Despite an uneven recipe, Abhishek Chaubey’s Killer Soup has enough strong performances and intrigue to make for a palatable—and entertaining—main course. By Karan Madhok

Poetry by Karan Madhok: ‘couldn’t i unsign the social contract, / a sunbathing vampire, a genie unshackled, / a pair of eyes that awake to starry nights painted / on the bedroom ceiling?’

Vivek Shanbag’s novel Sakina’s Kiss (2013) features a protagonist obsessed with possession, uncomfortable in the evolving role of his masculinity, searching for meaning in a life where every answer presents a series of more confounding questions. By Karan Madhok

Photo Essay: Over 250 years since its inception, the Ramlila of Ramnagar—a ‘play’ dramatizing Rama’s story from the Ramcharitmanas—still exists as a faint time capsule of the past. by Karan Madhok

In Hope for Sanity, a collection of columns filled with nuggets of wisdom, empathy, and advice, decorated former policeman Julio Riberio emerges as a “conscience keeper” for our nation. By Karan Madhok

Personal Essay by Karan Madhok: ‘A man dressed in black robes stood by the bed, his stern face staring down at her. Death was a millimetre away, as effortless as peeling away an onion.’

Netflix’s Trial by Fire (2023) explores the true story of the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire and its long aftermath, presenting a heartbreaking narrative which shines brightest in its exploration of human intimacies. By Karan Madhok

In his latest work, Salman Rushdie expertly flirts with the line between fact and fiction, declaring all living beings—including those reading his book—may be ‘characters’ in a grander historical fiction. When nothing is real, stories are the only reality. By Karan Madhok

Delhi Crime is a breath of fresh air in its realistic portrayal of police investigation and the heroism of intelligent, emphatic cops. But the crime drama leaves a stunning blind spot about the brutalities, corruption, and systematic failures of the Delhi Police itself. By Karan Madhok

The music of Dev.D—produced by Amit Trivedi—still sounds fresh and imaginative, honouring Indian traditions while pushing the envelope of a global sound, remixing this popular tale with a burst of enigmatic new energy. By Karan Madhok

Nusrat Ahmed—curator of the South Asia Gallery at Manchester Museum—spoke about the complicated history of colonial artefacts in British museums, the importance of preserving history through art, and the impact she hopes the gallery will have for future generations. By Karan Madhok

In a series of poignant poems from Anima: & the Narrative Limits, Nabina Das personifies the feminine energy of ‘Anima’—as she tells stories, observes the social fabric of humanity, poses questions to history, and explains the world through her perspective. By Karan Madhok

Photo Gallery: A year after another Kumbh Mela, Karan Madhok visits Haridwar to explore a city deeply immersed in the juxtaposition of religion and commerce.

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

Srinagar-based rapper Ahmer spoke to The Chakkar about how a deeper examination of his own community, culture, and history helped jolt him out of his comfort zone, and inspire his ambitious sophomore LP, Azli. By Karan Madhok

Seventy-five years after the subcontinent was lacerated and partitioned, the anthology The Other in The Mirror attempts to bind the fractured reflections of Indians and Pakistanis, using the balm of literature. By Karan Madhok

Flash fiction by Karan Madhok: ‘Kunal imagines Yashaswi Sir running in the dark, back towards the bus, through the grass and the weeds and the shrubs. Over snakes and rabbits and frogs. Away from the light, seeing nothing, vacuum only making way for more vacuum.’

Rural India takes centre-stage again in Season 2 of Panchayat, a series that follows the thread of comic absurdity to stitch up a progressive lens on village life. By Karan Madhok

No place in the world is quite like Fort Kochi—A collage of Indian, Portuguese, Dutch, English, and Chinese cultural and architectural influences, a humming postcard from the past. Photo Gallery by Karan Madhok

‘I’ve always been a blues-loving rock guitarist at heart, but I love so many different forms of music… all of it filters in!’ Indian guitar legend Warren Mendonsa discusses his latest Blackstratblues album, the inspirations that shaped his musical journey, and the path ahead. By Karan Madhok

What is the purpose of the Mahabharata? In his short, succinct volume Mahabharata: The Epic and the Nation, G.N. Devy tackles the biggest questions behind one the greatest epics ever composed. By Karan Madhok

Despite its ambitions to be a crime drama at the grandest scale, The Great Indian Murder (2022) falls into a trap of stereotypes and cliches, offering only an amalgamation of old ideas wrapped in a shiny new box. By Karan Madhok

For centuries, Varanasi has welcomed all visitors into the same all-encompassing embrace. With aggressive forces of politics and religion threatening to segregate his hometown, Karan Madhok argues for the need to preserve the city’s true harmonious spirit.

Poetry by Karan Madhok: ‘the plants once shared an iridescent home / but nothing on the balcony survives / exposed under the naked rays’