Sep29

Nine nights of rapture

Here’s wishing everyone a very happy Navratri. Just as on St. Patrick’s Day, everyone’s Irish, during Navratri, we are all Gujju. For while it is celebrated in many parts of the country, no one does Navratri with as much panache as the Gujaratis. I recall wheedling out passes to some of the more well-appointed Navratri […]

Sep9

A smokin’ good idea

One of the most popular desi tracks on the UK charts features none of the scantily-clad dancers, exotic locales or quaint videos that have become de rigueur in music these days. Instead, this unlikely hit features two firemen, some ‘uncles’ and ‘aunties’, an important social message and a wicked hip-hop-meets-bhangra sound. This is […]

Jul5

A fun new show and a troubling thought

A while ago, I watched the first two episodes of NDTV Imagine’s new show, Junoon Kuchh Kar Dikhaane Ka. I must confess to have really liked them. Perhaps it’s because I’m partial to both Ustad Rahat Fateh Khan and Ila Arun. I had, quite uncharitably, slotted Annu Kapoor as an over-excitable anchor prone […]