The Economy of Aspiration: Priyankar Patra’s ‘Early Days’
From the ind.igenous desk Often, while doomscrolling through Instagram, I come across reels that make me pause, my brain going numb for a moment. Someone crying after a heartbreak, someone breaking down after the death of a loved one – recording themselves in their most intimate moments, liked by millions. Thousands of comments from strangers, […]
What Guest On This Autumn Day
Translated by Aishani Misra There is something in the open-mouthed wonder with which Joy Goswami gapes from classroom windows and offices, dreaming of pujo. I remember being completely captured by it when I first read his essay Shorote Aj Kon Otithi in his book, Hridoye Premer Shirsho (Love’s Reign Over the Heart). Here, the great […]
A Girlhood under Siege and A Ledger of Unheard Voices
On Rumours of Spring: A Girlhood in Kashmir by Farah Bashir
Making ‘In Transit’: In Conversation with Ayesha Sood
From the ind.igenous desk A new documentary series on Amazon Prime, In Transit traces the stories of nine individuals as they talk about exploring their identities and gender. Produced by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti of Tiger Baby, the series is spread across four episodes where the characters open up about discovering themselves, coming out […]
Cities and I
From the ind.igenous desk Sitting inside a restaurant in Humayunpur on a surprise good weather day in Delhi summer this year, and hogging a plate of deliciously spicy pork roast, I felt a sudden pang of intense yearning for roadside Calcutta Chinese. It had been so long since I’d had a fulfilling plate of greasy […]
Prabha Atre, Pune, and Thumri Blues
By Anandi Mishra I’ve been living away from my parents’ home for almost as long as I lived with them. In these years, my weekday and weekend mornings have had varied cadences. They have mostly been purged by a sense of lethargy from the evening before and then the rush of being late for work. […]
Talking Cinema, Music, and the Pulse of our Times: Ranjan Palit’s A Knock on the Door
From the ind.igenous desk Academic couple Hari Chowdhury (Adil Hussain) and Ramona Bose (Amrita Chattopadhyay) are in the middle of a quiet, romantic evening celebrating their wedding anniversary with food, wine, and music, when the light suddenly goes off, and a group of masked strangers barges in. They rampage around the house – Ambedkar’s Annihilation […]
Of Grief and Light: Sabar Bonda, the First Marathi Feature Film at Sundance
From the ind.igenous desk Rohan Parashuram Kanawade’s Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) shall be making history as the first Marathi feature to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival’25. His debut feature, it shall also be South Asia’s only feature film competing at the festival. The film was developed under the Venice Biennale College Cinema ‘23 and […]
The Comfort Amid Art: My Time at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2024
From the ind.igenous desk I am a loner. Most of the nice things I do in life, I do all by myself – attending concerts, exhibitions, watching films, plays, staring at a sunset. I’ve grown to become quite skilled at the art of solitude. I was invited to the 9th edition of the Serendipity Arts […]
Reframing Power: Sheba Chhachhi’s Decolonial Vision in Visual Culture
By Sukhmani Basra For over three decades, Sheba Chhachhi has been a transformative force in Indian visual art, challenging entrenched narratives about activism, agency, and the historical roles of Indian women. Currently showcased at the Barbican’s new exhibition, The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975– 1998 (on till January 5, 2025), her work offers a vital […]
