the new normal

Many have written about how the present crisis will force us to think of our existence anew, that the world will never be the same again. On Instagram I see people putting their brains together to question whether we can rethink about the way we travel, the way we consume, the multiple options of the …

“I no longer want to carry the weight of fear”

“This is not just for urban women. It’s for urban and rural women. It’s for women across India and women from different Indias.” says Jasmeen Patheja with a determined expression. In Bangalore’s perpetual drizzle that scatters people to shelter, Patheja stands firm. Her short hair and striped blue saree is soaked but she takes on …

Why Drongo is the New Khal Drogo

Something I wrote got published on The Open Dosa "There are places in Bangalore, unlike many other metro cities, where one can observe and listen to a multitude of birds. The city has an active birdwatching community which makes morning visits to Lalbagh and Cubbon Park to spot these aves." Read more: http://www.opendosa.in/why-drongo-is-the-new-khal-drogo/

Bangalore’s stronghold of all things heavy

Take a look at the city's only licensed heavy metal merch store Clad in a grey Iron Maiden t-shirt, 42-year old Vikram Bhat is busy texting on his phone when I arrive. It is a breezy Sunday evening and the roads of MG Road are empty while the nearby Brigade Road is starting to see …

Satire in Harishankar Parsai’s stories

Harishankar Parsai brilliantly satirises traditional Indian society in his short stories. From taking digs at the bureaucratic system to patriarchal norms and religion, Parsai brings out our so-called “Hindu culture” out to the forefront for everyone to see. His short story titled Inspector Matadeen on the Moon manages to display the criminal system in India …

RSS swayamsevaks reach Uri

This is a satirical piece based on personal opinions about certain things in life After RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s loud claims that the RSS could assemble cadres to fight much faster than the Indian Army in a situation of war, the first squad of around 30 shivering and sleep deprived “soldiers” arrived in the freezing …

Love in our times

What does love mean in our times? This question can invite a horde of different responses and opinions. Is it traditional like what most of our parents had or has it become easy thanks to services like online dating applications? What happens to the idea of love once technology takes over? These are interesting questions …

One image, many meanings

Images are ubiquitous and they can enhance a host of emotions within the viewer. The image above has been taken from the Vietnam War. It became famous as the ‘Saigon Execution’ photo and drew a lot of praise and flak from people across the world. Eddie Adams who took the photograph got a Pulitzer Prize …

I was once a part of the problem

For the last few days, people around the globe have been sharing stories of sexual harassment and different other forms of abuse on various platforms of social media. Many people I am acquainted with have come out with incidents of abuse and a few men have come forward to give confessions of the times when …

Through the lens of Cop Shiva

Cop Shiva believes that he is still a village boy even though it has been many years since he left Ramnagar, his birthplace and came to Bangalore in search of a livelihood. “Everybody needs jobs and I have not studied much. I have studied only till the 10th standard. I used to work in different …