Writing

Wedding Reels

A look at the transformation of the wedding video in India.

Aubrey Menen's 'Rama Retold' tells us to laugh at the Ramayana. No wonder it's still banned

Aubrey Menen's place in the Indian English literary canon has largely been forgotten. Even in the rare, flattering mention, he's described as a satirist - a term the literary hegemons assign to anyone who happens to be funny while they're being serious.

Why this book on India's annexation of Sikkim needs to be read today

Satyajit Ray's documentary on Sikkim is perhaps the best glimpse of a master at his decadent best. Every frame is voluptuous, Ray shows us sweeping landscapes otherwise only found in the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, the cacophony of children going to school, impossibly quaint market squares, the mesmeric whirling of prayer bells and even a bizarrely gorgeous long take of a man trying to tame a wild horse.

Why Angaraay Was Banned

A look at banned books in India