The invasion of Bollywood villains
The invasion of Bollywood villains No, this isn’t a figment of my imagination. I have seen Gabbar, Mogambo, Sir Juda, Shakaal, Kaancha, Bhaironath, Dr Dang, Langda Tyagi, Lallan Singh, Jageera, Lotiya Pathan, Bakhtawar Singh and many others inside many homes… creating the worst possible chaos. ‘Are these names that you have given to mosquitoes?’ asked...
The song of the artsy cow
The song of the artsy cow Some say that getting rid of indoor pollution is a fantasy and exists only in fiction, in movies, in government files, and a zealous mind. I disagree. I’ve been taking a lot of positive steps at home and we are probably as far away from pollution and their side-effects...
The criminals inside every home
The criminals inside every home So much information about this criminal inside every home is splashed almost daily in our newspapers, they are discussed on panels on almost every news channel, and almost every kerb-side conversation is about them. And yet, they roam like the entire world was there at their feet. They are robbers,...
You’ve nothing to be afraid of
Politics is at the heart of House of Cards, the television drama that has now entered its fifth season. The strange thing about watching it unfold on the small screen is that not even for a moment did I feel whatever I was watching isn’t somehow connected to what happens in our own country. Of...
We accept that we are more Indian than you think
We live in a country that is around 3,214 kms from north to south and about 2,933 kms from east to west with a land frontier of about 15,200 kms. According to the 2011 census, we have 623.2 million males and 587.5 females and this massive population lives on a mere 2.4 percent of the...
More Indian Than You Think
I browse the net and see the world At home in bed as I lie curled I hug the world through my Facebook Through tweets I let them watch my nook Whatsapp to know what’s up and on I Instagram through night and morn I travel far before you blink Yet I’m more Indian than...
Open up… you’re in India
The strangest thing about being an Indian is that we believe quite a bit of all that dear Bollywood feeds us… or all that gets fixated in our minds because we have not yet seen the complete picture. The give-me-some-sugar-in-a-bowl myth Such neighbors are everywhere and there is absolutely no escape from them. There will...
The future is more Indian than you think
Evolution and revolution are not related. Indians are as evolved as anyone else around the world and walk on their feet, talk in a language that a community understands, eat stuff that is popular all over, follow traditions, respect the notion of families living together, and generally do everything that anyone anywhere will also be...
Romeos, Outdoors, and Repellents
‘Are Romeos the new mosquitoes?’ asked a friend after having read the news about the new anti-Romeo squads in Uttar Pradesh, ‘and these squads the latest in the world of repellents?’ ‘Two questions together,’ I replied, ‘are like Romeos and mosquitoes knowing they are in the WANTED list and yet searching for an escape route.’...
Going off the road to remain on the road
Yes, we all need to go off the road to appreciate being on the road… this is one metaphor that has remained with me ever since I first went off-roading and realised how much it taught me about life. Those past experiences with the Mahendra Thar, Volvo XC60, Nissan Terrano and a host of other...
The gender of Xender
I remember the days when gender option was between male or female. Those days are long over. News articles in the West are talking about ‘agender’, ‘two spirit’, ‘neither’, ‘other’ and tens of other options that are as valid as the choice a technology consumer has in choosing a storage option from portable hard drives...
Luxury is Genetically Hexa
Luxury is definitely more than just another strand of DNA with its double-helix form… it is more likely to have six sides to it. Luxury is navigating well through comfort. Luxury is all about the impact of safety. Luxury is the freedom to express and feel. Luxury is the opposite of vulgarity. Luxury is a...
