For a few years since the ‘listicle’ has been in existence, there have been countless nostalgia pieces on the ’90s and the faint memories of a simpler time. These pieces have been liked, shared, poured over and eulogised to no end. But what has been grossly missing from these trips down memory lane is the poetic sense of the era gone by, with a sense of perspective that is almost […]
A few months after turning fifty Monal one day chanced upon a friend called Urmila. More than ten years ago Monal had met her over a dance performance they had staged with a common friend Rehana and three high school girls. In a typical Indian folk dance style, the young girls danced the part of the male of the couples. Those days it was a popular song from the Hindi […]
(Artwork by Ashwin Pandya) Monal at fifty often turned to her beautiful childhood for solace. Outwardly no other person seemed happier, luckier or more happening than Monal. She had mastered the art of smiling. It was not even a fake one. Only, she had stopped visiting the crevices of her heart that hurt. That too seemed like a mastery. Then one day she felt feelings that externally angered her but […]
(Artwork by Ashwin Pandya) Monal of nine years wore a baby sari in the month of February . It was gifted […]
(Artwork by Ashwin Pandya) It was the December after Monal turned six. There was excitement. There was war. The newspaper “Amrita Bazar Patrika” was eagerly awaited everyday. Monal of six in her little mind understood that there was trouble over her mother tongue Bangla. During the cold winter nights, sharp at 8 pm a siren was sounded. She learnt a new word and heard what it felt like too. All […]
(Artwork by Ashwin Pandya) One of the difficulties Monal of three faced was her lack of ability to convey to her Mamma some of the things that she wanted […]
(Artwork by Ashwin Pandya) One of the things that Monal ached for at age four was a certain pair of slippers in a particular colour. She got this bug from the local maid who owned a pair. They were made of hard plastic and the colour was akin to a fluorescent pink in a style that separated the big toe from the rest. It even made a sound as the […]
The Game of Thrones season 6 premiere has already been the talk of the town and fans just can’t stop talking about its very first episode. Are you still reeling under Lady Melisandre’s secret and wondering if Jon Snow really died? While we can’t answer these questions we have a pleasant musical treat for all the GOT fans. In the midst of the premiere, a Mumbai based percussionist Karan Chitra […]
(Artwork by Ashwin Pandya) Monal at age four had a few engagements in her mind. One was a radio. The radio felt perched high up beyond reach but belted out songs in Hindi and Bangla. “Bindiya chamkegi, chudi khankegi” would be one she would remember later too to have heard there. Also this was a song that Vibha her classmate could sing. Though Monal was the best in numbers and alphabets […]
On Thursday, Prince, the legendary musician died at his home in Minnesota. He was 57 years old. The New York Times hailed him as “the songwriter, singer, producer, one-man studio band and consummate showman.” Prince’s music was innovative – it infused elements of jazz and funk with a little bit of rock thrown in. Often sexual and sensual in nature, the lyrics of his songs have a life of their […]
