Begum Akhtar was an iconic musical personality in India, active from 1929-1974. Her thumris and ghazals (semi-classical genres of music) entered my listening orbit at 19 years of age when a friend lent me a cassette of her songs. Most…
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Lata Mangeshkar and classical music
For the November 2022 issue of NCPA’s On Stage magazine, I was commissioned to write an article on the classical melodies of Lata Mangeshkar ahead of a tribute concert that was planned for her at the Mumbai-based venue. Bollywood playback…
Read moreBollywood Spotlight Series @ The Latchis in October
For the month of October 2022, I will be showing one Bollywood film, twice every week in partnership with The Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro. I will be presenting a cultural introduction to every film. Before the screening and during the…
Read moreGhazals and Hariharan
I was commissioned to write an article about ghazals in 2016 for NCPA’s On Stage magazine. The editor wanted me to write a brief history of ghazals: a raga-based semi-classical singing style that focuses on lyrics that are…
Read more40 years of Umrao Jaan
In 2021, Umrao Jaan, the exquisite classic Bollywood film from 1981 completed 40 years. The editor of NCPA’s On Stage magazine commissioned me to write a piece on the timeless music of the film for which I was asked…
Read moreA tribute to Salil Chowdhury
For the July 2022 issue of NCPA’s On Stage magazine, I was commissioned to write a tribute on Bollywood music composer Salil Chowdhury and interview his daughter Antara Chowdhury and contemporary composer Shantanu Moitra. As always it was a fulfilling…
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KK tribute and podcast interview
This is my first podcast episode and couldn’t have been a better start than with an interview of Bollywood playback singer, KK. It’s heartbreaking to share this interview after his death but all the more reason to listen to his…
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Lata Mangeshkar tribute
The Icon and Her Voice
Photo credit: Yogen ShahRarely in human history has an artiste been born whose name is adequate to summarise the greatness of their art. With the passing of Lata Mangeshkar, one can only feel grateful…
Read moreSholay on the big screen at Epsilon Spires
The quintessential blockbuster film, Sholay, quoted by BBC as “The Star Wars of Bollywood” remains India’s most watched and most iconic films of all time. Often described as a “masala” film, implying a mix of various spices, Sholay is…
Read moreIntroduction to Ship of Theseus
Ship of Theseus (2012) was screened at Epsilon Spires in Brattleboro, Vermont on August 21, 2021. Below is my cultural preview of the film.
A thought experiment
The title ‘Ship of Theseus’ is a direct reference to an ancient thought…
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