Author: Lavina Melwani

If you grew up in India you will remember the magic of myths and folklore which was passed on to you by your grandparents, loving aunts and grand-aunts and their loquacious  helpers. There were stories for all occasions: stories at meal-time, stories at bed-time and even stories for monsoon evenings. Stories for sad times, and stories for happy times.

As you grew up and left home, either for further studies, to find work or to get married, you haphazardly packed these childhood tales into your suitcases, in-between the spice boxes and the photo albums and the clothes. And then you forgot about them. Until you yourself became a parent – in a new land, in uncharted waters.

Longing to go to a real live theater, surrounded by real live people?  Tired of being glued to your television set? If you’re caught in pandemic hesitancy, there’s a better way – the all-American drive-in! You get to see movies on the big screen from the safety of your own car and you get to take off your mask for a breather!

“Even 65 years after our independence, we find that India’s progress towards establishing an equitable society has been slow and disappointing. Discrimination against women thrives and cuts across religion, caste, rich, poor, urban-rural divides. Secure in their solid economic and social foundation, men are men, and we are the other. Today, women realize that unless certain fundamental issues that affect gender equality and justice are addressed, women’s empowerment will remain at the level of rhetoric.” – Sharmila Tagore

“I think the diversity of the staff is something that we’re proud of because it reflects the diversity of the country. It will have an influence on the administration because this campaign feels very much like America, with people from all walks of life.”

2026 people reached on Lassi with Lavina FB page – 219 post clicks   Sonam Saxena, Navdeep Cheema and 62 others  like it on Lassi with Lavina FB page Nninja Singh, Jessy S. Moya and 22 others like it on FB An Indian in Italy: My Adventures in Rome, Venice & Tuscany… In these days of the pandemic as the cold days linger and travel still remains an impossible dream, I fly you on the magic carpet of the past to Italy! To Rome, Venice and Tuscany. Unlike most tourists, I also visit a surprising parallel world far from the…

At a time when most of us are trapped in the pandemic blues and survive in our grungy tee-shirts, sweatpants and sneakers, can there be a place for high fashion? The beautiful and beguiling surreal world of NY Fashion Week seemed to be from a galaxy far, far away until I received an invite for New York Fashion Week, to check out the Fall/Winter 2021 Collection of Bibhu Mohapatra, one of NY’s noted designers.

Remembering the Lost 500,000 Americans Grieving with President Joe Biden… [dropcap]T[/dropcap]oday is a somber day – America has reached a milestone – we have lost over 500,000 people – friends, neighbors,  unknown human beings  – all a part of the big American family. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost been a year of horrendous loss, of masked strangers  passing n the street, each carrying grief and heaviness in their hearts. Today we passed over 500,000 Covid deaths in America. Each of these 500,000 had a name, a family, friends, loved ones and the collective loss weighs heavy on all…

How would you like to watch Hindi blockbusters and eat Indian food all day? That seems to be the delightful lifestyle Indian-American filmmaker and writer Sri Rao is blessed with! This Philadelphia native has taken two things which everyone loves – Indian food and Bollywood movies – and made a fun living out of them.

Valentine’s Day with President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden – a heartful affair!

Meet Dr. Chetna Singh, emergency care physician at Ocean Medical Center in New Jersey. For the last year she has grappled with the unending coronavirus pandemic, working the frontline in the emergency room.  Right from the first beginnings through the first wave to the second wave life has been lived out with the somber reality of packed hospitals, with patients on ventilators and near death, fighting against a relentless virus.

For millions of women and girls worldwide the inauguration of Kamala Devi Harris as the first black and South Asian woman vice president of America was an awe-aspiring moment – a feeling of being right in the middle of history being made.

Vikas Khanna’s debut feature film ‘The Last Color’ is now streaming on Amazon Prime – an emotional feel-good film for our stressful times.

There are many young women who agonize about starting a family during their child-bearing years and are searching for solutions. In an earlier feature we had explored the route of adoption which can create families where none existed. For others, there is the less traveled way of surrogacy – conceiving their biological child through surrogacy.

President-Elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris  introduce Americans to their sterling choices for the Department of Justice which has been battered by four years of Trump:

2020 was a scorcher – shell-shocked and weary we are so relieved to get off the scary ride in this nightmare amusement park.

In a year of being marooned at home, our televisions and our laptops became family, giving us solace and comfort and the laughs we desperately needed. Our streaming services were especially cherished as they ensured the latest blockbusters and hot serials came to us when we couldn’t go to the theaters.

2020 in America -Pandemic, Economic Disruption, Vote Wars. The year revisited through reports about tragedy and triumph.

Lilly Singh and Hasan Minhaj offer the perfect gifts for desi parents! Merry Christams!

For Indian-Americans, 2020 has been quite a year in the political life of the country – they not only brought out the vote for the winning Biden-Harris ticket but have also won some considerable victories up and down the ballot.

Chef Aarthi Sampath creates a Recipe for Resilience for the series of positivity during the pandemic initated by Children’s Hope India