Author: Lavina Melwani

Making Your Vote Count: A Primer for Desi Newbies All That You Wanted to Know About the Elections – but Were Afraid to Ask [dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat’s at the heart of your vote? Just three words: ‘A Better World.’ You vote for the issues which will make America the country you pined for, forsaking all that was known and familiar, as you embarked in search of a dream. Voting is your power to ensure that America continues to move in the right direction and be the country that first drew you to its orbit. Having come from many different countries…

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  Exciting News for South Asian Playwrights [dropcap]S[/dropcap]outh Asians, when they go to the theater in America, have got used to seeing just one or two performers who are desi and, if they are lucky, there may be random Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi names in the crew. Imagine then, the delight these audiences feel to hear that an entire theater festival is dedicated to their stories, their angst, their joys – their part of the world! Yes, it’s true – get ready for the inaugural South Asian Playwrights Festival. It’s being presented by ASDS AT Pace University and EnActe Arts from…

Surrender to the Saree!Sarees are Taking Over Times Square! [dropcap]T[/dropcap]hat iconic Indian apparel is taking over Times Square. On May 4, if you venture into that New York hotspot you will see not one, not two but 500 women dressed in sarees, celebrating its longevity and grace.The event is Saree Goes Global and it will be celebrated with music and dance. This is the brainchild of British Women in Sarees and Uma Global with lots of support from groups across the tristate area. After all, who doesn’t love sarees?In fact, the saree has been highlighted at several events such as…

In Jackson Heights: A Wishlist for the Future Giving Voice to the Voiceless By Lavina Melwani How can one understand what motivates South Asian Americans to vote – or not to vote? I decided to track this species in their natural habitat – the temples, storefronts, and the chai and dosa eateries of Queens. Jackson Heights, called Jaikishan Heights affectionately by desis, is the mother of all South Asian neighborhoods, a melting pot of many different cultures. They may be cultures which often bicker in Asia, but on these streets, you find signposts which tout Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi groceries…

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Dev Patel in Monkey Man Dev Patel is Monkey Man in This Action Thriller [dropcap]F[/dropcap]or all the Dev Patel fans who have been hankering to see this wonderful actor – there’s good news you get triple the Dev in Monkey Man – he not only stars in it but it’s also his directorial debut, and the story is also written by him. The movie is being released on April 5. Check out my review next week in Lassi with Lavina but meanwhile here are some images from this much-awaited movie and some details from Universal Pictures: Dev Patel (Lion, Slumdog…

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Google’s tribute to India’s first woman doctor – Dr. Kadambini Ganguly

Today we have thousands of Indian women lawyers, both in India and the Diaspora. But how lonely and frustrating must it have been to be the first and to try and change society?
We pay tribute to the one who started it all, and won the right for women to stand up in court and argue a case. Cornelia Sorabji- India’s first woman lawyer.

Our Communities  India Giving Day – Celebrating the Joy of Giving March 1, 2024 is the Magic Date to Do Good!   [dropcap]W[/dropcap]e all know that the secret of a meaningful life is to multiply our good fortune by dividing it and sharing it with others, and so expand our abundance of well-being and happiness.  I share with you the most efficient and effective way to do this – by joining hands with the larger community on India Giving Day on March 1. For years Indian-Americans contributed in small individual ways to the causes they cared about in India but were…

When inflight safety instructions come on in an airline, that’s when many passengers tune off. They’ve seen these droning instructions time and again and are bored. Do they even pay attention or do they turn off completely – until their plane is crashing over the Atlantic or rocking in a storm? The geniuses at Air India have come up with the perfect solution – a safety inflight video that you will want to watch time and again with utmost attention. Not only that – Air India is hitting three bulls-eyes with the same throw: instructing passengers about safety precautions, doing…

Little Black Book Naeem Khan’s NY Fall/Winter Collection: East-West Fantasy Photos & Video by Lavina Melwani [dropcap]H[/dropcap]ere’s a peek into Naeem Khan’s Fall/Winter 2024 fashion show in New York City at 28 Liberty – it was called Trompe le’ oeil and it was a nonstop visual carnival of textures, colors and silhouettes. The intricate Indian embroideries, which are the soul of a Naeem Khan gown, were there in abundance in so many different avatars that each outfit had its own personality. Beads, sequins, feathers and crystals pamper a woman’s sense of luxury and set her right on the red…

what can be better than taking a walk to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and enjoying the warmth of Indian Skies? This exhibition of Indian court art is from the collection of British artist Howard Hodgkin

How would you like to see the entire world in one afternoon without stepping into an airplane? The farthest I had to travel was by subway from the Upper East Side to the Jacob Javits Center, but this was the Travel and Adventure Show, now in its 20th year, and it was a fun way of seeing the world without stepping out of one’s own city.

Artist Jeena Raghavan had her first solo show in New York and displayed her new works which are suffused with her East-West experiences.

The special attraction of Bollywood at its best is the star charisma of its lead performers – Hrithik Roshan & Deepika Padukone in ‘Fighter’

If Thanksgiving is a festival of gratitude, then Indians have been preparing for it their whole lives.

In India, take a walk down the Mumbai waterfront in the early morning mist, and you see ordinary citizens quietly feeding the fish and the birds. Their daily day doesn’t really begin until the deities in their home shrine have been venerated with fresh flowers and offered prasadam.
It is only after eating a little of this blessed offering does the family sit down to their meals. Many remember to keep aside a portion of the food for a hungry person or the birds. It is all about sharing.

Indians have whole-heartedly embraced this American festival because it is inherently about what Indians believe in – togetherness, family and gratitude to the almighty. Thanksgiving is also about expressing gratitude for making it in a new world.