The hot star team of Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, fabulous foreign locations in Corsica and Tokyo, and A.R. Rahman’s music: ‘Tamasha’ seems to have it all, but the ‘tamasha’ movie-goers get to see leaves you a tad unfulfilled.
Author: Lavina Melwani
Lavina Melwani
Lavina Melwani is a New York-based journalist who writes for several international publications. Twitter@lavinamelwani & @lassiwithlavina Sign up for the free newsletter to get your dose of Lassi!
Why have Indian-Americans lost the art of eating with their hands? Eating with your hands is a no-no, a taboo in polite ‘civilized’ western society yet hands are the utensils of choice in some parts of the world including South Asia. However, when it comes to eating out, even Indians who happily eat with their hands at home seem to lose the desire.
Why do so many Indians hide this guilty secret? Why is there shame attached to this natural act? Is it perhaps a lasting legacy of the British Raj – a side-order of racism, of inferiority? What does it say about accepting our cultural ethos? Are we the kind of Indians abroad who would eat even a roti with fork and knife in the ‘civilized’ world, just to fit in
Vikas Khanna’s new book ‘Indian Harvest: Classic and Contemporary Vegetarian Dishes’ begins and ends with his poems. No, it is not a book of poems but a recipe book which is part memoir, part travelogue and part encyclopedia, as well as his repertoire of traditional and modern vegetarian recipes.
Our hearts go out to the people of Paris as they live through a nightmare. It is the world’s collective nightmare for the places may change – Madrid, Mumbai, London, New York, Beirut – but the devastation and the destruction remains the same.
Mona Saeed Kamal, Poojaa Bathija, Ashoo Prabhakar and 27 others like this. Sharmila Rao Thakkar, Vandna Khera Bajaj, Nita Anand and 10 others like this. Lighting the Diya with the President The immigrants who came here in the 60’s would never have believed it if you had told them that one day an American President would be wishing them ‘Saal Mubarak!” and the US Surgeon General would be munching on mithais and would have a last name Murthy, first name Vivek! Diwali Sweets Make it to the White House As Indian-Americans celebrate Diwali, there’s a special thrill in being wished…
The World is getting older no doubt about it – even Shah Rukh Khan, the heart-throb of millions is turning 50!
It’s hard to believe that the carefree Raj of ‘Dil Wale Dulhaniya Lejayege’ is five decades old. Yet he’s evergreen for his legions of fans and this photo of fans coming to his home to wish him on the big 5-O says it all.
Want to get some colorful festivities into your Diwali? Head for the Met! The Metropolitan Museum of Art is celebrating Diwali on Sunday November 15 with a musical dance performance, children’s Indian dance workshop and art-making activities.
Don’t you love this new America where India pops up in the most unlikely places? If you live in Queens you’ll be delighted to know that the marvelous Museum of the Moving Image has embraced India’s New Wave Cinema with the screening of a new film every month.
Couldn’t let Halloween pass by without sharing this truly wonderful picture of President Obama, the perfect host to trick and treaters at the White House. Pete Souza shared this picture on Twitter – “President Obama plays with Ella Rhodes in her elephant Halloween costume.” I can’t think of any other president who would be so down-to-earth and so tender with little people. It says so much about the man and all that he stands for.
What’s better than reading a book? Having the author read it to you! At the Indo-American Arts Council Literary Festival 2015 at Hunter College, book-lovers binged on new books, authors old and new and discussions on everything from the state of the kitchen to the state of the world.
With his grey hair, rimmed eye-glasses and gentle smile, Mani Ratnam is an unlikely global rock star. Yet rock star he was when the prestigious Museum of the Moving Image in New York showed the film series ‘Politics as Spectacle: The Films of Mani Ratnam’ – ‘Roja’, ‘Bombay’ and ‘Dil Se’, three films from his stormy, much loved oeuvre.
It’s been called a ‘jugalbandi’ – this evening dedicated to Bombay shared by the two writers – Salman Rushdie and Suketu Mehta. When the two were introduced to the audience by writer Amitava Kumar, he put it succinctly: ” Master story tellers – they are the djinns of stories!
Fast, Cool and Fantastic – and Made in India Meet the M-Zero India is known for producing the smallest car and the cheapest car. But now put on your seat belts! Here’s news for speed lovers. India may be on to something cool and fast! Sarthak Paul, a 21-year old entrepreneur is planning to launch India’s first sportscar. Here’s M-Zero – and it’s going to cost anywhere from $125,000 t $150,000! Paul calls his fledgling car company Mean Metal Motors (MMM). The automaker has already produced a couple of planned concepts, and if all goes well, Paul hopes the first…
News for You! The case of the vanishing Asian American characters in ‘The Martian’ “NASA’s Director of Mars Operations is Dr. Venkat Kapoor — an Asian Indian character who identifies as Hindu.In Scott’s film, he is played by British black actor Chiwetel Ejiofor and the name is changed to Vincent Kapoor. Character Mindy Park is written as Korean American in the novel, but portrayed by Mackenzie Davis — a white blonde actress. http://nydn.us/1PqSCJ8
The word ‘home’ immediately conjures up images of comfort, security and peace – yet for many women, perhaps there is no more dangerous and frightening place than home. Behind its closed doors and curtained windows can be a whole litany of horrors from domestic violence to psychological traumas, intimidations and beatings to molestation by family members.
The 2015 Children’s Hope India Gala set a new record with its Educate India initiative raising over $ 1 million for children’s education in India. Over 450 guests attended the very successful event on October 11 at Pier Sixty in Manhattan, NYC, where Prakash Melwani and Manjul Bhargava were honored for their contributions to the cause of education for underprivileged children in India.
Many, many years ago, to catch a reflection of India in America was to be over the moon: a saree on the streets of New York, an Indian name in the phone book, a snatch of Indian music in a mainstream performance. Now of course India has become woven into the fabric of America, so it was no surprise to see the JFK Express – the train which takes you from the city to the airport – immersed in the images of Incredible India!
Where would we be without words, words, words? Without books, digital and the real touch me-feel me papier ones? And where would we be without literary festivals which celebrate all the joys of the thinking, writing, musing world? Think Salman Rushdie and Suketu Mehta!
So if you’re missing your word-fix, here’s good news! The Second Annual Literary Festival at Hunter College, New York City, October 23-25th, brings some of your favorite South Asian writers to a stage near you.
Our world is full of irrational, brutal acts and unbelievable consequences, and yet sometimes good can come out of evil. A flying bullet can end a life – or start a bloodless revolution that can change the world.
The film “He named me Malala” documents just such a real life story.
What is it with New York City – it’s simply buzzing! Today Manhattan is overrun by security, cops and traffic police, there are closures and enclosures everywhere and yet there seem to be people, people, people everywhere too! From the Pope to world leaders, from PM Modi to Malala everyone is in the city. Not to mention Priyanka Chopra too!