Author: 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!

Naatu Naatu wins an Oscar – and a live performance on the Academy stage! RRR was by far my most favorite movie this year from India – and I think it deserved to win a few more Oscars! I have seen it so many times and I never tire of it.  However it was a thrill to see that ‘Naatu Naatu’ won the Oscar for best original song for M.M. Keeravni and Chandrabose and it was performed live on the stage at the Oscars. It was choreographed by Prem Rakshith. There was another secret Indian factor –  you remember our…

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On India Giving Day, you will have an opportunity to give – and get rich. Your wealth will come from the satisfaction of having helped the future of India and made a positive difference in lives – be it of the old or the very young just starting out in a challenging world.

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“As many of you will come to know in the weeks and months ahead, the door to my office has a sign for all to see every time they walk through my doorway. The sign says, ‘Can’t Is Not an Option.’

These are the words of Nikki Haley, nee Nimrata Randhawa, the feisty new Governor of South Carolina, the Indian-American daughter of Punjabi immigrants. Haley, 38, has gone from being an obscure Southern legislator to a nationally known rising star on the Republican circuit.

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On New Year’s Eve I am in Dubai, doing something I’ve never done before – hot air ballooning!
May we all soar this year with our families, our hopes and aspirations! Read about my discovery of sunrise and the adventures of take-off and landing -sideways
Safe flights and happy 2023, full of hope and possibilities.

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It’s  a short ride but you get glimpses of city side streets and the  beautiful East River as the cable car descends to the other side, and commuters with babies and bicycles and families click photos. At night the view is dramatic, like a foreign country. and the city goes from prosaic to glamorous. 

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Art

Asia Week New York 2023 Predicts a Colorful Spring The Flowering of Asian Art in New York  Photos: Lavina Melwani [dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith winter, snow and blizzards in the forecast for New York in the coming months, it is happy news to know that you can look forward to the warmth and beauty of art and schedule it on your calendar with the celebration of Asia Week New York 2023. There will be wonderful art from all parts of Asia, and this is a spring ritual since 14 years, with art lovers congregating in New York for an endless feast…

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