The Elusive Appeal of Bengal’s Gondhoraj Lebu
Few outside Bengal have been able to appreciate the delights of the "king of aroma." But thanks to a new generation of chefs, the citrus is slowly making its way into cuisines across India.
Tania Banerjee
India’s Siddis and the Olympic Dream
India has won only 33 Olympic medals since 1900 — none in track and field. Now, new local sports programs are working with Siddi athletes to produce Olympic glory.
Bhavya Dore
How Nykaa Built a Billion-Dollar Beauty and Fashion Empire
The female-led unicorn is set to make history as one of the few profitable Indian companies to IPO later this year.
Poulomi Das
The Enduring Love of Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu
The Bollywood superstars remained devoted to each other over five decades despite personal tragedy, jealousy, and a secret second marriage.
Dunkin’ Runs on South Asian America
Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi immigrants have been a big part of the chain’s success. But as larger franchise networks take over, newer arrivals can no longer get their foot in the door.
Aarti Virani
In ‘The Green Knight,’ a Star is Reborn
The sweeping Arthurian epic sees Dev Patel going on his own coming-of-age quest to become a new kind of leading man.
Trisha Gopal
The Ordinary Charm of the Extraordinary Hrishikesh Mukherjee
The pioneer of playful films that spotlighted India’s emerging middle-class passed away before he could see a resurgence of the very genre he had mastered.
Bedatri D. Choudhury
How the Amul Girl Became India’s Conscience
The iconic butter brand’s take defined how Indians consumed news. But with less room for political dissent, the Amul girl has been holding her tongue.
Sneha Mehta
How Bollywood Failed Kashmir
Hindi cinema has long viewed Kashmir through a glossy lens, erasing its people, their agency, and their political histories.
Meher Manda
One Year On, Justice Eludes Fahim Saleh
On July 13, 2020, the Bangladeshi American tech entrepreneur was murdered in his NYC apartment. Over a year later, his family is still seeking justice.
Snigdha Sur
Why Sri Lanka Loves Russian Literature
The Soviet Union translated Russian books in local languages as a propaganda tool. Decades later, those books still hold influence in Sri Lanka.
Zinara Rathnayake
Why “Delhi Belly” Remains Bollywood’s Best Slacker Comedy
Ten years ago, Bollywood made a runaway hit about that period in your 20s when life goes to shit. No film has since come close to replicating it.
Pegasus: How Israeli Software Spied on Indian Citizens
The revelation has led to widespread civilian outrage and paranoia. Opposition parties have accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of treason in what’s being touted as “India’s Watergate.”
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Imaan Sheikh
“Welcome to India”: The Internet’s Earliest Diaspora Inside Joke
The 2002 parody song by Ludakrishna and MC Vikram spoke to many of the anxieties of the Indian diaspora and created a mutual shorthand for millions.
Hershal Pandya
The Powerful Lens of Danish Siddiqui
The Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, who died amid Taliban crossfire, vividly humanized his subjects — a gaze that didn’t look down on people, but right at them.
How Amar Bose Engineered Today’s Sound
A curious Bengali American kid with a love for tinkering built a multibillion-dollar company and changed the way we listen to music.
Atul Bhattarai
How Assamese Pithas are Going Mainstream
A new crop of entrepreneurs are serving up these traditional rice flour-based delicacies at scale — and, in turn, bringing them from the kitchen to homes outside Assam.
Arundhati Nath
What Zomato’s IPO Means for Indian Tech Startups
The first Indian IPO of the year, which raised $1.25 billion for the company, could herald a new era of exits for Indian tech startups.
The Case of Serial Killer Javed Iqbal
In 1999, a Pakistani man confessed to killing 100 children. But it would take over 20 years and hundreds more deaths for Pakistan to pass its first child abuse law.
Opinion: Kumail Nanjiani and the Hollywood Gaze
Nanjiani is the latest to go through a physical transformation that seems like a requirement for Brown men in Hollywood to get mainstream roles.
Amil Niazi