Thought Factory

Yesterday He faced Starvation; Today He’s a Star in his Own Right on the Art Firmament

The bustling town of Vadodara – familarly known as Baroda – houses a count of nearly 2,500 artists. Of them, there are the globally feted masters, a rapidly-rising...

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The Inspiring Story of a Village Goatherd-turned-Artist of Substance

His artworks have an unusual power. They experiment with various media – oils, acrylic, watercolours, charcoal – and aren’t devoted to any singular theme. ...

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Salman Khurshid’s ‘Triple Talaq: Examining Faith’ - A straightforward yet comprehensive view of a complicated issue?

I’m here and writing about Former Minister of External Affairs and Indian National Congress party leader, Salman Khurshid’s latest book ‘Triple Talaq: Examin...

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The Changing Face of the Shopping Paradiso, London’s Oxford Street

If it’s London, it’s Oxford Street, that manic shopping centre where the stilleto-heeled trot by starving musicians, one of whom asks me, “Where I’m fr...

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The Perils of the Use and Abuse of Social Media

Humans, by nature, have loved to communicate and share stories and views since the beginning of time. Who would have thought even 20 years ago that email and social media will...

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The Ever Self-indulgent Bollywood Marketing

It is well known that in spite of producing the largest number of films in the world, the health of the industry is not very sound. With a success rate of mere 10% there is no...

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Why was the hard-hitting S. Durga ignored at the National Film Awards and other Questions?

Okay so way back in 1985, there was Durgaa, a Hindi film showcasing Hema Malini as the quintessential good wife who becomes an avenging angel. Reason: she is wronged by her mo...

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Films: Opportunity in the Crisis

In several of my recent articles I have written about the crisis facing Indian film industry, specially Bollywood. To reiterate a few of the problems again one can talk about ...

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All the World’s a Stage, Not in Mumbai Theatre at Least

Frankly, theatre didn’t prove to be that long-cherished platform to tell a story which was of some value to me – a story about a pre-teen boy who was saved from a ...

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Celebrity Circus and Media

Andy Warhol famously said that everyone in the world would be famous for fifteen minutes. Hyperbole perhaps but in a digitally connected world, fame and notoriety are more in...

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WAR AND PEACE IN CONFLICT

In an age of shifting power, contested truths, and invisible wars, this reflective essay...

March 23 2026

GUJARATI THEATRE PASSION AND PERFORMANCE

Actor Leena Shah reflects on her enduring journey through Gujarati theatre, sharing insi...

March 22 2026

DHURANDHAR REVIEW SPECTACLE VERSUS SUBSTANCE

Dhurandhar – The Revenge unfolds as an ambitious spectacle, blending geopolitics, ...

March 21 2026