PERSPECTIVES

Temple of Doom: Saturday Night Live Revives Mola Ram, the Evil High-priest Who Tore Out Hearts of His Victims in the 1984 Film

In 1982, two years before I was born, Hollywood film director Steven Spielberg and filmmaker…

Mahmoud Khalil and Umar Khalid: A Tale of Two Student Protestors from India and the U.S.

In the world’s two biggest and largest democracies, in the sprawling, diverse landscapes of India…

A Suitable Director:  My Conversation With Indian American Oscar Nominee Smriti Mundhra

You may not know her by name, but the majority of our desi community (and…

How to Survive Trump/Musk’s Cruelty, and Lack of Forethought, Logic, Intelligence and Regard for the Law

“Trump is acting like a King because he is too weak to govern as a…

The Inscrutable J.D. Vance: How Germany ‘Remembers’ to Stop History From Repeating Itself

In recent weeks, Vice President J.D. Vance and Elon Musk have chosen to wade into…

Maha Kumbh Mela: It was Exciting to be a Part of the Historic Celebration of Human Congregation

The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, which started Jan 13in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, and is scheduled…

In his Meditative Memoir Pico Iyer Ponders Over Silence, Solitude, Impermanence and Renewal

Pico Iyer’s “Aflame, Learning From Silence” could not have arrived at a more poignant moment—both…

Trump-Modi Summit: Two Seasoned Performers Display Their Art of the Deal Skills

India’s social media is agog with a clip showing President Trump pulling out a chair…

Auteur Par Excellence: Remembering Shyam Benegal Who Brought Social Realism to Indian Cinema

‘The plot is not important, but the characters are; how they transform, how they change…

American Compassion Always Had a National Security Mission: Is There Something Wrong With That?

Real Talk. Not that it’s in short supply. In fact, on the question of federal…

The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: Reflections of a Reluctant Indian American Pilgrim

On the evening of January 27, Maha Kumbh Mela, I met a few sadhus cooking…

Dignity Deported: Uproar Over First Batch of 104 ‘Illegal’ Indian Immigrants Sent Back to India in Shackles 

This is the endBeautiful friendThis is the endMy only friend, the end
– Jim Morrison If…