Non-Fiction
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An Astronaut in a Mumbai Local and other AI-generated Images
A selection of artwork generated by DALL-E Continue reading
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Tryst With Destiny
Seventy-five years of Indian independence. On an occasion that calls for a solemn observation of a hard-fought freedom and a violent birth, we are in the midst of cacophonic and vacuous celebrations, bereft of any honest stock-taking or introspection. Surely, the nation has achieved much, but for some of us, her achievements are overshadowed by… Continue reading
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Uber has an Incentive Problem
Unless you’re living under a rock or completely off social media – which is the same thing – you’ll have seen a lot of tweets, updates and posts expressing frustration over the declining service levels of app-based cabs, particularly Uber. The internet universe is rife with angst. People are upset being stood up, being refused… Continue reading
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Not Quite Humans of Bombay
Come budget season and we see a flurry of activity in the media. The television pundits are at it 24×7, championing announcements ad nauseum. Business leaders have their own PR machinery in place, with vacuous-sounding and upbeat bytes, sometimes tweet-sized. The circus is for us, the affluent TV-watching class. However, whatsapp groups and news media… Continue reading
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Reading #BoycottHalal Posts? Know more about “Halal”
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you may have read about a campaign against a leading ready-to-cook brand that specializes in south Indian breakfasts. The campaign alleges that the company uses animal products to achieve the consistency and quality of their product, and that the promoters adhere to Islamic financial principles. This has generated another… Continue reading
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Seven Iranian Films to Watch
I’m not much of a movie buff, but I like to watch an engrossing film now and then. As a graduate student I had an exposure to film festivals and the opportunity to officiate in a couple of them. This gave me some appreciation of cinema, though not enough to be intellectual about them. Iranian… Continue reading
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How to Choose a Digital Marketing Course
A few weeks ago, a friend asked me for advice on which digital marketing course to enrol in. I promptly sat down to figure out a list of good courses. Stupid me – it didn’t take me long to figure that this was a futile exercise. There is no shortage of digital marketing courses in… Continue reading
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The Fishermen and the NRI: #KeralaFloods
It is rare that I get to hear stories of heroism first-hand. It isn’t about men in capes or daredevilry and you may find this story a tad ordinary. But it’s to be told. A friend’s friend and his family were on their annual vacation visiting their old parents who lived by themselves, like many… Continue reading
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#Nike, Kaepernick and the list of Indian brands that take an unpopular stand
Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” That’s a powerful statement, even without a context. Add the context to it and it’s on steroids. The context is Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback. In 2016, Kaepernick knelt down during the customary US national anthem ahead of a NFL game in protest… Continue reading
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Demonetization: One Year Later
There are events, and then there are events that get etched in your memory forever. Do you remember what you were doing when 9/11 happened? Or when the 26/11 attacks happened? One such momentous event took place on the eighth of November, 2016, or 8/11. We first got the news via a Whatsapp message from… Continue reading