TNIE - Comfortably Numb

Just how much do we lie?

Just how much do we lie? So, the other day, I came upon an epiphanic passage about human beings and their propensity to tell lies. The nugget jumped out at me in what is arguably the most compelling non-fiction read of 2026, London Falling, Patrick Radden Keefe`s account of the mysterious, tragic death of…

On friendhsips of the Reel and Real kind

Friendships of the Reel and Real kind

Would you opt for a Reel or a Real friendship? I`m just coming off a fortnight of real-life friendship, a reunion of our college girl gang from way back in Chennai nee Madras. Back then, we were a near inseparable trio. After the college years gave over, we kept in touch, sending congratulations and commiserations…

Opinion: A little superstition to make the medicine go down?

Just a little superstition? I have to start with a disclaimer: I am not superstitious. When a black cat crosses my path, I just call out, here kitty, kitty. When the salt shaker slips from my grasp spilling the white stuff everywhere, I just grin sheepishly. When I burned the sleeve of a blouse I…

Book review: Bimbisar`s Curse by Tanushree Podder

Burden of a king When we first meet the great king of the Magadh Empire, Bimbisar, he is weak and infirm, imprisoned by his son in a cold dark dungeon. As he reflects on the circumstances that brought him to this sorry pass, history unfolds before us. Early on in the narrative, Bimbisar vows to…

Opinion: So You Think You Are An Empath?

In this epoch of information overload, we watch a thousand crises unfold every day, where the sacred mixes with the profane at top speed, where the latest war updates are followed in quick succession by clips on how to wear a mekhela chador the proper way, how to make naan on an overturned tawa, what…

Book review: Nautch Boy by Manish Gaekwad

Bittersweet memories Nautch Boy is a companion piece to the author`s affecting 2023 memoir of his mother, The Last Courtesan. Here, while still training focus on the formidable Rekhabai and her life after retiring/giving up the career of a tawaif, he opens a door into his own life and growing up feeling unloved and unwanted…

Opinion: Life`s too short to waste on bad books!

Even as the world is slowly but steadily disintegrating around us, we turn to our personal cope strategies just to survive each day. Me, I turn to books, try to lose myself in that world of make-believe. But of late, I seem to have lost all desire to plough through books that do not hold,…

Opinion: It`s OK to goof off once in a while

Back in the day, goofing off was when you had your make or break Math exam the next morning. You stared at your `rough` book, you stared at the pile of question papers from previous years, and then you went off to make yourself a snack to have with a can of Coke. Tidy up…

Opinion: Is all staring offensive?

To stare or not to stare Let me start with a confession. I`m a starer. Put it down to my Malayali genes. For those who are not Mallu or have no Mallu friends (really?): the state of Kerala wins all staring contests hands down. This is no mean feat in a country that stares. We…

Opinion: A manifesto for manifesting things

Long before it became a big thing on TikTok and other socials, the art of manifesting was much beloved of life coaches across the world. Over a decade ago, a close friend would keep urging me to close my eyes and manifest whatever it was that I needed `the universe to do,` assuring me it…