Shivum who? The London-based 18-year-old is best described with multiple hyphens: half-Irish, half-Indian, fully-soulful singer-songwriter. Ooh, but what’s his sound? He lays his falsetto on to piano-flecked harmonies apt for broody evenings. ‘Flicker’ is full of melancholic longing because he was going through “teenage times” but the soft, synth-laced ‘Only You’ will make your head bob.… Continue reading Name to know: Shivum Sharma
Nisha Pahuja is all sorts of inspirational. She made a controversial documentary about the state of the female identity in India, showcased it at festivals all over the world and won 19 awards in just 18 months. As of yesterday, she also achieved her target of raising $50,000 for her next step; her India campaign… Continue reading Nisha Pahuja hits the mark
Which NaMo song will you chant during the general election? Option A: The Ska Vengers’ ‘Modi, A Message To You’ – the Delhi-based reggae band has just released an animated video for their political song. “We’ve been recording the follow up to our first album over the last year, and we thought we may… Continue reading A song for you, Narendra Modi
It might seem crazy what we’re about to say: Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’ is really bumming us out. The peppy original has turned melancholic in the hands of two artists Woodkid and Luke Sital-Singh, and a team of French video directors Mélodie Grumberg and Seb Houis. French singer-songwriter and video director Yoann Lemoine (aka Woodkid) has… Continue reading Pharrell’s ‘Happy’ makes us sad
The ’90s are pretty hot right now. Aside from the fashion revival, we’ve seen Furbies resurface and Tamagotchi return. But really, we’ll take any excuse to revisit the earworms of the decade. ‘Can’t Touch This’ by MC Hammer (1990) Two words: “Hammer time”. That is all. ‘Paree Hoon Main’ by Suneeta Rao (1991) You wore what… Continue reading Playlist: The ’90s
Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) has announced its lineup and we’re excited to see indies (and long-awaited features) up on the big screen. Ahead of the festival, we bring you round up the films that have got us buzzed. Sold, by actor-producer Emma Thompson and Academy Award Winning director Jeffrey D. Brown, opens the… Continue reading Cheat sheet: Indian film festival of Los Angeles
In case you missed it, indie rock band Bombay Bicycle Club dropped a new video for their single ‘Feel’, and it’s all about Bollywood. The song features a sample from the 1954 film Nagin – just try not to picture Vyjayanthimala shimmying to this – and the setting is an overblown Indian wedding that’s more Balaji… Continue reading Bombay Bicycle Club’s Bollywood debut
Interior designer Kavita Singh and her daughter Nandini Singh have brought us a new store to fill our home with pretty things. (In case you were wondering, this is where Sonam Kapoor – who is Kavita’s niece – was tweeting pictures from last week.) The store features Kalighat paintings, photographs and objet d’arts in silver… Continue reading Hot address: Kavita Singh Interiors
The 32-year-old singer-songwriter is already bagging big votes. Academy Award-winning director Jeffrey Brown spotted him at a gig in Kolkata and instantly knew he wanted Junaid’s soulful brand of folk-rock. Junaid’s tracks will feature in Brown’s upcoming film, Sold, co-produced by actor Emma Thompson. He has an affinity for unusual instruments like the charango, duduk,… Continue reading Name to know: Tajdar Junaid
British actor and rapper Riz Ahmed and Indian-American rapper Himanshu Suri have joined forces to form a new rap project called Swetshop Boys. It marks a first for Ahmed, in that he’s never collaborated with another rapper before. “It’s pushed me to work in different ways. Hima [Suri] shoots from the hip in a way… Continue reading Riz Ahmed on the swag of Swetshop Boys
What 28-year-old Monali Thakur wants more than anything right now is to appear exactly half her age. The playback singer makes her acting debut as a teenager who’s trafficked into the sex trade, in Nagesh Kukunoor’s wrenching new film Lakshmi this month. Physically, she has it made: her pert, doll-like features and tiny frame help… Continue reading Name to know: Monali Thakur
Twenty-four-year-old Aditi Veena is petite and button-cute (twinkle-in-eye, shaggy bob et al). You almost don’t see that voice coming. Sweet choir girl gives way to seductress gives way to harridan and climbs back down again without breaking a sweat. If you’re lucky, she’ll give you a trumpet interlude too. ‘Adult Contemporary’ is how the singer… Continue reading Name to know: Aditi Veena
“I knew I wanted to be a painter when I was 10 years old, and made my acquaintance with Pablo Picasso around the same time. The sheer genius of his work bewildered me. I longed to see the originals, but the closest I got to his work was reproductions in the copies of TIME magazine… Continue reading How Picasso influenced me
