Latest stories

The Celebrity Airport Photo: Candid or Contrived?

For Bollywood paparazzi, capturing stars come and go is less about good timing than you think.

With No Towers of Silence in the West, Zoroastrian Last Rites are a Fraught Affair

The West has no structures or legal precedent for corpses to decay in the open air. For those wishing to follow traditions, funerals are a compromise.

How Cruises Became South Asian Getaways

Bollywood and value for money ignited our wanderlust. Now, those approaching retirement and seeking comfort are some of the industry’s newest patrons.

Is the Bollywood Song Dead?

Indian music is seeing a significant shift from film songs to those of independent artists. For some, it’s about time. For others, it’s an existential threat.

How Shan Masala Spiced Up Diaspora Tables

Despite competition and import bans, the Pakistani venture built a global, $250 million business whose fans swear by its innovative spice blends.

Zarna Garg, the Indian Mom Making the World Laugh

The comedian known for her viral mom jokes is now out with her first hour-long special — and she isn’t afraid to offend you.

How Singer Set South Asian Women Up For Success

The American sewing machine had a slow start in the Indian subcontinent. Today, it has changed women’s finances, and futures, forever.

‘Jubilee’ Review: A Dazzling Homage to the Dawn of Hindi Cinema

Vikramaditya Motwane’s ambitious series explores the style and scandal of Bollywood in post-Partition and post-Independence India.

How Kumon Bred Persistence and Panic Among South Asians

The after-school program was a fixture for the South Asian diaspora. But, after peaking in the 2000s, does it now hold the same draw?

Hanif Kureishi is Inspiring Optimism — From a Hospital Bed

The British Pakistani writer of ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ fame became paralyzed in 2022. His Twitter dispatches are now a symbol of hope.

‘Piku’ Reminds Us Not To Take Sh*t from the Patriarchy

The 2015 film about a widower obsessed with his bowel movements and his headstrong daughter shows us why we shouldn’t care about what society demands of us.

Haleem, Now Available Near You

For many, the meat-and-pulse stew is a rare, Ramadan tradition. Now, chefs are bringing it, along with inventive modifications, to the masses.

Padma Lakshmi on ‘Taste the Nation’ Season 2: “To Eat is Political”

We chatted with the food writer and TV host about how American food is immigrant food, why she doesn’t care about what the 1% eats, and what’s next.

Reetika Vazirani, the Forgotten Poet We Should All Know

The Indian American was a pioneer of diasporic poetry. Twenty years after she took her son’s life and her own, few remember her brilliance.

Bikram Choudhury, the Sexual Predator Who Built a Yoga Empire

How a boy from Bengal founded Bikram Yoga and minted millions, only to abuse his students and escape justice.

Met Gala 2023: A Controversial Theme, with Few South Asians

Fashion’s most famous night featured a divisive, black-and-white theme. Its guest list of South Asians was even more limited.

Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: 2023

This May, a roundup of 15 stories that celebrate South Asian American life, love, culture, and history.

‘Ponniyin Selvan: II’ Review: Come for the Epic, Stay for the Twisted Love Story

Aishwarya Rai and Vikram take center stage in the second part of the Mani Ratnam magnum opus about the Chola dynasty.

‘Polite Society’ Celebrates Brown Female Rage

Director Nida Manzoor and actors Ritu Arya and Priya Kansara share how they pulled off the hilarious ‘Get Out’-esque action comedy that dismantles South Asian tropes.

How Steve Jobs’s Trip to India Helped Create Apple

The tech legend’s search for spiritual enlightenment in 1974 honed his intuition and sowed the seeds for the most valuable public company in the world.