When year-end joy crashes against Yule in Kolkata
Dec 25, 2015, at 06:14 pm
It’s December and as the bells toll harder ushering in the Yuletide spirit, with it comes a hungry appetite. It is safe to say that Christmas has the best spread among all the festivities. The variety it provides is truly spectacular. Tracing the mood in Kolkata are IBNS correspondent Sudipto Maity and photographer Subhodeep Sardar
Dec 12, 2015, at 05:42 pm
People might envy celebs walking the red carpet but they are also under the scrutiny of the public all the time and need to be on guard too, finds Pramita Bose
Dec 02, 2015, at 09:40 pm
Vandana Gopikumar and her organization, ‘The Banyan’, help those dealing with homelessness, mental illness and poverty. SPAN magazine writer Michael Gallant meets Gopikumar to discuss her ideas and work field
Nov 28, 2015, at 05:50 pm
Caught up in the spirit of the famous Halloween festival parade in New York recently, and intrigued by the opening scene of the parade for the dead in the latest Bond film Spectre, Ranjita Biswas tries to dig into the origin of the tradition and discovers it is embedded in ancient fear of the unknown, evil spirits and dark nights
Nov 20, 2015, at 02:45 am
Bollywood songs with jewels and ornaments used in the lyrics have enriched the melody and the rhythm of the films. TWF correspondent Shoma A. Chatterji probes into the Hindi film song with women’s jewellery as the subject and explores its significance.
Adoor Gopalakrishnan: Such a Long Journey
Nov 02, 2015, at 09:15 pm
NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) is bestowing the Lifetime Achievement Award to filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan at the International Film Festival of Colombo this month for his contribution to cinema. The award comes at a time when Adoor has put in 43 years exclusively to filmmaking as a director and rightly considered as one without par on the Indian subcontinent. Shoma A. Chatterji explores his films and filmmaking.
Oct 25, 2015, at 06:34 pm
While the world even now faces an unprecedented refugee crisis, a Bengali film on the Partition of India in August 1947 takes us to one of the most brutal phases in the history of refugees victimised by forced migration. Shoma A. Chatterji tracks back to Indian films that dealt with the Partition and examines how Rajkahini by National Award winning filmmaker Srijit Mukherjee stands within this cinematic world.
UN@70: Celebrating seven decades of Asia-Pacific growth, development & security
Oct 20, 2015, at 09:38 pm
On this day, 70 years ago, the Charter of the United Nations came into force hope, rising from the ashes of World War II. For seven decades the UN has driven multilateralism for peace, security, development and human dignity – in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world. Although far from perfect, no other organisation has done more to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and to promote social progress and better standards of life" for all.
India must take the baton of African growth from China
Oct 08, 2015, at 06:21 pm
The stage is perfectly set for India to take the baton of African growth, in the wake of deepening economic crisis in China, says Sujeet Sarkar, an international advisor in governance
Oct 04, 2015, at 09:09 pm
Entertaining soldiers in the high ridges of the Siachen camp with her popular chart busters was an exceptional experience for Akriti Kakar, as she reveals to TWF correspondent Pramita Bose
Oct 01, 2015, at 10:29 pm
The Path of Zarathrustra made in English is a film that perhaps for the first time explores the Parsi identity and the history and origin of the faith. This reminds us of the contribution of the Parsis to Indian cinema. But has Indian cinema been kind to the community in portraying them? Shoma A. Chatterji writes
Sep 23, 2015, at 07:12 pm
For millions of Indian children today, Gandhi is identified with the bald, bespectacled old man whose face appears in the currency note. Within this ambiance of anonymity and ignorance, Hindi cinema has succeeded to some extent in liberating the Father of the Nation from his captive anonymity frozen on rectangular pieces of paper to celebrate the principles he lived by. On the occasion of his birth anniversary, Shoma A. Chatterji looks at films on portrayal of Gandhi and on his ideologies
India and Armenia: The connection
Sep 21, 2015, at 08:31 pm
Armenia and India, two of the world’s oldest civilizations, have also shared socio-cultural ties for many centuries as new research shows. Mane Mehrabian, a journalist from Armenia, reports
Pyaasa Revisited: Meeting the people's poet anew
Sep 04, 2015, at 07:52 pm
Guru Dutt's cult film Pyaasa (1957) fully restored now is going to be screened at the 72nd Venice Film Festival this year in the Competition Section for restored films. In a scenario when many classics of India cinema are getting threatened with extinction, it is good news indeed, TWF correspondent Shoma A. Chatterji reports
Aug 31, 2015, at 08:18 am
The hit movie Bajrangi Bhaijaan has an interesting character called Chand Nawab, a small time television reporter in Pakistan, who is not taken seriously by channel editors. But how members of the fourth estate are portrayed in Bollywood in general? Shoma A. Chatterji takes a look
Patriotism: A Bollywood journey
Aug 02, 2015, at 07:35 pm
Bollywood films with patriotism as a theme has evolved since the days when Manoj Kumar made Shaheed on Bhagat Singh in 1965 because borders of the concept 'homeland' has changed perceptively too, feels Shoma A. Chatterji
Jul 30, 2015, at 09:15 pm
A common accessory to modern living like the fridge can make a huge difference to hungry and poor on the street as an innovative experiment in Jaipur shows. Rekha Pal reports
Jul 24, 2015, at 07:00 pm
Revenge is sweet, as many anti-heroes in Hindi films project. But though rather rare, heroines too take the same path to strike out against the oppressor, sometimes even going to the extent of killing. Shoma A. Chatterji takes a look at the larger picture
Follow your heart if you want to write: Novoneel Chakraborty
Jul 22, 2015, at 11:21 pm
By his own admission, he's one of those rare breed of authors in India who are writing about romantic-thrillers. In town for a book-signing session for his new book, IBNS correspondent Sudipto Maity caught up with Novoneel Chakraborty
Dancing with a fire in the belly
Jul 11, 2015, at 08:26 pm
Manik Paul's is a story of fairy-tale-come-true. The winner of India's Got Talent Season Six he shows how destructive feelings can be channelised into creativity. At 22, he is a picture of confidence. The dancer in a tete-a tete with Shoma A. Chatterji
Jul 01, 2015, at 05:50 am
The Nehru Trophy boat race, held in Kerala's Alappuzha town, is a mix of sporting excellence and festive cheer. This year, it will take place on 8 August, Uttara Gangopadhyay reports
Jun 19, 2015, at 12:03 am
Entire India is celebrating the recognition of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly, which declared June 21 as the first International Day of Yoga. Kavita Suri from Jammu and Kashmir reports on how the Indian ancient health tradition is helping the soldiers on the highest battlefield of the world, Siachen, to fight the extreme weather conditions
Jun 15, 2015, at 05:37 am
With a new interest in natural fabrics that are just right for a tropical country like India, khadi is experiencing a resurgence and making forays even into the high-fashion arena. Pramita Bose reports
Jun 05, 2015, at 05:50 pm
New age fathers can teach a thing or two about child rearing, finds Pramita Bose. More the reason to cheer them on the upcoming Father's Day
Jun 01, 2015, at 03:11 am
Opioid abuse ( or painkiller drug addiction) is a persistent scourge in the United States and an emerging problem in India. Hannah Cornett in US city of Louisville and Anusua Banerjee in India's Bangalore report on the worldwide challenge
May 25, 2015, at 05:02 am
The Kabuliwala of Kolkata, a photo exhibition about a community in India's eastern city longing for Afghanistan that once was home, is travelling from Kabul to Kolkata, evoking strong emotional response from viewers. Inspired by Indian historic literature about the community, Moska Najib and Nazes Afroz, two photo-journalists, documented their lives in images over the course of two years and here share their experience in first person accounts.
Online cab service: Safety net
May 17, 2015, at 09:53 pm
After the Uber rape case a few months ago in New Delhi, do women feel safe travelling in on-demand cabs alone late evening or night? Many are wary. However, post- incident, the private cab companies went back to the drawing board to beef up their security aspects. Madhumita Mookerjee explores
Cattle smuggling along Indo-Bangla border is tough now: BSF IG
May 15, 2015, at 06:53 pm
Kolkata, May 15 (IBNS) Cattle smuggling to Bangladesh along the porous Indo-Bangla border in West Bengal is a long standing problem. But with the BJP-led government in New Delhi taking up the matter seriously and as its policy to protect cows by stopping its slaughtering for beef, the Border Security Force (BSF) is cracking its whip on the cattle smugglers leading to a drastic climb down in smuggling of the animal. As a result the beef prices in Bangladesh have shot up too, said reports. Of the 4096 km Indo-Bangladesh border, West Bengal shares 2216.7 Km and along this border- both land and riverine- smuggling of goods and animals is an everyday activity. In 2015 till March, BSF has auctioned 23, 253 cattle after their capture along the border: Sujoy Dhar spoke to Mr. Sandeep Salunke, Inspector General, South Bengal, Border Security Force (BSF), on the recent anti-cattle smuggling drive along the border.
May 10, 2015, at 10:28 pm
Notes on Chai , a performance by Mumbai –based Jyoti Dogra uses abstract ideas and real-life performance where the audience plays a vital role. She shares her thoughts on this unusual experiment with tea with Shoma A. Chatterji
Threat to the Taj rears up its ugly head again: CSE
May 07, 2015, at 10:02 pm
New Delhi, May 7 (IBNS) Taj Mahal is losing its sheen due to unchecked vehicular pollution, tourism and several other reasons. Administration's efforts to undo the damage hits people's livelihoods and local economies recent move to close petha-making units is a case in point, says New Delhi based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)