Namrata — Excerpt: If one seeks a lens to understand Asrani’s journey, it is perhaps best found in Chala Murari Hero Banne (1977). Beneath its laughter lies an almost autobiographical resonance. The film’s humour, while entertaining, is inseparable from its poignancy.
Jacelyn Yap — Excerpt: The teahouse district in Kanazawa, now a popular spot for traditional sweets and crafts, is a well-preserved historical geiko district.
Michael Smith — Excerpt: Following the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, visiting former Eastern Bloc countries became possible, and increasingly attractive.
Ayushi Kainthola — Excerpt: One of the most vivid memories of my childhood is deeply associated with the big cat–human conflict in Uttarakhand.
Shobha Ramani — Excerpt: I had never viewed sesame through the lens of grief until that year.