Manik Sharma, Author at Arré

In Defence of Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Books’

For years I followed the dictum that rejecting Bhagat’s work was some sort of qualifier for a better, more intellectual palate. It is perhaps ‘woke’ to trash his books. But it took me years to realise that he may have done more for reading in this country, than any other author writing in his time.

Manik Sharma March 20, 2016

Bollywood

Girish Karnad’s Utsav is that Rare Bollywood Film that Both Sensualises and Empowers its Women

Utsav, directed by Girish Karnad, is a whimsical yet beautiful ode to the golden age of sexual and social freedom. This story of Vasantsena, a wealthy courtesan in Ujjain, put women’s agency, their desire first. In today’s Bollywood that seems like a thing of the future.

Manik Sharma March 19, 2016

People

It’s Time We Acknowledged VS Naipaul’s Toxic, Chauvinistic Legacy

From admitting to beating his wife and his mistresses, to soliciting sex workers, Naipaul eviscerated the notion that male morality should coexist with male genius. And yet, florid tributes to VS Naipaul flow, written by the very people he chastised in his writings.

Manik Sharma March 18, 2016

Pop Culture

How Game of Thrones Made Me Lose Faith in the Idea of Love

Game of Thrones has painted perhaps the glummest picture of love ever conceived in popular culture. Love does not last or make us better persons. Instead, it corrupts, handicaps, and burdens as much as any other responsibility in the world.

Manik Sharma March 17, 2016

Sports

Why We Should All Mourn the Decline of Australian Cricket

Ravi Shastri said winning the Test series against Australia is bigger than the World Cup win of 1983. To be honest, it isn’t even the best performance by an Indian team Down Under, at least in the modern era. That would be 2003, when the Aussies had a team actually worth beating.

Manik Sharma March 15, 2016

Pop Culture

Only Murders in the Building: A brilliant true crime show, about our obsession with true crime

Murder mysteries land on OTT platforms these days with frightening similar numbers to FIRs in police registers. Only Murders in the Building, is a radically inventive show that aptly critiques this hunger for bloodlust.

Manik Sharma March 14, 2016

Pop Culture

The Irishman Review: Martin Scorsese’s Poignant Mob Drama is Nothing Short of a Miracle

The Irishman, a 209-minute-long Netflix film, is a slow dimming of the lights on the Martin Scorsese-mob oeuvre that bows out of the ring, having built for itself a legacy akin to a museum that future filmmakers will visit to worship. It is nothing short of a miracle.

Manik Sharma March 14, 2016

Bollywood

21 Years of Zakhm: A Film About Communalism That is Just as Relevant Today

Mahesh Bhatt’s Zakhm completes 21 years today and feels even more relevant because of the rigidity of this country’s communal compass. The film is proof that Bhatt sees conflict like no other director from the industry.

Manik Sharma March 12, 2016

Sports

We Cheer for Iceland, But Why Are We Clueless About the Rise of Real Kashmir FC?

This year, the tiny country of Iceland is grabbing headlines for its World Cup debut. And while there’s nothing abhorrent in finding inspiration in Iceland’s rise, it undermines the heroism of teams like Real Kashmir FC, who, despite the modesty of the game in our country, not only dream, but also deliver.

Manik Sharma March 10, 2016

POV

Sorry Mamata Di, Memes Fall Under Freedom of Expression

It is a bit rich on the part of our politicians to insult each other in the vilest language possible, yet jail a citizen over a meme. Why is free speech the one thing that no politician or institution in this country is willing to uphold or protect?

Manik Sharma March 10, 2016