families Archives

Daaru Aur Danga: When Your Family is the Drunk Catholic Stereotype

The jolly Catholic drunk is a fun stereotype, a trope for your entertainment, the life of the party. What you almost never see is the hangover, the accompanying headache of which is shared by the entire family. I grew up in one such family.

Damian D'souza July 29, 2016

People

Broken Bones to Broken Heart: My Family’s “Thuk Patti” Quick Fix for Everything

Thuk patti is not just a temporary fix, it is a spot of amelioration. When my father left his parents’ home, my grandma grudgingly agreed but not without thuk patti: We had to visit every Sunday.

Preeti Vangani July 29, 2016

Pop Culture

Kahaani Chor Chor Ki: What If Ocean’s 8 Were an Indian TV Soap?

Meet Debjaani Sagar, the homegrown version of Debbie Ocean from Ocean’s 8. With her gang of desi girls, she’s attempting the heist of the decade in a caper filled with shapeshifting mosquitoes, revenge plots, and reincarnations.

Akhil Kakkar July 22, 2016

Culture

Lessons from Navratri in Gujarat: You May Not Get Laid, But You’ll Feel the Love

Like every outsider I believed Navratri in Gujarat was about music and mating. But after attending a garba night in Baroda, I learnt it wasn’t the sausage fest everyone thinks it is. It’s just all of Baroda having the time of its life, soaking in the music, twirling, skipping, and jumping.

Deepak Kaul June 28, 2016

Bollywood

My Precious Family Heirloom: A Love for Meena Kumari’s Pakeezah

Meena Kumari's Pakeezah is the foundation of a family bond. A love for the film is a kind of family heirloom, passed on from my nani to my mother to me. After over two decades, I understand the essence of Pakeezah, the love and longing.

Shakun Saini May 5, 2016

Modern Family

“Only for Families, Madam”: A House for Mrs Kulkarni, Divorcee

“No, no, madam, this flat is only for families,” was the constant refrain Mrs Kulkarni heard when she walked out of her decade-long marriage and attempted to find a house. But by God she would find one – by hook or by crook.

Lofn April 4, 2016

Modern Family

Why Can’t Indian Families Let Us Adult In Peace?

When I turned 22, I believed that I would live away from home, revel in my financial independence, and travel across the world, no questions asked. However reality involves my grandparents implying I settle down while they are alive and my mother demanding to know the minutiae of my spendings.

Shreya Ramakrishnan April 1, 2016

POV

“Kripya Line Pe Bane Rahein”: Why Indians Never Change Career Paths

“Media line mein paisa hai kya?” That’s a question I often get asked. In India, picking a career and sticking to it is important. Because changing professions is a sign of fickleness and instability. But more than that, it sends your parents into a tizzy.

Ramjaane March 4, 2016