Diplomacy in the age of glacial relations

Today, I saw a column in the Sunday Times of India on Indian foreign policy by none other than Indian novelist, Chetan Bhagat. Mr Bhagat takes a very hawkish line in a whiny tone after the collapse of the India-Pakistan peace talks between SM Krishna and Shah Mahmood Qureshi. If it now acceptable for non-experts … Continue reading Diplomacy in the age of glacial relations →

Dreams, the “subconscious”, and Inception

Christopher Nolan’s Inception is an exceptionally ambitious film about the journey of thought-thieves who enter into the dreams of others. The film intertwines multiple story arcs into one viewing experience. The main character in the film, Dom Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is a thief adept in the art of extracting thoughts from the dream-state … Continue reading Dreams, the “subconscious”, and Inception →

A series of open letters

It is the season for ranting. Actually, every season is the season for ranting. Not wanting to be left out, I've decided to post a few open letters to choice individuals. Every situation is true unless it it addressed to you (in which case the resemblance is purely fictional). ____________________ Dear Paul: I appreciate your … Continue reading A series of open letters →

Apologizing means never having to say you’re sorry

(With apologies to Erich Segal) As you probably know, Joel Stein wrote a piece entitled "My Private India" for the July 5 issue of Time that created a lot of anger in the desi community. To put it mildly, Stein brusquely stated his beef with the fact that so many Indian immigrants had decided to … Continue reading Apologizing means never having to say you’re sorry →

Are Indians Asians?

Well, are Indians Asians? You're thinking what kind of idiot poses this silly question. You look at a map or globe and point out India smack in the middle of a humongous landmass marked Asia. Indians are Asians and that is all there is to it. Or is there more? You’re mileage may vary, Dear … Continue reading Are Indians Asians? →

Why Bollywood movies are better than racist Hollywood movies like The Last Airbender

The cable TV network Nickelodeon airs a popular animation series called Avatar: The Last Airbender. Last week, The Last Airbender, a cinematic version directed by Indian-American M. Night Shayamalan, hit theaters worldwide to nearly universal derision. Besides being critically panned for content, the film also ran into a storm because of the casting of white … Continue reading Why Bollywood movies are better than racist Hollywood movies like The Last Airbender →