News / Author / Arshia

Arshia

Articles by Arshia

Cruise control: Why more Indians are setting sail

Along Indian coasts, cruises are giving big deck energy. Locals are signing up. Tours are sold out. See how we’re all diving in

Peak cruising months along India waterways are from September to April.

Brunch

Updated on Dec 06, 2024 04:16 PM IST

ByArshia

It’s over: Snuffing out the flames of online dating

Has online dating peaked? People are ditching the apps, going old-school, and aiming for IRL connections. Here’s how the swipe failed a whole generation

Live comedy shows, supermarket carts, heritage walks are back favour with singles. (Adobe Stock)

Brunch

Updated on Nov 15, 2024 06:32 PM IST

ByArshia

Sagas in a tiny frame: Art critic Uma Nair on political cartoonist Abu Abraham

The proof of his genius lies in the resonance of his minimalist works, Nair says. He was a humanist: witty but not cruel; scathing but compassionate.

Art and Culture

Updated on Nov 01, 2024 08:24 PM IST

ByArshia

Ink, irony, insight: A tribute to political cartoonist Abu Abraham (1924-2002)

He was irreverent, witty, scathing. In each tiny frame, he told a whole story and raised deep questions. See what made, and makes, his work so remarkable.

Abraham worked with The Guardian and The Observer in the UK, then returned to India, sketching during and after the Emergency. (Image courtesy Ayisha Abraham)

Art and Culture

Updated on Nov 01, 2024 08:22 PM IST

ByArshia

Sauce and sorcery: Can AI take high-end dining to the next level?

Video projections on your plate, holograms dancing at the table, customised tunes with every course. Tech’s coming to dinner. Will you reorder or reboot?

At Le Petit Chef, projectors beam 3D-animated characters on the tabletop to guide visitors through the meal.

Brunch

Updated on Nov 01, 2024 03:48 PM IST

ByArshia

Calling the shots: What’s driving the tequila / agave boom in India

These spirits are made from the agave cactus native to Mexico. It’s hard to process, but easy to grow. We’re drinking four times as much as we did. Take a look.

Spirits such as tequila, mezcal, pulque and raicilla are made from the stem and bulb of different variants of the agave plant. (Adobe Stock)

Art and Culture

Updated on Oct 19, 2024 01:32 PM IST

ByArshia

Ladies in read: Inside a dramatic new collection of sacred poetry by women

Anger, humour and irreverence mark the poems in the new anthology Wild Women. Writers include a former courtesan, a 6th-century nun, and other mystics.

Peero with the Sikh mystic Gulab Das. (Wikimedia Commons)

Art and Culture

Updated on Oct 19, 2024 01:35 PM IST

ByArshia

Well, well, well: Meet the artist documenting stepwells around India

Rashmi Ghosh is obsessed, and that's probably a good thing. There are about 3,000 of these ancient beauties in India, and little documentation. Take a tour.

The 9th-century Chand Baori in Rajasthan. (Adobe Stock)

Art and Culture

Updated on Oct 05, 2024 01:41 PM IST

ByArshia

Greeking out: Why myths must be twisted, retold and reimagined

Gods, demons, war, curses, prophecies. Don’t hate on shows that twist Greek myths. The retelling is all part of the plan

Netflix’s new show, Kaos, plays around with Greek myths to create a dark comedy.

Brunch

Updated on Sep 27, 2024 04:09 PM IST

ByArshia

Playing it by hear: How does one preserve an accent?

It takes a lot of footwork, and audio footage. See how a new archive is mapping spoken tongues, and aiming to hear from all of India by the time it’s done.

(Image:Shutterstock; HT imaging: Monica Gupta)

Art and Culture

Updated on Sep 21, 2024 01:23 PM IST

ByArshia

Pop goes the easel: The many Fridas in film, TV, comics, ads

‘Is it too much?’ Frida Kahlo asks endearingly, of her many self-portraits, in the 2017 film Coco. See how she lives on in pop culture and the arts.

A still from the ad titled Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo Deal With Corporate Clients (2024).

Art and Culture

Updated on Sep 20, 2024 02:37 PM IST

ByArshia

Viva la Frida: A look at the making of a unique legend

There's her art, her wrenching story; something of a link with the Titanic. 70 years after her death, see how the legend of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo lives on.

Kahlo in a photograph taken by her father, Guillermo Kahlo, in 1932.

Art and Culture

Updated on Sep 20, 2024 02:35 PM IST

ByArshia

Listicle: 10 tasting menus to sample the best of the best

When you can’t decide what to eat, wear loose pants and pick any of these 10 degustation menus across India

House of Ming offers four-course and five-course tasting menus that cover their greatest hits.

Brunch

Updated on Aug 23, 2024 04:12 PM IST

ByArshia

Now streaming: A Wknd interview with Turkish-British author Elif Shafak

A drop of water. A fig tree. A dying brain: The Booker-shortlisted writer enjoys playing with narrative devices. Her new book is There Are Rivers in the Sky.

Art and Culture

Updated on Aug 16, 2024 12:55 PM IST

ByArshia

Soil searching: A Wknd interview with award-winning scientist Rattan Lal

He helped change how farmers till their land, and has now won the Gulbenkian Prize, or Agriculture’s Nobel. ‘I look back in wonder and forward in hope,’ he says

Art and Culture

Updated on Aug 10, 2024 03:44 PM IST

ByArshia

Listicle: 10 dishes that have sparked local and global food wars

Two nations fight to claim jollof rice. One dessert nearly set off a war. 10 dishes we just can’t stop fighting over

Both France and Switzerland claim to have invented meringue. (ADOBE STOCK)

Brunch

Updated on Aug 09, 2024 04:50 PM IST

ByArshia

Colouring outside the lines: Monasteries in Nepal are driving change

In the remote walled city of Lo Manthang, restoration work on ancient frescoes has sparked a cultural revolution. Women are now earning, tourists visiting.

The restoration effort has helped women such as Dhoka earn and build businesses of their own. (Photos: Luigi Fieni)

Art and Culture

Updated on Jul 26, 2024 03:35 PM IST

ByArshia

Smile to take the next leap:Games are adapting further for the differently abled

Players can now raise their eyebrows to click or drag, twist the mouth to move a cursor. It’s not even that hard to make this possible, game producers say.

A still from The Last of Us Part II; the audio now also describes what background players are doing.

Art and Culture

Updated on Jul 19, 2024 08:24 PM IST

ByArshia

‘When it comes to roads in India, we should build what we need, no more’

Roads, over time, have a net-negative impact on the ecosystem. The move away from tar at least is a good step, says wildlife biologist Anish Andheria. See why.

A road in Rajabhat Khawa, West Bengal, near the Buxa Tiger Reserve. Particularly in sensitive areas, roads can disrupt feeding and migration routes, isolate pockets of animal populations, and affect breeding patterns and gene pools. (Shutterstock)

Art and Culture

Updated on Jul 12, 2024 08:51 PM IST

ByArshia

Hey binge-watcher! This quiz tests how much you remember of your fav shows!

Hit pause on streaming and see what you can recall of what you’ve viewed already. 30 questions. All the good shows, all the seasons. Answers at the end

This show is set in Hawkins of the 1980s. Who’s the superhero?

Brunch

Updated on Jun 28, 2024 07:13 PM IST

ByArshia

Gaming the system: A Wknd interview with author Lavanya Lakshminarayan

The 35-year-old is the second Indian to be nominated for the Arthur C Clarke Award. ‘It’s all just a social experiment,’ the former game developer says.

Lavanya Lakshminarayan has been building imagined worlds for over a decade. In her first job, in 2011, she worked with California-based videogame developer Zynga, designing side quests in their games, fleshing out characters, and helping design plotlines and gameplay.

Art and Culture

Updated on Jun 07, 2024 10:13 PM IST

ByArshia

Listicle: 10 drone photographers who are out of this world

Drone photography pages are taking Insta to higher ground. Here are 10 of our favourites from around the world

Simeon Pratt’s photos seem intimate despite the scale. (INSTAGRAM/@SIMEONPRATT)

Brunch

Updated on May 31, 2024 04:43 PM IST

ht_print | ByArshia Dhar

Nolen gur, ker-sangri: Climate change is taking a toll on elements of culture

What does a country lose — and what does our country stand to lose — as a planet moves through a new epoch? See how dance forms, dishes and fabrics are fading.

Art and Culture

Updated on May 17, 2024 03:50 PM IST

ByArshia Dhar

YOLO, so don’t go solo: See why lone rangers have it worse on screen

Films and shows are overrun with lone wolves. One fighter against all odds. One hero doing it all. Be a team player, maybe?

Max, from Mad Max wouldn’t have been captured by the War Boys if he was part of a group.

Brunch

Updated on May 03, 2024 03:38 PM IST

ByArshia Dhar

You got played: Why does English theatre lag behind in India?

We hum tunes in English, binge TV, spoken word acts and comedy in it. Why, pray tell, does theatre not have the same mass appeal?

Plays such as Dear Liar (starring Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah) have run to critical and public acclaim. (NCPA, HT Archives)

Brunch

Updated on Apr 19, 2024 04:40 PM IST

ByArshia Dhar

Off the eaten path: Chefs tell us about their best meals around the world

How far would you go for a good meal? Cool chefs recount their culinary pilgrimages to South Africa, Spain, Singapore and beyond. And why it was worth it

What’s the best meal you’ve had? Some culinary pilgrimages are worth it. (Azad Panwar)

Brunch

Updated on Apr 12, 2024 06:18 PM IST

ByArshia Dhar

Throwing shades: How colours get their names

A new paint brand wanted its 2,400 shades to be rooted in everyday India. Here’s how Meera Ganapathi came up with the labels.

Swatch cards for the hues named Bombay Monsoon, Chilli Guava, and Dosa Chicken at Midnight.

Art and Culture

Updated on Mar 30, 2024 01:45 PM IST

ByArshia Dhar

Listicle: 10 glow-ups that gave audiences a pleasant surprise

Growing up is no picnic. These 10 celebs, however, transformed right before our eyes, leaving us reeling

Ariel Winter went from bespectacled nerd who ratted out her siblings, to gorgeous slay queen who turned heads.

Brunch

Updated on Mar 29, 2024 04:03 PM IST

ByArshia Dhar

Country Western fails: Can Hollywood move past desi stereotypes?

Indian talent wins Oscars. So why does Hollywood still see us through the same old clichés when it tells Asian stories?

In The Darjeeling Limited, the whole country is reduced to a backdrop for therapeutic effect.

Brunch

Updated on Mar 29, 2024 03:55 PM IST

ByArshia Dhar

Catch of the day: Meet the man giving freshwater fish a starring role on YouTube

Beta Mahatvaraj’s channel, Meenkaran (Tamil for Fisherman), features cinematic footage of more than 100 native species, including some very rare ones.

The Jerdon’s mystus, a catfish endemic to the Western Ghats. (Beta Mahatvaraj)

Art and Culture

Updated on Mar 11, 2024 03:32 PM IST

ByArshia Dhar

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Arshia

Along Indian coasts, cruises are giving big deck energy. Locals are signing up. Tours are sold out. See how we’re all diving in

Has online dating peaked? People are ditching the apps, going old-school, and aiming for IRL connections. Here’s how the swipe failed a whole generation

The proof of his genius lies in the resonance of his minimalist works, Nair says. He was a humanist: witty but not cruel; scathing but compassionate.

He was irreverent, witty, scathing. In each tiny frame, he told a whole story and raised deep questions. See what made, and makes, his work so remarkable.

Video projections on your plate, holograms dancing at the table, customised tunes with every course. Tech’s coming to dinner. Will you reorder or reboot?

These spirits are made from the agave cactus native to Mexico. It’s hard to process, but easy to grow. We’re drinking four times as much as we did. Take a look.

Anger, humour and irreverence mark the poems in the new anthology Wild Women. Writers include a former courtesan, a 6th-century nun, and other mystics.

Rashmi Ghosh is obsessed, and that's probably a good thing. There are about 3,000 of these ancient beauties in India, and little documentation. Take a tour.

Gods, demons, war, curses, prophecies. Don’t hate on shows that twist Greek myths. The retelling is all part of the plan

It takes a lot of footwork, and audio footage. See how a new archive is mapping spoken tongues, and aiming to hear from all of India by the time it’s done.

‘Is it too much?’ Frida Kahlo asks endearingly, of her many self-portraits, in the 2017 film Coco. See how she lives on in pop culture and the arts.

There's her art, her wrenching story; something of a link with the Titanic. 70 years after her death, see how the legend of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo lives on.

When you can’t decide what to eat, wear loose pants and pick any of these 10 degustation menus across India

A drop of water. A fig tree. A dying brain: The Booker-shortlisted writer enjoys playing with narrative devices. Her new book is There Are Rivers in the Sky.

He helped change how farmers till their land, and has now won the Gulbenkian Prize, or Agriculture’s Nobel. ‘I look back in wonder and forward in hope,’ he says

Two nations fight to claim jollof rice. One dessert nearly set off a war. 10 dishes we just can’t stop fighting over

In the remote walled city of Lo Manthang, restoration work on ancient frescoes has sparked a cultural revolution. Women are now earning, tourists visiting.

Players can now raise their eyebrows to click or drag, twist the mouth to move a cursor. It’s not even that hard to make this possible, game producers say.

Roads, over time, have a net-negative impact on the ecosystem. The move away from tar at least is a good step, says wildlife biologist Anish Andheria. See why.

Hit pause on streaming and see what you can recall of what you’ve viewed already. 30 questions. All the good shows, all the seasons. Answers at the end

The 35-year-old is the second Indian to be nominated for the Arthur C Clarke Award. ‘It’s all just a social experiment,’ the former game developer says.

Drone photography pages are taking Insta to higher ground. Here are 10 of our favourites from around the world

What does a country lose — and what does our country stand to lose — as a planet moves through a new epoch? See how dance forms, dishes and fabrics are fading.

Films and shows are overrun with lone wolves. One fighter against all odds. One hero doing it all. Be a team player, maybe?

We hum tunes in English, binge TV, spoken word acts and comedy in it. Why, pray tell, does theatre not have the same mass appeal?

How far would you go for a good meal? Cool chefs recount their culinary pilgrimages to South Africa, Spain, Singapore and beyond. And why it was worth it

A new paint brand wanted its 2,400 shades to be rooted in everyday India. Here’s how Meera Ganapathi came up with the labels.

Growing up is no picnic. These 10 celebs, however, transformed right before our eyes, leaving us reeling

Indian talent wins Oscars. So why does Hollywood still see us through the same old clichés when it tells Asian stories?

Beta Mahatvaraj’s channel, Meenkaran (Tamil for Fisherman), features cinematic footage of more than 100 native species, including some very rare ones.

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