Sandip Roy’s Chapal Rani explores gender, theatre and identity in BengalIn Chapal Rani, Sandip Roy tells the story of Bengal’s jatra tradition through a biography of theatre actor Chapal Bhaduri Mar 27 26March 27, 2026Article at Indian Express
Kunzang Choden on Bhutan beyond the tourist trailSandip speaks with Kunzang Choden about her memoir and what it was like to grow up in Bhutan during the 1950s and 60s. Sep 08 25September 08, 2025Article at Indian Express
From Emergency to now, how censorship became a competitive sportWhether or not one has watched the film or read the book is immaterial, because it’s all about the political dividends that “being offended” can yield Jun 26 25June 26, 2025Article at Indian Express
Trump-Musk bromance is over. What does it say about male friendships?Trump seems to have neither permanent friends nor enemies. He befriends, unfriends and re-friends at will Jun 09 25June 09, 2025Article at Indian Express
When patriotism becomes a food fight: The tragicomedy of Mysore shreeTyohaar Sweets in Jaipur has decided that it will show its patriotism by renaming Moti pak and Mysore pak. But words actually have meanings and that does not change just because it sounds like a word we do not like May 26 25May 26, 2025Article at Indian Express
The Urdu newspaper that dared to speak truth to power ft Chander Mohan and Jyotsna MohanThis week on the show, we trace the journey of Pratap and Vir Pratap, exploring how these publications carried forward a legacy of fearless journalism from colonial rule into independent India. Apr 13 25April 13, 2025Article at Indian Express
Lee Durrell on 100 years of Gerald DurrellIn conversation with Lee Durrell, we recount Gerald Durrell's compassion for wildlife conservation and his childhood experiences in Corfu, leading to the creation of his most famous book. Feb 02 25February 02, 2025Article at Indian Express
In one stroke, Trump has effectively deleted transgender people from his AmericaTrump understands that as humans we find the predictability of binary much safer than the non-binary Jan 22 25January 22, 2025Article at Indian Express
From One Nation One Election to ‘Ek hain to safe hain’, what drives India’s search for the one and onlyThe messiness of true diversity is hard for most of us to digest. It’s far easier to rally the troops behind the idea of The Chosen One, to regard diversity as something distracting, even dangerous. Dec 30 24December 30, 2024Article at Indian Express
Why author Sandip Roy thinks Mithun Chakraborty has got the movesTHE BEST story about the star power of Mithun Chakraborty does not really feature Mithun Chakraborty at all. In his book Disco Dancer (Harper Collins India; 2011) about one of Mithun’s biggest hits, writer Anuvab Pal included some reviews that called… Oct 05 24October 05, 2024Article at Indian Express
A streetcar named nostalgia: It’s the end of the track for Kolkata’s tramsNewsOpinionColumnsA streetcar named nostalgia: It’s the end of the track for Kolkata’s trams Inertia, strong unions and sentiment might have inadvertently saved Kolkata’s trams when other cities got rid of them. A smarter government could have built… Oct 02 24October 02, 2024Article at Indian Express
Abhaya. Nirbhaya. Tilottama. Damini. Amanat: What the names given to rape victims say about usProtests continue in Kolkata over the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor at R G Medical College and Hospital (Express Photo by Partha Paul) Abhaya. Nirbhaya. Tilottama. Damini. Amanat. Indian law forbids anyone from revealing the name of a… Sep 10 24September 10, 2024Article at Indian Express
In pre-liberalisation India, Camlin delivered a quiet reassurance about India’s own capabilityNewsOpinionColumnsIn pre-liberalisation India, Camlin delivered a quiet reassurance about India’s own capability It was not about any manufactured made-in-India nationalism. The allure of the foreign still ran strong. But there was something solid… Jul 23 24July 23, 2024Article at Indian Express
To say the world only became curious about Gandhi after Richard Attenborough’s film is sheer ‘mann ki baat’, not factThe Mahatma has had an unexpected cameo in Elections 2024. The Prime Minister, while talking about the Congress government’s various failings, commented that in the last 75 years it should have been our responsibility to let the world know of Mahatma… May 31 24May 31, 2024Article at Indian Express
Jay Shetty and the allure of self-help gurus: The promise of a Better Us, the lies we tell ourselvesWhen I was a child, I came across a copy of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People among my father’s books. I don’t know if my father ever read it but ours was certainly not the only Indian home to have the book. At the time I didn’t… Mar 09 24March 09, 2024Article at Indian Express
What should be done about India’s street dogs? ft. Abi T VanakWhat makes people tick? What are the stories they carry with them? In a world of shouting heads, veteran journalist, radio commentator and novelist Sandip Roy sits down to have real conversations about the fascinating world around us and the people… Mar 03 24March 03, 2024Article at Indian Express
‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry’s troubled life and the anonymity he craved — and never gotFor an India opening up to the world in the ’90s, the series Friends embodied something we were conditioned to think of as the life we needed to aspire to. Oh, to be young and White in Manhattan, to have lifelong friends and part-time lovers, live in… Oct 29 23October 29, 2023Article at Indian Express
With Chandrayaan-3, a look at Indians’ waxing and waning relationship with the MoonAs Chandrayaan-3 made its soft landing on the Moon, and elated ISRO scientists stood up and cheered, a Kolkata television channel flashed a sign in Bengali: “The South Pole of the Moon is now in India’s grip.” It is human nature to want to think of… Aug 25 23August 25, 2023Article at Indian Express
Memories of Tina Turner, who shattered stereotypesShe was the only rock star whose poster I had in my bedroom in Kolkata. I can still see it in my head — Tina Turner, her skin glowing nutmeg brown against a white background, with that streaky shag hairstyle, in a black miniskirt, flashing those… May 25 23May 25, 2023Article at Indian Express
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni on why a world without villains might be scarierWhat makes people tick? What are the stories they carry with them? In a world of shouting heads, veteran journalist, radio commentator and novelist Sandip Roy sits down to have real conversations about the fascinating world around us and the people… May 14 23May 14, 2023Article at Indian Express
