Things to watch, read, hear, do—and other curated experiences from the team
In a profession that requires writing and editing and consuming content most of the day, it’s refreshing to open a book that wants the reader to simply admire a photograph, without any printed words crowding the view. What makes Red Lilies, Water Birds: The Saree In Nine Stories—a 288-page book based on a 2022 exhibition by The Registry Of Sarees—special is the focus on the different shapes and sizes of the sari, offering the reader (or viewer) basic knowledge of what exactly makes the six- or nine-yards garment, one that has been talked about globally, such an essential part of Indian culture and history. The concise captions, and the lavish display of sari borders and fabrics used over the past century, offer an opportunity to get a close look at India’s talent and skill. —Pooja Singh
For fans of Satyajit Ray’s fictional Bengali detective, Feluda, it is seemingly a golden time to be alive. For, you can’t turn on an OTT channel without being deluged by Feluda movies and web series featuring the sharp-tongued detective. But most of the new takes disappoint, getting the period and setting right but failing to capture the atmospheric genius of the original stories. But Sandip Ray’s Hatyapuri, released on ZEE5, managed to hold my interest. A story about an old man and his obsession with ancient manuscripts, it is set in the beach town of Puri and features a cast that does some justice to Ray’s complex characters. Feluda may have approved. —Shrabonti Bagchi
Recently, sports fans went into a tizzy when it became clear that Harsha Bhogle, regarded by many as the voice of cricket, and football commentator Peter Drury were due to meet in London. While Drury has a magical way of depicting a football game, Bhogle’s voice has accompanied plenty of memorable cricket moments. A December 2019 episode from the cricket podcast series, 22 Yarns With Gaurav Kapur, has anecdotes from Bhogle on how he always dreamt of doing radio broadcast commentary, what the advent of television meant for cricket in India and how commentary and broadcast have changed: everything from the tempo and the silence. I had earlier recommended a similar podcast with Drury, where we get to know the person. This episode with Bhogle is similar—and wonderful.—Nitin Sreedhar
It could have been just another regular hangout at a bar in Goa where my friends and I stuck to the menu and ordered whichever cocktail caught our fancy. But we found our conversation being disrupted by a big group constantly chanting, “Order one more round of Fireball!” Thanks to a collective case of FOMO, we ordered a round of Fireball for ourselves. A cinnamon-flavoured whisky liqueur from Canada, this drink is not for the risk-averse. It has a distinct flavour and a spicy aftertaste that even lends it its unabashed tag line, “Tastes like Heaven. Burns like Hell.” I am glad we gave it a shot (pun intended). At the end of the trip, I returned home with a bottle.—Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran
