review

Daredevil: Born Again shows the MCU can deal with real-world issues

Despite a few weaknesses, like the pacing issues and inconsistent episode quality, Daredevil: Born Again is a fantastic show with compelling characters, a narrative that strays away from the standard superhero fare in favour of realistic world building.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is a timeless masterpiece about the passage of time

The passage of time can be cruel, but there is so much beauty in the little moments shared with each other as you live. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End encapsulates and explores this very idea – and it does so masterfully.

Video Games / Silent Hill 2 remake: A love letter to an already perfect game

Silent Hill 2 is a fruitful amalgamation of powerful, atmospheric storytelling and entertaining puzzles and riddles.

Uzumaki: A faithful but flawed adaptation of Junji Ito’s classic manga

After years of anticipation, the long-awaited anime adaptation of Junji Ito's Uzumaki has finally arrived. While it largely adheres to the unsettling source material, it unfortunately carries some notable flaws.

Pachinko Season 2: Mostly lacklustre, sometimes effective

The story resonated with audiences, from this part of Asia in particular, because the resilience and struggle of first-generation settlers portrayed in the series are things most of us can relate to as they are reflected in most of our parents or grandparents.

ESSAY / Manufacturing praise

Sometime ago, a writer reached out to me with a request. His debut novel was being published later in the year and he was wondering if I would be open to reviewing it. I was aware of the book, having read it when it was still only a draft. The author was not someone I only knew, either, but a mentor who had supported my writing in many ways, even through monetary means. Refusing him, then, felt tantamount to betrayal. But I had to in the end, and though he understood, I still came out of the exchange feeling guilty of being unhelpful or, worse, ungrateful.

Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department is still a confusing mess

Revisiting this album months after its release, I take away even less than when I initially listened to it front to back.

All India Rank: A refreshing take on the IIT dream

All India Rank is the story of Vivek, a seventeen-year-old boy from Lucknow, leaving for Kota to prepare for the IIT entrance exam and fulfil his father’s dream.

May 9, 2024
May 9, 2024

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, an action-packed monster flick

Godzilla x Kong closely follows the connection of Jia, an orphaned girl of the Iwi tribe who was adopted by Dr. Andrews, a linguist working for Monarch, with Kong. In addition, even though Godzilla takes the spotlight of the title, the movie was partly carried by the depth of character that was portrayed within Kong.

April 18, 2024
April 18, 2024

Crafting majesty: Tasleema Alam's royal commissions and her love for Islamic art

From gracing the majestic walls of mosques to the pages of intricate manuscripts and beyond, the appeal of the Islamic art form has persisted over centuries and captivated many. The beauty and depth of this art form attracted Tasleema Alam – an artist, designer and educator – who recently designed an Afghan carpet for His Majesty King Charles III.

March 4, 2024
March 4, 2024

Unveiling the mind’s maze: Fosse’s ‘Aliss at the Fire’

A review of Jon Fosse's ‘Aliss at the Fire’ (Dalkey Archive Press, 2010)

February 25, 2024
February 25, 2024

She’s a terrible person, but that’s the point

A review of Ottessa Moshfegh's 'My Year of Rest and Relaxation' (Penguin Press, 2023)

February 24, 2024
February 24, 2024

Tasting authentic Dhakaiya food outside Puran Dhaka

Discover Dhakaiya Chapkhana, a new aesthetic cafe in town serving authentic Dhaka cuisine. Admire the colourful wall depicting Dhaka's historic monuments as you indulge in flavourful dishes.

December 29, 2023
December 29, 2023

The Continuing Relevance of Munnu

A review of 'Munnu: A Boy from Kashmir' (Fourth Estate, 2015), a stark portrayal of Kashmir, not through the eyes of a foreign individual looking in from the outside, but a Kashmiri living through the Indian occupation

December 14, 2023
December 14, 2023

Archie: A brutal depiction of a bold, broken, and boisterous man

What Archie lacks in budget, it makes up for in the honest performances of its leading actors and its touching story about a beloved icon.  

December 1, 2023
December 1, 2023

JK Rowling’s 'The Running Grave': A souring tale that clumsily rolls downhill

Review of 'The Running Grave' (Sphere, 2023) by Robert Galbraith

November 19, 2023
November 19, 2023

‘Golden’ aptly marks Jungkook’s global pop stardom

The ever-beloved golden maknae (youngest in English) of BTS was the last member to have released his solo album titled, "Golden". Jungkook launched the sought-after album incorporating a total of 11 songs in the first week of November to astonishingly record-breaking rounds of acceptance.

November 9, 2023
November 9, 2023

‘Shohoj Kothai Orthoniti’ A localised flavour of economics

Flipping the pages of a textbook often makes me feel like I’m trapped in the US. We studied economics from an American lens, using American textbooks,