Maidless India #Corona #Lockdown

Last week, I wrote a post on 5 Things to be Grateful for during Lockdown where I mentioned how my husband is mopping and cooking. It seems my husband is not alone. Finally, Indian men have left their mom's apron/pallu/dupatta and risen to the occasion to do household chores. Thanks to maids being absent. In …

Why Bengalis Eat Non-Vegetarian Food During Durga Puja #wordsmatter

It's not that time of the year without noise, celebrations, festivities, laughter, new clothes, makeup, adda with friends and family and most importantly pandal hopping and gorging on Bengali delicacies. This is the time when Bengalis all over the world celebrate the biggest festival in a Bong's calendar, Durga Puja. For most Indians, Diwali is …

The Facade of a ‘Nice Guy’#MondayMusings

Let’s talk about boys today... I know I am a middle-aged Aunty and shouldn’t be talking about boys, but the other day few of us friends gathered for coffee and after our usual discussion of homework of kids, irritating habits of spouses, latest antics of moms-in-law, illogical bosses, latest shopping mall discounts, grocery prices etc …

The Misogyny in Arjun Reddy/Kabir Singh is not Exceptional #MondayMusing

A lot of debate is going on around the movies Kabir Singh/Arjun Reddy. I have not watched Kabir Singh but I did watch the original Telugu Arjun Reddy. I watched it simply because I like Vijay Deverakonda, the actor who played Arjun Reddy in the Telegu version. I agree the movie is misogynist and sexist, …

How Bollywood Ruined Us

The other day I sat down to watch ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’. After precisely five minutes into the movie, I realized the movie is simply unwatchable. It appeared gross, grotesque and as Bongs would put ‘churanto nyaka’. However, ironically this is the same movie that ignited passion and romance in me 28 years back when I …

There is Nothing ‘Romantic’ about Marriage #MondayMusings

The day I went to give my wedding invitation, my then boss (a lady in her mid-fifties) commented sarcastically “So, now you will have two jobs.” Back then I was a naive young girl of 26 years, obviously, I didn’t understand the drift and even found her comment quite cynical. The old bit** that she …

Women’s Day, Bored Wife and English Vinglish #MondayMusings

Last week was Women’s Day. A friend of mine called early in the morning and said excitedly “Hey, Happy Women’s Day. Let’s catch up for lunch and then go for a hair spa. Everywhere they have given a discount for Women’s day.” I have done my M.Phil in Women’s Studies and I was dying to …

Is Crying an act of Weakness?

I was going through a bad bout of depression. A friend called and I started literally howling on the phone like a school girl.  She said “I never expected this from you. I always thought you were a strong girl and look at the way you are crying.” The day my Dad passed away, a …

Stop Stereotyping Women

Q. What is the first thing I do after waking up in the morning? A. I check my Whatsapp. (I check my Whatsapp not because I have been expecting an urgent message from Narendra Modi, I check it because it is my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Checking smartphone throughout the day is symptomatic of my progressive …