Suanshu Khurana is an award-winning journalist and music critic currently serving as a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is best known for her nuanced writing on Indian culture, with a specific focus on classical music, cinema, and the arts.
Expertise & Focus Areas Khurana specializes in the intersection of culture and society. Her beat involves deep-dive reporting on:
Indian Classical Music: She is regarded as a definitive voice in documenting the lineages (Gharanas) and evolution of Hindustani classical music.
Cinema & Theatre: Her critiques extend beyond reviews to analyze the socio-political narratives within Indian cinema and theater.
Cultural Heritage: She frequently profiles legendary artists and unearths stories about India’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
Professional Experience At The Indian Express, Khurana is responsible for curating and writing features for the Arts and Culture pages. Her work is characterized by long-form journalism that offers intimate portraits of artists and rigorous analysis of cultural trends. She has been instrumental in bringing the stories of both stalwarts and upcoming artistes to the forefront of mainstream media.
Find all stories by Suanshu Khurana here

January 20, 2026 21:04 IST
Rahman has nothing to prove. He is analysing a system that he has observed closely over decades. Yet, instead of being heard, he faces a massive backlash. It’s like the laboratory being blamed when a blood test points to the existence of an illness
Thu, Jan 22, 2026
January 18, 2026 07:29 IST
On his centenary, remembering OP Nayyar, a composer who infused sensuality into Hindi film music, made a star out of Asha Bhosle, and whose trendy songs — still remixed and replayed — never quite needed Lata Mangeshkar.
Sun, Jan 18, 2026
January 17, 2026 12:54 IST
Shot across four decades and shaped by memory and loss, Singh’s images of Hussain trace the quiet ways in which she learned to see.
Wed, Jan 21, 2026
January 12, 2026 05:30 IST
What made the then 25-year-old’s presence unique was that a Gorkha boy from Darjeeling had captured the national imagination.
Wed, Jan 14, 2026
January 10, 2026 09:54 IST
Classical pianist Charu Suri, on her debut Grammy nomination for her sleep album, Shayan, composing for Yo Yo Ma and Edgar Meyer and leaning into Indian ragas
Sun, Jan 11, 2026
January 09, 2026 13:13 IST
Thirty-five years ago, when the festival began in Vrindavan, Kathak exponent Uma Sharma would collaborate with the priest of the Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan for its presentation
Fri, Jan 09, 2026
January 02, 2026 19:06 IST
Brampton-based Babbu Singh, known for his songs ‘Khand Mishri’ and ‘Good Life’, drifted off-key on stage, but it didn't stop people from enjoying the moment.
Fri, Jan 02, 2026
December 27, 2025 06:41 IST
Before Sahir Ludhianvi used it as inspiration, the original poem was penned by Sufi poet Ameer Bakhsh Sabri and composed by qawwal duo Ustad Fateh Ali and Ustad Mubarak Ali — Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s father and uncle.
Sun, Dec 28, 2025
December 23, 2025 19:21 IST
Radio Ceylon was the first radio broadcaster in Asia. As it completes 100 years, we look back at the role it has played for the subcontinent.
Tue, Dec 23, 2025
December 19, 2025 17:59 IST
By recreating concerts of a Parsi music club in 19th-century Bombay, Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh Pradhan show how it helped democratise Hindustani classical music
Sat, Dec 20, 2025
December 14, 2025 07:30 IST
PM Modi gave a speech right after, revisiting Jawaharlal Nehru’s decision to drop two stanzas from the original Vande Mataram by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, framing it as an act of appeasement toward Muslim leaders, which, according to the PM, “sowed the seeds of the division of the nation”.
Sun, Dec 14, 2025
December 14, 2025 04:46 IST
Slated on December 14 and 15, the memorial, besides performances, presentations and film screenings, will feature a photo exhibition by noted photographer Dayanita Singh titled ‘Zakir Hussain: Learning to Learn, A Student’s Tribute’.
Sun, Dec 14, 2025
December 13, 2025 14:55 IST
With the need for stillness and a curiosity around the spiritual, the young are heading to bhajan clubs for a place to anchor
Tue, Dec 16, 2025
December 09, 2025 19:11 IST
As Ramesh Sippy's emotional roller coaster Sholay rides back to theatres, a trailer misstep sets off a fresh dialogue debate.
Tue, Dec 09, 2025
December 05, 2025 21:46 IST
The festival that opened with a conversation with veteran poet Gulzar will feature conversations with Javed Akhtar, mushairas, concerts — even a qawwali featuring a western symphonic orchestra.
Fri, Dec 05, 2025
November 15, 2025 16:32 IST
The singer reflects on a landmark Kashmir concert, a new nationwide tour, evolving musical technologies, and what he still cherishes from the old music era
Sun, Nov 16, 2025
November 15, 2025 16:30 IST
US-based Indian-origin musician Zeshan B on campaigning for Zohran Mamdani, his now-viral moment of defiance and using music to start conversations about identity
Mon, Nov 17, 2025
November 13, 2025 18:55 IST
At an event to mark 150 years of Vande Mataram last week, Modi claimed that the song had been “broken and cut into pieces” and that it “sowed the seeds of the division of the nation”. The remarks once again brought into spotlight the debate surrounding India’s national song
Thu, Nov 13, 2025
November 08, 2025 13:25 IST
Singer Lucky Ali on touring at 67, his ‘unrefined’ voice and leaving the Hindi film industry where he didn’t really know anyone.
Sun, Nov 09, 2025
November 08, 2025 11:37 IST
Cousins Anoushka Shankar and Alam Khan, percussionist Sarathy Korwar, pianist Charu Suri, singer Siddhant Bhatia and Indo-jazz outfit Shakti have been nominated at the 2026 Grammys
Sat, Nov 08, 2025
November 04, 2025 15:56 IST
From Manoj Tiwari’s ode to “Biharipan” to Prashant Kishor and Tejashwi Yadav’s campaign jingles, political songs turn melody into message, celebrating identity while wooing voters
Wed, Nov 05, 2025
November 02, 2025 07:21 IST
From mustard fields to city skylines, how Shah Rukh Khan became the song on screen, defining love and longing for an entire generation.
Sun, Nov 02, 2025
November 01, 2025 05:55 IST
Interestingly, SOI has performed in Delhi only once before — at the India Habitat Centre, which could accommodate only the smaller chamber orchestra
Sat, Nov 01, 2025
October 25, 2025 10:30 IST
The show is a nod to courtesans who navigated patriarchy and asserted their cultural authority
Fri, Oct 24, 2025
October 24, 2025 18:07 IST
The Grammy-winning musician will perform in Gurugram and Hyderabad
Fri, Oct 24, 2025





