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Journalism of Courage

Vaishnawi Sinha

Vaishnawi Sinha is a Deputy Copy Editor with indianexpress.com, with an experience of over 6 years in the media industry. She writes about culture, identity, and the shifting contradictions of modern India - from music and memory to politics and belonging.

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More From Vaishnawi Sinha

Gen Z's shared language of azadi does not come from having a shared struggle.

The many lives of azadi: 79 years after Independence, what does freedom mean to Gen Z?Subscriber Only

August 13, 2026 16:12 IST

The slogan has changed hands, but never lost its meaning. For Gen Z, azadi is freedom from inherited expectations — and the freedom to imagine a different future.

Fri, Aug 14, 2026

Whether one ultimately agrees with the demands or not, that willingness to question authority is not a weakness of democracy

After CJP protests, India is angry. Why are we still asking the wrong questions?Subscriber Only

July 21, 2026 16:35 IST

Delhi's streets were filled with people protesting paper leaks, unemployment and corruption. Online, the debate centered on influencers, celebrities and ideology. Perhaps that's the real story.

Wed, Jul 22, 2026

Caste didn't disappear as I grew up in a metro city. It simply learnt to speak a different language.

Love, with a caste filter: When dating apps turn arranged marriage-codedSubscriber Only

July 14, 2026 15:21 IST

From caste filters on dating apps to Instagram meet-ups and surname politics, why is one of India's oldest social hierarchies finding a new language among young people?

Tue, Jul 14, 2026

If The Voice of Hind Rajab exposed one crack in India’s liberal ecosystem, it isn’t the only one.

‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ exposes Indian liberals’ biggest blind spotSubscriber Only

June 30, 2026 15:26 IST

The journey of ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ from censorship battle to near-empty theatres raises uncomfortable questions about political commitment beyond social media.

Tue, Jun 30, 2026

From AIB and Tanmay Bhatt to Samay Raina and Kunal Kamra, public outrage has become as much a part of the ecosystem as punchlines, much before the Pranit More row.

After Samay Raina, Rs 370-biryani raises the same question about punishmentSubscriber Only

June 11, 2026 15:01 IST

The Rs 370 biryani row sparked debates over accountability and cancellation, but its most uncomfortable lesson is how easily we forgive misogyny compared to almost every other form of offence.

Thu, Jun 11, 2026

The match may end on the field, but for the families of cricketers, the abuse is often just getting started.

Virat Kohli was right: Every cricket loss still finds a woman to blameSubscriber Only

June 05, 2026 15:14 IST

The Travis Head-Virat Kohli controversy is only the latest reminder that in Indian cricket, the hunt for a villain rarely ends with the final wicket.

Sat, Jun 06, 2026

Dowry is not merely an old social evil. It is a continuum of violence.

Gen Z was supposed to kill dowry. So why do modern marriages still feel transactional?Subscriber Only

May 26, 2026 15:17 IST

From passive-aggressive taunts to transactional expectations, the Twisha and Deepika cases have reopened uncomfortable questions about what “modern marriage” actually means for young Indian women.

Tue, May 26, 2026

Bhagat Singh probably would have hated that. He distrusted empty symbolism, hero worship, and political laziness far more than disagreement itself

Would Bhagat Singh join the Cockroach Janta Party?Subscriber Only

May 19, 2026 15:37 IST

Bhagat Singh asked India’s youth to read, organise and resist. We answered with reposts, irony, and the Cockroach Janta Party.

Fri, May 22, 2026

A system built on suspicion continues to place the burden of its failures on students, as NEET aspirants navigate surveillance, anxiety, and the crushing weight of a single examination.

NEET aspirants are searched like suspects. The system isn’tSubscriber Only

May 16, 2026 15:24 IST

From monitored dress code to biometric checks, NEET aspirants are subjected to extraordinary scrutiny in the name of fairness. Yet when the system fails, it is the students who bear the consequences.

Mon, May 18, 2026

My mother's taunts and spicy colony gossip comes complimentary with her tight braids - an unsavory combo I wouldn't trade for the world.

‘Baal nahi banwane kya?’: I’m 27, and my mom still does my hair every nightSubscriber Only

May 09, 2026 15:09 IST

For 27 years, no matter how late I get home—or how little we’re speaking—my mother has ended every night the same way: by braiding my hair.

Sat, May 09, 2026

Over the years, Vijay has not just been the centre of adulation—he has also been the subject of persistent media scrutiny and relentless social media chatter.

Is Vijay’s Tamil Nadu win a referendum on celebrity worship?Subscriber Only

May 06, 2026 15:17 IST

As Vijay converts stardom into votes, the stark contrast with Prashant Kishor’s electoral failure raises an uncomfortable question: does India reward visibility more than vision?

Wed, May 06, 2026

Assembly Election Results 2026 | Mamata alleges EVM tampering, voter deletions, calls CEC ‘villain’ after Bengal lossSubscriber Only

May 04, 2026 05:16 IST

ECI Election Results 2026 | West Bengal (WB), Tamilnadu (TN), Kerala, Assam Election Result 2026: Among the biggest surprises, was the actor Vijay-led TVK's performance. It surged ahead of DMK and AIDMK to take the lead in Tamil Nadu.

Wed, May 06, 2026

For critics, Michael was less a film and more a missed obligation

For critics, Michael Jackson never left Neverland. Audiences couldn’t care lessSubscriber Only

April 28, 2026 15:28 IST

For Michael, the divide isn’t just about a film—it’s about who cinema is for: those interrogating the past, or those reliving it.

Tue, Apr 28, 2026

The shift isn’t just that skinny is back. It’s that we’ve made the body legible again, something to be read at a glance and judged accordingly.

Skinny girl clothes are back. The funny fat friend isn’t.Subscriber Only

April 21, 2026 15:38 IST

The language may have become gentler, more self-aware, and less openly punishing, but the visual outcome feels strangely familiar.

Tue, Apr 21, 2026

A gully that once echoed with play now holds only its memory—where the game lingers, even if the players don’t.

When pickleball killed gully cricket, and sports stopped being freeSubscriber Only

April 18, 2026 15:37 IST

There was a time when sport didn’t need organising, and just a friend yelling your name from downstairs was enough. Now that sport has become something you book, who gets left out?

Sat, Apr 18, 2026

Recently, AAP MP Raghav Chadha raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha

Raghav Chadha cracked the ‘social media neta’ code. Why did the janta reward it?Subscriber Only

April 07, 2026 15:32 IST

A young politician who understands the internet is not a problem. The real question is why that understanding is enough to convince us.

Tue, Apr 07, 2026

For the Indian audience, can the loud reception for Dhurandhar silence The Voice of Hind Rajab?

In ‘Dhurandhar’ country, can ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ be heard?Subscriber Only

March 26, 2026 15:02 IST

From the first few frames of the movie, it was clear to me that ‘Dhurandhar’ was made to inflame.

Fri, Mar 27, 2026

While the Epstein files initially sparked outrage, the internet found its new Netflix-esque true crime mystery to be obsessed with.

The true crimeification of the Epstein Files: When a scandal feels like a Netflix thrillerSubscriber Only

March 13, 2026 15:32 IST

The Jeffrey Epstein case is full of unanswered questions. Yet the way the internet processes the scandal often feels less like a demand for justice and more like the unfolding of a narrative.

Fri, Mar 13, 2026

Karan Aujla's concert stole the show, but India's concert scene left a sour taste in the audience's mouth

Karan Aujla pulled the crowds. India’s concert culture couldn’t keep upSubscriber Only

March 11, 2026 16:13 IST

From barricade rushes in Delhi to heat chaos in Mumbai, Karan Aujla’s shows exposed a deeper issue: India can host global artists, but struggles to manage global-sized crowds.

Wed, Mar 11, 2026

The contrast of progress and pain: while some women rise and thrive, others continue to fight battles unseen.

How the ‘strong woman’ narrative fails Indian womenSubscriber Only

March 08, 2026 12:01 IST

This Women’s Day, it would be apt to remember that strength is not always visible - and it certainly does not look the same for every woman.

Sun, Mar 08, 2026

Undated photo of Jeffrey Epstein, right, speaking to academic and linguist Noam Chomsky, released by the House oversight committee. (Photo: X/@RT_com)

Can we still invoke Noam Chomsky without clearing our throats?Subscriber Only

February 17, 2026 15:24 IST

What happens when a public intellectual whose work depends on moral credibility is drawn into the very networks he spent a lifetime critiquing?

Mon, Feb 23, 2026

‘Jo desh ke kaam na aaye…’: What Rang De Basanti still asks from its audienceSubscriber Only

January 26, 2026 12:06 IST

Rang De Basanti at 20: The movie does not argue that everyone must protest, rebel or even become a martyr, but it dismantles the illusion that opting out is a permanent choice.

Tue, Jan 27, 2026

Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Election Results 2026 LIVE:

Maharashtra Corporation Election Results 2026 LIVE Updates: After rout, Congress alleges ‘bogus voting, abuse of power’ by MahayutiSubscriber Only

January 15, 2026 18:51 IST

Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Election Result 2026 | Maharashtra Election Commission BMC, PMC, TMC, NMC Election Results 2026 Live Updates: The BJP emerged as the single-largest party and the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) emerged victorious in 25 out of 29 municipal corporations.

Sat, Jan 17, 2026

Every girl I knew owned a copy. Some read it, while most pretended to be embarrassed by the premise as they secretly read Wattpad fanfics.

20 years of Twilight: Why we love to hate Stephenie Meyer’s brand of cringy affectionSubscriber Only

January 06, 2026 19:52 IST

A generational obsession that began as sincere teenage devotion and survived into adulthood through irony, Twilight endures not despite the cringe, but because it taught millennials how to keep loving something while laughing at it.

Wed, Jan 21, 2026

Kinsella created a generation of female characters whose chaos wasn't a quirk. (Generated using AI/JioCinema & Ashtavinayak Cinevision)

Before Jab We Met’s Geet, Sophie Kinsella’s chaotic, flawed heroines taught me how to embrace the messSubscriber Only

December 11, 2025 20:04 IST

Sophie Kinsella taught us to embrace chaos long before Bollywood learned to write imperfect women.

Tue, Dec 23, 2025