Journalism of Courage
EXPLAINED CULTURE NEWS - Page 3
As Trump moves to make ‘govt buildings beautiful again’, a look at three values classical architecture gave to modernismSubscriber Only
September 2, 2025 17:24 IST
Trump wants to do away with modernist and brutalist buildings to go back to classical forms. Modernism, however, is not entirely de-linked from classical architecture. Here's how
What is the Daruma doll, presented to PM Narendra Modi in Japan?Subscriber Only
August 29, 2025 20:17 IST
The Daruma is a traditional Japanese wish doll, which is typically made of papier-mâché
Recalling the life of Mary Roy, mother of Booker Prize winner Arundhati RoySubscriber Only
August 28, 2025 13:32 IST
From winning a historic property rights case to creating one of Kerala’s most unconventional schools, Arundhati Roy’s mother lived on her own terms.
Where Netflix’s new ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ adaptation fits in rise of ‘cosy crime’ mediaSubscriber Only
August 28, 2025 12:54 IST
Whether it’s 'Only Murders in the Building' or Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc in the 'Knives Out' universe, cosy crime — long considered the gentle cousin of the noir-soaked thriller — is having a moment.
Why are so many musicians removing their music from Spotify?Subscriber Only
August 25, 2025 12:48 IST
Besides issues of compensation and streaming monopoly, some musicians don’t want their music to ‘kill people.’
The row over ‘film on Yogi’, and why Bombay HC judges want to watch the movie for themselvesSubscriber Only
August 23, 2025 06:44 IST
The producer of Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi has moved the court against the delay and subsequent refusal by CBFC to grant the film certification
Will broligarchs ruin language? What the Cambridge Dictionary’s new words tell usSubscriber Only
August 24, 2025 22:47 IST
Many of the new words included in the Cambridge Dictionary compliment or act as foil to each other, denoting the looping nature of Internet discourse. They also raise a question: can the algorithm-driven popularity of certain words enrich a language?
Empathy for animals, power of observation: Behind Manjit Bawa’s bovines symbolismSubscriber Only
August 17, 2025 14:19 IST
Man and nature, for Bawa, were meant to be in unison. At times, his depictions of bovines belonged to the mythical realm, while on other occasions, they appeared as enduring symbols of humankind’s resilience.
How Tyeb Mehta’s signature ‘bulls’ symbolised ‘the condition of human captivity’Subscriber Only
August 10, 2025 07:06 IST
Much like a powerful bull in a slaughterhouse, Tyeb Mehta believed that human potential could not be fully realised because of surrounding circumstances.
Why Goa legislators want bull fighting to be legalisedSubscriber Only
August 14, 2025 01:09 IST
Despite being banned, bull fights, known locally as ‘dhirio’, continue to be clandestinely held in Goa
Why Maharashtra Govt wants film ‘Khalid Ka Shivaji’ put on holdSubscriber Only
August 6, 2025 21:02 IST
Protests against the film's 'secular portrayal' of Shivaji Maharaj have led to calls for a ban, with the Maharashtra government now considering getting its certification cancelled. Here's the whole row.
Can’t we say ‘good genes’ anymore? The backlash to the Sydney Sweeney jeans ad explainedSubscriber Only
August 6, 2025 12:30 IST
The phrase 'good genes' is used today often to compliment someone’s physical attributes. However, it has a complicated history with direct ties to eugenics and white supremacist propaganda.
How Himmat Shah’s heads motif represents the apex of his investigation into the human conditionSubscriber Only
August 3, 2025 08:33 IST
Treating them as silent witnesses to history and conflict, Himmat Shah imbued his heads with a certain timelessness, reminiscent of excavated artefacts.
Who was Amadeo Modigliani, the subject of Johnny Depp’s latest directorial?Subscriber Only
August 2, 2025 13:38 IST
Johnny Depp’s sophomore film, Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness, released in theatres last month, focuses on three crucial days in the life of the bohemian painter as he seeks an escape from wartorn Paris. Here is what to know about the artist.
How the Buddhist relics Piprahwa Gems returned to IndiaSubscriber Only
August 3, 2025 12:55 IST
This return was made possible by “an exemplary case of public-private partnership,” Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Wednesday. Here’s the story
How Trump’s lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch marks the latest chapter in their long friendshipSubscriber Only
July 31, 2025 19:01 IST
The US President's $10 billion defamation suit against The Wall Street Journal over an alleged Jeffrey Epstein letter signals a dramatic rift in a decades-old alliance between two 'good friends'. Here is what to know
The many meanings of S H Raza’s iconic bindu: From point of origin to place of refugeSubscriber Only
July 27, 2025 17:30 IST
For more than four decades, the bindu, which can be translated as “dot” or “point”, served as an anchor for most of Raza’s artistic compositions. Here are its many associations with meaning and memory.
India-UK FTA promises a cheaper peg: the story of Scotch whiskySubscriber Only
July 25, 2025 07:18 IST
Today, Scotch whisky sells more than American, Japanese and Irish whisky combined. How did it originate? Why did Scotch become so popular world over?
From pioneering heavy metal to biting a bat, the controversial legacy of Ozzy OsbourneSubscriber Only
July 24, 2025 19:11 IST
Osbourne, a member of the English rock band Black Sabbath, leaves behind major contributions to the music industry, as well as some divisive public incidents.
Paris Fashion Week 2025: What is haute couture, and why do runways show ‘unwearable’ clothes?Subscriber Only
July 21, 2025 11:49 IST
While the feathered headdresses, metallic body armour, or gravity-defying silhouettes gracing the Paris Haute Couture runways may never find their way to a customer's wardrobe, their purpose transcends wearability. We explain.
Why so many MF Husain paintings have horses: Flying across horizons, ‘from Karbala to Ashwamedh’Subscriber Only
July 20, 2025 16:01 IST
Rarely static, Husain’s horses are powerful creatures that exude immense grace, drawing inspiration from history and religion. His very last series, meant to be an ode to diversity and pluralism in India, also featured horses, but was left incomplete.
Is the new Superman movie ‘too woke’ or just true to its origins?Subscriber Only
July 17, 2025 12:32 IST
‘Superman’ has been criticised for supposedly drawing references to the ongoing war in Gaza, and its director, James Gunn, calling the character an “immigrant”. But this is not the first time the character has been overtly political.
Arc of the Kanwar Yatra: From Samudra Manthan to churning forces in society todaySubscriber Only
July 24, 2025 07:08 IST
Kanwar Yatra 2025 Explained: What are the religious beliefs behind the Kanwar Yatra, and what socio-economic-cultural forces shaped its present form? We explain.
Why is Russia afraid of crime fiction novelist Boris Akunin?Subscriber Only
July 16, 2025 17:21 IST
The creator of detective Erast Fandorin faces a 14-year sentence in absentia for his outspoken criticism of Russia's war and Putin’s leadership
Designer Rahul Mishra, artist Gustav Klimt, and a long tradition of art inspiring fashionSubscriber Only
July 15, 2025 12:18 IST
There are reasons why fashion and art have a close relationship, even as such collaborations generate debates about the nature of art itself.
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