Reporting from the trenches of the culture wars
He’s a 23-year-old prophet of rage from West Delhi, with a flair for lyrical dexterity, a cocky braggadocio rapper with an ear for big anthemic hooks. And with Sez’s considerable production skills backing him up, Prabh Deep’s got everything he needs to be
GQ India / December 2017
Indian men’s basketball has grown up. With a line-up that boasts stars like Amjyot Singh Gill, kabaddi player-turned-centre Amritpal Singh, veteran shooting guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi and the first Indian NBA draftee Satnam Singh Bhamara, India’s Young Ca
GQ India / August 2017
Badshah’s got swag, the car, your girl and stone-cold cash
GQ India / June 2017
Trade with the commonwealth and delusions of Empire 2.0
New Statesman / March 2017
After a decade of slow decline, Mumbai’s iconic transport service finds itself in a jam of its own making
The Hindu Business Line / August 2016
As Channel V prepares to return to its music roots, a trip down its brand of disruptive, ‘desi’ cool
Mint Lounge / September 2016
The lounge bar in Bandra that was home base for a whole generation of musicians, artists and 'uncreative professionals'
GQ India / October 2016
Much sought-after exhibition designer Mark Prime’s first Indian solo art show is a playful mix of abstract patterns
The Hindu / October 2016
Cashmere mixes together the personal, the political and the universal in good measure, with a generous helping of good-natured subversion and humour. By turning a mirror on themselves and their experiences, they’ve constructed a new cultural identity that
The National / October 2016
Relaa, the Indian arts collective is hitting back against extremism
The National / August 2016
So much of the Hindu caste system’s hierarchies of oppression and slavery can be mapped onto the carcass of a dead cow.
Arre / July 2016
How does a video with petals, magic wands and a grown man wearing gender-ambiguous clothing, go viral? Shah’s “Angel” seems to pose more questions than answers.
Arre / April 2016
A feature on Consolidate - the Bangalore featuring some of the country's weirdest, most innovative young producers
The National / April 2016
Bombay Black were a music collective pushing the boundaries of the nascent Indian indie scene at the turn of the century. Now they're back.
The National / March 2016
Five young journalists write from around the world – Yemen, South Africa, Germany, India and the Czech Republic – on their concerns and hopes for the profession
Index On Censorship / October 2014 / [Pdf , 2.33 MB]
In the face of rising political persecution, how does Bhojpuri music manage to reflect both the angst and the passions of migrant workers in Mumbai?
Yahoo! India / August 2013
A review of the lo-fi noisepunk band's sophomore album
RSJOnline / August 2014
Sambhaji Bhagat is a Dalit activist and revolutionary balladeer who composed the music for Chaitanya Tamhane’s award-winning feature film 'Court'. - See more at: http://www.caravanmagazine.in/vantage/journey-sambhaji-bhagat-man-who-inspired-making-and-com
Vantage / April 2015
After voluntarily courting arrest, Dalit activist and performer Sheetal Sathe is finally out on bail. But why was she arrested under the UAPA law in the first place? If she wasn’t a Maoist, what danger did this woman pose to the government of Maharashtra?
Yahoo! India / July 2013
A review of Heems' rap album Eat Pray Thug
Vantage / April 2015
The video album makes a comeback as the visual album, and it’s nothing short of art
Mint Lounge / September 2016
A column about the immense potential of Indian hip-hop
Sunday Guardian / September 2015
Love your indie? Tune in to Karachi and Bengaluru this year - See more at: http://www.gqindia.com/get-smart/gq-playlist/10-pakistani-indian-artists-you-must-listen-2015-gq-india#sthash.GzSjdCir.dpuf
GQ India / February 2015
A profile of Delhi/Bangalore noise-punks Hoirong
GQ India / January 2015
Bhanuj Kappal speaks with London-based DJ and producer Kode9, a pioneering figure of the dubstep movement who recently performed in both New Delhi and Mumbai as part of the Red Bull Music Academy.
Sunday Guardian / February 2015
From studying fashion design to altering public spaces beyond recognition, Harsh Raman has come a long way. Bhanuj Kappal speaks to him about his journey and his attempts to radicalise street art.
Sunday Guardian / November 2014
The arrest of Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali of the KKM has brought this ongoing controversy back to the real issue at stake — the freedom of cultural and political expression, who these freedoms extend to and whom they ignore.
Sunday Guardian / May 2013
The renewal of pop music's commitment to modernity and futurism will be Death Grips' lasting legacy
Sunday Guardian / August 2014
A Q&A with upcoming Urdu rapper Naved Shaikh aka Naezy
Sunday Guardian / July 2014
For years he was one of Bollywood’s premier sessions musicians, but it is only recently that Charanjit Singh and his revolutionary first album have been “discovered” by the electronic hipster set.
Sunday Guardian / December 2013
The Indian government is increasingly using the bogey of foreign funding to shut down dissenting NGOs and people’s movements. At the same time the government is chasing FDI and not holding the companies to the same ‘patriotic’ standards.
Yahoo! India / September 2013
Siddharth Vihar, the boys’ hostel in Mumbai that was once the site of important political and cultural activity within the Dalit community, has been demolished. Here’s why the demolition means so much more.
Yahoo India / February 2015
How the purveyors of pop interpreted the atom bomb in the decades that followed 1945
Mint Lounge / August 2016
Richa Kaul and I take a look at Indian hip-hop, its origins and its engagement with social issues
The Sunday Guardian / October 2013
A look at India's emerging noise scene
Hindu Business Line / May 2016
In which I posit that Priyanka Chopra could be the Indian Devo
Sunday Guardian / April 2014
Lal Singh Dil was a revolutionary, a poet & a lover, in no particular order. A superb new collection of his memoirs & poems sheds light on the mind of a tormented genius.
Sunday Guardian / January 2013
A review of the Bangalore based mellowdramatic pop duo's debut album.
NH7.in / November 2012
An interview with Deepak Dengle of Kabir Kala Manch, the radical singing group that has been targeted by the Maharashtrian police for suspected 'revolutionary' activities.
Sunday Guardian / July 2013
A report on a Republic Day cultural protest against censorship and authoritarianism.
Sunday Guardian / February 2013
A review of the Mumbai electro-indie act's debut album.
NH7.in / March 2012
An interview with rtist, photographer and activist Sunil Gupta.
Sunday Guardian / March 2013
An opinion piece on the appointment of Louis Van Gaal as the new Manchester United coach
Sunday Guardian / May 2014
Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry reflects on how she accidentally discovered her love for the stage, her formative years studying under Ebrahim Alkazi, and how theatre has helped her understand and nurture her Punjabi roots.
Sunday Guardian / October 2012
A piece on Amitabh Kumar's 'Message To Zero'
Sunday Guardian / April 2013
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