I had rare moments of seeing Maa laughing in these old photos from her youth, but I don’t remember ever seeing her genuinely smile or laugh when I was growing up. Where did that young girl in the photos go?
Category: Culture
To Be Palestinian
Palestine gave me everything. She is perfect and I love her. But she is not okay. She hasn’t been okay for over 70 years.
Becoming an Indecent Bengali Girl
Once I got that tattoo, none of those questions applied anymore. I was never going to be anything traditionally Bengali ever again.
An Open Letter to the Next Generation of Poets: Translations of Tagore
I feel truly blessed to be born and brought up in the Bengali culture – to savor and enjoy Tagore’s writing in the original. Using this legacy, I am wholeheartedly dedicated to achieving my goal of sharing them with the rest of the world.
Mango Achar Served on White Tablecloth: South Asia’s Fight to Revolutionize Fine Dining
Cooking, feeding, and eating make up the South Asian love language. Surely, trying to change it would seem like sacrilege!
On Empire & Religion in Bengal
While being an annual celebration, marking the apex of Bengali culture, Pohela Baishakh it is not an invention made by Bengalis for the explicit benefit of Bengalis.
Satyajit Ray: The Social Issue Filmmaker
Satyajit Ray, the legendary filmmaker, defined the Bengali film industry and reshaped the context of filmmaking to address contemporary social issues of his time.
Remembering East Pakistan
When the Liberation War of 1971 established a new Bangla-speaking country, Ms. Smith’s acquaintances began to ask her why she was still there. She would say, “I’m Bengali. Where am I supposed to go?”
The Bengal Gazette 