collage for year end review

 2024’s Biggest Moments for South Asians Globally

Jaggu (Anoushka Sharma) and PK (Aamir Khan) in PK (2014)

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Rajkumar Hirani’s 2014 blockbuster film asks us to think critically about faith — and everything else.

‘PK’: The Alien Who Took on Godmen and Won

‘Madonna and Child’ by an unidentified arti, mid-18th century (National Museum, New Delhi)

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The text mentions the country only twice, yet the region’s influence runs far deeper.

India and the Bible, An Ancient Exchange

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Though many know about the Concert for Bangladesh, one group risked their lives to stop weapons shipments to West Pakistan.

The Forgotten Flotilla that Helped Birth Bangladesh

A worker prepares roti in the walled city area of New Delhi on November 27, 2022 (SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images)

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Forget naan, parathas, and samosas. Try makki ki roti, buckwheat momos, and dosas.

The South Asians Going Gluten-Free

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The Gujarati, Japanese, and Belgian ‘Great British Bake Off’ finalist shares the secrets to winning over legions of fans.

How Dylan Bachelet Became the Flavor King

Sindhi Bhee Ji Bhaji

As the region’s culinary custodians grow older, the survival of their recipes depends on descendants.

Sindhi Food: A Cuisine Without A Country

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How India’s first convicted female serial killer exploited faith, desperation, and society’s blindness to deadly women.

Cyanide Mallika, the False Priestess

Characters from All We Imagine As Light, Girls Will Be Girls, and Laapataa Ladies (Neha Marina for The Juggernaut)

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Dive into the 2024 Indian films capturing global attention and our interviews with the filmmakers.

 All We Imagine As Light, Girls Will Be Girls, Laapataa Ladies

An Indian labourer sorts oranges and sweet lime at Mundheri regulated market on the outskirts of Allahabad on March 22, 2010 (DIPTENDU DUTTA/AFP via Getty Images)

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The 8 million-year-old journey of a fruit that changed how we eat, speak, and see.

Oranges: How a Himalayan Citrus Colored the West

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Snigdha Sur

Dr. Parik Patel (courtesy Dr. Parik Patel)

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What does the investor, lawyer, and chartered accountant want the world to know? “Tell them I’m defying gravity.”

Dr. Parik Patel, the Internet’s Meme Doctor

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya speaks at a discussion with the House Freedom Caucus on COVID-19 on Nov 10, 2022 (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)


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Critics vilified the Stanford doctor for questioning pandemic lockdowns. Now, he’s set to lead the National Institutes of Health.

Jay Bhattacharya and the Scientific Promise

Dr. Zahra Mohammadi (Still from 'Bread & Roses')

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The powerful documentary captures their defiance against the Taliban’s oppression — and dares us to do more than watch.

‘Bread & Roses’: The Afghan Women Who Refuse to Disappear

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Widow burning dates back millennia. But in 1987, one woman’s death caused a reckoning.

Roop Kanwar and the Sati that Shook India

Khizr and Ilyas (Elias) at the fountain of life; folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) by Nizami (d. 1209) (Smithsonian)

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Raghav Sehgal’s groundbreaking research reveals surprising clues to what helps you live longer — and it’s not just diets or supplements.

The South Asian Aging Paradox

The Red Cow Pub & Grill (Courtesy of The Red Cow)

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These historic boozers survived riots and racism. But can they survive modernization?

Desi Pubs, Reinvented

Tabu at the 'Dune: Prophecy' premiere (Courtesy of Tabu)

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The actor can play anyone from a murderous wife to an all-seeing truthsayer. Her secret? Plan less.


Tabu, Mother of Versatility

Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk (Getty Images, Neha Marina for The Juggernaut)

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Bureaucrats and citizens weigh in on whether the ambitious plan to slash federal spending is destined for success — or doomed to fail.

Will the Department of Government Efficiency Work?

Rihanna arrives at the Rihanna x Fenty Hair Los Angeles Launch Party at Nya Studios on June 10, 2024 in Los Angeles (Kayla Oaddams/WireImage)


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Where do you go when you’ve already dressed the biggest stars in your country?

The Indian Couturiers Courting the West

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Yash Chopra’s cross-border love story transports us to the country he longs for — and still believes is possible.

‘Veer-Zaara’: An Ode to Undivided India

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gestures alongside Meera Shankar (L), Indian Ambassador to the United States, during a state arrival hosted by US President Barack Obama for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the White House on November 24, 2009 (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)


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One of the party’s most reliable voting blocs now feels unheard, unseen, and unmoored.

Have Democrats Lost South Asians?

Suhas Subramanyam, Democratic winner for U.S. Congress in Virginia 10th, walks in the Independence Day Parade in Leesburg, Va., on July 4, 2024 (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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The Congress member-elect chats winning over Trump voters, the future of AI, and how he keeps an open mind.

Suhas Subramanyam, the Newest Samosa Caucus Member

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In a fraught election, the reasons are both simple and nuanced.

How Kamala Harris Lost

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The election through one community’s eyes.

The Indian American Voters of 2024, in Photographs

Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks during a campaign rally in Greensboro, North Carolina on September 12, 2024 (Christopher Dilts/Harris for President)

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This election, we have the power to turn the page on the chaos of the past and create a brighter future worthy of our families.

Charting a New Way Forward for South Asian Americans

Woman lighting candles for Diwali (Wikimedia Commons)

Woman lighting the candles for the Festival of Lights in India (cropped)

Ten must-read stories to enrich your festive season.

Celebrating Diwali: 2024

Daydream of a Nocturne by Shyama Golden (shyamagolden.com)

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Fifteen must-read stories for this spooky season.

Halloween 2024: South Asian Edition

Kamala Harris, front left, with maternal grandparents, P.V. and Rajam Gopalan, her sister Maya, front right, and her niece, Meena (front bottom left) (Harris Campaign)

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Many have dissected the presidential candidate’s background this election. Yet, most ignore her caste.

Kamala Harris Isn’t Just Black and Indian — She’s Also Brahmin

An idol maker paints an idol of Kali at a workshop in Kolkata, India on November 9, 2023 (Sudipta Das/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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The holiday has become so mainstream, we tend to overlook the subcontinent’s rich diversity of fall harvest traditions.

News Flash: Not Everyone Celebrates Diwali

Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump greets U.S. entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)


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A new survey finds the Republican Party has made significant inroads with U.S.-born, under-40 Indian males.

Why Trump is Gaining Ground With Indian American Men

Tatiana Tarasoff, 20-year old UC junior, and Prosenjit Poddar, a graduate student at UC Berkeley (AP Photo)

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Prosenjit Poddar, a Bengali student at UC Berkeley, fell in love. What followed would transform medical law.

The Berkeley Murder that Changed America

Radha and Krishna watching fireworks in the night sky, c. 1770 (National Museum, Delhi)

Radha and Krishna watching fireworks in the night sky

The holiday celebrating diversity, generosity, and community has become the Olympics of exclusion.

Has Diwali Lost Its Light?

Sid Sriram performs onstage during Day 1 of Coachella on April 19, 2024 in Indio, California (Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella)


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The Carnatic singer known for his unexpected collaborations — from soul to jazz — shares the formula for his hard-won success.

Sid Sriram Has Only Scratched the Surface

Still from ‘All We Imagine As Light’ (2024)

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Payal Kapadia shares how her award-winning film offers a radically refreshing depiction of India’s busiest city.

‘All We Imagine As Light’: Sisterhood and Survival in Mumbai

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The Alia Bhatt-Vedang Raina film follows a sister who’ll do whatever it takes to save her jailed brother. The result is, unexpectedly, magic.

‘Jigra’: Raja Beta Syndrome on Steroids

Naveen Andrews attends the Emmy FYC Event for Hulu’s “The Dropout” on June 12, 2022 in Los Angeles (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

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The actor discusses his latest show, how he nailed that ‘Bride and Prejudice’ dance, and why he wants to change the world.

Naveen Andrews Doesn’t Believe He’s Sexy

Dalit man standing by wall painting of Erode Venkata Ramasamy, famous for their fight against discrimination, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (Marji Lang/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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One Indian state’s movement to end caste discrimination changed naming conventions forever.

Why Tamilians Drop Their Last Names

Indian customers are served inside the Indian Coffee House, established in 1942, on Bankim Chatterjee street in Kolkata. A portrait of Bengali writer, musician and artist Rabindranath Tagore hangs on the back wall. (REBECCA CONWAY/AFP via Getty Images)

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How a beloved style of conversation transcended class, gender, and Calcutta.

The Bengalis Keeping Adda Alive

Nepali students hold candlelight vigil commemorating the 10 Nepali students killed in Hamas’s attack on Israel. The group also prayed for world peace. (Sanjit Pariyar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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The Israel Gaza war has forever changed the world. The community discusses parallels with its own history, how to help, and the path forward.

A Year After October 7, South Asians Reflect

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Vikramaditya Motwane and Ananya Panday chat about their new no-holds-barred thriller.

‘CTRL’ Foretells Our AI Future

Victory of Alexander the Great over Poros by Franciszek Smuglewicz (National Museum in Warsaw)

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How a failed invasion 2,300 years ago still shapes the Indian subcontinent.


 Alexander the Great, the Conqueror Who Couldn’t

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Ten years later, Vishal Bhardwaj’s elegy for a land ravaged by violence remains as haunting as ever.

‘Haider’ Revisited: The Tragedy of Kashmir

Women protesting in Tamil Nadu against Hindi imposition in the 1960s (X: indianhistorypics)

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Can a country with over 1,635 tongues ever unite under one?

Why India Doesn’t Have a National Language

Ishaan Khatter as Shooter Dival in ‘The Perfect Couple’ (2024) (Netflix)

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After seven years in Bollywood, ‘The Perfect Couple’ star is making waves globally and carving out his own niche. It’s about time.

Ishaan Khatter’s Second Coming

Still from ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ (1998)

SRK-Rani-Kajol South Asian Comparison

Long before social media, South Asians have felt trapped in a pecking order they can’t escape.

Why We Can’t Help But Compare

Narendra Modi at Nassau Coliseum (Narendra Modi X account)

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India’s prime minister is on a campaign to woo the American diaspora after a surprising election result. Not everyone was impressed.

Narendra Modi Visits the U.S., Again

MV5BMjMwOTU3NzEyNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMDE1MTA2MjE@. ‘Khoobsurat’ (2014)

The 2014 film pays homage to a time when everyday families — and unapologetic women — were front and center.

‘Khoobsurat’ Isn’t Your Typical Comfort Watch

A princess reclining on a terrace with attendants, c. 1730–1740 (Cleveland Museum of Art)

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The region’s long history of paan, gutka, and hookah use has made us blind to a major health risk, especially in the American diaspora.

South Asians Can’t Give Up Tobacco. It’s Killing Us.

Dancers preparing for a performance for Language Month at Sylhet Central Shaheed Minar which was celebrated with an alphabet procession in Sylhet, Bangladesh (Majority World/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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The linguistics behind the sounds of the subcontinental tongue.

Is Bengali Really the World’s Sweetest Language?

People eat lunch beside a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II alongside national flags of India and Britain, at a restaurant in Mumbai on September 9, 2022 (INDRANIL MUKHERJEE / AFP via Getty Images)

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A viral tweet reignited an age-old debate: why do some Indians view the practice as a “scam,” while others a necessity?

The Tipping Divide

Still from ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ (2024)

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In a world that polices its women more than its men, the debut feature film from Shuchi Talati offers up a salve.

In ‘Girls Will Be Girls,’ Women Find Refuge in One Another

A group of Hindu devotees blocked the Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Friday, August 9, 2024 to protest the recent vandalism, looting, and arson of Hindu temples and houses in various parts of the country (Md. Rakibul Hasan Rafiu/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

GettyImages-2165569680-Hindu Violence in Bangladesh

Language and other shared traditions birthed the country. So why have attacks against the religious minority become a pattern?

Bangladeshi Hindus are No Stranger to Violence

Donald Trump speaks as  Kamala Harris reacts during the presidential debate at National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024 (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Vibes propelled much of the VP’s rise. Yesterday’s debate showed that it’s now about substance.

Has Kamala Harris Entered Her Policy Era?

AP Dhillon performs at the 2024 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival in Indio, California (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Coachella)

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A language that isn’t as widely spoken as Hindi or Urdu is now the default export of the Indian subcontinent.