A Place in the Oscar sun for South Asians
Author: Lavina Melwani
Lavina Melwani
Lavina Melwani is a New York-based journalist who writes for several international publications. Twitter@lavinamelwani & @lassiwithlavina Sign up for the free newsletter to get your dose of Lassi!
Black History Month was celebrated at the Indian Consulate in New York to mark the close linkages and common struggles for freedom for both India and African nations.
It’s Holi! An appropriate time to share the exuberance of filmmaker Prashant Bhargavas’s film ‘Radhe Radhe’
On India Giving Day, you will have an opportunity to give – and get rich. Your wealth will come from the satisfaction of having helped the future of India and made a positive difference in lives – be it of the old or the very young just starting out in a challenging world.
“As many of you will come to know in the weeks and months ahead, the door to my office has a sign for all to see every time they walk through my doorway. The sign says, ‘Can’t Is Not an Option.’
These are the words of Nikki Haley, nee Nimrata Randhawa, the feisty new Governor of South Carolina, the Indian-American daughter of Punjabi immigrants. Haley, 38, has gone from being an obscure Southern legislator to a nationally known rising star on the Republican circuit.
Two dads and a daughter make for a very special love story
Foodie Paradise – Indian corn on the cob – take a bite!
Poona Diary – Republic Day in the Homeland – a song of saffron, green and white!
The three hour journey from Abu Dhabi to Delhi is made more satisfying with wine, nuts and food for someone slogging at blogging.
Over 300,000 Indian seniors long for their cultural roots in their sunset years.
Will they find them in a changing America?
a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a must – it is a testament to faith and reverence for the Almighty, and tolerance for all humanity. This majestic building set on Abu Dhabi Island has 82 domes of various sizes and the largest is located in the centre of the main prayer hall.
On New Year’s Eve I am in Dubai, doing something I’ve never done before – hot air ballooning!
May we all soar this year with our families, our hopes and aspirations! Read about my discovery of sunrise and the adventures of take-off and landing -sideways
Safe flights and happy 2023, full of hope and possibilities.
Dubai Diary: A Ringside Seat to the Burj Khalifa Merry Christmas from glittering Dubai where I’m with the family. A memorable first day having a ringside seat to the fabulous light and music show of the Burj Khalifa from our hotel.
It’s a short ride but you get glimpses of city side streets and the beautiful East River as the cable car descends to the other side, and commuters with babies and bicycles and families click photos. At night the view is dramatic, like a foreign country. and the city goes from prosaic to glamorous.
Asia Week New York 2023 Predicts a Colorful Spring The Flowering of Asian Art in New York Photos: Lavina Melwani With winter, snow and blizzards in the forecast for New York in the coming months, it is happy news to know that you can look forward to the warmth and beauty of art and schedule it on your calendar with the celebration of Asia Week New York 2023. There will be wonderful art from all parts of Asia, and this is a spring ritual since 14 years, with art lovers congregating in New York for an endless feast…
At Christmas, some beautiful images from Roberto Custodio, all created from recycled materials and old magazine images. What could be more meaningful than an article of faith regenerated from the embers of the old and the discarded?
Infant Jesus of Prague is a famous statue located in the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Mal Strana, Prague. Thousands of pilgrims pay homage to the Infant of Prague each year. Claims of blessings, favors and miraculous healings have been made by many who petitioned before the Infant Jesus.
We wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and peace in the New Year.
Christmas in Pune is special, says caricaturist Vikram Nandwani, because in his neighborhood people from all faiths join in on the celebrations, giving it a very local twist. “All Parsi Biryani joints go full house on Christmas Eve, People make Karanjis – a favorite Maharashtrian sweet made during Diwali – at home, and everyone – I mean everyone – comes out to the main markets in the evening to see the lights. The festivities end with kids being dragged into midnight mass.”
Work from home or go to the workplace? Questions, questions for everybody as this year winds down and a new one begins! Meanwhile have a very merry holiday season and hope Santa’s elves are working over-time to bring you whatever your heart desires! Maybe Santa can take an Uber if the reindeer revolt and insist on working from home.😉
In a changing economy & environment, it helps to have always been creative with very little. Every day at lunch break at the Convent of Jesus and Mary School in Delhi, India, hordes of ink-stained white-uniformed schoolgirls would surround me, salivating for a taste of my home-made lunch: aam ke achaar ke sandwiches.
Benjamin, the noted Indian-Jewish artist, left Bombay, now Mumbai, decades ago for America but the colors and ethos of India have become embedded into her art and her American life. Her unique works which are populated with blue figures reminiscent of the color of Krishna, the sky and water have been embraced by art collectors in America, Israel and India.