Nazar - A South Asian Perspective

Despite its glass and steel exterior, for the most part, Pune’s down-to-earth-ness and simplicity are retained by its abundant street food culture...

Definitions are dogmas; only the conclusions drawn from them can afford us any new insight - Karl Menger There is a clear understanding in this world about things we know and things we do not. Yet there are those things that we don't even know that we don't know. Here, I ...

The summer of 2008, I embarked on a journey to the state of Assam, one of the most unreached regions in the Indian subcontinent. I came away with a different world view and my role in it. Nestled between China, Myanmar, and Bhutan, and connected to the rest of India by ...

After writing about a week on Tokyo, I figured...why wait for another +1 trip to write another travel article? I'll write one about my favorite city in the world, Bombay! First off, you must be a gutsy traveler who is willing to go off the beaten path and do things that ...

At a time when Pakistan is struggling to cope with rising Taliban insurgency, a group of Pakistani-Americans in Austin is coming together to ensure the nation's long term success. Founded in 2005, YOUR DIL aims to educate children, especially girls, in Pakistan...

It is only after the third time S has galloped up and down the mandapam(1) stairs that she realizes how unfit this activity is for the wearing of a sari(2). Six yards of silk had been coaxed into folds and drapes by hands far more skilled than hers. And now ...

In this age of gross capitalism and exponential consumerism, anything that makes business sense cannot be questioned and is placed on a sacred economic pedestal...

With an extensive background in photography – as an editorial photographer, photo-essayist and photo-educator – David Wells' work explores dualities in South Asia's evolving culture, where local tradition and history intersect with globalization...

While playing a word association game with my cousin, I said “Indian Politician”, and he quipped, “Old!” I marveled at the image that a seven year old has of our polity. For a country that claims to have a huge percentage of young people, political activism from this sectio

Four years ago, a group of young professionals living in New York with roots in Pakistan had a brilliant idea: they would help the children of their home country learn to read and write. At a time when most of the world considers literacy as much of a right as water ...

Like many South Asian Americans, I wade my way through the dense thicket of Indian aunties and the crying babies to get my Indian groceries. It's a small price that I readily pay to be an Indian in America. A single Indian grocery store is really nothing exciting. Yet the ...

When I first saw them, it looked like they'd pulled out all the stops. Their Muqala Muqabula began with a full cowboy costume and proceeded to thoroughly entertain the audience with glow-in-the-dark skeletons. I knew then that I wouldn't be averse to watching more Agni performances...

Click here to read a review of Taal '09

I believe that it has now become necessary for Universities around the world to have a 'Shoe Throwing 101' class for Journalism majors. Recently, a reporter called Jarnail Singh threw his shoe at Indian Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, only to miss his intended target...

It only takes one idea to change the world. Bill Gates, Mother Teresa, and the Wright brothers are proof, as are Hitler, Oprah, and Darwin. However, the world, like Douglas Adams' definition of space, is vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big, and several such people, and ideas, often go unnoticed...

It was the 26th of May, 2004. I got out of the car, overwhelmed by the heat. I wiped my sweaty brow with one of the handkerchiefs I was carrying (yes, it was that hot), and looked around. The vast Road Transport Office (RTO) head office campus next to the ...

Nino Kar started playing the classical guitar in the 7th Grade. He was trained by John Boeru, a guitar maestro from Romania. By senior year in High School, he had received the 1st place in division A in the State UIL as well as the rare and prestigious "Oustanding Performance" ...

Liked these photos? Click here to check out Maanit's online portfolio.

Lakshmi Narayana Chintapalli works as a Technical Architect in Tampa, Florida. He was trained in classical music by Tripurasundari Babu Rao and then later by Ratrapati award winner, Balasubramanya Sharma. After taking a break from singing, he is now back to pursuing his passion...

It's early in the day. I sit across this comfortable couch, detach my i-pod, mute my machine and do my beads....

By rights, any Thursday before Spring Break should have seen a dearth of attendance at practically any on-campus event. But outside the Union Ballroom on March 12, a sizeable crowd gathered, growing in strength as the doors opened for March Masti 2009...

For the past three years, Yuva for Sewa (YFS), a service internship of Sewa International USA, has attracted youth from various backgrounds to spend their summer vacations helping people in need...

His eyes closed, the master played notes in the alaap that resonated not only in the auditorium, but through your soul. His face expressed every nuance of the music flowing from his fingertips. The Ustad was not just playing the music, but physically living it. When I walked into St Edward's ...

When: Thursday, March 12th, 7-10.30pm Where: Ballroom (UNB 3.202) Free with student I.D. March Masti is an event that showcases the South Asian cultures and dance styles of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, and the Maldives...

Mera Piya Ghar Aaya [audio:http://nazaronline.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Mera Piya Ghar Aaya.mp3] Riyaaz, which means “to practice” in Hindi and Urdu, is an Austin-based Qawwali group...

Just when things could not possibly get worse, Pakistan's internal strife has turned into a state of affairs which can only be ignored at the peril of countries worldwide - starting with the United States and India. On February 16, 2009, Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, Chief Minister of ...

One of the two things most people learn to complain about at a very young age is how ridiculously incompetent every other driver on the road is. The second is how bad the roads are. I have seen the most soft-spoken person in the world resort to using the most ...

The latest national pastime in India seems to be attacking film producers over the names that they choose for their movies...

When I finished reading Ramachandra Guha’s India After Gandhi, for some reason I felt as if I’d just enjoyed a really good meal. Pick up most books about India’s history, and they draw to an end with the author’s flowery description of India celebrating her independence.

In light of AR Rahman’s recent achievement at the Golden Globes and BAFTA, I call for a need to give his career a closer look, as many are only now realizing what a big deal he is. Rahman stands sixth among the best selling musicians of all time with somewhere .

Film's working title: Deity Rescue. It is a short student film that will shot on 16mm in Austin, Texas. Story synopsis: A 6 year old boy Anbu meets a talking Ganesh who is totally frustrated with his tree life and convinces Anbu to take it home. Though Anbu is initially excited and ...

Nazar designer Sourav Biswas embarked on a whirlwind tour of North and South India recently, and returned with over 500 stunning pictures. This series of photos taken in Delhi is the first of a series that will include Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Qatar.

There is a lot being said and written on the consumerism boom that has been witnessed in India since the economy was opened up in 1991. I would like to add my two cents (or paise, in this case) to the Indian consumerism debate. I have classified the Indian consumer into ...

The film is at its core a muscular yet delicate, livid but innocent, humorous yet solemn account of the life of Sanjay Singhania. Sanjay, played by Aamir Khan, has two starkly contrasting personalities through the course of the movie, one being told as a narrative of ...

Before embarking on a new phase of life – the post-college “real world” as they call it – I wanted to stop and put my career goals into perspective. I wanted to push myself to understand how I fit into the bigger picture of India’s development and globalism. I

There is a lot being said and written on the consumerism boom that has been witnessed in India since the economy was opened up in 1991. I would like to add my two cents (or paise, in this case) to the Indian consumerism debate. I have classified the Indian consumer into ...

He was not born to be a cricketer and he did not elicit comparisons to the Almighty, but he was the embodiment of what every coach wanted his pupil to be, what every father wanted to see in his son. There is just so much to celebrate about Anil Kumble, more ...

None can undermine the contribution of Muslims in the entertainment business. Nor has there been any question about the contribution of the Muslim ethos – whether it be in commercial cinema or theater...

It was a complete contrast to the previous time I was there. There were hardly any people walking about, it was mostly quiet (devotional songs occasionally blasting from stereos) and there was a calm to the place. It had been a long and tiring journey (7 hours on road, following ...

Starring : Shahrukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Vinay Pathak Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is Yash Raj Film's highest ever grosser, so I was a little surprised when I got shown into the smallest theater of the complex. Adding to that the fact that I hadn't heard that many good things about ...

A few months ago, I was browsing through our university course catalog to register for my classes next spring. For no particular reason, I began looking for the names of professors which sounded South Asian. By the time I was done browsing the business and computer science catalogs, I had ...

The Taj Mahal is an exquisite example of Mughal architecture. In 1632, the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan ordered the construction of this monument and tomb for the love of his life, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj is covered with intricate carvings in marble with gemstone insets and is the largest tourist ...

The year ended with a victorious Indian team holding aloft the RBS cup. They've already been christened the number one Test Team by former England coach, David Lloyd and former India stumper, Farokh Engineer, is not the only person to believe that Indian Captain, Mahendra Singh ...

But only when one peeks into the lives of the poor and the stagnant and ponders over the perilous penalty that they are put through without reason or charge; when she parts the drape between herself and the pauper sitting on the pavement; when she sees the poor boy peeling ...

On November 26th, at approximately 9.40pm IST, an event unfolded that has left Bombay reeling in shock. This may not be the attack with the highest death toll, but it is certainly the best-planned and most gruesome attempt to bring Bombay to its knees. This is the most recent in ...

Click on a picture and use the arrow keys to navigate! Click here to read a review of Jhalak '08.

The 2008 Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be remembered for many things. Indian cricket bid farewell to two legends - Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble. Ishant Sharma staked his claim to be considered as the best bowler in the world by becoming the first Indian bowler to win a Man-of-the-Series award at .....

Co Written with Mrinalini Ranjan On October 30th, Nazar hosted its first event in the form of a talk on immigrant labor in global cities, presented by Dr. Biju Mathew. An Associate Professor at Rider University and one of the founders of the New York Taxi Workers' Alliance (NYTWA), Dr. Mathew ...

When I realized I would, yet again, be writing an A. R. Rahman review, I asked myself if I shouldn’t just give up and stop imposing my ridiculous standards on the poor man. Contrary to popular belief, he is only mortal. Yuvvraaj's trailers seem to advertise a half-baked Euro-Indian romance .

A brief preface As a member of the social justice community, I sometimes get asked to voice my perspective on various issues. The other day I served on a sexism panel for an "Intergroup Dialogue" class, a course housed by the Dean of Students Office which explores social identities and promotes .....

Dear Friends, I am prone to thinking I live my life right, and people don't like the implied arrogance in that statement, saying that "Oh, well no one can say they're right and everyone else is wrong" when, in fact, just the very way one lives his ...

I walked into the mostly unoccupied room which was the venue of the Asian American Presidential Debate. In spite of the low turnout, the atmosphere was purposeful and intense. There was a voter registration booth set up at the entrance and people handing out Obama bumper stickers and posters...

Longhorn Cricket Club hosts its 8 on 8 Cricket Tournament on Friday, April 11th.

I would recommend “The Vagina Monologues” for all women who want to understand and harness the unique power that they command: their sexual

"...an event like this one is extremely important to fill the vacuum that exists in today's political climate, where any sign of overt Islamicism is looked upon with suspicion by most Americans."