India

Vinyl Revival in India: A Slow but Steady Journey

"I feel like a child in a toy store," says Saji Pillai, who has never tired of the magic of making a vinyl record: engraving the mold, pressing the disc, and hearing the crackle of the first note under the needle.  In recent years, this seasoned professional in the music industry imported records from Europe for his own label or for film ...

Indian Female Directors Poised to Break Oscars Barriers

Despite Bollywood’s global popularity, the mammoth Hindi-language film industry has made barely a dent in the Academy Awards, with just 10 Indian Oscar wins since 1957. Kiran Rao hopes to change that with Lost Ladies, India’s official entry for Best International Film in 2025, which she says comes at a “special moment” for South Asian ...

‘Superboys of Malegaon’: DIY Filmmaking Triumphs in London

The bright lights of the British capital are a world away from Malegaon, a modest textile town in the backwaters of Maharashtra state in western India. Yet, the two have come together at this year’s London Film Festival, where the remarkable story of Malegaon's unlikely film industry success had its European premiere. Superboys of Malegaon, by ...

Indian Lawmaker and Ex-Minister Shot Dead in Mumbai

A senior politician in India's financial capital Mumbai was shot dead on Saturday, weeks ahead of key state elections, with police probing the role of a notorious crime gang. Baba Siddique, 66, a local lawmaker and former minister in Maharashtra state, was shot multiple times in the chest outside his son's office in Mumbai, Indian media ...

Bangladesh's PM Resigns and Flees Following Protests

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's 15-year rule ended on Monday as she fled more than a month of deadly protests and the military announced it would form an interim government. Hasina had sought to quell nationwide protests against her government since early July but she fled the country after brutal unrest on Sunday in which nearly 100 ...

India Investigates Blast Near Israeli Embassy

Indian authorities initiated on Tuesday an investigation into reports of an explosion near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi, which fortunately resulted in no casualties. Indian police were investigating reports of a blast near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi on Tuesday that did not cause any casualties. Officers cordoned off the embassy as they ...