Home and the World: Sundaram Tagore goes Global

In an America which is increasingly insular and inward-looking, there is an Indian immigrant from Calcutta who celebrates diversity and embraces global cultures in New York.

A descendent of the great Rabindranath Tagore, Sundaram Tagore is an Oxford-
educated art historian, gallerist, and an award-winning filmmaker. This year marks 25
years of ground-breaking work, always promoting an East-West dialogue among artists,
art lovers and nations.

Rabindranath Tagore worked tirelessly through his life encouraging others to break free
from “narrow domestic walls,” as he put it, through social justice and a universalism that
merged the best ideas of East and West. Ta he family legacy is the world university
Viswa Bharti founded in 1921 in Santiniketan, based on humanism and a cross-cultural
ethos. Sundaram does the same through the language of art in his galleries in New
York, Singapore and London.

Sundaram’s father, Subhagendranath, known as Subho, was the great-grandson of
Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, Rabindranath’s older brother. Subho was one of
India’s first modernist painters, a poet and a magazine publisher. His art magazine was
named Sundaram, and when he got a son, he named him Sundaram.

The Tagore family was entrenched in traditional art and culture, and young Subho
rebelled against that, leaving the ancestral home in Jorasanko at the age of 26. After
living the Bohemian life in London, he distanced himself from the Bengal School, which
dominated the art scene in India, and formed the Calcutta Group in 1943 with Nirode
Mazumdar and other young artists such as Gopal Ghose and Kamala Das Gupta,
merging styles of the East and West in his work.

Like his father, Sundaram has always been drawn into the lure of many cultures, the
forks in the road, rather than the traditional path. The son of an Assamese mother and
having lived in varied cultures, he is at home in all.
“I’ve lived in eight different countries and in countless cities across the globe. The global
exposure, combined with my Indian heritage has changed my outlook profoundly,”
admits Sundaram.

“I currently live in New York, arguably the most global, multicultural and intellectually
dynamic city in the world. It’s a postmodern experiment in coexistence, in hybridity and
in rethinking identity. So, it made complete sense to build a gallery here that is
dedicated to cross-cultural dialogue and to art that transcends borders.”

When Sundaram opened his first gallery on Greene Street in SoHo in 2000, his mission
was to show that some of the best, most meaningful art was being created by artists
deeply engaged in cross-cultural explorations, artists of color, often ignored by the art
world.

In the blink of an eye 25 years have passed, and this year his gallery, now in the chic
new art district of Chelsea, is celebrating its milestone anniversary. There are no
borders at Sundaram Tagore’s eponymous gallery in Chelsea for on its walls you’ll see
the work of artists from countries as far apart as South Korea, Morocco, Iran and the
US. Tagore has gone ever more global in his embrace of artists whose work defies
cultural and geographic demarcations in their cross-cultural dialogue. Earlier he had
opened galleries in Los Angeles and Hong Kong, and currently he has two galleries in
New York, in Singapore and in London. He shows the art in all the major shows and
festivals internationally.

To mark this signature year, the Sundaram Tagore Gallery has mounted a landmark
exhibit of paintings, sculptures, photography and installations by more than thirty artists
who each share a humanity in their complex creations. These noted artists include Miya
Ando, Fre Ilgen, Ricardo Mazel, Golnaz Fathi, Nathan Slate Joseph, Trishla Jain, Susan
Weil, Lee Waisler, Hiroshi Senju, Sohan Qadri, Steve McCurry and Judith Murray.

Art lovers, friends and collectors had gathered for a joyful celebration to mark this
milestone anniversary, and events are to follow in the Sundaram Tagore Gallery in
Singapore as well as the one reopening in London in a new location in the spring.

Art is indeed the great unifier and proves that entire worlds can all be squeezed into the
confines of one room. As Tagore points out in the sumptuous book published on the 25 th
anniversary, “With every exhibition, our goal is to spark dialogue -to use art as a vehicle
to bring people together and remind them that more unites us than separates us.”
Sundaram is also an avid writer on art and an award-winning filmmaker. who had the
opportunity to interact with the great filmmaker, Satyajit Ray, as well as others. He has
made The Poetics of Color about the artist Natvar Bhavsar about 20 years ago which
was well received in the film festival circle. He next produced Louis Kahn’s Tiger City,
which debuted at the Museum of Modern Art. He is currently working on Art Matters, a
short narrative film with actors Nandita Das and Linus Roache.

He says, “I feel deeply connected to the story we have told, and in the way Nandita and
Linus and the rest of the team have brought it to life. It makes me hopeful that it can
spark some important conversations because in the end, it's not just about making art,
it's about making sure that art matters in all its complexity, diversity and truth. “

Face to Face with Sundaram Tagore

I had first interviewed Sundaram Tagore in the 80’s when he had not yet opened his
galleries and was a Director of South Asian art at the Pace Wildenstein Gallery. I sat
down with him again, 25 years later, to discuss his art journey.
Excerpts from the interview:
How important has Rabindranath Tagore legacy been in your life? Any memories
you can share?

Rabindranath Tagore’s legacy has had a profound and deep personal influence on my
life, not just through the artistic and literary genius, but through the broader cultural,
philosophical and ethical questions that he raised, which shaped family for generations,
and the fact that he always talked about social responsibility. Not to just function in
isolation but always consider the disadvantaged.

This has been a deeply influential thought process throughout the family, even now.
Regarding its influence, I would say that the story of the legacy doesn’t begin with
Rabindranath alone. It goes back to his grandfather, one of the earliest Indian
industrialists and financiers, who laid the foundation for modern banking and railway
and shipping in India. He was a visionary ahead of his time, an entrepreneur,
philanthropist and cosmopolitan, who built bridges between East and West at a time
when such exchanges were rare.

So, as you can understand, Rabindranath, in many ways, was a synthesis of this
lineage of his grandfather and his father, who was a deeply spiritual being. So, the
Tagore household was an extraordinary environment, a place where East and West,
tradition and modernity, art, literature, music and social reform thrived.
I was born in the 60s, so it was my father who was essentially the last of the Tagore to
grow up in that house. And being a rebellious individual, he had many interactions with
Rabindranath Tagore—some on a confrontational level. 

Can you share any anecdote to show his interactions with the older Tagores?

One interesting story that I know from my father, he had just come back from England
and bought this car called Lancia Lambda, and he would speed through the streets. And
in order to get to drive, he went to Chandanagar, a French enclave in Bengal. When he
came back, his car wasn’t functioning as well, so he got together directly below the main
house where all his cousins and friends and family members gathered, and he was
banging away the car to try and fix it. Rabindranath Tagore opened the window and
said, “Who is making that racket?”

Once he went inside after shutting the window, my father told his brother, Rathindranath
Tagore, who is a son of Rabindranath, “At least I managed to stop the old man from
writing another epic!” That story makes me laugh because it shows no matter who you
are or how important you are, family dynamics are as they are.
But in all seriousness, our family has never focused on wealth accumulation. They had
a lot of wealth at one point, but they have always emphasized social regeneration,
believing in the imperative to uplift the underprivileged and serve a greater collective
purpose. 

How did your father continue Rabindranath Tagore’s legacy?

That spirit was embodied in many ways by my father, Subho Tagore, the founder
member of the Calcutta Group, which was India first collective. And this was formed
soon after he returned from England after interacting with some of the folks from the
Bloomsbury Group in London. My father was an artist, a poet, a bohemian, who
continued the Tagore legacy in its commitment to humility, accessibility and social
conscience. In short, Rabindranath Tagore’s legacy is not just historical, it’s lived, felt
and practiced in our daily lives.

Sundaram Tagore, you are that rare Indian gallerist who promotes not only Indian
art, but also global artists and sculptures, and you celebrate life and Indian spirit.
How did that come about?

I would say it really stems from understanding the Indian identity at its core is inherently
pluralistic and deeply cosmopolitan. If you look at Indian history, from the ancient
Aryans to the to the Greeks and Scythians and central Asians and Arabs, and later the
Europeans, such as the Dutch, the Danes, the Portuguese, the French and the English,
all have been part of India in some form. India has always been also a crossroads of
cultures. So, miscegenation, both genetics and culture, has been the norm, not the
exception. We have not only absorbed external influences, but we have also enriched
and transformed them. India has long been part of a global dialog, trading ideas, aesthetics, and philosophies across continents. So, in that context, what I’m doing as a gallerist, in a small way, is nothing radical. Its just a natural extension of that tradition unfolding. 

What has been the biggest challenge of operating international galleries
promoting diverse artists and marching to your own drummer?

One of the biggest challenges has been navigating the tension between artistic vision
and the commercial realities of global art market when you’re committed to promoting
culturally diverse, often underrepresented voices and creating a space for genuine
cross-cultural dialog, you’re often going against the grain of what is considered
marketable or fashionable in the mainstream art world, especially at the top end, where
it can be very trend driven.

There’s often pressure to conform to established taste or represent artists that cater to a
narrow collector demographic, but I’ve always chosen to champion artists whose work
has cultural, philosophical or historical depth, even if they don’t fit neatly into the market.
Prioritizing can be a tough road financially and logistically, especially when operating
across multiple countries with vastly different audiences, economies and regulatory
systems.

There’s also the challenge of educating audiences or indigenous communities, and in
some ways, it can be a challenge staying true to a vision that’s not defined by market
forces. That requires resilience. There are moments of doubt, there are definitely
financial pressures, but I believe that art has a role far beyond decoration or investment.
It is a tool for dialogue, for empathy, for expanding the way we see the world, and that
belief continues to guide everything we do at Sundaram Tagore Gallery. 

So, at a time when America is closing its doors and becoming more inward
looking, you are celebrating diversity and openness.

Yes, and I see that as not just a choice, but a responsibility. At a time when the
divisiveness, nationalism and fear of ‘other’ are rising globally, not just in America, it
becomes even more essential to create spaces that celebrate the differences, fosters
dialogue, and reminds us of our shared humanity.

(Lavina Melwani is a New York based journalist for several publications and blogs
at Lassi with Lavina. This interview first appeared in The Week.)

The post Home and the World: Sundaram Tagore Goes Global first appeared on Lassi With Lavina.

From an Unknown Cook to Time’s 100 Most Influential People

Vikas Khanna has been selected by Time magazine among this year’s 100 most influential people in the world. Maybe it’s his winning smile or his loving involvement with every human being who comes on his radar, but the award-winning chef of Bungalow has definitely got a secret magic talisman which makes him a total crowd pleaser.

I first met Vikas Khanna in the 1990’s when he was still working in a small restaurant called Poornima. His saga is a story of struggles, a rags to riches fairy tale but it’s also a true tale of grit and determination, where he literally pulled himself up by his bootstraps. Vikas was born with a clubfoot in a middle-class family in Amritsar at a time when cooking skills in a male got no respect – they were just derided as cooks and were certainly not ‘chefs’ or celebrities.

Watch this video to learn in his own words about Vikas Khanna’s early struggles.

Vikas came to America in his 20’s, lived in a homeless shelter for a while, cleaned homes and worked in ordinary back-kitchen jobs in Indian restaurants. He finally went on to become the Michelin winning chef at Junoon, the celebrity chef of the highly popular ‘Master Chef’ and rose in New York’s culinary world, gaining recognition from the prestigious James Beard Foundation to all the top international publications. Vikas has consistently helped raise the profile of Indian cuisine in America and across the globe. He has cooked for world leaders, VIPS, the UN and for six American presidents.  And as if cuisine was not enough, Vikas has written scores of books, and award-winning shorts and features starring noted names like Neena Gupta and Shabana Azmi.

From his mother, Bindu Khanna, Vikas learned, as a child, to cook for and serve and feed the unknown masses at langar in the Golden Temple. This divine spark, this dedication to humanity has remained his mantra and during COVID, he became almost a lifeline between two continents, a one-man army feeding desperate people in many regions of India.

And so, this month, it was happy personal news to hear that Vikas Khanna had bought a new home. A beautiful apartment in the very luxury Manhattan building where he once used to clean homes! An invitation to visit him in this gorgeous new home near the United Nations was one not to be missed. About 50 other guests were there and Vikas was the perfect host at this event which he had co-hosted with Sree Sreenivasan and Roopa Unnikrishnan.

Vikas had called this afternoon a Mango Brunch and guests got to sample beautiful Alphonso mangoes from India as well as mango lassi and several snacks and desserts made with mango. It was almost like climbing up one 0f those vast, shady fruit-laden trees in a mango orchard in India, for guests sat down on the ground (the furniture had not yet been installed) and listened to Vikas’ magical stories about life and people.

And just like in a real mango orchard, we all managed to get a selfie with the  King of Mangoes himself – and be handed the gift of a real, fresh mango straight from the orchards of India!

The afternoon had to finally end because Vikas Khanna had to return to his first love – Bungalow, the restaurant which is completing its second year but has already become a part of New York City’s life and folklore. His much loved sister Radha, whom he lost, was the inspiration behind Bungalow, and Vikas has created it in her image and memory. Like her, it is a force of nature, and so much more than just a place to eat. Many are still waiting to get tables in this always booked restaurant. Outside, crowds, who have no reservations, often gather to meet the chef and get tastings.

Every Indian holiday is celebrated at Bungalow so that it has become a part of the Indian identity with its outdoor celebrations of Indian dance, music and culture. Vikas Khanna likes to call Bungalow not a restaurant but a temple to the Indian spirit. And that perhaps is its secret of success.

http://www.bungalownyc.com

Related Articles:

Vikas Khanna’s Himalayan Journey

Vikas Khanna is New York’s Hottest Chef

The post From an Unknown Cook to Time’s 100 Most Influential People first appeared on Lassi With Lavina.

Surrender to the Joy of Music with Grammy winner Falu Shah

It is her inborn language from birth and it comes from the heart. She learned the language of Hindustani music in childhood and has introduced it to major international stages from the Grand Ole Opry to the White House to Carnegie Hall.

Meet Falguni Shah, known to the world as Falu, who comes from an unbroken lineage of 11 generations of Indian classical musicians. She has won Grammys and has performed with major names like Yo-Yo Ma and Philip Glass. In her newest concert Surrender which premiered at the iconic Carnegie Hall in April, she has something for everyone – the diehard classical music fans, the newbies who are just learning about Indian music and its many avatars from classical ragas to thumris to ghazals to the modern music of pan-Indian cinema.

Surrender was sponsored by the Indian Consulate which is the home away from home for so many Indians and the chief guests were CG Binay Pradhan and his wife Mona Lisa. The audience included many New Yorkers from the cultural world and beyond.

Her versatile band comprises of  Gaurav Shah, Avirodh Sharma, Patrick Thompson, Soumya Chatterjee and Nishaad Shah. The newest edition is her own son Nishaad who becomes the 12^th generation to carry on the family musical tradition.

Surrender is a delightful soundscape with many instruments from the sarangi to violin, harmonium and accordion, bansuri and tanpura. As Falu shared with the audience, “I also wanted to share that this instrument that I took out today after 27 years is 150 years old. It is a tanpura that has passed on to me from my teacher’s teacher.”

What was truly wonderful was that before each session Falu or her partner and husband, Gaurav Shah, explained in lucid language the story behind the ghazal or the raga, thus making it even more enjoyable to non-Hindi speakers. As Falu explained to the audience, “Ragas are melodic soundscapes that are shaped by subtle movements of notes and microtones. And each raga, each melodic scale, carries with it its own mood, its own time of day, its own feeling. There are ragas for midnight. There are ragas for waking up early. There are ragas for evening romance. There’s a raga for everything. There’s supposed to be 33,000 ragas but most musicians know about a thousand.”

 If one wondered where Bollywood and filmi music fit into the kaleidoscope of Indian music, Falu had an explanation, “Merged the last century theater soon after, Indian cinema, this became the heart of popular culture after India’s independence, for a nation that was rebuilding its spirit, this cinema offered joy, imagination, emotional connections. Families were gathered in dark theaters, surrendering to melons that carried both hope and heartbreak of a young nation. Through film, India began to sing together across regions, across generations and across beliefs. Cinema brought music to millions. Many of the melodies in it were inspired by something much older, music of the land itself. This was folk and regional music, shaped not by formal rules, but by rhythms of the daily life.”

As Surrender travels to different cities in the US, there is a chance to catch it and enjoy an evening of calm and happiness. The world may be stressful right now, but in the haven of the concert hall one can get a respite. There is peace and harmony.

Face to Face with Falu Shah

1. Singers aspire to perform at the iconic Carnegie Hall. How has your journey been and what is your special connection with the famous space?

Performing at Carnegie Hall is a dream that many singers hold close to their hearts, and I’m no exception. My journey has been one of deep passion, persistence, and a constant desire to grow both musically and spiritually. Carnegie Hall holds a very special place for me; it represents not just artistic excellence, but also a space where stories, cultures, and emotions come alive through music. Each time I step on that stage, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and connection.

2. Tell me about Surrender – what do you hope audiences will take away from it?

Surrender is a deeply personal and spiritual offering. At its core, it is about letting go, trusting the journey, and opening oneself to something greater than the self. Through this work, I hope audiences feel a sense of peace, connection, and introspection. If even a few people walk away feeling more centered or uplifted, I feel I have fulfilled its purpose.

At the same time, Surrender is also a musical journey through the evolution of Indian music itself, from its origins in three notes, to seven, then twelve, and ultimately to the rich 22-note melodic system that includes microtones developed over millennia. In this way, the work invites listeners to connect not only spiritually, but also historically and culturally, tracing the depth and beauty of Indian music across centuries.

3. How are you carrying on ancient traditions while living in a very contemporary city like New York?

 My special guest for this performance is my son, Nishaad, who is 15 years old and currently a sophomore in high school. Having him debut at Carnegie Hall alongside me was an incredibly emotional and fulfilling moment. He represents the 12th generation of our musical lineage, carrying forward a deeply rooted oral tradition passed down through our family for generations.

Witnessing him embrace this heritage with such sincerity, dedication, and depth gives me a profound sense of peace and gratitude. Knowing this music will continue through him, just as it has for the past 11 generations, is truly moving. Sharing the stage with him—sitting side by side as he performed for the first time at Carnegie Hall, was not just a proud moment as a parent, but a deeply spiritual one as an artist. It was, without a doubt, one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.

 4. How do you bring the spirit of Surrender into your daily life?

 The spirit of surrender is something I try to practice daily, though it is always a work in progress. In both life and art, there are so many moments that call for trust, patience, and acceptance. Surrender, for me, is about embracing uncertainty with grace and allowing creativity and life to flow naturally rather than forcing outcomes.

5.What’s next for you and your band?

Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue creating work that bridges tradition and contemporary expression, and that brings people together through meaningful storytelling. I look forward to touring globally with Surrender and spreading the joy that music gives to audiences worldwide.

www.falumusic.com

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New York Diary

Meet Zohran Mamdani in Union Square in Manhattan

If you’re a Zohran Mamdani fan/believer or merely hankering for a connect with the new mayor, take a subway to Union Square. You won’t actually see him there, but you’ll get all the Zohran merch your heart desires – from sweatshirts to caps to stickers to Hot Girls for Zohran tees!

 Yes, amongst the art vendors, fruit sellers, street musicians and chess players, now there is a Zohran store catering to the walkers, dawdlers and lovers of the historic Union Square Park and the surrounding area. Hard to believe that this national historic site was once a burial ground.  It is now a celebration of being alive.

This historic park has been an important meeting ground for citizens. It has sombre statues of Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson and Mahatma Gandhi. Now we can also get Mayor Zohran Mamdani tee shirts here which people can take home and wear every day. True democracy!

On a recent visit in search of the hugely popular farmer’s market, I got immersed in the vitality of the area and found the Zohran merch stall was the new kid on the block. The vendor who jokingly introduced himself as Tupac, said he had started the venture just before the new mayor came into office and he has been doing a bustling business since then, every day. Did he vote for the mayor, I asked. He said, “I did but if you didn’t vote for him because you couldn’t vote, you voted for him in your heart.”

So, the next time you want to multitask three things in one go – get your steps in with a walk in the park, listen to street musicians play a concert and  browse some Mamdani Mayor merch – get yourself to Union Square! 

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/union-square-park/history

Related  Articles:

Zohran Mamdani’s Inauguration: Humanity & Hope in New York

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Our Communities:

Gender Equality – an Aspiration for India and the Diaspora

Women were centerstage this month and women from India and Indian women from the Diaspora had come together at the Consulate of India to celebrate International Women’s Day together. The special guest was the Honorable Minister of State (WCD) Smt. Savitri Thakur, and her delegation from India, who gave a report card on the progress Indian women had made over the years and celebrated their empowerment.

The literacy rate, which was 8 percent in 1951 is now 75 percent and women’s life expectancy has increased from 41 to 74 years.  There are over 9 million self-help groups which benefit over 100 million families, especially in rural areas.

As the host, Consul General of India, Binaya Pradhan, noted, Indian women had made great strides in corporations, academia and science, as well as in self-help groups: “India has created the world’s largest pipeline for women in public office. Today, if you look at the numbers, out of total elected members in Panchayati Raj and municipal system, 14 lakhs are women. 1.4 million women are elected into the municipal system in India today, which is roughly 49% of the total elected officials. Recently, the parliament brought an amendment which takes 33% reservation, both at federal parliament and state assemblies for women. So that’s bringing Indian women right to the top in decision making at every level.”

Nika Shukla, of Bhartiya Stree Shakti, who serves  as the coordinator of the National Short Film Festival, shared the spirit behind their theme, rewriting the stereotypes. “ For nearly four decades, Bhartiya Stree Shakti has worked to advance gender equality across India. Through this journey, we believe that true equality is difficult to achieve by uplifting women alone, but can be achieved by active participation of men.”

As she added, “It is an invitation to redefine the muscularity of our times. It encourages men to embrace empathy, to express emotions without fear, and to share responsibilities with pride. This theme is not about criticizing men; it’s about freeing them from the stereotypes that limit their duality. For generations, society has handed men an unwritten script, one that asked them to be strong but silent, successful but emotionally restrained, responsible but never vulnerable. This script has shaped families, workplaces and communities in ways we rarely question. But today, as the world evolves, the script must also evolve.”

 By bringing this conversation at an international level platform, they hope to build a narrative that supports healthier men, women, relationships, stronger families and this shift strengthens the social fabric.

Grammy winner Falu Shah, who was part of the panel discussion, noted the importance of art and culture to perpetuate or end unhealthy stereotypes: ‘What we portray in cinema, music, in art, affects not only this generation, but also the next generation. So if we are going to portray partnership, respect and love towards other other people – it could be men or women – that’s what the cinema will portray. That is what the younger generation, the next generation, will inherit. So, the responsibility for an artist is actually greater because what we say becomes the story, what we show in films becomes the reality for so many people. So that’s a very big lesson that we as artistes have to remind ourselves every day, every minute, when we create a song, when we make a movie. Make sure you remember that what you’re creating has a ripple, not just for now, for the present – but for the future.”

All the panelists discussed the bright possibilities for women both in India and the globe but agreed there is a lot of room for growth. Falu stressed the importance of women’s solidarity and of women helping women through their self-help organizations: “I think when a woman helps a woman, we grow much more so instead of being threatened by each other, let’s today make a vow. Let’s say I’m a sister. I’m behind you. Go fly, and if you fall, we’re going to be right behind you – so don’t be afraid to fall.”

This feel good celebratory session was followed by a high tea with – what else – Masala chai, pani puri, samosas, mango lassi, paneer pakoras and all the delights of Indian food. The hall was a blast of multicolored sarees and women from all walks of life – artists, politicians, doctors, consultants, lawyers, Columbia students, writers – all happy to network and celebrate Indian womanhood.

Related Article: This essay is from 2014 

Click and watch the video

International Women’s Day – Some Thoughts

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International Women’s Day – Women Standing Up for Women….

I was on my walk on the New York waterfront, when a young woman handed me a tulip. It was a lovely feeling to be recognized and seen by another woman – not as a Valentine, not as a mother but as just another woman on a journey to create happiness, face struggles and understand the world. The young woman was Urmi from Uzbekistan and she had two other friends carrying bags of tulips, giving them to random women for being women, and so special. Well, of course we became friends in this age of social media. I took the tulip home and lovingly placed it in water. I look forward to seeing it bloom tomorrow! I pass the joy of being united to all women out there!

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People

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit – The Missing Woman – Do We Know Her at All?

We’ve all seen that famous photograph of Mahatma Gandhi and India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru – but did you know that there was a third person in that picture who was edited right out of the picture? 

 In the original photo, you will see the person who was left out, and who remained just a footnote in history. This being March, Women’s History Month, I should tell you that this canceled person was, of course, a woman – Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Nehru’s sister, radiant in an all-white homespun sari and a sleeveless blouse.

As Manu Bhagavan, author of The Remarkable Madame Pandit, a new biography of this missing woman, says, “There were three who were part of that moment, but she was sliced right out of it, erased from the public memory of that moment, and thus from the history of the photograph. She was not much more than a footnote in most accounts, just as reflected in the edited version of this photograph.”

Yet this was an amazing woman with many accomplishments – if only she had been a man, she would have made the front pages of history!

 What did she do? Says Bhagavan, “Answering this question is where things really get interesting and in a sense, overwhelming. For she seemed to be involved with everything, everywhere, all at once.”

For instance, she had audiences with British royalty right from a young age and grew quite close to members of the British aristocracy, even as she challenged the might of the British Empire alongside Mahatma Gandhi and went to prison several times for her efforts. She was detained for the attempted assassination of Mussolini in the 20s; she bashed appeasement and warned of the dangers of fascism in Britain the day before Winston Churchill made his famous remarks to Parliament; she worked with the powerful women of history including Margaret Sanger, Golda Meir and Madame Chang Kai-shek.

Madame Pandit, as she was known, was the first woman cabinet minister in the British Empire to hold substantial portfolios; president of the All India Women’s Conference; India’s first ambassador to the United Nations; India’s first ambassador to the Soviet Union; a member of India’s Constituent Assembly; the first woman ambassador to the United States; the first woman president of the UN General Assembly; and the first woman ambassador as high commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was witty and personally a delight to be with and had fans in disparate parts of the world. She engaged with everyone from Mao Tse Tung and Charles de Gaulle to Konrad Adenauer and Kwame Nkrumah. She had discourses with Gandhiji, the Father of the Nation, had a smoke with Mao Tse Tung and traded barbs and quips with Winston Churchill.

She was one of the funniest, wittiest, warmest people around, says Bhagavan. “Everybody loves her wherever she goes, and that’s how she’s able to win friends, including with people you wouldn’t think she could win friends with. Marlon Brando named her the woman he admired most in the world. Robert Oppenheimer asked her for assistance in preventing nuclear disaster, and then she told President Kennedy not to go to Dallas.”

Manu Bhagavan’s book, The Remarkable Madame Pandit  was published in India (Penguin) and in the US by Columbia University Press. This is just the latest in an impressive collection of books that he has written, including The Peacemakers: India and the Quest for One World (2012) and India and the Cold War (2019).Bhagavan is Professor of History, Human Rights, and Public Policy at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, the City University of New York, where he is also Senior Fellow at the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies. 

The New York community got to interact with Bhagavan at a lively salon organized by Sree Sreenivasan at his home near the UN. It was a gathering of writers, filmmakers, academics and public policy advocates and all were engrossed by this story of a woman whom they barely knew by name, a strong woman before her time,  and who had somehow toppled off the map of the world. This biography is Bhagavan’s effort to install her in her rightful place in history.

For those intrigued by Madame Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit and her disappeared status in history, Bhagavan’s comprehensive and deeply researched book sets the record right and tells us all that we need to know about her.

Many of the reviews of this book acknowledge the power of Madame Pandit. As Daisy Rockwell, International Booker Prize-winning translator of Tomb of Sand, writes: Sidelined by the “great men” school of history writing, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit is brought to life in this vividly written and painstakingly researched biography. You’ll find yourself eagerly turning the pages to learn what happens next in a story you thought you already knew.”

We’ll give Booker prize-winning author Kiran Desai the last word here: “With this illuminating biography, Manu Bhagavan restores Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit to the pantheon of extraordinary individuals who created a modern India according to their noble vision of international human rights. Written in lucid prose with a scholar’s unflinching eye, this is yet a deeply affectionate portrait of a complex woman, and a masterful recreation of a thrilling period in history.”

Books

The Remarkable Madame Pandit can also be purchased directly from Columbia with a 20% discount using the code CUP20:

https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-remarkable-madame-pandit/9780231564243/

The post Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit – The Remarkable Woman the World Forgot first appeared on Lassi With Lavina.

New York Diary

Can CHAT-GPT tell you about your personality and the chaat you want to eat?

Trust the brains behind AI to come up with a fun game to tell you about your personality and the street food or chaat you’re most likely to enjoy. At a fun event on Sunday at the Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) ChatGpt and ChaatGPT came together in a delicious free community event where you got to eat chaat and learn about AI. Sitting at a computer you first filled in a survey and AI spit out the street food most suited to you – samosa chaat, pani puri, vada bun or dahi puri!

Playful yet serious, the program included a workshop about open source AI, presented by Prashast Thapan, examining how open and closed AI models differ, with attention to transparency and data literacy. Rather than promoting any platform, the event invited participants to better understand how these systems work and the choices available when deciding whether and how to engage with them.

The lines were long to find out one’s personality quirks but everyone was rewarded with the street food of their choice and then welcomed to go in for seconds and thirds of all the other chaats. CHATGPT is smart  – it knows Indians may prefer one or the other street food but ultimately they will devour any and all!

Delicious chaat was provided by Maa Ka Dhaba – mom’s restaurant – which is based in Brooklyn – and it actually had a real mom and pop who actually own the restaurant, creating the chaat. Their son Angad served the food and explained the nuances to all the first-timers who were experiencing the chaat for the first time.  

This was followed by the fascinating talk by  Prashat Thapan, the founder of Pariah Interactive, a creative studio shaping contemporary digital culture.  Gabo Arora gave the welcome news that more such evenings are planned as this is part of MoMI LAB, the Museum of the Moving Image’s new  initiative dedicated to AI and emerging technologies, and Open Worlds 2026. Lassi with Lavina will keep you in the loop!

Later, the Holi celebration continued with a screening of the classic Bollywood film Silsila starring Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Jaya Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor. The film seems a bit melodramatic so many years later but of course the highlight is the sizzling chemistry between Amitabh and Rekha, whose last film together this was. The picturization of the Rang Bharse song in Amitabh’s rich, one-of-a-kind sonorous voice. It is now the unofficial national anthem of Holi and adds so much to any celebration!

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This Holi, ChatGPT, ChaatGPT– and Amitabh Bachchan too!

The post Can CHAT-GPT predict your personality, peeves and passions? first appeared on Lassi With Lavina.

Hyderabadi Zaiqa takes Manhattan, One Biryani at a Time.

By Lavina Melwani

This is a tale of how three unknown chefs with unknown names conquered New York’s food world with Hyderabadi Ziaqa.

Hyderabadi Zaiqa? What’s that? It’s the new kid on the block in New York’s ever churning, unstoppable food universe. It’s the restaurant Zohran Mamdani named as one of his favorites and visited at least seven times during his mayoral run.

Mayor Mamdani loves biryani and haleem and any restaurant which is so close to the 6 subway line is bound to be close to his heart. But it’s also won over the top food critics and been anointed with a Michelin 2025 notation. New York Times recognized it in 2424 among the 100 best NYC restaurants and critic Pete Wells wrote, “Biryani is the pride of Hyderabadi cuisine and the point of Hyderabadi Zaiqa. More than a dozen are available, from a staunchly traditional and ferociously spiced dum biryani augmented with slow-roasted goat to the Chicken 65 biryani, featuring a spicy, lava-red chicken invented several years ago at a hotel in Chennai.” Eater magazine marked it among the 38 best restaurants in New York, while Bloomberg called it the most affordable restaurant in New York.  

Indeed, in these tough financial times, affordability is key as every visit to any restaurant seems to cost an arm and a leg and a big bite of your credit card! Browse the abundant menu at Hyderabadi Zaiqa and the prices seem to be surprisingly and modestly old-fashioned, where it’s possible for a middle-class family to feast and even splurge on dessert.

So, what’s going on here and what’s all the commotion about? Why are people so excited about a humble eatery which in its earlier avatar in Hell’s Kitchen was hardly bigger than a closet? These chefs don’t have celebrity status and are hardly 30-something. They are even younger than our young mayor – so I decided to go and investigate.

How the Biryani-Wallas Conquered Manhattan

Hyderabadi Zaiqa is wedged in a line of small nondescript Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani restaurants on Lexington Avenue, affectionately known as Curry Hill and Little India.   The eatery is by no means luxe or uber stylish but is a fun, casual canteen with a spunky splash of yellow, cheerful, especially on a New York winter afternoon. Red stools and a Biryani map of India on the wall set the mood, and copper bowls and cutlery  make the meal relaxed, a whiff of upscale!

The three chefs came to the US when they were 20-somethings and hail from different parts of India. Chef Muhammad Tarique Khan is from Rourkela in Odisha and his co-partners, Chef  Jayesh Naik and Rahul Vaze are both from Mumbai.

Journeying from India to America, each struggled and searched their way through the food world until finally Hyderabadi Zaiqa became their very first independent venture, a testament to the guts and creativity of immigrant dreamers.

“When I was growing up, I’d always see my grandmothers, my mother, my sister cooking – but I would never see my father cooking!” recalls Chef Tarique, whom I interviewed recently. He had to temporarily leave school at the age of 13 due to a family financial situation and work in a butcher shop which provided meat to several hotels. This was an eye-opener, for when he went for delivery, he’d see the large mark-ups the restaurants made.  So, what initially attracted him to the hospitality industry was the profits, but when he actually entered the business he realized it was an honor: “You are serving community – you are connecting people through food. If you want to touch anyone’s heart, if your food is good, people will connect with you very fast. That’s why when I was 13, I had already decided that I would feed people.”

While working part time, Tarique eventually finished school and graduated from the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) Bhubaneswar. He worked with Park Hyatt in Hyderabad which sent him to different metros in different regions from Cochin to Kolkota to learn different techniques.

“I was always eating food over there, and always making food, creating food,” he recalls. His curiosity and love of food made him absorb everything, but it was really  Hyderabadi cuisine he wanted to promote, since it all started with his grandmother’s Dum Hyderabadi Biryani.

Eight years ago, when he came to the US, he was working with Hyderabad House and opened almost 22 locations promoting Hyderabadi cuisine, starting out in Columbus, Ohio, and moving on to Kansas and Chicago, setting up the kitchens and training the workers.

At that time Priyanka Chopra’s restaurant Sona in New York had just opened and was creating a buzz. Tarique was referred to by a friend, and was selected for the kitchen after an interview, working there for one and a half years.

While in college, he had heard about the acclaimed restaurant 11 Madison Park and had always wanted to work there. “So, I went there twice and both times they rejected me, according to my experience. Later on, I tried once again and they took my trial, and they gave me an opportunity to work there as a line cook. I worked there for one and a half years and learned so much. Now I understand why people pay $300- $350 just for one course there!”

In the meantime, his would-be partner Jayesh Naik was also trudging his way to success. He had also picked up cooking from his mother and grandmother. His grandma, who is now 90 and lives in Vasai, a coastal village in Mumbai, still cooks his favorite Konkani fish curry. That love of cooking led him to work in India at ITC Maurya before he came to the US. Here he worked for several caterers promoting Indian food.

The two chefs met during Covid times, and both found themselves cooking in Parsippany for Indian students who needed affordable food. As they came to know the community and people started appreciating their food, they decided the time was right to open a restaurant in New York.  As there were many fine dining restaurants, they felt the real need was for affordable food of good quality. Tarique, while working for upscale restaurants, would then put in after-hours as a delivery person for Grubhub and DoorDash. Encountering different segments of the food universe, he tried to understand what people really want from Indian food and what was missing in New York.

At Hyderabadi Zaiqa, remembering their own journey, the chefs have kept the prices affordable and the food fresh, a real taste of home. The location ensures they have a captive audience: regular customers and some are daily visitors, picking up both lunch and dinner. Many work in the area and there are students from NYU and Columbia, and workers of tech companies in the area. At their 52^nd street location in Hell’s Kitchen, they take no reservations and takeout is offered for theater goers and tourists from the miniscule location. From just three partners who still do all the cooking, their staff now has expanded to 30 workers.

Tarique says their inspiration is the people they feed: ordinary people, immigrants from South Asia, who are longing for a genuine taste from home. Besides keeping the prices low, they also bring in the authentic dishes people are missing and don’t find everywhere such as home-made alu mattar or bindi masala, cooked with spices imported from India, many from Hyderabad. Besides the signature Hyderabadi cuisine with its halal and spicy flavors, they have made space for comfort foods like Indo-Chinese and North Indian foods. “We explore the opportunities and provide what people really want and enjoy.”

The biryanis include the Hyderabadi iconic dum goat biryani besides chicken, lamb, fish and shrimp biryanis. The  Avakai chicken biryani has mangos in it while the Gangura Chicken Biryani is flavored with the aromatic gangura leaves. Fortunately for vegetarians like me, there are vegetarian versions, including a paneer biryani.

I spent an afternoon with the chefs and their staff, starting my initiation with thick, milky Iranian tea which is found in so many Irani cafes in Mumbai but which I’ve never tasted here. While Hyderabadi Zaiqa is known for its meat dishes like biryanis, kebabs and haleem, I was happy, as a vegetarian, to find many plant-based dishes. I ate the baigara bagan and biryani, without which any wedding in Hyderabad is incomplete. Who can resist Gobi Vupudu or Paneer Tikka or four different types of vegetarian biryani? Strolling through the bustling kitchen, one could see the happy camaraderie of the Biryani Wallas.

The road to Hyderabadi Zaiqa has been tough, for starting a small business in New York is no joke.  They pooled in their savings and invested in their first restaurant – but they were first rejected by 30 landlords! Having no mentors or investors, it took almost four months to get the location they wanted but finally they found a landlord who believed in them. Mr. Chu, an immigrant like them, had himself come to the US in 1960, and struggled like them.  Today he owns 50 buildings all over the city and has been a virtual godfather to them.

This March they open their third Hyderabadi Zaiqa, right next to the one with just three tables on 52^nd Street – this time it is a massive 60 seater where they will take reservations but will keep the prices affordable. They have no intentions of hiring a head chef or offering alcohol. The three strugglers from India have kept to their values and have climbed to the top of the Biryani Mountain, a source of pride to their grandmas. Hyderabadi cuisine Jai Ho!

More information at hyderabadizaiqa.com

The post Hyderabadi Zaiqa takes Manhattan, One Biryani at a Time. first appeared on Lassi With Lavina.

New York Diary

ChatGPT, ChaatGPT, Chaat BOTs – and Amitabh Bachchan too!

In this AI-driven age, we all know what is ChatGPT – but do you know what is ChaatGPT? It is an AI-powered Holi celebration combining food, play, and ideas. Eat chaat—India’s iconic street food—and generate your very own combination of chaat condiments & add-ins with an open-source ChaatBOT, based on your personality and tastes.

All this action is happening at the Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) in Queens where on Sunday, March 8 from 2 pm to 4 pm ChatGpt and ChaatGPT will come together in a delicious free community event where you get to eat chaat and learn about AI.

Playful yet serious, the program includes a short workshop, presented by artist Prashast Thapan, examining how open and closed AI models differ, with attention to transparency and data literacy. Rather than promoting any platform, the event invites participants to better understand how these systems work and the choices available when deciding whether and how to engage with them.

You have to RSVP for the AI workshop at 3 pm.  Chaat is provided by Maa Ka Dhaa ( love the name!) and available first come, first served.

There is also music and dance for the family because this is a Holi celebration. And because the song Rang Bharse adds so much to any Holi celebration, there is a screening of the classic Bollywood film Silsila starring Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Jaya Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor. (Tickets required).

This is part of MoMI LAB, the Museum of the Moving Image’s new initiative dedicated to AI and emerging technologies, and Open Worlds 2026.

Schedule of activities:

2:00–4:00 p.m. ChaatGPT personality test plus free chaat and chai

2:00–4:00 p.m. Holi crafts and celebrations

3:00–3:30 p.m. AI workshop: “Open Source for an Open World” with Prashast Thapan. RSVP recommended, limited space available.

Special Guest: 

Prashast Thapan is the founder of Pariah Interactive a creative studio shaping contemporary digital culture. 

4:00 p.m.: Stay for a screening of the 1981 Bollywood classic Silsila.

So get started on your Holi celebrations early, while the snow still lingers in New York.

More details at https://movingimage.org/event/chaat-gpt/

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The post This Holi, ChatGPT, ChaatGPT– and Amitabh Bachchan too! first appeared on Lassi With Lavina.