Poulomi Deb

It’s March, and Delhi’s weather is arguably at its most gorgeous. The heat’s made a slightly earlyish appearance (or has it? Summer always feels like a slightly unwelcome prospect following a perfect spring) and everyone’s ditched the sweaters and jackets. March also, incidentally, means it’s time for Holi! One of Delhi’s favourite festivals, because we love getting down and dirty. Ahem.  The biggest ticket event (literally – entry is bloody pricey) this month was supposed to be Ye’s India tour, but he's heading to Delhi in May instead. Fear not: other big performers include Punjabi rapper Honey Singh, as well as a great lineup of comedy shows: Aakash Gupta, Anubhav Bassi, Prashasti Singh, and loads more.  It’s a big month in terms of general activity too: Ramzan is on, of course, which means certain neighbourhoods around Chandni Chowk and Jamia will be abuzz with loads of activity after dark. There will, obviously, also be loads of Holi parties (catered as well as BYOB) around the city. Our guide tells you which ones are worth your buck.

Competition (if you call it that) for your attention among the hip art galleries in South Delhi, let alone Defence Colony, is stiff as brandy. Method’s always struck my imagination as having a particularly young, cheeky, cool-kid-in-your-classroom character. Their basement space in a non-descript building, patchy network inside, and little but a small name outside to guide you in, truly proves that you’ve already been struck by their latest exhibit’s prospect – which, I guarantee, most of its visitors are, for very good reasons. If you know Method from its Kala Ghoda venue, I’m happy to tell you that there are 0 signs of the Delhi chapter, established five years later, trying to piggyback on the Mumbai one’s reputation. You can tell from the outset (read: their blank walls and minimal staircase to an elevated platform) that their focus is on intentionally positioning their artists’ pieces.  By their own admission, Method is far more interested in positioning the contemporary and the experimental – often by emerging artists or those with niche mediums. And not in the buzzword way. They’re at their second best with their (frequent) solo exhibitions, which really allow you to delve into one creator’s work which often would otherwise be propped up as quick, flashy, and embodied into ‘broader’ themes.  Now here’s why I said that’s their second best offering. The gallery has partnered with one of India’s pioneering online radio communities for alternative music – Boxout.fm – since

Classical music is breaking out of the dark auditorium where you walk in alone, watch artists from a distance often without a word, applaud at prescribed moments, and leave. Which instrument is following the other’s tune? Is knowing what a raga is enough to talk to the person next to you?  It’s questions like these that led Sukanya Banerjee and Tejas Jaishankar to start Upstairs. The two, now partners, met in college, and Sukanya recalls a conversation where Tejas asked her, ‘Why doesn’t classical music have group meets and fan merch?’ It’s this sort of curiosity that they now seek to stamp under the tabla with their series of baithaks. At Upstairs, in living rooms lit up by lamps, the musician speaks to you. Hell, they might even get coffee with you. Stupid questions and asides to other audience members are encouraged. They swap elaborate musician bios and theoretical tid-bits for a simple explanation of what you’re about to hear, guiding you towards having that discerning ear. You will catch the smallest details in how faces change, how someone will start tapping their lap. The easy chemistry that the founders have with their audiences and performers is commendable. The music itself is best left for you to discover, and in Sukanya’s words, form your own vocabulary for.  Upstairs began in the third floor of their DDA Flats apartment in Vasant Kunj, and as they expand slowly to other venues, they’re successfully maintaining a good balance of intensity and accessibility, which

Competition (if you call it that) for your attention among the hip art galleries in South Delhi, let alone Defence Colony, is stiff as brandy. Method’s always struck my imagination as having a particularly young, cheeky, cool-kid-in-your-classroom character. Their basement space in a non-descript building, patchy network inside, and little but a small name outside to guide you in, truly proves that you’ve already been struck by their latest exhibit’s prospect – which, I guarantee, most of its visitors are, for very good reasons. If you know Method from its Kala Ghoda venue, I’m happy to tell you that there are 0 signs of the Delhi chapter, established five years later, trying to piggyback on the Mumbai one’s reputation. You can tell from the outset (read: their blank walls and minimal staircase to an elevated platform) that their focus is on intentionally positioning their artists’ pieces.  By their own admission, Method is far more interested in positioning the contemporary and the experimental – often by emerging artists or those with niche mediums. And not in the buzzword way. They’re at their second best with their (frequent) solo exhibitions, which really allow you to delve into one creator’s work which often would otherwise be propped up as quick, flashy, and embodied into ‘broader’ themes.  Now here’s why I said that’s their second best offering. The gallery has partnered with one of India’s pioneering online radio communities for alternative music – Boxout.fm – since

Classical music is breaking out of the dark auditorium where you walk in alone, watch artists from a distance often without a word, applaud at prescribed moments, and leave. Which instrument is following the other’s tune? Is knowing what a raga is enough to talk to the person next to you?  It’s questions like these that led Sukanya Banerjee and Tejas Jaishankar to start Upstairs. The two, now partners, met in college, and Sukanya recalls a conversation where Tejas asked her, ‘Why doesn’t classical music have group meets and fan merch?’ It’s this sort of curiosity that they now seek to stamp under the tabla with their series of baithaks. At Upstairs, in living rooms lit up by lamps, the musician speaks to you. Hell, they might even get coffee with you. Stupid questions and asides to other audience members are encouraged. They swap elaborate musician bios and theoretical tid-bits for a simple explanation of what you’re about to hear, guiding you towards having that discerning ear. You will catch the smallest details in how faces change, how someone will start tapping their lap. The easy chemistry that the founders have with their audiences and performers is commendable. The music itself is best left for you to discover, and in Sukanya’s words, form your own vocabulary for.  Upstairs began in the third floor of their DDA Flats apartment in Vasant Kunj, and as they expand slowly to other venues, they’re successfully maintaining a good balance of intensity and accessibility, which

The namesake Billy Joel song incessantly rings in my head every time I enter a Piano Man outlet. I’m thankful for the distractions, even if their band or act for the night is late: a decently strong cocktail, the gorgeous faux candles, the all-round sensation that I’m not entirely in a restro-bar (this typically then makes me wonder if being a try-hard is such a bad thing all the time), or the company I’ve brought with me.  This three-branched Delhi establishment (Safdarjung, Gurgaon, Saket) has built a reputation over the years for the live music by captivating acts, and for its expensive dinners. It’s not just jazz either, of course: you’ve got a range of genres on your plate if you peruse their booking availability for each week carefully.  Two props I’ll add here: unlike many restaurants who try to program live music as an afterthought crowd-chaser, there is nothing to complain about in terms of their acoustics. Secondly, though they really don’t need exceptional food to preserve their status, their menus are relatively compact, with a quick choice of bites across cuisines, and their diversions into attempts at fusion have flavours that actually mesh well together: think wasabi broccoli or tandoori miso lamb chop. Cocktails, on the other hand, are wildly in your hands for customization. I’d advise you get that out of the way before the performance and follow them up with more trustworthy liquors that are quick to order later. If there’s a high-profile series of listening

Who hasn’t dreaded – just a little bit – opening your laptop to book a domestic flight in India? Seat selection fees here, unclear baggage policies there, a checked-in instrument that you don’t know if it’ll arrive in three pieces. Well, aisle be damned. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has apparently had enough of all that. This week, it issued a sweeping set of India airport guidelines. Directives, at the end of the day, are directives – none of this will necessarily fix your next Thursday evening flight just yet. But as far as baseline protections go, it's a meaningful shift, worth knowing about the next time you book. Here’s a peek: Free seats almost guaranteed: At least 60% of seats on every flight must be allocated at no extra charge. Sit together by right: Same PNR for multiple people is expected to mean adjacent seats by default.  Guitars and gear, sorted: The Ministry directed airports to form explicit guidelines for pets, and ensure that sports equipment and musical instruments are transported safely. Your rights in your language: Passenger entitlements expected to be displayed prominently in regional languages, across all booking platforms and airport counters. Delays and cancellations? No more guesswork: The Ministry expects strict adherence to the existing passenger rights framework for delays, denied boarding, and cancellations. 

It’s slightly ironic that Kolkata, a city fiercely protective of its monuments and history, should now have a contemporary art outpost operating out of a 116-year-old former prison. Experimenter, the gallery that co-founders Prateek and Priyanka Raja established in 2009, opened its fourth space on March 15, inside the Old Art Studio at Alipore Museum. For the uninitiated, it’s the erstwhile Alipore Jail, once one of Asia's largest prisons, housing prominent freedom fighters during the Independence Struggle.  A remarkable address comes with a tall order. Much like Experimenter’s Hindustan Road and Ballygunge Place addresses, and its sole Mumbai address, the decor alone tells you Experimenter is not interested in the contemporary experience as a white-cube-we’re-here-to-talk-and-drink. You’re met instead with a double-gabled structure in deep terracotta brick, two circular windows, twin white exhibition banners hanging on either side of its green-painted doors.  Going forward, the Outpost plans solo and group shows alongside music lectures, salon-style workshops, and community gatherings. The heritage site, if this works as it should, becomes more than a museum of what once was. It becomes a place where the city actively thinks about what it is now, and what it might become, literally, all at once. The inaugural show makes a reasonable bid for that case. Kolkata-based artist Rathin Barman's The cage broke, and I found the horizon brings together new sculpture and drawing built

  Delhiites willingly queued for upwards of an hour outside Connaught Place's newest arrival. For once, it seems justified. Alienkind, the Bengaluru-based café, opened its first Delhi outlet on March 14, and the response has been, well, out of this world. Founded in 2024 by Vikram Kakkireni and Abhishek Kumar, the concept clearly resonates. Why go? Think a striking orange hue and neon accents, sci-fi aesthetics, and the vague but pleasing sensation that you've stepped into a set from a near-future virtual reality film. It’s not just that, though. Other than serving appetising burgers to health-conscious big eaters, their menu features a variety of fruit and vegetable juice blends.  With a tagline like "Humans make stupid choices, rather be an alien," and a vibe that's part streetwear drop, part dystopia, Alienkind seems three years ahead of marketing trends. The Delhi queue will likely only grow. Go on a weekday if you can. Where: Connaught Place, New Delhi  Price: ₹500-600  Opening hours: Mon-Sun. 11am-1am.  

If you had a date circled on your calendar for Ye's New Delhi show on March 29, you'll want to grab a pen. Organisers have officially announced a new date: May 23.  In a statement, organisers said it was 'due to the prevailing geopolitical situation and regional tensions'. No venue change from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium has been indicated yet.  Already holding tickets? You don't need to do anything except look after travel arrangements: all existing tickets remain valid for the rescheduled show. As of now, details on a refund are awaited. This also comes ahead of the release of Ye’s new album, Bully. Meanwhile, tickets are still available on the District app, starting ₹9,500. 

Defence Colony's gallery row is pulling a late night shift on March 17. If you routinely complain about how exhibitions are never open on evenings or Sundays, this is your chance! Ten of the neighbourhood’s galleries will stay open until 9pm – which, in exhibit terms, is practically a party.  If you’re planning to cover as many as possible, start with Vadehra Art Gallery, which is near the Lajpat Nagar Metro Station. Most will fall along a line to its right. Then, take a ride to Latitude 28, from where you can walk to PHOTOINK and GALLERYSKYE. From there, Pristine Contemporary and GalleryXXL are another short while away, opposite each other. And then, Defence Colony market is right there to end the night. Three shows are opening fresh on the night Akar Prakar unveils Ekāgratā, a solo by the late SH Raza. Latitude 28 opens What Form Retains by Mayur Gupta. Over at Vadehra Art Gallery, Ranbir Kaleka's Circle of Stories. All three run until April 17. For those who've been procrastinating on shows GALLERYSKE's Sudarshan Shetty show, A Breath Held Long, literally closes on Tuesday itself, so that's a deadline in the most actual sense. Two others are verging towards last-chance territory. Method's RITES by Alida Sun is on until March 22. Gallery XXL's In Memory of a Totem by Jumu wraps March 21, placing both in last-chance territory. If you're in less of a rush PHOTOINK has Ketaki Sheth's Flashback until March 28. Pristine Contemporary is showing Nature Shankar's Go Easy On Me Baby

Downstairs first. If the jet font on the front of Khirki Extension’s white-bricked studio-gallery won’t lead you there, the security guard will. You will go, later, back to the entrance to take the stairs to the last exhibit. Even before you’ve seen a single work, you’ll be conscious of the need to return, which for you, at this moment, is simple enough. Fitting. For this day at least, it’s the last time you’ll take movement and visiting for granted. At Khoj Studios, six young curators from Bangladesh, India, Iran, Nepal and Sri Lanka are presenting the culmination of their year-long Curatorial Intensive South Asia fellowship, themed on the process of returning – in all its messiness and politics. I’ve always been fond of exhibitions that are based on community-centred initiatives, ones that require people to be with each other. At the same time, this manages to stand out. Here are three shows that we especially recommend visiting for. A Place is Made but, Do We Get It? | Curated by Anna Sireiliu Charenamei Spread eagle across the terrace is a fierce question, asked through warmth, to Delhi’s artgoing public that sings praises of rice wine. Is it acceptable to consume Humayunpur's food and ‘cool’ without accounting for the political violence that drove them here in the first place? What does this mean for those who call Humayunpur home?  I recognise spots I’ve flitted in and out of in Bellona Yumnam’s and Menty Jamir’s photography, taken with a lingering gaze and smiles of th

Rarely is the span of a mid-March weekend justified for an exhibition of the greats in Indian art history. Allow AstaGuru to present its case: it’s one of India’s most respected auction houses based out of Bombay, and they’re returning for their annual Delhi exhibit to Bikaner House.  The show brings together works by MF Husain, FN Souza, Ram Kumar, Krishen Khanna, KH Ara, KK Hebbar and more; it’s a roll call of modernist Indian masters along with more contemporary artists including Paresh Maity, Thota Vaikuntam, Himmat Shah and Manu Parekh.  Frequently in the news for their sales and insight into what makes art appeal to different kinds of buyers, AstaGuru is quite conscious nonetheless of the exhibition experience: they have a name for their showcase, ShowKeen, which promises a relaxed viewing atmosphere designed not to overwhelm you. Another reason why I wouldn’t complain about the short timing is that this is easy to incorporate into a solid weekend plan: you’ve got Diggin and L'Opéra eateries on Bikaner House premises, and Khan Market, NGMA and Indian War Memorial nearby. Despite crowds, I’d say Bikaner House is one of the easiest galleries to navigate travelling to in the city. When: March 14-15. 11am-6pm. Where: CCA Gallery, Gate No 3, Bikaner House, Pandara Road Entry: Free Nearest metro: Khan Market Parking: Available on Bikaner House premises  

A Manipuri-language children's film became India’s first to walk away from the BAFTA stage at London's Royal Festival Hall with an award. Almost immediately, Producer Farhan Akhtar announced the re-release of Boong (2024) across India, starting March 6. Directed by first-time feature filmmaker Lakshmipriya Devi, this beat Disney's Lilo & Stitch, Zootopia 2, and the French sci-fi film Arco for the Best Children's and Family Film award.  The story follows Boong, a mischievous schoolboy from Imphal, who sets off with his best friend Raju to cross the border into Myanmar, set on finding his long-absent father as a surprise gift for his mother. Beneath the children's adventure beats an aching portrait of Manipur in ongoing ethnic conflict, beyond polemics. Devi spent two decades working on films like Talaash, PK, and A Suitable Boy before making this debut feature. On the BAFTA stage, she spoke of a Manipur that is "very much ignored and very underrepresented" and prayed for peace to return to her homeland.  It took until 2025 for this movie to originally reach Indian cinemas after touring and winning at several film festivals. Don’t miss your shot now. Tickets: BookMyShow

Mumbai’s wait for Rameshwaram Café can finally rest: it's officially set up shop right in the heart of Churchgate, beginning March 6. Since its debut in 2021, Rameshwaram has become known for its benne dosas slicked with white butter, ghee podi idli, and filter coffee so good they turned it into a soft serve. The Mumbai outlet, tucked inside the Cambata Building on Maharshi Karve Road, comes with a twist on the original format. While the ground floor stays true to the brand's temple-style, quick-service roots – grab a token, get your food, stand, eat – the first floor offers something new to the format: seats and a table, interestingly with different timings. With previous outposts in Bengaluru (four of them), Pune, and Hyderabad, Mumbai is the latest addition to the map. The rapid service, obsessive hygiene standards, and quality that made queues a regular feature at their other locations are all making the trip north. Opening hours: Mon-Sun. Ground floor (darshini style): 5am-midnight. First floor (dine-in): 7am-11pm.   Address: Cambata Building, 42, Maharshi Karve Rd, Churchgate, Mumbai 400020

It's (almost) official: Gorillaz are coming to India. After months of speculation and Damon Albarn's repeated hints about touring here, the band dropped the news in the most casual way possible – an Instagram comment. On their North American tour announcement, on March 4, the official Gorillaz account commented, 'Next up, India. Dates coming soon...' Enough to send Indian fans into meltdown.  While specific cities, venues and ticket details remain under wraps, it’s been a long time coming. Earlier this year, Gorillaz made waves by hosting free listening parties for The Mountain, their latest album, across five Indian cities: Bengaluru, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad and Mumbai. The sessions, which were spread worldwide, gave fans early access to the album before its February 27 release. Now comes the hard part: waiting. 'Dates coming soon' is tour speak for ‘we're working on it, be patient’, which could mean anything from a few weeks to a few months. The Mountain Tour currently has the band playing UK and European dates through August, followed by a massive 22-date North American run from September to October. India would logically slot in after that, likely in late 2026 or early 2027. Who are Gorillaz? For the uninitiated: Gorillaz are the world's most successful virtual band, created in 1998 by Blur frontman Damon Albarn and Tank Girl artist Jamie Hewlett. The project consists of four animated members – singer 2-D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, guitarist Noodle and drummer Russel Hobbs –

The Croffle Guys are launching in the capital tomorrow, February 28, which means Delhi’s about to find out what happens when buttery, laminated croissant dough meets the hot grid of a waffle iron. Do we need another fusion snack? Will it solve your current crisis or file your taxes? No, but this brand’s croffles typically come in flavours that swing from chocolate-sweet to – yes – ghee podi idli to – yep – margarita-savoury, and you can be insufferable about it. The gist: Four friends went to Thailand, spotted a croissant dough pressed into a waffle iron, took one bite, and, essentially, never recovered. The result was a Mumbai-homed croissant-waffle hybrid brand that had all five Shark Tank India Season 5 sharks fighting over them (they walked away with ₹2.5 crore, since you asked). Now, Delhi, it's your turn. Whether you’ve had a fling with croffles at Lollapalooza or found one in a bakery 20 km away from you, now is not the time to be flaky. Chances are you’ll also be able to get your caffeine fix at the same time. Stay tuned for the address drop.

For nearly 40 years, a comedy about college students, their fancies, their dreams – a perpetually ticking and dipping genre – survived merely through YouTube and Reddit uploads, Instagram clips and stills, bundles of poetic waxed.  Arundhati Roy’s writing and acting before The God of Small Things. A flash of Shah Rukh Khan before his official debut. The directing of Pradip Krishen, known also for Electric Moon and Massey Sahib. In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, Krishen has revealed, is premiering in several Indian cities this March, for the first time since it aired on Doordarshan in 1989. I’m not wasting your time with a synopsis. Find the whimsy. Booking begins on March 8 on BookMyShow for dates of March 13-15, depending where you are. Here are the dates Krishen has confirmed via his Instagram so far: Mumbai INOX Nariman Point (Screen 5) – Mar 13: 6.30pm, Mar 14: 7pm, Mar 15: 4pm & 7pm INOX Metro – Mar 13: 7pm, Mar 14: 7pm, Mar 15: 4pm & 7pm PVR Dynamix Juhu – Mar 13: 7pm, Mar 14: 7pm, Mar 15: 4pm & 7pm INOX Inorbit Mall Malad – Mar 13: 7pm, Mar 14: 7pm, Mar 15: 4pm & 7pm INOX Maison BKC (Screen 6) – Mar 13: 3pm Cinepolis Fun Andheri West (Audi 2) – Mar 14: 6.10pm Delhi PVR Plaza Connaught Place – Mar 13: 7pm, Mar 14: 6.30pm, Mar 15: 4pm & 7pm PVR DLF Promenade Vasant Kunj – Mar 13: 7pm, Mar 14: 7pm, Mar 15: 4pm & 7pm Noida PVR Superplex Logix – Mar 13: 7pm, Mar 14: 7pm, Mar 15: 4pm & 7pm Gurgaon PVR Superplex Ambience – Mar 13: 7pm, Mar 14: 7pm, Mar 15: 4pm & 7pm Chandig