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Madhusree Ghosh

Madhusree is a feature writer who loves Kolkata, is learning to love Mumbai. She loves to travel, write and bake

Articles by Madhusree Ghosh

Tried and tasted: Food walks bring history alive in Dehradun, Madurai, Kolkata

Across the country, culinary tours are linking culture, cuisine and heritage, bringing down barriers and breaking stereotypes. Often, the takers are locals wanting to know more.

On the Khaki Tours food walk in Bhendi Bazaar, Mumbai, stops include the mausoleum of the Syednas, the spiritual head of the Bohri community, as well as street-side eateries serving up everything from tiranga kebabs (above) to patrel biryani, a dish where colocasia leaves replace rice.(Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)

lifestyle

Updated on Feb 17, 2019 12:18 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

Ghosts busted: Take a look at what it’s like to play the bhoot in Bollywood

Some of Hindi film’s scariest spooks remain anonymous. After gruelling hours of literally hanging about or crawling around, under masks and prosthetics, few even know it was them.

Flora Saini played the ghost in the Rajkummar Rao-starrer Stree. “I had no lines to memorise, so I could enjoy the experience of being a horror film buff on a horror film set,” she says. “But throughout my shooting time, I was suspended in mid-air. We would shoot all night, so I was hanging there all night, wearing a harness over my sari that really started to hurt my ribcage.”

lifestyle

Updated on Feb 22, 2019 07:55 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

Filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi talks periods, filmmaking, and her Oscar nomination

The Iranian-American’s documentary, Period. End of Sentence, on women and menstruation in an Indian village, has been nominated for an Academy Award.

A still from ‘Period. End of Sentence’, which tracks how attitudes and approaches to menstruation changed after a local social entrepreneur began making and distributing low-cost sanitary pads.

entertainment

Updated on Feb 15, 2019 05:59 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

Finding rhythm in stone: Sculptor G Reghu returns to Mumbai

In his first exhibition here in 20 years, the artist has 100 stoneware sculptures on display at the Jehangir Art Gallery.

Many of G Reghu’s sculptures portray rural and tribal Indian women, “because in this country we still fail to give women due credit,” he says.

cities

Published on Jan 16, 2019 03:14 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh, Mumbai

Crumpled tales: Mumbai’s Jamaat gallery marks 20 yrs with an unusual show

Artist Bandana Jain has recreated mats, saris, sheets and cushion covers on corrugated cardboard in a multisensory exhibition.

Artist Bandana Jain uses corrugated cardboard to recreate childhood memories, with a message of sustainability woven in.

cities

Published on Jan 12, 2019 07:31 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

Delhi’s dreamcatcher: Anamika Haksar on films, penury and making it to Sundance

The 59-year-old’s first feature, Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon, has been picked for the exclusive New Frontier section at Sundance.

Anamika Haksar, a veteran theatre director, says she sold her Delhi home and took loans from friends and family to fund the making of her film.(Aalok Soni / HT Photo)

lifestyle

Updated on Dec 26, 2018 04:46 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

Crossover careers: Stars born in the back rows

At look at some of those who started out 20 feet from stardom, and choreographers who began their careers in front of the camera!

entertainment

Published on Dec 01, 2018 09:16 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

From Bollywood to real-estate: A background dancer’s story

Sunil Moothedath began dancing with the stars 21 years ago. As work became harder to find, and his earnings stagnated, he finally decided to branch out five years ago.

Sunil Moothedath has been in Bollywood blockbusters such as Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Jodhaa Akbar, Dabangg 2 (above) and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.

entertainment

Updated on Dec 02, 2018 10:15 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

It’s a slow fadeout for Bollywood’s background dancers

As films change, with fewer songs and carefully crafted dance sequences, the professional dancer is being replaced by eager youngsters out for a lark and foreigners wanting to cross this off their bucket lists.

A still from ‘Saajanji ghar aaye’ in the 1998 film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which starred Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan (above), Kajol and Rani Mukerji. The film formula through this decade was clear — pack in as many stars as possible, build in a ‘big dance number’, set that number in a giant hall (preferably with a staircase towards the back), then fill the space with dancers.

entertainment

Updated on Dec 01, 2018 09:17 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

A compelling tale of then and now: Green Book movie review

The film, set in the 1960s, tracks the all-pervasive racism of the time and the casual cruelty it entailed, and yet manages to not be grim.

Based on a true story, Green Book follows the Jamaican classical pianist Don Shirly and his driver, an Italian former New York bouncer named Tony ‘Lip’ Vallelonga, on a journey into the American Deep South.

entertainment

Published on Nov 21, 2018 08:35 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

‘Don’t wait. Tell your story now,’ says Tangerine director Sean Baker

Acclaimed filmmaker talks movies, iPhones and India, at the Mami film festival in Mumbai.

Young filmmaker today must take advantage of all the opportunities that advanced technologies are giving us right now, says Baker, 47.

cities

Published on Nov 01, 2018 09:48 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

MAMI 2018: Critics list their top film picks from the festival line-up

Which are the movies not to be missed? We asked Raja Sen, Rashid Irani, Deepa Gahlot and Mihir Fadnavis to weigh in.

Raja Sen recommends Shoplifters by the Japanese filmmaker Kore-Eda Hirokazu. It’s the story of a family that resorts to shoplifting to cope with poverty. The film premiered at Cannes, where it won the Palme d’Or.

cities

Published on Oct 25, 2018 03:56 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh, Mumbai

At 64, Sahitya Akademi is making bold moves to engage new readers

India’s central body for literary dialogue, publication and promotion, is now organising LGBTQ meets, discovering rural talent, and digitising tribal language translations in English and Hindi.

Bibliophiles indulged in reading joy at Kashmere Gate metro station's book store in New Delhi.(Raj K Raj)

lifestyle

Updated on Oct 07, 2018 07:31 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

Big screen, AC, surround sound: Travelling talkies are a hit in small towns

New-age vehicles kitted out with inflatable theatres and comfy seating are offering the blockbuster experience for as little as ₹35 per seat.

In Churu, Rajasthan, locals gather to catch a screening in a PictureTime travelling theatre. The company’s 45 vans each carry an 18 ft x 7 ft screen. They tour much of central India, taking films to regions that don’t have local cinema halls.(VIPIN KUMAR / HT Photo)

entertainment

Updated on Aug 19, 2018 10:07 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh & Jayati Bhola

Kolkata to Mumbai: Cafés give acid attack victims, disabled a chance in life

Finding a way to make a difference is what drove many of the founders to set up these outfits across India.

Crust & Core café in Kolkata is manned by the rescued homeless and mentally challenged. The women were trained for 10 months in baking, cooking, running a kitchen — and dealing with strangers as well as their own and each others’ symptoms.

lifestyle

Updated on Jun 24, 2018 10:03 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

Not a big deal, say students who scaled Everest

The conquering five are from Ashram schools of Dewada and Jeevti in Chandrapur.

They made a typically teen group at the podium -- Madavi, Manisha Dhurve, Kavidas Katmode, Pramesh Ale and Vikas Soyam -- shy, giggling, a bit daunted by the crowd of reporters and cameramen they were addressing.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on May 31, 2018 07:42 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

Art express: Check out the most stunning railway stations in India

Egged on by a nationwide contest, stations reached out to local artists and the results are truly beautiful. Drama, wildlife and Indian epics are now unfolding on the walls.

Ballarshah and Chandrapur, the two stations leading to the Tadoba national park in Maharashtra, tied in first place. ‘So many people have come and stood stunned in front of the tiger painting before going up the steps,’ says Milind Atkale, an art student who helped beautify the Ballarshah station.(Twitter.com/airciacec)

lifestyle

Updated on May 27, 2018 03:11 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

Amid sparse ’90s crowd, popstars from Boyzone and Westlife evoke nostalgia

Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden — the ’90s heartthrobs who once had girls screaming and fainting as they touched down at airports — came together as Boyzlife for a concert

Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden perform at Phoenix Marketcity in Mumbai on Saturday.(AALOK SONI/HT)

cities

Published on May 20, 2018 12:56 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh, Mumbai

Blue Planet II is bold, majestic, menacing

The BBC documentary will move and jolt you, inspire awe.

This is a film majestic in scale and approach.

entertainment

Updated on May 16, 2018 07:10 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

In Panipat, the world’s ‘castoff capital’, business hangs by a thread

For decades, the West’s discarded winter wear has come here to be ripped apart and reborn as cheap, warm blankets. Now, a new type of Chinese fleece is threatening to make them obsolete.

The shoddy yarn factories have dwindled in number from about 400 in the early 2000s to 100 today. Production is now at 300 tonnes of yarn a day, down 25% from 2008.(Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

lifestyle

Updated on May 03, 2018 11:37 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

Five popular fashion trends and how to wear them right

How much is too much? We get experts to help you figure how to go grungy, vintage or feminine chic without going overboard.

When it comes to oversized jewellery, the idea is to let the piece do the talking. If you’re flaunting big hoops, avoid a neckpiece. Wear dark lips to complete your Saturday night look.

cities

Updated on Apr 21, 2018 09:29 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh & Jayati Bhola

Christopher Nolan wants reels to keep rolling in cinema across the world

At a time when award-winning movies are being made on iPhones and handhelds, Nolan believes it is more important than ever to preserve photochemical film.

Filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who is on a 3day visit to Mumbai, during a discussion on future of celluloid, on Saturday.(Aalok Soni/HT)

cities

Published on Apr 01, 2018 06:01 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh, Mumbai

Kilt Trip: A unique collaboration between Scotland and India

Check out a storytelling and music session that incorporates original tales from both countries, and weaves in personal narrative.

The four artistes, Mohammad Muneem Nazir, Daniel Allison, Eilidh Firth and Sheena Khalid, conceptualised the show during a two-week residency.

cities

Updated on Mar 24, 2018 03:24 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

In Varanasi’s bylanes, a surprise: A thriving Korean culture

South Koreans on the Buddhist tourist circuit are settling down, opening cafes, learning to speak Hindi and play the sitar in the holy city.

Bona Café, in a narrow alley at Bengali Tola, is typical of the Korean cafés in Varanasi - low seating, Korean- language menus, home-style meals and Seoul-style street snacks on offer, with one significant difference. The meat is limited to chicken.(Rajesh Kumar/HT Photo)

lifestyle

Updated on Mar 20, 2018 03:18 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

An ultraviolet revolution: It’s time to flaunt the colour of the year

This is an accommodating shade, but can be a tricky one too. Here’s advice from the experts on how to get it right.

Payal Khandwala’s festival collection experiments with ultraviolet in all its looks.

cities

Updated on Mar 03, 2018 08:39 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

Is the film Garbage, Goa’s ‘Dirty Picture?’

Qaushik Mukherjee was the only Indian director with a film at the Berlin Film festival 2018

A scene from the film, Garbage.(Photo courtesy: Qaushik Mukherjee)

entertainment

Updated on Mar 05, 2018 05:32 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh

HTKGAF 2018: Explore Mumbai’s soul through celebrated writer’s new book

Author Jayant Kaikini shared memories of how Mumbai became a liberating force for him, a bazaar that is informal, intimate and intense

Author Jayant Kaikini at Kala Ghoda on Friday.(Supreet Sapkal/HT)

cities

Updated on Feb 09, 2018 11:38 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh, Mumbai

HTKGAF 2018: 19 poets, 1 evening of celebration

Senior established poets, regulars and new writers all participated

Gujarati-language poet Udayan Thakkar at the event on Wednesday.(Supreet Sapkal/HT)

cities

Updated on Feb 08, 2018 10:20 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh, Mumbai

HTKGAF 2018: Women comics storm Mumbai stage

From witticisms on rich kids to sarcastic takes on married life — these women know just how to make you laugh

Jeeya Sethi, curator and stand-up comedy performer, at Irish House on Wednesday.(Aalok Soni/ HT)

cities

Updated on Feb 08, 2018 10:16 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByMadhusree Ghosh, Mumbai

As children get hooked to smart devices, doctors worry about health impact

More than 30 per cent of children surveyed in India spend more than 6 hours a day staring at a smart device, a recent study found.

Aayansh has been hooked to his mother’s smartphone since he was five months old. Now three, he has trouble understanding why he can’t take it to nursery school. ‘He puts it down only at bedtime,’ says his mother.(Raj K Raj / HT File Photo)

lifestyle

Updated on Jan 30, 2018 03:32 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnonna Dutt & Madhusree Ghosh

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Madhusree Ghosh

Madhusree is a feature writer who loves Kolkata, is learning to love Mumbai. She loves to travel, write and bake

Across the country, culinary tours are linking culture, cuisine and heritage, bringing down barriers and breaking stereotypes. Often, the takers are locals wanting to know more.

Some of Hindi film’s scariest spooks remain anonymous. After gruelling hours of literally hanging about or crawling around, under masks and prosthetics, few even know it was them.

The Iranian-American’s documentary, Period. End of Sentence, on women and menstruation in an Indian village, has been nominated for an Academy Award.

In his first exhibition here in 20 years, the artist has 100 stoneware sculptures on display at the Jehangir Art Gallery.

Artist Bandana Jain has recreated mats, saris, sheets and cushion covers on corrugated cardboard in a multisensory exhibition.

The 59-year-old’s first feature, Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon, has been picked for the exclusive New Frontier section at Sundance.

At look at some of those who started out 20 feet from stardom, and choreographers who began their careers in front of the camera!

Sunil Moothedath began dancing with the stars 21 years ago. As work became harder to find, and his earnings stagnated, he finally decided to branch out five years ago.

As films change, with fewer songs and carefully crafted dance sequences, the professional dancer is being replaced by eager youngsters out for a lark and foreigners wanting to cross this off their bucket lists.

The film, set in the 1960s, tracks the all-pervasive racism of the time and the casual cruelty it entailed, and yet manages to not be grim.

Acclaimed filmmaker talks movies, iPhones and India, at the Mami film festival in Mumbai.

Which are the movies not to be missed? We asked Raja Sen, Rashid Irani, Deepa Gahlot and Mihir Fadnavis to weigh in.

India’s central body for literary dialogue, publication and promotion, is now organising LGBTQ meets, discovering rural talent, and digitising tribal language translations in English and Hindi.

New-age vehicles kitted out with inflatable theatres and comfy seating are offering the blockbuster experience for as little as ₹35 per seat.

Finding a way to make a difference is what drove many of the founders to set up these outfits across India.

The conquering five are from Ashram schools of Dewada and Jeevti in Chandrapur.

Egged on by a nationwide contest, stations reached out to local artists and the results are truly beautiful. Drama, wildlife and Indian epics are now unfolding on the walls.

Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden — the ’90s heartthrobs who once had girls screaming and fainting as they touched down at airports — came together as Boyzlife for a concert

The BBC documentary will move and jolt you, inspire awe.

For decades, the West’s discarded winter wear has come here to be ripped apart and reborn as cheap, warm blankets. Now, a new type of Chinese fleece is threatening to make them obsolete.

How much is too much? We get experts to help you figure how to go grungy, vintage or feminine chic without going overboard.

At a time when award-winning movies are being made on iPhones and handhelds, Nolan believes it is more important than ever to preserve photochemical film.

Check out a storytelling and music session that incorporates original tales from both countries, and weaves in personal narrative.

South Koreans on the Buddhist tourist circuit are settling down, opening cafes, learning to speak Hindi and play the sitar in the holy city.

This is an accommodating shade, but can be a tricky one too. Here’s advice from the experts on how to get it right.

Qaushik Mukherjee was the only Indian director with a film at the Berlin Film festival 2018

Author Jayant Kaikini shared memories of how Mumbai became a liberating force for him, a bazaar that is informal, intimate and intense

Senior established poets, regulars and new writers all participated

From witticisms on rich kids to sarcastic takes on married life — these women know just how to make you laugh

More than 30 per cent of children surveyed in India spend more than 6 hours a day staring at a smart device, a recent study found.

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