Indian Express Feature Stories, Indian Express Sunday Special, Weekend Special Stories, Top Weekend Topics

Every week Indian Express brings you in-depth feature stories on topics that dominate the mind of the Indian Intelligent and discussions that we should have.

How fans of South Indian heroes are blurring lines between stardom and politicsSubscriber Only

July 21, 2024 18:38 IST

From mere hero worshipping to playing an active role in political and social moblisation, how the equation between stars and fans has changed in the south.

Santosh Singh and Aditya Anmol’s Jannayak traces the life and times of Karpoori Thakur, the socialist leaderSubscriber Only

July 21, 2024 08:50 IST

Like BR Ambedkar, Thakur has been impacting social justice goals more after his death than was acknowledged in his lifetime

Books to read: Anita Desai returns with RosaritaSubscriber Only

July 21, 2024 05:30 IST

From a caste- and class-based analysis of the Indian education sector to Anita Desai's latest, here are the new books you should read

100 Years of Talat Mahmood: The story of the man with a silken voiceSubscriber Only

July 21, 2024 10:04 IST

In his centenary year, remembering playback legend Talat Mahmood, whose voice remains a salve for the broken-hearted.

TCA Raghavan’s Circles of Freedom, Friendship, Love and Loyalty joins the personal and the political in telling the story of Md Asaf Ali and the friendships that shaped his lifeSubscriber Only

July 20, 2024 12:11 IST

A new book tells the refreshing story of a lesser known freedom fighter and four people closest to him during the movement: Sarojini Naidu, Syud Hossain, Syed Mahmud and Aruna Asaf

What it means to pass Mother Nature’s quality control testSubscriber Only

July 17, 2024 20:54 IST

Nature's engineering departments adhere to strict rules – everything is to be recycled, broken down into component parts, reused again and again

‘Not doomsday, time to restructure’: Taapsee Pannu and Imtiaz Ali on Hindi film industry

July 15, 2024 21:29 IST

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali and actor Taapsee Pannu on the current slump in the Hindi film industry and why formulas don’t work. The conversation was moderated by Justin Rao, Deputy Copy Editor, and Aakash Joshi, Deputy Associate Editor, The Indian Express.

Wearing my heart on my sleeveSubscriber Only

July 14, 2024 07:07 IST

The more I wear Indian cuts and silhouettes the more I appreciate their deep relationship with my country, climate and traditions

When love stops being easy: Why long-married couples are now parting waysSubscriber Only

July 20, 2024 22:45 IST

Couples who have been married long are now parting ways. What has prompted their decision and why are grey divorces on the rise?

Flavours of Change: Redefining modern Indian cuisine for the futureSubscriber Only

July 13, 2024 19:19 IST

Chefs are drawing from indigenous recipes and ingredients across India to redefine our palate

Koodiyattam exponent Margi Madhu on the survival of the 2,000-year-old Sanskrit theatreSubscriber Only

July 13, 2024 09:00 IST

Madhu talks about the democratisation of the art form and how the "caste issue isn’t there anymore"

How do animals (and humans) know when it’s hot or cold

July 10, 2024 19:36 IST

It seems our bodies are riddled with various temperature sensors, each tuned to a specific temperature, that send signals to the brain, telling it whether it’s getting too hot, too cold, or when it is just right

Commonwealth Short Story prize winner Sanjana Thakur on her winning entrySubscriber Only

July 7, 2024 17:02 IST

The 26-year-old from Mumbai discusses how the story developed through workshops, feedback and multiple drafts

Cannes award-winning actor Anasuya Sengupta on what the monsoons in Goa have taught herSubscriber Only

July 7, 2024 17:01 IST

Monsoons in Goa are lessons in solitude and the power of friendship. Anasuya Sengupta, the first Indian to win the Best Actress award in the Un Certain Regard segment of the Cannes Film Festival, 2024, shares her words and sketches on the biggest party in the sky

Author Nilanjana S Roy’s artistic friendship with Margaret Mascarenhas, set against the backdrop of Goa rainsSubscriber Only

July 7, 2024 21:22 IST

My first monsoon in Goa marked the beginning of a friendship that lasted for over a decade

Milliner Awon Golding talks about her Manipuri influence and why there’s a hat for every personSubscriber Only

July 7, 2024 17:52 IST

Her hats have been worn by celebrities and frequently appeared on the Royal Ascot in England

Janice Pariat talks of how in Meghalaya, people welcome the rain, encourage it to split stone and treeSubscriber Only

July 6, 2024 14:58 IST

You might imagine that the wettest place on Earth might be more than a little weary of rain, but it is just the opposite

Maharaj actors Junaid Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat talk about their prep and weight lossSubscriber Only

July 6, 2024 22:37 IST

Debutant actor Junaid Khan calls himself "a terrible dancer" and Jaideep Ahlawat decodes the smugness of his character.

Be it Mumbai’s monsoon, or Delhi’s ‘nonsoon’, rains make everything danceSubscriber Only

July 5, 2024 11:56 IST

Due to global warming, it's a pity that now we can only look forward to the monsoon with apprehension rather than delight

How young bartenders from small towns are changing the game, one shot at a timeSubscriber Only

July 6, 2024 20:05 IST

For these mixologists, it’s not just about a ticket to the high life and good pay or breaking social taboos, it is about the joy of patenting creativity of another kind

How Norway shaped Magnus CarlsenSubscriber Only

June 30, 2024 08:46 IST

There’s more to this world chess champion than the mastery of 64 squares. It comes from a Scandinavian upbringing of enjoying what he does and measuring success differently

How a record label lost Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s music and found it 35 years later

June 30, 2024 01:00 IST

Twenty-seven years after he passed away, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s voice will be heard again through a lost tape that has been found in a UK warehouse

What made a misfit reach for the starsSubscriber Only