Arts & Culture News - Page 4
Black cat girlfriends, golden retriever boyfriends and the attachment theory
Who wouldn’t want to have a black cat girlfriend? They’re cool, mysterious, possibly have an aura (?), probably have a fabulous taste in music and take a slim novel with them wherever they go that they can immerse themselves into it, when the social situation at events doesn’t particularly suit them
Why Pongal’s date seems to change every year — and why it really doesn’t
Every January, as sugarcane stalks appear at doorways and clay pots are set to boil over, a familiar question resurfaces: Why does Pongal sometimes fall on January 14 and other times on January 15? To many, it can feel as though the festival quietly shifts its place on the calendar. In truth, Pongal doesn’t move at all. It is our modern way of counting days that makes it appear so.
Food Talk | Similarities of Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine
Indian and Sri Lankan cuisines are closely related due to geography, shared history, trade, and cultural exchange, especially with South India. Both the countries love rice, coconut, and aromatic spices as its major ingredients. We love our curries and rice-based dishes like idiyappam and dosa. In a recent visit to Sri Lanka, I realised how similar are the dishes of both the countries.
4 charming period watches to swoon over while awaiting Bridgerton season 4
The much felt wait for Bridgerton’s season 4 is about to near its end, as the programme is due to release on Netflix on January 29, 2026. Here are four period shows you can watch as your toes curl up in excitement. The glorious costumes, and gorgeous landscapes and scenes set still in time are bound to take your breath away.
5 ancient cities that were once capitals but are now forgotten
Across India, the ruins of once-powerful cities lie folded into forests, buried beneath rivers, or absorbed into modern towns. Together, they reveal how geography, politics, ecology, and time itself shape urban life, and how cities, even at their zenith, remain provisional acts in a longer historical continuum.
We must be hopeful when we think of our planet
In an era of climate doomscrolling, optimism feels almost taboo. From India’s tiger rebound to the return of bald eagles and recovering turtles, these conservation stories argue that hope, when grounded in action, is necessary.
Everyone's a phony now: On performative men and the internet-raised self
Have you seen people over the internet increasingly accusing each other of performativity over the past year?
10 world heritage sites every traveller should visit
When all feels down in the world, there is nothing like a bit of travel and thinking of how civilisations existed thousands of years before us to truly make us think about how little we are and how much more there is to see in the world. If you are in need for a little inspiration, pack your bags to visit at least one of the places listed below:
The most hotly anticipated books of 2026
From Jennette McCurdy’s fiction debut to Polly Barton's, these are the novels you should look forward to reading this year.
The gift of presence: an analogue guide for 2026
In 2025, people embrace analogue bags and gifts like vinyl, Polaroid cameras, Paper Republic journals, National Park passes, magazines, Loewe candles, picnic blankets, and alarm clocks.
Fashion Police | How New York's First Lady Rama Duwaji made a style statement in a coat by Palestinian-Lebanese designer at Zohran Mamdani's inauguration
The First Lady of New York opted for a coat by Palestinian-Lebanese designer Cynthia Merhej and her brand Renaissance. The coat was made in Beirut based on a design from the brand's autumn/winter 2023 collection
The year in cinema: 2025’s unforgettable films
2025 proved to be a standout year for cinema, blending inventive storytelling with bold experimentation. From layered vampire blockbusters to films that reimagine cinematic history, both veteran directors and emerging filmmakers delivered unforgettable experiences.
Food Talk | Trends that are poised to define dining experiences in 2026
If there’s one thing 2025 taught us, it’s that food trends only stay when they speak to something real in people’s lives. These are the global food trends that also ruled 2025 and are here to stay.
Gordon Ramsay’s daughter Holly marries Olympic Swimmer Adam Peaty in star-studded Bath Abbey wedding
Holly Ramsay married Adam Peaty at Bath Abbey with Gordon Ramsay, David and Victoria Beckham attending. The lavish wedding blended celebrity, sports, and family, despite Peaty’s parents’ absence.
Exclusive | Five colours, one city: Why Jaipur Polo wears the 'Pachranga'
Jaipur Polo’s iconic Pachranga jersey is far more than a design choice. Rooted in a 16th-century Afghan campaign led by Raja Man Singh of Amer, the five colours can now be seen fluttering across the city. Today, the city's polo players are clad in those same hues, transforming a royal battle standard into a living symbol of Jaipur
Woven Whispers celebrates Saree Day with a textile showcase at New Delhi's National Crafts Museum
On the evening of Dec 14, a textile presentation called Woven Whispers unfolded at National Crafts Museum and Hastakala Academy in New Delhi's Pragati Maidan.
Island Warehouse Pavilion opens for public, completing major venue launch for Kochi-Muziris Biennale
The Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) today formally opened the Island Warehouse Pavilion, Willingdon Island, one of its largest and most significant exhibition spaces.
Wrapped and Ready: What Spotify rolled out for this year’s recap
Spotify Wrapped 2025 introduces Listening Age, Top Albums, play counts, and Fan Leaderboard, making the annual tradition more personal, fun, and a little more revealing for users worldwide.
Wabi-Sabi is the internet’s new favourite trend. But do we really understand it?
Wabi-sabi, rooted in Japanese culture, has gone viral online as people embrace imperfect beauty in daily life, inspired by King of the Hill and a shift away from perfection culture.
Food Talk | Popularity of Sichuan cuisine in India
Sichuan cuisine is one of China’s most sophisticated culinary traditions. It ranges from rustic, homestyle stews to finely balanced preparations found in ancient imperial kitchens.
Fashion Police | Designer Amit Hansraj: ‘Parveen Babi is timeless, effortless, unapologetically modern and Hollywood’s Lauren Bacall…’
Amit Hansraj, a designer who is quietly but powerfully changing how we look at craft in India, talks to Firstpost’s Lachmi Deb Roy on India’s standing in the world fashion order, the business of fashion and the thought that went behind his collection at the recently held Lakme Fashion Week X FDCI.
Dehradun Literature Festival 2025 Day 2: Netflix's 'Delhi Crime' actor Shefali Shah opens up on her powerful roles; Adil Hussain, Nandita Das discuss how cinema impacts society
Thought-provoking sessions with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Vishal and Rekha Bhardwaj, Adil Hussain, Nandita Das, Shefali Shah, and more filled the day with stories, reflections, and ideas
David Szalay wins the 2025 Booker Prize for FLESH
It's a singular, haunting novel that redefines the art of storytelling and explores the strangeness of being alive
Food Talk | Tracing Southern USA culture and cuisine
From exploring the origins of Thanksgiving to modern festive customs, these Southern states have maintained their culture and cuisine around the holidays as a testament to community spirit and a joyful way to kick off the festive season
KBF announces Kochi-Muziris Biennale programmes and exhibitions
With Mario D' Souza as the Director of Programmes, the Kochi Biennale Foundation announced 109 days of engagements that conceive the biennale as "a shared ecosystem where people coexist without a nucleus."
Fashion Police! Lakmē Fashion Week X FDCI 2025 | Designer Shweta Gupta: 'Sustainability begins in thought before it reaches material'
In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Firstpost’s Lachmi Deb Roy, designer Shweta Gupta talks about her collection at the recently held Lakmē Fashion Week X FDCI 2025.
‘Kaneez’: Siddharth Nigam, Gulki Joshi, Shaan, Papon And Javed Ali's musical play set to premiere in Mumbai
Siddharth Nigam, Kirti Killedar, Gulki Joshi, Shaan, Papon, Javed Ali starrer Kaneez is inspired by the 1920 Tanno Bai -Dharikshan Tiwari love saga
Is Egypt's most iconic site, Tutankhamun’s tomb, in danger of collapse?
Over a century after its discovery, King Tutankhamun’s 3,300-year-old tomb in Luxor’s Valley of the Kings faces its greatest peril. Cracks, fungal decay, and humidity-driven damage are weakening the ancient structure carved from fragile Esna shale. Experts warn the burial site could collapse without urgent intervention
Fashion Police | EXCLUSIVE! LFW X FDCI 2025: Shantnu & Nikhil on why India today is not following the global fashion order
Lakmē Fashion Week X FDCI 2025 | In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Firstpost’s Lachmi Deb Roy Shantnu & Nikhil says, “India isn’t following the global fashion order, it’s rewriting it.”
Food Talk | Farm to fork connection with hydroponic farming concept
If you wish to delve into the colonial past and farm fresh food, The First House in Saligao North Goa is the place to be. You will learn about hydroponics too.