Sohrab Hura On Art
“If you want to be famous, you must do something more badly than anybody in the entire world.” Miroslav Tichy was considered a dissident in the communist regime of Czechoslovakia, and was sent to a psychiatric institution for his independent way of painting and photographing. He would take beautiful, surreptitious photos of women with cameras and lenses that he built from cardboards and tin cans, from the 1960s till the 1980s. He never attended exhibitions and made photos just for his own pleasure; not to sell or exhibit them. His work was made public to the rest of the world in 2004 and he died in 2011.

Hura Is A Delhi-Based Photographer

Rajorshi Chakraborti On Books
Roberto Bolaño’s last novel 2666 centres on unsolved serial rape and murders of women in the Mexican town of Sonora; a hub of legal and illegal migrant workers and a crossing-point for billions of dollars worth of goods — and illegal drugs — into the US. Bolaño explores what feels like a ‘heart of darkness’ especially of our times.

Chakraborti Is The Author Of Mumbai Rollercoaster

Srinivasan Iyer On Music
Rage Against The Machine and System of a Down aren’t nearly as popular as they should be. Apart from the musical innovations — Rage guitarist Tom Morello using feedback to create music — it is their ideology that inspires me. They’re communist bands that have stuck to their principles, even if their lyrics have got them banned in different countries. They play to express not impress. They’re also pioneers in incorporating rap into rock, paving a new path for the genre.

Iyer Is The Vocalist Of The Band Underground Authority

Anuvab Pal On Film
Choosing my favourite film has never been hard for me. Shakespeare in Love, at one level is about a great artiste, a genius in love (a rom-com with a love poet, specifically William Shakespeare attempting to seduce, is always welcome with women I think). At another level, and this is why it is personal, it’s about the deceit of a lazy playwright who takes money from producers and not deliver the work on time. Being a lazy playwright myself, watching a movie where Shakespeare does the same, was almost like I was given permission to do wrong.

Pal Is A Mumbai-Based Playwright

Sabyasachi Gorai On Food
I’d recommend restaurants like Indian Accent and Cafe Biba that have survived the test of time. I prefer places that serve various food items in small plates for every course, letting the customer eat more food before feeling full, which is the case with most Indian restaurants. I like almost all the dishes, be it street food like anda parantha near Yusuf Sarai or the small food joints in Dilli Haat. My ideal meal would be a nicely made yellow dal tadka and nice tandoori roti. The important thing is to preserve the essence of a meal, which these two restaurants do.

Gorai Is The Executive Chef Of Olive Bar And Kitchen, New Delhi