2020 In Review

2020, a year in mental health: Grief, anxiety, doomscrolling — there's another pandemic alongside COVID-19

There is no blueprint of how to be in a pandemic and perhaps what we need is the permission to just survive it and cultivate a curiosity for what comes up inside us — as we make our way through the virus.

2020, a year in Indian art: From virtual galleries to lost livelihoods and new artistic vocabulary, changes a pandemic wrought

Digital formats such as the online viewing rooms and virtual exhibitions, which were largely alien to the market here, have become part of a new way of engaging with the audience, and even doing business.

Soundtrack for self-isolation: In 2020, these 10 music albums were the ultimate salve for the year's many wounds

In a crisis year, these were the albums that kept us sane, distracted us, comforted us, perked us up, and saved us.

2020, the year of the virtual concert: A selection of soul-stirring music and spectacle delivered to us by artists online

You're welcome.

2020, a year in reading: Amid the pandemic's disruptions of everyday rhythms, the narratives that transcended the din

The disruption of reading rhythms was among the smaller casualties of 2020, but these titles were some of the best in fiction, non-fiction and poetry that the year had to offer.

2020, the year of the fashion film: As a pandemic forced an industry reckoning, a novel medium made an impact

The fashion film is an interesting anomaly — not an ad film, not a feature film, perhaps a niche subset of the short film genre.

2020, a year of crises in classical dance: Amid silent stages, spotlight was on systemic inequalities in the arts

The hope ultimately is that Indian classical dance rejects the epistemic violence which has been at the heart of its creation and propagation thus far.

2020, the year of resilience in theatre: Practitioners and institutions rose to the challenges of an unprecedented crisis

The pandemic presented endless opportunities for theatrewallahs to rally together as a networked community beyond the usual barriers of geography or language.

2020, the year of sumptuous TV style: From The Queen's Gambit to A Suitable Boy, small screen fashion made a statement

The TV series that offered the most compelling sartorial splendour this year also showed us that to be truly fashionable, clothes have to move beyond visual delight.

2020, the year of conspiracy theories: As COVID-19 gripped the world, so did the desire for easy answers

Conspiracy theories offer simple, understandable explanations of events and help us regain a belief in human control over situations.