The artists at work
| Photo Credit: special arrangement

Echoes of the Coromandel, an art show currently exhibited at DakshinaChitra Museum, Chennai, takes viewers on a voyage along the south-eastern coast of India, previously a thriving maritime connection to Southeast Asia. Developed by a team of ten interns working through the museum’s year-long Dak Chola Internship, the show interweaves research and design to bring a lesser-known aspect of maritime history to the fore.

“Trade narratives often focus on the West coming to India,” says Mugdha Chavan, one of the interns, adding, “but for Southeast Asia, we were the West. There was an entire cultural and commercial exchange happening in that direction, and we wanted to highlight this lesser-told story.”

The group was divided into two teams — research and design. While the researchers traced routes, cultures, and commodities, the design team brought them to life in visual form. Most of the pieces on display, from replica coins and pottery to navigational charts, were crafted by hand. Inscriptions were carved with the help of the museum’s in-house artisan.

Artists setting up the exhibit
| Photo Credit:
special arrangement

Divided into three segments: The Beginning, The Peak, and The Echoes, the exhibition thematically maps this trans-oceanic connection. The first section presents archaeological and literary evidence, including Sangam verses that mention ports, and commodities that were traded.

The next section explores traditional navigation techniques that used finger-measurement techniques and the alignment of stars to navigate. A documentary shot by the interns at Kasimedu Harbour features present-day fishermen explaining traditional ship-building and sailing methods that echo those of the past.

The final section, The Echoes, illustrates the cultural footprints left behind, like temple architecture, language, and mythology that resonate across borders. The towering statue of Lord Murugan in Malaysia, leather puppets depicting The Ramayana, and similarities in temple design across Southeast Asia, all point to the cultural infusion enabled by trade.

The team behind the exhibit
| Photo Credit:
special arrangement

Echoes of the Coromandel, on view until May 18, invites visitors to discover a shared history shaped by journeys across the sea. While at DakshinaChitra, one can also check out Four Aesthetics, an art exhibition on view until May 11. This exhibition showcases diversity in art forms and various interpretations of styles, themes, and emotions.

The royal has arrived at the MET Gala – and the fans couldn’t be more stunned. Oh, the intricate, stacked ornaments, and the tiger cane – Shah Rukh Khan just created history on the red carpet with the iconic fashion designer, Sabya Sachi.

King Khan with a capital ‘K’

The classic SRK smirk and pose have been the most talked about on social media, but the diamond-studded ‘K’ has the ultimate gravitas that conquered the attention. The layered jewellery on Khan’s torso has been created by the brain of Sabyasachi Mukherjee.
With the diamonds that could cut a deep wound, the fans interpret that ‘K’ pendant symbolises ‘King Khan,’ giving a tribute to his undeniably majestic legacy. Along with the ‘K,’ the ‘SRK’ necklace impressed the audience as well.

Sabya Sachi Mukherjee’s vision for Shah Rukh Khan’s ensemble

According to Vogue, Sabya Sachi wanted to honour Khan’s global stature. He stated, “Shah Rukh Khan is one of the greatest superstars in the world. A cinematic hero, his blockbuster performances and leading-man charisma have created a legendary international fan following. My interpretation of the Black Dandy is demonstrating his super stardom on a global stage. Dressed in classic menswear with the maximalist flourish of Sabyasachi, Shah Rukh Khan is a magician, superstar and icon. Period.”

What did Shah Rukh Khan wear for the MET Gala?

Khan always walks in the King’s shoes, Mukherjee just gave a tribute to the star on the biggest fashion night. Shah Rukh Khan wore a black ensemble of a floor-length coat with tailored trousers, a sleek silk shirt, and a plated kamarbandh. With black leather boots, a studded-tiger cane, a pair of royal sunglasses, diamond accessories including rings, a watch, and layered stack necklaces, and a perfect hairstyle, Shah Rukh Khan graciously walked the MET stairs.
The social media users have an opinion about his attire, and it’s ‘perfect.’

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In an industry obsessed with numbers and faces on posters, Rajkummar Rao stands as a rare voice of humility. As Stree 2 went on to become one of the biggest hit of Hindi Cinema last year, during his chat with ETimes , he makes one thing clear — success, he believes, belongs to stories and the collective spirit behind them, not to any single individual.Stree 2 was directed by Amar Kaushik and featured names like Shraddha Kapoor, Aparshakti Khurrana, Abhishek Banerjee, Pankaj Tripathi and guest appearances by Akshay Kumar and Tamannaah Bhatia and it went on to collect almost Rs 600 crore in India.

“Stree became Stree,” he says, a warm smile lingering on his face, “because people loved Stree so much. And I would be a fool to think that Stree worked because of me.”
For an actor who has delivered one memorable performance after another — from Shahid to Newton, Bareilly Ki Barfi to Badhaai Do — Rao’s groundedness is as endearing as his on-screen personas. Even with Stree, a film that became a cultural phenomenon and redefined horror-comedy for mainstream Bollywood, he refuses to take singular credit.
“No,” he shakes his head thoughtfully. “It worked because of the story, because of the love the part one got. Of course, did I contribute as an actor? Yes, I did a lot. As Bikki, yes, I did a lot. But so did Amar, so did Deenu ( Dinesh Vijan) , so did all the departments that were involved in making that film.”
It’s a rare and refreshing admission in an industry where stars often claim ownership over blockbusters, sometimes brushing aside the massive ecosystem of writers, directors, technicians, and marketing teams that shape a film’s destiny. Rajkummar believes in acknowledging every cog in the wheel — from the spot boy on set to the person splicing together the final edit.
“Because we being the faces on the posters, people start saying Stree, this Stree, that Stree,” he reflects. “But yeah, everybody works for the film. It’s a team effort. But that doesn’t mean every film is going to be like that. Because every film is different. Every film has its own destiny.”
It’s perhaps this belief in destiny — a notion both romantic and practical — that keeps Rajkummar unfazed in the face of both triumphs and setbacks. His career has been a masterclass in balance: indie gems alongside commercial hits, intimate dramas alongside masala entertainers.
“As long as my films are making enough money for my producers, you know, to not go in losses, and we keep telling these stories — I’m very happy with that,” he says.
Rajkummar is now gearing for his next big release Bhool Chuk Maaf with Wamiqa Gabbi- the film is slated for release on 9th May.