Shruti Sonal

Southern Asia

Features Writer at The Times of India

A writer who spends too much time petting cats, watching heartbreaking films, and rooting for Nadal & LFC.

Articles

Anatomy of a Booker: How Indian translations are going global

1 week ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Sneha Bhura |Shruti Sonal

Indian writing in English once hogged all the attention. But with translations winning two International Bookers in three years, language lit is finally getting its dueIn 1997, ‘The New Yorker’ assembled ten star Indian novelists into a New York studio and declared a literary renaissance. Salman Rushdie, in his now-infamous introduction to ‘The Vintage Book of Indian Writing’, published the same year, claimed Indian writing in English had eclipsed work in India’s 18 recognised languages.
Anatomy of a Booker: How Indian translations are going global

1 week ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Sneha Bhura |Shruti Sonal

Indian writing in English once hogged all the attention. But with translations winning two International Bookers in three years, language lit is finally getting its dueIn 1997, ‘The New Yorker’ assembled ten star Indian novelists into a New York studio and declared a "literary renaissance". Salman Rushdie, in his now-infamous introduction to ‘The Vintage Book of Indian Writing’, published the same year, claimed Indian writing in English had eclipsed work in India’s 18 recognised languages.
Powai lake to LOC: How desi drone startups are disrupting warfare

2 weeks ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Shruti Sonal

Shruti SonalTNNUpdated: May 17, 2025, 16:27 IST ISTWith the Indo-Pak clash, and earlier the Russia-Ukraine war, showing us how well and truly we are in an era where machines go to war, drone startups are carving a new nicheRemember the scene in 2009 blockbuster film ‘3 Idiots’ where Ali Fazal’s character Joy Lobo flies his drone around the college campus?
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3 weeks ago | outlookbusiness.com | Shruti Sonal |Kamalika Ghosh

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Dated to dating! Modern motherhood is finally making it to the movies

3 weeks ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Shruti Sonal

Shruti SonalTNN May 10, 2025, 18:33 IST ISTFor a long time, screen mothers have been the epitome of sacrifice and duty. Now, some filmmakers are exploring new, and messier, facets of the mother-daughter relationship. These mums can have secrets and yes, even loversIn a dim movie theatre in Delhi’s Nehru Place, a mother and daughter hold hands in their seats, almost sobbing together. On the screen in front of them, Bengali film ‘Puratawn’ plays with English subtitles.
The science which brought back the dire wolf is helping Indian researchers push boundaries

1 month ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Shruti Sonal

Shruti SonalTNN Apr 26, 2025, 18:43 IST ISTWhat do sickle cell anaemia, Kashmir’s pashmina goats, and Kerala's karimeen have in common with the resurrected wolf? A revolutionary gene-editing techniqueSet against the backdrop of an accelerating climate crisis, a scientist joins a secretive project to re-engineer the climate by resurrecting extinct species. This was the plot of ‘Ghost Species’, a 2020 novel written by Australian author James Bradley.
China to Chandni Chowk: Indians now bingeing on Chinese content

1 month ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Shruti Sonal

Shruti SonalTNN Apr 12, 2025, 18:31 IST ISTAnimation film ‘Ne Zha 2’ has become a global money-spinner but that’s not Beijing’s only soft power flex. Chinese microdramas and shows have Indians hookedThe tariff war has widened the chasm between the US and China but the popular saying ‘art transcends borders’ has never been truer.
Bollywood’s soft power under-utilised but business-savvy stars took it global: Swapnil Rai

2 months ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Shruti Sonal

NewsBollywood’s soft power under-utilised but business-savvy stars took it global: Swapnil RaiBollywood's influence as a tool for cultural diplomacy has been significant and largely underutilized by the Indian state. Stars like Raj Kapoor and Aamir Khan have achieved global popularity independently, highlighting cinema's role in fostering international connections. Diplomacy is not always about govts, or even intentional.
VK Shukla, the extraordinary Hindi writer who captures the ordinary

2 months ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Shruti Sonal

Shruti SonalTNNUpdated: Mar 31, 2025, 14:03 IST ISTShukla, who just won the Jnanpith, wears his awards lightly but the quiet simplicity of his poetry and prose have catapulted him to cult status. So much so that he's also acquired a fair share of millennial and Gen-Z fansShashwat Gopal was on his way to pick up his daughter from an exam when he received the phone call that his father, the celebrated poet-novelist Vinod Kumar Shukla, had been awarded the Jnanpith Award.
When smog meets satire

2 months ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Mohua Das |Shruti Sonal

Climate change can be a a depressing topic, but a bunch of creative folks are using pop culture to create awarenessWhat happens when you take AQI charts and particulate matter levels and put it in the hands of stand-ups? You get this... “I never thought I’d afford a 2BHK in Bandra but thanks to all this construction dust that I’m breathing in every day, I now have one growing inside me. I’m calling it... Raheja Broncii,” said one. Another took stock of the city’s perpetual state of excavation.