Dvar Magazine

Economic collapse in Sri Lanka, job-quota injustice in Bangladesh and a social media ban in Nepal led to successive mass youth protests in these countries between 2022 and 2025. Their respective demands may have been different, but they stem from economic realities common across South Asia: high youth populations, unequal opportunities, rising aspirations and cost of living, and deeply entrenched social hierarchies.
Young people across the subcontinent are increasingly networked, digitally organized, sceptical of traditional power structures, and demanding a greater say in shaping their futures. Indian youth seem to be the latest to take to the internet to voice their demands, following in the footsteps of their neighbours. What happens next remains to be seen.
What do you think of the CJP movement? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The South Asian stand-up comedy scene is growing in Europe, with more shows, more emerging artists and more comics from back home coming to perform here. It’s an exciting development, but not always easy to follow, with information scattered across venues and individual handles. We’ve done a round-up for what’s on in the month of June in different countries.
Swipe to see detailed listings by region for the month, screenshot and save for reference!
If you’re a comic, a producer or a venue and would like to be included in our monthly listing, our DMs are open :)
Disclaimer: All information is collected from public sources. Not all listings are solo shows. Please check directly with venues or artists to confirm dates and locations as these may be subject to change.

In our latest article, Saket Joshi explores the cultural history, craft, and future of mahua through his conversation with anthropologist Urbz Mumbai, who is working to bring greater visibility and value to the long-overlooked indigenous communities that have preserved this tradition for generations.
From the forests of central India to cocktail bars in France, this story traces the journey of mahua, a spirit rooted in Adivasi traditions and reimagined for a global audience. Cellar Master and Vineyard Manager for a Grand Cru estate in Saint-Émilion, Saket brings his knowledge of the beverage industry and dual awareness of both India and France to this insightful and fascinating piece.
A fascinating look at heritage, terroir, and what it means to revive a forgotten spirit. 🍃🥃
Note: Alcohol abuse is injurious to health. Consume responsibly and in moderation.

A historic moment for Nepali cinema 🇳🇵✨
With Elephants in the Fog, Abinash Bikram Shah becomes the first Nepali filmmaker to win a jury award at Cannes, marking a major milestone for a country that has long remained on the margins of the global festival circuit.
The film’s recognition at Cannes reflects not only the strength of Shah’s filmmaking, but also a broader shift in European film festivals toward more regionally grounded South Asian narratives. From Kalo Pothi and Shambhala to now Elephants in the Fog, Nepali cinema is steadily carving out its place within this larger South Asian presence on the world stage. 🌍🎬
Over the last decade, films from Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and India’s independent cinema movements have increasingly found space at Cannes, Venice, and Berlin — often through international co-productions and development labs that make these stories possible.
Click on the link in bio and go to Dvar Magazine to check out our latest article and read more on these growing networks between South Asia and Europe.
🏳️‍🌈

Our first book club meet in May was a success and we are excited to announce our next one in June! If you’re in Paris and interested in South Asian literature, we will be reading and revisiting Arundhati Roy’s debut novel God of Small Things next 📚
Published in 1997, the novel follows the seven-year-old twins Estha and Rahel as they navigate their childhood and the circumstances surrounding the arrival of their British cousin to Ayemenem, India. The events are set against the backdrop of social discrimination and political upheaval in 1960s Kerala, with casteism and British colonialism in India being central themes. Upon publication, the novel became a bestseller and was the recipient of the 1997 Booker Prize. Now a staple of postcolonial literature, this is the book that propelled Roy to worldwide fame.
You don’t have to be South Asian to join the discussion, the book club is open to all. To sign up, go to the Dvar Book Club link in our bio to leave us your email, and we will get back to you with details, and if you need to loan the book, we can help you with that too. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis and we have limited seats so hurry!

The first edition of Dvar’s book club focused on Pakistani-American author Daniyal Mueenuddin’s latest novel ‘This is where the Serpent Lives’ generated some very interesting discussions! All participants agreed on Daniyal’s mastery of the craft of writing and his keen powers of observation. Many agreed that the structure of the novel works, but there are places where a strand is either explored too much or not enough, leaving the reader a bit frustrated at times. Similarly, a yearning for more exploration of the female characters was felt.
Have you read the novel? What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

The Sri Lankan Civil War was a decades-long conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the separatist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who sought an independent Tamil state called Tamil Eelam in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Rooted in ethnic tensions, discrimination, and political exclusion faced by many Tamils, the war caused widespread displacement, civilian deaths, enforced disappearances, and deep social trauma across communities.
The war caused many Sri Lankan Tamils to flee their country, with refugees now located all around the world, including Europe. Delon Madavan and Antony Goreau-Ponceaud delve into the archives of the French Tamil diaspora to uncover the complex story of a separatist newspaper that helped keep the Tamil language and connection to their homeland for a brief period of time. The piece explores how the diaspora identity is not simply about longing for a lost homeland but actively reconstructing it in everyday life. Today, the vibrant Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora is the largest South Asian minority in France, with contributions ranging from gastronomy to dance to cinema and more.
Go to the link in comments to read the piece in full and share your thoughts!

The South Asian stand-up comedy scene is growing in Europe, with more shows, more emerging artists and more comics from back home coming to perform here. It’s an exciting development, but not always easy to follow, with information scattered across venues and individual handles. We’ve done a round-up for what’s on in the month of May in different countries.
Swipe to see detailed listings by region for the month!
If you’re a comic, a producer or a venue and would like to be included in our monthly listing, our DMs are open :)
.comedy.pub .agarwal @

Our April article just dropped! This time we are doing a deep dive into the French independent cinema financing and festival ecosystem that has given us some fantastic successes over the last few years, not least Payal Kapadia’s atmospheric ‘All We Imagine as Light’, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2024.
As Payal presides over the jury this year, the article looks at the strengths and weaknesses of this system—which helps so many South Asian filmmakers who often can’t raise funding in their home countries—and wonders how existing ties can be built upon to ensure a greater diversity of representation going forward.
Go to the link in comments to read the piece in full and share your thoughts!

This month, just a few days after the release of her last official recording, ‘The Shadowy Light’, in which she sings of crossing over to ‘the other side’, Asha Bhosle breathed her last. Her passing at the age of 92 came as a shock to Indians and South Asians worldwide. In a career that spanned eight decades, left us with a mind-boggling 11,000 songs in over 10 languages, Asha tai, as she was fondly known, spanned a breadth of musical genres that shows a great openness to other cultures and a constant willingness to learn and experiment. From rock n’ roll to jazz, qawwali to cabaret, folk to semi-classical to pop, she created a unique oeuvre that will be her lasting legacy.