Dishoom Loves. Issue VII.

Welcome to a brand new month of Dishoom Loves. For those who often receive our emails, and for those who follow us on Instagram, you’ll know that we worked together with the ever-so-talented artist Manjit Thapp. Peruse our first-ever collection of limited-edition T-shirts (they’re available to buy now!) So this month, we thought it would be wonderful to hear about all the things Manjit Loves. Have a little read. 

I’ve found comfort in between:—

The pages of artist Meera Lee Patel’s book My Friend Fear. As a creative, I’m often filled with self-doubt, and Meera’s book has been helpful in confronting that. It holds a visual treat – pages filled with her watercolour illustrations (that I’ve been a fan of for awhile), introspective quotes and thought-provoking questions. To leave you with one: “What dreams are hiding between your fears?”. 

I’m spending hours:—

Admiring a print that sits above my desk, titled ‘Troublemaker’s’ by artist Manuja Waldia. In it, and surrounded by a bouquet of sweet flowers, bright-ripe mangoes and the watchful eye of some birds, a group of women come together for an afternoon (or perhaps an early evening) of chai and sweet-treats. Each time I look at it, I notice something new and I find myself longing for a balmy afternoon-evening with my own friends. 

I’m deeply inspired by:—

The storytelling from jewellery brand Alighieri. From The Link of Wanderlust Ring to The Flickers of the Sea Necklace, founder Rosh Mahtani reminisces about childhood summers spent by the beach. Rummaging through old photos from her father’s road trip in the 80s, their unspoken bond, her love for film photography and more. And it’s wonderful to watch it all come alive through each ‘modern heirloom’. 

I’m listening (on loop) to:—

Singer-songwriter Raveena Aurora’s soulful and ethereal music – the ideal companion when I’m working. And her music videos are near perfect, too. If you haven’t already, I recommend taking five minutes (4.39 to be exact) to watch the video for her track ‘Mystery’. Featuring Irani cafés, bouffant hairstyles with flowers gently perched atop, beautiful saris and nostalgia-inducing backgrounds that take you straight to a vintage Bollywood film. 

I spend my evenings watching:—

A first generation, 20-something-year-old, Egyptian-American living in New Jersey. He navigates through life torn between his faith, his community and new age ideals, in the comedy-drama series Ramy. With two seasons, and twenty episodes, some of my favourites will always be the standalone ones from the female perspective of his sister and mother. 

Dishoom x Manjit Thapp: The Trailblazers has arrived

We’re overjoyed to announce that our collaboration with Manjit Thapp is now available. Three most special T-shirts bearing a beautiful illustration of these trailblazing, rule-breaking woman from Indian history. Choose from T-shirts proudly displaying warrior queen, Rani Lakshmi Bai, princess turned revolutionary, Sophia Duleep Singh, and India’s first female photojournalist, Homai Vyarawalla

This limited edition Trailblazers collection is available by way of the Dishoom Store.

Read the café stories

Suggested Reading

See the journal

Dishoom Loves. Issue VIII.

The sun is momentarily out again. Calendars are fast filling up. There’s many a thing to do and many a friend to meet. And if we may kindly add to the excitement and the plan-making, here’s our list of what we’re looking forward to in September. 

Memories from the Fringe

While we were at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, we caught Evening Conversations, an engaging show by Sudha Bhuchar. We caught up with her after the show to talk about her journey and her views on South Asian representation on screen, which you can read below. And for those who didn’t walk down the cobbled streets of the city or stumble into an impromptu performance this year, we highly recommend it for 2024.

Dishoom Loves Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Each year as August dawns, the streets and rooms and corners of Edinburgh fill with music, art, laughter and song. Wander into grand halls and pokey pubs, as the morning sun rises or in the dark of night, to see creations of every kind as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In honour of this wonderful celebration of the performing arts (and as a little treat), here’s a special edition Dishoom Loves, covering all the acts we’ve circled on our festival programme.

76 Years on, there is still much learning to be done

For anyone looking to learn or read more on Partition, this page holds a series of resources, for all ages, created by people knowledgeable and knowing about such matters. It is by no means definitive – we have simply found them to be useful, inspiring and accessible.