 |
VOOZH | about |
|
VOOZH | about |
Devyani Onial is National Features Editor at The Indian Express, and heads the Sunday Eye (the paper's Sunday magazine section). She is a long-form journalist known for her deep-dive profiles, cultural features, and reporting from the Himalayan region. Professional Focus Her work is characterized by a strong interest in the arts, history, and environmental issues related to the hills. Her reporting beats include: Himalayan Narratives: Deeply connected to Uttarakhand, she writes extensively on the ecology, history, and politics of the hill state. Biographical Profiles: She specializes in intimate "At Home With" features of legendary figures like Ruskin Bond, Irfan Habib, and Nayantara Sahgal. Cultural Commentary: She explores film, literature, and social shifts, often through a lens of dissent and identity. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 - 2025) Her recent portfolio features significant interviews and historical retrospectives: 1. High-Profile Interviews & Profiles "Nayantara Sahgal on the Emergency and her rift with cousin Indira Gandhi" (June 29, 2025): A rare interview with the 98-year-old author at her home in Dehradun. "Ruskin Bond at home in Landour" (April 26, 2025): A look back at the author’s 91-year journey and his views on Landour's transformation into an "Insta destination." "At home with Irfan Habib: The History Keeper" (Jan 25, 2025): A profile of the legendary historian as he reflects on 75 years of the Indian Republic. "Sudhir Mishra on Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and his new series on the Emergency" (June 28, 2025). 2. Uttarakhand & The Hills "New Year Postcards: 'Women fought for Uttarakhand…we hope for a safer place'" (Jan 1, 2025): Recounting the 1994 statehood struggle and the current anxieties of activists. "Are Uttarakhand’s pine trees to blame for the fires?" (May 19, 2024): A historical and ecological investigation into the "pine cone" problem in Mussoorie and Landour. "The Purola Story: How an Uttarakhand town discovered 'love jihad'" (June 23, 2023): Exploring how social fault lines are weaponized in small hill towns. 3. Education & Society "All about a girl: The first girl to graduate from a 50-year-old boys' school" (Nov 9, 2024): A feature on Shekinah, the first girl at Colonel Brown, a historic Dehradun residential school. "Old Rajinder Nagar... and what series and films don't show" (July 31, 2024): An analysis of the crushing pressure on UPSC aspirants following the tragic deaths in coaching centers. Signature Beats Devyani is particularly noted for her literary-historical approach. She has written extensively on Jim Corbett, defending his legacy as both a hunter and a naturalist (specifically arguing against the renaming of Corbett National Park). She also curates the "Explained Books" section, recently covering the legacies of the Mughal Emperor Humayun and...
December 27, 2022 12:33 IST
In times when Urdu, the language, has become ‘Muslim’ and the colour orange ‘Hindu’, what chance does a line like 'Mere Allah burai se bachana mujhko' have?
Wed, Dec 28, 2022October 22, 2022 04:37 IST
Among the papers that Kala collected on Corbett are the reminiscences of Maggie, Jim Corbett’s sister and life-long companion, as narrated to her friend after Corbett’s death in Kenya in 1955.
Sat, Oct 22, 2022September 18, 2022 06:00 IST
The octogenarian who has been instrumental in getting the Namibian cheetah to India, on the journey and the road ahead
Tue, Sep 20, 2022July 30, 2022 11:00 IST
The Delhi-based writer on what made her work on a biography of the Mughal emperor Akbar, the many myths that surround his legacy, his ruthlessness and his ability to rise above his prejudices for greater good
Sat, Jul 30, 2022July 25, 2022 16:03 IST
Born in Nainital, Jim Corbett lived in India until Independence, after which he left for Kenya where he died in 1955.
Mon, Jul 25, 2022April 03, 2022 09:08 IST
A recent collection of his radio talks point to the stellar role birds play in preserving our environment
Sun, Apr 03, 2022October 09, 2021 04:00 IST
Devyani Onial writes: To be one was not to cancel out the other. This is something to be remembered, as the proposal to rename the Corbett National Park is being considered.
Sun, Oct 10, 2021October 06, 2021 22:04 IST
India’s best known hunter, Corbett earned fame after he tracked down and killed a number of man-eating tigers and leopards
Mon, Dec 27, 2021February 05, 2021 04:00 IST
A former professor and chair at the Department of History at Delhi University specialising in ancient and medieval history, Jha consistently called out what he saw as distortions of Indian history.
Fri, Feb 05, 2021December 16, 2020 04:51 IST
Sitting in her apartment in one of the many blocks with a view that have come up in Dehradun, the 94-year-old remembers a personal journey dotted with the milestones of a century.
Wed, Dec 16, 2020December 06, 2020 06:20 IST
The writer on taking forward Mowgli’s story in his latest book, Feral Dreams and recapturing the shadows and fears of the original Jungle Books
Sat, Dec 05, 2020October 11, 2020 06:30 IST
An interview with the writer of a new biography on Osho’s controversial and flamboyant former secretary.
Sun, Oct 11, 2020September 15, 2020 00:13 IST
Kangana Ranaut could have become the flag-bearer of a revolution in Bollywood. It’s a pity she has chosen, instead, to become the symbol of a million meaningless mutinies.
Tue, Sep 15, 2020August 06, 2020 04:32 IST
The “Jai Shri Ram” slogan had come to symbolise the Ram Janmabhoomi movement; on Wednesday, as the movement culminated in the first step of temple-building, there was, perhaps, no need for a battle cry anymore.
Fri, Aug 07, 2020June 10, 2020 18:37 IST
Hiring more Blacks, Hispanics and women into law enforcement will certainly help, but it’s not the sole fix for systematic racism in policing. A more multi-pronged approach is needed.
Fri, Jun 19, 2020June 05, 2020 04:00 IST
Black Rights Matter carries echoes of MLK’s civil rights movement. A look at what is similar, what is different, and what African Americans have faced in between.
Mon, Jun 22, 2020May 17, 2020 06:20 IST
"Maybe people will get a chance to discover themselves in this enforced solitude, to become more thoughtful because we can’t rush around as we used to"
Tue, May 19, 2020January 26, 2020 06:00 IST
Reading new meanings into a film that captured the aftermath of Partition, and one that showed an India leading up to the Babri Masjid demolition.
Sun, Jan 26, 2020December 25, 2019 04:13 IST
A poet who gets the crowds on his feet at mushairas across the country and abroad with his distinct style of delivery, Rahat Indori’s often deceptively simple words give a hard-hitting message, with the political informing the lyrical.
Wed, Dec 25, 2019May 14, 2019 04:40 IST
With Congress winning the Assembly polls in 2017, Preneet Kaur’s husband Capt Amarinder Singh in the Chief Minister’s chair and with Gandhi dismissed by the AAP, the Congress appears upbeat about its chances in Patiala.
Tue, May 14, 2019May 05, 2019 02:46 IST
Within Una’s government college campus, jobs and national security are what they discuss when they talk about politics.
Sun, May 05, 2019April 20, 2019 04:00 IST
Two decades after the India-Pak war, it’s in Elections 2019 that nationalism has emerged as a poll issue for the rest of the country. But in Kargil, conflict is far from the idea sold on the mainland. Here, it’s a way of life, felt, not expressed, and definitely not voted upon.
Thu, Apr 25, 2019January 13, 2019 00:20 IST
Chunaavi jumla or bold move? Right decision or wrong income cap? Great equaliser or more of the same? From its tea shops and college campuses to its ghats and temples, the 10% quota for general category has the PM’s constituency of Varanasi divided. The Indian Express reports.
Sun, Jan 13, 2019November 11, 2018 06:00 IST
Parvati Sharma on her new book on emperor Jahangir, digging him out of obscurity and why the Mughals continue to be labelled outsiders.
Sun, Nov 11, 2018April 15, 2018 00:01 IST
Brothers Chapman and Maclain Way, directors of the Netflix series Wild, Wild Country, on what prompted them to make the docu-series, its relevance today and their meeting with the feisty Ma Anand Sheela.
Sun, Apr 15, 2018
