South Asians made up of hundreds of identities, we must protect all of them: Fatima Bhutto

09/05/2019 0 Comments read Arts, Entertainment & Lifestyle

Fatima Bhutto. Photo Credit: © Neena Bhandari

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 9 May 2019 (Press Trust of India): Acclaimed Pakistani author Fatima Bhutto, who believes the way to combat fundamentalists is to celebrate the co-existence of more than one culture, says South Asians are made up of hundreds of identities and we must fight to protect all of them.

The 36-year-old granddaughter of the late Pakistan prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who delivered the closing address at the recent Sydney Writers’ Festival, speaks to PTI about her latest book “The Runaways”, what drives young people to become radicals, how the violence in Pakistan during her growing up years taught her to be brave and the west’s accountability in the “explosive radicalism” of today.

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From Kannada rock to Sufi gospel: India puts its soft power on show in Australia

08/11/2016 0 Comments read Arts, Entertainment & Lifestyle, Features

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 08.11.2016 (Scroll.in): Cultural diplomacy is putting a positive spin to the India-Australia bilateral relationship and also enriching the Australian economy.

The first ever Confluence Festival of India in Australia, touted as one of the largest ever foreign cultural festivals to be organised in the continent country, rolled out 25 productions showcased over 70 different events at iconic landmarks across seven cities.

For decades, India’s soft power potential has remained largely untapped, but the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Government has been focusing on raising India’s profile in the international arena through cultural diplomacy. Indian High Commissioner to Australia, Mr Navdeep Suri, strongly believes that “India is a super power when it comes to soft power and Prime Minister Modi has been adroit in recognising the potential of yoga and cultural diplomacy in raising India’s profile around the world”.

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“I view Australia as part of Asia”, says Neil Perry

18/06/2016 0 Comments read Arts, Entertainment & Lifestyle, Travel

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 18.06.2016 (The Hindu): Neil Perry, the pioneering Australian chef, has been a defining contributor to how the world perceives Modern Australian cuisine. It is in Rockpool, his iconic fine dining restaurant located in the hub of Sydney’s financial district, that I meet him on an unusually balmy autumn afternoon.

The dining room is abuzz with men in dark suits on a business lunch, a young Korean couple perhaps on a life-changing date, an Italian family raising a toast to the parents’ 50 years of togetherness, and a group of women engaged in animated conversation, all relishing the exotic aromas wafting from their plates. The wood décor bathed in mellow light radiates warmth.

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