Category Archives: Satire

When Barkha joins Sun TV, it’s time to eat your noodles

Posted on January 3, 2011 by

(This column, intended purely in jest as a turn-of-the-year satire, was published in DNA edition dated January 3, 2011.) Venkatesan Vembu A year ago, I gave expression to my wish-list of 10 whacky things I’d like to see happen in … Continue reading →

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Flash News: ‘No-panty’ Yana shows India is booming

Posted on December 6, 2010 by

Venkatesan Vembu In the Vanities No one wears panities —- Ogden Nash, Theatrical Reflection In the early 1990s, when the Indian economy was opening up to the world, foreign consumer brands, in the first flush of excitement, came tripping over … Continue reading →

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5 reasons why Obama’s visit was a colossal flop

Posted on November 19, 2010 by

(This column, intended entirely in jest, was published in DNA edition dated November 19, 2010.) Venkatesan Vembu Reading media narratives of US President Barack Obama’s visit to India last week leaves me wondering if these commentators and I are on the … Continue reading →

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Politics of ‘going solo’

Posted on October 16, 2010 by

(This column was published in DNA edition dated October 16, 2010.) Venkatesan Vembu A US comedian once famously jested that American presidents do to the country what they ought to be doing to their wives. In recent times, however, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Satire, Sexuality | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Aussie Amar, American Advani!

Posted on September 4, 2010 by

(A satirical column published in DNA edition dated September 4, 2010.) Venkatesan Vembu One of our widely acknowledged failings as Indians is a general reluctance – or, worse, an incapacity – to leverage our exceptional skills and take them to … Continue reading →

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Dear Julia Roberts, what is your caste?

Posted on August 14, 2010 by

(A satirical column published in DNA edition dated August 14, 2010.) Venkatesan Vembu Dear Ms Julia Roberts It has been brought to our attention, here at the Census bureau of India, that you have recently proclaimed yourself a “practising Hindu” … Continue reading →

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Let’s outsource the Commonwealth Games!

Posted on July 31, 2010 by

(A satirical column published in DNA edition dated July 31 2010.) Venkatesan Vembu The news that the construction of stadiums and hotels for the Delhi Commonwealth Games is horribly behind schedule has justifiably given rise to much existential angst. It … Continue reading →

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10 whacky wishes for ’10

Posted on January 1, 2010 by

(This satirical column was published in DNA edition dated January 1, 2010.) Venkatesan Vembu Sociologists and economists predict that 2010 will be a “Goldilocks year” – that is (as in the children’s story of the little girl and the Three … Continue reading →

Posted in Columns, India, Satire | 2 Comments