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Abhishek Asthana

Abhishek Asthana

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The great Indian flying experience

Thirty-five minutes remaining — I have never missed a flight in my life. I inherited the traits of my father — a duty-bound man, who sits in the...

14.03.2026 10

hindustantimes

Abhishek Asthana

Seeing places anew, as a traveller of means

09.02.2026 20

hindustantimes

Abhishek Asthana

Adjusting to Delhi-NCR pollution, with a smile

19.01.2026 30

hindustantimes

Abhishek Asthana

A New Year resolution: Eschew comparisons

04.01.2026 20

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Abhishek Asthana

Internet Dhurandhars and the battle of opinions

Dhurandhar, the fiery Aditya Dhar movie, is a hard-hitting movie largely about Karachi gangs and how they aid the larger apparatus of State-sponsored...

14.12.2025 10

hindustantimes

Abhishek Asthana

Songs as time machines and bookmarks of memory

Songs take you back in time, and also to places. Migrant workers from Purvanchal can barely function without Kumar Sanu crooning in the background

24.11.2025 7

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Abhishek Asthana

What matters most at Indian weddings

Wedding dates are almost always decided by astrologers, and hence converge at that particular time of the year that has a bunch of “auspicious dates”

09.11.2025 5

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Abhishek Asthana

The Bihar narrative, between the decades

Bihar has developed since. People who had moved out long ago still carry the same impression of Bihar

19.10.2025 20

hindustantimes

Abhishek Asthana

Why the NRI doesn’t do much for India

Why is the H-1B visa such a big issue for India? It is the brain drain. Students from public-funded universities offering subsidised education moving...

28.09.2025 20

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Abhishek Asthana

Is the smartphone, as we know it, set to disappear?

Any subsequent resolution upgrade, speed upgrade, or camera clarity bump won’t be distinguishable to the naked eye. All you get is more and more...

14.09.2025 20

hindustantimes

Abhishek Asthana

How the corporate life spawns entrepreneurs

Bad bosses are a boon to a growing economy. They contribute by pushing talented individuals out of corporate slavery to start their own ventures and...

24.08.2025 20

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Abhishek Asthana

What elevator use says about the Indian psyche

The moment a lift arrives at the ground floor, people waiting won’t stop for those inside to disembark; they would rush immediately — a vertical...

03.08.2025 20

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Abhishek Asthana

Changing nature of neighbourly bonds

“Whenever” is a great tool to dodge such societal curveballs. It doesn’t commit a date, and shifts the onus on to the inviting party to propose...

20.07.2025 20

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Abhishek Asthana

Credit, and contempt, for the paths to quick riches

Rags to riches stories, propelled by genetics and a bit of luck, always existed, but they were distant.

07.07.2025 10

hindustantimes

Abhishek Asthana

Spotting Purvanchal of 1800s in the Caribbean

Imagine the Bihar of the 19th century, sans the caste system, paan masala, poor civic sense, but all the amazing food, music, and sweet dialect

22.06.2025 10

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Abhishek Asthana

One-way ticket to that lonesome town

A packed bus ride in peak summer highlights corruption and the unique experiences of travel, blending discomfort with poetic moments.

08.06.2025 9

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Abhishek Asthana

Costs of a semi-war, and keeping hope

Nobody knows how far up the escalatory ladder we will climb, but with each successive rung, we exchange a bit of thrill for some fear

11.05.2025 30

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Abhishek Asthana

Across the border: An army’s rising desperation

Pakistan is still fighting ghosts. The only thing going for it, and why it is still dangerous, is that its army is suicidal

28.04.2025 20

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Abhishek Asthana

The quintessential Indian, value-maximising parent

Parents always regret that they couldn’t transfer their most prized skill — value maximising — to their kid

13.04.2025 10

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Abhishek Asthana

Bringing up innovators, inventors and scientists

Now is the time to prepare a launch pad for the next generation who won’t be satisfied by repurposing an idea or importing a generic drug

30.03.2025 20

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Abhishek Asthana

A bookmark for your memory called cricket

As we grow old, we learn the concept of emotional investment. It’s like keeping it in a vault rather than investing it around small-cap stocks

17.03.2025 30

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Abhishek Asthana

Learning linear algebra, courtesy the local salon

Indian parents selecting barbers for their children meant the latter got haircuts that were so unattractive that they killed any prospect of youthful...

02.03.2025 30

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Abhishek Asthana

The changing tracks of romance of trains

People who lived near the tracks surely must get a bit poetic. It’s like seeing thousands of faces every hour, faces that you will never see in your...

17.02.2025 20

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Abhishek Asthana

Absent in the “work 90 hours a week” debate

We don’t have meaningful work that requires 90 hours a week. Most work is repetitive or dependent on others.

20.01.2025 20

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Abhishek Asthana

Christmas in London, seen with Indian eyes

A sudden development of thick skin is a unique trait of Indians who migrate overseas — or even those applying for a tourist visa

06.01.2025 20

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Abhishek Asthana

Intolerable cruelty of sporting careers

Cricket careers can be harsh, ending abruptly after years of dedication, leading to struggles with identity and purpose post-retirement.

23.12.2024 10

hindustantimes

Abhishek Asthana