250 years after her birth, Jane Austen's spirit lives on in India

Mint

14-06-2025

Bored of reading about sewing, pianoforte sessions and perambulation, a friend and I tried rewriting Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Emma to fit into our high school-setting in Chennai about three decades ago. 'Fan fiction' wasn't a term we knew, Clueless was a hit but hadn't yet reached our corner of the world, and so, in our ignorance, we felt quite bold, creative and original. We weren't really fans, but the Bennet sisters held promise, we decreed. They were more interesting and independent-minded than the four Little Women and not as preachy as Thomas Hardy's characters—also in the syllabus—but they still seemed rather old, prim and hemmed-in for 15-year-olds who borrowed adventure stories from the library and were repelled by the idea of conformity and marriage. So I was convinced there'd be little to recommend Austen to the contemporary reader in India—an opinion that was greeted by horror from the team, which wanted to mark the 250th anniversary of her birth. And I'm really glad to have been proved wrong, as the stories we've done in the past week bear out. Somak Ghoshal reports that for discerning young women, Jane Austen represents freedom of expression and pursuing one's own goals despite the circumstances. Udita Jhunjhunwala finds that Indian cinema thrives on Austen's universal themes—of family and misunderstanding, tradition and independence, duty and love. And author Mahesh Rao discovered the spirit of Jane Austen alive in Delhi, instead of her hometown in the UK where she's reduced to quotes on cushion covers. We also have a Clueless moment in our Style section, when Pooja Singh decides to make AI her stylist for five days with less than exciting results.
For more weekend activities, pick from our lists of what to watch, read, eat, and do. As for me, I'm going to finish Persuasion, which I bought when we started talking about Austen's 250th birth anniversary—and this time I am able to see its charm (and if you are invested in the fate of that early fanfic effort—it hasn't survived the years though the friendship remains much like one Austen might have written).
There's plenty to read in the print issue of Mint Lounge dated 14 June 2025.
In the 1970s and 80s, restaurants in Maharashtra had to segregate alcohol-serving areas and patrons needed a permit to drink here. These permit rooms are now making a return—but in an urbane, gentrified avatar for younger drinkers. From Goa, Bengaluru and Mumbai to New York and London, restaurateurs are now reinventing traditional toddy shops, permit rooms and tavernas, transforming these hyperlocal bars into trendy destinations. By modernising classic drinks and dishes, they're not just celebrating regional heritage, but also making communal experiences fun and relevant to a new generation, writes Sayoni Bhaduri. Read more.
Known locally as Karlsbad/Carlsbad, Karlovy Vary (literally Charles' spring) was a European spa town for centuries before Czechia got swept behind the Iron Curtain. The picturesque town is home to over a dozen hot springs, all revered for their healing properties. Anita Rao Kashi walks around the tiny town—and takes a dip in the hot springs. Read more.
Created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky, Hacks is a show about writing, the art of the joke and the commercialization of comedy—and yet it manages to be laugh-out-loud funny. The fourth season of 'Hacks' is a rousing return to form, with clever cameos and a new urgency, writes Raja Sen. Read more.
Fitness and integrated health expert Luke Coutinho thinks 10-minute deliveries are great for many things—toothpaste, masalas, even tissues and veggies. But he's also concerned that the promotion of junk food through quick commerce is messing with people's health. He tells Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran that well-intended health and wellness initiatives are being launched in the country, but alongside apps and gadgets that encourage couch-potato behaviour are also gaining a following. Read more.
Kazakh cuisine traces its roots to the country's nomadic herdsmen and their practices, and is shaped by necessity and easy availability—which means the diet is mostly meat (lamb, beef, horse) and dairy products. It is simple and yet interesting food, as Joanna Lobo discovers during a two-week trip. Read more.
With summer holidays in full swing, most people are heading to the hills to unwind and escape the heat and bustle of the plains. Besides figuring out how to get there and where to stay, the other daunting task is what to wear, especially if you are going on a trek. Yes, clothes need to be practical, functional and light, but it isn't a bad idea to look stylish for those Instagram photos. Manish Mishra asked some experts for advice for practical yet stylish looks that are great on hiking and trekking trails as well as on Reels. Read more.