Viren Naidu
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Articles by Viren Naidu
Magazine extract: India’s New Digital Censorship Ecosystem
Thank you for visiting the Index website. Your support means a lot to us. To preview our latest magazine, ‘Death by a thousand bots’, we hope you will enjoy this extract from Viren Naidu’s piece “India’s New Digital Censorship Ecosystem”. Our award-winning quarterly magazine is free to members. You can become a member and support the fight for free expression here. On January 9, 2025, journalist Anzer Ayoob received an unexpected email from X.
Why Egypt silenced six journalists who dared to say "don't believe it"
Matsada2sh, Arabic for “don’t believe it”, was founded in 2018 to check the facts in a country where the official narrative goes largely unchallenged. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has repeatedly told his people to only believe what he says. What started as a fact-checking platform has since expanded into investigative reporting covering Egypt and other Arab countries, digging into everything from discrepancies in official figures to hidden cracks within state institutions.
Six journalists detained as Egypt treats independent reporting as a security threat
At 12 noon on Friday, Cairo time, Eman Ouf, the rapporteur of the Women’s Committee and the Freedoms Committee at the Egyptian Press Syndicate, was rushing to the public prosecutor’s office. Technically, it was her day off, but the public prosecutor was working as normal, and she – along with other members of the syndicate’s board – feared that the six detained journalists who make up the editorial team of the fact-checking newsroom Matsada2sh would be brought before prosecutors without warning.
Why We Pay to Walk Through History’s Darkest Places
You know something isn’t right when you begin a tour with a waiver. Not the kind you sign before skydiving or bungee jumping. This one deeply unsettles you. It asks you to consent to prison guards hurling abuses at you, to be addressed as a ‘detainee’ and disobedience, the waiver warns, could have severe repercussions: strenuous physical exercises, cleaning duties or expulsion from the guardhouse.
The flood, the fakes and the fact-checkers
As news broke that 84,270 people, including more than 32,000 children, had been affected by Nepal’s catastrophic floods, one visual offered something the world desperately needed in the moment: hope. The video shows a little girl, buried under thick mud, being is rescued by Nepal’s emergency teams. Instinctively, the viewer roots for her as rescuers carry her to safety, wrapping her shivering body in a red shawl. But the most moving moment of the video comes towards the end.
How LGBTQ+ Travellers Plan for Risks Straight Couples Rarely Consider
Thirty-seven-year-olds Yogi and Kabeer aren’t much of a PDA couple. But at the top of the Eiffel Tower, stealing a kiss felt completely natural. They leaned in almost instinctively, sealing their 11-year relationship with a kiss. On another trip, standing atop the Burj Khalifa, instinct took over again, but in the opposite direction. This time, they consciously kept a little distance. They refrained from holding hands, and a kiss wasn’t even a possibility.
India’s Gen Z Protests Exposed a New Architecture of Digital Control
On the morning of July 21, independent journalist Sadhika Tiwari was inundated with messages from strangers, alerting her to the fact that they could no longer find the Instagram reel she had uploaded to her feed hours earlier. Tiwari had spent the night reporting from one of India’s largest-ever youth protests in New Delhi, and as usual had posted her coverage to her account.
AI fakes, real feelings: How fabricated content is reshaping online trust and perception
Eight months ago, on a warm afternoon, the Barabanki forest division in Uttar Pradesh was inundated with calls from residents. Shahpur, a small village in the district, had reportedly witnessed its first lion sighting. It was not a villager who spotted the giant cat during his morning stroll. Instead, it surfaced in a photograph that rapidly spread across WhatsApp groups and other social media: a majestic lion standing tall with its mane glowing in the morning sun.
AI fakes, real feelings: How fabricated content is reshaping online trust and perception
New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- Eight months ago, on a warm afternoon, the Barabanki forest division in Uttar Pradesh was inundated with calls from residents. Shahpur, a small village in the district, had reportedly witnessed its first lion sighting. It was not a villager who spotted the giant cat during his morning stroll. Instead, it surfaced in a photograph that rapidly spread across WhatsApp groups and other social media: a majestic lion standing tall with its mane glowing in the morning sun.
Season's eatings: How Indian menus are adapting to climate change
Posted On: 2026-09-11 Posted By: Viren Naidu Health & Lifestyle Technology Cities Hindustan Times Columnists India, Sept. 11 -- The next time you pick up a menu, look for a secret hiding in plain sight. Seasonal food used to mean a chalkboard of mango specials in May. But as harvests get less reliable in the climate crisis, restaurant owners across India are finding it harder to follow a set menu. So, they're switching to a risky model: Dynamic recipes.
Season’s eatings: How Indian menus are adapting to climate change
Published on: Sep 11, 2026, 03:12:12 IST Restaurant owners now plan dynamic recipes: Dishes that depend on the availability of ingredients. (ILLUSTRATION CREATED BY LEELA USING CHATGPT) When the weather starts to bite, chefs bite back. Mango crop ruined? There’s aam paana on the menu. Berries delayed with winter? The salad has sour greens instead. Bumper citrus crop? It’s gone in a week. It’s risky. It’s responsible.
Seggs, grape, unalive: Why creators can't say what they mean
India, Aug. 21 -- When Dr Tanaya Narendra, one of India's best-known sexual health educators, discusses myths around pain during sex on her page @Dr_Cuterus, the subtitles spell it SEGGS. The typo is deliberate, the 32-year-old embryologist says. Two years ago, Meta informed Dr Narendra that her account would no longer be recommended to non-followers. A handful of her videos were flagged for their sexual content. Her videos that reference human anatomy were repeatedly scrutinised.
Seggs, grape, unalive: Why creators can’t say what they mean
Dr Tanaya Narendra uses coded terms and emojis to sidestep content takedown laws. (.INSTAGRAM/@DRCUTERUS) On Insta, a parallel lexicon is taking shape. Typos? No. Just cheeky ways to trick an algorithm that hasn’t made its own censorship rules clear When Dr Tanaya Narendra, one of India’s best-known sexual health educators, discusses myths around pain during sex on her page @Dr_Cuterus, the subtitles spell it SEGGS. The typo is deliberate, the 32-year-old embryologist says.
He said Yes!: How women are reclaiming the marriage proposal
If Irish folklore is to be believed, women have been proposing to their partners since the fifth century. (ILLUSTRATIONS CREATED USING CHATGPT) Women are racing forward in every sphere. But a marriage proposal is still the man’s job. Why is this so hard on the knees? Should more women do it?
He said Yes!: How women are reclaiming the marriage proposal
Posted On: 2026-07-30 Posted By: Viren Naidu Health & Lifestyle Auto Education Technology Cities Hindustan Times Columnists India, July 30 -- Back in 2011, when they were engineering undergraduates in Chennai, Damini and Dhruv (who are keeping their last names private, you'll see why) watched the Indian Grand Prix on a laptop in their university corridor, sharing earphones as best friends. Cut to 13 years later. It's May 2024.
Screen Test: Independent filmmakers are still fighting for space
WHEN FILMMAKER Kanu Behl’s Agra screened at the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, it received a five-minute standing ovation. Two years later, it was fighting simply to be seen. It wasn’t that Indian audiences had rejected the film. They weren’t given the opportunity to discover it in the first place. When Agra finally released last November, Behl barely had time to read reviews or respond to congratulatory messages.
The Landscapes That Define Dibakar Banerjee's Cinema
Home People The Landscapes That Define Dibakar Banerjee's Cinema "All the characters portrayed in my movies are products of the geography they belong to."--Dibakar Banerjee (Photo Credit: GettyImages) In the opening scene of Sandeep aur Pinky Faraar, a group of entitled young men drive through Delhi NCR late at night, nonchalantly dissing a woman’s character. One of the friends is mocked for wearing pink, then retaliates that he is ‘man enough’ to pull it off.
Eye on India: The Rise of the Cockroaches
Thirty-year-old Abhijeet Dipke, who had spent the past year and a half earning a master’s degree in public relations at Boston University, had to skip his graduation ceremony. And he has a cockroach to blame for it. No, his apartment wasn’t infested.
Veg ramen, no fish broth, please!
While vegetarian substitutes are available, replicating the dish with the same precision is not easy.
What the bleep: As Indian streamers censor shows, viewers feel the FOMO
India, May 29 -- Aditya J is not enjoying the final season of The Boys. His disappointment began with the first episode, when a character who runs a corrupt religious organisation addresses Sister Sage, as his "sister in Christ." She, not to be trifled with, delivers what must be a devastating line, going by her expression. But what does she say? Prime Video goes mute in that moment. No subtitles, even. In a later episode, it happens again.
What the bleep: As Indian streamers censor shows, viewers feel the FOMO
Your favourite show has arrived in India – just not all of it. As streamers censor scenes and mute punchlines, fans fill in the blanks online Published on: May 29, 2026 4:17 AM IST Aditya J is not enjoying the final season of The Boys. His disappointment began with the first episode, when a character who runs a corrupt religious organisation addresses Sister Sage, as his “sister in Christ.” She, not to be trifled with, delivers what must be a devastating line, going by her expression.
How people mourn in the era of social media: Personal proximity and public declarations
Posted On: 2026-05-22 Posted By: Viren Naidu Entertainment Health & Lifestyle National Education Technology MINT Newspapers New Delhi, May 22 -- A few hours after Asha Bhosle's death last month, actor Sachin Pilgaonkar posted an Instagram tribute: a photograph of a smiling Bhosle surrounded by Pilgaonkar's family, a heartwarming caption recalling how his mother once shared recording spaces with her, and on further swipe, a grainy picture of the two artists singing a duet.
How people mourn in the era of social media: Personal proximity and public declarations
A few hours after Asha Bhosle’s death last month, actor Sachin Pilgaonkar posted an Instagram tribute: a photograph of a smiling Bhosle surrounded by Pilgaonkar’s family, a heartwarming caption recalling how his mother once shared recording spaces with her, and on further swipe, a grainy picture of the two artists singing a duet. But look closer, and the post doesn’t just mourn the legendary singer; it also establishes proximity to her.
Art in Lisbon: Kitsch Is Cool
IN PARTS OF LISBON, art shows up in the most unexpected of places. Not hanging on pristine white walls under dim lighting or guarded behind ropes. Instead, picture artworks above breakfast buffets, across corridors and adorning hotel lobbies as you wait for your turn to be checked in.
Art in Lisbon: Kitsch Is Cool
IN PARTS OF LISBON, art shows up in the most unexpected of places. Not hanging on pristine white walls under dim lighting or guarded behind ropes. Instead, picture artworks above breakfast buffets, across corridors and adorning hotel lobbies as you wait for your turn to be checked in.
Flying With Children? Air India Introduces Cloud Chasers Family Travel Program
Anyone who has travelled long-haul with a child knows the unspoken choreography of modern family flying. The colouring books packed in a hurry, the emergency snacks, the downloaded cartoons, the whispered hope that the seatbelt sign does not coincide with a meltdown somewhere over the Arabian Sea. Airlines have spent years refining premium cabins and business-class lounges, but the realities of travelling with children have often remained an afterthought.
Travelling With A Baby Is Work—Until Your Hotel Shares The Parenting Load
The first crunch of pastel de nata at Lisbon’s city-centre hotel, Martinhal Chiado, is a sensory experience—the crisp exterior dissolving into warm custard, tiny flakes soiling the top of your shirt, sugar clinging to fingers, making it hard to dust off. That sensory surrender was further amplified with Lisbon easing into its evening spirit.
Travelling With A Baby Is Work—Until Your Hotel Shares The Parenting Load
The first crunch of pastel de nata at Lisbon’s city-centre hotel, Martinhal Chiado, is a sensory experience—the crisp exterior dissolving into warm custard, tiny flakes soiling the top of your shirt, sugar clinging to fingers, making it hard to dust off. That sensory surrender was further amplified with Lisbon easing into its evening spirit.
Rooftops to community centres, films find alternative spaces
New Delhi, April 23 -- At the fifth edition of the P.K. Rosy Film Festival that concluded in Chennai earlier this month to commemorate Dalit History Month, a few unfamiliar faces hovered around the venue. They were neither delegates queuing for screenings nor filmmakers engaging with audiences. Instead, they occupied corners quietly, stepping in and out of screening halls, sitting through panel discussions, lacking the curiosity of cinephiles. Festival organisers knew who they were.
Rooftops to community centres, films find alternative spaces
Films that cannot find a theatre or streaming release are being screened for smaller, niche audiences on rooftops, at film festivals and in clubs Films that cannot find a theatre or streaming release are being screened for smaller, niche audiences on rooftops, at film festivals and in clubs.(Pexels) At the fifth edition of the P.K. Rosy Film Festival that concluded in Chennai earlier this month to commemorate Dalit History Month, a few unfamiliar faces hovered around the venue.
Kitchen Confidential: Filmmaker Farah Khan turns her lens on a star-studded culinary show whose real hero is her cook
HEROINE KI ENTRY” is a very Bollywood-esque expression— the exact moment when the hero (and the audience) in a film falls for the lead actress, as she makes a dramatic entry on screen for the first time. The impact is amplified by slow-motion, a wind machine lifting her hair, a drifting pallu and a background score that builds until the camera pans on the star-making shot.
Kitchen Confidential: Filmmaker Farah Khan turns her lens on a star-studded culinary show whose real hero is her cook
HEROINE KI ENTRY” is a very Bollywood-esque expression— the exact moment when the hero (and the audience) in a film falls for the lead actress, as she makes a dramatic entry on screen for the first time. The impact is amplified by slow-motion, a wind machine lifting her hair, a drifting pallu and a background score that builds until the camera pans on the star-making shot.
Why Farm Stays Are Becoming The Perfect Getaway For Families With Pets
Home Trips Why Farm Stays Are Becoming The Perfect Getaway For Families With Pets Fernandes Wadi (Photo Courtesy: Viren Naidu) The relentless noise and chaos of city life gave Lyla, a rescue dog adopted by construction professional Jaidatt Kedar Udiyavar, severe anxiety. However, when her anxiety begins to spiral, there is one place that brings her respite: Fernandes Wadi, a three-acre organic farm situated a few hours from Mumbai in Uran. “Plus, it is a leash-free property,” he adds.
Underwater, The Rules Of Romance Are Rewritten With Unspoken Words And Indescribable Intimacy
Sibuti Coral Reefs National Park (Photo credit: Sarawak Tourism Board) Guraidhoo Island in the Maldives was like a second home to diving enthusiasts César Ortuño Forcada (30) and Marina Niño Pozas (33). By their seventh trip in December of 2025, they knew exactly what to expect. The novelty was beginning to wear off—the reef felt all too familiar, the sight of the underwater species predictable and the movement of the water second nature.
Luz, câmera, algoritmo: o país onde o cinema já está tomado por imagens produzidas por IA
O cinema indiano adota o uso de inteligência artificial com velocidade muito maior do que a indústria de Hollywood. De um lado, surgem inovações antes impensáveis, mas também há preocupações éticas e jurídicas a respeito. A heroína do filme Naisha, de Vivek Anchalia, totalmente gerada por IA Quando o diretor e roteirista Vivek Anchalia apresentou seu próximo filme, os produtores não se entusiasmaram. Seu projeto só começou a ganhar força quando ele trouxe um novo tipo de colaborador.
Luz, câmera, algoritmo: o país onde o cinema já está tomado por imagens produzidas por IA
O cinema indiano adota o uso de inteligência artificial com velocidade muito maior do que a indústria de Hollywood. De um lado, surgem inovações antes impensáveis, mas também há preocupações éticas e jurídicas a respeito. A heroína do filme Naisha, de Vivek Anchalia, totalmente gerada por IA Quando o diretor e roteirista Vivek Anchalia apresentou seu próximo filme, os produtores não se entusiasmaram. Seu projeto só começou a ganhar força quando ele trouxe um novo tipo de colaborador.
No Sun. No Signal. All Wonder: A Guide to Subterranean Travel Across Continents
Sometimes, the most transformative journeys don’t happen across horizons—but quietly, beneath them (Photo Credit: Viren Naidu ) The light is the first thing to disappear during an underground adventure. Kolkata-based marketing professional Sayoni Sinha, who feared the dark, was hesitant at first. In Oman’s Al Hoota Cave, nestled deep within the Hajar Mountains, she stepped into the uncertainty of the two-million-year-old subterranean universe.
Luz, câmera, algoritmo: o país onde o cinema já está tomado por imagens produzidas por IA
Quando o diretor e roteirista Vivek Anchalia apresentou seu próximo filme, os produtores não se entusiasmaram. Seu projeto só começou a ganhar força quando ele trouxe um novo tipo de colaborador. Com o auxílio de ferramentas de inteligência artificial (IA), como o ChatGPT e Midjourney, Anchalia encontrou uma forma de produzir o filme sozinho. O Midjourney forneceu os visuais e o ChatGPT serviu de placa de som.
Luz, câmera, algoritmo: o país onde o cinema já está tomado por imagens produzidas por IA
O cinema indiano adota o uso de inteligência artificial com velocidade muito maior do que a indústria de Hollywood. De um lado, surgem inovações antes impensáveis, mas também há preocupações éticas e jurídicas a respeito. A indústria cinematográfica da Índia (a maior do mundo) vem adotando o uso da IA com mais rapidez do que Hollywood, mas a tecnologia não agrada a todos Quando o diretor e roteirista Vivek Anchalia apresentou seu próximo filme, os produtores não se entusiasmaram.
Luz, câmera, algoritmo: o país onde o cinema já está tomado por imagens produzidas por IA
A indústria cinematográfica da Índia (a maior do mundo) vem adotando o uso da IA com mais rapidez do que Hollywood, mas a tecnologia não agrada a todos Quando o diretor e roteirista Vivek Anchalia apresentou seu próximo filme, os produtores não se entusiasmaram. Seu projeto só começou a ganhar força quando ele trouxe um novo tipo de colaborador. Com o auxílio de ferramentas de inteligência artificial (IA), como o ChatGPT e Midjourney, Anchalia encontrou uma forma de produzir o filme sozinho.
Lights, camera, algorithm: Why Indian cinema is awash with AI
29 December 2025 Viren Naidu MG Srinivas (Credit: MG Srinivas) The world's biggest film industry has a new breakout star – artificial intelligence. While Indian cinema is embracing AI far more readily than Hollywood, the use of the technology isn't pleasing everyone. When screenwriter-director Vivek Anchalia set out to pitch his next movie, producers weren't biting. However, he brought in a new kind of collaborator, and his project began to gain traction.
Lights, camera, algorithm: Why Indian cinema is awash with AI
4 hours ago December 27, 2025 Occurred on December 27, 2025 / Hyderabad, Telangana, India Info: The two women, dressed in burqas, were seen blending easily with guests while discreetly lifting purses and handbags one after another without drawing attention. The theft remained unnoticed at first. It was discovered only when guests searched for their belongings, including handbags and a mobile phone, after the suspects had already exited the venue.
India’s Film Censorship Is Getting More Political — and a New Data Leak Reveals Just How Deep It Runs Original
In February this year, Indian filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan walked into the film censor board’s office confidently, hoping for a swift certification process. After all, he believed his film was “safe” enough to pass the censorship test — no sex, no gore, no profanity, and no Bollywood innuendo.
How AI deepfakes are ‘resurrecting’ loved ones for special occasions
The one person Ajmer-based garment businessman Jaideep Sharma missed deeply at his wedding in August was his father, who had died two years ago. But he had a solution. When the priest asked the couple to seek blessings from their elders, a video began to play, showing Sharma’s father speaking in his own voice. It was an apparition of a different kind—one made using AI.
From Mauritius To Morocco: The Modern Allure Of Lighthouses
Everything in Ireland, I am told, always begins with “a pint of gat,” that literally translates to “a pint of Guinness.” Even in a quaint fishing town, such as Howth, just outside of Dublin. "You'll need a little liquid courage to weather the cliffs, my friend," a bartender said cheekily as I set off to my next stop, The Baily Lighthouse, built in 1814 and perched on the rocky cliff of Howth Head.
Why Prison Tourism Is On The Rise
When you step inside Western Australia’s only UNESCO World Heritage-listed building—Fremantle Prison—the limestone walls and eerily lit corridors force you to confront its dark past. The rusted prison cell bars echo with silence, yet feel alive with stories of pain, endurance, and survival. At one point, the guide casually hands a woman a whip once used to punish inmates—its frayed ends still thick with metaphor. She flinches. Her husband, playing along, cries out after a single lash.
How Mohanlal and Fahadh Faasil Are Redefining Masculinity in Jewellery Ads
From macho to muse: Mohanlal & Fahadh Faasil redefine masculinity in jewellery ads Mohanlal isn’t championing this movement alone. Who would have known that Fahadh Faasil — best known for playing a murderous son in Joji and an abusive husband in Kumbalangi Nights — would front a campaign for Kavitha Gold & Diamonds?
‘Sinners’ Came with a Health Warning in Indian Theaters — and a Touch of Censorship
Indian audiences indeed got to watch “Sinners” — just not the way the rest of the world did. And one scene especially irked moviegoers. This hallucinatory sequence takes place at the midpoint inside Club Juke, when Sammie’s (Miles Caton) soul-stirring blues music becomes so transcendental that it conjures the spirits of the past and future. The guests rejoice, drinks in hand, while puffing on cigarettes.
‘Sinners’ Came with a Health Warning in Indian Theaters - and a Touch of Censorship
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways Indian audiences indeed got to watch “Sinners” — just not the way the rest of the world did. And one scene especially irked moviegoers.
One ‘White Lotus’ Scene Was Conspicuously Missing in India, and It’s Part of a Bigger Censorship Issue
Billboard Women in Music 2025 Editor’s Note: The following story contains some spoilers for “The White Lotus” Season 3. If “The White Lotus” were an Indian production, it likely wouldn’t survive longer than a season. Chances are its uninhibited critique of privilege, political satire, and wicked social commentary would be softened or edited out.
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