Rik Amrit

The real ethical crisis is not AI in art but who owns cultural intelligence. The current debate on artificial intelligence and art is filled with anxiety. Artists worry about machines replacing human creativity. Scholars fear the loss of authenticity. Audiences wonder whether tradition will survive automation. These concerns are understandable, especially in societies where art is closely tied to identity and livelihood. However, these debates often miss the real ethical problem. The central...

Some books arrive with the weight of history on their pages. ‘Saṅgīta-darpaṇaḥ’ is one such work; a 200-year-old manuscript that has travelled through five or six generations of the legendary Kalka–Bindādin Gharānā before finding its way to print. Published just weeks after Paṇḍit Birju Mahārāj's passing in January 2022, this book feels less like an academic exercise and more like a parting gift from a maestro to the world of classical arts. The story behind this publication is as compelling...

While government grants and corporate sponsorships help keep it afloat, India’s professional theatre faces an existential challenge in...