Unboxed — Unwrapping Indian Cultural Artefacts
Unboxed is a series of engaging conversations that explore the history and culture of quintessentially Indian objects and ideas, offering diverse perspectives. From the story of the harmonium to the quintessence of the mango, discover their Indianness.
Unboxed is a fascinating conversational series that examines conventional ideas and familiar objects through a multidisciplinary lens and contrasting perspectives. From the history of the harmonium to the mango in Indian economy and folklore, we unpack them from the boxes in which they have been conveniently placed, and visit them afresh.
We begin this series with the two-part story of the harmonium in India. So organic and familiar is its sound that few Indians would imagine that the harmonium’s origins lie outside their country. Yet, packed into its compact box-like shape is a fabled history that meanders from 19th century Europe to 20th century colonial India. Discover the essence of the harmonium in two exciting episodes.
From the music of the fingertips, we journey to the melodies of the palate.
Whether you call it aam, mangai, aamra, or mango, just uttering the word can evoke a plethora of sensations and emotions. Yet, the proverbial King Of Fruits unites and divides Indians equally. Presented by three die-hard mango aficionados, this slice of Unboxed is a juicy celebration of a fruit that embodies the essence of Indianness for the Aam Janata – the Mango People.
Credits
Akshay Ramuhalli, Bijoy Venugopal, Bruce Lee Mani, Harshit Gogoi, Narayan Krishnaswamy, Prashant Vasudevan, Sananda Dasgupta, Seema Seth, Shraddha Gautam, Supriya Joshi, and Velu Shankar
Explore the series
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The Harmonium In India | Part 1 — Is It Really Indian?
Once scorned by purists as ‘harm-omnium’ and criticized by nationalists as an assault on the Indian musical ear, the harmonium has firmly entrenched itself in India’s musical landscape. Sharmadip Basu presents the first episode of an engaging two-part story of the harmonium’s journey in India. Listen to Unboxed, our series on the history and culture of quintessentially Indian objects and ideas.
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The Harmonium In India | Part 2 — Equally Loved And Hated
Unboxing the second part of the story, Sharmadip Basu explains why some Indians hated the harmonium while many others loved it, why some banned it, and others patronised it. Listen to the second episode of our series, Unboxed.
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Mango People — How The King Of Fruits Unites And Divides India’s Aam Janata!
The proverbial King Of Fruits unites and divides Indians equally. Whether you call it aam, mangai, aamra, or mango, just uttering the word can evoke a plethora of sensations and emotions. Presented by three die-hard mango aficionados, this slice of Unboxed is a juicy celebration of a fruit that embodies the essence of Indianness for the Aam Janata – the Mango People.
