October 2024 – Issue No. VII
Welcome to the October edition of SHOR, a curation of South Asian experiences in New York City.
In this issue we highlight October events, plug new restaurant openings, spotlight cinematographer Neeraj Jain, and review Archit’s chai recipe.
Events
A list of upcoming events in October.
Rastah NYC Pop-Up — Wednesday, September 18th - Sunday, October 13th
Rastah is back in NYC with their longest-running pop-up.
188 Lafayette Street (SoHo) | Fashion | Tickets
In Celebration of Emerging South Asian Short Fiction — Tuesday, October 1st
Join AAWW for a virtual and in-person conversation with Aruni Kashyap and Puloma Ghosh.
112 West 27th Street (NoMad) | Literature | Tickets
Kartik Research Pop-Up — Thursday, October 3rd - Wednesday, October 30th
Kartik Research takes over the @chickeesvintage space from the 3rd to 30th.
135 Wythe (Williamsburg) | Fashion | Details
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit: A Biography — Friday, October 4th
Manu Bhagavan will present his biography of Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, based on eight years of research.
Asian Research Institute - CUNY (Midtown) | Academia | Tickets
A New York Evening with Arooj Aftab — Friday, October 4th
The Grammy Museum presents a conversation with Arooj Aftab discussing her latest album, 'Night Reign' and performing.
The Greene Space (Soho) | Music | Tickets
Book Launch: Coining a Wishing Tower — Friday, October 4th
Celebrate the launch by poet and The Margins Assistant Poetry Editor Ayesha Raess.
112 West 27th Street (NoMad) | Literature | Tickets
Between East Presents: The Creative Journey — Friday, October 4th
An in depth look at the path to creative entrepreneurship and storytelling with Rami Helalil @kotn, @felukah, @malikelassal.
Cafe Erzulie (Bushwick) | Arts and Community | Tickets
NYC Halal Food Fest — Saturday, October 5th
Muslimfoodies presents the first annual NYC halal fest in LIC.
5-25 46th Avenue (LIC) | Food and Dining | Tickets
Masala Mixtape — Saturday, October 5th
15+ South Asian artists take on Brooklyn Monarch in an event hosted by Dil Mil & And/Aur.
Brooklyn Monarch (Williamsburg) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Akshay Bharadhwaj & Sunanda Vasudevan — Saturday, October 5th
An experimental art program on a 6x6 platform at the intersection of Washington + Water St.
Dumbo (Dumbo) | Performing Arts | Tickets
Queerness Through the Generations — Monday, October 7th
Join authors Lester Fabian Brathwaite, Jiaming Tang, and Asha Thanki as they discuss queerness and writing in their generational novels.
New Design High School (Lower East Side) | Literature | Tickets
Impact Bazaar and Wine Hour — Wednesday, October 9th
An evening for South Asian voter mobilization and fireside chats with Ravi Gupta and Farah Pandith.
Fontainhas (DUMBO) | Community | Tickets
Disco Tehran Anniversary Party — Friday, October 11th
Skate session and Disco Tehran tunes at Xanadu.
Xanadu (Bushwick) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Jawani 4eva — Saturday, October 12th
Eclectic sounds varying from Punjabi Folk to Afro house by iconic Panjabi DJs.
The Red Pavilion (Bushwick) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Noori The Label Pop-Up — Saturday, October 12th
Noori The Label hosts a pop-up at Wolf & Badger.
Wolf & Badger (SoHo) | Fashion | Tickets
DALYA and Nazli Present: Cakes and Custom — Sunday, October 13th
Come for a custom style consultation, browse DALYA’s fall collection and stay for Nazli & Co’s fall menu.
DALYA (SoHo) | Fashion and Food | Details
An Arrested Moment Film Screening & Panel Discussion — Friday, October 18th
A short film screening and panel discussion for An Arrested Moment, a short film directed by Dev Benegal and co-produced by Neeraj Jain.
The Met (UES) | Film | Details
Panther Panchali — Saturday, October 19th
A screening of the 1955 work by Satyajit Ray at the Metrograph.
Metrograph (LES) | Film | Tickets
Haza Party: Halloween Edition — Saturday, October 19th
A Halloween party hosted by Haza.
The Red Pavilion (Bushwick) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Ragas Live Festival — Saturday, Sunday October 19th-20th
24 hours of transcendent music in the Pioneer Works Main Hall.
Pioneer Works (Carroll Gardens) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Reenie’s Monday Supper: Four-Course Dinner — Monday, October 21st and 28th
Mehreen Karim takes over Huda to cook up a seasonal 4-course dinner.
Huda (Williamsburg) | Dining | Tickets on Resy October 15th
Cheers Diwali Party — Thursday, October 24th
Celebrate Diwali with beats by DJ SZNaina and a launch party for the Cheers app.
Fushimi (Times Square) | Dance & Music | Tickets
ELYANNA: The Woledto Tour — Thursday, October 24th
Elyanna takes on Brooklyn with performances by ZEEMUFFIN and Fairdose.
Brooklyn Paramount (Downtown Brooklyn) | Dance & Music | Tickets
British Bangladeshi Muslims in the East End — Friday, October 25th
Fatima Rajina discusses British Bangladeshi Muslim men and the changing landscape of their dress and language.
Asian Research Institute - CUNY (Midtown) | Academia | Tickets
Bazaar: October Supper Club — Saturday, October 26th
A seasonal multi course dinner with wine, and non-alcoholic drink pairings.
TBA (Midtown) | Dining and Community | Tickets
KSHMR — Saturday, October 26th
KSHMR takes on Marquee for the Saturday of Halloweekend (Weekend 1).
Marquee (Chelsea) | Dining and Community | Tickets
Nishaan at Smorgasburg — Saturday, October 26th
Nishaan brings a Pakistani chopped cheese to Smorgasburg this weekend.
Smorgasburg (Williamsburg) | Dining and Community | Details
Curry in a Hurry: Frights & Lights — Sunday, October 27th
Kick off Diwali and Halloween at Time Again in LES.
Time Again (LES) | Dining and Community | Details
Disco Auntie: Bollyween — Thursday, October 31st
Celebrate Bollyween with Disco Auntie at Francis Kite.
Francis Kite (Alphabet City) | Dance & Music | Tickets
COMING SOON (limited tickets)
Laylit — Saturday, November 2nd
Lalylit returns to Elsewhere with tunes from the SWANA region
Elsewhere (Bushwick) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Tinashe (Raveena Opening) — Monday, November 4th
Tinashe takes on her tour with Raveena headlining.
Brooklyn Paramount (Fort Greene) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Diwali Garba Night — Saturday, November 9th
Navratri garba event in NYC to raise money for the Women's Education Project.
Govinda’s Kitchen (Downtown Brooklyn) | Cultural | Tickets
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Know an event we should add to our next list? Shoot us a message at shor.newyork@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram!
Dining
New dining options in the city, from traditional to fusion flares.
A new Indian restaurant opened October 1st in the East Village
202 Avenue A (East Village) | Reservations
New York’s first authentic charcoal grilled rolls/wraps from Karachi just opened up in LIC
47-40 Center Blvd (LIC) | Info
A new chai spot by Chaiguyy in Harlem. (Archit’s review coming soon!)
171 Lenox Ave (Harlem) | Info
October Spotlight: Neeraj Jain
A micro-profile of South Asian changemakers.
On summer days that seemed to fly by as a kid, I spent most afternoons on my aunt’s living room floor re-watching Kal Ho Naa Ho or Koi Mil Gaya until I could recite almost every line by heart. Even then, without fully understanding why, I felt these movies connect me to something deeper—a culture that felt both familiar and distant from my suburban Texas home. I already knew there was something magical about movies and the stories they told. In my conversation with Neeraj Jain, an Indian-American cinematographer, I was reminded of this magic. In our chat, we spoke about Neeraj’s passion for film, his journey to filmmaking, and the many influences that inspire his work.
Neeraj was always in awe of films. "There were a few movies that really inspired me," he recalls, like me, spending most summer days in front of his TV. Luckily, his parents never pulled him away. "A lot of my inspiration was Indian cinema that my parents exposed me to,” finding his early influences in old Bollywood films like Sholay and Don. "I remember watching Pyaasa when I was 11,” he shares. “The cinematography of the film was insane. If you look at the black-and-white photography from that era, it’s mind-blowing.”
But beyond the technical elements, Neeraj was moved by the storytelling. "Like any immigrant family, storytelling is integral to our DNA," he says. "We come from cultures that pass down stories orally. Family recipes aren’t written down; you learn by doing, watching, and observing. It’s how we transfer knowledge."
Eventually, his fascination with films led him to pick up the camera himself. "At some point, I just started playing around with a camera and bringing it on family vacations," he tells me, tinkering with early versions of iMovie on his old Macbook to learn the craft.
Those early experiments paid off, eventually leading Neeraj to New York and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where he studied film and TV production. "I was always obsessed with New York. Film blends so many art forms—painting, theater, photography, dance—you can draw from anywhere. A lot of filmmaking is just observing life,” he says, “and New York allows you space to access that.”
This perspective informs much of his work today, including his work on feature length films like The Sound of the Wind, or episodes for Zoya Akhtar’s Made in Heaven on Amazon Prime. One recent project of his, An Arrested Moment, is a short film commissioned by the MET about renowned director James Ivory. The film, part of an exhibit called Ink and Ivory, will play at the MET until 2025, and a screening attended by Neeraj, and his collaborators Dev Benegal (director) and Maya S. Patel (producer) is set for October 18th (see details in our calendar above).
Looking at Neeraj’s work, it may be hard to believe that such beautiful images are taken from the most mundane moments. But that’s exactly what his camera captures so well—the raw emotion of everyday life. "Having my camera in my hand has an effect on me,” Neeraj shares. “Without it, I might be distracted by my phone or daily tasks, but with the camera, you start to wait for the world to unfold in front of you."
— Urooba
October Chai Corner: Archit’s Chai Recipe
A monthly review of a chai spot in NYC.
Bad news for the readers who look forward to my chai reviews, if you exist. I didn’t have a chance to review any chai spots since I haven’t been in NYC recently. So this month, I decided to try something new and give you all my personal chai recipe.
Being at home making more chai for the family, it hit me that my parents may be holding back on their actual thoughts on my chai. So, now is the time to get vulnerable and have our readers give me some feedback.
We’re pretty basic with the recipe normally, usually just adding adarak (ginger). Nothing too crazy. But during COVID, I started getting into chai Tik-Toks and decided to, for a lack of better words, spice it up. I haven’t actually tweaked the recipe much since 2020 but for one cup (think 10 oz) this is what I included:
Masala: [1 elachi, 2 cloves, 1 tiny piece of cinnamon, 1 small sliver of ginger]
2% Milk and water
Slightly more than 1 tsp of Chai Patti
I start by crushing together the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger. Special shoutout to the Chand family for putting me on crushing ginger instead of just adding it straight to the water. Once the water is close to boiling, I add this masala and stir. Once it’s boiling and I stir a bit, I add the chai patti and let it brew for 1.5 minutes at high heat, stirring a bit more here and there. Once that’s all done, I add the milk and aerate it for 2 minutes while it gets to another boil. I turn the heat down and back up to boil ~3 times and then serve.
To be honest, something feels like it’s missing in the chai. I get the aromas from the spice, but it’s lacking the same oomf I like to get from masala chai. It’s comparable to the proper doodh chai you get at Punjabi Deli, but it’s still not as smooth and milky as chai from a place like Kolkata Chai. Maybe it’s the water to milk ratio or maybe it’s how long I've been brewing the chai for. Maybe it’s Maybelline.
And if you were aghast that I didn’t review an actual chai spot, don’t worry. I have a few spots that I’m excited to try now that I’m back in NYC, so we’ll be back with the regularly scheduled programming next month As always, please send over any recs you want us to try!
Additionally, please feel free to reply to this email or DM us with any feedback for my chai. No offense will be taken. Should I add milk first and then water? Do I change the spice ratio? Is ginger a spice? Is that why her name is Ginger Spice in the Spice Girls (probably not)? So many unanswered questions.
— Archit
Thank you!
If you read this far, thank you for checking out the October issue of SHOR! We will keep updating our events calendar throughout the month, but feel free to follow our instagram for event reminders and more frequent updates.
We’ll see you in November!
For those who cannot attend British Bangladeshi Muslims in the East End — Friday, October 25th, will there be an article covering the lecture?