Three generations of the Phadke family live together in their home in Mumbai. When the youngest daughter turns the camera toward her family, the personal becomes political as power structures within the family become visible—and eventually unravel. Cruel and comic in equal measure, the film examines the vagaries of affection across generations, tied together by something stranger than love.

Gidia, Sujatha. Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India. New York, New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2018.
Like one in six people in India, Sujatha Gidia was born an untouchable. In this biography, Gidia explores how her family history was at once extraordinary and typical. A moving portrait of love, hardship, and struggle, Ants Among Elephants is a personal history of modern India told from the bottom up.

Mehta, Suketu. Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found. New York, New York: Penguin Books, 2004.
Suketu Mehta gives an insider’s view of Mumbai approaching the city from unexpected angles, and different points of view. As each individual story unfolds, Mehta also recounts his own efforts to make a home in Mumbai, after more than 20 years abroad, Candid, impassioned, funny, and heartrending, Maximum City is a revelation of an ancient and ever-changing world.

Patel, Sujata. Bombay and Mumbai: The City in Transition. Uttar Pradesh, India: Oxford India Paperbacks, 2005.
This volume looks at contemporary Mumbai. The papers in this volume explore and explain what Bombay has become in its shape and patterns of living at the beginning of the 21st century. It looks at the implications of change in Mumbai and the ways in which it has affected its people.

Phadke, Shilpa and Sameera Khan Why Loiter?: Women and Risk on Mumbai Streets. New York, New York: Penguin Books, 2011.
Why Loiter? maps the exclusions and negotiations that women from different classes and communities encounter in the nation’s urban public spaces. Based on more than three years of research, Phadke, Khan, and Ranade argue that through women’s access to urban spaces has increased they still do not have equal claim to public space in the city. Drawing on feminist theory, they argue that only by celebrating loitering as an radical act for most Indian women can a truly equal global city be created.

Rohatgi, Pauline Pheroza Gorrej, and Rahul Mehrotra. Bombay to Mumbai: Changing Perspectives. Mumbai, India. The Marg Foundation, 2008.
The history is told here of how, within three centuries, seven west-coast islands evolved into the Bombay peninsula, then into a flourishing center for trade. It ultimately became the cosmopolitan, high rise metropolis of Mumbai.

Adiga, Aravind. The White Tiger. City, State: Press, Date.
White Tiger follows a darkly comic Bangalore driver through the poverty and corruption of modern India’s caste society.

Banerjee Divakaruni, Chitra. The Palace of Illusions. New York, New York: Anchor, 2009.
Half history, half myth, and wholly magical,The Palace of Illusions, gives voice to Panchaali, the fire-born heroine of the Mahabharata, in a vibrant retelling of an ancient, epic saga.

Joseph, Manu. Serious Men. New York, New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2010.
An Indian satire and love story set in a scientific institute and in Mumbai’s humid tenements. Ayyan Mani will not be constrained by Indian traditions. Despite working at the Institute of Theory and Research in Mumbai as the lowly personal assistant to a brilliant but insufferable astronomer, he dreams of more for himself and his family. Funny and irreverent, Serious Men is a portrayal of runaway egos, ambitions, and a moving portrait of love and its strange workings.

Shroff, Murzban. Breathless in Bombay. New York, New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2008.
A collection of 14 stories set in contemporary Bombay features a range of characters in a variety of situations” from the laundry wallas water shortage problems, to the doomed love affair of a schizophrenia painter and his Bollywood girlfriend, to the wandering thoughts of a massagewall at Chowpatty Beach, to the heart-warming relationship of a carriage driver and his beloved horse. Each of these stories is crafted and arranged against the grand chaotic backdrop of life that is Bombay.

Rohinton, Mistry. Family Matters. New York, New York: Vintage Books, 2003.
Family Matters is at once a domestic drama and an intently observed portrait of modern Mumbai. At 79, Variman Vakeet finds himself wholly dependent on his family. He turns to his younger daughter, Roxana, her husband, Yezad, and their two sons who share a small, crowded home. Their decision will test not only their material resources but, in surprising ways, all their tolerance,compassion, integrity, and faith. Sweeping and intimate, tragic and mirthful, Family Matters is a work of emotional power.

Arundhati, Roy. The God of Small Things. New York, New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2008.
Equal parts family saga, forbidden love story, and piercing political drama about an affluent Indian family forever changed by one fateful day in 1969.

Ami, Samhita. Sita’s Ramayana, Chennai, India: Tara Books, 2012.
Middle grade readers will be enthralled by the Ramayana, another of India’s great literary works. The extraordinary epic poem is presented here in a graphic novel as told from the perspective of Queen Sita, and explores issues of loyalty and trust as well as the ravages of war. (Grades 9-12.) [Graphic novel.]

Perkins, Chloe. Living In...India.
Discover what it’s like to grow up in India, a country filled with colorful festivals, majestic temples, and an extraordinary history.
New York ; London ; Toronto: Simon Spotlight, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 2016. (Ages 3-7.)

Rosenstock, Barb. The Secret Kingdom: Nek Chand, a Changing India and a Hidden World of Art, Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick, 2018.
The incredible story of the world’s largest visionary environment: The Rock Garden of Chandigarh, kept secret by outsider artist Nek Chand for fifteen years. (Ages 7-10.)

Yoo, Paula. Twenty-two Cents: Mohammad Yunus and the Village Bank, New York, New York: Lee & Low Books, 2018.
The true story of Mohammad Yunus, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for revolutionizing global anti-poverty efforts by developing the innovative economic concepts of micro-lending. [Children's picture book.] (Ages 6 and older.]

Chanani, Nidhi. Pashmina, New York, New York: First Second, 2017.
Pashmina is about a girl finding her place in the world. She travels to India to meet her extended family and finds answers about the magical shawl her mother owns. This coming of age middle-grade graphic novel conveyed in incredible, irresistible art. (Ages 10-14.) [Graphic Novel.]

Churnin, Nancy. Manjhi Moves a Mountain, Berkeley, CA: Creston Books, 2017.
Dashrath Manjhi used a hammer and chisel, grit, determination, and twenty years to carve a path through the mountain separating his poor village from the nearby village with schools, markets, and a hospital. Manjhi Moves a Mountain shows how everyone can make a difference if your heart is big enough (Ages 5-8.) [Children's picture book.]

Coelho, Joseph. Grandpa’s Stories, City, State: Henry N, Abrams, 2019.
One young girl reflects on a year with her beloved grandpa. She remembers the fields and parks they explored in the springtime and the old toys they fixed up in the summer. She remembers the handmade gifts they exchanged in the fall and the stories Grandpa told by the fire each winter. But this year, the girl must say good-bye to Grandpa. In the face of her grief, she is determined to find a way to honor him. She decides to record her Grandpa stories in the notebook he made for her and carry Grandpa with her as she grows. An honest and relatable depiction of loss, Grandpa's Stories celebrates life and the ways in which love lives on. (Ages 4-8.) [Children's picture book.]

Kelkar, Supriya. Ahimsa, New York, New York: Tu Books, 2017.
In 1942, when Mahatma Gandhi asks Indians to give one family member to the freedom movement, ten-year old Anjali is devastated to think of her father risking his life for the freedom struggle - then she learned that the one joining was her mother. When Anjali’s mother is jailed, Anjali must step out of her comfort zone to take over her mother’s work, ensuring that her little part of the independence movement is completed. Inspired by her great-grandmother’s experience working with Gandhi, Kelkar shines a light on the Indian freedom movement in this poignant debut. (ages 8-12.) [Youth Fiction.]

Kelkar, Supriya. The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh, New York, New York Sterling Children’s Books, 2019.
Harpreet Singh has a different color for every mood and occasion, from happy sunny yellow to courageous red. He especially takes care with his patka--his turban--making sure it always matches his outfit. But when Harpreet's mom finds a new job in a snowy city and they have to move, everything just feels gray. Can he find a way to make life bright again? (Ages 3-7.)

Krishnaswami, Uma and Soumya Sitaraman. Chachaji’s Cup, New York, New York: Lee & Low Books, 2016.
Neel loves listening to Chachaji's many stories over steaming cups of tea. Chachaji's tales of great Hindu gods and demons and of his adventures in the Indian Army leave Neel open-mouthed. But it is the tale of his great-uncle's favorite teacup that teaches Neel the most, for Chachaji's cup holds far more than sweet, spicy masala chai. When the precious cup and Chachaji's health both prove to be more fragile than they look, Neel knows what he must do.Uma Krishnaswami weaves a gentle tale of family love and the power of memory, which Soumya Sitaraman brings to vivid life in her richly hued paintings. Chachaji's Cup will captivate and comfort readers of all ages, long after the last sip. [Children's picture book.] (Ages 7-9.)

Sheth, Kashmira Monsoon Afternoon, Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishing Company Reprint edition, 2018.
It is monsoon season in India. Outside, dark clouds roll in and the rain starts to fall. As animals scatter to find cover, a young boy and his dadaji head out into the rainy weather. The two sail paper boats. They watch the peacocks dance in the rain, just as the colorful birds did when Dadaji was a boy. They pick mangoes and Dadaji lifts up his grandson so he can swing on the roots of the banyan tree. just as Dadaji did when he was young. Finally when the two return home, hot tea and a loving family are waiting. [Children's picture book.] (Ages 4-8.)

Sheth, Kashmira. Tiger in My Soup, Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishing Company Reprint edition, 2015.
An adventurous boy defeats an unlikely foe in this story of reading, imagination, and tigers! Sometimes it’s almost impossible to get your big sister to read your favorite book to you. Sometimes you have to go to great lengths to even get her attention! But if you’re really creative and use your imagination, you just might get what you want. Take care though, not to go too far. Once you conjure up a tiger, there’s no telling where it might lead. [Children's picture book.] (Ages 4-8.)

Subramaniam, Nivaditha and Sowmya Rajendran. Mayil Will Not Be Quiet!, Chennai, India: Tulika Publishers, 2011.
Mayil wants to be a writer and, as an almost 13-year-old, she has quite a lot to say. So, she starts with a diary - a place to explore her own feelings, her relationships with her family, and all the issues adolescents face today. By turns funny and thoughtful, you’ll be glad that Mayil has decided to put her thoughts on paper. (Ages 10 and older.) [Youth Fiction.]

Venkatraman, Padma The Bridge Home, New York, New York: Puffin Books Reprint edition, 2020.
Life is harsh on the teeming streets of Chennai, India, so when runaway sisters Viji and Rukku arrive, their prospects look grim. As the children adapt and make friends, they find that although life is hard, there is plenty that they can take pride in. They are the bosses of themselves and are no longer dependent on untrustworthy adults. But when illness strikes, Viji must decide whether to risk seeking help from strangers or to keep holding on to their fragile, hard fought freedom. (Ages 10+) [Youth Fiction.]