Rooftop gaming: Delhi's board gamers find their haven at Got Board in Paschim Vihar
Under fairy lights and fronds of tropical plants, players lean over boards filled with tokens, maps, and colour-coded coins. This is Got Board, a rooftop in Ankit Pal's Paschim Vihar residence, where the 35-year-old has transformed his terrace into a board-gaming sanctuary. Every weekend, strangers and friends gather to roll dice, build cities, form alliances, and huff their way to victory — beating Delhi's sweltering summer under a canopy of greenery and gentle rooftop breezes.
With over 400 modern board games in his possession, Pal considers Got Board as a game library open to enthusiasts across the city. His collection includes beginner-friendly titles like Azul and Splendor, party games like Where's My Hat and Flip 7, mechanised Eurogames like CATAN, and Clans of Caledonia and games by Indian designers such as Tess. He hosts three weekend slots, each five hours, for a modest `200. For him, it's not a business but a space to nurture hobbies and build a community of serious board gamers. 'Here you learn the games we'll play — and if you want to try something specific, we can learn together,' he says. 'You have the option to explore the hobby on your own.'
Pal's journey began as a child with Business and Ludo. In 2010, a college friend introduced him to the world of board gaming with Saboteur, a hidden-identity game of miners and saboteurs. 'We played aggressively. Six times a day, for two hours,' he laughs. In the past three years alone, he's added nearly 300 games — collecting as many as 100 titles' worth every year.
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New Indian Express
12-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Rooftop gaming: Delhi's board gamers find their haven at Got Board in Paschim Vihar
Under fairy lights and fronds of tropical plants, players lean over boards filled with tokens, maps, and colour-coded coins. This is Got Board, a rooftop in Ankit Pal's Paschim Vihar residence, where the 35-year-old has transformed his terrace into a board-gaming sanctuary. Every weekend, strangers and friends gather to roll dice, build cities, form alliances, and huff their way to victory — beating Delhi's sweltering summer under a canopy of greenery and gentle rooftop breezes. With over 400 modern board games in his possession, Pal considers Got Board as a game library open to enthusiasts across the city. His collection includes beginner-friendly titles like Azul and Splendor, party games like Where's My Hat and Flip 7, mechanised Eurogames like CATAN, and Clans of Caledonia and games by Indian designers such as Tess. He hosts three weekend slots, each five hours, for a modest `200. For him, it's not a business but a space to nurture hobbies and build a community of serious board gamers. 'Here you learn the games we'll play — and if you want to try something specific, we can learn together,' he says. 'You have the option to explore the hobby on your own.' Pal's journey began as a child with Business and Ludo. In 2010, a college friend introduced him to the world of board gaming with Saboteur, a hidden-identity game of miners and saboteurs. 'We played aggressively. Six times a day, for two hours,' he laughs. In the past three years alone, he's added nearly 300 games — collecting as many as 100 titles' worth every year.
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Time of India
Emotion, not algorithms, still drives great music: Leslee Lewis
Leslee Lewis reflects on the evolving music landscape, embracing AI as a tool while emphasizing the irreplaceable role of human emotion in music. He highlights the need for visibility for independent artists and shares his upcoming projects including a live concert series celebrating 90s music. Few names evoke nostalgia and musical innovation in equal measure the way Leslee Lewis does. From iconic tracks like Paree Hoon Main, Pal to Janam Samjha Karo, Leslee's journey has been one of reinvention, resilience, and rootedness. As one of the pioneers of India's pop and indie scene, and one-half of the legendary duo Colonial Cousins, he continues to create music that lingers long after the last note. In this exclusive conversation with Bombay Times, the singer-composer reflects on the role of artificial intelligence, and how independent music can still rise, if given the wings of visibility. Independent music seems to be thriving, but is it truly replacing the platform that film music once provided? Absolutely. But I believe we're just looking in the wrong direction. Back when we had Paree Hoon Main, Janam Samjha Karo, Krishna, Yaaron Dosti, and Pal, we also had platforms like Channel V and MTV to let the music fly. The content is still very much here — songs like Meheki Khushboo, Tere Bina Love, Doob Doob Doob, and Dil Chahe Desi Girl — they're born to live in hearts. But visibility needs its wings again. The independent space is glowing with talent, it just needs to be seen and heard. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo ' AI is now composing melodies, writing lyrics, even replicating voices. How do you view this intersection of tech and music? I welcome it, as I would welcome any tool that enhances the creative journey. When computers first arrived, people feared redundancy. When Auto-Tune came, many said 'now anyone can sing'. But that's never the whole story. Mastering a tool is what makes it powerful. AI is no different, it's the calculator in an exam, not the brain. The melody still begins with a dream. If you can guide AI with vision, it will serve you. But you must lead it, not follow it. ' Do you think AI threatens the emotional depth that defines great music? AI will never replace emotion. It can enhance, assist, and inspire, but it cannot breathe or break the way a human does when they sing a heartbreak, a joy, a memory. The soul of music lies in being human. AI is just an instrument. The player still has to be alive inside.' Have you personally experimented with AI-based tools in your own process? Not yet. Meheki Khushboo was born the old way, with clarity, heart, and a vision I could feel in my veins. But I'm open to experimenting. I see AI as a tool that could soon help me create music videos, new sounds, and layered experiences. Maybe next time, AI will join my jam.' Looking ahead, how do you see AI impacting employment and artistry in the music industry? Like every revolution, this one too will reshape the landscape. But real music — music with memory and melody — will always need real minds and hearts. AI will coexist, and musicians will evolve with it. The trick is to stay grounded in your art, and not let the tools redefine the artist.' You've contributed to India's musical legacy. What keeps your creative flame alive? Creativity is my constant companion. It doesn't live outside of me, it sings within. From Paree Hoon Main to Meheki Khushboo, I've never tried to chase trends. I've simply followed the melody that feels honest, that speaks to you. That's my journey, timeless and true.' What advice would you give to musicians trying to sustain themselves creatively and financially in today's climate? There's no magic formula. This journey is not for the faint-hearted; it's for those who breathe music even when the world goes silent. You have to be crazy enough, passionate enough, and mad enough to keep moving forward even when failure stands in your way. True talent often shines brightest in its darkest hour. That hunger, that fire, that's what forges greatness.' Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Time of India
Bollywood veteran panned for threatening to beat stray dogs
Mumbai: An online post by veteran Bollywood director and actor Tinu Anand (79) threatening to beat barking stray dogs with a hockey stick in his Malad (West) locality has led to angry comments from animal lovers and activists, who are now demanding an apology from who began his film journey as an assistant director to the legendary Satyajit Ray in his 1969 Bengali film 'Goopi Gyne Bagha Byne', stated in his building's WhatsApp group that it was "terrifying" to see the local dogs bark at him at night after he returned from a rather difficult film shoot. He threatened to beat the dogs with a hockey stick and asked animal lovers to take all the dogs inside their homes, failing which they would have to face his and legal advisor to Pure Animal Lovers (PAL) Foundation, Roshan Pathak, said: "It is unfortunate that such a senior Bollywood personality can make such crass and careless statements about beating the local dogs with a hockey stick, only because they bark. I spoke to the local feeders in Anand's building at Malad, as they are disturbed by this threat issued on WhatsApp. I also messaged Anand that it is a crime to physically beat dogs and that it is natural for dogs to bark."While PAL is demanding an apology from Anand, PETA India has expressed surprise that the senior film director has shown such anger towards the mutes."We are surprised by Tinu Anand's comments against stray dogs because a few years ago, when he and his family resided in Juhu, they would often visit our PETA India office in the same area and showed that they cared for the local community dogs. The Anand family also had their own pet dog whom they loved dearly. Sterilisation and vaccination are the best and only legal ways to control dog numbers and keep them healthy," said PETA India legal advisor and director of cruelty response Meet animal feeder, Aanchal Chaddha, who resides in Anand's society, said: "We are concerned about this online threat he gave of hitting our street dogs. Anand should take back his words and apologise."Chaddha said she had already adopted several stray dogs and kept them at her home, but since it is not possible to keep all the street dogs in the house, they are regularly fed exact statement of Anand on the WhatsApp group was: "Have come back after a horrifying shoot to be greeted by terrifying dogs barking and not knowing who to bite next... Challenge taken. Have a hockey stick to face them... am warning all dog lovers hereon... take them home OR then face my wrath... my society is given advance notice."
