Inside this Week
Tamil Socceroo | Melb filmmaker at SFF | Anglo-Indian Aboriginal artist | Lessons from Amitav Ghosh | June films | AI stole your voice
Just Wanted to Say
This week's newsmakers: an 11-year-old go-kart hotshot, a 14-year-old spelling bee champ, a 15-year-old cricket sensation, and a 24-year-old Indian-origin Socceroo.
And for desi parents, brand new dreams: a bachcha who smashes Pat Cummins to the boundary, spells taurokathapsia without flinching, treats go-karting as a perfectly normal hobby, and has - God help us - developed an interest in football.
Story of the Week
From Melbourne's Tamil community to football's biggest stage, 24-year-old Nishan Velupillay's rise continues with a place in Australia's FIFA World Cup squad.
In Other News
Anoop Lokkur’s Don't Tell Mother is a tender, incisive exploration of memory, family and the unspoken rules that govern so many South Asian households.
First Nations artist Hayley Millar Baker’s ongoing show at Melbourne’s Wyndham Art Gallery explores her heritage and intergenerational memory.
When eminent novelist Amitav Ghosh brought his book Ghost-Eye to the Sydney Writers’ Festival
Ram Charan is going to war over a cricket match, Bobby Deol is getting destroyed by the legal system, the Mishras are having another normal one, and someone greenlit a jungle film with 24 Bollywood stars and zero chill. June did not come to play. Well, except Peddi. Peddi came to play.
The danger isn't that AI becomes smarter than us; it's that we become less practised at being smart ourselves.
Shoutouts
Satara Uthayakumaran and Jagpreet Singh, who have been appointed to the ABC's Advisory Council
Dr Sonu Bhaskar, Gitanjali Bhalla and Sanjeev Gandhi, who have been selected as judges for the 2026 Asialink Asian-Australian Leadership Awards
Manan Luthra, who has been appointed to the board of Sydney Fringe Festival
What’s On
13 billion Spotify streams, sold-out arenas worldwide, and 15 years of the most electrifying music in Indian cinema, Anirudh Ravichander is bringing his biggest tour ever to Sydney and this one is going to be absolutely loud, electric, and unforgettable.
For more head to our What’s On page.
Say it Again
There was a moment in the game (vs. Mexico) where he won a duel on the halfway line, and he powered away from the players... I think that was a sign that at this level, he can actually make an impact.
Until next week,
Indian Link
