This 1940 picture marks the beginning of All India Radio’s 31-year-long harmonium ban. ‘Picture This’ is The Swaddle’s series, where we take a closer look at the story behind a famous photograph.

This undated photograph shows Miss Shefali aka Arati Das, Bengal’s first cabaret dancer, in the middle of a performance. We reflect on the respectability politics that shaped her uneasy relationship with fame.

This photograph from the 1952 Miss Universe pageant depicts Indrani Rahman, the Indian contestant wearing a swimsuit with a bindi and gajra. Does this challenge beauty norms or reinforce them?