Young Indian royals find themselves at a curious intersection of both. Akshita M Bhanj DeoBaripada, OdishaAlthough she majored in political science, history is less an academic pursuit for Akshita M Bhanj Deo and more a collection of obsessions. That’s where I once found a short dagger from the 17th or 18th century with bat and dragon carvings across the blade. My favourite genre of music is the thumri—soul-stirring melodies with evocative lyrics, sung by Girija Devi, Begum Akhtar and their contemporaries. My great-great-grandfather’s second wife was Sucharu Devi, the daughter of Bengali reformer Keshab Chandra Sen, who brought Bengali music and Urdu musical theatre into the family.