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Wednesday, February 18, 2026
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ThePrint Profile

Munawwar Rana stripped Urdu poetry of elitism, brought it closer to everyday speech

Munawwar Rana often lamented how division had seeped into the most ordinary spaces of life. Courtesy, respect, and shared cultural language mattered deeply to him.

Kuldeep Manak carried Punjab’s folklore in song. He sang of rebellion, resistance, love

Kuldeep Manak's breakthrough came when he revived tales many believed were fading from popular memory. He restored the urgency of folklore.

Jaspal Bhatti would be an ‘anti-national’ today — satirist who always punched up, not down

Nothing escaped Jaspal Bhatti’s scrutiny — rising prices, political corruption, or burning brides. 'He performed when both the state and the public allowed space for criticism,' Varun Grover said.

Manna Dey rewired the nuts and bolts of classical music by infusing it with Bollywood flavour

Manna Dey built a parallel legacy in Bengali music, collaborating with legends like Salil Chowdhury and Hemant Kumar, and made melodies that are still famous.

Salahuddin Owaisi carved space for Muslims in Indian politics. Hyderabad was his arena

Supporters recount Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi’s stories like an action film. For them, he was nothing less than a macho hero.

Hanif Kureshi—the artist who converted Delhi’s Lodhi Colony into the first art district in India

Kureshi was living the super-hero life. Doing his advertising job in the day, and by breathing life into the street walls with his graffiti at night.

Kapila Vatsyayan was not afraid of anyone. Dance to art, she was a cultural architect

Kapila Vatsyayan, who died on 16 September 2020, was the architect of cultural institutions from IGNCA to the Central University of Tibetan Studies. She advised Nehru, Indira, and Rajiv Gandhi.

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar’s stellar limit was called absurd. It got him 1983 Physics Nobel

No direct observations of any star exceed the Chandrasekhar limit. The theoretical physicist's calculations have helped so far to understand supernovas, neutron stars, and black holes.

Persis Khambatta, Indian model-actor who shaved her head for Star Trek, almost became Bond girl

Persis Khambatta rose to international fame in 1979 after playing Ilia in Star Trek, for which she shaved her head. Actor Kabir Bedi remembers her as 'a kind, sensitive person.'

Juhu beach to Kailash Mansarovar — Protima Bedi’s fearless life. ‘I have broken every rule’

Protima Bedi was a model, Odissi dancer and sanyasin before a landslide claimed her in August 1998. In one of her last letters, she wrote she was ‘finally at peace’.

On Camera

Imagine if Epstein files named Rahul Gandhi or MK Stalin. What would BJP and TV media do?

The questions are not going to go away. But future generations will know who refused to ask the tough questions and who didn’t.

Venezuela crude returns to India’s oil basket. But only as ‘supplementary’ supply

Indian refiners are testing Venezuelan barrels again as Russian supply sinks, but analysts say volumes will remain limited due to refinery constraints & supply capacity.

US military commander, envoy Sergio Gor visit Indian Army Western Command, Bengaluru next

At the Western Army Command, the American delegation was briefed on the capabilities of the formation, past operations and the path ahead.

The new Great Game—Trump’s playing for time, China for leverage & India for wiggle room

This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.