Remembering Nanda, the star who worked with newcomers like Rajesh Khanna and Shashi Kapoor
From child actor to leading lady of the swinging sixties, Nanda was an invaluable part of several Hindi and Marathi hits.
Gemini Ganesan, the unusual Tamil superstar who never ventured into politics
Gemini Ganesan, the King of Romance, was a voracious reader who did not own a single romantic novel.
16 Dec convicts’ lawyer AP Singh was a Chandraswami aide who wants a govt ministry for men
A.P. Singh has vehemently defended all four 16 December gang-rape convicts right until the very end, even involving the NHRC and the ICJ.
AK Ramanujan — writer who was averse to conventions & called out ‘material-minded’ Indians
Born on 16 March 1929, AK Ramanujan was a poet, scholar, translator & playwright who introduced a brilliant insight into the Indian ways of thinking with a seminal 1989 essay.
Ustad Vilayat Khan — Aftab e Sitar who refused awards and for whom music was the main aim
On his 15th death anniversary, Ustad Vilayat Khan’s disciple Dharambir Singh remembers the life, legacy and motivations of the fascinating genius.
Why DK Shivakumar is the Congress’ choice to lead the party out of a hole in Karnataka
Shivakumar has remained with the Congress since his student days. He’s feared by opponents, and the H.D. Deve Gowda family considers him their nemesis.
Jyotiraditya Scindia — Congress loyalist & friend of Gandhis, until he felt betrayed by them
4-time MP Jyotiraditya Scindia had been with Congress for 18 yrs, having joined the party after father Madhavrao Scindia's death. He had been a minister during both UPA stints.
Mughal-e-Azam director K Asif’s own life was as star-crossed as the lovers in his tale
K. Asif was directing a film that would’ve been even grander than his 1960 magnum opus Mughal-e-Azam. But he died on 9 March 1971, and the film remained incomplete.
New Finance Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey is a multi-tasker — Indian economy will test him
For nearly a year between 2018 and 2019, Ajay Bhushan Pandey handled 3 crucial positions — revenue secretary, CEO of UIDAI & chairman of GST Network.
Iftekhar, Bollywood’s favourite cop, was also an exceptional painter
On his 25th death anniversary, a look at the life of Hindi cinema's favourite upright, ethical police officer.
China’s blunders in Wuhan should settle the debate about democracy and economic progress
The virus exploded from Wuhan to the world because the Chinese form of government abhors transparency. What they need is democracy — and India should learn this lesson.
Is talk of lifting lockdown premature or is it necessary to allow some economic activity?
As the Narendra Modi government considers the option of extending the Covid-19 lockdown beyond 14 April, concerns around its impact on the economy are growing.
Defence
Indian Navy veterans slam ‘childish’ US response to Roosevelt ship incident
Former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash says captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt should’ve resigned if he felt system let him down, rather than leaking mail to media.
Poke fun at taali, thaali, diya and mombatti all you want. Modi couldn’t care less
Modi knows who he needs to speak to, who he should toss, who he can address in kind. People accuse him of infantilising his voters, but it’s a winning strategy.