The former deputy chief of Army staff, who also served as vice-chancellor of AMU, lost Rs 93,980 in the beginning of March. Case lodged with cyber police in Gurugram.
The India Habitat Centre’s auditorium was packed on the evening of 14 December for Ratna Pathak Shah. She talked about theatre in Indian languages beyond, Urdu, Hindi and English.
The play is about two actors waiting to meet their inspiration—Naseeruddin Shah. The wait is an artifice to reflect on the state of theatre, artists’ insecurities, hypocrisies & fame.
A quote by the veteran actor, that 'Kangana has problems with every actor except Modi', has been circulated widely. It originated from a parody X account which no longer exists.
Vishal Bhardwaj is gearing up for more stories and storytelling. With the espionage thriller Khufiya next in life, he is taking the OTT space very seriously.
Events such as the Delhi Theatre Festival, Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards, and Bharat Rang Mahotsav are nothing short of cultural celebrations for the capital’s theatre enthusiasts.
Created by Abhimanyu Singh and directed by Ron Scalpello, Taj neither valourises nor thrashes the doings of Akbar. It adds intrigue and fictional elements to turn history into a spectacle.
With two stalwarts of Indian cinema—Soumitra Chatterjee and Naseeruddin Shah— anchoring the narrative, the film will nudge you to think where India is headed.
Indians see West Asia as one uninterrupted wash of Islam, but the reality is more complex. For the Druze, support from Israel—where they are a recognised minority—is now critical.
Mini deal will likely see no cut in 10% baseline tariff on Indian exports announced by Trump on 2 April, it is learnt, but additional 26% tariffs are set to be reduced.
India-Russia JV is also racing to deliver 7,000 more AK-203 assault rifles by 15 Aug. These are currently being made with 50% indigenisation and this will surge to 100% by 31 December.
Public, loud, upfront, filled with impropriety and high praise sometimes laced with insults. This is what we call Trumplomacy. But the larger objective is the same: American supremacy.
Firstly, the Ottoman Turks allowed the Sephardic Jews to settle in Thessalonica in Greece. Several Ottoman Sultans employed Jewish physicians. There were Jewish communities already settled among Arab populations (Mizrahi Jews).
Secondly, the people who backed the Zionist state (which was to be a settler colonial state, if you read reports of Zionist congresses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries) were the Ashkenazi Jews, settled in territories ruled by the Russian empire, where they were subjected to pogroms. This was due to the claims made in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a forgery attributed to the Russian czar’s secret police.
Thirdly, the plan of a Jewish state in Palestine was backed by two powerful European groups–the anti-Semites and the evangelical Christians. The anti-Semites for obvious reasons (see what Lord Balfour says about this) and the evangelicals because they wanted to bring Christ’s kingdom to earth. The first step was the re-establishment of a Jewish state in West Asia. This would lead to a war between the Jewish state and its Christian allies and the Arab states that surrounded it. This war would lead to Armaggedon, the coming of Christ on earth and the establishment of a Christian state worldwide. Many Orthodox Jews familiar with the Torah opposed the formation of this state, because such a state could only be formed if God gave the command.
Unlike India which wavers one step forward and another back, Israel is a country that actually understands what it means to be modern and secular. There is no equivalence between the two. Things like the riots in India are unimaginable in Israel. We have much to learn from Israel about how to create a secular state.
Secondly, Israel is not “a colonial, settler state.” If decolonization was actually something the left welcomed, they should have welcomed Israelis back to what is indisputably documented as their homeland from ancient times. Instead they fall back on cliches.
What has been done to Yazidis, Armenian Christians and Hindus in various countries should make the these people hang their heads in shame and leave their religion. It is they who did the genocide since centuries. Instead, the Palestinians and even Muslims in India have never held any protest for Hindus or Yazidis. So what Israel is doing is correct and the jehadi Palestinians need to be cleaned off. Israel’s actions are god’s way of payback.
While I have zero sympathy for Mamdani or Shah, I find it interesting that the Hindu right thinks that Israel and India are somehow similar or in similar positions. This will be detrimental to India and Hindus in future.
The creation of modern Israel is the result of centuries of persecution of Jews by European Christians and Ottoman Turks. Palestinians, including Palestinian Christians, were forcibly evicted from their homes and European Jews were settled there in and around 1948 and the eviction continues to this day. This happened within living memory and there is a lot of documentation about this.
As memories of the Holocaust fade, newer generations in the West are more willing to blame Zionism for “genocide “. Pushing the false narrative that India and Hindus have anything whatsoever in common with Israel and Zionists will only give more ammunition to people like Mamdani and Shah. Hindus have never pushed anyone out, rather the reverse. Zionists have actually made millions of Palestinians homeless in their own land.
This false narrative doing the rounds currently reminds me that somehow the Hindu right always seems to need the white man’s validation. Maybe it feels good when a powerful country like Israel pretends that they are in the same position as India.
I say this as someone who is proud to be a Hindu and generally find this writer’s views well- reasoned and articulated. This silly narrative on the Hindu right needs to stop. Israel and Jews should not be mentioned in the same context as India and Hindus.
Re Yusuf Khan and Baby Mahajbeen changing their names–the learned writer may be interested to learn that Devika Rani of Bombay Talkies discovered Yusuf Khan in 1944 and had him trained as an actor. It was she who selected his stage name. Bombay Talkies already had Ashok Kumar on their rolls. Bombay studios, like Hollywood studios, quite freely changed the names of their stars. Baby Mahajbeen had been a child star; her name was changed to indicate that she was now playing adult roles. At the same time, Nargis felt no need for a name change and neither did Muhammad Rafi, although Talat Mahmood, who sang Bengalu songs in Calcutta for a while, did so under the name of Pradip Kumar. By the time Shah Rukh Khan came to Mumbai, the studio system had broken down; what you had were camps. Both Aamir and Salman Khan came from a film background–no question of a name change. But Panchajanya did publish a cri de couer on how painful it was to see three Khans dominate the Mumbai film industry while poor Hrithik Roshan was left in the shadows (perhaps the learned author can ask his friends in the RSS for a copy of the piece). It was Hrithik, not any of the Khans, who played Emperor Akbar in Jodhaa Akbar, just as it was Naseerudin Shah who played Shivaji versus Om Puri’s Aurangzeb in Bharat ek Khoj.
What I find truly appalling about this writer is his equating of India with Israel. India is (or was, till 11 years ago) a democratic, secular nation. Israel is a settler colonial state, based on the idea of Zionism, which has as much to do with Judaism as Hindutva has to do with Hinduism. Israel is most like Pakistan, which was founded on the two-nation theory. Both Israel and Pakistan have done a lot of dirty work for the US–supporting South Africa’s apartheid regime with a large team of military advisors and setting up training facilities for mujahedin fighting in Afghanistan being some of the tasks performed by both nations. For this reason, the US is prepared to overlook minor transgressions, such as the sinking of USS Liberty in the late 60s, the deaths of peace activists from 2000 onwards in the West Bank or the number of American troops killed in Afghanistan because Pakistan’s ISI was sharing information with the Taliban (2001-20). The little matter of Osama bin Laden located in Abbotabad, both Pakistan and Israel carrying out nuclear programs without any UN oversight…all these are brushed under the carpet in the US. The US support for Israel has a lot to do with AIPAC funding US legislators on both sides of the political aisle and with people like Epstein running prostitution rings patronized by US politicians and businessmen–both these facts are true of Europe also. Also, Israel’s existence is a thorn in the side of Saudi Arabia’s Wahabi monarchs, whom the US has sworn to defend, even against democratic reformers, for access to Saudi oil. Also, Anglo-American evangelism, which wants to bring about the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth by a) supporting the creation of Israel and b) supporting Israel in its wars against Arab states and Iran till Armageddon, all of which will lead to the coming of Christ on earth and the setting up of his kingdom and the conversion of all humanity to Christianity. Those Jews who had relatives in the concentration camps or were there themselves know when a genocide is taking place.
Its good to realize that there are not many who read your venomous views. Last month, Bangladesh returned more than a thousand Indians who were arrested, blind-folded and literally kicked out of our country by the incumbent home minister of Gujarat. Our country accepted them back from Bangladesh as citizens of India – not as Bangladeshis. All this while there was a war game being played at the borders in May June 2025.
Interesting piece. We are surely a DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY. The opinion of this author comparing India with Israel which is committing genocide on helpless population of Gaza. !!! This is simply shocking. This author could not find any other better country in todays world to compare India !!!
It’s always a pleasure to see the liberal-secular cabal get triggered. Ms. Devaki Khanna’s frustrated ventings and fulminations are a delight indeed.
Firstly, the Ottoman Turks allowed the Sephardic Jews to settle in Thessalonica in Greece. Several Ottoman Sultans employed Jewish physicians. There were Jewish communities already settled among Arab populations (Mizrahi Jews).
Secondly, the people who backed the Zionist state (which was to be a settler colonial state, if you read reports of Zionist congresses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries) were the Ashkenazi Jews, settled in territories ruled by the Russian empire, where they were subjected to pogroms. This was due to the claims made in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a forgery attributed to the Russian czar’s secret police.
Thirdly, the plan of a Jewish state in Palestine was backed by two powerful European groups–the anti-Semites and the evangelical Christians. The anti-Semites for obvious reasons (see what Lord Balfour says about this) and the evangelicals because they wanted to bring Christ’s kingdom to earth. The first step was the re-establishment of a Jewish state in West Asia. This would lead to a war between the Jewish state and its Christian allies and the Arab states that surrounded it. This war would lead to Armaggedon, the coming of Christ on earth and the establishment of a Christian state worldwide. Many Orthodox Jews familiar with the Torah opposed the formation of this state, because such a state could only be formed if God gave the command.
Unlike India which wavers one step forward and another back, Israel is a country that actually understands what it means to be modern and secular. There is no equivalence between the two. Things like the riots in India are unimaginable in Israel. We have much to learn from Israel about how to create a secular state.
Secondly, Israel is not “a colonial, settler state.” If decolonization was actually something the left welcomed, they should have welcomed Israelis back to what is indisputably documented as their homeland from ancient times. Instead they fall back on cliches.
What has been done to Yazidis, Armenian Christians and Hindus in various countries should make the these people hang their heads in shame and leave their religion. It is they who did the genocide since centuries. Instead, the Palestinians and even Muslims in India have never held any protest for Hindus or Yazidis. So what Israel is doing is correct and the jehadi Palestinians need to be cleaned off. Israel’s actions are god’s way of payback.
While I have zero sympathy for Mamdani or Shah, I find it interesting that the Hindu right thinks that Israel and India are somehow similar or in similar positions. This will be detrimental to India and Hindus in future.
The creation of modern Israel is the result of centuries of persecution of Jews by European Christians and Ottoman Turks. Palestinians, including Palestinian Christians, were forcibly evicted from their homes and European Jews were settled there in and around 1948 and the eviction continues to this day. This happened within living memory and there is a lot of documentation about this.
As memories of the Holocaust fade, newer generations in the West are more willing to blame Zionism for “genocide “. Pushing the false narrative that India and Hindus have anything whatsoever in common with Israel and Zionists will only give more ammunition to people like Mamdani and Shah. Hindus have never pushed anyone out, rather the reverse. Zionists have actually made millions of Palestinians homeless in their own land.
This false narrative doing the rounds currently reminds me that somehow the Hindu right always seems to need the white man’s validation. Maybe it feels good when a powerful country like Israel pretends that they are in the same position as India.
I say this as someone who is proud to be a Hindu and generally find this writer’s views well- reasoned and articulated. This silly narrative on the Hindu right needs to stop. Israel and Jews should not be mentioned in the same context as India and Hindus.
Re Yusuf Khan and Baby Mahajbeen changing their names–the learned writer may be interested to learn that Devika Rani of Bombay Talkies discovered Yusuf Khan in 1944 and had him trained as an actor. It was she who selected his stage name. Bombay Talkies already had Ashok Kumar on their rolls. Bombay studios, like Hollywood studios, quite freely changed the names of their stars. Baby Mahajbeen had been a child star; her name was changed to indicate that she was now playing adult roles. At the same time, Nargis felt no need for a name change and neither did Muhammad Rafi, although Talat Mahmood, who sang Bengalu songs in Calcutta for a while, did so under the name of Pradip Kumar. By the time Shah Rukh Khan came to Mumbai, the studio system had broken down; what you had were camps. Both Aamir and Salman Khan came from a film background–no question of a name change. But Panchajanya did publish a cri de couer on how painful it was to see three Khans dominate the Mumbai film industry while poor Hrithik Roshan was left in the shadows (perhaps the learned author can ask his friends in the RSS for a copy of the piece). It was Hrithik, not any of the Khans, who played Emperor Akbar in Jodhaa Akbar, just as it was Naseerudin Shah who played Shivaji versus Om Puri’s Aurangzeb in Bharat ek Khoj.
What I find truly appalling about this writer is his equating of India with Israel. India is (or was, till 11 years ago) a democratic, secular nation. Israel is a settler colonial state, based on the idea of Zionism, which has as much to do with Judaism as Hindutva has to do with Hinduism. Israel is most like Pakistan, which was founded on the two-nation theory. Both Israel and Pakistan have done a lot of dirty work for the US–supporting South Africa’s apartheid regime with a large team of military advisors and setting up training facilities for mujahedin fighting in Afghanistan being some of the tasks performed by both nations. For this reason, the US is prepared to overlook minor transgressions, such as the sinking of USS Liberty in the late 60s, the deaths of peace activists from 2000 onwards in the West Bank or the number of American troops killed in Afghanistan because Pakistan’s ISI was sharing information with the Taliban (2001-20). The little matter of Osama bin Laden located in Abbotabad, both Pakistan and Israel carrying out nuclear programs without any UN oversight…all these are brushed under the carpet in the US. The US support for Israel has a lot to do with AIPAC funding US legislators on both sides of the political aisle and with people like Epstein running prostitution rings patronized by US politicians and businessmen–both these facts are true of Europe also. Also, Israel’s existence is a thorn in the side of Saudi Arabia’s Wahabi monarchs, whom the US has sworn to defend, even against democratic reformers, for access to Saudi oil. Also, Anglo-American evangelism, which wants to bring about the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth by a) supporting the creation of Israel and b) supporting Israel in its wars against Arab states and Iran till Armageddon, all of which will lead to the coming of Christ on earth and the setting up of his kingdom and the conversion of all humanity to Christianity. Those Jews who had relatives in the concentration camps or were there themselves know when a genocide is taking place.
Its good to realize that there are not many who read your venomous views. Last month, Bangladesh returned more than a thousand Indians who were arrested, blind-folded and literally kicked out of our country by the incumbent home minister of Gujarat. Our country accepted them back from Bangladesh as citizens of India – not as Bangladeshis. All this while there was a war game being played at the borders in May June 2025.
Muslim are always like this
Interesting piece. We are surely a DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY. The opinion of this author comparing India with Israel which is committing genocide on helpless population of Gaza. !!! This is simply shocking. This author could not find any other better country in todays world to compare India !!!