The HIndu
Nothing to hide
Some books leave you with a deep sense of sadness — even while they make you chuckle, marvel at the beauty or tenderness of a thought or human emotion, sit up and take note of a piece of poetic pr... »
The stuff dreams are made of
The first Hindi film I saw was Mughal-e-Azam in a re-run that played somewhat shakily in a musty cinema hall in Madras. I like to think my extraordinary run of luck with Hindi cinema started right... »
The slippery road to TV soaps
In early 2000, Kamala Sahani (name changed) was working with a television director in Mumbai on a daily soap. Every Saturday, a well-known columnist from Delhi used to fly down to the city to give... »
Follow the vada crumbs
Looking for a common factor that connects all sections of cosmopolitan Mumbai, from Mukesh Ambani to a man on the street? Batata vada might be a fitting choice. Talks with friends threw up... »
In the lap of nature
The Tamara, a 170-acre resort in Coorg, is surrounded by nature in all its wonder - so much so that the resort looks like it has sprung up in the middle of a forest. The odd birdcall, the gurgle o... »
They’re ad it again!
The Republic of Hurt Sentiments is familiar territory for Indian film-makers, as seen in several examples old and new. There was Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam, which was banned in Tamil Nadu... »
Magic of Bombay Talkies
I was rather sceptical about Bombay Talkies, right up till the lights dimmed in the theatre. I was converted in about 15 minutes, mid-way through Karan Johar’s segment. By the tim... »
A dash of Finnish culture
To taste “typical and traditional Finnish food” in Helsinki, I am advised to dine at Sea Horse, the iconic restaurant set up way back in 1934. Going by the ingredients available in the supermarket... »
In the driver’s seat
They are all like crude oil when they come in, and we have to do the refining and extract the petrol!” says K. Sridar, in charge of corporate social responsibility at Hyundai’s car manufac... »
First steps into teen world
I must admit that the first couple of chapters in Revathi Suresh’s book Jobless Clueless Reckless (Duckbill) irritated me — and even put me off. For a few days. Even though the genre is... »
Dance to rainforest music
Rowboats lined up at the pier of Sungai Sawarak could take you across in less than five minutes. Lanterns dangled in them and the boat smelt of a bygone era. I had set out earlier in the evenin... »
Where’s the party-crasher tonight?
If you have been to socialite parties, you must have met two kinds of people: the first are those who are reasonably well-known. If their faces are familiar, that’s either because they work in... »
Facing the Dutt sentence
That’s it. I’ve had it up to here with Sanjay Dutt and the various machinations aimed at keeping him out of jail. If there was any sympathy to begin with for the man — not all his troubles have be... »
Tangled tale in exquisite silk
The delicate hand-woven silk of Assam would seem completely out of place in a vortex of street violence. But this is exactly what happened towards the end of March as thousands of women and men to... »
Board, game for diversity?
Some weeks ago, at a conference where I was speaking on gender diversity, I put up a slide. It showed a simple and popular board game. One that relies not on the capacity to think or strategise... »
Footloose in the clouds
Sizzle on a Nawabi grill
When filmwallas try to remake their careers…
True grit
Call the doctor, staff
Hundred in hospitality
No himmat for it all over again
MAHATMA TOURS
Pass the joke, sister
I discovered the social cohesion that laughter brings early in life. There is a tradition of pulling each other’s leg when Holi comes around. So, during my student days, every Holi, I would com... »
Make time for ‘happy hour’
Not many people truly understand the dynamics of energy and how it makes life heaven — or hell! Simply put, when our inner energy is in an upward flow at the spine and reaches the brain… Boom! We’... »
Seoul sojourn
For the last eight weeks, I have been living in a suburb of Seoul, at the Academy of Korean Studies where my wife has come for 12 weeks as a Senior Fellow. I have tagged along for a much-needed br... »
Compassion, suo motu
It was shortly after the terrible cyclone that had ripped through coastal Odisha in November 1999. Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma had just taken over as the Chairperson of the National Human Righ... »
Skin deep in herbal
Walk into any of her clinics and a refreshing sight greets you — a colourful assortment of fresh almond paste, beetroot juice, grated cucumber, milk and honey in glass bowls arranged on a... »
The chef who got his Math right
When Dharmen Makawana, Executive Chef of Chennai’s Leela Palace Hotel, is asked to name the most memorable moment in his three-decade career as a chef, he says softly — with his typical sh... »
Toilet breaks the dropout rate
A drive down the Jaipur-Tonk highway tells its own story of ‘development’ in Rajasthan. Along the highway, one can see signboards sprouting on vast stretches of agricultural land - Highway... »
Detox, don’t deprive
All my friends go on fasts. I’ve tried fasting with them, but unsuccessfully! I’d like to follow a detox plan. Could you guide me with a simple one, please?
— Rasika P
... »
Lavish welcome carved in sandstone
Did I love more the relaxed, luxurious breakfast at Pillars, the enchanting all-day diner located in the huge, spacious verandah of Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, or dreamily gazing at the sp... »
Biz acumen made at home
It’s the hectic hours preceding mealtime and Sangya Pandey, a Varanasi-based homemaker and mother-of-three, is very busy. The kitchen is the epicentre of furious activity as she chops veggies a... »
Fashion blooms in a mandi
Stretch your limits
Sit back on visual art
The growing years in a fashion biz
The sound of healing music
Rolling Kal strikes gold
EXPAT-SPEAK
Investment World
Index Outlook: Bulls wrest advantage
Pivotals: Reliance Industries (Rs 834.4)
Query Corner: ICICI Bank nearing resistance zone
FT India Life Stage Fund of Funds – 40s Plan: INVEST
Investment Focus: Coromandel International offers opportunity
Stock Strategy: Consider long strangle in Reliance Industries
More investors now from smaller cities
Why inflation is cooling off
