My First Walk In Free India

'At school, on August 15, the Indian flag was raised. There was no national anthem at that time and we sang Rise India Thy Millions Lead,' recalls military legend Major General Ian Cardozo (retd).......

'Stop treating eunuchs as second-class citizens'

Besides being the 'unofficial spokesperson' of the eunuch community and gay activism, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi is one of the prominent eunuch celebrities of India. Recently she was in the news for......

'Ram Uncle's zest for life was incomparable'

‘He often said to me that he was waiting in the departure lounge of God’s gate.’ Gitanjali Gurbaxani, whose family has known Ram Jethmalani since their Pre-Partition days in......

Mumbai's iconic spots turn into quarantine facilities

Mumbai is converting several of its iconic structures into quarantine facilities as it races to prepare for a predicted peaking of infections this month. With some projections suggesting the number......

When prestige brands become less snobby

There is a beguiling allure to ‘masstige’ brands, which trade places up and down the value spectrum. But they aren’t always easy or successful, says Bharat Bambawale. IMAGE: What......

Alyque, Advertising Man of the Century

'What fascinated me always was Alyque's ability to think in the vernacular despite his South Bombay and genteel upbringing,' notes Sandeep Goyal.'Lalitaji or Hamara Bajaj were obviously not birthed......

The T-Shirt Wars

Ajit Balakrishnan on the evolution of a cultural symbol. IMAGE: Mark Zuckerberg, Marlon Brando and Peter Thiel. Photographs: Getty Images   I stood gazing admiringly at the perfect green......

Death of a Salesman Revisited

Are algos taking over from 'shoeshine and a smile', asks Ajit Balakrishnan. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com   'Can you explain to me why this feature [and I named one] is missing in......

Pic: Deepika teams up with dad, Prakash Padukone

It was quite a Kodak moment, really. Deepika Padukone, along with her star father -- the legendary badminton player Prakash Padukone -- had a game of badminton at the Tata Open All India Badminton......

First look: Rahul Bose can fly

Some Saturdays are sweatier than others.A bunch of assorted Mumbai celebrities, from the fields of entertainment and the media, took the field at the Bombay Gymkhana for a spirited game of rugby on......

'If anyone has the voice of god, it is Mohammed Rafi'

'People say my father was scared of Kishore Kumar. That is untrue. There are so many songs that my father told the composers to let some other singer sing because they too are good.' Shahid Rafi,......

Remembering Rafi: 'There Cannot Be Another'

Image: Mohammed Rafi Mohammed Rafi passed away at the age of 55 in 1980.Yet, thanks to his extraordinary repertoire of soulful Hindi film songs from his equally illustrious career, his memory is......

Goodbye Paddy!

No article on Paddy can be complete without a reference to his not getting to wear the India cap. Having known the man for more than two decades, it was not Paddy who was the unfortunate one but......

Milind Rege, The Last of the Mohicans

'He devoted his entire life for the betterment of Mumbai cricket and cricketers.''Even when he left for the Elysian Fields, he was in harness as mentor/advisor to the MCA.'Hemant Kenkre mourns the......

Pakistan team for Bombay Gold Cup

After more than two decades, a team from Pakistan, Punjab XI from Lahore, will be seen in action in the 43rd Bombay Gold Cup hockey tournament, commencing at the Mahindra stadium in Mumbai on......

Aga Khan hockey: Viren, Dhanraj for Bombay Gym

Three petroleum teams -- Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) -- all boasting experienced Indian stars in their......

India's first Test goes Platinum

The pristine and serene Bombay Gymkhana, one of Mumbai's most prestigious clubs with a historic and glorious past, kicked off the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the historic first cricket Test......