'General Zia was real startled'

'But he was very quick and did a very stylish adab.''Of course, I didn't expect him to hug.' IMAGE: Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri and her husband Hardeep Singh Puri, currently India's minister of......

Why Oppenheimer Liked Hinduism

'Hinduism meshed with his sense that the world was paradoxical and puzzling.' IMAGE: Robert Downey Jr as Lewis Strauss and Cillian Murphy as Dr J Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's film.......

Kalki and Rajaji: A Connection From Previous Lives

Fifty years ago today, December 25, 1972, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, one of the titans of India's freedom struggle, passed into the ages. Kalki Krishnamurthy, who penned the Tamil classic......

Kalki: The Revolutionary Writer Behind PS 1

Gowri Ramnarayan explores the world of Kalki Krishnamurthy whose magnificent novel Ponniyin Selvan has inspired Mani Ratnam's latest film PS I. IMAGE: Director Mani Ratnam, third from right, with......

Vedic slokas, witty repartees, Kolkata's who's who at Bandhan book launch

Kolkata’s creme de la creme turned up at the launch of Bandhan, The Making of a Bank, but the evening nevertheless had an informal touch typical of the young bank with CMD Chandra Shekhar......

Why Omaha beckons Indian investors

Die-hard fans of the sage of Omaha, Berkshire chairman and legendary investor Warren Buffett, can hear him dish out investment maxims from the comfort of their homes. It’s that time of the......

Films, books that inspire corporate head honchos

What do A-listers like to read, watch or listen to? And who are the people they admire? Here is a list -- IMAGE: The poster of the film Taare Zameen Par. The film is one of the favourites of Amit......

Don't read but listen to these books

Book lovers can now think of doing away with flipping pages as popular titles will be available in the digital audio format.Imagine hearing to bestsellers like Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, The......

The Magical World Of Muzaffar Ali

'I somehow felt that Muzaffar Ali was in Aligarh to feel the pulse of the Muslim youth, especially in the darker and harsher times that India is passing through,' notes Mohammad Sajjad. IMAGE:......

How Hema Malini Inspired Gulzar

IMAGE: Hema Malini with Gulzar at the book launch. Afsar Dayatar/Rediff.com captures scenes from the launch of Yatindra Mishra's Gulzar Saab: Hazara Rahein Mud Ke Dekhin in Mumbai on Wednesday.......

'We Will Bring The Oscar'

'Ours is a disaster movie with no big stars, songs or commercial ingredients.''Yet, it is Malayalam cinema's highest grosser.' IMAGE: Director Jude Anthany Joseph and Tovino Thomas, left, on the......

Why Shooting Rani's Next Was Challenging

'Rani made it very clear when she signed the film that she would shoot only during her daughter's summer vacation so as not to disturb her role as a real life mother.' IMAGE: Rani Mukerji in Mrs......

An Evening With A Cricket Legend

An illuminating conversation with Chandu Borde, 90, one of India's finest cricketers in the 1960s. IMAGE: Chandu Borde outside the Chandu Borde Pavillion at the Poona Club. Photograph: Archana......

My Daughter Mithali Raj

'From the beginning (I have told her) "Whatever it may be -- you are losing or winning -- on the ground you're not going to cry!" She never cried.''"I don't want you to project that you are a......

How Ganguly's gamble on youngsters helped India retain Dhoni

'Ganguly, who turns 46 on Sunday, was one of the sharpest and farsighted cricketing minds, says Abhirup Bhattacharya in a biography on the former India cricketer, titled – ‘Winning Like......

PICS: Salman Khan launches Sania Mirza's autobiography

IMAGE: Bollywood actor Salman Khan at the book launch of ace tennis star Sania Mirza (right) in Mumbai. Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com. Bollywood superstar Salman Khan launched ace......

The National Anthem inspires this Olympian

'I would not be running had it not been for the army.''I learned to value my time only after I was posted in Kashmir.''I was posted there for three months. In those three months I learned......