Jayendra Saraswati, the shankaracharya of Kanchi, discusses the temple entry for women controversy, the Ram Janmabhoomi temple issue and gurus getting into business with Rediff.com's Saisuresh Sivaswamy and A Ganesh Nadar in his first interview since being acquitted recently by a court.
'"Pakistan will come and bite you" doesn't work here.'
Ritika Hiranandani tells Ganesh Nadar that Sachin Tendulkar is responsible for breaking the gender divide and making cricket family entertainment.
Jitendra Kumar was arrested on July 11 for no fault of his and only released 86 days later.
Everybody in Tamil Nadu, it seems, has an opinion on superstar Rajinikanth entering politics. A Ganesh Nadar presents a cross-section of views on the actor's chances in the electoral arena.
'I am an auto driver, and I am doing my best.'
Dr Anand Rai says the Madhya Pradesh government is harassing him by transferring him and his wife to Dhar and fears for his security in the new posting.
N Kalyanasundaram started saving up last year so that he could feed the hungry during the second COVID lockdown.
'Not only have we rescued 1,700 fishermen but on the morning of November 30, we evacuated 1,044 fishing folk, otherwise the missing numbers would have been much higher.'
Two years ago, Inspector Stephen Jose told his colleagues he was going to participate in a body-building contest. He was 48. They didn't think he was serious. But he was. In January 2022, he became Mr Tamil Nadu.
Javed Khan has been operating an auto ambulance in Madhya Pradesh's capital city since a month.
'Dowry is the main reason for female foeticide'
'You can do anything after retirement. You have to pursue it. You have to take it up as a challenge.'
Yaadhum is a documentary that talks about how Islam spread in South India because of trade and not through invasion.
'Religion must be in your home and in the temple, not in government functions.'
'In the current scenario e-commerce delivery is flourishing, driving demand.'
'When someone gives you one kilo of gold you have some obligations to them'
'There are around 80 to 100 elephants in zoos around the country.' 'We should not keep them in captivity for our entertainment.'
'The north east people are complaining, but the BJP is not listening to our voice.'
A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com meets the family of CRPF jawan G Subramanian, who was among the 41 martyred in Pulwama.
The hits and misses of the week.
Salman Khan's big Eid release Tubelight is also a major loser.
'The financial situation of Tamil Nadu is much worse than it was in 2016.' 'The finance minister's is a horrendous job.' 'I am certainly not going to ask for it.'
Salman Khan's much awaited Eid release Tubelight turned out to be a damp squib at the box office. Distributors stand to lose on their investments.
'It is undemocratic and shows fascist tendencies.'
American journalist Mark Scialla was deported after he was found covering the Sterlite agitation in Tuticorin while on a tourist visa.
'If the BJP comes back to power, Sterlite will open in one week.' 'If the Congress comes to power, it will open in one month.'
His time will be divided 50-50, he says, between his autorickshaw and his work as mayor.
The Tamil Nadu Toddy Movement had met both Chief Minister Palaniswami and Stalin to seek their intervention in lifting the ban on toddy-tapping and had submitted petitions, but there it remained. So the matter is being taken to the people's court.
A Ganesh Nadar shares interesting vignettes that usually get lost in the heat-and-dust of election coverage.
Aditi Mammen Gupta, who hails from the family that started Malayala Manorama, MRF Tyres & Funskool, tells us about her start-up.
Hemangi and Prashant Nakwe's vegetarian thaali business is keeping them busy in the lockdown.
'By birth, you are not superior or inferior to anyone.' 'There are millions of people who want to have a casteless society. I am one of them.'
'Politics is in a mess. Good people have to join to clean it up.'
'Nobody has Dhoni's record of championship in three formats.' 'Every cricketer, every Indian, will agree to that.'
'The government is not ready to talk to us. They have their own agenda.'
'Sasikala went to jail in a 19-year-old case.' 'Dinakaran went to jail in a case of attempting to bribe the Election Commission.' 'How can you link the BJP to these two cases?'
How did an Independent candidate win a seat in the face of the NaMo wave in UP?
'They are going to be clubbed with the Lok Sabha elections which are six months away.' 'These people who are ruling Tamil Nadu know very well that they cannot win another election.'
P Rafeeq's comment on the burkha led to his studio being razed.
