'During casting calls, people want you to a copy-paste version of who they think is good enough to be in Bollywood, especially if you are a girl. I didn't fit into that at all.'
Holidays, slurping on ice golas, fights in the school bus for the window seat and visiting grandparents are some of the things Rediff.com's Anita Aikara misses dearly.
On Kishore Kumar's 86th birthday, we revisit a Rediff.com exclusive special by Pritish Nandy on the late legend.
Want a new hairstyle? Read this first.
A guy who loved English literature but settled for electrical engineering and later, an MBA, pours his heart out...
M D Riti recalls her first encounter with Karnataka's next chief minister.
The test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be to convince not just friends in the media with crisp sound bytes but the very people most affected by the politics of hate through concerted action, says Shehzad Poonawala.
Meet the Shah Rukh Khan you never knew.
'How do you expect me to tone down my anger when the most prominent culture in India today is the culture of corruption, in every sphere of life?'
Bestselling author Ashwin Sanghi says that it is indeed possible to 'attract' good luck!
A look at the top tweets from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
The American funnyman speaks to Ranjita Ganesan about his first brush with 'Hindutva trolls' and regular run-ins with Trump trolls.
Vanita Kohli-Khandekar analyses why the rising tide of conservatism will not help India's ambition to have a world-class media industry.
Were Kareena and Priyanka catty enough? YOU tell us in this poll!
Here's your weekly digest of the craziest stories from around the world.
'Kaala's sin is not that it is presented as a mouthpiece for its director Pa Ranjith's political viewpoints, but that it makes a travesty of them.' 'Ranjith turns Marx into merchandise, all the while functioning as a hired hand for Brand Rajinikanth,' points out Sreehari Nair.
Waking up to death threats and abuse on the social media has become a regular occurrence for the Indian-American education advocate. Nikita Puri reports.
'The death certificate which I once read even states the date, 6 August, but I know that already.' 'Every year, we observe paath at the local gurdwara for which we need to take leave from school. The leave form always says 'attending father's death anniversary'. 'I always dread this day -- the long walk from my desk to the teacher's table with my diary in hand and in it a handwritten note dripped with sadness despite its curt language.' 'What generally follows is pity on my teacher's face, a deep sigh of sympathy and a sad pat on the back.' A moving excerpt from Gurmehar Kaur's memoir Small Acts Of Freedom.
'Is the application the Press Council's voice or the government's? 'It has been reported that other members of the PCI were taken aback at the Press Council's application. 'These members need to publicly question the chairman to redeem their own positions,' says Jyoti Punwani.
'After Rangeela, Urmila became the nation's sex symbol.'
A look at the top 10 tweets from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
The latest news on models, designers and actors from the world of glamour and fashion.
'Movie plots clearly don't excite director Dileesh Pothan as much as true stories where life had come dizzyingly close to becoming like a movie and then, had fused back with life.' 'This means that a conversation he overhears at a tea shop is more likely to give Pothan a setting for his next picture than a brainstorming session inside a conference room,' says Sreehari Nair.
'Should a leader with such an impeccable record of public life, struggles, meritorious performance and heroism in politics like Babu Jagjivan Ram be weighed on caste and not reviewed for his real worth?' asks Tarun Vijay.
Quentin Tarantino, declares Sreehari Nair, will be remembered as someone who made just two great movies, and who then brought misery upon himself.
A big part of October's charm is in its taking of a cinematic tragedy and presenting to us how we may experience it in real life, says Sreehari Nair.
A time comes when the distance between words and meaning becomes unbridgeable. Or, words become shells, which hide the real intent of the speaker. To understand how language works in the case of a person like the present prime minister, you'll have to analyse the way language is practiced by the RSS, says Apoorvanand.
'John Lasseter gave me such good advice. He said the reason why he wanted me to tell the story was because it was about my dad and me. He said if it is a father and son story, it will relate universally.' Star Pixar animator Sanjay Patel tells Aseem Chhabra/Rediff.com the back story behind his new film, Sanjay's Super Team, which features Hanuman, Vishnu and Durga as superheroes.
While Trump played on fears about Muslims and immigrants, Hillary played out the fear of Trump, says Sankrant Sanu.
Ranjita Ganesan visits The Indus Club, which is not just another old boys' club.
Former Essex player Ian Pont, who is now engaged in coaching Indian bowlers in Bangalore, shares his views on the fallout-out from the Kevin Pietersen's tell-all book with Rediff.com's Manu Shankar.
Mumbai-based Dimple Mehta has been using her Instagram handle to decry fat-shaming.
'There were certain ideals and morals that I had started bending as I was climbing up in the industry.' 'I was unknowingly hurting people close to me, unknowingly treating people the way I wouldn't want to be treated myself.' 'But I am not that person and I didn't start off like that.' 'Then the introspection began.' 'Very rarely does that happen when you do a film.' 'I was feeling unhappy as a person. Now I am much happier.'
Tarun Vijay on why the victory in Uttar Pradesh belongs to Narendra Modi and the road ahead.
That makes winning the National Award for Arjun Rampal even more special...
Superwoman Lilly Singh shares her secrets.
'Mumbai's killings in January 1993 came at the tail end of two outbursts of vicious communal violence, whereas today, it's peacetime in a 'new India'.' 'At that time, the perpetrators warned onlookers to keep their mouths shut.' 'Today, the perpetrators take videos of their attacks, such is their confidence.' 'The mobs have succeeded in terrorising an entire community and indeed, all those dealing in the transport of cattle, whatever their religion,' says Jyoti Punwani.
Stories about Pok-trouble at the office have gone viral, but many say the game can also facilitate bonding among employees.
For starters, Mad Max: Fury Road is gloriously nuts, says Raja Sen.
