'Le Carré's spies were nothing like the exotic Kim of Kipling or the caricature that is James Bond.' 'Driven by a simple patriotism, held back by incompetence and politics, his characters use deceit and treachery to win their morally Pyrrhic victories,' notes P Rajendran.
He will be remembered not only as a writer but as one of the great chroniclers and interrogators of the history of our times, says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
"It is with great sadness that I must share the news that David Cornwell, known to the world as John le Carre, passed away from pneumonia after a short illness (not Covid-19 related) in Cornwall on Saturday evening, 12th December, 2020. He was 89. Our hearts go out to his four sons, their families and to his dear wife, Jane," read an official statement by the Curtis Brown Group.
The thrilling Web series The Night Manager bagged an Emmy nomination and its cast met up to celebrate the big event.
'One of his most famous scenes is set in a prison in Delhi where the British try to subvert Karla, the legendary Soviet spy who is being transferred back to Moscow and is being temporarily detained by the Indian agencies.' Ambassador B S Prakash salutes John le Carre.
The always dependable Pratik Gandhi finds a match in Sunny Hinduja and they are surrounded by a top notch supporting cast, observes Deepa Gahlot.
'Can a Wodehouse, an R K Narayan, a Scott Fitzgerald and yes, a Le Carre, with the sensibilities of a bygone era still captivate a modern reader's attention?' 'Le Carre is making a brave and hitherto successful effort,' says B S Prakash.
The Night Manager has no surprises, feels Deepa Gahlot.
How many times can you read the same book? Instead, T C A Srinivasa-Raghavan turns to different books by same writers for comfort.
Joginder Tuteja lists the interesting titles coming up in February.
As emotions escalate and drama intensifies, The Night Manager 2 becomes more gripping, applauds Mayur Sanap.
Rediff reader Rajiv Aggarwal shared this list of books he wants everyone to read
The top 10 films of the year may not be great by themselves but they stand out amidst the other OTT releases.
'This trope must have been taken in 30 films.' 'The rogue agent is a common trope and not something unique.'
"It's a lot of hard work to work with the two most handsome men in the industry, but someone's got to do it!" the gorgeous Sobhita Dhulipala says at the trailer launch of her new OTT show, The Night Manager.
With OTT gaining popularity, quite a few stars will make their debut on digital platforms.
Whether history will remember Edward Snowden as a traitor to his country or as a champion for free speech and less intrusive government is hard to tell, but the issues he has brought into focus need deep thought, writes Ajit Balakrishnan
In Khufiya, a mother's journey, a lover's vendetta and a country's mission, skewed patriotism and moral disengagement coalesce and highlight the nature of the spying business, notes Sukanya Verma.
'The world of arms dealers and war-mongers is still a reality of our lives.'
As the second season of The Night Manager hits the OTT screen, Deepa Gahlot looks back at the top spy thrillers on streaming platforms.
'Were they two yaars of yesteryears brought together again by fate?' 'Were they two crafty spies hoodwinking each other?' wonders B S Prakash.
'Raazi is being hailed for breaking the glass ceiling for Daughters of Bollywood Inc,' says Sunil Sethi.
Narendra Modi can pick up a tip from the Samajwadi Party ramlila. If he doesn't want L K Advani as President, he might anoint him Bharatiya Bhishma Pitamah, suggests Sunanda K Datta-Ray.
'We must all commit to sharing less nonsense and quarrelling less on social media.' 'We could use that time instead to meeting and speaking to our friends and family instead of 'liking' their posts.' 'Zuckerberg will be the poorer for that, but our lives will be so much richer,' says Rahul Jacob.
Donald Trump's new CIA pick hasn't been greeted with the avalanche of media gush that inevitably follows a woman who becomes the first among her gender to get a top job.
'There are retaliatory incursions, ambushes, captures and killings by Indian forces along the 700 km border; alleged spies are caught on both sides, then mutually traded as pawns; envoys are summoned in both capitals to be routinely given dressing downs.' 'And there is always a handy courier pigeon, like Sajjan Jindal, sent over to test the troubled waters,' says Sunil Sethi.
Director Danis Tanovic, producer Anurag Kashyap and actor Emraan Hashmi have created an inspiring work of international collaboration with Tigers. Arthur J Pais reports from Toronto.
'There are different ways in which some are lucky through their lives. My great boon has been serendipity,' says Subir Roy.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! stumbles considerably because of its simplistic plotting, says Raja Sen.
'Is Ansari flagging a genuine concern? Is a rectification called for?' 'And finally: Do minorities matter?' asks Shekhar Gupta.
'Even apart from the Bengal famine, there was a great deal more bloodshed and deceit than I was prepared for.' 'Almost every one of the acquisitions was won by extreme extortionate methods and what came out was that these relatively honest officers found themselves doing very dishonest things.'
Brilliant cinema at the ongoing Mumbai Film Festival, raves Sukanya Verma.
'Once, when I was standing around on the set one day, whining about something -- you know we were gonna work through supper or the long hours or whatever, Tommy Lee Jones said to me, 'Isn't it such a privilege, Meryl, just to be an actor? Yeah, it is, and we have to remind each other of the privilege and the responsibility of the act of empathy. We should all be very proud of the work Hollywood honours here tonight.'
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