News for 'Penguin India'

What had been the use of love?

What had been the use of love?

Rediff.com25 Dec 2023

It had meant nothing but moments of intimacy, sweet but transient moments. An intriguing excerpt from Manju Kapur's new novel The Gallery.

How Vicks Vaporub Become A Blockbuster

How Vicks Vaporub Become A Blockbuster

Rediff.com31 Oct 2023

Within six months, outlets carrying Vicks jumped from 60,000 pharmacies to 750,000 general stores. The trade boycott collapsed. Consumers were happy, finding Vicks now at every street corner. A fascinating excerpt from Gurcharan Das's Another Sort of Freedom.

Where Do Religious Tourists Go?

Where Do Religious Tourists Go?

Rediff.com29 Jul 2023

19 per cent of all travel in India (by bus, train or air) was pilgrimage or religious travel (possibly the single largest after business and family-related travel), discovers Ambi Parameswaran.

Recipe: Sindhi Dal Curry

Recipe: Sindhi Dal Curry

Rediff.com5 May 2023

Give your favourite dal an upgrade with this recipe featuring a host of veggies.

MasterChef Australia Changed Indian Food

MasterChef Australia Changed Indian Food

Rediff.com20 Oct 2023

Food in India has fled the confines of the kitchen and become a national adventure... Food shows, now even on news channels, have transformed restaurateurs from humble khansamas to courted celebrities.

'Pakistani tanks were burning in front of us'

'Pakistani tanks were burning in front of us'

Rediff.com10 Nov 2023

'The tank battle was fought at ranges of 300-700 metres.' 'It was a rare example of the complete destruction of a squadron by another squadron.'

A Toast To The Butter Man

A Toast To The Butter Man

Rediff.com23 Jun 2023

Among the many pearls of wisdom he bequeathed me, this one is probably the most precious: If you don't enjoy what you have created, how will anyone else? Manish Jhaveri remembers the legendary adman Sylvester daCunha.

Writer, historian Patrick French dies after battle with cancer

Writer, historian Patrick French dies after battle with cancer

Rediff.com16 Mar 2023

British writer and historian Patrick French has died in London after battling cancer for four years, his family announced on Thursday.

Bharat Jodo Yatra Unleashed What Rahul Gandhi Had Not Imagined

Bharat Jodo Yatra Unleashed What Rahul Gandhi Had Not Imagined

Rediff.com11 Aug 2023

Rahul Gandhi could be where Modi has not been. Modi aspired to be with the pantheon of gods on the walls, while Rahul could sit with the family because there is a family member in the picture.

'We alert people in India to be careful about such books'

'We alert people in India to be careful about such books'

Rediff.com28 Feb 2014

The court case in India against Wendy Doniger's book The Hindus was in a way initiated in Atlanta, Georgia, by a group of Indian-American businessmen including Dhiru Shah, who have been fighting against several controversial books on Hinduism by Western thinkers and professors in recent years.

The Legend Of Squadron Leader Tubby Devayya

The Legend Of Squadron Leader Tubby Devayya

Rediff.com14 Aug 2023

Today, he lies in an unknown grave in a corner of a farmer's field in Pakistan, having given his all for his country. A riveting excerpt from Ian Cardozo's Beyond Fear: True Stories on Life in the Indian Armed Forces.

General Rawat: Simple Man With No Ego

General Rawat: Simple Man With No Ego

Rediff.com16 Mar 2023

'He was a sentimental man, but his commitment to the Olive Green always came before anything else, including his family.' A fascinating excerpt from Rachna Bisht Rawat's Bipin: The Man Behind The Uniform.

The Secret of Gautam Adani's Success

The Secret of Gautam Adani's Success

Rediff.com2 Nov 2022

Gautambhai has shown that he has ability to withstand payment delays or vexatious court cases. That is where he is on a more comfortable wicket than many others. A revealing excerpt from R N Bhaskar's Gautam Adani: Reimagining Business in India and the World.

'You will succeed as long as you remember that the project is bigger than you'

'You will succeed as long as you remember that the project is bigger than you'

Rediff.com30 Aug 2023

'When a Project Director is appointed, the whole organization -- including the Chairman ISRO -- works for his success. It is a lesson that has been of abiding value all through the other projects I have worked on,' recalls the late President, one of the earliest pioneers at ISRO.

Why N S Rajappan is India's Eco-Hero

Why N S Rajappan is India's Eco-Hero

Rediff.com16 Dec 2021

This eco-warrior helps the waterways of Kerala breathe plastic-free.

The Priyanka Chopra speech that caused India's latest outrage

The Priyanka Chopra speech that caused India's latest outrage

Rediff.com28 Dec 2017

The star was chosen to deliver the Penguin Annual Lecture.

Disha Drives The Blues Away...

Disha Drives The Blues Away...

Rediff.com14 Nov 2022

Sunny goes on a date... Sushmita goes on vacation... Sara is lost in thought...

Why is Amazon betting big on self publishing in India?

Why is Amazon betting big on self publishing in India?

Rediff.com24 Feb 2014

India has a tradition of rich narrative and storytelling and hence it's a natural market for self publishing, believes Jon P Fine, Amazon's director (author and publishing relations).

My Travels For Gauri Khan's Grandma

My Travels For Gauri Khan's Grandma

Rediff.com12 Nov 2022

There were Vedic mantras engraved along with prayer songs for Lord Shiva, Lord Rama and Lord Krishna. Neither the government nor the people of Faisalabad demanded that the carvings be removed. I felt very happy to see Sanskrit shloka

'Introduce education rooted in India's culture'

'Introduce education rooted in India's culture'

Rediff.com30 Jul 2014

'There is no harm in children studying the Vedas; it is part of Indian culture and history... The aim is not to saffronise education,' Shiksha Bachao Andolan chief Dinanath Batra tells Vicky Nanjappa/Rediff.com

'The bus was torn into by a torrent of bullets'

'The bus was torn into by a torrent of bullets'

Rediff.com2 Aug 2023

The team heard a loud crackle. Then the scream came from Dilshan at the front of the bus. 'Get down.' Jayawardene was hit first; his sock filled with blood. Outside, twelve gunmen blocked the exit. A revealing excerpt from Nicholas Brookes's An Island's Eleven: A History of Cricket in Sri Lanka.

When Pakistan Was Keen On A Kashmir Solution

When Pakistan Was Keen On A Kashmir Solution

Rediff.com3 May 2023

Manmohan Singh and Musharraf felt that what they were embarking upon, if successful, could lead to a future of boundless potential for the two countries and for the relationship that was hard to foresee from the prism of the existing situation and the historical position and orthodox ideas on both sides.

'Vedas do not refer to anything called Hinduism'

'Vedas do not refer to anything called Hinduism'

Rediff.com16 Mar 2023

'They were certainly not practising Hinduism in the Harappan culture (which includes Mohenjo Daro and other sites).' 'There was no notion of Hinduism then.'

Nawaz says sorry, withdraws memoir

Nawaz says sorry, withdraws memoir

Rediff.com30 Oct 2017

'I'm apologising to everyone whose sentiments are hurt because of the chaos around my memoir,' says the actor.

Recipes: Mung Dal Halwa, Kashmiri Arhar Dal

Recipes: Mung Dal Halwa, Kashmiri Arhar Dal

Rediff.com4 Apr 2023

Two wonderful recipes from Pratibha Karan's The Book Of Dals.

The India I imagined is not allowed to exist

The India I imagined is not allowed to exist

Rediff.com14 Mar 2014

Anwesha Bhattacharya-Arya writes an open letter to the President on the sorry state of affairs in India.

'Under the BJP India will not become regressive'

'Under the BJP India will not become regressive'

Rediff.com23 Apr 2014

If people respect our culture and interests, why should anyone become more regressive? Education will not be saffronised. Just the correct picture will be portrayed and facts not distorted.' Dr Dinanath Batra, who successfully litigated to have Penguin withdraw copies of Wendy Doniger's book on Hinduism, tells Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa what India will be like if the BJP under Narendra Modi forms the next government.

Tere Sur Aur Mere Geet: When Music was King

Tere Sur Aur Mere Geet: When Music was King

Rediff.com27 Feb 2020

Film music flourished in the 1970s. Some old masters did some great work, but it was also the decade of new composers.

'India's greatest message is non-violence'

'India's greatest message is non-violence'

Rediff.com25 Jan 2022

'Every religion is sacred and beautiful. There's no reason for people to hate each other because they practise different faiths.'

What Went Wrong For Cyrus Mistry At Tatas

What Went Wrong For Cyrus Mistry At Tatas

Rediff.com16 Jun 2023

If Cyrus's protestations of having no knowledge of his imminent dismissal are to be taken at face value, he was extraordinarily naive and insulated from the ground reality. There were enough straws in the wind to suggest that his relations with Ratan were fast deteriorating to a point of no return.

Arunachal Pradesh has ALWAYS been part of India

Arunachal Pradesh has ALWAYS been part of India

Rediff.com15 Dec 2021

China has long coveted Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls Southern Tibet. But, as Venkataraghavan Subha Srinivasan explains, in 1947, the present state of Arunachal Pradesh constituted the North East Frontier Tract of Assam. When India adopted its Constitution on 26 January 1950, NEFT became 'a separate politico-administrative entity' although it was constitutionally still a part of Assam. Its administration was brought directly under the President of India with the Governor of Assam acting as his agent. A revealing excerpt from his book The Origin Story of India's States.

'You can't look at India with a single lens'

'You can't look at India with a single lens'

Rediff.com24 Dec 2021

'India is a multifaceted place that resides in one country.' 'I always say that there are 1.3 billion Indias and everyone takes their own form and shape of the country.' A fascinating glimpse from Barkat: The Inspiration And Story Behind One Of The World's Largest Food Drives, Feed India.

A Deve Gowda-Nawaz Sharif summit that nearly happened

A Deve Gowda-Nawaz Sharif summit that nearly happened

Rediff.com6 Jun 2022

Keen to settle the India-Pakistan dispute 'once and for all,' HD Deve Gowda spoke to his then counterpart Nawaz Sharif over the phone and the two hit it off quite well but his government fell before they could meet, says a recent biography of the former Indian prime minister.

The Englishman who spied for India

The Englishman who spied for India

Rediff.com1 Jun 2012

Sidney Wignall, a British mountaineer who spied on China for India in the 1950s, passed unnoticed into the ages this week.

'I think I am a natural ajji'

'I think I am a natural ajji'

Rediff.com17 Feb 2023

'Children are curious by nature, so I thought of writing these books, which provide creative but convincing explanations and also teach values like sharing is caring,' Sudha Murty tells Chintan Girish Modi.

Chelsea Clinton: How Mary Varghese changed India

Chelsea Clinton: How Mary Varghese changed India

Rediff.com11 Jul 2018

Dr Mary Varghese's determination to live life beyond her wheelchair inspired Chelsea Clinton to include her in She Persisted Around The World: 13 Women Who Changed History.

Why Did Jamsetji Tata Build the Taj?

Why Did Jamsetji Tata Build the Taj?

Rediff.com29 Jul 2022

The reason why Jamsetji Tata built the Taj Mahal Hotel was his love for Mumbai and India. For him, the 'why' was so powerful that it urged him to stake his reputation, withstand all scepticism, and invest a very large sum of resources to create the iconic hotel.

Here's what to WATCH on OTT

Here's what to WATCH on OTT

Rediff.com3 Feb 2021

The OTT menu is looking hot as ever with brand new offerings. Sukanya Verma tells you what you can catch this week.

Once upon a time in India Inc...

Once upon a time in India Inc...

Rediff.com20 Feb 2017

The list of corporations publishing biographies has lengthened steadily as companies have realised the effectiveness of story telling as a brand building tool. Kanika Datta investigates the rising trend.

Is India ready to Legalize LGBTQ+ Marriage?

Is India ready to Legalize LGBTQ+ Marriage?

Rediff.com20 Aug 2021

A fascinating glimpse from Somak Ghoshal's 10 Indian Heroes Who Help People Live With Dignity.