Chennai city has three constituencies -- Chennai South, Chennai Central and Chennai North -- each of them as different from the other as cheese is from chalk.
It was five years ago that I spent an evening with Lalgudi Jayaraman, but the music still rings in my ears and the images are still fresh in my memory, writes Shobha Warrier
Sheeroy Desai, CEO of PAC, was in India recently. In an interview to rediff.com, he made some interesting observations on the recent recession and its impending recovery.
Since the treasure at Thiruvananthapuram's Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple has been discovered the value of the riches and what should be done with it has become the talk of the town. But little attention has been paid to the rich history and culture of the state that these valuables reveal, says P J Cherian, director, Kerala Council for Historical Research and the director of the archaeological excavations at Pattanam in Ernakulam district.
With the world wowed by the incredible amount of riches found in the secret vaults of the Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, member of Parliament from the city Shashi Tharoor spoke to rediff.com's Shobha Warrior about the treasure, what should be done with it and the government's role if any as far as the temple goes.
IIT-Madras students Mohit Mittal and Rajan Gupta invent a helmet that will alert emergency services if you meet with an accident.
Eshwar K Vikas, who has made a dosa machine and patented it speaks with Shobha Warrier about the odds he faced in his entrepreneurial journey and the road ahead.
Srin Madipalli has travelled across the world -- to beaches, mountains, cities and villages. He has flown planes and explored the depths of the seas. He co-edits a magazine. And he has done all of this while seated on a wheelchair!
Aruna Anand on her husband's World Championship triumph in Sofia and the build-up to it.
Sanobar Sultana, a multi-talented, burkha-clad radio jockey, tells Shobha Warrier why she prefers to wear a burkha and why people shouldn't judge her by what she wears.
'They sell such ideas in the name of 'national interest'.' 'What national interest are they talking about?' 'There is no national interest in this. The only interest that is there is their profit.'
Dr Suresh Moses Lee, who was one of the members of the panel of experts constituted by the Centre to examine the reactors of Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project, talks to rediff.com's Shobha Warrier about the safety aspects of the controversial plant.
'What I have been going through for the last 17 years is much more than what I suffered in those 42 days. I am dying every single moment of my life for the last 17 years,' the Suryanelli rape case victim tells Shobha Warrier.
Shruti Haasan gets candid about her new film, 3, co-starring Dhanush.
In his constituency Malampuzha, locals can't get enough of Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, his policies and his caustic speeches, says Shobha Warrier
'For the first time in this country, perhaps the first time anywhere, we are going to use backwardness index.' 'It is a fundamental shift in the discourse in the country's social justice.'
The actress talks about her love for Tamil films and her latest, Nadunisai Naigal.
A look at the director's bilingual film in Tamil and Telugu.
Prasanna talks about his upcoming film Nanayam, out this Christmas.
They often get a raw deal from society, which relegates disabled Indians to its margins and ignores their plight. But a centre in Hyderabad is trying to change that by teaching them some invaluable lessons in self-belief, finds Shobha Warrier
The actor talsk about with Shankar and his experience on working on the film.
We are looking at both soft skills and technology skills; skills that will allow them to adapt, and become change agents. They also have to keep abreast of the latest technology developments
Shashi Tharoor was just back from Delhi after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with all the other members of Parliament from Kerala, on the Mullaperiyar dam issue. Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier caught him in Thiruvananthapuram for an exclusive interview.
'In today's political spectrum, it is the Bharatiya Janata Party that always says, nation first.'
'Even if there is only one day left for a person, I find it very satisfying to have made a difference. That is because I believe life matters. If I can bring a smile to the face of a person who has seen only pain and suffering, I feel satisfied.' Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier meets Dr M R Rajagopal who has made such a difference to the lives of the terminally ill.
Former US vice president and Nobel Peace prize winner Al Gore compares the importance of the heart in the human body to that of the Earth in the ecosystem. Shobha Warrier listens in
'Because the same stupid questions are repeated year after year when an exam should provoke the students to think and not ask repetitive questions.' 'So, what do coaching institutes do? They teach students to memorise these questions and answers without understanding the subject.'
'The only system that will work is scientific socialism where there will be minimum contradictions, and where interests of the majority are taken care of.'
The director talks about his much anticipated debut film Muran
'I remember our priests saying that he liked sea food. So, they cooked sea food for him without masala and spice.' 'It seems he enjoyed Kerala food very much.'
Tiruvallur, 30 km away from Chennai, is angry at the DMK and Congress for not bringing down the prices.
Far from silky lives, weavers in Kancheepuram lead a hapless life. Shobha Warrier finds out.
'You can focus on Vande Bharat but focus on the common man too.' 'You can have both. They are mutually exclusive.'
In an interview with rediff.com's Shobha Warrier, consumer rights activist S Pushpavanam talks about the spate of rail accidents in the last few days and what the civil society can do about this.
In an interview with rediff.com's Shobha Warrier, consumer rights activist S Pushpavanam talks about the spate of rail accidents in the last few days and what the civil society can do about this.
An interview with archeologist T Satyamurthy on the Sethusamudram project.
Dr M S Swaminathan, friends with Dr Norman Borlaug for 56 years, recalls how the Nobel Laureate transformed Indian agriculture.
