Legendary Bengali semi-classical singer Sandhya Mukherjee, who had worked with leading music directors such as S D Burman, Naushad and Salil Chaudhury died on Tuesday evening following a massive cardiac arrest, leaving behind millions of mourning fans of all ages across borders.
It was the year 'anti-national' became the 'it' gaali, and our humble haldi-doodh became the toast of the West's wellness brigade as 'Tumeric Latte.' It was the year 'cash' became unholy and 'fake news' became real. Shuma Raha looks back.
At a time when many women were forbidden by their caste-conscious families from taking up acting assignments in an industry not deemed respectable, Phalke wanted to cast his wife as the female lead in Raja Harishchandra.
'I welcome Droupadi Murmu as the first Adivasi woman President of India, but her track record has not been good as a politician and governor of Jharkhand when it came to helping Adivasis,' points out activist Gladson Dungdung.
They pointed out the recent chain of events could generate an unhealthy vibe among the vibrant artist community.
'The protests make no sense, unless we judge them against the political climate in the country.' 'Having a CBFC is sheer hypocrisy when the government has set itself up as censor.'
'I was fortunate to have served as India's ambassador to Indonesia and witnessed on several occasions, the incredible performances of the Ramayana and episodes from the Mahabharata in Jogjakarta and in Bali,' recalls former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
The president made a special mention of the threat to the environment and asked all citizens to take care of it for future generations.
The Nightingale of India's 135th birthday is celebrated with a doodle on Google's home page.
On his 40th birthday on September 28, Sukanya Verma draws up a playlist of 40 riveting Ranbir songs.
I cannot think of another Hindi movie that has, without so much as a hint of cynicism or speechifying, brought out that fundamental fact of Muslims being an integral part of the Indian culture while being at the same time a subculture with its own polite niceties, observes Sreehari Nair.
'Physically, he was a strong man, but given to moments of emotional weakness.' 'He had to be put back on the right track by the women in his life.'
Expressing his concerns about India under Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party, India-born author Salman Rushdie said that the attacks on freedom of expression could worsen if the Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power.
Ashwani Kumar, in a lecture at the prestigious Trinity College, Dublin, said the recent incident of "oppressive enforcement" of the colonial law of sedition against students protesting in university campuses has raised several questions about the future of India's liberal democracy.
Padmarajan's Thoovanathumbikal has become a part of Malayali mythology, just as its maker himself now possesses mythological status.
'Of all artists who openly support the current political dispensation, she is far and away the finest,' argues Sreehari Nair. 'With the exception of perhaps Tabu, no Indian actress has done more to extend the range of the feminine mystique in Hindi cinema.'
Prime Minister Modi, who is in Japan on a two-day visit to attend a summit of the Quad leaders at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, penned an op-ed on the vibrant relations between India and Japan in the Yomiuri Shimbun.
Mani Ratnam is experimenting with a real-life historical in Ponniyin Selvan, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
The Congress on Monday disapproved of the arrest of cartoonist Aseem Trivedi on the charge of sedition, saying the action was a bit "over-stretched" and "not called for". At the same time, the All India Congress Committee advocated for "reasonable restrictions" on freedom of speech and called for respecting the national emblems.
'By ruffling dignified feathers, and by polarising its audience, Kabir Singh has put movies and art back into our public discourse,' says Sreehari Nair.
'Everywhere Anil Dharker went, he assembled teams of talented people, gave them opportunities, then got out of the way and allowed them to flourish.' Meenakshi Shedde remembers a very special editor.
The Army chief said the nation is passing through a challenging period.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf lists 10 ways in his life has improved under the first Modi Sarkar.
An increasing number of young classical musicians are dabbling in fusion music, discovers Aditi Divekar.
A pair of artists in Mathura have drawn the story of India's martyrs in their own blood.
Expressing concern over the situation in Afghanistan, a group of eminent persons, including former ministers K Natwar Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Mani Shankar Aiyar, on Wednesday urged the government to continue engaging with the Taliban and not allow any political party to use the developments in that country to communally polarise Indian society for electoral gains.
'We like to look at a screenplay as a spiral staircase.' 'You never know what awaits at the next turning.'
The author of 11 novels, she won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993, having published her first novel, The Bluest Eye, in 1970.
On Lagaan's 20th anniversary, we bring back Aamir Khan's views expressed in an exclusive interview to Rediff.com Contributor Haresh Pandya in February 2000.
'Today with Taliban at our doorsteps literally, we can't even put up our national flag. Only Allah knows, what will happen to Afghanistan now'
India displayed its military might and vibrant cultural heritage on Rajpath on Wednesday with the grandest flypast with 75 aircraft to mark the 'Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav' celebrations being the highlight of the 73rd Republic Day Parade, which was drastically scaled down in view of the Covid pandemic.
At Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas's nuptials, the Adil Manuel Collective played funk, jazz and R&B for longer than planned that evening at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur. One of the couple's friends in the audience yelled: 'Are you guys even from India?' Adil Manuel offered to show her their passports.
Charles Sobhraj, the alleged serial killer, con man and prison escape artist who is serving a life sentence for murdering an American tourist in Nepal, may be up to his old tricks of bribery and manipulation to seek freedom.
Boston Celtics' Kanter sparks backlash in China after comments on Tibet, Xi.
Former minister Milind Deora who in his free time more than strums a guitar and belts out a few songs, pays tribute to Prince.
The news of death of legendary singer-composer, Dr Bhupen Hazarika (Bhupen Da for all here) has whipped up a tear-soaked reaction from all and sundry in Assam and other parts of the north-east region.
Despite the Oscars, the box office glory, and the universal acclaim, Francis Ford Coppola, I am sure, remembers The Godfather with as much frustration as pride. Like Michael Corleone, he got into it with the best of intentions, and got out of it on top but lost in the heights. Sreehari Nair revisits the film as it turns 50 this month.
The multi-hued doodle, with a dominant blue tone, depicts iconic monuments interspersed with images of famous music instruments and dance forms. The six letters of the word Google have been portrayed colourfully and using images of India's national bird and an iconic south Indian dance form.
The award, given by the Lannan Foundation, recognises her struggle for freedom, justice and cultural diversity.
Actor Anupam Kher was booed by the audience as a debate at a literary festival in Mumbai on freedom of speech heated up, with the actor wondering aloud if it was a paid audience.
