On the occasion of Pandit Ravi Shankar's birth centenary, his biggest fan, Lata Mangeshkar, pays tribute to one of Indian classical music's greatest legends.
'Salilda and my brother Hridaynath would deliberately make my compositions tough.' 'Their logic was, "You can do it, so why should we not compose accordingly?",' Lata Mangeshkar, who would have turned 94 today, September 28, 2023, once told Subhash K Jha.
The fight for freedom was long and hard and that is why it is important to go back to the monuments that celebrate those who fought the good fight.
'Lataji, Ghalib, Beethoven and Shakespeare are far removed from the normal chain of human civilisation.' 'If they were just role models, how come no one was able to achieve an iota of their perfection?' 'They are a kind of intruders who come as reminders of the rule of mediocrity that prevails.'
Rare glimpses from the Legend's Life.
As Sachin turns 50, Rediff brings you 50 fascinating facts about the God of Cricket.
Cheating poses an existential challenge to chess. It's hard to know how it will be mitigated, but it must be, if chess is to continue being a legitimate sport, asserts Devangshu Datta.
Awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri, Pandit Jasraj also popularised semi-classical music like 'haveli sangeet' and reached out to devotees with his 'bhajans', a particular favourite for his fans being "Om Namo Bhagavate" in praise of Lord Krishna.
Director Neerav Ghosh has an eye for his material and knows where to look.
Legendary Argentine World Cup winner Diego Maradona died following a heart attack on Wednesday, aged 60.
The most astonishing find was a Tchaikovsky violin concerto featuring the violinist Bronislaw Huberman, a Polish Jew who fled Vienna in 1937 and was publicly declared an enemy of the Third Reich, according to the daily.
The maestro performed to a spellbound Delhi gathering.
The 24-year-old German seemed destined for a musical career until he discovered go-karts as a teenager.
Your choice of ringtone can say a lot about your personality, says new research.
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.
German Ambassador to India Michael Steiner has issues an impassioned plea to seek the support of Kashmiris for 'Ehsaas-e-Kashmir', a music concert featuring world renowned music conductor Zubin Mehta in Srinagar.
Russia was banned from taking part in or hosting world championships, including the World Cup as part of doping sanctions imposed by WADA.
After the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the eight-member South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation could soon have an anthem after an Indian diplomat in Kathmandu penned a song for the grouping to foster deeper regional consciousness.
Mamata imposed affirmative action to the point of absurdity. This has naturally led to counter-action: The Hindus who never thought of themselves as Hindus are now banding behind the BJP, points out Aditi Phadnis.
In a corner of Kolkata lived a man who made Latin American music cool before urban India became hip to salsa. Sumit Bhattacharya remembers Monojit Datta, ace percussionist, guru and unknown legend
Indi pop singer Alisha Chinai recently spoke out about the music scene in Bollywood, and her tiff with composers Vishal-Shekhar.
On a visit to India in 2013, writer Ved Mehta -- who passed into the ages on Sunday January 10, 2021 - gave Rediff.com's Vaihayasi Pande Daniel a rare glimpse into his state of mind and what he thinks of the changes he encounters in his motherland.
Soulful strains of some of the most popular and best known western classical music compositions reverberated in the majestic backdrop of Zabarwan Hills when Zubin Mehta, world famous conductor, performed before a mesmerised audience in the Shalimar Gardens on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar on Saturday evening.
10 images from around the world that show we live in a mad, mad world.
'Living in Brazil, I had internalised the football mythology of that country, the way I had learnt Mahabharata stories in my childhood. The tragedy at the Maracana stadium in 1950, when a confident Brazil had lost to Uruguay in the finals. They tell the story of this debacle, this 'Hiroshima' that hit them, like the Shias lament the death of Ali. It led to the Brazilian team burning their white uniforms and switching later to Yellow and blue symbolising their national colours,' says Ambassador B S Prakash, India's former envoy to Brazil.
How Rayna Arya, who became a victim of a hit-and-run at age 12, got back on her feet again.
'I don't look forward to seeing my films because this only sort of gives me a deep sense of dissatisfaction that I could have done better, and I lose my self-confidence.'
Music amidst conflict may sound like a great catch-line, and ageing conductors need such props, but it is not doing the people of Jammu and Kashmir any good, says Sherna Gandhy
Brushing aside the strong opposition to it from separatist leaders, religious heads and some civil society groups, authorities have decided to go ahead with the high profile Zubin Mehta concert in Srinagar on September 7.
Some cool tips, right here!
At the age of 39, Centrist Emmanuel Macron will become France's youngest leader since Napoleon.
The United Nations has commemorated the centenary of World War I, lauding the courage and sacrifice of soldiers including over a million from India, and underscored the importance of reconciliation through diplomacy.
In all the time he has spent in bank and ATM queues, these are the 10 arguments that were being thrown at him constantly by those supporting the demonetisation, says Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
And then came the chief moment of Friday. If the courtroom had a soundtrack, Beethoven's 9th would be playing, providing a triumphant, dramatic prologue to the production of this last clip. A woman reporter was asking Mekhail about Sanjeev Khanna. He says clearly, without mincing words, emphatically: 'Never seen him. First time I am hearing his name.'
Bestselling author Ashwin Sanghi says that it is indeed possible to 'attract' good luck!
Raja Sen's favourite bits from what was, overall, a glitzy but forgettable awards show.
Did you know the world's youngest director is an Indian?
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances