60 years ago, on January 24, 1966, Dr Homi J Bhabha, the father of India's nuclear programme, died in an air crash on Mont Blanc. The official inquiry said the plane went off course in bad weather, but coincidences, missing evidence, and later unproven claims have kept conspiracy theories alive. A fascinating excerpt from Bakhtiar Dadabhoy's book, Homi J Bhabha: A Life.
'At parties and premieres, Meena openly showered affection towards Dharam. Sometimes she would even take his hand and the next day it would be in print. On one occasion, mischievously almost, she recited a love couplet from Ghalib, which left no doubt in the audience's mind about Dharmendra's position in her heart.'
'The second Sunday after Sholay's release, Amjad and Shehla had taken Shadaab to Juhu beach. They were strolling leisurely when, to Shehla's shock, he suddenly picked up their son, grabbed her hand and pulled her along, urging her to run. They raced towards their car and had just managed to get in and lock the doors when all hell broke loose. Hundreds started banging on the car, shouting, 'Gabbar Singh bahar niklo!''
A South Indian curry bursting with spice and tanginess.
A daughter's ode to her mom's love for cooking.
After being elected president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in 1999, Najma Heptulla rang up the then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi from Berlin to convey the news but had to hold the phone line for an hour as a staff told her that 'madam is busy'.
Ditch your plain cauliflower sabji for gorgeous Gobi Musallam this weekend.
The home chef offers up a Mangalorean recipe for mutton that she learnt from her 'Mangala Aunty'.
There is a reason why Brahma is paired with the Goose. And Laxmi with the Owl.
Reports (not denied by India) that the USA had 'for the first time provided real-time details to their Indian counterparts on the Chinese positions and force strength in advance of a PLA incursion' into Tawang at the LAC in December 2022, helping India thwart China's expansionist designs, show how operationally effective the USA-India friendship has become on the ground. A engaging excerpt from Sreeram Chaulia's must-read new book, Friends: India's Closest Strategic Partners.
A fascinating excerpt from Amborish Roychoudhury's book, Sridevi: The South Years.
'My one recommendation would be to first quell the violence and then encourage dialogue and build the trust among the different communities.' 'This is not easy but necessary, for violence cannot be the way forward.'
To-be moms can enjoy these yummy treats without any guilt.
'Laxmi was insistent that our homes should never have name-plates, because the name Laxmikant-Pyarelal should never be separated!'
Pranab's earlier fear of Sonia relying too heavily on a coterie due to her lack of experience turned out to be unfounded. As per Pranab, Sonia had her close advisers but she did not follow anyone's advice blindly. A fascinating excerpt from Sharmistha Mukherjee's Pranab, My Father: A Daughter Remembers.
'Nine missiles from India had been pointed towards Pakistan, to be launched any time that day'
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There were many people who wanted to seek favours from her by offering lakhs and crores of rupees even through her family members when she was Odisha's transport minister. She never allowed any kind of corrupt practices to touch her department officials, family members or the supporters who have stood by her.
Whatever you take up, whatever you start -- make sure you complete it. Be a finisher in life; and people will remember you for the work you completed.
The RBI was not party to the decision to demonetize 500 and 1,000-rupee notes, which was taken at the highest level of India's political leadership.
'Even the President does not have the power to overrule the ECI.'
It's true! Your orgasm depends on multiple muscle activities.
A five-point plan that will change your life.
'Laxmi and I firmly believed that while working, the egoistic word 'Main (I)' never interferes.'
Two South Indian recipes to be served with rice.
'I don't think Shami had any doubts that Ravi would stick by his word, but to see the head coach move heaven and earth to ensure his best interests were taken care of at a difficult time must have made a massive impact on him.' A fascinating excerpt from R Sridhar's must-read book Coaching Beyond: My Days with the Indian Cricket Team.
Farhan Akhtar, in first person, about the role that transformed his career as an actor.
'The magic lies in you and the effort that you will put in.' You have to work hard and smart, says Gaurav Sood.
When the top stars refused to play Milkha Singh, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra went down another route. A riveting excerpt from the director's memoir The Stranger In The Mirror.
Uncle Pai, as he was fondly called, inculcated in Indian children a love for and interest in India's glorious past and its heroes.
'Have ghee with rice, roti or dal, and remember to enjoy and cherish its impact on your life and the life of your child.'
It is said in Chanakya Neeti that the grass on the ground survives the storm because it is flexible as per the direction of the wind. The large trees break down easily as they are strong and rigid. Winners are not rigid, they are flexible. At the same time, they are focused on winning. A must read excerpt from Radhakrishnan Pillai's Art Of Winning: The Chanakya Way.
K Vaitheeswaran, co-founder of Indiaplaza, one of India's first e-commerce companies, shares the lessons he learnt from its failure.
On his 84th birthday, the much loved author shares his latest thoughts.
The terrorists now knew that I was the only one in the room, that I was injured and that I could not continue this battle for long.
Sex education is way too critical as a life skill to be ignored or postponed, writes Tanuja Sodhi.
Savarkar believed Swarajya is more than the mere geographical independence of a stretch of earth called India. There was no point in fighting and sacrificing one's life for a Swarajya (mere territorial independence) at the cost of our Svatva (self-existence) or Hindutva itself! A revealing excerpt from Uday Mahurkar and Chirayu Pandit's Veer Savarkar: The Man Who Could Have Prevented Partition.
'Modi had not discussed demonetization with me prior to his announcement on 8 November 2016. 'I learnt of it along with the rest of the country. 'I was not surprised when he did not discuss the issue with me prior to making the public announcement. 'It fitted in with his style of making dramatic announcements.' A fascinating excerpt from Pranab Mukherjee's The Presidential Years: 2012-2017.
'I was alone in the room, injured and facing possible death.' 'The terrorists had taken a head shot and since there was complete silence from my end, they thought that I was either dead or grievously injured...' 'I was now changing the position of the gun, sometimes firing from the top of the sofa, sometimes from the left and sometimes from the right side.' 'This was to confuse the terrorists and to manipulate them into thinking that there are two or more commandos in the room.' A must read excerpt from Praveen Kumar Teotia's 26/11 Braveheart: My Encounter With Terrorists That Night.
Hima Das represents the generation of Naya Bharat athletes who are conscious of their responsibilities towards their society, state and country.
