Have you heard of the Burning Man festival? Or the Monkey Buffet festival?
'I told the lady I was two months pregnant, but that did not seem to bother her.' A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com visits the infamous cages of Mumbai's oldest red light district, Kamathipura, to find out how human trafficking has given India the awful reputation of the nation with the highest slavery rates in the world.
'Just imagine, in 2015-16, we're shamelessly talking about women empowerment! What is more shameful than this? I decided to make a film where a woman's character would be strong and see where it goes.' Shoojit Sircar prepares us for PINK.
Ever thought if Bollywood actors are capable of playing these roles?
Jamida K is the first Indian Muslim woman to lead the Friday prayer.
'My friends were so embarrassed (about rumours of trouble in her marriage). I think some of them were having a party and they were scared to call Raj (Kundra) and me. I kept quiet but suddenly I saw it snowballing. So I called up my PR and said, what's happening, you have to stop this!' Shilpa Shetty gets candid.
The IMF dashed any hope that Athens could avert default.
'The Indian and Israeli rabbis were singing a small departure song for brave little Moshe, who had spent many, likely, heartbreaking but bittersweet hours at this home of his babyhood, looking at the drawings his mother had made for him, that were still up in his room.'
2015 is set for a lot of changes - and some that we would like to happen
Successful parents are increasingly faced with continuing to support children in their 20s or 30s.
Ritika Bhatia lists some of the best camping spots and adventure trails for a perfect mix of offbeat vacation and precious solitude this summer.
'It all runs on sugar-coated lies. If I like something, I will want to believe it.'
'Ek Hasina Thi is the best movie of its kind. Similarly, for Omkara and Hum Tum. But after that, what do you do? You just flatten out and start doing some bad movies because they aren't making any (good movies). I mean, what has Vishal Bhardwaj made after Omkara that is comparable? What has Kunal Kohli made after Hum Tum that is comparable?' Saif Ali Khan hopes that new film Chef impresses.
Nilanjana S Roy compiles a list of the most eagerly awaited books next year.
Congress accuses Centre of 'protecting' state BJP chief's son.
'He has terror charges against him. And for an army officer, it's just terrible.'
As the teachers began gaining confidence, it also drew the attention of other women in the community, leading to greater demand for teaching jobs.
No-Punchline humour reminds us how in our daily lives, we all are by turns 'The Corrupt Politician we criticise,' 'The Chauvinist Male we frown upon,' 'The Rule Breaker we deride through our Facebook posts,' 'The Communal Virus we so easily lampoon' and 'The Bad Artist we spoof.' In a land where the aforesaid prototypes are our major sources of 'funny,' is there an audience for the NPL kind of humour, asks Sreehari Nair.
We bring you five lessons any entrepreneur, aspiring and otherwise, can learn from the founder of Facebook.
Ten days after it came to light that a four-and-a-half-year-old boy inserted his finger and a sharpened pencil in the private parts of his classmate in a Delhi school, the girl's mother says the biggest hurdle in getting justice for her daughter is to battle the disbelief that she faces since the accused is so young.
Sheela Bhatt meets Bharti Patel, a truly exceptional mother of our times whose son Dr Vikram Patel was recently ranked among Time magazine's 100 most influential people of 2015, to find out her recipe for a remarkable upbringing.
While Calcutta has transitioned to Kolkata, Satyajit Ray's detective, Feluda, has remained unchanged in the Bengali consciousness
A group of Adivasi women are using organic produce grown on their farms to change our perception of healthy eating.
'I always say I am a teacher by choice and an entrepreneur by chance.'
How many of these will you include in your travel list for 2016?
Inspiring story of 13-year-old boy who spends his spare time in helping his peers become smarter students
'Madhubala told me that of all the addictions, the biggest addiction is make-up; once you put it on, you can never leave the limelight even if you want to,' Tabassum tells Patcy N.
'Women are so unsafe in our country... Leaving the country isn't a solution. We need to stand up for ourselves.'
Navratri celebrations in Chennai are not only about Golu dolls, Saraswathi Puja or Ayudha Puja. These days, Durga Puja and Dandiya Raas too are regular events in the city, reports S Saraswathi.
The Avengers: Age Of Ultron is one madly indulgent film says Raja Sen.
How many of these have you tried already?
'It is for the first time the voices of the most deferred, the most neglected, the most ignored, the most abused, the most vulnerable - the children-- has been heard. It is a great moment.' 'I always wanted Pakistan and India to have good relationships because I believe that this is very important for the development of both the countries.' 'If children are taught hatred, if they are taught about sectarianism and prejudice, then we can see that there will be terrorism in society." Nobel Peace Prize winners Kailash Satyarthi and Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai were given an ovation after they delivered their rousing speeches in front of a packed audience at a glittering ceremony in Oslo on Wednesday. A day later, they sit down for an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour and share their dreams, their hopes for the future. Read excerpts from the interview.
Om Puri, notes Arthur J Pais/Rediff.com, has given one of the most endearing performances of his career in producers Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey and director Lasse Hallstrom's new film, The Hundred-Foot Journey
'It is not about women today; it's about men.' 'We need to focus our energy on a war footing on men.' 'Let us start with a boy who is 10 years old.' 'If you don't concentrate on your son, the safe spaces for women will shrink further.'
Relations between founders and investors in the start-up universe - remains as tricky as ever.
Rediff.com's Love Guru has answers to all your relationship problems.
'Everyone in my family has got huge success in films but I failed. The person who hits rock bottom has to face his difficulties himself. People at a higher level don't know what's happening down there.' Aamir Khan's brother Faissal tells us where he's been all this time.
Rediff.com republishes an old interview of the cartoonist on politics
It is important for every sort of development and governance in Telangana that the people identify completely with their governing structures. This identification confers legitimacy on a government -- not just elections and number of votes. That identification has been missing in Telangana for 700 years, says Dr Gautam Pingle in the first of a two-part series on the new state.
Three films and one TV show old Suraj Sharma is glad that an acting career means he is not behind a desk. Aseem Chhabra finds out that despite a life that can be heady Suraj hasn't lost sight of reality