5 Reasons Why Mukesh Ambani is India’s Most Powerful Man

It is 1980 and the 23-year-old soft-spoken youngster faces arguably the first major dilemma of his life. Back home in India, Indira Gandhi and the Congress party have come back to power with a thumping majority.

The writing's on the wall

In the world of Hindi language and literature, there is much talk about good books. Every yearend newspapers and magazines count the good books of the year.

The Ibne Safi phenomenon

It was the evening of Friday the 22nd April, 2011… I had just arrived at the Gulmohar Hall of India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

The High life: A woman’s viewpoint

Howveryoo?" she chirped, in authentic Delhi dialect. "Can I get you a glass of champagne? Myself Pooonam!" She pointed to herself as she spoke.

Toba Tek Singh revisited

It is Saadat Hasan Manto time again. When wasn’t it? True, every age has its Manto who dares and breaks taboos to lay bare the socio-political misery and the hypocrisy inherent in the human drama.

Nordic noir goes mainstream

It’s been over a year since the last book in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest,

The most haunting of heroines

We snatch a few days together, long enough for Richard to understand that the queen and the duke plan to turn the tables entirely,

History as literature

No man’s life can be encompassed in one telling. There is no way to give each year its allotted weight, to include each event

Word's worth on the rise

Worst case scenarios

Fear is the key. The world, we are always told, is hanging by a string that could snap without warning. In 2012, the doomsday industry will probably go into overdrive like never before.

‘Doomsday happens only in American movies’

No. This will only happen in the movies! According to Vedic philosophy, the world will continue. People are born every day and also die every day.

Ten things to die for...

For the rest of the world, the pen might be mightier than the sword. But in the Indian context, nothing can be stronger than the lathi. Via Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the wooden staff became a totem of our freedom struggle.

21.12.2012: Apocalypse Now?

Is doomsday knocking on our doors? Well, it depends on how sturdy our doors are. Many centuries ago, a Mayan calendar ‘predicted’ the end of the world in 2012. For those with a rational bent of mind, this would be a whole load of hoary gobbledygook.

In the name of Guru

A visitor to this village will have no difficulty figuring out why it is called bhakton ka gaon (village of worshippers). Loudspeakers blare bhajans from different corners and almost every surface is plastered with pictures of god men and god women.

This village cooks a mean meal

In the district of Ramanathapuram is a village called Udappankulam, surrounded by lush green fields. Yet, as the menfolk will tell you, it is a village of part-time farmers, for 90 per cent of them are completely into catering. No fancy degrees, no culinary diplomas for these men, who, armed with just their utensils have whipped a gastronomical storm.