Pagla Kahin Ka: Deconstructing Shammi Kapoor
He wasn’t the greatest of movie actors. Nor was he the biggest of superstars. Yet, Shammi Kapoor was a phenomenon in a league of his own.
Enemy in the mirror
In a horrifying world where the other is literally hell, in the exclusivity of the small barricaded communes, we are often shell-shocked by the enemy within. Under the forbidding weight of the fear of the other, our safety walls cave in, pulling us down to the ground, squeezing.
The sizzling romance
For someone who has a commitment phobia, being friends with benefits might seem a perfect idea. It might be a win-win deal with a close friend who provides companionship – and regular sex; in other words, all the benefits of a committed relationship but without any emotional ties.
'Obama has been a disappointment'
Rigoberto Larza Ross is in charge of the Asia Pacific Division of Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos. In his recent visit to India, Ross talked to TSI on a range of issues
On a literary mission
The Janamaitri Police Library in Tripunithura in Kochi has been steadily picking up membership and book titles ever since it was dedicated to the public on January 31 this year. With a collection of more than 6,000 titles including English and Malayalam fiction, children literature, poems, astronomy and astrology, the library is the Kerala police's innovative attempt to bridge the gap with the public.
River of Smoke
When Amitav Ghosh announced years ago that he was going to write a trilogy on the life and times of Indian indentured labourers in former British colonies, expectations were raised.
An odyssey in war and peace
Few people get a chance to see from very close quarters, and participate in, some of the world’s important military campaigns. Lieutenant General JFR Jacob is one of them. His campaigns began with World War II and culminated into helping East Pakistan become an independent Bangladesh.
The calculations behind PMK's alternative front
If there is a small regional party that harvested, disproportionate to its strength, highest level of benefits in the era of coalition-politics at the Centre, it is Pattali MaKKal Katchi (PMK).
Will Shyamlal's India ever shine?
The nearest school is three kilometres away in Kanagaon. It is where Netam went till class three before dropping out. The closest road is two kilometres away from the village that has no health centre, crèche or any other symbol of government presence.
The King and the Commoner
Adapting a book into a screenplay is as tricky a business as it could be. The screenplay writer walks on a razor thin margin and more often than none bear the brunt when the things go wrong. And things become more difficult when the book in consideration attains a cult status.
An auto as comfortable as a car
In the mega city like Mumbai where everyone is in a hurry, there is Deepak Shevale, a 32 year old auto driver who brings a smile on people's faces. Enter Shevale's auto and you cannot hide your smile. The colourful auto has something striking about it.
Short Takes, Long Memories
Prabhakar has generously talked about the places that he had visited as a student or as an employee of the Portuguese government. But his real merit is showcased through his understanding of history, geography and polity
India's most charismatic sports stars
A sporting icon would be no icon without innate charisma. The mass appeal of a champion athlete, which stems primarily from his or her ability to chase excellence without letting the effort show, is what packs the crowds in. In the television era, visibility makes a major difference.
Death of a flower, Amy Winehouse
Death is stunning. When it comes to the young, it is even more bewildering. News of Winehouse’s death ran at the same time as details of a mad shooting at a youth camp in Norway that left more than 90 dead
Flashback
Bob Christo, the ubiquitous firang henchman of the villain of many a Hindi potboiler of the 1980s and 1990s, was an integral part of the Mumbai movie scene.
Issue Dated: Feb 5, 2017
