Naipaul & His World
Naipaul was “the greatest prose writer in the English language of the last 60 years”, wrote Amit Chaudhuri in the Guardian when Naipaul died at the age of 85 on August 11. Others were more measured in their praise. They could not overlook his flaws and prejudices. Naipaul himself provoked criticism by what he said…
Cauliflower Calling
Mark Twain may have been cheeky about the cauliflower when he said, “A cauliflower is nothing but a cabbage with a college education,” but the fact is that this vegetable is today being feted for its low calorific and high nutritive values. Cauliflowers have been grown for several centuries and its ancestry is linked to the wild…
Modi’s Mission 2022
Reform has become the trope of our times. After nearly a quarter century of hop, side-step and crawl, the Indian economy remained shackled to shibboleths till 2014, when India languished, to offer only one example, at a pathetic 142 in the ease of doing business index. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intense effort for change is…
Finding His True Mojo
You have seen him relaying to the world literally earth-shaking news precariously balanced from a helicopter during the devastating 2015 Nepal earthquake. You have seen him grill politicians and you have caught the latest news with him as an anchor at CNN-IBN, India’s leading news channel. For his stellar reporting, he has been twice awarded…
Graceful As A Swan
Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake is the most iconic ballet and to perform it day after day is something that needs immense passion and discipline. Prima Ballerina Irina Kolesnikova (38), who plays both Odette and Odile (white and black swan), has done thousands of shows, but every time she is on stage, her enthusiasm doesn’t falter. “If…
