Gandhi and leprosy
When he lived in Sevagram, Mahatma Gandhi used to take long walks. One cold winter day in December 1939, as he stepped out of the ashram, he encountered a man who was carrying a bundle in his…
Jiya jale: Gulzar and his lyrics
Writing subtitles for Hindi film songs can lead to hilarious situations. Famously, the song from Mangal Pandey: The Rising called ‘Mangal mangal’ was translated as ‘Tuesday, Tuesday’! But imagine the chagrin of the person who has to…
Kader Khan: A life that went unsung
I was in school when I saw this film. But the visuals are imprinted on my mind. A foggy graveyard. A little boy crying over his mother’s grave. A fakir arrives and asks the lad about his…
Trinetra: A time for transitions
I’m listening to a seventh semester medical student who is on stage. “I was thrown out of Anatomy dissection hall because I attended class with a nose-piercing.” ‘Well, I would have thrown out any guy if they…
Gulzar: A wizard with words
It is very difficult for me to describe what makes Gulzar stand out. He uses everyday words, and then weaves magic out of them. Gulzar is a writer who can make the most mundane things seem extraordinary…
The man with the pause has finally paused
If there is anything I will remember Atal Bihari Vajpayee for, it will be for his fantastic oratory. He would leave everyone spell-bound with his poetic choice of words. Equally memorable was his style of using the…
