Balasaraswati – The Truth. A review of the book ‘Balasaraswati: Her Life & Art’
Thanjavur Balasaraswati (1918 – 1984) – a dancer and a musician, a legend who combined the traditions of the past with a futuristic vision… to give bharatnatyam its rightful position in the world of arts. I have reviewed this book on video too and I’m sure you’d all want to see that before you go...
An intimate peep into Ravana
Is violence always political? No, such questions aren’t just asked by the Oxford University admissions team while interviewing students for admission… such queries have been doing the rounds for ages. The violence of a war is generally backed by political intent, or shall we say, political discontent! And you see this all around you. Disrupted...
If the world seems cold to you, KINDLE fires to warm it
Lucy Larcom was too busy penning her poems in the late nineteenth century America and was around a century away from what Amazon christened a Kindle! However, the modern day Kindle also kindles a fire and serves the warmth of books in a very affordable sort of way. It did so even in its earlier...
Knock! Knock! ‘Osama here. Open the door…’
Knock! Knock! ‘Osama here. Open the door…’ ‘What?’ I thought, ‘Osama Bin Laden?’ I was at that moment reading this tweet by @missletsbuild Julia: “Osama bin dead, Obama bin lying! #osamadead.” I must’ve spoken aloud because the voice from the other side of the door had a ring of urgency to it: ‘Come on. I...
Hey, this match is just a 303, not AK-47!
Thank God we don’t have 47 days in months that go by the name AK or something as sinister as that acronym. Today (the day for the WC 2011 semi-finals between India and Pakistan) is just 30 March which can also be written as 303. So why is the media whipping up mass hysteria for...
Nail-biting and as disappointing as Pepsi without fizz!
The evening of 12 March 2011 was neither for the battle for Libya, nor for bashing the investigating agencies for their flop-shows. The tears for Japan were withheld, as were the brickbats for the murderer of Radhika. Corruption was not discussed nor was black money mentioned. The evening was reserved for the cricket match that...
Stop revolving. Create a revolution!
[News – Radhika murder: Passers-by and DU students watched like spectators] Me and my wife on a walk By the river Ouse in York Saw a man with large sad eyes And a neck that touched the skies – Ambling with a lot of pride Was a dachshund by his side. So similar, so strikingly...
Surfing the net for a muse
I look around These ravaged times Discovering struggling bits and bytes Pick them up to make them chime And wonder at their flights! I am a healer Of words that lie disparaged In heaps on highways where no one treads And suture them to build a maze Or simply sculpt the lonesome shreds! I click...
The dictator
He moved ahead leaving a trail Of incomplete poetry And then jumped on to other paths Where he was able to leave Incomplete Articles, sketches, thoughts, And lots and lots Of priceless creative clutter. He left behind Words that could have been friends Or leaders or lovers They could’ve given the world His world A...
Man, Woman, and Poetry!
There is an intrinsic spiritual connection between a man, woman, and poetry. I came across a few quotes trying to crack the mystery that woman is and some wanting to dive deeper into the man-woman relationship. To my surprise I found they held in their folds some spicy, tangy, and zingy lessons for men as...
You are almost there!
There is nothing to fear from these four words. I go with the premise that everybody is working on something or the other and has certain goals in mind. It is so encouraging if a soothsayer pops up and announces: ‘You are almost there!’ This actually is what everyone wants to read every time one...
Why did my wife and I walk out of Akshara Theatre today?
No, there wasn’t any critical global issue brewing up as we walked out of Akshara theatre today minutes before ‘The Vagina Monologues’ (a play that we very much wanted to see) was to begin. However, our leaving the venue had everything to do with a lot of irresponsibly fanciful, wild, and whirling words that one...
