Heidi And Howard  Story Dated : Wed,May,29 2013 16:56 hrs IST I am reading a very interesting book at the moment called Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead.  It is written by Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook,  and  regarded by many as one of the most powerful women in the world today.To be quite... A Lady Exits The Stage  Story Dated : Tue,April,02 2013 12:19 hrs IST With the passing away of Sukumari last week, the world of the Malayali stands diminished. We have lost not just another great actor, but a wonderful human being as well. A real lady. Someone with oodles of talent, energy, charm and that ineffable... R.I.P. GOD'S OWN COUNTRY Story Dated : Wed,March,13 2013 09:43 hrs IST This past Tuesday, on March 5th,  the English newspaper that I subscribe to,  had the following eleven headlines in its Kerala Section on Page 4.And I quote:1."Sleazy Row" puts UDF Govt. in a Spot"  The story related to the ongoing spat  between... One Amazing Thing Story Dated : Thu,February,14 2013 11:05 hrs IST Just a few days ago, I had the occasion to participate in, what turned out to be, quite a charming evening. The Indian born, U.S. based award winning author, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, was in Kerala on a personal visit, and the good people behind... Capital crimes; capital punishment  Story Dated : Mon,January,14 2013 10:14 hrs IST People who have been reading this column will know  that I am not, and never have been,  one of those bleeding heart, pussy footing individuals  who whiffles and whaffles over every moral, political and ethical issue.... Puzzling Questions, All Story Dated : Sat,December,15 2012 20:30 hrs IST The holiday season is just around the corner. This is that time of the year when one begins to slow down and relax a bit. It is an occasion to sit back and mellow out with a dram or two, and ruminate over life in general. Ponder over issues that vex... Introducing, Sid Mallya ! Story Dated : Mon,November,26 2012 21:12 hrs IST If you are an avid TV watcher like I am, then it is quite  possible that you watch NDTV Good Times, the lifestyle channel launched in 2007  by NDTV and the people behind the Good Times marque, Kingfisher. It  is quite... The New Savarnas  Story Dated : Sun,October,21 2012 16:39 hrs IST In the state that gave birth to the famous Vaikkom Satyagraha, a new breed of Savarnas practicing a twisted new form of untouchability  has emerged. Or so it would seem !It was in 1924  that Kerala witnessed the historic Vaikkom... The Tipping Point?  Story Dated : Sun,September,23 2012 16:40 hrs IST Vinod Mehta is one of the smartest editors in India. There is no doubt about that.  I must confess, however,  that  I am not  a great fan of his particular brand of journalism -  I find his personal biases; his incessant  efforts at... What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas?  Story Dated : Wed,September,05 2012 16:32 hrs IST There is this classic quip that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. But does it really? The past week saw Prince Harry,  the younger son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana in the news for all the wrong reasons. An army... Sartorially Speaking  Story Dated : Sat,August,18 2012 10:32 hrs IST Call me old fashioned, square, or even a prude, if you will. But I believe that being suitably attired is a sign of civilized life. I am not suggesting that one should be dressed to the nines all the time; but certainly dressing correctly for the... All The World's a Kitchen  Story Dated : Wed,July,25 2012 13:46 hrs IST To borrow from  Shakespeare, all the world,  it seems, is a kitchen, and all men and women, cooks. At least in the world of television !  You simply cannot switch on your television these days without tuning into a... Of Doctors and Charlatans Story Dated : Fri,July,06 2012 17:11 hrs IST The other day I came across an interesting news item. Dhaka University has ordered a probe into the doctoral thesis submitted by a political science teacher  who was awarded a PhD in 2011 for his research The Practices of Marxism and their... Arms And The Man  Story Dated : Mon,April,23 2012 11:37 hrs IST When the kerfuffle regarding General  V.K.Singh's age surfaced a few months ago, I was, quite frankly, a bit put off by the General's behaviour. Of course, I  was convinced that he was telling the truth about his date of birth.... How The Other 10% Lives  Story Dated : Thu,March,22 2012 11:23 hrs IST Recently, I read an  interesting article in one of the  business dailies about income and  consumption patterns in our country. No surprises, the top 10%  of Indian households accounts for 36% of the total income, and nearly 25% of the total... The Italian Job  Story Dated : Wed,February,29 2012 16:53 hrs IST Last weekend, I was having cocktails and dinner with a few friends. A typical boys-out night when a bunch of buddies get together to  kick back, shoot the breeze and relax. It was a  balmy evening  and we were sitting... An Evening With Anoushka  Story Dated : Wed,February,01 2012 19:20 hrs IST Last weekend, a reputed business house celebrated the 25th anniversary of one of their group companies by hosting a rather special evening.. Cocktails and dinner,  and the music of Anoushka, the enormously talented daughter of sitar maestro Ravi... New Year Resolutions, Nay Decisions  Story Dated : Mon,January,09 2012 10:21 hrs IST As usual, this New Year too, I did make  a few resolutions. I prefer to call them decisions though,  as in things I definitely intend to do; rather than simply think of  doing. These resolutions do not include the... Celebrating the Yuletide Season  Story Dated : Wed,December,14 2011 16:12 hrs IST Last week, we  put up our Christmas tree at home in what  has now become  an annual ceremony. The tree has been with us for the past more than fifteen years. It is not very  large, just about 5 feet tall;  an artificial fir made of plastic, and... The Curious Case of Santosh Pandit  Story Dated : Wed,November,16 2011 12:52 hrs IST "Cinema,' Roman Polanski said, "should make you forget that you are sitting in a theater." He was,  of course, referring to good cinema..   And what about bad cinema? Judging from the audience reaction to the recently released film  Krishnanum... The Genius of Steve Jobs Story Dated : Tue,November,01 2011 14:24 hrs IST Like countless others across the world, I  cannot wait to get my hands on Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs. The book hit the stores last Monday, and has already generated quite a buzz.  I  ordered my copy through Flipkart on a... God's Own Country; Devil's Children   Story Dated : Fri,October,14 2011 15:03 hrs IST Nobody is quite sure who came up with the catch phrase "God's Own Country" to describe this verdant sliver of India we live in, called Kerala. Some say it was a former Tourism Secretary, an IAS officer,  who came up with this brilliant tag line.... The Manufacture of Melodrama  Story Dated : Tue,September,27 2011 11:20 hrs IST As a matter of choice, I do not watch music reality shows on Malayalam television. I find them  crass and maudlin. Also, as a person closely involved with the music industry, I find the almost orgiastic celebration  of... Discovering The Magic Of Books  Story Dated : Mon,September,05 2011 10:13 hrs IST I have just finished reading Open, Andre Agassi's searingly honest autobiography. The book  is the haunting and gut-wrenching story of an athlete who was destined to chase perfection, from almost the moment he was born.It narrates the tale of the... I'm an Er Nai, So What !  Story Dated : Tue,August,16 2011 19:11 hrs IST It is reported that the late Francois Mitterrand, the former French president, famously replied "So what?" when a journalist asked him about rumours that he had a love-child with his mistress Anne Pingeot.  Today, Er Nais, the 21st century Chinese... The Man Who Owns The News  Story Dated : Wed,August,03 2011 11:31 hrs IST Michael Wolff, in his 2007 biography of Rupert Murdoch, describes the media mogul as the man who owns the news; someone who is playing a game and  making  a "vast ... still unfinished personal statement." But recent unfolding events in the  Murdoch... Doha - Sunny Side Up  Story Dated : Mon,July,11 2011 16:45 hrs IST The first thing that  hits you in the face  when you land in Doha, quite literally, is the heat. It is only 6.30 in the morning, and already the temperature is in the forties,  with a promise... Thug Or Tipping Point?  Story Dated : Mon,June,13 2011 15:53 hrs IST The past fortnight was one of intense melodrama that provided  much better entertainment than any saas - bahu soap opera on national television. Two powerful protagonists fought each other for media headlines, eyeballs  and TRPs. The battle lines... Seven Notes, 100 Movies  Story Dated : Mon,May,30 2011 16:28 hrs IST Music director M.Jayachandran, popularly known as Kuttan, is a very happy man, these days.  He is relaxing in  the contented afterglow of the release of the music of his 100th film -  the T.K.Rajeev Kumar remake of the popular Padmarajan film,... Song Bird Chronicle  Story Dated : Thu,May,05 2011 21:08 hrs IST I live in a gated community by the backwaters in Cochin. It is  a small development, with just nine houses. Barely a kilometer  away from the hustle and bustle of  Sahodaran Ayappan Road, our enclave  is a haven of peace and quiet.  Far away  from... The Indian 'Babugiri' Service  Story Dated : Mon,April,18 2011 14:23 hrs IST The Indian Administrative Service was set up in 1946, as a successor to the fabled Indian Civil Service, which with much distinction, had helped the British rule our country for almost a century. Officers of the  IAS are vested with the... Another one bites the dust  Story Dated : Wed,March,30 2011 09:13 hrs IST "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness...." Thus begins the Tale of Two Cities, arguably one of the finest works in the history of fictional literature. While Charles Dickens... No goddesses in God's own country Story Dated : Tue,March,15 2011 20:30 hrs IST Last week, on March 8, the world  celebrated the centenary of the International Women's Day. As always, all the politically correct noises were made in the media and in public forums.  Newspapers carried routine editorials... What's in a name?  Story Dated : Mon,February,21 2011 11:06 hrs IST In his lyrical tale of star-crossed lovers,  Rome and Juliet, playright William Shakespeare has his  young heroine ask famously, "What's in a name? That which we call a roseBy any other name would smell just as sweet." However, going by the... Where does the buck stop?  Story Dated : Mon,January,31 2011 15:23 hrs IST It was around 8.00 pm on January 14th, the day of Makara Sankranthi. Thousands of pilgrims were returning from Pulmedu, a hillock about 30 kms from the Sabarimala temple. They had seen the Makara Jyothi, and also witnessed the Makara Vilakku, a... Tweet this: Feel like I'm outta here  Story Dated : Mon,January,10 2011 14:53 hrs IST All of you have heard  about Twitter, right? Duh, that's a dumb question, ain't it? It's like asking is the Pope Catholic? Of course, anyone and everyone familiar with the use of a computer knows of Twitter, and the majority of us may even have a... Silent Night, Holy Night  Story Dated : Sun,December,19 2010 16:25 hrs IST Another Yuletide season is upon us, and it is time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Saviour.   This is a period of  joy and festivity, as well as a season for introspection and prayer - a time for self-examination,... So, where are our Don Quixotes?    Story Dated : Sat,December,04 2010 18:30 hrs IST The Columbia Journalism Award was instituted in the year 1958 by the Columbia  Journalism School. It is the  School's highest honor, and is presented each year during Commencement. The award is given in recognition of exceptional journalistic... A matter of faith Story Dated : Sat,November,13 2010 17:07 hrs IST I am prompted to write this column by  an editorial I read in a national English daily last week  regarding matters of faith and belief. The editorial   had to do with an incident that occurred during the recent... Ayurveda, the eternal science Story Dated : Fri,October,29 2010 13:05 hrs IST The door of my tiny room in the old mana opens into a nalukettu. There is a thulasithara in the middle of nalukettu;  a graceful thulasi plant crowning it with dark, purplish green leaves.The smoke from the wood-fired kitchen slowly drifts... The curious case of inane records     Story Dated : Tue,October,12 2010 19:49 hrs IST Last week, a danseuse in Kerala, Kalamandalam Hemalatha entered the Guinness Book of Records by performing the classical dance Mohini Attam, continuously for 115 hours. She reached the record at 9.32 pm on Saturday, September 25th at the K.T.... India Shining? Not yet!   Story Dated : Tue,September,28 2010 19:41 hrs IST Last week, a national newspaper carried two interesting headlines on the front page on the same day. The lead story was headlined "Commonwealth Shames" and was a report on  the collapse of the overbridge near the main CWG venue. On the same page,... Making Onam 'awesome' again    Story Dated : Mon,August,30 2010 14:30 hrs IST Yet another Onam has come and gone. We all believe that Mahabali has visited his subjects, blessed them and gone back to his abode in the netherworld.  And as usual, the votaries of nostalgia have been lamenting the death of  the "traditional" Onam.... I am song, thou art verse    Story Dated : Mon,August,16 2010 14:45 hrs IST The other day, I was reading an interview  with a poet - turned - novelist;  a  woman in her mid-thirties from Chennai, who describes herself as "a poet, dancer, writer, wanderer." She had just  released her... The stories that need to be told      Story Dated : Sat,July,31 2010 17:15 hrs IST We live in  a media saturated world. Hate it, or love it,  we cannot get away from that fact.  As a wag put it, you cannot live with media, and you cannot live without it   ! Indeed, we construct our reality through the media. Newspapers, magazines,... Black swans in Kerala?    Story Dated : Sat,July,17 2010 17:29 hrs IST Is Kerala  turning into a Kashmir ? Is God's Own Country  running  the risk of becoming yet another troubled  state plagued by strife and violence; a haven for jihadis and terrorists? And if so, are prepared... The truth is out there...   Story Dated : Sat,July,03 2010 14:05 hrs IST This was the tagline of the popular  television series The X-Files, which,  during an amazing run of nine seasons from 1993 to 2002,  became what  Richard Corliss of Time magazine called,  one of the "cultural touchstones of the 90's."  The show... Same same, but better   Story Dated : Fri,June,18 2010 17:35 hrs IST A friend of mine, who works for  an  MNC, is travelling  abroad  in a couple of weeks to attend  one of the periodic brain storming sessions that the company organizes for its senior... Monsoon Anuraga   Story Dated : Sat,June,05 2010 17:29 hrs IST "The first sounds I ever heard were that of the falling rain." Thus  begins Alexander  Frater's memorable paen to the rains in India, "Chasing the Monsoon."  A  delightful book that traces the path of the monsoons in India as it first crash lands in... We Are Like This Only !    Story Dated : Sun,May,23 2010 09:31 hrs IST I love visiting Delhi. Something about the city enthralls and captivates me. Lutyens' Delhi seduces me with its cool, colonial bungalows and  wide, shady,  tree lined boulevards  verging on the  promise of bursting through in bloom. The busy,... The hanging questions  Story Dated : Sat,May,08 2010 15:35 hrs IST May 6th, 2010.  It was judgement day for Ajmal Amir Kasab.  And as anticipated, Kasab  was awarded the death sentence.  Of course, there was no doubt about the outcome of the trial. The bases were completely loaded against him.  He had   waged war... The genius of Swathi Thirunal   Story Dated : Thu,April,22 2010 15:29 hrs IST Last fortnight, a birth anniversary went by, unheralded by our cultural czars,  and unnoticed by many  It was the birth anniversary of one of the greatest sons of Kerala, Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma. Born on April 16th, 1813 as the second... April ... and remembrances of Eliot  Story Dated : Sat,April,10 2010 16:39 hrs IST "April is the cruellest month, breeding/Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing/Memory and desire, stirring/Dull roots with spring rain." I first read these lines in 1975. I was  barely 23 years old and  just out of college. I had lived the first 22... The Goddess of big rants  Story Dated : Fri,March,26 2010 16:56 hrs IST Our Lady of Eternal Petulance,  the wondrously gifted writer  Arundhati Roy, is back with her latest rant.. This, in her (currently fashionable ) manner of a long essay which is evocatively titled Walking with the Comrades, and published in the... Freedom to offend?     Story Dated : Sat,March,13 2010 17:35 hrs IST "I, the Indian origin painter,M.F.Husain, at 95, have been honoured by Qatar nationality." With these words, Maqbul Fida Husain, the barefoot Picasso of India, is back in the limelight he so loves to be in.And our intellectuals and  media mavens... Yes, We Khan   Story Dated : Fri,February,26 2010 19:36 hrs IST Maybe it is the cynic in me; but I was fairly certain I would not enjoy My Name Is Khan. For, I have never  considered  SRK a great actor, and Karan Johar's saccharine film making certainly does not appeal to me. Hence my misgivings !So, I was... A reality check   Story Dated : Sat,February,13 2010 16:41 hrs IST I have a confession to make. I am not a great fan of reality television.  Nor am I a faithful viewer of such programmes. Now, whether that puts me in a minority of one, or in the majority of many is something I can only speculate upon. Quite... Adieu, Jyoti Babu  Story Dated : Fri,January,29 2010 17:40 hrs IST Glorifying and edifying the dead is part of the hagiography of Indian politics. As a nation, we love to canonize the recently departed.Now that Jyoti Basu is no more, I am sure that a lot will be written about him. Much of it eulogizing the...