Rakesh didn’t see the mini-truck hurtling towards them as they rounded the hairpin bend at Kasara Ghat, in the hilly section between Mumbai and Nashik. The particular bend in the mountain road, combining a steep climb with a sharp turn, was known to be deadly. In the car, a brand new Maruti 1000, was the […]
To be aware is to be one step ahead of criminals
The Andheri police in Mumbai have arrested a softball (tennis ball) cricket player along with two of his friends for allegedly robbing a senior citizen of a gold chain worth Rs 1.5 lakh. The police also recovered the stolen gold chain weighing 25 grammes. Two others have also been arrested. The complainant was an Andheri […]
Small lessons. Big impact
Sir PM was pacing up and down in the foyer leading to the Cathedral. His dear friend was back from Singapore after a mini vacation with her cousin, and he couldn’t wait to hear all about her stay there. It had been raining intermittently these past few days; those pre-monsoon showers didn’t help his perspiration […]
Questions on Indo-Pak clashes
The military clashes between India and Pakistan have thrown up questions still swathed in the fog of ambiguity. None of these is as significant, for socio-psychological reasons, as the question: outside the circle of experts, has the perception of Indians regarding Pakistan’s military capabilities changed? It’s now widely believed Indian fighter jets were shot down, […]
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Amidst all the newfangled ways to con people, some are the ‘golden oldies’, if one could call them that, of the con game. One of these is the job con, where people are fooled or scammed into paying for a promised lucrative jobs, one too good to be true. A Press Trust of India report […]
South Asia shines at Cannes
Every time the Cannes Film Festival comes round, I remember with relish the time I was on the Jury of the Cannes Film Festival’s Semaine de la Critique, Critics’ Week, in 2023. In fact, 2022-23 was an exceptional year: I was on the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival; the Golden Globes’ International Voter; the […]
Lobo Lobo and the impossible mission
Lobo Lobo climbed into my home from the terrace. “Lobo Lobo, I have a door, there’s no need to enter through a window…” “Arre Dikuna men, I wanted to show you my skills as a stunt man.” “Huh, how’s it possible you’re a stunt man?” “See men, I am a fearless fellow, risk is my […]
The Surgical God
Christ, the wandering sage, came to see me from the United States with his physiotherapist. He was a lean, athletic man with dreadlocks in his beard, and his long hair was tied in a gravity-defying bun. A T-shirt without sleeves framed his heavily tattooed arms. “I’ve travelled twice around the world to see if someone […]
‘All people are more than their disability’
Mihaan Dhall, 20Student, dancer, golfer Vir Kapoor, 20Student, singer, baker Mihaan Dhall says: “I am a dog lover. Currently a student of Skill Shakti, a life and work skills programme, I go to bootcamp and to Special Hangout [an inclusive hub for Mumbai’s neurodivergent community]. I do NIOS — National Institute of Open Schooling. […]
A successful 10-year mission
I must admit that I was taken aback by news reports of the Smart City Mission ending this year. It took me back to that glorious day, in May 2014, when the honourable, erudite, most intelligent Indian amongst us announced the building of 100 cities that would all boast astounding connectivity and communication capabilities. They […]