What made you turn to writing? What is the inspiration and purpose of the book? We all have stories to tell. I always wanted to write. “Catch your dreams before they slip away,’ sang The Rolling Stones. I wanted to describe the hope and idealism of...
A mammoth undertaking to restore and develop Delhi’s Nizamuddin will end this time next year. How has it transformed one of the most historic and touristy areas of the country? This could be the closest thing to paradise. Here, the world is all grass and birds,...
A SPECIAL LOCATION The house of the Ambassador of the Netherlands in India, on 10 Aurangzeb Road, is situated in one of New Delhi's greenest and most exclusive areas. Called the Lutyens Bungalow Zone, or simply Lutyens' Delhi, the approximately 25 to 30 square kilometre urban...
Music does not know the boundaries of time and space . It is universal in its appeal and transcends man made artificial barriers. It cuts through all that to go straight to the heart . It does not require language though that helps to understand...
1965: The Sound of Music, currently the fifth highest grossing film in history, was definitely a high point in Hollywood musicals. Maria, portrayed by Julie Andrews (who had charmed audiences in the 1964 hit Mary Poppins), leaves her convent in Salzburg to become a governess...
Following World War II, Europe was divided into two parts from the end of 1945 to the end of the Cold War in 1991. In a tactical move by the Soviets to safeguard itself with a buffer border of countries it controlled, the West European...
To be or not to be European? Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous Europeans. This vexed question came up in a referendum in the 70s and to the relief of those who abhor narrower tendencies, Britain voted...
Rise of rock n roll Every generation has its particular sound, but none have remained as iconic as the music of the 1960s. Yes, radio had existed for some time but the television had just become popular. And with it, the electronic waves carried through the...
Rise of rock n roll Every generation has its particular sound, but none have remained as iconic as the music of the 1960s. Yes, radio had existed for some time but the television had just become popular. And with it, the electronic waves carried through the...