CATEGORIES
POST-PANDEMIC BLUES
As the world moves back to normalcy, the poster boys of the ‘new normal’ are facing their big reality check
Domestic revival
The changing domestic tourist kept Rajasthan’s tourism sector afloat during the pandemic recovery period
Grilling The Gandhis
It will be a long battle ahead for the Congress’s first family, but the ED questioning Sonia has pushed the party out of its comfort zone and on to the streets
The Naked Truth
I tried to deconstruct India’s ambiguous attitude towards nangapan (nakedness) to a BBC correspondent who was writing a report on actor Ranveer Singh’s recent nude photo shoot for an international publication.
India Can Fill Brexit Gap
A remarkable transformation is taking place in the UK. It chose to exit the EU and regain its sovereignty, but has had a difficult time securing post-Brexit arrangements with erstwhile companions.
Monkeypox : Take Care, Don't Scare
Behaving responsibly and avoiding stigmatisation could contain monkeypox
Celebrating President Murmu
President Droupadi Murmu is the face of new India. She was the first tribal woman to become governor of a state, and, now, she is the first tribal woman to hold the highest constitutional position in the country. She is the first president of India to be born in independent India and also the first person to attain a bachelor’s degree in her village.
COCKPIT DREAMS
Soorarai Pottru director Sudha Kongara is flying high after her film won five national awards
This was the medal missing from my kitty
THE DAYS AHEAD of a major competition tend to be rather mundane for Neeraj Chopra. At least that is how it appears from the outside. But, as the day of the event nears, Chopra gets into his zone.
THE REBOUND MAN
Ranil Wickremesinghe has moved fast to consolidate power. He now faces the difficult task of preserving it in the face of challenges
WAR OF THE ROSES
The Aragalaya movement, which ousted a bungling government, is helping heal wounds of the civil war
Right click
Stock trading platforms and advisers leverage technology to make it easier for investors
FIZZ’S WITH LIZ
With her support among grassroots Tories, Liz Truss has the edge in the leadership race
A MIDSUMMER BATTLE FOR NO 10
The British public seems ready for Rishi Sunak, but the Conservative base prefers his rival, Liz Truss
Meanings in the raw
Why exactly has Ranveer Singh shed all his clothes, slicked himself with oil, and lain himself down into that curiously defenceless, needy, side-sprawl upon a Turkish rug for Paper magazine? It can’t be for media attention— because he gets enough of that already.
Border disorder
Manipur on edge and Indian security on alert following the killing of two Indian Tamils in Myanmar
Divide over diversity
The BJP is claiming the high ground for bring-ing diversity in national politics through the presidential nomination of Droupadi Murmu.
Tina Brown On Queen Elizabeth's Dysfunctional Family
Tina Brown's new book on the British royals is deeply researched and filled with delicious anecdotes
WHEN A MOCKINGBIRD KILLS
Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi is a gripping tale of a serial killer who dared to taunt the cops
THE MAN & HIS MAGIC
India’s most famous man is also its most polarising. He also makes for great copy. No wonder then that there has been a proliferation of books on Narendra Modi— from hagiographical to bitterly critical—ever since he became prime minister in 2014. The latest tome comes from senior journalist Ajay Singh, who writes about the pragmatic party builder behind, as his fans would call him, the haloed statesman.
A day with the Santhals
Simple folk, they are known for their nature worship and colourful culture
Disjointed front
Opposition unity seems to be a pipe dream, especially after the coup in Maharashtra
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CHAPTER IS OVER FOR ME
Viswanathan Anand is back home in Chennai after a hectic tour to pro-mote the Chess Olympiad that Mahabalipuram will host from July 28 to August 10. He also recently played the Leon Masters in Spain, which included a field of Boris Gelfand, Andrey Esipenko and Jaime Santos. That is Anand at 53; he picks and chooses events, with enjoyment being the main criteria. He is not ready yet to retire, but he now has other chess-related things to do and enjoy. One of these was setting up the Westbridge Anand Chess Academy, where he mentors some of India’s most promising talents. He is currently world number 13, but rankings do not matter to him anymore. He now wants to ensure that the next wave of Indian chess players breaches the top 10; the highest-ranked Indian after Anand, right now, is P. Harikrishna at 25. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Anand looks at the chess he is currently playing, the next generation of Indian players, his plans for the coming years and the different demands on his time. Excerpts:
THE GOOD BAD
The feral joy of watching Vijay Varma as flawed, devious and all too human
Peaks and lows
Santhals have many achievers among them, but most in the tribe have a long way to go
Livid in Ladakh
Three years after Ladakh became a Union territory, its people are not happy with the Centre’s promises; the Dalai Lama’s visit could break the ice
THE MATRIARCH OF MAYURBHANJ
The remarkable story of Droupadi Murmu's rise from rural Rairangpur to the Rashtrapati Bhavan is one of resilience, pain and hope
'Light Is A Temporary Happening, But Kali Is Forever'
In Sanskrit language, the word kala—and the femi-nine form of it, Kali—mean time and space, which are seen as one thing.
Ticket To Good Health
Meet the new wellness traveller-young, Indian, discerning and ready to spend
Power Of Kali And The Art Of Taking Offence
From Kali to the Prophet, we are all the same in matters of religion. Welcome to a nation of 'hurt sentiments'