CATEGORIES

IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO

Hemant and Kalpana Soren changed Jharkhand's political game, converting near-collapse into an extraordinary comeback

THE MAHA BONDING

At one time, Fadnavis, Shinde and Ajit Pawar were seen as an unwieldy trio with mutually subversive intent. A bumper assembly poll harvest inverts that

THE LION PRINCE

A spectacular assembly election win ended a long political winter for Kashmir and his party, the National Conference. But Omar Abdullah now faces crucial tests—that of meeting great expectations and holding his own with the Centre till J&K gets its statehood back

TRIAL BY FIRE

Formal charges in a US court, an air marked by accusations of bribery and concealment of information, the attendant political backlash, pressure on stock prices, valuation losses. Yet the famed Adani growth appetite and business resilience stays

'Criticism has always been a source of motivation for me'

It’s just day five since he was crowned 2024 FIDE World Chess champion (which he celebrated with a bungee jump), and Gukesh Dommaraju is still learning to adjust to the fanfare.

4 mins |

THE YOUNG GRANDMASTERS

GUKESH DOMMARAJU IS NOW THE YOUNGEST EVER WORLD CHAMPION, BUT THAT IS JUST ICING ON THE CAKE IN INDIA'S CHESS STORY. FOR THE 'GOLDEN GENERATION', 2024 WAS THE YEAR THEY DID IT ALL

10 mins |

SHOOTING QUEEN

Manu Bhaker scripted a classic turnaround at Paris 2024, putting the ghosts of the past behind her through sheer willpower to engrave her own destiny

THE COMEBACK KING

It was in no one's script: Naidu's standing leap from near-oblivion, to a place where he writes the destiny of Andhra—even New Delhi

HALTING THE BJP JUGGERNAUT

A roller-coaster year saw the Opposition coalition rebound with bold moves and policy wins, but internal rifts continue to test its durability

THAT CHAMPION FEELING

After 17 long years of India's maiden win in 2007, Rohit Sharma and his hitmen reach the pinnacle of T20 cricket by lifting the World Cup with their blitzkrieg approach

THE ONE IN THE VORTEX

The AAP chief has had a dramatic year, including a stint in jail. All eyes are on him as the party fights a decisive battle to rule Delhi for a third consecutive term

THE BHAGWAT DHARMA

Under Mohan Bhagwat's leadership, the RSS sharpened its stance, using the Lok Sabha election results to assert its influence and push for a recalibration in the BJP's approach

THE NEW POP ICON

From electrifying global stages to breaking linguistic barriers and redefining Punjabi pride, Diljit Dosanjh proved that true artistry transcends borders and genres

A MONUMENTAL TRANSITION

It was a symbol of the ownership of space by the Hindu faith - its arrival brought euphoria and fulfilment among the devout. The Ram mandir meant many things to many people, and mirrored all the complexities of modern India

THE ART OF STAYING IN POWER

Correctly sensing the direction of the political wind is Nitish Kumar’s forte, making him a crucial pillar for Modi 3.0

WINNING THE BATTLE FOR BENGAL

Count only RG Kar and Sandeshkhali, and you would think 2024 was Mamata Banerjee's annus horribilis. And then you count the seats

ELEVATED JUSTICE

The former CJI bequeathed on the court a legacy of rigour, justice and constitutional morality, but also drew scrutiny for the loose ends left by his judicial balancing

THE THIRD COMING

PM NARENDRA MODI GETS A HISTORIC THIRD TERM BUT WITH THE INDIA BLOC DENYING THE BJP A MAJORITY ON ITS OWN, SOME OF THE SHEEN WEARS OFF

5 mins |

He gave the beat to the world

He would pick up the rhythms of each experience of mobility and weave them into his taals. Thus it was that he reflected joy and laughter in rhythmic cycles...such was the magic of Zakir's fingersText and photographs by Raghu Rai

KERALA TOURISM CAMPAIGN, 1989 - TICKETS TO PARADISE

All it took was a catchy tagline-'God's Own Country'-for the world to discover Kerala's wealth of natural beauty. It remains among the best tourism ad campaigns, earning the state a place among top 10 international destinations

SPIRITUALITY - THE GURUS OF COOL

Among the cult Indian gurus, no one had a bigger hold on western minds than 'Osho' Rajneesh. He's also perhaps the role model for the enterprise-building gurus of today

RETAIL SHOPPING - THE MALL MANIA

Shopping malls, a 1990s innovation in India, changed the way the Indian middle class shops. Their success now lies in being 'shoppertainment' destinations, offering something for everyone

CULINARY RENAISSANCE, 1978 - TANDOORI NIGHTS

ITC's Bukhara and Dum Pukht turned the world to tandoori cuisine and had an enormous impact on the F&B industry. Decades on, they are still a pit-stop for celebrities and heads of state visiting Delhi

INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH - REVENGE OF THE NATIVE

Rushdie lit the way but Indian writing in English has taken a life of its own in the past few decades, with translated Indian fiction most recently having its moment in the sun

INDIAN ART - A BRUSH WITH GOLD DUST

The 1990s economic liberalisation came as oxygen, lighting up the Indian art scene. Today, artworks by established masters routinely go for astronomical amounts

FESTIVAL OF INDIA, 1982 - CULTURE CAPITAL

The Festival of India grew into a symbol of our 'soft power', introducing our art and aesthetics to a global audience while also helping rebrand our domestic products

THE INDIPOP TREND - DISCO GOES DESI

For ages, the film song ruled. Nothing else was audible. Then came Nazia, charioteered by Biddu, and Indian ears went into a pleasant madness. Literally, Disco Deewane. A whole genre was born

4 mins |

SHOLAY 1975 - THE BIRTH OF THE FANDEMIC

India had seen hits before. But Sholay seared into its collective psyche like a badland bullet. The effect was on a scale never seen before- one film creating a new mass folk culture. And a trail of monster blockbusters that still continues

THE TELESERIALS - WHEN SMALL TURNS BIG

In the Eighties, Indian television went from a dull grey box to the full colours of immersive storytelling. The multichannel revolution was waiting to explode on the other side