The Writer’s Flight

  It was well past midnight,  1.30  am to be precise, and even amidst the fog and biting cold of December 2024, the music lovers of Gwalior continued to listen to the singing of  renowned vocalist and composer,  Padma Bhushan Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty.  He dedicated his performance at the 100 th edition of the Tansen Sangeet Samaroh 2024 at Gwalior to Ustaad  Zakir Hussain with whom he says he has done hundreds of concerts Namrata Kohli caught up with Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, on the sidelines of the event You were very close to Zakir Hussain. Can you please share an anecdote or something about him that gives an insight into his personality? I will not waste time on saying how big a musician he was. He was a household name    and even a child was familiar with his name. He had managed to enter people’s hearts. In a hundred years, only one Zakir Hussain is born.  I have known him for the last 45 years and got introduced to him through his...

  By Namrata Kohli A judge friend of mine who sits on dowry cases told me some ten years back-   “I feel sorry for Indian men who are often the victim of dowry cases.” I was quite surprised at her statement but she opened another dimension to this law. And pointed out how women are weaponizing legal provisions and leveraging protective laws as tools for extortion or harassment. Section 498A IPC was meant to be a “shield” and not a “weapon” protecting the rights of women. However, over time, there have been instances of this provision being misused. The Supreme Court of India has acknowledged this issue, emphasizing the need for caution to prevent unnecessary harassment of innocent individuals. The recent demise of Atul Subhash underscores the complexities surrounding the misuse of protective legal provisions. Atul Subhash was found dead in his Bengaluru apartment on December 9, 2024. He left behind a 24-page suicide note and a 90-minute video alleging harassment by his ...

For many of us, tea is the magic key to the vault where our brain is kept. India is home to some of the most exquisite and premium teas, cherished globally for their unique flavors and craftsmanship. Know more about the best kind of teas  By Namrata Kohli  Chai is always a friendly common denominator that binds us together amidst all of the chaos. An editor’s day is incomplete without it, says Moutushi Mukherjee, Commissioning editor at Penguin Random House India, “Quite a lot of editors are coffee people but quite a lot more are chai people. It’s the universal choice of beverage for conversations with authors. Equally, it’s the choice of beverage for sticky discussions with Sales and other editors. Nothing quite gets the conversation going as a strong cuppa, and more often than not, it’s the glue that sticks together many such uncomfortable conversations. If you have critical feedback on a manuscript, you rely on that brew heavily. If you want to fight over that dreaded thing...

  Gwalior is in Guinness: Tansen Sangeet Samaroh 2024 By Namrata Kohli History was created at the centenary celebration of the “Tansen Sangeet Samaroh 2024” at Gwalior where a musical ensemble entered the Guinness Book of World Records. The Tansen music festival was hosted by the UNESCO City of Music, Gwalior in its hundredth edition from 15-19 December 2024, in the backdrop of the historic Gwalior Fort and Tansen Tomb. Guiness had set several stringent criteria for evaluation- a minimum of 300 artists playing at least four instruments, and three songs spanning two minutes each. But the musical ensemble composed by renowned flute player Pandit Ronu Majumdar far surpassed all these criteria. Said Majumdar- “We had 563 artists. I was told by the Indian representative of Guinness that in any international evaluation of legends like Mozart, Beethoven, or   Sangeet samrat   Tansen, we need three songs and each song should be of minimum two minutes duration. So far, I was only ...

Heard of Photo Moon? It’s the pre wedding photography shoot which captures the love story, the courtship of the couple getting married By Namrata Kohli A pre-wedding photoshoot can indeed feel like a pre-wedding honeymoon! No wonder it’s also a Photo moon. It’s a magical time when couples create memories before their wedding, enjoying dreamy locations, exploring their chemistry, and basking in love and excitement for their upcoming journey together. It’s also called Before-the-Vows or Save-the-Date shoot and is a prelude to the actual wedding photography. Often the videos shot and stills clicked are played on the D-day.  Today there are photographers whose forte is just pre-wedding photography. Take the case of Gurugram based couple- 28 year old Anamika Sharma and 31 year old Vivek Aggarwal who got married earlier this year in February 2024 at a farmhouse in Vasant Kunj. They hired a photographer through Instagram reviews and word of mouth recommendations for a pre-wedding pho...

The   saas bahu   saga has for long dominated the Indian soap opera industry. And not without reason, as women have hardly been each other’s supporters, leave alone cheerleaders. The mother-in-law had almost become the monster-in-law in desi K-dramas but like everything changes, her role is slowly but surely getting redefined- not just in reel space but also in real space.  It’s the era of return of the matriarch and the joint family system with the mother-in-law being considered a key figure who makes a house a home.  And the evidence is everywhere, especially in affluent India. There are enough examples of three generations staying together. The  second generation in the late 30s or 40s - the busiest lot battling their mid life crisis plus job, kids, parents - are mostly in responsible positions in their careers, have all the money and no time. The children are also more full of activity today than ever. It’s the grandparents who, as they say, are in their “bo...