Freedom of Expression

I was reading about the Cannes in the papers today. The reporter made a point that the jury was unapologetic in rewarding divisive films. In response to this, the British writer Hanif Qureishi commented, “Great art is hard.” This got me thinking. Why is it that great art is hard? Why is that these days [...]

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Jeffrey Archer’s Landmark India Tour

I recently received an invite for a discussion of Jeffrey Archer’s Paths of Glory at the Taj President. At first I thought of declining. I mean, the Taj President! It’s 30 kms away! But then two things clinched it for me. The fact that my publishers were going to be there and the words ‘cocktails [...]

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I paid for my sins

Boy, did my last post get me into trouble! I’d had a productive day and to celebrate my achievements, I was baking a cake (eggless, of course. I’m a vegan). I was carefully folding in the flour, when the phone rang. I balanced the phone in the crook between my head and shoulder and absently said, [...]

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This New Age Stuff Really Works!

You know how us Indians, almost all of us universally, have been brought up on the funda that life is a constant grind? And that all we can do is struggle and hope for the best? And as a corollary, the oft repeated verse from the Gita – Karmanyevadhikaraste Maphaleshu Kadachan is quoted? (Methinks it’s [...]

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Bollywood copying from Hollywood?

Of late, newspapers have devoted an inordinate amount of space to the Fox Studios suing the producers of Banda yeh Bindas Hai story, which they claim is a copy of My Cousin Vinnie. And while they were at it, they dredged up other such instances. Zeher, Ek Ajnabee, even Rang de Basanti joined the infamous [...]

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Iron Maiden Documentary

This dry spell at the multiplexes is obviously proving to be a drag. Not on me personally but on their bottom-lines. So they’re trying out innovative strategies to fill up the halls. Like the screening of the Iron Maiden Rockumentary. The PVR guys decided to kick start the event with a premiere-like launch. Since one [...]

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Golden Rules for Plagiarising

For an author I get a woefully little amount of reading done. And that’s because I’m usually in the middle of writing a book. And when I’m writing I don’t read (not fiction anyway) for fear of getting influenced. That means that the only time I get for reading is when I’m in-between novels or [...]

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Apropos voter turnout

Someone sent me this email. It exactly sums up my sentiments. Dear Bombayites, After your polling day debacle here are a list of things that we in the Rest of India do not want to hear/see/receive from Bombayites ever after. Please note this is an appeal to Bombayites, not long suffering, hardworking yet dutiful Mumbaikars (because [...]

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Outlook to the Rescue

What do you do when you have a writer’s block? You have to write, that’s for sure (duh!). But what if the very sight of your computer is loathsome? What if jumping out of the window of your high rise starts looking more attractive than approaching your computer? I’ll tell you what I do. Someone [...]

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