Writing a story of a large family that starts in 1892 till the present day is in itself a huge challenge. To write about the wonderful food which you have cooked, eaten, and enjoyed over the decades is again an incredibly challenging task. Added to this, you need to choose the most memorable from amongst a long list and carefully write their recipes while catering to an international audience. Mrs. Rukmini Srinivas surprises us by doing all this and doing it with finesse and style in her semi-autobiographical book, “Tiffin” described as “Memories and Recipes of Indian Vegetarian Food.” I loved this book and would commend it to anyone fond of family stories and who look for a bunch of amazing recipes mainly from the South of India.
Category: Authors
This story continues to haunt many in India even after the parents of the 14-year-old schoolgirl Aarushi Talwar, found murdered in their own home in Noida in May 2008, are now in jail, sentenced to life imprisonment for killing their own daughter. Is this case which took the country by storm in those days such an open and shut case as some have made it out to be? Were the parents foisted with the charge of murder? Did the CBI team hastily conclude that the parents of the dead girl had killed her just to close the case and get laurels for themselves? Was sufficient attention and scrutiny paid to the servants, Krishna and his friends, who were key suspects at one time? Were they let off despite considerable evidence being found against them? Did the Talwars jeopardize their own case by getting conflicting legal advice from different lawyers thereby diluting their stand in the process? Was the evidence produced in court doctored by those who wanted to see a verdict against the Talwars? Continue reading ““Aarushi” by Avirook Sen”
I am one of those voracious readers who not only reads all the time but reads several books at a time. I enjoy the variety in dipping into one book which may be quite different from the other. Here are the books that I am currently reading :- Continue reading “On My Reading List”
“The Last Mughal” by William Dalrymple is about “the fall of a dynasty. Delhi. 1857”. The dynasty in question is, of course, the Mughal dynasty, founded by Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur in 1526 by defeating Sultan Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat . After ruling large parts of India for centuries, the Mughal Empire shrank over time and with the advent of the British by the 1850s was a spent force. Bahadur Shah Zafar II (1775-1862) was Emperor in name only. However, in the eyes of many he still remained a rallying point as he was the Khalifa, God’s Regent on earth. Continue reading ““The Last Mughal ” by William Dalrymple”
If you study books on sexuality and love, which is a topic, rarely if at all, written about in India, Ira Trivedi’s “India In Love: Marriage and Sexuality in the 21st Century” must rank amongst the best. Meticulous research backed by anecdotal data and personal narratives of ordinary Indians, people who could well be someone we know, make for some highly educative as well as interesting reading. The book, published by Aleph Book Company in 2014 is, I believe, something every educated Indian should read. It clears so many cobwebs in our minds and lays to rest myths that have made any talk about sex and sexuality virtually taboo in our traditional society. A blurb in Mid-day puts it so well, ” Trivedi charged into India’s bedroom and pulled the covers right off. No more secrets.” Continue reading “” India In Love” by Ira Trivedi”
Many of my social and cultural background in India started reading English books as kids thanks to Enid Blyton. I still have vivid memories of the characters in the Noddy series: apart from Noddy himself, Mr. Plod the Policeman, Big Ears and Tessie Bear though I must read about them over 50 years ago. More recently I enjoyed reading them out to my grandson! Continue reading “Of Childhood and Enid Blyton”
Prem Rao : Stories from a Story Teller 