Watch: Award-winning writer Imayam in conversation with Prabha Sridevan
This conversation was held as part of The Hindu's Out of Print series with writers.
Read more: A writer creates a work, but a translator breathes new life into it, says writer Imayam
Video: Johan Sathyadas, Shivaraj, Thamodharan B.
Editing: Johan Sathyadas
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Deccan Herald
2 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Rally round the West Indies
Bengaluru: 'We wanted to be able to show Englishmen, 'you brought the game to us, and now we're better than you,'' says Michael Holding in the highly-acclaimed 2010 documentary Fire in Babylon -- a powerful ode to the West Indies cricket team that dominated the game in the 70s and 80s like few in its history. As the title of the documentary suggests, the Caribbean cricketers of that era and before them were driven by fire in their belly; having been subjected to colonial rule and racial oppression for hundreds of years, cricket became a vehicle of the Caribbean pride and protest as they made former colonial masters 'grovel' (the infamous remark by English captain Tony Greig ahead of the 1976 Test series, when he declared his team would make the West Indians grovel with a heavy political undertone) in their own grounds and vs England | Oval Test and series poised for a keen finish .Calypso Cricketers, like everything with West Indies, has a nice rhythm to it. But this phrase was coined to, in a way, demean the West Indies players -- players who were entertaining, flamboyant, fun to watch, but not to be taken seriously. The Ws (Worrel, Walcott and Weekes), the Learie Constantine and the peerless Sir Garry Sobers, among other greats from 50s to 60s, had displayed enough individual brilliance to command respect but lack of consistent results drew English players to pass condescending remarks. The 70s and 80s, however, changed that perspective. Players like Michael Holding, Viv Richards, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall didn't just want to win; they wanted to destroy. And they did so with utter dominance. England were only the first casualty. Australia, India, Pakistan and New Zealand... all fell before the Caribbean storm. For nearly two decades, the West Indies were the undisputed kings of world free-flowing game, their swagger and the fear they induced endeared them to the entire cricketing world. It emerged as the second most favourite team for fans across the world after their own national teams. Everyone wanted them to win, and they did so more often. Cricket fans still want them to do well, but, invariably, they don't (or they just can't). There are still entertainers left in the West Indies they seem to be happy being just the Calypso last two decades or so have seen a steady decline of West Indies cricket that shows no signs of recovery. There have been a few bright moments, like an odd Test win here and there; two T20 World Cup triumphs (2012 and 2016) and a Champions Trophy win (2004) but each time they raise hopes of revival, it has turned out to be a false dawn. Today's cricketers have certainly inherited the flair for the game, but not the fire that drove them to the top; they are proud of their cricketing pedigree but not passionate enough to sustain those high standards. If each of their wins was celebrated as their own by the rest of the cricketing world, the regular losses are marked by a collective lament July 14 at Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies hit a new low when they were shot out for 27 in 14.2 overs by Australia in the third Test to sweep the series 3-0. This was the second lowest innings total ever behind New Zewland's 26 all out -- a dubious record that was under genuine threat of being broken or equalled. This was a new depth by their own low standards in recent times and rang alarm bells in West Indies cricket's establishment. The Cricket West Indies (CWI) called for an emergency meeting of the Cricket Strategy and Officiating Committee with a few legends -- including Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and Brian Lara -- to review the performances and find a way also largely went unnoticed was their 5-0 loss in the subsequent T20Is, a format they were expected to fare better. Come to think of it, WI's performance in ICC white-ball tournaments in the last few years have left a lot to be desired. They failed to progress beyond the group stage in the 2021 T20 WC in Australia and played the next edition in 2024 only because they were co-hosts of the event. In between, they failed to qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India and later the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan-UAE. .There are obvious reasons for this free fall with the CWI being the one of the main culprits. While there are multiple challenges in the form of youngsters being drawn towards other sports like football and basketball that are financially more rewarding, CWI -- going by the instances of player rebellions -- hasn't taken enough care of top players, let alone those below their rung. The franchise leagues across the world do pose a big challenge, but there appears to be no tangible effort to compel players to remain committed to West Indies a bid to restore its past glory, the CWI has come up with an elaborate project that is fancifully referred to as The Long Run: CWI'S 2024-2027 Strategic Plan For Elevating West Indies Cricket. Among several objectives that the board aims to achieve in the next two years or so is making sure 'players are proud to represent the West Indies.' That's an interesting objective to have, and while no one is suggesting they lack the pride wearing WI colours or don't feel the same emotions when 'Rally round the West Indies' blares through the loudspeaker, they no longer seem to feel the hurt after in the Caribbean may not be rewarded as much as those in India, Australia or England but they are definitely compensated better than Afghanistan players who don't even have their own infrastructure to train. Cricket may be their escape route from the harsh realities of lives at home, but you still need that hunger to succeed. The concept of West Indies, a team of players from different island nations, may not have outlived its utility yet but it needs a new purpose, direction and an honest introspection from all the game's stakeholders in the Caribbean and sincere efforts to put the game back on track. The Caribbean needs cricket and cricket needs West Indies for it to be more competitive, vibrant and appealing to a larger audience. While they are at it, a bit of handholding by the ICC and the BCCI won't hurt cricket's cause.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Fans celebrate Amitabh Bachchan's re-birth day on August 2 after the 'Coolie' accident, the legendary actor expresses gratitude
Amitabh Bachchan suffered a huge accident on the sets of 'Coolie' which put his life into danger. The entire country was worried about his health. Infact, he was declared clinically dead but came back to life. Bachchan still continues to woo his fans with his onscreen presence, dedication like none other and unmatched aura. August 2, 1982 is considered his rebirth day as the actor got his life back today. Thus, fans across social media celebrated today as his second birthday. Some fans donated blood to celebrate this day. A user said, "#AmitabhBachchanExtendedFamily celebrating Gurudev @SrBachchan Sir's 43rd Rebirth Day by Donating Blood at @KDAHMumbai... A small Tribute to all Donors who donated blood in 1982 & saved #AmitabhBachchan ji's life.#HappyReBirthdayAmitabhBachchan ji @AmitJos58870630ji" A fan shared this iconic video of the actor and wrote, "#AmitabhBachchan's rebirth on August 2 - A day when millions of prayers brought back the Shahenshah of Bollywood to life after a near-fatal accident during the filming of #Coolie @SrBachchan Sir 🙌❤️#HappyReBirthAB 🤗" Meanwhile, Bachchan also expressed gratitude and thanked fans for their wishes. He wrote on his blog, "To all the Ef and friends and well wishers that have sent messages for Aug 2 , my gratitude as ever and my apologies for not being able to respond to each of them, as the numbers are huge ..but ever so grateful for remembering me .. my love respect and filled with your blessings ..🙏" The accident took place due to an accidental punch from Puneet Issar . Big B and Puneet had to perform an action scene in the film and the scene went fine during rehearsals. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Do You Speak English? You May Be Able To Work a USA Job From Home in Bangladesh US Jobs | Search ads Undo In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, Puneet had described how gracious Amitabh Bachchan was as he called Puneet to meet him at the hospital. He said, 'The greatness of Mr Bachchan, he said he wanted to meet me. When he called for me, I was in tears. I kept thinking, 'All this happened because of me.' He said, "I was in tears but he told me, 'Puneet, it's not your fault. Accidents happen during action scenes.'' Puneet added that Bachchan then recalled an incident with Vinod Khanna. He said, "Uss avastha mein he told me he was shooting for an action scene with Vinod Khanna and had to hit him with the glass. During the rehearsals, 10 times, it went fine but during the take, the timing went wrong either by him or Khanna and the glass hit Khanna's chin and he got 7-8 stitches and I was feeling the same thing which you're feeling today."
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Trinity Day Chandigarh 2025 gathers educators to discuss creative learning
CHANDIGARH: Trinity Day Chandigarh 2025 on Saturday brought together educators and music teachers to discuss creative learning and global communication. The event, hosted by Trinity College London, provided an overview of Trinity's programs in music, drama, communication skills, English language, and performance arts. The day's agenda included talks from Trinity leadership, discussions with representatives from local schools, and performances by high-achieving students. The event aimed to highlight the importance of creative and expressive learning in Chandigarh. The event was led by key Trinity figures: Anjli Mata, Academic Head - Music; Sowmiyan J, Operations Head – India; Varun Mata, Business Head – North India; Ritika Ratna, Academic Consultant (North India); Sahil Jain, Local Area Representative - Chandigarh centre; and Albert John, Local Area Representative - Ludhiana centre. The event served as a platform for sharing information and providing curriculum updates to attendees. Trinity Day Chandigarh 2025 focused on the role of creativity and expression in education, emphasizing their value in a broader learning context. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
