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Meet Dr Shadab Ahmed the surgeon with an extraordinary poetic precision

Meet Dr Shadab Ahmed the surgeon with an extraordinary poetic precision

Hans India3 hours ago

Dr Shadab Ahmed is a prominent and acclaimed name in the translation and transliteration of 'Indian, Persian and Ottoman antiquarian manuscripts. An author of more than 10 published books on 'Indian & Persian ethnic prose-poetry', his interpretations and paraphrases are widely read and appreciated in the Indo-Persian scholarly community trans-continentally. Several of his translated verses appear in major digital libraries around the globe and are critically analysed by renowned critics and academicians. His translations blend analytical rigor with extraordinary poetic precision, extrapolating and interfacing complex verses into elaborate enthralling wordplays. His works explore the essence and leitmotif of the celebrated literary compositions from the bygone empires as much as they throw an important light on the socio-political, ethnic and cultural analysis of those eras.
The themes of his works are varied and idiosyncratic - selectively compiled, curated, structured and standardised. The passages and verses are carefully chosen and researched, intermixing the associated Occidental and Oriental explications. Be it the entranced turmoiled devotion to the beloved or proscribed suppressed literature illustrating the classified carnalization of the monarchs and sovereigns, it is presented in a lavish linguistic rhymeplay which catches both the incurious and inquisitive eyes. A unique feature of his own composed verses and quatrains lies in the reflection of an altered transitional consciousness, in which the author appears to be subtly invoking God and communicating implicitly. The result is often a quatrain with metaphysical interpretation and perspective. The language used in the translations is standardized American and British English, with unusual words assembling together to develop a beautiful narrative.
But that won't be all. Apart from being a successful writer and author, Dr Ahmed is also a professional Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon, intrinsically involved in quality assurance programs of several institutions and universities. Based in India, his extra-professional and extra-academic interests goes into real estating, property development and investment management. A bibliophile and passionate reader, he reads whenever his busy schedule permits and is a prudent scholar of Indian & World History, Metaphysical & Aesthetic Philosophy, Abrahamic, Indic & Vedic Religions and Tantric Sciences. Dr Ahmed is also a noted columnist on Indian polity, geopolitics, realpolitik and international affairs. His opinions and editorials appear in various national print media are as well-read and well-liked as his books are.
Hailing from North-East India, Dr Ahmed finished his under-graduation from Bihar and post-graduation from Tamil Nadu. He has previously worked in the North East Frontier Railway's, based at NFR Headquarters, Assam. When asked where he sees himself ahead in life, he enigmatically smiles before letting us know that he is looking forward to be an entrepreneur. One challenge at a time, and two ahead for a vision is his mantra to proceed forward in life.
He has several academic and non-academic books lined up for publication and release in the coming months. His next book 'The Despicable Musalman' is eagerly awaited, which provides a comprehensive account of the Islamization of India and takes on various egocentric and megalomaniac personalities from the Arabian, Ghurid, Ghaznavid, Turkish, Mongol, Mughal empires and sultanates – whose policies and practices are vital in shaping up Indian polity and administrative structure. We wish him all the best for his academic accomplishments and extra-academic endeavours.

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It's a handspring, not a somersault – let's get our Rishabh Pant acrobatics pat
It's a handspring, not a somersault – let's get our Rishabh Pant acrobatics pat

Indian Express

time24 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

It's a handspring, not a somersault – let's get our Rishabh Pant acrobatics pat

It's not Wingardium Levio-saar. It's Wingardium Levio-sah. As pedantic and irritating as it may be to point out, what Spiderman Rishabh Pant does on the field is a handspring, not a somersault. When Rishabh Pant took flight, and transported those watching into magical glee with his 'Headingley over heels' acrobatic celebrations, what the Indian wicketkeeper had pulled off was in gymnastics-speak, a Handspring. Not a somersault. Simone Biles or Dipa Karmakar might be too sweet to say 'Duh', but India's most entertaining batsman-meets-keeper-meets-human ribbon, pulled off a grand celebration after his century. Except, it got mis-labelled a somersault. Somersaults technically are rolls with tucked in limbs on the floor or in the air. To the gymnastics-leaning reader, a somersault is what Dipa does after pushing off the vaulting table, albeit aerially. What Pant did on the ground and what Biles or Karmakar do before launching into the vault is the Handspring. A somersault implies tucked limbs so hands don't hit the floor, while a Handspring demands that the force to take off aerially and flip in the air comes using hands as a spring off the floor. Pant has wowed the English crowd not only because of his comeback from a near-fatal accident. But his falling paddle off Shoaib Bashir also points to ultra-agility where imbalanced strokes translate to no-look, one-hand-off-the-bat scoop pulled off while crumbling to the ground entertainingly. It's like the French describing a flake toppling off a croissant giving a coffee rush to those watching. It's also not the first time the crowds guffawed, though he had a sliced six over long off two balls later. In the last series against England with Jonny Bairstow batting, Pant had fallen back while keeping, carrying a fast moving bounce and was on his back, with Virat Kohli in the slips. Next thing – he sprung up, arching with a foot stomp, like Hrithik Roshan or Tiger Shroff or India's finest vaulter & floor exercise medallist, Ashish Kumar. Just last month, he ensured his 27 crore price tag in the IPL delivered a memorable ROI, when he celebrated a long due century with another handspring. The awestruck watching RCB wicketkeeper equivalent could only freeze in his tracks and fold his hands behind his back. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, who coined the 'falling paddle', told Sky Sports: 'Outrageous. He plays the numbers game beautifully, plays the way he wants. He will block for a bit and then shift gears.' It's what flipped the 'stupid, stupid, stupid' to 'superb, superb, superb' as he melted Jonty Rhodes into ABdV in batting. Shastri said Pant has his distinct USP, and apparently a UPS too. 'He has his own computer and only he knows how it works,' Shastri told Sky. 'That's his USP. That's what puts bowlers under pressure and makes him box office, a real entertainer and a match winner.' Recovering from the accident and hitting elite cricket once more too brought glee to the tale. Shastri added to Sky: 'That's why there was that celebration. Thanking the man upstairs for giving him the opportunity. I think his recovery from that accident had a lot to do with the frame of his body and being mid-20s.' He recalled meeting him in hospital. 'When I saw him in hospital, it wasn't a pretty sight. Knee in a mess, scars all over the place, bruises all over the place.' But with the Handspring – and perhaps cartwheels and somersaults to follow who knows – Rishabh Pant might be the greatest comeback to the top level, with centuries and falling paddle scoops. And his ability to make those watching, happy.

13 years of Gangs of Wasseypur: Meet the gangster films that ran so Anurag Kashyap's film could kill
13 years of Gangs of Wasseypur: Meet the gangster films that ran so Anurag Kashyap's film could kill

Hindustan Times

time24 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

13 years of Gangs of Wasseypur: Meet the gangster films that ran so Anurag Kashyap's film could kill

Recalibrating filmmakers' approaches to violence, language, and storytelling grounded in real India, Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) did more than just revolutionise the Indian gangster cinema. Coal mafia politics and generational vengeance were just two of the themes explored in the film, which gave rise to a new genre of crime dramas that were grounded in reality but unabashedly violent. A still from Gangs of Wasseypur Dive into the wild, intense, and genre-bending world of Anurag Kashyap with No Smoking, Raman Raghav 2.0, Mukkabaaz, and Manmarziyaan—now streaming on OTTplay Premium. In honour of the film's 13th anniversary, we take a look back at five seminal Indian crime dramas that were either inspiration for or served as a precursor to 'Gangs of Wasseypur' Gangster films if you like Gangs of Wasseypur Satya Satya chronicled the criminal underworld of Mumbai in the late 1990s, long before Gangs of Wasseypur introduced gang warfare to Dhanbad. The story of a good guy who becomes entangled in the city's criminal syndicate is told in Satya by Anurag Kashyap and written by Saurabh Shukla. Kashyap would refine his style a decade later, but this film laid the groundwork for it with its groundbreaking realism, unemotional depiction of criminals, and terrifying brutality. The iconic cult hero Bhiku Mhatre, played by Manoj Bajpayee, became the archetype of the complex and erratic gangster seen in independent and over-the-top films today. A pioneer of the "Mumbai Noir" subgenre, Satya introduced hauntingly complex anti-heroes with moral ambiguity to Indian audiences. Shiva While Satya depicted a realistic crime drama, Shiva told the backstory of the enraged youth who confronted systemic corruption. Urban violence, the political-criminal nexus, and the rise of the reluctant gangster were exposed to a generation through the film, which was based on a college campus taken over by gang politics. With fluid camerawork, primal action, and a terrifying Ilaiyaraaja music that highlighted the mounting tension, Ram Gopal Varma introduced a new cinematic grammar to Bollywood with his Hindi version of his own Telugu debut. Shiva, with its famous cycle-chain sequence and gloomy protagonist (Nagarjuna), set the standard for stylised anger and defiance in Indian cinema. As a cult classic, Shiva introduced stylised but realistic gangsterism in Indian cinema, which is driven by social deterioration. Company Company focused on the D-Company, which was loosely based on Dawood Ibrahim and his syndicate, while Gangs of Wasseypur dealt with coal mafia families. The film takes a close look at a multinational crime organisation, revealing its inner workings, goals, and conflicts. Company is one of the most accomplished Indian gangster films ever filmed thanks to Ajay Devgn's chilly portrayal as Malik (read: Dawood), Vivek Oberoi's spectacular debut as his protégé Chandu, and Varma's matter-of-fact storytelling. Company was a global gangster film that echoed Satya in spirit while combining grim reality with geopolitical conflict. D-Day D-Day delves into the realm of espionage, but it remains deeply rooted in mobster legend at its heart. An obvious reference to Dawood Ibrahim is Rishi Kapoor's portrayal of Goldman. To rescue him from Pakistan, the film depicts an undercover Indian operation. The emotional storylines, particularly those of Irrfan and Huma Qureshi, mirror the personal cost shown in Gangs of Wasseypur, yet it incorporates thriller elements. Instead of praising gangsterism, the film depicts the devastation it causes. Among political action-thrillers, D-Day stands out for its unusual use of the gangster genre to explore themes of betrayal, loyalty, and moral grey areas. Khalnayak Years before Gangs of Wasseypur introduced us to Faizal Khan as the multi-layered antihero, Khalnayak introduced us to Ballu, a menacing criminal who questioned Bollywood's simplistic morality. Playing the role of bandit Ballu—who gets out of jail and becomes the subject of a nationwide manhunt—Sanjay Dutt was unnerving and somehow sympathetic. While Satya and Shiva were grounded in harsh realism, Khalnayak painted a more nuanced picture of crime, childhood trauma, and society's failure through the medium of mainstream Bollywood, featuring songs like Choli Ke Peeche. It was Ballu's decision to become a villain that defined him. An important facet that Gangs of Wasseypur would develop with even darker tones was the film's blurring of hero and villain lines, which it laid the groundwork for in Indian cinema. They are a filmy family tree that begins in the coal-soaked alleys of Wasseypur and continues into the neon-lit crime world of Mumbai. Their joint work has documented the unfiltered, savage, and raw side of India. Even though it has been 13 years since Gangs of Wasseypur came out, the film still stands tall on the shoulders of these groundbreaking works of Hindi cinema history.

Hip-hop is no longer a male bastion: ‘No gender labels, we are here because we're artistes. Period'
Hip-hop is no longer a male bastion: ‘No gender labels, we are here because we're artistes. Period'

Time of India

time26 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Hip-hop is no longer a male bastion: ‘No gender labels, we are here because we're artistes. Period'

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