Latest news with #Midnight'sChildren
New Indian Express
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Romance on her mind
'The beauty and the tragedy of modern romance is that it's not about a lack of love, it's the difficulty of syncing two evolving individuals. The mismatch of timing, the chaos of life, that's what causes the disconnection.' What continues to draw her to cinema is its ability to embrace the quiet intimacy of human emotion. She recalls Santosh, directed by Sandhya Suri, where the titular character isn't a damsel in distress but a strong, morally ambiguous woman navigating a broken system. Similarly, in Four Years Later, Sri Devi is a woman open to dating apps, arranged marriage, and finding herself anew, sometimes all at once. 'She prioritises love and marriage, yes, but also realises there's more to her life. That realisation comes not from crisis but from introspection. That's what makes her journey real.' Shahana has never shied away from playing complex, assertive women, characters who live, breathe, falter, and fight. Whether it was Debbie Mascarenhas, the resilient wife in Rock On!!, or Muneera in Firaaq, or Amina in Midnight's Children, her filmography reads like a testament to women with agency. More recently, she played an ambitious corporate executive in Bombay Begums, the manipulative Meenakshi in A Suitable Boy, and a stoic woman constable stepping into her deceased husband's role in Santosh, each role peeling back different layers of the female experience.
Time of India
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
10 Indian-origin authors in the US and the schools that shaped them
In the shifting sands of American literature, Indian-origin authors are not merely participants—they're cartographers, redrawing the boundaries of belonging, memory, and language. Their lives are stitched together with transcontinental schooling, family aspirations, and a relentless urge to tell stories that straddle two worlds. Here's a deep dive into 10 such authors currently living and working in the US—and the classrooms that helped shape their creative journeys. Salman Rushdie: From Bombay dreams to New York realities Lives in Manhattan, New York Before the fatwa and the fame, there was Bombay. Born to Anis Ahmed Rushdie, a businessman with a reverence for history, and Negin Bhatt, a teacher, Salman Rushdie grew up steeped in ideas. Schooled at Cathedral and John Connon in Mumbai and later Rugby School in England, he read history at King's College, Cambridge—setting the stage for fiction that would blend epic imagination with postcolonial intellect. Subjects Studied: History Institutions Attended: Cathedral and John Connon School Rugby School King's College, Cambridge Selected Works: Midnight's Children The Satanic Verses Haroun and the Sea of Stories Victory City Joseph Anton Abraham Verghese: Ethiopian childhood, southern roots, Stanford laurels Lives in Palo Alto, California Born in Addis Ababa to Malayali parents, Abraham Verghese is the son of Joseph Verghese, a respected school principal, and Mariam George Verghese, a teacher. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kate Middleton Dared To Wear This Outfit And It Took Prince William's Breath Away Crowdy Fan Undo His early education was infused with discipline and compassion—traits that would shape both doctor and novelist. After graduating from Madras Medical College, he moved to the US for residencies in Tennessee and Boston. Later, he added an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, making him a rare breed: A physician-author whose prose carries the precision of a scalpel and the soul of a psalm. Now a professor at Stanford, Verghese brings migration, medicine, and memory to life. Subjects Studied: Medicine Internal Medicine (residency) Creative Writing Institutions Attended: Madras Medical College East Tennessee State University Boston University Iowa Writers' Workshop Selected Works: Cutting for Stone The Covenant of Water My Own Country The Tennis Partner Pico Iyer: Between continents and minds Divides time between Big Sur, California and Nara, Japan Son of the philosopher Raghavan N. Iyer and academic Nandini Iyer, Pico Iyer's biography is practically a philosophical riddle. Born in England, raised in California, educated at Eton, Oxford, and Harvard—his life resembles a literary map in constant motion. Though a British citizen, Iyer writes from California and Japan, his prose echoing with themes of stillness, solitude, and the spiritual cost of modernity. His work is less about passport and more about perspective. Subjects Studied: English Literature Institutions Attended: Eton College University of Oxford Harvard University Selected Works: The Half Known Life The Art of Stillness Video Night in Kathmandu The Open Road Siddhartha Mukherjee: Medicine in the blood, storytelling in the soul Lives in New York City Born in Delhi to Dr Subir Mukherjee, a physician, and Chandana Mukherjee, Siddhartha grew up with dinner table conversations that veered between biology and Bengali literature. He attended St. Columba's School in Delhi before heading to Stanford. A Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and a Harvard Medical School graduate, Mukherjee has made medical science profoundly human through narrative. Now based in New York, he bridges the lab and the library with unusual ease. Subjects Studied: Biology Immunology Medicine Institutions Attended: St. Columba's School (Delhi) Stanford University University of Oxford Harvard Medical School Selected Works: The Emperor of All Maladies The Gene: An Intimate History The Song of the Cell The Laws of Medicine Jhumpa Lahiri: Rhythms from Bengal to Rhode Island to Princeton Lives in Princeton, New Jersey Born in London, raised in the US, Jhumpa Lahiri is the daughter of Amar Lahiri, a librarian at the University of Rhode Island, and Tapati Lahiri, a schoolteacher. The immigrant melancholy of her childhood—half in West Bengal, half in New England—haunts her prose. She studied at Barnard College and earned multiple graduate degrees at Boston University, including a PhD. Today, as a professor at Princeton, she continues to write across two languages, exploring themes of identity and translation—often, quite literally. Subjects Studied: English Literature Comparative Literature Renaissance Studies Institutions Attended: Barnard College Boston University Princeton University Selected Works: Interpreter of Maladies The Namesake Unaccustomed Earth Translating Myself and Others Tania James: Science, Art, and the hyphenated life Lives in Washington, D.C. Born in Chicago and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Tania James is the daughter of Cecil James, an engineer, and Saroja James, a pharmacist. While science paid the bills at home, art stirred her soul. She studied Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard and later pursued an MFA in creative writing at Columbia. Her stories move between continents with fluid grace—much like her own upbringing. Subjects Studied: Visual and Environmental Studies Creative Writing Institutions Attended: Harvard University Columbia University Selected Works: Loot The Tusk That Did the Damage Atlas of Unknowns Aerogrammes Vauhini Vara: Journeys North and West Lives in Fort Collins, Colorado Born in Canada and raised in the US, Vara has been shaped more by parental values than publicity—her parents choose to remain out of the spotlight. But their quiet resilience shines through her work. After earning a degree in international relations from Stanford, she pursued creative writing at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Now based in Colorado, Vara fuses speculative tech with sharp realism. Subjects Studied: International Relations Creative Writing Institutions Attended: Stanford University Iowa Writers' Workshop Selected Works: The Immortal King Rao This Is Salvaged Parini Shroff: Law, letters, and laughter Lives in the Bay Area, California Not much is known about Parini Shroff's family history, but her voice is unmistakably shaped by cultural duality. She studied law at Loyola Law School before turning to fiction through an MFA at the University of Texas, Austin. Her breakout novel is a riotous take on crime, caste, and female resistance—India seen through a diasporic telescope, tinted with satire. Subjects Studied: Law Fiction Writing Institutions Attended: Loyola Law School University of Texas at Austin Selected Work: The Bandit Queens Zara Chowdhary: The Search for Home Lives in Madison, Wisconsin Zara's life has been one of movement—India, the UK, and finally the American Midwest. She earned degrees at the University of Leeds and Iowa State University. Her fiction is layered with longing, memory, and the spaces in between. The personal is not just political—it's geographical. Subjects Studied: Media and Performance Studies Creative Writing Institutions Attended: University of Leeds Iowa State University Selected Work: The Lucky Ones Asha Thanki: New Stories from the Midwest Lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota Asha Thanki was raised in the US in a family that chooses privacy over profile. But her work speaks volumes about inheritance, invisibility, and grief. She graduated from Georgetown's School of Foreign Service and is currently pursuing an MFA at the University of Minnesota. Her debut novel marks her as a sharp observer of displacement and girlhood in middle America. Subjects Studied: Culture and Politics Creative Writing Institutions Attended: Georgetown University University of Minnesota Selected Work: A Thousand Times Before TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? 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Indian Express
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Midnight's warrior: Salman Rushdie's literary battles on and off the page
Consciously or not, Salman Rushdie, celebrated for Midnight's Children (1981) and infamous for The Satanic Verses (1988), has consistently been a man at war. Whether battling censorship, religious extremism, or cultural hypocrisy, he has never hesitated to wield his pen like a sword. And, has paid a steep price for it: a fatwa that forced him into hiding, a lawsuit brought by a prime minister, and most recently, a knife to the eye in an assassination attempt. Over the years, the 78-year-old winner of the Booker of Bookers (1993) and the Best of the Booker (2008) has been involved in several feuds, be it with political regimes: Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini (1989) and former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, or fellow writers and literary critics: John Updike, Marathi Jnanpith laureate Bhalchandra Nemade or John Carrie. Here are some of the feuds drawn from his own pen, his Twitter account, and public record: While Indira Gandhi and Salman Rushdie never met, their cold war was relegated to literary history after the latter immortalised the former Prime Minister as 'the Widow' in Midnight's Children. She was painted as a menacing, witchlike figure with whose 'hair has a centre-parting it is green on the left and on the right black,' who imprisons and castrates the titular Children of Midnight. Gandhi was far from amused and brought a libel suit in 1984 over a line that accused her of neglecting her late husband, Feroze Gandhi, to the point of hastening his death. Rushdie defended his choices: 'Literature can and must give the lie to official facts.' In an interview, he laughed off Gandhi's outrage: 'You are having a quarrel with a fictional character, with a boy who has a nightmare about a widow when he's a child, and then feels that she comes to life … don't ask me, ask him.' He was satisfied that the label 'Widow' had entered popular usage: 'It's always very nice to give an insult to the English language.' While Gandhi's legal team demanded redress, Rushdie said, 'I felt that I should have sent her a thank-you telegram for having completed my novel for me,' he quipped, referring to Gandhi's decision to end the Emergency and call elections, which allowed him to conclude the novel as he wished. In 2006, John Updike opened his New Yorker review of Shalimar the Clown with a groan. 'Why, oh why, did Salman Rushdie, in his new novel, call one of his major characters Maximilian Ophuls?' The name, Updike was suggesting, made it difficult to disentangle the character from the historic German film director, Max Ophüls, and by using the name he had turned both the man and the character into a caricature. 'Why not? Somewhere in Las Vegas there's probably a male prostitute called John Updike,' responded Rushdie, in an interview with The Guardian. He went on to criticise Updike's novel Terrorist as 'beyond awful' and suggested the critic return to 'his parochial neighborhood and write about wife-swapping, because it's what he can do.' Perhaps his most enduring feud was the one with the British author John le Carré, best known for his espionage novels. It all started in 1997, when le Carré, writing to The Guardian, complained about accusations of anti-Semitism in his novel The Tailor of Panama (1996). Rushdie responded by saying that le Carré had shown little solidarity when Rushdie faced the fatwa following the publication of The Satanic Verses. From there, the exchange spiralled. Rushdie called le Carré 'a pompous ass,' and Le Carré retaliated by accusing Rushdie of 'self-canonisation.' Their very public war of words continued for weeks, through the pages of The Guardian. Two decades later, Rushdie extended an olive branch at a literature festival, saying: 'I wish we hadn't done it. I think of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as one of the great novels of postwar Britain.' Le Carré responded in kind, saying: 'If I met Salman tomorrow, I would warmly shake the hand of a brilliant fellow writer.' Thus the two British authors put the feud to bed. Grumpy old bastard. Just take your prize and say thank you nicely. I doubt you've even read the work you attack. — Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) February 6, 2015 In 2015, after Marathi novelist Bhalchandra Nemade won the Jnanpith Award, he said Salman Rushdie and VS Naipaul were 'pandering to the West' and declared that Rushdie had 'written nothing worthwhile since Midnight's Children.' Nemade was also in favour of eliminating English from Indian school curricula and dismissed the idea of Indian-English literature as inferior to vernacular writing. Rushdie took to Twitter to respond. Calling him a 'grumpy old' man, he wrote: 'Grumpy old … Just take your prize and say thank you nicely. I doubt you've even read the work you attack.' The same year, six writers—Peter Carey, Michael Ondaatje, Rachel Kushner, Teju Cole, Francine Prose, and Taiye Selasi—boycotted a PEN American Center gala honouring Charlie Hebdo, following the deadly terrorist attack on the magazine's staff. .@JohnTheLeftist @NickCohen4 The award will be given. PEN is holding firm. Just 6 pussies. Six Authors in Search of a bit of Character. — Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) April 27, 2015 Carey said the award 'went way beyond PEN's role of protecting writers against government oppression,' accusing the organisation of 'cultural arrogance.' Rushdie, a longtime champion of PEN and defender of free speech, responded with a misogynistic slur: 'Just 6 …… Six Authors in Search of a bit of Character,' he tweeted. He later said: 'These six writers have made themselves the fellow travellers of [fanatical Islam]. Very, very bad move.' Aishwarya Khosla is a journalist currently serving as Deputy Copy Editor at The Indian Express. Her writings examine the interplay of culture, identity, and politics. She began her career at the Hindustan Times, where she covered books, theatre, culture, and the Punjabi diaspora. Her editorial expertise spans the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Online desks. She was the recipient of the The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections, where she studied political campaigns, policy research, political strategy and communications for a year. She pens The Indian Express newsletter, Meanwhile, Back Home. Write to her at or You can follow her on Instagram: @ink_and_ideology, and X: @KhoslaAishwarya. ... Read More
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
From Salman Rushdie to Mira Nair: Where these 9 Indian-origin global media and literary icons studied
Indian-origin writers, poets, and media personalities have left an indelible mark on global storytelling — from reshaping modern fiction to redefining how marginalized voices are heard. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now What's often overlooked is how their academic journeys helped shape their perspectives, sharpen their language, and fuel their global influence. Here are 9 Indian-origin literary and media icons — and the schools and universities that helped launch them into the world stage. Salman Rushdie A towering figure in global literature, Salman Rushdie is known for blending magical realism with deep political and historical themes. Notable works: Midnight's Children , The Satanic Verses Education: School: Rugby School, UK Rugby School, UK University: King's College, University of Cambridge – BA in History Rushdie's classical British education combined with his South Asian roots created the perfect storm for his postcolonial and magical realist fiction. His time at Cambridge exposed him to historical frameworks that would shape the narrative structure of Midnight's Children . Jhumpa Lahiri Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri has redefined diaspora fiction with her elegant, introspective storytelling. Notable works: Interpreter of Maladies , The Namesake Education: Undergrad: Barnard College, Columbia University – BA in English Literature Barnard College, Columbia University – BA in English Literature Graduate: Boston University – MA, MFA, and PhD in English and Comparative Literature Lahiri's deep academic grounding in English literature, followed by formal creative writing training, allowed her to develop her precise style — one that powerfully explores diaspora identity. Arundhati Roy Arundhati Roy is both a celebrated novelist and a fearless activist, using her voice to challenge injustice through fiction and non-fiction alike. Notable works: The God of Small Things , The Ministry of Utmost Happiness Education: Schooling: Corpus Christi School, Delhi Corpus Christi School, Delhi College: Delhi School of Architecture Roy's background in architecture taught her how to structure space and story — evident in her complex, multi-layered narrative style. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Her formal training gave her an artistic eye and an activist's soul, both of which define her work. Amitav Ghosh A global literary figure, Amitav Ghosh is known for weaving history, politics, and ecology into sprawling, ambitious novels. Notable works: The Ibis Trilogy , The Shadow Lines Education: Undergrad: St. Stephen's College, Delhi – History St. Stephen's College, Delhi – History Postgrad: Delhi School of Economics – MA Delhi School of Economics – MA PhD: Oxford University – Social Anthropology Ghosh's work is deeply informed by his academic journey across history and anthropology. His novels are meticulously researched, and his educational foundation allows him to write richly about colonialism, trade, and climate. Kiran Desai The daughter of celebrated author Anita Desai, Kiran made her own mark in the literary world with a Booker Prize-winning novel at just 35. Notable works: The Inheritance of Loss Education: Undergrad: Bennington College, USA Bennington College, USA MFA: Columbia University – Creative Writing Desai studied creative writing at some of the top literary programs in the U.S., developing a quiet, nuanced voice that explores displacement, immigration, and postcolonial identity. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni A poet, novelist, and academic, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is known for blending mythology and feminism into stories that resonate globally. Notable works: The Palace of Illusions , The Mistress of Spices Education: Undergrad: University of Calcutta University of Calcutta Postgrad: Wright State University (MA), University of California, Berkeley (PhD in English) Divakaruni's fusion of mythology and feminist storytelling is backed by decades of literary education. Her writing bridges East and West, offering Indian narratives to a global audience with poetic precision. Mira Nair An award-winning filmmaker, Mira Nair has brought Indian stories to international audiences with emotional depth and social commentary. Notable works: Monsoon Wedding , The Namesake Education : Undergrad: University of Delhi – Sociology University of Delhi – Sociology Graduate: Harvard University – Visual and Environmental Studies Though primarily known as a filmmaker, Nair's roots are in storytelling and social analysis. Her studies at Harvard helped her merge documentary realism with cinematic narrative — a style seen in her adaptations of literary works. Fareed Zakaria Fareed Zakaria is a globally recognized political commentator and journalist, known for his intelligent, balanced analysis of world affairs. Notable works: The Post-American World , In Defense of a Liberal Education Education: Undergrad: Yale University – BA in History Yale University – BA in History Graduate: Harvard University – PhD in Government Born in Mumbai, Zakaria pursued history at Yale, where he was editor of the Yale Political Monthly and a member of the prestigious Scroll and Key society. He later earned a PhD in government from Harvard under the mentorship of Samuel P. Huntington. His elite academic training in political theory and international relations laid the foundation for his globally respected journalism. Meera Syal An accomplished writer, actress, and comedian, Meera Syal's work explores the British-Asian experience with humour, empathy, and sharp social insight. Notable works: Anita and Me , Goodness Gracious Me (TV) Education: University: University of Manchester – English and Drama With a degree in both literature and performance, Syal blends comedy, cultural commentary, and emotional depth in her work. Her education helped her develop a unique voice in both literature and screenwriting that resonates with diasporic audiences. Education played a powerful role in shaping the worldviews and voices of these literary and media icons. Whether through literature, screenwriting, poetry, or journalism, their words continue to travel across cultures — reflecting their roots and reimagining the future.
Indian Express
25-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
What solution does Delhi's Central Ridge have for restoration
'I shouldn't presume that you all know what ruttputty means. Some would use it to describe the ratatat of a car, for example, or a washing machine that's on its last legs. But it is a word I grew up with. When I looked it up on Google, it cited a dictionary saying that Salman Rushdie used the word in Midnight's Children, using it to describe something that is ramshackled, rundown, or dilapidated,' says filmmaker and environmentalist Pradip Kishen. Kishen was the guest speaker for the Living Landscapes series, initiated by architect, writer and photographer Anuj Srivastava, which was started in 2024. The previous talks by experts were themed on the Aravalli Biodiversity Park, the Mehrauli Archaeological Park, the Lodhi Gardens, the India International Centre gardens, as well as the monsoon gardens of Rajasthan. On June 18, complementing Kishen's talk was a panel discussion with architect and urban designer KT Ravindran, environment and forest analyst Chetan Agarwal, moderated by Srivastava. Kishen's association with the Ridge goes back four decades. At the start of his presentation was a blue 'ruttputty' car covered with green creepers which was a dystopian analogy of the Central Ridge (C Ridge). While most of Delhi's citizens would be familiar with this woodland, the purpose of the talk was to track the degeneration over the years and the recent rehabilitation of its native ecology. The Ridge covers about 850 hectares, with half of it controlled by Delhi's forest department. Kishan spoke of William P Mustoe, the Superintendent of Horticulture Operations as part of (Edwin) Lutyens' cabinet, who designed New Delhi. It was Mustoe who proposed the invasive Neltuma Juliflora (Vilaiti keekar), an alien but sturdy tree. At the time, the question of the hour was to decide the location of the Viceroy's House. Viceroy Hardinge settled on the construction of the present-day Rashtrapati Bhavan in a stretch of land (or here, a forest) which overlooks the entire city. By 1912, as Delhi was being planned, the Ridge came to be known as an 'amenity forest'. It was, at its core, meant to resemble the countryside the British were used to and make them feel at 'home'. It got the status of a reserved forest in August 1914 and an area of 450 hectares was marked for planting. A Punjab-based forester, Richard Parker, records the resilience of the native shrubs. Kishan held the opinion that restoration using natural regeneration could have worked instead of introducing new plants such as jamun and sheesham which require moisture and deeper soil, which the C Ridge was incapable of providing. Currently, the Ridge is rife with encroachments. Kishan, though, is hopeful of transforming as was done in the Mangarbani forest, in Haryana, with the dhau. A 'habitat specialist', it is capable of growing on steep slopes, can regenerate from its own stem, and grows sideways as well, forming green carpets along a rocky terrain. During the panel discussion, Ravindran spoke of the further degradation that came with the metro construction. It led to the never-ending debate upon the tradeoff between preserving natural ecology over development. Agarwal spoke of the importance of informed opinions for restoration and revival of the now lost natural vegetation. The experts collectively felt the only recourse was judicial and citizen action complemented by protection bodies that could work towards a masterplan for the C Ridge that would be a more solution-oriented way. Hia Mehra is an intern with the Indian Express
