Latest news with #Padmini
Time of India
14 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Valmik Thapar on the tigress that made him fall in love with the wild
Valmik Thapar, conservationist and chronicler of India's wild tigers, died on May 31. In this excerpt from 'Living with Tigers', he recounts how Padmini, in the 1970s, initiated him into the Ranthambore forest and changed his life forever
The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
‘Tiger man' Valmik Thapar took train to Ranthambore in his 20s on a whim. It changed his life
Condolences poured in from all quarters for the 'Tiger Man'—a name he rightfully earned. His fight to protect India's big cats continued till the end. Thapar breathed his last at the age of 73 early Saturday. He passed away at his house on Kautilya Marg in Delhi after a battle with cancer. New Delhi: From tying a buffalo to a tree to observe the hunting behaviour of Ranthambore National Park's famous resident tigress Padmini and her cubs, to taking on his own colleague in the Tiger Task Force in the pursuit of prevention of poaching in Sariska, conservationist and author Valmik Thapar dedicated over four decades of his life to shaping India's tiger conservation programme. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that Thapar's death was a 'great loss'. 'Today's Ranthambore, particularly, is a testimony to his deep commitment and indefatigable zeal. He was uncommonly knowledgeable on a variety of issues relating to biodiversity, and not a day passed during my Ministerial tenure without our talking to each other—with me almost always at the receiving end,' Ramesh wrote in an X post. The former environment minister said that during his tenure as chairman of the standing committee, Thapar was a constant source of valuable suggestions and advice. 'We had arguments, but it was always an education to listen to him, full of passion and concern. He was truly an unforgettable one-of-a-kind,' he added. Also Read: MR Srinivasan led India's nuclear energy programme, but wanted a world free of nuclear weapons Thapar's life and work In the early 1970s, hunting tigers was a popular sport at Ranthambore. It was around then that Thapar, who was then in his 20s battling personal crises, decided to leave everything behind. He caught a train to Ranthambore, and this whim, he said, 'changed his life'. 'I didn't know anything about tigers then. But I fell in love with the beauty of the place,' Thapar said in the opening of a BBC documentary in 2024. He said that upon his arrival at Ranthambore, with the help of the park director and another pioneer in tiger conservation, Fateh Singh Rathore, he spotted his first tiger in the park. They named her Padmini. And that is how his journey began. Apart from being an astute conservationist, Thapar was also a celebrated filmmaker and author, who penned around 32 books, including Land of the Tigers—A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent, Living with Tigers and The Secret Life of Tigers. He also served in over 150 committees for tiger conservation at both the Centre and state levels. In 2005, Thapar was appointed as a member of the Tiger Task Force to look into the poaching of tigers at the Sariska Tiger Reserve. After the committee, led by environmentalist Sunita Narain, presented its report, Thapar wrote a dissent note, claiming that the task force was misrepresenting the ground realities. He asserted that tiger reserves needed dedicated zones, where human interference would not be allowed. While he was known mainly for his work around tiger conservation, he also extensively worked on wildlife conservation at large. He was very vocally critical of the Narendra Modi government's Project Cheetah, stressing that India's weather, prey-base and terrain were not cheetah-friendly. According to conservation biologist Neha Singh, Thapar was a 'fearless advocate for the tigers'. 'He was the international voice of Indian tigers for many many years,' she said. (Edited by Mannat Chugh) Also Read: Indian astrophysics giant Jayant Vishnu Narlikar reshaped our relationship with the sky
India.com
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
'Main ye nahi karungi...'; This actress rejected this superhit film after hearing
In the early 80s, a well-known actress, admired for her charm and talent, was offered a lead role in a film that would later become a massive hit. But there was a catch, a condition she wasn't willing to accept. She walked away, standing by her values. The director, furious and determined, cast another fresh face in her place. What happened next became part of cinematic history of Indian Cinema. We are sure that you must have identified her by now. If not, let us unravel the mystery for you. The Prominent Actress of the 80s Era Here, we are talking about Bollywood actress Padmini Kolhapure. The actress is best known for films like Pyaari Behna, Insaaf Ka Tarazu, Prem Rog, Pyaar Jhukta Nahin, Prawaas and many others. Meanwhile, the actress got her first role in Raj Kapoor's Satyam Shivam Sundaram in which she played role of teenager Rupa, which was immensely praised by movie lovers. When Padmini Kolhapure Refused To… In 1982, Padmini featured alongside Bollywood superstar Rishi Kapoor in Prem Rog, which turned out to be a monstrous success for her. In 1985, Raj Kapoor decided to feature Padmini in her next project Ram Teri Ganga Maili, as the two had a very amazing working experience together, but when she heard the script, she strictly refused the offer made by the greatest showman of Bollywood and said, 'Uncle mujhe maaf kariye, main ye nahin kar paungi', because there was a kissing scene in the film which made her uncomfortable. This made Raj Kapoor angry and hence he decided to never work with the actress again and gave her role to actress Mandakini. After its initial release, the film became the biggest talk of town and landed in some controversies for its kissing and bold sequences. However, this did not affect the film, which resulted in it becoming one of biggest blockbusters of that year and also made Mandakini an overnight superstar. When Padmini Opened Up About Leaving Ram Teri Ganga Maili After many years, during a session of Rajshri Unplugged, the actress opened up about the full incident. ' When Raj uncle told me about the film, there was a kissing scene in it, I had never done such roles, so I did not want to do a kissing scene. I had no problem working with Rajiv Kapoor, but I was not comfortable kissing on screen. That's why I rejected it.
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Read these 6 Girish Karnad works before you say you know Indian theatre
(Written By Prachi Mishra) Girish Karnad, wore many hats, and he wore them well. While many readers may recognize Karnad for his roles in films like Ek Tha Tiger, Chalk N Duster, and Shivaay, for him, these were merely commercial commitments, undertaken for financial reasons. His true passion and creative soul were always rooted in the world of theatre and literature. On this day, May 19, we remember the man who taught us that mythology is not dead, that history is not static, and that theatre is not just performance. Born in 1938, Karnad was not just a playwright. He was a time-traveler, a translator of gods into men and kings into symbols, a mirror-holder who turned epics into existential crises and legends into living, breathing truths. His pen didn't write plays, it set the stage on fire. Let's take a look into some of his literary works. Tughlaq, considered the chef-d'oeuvre of Karnad, is not simply about a medieval ruler. It is about every utopianist whose dream turned sour. Set in the 14th century, yet it seems fresh from the contemporary politics' perspective. It follows Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq, a visionary who thought too far ahead of his time. But the brilliance dims and the dream fades pretty soon, and the king is left stranded, exiled in his own mind. It highlights how there is a fine line between insanity and geniusness of a ruler's mind. Exploring the themes of reality vs idealism, the play traversed through concepts of idealism turning into despair and tyranny. The dreams of Tughlaq having a secular India came crashing through when hit with the religious orthodoxy of his own people. 'I am not mad. I am merely a dreamer.' And in this line lies the tragedy of every misunderstood genius. 'Where is the mind in a human being – in the head or in the body?' Published in the year 1971, Hayavadana uses Yakshagana (a traditional folk theatre form of Karnataka) elements in style and presentation. Karnad spins a tale from Indian and Western mythologies and turns it into a carnival of questions. The play revolves around the story of Padmini and her two lovers Devadutta and Kapila. But, it's not simply any other love triangle, it comes with a major twist. Two men, one woman, a divine mix-up of heads and bodies, but what follows is not confusion, but clarity. Who is Padmini's true husband – the man with her husband's head or her lover's body? The half-man, half-horse character of Hayavadana becomes more than myth, it becomes a metaphor for fractured identity in a fragmented world. Along with comic elements scattered throughout, the play explores the theme of absurdity and irony. With the straightforward line, 'Perfection is a negation of life', Karnad presents to its readers the philosophical depth of this story. 'You can kill a man. But can you kill an idea?' One of Karnad's most thought-provoking works, Taledanda (literal translation beheading) takes us back to the 12th century, to the Bhakti movement and the radical Lingayat sect. But in Karnad's hands, it's not a history lesson, it's a blazing elegy. Set during the rise of Basavanna's egalitarian philosophy, the play questions caste, orthodoxy, and fanaticism. Trying to marry a dalit girl, Kalyana, a passionate reformer, just sees the tragic collapse of the so-called structured society. Published in the year 1990, at a time when India grappled with communal politics, it felt like a mirror and a warning. The flowers of reform withered and the fire of hatred burned. The play ends with a tragic realization that radical social change invites violent backlash, raising the question – Can true reform happen without a price? 'Let me carry his soul to the heavens, even if my own burns in hell.' This line from the play will surely strike some chords even in the hard hearted people. Karnad picks a very simple plot, a tale of brothers, betrayal, ego, and endurance; emotions that are universally human. But, what sets it alight is his theatrical genius. The setting is a seven-year fire sacrifice to bring rain. But the real drought is in the hearts of men. The story revolves around Paravasu, the head priest, his father Raibhya, his brother Aravasu, and Yavakri, who returns after years of penance for divine knowledge. 'The fire burns because we feed it with lies.' With this powerful statement, Karnad tries to present critique of the hypocrisy within ritualistic religion. The play doesn't preach. It performs. It chants. It burns slowly, and when the rain comes, it isn't water, it's pure catharsis. The play later got adapted into a film titled 'Agni Varsha' (2002), directed by Arjun Sajnani and starring Nagarjuna, Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon in lead roles. Before the world knew Karnad through his awards, and before he achieved his fame, there was Yayati. Karnad was just 23 when he wrote his debut play. He reimagines the story of a king from the Mahabharata who traded his son's youth for his own aging body. But the king doesn't grow wise. The son doesn't gain enlightenment. The wife, Chitralekha, dies not for love, but for dignity. When realization dawned upon Yayati, he expressed that, 'Desire is like a fire. The more you feed it, the more it hungers.' Through this metaphorical statement Karnad underscores the unending nature of human wants. The play delves into alienation, existentialism, and intergenerational trauma, themes that now dominate literature, but he did this way ahead of the time in the year 1961. Simply put, Karnad's Yayati is not a myth retold; it's a myth re-lived. Karnad's posthumously published memoir, This Life at Play, offers a candid window into his mind. The book covers his childhood in Sirsi and Dharwad, family life, especially his relationship with his mother, his time as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, the making of his early plays, including Yayati, Tughlaq, and Hayavadana and especially his involvement in Indian theatre, cinema, and cultural institutions. All in all the book revealed the man who never feared complexity. A Rhodes Scholar who wrote in Kannada, an actor who stood at protests, a rationalist who dared to be spiritual, and a dramatist who became history. Also, we find a lot of behind the scenes or the insights into his creative process and how he strategized his work. 'Theatre gave me a life I had never imagined possible — a life at play.' This quote from the book beautifully explains his life as well as the title of this book. To conclude, Girish Karnad didn't just write plays, he sculpted mirrors of our existing society. He turned the stage into a battlefield, a confession, which always left the audience with a temple of thought, and his words still hold the same magic that it possessed years ago. (The author is an intern with The Indian Express)
Hindustan Times
10-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Ultimate nutrition guide for breastfeeding mothers: Dietician shares 24 tips for a healthy lactation period
A lot goes into a mother's health after childbirth, but the post-delivery period can be especially demanding, with the constant need to care for the baby and manage breastfeeding. At this time, mothers need to prioritise nutrition, as only with robust nutrition can one support the physical changes of postpartum recovery, maintain resilience, stay energetic, as well as boost the quality of breast milk, which, in turn, determines the baby's development. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Padmini B. V, Clinical Dietitian and HOD at Apollo Hospital in Sheshadripuram, Bangalore, explained the importance of nutrition, sharing valuable diet and hydration tips. She said, 'Nutrition adequacy is very important during breastfeeding to ensure good health for both the baby and the mother. Nutritional requirements are emphasised during pregnancy, which builds a foundation for the mother's health post-pregnancy and supports the baby's development." Dr Padmini later pointed out how mothers often end up overlooking their own needs as the baby's needs take over. But taking care of what a mother eats during this period is just as important. Dr Padmini emphasised, "The importance of nutrition is often neglected during the breastfeeding stage, as the primary focus shifts to the growing child. During breastfeeding, a well-balanced diet is essential, as this is a crucial and vulnerable stage in a mother's life. The lactation period is brief, but it is very special. A balanced diet helps in building strength and stamina for the mother, enabling her to continue caring for her children and family in the long run. Healthy eating enhances the quality of breast milk for the baby. For some women who are unable to produce enough milk, healthy eating habits can help improve breast milk secretion.' Dr Padmini shared a detailed and comprehensive guide on nutrition for breastfeeding mothers with us, covering all the essentials. Here's the guide: Make sure that your diet fulfils the recommended intake of iron, zinc, magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin E and folic acid: A gap of 2 hours after dinner is required. Include galactogogues (food substances which stimulate milk secretion). ALSO READ: Breastfeeding vs formula feeding: What's best for your newborn? Doctor explains pros and cons where it can be incorporated1 Fenugreek Seeds Veg Curry Sweet fenugreek pongalMethi LadooMethi SproutsDosa batter2 Cumin seeds Jeera RiceAkki rotiCurriesJeera Buttermilk3 Ginger Gravy vegetablesCurries4 Jaggery ChikkiLadoosPayasamDaliaMix with jaggery5 Fennel After meals as mouth freshnerVeg kurmaNon-veg gravies6 Sesame ChikiTil ladoosTil ki chutney7 Almonds Badam KheerBadam ChikiBadam halwaRoasted badam8 Garden Cress Seeds ChikkiGarden cress seeds porridge9 Milk Milk shakesSmoothieIcecreamKheers10 Garlic ChutneyVeg curriesNon-veg dishesGarlic HalwaPulav11 Shepu leaves SambarStuffed parathas Vegetable preprations 1 Fenugreek Seeds 2 Cumin seeds 3 Ginger 4 Jaggery 5 Fennel 6 Sesame 7 Almonds 8 Garden Cress Seeds 9 Milk 10 Garlic 11 Shepu leaves Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
