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I would get a chance to visit her place around festive deepawali season. Earthen lamps would illuminate this spacious two-storied building in downtown opera house of south Mumbai that had entry point from the side. Tapping footsteps from small wooden stairs would announce the arrival of incoming visitors. It had a sprawling hall and row of rooms one behind the other with common alley. There was a small balcony at the edge of the hall with colored glass panes on top. With continuous streaming of visitors, main door would always remain open. A sprawling hall with cream and brown hexagonal ceramic tiles, high ceiling with a roof resting on slender wooden columns, stained glass windows, would be the place for every visitor to be ushered in. Furniture was minimal except few wooden divans and chairs in one corner. Most of the hall was occupied by spread out cushioned mattresses and decorative mats for visitors to sit down. All visitors after removing their footwear at the main door would hea...

People often cling to a storybook when it succeeds in sustaining an interest. An interest in knowing the outcome when all the little mysteries in the story plot gets subtly revealed and all the loose ends are tidied up in dramatic manner. Would a story be accepted if it spells its denouement right in the beginning of it? Would readers be eager to recommend a book if it pronounces shades of its characters and their relationship within first few pages? How would global readers accept if a backdrop of such a story were completely alien to them? ‘The God of Small things’ written by Arundhati Roy shattered all these traditional concepts of writing a novel and yet went onto win a booker prize. This book was with me almost for 6 years. My earlier two attempts to read this book turned futile when I was taken aback by confusing and complicated Kerala names of various characters and places. This chaos was further aggravated with a need to resort to a dictionary far too soon that broke the flow a...

India Pakistan cricket rivalry would begin on January 13th Level of excitement and intensity between Indo Pak matches has mellowed down to a large extent but for cricket aficionados this would be absorbing contest between pace bowling and quality batting skills. First hour of the first test would be psychological war between these two teams and will set the tone for the rest of the series. Lahore is witnessing coldest winter in the recent years and with foggy conditions, stinging pace deliveries will not just test Indian batsman but slip fielders too. There is no doubt Pakistan will choose to bowl if they win the toss. What would India do? Predictably they would also bowl but they might go otherwise to prove that their batting is strong enough for pacey wicket, as they did last time when they toured Pakistan and miserable by the end of the first day. One thing is sure, Chappell would spring a surprise or two for Shoaib Akhtar and Sami. If they manage to derail the speed express, that w...

When i was studying at SIES college in 1975-77, college was known for Prof Ramjoshi who went on to become Chancellar at Bombay University, Prof Menon who was known for his whimsical ways of Physics teaching . But i had also learnt that noted Marthi writer Mr. Vinda Karandikar also taught Marathi for Arts Faculty. Mr. Vinda Kanrandikar stayed at Sahitya Sahwas and I thought I would have an opportunity to see him during my travel from Sion to Kalanagar in route 371 bus. Often I would have a professor from arts faculty with me but then he didnt look like Mr Vinda Karandikar. I had seen Vinda's photograph in marathi books but this prof didnt resemble like him. He turned out to be Prof Bandiwadekar. My seeing vinda remained unfullfilled dream. As I read about him getting Jyanpeeth award, memories went to those initial years at SIES. मराठीतील ज्येष्ठ साहित्यिक श्री. विंदा करंदीकर यांना भारतीय साहित्यसृष्टीतील सर्वोच्च मानाचा २००३ वर्षासाठीचा ज्ञानपीठ पुरस्कार जाहीर झाल्याची बातमी आत...

No artist ever gives anything that is good or what is close to the heart. He only sales garbage to the public :(this must give jolt to art collectors !!) Wise men arguments, geniuses avoid them.( and I was under the impression that I lacked self belief at group discussions) No one can make you feel inferior without your consent ( I have stopped feeling that!!)

I dont know why LBW decidion is never considered when ball is pitched outside the leg stump ? If a ball swirling past the pads and were to dislodge the bails ,batsman is given out !! I think this is unfair to legspinners particularly Shane Warne, It's a beauty to see him getting batsman bowled by pitching the ball around the legs. But sad to see the batsman getting reprived when the ball hit the pads. What would have been tally of Warne's wickets if this rule wasn't there and how relieved the spectators would have been if they were not subjected to seeing cricket played by pads than bat. This thought came when I saw today, in Austarlia v/s South africa 3rd test , Warne getting the shaun pollack comprehensively beaten by turn and swirl and hitting it right in front of the stump but umpire Billy Bowden declared Pollock notout as the ball had just fractionally pitched out the side the leg stump. sharp eyes of Billy Bowden and correct decidion though!!