The Golden Pen
The biography of legendary Bollywood lyricist Anand Bakshi penned by his son Rakesh is an engaging readBy Shevlin SebastianPics: The cover of the book; (from left): Singer Mukesh, Anand Bakshi, Lata...
View ArticleFragments that hold you in thrall
The UK-based writer Farrukh Dhondy has written an absorbing autobiographyBy Shevlin SebastianWhen I first read the title, ‘Fragments Against my Ruin’, I could not understand it. But a Google check...
View ArticleThe life and times of Roger Federer
By Shevlin SebastianIn July, 2004, I was in Athens to cover the Olympic Games for ‘The Week’ magazine. One day, after a tennis match, I slipped into a small hall. Roger Federer sat on a chair on a...
View ArticleAn erotic short story on the Juggernaut app
And as my former boss told me, tongue-in-cheek, this is the closest I am going to get to former porn star and Bollywood personality Sunny Leone
View ArticleThose Days (Reminiscences of Sunil Gangopadhyay and other Bengali writers)
By Shevlin SebastianWhen I read in an online post that famed Bengali writer Sunil Gangopadhyay’s ninth death anniversary took place on October 23, my mind went back to the past: to the second floor of...
View Article'The Boat Ride'
My short story, 'The Boat Ride' set in Calcutta, has just been uploaded on the Juggernaut app. Do download it and have a read. https://www.juggernaut.in/books/boat-ride
View ArticleI don’t know their names
By Shevlin SebastianAt 6.30 a.m., as I reached the gate of my house to unlock it, by coincidence, the milk delivery man also arrived on his bike. I took out the two tokens from inside the plastic...
View ArticleIn youth’s lustrous glow, a glance at the future
By Shevlin SebastianMost evenings, after I finish my run, I go for a walk to relax my muscles. Frequently, I walk past a group of fifty-odd aspiring nurses, aged between 18-20. They have stepped out...
View ArticleNothing rude about this life
(A review of veteran journalist Vir Sanghvi’s memoir, ‘A Rude Life’)By Shevlin SebastianOne afternoon, in 2007, Vir Sanghvi, the editorial director of the Hindustan Times, strode into the Mumbai...
View ArticleAll about AMU
Mohammed Wajihuddin, a failed student of the Aligarh Muslim University, writes an engaging history about the august institutionBy Shevlin Sebastian Photos: The cover; Mohamed Wajihuddin; AMU founder...
View ArticleExcavating a dream
Everybody dreams at night. But we are unable to recall 99 percent of our dreams. But on a recent morning, I saw a black-and-white illustration of a man in a conical hat standing on a road, with the...
View ArticleLife in God’s Own Country
Anjana Menon has written a charming book about her experiences in KeralaBy Shevlin SebastianKerala may be the only place in the world where the nightgown (or nightie, in short) is used as a public...
View ArticleThe man who shook things up
In his absorbing biography, ‘The Disruptor’ – How Vishwanath Pratap Singh shook India’, veteran journalist Debashish Mukerji looks at the life and career of the former Indian Prime MinisterBy Shevlin...
View ArticleHow the mighty were humbled
Pics: The book cover; the busts of VK Mehta and Mokhtar Ali outside the office of the Port Division; Rizwanur Rehman and Priyanka TodiJournalist Sourjya Bhowmick’s book, ‘Gangster State - The rise and...
View ArticleThe arduous task of upholding justice
Former US District Attorney Preet Bharara’s book, ‘Doing Justice – A prosecutor’s thoughts on crime, punishment and the rule of law’ is an eye-opener for ordinary readers and a must-read for those in...
View ArticleWhat's in a name?
Photo: President John F Kennedy with his family sailing in the Nantucket SoundBy Shevlin Sebastian A former colleague asked me the other day, ‘How did you get the name Shevlin?” This is the first time...
View ArticleToddy: the fading elixir?
As the Kerala State Government plans to set up of a Toddy Corporation, to revive the sector, stakeholders wait for further detailsPhotos: The Mullapanthal Toddy shop; glass of toddy By Shevlin...
View ArticleIn the twilight zone
Former journalist Sooraj D Singh had a car accident. It rendered him mute and paralysed. On the 9th anniversary, his mother, Devi J.S., talks about her experiences as a care-giverPhotos: Sooraj D....
View ArticleSetting a fast pace
K Hari Kumar, at 33, has already published four books and written scripts for film and web series. His fifth, a horror novel, ‘Dakhma’ has just been publishedBy Shevlin SebastianIn December, 2018,...
View ArticleA cross-country love story
Kristina Semaskaite is probably the first Lithuanian to fall in love with a Malayali, Johnson Varghese. She plans to marry himPhotos: The happy couple; the singer Monika LinkyteBy Shevlin SebastianWhen...
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