When cable TV invaded our homes, in the name of content we had conspiracies, murders, shape shifting snakes, reincarnations, one-night stands and promiscuity shoved down our throats- all in the name of TRP. A TV czarina had gone on record saying that she made these serials for masses and that’s what they wanted. I lived in Doordarshan nostalgia when the content was way ahead of its time. It saddened me to see the sharp decline of the Indian television and

Often doing nothing leads to doing something meaningful from my latest experiences. Which lead me think and read deeply about this concept . Sri Sri Ravishankar of the art of living says “ Meditation is the delicate art of doing nothing “ I somehow agree fully to his quote . The term “Dolce far Niente “ an Italian concept which means the sweetness of doing nothing and another term in Dutch “Nisken “ which also means the idea of doing

Saturdays With Shivani- I Am Just A Teacher “I am just a teacher working in a school. Not an expert like you.” This statement came when I requested someone not to address me as ma’am because I do like it when I’m referred to by my first name. I replied, “If it wasn’t for my school teachers, I wouldn’t be where I am.” I added, “Our country may not care much for teachers but that can’t take away their importance.”

A newborn child is often compared with a mound of clay and the parents and teachers are the potters. As we grow older, we tend to absorb the influences around us which get catalogued somewhere in the crevices of our subconscious. Like a sculptor’s hammer and chisel, these experiences carve our personalities. While with some circumstances we may have no choice but with time we learn to filter what reaches us and for the rest we pick consciously some over

Five pointers for a wonderful retired life For someone who doesn’t know her off side from the on side, Dhoni’s retirement generated quite some curiosity and emotions in me. He has an inimitable style that reflected in the video that he shared while declaring his retirement. Anybody else in his place would have chosen to celebrate his victories in his swan song but the video begins with a picture from his first ODI where he got out cheaply and ends

This week I was invited by a school to host a webinar around the theme of patriotism. Eventually I ended up talking about partition owing to a book that I have written around it. Nonetheless, my curiosity made me Google patriotism and this is what I found. Wikipedia defines it as the ‘feeling of love, devotion and sense of attachment to a homeland and alliance with other citizens who share the same sentiment. This attachment can be a combination of many different feelings relating

As 15th August is near, my WhatsApp, like everyone else’s starts getting deluged with endless Independence greetings, some containing beautiful patriotic songs sending people of my age into the nostalgic world of sixties. Yes…..those were the days when we experienced the real fervour of patriotism. I am transported back to the year 1963–exactly 57 years back. That was the year when I, after clearing my 12th class had joined college. We were celebrating independence day in the college assembly hall.

In a country, where everyone’s business is our business, privacy is a concept that people have difficulty grappling with.  And if you try suggesting this to the parents of a teenager, more often than not they give you the look as if you’ve lost it. Why do children need privacy? Often parents are unable to see their children as individuals who have a personality of their own and end up ignoring their needs. As children grow older, their lives become

This Saturday I have some questions that have been troubling me and I am unable to find a straightforward answer. First up, a disclaimer- A self-proclaimed movie buff I may be but I have never been into hero worship. I love cinema as a medium, so much so that one of my initial columns  was on movies. I revere it like any other art form and believe with all my might that good cinema has the power to make us

Dancing has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember; the journey began with me twirling to the songs that would play endlessly on the radio at home, and I’ve only ever gotten more and more mesmerised by this art form. I’d joined Kathak classes in 4th grade and sooner than I realised, that hour of the week had become one that I would restlessly look forward to. More so than the discipline and