Zatalli: The Urdu Satirist Who Was Strangled To Death With A Shoelace
byZatalli, the Urdu satirist was executred for lampooning Emperor Farukkh Siyaar. His story reminds us that freedom of expression comes with a heft price tag.
Biography
Graeme: Cricket’s Goldsmith
byGraeme Smith always knew that it was one thing to reach the summit, but another to sustain it. He’s a rare cricketing jewel too.
Ian: Both Good & Bad
byIan Botham, at his peak, was more than one man: a three-in-one wizard.
Clarrie Grimmett: Cricket’s First Newton
byClarrie Grimmett, the legendary Aussie leg-spinner, invented the flipper.
Arjuna Ranatunga: Napoleon Of Cricket
byVersatility was Arjuna Ranatunga’s forte. In a given situation, he could be relaxed, defiant, or bohemian.
Mark Waugh: The Aussie Who Waved The Magic Willow
byMark Waugh, who scored three centuries in a single World Cup event—the first-ever to do so—was a virtuoso batsman.
Steve Waugh: The Cricketing Thoroughbred
bySteve Waugh was a legend; a cricketing visionary.
Sachin Tendulkar: The Don Of His Age
bySachin Tendulkar’s astounding cricketing prose was adorned by the dainty rhythms and cadences of poetry. This made him a genius — a legend like no other.
Michael Madhusudan Dutt: A Poet Who Lived Life on His Terms
byInspired by Wordsworth & Milton, Madhusudhan Dutt created powerful verses that remain the greatest offering to Bengali literature.
Ahmed Kathrada’s Fight Against Racial Injustice
byAhmed Kathrada, ‘Uncle Kathy’ as he was called, gave up most of his adult life to liberate black people from the yoke of white minority rule.
Colin Cowdrey: Delightful Elegance & Aplomb
byColin Cowdrey, the inventor of the ‘paddle’ sweep-shot, was sophistication personified.
Salim Durani: The Moody Genius
bySalim Durani was a cricketer extraordinaire. He’d do anything, with a touch of genius, when he was in his own zone — the Durani precinct
D(r)avid, The Goliath
byRahul Dravid’s art & science of batting was a revelation by itself — a transcendental equation between elegance & the divine.
Kapil Dev: Hurricane Was His Middle Name
byIndia’s trump-card in Test and one-day cricket, Kapil Dev’s highpoint emerged when he led India, an unfancied side, to an incredible victory in the 1983 World Cup.
Helen Simmons: The Australian Princess Of Hyderabad
byThe story of Helen Simmons and Mukkaram Jah ended quite tragically.