Patralekha Chatterjee

Apr 26, 2010
Patralekha Chatterjee

Patralekha Chatterjee

Patralekha Chatterjee

Can Didi set a healthy example?

The bylanes of Kalighat, one of the oldest and most densely populated neighbourhoods of Kolkata, the white cotton sari with a slim border and flip flops (more bluntly called bathroom slippers) — Mamata didi has successfully converted these into hot talking points. Now, one eagerly waits for her to do the same to West Bengal’s healthcare system.

Why they want a saviour

There is no getting away from Baba Ramdev. Even in a Thai island, one is kept informed about the life and times of the fasting and furious yoga guru, a 46-year-old man with a flowing black beard in trademark saffron, who not only has a mass following — some 20 million-plus viewers in India tuning in to his early morning television show

Rape & hypocrisy

We may be thousands of miles away from the scene of action, and the culture wars across the Atlantic, but very few urban Indians today will ask “Dominique Strauss Kaun?”
A globalised world of satellite television and the Internet produces scandals without borders. So, one of the most memorable images of the past week — that of an unshaven, manacled Dominique Strauss-Kahn

Mother’s Day sop

Here is a heretical thought. Being a mother is good and great. Only a killjoy will say no flowers, no home-made card or no treat on Mother’s Day. But now that we are done with that fuzzy, touchy-feely moment, one can be blunt. Glorifying motherhood alone will not save mothers.

Candles for midnight’s children

If a group of legislators in Nevada, United States, have their way, there will soon be a law banning candles in public places (along with air fresheners) in that state, because, err, the fragrances can annoy some. Fortunately, New Delhi is not Nevada, but candlelight rallies, even of the unscented variety, seem to irk a lot of people

Why Anna gives it those ones

Anna Hazare and his mop-up team have busted one of the fondest myths in this country — no matter what you do, nothing is ever going to change. Call those who gathered in the big cities and small towns across India, and everyone else who rallied behind the 73-year-old and his team in their battle against corruption whatever

Hungry kis liye?

“Hungry kya?” asked a memorable advertisement from Domino’s Pizza some 10 years ago. Young Hinglish-speaking urban India responded heartily. But the trouble is, not enough people ask “Hungry kaun?” and “Hungry kis liye?” This question of what we, and especially our children, are actually eating and not eating is becoming more and more critical.
Last week, it popped up at a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-supported event, billed as the “TEDxChange@TEDxDelhi”.

Safety last, we are Indians

As I write this column, Japan is fighting to contain what could be the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 25 years after the cooling failed at a third reactor. Already crippled by an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter scale, and a tsunami, this is the first nuclear emergency with 24x7 television coverage, tracked on the Web, twitter and across social media sites.

It’s 5/10

Dear Pranab Babu,

If octogenarians were the only people rating your Budget, you would surely have fared far better than you did with some of the pundits appearing in television panel discussions who have given you four or five out of 10. Your understanding and concern for our elderly, especially the very senior citizens, is indeed touching, and reflected in the measures you just announced: tax exemption limit raised to `5 lakhs a year, and old age pension up from `200 to `500 for those over 80.
G

Sex and sanuk

With Egypt in turmoil, the Arab world abuzz with expectation, oil traders on edge and a pall of uncertainty hanging over global markets, it may seem an odd moment to talk about relaxation techniques. But a crisis hour is precisely when one taps into stress-busters. And my vote goes to the Thai message of sanuk which loosely translates to playfulness or an inherent sense of fun.

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I want to begin with a little story that was told to me by a leading executive at Aptech. He was exercising in a gym with a lot of younger people.

Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen didn’t make the cut. Neither did Shaji Karun’s Piravi, which bagged 31 international awards.

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