Author: Sharmil Shah

“Bharatno Laadakvayo Deendayal” is a refreshing chapter in Gujarati and Hindi theatre. It deserves to be experienced by thoughtful audiences and those who value artistic quality Gujarati theatre has never remained confined merely to entertainment. Over the years, it has consistently produced memorable works centred on society, culture, politics and human values. Yet amidst commercially driven and lighter themes, thought-provoking plays are rare. Rare are the productions that continue to occupy the audience’s mind long after they have left the theatre. “Bharatno Laadakvayo Deendayal” is one such extraordinary and experimental theatrical experience. The play is not merely a retelling of…

“ભારતનો લાડકવાયો દીનદયાલ” ગુજરાતી રંગભૂમિનું એક તરોતાજા પૃષ્ઠ છે. વિચારશીલ પ્રેક્ષકો અને ગુણવત્તાના આગ્રહીઓ માટે એ માણવા જેવું છે ગુજરાતી રંગભૂમિ માત્ર મનોરંજન સુધી સીમિત નથી જ. સમયાંતરે રંગભૂમિએ સમાજ, સંસ્કૃતિ, રાજકારણ અને માનવમૂલ્યોને કેન્દ્રમાં રાખીને યાદગાર સર્જનો આપ્યાં છે. પરંતુ મનોરંજનપ્રધાન અને હળવા વિષયોની વચ્ચે એવાં નાટકો ઓછાં આવે છે જે વિચારપ્રેરક હોય. આવાં નાટક જે પ્રેક્ષકોને થિયેટરની બહાર નીકળ્યા પછી લાંબા સમય સુધી વિચારતા રાખે. “ભારતનો લાડકવાયો દીનદયાલ” એવો એક અસાધારણ અને પ્રયોગશીલ નાટ્યઅનુભવ છે. “ભારતનો લાડકવાયો દીનદયાલ” નાટક માત્ર પંડિત દીનદયાલ ઉપાધ્યાયના જીવનની કથા નથી કહેતું. આ નાટક ભારત નામના રાષ્ટ્રના આત્માને સમજવાનો એક સ્તુત્ય અને પ્રેરક…

“भारत का लाड़ला दीनदयाल” एक ताज़गीभरा अध्याय है। विचारशील दर्शकों और गुणवत्ता के आग्रहियों के लिए यह अवश्य देखने योग्य है हिंदी रंगमंच केवल मनोरंजन तक सीमित नहीं है। समय-समय पर रंगमंच ने समाज, संस्कृति, राजनीति और मानवीय मूल्यों को केंद्र में रखकर यादगार सृजन दिए हैं। लेकिन मनोरंजन-प्रधान और हल्के विषयों के बीच ऐसे नाटक कम ही आते हैं जो विचारोत्तेजक हों। ऐसे नाटक जो दर्शकों को थिएटर से बाहर निकलने के बाद लंबे समय तक सोचने पर मजबूर कर दे। “भारत का लाड़ला दीनदयाल” ऐसा एक असाधारण और प्रयोगशील नाट्य अनुभव है। “भारत का लाड़ला दीनदयाल” नाटक केवल…

पाँच हज़ार साल का साथी। ऋग्वेद में जिसका ज़िक्र है। मंदिर और सड़कें बनाने वाला। और आज? सिर्फ १.२३ लाख बचे हैं। हालारी नस्ल के मात्र ४३९ जीव। सरकार ने ५० लाख की सब्सिडी दी, पर बाज़ार नहीं बनाया। यह सिर्फ एक जानवर की कहानी नहीं है, यह हमारी सामूहिक विस्मृति की कहानी है। फ़ैक्ट बॉक्स जिस जानवर को आप गाली की तरह इस्तेमाल करते हैं, जिसे आप मूर्ख का पर्याय मानते हैं, उसके बिना न ये मंदिर होते, न ये सड़कें, न ये शहर। पाँच हज़ार सालों तक उसने इस देश का बोझ अपनी पीठ पर उठाया। और जब…

Against Disney giants and Hollywood franchises, a quiet Manipuri children’s film did the unthinkable — and won a BAFTA. And he movie is Boong On the evening of Sunday, 22 February 2026, inside London’s Royal Festival Hall, with the Prince and Princess of Wales in the audience, a first-time Manipuri director walked to the stage to accept a BAFTA, presented to her by a bear holding a jar of marmalade. It was, by any measure, one of the most extraordinary moments in the 79th EE BAFTA Film Awards. Most importantly, it belonged entirely to India! Boong, a quiet, deeply human…

A BBC journalist’s absurd hot-dog experiment has exposed a foundational flaw in the AI systems billions of people now trust as their primary source of truth By the time you finish reading this article, someone, somewhere, is feeding a fabricated blog post into the internet and watching ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini swallow it whole, repeat it confidently, and serve it up to millions of unsuspecting users as fact. This is not a dystopian hypothesis. It happened last week — and the method was so embarrassingly simple, it almost reads like a joke. Almost. A BBC journalist recently published a fascinating,…

In the heart of New Delhi, the Paharganj neighbourhood stands out not merely as a bustling bazaar but as one of India’s most concentrated hotel districts. Situated adjacent to New Delhi Railway Station, this locality has, over decades, evolved into a dense network of lodgings catering to budget travellers, backpackers, and transient visitors. Anecdotal references often cite figures upward of 5,000 hotels in Paharganj, a count backed by major travel platforms listing 5,000+ properties under ‘Paharganj hotels.’ While such a concentration is remarkable, the density of hotel infrastructure is not without global parallels. Across continents, there are urban districts some…

भक्ति और स्वाद का संगम गणेश चतुर्थी पर घर-घर में मोदक बनते हैं। इन्हें बप्पा को भोग लगाकर, परिवार मिलकर आनंद से खाते हैं। लेकिन क्या आपने सोचा है कि गणेश जी को मोदक क्यों प्रिय है? यह सिर्फ मिठाई नहीं, बल्कि परंपरा, आस्था और सेहत का सुंदर मेल है। आइए, इसके पीछे के कारण समझते हैं। पौराणिक मान्यता पुराणों में बताया गया है कि मोदक गणेश जी का सबसे प्रिय भोग है। कहते हैं कि गुड़ और नारियल से बनी इसकी भराई उन्हें बेहद पसंद है।मोदक ज्ञान और बुद्धि का प्रतीक भी माना जाता है। जैसे मोदक के भीतर…

Filmistan Studio has been an iconic symbol of Mumbai’s illustrious cinematic legacy. Located in Goregaon, Mumbai, this studio has recently been acquired by Arcade Developers for ₹183 crore. In its place, luxurious buildings will soon rise. The studio’s sprawling four-acre land will be transformed into high-end flats. While it is unfortunate that one of the city’s most significant studios is meeting its end, it seems to be the demand of the times. Let’s delve into the history of Filmistan and some of the unforgettable films associated with it. In 1943, Filmistan Studio was founded by Sashadhar Mukherjee, the grandfather of…

Once considered a secret hustle, moonlighting has now become the centre of a heated debate across India’s corporate corridors. The case of Soham Parekh — a techie allegedly holding multiple full-time jobs in the US while working remotely from India — brought the issue into sharp focus. As questions of trust, contracts, and ethics swirl, one wonders: how did moonlighting morph from a modest side hustle into a national HR flashpoint? A Glimmer in the Dark: Where It All Began The word “moonlighting” originated in mid-20th century America — a poetic reference to workers who took on night shifts to…