Candle in the Wind

She blazed across the tinsel sky for decades and then as if in a moment she froze like a star in the open sky. Yes, she was the star and she will always remain a star in the galaxy of cinema. That twinkling star was our beloved Sridevi, a rare woman actor who shouldered a film with the male actor as prop. She blazed the screen from a young age and was gone just like a candle in the wind. The Hawa Hawai girl lit up the screen for 50 of her 54 years of life, rode many a storm as she ruled Bollywood for years with her magic on screen. We celebrate the real Sridevi and her iconic screen presence.

There was a time when the Army was beyond reproach or review and it occupied a position of awe and admiration. But ever since the Army started being used for political positioning and the yardstick for nouveau nationalism, its exalted status seems to be under threat. In Platform, we take a look at this dangerous phenomenon.

With actor Akshay Kumar having hit the big screen with his film Padman based on the real-life story of Arunachalam Muruganantham who invented and revolutionized the use of low-cost sanitary napkins for women, we bring you the story of Deepanjali who has developed an organic and biodegradable version.

In our International coverage, we explore the mystery that shrouds North Korea. North Korea much like Cuba has been thumbing its nose at America with gay abandon. Its enigmatic ruler Kim Jong Un has caught the world’s attention not only because of his repeated threats to the US but because much of this 34-year-old dictator is shrouded in mystery. An attempt to unravel the young leader who has managed to get US President Donald Trump to engage with North Korea.

Every year, for 12 days in May, the small city of Cannes in southern France turns into a meeting place for cinema's players, would-be players and the people who report on them. In the world of film, the Festival de Cannes — known to many of us as the Cannes Film Festival — is the largest international showcase of cinematic art. In the world of the yet-to-be-discovered filmmaker, the Cannes Film Festival is a godsend. A curtain raiser.

In our Travel section, we undertake an unusual journey — Travel for a Cause. Empowerment tourism differs from ‘voluntourism’. Travellers in developing countries are often faced with the reality of people living in poverty and lacking the kinds of opportunity most travellers take for granted. Most can’t help feeling sorry, but don’t know what they can do personally to help. Established in 2015, Hands on Journeys gives you that opportunity. Based in Australia it currently runs empowerment tourism tours to Cambodia, Vietnam and India. We travel Hands-on with them.

In our backend section, our Book listing and an unusual First Lady of Fashion is sure to up your curiosity. So with summer knocking hard on our doors, its time to keep and cool and keep reading. Cheers!