Hundreds of guests, multiple parties in Hyderabads top hotels and a banquet at the luxurious Taj Falaknuma Palace. The recent wedding of Telangana Special Chief Secretary Rajat Kumars daughter, Anjali Kumar, was a five-day affair fit for royalty. Now, a detailed investigation by TNM has revealed that a significant part of the gala was billed to a mysterious company BigWave Infra Private Limited. The search for the address of the company led us to a house in Bahadurpura area of Hyderabad's old c

Music Karthik Krishnan, who goes by the name The Humble Musician, uses such straightforward lyrics to question the system that it is hard not to pay attention. Cris More than any speech he made, a short rap song would get people to listen to him, Karthik Krishnan knew. The first time he wanted to say something, for people to react, he tried speaking about it. It was listened to, but not in the way the rap worked. One by one, his songs came out bashing early marriages, dowry and gender roles al

The cabinet decision of the Telangana TRS government to introduce English medium in all the government schools from 2022-23 academic year is a masterstroke to stop the expansion of the BJP in the state. English medium education along with Amma Vodi programme (a flagship scheme whereby every mother or a recognised guardian in the absence of the mother is entitled to financial assistance for her child/childrens education from class 1 to class 12) in the neighboring Andhra Pradesh has become so pop

HUMAN INTEREST Martial arts practitioner and bodybuilder Abheeshs videos, which are strikingly similar to Tovinos superhero stunts from Minnal Murali, went viral online after the release of the film. Saradha U Photographer Rajeev Prasad Minnal Muralis Jaison, a fictional superhero, and 38-year-old Abheesh P Dominic, a native of Poonjar in Keralas Kottayam, have a lot in common. Both of them have the physical strength to single-handedly pull a bus. They can break bricks with the force of their wr

Technology After news of their metaverse wedding reception went viral, Dinesh SP talks to TNM about planning his virtual reality wedding. Sreedevi Jayarajan Picture this: a traditional wedding takes place in Tamil Nadus Krishnagiri district. Nadhaswarams blare in the backdrop and guests ecstatically throw flowers and rice on the couple, as the groom brings the yellow mangalsutra closer to the brides neck and ties it around her. The guests and the newlyweds then walk to the dining area to polish

Interview In an interview with TNM, Megha Rao talks about the world of her book Teething, its characters and plot, her process and relationship with the craft, and more. Saradha U Photo by Harsh Jani Kerala-based poet Megha, who is three books old, narrates the story of three children and their dysfunctional familys past traumas, through poetry or scattered memories as she calls it, in her latest book Teething. In the book, the confessional poet takes readers through a pleasantly comforting and

LGBTQIA+ The calendar for 2022-23 features the artworks made by Tamil queer artists that reflect on the lives of members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Saradha U Instagram/ IQueer, artist Madhan When Muhil and DK went on an Instagram live to talk about the queer community on June 1 last year, little did they know that in a few months down the line, it would lead to a collective of queer people. As Muhil and DK continued hosting sessions, the viewership kept growing. Once they switched to Clubhouse,

Interview In an interview with TNM, Raveendar Reddy talks about what goes into recreating a particular time period for a movie and his journey in the Telugu film industry. Rajeswari Parasa Radhe Shyam production designer Raveendar and actor Prabhas After spending nearly two-and-a-half years identifying the right locations, creating stunning sets and painstakingly figuring out the visual elements for the pan-India project Radhe Shyam, production designer Raveendar Reddy is taking a well-deserved

Music Despite lacking a music background, Roll Rida became a household name through his rap songs. Some of his independent work like Patang, Raadhu, and Arupu have clocked millions of views on YouTube. Rajeswari Parasa By Arrangement/Roll Rida It all started in 2006, when the Roll Rida liked a girl in his intermediate class and he was misinformed that she likes rap songs. Soon, he went to the internet cafe, paid Rs 25 for a session, downloaded rap songs into a CD and took at least a week to lear

Tamil Nadu is considered to be one of Indias most developed states. In any metric that is growth related or based on socioeconomic development, Tamil Nadu ranks as one of the best states in the country. This is unique in India, where many states have either managed to focus on growth or social-economic development, but never both. Tamil Nadu is also an industrialised and urbanised state and capitalised on the IT and automobile boom early on. In fact, 17% of all industries in the country are loca

Women's Power Fibrent was founded in 2019 as the brainchild of Oxfam India and RIGHTS, a Thiruvananthapuram based NGO working among Keralas Dalit and Adivasi communities. Mrudula Bhavani All Images: Mrudula Bhavani/Oxfam India Sixty-five-year-old Annamma is the eldest among a group of women entrepreneurs in Thiruvalla in Keralas Pathanamthitta district who began producing handicrafts using bamboo. These products range from lampshades to hangers and pen stands to mazhamooli (a musical instru

Culture In the wake of the Meendum Manjapai campaign launched by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, we revisit how the vibrant yellow-coloured bags have been an essential part of Tamil households. Saradha U File photo Thirty-eight-year-old Panchavarnam, a tailor based in Tamil Nadus Madurai, recalls nostalgically, I have seen my father carry medicines and groceries in themanjappai. I too use it for similar purposes. Since it is associated with our heritage, itd be great if we continue using it

Culture In parts of Nizamabad, Kamareddy, and Karimnagar districts of Telangana, families and friends come together to share in the bounty of freshly yielded grains and celebrate the harvest that has been reaped. Charan Teja Images: Charan Teja The end of each year in northern Telangana is marked by the paddy harvest coming in. The women from the farming communities cut the crop, which they had carefully sowed and watched over the entire season, and proceed to separate the grain from the husk. T

Books The story features in Chilean writer Benjamin Labatuts book When we cease to understand the world, shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2021. Cris MP Prasad was only 32 years old when he was conned and lost a small fortune. The goldsmith in Palakkad died by suicide in 2006 but thats not the reason he became posthumously famous. Prasad is reportedly the only person to have documented the taste of Potassium Cyanide, the poison that was supposed to kill one instantly, before dying. Fourteen ye

The night before she died, Shakuntala fretted about her daughters future, like she did occasionally. Widowed early in life, the single mother from a Chakkiliyan family categorised as a Scheduled Caste in Kerala had brought up her two children with the money she made as a domestic worker in Pudur village in Keralas Attappady. Her biggest wish was to see her daughter get married and become a teacher, says Raman, Shakuntalas brother, as his niece sits across the hallway with her books. On March 2

Books This is an excerpt from Puja Changoiwala's book 'Homebound', a novel about the COVID-19 migrant exodus in India. Puja Changoiwala We treaded along the access road to the Eastern Express Highway,and as we crossed the Sion Fort, my heart lost strength. Baba wouldtake us to the old castle on many Sundays. Seated atop a hillock,the fortress offers a panoramic view of our alpha world cityitshulking concrete, its human ocean, and its triumphalist displays ofsmoke-belching factorie

This is a simple explainer of a big problem most of us dont realise exists, and an appeal for all of us to demand better. So, stick with me. In primary school civics lessons, when we are introduced to concepts like democracy and to the Indian Constitution, we are taught that there are three pillars of democracy in India. The Legislature, the Executive, and the Judiciary have separate functions and powers. The Legislature that is the Parliament and state Assemblies make laws; the Executive tha