The front of this book's cover jacket has a smiling Rajinikanth in glitter; the back has him in a fiery-eyed Shiva-like avatar. Very apt, since his legions of fans worship Rajinikanth. A new biography of the Tamil superstar holds back the gushing and maintains a dispassionate tone. Deepa Gahlot writes.

Few contemporary Indian politicians are as polarising as Narendra Modi. Taken together, two new books – Narendra Modi: the Man, The Times' and 'The NaMo Story: A Political Life' – provide a deeper understanding of Narendra Modi. Manjula Narayan writes.

First published in July 1980, Ian Jack's profile of Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, who died on April 3, remains the best piece on the screenwriter and novelist. It is one of 40 remarkable essays in Mofussil Junction. Read the excerpt here

This selection from her grandfather Aziz’s notes, that forms a part of Chowra Makaremi’s book, highlights the Kafkaesque nature of 1980s Iran. Unravelling the knots

In this excerpt from ‘On Hinduism’, her masterly new book, Wendy Doniger traces the resurgence of Puritanism in contemporary India.

Gujarat CM Narendra Modi was quite argumentative as a child and often defied his teachers but showed leadership qualities from an early age and was mostly at the forefront of articulating concerns of his class mates, says a new book.

Politician and diplomat K Natwar Singh’s columns in Mail Today, stuffed with anecdote about everyone from Nehru to Indira Gandhi and Mountbatten, have always presented a fascinating insight into historical personalities and events, Manjula Narayan writes.

Pakistani authorities have downplayed news that former president General Pervez Musharraf crossed the Line of Control in 1999 and spent a night within Indian territory. Imtiaz Ahmad reports.

Poetry and philosophy in Khushwant Singh's latest work, The Freethinker's Prayer Book, outline the personal religion of India's longest-running columnist. Hindustan Times features exclusive excerpts from the introduction.

Excerpts from a new book by S Hussain Zaidi and Rahul Bhatt piece together a picture of David Headley, arch villain of 26/11.

He has squared off against the most fearsome of pace attacks all over the world but veteran Sachin Tendulkar jokes that it is nothing when compared to facing his wife when she is upset!

The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.

This Sunday morning was no different. I looked at the picture on the dressing table as I had done each morning of each day this past year. Yamani glancing up at me, trying to keep her serious for the studio shot...

India’s foreign policy is dictated by the neighbourhood it lives in. In his new book Pax Indica, Shashi Tharoor tells us how this can be shaped keeping its Big Brother tag and national interest in mind.