Chuck Norris: The World Champion Who ‘Died’ So A Legend Could Live
When your friend looks you in the eye and tells you, “I don't want to just beat you; I want to kill you”, it's hard not to flinch. Yet, Chuck…
Valentino: The Fashion Emperor Who Made The World See Red
How do you make a woman look beautiful? Simple, Valentino Garavani would tell you: Dress her in red, add ruffles and a bowtie. “I always look for beauty, beauty,” the…
Ng Poh Tip: The Star Editor Who Towered Over Her Paper, Like None Other
“I am not the editor of a newspaper and shall always try to do right and be good so that God will not make me one,” American humorist Mark Twain…
Devaki Krishnan: First woman elected to public office in Malaysia
Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan, the first Malaysian woman elected to public service (an honour recognised in the Malaysia Book of Records), achieved eminence in Malaysian politics before the country was…
Chandramalar Chelliah: Matriarch of Malaysian police force
THE send-off was remarkable. Dressed in their full uniforms, the police officers reverently lifted the coffin onto their shoulders and carried it to the hearse nearby. Once the coffin was…
Lewis Pragasam: The Drum God Who Was Too Human
Macaques, the most brilliant of monkeys, have a habit of intimidating uninvited guests by beating the trees they are on. Chimpanzees also make crude drumming sounds to signal distress. Humans,…
Malaysia’s Mother Mangalam: New World Care in Old-School World
The 15-year-old was about to put the buttered slice of bread into her mouth, when it was yanked from her hand. “This bread belongs to Pure Life. It’s not for…
Vani Jairam: The Indian Nightingale Who Never Sung About Herself
The year was 1971. The Hindustani music world — the epicenter of what the world calls Bollywood — was enthralled by a powerful new voice that came not from a…
Johnny Loke: Coke, Ice-Cream or “Big Brother” — He Was MBSKL’s “Real Thing”
What’s in a Coke? If you asked the kids back in the 70s and 80s, they’ll tell you: “It’s the real thing” (one of the marvels of advertising, no doubt).…
Shinzo Abe: The Japanese Premier Who Was Game For Anything — Including Being ‘Mario’
Shinzo Abe had as many falls as triumphs in life. One thing was certain though: he would always pick himself up and run again. He was never afraid of trying…
Jit Murad: The Malaysian Who Pushed The Boundaries of Laughter
During the 1990s, Malaysia’s longest-serving premier Mahathir Mohamad — an authoritarian loved, despised and feared almost in equal measure by his people — was invited to an evening of comedy…
Lata Mangeshkar: “The Voice” of India and “The 8th Wonder of the World”
She was widely regarded as “The Voice” of India, and by some as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”. For decades, Lata Mangeshkar, the "nightingale of Bollywood" was India’s most…
Monica Moorthy: Behind The Smile and Glare of One of the Greatest Teachers Ever
It was still early in the school day, probably a couple of hours after the opening bell. In the corridors of Form Four (Americans would call it Grade 10) of…
Nagalingam Nagaraju: Covid’s Angel of Mercy for Food
“You do good, good will come to you. I follow this mantra,” Nagalingam Nagaraju says in an inspiring message broadcast on Malaysia's 64th Independence Day. While he wouldn’t make another…
S.P. Bala: A 40,000-Song Indian Legend
India has the distinction of producing some of the world’s greatest singers, with intensity, range and vocals that only seem to get better with each decade. S.P. Bala, who regaled…
Rishi Kapoor: Bollywood’s Ultimate Loverboy
For several decades it was difficult to imagine there would ever be a wrinkle on Rishi Kapoor’s face. A few years before his death in April 2020 at the age…
Irrfan Khan: The International Face of Bollywood
In 1986, when the director Mira Nair was scouting for her film Salaam Bombay! at the National School of Drama in New Delhi, she fixed her gaze on a young…
Sridevi: Indian Cinema Queen Who Balanced Grit With Humor
Throughout the 1980s, the Bollywood film star Sridevi was the undisputed queen of Indian cinema, often eclipsing the male actors she starred with. In breaking through this glass ceiling, she…
Vinod Khanna: The Maverick Bollywood Hero
Vinod Khanna belonged to the second wave of Punjabi heroes who ruled Bollywood - known as "Partition Punjabis". His family hailed from Peshawar in Pakistan and had moved to India…
Om Puri: The Bollywood Face Of The West
As an actor, Om Puri exuded reassuring warmth and gravitas over a long career divided between Bollywood and Hollywood. At home, his Hindi hits included the political comedy Jaane Bhi…