News Broadcasting
In the Shadow of Freedom – A Liberating Love Story by Laxmi Dhaul
MUMBAI: Author Laxmi Dhaul’s book was launched in Mumbai on October 3, at the Godrej Dance Academy, NCPA.
The launch started with a 10-minute video clip on the book explaining the time line in History from 1930. The protagonist of the book Ayi Ganpat Tendulkar went to Germany in the 1920’s to study and the book revolves around his stay in the Weimar Republic in Germany till Hitler came into power. Tendulkar returned to India in 1939 and met and falls in love with a freedom fighter Indumati Gunaji with whom he joins the independence struggle. The war breaks out soon after and after five long years they are finally married with Gandhiji’s blessings after several conditions are imposed on them.
Dileep Padgaonkar described Tendulkar as an incurable romantic as the book describes his 4 marriages and also his brilliant mind and linguistic genius. He described how he personally came across Tendulkar, whilst reading the biography of Fritz Lang, a famous Hollywood Director who along with his wife Thea von Harbou had made epic German movies such as ‘Metropolis’ and ‘M’. Thea von Harbou married Tendulkar on Fritz Lang’s departure to Hollywood. Padgaonkar read that Tendulkar was from Belgaum, and was able to
trace the author Laxmi Dhaul and realise that their family had been friends for 3 generations!
Suhel Seth read 2 passages from the book in his wonderful theatrical style and made the book come live for the audience! The first piece was the incident when Ayi Tendulkar met Thea von Harbou for the first time. Anil Dharker opened the discussion on Thea von Harbou’s admiration of both Hitler and Gandhi and wanted to know from the author why she had taken so long to write this book, which was an important document in that chronicled the period of World War 2 and India’s independence struggle.
Vijay Crishna was among the noted faces present at this very graceful evening
Brief about In the Shadow of Freedom:
The book is a daughter’s testimony to the love story of her parents and the hardships and sufferings that one faced during the time of Independence for India.
Ayi Ganpat Tendulkar and Indumati Gunaji would probably have remained just footnotes in the annals of Indian history had their daughter, Laxmi Tendulkar Dhaul, not written In the Shadow of Freedom, a riveting account of their lives and marriage. Tendulkar Dhaul’s parents could not have been more different from each other but they still managed to forge a relationship that was not only ahead of its time but also unique in its emotional architecture.
Indumati Gunaji was in her 20s, a simple girl from a sheltered though enlightened Saraswat Brahmin family, when she fell in love with her future husband. A freedom fighter and Mahatma Gandhi’s follower since her youth, Gunaji could not have been more different from her dashing lover, a thoroughly Westernized man known for his sartorial elegance and a taste for the finer things in life, including a red Mercedes, which he drove around the small town of Belgaum (Karnataka), where he first met Gunaji in the late 1930s. This is a story of how love was sacrificed till India was liberated. It is about emotions, empathy, priorities and moreover pure, defiant love.
News Broadcasting
News18 India launches Command Centre war explainer with Arya
New show shifts from debates to decoding global conflicts and impacts
MUMBAI: News18 India has rolled out a new war-focused programme, Command Centre, featuring Gaurav Arya, as it looks to offer viewers a sharper, more grounded take on global conflicts amid rising tensions in West Asia.
Positioned as an “insider war room”, the show moves away from conventional panel debates and instead focuses on explaining military developments, decoding strategy and connecting global events to their everyday impact, from fuel prices to economic shifts.
The format leans heavily on visuals and data. The studio has been designed like a command hub, complete with large LED war maps, real-time graphics and an alert system to track developments as they unfold.
At the centre of it all is Arya, who brings his military background to simplify complex war strategies for viewers. His signature line, “Seedhi baat samjhiye”, anchors the show’s promise of clarity over noise.
News18 India managing editor Jyoti Kamal said, “Command Centre, featuring Major Gaurav Arya is designed to deliver accurate insights and a clear perspective on how evolving conflicts impact everyday life, from household budgets to national security. With expert voices analysing every development in real time, the show goes beyond headlines to decode what’s happening now, what it means, and what could come next.”
Echoing the intent, Gaurav Arya added, “In times of war, confusion is the biggest threat. With News18 India’s Command Centre, we are bringing viewers inside the war room, decoding strategies, tracking every escalation, and explaining, in the simplest terms, what it means for India and for every household. Seedhi baat samjhiye, this is where you understand not just what is happening, but what happens next.”
The weekday show will air in the afternoon slot and will also feature Gaurav Shukla, adding to its editorial depth.
With its mix of analysis, visuals and a clear focus on impact, the show reflects a broader shift in news consumption. Viewers are no longer just watching events unfold, they are looking to understand what those events mean for them.
