Monkeypox to FIFA fever: The Federal’s top 10 stories of 2022
As the year comes to an end, we look back on our most popular stories
At The Federal, each story — be it text, video or podcast — is published with care and a stringent adherence to facts and presentation. From politics to sports to entertainment, some of our stories went viral, catching readers’ attention for a sustained period.
Among our top news stories were our explainer on monkeypox, just when the virus began to scare the world, and an article on Uganda finding 31 mt of gold ready to be mined. Gold is never old.
We present here 10 exclusive stories, in no particular order, that set new records in terms of readership numbers.
A step-by-step explanation of the National Herald case
At the heart of the National Herald case is a publication, a company that controlled it, called AJL, and one that bought it later, Young Indian. Between these and Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, a decades-long case involving hundreds of crores of rupees has evolved. We go through it event by event.
A peek at India in 2047: Wishful thinking, but it’s the season of hope
As Independent India turned 75, we celebrated the occasion with six exclusive articles by top-notch writers. TK Arun, in his article for this series, predicted that India would be one of the world’s centres of geopolitical power by 2047. Its internal animosities would have settled down, its many languages and cultures would flourish and cross-pollinate one another, he wrote.
10% EWS quota SC ruling: ‘Caste’ has finally overtaken ‘class’
Reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections is not only a negation of the settled principle provided by the framers of the Constitution, but a clear fraud played upon the Constitution itself, wrote Justice K Chandru exclusively for The Federal.
FIFA World Cup 2022 awards, prize money: Golden Boot, Golden Ball, other winners
The Federal caught the action in Qatar with its extensive coverage of FIFA World Cup Football. Readers flocked to our site for ready reckoners, quick news updates and in-depth analyses, both in text and video formats. This particular story, on the Golden Boot and the rest of the booty, was a particularly big hit.
Stadiums fall silent after football binge, but has Qatar scored a political goal?
This one was on Qatar, too, but an opinion piece on how the Gulf nation straddled both religion and secular practices in a unique tightrope walk around the tournament. The Qatari government made sure it did not unsettle the local Muslim population which by and large remains conservative.
The Amal Neerad interview: On Mammootty, Bheeshma Parvam and Bilal
The reclusive Malayalam filmmaker opened up to The Federal, delving deep into his long association with Mammootty. He described how he pulled off blockbuster Bheeshma Parvam in the pandemic time. There is a second part, too.
From a mall in Dubai to presence in 22 countries: The Lulu story
Dubai-based retail conglomerate Lulu Group, which has a presence in 22 countries, is the brainchild of Thrissur-born MA Yusuff Ali. A household name in Kerala, the company is setting up shop in Tamil Nadu at an investment of ₹3,500 crore. We brought you the Lulu story in detail.
‘India is sinking into dark hole of hate and bigotry’: Leena Manimekalai on Kali row
The Federal spoke to Leena Manimekalai just as a controversy broke out on her poster of Goddess Kali smoking a cigarette. “It has been horrendous,” she confided. “They are attacking everyone in my crew, my family, friends and even the people who follow me on social media handles. This mob mafia violence is where we have arrived as a society.”
RRR movie review: NTR, Ram Charan pack a punch in Rajamouli’s emotional-action entertainer
“The movie gives us an all-time high till the intermission, but in the second half the director takes a detour before arriving at yet another grandiose action sequence in the climax,” said The Federal’s review of the pan-India blockbuster. “Ultimately, the film belongs to Ram Charan and NTR, they have given their heart and soul to the film.”
Kerala’s iconic restaurant Paragon to open in Bengaluru
Paragon, a Kozhikode-based eatery serving authentic Malabar dishes for the past 83 years, is on an expansion drive. Its planning branches in Kannur and Thrissur, and Chennai and Mumbai are also in the pipeline. The rest of India can’t wait. What’s on the menu?
