On the 64th birth anniversary of our nation, t2 helps you decode the spirit of independence — through movies and music, books and tv shows, people and places.... with a touch of the tricolour in your i-day wardrobe and the power of number 64. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

As India turns 64, t2 takes a look at some significant signposts for this number. Can you add to the list? tell t2@abp.in

The Kama Sutra contains 64 sexual positions. Vatsyayana, the Vedic philosopher who is believed to have written this immortal treatise between the 1st and 6th century, says there are eight ways of making love, multiplied by eight positions within each of these. In the book, these are known as the 64 “arts”.

There are 10 chapters on sexual union in the Kama Sutra, but the chapter listing sexual positions is the most well-known. (Why are we not surprised?!) This portion has been translated so many times and by so many people that it is commonly mistaken to be the entirety of the treatise.

Only about 20 per cent of the Kama Sutra is devoted to sexual positions. The remainder is a guide on how to be a good citizen as well as insights into men and women in relationships.

So, while you read up on the magic number on the 64th anniversary of Indian Independence, do learn a little about the “good citizen” bit too!

Numerologically, it’s supposed to be a good year for the country as 64 adds up to 10 (6+4), which gives us the number 1, a powerful number governed by the sun. Says numerologist Nilaanjana Chakraborty, “One is always a strong number, a positive number. It sometimes stands for harmony. Hence, we can expect great things for India this year. It is a significant year for advancement in all fields, be it medical or scientific. India will attract a lot of attention. It is a year of domination as well. But India will have to strive for balance.”

A chessboard consists of 64 squares, arranged in eight rows and eight columns, set in two alternating colours (light and dark). Chess is commonly believed to have originated in northwest India during the Gupta empire, where its early form in the 6th century was known as Chaturanga. Our chess tradition remains distinctive and diverse — from Shatranj Ke Khiladi to Viswanathan Anand, from the Alekhine Chess Club to the I-Day chess championship under the Gariahat flyover!

some 64-year-olds who the nation knows about. add to the list at t2@abp.in

Sonia Gandhi (December 9, 1946)

The most powerful person in the country. From ordinary Italian origins to fairy-tale romance to personal tragedy to the rough and tumble of Indian politics. She is the longest-serving president in the 126-year-old history of the Congress. This I-Day she would be recuperating from a hush-hush surgery in the US.

Simi Garewal (October 17, 1947)

Two months shy of 64, this “lady in white” has always sizzled on screen, be it as Mary in Mera Naam Joker, Kamala in Siddhartha, Kamini in Karz or Duli in Aranyer Din Ratri. She became our chat show queen with Rendezvous long before KJo came along with his Koffee. Now she is digging celeb gold and dirt on her chat show India’s Most Desirable.

Salman Rushdie (June 19, 1947)

A rich body of work, several awards, including the Booker and the Best of Booker, a fatwa, four marriages, a string of link-ups… whew! This Indian-origin British novelist who gave us Midnight’s Children and so much more still has a way with words and women. The world eagerly awaits his next novel... and nuptials.

Chetan Chauhan (July 21, 1947)

The Delhi opener who spent the longest time with Sunil Gavaskar in the middle. Ten century partnerships with the great man booked Chauhan’s place in Indian cricket history. Today, he is a cricket expert on news channels.

Rakhee (August 15, 1947)

A real midnight’s child. Born on the day India awoke to freedom, Rakhee brought a rare take-me-as-I-am poise to starry Bollywood. With around 100 films in her kitty, this National Award winner will be remembered for her roles in Sharmilee, Kabhi Kabhie, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Trishul, Shakti, Paroma, Shubho Mahurat… the list goes on and on. Now she’s almost a recluse, living on the fringes of Mumbai, immersed in agriculture!

Sharmila Tagore (December 8, 1946)

This “Kashmir ki kali” started her career at 14 with Satyajit Ray and has come a long way from the coy Aparna in Apur Sansar to the first bikini-clad Bolly actress in An Evening in Paris to the wow mom to Deepika Padukone in Break Ke Baad. Wife to Tiger Pataudi and mother to Saif and Soha, Sharmila remains a role model for many Indian women.

Cheeni Kum

And how can we forget the sexiest 64-year-old — Amitabh Bachchan’s Buddha (Buddhadev Gupta) in Cheeni Kum? The egoistic, pony-tailed chef who is told off by Tabu (Nina) for his Hyderabadi Zafrani Pulao. Love happens, but Buddha turns out to be six years older than Nina’s father, played by Paresh Rawal! Moral of the story: age is just a number. (Provided you can run the breadth of a park in London!)