Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan makes his debut as a singer in his much-awaited film "Kites", for which he rehearsed 24/7 -- be it while brushing his teeth or taking a shower.
"Early in the morning, I would start with my sa re ga ma... right from the time I would wake up to brushing my teeth to taking the shower, all the time I sang with hand movements trying to reach the highest scale and the lowest note," Hrithik said.
The song "Kites in the sky" is in English and will be launched on national television along with behind-the-scenes footage March 29 at 9.30 p.m.
"I was nervous to make my debut as a singer, considering I come from a family that is well known in the world of music, but for this very reason my chacha (Rajesh Roshan) and director Anurag Basu were most certain that I could sing," Hrithik said.
"My niece has learnt piano and she has this little Casio player which I borrowed. And I have the knack of finding any tune on any instrument. So I practiced on that for a week. Then I realized that it won't work like that and I got a professional trainer.
"I have given this song my best and honest shot but I still don't consider myself a professional singer," the 36-year-old said.
The actor, who has done hit films like "Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai", "Koi... Mil Gaya", "Krish" and "Jodha Akbar" among others, also revealed that his recording experience was different from what he expected.
"I had fallen in love with the art of shutting your eyes from the world and going in meditative state where you just sing. But when I went to the studio, it was a totally different story.
"They put you in this little compartment and you are not allowed to move because the mike is fixed. While practicing I had been so mobile. And now I was locked up in one place where I couldn't even move my legs because the breath shifts in different direction," Hrithik said.
"Finally, I told them to just switch off all the lights of the studio because I wasn't being able to get my best out. So they just blacked out the entire studio. I could not even see my mike because it was so dark. This blackout worked and helped me to come out of the inhibitions in the mind. That's how I finally worked," he added.
What does his wife Suzanne say about his new skill?
"She is obviously completely biased. She feels I am the best singer in the world. She compares me to Elvis Presley," Hrithik said.
"Kites" is a film by Reliance Big Pictures and Rakesh Roshan. It is about two lovers and their thrilling journey filled with precious moments and unexpected betrayal.
The film also stars Mexican actress Barbara Mori, It will hit the screens May 21.
Gandhinagar, March 27 (IANS) Eight years after communal riots left over 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, dead in Gujarat, Chief Minister Narendra Modi was Saturday questioned by a Supreme Court-appointed probe panel for the first time over his alleged complicity in not doing enough to stop the carnage.
Modi chose to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) without a lawyer but took a four-hour long break in between to consult Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley, a Supreme Court advocate, who is also leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, party sources told IANS.
Jaitley had flown here specially for the day.
As he emerged after a five-hour questioning, Modi said he was abiding by the Indian constitution and law which are "supreme".
"The Indian law and constitution are supreme. As a citizen and as the chief minister, I am bound by the constitution and the law. Nobody is above the law," Modi, wearing his trademark crisp white kurta and pyjama, told reporters.
The chief minister was probed following a complaint by Zakia Jaffri, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jaffri killed in the riots, that the chief minister was party to the 2002 widespread violence that swept Gujarat following a train burning in Godhra that killed 59 people in 2002.
The SIT is believed to have based most of its questions on some of the issues raised by Zakia in her 100-page petition to the Supreme Court.
According to sources, privy to the SIT questioning, some of the questions asked were:
- Did you give a Gujarat shutdown call following the Godhra incident?
- Who sent ministers to police control rooms during the riots? (Some ministers were alleged to have taken over the control rooms in Gujarat stopping police from taking any action)
- What happened at the Feb 27, 2002 meeting held by the chief minister and other senior officers for review of the situation following the Godhra train burning?
- Do you know about calls made by Ehsaan Jaffri to your office? (the Congress leader had reportedly called up the chief minister's office several times for help after his house was surrounded by rioters)
Zakia has alleged that Modi and his administration aided and abetted the rioters in Ahmedabad's Gulberg Society where over 60 people were burnt to death. The victims included Jaffri.
The first phase of the questioning went on for over five hours. SIT's A.K. Malhotra, an additional director general of police, led the questioning. Probe panel chief R.K. Raghavan was not present.
The questioning was to resume after 9 p.m. and Modi said he wanted the process to end Saturday.
The chief minister said the SIT was made up of officers from outside Gujarat. "They are clearly working under the direction of the Supreme Court."
Modi, one of the top leaders of the BJP, appeared unperturbed though he had been evading being questioned over the riots.
"I have spoken at length with the SIT. My conduct should be a fitting reply to my critics."
Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily said it was "unfortunate" for a chief minister to be in a situation like that.
"It is most unfortunate that Modi landed himself in that kind of a situation. It is not desirable but unfortunately it has happened," Moily said.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) asked Modi to step down on moral grounds.
"There is no justification for him to continue as the chief minister. He should resign on moral grounds," CPI-M leader M.K. Pandhe said.
Social activist Teesta Setalvald, who has been fighting for the riot victims, said: "It was an important day for democracy and rule of law when a sitting chief minister has been forced to appear before an inquiry team after various attempts to block justice."
Modi chose to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) without a lawyer but took a four-hour long break in between to consult Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley, a Supreme Court advocate, who is also leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, party sources told IANS.
Jaitley had flown here specially for the day.
As he emerged after a five-hour questioning, Modi said he was abiding by the Indian constitution and law which are "supreme".
"The Indian law and constitution are supreme. As a citizen and as the chief minister, I am bound by the constitution and the law. Nobody is above the law," Modi, wearing his trademark crisp white kurta and pyjama, told reporters.
The chief minister was probed following a complaint by Zakia Jaffri, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jaffri killed in the riots, that the chief minister was party to the 2002 widespread violence that swept Gujarat following a train burning in Godhra that killed 59 people in 2002.
The SIT is believed to have based most of its questions on some of the issues raised by Zakia in her 100-page petition to the Supreme Court.
According to sources, privy to the SIT questioning, some of the questions asked were:
- Did you give a Gujarat shutdown call following the Godhra incident?
- Who sent ministers to police control rooms during the riots? (Some ministers were alleged to have taken over the control rooms in Gujarat stopping police from taking any action)
- What happened at the Feb 27, 2002 meeting held by the chief minister and other senior officers for review of the situation following the Godhra train burning?
- Do you know about calls made by Ehsaan Jaffri to your office? (the Congress leader had reportedly called up the chief minister's office several times for help after his house was surrounded by rioters)
Zakia has alleged that Modi and his administration aided and abetted the rioters in Ahmedabad's Gulberg Society where over 60 people were burnt to death. The victims included Jaffri.
The first phase of the questioning went on for over five hours. SIT's A.K. Malhotra, an additional director general of police, led the questioning. Probe panel chief R.K. Raghavan was not present.
The questioning was to resume after 9 p.m. and Modi said he wanted the process to end Saturday.
The chief minister said the SIT was made up of officers from outside Gujarat. "They are clearly working under the direction of the Supreme Court."
Modi, one of the top leaders of the BJP, appeared unperturbed though he had been evading being questioned over the riots.
"I have spoken at length with the SIT. My conduct should be a fitting reply to my critics."
Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily said it was "unfortunate" for a chief minister to be in a situation like that.
"It is most unfortunate that Modi landed himself in that kind of a situation. It is not desirable but unfortunately it has happened," Moily said.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) asked Modi to step down on moral grounds.
"There is no justification for him to continue as the chief minister. He should resign on moral grounds," CPI-M leader M.K. Pandhe said.
Social activist Teesta Setalvald, who has been fighting for the riot victims, said: "It was an important day for democracy and rule of law when a sitting chief minister has been forced to appear before an inquiry team after various attempts to block justice."
Vismaya Water Theme Park is located at Parassinikkadavu at Kannur, Kerala.
Vismaya Water Theme Park is equipped with all sorts of innovative, inspiring, and totally interesting rides of International Standards for the young and the old.
Contact
Office : 91-497 - 2782850, 09447363625
Work Site : 91-497 - 2783800
E-mail : malabarpleasures@yahoo.com
How to reach Vismaya
Nearest Railway Station Kannur
Location of the Park : At 18th KM Northwards from Kannur
To Parassinikkadavu and 8th KM Southwards from Taliparamba
More than 6.6 million Bangaloreans are eligible to vote Sunday to elect a 198-member civic body of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike from some 1,300 candidates who include doctors, a transgender and people with criminal cases.
There is a Queen Elizabeth fighting on Congress ticket. Another woman contestant, Marimuthu, dubbed 'Hooch Queen' for alleged involvement in illicit liquor trade, has been fielded by the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S).
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated four with criminal records, the Congress eight and the JD-S seven. The three parties have justified their nomination saying only cases have been filed against them and none has been pronounced guilty.
The BJP is contesting in 197 wards, the Congress in 196 and JD-S in 194. The rest of the candidates are independents or belong to smaller parties.
All three parties have promised 24-hour power and water supply, better roads, drainage, street lights, slum clearance and other welfare measures to woo the voters.
The Congress has gone a step further with the promise of one free meal a day to the poor and the differently-abled (handicapped people).
The issues for voters have been almost constant for more than a decade now - better roads, end to traffic jams, uninterrupted power, adequate drinking water, better policing and check on corruption in civic bodies.
The Sunday election, the third major poll in Karnataka in two years, is seen by the three major parties as a prestige issue.
The BJP wants to rule Bangalore after capturing power in the state in the May 2008 and bagging 19 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the April-May 2009 polls.
The Congress is desperate for a morale boosting victory as it has been a down the hill story for it since it lost power in 2004.
The JD-S wants a good show in Bangalore to get over the tag of a party with support base only in rural areas.
The elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike or Greater Bangalore City Corporation are being held after a three-year delay.
Since November 2006, the city has been ruled by administrators appointed by the government as elections were put off to rework the wards to keep pace with Bangalore's expansion.
The Bangalore City Corporation, which had 100 elected corporators till 2006, became Greater Bangalore City Corporation in April 2007 with the merger of neighbouring areas which had their own City Municipal Councils until then.
Over 30,000 policemen will be on duty Sunday to ensure peaceful polling in over 6,400 polling booths. Around 1,600 booths are considered hyper-sensitive - prone to violence or irregularities during voting.
Prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more people came into force 5 p.m. Friday and will be in force till Sunday midnight. All liquor shops and bars shut doors at 5 p.m. Friday till Sunday midnight. Vote counting will take place April 5.
There is a Queen Elizabeth fighting on Congress ticket. Another woman contestant, Marimuthu, dubbed 'Hooch Queen' for alleged involvement in illicit liquor trade, has been fielded by the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S).
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated four with criminal records, the Congress eight and the JD-S seven. The three parties have justified their nomination saying only cases have been filed against them and none has been pronounced guilty.
The BJP is contesting in 197 wards, the Congress in 196 and JD-S in 194. The rest of the candidates are independents or belong to smaller parties.
All three parties have promised 24-hour power and water supply, better roads, drainage, street lights, slum clearance and other welfare measures to woo the voters.
The Congress has gone a step further with the promise of one free meal a day to the poor and the differently-abled (handicapped people).
The issues for voters have been almost constant for more than a decade now - better roads, end to traffic jams, uninterrupted power, adequate drinking water, better policing and check on corruption in civic bodies.
The Sunday election, the third major poll in Karnataka in two years, is seen by the three major parties as a prestige issue.
The BJP wants to rule Bangalore after capturing power in the state in the May 2008 and bagging 19 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the April-May 2009 polls.
The Congress is desperate for a morale boosting victory as it has been a down the hill story for it since it lost power in 2004.
The JD-S wants a good show in Bangalore to get over the tag of a party with support base only in rural areas.
The elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike or Greater Bangalore City Corporation are being held after a three-year delay.
Since November 2006, the city has been ruled by administrators appointed by the government as elections were put off to rework the wards to keep pace with Bangalore's expansion.
The Bangalore City Corporation, which had 100 elected corporators till 2006, became Greater Bangalore City Corporation in April 2007 with the merger of neighbouring areas which had their own City Municipal Councils until then.
Over 30,000 policemen will be on duty Sunday to ensure peaceful polling in over 6,400 polling booths. Around 1,600 booths are considered hyper-sensitive - prone to violence or irregularities during voting.
Prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more people came into force 5 p.m. Friday and will be in force till Sunday midnight. All liquor shops and bars shut doors at 5 p.m. Friday till Sunday midnight. Vote counting will take place April 5.
Reliance Communications has launched Unlimited Free Calls from Reliance to Reliance customers (Local and STD) in both Postpaid and Prepaid plans (GSM and CDMA).
The unlimited Reliance to Reliance free calls has been announced on the occasion of 100 Million Customers for Reliance in India.
With the Free Calling offer Reliance Mobile subscribers can make free Reliance to Reliance calls all over India without subscribing any pack for 24 Hours, but should have a minimum balance of Rs. 10 for prepaid customer.
Reliance will also launch a customized “100 Million Caller Tune” in connection with the company’s 100 Day Celebrations.
The unlimited Reliance to Reliance free calls has been announced on the occasion of 100 Million Customers for Reliance in India.
With the Free Calling offer Reliance Mobile subscribers can make free Reliance to Reliance calls all over India without subscribing any pack for 24 Hours, but should have a minimum balance of Rs. 10 for prepaid customer.
Reliance will also launch a customized “100 Million Caller Tune” in connection with the company’s 100 Day Celebrations.
The new chip embedded Platinum Debit Card provides a daily withdrawal limit of Rs. 1 lakh from ATMs and spending limit of Rs. 2 lakh at Points of sale.
SBI also issues other cards like SBI Cash Plus, SBI Gold Debit Card and SBI Yuva Card.
Customers can also get an insurance coverage of Rs. 5 lakh for accidental death and Rs. 50,000 for liabilities. (New Launches)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday issued greetings, wishes to the nation on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira, saying his teachings help us live a "life of happiness and contentment".
Mahavir Jayanti will be celebrated in the country Sunday.
Lord Mahavir's life and teachings inspire us to be compassionate and simple. His teachings show us the path to a life of happiness and contentment, the prime minister said in a statement.
"Lord Mahavir's profound message remains a beacon of hope in today's world," he said.
On Mahavir Jayanti, Jain temples are decorated with flags and the idol of Mahavira is given a ceremonial bath called the 'abhishek'. The day of his birth is celebrated in a massive procession around the cities. Jains make offerings of milk, rice, fruit, incense, lamps and water to the poor that day.
Mahavir Jayanti will be celebrated in the country Sunday.
Lord Mahavir's life and teachings inspire us to be compassionate and simple. His teachings show us the path to a life of happiness and contentment, the prime minister said in a statement.
"Lord Mahavir's profound message remains a beacon of hope in today's world," he said.
On Mahavir Jayanti, Jain temples are decorated with flags and the idol of Mahavira is given a ceremonial bath called the 'abhishek'. The day of his birth is celebrated in a massive procession around the cities. Jains make offerings of milk, rice, fruit, incense, lamps and water to the poor that day.
Indira Gandhi National Open University IGNOU has launched a new website for students undergoing various programmes in IGNOU. The new website IGNOU Students Zone can be accessed at http://www.ignoustudent.ac.in/ .
The IGNOU students zone website offers information about
Assignments
Question Papers
Exam Form
Notifications
Important Forms
Queries
Admission Status
Address Checking
Study Material Dispatch
Online Examination Form Submission
Railway Concession Facility for Face to Face mode IGNOU students
Students Grievance Redressal Forum
Examination Results
Grade Card
Hall Ticket
Pre Exam Information
and lot more
The IGNOU students zone website offers information about
Assignments
Question Papers
Exam Form
Notifications
Important Forms
Queries
Admission Status
Address Checking
Study Material Dispatch
Online Examination Form Submission
Railway Concession Facility for Face to Face mode IGNOU students
Students Grievance Redressal Forum
Examination Results
Grade Card
Hall Ticket
Pre Exam Information
and lot more
Chinese scientists have created the world's first genetically modified cow that can give milk rich in Omega-3 fatty acid, Xinhua reported.
"Two embryo-cloned and genetically-modified dairy cows were born June 23 last year. One of the cows has been found to have Omega-3 fatty acid level 10 times higher than a normal cow," said Li Guangpeng, head of the Biological Technology Laboratory at Inner Mongolia University.
"We did not announce the birth of the cows until now because it has taken time to check the cows' effective genetic traces," Li said.
He said it takes 14-15 months for a cow to become sexually mature, and another nine months to produce milk. The cows have been fed with normal cow feed.
Dubbed a "good fat", Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid necessary for human health. But it cannot be made by the human body. It is abundant in walnuts and cold water fish like herring, mackerel and sturgeon. (IANS)
Film: "Well Done Abba"; Starring: Boman Irani, Minissha Lamba, Sammir Dattani; Directed by: Shyam Benegal; Rating: ***
Drawn from the innermost recesses of its extraordinarily versatile, profound and prolific creator's mind, somewhat like the water that emerges from Boman Irani's well at the end of this delicately-drawn satire on babu-giri and red tapism, "Well Done Abba" is a little sparkling gem of a film.
Its humour, warmth and tenderness are not as easily obtainable as in Benegal's last comedy "Welcome To Sajjanpur" which was far more readily and immediately engaging.
"Well Done Abba" takes longer to settle and sink into our satiated sensibilities. Long parts of the film describing the Hyderabadi protagonist Armaan Ali (Boman Irani)'s close encounters with babu-giri and the bewildering maze of the bureaucracy (somewhat like Pankaj Kapoor in the serial "Office Office") are done with a sense of insouciant indulgence that takes the bite away from the cruelty of watching a man run from one musty office to another trying to get a well dug into his parched backyard.
Everyone wants a bribe. No one wants to do what's right. A world waiting for water to emerge from Mother Earth was recently created in Shyam Benegal's nephew Dev Benegal's "Road Movie".
Unlike Dev's film Shyam Benegal's parable on a soul waiting to be nurtured never remains as dry as the landscape it describes.
Thirsty, famished Hyderabad is no strange hinterland to the ultra-perceptive Benegal. One of his first feature films "Ankur" (still considered by many to be his finest) was set in rural Hyderabad. It was real grim and relentlessly dark in showing subjugation and injustice. Now Shyam has mellowed. His vision is far more forgiving of our bureaucratic trespasses. He even chuckles over sex through the characters of Ravi Kissen and Sonali Kulkarni who are forever at it.
Cinematographer Rajen Kothari goes through the cluttered lanes of old Hyderabad with jaunty steps. No one is looking for despair here. It's a life lived at the edges with a zest to seize the day.
The flawed and aberrant characters in "Well Done Abba", ranging from the embittered police inspector (brilliantly played by the Benegal regular Rajit Kapoor), to the self-serving but not evil politician (Rajendra Gupta) are characters who move dexterously away from the realm of the grotesque and caricature to becoming signs and representatives of our times.
Standing non-judgementally over the delicate satire, Shyam Benegal seems to say... this is the way we are, what to do?
Benegal's characters are not hopeless losers. The director with some skilfully subtle sensitive and sharp writing from screenwriter Ashok Mishra lifts his people from the clammy clutches of corruption and dejection. These are people who exude the sweaty aroma of lived-in people eking out a dignified life from the morass of anarchy.
Benegal's narration is steady, tender and in no hurry to make its point. The pace is even and delightfully devoid of anxieties, but sometimes far too crowded with inner explanations. The canvas is crammed with semi-pivotal characters in the bureaucracy. We are subjected to vignettes from the bureaucrats' home life which seem to unnecessary prolong the film's inevitable progress towards a triumphant finale.
Boman Irani in both his avatars as the Armaan Ali and his seedy twin Rehman Ali renders rollicking wrinkles and creases to the film's over-smooth edges. He's delightful as the bewildered working-class soul, the over-protective father and the near-nirvanic soul at the end who realizes the struggle to have justice is actually a journey towards god.
Minissha Lamba as Boman's spirited daughter gets into the skin of her character with a career-defining determination and emerges with a character who is feisty, modern and, yes, Muslim. Sammir Dattani as the sweet-tempered do-gooder who supports the father and daughter shows a discernible growth as an actor. This film is actually the beginning of a new phase for Dattani. All three characters hold their Hyderabadi accents in place without slipping out of character for even a minute.
Watch out for all the usual Benegal actors like Lalit Tiwari, Ila Arun, Yashpal Sharma and Ravi Jhankal to newer entrants into this super-prolific director's hall of films like Ravi Kissen (playing an over-sexed Bihari engineer)... they all know what we've known for years. The world of Shyam Benegal is filled with an anguished realization of moral and political corruption. But by god, Benegal knows how to juice our social milieu in his cinema without seeming exploitative or melodramatic.
Well done Mr Benegal!
Drawn from the innermost recesses of its extraordinarily versatile, profound and prolific creator's mind, somewhat like the water that emerges from Boman Irani's well at the end of this delicately-drawn satire on babu-giri and red tapism, "Well Done Abba" is a little sparkling gem of a film.
Its humour, warmth and tenderness are not as easily obtainable as in Benegal's last comedy "Welcome To Sajjanpur" which was far more readily and immediately engaging.
"Well Done Abba" takes longer to settle and sink into our satiated sensibilities. Long parts of the film describing the Hyderabadi protagonist Armaan Ali (Boman Irani)'s close encounters with babu-giri and the bewildering maze of the bureaucracy (somewhat like Pankaj Kapoor in the serial "Office Office") are done with a sense of insouciant indulgence that takes the bite away from the cruelty of watching a man run from one musty office to another trying to get a well dug into his parched backyard.
Everyone wants a bribe. No one wants to do what's right. A world waiting for water to emerge from Mother Earth was recently created in Shyam Benegal's nephew Dev Benegal's "Road Movie".
Unlike Dev's film Shyam Benegal's parable on a soul waiting to be nurtured never remains as dry as the landscape it describes.
Thirsty, famished Hyderabad is no strange hinterland to the ultra-perceptive Benegal. One of his first feature films "Ankur" (still considered by many to be his finest) was set in rural Hyderabad. It was real grim and relentlessly dark in showing subjugation and injustice. Now Shyam has mellowed. His vision is far more forgiving of our bureaucratic trespasses. He even chuckles over sex through the characters of Ravi Kissen and Sonali Kulkarni who are forever at it.
Cinematographer Rajen Kothari goes through the cluttered lanes of old Hyderabad with jaunty steps. No one is looking for despair here. It's a life lived at the edges with a zest to seize the day.
The flawed and aberrant characters in "Well Done Abba", ranging from the embittered police inspector (brilliantly played by the Benegal regular Rajit Kapoor), to the self-serving but not evil politician (Rajendra Gupta) are characters who move dexterously away from the realm of the grotesque and caricature to becoming signs and representatives of our times.
Standing non-judgementally over the delicate satire, Shyam Benegal seems to say... this is the way we are, what to do?
Benegal's characters are not hopeless losers. The director with some skilfully subtle sensitive and sharp writing from screenwriter Ashok Mishra lifts his people from the clammy clutches of corruption and dejection. These are people who exude the sweaty aroma of lived-in people eking out a dignified life from the morass of anarchy.
Benegal's narration is steady, tender and in no hurry to make its point. The pace is even and delightfully devoid of anxieties, but sometimes far too crowded with inner explanations. The canvas is crammed with semi-pivotal characters in the bureaucracy. We are subjected to vignettes from the bureaucrats' home life which seem to unnecessary prolong the film's inevitable progress towards a triumphant finale.
Boman Irani in both his avatars as the Armaan Ali and his seedy twin Rehman Ali renders rollicking wrinkles and creases to the film's over-smooth edges. He's delightful as the bewildered working-class soul, the over-protective father and the near-nirvanic soul at the end who realizes the struggle to have justice is actually a journey towards god.
Minissha Lamba as Boman's spirited daughter gets into the skin of her character with a career-defining determination and emerges with a character who is feisty, modern and, yes, Muslim. Sammir Dattani as the sweet-tempered do-gooder who supports the father and daughter shows a discernible growth as an actor. This film is actually the beginning of a new phase for Dattani. All three characters hold their Hyderabadi accents in place without slipping out of character for even a minute.
Watch out for all the usual Benegal actors like Lalit Tiwari, Ila Arun, Yashpal Sharma and Ravi Jhankal to newer entrants into this super-prolific director's hall of films like Ravi Kissen (playing an over-sexed Bihari engineer)... they all know what we've known for years. The world of Shyam Benegal is filled with an anguished realization of moral and political corruption. But by god, Benegal knows how to juice our social milieu in his cinema without seeming exploitative or melodramatic.
Well done Mr Benegal!
Film: "Housefull"; Music Directors: Shankar Mahadevan-Ehsaan Noorani-Loy Mendonsa; Lyricists: Sameer and Amitabh Bhattacharya; Singers: Loy, Tarun Sagar, Alyssa Mendonsa, Neeraj Shridhar, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Ritu Pathak, Mika Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shankar Mahadevan, Sajid Khan, Arun Ingle, Shabbir Kumar and Vivinenne Pocha; Rating:***
Composer trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have an impressive range - from the Sufi songs in "My Name Is Khan" to energetic numbers in "Housefull", they blend their styles according to the requirement of the film.
In "Housefull", directed by Sajid Khan, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have done a good job and the soundtrack offers five originals and three remixes. The album also boasts of 1980s flavour as the composers have used an old Amitabh Bachchan song, "Apni toh jaise taise", with a makeover. They have also roped in Shabbir Kumar, who was quite popular in the 1980s, to sing a song.
The album opens with "Oh girl you are mine". For the love song, Loy Mendonsa and his daughter Alyssa go behind the mike with Tarun Sagar. Musical arrangements consisting of harmonica sounds and soft percussions are in harmony with the romantic mood of the song. It is totally urban and hip in its approach, owing to its addictive beats and fresh vocals.
The song also has a remixed version attached to it, which is apt for the dance floor.
Next is "Papa jag jayega" crooned by Ritu Pathak, Neeraj Sridhar and Alyssa. The situational number is a mix of English and Hindi lyrics and is aimed at making people laugh with its fun elements. But in spite of foot-tapping beats and strong orchestration, it fails to click with the listener.
The remix version is also average.
Then there is an interesting mix in "Aapka kya hoga (dhanno)". Sung by Mika Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan and Sajid Khan, the song revisits Amitabh Bachchan's popular track "Apni to jaise taise" from the 1981 film "Lawaaris". The hit number appeals even after a makeover. The composers have retained few original lyrics. The song is a winner all the way and makes one dance.
The next song "I don't know what to do" marks the presence of famous singer Shabbir Kumar after so many years. The singer is given ample support by Sunidhi Chauhan.
The album's association with yesteryear music continues with the song. The track is quite entertaining and something different to look forward to.
The remixed version, however, is better than the original. Faster in pace, more energetic and more entertaining.
Finally, the album comes up with a song called "Loser" with Vivinenne Pocha and Amitabh Bhattacharya behind the mike. It has a complete western treatment and has a smooth flow.
On the whole, the music of the film brings the feel of the 1980s and offers numbers that have the potential to become chartbusters. (IANS)
Another actor son makes his debut next week. And Luv Sinha, the son of actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha, is unabashed about following in his father's footsteps and says he wants to be a trendsetter too.
Luv, who is set to make his debut with the partition drama "Sadiyaan" with veterans Hema Malini, Rekha and Rishi Kapoor, is quite clear about the path he wants to follow.
"My father earned a big name and people don't hesitate to copy him even today. I want to earn something like that for myself. I will work hard to get there and bring out what is most expected out of me. I want others to follow my style," Luv told IANS over the phone from Mumbai.
Luv, whose brother Kush and sister Sonakshi are also planning to enter Bollywood as actors, says he came to the sets with an open mind.
"It's important to keep one's attitude at home and not restrict yourself. I did what my director asked me to do. I learnt by listening more and speaking less. I pushed myself to come out with what was expected of me."
Directed by Raj Kanwar, "Sadiyaan" tells the story of two mothers, a Hindu played by Rekha and a Muslim played by Hema Malini, from partition till the 1970s. Releasing April 2, it also stars Rishi Kapoor.
"The story begins during partition. Then the story moves to 1970s. During the 70s India was still a young nation and the memories of partition were afresh. 'Sadiyaan' is a family drama that touches on the relationship between the two nations."
The newcomer is full of praise for his veteran co-stars.
"It's been an amazing start and an enriching experience as I got a chance to work with talented actors like Rishi Kapoor, Rekha and Hema Malini.
"The characteristics that each one of them has are unique and make their work stand out and liked by all. Rishi uncle is very sharp and makes everything seem so effortless, Hemaji is relaxed, cool and very supportive whereas Rekhaji is very attentive and focuses on detailing."
Luv clarifies that he is in no hurry to sign projects.
"I am really looking forward to work with good directors and production houses. I am going through a couple of scripts. But I believe it is important for filmmakers to notice my work first. I am keen on doing romantic, action, comedy but a big no no for horror movies," he added.
He is hoping to work with Asin Thottumkal and Kareena Kapoor at some point.
As he sees it, "Sadiyaan" is a small step towards an acting career.
"I have no complaints and I think it's been an amazing life so far. I think I have been blessed. I have lived a life that most children dream to live in. It's true one needs to be conscious and a little more responsible.
"My parents have been very supportive and I believe this is not an achievement or time to celebrate but this is a small step towards the beginning of my career. I have a long way to go."
Before venturing into movies, he did a course from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, but feels three months' training can't decide one's future.
"I think it's good to come prepared as it isn't an easy industry to survive. Training helps a newcomer to feel confident, but that doesn't mean you are unbeatable. One should not become complacent... and should not walk chin-up," he said. (IANS)
India early Saturday successfully tested two nuclear capable missiles Dhanush and Prithvi II in Orissa, an official said.
"Both the missiles were successfully launched same time at 5.30 hours," S.P. Dash, director of Integrated Test Range of Chandipur in Balasore district, told IANS.
While Prithvi II surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 350 km was launched from Chandipur, some 230 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, Dhanush, a naval version of Prithvi with the same range was launched from a naval ship off Orissa coast.
Prithvi is India's first indigenously built ballistic missile. It is one of the five missiles being developed under India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
The missile with a flight duration of 483 seconds reaching a peak altitude of 43.5 km has the capability to carry 500 kg of warhead.
The missile which has the features to deceive any anti-ballistic missiles uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory and reaches the targets with a few metres' accuracy.
Two versions of the missiles have already been deployed with the army and the air force. Saturday's test was conducted by the Indian Army as part of user trial to gauge accuracy in the presence of several defence scientists, sources said.
Dhanush, which means archer's bow in Sanskrit, was launched by a team of the Indian Navy personnels trained by the DRDO, from a naval ship in the Bay of Bengal near coastal town of Puri, 56 km from here.
Dhanush gives Indian Navy a capability of launching a missile onto enemy's targets with great precision. (IANS)
Taking a cue from popular entertainment-based talent hunt programmes, Star News -- which says there is a "resource gap of trained manpower in the television new business" -- would be holding a talent hunt for television news anchors on its network.
Announcing the talent hunt Friday, Star News officials said that the programme would "provide a platform for everyone who nurture a dream of becoming a news anchor".
The talent hunt programme would be spread over 12 weeks and will cover 10 cities, with the final being held in Delhi. The programme will officially start March 28 through an online process.
Twenty episodes of thirty minutes each will be aired for the viewers to see this talent hunt.
The selection procedure for the shortlisted candidates will consist of a group discussion, written test and on camera auditions. They will be graded over the period of 5 weeks from which two will be selected as the finalists out of the twenty shortlisted.
The judges include the channel's political news anchor Deepak Chaurasia, actor Tisca Chopra and author Chetan Bhagat.
Haryana is all set to introduce the concept of online budget system and an electronic payment system in the state from April 1, officials said Friday.
This system was inaugurated by Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati Friday and it would be adopted throughout the state in the coming days.
"This fully automatic online electronic system will change the financial transaction scenario in the state treasuries. Haryana will now have this distinction of having complete transparency in treasury operations," an official spokesperson said.
He said the system will enable authorities keep updated information and online track of the funds and thus help in keeping a better tab on the cash inflow and outflow.
"This would help in facilitating better planning of funds, timely availability of receipts and payment information at all levels and generation of all types of reports." (IANS)
This system was inaugurated by Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati Friday and it would be adopted throughout the state in the coming days.
"This fully automatic online electronic system will change the financial transaction scenario in the state treasuries. Haryana will now have this distinction of having complete transparency in treasury operations," an official spokesperson said.
He said the system will enable authorities keep updated information and online track of the funds and thus help in keeping a better tab on the cash inflow and outflow.
"This would help in facilitating better planning of funds, timely availability of receipts and payment information at all levels and generation of all types of reports." (IANS)
After making her mark as MTV VJ, Anusha Dandekar has now launched an all-girl band, D Major, with sister Apiksha and Shibani.
"When we were kids, we used to sing and dance and have lots of fun together. About four years ago, we thought about creating our band," Anusha told IANS at a Fiama Di Wills event at the 15th edition of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Friday. She was here to launch the "Shine in Style Hanna Montana" pack.
"We started talking about it and bring things down on paper and about a year ago we started full fledged work over it," she added.
Their first album titled "Teenage" has a variety of songs be it bohemian, Punjabi or Hindi. The trio have not only sung the songs but have also written the lyrics.
"We used to pen lyrics whenever we used to get time whether in train or in flights. We like all types of music and we have tried to inculcate it in our album.
"Our album contains all genres of music be it R&B, Pop, Punjabi, Hindi. We love the fusion, and we are also planning to add Marathi. Every track in our album has a meaning," said Anusha.
The Sudan-born Australian Indian actress, who was also seen in films like "Mumbai Matinee" and "Virrudh", says she doesn't want to be typecast in NRI roles.
"It's not that I have not been receiving offers for films, but I was not comfortable doing them. I am being offered NRI roles and that is why I am not accepting any such roles," she added.
"I am looking forward to doing something challenging so that I can prove that I am not an NRI," she added.
She gave a glimpse of her singing talent as she performed some of the tracks of her album at the event. (IANS)
Air India would offer more flights in its summer schedule from March 28 in order to meet the heavy rush of passengers.
"To meet heavy passenger rush, Air India will offer more flights in its summer schedule from 28th March, 2010, on the Kolkata/Hyderabad/Kolkata sector from the earlier four days a week schedule to a daily operation," a communique by the airline company said here Friday.
"Air India will also raise its frequency on the Kolkata/Bagdogra/Kolkata sector from the earlier three days a week operation to four days in a week schedule on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays," it said.
(IANS)
Detailed Information on BBMP Election has been uploaded in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike website. Information available are
Schedule of Events
Code of Conduct
Election Monitoring Officials Contact Numbers
Election Voter List
List Of Contesting Candidates And their Affidavits
Karnataka State Election Commission
Training and Mustering Details
Click here to Download the details
Schedule of Events
Code of Conduct
Election Monitoring Officials Contact Numbers
Election Voter List
List Of Contesting Candidates And their Affidavits
Karnataka State Election Commission
Training and Mustering Details
Click here to Download the details
AB Devillers Catch
Indian Premier League - 20th match
Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Daredevils
Delhi Daredevils won by 17 runs
Twenty20 match | 2009/10 season
Played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
25 March 2010 - day/night (20-over match)
The Delhi Metro has been conferred with the 'Most Improved Metro' award at the World Metro Awards held in London where its managing director E. Sreedharan also received a special mention for his outstanding contribution.
"The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) won the 'Most Improved Metro' award at the 3rd World Metro Awards ceremony in London," Delhi Metro spokesperson Anuj Dayal said Friday.
"Our managing director E. Sreedharan was also given a special mention for his 'outstanding contribution to the urban transport industry' during the ceremony March 23," he added.
The Delhi Metro ferries around 950,000 commuters daily on its network of nearly 96 km. By October, ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, it will access nearly all areas of the national capital as well as suburbs like Gurgaon. Its network will also increase to 190 km.
The World Metro Awards recognise and reward leaders, innovators and pioneers in the global Metro rail industry. Over 250 delegates from 70 Metro companies across 40 countries participated in the event.
The London Metro bagged the award for 'Best Metro in Europe', while the Singapore Metro was adjudged the 'Best Metro in Asia Pacific'. (IANS)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani "looked euphoric" when he declared in Ayodhya on Dec 6, 1992, shortly before the demolition of the Babri Masjid, that a Ram temple would be built on the site, police officer Anju Gupta testified before a court here Friday.
Gupta, who was then posted as assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in the temple town, was deposing before a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in this town, about 85 km from the state capital Lucknow.
The senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer did not mince words while describing the excitement in the top brass of the BJP on the day the Babri Masjid was demolished by violent radical Hindu activists.
"Advani not only looked euphoric but also declared before the huge crowds at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 that the Ram temple would be built at the disputed site in the temple town," she said.
Advani, Gupta said, "gave quite a provocative speech for which he was applauded by his other party colleagues and the crowds.
"There were at least 100 persons present on the dais along with Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vinay Katiyar, Uma Bharti, Sadhvi Rithambara, Ashok Singhal, S.C. Dikshit, and I remember their faces so distinctly that I would be able to still recognise at least 80 of them.
"There was so much excitement among the crowds that they distributed sweets after the mosque was pulled down," she added while giving testimony on what she saw on the day.
A deputy inspector general of police (DIG) currently attached to the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), she arrived at the court premises around 11 a.m. and was ushered in under heavy police escort.
The special CBI court had earlier discharged Advani on the plea that charges against him were based on mere suspicion. This followed dropping of the serious charge of criminal conspiracy under Section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) by CBI on the directives of the Allahabad High Court.
Gupta, who was then posted as assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in the temple town, was deposing before a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in this town, about 85 km from the state capital Lucknow.
The senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer did not mince words while describing the excitement in the top brass of the BJP on the day the Babri Masjid was demolished by violent radical Hindu activists.
"Advani not only looked euphoric but also declared before the huge crowds at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 that the Ram temple would be built at the disputed site in the temple town," she said.
Advani, Gupta said, "gave quite a provocative speech for which he was applauded by his other party colleagues and the crowds.
"There were at least 100 persons present on the dais along with Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vinay Katiyar, Uma Bharti, Sadhvi Rithambara, Ashok Singhal, S.C. Dikshit, and I remember their faces so distinctly that I would be able to still recognise at least 80 of them.
"There was so much excitement among the crowds that they distributed sweets after the mosque was pulled down," she added while giving testimony on what she saw on the day.
A deputy inspector general of police (DIG) currently attached to the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), she arrived at the court premises around 11 a.m. and was ushered in under heavy police escort.
The special CBI court had earlier discharged Advani on the plea that charges against him were based on mere suspicion. This followed dropping of the serious charge of criminal conspiracy under Section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) by CBI on the directives of the Allahabad High Court.
The sheer delight of watching Arshad Warsi play the lead rather the supremely self-assured sidekick gives this otherwise pale romantic comedy a cutting edge.
Arshad in his own words plays a guy, who can see dead people. Wish he could see dead plots too.
The screenplay by Arshad, Soumik Sen and Arshad Ali Syed is a deadweight carried forward not by any inward conviction or compulsion, but by the producer-leading man's will to create a slick and cool space for himself within the stifling space allotted to a one-note film about friendly spirits and a disbelieving girlfriend.
The romantic lady Dia Mirza is very adept at expressing energetic exasperation. She is whiny, clingy and bossy just like over-protective girlfriends tend to be. Arshad is very skilled at conveying the killing anxieties of cautious courtship. He reminds one of Saif Ali Khan in "Dil Chahta Hai", though we and this baggy film are not even going there.
Arshad is ill-supported by poor writing. His character's three-layered encounter with ghosts and their pre-burial trauma is at the most, cinematic knick-knack bereft of any subtext or layering.
Director Kabir Kaushik was far more successful getting Arshad to play a tough gritty idealistic cop in "Saher". Here the bewildered lover boy with a hotline to the supernatural is just not in his element.
The narrative is so shallow at times that you wonder if there are ghosts of relevance hovering beyond the range of vision. But no. What we see is what we get.
While the plot totters along at a sluggish pace, sporadic moments of humour and warmth creep in willy-nilly. These are too infrequent to sustain our interest.
However, the chemistry between Arshad and Dia is first rate. They clutch at each other without awkwardness and speak to one another as though the words were not conscious of the camera. Wish this film was just about 'Hum' and 'Tum'. The Ghost could have been left to the (Night) Shyamalans and Vikram Bhatts of the cine world.
Some of the music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is hummably romantic. Ashok Mehta's cinematography creates a picture postcard world of over cute confections. Sadly, these are not even true confections, just artificial chocolates packed into a neat box and gift-wrapped for a unit desperate to do a desi take on the American romantic comedy.
Arshad gets it right. The rest just don't get the point. They see dead people. We see a dead film.(IANS)
Sachin Tendulkar's fans have launched a campaign in Uttar Pradesh to collect one million signatures on cricket bats to demand Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, for the cricketer.
The fans hope to fill up 4,000 cricket bats to be presented to President Pratibha Patil, say the students and faculty members of a management institute in Shahjahanpur, 180 km from Lucknow.
"The campaign was launched Wednesday and is getting popular. It is a small initiative to pay respect to Tendulkar who truly deserves the Bharat Ratna," Narayan Institute of Management head Shashi Bhushan told reporters Friday in Shahjahanpur.
"The campaign will also be conducted in around 15 districts including Bareilly, Pilibhit, Badaun, Hardoi, Rampur, Moradabad and Bijnor," Bhushan said.
Bangalore pacer Ranganath Vinay Kumar was the lone new face in the 15-member squad announced by the cricket selectors Friday for the Twenty20 World Cup.
Chief selector K. Srikkanth and his colleagues decided to go ahead with Gautam Gambhir and Ashish Nehra, who were injured while playing for Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Ishant Sharma and Virat Kohli failed to find a place in the team.
Vinay Kumar was finally rewarded for his consistent performance in the domestic circuit, especially with Bangalore Royal Challengers. Vinay Kumar is the joint second highest wicket-taker in the IPL with eight scalps.
Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla also found a place while selectors preferred the experience of Rohit Sharma to strengthen the middle order.
Team: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag (vice-captain), Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, R. Vinay Kumar, Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma and Piyush Chawla
Nagma, popular Tamil, Bhojpuri, Bollywood actress of 1990s is all set for marriage.
Nagma is the elder sister of renowned Tamil actress Jyothika, who is now married to actor Surya.
Nagma rose to stardom in her roles in Rajnikanth starrer Baasha, Prabhu Deva- Shankar's Kadhalan etc.
Nagma has announced that her marriage will take place iin 2010, the bridegroom will be disclosed soon, reports Andhra Cafe
She was earlier linked to cricketer Saurav Ganguly, Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan etc
Sri Lanka will host the 11th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards and a 20Twenty match between Bollywood stars and Asian cricketers during the three-day event.
The award function will be held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium here June 2-4, reports dailynews.lk
Sri Lanka has been chosen from among countries such as South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and South Korea.
Parallel to the IIFA awards, an international fashion will also be held.
"This is a very rare and wonderful opportunity for Sri Lanka. Thanks to the prevailing peace, Sri Lanka has received international recognition," Minister of Tourism Achala Jaagoda said.
Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Thursday urged people to stop eating fish and go vegan to help animals and the planet.
Unveiling the results of a year-long exhaustive investigative report on the fishing industry, senior campaign coordinator Nikunj Sharma said here that by eating fish people were putting their health at risk.
"Fish flesh and fish fat can contain extremely high concentrations of chemical residues - as much as nine million times that of the water in which they live. Eating fish presents a serious health risk," he said.
India is the world's third-largest producer of fish, accounting for almost 64 lakh tonnes every year.
"In India, consumption of fish is a major cause of high mercury levels in women," he said.
PETA has gathered information for its report from first hand investigation, scientific studies and research from government sources and NGOs.
"Alarming levels of mercury were found in 264 samples of popular fish - including rohu, bhola, tangra and bhetki - which were collected across West Bengal," he said.
Citing a study by health expert Ann Mathew of New Delhi, he said: "These high mercury concentrations can affect the development of a child even at the foetal stage.
"People who eat fish also inject polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) - a group of toxic chemical," he said.
"We encourage people to leave fish off their plates for good - the good of the people, animals and earth," he said. IANS
A British economist of Indian origin has been left perplexed after being hailed by a cult as its "chosen one" who it believes was hiding in the Himalayas for 2,000 years.
"I'm not the messiah... I'm just an economics expert," an exasperated Raj Patel has been saying after being bombarded with email messages from followers of cult Share International across the world.
The cult, founded by Scotsman Creme in the 1950s, believes that the 18-million-year-old Maitreya - the "chosen one" -- combines elements of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam and has been living for the past 2,000 years in the Himalayas.
It all began when Patel, 37, gave a television interview in the US in January to discuss his book, "The Value of Nothing", on the global financial crisis.
Thereafter, Share International founder Benjamin Creme stated that the cult's "chosen one" or Maitreya had finally arrived, The Sun reported Thursday.
He told the cult members: "Maitreya recently gave his first interview in America. The master of all the masters for the first time in human history himself came on a well-known television programme on a major network. But undeclared as Maitreya, just as one of us."
According to the cult, Patel shares many of the characteristics of Maitreya.
Raj, who was raised a Hindu, was quoted as saying: "I started getting emails saying 'Are you the world teacher?' Then it wasn't just random internet folk, but also friends saying, 'Have you seen this?' It's absurd to be put in this position when I'm just some bloke."
He rejected his so-called holy credentials. Yet two members of the cult flew 2,400 miles to meet him at a book signing in his current US hometown, San Francisco.
Raj said: "It frustrates me it might disappoint those looking for Maitreya that, in fact, I'm just an ordinary bloke." IANS
"I'm not the messiah... I'm just an economics expert," an exasperated Raj Patel has been saying after being bombarded with email messages from followers of cult Share International across the world.
The cult, founded by Scotsman Creme in the 1950s, believes that the 18-million-year-old Maitreya - the "chosen one" -- combines elements of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam and has been living for the past 2,000 years in the Himalayas.
It all began when Patel, 37, gave a television interview in the US in January to discuss his book, "The Value of Nothing", on the global financial crisis.
Thereafter, Share International founder Benjamin Creme stated that the cult's "chosen one" or Maitreya had finally arrived, The Sun reported Thursday.
He told the cult members: "Maitreya recently gave his first interview in America. The master of all the masters for the first time in human history himself came on a well-known television programme on a major network. But undeclared as Maitreya, just as one of us."
According to the cult, Patel shares many of the characteristics of Maitreya.
Raj, who was raised a Hindu, was quoted as saying: "I started getting emails saying 'Are you the world teacher?' Then it wasn't just random internet folk, but also friends saying, 'Have you seen this?' It's absurd to be put in this position when I'm just some bloke."
He rejected his so-called holy credentials. Yet two members of the cult flew 2,400 miles to meet him at a book signing in his current US hometown, San Francisco.
Raj said: "It frustrates me it might disappoint those looking for Maitreya that, in fact, I'm just an ordinary bloke." IANS
The Maharashtra State Budget 2010-2011 will be tabled today at 2 pm. Finance Minister Sunil Tatkare will present the first budget of the Democratic Front government.
The budget will be available at http://finance.mah.nic.in/
The budget will be available at http://finance.mah.nic.in/
The body of an Amity University student, who was abducted from this satellite town on March 20, was found in Aligarh Thursday. Rohit was in second year doing a B.Tech course and belonged to Aligarh, police said.(IANS)
A caller from Mumbai claiming that he has filmed the persons who has put bomb in the Kingfisher aircraft Bangalore-Trivandrum has turned up.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (north east) Basavraj Malagatti received a phone call from a man called Mohan from Mumbai who claimed that he has a recording of the incident. The person wants a decent reward to be deposited into his bank account before he could surrender the video, NDTV reports.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (north east) Basavraj Malagatti received a phone call from a man called Mohan from Mumbai who claimed that he has a recording of the incident. The person wants a decent reward to be deposited into his bank account before he could surrender the video, NDTV reports.
As per the study conducted by Jadavpur University, about 90 per cent of the New Moore Island in Bay of Bengal has disappeared. The island three km long and 3.5 km wide was created in the Bay of Bengal as a result of Bhola cyclone in 1970, PTI reports.
Local fishermen had also confirmed the disappearance of a major part of the Island.
The reasons like rising sea level, coastal erosion, spate of cyclones and global warming are attributed for the submerging of the New Moore Island.
BSNL in association with HCL has introduced a new Joint Certification program of One year known as “itelEDGE”.
itelEDGE plans to cater over 275,000 telecom job opportunities available in India by giving training to Indian youth in telecom and IT.
Admission to this years programme will be made on the basis of National Entrance Examination to be held on 21st of March, 2010 followed by the Personal Interview. For more details visit www.hclcdc.in/iteledge
Twenty-seven-year-old Priya, a devotee of Paramahamsa Nityananda Swami, can't believe a video footage where the Karnataka-based spiritual guru is allegedly shown in a compromising position with a Tamil actress.
"I still doubt whether it is swamiji or it is a graphic gimmick," a shocked Priya told IANS.
Nityananda Swami's is not the first reported case of a person in religious garb being caught in a scandal. Of late, a number of swamis have been in the news for the wrong reasons.
Ichchadhari Sant Swami Bhimanand Ji Maharaj was arrested for running a multi-crore rupee sex racket in Delhi involving former air hostesses. Kumar Sahai alias Swami Ji was arrested from Ghaziabad, on the outskirts of Delhi, for kidnapping a girl.
Guru Asaram Bapu is still under the police scanner for the deaths of two minor boys in his ashram-run gurukul in Ahmedabad, while several years ago Kancheepuram mutt head Jayendra Saraswathi was charged with the murder of a former employee.
Although many blame followers for not being discerning enough, more interestingly what has emerged is the unshakable faith that devotees, particularly women who seek solutions to personal problems, have in them.
Swami Shantatmananda, secretary of the Ramkrishna Mission, told IANS: "One should seek god through prayer and scriptures and not through fake godmen."
"They thrive due to thoughtless followers who have not understood the true meaning of spirituality. Ignorant, miracle-and-fortune-seeking followers are the ones who help such fake swamis prosper in our society," he said.
According to Swami H.H. Sukhabodhananda, founder of the Prasanna Trusta, "Like fake doctors and engineers, there are also fake godmen in society."
Kamini Jaiswal, a senior Supreme Court lawyer, who has fought a case against Sathya Sai Baba, blames blind followers for such incidents. "It is shocking to see that well educated people are followers of such godmen," she said.
Police say they can't act against fake swamis until they get a complaint. "It's a social issue, with proper evidence, police will do its duty and arrest fake godman. As for the public, it's high time they recognised such fraudsters," Rajan Bhagat, Delhi Police spokesman, told IANS.
Sudha Sundaram, general secretary of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), says their should checks and balances.
"The government should come up with a state-level monitoring system to check the registration of an ashram and its source of income before providing monetary support," he said.
But there are those who are angry with the names of gurus being dragged into scandals. One of them is yoga guru Ramdev, who said the recent arrests, were "a very big conspiracy".
"Some politicians and communal forces are conspiring to malign the name of Indian saints by trapping them in cases related to fake currency, rape, murder, sex scandals and drugs," he said.
Agreed Anitha Swaminathan, a member of the Theosophical Society in Chennai. "Our country has veteran sadhus and swamijis. Such fake godmen are just a bubble in the water," she said.
The arrests have not altogether made much of a dent in the mindset of people or deterred them from following a guru who would show them the light in their day to day problems. But it has helped them understand the need for the right one.
Naunidhi Kaur, a follower of Radhaswami Satsung, said: "There are numerous ashrams and satsangs that stand out for their spiritual teachings and true selfless service to mankind. A follower just needs to be more knowledgeable about the faith and not just be a blind one."
Summed up Balakrishnan, who follows the preachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti: "I am not a follower of any particular swamiji. But I have come across many sadhus who are true. With just one or two involved in such cheap incidents, we cannot condemn the whole community," he added.
(IANS can be contacted at reporting@ians.in)
Stories of socially marginalised people not being allowed into places of worship are common in India. In such a scenario, a Dalit family presiding over an Uttar Pradesh temple for ages is nothing short of exemplary.
It's only Dalits who have been priests of the Kali Mata temple, dedicated to goddess Durga, in Lakhna town in Etawah, some 300 km from Lucknow, ever since the shrine came up around 200 years ago.
"Caste divisions and discrimination may not have given Dalits a place of respectability in society, but here as priests they are revered," Ram Dular Rajbhar, who owns a grocery store in the town, told IANS on phone.
"Be it Brahmins, Thakurs or people from any of the other higher castes, after coming inside the temple, all have to bow before the Dalit priests and touch their feet. For others it may be surprising, but it has become a custom for us," he added.
Situated along the banks of the Yamuna river, the temple is sought after by the residents of Lakhna town for holding marriages, 'mundan' (tonsure ceremony of Hindu children) or other rituals particularly performed by Brahmins or members of the upper caste.
"It's not just a temple. It's a place that is an example of social equality," said Umesh Dixit, who owns several garment shops in Lakhna town.
"People in Lakhna also approach the priests to name their babies as it is believed that names given by Dalit priests would bring good luck and prosperity to the children and their families," he added.
According to locals, there's a story behind the custom of Dalit priests. They say King Jaipal Singh, who got the temple constructed, made it mandatory that the priest of the temple would only be a Dalit.
"While the construction of the temple was under way, Jaipal Singh noticed a Dalit labourer, Chhotelal, was being assaulted by a group of upper caste people for touching the idol that was to be placed inside the temple," said another resident Ram Raksha Pandey, who owns an eating joint in Lakhna.
"Jaipalji soon intervened in the matter and said only Chhotelal and his family would be taking care of the temple after its construction. Since then, the practice has been alive," he added.
At present two brothers, Ashok Kumar, 43, and Akhilesh Kumar, 45, who are fourth generation descendants of Chhotelal are the priests at the temple. (IANS)
It's only Dalits who have been priests of the Kali Mata temple, dedicated to goddess Durga, in Lakhna town in Etawah, some 300 km from Lucknow, ever since the shrine came up around 200 years ago.
"Caste divisions and discrimination may not have given Dalits a place of respectability in society, but here as priests they are revered," Ram Dular Rajbhar, who owns a grocery store in the town, told IANS on phone.
"Be it Brahmins, Thakurs or people from any of the other higher castes, after coming inside the temple, all have to bow before the Dalit priests and touch their feet. For others it may be surprising, but it has become a custom for us," he added.
Situated along the banks of the Yamuna river, the temple is sought after by the residents of Lakhna town for holding marriages, 'mundan' (tonsure ceremony of Hindu children) or other rituals particularly performed by Brahmins or members of the upper caste.
"It's not just a temple. It's a place that is an example of social equality," said Umesh Dixit, who owns several garment shops in Lakhna town.
"People in Lakhna also approach the priests to name their babies as it is believed that names given by Dalit priests would bring good luck and prosperity to the children and their families," he added.
According to locals, there's a story behind the custom of Dalit priests. They say King Jaipal Singh, who got the temple constructed, made it mandatory that the priest of the temple would only be a Dalit.
"While the construction of the temple was under way, Jaipal Singh noticed a Dalit labourer, Chhotelal, was being assaulted by a group of upper caste people for touching the idol that was to be placed inside the temple," said another resident Ram Raksha Pandey, who owns an eating joint in Lakhna.
"Jaipalji soon intervened in the matter and said only Chhotelal and his family would be taking care of the temple after its construction. Since then, the practice has been alive," he added.
At present two brothers, Ashok Kumar, 43, and Akhilesh Kumar, 45, who are fourth generation descendants of Chhotelal are the priests at the temple. (IANS)
The second carriageway of the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link (RGSL) opened here Wednesday with some Congressmen protesting the presence of megastar Amitabh Bachchan at the inauguration.
Mumbai Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kripa Shankar Singh termed Bachchan's presence as "improper" and claimed that the party was not consulted before inviting the superstar as one of the guests at the event.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who threw open the second carriageway, making the RGSL as an 8-land bridge in the Arabian Sea, brushed off the controversy with some light-hearted remarks.
Chavan said that he was happy that a prominent citizen like Bachchan was present at the inaugural function.
Stressing that Mumbai was for all people, Chavan urged the need "to make Mumbai a global city and Maharashtra a global state".
Despite repeated attempts, Singh remained unavailable for his views on the matter, while Bachchan, who was seated in the front row with other VIPs, did not interact with the media.
However, some other Congressmen in the city feel that the presence of Bachchan - who is out of favour with the Gandhi family - did not augur well for the party.
Moreover, the entire Bachchan family is close to the Samajwadi Party which has been vehemently opposing the Congress at the Centre and in the state, they pointed out.
Later, a group of classic vintage cars were the first vehicles which winded their way across the newly-opened (south-north) carriageway even as thousands of onlookers clapped and cheered.
"With the opening of the second carriageway, there will be a drastic reduction in accidents on the 5.6 kilometre sea link. The ride will be faster and more comfortable," Maharashtra State Roads Development Corporation (MSRDC) Chief Engineer S.M. Sabnis told IANS.
Head-on traffic on both sides will be eliminated, he said.
A single carriageway (north-south lane) of the sea link was thrown open to traffic last June. It became an instant hit with Mumbaikars.
Since the opening of the sea link, built at a cost of Rs.1,600 crore, the travel time between Bandra to Worli - a distance of eight kilometre - has been cut down from 45-60 minutes to seven minutes.
Billed as an engineering marvel, the sea link is India's first cable-stayed sea bridge with two 128-metre towers on which the cables are supported.
Public Works (Undertakings) Minister Jaidutta Kshirsagar said the work on extending the sea link to Haji Ali (in south) will start in November this year by a Reliance-Hyundai consortium.
Work on the Rs.4,300 crore, 3.8 kilometre 8-lane bridge is likely to be completed by April 2014, he said.
Besides this, the government is reviewing the nine kilometre sea link extension from Haji Ali to Nariman Point and Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai which is expected to cost around Rs.5,500 crore.
Similarly, the government is studying a proposal to extend it 10 km in the north between Bandra and Andheri at a cost of around Rs.2,700 crore, Kshirsagar said.
With a view to decongest the road and rail networks, the state government has called for bids to start water transport on the western coast of Mumbai, connecting Nariman Point (south) with Borivli (north), a distance of around 45 km, with jetties at Bandra, Juhu, Versova and Malad.
MSRDC managing director Sonia Sethi said that so far, 19 companies have purchased bid documents ahead of the April 15 deadline. (IANS)
Mumbai Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kripa Shankar Singh termed Bachchan's presence as "improper" and claimed that the party was not consulted before inviting the superstar as one of the guests at the event.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who threw open the second carriageway, making the RGSL as an 8-land bridge in the Arabian Sea, brushed off the controversy with some light-hearted remarks.
Chavan said that he was happy that a prominent citizen like Bachchan was present at the inaugural function.
Stressing that Mumbai was for all people, Chavan urged the need "to make Mumbai a global city and Maharashtra a global state".
Despite repeated attempts, Singh remained unavailable for his views on the matter, while Bachchan, who was seated in the front row with other VIPs, did not interact with the media.
However, some other Congressmen in the city feel that the presence of Bachchan - who is out of favour with the Gandhi family - did not augur well for the party.
Moreover, the entire Bachchan family is close to the Samajwadi Party which has been vehemently opposing the Congress at the Centre and in the state, they pointed out.
Later, a group of classic vintage cars were the first vehicles which winded their way across the newly-opened (south-north) carriageway even as thousands of onlookers clapped and cheered.
"With the opening of the second carriageway, there will be a drastic reduction in accidents on the 5.6 kilometre sea link. The ride will be faster and more comfortable," Maharashtra State Roads Development Corporation (MSRDC) Chief Engineer S.M. Sabnis told IANS.
Head-on traffic on both sides will be eliminated, he said.
A single carriageway (north-south lane) of the sea link was thrown open to traffic last June. It became an instant hit with Mumbaikars.
Since the opening of the sea link, built at a cost of Rs.1,600 crore, the travel time between Bandra to Worli - a distance of eight kilometre - has been cut down from 45-60 minutes to seven minutes.
Billed as an engineering marvel, the sea link is India's first cable-stayed sea bridge with two 128-metre towers on which the cables are supported.
Public Works (Undertakings) Minister Jaidutta Kshirsagar said the work on extending the sea link to Haji Ali (in south) will start in November this year by a Reliance-Hyundai consortium.
Work on the Rs.4,300 crore, 3.8 kilometre 8-lane bridge is likely to be completed by April 2014, he said.
Besides this, the government is reviewing the nine kilometre sea link extension from Haji Ali to Nariman Point and Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai which is expected to cost around Rs.5,500 crore.
Similarly, the government is studying a proposal to extend it 10 km in the north between Bandra and Andheri at a cost of around Rs.2,700 crore, Kshirsagar said.
With a view to decongest the road and rail networks, the state government has called for bids to start water transport on the western coast of Mumbai, connecting Nariman Point (south) with Borivli (north), a distance of around 45 km, with jetties at Bandra, Juhu, Versova and Malad.
MSRDC managing director Sonia Sethi said that so far, 19 companies have purchased bid documents ahead of the April 15 deadline. (IANS)
Dimple Kapadia is once again teaming up with two of her old co-stars - Nana Patekar and Rishi Kapoor. The bold and the beautiful actress says she gets an inferiority complex while working with Nana even after 16 years while she feels Rishi has now become an "atom bomb".
Dimple is working with Nana in forthcoming film "Tum Milo Toh Sahi" and will be seen with Rishi in "Patiala House".
"I was completely thrilled when I came to know I was being paired with Nana...Working with him is difficult, but it gives me great pleasure. To match his level of acting and performance is quite a challenge. His portrayal and understanding of roles continues to make me feel inferior even after so many years," Dimple told IANS over phone from Mumbai.
The two were first paired together in "Krantiveer" in 1994. Now they play lovers in their 50s in Kabir Sadanand's romantic film "Tum Milo Toh Sahi" that releases April 2.
Dimple, who essays a Parsi woman running an old Irani cafe in the film, says she was extremely envious of Nana's role in the movie when she read the script three years ago.
"I had this script with me for three years and I really liked it. I liked my role, but I liked Nana's role much more than my own. It is lovely and beautiful. I always told Kabir that I would be envious of whoever would get to play the role and, surprisingly, it was Nana," she said.
The 52-year-old actor says that though most actors feel Nana is tough to work with, there are very few in the film industry as helpful as him.
"Nana is extremely helpful. The climax of 'Tum Milo...' was not easy to shoot, but it was Nana who almost co-directed the scene with Kabir to see me through it. I completely dedicate that scene to him.
"Nana has always been superb at his work, very focussed and dedicated. I guess it is his theatre background that makes him so, but I really admire him for his work," she said.
Another actor that Dimple feels happy working with is the evergreen Rishi Kapoor, with whom she made her debut in 1973 film "Bobby". At that time, she was just 16. Later, they were paired together in films like "Saagar", "Pyaar Mein Twist" and more recently "Luck By Chance".
"I've worked with Rishi on a couple of films. He has been consistently good, he always had brilliant energy. But now, my god, he is an atom bomb. I am so glad he is doing so much work these days," said Dimple.
She will now be seen with Rishi in "Patiala House", which also stars her son-in-law Akshay Kumar.
"'Patiala House' completely belongs to Rishi. I don't have enough words to describe what a performance he has given in that film. He is absolutely wonderful," Dimple said.
The actress says she doesn't do much in her free time and adds that she isn't looking for any specific roles either.
"There is no role that I look forward to. I have done enough and I am not dissatisfied with the body of work that I have done. 'Sadma' (1983) was one film I was supposed to do, but unfortunately Sridevi did it. That remains one role I wanted to do but after seeing Sridevi, that desire died. She was too good," she said.
So what is the reason behind her absence from the big screen for long periods?
"I don't get too much work to begin with and whatever I get is mostly not good enough," Dimple replied. (IANS)
Sixteen-year-old Noida student Arjun Vajpayee has set his sights on the world's highest peak Mount Everest and will leave for Nepal Thursday.
"He will be leaving for Kathmandu Thursday morning. After staying there for two days to purchase the expedition equipment, Arjun would climb up the Island Peak (21,000 feet)," his father Captain Sanjeev Vajpayee, a Sector-51 resident, said.
Mount Everest is 29,035 feet above the sea level.
"On April 7, he would summit the Everest Base Camp. On April 11, he would climb down and then be on the expedition again for the next 40 days. After reaching Camp 1, Camp 2 and South Camp, he is expected to be at Mount Everest around the third week of May or maximum by fourth week, depending upon the weather conditions," Sanjeev said.
Arjun is accompanied by a 12-member team, nine of whom are from US, Denmark, Switzerland and Australia while the remaining three are Indians. The team will be led by Apa Sherpa who has scaled the summit a record 19 times.
If he successfully climbs Everest, Arjun Vajpai would be the youngest Indian to scale the highest peak.
Earlier in 2009, Krushnaa Patil, 18, from Maharashtra earned the distinction of becoming the youngest Indian to reach the highest peak.
Arjun, a Class 12 student of Ryan International School, completed a basic course in mountaineering from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering at Uttarkashi where he climbed 19,000 feet. (IANS)
At a ceremony here Tuesday, the Hyderabad airport was given the Best Airport India award.
Singapore's Changi airport was named the world's best airport.
It was also called "Airport of the Year 2010", the best airport in Asia and also the best for leisure amenities.
Skytrax awards serve as the quality benchmark for the world airport industry.
The awards represent opinions of more than 8.6 million passengers from over 95 nationalities around the world who took part in a 10-month survey of 196 airports.
The awards are given after assessing more than 35 elements of the airport experience.
Seoul's Incheon International Airport was ranked the world's second best. It won awards as the best international transit airport and also for having the best staff service among all airports in Asia.
Kuala Lumpur was ranked fifth in the world. It was named the best airport for immigration service.
Beijing's Capital International Airport moved into the world's top 10 for the first time and received the best airport security processing title.
Munich Airport took the title as Europe's best airport and moved to the fourth position in the global airport rankings. (IANS)
Future Group famous for Pantaloon apparel and Future Bazaar has announced the launch of its toothpaste range named 'Sach' toothpaste.
The Sach brand of toothpastes will be co-created by cricket giant Sachin Tendulkar.
Sachin Tendulkar, is the director of Future Consumer Products and the name 'Sach' is expected to be derived from the first name of him.
Future group has earlier launched Sach brand for tooth brush and plans to launch another 2-3 products under the brand.
The Sach brand of toothpastes will be co-created by cricket giant Sachin Tendulkar.
Sachin Tendulkar, is the director of Future Consumer Products and the name 'Sach' is expected to be derived from the first name of him.
Future group has earlier launched Sach brand for tooth brush and plans to launch another 2-3 products under the brand.
26-year-old part-time Bollywood actor has been arrested for his involvement in two murder cases, police said Wednesday.
Rahimuddin Hasmi, who had earlier escaped from Delhi Police custody while being escorted to a court in Ghaziabad, was arrested Tuesday evening from Vasant Vihar in south Delhi. One pistol and two live cartridges were recovered from him, a police officer said.
Delhi Police and Uttar Pradesh had announced rewards of Rs.50,000 and Rs.25,000 respectively for his arrest.
"He has acted in Hindi film 'My Friend Ganesha Part-2' and many other movies. Hasmi in his interrogation revealed that he is involved in two murder cases and escaped from the custody of Uttar Pradesh Police and Delhi Police," Deputy Commissioner of Police (south Delhi) H.G.S. Dhaliwal said. (IANS)
Rahimuddin Hasmi, who had earlier escaped from Delhi Police custody while being escorted to a court in Ghaziabad, was arrested Tuesday evening from Vasant Vihar in south Delhi. One pistol and two live cartridges were recovered from him, a police officer said.
Delhi Police and Uttar Pradesh had announced rewards of Rs.50,000 and Rs.25,000 respectively for his arrest.
"He has acted in Hindi film 'My Friend Ganesha Part-2' and many other movies. Hasmi in his interrogation revealed that he is involved in two murder cases and escaped from the custody of Uttar Pradesh Police and Delhi Police," Deputy Commissioner of Police (south Delhi) H.G.S. Dhaliwal said. (IANS)
"I think, this is for the first time there is a music premiere happening on a radio channel, which is great. I am hoping for some good feedback," Hrithik told reporters at the Radio Mirchi studio here Thursday.
There has been a lot of buzz about the film and finally the promotion has started.
Asked how different the promotions will be from other movies, Hrithik said: "I am not the marketing guy, so I am clueless. I am just an actor and am happy doing acting. I don't think on those terms.
"They (marketing team) must be doing something to promote the film. They will tell me what to do and I will do whatever I can do."
Directed by Anurag Basu, "Kites" will be released in both Hindi and English. The film is about two lovers and their thrilling journey filled with precious moments and unexpected betrayal.
Mexican actress Barbara Mori, who plays Hrithik's love interest in the movie, is expected to come down for the promotion activities of the movie set for a May 21 release.
"Yes, I think she will be coming down on the 20th of next month and help in promoting the film," said Hrithik.
Kangana Ranaut also features in the movie, but she has not been highlighted so far.
"I really am not the person who decides on promotion and marketing. The film is a love story between Barbara and me. The idea to project the first promos of the film comes from the director's vision, what he wants to tell the audiences and that's how the promos are made," said Hrithik.
Asked whether he has flown kites, Hrithik said: "Yes, I remember papa used to teach me. We used to live on the 13th floor of a building... I was too small and I used to wonder that the kites seems so light but when it's flying, it's really hard to hold the 'manja' (string). I remember that really clearly because I could not hold it and it used to keep flying away from my hand."
IANS
Tamil film actor Ajith Kumar became the latest Indian entrant to international Formula racing as he Wednesday announced his participation in the Formula 2 series this year.
Ajith, who turns 39 on May 1, was an active two-wheeler racer before switching to films. Since then, he has been an infrequent visitor to the racing track and participated in the last round of the MRF Challenge series in February, but was far from competitive.
He had earlier taken part in Formula BMW Asia in 2003 and the British F3 (Scholarship Class) in 2004 when he scored two podium finishes.
Ajith follows the likes of Parthiva Sureshwaren and Armaan Ebrahim both of whom have already signed up for Formula 2 series.
His forays into single-seater racing have been more to do with his undeniable passion for the sport than any realistic chance of winning, but he believes that his participation would provide Indian motor sport a bigger profile due to the fan following he enjoys.
"I have the confidence of achieving some success in this year's FIA Formula 2 European Championships. I have already done some testing in Malaysia recently and am looking forward to more practice runs in Snetterton and Silverstone before the event kicks off on April 16.
"I hope my participation along with the other two Indians, Armaaan Ebrahim and Parthiva Sureshwaran will create the right amount of interest in the sport in India," said Ajith in a press release.
F2 Series Director Jonathan Palmer said: "I am delighted to welcome Ajith to F2. To have a well known Indian film star who has demonstrated such ambition now racing in F2 is very exciting for the championship, and I really admire Ajith's determination and enthusiasm.
Ajith has hired the services of Eurasia Motorsport Management run by Piers Hunnisett to handle all his international motor racing activities and manage his racing career. (IANS)
Canara bank, one of the leading banks in India has announced the recruitment of Probationary Officers & Probationary Clerks
On-line Registration for PO and PC posts commences on 25.03.2010.
Click here for more Applying On-line.
On-line Registration for PO and PC posts commences on 25.03.2010.
Click here for more Applying On-line.
Around 13 cities in the country are going to come under the BS IV norms, while the rest of country is going to upgrade to BS III norms on April 2010.
Fuel prices for BS IV vehicle ie BS IV Petrol and BS IV diesel will be different from normal fuel prices. The new environment friendly petrol will be a little bit more expensive, Petrol is priced 41 paise more and diesel 26 paise more than the existing prices.
Cleaner -- but costlier -- Euro-IV standard petrol and diesel will be available from April 1 in 13 cities across the country, Petroleum Secretary S. Sundareshan said here Wednesday.
At a function to mark the launch of the cleaner fuel, he said: "From April 1, Euro-IV standard fuel will be available in 13 cities in India". These cities will include Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
Sundareshan noted that the oil firms had made an investment of over Rs.40,000 crore to upgrade their refineries to produce the cleaner grade of petrol and diesel. This was likely to be onpassed to the consumer, he indicated.
The secretary said the Euro-IV petrol will cost 46 paise per litre more than Euro-III, while Euro-IV diesel will be 26 paise costlier.
Sundareshan added that oil firms were already facing a loss of Rs.70,000 crore this year as auto fuels and cooking gas were sold at highly subsidized rates.
Fuel prices for BS IV vehicle ie BS IV Petrol and BS IV diesel will be different from normal fuel prices. The new environment friendly petrol will be a little bit more expensive, Petrol is priced 41 paise more and diesel 26 paise more than the existing prices.
Cleaner -- but costlier -- Euro-IV standard petrol and diesel will be available from April 1 in 13 cities across the country, Petroleum Secretary S. Sundareshan said here Wednesday.
At a function to mark the launch of the cleaner fuel, he said: "From April 1, Euro-IV standard fuel will be available in 13 cities in India". These cities will include Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
Sundareshan noted that the oil firms had made an investment of over Rs.40,000 crore to upgrade their refineries to produce the cleaner grade of petrol and diesel. This was likely to be onpassed to the consumer, he indicated.
The secretary said the Euro-IV petrol will cost 46 paise per litre more than Euro-III, while Euro-IV diesel will be 26 paise costlier.
Sundareshan added that oil firms were already facing a loss of Rs.70,000 crore this year as auto fuels and cooking gas were sold at highly subsidized rates.
The official launch of Asianet Middle East 24x7 will be held in Dubai on April 7.
"There is a considerable difference in the lifestyle of Keralites in Kerala and the Keralite community living in the Middle East," Asianet Communications Managing Director K. Madhavan said.
"As the leading and trusted television channel of thousands of Malayalis in the region, we believe that the difference in outlook and aspirations must reflect in our channel's programming to fully connect with our audience here," he said.
The channel was launched in 1993.
The viewers of Asianet in the Middle East are presently offered the same programming schedules as that of the channel in Kerala. The dedicated channel has been structured to suit the lifestyle of people residing in the south Indian state.
The new dedicated 24x7 channel will structure its mainline programming schedule to suit prime time, as per the time zone in the Middle East.
"Viewers in the Middle East can watch new blockbuster movies and all the weekend shows on Fridays instead of having to miss them on Sundays," Madhavan said. (IANS)
Delhiites Wednesday celebrated Sriram Navami, the birth of Lord Rama, with ritualistic fasting and special prayers at noon when the Hindu god is believed to have been born.
The festival is celebrated on the last day of the nine-day long Navaratri festivities.
"On each day of Navaratri, we observe fasts and there are special prayer ceremonies organised in every home and in the temples where devotional songs are sung. On Ram Navami too, we observe fasts and offer special prayers to Lord Rama at noon when he was born," Aarti Bhatia, a home maker said.
"We also have small idols of Rama in a cradle, symbolising the significance of the day, and pray to them," she added.
Rachika Srivastava, another Delhi resident, said: "Besides fasting, it's also a ritual to perform the marriage celebration of the small idols of Rama and Sita during the day. We also have special kind of food on all the nine days, which is pure vegetarian and sans the normal table salt."
In many places, processions with Rama's idol are also taken out on Ram Navami. It is a much fun-filled and colourful affair. (IANS)
Panakam or Panaka is a festive sweet drink and a summer cooler prepared with jaggery and flavored with dry ginger, cardamom and pepper. The Panakam drink is prepared in connection with Sri Rama Navami festival.Panaka recipe preparation are available at the following
www.aayisrecipes.com/.../pepper-jaggery-drinkpanakpanakam/
www.indiacuisine.blogspot.com/.../panakampanaka-traditional-indian-drink.html
www.iyercooks.blogspot.com/2008/10/panakam.html
Robin Uthappa smashed six sixes for his 38-ball 68 runs at the M.Chinnaswamy stadium here Tuesday in the Royal Challengers tie against Chennai Super Kings, forcing the replacement of the ball twice as it could not be located.Two of his sixes were huge. One went out of the stadium and another time the ball could not be traced though it fell in the stands. Both the times the balls had to be replaced.
Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin and popular Kannada actor and former Congress MP M.H. Ambareesh were among the thousands who watched the hard-hitting Uthappa enable his team reach 171
As usual Siddhartha Mallya, son of RCB owner and liquor baron Vijay Mallya, was cheering his team. Missing this time was Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, whose presence in one of the previous outings of Royal Challengers here had led to tabloid frenzy that the two were dating. (IANS)
A Malaysian Indian official has blamed Tamil cinema for young people from the community taking to crime.N.V. Subbarow, education officer of the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP), was quoted by Malaysia Namban newspaper as saying that the "incidence of crime among Indian youths was related to violence depicted in Tamil films".
Malaysia's estimated two million ethnic Indian community is predominantly Tamil that watches Tamil films, mostly sourced from India.
Subbarow said that so far no concrete action had been taken to cure such social ills as the government, politicians and community were "too busy blaming each other", The Star newspaper said Monday.
Ethnic Indian leaders generally complain of falling moral and social standards among the community due to lack of adequate religious and moral teachings.
Hollywood actress Rachel Weisz won the Laurence Olivier Award for best actress for her acclaimed performance in the play "A Streetcar Named Desire".The Oscar winner beat actresses like Gillian Anderson, Imelda Staunton and Juliet Stevenson to win the title for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in the play.
Weisz's co-star Ruth Wilson walked away with the gong for best actress in a supporting role for her outstanding performance as Stella in the play by Tennessee Williams.
American playwright Katori Hall, 28, won the best new play award for "The Mountaintop" that narrates Martin Luther King's activities the night before his assassination. She is the first black female playwright to win the award.
The Best Musical award went to Debbie Allen's version of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof".
"The Olivier Awards reflect a year of outstanding creativity and production excellence which brought the public rushing to the theatre taking box office and attendance records to an all-time high," telegraph.co.uk quoted Nica Burns, president of the Society of London Theatre, as saying.
"The London theatre is a shining light in the continuing recessionary gloom - something we can all be proud of," Burns added. (IANS)
NIMCET10
National Institute of Technology
MCA Admissions: 2010-11
Applications are invited from eligible candidates for admission to the 3-year full time Master of Computer Applications (MCA) programme offered by the NITs located at Agartala, Allahabad, Bhopal, Calicut, Durgapur, Jamshedpur, Kurukshetra, Raipur, Surathkal, Tiruchirappalli and Warangal. http://nimcet10.nitkkr.ac.in
IMPORTANT DATES
Publication of Advertisement in Press and web
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Availability of Online Application form
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Closing Date of Online Login Creation
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Last date for receipt of filled in Application form along with requisite DD by post / hand
Monday, April 26, 2010
Availability of Admit card on web for download
Monday, May 03, 2010
Date & Time of Examination
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Date of Publication of Result (Tentative)
Monday, May 31, 2010
Counselling Dates (Tentative)
Friday to Sunday, June 25 to 27, 2010
The completed application form with all the documents as listed in the check list should be sent to The Chairman, NIMCET10, National Institute of Technology Kurukshetra, Kurukshetra - 136119 Haryana by post so as to reach on or before Monday, April 26, 2010. The application form can also be submitted in the office of NIMCET10 at NIT Kurukshetra by hand on all working days from 10.00AM to 5.00PM.
National Institute of Technology
MCA Admissions: 2010-11
Applications are invited from eligible candidates for admission to the 3-year full time Master of Computer Applications (MCA) programme offered by the NITs located at Agartala, Allahabad, Bhopal, Calicut, Durgapur, Jamshedpur, Kurukshetra, Raipur, Surathkal, Tiruchirappalli and Warangal. http://nimcet10.nitkkr.ac.in
IMPORTANT DATES
Publication of Advertisement in Press and web
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Availability of Online Application form
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Closing Date of Online Login Creation
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Last date for receipt of filled in Application form along with requisite DD by post / hand
Monday, April 26, 2010
Availability of Admit card on web for download
Monday, May 03, 2010
Date & Time of Examination
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Date of Publication of Result (Tentative)
Monday, May 31, 2010
Counselling Dates (Tentative)
Friday to Sunday, June 25 to 27, 2010
The completed application form with all the documents as listed in the check list should be sent to The Chairman, NIMCET10, National Institute of Technology Kurukshetra, Kurukshetra - 136119 Haryana by post so as to reach on or before Monday, April 26, 2010. The application form can also be submitted in the office of NIMCET10 at NIT Kurukshetra by hand on all working days from 10.00AM to 5.00PM.
Book: "It Rained All Night" by Buddhadeva Bose (Raat Bhor Brishti); Translator: Clinton B. Seely; Publisher: Penguin Books-India; Price: Rs 150
Buddhadeva Bose, one of the most versatile Bengali writers of the 20th century, was convicted on Dec 19, 1970, for alleged obscenity in his book by the additional chief presidency magistrate of Kolkata just four years before his death.
The trial - which included 70 days of hearing - lasted a year and a half. The 63-year-old writer was made to stand inside a wire cage and the copies of his book, "It Rained All Night" (Raat Bhor Brishti) were seized and burnt. The police did not even spare the manuscript. Bose was refused leave to appeal. His book was banned.
However, the conviction was later overturned by the high court.
For the vast legions of English language readers outside Bengal and the Bengali GenNext brought up on a staple diet of contemporary Indo-Anglian and western literature, "It Rained All Night" - the English translation of Bose's controversial Bengali novel - by American scholar Clinton B. Seely is a window to the golden years of Bengali new-wave literary movement of the 20th century that charted a freewheeling course defying the repressive political regime of the 1960s and 1970s.
Seely is an emeritus professor of Bengali at the department of South Asian languages at the University of Chicago.
The book, published by Penguin Books-India, is an unforgettable tale of desire, adultery, jealousy and love in middle-class Kolkata.
Maloti, an attractive middle-class Bengali girl, marries the bookish college lecturer Noyonangshu for love only to find him "insecure, sexually timid" and confused.
While Noyonangshu shuns the conventional conservatism of the 1970s Bengal for a "nuclear life" he cannot reconcile to the idea of his wife seeking fulfilment outside marriage.
Maloti discovers passion in the arms of confident and down-to-earth journalist Jayanto, who connects to her inner self and matches her desire with his ardour and intensity. The descriptions of physical intimacy in the book are graphic and the sensibilities radical.
"Marriage! What a complex, difficult, necessary and fantastically durable institution it is - yet so fragile. Two human beings will spend their entire lives together. Not five or 15 years, but their entire lives - what more atrocious a tyranny, what more inhuman an ideal could there be," Noyonangshu, one of the three key characters in the triangle of love, says about marital incompatibility.
Seely's racy, uncluttered and emotional prose does not take away from the Bengali ambivalence of the early 1970s. The style is crisp - light and somewhat disjointed, reflecting the character's inner storms.
It captures the time when Left idealism and easy accessibility to world literature gave young educated men in Bengal a voice to debate world affairs like "Nehru's political blunders, Tibet and China" - while their wives became trophy women in little matchbox apartments home to cramped nuclear families - post-collapse of the extended filial orders of old Bengal.
Exposure to Russian and American modern literature and European art bred a social paradox. As the intellectual quotient of the young Bengali men soared, their personal lives became a trifle unreal dictated by Anton Chekhov and Botticelli.
The result: a conflict of values. Relationships degenerated and institutions crumbled with the winds of change. The churning of change took its toll on the human mind - driving it to the edge.
In Bose's book, Noyonangshu, Maloti's husband, becomes the victim - an unwitting pawn in Bengal's social-political metamorphosis.
Seely has worked closely with the author, though from a long distance. "The author was in Kolkata and I in Chicago. I had the honour and considerable good fortune to have known this man personally," Seely said.
The translator has authored a biography of Bengali poet Jibanananda Das and translated Michael Madhusudan Dutt's "Meghnadbadh Kavya" in English. (IANS)
Buddhadeva Bose, one of the most versatile Bengali writers of the 20th century, was convicted on Dec 19, 1970, for alleged obscenity in his book by the additional chief presidency magistrate of Kolkata just four years before his death.
The trial - which included 70 days of hearing - lasted a year and a half. The 63-year-old writer was made to stand inside a wire cage and the copies of his book, "It Rained All Night" (Raat Bhor Brishti) were seized and burnt. The police did not even spare the manuscript. Bose was refused leave to appeal. His book was banned.
However, the conviction was later overturned by the high court.
For the vast legions of English language readers outside Bengal and the Bengali GenNext brought up on a staple diet of contemporary Indo-Anglian and western literature, "It Rained All Night" - the English translation of Bose's controversial Bengali novel - by American scholar Clinton B. Seely is a window to the golden years of Bengali new-wave literary movement of the 20th century that charted a freewheeling course defying the repressive political regime of the 1960s and 1970s.
Seely is an emeritus professor of Bengali at the department of South Asian languages at the University of Chicago.
The book, published by Penguin Books-India, is an unforgettable tale of desire, adultery, jealousy and love in middle-class Kolkata.
Maloti, an attractive middle-class Bengali girl, marries the bookish college lecturer Noyonangshu for love only to find him "insecure, sexually timid" and confused.
While Noyonangshu shuns the conventional conservatism of the 1970s Bengal for a "nuclear life" he cannot reconcile to the idea of his wife seeking fulfilment outside marriage.
Maloti discovers passion in the arms of confident and down-to-earth journalist Jayanto, who connects to her inner self and matches her desire with his ardour and intensity. The descriptions of physical intimacy in the book are graphic and the sensibilities radical.
"Marriage! What a complex, difficult, necessary and fantastically durable institution it is - yet so fragile. Two human beings will spend their entire lives together. Not five or 15 years, but their entire lives - what more atrocious a tyranny, what more inhuman an ideal could there be," Noyonangshu, one of the three key characters in the triangle of love, says about marital incompatibility.
Seely's racy, uncluttered and emotional prose does not take away from the Bengali ambivalence of the early 1970s. The style is crisp - light and somewhat disjointed, reflecting the character's inner storms.
It captures the time when Left idealism and easy accessibility to world literature gave young educated men in Bengal a voice to debate world affairs like "Nehru's political blunders, Tibet and China" - while their wives became trophy women in little matchbox apartments home to cramped nuclear families - post-collapse of the extended filial orders of old Bengal.
Exposure to Russian and American modern literature and European art bred a social paradox. As the intellectual quotient of the young Bengali men soared, their personal lives became a trifle unreal dictated by Anton Chekhov and Botticelli.
The result: a conflict of values. Relationships degenerated and institutions crumbled with the winds of change. The churning of change took its toll on the human mind - driving it to the edge.
In Bose's book, Noyonangshu, Maloti's husband, becomes the victim - an unwitting pawn in Bengal's social-political metamorphosis.
Seely has worked closely with the author, though from a long distance. "The author was in Kolkata and I in Chicago. I had the honour and considerable good fortune to have known this man personally," Seely said.
The translator has authored a biography of Bengali poet Jibanananda Das and translated Michael Madhusudan Dutt's "Meghnadbadh Kavya" in English. (IANS)
Actress Deepika Padukone, who's been linked to Farhan Akhtar, Shahid Kapoor and most recently liquor baron Vijay Mallya's son Siddharth, is unfazed by the rumours and says she has learnt to accept the fact that all this comes with the work she does."It makes no difference to me because I know that I am leading a life I want. I understand that it comes with the work I do and I am fine with it. I am very happy with my life and the work I am doing," Padukone, who was in the capital to inaugurate the Power Biking Studio of Anatomy Health Club, told IANS. Also present were ace badminton players Saina Nehwal and P. Gopichand.
The actress is also shooting for her new film "Break Ke Baad" starring Imran Khan in Delhi.
A self-confessed fitness freak, Padukone feels that regular workouts, yoga, healthy eating and positive thinking is what makes her look fit.
"I think everybody's body type is different and it reacts differently to different work outs. It is important for you to understand what suits your body and exercise accordingly," she said.
"I do a lot of yoga. Although I eat everything but at the same time I know there are certain kinds of food that I put on weight with so I try to avoid them. I think eating healthy, regular workouts and positive thinking can help anybody look better," she added.
Unlike other Bollywood actresses, the 24-year-old doesn't believe in being size zero.
"I don't think it is healthy to be size zero. The Indian body is not cut out to be size zero. It is always nice to look healthy," Padukone said.
She also refuses to take the tag of being the lucky mascot for Mallya's IPL team Banglore Royal Challengers.
"I think if the team is playing well the credit should go to all the players. It is very unfair to say that I am the lucky mascot and give me the credit," she said.
President Barack Obama scored a major political victory with the US Congress passing a landmark bill to provide medical coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans, a feat that has eluded six presidents.
In the teeth of fierce opposition from a section of his own Democratic party, the House of Representatives Sunday approved a sweeping $875 billion healthcare measure, already approved by the Senate, by a narrow 219 to 212, after a day of often acrimonious debate.
As many as 34 Democrats joined the 212 Republicans voting en bloc against the bill. The bill now goes to Obama, who had made health care reform the top priority of his domestic agenda.
The House later also approved compromise changes to the Senate bill. The changes still need Senate approval.
However, Obama's signature on the main Senate health care bill would make the reform the law of the land, with or without the changes in the accompanying bill.
Democrats hailed the votes as historic, comparable to the establishment of Medicare and Social Security and a long overdue step forward in social justice.
Republicans contend the plan amounts to a government takeover of the private insurance system that will do little to slow spiralling medical costs.
"This is the civil rights act of the 21st century," said James E. Clyburn, the No. 3 Democrat in the House. But Republican Paul D. Ryan denounced the bill as "a fiscal Frankenstein" while colleague Virginia Foxx described it as "one of the most offensive pieces of social engineering legislation in the history of the United States."
A last-minute deal Sunday between Obama and House members who oppose abortion paved the way for Congress to pass the bill with Obama announcing he would issue an executive order to ensure that existing limits on federal funding of abortion remain in place under the health care reform bill.
Minutes later, Democrat Bart Stupak, and fellow anti-abortion colleagues said they would support the legislation.
The measure would constitute the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid over four decades ago. It would extend insurance coverage to an additional 32 million Americans, according to a preliminary analysis from the Congressional budget office. (IANS)
In the teeth of fierce opposition from a section of his own Democratic party, the House of Representatives Sunday approved a sweeping $875 billion healthcare measure, already approved by the Senate, by a narrow 219 to 212, after a day of often acrimonious debate.
As many as 34 Democrats joined the 212 Republicans voting en bloc against the bill. The bill now goes to Obama, who had made health care reform the top priority of his domestic agenda.
The House later also approved compromise changes to the Senate bill. The changes still need Senate approval.
However, Obama's signature on the main Senate health care bill would make the reform the law of the land, with or without the changes in the accompanying bill.
Democrats hailed the votes as historic, comparable to the establishment of Medicare and Social Security and a long overdue step forward in social justice.
Republicans contend the plan amounts to a government takeover of the private insurance system that will do little to slow spiralling medical costs.
"This is the civil rights act of the 21st century," said James E. Clyburn, the No. 3 Democrat in the House. But Republican Paul D. Ryan denounced the bill as "a fiscal Frankenstein" while colleague Virginia Foxx described it as "one of the most offensive pieces of social engineering legislation in the history of the United States."
A last-minute deal Sunday between Obama and House members who oppose abortion paved the way for Congress to pass the bill with Obama announcing he would issue an executive order to ensure that existing limits on federal funding of abortion remain in place under the health care reform bill.
Minutes later, Democrat Bart Stupak, and fellow anti-abortion colleagues said they would support the legislation.
The measure would constitute the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid over four decades ago. It would extend insurance coverage to an additional 32 million Americans, according to a preliminary analysis from the Congressional budget office. (IANS)
Europe, for the first-time traveller, can be a teaser: the distances are vast, the stops too tempting and the costs mind-blowing. So how does one save a few extra euros on a summer junket? Through a car pool, says travel writer and columnist Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu."Try the Mitfahzentrale in Germany and then car pool your way across Europe as an alternative option. It saves cost," suggests Sidhu, whose travelogue "Adrift: A Junket Junkie in Europe" will hit the stands in April.
"Out of concern for depleting renewable energy sources, a prudent German government has introduced the idea of car pooling. Not merely for the purpose of dropping children to school or colleagues riding together to work," Sidhu said.
"The government had in fact suggested that an attempt should be made to pool fuel resources whenever travellers were cross-country or cross-continent. An experiment of sorts, perhaps; it met with huge success and is currently the mode of choice by anyone owning a car and a valid driver's licence."
"Mitfahzentrale" - Sidhu's mode of transport during her visit to Germany - simply put are "facilitation centres offering this unique low-cost car-sharing service in an organised fashion".
"Now that most of Europe is still trying to recover from the downturn, car pools are becoming popular among the cash-strapped people, mostly youngsters. One can share a car as cheap as 25 euros with four people," she said.
"The car pools are conveniently located near the main train stations. For a nominal fee, which also served as insurance cover in case of breakdowns and the shared cost of fuel consumed, you could even hitch a ride from Munich to Moscow. The more I thought about it, the more attractive the idea of traversing the continent in this manner appeared to become," the writer said.
"Suddenly a million travel possibilities began staring at me in the face," she said. "All that was required of me was to reach out and flag a destination," she said.
Sidhu's rendezvous with the "economical wheel" still continues. She has just returned from a car trip to Bhutan.
"I was part of the Indo-Bhutan Friendship Rally. I drove through jungles in stretches that had no tracks in a Maruti Esteem. I crossed the Bengal countryside of the Dooars at the foothills of the Himalayas, the forests of Bodoland in Lower Assam's Kokrajhar district and reached Phuntsholing on the edge of Bhutan. From there, I proceeded to Thimphu, the Bhutan capital," the writer told IANS, mapping her itinerary.
Sidhu is currently documenting heritage properties in Himachal Pradesh. "I will put it together as a new genre of travel book," she said.
The author will read from her book "Adrift..." at the India International Centre March 28(IANS)