Sunday 31 august 2008

TIMES OF INDIA

Sunday 31 august 2008

 

 

Madhepura goes 6ft under

While Kosi Rages And Govt Dithers, Lakhs Flee Homes

Abhay Mohan Jha

Madhepura: The turbulent Kosi is on the rampage. After forcing lakhs of people out of the hinterland and threatening to engulf thousands of marooned villagers, the roiling waters are flowing six feet deep through Madhepura town, the district headquarters.
    The town is sinking by the hour. SOS calls from the distressed are bouncing back from a government conspicuous by its inadequacy.
    “Officers running the district control room say they cannot help,’’ said an inconsolable Mukesh Verma, who managed to reach the district headquarters on Saturday after a distress call to evacuate 25 members of his family from the rooftop of their home in Jorgama village in Kumarkhand block. “They will all die. They are without food and water ... please help me, sir.’’
    Till now, Madhepura was famous as the home of B P Mandal who led the Mandal Commission. It was also known as the place Lalu Prasad and Sharad Yadav vied to represent in Parliament. The district has a population of about 15 lakh. Eleven of its 13 blocks have been flooded. Madhepura town has a population of about 52,000.
    Experts from the state water resources department fear the situation will worsen with the catchment area in upstream Nepal reporting more than 100mm of rainfall overnight. They say that an additional 1.95 lakh cusecs of water is likely to flood in from Nepal.
    On Saturday morning, residents of Madhepura town joined the long march of flood victims towards that elusive safety.
    When this reporter entered the town in the morning, the main square — Karpoori Chowk — was a foot deep under water. A few hours later, the level had climbed to two feet and by dusk it would have drowned a six-foot man.
    The high waters are forcing people to leave and there is nowhere to go. For those who can afford it, a few autorickshaws are making a fast buck.
Nepal admits lapse, to make amends
    Admitting that its inaction had led to the flood crisis in Bihar, Nepal has promised to work with India on building dams and embankments on the Kosi. ‘‘We will work together. We have to control the floods in both countries... Indian technicians are working there now... The Nepalese people and government are cooperating,’’ Nepalese foreign minister Upendra Yadav said on Saturday. P 12 
Bihar blames Centre for holding up funds
    The Bihar government has shot off a strongly worded letter blaming Delhi for the lapses that led to the Kosi breaching its embankments. The state said it had completed pre-monsoon work to prevent erosion by June but was unable to do maintenance work on the barrage because the Centre failed to give it the money. P 12 ‘If we leave, our house will be ransacked’
Madhepura: As the situation in flood-hit Madhepura gets desperate, few autorickshaws are making a fast buck ferrying people. However, they have to wade three kilometres through the swirling depths to get to these vehicles.They are the most fortunate of Madhepura’s unfortunate.
    For still others, there is no way out but to walk and walk endlessly. For those who choose to stay on, either out of naive confidence or because they cannot afford to leave, supplies of essential items are running low. “I have not been able to get an LPG refill even for a thousand rupees,’’ said Sonu Kumar of Ward No. 21. “How can we leave?’’ asked Mohammad Israel of Bhirki tola, fearing that his house would be ransacked. “Two houses were burgled last night in my mohallla,’’ he said.
    “Neither the DM nor the special DM can be reached,’’ cried Nandan Kumar, adding that there was no police patrolling to ward off thieves. “We are leaving our home unattended for the first time,’’ said Rahul Sinha, a Madhepura resident, as he made several phone calls to his relatives in town, advising them to abandon everything and flee. The scramble to get out is painfully difficult with people crawling through the water with whatever they can carry.
    Calves and kid goats — many people’s only wealth — were being carried like babies. It is, after all, a desperate dash for life. This is no time to care they may not see their hometown again as it drowns.

THE LONG MARCH: Villagers from flood-hit areas head towards shelters in Madhepura town in Bihar on Saturday

 

 

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Tax on vacant plots to spruce up city slums

Proposal To Deter Speculators

Mahendra Kumar Singh | TNN

New Delhi: Have land, pay tax. If you have a vacant plot and intend to sell it some time in the future for huge profit , the taxman may soon demand a share. The Centre is considering a tax on unused urban land to finance a ‘‘national fund for urban poor’’ to ensure that basic services — shelter, water, sanitation and health facilities — reach the poorest.
    Government sources said the tax would be paid by individuals, institutions and builders who are allotted land by a government agency but keep it vacant instead of using it for the originally stated purpose. The proposed tax will be calculated at the prevailing market rate. To bring in more money, the government also plans to give tax exemptions to contributors.
    The tax is not just meant to improve the lives of slumdwellers but also deter speculation by builders and developers who exploit the scarcity of land in cities and towns.
    Sources pointed out that the corpus, called Basic Services to Urban Poor Fund, will have an initial Rs 5,000 crore and will also get a grant from the Centre.
    According to the proposal, moved by the housing and urban poverty alleviation ministry, the non-lapsable fund will be set up at national, state and city levels.
    The purpose of the revolving fund, which is being vigorously pushed by minister of state for housing and urban poverty alleviation, Kumari Selja, is to finance the integrated development of slums.
    This, by means of projects to provide shelter, basic services and other amenities.
    The government proposal also suggests that civic agencies spend 25% of their budget in areas dominated by the urban poor if they want to avail of cash from the fund.
    A similar rider will apply to civic agencies funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission.
PRICE OF PROFIT
    Tax to be paid by those who are allotted land by a govt agency and choose to keep it vacant
    It will be calculated at the prevailing market rate
    Move is intended to deter greedy builders and developers from exploiting scarce city land
    Civic agencies must spend 25% of their budget in areas dominated by the urban poor if they want to avail of the cash ‘BUDGET FOR THE POOR’
Civic bodies must spend more on poor to avail grant
New Delhi: A government proposal has suggested that civic agencies spend 25% of their budget in areas dominated by the urban poor if they want to avail of Central assistance from Basic Services to Urban Poor Fund.
    The limit has been fixed considering that at least a quarter of the population in cities and towns lives in slums.
    Poor constitute a major chunk of the urban population. According to the government’s estimates, in Mumbai, slum-dwellers constitute 54.1% of the city’s population. The figure for Delhi is 18.7%. The proportion increases in smaller towns.
    In Faridabad near New Delhi, 46.5% of the total population lives in slums while in Meerut the figure is 44.1%. In Kolkata, 32.5% of the total population lives in slums, while they account for 18.9% of Chennai’s population. The figure for Hyderabad is 17.2%.
    Selja had some time ago written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for setting up the dedicated fund. Subsequently, finance minister P Chidambaram asked the ministry to come out with the concept note on the proposal. The move is part of the housing and urban poverty alleviation ministry’s proposal to provide 100% access to basic services for urban poor within the Mission Period 2005-12.
    The ministry has also introduced an innovative concept of P-Budget (Budget for the Poor). Under this, municipalities will have to allocate funds for schemes especially focused on weaker sections of society according to the proportion of their population in a city, said a senior official.

 

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Supreme Court defines who’s an idiot

Dhananjay Mahapatra | TNN

New Delhi: ‘Idiot’ is a grossly misused word and an oversimplified epithet, if one goes by the Supreme Court’s brand new definition of the term. It is almost impossible for a person to qualify as an idiot, says the Court and therefore, few can expect to get a reprieve for an offence.
    To be legally accepted as an ‘idiot’, one has to be so dumb as to be unable to count till 20, list the days of the week, or fail to remember the names of one’s parents, the Court said on Friday.
    Under Section 84 of the Indian Penal Code, a person is not liable to be prosecuted if they are of unsound mind, or incapable of comprehending the nature of the criminal act and the fact that it is against the law.
    The Supreme Court identified just four kinds of people who could be classified mentally unsound — idiots, the very ill, lunatics and drunks.
    ‘‘An idiot is one who is of non-sane memory from his birth, by a perpetual infirmity, without lucid intervals: and those are said to be idiots who cannot count 20, or tell the days of the week or who do not know their fathers or mothers or the like,’’ said the judgement by Justices Arijit Pasayat and M K Sharma. They added that it was for the accused to prove they were idiots or otherwise of unsound mind.
    The court was dealing with a case from Madhya Pradesh where Hari Singh Gond murdered his grandfather-in-law and then claimed innocence on the grounds of idiocy. The Bench affirmed the lower court orders convicting Gond for the murder. SC: Abnormality or delusion no protection under Section 84
New Delhi: The SC has identified just four kinds of people who could be classified mentally unsound — idiots, the very ill, lunatics and drunks. Idiots, according to the court, are those who are unable to count till 20, list the days of the week, or fail to remember the names of one’s parents. But the trial court did not agree and the SC was forced to define the limits of idiocy. The court was dealing with a case from MP where Hari Singh Gond murdered his grandfather-in-law and then claimed innocence on the grounds of idiocy.
    If the investigating agency came across a history of insanity, it was duty-bound to subject the accused to a medical examination, the judges said. If a medical examination is not done ‘‘the benefit of doubt has to be given to the accused’’, the judges said.
    The MP trial court had refused to accept the accused was mentally unsound even though eyewitnesses reported he behaved in an unusual fashion at the time. Friday’s judgement differentiated between a defendant of unsound mind and mere absence of motive. ‘‘Mere absence of motive for a crime cannot, in the absence of plea and proof of legal insanity, bring the case within Section 84,’’ it said. ‘‘Mere abnormality of mind or partial delusion, irresistible impulse or compulsive behaviour of a psychopath affords no protection under Section 84,’’ the SC added, affirming the earlier court orders convicting Gond for the murder.

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Now, Mamata under siege?

Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay & Falguni Banerjee | TNN

Singur/Kolkata: Tata Nano workers failed to turn up at their besieged plant for a second day on Saturday even as Trinamool Congress-led protestors defied a Calcutta High Court directive to clear the highways and potentially clear the way for the world’s cheapest car finally to roll off the assembly line.
    There were some signs of cracks in the seemingly-solid wall of protest to Tata’s acquisition of nearly 1,000 acres with some local Trinamool Congress activists employed at the Nano plant as apprentices, openly blaming hardline Left-wingers for deliberately digging in for the long haul in order to force the Tatas out of Bengal. “We were with the agitation since it started. It was a spontaneous movement then,’’ said activist Kushal Saha, a former gram panchayat pradhan of Beraberi Purbapara. “Farmers wanted a better price from the government. They fought for it. Unfortunately, outsiders have taken over. They have no idea of ground reality,’’ he said. For the first time too, Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee’s supporters started to blame her directly. NHAI fails to move Singur protesters
Singur/Kolkata: National Highway Authority project director Avdhesh Singh on Saturday marched in with a copy of the court order but failed to intimidate protesters. After a preliminary meeting to take stock with district magistrate Neelam Meena and superintendent of police Rajiv Mishra, Singh asked to meet Mamata. But he only got as far as her colleague, lawyer Kalyan Banerjee, who said the protesters would not relent.
    “We are keeping the highway free. All our camps are on the roadside. The police are free to divert the traffic from Palsit in Burdwan, which they are not doing. They can try and run vehicles on the expressway if they want,’’ Banerjee said.
    “Let Mamata enter the car factory and identify the land? She can’t. The land she is talking about is far less than 400 acres. She is leading the protesters to nowhere,’’ Kushal Saha, a former gram panchayat pradhan of Beraberi Purbapara. But Trinamool leaders remained defiant.
    Meanwhile, Singh threatened police action, but that failed as well. He said, “There has been no change in the ground situation so far. The condition is still not conducive to resuming traffic movement on Saturday. We are losing Rs 25 lakh a day as toll. I will seek the help of the state police failing which we would clear the expressway with Central forces.’’.
    In Kolkata, West Bengal home secretary Asoke Mohan Chakrabarty admitted the state administration could do little to execute HC order. “The court has asked for compliance. There is no other way,’’ Chakrabarty said. But in a sign of increasing dismay at the bad press for Bengal’s seemingly anti-business policies, software professionals in Kolkata marched to demand government to take firm steps to hold on to the Tata project.

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Family-minded India asks for child-free zones

Cafes, Hotels Cash In On Demand

Pallavi Srivastava | TNN

    Smoking not allowed. Pets not allowed. Children not allowed. The last is not yet a condition of entry into restaurants, multiplexes and aircraft in famously familyminded India, but many believe it’s an idea whose time has come and a trickle of hoteliers and others are starting to provide child-free nirvana for those who want it.
    Aadisht Khanna, a 25-yearold Mumbai stockbroker is one of the reasons child-unfriendly businesses such as The Tryst, a family-run Coonoor guesthouse, ply their trade. Khanna runs a blog that repeatedly complains about the menace of unruly children and is calling for “business traveller-specific flights, which have an intermediate class between economy and business and use a combination of premium pricing, timing, and actually disallowing children to make the flight child-free”.
    There is also a growing chorus of bloggers and netizens who are calling for adult-only eateries and cafes. Even PG films, they say, should have some screenings without kids.
    M S Rao, who owns Tryst, is candid about his decision to advertise the tiny guesthouse on the net as a place where children are allowed “only if they’re invisible”. He says, “Children are not encouraged because most parents especially Indians do not know how to manage or discipline their spawn. They run amok and damage our property, whilst the parents look on unconcerned.”
    Rao dismisses the suggestion child-free hotels are politically incorrect and bad for business in a country that prides itself on child-centred family life. “The Tryst is for relaxation and enjoyment of nature and we cater mostly to foreign clientele. I am sure they would prefer to stay in a childfree zone during their holidays, for obvious reasons”.
    The Tryst is one of a thin but growing trickle of public venues that restrict child entry or at least hedge around it with the sternest of rules. Children under three are barred from Puducherry’s Aurobindo Ashram. The Ooty Club in the Nilgiris insists that children roam no further than their parents’ room and the children’s dining room. Many other clubs across India, including the Calcutta Club, have rules on the same lines. Child-free zones not illegal: SC lawyer
    The idea of making restaurants, theatres, and flights child-free is fast catching. Like The Tryst, a family-run Coonoor guesthouse has already providing its guest child-free nirvana.
    Child-free zones may sound politically incorrect but are perfectly legal. SC lawyer Geeta Luthra says, “Private places can keep the right of entry reserved. All of this so long as they (the rules) are not unreasonable.”
    The pro-child-free zone lobby thinks nothing unreasonable in its campaign.
    Delhi-based freelance writer Jai Arjun Singh, a familiar internet voice raised against children, says he’d “rather not hear them (or have them picking on the back of my head) in a movie hall. Or see one come across to my table while I’m eating and stare at me continuously”.
    Half in jest he insists this year’s Railway Budget was “shockingly timorous” because it lacked “a special provision for sealed compartments for all the little humans. I propose this measure be incorporated.”
    A recent survey by website airfarewatchdog.com found that 85% of 10,000 respondents favoured the idea of a separate section on planes for those travelling with children.
    Last year, a Danish company introduced a child-free zone aboard planes to Thailand, Malaysia and Cape Verde. Were gloriously child-loving India to take to the trend, it would be in line with places such as the Caribbean, US, Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji and Mauritius, where child-free hotels and restaurants are not hard to come by.
    Most of these places bar children under 12 and some restrict entry for 14-year-olds as well.
    Even so, some businesses seem wary about openly announcing a child-unfriendly policy. Most fine-dining restaurants in India are careful not to overtly bar children even though they are sure to be restless and may spoil the Rs 5,000-dinner-fortwo experience.
    Delhi’s Taj Mahal Hotel emphasises its child-friendly qualities and insists children are an important segment. But it admits it does not “encourage” children in the fine-dining restaurants even though it is loathe to declare these child-free zones.
    A spokesman says, “People are evolved and don’t bring kids. Restaurants are also priced so much.”
    So just how commercially viable can a child-free zone be? People like Aadisht Khanna are ready to pay for the privilege of peace, but hoteliers like Rao think parents should be charged substantially more if they travel with their offspring. But till the math is worked out, all you can do is practise saying cho-chweet.

 

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Delhi Times

 

KAHAANI DRONA KI

Director Goldie Behl reveals, for the first time, what Drona is going to be all about

VISHWAS GAUTAM Times News Network

    The look is intriguing – sherwanis and flowing stoles, a larger than life Abhishek Bachchan, engraved swords and the promise of a story packed with action, mystery and the supernormal. But what is that story? The director of Drona, Goldie Behl, tells DT the tale.
    “ Drona is the title that’s given to the lead character. Drona is completely human – he even has character flaws. In the movie, he learns to deal with his fears as well. Drona is the title given to the firstborn of every generation in this dynasty. It has been appointed here on earth by the gods themselves to guard a secret which, if found by evil forces, will spell doom for the planet and the universe,” he explains. “Vir Bhadra, the first king of this palace called Pratap Garh, was chosen as the Drona of his age and the firstborn of his dynasty, to this day, is called Drona because he guards that secret. The character in the movie is called Aditya, played by Abhishek, so it’s pretty much like the Jedi and Star Wars – you have to be born a Drona.”
    So was Star Wars the inspiration behind Drona, or is it something else? “The inspiration, or the idea, is that every person is born with a special task or destiny. Each one of us is born to do something, with certain capabilities and skills that belong only to us. You write well, I might direct well, there are various skills that God has given us all. This is a fictionalised, larger than life way of telling a coming-of-age tale. It’s about how this character discovers what he is destined to become and what his superhuman powers are,” says Goldie. “The outfit in the movie is the ancestral outfit that he dons – that is what a Drona wears when he goes to war. He’s human, and that’s the whole point – there’s a representative of the human race who’s appointed by the gods to protect the secret.”
    The initial approval for this grand idea came from a small source – Goldie and Abhishek’s nephews. “I must tell you, Abhishek and I first narrated the story to all the kids in our family – my nephew and Abhi’s nephew and niece – and only after the kids gave us an okay did we decide to go ahead with the movie,” he says, grinning. And this is the second time that the director is working with Abhishek – was the character written first and then Abhishek cast to play it, or was it written for the junior B? “Because of my closeness to Abhishek and the family, I thought of the character and Abhishek at the same time. For him too, I think, it’s pretty much the same, so it happens automatically for me,” says Goldie.
    There’s no sameness in the movie, though, says Goldie, explaining that it’s been shot in exotic locations in Rajasthan – Kuchaman fort, Bikaner and Sambar – and at various locations in Namibia. “In fact, there’s one location that’s never been seen before – where the desert and the ocean meets,” says Goldie.
    His last movie, Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai, didn’t do too well at the Box Office, and Goldie’s putting a lot into Drona – isn’t he nervous? Apparently not. “We’ve all been honest and worked hard on it, there has been no compromise from anybody as far as efforts or money go,” says Goldie. “I genuinely believe that it will set a standard in the film industry that will be followed from here on.”
‘Abhishek and I first narrated the story to the kids in our families, and decided to make the movie only after they gave us an okay’
– Goldie Behl

Priyanka and Goldie during the shooting of
Drona

LARGER THAN LIFE: Abhishek Bachchan in a still from Drona

 

 

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‘We’re all signing on a sentiment’

Soha Ali Khan says people, not just the government, have to be involved in the fight against terrorism

MANDVI SHARMA Times News Network

    The two things came close together, but Soha Ali Khan doesn’t shy away from involvement in the issue. She participated in the anti-terrorism human chain that was formed in Mumbai on Independence Day, and featured celebs as well as volunteers. Soon after, Mumbai Meri Jaan, a film on the aftermath of the Mumbai train blasts, was released, in which Soha plays a TV journalist who loses her fiance in the blasts.
    Soha believes that involvement is the key. “It’s very inspiring – what Mr Khorakiwala (FT Khorakiwala, former Mumbai sheriff,
who organised the human chain) has done. The human chain embodies the spirit of Mumbai. We all deal with terrorism and we’re all its potential victims. If you think of the blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad, you know that, even if not directly, we’re all affected by it. You can’t leave the fight against terrorism to the government because it affects us as well. This way, we’re all signing on a sentiment,” she says.
She adds that,despite the serious subject, Mumbai Meri Jaan is not a preachy film. “It is really an entertaining film. It has humour and songs.We hope the audience can relate to the characters,” she adds.
But sometimes, Soha says she gets very ‘strange roles’ too. “After the magazine cover that I had recently done, I got some very strange offers. But I was quite amused. I want people to understand that it was just a one-off thing and they will figure out from my future releases that it was not an avatar change or something of that sort. I have done bold films like Antarmahal and Khoya Khoya Chand and also had some bold scenes in them. But boldness is limited to my comfort level.” She recently returned from Malaysia, where she got “nicely tanned”. Even though she’s not into bold scenes, is it true that she’s wearing a bikini for Kunal Deshmukh’s next? “That’s completely untrue!” she exclaims. “I mean, there’s no scope in the story for that. It’s strange how people come up with such stories.”
mandvi.sharma@timesgroup.com 

INVOLVED: Soha Ali Khan. For more pics of Soha, visit http://photogallery. indiatimes.com

 

 

 

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Gay and loving it

The gay community says it’s their confidence that’s leading to greater acceptance

JYOTHI PRABHAKAR Times News Network

    The headlines this past fortnight have been neither black, nor red, but a vibrant shade of rainbow. That’s because every day brings some positive development for the people who have the rainbow flag as their standard – the gay community. The implications of each of the measures and incidents internationally and in India – some of which are listed here – are far reaching for a community that has long been fighting for social acceptance.
    But gay rights activists prefer to put it even more positively. “Well, let’s say the levels of awareness are increasing,” says Leslie Lewis, gay rights activist, who says the gay community in Delhi is more confident of itself ever since the stupendous response it got to the queer parade a couple of months ago. A fact that Deepti Sharma, one of the organisers of the recently concluded artfilm-photographs Nigah Queer Festival in Delhi, underlines. “This year, over 47 films were shown. We had so many visitors and participants that it’s unbelievable,” she said.
    Talking of which, the queer pride parade held in Mumbai recently also sailed through without a hitch. “More than anything else, I like the image we are portraying to the world. On the net, I came across this headline in a prominent Canadian newspaper: India Comes Out of the Closet. Now that is telling,” says Laxmi, a participant in the parade.
    But, as Leslie is quick to tell us, it is not all a swirl of rainbow flags and feathered masks for the community – yet. “It’s still tough for us. Because even today, a large part of the society has not accepted homosexuality – not in India, not abroad. But once we decided to come out in the open and say ‘to hell with your reactions’, the acceptance levels have increased.”

MUMBAI GAY PARADE
Just a day after Independence Day, Mumbai’s homosexuals took to the streets, demanding an apology from the British for making a law that deemed their relationship illegal. The parade, which saw designer Krsna Mehta and actress Celina Jaitly participate, began from August Kranti Maidan,“because we’re still waiting for our Independence,” as Laxmi puts it. “India’s been free for 61 years, but what do we have? We have Section 377.”

ELLEN DEGENERES
MARRIES GIRLFRIEND
US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has married her long term partner, actress Portia de Rossi,after California’s Supreme Court ruled that a previous ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional. Reports say that Ellen, 50, and Portia, 35, exchanged rings and handwritten vows during in an ‘intimate ceremony’ recently at their home in Los Angeles. The wedding was attended by both their mothers.

BAHUT DOSTANA LAGTA HAI…
It is just a 60-second trailer of KJo’s Dostana. But, it leaves a lasting impact as it shows leading men Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham as lovers – John and Abhi doing the tango, or John yelling “Yeh meraboyfriend hai!” to passers-by. Off the screen too,John makes sure we think of him and Abhi as a couple.As he had told DT, “It is a very light film… but I do share a great chemistry with Abhishek in the film.”Even though the leading men only pretend to be gay, it’s already being talked about as a sensitive take, sans the lame jokes.

RAMADOSS WANTS 377 TOSSED…
He intended it as a health measure, for he’s more concerned about the “stabilisation of the HIV epidemic”. However, union health minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss favouring the legalisation of homosexuality, and removing discrimination against other vulnerable sections like sex workers, is a shot in the arm for the gay community. “Section 377 of the IPC must go,” he said at a conference on AIDS.

GAY WEDDING CARDS
Gay weddings might be illegal, but there are cards for them now. Hallmark is set to introduce same-sex wedding cards, which use ‘neutral’ language with no reference to the gender of the people getting married. One, featured here, shows two tuxedos, another has two hearts intertwined, a third says, ‘Two hearts. One promise.’

A GAY 007?
Following its path-breaking steps to recruit officers from among British Muslims and Asian languages experts, particularly after the London Underground bombings, the British Security Service, popularly known as MI5, has agreed to recruit gays and lesbians. This year, MI5 will appear in UK gay equality organisation Stonewall’s graduate recruitment guide, which lists gay-friendly employers. Stonewall director Summerskill said,“There is no reason why there shouldn’t be a lesbian or gay director-general.”

 

 

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THE GREAT DOLL OF CHINA

SUBHASH K JHA

    Make-up artistes obviously will do anything to get their effect right. Deepika Padukone found that out the hard way recently. But clever Deepika believes in going by her instincts rather than following instructions blindly. And her instincts were proved her right on the sets of Chandni Chowk to China. She was asked by make-up artistes, who were specially brought in to achieve her Chinese look for her role in the film, to stick tapes around her eyes to achieve the slanting eyed look of a Chinese girl. However, better sense prevailed as she consulted a doctor before going ahead with the ordeal.
    When contacted, Deepika said, “I don’t know how or why Nikhil Advani thought of a South Indian like me with big eyes to play a Chinese. I play half-Chinese and half-Indian in the film. And to get my eyes to look less big and rounded and more slanted, some special make-up artistes were brought in. They suggested I stick tapes around my eyes.”
    Deepika then consulted her doctors. “And they cut the idea down in time. My doctors said if I stick those tapes on my eyes for 12 hours a day, the shape of my eyes would change forever. So, instead, we got my make-up artiste Mallika Bhatt to do my eye make-up in such a way that my eyes looked slanted,” added Deepika.
    Interestingly, Deepika plays her second double role in Chandni Chowk… (one of a Chinese and the other of an Indian) after Om Shanti Om. She said, “Yes, two of out my three roles so far are double roles. It just gives me that much more confidence as an actor to know that directors think I can carry off a completely Indian and a Chinese look.”
    Deepika is working with Saif in Imtiaz Ali’s film. Talking about Imitiaz’s film, you cannot help but ask how was it working with Ranbir’s father Rishi Kapoor? The buzz is that Rishi has been calling her ‘bahurani’. Is it true? “I don’t know where such rumours start from. I worked with him in London for Imtiaz’s film and we were thorough professionals. He was as warm towards me as he was with the rest of the crew. I don’t have too many scenes with him. But yes, we interacted for a longer time in London than we ever did in Mumbai. He is a very caring person. He made sure everyone had khana on time. When he arrives and leaves the set he greets everyone with equal warmth,” she said.

Deepika Padukone in Chandni Chowk to China

 

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Add campaign

KUNAL M SHAH

    Ranbir Kapoor is all set to join AR Rahman, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Priyanka Chopra and Gulzar among others for a public service campaign. Last year, Sachin Tendulkar and Aamir Khan were part of the campaign. Talks are also on to include shooter and Olympic Gold medalist, Abhinav Bindra and Rahul Gandhi in the campaign. Ranbir will shoot for the campaign in Ooty on September 12.
    Producer of the campaign, Savita Raj Hiremath (producer of Khosla Ka Ghosla), informs, “We would not like to reveal details about the campaign at the moment but yes, Ranbir will be part of it. This is the same campaign which was started in the Millennium year. The campaign deals with many issues like poverty and unemployment and is part of a United Nations campaign. Just like last year, this year too the campaign will have people posing questions to government authorities about various issues. Meghana Gulzar has written the campaign and she will be directing it this year. We start shooting from September 10. The campaign runs across 80 countries.”

Ranbir Kapoor

 

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No show

DHANASHRI KULKARNI & HARSHITA KOHLI

    Despite the hype surrounding the Bachchans’ Unforgettable Tour for two months, the first segment of the tour has been called off abruptly. After the London leg of the show, the performances scheduled in Rotterdam and Oberhausen have been cancelled at the last minute, as the promoters of the show were not too keen on them. Our source said, “Fans who had purchased tickets in Rotterdam and Oberhausen, were very disappointed as the tour was called off at the last minute, but we could do nothing about it. The local promoters defaulted at the last minute making it impossible for us to continue with the shows.”
    However, another source who’s with the tour gave an altogether different version. He said that the tour has been called off due to lack of response from the audience. “The actual reason is that the tickets are not selling. They are very expensive and ‘the meet and greet with the stars’ comes at an additional price. Also, as compared to the Unforgettable Tour, the tickets of SRK’s Temptations shows were much cheaper. Considering another Temptations tour is in the offing in Europe including Germany, Bollywood fans were in no mood to buy expensive tickets for the Unforgettable Tour,” revealed the source.
    We contacted Amitabh Bachchan. He SMSed back, “The promoters of the show have defaulted on the contract… I’m not authorised to give a comment on this. And ticket price is not an issue. All our other nine shows in Canada, Trinidad and in entire USA and London were sold out.” Meanwhile, music composer Shekhar, who is part of the tour, has a different take. He said, “We are planning to have a show in Europe, so, we had an afterthought about doing the shows now in Rotterdam and Oberhausen. We have now scheduled shows in the said European cities for our second segment in Europe.”

Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya & Abhishek

 

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Madonna’s explicit love letters

    Madonna is seeking legal advice to stop explicit letters she sent to a former boyfriend from going on display at an exhibition. Organisers of the Simply Madonna exhibition are keen to make 17 letters she wrote to former lover and bodyguard James Albright public property by showcasing them at the show in London next year. The letters are allegedly signed ‘Spanky’, and are sealed with a lipstick kiss, according to a newspaper.
    Meanwhile, Sir Elton John has called a truce on his rocky relationship with Madonna, by turning up at her Sweet and Sticky concert in Paris. Agencies

Madonna

 

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WORLD RAP

OBEY!

    Socialite heiress Paris Hilton made her boyfriend Benji Madden wear a T-shirt with the word ‘Obey’ written on it and paraded him in front of paparazzi to defuse rumours that he has dumped her. According to a website, Madden’s rapper friend, The Game, was not impressed at all. He said, “I don’t know what he’s doing. I like him – but not his girlfriend.” Hilton and Madden have been dating for quite a while and earlier it was reported that they are planning to get married. IANS

Paris Hilton

 

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New ‘Kinng’ on the block!

    If you’ve ever wondered why certain names are not spelt the way they should have been, then you are amongst many of those who pull their hair out in frustration when asked by their children why Bigg Boss is spelt the way it is, or why Singh is Kinng, not King? After all, which emperor would not know how to spell the simple word, Kinng, oops, King? Or why Imran is Emraan, Kiran is Kirron, Ritesh is Ritiesh or Sunil is Suniel? Or why Kyunki Saas is not Kyonki Saas and it’s Kkusum not Kusum?
    Himesh Reshammiya has an extra ‘m’ to his surname, with Aap Kaa Surroor spelt like a ballad! Its box-office fate, being a hit, surprised one and all though. Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai had two extra As in it too; Mujhe Kucch Kehan Hai gave Tusshar a debut jubilee hit, Kyaa Kool Hain Hum was a runaway success and Jodhaa Akbar producers made a handsome profit too.
    We already know how the numbers game has fast caught up from leading actors to film and TV stars and producers, to cricketers and corporate honchos and the common man not left far behind. Numerology has left us all spellbound, thinking whether the way our parents spelt our names is correct or not.
    So, what’s the magic formula that seems to be working for Akshay Kumar? Says Sanjay B Jumaani, India’s leading numerologist (who declined the role of an inmate in Bigg Boss 2 despite being pursued by the production house) on how the numbers game has played a vital role in his super stardom (read Kinngdom!). “In the June 2006 issue of Filmfare, when Akki was in his 40th year, and nowhere in the limelight, I had predicted that Akshay Kumar’s 41st and 42nd year would be very eventful.” Akshay is now, says Jumaani, in his 42nd (6) year, and 42 = 6, number of Venus, planet of entertainment. “In fact Shah Rukh Khan adds to a 42 by virtue of his name vibrations. Akshay is a number 9 (09/09) in numerology and 2007 equals 9, the year when he started to flourish. A Virgo ruled by the number 5, he rocked in his 41st year (4+1=5) last year,” Sanjay says, adding, “ Khatron Ke Khiladi, the show that has fast become the trump card of the new channel, Colors, adds to 5, one of Akki’s lucky numbers too! In fact, all his recent hits have been numerically corrected! Namastey London, Heyy Babyy, Bhool Bhulaiyaa were amongst them. Welcome, by default added up well and did well too.”
    Sanjay and his sister Swetta B Jumaani spelt Singh Is Kinng and are glad to know that the collections are historic, and it has got the highest opening by any film, leave alone an Akshay starrer. “We had asked Vipul to release the film on the 7th to avoid releasing on 08/08/2008 as that date would have been inauspicious for him. In fact, on the 7th, the film had a premiere in 150 theaters across the country. Some years ago, we’d also suggested to Vipul Shah to spell his name as Vipul Amrutlal Shah. He, soon after, gave a hit, Aankhen, also spelt by us. Vipul’s Waqt, A Race Against Time became, Waqt, The Race Against Time.”
    On Jumaanis’ suggestion, Namaste London became Namastey London. Vipul was suggested to release it on the 24th. Most thought it was suicidal to release a film when the World Cup was on. But as fortune would have it, India crashed out two days later on the 26th, losing to Bangladesh quite surprisingly and Namastey London went on to become a superhit. Says Sanjay, “In Vipul’s case we are hopeful and confident of a high 5 with London Dreams, also spelt by us, but he’s already laughed his way to the bank with a historic Rs 120 cr deal.”
    Moving on to the ‘Kinng’, Akshay will remain in his 42nd year till September 9, and his 43rd year begins. “Though not amongst his lucky (or unlucky) numbers, 43 will be eventful too as 2008 is still on. His name which adds to 28 is the same number we get by adding 2008,” adds Sanjay.
    On his on-screen chemistry with the latest heartthrob, Katrina Kaif, Sanjay has this to say, “The names Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif both add to the identical number 28. While Akki is an Earth sign of Virgo, Kats is a Water sign of Cancer, and Earth and Water have stayed together for ages! In fact, Salman Khan, like Akki is also a number 9 Earth sign (27/12) with whom she has an on-screen as well as an offscreen chemistry.” So the new ‘Kinng’ on the block is here to stay, even if some may differ, and question ‘KKKKK… Kinng? TNN

Akshay Kumar

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‘I’m a born dancer’

Sunayana reveals some of her smart moves…

NIKHILA PANT Times News Network

    Sunayana, currently seen in the daily show, Santaan, loves to put on her dancing shoes. Thanks to her love for dancing, the actress featured in Bappi Lahiri’s music video Gori Hain Kalaiyan. She says, “The album was much appreciated and I became a household name. Unlike other albums focusing more on steamy sequences, this one was shot aesthetically. This was followed by the dance number Zindagi Ke Maje Lele in the film, Corporate.” Tell her that the TV show isn’t giving her any chance to show her skills and she says, “I am a born dancer. Before I started acting, I had taken classes from Shiamak Davar, Terrence Lewis and Bosco Ceasar. I have also travelled extensively, courtesy my dance shows. I don’t have to depend on my acting profession to fulfill my desire to dance.” And is she open to taking up another item number? “If an interesting offer comes my way, I would not mind sweating it out. But, the song should be shot tastefully, like those shot with Madhuri Dixit. Her dance moves have the elegance that has not been achieved by any other actress till now,” says the pretty lady. Sunayana has acted in a number of Kannada films and was also nominated for a best debut award. But she maintains that she does not want to be in South for too long. “I am happy with the projects that I have right now but, I would move on to do mainstream Hindi films. I think this is where I belong,” she says.

Sunayana