2009

Friday, May 22, 2009

Robert De Niro becomes a grandfather

New York, May 22 : Veteran Hollywood actor Robert De Niro has become a grandfather and is celebrating the birth of his grandson.

Claudine DeMatos, who is married to De Niro's son Raphael, gave birth to Nicholas De Niro at New York's Mount Sinai Medical Center Thursday, reported imdb.com.

Raphael is De Niro's second son with his first wife Diahnne Abbott.

Bale wanted Arnold to be a part of 'Terminator Salvation'

London, May 22 : British actor Christian Bale has revealed that he tried to get Arnold Schwarzenegger to appear in 'Terminator Salvation', the fourth movie in the 'Terminator' series.

'The Dark Knight' star says that he had told Schwarzenegger to think about appearing in the movie, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

'Terminator Salvation' is the first film that will have Schwarzenegger missing from the cast list. He has taken a break from acting for several years to concentrate on his role as California governor.

Pitt slams rumours of split with Jolie

Mumbai, May 22 : Hollywood actor Brad Pitt has dismissed rumours suggesting that he is heading for a split with partner Angelina Jolie, insisting that he is the 'happiest' man.

The Hollywood couple's relationship has been put under the spotlight in recent weeks, with speculations that their paradise is in trouble ever since Pitt went on a date with ex-wife Jennifer Aniston last month.

But 'The Troy' star has insisted he is still very much in love with Jolie.

'I am in love and I have the most beautiful family. What else can a guy want? I am the happiest man ever. We're so lucky,' said the actor.

The pair has six children -- three adopted - Maddox (7), Pax (7) and Zahara (3) - and three of their own - Shiloh (2) and seven-month-old twins Vivienne and Knox.

Mariah Carey auctioning dress for charity

New York, May 22 : Singer-actress Mariah Carey is auctioning a dress that was designed for her by a fan on eBay site to raise money for a breast cancer charity.

The 'Hero' singer has put a pink, fishtailed asymmetric frock onto the auction website. The gown was created by Julian Contreras as part of a competition where the singer asked fans to design a dress inspired by her Deicious Pink fragrance. It is one of only three in existence, reported contactmusic.com

Mariah was last seen wearing the dress for a dinner date with husband Nick Cannon in California in April.

The close-fitting dress will be listed until

Chaya Singh is to marry soon

Chaya Singh who has no takers now in any cine idustry is getting ready to marry.

Chaya might have dated many, but has not have any love with any single man and hence she has passed on the responsibility to identify a man for her to get married.

Chaya's parents living in Karnataka are busy searching for a man.

Chaya is not particular about any qualifications and what she requires is only broad mindedness and should be ready to accept all kind of behaviours.

Any one with orthodox faith and conservative should keep away.

I will not hug or kiss any babe

'I am not a hero and never want to identify myself as a hero' declared Pasupathy

Pasupathy added by saying 'If I get good characters I am ready to perform even one scene. Despite my entry to cinema was as Villain, no one calls me for baddie role any more. I would love to enact any of our national heroes on screen especially VVS Iyyer is the role I would kill for. Is my policy not to act intimately with heroines, but in ‘Vedigundu Murugesan’ I have to abide by director’s instructions. I would make sure not to repeat this in future projects’ Pasupathy says. This talented actor is from infamous ‘Koothu Pattarai.'

Meera Jasmine makes comeback to Kannada films

National award winning actor Meera Jasmine is making a comeback to Kannada films after a gap of four years with the feel-good sentimental drama "Devaru Kotta Thangi". She will play the lead actor's sister and director Sai Prakash says she fits the role perfectly.

"Actor Radhika had played the sister's role my films 'Tavarige Baa Thangi' and 'Anna Thangi'. But recently she wasn't accessible and has announced that she has quit movies. I was looking for another suitable artiste for the role.

"And when the script was finished, I couldn't think of casting any other actor other than Meera Jasmine. She completely fits into the hero's sisters character. And I didn't mind waiting to get her dates," said Sai Prakash.

Meera Jamsine had earlier played female leads in Kannada movies like "Maurya" and "Arrasu" and in both the films she had teamed up with leading Kannada actor Puneet Raj Kumar.

Sai Prakash says Meera accepted the offer without reading the script.

"Meera Jasmine had acted in 'Gorintaaku', a Telugu remake of 'Anna Thangi', which was hugely successful. When she came to know that I had directed 'Anna Thangi', she accepted the offer without hearing the story. But I went to Hyderabad to narrate the story and her part. She was immensely pleased with the script. She could not make it to the launch because she was busy shooting for a Telugu film," said Sai Prakash.

The title of the film is inspired by late Kannada movie icon Raj Kumar's film of the same name, which was released 33 years ago. In Sai Prakash's film Raj Kumar's son Shivaraj Kumar is playing the male lead.

But the director clarifies that other than the title, there are no similarities between the old classic and his film.

Sai Prakash had earlier teamed up with Shivaraj Kumar in hits like "Thavarige Baa Thangi" and "Anna Thangi".

Actor Shivaraj Kumar says he is a big fan of Meera Jasmine who has portrayed a variety of roles in in last six-seven years.

"I liked her very much in our own film 'Arrasu' where she played a naughty, spirited girl. She is a perfect choice for the sister's character in the film. I'm sure she would give her hundred percent to the film," he said.

While Meera Jasmine will play Shivaraj Kumar's sister, Malayalam actor Monica will be seen as his love interest in "Devaru Kotta Thangi", which went on floors last week.

Monica has worked as a child artiste in over 20 films which includes Nagabharana directed "Vimochane". She also featured in Tamil films like "Azhagi" and "Silandi".

"'Devaru Kotta Thangi' is a sentimental family drama and doesn't have a tragic end like some of my earlier sentimental yarns," said Sai Prakash.

The director is turning producer with the film and says he will be financed by IDBI bank.

Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikaalam

Gautham Menon completed few projects after commencing the shooting much advertised Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikaalam in 2007. Trisha plays the lead along with four debutant actors.

Set against IT backdrop, ‘Saroja’ fame Nikita also plays prominent role. Here she talks about the movie. ‘I am so happy receiving best supporting character artists for ‘Saroja’ in Singapore.

At present I am satisfied doing three movies in south Indian languages. I play prominent role in Gautham’s Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikaalam. Many think that the movie is dropped, but that’s not the truth. The director wants to make few changes in Climax sequence and of course he is busy with other projects.

So he has scheduled the shooting for later when everything is finalized. Sixty percent of the movie has been already completed. I am so excited to be a part of such an established and method director Gautham Menon’ Nikita exclaims. Looks like we can expect one more hit from Gautham soon!

Karthika is married

Actress Karthika who remained jobless and accepted to do ‘Dindukkal Sarathy’ pairing with Karunas is married to US based man named Merin Mathew.

The bridegroom took the brides hands for marriage oath at a Cathedral in Kerala on 18th of May.

Reception took place yesterday at Kollam with many cinema stars wishing the newly married couple.

Karthika will be leaving the country to reside in the US with her doctor husband Merin, so she is in a hurry to complete current projects.

Kamal and Vijay set in Tollywood!

Kollywood is being regularly drawn towards other regions which offer locations for shooting. The exotic foreign locations have always been used for songs. But, now there seems to be a strong liking for Hyderabad among the film folk of Tamil Nadu. The reason is that it is much easier to obtain permission to shoot in the city than in the industry’s home state. There might also be the added advantage of not having huge numbers of fans crowding around the sets every time.

Movies currently being shot in Hyderabad include two of Tamil cinema’s biggest draws this year: Kamal Haasan’s Unnaipol Oruvan and Vijay’s Vettaikaran. Unnaipol Oruvan is said to be shooting some scenes in a government office while Vettaikaran is stationed in a college where scenes involving Vijay and Anushka are being shot.

Hyderabad has always been a favored location for film industries across the country, mainly because of its proximity to the huge Ramoji Rao Studios where almost any kind of scene can be shot. Now with the city also being a preferred destination, film fans from Tamil Nadu might now have to take a trip to Hyderabad to catch their favorite stars in action.

Kamal Haasan

Prabhu Deva to choreograph at IIFA

Prabhu Deva is also known as India's Michael Jackson. Before starting off as an actor, he used to choreograph for song sequences in several Tamil films. He has given performances in a wide range of dancing styles.

He has contributed immensely to Indian cinema and has won a number of awards. Prabhu Deva has also directed films and he won the Best Director award for Pokkiri starring Vijay.

He will now choreograph a number of Bollywood stars for the forthcoming International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards. Amitabh Bachchan is the brand ambassador for IIFA and every year, the award function is held to commemorate the best in Indian cinema.

Prabhu Deva is also accepting offers to choreograph for many Bollywood films and is among the most sought-after dance choreographers in India today.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Reese Witherspoon gorging on anti-ageing cookies

London, May 22 : Oscar winning actress Reese Witherspoon has started eating anti-ageing cookies.

Femalefirst.co.uk reports that the 33-year-old star is reportedly a huge fan of beauty giant BORBA's DeLuscious Vitamin Enhanced Cookies which contain acai, an ingredient which claims to combat fine lines and wrinkles.

The cookies come in different flavours including Oatmeal Raisin and Chocolate Toffee White Chocolate and boast of more than nine minerals and vitamins.

Deepti Naval's directorial debut premieres in Cannes

By Saibal Chatterjee, Cannes, May 22 : Actress-turned-filmmaker Deepti Naval has brought some rain and plenty of sunshine to the 62nd Cannes Film Festival with her directorial debut 'Do Paise Ki Dhoop Char Aane Ki Baarish'. The film about gays and prostitutes was screened in the market section here to a positive response.

"Do Paise Ki Dhoop..." is the story of a struggling gay lyricist, an ageing prostitute and her physically challenged 12-year-old son. Enquiries from festival organisers and prospective distributors have begun to trickle in.

"It isn't a film simply about gays and prostitutes. It is more essentially about the ebbs and tides of human relationships," Deepti told IANS in an interview.

"I haven't made this film only for the festival circuit. I want to reach out to filmgoers across India. The film certainly isn't typical Bollywood fare, but it is completely accessible emotionally," she was quick to add.

Deepti took great care to ensure that neither the prostitute nor the gay man would appear stereotypical.

"The idea was to present a modern, sensitive and realistic portrait of people struggling to find happiness," she said.

Shot in Mumbai's rainy season last year by one of Bollywood's finest cinematographers, Kiran Deohans, "Do Paise Ki Dhoop..." uses the metaphor of the under-construction bridge across the sea from Bandra to convey the state of the relationship among the three main protagonists.

"They are trying to connect with each other, but the process is far from completion," the first-time director explained.

"Do Paise Ki Dhoop..." has Manisha Koirala, Rajit Kapur and New York-based Sanaj Naval, who is the director's nephew, in principal roles.

Deepti was originally working on another film for which Madhuri Dixit was being considered for the female lead. When that project proved to be still-born, she came up with the screenplay of "Do Paise Ki Dhoop...", which, she reveals, was "written in three months".

The music of the film has been composed by Sandesh Shandilya while Gulzar has penned the poetic title song.

"He was busy with another film when I first approached Gulzar saab. He expressed his inability to come on board," said Naval.

But Sandesh Shandilya, a great admirer of the veteran lyricist, was very keen to work with him.

"So I went back to Gulzar saab. When I told him what the title of my film would be, he instantly came up with the second line and one thing led to another," she added.

So, is Naval planning to bid adieu to her acting career?

"No way," she said. "My role in Nandita Das' 'Firaaq' as a woman too impotent to intervene when her community resorts to brutality and violence has struck a chord wherever the film has been screened. I can never turn my back on acting."

The actress had carved a niche for herself in parallel cinema with films like "Saath Saath", "Chashme Buddoor", "Katha", "Angoor", "Hip Hip Hurray", "Kamla" and "Mirch Masala"

Rhythm and Blue: That's Rahman for you!

The man who helped make Slumdog Millionaire a spectacular hit by scoring the sound track is India's poster boy. He has been working on films from a very young age; composing music for ads and short films was his life before he began compsoing for films. When Roja happened, he was paid Rs. 25,000 for his score, but after that, there was no looking back.

After the death of his father R.K. Shekhar, he was his family's sole breadwinner. Now every one remembers his Oscar speech, and Rahman is flooded with offers like never before.

His fans await his next release, and expectations are running high as people expect nothing short of extraordinary, especially after the Oscars! The world is on his feet, but Rahman does not find it difficult to stay humble.

He has given some very diverse music and people may not have to wait too long before they get to hear another new album from this musical genius. His next release will probably be the Hindi film Blue, produced by Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision and directed by Anthony D'Souza.

Blue stars Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Lara Dutta, Zayed Khan and Katrina Kaif. Rahman feels even more responsible now, and says that he cannot cheat his listeners. His studio in Chennai is a world unto itself with all the latest gadgets and can transport you completely with the sounds and melodies that emanate.

Other films for which he will compose music are Sultan The Warrior, Endhiran, 19th Step, Couples Retreat and 1-800-LOVE.

Source of Kamal's inspiration

In an era where people, in an attempt to recreate magic, tend to completely miss the main essence of films they are trying to remake, one man gets the soul right more often than not. His screenwriting career has had several bouts of both legal and illegal plagiarisms but one thing common about everything he remakes is the intelligence factor. He has an uncanny knack of always coming up with smart adaptations of already tried and tested stories. I am talking about none other than the legendary Kamal Haasan.

With his next film being the remake of last year's Bollywood hit ‘A Wednesday’, here is a look back at the various movies Kamal has remade/copied and the various ideas he's intelligently adapted.
Kamal Haasan

1) Kurudhi Punal / Drohkal - As they say, we should always start from the best. This is one rare remake, where the maker of the original came out in public and acknowledged that the remake was much better than the original. Not just Govind Nihlani but also the association which sends Indian movies to the Oscars was completely awed at the way this film was shot.

2) Vasool Raja MBBS / Munnabhai MBBS - "This movie did not take me anywhere. I did it for friendship's sake" is what Kamal had to say about Vasool raja. I agree. The original was definitely ahead but the remake wasn't a bad one either. It did have its own moments of magic coupled with some very witty humor thanks to the great language that Tamil is.

3) Virumandi / Rashomon, Life of David Gale - Though brilliantly conceived and executed, this film at its release received some criticism from a few quarters which pointed out that the film misses out on its main aim – talking about the journalist interviewing a capital punishment accused. This aspect and only this aspect of the film is actually taken from the Kevin Spacey starrer - Life of David Gale. The screenplay is taken from the Akira Kurosawa classic - Rashomon. This can't even be called a copy because the Rashomon screenplay is so famous that it is now called "The Rashomon Effect", which is ‘employed’ as a screenwriting technique.

4) Anbe Sivam / Trains, planes and automobiles - Well this is not even an inspiration. Anbe Sivam just takes the ‘two people with opposing views traveling together’ concept and beautifully mixes it with its own emphasis on love, God, communism, humor, charity, art and what not...

5) Thenali / What About Bob? - The entire plot is lifted in from the Bill Murray starrer but is credited to Crazy Mohan. A few scenes especially the interview sequence is completely lifted. But here again, Kamal improvises with some spectacular original acting like in the long “ellam siva bayam” dialogue where he makes us laugh first and then makes us weep. Only a few actors can do that through a single dialogue. Kamal is one of them.

6) Avvai Shanmukhi / Mrs Doubtfire-Tootsie - Though the plot is a straight lift from the Robin Williams comedy- Mrs. Doubtfire, the original inspiration for this role is from one of Kamal's favorite actor’s movie - Dustin Hoffman's Tootsie. Kamal delivers an unforgettable performance as the super maami in this complete rib tickler. Crazy is at his best too.

7) Sathi Leelavathi / She Devil - Not exactly a copy or even an inspiration but both films deal with a very common issue. The stress in Sathi Leelavathi however is intelligent humor unlike the completely slapstick She Devil. And the Coimbatore accent from Kamal completely steals the show.

8) Devar Magan / The Godfather - Intelligent script writing at its peak. To take the ‘son rises’ soul of the Godfather and effortlessly insert it into a magnificent rural setting is no mean task and Kamal the writer breezes through it.

Trivia - It was a bet between two friends on who will remake the Godfather first. Mani won the bet, but Kamal made the better remake.

9) Sathya / Arjun - Suresh Krishna's brutal portrayal of the angry young unemployed is actually a scene by scene take from the Sunny Deol starrer. The romance track in Sathya however was much more watchable thanks to some exceptional performances from Kamal and the super elegant Amala.

10) Enakul Oruvan / Karz - The mutual admiration between Kamal and Rishi Kapoor is obvious, both being masters of romance in their own right. Kamal liked Rishi's Karz and decided to star in its Tamil remake yielding some decent results at the box office.

11) Raaja Parvai / Butterflies are free, Graduate - The Hoffman fan in Kamal rises to the fore again, this time dedicating an entire climax to him through his first screenplay- Raaja Parvai. But the rest of the story is taken from this classic called ‘Butterflies are free’ - A neat attempt at remaking.

12) Magalir Mattum / Nine to Five - An unfortunate brutal rip off credit to Kamal's pen. I am not really sure about what was in his mind at this point of time. Though he tried his best to make the movie as Indian as possible.

Some other mild inspirations - Nammavar (To sir, with love), Panchathantiram (Things gone wrong), Nala Damayanti (Don’t remember the movie's name) have mild tinges of inspirations.

Movies remade from Kamal's - Well there are plenty of them, a very high number indeed. Many of Anil Kapoor's works are taken from Kamal movies like Virasat (Devar Magan), Eshwar (Swathi Muthyam) etcetera. An article on this is coming up soon.

So let us hope film makers like Jayam Raja take the cue from Kamal Haasan and make some intelligent adaptations instead of indulging in costume remaking.

Happy filmmaking! Happy remaking!

KANTHASWAMY - MUSIC REVIEW

Music Director : Devi Sree Prasad
Vocals: Vikram, Suchitra Karthik Kumar, Rita, Viveka, Rita, Priya Hemesh, Devi Sree Prasad
Lyrics : Viveka

Expectations are sky-high for this long awaited movie, especially from Vikram fans. Here he pairs with Shriya Saran. Produced by Kalaippuli .S.Thanu and directed by Susi Ganesan, this film has music by Devi Sree Prasad (raring to go after his ‘Villu’ success). The lyrics have been penned by Viveka. The audio release function held recently was a grand affair where an adoption of 30 villages and a donation of a marriage hall were also announced along with the audio release! Shot on an expensive budget, this movie Kanthaswamy has scenes in Tanzania, Kenya, Italy, Mexico and Switzerland. We have Krishna, Ashish Vidhyarthi, Vivek, Prabu Ganesan and Santhanam essaying roles along with the lead pair. The film is supposed to have a ‘Robin Hood’ feel to it! Let us wait!

Excuse Me---
Vocals: Vikram, Suchitra Karthik Kumar
Lyrics: Viveka, Devi Sree Prasad, Kalaippuli Thanu, Susi Ganesan, V.Elango

A fun song with infectious rhythms where the girl goes purposefully after an unwilling boyfriend. Suggestive lyrics, of course to the accompaniment of guitars and keyboard stuff. Vikram has carried it off rather well. Suchitra is her ebullient self.

Mambo Maamiyo---
Vocals: Vikram, Rita

A kind of rock and roll meets twist meets Caribbean rhythms –kind of song! Fun, nevertheless! Lovely interludes from the guitars and violins liven up this boisterous duet no end. This is supposed to have been shot in Mexico with Mexican dancers. (the rhythm is testimony) Vikram is quite stylish here. His fans are going to love it.

Ithellaam Dupe---
Vocals: Vikram, Viveka

Well, what can you make of this very, very offbeat crazed-out number? Just freak out, will you? Gives us an amusing glossary of many kinds of words ( especially those to do with wives numbers two and three---etc;) and after a breathless round up of each set, we hear the refrain’ Kandhaswamy dhaan toppu’!! and the fiery electric guitar adds its own ‘dhum’.

Kanthaswamy Theme: Devi Sree Prasad

The rhythms for this song are supposed to be by the ‘Murugan Temple Team’, with Susi Ganesan supplying the ‘kozhi’ sound and Rita the female vocals. A very catchy theme song with lyrics that are so carefully worded that the song may well refer to Lord Muruga too! Again a treat for Vikram fans.

Allegro---
Vocals: Rita

Technically an ‘Allegro’is a classical piece played in a speedy lively manner. This is certainly an explosive dance number which starts off with a gentle soprano bit and gallops from there. With Shriya dancing to this song, (shot in Italy with Italian dancers) it is bound to be a visual feast. Fine effort from Rita. Plenty of sunshine notes from the trumpets and trombones!

Meow Meow—
Vocals: Vikram, Priya Hemesh

A very old ‘mettu’ masked in attractive modern rhythms. Priya is husky and seductive and Vikram has nothing much to essay. The guitars and violin have a field day! Could be a hit right away.

Kanthaswamy( DSP Mix)

A neat remix from Devi Sree Prasad. We have some additional rhythm work here.

En Peru Meenakumari—
Vocals: Malathy
Rap: written and sung by K.I.

A song intented for 100% titillation. With Mumaith Khan gyrating to it what else do you expect? The first line from the old Chandrababu hit ‘Bambara kannale’ keeps weaving in and out of this song sung in her usual robust fashion by Malathy.

Verdict:

Vikram’s USP is that he never takes himself seriously, and it is always reflected in his song sequences. This lively album too has a huge fun quotient attached to it. If the film also manages to walk the tightrope between comedy and action without degenerating into a farce, then we have a sure hit on our hands.

Vishal loves debut directors!

Vishal's launch as a hero in Chellame happened through A.R. Gandhikrishna and his subsequent releases were also directed by experienced directors. Malaikottai was directed by Bhoopathi Pandian and Thamirabharani by Hari. Though he is happy with his earlier films' success, Vishal is quite clear about the success ingredient and a director’s contribution to the production. “It does not matter who directs a film so long as the subject is good,” he says. In fact, he feels that his last release Sathyam’s debacle at the box office was not the director’s fault. “Rajasekar gave his best,” he opines.

Vishal’s upcoming Thoranai is directed by newcomer Sabha Iyappan and his next Theeradha Vilayattu Pillai will be by Thiru. “I am happy to introduce new talent to the industry,” reveals this action hero. Whatever the reason, Vishal is absolutely happy and comfortable to team up with new directors.

Siddharth: Comeback in Kollywood?

Siddharth, who made his debut in Boys, found name and fame in Telugu films. Prior to acting, he assisted director Mani Ratnam. In Boys he got noticed and went on to act in Ayutha Ezhuthu, followed by a string of films in Telugu. He tasted success in Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana and Bommarillu.

Siddharth won critical acclaim for Rang De Basanti in Hindi, and after that he has been very careful in the roles he accepts. He has invested a lot of his time in improving himself technically. Not only an actor, he has also tried his hand at screenplay writing, playback singing and also given inputs to several people who sought his help.

It is quite puzzling why this young and charming actor has refused to do any more Tamil films, and hardly visits Chennai. Many directors like Gautham Menon are coming out with Tamil films that increasingly revolve around urban youth and Siddharth would definitely fit into any of these roles!

Another Siddarth film that became quite successful is Konchem Ishtamga Konchem Kashtamga directed by debutant Dolly Kishore in which he starred opposite Tamannaah. Some say Siddharth has plans to direct his own film, possibly a bilingual (Tamil and Telugu). Is this true? Wait and see!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

India gets 8,000 new Thalassaemia cases annually

May 19: It requires only a simple blood test before marriage to prevent Thalassaemia.

But being a victim of ignorance, India gets over 8,000 new cases annually, as per Thalassaemia Society of India report. About 2,500-3,000 new cases are reported every year in West Bengal.

India is believed to have about 30 million carriers of Thalassaemia genes, most of whom pass the genes on to their children, pushing them to life-long hell. Even before the children understand what pain is all about, they have to take regular blood transfusions and suffer the side effects. And all these, just because their parents didn’t care to get a blood test done before tying the knot and planning a family.

As per the recent statistics, India has over 100,000 Thalassaemia major people, out of which 30,000 are in West Bengal.
“Thalassaemia is one of the most common inherited diseases. There is only one way to prevent and eradicate this disease-every couple must get their blood tested to check if they are carrying Thalassaemia genes, before getting married… no parent will want their kids to suffer lifelong with an incurable disease.” Dr Barun Banerjee, haematologist at Mission of Mercy Hospital and Research Centre, told IBNS here.

Banerjee further said Mediterranean countries like Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Turkey have been able to prevent Thalassaemia with this method only.

“Approximately 100.000 babies worldwide are born with severe forms of Thalassaemia each year. But of late, Mediterranean countries have been able to prevent Thalassaemia babies to a great extent by raising awareness among masses to undergo pre-marital blood test” Banerjee said.

The reason for the lack of awareness among masses in India about this disease is primarily because of the vast rural population.

“Over 78% of our population stays in villages…neither they are aware, nor they have the money to get their blood tested. And, when their children are born Thalassaemic, they don’t have the money for blood transfusions,” said Sanjay Prasad, CEO of Mercy Hospital.

Meanwhile, talking about treating the disease in India, Banerjee said there is a huge scarcity of blood donors in the country.

“Every Thalassaemia child needs to undergo blood transfusion at least thrice a year. But in India, there is still a taboo on blood donation. People are scared…they still think that they will become anaemic by donating blood. We are tired of telling them that if there is no harm in donating 5cc blood every three months.”

In order to reach out to the masses, especially the village people, and help Thalassaemia patients, Mercy Hospital conducts over 3,500 blood transfusions for free every year.

“Mercy Hospital is the only private hospital in West Bengal…perhaps in eastern India…that offer 100% free transfusions, along with free medicines, every year to those who can’t afford the high treatment costs and we have been doing this for the past 30 years,” Prasad said.

Most of the patients come from remote parts of West Bengal, including Chakda, Midnapore, Ranaghat and Behrampore.
“The process of blood transfusion is very painful. To make our little patients feel comfortable during those days, we have made special wards for them. The wards are painted brightly and when the kids come for transfusions, they are given story books and laptops to divert their attention from the present condition,” Prasad said.

Thalassaemia is a group of inherited blood diseases that affect a person’s ability to produce haemoglobin in red blood cells. A person with Thalassaemia does not have enough blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body, which can cause mild to severe anaemia.

Bandh in protest against murder of TMC worker

May 19 : A 12-hour bandh in the Mathabhanga sub-division called jointly by Trinamool Congress and the Congress in protest against death of an AITC worker on Sunday passed off peacefully today.

Hafizul Miya, 33, said to be an AITC supporter, was killed in a clash with the CPI(M) at Ghokshadanga under Ghokshadanga police station.

Trinamool Congress district president Rabindranath Ghosh and his Congress counterpart Biren Kundu said, " We want quick arrest of the offenders otherwise the Ghokshadanga police station would be gheraoed very soon''.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M)'s district committee also sent a deputation to the District Magistrate urging him to bring to an end such type of violence across the district.

Superintendent of Police Devendra Prakash Singh said, ''Investigation has started as per the case has been filed and the accused will be in the custody very soon''.

Kallis heroics keep Royal Challengers alive

Johannesburg/May/20: Bangalore Royal Challengers kept their Indian Premier League (IPL) semi-final hopes alive with a comprehensive seven-wicket win over mighty Delhi Daredevils at the New Wanderers stadium here on Tuesday.

The win catapulted Royal Challengers, who had four successive loses in the early stages of the tournament, to the fourth spot with 14 points from 13 matches.

Daredevils is the only team to qualify for the the last four stage, with five teams vying for the remaining three spots.

Daredevils, deciding to bat, were restricted to 134 for seven by Praveen Kumar (3-30) and Royal Challengers skipper (2-24) Anil Kumble. Jacques Kallis (58 not out) and Rahul Dravid (38) anchored the chase to take them home with an over to spare.

After losing Robin Uthappa in the first over, Kallis and Dravid joined forces to steady the Bangalore innings. Kallis's unbeaten 56-ball innings included two fours and as many sixes and he and Dravid added 71 runs for the second wicket.

Royal Challengers were 72 for two wickets when Dravid was caught and bowled by Yogesh Nagar in the 13th over. But Ross Taylor (25 off 12 balls) played yet another blistering albeit brief innings, smashing three sixes and a four, to take the pressure off Kallis.

The Bangalore team needed 23 runs off the last three overs. Kallis hit Daniel Vettori for 14 runs in the 18th over with one six over extra cover and a four off the last ball.

With Royal Challengers needing nine off 12 balls, Mark Boucher struck Ashish Nehra for a four before Kallis took the winning run with a dab to backward point.

Earlier, Daredevils' formidable batting line-up saw an early collapse by Praveen's twin strikes in the very first over that sent back out-of-form skipper Virendra Sehwag and Mithun Manhas for ducks.

Gautam Gambhir looked solid but misread a Kallis delivery in the last ball of the sixth over to spoon a catch to Taylor to reduce Delhi to 37-3.

AB de Villiers, who has been the most consistent batsman for Delhi, departed after adding 28 runs.

Dinesh Karthik stitched a 39-run partnership with Nayar down the order to add respectability to the Delhi total.

Nine killed in lightning strikes across West Bengal

May 19 : Nine people were killed in lightning strikes across West Bengal last night while ten others sustained injuries and 25,000 houses destroyed as thunder storms swept across the state.

District Magistrate, East Midnapore, Thoten D Lama today said two people were killed when lightning struck them at Kultali village of Contai area.

Similarly, two people were killed in lightning strikes at Lalgarh area of West Midnapore district.

The DM informed that as many as 25,000 houses were razed to the ground and ten people sustained injuries as thunder storms swept across several villages of Contai, Egra and Mohanpur areas since last evening.

Meanwhile, a report from Bankura district said five people, including four women, were killed in lightning strikes last evening.

Hrithik-Barbara Together on Red Carpet

After Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan, its Hrithik Roshan and his co-star from Kites the sensational Mexican model-actress Barbara Mori walked the red carpet at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

There were rumours that Hrithik and Barbara are seeing each other, but denying the rumours Hrithik says that he had learned to deal with such allegation and will do anything that needed to take for his film Kites.

“I wouldn’t give any attention to the rumour. It doesn’t matter as long as it is something to do with my film. Barbara is a great girl, a great co-star and friend. And I am very proud of my film. If tongues wag, I can’t help it. It doesn’t matter what people say. People talk, anyway,” said Hrithik from Cannes.

But, strangely they are not there to promote Kites; however the English version of the film will be unveiled there. Instead they are there for a Hollywood film named Bright Star directed by Jane Campion in competition for the Palme d’Or award of the festival.

Talking about English version of the film, Hrithik said, “We Haven’t made any changes, there are the usual songs and dances, but done in international style.”

Is there any plan to go Hollywood? “I will go wherever my work is appreciated and takes me. An actor always looks for a wider audience,” added Hrithik.

Other than Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori, Kites also casts Kangana Ranaut. It’s a romantic thriller in which Hrithik plays a dance teacher. The film promises some good dance numbers by three of the actors.

Karan To Rename His Film Jehaad

The film which is based on the global terrorism topic was till now supposed to be titled as Jehaad as the actors of the film Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan were calling in their interviews. But it was never the official title. The producer Karan Johar and director Rensil D’Silva has become cautious about calling it as Jehaad, so planning to change it as Qurbaan.

As the global market is looking at the film with curiosity and suspicion, Karan doesn’t want to give any wrong signal by naming it as Jehaad. Jehaad is an Islamic term for Holy War, so the makers of the film don’t want to sound it in the favour of Islamic terrorism and put off the interest of global audience.

One source revealed, “As soon as the title Qurbaan is made official, Karan and Rensil plan to call a press conference to correct the media perception that the film is called Jehaad. Since Kareena and Saif used Jehaad in all their interviews, it will take some time for Jehaad to get out of the public’s mind. They have made a gripping thriller on terrorism. The narration is taut and uninterrupted by Bollywood formulae like songs, dances and melodrama. Kareena and Saif have even done one of the boldest love sequences ever.”

When asked to Rensil, he confirmed it and said, “We did consider it but it is unlikely that we will call the film Jehaad. Karan and I need to sit down and talk about it, but he has gone off to Cannes.”

Karan refused to comment on it and went off to Cannes. Karan represents an alcohol brand at Cannes. He will be walking the red carpet all alone. “That’s the status of my life- single. And that is how it shall be at Cannes, or anywhere else,” said Karan.

5 killed in road accident in Asansol

May 19 : Five people were killed on the spot and two others injured when a dumper collided head-on with an LPG tanker near the J K Nagar Colliery under Asansol South police station in Burdwan district late last night.

Superintendent of Police Raja Rajasekharan today said the accident occurred as the driver of the dumper lost control over his vehicle which collided with the LPG tanker, causing both the vehicles to burst into flames.

Five people, including the driver of the dumper, died on the spot while two injured persons were rushed to Asansol subdivisional hospital.

Meanwhile, in a separate accident this morning at Dishergarh, two people sustained injuries when a truck collided with their motorbike.

The injured had been shifted to a nearby hospital but the truck driver managed to flee the spot.

Abhishek Meeting Up With Salmans Interest

There have been rumours lately that Salman Khan has found a love interest in the German model turned actress Claudia Ciesla. However Claudia seen chatting up with Abhishek Bachchan at the on going 62nd Cannes Film Festival. Claudia is at the festival to promote her Indian film Karma: Crime, Passion and Reincarnation. The actress had done a cameo appearance in the film.

Going back to the Salman connection, Claudia met Salman at some party when she was in India to dub for the film. Salman was impressed by the model at that time and promised her that he will give her role in his forthcoming film. Later when Claudia visited his house, Salman had sent a car to pick up her from the hotel she was staying.

However, Abhishek and Claudia seen enjoying each other’s company. One source from the event said, “Claudia met Abhishek at the festival as well as Subhash Ghai. She was seen having an animated conversation with Abhishek and he too was listening intently to her. Claudia also spoke to him about her film Karma… and about her shooting experience in Ooty.”

Petition to take action against ex-MTC MD filed

May 20 : A petition has been filed in the Madras High seeking as to why a corruption case was not registered against former Managing Director of the Metropolitian Transport Corporation (MTC) Ramasubramanian, from whose office Rupees 6 lakh was recovered in a raid. The Officials of the Director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) raided his house on March 9 and recovered Rupees six lakh.

Mr V R Krishnakumar, who filed the Criminal Original Petition, sought a direction to the DVAC to hand over the case to the CBI for appropriate action against Ramasubramanian.

In his petition, Mr Krishnakumar, referring to the raid at the office of Ramasubramanian, said the matter was not pursued by the State Anti-Graft Wing of the DVAC due to intervention by political leaders and higher officials.

Alleging that huge amount of public money had been misappropriated by the MTC authorities, he said the CBI should be directed to take over the case as the DVAC had failed to pursue it with due diligence.

''Ramasubramanian is attaining superannuation on May 31 and hence he should not be allowed to retire,'' Mr Krishnakumar contended and said hand-in-glove politicians and officials were trying to clear his way to retirement.

When the petition came up for hearing before Justice C T Selvam yesterday, the judge posted the matter for further hearing after vacation
.

French Producer Wants To Cast Bachchans

As Abhishek Bachchan is at Cannes accompanying wife Aishwarya Rai, seems like have impressed the filmmakers out there and receiving film offers. Manuel de la Roche, the Paris based producer wants to cast father-son Bollywood duo Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan for his next film.

French director Jan Kounen will direct the film, which is named as The Secret History of the Dalai Lamas. The director will soon approach the Bachchans with the acting offers for the film in lead roles.

Roche said, “The film will trace the history of the Dalai Lamas all the way from 14th century. It will blend dramatized re-enactments involving the earlier incarnations with excerpts from an interviews with the current Dalai Lama.”

Other than these Bollywood actors, the film will also cast Hollywood biggies Sharon Stone and Richard Gere.

“We are very keen to cast the father and son duo in key roles in the film. Sharon Stone (who is a practicing Tibetan Buddhist) will step in as the narrator, while Hollywood star Richard Gere will also be involved with the project,” added the producer.

Shooting for the film start later this year and will be shot mainly in Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and some other parts of Indian subcontinent. It will be ready to hit theaters in the second half of 2010.

The father son duo had earlier worked together for films Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and Sarkar Raj. However will soon appear together in R. Balakrishnan’s Pa.

Lip-lock formula used by Vishal

Nowadays ‘Lip-Lock’ posters are counted to be one of the best medium to publicize a flick.

Following films like Sarvam and Kandasamy, now Vishal is using the same Lip-lock formula for promoting his upcoming flick Thoranai. He has released the screenshots of 5 frames of heart-stopping Liplock pictures between him and gorgeous Shriya Charan. The film is set to hit the theatres by next week and is produced by his brother Vikram Krishna under the banner of GK Films Corporations.

Mani Sharma has composed the melodious music for the film while Prakash Raj.

A Real Chance of Permanent Relief!

Arthritis is a term used to describe around 100 similar diseases, these many different conditions are closely linked because of there detrimental effect on one's joint and joint area. The many guises of arthritis come with there own underlying causes and contributing factors. Although arthritis is common with age, it is clear that the disease is far from being only age related, and is reported throughout all age and social groups.

Over 50% of people nearing retirement age are thought to be effected in some way by arthritis. Arthritis or musculoskeletal disease effects a very large proportion of adults, especially those living in industrialised nations. Studies indicate that almost three quarters of all people over the age of seventy will develop symptoms of arthritis at some point, although less common arthritis can be apparent in children (Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis).

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disorder disease. RA may not be a permanent issue with many arthritics reporting periods of remission, having said that, left untreated rheumatoid arthritis will remain underlying and inevitably re-appear when triggered.

Autoimmune disease is a term used to describe a problematic metabolic disorder, in which the body's own defence system receives the wrong signal and proceeds to attack that which it normally defends. RA attacks the synovium, which is the protective lining between the joint, rheumatoid arthritis pain and information is due mainly to the thickening of the synovium.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms.

Common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include painful stiff and swollen joints, untreated and progressed cases of RA may include the deformation of joints and cartilage damage.

Symmetrical Attack of Rheumatoid arthritis.

RA is not often restricted to just one joint, many arthritics will often find themselves symmetrically effected, such as in both hands, or perhaps in both knees, rheumatoid arthritis has the ability to travel throughout one's body and is not limited to attacking only joints.

A Real Cure For Your Rheumatoid arthritis!

Rheumatoid arthritis, as with all forms of arthritis is a condition caused by the manifestation of an underlying disease, even though this may not be apparent. The problem with today's quick fix drug therapies is that they only address the symptoms of arthritis. The prolonged use of both prescribed and over the counter medication can only lead to an overall progression of RA due to the toxins these drugs leave in the body.

An autoimmune diseases is difficult to treat with drugs, due to the many different factors involved, anyone trying to treat their own RA will only be successful if they can address the following underlying problems.

* Flush the body harmful toxins.

* Gastrointestinal problems such as bacterial and fungal infections must be addressed.

* Flush the kidneys.

* Naturally remove arthritis triggers (even the ones which are not apparent).

* Keep RA inflammation under control, without using drugs.

* Expel heavy metal from the body.

* Remove excess uric acid.

* Repair damage to tissue, cell and cartilage, naturally.

* Reduce the amount of excess free radicals in the body.

* Re-build and strengthen the Immune-system.

* Restore a healthy digestive system.

* Bring body weight in line with its BMI.

* Naturally keep the joints lubricated.

This may sound difficult, how on earth could any medication tackle all of these issues ?, well the truth is, modern drug therapies fall short at tackling any of these problems effectively. In my experience, natural alternatives and simple life changes have proven to be far more effective in the treatment of RA.

I'm aware of the dim view that today's medical professionals express regarding alternative treatments for many ailments, including rheumatoid arthritis, what should perhaps be remembered is the simple fact that modern medicine owes its very existence to ancient herbal & Natural practices. Try a natural approach to your RA it could be our best option.

Priyamani's wedding plans

After being linked with actors like Vishal, Jeevan and Prithviraj, gorgeous actress Priyamani has finally decided to tie a knot with her Telugu film Nava Vasanthan actor Tarun.

The news of their affair started making news when the duo was shooting for this flick. The couple was often spotted getting cozy as many five star restaurants. Tarun also recently gifted the actress an expensive luxury car. Now there’s news that Tarun’s mom has come to know about their affair and agreed for their wedding. Their marriage is scheduled once they complete the assignments which they have in their hand. We hope that Priyamani continue to entertain her fans even after her marriage
.

Petition seeking action against CM for code violation filed

May 20 : Taking exception to an unannounced bus fare reduction before the election, a writ petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking action against the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and Transport Secretary for poll code violation.

Social activist Traffic K R Ramaswamy, in his petition yesterday, said while the Lok Sabha elections were scheduled to be held on May 13, transport corporations started collecting lower fare from passengers from April 30.

''Since this secret bus fare reduction was offered with a view to influencing voters and securing votes in the elections, it was ex facie violation of model code of conduct,'' he said.

The Election Commission should conduct a detailed inquiry in the matter and take appropriate action against the authorities, including the Chief Minister, Ramaswamy contended.

Karunanidhi meets Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi

May 19 : A day ahead of the crucial meeting of pre-poll UPA allies, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Tuesday met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Karunanidhi is expected to have discussed the cabinet berths for his party.

DMK, which emerged as the third biggest party in the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) after Congress and Trinamool Congress, is believed to be demanding six-seven ministerial posts.

A beaming Sonia Gandhi greeted the DMK patriarch at her 10 Janpath residence.

After meeting Gandhi, Karunanidhi met Manmohan Singh at his 7 Race Course Road residence.

Karunanidhi was accompanied by his son M. K. Azhagiri, daughter Kanimozhi, grandnephew Dayanidhi Maran and T. R. Baalu.

Karunanidhi is keen that Azhagiri, Kanimozhi and Maran are accommodated in the new cabinet, which is likely to be announced later this week.

Lawmaker staff salaries list Boston Herald

Below is a list of all the lawmakers who voluntarily released a list of their staff and salaries to the Boston Herald. This information is public but because of reporting loopholes, the public is unable to determine a specific lawmakers’ staff.

Lawmaker Number of Staff Total Salaries

Rep. Steve Canessa (D-New Bedford) 1 $33,000

Rep. Kate Hogan (D-Stow) 1 $33,000

Rep. Geraldo Alicea (D-Charlton) 1 $33,000

Rep. Bill Bowles (D-Attleboro) 1 $33,000

Rep. Angelo Puppolo (D-Wilbraham) 1 $33,000

Rep. Jason Lewis (D-Winchester) 1 $33,000

Rep. Lori Ehrlichs (D-Marblehead) 1 $33,000

Rep. Jennifer Callahan (D-Sutton) 2 $67,000

Rep. Linda Campbell (D-Methuen) 1 $33,000

Rep. Bob Rice (D-Gardner) 1 $33,000

Rep. Marty Walsh (D-Dorchester) 2 $66,000

Rep. Matt Patrick (D-Falmouth) 1 $33,000

Rep. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) 5 $220,000

Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) 1 $33,000

Karunanidhi refuses to comment on Prabhakaran's death

May 19 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today refused to comment on the death of LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, saying 'it is still an unconfirmed news'.

Talking to newspersons in New Delhi after calling on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, he said Prabhakaran's death was still an unconfirmed news.

He said leaders (in Tamil Nadu), who supported the LTTE had issued statements even today, accusing the Sri Lankan government of spreading a disinformation campaign about the death of Prabhakaran.

''I have nothing to say on this unconfirmed news'', he said.

Asked whether he discussed the issue (about Prabhakaran's death) with Dr Singh and Ms Gandhi, the DMK leader, evading a direct reply, said he requested the leaders to provide succour to the Lankan Tamils and ensure that they live in peace.

Ms Gandhi, while addressing a poll rally in Chennai had promised to take all efforts to provide a peaceful life to the Tamils in Lanka.

Dr Singh had also expressed the same view, while addressing a press conference in Chennai, he said adding he requested the leaders to honour their committments.

2 inmates, including killer, flee Texas jail

LONGVIEW, Texas (AP) Authorities are searching for a convicted killer and a fellow inmate who escaped from a jail in eastern Texas.

Sheriff Maxey Cerliano (ser-lee-AH'-no) says 27-year-old Desmond Dewayne Jackson of Hallsville and 22-year-old Bruce Danjuane Kelly of Longview escaped from the Gregg County Jail.

The sheriff's department says deputies realized the inmates were missing Tuesday morning after someone found a jail uniform shirt outside the Gregg County Courthouse, which houses part of the jail.

Jackson was convicted this month in a 2007 shooting death during a pawn shop robbery in Longview. Jackson, who was sentenced to life in prison, planned to appeal.

Kelly was charged in a June robbery and slaying. He also faces two unrelated aggravated robbery counts.

It was not immediately known how the men escaped.

Taxis to introduce 'in-Taxi' magazines from July

May 20 : Come July 13, the ride to office or home in city's black and yellow taxis will never be boring for the passengers, as the 55,000-odd fleet will offer 'in-taxi' magazines to take away some of their frustation caused by the traffic jams.

The cabs will keep a fortnightly magazine, 'MumBaee', in English, that will carry essentials like list of eateries, galleries, shopping centres and detailed timetable on the latest happenings in and around the city.

The magazine will initially print 50,000 copies. They will be distributed free to 45,000 'strong Mumbai Taximens' Union member's.

''It is the taxi version of an in-flight magazine and with the city introducing new heet of taxis, we expect to see a lot of action in the business,'' said Ignatius Fernandes, marketing manager
of Vishnu LK Publishers, here yesterday.

He said the publishers would try and recover the cost of printing, approximately Rs five lakhs for 50,000 copies, largely through advertisements.

''We have received very positive response from advertisers, at least for next six months, with the only scepticism being that it may be stolen or taken away by passengers,'' said Mr Fernandes.

With the city's taxi fleet carrying about 37 lakh passengers, even if only a percentage reads the magazine, it still translates into a huge market, he added.

To counter loss from theft and replace old copies, new issues will be distributed through petrol pumps and gas stations.

Mumbai Taximen's Union, general secretary, A L Quadros said, ''Though the concept is not new, it would help passengers to pass time during peak hours. I, however, do not see the 55,000-odd taxis and the two lakh drivers benefitting financially from it.''

The Reluctant Peacemaker

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel will eventually settle for a two-state solution. Not by choice but by necessity. It is the only viable option for all parties concerned. In the long-term, the status quo is not sustainable.

Israel risks international isolation and the pariah-status of a South-African style apartheid state. The hopelessness in Palestinian society will only continue to radicalize its young.

Resolution of the Israel-Palestinian issue will prevent others in the region from using the instability as a pretext to justify their own radical agendas.

As a realist and calculated political survivor, Netanyahu will ultimately do whatever is necessary to remain in power — but he will work to save face and credibility.

He will engage in diplomatic and political foot-dragging, like trying to link peace with the Palestinians to talks with Iran and others. He will not be a push-over for President Obama. As a reluctant peacemaker, he will attempt to extract maximum concessions from Obama in exchange for peace.

Furthermore, Netanyahu is politically obligated to drive a hard bargain due to Israel’s shift to the right in the recent elections.
Unpredictable circumstances, like an outbreak of violence, can delay peace but must not be permitted to serve as a pretext to preventing peace.

US presses Israel over settlements

The United States has stepped up pressure on Israel to halt Jewish settlements on Palestinian land as a step towards reviving the peace process with the Palestinians.

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, reiterated Washington's position on the issue on Tuesday, saying that Barack Obama, the US president, "was very clear yesterday in his statement that he wants to see a stop to the settlements".

Her remarks came as Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister who is visiting the US, met several congressmen in Washington DC on Tuesday.

Clinton said the US was "committed to a two-state solution ... And therefore nothing should be done to undermine the potential resolution of the peace effort that could prevent such a two-state solution from taking hold".

On Monday, Obama held talks with Netanyahu and told the Israeli PM to stop expanding Jewish settlements and grasp the "historic opportunity" to make peace with the Palestinians.

'Two-step effort'

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Clinton said the Obama administration is "determined to forge ahead on what we believe is in the best interest of the Israelis, the Palestinians, the larger region, and the world as well as what we think is right".
Clinton said the US was pursuing "a two-step effort".

"First, we want to see a stop to settlement construction - additions, natural growth, any kind of settlement activity - that is what the president has called for.

"We also are going to be pushing for a two-state solution which by its very name implies borders that have to be agreed to and we expect to see two states living side-by-side," she said.

The settlements issue was also raised by John Kerry, a high-profile senator, with Netanyahu during his visit to the US congress on Tuesday.

Kerry, who chairs the senate foreign relations committee, stressed "the importance of Israel moving forward, especially in respect to the settlements issue".

But he said the issue was not "a one-way street" and that Arab steps towards joining the "regional road map" to peace were also critical.

The Palestinians say settlements, which the UN has deemed illegal, could deny them a viable state.

Iranian 'threat'

After meeting Kerry, Netanyahu said he wanted to renew the Palestinian peace process "immediately", in tandem with an effort to gain backing from Arab states for efforts to counter Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"We have a unique historical circumstance in that Israel and many of our Arab neighbours understand the threat posed by Iran's quest to develop nuclear weapons capabilities," Netanyahu said.

"We intend to pursue the peace track independently of what happens in Iran, but in point of fact ... it should be done in parallel."
Netanyahu's visit has brought to the fore differences between the US and Israel over Iran and the Middle East peace process.

However, Netanyahu told Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic house speaker, and John Boehner, the Republican house minority leader, that he saw "an American consensus" regarding "the special relationship we have between Israel and the United States".

"We face opportunities and [a] challenge. The challenge is the potential arming of Iran with nuclear weapons capabilities. That is a great danger to all of us," Netanyahu said.

"I was assured by President Obama yesterday [Monday] that the US is committed to preventing that from happening."

Obama said he was ready to seek deeper international sanctions against Iran if it shunned US attempts to open negotiations on its nuclear programme.

The US leader said he expected a positive response to his diplomatic outreach by the end of the year.

Maharashtra Govt makes provision of 4 lakh tonne fertilizers

May 19 : Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Balasaheb Thorat today said the state government had made provision of four lakh tonnes of fertilizers as buffer stock this year for the Kharif season to lessen the hardship faced by farmers.

Addressing the media after taking stock of the situation in the Konkan Division here, Mr Thorat said taking lessons from the previous experiences, the government had taken various measures this time and ensured that the farmers get the fertilizers and seeds for sowing too.

He said control rooms have been set up at various places and will be at the disposal of the farmers to register their grievances, which would be attended to promptly without any delay.

Stating that the state faced issues on procuring the complex fertilizers, he advised the farmers to use mixed fertilizers as they were easily available.

''We stress on the use of mixed fertilizers and have sufficient stock. They will be released at the appropriate time and we will ensure that there is no complaint from any quarters.'' He said at least 80 per cent of the fertilizers were imported, while 20 per cent were indiginous. There was no issue as far as Urea was concerned.

He further said the state had received a sum of Rs 12.50 crore for the protection of crops. This was mainly for the protection of soyabean, which has faced tremendous losses along with cotton crops.

Under this project, volunteers would be deployed in each and every area to report online the situation of the crops and pests if any, which would be resolved.

''This is a major concern for us and if successful, this experiment would be extended to the other crops,'' he said.

Mr Thorat said a sum of Rs 500 crore had been distributed as compensation for the crops lost last year.

In the last five years, a sum of around Rs 3,000 crore had been distributed as compensation. It included Rs 109 crore for mangoes.

He added the Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth was conducting research to find a permanent solution to the problem of pests.

On distribution of the seeds, the Minister said a proposal to have an independent act for control of seeds for the state was pending with the Centre and the state was following it up closely.

In case of seeds, criminal cases have also been lodged against the agencies and companies which supply substandard seeds, he said.

He elaborated that besides the ongoing month-long Vriksha Dindi programme, a prestigious Moola Stanik Jalasandaran competition has been organized throughout the state, for which a sum of Rs 1.5 crore was provided. The award will be given to villages which excel in irrigation and water usage.

Talking about the violent incident at Parole in Jalgaon, he said ''while the demand for the seeds was 16 lakh bags, the company RAASI could supply only 2.67 lakh bags and we were distributing the same in a orderly manner in the villages. There was delay in a distribution centre leading to unpleasant incidences.'' Replying to a query on the Republican Party of India (Athavale) chief Ramdas Athavale blaming him for his defeat in the recent election, Mr Thorat said ''we are really sorry that he was defeated.

The facts are before everyone and we are ready to face any kind of examination. I have no issues in an enquiry being carried out to find the truth, he declared.

''His defeat has affected us too,'' he added.

Maharashtra government rejects Pune Police's

May 19 : The Maharashtra government has put a damper on the requisition put forward by the Pune Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh for countering the terrorist menace in the city in the wake of 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

Following the 26/11 terror attacks, the city police had sent 31 proposals to the state government asking for modern weapons and advanced equipment
. However, four of 31 proposals were rejected by the government. The Pune police had demanded portable X-ray machines, bulletproof vests, total containment vehicles and other sophisticated weapons, but their demands were not accepted by the government. The other 27 proposals are thus expected to suffer the same fate in the long run, some senior police officials said here today.

Last week, State Director General of Police S S Virk had placed order for modern weapons and other equipment in the international market.

Referring to the pending proposals of Pune police, he had stated they would give top priority for procuring weapons and were trying to resolve the issue with the state government.

But in a communication to Pune Police Commissionerate, a Home department official, Siddhartha Choure, stated that the government had rejected the four major proposals because they were submitted after the end of financial year on March 31.

About the containment vehicles, the letter stated that the government would have to spend crores of rupees and there is no emergency for getting such vehicles at present.

As far as the purchase of bulletproof vests are concerned they were not in the manual, he added.

Hyderabad college principal testifies against Kasab

May 19: The principal of a Hyderabad college Tuesday testified before the court hearing the Mumbai terror attacks case that the seven identity cards of his institution, recovered from Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab and his nine associates, were forged.

Principal C. Radhakrishnan of Arunodaya Degree and Post-Graduate College, told Judge M.L. Tahilyani that the identity cards were not issued by his institution.

"These identity cards were prepared manually. Our college prepares only computerized ID cards along with the photograph of the student and bears
his/her signature along with the principal's signature. These cards do not have my signature," principal Radhakrishnan said.

Radhakrishnan said he knew each and every student personally and recognized them, so Kasab and his nine associates were never students of the Hyderabad-based college, as shown in the fake I-cards.

He said the college maintains the complete records of all its students which include their age, blood group, the year of admission, the date of issuing the I-card along with his/her photograph.

The principal also emphatically said that every year the college "hardly take any students from outside" Andhra Pradesh.

Shortly after the Nov 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the police had recovered seven I-cards from the bodies of the killed terrorists.

They bore the names of students like Samir Chowdhary (found from Kasab), Ramesh Verma (found from Kasab's associate, Abu Ismail, gunned down in the Chowpatty encounter early Nov 27), Rohit Patil, Arjun Kumar, Dinesh Kumar, Raghuvir Singh and Arun Sharma.

Govt Bows to demand on showtiming

May 19 : Bowing to the demand of the film industry
, Karnataka government today announced that the timings of cinema shows would not be allowed to be extended upto 2300 hrs.

Announcing this Home Minister V S Acharya said the government was ready to help the Kannada film industry to progress and this was a gesture in this direction. Earlier, late shows were directed to be ended at 2200 hrs.

Film exhibition timing had been changed to attract women and working
class to the theaters to promote the industry, following a demand from the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, he said.

In view of this decision, the government would also allow eateries in the city to remain open till midnight from the earlier stipulated closing time of 2300 hrs. Hotels in central bus station, railway station and the International airport would be open beyond midnight, he said.

If there was any need to keep restaurants open after midnight, police would consider them as special cases and extend permission wherever needed, he sad.

Mr Acharya said as promised to the cinema industry, the BJP government in the state would use Goondas Act to crack down on fake CD and VCD market. Anyone found dealing with it would face severe action. Amendment to the laws would be brought about in the coming Monsoon session.

Congress strategy was weak: Siddaramaiah

May 19 : Former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah today accepted that the BJP's campaign to win more seats in the Lok Sabha polls in the state was systematic and effective.

He told reporters here that the ruling BJP was far ahead in its poll strategy and had won 19 out of the total 28 seats.

Mr Siddaramaiah agreed that the Congress had failed badly in its campaign to highlight the ''failures'' of the BJP government in Karnataka, led by Mr B S Yeddyurappa.

''The communal forces misled the people of the state during the election campaign, while we could not counter it,'' he alleged.

To a question on he being considered as Leader of the Opposition, he said it was left to the party high command.

Bangalore on alert for possible infiltration of LTTE men

May 19 : Karnataka Home Minister V S Acharya today said the ministry has sounded an alert in the city in view of possible infiltration of LTTE cadres in the aftermath of the end of LTTE's struggle in Sri Lanka.

Talking to reporters here, Dr Acharya said a meeting
of Home Ministry officials was held under the instruction of Chief Minister to discuss about precautionery measures to be taken to curb any infiltration into the city.

Stating that in the past the city had been used by LTTE men for taking shelter, he said this time it was less likely that they would infiltrate as their strurggle had ended with the death of their leader V Prabhakaran.

The police was on alert and would maintain close vigil on hospitals, he said, adding the government would provide treatment to the injured LTTE men if it came across such people on humanitarian ground and inform the Centre on that.

He assured that the government would bring Anti-Piracy Act under the purview of Goonda Act with a suitable amendment.

Govt to implement loan scheme to farmers

May 19 : Karnataka Cooperatives Minister Laxman Savadi today said the state government would implement the scheme of providing loan to farmers at a concessional rate of three per cent from national banks from June one this year as announced in the budget.

Talking to repoters here, he said farmers would be able to get loans upto Rs 50,000 from the banks.

Stating that a gazette had been issued in this regard, he said the government would soon issue a separate Order for extending the loan facility from cooperatives institutions.

The government had provided loans to the tune of Rs 2,800 crore from cooperatives last year and this year the amount would be increased by Rs 700 crore, Mr Savadi

Maya Kodnani granted bail in 2002 riots case

Ahmedabad, May 19 : A local court on Tuesday granted bail to former Gujarat Minister Maya Kodnani.

Kodnani is one of the prime accused in the Naroda Gam riots in which 11 persons were killed during the communal clashes in 2002.

Kodnani is also a prime accused in the Naroda Patia massacre in which over 90 people were killed.

According to sources, the Ahmedabad city sessions court has granted bail to Kodnani in the Naroda Gam case while in the Naroda Patia case, the bail hearing would continue.

She has been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) 120 (B) for criminal conspiracy, 302 for murder, 307 for attempt to murder, 395 and 397 for loot and 143 to 147 for rioting and 201 for destruction of evidence.

Guj minister, VHP leader get bail in post-Godhra riot cases

Ahmedabad, May 19 : A local court today granted conditional bail to former Gujarat minister Dr Mayaben Kodnani and VHP leader Dr Jaydeep Patel in the infamous post-godhra Naroda Patia and Naroda Gam riots cases of 2002.

The city session court judge C H Patel today granted conditional bail to both the leader in response to their bail applications in the riots cases, which had claimed over 100 lives on February 28, 2002.

The Judge ordered the duo to deposit their passports
before the court. He also issued directives to them not to leave Gujarat without obtaining prior permission from the designated court.

The court also ordered the leaders not to meet the witnesses or give them any direct or indirect threats and/or pressures. They were also asked to co-operate with the investigating agency ie the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The leaders were also asked to deposit Rs 10,000 each as a guarantee money.

Dr Kodnani and Dr Patel were booked by the SIT, which is headed by former CBI Chief R K Raghvan. The SIT was appointed by the apex Court in 2008 to reinvestigate nine major cases of post-Godhra riots in Gujarat in year 2002.

The duo was booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 120 (B) for criminal conspiracy, 302 for murder, 307 for attempt to murder, 395 and 397 for loot and 143 to 147 for rioting and 201 for destruction of evidence.

The SIT arrested them on March 27, 2009, when the Gujarat High Court cancelled lower court's anticipatory bail granted to them.

Earlier, these two cases were investigated by local crime branch, but reinvestigation by the SIT led to arrest of Dr Kodnani and VHP leader Jaydeep Patel, who is also co-accused in the case, for their alleged roles in instigating mobs to rioting.

Gujarat-specific weather website coming up

Ahmedabad, May 19 : The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) is set to launch a Gujarat-specific weather information website June 1, an official said Tuesday.

The website, which was long sought by the Gujarat government considering the state's 1,600 km-long coastline and the increasing maritime activity. It would also enable authorities to warn the people living in the coastal areas of the approaching cyclonic conditions so they could move to safer places elsewhere.

The site will have complete information on the weather prevailing in Gujarat including data on cyclone, monsoon, weather warnings, earthquake
reports, satellite images of climatology, and the like, IMD's Regional Director for Gujarat Kanwaljit Ray said in a statement.

Riot tainted Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani gets bail

Ahmedabad, May 19: A local court Tuesday granted bail to former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani, who is facing charges of abetting riots in the Naroda Gam and Naroda Patia localities of Ahmedabad during the 2002 sectarian violence.

The Ahmedabad City sessions court granted Kodnani bail in both the Naroda Gam and Naroda Patia cases. Senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Jaideep Patel, who is also facing charges of abetting riots in Naroda Gam, was also granted bail.

"She has now been granted bail for both the Naroda Gam and Naroda Patia cases. She is expected to be released from jail tomorrow (Wednesday) morning," Kodnani's counsel Mitesh Amin told IANS.

The Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) had filed a chargesheet against Kodnani on May 1. She had been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 120 (B) for criminal conspiracy, 302 for murder, 307 (attempt to murder) and 143 and 147 for rioting, as per the SIT chargesheet.

Kodnani resigned as minister for women's welfare and higher education and surrendered to the SIT on March 27, this year, after her bail was cancelled by the sessions court.

Her political career with the Bharatiya Janata Party took off in 1995 when she won as a corporator of the Saijipur ward in the municipal polls in Ahmedabad.

A gynaecologist by profession, Kodnani and her husband who also is a doctor still have their clinic in the Naroda locality of Ahmedabad. Few in the city know that Kodnani is an active member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). She joined the RSS on the insistence of her father, an RSS worker.

During the heydays of her political career, Kodnani was also the first woman chairperson appointed to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's Standing Committee.

Sensex flat Jaiprakash up 6%

The Sensex touched a low of 14,082 in the opening trades. The index however rebounded into the positive zone and touched a high of 14,388.

The index is now up 19 points at 14,329.

Jaiprakash Associates has advanced 6% to Rs 174. Larsen & Toubro has added over 4% to Rs 1,405.

Hindalco and Ranbaxy have increased 3.5% each to Rs 80 and Rs 217, respectively.

Tata Motors is up 3% at Rs 315.

HDFC, Tata Steel, Sterlite and SBI have added 2% each.

Reliance Communications and Bharti Airtel have dropped 5% each to Rs 299 and Rs 869, respectively.

DLF and ICICI Bank have slipped over 3.5% each to Rs 371 and Rs 730, respectively.

Grasim gains 2% even as Q4 net dips

Grasim Industries has gained 2% inspite of 35% dip in the Q4 net profit.

The stock opened down 2% at Rs 2,250. It slipped further to Rs 2.245. The stock is now trading 2% higher at Rs 2,330. The counter has clocked a volume of 7,506 shares on the BSE so far.

The company has informed the BSE that the consolidated net profit has declined over 35% to Rs 568.79 crore in the quarter ended March 31,2009 from Rs 880.77 crore in the corresponding quarter a year ago. The total income, however, has increased 5% to Rs 5,065.68 crore in Q4FY09 as against Rs 4,832.37 crore in Q4FY08.

Further, the board has recommended dividend of Rs 30 per share for the full year.

Indian Bank gains on good FY09 numbers

Indian Bank has gained 3.5% on good FY09 perfomance.

The stock opened at Rs 128. It touched a high of Rs 134. It is now trading up 3.5% at Rs 132. Around 14,707 shares have been traded on the BSE so far.

According to a release issued by the bank to the BSE, the consolidated net profit has increased 20% to Rs 1,255 crore in the year ended March 31, 2009 from Rs 1,043 crore in the corresponding fiscal. The total income has surged 26% to Rs 7,879 crore in FY09 from Rs 6,268 crore in FY08.

SBI in talks for guarantee sharing in Tata Motors

Tata Group says the Rs 4,200-cr issue will be used to pay the Jaguar deal debt

State Bank of India is negotiating with other commercial banks to share the onus of giving guarantees to Tata Motors’ Rs 4,200 crore debenture issue.

The Tata group company will use these proceeds to pay the debt it took to acquire Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in Britain.

ICRA, the rating agency, has assigned one of LAAA (Structured Obligation), indicating the lowest level of credit risk. The rating to these debentures is based on the strength of the unconditional and irrevocable guarantee by State Bank of India (SBI) for the payment of all dues.

Merchant banking sources said “No one bank can give a guarantee for the entire issue as a matter of prudence. SBI is discussing with other banks for sharing of risks in issuing guarantees.”

TML plans to raise the principal amount of Rs 4,200 crore in four tranches. The first tranche will consist of debentures worth Rs 800 crore with 23-months tenure (maturity in March 2011), the second for Rs 350 crore with a tenure of 47 months (maturity in March 2013).

A large chunk will be raised through debentures which have long tenure. In the third tranche, it will raise Rs 1,850 crore through debentures which will mature in March 2014, and then issue debentures worth Rs 1,200 crore maturing in March 2016.

Under the structured payment mechanism, SBI assures timely payment of the dues to investors. The interest will be paid quarterly, while the principal will be paid in one go (bullet payment).

The debentures carry low interest during the tenure, with the yield being achieved though a redemption premium payable on the maturity of each tranche.

The full, unconditional and irrevocable guarantee from SBI will be sufficient to cover all issuer obligations that may arise at any point of time, ICRA said.

The guarantee amount required is stipulated at Rs 4,900 crore at the beginning of the transaction and shall come down over the tenure with the amortisation of tranches.

TML will open a no-lien account with the designated bank. And will deposit the due amount into this account at least eight days prior to any interest/principal payout date. The debenture trustee will then directly fund the investor accounts on the scheduled payout date.

Markets trade record volumes of Rs 157,891 crore

After a “forced holiday” yesterday due to two circuit breakers, traders rushed back to the market today. The result: Record combined volumes in the market.

Markets reported their highest turnover of 157,891 crore. In the cash segment, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) recorded turnovers of Rs 40, 122 crore and Rs 11,781 crore, respectively. In the futures and options (F&O) segment, the NSE recorded the highest-ever turnover of Rs 105,986 crore.

The previous highest turnover was Rs 149,505 crore on October 17, 2007. This was reached immediately after the then Securities and Exchange Board of India Chairman M Damodaran issued guidelines for phasing out participatory notes (P-notes).

The BSE Sensitive Index, or Sensex, opened at 14, 757.82 points, but slipped immediately. In the afternoon session, there was a sharp movement and the index hit the day’s high of 14.930.54.

Market participants said there was initial buying from traders and institutional investors who had to do short covering because of margin calls after yesterday’s sharp spurt in share prices.

In the afternoon, institutional players, especially insurance companies, stepped in to do some profit booking. This led to a sharp fall. The Sensex closed flat at 14,302.03, up 17.82 points, or 0.12 per cent. The CNX Nifty closed down marginally at 4.70 points, or 0.11 per cent, at 4,407.82.

“Short covering and buying by FIIs propelled the markets in the afternoon. The markets remained flat as most retail investors were booking profits with every rise,” said V K Sharma, head (research), Anagram Stock Broking.

According to provisional data from the BSE, FIIs bought shares worth Rs 4,792 crore. Domestic institutional investors sold shares worth Rs 1,964 crore.

The US market rallied yesterday on better-than-expected results from home improvement retailer Lowe’s which reinforced hopes that the recession is easing. The Dow Jones closed up by 2.9 per cent. S&P and Nasdaq closed higher by 3 and 3.1 per cent, respectively.

The Asian market responded well to the global cues. The Hang Seng and Nikkei rallied 3 per cent. The Strait Times surged 4 per cent.

In India, the realty index rose 12.80 per cent. That means that in the last two days, the realty index has risen a whopping 36.25 per cent. Both Bankex and consumer durables index were up 6 per cent.

However, the information technology index lost 10.10 per cent because of the rupee appreciation. A strong rupee will adversely impact the IT companies’ rupee revenue. Most IT companies have already hedged their dollar receivables.

DLF rose 19.5 per cent today. It has risen 45.40 per cent in the last two days. Reliance Communications and SBI rose 12.9 per cent and 12.7 per cent, respectively.

“Considering the first two days of trading, the sentiment in Indian markets looks decoupled from the global markets. So, amid volatility, markets will be driven by domestic sentiments. Going forward, FIIs will increase their investments as compared with what they have done so far on an average basis,” said Anil Ladha, head (capital markets), ICICI Securities.

Gold council: Buying gold to be attractive again in six months

Investors, speculators, hedgers and consumers who sold their gold stocks to partly set off losses in the financial markets will start replenishing within six to eight months, says Ajay Mitra, managing director - Indian sub-continent, World Gold Council.

Gold offtake slowed in the first quarter of 2009 due to the global financial crisis. In January, say market participants, India imported 20 tonnes of gold. With global financial markets worsening since, imports in February and March remained almost nil.

The financial markets have started recovering and so has the rupee against the US dollar. This means investors in the equity market will started using a part of their investment or income for gold as an asset class which may rescue them, like last year, at a time of financial crisis.

Gold is bought today with three purposes; as a hedge against inflation, as an asset and to store value to cash on at a time of financial difficulty. According to Mitra, investors of the stock market rescued themselves partly by selling gold holdings. As a consequence, used gold sales increased substantially in the first quarter of the current calendar year.

“The global financial crisis was the only factor which hurt consumers’ sentiment badly and not prices, which is evident from the gold sales on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya,” said Mitra.

On Akshaya Tritiya, April 27, considered the most auspicious day for buying gold, despite the price being 30 per cent higher than on the same day last year, sales were Rs 7,280 crore, against Rs 6,359 cr on the day in 2008. However, sales were 45 tonnes, cpmpared to 48.9 tonnes last year.

Standard gold on the day was quoted at Rs 14,830 per 10 g in Mumbai.

Once consumer demand picks up, scrap sales will be addressed. Scrap sales since December 2008 had surged to an estimated 500 kg a day against 100 kg in normal circumstances.

Meanwhile, the sector requires three major policy initiatives from the government which may boost consumers’ morale, Mitra said. The government should liberalise credit for exporters even for short periods, traders should be allowed to use their gold holding with banks, which they are barred from doing, and non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and co-operative banks should be permitted to retail gold.

If these initiatives are facilitated, gold sales will recover to the normal level, he added.

India’s gold sales were 402 tonnes in 2008, a decline of 47 per cent from last year. In the first quarter of 2009, gold sales are likely to take another big hit, due to less consumer spending on luxury goods, including jewellery items.

During the first quarter of 2008, gold sales in India declined by 50 per cent, at 102.1 tonnes from 202.2 tonnes in the comparable period last year.

Is Mel Gibson's girlfriend pregnant?

London, May 19 : Is Hollywood star Mel Gibson's girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva pregnant with the couple's first child?

The actor's wife Robyn filed for divorce last month after 28 years of marriage amid rumours the actor had been dating the 39-year-old Grigorieva. Rumours are rife that Gibson has already told his estranged wife and their children that she is in her second trimester of pregnancy, reports thesun.co.uk.

The "Lethal Weapon" star made his romance public weeks after his wife filed for the divorce by taking his beloved to a movie premiere in Los Angeles. The former couple share one daughter and six sons.

Steven Spielberg honoured?

Washington, May 19 : Hollywood director Steven Spielberg was recently honoured with an honorary degree at the Boston University at its graduation ceremony.

The three time Oscar-winner joined in the celebrations at the Massachusetts education institute.

Steven was honoured for his contributions to Hollywood, reports Contactmusic.

Meanwhile, Chinese director Zhang Yimou, who produced the opening and closing ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics, was also honored with a degree.

Lennon's son worried about biopic on father

Washington, May 19 : Late musician John Lennon's son Julian is worried that a forthcoming biopic will tarnish his memory of his late father.

Julian has revealed that he has apprehensions about the forthcoming biopic titled 'Nowhere Boy'.

"It's weird. I know what I know, I like what I know, and I don't like some of what I know and I don't particularly want to see someone else's variation on that. But Sam seems extremely nice and the film looks as though it will be something interesting," Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

The flick, featuring Aaron Johnson and Kristin Scott Thomas, tells the story of Lennon's childhood in Liverpool, England.

The flick will be released on the 29th anniversary of Lennon's death in December.

Actor Patrick Swayze still alive, says spokeswoman

Los Angeles, May 19 : A spokeswoman for ailing US actor Patrick Swayze Tuesday refuted reports that the 56-year-old star of 'Dirty Dancing' had died.

In a statement to KTLA broadcaster in Los Angeles, Annett Wolf said Swayze is "alive, well and is enjoying his life and he continues to respond to treatment" for his cancer.

She called reports by a radio station in Jacksonville in Florida that Swayze had died "severely reckless".

Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2008 and was in hospital in January after contracting pneumonia.

Despite his illness, Swayze tackled a new television show, "The Beast", in which he plays a veteran undercover FBI agent who mentors a younger colleague.

Earlier this year, Swayze said he was writing his memoirs with the help of his wife, dancer and actress Lisa Niemi. The couple has been married since 1975 and has no children.

Priyamani to wed Tarun?

Just a few hours after Tollywood's hot babe Priyamani denied rumours on her romantic link with actor Tarun, it is now heard that the actress has finally decided to marry Tarun, her Nava Vasanthan (2007) hero. This development reportedly occured after Tarun's mother came to know about their affair and agreed for their wedding.

Sources say that the marriage is likely to take place after they complete their ongoing assignments. The couple was often spotted getting cozy at many five star restaurants and Tarun recently gifted the actress an expensive luxury car.

Contradicting these reports, Priyamani earlier said: “Tarun and I had great fun during the shooting of Nava Vasantham, but we hardly met with each other after the shooting was completed. Then how could we be in love? Tarun, Ankita and I got along well on the sets. Tarun and I never met again on a personal level."

Priyamani had also denied the rumours that Tarun gifted her a Toyoto Innova, saying, "Why do people malign actresses with cheap rumours? I bought the Innova in Hyderabad with my hard-earned money. No hero gifted it to me. It is my personal car."

Vedhika is back

Vedhika, heroine of Kaalai and Sakkarakatti, will be back to Kollywood after a while. Her comeback film is Malai Malai with Arun Vijay, directed by Venkatesh. Though most of Vedhika’s roles till date had more emphasis on glamour than performance, it appears Vedhika is now trying to change her strategy. She wants to move away from her glam image in favour of more meaningful roles. In her view, Malai Malai will mark a significant change in her career. For hero Arun Vijay also, Malai Malai will be a crucial release.

Will Malai Malai help to improve the star status of its lead actors? Let's wait and see!

Ninaithale Inikkum buddies

Sakthi of Thottal Poo Malarum fame and Prithviraj come together for Ninaithale Inikum, the Tamil remake of Malayalam hit Classmates. Both Sakthi and Prithviraj share a good rapport at the shooting spot and also good screen space in this film directed by G.N.R. Kumaravelan.

Ninaithale Inikumis a story about college life and what happen in the lives of the two men during the happy period. The cast includes Karthik Kuamr, Priyamani and K. Bhagyaraj. Shooting is taking place in a 60-day schedule at Rameshwaram, Karaikudi, etc. Music is by Vijay Antony; camera is by Balasubramaniam; editing is by award-winner Sreekar Prasad.

Shriya's variety fare

Shriya, who has been moving betwen Hollywood and Bollywood during the last couple of years, is back to Tamil films. Kanthaswamy, Kutty, Thoranai and Jaggubhai constitute her latest line-up.

Shriya’s roles in all these films are different and interesting. In Kanthaswamy, Shriya is the independent city slicker who is ready to lock horns with anyone to prove her point of view. As Kanthaswamy’s heroine, she shares a love-hate relationship with the hero. In Kutty, she is a naïve village girl who falls in love with a boy from the neighbourhood. In Thoranai she is again the carefree city girl who plays her life’s games in a cool and composed manner. In Jaggubhai, she is a pampered rich girl who is taught sense by her father, the older Sarathkumar.

Narain's choosiness costs him dear

In the entertainment industry, particularly acting, seeking too much versatility and variety does not always work well. One has to learn to sail with the favourable trend yet keep oneself above stereotypes and clichés.

Narain, who debuted through Mysskin’s Chithiram Pesudhadi, is trying to do the same. After his remarkable debut, Narain was lucky to be offered performance-oriented roles in Thangar Bachan’s Pallikkoodam and Mysskin’s Anjaathey. Both the films did well at the box-office and secured him name and fame. But after that, he kept waiting for similar stylish scripts and nothing interesting came his way. Now this film institute grad is tired of waiting because his choosiness has led to a famine of roles. So what next Narain?

Achamundu Achamundu music review

Achamundu Achamundu, the thriller directed by Arun Vaidyanathan, has Hollywood’s grandstanding. Achamundu Achamundu’s entire story happens in America. Prasanna and Sneha play the lead roles. With their problems at the helm, the film takes us through an emotional journey. In addition, there are also some scary moments in the film.

Achamundu Achamundu, a KarthikRaja musical is a Think Music album. 'Kannil Dhagam’ is a beautiful melody set in a semi-classical tune. The mood of the song is sorrowful yet the pure emotion expressed in Sowmya’s voice mesmerises listeners. Anupama, Krish and Rahul Nambiar croon for the fast song ‘Kanavugal Kaatril’. Nothing much can be said about this song which is trendy in terms of instrumental additions and is also good to listen to. Apparently, the theme music also falls in the heavily-orchestrated category. The next two songs are solos. ‘Kannil Dhagam’ is a repeat version of the same number by Sowmya and ‘Parvai Vali Sumandhal’ by Rahul Nambiar has a classical touch.

KarthikRaja’s music reminds us of Ilayaraja’s style of composition.