Thursday, April 1, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sardar on KBC
Santa Singh at KBC
Santa Singh has answered 12 out of the 15 questions correct and has used all his lifelines except for “50-50″ and “Phone a Friend”.
Santa Singh is playing the 13 th Question now which is for 25 Lacs. Let’s see what happens next…
Amitabh Bachchan: Apka 13th question 25 lakh ke liye, yeh raha aapke saamne aapki Computer Screen par…
Santa Singh gets Tense…
Amitabh Bachchan : Who is the father of Abhishek Bachchan ? Your options are…
A) Amitabh Bachchan B) Dharmendra C) Amjad Khan(Gabbar) D) Sanjeev kumar
Amitabh Bachchan : Toh Santa Singh Jee kya Jawaab hai aapka? [He’s quite sure that Santa will opt for option A]
But Santa is surprisingly still confused…
Amitabh Bachchan : Aapke paas abhi bhi do life line baaki hai… 50-50 and phone a friend. Agar aap chahe to unhe use kar sakte hain. Wo aap hi ke liye banaayi gayee hai.
Santa Singh : I think it is A, but I’m not sure.
Amitabh Bachchan : Not sure, Hmmm… Aap kya karna chahenge?
Santa Singh : I would like to use 50-50…
Amitabh Bachchan : Ok Computer Jee, Kripya 2 galat javab mita deejiye…
Computer deletes two names, and leaves the following options:
B) Dharmendra C) Amjad Khan(Gabbar)
Now Amitabh Bachchan gets confused and worriedly thinks if the Computer is actually right or has got some bug!. Santa Singh gets all the more Confused after the 50-50 Lifeline…
Santa Singh: I would like to use my last life line too - Phone A Friend…
Amitabh Bachchan : Aap kisse baat karna chahenge??
Santa Singh : Main aapki Misej [Mrs.] Jaya Bachan Ji ko phone karna chahoonga…
Amitabh Bachchan Faints !!! But the Call gets connected to Jaya Bachchan (Thanks to AirTel )
Santa Singh : “Jayaji, Who is the father of Abhishek Bachchan!?” receiving reply from JAYA Santa faints..
GUESS WHY????????? ??
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Jaya Bachchan ask’s him ” What are the options?”
How to answer unusual questions asked of Indians
To help the new wave of incoming students from India,
here are the proper answers to awkward questions asked everyday:
Q. What does that red dot on women's forehead mean?
A. Well, in ancient times, Indian men used to practice archery skills by target practicing by aiming at their wife's red dot. In fact, that is one of the reasons why they had many wives. You see, once they mastered the art of archery and hit the target....
Q. You're from India? I have read so much about the country. All the wonderful places, the forests, the snake charmers, the elephants. Do you still use elephants for transportation?
A. Absolutely. In fact we used to have our own elephant in our house. But later, we started participating in elephant-ride sharing schemes with our neighbors, to save the air. You see elephants have an "emissions" problem.....
Q. Does India have cars?
A. No. We ride elephants to work. The government is trying to
encourage ride-sharing schemes.
Q. Does India have TV?
A. No. We only have cable.
Q. Are all Indians vegetarian?
A. Yes. Even tigers are vegetarian in India.
Q. How come you speak English so well?
A. You see when the British were ruling India,they employed Indians
as servants. It took too long for the Indians to learn English.
So the British isolated an "English-language" gene and infused their servants' babies with it and since then all babies born are born speaking English.
Q. Are you a Hindi?
A. Yes. I am spoken everyday in Northern India.
Q. Do you speak Hindu?
A. Yes, I also speak Jewish, Islam and Christianity.
Q. Is it true that everyone there is very corrupt?
A. Yes, in fact, I had to bribe my parents so that they would
let me go to school.
Q. India is very hot, isn't it?
A. It is so hot there that all the water boils spontaneously.
That is why tea is such a popular drink in India.
Q. Are there any business companies in India?
A. No. All Indians live on the Gandhian prinicples of self-sufficiency.
We all make our own clothes and grow our own food. That is why you see all these thin skinny Indians -- it is is a lot of hard work.
Q. Indians cannot beef, huh?
A. Cows provide milk which is a very essential part of Indian diet.
So eating cows is forbidden. However in order to decrease the
population of the country, the government is trying to encourage
everyone to eat human meat.
Q. India is such a religious place. Do you meditate regularly?
A. Yes, sometimes I meditate for weeks without food and drink. But it is difficult to keep my job, because I have to miss work when I meditate like that. But the bosses there do the same thing.
That is why things are so inefficient there.
Q. I saw on TV that people there walk on burning coals. Why do they do that?
A. We don't have shoes. So we burn the botton of our feet to make it hard so that we can walk.
Q. Why do you sometimes wear Indian clothes to work?
A. I prefer it to coming naked.
here are the proper answers to awkward questions asked everyday:
Q. What does that red dot on women's forehead mean?
A. Well, in ancient times, Indian men used to practice archery skills by target practicing by aiming at their wife's red dot. In fact, that is one of the reasons why they had many wives. You see, once they mastered the art of archery and hit the target....
Q. You're from India? I have read so much about the country. All the wonderful places, the forests, the snake charmers, the elephants. Do you still use elephants for transportation?
A. Absolutely. In fact we used to have our own elephant in our house. But later, we started participating in elephant-ride sharing schemes with our neighbors, to save the air. You see elephants have an "emissions" problem.....
Q. Does India have cars?
A. No. We ride elephants to work. The government is trying to
encourage ride-sharing schemes.
Q. Does India have TV?
A. No. We only have cable.
Q. Are all Indians vegetarian?
A. Yes. Even tigers are vegetarian in India.
Q. How come you speak English so well?
A. You see when the British were ruling India,they employed Indians
as servants. It took too long for the Indians to learn English.
So the British isolated an "English-language" gene and infused their servants' babies with it and since then all babies born are born speaking English.
Q. Are you a Hindi?
A. Yes. I am spoken everyday in Northern India.
Q. Do you speak Hindu?
A. Yes, I also speak Jewish, Islam and Christianity.
Q. Is it true that everyone there is very corrupt?
A. Yes, in fact, I had to bribe my parents so that they would
let me go to school.
Q. India is very hot, isn't it?
A. It is so hot there that all the water boils spontaneously.
That is why tea is such a popular drink in India.
Q. Are there any business companies in India?
A. No. All Indians live on the Gandhian prinicples of self-sufficiency.
We all make our own clothes and grow our own food. That is why you see all these thin skinny Indians -- it is is a lot of hard work.
Q. Indians cannot beef, huh?
A. Cows provide milk which is a very essential part of Indian diet.
So eating cows is forbidden. However in order to decrease the
population of the country, the government is trying to encourage
everyone to eat human meat.
Q. India is such a religious place. Do you meditate regularly?
A. Yes, sometimes I meditate for weeks without food and drink. But it is difficult to keep my job, because I have to miss work when I meditate like that. But the bosses there do the same thing.
That is why things are so inefficient there.
Q. I saw on TV that people there walk on burning coals. Why do they do that?
A. We don't have shoes. So we burn the botton of our feet to make it hard so that we can walk.
Q. Why do you sometimes wear Indian clothes to work?
A. I prefer it to coming naked.
Laloo Jokes
LA LOO JOKES
* What do they call French Toilet in Bihar ?
La loo
* Once Laloo was coming out of Airport. As there was huge rush the security guard told Laloo "WAIT SIR" for which Laloo replied "65Kgs" and moved on...
* Once Laloo wanted to know the time difference between Bihar and Las Vegas. So he called up the Tourist department and asked them "Ji could you tell me the time difference between Patna and Las Begas...". The man at the other end replies "One second sir..." and Laloo immediately replies "thank you" and puts the phone down.
* Laloos family planning policy..
"Don't have more than two children in one year"
* At a bar in New York, the man to Laloo's left tells the bartender, "JOHNNIE WALKER, SINGLE." & the man's companion says, "JACK DANIELS, SINGLE." The bartender approaches Laloo and asks, "AND YOU, SIR?" Laloo replies: "LALOO YADAV, MARRIED."
* After having become the CM of Bihar, Laloo decides to pose for a picture. To show he is down to earth CM he decides to pose along with a herd of buffaloes and resting his elbows on the back of the cattle he poses for the photo. Next day the photo appears front page of a newspaper. GUESS THE CAPTION "Laloo, third from left"
* Laloo Prasad Yadav was hosting a Japanese Delegation for Business Development to Bihar. The Japanese Embssary was quite impressed with Bihar and he stated, "Bihar is an excellent state. Give us three years and we will turn it into an economic superpower like Japan." Laloo was very surprised. "You Japanese are very inepicient," he stated "Give me three days and I will turn Japan into Bihar"
* A reporter asked Laloo "What is the main reason for a divorce ?"
"Marriage"
* Laloo returns from a US tour. As he completes his press conference and is about to leave, he goes, "I would like to thank the president of the United States from the bottom of my heart and my wife's bottom too"/
Sardar's Y2K Solution
Report submitted by Banta Singh to his manager after completing his Y2K
verification task.
Dear Sir,
Our staff has completed the 18 months of work on time and on
budget. We have gone through every line of code in every program in every system. We have analyzed all databases, all data
files, including backups and historic archives, and modified all data to reflect the change. We are proud to
report that we have completed the "Y-to-K" date change mission, and have now implemented all changes to all programs
and all data to reflect your new standards:Januark, Februark, March, April, Mak, June, Julk, August, September, October, November, December
As well as:
Sundak, Mondak, Tuesdak, Wednesdak Thursdak, Fridak, Saturdak.
I trust that this is satisfactory, because to be honest, none of
this Y to K problem has made any sense to me. But I understand it is a global problem, and our team is glad to help
in any way possible. And what does the year 2000 have to do with it? Speaking of which, what do you think we ought to
do next year when the two digit year rolls over from 99 to 00?
We'll await your direction."
Very Sincerely
Banta Singh
Y2K Project Leader
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
‘Minor’ hitch to Jr NTR’s marriage
An advocate has approached the Machilipatnam Legal Services Authority seeking its intervention to keep the marriage of Jr NTR to Lakshmi Pranathi on hold till the girl becomes a major.
The secretary of the authority and magistrate, Gurappa Naidu, issued notices to all the respondents – TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, Jr NTR’s father and MP, Nandamuri Harikrishna and the girl’s father Narne Srinivasa Rao and posted the case to February 24.
Curiously, the petitioner did not name either Jr NTR or bride Lakshmi Pranathi as respondents.
Advocate S Santhi Prasad contended that he was filing the petition only to stop an illegal marriage to be performed by the famed personalities who were also legislators. He said he had come to know through news reports on Friday that film star Jr NTR was going tie the knot with Lakshmi Pranathi, daughter of a realtor and chairman of a Telugu news channel Studio N. He said he learned through the news reports that the girl was only of 17 years, and according to the law, she was a minor.
Stating that performing Jr NTR’s marriage with a minor would not only be illegal but also send wrong signals to society at large as all those involved were responsible people and also law makers, he urged the court to direct the respondents not to perform the marriage till the girl becomes major.
Reports, however, said the ‘young tiger’ will not lose sleep over it because when the wedding takes place, Lakshmi Pranathi will turn 18 if one were to go by what Chandrababu Naidu has reportedly informed the Machilipatnam Legal Services Authority.
But the ‘minor’ issue is something that will trouble the NTR household.
“Clearly, it is invalid consent from the girl as she is still a minor. Of course, no consent is given on paper to be challenged in the court of law but quite obviously, the spirit of the law will be violated if the marriage takes place,” advocate L Ravichander said.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
LEGEND NTR PROFILE
Name :Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao
Date Of Birth : 28th May 1923
Father :Nandamuri Lakshmiah Chowdhury
Mother :Venkata Ramamma
Wife :Basava Tharakam (Married in the year 1942)
Sons :Swargiya Rama Krishna, Jaya Krishna,Hari kris MOHANa Krishna,Bala Krishna,Sai Krishna,Jr Rama Krishna,Jaya Shankar Krishna,
Daughters :
Smt Uma Maheswari, Smt Bhuvaneswari,Smt Lokeswari,Smt Purandheswari
Father :Nandamuri Lakshmiah Chowdhury
Mother :Venkata Ramamma
Wife :Basava Tharakam (Married in the year 1942)
Sons :Swargiya Rama Krishna, Jaya Krishna,Hari kris MOHANa Krishna,Bala Krishna,Sai Krishna,Jr Rama Krishna,Jaya Shankar Krishna,
Daughters :
Smt Uma Maheswari, Smt Bhuvaneswari,Smt Lokeswari,Smt Purandheswari
Friday, January 29, 2010
Learn C After Marriage
Learn 'C' after marriage==========================
struct Indian_female_professionals
{
double styles;
short skirts;
long time_to_understand_problems;
float mind;
void knowledge;
char non_co-operative;
}
struct married_females
{
double weight;
short tempered;
long gossip;
float hopes;
void word;
char unstable;
}
struct engaged_females
{
double time_on_phone;
short attention_on_work;
long boast;
float on_cloud_nine;
void understanding;
char edgy;
}
struct newly_married_females
{
double dinner_invitation;
short time_at_work;
long lunch_break;
void bank_balance;
char hen_pecked;
}
struct Indian_husband_wife_professionals
{
double income;
short tempered;
long time_no_see_each_other;
void love_life;
char money-making;
}
struct Indian_female_professionals
{
double styles;
short skirts;
long time_to_understand_problems;
float mind;
void knowledge;
char non_co-operative;
}
struct married_females
{
double weight;
short tempered;
long gossip;
float hopes;
void word;
char unstable;
}
struct engaged_females
{
double time_on_phone;
short attention_on_work;
long boast;
float on_cloud_nine;
void understanding;
char edgy;
}
struct newly_married_females
{
double dinner_invitation;
short time_at_work;
long lunch_break;
void bank_balance;
char hen_pecked;
}
struct Indian_husband_wife_professionals
{
double income;
short tempered;
long time_no_see_each_other;
void love_life;
char money-making;
}
Salary in Kisses
Letter from Husband to Wife
Dear Sweetheart,
I can't send my salary this month, so I am sending 100 kisses. You are my sweetheart
Your husband
Wife's Response
Dearest sweetheart,
Thanks for your 100 kisses, I am sending the expenses details.
1. The Milk man agreed on 2 kisses for one month's milk.
2. The electricity man only agreed after 7 kisses.
3. Your house owner is coming every day and taking two or three kisses instead of the rent.
4. Supermarket owner did not accept kisses only, so I have given him some other items ...........
5. Other expenses 40 kisses
Please don't worry for me, I have a remaining balance of 35 kisses and I hope I can complete the month using this balance. Shall I plan same way for next months, Please Advise!!!
Your Sweet Heart
Laloo Vs Gates
Bill Gates : Namaskar! you must have heard of Windows.
Laloo : Oh yes! most govt. offices we have the single window clearance concept.
Gates : Have you installed Windows at home?
Laloo : I have removed all windows due to increased burgalaries in our house. Gates(Confused): Then what is the system you operate on?
Laloo : OPERATION ? Yes, I had a Hernia operation last month.
Gates(Sweating) : Hope the internet is being used a lot in India.
Laloo: Oh Yes! Due to increased moquito problems many people are sleeping under the net. Gates: By the year 2002 India should export computer chips.
Laloo: We are already exporting Uncle Chips.
Gates(Feeling very Uneasy): do you regularly use LapTops?
Laloo: My grand-child sleeps on the top of my lap.
Gates(Sweating Heavily): The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh knows a lot about RAM and ROM.
Laloo : RUM? Prohibition is being lifted and it will be shortly available in A.P.
Gates(Feeling Dizzy): I would like to take your leave before my system crashes.
Laloo: I have exhausted all my leave. Gates: I have no energy left, let us go out and have a bite.
Laloo: BITE? I believe in non-violence. I will not bite.
Gates: (System Crashes and Found Missing). "Windows is restarting. Please wait............."
Laloo : Oh yes! most govt. offices we have the single window clearance concept.
Gates : Have you installed Windows at home?
Laloo : I have removed all windows due to increased burgalaries in our house. Gates(Confused): Then what is the system you operate on?
Laloo : OPERATION ? Yes, I had a Hernia operation last month.
Gates(Sweating) : Hope the internet is being used a lot in India.
Laloo: Oh Yes! Due to increased moquito problems many people are sleeping under the net. Gates: By the year 2002 India should export computer chips.
Laloo: We are already exporting Uncle Chips.
Gates(Feeling very Uneasy): do you regularly use LapTops?
Laloo: My grand-child sleeps on the top of my lap.
Gates(Sweating Heavily): The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh knows a lot about RAM and ROM.
Laloo : RUM? Prohibition is being lifted and it will be shortly available in A.P.
Gates(Feeling Dizzy): I would like to take your leave before my system crashes.
Laloo: I have exhausted all my leave. Gates: I have no energy left, let us go out and have a bite.
Laloo: BITE? I believe in non-violence. I will not bite.
Gates: (System Crashes and Found Missing). "Windows is restarting. Please wait............."
laloo clock
Rabri Devi died and went to heaven (Don't Laugh). As she stood in front of yamraj , she saw a huge wall of clocks behind. She asked, "What are all those clocks?" Yamraj answered, "Those are LieClocks. Everyone on Earth has a LieClock.Every time you lie, the hands on your clock will move."
"Oh," said Rabri, "Who's clock is that? "
That's Gautam Buddha's. The hands have never moved indicating that he never told a lie. "
And whose clock is that?
"That's Abraham Lincoln's clock. The hands have only moved twice, telling us that Abraham only told 2 lies in his entire life."
Rabri asked, "Where's my Laloo's clock?
" Laloo"s clock is in my office", replied yamraj, "I'm using it as a ceiling fan
"Oh," said Rabri, "Who's clock is that? "
That's Gautam Buddha's. The hands have never moved indicating that he never told a lie. "
And whose clock is that?
"That's Abraham Lincoln's clock. The hands have only moved twice, telling us that Abraham only told 2 lies in his entire life."
Rabri asked, "Where's my Laloo's clock?
" Laloo"s clock is in my office", replied yamraj, "I'm using it as a ceiling fan
chiranjeevi SRK rajini IN A CRICKET match
Chiranjeevi
Cheeru, the batsman needs to score 10 runs of 1 ball….....
Bowler bowls it and Cheeru hits with tremendous power…...the ball goes far away and UMPIRES are forced to give 12 runs for that.
Cheeru WINS the match….... .....
Shahrukh
Shahrukh, the batsman needs to score 10 runs of 1 ball….....
Bowler bowls it and Shahrukh glides it to 3rd man….....the ball goes to boundary line Shahrukh runs for 3 runs, fielder throws at non-striker it misses the stumps and goes for over-throw, ShahRukh runs again for 3 , this time fielder tactic fully throws at Keepers end, Keeper Misses it goes for a 4 runs. In the background Vande Mathram….
Shahruk WINS the match…....
Rajni
Rajni ,the batsman needs to score 10 runs of 1 ball….....
Bowler bowls it and Rajini hits with tremendous power…....the ball splits into “TWO”
1 half goes to SIX.....The other half goes to FOUR........
Rajini WINS the match….... .........
Cheeru, the batsman needs to score 10 runs of 1 ball….....
Bowler bowls it and Cheeru hits with tremendous power…...the ball goes far away and UMPIRES are forced to give 12 runs for that.
Cheeru WINS the match….... .....
Shahrukh
Shahrukh, the batsman needs to score 10 runs of 1 ball….....
Bowler bowls it and Shahrukh glides it to 3rd man….....the ball goes to boundary line Shahrukh runs for 3 runs, fielder throws at non-striker it misses the stumps and goes for over-throw, ShahRukh runs again for 3 , this time fielder tactic fully throws at Keepers end, Keeper Misses it goes for a 4 runs. In the background Vande Mathram….
Shahruk WINS the match…....
Rajni
Rajni ,the batsman needs to score 10 runs of 1 ball….....
Bowler bowls it and Rajini hits with tremendous power…....the ball splits into “TWO”
1 half goes to SIX.....The other half goes to FOUR........
Rajini WINS the match….... .........
SARDARJI JOKES
While travelling a sardar was carrying a binocular with him. But he never seemed to use it while looking outside the window. A co-passenger who was travelling with him asked why he was carrying binoculars. The sardar simply said ..."I am on my way to see a distant relative."
Once, two Sardars were feeling bored and decided to play a few gamesof chess to pass the time. They were doing this for some time, when two more sardar friendsdropped by. Seeing them play chess, they said -"Come on guys, we are feeling bored too. Let us play doubles!"
Our Sardar, one day is at the railway station. He asks one man "When will Rajdhani Express go from here"?Man Replies 12.30. "When will Punjab Express go from here"?Man Replies 10.30. "When will Deccan Queen go from here"?Man Replies 12.30. Thus the sardar goes on asking for all the trains. Now the man gets fed up and asks whether he wants to go to punjab by train or not.Sardar replies, "NO. I only want to cross the tracks!"
Once a Sardarji went to the city of Mumbai for the first time to meet his father. His father had asked him to keep walking in the direction of the sunrise until he eventually reached hishouse. Since, the Sardarji was new to the city he decided to ask a passerby the direction in which the sun rose in Mumbai - east, west, north or south?The passerby who was also a Sardarji thought for some time and then said, "Main bhi is sheher mein naya aaya hoon!" ( I am also new in this city!)
Once a Sardarji went to the city of Mumbai for the first timeto meet his father. His father had asked him to keep walkingin the direction of the sunrise until he eventually reached hishouse.Since, the Sardarji was new to the city he decided to ask apasserby the direction in which the sun rose in Mumbai - east, west,north or south?The passerby who was also a Sardarji thought for some timeand then said, "Main bhi is sheher mein naya aaya hoon!" ( I am also new in this city!)
Sardarji bought a brand new Maruti and decided to drive down fromAmritsar, where he lived, to Jalandar to meet his friend. He reached therein a few hours. After spending a few days there, he decided to return, andcalled up his mother to expect him in the evening. But he didn't reach inthe evening and not the next day either. When he finally reached home onthe third day, his distraught mother ran and asked him " Arre Puttar, kihoya?" (What Happened, My Son?)
The Sardarji got out, obviously very tired from a long journey, and said,"Oy, ye Marutti wale pagal hain, agge jaane waaste chaar gear banaatehain, aur pichche jaane waaste sirf ik?" (These Maruti Car people are crazy! They have four gears for going forward, but only one for going back!)
Once, two Sardars were feeling bored and decided to play a few gamesof chess to pass the time. They were doing this for some time, when two more sardar friendsdropped by. Seeing them play chess, they said -"Come on guys, we are feeling bored too. Let us play doubles!"
Our Sardar, one day is at the railway station. He asks one man "When will Rajdhani Express go from here"?Man Replies 12.30. "When will Punjab Express go from here"?Man Replies 10.30. "When will Deccan Queen go from here"?Man Replies 12.30. Thus the sardar goes on asking for all the trains. Now the man gets fed up and asks whether he wants to go to punjab by train or not.Sardar replies, "NO. I only want to cross the tracks!"
Once a Sardarji went to the city of Mumbai for the first time to meet his father. His father had asked him to keep walking in the direction of the sunrise until he eventually reached hishouse. Since, the Sardarji was new to the city he decided to ask a passerby the direction in which the sun rose in Mumbai - east, west, north or south?The passerby who was also a Sardarji thought for some time and then said, "Main bhi is sheher mein naya aaya hoon!" ( I am also new in this city!)
Once a Sardarji went to the city of Mumbai for the first timeto meet his father. His father had asked him to keep walkingin the direction of the sunrise until he eventually reached hishouse.Since, the Sardarji was new to the city he decided to ask apasserby the direction in which the sun rose in Mumbai - east, west,north or south?The passerby who was also a Sardarji thought for some timeand then said, "Main bhi is sheher mein naya aaya hoon!" ( I am also new in this city!)
Sardarji bought a brand new Maruti and decided to drive down fromAmritsar, where he lived, to Jalandar to meet his friend. He reached therein a few hours. After spending a few days there, he decided to return, andcalled up his mother to expect him in the evening. But he didn't reach inthe evening and not the next day either. When he finally reached home onthe third day, his distraught mother ran and asked him " Arre Puttar, kihoya?" (What Happened, My Son?)
The Sardarji got out, obviously very tired from a long journey, and said,"Oy, ye Marutti wale pagal hain, agge jaane waaste chaar gear banaatehain, aur pichche jaane waaste sirf ik?" (These Maruti Car people are crazy! They have four gears for going forward, but only one for going back!)
computer terms(joke)
A language instructor was explaining to her class that French nouns, unlike their English counterparts, are grammatically designated as masculine or feminine. Things like 'chalk' or 'pencil,' she described, would have a gender association although in English these words were neutral. Puzzled, one student raised his hand and asked, "What gender is a computer?" The teacher wasn't certain which it was, and so divided the class into two groups and asked them to decide if a computer should be masculine or feminine. One group was composed of the women in the class, and the other, of men. Both groups were asked to give four reasons for their recommendation.The group of women concluded that computers should be referred to in the masculine gender because: 1. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on. 2. They have a lot of data but are still clueless. 3. They are supposed to help you solve your problems, but half the time they ARE the problem. 4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that, if you had waited a little longer, you might have had a better model. The men, on the other hand, decided that computers should definitely be referred to in the feminine gender because: 1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic.2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else.3. Even your smallest mistakes are stored in long-term memory for later retrieval. 4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Four Indians attacked in Australia
In fresh incidents of violence against Indians in Australia, four community youths, including three cabbies, were attacked in two separate incidents in Brisbane, a media report said on Thursday.
"Four more attacks on Indians in Brisbane, Queensland, took place," Sky news reported without giving out any more information about the victims.
"Four more attacks on Indians in Brisbane, Queensland, took place," Sky news reported without giving out any more information about the victims.
Obama pushes jobs, vows to fight further
U.S. President Barack Obama pushed job creation to the top of his agenda and vowed not to abandon his struggling healthcare overhaul after a political setback that raised doubts about his leadership.
With the economy still weak and unemployment at a painful 10 percent, "Jobs must be our number one focus in 2010," Obama told Congress in his annual State of the Union address on Wednesday.
Obama, who inherited a financial crisis and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan from the Bush administration, admitted he had made mistakes and that his first year in office had been a difficult one.
But he promised not to give up in his efforts to change the way that Washington works and push through his ambitious agenda for financial reforms, healthcare, energy and climate change, even though many Democrats fear losing their seats in November congressional elections.
"We don't quit. I don't quit," he told Congress, split largely along Republican and Democratic lines over Obama's policies. "Let's seize this moment -- to start anew, to carry the dream forward and to strengthen our union once more."
He pledged tough new rules for Wall Street but said he was "not interested in punishing banks," comments that helped boost U.S. stock futures by appearing to retreat slightly from some of his fiery rhetoric.
Obama said he would work to dig the country out of a "massive fiscal hole" and was willing to use his veto power to enforce budgetary discipline.
The U.S. deficit -- a record $1.4 trillion in 2009 or almost 10 percent of gross domestic product -- is forecast by the Congressional Budget Office to fall slightly this year to $1.35 trillion.
"THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL"
With the economy still weak and unemployment at a painful 10 percent, "Jobs must be our number one focus in 2010," Obama told Congress in his annual State of the Union address on Wednesday.
Obama, who inherited a financial crisis and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan from the Bush administration, admitted he had made mistakes and that his first year in office had been a difficult one.
But he promised not to give up in his efforts to change the way that Washington works and push through his ambitious agenda for financial reforms, healthcare, energy and climate change, even though many Democrats fear losing their seats in November congressional elections.
"We don't quit. I don't quit," he told Congress, split largely along Republican and Democratic lines over Obama's policies. "Let's seize this moment -- to start anew, to carry the dream forward and to strengthen our union once more."
He pledged tough new rules for Wall Street but said he was "not interested in punishing banks," comments that helped boost U.S. stock futures by appearing to retreat slightly from some of his fiery rhetoric.
Obama said he would work to dig the country out of a "massive fiscal hole" and was willing to use his veto power to enforce budgetary discipline.
The U.S. deficit -- a record $1.4 trillion in 2009 or almost 10 percent of gross domestic product -- is forecast by the Congressional Budget Office to fall slightly this year to $1.35 trillion.
"THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL"
Injured Dravid and Yuvraj out of first S.Africa test
Injuries to top batsmen Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh have forced top-ranked India to name a depleted 15-man squad for the opening test against visiting South Africans in Nagpur from Feb. 6-10.
Former captain Dravid sustained a fractured jaw after scoring a century in the second test against Bangladesh in Dhaka while Yuvraj suffered a wrist injury during India's 2-0 rout of Bangladesh.
Both have been ruled out of the highly-anticipated two-test series between the top two teams in the official test rankings.
The second test will be played in Kolkata from Feb 14-18.
"Rahul Dravid... has been advised rest for three weeks," an Indian cricket board statement said on Thursday.
"Yuvraj Singh has also been ruled out of the test series due to an injury to his left wrist," the statement added.
Dravid was hit on the face by a bouncer from paceman Shahadat Hossain, forcing the batsman to retire hurt on 111.
Uncapped Subramaniam Badrinath has been drafted to bolster the batting in the absence of Dravid along with two other new faces in fast bowler Abhimanyu Mithun and wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha.
Karnataka bowler Mithun takes the place of Shanthakumaran Sreesanth who suffered a hamstring injury. Saha has been included as second wicketkeeper.
India drew a three-test series 1-1 by winning the final test during South Africa's previous tour two years ago.
South Africa also play three one-day internationals on their month-long tour.
Squad: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman, Subramaniam Badrinath, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Sudeep Tyagi, Pragyan Ojha, Abhimanyu Mithun, Wriddhiman Saha.
Former captain Dravid sustained a fractured jaw after scoring a century in the second test against Bangladesh in Dhaka while Yuvraj suffered a wrist injury during India's 2-0 rout of Bangladesh.
Both have been ruled out of the highly-anticipated two-test series between the top two teams in the official test rankings.
The second test will be played in Kolkata from Feb 14-18.
"Rahul Dravid... has been advised rest for three weeks," an Indian cricket board statement said on Thursday.
"Yuvraj Singh has also been ruled out of the test series due to an injury to his left wrist," the statement added.
Dravid was hit on the face by a bouncer from paceman Shahadat Hossain, forcing the batsman to retire hurt on 111.
Uncapped Subramaniam Badrinath has been drafted to bolster the batting in the absence of Dravid along with two other new faces in fast bowler Abhimanyu Mithun and wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha.
Karnataka bowler Mithun takes the place of Shanthakumaran Sreesanth who suffered a hamstring injury. Saha has been included as second wicketkeeper.
India drew a three-test series 1-1 by winning the final test during South Africa's previous tour two years ago.
South Africa also play three one-day internationals on their month-long tour.
Squad: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman, Subramaniam Badrinath, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Sudeep Tyagi, Pragyan Ojha, Abhimanyu Mithun, Wriddhiman Saha.
Obama To GOP: 'Just saying no' is not leadership
A year after he became the nation's first African American president, Barack Obama on Wednesday defended his administration's record while admitting some mistakes along the way.
In his first official State of the Union address, Obama reminded Americans that the nation faced "two wars, an economy rocked by a severe recession, a financial system on the verge of collapse, and a government deeply in debt" when he took office. "So we acted -- immediately and aggressively. And one year later, the worst of the storm has passed," the president said.
Attempting to strike a balance between optimism and realism, the president acknowledged that Americans are still struggling through a difficult economy but argued that he has "never been more hopeful about America's future."
The president also tried to get in front of the populist anger in the country, explaining to viewers that both Democrats and Republicans "hated" the bank bailout, which he said was "about as popular as a root canal."
Obama defended the federal government's intervention in the financial industry and his own signature stimulus bill, but he also called for a new jobs bill and promised that "jobs must be our number-one focus in 2010."
The White House is proposing to take $30 billion of the TARP money repaid by Wall Street banks to use for community banks to give small businesses credit to stay afloat. The president also tried co-opted the GOP's anti-tax message with a proposal to eliminate capital gains taxes on small business investment and a proposed small business tax credit that he said would be given to more then 1 million small businesses that hire new workers or raise wages.
The president will take his economic message to Tampa, Florida on Thursday to campaign for the jobs bill and to show off the success of last year's stimulus. Obama will visit a stimulus-funded site where workers will break ground on a new high-speed railroad.
The White House has been under fire from critics who argue that the administration is taking on too much too quickly, and President Obama reacted to that critique Wednesday night. "For those who make these claims, I have one simple question: How long should we wait? How long should America put its future on hold?"
But after a year that was dominated by a contentious debate over health care reform, the president chose not to lead his speech with that issue on Wednesday. Even after months of explaining his approach and a speech to a joint session of Congress last fall, the president admitted that health care reform is "a complex issue, and the longer it was debated, the more skeptical people became."
"I take my share of the blame for not explaining it more clearly to the American people," the president said. "And I know that with all the lobbying and horse-trading, the process left most Americans wondering, 'What's in it for me?'"
After Democrats lost their 60th seat in the Senate last week, some conservative critics have urged the White House to hold off on health care, but the president insisted that he would not give up. "Don't walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people," he said.
Obama also took on GOP critics who he said have simply argued to maintain the status quo from the Bush administration. "The problem is that's what we did for eight years," he said to applause. "That's what helped us into this crisis. It's what helped lead to these deficits. We can't do it again."
Facing a tough election year for Democrats, the president urged his party members not to "run for the hills" and reminded them that they still control the largest majority in decades. But he also tried to co-opt the Republicans into the governing process. "If the Republican leadership is going to insist that 60 votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town -- a supermajority -- then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well," he said.
"Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it's not leadership," Obama said. "We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions. So let's show the American people that we can do it together."
In his first official State of the Union address, Obama reminded Americans that the nation faced "two wars, an economy rocked by a severe recession, a financial system on the verge of collapse, and a government deeply in debt" when he took office. "So we acted -- immediately and aggressively. And one year later, the worst of the storm has passed," the president said.
Attempting to strike a balance between optimism and realism, the president acknowledged that Americans are still struggling through a difficult economy but argued that he has "never been more hopeful about America's future."
The president also tried to get in front of the populist anger in the country, explaining to viewers that both Democrats and Republicans "hated" the bank bailout, which he said was "about as popular as a root canal."
Obama defended the federal government's intervention in the financial industry and his own signature stimulus bill, but he also called for a new jobs bill and promised that "jobs must be our number-one focus in 2010."
The White House is proposing to take $30 billion of the TARP money repaid by Wall Street banks to use for community banks to give small businesses credit to stay afloat. The president also tried co-opted the GOP's anti-tax message with a proposal to eliminate capital gains taxes on small business investment and a proposed small business tax credit that he said would be given to more then 1 million small businesses that hire new workers or raise wages.
The president will take his economic message to Tampa, Florida on Thursday to campaign for the jobs bill and to show off the success of last year's stimulus. Obama will visit a stimulus-funded site where workers will break ground on a new high-speed railroad.
The White House has been under fire from critics who argue that the administration is taking on too much too quickly, and President Obama reacted to that critique Wednesday night. "For those who make these claims, I have one simple question: How long should we wait? How long should America put its future on hold?"
But after a year that was dominated by a contentious debate over health care reform, the president chose not to lead his speech with that issue on Wednesday. Even after months of explaining his approach and a speech to a joint session of Congress last fall, the president admitted that health care reform is "a complex issue, and the longer it was debated, the more skeptical people became."
"I take my share of the blame for not explaining it more clearly to the American people," the president said. "And I know that with all the lobbying and horse-trading, the process left most Americans wondering, 'What's in it for me?'"
After Democrats lost their 60th seat in the Senate last week, some conservative critics have urged the White House to hold off on health care, but the president insisted that he would not give up. "Don't walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people," he said.
Obama also took on GOP critics who he said have simply argued to maintain the status quo from the Bush administration. "The problem is that's what we did for eight years," he said to applause. "That's what helped us into this crisis. It's what helped lead to these deficits. We can't do it again."
Facing a tough election year for Democrats, the president urged his party members not to "run for the hills" and reminded them that they still control the largest majority in decades. But he also tried to co-opt the Republicans into the governing process. "If the Republican leadership is going to insist that 60 votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town -- a supermajority -- then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well," he said.
"Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it's not leadership," Obama said. "We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions. So let's show the American people that we can do it together."
Mallika Sherawat Kissing Barrack Obama Photos
Mallika Sherawat is gearing up to be shot by international photographer Ash Gupta for Studio 838. For the photo shoot, she will be sporting different looks from her upcoming films. The shoot will be held in Los Angeles.
As part of the portfolio, in one of the looks, Mallika will be seen draped in the American flag. The other one has Mallika caressing US President Barrack Obama. It’s not the real president but his cutout that Mallika would be cozying up to. Whets noteworthy is the kiss planted on Obama’s cutout.
This is part of the promotional campaign for her upcoming film “Love Barrack”.
In the final look, Mallika sports a black and while short dress with frills and laces all across, inspired by her Hollywood film “Hisss” in which she plays a snake woman.
As part of the portfolio, in one of the looks, Mallika will be seen draped in the American flag. The other one has Mallika caressing US President Barrack Obama. It’s not the real president but his cutout that Mallika would be cozying up to. Whets noteworthy is the kiss planted on Obama’s cutout.
This is part of the promotional campaign for her upcoming film “Love Barrack”.
In the final look, Mallika sports a black and while short dress with frills and laces all across, inspired by her Hollywood film “Hisss” in which she plays a snake woman.
Sania Mirza's engagement called off
Tennis star Sania Mirza's family has reportedly called off her engagement to Mohammad Sohrab Mirza. Sania got engaged to long time friend Mohammad in Hyderabad in July 2009.
According to a media report, she confirmed it saying, "We were friends for half a decade, but found ourselves incompatible during our engagement period. I wish Sohrab the best in life".
Sania's father Imran, who coaches and manages her career, called off his daughter's engagement to Sohrab Mirza earlier this week.
Sohrab is currently studying business management in the United Kingdom. Sania, who is in Melbourne, has crashed out of Australian Open.
She will go to Kuala Lumpur on Friday for Fed Cup Asia Oceania Group 2 competition.
According to a media report, she confirmed it saying, "We were friends for half a decade, but found ourselves incompatible during our engagement period. I wish Sohrab the best in life".
Sania's father Imran, who coaches and manages her career, called off his daughter's engagement to Sohrab Mirza earlier this week.
Sohrab is currently studying business management in the United Kingdom. Sania, who is in Melbourne, has crashed out of Australian Open.
She will go to Kuala Lumpur on Friday for Fed Cup Asia Oceania Group 2 competition.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wanted to recruit Pak players: Shah Rukh
Kolkata Knight Riders have exhausted their quota of foreign cricketers but they would have loved to have Pakistani players in their ranks, co-owner of the IPL franchisee Shah Rukh Khan said today.
"We did have a number of them in the first IPL and in the second, no Pakistani player was allowed to play. This year, we don't have any more slot left. But if we had and they are made available legally, we would have loved to have them," the actor said.
"We had one slot this year and we took Shane Bond, because we needed a fast bowler. We would have loved to have any player from any country which would boost our team," Shah Rukh said.
Lamenting the snub that the Pakistani player received in the January 19 auction, Shah Rukh said they should have been welcomed.
"If there was any issue, that could have been solved in a fairly, nice manner. I believe my country stands for democracy and goodness and we should invite everyone.
"I never involve myself in politics -- in films or in sports. We are a wonderful democratic, happy an secular country and that''s how it should be," he said.
"We did have a number of them in the first IPL and in the second, no Pakistani player was allowed to play. This year, we don't have any more slot left. But if we had and they are made available legally, we would have loved to have them," the actor said.
"We had one slot this year and we took Shane Bond, because we needed a fast bowler. We would have loved to have any player from any country which would boost our team," Shah Rukh said.
Lamenting the snub that the Pakistani player received in the January 19 auction, Shah Rukh said they should have been welcomed.
"If there was any issue, that could have been solved in a fairly, nice manner. I believe my country stands for democracy and goodness and we should invite everyone.
"I never involve myself in politics -- in films or in sports. We are a wonderful democratic, happy an secular country and that''s how it should be," he said.
Chinese People Eating 6-months Dead Babies
Paid for 600$-1000$, you can get a baby soup which is 6 month old also. They said this kind of soup is good for health.I think we can safely say that the Chinese as a people do not routinely eat babies or fetuses; nor do Jews, Christians, witches, aborigines or any other groups accused of doing so over the centuries. There’s simply no proof of it. There has never been. What the historical record shows is that the allegation has surfaced time and time again as an ethnic and religious slur.The claim that baby or fetus eating is an accepted practice in China (or Thailand, or Japan, or Korea, or Israel, as other variants of this same rumor claim) is more or less a modernized version of an ancient legend known as “Blood Libel.” It has typically taken the form of one culture accusing another (or a subculture) of ritually sacrificing infants and in some cases eating them. The Greeks accused the Jews of it, the Romans accused the Christians, Christiansaccused the Jews again, and so on throughout history.Folklorists say the driving forces behind such legends are ignorance, xenophobia (fear of other peoples and creeds) and/or one culture projecting upon another its misgivings about unsettling moral trends at home. One mightspeculate in the present case, for example, that the spread of horror stories in the West about the crass use of fetuses as food in Asia is fueled by qualms about the practice of abortion and the so-called “cannibalization” of fetal tissue for scientific research in our own countries. There are few more emotionally charged issues in modern life.In any case, it’s hard to tell (and under dispute) whether the horrific photographs circulating via email since December 2000 are real or fake. We do know because we found documentation on them at a site called Chinese-Art.com that they were created by a conceptual artist named Zhu Yu, who exhibited them at an underground art show after they were rejected as too controversial by curators of the Shanghai 2000 Bienniale. In the piece, which he called “EatingPeople,” a serious of photographs indeed appears to show Zhu cooking and eating a human baby or fetus. For those who haven’t seen them and aren’t too squeamish to take a peek, here are two examples from this postmodern masterpiece collected from forwarded emails:The artist himself, whose past accomplishments include an opus entitled “Canned Human Brains,” has claimed in interviews that he used real aborted fetuses stolen from a medical school to create “Eating People” and that he actually cooked and ate them “for art’s sake.”It’s true, to the point of being a cliché, as a matter of fact, that avant-garde artists will do anything to shock the public, so we have to acknowledge the possibility that Zhu Yu is telling the truth — that he actually did cook and eat human fetuses. On the other hand, works of “performance art” are often strictly that — performances — and it has been argued that Zhu could have easily constructed his “fetuses” out of doll parts and animal carcasses, pretended to consume them in front of the cameras and made tongue-in-cheek statements to the press to convince everyone the exhibition was real.That’s a theory I’m inclined to agree with, because, frankly, if Zhu were telling the truth he’d probably be serving jail time. There’s no reason to suppose China is any more tolerant of cannibalism than the rest of the world, and indeed the fact that Zhu’s work was refused for an official exhibition bears that out. Plus, by his own admission, the fetuses Zhu allegedly cooked and ate were obtained illegally.In early 2001, a Malaysian tabloid published some of the photos along with a story alleging that one Taiwanese restaurant’s signature dish contains meat from human infants. Taiwan government officials demanded an immediate retraction, another indication that baby eating is not particularly well-accepted by the Chinese.
MORE FACTS OF AMIR KHAN
He quit studies after Class XII at Mumbai's N.M. College much to his parents' horror, choosing to work as an assistant director for four years. After his pin-up worthy debut in 1988, he wept every day coming home from work, convinced that the nine films he had signed in a rush would crash his career. Then in 2002, after he separated from Reena, his wife of 16 years, he drank a bottle of Bacardi every day for a year-and-a-half, except for the six hours a week and every alternative weekend he would see his children. Not what you would call the perfect ingredients for success. But Aamir Hussain Khan, all 44 years and 5 ft 7 inches of him, his wife's diamond studs twinkling in ears pierced for Lagaan, has always swum against the tide.
Only now the tide seems to be swimming with him. He's just starred in 3 Idiots, a film that has been breaking box office records at home and abroad, making Rs 240 crore in 10 days and still counting. His last four films, released over three successive years, Rang De Basanti, Fanaa, Taare Zameen Par and Ghajini, made a collective box office revenue of over Rs 590 crore. He makes an average of Rs 10 crore a year from each of the six brands he endorses. The way he marketed Ghajini will now be taught as part of a course in film marketing at IIM-Ahmedabad. The profit he is contemplating from 3 Idiots, as a result of a wise decision to forego his fees and split the profit three ways between producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra, director Raju Hirani and himself, will be over Rs 20 crore. But more than that, his films have consistently hit a nerve with audiences, either getting them to participate in candlelight vigils inspired by Rang De Basanti, treat children with greater sensitivity as in Taare Zameen Par or even cause them to bulk up their bodies as in Ghajini.
In an industry ripped apart by camps, he is his own institution, working with untested new directors (Farhan Akhtar in Dil Chahta Hai) and even failed filmmakers (Ashutosh Gowariker, who had two flops behind him, in Lagaan). He's been a producer for the smash hit Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na which starred his nephew and made Rs 115 crore at the box office, a director for Taare Zameen Par and even the unofficial CEO of Ghajini Inc. He shuns the awards circus and has never been seen in public performing song and dance routines. Yet his decision to act in one movie at a time is now a mass mantra and a sure career cure. His help was sought in resolving the two-month stand-off with multiplexes last year. And equally, his move to not charge a fee for 3 Idiots could set off a trend of stars putting their talent where their mouth is in these leaner, meaner times.
Yet as he sits folded up in his favourite chair in the projection room of his home, two floors below his mother's home where he was born and brought up, it is hard to think of the word superstar. He exudes an aura, but the room is more suited to that of a messy student, with books such as Katherine Frank's Indira to Abraham Verghese's The Tennis Partner sharing shelf space with PC games and Bob Dylan and Sufi qawwali CDs. The make-up room is stacked with the tools of his trade, from spare costumes to a wigmaker's dummy. And the terminal above his computer has chronologically labelled scripts. The actor himself is on his fourth coffee, talking about how he lost weight for his role of Rancho in 3 Idiots, which director Rajkumar Hirani rewrote for Khan. He speaks of how he modelled the 17-year-old on the boyish director of Ghajini, A.R. Murugadoss, and his 14-year-old nephew Pablo, who can never sit still. He jumps up to demonstrate, as he often does in his exuberance, contorting his body like an over-active teenager. "But Rancho was also dangerous because he is without a flaw. The audience's heart doesn't go out to such a guy. So I made him curious rather than cocky," he says.
Straight from the heart
"I feel I'm a special person and if someone does something to me, I just remove myself from that person's life."
"My brain is like a computer in its memory for scripts. It just soaks everything in and then it's in my head at all times. I'm often thinking of the part and it starts coming to me. Then I start collecting the information. Often it's not thought out."
"The two mistakes I made early on was signing nine films within six months of my debut and giving too much importance to scripts, not directors."
"A star's dependability is measured by his unsuccessful films. Whatever business it does is because of him."
"I was 16 when I realised I wanted to be an actor. My school friend Aditya Bhattacharya decided to cast me in a 40-minute silent film called Paranoia, financed with Rs 8,000 from actor Shriram Lagoo. Making that film convinced me that this is where I belonged. Shabana Azmi saw it and told my parents. All hell broke loose."
"Seeing my father go bankrupt when his film Locket was stuck for eight years taught me to be responsible to the market."
"My first instinct when I go home is to pick up a book, not the remote. I've been reading since I was six."
Thinking deeply about his character is something Khan has done increasingly, whether it is Bhuvan's stance in Lagaan, with his weight evenly distributed on his legs to suggest inner strength, or Aakash's darting eyes in Dil Chahta Hai indicating what a shallow layabout he is. Khan thinks in close-up, wide shot and mid-shot, in total physicality, says film scholar Nasreen Munni Kabir. He borrows a lot of his technique from observation-for one scene where Mona Singh slaps him while he is helping her deliver in 3 Idiots, he cheerfully admits to copying from his ex-wife Reena's difficult labour for their first born. And even more cheerfully says he loves talking to interesting new people. "Sometimes I feel like sucking their brains out."
Khan is a star who doesn't play himself in every film, as Amitabh Bachchan did at the height of his fame or Shah Rukh Khan tends to do. He plays the character, which may be why he tends to work with new directors, who help in creating a fresh persona every time. "Audiences now expect an element of surprise from him," points out Kabir. "Like a magician, they want him to conjure up a new character."
Once he has identified the perfect script, a director whose vision he shares, and a producer who will back it, Khan surrenders himself to the moment. There's no spillover, no hangover. Everything apart from the movie goes into soft focus. "When I read a script, it just goes straight to my brain," he says. "It's like a computer in its memory. It just soaks everything in and then it's in my head at all times," he adds, even as he acts out the first part he got in a play in Class XII. It was a line as a painter in a Gujarati play, a role he couldn't actually perform because he was sacked for missing a day of rehearsals. The line remains etched in his hard drive. He repeats it now: "Bloody hell, no one marries me. I wish his mother gets married to a dog."
On the sets, Khan is a trooper. He will hang out even when he doesn't have lines, or just play Scrabble with the assistants. He will promote the film across the country on every media he can find. And he will just not want to go home. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who directed him in Rang De Basanti, and has been a friend since, says, "He makes himself completely accessible to the filmmaker." Kunal Kohli, who directed him in Fanaa, recalls how Khan was apologetic even asking him for four days off in the middle of the shoot in Mumbai in 2005 because he wanted to get married to Kiran Rao, a highly rated assistant director whose debut feature Dhobi Ghat will release this year. "He's there whether it is for readings or costume trials," adds Kohli. "And he's just incredibly intelligent. How many people do you know who can solve the Rubik's cube with one hand?"
Khan calls this quality "obsessive" and regrets that he cannot spend more time with his children, Junaid, 16, and Ira, 11, when he is acting in a film. His cousin, Nuzhat Hussain, a psychoanalyst, who lives in the building next door, has been close to him since he was 10 and she 15. She says the level of professionalism in his work where each person is given due respect is reflected in his personal life as well, where he is fastidious about his honesty. He simply cannot tell a lie. "But he is not superhuman. He does make mistakes. He hurts himself. But he is totally open to learning and feeling new things, which I think is an act of courage," says Hussain. Khan does have self-doubts. Personally, yes, and also professionally. But he refuses to compromise on his films. He says he learnt that lesson early on when he signed a spate of films in a hurry on the basis of their scripts and then realised the director's vision was completely different from his. He recalls that when he was at his lowest point, having been dismissed as a one film wonder, it was Mahesh Bhatt who offered him a hand, discussing a script with him, which as luck would have it, he didn't like it.
"He was at the peak of his talent, having just done Saaransh, Arth and Naam and I didn't know how I could tell him I didn't like his script. So I bought time, came home and asked Reena. She told me to follow my heart. I did, telling Bhattsaab that I wanted to do instead was a remake of one of my favourite films, Roman Holiday, with Sridevi. He listened but then took out a screenplay of Frank Capra's 1934 film It Happened One Night. Six months later, we would do the film together as Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin." That's a lesson of following his happiness that he hasn't forgotten since then. It's taught him to do things his way, to go with his gut instinct even when every practical sense is screaming no, as it did when Mehra narrated Rang De Basanti to him, which was coming on the heels of four Bhagat Singh flops. And if he still needs advice, he turns to Hussain, who is producer Nasir Hussain's daughter, and actor Imran Khan's mother. "She's one person I go to when I need to talk about anything," he says warmly. "She's a great thinker."
Stardom sits simply on him. Yes, there are the six bodyguards who travel everywhere with him. His man Friday Sachin, his girl Friday Sarita, and his manager Binki seem to stay awake all night. There is also the flashy Toyota Landcruiser and the Rs 10-crore sprawling house in Panchgani. But Khan is essentially a middle-class man, who thinks nothing of upturning the Body Shop shower gel to catch the last drop or blindly trusting his accountant of 20 years to invest his money well. It's ingrained in him because his most formative years, eight to 14, were spent in the shadow of his father, producer Tahir Hussain's imminent bankruptcy.
Coming soon
This year Khan intends to focus onhis three home productions
DHOBI GHAT
It's his wife Kiran Rao's first feature film, based on her script, with multiple concurrent stories, all set in Mumbai. Khan plays a divorced painter while Prateik Babbar is the protagonist.
PEEPLI LIVE
A comic view of a farmer's life directed by former journalist Anusha Rizvi, based on her own script. It's one of the first films from India to be selected in the competitive section of the Sundance Film Festival. Khan has high hopes from it.
DELHI BELLY
An urban comedy about three strugglers, starring Imran Khan, stand up comics Vir Das and Kunal Roy Kapoor. Is directed by ad filmmaker Abhinay Deo. Khan will be sitting in on its post-production and will then plan the marketing.
"My father spent eight years making a film called Locket which was stalled because actors wouldn't give him dates," he says now. "For five years, I remember him getting calls from creditors every day asking him when he would return their money. And my father would always say I'm trying my best. One night, he woke up in the middle of the night, looking for his graduation certificate so he could get a job and feed us. Our fees would always be late and our names would be called out in school," he says of himself and his three siblings, sisters Nikhat and Farhat, and brother Faisal. They survived only because a film their father did in between, Dulha Bikta Hai on dowry, became a surprise hit. That was also the time Khan was devoted to tennis, playing five hours a day at the Khar Gymkhana, travelling all over from Kolhapur to Pune, sharing rooms in lodges with seven other children, becoming Maharashtra No. 1 in boys. But then one day when he was 14, his father, something of a tyrant, announced to his mother that Khan should give up tennis because his marks were falling. "My marks stayed where they were but my tennis stopped," recalls Khan.
He learnt two valuable life lessons from his childhood. One was how to tell a story, as he would sit in a corner of his drawing room listening fascinatedly to writers and directors pitching their narrations to his father. "My father would say things like 'tell me the story in one line please', 'what is your premise' or 'but where's the conflict?'," remembers Khan, things he now knows are taught in film schools. He also learnt the importance of making money for the producers and distributors of his films.
"As an actor it is my responsibility to ensure the producer makes his money back and the audience gets its money worth," he says. It's one reason the cerebral actor, who gets excited by Rajmohan Gandhi's biography of Gandhi, also proudly admits to reading Bollywood trade papers. After all, as a child, his father would make him write down box office collections of his films on the phone from places such as Amravati and Aurangabad.
As much as he is an individualist, Khan needs his family around him. He's close to his mother, Zeenat, now 74, who lives in Pune and whom he is now persuading to return and live with him. There are things she taught him he will never forget. "I remember I would come back from my tennis matches and tell her I'd won, and she would congratulate me while making tea for me. And then ask, but what of the boy who lost? His ammi must be very upset. That would be enough to depress me." It taught him empathy and he started regarding his rival as a human being, whom he would share a cold drink with or an after-match vada pav. There are other things she taught him well-he's probably the only star who knocks before entering a room in his own home and who remembers to show visitors the washroom while they wait for him to freshen up.
He also seems to be looking better than ever. Khan attributes it to his dietician Vinod Dhurandhar who brought his weight down to 68 kg while making 3 Idiots. He slept eight hours a day at least and also started playing badminton, sometimes two hours a day, with students at IIM-Bangalore where they shot for 3 Idiots for over a month. He drinks four litres of water a day. And while friends say he is not above binge drinking, being able to put away several Bacardis for four days in a row, he has stopped smoking for over a year now.
"I just went cold turkey," he says. "I realised this with the three-hours-a-day, six-days-a-week training I did for Ghajini for over a year. The human mind is a very powerful tool. If it wants something badly, the body will give it. It's like what yogis say." Yet for such a sober individual, Khan can be a fun person, who enjoys learning skiing with his children in Canada as much as he takes pleasure in the piano lessons his wife Kiran gives him. He adores Calvin & amp; Hobbes and as is obvious from his well aimed barbs at Shah Rukh, he revels in a little light mischief. The best part about him, says long-time friend, ad man Prasoon Joshi who's worked with him on several campaigns and written songs for some of his films, he doesn't take himself too seriously.
Amit Khanna, chairman of Reliance Entertainment which distributed 3 Idiots, believes Khan is a throwback to the Dilip Kumar-Raj Kapoor-Dev Anand era when filmmakers lived for cinema and believed it had a higher social purpose beyond making money. "Yet he's as savvy as the new kids on the block, up to speed with Facebook and blogging." Khan doesn't quite put it so grandly. "Money doesn't excite me. It gives me comfort but it's not what makes me tick. Neither does throwing my weight around, or making a noisy entry or making a scene. Give me a great book or a great script any day." Given his anointment as the new box office guru of gyaan, there should be no shortage of the latter.
The Bold and the beautiful
Aamir says he has always marched to the tune of his own drummer. "My choices were unusual. But when I started out, I didn't have the power I have now. I had to fight against market forces who were foxed by my so-called bizarre moves."
QAYAMAT SE QAYAMAT TAK, 1988
Director: Mansoor Khan
Made at the height of the disco era, it was a breath of fresh air, heralding Sooraj Barjatya's Maine Pyar Kiya and Aditya Chopra's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. "When we shot it, I was 21 and when it released, I was 23. We would wonder who will watch the film in the theatres."
RANGEELA, 1995
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
"Ramu had four flops before this. Urmila (Matondkar) had eight. The film had no story," he says. But his loveable tapori Munna became the template for Sanjay Dutt's Munnabhai.
GHULAM, 1998
Director: Vikram Bhatt
"It was one of the first films at that time about disenchanted youth. This supposed hero had such sham bravado. He was a macho guy who became almost cerebral." Khan says it took a little time for the market to understand that it would not lose money on his films.
SARFAROSH, 1999
Director: John Mathew Mathan
Mathan was unknown when he came to Khan with Sarfarosh but the movie, with its tough guy police officer, ACP Rathore, and anti terrorist theme "really shocked people as it came out of the blue". He says it marked the turning point for the trade's belief in his bankability.
LAGAAN, 2001
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Khan says, "When I told the late Jhamu Sughand, who was a very hardcore businessman, that I'm doing this film with Gowariker and it will cost a lot of money, he didn't blink. He never asked me are you sure? 1893 and cricket? Sports films haven't worked in India. But he didn't question me."
RANG DE BASANTI, 2006
Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
"I told my sister, who is in New York, that I was making the fifth remake of Bhagat Singh. The first four had flopped. She told me you've got to be kidding." The film's nihilism set off debates and its emotional activism sparked candlelight marches but Khan's flashy DJ was memorable. To use his words, "so nice".
TAARE ZAMEEN PAR, 2007
Director: Aamir Khan
It was written by Amole Gupte who directed it for a week, until Khan, the producer, took over from him. He made a simple story of a dyslexic child into a timely movie questioning the education system, which turned out to be a surprise hit.
3 IDIOTS, 2009
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
"My character Rancho was written in a dangerous way. He had no flaws. Your heart doesn't go out to him. It's the flaws that make you loveable. When I realised that very early on, I told Hirani I don't want to play it in a heroic manner as he will get on people's nerves. I didn't want to play it smart but naturally curious." The role required him to lose 10 kg, act like a 17-year-old, terrorise a principal, deliver a baby, and break off an engagement
Only now the tide seems to be swimming with him. He's just starred in 3 Idiots, a film that has been breaking box office records at home and abroad, making Rs 240 crore in 10 days and still counting. His last four films, released over three successive years, Rang De Basanti, Fanaa, Taare Zameen Par and Ghajini, made a collective box office revenue of over Rs 590 crore. He makes an average of Rs 10 crore a year from each of the six brands he endorses. The way he marketed Ghajini will now be taught as part of a course in film marketing at IIM-Ahmedabad. The profit he is contemplating from 3 Idiots, as a result of a wise decision to forego his fees and split the profit three ways between producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra, director Raju Hirani and himself, will be over Rs 20 crore. But more than that, his films have consistently hit a nerve with audiences, either getting them to participate in candlelight vigils inspired by Rang De Basanti, treat children with greater sensitivity as in Taare Zameen Par or even cause them to bulk up their bodies as in Ghajini.
In an industry ripped apart by camps, he is his own institution, working with untested new directors (Farhan Akhtar in Dil Chahta Hai) and even failed filmmakers (Ashutosh Gowariker, who had two flops behind him, in Lagaan). He's been a producer for the smash hit Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na which starred his nephew and made Rs 115 crore at the box office, a director for Taare Zameen Par and even the unofficial CEO of Ghajini Inc. He shuns the awards circus and has never been seen in public performing song and dance routines. Yet his decision to act in one movie at a time is now a mass mantra and a sure career cure. His help was sought in resolving the two-month stand-off with multiplexes last year. And equally, his move to not charge a fee for 3 Idiots could set off a trend of stars putting their talent where their mouth is in these leaner, meaner times.
Yet as he sits folded up in his favourite chair in the projection room of his home, two floors below his mother's home where he was born and brought up, it is hard to think of the word superstar. He exudes an aura, but the room is more suited to that of a messy student, with books such as Katherine Frank's Indira to Abraham Verghese's The Tennis Partner sharing shelf space with PC games and Bob Dylan and Sufi qawwali CDs. The make-up room is stacked with the tools of his trade, from spare costumes to a wigmaker's dummy. And the terminal above his computer has chronologically labelled scripts. The actor himself is on his fourth coffee, talking about how he lost weight for his role of Rancho in 3 Idiots, which director Rajkumar Hirani rewrote for Khan. He speaks of how he modelled the 17-year-old on the boyish director of Ghajini, A.R. Murugadoss, and his 14-year-old nephew Pablo, who can never sit still. He jumps up to demonstrate, as he often does in his exuberance, contorting his body like an over-active teenager. "But Rancho was also dangerous because he is without a flaw. The audience's heart doesn't go out to such a guy. So I made him curious rather than cocky," he says.
Straight from the heart
"I feel I'm a special person and if someone does something to me, I just remove myself from that person's life."
"My brain is like a computer in its memory for scripts. It just soaks everything in and then it's in my head at all times. I'm often thinking of the part and it starts coming to me. Then I start collecting the information. Often it's not thought out."
"The two mistakes I made early on was signing nine films within six months of my debut and giving too much importance to scripts, not directors."
"A star's dependability is measured by his unsuccessful films. Whatever business it does is because of him."
"I was 16 when I realised I wanted to be an actor. My school friend Aditya Bhattacharya decided to cast me in a 40-minute silent film called Paranoia, financed with Rs 8,000 from actor Shriram Lagoo. Making that film convinced me that this is where I belonged. Shabana Azmi saw it and told my parents. All hell broke loose."
"Seeing my father go bankrupt when his film Locket was stuck for eight years taught me to be responsible to the market."
"My first instinct when I go home is to pick up a book, not the remote. I've been reading since I was six."
Thinking deeply about his character is something Khan has done increasingly, whether it is Bhuvan's stance in Lagaan, with his weight evenly distributed on his legs to suggest inner strength, or Aakash's darting eyes in Dil Chahta Hai indicating what a shallow layabout he is. Khan thinks in close-up, wide shot and mid-shot, in total physicality, says film scholar Nasreen Munni Kabir. He borrows a lot of his technique from observation-for one scene where Mona Singh slaps him while he is helping her deliver in 3 Idiots, he cheerfully admits to copying from his ex-wife Reena's difficult labour for their first born. And even more cheerfully says he loves talking to interesting new people. "Sometimes I feel like sucking their brains out."
Khan is a star who doesn't play himself in every film, as Amitabh Bachchan did at the height of his fame or Shah Rukh Khan tends to do. He plays the character, which may be why he tends to work with new directors, who help in creating a fresh persona every time. "Audiences now expect an element of surprise from him," points out Kabir. "Like a magician, they want him to conjure up a new character."
Once he has identified the perfect script, a director whose vision he shares, and a producer who will back it, Khan surrenders himself to the moment. There's no spillover, no hangover. Everything apart from the movie goes into soft focus. "When I read a script, it just goes straight to my brain," he says. "It's like a computer in its memory. It just soaks everything in and then it's in my head at all times," he adds, even as he acts out the first part he got in a play in Class XII. It was a line as a painter in a Gujarati play, a role he couldn't actually perform because he was sacked for missing a day of rehearsals. The line remains etched in his hard drive. He repeats it now: "Bloody hell, no one marries me. I wish his mother gets married to a dog."
On the sets, Khan is a trooper. He will hang out even when he doesn't have lines, or just play Scrabble with the assistants. He will promote the film across the country on every media he can find. And he will just not want to go home. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who directed him in Rang De Basanti, and has been a friend since, says, "He makes himself completely accessible to the filmmaker." Kunal Kohli, who directed him in Fanaa, recalls how Khan was apologetic even asking him for four days off in the middle of the shoot in Mumbai in 2005 because he wanted to get married to Kiran Rao, a highly rated assistant director whose debut feature Dhobi Ghat will release this year. "He's there whether it is for readings or costume trials," adds Kohli. "And he's just incredibly intelligent. How many people do you know who can solve the Rubik's cube with one hand?"
Khan calls this quality "obsessive" and regrets that he cannot spend more time with his children, Junaid, 16, and Ira, 11, when he is acting in a film. His cousin, Nuzhat Hussain, a psychoanalyst, who lives in the building next door, has been close to him since he was 10 and she 15. She says the level of professionalism in his work where each person is given due respect is reflected in his personal life as well, where he is fastidious about his honesty. He simply cannot tell a lie. "But he is not superhuman. He does make mistakes. He hurts himself. But he is totally open to learning and feeling new things, which I think is an act of courage," says Hussain. Khan does have self-doubts. Personally, yes, and also professionally. But he refuses to compromise on his films. He says he learnt that lesson early on when he signed a spate of films in a hurry on the basis of their scripts and then realised the director's vision was completely different from his. He recalls that when he was at his lowest point, having been dismissed as a one film wonder, it was Mahesh Bhatt who offered him a hand, discussing a script with him, which as luck would have it, he didn't like it.
"He was at the peak of his talent, having just done Saaransh, Arth and Naam and I didn't know how I could tell him I didn't like his script. So I bought time, came home and asked Reena. She told me to follow my heart. I did, telling Bhattsaab that I wanted to do instead was a remake of one of my favourite films, Roman Holiday, with Sridevi. He listened but then took out a screenplay of Frank Capra's 1934 film It Happened One Night. Six months later, we would do the film together as Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin." That's a lesson of following his happiness that he hasn't forgotten since then. It's taught him to do things his way, to go with his gut instinct even when every practical sense is screaming no, as it did when Mehra narrated Rang De Basanti to him, which was coming on the heels of four Bhagat Singh flops. And if he still needs advice, he turns to Hussain, who is producer Nasir Hussain's daughter, and actor Imran Khan's mother. "She's one person I go to when I need to talk about anything," he says warmly. "She's a great thinker."
Stardom sits simply on him. Yes, there are the six bodyguards who travel everywhere with him. His man Friday Sachin, his girl Friday Sarita, and his manager Binki seem to stay awake all night. There is also the flashy Toyota Landcruiser and the Rs 10-crore sprawling house in Panchgani. But Khan is essentially a middle-class man, who thinks nothing of upturning the Body Shop shower gel to catch the last drop or blindly trusting his accountant of 20 years to invest his money well. It's ingrained in him because his most formative years, eight to 14, were spent in the shadow of his father, producer Tahir Hussain's imminent bankruptcy.
Coming soon
This year Khan intends to focus onhis three home productions
DHOBI GHAT
It's his wife Kiran Rao's first feature film, based on her script, with multiple concurrent stories, all set in Mumbai. Khan plays a divorced painter while Prateik Babbar is the protagonist.
PEEPLI LIVE
A comic view of a farmer's life directed by former journalist Anusha Rizvi, based on her own script. It's one of the first films from India to be selected in the competitive section of the Sundance Film Festival. Khan has high hopes from it.
DELHI BELLY
An urban comedy about three strugglers, starring Imran Khan, stand up comics Vir Das and Kunal Roy Kapoor. Is directed by ad filmmaker Abhinay Deo. Khan will be sitting in on its post-production and will then plan the marketing.
"My father spent eight years making a film called Locket which was stalled because actors wouldn't give him dates," he says now. "For five years, I remember him getting calls from creditors every day asking him when he would return their money. And my father would always say I'm trying my best. One night, he woke up in the middle of the night, looking for his graduation certificate so he could get a job and feed us. Our fees would always be late and our names would be called out in school," he says of himself and his three siblings, sisters Nikhat and Farhat, and brother Faisal. They survived only because a film their father did in between, Dulha Bikta Hai on dowry, became a surprise hit. That was also the time Khan was devoted to tennis, playing five hours a day at the Khar Gymkhana, travelling all over from Kolhapur to Pune, sharing rooms in lodges with seven other children, becoming Maharashtra No. 1 in boys. But then one day when he was 14, his father, something of a tyrant, announced to his mother that Khan should give up tennis because his marks were falling. "My marks stayed where they were but my tennis stopped," recalls Khan.
He learnt two valuable life lessons from his childhood. One was how to tell a story, as he would sit in a corner of his drawing room listening fascinatedly to writers and directors pitching their narrations to his father. "My father would say things like 'tell me the story in one line please', 'what is your premise' or 'but where's the conflict?'," remembers Khan, things he now knows are taught in film schools. He also learnt the importance of making money for the producers and distributors of his films.
"As an actor it is my responsibility to ensure the producer makes his money back and the audience gets its money worth," he says. It's one reason the cerebral actor, who gets excited by Rajmohan Gandhi's biography of Gandhi, also proudly admits to reading Bollywood trade papers. After all, as a child, his father would make him write down box office collections of his films on the phone from places such as Amravati and Aurangabad.
As much as he is an individualist, Khan needs his family around him. He's close to his mother, Zeenat, now 74, who lives in Pune and whom he is now persuading to return and live with him. There are things she taught him he will never forget. "I remember I would come back from my tennis matches and tell her I'd won, and she would congratulate me while making tea for me. And then ask, but what of the boy who lost? His ammi must be very upset. That would be enough to depress me." It taught him empathy and he started regarding his rival as a human being, whom he would share a cold drink with or an after-match vada pav. There are other things she taught him well-he's probably the only star who knocks before entering a room in his own home and who remembers to show visitors the washroom while they wait for him to freshen up.
He also seems to be looking better than ever. Khan attributes it to his dietician Vinod Dhurandhar who brought his weight down to 68 kg while making 3 Idiots. He slept eight hours a day at least and also started playing badminton, sometimes two hours a day, with students at IIM-Bangalore where they shot for 3 Idiots for over a month. He drinks four litres of water a day. And while friends say he is not above binge drinking, being able to put away several Bacardis for four days in a row, he has stopped smoking for over a year now.
"I just went cold turkey," he says. "I realised this with the three-hours-a-day, six-days-a-week training I did for Ghajini for over a year. The human mind is a very powerful tool. If it wants something badly, the body will give it. It's like what yogis say." Yet for such a sober individual, Khan can be a fun person, who enjoys learning skiing with his children in Canada as much as he takes pleasure in the piano lessons his wife Kiran gives him. He adores Calvin & amp; Hobbes and as is obvious from his well aimed barbs at Shah Rukh, he revels in a little light mischief. The best part about him, says long-time friend, ad man Prasoon Joshi who's worked with him on several campaigns and written songs for some of his films, he doesn't take himself too seriously.
Amit Khanna, chairman of Reliance Entertainment which distributed 3 Idiots, believes Khan is a throwback to the Dilip Kumar-Raj Kapoor-Dev Anand era when filmmakers lived for cinema and believed it had a higher social purpose beyond making money. "Yet he's as savvy as the new kids on the block, up to speed with Facebook and blogging." Khan doesn't quite put it so grandly. "Money doesn't excite me. It gives me comfort but it's not what makes me tick. Neither does throwing my weight around, or making a noisy entry or making a scene. Give me a great book or a great script any day." Given his anointment as the new box office guru of gyaan, there should be no shortage of the latter.
The Bold and the beautiful
Aamir says he has always marched to the tune of his own drummer. "My choices were unusual. But when I started out, I didn't have the power I have now. I had to fight against market forces who were foxed by my so-called bizarre moves."
QAYAMAT SE QAYAMAT TAK, 1988
Director: Mansoor Khan
Made at the height of the disco era, it was a breath of fresh air, heralding Sooraj Barjatya's Maine Pyar Kiya and Aditya Chopra's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. "When we shot it, I was 21 and when it released, I was 23. We would wonder who will watch the film in the theatres."
RANGEELA, 1995
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
"Ramu had four flops before this. Urmila (Matondkar) had eight. The film had no story," he says. But his loveable tapori Munna became the template for Sanjay Dutt's Munnabhai.
GHULAM, 1998
Director: Vikram Bhatt
"It was one of the first films at that time about disenchanted youth. This supposed hero had such sham bravado. He was a macho guy who became almost cerebral." Khan says it took a little time for the market to understand that it would not lose money on his films.
SARFAROSH, 1999
Director: John Mathew Mathan
Mathan was unknown when he came to Khan with Sarfarosh but the movie, with its tough guy police officer, ACP Rathore, and anti terrorist theme "really shocked people as it came out of the blue". He says it marked the turning point for the trade's belief in his bankability.
LAGAAN, 2001
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Khan says, "When I told the late Jhamu Sughand, who was a very hardcore businessman, that I'm doing this film with Gowariker and it will cost a lot of money, he didn't blink. He never asked me are you sure? 1893 and cricket? Sports films haven't worked in India. But he didn't question me."
RANG DE BASANTI, 2006
Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
"I told my sister, who is in New York, that I was making the fifth remake of Bhagat Singh. The first four had flopped. She told me you've got to be kidding." The film's nihilism set off debates and its emotional activism sparked candlelight marches but Khan's flashy DJ was memorable. To use his words, "so nice".
TAARE ZAMEEN PAR, 2007
Director: Aamir Khan
It was written by Amole Gupte who directed it for a week, until Khan, the producer, took over from him. He made a simple story of a dyslexic child into a timely movie questioning the education system, which turned out to be a surprise hit.
3 IDIOTS, 2009
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
"My character Rancho was written in a dangerous way. He had no flaws. Your heart doesn't go out to him. It's the flaws that make you loveable. When I realised that very early on, I told Hirani I don't want to play it in a heroic manner as he will get on people's nerves. I didn't want to play it smart but naturally curious." The role required him to lose 10 kg, act like a 17-year-old, terrorise a principal, deliver a baby, and break off an engagement
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
More Khans …. Sighs Padukone
Her debut with Khan ('Om Shanti Om') was a super success.. And she's scored a winner with another Khan (Saif Ali Khan) in the second most successful film of 2009. But Deepika Padukone isn't contended. She's set her sights on two other desirable Khans too. "I'd love to work with Salman Khan …. and Aamir Khan too," sighs Padukone.
Fresh from the heartbreak with Ranbir Kapoor, the actress has thrown herself headlong into her career. Besides, the thumping win and the critical acclaim for her work in 'Love Aaj Kal' has earned DP work of calibre. "I've bagged some super duper assignments," she exults.
High on that list ranks director Ashutosh Gowarikar's 'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se' with Abhishek Bachchan as co star. Enacting a revolutionary in Gowariker's flick, buzz has it that DP is likely to watch away with all the top acting honours, once again.
Besides, she will also romp around in a bikini with Akshay Kumar in 'Houseful' and pair up with Neil Nitin Mukesh in Pradeep Sarkar's next. And right around the corner is … 'Karthik Calling Karthik' waiting to grace cine screens soon. Guess, it could be Success calling Padukone ….
Fresh from the heartbreak with Ranbir Kapoor, the actress has thrown herself headlong into her career. Besides, the thumping win and the critical acclaim for her work in 'Love Aaj Kal' has earned DP work of calibre. "I've bagged some super duper assignments," she exults.
High on that list ranks director Ashutosh Gowarikar's 'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se' with Abhishek Bachchan as co star. Enacting a revolutionary in Gowariker's flick, buzz has it that DP is likely to watch away with all the top acting honours, once again.
Besides, she will also romp around in a bikini with Akshay Kumar in 'Houseful' and pair up with Neil Nitin Mukesh in Pradeep Sarkar's next. And right around the corner is … 'Karthik Calling Karthik' waiting to grace cine screens soon. Guess, it could be Success calling Padukone ….
Modi Denies Govt Role In IPL Snub To Pak
--> Modi denies govt role in IPL snub to Pak-->
Tue, Jan 26 12:55 PM
New Delhi, Jan 26 (PTI) Indian Premier League Chairman (IPL) Lalit Modi today denied any government role in Pakistani players'' non-selection at the auction and said cricketers from across the border still have chance to be a part of the cash-awash Twenty20 event. "Some teams have still not finished their quota of players and some players could drop out, franchises can choose Pakistani players as replacements or to fill vacancies," he said.
Modi refuted allegations that the whole issue was mishandled by the IPL. "I don''t think that there''s any mishandling, the franchises decide on their own. We never said in the first place that the government in any which way nudged up in that direction.
So, it was a decision that was taken by the franchises and let''s leave it at that," Modi said. All the 11 Pakistani players went unsold at the Mumbai auction earlier this month and Modi said it was the franchises'' decision to not pick them.
Tue, Jan 26 12:55 PM
New Delhi, Jan 26 (PTI) Indian Premier League Chairman (IPL) Lalit Modi today denied any government role in Pakistani players'' non-selection at the auction and said cricketers from across the border still have chance to be a part of the cash-awash Twenty20 event. "Some teams have still not finished their quota of players and some players could drop out, franchises can choose Pakistani players as replacements or to fill vacancies," he said.
Modi refuted allegations that the whole issue was mishandled by the IPL. "I don''t think that there''s any mishandling, the franchises decide on their own. We never said in the first place that the government in any which way nudged up in that direction.
So, it was a decision that was taken by the franchises and let''s leave it at that," Modi said. All the 11 Pakistani players went unsold at the Mumbai auction earlier this month and Modi said it was the franchises'' decision to not pick them.
Monday, January 25, 2010
history of republic day
History
Although India obtained its independence on August 15, 1947, it did not yet have a permanent constitution; instead, its laws were based on the modified colonial Government of India Act 1935, and the country was a Dominion, with George VI as head of state and Earl Mountbatten as Governor General. On August 29, 1947, the Drafting Committee was appointed to draft a permanent constitution, with Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar as chairman.
A draft Constitution was prepared by the committee and submitted to the Assembly on November 4, 1947. The Assembly met, in sessions open to public, for 166 days, spread over a period of 2 years, 11 months and 18 days before adopting the Constitution. After many deliberations and some modifications, the 308 members of the Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document (one each in Hindi and English) on January 24, 1950. Two days later, the Constitution of India became the law of all the Indian lands. The Constitution of India came into effect only on January 26, 1950, 10.18 AM IST. Following elections on January 21, 1950, Rajendra Prasad was elected as the president of India. The Indian National Congress and other parties had been celebrating January 26th as a symbol of Independence, even before India actually became independent. Thus, signing the constitution on January 26, to mark and respect January 26 and the freedom struggle and the freedom fighters.
Granville Austin has described the Indian Constitution drafted by Ambedkar as 'first and foremost a social document.' ... 'The majority of India's constitutional provisions are either directly arrived at furthering the aim of social revolution or attempt to foster this revolution by establishing conditions necessary for its achievement.'
The amending mechanism was lauded even at the time of introduction by Ambedkar in the following words: "We can therefore safely say that the Indian federation will not suffer from the faults of rigidity or legalism. Its distinguished feature is that it is a flexible federation.
"The three mechanisms of the system derived by the Assembly, contrary to the predictions, have made the constitution flexible at the same time protected the rights of the states. They have worked better than the amending process in any other country where Federalism and the British Parliamentary system jointly formed the basis of the constitution"
Rashtrapati Bhavan and adjacent buildings, illuminated for the Republic Day, 2008.
What Sir Anthony Eden, the Prime Minister of Britain (April 1955 to January 1957), said at the time of the emergence of Indian Republic is relevant in this context. He said, ‘Of all the experiments in government, which have been attempted since the beginning of time, I believe that the Indian venture into parliamentary government is the most exciting. A vast subcontinent is attempting to apply to its tens and thousands of millions a system of free democracy... It is a brave thing to try to do so. The Indian venture is not a pale imitation of our practice at home, but a magnified and multiplied reproduction on a scale we have never dreamt of. If it succeeds, its influence on Asia is incalculable for good. Whatever the outcome we must honour those who attempt it. Even more meaningful was the opinion expressed by an American Constitutional authority, Granville Austin, who wrote that what the Indian Constituent Assembly began was ‘perhaps the greatest political venture since that originated in Philadelphia in 1787.’
"During recent years, it has become fashionable among some citizens to disparage the founders and their document. These individuals disappointed by the developments in the country since 1950, have called for changing the constitution explaining that it has not 'worked'. Such thinking, in my view, is misguided. Constitutions do not 'work', they are inert, dependent upon being 'worked' by citizens and elected and appointed leaders"
[edit] Celebrations
Agni-II missile in Republic Day Parade 2004.
To mark the importance of this occasion, every year a grand parade is held in the capital, New Delhi, from the Raisina Hill near the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President's Palace), along the Rajpath, past India Gate and on to the historic Red Fort. Prior to its commencement, the Prime Minister lays a floral wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, a memorial to unknown soldier at the India Gate at one end of Rajpath, which is followed by two minutes silence in the memory of unknown soldiers. Thereafter he reaches the main dais at Rajpath to join other dignitaries, subsequently the President arrives along with the chief guest of the occasion. First he hoists the National flag, as the National Anthem is played, and a 21-gun salute is given. Next, important awards like the Ashok Chakra and Kirti Chakra are given away by the President, before the regiments of Armed Forces start their march past.
The different regiments of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force march past in all their finery and official decorations. The President of India who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, takes the salute. Floats exhibiting the cultures of the various states and regions of India are in the grand parade, which is broadcast nationwide on television and radio. Also part of the parade are children who win the National Bravery Award for the year [1]. The parade also includes other vibrant displays and floats and traditionally ends with a flypast by Indian Air Force jets.
Celebrations are also held in state capitals, where the Governor of the state unfurls the national flag. If the Governor of the state is unwell, or is unavailable for some reason, the Chief Minister of the state assumes the honour of unfurling the National Flag of India. A description from tajonline:
“
"26th January 1950 is one of the most important days in Indian history as it was on this day the constitution of India came into force and India became a truly sovereign state. In this day India became a totally republican unit. The country finally realized the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and the numerous freedom fighters who, fought for and sacrificed their lives for the Independence of their country. So, the 26th of January was decreed a national holiday and has been recognized and celebrated as the Republic Day of India, ever since.
Today, the Republic Day is celebrated with much enthusiasm all over the country and especially in the capital, New Delhi where the celebrations start with the Presidential address to the nation. The beginning of the occasion is always a solemn reminder of the sacrifice of the martyrs who died for the country in the freedom movement and the succeeding wars for the defence of sovereignty of their country. Then, the President comes forward to award the medals of bravery to the people from the armed forces for their exceptional courage in the field and also the civilians, who have distinguished themselves by their different acts of valour in different situations.
To mark the importance of this occasion, every year a grand parade is held in the capital, from the Rajghat, along the Vijaypath. The different regiments of the army, the Navy and the Air force march past in all their finery and official decorations even the horses of the cavalry are attractively caparisoned to suit the occasion. The crème of N.C.C cadets, selected from all over the country consider it an honour to participate in this event, as do the school children from various schools in the capital. They spend many days preparing for the event and no expense is spared to see that every detail is taken care of, from their practice for the drills, the essential props and their uniforms.
The parade is followed by a pageant of spectacular displays from the different states of the country. These moving exhibits depict scenes of activities of people in those states and the music and songs of that particular state accompany each display. Each display brings out the diversity and richness of the culture of India and the whole show lends a festive air to the occasion. The parade and the ensuing pageantry is telecast by the National Television and is watched by millions of viewers in every corner of the country.
The patriotic fervour of the people on this day brings the whole country together even in her essential diversity. Every part of the country is represented in occasion, which makes the Republic Day the most popular of all the national holidays of India."
”
[edit]
Although India obtained its independence on August 15, 1947, it did not yet have a permanent constitution; instead, its laws were based on the modified colonial Government of India Act 1935, and the country was a Dominion, with George VI as head of state and Earl Mountbatten as Governor General. On August 29, 1947, the Drafting Committee was appointed to draft a permanent constitution, with Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar as chairman.
A draft Constitution was prepared by the committee and submitted to the Assembly on November 4, 1947. The Assembly met, in sessions open to public, for 166 days, spread over a period of 2 years, 11 months and 18 days before adopting the Constitution. After many deliberations and some modifications, the 308 members of the Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document (one each in Hindi and English) on January 24, 1950. Two days later, the Constitution of India became the law of all the Indian lands. The Constitution of India came into effect only on January 26, 1950, 10.18 AM IST. Following elections on January 21, 1950, Rajendra Prasad was elected as the president of India. The Indian National Congress and other parties had been celebrating January 26th as a symbol of Independence, even before India actually became independent. Thus, signing the constitution on January 26, to mark and respect January 26 and the freedom struggle and the freedom fighters.
Granville Austin has described the Indian Constitution drafted by Ambedkar as 'first and foremost a social document.' ... 'The majority of India's constitutional provisions are either directly arrived at furthering the aim of social revolution or attempt to foster this revolution by establishing conditions necessary for its achievement.'
The amending mechanism was lauded even at the time of introduction by Ambedkar in the following words: "We can therefore safely say that the Indian federation will not suffer from the faults of rigidity or legalism. Its distinguished feature is that it is a flexible federation.
"The three mechanisms of the system derived by the Assembly, contrary to the predictions, have made the constitution flexible at the same time protected the rights of the states. They have worked better than the amending process in any other country where Federalism and the British Parliamentary system jointly formed the basis of the constitution"
Rashtrapati Bhavan and adjacent buildings, illuminated for the Republic Day, 2008.
What Sir Anthony Eden, the Prime Minister of Britain (April 1955 to January 1957), said at the time of the emergence of Indian Republic is relevant in this context. He said, ‘Of all the experiments in government, which have been attempted since the beginning of time, I believe that the Indian venture into parliamentary government is the most exciting. A vast subcontinent is attempting to apply to its tens and thousands of millions a system of free democracy... It is a brave thing to try to do so. The Indian venture is not a pale imitation of our practice at home, but a magnified and multiplied reproduction on a scale we have never dreamt of. If it succeeds, its influence on Asia is incalculable for good. Whatever the outcome we must honour those who attempt it. Even more meaningful was the opinion expressed by an American Constitutional authority, Granville Austin, who wrote that what the Indian Constituent Assembly began was ‘perhaps the greatest political venture since that originated in Philadelphia in 1787.’
"During recent years, it has become fashionable among some citizens to disparage the founders and their document. These individuals disappointed by the developments in the country since 1950, have called for changing the constitution explaining that it has not 'worked'. Such thinking, in my view, is misguided. Constitutions do not 'work', they are inert, dependent upon being 'worked' by citizens and elected and appointed leaders"
[edit] Celebrations
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Agni-II missile in Republic Day Parade 2004.
To mark the importance of this occasion, every year a grand parade is held in the capital, New Delhi, from the Raisina Hill near the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President's Palace), along the Rajpath, past India Gate and on to the historic Red Fort. Prior to its commencement, the Prime Minister lays a floral wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, a memorial to unknown soldier at the India Gate at one end of Rajpath, which is followed by two minutes silence in the memory of unknown soldiers. Thereafter he reaches the main dais at Rajpath to join other dignitaries, subsequently the President arrives along with the chief guest of the occasion. First he hoists the National flag, as the National Anthem is played, and a 21-gun salute is given. Next, important awards like the Ashok Chakra and Kirti Chakra are given away by the President, before the regiments of Armed Forces start their march past.
The different regiments of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force march past in all their finery and official decorations. The President of India who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, takes the salute. Floats exhibiting the cultures of the various states and regions of India are in the grand parade, which is broadcast nationwide on television and radio. Also part of the parade are children who win the National Bravery Award for the year [1]. The parade also includes other vibrant displays and floats and traditionally ends with a flypast by Indian Air Force jets.
Celebrations are also held in state capitals, where the Governor of the state unfurls the national flag. If the Governor of the state is unwell, or is unavailable for some reason, the Chief Minister of the state assumes the honour of unfurling the National Flag of India. A description from tajonline:
“
"26th January 1950 is one of the most important days in Indian history as it was on this day the constitution of India came into force and India became a truly sovereign state. In this day India became a totally republican unit. The country finally realized the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and the numerous freedom fighters who, fought for and sacrificed their lives for the Independence of their country. So, the 26th of January was decreed a national holiday and has been recognized and celebrated as the Republic Day of India, ever since.
Today, the Republic Day is celebrated with much enthusiasm all over the country and especially in the capital, New Delhi where the celebrations start with the Presidential address to the nation. The beginning of the occasion is always a solemn reminder of the sacrifice of the martyrs who died for the country in the freedom movement and the succeeding wars for the defence of sovereignty of their country. Then, the President comes forward to award the medals of bravery to the people from the armed forces for their exceptional courage in the field and also the civilians, who have distinguished themselves by their different acts of valour in different situations.
To mark the importance of this occasion, every year a grand parade is held in the capital, from the Rajghat, along the Vijaypath. The different regiments of the army, the Navy and the Air force march past in all their finery and official decorations even the horses of the cavalry are attractively caparisoned to suit the occasion. The crème of N.C.C cadets, selected from all over the country consider it an honour to participate in this event, as do the school children from various schools in the capital. They spend many days preparing for the event and no expense is spared to see that every detail is taken care of, from their practice for the drills, the essential props and their uniforms.
The parade is followed by a pageant of spectacular displays from the different states of the country. These moving exhibits depict scenes of activities of people in those states and the music and songs of that particular state accompany each display. Each display brings out the diversity and richness of the culture of India and the whole show lends a festive air to the occasion. The parade and the ensuing pageantry is telecast by the National Television and is watched by millions of viewers in every corner of the country.
The patriotic fervour of the people on this day brings the whole country together even in her essential diversity. Every part of the country is represented in occasion, which makes the Republic Day the most popular of all the national holidays of India."
”
[edit]
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