| Rajesh debuts as actor in ’Santhosha’ |
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Film: Santhosha; Cast: Rajesh, Sidhdharth, Pranathi, Anitha, Anat Nag, Chithra Shenoy, Sadhu Kokila; Director: Ramesh; Music: Prayog; Camera: Krishna Kumar; Producers: Indumathi Ramesh
Film: Santhosha; Cast: Rajesh, Sidhdharth, Pranathi, Anitha, Anat Nag, Chithra Shenoy, Sadhu Kokila; Director: Ramesh; Music: Prayog; Camera: Krishna Kumar; Producers: Indumathi Ramesh
Playback singer Rajesh makes his debut as an actor in Santhosha, which also introduces Sidhdharth, a Kashmiri Pandit settled in Mumbai, as the hero.
Pranathi, who has made a name from her first Malayalam film 4 the people is the heroine.
Anitha or Natasha, who had earlier figured in Veera Kannadiga with Puneeth Raj Kumar, plays a small but significant role in this youth-oriented love story.
Indumathi Ramesh, a gold medallist from the Chennai Film Institute, makes his debut as a director in this film, after working with several directors including Indrajith Lankesh.
The highlight of the film is the exceptionally good performance from veteran Anant Nag and the screen presence of Pranathi and Anitha. The comedy sequences featuring Sadhu Kokila provide enjoyable relief.
Santhosha has a thin story line, but what makes it different from the run-of-the-mill films is its narration. The film is clean and devoid of double-meaning dialogues and excessive violence.
One more attraction of the film is the way a basket ball match has been shot, bringing a lot of tension into the sequence.
The story revolves around college mates Sidhdharth and Ramya who pretend to be just friends despite being in love with each other.
Sidhdharth in fact does not like the idea of love. A tragic incident in his family has made him believe that love during college was the reason for all problems in life.
Ramya becomes close to Sidhdharth, but cannot express her feelings because she has heard of Sidhdharth’s hatred for the idea of love among students.
Added to this confusion are the mix-ups caused by a common acquaintance who plays foul with both.
Ramya’s father is transferred to Bhuj. It takes an earthquake here, which they survive before returning to Bangalore, for the pair to proclaim their love for each other.
Sidhdharth has done his job well but Rajesh, as his friend, is not up to the mark. Pranathi looks good, but she has not been able to deliver in emotional sequences.
Anitha comes out well in the few sequences that she is seen in. Anant Nag is at his best as the lovable father, who resorts to drinking to drown his worries.
Two song sequences are well shot, but the music could have been better. Krishna Kumar’s photography is exceptional. Ramesh can definitely make a mark as a good director.
--Indo-Asian News Service
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| No breakthrough in engineers’ abduction - Nov 22, 2004 13:5 IST |
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More than two days after the abduction of two engineers in Bihar, police is yet to make a breakthrough.
The houses of several controversial figures, including Lok Jantantrik Party legislator Munna Shukla, were raided Saturday, police sources said.
Police stations all over the state had been alerted and all routes leading to Nepal had been sealed, said Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Neelmani, who uses only one name.
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| ’Ban on music cost Mughals their empire’ - Nov 22, 2004 13:4 IST |
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A ban on music by controversial 17th century Indian emperor Aurangzeb led to the fall of his Mughal empire, a Cambridge University researcher has claimed.
Katherine Brown, a research fellow from the famed British university, said here the ban caused widespread anger and led to the collapse of the centuries-old empire.
Discussing her research paper ’Did Aurangzeb Ban Music?’ at the Khuda Baksh Khan library, Brown said the ban, imposed in 1668-69, was an important event in the history of India and Indian music.
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| Dileep’s performance in ’Kathavaseshan’ praised - Nov 22, 2004 13:3 IST |
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Dileep’s acting in his latest film Kathavaseshan was one of Malayalam cinema’s best ever performances, ace filmmaker T.V. Chandran has said.
Without doubt, I would rate Dileep’s character Gopinathan Menon as one of the best ever in Malayalam films and it is worth an award, Chandran told reporters here Sunday.
The film explores the issue of suicide, which has a high incidence rate in Kerala.
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| ’Gadar’ director, Rajasthan distributor in money dispute - Nov 22, 2004 13:2 IST |
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A film distributor from Rajasthan has sought help from police here to recover money that is allegedly owed to him by well-known director and producer Anil Sharma.
Film distributor Sanjay Suchanti came to Mumbai Saturday with police officials from Rajasthan who had an arrest warrant for the Gadar director.
Speaking from his office in Oshiwara, Suchanti said he was cheated by Anil Sharma, who had reportedly promised him that he would be given the rights to distribute the film Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyon in Rajathan.
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| Kanpur, where four cricket captains met their ’Waterloo’ - Nov 22, 2004 13:1 IST |
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When Atul Wassan invited Bishan Singh Bedi for his marriage with Kanpur girl Sonu, the legendary Test spinner spontaneously remarked: You know, three Indian captains have met their Waterloo in Kanpur!
Bedi, a former India captain, was referring to his own marriage as well as those of the late Lala Amarnath and Sunil Gavaskar with brides from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh’s biggest industrial town.
What Bedi did not take into account was that former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas too has married a woman from this city.
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| Give up arms, prime minister appeals to separatists - Nov 22, 2004 13:1 IST |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday appealed to separatist groups in the troubled northeast to give up arms and come for peace talks.
I am giving an open invitation to all young men and women who have taken to arms to come for talks with us so that we can usher in peace and prosperity in the northeast, the prime minister told journalists in Imphal at the end of his two-day visit to state of Manipur.
Our government is willing to talk to anybody who shuns the path of violence.
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| PM offers talks to northeast rebels who give up arms - Nov 22, 2004 12:59 IST |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday offered to hold peace talks with all militant groups in the restive northeastern region that gave up arms.
Winding up a 24-hour trip to Manipur, the prime minister assured the people of the troubled state that steps would be taken to prevent the misuse of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, but urged civil society groups not to set any deadlines for withdrawing the anti-terror law.
I am giving an open invitation to all young men and women who have taken to arms to come for talks with us so that we can usher in peace and prosperity in the northeast, the prime minister told journalists here.
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| Ganguly has unpleasant memories of Green Park - Nov 22, 2004 12:57 IST |
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Sourav Ganguly will probably always have mixed feelings when he looks back at his Green Park connection, as it was in this stadium in 1996 that he had to undergo a fitness test during the lunch interval of a Test in front of a packed stadium!
Incidentally, it was also a match against South Africa, when then team physiotherapist Ali Irani made him run two rounds of the stadium on the last day of the match while the two teams ate their lunch.
On that day - Dec 11 - Ganguly completed the first round and was joined by Irani in the second. But the ’Bengal Tiger’ failed to complete the second round and apparently failed the fitness test - and was ruled out of the seventh one-day international played two days later in Mumbai.
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| Army to educate itself on wetland conservation - Nov 22, 2004 12:56 IST |
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The Indian Army will hold a two-day seminar here to educate its personnel on conserving the wetlands, including the Sunderbans, in the country’s east.
With a large number of troops deployed in and around the wetlands, the seminar on the theme The role of Indian Army in the conservation of wetlands, will focus on how the force can help maintain the ecological balance and conserve flora and fauna in the region.
There are a large number of wetlands in the eastern region, three of which are internationally acknowledged -- the Sunderbans, just south of Kolkata, the East Calcutta Wetlands, adjacent to Kolkata and the Loktak in Manipur, said Wing Commander S.N. Mukerjee, a defence ministry spokesman.
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| Shankaracharya should be treated properly: PM - Nov 22, 2004 12:55 IST |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday expressed the hope that arrested Hindu pontiff Jayendra Saraswathi would be treated with all courtesies that are due to a person of his stature.
I hope the Shankarcharya will be treated and extended all the courtesies due to his stature as a person of religious standing, he told reporters here shortly before winding up a visit to the northeastern state of Manipur.
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| Bangladeshi saris, pickles attract crowds at fair - Nov 22, 2004 12:54 IST |
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Crowds are making a beeline for the fine hand-woven saris of Bangladesh at the ongoing India International Trade Fair (IITF) here.
Bangladesh has this year mounted its largest ever participation at the IITF to showcase a range of products that go beyond the country’s exquisite Jamdani saris.
F. Hassan, director of the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau, is happy with the good response to the large range of products on display at the 25 stalls put up mostly by private entrepreneurs.
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| South Africa 302 for 5 against India - Nov 22, 2004 12:53 IST |
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South Africa were 302 for five 5 wickets at lunch on the second day of the first Test against India at the Green Park Stadium here Sunday.
Andrew Hall was batting on 118 and Z. Bruyn on 27.
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| Myanmar comes bearing jewels to woo Indians - Nov 22, 2004 12:50 IST |
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Indians’ love for jewellery and the brisk sales enjoyed by a company from Myanmar last year has lured more participants to the ongoing India International Trade Fair (IITF) here.
The objective is of course to attract more importers to Myanmar. We came last year to test the market and discovered that Indians love to wear jewellery and like buying it too! So we came in bigger numbers this year, said May Wah Lwin of Kaung Sint Yadanar.
The firm is a family-owned business, and Lwin is one of several family members and relatives who have come to participate in the fair and manage the busy counters.
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| My guru is innocent: Vijayendra Saraswathi - Nov 22, 2004 12:49 IST |
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Chennai, Nov 21 IANS) Vijayendra Saraswathi, junior pontiff of the Kanchi Mutt,
firmly believes that his spiritual guru, Jayendra Saraswathi, is innocent of the charges of involvement in murder slapped against the arrested seer.
I have firm belief in one thing. My guru is innocent. Every allegation made against him is untrue, the junior seer said in his first interview since the Nov 11 arrest of Jayendra Saraswathi.
Amidst reports that there is a move to install the 35-year-old Vijayendra Saraswathi as chief of the powerful Shankara Mutt in Kanchipuram, the mutt has blamed the media for false reporting.
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| Murder charge outrageous: Kanchi mutt - Nov 22, 2004 12:48 IST |
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Describing the murder charge that led to the arrest of Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi as outrageous, the Kanchi Kamakothi Peetam hoped that the pontiff would be vindicated and would come out of what it sees as the order’s darkest hour.
It is indeed the darkest hour for his (Shankaracharya’s) devotees and those interested in following the tenets of Hindu dharma (faith), said a half-page advertisement -- The Guiding Spirit... -- brought out by the mutt in Chennai-based The Hindu.
The simple, selfless saint of the masses is now facing an outrageous charge.
Such a charge is directed against the very Acharya whose compassion has reached millions with his helping hand, it said.
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| Aishwarya to act in film on Buddha? - Nov 22, 2004 12:47 IST |
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Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai and Hollywood star Brad Pitt have apparently shown interest in acting in a film based on the life of the Buddha, the head of a Buddhist group has said.
Bhupendra Kumar Modi, the newly elected president of the Mahabodhi Society of India, said the film, which would convey a strong message about Buddhism, would be directed by Shekhar Kapur while motivational guru Deepak Chopra would write the script.
Modi said that Aishwarya would play a powerful role in the film on Buddha.
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| Manisha Koirala in Kamal Haasan’s next project - Nov 22, 2004 12:46 IST |
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Tamil Nadu’s maverick performer Kamal Haasan is on to his new thrill. And it’s called Mumbai Express.
In the thriller Kamal Haasan plays a cop. And he’s found himself a surprising leading lady in Manisha Koirala.
Says Kamal Haasan, We’ve finally zeroed in on Manisha Koirala.
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| Apunba Lub gives Dec 10 deadline for repealing anti terror law - Nov 22, 2004 12:45 IST |
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Protest groups in the troubled north eastern state of Manipur Sunday said they have asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to repeal a controversial anti-terror law by Dec 10, failing which they would intensify campaign for its withdrawal.
We have asked the prime minister to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) act by Dec 10 failing which we shall resume a vigorous mass movement across the state, Apunba Lup spokesman Y. Devadutta said.
The people of Manipur want the act to be repealed and the prime minister’s assurance that it will be reviewed by a committee within six months is not acceptable to us, he said.
The Apunba Lup has announced its decision to boycott teaching of Hindi language in schools and colleges as part of the protest until the Dec 10 deadline for repealing the Act.
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| Of dubious holy men and their murky ways - Nov 22, 2004 12:44 IST |
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The arrest of Hindu pontiff Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi on a murder charge renews the spotlight on the seamier side of religion where money, power and sex litter the path to god.
In a deeply spiritual country with multiple faiths and sects, religion has over the years been a convenient hideout for criminal elements, with police records chronicling scores of murders, rapes and robberies by and for men in holy garbs.
Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi of the Kanchipuram monastery has been accused of hiring killers to finish off his former accountant Sankara Raman, who was allegedly on the verge of spilling the beans on financial corruption in the management of the mutt in Tamil Nadu.
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| Politicians blocking sand mining project: experts - Nov 22, 2004 12:43 IST |
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Politicians were trying to stymie a mineral sand mining project that could generate precious revenue for Kerala, experts have alleged.
Experts say a proposed mineral sand mining project in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, which Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has shelved following widespread protests, will not harm the environment.
The private Cochin Minerals and Rutiles Ltd (CMRL), along with the state-owned Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL), had received sanction this year for mineral sand mining at Alappuzha. The beach sand reportedly contains rich deposits of minerals like ilmenites, rutile, zarcon, garnet and monazite.
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