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Films
& Partition
train of
History
In Hindi films
railways helped to showcase historical events. They often became
metaphors of a journey, both internal and external, writes Prabhjot
Parmar
In
Bollywood cinema,
railways are an integral part of the film landscape, and
frequently of the film plot. Be it a moving train, a bogie,
diesel, electric or the good old steam engine, or the railway
yard, platform or the station from outside on the streets,
coolies, vendors, and so on, all find exposure on the film
screen.
Gadar, one of the recent movies depicting the trauma of Partition, struck a chord in people‘s hearts |
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One
for the birds
Rishad Naoroji’s book on
the biogeography of the subcontinent is among the most lucid
expositions on the subject, says Lt Gen Baljit
Singh (retd)
The
first attempt at
scientific documentation of India’s avifauna began with, The Book
of Indian Birds authored by Major T.C. Jerdon of the Madras
Presidency Army. It was published by Thacker Spink and Co, Calcutta in
three volumes in 1862-64. The book was a summation mostly of the
collective knowledge of the subject by Jerdon, Brian Hodgson (British
Counsel at Kathmandu), Lt.-Col R.S. Tickell of the Bengal Presidency
Army and Capt Sykes of the Bombay Presidency Army.
Isle
of leisure
This is one of the best
gaming spots of the world, matching Las Vegas casino for casino. But
there’s more to Macau than just blackjack and roulette. The island
offers a rich Portuguese and Chinese cuisine and has some magnificent
monuments, writes Anurag Yadav
Legend
has it that a ship sailing
in the South China Sea was hit by a devastating storm. Everybody gave
up hope, when a young girl started praying. Miraculously, the storm
stopped and calm returned. The girl then stepped ashore and walked to
the crest of a hill where, in a glowing halo of light she ascended
into heaven.
To
survive, you must have passion
As Mr Walia of Kasamh Se and
Mr Thakraal of Kyunki`85, Ram Kapoor is enjoying the best phase
of his career. The actor in a chat with Kiran
Mehta
With two serials on
air currently – Kasamh Se and Kyunki `85, you must be
very busy. TV stars like you work for long hours for years — are you
worried about burning out?
Face
of a new India
Ashish
Kumar Sen in Washington talks to film critic Anupama Chopra
about her recent book on Shah Rukh Khan
Film
critic Anupama Chopra has
been writing about Bollywood for years, so it was only natural that
she pen a book about its biggest star. King of Bollywood; Shah Rukh
Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema chronicles the rise
of a middle-class Muslim boy from Delhi into the superstar of the $1.5
billion Bollywood industry.
Bollywood’s
talent pool
A new DVD collection of
diploma films made over the past 20 years has been brought out by
Rudra Entertainment. Shoma A. Chatterji looks
at it
When we go ga-ga over
Munnabhai’s antics, barbs and potshots at everything beginning with
the state of medical education in the country, we hardly bother to
think who directed the film and what is it that has equipped him with
the craftsmanship that made him churn out such wonderfully successful
entertainment like Munnabhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munnabhai.
Society
Housewife’s
hi-tech crusade
Information technology may
well be the means to fight corruption. In Karnataka, Jayashree
J.N.’s website to tackle the problem has generated widespread
interest, writes Jangveer Singh from
Bangalore
Jayashree
J N is a housewife with a
difference. She is married to an IAS officer who has been fighting a
lonely battle against corruption since the last 25 years. Used to
annual transfers, the lady says she has even educated her two sons in
four different schools in the course of one year in 1997.
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