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Winds of change are blowing hot and fast in Bollywood as the new breed of filmmakers knocks down stereotypes 
Nonika Singh
As premarital sex, gay relations, vicious violence, in-your-face sex comes out of the closet onto the larger-than-life silver screen. Not too long ago, the dictum: “The more things change, the more they remain the same” applied to tinseltown. However, today stereotypes are being knocked down.
Clockwise: Irrfan Khan in Paan Singh Tomar; Manoj Bajpai in a scene from Gangs of Wasseypur; Salman Khan in Dabangg and Vidya Balan in Kahaani

Bond bonanza
An exhibition on 50 years of design and style in James Bond films is on in London these days
THE world’s most famous spy movie franchise, James Bond, is celebrating its 50th anniversary, by holding an exhibition in London’s Barbican Centre. The exhibit explores the suave secret agent’s fashion sense with a display of costumes, props, set pieces and design drawings from the half century of 007 films.
On display at the exhibition is the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 from Golden Eye

Society
Raiding the raiders
Sikhs warriors of the 18th century adopted guerrilla tactics. They offered tough resistance to the invading Afghan armies of Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali by looting them and freeing those enslaved by them
Maj-Gen Kulwant Singh (retd)
banda Singh Bahadur shook the foundation of the nearly 200-year-old mighty Mughal empire in seven years, from 1709 to 1715. Thereafter, the Mughals could never reassert their authority in areas north of Delhi.

An artistic representation of the Battle of Chamkaur Sahib. The battle techniques used by the Sikhs often took their enemies by surprise and gave them an advantage (L) and A tableau depicting Nadir Shah’s invasion of India

LIFE
On a high in Himalayas
Driving through the stark, barren and rugged desert mountains of Spiti, is an experience in itself. The journey is more important than the destination 
Manisha Gangahar
THE 14-hour drive from Shimla to the desert mountains of Spiti valley is full of ‘wows’. Soon, you even forget the count. Nature has been up to something quite different at this high altitude: the valley floor lies 10,000 ft above the sea level and the slopes and peaks can tower up to 20,000 ft. The physical raw beauty of it all fascinates and overwhelms the traveller. 

sports
Charge of the young brigade
By selecting a primarily youthful team, the BCCI has given a strong message about the change ahead
M. S. Unnikrishnan
BY selecting a youthful team, the BCCI has given a strong message about the change ahead. The predominantly young team for the one-day series tour (five ODIs and one T20 match) of Sri Lanka, starting on July 21, is a clear signal from the Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) selectors that time has come to give thrust to youth, instead of relying on non-performing seniors. 
The selectors just cannot ignore Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan (left) Photos: AFP, Reuters

A true son of India
Ajaib Singh Matharu
Punjab has been the hub  of sports in India. Whenever India competed in Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Punjab alone contributed about 75 per cent of the players of many competing teams. Punjab excelled in all games, especially in hockey. Europeans were baffled to see the Indian hero Dhyan Chand play, truly the best in the world in his hay days. The Indian hockey team, led by Dhyan Chand, won the gold medal in every Olympic Games from Helsinki to Melbourne. 

Balbir Singh

entertainment
Second innings 
Post-marriage and children, most Bollywood actresses are making a comeback by delivering out heavy-duty performances
Shama Rana
THEY are back, and yes, Bollywood’s yummy mummies are ready to slug it out with the younger crop of actresses in the Hindi film industry. The glitz and glamour of the industry has a bevy of yesteryear divas to stage a comeback in the movies. Defying the tradition of marital status and kicking the issue of ‘Age’ aside, these divas have finally arrived on the scene.
Karisma Kapoor played the lead in Vikram Bhatt’s supernatural thriller Dangerous Ishhq 

‘Barfi is not about disabilities’
The film, in which Ranbir plays a hearing and speech impaired and Priyanka mentally challenged, aims to make people happy, say the two actors
Shreya Basu
Ranbir, why is your character called Barfi in the film?
Ranbir: Actually the character is called Murphy. But since he is a deaf-mute, he pronounces his name as Barfi…he can’t differentiate between ‘M’ and ‘B’. He is a happy-go-lucky guy, he has a big heart and the film is certainly a romantic comedy. Barfi’s only purpose in life is to make people happy. Even in his sorrows, you will see a sense of smile, comedy and happiness.

Ranbir Kapoor in Barfi

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