Entertainment Stop

Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince Review

2009-07-15T15:47:00.000+05:30

Nine long years since the first Harry Potter movie hit the screens across the world but the enthusiasm refuses to die down. This time around Harry Potter has kept his fans waiting for almost two years the longest break fans have had to endure for a new movie adventure about the teen wizard. Director David Yates has made sure that the wait for the fans has been worthwhile. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint who have lived these roles almost half their lives do not disappoint this summer.

In Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) are best pals. Harry's biggest challenge in the school is a secret assignment by Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). Harry suspects that new dangers may lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle with Lord Voldemort (who surprisingly doesn't appear in the entire movie). Dumbledore needs Harry to help him uncover a vital key to unlocking Voldemort's defences critical information known only to Hogwarts' former Potions Professor, Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent).

With that in mind, Dumbledore manipulates his old colleague Professor Slughorn into returning to his previous post with promises of more money and the chance to teach Harry. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as adolescent hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry's long friendship with Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) is growing into something deeper, but standing in the way is Ginny's boyfriend and her big brother Ron.

But Ron's has his won romantic entanglements with Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave) lavishing her affections on him. This leaves leaving Hermione simmering with jealousy yet determined not to show her feelings. And then a box of love potion-laced chocolates ends up in the wrong hands and changes everything. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof with far more important matters on his mind. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

The movie acts as a great platform for the Radcliffe, Watson and Grint to display their maturing acting skills and they do not disappoint the audience. Whether their acting careers flourish after "Harry Potter" or not, they will leave behind one of the most successful series of films man has ever seen. Michael Gambon Jim Broadben and Bonnie Wright play their roles well in the movie.

The movie drags a bit toward the end but screenwriter Steve Kloves generally keeps the plot rolling. He also adds a new scenes such as the opening attack on London's Millennium Bridge. At 153 minutes the movie seems a shade longer perhaps a 10 minute editing would have made it look better. Harry Potter has always set high standards when it has come visual-effects and Half Blood Price in no exception in this regard....Read More

A tribute to the King of Pop

2009-06-26T13:36:00.001+05:30

Heal the world, make it a better place”, these were the words of one of his most famous song. Michael Joseph Jackson better known as the 'King of Pop' was not just a singer he was a culture in himself. The biggest icon of music since the days of Beatles and Elvis Presley in a career spanning four decades Michael achieved what no musician had before him. He was the face of western music in the 80s and 90s becoming a hit machine.

Michael Jackson began his professional career barely at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 and started his solo in career in 1971 while he was still a member group. In the subsequent years, five of his solo studio albums Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995) became world's best-selling records. He was a dominant figure at the start of the MTV culture and became the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following.

If his music pleased the soul his dancing techniques were breathtaking. No artist before or after him has looked so great in stage or in music videos. He popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the 'robot' and the 'moonwalk'. A famous publication had once described him as “A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and colour too.”

Controversies had always been a part and parcel of Michael's life. Starting with the changing colour of his skin to his controversial marriage with Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley Jacko had been a favourite for the paparazzi. The biggest of all perhaps was when he was accused of sexually molesting children at his Neverland den. He also had his share of problems with drugs when became dependent on morphine and demerol.

In his glittering career spread over four decades Jacko became one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. His illustrations career also bagged him 13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career and saw him sell over 750 million albums worldwide. In 1984 his name was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his influence in music the world over.....Read More

Terminator Salvation Review

2009-06-25T17:17:00.006+05:30

A Terminator movie without Arnold Schwarzenegger seems to be difficult to digest after all Arnie had made Terminator a household name. Terminator Salvation is the latest in the Terminator series after The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Joseph McGinty Nichol, better known McG who had directed Charlie's Angels and Full Throttle helms the movie. The Dark Knight's Christian Bale takes up the responsibility of saving the world and Sam Worthington plays a mystery character.

The movie is set in 2018 and the atmosphere is post-apocalyptic. An artificial-intelligence network called Skynet has arranged for the earth’s machines to rise up and launch an attack on mankind. Only a few men and women led by John Connor (Christian Bale) stand between the machines and extinction of mankind. Skynet's pinpoints John's father Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) as their main target. John and others live in the fear of being spotted and killed by digitally-enhanced exterminating robots. Things get complicated with the arrival of a stranger Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington).

Marcus faces a death row and awaits execution. He is visited by Dr. Serena Kogan (Helena Bonham Carter) who offers him a kiss if he agrees to allow his body to be used for cyborg research. There is a lot of mystery that surrounds Marcus. John Connor has doubts if Marcus, who roams around with a mixture of guilt and aggressive machine-blasting fury has retained his human traits or whether he is an agent implanted by the enemy among their ranks.

The screenplay of the movie is weak and it seems robots being programmed to destroy the human race is the one and only plot in the movie. Christian Bale seems ordinary in most of the movie and allows Sam Worthington hijack the attention of the audience. Arnold appears as a robot for a brief period in the movie reminding us of the hay days of the Terminator series. Other characters have been wasted and hardly make an impression in the movie.

Terminator series has been famous for showcasing effects and technology ans setting benchmarks for Hollywood but most of the technology showcased in Salvation is pretty average. Many a times it seems like a flashback of the earlier movies in the series. The sound effects in the movie lack the degree of sonic sophistication which die-hard Terminator fans are used to. The movie seems like a misfit in the Terminator saga.....Read More

Did Ash play a wicked game with Sonam?

2009-05-21T17:42:00.002+05:30

Sonam Kapoor terribly upset with Aishwarya Bachchan as the latter stood as a roadblock to her walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. Sonam who had been signed as a brand ambassador for L'Oreal and was to walk the red carpet a Cannes with other beauties including Aishwarya, Penelope Cruz, Kerry Washington, Beyonce Knowles, Eva Longoria and Scarlett Johansson.

The excited Sonam in an interview dug her own grave when she offended Aishwarya. Sonam had said would be endorsing the youth brand and Aishwarya would appeal to the older women. This certainly did not go down too well with the former Miss World who has been a face of L'Oreal in India for years. Ash refused to walk the red carpet with Sonam and the L'Oreal had to bow down before her demands.

L'Oreal on its part maintained that Sonam's comments had created a lot of adverse effect and to prevent any escalation of the controversy they had asked the Saawariya actress....Read More

Akshay-Twinkle in obscenity row

2009-04-03T14:13:00.001+05:30

Akshay Kumar recently walked the ramp in the Lakme Fashion Week for designer Tarun Tahiliani. After doing his act he went to wife Twinkle Khanna and asked her to unbutton his jeans. This act brought in cheers and roar from the crowd but a certain section was shocked and considered it to be obscene and in bad taste. Little did Akki know that his unbuttoning act would turn into a major obscenity row.

A social worker Anil Nair has submitted a written complaint against the actor, his wife Twinkle, the designer and the organisers of the show to the Vakola police station. He has urged the police to book them for indecent, vulgar and obscene behaviour and submitted clipping and photographs of the event. He said they should be booked under section 292 related to sale of obscene objects and section 293, related with sale of obscene objects to young persons.....Read More

Bigg Boss house mates pay tribute to Goody

2009-03-25T14:58:00.002+05:30

After her racism controversy with Shilpa Shetty on the sets of Celebrity Big Brother, Jade Goody had come to India to win the hearts of the Indians. She was considered to be the most promising celebrity when she took part in the reality show Bigg Boss. The producers had paid the highest price tag to rope in Goody as the only international star on the show.

It is very ironic that Goody's battle with cancer started during the show when her reports revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer. She immediately left the Bigg Boss house but her house mates still remember her and cannot believe that Goody is no more. They still remember seeing her off from the Bigg Boss house in Lonavala and never imagined that will be the last time they would see her.

Debojit Shah said that things happened so fast that he is yet to come in terms with her demise. He added that she was very lovely and also had a smile on her face and was often heard humming tunes of famous Hindi songs. Another house mate Ketaki Dave said that all of them had hoped some miracle would happen and she would be cured.

Raja Chaudhary said he was shocked to hear the new and was sad especially for her kids and worried about them. Calling her a gem of a person he said it was really funny when Payal Rohatgi would translate all that was said in the house to her in English and Goody would try to reply it in her broken Hindi......Read More

Indian to be the next American Idol?

2009-03-12T17:47:00.002+05:30

American born Indian Anoop Desai has made it to the last thirteen of American Idol. The number might be considered unlucky by many around the world but surely not for Anoop. The North Carolina born singer's skills ensured that a special place was created in the final list as the format of the show allows only 12 contestants in the last round.

Host of the show Ryan Seacrest explained that the move came as a result of the shock that fans expressed in the past when deserving candidates could not make it to the final round of the show. He added that till the Top 5 is reached judges can save a singer from getting voted out to preserve real talent on the show......Read More

Abhi wanted to sleep with Zeenat Aman

2009-03-10T16:51:00.000+05:30

He might have one of world's most beautiful woman Aishwarya Bachchan as his wife but as a kid Abhishek Bachchan fantasised the idea of sleeping with Zeenat Aman. In the upcoming episode of Farhan Akhtar's Oye! It's Friday the Junior Bachchan reveals that he admired Zeenat Aman so much that even at that tender age he wanted to bed her.

Abhishek recalls the incident happened on the sets of Mahaan in 1983 starring his father Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman. The entire cast and the crew were having dinner and once Zeenat got up to hit her bed Abhishek followed her and asked if he could join her in her room......Read More

SRK takes a dig at Aamir

2009-02-05T11:42:00.001+05:30

Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan have made a habit of taking dig at each other whenever they meet the media. In an recent interview Aamir had said that Shahrukh enjoys putting others down. At the promotional event for the Swiss watch maker Tag Heue in New Delhi King Khan took a jab on Aamir's character in Ghajini.

Shahrukh said he can take his shirt off to sell a watch but there isn't anything written on his chest unlike Aamir's. He added that he doesn't need to write ads on her chest to sell the watch as they can sell it the normal way. When asked about why he regularly picks on Aamir he replied he did not pick on Aamir but these were small jokes which are made big by the media which.

Shahrukh is not behind anyone when it comes to the promotion of his movies......Read More

Katrina to spend Valentine's Day with Ranbir

2009-02-04T16:06:00.004+05:30

Bollywood bombshell Katrina Kaif is not going to celebrate Valentine's Day with beau Salman but will spend the day with Ranbir Kapoor. Don't let your imagination go too wild as Katrina hasn't dumped Salman and Ranbir parted ways with Deepika. Both the stars will be shooting together on the day for the upcoming movie Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani in Turkey.

Ranbir is planning to take Katrina out for a dinner on the special day. Both the stars can be seen mingling with each other very often these days and go out for dinners regularly. Ranbir's possessive girlfriend Deepika Padukone doesn't seem to be too happy with all these. There relationship has faced turbulence on this issue in the recent past.......Read More

Ranbir's mom raises doubts on Deepika

2009-01-28T16:04:00.001+05:30

It is a well known fact that Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor are struggling to keep up their relationship. Ranbir's mother Neetu Singh is not doing any good to their relationship either with her comments. Neetu was heard as saying Deepika was just another girlfriend in her son's life. The actress of the yesteryears also added that both of them were young and marriage was a long way to go and it was also not sure if they would stick to each other.

Neetu was initially not fond of Deepika and this had resulted in Deepika and Ranbir's first breakup before their Bollywood debuts. Neetu had a liking for Ranbir's Saawariya costar Sonam Kapoor who was known to them since childhood. Deepika's entry marked the end for Ranbir-Sonam friendship......Read More

Salman's father says he is married to Katrina

2009-01-24T13:40:00.001+05:30

It is said that art imitates life. Have Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif tied the knot? Well if Salman's father Salim Khan is to be believed the two stars are now man and wife. In a recent article that appeared on the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna, Salim claimed that that two have tied the knot and religion was not a big issue in the Khan family. He added that he himself had married Helen and son Arbaaz tied the knot with Malaika Arora.

The paper however apologized for the report saying that Salim has been misquoted and Salman and Katrina were still single. Katrina Kaif on her part had demanded a formal apology from the newspaper saying that she was still very much single. She said it was not a small issue and her concerns were more than just movie and endorsements.

It may be mentioned that Saamna was the first to report about Sanjay Dutt's marriage to Manyata when many others had rubbished that claim. What might have added fuel to fire was the fact that Salman had......Read More

Defamation case against Slumdog Millionaire

2009-01-22T16:30:00.002+05:30

Just days after Amitabh Bachchan blasted Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire saying it showed India in poor light the movie is part of a fresh controversy now. The General Secretary of the slum dweller's association has filed a defamation suit against music director A R Rahman and actor Anil Kapoor alleging the movie's title tags the people living in the slum as dogs.

Tapeshwar Vishwakarma who filed the case says that the movie has depicted the people living in the slum in bad taste and used derogatory terms against them. Vishwakarma argues that the use of the term dog in the movie is defamatory. The slum dwellers have approached the State........Read More

CC2C comparable only to Tashan

2009-01-21T18:20:00.003+05:30

Akshay Kumar was till a few days ago called the King of Bollywood who knew the tricks of making Box Office hits despite poor reviews. But one week into the release of Chandni Chowk To China it has been proved that the throne still lies with the audience who can outrightly reject a nonsense which they did in the case of Chandni Chowk To China. Being the first major release of there year CC2C had huge expectation on its shoulder.

Coming after the success of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Ghajini the movie was expected to give the industry more to cheer about after it had starved for big hits last year. Not only did CC2C flop the movie is now being put in the league of Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, Drona but the ideal match has to be Yash Raj Films' Tashan.

Like Tashan Nikhil Advani's Chandni Chowk To China had everything a huge star cast, expensive sets, exotic locales, well shot stunt scenes and most importantly a tremendous marketing campaign. But Nikhil Advani and his team should not have forgotten the integral part of a movie the SCRIPT and the SCREENPLAY which were the only things missing in the movie!

The movie was perfect example of mindless direction on an apology of a script penned by Rajat Arora and Sirdhar Raghvan. The audience were left wondering where was the story? It seemed that stars were choreographed to perform stunts throughout the course of the movie. CC2C with its stunts and songs seemed more like a circus show that a movie.

The only difference with Tashan is that in CC2C even Akshay played a very ordinary part unlike Tashan where only his role was appreciated. Unlimited laughter coupled with funny stunts are becoming an Akshay Kumar trademark. But the problem is the audience tends to get bored with the same kind of roles served under different movie names......Read More

Aamir's new look in 3 Idiots

2009-01-20T17:37:00.001+05:30

If there is one actor in Bollywood who works hard on his look for each of his movies it has to be Aamir Khan. Be it growing beard and hair for Mangal Pandey The Rising or building up eight pack abs for Ghajini Aamir has done it all. The perfectionist actor will soon be seen in a completely new look in Raj Kumar Hirani's 3 Idiots based on Chetan Bhagat's book Five Point Someone.

Aamir who plays a student in the movie has shed around 8 kgs to look lean and young. He said it it was very challenging to put on weight for a movie and shed it for the next. Interestingly Aami's character in the movie draws inspiration from the real life of Ghajini director A R Murugadoss. Aamir added that being an actor, his body was his instrument and he had to change his appearance for new roles......Read More

Aamir turns Salman's teacher

2009-01-19T17:51:00.001+05:30

Salman Khan and Aamir Khan seem to be getting closer by the day. Sallu has so much admiration for the perfectionist Khan that he wants to turn his student. Salman was so impressed with the marketing of Aamir Khan's Ghajini that he wants Aamir to teach him some marketing skills for his upcoming home production Wanted Dead And Alive also starring Ayesha Takia.

It may be mentioned that Salman had seen the preview of Ghajini and given it a thumbs up. He also painted Aamir's character in Ghajini and gifted him. The two stars are in talk of making a sequel to their hit comedy Andaz Apna Apna......Read More

Akshay refuses to accept Screen Award

2009-01-16T12:57:00.003+05:30

Akshay Kumar the undisputed king of Bollywood carries a grief with him of not winning the Best Actor Award ever in his life. But the actor surprised everyone with his humbleness and humility when he refused to accept the Most Popular Actor Award for his performance in Singh Is Kinng. Akshay's argued that Aamir Khan deserved it more for his performance in Ghajini.

Akshay said that Aamir had delivered an awesome performance in Ghajini and it is he who deserved the award. He requested Aamir to accept the award in his place. Akshay's gesture has earned him praises from all quarters in Bollywood and set the right tone for his latest movie Chandni Chowk To China.....Read More

Big B blasts Slumdog Millionaire

2009-01-15T16:37:00.001+05:30

Danny Boyle directed Slumdog Millionaire may have won laurels at the Golden Globe Awards but the movie hasn't impressed Amitabh Bachchan. In his latest blog Big B blasted at the director for showing India in poor light. He added that what Danny Boyle tried to portray was a Westerners perception about India and its people.

The superstar wrote "If Slumdog Millionaire projects India as Third World dirty under belly developing nation and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots, let it be known that a murky under belly exists and thrives even in the most developed nations. Its just that the SM idea authored by an Indian and conceived and cinematically put together by a Westerner, gets creative Globe recognition. The other would perhaps not."

"The commercial escapist world of Indian Cinema had vociferously battled for years, on the attention paid and the adulation given to the legendary Satyajit Ray at all the prestigious Film Festivals of the West, and not a word of appreciation for the entertaining mass oriented box office block busters that were being churned out from Mumbai. The argument. Ray portrayed reality. The other escapism, fantasy and incredulous posturing."

Big B might have had more reasons to fire on Danny Boyle and his movie. The movie portrayed a character.......Read More

Salman and Asin make Katrina insecure

2009-01-13T17:10:00.001+05:30

Katrina Kaif may have never acknowledged her love for Salman Khan but she cannot bear him mingling with any other lady. Salman and his London Dreams costar Asin are seen getting very close these days. After the success of Ghajini, Asin's stardom has touched new heights and Salman seems to have become fond of Asin. The Bollywood hunk even celebrated his birthday with Asin while Katrina was in London.

There are more reasons for Katrina to feel insecure because of Asin. After the success of Ghajini many feel Asin might take Katrina's place as she speaks Hindi fluently unlike Katrina who still hasn't managed to learn the language. Katrina's insecurity made her land on the sets of London Dreams in Chandigarh and she made sure Salman did not mingle with Asin after the shoot.......Read More

Kangana gives a glimpse of her breasts

2009-01-12T16:26:00.000+05:30

She is one of the boldest girl in Bollywood and she has proved she is worth the tag in Daboo Ratnani's 2009 calendar. The Gangster girl has bared it all in the hot calender by one of the most celebrated photographers in Bollywood. Kangana has given a rare video of her twin assets in the picture and this has to be one if the sexiest and the hottest photo shoots in Bollywood.

The other stars who have posed for the calender include Akshay Kumar, Sushmita Sen, Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Kajol, and Deepika Padukone. In the hot star studded calender Kangana has emerged as the hottest star.....Read More

Salman leaves Kat for an auto-rickshaw!

2009-01-05T14:03:00.001+05:30

Salman Khan undoubtedly is one of the most colourful characters in the tinsel town. Be it cycling to his film sets of zooming on his bike at night, Salman has done it all. On Friday night the Bollywood hunk was in a very adventurous mood and drove a auto rickshaw leaving behind lady love Katrina Kaif with the auto driver in his car.

The incident occurred when Salman and Katrina came to dine at the Olive. When the couple were about to leave the restaurant Salman got this bizarre idea of driving an auto rickshaw. He pulled up an auto from the street and the driver was more than happy to hand over his keys to the actor. Salman zoomed in the empty streets of Mumbai followed by Katrina in his car accompanied by the auto driver........Read More

Aamir gets one better than Shahrukh

2008-12-29T10:06:00.002+05:30

They are the two engines of Bollywood driving the industry out of a slump. If Shahrukh with his Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi fueled in new josh to the industry Aamir's Ghajini has given the distributors tremendous confidence in their business. Comparisons between Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Ghajini was quite apparent and this time around Aamir has got one better that Shahrukh.

Shahrukh's fans would argue that its too early to compare Rab Ne.. to Ghajini but this time around even their hero acknowledged Aamir's performance which was flawless. Going by statistics Ghajini received a far better opening than Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi had received. The Aditya Chopra movie has done brisk business in the last two weeks but surely it does not match Shahrukh's performance in Chak De India or Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

Aamir Khan delivered the performance of a lifetime in Ghajini. If Taare Zameen Par showed Aamir's technical understanding of cinema Ghajini is a testimony of his unmatchable acting skills. If Taare Zameen Par showed his courage to venture into unknown territories, Ghajini proved he has not lost his foothold on the mainstream masala movies.

The effort that Aamir Khan put in behind this movie has finally paid off. Be it the stunning physique with eight pack abs that he made or the scarred hairstyle he sported, Aamir left no room for error. A startling fact about Aamir's movies are that even the die hard fans of his rival stars do not like to miss his movies......Read More

Rahul Mahajan to tie knot with Monica Bedi

2008-11-19T12:28:00.001+05:30

Rahul Mahajan may have been thrown out of the reality show Bigg Boss but the reality show seems to have earned him his second soul mate in Monica Bedi. If sources close to the couple are to be believed they are planning to tie the knot soon. It was initially thought to be a one sided affair but now it seems cupid has also stricken Monica.

Monica revealed that she knows Rahul's feeling for her are genuine and he wants to marry her. But before such a commitment she would like to talk to him off the cameras which was not possible during their stay at the Bigg Boss house. She added that although she trusted Rahul she was skeptical about marriage as she had committed a grave mistake in the past.

It is interesting as this will be the second marriage for both of them. Rahul was married to Shweta Singh after 13 years of friendship but the marriage ended in a bitter divorce after Shweta alleged physical torture. On the other hand Monica had tied knot with underworld don Abu Salem and had even stayed with him in Gulf with a fake name.......Read More

Bigg Boss inmates make a house break

2008-11-18T08:54:00.002+05:30

Bigg Boss and controversy go hand in hand and just before the Grand Finale all the inmates have broken the most important rule. Raja Chaudhary, Rahul Mahajan, Zulfi Sayed and Ashutosh Kaushik jumped the walls of the Bigg Boss house in Lonavla and were caught red handed. The reason given by them was enough to make a normal man go insane. They said they were tired of home cooked food and wanted to taste food outside.

With all the contestants of the fairer sex gone and Zulfi refusing to cook they seemed to have no choice. It was surprising to see them try to scale the wall knowing the entire house is under the surveillance of cameras. As soon as they jumped the walls the security guards present got into action and they were asked to get in the premises of the Bigg Boss house.....Read More

Poonam won't go nude for Playboy

2008-11-11T09:18:00.004+05:30

Bollywood bombshell Poonam Jhawer has turned down an offer from Playboy to go nude. Poonam who does not shy away from dressing bold in the tinsel town found their offer too hot to handle. This was the second time the renowned celebrity magazine had approached her shoot for them. Poonam was offered a huge sum of money to go completely nude in one of their upcoming issue......Read More

Aamir not happy with Ghajini looks

2008-10-30T11:47:00.001+05:30

He is known as the perfectionist actor in Bollywood and with his stunning look in the movie Ghajini he has again proved he is worth the tag. Shahrukh Khan had done it in Om Shanti Om and just when six pack abs was becoming a forgotten term Aamir has induced some fresh air to it. While the world is going gaga about his looks Aamir does not seem to be too happy with his looks.

Aamir Khan suffers from the 'never happy' syndrome like all perfectionists who think they could have done better. In his latest blog amirkhan.com he says "So what do y''all think of the first look of Ghajini? Actually I could have gotten into better shape. Had to stop training during the release of TZP, so, lost a month and a half there. But it was impossible for me to train through that period. And I was also a little careless with my diet around that time. Grrr. How I wish I had found the mental strength to keep at it."

Priyanka talks of wardrobe malfunction

2008-10-29T14:46:00.001+05:30

Priyanka Chopra is all very excited about her upcoming movie Fashion portraying the darker secrets of the fashion world. Having come from a modelling background Priyanka is not a greenhorn to the glamour world. She talks about her experience of wardrobe malfunction when she was modelling in Goa at the age of 17. Priyanka says her zipper gave off and she felt very scary.........Read More

Kyunki it had to end someday

2008-10-23T13:24:00.002+05:30

The numerous fight over the TV remote and delay in dinner is soon going to be a thing of the past as Ekta Kapoor's never ending saas bahu saga Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi draws curtains. It is a huge relief for majority of the television audience as Viranis will not be a reason for quarrels at home. From bus stops to the bedrooms there will not be talks of Tulsi and Mihir. With Kyunki Ekta Kapoor's 'K' trilogy of Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and Kasautii Zindagii Kay finally comes to an end.

Kyunki had a fairytale run in the beginning and made stars out of ordinary actor like Smriti Irani and Amar Upadhyay. It even outstripped Kaun Banega Crorepati to become the most popular television show. The audience were so much into the show that Mihir had to be made alive even after his death. The Indian Television Awards became a one serial show and the woman folk around the country put everything in the backseat for that half an hour.......Read More

Star Plus to take Kyunki Saas...off air

2008-10-21T15:54:00.001+05:30

Balaji Telefilms and Star India Pvt Ltd are again at loggerheads after Star decided to terminate the telecast of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi from Nov 10. Balaji which produces the serial argues it as breach of contract by Star. Yeh Rishtha Kya Kehlata Hai is all set to step into time slot of one of the most successful Television shows ever.

Star had recently scrapped its exclusive content deal with Balaji and even sold back 26% equity to Ekta Kapoor. Another major area of concern for Balaji Teleflims is the drastic falling of its share price at the stock market after Star had scrapped the deal. Balaji which produces six serials for Star Plus currently is not denying legal actions against the Rupert Murdoch owned group.....Read More

Is Amitabh overworking himself?

2008-10-14T16:08:00.002+05:30

As the 'Superstar of the Millennium' Amitabh Bachchan lies in the hospital and fans pray for his speedy recovery all across the country a question arises has Big B overworked himself? There may be no correct answer to this question but the fact remains like all human beings our beloved Big B is also showing signs of ageing.

Over the last decade the legendary actor has been as busy as he was ever in his illustrious career. In the last ten years he has worked in a whopping 67 movies which have also included narration and guest appearance. In the same period his nearest competitors Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan have been associated with 46 and 42 projects respectively. Add to this the two seasons of Television show Kaun Banega Cropepati and numerous ad campaigns that he has been a part of. All this has definitely taken a toll on Amitabh's body.

All his contemporary actors like Shatrughan Sinha, Vinod Khanna and Rajesh Khanna have faded away into Bollywood's pages of history but Big B resists to bow down. Be it in Mohabbatein with Shahrukh Khan or in Baghban with Salman Khan he has always given the younger generation a run for their money. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the tinsel town's hottest babe Mallika Sherawat finds Amitabh Bachchan the hottest among all the actors in the industry......Read More

Abhishek still no match for Hrithik

2008-10-13T09:46:00.004+05:30

Ever since Abhishek Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan made their debut in 2000 they have regularly been compared and pitted against each other. Having Bollywood genes in their blood both have had a similar childhood and grew up around the silver screen. But when it comes to acting and stardom Hrithik has always been miles ahead of Abhishek.

Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai and Refugee released in the same year. Roshan Jr announced his arrival in style while Abhishek had a tough time stepping into his father's shoes. When the two stars came together on screen for first time in Dhoom 2 also featuring Aishwarya it was Hrithik's show once again and he seemed to be too heavy for Abhishek. Critics would argue that Hrithik was given a better role but a good actor will make his presence felt even in a cameo. Isn't Sholay more remembered for Amjad Khan than for Amitabh and Dharmendra.

Then came the biggest battle between the two stars when Abhishek decided to Drona to challenge Hrithik who had become Bollywood's most famous superhero after his breathtaking performance in Krrish. This time too sadly Junior B failed to put up a show against his childhood friend Duggu. Not only the film fail to achieve a good opening across the country, it is now even been compared to Tashan another disaster of the year.......Read More

Himesh Reshammiya still uses a wig

2008-10-13T09:43:00.001+05:30

Himesh Reshammiya has always maintained that he has worked vary hard for his upcoming movie Karzzzz. The music director turned actor confessed that he even went for hair transplant to hide his bald patches. But all that might just be a publicity stunt as it is being rumoured that the nasal singer is still bald and his silky locks are nothing but a Japanese wig........Read More

Aishwarya avoids question on Shahrukh

2008-10-06T15:32:00.001+05:30

The Bachchans and Shahrukh Khan always have friction in their relationship. When it just looked like Shahrukh had patched up with the Bachchans by attending the premier of Abhishek's Drona there was a twist in the tale. This time it involved Bachchan bahu Aishwarya who did not want to answer a question related to SRK. A journo asked if SRK was back in the Bachchan camp to which Ash replied that she cannot answer such a 'ridiculous question'.......Read More

Aamir Khan: India's Oscar Man

2008-09-30T11:38:00.001+05:30

There is a saying 'history repeats itself' and for Aamir Khan history has indeed repeated itself. In 2002 his first home production Lagaan was nominated for the 74th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category before loosing out narrowly to No Man's Land. His Rang De Basanti was also nominated for the prestigious awards. This time around his directorial debut Taare Zameen Par is again going to the Oscars.

The entire nation has set its eyes on the Academy Awards as ever since Taare Zameen Par released. It was instantly touted to be a Oscar material. In the recent years perhaps no other Indian movie has had such a consensus while being nominated for the prestigious awards. The movie which portrays the story of a dyslexic kid played by Darsheel Safary is perhaps India's best entry into the Oscars.....Read More

Sardars in Bollywood movies

2008-09-17T17:09:00.003+05:30

They were once used to add a comic angle to the scripts but now it seems scripts are being written around them. Yes we are talking about our very own Sardars. Portraying a Sardar seems to have become the coolest thing in the industry right now. After Akshay Kumar rocked the nation with Singh Is Kinng we will soon see Salman Khan playing a Sardar in Heroes. Saif Ali Khan is the latest to join the club and will be seen in a turban in his home production directed by Imtiaz Ali.

The reason behind this paradigm shift seems to be the international markets which presently contribute a huge share of the gross revenue of the movies। Today scripting of the movies is done keeping in mind a wider and plural audience. The substantial presence of the Punjabis across the globe is another factor contributing to this. रीड मोरे

Kanye West arrested at LA airport

2008-09-15T15:08:00.002+05:30

US rapper Kanye West was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of felony vandalism after an quarrel with a photographer. Kanye grabbed the 10000 dollar camera from the paparazzo and smashed it on the ground. The paparazzo was heard screaming for help to the cops but no one turned up......Read More....

Akshay wants to bring Katrina home!

2008-09-15T14:34:00.003+05:30

Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif are currently the hottest jodi in the industry and the new King of Bollywood wants to bring Katrina home! Well before you jump into conclusion lets clear by home we mean home production. After delivering three consecutive hits Namastey London, Welcome and Singh Is Kinng with Katrina Akki considers her to be his lucky mascot and wants her to be in his first home production De Dhana Dhan.....Read More

Saif, Kareena desperate to romance onscreen

2008-01-12T10:37:00.001+05:30

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor are not content with romancing off the screen. The hottest couple in Bollywood want to be seen on screen romancing with each other. The duo have approached producer Kumar Mangat to make a prequel to the their 2006 hit movie Omkara. The movie was inspired by William Shakespeare's drama Othello.

Saif had suggested the idea of a prequel after the success of the movie. The Chotte Nawab might be eager to do this as he has Kareena by his side now. Vishal Bharadwaj, the director of the movie is also excited....Read More

Kareena takes a dig at Priyanka Chopra

2008-01-10T11:57:00.000+05:30

Kareena Kapoor has again hit back at Priyanka Chopra. Rumours are doing rounds that Bebo has said that Priyanka cannot act. A few weeks back Kareena had commented that among her contemporaries in the industry only Rani Mukherjee can act and others are not even worth mentioning. Priyanka however replied to this in a politically correct manner by saying that she respects the opinion of her seniors.....Read More

John and Bips getting engaged in January

2007-12-31T17:58:00.000+05:30

John Abraham and Bipasha Basu have been dating each other for the last five years. Now it seems their relationship is going a step further with the couples likely to exchange rings as early as January 2008. This comes as a surprise to many who were spreading rumours that the hottest couple in Bollywood are in for a split.

The parents of both the stars recently met and the marriage between the two were discussed. Both John and Bips are very close to their families and thus they want them to do the talking........Read More

Shahrukh to be the villain in Krrish 2

2007-12-27T14:19:00.000+05:30

The role of the villain in the movie Krrish 2 seems to be really interesting. First we heard Hritik Roshan wanting to play the role of the anti-hero, now it seems the character will be played by none other than superstar Shahrukh Khan. The film will not be directed by Rakesh Roshan who had directed Krrish. This time around Rang De Basanti director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra will be calling the shots. The script has been penned by Rakesh......Read More

Ranbir in love with Sonam Kapoor

2007-12-26T11:52:00.000+05:30

Ranbir and Sonam Kapoor seem to be carrying on their dreamy romance from Saawariya. The two co stars seem to be all in love. Ranbir has always admired Sonam's beauty and on many occasions claimed that she is just too beautiful. They are being spotted very often these days in public places. They were recently seen walking holding hands at a five star hotel and were completely at ease proving there is more to the relationship than just friendship.....Read More

Mallika Sherawat entering politics!

2007-12-24T16:26:00.000+05:30

Bollywood bombshell Mallika Sherawat is always associated to glamorous role where she uses the slightest of opportunities to show her skin. However the actress is all set to enter politics! Well not in the true sense but she will be starring in a political satire. The film will be directed by Kundan Shah who has in the past made movies like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro which in a comical manner talked about the corruption in Indian business political system......Read More

Aishwarya remains silent on pregnancy

2007-12-21T15:27:00.000+05:30

Being a Bachchan bahu is never easy as there is a constant media glare on you and when the person in question is Aishwarya, the trouble magnifies. It was in April that Aishwarya tied knot with Abhishek Bachchan and now rumours are doing round that Aishwarya is pregnant. The actress said that it is at times frustrating to listen to all these rumours which are nowhere the truth.....Read More

Kareena wants to revive things with Shahid!

2007-12-20T16:13:00.000+05:30

Kareena Kapoor is today the unquestioned queen of Bollywood. This year has seen her take giant steps in her career and leaving her competitors behind in the race. She has ruled the news reels with her highly publicised breakup with Shahid Kapoor and instant hooking with Saif Ali Khan. After her blockbuster with one time beau Shahid she is today the highest paid actress in the industry.......Read More

Priyanka to rule Bollywood in 2008

2007-12-18T18:16:00.000+05:30

Priyanka Chopra had a very ordinary 2007 with just two releases Salaam-e-Ishq and Big Brother both of which fared poorly at the Box Office. However 2008 promises to be the Bollywood beauty's biggest so far with as many as six releases coming up. Priyanka is keenly looking forward in what promises to be her busiest year so far.....Read More

Prachi Desai wins Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa

2007-12-17T14:26:00.000+05:30

Prachi Desai popularly known as Bani in Kasam Se was crowned champion of the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Prachi who was one of the favourites among the audience won the contest defeating her rivals Sandhya Mridul and Jay Bhanushali in the grand finale. The young actress along with her choreographer Deepak won a prize money of Rs 50 lakh.

Wearing a red dress Prachi put up a stunning show in front of the audience. The actress however controlled her emotions when others were busy consoling Sandhya. Prachi who belonged to the Balaji camp got four days of break form Ekta Kapoor to prepare for the grand finale. However such a favour was denied to Balaji boy Jay Bhanushali.....Read More

Scorpions leave Shillong dazzled

2007-12-14T12:40:00.000+05:30

German rock band Scorpions left the entire town of Shillong dazzled with their music when they performed to a strong 45000 audience in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Thousands of fans gathered from all around India and as far as Bangkok gathered in the town for the gig. Scorpions kicked off their Asian leg of the 'Humanity World Tour' in newly christened 'Rock Capital' of India.

The attendance recorded was the highest so far for any international band in North East so far. People irrespective of their age where charged up listening to the guitar chords. The band gigged with Rock You Like a Hurricane and their singles Winds of Change, Still Loving You, Send Me an Angel, No One Like Yo. They also performed form their latest album 'Humanity Hour 1' songs like The Future Never Dies, Humanity, and Love Will Keep Us Alive

Lead vocalist Klaus Meine said that he felt great to be in the 'Rock Capital' of India. Matthias Jabs the lead guitarist was amazed by the feel of performing in Shillong which is so different form other places in India. Shillong over the last few years have seen a whole lot of performances by western bands which included Petra, Firehouse, MLTR, Air Supply and also performances by Iron Maiden's front man Paul Di Anno and Mr. Big

Shahrukh receives threat calls from the underworld

2007-12-13T16:29:00.000+05:30

Shahrukh Khan's recent blockbuster Om Shanti Om has earned him a fortune. Industry experts have estimated it to gross more than Rs 200 crores. All this has not gone unnoticed by the Mumbai underworld. The actor has received repeated threat calls from gangster Bunty Pandey demanding Rs 2 crore from him.

Shahrukh initially refused to answer the calls from the gangster after which Pandey sent six gang members the actors Bandra residence Mannat to threaten him. The actor immediately informed the Anti Terrorist Squad of the Mumbai police. This is not the first instance that King Khan has received threat calls from the underworld....Read More

Prashant wows audience in US

2007-12-12T17:02:00.001+05:30

Indian Idol winner Prashant Tamang finished a successful tour of the US. The singing sensation performed to packed houses in Washington, Boston, New York City and Atlanta. Prashant wowed the audience across US singing Hindi and Nepali songs. The singer make the event come alive when he invited the female audience to come on stage and sing with him. The shows also was UK based R&B singer Raghav perform with Prashant......Read More

Kareena gets rich after split with Shahid

2007-12-11T13:30:00.000+05:30

Kareena Kapoor's life is on a roll these days. After splitting with Shahid Kapoor she claims to have found a perfect life partner in Saif Ali Khan and now her purse is just getting heavier by the day. Bebo is today the highest paid actress in the industry. The actress is cashing on the success of Jab We Met with her ex Shahid and is charging a whopping Rs 3.5 crore per film....Read More

Abhi enjoying an extended honeymoon with Ash

2007-12-06T13:26:00.000+05:30

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Bachchan have been married for over seven months now but Bollywood's first couple seems to be addicted to each other. They are always spotted together in the very rare public appearances together. Abhi and Ash where together in Hyderabad spent some quality time together and the actor was heard saying he is enjoying his extended honeymoon.......Read More

Brett Lee to star opposite Amrita Rao in Victory

2007-12-05T13:51:00.001+05:30

Australian pace spearhead Brett Lee is all set make his debut in Bollywood opposite actress Amrita Rao in a sports movie Victory. The movie will be the story of a cricketer and will also star other cricketers like Allan Border, Mike Hussey and Jason Gillespie. The movie will be produced by Vivek Aggarwal and calling the shots will be debutant director Ajit Pal......Read More

Harman says Bipasha is too old for him

2007-12-04T16:28:00.000+05:30

Harman Baweja's debut movie Love Story 2050 is yet to be released but it seems the actor is already choosy about his films. The actor has incidentally turned down an offer from Tips to act in a movie opposite Bipasha Basu saying that Bips is too old for him. The young actor made his stance clear that he wants to only co star young beauties.....Read More

Deepika patches up with ex boyfriend

2007-11-28T15:44:00.000+05:30

Deepika Padukone is the news maker in the tinsel town these days. The Bollywood actress who gave a solid performance in Om Shanti Om is reportedly back with her ex flame Nihar Pandya. The actress is being spotted too often with Nihar in social events and private parties. Deepika however maintains she is still single......Read More

Beowulf Review

2007-11-27T14:37:00.000+05:30

Beowulf is an ancient English epic poem written in 700 AD told through animation. It is a simple story about a Geatland warrior Beowulf (Ray Winstone) who arrives on Danish shores to rid them of a monster known as Grendel (Crispin Glover). Grendel's mother (Angelina Jolie) is both stunning and seductive in the movie. The movie is directed by Robert Zemeckis of Forest Gump and Back to the Future Fame.

The film has a perfect opening and showcases the brutal nature of that era. Danish King, Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins), inaugurates his newly constructed mead-hall. The townsfolk and soldiers are are intoxicated and enjoying however the King's beautiful young bride, Queen Wealtheow (Robin Wright Penn), is aloof from her husband and his subjects.

The joy turns into sorrow when a gruesome monster named Grendel (Crispin Glover) attacks the hall, killing half the people. Grendel has done it previously and he is a threat to the kingdom. King Hrothgar, challenges him and the the monster retreats back to his cave deep in the mountains. Beowulf, a young hero from distant lands,pledges to kill the dreadful beast. His previous accounts of bravery hardly ease the worries of local townsfolk, who eye him with distrust. Unferth (John Malkovich), the king's advisor, predicts death for Beowulf and his men. He relates that Beowulf once lost a swimming contest in the North Sea to another hero named Breca....Read More

Salman Khan wants Shahid Kapoor dropped

2007-11-23T09:37:00.000+05:30

Salman Khan is leaving no stone unturned to prevent his lady love Katrina Kaif with actor Shahid Kapoor. There are rumours that the actor has even asked director Rajkumar Santoshi to drop Shahid Kapoor from the movie. Salman does not share a good rapport with Shahid after both of them had problems during their world tour a few years ago.....Read More

Ratatouille - Review

2007-11-21T15:21:00.000+05:30

One of the must watch animation movies where Remy a young rat from the French countryside moves to Paris with the dream of becoming a great chef despite his family's opposition. Unlike his family members who could consume anything, Remy was born with a certain gift of scent and taste. In Paris Remy arrives at Gusteau’s, a world famous restaurant best known for its French cuisine. Auguste Gusteau was the greatest chef in the world and had written a book “Anyone Can Cook”. Remy had taken inspiration from the book and thought of becoming a great chef one day.

Remy learns realities of life as to how rats are hated in the kitchen. There are at times when he is at the crossroads of whether to chase his dreams of go back to being a rat for ever. He meets the Linguini a restaurant's new garbage boy who at ones is impressed by Remy's cooking talent. Together they make an alliance and Linguini hides Remy below his chef's hat; from where Remy pulls on Linguini's hair directing him to create marvelous new dishes.......Read More

Lions For Lambs - Review

2007-11-20T18:09:00.000+05:30

Lion for Lambs is a plot set in post 9/11 world when America is fighting the war on terror in Afghanistan. Republican senator Jasper Irving (Tom Cruise), who offers reporter Janine Roth (Meryl Streep) an exclusive story during a rare interview. In return for this she has to print the story of a new strategy to to occupy by small units, strategic points in the mountains before the Taliban occupy them. He hopes Roth's positive coverage will convince the public of his plans. Roth not happy being a part of the propaganda reluctantly publishes the report as her boss sees huge commercial gains

Two students Arian (Derek Luke) and Ernest (Michael Peria) at a West Coast University inspired by their professor Dr. Malley (Robert Redford) join the US Army to fight the war in Afghanistan. Malley is happy and shocked over their descision. He now devotes time to inspire the frat genius Hay (Andrew Garfield) to be like.......Read More

Salman Khan is upset with Katrina

2007-11-20T14:10:00.000+05:30

Are Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif on the brink of a split. If insiders are to be believed all is not well between Bollywood's hottest hunk and the glam gal. The couple are indulging in regular fights and the trouble in their relationship is become very obvious......Read More

Diya Mirza slaps Manoj Bajpai!

2007-11-15T15:18:00.001+05:30

In the movie Dus Kahaniyaan there was a shot when Diya Mirza was required to slap he co actor Manoj Bajpai. The duo had spent a lot of time rehearsing the shot where Diya would take her hand close to Manoj's cheeks to give the impression of slapping him......Read More

Salman dumps Lara Dutta for Deepika Padukone

2007-11-14T18:02:00.000+05:30

Bollywood hunk Salman Khan has been bowled clean by the new Bollywood sensation Deepika Padukone. The actor was so impressed with her performance in Om Shanti Om that he dumped Lara Dutta and has cast Deepika opposite him in his upcoming movie Mr. and Mrs. Khanna. The movie is being produced by Salman himself.......Read More

Saawariya lost out to OSO marketing

2007-11-13T15:59:00.000+05:30

One of the biggest Bollywood wars of the recent times is on and Om Shanti Om has won the first battle over Saawariya. The irony of it is that the success is not because of superior script but a better marketing campaign. When it came to selling the reels Sanjay Leela Bhansali was no match for the mass appeal of Shahrukh Khan......Read More

Kareena Kapoor trying best to patch up!

2007-11-12T16:57:00.000+05:30

Kareena Kapoor surprised everyone when she was spotted at the premier of Saawariya to support her cousin Ranbir who is playing the lead in the movie. All is not well between the two factions of the Kapoor khandan and it was learnt that Kareena was not invited by the Kapoors but director Sanjay Leela Bhansali..........Read More

Rani to shoot on her wedding date!

2007-11-09T17:01:00.000+05:30

Rani Mukherjee is now tired of denying rumours about her marriage with filmmaker Adiyta Chopra. She rubbished reports that she and Aditya were plaining to tie knot at a hotel in February next year. It is alleged that she is the reason for the breakup of Aditya's marriage with his wife Payal. She said has worked in many movies under Yash Chopra banner and shared very professional relationship with Aditya.......read more

Bombay Blast : Judgment Day

2007-08-05T19:49:00.000+05:30

Recently judgment was delivered on the Bombay Blasts Case as it is referred because the city had its old name when those unfortunate incidents took place. Many things have changed in these 13 years, the city for one has got a new name Mumbai; powers have changed hands a couple of times in the state. Dawood Ibrahim the prime accused in the case fled from India soon after with his family and all the key members of his gang to Gulf and some are said to be presently residing in Pakistan. What perhaps hasn’t changed is India and its criminal justice system, the long delays happening in the courtroom, witnesses being examined and the countless span of time the victims have to wait in the hope of justice. There is a famous saying “Justice delayed is justice denied”. It took 13 years to deliver sentences in one of the most high profile cases in the history of independent India.

The incident which had shocked the country had the recipes of a Bollywood movie and even a superstar among the suspects. A few books have been written on this incident and even a movie made which fell into controversy even before it was released. Several hours of news content has been dedicated to asses the progress of the case. But apart from a key member Abu Salem who split from Dawood’s gang or D Company as it is referred most of the key suspects such as Dawood, his younger brother Anees and the planner of the bombings Tiger Memon remain outside India in their safe hideouts.

The questions here arises is can the administration and the judicial system claim to have made justice by sentencing only those people who planted and helped in bringing those explosives to the city. Even if yes what took so long in path to justice in a case concerning the country’s national security. The scale of the blasts gave us clear indications that this was planned months in advance and was a handy work of the D Company the most feared of the underworld gang in the with the logistic support coming from the other side of the border.

The accused that have been served the sentences are only the ground people who have had enough trauma during this period when the case alone ran for 13 years. The point here is that these people deserve the rigorous punishment for their acts, but hasn’t the case been dragged too far over a decade where some of the accused did not live to the day sentences were being served. Doesn’t this send strong signals to those people sitting both inside and outside the border that there are several loop holes in the Indian Judiciary?

So can we really say that judgement has been delivered in the Bombay Bomb Blast case and does this carry any meaning to those families who lost their loved ones in that madness which happened when internet was not even a known medium. That for me is a fraction too long.

Information Age: North-East?

2007-08-05T19:45:00.000+05:30

Being a student of Media and Communication internet for me was the best thing to have happened in the world as whenever there was an assignment to submit the best way was to surf the net, download the information and copy paste add my own touch and print!!!. Sounds easy right, it really is. Well there are lots of better ways to use the net. Words like 'Information Society', 'Information Age', and ‘Information Super Highway' make me feel very excited. The world has truly become a smaller place to live in as all the information we need is just a few words and a few clicks away from us. It’s like a river where information is flowing at a very tremendous rate and anybody who is sitting in any part of the world can access at his own convenience.

Information is one function which respects no geographical boundaries, social differences, economical barriers and which can bring in development at a very fast rate as it unifies all the fragmenting factors that exist in the society.

It is very sad to know that our states in the North East are still lacking behind in the race for communication compared to the other parts of the country. There is a common feeling amongst us that mixing and communicating with the people from other parts of the country may be a threat to our cultural identities and this reason has been used time and again to keep the region isolated from rest of the country. Thus the question arises. Is our culture the same as it was 200 years ago? The answer is a straight No. The culture has evolved, changed from time to time and will continue doing so because what remains unchanged cannot survive. Thus remaining isolated and underdeveloped in the name of protecting cultural identities cannot be accepted. The centre has most of the time been blamed for step motherly attitude, but have we put in our best efforts from inside? Nobody could have stopped us from making north-east a well known place but the truth is that somewhere we have seriously failed ourselves. The problem lies in the fact that in doing so we are seriously falling out of the race of the most prestigious thing of the future 'Information'. It is a well known fact that the future Super power will be the countries which will control the information rather than manufacturing and exports. North-east whose main potential I believe lies in tourism hasn't explored this industry to the maximum especially when the foreign tourist are concerned not because of militancy but because there lack of information to those people across the world. Poor connectivity, infrastructure are also reason but these will change as soon as tourist begin to pour in. For the tourist to first get attracted we need to provide them with 'INFORMATION'. There is no better way than using the internet as it has the broadest coverage and is very cost effective.

It is sad when a part of the country underperforms in an industry but it is an absolute misery when it doesn’t even after having the tremendous potential to do so. It is for those who motivate public opinion to make people understand that regionalism will not only isolate us but also put this region through a dark age.