"I want to meet Govinda," said the ad in The Bombay
Times. Loads of his fans do, you know. Just that this one happened to be
eight-year-old Ramesh Dhdiban Pokale, a blood-cancer patient and a
farmer's son. The nice part comes now. The star's daughter spotted the ad -- placed by the
Make A Wish (MAW) Foundation of India -- and insisted that daddy dearest play the good
guy. Who would dare defy a daughter? Govinda dropped by soon after and
spent an hour chatting with Ramesh in Marathi. "When you're well," he promised,
"I'll take you to my studio and we can dance together." Says Jayanthi Shekhar,
an maw volunteer: "The visit made a world of difference. Ramesh is now a happier
child." One complaint: our Hero No. 1 forgot his Promise No. 1, that he would help
the boy financially "in the next 24 hours". "He needs a bone-marrow
transplant," says Shekhar. Well, if this star is no longer smiling on him, surely
someone will.
One Man and a Boat
He's moved beyond the city and into the river. Dominique
Lapierre -- author of The City of Joy , co-author of Freedom at Midnight, and
architect of many a mission on Calcutta's streets -- is back to the rescue, this time in
the Ganges delta. A boat-dispensary he launches this month will come to the aid of the
region's impoverished citizens, plagued as they are, says Lapierre, by "tuberculosis,
man-eating tigers and worse". The $120,000 (Rs 43.2 lakh) project was the result of
royalties from The City ..., donations and Dominiqueda's determination. At 66, how does he
manage? "India gives me my vitamins," he replies. The favour is well-returned.
Duet with Dad
"Zindagi ke safar mein guzar jate hain jo moqam/ Woh phir
nahi aate ... (The moments in life that pass you by will never return ...)"
Actually, sometimes they do. Especially if you're actor-singer Kishore Kumar, and your son
Amit Kumar is re-enacting your life. In Zindagi ka Safar, a serial to be
shown on don't-know-yet-which-channel, Junior plays the whimsical genius that was his late
pater. Says director Chandra Barot (best known for the film Don): "Fans will get to
see all sides of Kishore Kumar -- a good father, a wonderful human being." And
they'll have his son's word for it. Adds Barot: "Amit is paying a tribute to his
father." For a young man whose singing career has not quite taken off, some blessings
from daddy wouldn't hurt.
Book 'Er, He Says
You thought she won the Booker prize for some great writing. Nope,
says E.K. Nayanar, she won it for spewing "anti-communist
venom". Denouncing Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things
in the party paper, Deshabhimani, Kerala's communist CM dismisses the Booker as a
prize instituted by "an mnc selling foodstuff including fishmeal". But hadn't he
congratulated Roy when she won? "I did it before reading the book and because she is
a Malayali, and the daughter of an illustrious woman. Last week I read it and was stunned.
She has not even spared her mother!" O brother! this girl's in trouble (and never
mind her agent, David Godwin's remark that "the book speaks for itself"). Says
senior CPI(M) ideologue, P. Govinda Pillai: "The book is a squint-eyed view of Kerala
reality which suits the prejudices of the Orientalist West." Ouch!
"I want to meet Govinda," said the ad in The Bombay
Times. Loads of his fans do, you know. Just that this one happened to be
eight-year-old Ramesh Dhdiban Pokale, a blood-cancer patient and a
farmer's son. The nice part comes now. The star's daughter spotted the ad -- placed by the
Make A Wish (MAW) Foundation of India -- and insisted that daddy dearest play the good
guy. Who would dare defy a daughter? Govinda dropped by soon after and
spent an hour chatting with Ramesh in Marathi. "When you're well," he promised,
"I'll take you to my studio and we can dance together." Says Jayanthi Shekhar,
an maw volunteer: "The visit made a world of difference. Ramesh is now a happier
child." One complaint: our Hero No. 1 forgot his Promise No. 1, that he would help
the boy financially "in the next 24 hours". "He needs a bone-marrow
transplant," says Shekhar. Well, if this star is no longer smiling on him, surely
someone will. 
He's moved beyond the city and into the river. Dominique
Lapierre -- author of The City of Joy , co-author of Freedom at Midnight, and
architect of many a mission on Calcutta's streets -- is back to the rescue, this time in
the Ganges delta. A boat-dispensary he launches this month will come to the aid of the
region's impoverished citizens, plagued as they are, says Lapierre, by "tuberculosis,
man-eating tigers and worse". The $120,000 (Rs 43.2 lakh) project was the result of
royalties from The City ..., donations and Dominiqueda's determination. At 66, how does he
manage? "India gives me my vitamins," he replies. The favour is well-returned. 
"Zindagi ke safar mein guzar jate hain jo moqam/ Woh phir
nahi aate ... (The moments in life that pass you by will never return ...)"
Actually, sometimes they do. Especially if you're actor-singer Kishore Kumar, and your son
Amit Kumar is re-enacting your life. In Zindagi ka Safar, a serial to be
shown on don't-know-yet-which-channel, Junior plays the whimsical genius that was his late
pater. Says director Chandra Barot (best known for the film Don): "Fans will get to
see all sides of Kishore Kumar -- a good father, a wonderful human being." And
they'll have his son's word for it. Adds Barot: "Amit is paying a tribute to his
father." For a young man whose singing career has not quite taken off, some blessings
from daddy wouldn't hurt. 
You thought she won the Booker prize for some great writing. Nope,
says E.K. Nayanar, she won it for spewing "anti-communist
venom". Denouncing Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things
in the party paper, Deshabhimani, Kerala's communist CM dismisses the Booker as a
prize instituted by "an mnc selling foodstuff including fishmeal". But hadn't he
congratulated Roy when she won? "I did it before reading the book and because she is
a Malayali, and the daughter of an illustrious woman. Last week I read it and was stunned.
She has not even spared her mother!" O brother! this girl's in trouble (and never
mind her agent, David Godwin's remark that "the book speaks for itself"). Says
senior CPI(M) ideologue, P. Govinda Pillai: "The book is a squint-eyed view of Kerala
reality which suits the prejudices of the Orientalist West." Ouch! 
