India Today Eyecatchers

India Today issue dated September 20, 1999
Sept 20, 1999

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Elections 99

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The Actor Factor
Ismail Merchant and James IvoryTrue, they're always working with high-powered names. But isn't this something else? The Golden Bowl -- the 43rd film from the house of Ismail Merchant and James Ivory -- stars Angelica Huston, Nick Nolte and Uma Thurman. Shooting for the film has already begun in a 16th century London mansion. "It is a pleasure to do another Henry James novel," says Merchant, "particularly one with rich characters and a powerful story carrying contemporary overtones." Not to forget a megaton cast.

A Girl Called Gracie
Gracie SinghOkay, so she's the one. Director Ashutosh Gowarikar has finally zeroed in on Gracie Singh as the female lead in Aamir Khan's home production Lagaan. "It will be challenging to act opposite Aamir," chuckles Gracie, now rechristened Gauri. This may be her film debut, but the girl's no greenhorn. She acts in the hit Zee TV soap Amaanat. And Gowarikar screentested the likes of Nandita Das and Rani Mukherjee before choosing her. Now if that isn't flattering, what is?

Fringe Benefits
Adil HussainAfter John Gielgud, Lawrence Olivier and Richard Burton there's ... well, there's Adil Hussain. It was a double bonanza for Delhi-based theatre director Roysten Abel's Othello -- A Play in Black and White at the recent Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The play won the prestigious Fringe First Award, and the reviewer for The Scotsman newspaper which gives the award was so bowled over by Hussain that he wrote, "Adil Hussain's performance as Othello is, bar none, the best acting I have seen in any Shakespeare play, including Peter Brook's Tempest." That's praise in black and white, right?

Just for the Record
Anil KumbleHere's some good news from Anil Kumble's camp. The dashing cricketer is getting TWI to make a 40 to 45 minute film on his record 10-wicket haul earlier this year. "It will be a collector's item," says his manager Navneet Sharma. The documentary -- with a voice-over by Harsha Bhogle -- will have comments from his contemporaries, his parents and ordinary people, plus footage of Jim Laker (the only other bowler to achieve this feat) and Kumble's own analysis of each wicket he took that day. "Anil," adds Sharma, "is very excited." But of course.

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