There's nothing like a diehard
fan. Last week, 1,000 singers -- housewives, high-school students, bus
conductors, college kids -- got together in Bangalore to render nine poems by the late
Kuppalli Venkatappa Puttappa a.k.a. Kuvempu (Kannada literature's first Jnanpith awardee)
on his birth anniversary. Says singer-composer C. Aswath who organised the show:
"Most of them had no singing experience. It took almost six months of patient
training." The patience of a diehard fan.
Take this Being cast in aDevdasremake must be flattering for Shah
Rukh Khan -- he's an admirer of Dilip Kumar who played Devdas in the film's
1955 version. But the two have lots more in common: » They share a surname. Dilipsaab's real name is Yusuf Khan,
remeber? » At a recent function in Delhi, Saira Banu pointed to their similar
hairstyles. Everytime I meet Shah Rukh, she said, "I do this" (running her
fingers through his hair), "then I do this" (running her fingers through hubby's
hair). Common hairstyle, common admirer too. » Dilipsaab's a stylised method actor. Shah Rukh's a stylised
imitator. » Dilipsaab is rumoured to have virtually directed Ganga Jumna
and Dil Diya Dard Liya. Ditto Shah Rukh with Duplicate and Phir Bhi Dil Hai
Hindustani. » Dilipsaab played a negative role in Amar. Shah Rukh in
Darr, then again, and again. Got it?
No Shhh.. You never know what may offend
the
Indian censor board. First it was Queen Elizabeth's "quinny" in Shekhar Kapur's
film. Now it's the more prosaic "shit". In Rakesh Roshan's forthcoming Kaho
Naa ... Pyar Hai, heroine Amisha Patel does what to the board is the unthinkable.
While trying to talk to hero Hrithik Roshan, when a horde of girls pulls him away, she
exclaims, "Oh shit." Disgraceful, cried the board. Says Rakesh Roshan, "I
tried to argue with them that young people talk this way but they were adamant. So I
edited the sound out." So no swearing in KNPH now. Roshan senior chuckles: "They
really cleaned up my film." Oh ... dear!
The Name Game If Delhi's Connaught Place
can be renamed Rajiv Chowk, why can't a nameless train be called Pather Panchali?
Mamata
Banerjee would ask you that. The railway minister has announced that the 347/348
Kharagpur-Dalbhumgarh passenger train will go by the name earlier sported by Bibhuti
Bhushan Bandopadhyay's novel and Satyajit Ray's film. Reason: it passes through Jhargram
where the writer comes from. "I will give Bengal nine new trains in the new
year," she adds. Imagine if she decides to honour Amartya Sen! We might just get a
train called ... Collective Choice and Social Welfare?
There's nothing like a diehard
fan. Last week, 1,000 singers -- housewives, high-school students, bus
conductors, college kids -- got together in Bangalore to render nine poems by the late
Kuppalli Venkatappa Puttappa a.k.a. Kuvempu (Kannada literature's first Jnanpith awardee)
on his birth anniversary. Says singer-composer C. Aswath who organised the show:
"Most of them had no singing experience. It took almost six months of patient
training." The patience of a diehard fan.
Being cast in a Devdas remake must be flattering for Shah
Rukh Khan -- he's an admirer of Dilip Kumar who played Devdas in the film's
1955 version. But the two have lots more in common: 
You never know what may offend
the
Indian censor board. First it was Queen Elizabeth's "quinny" in Shekhar Kapur's
film. Now it's the more prosaic "shit". In Rakesh Roshan's forthcoming Kaho
Naa ... Pyar Hai, heroine Amisha Patel does what to the board is the unthinkable.
While trying to talk to hero Hrithik Roshan, when a horde of girls pulls him away, she
exclaims, "Oh shit." Disgraceful, cried the board. Says Rakesh Roshan, "I
tried to argue with them that young people talk this way but they were adamant. So I
edited the sound out." So no swearing in KNPH now. Roshan senior chuckles: "They
really cleaned up my film." Oh ... dear!
If Delhi's Connaught Place
can be renamed Rajiv Chowk, why can't a nameless train be called Pather Panchali?
Mamata
Banerjee would ask you that. The railway minister has announced that the 347/348
Kharagpur-Dalbhumgarh passenger train will go by the name earlier sported by Bibhuti
Bhushan Bandopadhyay's novel and Satyajit Ray's film. Reason: it passes through Jhargram
where the writer comes from. "I will give Bengal nine new trains in the new
year," she adds. Imagine if she decides to honour Amartya Sen! We might just get a
train called ... Collective Choice and Social Welfare?