Closing in on Mr Q
The Bofors gun scam gets another twist with the arrest of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi. For the CBI, struggling with investigations, the arrest is a feather in its cap.

God's Advocate
With delay built into the court battles being fought over the ownership of Ayodhya's famous site, the VHP turns on the heat.

Fifth Column
by Tavleen Singh
Abuse of Power

Politically Correct
by P. Chidambaram
Releasing the Genies

Right Angle
by Swapan Dasgupta
Weariness of Ayodhya

Fast Food Chain

Call of the Party

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India Today Anniversary

Eyecatchers

Made in L.A.
An English film "with the soul of a Hindi film" shot in Hollywood. That's Leela, starring Dimple Kapadia and Vinod Khanna, made by Los Angeles-based couple Somnath Sen and Kavita Munjal. "It's a film about us, about Indians in the US," says Sen, who has made ad films in India and abroad. Adds Munjal, who's been with Discovery Channel: "There's no one to tell our stories." Are the Karan Johars and Aditya Chopras listening?

Double Role
It was an important first for Indian cinema, the unveiling of First Actor Amitabh Bachchan's immortalisation in wax at Madame Tussaud's in London. The model took six months and £30,000 to make, but for the Big B, voted over contenders Raj Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai, it involved hours of sitting still while sculptors took close to 300 measurements of his head. Nodded a modest Bachchan, who gave away his black Nehru suit and gilded silk shawl for his wax double, "It's incredible work. But greater achievers deserve to be here." What's greater than greatest?

Private Party
Hrithik Roshan is finally wed. But the only ones who made it to the Bangalore ceremony were commandos and cops. The others? Dimple Kapadia, Rishi and Randhir Kapoor, Jeetendra, S.M. Krishna. For those who missed it, Roshan's outfit: white and gold Jodhpuri suit designed by Rocky S. For bride Suzanne Khan: a Tarun Tahiliani sari in gold. Music played: Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (what else?) Up next? A honeymoon in Europe, and a "mega reception" in Mumbai in January. Takers, anyone? '

Monkeying Around
Know who's stolen the hearts of staffers in Delhi's Nirman Bhavan? It's Raju, the langur, a "big hero", roped in to scare away an army of monkeys that had been merrily breaking windows, stealing files, and scaring the ladies in the ministry complex. In two months, Raju did what the authorities couldn't in four years: send the simians packing. Gloats Raju's keeper Shyam, who pockets a monthly Rs 5,000 for his services: "Work's never been better." Monkey business can pay well.

Compiled by Methil Renuka

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MetroScape
Where Words Were King
Katha celebrated its 10th year with "Worlds into Words, Words into Worlds", an international interdisciplinary conference on the short story.
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Looking Glass

Delhi: Art Show

Bangalore: Retreat

Bangalore: Restaurant

Forget endology, writes INDIA TODAY Senior Editor S. Prasannarajan. Celebrate 2001, celebrate the future in
Locomotif.

The 80th birthday do of a social reformer shows how the lives of entire communites in coastal Gujarat have changed for the better. INDIA TODAY Principal Correspondent Uday Mahurkar reports in Despatches.