Children For Sale
For as little as Rs 3,000, impoverished parents sell their children to adoption centres and unscrupulous operators in Andhra Pradesh, who in turn earn up to Rs 3 lakh from foster families. A look at the people involved, the law and where the process went wrong.

Amma Turns Red
J. Jayalalitha's hopes for contesting the elections have been dashed with the rejection of her nomination papers. But this does not deter her from stepping up her campaigning efforts for the AIADMK and assuming an aggressive stance.

Past Tense
The muted reaction of the Government to the massacre of the BSF troops raises many questions. A look at the past skirmishes between the BSF and BDR gives an insight into what led to the heightening of tension at the border.

Coming To Life
With the end of state monopoly, private insurance companies are offering wider risk coverage and better customer relations.

Starting Over
It's been three months since nature shook Gujarat, killing over 30,000 and shattering dreams. Despite government promises and generosity of individuals, rehabilitation is still to touch the lives of many. The story in pictures.

EYECATCHERS

Moon Shine

Guess who's touching down this month? Eugene A. Cernan, 67, the last man to walk the moon 30 years ago. Flying in as Omega ambassador to highlight its Speedmaster space watches, Cernan, who notched up 566 hours in space, including 73 hours on the moon, will unveil a "mind-blowing" exhibition of NASA space suits and lunar vehicles in Delhi and Mumbai. Omega's marketing head Payal Jauhar promises it will be like bringing "NASA to India". At least this once, you won't be asking for the moon.

Simply She

Another fledgling-VJ-looking-for-her-next-big-break? Maybe, but Suchitra Pillai, 30, lanky former Channel V Simply South VJ, has already found hers. Pillai, who has done an English film (Guru in Seven) and a French film (Le Prix d'une Femme) before, will now be seen playing a journalist in Goldie Behl's Abhishek Bachchan-starrer Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai, and as Saif Ali Khan's lover in Farhan Akhtar's much-touted Dil Chahta Hai. But hang on, Pillai is also looking long and hard at "parallel cinema". The dusky looks might just help.

In The Producer's Chair

She's one of the most saleable stars in the Telugu-Tamil film industry. At 24, pretty woman Soundarya, who has co-starred with southern biggies Rajnikant, Kamal Haasan, Nagarjuna, even Amitabh Bachchan in the forgettable Hindi film Sooryavansham, is turning producer with Dweepa, directed by award-snapping Kannada film-maker Girish Kasaravalli. The petite lady, who will also act in the film, has Kasaravalli saying she's "excellent". Good show.

The Art Factor

Raima Sen's voice is a lazy drawl: "I am beginning to hate being labelled just an art film actor." The "label" might have stuck because of her recent off-beat track record-Godmother with Shabana Azmi, Abhijeet Sen's Moina in Bengali, Kalpana Lajmi's soon-to-be-released Daman, and as a married woman in Rituparna Sengupta's forthcoming Choker Bali with Nandita Das-but the sultry, doe-eyed Sen, 21, often near eclipsed by mom Moon Moon Sen and younger sister Riya Sen, is moving to Mumbai. "I haven't got any commercial offers yet because of my image," she lets on, "but when I do, I'll settle for nothing but the lead." Now we know why the label stuck.

—Compiled by Methil Renuka

MetroScape

Focusing On Art
The brief for participants at
"Exhibit 'A' 2001" organised by the
200-member
Photographers'
Guild of India at the Nehru Centre, Mumbai, was clear—no advertisement and portfolio photos. more...

Looking Glass

Delhi Poster:
One Page Classics

Calcutta Pub:
London Pub

Bangalore & Mumbai Rock Concert:
Bryan Adams

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya reflected optimism about winning the state election when he spoke to INDIA TODAY Senior Editor Sumit Mitra at the CPI(M) headquarters in Kolkata, minutes before rushing off for campaigning.
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