Creating History
Aamir Khan steers away from mushy romance in lush locations in his first production, Lagaan. The formula-busting period film on colonial arrogance, backed by good acting, promises to give Indian cinema a classy makeover.

Governance On
The Hold
Absent ministers, coalition politics and an unwell prime minister paralyse all decision making at the Centre. With business sentiments diving and industrial growth rate receding, the alarm bells have begun to ring.

Super Clinic Inc.
Patients will be treated as customers with some companies hoping to revolutionise the Rs 60,000-crore private healthcare market. They are setting up a chain of neighbourhood health clinics that will provide quality medical care.

Fostering Ill-will
The arrest of Jayalalitha's foster son may be linked
to the sour relationship.

Crescent Classroom
An organisation has given madarsa education in the state a communal slant.

CAPLOOKS

Back With A Pang

Delhi: You can't keep Vincent George out for long. After a two-month break, he recently returned to 10 Janpath at the behest of Sonia Gandhi. He returned to his office, but not quite to his work. No longer in charge of Sonia's appointments, George has a lot else on his plate. Sonia has entrusted him with some political work. Like Track II dialogues with other political leaders-SP's Amar Singh for one. George isn't complaining though. These days, he isn't tied down to 10 Janpath for 16 to 18 hours a day as was the case earlier. Why, he even took his family recently on a holiday to God's Own Country.

Funds For The Minister

Mumbai: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan's declaration that his annual income was just Rs 60,000 inspired a unique protest in Mumbai. Activists of a Gandhian organisation held a fund-raiser for him at Churchgate station, urging commuters to contribute at least one rupee for the relief fund since Mahajan was a Mumbaikar and it was their duty to look after their "poor minister". They collected Rs 300 which is to be sent through a money order, along with messages of sympathy, to the minister in Delhi.

From Mr To Mrs

Bhubaneswar: Fed up with J.B. Patnaik at the helm of Congress affairs in Orissa and exasperated at their own continued inability to force a change in the state leadership, disgruntled Congressmen have hit upon a novel idea. All of them have now together petitioned Sonia Gandhi that the discredited JB should go and that his wife Jayanti Patnaik should be made the PCC chief. Surely, nothing is going to change in the state Congress if the wife replaces the husband. But for the dissidents, it's going to be a coup no less.

Fame By Frame

Chennai: Jaya TV, owned by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha, has never had it so good. Chennai journalists are green with envy at the access the network enjoys since Amma returned to power. When she called on the governor to effect some changes in the Cabinet, no journalists were allowed into the Raj Bhavan-except those from Jaya TV.

MetroScape

Pak Unplugged
Fresh-faced youngsters were cheering through qawwalis, pop songs and poetry reading at India Habitat Centre, Delhi. The occasion? A week-long workshop, "Rehumanizing the Other", was all about promoting neighbourly feelings in a period of bad press.
more...

Looking Glass

Mumbai Exhibition:
"Potters in Peril"

Chennai Coffee Bar: Barista

Bangalore Resort: Angsana Oasis Spa and Resort

The Delhi Government's campaign to clean up the Yamuna was impressive but needs to backed up by measures that can weed out the root causes of the pollution. INDIA TODAY's Special Correspondent Sayantan Chakravarty reports in Long Drive