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.

COVER STORY: LAGAAN

A Whole New Role

What's driving stars to fund their passion for immortal cinema?

True to form, Aamir Khan took his time. As Lagaan released in theatres across the country over the weekend, he became the newest inductee to Bollywood's Brave hearts club of actors-turned-producers. Members include Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Sunil Shetty, Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Jackie Shroff and Sunny Deol. Armed with brand equity, big bucks and a burning ambition to make that great film, each of them hopes to change the rigid contours of filmmaking from the boy-meets-girl genre to big, bold themes.

Sure, it hasn't been a dream debut. Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, produced by Dreamz Unlimited, a firm owned by Shah Rukh, Chawla and Aziz Mirza, bombed. But Shah Rukh, currently working on Asoka the Great, a period film directed by Santosh Sivan, is undeterred. And as if to prove his point he says, "Asoka is for Cannes". Similarly, Deol, who burnt his hands as the director, producer and hero of Dillagi is starring in and producing Indian. And Shetty's Popcorn Entertainment has tied up with production company Ripples and Mahesh Manjrekar's Satyajit Films to produce three movies.

The reason stars don't mind dirtying their hands with the nitty gritty of production is because, for starters, it makes monetary sense. Given the new economics of film-making, with the right brand equity a producer could pocket profits up to Rs 15 crore even before the film's release. It's a temptation even the top-bracket stars pocketing pay checks of Rs 3 crore can't pass. Says Shetty: "There's a lot of money in filmmaking provided you keep your focus." This parallel career also allow actors to put money into stories they fear may not get correct creative backing. Devgan's next venture, Barf, is a medium-budget movie directed by music composer Vishal Bharadwaj and starring Manoj Bajpai and Sushmita Sen.

But the Brave Hearts haven't quite delivered, a fact which producer Boney Kapoor attributes to plain bad luck. "Today, even big makers are stumbling, so why single out the actors?" But Film Information magazine's Komal Nahta disagrees, "Just because you're a good actor doesn't mean that you will automatically make a good producer. " The critical factors beyond passion and daring are discipline. If Lagaan passes box office muster it would provide a workable prototype.

-Anupama Chopra

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