A Game Of Farce
Milkha Singh's refusal to accept the Arjuna Award has sparked off a heated debate over the country's highest sporting honour. This year's controversial list is being seen as the straw that broke the camel's back. Leading sports people believe the award has been devalued and compromised by political lobbying.

A Leader Reformed
A.K. Antony, a one-time Nehruvian socialist, is winning the support of industry as well as Central funds in his new avatar as the harbinger of reforms in the economically beleaguered state.

Family Bride
Poor sex ratio has forced the Gurjjars of Rajasthan to share their wives.

ENTERTAINMENT: CINEMA

Did You Know

Inspiration" is a business motto in Bollywood. Music composer Nadeem Saifi, who shifted to London after being accused of having a hand in Gulshan Kumar's murder, is helping himself to others' hit tunes. Most recent Nadeem-Shravan scores (Dhadkan, Kasoor, Ek Rishta and Hum Ho Gaye Aap Ke) are "inspired" by songs from West Asia. The proof is on the Net. The origin of the Dhadkan song Dil ne yeh kaha hai is Ahibbak laih from Saudi Arabian singer Abdel Majeed Abdullah's album Raheeb, while Aksar is duniya mein is a lift of Ashtany from Lebanese singer Najwa Karam's album Rooh Roohi. Even the lyrics sound the same. Try http://blake.prohosting.com/~cyan1/ahibbakain.rm

Playing Brando

Who but Amitabh Bachchan to step into Marlon Brando's shoes. Producer Feroz Nadiadwala's next film Kutumbh-an adaptation of Francis Ford Coppola's mafia epic The Godfather-will star Bachchan and Akshay Kumar. Says Nadiadwala: "I won't say the film is inspired but it will be a pure adaptation of The Godfather." To add colour the shooting will be in Brazil during the carnival festival. Some sequences will be shot in north Africa. Nadiadwala feels he has found the most able director to handle the theme: Mahesh Manjrekar.

Cast Matters

So many heroines? well, that's because Rajkumar Santoshi's Lajja is about problems of women across social strata. All the main female characters bear names that are forms of Sita: Manisha Koirala is Vaidehi, Rekha is Ramdulari, Madhuri Dixit is Janaki, Mahima Chaudhury is Maithili. But so far the film has been noticed for its cast: there's also Jackie Shroff, Ajay Devgan, Anil Kapoor, dance items by Sonali Bendre and Urmila Matondkar. A planned guest appearance by Ash was edited out of the script. "There's more to Lajja than the cast," insists Santoshi.

Junior Pataudi's charm seems to be finally working. Dil Chahta Hai (DCH) has set his career on a roll. Khan talks about the film and the future.

Q. How has DCH helped you?
A. My work has finally been recognised. This is just the beginning.

Q. What had gone wrong?
A. Due to my upbringing, it took time for me to expose myself to the real world. Late bloomer, you may say.

Q. You're typecast as a comic actor.
A. I'm not limiting myself to comedy. My real potential is untapped.

Q. Where do you go from DCH?
A. I'm trying out many new things: J.P. Datta's Army; Ram Gopal Varma's songless, one-and-half-hour experimental Road and Aankh Micholi, a thriller, with Urmila Matondkar.

BOX OFFICE

DIL CHAHTA HAI
Weeks in release: 1
Fresh, youthful film has limited appeal in urban India. Might still set new standards.

YEH RAASTE HAI PYAR KE
Weeks in release: 1
Weak screenplay and plot stop the film from taking off.

—Compiled by Sheela Raval and Anna M. M. Vetticad

MetroScape

Looking Glass

Delhi Restaurant:
Singh Sahib

Chennai Exhibitions: Apparao Galleries

Bangalore Space Ride: Thrillarium

Delhi Maps: Dastkari Haat Samiti

Delhi Play: Neil Simon

Delhi Textiles: Out of the Cocoon