India's bin laden
October 1 in Srinagar was not as dramatic as September 11 in the US. But the attack on the J&K Assembly emphasises the reality that India continues to be a permanent victim of jehad, that the author of the blast is the bin Laden of Kandahar vintage.

Reclaiming The Faith
Despite Pakistan's extremist image, the country is home to a wide cross-section of people holding moderate views on religion. After the terrorist attacks on the US, it is this non-confrontationist lobby that is waging a coup against the militant and vocal religious extremists.

Ready To Strike
The US strategy to strike the Taliban includes making use of the Northern Alliance, favoured by Russia and Iran and distrusted by Pakistan. In its military pact with the front, the US should keep in mind the future power equations in Afghanistan.

METROSCAPE

METRO MINUTES

Beads of sweat streamed down Antonio Salieri's face as he swore to finish Mozart. It was a particularly hot, sticky afternoon in the St Stephen's College auditorium in Delhi when Peter Shaffer's famous play Amadeus was enacted by a 14-member cast of The Shakespeare Society, the Stephenian theatre club. But the cast, all dressed up in flamboyant 18th century costumes, intolerable in the heat, needn't have worried about the response for their annual play.

They got both remorse and claps from the audience, mostly Stephenians. Even the on-stage kiss between Saliero (Dhruv Mookerji) and Constanze Weber (Susan George) couldn't help but step up the temperature in the hall. "You don't notice the sweat when you have to tell your lines," said a perspiring Angad Singh Chowdhry, who turned in an impressive performance as the Austrian composer. For director Neel Chaudhuri (in final year history) and his motley cast, the show, no sweat, just had to go on. And a couple of days later the very cast along with hundreds of other sophomores rocked at a jam session in their intra-college fest "Harmony"(above left). Fewer people complained about sweating.

The use of sanitary napkins by Eleena Banik in her paintings on display at Mumbai's Guild Art Gallery generated more than a fair amount of interest. The Calcutta-based artist, however, dismissed allegations of gimmickry by saying that it was "masculine politics at work". "Beyond Body and Mind", in lace, crochet, tissues, strings and frills, is what Banik claims is a personal expression of womanhood with nostalgia, creative energy and intimacy shown through pinks, greys and whites. "I feel a sense of both power and helplessness in being a woman," she says. Was the medium a reflection of that?

Society magazine's definition of "Young Achievers" is very accommodating. This explains the often-felicitated, 30/40-somethings who were on the winner's list at the award function at Mumbai's Jewel of India held last week. While aging Tarun Tejpal topped the media category, been-around Vishwanathan Anand got accolades for sports (Milkha Singh was not considered).

There was some reprieve when the queen of catharsis, Eakta Kapoor, 25, was honoured, but she was too busy cooking up another familial saga to attend the show. The glamour for the evening was added by Sushma Reddy (a prize for being the most glamorous) and actress Raveena Tandon (the judge). There were rumours of a Young Achiever's Lifetime Award for Dev Anand ... but maybe that's for next time.

MetroScape

Looking Glass

Bangalore Gallery: Gallerie Zen

Delhi Handicrafts: Crafts Museum

With a dramatic fall in the viewership of Kaun Banega Crorepati, Star makes a last-ditch effort to prop up its ratings. INDIA TODAY's Himanshi Dhawan analyses the revival struggle of the pasha of programmes in
Survival Of The Fittest