Riding The Tide
The US endorsement of Pakistan's position on Kashmir bolsters Musharraf's fortunes even as anti-American outrage gathers steam.

Powell And Patience
President Bush's invitation to Vajpayee for a one-on-one in Washington next month makes up for the disappointment in New Delhi in the wake of Colin Powell's visit.

Autumn Of Turmoil
The Northern Alliance waits and watches the US moves in anticipation of a post-US-attack power struggle with the Taliban.
A look at the mood and the ground realities in Kabul.

METROSCAPE

STACK UP

PRIYA: They don't have a "balcony" at Priya. It's called the "premier class". And they're not being pretentious. Ever since its post-renovation reopening in 2000, and for many years before that, Priya has set the standard for quality in Delhi with its spotless interiors, snazzy decor and, thankfully, non-greasy snacks.

The sound is something to talk about. Rs 150 for a balcony ticket is hard on most pockets. But if you can close your eyes to the parking nightmare, it's worth your money.

CHANAKYA: If it's showing at Chanakya, it's gotta be good. That's the sort of nostalgia associated with this theatre that opened with Mera Naam Joker in 1970. A prime location (in the capital's diplomatic enclave), excellent picture quality, an attractive mix of Hindi and English films and considerable parking space seem to make up for the temperamental air-conditioning and indifferent maintenance in the minds of the movie-going public. Ladies, the chances of being mauled or ogled at here are minimal. Unusual for a movie hall in Delhi.

DELITE: If you can rid yourself of the mindset that it's too far to be reached, you'll soon be a repeat visitor at this hall on Asaf Ali Road. A balcony ticket comes for just Rs 80 here. The ongoing renovation has given it a new look. Other pluses: the huge MCD parking lot across the road, and a 100-seater restaurant inside where you can wait till your show starts. Could do with bigger loos though. And by the way, the distance is a matter of perception: Delite is only a five-minute drive from Connaught Place.

VISHAL: This 1,401-seater in west Delhi justifies its name (Vishal means large) with its spacious feel, adequate leg room between seats and airy restrooms that boast of water taps with auto sensors. The facade needs a coat of paint, but there's little else to complain about.

LIBERTY: When finding a fifth hall for this list becomes a struggle, it says something. The choice falls on Liberty on New Rohtak Road. Bad news: parking space is limited. Good news: the practical pricing (a balcony ticket costs Rs 80), the location on the main road and an overall level of cleanliness.

—Anna M.M. Vetticad

Need A Blow

When the Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers' Association (Tanfama) visited Kolkata last week, it was to make a big noise about a 1998 ban on "noisy" fireworks in Bengal during Diwali. Tanfama, the parent body of 420 firecracker makers in Sivakasi, thinks the rule is unfair. "The Pollution Control Board (PCB) says no to crackers that exceed the 90 decibel limit," says organisation Secretary K. Mariappan. "But we can produce a louder noise simply by clapping our hands." In a presentation, Tanfama demolished every reason upheld by the PCB for the ban-with some help from scientists of the National Physical Laboratory and the Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, New Delhi. "The national level is set at 125 DB. Why should there be two standards in Bengal?" asks President A.M.S.G. Ashokan.

The organisation got support from unexpected quarters last week. Kolkata Mayor Subrata Mukherjee piped in that Diwali would not feel the same without some noise. The hundreds of citizens looking forward to just a festival of lights, might be happy if the PCB turned a deaf ear on all this.

—Labonita Ghosh

After Desert

The hue of the flower and its fragrance/are both but (desert) breeze/What caravan is this that goes?/What if you too wish to join it? — Mir Taqi Mir

GUYS FOR THAR: Gupta (above) with Young at Art Today; a typical desert resident

Satish Gupta wishes not to join the caravan. He records-in sophisticated, idealised images and words-what he calls "The Eyes of the Thar". His handsome figures all have one thing in common: their gaze-direct and intense. His words are more ambivalent. But therein lies their intrinsic charm. His technique is unique too, as his large surfaces gyrate the dance of delusion between print-making and oil-on-canvases. When selected works from Gupta's desert series went up on view at Delhi's Art Today (exhibition open till November 3), it was also an occasion to pause, pour over or possess the book brought out by Mapin on the same theme. The visitors were also treated to British High Commissioner Sir Rob Young's mellifluous reading of a few of Gupta's lines. Here's a rich look that celebrates the austere, yet Gupta's work takes no positions. You take back what you bring to the act of engaging with the works.

—S.Kalidas

MetroScape

Looking Glass

Kolkata Restaurant: Tangerine

Delhi Yoga: Morarji Desai National Yoga Institute

Delhi Cultural Festival : Qutab Festival