TOP MIND: Rushdie

Salman Rushdie is a prestigious number 9-and the only Indian-in the top 100 public intellectuals, measured by scholarly citations and media mentions, according to Richard A. Posner, judge, scholar and author. Posner's book Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline (Harvard University Press, 2001) defines public intellectuals, explains the intellectual marketplace as well as why the popularity of some fades away while others live on. But the table where the readers get to see who's "in" and who's "out" is the most juicy section. In an attempt to place intellectuals on the popularity scale, both living and dead, he fed the names to search engines and tabulated
the number of web hits and media mentions each intellectual received. While Henry A. Kissinger leads the list, Posner himself is number 70, Arthur R. Miller is 8 and E.M.
Foster is number 54.

-Sonia Chopra

Seen From an NREye

LOVING GREETINGS: Mistry and Zorbian

Watch out Bollywood, here comes NRIwood! An increasing number of Indian-Americans is turning into reel Indians. Namaste-Say Hello to Love is a film conceived, written, produced, directed, acted and funded by NRIs-everything from costumes to music is a local endeavour. The film is directed by Viral Lakhia, a one-time chemical engineer, and produced by his brother Shyamal. Says Viral: "It's about the NRI family-we have our stories to tell, our highs and lows." The story is about a young fellow from India who visits Chicago for his cousin's wedding and helps bring the feuding family together again. In the process he finds love. Save for the lead pair, Amit Mistry and Perizaad Zorbian, the cast is all local talent from New Jersey, Chicago, Houston and Canada. The film was shot in 15 days flat on a modest budget in Chicago. The good news is that TIPS, one of the largest entertainment companies in India, is distributing the music as well as the movie.

-Lavina Melwani

Some Consolation

When Kathleen Rooney went swimming in Lake Michigan one October day in 1997, she had no idea of the catastrophe that awaited her: a boat cruised too close to where she was swimming. The injury she received subsequently led to her leg being amputated midcalf. Recently Rooney, who is of Indian descent, was awarded $10.8 million by a Cook County jury as damages. Her lawyers argued that she was swimming 20 yards offshore while the opposition contended she was violating an ordinance and swimming over 50 yards from the shore. Concluding that the company operating the boat and its captain were mostly to blame, the jurors awarded Rooney the compensation.

Melody Makers

EVENING TO REMEMBER: Ghazal night organised by Dhrishti

It was a melodious evening that reinforced the belief that old is indeed gold. Compositions of Madan Mohan, Naushad, Anil Biswas and C. Ramachandran-mainly from noted Hindi films of yesteryear-came alive at Ghazal Ka Safar II, by Chicago-based Dhrishti, an Indian event management company. The magic was spun by ghazal singers Rajkumar Rizvi, Shoba Joshi, Samir Chatterjee and Pt Ramesh Mishra. The event was inaugurated by Surendra Kumar, the consul-general of India at Chicago. Ghazal Ka Safar attempted to discover the musical chronology of ghazals across the centuries and introduce the audience to its synopsis. For the 400-plus audience who swayed to the music, it was an evening to remember.

-Zuben Mathews

TO WED FOR: A model displays a bridal outfit

CANADIAN CAMEOS
Dress for Vows

It was time for lust-not for the gorgeous women sashaying around but for the attire they had donned. At the launch of the sixth annual Suhaag Bridal, Fashion and Lifestyle Show, models wowed the crowd in bridal wear. There were three fashion shows with entertainment thrown in. Besides, more than 50 vendors offering wedding services were also present. The occasion was used to launch the third edition of Suhaag magazine.

NEW WAVE: Petra (RT) with music producer Earl Ferns

Crooning Glory

Come March and sinewy Sanjana Petra, 21, will be seen and heard all over India-and overseas-courtesy a big deal with TIPS, one of India's biggest recording companies. The Toronto singer's maiden music album featuring three of her original songs and some remixes will be released in Mumbai next month. Petra, a former contestant at the Miss India-Canada beauty pageant, finished shooting for a video featuring her song Intezar ho gaye on
January 27.

-Eugene Correia

SETTING PRIORITIES: Divakaruni

Literary Tryst

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is touring the country to push her new novel Vine of Desire, a sequel to Sisters of My Heart. With two young children at home, worries are always on the writer's mind. "But this is the time reviews appear and one never knows how they'll be," she says, as she heads off for readings in California, Illinois, New York and Oregon.

-Nitish S. Rele