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The Hindu : During WWII, a vast complex of secret bunkers was constructed under the streets of London. Lost to time, it was an important refuge from the nightly onslaught of Nazi air raids, but only now can we reveal the full extent of the scheme. The existenceof Churchill’s Bunker is no secret, but the presence of a subterranean city, built to keep the British government running, is only now being revealed. Very little of this covert network, which also sheltered American General Dwight Eisenhower, has ever been revealed to the public. Now this lost world is brought back to life with cutting-edge computer graphic technology — the tunnels beneath the heart of London’s great buildings; the underground command centre from where the Battle of Britain was coordinated; the deep level, ultra-secure chambers that could withstand the most deadly weapons in the Nazi arsenal. Watch Lost Worlds- Churchill’s Secret Bunkers on May 14 at 10 p.m. on the History channel.Join Brady Barr on the hunt for the greatest jaw-snapping power on the planet. He checks out the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of animal death grips, learning the hunting strategy of some of the most powerful predators. Armed with a bite force meter that measures pounds of force, Brady heads into the bushes to measure the might of the predators.Watch it on “Dangerous Encounters” on the Discovery channel at 8 p.m. on May 14….More

The Hindu : They’re back and how! It is not just Shanti’s retro look in “Om Shanti Om” that has impressed the junta, her polka-dotted sartorial choices have also become a hot favourite. As we know, fashion and film are best buddies and the time gap between screen and street is almost negligible.Be it t-shirts, shirt dresses or even salwar kameezes, polka dots are the ticket. Collegian Shathakshi Ramgopal says, “Straight-cut jeans or black lace lined leggings, paired with a polka dot blouson or a shirt dress is quite a common sight in the city. Over the past few months, it has become the ultimate college attire for most girls.”“What I like best about polka dots is that it gives one a youthful look,” says Tamanna Ali, a content writer. “We used to dress children in polka-dotted frocks but now they are not restricted to any particular age group,” she points out.“Colours that are most popular are red, black, brown and green, although dots in any colour look good,” observes fashion designing student Karuna Rampal. “Now that the temperatures are soaring, cotton is the most preferred material,” she says.However, according to fashion designer Ameetha Mathew, “Dots are not exactly in anymore but large bright dots are still seen around and are quite acceptable.”This probably has more to do with people being too fond of a particular trend whose shelf life they would like to extend! Polka dot tops in golden are quite common as a party ensemble. Dotted sarees also have their own charm say designers. Polka dot halters, spaghettis, tube and tank tops are considered chic.Ameetha says, “The ideal polka dot outfit is one that is coupled with shorts or jeans or for that matter it could just be a simple dress.”The most important thing she thinks is what people make out of what they have. She comments, “As long as a person has a good dressing…More

The Hindu : Seven years after its first EV, the Reva Electric Car Company has now launched the Reva-i. Will this car finally close the gap between a conventional car and an EV?Externally there’s very little change, except that the ‘i’ now gets a curved windshield as against the flat glass in the older car. The car feels a little more spacious but it is just large enough for two people and a couple of small bags on the rear bench. The fit and finish is pedestrian, though on the top-end model you get a music system, an air-conditioner and even climate-controlled seats that blow cold or hot air through vents in the seats!The basic design remains the same. And then you can order the Reva in over 2,000 customised colours! The body is made from ABS. Under it is a strong yet lightweight tubular space frame.The Reva-i has ditched the Bulgarian 13kW DC unit for an AC induction motor. This motor requires nearly zero maintenance. The new motor has higher torque, as much as forty per cent. This is a sealed unit, which means that you can dunk it into water and nothing will happen to it. The company claims that it can go through three feet of water without any damage.You need to charge the Reva, just like you charge your mobile phone, mp3 player or digital camera. If you have a garage, it takes just a few rupees to get your electrician to install a socket, and it’s as simple as plugging it in. A full charge takes nine hours, while an 80 per cent charge takes around three. A fully-charged battery, the company claims, will keep the Reva going for about 80km under ideal conditions. Since we don’t drive under ideal conditions, don’t go by the 80km promise. With the AC turned on all the time, we saw 50km on the tripmeter before the…More

The Hindu : Think vineyards and wineries, images of exotic, chilled French red wines frosting in ice buckets come to mind. Most of the trip leading to the Grover Vineyards in the foothills of the Nandi Hills is hardly impressive, punctuated with small shanties and wide stretches of the barren rural landscape. Many plots have already been sold off to real estate developers and are awaiting their transformation to a concrete jungle. The winery is situated in the midst of an industrial estate.As the motley group of journalists arrive at the wineries, we are served samples of white wine and taken in groups of 20 on a conducted tour of the winery. We are shown the areas where the grapes are sorted manually from the assembly to ensure better quality, the towering structures where the grape juice is fermented and other processes that go into the making of wine. .Give me redSince grape pulp alone does not lend wine its red colour, the reddish colour in red wine is created by crushing the grapes, without skinning, we are told. Unfortunately, it being a Sunday, the winery was closed and we could only imagine the entire assembly line in progress, with the humble fruit turning into something so exotic and treasured the world over.The main occasion of the afternoon was the inauguration of the barrel room of the winery by Michel Rolland, renowned wine expert from Bordeaux, France, and an adviser at the Grover wineries. After the ‘official’ inauguration of the barrel room and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Rolland answered a barrage of questions from media persons on wines in general and the fate of the Indian wine industry in particular.Speaking with a pronounced French accent, Rolland tackled all questions with ease. He was confident that as far as quality was concerned, Indian wines could easily rival the best wines on the planet. “Not many people abroad know about good…More

The Hindu : Scaled-down AudiFor those who think that the Q7 is too much car for them, German car maker Audi has come up with a scaled down offering in the form of the Q5. Audi will strengthen its presence in the SUV segment this year, with the launch of the Q5, which debuts atAuto China 2008 in Beijing.The Audi Q5 is positioned below the Audi Q7 and will go up against the BMW X3 in India and the Mercedes GLK in the future.The Q5 is also based on Audi’s Modular Longitudinal Platform which was launched with the A5 coupe. The Q5 bears a clear resemblance to the Q7, but with none of big brother’s menacing bulk. Powertrain options are expected to include both FSI petrol and TDi diesels, mated to Audi’s new seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox, dubbed S tronic.This gearbox features more compact construction, allowing it to be used with longitudinally-mounted engines, and will also be used on the A4 and A5 in the future.For India, engine options will probably be the 3-litre V6 TDi diesel, which also does duty in the Q7. If the Q7 is anything to go by, expect the Q5 to be a cracker as well….More

The Hindu : Remember the kaleidoscope from childhood? Keep turning it and it throws up rich, colourful patterns. Each time I think of Manna De – it reminds me of the intense hues and the grand patterns emerging out of the kaleidoscope. “Poochon na kaise”, “Ey mere zohra jabeen”, “Pyaar hua ikraar hua”, “Ek chatur naar” … each of these songs built up a different mood and none else but Manna Da, as he is fondly called, could switch styles as easily. At a recent concert in the city, organised by Maam Entertainment, the hall was packed. Among all the unknown names in the audience was a name to reckon with, Ameen Sayani, the unforgettable voice of Radio of the good old days. Walking up to the stage amidst deafening applause and a standing ovation, Manna Da, the 87-year-old singer, warmly put his arms around Ameen Sayani, who was by now on stage. “Have I told you I’m a big fan of yours?” he asked with affection. “I’m small fry… I have become big only by playing songs of people like you…,” returned Sayani.Sayani roped the legendary singer into a conversation. Manna Da remembered his uncle, K.C. Dey’s persistence and how he owed all of his music to him. “He was my guru, more than my father. It was he who fashioned me as a singer of repute.” He followed his uncle to Mumbai and his association with films began. “My first song was for the film ‘Ram Rajya’ and I sang for Valmiki. I hated singing for an old man. And for many years to come, they branded me as a bhajan singer for old men,” he recounts.Manna Da began with the reflective “Sur na saje”. Manna Da had tuned in to his song and everything else ceased to exist. How else can lines like “Tere bina ye geet bhi jhoote” assume Sufi dimensions? “Kaun aaya mere…More

The Hindu : Nagesh Kukunoor emerged as the new hope of the film industry with films like “Hyderabad Blues”, “Iqbal” and “Dor”. He believes people come to cinema halls just for entertainment, it is director’s job to laceit with message. His last outing at the box office, “Bombay to Bangkok”, however proved to be neither here nor there. As he promises to turn the tide with “Aashayein”, here are excerpts from an interview:What can we expect from Aashayein?It’s about live life now. It’s about fulfilling your dreams. I am a little secretive about the plot but the story revolves around John Abraham who plays a gambler, whiling away without much purpose and how his life changes unexpectedly.Something similar to your life’s graph?In my case, it took me a long time to gather courage to leave engineering and do what I wanted to do. But yes, at least I was able to do it. I dread being an old man ruminating if I had taken a chance then…”Do you agree our value system perpetuates planning?Absolutely! It is grilled into the middle class children to build up the bank balance by following the trodden path.I have met people who realise in the middle of their careers that they are not happy what they are doing. But then there are little options left. The new generation is much stronger in making its career decisions.Why John?Frankly speaking, I had not seen any of his work before casting him. Certain scripts require certain budgets and certain budgets require certain heroes.John fit the slot. Unmindful of adjectives like cool dude, with which he is generally defined, I felt he has an extremely honest face. I am known for casting against the tide. Didn’t everyone say before ‘Dor’ Ayesha Takia is not meant to be taken in a serious role?Another charge is you have taken too many projects… sometimes leading to problems with the cast?I…More

The Hindu : His range varies from the contemporary to the medieval to the mythological. All his 12 books belong to different genres, from biographies to commentaries on modern India.A diplomat, Pavan K. Varma is also a lover of Urdu poetry.And now this Director General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations has rendered 45 of Gulzar’s verses into English. Named “Selected Poems,” it is published by Penguin India.Says Varma, “What impressed me about Gulzar’s work is the wide range of his imagery. He has a way with words and he uses more Hindustani than chaste Urdu. There is always a touch of the earth, in his work.”“In poems like ‘Naseerudin Shah’, ‘Pancham’, ‘Portrait of a Prostitute’ and ‘Rape’, the simplicity of expression is in direct contrast to the strong images.”Elaborating, he says, “I have explored the uniqueness of Gulzar’s work in my ‘Translator’s Note’. I think, it is his evocation of the environment, his subtle and profound lines about relationships that make his poetry unique. He has the ability to juxtapose a thought with an image so powerfully that a reader is literally wrenched out of his or her world.”Although Varma says he has been an avid admirer of Gulzar’s poetry for a long time, he met him first during a seminar organised by the ICCRat Neemrana two years ago where Gulzarread out athought-provoking poem called ‘Books’. “During our next meeting I happened to talk about the intensity of his work, he asked me whether I would like to translate his poetry. Althoughseveral people have tried their hands, he said he hasn’t felt satisfied with the outcome. I have always felt charged with the feeling that more of ourpoetry needs to be translated from one Indian language to another, and until that happens there should be translations in English to expose some great poetry to a wider audience,” he says. So while he accepted the offer and…More

The Hindu : Mid-sized marvelThis week we compare the economical Dzire, Logan and Indigo and help you make a choiceThree is not company Tata Indigo, Mahindra Logan and Maruti Swift DzireEconomy and space are the two most important factors for buyers on the lookout for mid-size cars. Maruti Swift Dzire, Mahindra Logan and Tata Indigo boast of diesel engines and big cabins and boots. Which one of these cars can trump the other two when it comes to delivering on value and quality? Let’s find out.Starting with the Maruti, the transition from Swift to Dzire was done completely in-house by Maruti. The Dzire looks tail-heavy and awkward, and this is despite a longer, new rear door. There is a new grille and bumper at the front and the car gets six-spoke alloys.The Indigo has quite a few visual cues to distinguish it from the Indica. The grille, bumpers and headlights are different and they do look quite attractive. Again, the boot looks pasted on and it lacks the Indica’s clean, balanced look.In sharp contrast to the curves of the Maruti and Tata is the Logan’s square rear end. This square shape hides the biggest boot of the trio. At 510 litres, it is considerably bigger than the Indigo’s 450 litres and the Dzire’s 440-litre boot. The Logan is the longest and widest car here.InteriorsThe Dzire comes with an integrated audio system with steering-mounted controls and a climate control system. It boasts of the best dashboard plastics and switchgear in this group. The front seats are the most comfortable when compared to the other two. With the adjustable seat and steering wheel, it is easy to find a comfortable driving position. However, the rear seat is the least comfortable for seating three abreast.The Logan has the most rear seat space. It can seat three in supreme comfort and there’s plenty of legroom. However, the uncontoured rear seats feel a…More

The Hindu : MTV’syouth guideThe State of Cool tells how Gen X thinks and actsMTV Insight Studio brings to you “The State of Cool”, a compilation of insights and trends of I-Gen — Young India. MTV Insight Studio, the channel’s research wing has chosen emerging and dominant trends from various Indian andglobal studies which will not only give you an idea of how this generation thinks but will tell you of ways to connect with them.The book, “State of Cool”, is a journey into the consciousness, psyche and style mantra of the youth. The target group for the studies are economically-active people in the age group of 15-24 years, living in urban India.The study has revealed that an average of nine billion is spent as pocket money by young people in India everyday.Aditya Swamy, Vive president, sales and marketing MTV India, says: “MTV is the universe of the young and ‘The State of Cool’ is a reflection of our obsession. This book gives marketers and advertisers knowledge that will help understand their audiences better.”The book also states that the Indian youth is the happiest in the world. Young Indians have morphed from the strugglers of the ’80s to confident happy go-getters of the 21st century. “Forty six per cent believe that they are online most of the days and 16 per cent claim they hardly ever turn their PCs off!” The desire for connection drives most digital behaviour, say the people behind the book….More