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The Hindu : It is going to be a feast for long distance runners. The Sunfeast World 10k run, the richest 10k run in the world with US $150,000 at stake, on May 18, is surely set to change the Bangaloreans’ concept of fitness.If the fitness fad is not already on, then the techie-filled Garden City is consciously veering towards a health regime.The umpteen citizens into their walks or jogging routines are an indication that the health craze has certainly caught on.It’s in the wake of this changing scenario that Procam, the event managers thought it fit to bring the elite runners both – track and road – on a common platform with a 10k run to the city. Brushing shoulders with the elite runners of the world is certainly going to be a high. Paul Tergat, the five-times world cross-country champion from Kenya from 1995 to 1999, two-time silver medallist in the 10,000 metres at the world championships; silver medallist in the 10,000 metres at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics and gold medal winner at the IAAF half marathon is expected to run with Dieudonne Disi of Rwanda, the Delhi half marathon winner in 2007 who also later in the year went onto the win the Lagos half marathon is the firm favourite. In the distaff side Ethiopia’s Berhane Adere, a multiple world champion and Turkey’s Elvan Abeylegesse should provide the thrills. Nike, the running partner for Sunfeast World 10k run, is on an overdrive to fine-tune the Bangaloreans so that they can match the best in the world and to this effect have roped in fitness experts from UK to share their inputs and gear up the runners.Former Dempo footballer Elvis Goes, who returned from the US, with a high-level football coaching license is currently based in Bangalore and runs a Physiotherapy and sports medicine centre at Koramangala. He feels that “the running bug” has definitely…More

The Hindu : Say Om Puri, and a kaleidoscope of images flood the mind. There he is with barely-controlled rage as Anant Velankar in Govind Nihalani’s “Ardh Satya” (’83), the mute sufferer in “Aakrosh” (’80), the rough andready Ahuja in “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron” (’83), the genial but super sharp detective in “Gupt” (’97), the extremist Sanatan in “Maachis” (’96), the conflicted father George Khan in “East is East” (’99), commissioner Tej in “Dev” (’04) or Aslam’s authoritarian father, Amanullah Khan, in “Rang De Basanti” (’06).Om Puri has always managed to escape an actor’s worst nightmare — that of getting typecast. A look at his filmography is breathtaking for the sheer magnitude and variety. That he makes each role appear so different, speaks volumes of his skill. And now the 58-year-old thespian takes on another role — that of chairman of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). In this freewheeling chat, he talks of his plans for NFDC. Excerpts:Is the NFDC a spent force now?In the Eighties, art cinema was noisy. There was a lot of activity with people like Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani making films. Not all the films were successful. The younger filmmakers like Rajkumar Santoshi and Vishal Bharadwaj realised that they needed to use the commercial format to make successful films. The form changed while NFDC continued to follow the so-called art cinema format so it looked like NFDC was doing nothing.What are your plans to rejuvenate NFDC?One of the ideas I have put forth is to pick up viable scripts; films that can stand on their own feet and not purely as an intellectual exercise. We are looking at co-producers. I am also in favour of script doctors for ideas that seem promising but are not viable in their present state. Then there is the concept of a cooperative where we use established stars who want to do good cinema. Not Shah Rukh…More

The Hindu : Things to doTarantismo is presenting “Geometry”, choreographed by Arati-Punwani-Sunawala on May 15, 16 and 17 at 7.30 p.m., with another show on May 17 at 2.30 p.m. at Alliance Francaise. Tickets priced at Rs. 150 are available at the venue and Supermarket on Brigade Road. Emailtarantismo.cdc@gmail.comTTK Prestige kitchen appliances is having their annual mega exchange offer “Anything for Anything” valid till the end of June across all the Prestige Smart Kitchen and dealer outlets.The exchange offer is valid for any kitchen product of any brand that can be old aluminium, stainless steel cookers, cookware, gas stove, mixer grinder, rice cooker, food processors, microwave ovens, oven toaster griller and more.Mynt at the Taj West End is presenting “All spiced Up” a culinary journey of spice mixes of the world from May 15 to 22 with chef Ranjit.To kick-start your appetite, you could choose from a combination of starters like Zatar marinated artichokes with porcini or roasted peppers and grilled onions on a bed of romaine with feta and peppercorn dressing.The main course has an extensive selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Round off your meal with some delicious desserts. For reservations, contact 66605660.“V3 Varnaakriti”, an exhibition of art by V3 Engineers Pvt. Ltd. from May 15 to 19, featuring Mangalore-based Rajendra Kedige, Kandan G. and Anil Devadiga will be on display at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath.Tanishq is organising an exhibition of jewellery crafted for the movie “Jodhaa Akbar” from May 16 to 18 at The Leela Palace.Ranga Shankara and Benaka are staging William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” in Kannada, translated by G.N. Ranganatha Rao, directed by Vikram Kapadia on May 15, 7.30 p.m. Call 9845433336.On May 16, 7.30 p.m. at Ranga Shankara, Benaka will be staging Girish Karnad’s “Hayavadana”, directed by B.V. Karanth. Call 9845433336.Cine Club at the Alliance Francaise is screening Thomas Gilou’s comedy “La Verite si je mens!” on May 15, 6 p.m. at…More

The Hindu : Raw and beautiful, the ancient continent is alive with the greatest collection of wildlife on the planet.Presenting unique animal behaviours in varied locations across the African landmass, Animal Planet’s Wild Africa is the most comprehensive account of its habitat and wildlife.The six-part series will explore the natural history and the physical forces which have shaped the pattern of life across its six key environments ranging from tall mountains to the savannahs to the coasts and the jungles, spread across the massive continent. The show premiers on May 17 at 8 p.m.Filmed over two years and covering more than twenty countries, “Wild Africa” explores the continent from its natural historical background to its modern evolution.From arid Kalahari and Sahara deserts to the lush green Savannah to the icy rushing waters of Victoria Falls, the programmes takes viewers on a mesmerising journey of the mystical continent.Offering intrigue, adventure and relationships, Animal Planet is the only television network on the planet dedicated to mankind’s eternal fascination with the creatures that share our world….More

The Hindu : Islamic iconography meeting Indian gods and goddesses. Abstraction coming half way to meet the well-defined faces.Plants and flowers lending balance to the composition and also suggesting prosperity. Gwalior-based artist Mustak Khan Chowdhury’s canvases are brimming with vibrancy.Mustak continues to be fascinated by religion. “If religion has benefited many, then many have suffered on its account too,” says Mustak, who heads the art faculty at the elite Scindia School.Come togetherAccording to traditional Muslim belief, the Prophet ascended to heaven on a horse-like creature called “Burraq”.In one of his pen and ink works the artist has depicted the flying horse with a woman’s head and peacock’s tail, and a woman’s face below the horse.“The woman is shown dreaming of going to heaven. The painting portrays that everyone wants to go to heaven,” explains Mustak.In the work “Lady on a horse” in mixed media, the artist has merged Hindu and Muslim iconography. The goddess Durga is portrayed sitting on a Burraq. “The idea is to show the cultural exchange that has happened between the two religions over the years. The lotus is a Hindu motif and in Bengal I have seen so many mosques using the lotus motif,” says the artist who has a masters degree in fine arts from Kala Bhavan, Shantiniketan.Religion has always found space on Mustak’s canvas, drawing inspiration from the Gujarat riots and the Shah Bano case.Surreal moveMustak’s works are slowly moving from the realistic to the surrealist. “The stress is more on aesthetics. They are no more subject heavy,” he says. The geometrical shapes on the canvas are influenced by Gwalior fort. “An artist takes a lot from his surroundings. I see the fort everyday and that’s how the images have come in. Also I am influenced by cubist movement,” says Mustak. Folk motifs in the form of fish and the way eyes have been painted are also visible.There are acrylics as well…More

The Hindu : Team woesThe Indian premier league has crossed the halfway mark. The concept is a smash hit, the brouhaha about the cheerleaders sartorial choices notwithstanding.Fan support for the city-based team seems to be increasing as the tourney progresses. While some of the teams have managed to gel well and provide great results, others, most notably Vijay Mallya’s Royal Challengers have not performed well. The recent controversy following the sacking of the team CEO, Charu Sharma seems to have further affected team morale to a great extent. Mallya going public about his unhappiness about the team selection and the undoubtedly corporate face of the tournament has met with varied responses.MetroPlus asked city residents about their views on the latest controversy to hit the tournament and the performance of the Bangalore team. Most residents agreed with the steps taken by the franchisee owner and said he had the right to make these decisions, due to the money spent on purchasing the team. Some fans feel that though the performance has been abysmal, the team does have potential to perform better and climb up the league table.Though the performance of the Bangalore team has been disappointing, sacking players or team officials will not help. They are talented cricketers. I think they will bounce back and answer their critics with a rocking performance.AdarshWeb designerThe Royal Challengers have been unable to make a mark in the tournament.. It was a good decision to sack Charu Sharma. I do not see the rationale behind selecting Sunil Joshi. Young local players must be inducted into the side.NarendraCivil engineerIt has been a very disappointing season for the Royal Challangers team. They have been languishing at the bottom of the table. The team management must be taken to task. They have failed. Mallya has reason to be angryDeepakSoftware engineerThe batting, bowling and fielding are a cause of concern as they are below par. The decision…More

The Hindu : There are few memories one looks back on as fondly as those of childhood summer holidays. Long, lazy, sun-drenched days spent playing with cousins, of trips to the beach and inevitably, the library. Ah, the satisfaction of coming home with a whole pile of books to read, of losing yourself in a Famous Five mystery as you sprawl on your bed, relaxing as you can only during the holidays…It’s heartening to know that some things haven’t changed. In spite of the Internet, video and computer games, cable TV et al, it seems like summer is still bookworm season for children. And Enid Blyton remains the hot favourite.Adrian Fernando, for example, is an 11-year-old on a mission: he plans to finish every Famous Five book in the collection by the end ofsummer. “I’ve just finished the third volume, and I’m going to go buy the fourth,” he says with a grin.“He buys them three at a time,” says mom Blossom indulgently. “He’s been pestering us to go to the bookshop to buy the next lot.”According to V. Bhuvaneswari, head librarian at the British Council, children are actually reading more these days than a generation or so ago. “The children’s book section at the British Council has had quite a revival of late,” she says. “I think it’s because there’s a greater awareness amongst parents nowadays, and they’re encouraging their children to read more.”Which means there’s another venerable collection of books that do very well around this time of the year: “Classics sell a lot during the summer because that’s what parents like to buy for their children,” comments Madhu, category head, books, Landmark. Blossom, for example, has bought Adrian volumes one and two of the Sherlock Holmes stories because she loved reading them when growing up.But it seems what the children really want to be reading (apart from evergreen Enid) are book versions of the fantastical…More

The Hindu : We have seen her act, host shows, support social causes and even do commentary for cricket, but what we haven’t really seen her do is dance. With the video of Nick Fundoo Superstar hitting television in June we will see Mandira Bedi doing justthat: shaking a leg with Nick toon stars, Sponge Bob SquarePants, Ninja Hattori, Perman, and four children who will be winners of the Nick Fundoo Superstar Contest.Mandira is excited about the video and says, “I have not done something like this before. This is different; it’s all about being yourself,” she chuckles. All the children have to do to be in the video is watch Nick and at the end of the show SMS the name of the Nick-toon in question.Talking about the video Mandira says, “I’m not a great dancer. That is why you don’t see me in reality dance shows.” The video will be choreographed by ace choreographer Saroj Khan. “My first dancing experience was with Saroj ji, 13 years ago for ‘DDLJ’, and now again it’s with her. She might be a little tough but she is excellent. It is okay if she raps me on my knuckles but I am sure she will make me look good on screen.” Discussing her other projects, Mandira says she is currently hosting the show “Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar” and will travel to Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore and Mumbai in connection with the promo of Nick Superstar. Juggling so many roles, what does she enjoy the most? “Anything that’s live as there are no retakes,” she says, adding after a brief pause, “words once uttered cannot be taken back,” She finds it taxing when there are too many retakes.The lady who also watches cartoons says that Spongebob and Tom and Jerry are her favourite cartoon characters. Being one of the first woman commentators as well as adding glamour to the game, how…More