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Retro to Metro: this was the theme of the annual day of CMR National Public School, Banaswadi, which was celebrated recently. This magical and musical journey was undertaken through the storyline of Shakuntala. Justice Hulavadi Ramesh, Judge, High Court of Karnataka, was the chief guest. The Justice released the school magazine, Gyan Deep. He extolled the students’ achievements and bade them serve the nation rather than blindly flock to foreign lands. His wife Annapurna distributed prizes.

At the senior school annual day, M.K. Srivastava, Additional Director General of Police was the chief guest. He appreciated the growth made by the school. He told the students to achieve their goals through hard work.

His wife Vandana gave away prizes for teachers for 100 per cent attendance. Jaideep and Trishta Ramamurthy, members of the board of management, were present.

Inputs by Sudhindr A.B<FONT …More

The Hindu : G.VISHNU

Learning through theatre: Delivering a message.

“What is politics?” It is not easy to give an apt and short answer to this question. But the children of Hanumanthanagara Bimba, a theatre school, dealt with this question with remarkable lucidity in the play “Kanasina Aata”(The Game of Dreams), directed by A.M.Prakash.Stuff of dreams

The play is about a tyrannical king who fears that his subjects are conspiring against him. When he mingles among the people disguised as a commoner, he finds that people do not respect him. He also finds that common folks, especially children, dream of becoming a king one day. Alarmed, he announces that dreaming is banned in his kingdom, and since sleeping causes dreaming, he imposes a ban on sleeping too.

The king realises that people dream and continue to sleep in stealth. Going by his minister’s suggestion he has the Kanasugara ,the Angel of Dreams, arrested. The angel is ordered to give all the good dreams only to the king. A set of brave children come to know of the misfortune of the Angel of Dreams and set out to save him. The children suggest to the angel that he should give nightmares to the king to make him realise his cruelty. The trick works : the king takes off his crown and wears a humble Gandhi cap.

The play not only carried a message but also kept the audience in splits . The costumes, designed by Vanamala Prakash, were spectacular.

“I wrote the script with the intention of including all the 70 children, who are from age groups of five to 15. I tried to entertain children with humour as well as encourage them to think,” said Mr. Prakash.

The play was the result of a six month theatre course by the school.”There are plenty of things people who sit in the Vidhana Soudha can pick up from this children’s play,”…More

The Hindu : y>Here are some interesting facts about the popular MTV show, Roadies

* The first name that was suggested was “Saath Saath” (Seven together). Then the music channel held an internal contest to come up with an alternative name – “Road Raj” but finally, settled for “Roadies”. * Raghu Ram was the cameraman and an editor. It is only in Season 2 that he came in front of the camera as a part of the judging panel as he was the only one in the whole team who could speak in Hindi. * Roadies Season 1 was not a contest and Rannvijay was never the winner. He was the most popular one and hence, the myth. * After Roadies Season 1, the roadies were so close to each other that they got back together in Mumbai and started living in Raghu’s house. Raghu was almost asked to vacate his house because Roadie Tony would only roam around in his boxers. * Rannvijay was scheduled to join the army two months after the Season 1. It was Raghu’s twin, Rajiv’s idea that he should try his luck in the entertainment industry. Five years later, it was Rannvijay’s idea that Rajiv becomes a part of the Hell Down Under auditions. * Rannvijay is the resident arm-wrestling champion in the Roadies crew. * MTV rejected Raghu Ram’s job application in 2001! * The director of photography, Akshay Rajput used to live with Raghu and Rajiv when they first moved to Mumbai from Delhi in 2000. Later, Akshay gave shelter to Raghu when he was jobless and penniless in Mumbai.* The idea of the roadies song came from Orkut, where youngsters were trying to make their own roadies anthem. Agnee composed the Roadies song free of cost, as they were close friends of Raghu and gang. Raghu wrote the roadies song. Nature Baba shot the recording of the…More

The Hindu : y>Bandannas and beads are all the rage now thanks to Captain Jack Sparrow and his ilk, writes NEETI SARKAR

Photo: APSavvy Johnny Depp in his buccaneer avatar in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

Film and fashion are best buddies. Thanks to the illustrious Captain Jack Sparrow, today’s fashion echoes the very essence of movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean”. They are literally everywhere! From pendants and tee shirts to watches and mouse-pads, pirate motifs have stolen the limelight. While it is not uncommon to spot a teenager wearing a shirt with the design of a glowing skull, you might be shocked to find young girls sporting sandals with tiny metal anchors that serve as a buckle or as some sort of fancy embellishment! Designers too have jumped on the pirate bandwagon.

Celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Sienna Miller have made quite a statement with the skull-patterned scarves. Ezra Kanavalli, a business management student says, “The concept of pirates is fascinating and the same finding echoes in fashion even more so.The notorious patch, the infamous wooden limb and the hook are now popular prints on bandanas. Parth B.S., a content writer and self confessed movie buff says, “I was inspired by the movie and for a long time had wanted to get myself a tattoo. Since the skull is very common, I got a pirate hat tattooed instead and I absolutely love it.”

“After the release of ‘At world’s end,’ a friend hosted a party with the pirate theme. The turnout was amazing! There were sailors and pirates. The look was complete with accessories like fake weapons and pirate flags!” explains Sneha Jagadish, a fine arts teacher. The gift store, Archie’s Gallery has launched its new collection of pirate knickknacks. While the pirate clock would cost you around Rs. 400, the more eye-catching snow globe can be purchased for a mere Rs. 250. According…More

The Hindu :

Mangesh Hadawale’s Marathi film Tingya, an Oscar nominee, reinstates faith in meaningful cinema

SMALL GOES BIG Mangesh Hadawale: ‘I decided to make a movie that showcases reality in our villages’

For those who feel that commercial cinema in India is fast reducing the impact of theme and message-based films and turning movie-making into just a profit spinner, the movie Tingya comes as a breath of fresh air.

The Marathi film is based on the story of the bond that a small boy shares with one of his bulls, Tingya. The film is directed by Mangesh Hadawale, who hails from a village in Pune district, and one of MTv’s Youth Icon 2008.

The film has been well received by both Indian and foreign audiences, and critics as well, managing to pick up nearly 46 awards. It has also won an independent nomination in the best foreign film category at the Oscars.“The movie deals with the issues that the boy’s family faces. After a crop failure, the boy’s father is left with only one choice — either sell the bull or commit suicide. Though this is the basic plot, an attempt has also been made to include farmer suicides, fragile religious ties etc. The movie is set in Vidharba.”

He says, “I feel that cinema should provide some message to the people. Being a visual medium, it is available to people cutting across class, caste and money barriers. The message is a very important factor, when you are making a movie.” Mangesh completed his film making course in Pune. “I was always interested in films and film making. I decided to make a movie that showcases reality in many villages across the country. I feel that having stayed in a village for nearly two decades, I can present an authentic picture of a village.”

“I never expected the film to be so successful and be critically acclaimed in…More

The Hindu :

The dwindling population of the endangered dugongs suffered one more loss recently in the Andaman and Nicobar islands

gentle giantThe ancient creatures are the only 100 per cent marine herbivores

There is bad news for marine life enthusiasts. A highly endangered breeding female Dugong dugong was recently poached at Neil Island in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

According to Wildlife SOS, a non-profit charity that works for animal welfare in India and the US, poachers used nets and spears to maim and capture the female dugong and hacked the animal to use the meat as fish bait.

What makes it even more tragic is that the dugong has left behind a calf which perhaps won’t be able to make it as the mother-calf bond between a dugong and her child is quite strong.

A mother nurtures her baby for as long as six years. Dugongs are extremely gentle sea-mammals that graze on underwater grass.

They are the only 100 per cent marine herbivores. The ancient underwater creatures surface every 15 minutes to breathe,creating sounds like musical notes;so they are also called Sirenades.No-net zone

The double loss, coupled with the fact that this is reportedly the third such instance of poaching in the area, has set the animal rights activists panicking.

The forest department too needs to get its act together for it can’t afford to lose this precious underwater species, a sizeable chunk of which was lost during the Tsunami’s wreckage in the Andamans.

“The grass bed on which dugongs graze lies outside the protected area but even that has been declared a no-net zone. It’s a serious issue for dugong also happen to be the state animal. We are waiting for the new guidelines that will allow us to intensively patrol the unprotected areas as well. The new scheme will enable us to buy new boats for patrolling,” says Khajan Singh, Chief Wildlife Warden of the area.

“There…More

The Hindu : y>

Play time Always Look On The Bright Side of Life will be staged

Evam is back in the news with another play that will be staged at Ranga Shankara on January 13 and 14, 7.30 p.m. The play, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”, is based on a television series by Monty Python. The cast includes Sunil Vishnu K., Navin Balachandran, Karthik Kumar. The play is designed and directed by Evam and choreographed by Manikandan.

Tickets can be blocked online atwww.evam.in orwww.bookmyshow.com. They are also available at Landmark (Forum), Blossoms, and the venue. For details call 9840222363/ 9840612333.

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The Hindu : y>Sound Off! Naveen Karuppiah feels that in the worst of times, reading a book is a great way to destress

In tumultuous times like these, both for the world at large and India in particular, a lot of issues worry me ranging from the Mumbai terror attacks to the repercussions of the economic crisis. The worry list stretches into many pages, but I will list a few that top the list.

The face of Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan’s mother at her son’s funeral still lingers in my memory. The Government may award many gallantry awards and provide monetary compensation, but that will not suffice to replace her loss. The youngster lost his life in a bid to save his countrymen.

People might talk about this hero for a few days, but this martyr from Gods own country may soon be overshadowed by the first runner up in the Miss World competition, Parvathi Ommakuttan.

A country that shrugged off foreign rule on the premise of ahimsa, now seems accepting of terror attacks that happen across the country with sickening regularity. In this endless circle of violence, the public outcry rages for a time and then dies out. Politicians use terror as an opportunity to gain brownie points by stoking public opinion.

This political apathy has resulted in the current climate of fear in the country. From terror attacks to term tests, many issues worry me. I have found shelter in reading books, which has helped me accept things as they are.

Do you have anything to say? About the state of the world, the city, your angst?

Pen it stylishly and you might get it published.And dash off your piece with your photograph. Email it tobangmetro@gmail.com or post it to MetroPlus, The Hindu, 19 & 21, Bhagwan Mahaveer Road (Infantry Road), Bangalore 1.

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The Hindu :

Mani Bhaumik explores the universe in his new book Cosmic Detective

Photo: Bhagya Prakash k.Mystery unveiled Mani Bhaumik

As a youngster growing up in a small village in Bengal in pre-independent India, Mani Bhaumick used to look at the sky and wonder about the stories the stars seem to tell him. Bhaumick went on to earn a PhD in Physics from IIT and a slew of degrees from the US. He achieved international fame as the co-inventor of laser technology that made the complex Lasik surgery possible.

Bhaumik then initiated research into the mysteries of the universe and went on to write “Code Name God”, where an attempt was made to understand god, through a marriage of science and spirituality. He says, “Research has proved that a supreme power does exist, which has provided the blueprint for all creation. The only question is whether it has a physical form or is just a mass of matter.”

Bhaumick feels that this discovery would help in ending many concerns facing the human species. “Though science and technology has grown manifold, people still continue to fight over religion and land. With science proving that god is a singular entity, terror and other horrific crimes in the name of religion should die a natural death.”

Discussing his latest book, “The cosmic Detective: exploring the mysteries of the universe,” he says, “This book basically takes the reader on a tour of the universe, where the reader would act as a detective and try solve the mysteries of the various phenomena that surround us. The universe is too huge a space for anyone to comprehend easily. However, with advances in technology, we have learnt a lot about the universe in the past two decades.”

The scientist adds, “Knowledge is the key to understanding the universe and the presence of a supreme being. This book is an effort to ensure that children learn…More

The Hindu :

Irrfan Khan has several big ticket releases this year, including Billoo Barber

Method actor Irrfan Khan

Irrfan Khan is quite eager to know the public response to his film “Dil Kabaddi”. He feels it is really a paisa vasool film. “Watch it and it won’t disappoint,” he says. The man from Jaipur is shooting in Dholpur, Rajasthan for UTV’s “Pan Singh Tomar”, a biopic on the soldier-turned-dacoit.

“It’s a wonderful story about this villager who gets into the army to earn a living and wins several medals for the country thanks to his amazing running speed. But when he returns to his village, he is appalled at the social injustice,” he says.

Irrfan is excited about 2009. Lined up are several big ticket releases — his first YashRaj film “New York” (with Katrina, John), the SRK-produced “Billoo Barber” (with Lara and SRK), Sanjay Gupta’s “Acid Factory” (with Dia Mirza, Fardeen Khan and others), Mira Nair’s episode from “New York, I Love You” (with Natalie Portman) and Jennifer Lynch’s “The Hiss” (with Mallika Sherawat).

He also plays a police officer in the globally-acclaimed Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire”. “A film never gives me a high.

“If the working atmosphere and the story are to my liking, then that’s a definite high,” he laughs.

Irrfan essays the lead role of Billoo, a village barber in this modern-day Krishna-Sudama story.

In Sanjay Gupta’s “Acid Factory”, Irrfan has tried to shake off his common man image.

“Sometimes I would like to do a larger-than-life or an outlandish character for I am in the business of entertaining. By doing films like ‘Acid Factory’ I can only keep giving them (filmmakers) signals that I have greater variety than that I have already portrayed,” he says candidly.

Working hard and making it look effortless is definitely Irrfan’s forte.

So is he is the only consistent crossover artist from India?

Irrfan says, “I am just very fortunate. When you work…More