News

The Hindu : y>Car and bike questions? We have the answers

I want to buy a car that falls within my budget of Rs. 5 lakh. I have shortlisted the i10 (1.2 Magna Kappa) and the Indica Vista (Quadrajet Aura). The car should have comfort and good resale value. I drive about 1000km a month in the city only for pleasure. Which of the two should I go for?

D.S.Raja Karthik Pandian

We think that the Hyundai i10 is the better of the two. But if you’re willing to push your budget a bit, we suggest you go in for the Hyundai i20 Magna. It has a nice engine, it’s easy to drive and the quality of the car’s interiors surpasses that of the i10 and Vista. Comfort levels of the i20 are more than pleasing. The car’s resale value won’t be bad as well.I’m a businessman and plan to buy a supercar. I wanted to go for Porsche 4s Carrera but a family friend suggested I go for the Audi R8. I will need the car to go on long drives on weekends. I want a car that hasroad presence and makes a huge style statement. I am confused as to which one does so better. I own a BMW 7 series and a Volkswagen Passat. Please help me decide.

G. Srinivas

Lucky you. If it’s commanding road presence and a posh style statement you seek, we suggest you look no further than the Audi R8. You’ll have loads of fun driving this car around on long weekend runs.I am planning to buy a small car within a budget of Rs. 4 lakh. The car should have power steering, good ground clearance, resale value and should be easy to maintain. Which car should I go for? Please suggest.

M Chandrashekar

The Maruti Ritz should do well in meeting your expectations. The Ritz is a car that blends…More

The Hindu : y>Amidst intense human drama, our Chief News Photographer K. GOPINATHAN discovers that his job has not numbed his emotions

Photos: K. GopinathanA FULL CIRCLEIn one single moment, with one single picture, two decades had telescoped.

It is true that a news photographer sees the world through the camera lens. I approach every assignment assessing its newsworthiness, focusing on how best the image will look on the page. Personal emotions are secondary. I often used to wonder: “Have I lost my humaneness?” Sometimes I curse myself for not being upset over wasteful death or a tragic accident: my only worry is how to capture the moment on camera.

But occasionally, there are times when I am reassured that I am a normal human being, after all. I was driving back from an assignment when I received a call from my Bureau Chief. “Gopi, do you know Minda is back in Bangalore?” I could not place the name immediately. “Minda, the baby without arms and legs you had photographed 19 years ago at Ashraya?”

The penny dropped. The limbless baby was Swapna then. And now she had returned to Ashraya with her adoptive mother. I raced towards Ashraya, the children’s home, my mind going back by two decades. It was in February 1989 that I got a message from a reporter colleague (I was with another daily at the time) that a day-old baby, abandoned by her parents, had been given shelter seven months later by Ashraya.

My first glimpse of the infant was a shock: a sweet-looking baby minus arms and legs. Suddenly I was battered by all sorts of feelings. I cried in my heart: “God, why did you punish this beautiful child?” I then pushed aside my emotions prepared for the shoot. That was when she looked at the camera directly, raising her torso as if to assert herself: “This is me! This is what…More

The Hindu :

Channel [V] is all set to capture hearts and TRPs in its new avatar. It launches five new shows this quarter

Fresh outlook The new team at Channel [V]

They’ve changed from being like this only to bloody cool, and would have us believe that’s how the youth likes it. We are talking about Channel [V], the youth music channel that’s not so hot on the surf mode currently. But, come August 22, and a whole new [V] is what you can expect, with six new shows and two new VJs. And, of course, the ‘Bloody Cool’ tagline.

Prem Kamath, General Manager, Channel [V] explains the need for a revamp. “It’s not an overhaul as is being projected but more of a concentration on certain elements such as shows. Earlier, we would have only three to four shows on the channel. Now, we are bringing in five new shows this quarter. We have realised that music is the same across channels, and shows are clicking with the youth.”

Incidentally, “Launch Pad”, which saw its third season this year, will be yanked off air. “We think it does not warrant a one-hour special episode as it caters to a very niche segment. Instead, we are going to make it an online and on-ground activity with road shows, etc.,” says Kamath.

There are just two fresh faces. The channel continues with the Beauty on Duty Lola Kutty and VJ Juhi for their shows, adding VJ Andy and VJ Manish (you must have seen him on television before). The guys at the channel are certain that ‘Bloody Cool’ will be as much a hit as ‘We Are Like This Only’ was.

Kamath says that it was the top contender among some other taglines they thought of. “It has an in-your-face attitude to it. I think it will be a rage.”

Wonder why the revamp makes the channel sound so similar…More

The Hindu : y>

A different groove The Bong Connection explores the psyche of an NRI Bengali

Celebrating the patriotic spirit in the Independence day month, Zee Studio will showcase English movies with a desi flavour every Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. in August.

On August 23, catch “The Bong Connection”, a light-hearted and insightful drama that celebrates the spirit of being Bengali. Directed by Anjan Dutta, the director of films like “Bow Barracks Forever” and “Crossroads of Love”, “The Bong Connection” explores the psyche of NRI Bengali. On 30 August watch VJ and actor Luke Kenny (most recently seen in “Rock On”) don the directorial hat in “13th Floor”, a unique experimental film shot in an elevator stuck on the 13th floor and the conversation that ensues between two neighbours (Purab Kohli and Sandhya Mridul) whose lives are entwined in many ways.

<FONT …More

The Hindu :

Sudden Cardiac Arrest? Experts on why it occurs and what preventive measures can be taken

PHOTO: MAHESH HARILALCATCH THEM YOUNG Educate children about lifestyle modifications to ensure cardio health

Here this minute, gone the next. That is the only thing one can say of people who succumb to Sudden Cardiac Arrest — a condition in which the heart arrests (stops beating) very suddenly.

Says Dr. Ulhas Pandurangi, a senior consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist: “When the time and mode of death are unexpected, it is described as Sudden Death. Half of these are due to heart attack, which is the result of sudden loss of blood supply to the heart and an abrupt loss of heart function. The other half of such deaths could primarily be due to disturbances in the heart rhythm. (The term massive heart attack is often mistakenly used to describe such sudden deaths.) Most sudden cardiac arrest episodes are caused by the rapid and/or chaotic activity of the heart, known as Ventricular Tachycardia or Ventricular Fibrillation. These are diseases of the heart’s electrical conduction system and should not be confused with a heart attack (myocardial infarction) which is caused by a blocked blood vessel leading to loss of blood supply to a portion of the heart muscle. However, some people may experience Sudden Cardiac Arrest during a heart attack. Sudden Cardiac Arrest without heart attack is usually seen among the younger population.”Common in Indians

“Premature heart attack is common in Indians compared to the Western population. Beyond the age of 50, the risk of suffering heart attack per year, the world over, is approximately two to three per 1,000. In general, the incidence of all rhythm problems is eight to 10 per 1000 people.”

Are there symptoms for Sudden Cardiac Arrest? “The symptoms are giddiness, episodes of unconsciousness, and palpitations. However, Sudden Cardiac Arrest can occur without prior symptoms,” says Dr….More

The Hindu :

Visually-challenged Nasser Khan has made in own action film

Sheer grit Nasser Khan doesn’t use a stunt double

We have all seen actors playing blind characters in movies at some time or the other. Now for the first time ever, we will see Nasser Khan, visually challenged in real life, play a character who can see, in the movie “Shadow”. The film is said to be an action-packed thriller and plans are to release it in 1,000 theatres worldwide.

Nasser Khan is not only acting in the film but has also produced and distributed it.As if this were not enough, he also set up a music company for his film.

“I went to all the big giants of this industry but nobody supported me. So after a lot of struggle, I decided to take things in my own hands. But I don’t have any grudges. Had they supported me then, I wouldn’t have had my own production, distribution and music company today,” says Khan, who is currently promoting his film.

“I am a simple middle class man from Kanpur with big dreams. I have my own leather business and that is what I do for a living.”

Khan has also done all the stunts himself in “Shadow”. Which one did he dread doing the most? “Every stunt was difficult and scary for me. But the jet sky one was the toughest. Preparing for my role, singing and dancing was also one hell of a task.”

Sonia Mehra, daughter of yesteryear superstar, the late Vinod Mehra, is also starring in the movie. “I play the Home Minister’s daughter, who is a rich spoilt brat. I loved working in the film and it was a very different experience,” says Sonia.

EISHA SHARMA

<FONT …More

The Hindu :

British TV host of Extreme Fishing, Robson Green,has fascinating stories to tell

Adventurous Robson Green with a group which works on the Chinese fishing nets

Quite literally, the big fish is here. British actor, singer, and TV host of the adventure programme, “Extreme Fishing”, Robson Green is angling in Kerala waters for real situations while fishing. The programme that will showcase extreme fishing conditions across the world is about fish and the people who live by it. The final catch of fish tales is produced by Channel 5.

If you wonder how extreme fishing can get then you will find Robson fishing in a bat cave in Sri Lanka, where the noise of a million bats and their horrendous smell is an extreme condition. “Most of the methods are outside my comfort zone. But the residents live by that,” says Robson explaining that ‘extreme’ can be by virtue of location, method or lifestyle.Chinese nets

It is an intermingling of these that create what he refers to as “alchemy of pursuit,” the alchemy a result of positive energy, a challenging spirit and the bravado of the fishing folks.

In Kochi he joins the fishermen to pull the centuries old, Chinese fishing nets, “a beautiful piece of engineering,” and is excited at the fact that they are there from the times “when Richard II was on throne”. The English actor who made a surprise sensation with the song “Unchained Melody” (1995) will be acting here too, but not in a starry role but as a fish in a Kathakali show. “It’s my karma and I who have been angling fish all my life gets hooked this time.”

“Extreme Fishing” comprises 12 episodes that traverse the waters off Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, Brazil, parts of Africa, Japan, Papua New Guinea and Canada. After Sri Lanka, Robson moves from Kochi to Alappuzha where he will hunt for the…More

The Hindu : y>To promotes sales in villages across India

Toboost sales inthe currentchallenging market conditions, Maruti Suzuki has increased its focus on the relatively untapped rural market across the country.The company first launched and then strengthened its ‘Ghar ghar mein Maruti’ campaign.

The strategy seems to be paying off. Two years after the rural drive was initiated, sales from these areas comprise 12 per cent of Maruti’s total sales.

“In the past six to eight months, we have created new initiatives for the rural markets,” says Mayank Pareek, executive officer (marketing and sales) Maruti Suzuki. There are around 660,000 villages in India, a sizeable number of which Maruti has already penetrated.

The company has appointed 3,000 local villagers as resident dealer sales executives, who promote sales in their villages. They are supported by over 186 extension counters. Maruti plans to double the number of its outlets in rural India from 231 to 450 by 2011. It also plans to sell 250,000 cars annually in rural India by that time.

<FONT …More