News

The Hindu :

The multi-faceted actor talks on his latest avatar

Through the sands of time Vinay Pathak

Fresh from his bureaucrat avatar in “Quick Gun Murugan” super funnyman, Vinay Pathak, is back on the small screen as host for “History Showcase” on Fox History & Entertainment.

“This is a new avatar,” Vinay exclaims over the phone. “I would be serious and informative. I am the host, the anchor, I will tell you all you need to know about the Forbidden City, Hannibal, the Great Wall of China and the pyramids.”

But just in case you are worried about Vinay donning a pedantic, professorial role, he assures us that while the show is scripted, “it has been written keeping in mind who I am.”

Ask Vinay why he chose “History Showcase” to take the plunge into the infotainment pool, and he chortles: “First, I find Fox History & Entertainment a very interesting channel. Second, I get to work with gorgeous people and third, this is the kind of programme I would like my children to watch.”

Vinay will anchor four episodes of “History Showcase.” The docu-drama format helps bring to life some of the greatest ancient monuments, cities and people. Vinay, who is known for his impeccable comic timing on television and on the big screen, is an avid traveller and says the show helps him relive his passion for places and their history. “It is almost like going back in time and being there in person.”

The programmes Vinay hosts will include “The Great Wall” (September 13), on all that went into the building of the Great Wall of China, “Hannibal: Enemy of Rome” (September 20), “The Pharaohs Who Built Egypt” (September 27) which would dwell on the 3,000-year-old architectural marvels and “Secrets of The Forbidden City” (Oct 3).

Ask Vinay if there was any particular reason for hosting these four episodes and he says: “It is what attracted me…More

The Hindu : y>

The Heart of Mahayana Buddhism:A teaching on Tonglen, the ‘giving and taking’ meditation practice will be conducted by Ven. Tenzin Gyurme Rinpoche.

Venue: Choe Khor Sum Ling Centre, Domlur layout.

Date: September 13, 10 a.m.

Contact: 41486497

<FONT …More

The Hindu : y>Vaibhav Mehta chose to get out of the corporate whorl and succumbed to the seduction of photography, finds SHILPA SEBASTIAN R.

PHOTO: MURALI KUMAR K.A SLICE OF REALITY Vaibhav Mehta, the self-taught photographer, and ;some of his frames.

“My love story with photography started when I was just a child. I always dreamt about capturing moments and freezing them in a frame,” says the 29-year-old Vaibhav Mehta, who has a passion for photography. Yet, he never thought of taking to photography as a career.

“Even at home no one could help me. My father is a doctor and mother a home maker. I was always shy and never even had the courage to do something unconventional. But the Internet is a great place to learn anything. There is so much help and information,” explains this self-taught photographer.

He went on to complete his MBA in economics and after that it was the usual nine-to-five job. “I worked in many advertising companies and found that I got moulded into a corporate life. I got serious about photography two years ago, when I picked up a digital SLR camera. Ever since I have just been clicking away.”

He trained under Hellmuth, a German photographer for a short while and says that he decided to take to photography seriously on an impulse. “I was at a traffic signal and a young child came to me asking for money. Something about the face and the expression touched me so much that I wanted to do something more to help him. The next day I approached an NGO that works with child labourers on the Outer Ring Road and started taking their pictures and was involved as a volunteer.” The result was his first exhibition — Life Through A Different Lens —that captured the life of these children. “The proceeds from the sale went towards helping these children.”

He also…More

The Hindu : y>

Savour traditional French flavours at the French Reverie at a Sunday Brunch, priced at Rs. 750.

Venue: Aqua, The Park Hotel, M.G. Road

Date: September 13

Contact: 9980513147

<FONT …More

The Hindu : y>

After trying his hand with the commercial, director Ashuu Trikha turns realistic with the tale of a politician-criminal-police nexus set in the by-lanes of Lucknow and its surroundings.

Debutant Soham Shah plays the title role of a cold blooded sharp shooter and is backed by some trusted names like Om Puri, Mithun Chakraborty and Govind Namdeo.THE UGLY TRUTH

Abby Richter, a romantically challenged morning show producer is in search of Mr. Perfect. She’s shocked out of her wits when her bosses team her up with Mike Chadway, a hardcore TV personality who promises to spill the ugly truth on what makes men and women tick. Starring Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler, Bree Turner and Eric Winter, this film is directed by Robert Luketic.9

This Shane Acker film promises to take animation to a new level. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, it follows 9 a rag doll called stitchpunk, who inadvertently awakens the machine responsible for the demise of humanity. There are eight more characters like 9 with different takes on how to take on the brute force.

<FONT …More

The Hindu :

Biswajeet, Waheeda Rehman, Madan Puri, Manmohan Krishna, Sajjan, Asit Sen

Haunting mystery Biswajeet made his debut in the film and Waheeda Rehman was luminescent

We often wonder how a particular stereotype is created. Why do horror films all feature the sound of anklets and a lady singing a sad song in the dead of the night? The answer is when this was tried for the first time, it was a novelty and the audience lapped it up. But over a period of time path-breaking becomes generic. “Bees Saal Baad” remains that benchmark in the horror/thriller genre in Indian cinema.

Though Kamal Amrohi’s “Mahal” also ventured into similar territory, it was a milder version and came more than a decade before director Biren Naug decided to experiment with what was a neglected genre till then. Naug was an acclaimed art director who worked with Guru Dutt in films like “C.I.D”, “Pyaasa” and “Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam”.

Produced by music composer Hemant Kumar, it is the tale of Thakur Kumar Vijay Singh (Biswajeet) who returns from London to claim his legacy. He is warned to stay away from the marshes that have killed his ancestors, but Kumar intends to find out, who is behind the killings.

The needle of suspicion shifts from human to supernatural. First there is servant Laxman, with his neck tilted at an acute angle. He tells Kumar the family is cursed because of the crime committed by Kumar’s grandfather who raped a girl. The girl killed killed herself and now her spirit is bent on revenge. Then there is Dr. Pandey (Madan Puri), who is going to inherit the property in case Kumar dies. There is also a man mysteriously roaming about in the jungle to add to the mystery. Kumar hires a private detective (Asit Sen), who provides comic relief.

Kumar falls in love with Radha (Waheeda Rehman), the niece of the local…More

The Hindu : y>

As a tribute to, Vijay Tendulkar, watch “Hakki Haarutide Nodidira”, translated by Prema Karanth and directed by Manav Kaul. Tickets are priced at Rs. 70.

Venue: Ranga Shankara

Date: September 13

Time: 3.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.

<FONT …More

The Hindu :

More exotic fruits make their way into the Indian fruit bowl

Fruity affair Plums, peaches and nectarines are a good source of Vitamin C and A

Forget recession. Forget drought. Enjoy your nectarines. How about some large plums? Never mind if plum has hardly made an appearance in our markets this summer.

You can still satisfy your craving, thanks to California PPN – peaches, plums and nectarines – that has made its appearance in India.

After apples, oranges, and grapes from foreign orchards, now come peaches and plums.

Showcasing their products and detailing out the nutritional benefits of the fruit, Gordon Smith, Director of Marketing, California PPN said, “India is an emerging market for us and we offer quality peaches, plums and nectarines to meet customer demands for healthy fresh fruit.”No fats here

Nutrition consultant Geetu Amarnani, who is the chief dietician of BLK Hospital, New Delhi said, “Good food is the best defence against any kind of disease.”

These fruits are good sources of Vitamin C and A. They also contain potassium and fibre. These are sodium-free and do not contain fat.

She further tipped that instead of going for supplements one should go for nutrient rich food. “Taking at least four fruits a day is highly recommended.”Nutritional value

With only 60 calories, peaches are fat-free and sodium-free. One medium-size peach contains vitamin C and A, fibre and potassium.

One peach has eight percent of the recommended DV (Daily Value) of fibre, it also contains six percent of the recommended DV of vitamin A, seven percent of the recommended DV of potassium, which also helps the body normalise blood pressure.

Nectarines contain 15 percent of the recommended DV of vitamin C, eight percent of the recommended DV of vitamin A and seven percent of the recommended DV of potassium.

The plums are also vitamin rich having 10 percent of the DV of vitamin C,…More

The Hindu : y>

An introductory class on Ikebana.

Venue: Active Canvas, Ashoka Pillar

Date: September 12

Time: Noon to 1 p.m.

Contact: 41609122

<FONT …More

The Hindu : y>

Bhavana Bhat wins a meal voucher from Darbar.

Readers are encouraged to send in their sightings: bloopers, UFOs or anything out of the ordinary they have snapped. Send your photographs to caughtsnappingblr@gmail.com titled CaughtSnapping along with a caption, your address and contact number. The best photograph featured in this column wins a meal voucher from Darbar every week.

<FONT …More