Post leap, Tina Dutta to play double role in Uttaran

Foxy Kangana Ranaut at an event!

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Now, Genelia D'Souza in legal trouble

Foxy Kangana Ranaut at an event!

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Government initiates regular exercise of floor coordination with UPA allies in Parliament

New Delhi:  The absence of a large number of UPA members during voting on President's address today prompted the Government to set in motion in Parliament a formal floor coordination mechanism with allies.

In a move that could lead to cracking the whip, Congress floor managers also announced that explanation will be sought from its members absent in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha during voting on President Address yesterday and today respectively.

Nearly 50 members of the UPA, about half of them from the Congress, were absent in the Lok Sabha yesterday and some half a dozen Congress members in the Rajya Sabha today despite a three-line whip issued by the ruling party.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal told reporters that he would be writing letters to the members who played truant and seek clarification as to why they were absent.

He said he would also seek details of members from the Upper House who were absent during the debate on the Lokpal bill.

The party leadership could take serious cognizance of the absence of MPs in view of the fact that a three-line whip asking members to be present during the voting was issued.

Several Union Ministers were also absent from the Lok Sabha yesterday during the voting including some from the allies.

Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar of the NCP and T R Baalu of the DMK were among leaders who attended the formal floor coordination meeting of the UPA convened by Bansal who said such meetings will take place on the mornings of Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

If need be consultations will be held on Monday and Friday too, he said.

Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj had alleged in the Lok Sabha that the numbers on the vote had exposed government's claim of majority.

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Agent Vinod's Pungi song a copy?

By Hindustan Times

Just as the song Pungi Bajaa Kar from Saif Ali Khan's spy thriller Agent Vinod is gaining popularity, an Iranian music band has slapped a legal notice on music director Pritam Chakraborty and distributors for alleged copyright violation.

The music band Barobax Corp was founded in 2003 by three Iranian nationals Kashayar Haghgoo, Kevian Haghgoo and Hamid Farouzmand.

According to the legal notice issued by law firm Vidhii Partners, Barobax had on January 16, 2010 produced and released an album titled Soosan Khanoom which became a rage.

"On March 12 this year, the band came across the promotions of the movie Agent Vinod on satellite television in Iran. The song Pungi Baja De was being aired. On listening to the song, the band realised that the initial portion of the song is lifted without any change from the title song of their album," the notice claims.

According to the notice, the band is the owner of the copyright of the song Soosan Khanoom which is registered under the Copyright Act in Canada on June 30 last year and hence the music of the song cannot be used without the band's permission.

Soon after learning about the copyright infringement the band sent their representative Nargis Kazerooni to India to initiate legal action.

Apart from music director Pritam, the notice has also been served to Eros International Media, Illuminati Films Private Ltd and Super Cassettes Ltd.

"We demand the music director, producers and directors to refrain from releasing the song in the movie or use it to promote the movie. Failing to do so, the band shall be compelled to initiate proceedings to seek a restraining order and necessary compensation," the notice states.

The movie starring Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor is slated for release on March 23.

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Twitter turns six

"just setting up my twttr" - when Jack Dorsey tweeted this on March 22, 2006, he couldn't have imagined that in six years, people across the world would be sending over 9420 tweets a second, as witnessed during Superbowl 2012.

Twitter was created by a 5-member team, working under the banner of a start-up called Obvious in San Francisco. In its short history, Twitter has become an important marketing tool for celebrities, politicians and businesses, promising a level of intimacy never before approached online, as well as giving the public the ability to speak directly to people and institutions once comfortably on a pedestal. It is now available in 28 different languages and employs over 835 people.

Its use as an organizing tool, first in Iran during the disputed presidential election of June 2009 to disseminate information in the face of a news media crackdown, brought it new respect. And it continues to engage the political audience with as many as 40,000 tweets in an hour referring to Rick Santorum in one of the recent Republican nomination debates.

With unofficial estimates putting the number of Twitter accounts at over 350 million, Twitter is part of an elite group of social web start-ups that have flourished in recent years by rapidly attracting users. It took 3 years, 2 months and 1 day to hit the first billion tweets. Now it takes less than a week to clock that many.

But while peers like Facebook and Zynga have aimed for the public markets, Twitter is holding back. In the summer of 2011, Twitter raised $400 million from private investors. The fund-raising effort, led by DST Global, the investment firm headed by the Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, valued the company at $8 billion. In December, Prince Walid bin Talal of Saudi Arabia announced he had taken a $300 million stake in the company, representing roughly 3 percent, this valuing the company at around $10 billion.

But in many ways the journey is just getting started for Twitter. Long ridiculed for not having a business model in place, the company started to experiment with promoted trends, tweets and accounts. Twitter announced an expansion to the program as recently as yesterday.

While its balance sheet shows little sign of improvement in the near term, there's no doubting Twitter will continue to play an important role in our lives in days to come.

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Film on Indira Gandhi not a biopic: Producer

By Hindustan Times

Australia’s Bruce Beresford is all set to direct, Birth of a Nation, a film that will feature the dramatic elements that went with Indira Gandhi’s prime ministerial tenure during the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war. The movie will underline her pluck in defying the Richard Nixon administration and the Chinese leadership in order to help East Pakistan break away from West Pakistan and emerge as Bangladesh under Mujibur Rahman.

Though the film may loosely resemble a biopic, its producer, India-born America-based Krishna Shah, tells me over the phone from Mumbai that it is not one. “It is a war drama about the birth of a nation, similar in scale to the movie, Gandhi, as well as in the purview of Pearl Harbour. The material is in public domain.”

Since the script will rely on such material, the film will hopefully not raise controversies. The Congress Party is known to be quite finicky about granting permission to make biopics of anybody in the Nehru-Gandhi family, and it is well known that Jag Mundhra wanted to make a movie on Sonia Gandhi, the present Congress president, but his efforts went in vain. He died last year with an unfulfilled wish for a project that he once told me was dear to his heart, but approval for which was not easily forthcoming.

Shah says he spent six months travelling around the world, meeting helmers as varied as Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), Jonathan Demme (Rachel Getting Married) and Jodie Foster (The Beaver, Carnage), before he zeroed in on Beresford. His 1989 Driving Miss Daisy won the Oscar for Best Picture.

“He loved the script of Birth of Nation. Was fascinated by its story. Was impressed by Indira Gandhi. And he loves India. He is perfect for Birth of a Nation, like Richard Attenborough was for Gandhi”, Shah avers.

Beresford is well known in Australia – having directed works like Don's Party, The Getting of Wisdom, The Club and Breaker Morant. The last film garnered critical acclaim for him, and this pushed him to explore newer pastures. Hollywood it was, where his Tender Mercies earned him an Oscar nod for direction in 1982.

Black Robe, one of Beresford’s later works, is considered his best, though it did not catch the eye of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (which decides the Oscars). His 2009 Mao’s Last Dancer, on the life of the ballet dancer, Li Cunxin, broke box-office records in Australia, and travelled to many festivals, including Toronto.

Birth of a Nation will be shot all over India and in Russia, the USA and the UK, and the movie’s casting will begin in May. American and British actors will be auditioned, but the most exciting aspect of this search will centre on the actress to play India’s Iron Lady.

(Incidentally, The Iron Lady was the title of a recent biopic on Margaret Thatcher, played on the screen by Meryl Streep, who won the Best Actress Oscar this year.)

Will it be Madhuri Dixit as the grapevine would have us believe? But Shah’s answer to that is an emphatic “no”. It will be “essayed by either a newcomer or a Bollywood star, somebody who can capture the spirit and stature of Indira Gandhi”, he adds.

Now who is that someone with the steely spirit of Mrs G?

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I will match the energy of IPL: Priyanka Chopra

By Hindustan Times

Come April 3 and Priyanka Chopra will hit a completely different pitch — the cricket pitch, to be exact. The actor is scheduled to perform for the first time at the upcoming Indian Premier League’s (IPL) opening ceremony in Chennai. “I’m always very excited about performing live. And on
this occasion, I am doubly eager because I’m looking forward to kick-starting the IPL season with a bang. It will be a completely new experience for me,” says Priyanka, who has been shooting for Krrish 3 with Hrithik Roshan for the past few days.

The previous seasons have seen dance acts from A-listers like Deepika Padukone, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif. Hip-hop artiste Akon has also sung live at the T20 tournament. Apparently, IPL organisers were keen to have Priyanka as the performer this year since her acts at various award functions have become a talking point lately.

“Priyanka has never done a live act at any sports event before, but she loves to perform. That’s why she puts in a lot of effort during rehearsals,” says a member of her entourage.

The Don 2 star has already performed at almost all the year’s top award functions. “As an actor, I have always attempted to make my appearances completely different from each other. I don’t want to reveal too much before the performance, but I can promise it’s going to be a lot of fun. So for the IPL, I will ensure that I match the energy and the excitement of the tournament itself,” chuckles Priyanka.

Although organisers are tight-lipped about the details of her act, it’s believed to be a theme-based performance. “Priyanka isn’t allowed to speak about her act. She will start the rehearsals in a few days. Since it’s a sports function, it might not feature too many Bollywood songs,” says the insider.

At the moment, the actor is going juggling a hectic shooting schedule for multiple films like Anurag Basu’s Barfi!, Hrithik’s Krissh 3 and Kunal Kohli’s untitled next with Shahid Kapoor.

Salman returns to IPL!
Besides Priyanka Chopra, Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan are also set to be part of the Indian Premier League’s opening ceremony at YMCA College of Physical Education on April 3 in Chennai. Apart from Bollywood stars, the ‘Opening Nite’ — as per organisers — will also feature a performance from a leading international artiste.

Dancing sensation Prabhu Deva and musical duo Colonial Cousins will also perform at the event.

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Mindset of Rushdie is that of a small man, Imran Khan tells NDTV

New Delhi:  Days after writer Salman Rushdie lashed out at Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan for dropping out of a conclave in New Delhi in order to avoid sharing a stage with him, Imran has hit back.

In an interview to NDTV's Group Editor Barkha Dutt, Mr Khan said that Mr Rushdie's statements reflected the mind of a small man. He further said that some of Mr Rushdie's remarks were so ridiculous that they didn't merit an answer.

Here is the full transcript of the interview:

Barkha Dutt: Imran, thank you so much for your time. You must have heard and read by now about things that Salman has said about you. He was obviously taken aback that you opted out of India Today Conclave because you did not want to share a platform with him, but he has compared you with Gadaffi, he has said that you are a dictator-in-waiting. Are you stung by these comments?

Imran Khan: You know Barkha, there are people whose views I respect and maybe, I would worry about what they say, may be I would worry about what they say about me, but Salman Rushdie is someone I couldn't care what he said about me. Because Barkha, he is someone who has caused a lot of pain to over a billion people in this universe. Someone who is, who knew the impact of what he did. You know, I can understand Westerners. In the West, people don't understand how we treat our Prophet, may peace be upon Him, how we treat our holy book Koran, how we treat our religion; because in the West, they have a completely different attitude towards religion. But Muslims live their religion, and the way they react to, especially our Prophet, peace be upon Him, and our holy book Koran. Salman Rushdie is someone who would have known about it because he grew up in a Muslim household. Therefore, the fact that he wrote the book, it causes immense pain. There was no way I was going to be on the same platform as him. And so, the remarks he made about me, I mean some of them are extremely petty. Whatever little I thought him to be, a brain, an intellectual, but some of the remarks he made about me just reflected a mindset of a small man. Frankly speaking, it doesn't matter to me what he says. The fact is, I was never going to share a platform with him.
Barkha Dutt: When Salman calls you a better-looking version of Gadaffi, do you just laugh at it or do you just not care what he says?

Imran Khan: I do not care, it's a question of mind over matter. If I don't mind, he doesn't matter.
Barkha Dutt: But today on Twitter, you wrote that you wanted to clarify your position to the younger people of sub-continent, the younger people of Pakistan...for those who see this as a freedom of expression debate, who say alright, you can hate Salman Rushdie if you want to, you can disagree if you want to, but banning books or not being ready to share the space with somebody is a form of intolerance, what would you say?

Imran Khan: Barkha look, look at the Jews. For them, the holocaust is a painful experience. In some countries, if you even question the holocaust you can go into jail. There is a certain Professor Irwin who is serving a jail sentence in Austria for even questioning the holocaust, forget about even questioning it. Even if you question it, they do not tolerate it. Frankly speaking, I agree with the Jews. It is something so painful for them that people should lay off the subject. Under the freedom of speech, you should not be allowed to hurt people. For Muslims, I reiterate, the Quran and the Sunnah are something that sadly, our leadership has not been able to convey to the Western world that causes immense pain to us. And you know, a lot of times, I have heard this argument that six million Jews died, but yes okay, that caused them pain and they don't want anyone, under the freedom of speech, they don't want anyone to question it. Who is going to decide what is painful for a Muslim? Who is going to decide, are others going to decide what is painful for me? I am telling you to go into survey for Muslims, anybody ridiculing the Koran or the Prophet, immediately a Muslim will respond. For a lot of them, it's a way of life. The Prophet was a witness to the Quran. The Quran is a way of life. So when anyone attacks that, it causes immense pain to us. So whatever causes pain to such a large part of humanity, you should lay off the subject. The people should not have the freedom and the right to cause pain to other human beings, because we live in a human community, we survive in a human community. On certain subjects, I repeat Barkha, on certain subjects, only on certain subjects, other people should respect the sensibilities and the sensitivities of other human beings.
Barkha Dutt: There are those who would say though that the freedom of speech and expression is meaningless without the right to offend and that, if religious doctrine were to become the point at which nothing can be questioned, then a lot of art and literature could be considered as blasphemous. I know you to be somebody who is at peace with the modern world, how do you respond to that, because a lot of greatest art and literature have emerged from the right to dissent?

Imran Khan: Listen Barkha, it's a huge field, religion is a huge field. There are so many interpretations, there are Western interpretations of the Quran. You don't have a reaction in Pakistan or the Western world. It is when you ridicule. For instance, there were caricatures of our Prophet, immediately there was a response. In this book which Salman Rushdie writes, "The Satanic Verses", it's again a caricature of our Prophet and that's where people find it offensive. Look, it's not an interpretation, but when you are ridiculing something sacred to an individual, it evokes a reaction. You cannot hide under freedom of speech and cause immense pain to human beings, and I am not talking about intellectual interpretations. There have been so many interpretations, there have been books on the Prophet by non-Muslims, there have been books on the Quran by non-Muslims, people don't respond to that. I am not questioning them. In this case, it's a caricature, ridiculing, I think people should lay off that. This thing about freedom of speech, there is a limit and I agree with Jews that people should lay off some topics which cause them so much pain, which is the holocaust.
Barkha Dutt: Imran, though Salman Rushdie did pose some counter questions to you, he said that, to use the phrase, that immeasurable hurt would have been caused to Muslims had you shared the platform with him and he said and I am going to quote this that "immeasurable hurt is caused to the Muslim community by terrorists based in  Pakistan who act in the name of Islam...immeasurable hurt is caused to the Muslim community by Osama Bin Laden finding a shelter in Pakistan and by a recent survey that shows that Pakistanis see Osama Bin Laden as a hero...this is what causes Muslims immeasurable hurt"...this is a quote of Salman Rushdie. How would you counter this?

Imran Khan: Look, why is Salman Rushdie trying to hide behind all this. Of course it causes us harm, it hurts us, of course Pakistanis are concerned by terrorism, extremism. You know that I have come on your programme and told you that this war on terrorism has increased extremism. Which human being wants extremism and radicalisation in the society? So people like us who opposed the war was for that, and that's what happened. Pakistan is a polarised country, there is growing extremism, but what has that got to do about what he is hiding behind? The fact is, he wrote a book that caused immense pain. Not only pain, but resulted in deaths of people, and what happened? The chasm between the West, which did not understand the Muslim point of view. All it did was, it aggravated the situation, so that there was more antipathy against the Muslims in the West. And that's what I hold him responsible for, because he was someone who grew in a Muslim household, he should have known. Every Muslim knows if you have grown in that type of a household, there are certain boundaries that you should not cross. And then, he portrayed himself as a hero in the West, a hero for freedom of speech. I want to ask him, would he go and write a different interpretation of the holocaust and then what would happen? Do you think he will be treated as a hero anywhere? Would he get a platform anywhere? You know in the West, after this Iranian revolution, there was a fear about Islam, so he cashed it on it. And again he used the term Mullahs, Imran is scared of Mullahs. I mean what has the Mullah got to do with it? It's widespread across the Islamic world. In the Islamic world, ordinary people they despise Salman Rushdie. Why do you think they despise him? People who want freedom of speech in their country also despise him. Why do you think they despise him? Because he caricatured, ridiculed something which was dear to us.
Barkha Dutt: But Imran, his criticism really is that this confirms that Imran Khan is a radical...he is playing a radical form of politics...he is being reactionary. He is playing to orthodoxy; he talks about how you have been willing to engage with groups like Lakshar-e Taiba for example. Something you have been criticised for back home as well. How would you deal with this criticism that this confirms your reputation as a radical?

Imran Khan: Listen, if there is anyone who is a radical, it's Salman Rushdie. Radicals cause pain, he has caused pain. He is a fanatic in a sense. Anyone with a freedom of expression who could cause pain and who could go to the extent, he did. I don't want to speak about his contradictory statements because I followed him at one stage, he had embraced Islam and all the nonsense he came up with. I don't want to waste a lot of time on him. Coming to myself, but him saying that I am pandering to Mullahs, him saying that he even called me a dictator. Where did he come with that? I mean, I don't even know where people can come with such things. It is sort of, some of the remarks I came across were even ridiculous to answer. I don't know how to answer them.
Barkha Dutt: Can I ask you though, you said that this is not about Salman Rushdie and I agree. So what I want to ask you is that, going beyond Rushdie. You know and the last time we met in Pakistan, I asked you about the liberal criticism about some of your political decisions and you said that liberals are some of the intolerant people. In fact, I remember they are the scum of Pakistan. Since then they have criticised you again, they have said that you have shared the stage with orthodox religious leaders that you have reached out to groups like the Jamaat-ud-Dawa. What would you say to that because I know a lot of Indians would want to know about that?

Imran Khan: Look Barkha, I have to do politics in Pakistan. A political person, anyone who is in Pakistan, any group who is in Pakistan, a politician has to engage with them. You hope to bring them in the centrefold. Now I will tell you what is happening in Balochistan. In 2008, along with all the other nationalist parties, along with our party, boycotted the elections in Balochistan. Once they boycotted the elections what happened? They were marginalised in Balochistan and other people came in the Balochistan assembly. So from marginalised they became radicalised. So the parties that were demanding the freedom for Balochistan have now picked up a gun for an independent Balochistan. Had we got them in the assembly, had we engaged with them and got them in the mainstream, they won't have got radicalised. This is what happens in every country. If you marginalise a group, if you radicalise a group, they become a problem for a country to deal with, and you can only deal with them through arms. Now in Britain they are having a rare problem, in north of England the Muslims are getting marginalised, and that's where the radicalisation is at its worst. Now what are they doing? They are trying to bring them to the centrefold, they are not trying to pick up a gun. So in Pakistan whatever radical groups are there, our job is to talk to them. Doesn't mean that you agree with their views, but eventually you have to talk to them. Otherwise if you don't agree with them, what happens is what happened in Balochistan. Every day people are getting killed, our soldiers die, they are killing other people and there is collateral damage. We have lost thousands of people in this, there are hundred thousand people who have left Balochistan because of the violence going on there. The whole economy is collapsing. So my point is as a politician we look for solutions, you come to a conclusion after exhausting everything, the only thing left is to use violence against them. But that surely has to be their last resort.

Barkha Dutt: So Imran, you are saying in a way that your view of engaging with the Taliban has been vindicated today with the world reaching out to them but would you extend the same philosophy to someone like Hafiz Saeed or Jamaat-ul_Dawa or Lashkar-e-Taiba? Would you engage with them or would you share a platform with them?

Imran Khan: Look Barkha, how did these groups come about? These groups were created during the period of Afghan Jihad. Okay they were backed and funded by Pakistan's ISI and CIA funding them to fight against the Soviets and they were called Mujahedeen. So at the end of war unfortunately our own establishment patronised them, and used them for personal purposes, strategic depth or whatever. Now what we should do is to patronise them, to engage with and tell them the real Jihad is stop Pakistan from an economic collapse. We should use them in nation building, which is also a Jihad. Jihad is a struggle. So I would try my best to get them for national building and disarm them. But if you say that because they are radicals, the only option left is to use guns against them, we are going to another round of killings here. Already Pakistan has got forty thousand people dead in war on terror. So how much longer? The country can't face it. So as a politician let me repeat, if these groups were created with state backing it's time for the state to win them over to your side and disarm them. Try to use them for nation building, for building dams or whatever, helping the country, using them constructively, possible. If we fail, the last resort is always there to use violence against them. But you must exhaust all other possibilities before.
Barkha Dutt: Imran, you are saying that we must engage with them but many Indians and many Pakistanis would say that why aren't they imprisoned, why aren't they jailed for the acts they have perpetrated, what would you say to that?

Imran Khan: If they have done, if anything is proven in the Court of law, yes they should be jailed, and yes I also believe in another thing. A civilised country must follow the due process of law. Now if our courts, you should have strengthen your judiciary, and if the courts find anyone guilty they should be sentenced. But at the moment, as far as I know, I don't know, as far as I know, there is no evidence against these guys. So if the courts haven't declared them guilty we should engage with them. Barkha you're missing one point. The whole purpose which people in India should be thinking of is, how can a Pakistani state ensure that there is no terrorism from our soil? That's what you should be worried about. My point is, the way you go about it is not necessarily by using violence, and attacking them, and killing them and not talking to them. I think you should first try your best to use them, engage them constructively, try and convince them that this is not the, whatever use they had before, or whatever the policy of our government was before. Times have changed, it's time to develop a new philosophy, it's a new beginning, and so that's how I think we should go about it. And from Indian point of view, you should be asking, you should be hoping that Pakistan has a government that ensures that there is no terrorism from the soil. Whichever way we decide to do it.

Barkha Dutt: This is a longer debate that we will need more time, so let me end by asking you the larger picture in Pakistan. The institutional collision in Pakistan between the army, the parliament, the judiciary still seems to show no signs of resolution. Now you have the Pakistan Prime Minister basically telling the Supreme Court that Parliament should decide on the issue of presidential immunity, so he has positioned this debate as one of parliament's supremacy. Where do you think this confrontation with the judiciary is headed for Pakistan?
Imran Khan: Well the moment you had a government which came through an NRO, NRO was this Number Resource Ordinance, by which the Americans brokered a deal between Benazir and Musharraf, where all the corruption cases of Benazir Bhutto, Asif Zardari and 8000 people, all these corruption cases were given amnesty. Cases were, there was an amount which was over a trillion rupees, all this was given amnesty. The Americans pushed it because they wanted "moderate government", in other words a government which would fight their wars on the border area. Now the moment these guys had the cases given amnesty through the NRO, they were allowed to contest elections, and the moment they came into power we were all was going to have this problem. Independent Supreme Court came in through a public movement. We had Chief Justice Iftikhar restored, he immediately struck down the NRO. The moment the NRO was struck down, which was no country would have an ordinance where all the corruption cases were wiped off of people. So the moment that happened there was going to be a clash between a crooked government and an independent Supreme Court. What you're seeing is, the Supreme Court is asking the government to write a letter to the Swiss authorities, where 65 million dollars of Asif Zardari were found in several bank accounts now, and these accounts were discovered by an accountability bureau. So the government, Supreme Court is asking, now that the NRO cover is no longer there, ask the Swiss government to return the money to Pakistan. The Prime Minister is standing by the corruption of the President, and is defying the Supreme Court, so that he doesn't write the letter.
Barkha Dutt: Can I ask you though, that much has been made by the PPP of the fact that they marked the five years. President Zardari in fact addressed the Joint Session, becoming the first civilian government in decades to have achieved that!
Imran Khan: Well if he if he completed his five years it's a sad indictment on a political class. Basically Asif Zardari has co-opted them with him. He has worked from the premise that every politician has a price. He has basically given everything, everyone a share of the pie. So he has got all of them with him, that's how he has lasted five years. Certainly not through his performance, because according to the government's economic survey, never has the plight of Pakistani's people been as bad as it is now. Never has there been so much poverty, inflation, unemployment. We don't have energy, factories closing down, no rule of law. So never has the situation been so bad, and yet the President has lasted because he just bought all the political class.
Barkha Dutt: Alright, Pakistan in volatile time. Next month I guess the Judiciary may have the final word. As we bring it back to Salman Rushdie, just want to ask you whether you were surprised by the comments, whether you have met him in the past, whether there has been any past association with him worth mentioning?

Imran Khan: No, I have never met him and frankly speaking I never want to meet him.

Barkha Dutt: Strong words there from Imran Khan as he clashes with Salman Rushdie.

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Underweight models in ads banned in this country

Jerusalem:  A new Israeli law is trying to fight the spread of eating disorders by banning underweight models from local advertising and requiring publications to disclose when they use altered images to make women and men appear thinner.

The law, passed late on Monday, appears to be the first attempt by any government to use legislation to take on a fashion industry accused of abetting eating disorders by idealizing extreme thinness. It could become a model for other countries grappling with the spread of anorexia and bulimia, particularly among young women.

The law's supporters said they hoped it would encourage the use of healthy models in local advertising and heighten awareness of digital tricks that transform already thin women into illusory waifs.

"We want to break the illusion that the model we see is real," said Liad Gil-Har, assistant to law sponsor Dr. Rachel Adato, who compares the battle against eating disorders to the struggle against smoking.

In Israel, about 2 percent of all girls between 14 and 18 have severe eating disorders, which is a statistic similar to other developed countries, said anthropologist Sigal Gooldin who studies eating disorders.

The new law requires models to produce a medical report, dating back no more than three months, at every shoot that will be used on the Israeli market, stating that they are not malnourished by World Health Organization standards.

The U.N. agency uses a standard known as the body mass index - calculated by dividing weight by height - to determine malnutrition. WHO says a body-mass index below 18.5 is indicative of malnutrition, said Adato, a gynecologist.

Any advertisement published for the Israeli market must also have a clearly written notice disclosing if the model used in it was digitally altered to make her, or him, look thinner. The law will not apply to foreign publications sold in Israel.

The law was championed by one of Israel's top model agents, Adi Barkan, who said in 30 years of work, he saw young women become skinnier and sicker while struggling to fit the shrinking mold of what the industry considered attractive.

"They look like dead girls," Barkan said.

Critics said the legislation should have focused on health, not weight, saying many models were naturally very thin.

"The health of the model ... should be evaluated. Our weight can change hour to hour," said David Herzog, a professor of psychiatry and a leading US expert on eating disorders.

Top Israeli model Adi Neumman said she wouldn't pass under the new rules, because her BMI was 18.3. Neumman said she ate well and exercised. She said legislation should have focused on health and well-being, not weight.

"Force actual tests. Make girls go to a doctor. Get a system to follow girls who are found to be puking," she said.

Legislator Adato said only 5 percent of women had BMI that naturally fell under 18.5.

"On the one hand, maybe we'll hurt a few models," Adato said. "On the other hand, we'll save a lot of children."

Pressure on the fashion industry has intensified in recent years, sparked by the deaths of models in Brazil and Uruguay from medical complications linked to eating disorders.

Uruguayan model, Luisel Ramos, 22, collapsed soon after stepping off the runway in August 2006, reportedly of anorexia-linked heart failure.
Other governments have taken steps to prevent "size zero" medical problems, but have shied from legislation.

The Madrid fashion show bans women whose BMI is below 18. Milan's fashion week bans models with a BMI below 18.5.

The UK and US have guidelines, but the fashion industry is self-regulated.

Unrealistic body images in the media are believed to shape eating habits, especially among young people, though there is debate about how influential they are.

Gooldin, the anthropologist, said young women used in television, movies and advertisements as references for the ideal body, rather than the women around them.

"There's a gap between our own bodies ... and ideal bodies. They keep shrinking and getting smaller," she said.

It's not clear whether the law will have a measurable impact, because Israeli teens take their cues from both international media and local publications, Gooldin said. And the ban isn't likely to affect many - there are only about 300 professional models in Israel, and only a few work abroad, said agent Barkan and model Neumman.

But Gooldin said it was a positive step to deal with a problem that has plagued Western societies.

Legislator Adato said she hoped Israel would be an example other countries could study.

"You don't need to be underweight to be beautiful, or successful," she said.

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Protests in Park Circus in Kolkata blocks traffic for six hours

Kolkata:  Protests in the Park Circus area of central Kolkata threw traffic out of gear for over six hours on Tuesday.

The protests was triggered by a photograph that was published in a local newspaper that was allegedly tweeted by model Poonam Pandey. The newspaper has offered an apology since.

Senior police officers had earlier rushed to the spot to persuade the agitators to lift the blockade which stalled traffic movement from Park Circus crossing to Bridge number four since 3.45 pm.

Traffic disruptions were also reported from the nearby Mullickbazar area.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday appealed to all for maintaining communal amity and refraining from indulging in rumours and said that the state government would take all steps to rein in the situation.

In the appeal, the chief minister said that some persons were trying to foment communal tension centering around a published photograph in a newspaper and urged all not to get provoked.

"Higher secondary examination is progressing. I am requesting all to see that the examinees are not disturbed," she said.

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Raja Bhaiyya, controversial minister, allegedly lied about his age

Lucknow:  The decision to make Raja Bhaiyya a minister in the new government in Uttar Pradesh has generated new controversy - he has apparently lied about his age. The MLA from Kunda in the Pratapgarh district of Eastern Uttar Pradesh has serious cases pending against him including charges of murder and dacoity. The new chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav, made him the minister for prisons and five other ministries including food and civil supplies and consumer affairs.
In the documents submitted to the Election Commission before he contested the election, Raja Bhaiyya, whose real name is Raghuraj Pratap Singh, said he is 38 years old. This means he would have been 19 when he won his first election in 1993. That's impossible because any candidate for an election has to be at least 25 years old.
Akhilesh's father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, has defended the minister. "Who knows it might be the handiwork of some members of opposition parties...it's a conspiracy against the party," he said.

Sources in the Election Commission say that Raja Bhaiyya cannot be disqualified for lying about his age. At most, he could face six months in prison or be charged a fine.

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'Don't put power on sale': BJP leaders upset with Rajya Sabha candidates

New Delhi:  It's Nitin Gadkari versus the rest of the BJP leadership. A crisis over the party president's alleged choice of candidates for the Rajya Sabha has led to BJP veteran LK Advani asking for an emergency meeting of BJP leaders.  
Another senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has reportedly warned that the selection of unsuitable nominees makes it tough for him to serve on different parliamentary committees; he said the selection of candidates will impact the BJP's image and anti-corruption plank. At a meeting of the party leadership today, one member warned, "Jab satta bikne lagti hai to samapt ho jaati hai" - a warning that translates as "When power is on sale, the end is near."

There are two candidates who leaders like Mr Advani are opposed to. Anshuman Mishra, an independent NRI candidate, a businessman from London. The party has expressed concerns about his integrity and his background. From Maharashtra, Ajay Sancheti, a businessman and a member of the BJP national executive, has been nominated. But he allegedly has links to the Adarsh scam - politicians and bureaucrats helped themselves to flats in a building meant for war widows and Army veterans.  

Mr Mishra's candidacy has fuelled so much opposition that Mr Advani wants a whip issued that would make it necessary for MLAs in Jharkhand from his party to vote against the entrepreneur. Mr Sinha said that it was unfair for the party to support an outsider rather than fielding its own candidate. Mr Sinha suggested that rooting for a businessman would tempt the party's MLAs to sell their vote.  

"Six Jharkhand MLAs and two ministers signed this candidate's nomination papers. That shows loud and clear the party's support for him...why bring in a rank outsider? I felt pained," Mr Sinha told NDTV, also pointing out that supporting Mr Mishra would only add to Jharkhand's image as "happy hunting ground for the rich." In strong words Mr Sinha said, "Our MLAs should not be auctioned...there are ways for our MLAs to avoid voting for him."
Mr Sinha says he had not even heard of Anshuman Mishra, who, however, claimed today that, "I have good relations with all big BJP leaders." Mr Mishra said he was contesting elections with the support of senior leaders and if the party leadership opposed to supporting him, "I will withdraw my candidature."

There is more resentment within the BJP over the denial of a ticket to veteran leader, and BJP's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha, S S Ahluwalia.

As the crisis escalated, Mr Gadkari met with the party's parent-body, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), in Nagpur today.

However, on record, party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar has denied the talk of any dissent, saying, "There is no question of anyone being unhappy within the party."

Mr Gadkari has provoked serious dissent within the party in recent months. Before the UP elections, he allowed Babu Singh Kushwaha, a minister in the UP government who was fired by his party chief Mayawati for corruption. Mr Gadkari's colleagues like Sushma Swaraj, Uma Bharti and Maneka Gandhi said this would hurt the party's credibility. Mr Kushwaha was persuaded by the BJP to then announce that he had voluntarily decided to put his membership of the BJP on hold till he was cleared of corruption charges.  He is now in jail.
Mr Gadkari is also finding it tough to manage a revolt in Karnataka, where the BJP is in power. Former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa wants to return to office immediately. He has the support of more than half the party's representatives in the Karnataka Assembly and therefore has the strength to split the party and bring down the government, if the crisis should deepen.

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Housefull 2 to premiere in Singapore

By Hindustan Times

Last December, Universal Studios Singapore opened Transformers: The Ride, the world’s first theme park attraction based on the popular Hollywood franchise. The film’s director and executive producer Michael Bay powered it up and flagged off Asia’s most technologically advanced motion thrill ride.

On April 3, Bollywood producer Sajid Nadidawala, along with the entire cast of Housefull 2 — The Dirty Dozen, and a 100-plus team, will fly to Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore to unveil the much-anticipated sequel to his 2010 movie. The film opens April 5 worldwide.

Says Nadidawala, “We’ve had premieres in Dubai, London and the US, so why not Singapore? I’ve been shooting my films around the world, from Australia (Hey Babyy, 2007) and LA (Kambakkht Ishq, 2009) to Puglia, a remote village in Italy (Housefull, 2010) and the desert outside Las Vegas’ casino world (Anjanaa Anjaani, 2010). Even parts of Housefull 2 were filmed on a tiny island in Caribia, British Virgin Islands, where we couldn’t even anchor boats. We had to leave Sajid (director Sajid Khan), Akshay (Kumar), John (Abraham), along with the crew, and return to pick them up after pack-up. My company has bagged three awards for exploiting virgin locations on the Hindi screen.”

Quiz him on whether he’s considering shooting in Singapore for the upcoming Salman Khan-Sonakshi Sinha starrer, Kick, that starts end of the year and Sajid says, “No, for Kick my team is already in South Korea on a recci. We are thinking of shooting the Sajid Khan directed Judwaa 2 in Singapore starring Saif (Ali Khan). He has never played a double role before and I’ll be flying down technicians from LA to make this a never-seen-before twin caper.”

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