Reading Manmohan's stars

On 22 July, the UPA government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh faced a crucial trust vote in parliament, which could either make or break the government. I spoke with a few astrologers the previous day for this piece on what the stars foretold for the PM and his government.(Incidentally, the predictions came true as the govt won the trust vote -- 275 -256)


Click here to read what the astrologers had to say.

Hollywood's Saviours

Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Hellboy II, Hancock...the biggest grossers this year have been superhero movies. Which is not surprising, because Hollywood is sold out on superheroes. Today, the men in tights and capes can confidently swagger into any studio and be assured that they would be welcomed with open arms. For, besides battling supervillains, saving the earth and resolving their inner conflicts, superheroes can perform another feat that is drawing big-time producers to them, like long lost brothers. And that is – they can deliver hits.

Click here to read about the superhero movies boom in Hollywood.

Meeting the Uttarakhand CM

Recently, while in Dehradun, I had a chance to have a detailed interaction with the chief minister of Uttarakhand -- Maj Gen (retd) B C Khanduri. The former Armyman quite candidly spoke at length about various issues -- from the future of hydel power projects in his state -- which are facing opposition -- to the achievements of his government in the past one year, his efforts to tackle corruption to the advantages and disadvantages of carving out smaller states from larger ones and the kind of influence his military background has had in his career as a politician.

Click here to read Khanduri's interview.

The Ganga Affair

When retired IIT Kanpur professor -- 76 year old G D Agarwal -- began fasting on the banks of the Bhagirathi Ganga in Uttarkashi to protest against the hydel power projects being proposed on the upper reaches of the Ganga, it brought into focus the threats the Ganga was facing. It also raised the issue of faith, with religious leaders tumbling over themselves to support Agarwal. I travelled to Rishikesh to meet Agarwal, who with his flowing white beard and piercing eyes, was already being compared by bloggers to the sage Bhagirath, whose efforts brought Ganga from heaven to earth. The rhetoric notwithstanding, Agarwal's 15 day fast helped create awareness about the need for an unhindered flow for the Ganga, besides prompting the Uttarakhand government to withdraw two of its projects, with the Central Government promising to follow suit.

Click here to read about Agarwal's battle to save the Ganga.

Lights, Camera, Animation!

The top honchos of the Indian animation industry love the term “tip of the iceberg”. It’s a phrase they use quite often when talking about the scope of animation in India and how it is the next big thing on the Indian entertainment horizon. In fact, they're not exaggerating. According to a recent NASSCOM report, the global animation market is estimated to touch a whopping US $ 80 billion by 2010. Much of this growth is expected to be fed by work outsourced to countries like India.

Click here to read how animation is slated to be the next big thing in India.