Indian Industry

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

N Chandra to direct film on Abu Salem

Sarla Saraogi, wife of Abu Salem’s lawyer Ashok Saraogi, has chosen N Chandra to direct the film on the gangster. Sarla is the film’s producer.Family friendChandra, who has previously directed Ankush, Style and Kagaar, told MiD DAY yesterday that the Saraogis and he were working on the script, which will soon be ready.Chandra is a family friend of the Saraogis. He said, “I know them very well. They said they wanted someone who has a penchant for reality cinema. They narrated what they wanted. I loved the idea of doing a film like this, and immediately agreed.”Salman Khan?According to the grapevine, Salman Khan will play Abu Salem. Chandra said, “We may have a big name. I always read the script before finalising the cast.” He added that the fact that the Saraogis know the don very well would be a bonus. “When you make a reality film, it should be extremely authentic. Who better than the Saraogis to tell Salem’s story?”Chandra says he’s not seen Mahesh Bhatt’s Gangster, which is allegedly based on Salem’s life. “Gangster has nothing to do with why we are making a film on Salem. The point is, that like Hollywood, Bollywood too wants to make films on real-life characters

Bipasha slams media role in Amar kahani

For the first time, to be very honest, I felt absolutely vulnerable. No flops, gossip, not even people writing critical things about me when I was fat had affected me. I have always held myself up and said, “Let them write whatever they want to. I will not let myself be affected by it.”
But for the first time, things went way out of control. There was not even one per cent of truth in the tapes that had my alleged conversation with Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh. Yet it was talked about. There were articles printed. I felt violated. I have been fond of the media. Even when they wrote bad things about me, I took it with a pinch of salt and cooperated with them.
However, at this point of time I felt, “Why were they doing this to me? What have I done to deserve this?” I cried and howled. I had to seek my parents’ help. I thank God for such good parents who are so intelligent and understanding. They said, this is going to die, so forget about it. I feel the media went out of control. They can write whatever they want but they must first investigate the story, gather their facts and not jump the gun. What is the point of printing an apology after the damage has already been done? What do I do with an apology? Sit over it? Read it and forget about it? What about the harm that they have caused me emotionally and mentally?
I have taken legal recourse. But I wonder if I will ever get justice. There are so many important issues that can be talked about. At the end of the day, was it worth the hoopla? For me it was something very demeaning. What is surprising is that a person like me who has lived by her own rules and was never scared to say no to people, got involved with something so baseless and untrue. I have walked out of top production houses when I learnt about the fact that their dealings were not clean.
If you have noticed, I have always stayed away from politics and political gatherings. I have not campaigned for any political party. I am a citizen of this country and I have the right to make my own choice. But I am going to speak out to reveal the real picture. Political parties give a lot of mileage to actors to campaign for them. I can easily make a good amount of money by just standing at a political gathering. I have stayed away from all this and suddenly I find myself involved in something so dirty. This was absolutely uncalled for.

John Abraham: No lesson learnt

Almost a month after a motorcycle accident left him hospitalized, Bollywood actor John Abraham says he is back on his bike and ready to work.
A motorcycle enthusiast, Abraham injured his left knee and ankle when his motorcycle crashed into two men riding a bicycle on April 9.
John Abrahim said in an interview that such accidents would not deter him from riding bikes in future.
"If a person trips while walking, can he stop walking? Once a rider always a rider," said Abraham.
Surprisingly, he is now looking forward to buy a new bike for himself."But what I am really looking forward to is my new baby." said the actor.
His passion for bikes remains totally undeterred despite the accident.
He said his family, producers and directors were initially concerned about his hospitalization for two days, but added, "they are resigned to the fact that I was born to ride."
John Abrahim who was voted among the top sexiest men in a survey, will be seen in Madhur Bhandarker's Corporate, and Aditya Chopra’s Dhoom II which are slated to release soon.
True biker at heart , Abrahim is back in action after the short stint with some bone breaking real life action.

Priyanka's simplicity is the best policy

Simplicity seems to be Priyanka Chopra’s biggest strength - well, at least for this filmmaker. At a time when Rakesh Roshan was looking for the heroine of his ambitious project ‘Krrish’, he spotted former Miss World and actress Priyanka at Shri Yash Johar's funeral. Her simple appearance and sophisticated manners caught his attention like never before and he finally got her sign to act opposite his son Hrithik Roshan.
Priyanka was wearing a salwar-kameez and glasses when Rakesh spotted her and may be that’s what he was looking for in his heroine. Priyanka plays the role of a television reporter, who has immense love for Hrithik. This time, Hrithik is playing a quite different character similar to that of superman.
Veteran actress Rekha is playing the role of Hrithik’s grandmother in the film and actors like Manini De, Hemant Pande and Naseerudin Shah also play vital roles. Rajesh Roshan is composing the music of the film while Hollywood technicians Mark Kolbe and Craig Mumma are taking care of the special effects. ‘Krrish’ is expected to grace the silver screens in the month of June.

John's waiting for his new 'baby'!

Bips has no cause for worry for it's just John's new bike, a passion that persists despite the mishap. John Abraham is eager to get over his hospital episode and move on. "I've been in and out of hospitals since December. I think I've had enough hospital trips to last me a while," he jokes, before leaving for his world tour.
Born to ride
His accident has not deterred him from riding bikes. "If a person trips while walking, can he stop walking? Once a rider, always a rider!" he says.
"But what I am really looking forward to is my new baby," says John, fondly referring to a bike, which he will soon be getting. And is his family and girlfriend Bipasha Basu okay with his riding again?
"My family and Bipasha are concerned. And so are my producers, directors and my manager. But they understand that I'm a rider and they have been supportive. They are resigned to the fact that I was born to ride."
Splitsville?
While the actor was recuperating in the hospital, rumours claiming that Bipasha and he were on the verge of a split were doing the rounds. "On the night of the accident, I was heading to Bipasha's place for a fabulous dinner.
Unfortunately, I couldn't reach there. I hope that says it all. Such rumours are a part and parcel of our lives. We just take them with a pinch of salt. It sometimes provides fodder for our jokes," says the actor.
Romantic interludes
In a highly insecure industry, don't insecurities creep in between the two? "Our relationship leaves no room for insecurities. I think Bipasha is one of the best actors in Bollywood today. She is happy for me and I am extremely happy for her.
" So what keeps the love going? "We both respect each other tremendously and everything else stems from that mutual respect, trust and understanding. Contrary to her onscreen image, Bipasha is a very simple girl.
And I find that very special. No matter what people say or feel, we both have always been there for each other." So is marriage on the cards? "What's the hurry?" he asks.
Work and competition
But where his movies are concerned, what about reports about him refusing to work with Abhishek? "Rumours again! Abhishek is a close buddy.
In fact many times we are often offered the same project and we discuss it. Abhishek is by far the only truly secure actor in our industry. The Bachchans are like family to me."

Homesick, Aishwarya Rai takes a break

Aishwarya was busy for the last month with shooting for Mani Ratnam’s film Guru in Badami. The actress has been under a lot of stress in the last month, what with the media continuously speculating on her break up with Abhishek Bachchan and more recently her receiving a lot of flak for her performance in The Mistress of Spices. Finally when Mani Ratnam decided to shift shooting location to Chennai, the actress decided to take a much needed break and return home as she was missing her folks.
Ash took a break and came home on 1 May to spend some quality time with her parents and brother. A close friend of the actress says “It has been a tiring month for her, because she has been shooting in Badami for the last 25 days. The temperature ran up to 45 degrees Celsius but yet they had to shoot round the clock. Now she has flown back to Mumbai for just 24 hours.” The actress was also not relishing constant studio food and wanted to indulge in home cooked food. Says Secretary Hari Singh “She loves vegetables and fruits and also sea food. But in Badami she was surviving only on salads and liquids. She is a foodie, yet she has to maintain her diet.”
The actress intended to spend her break with her family members, but unfortunately she was barely able to spend time with them as she was kept busy by costume designers and directors for her future projects. Says Hari Singh “People think that Ash is acting pricey by not responding to calls or answering SMS es. But she is genuinely busy with her meetings. In fact even having lunch with her family was delayed as she had to attend to professional commitments first.” On her performance in The Mistress of Spices receiving poor reviews from critics Hari Singh says “Ash was so busy that she could not even see the entire film, Gurinder only showed her the film in parts while she was shooting for it. Unless she sees the complete film she cannot make any comments. However in spite of this Ash feels that she has performed to the best of her abilities.”
Recently Ash’s mom spoke about her daughter’s relationship with Abhishek Bachchan to the media. Abhi was extremely upset about this move by the senior Mrs. Rai and so he called up Ash and bluntly told her “Make sure this doesn’t happen again. I don’t want any member of your family talking about me, us or my family. My family has always maintained a low-profile when it comes to our personal lives and I’d like to continue that.”
Ash has already returned to Chennai to complete the shooting for Mani Ratnam’s Guru. Hopefully the actress will be able to take a short break after the shooting is completed.

Ghai shows Mallika The door

Is showman Subhash Ghai upset with Mallika Sherawat? Industry insiders have it that the showman felt completely let down when Sherawat refused to cooperate with him for the publicity of Shaadi Se Pehle. The day the interviews were organised for the media she allegedly made an excuse saying that she had a bleeding nose and could not make it to Ghai’s Audeus studio.
In a bid to get back at her Subhash Ghai has permanently shelved a film that he was to make with Mallika in the lead. An insider from the Ghai camp confirmed that the showman was very upset with Mallika when she did not cooperate in anyway for the publicity of Shaadi Se Pehle.
“Yes it is true. So Mukta Arts will not do any other film with Mallika,” revealed the source. Insiders had it that Mallika did not publicise Shaadi Se Pehle because she thought it was not her film. The film had Akshaye Khanna and Ayesha Takia in the lead. Since the film focused on them, Mallika felt it better stay away from the promotions. But when contacted, neither of the parties confirmed nor denied the news.
This is not the first time that Subhash Ghai has had a rift with his heroine. Earlier, it was Mahima Chaudhary who made her debut in Ghai’s Pardes, that he called it quits with professionally. When Mahima learnt that it was Aishwarya Rai and not she who was to play the lead in Taal, she committed a breach of contract and backed out. Ghai’s contract stipulated Mahima to do three films under his banner but the films need not necessarily be in consecutive order. But Mahima chose to walk out of the Ghai camp. “I would say that a student dropped out of my school,” Ghai had said then.

Paris floored by Veer-Zaara

Yash Chopra’s magnum opus Veer-Zaara starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji was premiered on April 26 at the Grand Rex, one of the biggest theatres in Paris with a capacity of 2,800 seats. Veer-Zaara is one of the first Hindi films to be premiered at the prestigious theatre.
The event was very well-attended with the crème de la crème of Paris society and French media present for it. From India the stars of the film joined producer and director Yash Chopra to grace the occasion. This was the beginning of a special Bollywood week in which major films from India are being screened for the French viewers.
These films include Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Mohabbatein, Kabhi Kabhie, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dhoom, Swades, Lagaan, Bhoot, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Dil To Pagal Hai, Sholay and Black. Most of these films will then be released across France.
Yash Chopra said, “I am really happy with the overwhelming response we got from the delegates and the audience in France. People were screaming for Shah Rukh, Rani and Preity which shows they have a huge fan following even in Paris. I am happy that our film industry is making waves everywhere. I was surprised to see people enjoying the song and dance sequences in Hindi films. People were very emotional during a few scenes. What else can I ask for? This event once again reiterates the love for Indian films around the world. My film touched their heart, that itself is special to me.”

Feeling is dead in Indian cinema: Shashi Kapoor

Actor and filmmaker Shashi Kapoor, who deftly blended the popular with the artistic in his decades-long career in showbiz, is outraged by the 'kitsch' and 'false sentimentality' that have swamped contemporary Indian cinema.
'Feeling is dead in Indian cinema. Indian cinema needs to be rescued from false values and false feelings,' Kapoor, who has acted in 200-odd films, told IANS in an interview. Although not the kind to wallow in nostalgia and emotional posturing, Kapoor sported a profoundly forlorn look as he spoke about impresarios of Bollywood family extravaganzas 'hijacking real feelings and content from Indian cinema'. 'We didn't glamorise family sagas as it's being done now. They are trying to sugar-coat films. The kind of films Satyajit Ray did were realistic and beautiful films,' said the veteran actor.Clearly, opulent family musicals that often blitz the box office these days are not quite his taste. What interests him are films that strike a delicate balance between popular fantasies and the realism of feelings. 'Nowadays I am not keen to see films as they deal in escapism. The fare they dole out is not realistic,' said a wary Kapoor, who bowed out after four decades of acting in the early 1990s. 'By realism, I don't mean showing poverty, filth and squalor. Raj Kapoor (Shashi's late elder brother) also showed poverty in films, but it was done differently,' he said. This delicate balancing act turned out to be a tough call as Kapoor has turned to producing and directing films. In his new avatar, he made some classy films that penetrated into the vanities and ironies of Indian urban middle class culture, but almost all of them turned out to be crashing box office disasters - an experience that left him sceptical about the future of meaningful cinema. 'My basic problem as a film producer was how to attract intellectuals as well as average cinema goers to my films. I wanted to please both kinds of audiences. I don't think I succeeded in it.' 'I lost all the money I made from acting in the six films I have made - 'Kalyug', 'Junoon', '36 Chowringhee Lane', 'Vijeyta', 'Utsav' and 'Ajuba',' he confessed. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, Shashi Kapoor, brought up on creative ecstasies of theatre, enthralled an entire generation of cine-goers with his versatile repertoire of roles in blockbusters like 'Deewar' and 'Jab Jab Phool Khile'. Where he failed, Raj Kapoor succeeded spectacularly, he said.'He (Raj Kapoor) managed to get both learned and unlearned audience to his films in great numbers. He had tremendous grasp of the medium and music that made his films such box office hits.' Having seen the best and worst of Indian cinema all these years, Kapoor has now turned almost a recluse and prefers to spend most of his time with terminally ill cancer patients and a host of philanthropic projects 'started by my father and continued by my wife'. 'I spend a lot of time with terminally ill patients. Financially, I am not able to help much. Emotionally, I am however able to help them,' says Kapoor, his face glowing with compassion for the stricken and memories of his parents and his wife who died of cancer. 'It's a deeply moving, and sometimes wrenching, experience to find someone you meet and befriend disappear forever in a month or two. I talk to them to give this feeling that they are going to live forever.' 'Your insides are however telling you that you are lying. But the joy in their eyes gives me happiness.' What keeps the 68-year-old actor ticking? 'I am very fond of life. Film-making gives me a high. But I am glad I am off it now. I am constantly discovering and re-discovering new interests in life.'

Real-life couples don't sizzle onscreen

Yet another pair of good looking, madly-in-love Bollywood starlets who promised to burn the screens with their real-life sizzling chemistry have fizzled out onscreen.
'36 China Town', featuring real-life lovers Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapur as a hot couple, disappoints. Coming from the stables of director duo Abbas-Mastan, the let down makes one wonder whether real-life couples should be cast together at all.In more than a few instances in the past, Bollywood stars who have become increasingly public about their love life have disheartened viewers (and directors) with their lack of comfort and uneasiness when it comes to portraying love scenes onscreen.Shahid and Kareena's off-screen chemistry is far more interesting than that in '36 China Town'. In 'Fida', their first film together, Kareena shone much more with her other co-star Fardeen Khan than with Shahid.Watching the awkwardness and discomfort between Kareena and Shahid onscreen, one would prefer the times when a kiss between the hero and heroine in a film was always represented by two roses meeting or a setting sun.Though Hindi films are no longer shy of intimacy, many Bollywood actors, especially those who are real-life couples, continue to look uncomfortable with such scenes.Off late, the ones who have pulled off love scenes convincingly have been unlikely pairs like Rahul Bose, who reportedly kissed Laila Rouass so passionately in 'Split Wide Open' that her tooth chipped, and Naseeruddin Shah, who kissed Tara Deshpande with fervour in 'Bombay Boys'.Before Bipasha Basu hooked up with beau John Abraham, she did not mind going the whole hog in 'Jism'. But now, there are no sparks between the two onscreen in their subsequent films together - 'Aetbaar' and 'Madhoshi'.Love booming on the sets of films is as old as the movies. But in Hindi films the chemistry, love, comfort and passion seldom translate onscreen. Pairs like Dharmendra-Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan-Jaya Bhadhuri and Rishi Kapoor-Neetu Singh who sizzled onscreen have become a rarity today.Remember how Aishwarya Rai and ex-boyfriend Vivek Oberoi went out of the way to play-down their onscreen kiss during publicity of 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na'. When the film bombed, the lack of screen chemistry between the two was held responsible.Good pals Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan have superb onscreen chemistry and have given Hindi film aficionados some of the most memorable moments. But Kajol and husband Ajay Devgan were stone cold in 'Gundaraj', 'Dil Kya Kare' and 'Raju Chacha'.Ditto for Akshay Kumar, who sent temperatures rising with Ayesha Jhulka,Raveena Tandon, Shilpa Shetty and now Priyanka Chopra. But with wife Twinkle Khanna he was as cold as a turkey in 'Zulmi' and 'International Khiladi'.If psychiatrist Stephanie Charters, from King's College London, is to be believed, sexual chemistry is definitely an important ingredient for winning onscreen chemistry.The point is not that we need to show more for more sizzle onscreen. The point is that our filmmakers need to look into the merit of promoting films based solely on bringing together real-life lovers onscreen.There is enough evidence to show that it is not only the chemistry between two actors that sells a film. It is the story and the treatment that does and is often most important.But even now, a number of big-budget films are being promoted on the premise of guaranteed crackling screen chemistry between real-life couples.This includes several upcoming films starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, who are rumoured to be seeing each another. Will Yashraj Films' 'Dhoom 2', J.P. Dutta's 'Umrao Jaan' and Mani Ratnam's 'Guru' meet the same sad fate as their first film together 'Kuch Na Kaho' or will the secrecy surrounding their supposed real-life romance help them.And then there is the Shahid-Kareena pairing once again in 'Chup Chup Ke' and 'Milenge Milenge'. It remains to be seen whether they will finally reveal their real chemistry onscreen or leave fans high and dry again.

Rajshri's 'Vivah' is 85 percent complete!

After family films like 'Maine Pyar Kiya', 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun' and 'Hum Saath-Saath Hain', Rajshri Productions Pvt. Ltd. is now set to recreate its magic with their next film 'Vivah' scheduled for a November 2006 release.
As the unit just got back from a shooting schedule at Jageshwar temple, Almora, Nainital, Ranikhet and Delhi, 85 percent of the film shoot has been completed, with just one song and a few scenes remaining, Bollywood Trade reported.Shahid Kapur, Amrita Rao, Anupam Kher, Aloknath, Seema Biswas and Samir Soni amongst others, were reportedly part of this month-long schedule, which was more like a big family picnic. 'Vivah' is an out and out Barjatya production as it is produced by Kamal Kumar Barjatya, Rajkumar Barjatya and Ajit Kumar Barjatya. The story-screenplay-direction is by Sooraj R. Barjatya.

John ko buri nazar lag gayi: Bipasha

John may have recovered from his recent Kabul illness and bike accident, but girlfriend Bipasha admits she’s still worried about him.“When you’re close to someone, you’re bound to get affected. Knowing the business both of us are in, we can’t afford such setbacks. At this point in his career, he needs to be constantly on the go. An accident is a freak happening. Anything can happen, anytime. “Evil eyeThe actress says she believes in buri nazar, “When I started my career, I used to get fan mail in hordes, raving about my eyes. Then, over a period of one year, I often had eye infections. After that, I started believing in “nazar”. Maybe fans’ appreciation works in a weird ways; that’s my mother’s belief. And I believe everything my mother believes.”Bipasha thinks this is true in Abraham’s case. “People love John. Maybe nazar lag gayi. Uski bike ko to definitely nazar lagi hai… but I’m sure fifty per cent of the people are with us. With success and popularity, we’re bound to have rumours and bad press. If we can’t handle it, we shouldn’t be part of the entertainment industry.”She is impressed by John’s attitude to success. “John has had too much adulation, in too little time. He doesn’t know how to cope with it. He’s loved by people like crazy; fortunately, he remains down-to-earth despite being so successful.” And Bipasha herself? “I’m very down-to-earth. I cannot be with a man who is starry.” Talk veers to John’s role in Deepa Mehta’s Water. “He’s so adorable in Water. He has fitted in very nicely. From his biker-in-a-ganji image, he has got into his Gandhian khadi look, effortlessly. There was an unstated chemistry between John and Lisa Ray, which I loved.”Smarter choicesMeanwhile, Bipasha isn’t in a hurry to sign films. “I really don’t want to do only realistic roles. I have to balance them with glamorous roles, to satisfy myself and my fans as an actor. So, along with Corporate, I’m very happy shooting Abbas-Mustan’s film. They introduced me five years ago, in Ajnabee. Now, they can see the change in me. Today, I’m an actress — five years ago, I didn’t know what I was doing. I’ve become a little sharper in the last two years.”“Now, I only do those films that will get an audience. Even when I do a realistic film, it will have to be with a big filmmaker. Earlier, I was too shy to do so, but today, if I want to work with a particular director, I can go and ask him for work. But for this, I must genuinely like a director’s work.”Ritu’s Draupadi She’s all set to work with Rituparno Ghosh. “I want to do Draupadi with him. I’ve grown up hearing tales from the Mahabharata, and Draupadi is my favourite character. People say I’m too westernised to play Draupadi, but I know myself. This is one thing that Ritu and I are definitely doing together.”

Saif, Rani, Vidya in Sarkar's next

After Parineeta, ad filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar is set to float an untitled second project, under the Yash Raj banner. Sarkar rules out the possibility of adapting any noted novel this time. “It’s definitely not an adaptation,” he says. “We’re developing an idea that Adi (Aditya Chopra) had. It’s going to be purely fictional.” Creative teamHow did the film happen? “I had been in talks with Adi (Aditya Chopra) for some time. We were considering a few subjects relevant to today’s time. After much brainstorming, we zeroed in on this one. In fact, it was a learning process for us. Ideas keep getting sharper and better when you have a few creative geniuses pondering over them. It’s going to be a big budget film and we’re doing intense study and character sketches to keep loopholes away,” he says. Romance in the air
Vidya Balan
Rani MukerjiTalking about the plot, he reveals, “As far as the genre is concerned, it’s romance, yet again. It is an intense, complicated emotional love story that explores the limitations and psychology of a few characters. I can’t reveal the story as we’re still making a lot of changes and experimenting. The film is scheduled to roll in November or December and will be shot mainly in the city.”Saif is favouriteThe film will see Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan coming together. Is Sarkar repeating Khan and Balan simply to get lucky again? “Saif is an established actor and I would love to have him in all my films. We’re one film old as a team and extremely comfortable when it comes to working together. I have been nurturing a secret desire to work with Rani, and I’m glad she agreed.”Mad about MadhuriSources say Sarkar had also approached Madhuri Dixit for the film. “She had appreciated Parineeta and congratulated me,” he explains. “I met her when she was here during her vacation. And who doesn’t want to work with Madhuri Dixit? I had approached her for a different film altogether. As far as that project is concerned, I have stalled it for now. But I am optimistic about roping Madhuri in for the project, whenever it happens.”

Neha Dhupia wants to drop sexy image

She started her career with women centric roles in films like Julie and Sheesha, but Neha Dhupia is now keen on transforming her sexy image to that of a girl next door . Neha is looking forward to a number of films where she is playing performance-oriented roles. Talking about her future projects Neha says, “There’s Priyadarshan’s Chup Chup Ke. My role in it is love meet’s confusion. The film also stars Kareena Kapoor, Shahid Kapur and Suniel Shetty. I play Kareena’s sister and Kareena being mute in the movie, I do all the talking. It is a very crazy role.”
This is Neha’s second film with Priyadarshan. “I am in awe of the director. He is one director who reinforces and believes in you. Working with him was a good experience,” she says.
The next film that Neha is really excited about is Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local where she will be seen for the first time with Abhay Deol. “The movie is about the journey of two people who miss their last local. I also have Ujjawal Chatterjee’s Uthaan where I play an ambitious model who has to choose between love and her career. Both are wonderful films and I am really keen about them,” she says. She adds, “There is also Delhi Heights. I can’t reveal much right now, but Rabbi Shergil (known for his Sufi touch) will be making his debut as a music director with this film.”

Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna in name trouble

Clash of titles in Bollywood have become common these days. There seems to be a clamour with the same name titles for films. The latest director to be in trouble is none other than Karan Johar. His forthcoming film titled Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (KANK) has been registered. However, producer Biswaroop Roy Chaudhary has also registered the same title. The trouble began when the two producers registered the same movie title with two different authorities.
As a rule, all titles are registered with the trademark authorities. However, there is also a practice of getting movies registered with the Indian Motion Picture Association (IMPA). While Johar has registered this title with IMPA, Chaudhary has registered the same title under the Trademark Act of 1999. Johar’s movie is scheduled for release sometime in August this year. But Chaudhary insists that Karan will not be allowed to use the title as it suits his movie more.
Chaudhary also argued that Johar is a big producer and with a galaxy of stars as his cast, he can afford to change the movie title even at this stage. Only time will tell who will win the battle of the title

I am more hard-working than gifted: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Mumbai, May 9 (IANS) After winning every major award for 'Black', director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is now moving ahead with 'Saawariya', a musical love story featuring two star kids - Rishi-Neetu Kapoor's son Ranbir and Anil Kapoor's daughter Sonam.
'For me to jump from 'Black' into a tender musical love story is an exciting challenge. I have never made something like this before. I have never made a film with newcomers before,' says Bhansali, confident that the new pair will repeat the Salman Khan-Aishwarya Rai success in 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'.'If I hadn't seen the same potential as Salman and Aishwarya in Ranbir and Sonam, I wouldn't have signed them. I believe in the two kids as much as any actor I have worked with.' Bhansali insists that a love story can be daring, too, and describes 'Saawariya' as completely different in ambience, scent, sound and colour from 'Devdas' and 'Black'. 'A lot of people are offended by my opulent style of storytelling. To each one his own style. And we shouldn't challenge that style. I am open to constructive criticism. But arbitrary criticism doesn't affect me,' he says in this interview with IANS.Excerpts:Q: Like 'Devdas', 'Black' has walked away with every popular award. Which one makes you prouder? A: You have to love every film with equal intensity. When I was making 'Khamoshi - The Musical' and 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', I was as elated as I was during 'Devdas' and 'Black'. Today, I am consumed by 'Saawariya'. They are all a labour of love. Just because 'Black' has won more awards than the rest it cannot become my favourite. Q: Were you surprised by the mass acceptance of 'Black'?A: I certainly was. And I can't thank the audience enough for giving the film such a warm hearted response. The awards were unexpected. After 'Devdas', which some people called lavish while others thought it was garish, everyone thought it was suicidal to do something dark... I just wanted to go ahead and do it. Q: I remember how wary the market was. A: Distributors were a little apprehensive about the ticket sales. But all of us who worked on the film were sure of what we wanted to do. When the standing ovations at the end of screenings all over the country happened, I knew I had made the right decision. That, and the teacher at the deaf-and-mute school Behroze Vacha rushing out of the film with tears in her eyes... these were my reward... and the beginning of the awards. Then there was the Times' spiritual awareness award. Q: Prakash Jha went on television to say he was disappointed when he heard the deaf and blind Michelle McNelly's voice-over in 'Black'. A: Really? Hellen Keller, on whose life 'Black' is based, wrote stories remember? The deaf and blind have an inner voice that talks to them through the sign language, which is their means of communication with the outside world. Two boys from the Helen Keller Institute, Pradeep and Zamir, write essays... How do they do it? If Mr. Prakash Jha feels the deaf and blind are mindless people, then I have nothing to say. He is a respected and senior filmmaker. I would like to respect his opinion.Q: Today when you hear Sajid Nadiadwala or Boney Kapoor say they wished they had made 'Black' how do you feel?A: I wish they had told me before. Jokes apart, I couldn't have hoped for a better producer than Anshuman Swamy and Applause Films. Yes, there were people negotiating to produce 'Black' before Applause. But they saw it as that niche-quickie. I don't believe in making quickies. Even when I look back at Basu Chatterjee's sweet light films like 'Rajnigandha' and 'Choti Si Baat' I don't see them as quickies. Q: Both 'Devdas' and 'Black' were audacious in their creativity. How daring are you in your new film, which is love story?A: Why can't a love story be daring? Besides, I have never made a film to prove a point. It is not necessary for the characters to be extraordinary for the film to be daring. I didn't make 'Black' to be daring. I wanted to tell the story of 'Black'. Now I want to tell the story of 'Saawariya'. For me to jump from 'Black' into a tender musical love story is an exciting challenge. I have never made something like this before. I have never made a film with newcomers before. Q: Will 'Saawariya' take you as far away from 'Black' as 'Black' took you away from 'Devdas'?A: That's for you to decide. It is very difficult to comment on my own work. But yes 'Saawariya' is a completely different ambience, scent, sound and colour from 'Devdas' and 'Black'. Q: Will Ranbir Kapoor-Sonam Kapoor be as magical as Salman Khan-Aishwarya Rai in 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'?A: That depends entirely on how people like them individually and as a couple. But yes, if I hadn't seen the same potential as Salman and Aishwarya in Ranbir and Sonam, I wouldn't have signed them. I believe in the two kids as much as any actor I have worked with. At the end of the day, I need to convert my imagination into cinema. For that I need the right actors. The performances have always been highlights in my cinema. I'd never compromise on the cast.Q: A truckload of awards for 'Saawariya'?A: I don't make films for awards. I work extremely hard, much more than people think. I'd say I am more hardworking than gifted. If someone else gets the awards I'd be stimulated enough to get up and applaud and try to do better next time. I haven't got a single National Award so far. But that doesn't make me feel inadequate in any way.

Nadiadwala makes sure bets on three new talents

Nadiadwala makes sure bets on three new talentsMay 09, 2006
Mumbai, May 9 (IANS) Film producer Sajid Nadiadwala, who believes in the credo 'no guts no glory', has invested Rs.1 billion in three new directors -- Shirish Kunder, Sajid Khan and Sabir Khan.
'I am competitive by nature and as a child I used to hate to lose. That competitive streak may have helped me in becoming a successful producer. It is a calculated risk but I know I am on a winning streak. I am looking forward to these three new talents to make their mark in the industry,' Nadiadwala told IANS.Unlike other producers who launch freshers with a small budget movie, Nadiadwala has provided the three new directors a big canvas and an impressive cast.Kunder's much-awaited directorial debut 'Jaaneman' has Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Preity Zinta and has shaped up well. Sajid Khan's 'Hey Baby' also boasts of an impressive cast -- Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Fardeen Khan and Riteish Deshmukh. And Sabir Khan's untitled film will have a huge canvas as well. Incidentally, while Kunder is choreographer-turned-director Farah Khan's husband, Sajid Khan is her brother.With most of his films, including 'Jeet', 'Judwaa', 'Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega' and 'Mujshe Shaadi Karogi' proving to be blockbusters, it looks like Nadiadwala's new investments will pay off handsomely.

South African locales for Bollywood's 'Dhoom 2'

Dhoom 2", the much-hyped sequel to the hit Bollywood film "Dhoom", will be partly shot in South Africa by Yashraj Films.
A.B. Moosa, managing director of the Avalon Group of cinemas, announced that the company would be facilitating the South African production leg of "Dhoom 2".
Speaking at the official opening of the company's latest multiplex Lenasia Cinecentre at the mainly Indian township of Lenasia, south of here, he said: "The film is being produced by our dear friends the Chopra family of Yash Raj Films and we are proud to be working with them on this exciting project."
The movie is expected to be one of the biggest Bollywood movies of the year.
"The shoot will mean that we will have in South Africa for the first time the former Miss World Ms Aishwarya Rai, rated amongst the top 10 most beautiful women in the world," he said.
The other stars in "Dhoom 2" include Bollywood heartthrobs Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Uday Chopra and Bipasha Basu.
"The shoot is going to entail fast-paced action sequences, helicopter chases and much more," Moosa added.
Qatar Airways will be sponsoring air travels from India to South Africa for the entire cast and production crew.
"Shooting 'Dhoom 2' here will have huge spin-offs for the tourism industry and the economy of South Africa," said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker.
"The film, which will be seen by millions around the world, will be a great advertisement for South Africa. It will encourage further shoots by the producer and others from India and from around the globe."
Plans are being finalised to begin shooting at various South African locations later this month.

Sahara One bags telecast rights of Rockstars 2006 concert

Sahara One Television has bagged the telecast rights of the Rockstars 2006 Bollywood concert, which involves names like Salman Khan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapur, Zayed Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Mallika Sherawat and Esha Deol. These stars are currently touring Canada, US and UK for the same.
The Rockstars 2006 concert consists of 15 shows over a period of 45 days to be held across the above mentioned countries in May and June. However, the telecast date of the shows on Sahara One have not yet been decided.
Apart from telecasting the concert, Sahara One will also be airing a 12-episode interactive special on the concerts with the stars. Behind the scenes of their stay and exclusive footage from rehearsals, interviews, run-up to the big show, the hustle of the green room, and the moments building up to the final show is what is lined up on the channel.
Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited CEO Shantonu Aditya said, "It has always been our constant endeavour to connect with our audiences by reinventing entertainment options. Bollywood is something that perks up every Indian soul. The fact that the Rockstars 2006 will be held at USA, Canada and UK explains the huge appeal of Bollywood in these countries. We wanted to give our Indian audiences a feel of the same vibe and are therefore pleased to bring the Rockstars 2006 to our viewers

Interview : ‘I am not ready for marriage’: Kim Sharma

She has everything that a man wants – look, talent and sex appeal. Kim Sharma has come a long way since her debut film ‘Mohabbatein’ in 2000. Today, she has many films under her belt and she has a few under production films including the much hyped ‘Tom Dick and Harry’. She is also in the news for her affair with cricketer Yuvraj Singh. Now, she tells about her films, her love life, marriage, cricket and much more.
Excerpts from the Interview:
How do you feel looking at your career since your debut with ‘Mohabbatein’ in 2000?
I never dreamed of becoming an actress. It was by accident that I entered films. So, whatever I got from Bollywood is a bonus for me. The journey has been smooth and I am satisfied.
What is the reason behind for the delay of your next release ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’?
The film was delayed because of the problem with the distributors. However, the delay has given us more time to promote it. Now that the issue is sorted out, it will be released on May 12.
Tell us about your role in the film.
I play a fisherwoman in this hilarious film. My character is full of fun with funny dialect. You know, I speak Marathi too. I am playing such a well-etched role for the first time. I enjoyed a lot playing the character.
Are you willing to do item numbers?
Yes, why not? I would love to do item numbers if the film and song are good, and at the same time do shows and thus earn lots of money. That doesn’t mean that film industry doesn’t pay well. The point is, I enjoy stage performance, as I love interacting with the audience. However, I don’t want to become a theatre actor. I love camera, and so I’m in films.
What are the films you are currently doing?
I have a handful of films at the moment. I am doing ‘Khafaa’ with Jimmy Sheirgill, ‘Kudiyon Ka Hai Zamana’ with Rekha, ‘Ladies Tailor’ with Rajpal Yadav and ‘The Whisperers’ with Rahul Bose and Manoj Bajpai. I also play a cameo role in Tanuja Chandra’s film.
Could you let us know about your marriage plans?
Well, every girl has the desire to get married and I am no exception. But I am not ready for it at the moment or for that matter in the near future. I will settle down when I am ready and let the world know about it. I will tell the name of my man when I am ready for marriage. No one knows the future. And so, I don’t know who, what, when and where of my marriage.
What do you do during leisure times?
I love to go out with my friends, watch movies, read books, play with my puppy Savannah and go for shopping. I also love painting and I think it heals.
Do you like cricket? And will you go to West Indies and watch the upcoming cricket match between India and West Indies?
Cricket is more than a game here and I do like it. You know, I prefer one-dayers to test cricket. As to your second question, well, I am not a big cricket fan. So, I won’t go that far to watch India play West Indies.

Court directive to Delhi University

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Delhi University to ensure availability of Hindi textbooks to its students pursuing different courses in the language.
A Division Bench comprising Justice M.K. Sharma and Justice P.K. Bhasin passed the order on a public interest litigation by non-government organisation PUCL alleging that the Hindi medium students in the University were suffering due to non-availability of textbooks in Hindi and shortage of teachers.
The Bench directed the Centre for Directorate of Implementation of Hindi Medium to coordinate with the Heads of Departments of different courses in the University to ensure the availability of Hindi textbooks.
The Bench further directed the University to take necessary steps, if need be, for translation of English textbooks of different courses into Hindi.
The Court has been hearing the PIL for the past one year accusing the University of not taking necessary steps to make available Hindi textbooks to its around 68,000 Hindi medium students.

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Tenders india

Tenders india

India to be part of Asia's common currency

The Indian government is likely to step up its efforts to join the league of Asian countries that are working on a plan to evolve a common currency unit. This comes in the wake of finance ministers of Asean nations making it almost clear that they would not take India into account while studying the viability of a common unit, though there has not been any loud thinking among the other Asian countries about it. Finance minister P Chidambaram does not seem very happy about the 'dancing elephant' being kept away, though formally he said, "We are neither happy nor unhappy about it."Speaking to newspersons on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), he was not very optimistic about the prospects of formation of a common currency unit in the near future. "Asian currency unit is not going to happen overnight. It will take a very long long time and we cannot set a timeframe for that. However, over a period of time, it may become possible,"he said. However, on the free trade area (FTA) proposed by prime minister Manmohan Singh during his address on Friday, the finance minister said, "sooner or later we have to come to terms with the fact that the world will move towards free trade. Once, if and when, Doha development round reaches a successful conclusion, trade barriers would become fewer." According to him, the government is also working on bonding with several other countries that would help create a free trade area. "We are carefully working on the proposal. We are also very selective and careful in finalising the terms and conditions of joining other participant countries in FTA. There is strong support for a bond with Japan and possibly with China." Interestingly, the finance minister is in favour of ADB lowering its lending rates to pre-2000 days. "ADB's loan charges as compared to the cost of funds from other sources are critical for growth of the bank's business. The financial parameters of the bank have been robust for four consecutive years now. Loan charges should be restored to the lower levels that prevailed before the year 2000. The commitment fee should not be treated as a source of income (for the bank) and it should be possible either to eliminate or substantially reduce the commitment fee through improvements in operations and internal efficiency of the bank,"Chidambaram said while speaking at the bank's board of governors' meeting.

African's high on condom, low on sex

Many young Africans are losing their virginity later, having fewer sexual partners and using more condoms — signs that the campaign against AIDS is finally hitting home, a world authority on the disease said on Thursday. HIV infection rates among young people are falling in many parts of East Africa for the first time, about five years after African leaders took the initiative against the virus and declared it an emergency on the world's poorest continent. "What we are seeing is some serious behavior change," United Nations HIV/AIDS chief Peter Piot said at an AIDS summit in Nigeria. "Young people start later with their first sexual intercourse. Also there's a reduction in number of partners and condom use has gone up," Piot said. "Billions of dollars have been invested, some would say poured, into AIDS programs in Africa and until now there were not that many results. Now these results are coming," he added. Young people in Uganda, Kenya and Zimbabwe are losing their virginity two years later than they used to, Piot said, while the rate of new infections is falling in East African cities. The number of Africans receiving life-saving AIDS drugs have also started growing fast, from a few tens of thousands five years ago to 750,000 now. Sub-Saharan Africa has 10% of the world's population, but is home to more than 60% of people living with HIV — 26 million people.

30 killed in Iraq car bomb blasts

Car bombs killed 30 people in Iraq on Sunday and wounded more than 70 in one of the bloodiest spasms of violence of recent weeks as political leaders closed in on a deal to form a national unity government. The southern city of Basra was largely calm as British military engineers examined the wreck of a helicopter whose apparent shooting down was followed by clashes between troops and youths chanting triumphal Shia militia slogans. Twenty-one people were killed and 52 wounded when a car bomb went off close to the main central bus station in the Shia holy city of Kerbala, 110 km south of Baghdad, police said. Around the same time, two cars exploded in the capital. A suicide car bomber hit an Iraqi army patrol in the mainly Sunni northern district of Aadhamiya, killing eight people and wounding 15. Soldiers and civilians were among the casualties. Iraqi and US forces conducted a sweep for rebels in Aadhamiya on Saturday, the US military said. The area is a stronghold of Sunni insurgents. A second car bomb exploded at a busy traffic intersection in northern Baghdad, killing one civilian and wounding five. The target was not clear. Interior ministry sources said 42 bodies had been found in the last 24 hours in the capital alone, including eight found dumped near Kindi hospital in central Baghdad. The figure is in line with levels of violence seen in recent months. Sectarian violence sparked by the February 22 bombing of a major Shia shrine in Samarra has led to the discoveries of bodies—many showing signs of torture—on a frequent basis. Sunni leaders blame pro-government Shia militias and the Shia-dominated police for some of the killing. Militia leaders speak of a need to respond to three years of violence by insurgents from the once dominant Sunni minority. Sectarian bloodshed has prompted warnings Iraq is sliding toward civil war and added urgency to efforts by political leaders to form a unity government that can reverse the trend. Nuri al-Maliki, the Shia Islamist nominated as prime minister two weeks ago after months of stalemate following a December election, says he expects to name a cabinet shortly. On Saturday, the Shia vice-president said he expected a deal "in the next few days". The US said last week that Sunni Islamist hardliners around Al-Qaida figurehead Abu Musab al-Zarqawi were stepping up violence around Baghdad to derail government formation.

Heat is on: India continues to sizzle

The mercury soared to an abysmal high — touching 47 degrees in some parts — on Sunday, leaving almost 50 people dead across the country. Though authorities did not have exact figures of casualties, reports coming in from different states pointed to the harshest summer in a long time. Moreover, the weatherman predicted no respite — the afternoon would continue to scorch in the next two days while the night temperatures are also expected to be unbearably high. In western districts of Orissa, there were reports of 39 people killed by the intense heat as day temperatures hovered around 43 degrees Celsius. The government, however, confirmed only 10 deaths due to sunstroke in hotspot Titlagarh among other places. Apart from Titlagarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Talcher and Sundargarh too have been experiencing temperatures over-40 degree Celsius. Unconfirmed 19 deaths were reported from UP, where cities like Agra and Jhansi recorded 44 degrees. Lucknow also braved another day of 41 degrees Celsius, even as temperatures remained more than four degrees above normal in cities across the state. Four people died in Rajasthan. Mercury went up to 47.8 degrees on Saturday in border district of Sriganganagar. Jaipur, on the other hand, recorded 44 degree Celsius on Sunday, with dust-storms and frequent power cuts making conditions worse. The otherwise pleasant Srinagar, which is thronged by tourists at this time of the year, was 10 degrees above normal at 32.4 degrees. Severe heatwave is sweeping several parts of Maharashtra too, including West Vidarbha and Nasik district.

Browser Wars Part II

The upcoming release of the latest edition of Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser will contain a search box that in some cases defaults to the MSN search engine. A feature already there in some rival browsers such as Firefox or Apple's Safari. The box allows users to enter search terms without first going to the trouble of entering the Web address for a search engine. Google sees this as Microsoft's attempt to shift as many users as possible to its own MSN search engine.
Now, Google has unveiled a new plan to promote the open-source Firefox browser, starting off a new phase in the browser wars with Microsoft. The new offers from the Internet search giant enable websites to run small ads promoting Firefox and gain a referral fee of $1 for every downloaded version of Firefox that has a Google toolbar. The open source browser has steadily been gnawing away at the dominance of Microsoft's Internet Explorer since 2004. From a market share high of 95 percent, Internet Explorer is now down to 85 percent, as web surfers discover the delights of Firefox, which offers better security and many powerful features. On the other front, it is trying to use the people power by throwing considerable weight behind the fast-growing alternative to Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, which has about 11 percent market share. As the Google's latest salvo escalates the browser war between Microsoft's IE and Firefox, here's a feature comparison of Internet Explorer 6 and Mozilla Firefox. Firefox does not reinvent the browser, but it does provide technical enhancements that make Web browsing faster, safer, and easier. Like Internet Explorer, Firefox includes built-in controls to block pop-ups. One major interface difference is Firefox's tabbed browsing feature, which lets you open several Web pages within a single browser window. Quickly move among pages by clicking the tabs at the top of the window. Compare that to IE, in which you must open several instances of the Microsoft browser, each requiring system resources. So viewing multiple Internet pages in IE can tax your computer, while tabbing through multiple pages within Firefox will not. Tabbed browsing is also available in the Apple Safari and Opera browsers, but not in Internet Explorer. Another feature is a built-in RSS reader. Firefox delivers automated updates of news or blog content from sites that a user subscribes to in advance. Mozilla calls these RSS feeds Live Bookmarks because the content is dynamic. Firefox is regarded more secure than Internet Explorer, in part because most criminal hackers look for holes in the industry leader. But there are also several structural differences that make Firefox an inherently more secure browser. First, Firefox doesn't support VB Script and ActiveX Controls, which are often the source of attacks and vulnerabilities within IE. Unfortunately, the lack of ActiveX support also affects the performance of some Web sites. Another difference noted is in how Firefox handles secure Web sites, such as e-commerce or online banking sites. When visiting a secure site, Firefox highlights the address bar's URL in yellow and shows the Lock icon. If the user clicks the Lock icon, he can view the site's security information. The domain name of the site is also listed in the right-hand corner of secure windows, so one gets to know the true source of every page. Though FireFox doesn't boast of as many Plug-ins as IE, the Firefox plug-ins, called extensions, are much more varied in nature. For example, Chatzilla is an IRC chat client, Adblock blocks flash advertising from Web sites, and Mouse Gestures lets you navigate using simple mouse movements.

5 million IT job openings soon

As India rides high on the current global outsourcing wave, experts warn it may not be entirely smooth sailing for the industry in the near future.
India today has great manpower edge in the area of IT/ITES services, but this giant pool of skilled professionals is not a self renewing resource. Industry watchers are already cautioning about the growing demand-supply manpower gap in the IT sector, which could prove to be a major impediment to further development of the market, says Vijay k Thadani of NIIT.
"New job profiles are emerging within the ICT sector. By 2012, the popular IT careers are likely to be those of certified enterprise administrators, system administrators, Check point security administrators, network professionals, information systems security professionals and certified engineers"
"While the country currently employs over 1.1 million professionals--around 345,000 professionals in the area of IT exports, 352,000 personnel in the domestic IT services and in house captive staff and 348,000 people in the ITES-BPO segments. The numbers are expected to jump substantially by 2008 and grow into a vast need by 2012," says G Raghavan, head, Individual Learning Business, of an IT education company. "By 2012, analysts say, India will have a requirement of around five million new IT/ITES jobs," he says. "The growth rate of over 25 per cent in IT/ITES sector is putting a tremendous demand on the supply of a qualified labour pool. Whether India has a shortage of talent by 2010 or later depends mainly on what we do in 2006 and onwards," says Atul Vashistha, CEO, neoIT, an offshore outsourcing consultancy. "The key is to make a large pool of graduates focus on this industry alongwith the development of additional locations. India has a strong labour pool in locations like Jaipur, Guwahati, Nasik, Vizag, Vadodara and other such locations," Vashistha told PTI in an e-mail reply. The focus has to be on developing the infrastructure in these locations alongwith facilities and opportunities to train the workforce, he says.
The software development segment will continue to generate a significant number of jobs with a large number of professionals required in various new and emerging segments. The expectation is that by 2007, the ICT industry demand for Java professionals will touch 3 million, feels Raghavan.
However, according to NASSCOM, to sharpen India's value proposition and extend the country's leadership in the global IT-ITES space, it has taken several initiatives to further enhance the availability of and access to suitable talent for IT-ITES sector. NASSCOM has signed an MoU with UGC and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to strengthen professional education in line with the IT industry's requirements of demand for skilled professionals. It has also launched NASSCOM Assessment of Competence (NAC) programme for the potential employees in the BPO industry. NAC is an industry standard assessment and certification programme that aims to ensure the transformation of a "trainable" workforce into an "employable workforce". "The trends indicate that very specific skill sets will be required by the IT industry over the next 5-7 years. Tomorrow's enterprises, expected to be 'completely connected', will need professionals equipped to implement and manage networks. Similarly, security will also become a priority," says Thadani. "New job profiles are emerging within the ICT sector. By 2012, the popular IT careers are likely to be those of certified enterprise administrators, system administrators, Check point security administrators, network professionals, information systems security professionals and certified engineers," he says. The software development segment will continue to generate a significant number of jobs with a large number of professionals required in various new and emerging segments. The expectation is that by 2007, the ICT industry demand for Java professionals will touch 3 million, feels Raghavan.

Mphasis BFL ties up with Integrien Corp

Mphasis BFL Ltd, IT and BPO services provider, has entered into a strategic partnership with Integrien Corporation to globally sell and implement the latter's management solutions.
Mphasis would be one of Integrien's core development partners to sell and implement its management solution, 'Integrien Alive', the company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Wednesday. With this partnership, Mphasis would form a 'centre of excellence' to use the management solution for solving business problems. Both the companies are already working on several financial services client opportunities, the company said. The company's shares were trading at Rs 205, up 2.07 per cent at the BSE.

Now, Indian IT cos top profit charts

Indian service vendors Cognizant, Satyam, Patni, TCS, Infosys, HCL Tech and Wipro came among the ten fastest-growing IT services vendors in the top 50 rankings last year, besides those focused on the lucrative US central government and defense sector, says a new research by independent market analyst Datamonitor.
India's big IT services companies ranked as the most profitable suppliers in the top 50 rankings in terms of both net and operating profit margin.
Datamonitor puts the size of the IT services market (including applications, infrastructure, consulting, and BPO services) at $513bn in 2005, meaning that the 50 largest vendors claimed a share of 51per cent. There was little change at the top of the rankings, with IBM, EDS, Fujitsu and Accenture again placed one to four, although BT Global Services overtook its German peer T-Systems to take eighth spot. However, India's five largest players all made significant moves up the league table, growing their combined sales by 35 per cent to $9.3bn. India's big IT services companies also ranked as the most profitable suppliers in the top 50 rankings in terms of both net and operating profit margin. This is due to the lower salary costs in India, which can be as much as 50 per cent lower for some skills over comparable rates in the US. Infosys was the most profitable supplier in terms of net profit margin with a 26 per cent in its most recent fiscal year, ahead of Satyam with 23per cent and TCS with 22per cent. The research found that the world's 50 largest IT services vendors booked combined revenue of $262bn last year, but grew at a slower rate than the overall market. The combined headcount of the top 50 vendors grew 18per cent to 1.58 million last year, driven by aggressive recruitment in low-cost countries such as India. Conducted annually, results from Datamonitor's research “Global IT Services Top 50 Rankings,” add weight to the belief of many industry watchers that some of the sector's larger players are losing out to smaller, more focused vendors.
The combined headcount of the top 50 vendors grew 18per cent to 1.58 million last year, driven by aggressive recruitment in low-cost countries such as India.
The vendors, which ranged from IBM Global Services with sales of $47bn to Patni Computer Systems with $450m, increased their combined sales by 1.9 per cent over the previous year. But this is well below the 8 per growth in the overall market for external IT services expenditure recorded by Datamonitor. Datamonitor ranked the top 50 suppliers based on their revenue figures reported in their most recent fiscal years. The numbers used are the “as reported” figures in annual results statements, and are not adjusted for foreign exchange movements, disposals or acquisitions. The list excludes companies that make the bulk of their revenues from reselling products, and captive IT operations that make the majority of their revenue from their parent organizations. The study estimates the size of the global IT services market at $513bn in 2005, meaning that the 50 largest vendors claimed a share of 51 per cent. The largest player, IBM Global Services accounted for a 9 per share, highlighting the relatively fragmented state of the marketplace. For the year 2006, the survey predicts more M&A activity that is likely to alter the very shape of the top 50 rankings.

$239 b IT losses in India

Losses in India's IT sector due to piracy of intellectual property account to almost USD 239 billion, a Microsoft official said.

Even a 10 per cent reduction in the piracy would help IT sector grow from USD 7.40 billion to USD 19.50 billion and would add 1,15,000 new jobs in the sector, Rebecca Ward, Director IP and Licensing, Microsoft India said at an Indo-US seminar and Workshop on Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement held by the CII here. Apart from this, it will contribute to increase USD 5.9 billion in GDP, USD 386 million in taxes and USD 8.2 billion in revenue to local vendors, she added Strict enforcement of intellectual property rights would also help India emerge as a global player in innovative technology, Consul General, American consulate in Chennai David T Hopper said. To improve intellectual property standards worldwide, stress should be on bilateral negotiations, he said. "Strong IPR protection across the board, has been a lynchpin in the success of the US services sector. Without it, you do not get either the introduction of innovative products into the market or the investment in the R&D to move down the path of developing strong, innovative industries," he said.

“The task does not end with learning the national accent only, you have to have a basic idea of the provincial accents as well,” says Tanishq Bakshi w

Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said on Thursday that the company will not slow down its research and development after hiking it next year to build out its software services business.
"If you have a successful product, you continue to invest in it. I don't think people should think of these as one-time events," Ballmer told the media in an interview, a week after the company shocked Wall Street with its investment plans. The increase in capital spending may be slightly front loaded, but all in all next year's R&D increases are here to stay because software services are key to Microsoft's long-term future, Ballmer said. Microsoft said it plans to spend about $6.2 billion in research and development in the current fiscal year ending June 30. Goldman Sachs analyst Rick Sherlund estimates R&D spending to increase to $7.8 billion in the next fiscal year. The world's largest software company caught investors off guard last week when it said it would sacrifice billions of dollars in profit next year to invest in new business areas. Ballmer said earlier in the day that software services was the company's top R&D priority. Investors complained about the lack of clarity in Microsoft's plans to compete with Internet rivals Google Inc and Yahoo Inc for online advertising dollars and pushed the shares to three-year lows. Ballmer said the company needed to clarify for shareholders the importance of its investments online, because advertising presented such lucrative growth potential. "This is key to the long-term growth of the company. It's key to making sure we're a player in advertising business, which I think is an important business for software company to be in," said Ballmer. "We've got great long-term growth. I believe we need to invest to get that growth. I believe it is better to grow a lot consistently for many years than get a bump in any one year," he said. Microsoft plans to increase R&D spending at its MSN Internet unit by more than 50 per cent to $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2007 from around $700 million this year, Ballmer said to a room full of advertising executives earlier in the day. Those investments and other spending to increase advertising revenue through upcoming online services such as Windows Live and Office Live will be a "significant" boost to sales at many Microsoft businesses, according to Ballmer. "An increasingly high percentage of our revenue will come out of advertising," said Ballmer. "We're about $2 billion, $2.5 billion in advertising this year. These are not small numbers." Shares of Microsoft rose 27 cents, or 1.17 percent, to $23.44 on Nasdaq. Prior to Thursday trade, the stock had fallen 15 percent since April 27, when the company forecast next year's earnings below Wall Street estimates.

Who says a BPO job is easy?

Have you ever been taught to roll your r’s or soften your d’s? To bite your lower lip while speaking your v’s and to kiss your w’s? Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Then you surely don’t belong to the KPO or the BPO brigade. It might be sounding funny to take pains to learn all this, but for these employees, this is the most essential qualification required to survive in this industry. Unlike others, these organisations expect their employees to be an ‘artist’ who can twist their lips as per the job need. Not only this, employees need to change their ‘identity’ and speak like firangs. It’s not a joke and it’s not an easy task to accomplish. The purpose of the voice and accent training given to employees is to ensure that a caller from overseas feels he is talking to one of his countrymen. To facilitate this process even the names of the employees are changed. So, if you are Harvinder here, you become Harry for them! Your poor grandfather, who had decided your name so lovingly, will probably get the shock of his life. These employees go through many things to earn that fat salary package. Right from name-change to accent – they face tough training to fulfill the job demand. It is easier said that ‘they earn big money’ but the agony and pain they go through is unbelievable. One needs to be sharp to grasp the accent, because – right accent and good voice fetches them the salary. Is it easy to learn the ‘accent’? “This may differ from person to person. But yes, it takes your energy and patience as it’s difficult to get the hold on foreign language,” says Deepshikha Malhotra, an MBA HR who is currently working as an IT Recruiter for a leading MNC. She manages US-to-US IT recruitments and is presently undergoing voice and accent training. Some BPO job profiles are easier to manage as they facilitate with scripts. For example, the task of talking in accent is quiet easy for customer care executives. But for advanced processes like Deepshikha’s, it becomes tough. Since she handles the HR department, she has to take interviews from all over the world. She says, “It’s quite impossible to know all US accents. And it becomes tough while interviewing and especially when you are asked counter questions. One can never be prepared with the definite set of questions as the first one leads to the second and so on.” And no wonder she is undergoing the training for her test next week. Her job will be confirmed only if she clears the test. It will be in the form of a mock telephonic interview. She is literally in tears even at the thought of it. “I simply don’t know how to handle it. How can anyone expect fluency in an alien accent just by training someone for a few weeks?” she cribs. “I have been rehearsing for the test for some time now, but each time I try to concentrate on the accent, the conversation gets blocked and if I start getting comfortable with the conversation, the accent vanishes,” she adds. She is tensed and worried whether she would clear the test or not.

“The task does not end with learning the national accent only, you have to have a basic idea of the provincial accents as well,” says Tanishq Bakshi who is Malhotra’s colleague. These days he is busy trying to remember all the 50 states of US. “Besides accent, it is an added advantage if we know about US and the major cities. It helps especially for recruiting professionals. This not only gives personal touch to the conversation” he says. No single language has a single accent. When the language crosses from the one city to another in any country, its accent too changes. It’s just like river Ganges which tastes differently in different places

US, Asia fight over global imbalances

The gathering of policymakers in Hyderabad for the annual meeting of Asian Development Bank saw some hard posturing by Asian and US representatives that hinted that realpolitik rather than economic rationale could play a larger role in the days to come. Skyrocketing oil prices and a widening US current account deficit has created imbalances that would take sacrifices from every nation to iron out. "For every dollar decrease in the US current account deficit, there should be an adjustment somewhere,"US treasury under secretary Timothy Adams said at the meeting. While the Chinese warned against politicising the issue of its foreign currency management, the Americans left enough hints that protectionist sentiment may be building there. India added its bit by saying that it may not like a common prescription as its contribution to the imbalances was minimal. US believes that China should reduce its cheap exports and allow more imports to balance the skewed trade equation. US now has a trade deficit of over $800 billion and China has a surplus of $224 billion and a forex kitty of $875 billion. It is the largest forex hoard in the world. China, Japan and Germany now account for about half of the world's surplus. The US deficit is weighing down the dollar, which is losing value against other currencies. Adams said imbalances did not happen overnight and demographic factors have affected savings, hinting at China's high savings rate of over 30%. "A complex web of driving forces has brought us here and there is no quick way of unwinding them. It has to be a shared responsibility,"he said. China's vice finance minister, Li Yong told delegates that he was also concerned about global imbalances. Li also agreed that the responsibility had to be shared. "We are all on the same boat. No one will escape if this boat sinks,"Li said. China's wants to balance its exports and imports and it was working towards that goal, Li said. "Protectionism will be detrimental to global growth,"he warned. "We need consultation, not politicise the issue. We should reform the global financial architecture,"he said. FM P Chidambaram said that India should be considered differently. While agreeing that a co-operative approach was necessary, he said each country should have a different approach. He also added: "They (oil exporters) have taken advantage of the booming equity and real estate assets to invest their petro dollars,"Chidambaram said. While each country has its own concerns, Asian nations seem to be agreed on the fact that though tackling the imbalances was a priority, it should not be dictated by the US. The booming Asian economies do not want a chaotic economic

Mukesh Ambani taps developers to execute real estate dream

Mukesh Ambani is not going solo in his grand pursuit of his Rs 25,000-crore realty dream that is set to take shape in Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone.
The elder Ambani brother, who aims to turn 14,000 barren hectares on the outskirts of Mumbai into a metropolis, is reportedly tapping major real estate developers across the country to help give shape to his dream city, that some say could one day rival India’s financial capital. His lieutenants are out on a secret roadshow across the country, wooing developers with a master proposal. Some leading developers here, who have been given a glimpse of the grand scheme, said one major feature is the formation of separate joint ventures with realtors for each component. The SEZ is to have residential complexes, hotels, hospitals, shopping malls, amusement parks, shopping malls and even an 18-hole international golf course.
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The catch, as a realtor put it, is that Mr Mukesh wants a majority stake of 60% in the ventures, leaving the rest to the developers. “Real estate developers would execute the projects and keep a minority stake while Reliance would provide the capital and control the majority stake,” a realtor said.
Developers are not enthusiastic with this proposal. “The realty sector is booming and most developers, in Kolkata and elsewhere, have their hands full. There is no point sharing the profit in a project where we don’t have majority stake,” a developer said. Reliance is believed to have approached the Kolkata-based Harshvardhan Neotia, the cement, housing and lifestyle baron.
Mr Neotia recently pulled out of cement by selling Gujarat Ambuja’s business to Holcim, but he has a significant presence in housing as a pioneer of the public-private model. Mr Neotia, as chairman of Ambuja Realty Development Ltd, is scouting for opportunities in the construction sector beyond Bengal, and is believed to have just inked a deal for a Chandigarh project. Several other projects in North India are also on his radar. When contacted, Mr Neotia, who is currently in Italy, refused to comment.

BJP to target Sonia in Parliament

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi may well win the Rae Bareli bypolls but the BJP is unlikely to give her any respite, having decided to continue training its guns on her on the issues of office of profit and the Volcker controversy in the second part of the Budget session starting May 10.
In a meeting of BJP’s top leaders here on Monday, to be chaired by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the party would chalk out its strategy for the session and identify other issues.

With the first half of the Budget session ending on a controversial note over the office of profit issue, the BJP does not want any legislation in the ensuing session that will exempt the National Advisory Council — previously headed by Ms Gandhi — from being an office of profit.
The party has made it clear that it wants the NAC to be dismantled— something which has also been supported by union minister Raghuvansh Prasad of the RJD.
Refusing to spell out its own stand on the issue, the party recently had asked the government to first reveal its plans. “The BJP wants the true spirit of the Constitution strictly adhered to on the issue. This means that legislators should not possess executive powers as then this would go against the basic spirit of the Constitution,” a senior party leader said.
Moreover, sources indicated that the party wanted to stay “inflexible” on the issue as it is the Congress and the Left parties who are likely to face problems under the current scheme of things.
“The BJP has little to lose as only a few of its MPs are named in the petitions referred to the Election Commission. But, proportionately it is the Left parties who have more to lose. By taking a tough stand the party hopes to embarrass both the Congress and the Left and at the same time claim high moral grounds,” said a political expert.
Besides, with the noose getting tighter over former external affairs minister Natwar Singh on the Volcker issue, the party is likely to up the ante on the Congress party as it is the other Indian entity named in the report.
While telecom and communications minister Dayanidhi Maran will also be targeted over allegations in a news report, sources said the party is likely to take up other issues like talks on Siachen and the killing of Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir, spiralling prices, power and water shortage in northern India, sealing and demolition drive in Delhi among others.
BJP president Rajnath Singh, leaders of Opposition in both Houses LK Advani and Jaswant Singh, and other senior leaders will be attending the meeting.

Stage set for Rae Bareli bypoll amidst tight security

Amidst trading of charges between Congress, whose party chief Sonia Gandhi is seeking re-election from this Lok Sabha constituency, and Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Samajwadi Party, the stage was set for polling in Monday’s by-election amidst tight security.
Samajwadi Party state unit chief Ram Saran Das shot off a letter to Election Commission alleging that Ms Gandhi’s election agent Priyanka had hatched a conspiracy to indulge in booth-capturing in the bypoll and the younger Gandhi should be ordered out of the constituency immediately, said party general secretary Beni Prasad Verma, whose son-in-law is SP nominee in the poll, at a press conference in Lucknow.

Mr Verma charged Ms Priyanka with hatching a “conspiracy to capture booths during Monday’s polling” and a large number of plainclothes police personnel from Congress-ruled states of Punjab and Haryana had reached Rae Bareli to implement the plan.
In another letter to the poll panel, SP candidate Rajkumar Chaudhary said Ms Priyanka could not become the election agent as she enjoyed SPG security. The letter alleged she had been terrorising the electorate.
The returning officer of Rae Bareli, however, rejected the SP’s demand that Ms Priyanka be asked to leave the constituency.
Congress hit back by sending a letter to EC charging that two ministers and three MPs of SP were still camping in Rae Bareli in violation of the poll watchdog’s deadline for political functionaries enjoying state security and who were not voters to leave the Lok sabha constituency. PTI
District Congress president Uma Shankar Mishra said, SP ministers Khwaja Haleem and Ram Ashray Vishwakarma and three SP MPs were camping along with their security personnel in the constituency in “gross violation” of its directive.
The EC had ordered all political functionaries who enjoyed state security and were not voters to leave the constituency by 5 pm on Saturday.
Besides Ms Gandhi, others among the 16 contestants in fray are SP’s greenhorn in the battle of ballots Mr Rajkumar Chaudhary, BJP’s reluctant nominee Vinay Katiyar and Apna Dal candidate Prabha Singh Lodhi.
Pollsters predict a huge victory for Ms Gandhi in the seat, which is a favourite hunting ground for the Nehru-Gandhi family and people close to it. They have won 13 Times out of the 16 polls so far.

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