Sandy death toll climbs, millions without power
The misery of superstorm Sandy’s devastation grew
Tuesday as millions along the U.S. East Coast faced life without power
or mass transit for days, and huge swaths of New York City remained
eerily quiet. The U.S. death toll climbed to at least 48, many of the
victims killed by falling trees, and rescue work continued.
The
storm that made landfall in New Jersey on Monday evening with hurricane
force cut power to more than 8.2 million across the East and put the
presidential campaign on hold just one week before Election Day.
New
York was among the hardest hit, with its financial heart closed for a
second day. The storm caused the worst damage in the 108-year history of
the city’s subway system, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
said it could be four or five days before the biggest U.S. transit
system was running again.
“This was a devastating storm, maybe the worst that have ever experienced,”
But
the full extent of the damage in New Jersey was being revealed as
morning arrived. Emergency crews fanned out to rescue hundreds.
A
hoarse-voiced New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gave bleak news at a
morning news conference: seaside rail lines washed away. No safe place
on the state’s barrier islands for him to land. Parts of the coast still
under water.
18 killed in New York
The
death toll from Sandy in the U.S. included several killed by falling
trees. Sandy killed 18 people in New York City. It also killed 69 people
in the Caribbean before making its way up the Eastern Seaboard.
Airlines cancelled more than 15,000 flights. New York City’s three major airports remained closed.
Some
bridges into the city reopened at midday, but most major tunnels and
bridges remained closed, as were schools and Broadway theatres.
The
storm sent a nearly 14-foot (4.27-metre) surge of seawater, a record,
coursing over Lower Manhattan’s seawalls and highways and into low-lying
streets. The water inundated tunnels, subway stations and the
electrical system that powers Wall Street and sent hospital patients and
tourists scrambling for safety. Skyscrapers swayed and creaked in winds
that partially toppled a crane 74 stories above Midtown. A large tanker
ship ran aground on the city’s Staten Island.
Around
midday, Sandy was about 120 miles (190 kilometres) east of Pittsburgh
in Pennsylvania, pushing westward with winds of 45 mph (72 kph), and was
expected to make a turn into New York State on Tuesday night. Although
weakening as it goes, the storm will continue to bring heavy rain and
flooding,
Sandy also brought blizzard conditions to West Virginia and neighbouring
Appalachian states, with more than 2 feet (0.61 meters) of snow
expected in some places.
$20 billion property damage
Sandy
will end up causing about $20 billion in property damage and $10
billion to $30 billion more in lost business, making it one of the
costliest natural disasters on record in the U.S., according to IHS
Global Insight, a forecasting firm.
Superstorm not yet over: Obama
President
Barack Obama declared a major disaster in New York and Long Island,
making federal funding available to residents of the area. He suspended
campaigning for a third day Wednesday, and planned to join Christie in
viewing the damage in New Jersey.
Mr. Obama,
speaking during a stop Tuesday at Red Cross headquarters, warned the
public that the massive storm that struck the East Coast “is not yet
over.” He said there were still risks of flooding and downed power
lines. He called the storm “heartbreaking for the nation.”
The
President offered his thoughts and prayers to those affected and told
them “America is with you.” He said he also told government officials
coordinating the response that there was “no excuse for inaction.” And
he said he told governors in affected areas that if they get no for an
answer, “they can call me personally at the White House.”
Romney resumes campaign
Republican
challenger Mitt Romney resumed his campaign, but with plans to turn a
political rally in Ohio into a “storm relief event.”
Water
cascaded into the gaping, unfinished construction pit at the World
Trade Center, and the New York Stock Exchange was closed for a second
day, the first time that has happened because of weather since the
Blizzard of 1888. The NYSE said it will reopen on Wednesday.
A
fire raged in a neighbourhood Tuesday morning in the borough of Queens,
near the Atlantic Ocean, with 80 to 100 homes destroyed but no deaths
reported.
‘Houses swept from foundations’
In
New Jersey, where the superstorm came ashore, Sandy cut off barrier
islands, swept houses from their foundations and washed amusement pier
rides into the ocean. It also wrecked several boardwalks up and down the
coast, tearing away a section of Atlantic City’s world-famous
promenade. Atlantic City’s 12 waterfront casinos came through largely
unscathed.
A huge swell of water swept over the
small town of Moonachie, and authorities struggled to rescue about 800
people, some of them living in a trailer park. Police and fire officials
used boats to try to reach the stranded.
The
massive storm reached well into the Midwest with heavy rain and snow.
Chicago officials warned residents to stay away from the Lake Michigan
shore as the city prepared for winds of up to 60 mph (96 kph) and waves
exceeding 24 feet (7.2 meters) well into Wednesday.
New York in darkness
Curiosity
turned to concern overnight as New York City residents watched whole
neighbourhoods disappear into darkness as power was cut. The World Trade
Center site was a glowing ghost near the tip of Lower Manhattan.
Residents reported seeing no lights but the strobes of emergency
vehicles and the glimpses of flashlights in nearby apartments. Lobbies
were flooded, cars floated and people started to worry about food.
As
Hurricane Sandy closed in on the Northeast, it converged with a
cold-weather system that turned it into a monstrous hybrid of rain and
high winds even bringing snow in West Virginia and other mountainous
areas inland.
Just before it made landfall,
forecasters stripped Sandy of hurricane status, but the distinction was
purely technical, based on its shape and internal temperature. It still
packed hurricane-force winds.
While the hurricane’s
90 mph (144 kph) winds registered as only a Category 1 on a scale of
five, it packed “astoundingly low” barometric pressure, giving it
terrific energy to push water inland, said Kerry Emanuel, a professor of
meteorology at MIT.
New York University’s Tisch
Hospital was forced to evacuate 200 patients after its backup generator
failed. NYU Medical Dean Robert Grossman said patients among them 20
babies from the neonatal intensive care unit who were on battery-powered
respirators had to be carried down staircases and to dozens of
ambulances waiting to take them to other hospitals.
A
construction crane atop a $1.5 billion luxury high-rise overlooking
Central Park collapsed in high winds and dangled precariously. Thousands
of people were ordered to leave several nearby buildings as a
precaution.
Mr. Bloomberg told reporters that the
storm deaths were tragic but said the city pulled through better than
some people expected, considering the magnitude of the storm.
The
mayor said, “We will get through the days ahead by doing what we always
do in tough times by standing together, shoulder to shoulder, ready to
help a neighbor, comfort a stranger and get the city we love back on its
feet.”
Sandy complicates final stretch of tense US presidential race
WASHINGTON: A tense and
unpredictable race for the White House became even more so on Monday, as
mammoth storm Sandy created delicate political challenges for President
Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney and raised the
possibility of a chaotic voting process.
As the deadly storm barreled ashore on the paralyzed east coast, the presidential campaign went into what amounted to a deep freeze just when Obama and Romney had planned to launch their final push for votes in the November 6 election.
Suddenly, the final eight days of what has been a bitter fight for the hearts of voters in a politically divided electorate has become a test of crisis leadership for Obama - and a time when harsh political rhetoric seems out of line.
Both sides promised to put aside politics to deal with the fallout from the storm. But privately, they fretted about the storm's potential impact on a week of candidate appearances and door-to-door campaigning by volunteers that is so crucial in get-out-the-vote efforts.
There also is concern about the impact on early voting - a priority for both campaigns but especially Obama's - and election day itself, if predictions that millions of people and their polling precincts could be without power well into next week come true.
"It's a totally unpredictable situation that can play out in many different ways, with risks and rewards for both candidates - which is exactly why political consultants on both sides are very scared right now," said Julian Zelizer, a historian at Princeton University in New Jersey.
The crisis gives Obama, who as president is chiefly responsible for the government's response to the storm, an opportunity to show the presidential leadership that Romney frequently accuses him of lacking.
If Obama is seen as falling short, the memory of the political damage suffered by then President George W Bush and his Republicans over the government's botched response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 is a haunting reminder of the consequences.
On the other hand, a strong effort by Obama's White House in responding to the storm could provide a positive, lasting image to Americans as they head to the polls next week - assuming polling places will have power and be open.
Obama canceled campaign rallies planned for Monday and Tuesday and returned to the White House from Florida to meet with federal emergency officials.
Romney's team, after initially making plans to continue campaigning, apparently reconsidered and announced late Monday morning that the former Massachusetts governor would cancel a rally in Wisconsin on Monday night, and its schedule on Tuesday as well.
Romney joined Obama in appealing for donations to the Red Cross and offered sympathy for those in the storm's path.
For Romney, the hurricane threatens to sideline him for precious days in the campaign's final week, disrupting his efforts to cast himself as the candidate with momentum in the presidential race.
It also forces the Republican challenger to walk a fine line when considering whether to launch political attacks against Obama as the president deals with a crisis.
And if the government's response to the storm is broadly deemed a success, it could be a stark reminder that Romney has advocated dramatically cutting back funding for federal relief agencies, saying that such duties should be shifted to the states or perhaps the private sector.
"This throws a monkey wrench into the campaign for both sides," Republican strategist Ford O'Connell . "Nobody wants to look political in the middle of a crisis."
Without official duties to carry out, Romney could be relegated to visiting local relief centers while trying not to hinder rescue workers. Romney's running mate, Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan, told supporters at a Florida rally on Monday that the campaign would turn its attention to helping those affected by the storm.
In contrast, Obama can use the full power of the presidency to issue directives and announcements, and play the role of sympathizer-in-chief - as he did on Monday, when he appeared in the White House briefing room to announce storm preparations and urge those in Sandy's path to take cover.
"I'm not worried at this point about the impact on the election," Obama in response to a reporter's question about the campaign. "he is worried about the impact on families, and worried about our first responders."
States oversee elections
The storm already has disrupted early voting in several states - including Virginia, one of eight or so key battleground states in the presidential race.
But as the scope of the potential damage from Sandy became clear on Monday, there was speculation over whether election day voting could be affected, and whether voting might be prolonged to allow people to get to the polls.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator Craig Fugate there could be a lingering effect on election day, and he promised the agency would help any state requesting it. FEMA was examining how much it can pay to help rebuild any polling stations destroyed in the storm.
It would take an act of Congress to change the election from its legally prescribed date: the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
But because the details of carrying out US elections are left to the states, any decisions on whether to extend voting hours for the election would more likely be made on a state-by-state basis.
That creates the potential for uneven responses to any disruption in voting - and the possibility that state politics could affect such decisions.
For example, one state could extend voting hours on November 6 to make it easier for people to reach the polls and offer more options for early voting or voting by mail to ensure that every eligible voter could cast a ballot.
But another could stick to the same hours, even if it means many residents could not cast ballots.
Sandy's impact could be greater in rural areas, where Romney generally is more popular than Obama. Power typically is restored more quickly in cities, urban roads are less likely to stay blocked by flooding or downed trees and residents are more likely to be able to walk to their polling places.
In theory, a state could bypass the public altogether and have its legislature choose the "electors" who decide who the state will back for president. The US Constitution does not mandate that electors are chosen by popular vote.
A Democrat-controlled state, such as Massachusetts or Maryland, could pick electors to support Obama.
But a state's Republican-controlled legislature - such as in Ohio or in Virginia, where Governor Bob McDonnell is co-chairman of Romney's campaign - could ensure its votes went to Romney.
This scenario worries some Democrats, who note that Florida, which decided the bitterly contested 2000 election, was governed by Jeb Bush, brother of Republican George W. Bush, who won the presidential race despite losing the popular vote by half a million votes.
A "slap in the face"?
It is unclear how enthusiastic many Americans along the East Coast will be about voting after dealing with the storm and its fallout for more than a week before election day.
Obama's handling of the storm could inspire or anger some voters, but some analysts said voters might be in a foul mood regardless of the president's performance.
The storm "could be a slap in the face that adds to a depressed feeling,". "Obama wants to end this campaign on brighter images of the economy doing well, not on images of people suffering and struggling."
Fergus Cullen, a former Republican state chairman in New Hampshire, played down the hurricane's potential impact on the election.
"If anything, this will give both campaigns a little breather," the response to the storm is going to change many minds at this point."
As the deadly storm barreled ashore on the paralyzed east coast, the presidential campaign went into what amounted to a deep freeze just when Obama and Romney had planned to launch their final push for votes in the November 6 election.
Suddenly, the final eight days of what has been a bitter fight for the hearts of voters in a politically divided electorate has become a test of crisis leadership for Obama - and a time when harsh political rhetoric seems out of line.
Both sides promised to put aside politics to deal with the fallout from the storm. But privately, they fretted about the storm's potential impact on a week of candidate appearances and door-to-door campaigning by volunteers that is so crucial in get-out-the-vote efforts.
There also is concern about the impact on early voting - a priority for both campaigns but especially Obama's - and election day itself, if predictions that millions of people and their polling precincts could be without power well into next week come true.
"It's a totally unpredictable situation that can play out in many different ways, with risks and rewards for both candidates - which is exactly why political consultants on both sides are very scared right now," said Julian Zelizer, a historian at Princeton University in New Jersey.
The crisis gives Obama, who as president is chiefly responsible for the government's response to the storm, an opportunity to show the presidential leadership that Romney frequently accuses him of lacking.
If Obama is seen as falling short, the memory of the political damage suffered by then President George W Bush and his Republicans over the government's botched response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 is a haunting reminder of the consequences.
On the other hand, a strong effort by Obama's White House in responding to the storm could provide a positive, lasting image to Americans as they head to the polls next week - assuming polling places will have power and be open.
Obama canceled campaign rallies planned for Monday and Tuesday and returned to the White House from Florida to meet with federal emergency officials.
Romney's team, after initially making plans to continue campaigning, apparently reconsidered and announced late Monday morning that the former Massachusetts governor would cancel a rally in Wisconsin on Monday night, and its schedule on Tuesday as well.
Romney joined Obama in appealing for donations to the Red Cross and offered sympathy for those in the storm's path.
For Romney, the hurricane threatens to sideline him for precious days in the campaign's final week, disrupting his efforts to cast himself as the candidate with momentum in the presidential race.
It also forces the Republican challenger to walk a fine line when considering whether to launch political attacks against Obama as the president deals with a crisis.
And if the government's response to the storm is broadly deemed a success, it could be a stark reminder that Romney has advocated dramatically cutting back funding for federal relief agencies, saying that such duties should be shifted to the states or perhaps the private sector.
"This throws a monkey wrench into the campaign for both sides," Republican strategist Ford O'Connell . "Nobody wants to look political in the middle of a crisis."
Without official duties to carry out, Romney could be relegated to visiting local relief centers while trying not to hinder rescue workers. Romney's running mate, Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan, told supporters at a Florida rally on Monday that the campaign would turn its attention to helping those affected by the storm.
In contrast, Obama can use the full power of the presidency to issue directives and announcements, and play the role of sympathizer-in-chief - as he did on Monday, when he appeared in the White House briefing room to announce storm preparations and urge those in Sandy's path to take cover.
"I'm not worried at this point about the impact on the election," Obama in response to a reporter's question about the campaign. "he is worried about the impact on families, and worried about our first responders."
States oversee elections
The storm already has disrupted early voting in several states - including Virginia, one of eight or so key battleground states in the presidential race.
But as the scope of the potential damage from Sandy became clear on Monday, there was speculation over whether election day voting could be affected, and whether voting might be prolonged to allow people to get to the polls.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator Craig Fugate there could be a lingering effect on election day, and he promised the agency would help any state requesting it. FEMA was examining how much it can pay to help rebuild any polling stations destroyed in the storm.
It would take an act of Congress to change the election from its legally prescribed date: the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
But because the details of carrying out US elections are left to the states, any decisions on whether to extend voting hours for the election would more likely be made on a state-by-state basis.
That creates the potential for uneven responses to any disruption in voting - and the possibility that state politics could affect such decisions.
For example, one state could extend voting hours on November 6 to make it easier for people to reach the polls and offer more options for early voting or voting by mail to ensure that every eligible voter could cast a ballot.
But another could stick to the same hours, even if it means many residents could not cast ballots.
Sandy's impact could be greater in rural areas, where Romney generally is more popular than Obama. Power typically is restored more quickly in cities, urban roads are less likely to stay blocked by flooding or downed trees and residents are more likely to be able to walk to their polling places.
In theory, a state could bypass the public altogether and have its legislature choose the "electors" who decide who the state will back for president. The US Constitution does not mandate that electors are chosen by popular vote.
A Democrat-controlled state, such as Massachusetts or Maryland, could pick electors to support Obama.
But a state's Republican-controlled legislature - such as in Ohio or in Virginia, where Governor Bob McDonnell is co-chairman of Romney's campaign - could ensure its votes went to Romney.
This scenario worries some Democrats, who note that Florida, which decided the bitterly contested 2000 election, was governed by Jeb Bush, brother of Republican George W. Bush, who won the presidential race despite losing the popular vote by half a million votes.
A "slap in the face"?
It is unclear how enthusiastic many Americans along the East Coast will be about voting after dealing with the storm and its fallout for more than a week before election day.
Obama's handling of the storm could inspire or anger some voters, but some analysts said voters might be in a foul mood regardless of the president's performance.
The storm "could be a slap in the face that adds to a depressed feeling,". "Obama wants to end this campaign on brighter images of the economy doing well, not on images of people suffering and struggling."
Fergus Cullen, a former Republican state chairman in New Hampshire, played down the hurricane's potential impact on the election.
"If anything, this will give both campaigns a little breather," the response to the storm is going to change many minds at this point."
RBI monetary policy review
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may have left the policy rates unchanged in its policy review on Tuesday, but financial advisors are convinced that the reduction in Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) clearly indicates it is only a matter of time before interest rates start coming down. Their advice to conservative debt investors is to lock-in their money at the available rates.
"Those looking to book FDs should lock-in their money without further delay as interest rates are only going to fall going forward. Also, they should consider longer tenure FDs over shorter maturities to eliminate reinvestment risk if they are saving up for a long-term goal. They should keep in mind the fact that the current rates may not be available when they want to renew the FD, say, a year later as interest rates would have climbed down further by then,"
"If you are a retired individual or investors in the lower tax brackets, you should consider investing in fixed deposits. However, for investors in higher tax brackets (such as 30%), debt funds are more tax efficient. For such investors, interest earned from fixed deposits is treated as income and taxed as per the applicable tax slab. Debt funds, on the other hand, are subjected to capital gains tax treatment,"
The RBI has left the repo rate unchanged, though it reduced the Cash Reserve Ratio or CRR (the percentage of deposits banks must keep with RBI) by 0.25% to 4.25%. Banks take their cue from repo rate changes and often a repo rate cut is followed by cuts in deposit and lending rate. The reduction in CRR would inject around Rs 17,500 crore into the banking system and it is a move to pre-empt any potential threat to comfortable liquidity. However, the RBI policy statement clearly indicates the inflation continues to be a concern in the near term for the regulator. RBI has raised inflation target for the full year to 7.5% from 7.0%.
"The CRR cut of 25 basis points will definitely lower the interest rates in an indirect manner. For long term investments, investors can consider fixed deposits and bonds funds as the rates offered by these instruments are only going to be lower from this point," "The interest rates are expected to slide at a steady pace over two years. So if an investor can put away some money for at least two years, he or she can consider such investments,".
Finance ministry miffed with RBI not cutting rates
The Sensex erased initial gains and fell 195 points on Tuesday after RBI kept key interest rate unchanged and lowered economic growth estimate to 5.8 per cent for 2012-13, from 6.5 per cent projected earlier.
A fall in interest-linked banking, realty and auto stocks mainly influenced the trading sentiment.
Marketmen investors ignored RBI move to reduce the cash reserve ratio - the percentage of deposits banks keep with the Reserve Bank - by 0.25 per cent to infuse additional liquidity that will inject Rs 17,500 crore into the financial system.
CRR now stands at 4.25 per cent.
The Sensex, which had opened with gains on investor hopes of interest rate cuts, fell following the policy announcement to trade at 18,441.26 -- showing a decline of 194.56, or 1.04 per cent at 1151 hrs. The broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty was down by 68.15 points to 5,597.45.
"Growth is as much a challenge as inflation. If government has to walk alone to face the challenge of growth then we will walk alone," Finance minister P Chidambaram said after the monetary policy.
Chidambaram's five-year plan to repair government finances
"Government is doing its best to send the clear message that we are on the path of fiscal consolidation. It is govt. hope that everyone will read and understand the government commitment to path of fiscal consolidation.
Deputy chairman of the planning commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia was also disappointed that the central bank had not cut rates.
FIR against duo for molesting, assaulting Russian in Worli
MUMBAI: The Worli police on Monday registered an FIR against two unidentified youths who allegedly attacked and molested a 21-year-old Russian woman at Worli Seaface in the wee hours of Sunday.
The woman, who was left with a bruised lower lip after one of the accused bit her, left the city on Sunday morning without lodging an official complaint. However, the cops took suo motu cognizance of the matter and filed a case after recording the victim's statement with the help of an interpreter. They are, however, yet to make any arrests.
Sources said the woman, a dancer by profession, had come to India on an invitation from the external affairs ministry. She left for Delhi as her troupe was reportedly scheduled to perform there on Monday.
Around 3am on Sunday, the woman and two male members of the troupe were walking in the Seaface area when two youths accosted them. "They were going towards hotel (in Worli) when two persons appeared at the spot. Suddenly, they charged . One of them pushed , while the other held me tightly and kissed me forcibly on my lips. When our colleagues intervened, the youth who kissed me got angry and bit my lip hard. The duo then fled," the woman told the police. The attack left her with a deep cut on her lower lip.
The trio returned to the hotel and informed the management about the incident. They then went to Breach Candy Hospital to get the victim treated. "A doctor at the hospital called us up and narrated what had happened. A lady officer went to the hospital to speak to the woman," said senior inspector Dipak Pawar of the Worli police. As the victim could barely speak in English, the cops had to arrange for an interpreter to record her statement. The woman, however, left the city on Sunday morning without lodging a formal complaint.
Confirming that the cops had registered an FIR, deputy commissioner of police (Zone III) Kishore Jadhav told TOI: "They took the initiative to file a complaint in the matter and are trying to track down the accused. With the help of an interpreter present in the hospital, they managed to get details of the incident from the victim."
The police are also collecting details from the Russian embassy and the hotel where the woman had put up. ""They have learnt that the woman had come to Mumbai on a single-entry visa,".
The DCP said they registered the FIR on their own after taking cognizance of the seriousness of the matter. The accused were booked under Sections 34 (common intention), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 354 (outraging the modesty of a woman) of IPC.
Oscar winning director Ang Lee
The Academy Award-winning director’s new production Life of Pi will also be the inaugural film of the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IIFI) to be held in Goa in November
Those who have watched the trailer of Ang Lee’s forthcoming release Life of Pi will swear by the visual delight the Oscar-winning director has promised to dish out in his fascinating directorial venture.
Starring Delhi lad Suraj Sharma, Life of Pi is the visually
stunning tale of a boy who is adrift at sea in a lifeboat with a Bengal
tiger for company after his family is drowned in a shipwreck. The film
has been extensively shot in Puducherry and Munnar. It is scheduled to
hit theatres on November 23 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Powerful actors like Irrfan Khan, Tabu,
Adil Hussain, Gerard Depardieu and Rafe Spall will be seen in this
fantasy film. The 58-year-old director wants to use much time as
possible to spread the word about his project, since he won’t be
attending the lavish premiere of the film in Goa.
The movie is based on Canadian author Yann Martel’s Booker
Prize-winning 2001 novel of the same name. A little birdie informs us
that Lee has reversed the promotional strategy for India and will go to
other countries from here, rather than the other way around.
Lee, who shot the film at Puducherry and Munnar, will visit Mumbai and Chennai along with co-producer David Lee and actors - debutante Suraj Sharma, Tabu and Irrfan Khan - to promote the movie.
Ang Lee in any way different from the other directors He has a great mix of both the East and the West
Describing it as one of the “hardest” films that took him four stressful years to complete, Lee told a press conference in Mumbai on Monday that “this was a profound journey and posed the biggest challenge of sharing the wisdom of the story and contents that bring meaning to life.” He also admitted that such films were helping change perceptions about Indians and Asians in mainstream Hollywood. The all-Indian cast of well-known actors Irfan Khan and Tabu and his choice of the young lead actor Suraj Sharma as Pi “was a brilliant one”.
After screening 3,000 young actors and narrowing them down to 12, Sharma, 19, was finally selected. One of the first questions that was asked , “How long can you hold your breath underwater?” since the film shows the boy’s survival in the ocean after a shipwreck. Working with Sharma, whose “face is pure and innocent,” was the most rewarding experience Lee had with any actor, .He thanked the animators for doing an outstanding job on the tiger. “I didn’t know whether it will work but I must say it’s working.” Shot in scenic Munnar and the once-French territory of Pondicherry where Pi grew up, the adventure film has Lee’s signature dramatic visuals and great storytelling. Journalists at the press meet got a chance to see 20 minutes of the film.
Life of Pi will have its world premiere on the first day of the 43rd International Film Festival of India in Goa, November 20. The film will be released across India in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu three days later. It releases in the UAE on December 20.
Former New Zealand skipper Martin Crowe diagnosed with cancer
Former New Zealand cricket captain Martin Crowe has been diagnosed with lymphoma, an invasive cancer of the immune system.Louise Henderson said the 50-year-old Crowe had only recently received the diagnosis and requested privacy while he and his family deal with the news.
"the family have a number of issues to confront over the next couple of weeks. The diagnosis is very new, the family is still in shock and obviously dealing with the understanding that life as they know it for the unforeseeable future is different." Crowe is married to former Miss Universe Lorraine Downes.
Crowe played 77 tests and 143 one-day internationals for New Zealand between 1982 and 1995. He scored more than 5,400 test runs at an average of 45 with 17 centuries.
Crowe made his test debut at a tender age of 19.
He was also the backbone behind New Zealand’s memorable run to the World Cup semifinals on home soil in 1992.
His 17 centuries are still the most by any New Zealander at Test level.
A knee injury forced him to retire at just 33 in 1996 or he might well have broken more.Crowe also attempted a comeback last year, but in his first premier match for Auckland club Cornwall he was forced to retire hurt and conceded his body wasn’t up to the rigours of the sport.
Top 10 World’s Best Universities
The U.S. News World's Best Universities rankings, based on the QS World University Rankings, evaluated schools in countries such as the United Kingdom, China, Australia, and more. See the schools among the top 10 in the world.
10. Columbia University
Country: United States
Overall score: 95.3
Columbia University, located in New York City, is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York.
Columbia University, located in New York City, is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York.
9. University of Pennsylvania
Country: United States
Overall score: 95.7
The University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, was founded by Benjamin Franklin.
The University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, was founded by Benjamin Franklin.
8. University of Chicago
Country: United States
Overall score: 96.1
Founded in 1892, the University of Chicago, situated in Chicago’s Hyde Park community, offers a rich campus life in a big-city setting.
Founded in 1892, the University of Chicago, situated in Chicago’s Hyde Park community, offers a rich campus life in a big-city setting.
7. University College London
Country: United Kingdom
Overall score: 97.3
Teaching at UCL is "research-led," meaning that the programs offered reflect the very latest research and are often taught by academic staff members who are leaders in their fields.
Teaching at UCL is "research-led," meaning that the programs offered reflect the very latest research and are often taught by academic staff members who are leaders in their fields.
6. Imperial College London
Country: United Kingdom
Overall score: 97.6
Imperial College London has more than 3,000 academic and research staff and nearly 14,000 students from more than 120 different countries.
Imperial College London has more than 3,000 academic and research staff and nearly 14,000 students from more than 120 different countries.
5. University of Oxford
Country: United Kingdom
Overall score: 98.0
The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, with roughly nine centuries of continuous existence.
The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, with roughly nine centuries of continuous existence.
4. Yale University
Country: United States
Overall score: 98.8
Yale University, located in New Haven, Conn., is known for its excellent drama and music programs as well as its secret societies, such as the Skull and Bone Society.
Yale University, located in New Haven, Conn., is known for its excellent drama and music programs as well as its secret societies, such as the Skull and Bone Society.
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Country: United States
Overall score: 99.2
MIT, located across the Charles River from downtown Boston, focuses on scientific and technological research.
MIT, located across the Charles River from downtown Boston, focuses on scientific and technological research.
2. Harvard University
Country: United States
Overall score: 99.3
Harvard University’s extensive library system houses the oldest collection in the United States and the largest private collection in the world.
Harvard University’s extensive library system houses the oldest collection in the United States and the largest private collection in the world.
1. University of Cambridge
Country: United Kingdom
Overall score: 100.0
The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest universities in the world and one of the largest in the United Kingdom.
The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest universities in the world and one of the largest in the United Kingdom.
Keeping the peace in Europe
The Nobel peace prize awarded to the European Union is recognition of
the historic triumph of democratic solidarity over ideologies based on
narrow nationalism, jingoism and militarism. Small wonder that Friday’s
announcement has been received with derision and scorn by Eurosceptic
and far-right forces that have stoked popular fears over the bloc’s
enlargement into Eastern Europe. In the face of record unemployment and
crippling austerity, the honour must be read no less as an appeal to the
EU’s current leadership to live up to the original promise of promoting
peace and prosperity among its people. The EU deserves credit for
helping keep the peace in a continent that has been responsible for more
death and bloodshed than any other in the world. But its current
policies are responsible for an austerity drive so intense that it
threatens the disintegration of the European project. Europe’s statesmen
of the post-war generation endeavoured to institutionalise the
principles of democratic reconciliation, respect for human rights and
the rule of law within and between nations. These values form the
bedrock of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights and
the EU. Few would dispute that a response to today’s resurgent
nationalist extremism and religious fundamentalism globally must
ultimately draw upon and build on these principles. 
Europe’s visionaries were also shrewd enough to recognise that
solidarity among countries could not be sustained without material
prosperity for their people. This understanding led to the pooling of
Franco-German coal and steel resources and the steady removal of trade
and customs tariffs between France, Germany, Italy and the Benelux
countries. These visionary steps were precursors to the single market,
the Schengen borderless area and the single currency. Whether they say
so or not, most regional trading blocs around the world are attempts to
replicate more or less the European model. To be sure, the EU’s record
in the defence and promotion of human rights and democracy has been less
than creditable since 9/11. Key EU states refused to endorse the
illegal American invasion of Iraq but the willingness of many European
countries to assist in the kidnapping and ‘rendition’ of terror suspects
by the United States has exposed them to the charge of double standards
and hypocrisy. A more scrupulous adherence to norms would be no less in
the bloc’s own interest considering its enlargement into the Balkans
where democratic institution-building remains a challenge. The EU has
much work to do still to be truly worthy of the Nobel prize for peace.
It should not sit on its laurels. For a globalised world has much at
stake in the success of European integration.
Growth to turn around in six months
India's industrial output rose modestly in August, but not enough to
end a long slump in Asia's third-largest economy, while inflation
slowed, improving the case for a cut in interest rates that both
businessmen and politicians have been pleading for.
India's gross domestic product is likely to grow around 6% in the
second half of the current fiscal year amid signs that the local
slowdown has ended, " that for the first six months of the current year, the
GDP growth is around 5.5%. in the second half of the
year, which has begun just now, many of the measures taken by the
government to revive investor confidence will lead to a turn around
setting in, India's fiscal year runs from April 1 through March 31.
The South Asian nation's economy has been growing at its slowest pace
in nearly a decade in recent quarters, amid falling investments and
external economic turmoil mainly in Europe and the U.S. Its budget and
current-account deficits have widened, and inflation has remained
stubbornly high.
Since mid-September, New Delhi has taken some bold measures to
attract capital inflows and boost growth, such as increasing the
state-set price of diesel and allowing higher foreign investment in
sectors such as retail, aviation and broadcasting.
It is also pushing for more foreign money in insurance and has
decided to open up the pensions sector for similar funds for the first
time. "It's reasonable to say that the slowdown has ended," he said,
referring to the data released the industrial output for
August rose 2.7% from a year earlier, helped by an improvement in
manufacturing output.
This increase, though still weak, came after the July industrial output data contracted 0.2% from a year earlier.
Kejriwal to produce fresh evidence against Khurshid
India Against Corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal on Monday is expected
to produce fresh evidence against law minister Salman Khurshid, whom he
has accused of forgery and embezzlement of funds through an NGO with
which he and his wife are associated.
"We will produce fresh evidence against Salman Khurshid at 11am on Monday," Kejriwal said on Sunday hours after
Khurshid produced pictures and documents to prove camps were held for
the disabled in Uttar Pradesh, for which the funds were utilised.
The minister also rebutted allegations of forgery and embezzlement of
funds against an NGO with which he and his wife are associated.However, Kejriwal dismissed Khurshid's defence.
"Till Khurshid remains the law minister, he can destroy each and
every evidence against him. There will be no fair inquiry into it,"
Kejriwal also questioned why Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is silent on the episode.
"Why is prime minister silent over the issue? Does he think Khurshid need to resign?"
Law minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday admitted the need for probing
"forgery" of signatures of an Uttar Pradesh government official but
denied allegations of embezzlement by his NGO.
Addressing a crowded press conference at his residence, Khurshid produced documents and pictures to prove that camps were held in Uttar Pradesh to provide hearing aids and tricycles to the disabled. He said he will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to "share his experiences".
Khurshid denied any wrongdoing by the Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, of which he is president and wife Louise is project director, he would pursue legal action against a TV news channel which first aired allegations of financial misappropriation in the running of the trust.
Kejriwal also questioned why Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is silent on the episode.
"Why is prime minister silent over the issue? Does he think Khurshid need to resign?"
Addressing a crowded press conference at his residence, Khurshid produced documents and pictures to prove that camps were held in Uttar Pradesh to provide hearing aids and tricycles to the disabled. He said he will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to "share his experiences".
Khurshid denied any wrongdoing by the Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, of which he is president and wife Louise is project director, he would pursue legal action against a TV news channel which first aired allegations of financial misappropriation in the running of the trust.
The minister lost his cool during the press conference after arguments with correspondents of the TV news channel, and at one point, even stood up to end the interaction and asked a journalist from the channel to shut up and leave.
An agitated Khurshid will see the media group in the court. Referring to a "draft" Comptroller and Auditor General report (CAG) which pointed to irregularities in the running of the trust, Khurshid had not been given documents but would factor them in in the future.
"Documents were given to the ministry. Why (they) did not get to CAG, don't know,". Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded a probe into the allegations of forgery while Khurshid earlier told a TV channel in an interview that he would resign if allegations of his involvement in any forgery were proved to be true and leave politics.
While Salman Khurshid was holding a press conference to answer questions on allegations against him at his residence, Arvind Kejriwal watched the entire proceedings closely on television.
After Khurshid's conference, Kejriwal took almost an hour to prepare his speech. The anti-graft activist pointed out that Khurshid was "bluffing".
The minister showed a picture dated July 17, 2010, to prove that the UP government official J.B. Singh was present at one of the camps held by his family-run Zakir Hussain Trust. But the pictures actually put the NGO in a spot as the events the minister was referring to took place between April 2009 and March 2010. "Khurshid is deliberately misleading the nation,"
Addressing the crowd, Kejriwal said Khurshid had skirted the five questions raised by them in regard to the alleged misappropriation of funds by the NGO run by him and his wife.
The first question was about Ram Raj Singh's signature on a letter presented by the UP government which was used to get funds sanctioned for 'Khurshid is deliber ately misleading the nation' the trust in the year 2009-10. Kejriwal claimed that according to a media report, Ram Raj Singh had never signed the letter.
Kejriwal also raised questions on the trust's claims that they conducted camps in some particular areas. He mentioned about disabled persons who are registered with the trust but did not get any benefit.
"These are not our allegations. These are the allegations of Akhilesh Yadav government. The matter was probed by the state government and a report was submitted on June 12 and sent to the central government which issued a showcause notice,"
He added that the IAC will field a differently abled person against the law minister in the next election if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh feels that Khurshid need not resign.
Sunday was the third consecutive day when Kejriwal and his team protested against the alleged irregularities in the functioning of the NGO run by the Khurshids. Earlier in the day, while some activists followed his car on his way back from IGI airport, others waited for his arrival in front of his residence at 4, Kushak Road. Fourteen activists were detained while trying to gherao Khurshid. All detainees were later released.
Wearing his trademark cap of 'Main aam admi hun', Kejriwal addressed a crowd of around 500 activists at Jantar Mantar in the afternoon. During his address, he spoke about financial irregularities in the NGO. He also alleged that the UP government that had come up with a report exposing the irregularities was now colluding with Khurshid to bail him out.
Bill Gates nominated for alternative Chinese peace prize
Former UN chief Kofi Annan, Thailand’s prime minister and Microsoft
founder Bill Gates are among those nominated for a Chinese alternative
“peace prize.”
Organizers of the Confucius Peace Prize announced the nominees
Sunday. Last year, the accolade went to Russia’s Vladimir Putin for
crushing anti-government forces in Chechnya.
The award’s sponsors are professors and academics who say they are independent of the Chinese government.
The nominees are former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, his
successor Ban Ki-moon, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Bill
Gates, Chinese social activist Wang Dingguo, Peking University Prof.
Tang Yijie, Chinese scientist Yuan Longping and the 11th Panchen Lama.
The Panchen Lama is the second-highest religious leader for Tibetans
after the Dalai Lama. Most Tibetans don’t accept him because Beijing
appointed him.
Official centre taps 10000 phones
Various government agencies are learnt to have legally tapped around 10000 phones across the country.
As per data collected by the agencies for the meeting of a high-level commitee comprising cabinet secretary, telecom secretary,and law secretary, sources said around 4,500 phones were tapped in August in addition to more thn 5000 phones that were already being tapped.
Sources added that the interception is ordered by various intelligence agencies, police forces and the Army. It is also learnt that nearly 1,200 wmail addresses were monitored under the Indian Telegraph Act.
The committee has also cleared a fresh request for monitoring around 500 email,s sources added. The panel rejected 17 request and demanded clarification on the issue of public emergency for fresh interception.
INTELLIGENCE BUREAU MONITORS ABOUT 6K PHONES
The Intelligence Bureau monitors nearly 6000 phones as per data collected by government agencies. Over 2000 requests by the IB were made in August alone. The Arm's Signal Intelligences is tapping over 1100 phones of which 577 requests were made in August while 527 were already being intercepted by it, sources said.
"Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, which had over 160 phones under its scanner, has made a request for intercepting 350 phones during the month,' sources said.
New ICSE for new Cets
There is a general feeling among that the current ICSE syllabus does not support students in preparing for competitive exams effectively when compared with the CBSE or Board of Intermediate Education.
For this reason, many ICSE students in the state either shift to CBSE or BIE after completing Class X. This has led to poor enrolment at 10+2 level in ICSE schools.
While there are about 32 ICSE schools in the city, only 12 schools offer courses at 10+2 level indicating a poor enrolment of less than 800.
ISCE TO REMAIN SEPARATE FROM OTHER BOARDS
The council of Indian School Certificate Examination has revised the 10+2 syllabus, effective from this academic year, in science, maths and commerce subjects so that the students are better prepared for the new entrance tests across the country from 2014.
Students at 10+2 level will have to face new entrance tests such as JEE (main) and JEE (advanced) for admission to IITs, NITs, IIITs, etc., and Neet for admission to MBBS and BDS courses from Next year.
A national common test for admission to commerce courses at graduation level from 2014 is also planned by Uior HRD ministry.
However, CISCE will continue to maintain its identity separate from other Boards,with more topics in the syllabus at 10+2 level. ISCE syllabus already enjoys a special advantage over other Boards as it is recognised by many other Boards as it is recognised by many other countries. ISCE students are not required to clear the Test of English as a Foreign Language (Toefl).
Bill Gates, Kofi Annan sentencing support for Rajat Gupta
Gupta, 63, the most influential and best-known corporate figure to be caught in a broad insider trading crackdown of the last four years, moved in elite business and philanthropic circles for decades. He is also a former head of the McKinsey & Co management consultancy.
A jury convicted Gupta in June of tipping his friend and business associate, Galleon Group hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam, about Goldman's boardroom secrets during the financial crisis. He was found not guilty of divulging the quarterly earnings in January 2009 of Procter & Gamble Co , where he also served as a board member.
Microsoft Corp co-founder Gates, in one letter among about 200 written to U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff, wrote that he wanted to help "round out Rajat's profile as you consider the appropriate sentence for him."
Gates worked with Gupta when Gupta was chair of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Gates wrote that "many millions of people are leading better lives - or are alive at all - thanks to the efforts he so ably supported."
The judge released the letters on Friday night ahead of the Oct. 24 sentencing in Manhattan federal court at the request of a reporter from the Wall Street Journal. Prosecutors and Gupta's lawyers gave their consent,
The letters came from company heads, academics, friends and family, including his wife and four adult daughters.
Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his letter, said: "I urge you to recognize Rajat for the good he has done in the world, to give him the credit that he deserves for helping others and to take into account his efforts to improve the lives of millions of people."
One of the themes running through many of the letters was that not enough of Gupta's humanitarian work came out at his trial. The judge had puts limits on what the jury could hear about Gupta's philanthropy.
His wife, Anita Gupta, wrote, "I know I have to accept the decision of the jury but I cannot but feel that who my husband is and what he stands for did not fully come out at the trial."
The maximum sentence for securities fraud is 20 years and the maximum sentence for conspiracy is five years, although it seems unlikely that Gupta would receive such a heavy punishment following his conviction on those charges.
Rajaratnam was convicted of 14 counts of securities fraud and conspiracy last year and is serving an 11-year prison term.
Gupta, who lives in Westport, Connecticut, is also a former director at American Airlines Corp and had ties to a prominent business school in his native India.
Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his letter, said: "I urge you to recognize Rajat for the good he has done in the world, to give him the credit that he deserves for helping others and to take into account his efforts to improve the lives of millions of people."
One of the themes running through many of the letters was that not enough of Gupta's humanitarian work came out at his trial. The judge had puts limits on what the jury could hear about Gupta's philanthropy.
His wife, Anita Gupta, wrote, "I know I have to accept the decision of the jury but I cannot but feel that who my husband is and what he stands for did not fully come out at the trial."
The maximum sentence for securities fraud is 20 years and the maximum sentence for conspiracy is five years, although it seems unlikely that Gupta would receive such a heavy punishment following his conviction on those charges.
Rajaratnam was convicted of 14 counts of securities fraud and conspiracy last year and is serving an 11-year prison term.
Gupta, who lives in Westport, Connecticut, is also a former director at American Airlines Corp and had ties to a prominent business school in his native India.
Movie Review: Aiyyaa
The Deshpandes are no ordinary brood. And Aiyyaa is no ordinary film. Wildly wakda (read twisted) in more ways than one, it is a film that defies definition.
It careens from the dreamy to the delirious, the realistic to the raucous, and the perfectly logical to the utterly nonsensical as it turns many a time-honoured convention of Hindi commercial cinema on its head.
It careens from the dreamy to the delirious, the realistic to the raucous, and the perfectly logical to the utterly nonsensical as it turns many a time-honoured convention of Hindi commercial cinema on its head.
Many might find its loud, outré storytelling style somewhat difficult to comprehend and digest, especially in the context of the film’s slice-of-life love story predicated on a willing suspension of disbelief.
Aiyyaa, Sachin Kundalkar’s first Hindi film on the back of three critically applauded Marathi-language features, revels in flying against expectations with complete abandon.
It falls back on principles of the theatre of the absurd as well as the norms of the tamasha folk form to comment on the skewed dynamics of arranged matrimony and the politics of gender equations viewed exclusively from the distaff side.
Despite mounting societal pressures on her, it is the
mulgi who calls the shots. She follows her heart – and nose – all the
way through to try and get the man she wants.
Aiyyaa blends a dash of magic realism, liberal dollops of wacky humour, broad burlesque sweeps, robust social satire and a mélange of elaborately staged coital dance routines, all brought together by a delightfully freewheeling imagination.
Not all of it works though. In fact, portions of the film go askew. That makes Aiyyaa a bit of a mixed bag. But Kundalkar gets enough of the madcap tropes right to ensure that his film stays on course for the most part.
The most striking aspect of Aiyyaa is that its focus is squarely on the female gaze. The hero is the object of desire and it is the girl who does most of the sniffing, drooling and panting.
Indeed, sniffing plays a key role in this love story. Meenaxi Deshpande (Rani Mukerji) is a plucky middle class Maharashtrian girl who seeks escape from her humdrum life by frequently retreating into a nebulous dreamscape inspired by her favourite Bollywood divas.
Aiyyaa blends a dash of magic realism, liberal dollops of wacky humour, broad burlesque sweeps, robust social satire and a mélange of elaborately staged coital dance routines, all brought together by a delightfully freewheeling imagination.
Not all of it works though. In fact, portions of the film go askew. That makes Aiyyaa a bit of a mixed bag. But Kundalkar gets enough of the madcap tropes right to ensure that his film stays on course for the most part.
The most striking aspect of Aiyyaa is that its focus is squarely on the female gaze. The hero is the object of desire and it is the girl who does most of the sniffing, drooling and panting.
Indeed, sniffing plays a key role in this love story. Meenaxi Deshpande (Rani Mukerji) is a plucky middle class Maharashtrian girl who seeks escape from her humdrum life by frequently retreating into a nebulous dreamscape inspired by her favourite Bollywood divas.
Madhuri, Sridevi, Juhi – everybody is fair game
in Meenaxi’s liberating fantasies and she plays a fiercely lone hand in
the often strangely desolate settings that she conjures up in her mind.
In real life, of course, she is hard pressed to get her point across to a family that is completely off its trolley: a chain-smoking dad (Satish Alekar), an overzealous mom (Nirmiti Sawant), a dog-loving bro (Ameya Wagh) who trusts canines more than humans and, last but not the least, a wheelchair-bound grandma (Jyoti Subhash) with a set of golden teeth, shrill vocal chords and a grey head on the ragged, rebellious edge.
Meenaxi is under constant pressure from her parents, particularly her mother, to find a suitable life partner.
Thwarting the steady stream of suitors that come and go talking of chaha and poha, she is attracted by the smell that emanates from the Tamil-speaking art student Surya (Prithviraj) she encounters every day in the college library.
Meenaxi’s love is a one-way street because the tall, dark, handsome and aloof Surya is unaware of her feelings, but she follows him around like a smitten stalker, drawn by the sweet fragrance that surrounds him.
In real life, of course, she is hard pressed to get her point across to a family that is completely off its trolley: a chain-smoking dad (Satish Alekar), an overzealous mom (Nirmiti Sawant), a dog-loving bro (Ameya Wagh) who trusts canines more than humans and, last but not the least, a wheelchair-bound grandma (Jyoti Subhash) with a set of golden teeth, shrill vocal chords and a grey head on the ragged, rebellious edge.
Meenaxi is under constant pressure from her parents, particularly her mother, to find a suitable life partner.
Thwarting the steady stream of suitors that come and go talking of chaha and poha, she is attracted by the smell that emanates from the Tamil-speaking art student Surya (Prithviraj) she encounters every day in the college library.
Meenaxi’s love is a one-way street because the tall, dark, handsome and aloof Surya is unaware of her feelings, but she follows him around like a smitten stalker, drawn by the sweet fragrance that surrounds him.
Aiyyaa is an extension of the first episode of Kundalkar’s Gandha (2008), a cinematic triptych of evocative stories that were bound by the theme of smell.
Aiyyaa follows the same narrative trajectory. But it is interspersed with situations involving the fringe characters of the Gandha episode in question, Lagnachya Vayacha Mulgi (A Bride To Be).
Also factored into the Aiyyaa fold is the added layer of the language divide between the hero and the heroine. The latter strives to learn Tamil in order to communicate with the man she is in love with.
But words fail Meenaxi when they matter the most. Musical fantasies with no heaves and thrusts barred come to her aid at such moments.
Among those who get a larger
play is Meenaxi’s maniacal colleague and confidante, Maina (Anita
Date), a Lady Gaga wannabe referred to by one character as Gaga-bai. Maina lusts for John Abraham and her desktop and living room walls are plastered with pictures of the actor in various stages of undress.
We also meet the overly decorous Madhav Rajadhyaksha (Subodh Bhave), the boy Meenaxi’s
family choses for her. His idea of romance is stuck in the discreet Farooque Shaikh-Deepti Naval era.
Madhav briefly transports Meenaxi from the aggressively erotic and miasmic universe of Dreamum wakeupum and Aga bai to the touch-me-not world of Tumko dekha toh yeh khayal aaya.
Amid the cacophonous and the crazy are moments of striking cinematic beauty that emphasize the power of colour, sound and, of course, smell to evoke human emotions.
Rani Mukerji plunges headlong into the character without the slightest hint of inhibition. Prithviraj, with his strong, silent screen presence, provides the perfect foil. Members of the supporting cast, notably Ameya Wagh and Anita Date, turn in performances that stay in line with the all-round air of zaniness.
Aiyyaa
takes time to warm up, slips into dull patches at times and
occasionally teeters on the edge of a certain dissonance. But the
subversive spirit that drives the absurdist core of Aiyyaa is well worth embracing.
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