Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Pakistan visit

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar will arrive here on Tuesday with a delegation for an official visit at the invitation of her Pakistani counterpart Fehmida Mirza. 

Kumar is scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Mirza, the Speaker of the National Assembly or Lower House of Parliament, and Farooq Naek, the Chairman of the Senate or Upper House of Parliament. 

The delegation will also travel to Lahore to meet Punjab Governor Latif Khosa, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly. 

The delegation will participate in a meet of the Women's Caucus, meet members of the Pakistan-India Parliamentary Friendship Group and visit Taxila. 

Big B prepares for abdominal surgery

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has revealed that he will undergo abdominal surgery Saturday.

"There were some medical procedures today as well for - and this is being disclosed to the Ef (extended family) at this point of time - a surgery that I shall be undergoing on the 11th morning. I do not wish to talk much on my medical condition, but trust and faith in my FmXt (extended family) allows me to do so," Amitabh wrote on his blog bigb.bigadda.com.

"The surgery they say is not too complicated, but then all doctors say the same as you end up on the operating table, and before long the details and the subsequent anxieties begin to rise.

"There has been a dosage of injections intravenous that began today and shall continue for a few days... a pain in the abdomen has to be investigated tomorrow under a CT Scan and then and only then shall the ok for the surgery be given... so the next few weeks shall be full of nothing else but the hospital and medical bulletins... boring it may be but it shall be as informative as possible," Amitabh posted.

The 69-year-old has been battling with health issues for long and wishes to have an ailment-free life, but says he is grateful that he is still going strong.

"My stomach which has already been the bed of many complicated battles in the past, shall have to entertain this as well. It`s a war zone, my body, and one which has been through a great deal and still does," he wrote.

"I sometimes lament the fact that I do not have the benefit of a complete and ailment free body structure, and I wonder how wonderful it would be to be normal again. But this was my fate and I shall accept it with a smile.

"I just feel blessed that despite all the encumbrances the Almighty gave me the courage to keep going has been undiluted. That courage, wrapped as it were, in the love and prayers of well wishers has pulled me through on several occasions and on this one too I solicit similar," he added.

Poonam Pandey pokes fun at Karnataka porngate!

Mumbai: Internet diva Poonam Pandey is having fun and cracking jokes about the two ministers who were caught watching porn in Karnataka assembly and have now resigned. 

“2 ministers caught watching porn in assembly were confused souls. They heard `Get ready for erections` instead of `elections`. #HEHEHEH,” Poonam joked on her Twitter page.


“The Karnataka ministers at the assembly were actually celebrating the commencement of Valentine`s Week #porngate #heheheheh,” she added. 

Poonam was not the only one to take a dig at the ministers. Ram Gopal Varma and Chetan Bhagat had their own take at the porngate.

Chetan Bhagat re-tweeted some of the interesting excuses the ministers could have offered in porngate. 

“Let`s give the poor ministers some #PorngateExcuses . Will RT the best. "I was just checking download speeds on the 3G network.",” Bhagat tweeted. 

“Its my son`s phone. I am just checking out how naughty he has been these days. #PorngateExcuses,” Bhagat retweeted another one. 

Ram Gopal Varma too jumped in the fray and tweeted: “Ministers watching porn in the assembly is a sure sign of an emerging and shining india..jai ho” 

Porngate: Three Karnataka BJP ministers quit

Bangalore: Three ministers in Karnataka – Laxman Savadi, J Krishna Palimar and CC Patil – on Wednesday resigned to save the party from embarrassment after they were caught watching porn on a cell phone in the state Assembly on Tuesday.

Top leaders of the red-faced party, including its chief Nitin Gadkari, had indicated yesterday itself that all those involved in the porngate would have to go.

Speaking to the media, the ministers said they are quitting after Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda asked them to resign.

Governor HR Bhardwaj has accepted the resignation of the three ministers.


The ministers were caught by cameras of private Kannada TV channels, which are allowed to telecast the Assembly proceedings, and the clippings were shown after the House adjourned for the day.

The clippings show Savadi, Cooperation Minister, intently watching the clipping and Patil, Minister for Women and Child Welfare, peeping for a few seconds and moving to apparently switch off the cell.

The two denied they were watching porn and claimed it was a clipping of a rape and murder scene in a foreign country which they saw in the light of controversy of a group of foreigners indulging in a sex act recently at a tourism promotion event near Udupi, about 400 km west of Bangalore.

The two dragged in a third colleague, Environment and Port Minister Palimar, saying the cell phone belonged to him.

The scandalous incident sent shock waves across the state, with the opposition Congress and Janata Dal-Secular and various other groups demanding their dismissal from the ministry and expulsion from the Assembly.

The incident took place when the Assembly was discussing a pro-Hindu group allegedly hoisting a Pakistani flag in North Karnataka recently.

This was the second incident involving sex and a BJP minister in Karnataka where the party came to power for the first time in May 2008.

In May 2010, food and civil supplies minister Haratalu Halappa was forced to quit after he was accused of raping his friend's wife in Shimoga, about 280 km north of Bangalore.

Earlier, another BJP legislator, MP Renukacharya, now Excise Minister, had been accused by a nurse of sexually harassing her. The nurse, Jayalakshmi, had released to the media photos of Renukacharya kissing her, and claimed they had been taken after threatening her.

Groups of pro-Kannada activists took to streets in Bangalore, Mysore in south, Dharwad and Shimoga in the north and at several other places demanding immediate sacking of Savadi and Patil.

In Bangalore, stones were hurled at Savadi's ministerial bungalow by a pro-Kannada group which was later chased away by police.

This is the first major embarrassment for Gowda in his six months in office, which he assumed under another ugly development in BJP's short history of rule in the only southern Indian state.

The BJP came to power in May 2008 and its first chief minister BS Yeddyurappa was forced to quit on July 31 last year following corruption charges.

Why does censor board love Karan Johar?

he censor board loves Karan Johar. The filmmaker not only happily toned down the violent content of his latest production "Agneepath" as per the censor requirements, but also offered to explain the meaning of a 'parental guidance' certification on every poster.

The censor board members are now apparently hoping that other producers would also take a cue from Johar and flaunt the censor certificate more prominently on their movie posters.

A source close to the censor board said: "We can only go as far as to give a certificate. How far it is implemented is not in our hands. In this context, Karan Johar's explanation of a 'PG' certification on his posters is pathbreaking, or 'Agneepath'-breaking, if you will."

The censor board is now considering ways in which the certification would be given more prominence in marketing a film.

Pankaja Thakur, CEO, Censor Board Of Film Certification(CBFC), said: "Karan Johar volunteered to add the part about parental guidance to all the posters of 'Agneepath'. For the first time, a film poster explains the meaning of a UA certificate. It reads: 'This film is certified UA. We advise parental guidance due to violence in the film'.

"CBFC appreciates the proactive approach of the producer in advising audiences. UA certificate means parental guidance required for kids below 12 years of age and we would like parents and guardians to keep that in mind. They should decide for themselves if their children can watch blood on screen without getting disturbed."

Thakur admits the gore quotient in action film "Agneepath" had to be toned down.

"We decided to give a UA certificate to the film but not before the director Karan Malhotra agreed to tone down the violent scenes. The film initially had more bloodshed. 'Agneepath' as we saw it is the story of a pre-teen who fights the big bad world and emerges victorious.

"It has a lot of bloodshed but none of us felt disturbed by it. The violence is not the type that can psychologically damage a child and the softer scenes of the film managed to offset the darker part of it," she added.

However, Thakur admits Johar's initiative on the matter of explaining and elaborating the 'UA' certificate on the poster has prompted a new line of thought.

"Displaying the rating given to a film on all the posters and publicity material is a statutory requirement. However, explaining the meaning of the ratings is the CBFC's job. Partnering with us on this job would be appreciated," she said.

Source:TOI

Republic Day: Remove bad fruit but do not bring down the tree, says President Pratibha Patil

President Pratibha Patil Wednesday cautioned against losing sight of the long term goals while dealing with short term pressures and said that a tree should not be brought down while shaking it to remove the bad fruit.

In her address to the nation on the eve of the 63rd Republic Day, the president said the country's institutions may not be flawless but they have coped with many challenges.

In an apparent reference to the contentious debate on the Lokpal bill between the government, Team Anna and the opposition parties, the president said the tree should not be brought down while shaking it to remove the bad fruit.

She hoped solutions will be found between different stakeholders on matters of national importance "in the spirit of national interest."

"While bringing about reforms and improving institutions, we have to be cautious that while shaking the tree to remove the bad fruit, we do not bring down the tree itself. There will be short term pressures but in the process we must not lose sight of the long term goals and must work together on our core national agenda. I do hope in the spirit of national interest, matters of national importance are discussed and solutions are found," the president said.

The Lokpal bill was passed in the Lok Sabha but could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha. Several key legislations of the government are pending in Parliament.

Patil said solutions to matters of national importance in the spirit of national interest will strengthen "roots of democracy and the foundation of our nation".

She said India can set an example before the democratic world of progress and growth.

"We have a shared future and we should not forget that it can be achieved if we demonstrate a sense of responsibility and a show of unity," she said.

The president said the parliament had enacted path-breaking laws and the government had put together schemes for the progress and welfare of the people. "Our judiciary has a reputable standing. Our media too has played an important role. With all institutions working together for the same national purpose it will create a stream of positive energy. Our effort to improve is an on-going process," she said.

Source:TOI

Big B set for Gujarat promotional ad

Bollywood megastar and Gujarat brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, who previously promoted areas like Kutch and Dwarka, is now set to attract tourists to other picturesque spots in the state.

"In serene quietness of Gujarat is Bhuj. The welcome and hospitality of the people, as always, extraordinary," the 69-year-old posted on his blog bigb.bigadda.com Sunday.

"Bhuj airfield under repair, so the jet cannot land there, hence landing in Mundra, the private airfield of the business group Adani, who has built the third largest, soon to become the largest port in India," he wrote on his way for the shoot of the latest ad. 

Bachchan, who so far promoted the Kutch region, Dwarka, Somnath and Gir National Park, has been all praise for the development in Gujarat and said the state is worth visiting again and again.

"The day starts early tomorrow and starts at the Rann of Kutch, the white desert where a tent city has been put up for tourists to enjoy the moment," he posted.

"And subsequently I should be visiting and shooting at all the areas that had got left behind the last time round... A region so close to home yet so diverse in so many ways.

"The clothing the language the food the environment, everything. But all Indian," he added.

He once said that if the Gujarat government planned a documentary to showcase the state, he would like to be a part of it.

Anil Kapoor could've been in Inception

Anil Kapoor has revealed that he missed out on a role in ‘Inception’ but said that on his trip to the audition, he landed his favourite director’s autograph. The Slumdog Millionaire star was thrilled when Christopher Nolan agreed to meet with him to discuss the role of Yusuf in the movie, but the actor had to use his Bollywood success to make it to the audition on time after his assistant’s in-car global positioning system failed and they found themselves lost in Los Angeles.


“I had only 10 minutes... Suddenly I saw an Indian taxi driver... I waved down the taxi driver and I said in Hindi, ‘I am Anil Kapoor, the actor from India. Please take me to this place,’” Contactmusic quoted Kapoor as saying.

“I left Brittany (assistant) there. I did not get the role, but I was on time. And I got the autograph... I wanted him (Nolan) to sign my Dvd of Batman,” he added.

Dileep Rao eventually landed the role of Yusuf.

Kailash Kher remembers childhood with new song

) Singer Kailash Kher went down the memory lane when he recorded a conversational song "Hudkaan mann biti", co-sung by his two-year-old son Kabir.
The singer, popular for numbers like "Allah ke banday", "Saiyaan" and "Teri deewani", says the song is an outcome of his childhood memories, and it has been great to share vocals for it with his son.
Narrating the story behind the song, Kher said: "I remember, when I was five years of age, while playing with my friends we had a rule that the person who would lose the game had to carry the winner on a piggy back and go from one place to another saying 'Hudkann mann biti'."
"So, while I was writing the songs for my album 'Rangeele', I was reminded of my childhood days and I thought why not share these memories with my son. And this is how the song was born."
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Big B pampers himself with manicure, pedicure
So far he remained away from spa treatments like pedicure and manicure, but when megastar Amitabh Bachchan went through the pampering session at a salon, he simply loved it.
The 69-year-old relaxed with the treatments while catching up on the Australian Open, he revealed on his blog bigb.bigadda.com.
"I have finally discovered the joys of being pampered by a pedicure and a manicure. I have finally discovered why the ladies spend half their lives in the parlour."
"I have finally discovered what an idiot I was in not succumbing to the luxury of pretty ladies looking after your feet and hands while you comfortably watch the Australian Open Tournament. And I have finally discovered what a fine art it is to get your nails in shape. All my misgivings far far away from reality. And so shall they remain," he added.
At his age, the actor is quite a style icon and is abreast with what's hot and what's not in the fashion world.
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Aman Verma's Twitter account hacked
Actor Aman Verma has managed to return to his original handle on micro-blogging site after his account was hacked.
"Finally got to my original account again.... Sorry guys was trying to sort the mess out. Someone hacked into my account. I am back..." Aman posted on his Twitter page.
The actor, who is currently seen as a villain in "Chhoti Bahu", says he was under the weather for a few days.
"Feeling better... A little...Have been ill since the 10th of dec...Cold, cough, congestion. And had to keep shooting for a Zee project. And to top it all my account gets hacked, and now I end up loosing my voice...The last 45 days have been crazy," he added.

Source: in.news.yahoo.com

Happy birthday Javed Akhtar Ji

Noted lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar turned 67 on Tuesday. He and his thousands of fans are celebrating his birthday. He was born on 17th January 1945 in Gwalior to Jan Nisar Akhtar, a Bollywood film songwriter and Urdu poet and singer Safia Akhtar, a teacher and writer.


After his birth, his parents moved to Lucknow and later Aligarh. Young Javed Akhtar lost his mother at a young age and his father frequently moved back and forth between Lucknow and Bombay, so he and his brother spent most of their time with relatives.


Javed Saab arrived Mumbai on 4th October 1964. In his early years living in Mumbai. Occasionally, he used to work as an assistant. He got a job as a scriptwriter on Yakeen which was flopped. He then joined with his friend Salim Khan to develop the story for Adhikar.


Akhtar was married to Honey Irani, a script-writer for Hindi films, with whom he had two children Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, both film directors and actors. The father and son duo have worked together in films such as Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya, Rock On!! and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara along with Zoya. After Javed's divorce with Irani, he married actress Shabana Azmi, the daughter of another Urdu poet, Kaifi Azmi.


Salim-Javed were hired by GP Sippy's Sippy Films as resident screenwriters and produced the screenplays for successful films like Andaz, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay and Don. Javed Akhtar was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1999 and received the Padma Bhushan in 2007.


Javed Saab won the Filmfare Award fourteen times, seven times for Best Script writing and seven times for Best Lyrics for "Ek Ladki Ko Dekha" in 1942-A Love Story, "Ghar Se Nikalte Hi" for Papa Kahte Hain, "Sandese Aate Hain" for Border, "Panchhi Nadiyan Pawan Ke Jhonke" forRefugee, "Radha Kaise Na Jale" for Lagaan, "Kal Ho Na Ho" for Kal Ho Na Ho , "Tere Liye" for Veer-Zaara and "Jashn-e-Bahara" for Jodhaa Akbar.


Akhtar has won the National Award five times. In 1996 he won for Best Lyricist for the film Saaz and in 1997 he won the National Award for Border. He again won the National Award in 1998 for Godmother. In 2000 he again won the National Award for the song "Panchhi Nadiyan Pawan Ke Jonke..." from the film Refugee and in 2001 for "Radha Kaise Na Jale" from Lagaan.