Video: Super Journalist Dinesh Kamath

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Begin eliminating corruption from Top first' that was published in Newsband

Begin eliminating corruption from Top first

Corrupt public servants must be declared anti-nationals, according to High Court. Judge says that corruption is an obstacle to development. When terrorists are declared anti-social elements, corrupt should also be declared as anti-nationals. These anti nationals do not care about the development of our great nation. They are interested in their self-development alone. Nothing wrong in wanting to become rich. However, the process adopted for achieving one’s ambition or goal must not affect the interests of the nation and infringe the rights of co-citizens. These are the views of the judge.

It is a bold and open public endorsement of what people in groups whisper among themselves. Since the common man’s only and last hope is judiciary, corruption in judiciary is an unpardonable crime and severest punishment of life imprisonment for the errant judicial members is the only way to curb this menace

It is great to hear the judge say that the corrupt should be declared anti national. But this must apply to political leaders, court staff, judges, firstly, because no hearing can take place in the court if the court staff are corrupt. Another thing is not only the person who takes bribe but also the one who gives bribes is corrupt.

Not only corrupt public servants but also corrupt politicians should be declared anti national and barred from standing for elections or holding any public office. Only Supreme legal luminaries can set right these practices. Everything under government supervision is corrupt and without it nothing works.

What does the Hon'ble Judge expect from his pronouncement? That it will send shivers down the spine of the public servants? His orders had been violated with impunity with the court not taking any action on the enforcement authorities. Why cannot the courts have a monitoring mechanism, a well-defined follow up action and bring the public servants defying its orders to book?

The only way out is to appoint judges based solely on merit and give them a very good salary.  The inseparable part is the quality of lawyers; if they are rotten, the system will fail even if the judges are competent and honest.

Everybody knows who are corrupt. Even where officials are caught it takes several years to prove their crime and punish them. In some cases indicted people are getting full salary without doing any job and prolonging the case. We cannot blame public servants alone. When politicians demand huge money and favour those who provide it they are also pushed into corruption.

Dinesh Kamath's movie column 'Best Bollywood Films of recent times – Part 3' that was published in Newsband

Movie Column

Best Bollywood Films of recent times – Part 3

By Dinesh Kamath

Veere di Wedding (2018) directed by Shashanka Ghosh proved to be another one of the best films of recent times.

Veere Di Wedding (transl. Brother's wedding) is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language female buddy comedy film, directed by Shashanka Ghosh and co-produced by Rhea Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor and Nikhil Dwivedi. It stars Kareena Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania in lead roles, as four friends attending a wedding.

Veere Di Wedding released theatrically on 1 June 2018 and received mixed reviews from critics, with praise towards the chemistry and performances of the cast. Made on a budget of Rs. 42 crore (US$5.8 million), the film earned over Rs. 138 crore (US$19 million) worldwide to emerge as one of the highest-grossing Hindi films featuring a female lead. It received three Nominations at 64th Filmfare Awards including Best Supporting Actress for Talsania and Bhaskar.

Veere Di Wedding is a high spirited and upbeat coming of age story revolving around the lives of four childhood friends Kalindi (Kareena Kapoor), Avni (Sonam kapoor), Meera (ShikhaTalsania) & Sakshi (Swara Bhaskar). Ten years later when these four best friends reunite, they don't realize how much life has changed from what they expected. The film is set against the backdrop of Delhi, where the girls are born and brought up, their trials and tribulations in modern day world, regarding family acceptance, marriage & societal perceptions.

The movie narrates a story of friendship. The film revolves around a tightly knit group of four friends as they face the trials of family, modern-day romance and a big Indian wedding. Triggering that journey is Kalindi (Kapoor-Khan), one of the group’s staunchest individualists, who on a whim decides to tie the knot with her long-term boyfriend Rishab (Sumeet Vyas). Shocked at the news, the remaining girls; the hot-shot lawyer Avni (Sonam Kapoor), the perennially angsty Sakshi (Swara Bhaskar) and family woman Meera (Shikha Talsania) converge to support Kalindi as she prepares to run the gauntlet of cultural and religious customs that are all part of the wedding ceremony.

It is a topical tale. What follows next is the film juxtaposing scenes of the splendour and glamour that goes behind a high-profile ceremony with the brooding questions and doubts the girls feel when discussing notions of relationships and family.

This is where the film is most intriguing. In a refreshing break from standard Bollywood fare, where marriage is often dealt with superficially at best, Veere di Wedding makes an effort to ask the tough questions: is having a family a sacrifice? What do we gain and lose by inviting someone else into our lives? And is the traditional marriage effective for today’s well-connected generation?

Reception

Box office

Veere Di Wedding had net earnings of Rs 10.70 crore on its first day in India, setting the record for the highest opening day collection for a Hindi film with female protagonist(s).

Critical response

Several critics noted the film’s similarities to the television series Sex and the City. Comparisons were also drawn with the comedy Bridesmaids (2011), Bachelorette (2012) and the Indian television miniseries The Trip (2016). On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Veere Di Wedding has an approval score of 33% on the basis of 8 reviews with an average rating of 3.8 out of 10.

India

Rachit Gupta of The Times of India gave the film a 3.5 (out of 5) rating, calling it a “brave effort.” He praised the concept of the film, the performances and the chemistry between the leads, but criticized the pace and felt that the story lacked depth. A reviewer for Bollywood Hungama giving a similar rating and review to the film commented that “Veere Di Wedding rests on a great idea and interesting characters. But it doesn’t translate into a fully entertaining fare. It’s the direction that plays spoilsport.” Sweta Kaushal of Hindustan Times gave the film 2/5 stars and said it “tries to subvert the male dominant stereotype but these moments are so few and far between that you almost miss the point.”

Devesh Sharma of Filmfare rated it 3.5 (out of 5 stars) and opined that the film’s greatest strength was the chemistry between the leads: “that beneath all the cuss words and the sex jokes you get a whiff of genuine friendship.” Conversely, Chaya Unnakrishnan (writing for Daily News and Analysis) felt that the chemistry between the leads seemed forced at times. She rated the film 3 (out of 5) stars and insisted that it should not be watched as one that dealt with women empowerment. Raja Sen (writing for NDTV), in a 3.5/5 rating, noted that the film “lands several blows to the patriarchy while never giving up its masala entertainer roots.”

Saibal Chatterjee, also from NDTV, however, was critical of the screenplay and the predictability of the plot, and wrote that it was watchable “because of the lively performances from the four actresses.” He gave the film 2 stars (out of 5). Rajeev Masand, writing for CNN-News18, criticized the film along the same lines, and added that it was “largely contrived and forgettable." On the other hand, Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rated the film 3 (out of 5 stars) and in a positive review, remarked that it “squeezes past its creaky tropes and partial squelchiness by some smart casting choices, and perky performances.”

Rohit Bhatnagar of Deccan Chronicle rated the film 2.5 (out of 5) stars and thought that it was “an easy, breezy, one-time watch.”[40] Meanwhile, Kunal Guha of Mumbai Mirror concluded that “while this one works as a breezy film on girl bonding, it gets a bit tedious while taking a stab at patriarchy” and stated “it almost seems like old wine in a new bottle.” He gave the film 3 stars (out of 5). Writing for Firstpost, Anna M.M. Vetticad described Veere Di Wedding as “an unapologetic commentary on the lives of women”; Pradeep Menon (also of Firstpost) in a less favorable review largely credited Kapoor Khan for “effortlessly anchor[ing] this flawed but fun film.” Baradwaj Rangan, in a mixed review, called Veere Di Wedding “a plasticky but passable entertainer whose existence may not be the worst thing in the world.”

Overseas

Saeed Saeed of The National awarded the film 4 stars out of 5 and described it as “a fun, feisty and slightly ribald comedy but with a tender heart lurking not far beneath.” Manjusha Radhakrishnan of Gulf News rated the film 3 (out of 5) stars. She was appreciative of Kapoor Khan’s performance and remarked that “Veere Di Wedding will go down as an engaging film that doesn’t hurt the eye.” Shilpa Jamkhandikar of Reuters negatively stated “In terms of humor, “Veere Di Wedding” works well, but it stutters when it comes to the emotional conflicts, which feel unreal and contrived.”

A particular scene in which Bhasker's character masturbates using a sex toy received a polarized response on social media. However, it was critically praised for its realistic portrayal of female sexuality.

Awards and nominations

The film was nominated for    Mirchi Music Awards Song of The Year - "Tareefan", Upcoming Music Composer of The Year         Qaran - "Tareefan" and Listeners' Choice Song of the Year "Tareefan".

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Brahminism is superior to Christianity' that was published in Newsband

Brahminism is superior to Christianity

Brahminism has gone viral again after Dr. Subramaniam Swamy, a revered figure of the U.S. Hindutva outfits, declared himself as an outcast from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mein bhi chowkidar’ campaign. The idea of Brahminism, the notion of entitlement and superiority as a birthright, cuts across political parties. Brahminism also has gained a badge of venerability in public discourse.

In India caste reigns supreme and political class segregate and divide the masses on religious and caste lines. These leaders of all parties belong to brahmin caste across India. Anti-brahminism is the common thread of all corrupt parties since 70 years.

Brahminism is the way of life practised by the Aryans. Brahmins even today dominate. Nobody on the earth can eradicate brahminism.

In ancient India, Brahmins never asserted their superiority and all were treated equally in Hindu culture. Our Vedic texts have been manipulated by anti Hindu organizations to mislead Dalits. Also, Mughals and Britishers used this misinformation to create a divide in the Hindu community and now, fact less Bollywood movies which had portrayed this all wrong since decades now.

The Britishers used the word brahminism to be synonymous with brahmin caste as it suited them well to devide people. The Britishers felt that the non Brahmins were following the word of Brahmins and hence planned to divide Indian society. The Congress now is continuing the divide and rule policy of the British. Just to gain votes, brownie points from other communities Brahmins are being stepped down.

Brahmin hatred is a fashion to be displayed proudly. It is true that prior to 1930s, this community was economically well off and a few among them have behaved in an high-handed manner against lower strata of the society but it was borne out of intimacy and neither of the parties minded that. In fact, the Brahmins looked after their servants in exemplary manner. In fact, this type of treating the servants by masters continues even today and it is the neo-rich arrogant politically powerful communities, who do no good for the servants. For ages, the Brahmins are intelligent, kind and honest community and this limp nation (dishonest to the core) survives on them. In fact, Brahmin means a person, who has learnt "Brahma Vidya" and in today's context every true learned person is a Brahmin. Certainly a learned man doesn't like to perform menial jobs and there is no harm in saying so. It is the title of chowkidar that is being objected to and not the act of being conscience keeper and watch dog of society.

Brahminism is not a threat to world peace and brotherhood. It does not lead to massacres and genocides. Brahminism never was and never will be a threat to anyone, except in the minds of Indian secularists and communists. Anyone who strives for knowledge and alleviation of human life is Brahmin.

Brahmins are never afraid of being called out or criticized for their beliefs.  They are not afraid of or do not quash free speech. They do not have pseudo "religious sentiments", because they are Vendantis and rise above religion. Brahminism is superior even to Christianity.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Promoting young footballers is a good job by NMMC' that was published in In New Bombay'

Promoting young footballers is a good job by NMMC

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) sports department in order to promote the young and underprivileged footballers from NMMC schools has come up with the initiative where they have selected a 30 members’ team from the primary section in order to represent the Navi Mumbai football and they are also in the process to form the football association.

This is indeed a very good move by NMMC. Football is an affordable game and also it is one of the most popular sports in the world. Cricket on the other hand is an expensive game and those children who can’t afford to play cricket should be made to try football since in this sports, one can excel to any extent and that too by hardly spending any money.

Participating in football—like any sport—provides many health benefits for children. It's a physically demanding game that provides an opportunity for players to improve their speed, agility, strength, hand-eye coordination and overall cardiovascular endurance.

Not only does football provide great health benefits, both mental and physical, it also promotes camaraderie, teamwork, discipline, and work ethic that will help shape our children into well-rounded adults.

Football enhances team skills and teamwork. To play football, you need a good team around you and playing regularly will help children develop their skills and work with their team successfully. They'll learn to play together and from their experiences, work out how they can be most effective as a collective unit.

The combination of running, walking, sprinting and kicking can bring benefits including increased stamina, improved cardiovascular health, reduced body fat, improved muscle strength and tone, increased bone strength and improved coordination

The constant walking, jogging and running helps keep the players' heart rates up, providing excellent cardiovascular exercise. This game lowers body fat and improves muscle tone. Soccer is a great sport for burning fat because it works the muscles and your heart in different ways.

There are no words to commend NMMC for the steps it has taken to promote football among poor and underprivileged ones. Keep it up, NMMC!

Dinesh Kamath's Movie Column 'Best Bollywood Films of recent times – Part 2' that was published in Newsband

Movie Column

Best Bollywood Films of recent times – Part 2

By Dinesh Kamath

Padmavaat (2018) directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali was another one of the best films of recent times.

Padmaavat is a 2018 Indian epic period drama film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Loosely based on the epic poem Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi, it stars Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati, a Rajput queen known for her beauty, wife of Maharawal Ratan Singh, played by Shahid Kapoor. Sultan Alauddin Khilji, played by Ranveer Singh, hears of her beauty and attacks her kingdom to claim her. Aditi Rao Hydari, Jim Sarbh, Raza Murad, and Anupriya Goenka featured in supporting roles.

With a production budget of ₹2.15 billion (US$30 million), Padmaavat is one of the most expensive Indian films ever made.

Padmaavat received mixed reviews. Critics praised the visuals, the cinematography and Singh's portrayal of Khilji, but criticised its storyline, execution, length and adherence to regressive patriarchal mores. Critics also disliked the portrayal of Khilji as a stereotypical evil Muslim king and Ratan Singh as the righteous Hindu king. Despite not being released in some states of India, it grossed over ₹5.85 billion (US$81 million) at the box office, becoming a commercial success and one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. At 64th Filmfare Awards, Padmaavat received a leading 18 nominations, and won two awards, including Best Actor (Critics) for Singh.

Set in medieval Rajasthan, Queen Padmavati is married to a noble king and they live in a prosperous fortress with their subjects until an ambitious Sultan hears of Padmavati's beauty and forms an obsessive love for the Queen of Mewar.

"Padmaavat," a controversial adaptation of Malik Muhammad Jayasi's 16th century epic poem, is a different kind of film. "Padmaavat" is, after a certain point, propaganda for a pseudo-traditional and highly romanticized fundamentalist attitude. It is possible to enjoy most of the film without asking yourself why this 11th-century-set drama was made, particularly during scenes where the mild-mannered King Ratan Singh (Shahid Kapoor) and his head-strong queen Padmavati (Deepika Padukone), the rulers of the small kingdom Chittor, try to stop greedy Sultan Alauddin (Ranveer Singh) from abducting Padmavati. But the real trouble starts in the film's final stretch: "Padmaavat" hinges on a dramatic act of of "jauhar," the Hindu ritual where women threatened by rape and/or enslavement set themselves on fire.

The movie is a powerful explosive with a very long fuse. "Padmaavat" is, in that sense, exactly the kind of movie that writer/producer/director Sanjay Leela Bhansali ("Black," "Saawariya") set out to make.

Bhansali implicitly extols questionable concepts of femininity, loyalty, and spirituality, even if "Padmaavat" is more concerned with secular traditions than religious beliefs.

"Padmaavat" seems to exist to show the beauty of Jayasi's archetypal love story. Through several key scenes, we watch as Bhansali emphasizes Alauddin's secular greed and obsessive character. Singh's intensely committed performance makes you believe in his character's Iago-like malevolence, even when Singh himself goes so far over the proverbial top that he flies into the stratosphere. Singh's charisma makes you believe him when he snarls, grimaces, and even dances out Alauddin's character-defining aggression. Singh's dancing is especially impressive.

Bhansali also makes Padamavati and Rhatan Singh's relationship look strong enough to be attractive. She does inevitably ask him for permission to kill herself. But that choice feels like a decision that her character would make based on her previous actions. Bhansali convincingly sells Padamavati's perspective in scenes like the one where she defiantly tells Rhatan Singh's treacherous Brahmin adviser what she believes: that "happiness" in a relationship depends on mutual trust, and personal "sacrifice" is only possible when you believe that your physical body is a fleeting expression of yourself. B

The film has Deepika Padukone as Padmavati – a 13th-14th century legendary Rajput queen, who was, according to Padmavat, the wife of Rajput king Ratan Singh (also known as Ratan Sen), the ruler of Mewar. The news of Padmavati's beauty reached Sultan Alauddin Khilji, who besieged Singh's capital, Chittor, motivated by his desire to capture the queen. Shahid Kapoor as Ratan Singh – the last Rajput ruler of the Guhila dynasty that ruled the kingdom of Mewar. He was defeated by Alauddin Khilji's forces during the siege of Chittor. Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khalji – the second and most powerful ruler of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate. He ascended the throne by murdering his paternal uncle and father-in-law, Sultan Jalal-ud-din Khalji. According to Padmavat, Khilji laid siege to Chittor motivated by his desire to capture Ratan Singh's beautiful wife, Padmavati. Aditi Rao Hydari as Mehrunisa– first wife of Alauddin Khilji and Queen of the Delhi Sultanate. Jim Sarbh as Malik Kafur– a prominent eunuch slave-general of Alauddin Khilji. Raza Murad as Jalal-ud-din Khalji – the founder and first Sultan of the Khilji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate. He was deposed by his nephew and son-in-law Alauddin, who murdered his uncle to usurp the throne. Anupriya Goenka as Nagmati – first wife and chief queen of Ratan Singh according to Padmavat. Nagmati and her husband's second wife, Padmavati, performed jauhar together after Alauddin Khilji attacked Chittor. Ujjwal Chopra as Gora Singh

Reception

Padmaavat opened to mixed critical reviews upon release. Critics praised the visuals, and the performance of Singh, but criticised its storyline, execution, running time and the "unwanted" 3D conversion.

Following its controversies, the makers held a pre-screening of Padmaavat in November 2017 for some journalists, including Arnab Goswami and Rajat Sharma, who praised the film and described it as "the greatest tribute to Rajput pride." Rajat Sharma particularly praised Singh's performance as Khilji.

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave 4.5 stars and said, "On the whole, Padmaavat is a remarkable motion picture experience that's backed by proficient direction, spellbinding screenwriting and superlative acting. For Bhansali, it's the best title on an impressive filmography." Neil Soans of The Times of India gave 4 stars and said, "The director's expertise in heightening opulence and grandeur is well-known, further distinguishable in 3D. Cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee compliments him by beautifully capturing some jaw-dropping scenery." Rachit Gupta of Filmfare gave 3.5 stars and said, "the real wonder of Padmaavat comes from its production and presentation. This film has phenomenal production design, costumes and camera work. The technical finesse on display is just mind boggling." Rajeev Masand of CNN-News18 gave 3.5 stars, praising Singh's performance.

Kunal Guha of Mumbai Mirror gave 3.5 stars but criticised Padukone's and Kapoor's performances. Giving 3.5 stars, Sushant Mehta of India Today panned Padukone's and Kapoor's performances calling them "mediocre" while terming Singh's "unconvincing".

Overseas

Mike McCahill of The Guardian gave 4 stars and said, "It's not just the extravagance that catches the eye, but the precision with which it's applied. Every twirl of every sari and every arrow in every battle appears to have been guided by the hands of angels. Such excess could have proved deadening, but dynamic deployment of old-school star power keeps almost all its scenes alive with internal tensions." Shilpa Jamkhandikar published a mixed review in Reuters, who noted, "But unlike Bhansali's earlier films, where he was able to find emotional depth even in opulent historical romances, this one falls short". But she praised Ranveer Singh's performance as Khilji. Manjusha Radhakrishnan of Gulf News opined that the quality of the work was lower than that in other Bhansali films. Sadaf Haider of DAWN Images said that the film is "a flawed history lesson", however, she praised the film visual, music and most of the act. Rahul Aijaz of The Express Tribune rated 4.5 out of 5 stars; he too praised the film and said that it "doesn't set up false expectations and then disappoint" due to "perfect storytelling", and "memorable performances". A Pakistani critic, Haroon Khalid, had disliked the portrayal of Khilji as a stereotypical evil Muslim king and Ratan Singh as the righteous Hindu king.

Dinesh Kamath's Score in Blog crosses 5.80 Lakhs Views on 29 March 2019

Dinesh Kamath's Score in Blog crosses 5.80 Lakhs Views on 29 March 2019

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'India still has a long way to go in matter of space technology' that was published in Newsband

India still has a long way to go in matter of space technology

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India had demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite. That puts the country in an exclusive club of space super powers. This operation which was called Mission Shakti was lauded by the opposition too. The opposition praised DRDO and ISRO but hit out at PM Modi.

India has successfully tested the Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) Missile. The satellite was a pre-determined target orbiting at an altitude of 300 km. The Prime Minister did not say who owned the satellite. Mission Shakti, which was led by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, was aimed at strengthening India’s overall security. MissionShakti was a highly complex one, conducted at extremely high speed with remarkable precision.

India is only the fourth country to acquire such a specialised and modern capability after the US, Russia and China. The entire effort is indigenous.

We need to bear in mind that we started from scratch and then came up to mangalyaan and today to ASAT. We shouldn’t forget that we still have a long way to go in matter of space technology.

We are supposed to have joined elite list of countries with this capability. Where do we stand amongst countries in matter of other developmental goals? Our smart cities have sewers overflowing, draining into lakes. Swatch Bharat is going nowhere, neither is Ganga cleanup plan. How about showing that we can join elite list of countries who provide high quality education for everyone, provide clean water and air to enable human development? Our neighboring countries seem to be doing better. In terms of S&T what achievements, breakthroughs, innovations do we have compared to so-called elite countries?        

Congrats to DRDO and ISRO scientists and team on their well-deserved success. But former DRDO chief Dr VK Saraswat, earlier in the day, told that the UPA government didn't give a positive response on anti-satellite testing. This just shows that the UPA government is ready to sacrifice national security for its personal interest. All those people who said PM Modi didn't do anything, to them – at least he is smart enough to make bold decisions with regard to national security.

It is a proud moment to stand with U.S.A., Russia, and China on Technology front, but now the issue is of setting top priority in using country's limited resources for development of the standard of living of Indian Public.

This nation, very unfortunately, has more than its fair share of sycophants who would willingly put up with nepotism and dynasty politics. Despite the facts and figures available in the public domain which clearly point to the utter incompetence and widespread corruption prevalent in such dynastic set-ups some people would still defend these dynasts and champion their claim to the "throne" as their birthright. The sense of entitlement simply refuses to accept the changed realities of modern India.

Dinesh Kamath’s column ‘New movies released in Navi Mumbai’ (Ram Janmbhoomi, Notebook, Junglee and Gone Kesh) that was published in Newsband

New movies released in Navi Mumbai

Ram Janmbhoomi

    

Ram Ki Janmabhoomi (transl. Rama's birthplace) is an Indian film directed by Sanoj Mishra. The film is produced and written by Waseem Rizvi Associate Director - Vikas Kumar Singh, and stars Manoj Joshi and Govind Namdev. The movie deals with the controversial issue of Ram Mandir (see Ayodhya dispute) and Halala.

The movie supports construction of Ram temple at the site in Ayodhya and has also tried to broker an out-of-court settlement between two parties. In lieu, a mosque ‘Masjid-e-Aman’ should be constructed in Lucknow, says Rizvi, the maker of the film. The poster of the movie depicts the picture of the fifteenth century ‘Babri-Mosque’ in Ayodhya that was razed on December 6, 1992. A saffron flag is depicted as flying atop the structure with the words ‘Jai Shri Ram’ written in Hindi. The movie not only chronicles the history of the disputed site, but also highlights the role of politicians and radical clerics fanning the religious hatred between Hindu and Muslim communities. The movie also highlights social evils prevalent in Muslim community like Halala. The practice mandates a woman to be married and the marriage be consummated with another man before her ex-husband, who gave her talaq, can remarry her. The film says that there was never a mosque at the temple site as a masjid cannot come upon a disputed site. Some ‘misguided supporters of Babar’, however, were out to spoil the atmosphere in the country over the disputed structure built by Babar’s commander Mir Baqi. The movie starts with the significant day when then CM of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav ordered police open fire at kar-sevaks. The incident changed the communal atmosphere of the country.

The film has Manoj Joshi as Sadanand Shashtri, Govind Namdeo as Zafar Khan, Najneen Patni as Rehana, Rajveer Singh as Arif Khan, Trisha Sachdeva as Bharti, Aditya as Nazin, Vikas Kumar as Muslim character and Raj Soni as Hindu Character.

Notebook

Notebook is a Bollywood romantic drama film produced by Salman Khan under Salman Khan Films and directed by Nitin Kakkar. It stars Zaheer Iqbal and Pranutan Bahl in its lead roles. It is a remake of the 2014 film Teacher's Diary.

Hoping for a change, a former army officer takes a job as a teacher at a remote school in Kashmir. When he discovers a notebook from the previous instructor, he soon finds himself falling in love with a woman he has never met.

The film has Zaheer Iqbal as Kabir and Pranutan Bahl as Firdous

The music of the film is composed by Vishal Mishra while the lyrics are penned by Manoj Muntashir, Kaushal Kishore, Akshay Tripathi, Abhendra Upadhyay and Vishal Mishra. The film has songs like "Nai Lagda", "Laila", "Bhumro", "Safar", "Notebook Epilogue" and "Main Taare".          

Junglee

Junglee (transl. Wild) is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by American filmmaker Chuck Russell and produced by Junglee Pictures. Starring Vidyut Jammwal, Pooja Sawant, and Asha Bhat in the lead roles, the film revolves around a veterinary doctor, who upon returning to his father’s elephant reserve, encounters and fights against an international poacher's racket.

The story revolves around a vet, who on his homecoming to his father's elephant reserve, encounters and fights an international poachers racket. In other words, on returning to the beloved elephant reserve once managed by his father, a young man encounters and takes on an international racket of poachers. Thus Junglee is a Bollywood action-adventure movie, directed by Chuck Russell. The film revolves around a vet named Raj (Vidyut Jammwal) who on his homecoming to his father's elephant reserve, re-unites with his childhood friend- Bhola, the elephant, and fights an international poachers racket.

The film has Vidyut Jammwal as Raj, Pooja Sawant as Shankara, Asha Bhat as Meera, Makarand Deshpande, Atul Kulkarni, Akshay Oberoi as Dev and Thalaivasal Vijay.

The music of the film is composed by Sameer Uddin while the lyrics are penned by Anvita Dutt, Kumar Suryavanshi. The film has songs like "Fakeera Ghar Aaja", "Garje Gajraj Hamara" and "Dosti".

Gone Kesh

Gone Kesh (transl. Gone hair) is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language comedy drama film written and directed by debutant Qasim Khallow and produced by Dhiraj Ghosh. The film follows the story of a teenage girl who is an aspiring dancer but is diagnosed with alopecia, a condition where she starts losing hair rapidly. It stars Shweta Tripathi and Jitendra Kumar in the lead roles, while Vipin SharmaDeepika Amin and Brijendra Kala appear in supporting roles.

A middle-class girl hailing from a small town in West Bengal finds her life taking a tumble after being diagnosed with alopecia. Will the condition wreak havoc on her life or will she find the strength to accept herself for who she is? Actress Shweta Tripathi, known for her roles in Masaan and Haramkhor,will be playing a 15-year-old aspiring dancer in Gone Kesh, touted to be India's first ever film based on alopecia, a disorder where the immune system attacks the hair follicles resulting in hair loss from the scalp.

Masaan actor Shweta Tripathi will play teenager dancer in Gone Kesh, the film based on alopecia. Shweta will be playing a middle-class girl who wants to fulfil her dreams to become a dancer but is diagnosed with alopecia. The film is set in the backdrop of a small town Siliguri, in West Bengal and will explore the different human emotions, pain, loneliness, fear, humour, courage and ignorance in a lighthearted manner.

The film has Shweta Tripathi as Enakshi, Jitendra Kumar, Vipin Sharma, Deepika Amin and Brijendra Kala.

The music of the film is composed by Kanish Sharma, Bharath-Hitarth and Bishakh Jyori while the lyrics are penned by Devendra Kafir, Majaal and Bharath Menaria. The Background Score is composed by Sanchit Choudhary and Bishakh Jyoti. The film has songs like "Bibi", "Dil Dhoondhata He", "Me Udi", "Beimani Se" and "Nuskha Tarana".

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'NYAY – a substitute for reservation policy' that was published in Newsband

NYAY – a substitute for reservation policy

Congress party is promising to transfer 1 6,000 a month to poor households if elected to power. It is seeking to be one up on the ruling regime’s minimal cash transfer scheme in the form of PM-KISAN. This policy is called Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY), in which 1 72,000 will be transferred every year to the poorest 20% of the approximately 25 crore Indian households - that would be 1 3.6 lakh crore.

Congress, should it come to power, will cut back on other subsidies and programmes in order to finance NYAY. There is also the additional problem of the identification of the poor. The idea behind NYAY is not entirely unsound. An unconditional transfer of a specified minimum income support to the poor will go a long way in helping address immediate needs related to health, education and indebtedness. A large section of the targeted poor would include landless workers and marginal farmers in rural areas, and unemployed youth in families engaged in menial labour in urban areas.

A massive programme such as NYAY, however, has no precedent. It might give a fillip to the Congress election campaign, but much more homework is required for its implementation.

The dynastic Congress seems to be desperate to get back in power by hook or crook. When a sense of restoring financial prudence in last five years was being seen as a growth impetus, Congress looks to derail the entire Indian economy as it did in its 60+ years of governance. With digitization of subsidy transfers and plugging of leakages in MNREGA implementation, cronies of Congress are now finding it difficult to milch the exchequer thru dubious means, hence are devising a new scheme. Has poverty been reduced since Indira Gandhi coined ‘GARIBI HATAO’? One needs to seriously think before falling into the trap. Hope the shrewd Indian voter understands the pitfall.

There is need to call the bluff of the income transfer scheme announced by Congress. Interestingly Congress said that they had consulted Raghuram Rajan, in framing this scheme. Now from where the famous Economist, who claims to be having solutions to all third world problems, will bring money for this dole? Even if all the existing doles are abolished, it will still outweigh the amount required for this scheme. Rs 6000 per month cash dole to BPL families is good. The main point is how long BPL families require this? Will it be demanded by their heirs too? This is because since it appears classification of BC, SC, ST, OBC etc which shows signs of never ending, This one may also add up to that list giving loopholes for others too to claim for it.

Making such promises is a luxury enjoyed by those sure of not coming to power.

The dole has become a problem in the UK due to large sections of families working illegally and claiming dole. None of the political parties would do anything to regulate this for fear of losing their vote-bank. In a country like India where bureaucrats rule the roost and low level corruption is rampant, the dole is a bad idea from a practical angle.

A better way would be to encourage small business and deter mega business groups from wiping them out by price fixing. Small businesses provide more employment for a given amount of capital required. The government can also subsidise the wages for employees in small businesses. This would make it more lucrative for individuals in lower middle class to start their own business instead of seeking employment in mega corporations. Pakora can be good business, if encouraged properly to prosper by quality of service rather than money power. Getting free money can demean a human being.

Dinesh Kamath's 'Movie Column: Best Bollywood Films of recent times – Part 1' that was published in Newsband

Movie Column

Best Bollywood Films of recent times – Part 1

By Dinesh Kamath  

Raazi (2018) directed by Meghna Gulzar proved to be one of the best films of recent times.

Raazi (transl. Inclined) is a 2018 Indian spy thriller film directed by Meghna Gulzar and produced by Vineet Jain, Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta under the banners of Junglee Pictures and Dharma Productions. It stars Alia Bhatt and features Vicky Kaushal, Rajit Kapur, Shishir Sharma, and Jaideep Ahlawat in supporting roles. The film is an adaptation of Harinder Sikka's 2008 novel Calling Sehmat, a true account of an Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent who, upon her father's request, is married into a Pakistani family of military officials to relay information to India, prior to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

Principal photography of Raazi began in July 2017 in Mumbai and was completed on 27 October 2017. It was shot across several locations including Patiala, Nabha, Malerkotla and Doodhpathri. The film was released on 11 May 2018. Made on a budget of Rs 35 crore (US$4.9 million)–Rs. 40 crore (US$5.6 million), Raazi earned over Rs. 194 crore (US$27 million) worldwide to emerge as one of the highest-grossing Indian films featuring a female protagonist.

Raazi received 15 nominations at the 64th Filmfare Awards and won five, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress for Bhatt.

The year is 1971. An Indian intelligence official lays out a scheme to send his daughter - an untrained college-girl - behind enemy lines to Pakistan, smuggling her in to sneak out wartime secrets. His colleague naturally finds the idea rummy, and is expressing objections when the officer's wife insists they have dinner.

Coming from Meghna Gulzar - the director of Talvar, a fantastic film about a true-life murder case that was brave enough to take a stand - this delicacy isn't surprising. Raazi, based on Harinder Sikka's novel Calling Sehmat, is about the daughter of a spy strategically turned into the daughter-in-law of an opposing spy.

The problem lies with the young girl herself. The first time we meet this character, Sehmat, she runs onto the middle of the road to rescue an imperilled squirrel and the film's pitch changes immediately. Her father, normally restrained, starts speaking to her with overt exposition, suddenly parroting manipulative lines like a male Farida Jalal. "You know I work for the intelligence bureau," he tells his daughter, for some reason. The film switches track every time Alia Bhatt, who plays Sehmat, appears on screen. So we have a few solid beats, with officious gents opening files and discussing submarines, and then we have Sehmat, who suffixes every narrow escape with a hyperventilating shudder and moist-eyed shock - an indiscreet reaction that would be sure to raise an eyebrow. Bhatt has cornered the market on histrionics (and, indeed, hysterics) in this film.

The plot in itself is quite compelling, with fine parallels between a daughter-in-law winning over and fitting into her household contrasted with the reasons a spy would have for the same, but Raazi frequently makes itself hard to take seriously. For instance, despite her combat training, Sehmat can't seem to negotiate the climbing of a high stool, and there is also the niggling detail that nobody in this Pakistani family, a family of army-men and decoders of intelligence, ever thinks to suspect the Indian girl in their midst. As a result, the film is competently crafted.

The film informs: spies have feelings, spies get sappy, spies cry. Even Bond films show us that these days. Gulzar does commendably depict how the other side is just like us - there is a rather clever use of the song Ae Watan, a patriotic track sung with equal fervour from both sides.

Raazi does impress, though. The film has some finely phrased Urdu lines, and there is poetry. Rajit Kapur, Shishir Sharma, Asif Zakaria and Ashwath Bhatt are consistently solid with their matter-of-fact portrayals of country-loving men, Vicky Kaushal is believably vulnerable as Sehmat's groom, and it is a treat to see Soni Razdan back on screen, albeit in a tiny role.

The film is centred, however, by the spymaster. As the operative who trains Sehmat, Jaideep Ahlawat is exceptional, creating a character who is steely and unflinching while also one whose heart is never in doubt. A superb, delicately poised performance.

With her innocent face and her round cheeks - that bounce with the recoil of the gun she fires - Bhatt really looks the part of the naive little operative,

The film has Alia Bhatt as Sehmat Khan, Vicky Kaushal as Iqbal Syed, Jaideep Ahlawat as Khalid Mir, Rajit Kapur as Hidayat Khan, Sehmat's father, Shishir Sharma as Brigadier Syed, Soni Razdan as Teji Khan, Amruta Khanvilkar as Munira, Arif Zakaria as Abdul, Ashwath Bhatt as Mehboob Syed, Aman Vasishth as Nikhil Bakshi, Rajesh Jais as Sarwar, Kanwaljit Singh as older Nikhil Bakshi, Sanjay Suri as Samar Syed and Pallavi Batra as Mitali.

Release and reception:

The first poster of Raazi was released on 9 April 2018 through the official Twitter handle of the film while the trailer of the film was launched on 10 April 2018.

Raazi received mostly positive reviews from critics. The film currently holds a 100% rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on 6 reviews with an average rating of 8/10.

Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost termed the film as a heart-stopping, heartbreaking espionage drama and gave it 4.5 stars out of 5. The Times of India rated the film 4/5 stars stating that "Raazi rewrites the spy-thriller genre with emotions, instead of explosions." Rohit Vats of Hindustan Times praised Alia Bhatt's performance and gave the film a rating of 4 out of 5 saying that, "Raazi is a sensibly written and finely performed film that takes a close look at the ordinary lives of extraordinary people. Not to miss." Shalini Langer of The Indian Express praised director Meghna Gulzar for not allowing Raazi to become a "chest-thumping spectacle of jingoism" and gave the film a rating of 3.5 out of 5 saying that, "at a time when hate and anger are the currency of the subcontinent, a film like Raazi needs to be made." Meena Iyer of Daily News and Analysis gave the film a rating of 4 out of 5 saying that, "Alia Bhatt-Vicky Kaushal starrer will blow your mind!" Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com appreciated the acting performances of the film, it's music composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, cinematography as well as editing and gave the film a rating of 4 out of 5 saying that, "Raazi is a rarity. It is intense, riveting, clever, dark, sad, lyrical, heartfelt, relevant and understated."

Rajeev Masand of News18 praised the performance of Bhatt, calling her the "beating heart of Raazi" and gave the film a rating of 3.5 saying that, "The film is admirable also because it’s a measured, mostly intelligent thriller that asks us to consider concepts of patriotism and honor without spoon-feeding us with manipulative background music or provocative dialogue." Raja Sen of NDTV gave the film a rating of 3 out of 5 saying that, "There is a lot to like in Meghna Gulzar's spy movie, but Alia Bhatt makes it hard to take Raazi seriously." Kennith Rosario of The Hindu reviewed the film saying that, "There’s a lot going for Raazi yet there’s a nagging lack of novelty — whether it is the film’s plot, message or Bhatt’s ability to cry." Nandini Ramnath of Scroll said that, "Alia Bhatt shines in a muddled and improbable spy thriller." Bollywood Hungama gave the film a rating of 3.5 out of 5 saying that, "Raazi is an interesting thriller brilliantly narrated by Meghna Gulzar that makes for mature viewing. It is a film that celebrates nationalism that is devoid of the colors of religion."

Suhani Singh from India Today gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars stating "Alia Bhatt steals the show in Meghna Gulzar's spy thriller".

Box office:

Raazi emerged as the tenth highest-grossing Hindi film of 2018. It became second film, driven by female lead, to gross more than Rs. 100 crore nett in India, after Tanu Weds Manu Returns. The film grossed more than Rs.158 crore in India, emerging as highest-grossing film of Alia Bhatt, surpassing Badrinath Ki Dulhania.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'For anyone to become a dictator in India is impossible' that was published in Newsband

For anyone to become a dictator in India is impossible

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal says that if the BJP formed the next government at the Centre, Narendra Modi would remain Prime Minister forever as there would not be any election after the 2019 poll. He alleged that the Modi government was following “Hitler’s tactics”. The Chief Minister made the claim referring to the recent incident involving a “brutal” attack on the members of Muslim family in Gurgaon.  

Is it Kejriwal’s prejudices and hatred for the BJP ruled NDA government that is speaking? India is delivered the best governance by the BJP ruled NDA governance in the last five years and is expected to achieve many more reforms resulting in improvements in all the sectors in the near future. Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party at the end fell into the feet of Congress. How to believe his party AAP in such scenario?

There are many gaps in current NDA governance but not as much there were with Congress. What about those who think that being Prime Minister is their birth right and central government is their family matter? Is that not dictatorial way of thinking?

Personal political ambitions, to get into the highest positions of power and creating, ensuring fiefdoms of electoral following are becoming most important. There is need to ensure Democracy, Rule Of Law and Secularism and putting an end to a single family’s hegemony. Public as well as contending politicians have to recognise this urgent task as well as growing lapse; default situation should not arise; fears about impending dictatorship and annulling the values and basic features of the Constitution have been noticed but not being really acted upon. Middle classes are carried away by rhetoric anti-Corruption slogans. They are short sighted and want corruption free society to augment their incomes and rent yielding property and interest incomes; and never understand or bother about growing hatred vengeance and violence.

Kejriwal should know that the family in question was holding the nation as hostage. During the last 4-5 years, large number of  high profile  leaders of AAP went away from Kejriwal, and almost everybody claimed that the prime reason for their resignation was the  Autocracy exhibited by AAP leader Kejriwal. Today AAP do not have any support and even existence of such a party has been forgotten in other states. From tall 400 claims in 2014 to just 4 in 2019 and he claims that Modi is Autocratic and Dictator.

lndira Gandhi desperately tried to be a dictator during the 1970s. Attempts were made in the past to rule India in dictatorial fashion like Chinese leadership who crush freedom of speech & action. But India is not China and does not provide scope to anyone who has dictatorial ambitions.

Dinesh Kamath's column 'Movie World: Kangana Ranaut to play Jayalalithaa – Part 2' that was published in Newsband

Movie World

Kangana Ranaut to play Jayalalithaa – Part 2

By Dinesh Kamath

Actress Kangana Ranaut is set to play the role of legendary Tamil actor and politician Jayalalithaa in the upcoming multilingual biopic.

Kangana Ranaut born on 23 March 1987 is an Indian actress and director who works in Hindi films. One of the highest-paid actresses in the country, she is the recipient of several awards, including three National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards. Ranaut has featured five times in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list.

Jayaram Jayalalithaa (24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016) was an Indian politician and film actor who served five terms as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for over fourteen years between 1991 and 2016.

Born in Bhambla, a small town in Himachal Pradesh, Ranaut initially aspired to become a doctor at the insistence of her parents. Determined to build her own career path, she relocated to Delhi at age sixteen, where she briefly became a model. After training under the theatre director Arvind Gaur, Ranaut made her feature film debut in the 2006 thriller Gangster, for which she was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She received praise for portraying emotionally intense characters in the dramas Woh Lamhe (2006), Life in a... Metro (2007) and Fashion (2008). For the last of these, she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Jayalalithaa was born on 24 February 1948 at Melukote, Pandavapura taluka, Mandya district, then in Mysore State (now Karnataka) to Jayaram and Vedavalli in Tamil Brahmin Iyengar family.Jayalalithaa first came into prominence as a leading film actress in the mid-1960s. Though she had entered the profession reluctantly, upon the urging of her mother to support the family, Jayalalithaa worked prolifically. She appeared in 140 films between 1961 and 1980, primarily in the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada languages. Jayalalithaa received praise for her versatility as an actor and for her dancing skills, earning the sobriquet "queen of Tamil cinema". Among her frequent co-stars was M. G. Ramachandran, or MGR, a Tamil cultural icon who leveraged his immense popularity with the masses into a successful political career. In 1982, when MGR was chief minister, Jayalalithaa joined the AIADMK, the party he founded. Her political rise was rapid; within a few years she became AIADMK propaganda secretary and was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's Parliament. After MGR's death in 1987, Jayalalithaa proclaimed herself his political heir and, having fought off the faction headed by Janaki Ramachandran, MGR's widow, emerged as the sole leader of the AIADMK. Following the 1989 election, she became Leader of the Opposition to the DMK-led government headed by Karunanidhi, her bête noire. In 1991 Jayalalithaa became chief minister, Tamil Nadu's youngest.

There were attempts to make many films based on the life of Jayalalithaa. In Mani Ratnam's political drama Iruvar (1997), the character of Kalpana portrayed by Aishwarya Rai, was inspired by Jayalalithaa and her professional and personal relationship with M. G. Ramachandran. Faisal Saif completed work on major portions of a film titled Amma between 2014 and 2016, but was forced to shelve it following threats from members of Jayalalithaa's political party. The makers denied that the film was a biopic, but stated that actress Ragini Dwivedi portrayed a role resembling the politician.

Since Jayalalithaa's death, several filmmakers have announced biopics on the politician, with five currently in production. In January 2017, Telugu filmmaker Dasari Narayana Rao registered the title Amma and began preparing for a biopic on the politician. The film was being planned with Anushka Shetty in the lead role, but Rao's death in May 2017 effectively ended the project, despite indications that Mohan Babu may revive it. Producer Adithya Bharadwaj announced that his team were over a year into pre-production work for a proposed biopic of Jayalalithaa, during December 2017. Titled Thaai: Puratchi Thalaivi, he revealed that it would predominantly be a fictionalised retelling of her story with some real life footage also included. Bharadwaj suggested that he had briefly touched upon the possibility of a biopic with Jayalalithaa when she was alive, but the script had to be reworked following her death. Despite his suggestions that the film would begin production in January 2018, the project did not take off. Soon after news emerged about Vijay's and Priyadarshini's biopics in August 2018, Adithya reconfirmed that Bharathiraja had been signed to be the director of the film. He added that the team were considering either Aishwarya Rai or Anushka Shetty for the role of Jayalalithaa, and either Kamal Haasan or Mohanlal for the role of M. G. Ramachandran.

In August 2018, producer Vishnu Vardhan Induri of Vibri Media announced that he was working on a biopic of Jayalalithaa, and that A. L. Vijay would direct the project. The team announced that pre-production work and research was ongoing and that the film would focus on the personal life of the politician, showing her vulnerable side. Actresses including Nayanthara and Vidya Balan were approached by Vijay to star in the lead role, while Sai Pallavi was considered for the supporting role of V. K. Sasikala. Within a day of Induri's announcement, director Priyadarshini announced that she had also been working for four months on the pre-production of a biopic, which would be launched in September 2018. Priyadarshini suggested that she had four scripts ready, with each focusing on different aspects of Jayalalithaa’s life, and that the narration would be balanced by showing both her positive and negative sides. Titled The Iron Lady, Nithya Menen was signed on to play the lead role, while Aishwarya Rajesh and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar were in talks for a supporting role for the character of Sasikala.

Another biopic to be shot as a web-series by Gautham Menon became the fourth such announcement of a related project in August 2018. Production on the series progressed quietly throughout late 2018, with Ramya Krishnan selected to play Jayalalithaa, and Indrajith and Vamsi Krishna portraying M. G. Ramchandran and Sobhan Babu respectively. In October 2018, Sasikala's nephew Jeyanandh Dhivakaran announced a further biopic on Jayalalithaa, which would focus more on her relationship with Sasikala and M. Natarajan. Director Linguswamy was signed on to the project, and began pre-production work by meeting close aides and politicians of Jayalalithaa.

Now there is an attempt being made to make a film titled Thalaivi in Tamil and Jaya in Hindi, the film will be directed by AL Vijay, one of the leading filmmakers down South who has earlier directed landmark films such as Madrasapattinam and Deiva Thirumagal. The film is written by K.V. Vijayendra Prasad of Baahubali and Manikarnika fame, the film will be produced by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Shaailesh R Singh under the banner of Vibri and Karma Media and Entertainment. Now in this film,iIt will be great to witness Kangana Ranaut portraying the actress-turned-politician, Jayalalitha who was a superstar and went on to become an iconic politician. It’s a great concept for a mainstream film.