Excelsior... Nation

Saif Ali Khan prefers to play it safe in Bollywood

CHANDIGARH, Nov 26: Some people in tinsel town prefer to play it safe like Saif Ali Khan. After having played a long hide-and-seek innings with success, he is now watching his every step in filmdom carefully.

The "Chhote Nawab", according to industry circles, is already riding high on a crest of success after his ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ (DCH) hit the bull’s eye at the turnstiles.

"Yeah, I do admit that my position in the film industry got consolidated after the success of ‘DCH’ and now I am being choosy about the new projects I take up. I think a lot of maturity now shows in my performances. I want to do some off-beat roles now and it is a conscious attempt on my part," said Saif, who these days is shooting with Kareena Kapoor for the "LoC" at Chhath farms in Zirakpur, near here,

Talking to mediapersons yesterday, he said 50-days of shooting of the film had already been completed in Leh and Ladakh. Some more footage remained to be shot in Palampur and Bilaspur in Himachal.

In a true-life story, Saif plays the role of Capt Anuj Nayyar who laid down his life while fighting intruders during the Kargil conflict in 1999. Though Saif has not interacted with the family members of the martyr, he said he would do his best to do justice to the role.

"I am playing his role and would try my best to do full justice to it," he said.

Kareena Kapoor plays the role of the love interest of the Captain.

Asked how it was working with the ‘Asoka’ actress with whom he has been paired for the first time, Saif replied," oh, it is great working with Bebo (Kareena’s nickname) who is not only popular but happening too." Though the Chhote Nawab suffered some setback on the film career front some time back when Ramgopal Verma’s ‘Aankh Michouli’ was shelved and his another movie with Sanjay Dutt ‘Nehlle Pe Dehlla’ stalled for some reason, he is upbeat about some of his coming projects.

These include Ramgopal Verma’s ‘Ek Haseena Thi’ with Urmila Matondkar and Karan Johar’s ‘Kal Ho No Ho’. Saif’s ‘Rehnaa Hai Tere Dil Mein’ and ‘Na Tum Jano Na Hum’ had flopped at the box office earlier this year.

Though recognition for this samir of ‘DCH’ came a bit too late, he has no complaints. But how does he feel about playing two totally different roles—a light-hearted cameo role in DCH and then something as serious as Capt Nayyar’s role in "LoC".

Saif, looking dapper in the army fatigues, said," it is always nice to be part of actions films and ‘LoC’ is completely dedicated to the Kargil heroes."

He had turned down the role of ‘Chunnilal’ in ‘Devdas’ which went on to become the biggest hit of this year and he also does not find himself in the credits of Farhan Akhatar’s next project ‘Lakshaya’ though ‘DCH’ was one of the big hits last year. Only Preity Zinta from the star cast of ‘DCH’ finds a place in his upcoming film ‘Lakshaya’.

"I cannot be part of Farhaan Akhtar’s every movie but I will certainly like to be part of his future projects," Saif says.

"Though LoC has the sea of stars, I think everybody’s role is great and I am sure the movie will be appreciated by one and all," he added.

LoC is almost 80 per cent complete and is expected to be released on June 13 next year, the same date on which Dutta’s earlier war epic ‘Border’ was released in 1997 during the screening of which more than 50 people had died in the Uphaar tragedy.

Coincidentally, June 13 next year falls on a Friday, but the ‘Friday, the 13th’ bug does not seem to deter the entire crew of the ‘LoC’ and they all are geared up to cross that line of control (LoC). (UNI)

Indian painters get global platform as auction goes online

NEW DELHI, Nov 26: With Indian paintings fetching record prices in the international market, buying them as decorative pieces or to sell further remain good investment options and online auctions now provide the widest platform to the budding as well as veteran artists for putting up their works.

Saffronart.com, a company that claims to be one of the most comprehensive sources for Indian modern and contemporary art, is already a part of the online auction bandwagon.

Its fourth online winter auction from December one to four will allow art connoisseurs the world over to choose from the compositions of leading modernists like M F Hussain, Tyeb Mehta, Ram Kumar, F N Souza, S H Raza to contemporary artists like Atul Dodiya, Jitish Kallat, Baiju Parthan and a host of others.

A click of mouse will decide the fate of hundreds of works of art that were previewed here recently.

Just a few days back, artist Raja Ravi Varma’s "Yashoda and Krishna" was auctioned by bowrings for Rs 56 lakh, a world record for the artist and an Indian record for any painting. Its estimated price was Rs 30-40 lakh.

Many cases of Indian paintings being purchased at nominal prices and then resold abroad years later at astronomical sums have been reported in the recent past. This makes art a good investment

Not surprisingly, at the saffronart auction, the highest price tag has been attached to a Tyeb Mehta untitled oil on canvas — Rs 47.5 lakh to 62.5 lakh. The 150 x 175 cm piece depicts incomplete figures on a saffron background, merging into each other, may be in search of completeness. The bright colours, in extraordinary juxtaposition, serve to divide the canvas into different areas yet, remaining a comprehensive whole. The lowest priced paintings also come with a tag of Rs 20,000 to 30,000 and are the creations of younger artists, some of them fresh from the art schools.

This auction features a collection of 187 lots, spanning a period of almost 80 years, by a select group of established as well as emerging artists. As opposed to a period of few hours in a live auction, this one allows collectors and buyers to place their bids over a period of four days.

"The auction aims at generating a greater global awareness of and appreciation for India’s heritage and artistic traditions," Saffronart.com manager Yamini Telkar told UNI.

The artists whose works have been put up at the auction echoed her views. "They are presenting our paintings in a dignified way and the estimated prices are also just. The world can see Indian art and the hitherto unknown painters can look forward to global reach," said Jayasri Burman, an up and coming artist.

Ms Telkar said, "Saffronart has tied up with art galleries across the country, collectors and artistes themselves to collect the paintings for sale.

"We also give a platform to the new and contemporary artistes as the company does not charge any fee for putting up their pieces on the website. Already, the works of many young painters from the J J School of Arts in Mumbai are being promoted by Saffronart," she added.

The paintings include watercolours on paper, oils on canvas, mixed media on paper, acrylic on canvas, tempera on board, gouache on paper, charcoal on paper and etching on paper besides others.

To bid in the auction, you have to be registered with the company and the details can be accessed at www.saffronart.com. (UNI)

Kalam inaugurates country’s first cath-lab

HYDERABAD, Nov 26: It was a virtual home-coming for President A P J Abdul Kalam, who won hearts of cardiologists and medical researchers, during his visit to care hospital here today to inaugurate the country’s first indigenous digital cardiac catheterisation laboratory.

As scientific advisor to the Defence Minister in 1993, Kalam had pioneered a project to develop affordable medical products using defence technology spin-offs.

Teaming up with noted cardiologist B Somaraju, now the chairman of Care Hospitals, had developed a low-cost stent that has come to be known as "Kalam-Raju stent".

On his maiden visit to Andhra Pradesh capital, after assuming the highest office, Kalam inaugurated the indigenous cath lab, developed by Care Foundation, which he personally monitored as it was among his pet projects.

Kalam interacted with a team of doctors and engineers who developed the lab with assistance from Defence Research and Development Laboratories.

Later, addressing a gathering of medical professionals, industrialists and judges, the President called for replication of similar models across the country and advised medical researchers to develop a mobile cath lab so that its benefits could be taken to rural areas.

Kalam, who is on a day’s visit to the city, earlier interacted with a group of school children at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan school at Jubilee hills.

The President is scheduled to participate in the third convocation of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) and the foundation day celebrations of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) before returning to Delhi.

Brushing aside security restrictions, Kalam mingled freely with the hospital staff and interacted with doctors and patients at nephrology unit after formally inaugurating the cath lab.

"I am very much impressed with the work. You have done a fantastic job. I would like to see it (cath lab) become mobile so that it can reach rural areas," the President said.

The cath lab, costing less than Rs one crore as against imported ones costing Rs three crore, has an improvised imaging equipment that can snap and store upto one lakh pictures compared to 75,000 in the imported versions.

Complimenting the team of doctors and engineers who have developed the cath lab, Kalam said mobile clinics, telemedicine technology and mobile cath labs could be the three major tools to provide benefits of medical care to the poor and needy in rural areas.

"Over 70 per cent of the country’s population lives in villages. Fortunately, we have very big hospitals in urban areas and challenge lies in using them to take the benefits to rural areas," he said.

Referring to a successful mobile clinic project in Uttaranchal, which he had visited recently, Kalam said thousand of people spread over 50 villages were getting benefitted by the project.

"This is one way of taking medical technology to rural areas," he said and made a particular mention of the telemedicine project launched by care hospitals, linking a Government hospital at the backward mahaboobnagar town in the State. (PTI)

Kelkar report to be submitted to Union Finance Ministry soon

MUMBAI, Nov 26: Dr Vijay Kelkar, head of task force of the direct and indirect taxes, today said he would submit a revised draft proposal of his committee recommendations to the Union Finance Minister Jaswant Singh in the first week of December for further considerations.

Addressing a symposium on change in taxes organised by Prabodhan Prakashan, a charitable organisation that publishes Shiv Sena mouthpiece "Samna" daily here, Dr Kelkar said, he along with the members of the task force had visited Pune, Ludhiana, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bangalore in the recent weeks and gathered various constructive suggestions from taxation experts and public at large on the suggestions in the consultation papers of the task force which was submitted to the Finance Ministry about a month ago.

Dr Kelkar, who is also the advisor to the Finance Minister, observed that there was widespread criticism about the task force recommendations by the people who did not read the report in detail.

"However, most of the professionals like noted chartered accountants and taxation experts had appreciated the efforts made by the task force for the long-term benefits not only of the economy but also for both, the honest tax payers and non-tax payers," he said.

The revised draft of the kelkar committee would be again put on the site for further comments from public and would finally accepted by the ministry for incorporation in the union budget proposals in February.

"Why should the Government provide tax incentives or subsidy to the tax payers in terms of housing loans while it has withdrawn or reduced subsidy in gasoline or kerosene for mass consumption mainly to the poor people who are basically not in the tax bracket," he quipped while discussing the suggestions of withdrawing tax rebate on housing loans. Dr Kelkar, who gave a patient hearing to a panel of speakers, comprising noted economist Dr P R Joshi and Chartered Accountants Rajendra Chitale and Anil Sathe, said the objective of the task force on direct and indirect taxes was to get rid of "exemptions raj only for the privileged people" and put a simplified and transparent tax payment system that would reduce not only the tax burden on citizens but also curtail the transaction cost in the economy.

Once an IT-based tax payment system is established with simplication of various norms, a tax payer would need to fill up only one-page form for his tax payment.

"We are designing the system looking at the next 20 years period when a sizeable people from young generation would be paying taxes to the Government," he observed.

Advocating for extension of tax net to the agriculture sector, Dr Kelkar observed that this sector had increasingly become a tax avoidance shelter for a growing number of non-agriculturists. "We know a number non-agriculturists using agro activities as a tax shelter and this needs to be improved for augmenting higher resources of the State Governments."

He said that the proposed suggestions for agriculture taxes would be enforced by the Centre only through the empowerment of the State Governments. This additional sector of tax collection would certainly improve the financial condition of several State Governments, particularly in areas of their investment such as health, infrastructure, education and pension payment.

"The overall objective of the task force recommendations was to make each member of the society pay his dues as a responsible citizen of the nation," he added.

Over the past several years, the taxation process in the country became mal-functional and honest individuals had to bear higher tax burden while corporates and influential public get away with various concessions and incentives under various schemes. It was the idea of the Finance Minister to bring about drastic changes in the law and bring the task force report for a wider public debate by putting the recommendations on the Finance Ministry internet site seeking suggestions from various sections of the society. (UNI)

‘Tainted’ judge’s transfer to Guwahati HC creates furore

GUWAHATI, Nov 26: In an unprecedented show of defiance against the judiciary, advocates of Guwahati High Court have refused to accept a "tainted judge" from Punjab.

The drama is centered around the transfer of Mr Justice Amarbir Singh Gill of Punjab and Haryana High Court who has recently been in controversy regarding the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) scandal.

The Guwahati High Court Bar Association is already up in arms and its president Aroop Borbora has expressed concern over the appointment.

A great deal of resentment prevails in the legal fraternity of the North-Eastern region over the decision of the former Supreme Court Chief Justice B N Kirpal to transfer Mr Justice Amarbir Singh Gill of Punjab and Haryana High Court to Guwahati High Court as "punishment" for his "involvement" in the PPSC scandal.

The Guwahati High Court Bar Association yesterday met at an extraordinary general body meeting, chaired by Mr Borbora, to "express grave concern and serious anguish" over Justice Kirpal’s "reported recommendation" just before his retirement to send Mr Justice Amarbir Singh Gill on "punishment transfer" to Guwahati High Court.

The meeting observed that Mr Justice Gill’s transfer to Guwahati High Court will be "detrimental" to the administration of justice in the NE as serious allegations of seeking and receiving undue favour as a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court were levelled against him besides insinuations pertaining to his "involvement" in the PPSC scam. The lawyers’ meeting also observed that only judges of "proven ability, integrity and administrative capacity" should be posted in Guwahati High Court as it is territorially the biggest high court catering to seven states of the region.

Kirpal yesterday told a newspaper that he had recommended Mr Justice Gill’s transfer to Guwahati High Court for his ‘involvement’ in the PPSC scandal.

He said he had recommended within ten days of receiving report of the inquiry conducted by the then Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court Mr Justice Arun B Saharya.

Mr Justice Gill was one of three sitting judges of Punjab and Haryana High Court whose names figured in the PPSC scam.

The advocates of Guwahati High Court are livid over the fact that "Guwahati has been considered as an ideal place for punishment posting".

Meanwhile, the Guwahati High Court Bar Association has decided to stage a dharna in front of the high court building here against the proposed transfer of Mr Justice Gill to the Guwahati High Court. (UNI)

Development programme help villagers find a permanent home

SABDO, GAYA, Nov 26: Braving the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) threat in this small Bihar hamlet, the natives are returning here to settle.

Sabdo is like any other village in the MCC-dominated Fatehpur block of Gaya in South Bihar where people stay only till the annual harvest and migrate immediately after to other places for livelihood.

However, life is fast changing for the poor peasants—courtesy a "community lead model" an experimental development programme undertaken by Magadh Division Commissioner, Hem Shand Cirohy.

It all started a few months ago when the villagers inspired by the plan cleaned out a 45-km "Payne"(small ponds) which had blocked the flow of water for irrigation following siltation.

The programme which began as a people’s enterprise was later joined by the IRA an NGO. As a result, people in six neighbouring villages can now receive adequate amount of water for irrigation.

Impressed by the success of the community endeavour in Sabdo, the Commissioner and his officials camped in the village for three days explaining to the villagers the modalities of the development scheme.

Mr Sirohy who had taken the idea of developing the model from the traditional self sufficient villages of ancient India, stressed on the importance of grassroots and community-level development for rural uplift and overall advancement of the country.

He told UNI that brisk activities are on to develop Sabdo whose total area is about 150 acres, as a model village. About 125 acres were under the cultivable category. While 25 acres have been earmarked for floriculture, the rest would be for vegetable cultivation.

Sabdo will soon become a major supplier of marigold particularly to places like Gaya, Patna and Varanasi. A nursery for the flower has been started for producing truckloads of the flower.

Besides training the villagers in self-employment activities, they were also made aware of the importance of health and hygiene. For the cattle, separate animal farms are being developed on the village outskirts. Animal waste will be used for power generation for the village kitchens linked with bio-gas plant through a common supply line.

Mr Sirohy has also provided models for low-cost toilets to be constructed by the villagers themselves. (UNI)