Nicole Kidman all praises for Bollywood -

Oscar-winner 48-year-old Nicole Kidman fell in love with Indian movies while working on Baz Luhrmann’s musical “Moulin Rouge!” - this movie was inspired by Bollywood dramas. She admitted that while she has not been offered any role in a Bollywood movie, she would love to do one.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 5 December 2015.

Speaking at a session at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2015, she revealed that Hollywood stole a lot from Bollywood on ‘Moulin Rouge!’ She admitted that she had watched plenty of Bollywood films while doing ‘Moulin Rouge!’ and that is when she fell in love with them.
Nicole Kidman had portrayed the role of a terminally ill cabaret actress and courtesan in 'Moulin Rouge', the 2001 Oscar nominated movie and she feels that Bollywood should not lose its uniqueness by emulating Hollywood movies.
However, even though she is not working in a Bollywood movie, Nicole is a part of a film 'Lion', which is partially set in Kolkata and stars Dev Patel.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Lord Shiva learns of Moody’s plans to go to the Moon (satire)

The honey trap of Pat & Jolie (satire)

Baba Someday to use gobar gas and yoga for space flights (satire)


Foreign students for study in India nosedives from 13,961 in 2013 to 3,737 in 2014

Water scarcity in Prime Minister's constituency - blame it on Coca Cola

World Cup cricketer of Vadodara sells moong kachoris to make ends meet


Big B rides a scooter in Kolkata - shooting for another movie

International Jazz Festival at Stone Water Eco Resort in Goa

Ben Affleck talks on 'Batman V Superman'


Russian airstrike in Syrian town of Ariha kills at least 40

Turkey downed two Russian fighter jets - Putin says the US leaked its flight path

Gunman attacks Colorado abortion clinic - leaves 3 dead, 9 wounded

Anil Kapoor wows the audience at the International Film Festival of India

Overcoming the somberness of the occasion and the fact that it was an official function organized by the union ministry for information and broadcasting, Anil Kapoor regaled the audience of the International Film Festival of India as he danced to popular film songs pictured on him. The veteran actor was, in short, a ‘paisa vasool’ chief guest.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 21 November 2015.

Anil Kapoor flung his suit into the audience and began to dance extempore to his trademark ‘tapori’ songs like ‘One two ka four’ from ‘Ram Lakhan’ and the racy number ‘Dhak Dhak’ from ‘Beta’ along with the ceremony’s co-host Aditi Rao Hydari.
In between, he shouted out to Dev Patel, who he acted with in Oscar award-winning film ‘Slumdog Millionnaire’. Also present on the occasion was the union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
While shouting out to Dev Patel,the actor said - 'I am meeting Dev Patel from ‘Slumdog Millionnaire’ now since the Oscar night.”
Incidentally, Dev Patel plays the role of Srinivasa Ramanujan Iyengar in ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’ which is the opening film at IFFI.

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Moody and the Humpty Dumpty syndrome (satire)

Winning elections is not as simple as making tea (satire)

Indian smugglers are celebs, boast of official doubles (satire)


Tea is a health drink - four cups a day can keep the doctors away

No more 'Rent-a-Womb' in India

Tourist bus ploughs into pedestrians in Union Square, San Francisco - 20 injured


Big B attends 21st Kolkata International Film Festival at Netaji Indoor Stadium

Alisha Chinai adds to the glamour quotient at Wembley Stadium

24th James Bond movie 'Spectre' earns USD 300 million in less than two weeks


Jihadi John killed by a 1000-mph missile striking his car

Edmund Fitzgerald sank in the Lake Superior 40 years back with 29 on board

Bomb in Airbus A321 responsible for Sinai Peninsula crash and 224 deaths

Indian names of Pallavi Sharda and Dev Patel in Hollywood film ‘Lion’

‘Lion’ is bound to be a movie with a difference – it would be made in Hollywood and have Nicole Kidman and two Indian names Pallavi Sharda and Dev Patel in the lead. The film is based on the novel ‘A Long Way Home’ by Saroo Birleys and the story revolves around a boy who is lost in the streets of Calcutta and later adopted by an Australian family.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 23 August 2015.

After 25 years, the lost boy, now a young lad takes up a mission to locate his real parents and takes the help of latest technology like Google Earth to track his family. Pallavi’s character in the movie is that of an Indian girl who helps him in his mission.
Pallavi Sharda had last been seen in Vibhu Puri’s Hawaizaada and in ‘Lion’ she portrays the role of Dev’s friend. The movie marks the directorial debut of Garth Davis.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting 'must reads'-

Britain battered by heavy rains - parts of England saw 40mm rain in an hour

Sri Lanka get the better of a star studded India – Rangana Herath wreaks havoc

Controversy around Maggi, the 2-minute noodle: Bombay HC lifts ban, orders fresh tests


60-years of Pather Panchali – the Bengali movie of Satyajit Ray that was a pathbreaker

Spider-Man will be seen in his traditional costume in ‘Captain America: Civil War’

Big-B and Deepika Padukone’s ‘Piku’ gets best movie award at Indian Film Festival, Melbourne


ISIS planned to carry out ‘lone wolf’ terror attacks, target the Queen and the Royal family

Terrorism a family affair in London – 5 of a family arrested by counter-terror police

At least 60 killed in truck bomb explosion by ISIS in a Baghdad food market


Independence Day as I have seen it

The days of mughlai parathas

Khichudi – the favorite monsoon recipe for Bengalis