Duration
Indian animation will be showcased through special programmes, premieres and numerous events.
Chronicus Skepticus wonders if all 33 million Hindu gods are deaf
Back from a hectic fortnight in Goa. No, I didn't spend time on the beach. Was cooped up watching flicks at Panaji's INOX multiplex. And with good reason. 
Filmmaker Navdeep Singh's thriller "Manorama Six Feet Under" won the Best Film honour at the Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council Film Festival in New York last week.
For the Russian serial killer, spending the rest of his life in jail seems too dear a price to pay for his crime.Mitali Saran comes to grips with a stolen water meter
A casual glance at a newspaper column one morning brought the welcome news that a new Malayalam film was playing at the Plaza cinema in Connaught Place. As you can imagine, my parents were overjoyed and promptly drove down to the hall.Dear Reader, 
Surely, it was time for Dev Varman to say goodbye to the University of Virginia and turn professional. After all, the man he beat in the NCAA final - American John Isner - is already making waves on the ATP Tour. And doesn't India desperately need a male Sania Mirza?I'm planning on turning pro after I graduate and finish up the NCAA team and individual tournament in May 2008. I feel graduating and getting a degree from the University of Virginia is a special thing and I've enjoyed my time there so far. I have no regrets of returning to school and hope to help my team be the frontrunners for a national championship this year.Do you think staying back in India would have hindered your career?
No, I don't think it would have at all. Going to college was just another option for my life and my tennis. Indian tennis is growing and we're developing many juniors thanks to the efforts of the organisations in control.Which tennis player is your idol and which is your favourite surface?
It's hard not to like Federer. He's a great player and represents the sport in the best way possible. I like playing on hard and clay.John Isner, the player you beat in the NCAA final, is now the talk of the ATP tour for his meteoric rise up the rankings. Any comments?
John is a great player and a good friend. I'm a bit surprised that he has made his move this quickly but I thought it was going to happen sooner or later for sure. His serve is absolutely enormous and he's very mentally tough and focused. I'm happy for him and hopefully I'll be able to join him there soon after I graduate.Can we see you playing more events in India in the future?
I would love to play some events in India if I'm given the opportunity.What apart from playing tennis gives you a high?
Apart from playing tennis, I enjoy playing pretty much any sport. I love hanging out with friends and having a good time. I also love listening to music and watching movies in my free time.(This interview was first published on The Indian Tennis Blog)Other Exclusive Interviews on this blog
Talwar has taken the matter to court and the issue will only be resolved on October 10. But does either film deserve to be sent to the Oscars?
For the record, the actress had not been arrested at all. Apparently, some immigration officials at Mumbai airport were still in the dark about a Supreme Court ruling allowing the actress to travel overseas. 
The second is a film about the making of the Taj Mahal in Agra. Kingsley, 63, will essay the role of Shahjehan who built the marble monument in the memory of his wife Mumtaz, played by Aishwarya Rai.
Rai and hubby Abhishek Bachchan have been denying it from the start but journalists citing information from reliable sources had been keeping speculation alive for weeks. And given the number of hits my previous post on the subject was getting, it seemed plenty of Aishwarya fans were curious too.
The Just-for-Women initiative had been the newbie on the block, making its debut on Delhi's airwaves some three months ago. But it must have done something right to get 28 percent of the votes cast in the poll."Bollywood films are lovely, romantic and very good music! I love them! I understand that with English subtitles."Anu and her husband first visited India in 1998 and have been here several times since. They even met Aishwarya Rai at a Goa hotel in 2003 when the former Miss World was filming Kyon Ho Gaya Na.
When Shilpa won Celebrity Big Brother, she was perhaps the only Indian any Briton recognised - except maybe Mahatma Gandhi. And the buzz was she was headed for superstardom and a film with Hugh Grant. She even met the Queen. 
I guess covering fashion events is a skill directly proportional to the number of fashion events one attends. Some reporters, having covered this sort of thing for eons, were already on "embracing" terms (no pun intended) with designers while I was the notebook-in-hand "Excuse me, Mr Rathore/Bal/Tahiliani" type. 
The Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week opens tomorrow and between 12 pm and 12 am for the next five days, a bespectacled guy looking forlorn and lost will be seen roaming around in the sprawling Pragati Maidan complex, trying to come to terms with the fact that covering a Fashion Week is not a suitable pastime for those who find nirvana in watching romantic comedies on HBO.
Well, Pakistani singer and composer Faakhir Mehmood is all set to bring out his next album. The popular musician will start production work on his latest project next week. 
Narain, a protege of renowned director Sudhir Mishra, had won critical acclaim for her debut film Kal - Yesterday and Tomorrow in 2005."I've really taken advantage of the format and had a lot of fun with an experimental structure."As for her next feature film, Narain said she is working on the script of a love story.
"It's coming out well. Hopefully we'll finish scripting in a month and be able to move on to the next stage."There's more good news in store for the Narain family. Sibling Ashima's wildlife documentaries - In The Pink (about flamingos in Mumbai) and The Last Dance (about cruelty to sloth bears) - have been aired several times on Discovery channel and are now doing the rounds of various film festivals around the world.
Beginning with a documentary on Amartya Sen, the world-famous economist who won the Nobel Prize in 1998, Ghosh has now moved on to directing feature films.Footsteps has already been to around 10 film festivals worldwide. I was surprised by the overwhelming reaction. It felt nice to find out that certain issues cut across cultures.
Though I had framed the film with respect to a Kolkata background it was pretty universal. It was really satisfying to see people in Canada, Prague and other places react to things the same way.
Footsteps was released in Kolkata in January. Unfortunately in India regional films do not get a release nationwide.You have worked with Nandita Das and Soumitra Chatterjee in your Bengali film. Which actors do you want to work with in the future?
I have no particular targets as far as working with so and so is concerned. It depends on the particular role. I can only say there are actors that I like currently, but as I said it does not necessarily mean that I will cast them and work with them. That said, I think Saif Ali Khan and Konkona are the two actors that are consistently churning out amazing performances. They never cease to amaze me.What project are you working on next?
I am working on an English film next. I can't say anything more about the project now.A professor who's also a filmmaker - how hard has it been juggling the two vocations?
I never think of it that way - juggling two vocations. I think one must enjoy whatever one is doing. So the fact that I am pursuing two professions is an artifact of the excitement involved. The moment I will stop getting excited about making films or doing research in Economics, I will stop it. I can't see myself forcing into something.
But yes, I would say that I am good at compartmentalizing my vocations. When I was making the movie in India - for six months I just forgot about my existence as an economist. Similarly, when I am working on a research project I seem to forget about films. I can manage this changeover quite effectively.Other Exclusive Interviews on this blog
The Bangalore-loving playwright who made his mark in filmdom with Mango Souffle and the Oscar-nominated Morning Raga is not revealing much at the moment. "Madly working on the screenplay. I do have a few actors who are interested but it is a bit premature to mention names right now."There's more good news in store for the 48-year-old writer. His play Double Deal starring Mahesh Manjrekar and Sandhya Mridul is doing quite well and was staged in Lucknow recently.
Lokesh Dhakar comes to the rescue of people who can't order a cup of coffee 
Bigham, a great visual storyteller, was a formidable contender from the very beginning and beat 18 short-listed filmmakers, including Indian American Shalini Kantayya, to the grand prize.I love comedies, and with On the Lot, that was the genre I chose to show the public week after week. I think the first feature I direct is more than likely going to be some type of comedy.Which actors would you want to direct in the future? Would you continue acting as well?
There are several top actors that I would love to have a chance to work with. Too many to name. Coming from an acting background, I respect any actor who is willing to take a risk and make bold character choices. I would love to continue acting in the future, but for now, I'm going to focus on directing.Which of Shalini's On the Lot films did you like best?
I enjoyed Shalini's Dr. In-Law. I had a chance to work with her on the script, as we all helped each other from time to time. It was a very collaborative atmosphere. But I thought that Shalini was able to find some really funny moments.Have you watched a Bollywood film? Any thoughts on featuring Indian themes in your future projects?
I love Bollywood films. Visually, they are some of the best out there. I've never considered featuring Indian themes in my movies, but I would never rule it out. One of the greatest things about film making is that you can explore different aspects of this vast world in each of your projects. And everything you see (movies, art, architecture) informs the visual choices you make.Other Exclusive Interviews on this blog
Will Bigham is the last man left standing in the On the Lot reality show for filmmakers - winning a million dollar picture deal with Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks Pictures. 
Chak De is not your typical Bollywood kitsch. Granted. But there's nothing new about an underdog team striving against all odds to win a team championship. A bit like Remember the Titans and the dozens of the sports flicks before it.
Will it be King Lear or Hamlet? After Maqbool (Macbeth) and Omkara (Othello), fans are wondering which Shakespearean play will filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj attempt next."I do have to complete my trilogy but many filmmakers are making films on Shakespeare's plays so I haven't decided yet."Was Bharadwaj referring to Rituparno Ghosh's take on King Lear? Ghosh's The Last Lear has Amitabh Bachchan playing a failed and ageing Shakespearean actor. The film premieres at the Toronto film festival in September.
