Mother Teresa pipped at the post

Blessed Mother Teresa's not a saint yet. At least officially. But Blessed Alphonsa, a nun who died in Kerala in 1946, is to be canonized soon. To be modern India's first saint in the Catholic sense.

The only Indian saint so far, Gonsalo Garcia, was crucified way back in 1597. Read more here.

Losers win

Sometimes it pays to lose.

Here's my story on Biggest Loser Jeetega, the Indian version of the international weight loss reality TV show.

It's time to cut the flab.

June 2007 Blog Mela - Nominate Now

Did you just come across a quirky, interesting or something-that-tugs-at-your-heartstrings blog? If yes, feel free to nominate it for this month's Blog Mela being hosted here on June 26

How does a Blog Mela work, you wonder. Well, take a peek at the blog melas in March, April and May

Blog Mela Rules
- Posts must have been written by Indians or have an Indian angle
- Only posts published between 1-22 June, 2007 would be accepted
- If possible, please nominate individual posts, not the whole blog
- Feel free to nominate something you have written. Immodesty appreciated
- You can nominate as many blog posts as you like - provided you really like them
- Only nominations received before midnight on June 22 will be featured
- No, you don't get any moolah for nominating or getting featured in the Blog Mela. That could change once I am a millionaire but for now you'll just have to bear with me
- Yours truly reserves the right to nominate good posts which you ignore

How to Nominate
- Leave a comment on this post OR better still - Mail me at toeknee (at) gmail (dot) com

Nigger in the House

"Are you pushing it out, you nigger?"

Racism hasn't left the Big Brother house after all. First the brouhaha about Shilpa Shetty. And now this.

Chasing Bollywood stars in Amsterdam

Gauri Khan looks askance at me. She is dressed in white and clutches a shopping bag in either hand. As I move towards her on a busy street in Amsterdam, she takes a step back and frowns. I don't take the hint. As I start to mumble something, the wife of Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan hurries past me and disappears into an alley.

No, I wasn't trying to assault her.

The IIFA Awards were being held in Amsterdam in 2005 and I was a cub reporter let loose in the city of canals. Celebrities from the Indian film industry had been spotted in The Netherlands and I had been pacing the sunny sidewalks hoping to catch a glimpse.

I had better luck a few minutes later. Chunky Pandey was rummaging through a stack of colourful T-shirts at a shop around the corner. We exchanged pleasantries but I didn't harass him further, sensing that he wanted to be left alone.

Bollywood stars - hounded by fans at home and abroad. I could understand their predicament. Their need to feel free. The need to walk unmolested through crowds who didn't care who they were. And why stars viewed reporters with suspicion.

I walk past alfresco cafes and Gothic churches, stopping only for a glass of hot chocolate (they call it Chocomel here). As I pause to admire miniature windmills for sale at a roadside stall, cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin walks past with wife Sangeeta Bijlani. I leave them at peace and walk back to the hotel where the stars are cloistered.

There I find Boman Irani at his entertaining best, waving to a clutch of NRI girls waiting outside. Aftab Shivdasani is in the lobby too, looking dapper in a black suit. Ayesha Takia is wearing a brown ensemble, which seems to add inches to her waist. Bad designer or Amsterdam chocolates?

In contrast, Amitabh Bachchan is looking haggard and unshaven. The Big B has received news that his mother is unwell back home. He assures us things will be better on the morrow.

Actors - legends and one-film wonders - troop in for dozens of press conferences held over three days. Salman Khan is late (as usual?) and keeps co-stars and reporters waiting at the No Entry presser. The stars reel off their lines with practised ease, flash their botoxed smiles and leave as swiftly as they came.

At the Marigold presser (the film is yet to be released), starlet Ali Larter lingers a tad longer for one-on-one interviews. She drapes an arm over my shoulder and giggles when she's flummoxed by a question. Good strategy.

The IIFA schedule is chock-a-block. Aishwarya Rai waltzes in to have a tulip named after her. Saif Ali Khan and Vidya Balan brighten up the centuries-old Pathe Tuschinski theatre at the premiere of Pradeep Sarkar's Parineeta. Hrithik's team beats Shahrukh's bunch hollow when it comes to celebrity cricket.

And at the grand finale, Papa Bachchan, Abhishek and now Bachchan bahu Aishwarya enthral the crowds with 'Kajra Re' redux.

[Why am I being nostalgic about the 2005 awards now? Well, IIFA goes to Yorkshire in a few days and unfortunately, I am not going. A friend is covering the event and I can't help going green with envy. Grrrr!]

Adam and Eve - with a twist

L'animateur
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LOVE - West meets the East

Photo via Aqoul.com

The truth about Tinky-Winky

I would have thought the Polish government had more serious stuff to worry about. Riots, unemployment...the usual suspects. Instead they are spending money to investigate if the Teletubbies are gay. More specifically Tinky-Winky, the eldest Teletubby on the British TV show for kids.

And why? Because the purple furry creature carries a lady's handbag.

Just one question for the Polish experts - Are you quite sure Tinky-Winky is not a woman. Last time I checked, the Teletubbies just had miniature television sets broadcasting stuff from their furry bellies. No genitals to speak of.

And I thought only we Indians had a fetish for publicity stunts.

Desperately seeking Sherlock Holmes

Actually, one of my pals is trying to find out more about this mysterious diva. Can you help?

CLUES
- Student of IIT Delhi
- Sings like an angel
- Gyrates like Shakira

Hmmmph! The Baker Street guy is never there when you need him. Should I try Chetan Bhagat?