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Yuvraj and Harbhajan The Indian team to play first two of the four-Test cricket series against visiting England has been announced here in Mumbai today by the selectors of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It was the first selection exercise of the new Chief Selector Sandip Patil who replaced K Srikkanth recently. The 15-member team looks to be a mixture of experience and youth with the surprise inclusion of spinner Harbhajan Singh. And, Yuvraj Singh completes his comeback to cricket from cancer. There had been some doubts about Yuvraj Singh’s selection since Tests are hard five-day affairs unlike the shorter formats of one-day and T20 matches where the braveheart already made a comeback in September last. But his great show in domestic cricket where he scored a quick double century and in India A’s practice match against England finally convinced the selectors. Legendary Little Master Sunil Gavaskar has come in support of the decision. The non-perfo

The fight against corruption in India has made one big difference. All the decades since Independence corruption was taken for granted in a system that was a fixed given. Now with the saga of allegations the skeletons have started coming out of the cupboard.  Earlier, allegations were few and mostly restricted as a customary time-specific exchange between political parties.   Everybody is in the ‘alleging’ game nowadays. The principal forces include the anti-corruption leaders and activists; anti-corrupt activists turned politicians; retired or voluntarily retired top functionaries; lots of upstarts modeled by the process of fighting corruption and of course, the seasoned politicians and political parties. All allegations elicit instant denials and counter allegations though every allegation is supposed to be based on ‘proof’. Nothing gets proved, allegations continue. There are some interesting results out of the ‘allegation’ game in which lesser mortals like this wr

The biggest ever natural calamity to hit USA came on Monday in the form of Hurricane Sandy and is far from over on the third day today. The super-storm first attacked Atlanta city in New Jersey demolishing the gambling mecca there in particular, maybe as a symbolic fury of Mother Nature for sinful human excesses. Then the raging storm advanced towards New York City and caused maximum damage on the most happening place of the world. On the third day today Sandy headed for Canada . Arguably the most advanced nation of the world has been found crying for mercy as Hurricane Sandy methodically progressed on its incredible course of devastation. More than 50 people have perished so far despite all the precautions taken and evacuation done on a war footing. More than 8 million households and businesses have lost power, and again incredibly enough it may take days to restore electricity. Swaths of NYC have been submerged under water continuously. More than 15000 flights have b

The traditional red ball of cricket has been facing growing threats of extinction over the years with the emergence of the white balls in day-n-night ODI and T20 matches. Now, with Test cricket under the ‘illuminated’ possibility the extinction threat is very real. The International Cricket Council (ICC) had yesterday in Dubai approved hosting day-n-night Test cricket matches. But the ICC has left the decision on the member cricket boards for bringing it into effect on bilateral cricket series and also to decide upon the type and the color of the ball to be used. Cricket Australia who had been clamoring for the day-n-night Tests has already welcomed the decision. Their contention has been that on week days night cricket would definitely bring in more crowds. No response is recorded from so far from the Indian cricket Board. The cash-rich Board is likely to consider it positively to rake in more money, but at the same time it has to think about the cost of electricity

Rightfully called the first female superstar of Indian Cinema, Sridevi had decided to make a comeback to Bollywood or Hindi cinema after 14 years. Ad filmmaker and  debutante  Bollywood director Gauri Shinde took painstaking efforts in crafting a super movie to make the comeback most memorable.  And, truly it was most memorable in the form of a perfect family entertainer and an emotional classic titled   English Vinglish that released all over on October 5, 2012. The movie attained the status of a superhit thanks not only to a tremendous heartwarming performance by Sridevi, but also due to the virtue of it being a subtly and delightfully crafted celluloid creation. The standing ovation after its premier in Toronto Film Festival and the widespread critical acclaim it got within India just supports why   English Vinglish   should indeed be called a classic. The movie has two very realistic themes that still run through the Indian society. First, a housewife or more ‘respectfu

He was probably the most famous Sikh comedian ever in Indian Television and movies. He gave us a taste of a comedy show in the early years of National Network telecasts in Doordarshan. That time Doordarshan was the only television media and we were used to watching foreign comedy shows. But this brilliant comedian-writer-director enthralled us with indigenous doses of humor, wit, satire and fun in his comedy shows for the first time in Indian television. Jaspal Bhatti, the innocuous looking Sardar with a disarming smile whose one dialogue is enough to make you laugh out.   And his insightful storytelling was capable of making you cry too.  Jaspal Bhatti made his appearance in Doordarshan in the eighties with his TV Series Ulta Pulta and Flop Show . The shows were instant hits and he became a household name in India. His actor-wife Savita Bhatti appeared with him all the way and they were inseparable and one of the most loved couples. Later in the nineties when other channe

A career spanning over five decades from the good old days to the complex modern times. Directed 22 films and produced over 50 films. Won over 10 Filmfare awards including 4 for Best Direction, highest National honors in films-Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2001 and Padma Bhushan in 2005. Melodious music and exotically beautiful locations being the richest of the highlights of his films. All have been mainstream Bollywood movies, but refreshingly different from the formula entertainers with loads of sensitivity, characterization and insight of life. Almost all of his movies being hits and super duper hits. An enlivening chapter of Hindi cinema since 1959 ended today. Yash Chopra, the legendary filmmaker passed away today evening at a Mumbai hospital after a brief illness at the age of 80.  Yash Chopra  started his movie career with his elder brother legendary BR Chopra and then moved on successfully to form his own film production house, the famous Yashraj Films in 1971. Yashraj

The destroyer of evil this year has arrived today—the sixth day of the illuminated lunar fortnight or Sashthi —with the idols of Goddess Durga being installed in public pandals across India and offerings of prayers for the first day rituals. Navratri celebrations   (nine nights of worship, prayers and ritualistic dancing for various forms of Goddess Durga) is already in full swing from the 16 th of October, 2012. Elaborate rituals, offerings of various nature, daily Prasad of fruits and Kichdi Bhog as a full midday meal and evening cultural programs will continue for the Saptami (7 th day of the lunar fortnight and 2 nd day of Durga Puja), the Ashtami (8 th day), Navami (9 th day) and Vijaya Dashami or Dasera (10 th and immersion day of Devi Durga, in most Pujas Bhog is not distributed on this day). On the Dasera day Goddess Durga idols will be immersed in the rivers or lakes across the country along with public symbolic burning of evil in various forms. Happ

Ex Team Anna member, India Against Corruption (IAC) activist and politician Arvind Kejriwal unfolded his second biggest expose drama dot at 5  pm  today in New Delhi as promised. He made a departure from the usual ‘Congress for Corruption’ theme as promised and attacked Nitin Gadkari, President of the main national opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as promised, and as speculated for the last two days by the media. The media craze for the eagerly awaited show and the accompanying hype had to be seen to be believed. Not only that the show was taken live across the news channels, but the live telecast started hours before the show with fleets of reporters in different places and plethora of experts sitting inside the studios. One prime national news  channel had a literal countdown to the show—1 hour to go before Kejriwal exposes Gadkari or whoever…30 minutes to go…15 minutes to go…2 minutes to go…Bang! Bang! Bang! Even the Anna Hazare movement at its peak could not match

Corruption is not new to India . Our country has been a  front runner  in this field of socio-political malady in the global perspective. It was, it still is and will remain so in the near future. Our country has been the biggest Exchange for favors, nepotism and quid pro quo deals. The more the clout and influences one amasses the more capable  is  one  in granting big favors and extracting bigger favors. This has been the way of life rather than being a crucial part of corruption. No, this is not being negative or cynic, this is being realistic. But the commonest forms of corruption like having to give bribes for every possible existential act on this earth and looting of public money did torment a major chunk of the population. Therefore when Anna Hazare started a campaign against corruption and demanded a stringent anti-corruption Lokpal or Ombudsman Bill they welcomed it heartily. Then, as we have seen in the pages of this site, politics started taking over the movement