A Journo's Diary

Labour leadership contender David Miliband says he doesn’t want to see the British community of Indian origins in the margins but in the mainstream. In a one-to-one interview with Asian Voice, the former Foreign Secretary of Britain comments on Prime Minister Cameron’s recent visit to India, coalition government’s immigration cap, Osborne’s budget and the contribution of British Indian community to Britain.

SS: What are the infrastructure opportunities that you see in UK and if you had to prioritise the sectors?

DM: We obviously have a blessing of a very old infrastructure and the burden of a very old infrastructure. Our railway infrastructure is 19th century which may ring some bells of its ancient and heritage. But our energy infrastructure, for example, is more of the post war period. So, the priorities for us are, I would say, over the next 20 years are one – energy, which I think is really important, including not just more energy efficient but carbon capturing energy with the upgrading of our electricity infrastructure is very very important.

Second, I think what is pretty important is our soft infrastructure which I think is good but could be better. We have very high digital and high speed penetration into the household market, pretty well into the commercial market. But I think we could do better, especially in the more far flung areas.

And thirdly – transport. Because I think that’s a big thing where the previous government committed to high speed rail which I think is very important.

SS: In the context of UK-India relations, what are your comments on Cameron’s visit to India where he has established an excellent political and business relation, which the Labour government have conspicuously failed to do?

DM: I am surprised they say that because I think David Cameron inherited a very very strong relationship. Prime Minister Singh and Prime Minister Brown were very closely together. We were very close to Foreign Minister Krishna and all the different levels where there was real cooperation but not just government. After all, British investments in India and Indian investments in Britain have both been going the right way. So I think Prime Minister Cameron inherited a very strong relationship and the fact that he wants to nurture it is a very very good thing.

SS: Is it not realistic to have a one to one relation with India rather than a cold war Indo Pak construction which has no relevance today?

DM: Of course, I mean I don’t recognize that India being clubbed with Pakistan at all. India is a success story of South Asia. It’s a bilateral partner but it’s also a multilateral partner. I mean we’ve argued very strongly for a stronger Indian role in wider International political system. That’s true through the G20, process in expansion through what is called the G-8. We are long champions since Tony Blair’s time for the Indian membership to the United Nations Security Council. So, I don’t think that India is seen through an India-Pakistan prism at all. Obviously, instability in Pakistan can be dangerous for all the countries in South Asia but that doesn’t mean that India is bracketed in that way.

SS: Mr Cameron spoke warmly of India’s business relations in the UK. How important is this for the re-generation of the UK economy?

DM: I think it is important. I mean something like Tata; they are big investors and have recently sold the Redcar steel to Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI), a Thai company. And the fact that now India has now bigger investments in Britain and Britain has in India is a remarkable testimony to how this is now a partnership of equals. I think we both have very strong shared interests in open global economy. And we have to forge new areas of cooperation, which I think is higher education, technology in respect of Green technology, there are big opportunities in the health sector as well as the more traditional services like insurance and so on.

SS: In the light of the immigration scenario, already the British government, especially Damien Green has agreed to have a special arrangement with the top companies for visas- any comment on that?

DM: Well I think that the new government’s approach to immigration is sending out very confused messages because they have isolated countries like India for a cap on immigration. That is completely the wrong approach in my view. Far from that sending the message that Britain is open for business, it sends the message that we are concerned about skilled, qualified people coming here to work and pay taxes. I think that’s a piece of populism that has gone wrong really. And so, we have taken the government to task about that because there are, I think, about 22,000-23,000 people from outside the EU, who come here every year. But then to pretend that a cap on non-EU skilled migrants is going to tackle that problem is ridiculous. So, I think Mr. Green has lot of answering to do to people who look at Britain as standing out for an open role in the global economy. I would stand up for Britain to have an open role in the global economy. I don’t think a cap on skilled non-EU migrants is a way to build a stronger Britain.

SS: But do you think that will affect India-UK relations in anyway?

DM: Well, I hope not. But I think it sends a very odd message. I don’t want to send an odd message. I want to send a message that we welcome Indians who come here to pay taxes and contribute to our society.

SS: George Osborne’s budget is supposedly going to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. What is your comment on that?

DM: Well, I believe in Robin Hood and not in the Sheriff of Nottingham. The worst thing obviously is that at a time of fiscal retrenchment, the poorest in the society are being asked the bear the greatest burden which is a typical Conservative approach. But equally bad is that he told the House of Commons it’s a budget that will help the poor and not the rich. And then it turns out that it wasn’t true. That’s was a very bad thing to do.

SS: And finally, there is a huge British Indian population in UK. If you have to send out a message to say how do you think their contribution has helped UK?

DM: Well, I think it has been a fantastic success story. I don’t see the British community of Indian origins in the margin; I see them in the mainstream. And we need to make sure that mainstream is strong and vibrant and growing.

The Britons of Indian origin, some of them I am going to meet when I open this new temple in West Bromwich, in the great towns and cities of Britain are doing well in business, education, health in the community. They are value members of the community. And I think it’s one of the great things actually that this is a country that has made itself home to millions of people.

And my message will be to thank them for their citizenship and their contribution in all walks of life. I am the first person from my family to be born in this country so I have some similar reason to recognise how this country has opened its arms from people around the world.

But I think the second message to the Britons of Indian origin is ‘Let’s build up on the progress we have made because we haven’t struggled this hard and worked this hard for a more equal opportunity only to see it thrown away.’ And that’s the central politics in the future.

Its summer time in London and I have never been so busy as a journalist. There is an event almost every other day and it feels like time is running away so quickly. But in all this rush when an exciting opportunity to meet your favourite singer comes your way, you simply forget about the rest. And if that favourite singer is an Oscar Award and a Grammy Award winner, then it surely icing on the cake. I am pretty sure many of those reading this column would have guessed that I am talking about A R Rahman or the “Mozart of Asia” as he is known.

As I made my way through the crowded roads of Camden Town into the Holiday Inn hotel at Jamestown Street where Mr. Rahman had been staying, I went down the memory lane to a time when I was 13 year old. I remember a few of my friends and I had prepared a dance number for the Republic Day function on the song “Maa Tujhe Salaam” by A R Rahman. It is a song that touches the heart of every Indian as it salutes mother India for being the best. And it is since then that I fell for his voice.

Now, twelve years later I was making my way to the executive suite at the Holiday Inn to interview him. As I entered the room, I saw him sitting quietly on a chair in the middle of the room. A short man with curly hair and rather strong features, he smiled at me as I walked towards him. He looked absolutely cool and calm and I sat in front of him, rather nervous trying to set up my voice recorder and making sure everything was right. And even while I was doing that, he asked me about my background, my job and my favourite film.

Here are the excerpts from my brief conversation with A R Rahman.

Your association with Mani Ratnam has been a long one. 18 years back it was Roja and now Raavan. How has this journey been?

The journey has been good. This is the tenth film and I am very proud of this film. He does films that people don’t get sometimes, they get it later – like when Dil Se came in. He has got his own way of thinking and expressing. So from his first film, initially people will say it is not good but a year later they will say “oh I watched it 25 times.” So it’s got something which people don’t understand but they still like it. And same way for music, I do music for him; in the beginning they don’t like it but later it becomes inevitable for them later. So I guess there is some magic there.

Given that you had training in the west, what kind of influence does the western music have on you?

Well, it’s got nothing to do with the training in the west or east. It’s your mind. Your mind can think and you can get out of your shell in your mind and do anything. But of course training really helps you. Not as much as a real life experience when you go somewhere and fail an fall down and break your legs and get healed and start running. That’s the best kind of learning experience that I have.

There is a heavy western influence on the bollywood music and that is why we still crave for traditional music, such as that in Guru or Raavan?

Yes, infact in India if you take a look at the audience that goes to the theatre is young people. Old people prefer to stay home and watch it on TV. Here, I am not generalising everybody but most people prefer to watch it on DVD or TV. Most of the movies are catering to the young population and that is why you see that kind of music, unlike the old era where people used to love poetry and stuff.

Who has been your inspiration in music?

My inspiration comes from my intention to do music and to have multiple other things through music. And if you ask me about musical inspiration, I have like hundred thousand people and it is extremely difficult to name one.

And finally, there are two big performances coming up for you. What sort of experimentation should Londoners expect?

Just buy the tickets and come and watch. It’s based on my songs but it will be a new experience for all. We are trying our best to push the limits and do something that is exciting for all.

(A R Rahman will be performing on July 24th and 26th at The O2 and Wembley Stadium respectively)

It rarely happens that you get an opportunity to meet and share some golden moments with the person whom you have admired all your life. Well, as far as I can remember, I grew up watching his films, dancing to his songs and speechlessly admiring him after every performance – be it a hit or a flop. I still remember clapping and whistling for his dance performance in the “say shava shava” song from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. And today he was right here sitting in front of me, talking about his upcoming movie and his experiences. It was Amitabh Bachchan – my childhood idol and one of the greatest actors in the Indian film Industry.

But there are these moments in life when no matter how much you want to jump with joy; that tinge of professionalism within pulls you back. And today was one such day. I was definitely overawed by him initially. As soon as I entered the conference hall, I couldn’t miss the fact that he was sitting on the right hand side of the room facing the camera and talking about his film. Even as I sat on the far left hand side of the room, waiting for him to finish the ongoing interview, I could feel his voice filling the entire room. Yes, he was indeed the Big B as he is fondly known.

He is here to promote his upcoming film titled “Paa”. Directed by R. Balakrishnan, the film casts Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan. Amitabh Bachchan plays a 13 year old boy named “Auro” who is suffering from Progeria, an extremely rare genetic disorder wherein symptoms resembling aspects of aging are manifested at an early age. The film where Abhishek plays a father to Amitabh, is the story of a father-son-son-father relationship. The film is produced under the home banner of ABCL Corporation and is comparatively a low budget film (Rs 16 crores). But ten per cent of the entire budget was spent on Mr. Bachchan’s make-up. No wonder he mentioned that it took him four hours to put on the entire make-up and then another two hours to remove it.

In course of my conversation with Mr. Bachchan, I asked him about his experiences while shooting for this film since this is one of the most challenging roles he might have done in forty years of his career in Indian cinema.

Amitabh Bachchan: Actually Balki who made Cheeni Kum with me and Tabu suddenly one day came up with this idea of “Paa”. Of course as an artist you feel very challenged when something like this comes your way. Balki wanted the 13 year old kid to be a victim of progeria. After a lot of research and finding kids that were suffering from this, we came across with DVD’s and got in touch with the people in the medical profession. And then we called for a makeup artist from Los Angeles, Hollywood. Christian who is an Oscar winner makeup artist designed the prosthetics for the character of Auro that you will see in the film.

So, if ever you like the performance, and I hope you do, I would give the maximum benefit to the makeup because that is what really made me behave in that fashion.

Mr. Bachchan, why specifically this disease as the basis of the film? Have there been cases of this disease in India?

Amitabh Bachchan: Yeah, actually there are. In fact, after running the first promo, there have been number of cases that have suddenly sprung up. And I am aware now that there is a family in Kolkata where there are five kids, all afflicted with the same disease.

And finally Mr. Bachchan, what makes this movie different from others?

Amitabh Bachchan: Hindi film industry has been quite identifiable for the past few years. Viewers know what they are going to see even before they enter the theatre. Things have changed enormously in the field of television. And we in the film industry have to think from the perspective of the viewers. What would they like to see in a theatre, that they cannot see in their homes on a television? So now a new trend of film making has started which is not only good for the film industry but also for the viewers. Because they get to see something different. And that is what has been experimented in “Paa”. I hope you all watch the film and like it.

Well, we surely will Mr. Bachchan. After all even at the age of 68, you are still young enough to play a 13 year old’s character. Not everyone’s cuppa tea – no wonder you are called a “living legend.”

If I was to talk about the best moment of my life, it was interviewing Dr. Kiran Bedi, India’s first and highest ranking women police officer. A dynamic social activist, she is also the founder of two NGO’s in India: Navjyoti for welfare and preventive policing and India Vision Foundation for prison reforms, drug abuse prevention and child welfare.

I spoke to her about prison reforms, police reforms, her opinion on physical abuse of women and most of all her latest television show, “Aap ki kachehri” that has won heavy TRP ratings in India.

From your perspective, tell me about the day care project that is being run by your organisation at Tihar prison?

Well if you don’t have it doesn’t exist. Because we value child’s time and that’s how this project began because we may stop growing as adults but the child grows very rapidly. A child needs health, nutrition, environment, education, care, love, nursing; so that’s what I did. When I went to the prison, there was nothing for the child separately so the child was almost an adult, living an adult life with their mothers. And the only thing they had to play with was those insects and cats moving around. And the only journey that the child would have was to go out to the courts and learn the language of the lawyers and the courts and the sections of law, the language of cruelty and violence which was going out between the accused and the perpetrator or the victim. So that is the time when we started within our system, a separate place in the women’s ward which had about forty-fifty children. We started a temporary arrangement and begged and borrowed for starting a play way. So with the play way, we told the mothers that they won’t be allowed to take the children to the courts because the child has to get away from the super adult violent language. So, that’s the beginning. We put them in uniform and for the first time we brought in the concept of a child’s life inside an adult women prison.

In context of the Indian Police System, what reforms do you think are required by the system?

Oh, It has plenty to do. It needs to be upside down. Upside down means a million plus. Constabulary needs to be fully attended to. That’s the main base and foundation of the Indian Police. So the IPS is just about 3000-4000 in a one and a half million people. So on one side you have the leadership of senior cops called the “Top Cops” but the million and a half base needs to be really worked on. Where to begin?

Can a common man help in anyway?

To become law abiding. Because if he/she is law abiding then that much less pressure on the creaking police force.

What about the women police officers? Have they made their place in the police force?

Well they made their presence but no impact yet. They have not been given position to assert. They have actually been denied positions to assert, they have been kept away. So that they don’t make a difference or leave a footprint. The society wants it but the male leadership must want a different footprint. There is a very long way to go.

But what is your message to those thousands of women who are suppressed and physically abused every day in their homes but are scared to raise their voice?

They have to be aware of what they want. They want to continue to be harassed or abused or beaten or victims of harassment. It’s their choice. The law is on their side now. The domestic violence act is on their side. If they read the domestic violence act and stop the violence from day one, it will go a long way in better quality of life. If they can spend hours watching television shows and movies, can’t they spend twenty minutes reading the law and then applying the law when needed. There is free legal aid provision in India.

You are back with your latest television show, “Aap ki kachehri”. Tell us more about it?

Aap ki Kachehri is envisioned to be a movement of social justice, neighbourhood justice. There is nothing between the victim and police and the Police is inadequate in response many times. Or there is nothing between the victim and the overcrowded court. We need something to come in between them – social justice courts. Aap Ki Kachehri is nothing but a social justice court comprising of educated citizens who know the law and who have the character of credibility and justice.

Finally, you have been doing a lot of work. Even after retirement your enthusiasm for work for public service hasn’t gone down. What keeps you going?

I believe in doing. And I do as long as I want to do. I believe in contributing and using all the skills or energy that I have to a larger good. That’s what my policing stood for always. And now from policing to community service and public life, which is neutral, not political, not based on any one faith. Its humanity is a whole; its cause is a whole.

I think it’s a great sense of gratitude for what I have that keeps me going. What I have is to give.

How well has democracy seeped through the multicultural characteristic of India? Is India really the world’s largest democracy? Have the continuous terror attacks made any difference to the way the government functions? I spoke to Ramachandra Guha, famous historian and biographer, who has explained this entire story in his book India After Gandhi.

It’s almost been six decades of Indian Democracy and now a sense of authority can actually be seen among the people of India who choose their own representatives. How well do you think Indian democracy has shaped ever since Independence?

In my book, India after Gandhi, I described it as a fifty fifty democracy. And that was several years ago. My book came out two years ago; the ideas were formulated seven years ago. But the more I look at India, the more I travel around, that seems to be the most appropriate form of democracy. In many respects we are a democracy, we have a regular election, we have a free press and we have free movement of people. But in many other respects, the functioning of our institutions is far less than optimum. Like in a democracy, political parties are not meant to family firms and here I refer not only to the Congress but the DMK, the Akali Dal and Shiv Sena – they are all family firms. In a proper democracy, political party is an open secular institution where anyone can join and by his/her hard work and competencies can rise up the ladder, not because the main leader, for e.g. Karunanidhi wants it or Sonia Gandhi wants it. So, political parties are an important form of democracy but their functioning in India is less than optimum.

Parliamentary debates are nonexistent in India. There is very little institutional autonomy. There is widespread suspicion that our top politicians are corrupt. They have criminal records but convictions are impossible to bring about. So I think it’s a fifty fifty situation.

Then there are lot of other things. There is a lot of arbitrary use of police power and especially in the north east and Kashmir. But on the other hand, it’s a miracle that we are still one nation, in spite of our extraordinary linguistic and religious diversities. We have regular elections; we haven’t come under a military rule. So these things we have to appreciate but at the same time, in terms of regular day to day functioning of many of our institutions, there are many serious problems.

In your book “India after Gandhi” you have mentioned that the decision to move to a system of Universal Adult Suffrage was “the biggest gamble in the history”. Why do you say so?

Because it had never been tried before. In all the other countries, the vote was granted in stages, like, first one rich men, then only educated men, then only all men and then women much later. So in some cases, like England it took couple of hundred years after the first elections were held, for everyone to get the vote. I mean women were granted the right only in twentieth century, even though the elections have been held since nineteenth century. So in that sense it was a huge gamble because never before had an electoral democracy been tried in a largely poor, largely illiterate heterogeneous country. So it was a gamble.

But considering the fact that India is a huge and multi cultural society, if we would have divided voting at that point of time, don’t you think it would have created further inequality?

Possibly, but then you see this decision was taken without knowing any consequences. It was an act of faith and Nehru was largely behind it.

The trend of Indian government in the past few elections has moved towards a coalition government. Do you think that it is undermining the position of the government at the Centre?

These are all very nuanced and complex things. And we have to understand all the nuances and complexities. Coalition governments are manifestations of a process that at one level are healthy. Because it was not healthy for Congress to dominate all of India. So, Single party dominance was not healthy. We needed regional forces, secluded groups like Dalits to find their voices. That’s part of the repining of Indian Democracy. So that’s one part of it. At the same time, if we aggregate this deepening, this diversity to the national level you get fragmented national groups. So, democracy is not about perfection, you can’t get perfect solutions, rational outcomes, it is not mathematics. It’s all about accommodation of compromise and negotiations. And coalition governments are part of that. At one level they represent the deepening of Indian democracy and at another level they inhibit rational policy making because they are too many special interests in designing policy making.

But at the time of elections, there is so much of dirty politics that is played among various political parties to gain power. For example, statements made by Varun Gandhi during elections?

No but that statement had nothing to do with it. It was excessive and the BJP should have condemned it. So it was unnecessary and BJP even now realise that they should have condemned it.

India has been a prime target for terrorist attacks and bombings, especially in the past year. When Mumbai was attacked on 26th November, 2008, the world witnessed an uprising among the general citizens of India about government’s carelessness in its ability to handle such situations. In your opinion, has that awareness or uprising among the Indians made any impact on the way the government has been functioning?

No it has nothing to do with that. Nothing at all. In fact voting in Bombay was forty per cent. The same people who protested for one day didn’t even go and vote. But it is true that we live in a disturbed neighbourhood with failing states around us and we will be vulnerable to terrorism. So we can only expect to have robust security system against external threats.

Just a few days back, a judgement was passed to legalise homosexuality in the country. What is your opinion on this judgement?

I am delighted. I was one of the hundred signatories to the petition in Delhi High Court. It has come belatedly but I am delighted it has come.

If you think by the mention of the phrase “magical landscapes”, I intend to take you into Grandma’s world of fairy tale stories then you are completely mistaken, but definitely in for a big surprise. Some of the most scintillating landscapes that have been beautifully painted by Dr. A Murugesan were on display at The Nehru Centre last week. The canvas was sometimes full of bright colours and a clear sky or a dark blue night with reflections of a monument. Each painting looked realistic and at the same time showcased the artist’s creativity in playing with his palette. The things to look out for were rich grasslands in sunny weather of London or an astonishing view of Tower Bridge. What fascinated me the most was a beautiful painting of Taj Mahal lit up by the moonlight. That image remains special in the heart of every Indian and thus seeing it in real made it even more special.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Michael Wood, a historian and TV presenter. It was a treat for art lovers who came in large numbers and enjoyed the works with a glass of wine. The exhibition witnessed many amazed faces and there was a sense of admiration amongst everyone. I spoke to Dr. A Murgesan, the artist himself to know what he had to say about his work. He says the freshness and immediacy of watercolours, their translucency and vibrancy always attracted him, Though difficult to master, watercolour kindles his passion and throws a challenge every time he approaches the paper with paint.

Give us a brief idea of the concept of Magical Lands; Magical Landscapes?

‘Magical Lands: Magical Landscapes’: My paintings are done mostly in different countries, continents even. The beauty of each landscape is totally magical in inspiring me into painting them. The seasons, the elements of nature, (sky, water, land etc) are the ones I interpreted in my efforts. As individual paintings they represent the particular moment of time but looking as a whole, long after I painted them, one could see a common thread of time, space and colours which could be only termed as ‘magical’.

Like many artists, your work too might have evolved over years. Do you see any particular phases in the way your work has evolved?

A good lesson every aspiring artist gets is that never throw away your unsuccessful paintings. Go back to them to remind yourself where you went wrong. The difficult phases of evolution of your art are the hard ones to forget. Like one famous watercolourist said ‘ watercolour is a lifetime pursuit, always uphill’, the way you come up is always remembered and the peaks to reach always look hard but the challenge of the whole thing is the one keeps you going.

What would you say were the strong influences on you during childhood that brought out the artist in you?

I still remember the two art teachers in my high school and what they taught. I had lots of interest in drawing and I was very much influenced by the artists of the children’s magazines whom I tried to imitate. They made a big impression on me and always reminded me that there is something for me to pursue apart from the chosen walk of profession/career.

What are your views on art being classified as classical and modern?

Every artist is an imitator. The classical aspect is very fundamental to all and it is timeless. When an artist imitates the ways of the modern world, it may take different forms and expressions. The amount of classicism and modernism by which one is influenced varies from artist to artist. It also depends how much you are prepared to experiment in your art.

Do you think the west is open to contemporary Indian art?

The signs are that there is great new world of opportunities to contemporary Indian art in the Western world.

Finally, who’s work do you admire the most among the new generation of artists and why?

Due to circumstances, my art developed in the traditions of the West from where I admire many painters. David Curtis, Peter Woolley, Anthony Fleming- UK, Robert Wade-Australia, Joseph Zbukvic-Croatia, John Pike, James Donald Patterson-USA to name a few. Milind Mullick is the one Indian watercolourist I admire most. All of them have unique styles of painting but there is one thing in common, to capture the freshness of watercolour, the most admirable quality of the medium.

(To know more about the artist and his upcoming exhibitions please log on to www.muruarts.com)

Deepika Padukone

It has been a pretty well laid out road for you ever since Om Shanti Om. How do you feel about it?

Well I am glad. Sometimes when you think that you want to do something in life and then it starts coming through, you start questioning it. But it’s been great. I am completely enjoying myself being a part of this industry and doing some great cinema, working with some great directors and great films.

We saw a very different Deepika in Chandni Chowk to China? How did you manage that change from a subtle to an action filled role?

I think the fact that I have been an athlete somewhere in my life helped. I always wanted to bring out the sporty side in me and make it a part of one of my films or one of my characters and I managed to do that with Chandni Chowk. And I think it really helped because the intensive training that I went through for six months, I don’t think it would have been possible if I wasn’t already athletic. But it was a great experience, especially the training process. My trainers came down from Hong Kong and I have learnt a lot.

We absolutely loved you in that movie.

Thank you

What are some of the forthcoming movies for you?

My next release in Imtiaz Ali’s Love Aajkal. It should release soon, they haven’t decided the date yet but in the next couple of months we should have a date. And right now I am working on a film called ‘Kartik calling Kartik’ which is directed by a new director, Vijay Lalwani and it’s with Farhan Akhtar.

What is your dream role Deepika? One role that you really want to do in your career?

I think as an actor I would like to do different kinds of roles and work with different kinds of directors and do different kinds of cinemas which fortunately I think I am already being able to do. Om Shanti Om, I think was one of the most wonderful launched anyone could have ever got. And the way Farah portrayed me in the film, I don’t think anyone has been portrayed that way, especially a newcomer with the complete retro Indian look and all of that.

But again with the three films that have been released and all the ones that are going to come up soon, each character is different from the other film but I would really like to do a period film. I always wanted to do an action film and I got to do it with Chandni Chowk so now I am looking forward to doing a very ethnic Indian period film.

Do we see you with Ranbir any time soon?

Hopefully

It is commendable how you both manage your relationship so well despite the busy schedules and all the rumours. What is the secret?

Well the secret is about being happy and not letting the world affect you. And I think the fact that we are very happy and comfortable and secure in the space that we are in, so we just let each other be. We are very happy doing our own things.

What are some other works that you are doing apart from Cinema? As a celebrity you can bring about a change in many people’s life, how are you doing that?

Apart from cinema, one thing that I really feel for is the need for health and fitness and to include sports in your daily life. I follow that myself and like I said, I have been an athlete earlier and now to keep up with that I do yoga everyday and it makes a huge difference to me both physically and mentally.

So what I am trying to do is set up an organisation where I can help sports people. In India unfortunately there is an incredible amount of talent where sports people are concerned but there are lack of resources and funds to support these people. So I would really like to do something for that.

Click here to listen to the interview

Bollywood Actor Salman Khan

Bollywood actor Salman Khan was in London for the shooting of his film Veer. The shooting took place at King Charles Street in Westminster. The street was set up to the theme of a typical English style market. Salman Khan dressed in brown trousers, light brown short kurta and a black leather jacket dropped in early at the sets to interact with his crew members. Newcomer Zarine Khan who is said to be a lookalike of Katarina Khan was also present at the sets for the shooting of that particular sequence.

After the shooting, I got a chance to speak to Salman about his latest movie and his future projects.

Why specifically London for your movie?

Salman Khan: It is based in London. This is during the British Raj and these boys have come here to study. Basically how they used to think. So he comes here and falls in love here.

Tell us a little more about the story?

SK: I can’t tell you anything about the story. The film is going to release in Diwali, there is a long time for that. So when we promote the film that time, then we will talk about it. But I can tell you this that I have written the film. I wrote this film 22 years ago. At that time, the budgets were not that big, special effects were not that good, and the film was twenty years ahead of its time. So I think right now is the best time to do this film. I wanted to direct this film but it would have taken another ten years. So Anil Sharma is a very competent director, you have seen his films; he has made larger than life films. So I thought he was the right choice to do this film.

Do you see this relevant in today’s time considering it was written almost twenty years back?

SK: Well most of the scenes are same but we changed a lot. It’s a film on men and love and all that kind of stuff.

With Salman Khan

So the Indian cinema is very much going global. Do you see that?

SK: Yes I very much see that. It’s good; I mean we have been making films like slumdog millionaire from time and on. But it’s actually a shame that a foreign director had to come and do this and it was acclaimed. I mean there are a lot of directors in our industry who have made films like these but have never got their critical acclaim.

And Finally Salman, what are some future projects for you?

SK: The next films that will be released is ‘Wanted’. After that it is ‘Main aur Mrs. Khanna’ and then its London Dreams. So I have quite a few movies releasing this year and all of them are super films.

Click here to listen to the interview

The London Book Fair kick-started with long queues of people waiting to enter the large Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre. The book fair’s market focus for this year is India and is being attended by some 50 Indian writers and 90 publishers. Although the global economic crisis might have affected exhibitor participation, the crowd seemed as enthusiastic as ever to visit the fair.

With India the focus country for the fair this year, a bag full of big names are expected to attend and deliver lectures at the fair. From Vikram Seth to Amartya Sen, Amit Chaudhuri and Ramchandra Guha, it seems like the country’s best writers are ready to share their intellect with England. At least 54 countries are represented at the fair.

An Interview with Javed Akhtar

I got an opportunity to interview Mr. Javed Akhtar

With Javed Akhtar

What is your take on India being the theme for London Book Fair 2009?

Well, it is a great thing but we shouldn’t be surprised. Today, India has a position in the International world. Indian films are making inroads everywhere and they are being appreciated worldwide. Indian artists are doing work outside across the world. Indian film-makers are making cross over movies. Great deals of things are happening at the moment in the Indian subcontinent. In terms of Indian literature, writers are doing extremely well in the western hemisphere. Looking at the aspect of music, Indian music has definitely become very popular worldwide. One might feel happy but not surprised with this.

Do you see a growing trend in Indian writers from India?

Yes, Of course. There is a growth and they are doing very well across the world.

Now, talking in terms of your organisation, Muslim for Secular Democracy, can you tell us a bit more about it and the kind of work it is doing?

As a matter of fact one can say and one won’t be too wrong if one says that there is a contradiction in terms that if you are secular or democratic then why Muslim, why Christian, why Hindu? And obviously all those people who are in this organisation were, till yesterday, part of different liberal, secular, progressive groups. But we realised that whenever we opposed the fundamentalist voice within our community where we were born, and that was not a matter of choice, the fundamentalist groups say that maybe these are some individuals who have opinions. But we are not some individuals, we are an organization and this organization’s opinion represents the opinion of the masses in the community. And thus we decided to give back an answer to them by forming a secular, liberal, progressive and democratic Muslims.

So, you can say that within this community there is another organisation which is a counter point of the fundamentalists. And this is also a voice, not of the individual but of a segment. I believe people who are against fundamentalist, against anti-women, anti-liberal and anti-conservative views should get a platform and make it very clear that the fundamentalist voice is not the sole representative of the community. That is the basic purpose.