Dead ridley turtles line Orissa beach

Kendrapara (Orissa), Feb 13: The tranquil Satabhaya coast along Orissa's Gahirmatha marine sanctuary has turned into a graveyard of Olive Ridley sea turtles, days ahead of the 'arribada' or mass laying of eggs. 

The lifeless bodies of the unique aquatic species lined a kilometre-long stretch of the sandy beach presenting a tragic sight and more bodies piled up with each passing day. 

Official sources said around 1900 bodies were counted till date within the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, but Sashmita Rout, the sarpanch of the Satabhaya grampanchayat, claimed that as per a conservative estimate, the latest toll should not be less than 5000. 

Rout said the beach wore a ghastly look with bloated and decomposed bodies being dissected by stray dogs. There were deep marks of injury on some of the bodies. 

Last year too hundreds of turtles were found dead on the same spot - victims of illegal poaching by mechanised fishing trawlers - raising animal lovers' concern. 

Thousands of Olive Ridleys get killed along the Orissa coast every year by getting entangled in the nets of the trawlers that operate illegally in the prohibited zones when lakhs of these endangered species congregate for mating. 

Rout said the count would go up in the next few days and fears that the decomposed bodies of these turtles may trigger health problems. 

"Pungent odour emanating from the beach has made the lives miserable for residents of nearby Satabhaya village. We are apprehensive that the heaps of decomposed bodies might trigger health hazards," Rout said. 

"We have asked the Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division officials to take stock of the situation," the chief conservator of forest, S A Srivastava, said. 

As a large number of carcasses are yet to be buried, stray dogs have acted as scavenging agents eating up the bodies, he said. 

SRK’s Billu (Barber) Movie Review

SRK’s Billu (Barber) Movie Review— It’s Boring To Be Dull. Ok, ladies and gentlemen, the trilogy of The Curse of Katha Parayumbol is now officially complete with Rajnikanth in Kuselan (Tamil), Kathanayuku (Telugu) and Shah Rukh Khan in Billu (Hindi). I believe SRK was offered two choices by Priyadarshan (who a long while back vowed never to indulge in remakes) and SRK choose to take on the Curse through Red Chillies (his (wife’s) production house), but unfortunately Billu is not worth this effort as it is boring and dull.

billuposter12Billu (Irfan Khan) is an honest, sincere guy who is ready to be a loser even if it means he is unable to make ends meet. He doesn’t have money for electricity bills and his kid’s school fee. ‘Modern’ Madan’s modern hair cut salon has taken over Billu’s business. Meanwhile, Sahir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) decides to shoot a part of his inter-galactic twin brother sentiment film in a small village that happens to be where Billu is. We are then taken by surprise (read forced) to believe that Billu and Sahir where chaddi buddies and thus his wife, kids, village folk everybody wants him to introduce them to Sahir Khan. However, Billu is hesistant as he feels Sahir will not remember him and he will be ridiculed.

The school’s management (who remove Billu’s kids from school) are now willing to waive their tuition and fees if Billu can get Sahir to attend their school’s function; Billu falters at this too. Eventually, Sahir Khan attends the function and in his speech to kids he begins to reminiscence about this childhood friend Billu who helped and cared for him and saw in him the actor he is today.

At one point, the village folk get so frustrated with Billu that they even file a 420 case against Billu for faking to them and now everybody (including the kids who begin to disrespect their father for not getting them introduced to Sahir Khan) is repenting for misunderstanding Billu, The Great. Sahir Khan comes to their house, hugs and promises to come back to go down memory lane. By which time, you’re happy that these boring 16 reels have come to an end.

Conceptually the film is brilliant, which explains why Super Stars themselves have been tempted to remake this film. It talks about childhood, friendship, hardship, how life takes you on divergent journeys etc. However, the problem is when you begin to hijack this concept to make it appear like a Super Star’s Post Card. Sahir’s thread is just plain silly while Billu’s thread is dull. SRK is making a film where twin brothers get separated to different planets and will be eventually brought together by beeping lockets. Shahrukh’s wadrobe looks like desinger space suits and goggles. There are senseless references to his previous film being controversial involving politicians and thus the Z-grade security. Included in this silly thread are references to the Khan-Khan fight and how film industry is a family and that such fights are common, Abhay Kumar’s jumping around, and the silliest of all: Sahir inviting kids to a lunch where every kid’s plate has a tumbler and a bottle of Pepsi next to it! (yes, this is what kids need, a bottle of Pepsi to go with thier daily lunch). 

The narration is so dull that even the three chart busters with the leading models of Bollywood fail to create an impact. Order of the item songs: Love Mera Hit Hit (Deepika is ultra hot and is the only paisa vasool element of this enterprise), Aa aa oo (Sahir’s entry into the village with clips from his past blockbuster films), Khudaya Khair (Priyanka gets the raw deal with only a couple of minutes as her hip-hop pelvic gyrating number is mixed within the family version of Khudaya Khair), and last is Marjaani (Kareena Kapoor is as usual sickly and it is even more ghastly to watch the camera move close on her thin and lifeless bust n butt).

The story thread that involves Billu and his gang of friends (the usual suspects in a Priyadarshan film, but no Paresh Rawal) just does not deliver. Honestly, there was no scene or sequence thabilluposter2t could make me laugh. The only scene that almost died trying was the one where Mr. Choube is asked to recite a dialouge–about lost brothers, bhagwan, locket etc— in a police inspector get-up. The problem with the film is that the connection between Billu and his Star friend is not convincing and Billu’s characterization is weak. At no point does Sahir Khan think or talk about his friends and out of the blue in the climax we are told by him with tears in his eyes about Billu, The Great. Instead of revolving around the barder, the film revolves around the Star. Shar Rukh Khan is ok, nothing much going on.

Irfan Khan delivers a sincere performance. Lara Dutta is unconvincing; the same model who was photographed bathing in a tub for a calender as a poor village lady? Please, make it stop. Pritam’s music saves the film. Technically, it is a well made film. Priyadarshan fails to keep his promise; he said it is not a remake of Kuselan, but it is. Looks like Priyadarshan decided not to use his brain for this film. It is the same treatment and the same narration: unconvincing. I read a couple of other reviews, which suggest that this is a kids film—utter nonsense. There is no fun here for kids, not even the shooting which seems to happen in one take! However, if you do take your kids then they might demand that a bottle of Pepsi be served with ther daily lunch!

What could have been a wonderful film that elevates Shah Rukh Khan’s super star image by taking the audience through a lengendary journey from TV artist to an International Super Star, is totally trashed and reduced to silliness by over exposure and brainless treatment. The narration is so bland that even when you see SRK posters and craze all around in the village you just don’t feel the excitement. Director Priyadarshan and SRK’s extended guest appearence together ensure that Red Chillies Entertainments does not make the hattrick; after giving blockbuster entertainment with Main Hoon Na and Om Shanthi Om, Billu is a total loser. (Courtesy: mrinkenti.wordpress.com)

Ranbir and I are so close . . .

Sonam Kapoor talks ten-a-dozen about her new film, losing 35 kilos, love for vintage fashion and her link-ups

SHE puts her lunch plate aside to excitedly open the parcel that has just arrived from net-a-porter. "They're the new clothes I ordered online," she exclaims. She pulls out a bright red dress, a smart white outfit and an off-shoulder gray top. Like any excited 20-something, Sonam Kapoor shows off her latest acquisition, discussing with those around which one she should wear, and which she should save for a special day. 

Five feet nine, the not-so-little daughter of Anil Kapoor dressed in a black Moschino dress, removes her four-inch pencil-thin heels, saying, "My feet hurt. I will wear them later for the photo shoot." 

When someone mentions her father's enthusiasm for film promotion, she laughs, "That's because my dad loves talking about himself." 

An international beauty brand has signed her on as the brand ambassador and she quickly says she isn't endorsing a fairness cream. As she settles down for the interview, she slouches on a pillow and asks, with a laugh, "Can I sit like this?"

Of course you can. So tell me, are you nervous about Delhi-6?
I was never nervous, not even during Saawariya's release. I was very serious at that time. This time, I am just excited. 
Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone were awarded the most promising debut... (interrupts)
Whatever.

...and you were left behind.
It didn't upset me that people were talking more about Ranbir. At least they were talking about the film. I can't compete with everybody and say 'Oh, people are talking about Kareena or Deepika or Rani...' I don't think anything negative was said about me. People thought that I could act. And that is more important than getting awards or being just a pretty face.

Go on...
I can imagine how difficult it 
must be for Ranbir and Deepika because they have already achieved that height. From down, you can only go up and from up you can only come down. That's the way of life. That's gravity. I can only get better. 
They (Ranbir and Deepika) already have set a benchmark and now they are in a tougher position than I am. The expectation isn't as much from me as from these two. I got Delhi-6. It's the best project I could ask for.

The promos look promising. How many compliments have you got?
Many. Frankly, the response I am getting from just two promos 
of Delhi-6 is more than what I 
have got from one year of being in the industry. I am feeling so 
good right now. Touchwood. (Laughs)

And what are your parents saying?
My mom and dad are not home. (Pulls a face and laughs)

Your dad is everywhere with Slumdog Millionaire. 
He deserves it. It's so cool that he is being talked about. Thirty years of hard work are now paying off. I am happy for him. He is enjoying himself. That's the good thing about my dad he enjoys every moment of life. 
I feel proud when he does such films. (Smiles) Dad is courageous enough to experiment.

What about you? In both your films, you play the conservative girl. 
People have their own perceptions because of the character I portray. It's not Sonam. In real life, I am not conservative at all. I love partying. I wear what I want to wear. My parents are completely chilled out. Just because I don't have a boyfriend, it doesn't mean I am conservative. It's just that there are no good men in Bombay right now. (Laughs)

What about your link-up with Ranbir?
That's absolutely untrue. Ranbir is like (hesitates for words) my chaddi buddy. He is my back-slapping friend. We don't look at each other in that sense. We never did. I think he was seeing Deepika at the time, isn't it? (she asks her make-up team). People just can't handle good friendships.

Now you socialise with Ranbir and Deepika a lot.
Yes, I do. I mean, I go out with Ranbir and Deepika is his girlfriend so she comes along. We always go out in a group.

Who is the boy accompanying you?
(Laughs) I don't have a boy with me. I have lots of boys accompanying me and that's because all my friends are boys. I have five of them.

Old friends?
Of course, all school friends. We have all grown up together. My best friend is Kunal Rawal, Shaila Khan... actually they are not from the film industry.

What about the link-up between you and Kunal Kapoor?
I have met the man only twice in my life when he came to the sets of Delhi-6 to meet Rakeysh. It's the most absurd rumour I have heard in my life. I think it's because his surname and mine are the same. Maybe that's why Ranbir and I were linked up. 
God, at least let me do something with somebody before you write about it. Ranbir, I can understand because we are always hanging out together. Kunal is 
older to me. It's a very annoying question. (Sighs)

Okay, then tell me the fun you had while shooting Delhi-6?
It was mostly work but every 10-15 days we used to take a day off and party the night before. Delhi has the best chaats and meat. Right after the metro station, there's this person who gives the best chole bhature. So we used to pick up those all the time. I also fell sick but it's okay. I went and had some more the next day. (Laughs) We Indians have a strong stomach.

What about your diet? Wasn't it tough maintaining it?
(Smiles) I was always thin but I put on weight when I went to college, which everybody does, right? I never wanted to be an actress so there was no need for me to be slim. But at one point, it started getting unhealthy. I used to eat junk food like crazy. And it's not good because the skin becomes oily and you become lethargic and lazy. So what I did was I signed Saawariya when Black was being shot and started controlling my diet, exercising and dancing a lot. I lost the weight slowly.

So it's true that you lost 30 kilos?
Actually, 35! (Laughs)

How much did you weigh before?
86 kilos. (Makes a face). But really, it's very easy to lose weight.

Did you go to some dietician or doctor?
No, I did it on my own. The thing is that when you are young, it's very easy to lose weight. I just stopped eating junk food and controlled my sugar intake.

You have also been seen on the ramp a lot recently.
Anamika (Khanna) and I have a great equation and she asked me to do it, so I walked for the Couture Week. With Tarun (Tahiliani), it's the same thing. I can't say no to people who give me clothes all the time. And, I also love their sense of fashion. Anamika Khanna and Anuradha Vakil treat me like their doll whom they dress up all the time. I can't say no to them.
  
But you said no to Kites?
No, I didn't. I would be a dumbo to say no to a film like that. It has Duggu (Hrithik Roshan), and Anurag (Basu) is my one of my favourite directors. You know I actually asked my dad to sign Anurag. I have seen all his films.

What about plans to work in your dad's project?
I would love to work in my dad's project if he thinks I am good enough to do his films. As of now, I haven't signed on the dotted line. I hope to soon. (Smiles)

Anything else you would like to add?
No, I am fine. (Laughs)

'Clothes are romantic, especially the ones with a past'
> Which is that one question you don't like being asked?
Anyone can ask me anything. 
> One question you love answering.
I like talking about my film.
> Comments you didn't like?
I swear to you, I am not a person who gets offended by anything. 
> Best compliment you have got for your clothes.
When someone says, 'Oh god Sonam, it's so you.' That's good because I know I am not aping anybody. When you have your own identity, it works.
> There was a particular black and white dress you wore...
It was Anamika Khanna's outfit. A lot of people loved it. Only your newspaper wrote bad things about the dress. It's a couture outfit. I still have it. I can send it to your office if you like. (Laughs)
> One word to describe Ranbir Kapoor?
A friend.
> Deepika Padukone.
Beautiful.
> Kunal Kapoor?
Who?
> Your favourite Indian designers?
Anamika Khanna, Anuradha Vakil and Sabyasachi Mukherjee.
> Comfort dress.
Pajamas.
> Are you brand crazy?
No, I am crazy about fashion. I like a lot of vintage stuff. And it's way cheaper than brands. But I like brands too. I think fashion designers are like artists and I like buying art. So yes, I do love brands. But I also like clothes that are beautiful and they need not necessarily be brands. 
> You shop at flea markets then?
I shop a lot from flea markets and vintage stores... One Of The Kinds in London and Frock in New York. I will buy a YSL dress for $35 from Frock and wear it, dreaming about someone who wore it 35 years ago. Clothes are very romantic for me, especially the ones with a past. 
> What about yourself?
I am completely a romantic at heart.
> What kind of love story do you dream of for yourself?
A passionate, amazing friendship... that's the love story I want.

Global warming at it's WORST

The climate is heating up far faster than scientists had predicted, spurred by sharp increases in greenhouse gas emissions from developing countries like China and India, a top climate scientist said on Saturday.

"The consequence of that is we are basically looking now at a future climate that is beyond anything that we've considered seriously," Chris Field, a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, told the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Chicago.

Field said "the actual trajectory of climate change is more serious" than any of the climate predictions in the IPCC's fourth assessment report called "Climate Change 2007."

He said recent climate studies suggested the continued warming of the planet from greenhouse gas emissions could touch off large, destructive wildfires in tropical rain forests and melt permafrost in the Arctic tundra, releasing billions of tons of greenhouse gasses that could raise global temperatures even more.

"There is a real risk that human-caused climate change will accelerate the release of carbon dioxide from forest and tundra ecosystems, which have been storing a lot of carbon for thousands of years," Field, of Stanford University and the Carnegie Institution for Science, said in a statement.

He pointed to recent studies showing the fourth assessment report underestimated the potential severity of global warming over the next 100 years.

"We now have data showing that from 2000 to 2007, greenhouse gas emissions increased far more rapidly than we expected, primarily because developing countries, like China and India, saw a huge surge in electric power generation, almost all of it based on coal," Field said.

He said that trend was likely to continue if more countries turned to coal and other carbon-intensive fuels to meet their energy needs. If so, he said the impact of climate change would be "more serious and diverse" than the IPCC's most recent predictions.

Team India want 5-0

As the young fans stood in a queue, flipping pages of their autograph books to see if they had enough pages left, their excitement was not an indication of the interest in this low-profile one-day series but in Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Indian Cricket team.

Going into the last match on Sunday, they are in a position where every game is an opportunity to set the bar higher after already having set an Indian record by winning nine ODIs in a row. Though the team don’t have an array of stars like Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Mohammad Azharrudin, Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly or Rahul Dravid, names such as Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni and Zaheer Khan are now starting to command an aura of their own.

“One of the main reasons why this is the best Indian team is because we enjoy each other’s success. We are like a family,” said fast bowler Ishant Sharma on Saturday. “Even when we lose, or when someone does badly, we don’t point fingers at each other. There is no sense of insecurity among the players, and no one plays for himself but for the team,” he added.

For example, he said, Suresh Raina could have held on to the strike and completed a 50 in the fourth one-dayer, or Dhoni could have slowed down and reached his century. When asked about the mind-set, Dhoni said: “There was a ball change in the 34th over and we had to take the second powerplay as well, so one of the batsmen had to capitalise. As captain, I decided to take the initiative to go after the bowling, but I got out on 94.”

Opener Gambhir, now the team’s most reliable batsman, said the main reason for his golden run has been a sense of security provided by the skipper and coach Gary Kirsten.

“I’m much more relaxed. Once you feel secure of your place in the side, and know that one or two failures are not going to make much difference, you feel a lot more confident. It’s going to be a fantastic achivement if we can make it 5-0. You want to be a part of history. Winning 4-0 is not enough. When you go onto the field you go to win. Great teams are those who don’t let up,” he said, making India’s intentions clear for Sunday’s day-match.

One-day Cricket is all about the start — with the bat and the ball — and this Indian team has forged potentially dangerous partnerships with both. Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Gambhir with the bat, and Zaheer, Ishant, and Praveen Kumar with the ball. And then there are players such as Yuvraj, Dhoni and Raina in the middle-order, along with plenty of makeshift bowling options. The pieces of jigsaw have all started to fit in nicely.

Even Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan had words of admiration for how the Indians have shaped up. “One of the reasons why this team is doing so well is because they have confidence. That was the case with the Australian team that won so many matches in a row as well. India have just had a landslide 5-0 win against England, so they’re feeling good and playing without the fear or failure.”

On Sunday, India will make two changes to their side, with Lakshmipathy Balaji set to make his return into the XI three years after his last match at the same venue, and Yuvraj Singh will sit out for Tendulkar. The hot weather will be of concern for the Indian team, but Sri Lanka will just be concerned about avoiding a whitewash.

Rs 20 cr swiped from banks, racket using fake cards busted

New Delhi: The Crime Branch claims to have busted a racket in which the accused duped several banks of crores by swiping fake and stolen credit cards and getting assured cash back against non-existing purchases, running into thousands.

After eight arrests last month, two more — Mohit Jain, a dealer of cosmetics, and Amit Batra, a jeweller — were arrested this week. Between themselves, Jain and Batra defrauded banks up to Rs 12 crore, sources in the Crime Branch said. The total fraud made by the racket could be as big as Rs 20 crore, the sources said.

The others arrested are Jaspal Singh, Amit Shukla and Pankaj Aggarwal (said to be the masterminds), Suresh Goel, Anil Singhal, Rajesh Kalra, Gurpreet Singh and Rajesh. All 10 are into different businesses, the police said.

According to a source, the businessmen showed purchases through Electronic Data Capturing (EDC) machines — used to swipe credit cards — with fake and stolen cards. They reportedly took the cash percentage (5 per cent for customers, 4 per cent for shops/merchants) from different banks.

The police have recovered 206 fake and stolen credit cards of different banks from their possession. The accused got EDC machines issued in the name of seven non-existing companies, the source said.

The source said the con game has been going on since 2007, though the first complaint made by a bank (officers refused to divulge names of the banks) came to the police as late as last November.

Customers usually get cash back up to 5 percent from banks or card providers on shopping through credit cards. Shopowners swipe the cards in EDC machines and send the invoices of purchases to respective banks — the business/service owner usually gets 4 per cent of sales amount, while 2.5 per cent goes to the bank.

The accused, police officials said, took both the 5 per cent cash-back for customers and 4.5 per cent meant for the business owner; and since there were no sales, their articles also remained intact. The police found out that the seven firms they had apparently set up to get the EDC machines also did not exist.

Based on a complaint made by a bank, the Crime Branch registered an FIR in November 2008 under Indian Penal Code Sections related to cheating and forgery. Crime Branch officials said they suspect more persons are involved and the fraud is much larger in scope.

Most Anticipated Games of 2009

Most Anticipated Games of 2009

With the advent of 2009 it’s raining good news all over. Targeting the gaming world we are proud to present the list of most anticipated games of 2009.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Apart from the news that the game is a direct sequel of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare there is almost no info about the game. But my friends if this one is even half as good as its previous installments, then we are looking at another game of the year.

Final Fantasy XIII

The plot focuses on the fal'Cie, a race existing beyond humanity. With some excellent CGI trailers we are sure it’ll be a groin tightening experience and well worth the wait. 

Ghostbusters: The Video Game

Ok, so you won’t get play as any of the star Ghost Bustersbut you will be playing as a new recruit who wants to prove that he has what it takes to splattermucousy ghouls with ectoplasmic rays. The game is based two years after the events in Ghostbusters II. It’s Thanksgiving 1991 and paranormal activity is on a rise during unveiling of a certain Gozer exhibit.

The Godfather 2

Set in late 1950’s the game spans over 3 cities: Havana, New York City and Miami. You are, as usual, not a member of the Corleone family, playing as Dominic, a more violent, aggressive and ruthless leader you have to take control of various crime rings, in order to become themost powerful mobster in America.

GTA Chinatown Wars

The story revolves around the Triads and Korean gangs. We will assume the role of Huang Lee age 25, a member of the Triads who is all set to avenge his father’s death.

Halo Wars

The game takes place 20 years before the original Halo: Combat Evolved. No, it’s not another shoot ‘em up. Rather Halo Wars is the first strategy based combat game of the series that allows you to command & control your forces on the battlefield. Characters named so far: Captain James Cutter, Professor Anders, Sergeant John Forge, an Arbiter, Serina, Alice, and the Prophet of Regret.

Resident Evil 5

A Caucasian Protagonist, Black sidekick and African zombies, this game has been criticized of being racist since the launch of its first trailer. But we know it’s gonna be kick ass.

Street Fighter IV 

Apart from new characters and new moves here is a list of add-ons that you’ll get with the game.

• A disc including the animated short film titled Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind.
  
• A soundtrack CD.
  
• Crimson Viper and Ryu figurines.
  
• A comic book style mini strategy guide by Prima, featuring artwork by UDON.
  

And yes all previous characters are back.

Tekken 6

The game boasts a total of 42 characters with more customization options, more moves, longer health bar and weapons. Virtually all of the Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection characters will be returning with new additional characters.

The Beatles Video Game

Based on the Rock Band game play and featuring the musical and visual history of the band the game will hit the markets in late 2009. Harmonix, along with MTV Games and Apple Corps, Ltd are producing this opus of games. Despite building on the Rock Band game play, this will not be a Rock Bandbranded title, and that the songs will not be available as downloadable content for the Rock Band series.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Genelia beats Rani

How does it feels when your capability and talent is sidelined and you are replaced by a young budding actor. This insulting feeling can best be explained by Bengali babe Rani Mukherjee. Rani Mukherjee has been beaten by the new gal Genelia D'souza for Fanta commercial. The reason is Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na actress Genelia D'souza is young and effervesces. She is young new face and now the endorsers are running after her. The Coca Cola Company has broken the contract with Rani Mukherjee owing to her fast decreasing popularity and growing age.

Rani Mukherjee is not only out of Fanta ad but also kicked out of the 'Titan Raga' campaign. The company had the feeling that as the cold drink targets to the young generation, Genelia D'souza would be the best choice as Rani has touched 30 and almost looses her charm.   After Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na hit the box office, Genelia became the hot favorite of the youngsters. A Coca Cola India spokesperson says, "Yes, we have signed Genelia and shot the ad too. It's supposed to come on air by February 15. We have not renewed Rani's contract after it got expired. It is not appropriate for us to give a comment on who is a bigger star -- both are stars in their own right."