With President’s assent, Lokpal becomes law

President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent to the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill recently passed by the parliament making it a law of the land. He signed the documents containing authentic copy of Lokpal Bill and amendments to it sent to him by the law ministry on new year’s day.

The Lok Sabha secretariat had sent the copy of the bill to the law ministry on Tuesday evening with the signature of Speaker Meira Kumar. It was then forwarded to Rashtrapati Bhavan for the president's signature.

The movement for a Lokpal bill got steam after the agitation launched by social activist Anna Hazare in 2011. The initial draft of the bill was disapproved by him. But Hazare gave his thumbs up to the amended Bill during his recent fast in Ralegan-Siddhi in Maharashtra.

The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in 2011 and was taken up in the Rajya Sabha but could not be voted upon as the house was adjourned sin die by the speaker at the midnight. It was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee.

Later the Bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha and referred to the select committee. The amended Bill was again tabled in the Rajya Sabha on December 16 and passed by voice vote. The following day, it was passed by the Lok Sabha without debate.

The Bill provides for creation of anti-graft ombudsman to investigate corruption charges against public functionaries including prime minister, ministers and members of parliament. Among other provisions, the Bill makes it incumbent upon states to make within a year their own law for setting up Lokayuktas on the lines of the Lokpal Bill.

The ruling Congress had made a fervent appeal to political parties to pass the bill during the winter session of parliament projecting its vice president Rahul Gandhi the hero for taking steps for the same. This appeal had come after Congress lost in four state elections and was looking for a save.

The BJP had not debated Lokpal and let it pass in the winter session but had questioned the timing of passing the Bill, while Samajwadi Party had staged a walk out from the both houses of the parliament.

The Aam Aadmi Party had vehemently opposed the Bill in it amended form too saying that it had defective provisions on how a Lokpal should be appointed. "Of the five-member committee, four are controlled by politicians. Then again the CBI officers are under the administrative control of the government and hence cannot function properly for Lokpal. Why should politicians insist on having an upper hand on appointing Lokpal?" AAP member Prashant Bhushan had asked.

The AAP was also targeted by various political parties for opposing Lokpal who saw it as loss of an agenda for the party if the Bill was passed.

-with inputs from IANS

Naseeruddin Shah: Amitabh Bachchan has perfected the art of being synthetic!

The actor plays a poet in his new film Dedh Ishqiya. Ask him about his character in the film and he says, “I just pretend to be a Nawab and a poet, but actually I am the same foul-mouthed Khallu deep down in the film.” Chilling in his track pants and casual t-shirt, the one thing that’s really noticeable about him is not just his simple appearance but also his downright honesty. People think that he’s the intense star who loves immersing himself into films. Well, not really. He says, “I like doing nothing; I am not a workaholic. I spend a lot of time doing nothing. I like to swim and play with my sons but it’s just great to do nothing at times.”

Naseeruddin Shah talks about Dedh Ishqiya, his chemistry with Madhuri Dixit and a lot more…

You share a lot of screen space with Arshad Warsi in Dedh Ishqiya…

That could be the result of the fact that Arshad and I got along pretty well. We dropped a lot to the box, which is why maybe Abhishek (Chaubey) decided to give us a lot of screen space.

You recently said that you are not a saleable actor, why do you think so?

Despite having some of the most successful films like Main Hoon Na, Krrish, Ishqiya and Monsoon Wedding, I am still not a saleable actor and I have no clue why. But I don’t break my head too much because I am earning as much as I need and that’s how it’s always been with me. Out of 250 films, at least 50 films I must have done free of charge. And out of those 50 perhaps at least 5 will be remembered I hope.

I hear Madhuri felt really shy while doing romantic scenes with you while shooting for Dedh Ishqiya?

I don’t know why she used to feel shy. What often happens in commercial films is that actors don’t look into each other’s eyes while acting, they look at the camera. That could be one of the reasons she felt shy. But I found that she’s one of the few actors who is comfortable looking into the eyes while she’s acting. I have worked with a lot of actors who get conscious when asked to look in the eye. So many times they have just asked me to look away. I think Madhuri is very confident. She doesn’t think of herself as a star. My friends and family are very impressed with her. She’s extremely dignified and charming.

You have done some amazing films, but you have also done films like Jackpot, why?

I toss the coin, and if its heads, I do it (laughs). But on a serious note, people do make mistakes at times and I am no exception.

So you stick to what you always say, ‘Bollywood makes trash’!

We are better looking trash. You compare our special effects with something like Iron man and Spiderman. You compare our storytelling with the kind of movies made in Iran, Poland and Brazil, we stand nowhere. Compare our musicals to the kind of stuff they make in the West, we are nowhere. We are stars who pander to their own egos all the time. People like Brad Pitt and the big stars out there in Hollywood; they use their star clout to change things unlike us. Hindi movies will continue to be popular throughout the globe only if we get our act together and start making reasonable films, and that seems highly unlikely.

Abhishek (director of Dedh Ishqiya) allowed you to improvise, say something about that…

He was open to suggestions. Abhi likes to encourage the participation of actors. He is also very fond of me and Arshad so a lot of affection was involved.

Today people like Nawazuddin are known solely for their acting. You think the audience is becoming more accepting?

Mentality is pretty much the same. The audience has always appreciated good acting. And now with unconventional people getting offers I think the credit should go to Amitabh Bachchan. Initially people used to say that he looks like a grasshopper and all. And now the same people think he’s a sexy man. So he has a hand in making the unconventional face acceptable. But I feel people like Nawazuddin and Irrfan should try and recognise their own strengths. They shouldn’t fall for the whole ‘fitting into the mould of a star’ thing. They should pave their own path and I think they both are in a position where they can perhaps do that. Filmmakers who give in to casting only good looking stars do that only to reach a wider audience. A star is a person who has spent 40-50 years perfecting the art of being synthetic. Amitabh has perfected that art, and he’s expected to be all real in his films now. He can’t be real in his real life ya.

You hardly promote your films, you don’t believe in all this, do you?

I think all this promotion crap is a waste of time. Promotions can’t make an unsuccessful film successful. And whichever films I haven’t promoted have done well. Ishqiya, Wednesday…they were all hits. And the films I have promoted have flopped. Uhhh…and now I am getting a li’l scared about Dedh Ishqiya (laughs).

Vivaan will be seen in Happy New Year, did you give him any acting tips?

I don’t know anything about acting in commercial films. So I don’t give him any tips. I trust him under Farah’s guidance. She cast him because of his own merit not because he’s my son. He got the role on his own.

Does one of the most versatile actors of Bollywood have any fears?

Yes…that I’ll get hit by a truck tomorrow and won’t be able to act anymore. That scares me a lot. It would be a very tough call to make if I am not able to act tomorrow.

Exclusive Interview of Naseeruddin Shah

Madhuri Dixit: Older heroines should romance younger men too!

With back to back women-oriented flicks (Gulaab Gang and Dedh Ishqiya) in the pipeline, Madhuri Dixit is in seventh heaven as she’s getting to do what she loves the most- do great films along with managing her adorable family. Not a crease of anxiety on her face, she in fact says, “No I am not nervous at all, I am very excited about getting back to the grind after a long gap.” She will also be seen making an appearance with Juhi Chawla on Koffee with Karan. And since she’s so busy with all the brouhaha of promotions, ask her what’s simpler, being an actor in the ‘90s or being a competitive performer in today’s times…to which she says, “In earlier days we never went out of our way to promote a film. We used to attend one function that was shown on every channel. I think it’s more hard work now.”

Tell us something about the graceful Begum Para from Dedh Ishqiya

Begum Para is a very beautiful character written by Abhishek (Chaubey) and team. She is beautiful, poetic and the royal begum of Mehmudabad in Lucknow. She’s a widow and she does a swayamarevery year because her husband’s wish was that if she ever gets married, then she should marry a poet. So there’s this swayamvar planned for her in which shayars have been summoned from all over the world, and she ends up bumping into Khalujaan (Naseeruddin Shah) there.

How much is at stake with this film.

A lot, because I am appearing on the big screen after a long gap. But I’ve tried to do my best. Begum Para is a strong character and what you see is very different from what you get, Begum Para is a multi-layered kind of a woman. But it all depends how the film does at the end of the day.

There are times the character is formed keeping you in mind and also there are times, you have to mould yourself as per the character, what do you prefer the most?

I think every character should have depth, the deeper the character is, more fun it is to perform. If it’s a character like… ‘Daddy main first aayi hun’ (laughs), then there’s absolutely no challenge. Thank God those roles are redundant now. I am thankful that cinema has come a long way; we aren’t just portraying avengers or just being plain eye candy. For women it’s a great time to be here.

Dedh Ishqiya is very raw and edgy, it’s the kind of film that requires one to get very intense and sensual; did you have any reservations with all that, since you are primarily associated with hard-core commercial and family-oriented cinema?

You will see on screen why I picked Begum Para. And I remember when I did Mrityudand, people were like why did you do it. But I wanted to ‘coz it was a very strong character.

Who do you think is your biggest contender?

This is a very creative field. Nobody is a contender. We are not horses and we are not running a race.

A lot of these older men romance younger heroines; don’t you think the older heroines should romance younger men too?

Ya, I think we should romance younger guys too (laughs). But there’s noting to be surprised, male domination is everywhere, not just here. I’ve always noticed that women have to work twice as hard to prove themselves. We always have to nudge and nudge and finally create a place for ourselves.

What about your kids, do they like it in india?

Yes, they love the informality in India. They love their school. The only thing they miss is parks. When we were in Denver, there was a park in almost every nook and cranny.

How do your kids react when they see you act?

Well, earlier they used to be like ‘mom you’re on TV’ (in an enthusiastic way), and now they are like ‘mom you are on TV’ (all bored and disinterested).

You have also worked with Birju Maharaj in the film

Ya, he has choreographed me in a song in which everything is conveyed through expressions. I was like a kid in a candy store, ‘yeh kaise karna hai, woh kaise karna hai’. It was a great learning experience.

You think married women have finally started to get roles in B-town?

Married women have always got roles. Meena Kumari, Rakhee, Sharmila Tagore – all of them worked after marriage. A lot of them, themselves decided to take a sabbatical, I remember Mumtaz did that.

Were you always inclined towards marrying a man who doesn’t belong to the industry?

When I met Dr Nene, I didn’t really think about all that. I never had a set criteria on the kind of a person I should marry.

Exclusive Madhuri Dixit Interview

How do a French braid bun?

French braids are classy, but the French braid bun is sleek and trendy. It looks fabulous with every outfit and can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. Here’s how you can make a chic French braid bun in easy steps. Read on:

Step 1:
Brush your hair thoroughly and work a bit of mousse onto it. This will help manage your hair better and the knots will be better defined. You can also use stay-on hairspray or styling gel on your hair.

Step 2:
Pull a bunch of hair from near the temple and make a French braid that runs across your head. It’s okay for stray hairs to pop out as they can be gelled on later. You can continue to spray some spray as you knot your hair so that it remains detangled.

Step 3:
Secure the end with an elastic band and give it a light tug so that you get a evenly messy look. You can also pull out a couple of strands from here and there to give it a messy, out-of-bed feel.

Step 4:
Twist the end of your braid around your head so that the end meats the temple. This will create a messy bun, which you can secure with colourful pins or beads.

Step 5:
Spray on some long lasting hair spray so that the bun stays in shape. You can either dress it up by pinning the ends with beads and decorative jewels or play it down by pulling out strays to give it a casual look. Either works, so experiment!

 

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How to take care of your French manicure?

Pretty nails never go out of style, especially the famed French manicure that has girls going crazy all over the world. But maintaining it can be a really tough as the French tips chip faster than normal tips. Here’s how you can take care of them. Read on:

No-chip top coat: 
Every 2-3 days, you have to polish your nails with a no-chip top coat that will keep your nails shiny and intact. This way, you’ll save a couple of trips to the salon. Go for a branded top coat so that your nails don’t get discoloured.

No bleach: 
Acrylic nails react instantly with detergent and beach, so always wear gloves while working with bleach. And as far as you can, avoid dipping your nails in foam,

No constant texting: 
Yes, this is an obvious one. You don’t want your manicure to lose its sheen or the nails to appear cracked. So keep a check on your smartphone use, if you want your manicure to last longer.

Filing regularly: 
You have to keep filing your nails regularly, no excuses there. Even if you don’t do it as well as a professional, you must do it as often as you can. Buy a home manicure kit that’s easy to use and understand.

Cleaning brush: 
Acrylic nails are home to fungal growth and infection, so invest in a cleaning brush that will keep your nails dry and clean.

Section 377 – Supreme Court supports outdated, imposing era law

The Supreme Court's knock over of the historic July 2009 decision of the Delhi High Court, which had legalized private sexual relations between consenting adults of the same sex, is, in one word, retrospective. Firmly officially, the SC's argument that the legal authority of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code – which comprises gay sexual relations within the range of 'unnatural sex' and lays down harsh sentences – does not permit it to make legal such sexual relations, may be literally correct. But it appears more a case of shifting the blame to the government and Parliament in times when questions on judicial outwit have been raised. At the very least, this decision, placed next to the Delhi High Court's 2009 one, which stressed equality, and sought to defend the rights and dignity of Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender persons, appears a jump backwards.

When, in a country like India, with its countless existing hierarchies and prejudices, marginalised citizens look for redressal against old or unkind laws, the judiciary must, preferably, present hope. Every face of law is not cast in stone, mostly features dating back to reserved, colonial times. Instead, the law develops in its model of delivering justice as human societies grow and change. Basically, this is the question of the fundamental human rights of agreeable adults, on the basis of the standard of equality and non-discrimination in the Constitution itself.

It has long been accepted, by anyone with a crucial sense, among other things, of science, human psychology and history, that homosexuality is neither unnatural nor abnormal. Harsh laws against it are by now mainly upholding of oppressive, theocratic, and under-developed states. With this verdict, the SC has, by default, put India in that category.

Love at first sight: a reality or fantasy

How many times have you dreamt of gazing across a crowded room, locking eyes with an attractive stranger and knowing instantly that you're in love? While it does seem to work out for some, others scoff at the idea of love at first sight. Believe it or not, scientists have studied the subject, and some attribute the need to size people up quickly to learning humans.

Many believe that love at first sight is made for onscreen stories or fairytales. Chances are the feelings of instant attraction you may feel for someone who makes your heart pound at first meeting can be put down to another four-letter-word: lust.

Statistically, you would have to think the odds are against couples who meet and marry within short time frames. After all, it's better to 'check before you buy' and test if you are compatible by living together first. And if you're going to get engaged quickly, please make sure you have a long engagement first.

Although a majority of the population believes in love at first sight, not everyone falls head over heels right away. Surprisingly, women aren’t always the romantics in this love equation: One study found men experience love at first sight more often than women. Researchers think that’s because men respond to physical cues more readily than women and women tend to develop trust more gradually than men. And people might be more inclined to believe in love at first sight when they’re younger or probably in their teens.

It also happens to people who are less inhibited, more open to chance. If we consciously look for love, we’re less likely to find it. Instead we need to cultivate a genuine feeling of being available without necessarily wanting anything to happen.

Though people tend to make their love story as much a part of the movies they watched, it is still unclear how often love at first sight turns into a successful partnership. A suvey found only about 10 percent of people say their long-term relationships began that way. While people can be instantly attracted to each other, some scientists say being in love means really getting to know someone over time.