Girl Dies on Flight

11-year-old Anna Sunny Christy of Pathanamthitta, who had been undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, died on board the New Delhi-Kochi Air India flight on Wednesday night. She was being taken to the Amrutha Institute of Medical Sciences at Kochi.
 

P.T. Usha Against Hosting F1 race

Former sprint queen P T Usha says hosting the Grand Prix is nothing but a "criminal waste" of money. "I feel very bad because such hi-fi business has nothing to do with 99 per cent of Indians. It is a criminal waste (of money). First, Twenty20 cricket spoiled the spirit of Indian sports, and now here comes another avatar which will mostly attract corporate money, who (corporates) rarely spend for sports promotion. Only God can save the Indian sports," Usha said.

Meanwhile, top shooter Gagan Narang said he is happy with F1 coming to India, but it is  disappointing if the event is restricted to only the rich and affluent. "Let's face it that the sport is not for everyone. Only people with money will have the access. It has to be marketed well. I have heard from Indian friends abroad that turning up for Indian GP is more expensive than Singapore GP. That beats the purpose," Narang said.

Organisers Jaypee Sports International (JPSI) have spent about Rs 2000 crore to build the state-of-the-art Buddh International Circuit and to get the F1 licence to host the race.

Election Commission's Notice to P.C.george

The Central Election Commission served notice to Kerala Government's Chief Whip P.C. George on holding two posts simultaneously.This in response to a complaint lodged by former MP Sebastian Paul that George is holding posts of both MLA and Chief Whip at the same time.

Kiliroor Sex Scandal: No evidence of conspiracy

A CBI court in thiruvananthapuram said that there was no evidence of conspiracy in the Kiliroor sex scandal case. The chargesheet does not say that the VIPs and the accused persons conspired together in the case.Nobody has given any statement in this regard either. And hence the subject will not be considered by the court.

KARTHI - MARRIAGE

Srividhya's assets for Chalachitra Akademi

The assets of late actress Srividhya will be donated to the Chalachitra Akademi- Minister K B Ganesh Kumar, who is in-charge of her charitable Society, said while inaugurating the 5th death anniversary celebrations and the award function. The Srividhya award, instituted by the Srividya Charitable Society, for best actress was given to Swetha Menon by Ganesh Kumar.Mohanlal, KPAC Lalita, director Ranjith, Sureshkumar,Vayalar Madhavankutty and others participated.

Mamata - `Boss' of Dileep

Dileep will play the role of an IT man from Kuttanaad in `My Boss' to be directed and scripted by Jithu Joseph. Mamata will be paired opposite Dileep. She would be acting as an Austrian origin lady. The film portrays the life of an IT professional in Mumbai and his lady boss. The movie will be produced by East Coast Vijayan under the banner of East Coast Communications. Salimkumar, Saikumar, Lena, Suresh Krishna and Valsala Menon are also part of the cast of this movie which will be shot in Mumbai and various locales in Kerala.

Nayanthara rules out separation rumours

Ruling out rumours of seperation with Prabhu Deva, actress Nayanthara said their relation is going strong. The news of the separation became rife when a Telugu channel reported that Nayanthara herself had quoted about split and other media too published it. ``There is no rift between us. The cinema world is eager to know the wedding date. We would announce it soon,' she said. Nayanthara said that the news is media's creation and she don't know why all such rumours are being circulated.

At the same time Prabhdu Deva denied to comment on media reports. The duo are now busy in Hindi film shooting in Mumbai. She said Prabhu was busy in his work and but did not give a clear reply on the wedding date.

IIFI 2011: Malayalam films dominate Indian panorama

The Indian Panorama section of the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), to be held in Goa Nov 23-Dec 3, will see maximum films from the Malayalam genre with 'Urumi' as the opening film.

Seven Malayalam films, including 'Bombay March 12', 'Chappa Kurishu', 'Karmayogi', 'Melvilasom' and 'Traffic', apart from 'Urumi' figure in the lineup.

'Adaminte Makan Abu', which won the National Award for the best feature film this year and is India's official entry for the Oscars, will also be screened. It got a direct entry to this year's IFFI.

Of the 24 feature films at the annual fest, three Bengali, Marathi and Hindi movies each will be showcased. One each has been selected in Konkani, Telugu, Manipuri, Tamil, English, Kannada, Assamese and Bhojpuri, said a statement issued by the information and broadcasting ministry.

The jury for feature films, headed by veteran filmmaker Sai Paranjpe, selected the films out of 118 eligible entries.

--IANS

Nayanthara-Prabhudeva parting ways ?!

Rumors are rife that director actor Prabhu Deva and actress Nayanthara are parting ways even before the marriage. It is said that Nayanthara herself has announced the split. She has also revealed said that she would concentrate more on films and has started hearing scripts from various filmmakers. Earlier, Nayan had opted out of many films due to her relation with Prabhu.

It is said that Prabhu is not giving a clear answer about the day of marriage even though his divorce with wife Ramlath is through.He is devoting more time to his children. Nayanthara is apprehensive of this and fears that his affection towards his children would create some problem in their life in future.
 
Upset over Prabhu's silence Nayanthara reached alone on Thiruvonam day in her Kochi flat and when Prabhu also came, she made him wait outside her house for an hour.

Both fell in love during the shooting of Prabhu's film `Villu'. Later they decided to tie the knot and Nayathara even converted to Hindu religion from Christianity.

Sister Ancy's death: HC seeks report

The Kerala High Court  asked the state government to submit the investigation report on the death of Sister Ancy in water tank in Poonkulam. The court said so while considering the petition filed by Sister Mary Ancy's father.

Sister Mary Ancy, schoolteacher at Poonkulam was found dead in the water tank of a convent on August 17. The petition alleged that the family was not informed about the death soon. Only the pastor was informed. The inquest proceedings were not completed in the presence of any relatives.

The complaint stated that many important informations were missing in the inquest report, including the injuries found on the body. The post-mortem report points out about injuries found in the body. The petitioner alleged that the probe is moving head with a presumption that the sister suffered some problems and it was a suicide. But no evidences and reasons to prove the same have been produced so far.

95-year-old woman gets life term for daughter-in-law's death

A 95-year-old woman, who was acquitted by a trial court for burning her daughter-in-law, Meenu and her infant son to death in 1996, has been awarded a life sentence by the Delhi High Court.

'Finding the dying declaration of Meenu to be inspiring utmost confidence, with no iota of doubt about her mental faculty, we unhesitatingly rely upon it to hold that the charge of murder stands proved beyond doubt against the accused, as she was instrumental in setting Meenu on fire,' the court said in its 14-page judgment delivered Monday.
 

No More Comedy - Priyadarshan

Director Priyadarshan, who made Malayalis roll over laughing, says he does not intend to do any more comedy flick in Malayalam. After a long gap of seven years Priyan is back with  'Arabiyum Ottakavum P.Madhavan Nairum',which is a typical Priyan film with Mohan Lal in the lead and shocks by his words , "To be frank, I had never ever intended to return to Mollywood with a fun flick like this one. And I tell you, this will be my very last fun film in Malayalam." 

But, why?

"In fact, I always wanted to make my return to Mollywood quite memorable. I had rather serious cinema in mind and had even started researching on it. But, the response I received for the project, through social network sites, was far from encouraging. I realised that people still wanted those trademark full-time comedy films from me. I yielded to the demand and here is 'Arabiyum Ottakavaum P.Madhavan Nayarum'.

The film is unique in many ways. The Priyan-Lal magic that has done wonders at box office is back, and so is the team that propelled Mohanlal into Malayalam film industry.

"So, never expect this one to be a solemn film with a message delivered at the end. It is a wholesome entertainer that deals with four days in Madhavan Nair's life. Its a fun pack, just relax and enjoy Lal's Madhavan Nair," adds Priyan.

This one is Priyan's eighty third film. Ask about those successful Bollywood films under his belt and Priyan tells about the unique mix that clicks well in B-town. "Word for word Hindi remake of a regional film is sure to get tanked in Bollywood", says the ace director. "Take the gist of the story and get it rebuilt in a totally different atmosphere that you think best suits Bollywood."

The perfectionist in Priyan prevents him from seeing own films once it hit screens, "Somehow, when I see them again, I feel that they could have been a lot better."

Team Anna in Trouble

Two prominent activists P V Rajagopal and 'Waterman' Rajinder Singh quit the Core Committee of Team Anna objecting to the movement taking a 'political turn' . The decision to launch anti-Congress campaign in Hisar, which both claimed was not taken by the Core Committee, appeared to be one of the reasons for these activists to quit the panel. 'I dissociate with the Team. The Team is turning political. There were statements indicating that including that on Hisar,' Singh said.

Rajagopal, who is in Kerala's Attappadi as part of an all- India yatra for land rights, wrote to Core Committee Convenor Arvind Kejriwal about his decision while Singh said he did not feel the need to write any such letter as he had not sought any membership in the first place.

The fresh trouble came amid Hazare's flip-flop on Prashant Bhushan that the Core Committee will decide on the continuance of the lawyer, who had created a controversy by advocating plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, in the team.

Singh, a Magsasay award winner known for his activities in water conservation, said he was never that active in the Team. 'When I felt that the Team is taking a political turn, I decided it is the day to quit,' he said.

Rajagopal said the developments in Delhi were 'too far for me' and that he was not comfortable with opinions of certain individuals being considered as the decision of the Team. A close aide of Rajagopal said the activist decided to quit as the 'dimensions' of the Team were not clear and that during the yatra, they were forced to face questions on the decisions of Hazare and other member though he was not involved in the decision making. Serious differences appeared to have cropped up in Team Anna on some important issues facing his campaign in the past one week after Hazare's latest position that the Core Committee of his campaign will meet and decide whether Prahsant Bhushan will continue in his team or not. In two days, Hazare has changed his stand on Bhushan, who is in the eye of the storm for his advocacy of plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, thrice, much to the dismay of some of his team members.

Veeraputhran into controversy

Sri. Hammed Chennamangalloor alleged that  'Veeraputhran,' directed by  P.T. Kunju Muhammed had manipulated history and caused shame to his ancestors. Later Sri. kunju Muhammed said he would initiate legal action against Chennamangalloor if he continues making baseless charges." The film is an onscreen version of N.P.Mohammed's novel, " he said.

However, Chennamangalloor termed the film's depiction of Saheb's death as something 'far from reality' and questioned the  very need to base the film on a novel, when authentic biography on the freedom fighter was available.

Meanwhile, the film is running to packed houses, and its lead actor Narain is being lauded for his commendable performance in the title role.

MLA salaries doubled

The Justice R Rajendra Babu Commission  has recommended doubling of salary/allowances  for MLAs/Ex-MLAs. The commission was appointed to revise or enhance the salaries and allowances of Ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, leader of opposition, Government Chief Whip and members of Kerala Legislative Assembly.

As per the recommendations of the commission the total salary of an MLA would go up to Rs 40,250. Memmbers currently enjoy a salary of Rs 20,300.Other recommendations include an information allowance of Rs 1000, driver allowance of Rs 6500 and hiking of constituency allowance from Rs 5000 to Rs 6500.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple treasure: Evaluation from Nov 9

A Supreme Court-appointed panel to evaluate the huge treasures found in the vaults of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple will start its work from November 9, said  National Museum Director General C V Ananda Bose, who heads the five-member panel.

The expert committee, set up in August, comprises one representative each from RBI, Archaeological Survey of India, the state government, the temple administration and a nominee of the Travancore royal family.

US evangelist arrested in Kerala

American evangelist  William Lee who allegedly violated visa norms by conducting a musical convention here has been arrested.Lee  conducted faith music convention at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here despite possessing only a tourist visa.

'Kunhalikutty should be prosecuted’ - Kallada Sukumaran

Former DGP Kallada Sukumaran said that he still stands by the legal advice he gave years back that IUML leader and current Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty should be prosecuted in the ice-cream parlour women trafficking case.

Mammootty and Mohan Lal to help theatre artists

Actors Mammootty and Mohanlal have joined hands to support Kerala government's initiative to bring theatre artists under health insurance coverage. They have agreed to pay the premium amount of the insurance plan for the first three years. By three years, the insurance would amount to Rs 30 crore.


In their joint statement, the actors expressed their satisfaction on learning that thousands of theatre actors would be benefited by their initiative. They added that the plan would help drama regain its lost status.

Bodyguard

'Bodyguard', the remake of 2010 Malayalam film of the same title, fetched Rs 102.86 crore in the first week of its release, making it the highest opening week grosser in Bollywood. 


The movie released in Malayalam in 2010 had Dileep and Nayantara as main characters while its remake in Tamil 'Kaavalan' had Vijay and Asin in lead roles. In Hindi it's Salman and Kareena. 

The movie was a moderate success in Malayalam , did well in Tamil and became an unparalleled hit in Hindi.

Siddique ,the director of body guard said that the vast reach of the Hindi in language and territiry made the film such a big commercial hit. "After 22 years in filmdom, it was altogether a different experience to have become a director who is now known across India and the countrymen abroad", he feels.

Nirmal Madhav issue solved

A discussion held between the district collector and representatives of SFI sorted out the issue of alleged illegal admission of student Nirmal Madhavan to the Kozhikode Government Engineering College . He will now be admitted to a self-financing college. 

SFI called off the protest strikes on the issue, but will continue its strike against the assistant commissioner of police who fired at a gathering of its activists .

Jyothirmayi - Nishanth divorced

Malayalam Actress Jyothirmayi got separated from her husband Nishanth. Jyothirmayi has filed for divorce from her husband after8 years of relationship, at Ernakulam family Court on March 22 and Court sanctioned the divorce petition  today.  She got married to Nishanth, a software engineer in 2003.

Elizabeth Thadikkaran is Miss Kerala 2011

Elizabeth Thadikkaran has crowned Miss Kerala 2011 amidst pomp and glitterati that ruled Saturday evening in Kochi. In a competition that gauged beauty, self confidence and personality the most, Kochi-based Elizabeth outperformed 19 other beauties wth in and out side the state. Sruthi Nair a native of Kochi and Maria John from Pune became the first and second runners-up, respectively.

Film Directors Siddique, Roshan Abbas, actor Poornima Indrajith, make-up artiste Shan Muttathil, designer Arshina Marwa, Miss India International Neha Hinge model Arshina Trivedi were in the judging panel. Hairomax was the main sponsor of the event.

Maria John (Miss Beautiful Hair, Miss Photogenic), Shikha Santhosh Kumar (Beautiful Voice, Miss Vivacious), S. Thripthi (Miss Talent), Nimisha Shivram (Miss Beautiful Skin), Elizabeth Thadikkaran (Miss Perfect Tone), Vidya Nair (Miss Sensuality), Nikitha Nair (Miss Congeniality), Richa Sudheer (Miss Beautiful Smile), Sanjana Kumar Miss beautiful Eyes) were the recipients of  awards for other categories.

shruthi nair

maria john

nimisha sivram

sanjana kumar

shikha s kumar

s.thripti

richa sudheer

vidya nair

nikita nair

Nissan Sunny and Honda Brio in Kerala

Honda Siel Cars India Monday launched its new car, Brio, in the Kerala market. There was a very good response to the new car in the cities where it has been launched and in the first 10 days, at least 2,000 enquiries were received, Honda Senior Vice-President (Marketing and Sales) Jananeswar Sen said. 
The company's product range in the country includes the Honda Jazz, Honda City, Honda Civic and Honda Accord.

Nissan Motor India Private Ltd (NMIPL) is targetting to sell 30,000 Nissan Sunny cars nationally by March 2012, a top company official said. 

The new car is aggressively priced at rs 5,78,642, 6,88,764 and 7,68,854 (ex-showroom Kochi) for XE, XL and XV grades respectively.

 

Sidharth’s tribute to Bharathan

Siddharth, son of the late legendary director Bharathan remakes ‘Nidra’, one of Bharathan’s classic movies. Released in 1981, this was the debut film of Shanthi Krishna.

The new version is titled 'Suhruthu' with Reema kallingal and Jishnu ('nammal' fame) in lead roles.

Mohan Lal under Army Scanner

Topmost Malayalam actor Mohan lal, who was honoured with Lt. Colonel rank two years before, invites the displeasure of army for uniform misuse. Mohanlal had allegedly misused his uniform for commercial purposes in Kerala government advertisements to promote tourism. He had passed off as a war hero in a television advertisement aired in December 2010 and January 2011 during the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival promoted by the tourism department.

The honorary rank conferment rules stipulate that the uniform be worn only on ceremonial occasions, while on training with his Territorial Army unit, and at official functions.






Mohanlal said the costume used in the advertisement for the Kerala tourism department was the one he had worn for his role in the Malayalam film "Kandahar". "It's just like any film hoarding and it has got nothing to do with the Lt. Col. uniform in the Territorial Army. You should also see that the advertisement mentions my character in the film. In fact, I did this for the Kerala government and I have not collected any professional fees for it," said the actor.