It's Priyanka Chopra's show all the way

It's Priyanka Chopra's show all the way




You: How is What's Your Raashee?

Me: Wrong question.

You: How long?

Me: Now you're talking.

Mr Yogi, Mr Yogi, remember that catchy refrain we would wait to hear on our Doordarshan-friendly television sets every single week? Now imagine those 13-episodes of Ketan Mehta's [ Images ] popular sitcom clubbed together for one single viewing. Well, that's how long What's Your Raashee? feels like.

It's the only goddamn obstacle in what could have been a socio-comic gem. What's Your Raashee? could have been at least one and a half hours shorter. Those thirteen songs could have been reduced to five. That ridiculous sub-plot about a marriage agent's illicit affair could have been done away with. There are just so many sequences that could have done with a snip here and a cut there.

As much as I appreciate his trademark idealism and eye for detail, filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker's weakness for lengthy cinema has always sparked debate. Personally, I had no issues with the running time of either Lagaan [ Images ] or Swades [ Images ] but Jodhaa Akbar [ Images ] did contribute in aggravating my spondylitis. What's Your Raashee? was never going to be a short film, considering its premise, inspired by Madhu Rye's Gujarati novel, Kimball Ravenswood, about an NRI guy coming to Mumbai [ Images ] to pick a perfect bride from 12 different astrological signs in ten days. What's the hurry, you ask?


Basically, the eligible bachelor in question, namely Chicago boy Yogesh Patel (Harman Baweja), is tricked into flying back home by his astrology-blind folks (an utterly believable Anjan Shrivastava and Manju Singh) to bail them out from monetary woes after their elder son (Dilip Joshi stumps you with yet another poker-faced winner) loses a fortune in gambling and owes an underworld don, among many others. The only thing that can save them now is his grandfather's inheritance, which Yogesh will procure only after he ties the knot.

Meanwhile, there's no overlooking a serious effort to shoot Mumbai as uniquely as possible. While there's no escaping a drive around Marine Drive [ Images ] and Fort, it's good to catch up with good ol' Kamla Nehru Park, the claustrophobic spaces of Bhuleshwar, lush greens of Powai while receiving a good glimpse of the upcoming neighbourhoods around Navi Mumbai lending the somewhat far-fetched set-up a much-welcome stroke of realism ..

The anticipation of watching Priyanka Chopra unleash her 12 conflicting avatars -- all Gujarati, however, keeps the optimism going. Establishing lot in less is still one of Gowariker's greatest limitations and hence the aforementioned scenario takes a little more than it should to unfold.

Also, if you have ever been (still are) into Linda Goodman's Sun Signs or Love Signs, spotting popular zodiac traits is one guilty pleasure you can never have enough of. Too bad most of the signs as projected in the movie are nothing like I expected them to be.

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India hails Moon mission 'find'

India hails Moon mission 'find'

India's inaugural Moon mission has been hailed as a "grand success" by the head of India's space agency, after helping find evidence of water on the Moon.

Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chief G Madhavan Nair said a spacecraft probe found more water on the Moon "than was expected."
The mission was terminated last month after communication was lost with the orbiting spacecraft.
The craft was launched last October for a two-year mission of exploration.
Data from three spacecraft, including India's Chandrayaan probe, has shown that very fine films of H2O coat the particles that make up the lunar dirt, US space agency Nasa announced.
The quantity is tiny but could become a useful resource for astronauts wishing to live on the Moon, scientists say.
"We truly believe it is a path-breaking finding. But this is just the beginning," Mr Nair said.
"Indians should be proud of the fact that the Chandrayaan enabled the discovery of water on the Moon," he said.
Indian scientists have welcomed the discovery and said more studies needed to be done to find out how much water was available and whether it was fit for human consumption.
'Significant'
"The results suggest that frost rather than water is present in the form of a thin film on the lunar surface. The quantity and its distribution across the Moon is still an open question," K Kasturirangan, a former chief of Isro told the Press Trust of India press agency.
"Ultimately, in the long run if humankind has to go and inhabit the Moon, one of the important requirements is that you should have adequate water for survival," he said.
An Indian scientist working in Nasa said it was a "significant discovery"
"It is a very significant finding if we ever are to venture out to set up a base anywhere in the solar system, the Moon is the nearest destination," Amitabha Ghosh said.
The Indian media has also hailed the role of Chandrayaan in the finding.
One Big Step for India, A Giant Leap for Mankind, headlined The Times Of India newspaper.

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Obama looking forward to Manmohan’s visit

Obama looking forward to Manmohan’s visit

Singh and Obama greeted each other and were seen talking for over two minutes before they moved to dinner.

US President Barack Obama is looking forward to the state visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Washington in November.
Singh, who will be paying the first state visit of the Obama Administration, and his wife Gursharan Kaur, were warmly greeted by Obama and First Lady Michelle at a dinner hosted by the US president for the world leaders attending the G-20 Summit on Thursday.
Singh and his wife were received with a warm handshake by the President and the First Lady at the entrance to the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
Singh and Obama greeted each other and were seen talking for over two minutes before they moved to dinner.

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