the holy secrets

Remembering the ‘iMan’

2012-03-30T01:47:00.001-07:00

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well known path, and that will make all the difference” Steve Jobs

He might have been just like any other ordinary man but his deeds were no doubt, extraordinary. Steve Paul Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc passed away on October 5, 2011 after fighting against cancer for nearly a decade, leaving behind a rich legacy of technical innovations. I proudly remembers this great technology tycoon whose name will forever go down in the book of legends.

A man with a vision

Steve Jobs is often credited for making the personal computers what they are today. Thanks to him, today we are able to operate simple yet sophisticated looking computers at the touch of a button and a twist of the mouse without having to memorise and input thousands of complicated commands into the computer. His numerous dreamlike inventions such as Apple I, Apple II, Macintosh and the ever popular i series, comprising of iPod, ipad, iphone, have changed the landscape of technology across the globe forever.

Humble beginnings

Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955 in San Franciscobut his biological parents, Abdulfattah John Jandali and Joanne Schieble gave him up for adoption. He was later adopted by the family of Paul Jobs and Clara Jobs from California. The youngster exhibited an early interest in electronics and while in high school attended lectures at the nearby Hewlett-Packard plant in Palo Alto, California. He attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon, for one semester, then dropped out of school, and immersed himself in philosophy.

In 1974, Jobs took a job with Atari, Inc., where he worked on the early computer game breakout just long enough to finance a trip to

India

. After shaving his head and backpacking through India, he returned California where he “capped off his spiritual journey with a sojourn at a farm commune.” Jobs joined a local group of computer enthusiasts, who called themselves The Homebrew Computer Club, in 1975.

The acknowledged genius of this Palo Alto group was a Hewlett-Packard employee named Stephen Wozniak, whom Jobs convinced to join him in a business venture. With a total of $1, 300, which they acquired by selling Job’s Volkswagen microbus and Wozniak’s Hewlett-Packard calculator, the pair set out to design and build what would become the Apple 1computer- named for a summer Jobs had spent working in an apple orchard.

Steve and Wozniak launched the first Apple I computer from his parent’s garage. Success came to him at a very young age. Apple was an instant success in 1976 and Steve became a billionaire at the age of 25.

The giant called ‘Apple’

But luck did not favour him for too long. He was ousted from his own company by his partner and board of members after nearly a decade of hard work. He went through a period of uncertainty. But Jobs never gave up. He went on to found yet another company called the Next. Also he bought George Lucas’ The Graphics Group and converted it into Pixar studio which was an astounding success. Pixar is credited with the production of a series of computer animated feature films such as Toy story and Finding Nemo. Meanwhile things got ugly at the Apple computer. That is when Steve was called back for rescue of Apple. Steve took over the reins of the company as the CEO in 1996 and took it to the zenith of success this time. His magic formula was none other than the ‘I’ series, the first one; ipod was every music lovers dream. Who could have thought of the possibility of a technology that can store upto a thousand of your favourite songs? Ipod, a tiny compact device that can make you listen to your favourite song at the push of a single button was a big hit. Just when the world was reviving from the awe of ipod, Steve struck again but this time with an iphone. The sleek touch screen phone with thousand of interesting applications created huge waves among apple enthusiasts and the sale peaked. He continued to churn out some more technological wonders such as the ipad and itunes.

Even as he made hay in business, he was suffering from a rare kind of a pancreatic cancer. He was only 56 years old when he passed away recently. His dream and persona was very infectious and his success larger than life. That is why the name of Steve Jobs will go into the history of the world’s greatest men. He was a man who shaped the technology across the world and will be remembered for years to come.

Jaaga- A Common Space for Creativity

2012-03-27T02:42:00.000-07:00

Jaaga, which means space in Kannada, and awakening in Hindi, was born when Archana Prasad, an artist, noticed the lack of an affordable creative community spaces in Bangalore.

Archana,in association with a group of artists created a platform called Samuha to exhibit their work. But her thirst for a “creative common ground” was fulfilled only when she met Freeman Murray, a technologist from California, in a pure chance. Freeman suggested the modular low cost structure of raw pallaks, a structure built from pallet racks.

Within a year they came up with Jaaga, the structure came up on land donated by city-based architect Naresh Narasimhan off Richmond Road. Today Jaaga is registered as a charitable trust, which offering core infrastructure and mentorship to a few tech start ups, conducts educational workshops for aspiring students, it make available space for tech groups, artists & social organizations to meet and show off their work.

Jaaga seeks to nurture innovative endeavors by providing space, core infrastructure, and a diverse social environment. The space is a free venue for networking, partnerships and collaborative work and is open for use to anyone interested in displaying their art, performing a play or presenting a dance recital.

Since its inception, Jaaga has hosted more than 300 events, mostly to packed houses. The first event held at Jaaga was the Robert Bosch Art Grant ceremony.

The structure of Jaaga is a made up of red and blue pallet racks put together and looks like a movie set. Meant for supporting pallets of heavy material at multiple levels in a warehouse the pallet rack uprights support loads of 4 tons each and the beams support loads of 1.5 tons per pair. They can be assembled and modified easily without the need of cranes or any other special equipment. With the assistance of volunteers, the 3-storied Jaaga structure was built up in all of 15 hours. The flooring is made up of plywood and metal wires and the walls are made of billboards. Being fully mobile, it can be dismantled and reassembled within hours, can be moved to different neighbourhoods, cities and countries.

Jaaga also hosts an Electronics Lab where people work on next generation lighting systems, and a Media Lab that enables people to explore new media technologies.

A cool place for work

Fed up with your routine work at the cubicle, tired with the revolving computer chairs and corporate work culture? Well, then it is the time to join the Jaaga Co-working and make use of the Jaaga space to create a fun and productive culture.

Working in a common space led to interesting conversations and the birth of new ideas. With your lap top and internet connection you can make money in a way such as programming, video editing, web design or graphic design.

The idea is for people to form small groups or startups run by founders working alone or in small groups of 2 or 3 could plug into the Co-working and they will get the benefit of a healthy company culture – having other smart people around to bounce ideas off, go to for technical help, or play ping pong in the morning and Jaaga will provide electricity, food and a great culture.

Jaaga Juice

Jaaga Juice is an interactive arts hacker-maker collective comprising of

Archana Prasad(media artist/poet), Freeman Murray(hacker), Clemence Barret(artist/film-maker), Kiran D(maker), Ria Rajan(designer) and Sean Blagsvedt(hacker).

They are interested in hacking cutting-edge consumer and beta technologies to create artworks that are interactive and sentient. The theoretical frameworks that they have begun to articulate and are constantly developing are: Enlightened Singularity and The Living Building.

Jaaga is not just another room for people from all over, its uniqueness be made up of the diverse social environment it provides and the way it look at art in the community.

Remembering the Anna giri

2012-03-03T03:08:00.000-08:00

The name Anna Hazare occupied a large space in Indian as well as the International media for the last couple of months. His uncompromisingly sharp dispute with corruption as well as the Lokpal bill was discussed each and every nook and corner of

India

Anna Hazare is one of

India

’s well–acclaimed social activists. A former solider in the Indian army, he has brought out the entire country on the streets to fight against corruption.

Hazare well known for up grading the ecology and economy of the village Ralegan Siddhi, located at the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. His continuous efforts changed the erstwhile barren in to a unique model of rural development.

To root out corruption from

India

, he started Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Aandolan in 1991. His RTI campaign and battle against corruption gave him a place in the heart of millions of Indians. But what made him at the centre point of all discussion is his stand for the Lokpal Bill.

He started a fast at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, demanding the government for a stronger anti-graft legislation. People from all aspects of life came together and joined with this anti-graft crusader in his fight against corruption. This forced the government to stoop before this citizen’s movement.

The Indian Parliament agreed the three key demands of Anna Hazare and his team over the Lokpal Bill such as - Citizen's charter, inclusion of lower bureaucracy and creation of Lokayuktas through Lokpal bill - for Standing Committee's consideration.

The team members of Anna Hazare in his fight against corruption include Kiran Bedi, Shanthi Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal, Prashanth Bhushan and Santhosh Hegde.

The Gandhian activists has won many awards such as Padmabhushan award, Padmashri award, Priya Darshini Vriksha Mitra award, Young India award, Man of the Year award, Vivekananda Seva Puraskar etc.

From a tenacious soldier to a social reformer, this 74 year-old, anti-corruption crusader is still working for the upliftment of the faceless citizens of

India

. His zeal and energy motivating millions of Indian’s to fight against corruption.

the thing that called love...

2012-01-17T04:50:00.000-08:00

Friends, from the bottom of my heart, I am struggling to avoid this sounding like sour grapes- I have personally never believed in love, girl friends or Valentines day and so. (Now, off course you would like to tell me that I haven’t grown out of the “Eww!! Girls, stage!” and with proud I accept your compliment.).

Sshhh…its college days and it was barely a week into college when our first pairs began sprouting. It started with a few and as time moved, within a month almost every one had fallen …in love …it seemed like an epidemic …spread inside the walls of my vibrant college within a limited space of time and regardless to say most of my friends were affected.

Again, in the forlorn eventide at the hostel, which came just before the sleep less nights of study (thanks to my HOD, most of our nights devoted for study .study and study...), tired by watching all this - love drama and cosy scenes at the college, I hoped to find some solace in friends, but what they did was nothing but mercilessly ruined my moments, those I suppose to spend in my own world of dreams, (hey I am a lotus eater at many point of time…) by repeating the same old campus folk-just about the hottest and cutest in their class and the beginning or failure of a true love). To be frank –still I didn’t absorb the gratification that they are enjoying from it.

Trapped in all this hard-hearted stuff, I felt trifle uneasy; obviously I look for ways out of this vortex called love. I then realized how entertaining a third person angle actually be…and so I began studying this phenomenon. Go ahead …call me weird.

Alright, it is a bit difficult …we call it love. It feels like love. What does love do to your brain chemicals, and is falling in love just nature's way to keep our species alive?

And finally … how to fall in love?

In a college life it all began with holding hands, cuddling and walking home together. Then the alluring magic happens…falling in the ultimate love. The term ‘love’ is an apple of discord due to its different aspects. It often considered as a general expression of positive sentiment or a stronger form of like. It is commonly contrasted with hate as a less sexual and more emotionally intimate form of romantic attachment, more over love is commonly contrasted with concupiscence; and as an interpersonal relationship with romantic overtones, sometimes it also clash with friendship, although the word love is often applied to close friendships.

A recent study reveals that it takes between 90 seconds and 4 minutes to decide if you love someone.

55 percent is through body language

38 percent is the tone and speed of their voice

Only 7 percent is through what they say

The triangular theory of love
(yuup..check it now)

Stage I – Lust

Wwoww…This is the first stage of love, in which we try to get a desirable being of opposite sex and satiate our carnal desires. This stage is mostly related with the sexual fantasies that a human being carries in his/her mind. The sex hormone that influence or cause this stage is testosterone and estrogen in both males and females.

Stage II – Attraction

This is a marvelous stage when one is said to have "fallen in love". The person in totally in thoughts of his/her lover and can think of nothing else that person.

Stage III - Attachment

This is considered to the last stage of love and very much needed for a successful relationship. Attachment is the bond that keeps couples together long enough for them to have and raise children.

Amazingly enough, the amount of love one experiences depends on the absolute strength of these three components, and the type of love one experiences relay upon their strengths relative to each other.

Of course there are few eternal, everlasting and undying ones, there always have been and will be. And honestly, I realize that this is the time for me to admire those lucid and everlasting loves…

A crazy champ

2012-01-07T01:04:00.000-08:00

His elevation as a fast bowler in team

India

is more than symbolic and goes beyond the clichéd notions of just a successful young cricketer. At a more profound level, it reflects the attitude of a dynamic young boy from Florance public school Bangalore, who has emerged as a star in the Indian cricket team with his electric bawling and magical performance.

With his sparkling performance Shreeshanth conquered the heart of millions of people from all across India. His uncanny ability to get the crowd behind him, by capturing loads of wickets with his guile and accuracy exactly made him the dear ones of children as well as the youth.

S. Sreesanth was born to Shanthakumaran Nair and Savithri Devi on February 6, 1983, in Kothamangalam, Kerala. He has one elder brother and a sister.

Sreeshant came to Bangalore from a small town called Kothamangalam in Kerala just because of his passion towards cricket. He chosen Florence School for his academic as well as sports career and time proved the rest. He became the star in the Indian team and played a crucial role in many important matches. His sharp bowling panicked even the so called great bating line in the world and within a short period of time he added many records in his crown.

He joined Florence Public School, Bangalore at the 8 th standard and he finished 10 th with a high distinction. In this special article Florence School Principal Ms. Abida is remembering about her good old boy … recollecting her colorful memories about a shy, disciplined boy.

“He was a crazy champ, he wants everything, and he wants to do everything.

He was a typical student with clean, ironed uniform. He was much disciplined, punctual and a shy kid by nature. He had a strong will to succeed and also possessed a number of hidden talents. He showed these traits when he joined our school”, says Abida.

When he joined here he didn’t know English. His accent was not fluent, because of the language problem he never spoke to his class teachers. But apart from language, he was a brilliant boy. I was his class teacher and also local guardian .So I gave him extra care and within a limited space of time he improved a lot. I made him stand for the election for the Sports captain post and he won.

“When I came from Kerala, I knew to speak only four sentences in English — Good morning, Excuse me, Thank you, and May I come in? The school nurtured me and helped me excel in curricular as well as co-curricular activities. I owe a lot to my alma mater and Florence is close to my heart,” Sreeshanth said in an interview.

The ‘Michle Jackson of Florence’

He had many talents apart from being a good cricketer. He used to paint, sketch, write poetry and was also good at dancing. He won a number of prizes for his dancing. He did the composing and choreography himself. Some of his poems were published in Times of India,” remembering Ms. Abida. The trophy that he had won for break dance in national level, still adorns the shelf of Florence School.

Down to earth, approachable hard work and talented is how his friends and teachers described him. Sreeshanth is fast become a star with a considerably fan following .But still he is the good old boy for his teachers. He shared a special bond with the school and paid a visit whenever he is in Bangalore and keeps in touch when ever he can. And that’s what makes him so special to all of them.

Meet the director, all of nine years old!

2012-01-02T22:24:00.000-08:00

“When I received the Guinness record, what made me proud was Netherlands was replaced and a new name “India” was written in the Books of history. This made me really proud.’’

Kishan Sreekanth has done

India

proud. At the age of nine he has achieved what nobody in the world has ever accomplished. Kishan found place in the Guinness Book of Records as the youngest person to direct a professional feature film. He replaces Sydney Ling, who was thirteen in 1973 when he directed the Dutch film Lex the Wonderdog.

Born in Bangalore to Srikanth HR and Shylaja, Kishan’s tryst with the movies triggered even from early childhood. Kishen started modeling at the age of three; he entered in to the glittering film world at the age of four. When children his age have to be torn away from the television to their home work, waiting for the next Harry Potter to hit the screen, Kishen prefers to call the shots from behind the camera.

The young Kishan scripted and directed a film ‘Care of Footpath’ at the age of nine. The movie ‘Care of Footpath’ tells the story of a street kid who gets to go to school and makes it big. His example meant to be an inspiration for millions of street children. The film was released on November 26, 2006 and it runs 100 days in India.

The film won 11 international awards, many national awards including Swarna Kamal for the best children's film for articulating the burning desire for education in a slum dweller, from the President of India.

A little genius

“One day, at the age of seven, while traveling with my father I saw some children selling newspaper in the street. At the very first moment that appealed me. ‘Why don’t they go to school like us? I asked my father and he said they can’t make a living out of it. At that time I was acting in television serials and also attended my school. I thought why they can’t do like me …while attending the school, they can sell news paper in the morning and evening. When I ask this to my dad he said it was a good idea. But for that I need to inspire them.” Says Kishen

“Well, I didn’t find an answer like a short film which can motivate them. A film may influence thousands of street kids all over. So I decided to make a film showcasing them. I came up with a short story and my dad advised me to put in more characters. Gradually the screenplay came about and people suggested that I direct the film. That’s how all it happened.” added Kishen.

Kishen learnt the art of direction starting from a light boy to cinematographers and from a clap boy to a director on the sets when he was acting.

Besides directing the film, Kishen was also played the lead role. “Being a director is not child’s play. A director is like the ‘captain of the ship’. A director needs to have abundant knowledge & understanding of all the branches involved in the process of making a film, right from pre-production, production till post-production,” says a dynamic Kishan.

The 170, 000 dollar, 135 -minute film produced by Kishan’s mother Shailaja, she herself is a movie music director. The film was dubbed into other Indian languages including Hindi, Oriya, Malayalam, Bengali and Tamil as well as English and got sub titles in 15 languages.

Kishan recently completed the lead role of the male protagonist as Aarya in a Kannada film titled “TEENAGE” Ee Vayasse Onthara, which was directed by his father Sreekanth. The film also features young talents like Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar, V Manohar, Tabala Naani, Jayashree and Lakshman.

“TEENAGE, is a film on young teens which revolves around their nuances, innocence and confusions. It is an entertaining musical film with over 10 songs in which I play the role of a guitarist,” says Kishan

Kishan is now planning a big budget 3D Holographic film. The 3D film will again be a teenage film revolving around the interests, fantasies and issues of teenagers,” says Kishan.“I am now writing script for a film which will be shot in Stereoscopic 3D. I am planning to start this by 2012. This is a big budget action movie which will definitely woo the Indian audience.”

Even if he is busy with the acting, Kishen concentrating highly on his education. He cleared his board examination with 93 percent from Carmel English School Bangalore.

To his credit this PUC student of the Carmel Pre University College has 30 feature films, about 300 television soaps and a couple of tele-films.

The young Kishan, who is aiming nothing less than an Oscar in the future, is working hard to achieve his dream. “I want to be in the dreamland of Hollywood. And I am sure that one day I will make India proud again,” added Kishan.

Hats off to this young genius, who made India proud!

Master Kishen, the world’s youngest director of a full length feature film, has come a long way since his first directorial. Kishan shares his experience as a director, his ambitions and future plans in an Interview. Read on

1. What are your hobbies?

I spend my free time in updating myself to the state-of-the-art cutting-edge technology that gets developed in the top institutes of the world and I confess I'm a gadget enthusiast. So, I love keeping a tab on the advancements in the latest gadgets and gizmos.

Technology is what amazes me the most, so I always like trying out the Beta test versions of almost all software’s that are released till date.

Except this, swimming, listening to lots of music, reading e-books mostly (to remain eco-

friendly) and chilling out with my friends are my favorite activities I take up during my leisure…

2. How and when did you come up with an idea of direct a film?

"I was inspired to direct the movie “Care of Footpath” based on an incident that took place in my life when I was 7 yrs old. When I saw the under-privileged street children who were selling newspapers on the roads at a traffic signal, I asked my dad ‘Why don’t they go to school like us?’ I learnt they had to sell newspapers for a living. I wanted to motivate and inspire these children to go to school along with selling newspapers.

I then felt film is a powerful medium to inspire these children. So, I wrote a short story about these children and when I told about it to my parents, they were supportive. I developed the story to an extent that it could be made as a feature film. During a family get together, when I told about the story to my dad and his friends, everybody told “Why not you (Kishan) direct it as a feature film?” This was the incident which made me direct “Care of Footpath”.

3. What really convinced you to take the plunge?

I was not new to cinema. I started my career in films as a child model when I was 3. I was casted in a film when I was 4. Since then, cinema which was just my hobby, changed out to be my profession. During those days when I used to act as a ‘child-actor’ in a lot of South Indian films, I used to spend most of my time learning the art of direction on the sets from the film director, the DP (director of photography), the AD’s (assistant directors) and others, while other child-actors used to study their text books.

And when it was decided that I would be directing “Care of Footpath”, by then, I had learnt the art of film making. I just referred to some books written by senior Hollywood film directors and screen writers to become a complete professional director. When I was ready, I was convinced by myself to take the gigantic plunge.

4. Did you take any formal training in direction?

Well, no… Not at all… I haven’t taken any professional or formal training in direction because I’ve always believed in learning out of the box. I’m damn sure there was any film institute which would teach a 7 year old, directing a feature film.

So, I just studied what Hollywood follows in film-making and the unbelievable fact is that all the Assistant Directors, who worked with me in Care of Footpath, were first-timers to at least be on a film set.

5. How was the experience as a director?

Being a director, is not child’s play. A director is like the ‘captain of the ship’. A director needs to have abundant knowledge & understanding of all the branches involved in the process of making a film, right from pre-production, production till post-production.

I had a very good experience being a director. It’s a tough and a challenging job. While shoots, I would have to look into all departments such as the Camera Dept., Makeup,

6. How did you manage the entire shooting team, especially the senior actors like Jackie

Shroff and Saurav Shukla?

Managing the entire shooting team was not an easy task. But along with it, I was also playing the lead role in Care of Footpath, so I had to manage both infront of the camera as well as behind the camera. Jackie Shroff and Sourabh Shukla both were very co-operative. The whole crew including Jaggu Dada and Kallu Mama treated me like they would any other professional director. Especially Jaggu dada would call me ‘chhota director’.

7. You found place in the Guinness Book of Records as the youngest person to direct a professional feature film. How does it feel to be the youngest director?

It feels good, really. When I made this film, neither I nor anybody guessed I would enter into the Guinness Books. I was clearly making the film for the underprivileged children.

A 13 year old boy Sydney Ling, who is now Lord Sydney Ling from Netherlands, had the Guinness record for directing at such a young age. I broke his record at the age of 9 years after almost three decades. When I received the Guinness record, what made me proud was Netherlands was replaced and a new name “India” was written in the Books of history. This made me really proud.

It does feel good to be the youngest director, but since my first film successfully ran for 100 days in South India and dubbed into several Indian languages along with being subtitled to international languages, it gives me more responsibility to make better films in the future.

8. Apart from the directorial venture how many movies you acted so far?

I started my career in modeling when I was of 3 yrs. After that, I was offered a role in a film when I was just 4 yrs. Since then, I’ve acted in about 30 feature films so far and in about 300 television soaps and a couple of tele-films.

9. During your school days how did you cope with studies along with acting?

I was a bright kid at school. My friends were jealous at me because I would top my class with the least attendance. Never was film an interference or an obstacle in my education. I took up both simultaneously. But I always believed that whatever I do, I should do it with maximum concentration. When most of my classmates tried mugging up lessons, I tried understanding them. My dad, when he used to teach me history or geography, I would conceptualize it like a film running before my eyes. This would make it easier for me to memorize things and get good marks. But I should confess, I always used to hate memorizing things, whether it be the old poems or the historical dates & events.

10. You are the star in your school. How is the response from your friends and teachers?

Oh no... I was no star in my school at least… Though I was a celebrity, my parents never put me in an International School. I studied in a Public School. They wanted me to know what life is. My friends and teachers treated me very normally like they would any other kid in the school. Except when my articles appeared in the newspapers, they would ask me about my experiences when I was invited by countries abroad.

11. Tell us something about your family. Who all are there and how they are encouraging you?

My family has always been the reason behind my success. They have always supported me through my struggles to reach my goals. Right now, my whole family is into the film industry. My dad Shrikanth is a film director and a producer, my mom Shylaja Shrikanth is a music director and a producer and my sister Kiran, 13 years is into computer graphics and animation. People ask me if I really directed “Care of Footpath” or there was someone behind me teaching me how things should be done, I wonder how they could think so… My father, who was then working as an Assistant Commissioner of Sales Tax, my mother and my whole family stayed home. It was my job. I was the captain of the ship. I took the decisions. It would otherwise be hilarious for Guinness Records to present the prestigious record.

12. Other than film what is your biggest passion?

Other than film, music is my biggest passion. I am a very good guitarist. It so happened that I had to learn guitar for my upcoming film “TEENAGE” which is a film on young teens which revolves around their nuances, innocence and confusions. It is an entertaining musical film with over 10 songs in which I play the role of a guitarist.

13. Which are the merits and awards that have come in your way?

I was officially recognized by the Guinness Books of Records as the “Youngest director of a professionally made feature film at 9 years for “Care of Footpath” directed by me, I was awarded the nation’s highest National Swarna Kamal – Golden Lotus award from her Excellency the President of India Smt. Pratibha Patil mam.

I was awarded the National Award for exceptional achievement by honorable Sonia Gandhi mam. Laurels for Care of Footpath are never-ending…Even after 6 years of its release the movie is going all over the world.

I had been to Italy to the prestigious Giffoni International Film festival to receive what is known as the Children’s Oscar and the Child Rights Award. The Cairo International Film Festival for Children awarded two Golden Cairo awards for the Best International Jury’s Film and the Best International Children Jury’s Film.

The movie won the Honorary Award from the government of Greece during the Emotions Pictures Film Festival in Athens, Greece. The film won the Best Film by the International Jury along with me bagging the Best Actor award at the International Film Festival for Young Adults (FICI),

Spain

The movie was screened as the Closing film in the Busan International Children’s film fest in

South Korea

14. Who is your role model, who inspired you the most?

My role model in films for being a director is Steven Spielberg. He is my role model because he makes film on all genres. Like E.T. was a movie on sci-fi and what about fiction based Jurassic Park, a completely science technology based Back to the Future and don’t forget the most thrilling Jaws along with adventurous Indiana Jones. This is what I look up to in him. Because each movie he makes is completely different from one other. He recently made Tin Tin, an animation, yet so unique.

15. Are you planning to write and direct in future as well?

Yes, I am now writing script for a film which will be shot in Stereoscopic 3D. I am planning to start this by 2012. This is a big budget action movie which will definitely woo the Indian audience. I still wonder why Indian film makers convert their 2D films into stereo 3D making it a fake 3D film and misguiding Indian audiences. Such films are literally thrashing the market for 3D in India and are a major setback.

16) Words of wisdom to the young generation want to follow your footsteps.

Don’t stop dreaming. If one child can make one achievement, it is enough to make India proud, that will make India at least one year ahead of all other countries. We can do even unimaginable things. Parents and teachers should encourage children’s to achieve great things. Be a good citizen of the country and a good son for parents.

Beware! The boxer is here ….

2011-11-30T01:52:00.000-08:00

If a man is tough and ambitious enough to pursue his dreams then no one can stop him from making the mark on the top slot and Indian middle weight boxer Vijender Singh proved it with his true life story.

Vijender Singh was born on October29, 1985, in Kaluwas village of Bhivani district in Haryana. At a very early age, he discovered his love for boxing after getting inspired from his brother Manoj, who is a former boxer and currently serving the Indian army.

His family took up the dream that Vijender saw and his father Mahipal Singh Beniwal, who used to work as a driver with Haryana Roadways, drove extra hours to fund the training of his boy. Vijender got his primary education in kaluwas and completed secondary school from Bhivani. He then achieved a graduation from Vaish College.

To fulfill his dream he went to Bhivani Boxing Club, which was run by former national level boxer Jagdish Singh and got trained. Jagdish Singh recognized the talent of Vijender and encouraged him to take to professional boxing. During this time Vijender worked extra hours and even tried modelling to support his coaching.

He started his career by participating at the sub-junior nationals where he won a silver medal for two years in succession.

After making his mark on the International level, Vijender got the post of Senior Railways Ticket Examiner at Jaipur and is currently working for Haryana police.

For him, the path to success that he enjoys today wasn’t a cake walk. He got the taste of defeat in the Athens Olympics in 2004 where he lost to Turkey’s Mustafa Karagolu by 20-25. But he was not disappointed with the defeat and managed to enter the Commonwealth games in 2006 and has won silver medal. In the same year he also participated in the Asian games and won bronze medal. Vijender qualified for the Beijing Olympics after winning the tournament at second qualifier.

On August 22, he won the Olympic bronze medal for India. He also won gold medal in Asian games held in 2010.

After his historic win in Olympics, he was selected for many awards and acclaims – including Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2009), India’s highest sporting honour and the prestigious Padma Shri (2010). In 2009, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) announced Vijender as the top-ranked boxer in its annual middleweight category list with 2800 points.

With his awe-inspiring confidence and performance, this tall and handsome boy captures the heart of millions of Indians. The credit for brining back the sport of boxing in to the limelight in India undoubtedly goes to this Bhiwani boy.

The Iron lady of Manipur

2011-11-16T21:13:00.000-08:00

The grey single room on the corner of Jawahalal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences is always filled with a monotonous fragrance, that is usual for all hospitals, but for more than one decade the world of a young bright lady shrinked in to that single room just because she is a social activists. A tube that is dangling from her nostril, the only food that helps her to survive, ensuring she is getting drips, a fortnight visit to judg’s court is her only way to the outside world.

Don’t think that this uncompassionate and callous performance is happening somewhere in the middle of the Dark Continent or the Arab country…it is nowhere else than our

India

, a country which is popular for its stable democracy… a country which is kosher for its rich culture and legacy.

Perhaps the mainstream media is not covering much about Irom Chanu Sharmila like Anna Hazare, his recent 12-day fast paralyzed India’s political system, captured the nonstop attention of its hyperkinetic 24-hour cable news media and inspired hundreds of thousands of people across the country to rally in his crusade against corruption, but no doubt she is India’s best known face of peaceful protest.

This Iron lady from Manipur is a civil a rights activists and a poet. For almost 11 years, Irom Sharmila has been making demand for peace and withdrawal of the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from her state by being on a fast-unto-death until the Act is repealed.

The AFSPA that gives sweeping powers to the armed forces to an extent that they can even shoot persons on mere suspicion. She took the step of fast a couple of days after the Assam Rifles Jawans moved down 10 civilians at Malom Village in Imphal West on November 2, 2000, while waiting at a bus stop.

Three days after she began her strike, she was arrested by the police and charged with an attempt to commit suicide which is unlawful under section 309 of the Indian Penal Code, and later transferred to the judicial custody. Then she was taken to the Sajiva Central jail and again admitted to the Imphal’s Jawahalal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, where she was forced fed liquid diet by the hospital authorities through a nasal tube.

Government keeps extending Sharmila’s remand, year after year, because she resumed fasting after being set free. All these years she has not even had a drop of water and cleans her teeth with cotton wool.

The long struggle for human rights fetched her with many recognition and admiration. Sharmila was nominated to the 2005 Nobel peace prize by a Guwahati -based woman's organization, the North East Network.

She was awarded the 2007 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, which is given for "an outstanding person or group, active in the promotion and advocacy of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights".

She also selected for the first Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize in 2010 given by New Delhi IIPM. She was awarded the Sarva Gunah Sampannah- an award for peace and harmony", first Mayillama award from kerala and absentia- a lifetime achievement award.

Having refused food and water for more than 500 weeks, Irom Chanu has been called "the world's longest hunger striker".

Let us salute this extraordinary resilience of Irom Chanu Sharmila.

My humble tribute to Kakkanadan

2011-10-20T05:42:00.000-07:00

It was at the age of fourteen that I read Japana Pukayila, a classic (off course, for a ninth standard student at that time it was a classic) work from George Varghese Kakkanadan, a legendary writer who mesmerized many generations with his eccentric work. Later, while I was studying in my pre-degree, I borrowed some books from ‘Yamuna’- the one and only library in my remote village, was sponsored by the Gram Panchayath. I got few other books of Kakkanadan, which often seemed like a bold rebellion against the harsh realities of life or the brush -off of the rigid line of morality that prevailed in the then society.

While I was studying for degree, I got thousands of Malayalam books from my college. They were considered as an addiction of youths of the 70’s and 80’s, thus I too got mesmerized with the magic of words. Apart from my political activities, I spent more in the libraries. Sometimes I bunked my literature and political science classes to catch up with some reading in the library.

By that time, my preferences ranged from O.V.Vijayan to Madavikutty, Sanjayen to Mukundan, Muhammed Basheer to Sakkariya. But to be frank, among all these authors I always admired Kakkanadan. This could be because of his way of expressing emotions or even his realistic language that depicted the reality very well.

Later, when I was doing my post graduation, I was able to create a collection of many of his books with my small income, which I earned by giving private tuitions. His works had a great impinge on the younger generation of Malayalam readers, which, triggered with full of realism and crazy boldness.

His exceptional works such as Ushnamekhala, Vasoori, Japana Pukayila, Kakkanadante Priyakathakal, Saakshi, Orotha, Kambolam, Parangimala and others were known as a trend setter in Malayalam literature. Most of his works bump in to a kind of adroitness in terms of value and tradition.

Many acclaims and awards came naturally to Kakkanadan. His Orotha, which depicts the story of Minachil River and a small village named Chorppukkal won him the 1984 Kerala Sahithya Akademi award. He got Kendra Sahithya academy award in 2005 for his masterpiece Parangimala. His lucid and radiant language attracted people from all walks of life and presented him with the Balamaniamma award, Padma Prabha award and Muttath Varkey award.

Finally the truth is that we lost that charming story teller once and for all… And that itself made an empty space in the realistic crown of Malayalam literature.

Kakkanadan is a rare genius to be known by his name, with his work and through his alluring language; he left behind a fertile legacy for the generations to come, May his soul rest in peace.

Three angels bag the Nobel for Peace

2011-10-13T04:55:00.000-07:00

In his 1895 will, award creator Alfred Nobel gave only vague guidelines for the peace prize, saying it should honor "work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.

"This year the Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel peace prize for 2011 is to be divided in three equal parts between Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah gbowee and Tawakkul Karman for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for womens’s rights to full participation in peace- building work

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the first woman to win a free presidential election in Africa. Sirleaf, a former World Bank economist known as the "Iron Lady" by opponents, was seen as a reformer and peacemaker in Liberia when she took office as the President.

Since her inauguration in 2006, she has contributed to securing peace in Liberia, to promoting economic and social development, and to strengthening the position of women. Sirleaf was born in Monrovia and studied economics and accounts at college of West Africa. At the age of 17 she married James Sirleaf and went to US for higher studies. After gaining a Master of Public Administration degree, she returned to her native Liberia to work under the government of William Tolbert. She got the Vice President ticket of the Liberian Action Party in the 1985 elections, thus paved her way to the politics.

Tawakkul Karman

Tawakkul Karman is a leader of anti-government protests in Yemen. She is the first Arab woman to win the peace prize. She has played a leading part in the struggle for women’s rights and for democracy and peace in Yemen.

Karman, mother of three, now lives in the capital Sanaa. She is a journalist and member of the Islamic party Al-Islah and heads the human rights group Women Journalists without Chains. Her father is a former legal affairs minister under Saleh.

Leymah Gbowee

Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, who campaigned against the use of rape as a weapon in her country's brutal civil war, ensured women’s participation in elections. She mobilized and organized women across ethnic and religious dividing lines to bring an end to the long war in Liberia.

Gbowee was born in central Liberia. During the time of first Liberian civil war, she moved to Monrovia at the age of 17. She trained as a trauma counselor and worked with the ex-child soldiers of Charles Taylors army.

In 2003, Gbowee led hundreds of female protesters through Monrovia to demand swift disarmament of fighters who preyed on women during her country's near-constant civil war.

Gbowee, mother of six, works in Ghana's capital as the director of Women Peace and Security Network Africa.

Last year's peace prize went to imprisoned Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo for his non violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.

Well done …you done it!!

Hosur to Hollywood - A street kid’s journey

2011-10-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

Denied even the banal comforts of childhood, having endured suffering that we the middle-class can only contemplate in anodyne smugness, he has become an eponymous figure for orphans everywhere. The aptly-titled Superman and the School of Necessity, a short film directed by UK-based film-maker Debs Gardner-Paterson of the We are all Rwandans fame, has catapulted Abhisurya, all of 10 years old, from suburban obscurity to instant recognition, at least among the art and cinema cognoscenti worldwide.

The orphan from the nondescript Hosur village on the outskirts of Bangalore plays the lead role in the acclaimed movie about the travails of out-of-school children, which was screened last night at the Nashville Film Festival in the USA. Yet, Abhisurya’s life story is more than just an 80-minute ticket to a potential Hollywood blockbuster.

His eyes are wise beyond his years, a lifetime of suffering subsumed in that crinkly smile and spontaneous laughter. Already aware of how ephemeral things can be, he addresses his new-found prominence with a wry humour and ironic detachment that most adults would envy. “They told me to act, I told them I had no idea of what they are talking about. Then Manjula aunty (a crew member of the film) told me to visualise her as my mother and to speak, which I did. Next, I was taken to a village where the shooting was done. At the end, the English-aunty told me that my performance was very good,” Abhisurya says matter-of-factly.

Lauding him, the film’s co-producer Swaroop Kanchi said: “He has done a great job. He has received great reviews on the blogs after the film festival. We are exploring the option of making it a full-length feature film.”

THE EPICAL JOURNEY

His tryst with filmdom was accidental. It started when Debs visited Bosco Mane, an NGO that works for street children, two months ago looking for a child artiste.

“They told me to act, I told them I had no idea of what they are talking about. Then Manjula aunty (a crew member of the film) told me to visualise her as my mother and to speak, which I did. Next, I was taken to a village where the shooting was done. At the end, the English-aunty told me that my performance was good,” Abhisurya says matter-of-factly.

LESSONS FROM LIFE

Ironically, the jolly 10-year-old who refuses to go to school in reel life, in fact, was deprived of education in reality and forced into child labour. Working for 14 hours in a powerloom and getting thrashed regularly, Abhisurya yearned to go to school. He grew up prematurely, teased by the neighbourhood boys for having an alcoholic as a father. At eight, when he returned from school one day, he saw his mother lying on the floor, her eyes closed forever.

“She was dead and all that I can remember about her are images of her unloading sand from a rickety tractor. I never saw my father again,” Abhisurya told Bangalore Mirror, fighting back tears.

Abhisurya and his younger sister Kamala then went to live with their grandparents, who in turn packed them off to a relative’s house in Bangalore’s Tavarekere area.

After an year of schooling, he was pulled out and sent to a powerloom factory in the vicinity. “I used to work from 7:30 am to 9 pm every day and used to earn Rs 500 per week. I gave Rs 400 to my caretakers and left the remaining Rs 100 with the factory owner as my saving.

But all hell broke loose when the factory suffered losses. The owner told me not to come to work, but my caretakers presumed I had become lazy and they used to thrash me everyday,” he recalls.

A SAMARITAN STEPS IN

But he saw a ray of hope when a neighbour, whom he calls Rita aunty, decided to hand him back to his grandparents. But his troubles did not end and soon, unable to stand it anymore, Abhisurya ran away from home.

Subsequently, he was rescued from the city railway station by Bosco Mane, an NGO that rehabilitates street and working children. Here, Abhisurya’s life changed. Bosco director Fr Geo Kalladanthiyil says: “He did not take much time to get along with other children, he was full of energy.” Abhisurya’s tryst with filmdom was accidental. It started when Debs, along with crew member Manjula Saikumar, visited Bosco Mane in Chamarajpet two months ago looking for a child artiste. Abhisurya’s name was suggested. The rest, as they say, is history.

After the movie was completed, Abhisurya’s peers started calling him ‘Superman’. But what made him more happy were the chocolates that he got after the shoot. Abhisurya is yet to see the movie. “I was told that they will screen it in my hostel, I am waiting to show it to my friends,” he says.

But does this little superman, who is a great fan of Kannada star Darshan, aspire to become a film hero? “No way,” he says, adding, “I want to become a doctor as I can serve a lot of people. If I become a film star, I might have to lead a selfish life.”

Now, those are words to treasure!

This appeared in Bangalore Mirror

Designing the dreams…

2011-10-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

With her inspirational lifestory, through which she proves that sky is the limit, 13-year old Sreelakshmi Suresh is now the CEO of two firms and the toast of the international web designing community.

“Computer is my best friend even from my early childhood. When I heard about a boy who developed a website, and my parents told me that I too can do like that, I stepped into the world of web designing”.

At the age of three she started using computer; she began designing websites at the age of six, designed her schools website at the age of eight, now she is the CEO of two firms and the only member of the Association of American Webmasters under 18 years of age.

Don’t think that this is just another tall story. The name Sreelakshmi Suresh subsumed all the above labeled attributes and much more. Sreelakshmi, like her peers, likes to play with friends and watch cartoon channels. But what made her different is nothing but her passion for websites.

Sreelakshmi Suresh is the daughter of Adv. Suresh Menon, lawyer at the Calicut Bar, and Viju Suresh. Now she is studying in 9 th standard at Presentation Higher Secondary School, Calicut. This little prodigy has already designed and developed more than 50 websites.

Her tryst with the web designing triggered even from early childhood. It all started at the age of three, when her father Suresh Menon showed her a websites designed by a young boy and told her if she is interested she can also do it, thus paved the way for Sreelakshmi in to the world of web designing.

“My father showed me a website designed by a boy and told me that I too can do like that; I stepped into the world of web designing” says Sreelakshmi. “Since my school did not have an official site, I took it as a challenge to design one, I designed my first website for my school www.presentationhss.com while I was 8 years old”, she added. The website provides information about the school and it allows parent to seek reports on their children.

Lauding her, the Presentation school headmistress Sister Roselit said: “She is an inspiration for grown-ups as well. I must say our school is blessed to have such a talent”.

Awards are nothing new to Sreelakshmi. She could probably be the youngest webmaster girl in the world but the Association of American Webmasters, which enrolled her as a member, testifies that she is its youngest and the only member below 18.

“We found your website to be very professional for a young lady of your age. You have a bright future ahead of you with web design” AAW chief executive officer Donna Snyder notes in her membership approval letter.

In 2008, she started her own web designing company eDesign Technologies, which offers a full circle approach in website design and web development.

She became the Jt. Managing partner of Online Pixel Traders in 2009. She also works as the CEO of a media publishing firm-Transmute Media Solutions.

This little genius has already won more than 40 national and international awards such as Global Internet Directories Gold Award, the Golden Web Award, Association of National Webmasters Merit Award, National child Award for the exceptional achievement, Lions International Young Achiever Award, Rotary International Young Achiever Award, Swadeshi Science Congress Excellence Award etc.

In 2008, she won the National Child Award for exceptional Achievement, the highest award in

India

for children, instituted by the Government of India.

The websites, which Sreelakshmi designed, speak for it self about her omnifarious concern in each and every details of the development process. Her discernments and the lucid attitude of mind are probably could help her on the nick of the time to take an apt decision as CEO.

For Sreelakshmi, studies are still her first priority, but she is sure that it does not deter her pet dreams- to develop an operating system which is more user friendly than any OS available at present.

With a virtuous smile, that always adorns her face, this little genius remembering us if we are confident that we are competent and prepared to work hard, we can achieve anything.

… Kudos to Sreelashmi, she proves that age is no more a big deal for achieving great things.

This appeared in GenNext India

CLICK OFF

2011-09-16T01:59:00.000-07:00

Think you found the perfect private spot in Lalbagh to get cosy? Think again. Sly mobile cameras are busy capturing images to share on the net and drool over later. Time they were shut off...

The girl sensed somebody was watching her. She turned round uneasily but all she could see was a harmless looking middle-aged man fiddling with his mobile phone behind a bush. Thinking it was only her imagination, she turned back to her boyfriend and his amorous advances. Little could she have guessed that the ‘harmless’ man’s camera phone was capturing their coochie-cooing, and that their intimate moments would find their way to You Tube and porn sites on the Internet or the grey market for porn videos.

For all of you who are wondering where this happens, it’s at the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens.

Young couples who frequent the park in their quest for privacy are up against a particularly prurient phenomenon: scores of Peeping Toms lurking behind bushes with the ubiquitous camera phone in hand, ready to capture ‘steamy’ moments for private pleasure or profit.

Two of our reporters spent three days in the park last week posing as tourists, checking out every nook and corner frequented by lovers and vantage points from where voyeurs get the best shots of the ‘action’.

We counted 408 couples — of whom nearly 90 per cent were aged below 25 years, most of them college students. The Peeping Tom count, on the other hand, was a whopping 1,030 men, mostly teenagers or men below 30, but at least 80 over the age of 50 years! While we found 330 of these stalking the couples, camera in hand, we spotted 22 in the act of taking photographs or videos of the lovelorn couples. The places most popular with lovers and voyeurs alike are the bushes near Lalbagh lake, Lotus Pond, Band Stand, Rose Garden, Maharaja’s Statue and Japanese Garden.

The ‘hot’ stuff in the park unfolds around 9 am when the morning joggers move out and lovey-dovey couples, mostly college students with their bags slung across their shoulders, move in. By 11 am, the camera phone tribe becomes increasingly conspicuous. As the unsuspecting couples start to get more adventurous, even going on to the unbuttoning act, the cameras start clicking. However, there are some who prefer feasting on the sight to recording the love-making.

Neither is the cost of this voyeurism prohibitive, thanks to Chinese-made handsets which come with the latest features, including zoom-in lenses, and are a modest Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,000.

Unlike Cubbon Park where entry is free, Lalbagh is particularly attractive to voyeurs. When we asked one of the camera phone tribe, a middle-aged man, why he was there, he replied nonchalantly, “To enter Lalbagh, a couple have to pay Rs 20 for entry tickets. Only those couples who can afford to pay that amount come here and they look like the hi-fi crowd.” The man, who worked in a private company in J P Nagar before quitting his job, claimed he has a collection of photographs of couples, some semi-nude.

It is unthinkable that the authorities are unaware of the goings-on in the park. But they prefer not to go to town about it. While the horticulture department claims its job is to maintain the garden, the Siddapura police say they prefer not to resort to harsh measures as a clampdown on these couples would be seen as moral policing. Once in a while, a ‘Hoysala’ jeep or a ‘Cheetah’ bike moves around, and the lovers straighten up and turn all formal — for a while. But it’s a field day for the voyeurs, who go about their ‘business’ unsuspected and unchecked.

This appeared in Bangalore Mirror