Prime South : Tidings From The Southern States

Moreover, after almost a year-long run, Koteeswaran has brought luck and moneyonly to Sarat Kumar, now a Rajya Sabha MP. Worse, Koteeswaran has not producedeven the token Harshavardhan-type crorepati. So what’s the big deal?

Several members of the audience should have been seated on the dais," said Kerala CMA.K. Antony of the elite gathering that had showed up to witness the release of A WastedDeath: The Rise and Fall of Rajan Pillai, by journalist K. Govindan Kutty, and co-authoredby Rajan Pillai’s brother, J. Rajmohan Pillai. Predictably, the event, attended bythe who’s who of Thiruvananthapuram, was also turned into an occasion to flog thehuman rights issue with Antony recalling the "gruesome" manner in which thebiscuit tycoon died.

It promises to be an unrivalled shopping adventure. From October 13 to November 15,Hyderabad plays host to The Great Mall, Asia’s largest shopping festival modelledalong similar events in Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore. "The idea is to place India onthe international shoppers’ map," says tourism minister Peddi Reddy.Conceptualised and organised by Ogilvy Live, the festival will be held at the nac Groundsand will have four pavilions—Global, India, Hyderabad and Entertainment. However, itwon’t just be a shopping bonanza. The India pavilion will highlight the folk and artforms and cuisine from the country. Mega fireworks and laser show, a waterfront disco,water sports on the Husain Sagar lake and even a Super Six international crickettournament—seems like Hyderabad will be the happening spot this festive season.

Thiruvananthapuram had a memorable encounter with fusion music when Algerian singer andpercussionist Fethi Tabet and his eclectic band, Feti et Comifo, combined the sounds ofthe Mediterranean with jazz. "I want to promote understanding and facilitatecommunication between human beings," says Fethi. That’s quite a soundcause.   
Venu Menon

India’s premier film festival, IFFI, moves to Bangalore this year. On October 10, theIndian Panorama will open with Oorukku Nooruper (100 People for a Village). Thisis the first time that a Tamil film has been chosen for such an honour. The director, B.Lenin, is better known as a top-line editor. His earlier directorial ventures include Knockoutand My Favourite Song. Lenin’s latest film questions whether capitalpunishment is justified or not. Like his previous works, Oorukku Nooruper (pennedby Jayakanthan) has an overt leftist ideological bent. Protagonist Balan (Hans Kaushik), arevolutionary disillusioned by the present-day political scenario, kills a temple priestto raise money for his outfit, Oorukku Nooruper. Balan is sentenced to death, andAnandan (G.M. Sundhar), a journalist who sympathises with the ultra-left ideology, takesup his cause. The film replays the pen-vs-sword thematic cliché. Ironically, despite itsempathy for the neglect of the woman/family in a revolutionary’s life, the film endsup marginalising the women characters as did Knockout. Oorukku Nooruper, clearly,is a "festival film". It will also ensure that for the larger Tamil audience,Lenin will continue to remain an editor, not a director.     

If you’ve ever dug into a scrumptious pasta at a friend’s place and hankered forboth the recipe and the ice-blue ceramic bowl she served up the ravioli in, you’resure to feel right at home in 100ft, Bangalore’s spanking new "lifestyleboutique restaurant". Perched at the centre of 100ft Road, Indiranagar, an upmarketeast Bangalore suburb, the two-storeyed restaurant offers home-made Italian cuisine aswell as an eclectic collection of furnishings, artifacts and home accessories. What’smore, you could eat a hearty meal in the dining room and then if you so wish, buy up thecutlery and the table on your way out. From wrought iron and new-age steel furniture tocurios in mix media, 100ft has them all.