Pakistan bans Salman Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger

 

MUMBAI: Salman Khan's 'Ek Tha Tiger' (ETT) has been banned by the Pakistan censor board. Though there is no official announcement from the board, but Pakistani distributor Atif Rashid told TOI, "I was just told the film cannot be released in Pakistan and there will be further discussion on it." ETT was to release with 35 prints in Pakistan on Eid.


Filmmaker Kabir Khan said, "It is sad a film that promotes peace and friendship between countries has fallen victim to politics." Trade pundits feel ETT had potential of doing a business of Rs 10 cr. Khan said, "It is not about the money loss but a film with good intention failed to release in Pakistan though places like Dubai and London which has a mixed population of Indians and Pakistanis have reacted positively to the film."

Nearly half a dozen films in the last five years have been banned in Pakistan. The last film to be banned in Pakistan was Saif Ali Khan's 'Agent Vinod' which also had mentions of Pakistan's intelliegence agency ISI. A Pakistani filmmaker said, "Any Indian film with mention of ISI will not get a release in Pakistan so filmmakers need to keep that in mind if they want to help that territory grow."

Read More

New snake species found in Aandhra Pradesh

 Forest Department officials have stumbled upon at least four varieties of snakes in the Seshachalam hill ranges that have never been sighted or reported here in the past.

Of the four, the latest one sighted on July 16 at Kapila Theertham forest abutting the city flabbergasted the researchers and officials. It is found to be of colubridae family and ‘coluber’ genera, but has strikingly different features from its nearest species ‘coluber gracilis’, which too was sighted last in Pune district of Maharashtra and Asirgarh of Madhya Pradesh, but never in southern India.


The declaration of Seshachalam as a biosphere reserve has paved the way for enumeration of rare and endemic flora and fauna, before initiating steps for their conservation.

Species identified

So far, the Forest Department has identified 27 species of snakes, 12 types of lizards and 13 amphibians. In the last two months alone, slender coral snake (calliophis melanurus) of the elapidae family, brown vine snake (ahaetulla puverulenta) of colubridae family and Eliot’s shieldtail (uropeltis elliot) of the uropeltidae family were sighted.

Famed researchers Romulus Whitaker and Ashok Captain, in their work ‘Snakes of India’, have described the slender coral snake as endemic to all southern States except Andhra Pradesh, besides Maharashtra, West Bengal and Gujarat. The brown viper is reported to be endemic to the Western Ghats, but the latest find in Seshachalam is the first to be reported in the Eastern Ghats. Similarly, the Eliot’s shieldtail is also found in the Western Ghats (from Goa to Tirunelveli), Madhya Pradesh and in Andhra-Orissa border. The first sighting in Andhra Pradesh was in Araku valley long back and the latest in Seshachalam is only the second.

Print  PDF

Read More

WATCH OUT: Raaz 3 trailer released!

Bipasha Basu starrer Raaz 3 trailer is finally out. A few days back, the film's first looks was released and that created lot of buzz. The first official trailer of Raaz 3 is not only scary, but also very interesting.


The trailer shows the hot Bipasha Basu as the vamp in the film. Esha Gupta, who is playing an actress in the film will defeat Bipasha (also plays an actress) at an Award function. This was too hard a truth for superstar Bipasha to digest, hence, she decides to take revenge on Esha, through black magic. Emraan Hashmi plays the role of a director, who is in love with Esha Gupta. Next, what happens? The mystery needs to be unfolded.

Bipasha Basu surprises us in the trailer with her drop dead looks and improved acting skills. Esha Gupta too works as an added enticement. But, to one's surprise, Jacqueline Fernandez was nowhere shown in the trailer. Raaz 3 is directed by Vikram Bhatt and is all set to release on 7 September 2012.

Read More

Salman Khan's new movie "Ek Tha Tiger" in controversy again

 JAIPUR: Actor Salman Khan's upcoming film 'Ek Tha Tiger' is in controversy once again. After the ban on its screening in Pakistan, the family of martyr and real-life spy Ravindra Kaushik has asked the film's producers and directors to show either the original screenplay or organize a screening of the film in Jaipur for Kaushik's family.

Vikram Vashishtha, Kaushik's nephew through his counsel Madhav Mitra sent a legal notice to Yash Raj Films, the film producers, Central Board of Film Certification, the Film & TV Producers Guild and Film Federation of India on Monday asking them to either show the original film script or organize a special screening before its release.


Talking to TOI Vikram said, "He (Ravindra Kaushik) was my maternal uncle who was with the Research Analysis Wing (RAW). Born on April 11, 1952 in Sriganganagar he also did his graduation from there. He displayed his talent at national level dramatic meet in Lucknow, which was also witnessed by some officials of the intelligence wing (RAW). He was contacted and offered job for the secret intelligence in Pakistan. Later he was sent to Pakistan for the purpose." He said that the promos of 'Ek Tha Tiger' suggested that the film is based on Ravindra Kaushik's life.

"Kaushik's family fought a long battle till 2002 when he died in a Multan (Pakistan) jail. Before making such a film on the martyr's life I think the makers should have researched well and contacted us," he added.

Madhav Mitra the counsel said, "Prima facie resemblance is on the account that the promos show that ISI (Pakistan agency) and RAW (Indian Agency) indulged in day-to-day war. The promos reveal that the agent named 'Tiger' worked in Pakistan and had an affair with a Pakistani girl. He fought for the country as well as for his love. Shashi Vashishtha, mother of my client Vikram is the Ravindra's only sister. Thus, the family has full right to either go through the certified screenplay or watch it prior to national/ international release," he added.

His life, his death

Ravindra Kaushik was a true Indian patriot though he lived in Pakistan and also pursued LLB there. He was then recruited in defence services in Pakistan. He fell in love with a local Pakistani girl and married her. He was in Pakistan Army from 1979 to 1983 and during this tenure he dispatched valuable information to RAW which was of great help to the Indian defence mechanism. In the 1985 he was awarded death sentence which was subsequently converted into life imprisonment. Kaushik remained in various jails from where he somehow sent letters which revealed the pathetic health condition and the trauma faced by him in Pakistani jails. He was awarded the title of 'Black Tiger' by RAW and also by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi.

Read More