US warns India over nuclear pact

The senators warn that the situation is getting critical

A US delegation has warned India it must finalise a nuclear deal by July if Congress in Washington is to ratify it before presidential polls.

The civilian nuclear energy deal between the two countries has been delayed because of opposition from India's communist parties.

The parties provide key support to PM Manmohan Singh's minority government.

They argue that the accord would give the US undue influence over India's foreign and nuclear policy.

Under the terms of the deal, India would get access to US civil nuclear technology and fuel, in return for opening its civilian nuclear facilities to inspection.

But its nuclear weapons sites would remain off-limits.

The deal will also eventually need to be approved by the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, which regulates global civilian nuclear trade.

'Difficult to ratify'

The delegation of three US senators arrived in Delhi on a day-long visit after monitoring Pakistan's elections.

"Time is of the essence," Joseph Biden, one of the senators, said, urging India to confirm its support for the nuclear deal.

The left-wing parties have been protesting against the nuclear deal

The visiting Americans say the deal is running out of time because of the tight legislative agenda for 2008 ahead of November's US presidential elections.

"If we don't have the deal back with us clearly prior to the month of July, it will be very difficult to ratify," Mr Biden said.

Whatever the merits of the deal, passing it through Congress after July would be harder because of "the mechanics on which our system functions", he said.

Mr Biden also said it was "highly unlikely" the next president would be able to authorise the same deal, if it did not reach Congress in time.

"It will be renegotiated," Mr Biden said.

"It is critical, if India want that deal, they move on relatively soon, within a matter of weeks,'' he said.

Mr Biden and senators John Kerry and Chuck Hagel met Prime Minister Singh on Wednesday to express their concerns over the issue.

India tested nuclear weapons in 1974 and 1998 and consequently is banned from buying fuel for atomic reactors and related equipment.

The deal has already been pronounced dead by some analysts because of India's domestic political rivalries.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan come together for Jodhaa Akbar music launch

Ashutosh Gowariker's epic romance, Jodhaa Akbar, starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the Rajput princess, Jodhaa, and Hrithik Roshan as the Mughal emperor, Akbar, will have its worldwide soundtrack release on 15th January 2008. The stunning soundtrack of the film was unveiled with a grand star-studded event. The ambience of created at the music launch, took one back to the moghul era with the entire place draped in maroon, gold and green with gold motifs. Most of the guests too were donning ethnic dresses. The royalty was in full force as well with Maharaj Bhawani Singh and brother, Brajraj Singh Bishambar gracing the occasion along with Maharani Padmini Singh. The Maharani said, "It gives immense pleasure to me and my family to be here. Mr. Ashutosh had given us the concept before he began the project and he has given correct facts. When I saw the audio visuals I felt I have been reliving the passage history since I am descendant of Maharani Jodhaa's family." Ashutosh thanked each and every member of his cast and crew and all the members present there. Present in the magnificent Royal tent, especially erected for the unveiling, were all the singers along with the entire cast and crew of the film including Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, A. R. Rahman, Javed Akhtar, Mrs. Punam S. Sinha, Sonu Sood, Ronnie Screwvala, Sunita Gowariker and Ashutosh Gowariker. The musical score for the period film by AR Rahman has been released under the newly launched UTV Music label and consists of five songs that capture the essence and opulence of the Moghul era. Says Ronnie Screwvala on the launch of UTV Music with Jodhaa Akbar: “A film of the magnitude and caliber of Jodhaa Akbar with its outstanding music compositions is the perfect vehicle for the launch of UTV Music. This is in keeping with the vision of UTV Motion Pictures to provide quality entertainment to our audiences worldwide across all distribution platforms. For our first initiative, UTV Music is honored to have the collaborative effort of Ashutosh Gowariker, A. R. Rahman and Javed Akhtar and this is a very proud moment for all of us.” Jodhaa Akbar needed a distinct sound, keeping in mind the Rajput and Mughal cultures; it needed to be regal and epic in its composition but at the same time it needed to have a contemporary appeal, which these two magicians have wonderfully woven together effortlessly.” Speaking on the music, A R Rahman comments “It has always been a pleasure to associate with Ashutosh on his projects. We started off with Lagaan and then Swades, both of which gave me immense creative satisfaction as a composer. It was an honor that Jodhaa Akbar was offered to me. Working on the music of Jodhaa Akbar has been a creative challenge for me, as being an epic romance set in the sixteenth century, the music was required to bring out the nuances of that era." The joint appearance by Aishwarya and Hrithik at the event put to rest rumors of a rift between the co-stars who wowed viewers as an on screen couple in Dhoom-2. Dismissing tabloid speculation that the two have not been getting along lately Gowarikar says "Absolutely untrue! Aishwarya and Hrithik get along really well. Even at the wrap-up party they were fine with each other. There was no rivalry between them." Fans can expect to see the two make more joint appearances during the lead up to the release of the film. “We now have a publicity plan for them,” Gowarikar adds. "The music of Jodhaa-Akbar can't be bhangra and hip-hop. Just because the film has Aishwarya, please don't expect an introductory song-and-dance. It's not a star vehicle. It's about the characters. I'm showcasing Jodhaa and Akbar," says Ashutosh Gowarikar. Gowarikar also denied that two songs were cut from the film to keep its length under 3 hours "No we recorded five songs and we've retained them all. I treasure every song that I record and wouldn't dream of cutting them for length." All the five songs of the film were showcased to the audience and each one met with a huge applause after its conclusion. While the 2000 dancers participating Azeem-O-Shan Shahenshah was spectacularly shot and drew maximum applause, the In Lamho Ke Darmiyaan featured the Hrithik – Aish sizzling chemistry at its peak. The lead pair showed no discomfort with each other on the dias during the function and refuted rumours about their being in any problems involved with each other during the make of the film, as being reported. Lyricist of the film, Javed Akhtar termed Jodhaa Akbar the much-needed apt film in today's times, spreading the secularity message. He told us, "500 years back, there existed an emperor, Akbar who initiated secularism much before those in the west started championing it. Being a Muslim, he never inflicted his religion on his Hindu wife, Jodhaa. She remained a Hindu till her death. Akbar was way far ahead of his times his laws prove that. He had passed an ordinance wherein girls below 16 years age should not get married and imposed taxes on casinos and used this income for the welfare of his masses." Just as the function was to begun, Shatrughan Sinha made an entry with wife, Poonam, who is making a comeback in the film playing Hrithik's mother. As he was about to sit, Big B immediately went across to him and hugged him. It might be recollected that Amitabh had not invited the actor cum MP for son, Abhishek's wedding and post the wedding when he had sent a mithai box to those not invited, Shotgun Sinha had sent it back feeling insulted about it. Bachchan didn't leave the opportunity to make amends for it when he came face to face for the first time after that. Amitabh is associated with Jodhaa Akbar too having given his voice over for the film ala Lagaan.

Nominees for 14th Annual Screen Awards

Best Film
Chak De! India
Guru
Life in A… Metro
Om Shanti Om
Taare Zameen Par

Best Director
Aamir Khan - Taare Zameen Par
Anurag Basu - Life in A… Metro
Farah Khan - Om Shanti Om
Mani Ratnam - Guru
Shimit Amin - Chak De! India

Best Actor (Male)
Abhishek Bachchan - Guru
Akshaye Khanna – Gandhi My Father
Amitabh Bachchan – Cheeni Kum
Shah Rukh Khan - Chak De! India
Shahid Kapoor – Jab We Met

Best Actor (Female)
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – Guru
Kareena Kapoor - Jab We Met
Tabu - Cheeni Kum

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male)
Aamir Khan - Taare Zameen Par
Darshan Jariwala - Gandhi My Father
Mithun Chakraborty – Guru
Sharman Joshi - Life in A… Metro
Vipin Sharma - Taare Zameen Par

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female)
Chak De! Girls - Chak De! India
Tisca Chopra - Taare Zameen Par
Konkana Sen Sharma - Life in A… Metro
Shefali Shah - Gandhi My Father

Best Actor in a Negative Role (Male/ Female)
Arjun Rampal – Om Shanti Om
Pankaj Kapur – The Blue Umbrella
Pawan Malhotra – Black Friday
Viviek Oberoi – Shoot Out At – Lokhandwala

Best Actor in a Comic Role (Male/ Female)
Anil Kapoor – Welcome
Govinda – Partner
Irrfan Khan - Life in A… Metro
Nana Patekar – Welcome
Vinay Pathak – Bheja Fry

Best Playback Singer (Male)
KK – Aankhon Mein Teri - Om Shanti Om
Shaan – Jab Se Tere Naina – Saawariya
Shankar Mahadevan – Maa - Taare Zameen Par
Shankar Mahadevan – Title Song - Taare Zameen Par
Soham – Inn Dino - Life in A… Metro

Best Playback Singer (Female)
Chinmaye - Tere Bina - Guru
Shreya Ghoshal - Barso Re Megha – Guru
Shreya Ghoshal – Yeh Ishq Haaye – Jab We Met
Sunidhi Chauhan – Sajnaji Vaari - Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd

Best Lyrics
Gulzar – Bol Na Halke - Jhoom Barabar Jhoom
Prasoon Joshi – Maa - Taare Zameen Par
Sameer – Jab Se Tere Naina – Saawariya
Sayeed Quadri - Inn Dinon - Life in A… Metro

Best Story
Amole Gupte - Taare Zameen Par
Anurag Basu - Life in A… Metro
Feroz Abbas Khan – Gandhi My Father
Imtiaz Ali – Jab We Met
Jaideep Sahni – Chak De! India

Best Screenplay
Amole Gupte - Taare Zameen Par
Anurag Basu - Life in A… Metro
Anurag Kashyap – Black Friday
Imtiaz Ali – Jab We Met
Jaideep Sahni – Chak De! India

Best Background Music
A R Rahman – Guru
Raju Singh - Life in A… Metro
Salim-Sulaiman - Chak De! India
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy - Taare Zameen Par
Vishal-Shekhar – Om Shanti Om

Best Music
A R Rahman – Guru
Monty Sharma – Saawariya
Pritam – Life in A… Metro
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy – Jhoom Barabar Jhoom
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy - Taare Zameen Par

Best Dialogue
Amole Gupte - Taare Zameen Par
Imtiaz Ali – Jab We Met
Jaideep Sahni – Chak De! India
Sanjeev Dutta – Life in A… Metro
Vijay Krishna Acharya – Guru

Best Editing
Aarti Bajaj Kashyap – Black Friday
Akiv Ali - Life in A… Metro
Amitabh Shukla - Chak De! India
Bunty Nagi - Shoot Out At Lokhandwala
Pooja Ladha Surti – Johnny Gaddaar

Best Sound
Baylon Fonseca - Shoot Out At Lokhandwala
Bishwadeep Chatterjee – Eklavya The Royal Guard
H. Sridhar – Guru
Hari Dwarak & Madhu Apsara - Johnny Gaddaar
Hitendra Ghosh - Life in A… Metro
Manas Chaudhary & Ali Merchant - Chak De! India

Best Cinematography
Bobby Singh - Life in A… Metro
N. Nataraj Subramaniam - Eklavya The Royal Guard
Rajiv Menon – Guru
Ravi Chandran – Saawariya
Sudeep Chatterjee - Chak De! India

Best Special Effects
Red Chillies VFX - Chak De! India
Red Chillies VFX – Om Shanti Om
Tata Elxsi - Taare Zameen Par

Best Art Direction
Gautam Sen – Khoya Khoya Chand
Nitin Chandrakant Desai – Gandhi My Father
Omung Kumar – Saawariya
Sabu Cyril – Guru
Sabu Cyril – Om Shanti Om

Best Choreography
Farah Khan – Dhoom Tana - Om Shanti Om
Ganesh Hegde & Pappu-Mallu – Yun Shabnami – Saawariya
Saroj Khan – Barso Re Megha – Guru
Vaibhavi Merchant – Aaja Nachle - Aaja Nachle
Vaibhavi Merchant – Title Song – Jhoom Barabar Jhoom

Best Action
Abbas Ali – Awarapan
Anthony Stone – Cash
Javed Ejaz – Shoot Out At Lokhandwala
Tinu Verma – Apne

Most Promising Newcomer (Male)
Ranbir Kapoor – Saawariya
Neil Nitin Mukesh – Johnny Gaddaar

Most Promising Newcomer (Female)
Deepika Padukone – Om Shanti Om
Sonam Kapoor – Saawariya

Most Promising Debut Director
Aamir Khan - Taare Zameen Par
R Balakrishna – Cheeni Kum
Feroz Abbas Khan – Gandhi My Father
Reema Kagti – Honeymoon Travels
Sajid Khan - Heyy Babyy

Best Child Artiste
Ali Haji – Ta Ra Rum Pum
Angelina - Ta Ra Rum Pum
Darsheel Safary - Taare Zameen Par
Dhruv Piyush Panjuani – Apna Aasmaan
Shreya Sharma – Blue Umbrella

India bans faked report channel

An Indian television news channel has been taken off air for a month after broadcasting a false "sting" which led to riots and a woman being jailed.

India's Broadcasting Ministry said the report on Live India had been "defamatory, deliberate and false".

Delhi teacher Uma Khurana was accused of forcing students into prostitution. Police later said the report was faked.

Live India is the first news channel to be banned in India. The station says it was misled by its reporter.

The case follows a number of other so-called stings in which people allege they have been framed and has led to renewed calls for India's media to be regulated.

Experts blame a highly competitive media environment where 24-hour news channels are fighting for revenue and viewers' attention.

'Slandered'

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry said on Thursday that Live India, also known as Janmat, had breached the Cable Networks Regulation Act, 1995, by broadcasting "an admittedly doctored sting operation" on Ms Khurana.

The said sting operation... criticised, maligned and slandered an individual in person and it denigrated children

Broadcasting ministry



The channel has been taken off air until 20 October.

"The telecast of said sting operation was defamatory, deliberate, false and contained suggestive innuendos and half-truths; incited violence and contained content against maintenance of law and order," a statement from the ministry said.

"It criticised, maligned and slandered an individual in person and it denigrated children and was irresponsibly aired by the channel without exercise of due diligence in preliminary verification of the facts of the case.

"Therefore, the central government thought it necessary to prohibit transmission or re-transmission of the said channel throughout the country."

Ms Khurana was ordered to be reinstated in her job by the Delhi high court earlier this month.

There were riots in the city and a mob attacked the school at which Ms Khurana worked, dragged her out and assaulted her after the secretly-filmed tape was broadcast on 30 August. She spent 10 days in prison.

A police investigation later revealed the sting had been faked and the teacher falsely accused.

The undercover journalist, Prakash Singh, who made the report has been arrested.