Review: ‘Tezz’ is an action-packed thriller!

Believe it or not, Priyadarshan has been able to pull this one off. From the trailers, it was pretty easy to guess that the film would be an action-packed adrenaline-punched one, and it has not let viewers down even a bit. An amalgam of thrilling moments and feverish pace, ‘Tezz’ doesn’t disappoint the average action-loving moviegoer.

Right from the time the promos started appearing on television, people knew that Priyadarshan’s brainchild would be one that would probably not leave any moment for viewers to breathe. And true to what the trailers promised, the movie too, offers a heavy dose of adrenaline rush to its viewers. The breakneck pace and the superior cinematography all call for appreciation for the ‘Tezz’ team. The film is replete with moments of panic where each fraction of a second counts. Keeping your eyes glued to the screen is the only option available – you pause to blink, and a bullet train might just meet with an accident!

Boasting of an enviable cast with Action King Ajay Devgn in the lead role, viewers couldn’t have asked for more. Accepted that Ajay has many action movies to his credit, but he has delivered a splendid performance in ‘Tezz’. Anil Kapoor’s visibility on screen might be dripping with a plastic accent, but the actor has performed pretty well considering the fact that he appears to repeat his antics and actions over and over again. Kangana Ranaut is as synthetic as she always is, and any hope of anything different from her would receive a cruel deathblow. Zayed Khan and Sameera Reddy’s background story is just that – relegated to the background. That part could have done with a bit of elucidation. Sameera Reddy, however, looks good in something other than mindless slapstick comedy. Avika Gor is brilliant as Boman Irani’s daughter, and Boman Irani doesn’t disappoint. The numerous fistfights involving Anil and Ajay are too many and too frequent. The movie could have done without so many uncalled for moments.

Deficiencies apart, the chase sequences in the film are brilliantly shot, and the cinematographer deserves a round of standing ovation. The abundance of thrilling moments keeps the viewer taut all through the film. Watch ‘Tezz’ for action, energy, and adrenaline!

Zohra 100 years young, says Salman Rushdie

                                                        SALMAN RUSHDIE

New Delhi, April 27 — Internationally acclaimed author Salman Rushdie has sent out birthday wishes to Indian theatre doyenne Zohra Sehgal, who turned a century old Friday. Rushdie says she is "100 years young".
"The eminent Indian actress Zohra Sehgal is 100 years young! Congrats to my Zohra Khala! Much love from New York," tweeted Rushdie, author of controversial book "The Satanic Verses".
Zohra currently resides in New Delhi and stays with her daughter, Odissi dancer Kiran Sehgal. She was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 2007 film "Saawariya".
Bollywood celebrities like Shabana Azmi and Anupam Kher too took to Twitter to greet the theatre doyenne on her birthday.
Anupam Kher: Zohra Sehgal the legendary actress turns 100 today. She is the symbol of Indian Cinema completing 100 years. Happy Birthday GRAND LADY.
Shabana Azmi: Zohra Aapa you are an inspiration to all of us. Saalgirah Mubarak aur behad ehtram ke saath salaam aapki zindadili ko.
Shahana Goswami: I learnt Odissi from Padma Shri Kiran Segal, so to me she's Zohra Nani. Wat a lady. Life had no choice but to let her live at least a 100 yrs!
Ranvir Shorey: Happy Birthday, Zohra Sehgal! Shine on!
Dia Mirza: 100th Birthday of the Grand Lady of Indian theatre and cinema Zohra Sehgal! What a journey!!! And what a Lady! Salute!
Tusshar Kapoor: Happy 100th birthday to Zohra Sehgal, many more to come!

Risat-1 catapults India into a select group of nations

 

Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh), April 26 — On an early Thursday morning, an Indian rocket successfully launched into orbit a microwave Radar Imaging Satellite (Risat-1) from the spaceport here in Andhra Pradesh, some 80 km from Chennai. With the launch of Risat-1, India has now joined a select group of nations having such a technology.
The indigenously built Risat-1, with a life span of five years, will be used for disaster prediction and agriculture forestry. The high resolution pictures and microwave imaging from Risat-1 could also be used for defence purposes as it can look through the clouds and fog.
At 5.47 a.m., the rocket - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C19 (PSLV-C19) - standing 44.5 metres tall and weighing 321 tonnes and with a one-way ticket, hurtled towards the skies ferrying the 1,858 kg Risat-1 after unshackling itself from launch pad No.1.
With a rich orange flame at its tail and a plume of white smoke, the rocket ascended towards the blue sky amidst the resounding cheers of ISRO scientists and media team assembled at the launch centre.
People perched atop nearby buildings too happily clapped as PSLV-C19 went up.
Space scientists at the new rocket mission control room of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) were glued to their computer screens watching the rocket escaping the earth's gravitational pull.
The ISRO-made Risat-1 is the heaviest luggage so far ferried by a PSLV since 1993.
At around 17 minutes into the flight, PSLV-C19 delivered Risat-1 into a polar circular orbit at an altitude of 480 km and an orbital inclination of 97.552 degrees.
ISRO, with its network of ground stations, monitored its health.
'PSLV-C19 mission is a grand success. This is the 20th successive successful flight of PSLV. India's first radar imaging satellite was injected precisely into orbit,' ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan said after the launch.
With this launch India joins a select group of nations like the US, Canada, Europe and others to have such an advanced technology. It is a 30 year effort, he added.
'With Risat-1 we can now forecast Kharif season,' Radhakrishnan said.
According to satellite director N. Valarmathi, Risat-1 can take images in all weather conditions and during day and night.
'The satellite has high storage device and other several unique features,' she added.
For ISRO, this is the first launch this fiscal as well as in the calendar year.
According to Radhakrishnan, the Indian space agency is planning couple of more satellite launches - communication and remote sensing satellites - this year.
He said the space agency would launch a communication satellite weighing 3.5 tonne through the Ariane rocket from French Guiana and two PSLV mission later this year.
He said ISRO will send SARAL satellite - an Indo-French initiative - using its PSLV rocket from here. There will also be the launch of first Indian regional navigational satellite this fiscal.
Speaking about the status of the space agency's heavy rocket - Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)- that can carry communication satellites, Radhakrishnan said the advanced rocket GSLV Mark III has crossed several milestones and an experimental flight will be made in an year from now.
He said the experimental flight will be to test the rocket systems in the atmospheric flight phase.
The Indian made cryogenic engine is also undergoing several tests.
Meanwhile, the solar panes of Risat-1 were deployed successfully soon after it was injected into the orbit.
According to Radhakrishan, in three days time the satellite will be taken up to its intended orbit at an altitude of 536 km by firing the on-board motors.
Remote sensing satellites send back pictures and other data for use. India has the largest constellation of remote sensing satellites in the world providing imagery in a variety of spatial resolutions, from more than a metre ranging up to 500 metres, and is a major player in vending such data in the global market.
With 11 remote sensing/earth observation satellites orbiting in the space, India is a world leader in the remote sensing data market. The 11 satellites are TES, Resourcesat-1, Cartosat-1, 2, 2A and 2B, IMS-1, Risat-2, Oceansat-2, Resourcesat-2 and Megha-Tropiques.
Risat-1's synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can acquire data in C-band and would orbit the earth 14 times a day.
In 2009, ISRO had launched 300 kg Risat-2 with an Israeli built SAR enabling earth observation in all weather, day and night conditions.
With Thursday's launch the PSLV rocket has launched successfully 53 satellites out of 54 it carried - majorly remote sensing/earth observation satellites both Indian and foreign - and has been a major revenue earner for ISRO.
The one failure happened in 1993 when the satellite was not able reach the orbit.
The rocket that delivered Risat-1 in the space is ISRO's four stage PSLV's upgraded variant called PSLV-XL.
The letters XL stand for extra large as the six strap-on motors hugging the rocket at the bottom can carry 12 tonnes of solid fuel as against the base version that has a fuel capacity of nine tonnes.
The PSLV's four stages are fuelled with solid and liquid propellants. The first and third stages are fuelled by solid fuel, while the second and fourth stages are powered by liquid fuel.
ISRO had used the PSLV-XL variant for its Chandrayaan-1 moon mission in 2008 and for launching the GSAT-12 communications satellite in 2011.

'Rowdy Rathore' shooting disrupted in Hampi'

Bangalore, April 24 — The shooting of Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha's "Rowdy Rathore" in Karnataka's temple town of Hampi was disrupted after activists said the minimum number of local dancers had not been used.
The unit members of "Rowdy Rathore", directed by Prabhu Deva, had to beat a hasty retreat after a few hours of shooting Monday afternoon following objections by local activists.
A song sequence, featuring Akshay and Sonakshi, along with many dancers, was being shot in Hampi, about 400 km from here, where the mercury has shot up to over 40 degrees.
Despite the gruelling heat, shooting was in brisk progress when some local activists pointed out that the movie's production house, Sanjay Leela Bhansali Films, had not used a minimum of 30 percent of local dancers for shooting the song.
Another reason for stopping filming is that the unit had taken permission to shoot a song sequence from Tuesday to Friday, but had begun Monday itself, said activists.
Venkoba Naik, a local activist and freelance journalist, told IANS from Hampi that the entire film unit had no Kannada technicians and all of them, including the dancers, were brought from Mumbai.
It is stipulated that 30 percent of local artists had to be used for the song shoot in Karnataka.
Naik said he learnt that the archaeological department, looking after the famous Virupaksha Temple and nearby historical places, had given permission for song shoot only from Tuesday.
Senior production manager Champakadhama Babu from the Karnataka Film Workers' Federation said the "Rowdy Rathore" production unit has not used the services of a local production manager from the cine workers organisation.
" The 'Rowdy Rathore' production unit has commissioned a local tourist guide called Vittala to help them out without taking the services of a local production manager. This is in gross violation of the accepted policy of the All India Cine Workers Organisation," said Babu.
"A local production manager could have helped the production unit secure permissions for the shooting," added Babu.
"Rowdy Rathore" is the remake of Telugu film "Vikramarkudu", directed by S.S.Rajamouli. The original was a blockbuster, and its Kannada and Tamil versions were hits too.

SBI Cuts Some Deposit Rates

MUMBAI -- The State Bank of India Monday said it will decrease interest rates on some deposits by up to one percentage point from Tuesday, following a cut in the central bank's key policy rate.
The country's lenders began pruning interest rates on both deposits and loans after the Reserve Bank of India last week slashed its main lending rate by a more-than-expected 0.50 percentage point to 8.0%, in a shift toward focusing on economic growth.
The RBI has also, since January, reduced the percentage of deposits that banks have to park with it by 1.25 percentage points to 4.75%.
Several lenders, including ICICI Bank Ltd., have reduced both their deposit as well as the benchmark, or base, lending rates.
The State Bank of India, India's largest lender by assets, Monday said it will cut lending rates, but in "segments" instead of an across-the-board reduction.
"Rather than reducing the base rate, we are trying to drop the spreads [over the base rate] for many of our customers," Chairman Pratip Chaudhuri told the CNBC-TV18 television, adding that the bank's asset liability committee has decided not to cut the base rate.
The SBI's base rate is 10%, just a shade above the 9.75% at ICICI Bank.
The SBI has already reduced interest rates on vehicle loans and is considering cutting rates for almost everything except for home loans, Mr. Chaudhuri said.
He also gave a low probability of further cuts in deposit rates as it would make bank deposits less competitive in comparison to other government-sponsored small saving schemes and result in a "reverse flow" from banks.

Meet Kamlesh Gill, Vicky Donor's progressive 'biji'

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New Delhi: Vicky Donor could be biased, but he claims Delhi has only two truly modern things - the Metro Rail and his 'biji', who in this case is his paternal grandmother. Utterly unabashed and undoubtedly progressive for her age, 'biji' in Shoojit Sircar's Vicky Donor, played by theatre actress Kamlesh Gill, has endeared herself to an audience sold on her superb comic timing.
What works for the much-discussed Vicky Donor besides Juhi Chaturvedi's water-tight script is the casting, the brilliant characterizations and the detailing of even the slightest nuances in the parts the actors play. I caught up with Gill on Sunday to get her reaction to her new-found fame. Gill says nonchalantly she did not expect this kind of success.
Over phone, she sounds every bit the feisty 'biji' of Vicky Donor, mixing her Hindi with a generous smattering of Punjabi. Biji is the Punjabi endearment for a motherly figure. Mind you, this is the woman who chuckles when Ayushmann Khurana, playing the titular role, says it isn't necessary to get married to have children.

"When I went for the dubbing, everyone was saying this is going to be a good film, I felt that too seeing the final product. But I did not expect this kind of reaction. People in packed halls giving a standing ovation after the film got over, coming and congratulating me, general word of mouth... now that is something, no?"
Gill, who has had small roles in films such as Love Aaj Kal, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye and Socha Na Tha, says Sircar got bowled over by her acting when he called her to Mumbai for shooting an ad film. The offer for the character in Vicky Donor followed and she was told to improvise as she saw fit for the role of progressive and widowed grandmother of Vicky who speaks her mind and gently bullies her daughter-in-law.
When Vicky gets her an iPhone, biji says she was expecting one with a 32 GB memory. She still rues the fact that her daughter-in-law, with whom she has a drink of whiskey every night by the way, did not bring any substantial dowry. When his mother berates him for tarnishing the family's good name by donating sperm, biji says as far as she understood the matter, many childless couples have found happiness because of her grandson.
When I ask her if she auditioned for the role, Gill says: "Beta, I am 75 years old. I don't need to go for a screen test," and laughs.
Interestingly, in real life too she stays with her daughter and a grandson who is a doctor. "I have grey hair, I do not wear modern clothes but in my mind and heart I am as modern as biji," she says. Her grandson is the only person in the family who has not seen the film yet and when he went he planned an outing with his friends he was met with 'Houseful' sign boards. "He now wants to introduce his old naani (maternal grandmother) to his friends," Gill says with a laugh.
Both Gill and Dolly Ahluwalia, who plays the role of Khurana's mother in the film, are veteran threatre actresses. Ahluwalia has trained at the National School of Drama while Gill has played roles in Punjabi television serials and has acted in theatre since 1957.
"I had lost my husband at a very young age and had to bring up two daughters. I accepted small roles. The roles I did in Bollywood were small and not much, but I tried to give every small part the best I had," says Gill. Bollywood directors haven't yet come calling at her house but she is hopeful that the good will that Vicky Donor has brought her will lead to something better and substantial.

Zee TV’s Dance India Dance-3 winner is Rajsmita Kar

Zee TV announced the winner of the largest dance reality show, ‘Maruti Suzuki DANCE INDIA DANCE’. The show that created history in Indian television industry went LIVE from Shahaji Raje Krida Sankul (Andheri Sports Complex), Mumbai on April 21st on Zee TV from 8 pm onwards. In an intense, nerve-racking finish Rajsmitha Kar was voted the winner by millions of viewers from across the nation. Superstar Anil Kapoor was the star attraction at the glitzy evening and they presented the coveted Sunehri Taqdeer ki Topi to the talented winner.

Vote count:

Rajsmita Kar (Geeta Ki Gang) – 458930

Pradeep Gurung (Terence Ki Toli) – 3494361

Raghav Juyal (Terence Ki Toli) –    3481685

Sanam Johar (Remo Ke Rangeelay) – 1577511

Mohena Singh (Remo Ke rangeelay)- 851335

The Grand Finale of ‘Maruti Suzuki DANCE INDIA DANCE’ marked the end of a thrilling dance journey of 17 weeks for 18 bright contestants from across the country who dazzled your TV screens with performances that established them as the Biggest Dancing Stars.  Some of the key highlights in this finale were the ‘Mardi Gras Carnival act’ by anchor Jay Bhanushali and Saumya Tandon. Master Terence Lewis’s Jim Morrison act on the track ‘Sadda haq’. Master Geeta Kanpur’s grand entry was on a huge crown. Master Remo D Souza’s hard hitting Hip Hop infused freestyle act on the song ‘Zara Dil ko Tham lo’ from the movie Don 2. One astounding act was by Rajasmita Kar from Geeta ki Gang where 24 dancers along with Rajasmita hung in mid air with the help of a truss. Sanam Johar did a jaw dropping mirror ball act. Dil Ki Rani, Mohena’s act with a huge Venetian mask. Raghav Crockroaz Juyal’s performed with a huge crocodile’s face as a prop.  Pradeep Gurung’s  ‘Shaolin’ act infused with freestyle and parkour.  To add a touch of comedy this year’s finale also saw gags by Ali Asgar. Ali dressed himself like Aamir Khan’s character in the movie Delhi Belly and became the first ever item boy – the disco fighter! Along with Jay Bhanushali and Saumya Tandon, Manish Paul also co-anchored the event. For the very first time, Remo pledged his MJ band to an audience who matched his steps the best! The audience frenzy was to be seen to be believed!

Commenting on the finale, Ashish Golwalkar, Non Fiction Head, Zee TV said, “Our heartiest Congratulations to Rajsmitha Kar and other runner up’s. Dance India Dance, as a brand, has set new benchmarks in the realms of reality programming. The superlative talent that DID brings to the forefront season after season is unmatched in this country. Groomed by Masters Remo D Souza, Terence Lewis and Geeta Kapur, the contestants entertained India with the right attitude and flawless, jaw dropping performances. Grand Master Mithun Chakravarty’s steady guidance and impartial decisions has helped us to get the best as Top 5 Finalists and the show a grand success. This season has been a memorable journey of dance. My best wishes to all the finalists in all their future endeavors.”

Apart from the priceless exposure and the golden opportunity to showcase their talent in front of the country, the finalists of Maruti Suzuki DANCE INDIA DANCE walked away with many prizes. The winner apart from winning the coveted Sunheri Taqdeer Ki Topi (the golden hat), walked away with a brand new Maruti Ertiga LUV car and 2- year contract with Zee TV. The ‘Most Desired Performer’ of the season got a cash prize worth Rs. 3 lacs from Maruti!

The channel did many innovations this season to take the brand a notch higher. Thanks to the one of its kind missed call voting system; more than 3 crore votes were registered through the entire season. The unique App/ WAPP feature that was developed for this season ensured that the tech savvy youth of today remained hooked to the show. The exclusive DID Reebok merchandise created for the very first time saw a whopping sale of more than 2000 pieces and last but not the least, the season made the entire Nation dance when a crowd of 4428 dancers gathered at one place to break the Guinness World record for the Largest Bollywood Dance. All this coupled with the innovative choreography by the Masters and some mind-blowing acts by all the contestants ensured that Dance India Dance Season 3 was nothing but phenomenal!

IPL 5: Pune Warriors knock out Delhi Daredevils by 20 runs

New Delhi: Skipper SouravGanguly's all round performance and Jesse Ryder's marvellous 86 runs knock paved path for Pune's win over Delhi Daredevils in the IPL match at Delhi's Feroz Shah Kotla ground on Saturday night.    Delhi Daredevils lost Mahela Jayawardene in the third over while chasing the huge target of 193 runs by Pune Warriors. He was scalped by Alfonso Thomas at the score of seven runs.
Skipper Virendra Sehwag and Pietersen got together to knit a 75 runs partnership for the second wicket before Pietersen was knocked down by Ganguly at 32 runs in the tenth over.
Next to depart was Irfan Pathan, who also fall prey to the Pune skipper after adding fifteen runs to the scoreboard. On the other hand Sehwag continued to hammer runs for Delhi before being caught out by Murli Karthik after a stupendous 57 runs knock off 32 deliveries.
He was soon followed by new-comer Pawan Negi in the next over. After Sehwag's departure, non of the Delhi batsmen posed any threat perception for Pune. Alfonso Thomas scalped three wickets for Pune. Ganguly took three wickets. Ganguly was adjudged Man of the Match for his all round performance.
Powered by Jesse Ryder's blistering 86 runs knock, Pune Warriors put up a huge total of 193 against the hosts.
After being invited to bat first, Pune suffered first setback in the form of Robin Uthappa. He was dismissed by Morkel at the score of 10 runs.
After Uthappa's departure, skipper Sourav Ganguly got together with JD Ryder to built up a crucial partnership for the team. Both of them exhibited stupendous batting perfomance to drive the Pune side to a comfort zone. Ryder completed his fifty in just 35 balls.
Ganguly was caught out at the boundary line while attempting to toss Morkel's delivery off the fences after a blistering 41 off 35 balls knock. Ganguly-Ryder put up a 93-runs partneship for the second wicket.    
Steven Smith, who came to bat after Ganguly continued the momentum. Smith along with Ryder took the score to 186 before Ryder by bowled out by Morkel after a swashbuckling 86 runs knock. Smith added quick 34 runs of just 13 balls to set up a total of 192 runs. Smith remained unbeaten after 34 runs.
Morne Morkel took all three wickets for Delhi Daredevils.

IPL 2012: Malinga injury blow for Mumbai Indians

 

Back spasms have forced Lasith Malinga, the Mumbai Indians fast bowler, to return to Sri Lanka for treatment, and he could miss up to two weeks of the IPL as a result. Malinga last played for Mumbai Indians against Rajasthan Royals on April 11 and missed the match against Delhi Daredevils on April.
"He is undergoing treatment in Sri Lanka," Nishantha Ranatunga, the secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket, told ESPN cricinfo. However, Ranatunga was not certain how long Malinga would be out and said the fast bowler would have to be evaluated by the Sri Lanka team's physio before any return date could be determined.

Malinga has reportedly not been training since the game against Royals and flew back to Sri Lanka on the morning of April 16. The team spokesperson said that Malinga "required rest and it made sense to send him back home", but they were hopeful he would return in a few days.

The loss of Malinga weakens the attack of Mumbai Indians, who have made an inconsistent start to the tournament and currently sit in sixth place in the points table, having won three of their five games. Malinga has been in good form again this season, taking nine wickets from four games at an economy-rate of 4.54.

Injuries have been a problem for Malinga in recent years. A knee injury he picked up during Sri Lanka's Australia tour in 2007 threatened to cut short his career and in April, 2011, he retired from Tests in order to spare his knee further damage.

Movie review Vicky Donor; Starring: Ayushmann Khurana, Yami Gautam, Anu Kapoor; Directed by: Shoojit Sircar;

When was the last time you saw a Bollywood comedy that made you chuckle and smile for two hours? When was the last time you saw a funny film that you wished wouldn't end? When the last time you saw a film where every actor in a big or small role simply sparkled on screen?

Vicky Donor is original and thoroughly engaging. It makes you feel blessed and blissed.

How good it feels to watch a director pick up a pertinent issue and convert it into a perky precocious and endearing rom-com which is less rom and, ahem, a whole lot of cum. Indeed "Vicky Donor" is suffused with delectable plus points, not the least of them being debutant Ayushmann Khurrana who seems to be born to play Vicky the…er donor.

Ayushmann-God bless his spontaneity-has formidable competition in the acting department from Kamlesh Gill and Dolly Ahluwalia who play his grandmom and mom, and from the redoubtable Annu Kapoor who as the sperm doctor, adds so much to his role and to the film you wonder why he isn't seen more often in our films.

Each character is written with a keenness for details that go a long way in giving them a life beyond the camera.

Delhi, done to death in film after film, re-awakens in "Vicky Donor". Kamaljeet Negi's cinematography makes no overt attempt to explore the city through the topography. Shoojit Sircar's splendid direction takes us into the heart of Delhi. The people, their homes and specially their spoken language come alive in ways that cinema has ceased to offer in recent times.

I'd give the film the thumbs-up for the sheer exuberance joy and conversational authenticity expressed in the spoken words. Writer Juhi Chaturvedi is a prized find.

And cherish this film's ability to turn the subject of sperm donation into a joyous celebration of life. There are no dull moments in the narration. No character walks by in Sircar's Delhi just for the heck of it. There are no incidental characters. Even the guy on the road who calls out the leading lady's name on Vicky's behalf is there because he belongs to the film's perfect-fitted jigsaw design depicting domesticity and adversity in the competitive city.

Never in living memory have I seen a film where every character comes alive as an individual. If Dr Malpani(Anu Kapoor) is quite a character, so is his assistant Chaman(Bupesh Pandya) and his nurse Lata(K.V Rajni). If Ayushman's Vicky is a scenestealer, so is his romantic lead, the lovely Yami Gautam who as an independent working girl from a Bengali family brings a disarming grace to her character.

"Vicky Donor" is a precious and important work of art. It negotiates an unusual theme with the least amount of fuss and the maximum warmth and vigour. The scenes are woven with seamless serenity into one another. Like life, the film is not only about laughter. The heartbreaking moment where Ayushmann holds his sleeping mother's hand defines the undercurrent of somberness that life in Delhi constantly secretes.

Scratch the surface, and the pain under the bravura display of flamboyance and gaiety comes to the surface.

"Vicky Donor" gets that urbane mix of the light-hearted jaunty mood at the top and the agony beneath, with pitch-perfect accuracy. The very act of attempting a film on a sticky subject like sperm donation suggests a dry staccato treatment. Pulling away from the pitfalls of pontification and self-importance, "Vicky Donor" simply takes us on a carefree joyride where the blend of pain and pleasure is never forced into the narrative. It just happens.

In a film industry saturated with slapstick double-meaning comedy, Shoojit Sircar has conceived a comedy on sex which is a not a sex comedy. No small achievement this.

Large-hearted and generously endowed with moments that you take away with you from the film even as John Abraham comes on screen for an irrelevant song and dance item, "Vicky Donor" is the surprise entertainer of the year. It is the warmest, funniest most sensible and sparkling comedy in a very long time. In Shoojit Sircar's vision every single actor shines with a glorious naturalness. Ayushmann is effortlessly the discovery of the year.

As for the film, in Anu Kapoor words, there are impatient sperms, angry sperms, stupid sperms. Seen in those terms this film is quite a fertile piece of work which says a lot more about life than we expect from it.

Top 10 Business Lessons from Bill Gates

Written by Nick Scheidies | Posted in Entrepreneurship, Make Money | 

Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard in 1974.
In I975, he co-founded Microsoft – a computer software company that would eventually make Gates the world’s wealthiest man. He earned the money by masterfully guiding the world into the era of networked personal computers.
Today, Gates is no longer the world’s wealthiest, but he’s still worth a healthy US$ 59 billion.
He’s retired from his role as Microsoft’s CEO and instead devotes himself full-time to philanthropy through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Below, you’ll find 10 business lessons from the life of Bill Gates.

#1 Get Lucky

Gates is a very smart man, but he’s benefitted from more than his fair share of dumb luck.
In 1968, Gates was an eighth grader, attending a private middle school in Seattle called Lakeside. That year, the school invested $3,000 in a state-of-the-art computer.
13-year-old Bill joined computer club and was instantly hooked. He and a handful of other enthusiastic students racked up hours and hours on the machine, learning how to program through trial and error. It was the beginning of a journey that would propel Gates to astronomical success.
Here’s where the dumb luck comes in: in the 1960s, very few colleges had computer labs and a middle school with a computer was unheard of. The chances of a 13-year-old having access to a computer were pretty much one-in-a-million.
If Lakeside hadn’t purchased a computer, then young Bill might never have discovered his love for computer programming and he never would have started Microsoft.

#2 Make the Most of the Luck You’re Given

Bill may have been ridiculously lucky, but all the computer time in the world wouldn’t have meant anything if he hadn’t dedicated himself so fully to master it.
Ultimately, it was the thousands of hours of focused labor that made Gates into the type of computer genius who could start a successful software company.
We don’t always recognize it, but each of us is uniquely lucky. Whether through our natural talents, our circumstances, or our relationships with others, we’re all fortunate to have many paths to success in front of us.
Take in your luck for a moment – and then capitalize on it.

#3 Bite Off More than You Can Chew

Microsoft’s big break came from Bill Gates telling a fib.

Gates called up a computer company called MITS and told them that they had developed a BASIC interpreter for their microcomputer, the Altair 8800.In 1975, Gates and his childhood programming buddy, Paul Allen, were looking for a way to turn their shared computer hobby into a career.
MITS was interested in seeing a demonstration of the software. This presented a problem, since the software Bill had promised didn’t actually exist.
Gates and Allen developed it in a hurry, presented it to MITS, and made the sale. They officially founded Microsoft one month later, in April 1975.

“An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew hoping he’ll quickly learn how to chew it.”
– Roy Ash, co-founder of Litton Industries

By always pushing yourself to deliver a little bit more than you’ve proven yourself capable of, you’ll go further, faster in your business ventures.
That said, I don’t recommend that you follow Bill’s lead and actually lie to your potential clients.

#4 Quality Control is Crucial

As Microsoft grew, it began hiring more and more programmers.
Gates had taken on the role of CEO and his job didn’t call for any programming. But that didn’t stop him from reviewing – and often rewriting – every single line of code that the company released.
Bill’s keen eye for detail ensured that Microsoft always shipped quality software. It also made sure that he never lost track of his team and that he was always intimately familiar with Microsoft’s products.
As your business grows, you’ll likely have to hire a team of employees. It may be tempting to just let them work and trust that they’re doing a good job. But your company has a reputation to protect, so take a page from Gates’ book and keep a close watch on your team’s output.

#5 Revolutionary Ideas are Shown, Not Told

Computer screens once displayed just text.
In the early 80’s, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer would travel around the country delivering seminars about how graphic interfaces were the operating systems of the future – but nobody believed them.
Computer companies told the Microsoft boys that graphic interfaces would be too slow and that it would be difficult to write the software for them. They were less than enthusiastic when Microsoft announced in 1983 that it was developing Windows.

Attitudes changed quickly in 1984, when Apple launched the Macintosh. It became the first commercially successful computer with a graphical user interface (GUI).
All of a sudden, it was obvious to everyone that the wave of the future involved windows, icons, menus, and a pointing device. Within a few years, the market was flooded with graphical OS software. Notable examples include Deskmate, Workbench, and – of course – Microsoft Windows.
Microsoft was able to release Windows 1.0 in 1985, just a year after the Mac’s success, because they had actually started developing the software two years earlier.
If you’ve got a revolutionary idea, don’t worry if other people don’t get it. Start developing it now so that you’ll be prepared when the time is right.

#6 Persevere

There is nothing that was overnight.
– Bill Gates

Windows 1.0 actually wasn’t much of a success.
Microsoft released Windows 2.0 two years later, in 1987, but it didn’t fare much better. It found moderate success thanks to software – in particular, Excel, Word, and Aldus Pagemaker.
It wasn’t until 1990, when Microsoft launched Windows 3.0, that they found significant success with a graphical operating system. It was a big moneymaker for the company and it sold over 10 million units in just two years.
Microsoft had found the model that would transform them into a computer software giant.

#7 Share Your Vision with Your Team

Just as Gates has seen the advent of the graphical interface years in advance, he predicted the preeminence of the Internet long before the average Joe had a dial-up connection.
By May 1995, Gates was so convinced that the Internet was Microsoft’s future, that he felt compelled to write a very, very long memo to his company. It concluded:

“The Internet is a tidal wave. It changes the rules. It is an incredible opportunity as well as incredible challenge. I am looking forward to your input on how we can improve our strategy to continue our track record of incredible success.”

Gates took the time to write this memo because he recognized how important it was for his whole team to be on board with Microsoft’s mission. The result: Windows 95 came bundled with Internet Explorer.

#8 Marketing is Simple

People don’t buy a product because it’s got a great logo or a low price. They buy because they’ve got a problem and they’re convinced that the product will solve it.
The most difficult part about marketing, then, isn’t coming up with the right tagline. It’s providing a great solution to an actual problem. If you can do that and then demonstrate it, then marketing your solution is simple.

If you show people the problems and you show people the solutions, they will be moved to act.
– Bill Gates

#9 Don’t Learn From Success

It seems obvious that we should reflect on our successes and learn from them. If we can recognize the factors that contributed to that initial success, we should be able to repeat them and repeat our success.
But Gates has argued that success can actually cloud our vision, causing us to become over-confident and unprepared for the new challenges that the future holds.

Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.
– Bill Gates

We shouldn’t ignore the patterns of our initial success. But neither should we cling blindly to particular actions or strategies simply because they’ve worked in the past.

#10 Learn from Unhappy Customers

Over the years, Bill Gates has made a ton of his customers unhappy.
Anyone who has stared at the “blue screen of death” understands why.
But as much as people love to complain about Windows, they continue to use it. Windows has been the world’s primary operating system since 1990 and it boasts a stout 82.5% market share as of August 2011.
The reason is simple: Microsoft continues to respond to customer feedback and improve their products. The attitude starts with Bill Gates, himself:

Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.
– Bill Gates

Looking Forward


Bill Gates career has been marked by his incredible vision. Microsoft beat out the competition largely because they were always looking one step ahead, to the next revolutionary idea.
The lesson here: if you want to get ahead in business, think ahead.
Gates was still thinking ahead when he retired from Microsoft in 2008. He told PC Mag that he thought the Tablet PCs, Internet TV, and natural user interface would be thriving in the near future. History is proving him right.
So, if Gates knew what was coming next, why didn’t he stick around to make it happen? Surely, he could have added a few billion more to his bank accounts.
The answer is that, at some point while thinking about the future, Gates started giving more importance to health care, poverty, and education than he did to the next hi-tech gizmo. He’s making a bigger impact on the future through The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation than he would have made by continuing to run Microsoft.