Sivaji storms in - and wow!

This story written along with the help of Niranjan for Bangalore Mirror, since I had a lot of other work to do that day. So I passed on all the data I had collected to him and he wrote the story for a joint credit.

Milk, cocnuts, a 120 ft poster … Rajni fans pull out all stops to welcome the boss

Reacting to Karnataka Rakshana Vedike’s comments over the release of Rajnikant starrer Sivaji published in Bangalore Mirror on Wednesday, Rajni fans in the city, nick-named Tamil Tigers, grunted and asked the vedike not to combine the issue with the much-debated Cauvery issue.
Expressing their ignorance about the guidelines issued by the Vedike for the release and publicity of the much-awaited Kollywood blockbuster, fans and the well- wishers of Rajni reiterated that they respect the state’s cause and will abide by the government’s stand.
Guna, President of the Murphy Town Rajnikant Fans Association said, “We too are Kannadigas and respect the state’s cause. Sivaji is purely an entertainment issue and it does not have any relation to Cauvery to the language issue.”
Despite the furore and dbate over the issue, Guna and his friends have put up a 120 feet banner near Murphy Town fish market pug marked with stills from the film.

Explaining the efforts invested in making such a big poster Guna said, “I have spent Rs 30,000 from my own pocket. It is our way of expressing our love for the star. Rajnikant is an international figure and efforts to ostracise him just for Tamil Nadu’s cause is unacceptable.”
V Harsha, President of Rajni Fans Club at Airport road said, “First we are all Indians, and then we are all Kannadigas and lastly, we are all Rajni fans. Even on the posters we have put names first in Kannada, then in English and only near the theatres are they in Tamil. Though we don’t know about the guidelines issued by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, our friends have briefed us and we are ready to follow them.”
Solar Ramesh and Rajan from Ulsoor’s Rajnikant Fan Club organized a puja on Wednesday ahead of the film’s release. More than 100 coconuts were broken by Guna and his friends in honour of the actor in Murphy town and many packets of milk were poured on the giant –sized banner.
Inspired by the boss mannerisms and make-up is Sivaji, fans have also arranged a free haircut and shave drive on Friday. The association will also distribute more than 250kg of biriyani to the poor. Besides, the Rajnikant Fans Association at the Airport road has promised to arrange free tickets on the spot for the fans in multiplexes across the city.

THE HERO’S MANY ZEROES
With over Rs 100 crore being spent on the production Sivaji is easily one of the biggest movies produced in South Asia. It’s not just the budget that is mind-boggling. A whopping 1,000 prints have been ordered for distribution across India. More than 2,900 theaters have already been booked. Sivaji will see more than 12,000 shows everyday. Across the world, the film will be released in 23 countries simultaneously. It is expected to earn over Rs 500 crore in first 50 days. The producers have paid the actor Rs 40 crore. Rs 10 crore to director Shankar and Music Director A R Rahman. The fee is much more that what Jackie Chan gets, making Rajni the indisputable superstar of South Asia. The film is expected to run for three to four years! However, in Karnataka, Sivaji will play in 10 theaters only.

A Low key Rajni B'day

The Padayappa Star has turned 58, and his fans are celebrating

With his recent release ‘Sivaji’ running successfully all over the country, the 58th birthday was a memorable one for the superstar Rajnikant on Wednesday. Fans across the city cut cakes and distributed sweets.



Fans in Murphy Town celebrated the birthday by cutting a 58 kg cake and distributing around 1,000 pieces of cakes to the poor and fans. Guna, an ardent fan of Rajni, said, “I have spent around Rs 18,000 for the celebration. Rajini’s film releasing day and his birthday has been a great day for celebration for us. Last year, we distributed around 1,000 plates of chicken briyani to the poor.
Rajan, another die hard fan, said, “I was waiting for this occasion ever since Sivaji’s release to celebrate the success of both the film and my ‘boss’.
We pray to the god to give him healthy life and keep giving scintillating films all through the year and entertaining his fans.”
Banners on the road side in Sivaji Nagar read, ‘Long live our Style Emperor’ an in many other areas, Rajni’s huge cutouts were displayed, carrying the flags of Karnataka and India. Besides, fans on Kamraj Road, Ulsoor, Cox Town, Frazer Town and Benson Town put up huge banners with posters from some of his super hit movies. Solar Ramesh, president of Rajni Fans Club in Ulsoor said, “this time we have put up only the banner and kept the celebration low profile.” Meantime, rumours of Rajnikant visiting the city kept media persons on their toes.

Here they only see the simple side of Rajni

This Story was a bit too late and yet anyway Bangalore Mirror Editor K R Sreenivas asked me give the quotes of the people whom the superstar knew and was published on 18 June 2007 soon after the release of his yet another blockbuster 'Sivaji' - the Boss.
As recently as 20 days ago, Rajnikanth came to Hanumanthnagar in Bangalore, the place where he spend his childhood and youth, to visit his elder brother Sathyanaryan Rao. Selvan Shiv Kumar Spoke to the neighbors on Rajnikanth the man.

The home of Rajnikanth's elder brother Sathyanaryan Rao at 408, 2nd Cross, Hanumanthnagar. It was a small one-room place which has now been expanded to three floors, housing five families. Inset: The nameplate which is in Kannada.


Sundar (a Neighbour who has seen Rajni from his childhood): "He used to play gilli-danda with his friends on these streets. He was a hyperactive boy, always running around asking his friends to join him for a game." Right: Venkatraman (a friend of Rajni's elder brother Sathyanaryan Rao): "Rajni is very religious and down-to earth. He loves to talk on any subject. He came here 20 days ago.



Monish SM and Mayur (grandchildren of Sathyanarayan Rao): "Whenever our grand uncle visits us, he comes after 10 pm and leaves in an hour. He told us to study hard and do well. No,he dosen't play with us. He is too old for that."

Star of Bethlehem - Blooms in Silicon City

The Star-of-Bethlehem scientifically known as Ornithogalum umbellatum from the Lily family (Liliaceae) is a very rare site to witness when it blooms. It usually blooms in the night and lasts for a week before drying out. In 2007 I had the good oppurtunity to photograph the flowers in full bloom after Swati Anand formerly with the Times of India called the Bangalore Mirror Resident Editor K Srinivas and informed him about the rare site. He in turn called me and I rushed to her guest home near Frazer Town after getting the excat details of her address. I spent about 2 hours before retiring back to my home. Below are the pictures taken on 16th June 2007 night.

This introduced perennial plant consists of a rosette of basal leaves spanning about 1' across. These linear leaves are about 6-12" long and ¼" across. They curve upward from the base and bend downward around the middle. There is often a white stripe in the middle of each leaf, which has smooth margins and parallel venation.
From the center of the rosette, there develops one or more flowering stalks about 6-9" tall. Each stalk terminates in a cyme-like raceme of white flowers. This raceme is rather short and spreading. The lower pedicels are 1-3" long, while the upper pedicels are somewhat shorter. Both the basal leaves and flowering stalks are hairless. Each flower is about 1" across when fully open, consisting of 6 white tepals, 6 stamens, and a single pistil. Each tepal is lanceolate-oblong; there is a green stripe along its outer side. A stamen has a yellow or light brown anther at its apex, and a white filament underneath. This filament is lanceolate or narrowly triangular in shape (tapering at the top), which is a distinctive characteristic for this species. The blooming period occurs during the late spring and lasts about 2 weeks. There is a pleasant floral scent. The flowers open during the morning and usually close by noon. Each flower is replaced by a 3-celled seed capsule containing several black seeds. The root system consists of a bulb about 1" long that is ovoid. This plant reproduces by its seeds and vegetative offsets (primarily the latter). It often forms dense colonies that can exclude other species during the spring.

The preference is full sun to light shade, moist to mesic conditions, and a fertile loam. Growth occurs during the spring; the foliage withers away by mid-summer. This plant has few problems with pests and disease; the waxy foliage resists contact herbicides.
The Star-of-Bethlehem naturalizes occasionally in southern, central, and NE Illinois, but it is less common in the NW area of the state (see Distribution Map). It is oftencultivated in flowerbeds, from which it occasionally escapes. Habitats include cemetery prairies, grassy meadows, sunny or semi-shaded banks of streams and drainage ditches, and miscellaneous waste areas. This species is usually found in degraded sites, although it can invade high quality natural habitats and displace native species of plants that bloom during the spring. The Star-of-Bethlehem is native to eastern Europe and parts of the Middle East; it was introduced into the United States as an ornamental plant.

The primary pollinators of the flowers are probably bees. The foliage and bulbs contain toxic alkaloids that can poison livestock. The cooked bulbs are reportedly edible to humans, although suitable caution should be exercised.
Comments: The Star-of-Bethlehem is a surprisingly aggressive little plant with attractive flowers. Key features include the spreading racemes of erect flowers, and the triangular or lanceolate filaments underneath the anthers. These filaments are erect and surround the pistil. Other members of the Lily family that are somewhat similar in appearance include the Allium spp. (Onions) and Nothoscordum bivalve (False Garlic). However, False Garlic and the various species of Onions have umbels of flowers and the filaments of their flowers are thread-like. Another cultivated plant, Ornithogalum nutans (Nodding Star-of-Bethlehem), rarely escapes into the wild. It has nodding flowers on elongated racemes and each of its filaments have a pair of small teeth at the apex. The pedicels of this latter species are usually ½" or less.

Second Edition - World 10K marathon 2009 through images

These pictures were taken during the second edition of the World 10k Marathon which was held on the 31st of May 2009. As expected the citizens of the silicon city woke up and ran they did with passion and grit. The images below speak for themselves as a city of techies and world of corporate with the professional runners from the world over ran shoulder to shoulder to make yet another success of the sunfeast – procam event. They were more than 25,000 runners in second year, which ran for fun and fun they did have.


The huge crowd with a variety of age groups run together at the 2nd World 10k marathon in Bangalore on 31st may 2009.




The Serious Runners







The images of some of the serious runners who sweated it out but with a smile to complete the 10k marathon and make every Bangalorean feel proud of themselves. The passion, grit and the mood of competing is eveident from the images above.


The Fun Runners

Some of the runners who ran with fun and glamor.

Runners with a Social Message and Cultural Ethos.

All for Conservation of nature and ensuring a better environment for the future generation.

Do not purchase pirated DVD's but get to see the original ones.

Uplift of the underprivileged and ensuring that they give the knock out punch to poverty and hunger.


The show of cultural diversity with traditional attire ranging from Coorg to Kerala.





The Passion to run and to help the others is evident from this boy crippled with one arm pulling a wheel chair person for the finish in the handicap run.





Finally the Elite Men and Women run

The pack of Elite Men and Women run past the Silicon city's U B City towers on Kasturba Road.