 JAN
16 - Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and
Aishwarya Rai are giving a tough fight to Indian cricketers
in Pakistani newspapers and magazines even as cricket fever
is rising with the first India-Pakistan Test in Lahore.
Indian television serials seem to be as popular, or perhaps
more, with the masses here, with almost every Pakistani
fully aware of what is happening in Kyunkii Saas Bhi
Kabhi Bahu Thi and the like.
Although there is apparently restriction on Indian news
channels being aired publicly, hotels that have their own
dish antennae regularly show the serials to their guests.
Pakistan's love and craze for Bollywood and Indian tele-serials
continue even as the Indian team is here on a 45-day tour to
play three Tests and five one-day internationals.
English and Urdu newspapers here are everyday splashed
with photographs and write-ups on Indian cine actors, with
Aishwarya's photographs often featuring on front pages!
And the film pages of the newspapers, both English and
Urdu, are virtually fully loaded with write-ups on the
latest in Bollywood, including behind-the-scenes gossip.
The Post, a relatively new newspaper, had the
other day a smiling Aishwarya on its ear panel, next to the
masthead, with a detailed news item on its 'Showbiz' page
saying that she might work with director Raj Kumar Santoshi
in two films.
Dawn, a conservative but most respected English
daily in Pakistan, published an almost full-page article on
Amitabh's recent illness.
"It appears as though India came to a standstill when the
news spread that their demigod was admitted to the hospital
with an intestinal problem," said the article. Two large
photographs of the Allahabad-born legendary actor, one of
his youth and the other of the day he was discharged from a
Mumbai hospital, accompanied the piece.
Reviews of latest Indian films are also published in
papers every week.
In its latest review section, The News, a publication of the
Jang Group of Newspapers, had critical appreciation of
Hazaron Khwahishein Aisi, and also reported on the
recent marriage of Aamir Khan with Kiran Rao.
News from the Indian fashion world, especially the recent
split in the annual Lakme Fashion Week, was widely reported
in papers in Lahore.
The Pakistani fashion world also recently split between
Karachi, the more 'fashionable' city of the country, and
Lahore, a close second.
It is not only Bollywood and fashion that is jostling for
space in Pakistani newspapers. It was a bit surprising to
see in The Post a seven-column photograph of the
winners of Pond's Googly Woogly Queens 2006 contest, held in
New Delhi.
In the photograph, each of the three winners were
accompanied by Miss India 2005 Amrita Thapar, Miss India
World 2005 Sindhura Gadde and Miss India Earth 2005 Niharika
Singh. (Courtesy: Hindustan Times) |
Articles/Opinions
AHMEDABAD,
Jan 16 — A young man who was released from jail after
a month yesterday says peace of the prison is any day better
than a nagging wife, and has convened a conference of
'harassed husbands' here next week.
JAN
17 - His Majesty King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will pay a state visit to India from
January 24 to 27 at the invitation of His Excellency Indian
President A P J Abdul Kalam.
