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from India Masala:
The Attacks of 26/11: Revisiting the ghosts of Mumbai
(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and not of Reuters)
Just before the intermission in Ram Gopal Varma's "The Attacks of 26/11", a police constable stumbles around with a rifle, searching for the two gunmen who had just wreaked havoc at Mumbai’s busiest train station. He slumps to his feet on the blood-stained floor and lets out a cry of anguish.
There are prolonged shots of a dead dog, fake blood squirting out of people, and much gore on screen as Varma recreates the horrifying events of Nov. 26, 2008. If the aim of the film is to chronicle these for posterity, this is certainly not how the story should be told.
Varma's re-telling of the 26/11 attacks is shown from the point of view of a senior city police officer giving a statement to a government committee set up to investigate the attacks.
His narrative is interspersed with the journey of the ten gunmen who made their way to iconic Mumbai landmarks such as the train station and the Taj Mahal Hotel, gunning down anyone in sight.
from India Insight:
“Homelands” exhibit in Delhi examines identity through art
Indians give high importance to the concept of identity and kinship, especially in a land that is home to hundreds upon hundreds of different languages and ethnic groups. Indian curator Latika Gupta explores this theme in “Homelands”, an exhibition of works by 28 leading contemporary British artists, all wrestling with the idea of what "home" means in the 21st century.
The artists whose works are displayed include four Turner Prize winners, Jeremy Deller, Richard Long, Grayson Perry and Gillian Wearing. Work by World Press Photo (2007) winner Tim Hetherington, who was killed in Libya, also is on display.
from Expert Zone:
India Markets Weekahead – Company results key for market direction
(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author, and not necessarily of Thomson Reuters)
Infosys stumped Indian markets again but for a change -- positively. Recent management comments had built expectations of underperformance which led to cautious to negative views on the stock. Institutional investors were light on Infosys whereas the more adventurous speculators were short. And we were all caught on the wrong foot when the company declared a revenue growth as well as a net profit much better than consensus expectations.
from Expert Zone:
India Markets Weekahead – Set for new high with no roadblock in sight
A resolution for the U.S. "fiscal cliff" helped the markets cross the psychological Nifty benchmark of 6,000 to close the week up 1.82 percent at 6,016.
Though I expected a spirited rally, what we witnessed last week is a strong consolidation around 6,000 which could form a solid bottom for the next leg of the rally. This is also facilitating the entry of domestic retail investors which is visible in the mid-cap and small-cap volume and performance. The BSE small-cap index moved up 3.71 percent whereas the BSE mid-cap index gained 3.13 percent.
from India Insight:
Responsibility or censorship: why Bollywood should pick
(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author, and not necessarily those of Thomson Reuters Corp.)
The mother and father of the 23-year-old Delhi gang-rape victim were cremating their daughter's body around the same time I discovered Honey Singh, now lately known for his notorious song, "Ch**t," or "Cu*t." The song revolves around the singer's vision of satisfying a woman's lust, followed by beating her with a shoe and then moving on to other things.
from Expert Zone:
India Markets Weekahead – A breakout expected before the year ends
(The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not represent those of Reuters)
Markets struggled to hold beyond Nifty levels of 5900 and closed the week 0.47 percent down, breaking a three-week streak of gains. Uncertainty over the banking regulations bill seems to have overshadowed better-than-expected wholesale price index-based inflation data in November. Industrial production soared by 8.2 percent, surprising analysts and sending signals that green shoots of economic recovery are visible.
from India Masala:
Mumbai’s Oktoberfest takes place under the stars
(The views expressed in this column are the author's own and do not represent those of Thomson Reuters)
It wasn't Munich, but try telling that to the hundreds of Mumbaikers and expats (including some wearing lederhosen) who gathered at Mahalaxmi Race Course on Friday night, sipping imported Bavarian brews from hefty beer steins, determined not to let geography get in the way.
from India Insight:
Shiv Sena, shutdowns and double standards
(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Thomson Reuters)
Shutting down cities seems to be the Shiv Sena’s new pastime. A week after forcing a shutdown in Mumbai to mourn the death of its leader Bal Thackeray, the right-wing party set its sights on Palghar, a sleepy town 90 kilometres north of Mumbai that finds itself at the centre of a debate on freedom of speech.
from India Insight:
Is Kasab’s death enough closure in the Mumbai attacks?
"If you hear the sound of a bullet, kneel, and if you have to move, then crawl, don't run."
Those are not the first words you 
want to hear when you arrive to cover an assignment -- but then this wasn't just any assignment. I was at Nariman House in Colaba to cover the attack that came to be known as 26/11.
from India Insight:
Mumbai a ghost town as Thackeray looms large in death
(Tresa Sherin Morera and Henry Foy contributed to this report. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author, and not necessarily those of Thomson Reuters)
It didn't take long. The news of Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray’s death came at 4:30 p.m. India time on a Saturday, a working day for many in Mumbai. Thirty minutes later, my neighbourhood was a ghost town.
