LOOKING AHEAD: Sarath Kumar

YOUNG AT HEART!   It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that supreme star Sarath Kumar still exudes the same boyish charm  and energy that he possessed three decades ago when he was crowned Mr Madras. " I just keep thinking about new ideas and work round- the- clock. I don't burden my heart thinking about unnecessary issues," begings Sarath, who recently celebrated his birthday.     The actor is quite excited about the year ahead. "I have Vidiyal, Christian, Brothers (aMalayalam project with Mohanlal) and a Kannada project in my kitty," he says.     Looks like its payback time for Sarath as he isplanning to construct a new building for the Nadigar Sangam, for which he is the president, "I'm what I am because of cinema. So, it's time for me to do something in return. We will soon start receiving permanent revenue for the sangam too."     With his daughter Varalaxme also joining the tinsel town, is Sarath going to play daddy dearest by gukding her to choose her film projects? "Varalaxmi is immensely talented and she can find herway in the industry. i don't think she needs my backing to come out with flying colour. she has seen me evolving as an actor and will learn from my mistakes."       so, how does Sarath manage to juggle his film and political career with such effortless case? "The credit goes to technology, It has made our lives easier and a lot of work is getting done in no time. Also, I have learnt not to get bogged down by failures. Every time I face a setback, I try to rise like a phoenix be it in cinema or politics. After all, life is a gamble. The higher the risk, the better the outcome."       Prod Sarath if there's a possibility of him and his actress wife Radhika teaming up to do a film soon and he replies pat, "If a good subject comes up, why not? In fact, we are soon coming out with an interesting play."      Finally, quiz Sarath if he had made any resolutions for the year ahead and he says, "I want to strive hard to bring equality among all sections of the society. I hope my dream comes true."

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CAN HE? Amitabh Bachchan and WILL HE? Rajinikanth

CAN AMITABH GET RAJINI TO BLOG?     The big daddy of blogging and networking sites, Amitabh Bachchan has reportedly embarked upon what you may consider mission impossible getting superstar Rajinikanth to air his thaoughts.        Take a look at Big B's recent entry - "Now the micro-blogging brigade wants me to influence Rajinikant to come on the sit!! And some smarties think that I canvas for the brand ambassadorship of this crazy social network. Ha ha!! Fun becomeing."        How far Rajini, whose rare public appearances are punctuated with a big grin and rarely a word, will get to air his moods and thoughts is a big question. And when Big B convinces him to get a life on social networking sites, be sure that Ranini will get so many hits that his site may need 24x7 maintenance.        Who know? Maybe like director Shankar, who kept us posted on Endhiran, rajini may tell us what it was like filming with the Bachchan bahu.

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A ROYAL TREAT: Saif Ali Khan

Saif Ali's 'princely' state        Saif ali Khan, who is the Junior Nawab of Pataudi and a prince by birth, got to experiencethe 'princely' bit on an outdoor location as well.                  While shooting for his own production Agent Vinod in Morocco. Saif stayed at a place. Naturally, Saif was also treated like a royal. His own suite was larger than his Mumbai home, and even the meal arrangements for him, Kareena and the unit were absolutely royal. So much so that when the schedule ended, Kareena flew back but Saif stayed on just to9 bask in the royal experience.

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FILMI FLAVOUR: Neetu Chandra

Double delight Neetu Chandra is paired with Ajith in his 50th movie, which also stars Nagarjuna        Actress Neetu Chandra has hit the jackpot, and how! After debuting in Yaavarum Nalam opposite Madhavan, she wowed Kollywood audiences with her performance as the haughty and spoilt brat Tejaswini in Theeratha Vilayattu Pillai, And then, she went on to do a cameo song with director ameer in Mysskin's forthcoming Yuddham Sei. And now, the latest is that she has bagged the female lead in Venkat Prabhu's film with Ajith and Nagarjuna, titled Mangaatha       Talking to CT, Neetu says, "I got a call from Venkat Prabhu's office a month ago and they spoke to my manager about casting me in a film opposite Ajith. I was quite excited about the offer and decided to go ahead. I later spoke to Venkat Prabhu's as well. He said I'll be playing the main female lead in the film. I think the shooting will begin in August."       Neetu is super excited about being apart of a film that has her favourite south Indian stars and director. "I've heard about Venkat's style of direction. He's made films in different genres in a short span of time and all his movies are hilarious. he's a great brand in Kollywood. Who would say no to working with him?" she smiles.        Mangaatha happens to be Ajith 50th film and Neetu says she's quite lucky to land this offer. "I know Ajith has a huge fan following in south. i'm keeping my fingers crossed. I hope out pairing clicks well," she says.          Interestingly, Neetu was supposed to play nagarjuna's heroine in a Telugu film, which didn't take off. "I admire Nagarjuna for his talent. But somehow, I couldn't do that Telugu film with him. Now, I'm glad that I get to work with both Ajith and Nagarjuna in the same film," she gushes.

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Bipasha BAsu and Kunal Kapoor

Bonding with kashmir Sanjay dut,, Bipasha BAsu and Kunal Kapoor have come back with stories from the beautiful valley       Sanjay Dutt has formed a strong bond with Kashmir. He had shot his first film rocky  there and now after three decades, PVR Pictures and GS Entertainment's LAmhaa took him back to the valley.The actor says his Kashmiri wife Maanyata has strengthened his bond with the place even more. "Everything about Kashmir has always fascinated me right from my childhood and now being married to a Kashmiri, draws me closer to the valley." said the actor, who plays the main protagonist of the film which tells the story of real people living in a war ridden state but who spread the message of peace and harmoney.       If Sanjay could identify with the place, Bipasha Basu could relate to her character a strong willed, fiety woman named Aziza who's a revolutionary. But Bips had a hurdls e to overcome. "Initially, I was not sure whether I could fit the role of a Kashmiri girl because I have a Bengali face. But after director Rahul Dholakia showed me pictures of present day kashmiri women - the way they cover their heads, the attire they wear - I  was certain that I could play the role. I am an actress, my job is to get into the skin of the character," said Bips, who had many sessions with designer Rocky S to get the perfect look.        "Rahul and the Director of Photography, jamie, were clear of what colours and tones they wanted to see on me. They wanted a simple, no make-up look with minimal eye make-up and just a thin line of kajal to be used. Whenyou watch the film, you will be seeing Aziza and not Bipasha. I have donned various looks for my films, but this simple look is one of my fanovrites." she said.         kunal kapoor went through some trying times too while shooting for Lamhaa. "This was my first experience shooting in Kashmir, and though the circumstances were difficult, my character in the film was so challenging, that it seemed effortless." Lamhaa will always remin etched in his ences draw a connect with what Kashmi is going through today." Lamhaa hits the actors today.

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A NEW INNINGS: Trisha and Priyadarshan

'TRISHA'S MY BABY' ...says director Priyadarshan, who is convinced that the actress has done a great job in his film       Priyadarshan is a happy man. Hislatest Bollywood flick Khatta Meetha has been passed by the censors with a clean 'U' certificate. In an exclusive with CT. the Chennai based director said, "I would rate this as my best Hindi film to date. It is a satitical comedy loosely based on my 1989 Mohalal-Shobhana starrer Vellanakulde Nadu. A year ago, I read an interesting survey that out of the budget allocated for development of infrastructure in India, only 30 per cent is actually spent on it. The remaining 70 per cent goes into the corrupt hands of politicians, middlemen and local administration."       When asked about Trisha, who's making her Bollywood debut with this film, Priyadarshan waxes eloquent. "trisha is my baby. I discovered her while doing an ad film and cast her in my Lesa Lesa,"  he reveals, "I did not consider her as a gret artiste at that time, but over the years, she has made  me proud with her achievements. In my film, she's stepping into a role done by Shobhana, one of the finest actresses in India. After watching the first copy, I'm convinced that Trisha has done justice to her role."        Clearing the air about why Akshay Kumar isn't talking about Trisha in his media interviews Priyadarshan says, "It was Akshay Kumar, one ofthe producers of the film, who wanted a new face from south India to play the heroin's role. When he saw some film clippings that featured Trisha, he readily agreed to cast her as his heroine," About questions being asked in Kollywood ion why Trisha is not getting the kind of media hype and promotion that Asin got at the time of her launch in Mumbai, Priyan shoots back, "Asin had given her dates to Aamir Khan and her focus was completely on her launch vehicle, which paid rich dividends. ?Trisha, I'm told, is shooting somewhere in Europe for a Tamil film. She should have been here now and attending promotional activities with Akshay Kumar in North Indian cities. I strongly believe in Bollywood's marketing strategy - promote or perish."         Priyadarshan, who has set his story against the Marathi milieu, has Akshay Kumar essaying the role of a struggling but honest road contractor (Sachin Tichkule) who ultimately succumbs to the corrupt system. Trisha plays Gehna Ganpule,municipal commissioner in the same town, and ex-girlfriend of Sachin who now hates him!

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Health Issue: SHORT CUTS

SHORT CUTS: Alzheimer's: Sniffing insulin may help boost memory    Squirting insulen up the noses of patents with early forms of Alzheimer's disease showed signs of improving their memory,, US researchers said. Patients who got the treatment for four months showed improvements in tests of memory recall that lasted for two months. Several studies have suggested thjat peo;e with A;zheimer's have reduced levels of insulin in the brain, even in the earliest stages. Insulin is important for communiction between brain cells and is needed for brain function. Suanne Craft of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System and the University of Washington in Seattle and her team found what sould happen if they delivered insulin directly to the brain. Cow milk fights allergies in newborns:    Reaserch shows that mothers who feed their babies cow's milk in the first 15 days after birth may be protecting them from dangerous allergies later on. The new research from Tel Aviv University changed the earlier perception that cow's milk should be avoided in the early months of an infant's feeding. Yitzhak Katz, paediatrics professor at the Tel Aviv Universiy found infants who were fed cow's milk in the firrst 15 days were 19 times more protected than babies fed on cow's miolk after 15 days. Cherry juice can keep insominia away:     Suffering from insomina? drink a glass of cherry juice twice daily, as scientists claim the fruit holds the key to a good night's sleep: Experts at the University of Rochester in New york found that having a glass of unsweetened cherry juice regularly helped people enjoy more sleep. Psychiatrist Wilfred Pigeon, who led the study, said the effect could be due to the fruit's high content of melatonin - the hormore that regualtes the body's sleep-wake cycle, the daily mail reported.

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News: Plants too hjave a nervous system

Plants too have a nervous system, can remember & react London: Plants "remember" and "react" to information encrypted in light as well as transmit information about light intensity and quality from leaf to leaf, a process that is strikingly similar to the human nervous system.       These "electro-chemical signals" are carried by cells, which act as plant "nerves". Led by Stanislaw Karpinski, from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences  in Poland, researchers used fluorescence imaging to observe the plants" response. They found light shone on to one leaf generated a response from the whole plant.       the response, which tookthe form of light-induced chemical reactions in the leaves, continued in dark. This demonstrated, said scientists, the plant "remembered" the information encoded in light "We shone the light only on the bottom of the plant and we observed changes in the upper part," the BBC quoted Karpinske, as saying.         We shone the light only on the bottom of the plant and we observed changes in the upper part," Karpinske said in a statement. Karpinski and his team found that when light triggered a chemical reaction in one leaf cell, it kicked off a "cascade" of events and that this was immediately signaled to the rest of the plant via a specific type of cellcalled "bundle sheath cell". Karpinski felt plants might use the information encoded in the light to stimulate protective chemical reactions and immunise themselves against pathogens.

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HEalth Issue: New Strategies for tackling cancer

Making healthy cells win 'war' may provide cancer cure London: In a discovery that could open up completely new strategies for tackling cancer, scientists have found that healthy and cancerous cells in body engage in deadly battles in whcih the losers die finally.         Researchers at the University College London found for the first time the gladiatorial contests between normal cells and tumours in mammals and the losers were killed by a process of "induced biological suicide" called apoptosis.         If balance is in favour of cancer cells, they will cut a swathe through healthy cells around them and spread. But, if the healthy cells get the upper hand, they will surround and eliminate the cancer cells, experts found.         Although such "cell wars" bave been seen before in fruit flies, scientists did not know until now that they also occurred in mammals - presumably including humans. In future, experts believe, it may be possible to "tip the balance" so that healthy cells win in the struggle with cancer, the Daily Mail reported.

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Health Issue: Replacement 'Scaffolds"

Body part damaged? Doc can get one off the shelf Replacement 'Scaffolds' To Act As Frame for Cells To Grow on London: surgeons could soon use readymade human body parts to repair injuries or patch up worn out organs of patients, experts say.           They are perfecting in developing bare "scaffold building blocks" of body parts which, they said, could be used as a frame for a patient's own cells to grow around. Experts said the scaffold for the most commonly used parts could be created in advance and stored ready for use when needed, the Telegraph reported.          The technique, which has already been successful in creating a new section of windpipe for patients, involves taking a piece of dead donor or animal body part and removing all the soft tissue so just the bare structure is left. Then, stem cells from the patie4nt can then be placed on the frame and will regrow into a new body part for them, according to the scientists.         John fisher from the University of Leeds said banks of scaffolds of all kinds of body tissue can be created to facilitalte doctors in transplants. Speaking at the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting in Nottingham, Fisher said, "If you take a natural tissue and strip off all of the donor's cells you're left with a biological scaffold made mostly of a protein called collagen, which is compatible with the patient receiving the scaffold.         "That scaffold is good from an engineering perspective because it's strong, flexible and retains the properties of the natural tissue. It also has the appropriate shape and size, and from a biological perspective is good because a patient's cells can bind to it and repopulate it easily."          The advantage of the method is that the patient will not reject the transplanted tissue as foreign as the scaffold is stripped of all material that can trigger rejection and the soft tissue is grown from their own stem cells. It means patients can avoid poserful immunosurpressant drugs which shorten life expectancy and can increase cancer risk.

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Cricket @ Sri Lanka Tour

Drab draw in Colmbo Thirimanne Slams Ton While Ojha Scalps Three Wickets Colombo: Indian bowlers put up an improved performance to restrict Sri Lanka Board President's XI to 260 for six in their second inningsin the three-day warm up game which ended in a tame draw here on Thursday. After disappointing with both ball and bat for the last two days, the Indian bowlers gave a better account of themselves with left arm spinner Pragyan Ojha being the notable performer with three for 85 in his 22 overs.        Ojha was assisted by legspinner Amit Mishra, Virender Sehwag and pacer Ishant Sharma - all taking one wicket each. For the hosts, opener Lahiru Thirimanne scored 102 and Dinesh Chandimal (69) chipped in with an usefull contribution but the rest of the batting line-up failed to impress.        Thilina Kandamby (9) and Sachithra Senanayake (6) were at the crease when both captains decided to call off play early at the Colts Cricket Club Ground here. After bundling out India for 291 on Wednesday, Sri Lanka Board President's XI could have enforced the followon but the hosts decided to bat and straightaway suffered a jolt, losing inform opener Upul Thananga to Ishant in the fifthe over.         However, Thirimanne and Chandimal ensured there were no more hiccups and started scoring at a fast pace, with the latter dealing in boundaries. The duo kept the scoreboard ticking and forged a 113-run second wicket partnership in quick time.        Ojha thenput the brakes on the scoring when he cleaned up the danderous looking Chandimalin the 21st over. Nine overs late, Sehawag had Prasanna (rpt) Prasanna jayawardene caught by LKaman as the hosts succumbed to 172 for three.

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MOM'S THE WORD: Kajol

We are family     Kajol's second baby is due in the last fortnight of September. The actress, who is glowing, is being pampered silly by her inlaws. Last week, we spotted Kajol with her entire Khandaan (Ajay Devgn's family), catching the latest Hollywood film screening at a popular suburban theatre. And the next day, the actress was accompanied by the Devgns to a famous south Mumbai Chinese restaurant. Sources sayjthat Ajay has told all his producers that he will only shoot in and around Mumbai in September because he wants to be around his wife when she goes into labour. Incidentaly, Kajol also has her next release We are Family coming out in september, Guess that's a double delight for the actress then!

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WORDS OF WISDOM: Neetu Chandra

Neetu reveals her diet secrets      Neetu Chandra, who has lost around 10 kg, is looking sexier than ever before. No, the babe is not on any diet, but has started being extra-cautious about eating healthy. She loves her "ghar ka khaana" (home made food) and for some time now, she's been off rice, potatoes, fried stuff, pastries, cakes, butter and ghee. Even when she eats out at her favourite Chinese restaurant, she maked sure she sticks to steamed vegetables, ginger garlic soup and steamed chicken dumplings. In fact, the chefs at the restaurant even make her a customised green salad with special herbs on oreder.         "You are what you eat. so, it becomes all the more important to watch your food. After all, the belly rules the mind," she quips. Ah, now those sound like words of wisdom,in these times of fast food. NBo wonder,the gal exudes radiance nowadays.

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SOCIAL BUTTERFLY: Katrina Kaif and FAMILY TIES: Hrithik Roshan

Kat's got new friends now!    Katrina Kaif has become a family friend of the Roshans. Yeah, she and Hrithk Roshan have been parked in Spain for the Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara schedule for 40 days now. And Sussanne, with her two sons, has also been there through the schedule. So naturally, Kat and Sussanne have become friends. Incidentally, sources say that Hrithik and Kat look very hot together and there is one famous filmmaker in Mumbai who is planning to cast these two toghether again. Guess that might not prove to be an issue because even Sussanne will approve.

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LOOKING GOOD: Brad Pitt and MESSED UP: Brad Pitt in his bearded look

Brad comes out clean       There's reason to cheer, girls. Brad Pitt has finally shaved off his ugly grey beard! It was a step in the right direction as there were speculations that the once 'sexiest man alive' had lost his appeal. Underneath the unkempt facial hair. Brad still was a s handsome as ever, which shows now... and boy, are we delighted! The actor decided to shave it off for his new film Moneyball, for which he has started shooting in Los Angeles already . Fans went crazy when they spotted the actor in his old avatar. May be it was Angelina Jolie's idea to keep his good looks hidden behind the bear...

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Health Issue: Women's Have a Better memories than Men

Jot down guys, women have better memory London: Wondering how your wife manages to remember the wedding anniversary everytime? Well, scientists at Cambridge University have found an explanation - women really do have better memories than men.       As part of their study, the researchers tested congnitive and physical performance of almost 4,500 men and women currently aged between 48 and 90 years. Results showed women making an average of 509 fewer errors on a specific test of memory thatn men.        The findings may help scientists to further understand the causes of A;zheimer's disease and other dementias and potentially to detect the earliest signs of dementia more accurately.            "In this study, we used a measure of memory that is spatial and women consistently outperformed men. There are many possible explanations for this, including both neuro biological and environmental differences."

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Health Issue: Artificail Heart

Artificial  heart to beat for real Clinical Trial Of Device, Made OF Animal & Synthetic Tissue, Set To Begin Next Yr Paris: IT is a long-held dream: an artificial heart to replace one tthat is damaged or diseased. Now, a French company says that it has the technology to make the implantation of it a standard surgical procedure.        Carmat, a medical start-up backed by the European Aeronautic Defense ans Space company, is in the final stages of preclinical testing of its total artificial heart for patients with end-stage heart failure. The company hopes to start human testing in France by the end of next year and to bring rope in 2013, Marcello Conviti, Carmat's chief executive, said.        The device, made of both synthetic and animal tissue, is driven by two miniature electric mototrs. Implanted in the patient's chest after the diseased heart is removed, it uses information gleaned from sensors to mimic the activity of the natural organ. It is operated by a microcontroller and powered by electromagnetic induction through the skin or through a plug implanted behind the patent's ear.         Carmat estimates its device will cost $176,000 to $226,000 When all expenses are considered, including hospital and surgical expenses, it ways it will cost just over $315,000, about the same as a transplant.          the device was developed over 15 years by a team that includes French surgeon-scientist Alain Carpentier. In the November 2009 bulletin of the Academie Nationale de Medecine, Carpentier wrote that, instead of picking up from older models of artificail hearts built on animal research the developers of the new device had sought to use the tools of the digital revolution, namely computer-assisted desigh, hemodynamic modeling, regulation algorithms and simulations.          The French company is not the first to make total artificial hearts, which are meant to completely replace damaged and diseased organs. SynCardia, based in Tucson, currently makes the only approved temporary artificial heart.Its device, powered by a small air compresor that can be carried in a backpack, has been implanted in more than 800 patients as a bridge before transplant.

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News: 'Pull the plug', Richard Rudd blink

A blink in time to say he's not dead London: A blink of an eye stood between life and death of a supposedly brain-dead Brition. When doctors were about to go ahead with his family's decision to remove his life support system, he blinked to say that he was still alive.         Richard Rudd, 43, from Kidderminster near Birmingham, never wanted to be on a life support system. But that was exactly what dept him alive since a motorcycle accident and post-surgical complications that paralysed him and damaged his brain in October 2009.        A month later, knowling his son's wishes, Rudd's father finally gave doctors at Annebrook Hospital in Cambridge the permission to remove the life support system.        Just as the doctors neared his bed to "pull the plug", they noticed Richard blink his eye. That was the first time he had given any response. The doctors asked him if he wished to live. He blinked thrice. meaning yes. Subsequent examinations revealed he eas not brain-dead.       Richard's condition began to improve over the last rew months and he is now able to visually communicate and move his head. He will, however, need medical care round the clock and will also be taught to communicate using his tongue and facial muscles.        "His doctor asked him three times if he wished treatment to continue, and each time he moved his eyes to the left, the signal for'yes' I'm glad that he's been given the chance to survive and to have a say. Having to make the decision of whether your child should live or die is almost impossible," Rudd's father, also named Richard was quoted as saying by BBC One.

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