<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48101649.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> An unexpected dry spell this <keyword id="6358301" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Monsoon">monsoon</keyword> season might prompt the farmers to plant too much, too fast, thus raising fears of lower yields and surging food prices in a mostly impoverished nation. 
	 
	 

	Food prices are a political hot potato in India, where more than a quarter of its population of 1.2 billion people live on a mere 74 cents or less per day. In fact, high food prices have already pushed the country's June consumer inflation to an eight-month high. 
 

	That is why the ongoing dryness in central, western and southern India - key producing regions for cotton, soybean, corn, sugarcane, pulses and rice - is a big cause for worry. Poor output of summer crops would further lift food prices, restricting the central bank from cutting lending rates, crucial to boosting Asia's third-biggest economy. 
 

	"The outlook for inflation over the next few months depends squarely on monsoon rains for the remainder of the season," HSBC said this week. Farm sector accounts for 15 per cent of its economy and given half its farmland lacks irrigation, the monsoons are crucial. 
 

	A heavy downpour early last month had lifted the rain surplus to 28 per cent, raising farmers' hopes of a good June-September monsoon season despite forecasts for the emergence of an El Nino weather pattern. But following the dry spell, rains are now 6 percent below normal, with the deficit as high as 52 per cent in some regions, weather department data shows. 
 "Sowing has nearly stopped due to the dry spell. Even sown crops are under severe stress," said Vikas Deshmukh, <keyword id="6355165" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Agriculture">agriculture</keyword> commissioner of Maharashtra state, India's second-biggest cotton and soybean producer as well as its top sugar producer, to Reuters. 

	Farmers had initially rushed to sow seeds after ample rains, bringing total planting levels to 44.5 million hectares by July 10, up 62 per cent year on year. 
 

	But the higher number does not give a correct picture as monsoon in 2014 was delayed and so was the sowing, said B.V. Mehta, executive director of the Solvent Extractors' Association. In 2013, when rains were ample, by this time farmers had planted on nearly 52 million hectares. 
 

	For millions of farmers , where three fifths of the population depend on agriculture for their livelihood, the fate of a single crop can be the difference between life and death. 
 

	Earlier this year, dozens of debt-laden farmers committed suicide after damage from unseasonal rains, and poor summer-crop yields would exacerbate the pain for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government that is struggling to address rural distress. 
 

	"I can sow crops once again when we get rains, but I don't have money to buy seeds," said Narayan Patil, a farmer from Sarve village of Jalgaon district, 400 km north-east to Mumbai, to Reuters. 
 

	For Patil, and several others, the outlook is grim. 
 

	The official forecast remains that this year India could suffer its first drought since 2009 because of El Nino, which can lead to scorching weather across Asia. 
 

	Maximum temperatures in central and southern India are currently up to 6 degree Celsius above normal, hurting crop growth, said Nitin Kalantri, a pulses dealer.
 

	A drop in domestic output could lift overseas purchases of edible oils and pulses by India, the world's biggest importer of both, while limiting its rice and cotton exports. 
 

	"Crop yields are likely to be lower than normal this year even if monsoon becomes active in next few days," said Vandana Bharti, Assistant Vice-President (Commodity) with SMC Global Securities Ltd, to Reuters.

	 
	 
	(Image credits: Indiatimes)

Unexpected dry monsoon spell give rise to
farmer woes

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47770012.cms" /> 
Fiery monsoons are just round the corner. While it’s fun to lounge around indoors, enjoying the view with some Coffee, it poses health risks, both for you and your gadgets. 
 
As Mumbai struggles to travel between work and home with knee-deep water spelling disaster, here are your weapons to battle the rain gods if and when your turn comes: 
 
Smartphone: 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47769966.cms" /> 
A phone is one of the most essential devices one uses, and there is a lot of variety to choose from here. 
 
Samsung offers waterproof smartphones, but they are slightly pricey. Samsung Galaxy S4 Active and Samsung Galaxy S5 are some of the best waterproof phones in the market. These can bear depths of up to 1mts for 30 minutes. 
 
Sony’s Xperia Z, Z1, Z1 Compact, Z2, and ZR boast of the capacity of clicking underwater pictures and videos. These can definitely turn heads at the next pool party. 
 
At a budget, Motorola’s Moto E, Moto G, and Moto X models come with a special water resistant 'nano' coating. This protects it from minor splashes of water. Mind, these can’t survive an underwater dip. However, you can brave the monsoon more confidently with one of these babies in your pocket. 
 
Laptop: 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47770083.cms" /> 
It’s a shame there is not a lot of option to choose from when it comes to rugged laptops. The Panasonic Toughbook CF-31 is the sole torch bearer. This bad boy boasts of vibration and shock resistance, and a solid IP65 water and dust resistance. 
 
This 13.1’’ Windows 8 laptop has Intel Core i5-520M vPro CPU with 3G, LAN, 3G, and WIMAX connectivity. The ports are covered by a flap and the display has polarization for better visibility outdoors. 
 
Camera: 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47770038.cms" /> 
Waterproof cameras have been around for a while. They are cheap and perfect for those looking for wildlife or nature photography. 
 
Nikon Coolpix S32 is the common man’s rugged camera at a mere Rs. 6,950. It is freeze-proof at -10°C, shockproof at 5ft/1.5m, and waterproof till 10m. 
 
There are also Pentax WG10, Nikon Coolpix AW110, Coolpix AW120, and Olympus Stylus TG-2 in the sub Rs. 20,000 category. All these can record Full HD videos and come with built-in GPS. AW120 even has Wi-Fi capabilities! 
 
Earphones: 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47770108.cms" /> 
(Image credit: Buyt) 
Want to dance in the rain? Whip out one of these and you’re good to go. 
 
The water resistant Bose SIE2i is great if you want quality. Sennheiser has a handful of water-resistant earphones. The cheapest is MX685 at Rs. 3,790, followed by CX685 at Rs. 5,490 and the PX685i, PMX685i, OCX685i at Rs. 5,990. 
 
For those on a tight budget there is Philips SHQ3000 at Rs. 1,999 and Audio Technica ATH-CKP200 at Rs. 1,799. 
 
Tablet: 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47770140.cms" /> 
When your smartphone can be water-resistant, why can’t your tablet! Sadly there is only one real contender to the throne here - the Xperia Z2 tablet. It boasts of water and weather proofing, and there are flaps to seal off the ports. 
 
This 10.1 inches tablet boasts of Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400 processor with 16 GB internal memory and 3 GB RAM. Unfortunately at a price of Rs. 49,990, you might want to get some water to douse the damage it’ll inflict on your pocket. 
 
Others: 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47770156.cms" /> 
The market is currently littered with a lot of waterproof devices. Take hard drives and pen drives. Adata's Dashdrive Durable HD710 has a rubberized exterior that makes it shockproof and waterproof. Same with the Transcend JetFlash 810 pen drive. 
 
If you are a music buff there is always Sony’s NWZ-W273 Walkman. You can even take it swimming, or out for a jog when it’s raining. 
 
Last but not the least, while there are a lot of waterproof devices, there are also waterproof covers that you might want to invest in – a cheap and sensible option at that. Scout the markets, get one, and relax, your devices are safe from the clutches of the rain gods. 
 
(Image credit: Indiatimes)

Top
5 gadgets to brave Indian monsoons with

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47185457.cms" /> The perennial discount war would never end! Feel happy. <keyword id="6357823" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Big-Bazaar">Big Bazaar</keyword> is all set to introduce its mobile app next month, where you can compare online prices and offline ones. Kishore Biyani of the <keyword id="44949" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Future-group">Future Group</keyword> that runs Big Bazaar also puts a challenge of maximum discount. In an interview with The Economic Times, he said, “We are launching a price-match offer where if you shop from us and anybody else is selling cheaper than us at that moment, we will automatically give credits in your account " anything online or offline." 
 As the brick and mortar stores seem like struggling for existence, thanks to <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword>, Flipkart and Snapdeal taking a lead role in raining discounts and thereby luring people to buy online, Big Bazaar joins the battle of prices in a different way. 
 According to the <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="economy">Economy</keyword> Times, Biyani , who's just struck a deal to take over Bharti Retail, said he doesn't worry too much about ecommerce, because it won't be able to match real-world stores in terms of overall volume. 
 
"Who is afraid of ecommerce?" Biyani asked in the interview with the financial daily. "Even if you open 10 sites in 10 years, it will be 10% (of the total organised retail market). Secondly, worldwide, multichannel is the way. Traditional retailers doing multichannel is a bigger thing than pure online in any which way." 
 
Apart from this, Future will soon conduct an omni-channel pilot programme in which its Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar stores will deliver goods to customers in Mumbai an hour after they place their orders. 
 
The price comparison app is currently being tested by Future Group employees at the Food Bazaar store in Vikhroli in Mumbai. 
 
(Image : Reuters)

Watch out Flipkart and Amazon!
Big Bazaar to launch App that promises the lowest prices ever

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/46987003.cms" /> 
 While many consider Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>’s ambitious project to build 100 smart as a game changer, it is important to note that there are many challenges that the government and other stakeholders will have to overcome in order to build a real ‘<keyword id="513113" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="smart-city">smart city</keyword>’. 
 
“There are so many challenges that we have to overcome. Lack of basic amenities, disconnect between the state authorities and the communities as well as inefficient use of resources, needs to be addressed,” said renowned environmentalist GK Bhat, chairman of Taru, Leading Edge Pvt. Ltd, a trans-disciplinary management consultancy that has been working on India’s development challenges. 
 
He added that in a smart city, people should have universal access to all the basic amenities available in an urban area. “Even in cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, there are several existing issues that needs to be addressed before we can think of building. So, if such issues are not resolved, then how can we build smart cities,” explained Bhat. Bhat has recently launched his new book Road to Resilience that talks about the challenges in a city and the plausible solutions for them. 
 
Bhat has suggested a four-pronged strategy to deal with the challenges. 
 
Universal access to basic amenities 
 
A smart city should be able to people from different classes should have access to the basic amenities such as water, electricity and gas among others for 24x7. “A smart city model should have the government give a common point supply to all the localities. From thereon, each household can take a connection as per their requirement. Anything above their requirement will attract extra cost. This way, we can ensure that everyone has equal access to the basic facilities that one should in a smart city,” he suggested. 
 Taking a dig at the <keyword id="6354944" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party">Aam Aadmi party</keyword>’s subsidy policy, Bhat noted that the concept of subsidies will not work in a smart city as the rich will go for the alternate. “Subsidies do not help but only delays the problem,” he asserted. 
 
Besides, he averred that in a smart city, additional consumer products such as inverter or water purifiers should not be needed as it should be provided by the local bodies. “There should be redundancy in abundance. We should not need these equipments because these facilities should be provided to us by the local bodies. A smart city should cut down our dependence on these machines,” stated Bhat. 
 
Smooth flow of information 24x7 
 
According to Bhat, in a smart city, there should be smooth flow information about what is going-on in a city. “ The state authorities should know what is happening in a smart city. There is a lot of participation by the people and hence there will be a lot of information at the disposal of the agencies, which can be used to avert a major problem,” he asserted. 
 
Provide proper infrastructure to ensure shock proof cities 
 
Citing the example of metros such as Delhi, Bhat noted that the city is unable to handle the weather shock when it rains heavily. “A smart city is one, which should be able to withstand weather shocks. In metropolitan cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, heavy rains have resulted in waterlogging and floods respectively. A smart city should have proper infrastructure to deal with any unwarranted situations such as heavy rains or power blackouts,” he said. 
 
According to Bhat, a smart city should be disaster proof. And in the worst case scenario, in which the systems fail, they should fail slowly, which will allow people time to prepare for the challenge. 
 
Also, in a smart city, travel should be negligible. Bhat explains that on an average, a person spends about two hours on the road to reach his destination on a daily basis. He argued that a smart city should be planned in such a way that travelling time should be minimal. 
 
Devolving the system 
 
In a smart city, every stakeholder should be equally involved in its planning. Hence, every stakeholder-- government and the local bodies, the lower income group and the crème-de-la crème or the private sector and finally the communities, should participate in the planning. “There should be consultation while planning a smart city. Also, the system should be devolved in order to ensure efficient flow of work,” suggested Bhat. 
 
Substantiating his point, Bhat explained that a smart city should be inclusive of the preferences of those involved. Also, the responsibility should also be methodically distributed amongst the stakeholders. “For instance, rain harvesting should be an individual process or a community process. It should not be on the local bodies to conserve rain water,” noted Bhat. 
 
While Bhat shared his views on Prime Minister Modi’s pet project, we feel a smart city is one which is technologically strong and has mechanism to deal with unwarranted situation. At the same time, the city should be able to handle the rapid growth of urbanization and provide alternatives, thus addressing the issue of illegal colonies, prevalent in the cities in India. 
 
Representational Image: Indiatimes.com

Read on to know what makes a city, a smart city in India

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47673171.cms" /> 
And eventually, giving a respite from the mercury mayhem, the country has bathed with a bliss from heaven, the much awaited monsoon shower. In last 3 days, total rainfall has marked an 11% rise than normal. 
 
This increase in rainfall will boost planting of crops that had lagged behind so far, and replenish water reservoirs that irrigate fields and feed hydropower plants, according to a news report in The Economic Times. 
 However, it would be premature to celebrate as the weather office expects a shortfall of 12% in the monsoon's often-erratic, four-month <keyword id="6374782" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="journey">journey</keyword> from Kanyakumari to Kashmir that delivers 75% of India's annual rain. 
 Rainfall was 76% more than normal in the past 24 hours, accelerating from an excess of 46% on Saturday and 22% on Friday. The turnaround has been dramatic in the oil seed growing regions of central India, where rainfall since June 1 was 31% in deficit on June 10, but is now 12% higher than normal. The region received three times the normal rain in the past day. The monsoon has now covered entire Maharashtra, and extends up to Surat, <keyword id="45327" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Raipur">Raipur</keyword> and Darjeeling. 
 
The good news is that it is poised to extend to more areas in a few days, the India Meteorological Department said in its latest forecast on Sunday. 
 "Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of north Arabian Sea, Gujarat state, <keyword id="6355554" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh">Madhya Pradesh</keyword>, Chhattisgarh and Odisha; remaining parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh, northwest Bay of Bengal and some parts of <keyword id="6360371" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jharkhand">Jharkhand</keyword> and <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword> during next three days," it said. 
 The weather office expects the rainfall to continue in the days ahead. Rainfall is expected in many cities including Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam, Indore, <keyword id="6355556" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="bhopal">Bhopal</keyword>, <keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword>, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Surat, Lucknow, Kanpur, Guwahati, Tezpur and Shillong. The revival of rainfall will boost crop planting, which was 9% below last year's level on Friday. Officials told the ET that this was likely to change soon. 
 
"When rainfall comes after a dry phase, farmers quickly plant crops and make up for the lost time. The recent increase in rainfall is very favourable," an agriculture ministry official told the financial daily. So far farmers have planted rice on a bigger area than last year, but pulses, coarse cereals and cotton sowing has declined, compared to last year. 
 
(Image: Reuters)

Monsoon turns He-Man, with an increase of 11% above normal in just 3 days!

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/46716122.cms" />

	 <keyword id="177257" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="safe-drinking-water">Safe drinking water</keyword> is a basic human need. In India, those living in the urban cities enjoy the <keyword id="2783527" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="luxury-of-drinking-treated-water">luxury of drinking treated water</keyword> that flows directly into their households. On the other hand, a large population of rural Indians still lacks reliable access to this precious resource. And <keyword id="2783526" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Vishwambar-Jagtap">Vishwambar Jagtap</keyword> is one of those who fall in the unfortunate group. This <keyword id="2783525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="pomegranate-farmer">pomegranate farmer</keyword> is a local celebrity in <keyword id="409654" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="drought-hit">drought-hit</keyword> Beed region of Maharashtra. Jagtap has as many as 48 borewells on his farm and due to this the local villagers know him as the "borewell man", an Economic Times report said. Some of these go as deep as 1,000 feet, which is more than the length of a <keyword id="2783528" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="60-storey-skyscraper">60-storey skyscraper</keyword> in Mumbai, the financial daily said. 
	
		The 18-acre plot owner, Jagtap, has drilled borewells since 2005 in order to support his farm lands in this rain-starved and non-irrigated region. Sadly, most of these borewells supplied water only for few months and then dried up. "Only 15 of my 48 borewells are working," he confesses, the ET said.
	 
	
		Jagtap, who has spent lakhs on this enterprise, told the ET that each borewell costs a base price of Rs 75,000. He also stated that the price goes up the deeper you drill. The business daily also added Jagtap dreads the peak summer months. He will have to hire water tankers as well, costing up to Rs 3,000 a day, for a span of two months. In all, he spends at least Rs 15 lakh on water each year, a third of his income.
	
		(Image: The Times of India)

This man has 48 borewells, but not a drop to drink. Know why

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/35436257.cms" />In this day and age, a day out with friends and family rejuvenates us like nothing else. Talking about perfect getaways for days like this, we present to you a list of top six amusement parks in India, where you can go and enjoy rides, water slides and pools. 
 
Wonderla, Bangalore Located at a distance of 30 kilometres from Bangalore, this <keyword id="434021" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="water-park">water park</keyword> was opened in 2005. There are over 50 rides, including kids rides, water rides, dry rides and high-thrill rides. It also offers rain dance at Rain Disco - the dance floor with laser lights and electronically controlled rain showers. There are booking resorts for long stays and conference rooms with a seating capacity of more than 1,000 people. The rates keep on revising, depending on the season and peek days. During this time, you will have to shell out Rs 770 per adult and Rs 620 per child on weekdays and Rs 940 per adult and Rs 710 per child on weekends and public holidays. The timings are 11 am to 6 pm on weekdays and 11 am to 7 pm on weekends and public holidays. 
 
EsselWorld And Water Kingdom, Mumbai 
Even if you are not from Delhi, you must have heard the television commercial of EsselWorld in the 90’s. One of the oldest amusement parks in India, it was established in the year 1986. Combined with Water Kingdom, it is the largest amusement and water park in India. The annual footfall at EsselWorld is around 2 million. The visitors are also offered an ice skating rink for their entertainment, a one-of-its kind feature in an entertainment park. The charges for both parks combined are Rs 1,000 per adult, Rs 790 per child and Rs 390 for senior citizens above 60 years of age. 
 
Nicco Park, Kolkata Spread around 40 acres, Nicco Park is the first <keyword id="395849" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="amusement-park">amusement park</keyword> in the world to be certified with SA 8000 (Social Accountability) certification, the first in Asia to be certified with ISO 14001 (Environment Management System) and the first amusement park in India to be certified with ISO 9001 (Quality Management System). The combined entry charges for Main Park, Water Park are Rs 500 per head. 
MGM Dizzee World, Chennai 
 
For the hot and humid Chennai, MGM is a life saver in summers. They have pools, dry and water rides, a separate section for children, called MGM Mini Ghar, and rain-dance facilities. Visitors can also enjoy boating in one of the artificial lakes. For the tiny tots, a video game arcade is also situated inside the premises. They also have a vegetarian restaurant with a capacity of 500 and a multi-cuisine restaurant for 300 guests. There are two entry packages in MGM, Mega Fun and Jumbo Package, costing Rs 799 (adults) and Rs 577 (children) and Rs 550 (adults) and Rs 450 (children), respectively. 
 
Worlds Of Wonders, Noida 
Located near the Great India Place Mall which has an approximate footfall of around 1 million per month, Worlds of Wonder Amusement and Water Parks is Delhites’ favorite escape from the scorching heat and the hustle bustle of the capital. These parks are located in Noida in the National Capital Region, and the combined entry charges of Amusement and Water Park are Rs 849 per adult, Rs 699 per child and Rs 499 per senior citizen. The park is open from 11:30 AM to 8 PM. 
 
Fun N Food Village, Gurgaon 
One of the oldest and well-known amusement park in the National Capital Region, Fun N Food Village offers 21 amusement rides, rain dance, water slides, water play areas and pools, other than snack joints and restaurants. The ticket rates from Monday to Saturday are Rs 1700 for couple entry, Rs 600 for child entry and Rs 1100 for single person. The revised rates for Sunday and Holidays are Rs 100 extra for single and couple entry, while the same for children’s entry. You can also avail the benefits of going in groups by taking the package deals this place offers. 
 
Image: Indiatimes

Top 6 Amusement Parks In India

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48234944.cms" /> 
Just like most years, onion traders are stocking up onions and helping the prices to shoot up during the monsoon. Although, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Indian-Government-Accuses-Traders-Of-Cheating-Consumers-With-Sky-High-Onion-Prices/articleshow/24766601.cms">in 2013 the onion prices sky rocketed unimaginably high</a>, the central government’s adequate measures were able to keep the prices in check last year. It has almost become customary for onion prices to shoot up during the monsoon and remain abnormally high till late autumn. 
 
Although retail prices have remained stable so far, a Mumbai-based exporter said traders in Maharashtra are stocking up heavily, anticipating a strike against market reforms likely to be initiated by the state government, as per a news report by The Economic Times. 
 
"Other factors like increase in demand and decline in arrivals are also at play, but to a smaller extent," an exporter told the ET, requesting anonymity. 
 
When wholesale onion prices have shot up by 50% in July over June, retail prices had touched a record high of Rs 100 per kg two years ago. In 2014, prices zoomed 35% in July over June but the government managed to suppress the price rise the next month through a series of measures. 
 
"The traders are aware that no one can take any action against them as it is not possible to check stocks. The government is also not taking any action on the export front. It takes at least a month for the cargo to reach India after finalising the contract," the exporter told the financial daily. 
 
Nothing unusual has happened to justify the 33% surge in onion prices in the past week, said one of the leading exporters in the country. "Some trader had some good demand, somewhere there was talk of traders going on strike, the rains haven't been so good so far and all this supported by some decline in arrival of onions," he said. 
"Traders have become aggressive, jacking up the prices every day without any specific trigger. They have stocked up onions at high prices. To make money, they have to take the prices up," a functionary of Lasalgaon Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) told the ET. 
 
The commission agents (adtiyas) operating at the APMCs currently charge their commission from farmers. A state government appointed committee has been deliberating about charging the commission from forward traders and not from farmers. However, the committee's meeting, planned for July 24, was postponed, confirms the ET report. 
 
With less rainfall this year in the onion growing regions, farmers have also started holding on to the crop. Most of them have either lost the kharif crop or will have to bear losses due to stunted growth in the past one month. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-Route-Of-An-Onion-Shows-Why-India-Needs-Walmart-Carrefour-And-Tesco/articleshow/27331418.cms">Also read: The Route of an Onion Shows Why India Needs Walmart, Carrefour, And Tesco</a> 
 
(Image: Business Insider)

Onions are here to make you cry again

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47249209.cms" /> 
Horror! Horror! Horror! The earthquake returned to rattle Nepal and parts of India, China and Afghanistan. Tuesday afternoon witnessed a series of movers and shakers, which was far less in losses and causalities than its disastrous prequel 2 weeks back, but it scared the hell out of people. 
 
No wonder, the word #earthquake started trending on Twitter soon after the tremors reached India because everyone, including our celebs and politicians, were busy tweeting their worries and prayers on the micro-blogging site. Here is what they posted. 
 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Strong tremor here in Amritsar — <keyword id="6355887" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shahid-Kapoor">Shahid Kapoor</keyword> (@shahidkapoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/shahidkapoor/status/598027181919326208">May 12, 2015</a> 
	 
	<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
		
			Omg, i just felt myself swaying a bit and got a msg that theres been an earthquake in Delhi!! Hoping all fine! — <keyword id="62210" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sonakshi-Sinha">Sonakshi Sinha</keyword> (@sonakshisinha) <a href="https://twitter.com/sonakshisinha/status/598024511447924736">May 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
	<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
	<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
		
			Ok what the F just felt another earthquake in Mumbai again!! — <keyword id="562349" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Parineeti-Chopra">Parineeti Chopra</keyword> (@ParineetiChopra) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParineetiChopra/status/598023951999049728">May 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
	<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
	<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
		
			Noooo! Not Nepal again! It's so so saddening! Why this fury against that 1 country!!?
		— taapsee pannu (@taapsee) <a href="https://twitter.com/taapsee/status/598025331547582464">May 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
	<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
	<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
		
			Mother Earth is telling us something, we all better listen and respect her more# another earthquake <a href="https://twitter.com/nepal">@Nepal</a>.Hope ppl are ok this time around🙏 — King <keyword id="8965" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mika">Mika</keyword> Singh (@MikaSingh) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikaSingh/status/598031640217006080">May 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
	<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
	<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
		
			Nepal 😕 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/prayers?src=hash">#prayers</a>
		— Aditi Rao Hydari (@aditiraohydari) <a href="https://twitter.com/aditiraohydari/status/598042988275597312">May 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
	<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
	<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
		 You can't control earthquakes, but you can control your <keyword id="6356826" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="environment">environment</keyword> - take precautions to ensure your home is earthquake ready. Be safe.
		— soha ali khan (@sakpataudi) <a href="https://twitter.com/sakpataudi/status/598067597372973056">May 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
	<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
	<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
		
			Just heard about the earthquake coming once again. Hope everyone is safe in India and Nepal.
		— Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) <a href="https://twitter.com/ajaydevgn/status/598041492653932544">May 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
	<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
	<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
		 Besides <keyword id="6406875" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="life-insurance">Life Insurance</keyword> case for <keyword id="35450" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="insurance">Insurance</keyword> against Earth Rage(Earth Quake),Road Rage,(Drunken Driving),Rain Rage (Floods)&amp; Dry Rage(Droughts) — <keyword id="6354361" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kiran-Bedi">Kiran Bedi</keyword> (@thekiranbedi) <a href="https://twitter.com/thekiranbedi/status/598032324169576448">May 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
	<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
	<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
		
			News of an earthquake hitting Nepal again has come. Several parts of India also felt the tremors. MHA is collecting more details and info — <keyword id="6355121" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajnath-Singh">Rajnath Singh</keyword> (@BJPRajnathSingh) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJPRajnathSingh/status/598027254610800640">May 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
	<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
	<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
		
			Another terrible tragedy for Nepal. More devastation as another earthquake hits .. We r so helpless in front of nature
		— ameesha patel (@ameesha_patel) <a href="https://twitter.com/ameesha_patel/status/598065377185116160">May 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
	<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
	<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
		 Another earthquake! Prayers for safety &amp; well being of all affected. We're closely monitoring <keyword id="818773" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-situation">the situation</keyword> in Rajasthan. — <keyword id="6361795" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vasundhara-Raje">Vasundhara Raje</keyword> (@VasundharaBJP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VasundharaBJP/status/598059251559346177">May 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
	<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
	<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
		
			Please do not panic and maintain calm. Earthquake situation is being closely monitored &amp; officials are already in the field — <keyword id="260213" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword> (@ArvindKejriwal) May 12, 2015 
		 
		(Image: Reuters)</blockquote>
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Nepal Earthquake: This is how
the who’s who of Twitteratti reacted to the Nepal Earthquake today

A complete timeline of Tom Holland and Zendaya's relationship

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49466070.cms" /> India and Sweden have a lot in common in terms of demography, people, culture and implementation of modern technology. While the sub-continent is looking at building <keyword id="6377036" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="smart-cities">smart cities</keyword>, Sweden’s indigenous knowledge of its smart-city building model called ‘Symbiocities’ can actually transfer best practices to make the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=smart+cities">smart cities</a> in the country with economically viable infrastructures providing optimum benefit for the dwellers. There are a few key lessons that India can take away from Symbiocities that Sweden has already built since years. 
 
A large number of Indian and Swedish companies are investing in each others’ countries under various sectors with great growth potential. 
 
In order to build smart cities in India, Sweden, recently, offered its expertise in some areas that need great attention. Waste management, optimum usage of energy, digital urban land management and urban transportation can get a major fillip from Swedes knowledge. Apart from smart cities, women empowerment and self sustainable living could be Sweden’s most important contributions to India in the coming days. 
 Swedish Minister Mehmat Kaplan met Maharashtra’s Chief Secretary Swadhin Kshatriya to provide much needed impetus to bilateral relations, by way of parting with expertise in building smart cities. This will give a boost to the '<keyword id="6354869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="make-in-India">Make in India</keyword>' initiative, with India and Sweden having signed a Memorandum of Understanding on sustainable <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=urban">urban</a> development. 
 Minister Kaplan said, “Sweden and India have always had good relations visible through the number of exchanges on a political level as well as student exchanges and company collaborations. For a country like Sweden, striving to be an open innovation-driven <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword>, India is a natural partner, and in India, Maharashtra is of particular importance. My visit to Mumbai is to the further this partnership with a focus on Smart cities and sustainable urban development an area of mutual interest for both the countries” 
 
Speaking about the collaboration between India and Sweden, Consul General for Sweden Fredrika Ornbrant said, “It is inspiring to see the broad range of engagement between Sweden and Maharashtra stretching from business and infrastructure to education and culture. Swedish companies in Maharashtra generate almost 28,000 jobs directly and a total of 1, 45,000 jobs directly in India. In line with the Indian government’s initiative to build 100 smart cities across India, the MoU on Sustainable Urban Development between our two nations will help develop, govern and manage these cities according to best practices developed through close cooperation. We are also very pleased that Minister Kaplan has come down to Mumbai to further this collaboration” 
 
Kaplan also pointed out that Sweden’s experience in developing sustainable development solutions ranging from the bio fuel buses, energy efficient solutions to combat housing shortage can be India’s typical solutions to almost similar kind of problems. 
 
Though both countries look almost similar in their structure, there are some deep cultural similarities between both countries. Apart from this, Sweden has always been a country that has a capitalist <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=economy">economy</a>, optimum social welfare programmes and high levels of resource distribution among inhabitant communities. 
 
Recently, Sweden backed India’s bid for entry into the elite group of countries seeking to prevent the proliferation of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology. Sweden is already a key member of Missile Technology Control Regime and a very influential voice in the global arena. 
 
Here are some key areas where Sweden’s lessons can serve as key policies when India realizes its dream of smart cities. 
 
Efficiency maximized: More from less 
The key thing that India can learn from Symbiocities is high returns from basic investment. Though Indians have an indigenous way of meeting their needs with least investment, this does not hold well when planning for a massive change of mindset by way of setting up smart cities. 
 
Symbiocities are all about long term returns. Hence, India needs to look at multidisciplinary approach to make the entire process cost efficient and accountable to public. 
 
According to Kaplan, “Sweden is encouraging social scientists and anthropologists to actively participate in city planning to make solutions best fit and not just urban planning. This surely aids designing the cities of future.” 
 
Interactive urban systems 
Making every system that aids efficient way of life interactive with easy user interface can not only change the method that is used to access these systems, but also ensure people’s participation in a big way. According to Kaplan, well planned logistics when optimized, can yield better transportation systems, save energy by checking wastage and ensure judicious use of power. Ecologically, this can be an area where things can be massively improved without pushing nature to the brink. 
 
Smart housing Kaplan also stated that “decision making” is being made cheaper and faster through big data and effective data management. Using optimised life cycle calculus, and hot water economy, houses of tomorrow can be self-sufficient. India can localise this solution to include <keyword id="6357019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="solar-energy">solar energy</keyword> panels to produce local power, rain water harvesting which can reduce the burden on urban bodies to supply with humongous amounts of water for every household. 
 
Citizen partnership 
This is a grossly neglected area that India needs to immediately pay attention to. Citizen groups are usually considered intrusive in India, since urban planning is mostly top down. This has to change in terms of smart cities, which need to tap the potential of its dwellers who may possess some great knowledge about issues relating to civic matters. Sweden enrols its citizens in most decision making processes, in order to help citizens take pride in their city. 
 
Innovation for future 
Whether it is producing clean energy or waste management, India needs to innovate since its growth potential and urban needs are going to grow manifold in the future. Sweden shows the way with bio fuels in urban areas, clean tech farming and friendly tax systems have made the country the most liveable among those in the world. 
(Image: BCCL)

5 Key lessons for Indian smart cities from Sweden

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/27534955.cms" style="" /> It never rains but it pours – so the saying goes. And the adage came true on Friday the 13th as it saw a couple of <keyword id="406" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Movies">movies</keyword> opening and the release of a third one (<keyword id="1167288" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lucky-Kabootar">Lucky Kabootar</keyword>) getting postponed due to technical reasons. However, none of the two movies has managed to make the cut at the <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> after Day 4. 
 
Let’s begin with the most touted of the lot – <keyword id="35955" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="jackpot">Jackpot</keyword>. As the name suggests, the story is all about a <keyword id="1978994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Casino-boat">casino boat</keyword> (in Goa) and crazy <keyword id="4736333" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="con-artists">con artists</keyword> rushing to pinch the <keyword id="1978996" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jackpot-money">jackpot money</keyword>, interspersed with comedy one-liners, a good dose of skin show and an extremely predictable plot. Starring <keyword id="836886" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sunny-Leone">Sunny Leone</keyword>, <keyword id="6475049" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sachiin-Joshi">Sachiin Joshi</keyword> and the veteran <keyword id="6354338" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Naseeruddin-Shah">Naseeruddin Shah</keyword> (the Boss), the <keyword id="1978999" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Comedy-thriller">comedy thriller</keyword> has a total <keyword id="1960834" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="BO-collection">BO collection</keyword> of around Rs 6.4 crore till December 16, and the numbers do not augur well for <keyword id="303" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Director">director</keyword> <keyword id="66915" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kaizad-Gustad">Kaizad Gustad</keyword>. It’s his fourth film, the earlier ones being <keyword id="276427" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bombay-Boys">Bombay Boys</keyword>, <keyword id="6366414" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Boom">Boom</keyword> and <keyword id="1286097" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bombil-and-Beatrice">Bombil and Beatrice</keyword>. 
 Critics, too, have flayed the flick unmercifully, mainly due to the absence of wit, thrill and suspense. Subhash K. Jha of SKJ <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> News has given it no stars and says, “Jackpot is <keyword id="1978997" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Noire-film">noire film</keyword> with twists in the tale.” Reagan Gavin Rasquinha of Times of India has given it 2 stars out of 5 while Shubhra Gupta of Indian Express has decided on a 1/2 star only. Avad M of Bollywood3 has rated the film 1.5/5 and stated that Naseeruddin Shah is the only saving grace of this movie as he is brilliant as the <keyword id="1979011" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="notorious-business-man">notorious business man</keyword>. 
 The music is praiseworthy, though, but the whole exercise puts a big question mark on the theme and the lead actors. Why do <keyword id="1979000" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood-thrillers">Bollywood thrillers</keyword> have to be inane, completely lacking that <keyword id="23116" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="fear-factor">fear factor</keyword> which chills your bones without being explicit? As for Sunny, she has graduated fast from an <keyword id="1978990" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="adult-film-actor">adult film actor</keyword> to a <keyword id="25842" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood-heroine">Bollywood heroine</keyword>, but has a long way to go if she really wants to impress cine lovers. <keyword id="287171" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Entrepreneur-turned-actor">Entrepreneur-turned-actor</keyword> Sachiin has, however, a better exposure here. His earlier two outings – Aazaan and Mumbai Mirror – were big flops. Aazaan, a 2011 action <keyword id="1979002" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Spy-flick">spy flick</keyword> starring Sachiin and South African <keyword id="6355606" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="model">model</keyword> <keyword id="167432" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Candice-Boucher">Candice Boucher</keyword>, had a <keyword id="182563" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="BO">BO</keyword> collection of Rs 4.2 crore, against a budget of Rs 37 crore. Mumbai Mirror, a <keyword id="1979001" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Crime-thriller">crime thriller</keyword> released in January this year, was again a disaster at the box office. 
 
<keyword id="1888631" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="What-The-Fish">What the Fish</keyword> in troubled waters We thought this one might have an interesting storyline evolving around <keyword id="2665" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dimple-Kapadia">Dimple Kapadia</keyword>. Ageing, divorced and suspicious, <keyword id="212966" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sudha-Mishra">Sudha Mishra</keyword> (Dimple) is too much in love with her <keyword id="761101" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="goldfish">goldfish</keyword> and <keyword id="1979005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Money-plant">money plant</keyword>. And she turns out to be the grumpy old Delhi ‘mausi ji’ you meet almost every day. But when Sudha goes to visit her son for a month and her house is left in the care of her niece and her fiancé, they soon find others to do the chores and those others find some more people and the whole thing goes on… 
 All this is funny at first, as you may guess, but reeking of confusion and extremely haphazard at a later stage as more and more characters flit in and out of the house, all with some personal agendas. There’s no sparkling wit here or the softening grace of humour that makes classic comedy. So it’s no wonder that the BO numbers are really down – just Rs 2.9 crore after Day 4. This is the second flick by director <keyword id="193437" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gurmeet-Singh">Gurmeet Singh</keyword> after his debut film <keyword id="1872956" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Warning-3D">Warning 3D</keyword>, an underwater movie shot in <keyword id="79116" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Fiji">Fiji</keyword>. 
 
What The Fish has opened to some mixed reviews all over. Neha Gupta of Bollywood3 says that this is a novel concept and also lauds Dimple as absolutely brilliant. There are sight gags and a free-flowing style that leaves enough room for irreverent jokes. But the movie still lacks a strong binding thread and spirited performance that could have buoyed up this kind of disjointed comedy sequences. You fail to appreciate the many characters and the entire movie feels too episodic, instead of being a cohesive whole. 
 
Image: Indiatimes.com

When It Comes To Jackpot,
No One Gets The Moolah

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/35077673.cms" /> It never rains but it pours, at least in <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword>, and this time, you get to see half-a-dozen low-budget flicks vying for visibility and struggling for a successful <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> run. Mind you, when we say half-a-dozen, we are not exaggerating – here is the complete list of six – <keyword id="6375259" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Manjunath">Manjunath</keyword>, <keyword id="2178404" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Koyelaanchal">Koyelaanchal</keyword>, <keyword id="1835898" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hawaa-Hawaai">Hawaa Hawaai</keyword>, <keyword id="2069848" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mastram">Mastram</keyword>, <keyword id="2093570" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Yeh-Hai-Bakrapur">Yeh Hai Bakrapur</keyword> and finally, <keyword id="1276718" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Khwaabb">Khwaabb</keyword>. So catch your breath as we run you through them quickly. There is just one common factor here – all of them turn out to be pretty intriguing, irrespective of the sluggish response at the <keyword id="827271" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Domestic-Box-Office">domestic box office</keyword>. 
 
Manjunath: Bitter to the end 
Our first choice is Manjunath, a biopic directed and co-produced by <keyword id="2239399" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sandeep-A-Varma">Sandeep A. Varma</keyword>, which tells the true story of the <keyword id="6354412" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="indian-oil">Indian Oil</keyword> <keyword id="6420527" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="executive">executive</keyword> <keyword id="479971" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Manjunath-Shanmugam">Manjunath Shanmugam</keyword> and his fight against the <keyword id="425101" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="oil-mafia">oil mafia</keyword> of Uttar Pradesh. The murder of this IIM braveheart for his whistleblowing act is still considered a national tragedy, but Varma’s kind of docu-drama unfolds a dark reality that’s too chilling and too gut-wrenching to give way to tears. The movie meanders at times, but the protagonist, brilliantly played by newcomer <keyword id="2239401" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sasho-Satish-Saarthy">Sasho Satish Saarthy</keyword>, takes you to a world where <keyword id="46183" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Corruption">corruption</keyword> is a way of life. However, the verdict at the domestic box office has been harsh and Manjunath only managed to nett around Rs 1 crore after Day 4 while debut day earnings were a paltry Rs 15-20 lakh. 
 
Koyelaanchal: Look what’s unearthed 
The second flick under scanner is Koyelaanchal, produced and directed by <keyword id="1235537" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ashu-Trikha">Ashu Trikha</keyword>. After <keyword id="486655" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gangs-of-Wasseypur">Gangs of Wasseypur</keyword> and <keyword id="6427325" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gunday">Gunday</keyword>, it is the latest from Bollywood on the exploits of the <keyword id="85025" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="coal-mafia">coal mafia</keyword> and had a huge release, especially in single screens. But the film tripped at the box office and collected about Rs 45 lakh on the opening day. Although official numbers are yet to come in, total earnings spanning the first three days are a little below Rs 2 crore, as per industry estimates. 
 
In Koyelaanchal, we again come face to face with all-pervading corruption and criminal use of natural resources. This time, it is the coal <keyword id="2239403" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mafioso-Saryubhan-Singh">Mafioso Saryubhan Singh</keyword> aka Maalik (<keyword id="6430614" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vinod-Khanna">Vinod Khanna</keyword>), who rules the mines of the <keyword id="2239414" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bihar-Jharkhand-belt">Bihar-Jharkhand belt</keyword> and locks horns with <keyword id="6359011" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="District-Collector">district collector</keyword> <keyword id="2239402" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nisheeth-Kumar">Nisheeth Kumar</keyword> (<keyword id="7646" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="suniel-shetty">Suniel Shetty</keyword>) when he raises troublesome questions. <keyword id="819709" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="the-script">The script</keyword> goes haywire at times, but the USP here happen to be the thorough research and the realistic take at a time when a multi-billion-dollar Coalgate scam has deeply shaken the nation. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/35077716.cms" /> 
 
Mastram: Morality decoded 
Next comes Mastram, again an offbeat movie that deals with a sexually repressed society and its ingrained hypocrisy. A <keyword id="41623" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Directorial-debut">directorial debut</keyword> by <keyword id="1628796" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Akhilesh-Jaiswal">Akhilesh Jaiswal</keyword>, it is the story of the <keyword id="2239404" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="failed-author">failed author</keyword> <keyword id="201974" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajaram">Rajaram</keyword> (<keyword id="2102195" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rahul-Bagga">Rahul Bagga</keyword>) whose work gets rejected because they lack masala. But the man finally excels as he starts writing erotica and along with that, begins a painful <keyword id="6374782" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="journey">journey</keyword> of self-realisation. Made on a budget of around Rs 2 crore, this ‘fictional biography’ had collected around Rs 75 lakh on the opening day at the domestic box office and its earnings stood at a little over Rs 3 crore after the first Monday. 
 
Hawaa Hawaai: Breezy &amp; smooth-flowing 
Back again after <keyword id="63220" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Stanley-Ka-Dabba">Stanley Ka Dabba</keyword> (well, that one grossed a little over Rs 5 crore), director-writer <keyword id="91815" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amol-Gupte">Amol Gupte</keyword>’s <keyword id="2239418" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Commercial-entertainer">commercial entertainer</keyword> Hawaa Hawaai has been produced by <keyword id="106474" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Fox-Star-Studios">Fox Star Studios</keyword> and hopes to do better this time. The movie netted around Rs 4.25 crore in the first three days and had an estimated budget of Rs 6 crore. 
 True to his pet genre, Gupte is still catering to the young audience and telling a simple tale with a touching innocence that will win every heart. But the emotional outing and catch-my-dream theme are fraught with grim realities as well. <keyword id="2234714" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arjun-Harishchandra-Waghmare">Arjun Harishchandra Waghmare</keyword> (Amol’s son <keyword id="678010" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Partho-Gupte">Partho Gupte</keyword>) is a migrant <keyword id="6377229" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Child-labour">child labour</keyword> who toils hard at a roadside restaurant in Mumbai but wants to become a <keyword id="2239398" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="champion-roller-skater">champion roller-skater</keyword>. That’s not too difficult when the <keyword id="2239405" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="kind-hearted-coach">kind-hearted coach</keyword> <keyword id="6369280" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lucky">Lucky</keyword> (<keyword id="684700" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Saqib-Saleem">Saqib Saleem</keyword>) is willing to help and his poor but large-hearted peers are keen to support him as much as they can. Overall, a thought-provoking movie that flows smoothly without too many hitches. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/35077736.cms" /> 
 
Endnote 
The other two releases of the week are Yeh Hai Bakrapur and Khwaabb. The former is a many-layered socio-political satire, starring <keyword id="124285" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anshuman-Jha">Anshuman Jha</keyword> and <keyword id="1810577" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Asif-Basra">Asif Basra</keyword> (plus, <keyword id="2239416" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shah-Rukh-the-goat">Shah Rukh the Goat</keyword>) and directed by <keyword id="468251" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Janaki-Vishwanathan">Janaki Vishwanathan</keyword>. The scathing attack on blind faith, punctuated with sharp wit, makes it an amply watchable movie. Khwaabb (directed by <keyword id="537936" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Zaid-Ali-Khan">Zaid Ali Khan</keyword>), on the other hand, is a sports-based romance-drama starring <keyword id="1280175" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Navdip-Singh">Navdip Singh</keyword> and <keyword id="708963" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Simer-Motiani">Simer Motiani</keyword>. In spite of some interesting scripts, both movies failed to impact the domestic box office – each collecting a little over Rs 1 crore after the third day. 
 But don’t worry too much even if there has been a box office debacle for some time now. <keyword id="14509" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rajinikanth">Rajinikanth</keyword>’s <keyword id="1849408" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kochadaiiyaan">Kochadaiiyaan</keyword> is due to be released in a couple of weeks and that will surely set the box office ringing while <keyword id="2239419" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mainstream-movie-fans">mainstream movie fans</keyword> go crazy about thalaiva. 
 
Images: Indiatimes

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