The Mumbai Grapevine
Connecting Mumbaikars with Mumbai
(Published by Mumbai-Central.com)
Please feel free to forward this message to your friends and co-workers
who might be interested in it. The instructions to join the Mumbai
Grapevine are at the end of the message.
Cong should seek mandate if it wants ties with US: Karat
Kottayam (Ker), Feb 11 (PTI) The Left would not allow the UPA Government to forge strategic alliance with the United States and if the Congress was keen to pursue these policies then it should seek a fresh mandate, CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat today said.
"We have made it clear that no government supported by our party and the Left would allow the government to forge such an alliance with the United States. We would like to tell the Congress that if it likes to have a strategic alliance with US, take these issues to the people in the next Lok Sabha polls," Karat said in his opening address to the state conference of the CPI-M here.
He also criticised the Centre for allowing ISRO to launch an Israeli spy satellite.
The Left would not allow the UPA to cement and forge ties with the US including the nuclear agreement, he said.
On domestic issues, he claimed that the Left had been able to check, to a certain extent, the government from implementing policies like opening up of banking and insurance sector, privatisation of PSUs and free-entry of MNCs in retail sector.
Also, under the Left's pressure, the government was made to take up certain pro-people legislations like Rural Employment Programme and the Forest Tribals Act, he added. PTI
CBI should probe the role of UP bureaucrat: Congress
Kanpur, Feb 11 (PTI) Congress has demanded a CBI probe into the alleged role of a Uttar Pradesh bureaucrat, who was named by an associate of the mastermind in the kidney racket.
Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee President Rita Bahuguna yesterday demanded a probe saying, the investigation may reveal some fine points in solving the case.
Upendra, an associate of Dr Amit Kumar, has yesterday said that a house in NOIDA sector 43 owned by the UP official was used by Kumar as a hospital for a year. PTI
Cabinet sub-group will consider raising fuel price this week
New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) A Cabinet sub-group, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will this week consider raising petrol and diesel prices by Rs two and Re one per litre respectively.
"Fuel price hike is no longer an economic issue. A political consensus needs to be built, and so, the matter is listed before Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) that will meet later this week," a government source said.
A Rs two a litre increase in petrol and Re one per litre hike in diesel prices is being contemplated but a duty rejig to minimise impact of high international crude oil prices looks unlikely.
Several quarters within the ruling UPA alliance were opposed to even a marginal auto fuel price increase and so the issue has been listed before CCPA instead of the usual Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
Petrol and diesel price hike has been on cards since October-end when international crude oil prices touched record high, but political compulsions have led to its postponement several times.
The source said the government may raise the quantum of oil bonds to be issued to state-run retailers to partly compensate them for selling auto and cooking fuel below cost.
Presently, 42.7 per cent of the under-realisation on petrol, diesel, LPG and kerosene is met by the government through issue of oil bonds. This percentage may increase, the source said.
Another 33 per cent is borne by up upstream companies like ONGC and GAIL, while the remaining has to be borne by the retailers - Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum.
The total under-realisation this fiscal is estimated at around 71,808 crore, he said. PTI
Budget session of Parliament from Feb 25
New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) The Budget session of Parliament will commence on February 25, it was officially announced here today.
The session will start with President Pratibha Patil's address to the joint sitting of both the Houses at 11 AM on February 25.
While Railway Minister Lalu Prasad would present the Rail Budget for 2008-09 on February 26, Finance Minister P Chidambaram would present the General Budget for 2008-09 on February 29.
The three-month session will witness a total 35 sitting with a break from March 21 to April 14.
The session would continue upto May nine. PTI
Culling of poultry inches towards completion in WB
New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) Culling operations in Bird flu hit West Bengal inched towards completion today as no fresh mortality of poultry was reported from the state.
The cumulative mortality of poultry birds remains at 1,33,135, which has been reported from the affected districts of the state, the Union Animal Husbandry Department said here.
There are no further reports from the HSADL, Bhopal, of any sample testing positive from any part of the country, including West Bengal, it said.
The state has completed culling of 49,321 birds, taking the cumulative figure of culling done so far to 37.82 lakh. The revised culling target is 38.56 lakh.
Meanwhile, preventive culling undertaken in Dhubri and Kokrajhar districts of neighbouring Assam has been completed. Mopping up operations are currently underway there.
In Bihar, culling of 95,270 birds has so far been done. In Jharkhand the operations are tentatively scheduled to begin on February 14. PTI
IPL for women cricketers in the near future
Mumbai, Feb 11 (PTI) The BCCI is considering the idea of introducing a cricket league for women on the lines of the Indian Premier League, set to commence from April 18.
Speaking to the press, BCCI President Sharad Pawar said, "We are planning matches on the basis of the IPL." Pawar, who watched the ongoing women's Challenger Trophy match between India 'B' and India 'C,' said the Board was also looking for new sponsors for the eves' team.
Shubangi Kulkarni, convenor of women's cricket in the BCCI, said, "The idea to introduce it (the cricket league) is there and we will have to put it forward in the Board meeting." However, she added that progress on this would be made after the response of IPL in April.
"We are at an early stage and still discussing the concept," added Shubangi.
On the ongoing Challenger Trophy here, Pawar said the performance of the players was encouraging for the game.
"I want to change the face of the entire game," he said.
On the uncertainty over Australian players' participation in IPL, Pawar said he was informed by Cricket Australia well in advance that some of the cricketers would not be available this season.
"We have had a detailed discussion with them (CA) since the concept was formulated and they told us that they cannot commit playing all the players this season," he said. PTI
CA, IPL agree on most issues: Report
Melbourne, Feb 11 (PTI) Cricket Australia and Indian Premier League organisers have broken ice on two crucial issues which has brightened chances of Australian cricketers being available for auction on February 20 for the inaugural Twenty20 tournament, a media report claimed.
The report said significant progress has been made in the negotiations and players such as Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee and Andrew Symonds could be available for the February 20 auction in Mumbai, except the lingering issue of global protection of two CA sponsors Foster's and Travelex.
It said the stipulation in the original contract that the Australians would not be released by the IPL to play for their states or attend national training camps during the tournament has been cleared.
Significant progress has also been made in relation to players' obligations to endorse products that may clash with Cricket Australia's commercial partners, 'The Age' said.
The revised contract, which is yet to be seen by players and their representatives, would limit the advertising campaigns to the Indian market only, according to the report.
"For instance, Ponting and the two other players could promote Indian airline Kingfisher in India but not in Australia because of a clash with Cricket Australia sponsor Emirates," the report said.
There is a major outstanding issue which could still derail the Australians' involvement in the IPL, according to the newspaper, was concerning the two Cricket Australia sponsors with global protection, Foster's and Travelex. PTI
Ganguly says he has accepted his ODI omission
Kolkata, Feb 11 (PTI) Breaking his silence over his omission from India's ODI team, Sourav Ganguly today said that it was "disappointing" because his one-day record is next best after Sachin Tendulkar, but he had "accepted" the selectors' decision.
A reticent former Indian captain was unwilling to be drawn into any discussion on his being ignored but even then his hurt shows.
"I am disappointed just like any other cricketer in not being a part of the one-day side as I had a great year last year and my one-day record is probably the next best after Sachin. It is disappointing but then I have accepted it", he told PTI in an interview.
Ganguly refused to answer questions about reports that he and Rahul Dravid were left out of the ODI team on the insistence of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "I do not want to talk about it," he said.
Following are the other points made by the elegant left hander who was named alongwith Sachin Tendulkar as the BCCI's "players for the period October 07 to January 08" for their exploits in the Test series against Pakistan at home and against Australia Down Under:-- On whether experience should be sacrificed for youth and whether India was going in the right direction in preparing for the 2011 World Cup: "I know my answer, but I keep it with myself. I must say that 2011 World Cup is still a long way away. But I have a lot of faith in (Chief Selector) Dilip Vengsarkar somebody whom I respect quite a lot and I am sure good things will happen under him." PTI
Split not a worry if we can give our best for India: Bhupathi
New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) Indian ace Mahesh Bhupathi admitted that Leander Paes and he did not see "eye to eye" on many issues but said it was not a matter of concern as long as they were giving their best together on tennis court.
"... It is unfortunate that there are too many issues which obviously we don't see eye to eye on and you know at the end of the day as long as we can put our best put forward playing for India that is what everybody cares for," Bhupathi said as the duo decided to play together again in the Olympic Games in Beijing.
The Bhupathi and Paes duo was popular as 'The Indian Express' in the players' initial days but they split due to difference of opinion on various issues.
The two joined hands only to play for the country but there was a question mark on their teaming up again after the Doha Asian Games in 2006.
"It is a mixture of things, small things, large things which snowballed into the fact that is the place where we are today," told a TV channel today. PTI
It would be a challenge for India to be consistent: Mahela
Canberra, Feb 11 (PTI) Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene today said it would be a challenge for Indian team to consistently perform in the ongoing cricket tri-series here.
"They are a young side and there is a great deal of energy in them. But the sign of a good side is the consistency and that would be the real test for them," Jayawardene told reporters on the eve of their crucial match.
The Sri Lankan captain praised the Indians bowlers for their performances in the last few games.
"They have bowled really well and put pressure on opposition on this tour. That makes them dangerous. Also there is not a great deal of preparation teams have done against them. The test would start now." Sri Lanka, yet to register a win in the series, were thrashed by Australia by 128 runs in their previous match and were reeling at the bottom of the points table with two points from as many matches, but Jayawardene was not worried.
"The way Australia got out yesterday, bowled out for 159, it can happen to any side. It doesn't make them a bad side as it doesn't make us any worse," he said.
Jaywardene, however, observed that other teams were gradually catching up with Australia, threatening their top-spot in one-day cricket.
"Australia is no longer the dominant force as it used to be in one-day cricket earlier. Other teams are really catching up with them." PTI
Over 2 million foreigners working in Britain
London, Feb 11 (PTI) The number of foreign workers has risen above two million for the first time in Britain, which recently proposed tightening of immigrantion rules for people fron India and other non-EU countries.
According to new figures from the Labour Force Survey published today, there has been a 75 per cent increase in workers from abroad in the last six years.
During a recent visit to India, Immigration minister Liam Byrne announced the introduction of a points-based system, and restrictions on employing doctors in the National Health Service (NHS) from India.
According to the Survey, the number of British employees has dropped by half a million.
The figures show that the number of foreigners in the UK workforce increased between 2001 and last year by 8,64,000, amounting to a total number of foreigners to just over two million people. This is equivalent to one in 14 of a total working population.
The rise is attributed to the migration of hundreds of thousands of people from Eastern European countries into the UK since 2004 after the countries joined the expanded European Union.
The latest figures were contained in a letter from Karen Dunnell, the national statistician and director of the Office for National Statistics, to the Conservative MP James Clappison, a member of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee who accused the government of neglecting domestic workers.
"The Government has overseen a significant increase in the employment of foreign citizens but have had much less success in creating jobs for British citizens," he said.
The Department of Work and Pensions attributed the decline in UK workforce to "demographic changes." PTI
Australia Defence Minister slams Howard govt on Iraq
Melbourne Feb 11 (PTI) Australian Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon today criticised the previous coalition government for sending soldiers to Afghanistan without seeing key NATO strategy documents.
Fitzgibbon has returned from NATO talks in Lithuania and is confident a new strategy for defeating the Taliban in Afghanistan will emerge at the next summit in April.
However, he said he is shocked that up until now, Australia has not had access to crucial information on NATO strategy.
"I'm frankly very surprised and disappointed that the former government was making decisions to send our men and women to war, and to keep them at war, without having a seat at the decision-making table -- basically doing so on a no-questions-asked basis," he told a local radio channel here.
"A government can't make informed decisions about whether to send our people to war and to lead them in the battlefield if it doesn't have information about the strategy and therefore can't make an assessment about the prospect of success," he said.
He said from now on, Australia would expect to have a say in NATO's decision-making on Afghanistan strategy.
He further said he received a personal assurance from NATO's secretary-general that he would do "all he can to address the situation".
Asked if Australia could realistically expect to have an influence on NATO decision-making he said: "I firmly believe we can".
The NATO-led ISAF force has about 43,000 troops in Afghanistan. Of those about 970 are Australian personnel, including Special Forces and Reconstruction Task Force units. PTI
Lanka army on recruitment spree for key battle with LTTE
Colombo, Feb 11 (PTI) The strength of the Sri Lankan army is being beefed up as the battle for the Tamil Tiger stronghold of Wanni in the restive north enters a "decisive stage", Defence Ministry officials said today.
"The army is being further strengthened with addition of more men as the cohesive campaign of the security forces on the Wanni front enters a decisive stage with ground troops making significant progress," an official said.
Army Chief Lt General Sarath Fonseka on Saturday visited the area for a first-hand assessment as troops on north-west Mannar front increased pressure on Adampan, an LTTE stronghold close to Yoda Wewa in northern Sri Lanka.
"As the army advanced on LTTE positions, the LTTE, in a desperate bid to trigger a clash near Madhu church Saturday fired 81 mm mortars at troops deployed" nearby, the Defence Ministry said.
The army said troops had not targeted LTTE firing positions near the historic shrine.
"Had we responded to the enemy threat, the LTTE and the media sympathetic to them would have caused a major uproar," the army said.
According to Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara, the army had recruited about 3,000 men since the beginning of this year.
"The number of recruits in the army last year was 34,000 with its total strength touching 150,000," he said.
He placed the combined strength of the three services at over 2,00,000. PTI
Australian, Indian Prime Ministers may meet twice this year
Melbourne, Feb 11 (PTI) The Prime Ministers of India and Australia are expected to meet twice this year, in bilateral visits that are likely to put the talks on uranium sales back on track.
Visiting Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal told local daily 'The Australian' that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had extended an invitation to his Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd to tour India and diplomats were hopeful of a visit in the second half of the year.
Rudd has also invited Singh to come to Australia, with the hope that it will happen this year, the newspaper said.
Sibal said India was confident that its negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be completed soon, resulting in an India-specific safeguards agreement that would allow nuclear trade with New Delhi.
"Our negotiations are still going on with the IAEA," Sibal said adding, "hopefully they will bear fruit soon. We are very keen to get the IAEA agreement through." The Indo-US nuclear deal would then move to the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group, and it is here that Australia will play a crucial role.
Reversing a policy decision by the previous John Howard administration, the Kevin Rudd government had said last month that it would not sell uranium to India as New Delhi was not a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Australia had also said it has not yet made up its mind on what position it will take within the NSG. PTI
Markets melt by 834 pts, as Reliance Power makes dismal debut
Mumbai, Feb 11 (PTI) The Indian stock market today plunged 834 points, its third biggest fall in absolute terms, as investors dumped shares after a shockingly disappointing debut by Reliance Power and on lingering concerns that a global slowdown will hit corporate profits.
Shares of Reliance Power, whose listing was keenly awaited by the market, lost 17 per cent from its issue price of Rs 450 and closed at Rs 372.50 in a big let down for investors.
The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex ended sharply down by 4.78 per cent or 833.98 points at 16,630.91, its lowest closing this year. It touched an intra-day low of 16,457.74.
The 30-share Sensex had registered its biggest fall of 1,408.35 points on January 21, 2008 and the second largest fall of 875.41 points on January 22, 2008.
"In case of Reliance Power, the valuations were running ahead of the company's fundamentals. It was a steeply valued stock. In the power sector, an investor in all possibility would prefer NTPC than Reliance Power as NTPC has its fundamentals right," Asika Stock Brokers' Research head Paras Bodhra said.
Bears took control of the market right from the beginning and hammered down stocks with investors' risk appetite at its lowest due to a stocks' carnage across the globe.
The markets continued to witness high level of volatility and also breached a very crucial technical support range.
News that the French bank Societe Generale hit by the US credit crisis, launched a rights issue at a steep discount and also announced 600 million euros in fresh write-downs also adversely affected the market sentiment.
Warnings by G7 leaders that the credit turmoil could destabilise the world economy added fuel to the carnage. PTI
IOB may slash lending rates
New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) Public sector Indian Overseas Bank may go for an up to 0.25 per cent cut in select lending rates like loans for consumer goods, but will wait till March to reduce deposit rates.
Although bank Chairman and Managing Director S A Bhat told reporters here that "the bank's Asset-Liabilities Committee is likely to meet on Friday to take a call on lending rates," sources said the bank may cut interest rate on select loans by at least 25 basis points.
However, the Bank would wait till March before deciding on deposit rate cuts, the sources said.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram is to hold a meeting with PSU banks' chairmen tomorrow in the national capital and may discuss the issue of interest rate with them.
Already, Canara Bank and Allahabad Bank have announced a cut in their lending rates. Besides, housing finance company HDFC and PNB Housing Finance too have reduced interest rate on housing loan. PTI
Market crashes by over 1,000 pts at midsession
Mumbai, Feb 11 (PTI) The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex crashed over 1,000 points at midsession today on panic selling by funds and retail investors following a weak trend in the global market.
The BSE bellwether Sensex tumbled by 1,000.15 points to 16,464.75 at 1330 hrs.
Sluggish debut of Reliance Power on the bourses added to the weak sentiment, a broker said, adding that investors were awaiting the listing eagerly with hopes that a good premium would pep up the market.
The Anil Ambani group firm Reliance Power fell to Rs 389, from its issue price of Rs 450. However, the unit of Reliance Energy had opened at Rs.525.
In a similar fashion, the second wide-based National Stock Exchange index, Nifty, dropped by 326.75 points to 4,803.60 as almost all index-linked stocks fell sharply. PTI
India proposes to invest USD 2 bn in Sri Lanka: Ramesh
T V Sriram
Colombo, Feb 11 (PTI)India is committed to a closer economic cooperation with Sri Lanka, visiting minister Jairam Ramesh said today, while is stating that investments of 2 billion dollars from business houses in his country into the Islan Nation are at discussion stage.
"While 220 million dollars worth of Indian investment is already there in Sri Lanka as much as 2 billion dollars of investment by Indian business houses into the Island country are under discussions," India's Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh told reporters here at Indo-Sri lankan Investment Seminar.
Ramesh, who is heading a business delegation to Sri Lanka, said another 360 million dollars of Indian investments in value terms to the SriLanka are also in the pipeline.
The delegation comprises of officials from Indian Oil, Oswal, Reliance textile group, Indo-Rama, Vardhaman and Mahindra and Mahindra.
The focus of the discussion is education sector and textiles, the Minister said, adding that bilateral trade and investments are expected to get a boost following the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that is likely to be signed by both countries by April this year.
He said, both countries are slated to enter into the CEPA ahead of the SAARC summit, scheduled to be in Sri Lanka by July end. PTI
SBI slashes lending rate by 0.25 per cent
Mumbai, Feb 11 (PTI) Country's largest lender State Bank of India today slashed Prime Lending Rate by 0.25 per cent to 12.50 per cent, a decision that will make housing and car loans cheaper.
"Benchmark Prime Lending Rate is revised downward by 0.25 per cent from 12.75 per cent to 12.50 per cent with effect from February 16," SBI said in a communication to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
The reduction in PLR is likely to moderate lending rates for all category of borrowers, including housing (floating rate), corporate, car loan etc. The decision follows the up to one per cent cut in housing and consumer loan rates announced by Canara Bank and Allahabad Bank.
Housing finance company HDFC and PNB Housing Finance too had reduced interest rate on housing loan. While HDFC reduced its RPLR by 0.25 per cent effective February 1, PNB Housing Finance slashed the rates by 0.5 per cent.
RBI Governor Y V Reddy, while announcing the quarterly monetary policy review on January 29, had asked bankers to explore the possibility of reducing interest rates in the light of high net interest margin.
Even Finance Minister P Chidambaram, after meeting bankers on January 4, had underlined the need to cut deposit and lending rates by half a per cent to spur investment and consumption so that the economy can be sustained on a high growth path.
"I would like, I can't wish this, that banks cut lending and deposit rates by 50 basis points so that it stimulates investment and consumption," he had said.
Chidambaram is again meeting heads of public sector banks tomorrow in the national capital for a review of the banking sector. PTI
More Indians head towards the skies for thrill, recreation
Annie Samson
New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) Stressed out executives seeking to escape the city crush, young urban professionals with a spirit of adventure or the plain restless youth, all seem to be heading towards the vast open skies to recharge and rejuvenate.
Paragliding, a sport which imitates the flight of a bird, ranks high in popularity with flying schools and clubs registering a hike in the number of people signing up for weekend jaunts and short term courses.
"When we started 10 years ago we had a lot of foreign tourists as clients but recently we are witnessing an increase in the number of locals taking to paragliding. This might be so because more number of people have more disposable income in their hands and sports like paragliding are more fulfilling than going to the pub and downing a couple of drinks," says Sanjay Rao, of Nirvana Adventures, a paragliding school in Maharashtra.
Pranab Kukreti, who heads Treks and Rapids, an adventure sports company based in the capital seconds Rao. "Among all the aerosports, paragliding is now very popular and we have been getting more enthusiasts from smaller towns like Gwalior, Lucknow and Chandigarh," he says.
The sport requires skill and knowledge of the terrain as well as the weather conditions. "I started paragliding some six to seven years ago and continue to do so because I find it a great stress buster. Also I am ambitious it gives me an opportunity to improve myself constantly," says Gokul, a banker who resides in Mumbai's Lokandwala area. PTI
Care to be a condom tester?
New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) If you are above the age of 18, a male and seeking a job that combines work with pleasure, here is an unusual opening that promises a combination of both.
The post of a 'condom tester' is up for grabs as Durex, one of the world's largest condom manufacturer has announced plans to recruit Indian males above the age of 18 to test their products.
The chosen 1,000 men would be given a supply of select condoms, with which they can get to work right away, according to company officials.
As the firm itself says, "After you have done full justice to the job, you have to provide Durex with feedback about product performance." In 2007, a two-year study by Indian Council of Medical Research had concluded that condoms made according to international sizes are too large for a majority of Indian men.
This led to a call for condoms of varying sizes to be made more widely available in India.
"Durex wants to ensure that its condoms are best meeting the needs of Indians and what better way to know this than to ask Indians first hand," R Srinivasan, Vice President, TTK-LIG Ltd, marketer of Durex brand in India told PTI.
He adds that Durex has held similar drives in other countries and have received tremendous response.
"It is nice to get customer feedback all the time. For the same initiative in France, we received 100,000 applicants while in Germany and New Zealand we received 25,000 and 3000 respectively," says Srinivasan. PTI
Rushdie is an inspiration for all of us, says Indra Sinha
Wasfia Jalali
New Delhi, Feb 10 (PTI) The recent surge in fundamentalism and intolerance towards artists and writers has raised many a voice of concern among writers in India and abroad.
Author Indra Sinha, whose novel 'Animal's People' was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for 2007 is the latest to speak out against the assault on artists and the curbing of freedom of expression in the world in general and India in particular.
In India recently to attend the Jaipur Literature festival, Sinha, who has been named among the top ten British copywriters of all time, says the rise of fundamentalism and its resultant impact on artists and writers was a cause of worry to him.
"Since 9-11 this is happening all over the world. Since 9-11, governments have seized the opportunity of cracking down on freedom of expressions, which is disheartening" he says.
It was however, in the context of India that he sees this trend as the biggest cause of worry, in the light of some recent incidences in the country.
"I am particularly worried about this trend in context of India. It is really horrifying to hear about writers and painters being hounded", he says in an apparent reference to author Taslima Nasreen and painter M F Hussain.
"These extremist reactions are the result of bloody minded ignorance nurtured in political quarters. If this goes on, India would soon become a land of morons", he adds. PTI
Life is cruel and unfair to me: Katrina
Sabi Hussain
New Delhi, Feb 10 (PTI) Bollywood starlet Katrina Kaif feels that life has been cruel and unfair to her as despite delivering one hit after the other, she still couldn't get nominated in the best actress category in award functions.
"Oh dear! life is so cruel and unfair to me. I have delivered so many hits and won accolades for my performances, but every time I failed to get nominated," says the actress.
Katrina, who was in the capital to launch a product, refrained herself from answering any queries related to her boyfriend Salman Khan.
"Please! I don't want to discuss anything related to Salman. It's very personal." She also described as rubbish reports that Salman slapped her in a coffee shop following a tiff between them.
"It's rubbish. Nothing of that sort happened. It's all created by you people." Katrina, who made her debut in 2003 with Kaizad Gustad's "Boom" had impressed cine goers with her bold performance in the movie.
Katrina since stepping into Bollywood has given number of hits like 'Welcome', 'Partner', 'Namastey London', 'Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya' in recent times.
She is upbeat about her soon to be released thriller 'Race', in which she is playing a role of lady love of Akshaye Khanna.
"It's a thriller in which my role is of a glamourous girl. I am playing the role of Akshaye's lady love with lot of shades attached to my character." The movie directed by famous director duo of Abbas-Mustan is slated to hit the screen in last week of February this year. PTI
___________________________________________________________
This is the Mumbai Grapevine
___________________________________________________________
______Market_______
To get regularly updated NIFTY (NSE) quotes by email, join the NSEData
mailing list by sending an email to NSEData-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To get regularly updated BSE quotes by email, join the BSEData mailing
list by sending an email to BSEData-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Sensex: 16630.91, -833.98
The sensex closed at 16630.91, down 833.98
___________________________________________________________
This is the Mumbai Grapevine
___________________________________________________________
______Forex_______
1 U.S. $ = 39.625 INR
1 Japanese Yen = 0.3709 INR
1 British Pound = 77.235 INR
1 Canadian $ = 39.633 INR
1 Singapore $ = 27.944 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 10.789 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 10.569 INR
1 Euro = 57.670 INR
1 Qatar Rial = 10.893 INR
___________________________________________________________
This is the Mumbai Grapevine
___________________________________________________________