Movies Review: Life of Pi

Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu

Direction: Ang Lee

Rating: ****

Ang Lee takes on the arduous task of translating Yann Martel's 'Life of Pi' into cinema, a book that deeply philosophizes faith, hope and illusion. Ang Lee transports you into Pi's world; as a viewer you might be captivated by the visual spectacle that the director has managed to create on screen but you are also fascinated by the young boy who is struggling to survive at sea and is trying to come to terms with his relationship with God.

Photos: Special screening of 'Life of Pi'

Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi) is quite a spiritual boy from his childhood. His family runs a zoo in Pondicherry and Pi is distraught when they decide to relocate to Canada. As the family sets assail in a ship with the zoo animals, a terrible storm leaves Pi (Suraj Sharma) shipwrecked, stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. They manage a miraculous feat of surviving 227 days at sea braving storms, hunger and a carnivorous island among many other challenges.

Photos: Spotted at the premiere of 'Life of Pi'

A film with a handful of characters and essentially with a teenager and a tiger playing the lead might have become a tedious watch but Lee keeps the audience engaged in every frame. Irrfan Khan as the elder Pi is compelling in the small role that he plays and is in essence, the narrator who holds the plot together, making the transitions easy and providing perspective where necessary.

Seventeen-year-old Suraj Sharma is impressive as the younger Pi.  Not only does his character go through a lot of physical changes through the length of the film but you see a rare sensitivity on his face as he is completely unprepared for the adversities that confront him.

However, the star of the film is unquestionably the director of this magnum opus, Ang Lee. Not only is the cinematic experience in 3 D fascinating but the storytelling is seamless. Like Irrfan Khan had said when I had interviewed him, "It's cinema at its best".

Top tips to beat acidity

Are your eating habits irregular? Do you eat out a lot? Do you love spicy food? And have you been experiencing burning sensations in the throat, gas formation, sour taste in your mouth and fatigue? Chances are that you are suffering from acidity.

What causes acidity?

Acidity is caused when the digestive juices produced in our stomach are not utilised completely. In fact the acid helps digest food we eat. However, when there isn’t enough food for digestion or if there is an over production of this acid, you will experience acidity pangs.

In addition, acidity may also be due to eating a meal filled with either sugar or spices, stress, lack of exercise or long gaps between two meals. In most cases, the main trigger for acidity is the food we eat and our eating habits.

Though acidity is one of the most common problems faced by most of us, preventing acidity from occurring is very simple. Here are a few tricks which will help you beat acidity!

Eat at regular intervals

Always eat in small portions. Instead of one heavy breakfast, break it down into two portions and eat it at two-hour intervals. This way, your stomach is neither too full nor completely empty.

Fruits and veggies

Eat a lot of fruits, vegetables and whole wheat grains as this will increase the amount of fibre you consume. The fibre in your food will absorb the extra acid produced in your stomach and also discard it out of your body. Fruits such as bananas, papayas, cucumbers and watermelons go a long way in relieving acidity. Also, dry fruits like raisins, dried figs and almonds help in easing heartburns and the burning sensation in your stomach. Eat more vegetables like drumsticks, beans, pumpkin, cabbage, carrot and spring onions.

Drink water

Drink warm water first thing in the morning. This is said to flush out the excess acid which gets accumulated in your stomach through the night. In addition, drinking tender coconut water three times a day will also help you fight acidity.

World’s top alcohol consuming countries

Citizens of the post-Soviet Republic of Moldova are the biggest guzzlers of alcohol, gulping exactly 18.22 liters per person every year. They drink nearly three times the global average of 6.1 litres per person per year. The country is a major wine producer, with many people drinking cheap homemade wine, vodka and other spirits and the Moldovan intake was made up roughly equally of wine, spirits and beer.

Bowled over by Biryani

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"See? No oil!" This was followed seconds after a spoonful of biryani was dramatically dunked into a transparent glass full of water. I was startled and transfixed in equal parts. Startled because it was totally unexpected and transfixed because it is a surreal sight to watch grains of biryani making their way through water. As the grains and spices slowly sank to the bottom, the surface of the water was surprisingly clear and the expected film of grease failed to appear. A triumphant look, mixed with pride, swept across Prabhakar's face, the visual equivalent of 'I told you so'. As demos went, it was certainly fascinating. The test, Prabhakar painstakingly explained, proved that only quality ingredients were used and the biryani was slow-cooked to allow the grains to completely absorb everything--ghee, spices and flavours of the meat. I could only nod in stupefaction, partly in acquiescence and partly because I was so blissfully overdosing on the most glorious biryani.

But Prabhakar was not done yet. He carefully laid a large, fresh banana leaf on the table and then proceeded to drop some biryani on it. The grains plopped on the leaf with a dull sound, separate and all of them uniformly glistening brown in colour. "The grains stay separate only if it is slow-cooked and the method is correct," he explained. He should know. A third generation restaurateur belonging to Dindigul's Ponram Biriyani Hotel brand, Prabhakar grew up learning to make it at his father and grandfather's knees at the restaurant started by the latter almost four decades ago. He continues to follow the recipe which belonged to his grandmother and is a zealously guarded secret.

So popular is the dish that Ponram has opened many branches in town and a couple of other places, but never too far away. "I need to be able to go and check from time to time; quality is everything," he said. In fact, Prabhakar's family is among a handful that has helped Dindigul, an otherwise nondescript town 60 km north of Madurai, attain the moniker of Biryani City, where people travel from nearby towns just for some taste of some sinful biryani.

Predictably, the recipes are age-old. The methods are old too: the biryani is cooked over firewood and red hot coals are heaped on top, such that there is heat from both sides. Each batch takes almost three hours, but sells out within minutes. And it was not difficult to see why. Unlike the biryanis of the North, South Indian biryanis tend to have a more robust flavour. So too with this. It was mild brown in colour and slightly spicy, but not so much as to be overwhelming. The rice (called jeera samba, a kind of aromatic small grain rice grown in Tamil Nadu) was packed with flavour and the meat, mutton in this case, was tender, falling off the bones and melting on the tongue. Both are cooked in a special kind of ghee that Prabhakar sources locally and monitors strictly for quality. And despite the ghee, there was none of the heaviness that one would expect. A fact that came home to me as I tucked in gleefully, enjoying the meal.

Meanwhile, Prabhakar tried to entice me to try some of the other non-vegetarian dishes popular at the restaurant such as mutton fry, chicken curry, keema (minced lamb) fry, which I did. On their own, they were good, but they didn't quite measure up to the biryani. For vegetarians, the eatery dishes up a Tamilian thali with rasam, sambhar, vegetables and curries, and which my companion assured me was quite tasty and fulfilling. I took his word for it; it seemed almost too criminal to dilute the taste of the biryani with anything else right now.

I was amused by this notion since I had happily gorged on vegetarian stuff less than five hours earlier in the day. Having arrived in Madurai the previous night, I had headed to Konar Kadai near the railway station. A nondescript eatery, it was buzzing with people, always a good sign. After a bit of waiting, I tucked into one of Madurai's specialities, kari dosa. It involved a spicy dry curry of minced lamb and fresh broken egg encased in a soft but firm dosa.

It was delicious, as was the egg dosa. From there, I headed to the bus stand, to one of the pushcarts, to try one other Madurai delicacy--kothu parota. Fussy eaters might balk at having to eat at the roadside stalls, but locals insist that's where you get the best variety. Besides, they were clean and everything was made fresh in front of you. At its simplest, kothu parota means a layered maida paratha which is minced on a griddle and sauteed along with onions, tomatoes and spices, and whatever other accompaniments you may want to choose such as egg, chicken or mutton. I chose chicken and the concoction was an explosion of flavours and textures that lingered long after I had reached my hotel for the night.

Early this morning, I decided on a quick visit to the sprawling Meenakshi temple complex in time for the Suprabhatham. Spread over 60,000 sq mts, comprising 12 gopurams, exquisite pillars, carvings, sculptures depicting various stories and incidents from the Puranas and epics, intriguing ceiling art, and a stunning edifice called the 1,000 Pillar Hall, it is a mesmerising place full of assorted sounds and myriad colours. Having worked up an appetite for breakfast, I headed to another of Madurai's institutions--Murugan Idli Shop on Westmasi street. Started more than 40 years ago, the place is always crowded. I had to battle myself in and managed to find a seat, and then launched into the idlis. With the very first bite, I knew why fans swear by the restaurant. Delicate and soft, there was just a hint of the urad dal and methi seeds in the idli, and it completely dissolved on the tongue. I was spoilt for choice in terms of accompaniments: a plate of idlis came with four kinds of chutneys--coconut, coriander, mint and tomato-and sambhar. I wolfed down four idlis without realising it, such was its lightness. Enthused by the blissfully beatific look on my face, the waiter suggested I try one of the dosas or uthappams, but I regretfully declined. I was too full from the goodness of the idlis and didn't want to mess with its taste. Besides which, I wanted to be adequately prepared for the biryani at Dindigul.

Now that I had tasted the biryani, I was glad to have left it for last. The idlis had been superb, the kari dosa and kothu parota had no peers, but the biryani was almost nirvana-like. I am sure Freud will have a field day with this: I even occasionally dream about the biryani and I swear I wake up with its taste on my tongue.

What to eat
Biryani at Dindigul, Ponram Biriyani Hotel, 32/33, Opp Canara Bank, Salai Road; tel: (0451) 244 1003
Idlis and dosas at Murugan Idli Shop, 196, Westmasi Street, Madurai; tel: (0452) 234 1379
Kari dosa/egg dosa at Konar Kadai, 32, West Veli Street, near Railway Station, Madurai

That's a lot of biryani!
On a typical day, Ponram Biriyani Hotel dishes out 500-750 portions of biryani, with mutton biryani being the most popular. It uses 150 kg rice, 120 kg mutton, 15 kg ghee, 1 kg each of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, garlic and kg cloves to produce its lip-smacking signature biryani.

We know you're thinking about Hyderabad biryani! Explore Numaish, a wonderful facet of Hyderabad culture.

Sonia to open Congress strategy meet Nov 9

 Congress president Sonia Gandhi will open the party's review cum strategy meet on Friday with her remarks on the current political situation, party leaders said Thursday.

The informal meet, billed as "Samvad baithak" (dialogue meet) will be held at Surajkund near Delhi.

"The Congress chief's opening remarks about the current political situation will form the basis of the debate," Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters here.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address the meeting next on the economic challenges facing the country," said Dwivedi.

While Finance Minister P. Chidambaram will initiate the debate on the economic challenges after the prime minister has spoken, any leaders wishing to speak on the political issues will be allowed to do so during the meet itself, said Dwivedi.

The third and last item on the agenda of the meet will be a performance review of the party's 2009 manifesto and a roadmap for the future.

The meeting will end with Sonia Gandhi's remarks.

"All the issues are likely to take up around six hours, and it is going to be a working lunch for us, to have more time for the debate," said Dwivedi.

The meeting will be attended by party leaders, including 19 Congress Working Committee members among whom are general secretaries in charge of states, 16 permanent invitees to CWC, 23 cabinet ministers and 12 ministers of state with independent charge.

Coming after the Oct 28 reshuffle of the Manmohan Singh cabinet, the meet is being described in Congress circles as a "review cum strategy" session.

Sandy forces three carmakers to scrap 15,000 cars

 Toyota Motor, Chrysler, Nissan and Honda plan to scrap about 15,000 vehicles damaged by Hurricane Sandy as automakers and dealers continue assessing the storm's impact, said media reports.

Travis Parman, spokesman of Nissan Motor Co, said late Tuesday it is estimated more than 6,000 Nissan and luxury Infiniti brand cars and light trucks are "un-saleable" due to the storm. As many as 200,000 may have to be replaced, said Larry Dixon, a senior analyst for the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Sandy, the biggest Atlantic storm in US history, impacted New Jersey, New York and the surrounding region, leading to at least 100 deaths, reported Xinhua.

According to the Detroit News, Fisker Automotive Inc., a startup maker of luxury plug-in hybrids, lost 320 of its $103,000 Karma sedans at the port of Newark, New Jersey, that burned in a fire triggered by salt water, said Roger Ormisher, a spokesman for the California-based company.

"We don't have a full estimate of the cost to replace them yet," Ormisher said. The cars were being processed at the port for delivery to Fisker dealers when the storm arrived.

Some 4,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles were at the company's port facility in Newark when the storm hit, said Jana Hartline, spokeswoman for Toyota's US unit in Torrance, California.

Chrysler lost about 750 vehicles in dealer stock due to the hurricane damage, said Ralph Kisiel, a spokesman for the Auburn Hills-based carmaker that's majority-owned by Fiat SpA. Ford Motor Co.could not immediately provide estimates for storm damage.

First Look: Salman Khan back as Chulbul Pandey in DABANGG 2

After making Eid special with super successful EK THA TIGER Bollywood's hot favorite, Salman Khan is back to sway us and make this Christmas a grand celebration with his upcoming film DABANGG 2, sequel to 2010 blockbuster DABANGG. The much awaited first look poster of the sequel is out!

Retaining the style of prequel, the poster shows Salman Khan's back posture and his famous glasses, which was there in the first part as well. However, this time around in the poster Salman is seen sporting broken glasses. Is it an indication about the film or Salman Khan's character?

There's also a marginal note on the poster saying: Here comes Chulbul Pandey.

Salman's character - Chulbul Pandey, from the first part, won the hearts of many and soon became a household name and now get set for some more antics from the colourful character!

While DABANGG was directed by Abhinav Kashyap, the sequel is helmed by Salman's brother Arbaaz Khan. Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha will be seen in the lead roles once again. It also stars Vinod Khanna, Prakash Raj, Deepak Dobriyal, Sandeepa Dhar and Nikitan Dheer. Kareena Kapoor will be seen in a special appearance song.

DABANGG 2 is slated for December 21, 2012 release!

Reema Kagti: Kareena is not as intense as Aamir and Rani

Besides Aamir Khan Reema Kagti's much-touted film TALAASH stars two of the best and finest actresses of the industry - Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. Both have their individual standing, art is in their blood, both have created their distinct mark and both command supremacy in their respective spaces, yet when asked about their working styles director Reema Kagti didn't mince her words in saying that Aamir and Rani are more intense than Kareena.

"Both Rani and Kareena are two of the finest actresses that industry has. Both have different working process. Rani loves doing prep for her films. Before the shoot she wants to know everything how will she do, what she'll be doing, the backstory, what's going in my mind etc. While Kareena has a completely different approach," says Reema.

She further adds, "If you compare them as students then Rani is proverbial front bencher and Kareena is proverbial back bencher. Prep ke time Kareena ki koi khabar hi nahi hoti. I did little bit of reading and rehearsals with Kareena. But she is nowhere as intense as Rani and Aamir. So they have different styles of working but what matters ultimately is when camera rolls on and both of them seem to have terrific control over their art."

Produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Siddhwani's Excel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd and Aamir Khan Productions', the story and screenplay done by Zoya Akhtar, music composed by Ram Sampath and distributed by Reliance Entertainment, TALAASH is set to release on November 30, 2012.

'Dabangg 2' trailer to be launched on 'Bigg Boss 6'

The trailer of the much-awaited "Dabangg 2", a sequel to the 2010 blockbuster "Dabangg", will be launched on reality show "Bigg Boss 6", which is hosted by the film's lead actor Salman Khan.

Arbaaz Khan, the producer and director of "Dabangg 2", will join his elder brother Salman Friday on the sets of "Bigg Boss 6" to launch the trailer, a source told IANS.

The special episode will be telecast on Colors Saturday.

"Dabangg 2" will see Salman return as corrupt policeman Chulbul Pandey, and Sonakshi Sinha once again plays his wife. Southern star Prakash Raj plays the antagonist.

Arbaaz's wife Malaika, who gyrated to "Munni badnaam" in "Dabangg" is said to have done an item number for the sequel. Kareena Kapoor too will be seen in an item number.

The movie is slated to release around Christmas this year.

Its first poster features Salman with his trademark shades placed on the back of his collar.

Why vampires? Book looks at science behind monsters

The suave and sensitive Edward Cullen of "Twilight" may be the norm for vampires these days, but fictional monsters such as Dracula originally sprang from the fear of inexplicable diseases and the mysteries of death in the natural world.

So argues science journalist Matt Kaplan in "Medusa's Gaze and Vampire's Bite: The Science of Monsters," an examination of monsters around the world and throughout history - the science behind their origins, and why they matter to us even now.

"When our kids ask for monster stories around the campfire, they are behaving in a way that is not dissimilar to lion cubs," Kaplan said in an email.

"Lion cubs play fight so they can test out their skills in a safe place where nobody is going to get maimed or killed. Monster stories serve a similar purpose, they allow us to face our worst fears without the risks that are normally associated with them."

Some are simple. The Kraken tales of mammoth monster squid, along with the Leviathan of the Bible, are most likely based upon the existence of real creatures such as whales.

The terrifying Medusa of Greek myths, with her hair made of snakes and a gaze that could turn things to stone, may have been distantly connected to the idea of fossils for ancient people, with the snakes in her hair an example of pure fear.

Though mentions of vampire-like creatures exist as early as ancient Greece, it took hundreds of years for tales of the creatures to gradually evolve into the haunting undead of more recent history.

Accounts of people found in their graves with blood on their lips and their stomachs seemingly full, as if they had just eaten, may be explained by simple decay, with gas buildup throughout the body sometimes pushing blood up from the lungs. Elongated canine teeth and fingernails was due to skin shrinking after death and pulling away, making both more prominent.

Later, greater awareness of contagious diseases such as influenza and tuberculosis - which could cause people who came in contact with the ill person to also sicken and die - further contributed to the myth. This was especially true due to incubation periods that weren't understood at the time, making it unclear how the diseases were being spread.

"One death would follow another in a dominolike progression," writes Kaplan. "In a morbid sense, these patients were literally killing their friends and relatives, but from their deathbeds rather than the hereafter."

But vampires have now undergone a radical transformation, a process that began with the publication of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" but has speeded up in recent years.

"If tuberculosis, influenza, rabies and bloated bodies are the human experiences from which Dracula came, how have we now ended up with the kind, honourable and handsome Edward Cullen?" Kaplan said.

For one thing, modern science has uncovered the mechanism of various diseases, which remain a fear but now appear as their true selves, as in stories such as "The Andromeda Strain."

Vampires have also become increasingly charming, transforming their original monster nature into something else.

"In a world where the seemingly most virtuous individuals all too often fall prey to vice, public interest in good souls battling their own bestial natures is higher than ever, and vampires provide exploration of this," Kaplan added.

In the future, fears are likely to focus on things like genetic manipulation - think Jurassic Park - and also from technology, with worries about what computers might do with true artificial intelligence looming large.

"What I find most interesting here is that these monsters really require human participation in their creation," he said, noting the popularity of films like "Avatar" and "Planet of the Apes," where monsters are the heroes and the humans, monsters.

Why are we so comfortable with feeling elated as inhuman beasts rip apart people? I think a long, hard look in the mirror can provide a lot of answers," he said.

Karisma to endorse McCain Foods

 Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor has been roped in as the brand ambassador of McCain Foods India Pvt. Ltd.

"I look forward to partnering with McCain. Being a true-blue Kapoor, I love good food. And being a mother, I know the importance of being able to create appetizing snacks for my kids in a few minutes," Karisma, 38, said in a statement.

"With McCain's easy-to-prepare frozen products, I can serve up popular snacks like french fries and aloo tikki as well as innovative snacks like potato bites and veggie nuggets. McCain is a great solution for women, whether working or homemakers," she added.

The company will shortly roll out a new campaign featuring Karisma as a smart woman who delights her family and guests with quick snacks.

Karan Johar: Encourager of new talent!

It has been a great year for Karan Johar and Dharma Productions as they released some of the biggest hits of the year like EK MAIN AUR EKK TU, AGNEEPATH and STUDENT OF THE YEAR. Karan is also back on his director's chair with three newcomers - Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt in STUDENT OF THE YEAR. The film was undoubtedly a success at the box-office and Karan is overwhelmed with the response.

The last two years saw Dharma Productions in a complete different light as they introduced varied genres of films. Karan has valiantly attempted to experiment across genres along with encouraging fresh talent. Karan Malhotra and Shakun Batra have stood by their producer's expectations and have kept up the Dharma legacy by delivering successful films like AGNEEPATH and EK MAIN AUR EKK TU. Karan is known to have complete faith on his directors and go all out there to help them deliver their best.

Karan Johar has launched many new directors in the last couple of years, including Ayan Mukerji with WAKE UP SID, Rensil D'silva with KURBAAN, Tarun Mansukhani with DOSTANA, Siddharth Malhotra with WE ARE FAMILY and Punit Malhotra with I HATE LUV STORYS. After making their successful debuts in Bollywood, most of these directors are already geared up for their second projects.

The coming year has an exciting lineup of films for Dharma Productions with a range of genres including Ranbir-Deepika starrer YEH JAWAANI HAI DEEWANI, GIPPI and 2 STATES. Here's hoping that Dharma Productions continues to entertain the audiences by encouraging new talent in Bollywood!!

Bigg Boss 6: Sapna manhandles Urvashi

It all started with a friendly task assigned by Bigg Boss. The team under vrajesh was assigned the task of putting gulal on rival team leader Sidhu's face.

5 Desserts You Shouldn’t Be Eating

Let’s have a look at five desserts you should definitely avoid at all costs.

1. Fried Desserts

No matter how tasty banana fritters or churros might be, they are nothing but a sweet treat filled with unhealthy ingredients and oodles of calories. The batter, which is used to make this dessert, only consists of fat and heaps of sugar. Also, it is important to note that it does not give your body any kind of nutrition at all.

2. Doughnuts.

The doughnut bug bit India just a few years ago. However, this circular sweet treat is not doing the right things to your system. These tiny desserts are made from flour, sugar and cooking oil; everything is refined. Doughnuts are filled with large quantities of calories since they are also deep fried.

3. Muffins

There are a variety of muffins that are available in bakeries today. However, the muffins that are even labeled ‘low-fat’ contain a lot of sugar, thereby filling your body with a lot of calories. In order to ensure that you control the calorie intake, eat it in smaller portions and consume it after short intervals.

13 best foods you must start eating

PrevNext

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   Yahoo Lifestyle Entertainment Photo by ThinkstockFri 5 Oct, 2012 3:30 PM IST

   Pumpkin: Pumpkins are fibrous, and boosts immunity.

4. Ice cream

Ice creams have been a favorite dessert of everyone. It tops the list of favorite desserts and is also used as an integral part of many other desserts. Innovative toppings like whipped cream, sauces and coulis are added to ice creams too. This makes this, the already high calorie dessert, increase in the amount of calories thereby making it unhealthy for your body.

5. Packaged baked foods

Convenience foods and packaged cake mixes are considered to be extremely unhealthy for your body because of the trans fat content in them. To increase its shelf life, producers add a large amount of preservatives, colors and artificial flavors to it. This addition made to the mix makes it harmful and is bad cholesterol for the body.

Eating desserts completes the meal for the most of you. However, making the right choices and consuming healthy substitutes for the same is very crucial for the well-being of your body.

Americans choose Obama over Romney

US President Barack Obama claps as he arrives on stage to deliver his acceptance speech on November 7, 2012 in Chicago. Obama swept to re-election, forging history again by transcending a slow economic recovery and the high unemployment which haunted his first term to beat Republican Mitt Romney

Barack Obama wins election for second term as president

President Barack Obama handily defeated Gov. Mitt Romney and won himself a second term on Tuesday after a bitter and historically expensive race that was primarily fought in just a handful of battleground states. Obama beat Romney after nabbing almost every one of the 12 crucial battleground states.

The Romney campaign's last-ditch attempt to put blue-leaning Midwestern swing states in play failed as Obama's Midwestern firewall sent the president back to the White House for four more years. Obama picked up the swing states of New Hampshire, Michigan, New Mexico, Iowa, Virginia, Wisconsin, Colorado, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Ohio. Of the swing states, Romney picked up only North Carolina. Florida is still too close to call, but even if Romney wins the state, Obama still beat him in the Electoral College vote. The popular vote will most likely be narrower than the president's decisive Electoral College victory.

In a sweeping victory speech early Wednesday morning, Obama thanked every American who voted, and vowed to work with leaders from both parties to tackle the country's challenges.

"Our economy is recovering, a decade of war is ending, a long campaign is now over," he told a crowd of cheering supporters in Chicago. "And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you and you have made me a better president." Obama added he has "never been more hopeful about America. ... We're not as divided as our politics suggest. We remain more than a collection of blue states and red states."

Obama win: What it means for India, markets and economy

Barack Obama's anti-outsourcing ads have helped him in being re-elected as US President. Over the past few months the US president has released waves of advertisements against his Republican rival, Mitt Romney. 

These have claimed "Romney outsourced call center jobs to India" and was a "pioneer in outsourcing". President Barack Obama has said that he wants to give tax breaks to companies that are investing in the United States, but will this spell out bad news for our economy and jobs market?

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  U.S. President Barack Obama (R) celebrates with Vice President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden and their son Beau (L) at their election night victory rally in Chicago, November 7, 2012. REUTERS/Jim Bourg

Katrina Kaif's sister Isabelle in Bollywood

Isabelle Kaif to make her Bollywood debut

Katrina Kaif's sister Isabelle is all set to make her big screen debut opposite Anil Kapoor's son Harshvardhan. The young pair will be seen in a yet- untitled short crossover film directed by Steven Roy Thomas.