The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| No fanfare for second British royal wedding Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:44 AM PDT  Tomorrow's low-key ceremony reflects the couple's down-to-earth attitude. — Reuters pic Phillips, 30, daughter of Princess Anne and her first husband Mark Phillips, will marry England rugby player Mike Tindall, 32, at a low-key ceremony in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. It will be held away from public glare at Canongate Kirk, the parish church of Edinburgh Castle, with a reception at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the queen's official residence in Scotland. "It's a private family wedding, we're not giving out any details," said a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman. The contrast between the two weddings of the queen's grandchildren could hardly be more different. William's marriage to Kate Middleton three months ago grabbed global attention in the weeks beforehand, and royal aides even set up a special website to cope with the massive public interest. On the day itself, some one million people thronged the streets of London to watch the sumptuous show of pageantry around the wedding at Westminster Abbey while hundreds of millions worldwide watched on TV or online. However, Phillips has always been considered to be one of the most down-to-earth members of the royal family, and was considered something of a "royal rebel" when she was younger, even having her tongue pierced as a teenager. "When we met Zara, we noticed she is just so nice and ordinary," Tindall's mother Linda told the Daily Mail newspaper. "Many a time Mike has said if she worked at Tesco (supermarket) at the checkout it would not matter. It's about her and the sort of person she is." Like her mother, who represented Britain in the 1976 Olympics, Phillips has enjoyed a successful horse-riding career. In 2006, she won an individual gold on her horse Toytown at the World Equestrian Games in Germany, helped Britain win a team silver and was voted BBC sports personality of the year. Tindall is also a well-known sportsman — he has played more than 60 times for England and was part of the England team which beat Australia to win rugby union's World Cup in 2003. Despite the couple's attempts to keep their day low-profile, police said they were expecting crowds to gather in Edinburgh. In addition to most of the royal family, many sports figures are expected to be among the guests, while former England rugby player Iain Balshaw will be the best man. Tindall's father told the Daily Mail they had not yet met the queen but had met Zara's parents as well as Princes William and Harry who are both keen rugby fans. Just like William, who went back to work four days after his nuptials, Tindall will also not have much time to enjoy married life before he returns to England's training camp on Sunday, the paper said. — Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
| A Minute With: Amitabh Bachchan Posted: 29 Jul 2011 01:37 AM PDT  Amitabh Bachchan plays an upright school principal in his latest film, "Aarakshan". — Reuters pic Bachchan spoke to Reuters about the film, his own school and college years, and what he thinks of India's education system. Q: From a flamboyant character in "Bbuddah" to a completely different role in "Aarakshan", is there a particular preference for a particular kind of role? A: "As an actor you enjoy doing everything that comes your way. So it was enjoyable doing 'Bbuddah' and it was equally enjoyable doing 'Aarakshan'. As actors, particularly at this age, it is interesting to get a variety of roles. This was not possible earlier on. When you were younger, you played the leading man which is more or less stereotyped, but with age and character roles coming your way, you get an opportunity to do different kinds of roles." Q: Would you say you've widened your range of roles with age? A: "No, I think this is a phase, in which as an actor you do different kinds of things. So yes, it has been challenging. When I first joined movies, I thought I wouldn't last a couple of months, but fate has been kind and the love of the people has been good." Q: This is your first time working with Prakash Jha. How was that? A: "Very nice. I've always admired his work and have been very keen to work with him for some time now. Every time we've met, we've expressed this desire but we never had an opportunity until this film, when he narrated the story to me and here we are." Q: You play an upright school principal in "Aarakshan". What is your reading of the education system in India? A: "The character that I play is called Prabhakar Anand. He teaches mathematics but he is head of an institute which is run by a private trust and therefore the question of reservation doesn't come in there. But because he has such idealistic thoughts and cares about other sections of society that are underprivileged, even though he teaches in this private institute, he holds classes in his own backyard every day where he teaches students from lesser privileged homes. These children never get an opportunity, and were they to get that opportunity, they would excel. "He is not somebody that propagates reservation. Reservation is something that nobody can propagate. It is something that is part of our system. It has been accepted and documented in our parliamentary system, our legal system. You can't get away from it. It is something we have inherited, a kind of social order that has prevailed in our society, and whatever has been designed as a result of that, is there through proper democratic representation. But there are many other sub-texts that come up off the whole process of reservation. "'Aarakshan' is a film not based entirely on this one subject. It deals with the issue of commercialisation of the educational system and how as a result of the process of reservation there are several tributaries that have come out of this process which are making it look as though. If you have the money then you can get educated. Or, if you belong to a certain caste, you will be given a privileged position. But there are those who are deprived of means, that are alienated because of their caste and creed. What of them? That is what the film deals with." Q: What were the kind of hurdles you faced as a student? A: "I was very fortunate I went to a college where this consideration wasn't there. I know that there are many who suffer on that count, so I was lucky." Q: Were there any apprehensions on doing a political film? A: "This is not a political film. Yes, if someone wants to read into something, they can read into a 'Bbuddah' also. That is a separate issue. Nobody wants to challenge the political system, or do whatever it is. This is not one of those films. There were no apprehensions. You look at the role, you look at the film." Q: Who were your heroes or mentors when you were studying? A: "I have always been closely associated with my parents. Whatever I have gained, I have gained from my father. I didn't need to go anywhere else, because I found the biggest source of inspiration in them." Q: Any piece of advice that your parents gave you while you were studying? A: "The usual. Study hard, play harder. My mother was more keen … my father was not such a keen sports enthusiast. Honesty, hard work, that's it." Q: Were you a keen student? A: "I was OK till school. But college was not so … I chose the wrong subject. I chose science, which wasn't going to be very useful. Had I known that I was going to become an actor, I would have joined an acting institute and gained more knowledge. But I don't regret those years of college. They were marvellous, you discover so many things. Very valuable period of life." Q: You started a school a while back. What is your vision for that school? A: "We are working at it. Yes, there is another school also that has been started. The one that we wanted to start has unfortunately run into some government red tape. We wanted to start a school for girls who had to walk many miles to get to a school. We are still working at it, let's see what happens. There are other institutions that we promote and support. Obviously you look to educate people, and more so the girl child, because at that conservative level, they are denied this facility. And I have believed in gender equality, not just in my family, but everywhere." — Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
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