Walnut Publications - to make your dreams come true

 

If I say there is an author/poet in everyone, you might laugh but if you ask your inner conscience, the majority of you will agree with me. Becoming an author was a Himalayan task in those days. This includes sending your manuscript to traditional publishing houses and waiting for ages only to come to know that they have rejected it and have not bothered to even let you know. We cannot say it is a fault on their end since they would have been receiving scripts every day and literally not possible to reply to all.

This is not the case today. With publishing houses like Walnut Publication coming into the fray, book publishing has become an easy task. All you need is your creativity flowing and they will take care of the rest. 

I felt glad to see that they have published a couple of anthologies namely "Whispers of the Soul" and "Whispered Tales".  Though they have published few anthologies in the past, this was done specifically to encourage those who love to write but do not have time to write a novel. What better way to express your thoughts and sharing the platform with fellow writers. 

They also have publishing packages that start from as low as Rs.11,999 and go up to Rs.59,999. Do give it a try since they make your life easier through their expert service.

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Chennai loves new book on Sivaji Ganesan's friend, actor Sanjeev Kumar

 

Maestro Sudha Raghunathan presided over a talk on author Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta's book 'Sanjeev Kumar- The Actor We all Loved' at Crossword Chennai. The discussion was around Sanjeev Kumar's deep personal connection with Chennai and the music of his films that lent him a perennial appeal across the country. A question posed by Sangita Kalanidhi Sudha Raghunathan was about  why Sanjeev Kumar is compared to Sivaji and not any other stalwart actor of his time – MGR, Gemini Ganesan, etc; 

To answer this, Gupta outlined several reasons; for eg., the Tamil film  Bharatha Vilas (1973) in which Sivaji Ganesan and  Sanjeev Kumar were seen together. To the delight of the audience, Sudha Raghunathan sang a line of the song 'Indhiya Naadu' from the movie and said, "Sanjeev Kumar's music continues to be loved in the South".  

Gupta added that Sanjeev Kumar's yin and yang with Sivaji Ganesan is well known.  Sanjeev Kumar enacted a character role in Ganesan's home production Gauri (1968) which was a remake of Ganesan's own Shanti (1965). Sanjeev Kumar's Mausam was remade in Tamil as Vasanthathil Oru Naal featuring Shivaji Ganesan. Both were super hits. Sivaji Ganesan's 'Avan Thaan Manithan' was remade as Shaandaar, and Gnana Oli was remade as Devata - both featuring Sanjeev Kumar. 

Further, in an article called 'Naan Sivajiyan Maanavan' ( I am a student of Sivaji's), written by Sanjeev Kumar, the late actor said, "I first met him when I was an extra on the sets of Gauri. One look at me and he said, ' In the future, you will be a very accomplished actor.' His words were like God's own words and he blessed my career. Whenever a Sivaji Ganesan movie had to be remade in Hindi, all of us actors would worry plenty. His prowess inspired fear. We would see the Tamil print, again and again, to observe his performance and learn! At a personal level, whenever I visited Chennai, I would seek his blessings. I am grateful for all the love he has given me. If he sees me as one of the finest actors in Hindi Cinema, it is my honor."

Sudha Raghunathan, a Padma Bhushan awardee who believes in the power or all art added, "they were different in their 'style' and yet the same in their ‘power.’ She also expressed that Sanjeev Kumar’s songs continued to be popular in Chennai as ringtones. 

Profile of author Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta

Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta is a prolific biographer, reviewer for Network18, and a bibliophile. She is credited with the acclaimed Red Dot Experiment, a decadal six-nation study on how culture impacts communication.  She has been a part of several public health campaigns such as "beti bachao beti padhao " and "Ek chammach Kam." A polyglot, she speaks five languages. In 2018, she wrote ‘Rescript Your Life’, a self-help autobiographical narrative. In 2021, she released ‘The Stranger In the Mirror’ the biography of BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Thereafter, 'Sanjeev Kumar- The Actor We All Loved was released in 2022.'  Her fourth book "Savitri and Fatima" is to launch in July 2023.

Social media handles: Instagram: @OfficialReetaGupta I Twitter: @OfficialReetaRG I LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reeta-ramamurthy-gupta-33774948/

Here's an extract from the book that testifies to the deep relationship between Sanjeev Kumar and the south.

The Southern Connections

In the late 1960's, a very important relationship in Hari's life started taking shape.

It was one of mutual respect with the legendary actor of Tamil cinema, Sivaji Ganesan. Hari was given a character role in Ganesan's home production Gauri (1968) which was a remake of Ganesan's own Shanti (1965).

An article of unknown provenance titled 'Naan Sivajiyan Maanavan' ( I am a student of Sivaji's),  obtained from Hari's family archives quotes him as follows.

I first met him when I was but an extra on the sets of Gauri. One look at me and he said, ' In the future, you will be a very accomplished actor.' His words were like God's own words and he blessed my career. Whenever a Sivaji Ganesan movie had to be remade in Hindi, all of us actors would worry plenty. His prowess inspired fear. We would see the Tamil print, again and again, to observe his performance and learn! At a personal level, whenever I visited Chennai, I would seek his blessings. I am grateful for all the love he has given me. If he sees me as one of the finest actors in Hindi Cinema, it is my honor.

The mutual admiration between Sivaji Ganesan and Hari and the latter's own quiet, easygoing nature eventually played a major role in Hari's success. When South Indian producers and directors wanted to remake their Tamil or Telugu films in Hindi, they often chose Hari. These remakes typically had long dialogues and demanded good histrionics and this further augmented Hari's 'actor' tag.

For example, Sivaji Ganesan's Avan Thaan Manithan was remade as Shaandaar, and Gnana Oli was remade as Devata - both featuring Hari. Among the Telugu films, Takkar was a remake of N.T. Rama Rao's Devudu Chesina Manushulu with Hari in the lead role. The winds blew the other way too. Hari's Mausam was remade in Tamil as Vasanthathil Oru Naal featuring Shivaji Ganesan.

The other important southern connection was L.V. Prasad. Hari scored a hat-trick of hits with him - Raja aur Runk (1968), Jeene Ki Raah (1969) and Khilona (1970).

Press Release - Japan considers India a natural ally. Our relations are closest in the world: Consul-General of Japan in Mumbai, Yasukata Fukahori

 

Japan considers India a natural ally. Our relations are closest in the world: Consul-General of Japan in Mumbai, Yasukata Fukahori

 

“India & Japan share the same values & culture” said Yasukata Fukahori

 

 

Mumbai, 24 February 2023: "Spiritual closeness between India and Japan is very deep. Indian people and Japanese people can understand each other. Relations between the two countries are the closest in the world. India and Japan are natural allies" said Yasukata Fukahori, Consul-General of Japan in Mumbai.

 

Yasukata Fukahori was speaking at the second edition of ABP Network’s “Ideas of India” Summit 2023, on the topic of “India and Japan, Seventy Years of Friendship.” The summit has brought together policymakers, cultural ambassadors, industry experts, celebrities, and business leaders to discuss the critical role of India during the global churn and changing dynamics.

 

Commenting on the future of Indo-Japanese economic ties, Fukahori, said, “I predict a bright future between India and Japan economically.”

 

He further added, “Achieving the 5 trillion yen investment target in India within the next five years seems attainable. There is optimism that investments will continue to flow into India, and the cultural closeness between the nations also aids in this endeavor,"

 

The second edition of ABP Network’s “Ideas of India” Summit is being held on the theme “Naya India: Looking Inward, Reaching Out.” Along with global leaders, 60 eminent national and international speakers will share the stage this time. The two-day event primarily addresses India’s stand as a burgeoning economy and global leader in shaping the future.

 

Press Release-“EVs will become mainstream in India” says Shashank Srivastava Senior Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales), Maruti Suzuki India Limited

 

“EVs will become mainstream in India,” says Shashank Srivastava Senior Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales), Maruti Suzuki India Limited

Mumbai, 24 February 2023: “EVs will become mainstream but when they will become that is unpredictable. The cost of the acquisition is one of the important factors impeding EV adoption in India, Maruti Suzuki India Limited Senior Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales), Shashank Srivastava said here today.

Speaking at the second edition of ABP’s Ideas of India Summit, he said, “If a normal car is 100 then EV is 160 due to the high cost of batteries. Maruti Suzuki is trying to bring down battery costs. Also, we will have six EVs in different segments by 2030. Our estimate is this market which is 1% today will be around 3% in 2024-25, and will be about 17% in 2030 which is about out of 6 million cars, 1 million will be EVs in 2030.”

Srivastava further added, “I think the attitude of trying to be better and that's also something we have learned from the Japanese system of Kaizen, which is you have to improve continuously and competition in one way helps that Kaizen and the desire to improve continuously and that is why we welcome the competition. One of the biggest strengths Suzuki has is its market share and we are looking forward to strengthening our SUV space.”

Speaking on the growth and market demand, Srivastava said, "Maruti is 60% by volume for the overall Suzuki Motor Corporation, it's a great achievement of India. It shows the upswing in the Indian economy. Our demography is very young. In consumption terms, We expect car consumption in India will continue to increase. Our projections show almost 6 million by 2030 from the current 3.8 million in 2022"

The ABP Network’s “Ideas of India” Summit 2023 was discussing the topic of “Brand India-Ready for the World.” The summit has brought together policymakers, cultural ambassadors, industry experts, celebrities, and business leaders to discuss the critical role of India during the global churn and changing dynamics. ABP Network is a leading multi-language channel reaching 535 million individuals in India therefore this summit provides one of the biggest platforms for the brightest minds across various sectors to express their views.

Press Release - India is in a very Fortunate Place Today: Surjit Singh Bhalla, IMF India

 

India is in a very Fortunate Place Today: Surjit Singh Bhalla, IMF India

 

The Former Executive Director of IMF and the Chief Economist at CRISIL were speaking at the second edition of ABP Network’s ‘Ideas of India’ summit

 

Mumbai, 24 February 2023: India will benefit from the changed globalization as the interest rates will come down, said Surjit Singh Bhalla, Former Executive Director, IMF, at ABP Network’s second edition of ‘Ideas of India’ summit. Speaking at the summit, he highlighted that the Monetary Tightening Policy has been India’s response to inflation for the past 30-40 years.

 

Elaborating on the topic, ‘Crisis in the Global Economy – India’s Survival Guide’, Surjit Singh Bhalla said, “Monetary Policy has precious little to do with supply shocks and I would say now the monetary policy has precious little to do with inflation”.

 

Speaking on rise of India as a strong, emerging economy, he said, “China, which was a threat to the global economy, is now diminishing. However, the decline of China comes at a time with the rise of India.” He also pointed out that the quality of education and how fast India deregulates its economy will determine how fast we rise.

 

The panel was further enlightened by the presence of Dharmakirti Joshi, Chief Economist, CRISIL. Commenting on the topic, he said, “The slowing down of Global economies will spill over to us. Our forecast is that the growth will come down from 7% in 2022-23 to around 6% next year.”

 

The CRISIL Chief Economist also said that the quality of labor was a constraint for India which needs to be addressed. He said, “50% of India's labor force is below Secondary School and they don't have any skills, so I think you can't fire the economy with such low skills.”

 

He emphasized climate change as one of the biggest risks to the Indian Economy, especially in the last 2-3 years. “From an agricultural perspective, India is probably one of the most vulnerable countries to this risk. We need to ensure that proper measures are in place to avert any supply shocks that may come our way due to climate change.”

 

India has been taking extensive measures toward the growth of the infrastructure and manufacturing industry. “As both these sectors are carbon intensive, the challenge for the Indian economy is to leave less carbon footprint while industrializing,” he added.

 

The summit promises an invigorating line-up of speakers with prominent figures from the world of business, politics, artists from the Hindi Film Industry, authors, and other eminent sectors. The two-day event primarily addresses India’s stand as a burgeoning economy and global leader in shaping the future.

Press Release-With PM Modi's vision, India will become a major rail technology exporter in the world in three years Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics

 

With PM Modi's vision, India will become a major rail technology exporter in the world in three years: Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology, Govt of India, Ashwini Vaishnaw

 

“Railways is a key sector to transform the economy”, said Ashwini Vaishnaw

 

Mumbai, 24 February 2023: “India will become a major technology exporter within the next 2-3 years across various sectors. Today, 99% of mobiles in India are made-in-India whereas earlier 99% were imported”, said Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology.

 

The minister was speaking at the second edition of ABP Network’s “Ideas of India” Summit 2023, on the topic “Last Mile Mobility Connecting the Dot.” The summit has brought together policymakers, cultural ambassadors, industry experts, celebrities, and business leaders to discuss the critical role of India during the global churn and changing dynamics.

 

Giving a snapshot of key railway stations being redeveloped with modern technology and planning, Vaishnaw, said, “50 acres of new space is being created inside the station in Delhi. For which 38 new permissions have been taken for the overhaul”.

 

Commenting on handling 3 key ministries, He said, “More gets done in the IT sector with less effort, railway requires hard work as it's a large organization. Telecom has more complexities”.

 

He further added, “For a country of our size, there's no other way of transforming the economy than transforming railways”.

 

The second edition of ABP Network’s “Ideas of India” Summit is being held on the theme “Naya India: Looking Inward, Reaching Out.” Along with global leaders, 60 eminent national and international speakers will share the stage this time. The two-day event primarily addresses India’s stand as a burgeoning economy and global leader in shaping the future.