2011 Audio Songs
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More news →Bangkok bombing reflects new tools, new complications in long struggle to keep big cities safe
NEW DELHI – For generations, the world's cities have struggled to keep themselves safe. "Wall Street Explosion Kills 30; Injures 300," The New York Times' front page proclaimed after a bomb ripped through New York City's financial district. "Red Plot Seen in Blast." It was September 1920. The bomb was carried by a horse-drawn cart. The bombers, suspected to be Italian anarchists, were never caught. There are times today when it can seem that back in some hazy bygone era — before a Monday evening bomb tore through a Bangkok temple, or train bombers terrorized Madrid in 2004, before two jetliners slammed into the World Trade Center on a clear September morning — the world was not so dangerous. And in some ways the world is more deadly. Global networks of extremists can now launch attacks from Kenya to Iraq to suburban Washington, D.C., while modernity's worst-case scenarios — nuclear or biological attacks, for example — can make that carriage-pulled Wall Street bomb seem like a toy. And yet: "We live in a much safer world now," said Ajai Sahni, a longtime New Delhi-based scholar of political violence, policing and security issues. "The world was far more dangerous in a time when war was an accepted method of intervention" and when angering a local political boss could mean "your head would be on a stick." In Bangkok this week, that comparison was little comfort. The city of about 10 million is struggling in the aftermath of an unexplained bombing Monday that killed 20 people and injured more than 120, and was further shaken the next day by a second blast that caused no casualties but police say may be related. "We have always been so peaceful," said Chondej Chaiyanun, a 33-year-old Bangkok furniture importer. He said the first blast had concerned him, but it was the second explosion that "made me feel like Bangkok might not be so safe." Once, there was a simple way for cities to thwart lone attackers, and those operating in small groups. Thick walls, from New Delhi to Florence, allowed guards to monitor access to cities and filter out some dangers. Today, the fluidity of the modern world makes monitoring a city desperately complicated. Hundreds of thousands of commuters flood into major cities every day; the population of some American cities more than doubles on a work day. Then there is tourism: Thailand welcomed nearly 25 million tourists last year, and Jerusalem, a city of 800,000, can see over 3.5 million travelers annually. At the same time, it has become easier for attacks to draw the attention violent extremists crave. A couple decades ago, most of the world would have seen the Bangkok bombing reduced to just a few newspaper paragraphs, but today, news of violence jumps quickly and fiercely across continents. Photos and video from the bombing began spilling onto social media almost immediately after it occurred. So how do you protect a city where so many people — so many potential dangers — are coming and going? It has become an eternal question in Jerusalem, and deeply relevant after a series of attacks over the past year. A series of barriers, from tall concrete walls to strings of barbed wire, along with a sophisticated Israeli intelligence apparatus and security coordination with Palestinian authorities, have helped stem years of carefully planned and highly deadly suicide bombings, Israeli officials say. But walls can do little against the wave of lone-wolf attacks that have swept the country as Palestinians, often with no known militant affiliation, attack Israelis with guns or knives or by driving vehicles into crowds. In Jerusalem's Old City, a frequent flashpoint for violence, police now use hundreds of security cameras that are monitored around the clock to respond quickly to any trouble. "This really increases the feeling of security for people," said Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri. Police patrols are also often highly visible, especially at times of heightened tensions. Thai officials say the Bangkok bomber was no lone wolf. While offering no details, national police chief Somyot Poompanmoung said the bomber "didn't do it alone, for sure. ... they work as a network, know how to escape. No one person can do this." Prayuth Chan-ocha, the head of Thailand's military junta, called the bombing "the worst incident that has ever happened in Thailand," and vowed to track down the perpetrators. It's unclear whether authorities are close to arrests, and their statements have sometimes been contradictory. A military spokesman said Thursday that investigators believe the attack wasn't the work of international terrorists — a day after police issued an arrest warrant that described the still-unidentified prime suspect as a "foreign man." The bombing struck a city that had already been desperate for stability. The Thai military seized power in May 2014 following months of political protests, with the goal of bringing unity. But the country remains sharply divided along social and political lines, a schism that pits the rural poor against the traditional elite. Chondej, the furniture importer, has more confidence in the junta than in the police, widely derided in Thailand for corruption. "I think the military can take care of the (security) situation," he said. "We don't have that much confidence in the efficiency of the police." To Sahni, good policing is a key component to keeping cities safe. "The attack, per se, is not the point at which you can build permanent defenses," he said. "Any terror attack has a long series of precedents, some very minor, that led up to it. There's the recruitment, the conspiracy, the transport of materials," he said. "There are the phases where you have a far better method to intervene." He sees the answer in everything from sophisticated intelligence networks that can infiltrate suspect groups, to neighborhood watch organizations to restrictions on purchasing chemicals that can be used in explosives. But even if that works perfectly, he said, it won't stop every attack: "At the end of the day there is no guarantee."
Yuvan and Simbu in Bangkok
Director Silambarasan and music composer Yuvan Shankar Raja seems to share an excellent rapport. They came together for Manmadhan and Vallavan. All the songs went on to top the audio charts. Success brings both together again. Silambarasan will have Yuvan Shankar Raja scoring music for his next movie Kettavan. The two had been to Bangkok recently for composing the songs. In just a couple of days, Yuvan managed to come up with five catchy tunes for the movie. An impressed Simbu reportedly presented Yuvan a costly gift on the occasion. Kettavan will go to floors early next month and a couple of songs would be shot first. The New Year so far belongs to Yuvan Shankar Raja. His tunes in Paruthi Veeran, Chennai 600028 and Thamirabarani have become popular. Confident of continuing the good run is Yuvan Shankar Raja.
Mukta Arts Bombay 2 Bangkok on December 14th
Mukta Arts' 'Bombay 2 Bangkok' directed by Nagesh Kukunoor is set to release on 14th December 07. A true romantic comedy, Bombay 2 Bangkok is a breezy cross cultural story of a boy meets girl and then follows their discoveries about love and life on a rollicking ride. 'Bombay 2 Bangkok' consists of an ensemble cast of Shreyas Talpade, introducing Thai actress Lena Christensen, Vijay Maurya, Yatin Karyekar, Manmeet Singh, Sharad Wagh, Surender Kumar & a very special appearance by Naseeruddin Shah. 'Bombay 2 Bangkok' is a story of Shankar, a petty thief, in desperate need of money steals from the local Don and escapes his way into a team of Doctors heading for relief work to Bangkok but loses the all important money bag in the chaos. In Bangkok his world turns upside down at a bar where he bumps into lovely Jasmine. The hitch is she is all Thai and he can't converse with her at all. A ray of hope comes his way the next day when Jasmine turns up desperately in need of a doctor! Shankar posing as a doctor along with the goofy Sardar buddy Dr. Rachinder, jumps into this whirlpool while Jasmine soon gets pulled into his bumbling adventures while running away from the Don & his henchmen. It is romantic trip of one man pursuing his love, accidentally caught in cross- culture dilemma, and experiencing different language and people. This endearing romantic comedy will defiantly tickle your funny bone. 'Bombay 2 Bangkok' is written and directed by Nagesh Kukunoor. Other credits include Music by Salim-Suleman, Cinematography by Sudeep Chatterjee, Art Direction by Sunil Babu & sound recordist Vipin Bhati. 'Bombay 2 Bangkok' is a first of a kind from acclaimed director Nagesh Kukunoor, it's a story of multicultural flavors, romance and comedy, which ensures that deep inside we all are, same but different!
EXCLUSIVE SYNOPSIS - BOMBAY TO BANGKOK
Shankar (Shreyas Talpade), a petty thief, in desperate need of money steals from the local Don and escapes his way into a team of Doctors heading for relief work to Bangkok but loses the all important money bag in the chaos. In Bangkok his world turns upside down at a bar where he bumps into lovely Jasmine (Lena). The hitch is she is all Thai and he can't converse with her at all. A ray of hope comes his way the next day when Jasmine turns up desperately in need of a doctor! Shankar posing as a doctor along with the goofy Sardar buddy Rachinder, jumps into this whirlpool while Jasmine soon gets pulled into his bumbling adventures while running away from the Don & his henchmen. Hop onto this hilarious comedy of errors with Shankar as he discovers love and life on a rollicking ride from Bombay to Bangkok. Credits Banner : Mukta Searchlight Films Director : Nagesh Kukunoor Producer : Rahul Puri Cast : Shreyas Talpade, Lena, Vijay Maurya, Vikram Inamdar, Yatin Karyekar & Naseeruddin Shah Music Director : Salim Sulaiman Lyricist : Mir Ali Husain Cinematographer : Sudeep Chatterjee Editor : Sanjib Datta.
Khiladi between Skyscrapers in Bangkok
Wait, get set and hold your breath to see a slice of action which only a person with the mind of a daredevil can even think of doing. Any other star would have used a body double for jumping and skating off from Thailand's tallest buildings. As the person to host the programe 'Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi' to be aired on the new Hindi General Entertainment channel Colours from the media company Viacom 18, the action King of Bollywood has shot a promotional video that will beat any given trailer of a Hindi film. There is no doubt that the programe will shoot up into the top rank holder among the several shows hosted by the Bollywood stars now running in the different channels. With people slowly getting bored with the game shows, reality shows and with dance and music competitions bombarded on them, it is time for some out of the box action and real adventure. And the new channel has got the right man in Akshay Kumar as there is no one else who is better suited when the show's main bone is conquering the fear inside. This promotional video conceived by the creative agency Rediffusion DY&R and shot by Kunal Kapoor of AdFilmswala is a prelude to what is actually in stock to blow off the minds of the viewers. This is what Rameet Arora, the marketing head of Colours Channel has to say about the forthcoming promo film. "This video will unmistakably be very different from what has till now being shown in Indian Television conceived by an Indian team. Setting the tone for a never seen before campaign, you can look forward to a unique synergy between Bollywood and television. And that too, with India's favourite hero. It is an un-missable start." Akshay Kumar is also much exited with the video. Sharing his experience in shooting the film he said "With something as crazy and exiting like 'Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi' you have got to start at Bangkok. I truly enjoyed being on skate board, straddled between two of the tallest buildings in Thailand- just to give a preview of the show to my viewers. It may sound easy on paper. Just take a look for yourself and enjoy the ride with me. You don't have to be daredevil lover to enjoy this show. It is packed with me of course, but also with love, friendships, deadly stunts and a lot of fun. He arrived as the Khiladi, then he became Sabse Bada Khiladi, then he changed into Khiladiyom ka Khiladi. All the three name tags, he carried off with ©lan. Now he is 'Khatron Ke Khiladi' with which is the name which suits him the best when his personality is considered. Akshay getting a competition from among his Bollywood hero friends hosting another real life adventure programe is out of question as it is just not asking questions, motivating and making fun. It needs sheer guts in its purest form and nerves as strong as steel to be the host and a role model to give the competitors the mindset to go ahead and do it.
'Allari' Naresh in Bangkok
'Allari' Naresh, who became a busy hero with the success of 'Kitakitalu' is spending a lot of time in Bangkok these days. It may be mentioned here that he went to Bangkok to can songs for 'Attili Sattibabu LKG' directed and produced by EVV Satyanarayana on the banner of EVV Cinema. EVV's elder son and brother of 'Allari' Naresh, Aryan Rajesh and EVV's wife also left for Bangkok along with the film unit. Though the film unit returned, Rajesh and Naresh did not return. Naresh had reportedly stayed back to participate in the shooting of 'Seema Sastry' slated in Bangkok. However, he is returning to India on March 21 to take part in the audio release function of 'Attili Sattibabu LKG'. These days, Bangkok has become the most favoured destination for almost all the Telugu film stars.