Bedi bedi famous

He was known in India more for his modelling and romantic liaisons than his acting career. But in Italy, Kabir Bedi was a genuine star in the 1970s and 80s with Sandokan. Lately he has been part of a saas-bahu kind of serial in that country and is making waves that are tsunamic. Recently, Bedi dropped by a store in Rome. Browsing through the displays, he became a show-stopper himself, when a very excited group of women, all die-hard devotees, caught sight of him. Yelling, pushing and shoving, they made a beeline for our hero while Bedi hotfooted to the exit, just managing to get out with his clothes, his hair and his dignity intact.

Save Bengal

Mamata Bannerjee and her tactics have not only irritated the CPM, but have scared the business community of Bengal. Several business organisations, Chambers of commerce and the like have got together and expressed grave concern against the “politicisation of industrial investment in West Bengal.” Their worry is that attempts to regenerate industry in what was once the leading corporate centre of the country will receive a setback if the agitation is successful. Their appeal is aimed at the government, media, academia and the citizenry — though not the opposition parties.

Ale and hearty

The year was 1869, when the Suez Canal was opened. It was also the year when a beer was bottled and stored in the cellars of a brewery in Worthington, England. The treasure was found recently and tasted… cautiously. To the amazement of experts, it was “absolutely amazing”, with the most “astonishing, complex flavours” of raisins, baked apple, old sherry, molasses and other subtle nuances. There are 250 bottles that have been stashed away for the past 137 years, sealed with corks and wax, kept at a cool, even temperature. Each was laid on its side, to make sure that the cork would stay moist. The ales are strong, with an alcohol content of about ten percent, which would help keep them from going stale and sour, say experts. But these, however delicious, are not for public consumption. Each bottle will be carefully recorked and shown off at the Museum of Brewing in Burton.

Party time

Talk about celebrating in style. An industrialist has carted 150 or so of his close friends to the Maldives to celebrate his 50th birthday. The list includes society types, businessmen and even politicians. The group plans to party non-stop and fly back to India early next week.