Q 1. Khushwant Singh's autobiography Truth, Love and a Little Malice is dedicated to...

a. His wife.
b. His daughter.
c. All the women he has ever loved.

Q 2. Dawa Sangpo Dorjee is the...

a. First person to climb all peaks over 8,000 m without oxygen.
b. Tourism minister of Arunachal Pradesh.
c. Third person to claim he's the real Karmapa.

Q 3. CVC N. Vittal's proposed measure of corruption will be called the...

a. Probity Perception Index.
b. Cleanex Counter.
c. Corruption Scale.

Answers: 1(b), 2(c), 3(a)

TELLY SCOPE
Channels Milk Life and Death

CATCHING THE PULSE: Sony TVs Dhadkan

Blood and test tubes have the programming teams of Star Plus and Sony aflutter. Star Plus' Sanjeevani, a weekly soap, launched on January 16 while Sony's Dhadkan, to be telecast thrice a week, went on air on February 7. With rumours flying about how Sony's extensive research delayed the project by a month, Star has a clinical "first-mover" advantage. While Sanjeevani tackles emergency room suspense by tracing the lives of four young interns, Dhadkan deals with a doctor's professional decisions and its impact. Great pains have been taken to lend authenticity, according to Sony's Vice-President (programming) Nachiket Pantvaidya. He says there is a director only to co-ordinate background hospital movements and surgical scenes that are shot in the presence of trained medical personnel. Spurred by the response to Chicago Hope (Star) and ER (Zee English), game shows have been dumped. Says Pantvaidya: "This serial deals with the question of life and death." People or channel?

-Himanshi Dhawan

UNSUNG VOLS I-4 (Times; Rs 75)

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi completed 80 years on February 4. As the prime disciple of Sawai Gandharva, a great master of the Kirana gharana tradition, Joshi has ruled the Indian classical music scene for over four decades now. That in itself is cause for celebration.

The Unsung series is a collection of ragas and raga-bound compositions that Joshi is believed never to have recorded before. The ragas presented here-Ahir Bhairav, Kaunsi Kanada, Puriya, Shudhha Sarang and Marwa-are staple Bhimsen fare much sung, much heard, much loved. This series exemplifies him as essentially a khayaliya of the Kirana tradition. However, Joshi has expanded the Kirana heritage hugely by incorporating aspects of other singing styles like bolbaant, boltan and intricate taan patterns. Raga Kaunsi Kannada, a combination of Malkauns and Darbari Kannada, in his mellifluous voice and strikingly individual style is a treat. He rounds up with a traditional thumri Bavre dam de gayo based on raga Kafi which Karim Khan used to sing. Joshi's singing also shows the influence of Amir Khan which is evident in his presentation of Guru bin gyan based on raga Marwa. A collector's item for fans.

-S. Sahaya Ranjit

Laloo Yadav and Rabri Devi have become grandparents. Their daughter Misa, born during the Emergency and named after the notorious law in existence then, has given birth to a girl. Will she be named Poto? ...

Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti has promised unemployment dole and a house to each family if voted to power ...

Greetings card company Archies petitioned Delhi High Court that protesting against Valentine's Day celebrations is an attack on citizens' fundamental rights. The court has issued notices to the Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and VHP...

Laloo again. At Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, in a gathering of ministers and stars, it was the fresh-from-jail Laloo who got the loudest cheer...