London seems to be the favourite venue of the Miss World beauty pageant organisers. Protesters shout from sidelines but the show can go on. The contest returns to the city within two years of Priyanka Chopra of India winning the title in 2000.

But it is an ignominious return. The event was supposed to be held in Lagos, Nigeria. But Muslim groups campaigned against the beauty pageant saying it promoted promiscuity. The organisers beat a retreat to London and it was viewed as "a Muslim victory". This fanned violence and mobs of Christians attacked Muslims in southern city of Kaduna. In all, more than 200 people were killed. The organisers held a press conference at Heathrow airport on November 25, declaring that they were being made scapegoats for the religious riots.

FACING TROUBLE: Organiser Julia Morley (in blue) with the contestants in London

Apart from the unfortunate Nigerian chapter-and all the hassles the relocation entailed-the organisers had to deal with what is dubbed as "the other Miss World controversy". The Germans replaced their representative with 24-year-old Indira Selmic of Bavaria on Monday-the third Miss Germany this year.

India's representative is, however, the same in both Lagos and London. Delhi's Shruti Sharma will walk the same ramp Chopra did two years ago.

Contestants may change, locations too change, but the show-beauty with a purpose-must go on.

-Ishara Bhasi

Tamil Song Leads the Pack

Step aside the Beatles, Queen and Led Zeppelin-a Tamil song from a 1991 film has been voted the most popular song on the planet. Rakkamma kaiya thattu is one of three Indian songs riding high in the Top Ten of a BBC poll of radio listeners, and celebrities from 116 countries.

VOTED DOWN: Beatles rank only No. 9

Cliff Richard is running a close second in the poll with his 1979 hit We don't talk any more. American singer Cher is holding down the third spot with her dance smash Believe. At No. 4 is John Lennon's Imagine. And on five is-hold your breath-Vande mataram. But as the BBC World Service had received most votes from India, it is not so surprising.

Former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos chose the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah as her favourite, while Japanese Prime

Minister Junichiro Koizumi, an Elvis fan, chose Ennio Morricone's score for the film Once upon a time in America as his top tune. The final results, however, will be known only on December 21.

Birju. No it is not a digitally enhanced, re-release of Mother India starring "Birju" Sunil Dutt in a Mehboob Khan retro, but a 14-minute micro film made by Heeraz Marfatia, an Indian film student in the US, that's back in the film festival circuit. Birju was nominated for an Oscar in the student category this June, then it bagged the grand jury award at the New York film expo last month.

The $9,500-film follows a four-year-old's odyssey through Pushkar, Rajasthan, past anachronisms like the Pink Floyd café and the Salvador Dali boutique and folk dancers. It has just two lines of dialogue in Marwari. Perhaps, the first Marwari film to go global.

-Sandeep Unnithan