Chaitra Anand

Did you know that Steve Jobs didn’t allow his kids to use the ipad and with good reason? He has gone on record to say that he had seen the dangers of technology first hand, and that he didn’t want to see that happen to his kids.

Modern-day parenting may tempt you to hand out a smartphone or a tablet to your child either in the hope that they stay abreast of everything that is happening in the world of technology, or sometimes to merely keep them entertained. However, it is imperative to know exactly how detrimental it is to give children unrestricted access to hand-held devices.

Here are the top 10 reasons.

Stunts rapid brain growth & ability to self-regulate

Early brain-growth (0-2 years) is determined by environmental stimuli or the lack of it. Studies have shown that overexposure to technology is associated with attention deficit, impaired learning, increased impulsivity, and cognitive delays.

Delayed physical development

Use of technology restricts physical movement. At an age when kids should be indulging in outdoor sports, if they are restricted to video-games and such, their physical growth is also delayed in turn impacting their academic progress.

Causes obesity

If children are allowed to be glued to the television, smartphones, tablets, ipads, etc, it could be correlated to obesity in the long run. Studies also associate obesity to other deadly diseases such as diabetes, heart attacks and early strokes.

Leads to sleep deprivation

Being hooked on to technology before bed time is said to upset sleep pattern and cause insomnia. When kids are allowed access to technology at bed time or a few hours before, they will be tempted to watch more by forgoing their sleep.

Leads to agression

There is a whole lot of violent media content available on connected devices. Even setting filters and parental control might sometimes prove futile. Kids may inadvertently be exposed to incidence of physical and sexual violence, shaking up their entire belief system in impressionable years. This may in turn make them aggressive and unmanageable.

Causes mental illness

Overuse of technology is quoted as one of the factors in rising rates of child depression, anxiety, autism, attachment disorder, bipolar disorder, etc

Emits detrimental radiation  

The World Health Organization classifies cell phones and other connected devices as category 2B risk, i.e, carcinogenic, on account of the radiation it emits. Children especially are more sensitive to radiation which in turn leads to other ailments. 

Causes detachment with parents

The more kids get attached to devices and artificial intelligence, the lesser they will be able to relate to real human attachments including that with their own parents.

Causes early addiction

Addiction to technology can be developed as early as 13 years of age making children dependent on external devices to manage their lives instead of being self-sufficient towards building a strong foundation.

Unsustainable method of education

In a rather surprising announcement, Bob Dylan, known as ‘The Greatest Living Poet’ was announced the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature for the year 2016. Dylan is regarded as the voice of a generation for his influential lyrics for over 5 decades.

The 75-year-old musician won the prize for "having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".  He now joins the ranks of Winston Churchill, Rudyard Kipling, and Thomas Mann as Nobel laureates. The announcement has taken the world by surprise and met with criticism as well in certain circles. 

Here are 10 Bob Dylan quotes to let you decide for yourself if the musician is in fact worthy of the award bestowed upon him for literature. Leave us your comments.

Ever wonder how nearly all of South India’s favorite bad guys on screen are all dashing Bollywood personalities as well? While there have been local favorites such as Kalabhavan Mani, Avinash, Kota Srinivas Rao, Sai Kumar and others, all of whom looked dangerous enough to leave the audience trembling, there are certain shades of grey that some of these Bollywood actors carry, which adds that much sought-after negative flavor when they act in South Indian cinema. 

This phenomena also proves the fact that badness or negativity has nothing to do with physical appearance much in the same way as goodness doesn’t. The most logical explanation for why these actors strike a chord with the audience as villains is probably the fact that thy are foreigners to the Southern film industry. This  lends an intriguing quality to their presence in the film; and hey, of course no hearts are broken when the local hero finally defeats a villain who is a foreigner, even if he is good-looking.

Leave your comments if you agree with this explanation. 

Sonu Sood

Not only is he popular in Bollywood in various character roles, but he is a huge hit as a villain in Telugu and Kannada films. His most notable performance was in the Telugu film ‘Arundhati’. 

Vidyut Jamwal

He is in high demand in Telugu and Tamil films as a villain. His performance in ‘Billa II’ as the antagonist earned him critical appreciation. He also received the Best Actor in a Negative Role award for his performance in ‘Thuppakki’

Pradeep Rawat

Popularly recognized as ‘Ghajini’, Pradeep Rawat is a well-known face not only in Bollywood, but also a favorite villain of the masses in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil & Malayalam films.

Mukesh Rishi

Mukesh Rishi has essayed several character roles in Hindi films, but he got his first break in a Telugu film in 1988. He has acted in hit films such as ‘Darling’, ‘Singham II’, ‘Rebel’ etc.

Rahul Dev

His edgy looks earned him several negative roles in South Indian films. He predominantly works in Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Tamil.

Sayaji Shinde

He is originally a Marathi actor who has also acted in many Hindi films, almost always in a negative role. His easy villainous demeanor has made him a grand success down South as well in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada cinema.

Ashish Vidhyarthi

He predominantly works in Bollywood, but he is equally popular as the bad guy in Tamil and Telugu cinema.

Prakash Raj

The iron lady of Tamil Nadu politics, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa continues to be constantly monitored by specialist Doctors with thousands of supporters praying devotedly. 

Her political career is widely renowned, but did you know that all through her schooling she excelled academically, that she is also known as the uncrowned queen of Tamil cinema? 

Here are lesser known, interesting facts tracing the life journey of the ailing chief minister:

Jayalalithaa was born in Karnataka’s Melukote, located in Mandya district to Jayaram and Vedavalli in a Tamil Iyengar Brahmin family. She was given two names at the time of birth -- her grandmother’s name Koamalavalli and Jayalalithaa. She assumed the official name Jayalalitha at age 11

Her father was a squanderer who died when she was 2 years old. To support the family financially, her mother Vedavalli joined films under the name Sandhya, during which time Jayalalithaa studied in Bishop Cottons Girls High School in Bangalore. Later on she moved to Chennai to visit her mother and completed her education at Church Park Presentation Convent. She is known to have excelled academically winning many awards including the Gold State Award for coming first in 10th standard in all of Tamil Nadu.

While in Chennai, Jayalalithaa trained in classical music, western classical piano, and various forms of classical dance, including Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Manipuri and Kathak. While watching one of her dance performances, the then Chief Guest Shivaji Ganesan predicted that she will one day be a huge film star

In 1961, she had acted as a child artiste in a Kannada film ‘Sri Shaila Mahathme’  starring popular stars such as Dr Rajkumar and Krishna Kumari. She essayed the role of Goddess Parvathy coincidentally while accompanying her mother on the sets of the film shoot. As early as 15 years of age, she was a recognized face in films.

One of her very first roles was an English film ‘The Epistle’. She also acted in the Kannada film ‘Chinnada Gombe’, which was certified as an adult film. As Jaya was in school while she starred in this film, she herself was not allowed to watch the film. Subsequently, she was offered several roles, but she was more interested in studying further to become a lawyer and a millionaire.

In her autobiography, she has said that financial crisis and her mother forced her into becoming a full-time actress. But her immense talent was such that the limelight was bound to find her in any capacity. She went on to act in scores of films in Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu and became famous as the silver jubilee queen. She had 119 box-office hits from the 60s to the 80s. She was also the highest paid Indian actress during this period. 

During her film career, she famously fell in love with the already-married actor Shoban Babu. She was even caught watching him through a pair of binoculars from her home. Though she was in a publicized live-in relationship with him, Jaya has never been married

She was also a huge, self-proclaimed fan of cricket. In an interview she admitted that she used to go for matches with binoculars just to look at Pataudi and Pataudi alone.  

She shared a very interesting relationship with Marudhur Gopalan Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR who she had shared screen-space with in many films. MGR recognized her as an independent woman who acted on her own volition. As MGR began closely monitoring her ever move and decided to cast a new heroine in his new film, Jaya found solace in Shoban Babu. However, her friendship with MGR was revived in 1981 and from thereon began another dimension of Jayalalithaa’s life, her life as we know it today as a politician. It was really MGR who introduced her to politics, but Jaya has always maintained that she joined politics of her own accord. 

The iron lady of Tamil Nadu politics, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa continues to be constantly monitored by specialist Doctors with thousands of supporters praying devotedly. 

Her political career is widely renowned, but did you know that all through her schooling she excelled academically, that she is also known as the uncrowned queen of Tamil cinema? Here are lesser known, interesting facts tracing the life journey of the ailing Chief Minister. 

Jayalalitha was born in Karnataka’s Melukote, located in Mandya district to Jayaram and Vedavalli in a Tamil Iyengar Brahmin family. She was given two names at the time of birth -- her grandmother’s name Koamalavalli and Jayalalitha. She assumed the official name Jayalalitha at age 11

Her father was a squanderer who died when she was 2 years old. To support the family financially, her mother Vedavalli joined films under the name Sandhya, during which time Jayalalithaa studied in Bishop Cottons Girls High School in Bangalore. Later on she moved to Chennai to visit her mother and completed her education at Church Park Presentation Convent. She is known to have excelled academically winning many awards including the Gold State Award for coming first in 10th standard in all of Tamil Nadu.

While in Chennai, Jayalalithaa trained in classical music, western classical piano, and various forms of classical dance, including Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Manipuri and Kathak. While watching one of her dance performances, the then Chief Guest Shivaji Ganesan predicted that she will one day be a huge film star

In 1961, she had acted as a child artiste in a Kannada film ‘Sri Shaila Mahathme’  starring popular stars such as Dr Rajkumar and Krishna Kumari. She essayed the role of Goddess Parvathy coincidentally while accompanying her mother on the sets of the film shoot. As early as 15 years of age, she was a recognized face in films.

One of her very first roles was an English film ‘The Epistle’. She also acted in the Kannada film ‘Chinnada Gombe’, which was certified as an adult film. As Jaya was in school while she starred in this film, she herself was not allowed to watch the film. Subsequently, she was offered several roles, but she was more interested in studying further to become a lawyer and a millionaire.

In her autobiography, she has said that financial crisis and her mother forced her into becoming a full-time actress. But her immense talent was such that the limelight was bound to find her in any capacity. She went on to act in scores of films in Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu and became famous as the silver jubilee queen. She had 119 box-office hits from the 60s to the 80s. She was also the highest paid Indian actress during this period. 

During her film career, she famously fell in love with the already-married actor Shoban Babu. She was even caught watching him through a pair of binoculars from her home. Though she was in a publicized live-in relationship with him, Jaya has never been married

She was also a huge, self-proclaimed fan of cricket. In an interview she admitted that she used to go for matches with binoculars just to look at Pataudi and Pataudi alone.  

She shared a very interesting relationship with Marudhur Gopalan Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR who she had shared screen-space with in many films. MGR recognized her as an independent woman who acted on her own volition. As MGR began closely monitoring her ever move and decided to cast a new heroine in his new film, Jaya found solace in Shoban Babu. However, her friendship with MGR was revived in 1981 and from thereon began another dimension of Jayalalithaa’s life, her life as we know it today as a politician. It was really MGR who introduced her to politics, but Jaya has always maintained that she joined politics of her own accord. 

Popular television actress Shweta Tiwari turns a year older on the 4th of October. Here’s wishing her a very happy birthday and discovering little known facts about her life.

Her claim to fame was her appearance as the protagonist in the serial ‘Kasautii Zindagii Kay’

She married Bhojpuri actor Raja Chaudhary in 1998 and separated in 2007, due to irrevocable differences

She has a daughter, Palak Chaudhary, from her first marriage to Raja Chaudhary

She married actor Abhinav Kohli in 2013 after dating for 3 years

In 2011 she won the reality show Bigg Boss 4 along with the prize money of Rs 10 million

She appeared as a participant in 2013 on the dance show ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’

Apart from television, she has also acted in Hindi, Punjabi & Marathi films

She has acted in a Pakistani film ‘Saltanat’ in 2012

She appeared in an item song in the film ‘Miley Naa Miley Hum’ which starred Kangana Ranaut and marked the debut of politician Chirag Paswan

With Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa in the hospital owing to indifferent health, her supporters and fans across the state have been devoutly praying for her speedy recovery.

The nature of Indian ‘fanaticism’ is such that they not only admire their idols but literally worship them. Worship them to such an extent that they literally build temples to express their love for their favourite idols.

There are innumerable temples in India dedicated to millions of Indian Gods, but there is nothing shocking about that. But let us take a look at celebrities, including politicians and actors, for whom fans have built temples:

Narendra Modi temple in Gujarat

A temple dedicated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi was funded by 300 admirers in Kotharia village, about 130 miles from Ahmedabad. It took a year to build the temple and cost Rs 7 lakh. However, when the prime minister heard about it, he tweeted that he was appalled at the move and said that it was 'shocking and against India's great traditions'. His idol was then removed from the temple.

J Jayalalithaa temple in Tamil Nadu

'Amma Alaya Temple’ in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, was built by an active member of her party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK).

Sonia Gandhi temple in Karimnagar

To express their gratitude for creating the Telangana state, Congress leaders from the newly formed state built a temple for her in Malial town, with a huge idol of hers.

Mayawati temple in Natpur village 

A plan surfaced in 2010, where a Dalit leader and lawyer Kanaihya Lal wanted to build a temple for Mayawati. However, there is no confirmation on this.

Amitabh Bachchan temple in Kolkata

Sueprstar Amitabh Bachchan has a temple dedicated to him in Kolkata. There is no idol in the temple except for a pair of white shoes that he wore in the film ‘Agneepath’. The temple’s tiles too are emblazoned with the words: Jai Shri Amitabh. The actor himself has confessed to being highly embarrassed at the temple.

Rajinikanth temple in Kolar, Karnataka

Fans of superstar Rajinikanth in Karnataka established a special Sahasra Lingam and special prayers by priests at Kotilingeshwara Temple.

Khushboo temple in Tiruchirappalli, TN

A temple has been dedicated to actress Khushboo in Tiruchirappalli. She had once stated on discovering about the temple that she was surprised and scared.

Namitha temple in Tirunelveli, TN

Though Namitha Kapoor is from Gujarat, she is worshipped in the south  as she has done numerous Tamil and Telugu films, and she also has a temple named for her.

M G Ramachandran temple in Nathamedu, TN

MGR’s wife inaugurated the temple after the popular chief minister had passed away due to kidney illness at the time.

Karunanidhi temple in Vellore, TN

The temple has a granite statue of karunanidhi, the former Tamil Nadu chief minister, and the walls are engraved with the faces of Stalin, his son.

Pawan Kalyan temple in Srikakulam, AP

South Indian actress and politician Khushboo turns a year older on the 29th of September. Here’s wishing the radiant lady a very happy birthday and discovering little known facts about her career and personal life.

Khushboo Sundar was born into a muslim family and was earlier known as Nakhat Khan.

She started her career in the early 1980s as a child artist. Her first film appearance was in ‘Raja Nanna Raja’, a 1976 Kannada film

Her first two appearances in Bollywood were not credited - She appeared in the ‘Burning Train’ in 1980 in the song "Teri Hai Zameen Tera Aasman" followed by ‘Thodisi Bewafaii’

Her first credited role was in the film ‘Laawaris’ in 1981 and then in ‘Dard ka Rishta’ in 198. She danced her way into many hearts and made a mark in Bollywood when she shook a leg with Javed Jaffery in the superhit song "Bol Baby Bol, Mere Sang Dol" in the film ‘Meri Jung’

Though her career as a heroine in Hindi films was a disaster, she went on to become the No 1 leading actress of Tamil Cinema in the late 80s’ and early 90s’. She has acted in various languages including Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu

Khushboo married director Sundar C in the year 2000. They have two daughters, Avanthika and Ananditha. She’s been living in Chennai for the last 28 years and has three brothers all of whom are based out of Chennai

She is a self-confessed atheist and does not believe in religion and discrimination

In 2005, she was engulfed in controversy over a remark she made about AIDS awareness and premarital. She said it was okay for girls to have premarital sex as long as precautions were taken to prevent pregnancy and STDs. The SC dismissed all cases registered against Khushboo for her alleged remarks on pre-marital sex.

In 2006, Maxim magazine's inaugural issue featured a page called "Women you will never see in Maxim - 100% fake". Among the photos was a morphed one showing Khushboo posing nude, along with the caption "Of course, I am a virgin if you don't count from the behind"; this was in reference to remarks made by her in 2005 on whether modern men should expect their brides to be virgins. She filed a petition citing defamation and indecent representation of women.

At a time of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of Uri attacks, the MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) has given an ultimatum to all Pakistani artists in Bollywood to return to their nation. While the Bollywood fraternity is fuming over this move by the MNS, lets take a look at the artists that the industry stands to lose. All the same, lets also recount the many names from Pakistan who created their identities in the Indian scenario. 

Fawad Khan debuted in Bollywood with the movie ‘Khoobsurat’ as a prince opposite Sonam Kapoor

Veena Malik debuted in Bollywood with an item song in ‘Gali Gali Mein Chor Hai’ entitled ‘Chhanno’

Mahira Khan is yet to make her debut in Bollywood opposite Shahrukh Khan in ‘Raees’

Mohsin Khan, the former Pakistani cricketer, had a short stint in Bollywood with Mahesh Bhatt’s crime thriller ‘Saathi’ being one of his biggest successes. He was also briefly married to actress Reena Roy.

Atif Aslam became a huge hit in Bollywood when his song “Woh Lamhe” was included in Mahesh Bhatt’s movie “Zeher” in 2005. Since then he’s delivered several hits and become a favorite of the masses.

Sara Loren debut in 2010 in Pooja Bhatt's romantic thriller film ‘Kajraare’ opposite Himesh Reshammiya and later played seductress Nisha in the 2013 film ‘Murder 3′.

Humaima Malik acted opposite Emraan Hashmi in the Bollywood film ‘Raja Natwarlal’ 

Ali Mohammad Zafar made his acting debut with a leading role in the 2010 Bollywood satire film ‘Tere Bin Laden’.  Zafar was widely praised for his performance and received Best Actor nomination at several award ceremonies.

Mikaal Zulfiqar was seen in the Bollywood film ‘Baby’ along with action star Akshay Kumar.

Salma Agha sang as well as acted in Indian films in the 1980s’.  She won the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award for her first film ‘Nikaah’.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is a highly popular singer in Bollywood as well. 

“Nothing lasts forever and we all know hearts can change”. Yet, we somehow hoped that these two would be together forever. 

The news of Brangelina having filed for divorce has taken Hollywood by storm and broken hearts of fans around the world. As we silently pine for this couple to have stayed together, lets take a look at lesser known facts about them while they were a couple and also facts about them as individuals.

Brad and Angelina met on the sets of ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ in 2005 and the two had been in a relationship since then until they got hitched in 2014. It’s hard to believe, but they have only been married for all of 2 years. 

Before Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt was engaged to Gwyneth Paltrow from 1994 to 1997. Gwyneth called off the engagement as she was not ready for marriage, post which, Brad Pitt married Jenniifer Aniston in 2000. Technically, Brad and Jennifer were married for longer than Brad and Angelina.

Angelina had admitted to being bisexual after her relationship with model-actress Jenny Shimizu. Angie had stated that she fell in love with Shimizu the first second she saw her. Jolie was also married to actor Billy Bob Thornton from 2000 to 2003. 

In 2005, Angelina was accused of being the reason for Brad and Jennifer’s high-profile divorce. However, neither Brad nor Angelina publicly commented on their relationship until January 2006, when Angelina confirmed that she was pregnant with Brad’s child.

After seven long years together, Brad and Angelina married on August 23, 2014, at their estate Château Miraval in Correns, France.

Brad and Angelina have three biological children together-- Shiloh Nouvel, the first born, and twins Knox Léon, and Vivienne Marcheline, They are also parents to 3 adopted children --  Maddox, Zahara Marley, and Pax Thien.

Together, Brangelina’s fortune is estimated at $400 million. Brad Pitt's net worth alone is estimated at $240 million while Angelina Jolie's fortune is estimated at $160 million.

Angelina had stated that Brad and her really became a couple and entered into marriage with help from their children. Jolie said in Vanity Fair. "They did not expect us never to fight, but they made us promise to always say, 'Sorry,' if we do. So they said, 'Do you?,' and we said, 'We do!'"

The couple was famous for being involved in several charity projects. Together they started the Jolie-Pitt Foundation in 2006 to assist with humanitarian crises around the world.

Her real name is Shaku Bai Rao Gaikwad; she is better known by her stage name Soundarya Rajinikanth 

She has donned various caps in her career, including that of a graphic designer, producer and director

Soundarya is the younger daughter of Rajinikanth and his wife Latha Rajinikanth

She married Ashwin Ramkumar, an industrialist,  in September 2010 and they have a son named Ved. However, recently, she confirmed that she had filed for divorce.

Yahoo Food Reviews: Fresh Pressery Cafe

Location:  #4, Good Earth Store, Former Cinnamon Building, Walton Road, Lavelle Road, Bangalore

Price range: Rs 1500 for 2

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Verdict:  Great place to start your detox

Here’s a feel-good cafe, which is bound to encourage you to give up pub-crawl and give-in to the ‘juice-crawl’ fad. Venturing out for an old Bangalore experience on a bustling Saturday afternoon proved worthwhile as I came across a quaint, yet new-age cafe, ‘Fresh Pressery’, the USP of which is it’s ‘cold-pressed juices’.

What are cold-pressed juices? They’re nothing but fruit and vegetable juices extracted naturally using machines that don’t produce any heat. They include no artificial flavors, additives or sugar, and are packed with vitamins unlike normal juices where the nutrients get destroyed due to heat. This trend originated in New York and gained popularity worldwide owing to its various health benefits. From Kim Kardashian to Alia Bhatt and Jacquline Fernandes, many celebrities swear by this healthy way to detox and stay fit. 

Fresh Pressery is the brainchild of Rishaad Vazirally, born out of a passion for healthy eating and living. In just two short years the company has grown to become one of Bangalore’s most widely recognized health food start-up brands. The company was the first to offer fresh cold pressed juices in the city and provides both cleanse packages as well as healthy supplements in the form of delicious drinks and smoothies. Following an organic growth path, Fresh Pressery has expanded to open a chain of healthy cafes that allow its patrons to come relax, rejuvenate and enjoy delicious food.

My interest, of course, is skewed towards food, but since I had the option, I ordered the Yellow Hydration to go along with my meal of water-melon & feta salad, Napoli Spaghetti Aglio Olio with chicken, & their famed coconut milk-chia seed pudding to finish off my refreshing afternoon meal. 

Rishaad, the cafe owner, recommended the Yellow Hydration to combat my mild hangover from the previous night. He says, “This juice is made of pineapple, coconut water, amla, chia seeds, and aloe and has enough nutrition to provide 150% of your body’s vitamin C needs.”

Notwithstanding the fact that I’m an ardent beer drinker, its pleasant and reinvigorating taste has me convinced that I will soon be replacing my liquid gold (beer) with bottles of Yellow Hydration. A must-try if you’re a first-timer at Fresh Pressery. 

The water-melon & feta salad didn’t disappoint in taste, however, the watermelon definitely could have been more fresh so as to live up to the character of the cafe. 

I ordered the Napoli Spaghetti Aglio Olio with chicken for main-course, and I have to say it was ‘delizioso’ (Italian for ‘delicious’).

The star- preparation at the cafe though is the coconut milk-chia seed pudding, which gives you the illusion of having eaten a decadent dessert, but is in fact protein & fibre packed. Chia-seeds have gained popularity as superfood seeds, packed with fiber, omegas, potassium, and magnesium, and are great for boosting energy, improving endurance, and even helping regulate digestion.

Go to this cafe for a wholesome experience, and to discover their interesting product; you’ll be left rejuvenated. 

While the cafe at Lavelle Road is a regular haunt of expats, a new branch has recently opened in Koramangala to cater to the college-going crowd owing to the fact that there are many colleges in the vicinity. This cafe is fast-becoming a favorite amongst youngsters who believe in healthy-living. 

If you’re a serious customer for “a detox program” and interested in more than a visit to the cafe, you can get more details by visiting their website: http://www.freshpressery.com/

Here are some little known facts about the River Cauvery which flows through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The origin of the river is at Talakaveri, Kodagu in Karnataka,

Cauvery then flows generally south & east through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and across the southern Deccan plateau, eventually emptying into the Bay of Bengal

It has many tributaries including the Shimsha, the Hemavati, the Arkavati, Honnuhole, Lakshmana Tirtha, Kabini, Bhavani River, the Lokapavani, the Noyyal and the Amaravati River.

After the river leaves the Kodagu hills and flows onto the Deccan plateau, it forms two islands, Srirangapatna and Shivanasamudra.

First comes the Srirangapatna which forms the ‘sangam’

At Shivanasamudra the river drops 98 metres, forming the famous Shivanasamudra Falls known separately as Gagana Chukki and Bhara Chukki.

Three kilometers away from Srirangapatna, the Cauvery is the basis for the Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary.

The river enters Tamil Nadu through Dharmapuri district leading to the flat plains where it meanders.

Cauvery is considered to be as sacred as the Ganges throughout its course, with the same power to wash off all one’s sins.

He has ruled the Malayalam film industry for a more than a couple of decades now, and continues to. On Mammootty’s 65th birthday, here’s wishing him a very happy birthday and discovering little known facts about him. 

His birth name is Muhammad Kutty Ismail Paniparambil. He hails from a middle class family in Kerala. His father was a farmer and his mother a housewife. He has two younger brothers, Ibrahimkutty and Zakariah and three younger sisters, Ameena, Sauda, and Shafina.

He was a lawyer by profession before entering the world of acting. He graduated with an LL.B. from Government Law College, Ernakulam and practiced law for two years in Manjeri

Mammootty's debut was in the 1971 film Anubhavangal Paalichakal directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan

Mammootty married Sulfath in 1979. He has a daughter, Surumi, and a son, Dulquer Salmaan

Mammootty's younger brother Ibrahimkutty is an actor in Malayalam films

He has won 3 National Film Awards for Best Actor, 7 Kerala State Film Awards, and 13 Filmfare Awards in the South

His career spans more than 150 films to-date. He has essayed double-role in more than 15 films.

Though he is primarily a Malayalam actor, Mammootty has acted in 5 other languages including Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, English and Hindi and has been widely recognized for the same

Mammootty is a professional volleyball player and has also been the brand ambassador for Kerala Volleyball League

Power Star Pawan Kalyan turns 45 on September 2. His popularity has often superseded that of some of the most successful stars in the country, yet there are so many facts about him that most fans are not aware of. Let’s discover ten such facts:

His birth name is Konidela Kalyan Babu. As a child he had immense interest in marital arts and his family members were great devotees of Lord Hanuman, by virtue of which he assumed the name “Pawan”.

He is the younger brother of Megastar Chiranjeevi. The two have always shared a great relationship.

He won a National Award for the film “Tholi Prema” very early on in his career. 

His super hit film “Gabbar Singh” is the remake of Salman Khan’s Bollywood film “Dabbang”.

He is not only an actor, but also a director, stunt coordinator, singer and choreographer.

He has been married three times -- to Nandini from 1997 to 2007, to Renu Desai from 2009 to 2012 and to Anna Lezhneva since 2013.

He has two children from his second marriage, a son named Akira, and a daughter named Aadhya.

He is known t be quite the philanthropist having donated Rs 5 lakh to support Olympic sports shooter Rekha Chalichemala and Rs 2 million to the Natural Calamity Management Fund for those impacted by the floods at Uttarakhand. In 2014, he announced Rs. 5 million to the Chief Minister's relief fund to contribute towards relief operations in the aftermath of cyclone Hudhud in Andhra Pradesh

Pawan Kalyan has always been in demand as the brand ambassador of Pepsi down South.

Tollywood star Akkineni Nagarjuna turns 57 on the 29th of August. Here’s wishing the dashing actor a very happy birthday and discovering some lesser known facts about him.

He has completed an M.S. in Automobile Engineering from Eastern Michigan University

Nagarjuna debuted as a child artist in the 1967 Telugu film Sudigundalu, starring father Akkineni Nageswara Rao in lead role. 

His debut film "Vikram” in Telugu, in which he essayed the title role, is a remake of the 1983 Hindi film ‘Hero’.

His Bollywood debut through the film “Shiva”, was a remake of the Telugu blockbuster “Siva” which also marked the debut of maverick director Ram Gopal Verma.

Nagarjuna earned the tagline ‘Celluloid Scientist’ for experimenting with different genres.

He is one of the major shareholders of the television channel Maa TV. 

He was first married to Lakshmi Daggubati in the year 1984 with whom he has a son named Naga Chaitanya, who is also a successful Tollywood actor. He then married his co-star Amala with whom he has a son named Akkineni Akhil. 

He is the co-owner of ‘Mumbai Masters’ of Indian Badminton League along with Sunil Gavaskar, and ‘Mahi Racing Team India’ along with Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Nagarjuna’s popularity in the South can be equated to that of Amitabh Bachchan -- such that he hosts the Telugu version of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ - ‘Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu’.

Bobby Deol may well have irked his fans at a high-end club in Delhi by spinning his luck at the turntables, owing to the fact that he still hasn’t gotten over his “Gupt” frenzy. Fans asking for a refund is probably the loudest wake up call for the actor who’s Dj’ing career isn’t exactly soaring high either. 

However, celebrities trying a hand at DJ’ing doesn’t always go awry. In fact here are other International celebs who have done quite well and made a name for themselves by spinning the right tunes. We’ll kickstat the slideshow, however, with the very reason for this piece, Bobby Deol, who can probably take a few tips from some of these international acts.

Image Credits: Getty Images

Bobby Deol

Bollywood actor and son of yesteryears superstar Dharmendra, has enjoyed average success in the movies. Seeing as his acting career was headed nowhere lately, he decided to try an alternate career as a DJ for which he has undergone professional training. He was recently invited to a high-end club in Delhi and the tickets were sold out for the event. But Bobby blew his golden chance when he kept playing tracks from his film “Gupt” on loop. The crowd was so miffed with the DJ for the evening that they demanded a refund.

Lady Gaga

Before she became famous as “Lady Gaga”, this lady was known to be a sought-after-DJ at popular clubs. This was at the start of her career, until she decided to do so much more with her talent and are we glad she did!

Paris Hilton

She’s not just an heiress and a reality TV star, but she’s also a fabulous DJ touring around the world to play at some of the hottest night clubs. Incidentally, she is also one of the highest paid DJ’s in the world, charging $1 million for every appearance! Talk about the rich getting richer.

Ansel Elgort

‘The Fault in Our Stars’ actor also happens to be a successful DJ playing under  the stage name Ansolo. He specializes in EDM and has some great remixes to his credit. 

Liam Payne

This English singer and songwriter who rose to fame after participating in the ‘X Factor’ also happens to be a pretty good EDM DJ. So we know what he would’ve come into fame for if not as a reality TV star.

Taylor Momsen

Although she didn’t exactly have what it takes to be the “It DJ”, this former “Gossip Girl” actress sure did try a hand at it in 2012.

Alexa Chung

British fashion icon Alexa Chung is one of the most adored celebrity DJs’ in the circuit especially because she plays what she does and makes it sound so good!

Justin Timberlake

The talented singer, actor and dancer can DJ too! Needless to say, his predisposition as a singer gives him the much required edge. His fans would agree that it would be nice to dance to his tunes!

Audrina Patridge

The former reality TV star who rose to fame after her appearance in “The Hills”, now has a successful career as an emcee at events in nightclubs coupled with frequent sets at the turntable.

Kellan Lutz

This gorgeous “Twilight” actor looks so good, even his talent as a DJ sucked, fans would still flock to his gigs. He’s known to often take to the turntables to spin a few catchy tunes and just have fun with what he does and so does the crowd.

Joe Jonas