James C. Veatch

James Clifford Veatch (December 19, 1819 – December 22, 1895) was a lawyer who served as an Indiana state legislator and county auditor. He later served as a Union general during the American Civil War, fighting primarily in the Western Theater. He rose to command of a division of infantry and fought in several important battles.
Early life and career.
Veatch was born near Elizabeth, Indiana, in 1819. His father Isaac Veatch was a member of the Indiana House of Representatives from 1827 to 1828. He died of cholera in July 1833. His grandfather Nathan Veatch fought in the American Revolution at the Battle of King's Mountain as a lieutenant of Tennessee Volunteers. His great-grandfather James Veatch fought, was wounded, and died of his wounds in the American Revolution at the Battle of Camden.
James Veatch was educated in common schools and under private tutors. He studied law and was admitted to the bar, establishing a private practice in Elizabethtown. He practiced for many years, and was the auditor of Spencer County, Indiana, from 1841 until 1855. He was serving as a state legislator when the Civil War began.
Civil War service.
Veatch volunteered for service in the Union army and was appointed colonel of the 25th Regiment Indiana Infantry. He led the regiment at the battle of Fort Donelson and then took command of the 2nd Brigade in Stephen A. Hurlbut's division at the battle of Shiloh. Major John W. Foster noted that "Colonel Veatch acted with great courage. He was always with his brigade in the thickest of the fight."
On April 28, 1862, Veatch was appointed brigadier general of volunteers. He was still in command of his brigade during the siege of Corinth and the battle of Hatchie's Bridge where he was wounded. For the next year General Veatch commanded the District of Memphis. Veatch led the 4th Division of the XVI Corps during the Meridian Expedition. His division joined William T. Sherman's forces for the Atlanta Campaign and fought at the battles of Resaca, Dallas and Kennesaw Mountain. He went on sick leave on July 17, 1864, just prior to the Battle of Atlanta. When Veatch returned to active duty his former commander, Oliver O. Howard, instructed him to wait in Memphis for orders. He briefly commanded the District of West Tennessee before being assigned to the Department of the Gulf. There he assumed command of the 1st Division in Gordon Granger's XIII Corps and participated in the Battle of Fort Blakely. He was brevetted to major general of volunteers in March 1865 and resigned from the army in August of that year.
Following is the report of the 1st Division's action during the Alabama Campaign and the Battle of Fort Blakely as submitted by General Veatch:
HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
April 13, 1865
CAPTAIN: In compliance with instructions received from headquarters Thirteenth Army Corps, I have the honor to submit the following report of the march and operations of this command since leaving Navy Cove:
On the afternoon of March 18, 1865, marched four miles through deep sand of the Gulf beach; course, east southeast; camped at 6 p.m. for the night. Sunday, March 19, 1865, reveille at 5 a.m.; marched at 6 a.m.; marched twelve miles; course, east-northeast; crossed Shell Bank Bay about 11 a.m.; camped at 4 p.m. Monday, March 20, reveille at 5 a.m.; marched at 6 a.m.; marched eight miles; found the road impassable; retraced the route for the distance of four miles; camped for the night at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, reveille at 5 a.m., but owing to the roads being impassable the command did not break camp, details of 1,200 men being sent forward to build corduroy roads; raining all day. Wednesday, March 22, reveille at 4 a.m. marched at 5 a.m.; crossed Mud Creek at 6.15 a.am., marching over three miles of corduroy made the preceding day and night, making five miles, the rear of the column making only three miles and a half. Thursday, March 23, struck tents at 5 a.m.; marched at 6 a.m.; made corduroy all day; went into camp at 2 p.m.; details making corduroy all night; marched one mile. Friday, March 24, left camp at 5 a.m.; marched thirteen miles; course northwest; crossed East Branch of Fish River at 10 a.m.; crossed the Main Branch of Fish River at 1.30 p.m. Command went into camp one mile west of the crossing, on the road leading to Deer Park, at 2.45 p. m. General Slack, commanding First Brigade, which was the rear guard, reported his train had been attacked by a small party of rebel cavalry. Lost 8 men prisoners and 14 mules. Saturday, March 25, marched at 12.15 p.m.; course northwest; marched seven miles and a half; camped at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 26, marched at 6.30 a.m., crossing both branches of D'Olive's Creek, First Brigade, General Slack commanding, in advance, Twenty first Iowa Infantry being advance guard. About 12 m. skirmish line advanced. At 2 p.m. met enemy about one mile and a half from Spanish Fort. Slight skirmishing until 5 p.m., when the skirmish line was advanced. At 6.30 p.m. sharp and rapid firing in front of Twenty-first Iowa. Enemy's line driven into the fort. Twenty-first Iowa lost 1 killed and 2 wounded, the skirmish line and reserves being halted until morning. At 3 a.m. on Monday, March 27, the enemy advanced a strong skirmish line, which was promptly driven back. The entire command under arms at daylight on the morning of the 27th. General Benton, commanding Third Division, moved up on our right. The enemy skirmished into their fortifications, and then closed up. Loss in First Division, 2 killed and 156 wounded. Tuesday, March 28. The evening of yesterday the command engaged in throwing up rifle-pits, and making slow advances upon the line of the enemy. Heavy skirmish firing all day. Seventh Massachusetts Battery went into position on the left of General Benton's line. A great amount of artillery firing. One man killed and 4 wounded. The command holding two brigades front in column of regiments with strong skirmish line from each brigade. Second Brigade in reserve. Second Brigade relieved the First Brigade during the night. Wednesday, March 29, heavy firing on skirmishing line and by enemy's artillery. Large details from the command building batteries during the day and night. Four men killed and 9 men wounded in Twenty-ninth Illinois Infantry by a shell; 2 men wounded in Second Brigade. At 12 midnight enemy made a sortie along the whole front of my line, but were handsomely repulsed. An advance of the whole skirmish line was made, upon the enemy retiring, of about 100 yards. Thursday, March 30, heavy skirmish firing about daylight, and was continued until 8 a.m. Captain James T. Reed, of my staff, slightly wounded in leg by pieces of spent shell. At 3 p.m. received orders to withdraw my command from the line of investment and report to Major-General Canby for orders, who directed me to take charge of a supply train of quartermaster's and commissary of subsistence stores, and proceed to Holyoke, for the purpose of communicating with and supplying Major-General Steele's command. Proceeded about two miles on the Holyoke road and camped for the night. Five men wounded during the day. Friday, March 31, marched at 8 a.m., with train of seventy-five wagons loaded with supplies. Arrived at Holyoke at 12 m.; entrenched, encamped to await General Steele's arrival.
Saturday, April 1, Major McEntee, of General Steele's staff, came up from General Canby's headquarters with dispatch and an escort of cavalry. Lieutenant-Colonel Thornburgh, Fourth Tennessee Cavalry, with a command of about 1,000 men, reported to me, by order of Major-General Canby, who remained until 3 p.m., and then moved out for the purpose of attempting to make a connection and to communicate with the forces of Major-General Steele. At 6 p.m. heard firing in the direction of Blakely; sent forward a squadron of cavalry, which was in camp as an advance guard; immediately followed it with two regiments of infantry and a section of artillery. Marched about three miles, and everything becoming quiet, and the night becoming very dark, I returned to camp, which point I reached at 9 p.m. Sunday, April 2, at 6 a.m. received information of a party of rebel scouts. Sent out a party to capture them, who returned at 9 a.m. without being successful. The cavalry force of Colonel Thornburgh returned at 11 a.m. without hearing anything of General Steele. One battalion was sent at once with wagon train to Starke's Landing for supplies. The balance was sent by two different roads to meet General Steele's command. At 12 m. heard General Steele's command were investing Blakely. At 3 p.m. General Steele's train came for the supplies. At the same time the train sent at 11 a.m. to Starke's Landing returned empty, by order of Major-General Canby. Monday, April 3, at midnight received an order from General Canby to immediately march to the support of General Steele at Blakely. At 1 o'clock the entire column, with trains, &c., was in motion. Crossed the bridge at Sibley's Mills just before daylight. Reported to General Steele, and was ordered to take position to the left of General Andrews' division in line of investment. At 3 p.m. was relieved by General Garrard's division. Moved back from front and went into camp as a reserve. Tuesday, April 4, remained in camp until 9 p.m., when the Second Brigade was sent to the front to occupy a vacancy in the line between the line of Brigadier General C. C. Andrews and Brigadier-General Garrard. Wednesday, April 5, nothing of any importance transpired during the day. At 9 p.m. the Third Brigade moved up to the support of General Hawkins' division. Thursday, April 6, the First Brigade relieved the Second Brigade in the rifle-pits; 1 man, Company C, Eighth Illinois wounded. Friday, April 7, the Second Brigade was engaged during the day in manufacturing gabions. The Thirtieth Missouri, of the Third Brigade, was similarly engaged in manufacturing them for General Hawkins' command. The Twenty-third Wisconsin Infantry was engaged in building a battery in front of General Hawkins' command. One man of the Forty-sixth Illinois Infantry wounded. Twenty-third Wisconsin, 1 killed and 4 wounded. Two wounded in Ninety-ninth Illinois Infantry. Saturday, April 8, no casualties. Considerable skirmishing along our entire front. Sunday, April 9, skirmishing during the entire day. At 5.30 a charge was made along the entire line, the charge being a complete success. The Second Brigade of this division was engaged, and was among the first in the enemy's lines. They captured a large quantity of ordnance and ordnance stores. Monday, April 10, received orders at 12.30 a.m. to withdraw forces from the enemy's works, and prepare to move at daylight. Marched at 8 a.m., and marched two and a half miles and camped. Remained in camp all day. Tuesday, April 11, remained in camp all day until 6 p.m.; marched to Starke's Landing, a distance of thirteen miles. Wednesday, April 12, embarked on transports for Mobile. Made a landing five miles below the city at 10 a.m. Moved into the city at once. Found the city evacuated, the enemy having left the night before.
JAMES C. VEATCH,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.
Captain F. W. EMERY,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
Postbellum career.
After the war, Veatch became the Indiana Adjutant General in 1869, and was active in local veterans and fraternal organizations, including the Grand Army of the Republic and the Freemasons. He was the collector of internal revenue taxes from April 1870 until August 1883.
James C. Veatch died December 22, 1895, in Rockport, Indiana and was buried at Sunset Hill Cemetery.
He was survived by three children, and the youngest generation Veatch is now in college at Iowa State University.


Vega flight VV02

Vega flight VV02 was the second flight of the Vega launcher. It occurred from the Guiana Space Centre on at 02:06:31UTC.
Payload.
The flight was a multi-payload mission that deployed 3 satellites (2 Earth observation satellites and 1 educational CubeSat) into orbit, with a total payload mass of about including the satellites themselves (about 255 kg) and the satellites adapter and dispenser.
PROBA-V.
PROBA-Vegetation, with a mass of , was in the upper position and was the first satellite to be separated, approximately 55 minutes and 27 seconds after liftoff. Its target was a quasi-circular sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of and an inclination of 98.73°.
VNREDSat-1.
VNREDSat-1, with a mass of , was in the lower position. Its target orbit was a quasi-circular sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of and an inclination of 98.1°, to be deployed 1 hour, 57 minutes and 24 seconds after liftoff.
ESTCube-1.
The "Estonian Student Satellite-1" (ESTCube-1), with a 1U volume and a mass of , was the only CubeSat onboard Vega's second flight. It was accommodated in the lower position of the structure, and was deployed by the ISIPOD dispenser 3 minutes and 24 seconds after VNREDSat-1 in approximately the same orbit.
It operated for more than 2 years before contact was completely lost on .
Mission description.
Launch date.
After being postponed twice, the successful Vega flight took place on at 02:06:31UTC ( at 23:06:31 local time) from the ELV launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana.
It was the Arianespace launch of after Ariane 5 VA212, followed by another 3 Ariane 5 and 2 Soyuz flights.
Orbit.
The mission was planned to last 2 hours and 48 seconds, placing its respectively primary and secondary payloads into quasi-circular sun-synchronous orbits at altitudes of respectively and .


Matti Vanhala

Erkki Matti Vanhala (born 31 January 1946 in Helsinki, died 29 September 2004) was an influential Finnish economist. He was Governor of the Bank of Finland from June 1998 until July 2004.
Vanhala graduated in political science. He worked from 1968 to 1970 in the Ministry of Finance, and started as a researcher in the Bank of Finland in 1970. In 1998 he succeeded Sirkka Hämäläinen as the Governor of Bank of Finland and also as a member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank.
In 1999 he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He was twice on leave due to the prolonged illness. He retired in July 2004.
Matti Vanhala died on 29 September 2004 after a long illness.


The Last Leprechaun

The Last Leprechaun is a BBC-broadcast television fantasy film of 1998, directed by David Lister and starring Veronica Hamel, Jack Scalia, and Mick Walter.
Plot.
Tommy and Ethel Barridge, the children of multi-millionaire American business man Henry Barridge, go to Ireland to spend the summer holidays with Laura Duvall, who is engaged to marry their father. However, they find she is a wicked banshee with strong black magic powers who does not wish them well. Laura is busy cutting down trees on her estate and is also planning the destruction of the last king of the little people, or leprechauns. Tommy and Ethel take his side against their wicked future stepmother.


Capturing Mary

Capturing Mary is a BBC television drama (co-produced by HBO), written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff, starring Maggie Smith, David Waliams, Ruth Wilson and Danny Lee Wynter. It was aired on BBC Two on 12 November 2007. It is linked, by the central character of Joe, to another Poliakoff drama, "Joe's Palace", which was first aired on 4 November 2007.
Overview.
The drama saw a repeat of Danny Lee Wynter's caretaker character of Joe, who encounters former socialite Mary (played by Maggie Smith in the present and Ruth Wilson in her youth) when she visits the house featured in "Joe's Palace". We see flashbacks to her past links with the house. This present-day meeting between Joe and Mary overlaps with the events of "Joe's Palace".
Plot.
We first meet the character of Mary as an old woman (Maggie Smith) in the present. The "old" Mary, a former journalist and socialite, arrives at the house of Elliot Graham's late father. Joe (Danny Lee Wynter), the caretaker of the house, takes pity on her and invites her in. She begins to recount to Joe the significance of the house to her.
Moving from room to room, she tells Joe of the 1950s high society soirees she was invited to in the house. She recalls how Mr Graham's soirees were attended by the great and the good – the aristocracy, the nouveaux riche, industrialists, newspaper barons, editors, actors and directors. She tells Joe that she has been haunted by the memory of a sinister man named Greville White (David Walliams) whom she met one evening in the house. Greville White turns out to be a social climber whose influence reached into high society. Mary recalls that he was supremely charming but utterly evil. We see Greville and the "young" Mary (Ruth Wilson) in Mr Graham's cellar selecting fine wines for a salad that he has prepared. In the cellar, Greville tells Mary of dark secrets involving members of the British Establishment who are enjoying Mr Graham's soiree in the rooms above them. The secrets involve child abuse, sexual perversion, anti-semitism and racism amongst the great and the good.
He feigns friendship with Mary but she rejects him because of his malevolence. Greville retaliates by using his influence over the newspaper proprietors to deny her work in Britain. The audience encounters subsequent meetings between the two in the 1950s and 1960s at Mr Graham's soirees and other social events. We see the sinister destruction of Mary's life as she becomes preoccupied by Greville's influence on her and her slide into despair and alcoholism. The end of the drama sees Greville re-appear in Kensington Gardens in the present. Mary is now an old woman but the sinister Greville has not aged since they first met in the 1950s.
Production.
Casting.
The programme also starred David Walliams as the character Greville White. Gemma Arterton, still in drama school at the time, played her first professional acting role as Greville White's young date, Liza.


Preparer Tax Identification Number

The Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) is an identification number that all paid tax return preparers must use on U.S. federal tax returns or claims for refund submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Anyone who, for compensation, prepares all or substantially all of any federal tax return or claim for refund must obtain a PTIN issued by the IRS.
PTIN history.
The Preparer Tax Identification Number was created in 1999 to protect the privacy of tax return preparers. Preparers were required to sign the tax forms they prepared and provide their Social Security Numbers. Starting with the 2000 tax season, the IRS gave preparers the option of using either their SSNs or PTINs. Between August 1999 and August 2010, the IRS issued more than 1 million PTINs.
PTIN registration.
The IRS on September 28, 2010 launched a new, electronic PTIN sign-up system accessible through its website at www.irs.gov/taxpros. The new sign-up system requires return preparers to create an account, complete the PTIN application, pay a $64.25 fee and obtain a PTIN. However, immediately after the decision in 2017 in a U.S. Federal court case, this fee was no longer valid and there was no fee to obtain a PTIN while the case and those similar wound their way through the appeals process. By creating an account, preparers create a central location where they can receive IRS information. Preparers should receive their PTINs immediately. Even preparers who already have PTINs must renew their numbers if they received them prior to September 28, 2010. If all information matches, preparers may receive the same number. The PTIN must be renewed annually. As of October 22, 2020, the IRS is now requiring that those who wish to obtain or renew their PTINs pay a $35.95 fee.
Each preparer must have his or her personal PTIN. Sharing a PTIN within an office or firm is not allowed. Preparers can submit a paper application, the Form W-12, but it will take four to six weeks to process. The electronic PTIN sign-up system takes 15 minutes to complete and process. Preparers can view an IRS YouTube video that explains the PTIN sign-up system.
Preparers who do not have social security numbers because of religious objections can complete the PTIN application and submit paper Form 8945, PTIN Supplemental Application For U.S. Citizens Without a Social Security Number Due To Conscientious Religious Objection. They must also include documentation on identity, U.S. citizenship and status in a recognized religious group.
Foreign tax return preparers.
Foreign tax return preparers who prepare U.S. tax returns must also obtain and use a PTIN. Foreign preparers who do not have or who are not eligible for social security numbers must complete the PTIN application and submit paper Form 8946, PTIN Supplemental Application For Foreign Persons Without a Social Security Number. Only preparers who have a foreign (non-U.S.) address may file this form.
Outreach to tax return preparers.
In October 2010, the IRS began sending notices to the 1 million PTIN holders it had on record, informing them of the rule changes and urging them to obtain a new or renewed PTIN before preparing tax returns in 2011. However, the agency does not know how many of those 1 million PTIN holders are still active tax return preparers, nor does the agency know how many total tax return preparers there are in the United States. In 2007, the IRS estimated that there were between 900,000 and 1.2 million paid preparers.
Penalties.
Return preparers who fail to obtain and use PTINs could face penalties. The IRS announced in November 2010 that it would not put the onus of compliance on individual taxpayers by rejecting tax returns without valid PTINs. However, the agency said it would contact those tax return preparers and urge them to comply with the PTIN mandate.
RTRP program.
The use of the PTIN predated by many years the launching of the IRS Registered Tax Return Preparer Program in 2010. Thus, the requirement that a tax return preparer use either a social security number or a PTIN when engaged in the business of preparing federal tax returns pre-dated the requirements that had been imposed by the Internal Revenue Service in its Registered Tax Return Preparer program.
"Loving v. Internal Revenue Service".
On January 18, 2013, in a decision in "Loving v. Internal Revenue Service", Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the Internal Revenue Service lacked the statutory authority to regulate tax return preparers. On February 1, 2013, the Court issued an additional order clarifying that the IRS is "not required to suspend its PTIN program," but that "no tax-return preparer may be required to pay testing or continuing-education fees or to complete any testing or continuing education."
In 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed the judgment of the district court.


Kyrylo Shevchenko

Kyrylo Yevhenovych Shevchenko (; born October 25, 1972) is a Ukrainian banker and the Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine. He is the former Chairman of the Board of the state-owned Ukrgasbank (2014—2020).
Education and career.
September 1987 — August 1989, Shevchenko worked as repairmen at the Illich mine in Kadiivka, Luhansk Oblast.
In 1994 Shevchenko graduated from Kharkiv State Economic University with a diploma in economics.
March 1995 — September 1995, leading economist at Aval Bank.
October 1995 — December 2006, he made a career in Finance and Credit bank, having occupied the position of the first deputy chairman of the Board.
December 2006 — May 2009, head of the State Mortgage Institution.
May 2009 — September 2009, adviser to the Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko.
Until 2012, Shevchenko was a shareholder in (the defunct since 2014) Terra Bank.
Ukrgasbank.
September 2009 — April 2010, first Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Ukrgasbank.
May 2012 — August 2014, advisor to the Chairman of the Board of state-owned bank Oschadbank.
October 2014 — May 2015, acting Chairman of the Board of Ukrgasbank.
May 28, 2015 — July 16, 2020, Chairman of the Board of Ukrgasbank.
In 2017, Kyrylo Shevchenko together with the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine Ostap Semerak presented the first in Ukraine environmentally friendly payment card made entirely of bio-raw materials. The manufacturer of the new payment cards is the German company Giesecke & Devrient.
National Bank of Ukraine.
On July 16, 2020, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) appointed Kyrylo Shevchenko the Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine.
Private life.
Shevchenko is married and has a daughter.


Feres v. United States

Feres v. United States, 340 U.S. 135 (1950), combined three pending federal cases for a hearing in certiorari in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the United States is not liable under the Federal Tort Claims Act for injuries to members of the armed forces sustained while on active duty and not on furlough and resulting from the negligence of others in the armed forces. The opinion is an extension of the English common-law concept of sovereign immunity.
The practical effect is that the "Feres doctrine" effectively bars service members from collecting damages from the United States Government for personal injuries experienced in the performance of their duties. It also bars families of service members from filing wrongful death or loss of consortium actions when a service member is killed or injured. The bar does not extend to killed or injured family members, so a spouse or child may still sue the United States for tort claims, nor does it bar service members from filing either "in loco parentis" on their child's behalf or filing for wrongful death or loss of consortium as a companion claim to a spouse or child's suit.
There have been exceptions to the Feres doctrine where active duty members have been allowed to sue for injuries when the court found that civilians could have been harmed in the same manner under the same circumstances in which the service member's injuries occurred.
Injuries experienced by service members while on active duty are covered by various Department of Veterans Affairs benefits legislation.
The effect of the doctrine was substantially limited by a change in the law made by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which created an administrative process to hear claims of medical malpractice.
Facts.
"Feres v. United States" combined three cases pending in the federal courts: the "Feres" case, the "Jefferson" case and the "Griggs" case.
A common issue arising under the Federal Tort Claims Act, as to which Courts of Appeals are in conflict, makes it appropriate to consider three cases in one opinion.
The "Feres" case: The District Court dismissed an action by the executrix of Feres against the United States to recover for death caused by negligence. Decedent perished by fire in the barracks at Pine Camp, New York, while on active duty in service of the United States. Negligence was alleged in quartering him in barracks known or which should have been known to be unsafe because of a defective heating plant, and in failing to maintain an adequate fire watch. The Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, dismissed the case.
The "Jefferson" case: Plaintiff, while in the Army, was required to undergo an abdominal operation. About eight months later, in the course of another operation after plaintiff was discharged, a towel 30 inches long by 18 inches wide, marked "Medical Department U.S. Army," was discovered and removed from his stomach. The complaint alleged that it was negligently left there by the army surgeon. The District Court, being doubtful of the law, refused without prejudice the Government's pretrial motion to dismiss the complaint. After trial, finding negligence as a fact, Judge Chesnut carefully reexamined the issue of law and concluded that the Act does not charge the United States with liability in this type of case. The Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, affirmed dismissal of the case.
The "Griggs" case: The District Court dismissed the complaint of Griggs' executrix, which alleged that while on active duty he met death because of negligent and unskillful medical treatment by army surgeons. The Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit, reversed and, one judge dissenting, held that the complaint stated a cause of action under the Act.
The case was heard by the United States Supreme Court in certiorari.
Opinion.
The Opinion of the Court was rendered by the Honorable Justice Robert Jackson.
The common fact underlying the three cases is that each claimant, while on active duty and not on furlough, sustained injury due to negligence of others in the armed forces. The only issue of law raised is whether the Tort Claims Act extends its remedy to one sustaining "incident to the service" what under other circumstances would be an actionable wrong. This is the "wholly different case" reserved from our decision in "Brooks v. United States".
There are few guiding materials for our task of statutory construction. No committee reports or floor debates disclose what effect the statute was designed to have on the problem before us, or that it even was in mind. Under these circumstances, no conclusion can be above challenge, but if we misinterpret the Act, at least Congress possesses a ready remedy.
We do not overlook considerations persuasive of liability in these cases. The Act does confer district court jurisdiction generally over claims for money damages against the United States founded on negligence. It does contemplate that the Government will sometimes respond for negligence of military personnel, for it defines "employee of the Government" to include "members of the military or naval forces of the United States," and provides that " `acting within the scope of his office or employment', in the case of a member of the military or naval forces of the United States, means acting in line of duty." Its exceptions might also imply inclusion of claims such as we have here. [The statute] excepts "any claim arising out of the combatant activities of the military or naval forces, or the Coast Guard, during time of war", from which it is said we should infer allowance of claims arising from noncombat activities in peace. Section 2680 (k) excludes "any claim arising in a foreign country." Significance also has been attributed in these cases, as in the Brooks case, to the fact that eighteen tort claims bills were introduced in Congress between 1925 and 1935 and all but two expressly denied recovery to members of the armed forces; but the bill enacted as the present Tort Claims Act from its introduction made no exception. We also are reminded that the Brooks case, in spite of its reservation of service-connected injuries, interprets the Act to cover claims not incidental to service, and it is argued that much of its reasoning is as apt to impose liability in favor of a man on duty as in favor of one on leave. These considerations, it is said, should persuade us to cast upon Congress, as author of the confusion, the task of qualifying and clarifying its language if the liability here asserted should prove so depleting of the public treasury as the Government fears.
This Act, however, should be construed to fit, so far as will comport with its words, into the entire statutory system of remedies against the Government to make a workable, consistent and equitable whole. The Tort Claims Act was not an isolated and spontaneous flash of congressional generosity. It marks the culmination of a long effort to mitigate unjust consequences of sovereign immunity from suit. While the political theory that the King could do no wrong was repudiated in America, a legal doctrine derived from it that the Crown is immune from any suit to which it has not consented was invoked on behalf of the Republic and applied by our courts as vigorously as it had been on behalf of the Crown. As the Federal Government expanded its activities, its agents caused a multiplying number of remediless wrongs—wrongs which would have been actionable if inflicted by an individual or a corporation but remediless solely because their perpetrator was an officer or employee of the Government. Relief was often sought and sometimes granted through private bills in Congress, the number of which steadily increased as Government activity increased. The volume of these private bills, the inadequacy of congressional machinery for determination of facts, the importunities to which claimants subjected members of Congress, and the capricious results, led to a strong demand that claims for tort wrongs be submitted to adjudication. Congress already had waived immunity and made the Government answerable for breaches of its contracts and certain other types of claims. At last, in connection with the Reorganization Act, it waived immunity and transferred the burden of examining tort claims to the courts. The primary purpose of the Act was to extend a remedy to those who had been without; if it incidentally benefited those already well provided for, it appears to have been unintentional. Congress was suffering from no plague of private bills on the behalf of military and naval personnel, because a comprehensive system of relief had been authorized for them and their dependents by statute.
Looking to the detail of the Act, it is true that it provides, broadly, that the District Court "shall have exclusive jurisdiction of civil actions on claims against the United States, for money damages . . . ."This confers jurisdiction to render judgment upon all such claims. But it does not say that all claims must be allowed. Jurisdiction is necessary to deny a claim on its merits as matter of law as much as to adjudge that liability exists. We interpret this language to mean all its says, but no more. Jurisdiction of the defendant now exists where the defendant was immune from suit before; it remains for courts, in exercise of their jurisdiction, to determine whether any claim is recognizable in law.
For this purpose, the Act goes on to prescribe the test of allowable claims, which is, "The United States shall be liable . . . in the same manner and to the same extent as a private individual under like circumstances. . .," with certain exceptions not material here. It will be seen that this is not the creation of new causes of action but acceptance of liability under circumstances that would bring private liability into existence. This, we think, embodies the same idea that its English equivalent enacted in 1947 expressed, "Where any person has a claim against the Crown after the commencement of this Act, and, if this Act had not been passed, the claim might have been enforced, subject to the grant . . ." of consent to be sued, the claim may now be enforced without specific consent. One obvious shortcoming in these claims is that plaintiffs can point to no liability of a "private individual" even remotely analogous to that which they are asserting against the United States. We know of no American law which ever has permitted a soldier to recover for negligence, against either his superior officers or the Government he is serving. Nor is there any liability "under like circumstances," for no private individual has power to conscript or mobilize a private army with such authorities over persons as the Government vests in echelons of command. The nearest parallel, even if we were to treat "private individual" as including a state, would be the relationship between the states and their militia. But if we indulge plaintiffs the benefit of this comparison, claimants cite us no state, and we know of none, which has permitted members of its militia to maintain tort actions for injuries suffered in the service, and in at least one state the contrary has been held to be the case. It is true that if we consider relevant only a part of the circumstances and ignore the status of both the wronged and the wrongdoer in these cases we find analogous private liability. In the usual civilian doctor and patient relationship, there is of course a liability for malpractice. And a landlord would undoubtedly be held liable if an injury occurred to a tenant as the result of a negligently maintained heating plant. But the liability assumed by the Government here is that created by "all the circumstances," not that which a few of the circumstances might create. We find no parallel liability before, and we think no new one has been created by, this Act. Its effect is to waive immunity from recognized causes of action and was not to visit the Government with novel and unprecedented liabilities.
The relationship between the Government and members of its armed forces is "distinctively federal in character," as this Court recognized in "United States v. Standard Oil Co.", wherein the Government unsuccessfully sought to recover for losses incurred by virtue of injuries to a soldier.
No federal law recognizes a recovery such as claimants seek. The Military Personnel Claims Act, permitted recovery in some circumstances, but it specifically excluded claims of military personnel "incident to their service."
This Court, in deciding claims for wrongs incident to service under the Tort Claims Act, cannot escape attributing some bearing upon it to enactments by Congress which provide systems of simple, certain, and uniform compensation for injuries or death of those in armed services.[12] We might say that the claimant may (a) enjoy both types of recovery, or (b) elect which to pursue, thereby waiving the other, or (c) pursue both, crediting the larger liability with the proceeds of the smaller, or (d) that the compensation and pension remedy excludes the tort remedy. There is as much statutory authority for one as for another of these conclusions. If Congress had contemplated that this Tort Act would be held to apply in cases of this kind, it is difficult to see why it should have omitted any provision to adjust these two types of remedy to each other. The absence of any such adjustment is persuasive that there was no awareness that the Act might be interpreted to permit recovery for injuries incident to military service.
A soldier is at peculiar disadvantage in litigation. Lack of time and money, the difficulty if not impossibility of procuring witnesses, are only a few of the factors working to his disadvantage. And the few cases charging superior officers or the Government with neglect or misconduct which have been brought since the Tort Claims Act, of which the present are typical, have either been suits by widows or surviving dependents, or have been brought after the individual was discharged. The compensation system, which normally requires no litigation, is not negligible or niggardly, as these cases demonstrate. The recoveries compare extremely favorably with those provided by most workmen's compensation statutes. In the Jefferson case, the District Court considered actual and prospective payments by the Veterans' Administration as diminution of the verdict. Plaintiff received $3,645.50 to the date of the court's computation and on estimated life expectancy under existing legislation would prospectively receive $31,947 in addition. In the Griggs case, the widow, in the two-year period after her husband's death, received payments in excess of $2,100. In addition, she received $2,695, representing the six months' death gratuity under the Act of December 17, 1919, as amended, 41 Stat. 367, 57 Stat. 599, 10 U. S. C. § 903. It is estimated that her total future pension payments will aggregate $18,000. Thus the widow will receive an amount in excess of $22,000 from Government gratuities, whereas she sought and could seek under state law only $15,000, the maximum permitted by Illinois for death.
It is contended that all these considerations were before the Court in the Brooks case and that allowance of recovery to Brooks requires a similar holding of liability here. The actual holding in the Brooks case can support liability here only by ignoring the vital distinction there stated. The injury to Brooks did not arise out of or in the course of military duty. Brooks was on furlough, driving along the highway, under compulsion of no orders or duty and on no military mission. A government owned and operated vehicle collided with him. Brooks' father, riding in the same car, recovered for his injuries and the Government did not further contest the judgment but contended that there could be no liability to the sons, solely because they were in the Army. This Court rejected the contention, primarily because Brooks' relationship while on leave was not analogous to that of a soldier injured while performing duties under orders.
We conclude that the Government is not liable under the Federal Tort Claims Act for injuries to servicemen where the injuries arise out of or are in the course of activity incident to service. Without exception, the relationship of military personnel to the Government has been governed exclusively by federal law. We do not think that Congress, in drafting this Act, created a new cause of action dependent on local law for service-connected injuries or death due to negligence. We cannot impute to Congress such a radical departure from established law in the absence of express congressional command. Accordingly, the judgments in the Feres and Jefferson cases are affirmed and that in the Griggs case is reversed.
MR. JUSTICE DOUGLAS concurs in the result.
Discussion.
A clarifying discussion of the Feres Doctrine was written in the decision of "Martinelli v. United States Department of the Army", 1987.
OPINION OF THE COURT
I.
Appellant Rose Martinelli appeals from the district court dismissal of her Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) suit against the United States for
damages for the death of her son allegedly caused by injuries received while serving as a member of the United States Army Reserves. The district court held that suit was barred as a matter of law because of the doctrine expressed in "Feres v. United States", that military servicemen may not sue the United States government under the FTCA for injuries arising during service in the military. This court has not previously considered the application of the Feres doctrine to military reservists. Our review over this issue is plenary.
II.
In Feres, the Court gave several reasons for its preclusion of an FTCA suit alleging that negligence caused the death of a serviceman trapped in a barracks during a fire while on active duty. The Court referred to the availability of assured compensation, stating that because injured servicepersons may seek recovery under the Veterans' Benefits Act, a remedy under the FTCA is unnecessary. Martinelli argues that military reservists are different because no such relief is available to them. However, as the government points out, there is provision for such coverage because under the Veterans' Benefits Act reserve duty is expressly encompassed within "inactive duty training", and the statutory definition of veteran includes one who became disabled or died during a period of "inactive duty training".
The Feres Court also noted that the FTCA imposed liability on the government only "in the same manner and to the same extent as a private individual under such circumstances." The Court stated that there is no liability in the private sphere analogous to that asserted against the United States by or on behalf of a serviceman injured while on military duty. Based on this rationale, later cases have held that the Feres doctrine is based primarily on the effect of lawsuits on military effectiveness. Thus, in "United States v. Brown" the Court stated that the Feres doctrine was based on the "peculiar and special relationship of the soldier to his superiors, the effects of the maintenance of such suits on discipline, and the extreme results that might obtain if suits under the Tort Claims Act were allowed for negligent orders given or negligent acts committed in the course of military duty." More recently, in "United States v. Shearer", the Court again stated that the important focus in considering the applicability of the Feres doctrine is "whether the suit requires the civilian court to second guess military decisions."
The allegation of Martinelli's complaint, which we must accept as true in the procedural posture of this case, is that Martinelli's son died as a result of exposure to noxious gases during his participation as a civilian reserve member in gas chamber exercises. Martinelli alleges the exercises were conducted negligently, carelessly and recklessly. In "Jaffee v. United States" this court held that Feres precluded recovery by a serviceman who developed cancer after what the complaint claimed was intentional exposure to radiation during a military exercise. Judge Higginbotham, writing for the majority, stated that suits for service injuries are prohibited because of "their effect on the willingness of military personnel to follow directions of their superiors" and because "[m]ilitary decisionmakers might not be willing to act as quickly and forcefully as is necessary ... if they know they will subsequently be called into a civilian court to answer for their actions." The rationale used by this court in Jaffee is equally applicable to Martinelli. Suits by reservists, albeit civilian, for injuries received while on reserve training in military exercises would have the same consequences.
Accordingly, we hold that the Feres doctrine bars FTCA suits by or on behalf of persons serving in the United States Military Reserves because the same rationale that precludes suits by or on behalf of servicepersons is equally applicable to reservists. Our decision is in accord with that of several other courts of appeals that have addressed the issue.
Martinelli argues that we should engage in a case-by-case review to ascertain if application of Feres is appropriate. However, in "Jorden v. National Guard" we rejected the argument that Feres requires us to inquire in each case whether judicial review will unduly interfere with military operations. Instead, we reaffirmed our view, held as well by the majority of courts, that Feres is a per se bar of damage actions against the United States and military officers arising out of injuries to military personnel.
In rejecting plaintiff's appeal, we feel compelled to point out that attempts by members of this court to limit the Feres doctrine have been consistently unsuccessful. The panel opinion in "Jaffee" that would have held that Feres does not grant absolute immunity to military and civilian defendants when charged with intentional, unauthorized tortious conduct, This court's opinion that the survivor of an off-duty serviceman could recover from the government for its negligent failure to prevent his murder by another off-duty serviceman was reversed by the Supreme Court in "United States v. Shearer" It is therefore evident that any relaxation in the Feres doctrine must come from Congress.
For the foregoing reasons, we will affirm the order dismissing the complaint.
Latest challenges to the Feres Doctrine.
In "Miller v. United States", the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals continued to demonstrate just how far Feres could be extended when the Court applied the doctrine to a fourth class Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy. Leonce J. Miller, III brought suit against the United States government after he was knocked overboard and unconscious by the boom of the sailboat he was navigating due to improper training and inclement weather. Miller sustained further damage when he was unable to be immediately rescued because the U.S. Navy's boat overseeing the exercise was inoperable and those assigned to watch the trainees were working on the boat. Subsequent to the accident, Miller was admitted to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where he was told he had no physiological injuries, only to learn subsequently that he had suffered a fractured neck and vestibular nerve damage. For nearly four years, Miller was unable to walk unassisted. Despite applying the doctrine, the Court seemed to acknowledge its harshness and in a rare move personally addressed Miller, stating:
In "Witt v. United States", the doctrine was upheld yet again. In October 2003, Airman SSGT. Dean P. Witt was admitted to David Grant Medical Center for a routine appendectomy while he was on approved furlough to finalize his transfer from Hill Air Force Base, Utah to Travis Air Force Base, California. Prior to post-op, and shortly following surgery, a military nurse anesthetist re-inserted an endotracheal tube into his esophagus instead of his trachea, forcing life saving oxygen to be pumped into his stomach, instead of his lungs, and then utilized a pediatric medical device to try and save him, resulting in an anoxic brain injury that left him in a vegetative state. Witt died 3 months later on January 9, 2004.
Witt's wife filed a wrongful death claim in August 2008 under Federal Tort Claims Act in California's Eastern (9th) Circuit District, which was reluctantly denied by District Judge John Mendez in February 2009. Mendez urged the Supreme Court to revisit the Feres Doctrine because the Feres Doctrine was “unfair” and “irrational.”
In May 2010, Witt's wife appealed the Ninth Circuit's decision and in January 2011, Witt's wife filed for petition for writ of certiorari. In February 2011, amicus briefs were filed in support of Witt's appeal. However, the Supreme Court refused to hear the case and the petition for certiorari was denied on June 27, 2011.
In March 2009, New York Congressional District Democrat Maurice Hinchey introduced the Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act of 2009, an amended version of a bill from 2008. In 2010, Hinchey re-introduced the amended bill in the House of Representatives. The bill would have amended the Federal Torts Claims Act to allow claims for military members who are injured or killed due to negligent and wrongful acts in healthcare, except during military conflict from those who are employed by the U.S. Government; it did not pass.
In 2019, SFC Richard Stayskal, who was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer after military doctors noticed but failed to look into a growth in his lung on two separate occasions, testified before Congress about his ordeal. The result was the SFC Richard Stayskal Military Medical Accountability Act of 2019, signed into law by President Donald Trump on December 20 of that year, which created an administrative process for the filing and resolution of medical malpractice claims. It thus represented the first-ever successful challenge to the doctrine.

"Aaranya Kaandam" is named after one of the chapters from the epic Ramayana meaning "Jungle Chapter". It is supposedly the first "neo-noir" film in Tamil cinema and influenced by films like "Traffic" and "Pulp Fiction". Thiagarajan Kumararaja said that his inspiration behind making a gangster film was revealed to be "The Godfather" as well as the thought of "how someone becomes a gangster and continues to be one", clarifying that "Aaranya Kaandam" was not a biography or history of a gangster but "a page out of the life of a gangster". The film's poster was inspired by a panel in "Akira", a widely popular Japanese post-apocalyptic cyber-punk manga series.
Music.
Yuvan Shankar Raja was signed as the music director, who was working on a gangster film again after the likes of "Pattiyal" and "Pudhupettai". Kumararaja divulged that he actually hadn't anyone in mind, but joined with Yuvan Shankar, following producer Charan's recommendation, who shared a "good working relationship" with the composer. Initially a soundtrack was also planned to be composed, with Gangai Amaran being roped in to pen lyrics, however Charan disclosed later that the film would feature no songs at all, becoming Yuvan Shankar Raja's second film project after "Adhu" without a soundtrack. Charan told that the background music of this film will be released on CD's which eventually proved false. The song "Moodupanikkul" from "Thirudan Police" (2014) was originally composed for this film.
Release.
The film was first screened on 30 October 2010 at the South Asian International Film Festival in New York City. The film was incomplete at that time, with post-production works pending, and a low-quality version without colour correction and without a film score was projected at the festival. Despite the drawbacks, the film gained positive feedbacks and went on to win the Grand Jury prize for Best Film.
After completion, the film was screened to the regional censor board in Chennai, who declined to clear it. The committee had demanded 52 cuts and several consequential sub-cuts, particularly due to profanity and excessive violence, before permitting a theatrical release. Kumararaja, who admitted that he had expected difficulties in the censorship, disapproved of the board's demands as he wanted to present the film uncompromisingly to the audiences. He claimed that the usage of "bad language" was "part of developing the characters" in his story, while he also disagreed with bleeping out the "objectionable" words since he felt "it throws audiences off the film's narrative". Producer Charan voiced the same opinion, citing that he had made the film for a "mature audience", took the film to the Central Tribunal at Delhi.
Critical response.
"Aaranya Kaandam" opened to strong critical acclaim. "The India Daily" lauded the director and the producer for making a "strikingly different film that is raw, realistic and is just like watching angry men up close", further adding that "picturizing crude realities of life so real needs amazing guts". The leading actors, particularly Jackie Shroff and Sampath, were appreciated for their performances, being labeled as "perfect", while film score and cinematography were praised as well, citing that "Yuvan Shankar Raja deserves all accolades for a fantastic re-recording" and that "Vinod's lens captures the darker sides of city life well". "Rediff"s Pavithra Srinivasan gave the film 3 out of 5, claiming that film "bypasses gangster clichés". The reviewer also spoke in high terms of the cast and crew, pointing out Guru Somasundaram's performance whose "gleeful cackles at the rooster fight, pathetic rumblings to his son and wide-eyed act in the Lodge are wonderful to behold" and Yuvan Shankar Raja's score, described as "easily [one of] the movie's biggest strengths". "Behindwoods" claimed the film to be an "intelligently made gangster flick", giving it 3.5 out of 5. Director Kumararaja was praised for that having structured "every frame and character in his film with brilliant dexterity", adding that the manner of narration and screen play was "commendable", while also acknowledging aspects such as dialogues, music and cinematography. "Sify"s reviewer appreciated Kumararaja for "taking the road less travelled", however criticised the large amount of violence in the film, terming it the "most violent and bloody film ever to get through Chennai regional censors". In regard to the performances of the cast, he cited that the best performance came from Sampath, who "just smirks throughout the film", while claiming that Yasmin was "fantastic in her début role".
"NDTV"s critic described the film as a "gangster movie which stands out with its realistic portrayal and no-nonsense treatment", further adding that "good performances, effective dialogues, slick editing and amazing camera-work help the movie stand out from the crowd". A reviewer from "Chennaionline" wrote that the film was made "near-perfect" featuring "some stunning performances, sharp dialogues and excellent camera work and music". Jackie Shroff and P. S. Vinod, in particular, won high praise from the critic, who wrote that the former "proves his class" and "shines in the don’s role", while they had done a "terrific job and should be considered a major factor for the film’s success at the box-office". N. Venkateswaran from "Times of India" rated the film 4.5 out of 5 (the highest rating for any Tamil film ever), while "The Hindustan Times" critic Gautaman Bhaskaran gave 3.5 out of 5. Rohit Ramachandran of "nowrunning.com", too, rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stating that "Aaranya Kaandam is a neo-noir film that runs at breakneck speed only to be slowed down and stopped at an unwelcome destination. But why think of the destination when the journey is one that you've thoroughly enjoyed?" Baradwaj Rangan commended the film, citing that "with most mainstream films, especially in Tamil, you know some fifteen minutes in if they’re working for you (or not) [...] But there are a few that leave you hanging until almost the end [...], and then, gradually, things begin to cohere and reshape your entire thus-far experience, and you slap your forehead and smile and say, "wow"! This is one of those films."
Accolades.
"Aaranya Kaandam" appeared on many top ten or top five lists of the best films of 2011.


Dhavala Satyam

Davala Satyam is an Indian film director, producer and screenplay writer. He has worked predominantly in Telugu cinema since the early 1980s.
Satyam is known for his revolutionary movies known as Erra Cinema in Telugu. His film Yuvatharam Kadilindi won a Nandi Award for Best Feature Film from the Government of Andhra Pradesh and M. Prabhakar Reddy won the Nandi Award for Best Actor in 1980.
He associated with film personalities such Dasari Narayana Rao, Madala Ranga Rao, Chiranjeevi, Murali Mohan and R. Narayana Murthy.
Satyam directed "Chaitanya Ratham" (1987), a controversial biopic on politician Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga and his brother Vangaveeti Radha despite the political pressures. Both Ranga and Radha were murdered by political opponents. The movie prints were destroyed.


Nemai Ghosh (director)

Nemai Ghosh, or Nimai Ghosh (1914–1988), was an Indian film director and cinematographer, best known for his film "Chinnamul" (1950).
Career.
Ghosh started his career as a stage actor with Little Theatre Group formed by Utpal Dutt . In addition to photography, he directed the highly acclaimed and neo-realistic "Chinnamul" (1950), that dealt with partition of Bengal during the partition of India in 1947. Film director Ritwik Ghatak started his film career as an assistant in this film.
However, despite critical acclaim "Chinnamul" failed commercially, thereafter Goshi relocated to Madras (now Chennai), he worked in Tamil cinema as a cinematographer in a few films and directed a film titled "Paathai Theriyudhu Paar", that won Certificate of Merit for Second Best Feature Film in Tamil. His last film as a director was the Tamil film "Sooravali" (1981).
He was also active in the Film Society movement in Chennai and started the Madras Film Society which was the first society involved in that part of the country. This society came after Bombay and Calcutta Film Societies started in 1942 and 1947 respectively.
He was also a pioneer in the labour movement of employees of various hues working in the film industry in Madras which was the production centre for Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films during those days.


Malladi Ramakrishna Sastry

Malladi Ramakrishna Sastry M.A. () (16 June 1905 – 12 September 1965) was a Telugu writer.
Lifesketch.
Their family has settled in Bandar (Machilipatnam) during his childhood.
He has passed B.A. in Machilipatnam and M.A. in Telugu and Sanskrit in Madras.
He learnt Vedas from Yadavalli Subbavadhanulu, Mahabhashyam
from Nori Subramanya Sastry and Brahmasutras from Sistla Narasimha Sastry.
He is highly learned and said to be known about 50 different languages.
Filmography.
Malladi wrote about 150 songs for nearly 40 films.
Death.
He died of Cerebral hemorrhage due to Hypertension on 12 September 1965 in Chennai.


Sameer Thahir

Sameer C. Thahir (born 7 November 1976) is an Indian cinematographer, screenwriter and director, who works mainly in Malayalam cinema while also having worked in a few Tamil films.
Thahir made his debut with "Big B", the first film directed by cinematographer Amal Neerad, in 2007. Later, he made his directorial and writing debut with "Chaappa Kurishu" (2011). His second feature film, "Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi", was released in 2013.
Early life and career.
Sameer C Thahir studied in Maharajas College Eranakulam, and the friendships formed during that period is still the driving factor for him in film making. Sameer's mentor Amal Neerad for whom he handled cinematography in "Big B", director Anwar Rasheed , Aashiq Abu for whom Sameer moved the camera in Daddy Cool, and cinematographer Rajeev Ravi for whom Sameer has assisted in films were just some of them from Maharajas friendship circle.
Sameer Thahir evolved from his passion for photography to wedding films to ad films to feature films through a period of time. He says the inspiration for making his own first film Chaappa Kurish(2011) as he wanted to make a film which he would like to see that portrays the contrasts of real life. But the film went on to receive sheer criticism for being a mere copy of a Korean film, titled 'Hand Phone'. In 2012, he handled cinematography for Siddharth Bharathan's Nidra and Lal Jose's Diamond Necklace. Thahir directed a segment in anthology film 5 Sundarikal in 2013. Later in the year his second film as a director
"Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi" was released. It received generally favorable reviews from audience and critics.
Thahir handled camera for 2014 movie Bangalore Days, directed by Anjali Menon. In 2015, He produced the movie Chandrettan Evideya under his banner Happy Hours Entertainments. He produced and directed Dulquer Salmaan starred Kali in 2016. Sameer Thahir was the cinematographer of the 2017 Tamil movie Velaiilla Pattadhari 2 and Priyadarshan's Sometimes(2018). He was the producer of Sudani from Nigeria(2018) and Thamaasha(2019), in which he also handled the cinematography of the latter.
Personal life.
Sameer married Neethu on 12 November 2013.


B. A. Subba Rao

Bugata Venkata Subba Rao, better known as B. A. Subba Rao (died 1987), is a Telugu film producer and director. He is recipient of Raghupathi Venkaiah Award for his lifetime contribution of Telugu cinema and one Filmfare Award.
He started his career in 1950 with "Palletoori Pilla" as story, screenplay writer, director and producer. He is the person who gave N. T. Rama Rao, the versatile actor politician, the first chance as a hero in this film. It was a minor commercial hit and both Subba Rao and Rama Rao gained a good reputation from it.
He has produced some films like "Raju Peda", "Chenchu Lakshmi", and "Bhishma" under the banner of B.A.S.Productions.
He made "Raju Peda" in 1954 with N. T. Rama Rao and Sudhakar in lead roles. It is a remake of the novel by Mark Twain and Hollywood movie "The Prince and the Pauper".


Erin Kellyman

Erin Mae Kellyman (born 17 October 1998) is an English actress. Kellyman has leading roles as Enfys Nest in "" (2018), as Eponine Thénardier in the BBC adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel "Les Misérables" (2019) and as Karli Morgenthau in the Disney+ series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (2021), which is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Early life.
Originally from Tamworth, Staffordshire, Kellyman attended The Rawlett School and was a graduate of the Nottingham Television Workshop.
Career.
Kellyman appeared in "Raised by Wolves", written by Caitlin Moran and her sister Caroline Moran for Channel 4. She also appeared in the 2016 BBC sitcom "The Coopers Vs The Rest" with Tanya Franks and Kerry Godliman, about a trio of adopted children raised by a suburban couple.
Kellyman was cast as the marauder Enfys Nest in "" in 2018. The role of Nest in "Solo: A Star Wars Story" has been reported as the "anti-hero we deserve" and "the most important new character introduced in the movie." This role was reported to have given Kellyman "global recognition." For the role Kellyman had to go through three stages of audition. Kellyman only tested with the lead of the film, Alden Ehrenreich, during the third audition, doing both acting and stunt test work.
Kellyman also appeared in the BBC's adaptation of "Les Misérables" as Éponine alongside Olivia Colman, Lily Collins, David Oyelowo and Dominic West. Kellyman had originally auditioned for the role of Cosette, but was called back for the role of Éponine. Kellyman praised the diversity in the BBC production, admitting she never considered she would be able to play such a role in a period drama.
Kellyman appeared in BBC Two dark comedy series "Don't Forget The Driver", starring Toby Jones. In 2020, Kellyman played the role of Maya, a child that comes to live with her distant aunt, in the BBC TV drama series "Life".
Kellyman co-stars in the 2021 Disney+ action series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" as Karli Morgenthau, a member of a radical group called the Flag Smashers, alongside Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan.
Personal life.
Kellyman has said she is mixed race and happy to play characters who have her heritage for representation of women like herself.
Kellyman is openly lesbian. She attended a pride parade in 2019 with her girlfriend, Jordan O'Coy.


Paravai Muniyamma

Paravai Muniyamma (25 June 1937 – 29 March 2020) was an Indian veteran folk singer and actress. She got the adjective Paravai as she was born in a village called Paravai in Madurai. She featured in many Tamil films mostly in supporting roles and also worked as a playback singer. Muniyamma also had her own cooking show on Kalaignar TV. She was introduced by music director Vidyasagar in the Kollywood industry.
Career.
Muniyamma pursued her career as a singer by performing at cultural temple functions and also performed around 2,000 stage performances of folk songs in her 60s, which also include shows in London, Singapore and Malaysia on behalf of the Lakshman Sruthi. In an interview with "The Hindu" in 2004, she once pointed out the fact that her overseas international folk related programmes stand testimony to the fact that human race has a passion towards folk art and culture.
She was approached by several musical directors during her peak, notably by A. R. Rahman to croon a song for the 1995 film "Muthu", however she turned down the offer due to unknown reasons. She was also approached by music director Vidyasagar to croon a folk song for the film "Dhool" (2003) and she accepted the offer. She made her film debut as playback singer with the film "Dhool" and sang her first film song "Singam Pola Nadanthu Vaaraan" which was well acclaimed by the audience as the song was shot during a fighting sequence. She was eventually cast in a supporting role in the same film by director which also eventually marked her film acting debut at the age of 66. She then appeared in over 50 films, usually playing grandmother roles. The success of the film and the song prompted further acting and singing offers for Muniyamma from the film industry.
After she was hospitalized in 2015, the Tamil film industry helped her, including actors Sivakarthikeyan, Sarathkumar and Vishal. Then, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa helped her under the MGR welfare scheme by arranging 6 lakhs fixed deposit in her name, and actor Dhanush took care of her treatment expenses.
In November 2019, she was rumoured to have died after being critically ill. In February 2020, she came to promote and watch the film "Maayanadhi" in theatre after a request from actor Abi Saravanan despite being critically ill for years. She was awarded the Kalaimamani in 2019 by the government of Tamil Nadu.
Death.
On 29 March 2020, Muniyamma died in her Madurai residence at the age of 82 due to age related illness.


Hello Jai Hind!

Hello Jai Hind! is a 2011 Marathi-language Indian film directed by Gajendra Ahire, starring Nitin Chandrakant Desai and Trupti Bhoir. The film follows the story of a person and the trouble he faces in the society, when he takes on life only through the right path.
Production.
The music for "Hello Jai Hind!" is composed by Illayaraja. This is Illayaraja's first outing in Marathi films.


Sudhakar Bokade

Sudhakar Bokade was an Indian film producer predominantly working in Bollywood film industry. He produced popular films like "" (1991), "Saajan" (1991), "Dhanwaan" (1993) and more. He was considered as a "big name" in mid-1990s in the Bollywood film industry.
Personal life.
Before starting a professional career as a film producer, Bokade worked as loader with Air India. He allegedly had connections with the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim through which he financed his films. He had also allegedly forced actor Govinda to work for his film "Izzatdaar" but he has denied these charges. After his financial problems while filming of Dilip Kumar directed film "Kalinga", Bokade in an interview expressed his displeasure on Kumar's demands of increasing the screenplay. His alleged connections with Dawood, who is fan of veteran actor Kumar, were reported as reasons of his accepting Kumar's demands.
On 6 July 2013, he was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital as he was suffering with breathing problems. He died on 7 July 2013 post heart attack. He has two daughters and one son.
Career.
Bokade produced various Hindi films starting his career in 1990. In 1990, two films produced by him, "Izzatdaar" and "Nyay Anyay" were released. The films had a budget of 20 million and 10 million respectively, but they both flopped at the box office. "Izzatdaar" had actors Govinda, Dilip Kumar and Madhuri Dixit playing the lead roles.
In 1991, he produced the romantic drama film "Saajan" with Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit playing the main roles. The film proved to be the highest grosser of the year at the box office and was declared a "Super Hit". It also ranked in top 10 grossers of the years 1990 to 1994. Along with commercial success, the film also won 2 Filmfare Awards at the 37th Filmfare Awards among 11 nominations. As the producer, he was nominated for the Best Film award, but did not win. After the commercial success of the film, he produced the film "". Directed by Nana Patekar, the film had Patekar, Madhuri Dixit and Dimple Kapadia playing lead roles. In 1992, he produced "Sapne Sajan Ke" directed by Lawrence D'Souza, who had previously directed "Saajan". But the film failed to achieve the success that their previous project did. His many successful films gave him a "big name" as a Bollywood film producer.
Later Bokade went on to produce various films, including some Marathi also. His project titled "Kalinga", a multistarrer film directed by Dilip Kumar remained incomplete due to financial problems that he faced then. The film was Kumar's first directorial venture. At the time of his death in July 2013, Bokade was returning to the film industry, after a hiatus of 15 years, with a film titled "Supermodel" starring Rajeev Khandelwal, Veena Malik and Ashmit Patel.


The Beggar (film)

The Beggar (, translit. Al-Motasawel) is a 1983 Egyptian comedy film directed by Ahmed Al-Sabaawi and starring Adel Emam.
Plot.
Emam plays Hasanin, an uneducated man who leaves his small village to live with his uncle's family in the city. After having no luck keeping a job, he must return to his village. On the way, after getting kicked out of a mosque he tries to sleep at, he ends up in a homeless shelter that he discovers is actually run by a gang forcing people to beg in the streets after maiming them. Hasanin is set out to pose as if he is a blind beggar.
Reception.
The film's depiction of beggars spurred a lawsuit by peasants against Imam, in which Imam prevailed.


African Film Festival of Cordoba

The African Film Festival of Cordoba (formerly (African Film Festival of Tarifa) or FCAT) is an annual festival devoted to African cinema held in the Spanish city of Cordoba. It is organized by the NGO Al Tarab.
The event was founded in 2004 under the name of the "African Film Showcase of Tarifa" and changed its name to "African Film Festival of Tarifa" in 2007. Since 2012, it is known as the "Cordoba African Film Festival-FCAT" (Córdoba is the new host city).
History.
The "African Film Festival of Tarifa", also known by the acronym FCAT, was born in 2004 at the initiative of the NGO Al Tarab, based in Tarifa, in Cadiz province. During the first three years the event was intended as a sample of the best film production from Africa; at the 4th edition it became a competition Festival. The Festival was founded with the aim of publicizing a new image of Africa to the Spanish public, away from the stereotypes provided by the mass media. Tarifa was a meeting point and a symbolic geographic space for the meeting and exchange of cultures. The 9th edition of the Festival will be held in Cordoba, its new host city, and will offer 94 screenings coming from Africa as well as from the Arab countries, as a new feature in the event's programme.
With the years, aside from cinema, the Festival has developed a wide range of associated activities such as visual art exhibitions, performances and participative workshops for children. The Festival programme also includes special screenings for the youth; this year around 6,000 children will participate. Since 2007, the Festival also features an area devoted to the film industry. It includes Africa Produce's forum for film co-production, a space intended to facilitate new agreements between audiovisual producers and professionals from the African and European continents. It also includes debates and round tables, this year especially aimed at brainstorming about new opportunities to build understanding between public bodies for film funding from both continents. Nowadays, the Festival's involvement with the African film industry has become one of the pillars of the event.
Structure of the festival.
The Festival is divided into a number of competitive and non-competitive sections:
Awards.
Each year the international feature film Jury decides to grant the following awards:
The international documentary and short film Jury votes the following prizes:
The Festival is not merely the projection of films during its days of programming:


Savani Ravindra

Savaniee Ravindrra, or Savani Ravindra, or Savani Ravindra Ghangurde Dhande () (born 22 July 1989), is a singer in the Marathi music industry.
Schooling.
Savaniee Ravindrra was among the five finalist 2011 IDEA Saregma singers. She is the daughter of Dr. Ravindra Ghangurde and Dr. Vandana Ghangurde who are both singers.
She did her schooling from Fergusson College, Pune. She has a strong classical background.
Trained in Classical Vocals by Pandit Pandharinath Kolhapure.
She was trained in ghazal by Ravi Date.
Career.
Along with Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Savani also performed with renowned singers Suresh Wadkar,Arun Date,Ravindra Sathe, Ravindra Jain, Uttara Kelkar and Shridhar Phadke.
She has sung in albums such as "Aashaye", "Canvas" and "Ajunahi(Marathi)"
She has sung for the music shows "Black & White", "Ghazal ka safar" and "gulzar baat pashmine ki".
She has sung in films such as "Ajab Lagnachi Gajab Gosht" and "Kuni Ghar Deta Ka Ghar". One of her Marathi songs, "Tu Mala Mi Tula Gungunu Laglo- Honar Sun Mi Hya Gharchi -Zee Marathi", is a duet with singer "Mangesh Borgaonkar".
She has also sung the title song of popular television serial 'Kamala' aired on E-tv Marathi along with Shrirang Bhave. She was also a backing vocalist for the songs sung in the Marathi movie 'Sairat'.
Awards.
Savani Ravindra was awarded the National film award for best female playback singer in the 67th National Film Awards of India. She received the Aapla Awaj "Nari Shakti Puraskar".


Manam (soundtrack)

Manam is the feature film soundtrack album composed by Anup Rubens for the 2014 Telugu Period drama film of the same name directed by Vikram Kumar which featured Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Nagarjuna and Naga Chaitanya along with Shriya Saran and Samantha in the lead roles. The film, which marks Akkineni Nageswara Rao's last on screen appearance is also Anup Rubens' 25th film as a Music Director.
Vanamali, Chandrabose and Anup Rubens himself provided lyrics for the 5 out of 6 songs in the album and the remaining one being the Theme Music of the film. The soundtrack album released on 9 May 2014 on Aditya Music label. Upon release, the soundtrack album received huge applause from critics and audience with many critics opining it as the best work of Anoop Rubens till date. As a result of the positive reviews and responses for this soundtrack, Anoop Rubens received his maiden Filmfare Award for Best Music Director.
Development.
In mid March 2013, Anup Rubens was recruited to compose music for the film marking his second collaboration with Vikram Kumar after "Ishq" and Naga Chaitanya after "Autonagar Surya" and this film also marked his biggest project till date by then. In a press note released in the end of November 2013 which spoke about the film's shoot in Coorg mentioned that Chandrabose and Vanamali would provide the lyrics for the songs of the film. The film also marks Anoop Rubens 25th film as a Music composer. In mid February 2014, it was reported that the hit song "Oka Laila Kosam" would be remixed in the film but an official statement was awaited for that. However, verses of the song "Nenu Putanu" were used in the song "Piyo Piyo Re".
Track listing.
The official Track list was released on 8 May 2014 by Nagarjuna himself on Twitter. The tracklist featured 5 songs and a theme music with Vanamali, Chandrabose and Anup Rubens penning the lyrics and popular singers Shreya Ghoshal, Arijit Singh, Chaitra H. G., Haricharan and Jaspreet Jasz providing the vocals along with new singers.
Release.
In the second week of May, it was reported that the soundtrack album of the film would be released directly into the market on 9 May 2014 without hosting any audio function as a mark of respect for Akkineni Nageswara Rao. The official Track list was released on 8 May 2014 by Nagarjuna himself on Twitter. The Track list released then also confirmed that Aditya Music won the audio rights of the film. The film's audio was launched on 9 May 2014 by Aditya Music's streaming section in YouTube instead of opting for a promotional audio launch event.
Marketing.
On 26 April 2014 the song "Piyo Piyo Re" was released fully with lyrics into the internet officially by Nagarjuna as a part of the film's promotion. The song was a remixed version of the song "Nenu Puttanu" from Akkineni Nageswara Rao's evergreen film "Prem Nagar". After the audio's release, the positive reception of the song "Chinni Chinni Aasalu" prompted the makers to release the making video of that song which featured Nagarjuna and Shriya Saran. Shot in the backdrop of a village the song featured Nagarjuna dressed as a farmer while Shriya Saran seemed like his innocent village wife. On the other hand, it also showcased the singers Shreya Ghoshal, Ashwin and Hari recording their parts for the songs. The making video too received positive response. The making of the song "Kanulanu Thaake" was released on 14 May 2014 which featured Naga Chaitanya and Samantha. The celebration of the audio's success was celebrated on 15 May 2014 by hosting a promotional event for the same. However, there was no live telecast of the event and it was telecasted on Gemini TV on 18 May 2014.
Reception.
The soundtrack received huge applause from all the corners and the songs "Chinni Chinni Aasalu" and "Kanulanu Thaake" received rave reviews. "The Times of India" gave a review stating "Overall, Manam's tunes are really hearttouching and comes like a breath of fresh air for the listeners." "IndiaGlitz" gave a review stating "When Anup Rubens was selected for Manam, it was perhaps not expected that someone known for his romantic songs will excel in doing justice to a demanding and different genre like Manam. It turns out that Manam is a family entertainer with a difference. If the trailer raised the bar, the album raises the bar even more. A complete offering, it has entertaining songs with lyrics that can make you want to listen again and again." "123telugu.com" gave a review stating "On the whole, Anup Rubens gives Manam’s music album a breath of fresh air amidst the current fast beat and maddening mass numbers. Piyo Piyo Re, Kanulanu Taake, Chinni Chinni Aasalu are sure shot hits and our picks. Finally, the ANR family has a class and meaningful album in their hands, and have half the battle won already" and called the album an "Anup Ruben’s Masterpiece". "gulte.com" gave a review stating "Very rarely we hear to some albums that churn out all possible emotions from our hearts. Here comes legendary Akkineni Nageswara Rao's last movie 'Manam' album scored by young composer Anup Rubens. To simply make a comment, this album is out there to squeeze an intense emotion out from your hearts" and called it an "Instant Winner". "greatandhra.com" gave a review stating "Talking about the songs, this is the best album for music director Anoop Rubens till date. Each and every song is soothing and the music lovers are listening to Manam songs in loop."


Jacqueline Toboni

Jacqueline Rose Driscoll Toboni (born February 18, 1992) is an American actress.
Early life and education.
Toboni is the youngest of five children. Her sister Gianna Toboni is a correspondent and producer with Vice Media.
She graduated from St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco in 2010 and from the University of Michigan in 2014. In addition, she studied at many theatre programs including the Williamstown Theatre Festival as an apprentice, the Movement Theatre Studio in New York, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Her father is of Italian descent. Her mother is of Irish ancestry.
Career.
Toboni is known for her recurring role of Trubel in the NBC drama "Grimm" from 2014 to 2017.
In 2015, she appeared on one episode of "Major Crimes".
Beginning in 2016, she also appeared in five episodes of the Netflix anthology series "Easy".
In 2017, she appeared in the sixteenth season of "Hell's Kitchen" as a guest for episode eleven's dinner service that honored the contributors from Stand Up to Cancer.
In 2019, it was announced that she will star in "", a sequel of the hit series "The L Word". Her lesbian character Sarah Finley is an executive assistant who works for Alice.


Jai Akash

Sathish Nageswaran, known by his stage name Jai Akash, is a not so popular Indian actor, who acted in Tamil and Telugu films. He has appeared in a few Kannada and Hindi films as well. He is best known for his controversies rather than his acting.
Career.
Jai Akash, a Tamilian of Sri Lankan origin settled in London, sent his modelling photographs to the "Star Search" service run by Suhasini's entertainment portal website TamilTalkies.com during the late 1990s. K. Balachander, when casting a new actor to portray a small role in "Rojavanam" (1999), used the "Star Search" platform and selected Akash to be in the film.
Jai Akash began his career with his first film in Telugu, "Anandam", directed by Sreenu Vaitla and produced by Ramoji Rao. He acted in four Telugu films before he returned to Tamil and played the lead in "Inidhu Inidhu Kadhal Inidhu" (2003) opposite Neha, which was a remake of "Anandam", also produced by Ramoji Rao. In 2004, he teamed up with Sreenu Vaitla again in "Anandamanandamaye". He also starred in six Tamil films between 2004 and 2005; "Ramakrishna", "Kicha Vayasu 16", "Gurudeva", "Sevvel", "Amudhey" and "Kaatrullavarai". That year, he also starred in eight Tamil films, but the films either remained unreleased or had a delayed release and went on become commercial failures and his career was dubbed "jinxed". Furthermore, during the initial stage of his career, several films were announced, but were discontinued, including "Onnum Onnum Naalu", co-starring Mallika and "Fair and Lovely" alongside Madhumitha.
Jai Akash returned to the Telugu film industry and acted in three films produced by Mega Super Good Films; "Andala Ramudu" (2006), "Nava Vasantham" (2007) and "Gorintaku" (2008).
In 2013, Akash starred in the film "Anandam Arambam", the sequel to "Anandam". In 2016, he bought the distribution rights of a low-budget film called "Oruthal". In January 2017, he began work on a film titled "Aama Naan Porukkithaan", where he would appear in five different roles.
In Telugu, his next film is "Donga Prema", followed by the Tamil films, "Oruthal" (2016), "Aama Naan Porukkithan" (2017) and "Chennai 2 Bangkok" (2019).
Controversy.
In 2005, Jai Akash's "Guru Deva" released and Akash was appreciated for his acting, but the film didn't become a commercial success. The Telugu dubbed version of the film, "Guru", also failed with Muppa Ankanna Rao, the executive producer of the version, failing to promote the film. Akash complained at the producer council, that his film was killed by the producer purposely.
In 2009, Jai Akash filed a complaint to the Nadigar Sangam against actress Sunaina for not giving dates to complete his film "Madhan". He brought Sunaina from the Telugu film industry as a newcomer to the Tamil film industry and allowed her to act in "Kadhazhil Vizunthen", while she was on his contract, but Sunaina demanded more payment after the success of her film. Denying such reports, Jai Akash complained that Sunaina doesn't have any gratitude as he is the one that introduced her into the Tamil film industry and that he allowed her to act in "Kadhalil Vizhunthen" (2008) when she was in his contract. But, after the film became hit, she is not giving him dates to finish his film.


Aada Pettanam

Aada Pettanam () is a 1958 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced by M. Narayana Swamy and M. Venkata Ramadasu and directed by Adurthi Subba Rao. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Anjali Devi, with music jointly composed by Saluri Rajeswara Rao and Master Venu. "Anisetty" was announced as the director initially, but Adurthi Subba Rao took over later.
Plot.
The film begins in a village, where a wealthy couple, Ganapathi (Chadalavada) & Rangamma (Kannamba) has a son Krishna (Akkineni Nageswara Rao) and a daughter Swarajyam (Suryakala). Here, virago Rangamma maintains the household authority and scorns the step-son Krishna. Krishna falls for his childhood friend Radha (Anjali Devi), daughter of school teacher Ramaiah (Perumallu). Learning it, Ramaiah moves with the wedding proposal when Rangamma desires Rs. 10,000 of dowry. So, Ramaiah approaches malicious President Kondaiah (Gummadi), one that tramples the villagers by providing loans. At present, Ramaiah mortgages his property and acquires the amount. But indeed, Kondaiah aspires to possess Radha, so, he steals the dowry amount which makes avaricious Rangamma cancel the match. During that plight, Ramaiah agrees to couple up Radha with Kondaiah when Radha attempts suicide. Thereupon, Krishna rescues and marries her, as a result, he has to quit the house. At the same time, Lokanadham (Relangi) a stage artist traps Rangamma, intrudes into their house and weds Swarajyam. Meanwhile, Ramaiah passes away and Kondaiah seizes his property. At that juncture, Krishna establishes a school & Cooperative Bank in the village and ameliorates the lifestyles of the destitute, which irks Kondaiah. Eventually, Ganapathi becomes terminally ill when Rangamma transfers the property on her behalf by the provocation of Lokhanadham. After the death of Ganapathi, Rangamma excludes Krishna from the property. Soon after, Lokhanadham forges and pawns the property to Kondaiah. Immediately, Kondaiah occupies it when Rangamma obstructs his way, but she is forsaken. At that time, Krishna & Radha aids her, drives the blackguards out and reforms Lokhanadham. At last, Rangamma realizes the virtue of Krishna & Radha. Finally, the movie ends on a happy note with the reunion of the entire family.
Soundtrack.
Music was composed by Saluri Rajeswara Rao & Master Venu. Music was released on Audio Company.


Aasaiyil Oru Kaditham

Aasiyil Oru Kaditham () is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language romantic family drama film directed by Selva. The film stars Prashanth, Kausalya, Anand, and Riva Bubber in the lead roles alongside an ensemble supporting cast including Vivek, Vijayakumar, Sathyapriya, Rajan P. Dev, and Santhana Bharathi. The film was the Tamil remake of Telugu film "Snehitulu". The music was composed by Deva with cinematography by K. S. Selvaraj and editing by Venkateswara Rao. Upon the film's release on 17 December 1999, it became a critical and commercial failure.
Plot.
Karthik (Prashanth) is on his way from Chennai to attend his friend Anand's (Anand) wedding in a village. In the bus stand, Karthik sees a girl (Kausalya) and gets attracted towards her. To his surprise, he meets the same girl in the village again. Karthik writes a love letter to her and gives it through a small girl. Karthik gets shocked now as he finds that the girl is Lakshmi and is also Anand's fiancé.
Lakshmi's relatives get furious upon knowing that someone has given a love letter to her, and they keep searching for the guy who has written it. Once the wedding is complete, Karthik reveals to everyone that it was him who had given the love letter to Lakshmi and apologizes that he did not know that Lakshmi is the bride in the wedding. Lakshmi's relatives forgive him, while Anand and Lakshmi leave to Chennai.
However, Anand gets suspicious that Lakshmi might have an affair with Karthik and starts suspecting her. He also keeps secretly monitoring her while being alone at home. Anand's father (Rajan P. Dev) is also a sadist, and he tortures Lakshmi. Anand openly reveals to Lakshmi that he does not trust her and accuses of having an illegitimate affair with Karthik. Lakshmi is worried and keeps trying to win the trust of her husband.
Meanwhile, Shantini (Chandini) is Karthik's college mate who loves him, but he does not reciprocate. Despite Karthik avoiding Shantini, she tries to woo him continuously. Finally Karthik accepts Shantini's love, and her father (Santhana Bharathi), a local rich man, decides to get them married.
Unfortunately, Anand's suspicion over Lakshmi increases, and he starts torturing her. He even goes to the extent of throwing acid on her face. One day, Lakshmi's cousin comes to meet her, but Anand behaves very rude towards him. Lakshmi requests her cousin not to inform about the torture that she undergoes to her father (Vijayakumar) as he will keep worrying. Lakshmi decides to commit suicide and goes to a nearby bridge, but she luckily gets saved by Karthik. Lakshmi reveals about Anand's behavior to Karthik, and he feels bad that it was him who is responsible for all the fiasco.
Karthik goes to meet Anand and again tries to prove that he does not have an affair with Lakshmi. However, Anand does not listen to him. Anand also decides to spoil Karthik's relationship with Shantini. Anand meets Shantini and informs that Karthik and Lakshmi are in an illegitimate relationship, which shocks Shantini. Shantini's father gets furious upon hearing this, and he sends a few goons to beat Karthik, but Karthik beats them up and comes to meet Shantini. He decides to break up with Shantini as she did not trust him and instead believed all the false stories cooked up by Anand.
Lakshmi could no longer bear her husband's torture and decides to return to her parents. Karthik meets Lakshmi and decides to accompany during her travel until the village. However, Anand informs Lakshmi's father that Lakshmi has decided to elope with Karthik. Lakshmi's father also believes Anand's words and accuses Lakshmi and Karthik when they reach the village.
Lakshmi worries that even her parents did not trust her. Anand and his father come to Lakshmi's village and try to tarnish her image in front of the villagers. However, Lakshmi's cousin (who met Lakshmi at her home before) comes to the spot and clarifies about the hardships that she had faced. Lakshmi's father realizes his mistake and apologizes to her. Meanwhile, Lakshmi decides to ditch Anand and throws the “thali” on his face. She also does not want to stay with her parents as they too doubted her character. Lakshmi decides to walk away from the village, while Karthik says that he will accompany her as a good friend. The movie ends with both Karthik and Lakshmi leaving the village together as good friends.
Soundtrack.
The film score and the soundtrack were composed by film composer Deva. The soundtrack, released on 21 October 1999, features five tracks.
Reception.
"Indolink" wrote "Though the movie has some novel appealing situations, its lack of focus on the central theme leads to boredom at times." "Chennai Online" wrote "It is a fairly engaging film, one of the better movies from Selva. Comedy, sentiment and action blend cleverly. The closing scene is commendable, one of those 'different' frames that film-makers these days aim for". "Oocities" wrote "This movie could have been very very great, but the shot misfired, and so we're left with a mediocre work. If the storyline had been concentrated better, and Prasanth's character had come only when necessary [..], the movie might have been much much better.".


K. Narayanan

K. Narayanan is an Indian film director, editor, and art director who has worked predominantly in Malayalam cinema. Since his debut in 1953, he has edited more than 200 films across Malayalam and Tamil.
Early life.
He was born in Thikkat house at Nandipuram near Trichur in 1933. Kannan Nair and Kalyaniyamma are his parents. As his father was in Indian Railways his childhood was in Madras. He stopped his studies at the 8th standard. Sarojini is his wife.
Film career.
Narayanan started his film career by assisting Sankar in 1947. His first independent project was "Sadarame", a Kannada film. His first film in Malaylam was "Ashadeepam" (1953). He is a four time recipient of the Kerala State Film Award for Best Editor.


Cheers, to Those Who Stay

Cheers, to Those Who Stay is a 2010 Lebanese short film by Cyril Aris and Mounia Akl.
Synopsis.
"Cheers, to Those Who Stay" revolves around Kyle, a Lebanese expatriate living in Detroit and studying filmmaking there. Kyle returns to Lebanon to deal with what he describes as a director's block and to get film material for his project. Kyle stays at his cousins flat where he meets his relatives: Omar a wannabe actor who is stuck in a clerical job; Maissa a controlling character who is always right; Alex a lazy bone and speedster; Joana the underdog obsessed with cleanliness and Ziad the hopeless romantic. Through his cousins Kyle experiences Lebanese everyday people, their problems, joie de vivre and complaints about the life in Beirut.


Allari Pilla

 Allari Pilla (English: "Naughty Girl") is a 1992 Telugu-language Indian musical-comedy film directed by Kodi Ramakrishna and screenplay was written by Ganesh Patro. The film was remake of the highest grossing Malayalam film of 1991 Kilukkam and subsequently, remade in Hindi as Muskurahat. The story revolves around Nandini (Meena), an orphan who comes to Tirupati in search of her father, wherein she meets Taxi Driver cum Tourist guide Raju (Suresh) and his friend (Chinna). It also stars Kaikala Satyanarayana, Chidathala Apparao and Eswara Rao in pivotal roles. The film is the 13th film produced by S. Gopala Reddy under the banner Bhargav Art Productions. and is received well at the box-office.
Plot.
Raju (Suresh) is a taxi driver cum tourist guide down on his luck. Nandini (Meena), a tourist with mental retardation makes her presence in Tirupati and meets Raju, then a series of events are intertwined with the lives of Raju and his friend Nethranandham (Chinna). In the early part of the movie, hilarity ensues in their misguided attempts in getting rid of Nandini. However, Raju and Nethranandham happen to know that she is an escaped mental patient who has a bounty on her safe return. When they find that the bounty has been increasing for a while, they decide to hide Nandini for a while and surrender her to claim the bounty when it gets big enough. They also change her appearance by cutting her long hair short. Nandini reveals her true story to Raju that she was born to her unknown mother and retired Justice Pundarikam (Kaikala Satyanarayana) but is brought up in orphanage. She used to call Pundarikam who used to visit her in orphanage as "Sweet Man" unaware of the fact that he was her father. After knowing the fact that he was her father, she obtains the address of her father from her warden and goes to see her father. In the absence of her father, she was drugged and sent to mental asylum by Pundarikam's sons and daughters-in-law. She managed to escape from the asylum and that is how she met Raju. Raju promises to help Nandini and appoints her as housemaid in her father's home. In time, they realize that things are not as they seem, and more complications are unraveled.
Music.
The songs were composed by Vidyasagar and lyrics were penned by Vennelakanti Prasad.


P. G. Vinda

P. G. Vinda is an Indian cinematographer and director who works in the Telugu film industry. He is known for his work on the 2004 black-and-white film, "Grahanam", which was directed by Mohan Krishna Indraganti. Other Vinda films include "Anumanaspadam", "Ashta Chemma", and "Vinayakudu".
He made his directorial debut with the children's movie "The Lotus Pond" (2011).
Early life and education.
Vinda was born into a Telugu-speaking Hindu farming family in Palem, a village in Mahbubnagar, Telangana. He studied at AP Residential School from Beechupally, located on the banks of the Krishna river, APRDC silver-jubilee degree college Kurnool.
As a child he was also interested in painting. He graduated from the Jawaharlal Nehru Fine Arts University (JNTU) Hyderabad with a degree in fine arts specializing in photography and visual communication. He started his career as an assistant to cinematographer Madhu Ambat for Rajkumar Santoshi's "Lajja".
Vinda started his career as a cinematographer after graduating from School of Fine Arts. When everyone hesitated to work with Digital format in its earlier days, Vinda earned a distinction of master of digital format in Telugu cinema.
Vinda has good association with sensible Director Indraganti Mohana Krishna and they worked together in films like Grahanam (2004) Thanikella Bharani in lead, Ashta Chemma (2008) Nani, Swathi and Sreenivas Avasarala debut film, Antaku Mundhu Aa Tarvata (2014) and now they are working on Bandipotu (2015) starring Allari Naresh.
In 2011 he directed the children's movie "The Lotus Pond", which was screened at the Banff Mountain Film Festival and the 17th Children's International Film Festival in India.
Vinda set up his production houses Flying Mountain Productions in 2012 and Vinda Productions in 2018 at IMPPA, producing commercials, documentaries and feature films.
Filmography.
Director and writer.
The Lotus Pond (2010) (English and Telugu)