Some laughter, some action
AHMEDABAD: If smile is the universal script of instant bonding between two strangers, laughter cements this bond further. A recent meet of laughing clubs in Indore brought veterans to one platform — Dr Mukund Mehta of Ahmedabad Laughing Club along with counterparts from Surat, Bharuch, Mehsana and Vadodara. But, the action hero was the 76-year-old O P Gupta, whose club hosted the event. He has set a record of leading a 5-km marathon. In today's time of the youth aging a bit faster, thanks to modern stressful life, Gupta has also achieved the feat of covering barefoot, the 84-mile route during his sojourn to Kailash Mansarovar, Amarnath and Gangotri. It is this breed of senior Indians from whom the youth can get inspired.

Gollywood yet to develop
UPENDRA Trivedi, the evergreen actor is immensely popular among the people who love watching Gujarati films. The veteran thespian, who has an equal love for the stage, has come up with his autobiography and it has caught the attention of some of the prominent figures across the spectrum of public life in Gujarat — from Morari Bapu to Assembly Speaker Ashok Bhatt. The Gandhinagar Cultural Forum felicitated Trivedi, who lived under the skin of rural characters while giving his best performances in films, which have now become classics. Unfortunately, technology may have developed by leaps and bounds since Trivedi's times, but the technique of acting has not advanced beyond a few steps.

Rain & craters
THE ‘whole thing is that hell hole’ — this just might be the words that Amdavadis would say if someone cared to ask them about the city roads post-monsoon. Yes, while the rain was much awaited, the potholes and craters were much dreaded as they were more certain to happen than the rain itself. Just one spell of downpour and it spelt a torrent of troubles for people on the move. On the following day of the rainy night (rainy days will be here too), craters were big enough on the dug up roads to sink tyres of tractors! Forget the plight of small cars and two-wheelers. But then, as the municipal authorities have said: “No Pain, No Gain”. The gain part (of storm water drains) is still out of sight, while pain is in plenty.

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