Articles 1 to 5 of 65
Lyricist Javed Akhtar: The 'Inside Pressure' Changing India's Film Industry
Javed Akhtar is an Urdu poet, film lyricist and scriptwriter. Together with former partner Salim Khan, he scripted several Bollywood hits such as Sholay, Zanjeer and Deewar. He has also written a large number of successful films on his own, in addition to being a respected social commentator and activist. Indian cinema is changing, he says in this interview with India Knowledge@Wharton. Globalization is playing a part, but a small one. The real pressures, he notes, are coming from the changes in Indian society and the target audience.
Film Personality Boman Irani: 'An Actor Has to Feel Unfulfilled'
Film and theater actor Boman Irani was introduced to cinema at a very young age. But he took a meandering path to becoming an actor. His first job was working as a waiter. He then sold burritos at the family store, and later became a photographer. Getting into acting was almost an accident. Today, with more than 60 films under his belt including hits such as Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. and 3 Idiots, Irani has also forayed into television. The problem with Indian cinema, he notes in this interview with Wharton professor Kartik Hosanagar, is that there is a lack of good scripts.
Leading Question: Can India Be the First 'Fallen Angel' to Fly Again?
Over the past few months, one crisis after another has gripped India. The problems of coalition politics have paralyzed the reforms process. A campaign against rampant corruption in the government and bureaucracy has brought decision-making in New Delhi to a standstill. Standard & Poor’s, a rating agency, warns that India could become the first "fallen angel" among the BRICS countries. Dilip Gadkar, editor of Macro Viewpoints and CEO of G-Square Capital Management, a hedge fund advisory firm in New York, argues in this opinion piece that these problems are the result of populist politics combined with unsound economics – but India could bounce back faster than the pessimists fear.
Myanmar Is Opening Up and the World Is at Its Doors
After 50 years of military rule in Myanmar, which began with a coup in 1962, there seems to be some movement towards democracy. In April this year, a limited general election saw the National League for Democracy, led by Nobel Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi, win 43 of the 45 seats available to it. Reformist President Thein Sein, who has emerged from the same military junta, is keeping some of his promises. Liberalization seems inevitable. There are doubts about how long it will take and the route it will follow. But the world is headed for Yangon.
Mahindra Satyam’s C.P. Gurnani on Opportunity, Innovation and Uncertainty
The environment for entrepreneurs in India is much changed since C.P. Gurnani, CEO of Mahindra Satyam, entered the workforce in the 1980s. Today, he says, there are myriad opportunities for those willing to deal with uncertainty. In an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton, Gurnani discussed his career trajectory, what he sees as a burgeoning environment for innovation in India and the challenge of integrating disgraced IT services company Satyam after Mahindra acquired it in 2009.
