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Apropos of Lord Meghand Desai’s “Bollywood needs to change its act” (November 25), Indian films need to break the jinx at the international level. India has rarely made an impression at that level though the country is one of the largest producers of films. Quality and innovation have not been up to the standard. We must look at correcting the lacuna in our film industry.

The article only shows that Mr. Desai has never studied even basic cinema to understand the difference between mainstream and parallel movies. Desai mentions “Intellectuals and habitués of Film Festivals may credit Satyajit Ray for putting Indian cinema on the map but that is for others like them who read subtitles…” Movies by Ray, Gopalakrishnan (Adoor), or Benegal don’t need subtitles to be understood. Indian mainstream cinema (whatever the language) has its own characteristics and unique style. Globalisation does not mean imitation and I suggest Mr. Desai understand social intricacies of the Indian mode of entertainment before commenting on Indian movies.

This refers to A. Srivathsan’s “When faces are not billboards” (November 25). Celebrity endorsement may not always contribute to brand value as endorsements are linked to popularity and fan following. As the author says, quality matters very little to the stars. The decision of Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan to stay away from endorsements has definitely helped them gain immense popularity among masses.

While Bollywood heroes do not hesitate to endorse products, irrespective of quality, it is to be appreciated that the two big stars from south, Rajini and Kamal, stayed away from product endorsements consistently. Another significant difference between stars from the north and south is that the latter’s fans who form clubs are involved in some form of community service like poor feeding, blood donations etc.

This refers to Ramachandra Guha’s “Writers and politics” George Orwell was not just philosophical, but also practical and remarkably prophetic when he said that a writer must never be a loyal member of a political party. A politician appeals to specific groups for his own sustenance, but it is the moral duty of a writer to make this world a far better one for everyone. Let writers be political, but not politicians.

The story of Ruby Alphonse is a lesson on facing life with will and determination. Inspite of her handicap, she did not give up hope and not only became a successful pianist and a teacher but also set a fine example to others in a similar position.

S. Shankar’s informative “Battle for mind space” (November 25) on certain less known facts about universities in U.S will certainly help those Indian students who have set their eyes on U.S varsities. Of course, in India too, conservatives poke their noses into university affairs. The future of universities depends on how well they manage to keep radicals and conservatives at arm’s length and how well they succeed in developing the individuality of students.

S. Shankar recreates the great divide in American universities today with conservatives and radicals pitted against one another. For every radical member of the university, there is a conservative counterpart. For every Noam Chomsky, there is a David Horowtiz. Conservatives believe that radicals have hijacked higher education system by systematically brainwashing young and impressionable minds with ideas that are antithetical to western civilisation.

“In the white mountains” (November 25) was an interesting article. The Biligiri Rangan range is a wonderful place, for the variety of wildlife that abounds there. The temple on the hill top is a famous place of pilgrimage. BR Hills is a very tempting spot for nature lovers.

These articles enlighten readers like me about the “wild beauties of nature”. No wonder, after reading these articles, my children have already planned outings. It would have been better if these articles mention a phone number or email id for bookings or enquiries.

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