A list of curious facts
One: Once upon a time Jimmy Carter—possibly the nicest US president—came to India on a state visit in 1978. When he died earlier this week, Indian papers fondly ran stories of Carterpuri—the Gurgaon village named after him. It turned into a lifelong rishta—with his office corresponding with its residents for years after. The lead image captures the celebratory scene—and makes you wish it was not in black & white. The clip below captures the current state of the village—which has become a dumping ground for toxic waste.
A far lesser known fact: Carter’s visit was marred by a dispute with then-PM Morarji Desai over India’s nuclear ambitions:
Unaware that television network microphones were nearby, Mr. Carter told Secretary of State Cyrus It. Vance that the Indian leader had been “prettv adamant” on the nuclear issue. The President said also that on hig return to Washington from his currentseven‐nation, nine‐day trip, a “cold and very blunt” letter should be written to Mr. Desai.
Check out the original NYT report.
Two: You don’t have to spend much time on screen to win an Oscar for leading actor. You just have to be unforgettable. Anthony Hopkins landed one for 16 minutes as Hannibal Lecter in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’. But the winner of this category is David Niven who spent a mere 15 minutes onscreen in ‘Separate Tables’—and walked away with the top honour as best lead actor. And here’s the interesting bit: “Co-star Wendy Hiller won best supporting actress that year — and she appeared for less than 22 minutes.” Behold the star power of the Y chromosome! (Hollywood Reporter)
Three: Last month Sachin Tendulkar turned a ten-year old tribal girl in Rajasthan into a viral star—by sharing this video below. The accompanying comment: “Smooth, effortless, and lovely to watch! Sushila Meena’s bowling action has shades of you, @ImZaheer.” The truly curious fact: "’I don't know who he [Sachin Tendulkar] is,’ Sushila says, explaining that her family doesn't own a television and she has never watched cricket.” BBC News has a lovely ground report on Sushila—and her village school team.
Bonus fact: Looking to the year ahead, CNN flagged the “11 architecture projects set to shape the world in 2025.” Among them, a new 270,000-square-foot Life and Mind Building—the largest in the history of Oxford University—and certainly the most modern. Talk about a rebrand!
What also caught our eye: the Techo International Airport in Phnom Penh—which bears a startling resemblance to its Bangalore sibling.
