Asian Standard (Bradford) Issue 10 - 15 AUG

Discussing Shershaah with SIDHARTH MALHOTRA AND KIARA ADVANI

Supreme’s scrumptious

vegan tandoori cauliflower steak RECIPE PAGE 21

BRADFORD / 10 - 15 AUGUST 2021 / FREE

‘BREAKING THE SILENCE’

ON MENTAL HEALTH AND ABUSE: “THE SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITY IS A COMMUNITY THAT DOESN’T TALK ABOUT SEX - IT IS TABOO.”

Full story on pages 6 & 7

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NEWS IN BRIEF Job Centre plan approved

BY CHRIS YOUNG Shipley’s former Job Centre will be turned into eight flats after an application to refurbish the building was approved.

Dulay Developments has been granted permission to convert the Wainman Street building into the town centre into a mix of four one-bed and four two-bed flats.

Announcing the plans earlier this Summer, the company said: ”The proposal is of great benefit to the building, and will bring it back into use.”

Shipley Town Council had backed the change of use, and now Bradford Council planning officers approved the application.

In 2017 the Government announced that it planned to shut the town’s Jobcentre Plus as part of its austerity measures.

Retrospective plans submitted for cupcake shop in shipping container

BY CHRIS YOUNG Retrospective plans for a cupcake shop based inside a shipping container have been submitted to Bradford Council.

Cupcake Cravings has operated out of the pink container at the Ingleby Road food court since early 2020 without the benefit of planning permission.

Now a retrospective application has been submitted by Amaan Ellahi to change the use of a bright pink shipping container at the side of the main building at the food court to a shop.

The Food Court also includes restaurants, such as Mother Hubbards, takeaways and Chai tea stand. A decision on the planning application is expected late next month

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BOTTLED WATER UP TO 3,500 TIMES WORSE FOR ENVIRONMENT: STUDY The environmental impact of bottled water is up to 3,500 times higher than tap water, according to a new study.

The consumption of bottled water has been increasing sharply in recent years on a global scale, due to the perceived presence of chemical compounds in tap water. The study, led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), was aimed at providing objective data about three different water consumption choices bottled water, tap water, and filtered tap water in the city of Barcelona.

"While it is true that tap water may contain trihalomethanes (THM) derived from the disinfection process and that THMs are associated with bladder cancer, our study shows that due to the high quality of the tap water in Barcelona, the risk for health is small, especially when we take

into account the overall impacts of bottled water," ISGlobal researcher Cristina Villanueva said.

The results, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, showed that if the whole population of Barcelona decided to shift to bottled water, the production required would take a toll of 1.43 species lost per year and cost $83.9 million per year due to extraction of raw materials. This is approximately 1,400 times

more impact in ecosystems and 3,500 times higher cost of resource extraction compared to the scenario where the whole population would shift to tap water, the researchers said. In this sense, the results estimate that a complete shift to tap water would increase the overall number of years of life lost in the city of Barcelona to 309.

Adding domestic filtration to tap water would reduce that risk considerably, lowering the total number

of years of life lost to 36, the study showed.

"Our results show that considering both the environmental and the health effects, tap water is a better option than bottled water, because bottled water generates a wider range of impacts," ISGlobal researcher Cathryn Tonne said.

"The use of domestic filters, in addition to improving the taste and odour of tap water, can substantially reduce THMs levels in some cases. For this reason, filtered tap water is a good alternative.

Even though we didn't have enough data to measure its environmental impact fully, we know it is much lower than that of bottled water," she adds.

However, the authors acknowledge that domestic filtering devices require adequate maintenance for proper performance and to avoid microbial proliferation.

CAN ANTIBODIES PRODUCED BY A COVID VARIANT NEUTRALISE OTHERS? The antibodies produced as a result of infection by one variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19, are able to bind to and stop other variants from entering the host cells in order to replicate, researchers have found.

Understanding how some variants may be able to trigger an effective antibody response against other variants, in addition to itself, could help inform future vaccine design, said the team from Francis Crick Institute and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH).

In their study, published in the journal eLife, the scientists analysed blood samples collected from patients who had previously been infected with Covid-19 and who were admitted to UCLH for other reasons, samples from health care workers as well as samples collected from patients at

different points earlier in the pandemic.

They identified Covid-19 antibodies in the blood, and in the lab ran tests to see if antibodies produced after infection with one variant were able to bind to and neutralise other variants. The study included the original strain first discovered in Wuhan, China; the dominant strain in Europe during the first wave in April 2020 (D614G); Alpha (B117), first discovered in the UK; and

Beta(B1351), first discovered in South Africa.

The researchers found that antibodies produced by the Alpha variant were not able to neutralise the original or D614G strains as effectively, in comparison to neutralising the Alpha variant itself. Antibodies produced against infection with the D614G strain were able to neutralise both the Alpha and original strains to a similar level as D614G. Both the Alpha and D614G strains

produced antibodies which were not able to effectively neutralise the Beta strain.

There are many elements of the immune system which impact how protected an individual may be against future disease. This includes memory B cells and T cells which equip the immune system to deal with evolving threats.

As a result, these findings do not necessarily mean people who were infected with specific variants are less protected against others.

"It's important to note that most people who have been infected with the virus will not know which variant they were infected with, and it is critical that everyone eligible for the vaccine takes up the opportunity because we know they are effective in some way against all known variants," said Kevin Ng, doctoral student in the Retroviral Immunology Laboratory at the Crick.

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GOVERNMENT IN CONFLICT: JOHNSON THREATENS TO DEMOTE RISHI SUNAK TO HEALTH SECRETARY UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was said to "threatened to demote Rishi Sunak to Health Secretary" after the Chancellor called for easing of travel restrictions, as per a note written him found its way into the public domain last weekend, Daily Mail reported.

The report said the UK government has been plunged into conflict as Johnson and Sunak clash over travel restrictions and green reforms, with the Chancellor eager for a tough spending review and the PM looking to avoid austerity measures. It came shortly before the infamous "traffic light" rules were reviewed last

week.

In his letter, Sunak said that the UK was "out of step" with the rest of the world. The Chancellor is now preparing for a tough spending review later this year as he attempts to repair the public finances following the coronavirus crisis. That could put him on collision course with a Prime Minister who has promised there can be no return to austerity. The PM told his allies that by writing the letter, which was copied to Transport Department, it was "bound" to be leaked and fumed that he could move Sunak to Health, where former Chancellor Sajid Javid became the Secretary six

weeks ago.

Johnson was said to have been "apoplectic", and "raging" when he met senior Downing Street aides last Monday, The Sunday Times reported. He suggested sacking Sunak following the Chancellor's remarks calling for an easing of travel restrictions due to the threat they pose to the economy. And in another sign of division, the Prime Minister's green agenda hit a stumbling block amid growing fears that it will hit poorest households the hardest, with Sunak thought to be leading pushback against Johnson's commitment to go net-zero by 2050.

Boris Johnson

UNIVERSITIES TO CONTINUE ONLINE LESSONS DURING AUTUMN TERM Many of the top universities in the UK have refused to return to full face-to-face classes in the autumn, despite government advice that they can lift all Covid-19 restrictions, local media reported.

According to The Sunday Times report, 20 of the leading 24 Russell Group universities said a proportion of undergraduate teaching will continue to be held online, which means they will offer blended learning to mix the online and face-to-face teaching for classes, seminars and lectures, reports Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, two-thirds of the 65 universities polled by the Times Higher Education magazine confirmed that most lectures would remain online for the coming academic year, but that they planned as much in-person teaching as possible.

They said the decisions were driven by the risk of coronavirus spreading in large lecture classrooms, as well as the educational benefits of blended learning.

Most universities said they would require

signed.

Claire Marchant, chief executive of the Universities admissions service Ucas, said that online teaching might mean that universities could enrol more students. It was predicted that top universities in Britain have to cope with a 10 per cent surge of

students to wear masks on campuses.

Some will also instruct students to socially distance.

Students may also need to be double jabbed to attend concerts, discos or other social events. The decision has dismayed college students who coped with severe disruption last year. Students in Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool have launched petitions calling for a full return to "normality in terms of teaching" and demanding fee refunds. In Manchester, where some of the strictest lockdowns took place, nearly 10,000 have

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applicants with A and A+ grades, compared to 2019, due to the cancellation of college entrance exams in the pandemic. Most Covid-19 restrictions in England have been lifted last month as part of the final step of the British government's roadmap out of the lockdown.

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PLEDGE TO KEEP SALTAIRE’S UNESCO STATUS invest in its protection and enhancement.”

BY CHRIS YOUNG SALTAIRE’S World Heritage Site status will not go the way of Liverpool’s – Bradford Council has pledged.

Saira Ali, Team Leader, Landscape, Design and Conservation, “We are continually researching and bidding for funds and opportunities to enhance the heritage. We have been successful in securing Government and other funding available to make improvements and invest in Saltaire where possible and appropriate in line with World Heritage Status.”

Sheena Campbell, Saltaire’s World Heritage Officer added: “This year Saltaire

2021 is the 20th anniversary of the model village being awarded the prestigious status, and Bradford Council this week “reaffirmed its commitment” to maintaining Saltaire’s status.

Last month UNESCO stripped Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City of its status, claiming new developments in the city had caused “irreversible damage” to its Victorian docks.

In response Bradford Council doubled down on its commitment to ensure Saltaire retains its status.

Saltaire was built in the 1850s

by Sir Titus Salt for workers in Salts Mill.

In 2001 it was designated

Image: Wikipedia Saltaire from Leeds and Liverpool Canal

modern additions from creeping in, and residents even need to apply for planning permission if they want to make minor changes to their homes.

A Council spokesman said: “Recently, Bradford Council has made a number of investments to Saltaire, including restoring stone pavements, creating new footpaths to the surrounding neighbourhoods, and proposing an active travel zone to make the village more accessible to live, work and visit.

CLLR Alex Ross Shaw

a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Despite becoming one of the most sought after, places to live in the district in recent years, most of the village’s heritage features have been retained. Planning policies remain strict to prevent

“Pavements in the worst condition have been repaired re-using stone where possible, or using new natural Yorkshire stone to improve accessibility with dropped kerbs and stone tactile paving. The materials and quality of work are to a very high standard appropriate to the World Heritage Site.

“Bradford’s Local Plan promotes protection of

Saltaire. Developments within the Site or its Buffer Zone are checked. The Council monitor changes closely and enforce to protect World Heritage status where appropriate.

Much guidance and advice is available for property owners to understand what is acceptable.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Executive for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “We are very proud of Saltaire and value our district’s important and fascinating heritage. The Council and our partners are committed to protect the village’s UNESCO status and will continue to

“There has been an increase in applications for Listed Building Consent and investment in properties in Saltaire during 2020-21 with owners improving window and door details and re-roofing. This means the character and appearance of Saltaire World Heritage Site is gradually improving.

“The Saltaire World Heritage Site Steering Group meets twice a year chaired by Councillor Ross-Shaw. Historic England representatives who advise UNESCO attend this and, and in June the Head of International Strategy confirmed that there are no reasons for concern at Saltaire.”

is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of being a World Heritage Site. We are working hard on protection, enhancement and promotion.

The Council co-ordinates a new Collaboration group that has brought forward a programme of events by dedicated community groups to celebrate ‘Mills and Model villages’ featured at www. visitsaltaire.com.”

This article is by the local Democracy Reporting Service

Image: Stock

Ms Saira Ali

Family Food Stories

Neil and Sean’s Healthy Taste of Back Home We know the last year has been challenging. With changes to our routines and more time at home, lots of us have picked up the odd unhealthy habit. But whether you want to eat better or lose weight, now is a great time to get started.

Like many of us, brothers Neil and Sean Mukherjee from Oxford gained some extra weight during lockdown. To help get their weight on track they started looking for ways to make their favourite foods healthier, without compromising on flavour.

The brothers learnt to cook from their mother from an early age. “She taught us that spices act as the foundation of all South Asian cooking,” says Neil. As adults, they spent time in India and learnt how to cook traditional recipes.

“Our relationship with food is so important,” says Neil. “We wanted to start eating better, but we wanted to continue eating the Indian dishes we know and love.” Now, instead of coconut oil they opt for healthier alternatives such as sunflower or olive oil. They also reduced their rice and chapati portions and increased the amount of vegetables they eat.

One dish they decided to improve was a cauliflower curry recipe from their childhood.

“It’s such a popular Indian dish that everyone loves and is so easy to make,” shares Sean.

They found ways to make it healthier, adding garden peas and sweet potatoes and reducing the amount of oil.

Advertorial The brothers have come out of lockdown with a healthier mindset and take in turns to cook for family and friends. They now cook together for their mother, who is delighted to see how well they have learnt from her.

Experimenting with dishes and encouraging each other to eat healthier during lockdown has helped the brothers bond. “It’s been such a wholesome experience and we hope to continue cooking together for many years, as we want to keep as healthy as possible!”

Dietitian Azmina Govindji says: “If you’re overweight, making small, simple changes to your food could help cut your risk of becoming seriously ill from conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. This doesn’t mean you have to give up the recipes you love that form part of our culture and tradition. It’s about simple, gradual changes that can make these dishes healthier, like swapping white rice with brown or adding extra vegetables to make dishes go further.”

Azmina’s three tips for healthier eating: 1. Become portion aware

Swap your usual plate or bowl for one that’s smaller, and try to say no to second helpings.

2. Try healthier snacks

Try a handful of roasted channa or whole almonds.

3. Swap to better-for-you carbs

Swap white rice with brown and use coarse wholemeal atta for chapatis instead of white flour.

Free help and support

If you want to eat better or lose weight, making small, simple changes can make all the difference. Better Health has lots of free ideas to help.

Search ‘Better Health’ or visit nhs.uk/betterhealth for free tools and support.

Aloo Gobi

(Cauliflower Vegetable Curry) Serves: 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Ingredient list: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1½ tbsp olive oil ½ tsp cumin seeds 2 cardamom pods, opened ¼ cinnamon stick, broken into small pieces 1 medium green chilli, halved or chopped 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 1 medium sized cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized pieces 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp garam masala 2 garlic cloves, crushed 475ml water ½ tsp salt (optional) 150 g frozen garden peas 1 medium capsicum pepper, thinly sliced

What to do:

1. Heat the oil in a wok or large saucepan on a medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.

2. Add the cumin seeds, cardamom pods and broken cinnamon sticks to the oil and stir.

3. Mix in the chilli and cook for 1 ½ minutes over a low heat.

4. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

5. Add in the cauliflower, stir, then add the sweet potato.

6. Add the turmeric, cumin powder, garam masala and crushed garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

7. Add 475ml water and the salt (if using).

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

8. Add the peas and sliced pepper, and simmer for about 3 minutes until tender.

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‘BREAKING THE SILENCE’ ON MENTAL HEALTH AND ABUSE: “THE SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITY IS A COMMUNITY THAT DOESN’T TALK ABOUT SEX, IT IS TABOO.”

BY SHAWNA HEALEY Talking about mental health and seeking professional help within the South Asian community can be incredibly difficult, especially for men. From stigma within the community, family pressure, and structural racism and inequality within healthcare settings, taking that first step to getting help can be daunting.

Witnessing a gap in services offered to men from ethnic minorities in Bradford and being reached out to personally from people who connected to him on a cultural level, this counsellor set about starting a project that offers support to those in the community who need it most.

Imran Manzoor, 47 from Bradford, created Breaking the Silence UK in 2012 in response to the lack of mental health care for South Asian men in the area.

It was set up in the Meridian Centre, a community centre in Manningham that has been around since 1984, that was originally created for women and girls only.

South Asian men are also victims of childhood sexual abuse. Image Credit - Shutterstock

Fund for Children, and most recently from the Manchesterbased humanitarian charity

were abused as children, a lot of it being sexual abuse. I believe these men were doubly

gentleman being 72 years of age, and the youngest just 9. The project helps in numerous ways,

shame that came with it. Mr Manzoor mentioned that: “There have been high levels of critical

called Human Appeal.

victimised, as these men often ended back in Bangladesh or Pakistan for speaking out.

including providing confidential support for anxiety, depression, intimacy, issues, stress, selfesteem, loneliness, and more.

illness and bereavement within the South Asian community, up to three times higher than the general population. The reasons aren’t just biological.

In 2012, Mr Manzoor was heavily involved with men who were victims of childhood sexual abuse. He said: “Back then I was dealing with men who

I was dealing with men who were abused as children, a lot of it being sexual abuse. I believe these men were doubly victimised, as these men often ended back in Bangladesh or Pakistan for speaking out. Imran Manzoor, Breaking the Silence.

With the promise of not detracting services from women and girls, the Meridian Centre helped Mr Manzoor form Breaking the Silence. Funding for the project comes from Children in Need, the Tudor Trust, Global

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In Britain men are socialised to be ‘tough and strong’ and being denied this identity because of racism has an equally damaging effect.

Image Credit - Shutterstock

“The South Asian community is a community that doesn’t talk about sex, it is taboo. You can watch violence on the TV, but not sex. Therefore talking about relationships is in extreme secrecy.

Mr Manzoor said: “There is no one single profile that comes to

“This means that you can’t speak out about the abuse that happened because it is not something that is allowed.

Mainstream services didn’t care about the victims either, they weren’t the right ethnicity and so the men were rejected there too.

“I created this project so that men from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds can access the evidence-based support that they need. The project has been adapted and changed over time but there has been an increase in people accessing the service.”

The project has gone from helping a handful of people to between 90 and 100 people a year, with more than 2,500 calls coming in 2020, with the exponential increase due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

There is no typical user of the service, with the oldest

Legislation, Education, and freedom to talk about mental health will drive change.

Image Credit - Dollar Gill.

us at Breaking the Silence. We have family men, refugees, very wealthy men with high profile jobs, and men on the margins of society. We are a secular organisation which means we accept anyone regardless of age or religion.”

The main reason calls increased during the pandemic was due to the number of people who couldn’t put food on the table for their families because of reduced income and lost jobs, and the feelings of guilt and

“A lot of South Asian people in Bradford live in multi-generational households and they also hold a lot of public-facing roles such as bus drivers and customer service which means they have had to go out to work every day during the pandemic, and risk bringing the virus home with them.

“There is, also high levels of technology poverty within the community in Bradford. With school being moved online for a lot of the kids in the area, they haven’t been able to fully participate with work because they don’t have access to laptops or computers, or the internet.”

Parents in the community were also left stranded, with a lack of accessible information from central or local government. Mr Manzoor said: “Parents would ring up and ask ‘What is going on?

My kids can’t go into school, and I have to go to work’ because they can’t afford a loss of income or risk losing their jobs, which meant that a lot of older siblings were tasked with looking after the younger kids.”

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One of the big issues that Mr Manzoor and the team at Breaking the Silence deal with is the intersection of race and masculinity.

In Britain, men are socialised to be “tough and strong” and while hyper-masculinity is a problem across the board for men in this country, being denied this identity because of racism has an equally damaging effect.

Mr Manzoor said: “’Why do men not get help?’ because men are supposed to be tough and strong. This is a misassumption.

Men are not held to be equal. Peeling away the layers like an onion show that a lot of minority ethnic men are left with a parody of masculinity because they have been denied true masculinity by wider society because of racism.

“Black, Asian, and minority ethnic men are not made to feel human. Some of the African men that I work with have told me about their experiences in some healthcare settings and it is absolutely appealing.

“I don’t condone dangerous driving, of course, but one man said to me that when they set their foot on the accelerator, it is the only time they feel powerful. We need to look at the root causes of things like dangerous driving and put things in place to stop the after-effects.”

For men to not have this parody of

In Britain, men are socialised to be “tough and strong” and while hyper-masculinity is a problem across the board for men in this country, being denied this identity because of racism has an equally damaging effect. masculinity, Mr Manzoor says there needs to be a big change. “Stop and searches” by the police need to cease, there needs to be new and improved legislation, and there needs to be meaningful education that addresses the consequences of only looking at history from one perspective.

The police and police community support officers (PCSOs) can stop anybody and question them at any time and search you depending on the situation. These “stop and searches” disproportionately affect black, Asian and ethnic minority people.

Research published by the Government shows that for all Asian people the “stop and search” rate is 15 per 1,000 but this number increases when broken down by ethnicity. For Bangladeshi people, it is 29

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the backstreets of the community. Mr Manzoor said: The realm of spiritualists and spiritualism is attractive to people because they think that they can pay these people to take their pain and suffering away. Obviously, it just isn’t true.

The stress and guilt on men who have been unable to provide for their families in the pandemic have led to an exponential increase in calls to the project. Image Credit - Usman Yousaf.

“Instead, they need a scientific, evidencebased approach for support. Mosques are opposed to these charlatans who sell their services to vulnerable people, it is completely exploitative, and these people need to be protected.

per 1,000, for Pakistanis, it is 16 per 1,000 and 5 per 1,000 for Indian people. This is compared to 6 per 1,000 for white people and 54 per 1,000 for Black people.

“There is legislation against things such as forced marriages and there needs to be legislation for fraudulent spiritualists.

There needs to be consequences.

Men from ethnic minorities experience mental health issues at a higher rate than the wider population, but access help later than on than other demographics. One reason for this is institutional racism, but for South Asian men, it is also culturallyspecific beliefs, namely spiritualists that stop them from accessing professional help by qualified counsellors and psychotherapists.

“Breaking the Silence is a professional service, members of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). Our practise adheres to and is informed by the ethical framework of the BACP.”

Spiritualists aren’t found through mosques, as Imams are vehemently against this, says Mr Manzoor, but usually through word of mouth or in

Breaking the Silence is open to anyone who is of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic heritage. The service is there to help anyone with a mental health issue, to give them justice and reclaim their history. For more information or how to access the services, visit http://www.breaking-thesilence.org.uk/

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HOW TO BE WATER-WISE THIS SUMMER

BY SHAWNA HEALEY Multiple organisations across Yorkshire have joined forces to encourage people across the entire region to learn about the dangers of open water swimming after recent hot weather has led to a spate of tragic water incidents on beaches and in lakes, rivers, reservoirs and canals.

Due to extremely hot temperatures in the last few weeks, people have been looking for ways to cool off, often choosing to go for a swim in the various water bodies across Yorkshire.

Unfortunately, many people have little or no experience in open water and don’t realise the dangers so quickly find themselves getting into difficulty.

In response, 30 organisations in Yorkshire have come together for the first time to really drive home the importance of being waterwise and understanding how to be safe in and around water.

All Fire and Rescue Services, Police forces and Local Resilience Forums across Yorkshire, together with several Local Authorities, Yorkshire Water, Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, the Environment Agency, Canal & River Trust, HM Coastguard, the RNLI, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) and Outdoor Swimming Society are backing a campaign

Image: Brett Jordan

Organisations urging people to be careful around outdoor water following a spate of incidents will have seen in the news, there has been a marked increase in the number of tragic water incidents

when entering open water bodies such as lakes, reservoirs, canals, rivers and the sea.”

Since last summer, there have been at least 180 inland water incidents across Yorkshire, 18 of which resulted in fatalities.

Nationally, in just 10 days, from 10 July to 20 July 2021, there were 10 coastal deaths.

Knowing and understanding the hazards of open water, both inland and at the coast, could help to drastically reduce the number of people who get into difficulty each year.

Some key messages to remember when entering open water, are:

Image: Richard Bell

The RNLI is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways to increase awareness of the dangers of open water swimming for inexperienced people.

Dave Walton, Deputy Chief Fire Officer for WYFRS and co-Chair of West Yorkshire Prepared, said: “Unfortunately, as many people

recently, which have required the assistance of emergency services across Yorkshire.

"Sadly, in most cases, these incidents would have been preventable if more people were aware of the multitude of hazards

• Do not drink and dive – Alcohol and swimming do not mix!

Alcohol badly affects judgement, swimming ability and body temperature.

• Stick together – whether they swim with you or watch from the shore, always make sure you have someone with you who can call for help if you get into difficulties. Always keep an eye on non-swimmers and children, even in shallow areas as they may

unexpectedly drop off steeply.

• Read the signs – Literally, read the signs! If the landowner has put signage up saying the water isn’t safe to enter please take notice. There could be dangerous currents, obstacles or poor water quality, even if it looks okay on the surface.

• Acclimatise – cold water shock kills – As hot as it may be on land, water bodies in Yorkshire remain very cold all year round. Jumping or diving into cold water can cause a gasp reflex, which may cause you to inhale water, followed by rapid breathing (hyperventilation) which can lead to panic and possibly drowning. Paddling/wading gives

your body the chance to adjust to the temperature and helps reduce the risk.

• What lies beneath – Unexpected obstacles, machinery, strong rips or currents and hidden depths are all dangers to experienced and non-experienced swimmers alike.

• If in doubt, stay out – if you’re at all unsure of the water temperature, depth or quality, or don’t know if there are hidden dangers (e.g. obstacles, currents), don’t risk it. Swim at a lifeguarded area instead.

When swimming at the coast, choose beaches with lifeguards, adhere to local warning flags and signs and make sure you are aware of tide times. If you get caught in a rip current in the sea, don’t try to swim against it – instead, follow the RNLI’s Float to Live advice.

Nick Ayers, Regional Water Safety Lead at the RNLI, said: “If you do decide to go swimming, whether in open water or at a swimming pool and end up getting into difficulty, the simplest but most important advice is Float to Live.

"Fight your instinct to thrash around. Lean back and extend your arms and legs. Float until you can control your breathing. Only then, call for help or swim to safety.

“If you see someone in trouble in the water, call 999 or 112. If you’re at the coast, ask for the Coastguard. If you’re inland, ask for the fire service.”

For those keen to take part in open water swimming, there are many local outdoor swimming clubs and groups who can offer advice on the safest way to take part in the activity.

The Outdoor Swimming Society offers advice on how to swim safely in open water, including top tips for safe summer swimming, visit http://www. outdoorswimmingsociety. com/10-tips-for-summer-swimsafety/

Image: Jana Sabeth

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COMMUNITY GROUP RECEIVE QUEEN'S AWARD FROM LORD-LIEUTENANT OF WEST YORKSHIRE

BY SHAWNA HEALEY A Bradford community group have received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service from the Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Ed Anderson on behalf of the Queen.

The award was given to Bradford Moor's Play and Support Service (PASS) for engaging and empowering marginalised members of the community with educational, recreational and support services.

The award ceremony recognised people who have made a difference in the community, from an elder who runs knitting and craft sessions to young people who are instrumental in running sports activities and other sessions for youth in the area.

The ceremony was held at Attock Park Community Garden, an area of Bradford Moor that is beautifully kept by the generous volunteers at the community garden project, with handsome looking flowers in plant pots, hanging baskets, and charming chickens and roosters kept in a coop at the back of the park.

The volunteer-led organisation has been recognised for

As well as the Queen's Award, the Lord-Lieutenant also gave out medals for outstanding contributions within the group.

Mr Amjid Hussain, one of the directors at Pass.

the services it has delivered across its community and in particular, the hardest to engage young people over the last thirteen years.

The grassroots organisation has the betterment of the community at the heart of what they do which is why they have been so successful in creating and constantly improving the area.

The group's humble beginnings started in 2005 when the founders came together to start a movement to improve their surroundings.

PASS became an official group in 2007 and in 2011 they signed the paperwork to become a not-for-profit organisation.

Mr Amjid Hussain, one of the Directors of PASS, was the first speaker at the event, where he spoke about the origins of the organisation. He said: "Back in 2005, a group of us had a conversation about what we could do outside of our jobs to see if there was something we could give back to young people and provide more opportunities for them, in turn.

"It was very informal for the

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ASIAN STANDARD / BRADFORD

Aunty Taira Asghar received a medal for her contribution to knitting and patchwork sessions.

first couple of years, we started with few activities.

It wasn't until 2007 that we decided to get the ball rolling properly, with a lot of support from some of the local councillors at the time, and we managed to get the cabin that we work from put down in that year.

"The cabin gave us a presence in the community, a place that allowed us to be based in the heart of the community and for people to access us. It was 2011 that we were formally constituted and started to work with wider organisations."

The very successful PASS model of community transformation has relied on training and supporting volunteers to get involved

in their community and have a voice in local governance.

During his speech, Mr Hussain said that: "All of our volunteers are local and I would say live within a square mile of the area, but it might even be within half or a quarter of a square mile of the park.

"The real strength of this is that it allows us to have a vested interest in the place, everyone volunteering for us want to see a better Bradford Moor because most of us live here, most of us have grown up here, and most of are not really going anywhere. We want to see our children and the young people in the area, actually grow up in this area and have more than we did when we were younger."

Bradford Moor PASS has

11 catalyzed the mobilisation of professional volunteers to deliver change and transformation in one of the most socially and economically deprived wards in the country.

Her Majesty's Lord- Lieutenant of West Yorkshire Ed Anderson proudly presented the group with their award and certificate at the ceremony.

He noted that in the previous selection process for the Queen's Award last year there were only three groups from West Yorkshire. This year, after encouragement, to get more groups recognised for their work, 19 groups from across the country were given the Queen's Award for their outstanding contributions.

PASS run many projects in the community, with the aim

Mohammed Hasam is one of the young people who received a medal for his contribution to the organisation.

to engage everyone in the area, including young people and elders. They run the community garden, a bike club, youth sports and development programmes, a women's market, social enterprise and support and a homework club during term-time.

Saira Ali of Bradford Council received a medal for her work in the park.

an engine for promoting cohesion".

The addition of the community garden, funded by Bradford Council and Spearheaded

by Saira Ali, Team Leader, landscape design and conservation, has enabled Bradford Moor PASS to support local residents to take ownership and pride in their local park and become a hub for local people to tackle issues of anti-social behaviour, get people interested in nature and its preservation and bring the community together across age and ethnicity groups.

Mr Hussain said: "Thanks to the Landscape, Design and Conservation Team at Bradford Council, a space that was unutilised and neglected, has become a much-beloved

Taj Chair of BD3 Unite, local resident and Bradford Moor PASS volunteer, said: "It’s great to see Pass recognized for delivering bottom-up solutions that have really created meaningful change, especially for young people.

They have turned a virtually abandoned park and turned it into a thriving centre for community action and

and constantly used space which will now be a fitting venue for another cherished memory for in the history of this Park.

"This model of hyper-local, community-led activism has been extremely successful in driving lasting and sustainable change."

Gazanfar Khaliq, Ex Lord Mayor and retired Councillor, said: "The trust and confidence that PASS has achieved from the local community and key stakeholder organisations are unparalleled and this is rooted in the passion and commitment of its volunteers and staff that make a difference locally every day".

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@ASIANSTANDARD

OPINION

Prioritise Needs and Objectives.

Shabab Gulfraz is our resident financial expert who has been writing for Asian Standard and Asian Sunday for more than six years now. He is an experienced Chartered Financial Planner, and a Chartered MCSI (Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment) accredited Financial Adviser. Shabab’s passion within financial services is working with individuals and businesses with a view to meeting their needs and objectives. The successful professional mainly works with individuals and company directors where they need help to protect their families, managing and growing their wealth privately and within the business, specialist pension advice, maximising tax planning to ensure tax efficiency, inheritance tax planning, as well as structuring financial planning alongside accountants and solicitors. In addition to his work in financial services he has a sound understanding of commercial and business legal and financial management issues after qualifying as a post-graduate in law, and later attaining a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) If you have a query relating to your individual/business financial planning situation linked to the areas detailed above, then contact Shabab and he will be happy to have a complimentary discussion with you.

PRIORITISE NEEDS AND OBJECTIVES.

I always say there are two kinds of advisers, the sales advisers who are Financial Advisers simply for pound signs, and then there are Financial Advisers who genuinely care about their clients, and want to work for them, rather than use them to generate a fee.

So, this week, and I guess after a few months I am back at writing columns after a well-earned break. It has now been circa seven years that I have been writing for the Asian Sunday, and now Asian Standard. It’s great to see Asian Sunday celebrating their tenth year this month. Congratulations to the entire team.

Anyhow, this week I intend to talk about needs and objectives.

This is because most recently I have had many clients coming to me who have no idea about what their needs and objectives are, yet their existing advisers, have simply gone ahead given advice without learning the basic reasons why their client is sat in front of them.

I always say there are two kinds of advisers, the sales advisers who are Financial Advisers simply for pound signs, and then there are Financial Advisers who genuinely care about their clients, and want to work for them, rather than use them to generate a fee.

A need is basically what you require, and without having something in place it might lead to detriment, and an objective is what you are aspiring to in the future. As an example, a young family might need life cover because there is no form of back up monies should something happen to mum or dad, and an objective could be I want to retire at 55.

So, the right adviser, not the salesperson, but actually one who advises based on client needs and objectives will always

provoke you for responses to questions because they need to get to know you first and foremost, and then learn more about you. They will not use sales techniques as a means of

twenty minutes to just think and write out on a piece of paper our thoughts.

generating business but instead use these techniques to get you, the client to see if a need exists or not, and whether your objectives can be met or not.

starting point:

Putting it simply, people go through cycles in their life, and if they don’t know what part of the cycle they are at, and what their short, medium, and long-term needs are then, the adviser has done a bad job at advising them.

I would encourage our readers now that we are (kind of) past a pandemic, to sit down with their wife/husband/partner, and just think about what they need to do differently with their finances now, where they need to be in the medium term, and then in the future. It sounds easy, but I can assure you the majority of us would not take a spare

I have provided some examples that people should consider as a

1. What would have happened to my family had something happened to one of us during the pandemic?

2. Are savings enough for the short, medium and long term, and are we actually saving enough?

3. What does retirement look like, have we done enough with our current retirement savings, and what do we need to do to get to where I/we want to be?

4. How do we go about improving our personal and financial situation going forward?

If any help is required, then please email me, and I am happy to provide some guidance where required.

9-15 AUGUST 2021

PICTURE PERFECT:

SIDHARTH MALHOTRA AND KIARA ADVANI

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'AN INCREDIBLE 6 YEARS': MELISSA BENOIST BIDS FAREWELL AS PRODUCTION WRAPS ON 'SUPERGIRL' FINAL SEASON After a successful six-year run, the DC comic's series, 'Supergirl' has officially wrapped production on its final season. Actor Melissa Benoist, who starred in the lead role since 2015, bid farewell to the show's cast and crew in a heartfelt social media post.

The 32-year-old actor took to her Instagram handle and shared a photo of her with costars Chyler Leigh and David Harewood.

Along with it, she wrote, "Thank you for an incredible 6 years--the cast who became family, everyone who worked on the show, all of you who watched us week after week, that's a wrap on @ supergirlcw." On her Instagram story, Benoist also shared a masked-up selfie of herself in costume. "Saying goodbye to this glyph," she wrote atop the image.

A spokesperson for The CW, in September 2020 had told People magazine, that 'Supergirl' was coming to an end after season 6. The program originally aired on CBS before The CW picked it up for season 2. At the time, Benoist said that she was "humbled" and "speechless" by the "incredible impact the show has had on young girls

around the world."

"To say it has been an honour portraying this iconic character would be a massive understatement," she wrote on Instagram.

In March, Benoist told Entertainment Weekly that everyone involved in the series came to a consensus that it was the right time to wrap things up. Benoist said she was offered the opportunity to help shape her

character's ending heading into the production of the final season.

Though her suggestion was ultimately shut down, she is fond of how the show will end. As per Deadline, the final run of 'Supergirl' will start on Tuesday, August 24, on The CW at 9 PM ET and PT. Season 6 will have 20 episodes, which means it will be around for a couple of months.

PRANATI RAI PRAKASH 'VERY DIFFERENT' FROM HER CHARACTER IN 'CARTEL'.

Actress Pranati Rai Prakash, who will next be seen in the upcoming web series 'Cartel', has opened up on the striking dissimilarities she shares with her character on the show!

Coming from a family with an Army background, the actress plays Sumi Angre, a girl belonging to a family of gangsters, in the series.

Talking about the same, Pranati said "Sumi and I are very different people. While she is a pampered girl who stays with her family at home and aspires to be an actress, I was someone who moved out for studies far away from home at 17. I had to manage a lot of things myself and didn't have a choice to be as pampered as her." "She comes from a gangster family, on the contrary I come from an Army background. She is emotionally weak initially, and on the journey, discovers her strength and transitions into a stronger being. I always had to be emotionally very strong, even though I maintain a vulnerable side," Pranati added. Talking about dealing with human emotions during a role, the actress further said "I feel human emotions are the same around the world. Once you understand the exact emotion and how the character is, projection has to be put in place. And I would pick out the emotions that are common in us and project them accordin g to the character and script." Pranati will be seen in the upcoming web series 'Cartel' alongside actors Supriya Pathak, Rithvik Dhanjani, Tanuj Virwani and others. The series is slated to release on August 20 on Alt Balaji.

AMY ADAMS-STARRER 'DISENCHANTED' WRAPS UP FILMING IN IRELAND Disney's 'Disenchanted' is officially on the way! Actor Amy Adams' upcoming film has completed its shooting and will soon release in theatres.

Director and producer Adam Shankman recently announced that the sequel to the beloved 2007 movie, 'Enchanted', concluded production in Ireland and is on the way.

"Myself and Giselle...errrr....@ amyadams would just like to say And that's a wrap. #Disenchanted Coming to you in #2022," he wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of himself with Adams, who stars in the movies as Princess Giselle.

The hotly anticipated sequel has been in development since early 2010 and Shankman was confirmed to return as director in 2016, reported People magazine.

In the original film, Adams' Giselle was about to marry a prince when she's sent away from the animated kingdom of Andalasia and unceremoniously lands in New York City. There, she meets and falls in love with a lawyer and befriends his young daughter.

The new story is said to take place 15 years after 'Enchanted', as Giselle questions her happily ever after and accidentally triggers events that make everyone's lives turn upside down in both the real world and Andalasia, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Along with Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Idina Menzel, and Susan Sarandon will all reprise their roles for the forthcoming sequel. In April, Dempsey, who portrays Robert Philip, told Variety that he was

excited ahead of filming and revealed he will make his singing debut in the film.

"I will be singing for the first time. I've never ever sung publicly -- for a reason," the former 'Grey's Anatomy' star joked. "So bear with me." He continued, "I hope the fans embrace it. But they've set me up for success and the lyrics are really fun. The numbers have really great choreography.

And the premise is going to be interesting."

In May, Disney+ announced that Maya Rudolph joined the cast as the villain in the fairytale musical. Kolton Stewart, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jayma Mays and Oscar Nunez also star. 'Disenchanted' is set to exclusively premiere on Disney+ in 2022.

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KANGANA RANAUT OPENS UP ABOUT HER CHARACTER IN 'DHAAKAD'.

Actor Kangana Ranaut, who is soon going to wrap up the shoot of her movie 'Dhaakad', shared a picture of her character Agni and said that she will continue to live beyond the film.

Taking to her Instagram account, the 'Judgemental Hai Kya' star posted a photo of herself in a fierce avatar. In the picture, she is seen sporting a tattoo at the nape of her neck and staring into the sun, while her hair is blowing out from her braid. "As the shoot is about to come

to an end, she will live in me beyond the film.... She will rise in spite of herself and her inner demons #Agni #Dhaakad," she captioned the post. Actors Arjun Rampal and Divya Dutta are also a part of 'Dhaakad', which is based on issues of child trafficking and crimes against women. Touted to be a spy thriller, the film is being helmed by Razneesh Ghai and produced by Sohail Maklai and Deepak Mukut. 'Dhaakad' is slated to release on October 1, 2021.

THREE

SHEFALI SHAH EXCITED TO START SHOOTING FOR 'DOCTOR G'.

After wrapping up her shoot for 'Darlings', actor Shefali Shah is now all set to start shooting for her next film, 'Doctor G'.

Shefali took to Instagram and shared a string of images of her waiting for her flight at Mumbai's airport.

In one of the pictures, she can be seen reading the script of 'Doctor G'. "New project. New journey. New shoes to fill.

Doctor G here we come," she captioned the post.

'Doctor G', which features Ayushmann Khurrana and Rakul Preet Singh in the lead roles, is based on a campus of a medical

institute.

While Ayushmann will be playing the role of Dr Uday Gupta, Rakul Preet Singh will be seen as Dr Fatima, a medical student who plays Ayushmann's senior in the film. Anubhuti, who is director Anurag Kashyap's sister, will be making her debut as a feature film director with the upcoming project. She has in the past directed the dark comedy mini-series 'Afsos' and the critically-acclaimed short film 'Moi Marjaani'. The team is currently shooting for the film in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

ASHTON KUTCHER CAST OPPOSITE REESE WITHERSPOON IN NETFLIX'S 'YOUR PLACE OR MINE' American actor Ashton Kutcher just signed up for his first romcom film in 10 years.

As per People magazine, the 43-year-old actor has been cast alongside Reese Witherspoon in the upcoming Netflix film 'Your Place or Mine'.

The movie is about two best friends living on opposite coasts, who swap houses for one life-changing week.

Kutcher is most known for his leading man roles in romantic comedies like 'No Strings Attached', 'What Happens in Vegas', 'A Lot Like Love' and 'Just Married'. His last turn in the genre was the starstudded 2011 Garry Marshall ensemble feature 'New Year's Eve', starring opposite Lea Michele. He's since come off a four-season run of his Netflix

series 'The Ranch', which aired its finale last January.

Aline Brosh McKenna wrote the screenplay and will make her feature directorial debut with the film. Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter are co-producing under the actor's Hello Sunshine banner, alongside Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan's Aggregate Films and their first-look deal with Netflix.

McKenna will also produce through Lean Machine. The casting announcement comes one day after Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine sold for USD 900 million to Tom Staggs and Kevin Mayer, with the backing of private equity firm Blackstone.

She and CEO Sarah Harden will continue to run the company

and remain equity holders while joining the board of the new company. In addition to producing 'Big Little Lies', 'The Morning Show' and 'Little Fires Everywhere' through the banner, they're currently working on 'Where the Crawdad's Sing' and 'Legally Blonde 3', from a screenplay by Mindy Kaling and Dan Goor.

"Today, we're taking a huge step forward by partnering with Blackstone, which will enable us to tell even more entertaining, impactful and illuminating stories about women's lives globally," Witherspoon said of the deal.

"I couldn't be more excited about what this means for our future. I am committed to continuing to create opportunity for filmmakers,

authors and creators of all backgrounds and experiences to tell their stories in their own way, and to reach more audiences who will see that their stories matter," she added.

The Academy Award winner has starred in several of her Hello Sunshine titles, and she's previously served memorable performances in 'Wild', 'Walk the Line', 'Legally Blonde' and 'Cruel Intentions'.

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ARJUN KAPOOR STARTS DUBBING FOR 'BHOOT POLICE' Actor Arjun Kapoor, on Saturday, shared a glimpse of his dubbing session for the upcoming horror-comedy project 'Bhoot Police'.

Arjun shared an image of his dubbing studio on his Instagram story and wrote, "Dubbing session #BootPolice."

Arjun Kapoor, who is soon going to treat his fans with the upcoming outing 'Bhoot Police', shared the first look of his character from the horror-comedy on July 5.

The actor took to Instagram to introduce his character Chiraunji from the forthcoming film, which also stars Saif Ali Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Yami Gautam.

In the first look poster, Arjun has an angry young man vibe about himself. He is seen wearing an oversized black outfit with a knife-shaped pendant and studded rings.

Giving an intense look, he is holding a

torch in his hand.

'Bhoot Police' is slated for a direct-todigital release on Disney+ Hotstar. The forthcoming horrorcomedy was earlier scheduled for a theatrical release on September 10.

However, the makers reportedly confirmed its digital release in June.

'Bhoot Police' was shot in Himachal Pradesh late last year. The upcoming film is helmed by Pawan Kripalani, who has earlier directed films like 'Ragini MMS', and 'Phobia'.

The film will trace the story of a group of ghost hunters and their hilarious adventures. The upcoming movie is produced by Ramesh Taurani and Akshai Puri. On the work front, Arjun whose last release was 'Sardar ka Grandson', costarring Rakul Preet Singh, also has 'Ek Villain Returns' in the pipeline.

RANI MUKERJI HEADS TO SHOOT FOR 'MRS CHATTERJEE VS NORWAY'

Bollywood actor Rani Mukerji has left India to start shooting for her muchawaited film 'Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway'.

Billed as an untold story about a journey of a mother's battle against an entire country, the movie will be directed by Ashima Chibber of 'Mere Dad Ki Maruti' fame.

Speaking about the upcoming project, a source said, "Rani is set to start shooting the film in the next couple of days. She has done intensiv e preparation for the film which will be revealed in due course of time and one can expect a sublime Rani Mukerji performance as Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway is a complete author-backed role for her."

"Rani will be out of the country for over a month for this shoot. She has been waiting to start this project which is extremely close to her heart," the source added.

During the film's announcement, Rani had said, "Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway is a story of true human resilience, and it is a film that is dedicated to all the mothers out there. It is truly one of the most amazing scripts that I have read in a long time, and I immediately decided to do this special film."

The project is being produced by Nikkhil Advani of Emmay Entertai nment and Zee Studios. Apart from 'Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway', Rani will also be seen in 'Bunty Aur Babli 2', co-starring Saif Ali Khan and Siddhant Chaturvedi.

The release date of the film has been postponed due to COVID19 cases. 'Bunty Aur Babli 2', produced by Yash Raj Films, was earlier set to release on April 23.

The cast of the film also includes debutante Sharvari. 'Bunty Aur Babli 2' is a sequel to the 2005 hit film 'Bunty Aur Babli', which starred Rani alongside Abhishek Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan.

'HUNGER GAMES' PREQUEL FILM SLATED TO START PRODUCTION IN 2022 The prequel film for Lionsgate's 'Hunger Games', which will be based on Susan Collins' novel 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' is currently slated to start production in the first half of 2022 According to Deadline, this update came from Lionsgate motion picture group chairman, Joe Drake, during the company's quarterly earnings call with Wall Street analysts.

He revealed that the tentpole film is targeted for release in either late fiscal 2023 or early 2024. It's "moving along really, really well" in pre-production, Drake said. While financial results largely met expectations, the overall scenario was not especially scintillating for the company.

Drake was questioned about the landscape for theatrical film releases, a hot topic for movie executives coping with COVID-19 variants and new waves of uncertainty about distribution models.

He highlighted the potency of "big brands" at the box office, which he said

are "certainly working." Drake didn't cite any other studios' releases but pointed to in-house franchises like 'Hitman's Bodyguard' and 'Saw', whose latest incarnations will turn a profit despite the operating environment, he said.

'Hunger Games', which yielded a global box office collection of nearly USD 3 billion across four previous films, is likely best positioned as a theatrical release.

"There's an audience that wants to come back" to theatres, Drake affirmed. He added that he believes "the market's going to come back. ... There's going to be a strong, robust platform for us to monetize our movies."

Lionsgate had revealed last year that 'Hunger Games' series filmmaker Francis Lawrence would be making a return to direct 'Ballad', based on Suzanne Collins' Scholastic novel. Previously, Lawrence had directed the last three 'Hunger Games' movies 'Catching Fire', 'Mockingjay Part 1', and 'Mockingjay Part 2'. Casting for the new film has not yet been announced.

The prequel movie will focus on Coriolanus Snow at age 18, years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem. Young Coriolanus is handsome and charming, and though the Snow family has fallen on hard times, he sees a chance for a change in his fortunes when he is chosen to be a mentor for the Tenth Hunger Games.

His elation gets dashed when he is assigned to mentor the girl tribute from

impoverished District 12.

As per Fox News, franchise producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson are also making a return with this film. Collins is set to write the film's treatment and Michael Arndt, the Oscarwinning screenwriter of 'Little Miss Sunshine' will adapt the screenplay, after previously serving as one of the writers of 'Catching Fire'. Collins will also serve as an EP.

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'MIMI' REVIEW

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Kriti Sanon makes her mark in this mediocre film about surrogacy

In keeping with the tenets of mainstream Hindi cinema, Mimi showcases the contentious issue of surrogacy with a sentimental perspective than offer any significant insights.

In keeping with the tenets of mainstream Hindi cinema, Mimi showcases the contentious issue of surrogacy with a sentimental perspective than offer any significant insights.

Young Rajasthani performer Mimi (Kriti Sanon) agrees to rent her womb and bear the child of an American couple Summer (Evelyn Edwards) and John (Aidan Whytock) to make a quick buck and realise her Bollywood dream.

But things don’t play out as planned and she has to trade off her ambition of making it big in films for embracing motherhood.

Since the trailer has already let out a lot about the film—based on the Marathi national awardwinning Mala Aai Vhhaychy!— it won’t be a spoiler to state here that the pivot on which the story turns—the quest for a “perfect” and “healthy” baby and a faulty medical test—is itself highly questionable. Mimi uses it as a convenient device (there would be no film without it) to drive the plot further and doesn’t return to the matter, nor to the culpable doctor who, in a jiffy, turns things topsy turvy for our heroine.

Anyhow, the erroneous medical examination makes the film swing between light comedy and the other extreme of peak emotions and drama. The attempts to hide the pregnancy, the case of mistaken identities and the confusions lead to some gentle humour as well

as melodrama, both of which Pankaj Tripathi (as Bhanu, a driver turned default father of the child) manages to handle in his characteristic easygoing and winsome way. Manoj Pahwa and Supriya Pathak Kapoor, as Mimi’s parents, add heft to the proceedings by their mere compelling presence, as does Marathi actor Sai Tamhankar as her friend Shama.

I was intrigued by how the two American actors caught the emotional “sur” of the film quite well, despite coming from an entirely different school of acting and notwithstanding their unfairly and sketchily drawn out characters.

But there’s more than the

laughter and the tears and a reliable set of actors. Some bits I can’t resist nitpicking on. Even while presenting a seemingly peaceful picture of Hindu-Muslim co-existence, the film peddles needless Muslim cliches, like indiscreet Muslim men and the easy divorce in the community. When will we get past “talaaq talaaq talaaq”?

In fact, there are a few other problematic issues that the film walks a thin line on—racism, colour consciousness, abortion and motherhood for instance.

Can we ever escape exalting motherhood in Hindi cinema?

Could we ever make films on post-partum blues for a change?

As I watched Mimi and her

family and friends go through a trying time, I was wondering about surrogacy itself—the overwhelming obsession with own gene and blood. Why not underscore adoption—be it of kids or stray animals? Thankfully the film redeems itself on that count at the fag end, but after only after making us go through the entire rigmarole.

And yes, not to forget Kriti Sanon and her role of a lifetime.

The young actor does get to sink her teeth into a character that makes her go through the emotional rollercoaster, an essential to be regarded as an actor than just a heroine in Hindi cinema. Mimi might well mark that arrival for her.

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PICTURE PERFEECT: In Conversation with Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani

Shershaah is an upcoming Indian Hindi-language biographical war film directed by Vishnuvardhan and co-produced by Karan Johar. What’s got everyone talking is the casting of it’s lead pair, who are working together for the very first time. Sidharth Malhotra essays the role of reallife war hero Captain Vikram Batra and Kiara Advani takes on the role of Dimple Cheema, who was Captain Batra’s real life love.

Our reporter Minreet Kaur caught up with the duo ahead for the release of the film to discuss their roles and working on the film.

Here’s what they had to say.

BY MINREET KAUR How did this film happen for you?

You filmed in real locations in Kargil what was that like?

Sidharth: For me the film started with captain Vikram Batra's twin brother, who approached me for the film and his family felt that I could portray their son or their brother's life story on screen.

It happened about five years ago in Mumbai and over the years has changed hands with producer and director.

I was the only constant and today we have a fabulous team, with Vishnuvardhan directing it and Kiara playing Dimple, me taking the film to Dharma Productions and them finally producing it today and here I am playing this amazing heroic character for the first time, hoping that people see his life story and sacrifice and find some sense of inspiration from his life story to theirs.

Sidharth: We were the first Hindi film to shoot in Kargil in India and it's no holiday. All the scenic locations that you see are extremely tough conditions to shoot in or to work in. Or let alone to have a stressful combat for the army.

We were shooting at about 12,000 or 14,000 feet above sea level, where the air oxygen is much lesser. The wind speeds are much stronger and Kargil mountains hardly have any grass or trees to rest on or get some shade on.

So, I was there for 45 days, prepping and shooting action bits. Getting equipment on top or doing retakes was very time consuming - but with all these issues, troubles and challenges I think what we have is a very authentic version or close to reality version of what actually happened in

the Kargil war, which is what I think makes our film slightly more special. We tried to be as accurate as we could be to reality. Whether it comes to the war portions or whether it comes to Captain Vikram Batra's personal life. So yes, really looking forward to people watching this film now on Amazon Prime Video from 12th August onwards.

You play a real hero for the first time. When playing fictional characters you can make the character as per your interpretation, but here you have a real-life reference to your character. Was that much harder for you as an actor to do, or does it make your performance easier when you have a reference point?

Sidharth: I feel it's definitely more challenging when you

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are playing someone who lived in flesh and blood and there is so much documented about him. So, I feel when you are playing something that actually happened in history you are following certain boundaries of does and don’ts. So, you have to precisely hit a particular emotion and hit a point of level where you need the story to, as opposed to a fictional character where you can possibly take liberties and adapt a bit as there are not so strong do's and don'ts. So, I feel to play a real-life character you need more control of where more craft, research and prep comes in. Also, I feel it's such an inspirational story that once I met the family, I felt I owe it to them to give it my best and portray their son's life story and sacrifice he gave to our country in the possible way.

SEVEN

The film also explores Captain Batra’s love story with Dimple Cheema, who fought for her love.

What is it that you like most about this love story and was this the reason for you to accept the role?

Kiara: It was the most intriguing and unique love story that I had ever heard of, and it was just that one narration that moved me and made me want to be a part of this and tell her story and their story. To even share his story, I think it's such an inspiring passionate story. He is one of our own and there is a whole generation that doesn't know about his story, and we would love to take it there and beyond that. But the love story just stayed with me in that narration. It was something that really intrigued me, and I was more moved when I met Dimple

Image: Amazon Prime

Kiara and Sidharth on the sets of Shershaah and heard from her, when she shared with me her relationship with Captain Vikram Batra and just seeing this strong woman, who has literally fought for her love and still today remains in love beyond his lifetime. There are very few stories like that, that you hear.

Can you elaborate on how your meeting with Dimple went?

Image: Amazon Prime

tor Vishnuvardhan

Kiara With Shershaah Direc

It was beautiful. It was arranged by Captain Vikram Batra's twin brother.

It was in Chandigarh where I was shooting for something else. Way before we had begun filming for Shershaah and she lives there. She very graciously met with me in my hotel room. It was only the two of us.

It was a woman-to-woman chat. It felt like she was sharing everything like it just happened yesterday and there was so much happiness and pride in her eyes. Everything that she shared with me, was exactly what was written in the script. There was a lot of research that had gone into writing the story. Everything was very authentic. There is a lot of honesty and emotion and that's the part that really touched me and made me feel that this is something we have to tell.

Image: Amazon Prime

Couple goals: Sidharth and Kiara

in Shershaah

There are some very Punjabi dialogues in the film. Did you get any tips from Dimple?

Image: Amazon Prime Image: Amazon Prime

m Batra

Sidharth Malhotra as Captain Vikra

I didn't ask her for any tips. (laughs) I was really lucky that I had Sandeep sir, who has written these dialogues beautifully, along with Sid [Sidharth] who is familiar with Punjabi, helped me perfect the lines and speak and sound and make people believe that I am So, this film does have a lot of dialogues. Whether it is the banter between Captain Vikram Batra's and Dimples or with Dimple and There are very strong lines in which thanks to Sandeep sir who very easy for me.

Image: Amazon Prime

Kiara Advani as Dimple Cheema in Shershaah Punjabi.

Punjabi To catch the more of the interview, go to our YouTube scenes channel Asian Sunday Online or follow this link: character https://youtu.be/whygcdusi2E her father.

Punjabi, Shershaah releases worldwide on Amazon Prime made it on 12 August

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YORKSHIRE ASIAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION HOSTS FIRST EVENT SINCE LOCKDOWN TO HUGE SUCCESS

BY RAHEEMA KHAN The Yorkshire Asian Business Association, also known as YABA held its first event on Thursday 29 July, since lockdown was lifted.

The event was to mark the occasion of Eid, celebrated by Muslims across the world and an opportunity for Yorkshire’s business community to come together and network.

With the help from our sponsors Bradford Cedar Court, Schofield Sweeny, and Asian Standard, more than 100 guests attended, with Tommy Sandhu as the lead host.

YABA also saw the opportunity to mark the milestone 10-year celebration of Asian Sunday newspaper and also 20-years anniversary for Yorkshire’s most flamboyant bakers – Regal Foods.

Guests enjoyed a meal by My Lahore, and revelled in the opportunity to finally meet friends, colleagues and business associates in a face-to-face environment.

YABA chairman Armjit Singh, welcomed guests and was thrilled with the success of the evening. He told Asian Standard: “With support from our partners Cedar Court Hotels and Schofield Sweeney, it was wonderful to host the YABA Eid Garden Party, we had great attendance from the local business community, and a fantastic line up of speakers: Deputy Lieutenant Dr Manoj N L Joshi, Imam Qari Asim MBE, Mr Ibrar Hussain Khan Consul General, Consulate of Pakistan, Tony Baxter Director of East Region Northern Railway and Alison Lowe the Deputy Mayor.

We learnt more about Eid and the impact that each and every one of us can have on each other. In addition to this we also managed to shine a spotlight to celebrate Asian Sunday’s tenth anniversary and Regal Foods twentieth anniversary. It was a wonderful

event enjoyed by all’.

Other sponsors echoed Mr Singh’s comments with Pardeep Khela, of Schofield Sweeney Solicitors saying: “Another fantastic evening organised by the YABA – thoroughly enjoyable all round and our first large networking event since lockdown.

“It was lovely to meet several new faces and catch-up friends we’ve had chance to see for a while. Not to mention the

delicious food provided by My Lahore!”

Even the venue providers were happy to see events kick starting again. Steven Newby Group Business Development manager at Cedar Court Hotels said: “It was an absolute pleasure to host and support the Eid Garden Party on 29th July, the event was a fantastic success and a credit to the organisers. The team at Cedar Court are always proud to be associated with events that engage the local community”.

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14

BOOST YOUR CAREER WITH A DEGREE The new academic year will be upon us in a few weeks but it’s not too late to start a degree this September. With Global Banking School (GBS) expanding into Leeds, gaining new qualifications in accounting and finance, business and management or health and social care just got easier and closer.

GBS is a higher education provider offering a range of industry focused undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in partnership with several leading UK universities, as well as HNDs in partnership with Pearsons.

Taking over the former Leeds City Council building on Great George Street, the campus will allow Global Banking School to facilitate up to 4,000 students.

The campus will give students access to the latest facilities, including a state-of-the-art IT suite, library and study zone all designed to ensure a positive study environment for students.

GBS is now welcoming applications for study at Leeds campus this September and is hosting an Open Day for prospective students. If you are interested to learn more about

Helping students boost careers since 2012 Global Banking School started its journey as a specialist training centre for investment banking and finance. In 2012, GBS moved into higher education, initially focusing on management disciplines.

In 2016 the school opened

Social Care in addition to more Business and Management courses.

Today, GBS is an OfSregistered higher education organisation, offering an outstanding education to over 7,000 students across its seven campuses in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.

evening and weekend sessions to ensure lessons are accessible for all. GBS prides itself on being a studentcentred organisation and in the recent NSS received an overall satisfaction score of 93% compared to a sector average of 77% and outperformed the sector average on every single question.

diploma courses in Accounting and Finance, Business and Management and Healthcare offered by Global Banking School. This could be an opportunity to start your educational journey towards a successful career, so why not pay us a visit during the Open Day?

Here to support you Open Day in Leeds GBS will be hosting an Open Day event for its new campus in the heart of Leeds on August 19th and it’s free to attend.

The event will take place oncampus at St George House, 40 Great George Street, Leeds, LS1 3DL. If you are thinking about studying, the event will be a great opportunity to hear what the school has for you.

Global Banking School Leeds Campus GBS, the new campus and the courses on offer, the event is on August 19th at St George House on Great George Street.

its first campus, in Bow, East London. At this point it expanded its academic offering to include Healthcare Management and Health and

What makes studying at GBS different from other universities is the flexibility of fitting studies around your needs, providing morning,

The Open Day event will give prospective students the opportunity to tour the Leeds campus and meet some of the schools’ friendly staff, who will be on hand throughout the day to offer advice about student support, funding options and the admissions process.

The event is designed to give attendees a greater insight into the degree and

The team at GBS aim to help students thrive in today’s competitive job market. It provides one-to-one academic, career and pastoral support, offers specialist courses and has excellent links to employers to ensure students can boost their careers.

For more information and to book your place at the Open Day on August 19th, visit https://globalbanking.ac.uk/ event/gbs-open-day-leeds.

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HOW A BRITISH ROYAL’S MONUMENTAL ERRORS MADE INDIA’S PARTITION MORE PAINFUL

BY DEAN ADIL NAJAM The midnight between August 14 and 15, 1947, was one of history’s truly momentous moments: It marked the birth of Pakistan, an independent India and the beginning of the end of an era of colonialism.

It was hardly a joyous moment: A botched process of partition saw the slaughter of more than a million people; some 15

million were displaced. Untold numbers were maimed, mutilated, dismembered and disfigured.

Countless lives were scarred.

Two hundred years of British rule in India ended, as Winston Churchill had feared, in a “shameful flight”; a “premature hurried scuttle” that triggered a most tragic and terrifying carnage.

The bloodbath of partition also left the two nations that were borne out of it – India and Pakistan – deeply scarred by anguish, angst,

alienation and animus.

By 1947, the political, social, societal and religious complexities of the Indian subcontinent may have made partition inevitable, but the murderous mayhem that ensued was not.

As a South Asian whose life was affected directly by partition, and as a scholar, it is evident to me that the one man whose job it was, above all else, to avoid the mayhem, ended up inflaming the conditions that made partition the

Image: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Lord Louis Mountbatten, the viceroy of India and his wife Lady Edwina Mountbatten with Muslim League leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah at the viceroy's house, now Rashtrapati Bhavan, April 9, 1947

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People crowd onto a train as mass displacement happens during partition horror it became.

That man was Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of British India.

How did Mountbatten contribute to the legacy of hatred that, 74 years later, still informs the bitter relationship between India and Pakistan?

A murderous orgy Let us begin by recognising the scale of barbarity that was unleashed by the mishandling of partition.

No one has captured this more poignantly than Urdu’s most prominent short story writer, Saadat Hasan Manto, who according to his grandniece and eminent historian Ayesha Jalal “marvelled at the stern calmness with which the British had rent asunder the subcontinent’s unity at the moment of decolonization.”

In “The Pity of Partition,” Jalal channels the content of Manto’s work in Urdu to write: “Human beings had instituted rules against murder and mayhem in order to distinguish themselves from beasts of prey. None was observed in the murderous orgy that shook India to the core at the dawn of independence.”

As author Nisid Hajari reports in “Midnight’s Furies,” a chilling narrative of the butchery: “some British soldiers and journalists who had witnessed the Nazi death camps, claimed partition’s brutalities were worse: pregnant

women had their breasts cut off and babies hacked out of their bellies, infants were found literally roasted on spits.”

Indeed, it does not matter which was worse. What is important to understand is that partition is to the psyche of Indians and Pakistanis what the Holocaust is to Jews.

Author William Dalrymple calls this terrible outbreak of sectarian violence – Hindus and Sikhs on one side and Muslims on the other – “a mutual genocide” that was “as unexpected as it was unprecedented.”

Could the genocide have been avoided?

The violence was not, in fact, entirely unexpected. On August 16, 1946, literally a year before actual partition, a glimpse of what was to come was on display: In what came to be called “the week of the long knives,” three days of rioting in Calcutta left more than 4,000 dead and 100,000 homeless.

The hellish proportion of the slaughter that was to come was, however, unnecessary.

Well before the August of 1947, those following the tumultuous political boil in India – including U.S. Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman – fully understood that it was time for Britain – now a flailing power made bankrupt by World War II – to leave India.

As 1947 dawned, the task before

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Image: AP Photo

the British was to find the least worst, way to retreat from India: to manage the chaos, to minimise the violence and, if at all possible, to do so with some modicum of grace.

To perform this job, King George VI sent his cousin Lord Louis Francis Albert Victor (“Dickie”) Mountbatten to India as his last viceroy. This great-grandson of Queen Victoria – the first British monarch to be crowned Empress of India – was, ironically, given the

to Britain and advance his own naval career, he decided to bring forward the date by 10 months, to August 1947 (he eventually did become first sea lord, a position he coveted because it had been denied to his father).

How crucial were those 10 months?

I would argue, they could have meant the difference between a simply violent partition and a horrifically genocidal partition.

Image: Mohsin Raza/Reuters

Flag-lowering ceremonies at the Wagah post between India and Pakistan border task of closing the imperial shop, not just in India but around the world.

In India, he proved to be monumentally unequal to the assignment.

Mountbatten arrived in India in February 1947 and was given until June 1948 – not 1947 – to complete his mission. Impatient to get back

A hurried drawing of border lines The context for a bloody partition was set with the decision to sever Bengal in the east and Punjab in the west in half – giving Jinnah what he called a “moth-eaten Pakistan.” That killed any hopes of a federated India, which was Jinnah’s preference, if it allowed for power sharing and autonomy to

Muslim majority provinces.

To decide the fate of 400 million Indians and draw lines of division on poorly made maps, Mountbatten brought in Cyril Radcliffe, a barrister who had never set foot in India before then, and would never return afterwards.

Despite his protestations, Mountbatten gave him just five weeks to complete the job.

All of India, and particularly those in Bengal and Punjab, waited with bated breath to find out how they would be divided. Which village would go where? Which family would be left on which side of the new borders?

Working feverishly, Radcliffe completed the partition maps days before the actual partition.

Mountbatten, however, decided to keep them secret.

On Mountbatten’s orders, the partition maps were kept under lock and key in the viceregal palace in Delhi. They were not to be shared with Indian leaders and administrators until two days after partition.

Jaswant Singh, who later served as India’s minister of foreign affairs, defense and finance, writes that at their moment of birth neither India nor Pakistan “knew where their borders ran, where was that dividing line across which Hindus and Muslims must now separate?”

He adds that as feared and predicted, this had “disastrous consequences.” The uncertainty of exactly who would end up where fueled confusion, wild rumors, and terror as corpses kept piling up.

As historian Stanley Wolpert writes in “Shameful Flight,” Mountbatten kept the partition maps a closely guarded secret, as he did not want the festivities of British transfer of power to be marred or distracted.

“What a glorious charade of British Imperial largesse and power ‘peacefully’ transferred,” lamented Wolpert as he contemplated the possible implications of Mountbatten’s hubris.

70 plus years later As the preeminent biographer of all the major political actors of British India’s last days, Wolpert acknowledges that many – and, most importantly, Indian political leaders themselves – contributed to the chaos that was 1947.

But there is no room for doubt in Wolpert’s mind that “none of them played as tragic or central a role as did Mountbatten.”

By botching the administration of partition in 1947 and leaving critical elements unfinished – including, most disastrously, the still unfinished resolution to Jammu and Kashmir – Mountbatten’s partition plan left the fate of Kashmir undecided.

Mountbatten, thus, bestowed a legacy of acrimony on India and Pakistan.

It was not just rivers and gold and silver that needed to be divided

18

Image: Saktishree DM, CC BY-ND

Lord Mountbatten being received on his arrival to India. In this picture he is shaking hands with Liaquat Ali Khan, who became the first prime minister of Pakistan. Next to him is Jawaharlal Nehru, who became the first prime minister of India between the two dominions; it was books in libraries, and even paper pins in offices. As Saadat Hasan Manto’s fictional account conveys, the madness was such that even patients in mental hospitals had to be divided.

Yet, Mountbatten, the man who would fret incessantly about what

Nor can, or should, I believe, India and Pakistan blame the British and Mountbatten for all their problems.

Seventy-two years on, they have only themselves to blame for missing opportunity after opportunity to fix the troubled relationship they inherited.

However, maybe, today, on the

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Lord Mountbatten swears in Jawaharlal Nehru as the first Prime Minister of India on 15 August 1947. to wear at official ceremonies, made little effort to devise arrangements for how resources would be divided, or shared.

Learning from history Nowhere does the unfinished business of partition bleed more profusely than in the continuing conflict between India and Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir.

Would a little more attention and a few more weeks of effort in 1947 have spared the world a nucleartipped time bomb that keeps ticking on both sides?

We can never know the answer to this question.

anniversary of their birth, both India and Pakistan can take a break from simply bashing each other and recognize that at times history can deal you a bad hand in many different ways – in this case, due to the hasty and monumental errors of a British royalty. But also recognize, it is on you to learn from history and fix it.

This piece was first published on August 15, 2017 and was updated to reflect the 74 years of partition of India and Pakistan. The article is from The Conversation, by Dean Adil Najam of Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Lord Mountbatten addressing the Independence Day session of the Constituent Assembly on August 15, 1947.

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RECIPE

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER STEAK This vegan tandoori cauliflower ‘steak’ is a healthy, quick & simple dinner that’s on the table in a flash!

INGREDIENTS 1 large head cauliflower, sliced lengthwise through the core into 4 ‘steaks’

METHOD Preheat oven to 200°c and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl whisk together oil and Tandoori Masala. Place

¼ cup oil

cauliflower steaks on the prepared baking

2 tbsp Supreme Tandoori Masala

sheet and generously brush mixture all over.

Roast cauliflower steaks in the preheated oven for 10minutes. Gently turn over each steak and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or until tender and golden. Serve immediately with vegan mint chutney and salad.

Recipe in partnership with Supreme ingredients.

For more recipes visit www.supreme-ingredients.com

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MOVE TO PSG A POSSIBILITY, WE ARE TALKING: MESSI AFTER LEAVING BARCA Argentina striker Lionel Messi has confirmed that his signing with Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain remains a possibility, but nothing is certain at the moment.

The maverick striker confirmed the end of his 21-year stint with Spanish club Barcelona on Sunday 8 August and he was left in tears while bidding adieu to the club.

“Paris Saint-Germain is a possibility, yes. At the moment nothing is confirmed, I received lot of calls after the Barcelona statement. We’re talking about it,” Goal.com quoted

teammates, everyone who has been by my side. I gave everything for this club from the first day I arrived to the last. I never imagined having to say goodbye as I didn’t think about it. What’s clear is I did everything possible, and they (Barca) couldn’t do it because of La Liga.”

“A lot of things have been said about me, but on my behalf, we did everything I could because I wanted to stay. Last year I didn’t want to stay, and I said it. This year I did, and I couldn’t. I love this club. Without seeing the fans for over a year and a half has been very hard. If I

reason behind the exit is the financial and structural obstacles. Despite Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract, this cannot happen because of Spanish LaLiga regulations on player registration as per the club statement. As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona.

“Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled, the statement further said. “FC Barcelona

Messi as saying. Talking about his stint with Barcelona, Messi said “After 21 years I’m leaving with my three Catalan Argentine kids. We’ve lived in this city - this is our home. I’m just really grateful for everything, all my

had imagined it [his leaving speech] I would’ve imagined the Camp Nou full and being able to say goodbye properly.

“In what came as one of the biggest news in the football world, Messi left FC Barcelona, earlier this week. As per the club, the

wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life,” it said as per fcbarcelona.com.

Image: Shutterstock

Lionel Messi

Earlier it was reported Messi was all set to sign a new five-year contract with Spanish club Barcelona.

Along with signing a new deal, Messi would also be taking a 50 per cent wage cut, Goal.com had reported.

The report had said Messi agreed to take a cut on his yearly earnings in order

to re-sign for Barcelona, and the club would make a formal announcement in the coming weeks. Messi has spent his entire career with Barcelona after signing on with the club in 2004. His contract expired in June this year, but he was set to sign a new deal with the Catalan side.

IT HURTS WHEN PEOPLE QUESTION MY PROFESSIONALISM, SAYS HARRY KANE AMID TRANSFER REPORTS

Image: Twitter

Harry Cane

Tottenham’s ace striker Harry Kane has hit back at fans questioning his professionalism amid

have shown me total support and love,” he tweeted.

“That’s why it hurts

unwavering support during my time with the club. This has always been the case as it is

claims that he wants to leave the North London side.

England star took to social media to deny the reports which claimed that he refused to train with Spurs to force a move away from the club.

The 28-year-old insisted that he will return to the club as was the original plan.

“It’s almost 10 years since I made my Spurs debut.

For every one of those years, you - the fans -

to read some of the comments that have been made this week, questioning my professionalism. While I won’t go into the specifics of the situation, I want to clarify that I would never, and have never, refused to train.

“I will be returning to the club tomorrow, as planned. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardise the relationship I have with the fans who have given me such

today.”

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has already said on Friday that Kane is in his thoughts as the defending Premier League champions look to strengthen further this season. “If they are open to negotiate, I think not just Man City but many clubs in the world want to sign him - we are not an exception - but it depends on Tottenham,” Guardiola said, as per Goal.com.

SPORTS MANCHESTER CITY BREAK BRITISH TRANSFER RECORD TO SIGN JACK GREALISH FOR £100M FROM ASTON VILLA

Image: Twitter

Jack Grealish

The defending Premier League champions Manchester City have broken British transfer

football record by completing the signing of Jack Grealish for £100m from Aston Villa.

The 25-year-old midfielder joins from Aston Villa, having made 213 appearances over

the course of eight seasons, scoring 32 goals and assisting 43. The England international has signed a six-year contract keeping him at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2027.

Grealish will don jersey No. 10 at City. He inherits the shirt from Sergio Aguero, who wore 10 with a distinction between 2015-21.

In addition to widespread admiration for his domestic performances, Jack also received plaudits for his impressive individual and team contribution to the England squad, as the national team reached the final of the Euro 2020 competition in a truly memorable summer for fans all over the UK. “I am incredibly happy to have joined Manchester City,” Grealish said in a release by Manchester City.

“City are the best team in the country with a manager considered to be the best in the world - it’s a dream come true to be part of this club. Over the past 10 seasons, they have won major trophies consistently. Pep coming here has taken them to the next level and the football this team plays is the most exciting in Europe. To play for Pep and learn from him is going to be special and it’s something any top footballer would want.”

“The facilities are amazing, and I honestly can’t wait to get started, meet everyone and get playing.”

In the 2020-21 campaign, Jack won Villa’s Player of the Season award, before making five appearances for England en route to the final of the Euros, delivering a game-changing cameo in the famous 2-0 last-16 win over Germany at Wembley.

ENG VS IND: PLAYING 50-OVER CRICKET GAVE ME SOME RHYTHM BACK IN MY BATTING, SAYS ROOT England Test captain Joe Root has said that playing some 50-over cricket before the series against India has helped him gain rhythm back in his batting.

India bundled out England on 303 in the third session on Day 4 after Joe Root’s classy

cricket. I know it would be nice to have some red-ball cricket coming into this game but, from my point of view, playing 50-over cricket gave me some rhythm back in my batting,” said Root.

“I felt I got forward and back better. I was standing a lot

ton in the second innings.

Root played an all-important innings before India fought back as Jasprit Bumrah picked five wickets. It was Bumrah’s second five-wicket haul at Trent Bridge. England has set a target of 209 for India.

“There has been a lot to handle. But it is important you find ways to handle that. You can let it weigh you down - but you have to find solutions.

It’s about trying to deal with what’s in front of you and not letting anything overwhelm

remember what is fun about cricket. It might be tough sometimes, it might be hard, but it’s fun. And it’s really important we all embrace that,” said Root during a virtual press conference held at the end of Day 4.

“Whatever the situation,

game, it’s important you go out there, enjoy the moment, and make the most of it. It felt pretty good to get a big score and get us into position to give us a chance of winning this Test,” he added.

England might have removed opening batsman KL Rahul

runs to win the first Test on Sunday. India scored 52 runs after bundling out England in the third session. The visitors got off to a cautious start but eventually lost Rahul as Stuart Broad bowled an absolute peach of a delivery to dismiss the Indian batsman.

taller a lot earlier, picking my bat up a lot earlier, I feel like I have got the rhythm back in my hands. I find 50-over cricket can be a massive help to my red-ball game,” he added. Talking about the match situation, Root said “I think as always you want more runs to play with, you have seen in this game, that cluster of wickets have fallen.

We need to make those runs last as long as possible and we have to be good on the field. We need to take our

you. This morning I said to myself and to the group just

whatever the conditions, and wherever you are in your own

in the final half-hour of the play but India need just 157

“I’ve actually felt a real benefit from playing some white-ball

chances, the belief will be there.”

Image: Wikipedia

Jadon Sancho

SPORTS

9 - 15 AUGUST 2021

MOVE TO PSG A POSSIBILITY, WE ARE TALKING: MESSI AFTER LEAVING BARCA

MANCHESTER CITY BREAK BRITISH TRANSFER RECORD TO SIGN JACK GREALISH FOR £100M FROM ASTON VILLA Page 24

Page 23

SHAKIB, MARSH AMONG ICC PLAYER OF THE MONTH NOMINATIONS FOR JULY The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday announced the July nominees for the ICC Player of the Month awards, instituted in January this year to recognise the best international performances across formats for male and female cricketers.

with an economy rate of 4.14. Walsh Jr was also the most impressive bowler in the T20I series against Australia where he picked up twelve wickets in five games at an average of 11.66, making him the leading wicket-taker for the West Indies in both the ODI and T20I series against Australia.

The nominees for the monthly men’s awards this time are Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Mitchell Marsh (Australia) and Hayden Walsh Jr (West Indies) while Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Fatima Sana (Pakistan) and Stafanie Taylor (West Indies) figure in the women’s shortlist.

ICC Women’s Player of the Month for July Hayley Matthews (West Indies) West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews scored her second ODI hundred and took two wickets with the ball as West Indies cruised to a dominant series-clinching eightwicket win over Pakistan last month. Matthews was also named Player of the Series against Pakistan.

An independent “ICC Voting Academy” and fans around the world can vote to decide the winners, which will be announced next week.

ICC Men’s Player of the Month for JulyShakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh).

All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan contributed to all three formats of the game as Bangladesh won the series against Zimbabwe last month. Shakib scored an unbeaten 96 as Bangladesh defeated Zimbabwe by three wickets in the second ODI at the Harare Sports Club. In the T20Is with the ball, Shakib took three wickets at an economy rate of seven leading his country to a series win against Zimbabwe.

Mitchell Marsh (Australia) Australian allrounder Mitchell Marsh

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Shakib Al Hasan played three ODIs and five T20Is against West Indies last month. In the T20Is, Marsh scored 219 runs with a strike rate of 152.08 and took eight wickets with an economy rate of 6.76, making him the lead run-scorer and wicket-taker for Australia in the series.

Hayden Walsh Jr (West Indies) Leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr played three ODIs against Australia last month, where he took seven wickets

to a delayed start, Sana scored an unbeaten 28 off 19 balls which included four boundaries. She was also named the player of the match for her stellar performance.

Stafanie Taylor (West Indies) Captain Stafanie Taylor contributed with both bat and ball as the West Indies won both their ODI and T20I series against Pakistan in July. In the four ODIs against Pakistan, Stafanie scored 175 runs with a strike rate of 79.18 and took three wickets with an economy rate of 3.72. Stafanie was also on top of the rankings for batters and all-rounders in the MRF ICC Women’s ODI Rankings earlier in July

Fatima Sana (Pakistan) Fatima Sana was the leading wicket-taker for Pakistan in the ODI series against the West Indies, and also a joint-leader for her side in the T20I series between the sides. A maiden five-wicket haul from Fatima Sana helped Pakistan defeat West Indies by 22 runs via the DLS method in the fifth ODI of the series. In the same game, with four overs remaining in a shortened innings due

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Stafanie Taylor