India in New York - September 12, 2014

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POLITICAL ASPIRANT ADMITS TO VISA FRAUD

AMERICAN DESI DANCE, BEYOND RELIGION

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VOL. XVIII NO. 12

India in New York A GUIDE TO EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT FROM INDIA ABROAD FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

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PRIYANKA CHOPRA’S ROLE OF A LIFETIME

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INDIA IN NEW YORK is published every Friday by India Abroad Publications, Inc. 42 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10004.

INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Ajit Balakrishnan Chairman and Publisher Nikhil Lakshman Editor-in-Chief Rajeev Bhambri Chief Operating Officer-US Media THE EDITORIAL TEAM NEW YORK Aziz Haniffa, Editor, News Arthur J Pais, Editor, Features Suman Guha Mozumder, Associate Managing Editor George Joseph, P Rajendran, Deputy Managing Editors Paresh Gandhi, Chief Photographer Ritu Jha, Special Correspondent Parimal Mehta, System Manager Production: Dharmesh Chotalia, Production Supervisor.

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Mathew Martoma, center, leaves the court building after being sentenced in what prosecutors called the biggest case of insider trading.

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Mathew Martoma gets nine years in prison

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athew Martoma, convicted of insider trading that earned his employer SAC Capital $275 million — and him a $9.38 million bonus — was September 8 sentenced to nine years in a Florida prison.

He was sentenced to nine and five years respectively on charges of conspiracy and securities fraud. The sentences run concurrently.

United States District Judge Paul Gardephe said he had considered 140 letters that described Martoma’s compassion, his devotion to his family, and the fact that he had no criminal record, but decided that there was a darker side to Martoma’s character —he had forged a Harvard transcript, and later hidden his expulsion from that institution when he applied to Stanford, and where he went on to earn an MBA. Judge Gardephe also rejected defense attorney Richard Strassberg’s plea that Martoma, 40, had already been financially ruined and sufficiently humiliated, and that more punishment was unnecessary.

The judge said the huge illegal profit, which the prosecution

described as the largest case of insider trading ever, could not be ignored as the defense suggested. He said it pitted low risk against huge gain, and thus could encourage more illegal activity.

While Judge Gardephe would not go with the 188 months to 235 months of incarceration sought under federal guidelines, he did go beyond the eight-year minimum suggested by the prosecution.

Martoma was convicted for getting two doctors from the pharmaceutical firms of Elan and Wyeth and who were members of a team studying a potential Alzheimer’s drug to violate their confidentiality agreements and tell him the drug was not viable.

This helped Martoma to get SAC Capital to unload its shares before the public announcement of the results that would hit the prices of both Elan and Wyeth.

The authorities went after Martoma, hoping he would make a deal with them and implicate his then boss Steven Cohen.

Martoma made no deal. Cohen closed SAC Capital and now runs Point72 Asset Management.

Martoma is to surrender himself to the designated authority — or the US Marshals —November 12, 2 pm.

Former Edison political aspirant pleads guilty to visa fraud

scheduled for January 6.

According to court documents filed with the plea agreement, from 2001 until 2009, Patel sponsored the visa applications of Indians by falsely claiming to provide employment for them in technical fields at New Jersey companies. The applicants paid Patel thousands of dollars for the false certifications to fraudulently secure visas. To disguise the scheme, Patel issued payroll checks and other payroll forms.

A CORRESPONDENT

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andipkumar Patel, 41, of Edison, New Jersey, a candidate for the Edison Council last year, last week pleaded guilty to orchestrating an eightyear scheme to falsify employment certifications to facilitate the illegal entry of Indian immigrants into the United States and to filing a false tax return.

Patel pleaded guilty before US District Judge William H Walls of the District of New Jersey to conspiring to defraud the US and to filing a false federal income tax return. Sentencing is

Sandipkumar Patel

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INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

South Street Seaport Diwali to feature dance competition, honor women A CORRESPONDENT

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hhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh attended a meeting at the Indian consulate in New York to flag off the South Street Seaport Diwali celebrations, which are scheduled for October 5.

The Association of Indians in America, New York Chapter, is hosting the 27th annual Diwali at South Street Seaport in Manhattan from noon till 8 pm with fireworks at 7 pm.

The free to attend event has become the largest Diwali celebration in the tri-state area, and attracts thousands of people.

Dr Singh, who was on a personal visit to New York, said he wished he could join the celebrations. He outlined development work in his state, and also inaugurated the consulate general of India, New York’s Facebook page.

His son Abhishek Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party member of India’s Parliament, spoke about India’s future.

Consul General Dnyaneshwar M Mulay noted the consulate’s efforts to showcase India’s and the Indian-

American community’s cultural heritage.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, who was the chief guest, noted her long association with the South Street Seaport Diwali and the Indian-American community.

Sunil Modi, president, AIA-NY chapter, spoke about the Diwali celebration.

Tulsi Pandya and Radhika Patel from the Nartan Rang Dance Academy of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan performed a dance titled Vande Mataram, directed by Swati Vaishnav.

To echo Indian Prime Minister Narendra From left, Aman Kumar Singh, Abhishek Singh, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Modi’s speech on India’s Independence Day, Dr Raman Singh, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Consul General the theme of the South Street Seaport Dnyaneshwar M Mulay at the event.

Diwali celebration this year is ‘empowerment of women.’

Sarina Jain, founder and creator of Masala Bhangra, will Accomplished women in the community will be honperform followed by garba with attendees. Playback singer ored, and the AIA will also honor organizations that address issues of women’s health and rights. and composer Sharada Iyengar will perform a musical One of the festival’s new attractions is an inter-college recitation from the Bhagavad Gita. dance competition, Naach Inferno, which will be featured The AIA, the oldest not-for-profit organization of on the Star India Plus TV channel.

Indian-Americans, was founded in 1967.

Dinesh D’Souza pleads for community service A CORRESPONDENT

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nection with the illegal campaign contributions.

In a 55-page sentencing memorandum submitted September 3, D’Souza said, ‘I have already paid a price for this

onservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza told a judge that he is ‘disgraced and humiliated’ by his actions, and pleaded to be sentenced to probation and community service instead of the maximum two-year prison term he faces for violating federal campaign laws.

D’Souza, 53, had changed his plea to guilty in May to charges — brought by Manhattan United States Attorney Preet Bharara — that he made two close associates contribute $10,000 each to LUCAS JACKSON/REUTERS the Senate campaign of Court with his Federal Wendy Long Manhattan Dinesh D'Souza, left, exits the lawyer Benjamin Brafman, May 20.

(Republican, New York) in 2012 with the behavior in having the FBI investigate understanding that he would reimburse me, having handcuffs behind my back them for their contributions. and being exposed to public disgrace Under the Election Act, campaign and embarrassment.’ contributions from any individual to D’Souza, a bestselling Conservative any one candidate are limited to author, is also known for his 2012 docu$5,000. mentary 2016: Obama’s America, which D’Souza was also charged with one count of making false statements to the had equated Obama’s re-election with Federal Election Commission in conthe death of the United States.

Raj Shah wins award for third time

r Raj Shah, director, Koehler Instrument, New York has been conferred with an ASTM D International Award of Excellence for the third

time.

ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, is a specialist in the development and delivery of international voluntary consensus standards. Some 12,000 ASTM standards are used around the world.

Dr Raj Shah The ASTM has not conferred an Award of Excellence to the same individual three times in decades.

Dr Shah’s first award, in 2008, was for research and innovation in the field of oxidation of lubricants and greases.

The second one, in 2012, was for his work to develop new test standards related to oxidation characteristics of petroleum products.

The latest award is from the Environmental Considerate Lubricants Committee.

Dr Shah came to the US in 1991 to do his PhD in chemical engineering at Penn State University, State college, Pennsylvania.

His wife, Dr Nilou Faridi, is a senior research consultant at the Polymer Processing Institute in New Jersey. They have a son Kian, 10.

Former Edison political aspirant pleads guilty to visa fraud

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Patel required the immigrants to return the money from the checks and also to reimburse him for his payroll tax expenses. He used the fraudulent pay stubs and payroll checks to support false applications to

extend the visas, and charged them fees for the visa extensions.

As a result of falsely carrying the immigrant employees on his payrolls, Patel overstated his payroll expenses on his federal income tax returns by more than $1.4 million over four years, under-reporting his tax obligation by over $400,000 for those years.

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Community INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Dance like a desi The Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance, through Paresh Gandhi’s eyes

The festival, a signature event of the Indo-American Arts Council, was held in collaboration with Pace University at the university’s Michael Schimmel Center for Arts, September 5.

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INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Priyanka Chopra as Mary Kom.

Mary Kom, on the world stage Arthur J Pais reports from the Toronto International Film Festival

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‘I represent Mary Kom’s spirit’ Priyanka Chopra, one of the handful of Bollywood actresses who have moved past the sidekick heroine zone, speaks to Sonil Dedhia about the role of a lifetime

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here has been much criticism about Priyanka Chopra being chosen to play the part of champion Indian boxer Mary Kom, who hails from Manipur.

But the actress is taking it in her stride for she received her biggest affirmation well before the film released September 5.

“Mary has seen the film and she cried during some scenes. She has given me her affirmation and I guess for me that is the biggest test won,” she said.

Before jetting off to Canada for the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, the actress spoke to India in New York about why it was more important to embody the spirit of Mary Kom — rather than look like her — and take it to the largest possible audience.

Several questions have been raised about you being cast as Mary Kom. Were you expecting this?

I did not want to imitate Mary Kom. Director Omung Kumar, Sanjay sir (Sanjay Leela Bhansali, producer of the film) and the team knew that my face would never look like hers.

We tried a lot of prosthetics. I saw some of my leaked pictures with the prosthetics and I’d like to kill the person who leaked them (laughs).

But we were aware of the situation. We are making a Hindi film and we wanted the reach of the film to be worldwide. I speak a lot more in Hindi than Mary speaks, and not in Manipuri.

I have given my blood and soul to this film, to make sure I represent Mary’s spirit and her personality to the best of my ability.

Sanjay sir said the film had to be about

the spirit of Mary Kom and the story needs to be told.

Mary has seen the film and she cried during some scenes. She has given me her affirmation and I guess for me that is the biggest test won.

Omung is a first-time director. How much did you believe in him and the film when he narrated it to you?

I have worked with many fresh directors — Tarun Mansukhani (Dostana), Nikhil Advani (Salaam-e-Ishq) and now Omung.

I am a complete director’s actor, but I don’t judge the film based on who is directing it. I take it up based on the story.

I would to give full credit to Saiwyn Quadras (the scriptwriter). It was his idea to

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ary Kom set a record of sorts at the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival, where it was screened as a Special Presentation — a category for ‘high-profile premieres.’ The film’s press conference started 35 minutes late, a rarity here.

As a breathless Priyanka Chopra, who headlines the film as the Indian Olympic medal-winning boxing star, took the stage, the moderator explained that her flight had arrived late and then she was caught in a traffic jam.

It didn’t really matter.

The over-the-top film might succeed in India, and could also be a hit with desis here and in other countries, but the mainstream interest in it, if this film fest is any indication, is almost zilch.

The producers of such films come here in the hope of finding a decent American distributor such as Fox Searchlight or Sony Classics who will take their films to the mainstream. Just about 10 percent of the more than 200 films in search of an American distributor get lucky. Mary Kom may end up among the 90 percent.

But the film was lucky in that it got a press conference. Just about 5 percent of the films shown at the TIFF get a press conference.

In the first week of the two-week long festival, reporters and critics from more than 50 countries gather here. The hall where the press conference was held can hold at least 100 people, but there were just about 40. The mainstream press was not visible at all.

This did not deter Priyanka, perhaps because she knew it was being televised to a small but fervent group of movie fans.

She was asked what led her to do the film. She replied that she found a compelling narrative in the life of Mary Kom, who won against many odds.

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‘I represent Mary Kom’s spirit’

make a film on Mary Kom. Writers are not given much importance in our country nor are they paid well. That’s so tragic.

Did you have to raise your fitness level and train hard to portray Mary Kom? Being an actor, I am supposed to train but I am very lazy. It is horrible. If I look fit and athletic it is because of genetics — my Priyanka Chopra and Mary Kom. parents did not put on weight till they were 45 years old. I am blessed that way.

I had never been to the gym before I did Mary Kom. I hate going to the gym. Going to the gym for this film was my punishment.

I didn’t have to up my fitness levels because this is not about fitness. Fitness is very different from being an athlete. For us, fitness means healthy living, eating healthy and walking.

This was about determination, focus, diligence — it is a lifestyle, a religion, to be a sportsperson.

For me, this experience was spiritual. I will never be a sportsperson. I will never be able to represent my country in a competition. As an actor, I got this opportunity to feel that. I did not have to act like a boxer, but I had to become one.

And you also went bald for the film…

(Interrupts) I didn’t go bald.

We used prosthetics. It was just a couple of scenes in the film, so I was not required to go bald.

But if a film requires me to go bald entirely, maybe I will do it.

Is it true that all your opponents in the film are real boxers?

Yes. Initially, the plan was to use actors and teach them boxing. But we realized that it would become a task to teach boxing to 100 people; it was difficult enough for me to learn the sport. So we decided that my coach and I would learn boxing and then use real boxers.

They hit me really bad (laughs). The problem was that these boxers don’t know how to act. There was one boxer who kept hitting me on my face as you get the maximum points for that. One blow landed on my forehead. There was a big clot and my mother, who is a doctor, had to be called on the sets.

She burst the clot because of which my entire face was filled with blood. But it was all in a sporting manner. I was so enthusiastic that every time I got hit I would get up and say ‘C’mon hit me more (laughs).’

There is a song in the film Dil Yeh Ziddi Hai. How ziddi (stubborn) is Priyanka Chopra?

I am very ziddi. I think for anyone to be successful in any field, you have to be ziddi. If you are not ziddi, you will not be successful.

In most of the female-centric films today, new actors are cast opposite big actresses.

We live in a male-dominated world. There is disparity in Hollywood as well. But there is a positive change coming.

I get irritated when people categorize films as female/women centric films. Do we ever say male-centric films? Let me give you an example. Anurag Basu’s Barfi! is as much about Ranbir (Kapoor) as it is about me and Ilena D’Cruz. Deepika (Padukone) did a fantastic job in Chennai Express and so did Kangna (Ranaut) in Queen. I think the credit should go to them.

At the same time, I should not get credit for Krrish, as I was a supporting actor. I supported bigbudget films, which had male actors in the lead. I hope the day will come when male actors will support us and it will happen very soon.

What are your expectations from Mary Kom? I am not confident about Mary Kom. I am really scared. I am the only person in the film audiences know; the rest are all new. I hope I have done enough for the audience to like the movie. I never have expectations from my films. I believe in destiny. I feel destiny and hard work go hand in hand.

I want people to love the film and get inspired. The film has personally inspired me a lot. For me, every film of mine is my Mughal-e-Azam.

None of them will get less or more from me. I enjoy the process of film and the work that goes behind it.

You play a mother in the film. Any plans to get married in real life and have kids?

It’s every girl’s dream to get married and become a mother.

Ever since I was four, I’ve wanted to get married and have kids. In school fancy dress competitions, I used to dress up as a bride with all the jewelry and a red bindi on my forehead!

I have not met the right person with whom I would like to settle down. I set my standards pretty high and every girl should.

Unfortunately, no guy has been able to match those standards.

You are turning producer with Madhur Bhandarkar’s Madamji.

Will the box office matter to you now?

I don’t understand numbers... I get confused. I am really happy Madhur agreed to be the director in my first home production.

It is a big step for me. As a producer, I want to make great films. I’ve wanted to make films, but I never thought I would make a film starring me.

I want to tell small, good stories. Madamji is a great opportunity to establish the production house.

I want to promote new talent whether it is actors, directors or writers.

Tell us about Bajirao Mastani.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali came to me a year-and-a-half ago and narrated my role to me. I am grateful he gave me this role. I am proud to be part of it.

Sanjay sir has been a guiding force since the time he has come into my life. I admire him; he has been wonderful with me — kind, very generous and very loving. I have looked for reasons to work with him and I am glad he chose me.

Mary Kom, on the world stage

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She said there was a lot of prejudice across India against people from the North-Eastern states and it was admirable that Mary did not allow that to prevent her from reaching her aspirations and goals.

“She had to fight a lot of racism,” Priyanka said.

The film was more than a sports or feminist film, she added. No boy or girl should feel his or her dream is small. No one should be made to think that, she continued.

By taking Mary Kom’s life to millions of young people across India, she hoped that it “could make a difference to the future generation of Indians.”

Priyanka, who began acting in films at the age 18, admitted to making many mistakes.

Over the years, she learnt what roles were right for her.

She will no longer commit herself to a film unless she is stimulated by the script.

When she gets a script or a movie proposal, the first question she asks herself is: would she like to watch the film?

She also spoke of the gruelling shooting stint. The boxing scenes required hours of intense training. She was also working on Krrish 3 and Gunday. And she was emotionally shaken by her father’s fast eroding heath.

She often wondered at the end of the day if she should continue doing the film, but come morning, she said, “I would look at the film again and tell myself, if anyone can do it, it is you.”

Director Omung Kumar, who was also at the press conference, said he found the narrative of Mary’s life so compelling that he knew at once there was a strong movie in it: “The story holds your interest. You don’t think of it as a Hollywood or Bollywood movie when you watch it unfold... It is so compelling.”

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INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

“I

and love the character. The rest of the cast is from the north-east so that we could balance the cast of the film.

So it was purely a commercial decision to cast Priyanka Chopra?

Yes, it was purely a commercial decision.

Priyanka Chopra is a big star and taking her as a lead would ensure a great Friday opening because it’s a huge film.

But I am not thinking only about the boxoffice. I also want the film to reach to as many as people possible in India and all over the world. I want everyone to take notice of the film and Mary Kom. What inputs did Mary Kom give?

We had extensive meetings with Mary.

Priyanka and I stayed at her house for a After being a successful art director, was few days. direction the next step?

We noticed how she trains for boxing, I had never thought of directing. But I how she cooks, how she eats, how she abusrealized that I could do anything that was es (laughs). We took into consideration the needed to be done in a film because of my little details of her life. years of working as an art director.

When we were shooting the film, she Five years ago, I started writing two never came on the sets but she was always scripts that had larger-than-life characters. available on the phone. If we were stuck I could have started my career as a director anywhere, we would call her and ask what with either of these scripts, but while writwe should do. I remember one day we even ing I realized the film had become too big requested her to abuse so that Priyanka and I didn’t want to make my first film on could emulate her perfectly! a grand scale.

Was it easy to get Sanjay Leela Bhansali as Three-and-a-half years ago, I told my producer since you have worked with him writer, Saiwyn Quadras, to give me a in Black and Saawariya? biopic or a female-oriented story, someI was working on Bela Sehgal’s Shirin thing that if I had been offered that role, I Farhad Ki Nikal Padi and had a meeting could not say no to. I told him to give me with Sanjay, who was producing the film. something that would become the Mother After the meeting, Sanjay asked me India of my career. what else I was doing and I said I was Why choose Mary Kom as the subject? working on a script. He told me to narrate We started researching and nothing interit, but I said it wasn’t the kind of film he’d esting came our way. Suddenly my writer like to make. said two words — Mary Kom. He insisted, so I narrated the script. He I asked him who she was. I started readMARK BLINCH/REUTERS immediately told me that he would proing about her and I felt ashamed that I wasn’t aware of who she was. I decided to Actress Priyanka Chopra and director Omung Kumar during the news conference for Mary Kom at the duce the film.

Yes, I agree that my proximity to him got meet Mary Kom. With my wife (Vanita Toronto International Film Festival September 4. me access, but it was the story that helped me Kumar) and my writer, I took the flight to find a producer in Sanjay. first half and she immediately agreed. She was a little Manipur to meet her.

There were rumors that you and Sanjay Leela Bhansali hesitant later about whether she could pull off such a I was inspired by her life. had major creative differences. How much does he step in tough role.

This is not just a biopic or a film on boxing. Right from during the filmmaking process?

I told her that if anyone could do this role, she could. how Mary struggled to become a boxer, went to winning They were all rumors. There is absolutely no issue What convinced you that she was the right choice? the world boxing championship, to her marriage and between us. Sanjay came on the sets only twice.

There are only two or three actresses who could have becoming a mother and then making a comeback as a The first time was to sign Priyanka Chopra to do the boxer, there are many human elements that you will see in played Mary Kom and Priyanka was the best of them. song in Ram Leela. The second time he was in Her dedication to her work is amazing. Whenever we do the film.

Dharamshala where we were shooting for the film and he stage shows, she completely involved. She does so many I am sure people will have tears once they see the film. came on the sets just for 15 minutes. rehearsals, takes interest in how the act needs to be done What was that first meeting with Mary Kom like?

During the process of developing the script, he just gave and tries to get into the character.

It was really interesting. I had read about her and seen me the guidance that I required. He asked me to make the Mary Kom is one crazy film. It required immense physiher photographs so I knew what she looked like. character more fierce and crazy. He also gave small inputs cal working out and sculpting muscles. Priyanka looks so We were sitting in a restaurant in Imphal waiting for to make the film better. The best part was that he trusted fit, but let me tell you that she has never gone to the gym Mary to arrive. I saw a lady walking towards us in tight my work and allowed me to make the film I wanted to. in her life. slacks with a skirt on top and wearing huge sunglasses.

Have Mary Kom and her family seen the film?

She had to make muscles and learn boxing. Priyanka has She came up to us and introduced herself. I was Yes. Mary has seen the film and loved it. She cried after gone all out to do this film. shocked. She looked completely different from her boxwatching the film.

A lot of people felt that you could have cast a fresh face, ing photographs.

Three weeks ago when Mary, her husband Onler Karong preferably an actor from the North-East instead of She knew nothing about me so I told her about my work and I were watching the film, she was really excited. She Priyanka Chopra. Were you expecting such reactions? and that I wanted to make a film on her life. would say, ‘Aree, this looks just like my house’ or ‘this fight Yes, we all knew that this was going to happen. I could At first, she didn’t believe us. Later on she gave us the looks the same way I would have fought.’ have easily made a small film catering to only the northgo-ahead.

The detailing is very real. Onler loved the film and was We started working on the script and the 2012 Olympics east region, casting an actor from the North-East and the really happy with the way the story has been told. reach would have been limited. happened at the same time. Mary won the bronze medal So would you call it your Mother India?

I wanted to make a commercial film and make people and suddenly everyone started talking about her.

Yes, it is my Mother India. I wouldn’t have asked for a aware of Mary Kom. I wanted a famous person.

Was Priyanka Chopra your first choice for the film? better film to start off my career as a director.

Priyanka Chopra is a popular name and my choice for Yes, she was the first actress I approached.

I’ve got the best platform to prove myself. It’s something the lead from day one.

Priyanka and I have known each other for many years.

I can feel proud about.

Once the film is released, people will forget everything We have done a lot of stage shows together. I narrated the am confident that Mary Kom will be loved by all the people who have doubts about the film,” Omung Kumar announced boldly during an interview about his directorial debut, a biopic on Olympic champion Mary Kom. Omung began his career in television, and tried his hand at various things, including modeling, anchoring and art direction for films like Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black and Saawariya.

Omung, who faced criticism for choosing Priyanka Chopra to play Mary Kom instead of an actor from the North-East of India, explains his process.

‘Mary Kom is my Mother India’ Director Omung Kumar speaks to Sonil Dedhia about his debut and why it was essential to cast Priyanka Chopra in the lead

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INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Mary Kom’s husband Onler Karong Kom discusses the film with Laxmi Negi

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‘More than looks, acting is important’

riyanka Chopra-starrer Mary Kom is a real life story told through reel life. Some critics have come down on this biopic of the boxer who fought all odds to become a national sensation.

Mary Kom’s husband Onler Karong Kom, a former footballer, responds to critics about the film’s realism in a free-flowing chat with India in New York.

Did Mary Kom actually fight the bulky Manipuri rebel for more than 45 seconds, and win money?

Mary never fought for money. But she did pick fights with the boys in the village, if they teased her.

The fight with the big bulky man is the director’s version in a Bollywood movie. I believe there should be entertainment in a movie. The makers are not showing a reality show. It is a movie.

I am sure 98 percent of the audience will like this film.

Did her coach abandon her after she got married?

Mary did not just have one coach.

Her first coach M Narjit Singh, national coach Anup Kumar and other assistant coaches were with her for almost a decade.

Whenever I used to go to the Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi, to watch Mary train, they would dissuade me from meeting her. Some of them even asked me to stay away from her. Even her father did not want us to get married so soon.

They all asked me to let her concentrate on boxing.

When we got married, we did rub the coaches on the wrong way.

ABHIJIT MHAMUNKAR Tell us about Mary’s first pregnancy.

Mary, left, and Onler Kom, right, with the reel couple — Priyanka Chopra and Darshan Kumar.

The part where Mary wears all her medals when she is only one Onler. There is no one like us. is pregnant is exactly what happened.

We do not have twin brothers and sisters who are actors!

It was an unplanned pregnancy. I lost my father in More than looks, acting is important. That is why actors December 2006 and we came to know about Mary’s preglike Priyanka and Darshan work in favor of the movie. nancy in January. We were surprised and excited at the Has your family watched the movie? same time.

Oh yes!

Mary thought her career was over. But after delivery, On September 3, 16 members of our family watched the when she desired to box again, I was with her. movie in New Delhi. Our sons are seven years old now and Our relatives and her former coaches tried to put her they understand that the film is based on their mother’s life. down, saying she is finished. But Mary told me, ‘If you are I joked to my sons that the toddlers shown in the movie with me, I can become a champion again.’ were actually them, but they don’t remember because they That was it. were very young when the movie was shot. They asked so I believed in her and stood firmly with her. many questions about the shooting. Finally, I had to give up Did you make ‘that’ call just before the World and tell them the truth.

Championship final fight? (In the film, Onler calls Mary Also, with Priyanka’s striking resemblance to Mary in minutes before her crucial World Championship final bout some parts of the movie, I was able to convince them that to inform her that their son is hospitalized, and has a hole she is their second ‘mama’. But kids are smart these days in his heart) and they know she is an actress.

When Mary was in Ningbo, China, I learned that there There are no multiplexes in our home state. So it is fulwas a hole in the heart of our son Khupneivar. I spoke to — Mary Kom filling that Mary Kom was our three sons’ first movie in a the then chief coach Anup Kumar and requested him to let theater.

Mary come to India straight after the final bout. I was in You gave up your football career, as well as coaching, to Also, I’m not sure about the knockout punch that Mary touch with Mary every half hour. remain in Mary’s shadow. Did you really suffer that much? delivered to seal the fate of the final bout. The director Unlike what was shown in the movie, the operation hapThose who don’t believe in my character are free to come might have added it for masala. But please do not call this pened in Chandigarh and our son was in the ICU when to Manipur and stay with me for a few days to know exactly movie Bollywood masala. Without these additions, I don’t Mary was fighting her final bout. Our son was operated who I am. think people would have watched the movie. after Mary had sealed the gold medal against her name.

Onler has become famous too!

Did Darshan Kumar do justice to Onler?

Needless to say, those were testing times. I was travelWhen I was young, Phantom was a very popular movie. I A lot of people have criticized the movie for not picking ling with just one friend, along with my son, from Delhi was so inspired that I named my pet dog Phantom! I am up Manipuri actors. But actors in Manipur do not look to Chandigarh by road. I was crying and praying like Mary or Onler. There is only one Mary Kom and there afraid people will name their pets Onler now (laughs). throughout the journey.

‘I liked it a lot. It was a very nice feeling to watch the movie and it has come out very well. Priyanka is absolutely brilliant. It was a stunning performance and I was moved by her acting.’

Aseem in Toronto

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INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Actress Priyanka Chopra arrives for the premiere of Mary Kom at the Toronto International Film Festival, September 4. but I am sure there were more people standing there.

Then there was another surprise. As the film finished and the credits began to roll, some people in the audience started chanting “Bharat Mata ki jai.”

I have heard people say that NRIs have a unique sense of patriotism. I had not thought that a Bollywood film would generate so much patriotic fervor.

Before the film started, Cameron Bailey, the festival’s artistic director, spoke to the audience.

“I have a confession to make,” he said in introducing the film and its star. “I love Priyanka Chopra,” he added as the audience cheered.

“I love her because she is smoking hot, beautiful and talented,” he said. “And she has one of the most remarkable screen presences in the world.”

FRED THORNHILL/REUTERS That was quite an endorsement for Chopra who then came on stage with director Kumar. Dressed in a white gown, she seemed thrilled to be there.

This is Chopra’s second visit to TIFF. She was here earlier for What’s Your Rashee?

She pointed to the love she gets from her fans in Toronto: “I am amazed at how much support I have here.” were definitely some Torontonians.

“This film has a little piece of my soul,” she said about The audience seemed to enjoy the film. But this was Mary Kom, adding that she was going through a difficult something new. Living in New York I have never seen time when she worked on the film.

Indian Americans stand up as India’s national anthem And when she was about to leave, a couple of hundred plays in a Bollywood film. I wondered if the Indians in fans rushed to the stage to take close-up pictures of the Toronto are more patriotic.

Soon there were at least 25, 30 people standing around star. Chopra even signed autographs while Bailey stood on the side smiling and watching the show. me in the orchestra. I could not look up in the balcony,

Bharat Mata Ki Jai in Toronto!

I

t was towards the end of Omung Kumar’s Mary Kom. After Mary wins a major title, the Indian national anthem starts to play in the film. And suddenly I noticed that people around me were standing up.

I was watching Mary Kom at the film’s world premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Elgin Theater/Visa Screening Room. The audience was mostly desis — Priyanka Chopra’s Indian fans — but there

L

ast week, on Wednesday, I left Telluride, Colorado, and headed to Toronto. The scenic drive from Telluride to Grand Junction — a bigger town in Colorado — was three hours long. And then I embarked on what would be the longest plane journey I have undertaken in North America.

It took me 22 hours, four planes and five airports to reach Toronto. And it was perhaps because of the ticket I got on my frequent flier miles on United Airlines.

From Grand Junction I flew in a small plane to Denver. After a few hours I caught another plane to the Dulles airport in Washington, DC. I spent the night at the airport and the next day – Thursday — flew to Montreal and then took another flight to Toronto.

I know the Denver airport rather well since I have been passing through to go to the Telluride Film Festival for 21 years. I am even familiar with some of its eating establishments — coffee shops and a rather nice restaurant

run by Chef Wolfgang Puck.

But Dulles at night was a relatively new experience. I noticed that many people actually sleep at the airport to catch their morning flights and realized that United even gives blankets and pillows for overnight airport guests.

It was hard to sleep. The airport got pretty noisy and crowded early in the morning. For a brief moment I felt that all these people had walked into my bedroom.

I loved Montreal airport. Given the French influence in the city, I sensed I had landed in a European city even though I did not get out of the airport.

Finally I discovered Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport, a small venue right in the heart of the city. The airport is built on an island and once the passengers take their baggage, they hop on to a ferryboat that takes them to the mainland for taxis or bus services.

It was very long journey, but eventful.

22 hours, four planes and five airports later.

COURTESY ASEEM CHHABRA

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American Desi INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

M

y career in dance is dotted with several incidents that have left a deep impact on my life.

When I started to give dance recitals — both on Hindu and Christian themes — back in the 1980s, a certain section of the media, that supported the conservative Church, accused me of bringing the Devadasi cult into the Church.

I was shocked! But I did not desert dance, nor did dance desert me.

I have gone beyond the borders of religion to demonstrate that dance is above every religion, creed, race and nationality.

I recently choreographed a dance item based on Sydney Carter’s poem, Lord of the Dance.

Francis, the eleventh child in a large family, was born in the south Indian state of Karnataka.

His father Simon was a folk musician and his mother was a housewife.

Even as a child, he was fascinated by dance. It was his childhood experiences – where he would go freely to temples with his friends and they would accompany him to church – that laid the foundation for the creative themes that he would, as an adult, portray in the Bharata Natyam.

I loved dance, which is why my entry in this field seems providential.

I was completing my master’s in arts at the M S University in Baroda. One of my room-mates in the hostel was studying at the university’s music and dance college. I would go with him to his college to watch the dance practice.

One day I was caught red-handed by the head of the dance department, the late Mrs Anjali Mehr who thought I was there because I was interested in the female students.

I was passionate about dance, but I had a hard time convincing her. Obviously, she didn’t believe me. She challenged me to become a student if I was really interested.

I didn’t need another invitation. With her help, I got permission to simultaneously study for two degrees.

After completing my master’s in arts, I continued to study dance.

After successfully defending my thesis in 1986, I have been teaching and performing full time.

Twelve years later, in 1998, he moved to Germany, but didn’t see a future for his career in Europe.

He had, in the interim, toured the US with his dance troupe several times and had given highly successful performances in various cities.

In 2003, he decided to migrate to America. Getting a Green Card proved to be a smooth process; the fact that he had a PhD in dance and other qualifications helped.

America has treated me pretty well.

Initially, I had to struggle to establish my dance school, so I started to teach privately. I had just three students then.

Besides, most Indian classical dance teachers were female. Some sections of society were hesitant to enrol their children as my students, but that too has

‘Indian classical dance is not like instant noodles’ Francis Barboza is the only Bharata Natyam dancer in the world who includes both Hindu and Christian themes in his dance performances.

Words and photograph: Paresh Gandhi changed with the passage of time.

Gradually, the number of students grew.

By 2008, I was able to establish Satyaradhana (Satya, meaning truth, and Aradhana, meaning worship). Now, we hold classes in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.

I spend most of my time teaching and creating new choreography for both solo and group performances.

We have a dance troupe that we have formed with the graduates of Satyaradhana and we give regular stage performances on various themes. Till date, 14 students have completed their arangetram (graduation) from Satyaradhana.

Many students come to me for advance dance courses and to learn special items after they have completed their arangetram from different dance schools.

Today, my biggest challenge is limiting my stage presentations and teaching Bharata Natyam as a pure, classical dance form.

For the last couple of years, Satyaradhana has hosted a dance festival, Nrityotsava.

Next year, it plans to present a dance ballet, Asatoma Satgamaya (Lead me from falsehood unto truth).

Many parents and students feel dance or art is like instant noodles. Indian dance can’t be like instant noodles or fast food. It is mastered and nurtured in the depth and in serenity.

I strictly adhere to the classical Bharata Natyam style. I teach my students in the traditional manner and maintain the purity of form and technique.

Indian classical dance lays greater emphasis on the inner life of the artiste, which is expressed by the outer bodily form. Indian classical dance is religious in its origin, growth, development and purpose.

I believe in Nishkama Karma; in doing my best without expectations.

It is only when we expect great results in

life that we get hurt and disappointed.

My life has bought me happiness when I stopped expecting rewards and results.

I believe this philosophy will help the Indian-American community as well.

The Indians who came to this country in the earlier years may have made the mistake of imitating the West partially or totally and have ignored or given up their own culture and roots.

In the last few decades, people have realised that adopting Western values does not mean one has to give up one’s culture, roots and values.

Today’s Indian Americans are aware of this. The results can be seen in the lives of

the present generation.

Parents must remember that whenever any Indian art form is taught, the values of Indian culture are also imparted simultaneously.

Our school is very particular that children learn to respect their elders, both in their family and outside their home.

Those who respect and love other human beings, irrespective of her or his religion, creed, color or nationality, is bound to bring peace to themselves and to those around them.

An unselfish society shares its wealth and talent. As a result, society will be a happier and healthier place.

Special

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INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

SPENCER PLATT/REUTERS

ÂNO DAY SHALL ERASE YOU FROM THE MEMORY OF TIMEÊ

At the Ground Zero memorial site.

The atmosphere at the 9/11 Museum is certainly somber, but not melodramatic.

The exhibition conveys a sense of peace and optimism, not frustration and despondency, says Ambassador T P Sreenivasan

S

omeone had suggested that, instead of killing Osama bin Laden, the United States should have made him walk in and out of the security zone of an airport in the country for the rest of his life.

That would be worse than hell for the architect of 9/11. He could be humiliated, strip-searched, x-rayed and be in perpetual tension as to what to expect next. That is what every United States citizen and foreign visitor undergoes 13 years after the plane missiles ripped through the World Trade Centre twin towers and wounded the psyche of the US beyond redemption.

I heard a recent quip in New York that no terrorist attack took place after 9/11 because the US authorities were constantly terrorizing their own people enough.

I was looking for any sign of relaxation in security procedures during my travels in the US this time. I was pleasantly surprised when I presented myself for security screening for an early morning flight from La Guardia airport to Raleigh just a day after my arrival in New York. The agent stopped me from taking off my jacket, belt and shoes and just waved me through the security arch, with my metal rod intact in my leg. I thought for a moment that the paranoia had ended.

But things were back to normal the next day on my return journey, when I had to take everything off and also explain why I had reinforced my leg with a metal rod.

Soon after, I read about a new regulation from a tweet that in future, you should make sure that any electronic device you carry is fully charged. If you fail to turn on

the device, the device itself would be confiscated and you will be subject to special procedures.

It was clear that there would be no end to the restrictions which can be imposed on citizens by a state that still lives in fear.

The height of irony is that security is at its height at the newly opened National 9/11 Memorial Museum and the areas around Ground Zero, the place where the twin towers stood. The security checks are more rigorous than those at the airports as though the terrorists are likely to strike even the museum that commemorates the tragedy they inflicted on the nation.

One wished that the museum had been left open for friends and foes alike to seek a deeper understanding of what it means to be a human being living in the beginning of the 21st century. But even this museum has become a monument to the fear that has gripped the nation; visitors are constantly reminded of the perils that threaten them.

The footprints of the two towers are now vibrant pools with the names of the victims inscribed on their walls. Next to it is the giant new tower, getting ready for occupation.

The Memorial Museum, which was opened May 21, near the new tower, has become a place of pilgrimage for those who were affected by the terrorist attacks in one way or another and an important stop for tourists that throng New York city throughout the year.

The mission of the museum is ‘to bear solemn witness to the terrorist attacks of

September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993.’

It honors nearly 3,000 victims and all who risked their lives to save others. It further recognizes the thousands who survived and all who demonstrated extraordinary compassion in the aftermath of the tragedy.

The museum attests to the triumph of human dignity and affirms an unwavering commitment to the fundamental value of human life.

What strikes the visitor most is the vast area of the museum at different levels and the small number of exhibits, which have been judiciously selected and displayed. The most important exhibits are located seven stories below the ground and the walk prepares the visitor for an awesome encounter with history.

The planners obviously resisted the temptation to build a museum around the debris of the towers or to present a ghastly picture to create aversion or sympathy. Only very few significant pieces of the building are exhibited and the most memorable is the Survivors’ stair, a few stone steps that survived the blast to provide some support to the fleeing survivors.

Equally impressive is the mangled communication antenna, which adorned one of the towers, showing the multitude of cables and wires, which were built with care and precision at the time of its construction.

The atmosphere is certainly somber, but not melodramatic. The exhibition conveys a sense of peace and optimism, not frustration and despondency.

Needless to say, the primary emphasis is on those who perished in the attack, but the

proved heroism and sacrifice of the rescue workers receive equal attention in the museum.

In a sense, those who perished in the process of rescuing innocent victims evoke stronger feelings of admiration, which is reflected. A partially burnt fire engine is as prominently displayed as the tell tale remnants of the towers, which are embedded in the walls. A fine selection from among the very many artifacts and memorabilia created for the victims in different parts of the globe also find place in the display. A gleaming, seemingly new Honda motorcycle appears a little out of place among the exhibits, but on close examination, it turns out that it is an old prized possession of one of the victims, which was refurbished with care in accordance with the unfulfilled desire of the owner.

The pictures of the victims are tiny, but each is identified and displayed. A French photographer, who took the early pictures of the bombing from a nearby home are displayed with an account of how he stopped taking pictures and heroically began rescue work for several days.

A sense of peace and tranquility overwhelms the visitors as they walk out into the gardens outside after taking in the enormity of the tragedy and the limitlessness of human depravity.

Visitors to the museum have the facility to write their remarks on an electronic board or record their impressions on camera. The planners seem to have taken into account the instinctive desire of visitors to the monuments to become their part.

In place of the graffiti that visitors create on old monuments around the globe, the museum has the facility to record comments put signatures, which will be preserved for posterity.

My thoughts as I left the museum to merge into the traffic and crowds of lower Manhattan were about a nation living in fear even years after the attack of 9/11, though it is armed with the capability of destroying the world many times over.

No one can forget where s/he was when the first plane hit the tower. I heard about it first at a meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. In the midst of the severe shock reverberating in the board room, the chairman suggested an adjournment, but the US Ambassador took the floor to request that the meeting should continue ‘as though nothing had happened.’ The meeting continued, but most delegates left the room to watch the news on the screens outside.

Can the world ever move on as though nothing had happened on 9/11?

The museum elegantly captures what happened on that fateful day and the continuing impact of those events on the US and the rest of the world.

The immortal line from Virgil’s Aeneid engraved on the hall reminds us: ‘No day shall erase you from the memory of time.’

T P Sreenivasan has served in the Indian Foreign Service for 37 years, including stints in New York.

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India in New York September 12, 2014

Rediff says:

“Wickedly fantastic!”

“Finding Fanny strikes gold!”

HHHH

Opens SEPTEMBER 12TH

Starring Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia Pankaj Kapoor

14

Bollywood INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Actress Sonakshi Sinha, above; actor Ranveer Singh, below, and, right, actor Varun Dhawan with director Sriram Raghavan at a special preview of Finding Fanny ahead of its September 12 release.

From right, Arjun Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, the stars of Finding Fanny, with actor Hrithik Roshan at another special preview of the film.

Inset, filmmaker Karan Johar was also present.

ALL THAT GLITTERS

A PEEK INTO THE WEEK’S GLITZIEST TINSEL TOWN EVENTS

Sonam Kapoor, sitting center, and Fawad Khan, standing center, at the music launch of their film Khoobsurat.

Bollywood

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INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Above, Abhishek Bachchan, actor and owner of the Pink Panthers, and his wife, actress Aishwarya Rai, raise the Pro Kabaddi league trophy.

ALL THAT GLITTERS

The finals of the inaugural edition of the trophy was attended by the likes of — from left, boxer Vijender Singh, industrialist Anand Mahindra and his wife Anuradha, and Reliance honcho Mukesh Ambani’s wife Nita.

Filmmaker David Dhwan, left, attends the mahurat shot, the traditional launch of a Bollywood film, of Welcome Karachi. The film stars Arshad Warsi, center, and Irrfan Khan.

A PEEK INTO THE WEEK’S GLITZIEST TINSEL TOWN EVENTS

Filmmaker Rohit Shetty, left, was also there to support director Ashish R Mohan, right, who has been an assistant director to Shetty in many films.

Bollywood

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INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Shah Rukh Khan.

Mohanlal

In Shweta’s support

A

fter Shweta Basu Prasad, the National Award-winning child artist of Vishal Bhardwaj’s Makdee who is now 23 years old, was arrested August 31 in an alleged prostitution racket, and the initial stunned silence, some celebrities are now beginning to speak up in support of the actress and questioning why no reports revealed the identities of the businessmen.

Most strident among these voices is that of television star Sakshi Tanwar, who played screen mom to Shweta in the hit show Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki. ‘Her mother and many other women, including me, want to know the answers to some more questions,’ she says in the Daily News & Analysis. ‘Why has the large section of media been so selective in highlighting the girl? Why the names and photographs of the businessmen not splashed all over, like the girl’s?

Why have those men been granted the right to privacy and not the girl? Is she a soft target just because she is an actor and a public figure? Why is our moral police quiet about this? In a country where even rapists and murderers are given the right to privacy, why has her right been violated? Why this irresponsible insensitive stand against her?’

And though there are those like actress Rani Mukerji, who decided to tackle this with ‘no comments’ despite her talk about women’s rights during the promotions of Mardaani, it was heartening to see Hansal Mehta, the National Award-winning director of Shahid, promising to offer Shweta a role.

‘Stop posting pictures of Shweta,’ he tweeted. ‘Put out the pictures of her wealthy clients and the pimp. Expose the scumbags, not the soft target. I intend to offer Shweta Prasad a role in my next film.

She was so good in Makdee.’

GRAND SLAM S

PRADEEP BANDEKAR

P

eruchazhi (Bandicoot), a Malayalam comedy, which released this Onam season in India and the United States, is written and directed by Arun Vaidyanathan, a Tamil Nadu native who lives in New Jersey and knows very little Malayalam.

Yet, he says it was no problem directing the Mohanlal starrer.

The film’s plot revolves around the election campaign of John Kory, a Republican nominee for the Governor of California. Kory struggles to raise his ratings and his chief campaign officer, Sunny Kurishinkal, runs out of ideas to ensure victory.

Sunny reaches out to his friend Francis Kunjappan (Mukesh) in Kerala to hire a political consultant to devise a campaign strategy.

Kunjappan recommends his arch-rival Jagannadhan (Mohanlal), thinking Jagannadhan’s unorthodox ideas will fail miserably in the US. But to his surprise, Jagannadhan succeeds.

After gaining great ratings through Jagannadhan’s ideas, Sunny betrays him. Sunny’s love for an Indian-American girl Jessie complicates matters.

New Jersey-based filmmaker Ajayan Venugopalan, who knows Tamil and Malayalam, translated the script into Malayalam. “The crew knew Malayalam and everybody knew English. So language was no problem,” says Vaidyanathan, who wrote and directed Br(a)illiant, a short comic film as part of his student project at the New York Film Academy in 2004, and wrote and directed the Tamil film Achamundu, Achamundu in 2009.

“When I thought of a star to play the role of Jagannadhan, Mohanlal immediately came to mind.

My wife Rajitha, who is from Kerala, is an avid fan.

Through a friend, we contacted Mohanlal in Dubai.

He liked the story. The story is based on politics and I follow politics both here and in India very keenly.”

He is full of praise for Mohanlal: “He was very friendly and he became family. He never behaved like an actor. He is a great human being and a great actor. He understood the character perfectly. It was like going to a buffet where we get many things at one place.”

Vaidyanathan says his Malayalam is better now and he wants to make Malayalam films. And adds, “My wife is still in disbelief that I directed Mohanlal.”

— George Joseph

hah Rukh Khan’s Happy New Year ‘Slam’ tour of the United States, which begins September 17, just became grander. The Bollywood superstar has apparently convinced Madhuri Dixit-Nene to join the tour.

An HNY team member reveals, “Shah Rukh was keen to broaden the entertainment base for our performances across the US. We first go to Houston, then New Jersey, Washington DC, Chicago and finally San Jose. Since Madhuri has a fan base in the US, Shah Rukh suggested we should have her as part of the entourage.”

The tour will showcase the film’s cast, including Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Sonu Sood, Boman Irani and Vivaan Shah. Madhuri, who is not part of the film, we hear, will perform her numbers with SRK, from Dil To Paagal Hai and Devdas.

— Subhash K Jha

peaking of Happy New Year, Shah Rukh Khan, who showed off his fab abs in S Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om, has done it COURTESY: TWITTER/IAMSRK

‘Mohanlal never behaved like an actor’

SRK’s Happy New Year look.

again for this film.

He tweeted the picture of his eight pack, clicked by celebrity photographer Dabboo Ratnani, saying, ‘I feel shy to talk about my body, but this is only for @TheFarahKhan.

Cos of @prashantsixpack my trainer for 20 yrs & Aryan for inspiring me.’

Happy New Year will release October 23.

Bollywood

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INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Stories from the North East Filmmaker Sange Dorjee Thongdok in conversation with Patcy N

P

riyanka Chopra is not the only one bringing the spotlight on North East India, with her latest film, Mary Kom. Sange Dorjee Thongdok, who hails from a small village called Jiagaon in Arunachal Pradesh, and belongs to the Sherdukpen tribe, has directed a film called Crossing Bridges, to throw light on their culture.

The National Award-winning film released August 29 in India.

Thongdok spoke to India in New York over the phone from Guwahati.

Tell us something about yourself.

There are just 4,000 of us in the Sherdukpen tribe spread across two villages.

We are mostly cultivators.

My father Tenzing Norbu Thongdok is deputy speaker of the Arunachal Pradesh assembly.

I was always bored with studies and did not want to do a 9 to 5 job. I was interested in recording the history of my tribe. I would take my camera on my vacations to the village and sit with my people and record their stories and folk songs. That got me interested in filmmaking and media.

I have never lived in my village. My family live mostly in Guwahati, and I studied in boarding schools in different places around the country.

What made you do this film?

Five years after I finished college in Delhi, I applied to the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata. I didn’t tell anyone until I had passed the entrance exam because my parents wanted me to do a regular job or sit for the UPSC exam.

After the course, I made Crossing.

I thought of making documentary films, but documentaries are not well supported in our country. Independent feature films are also not supported in our country.

I was okay with a small audience on the film festival circuit. At least people will see

our way of life and know about our tribe.

We don’t have a film industry in Arunachal Pradesh; films are not made here. They are made in Assam and Manipur.

What are the problems that you faced?

The biggest problem was convincing people that I was making a film. I called my friends from film school, some of whom were working in Mumbai.

The best thing was that we have a culture of dance and drama in our tribe, which we showed in the film. We didn’t have to find actors — I had to just train the villagers to face the camera.

The film is made in my mother tongue (Sherdukpen), so I have used my uncles and

aunts and other relatives from the village. I gave them roles they are familiar with — if someone is a farmer in real life I gave him the role of a farmer and so on.

I wrote the story. I thought why not make it about my own experience of living outside the village. So the film is about an outsider who comes to the village and showcases the village to everyone. People know about the village through him.

How did you arrange for finance?

I borrowed money from all my relatives, most of it from my dad. I told them they will not get their money back. They are okay with it because it is for a cause. We shot the film in Rs 30 lakh (Rs 3 million or $50,000).

Mumbai doesn’t need any more filmmakers. The North East doesn’t have that many filmmakers and films and I think there are many stories that could be made over here. I have taken it upon myself to tell the stories of the people from the North East and our way of life.

Crossing Bridges

All my friends were my crew and stayed in my village house. We cooked our own food.

I used my uncle’s home to shoot. I used some of my friends’ vehicles to get around.

Everybody chipped in with whatever they could.

Have you acted in the film?

No. I am in the crowd scenes. We had a scene in a bus and there were not enough people to fill the bus as everyone was busy in the fields, so I am in that scene.

Tell us about your lead actor.

My friend Phuntsu Khrime has played the lead in the film. He has acted in small video films that are made in Guwahati.

He went abroad for his studies and stayed on, but his father forced him to come back to India. Now he runs a hotel in Guwahati, but looking at his background I knew he was the perfect choice to play the protagonist because it is his story too.

How did the National Award happen?

The director of photography of the film, Pooja Gupte, and her husband have a marketing company. They are the ones who released Miss Lovely. They helped in creating a buzz about the film.

We got a lot of appreciation when we entered the film in the Work in Progress section at the Goa Film Festival. People told us where to send the film.

Pooja helped us to promote the film in Mumbai. They also spoke to people for entry in the National Award and once there we got selected.

What’s next? Are you planning to come to Mumbai and make Bollywood movies?

Mumbai doesn’t need any more filmmakers. The North East doesn’t have that many filmmakers and films and I think there are many stories that could be made over here.

I have taken it upon myself to tell the stories of the people from the North East and our way of life.

I am working on another script and on the finance.

Food

18

INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Coomi Selod shares traditional recipes from the Parsi kitchen

Akuri (Scrambled eggs)

Akuri

Ingredients 6 eggs, well-beaten 1 large onion, sliced fine and fried light brown 1 small tomato, chopped ½ tsp jeera 1 pinch chilly powder 1 clove garlic 1 tab coriander leaves, chopped 1 green chilly, finely chopped 1 tbsp ghee or butter Salt to taste

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS?

Method Heat the butter in a small pan.

Fry the jeera, garlic, chilly and tomatoes.

Lower the heat and cover the pan for about five minutes.

Now add the fried onions and chilly powder, the beaten eggs and mix well.

Add salt and mix gently till eggs are done to preferred firmness.

Do not make it too thick.

Serve with hot chapatis or bread and butter.

NORWEGIANMARCUS/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

into the bowl with eggs and mix well.

Add salt and stir well.

Heat 2 tbsp oil or butter in the pan and pour a quarter of the mixture.

Cook well on one side and turn to cook the other side till done.

Serve with bread and butter or as an open sandwich with a little tomato ketchup on top.

Kolmi Bharelo Poro

Kolmi Bharelo Poro (Prawns stuffed Omelet) Ingredients 2 cups prawns, washed, cleaned and deveined 2 medium onions, finely chopped 2 large cloves garlic ½ inch ginger, crushed or grated 2 large tomatoes, chopped 1 tsp tamarind extract or pulp 1 tsp jaggery or sugar 2 tabs coriander leaves, chopped 1 green chilly 8 eggs, well beaten ½ tsp chilly powder ½ tsp turmeric powder Salt to taste Ghee or butter for frying Method Rub prawns with salt, turmeric, chilly powder and marinate for about one hour

in the refrigerator.

Make a fine paste of green chilly, garlic and ginger.

In a large frying pan add some ghee or butter and fry onions till golden.

Add all ingredients except eggs cover the pan and cook over gentle heat, till prawns are done and the mixture is thick.

In another pan, melt 1 tbsp ghee and pour ¼ of the beaten egg and cook till egg is almost set.

Put ¼ of the prawn mixture on one half of the omlette.

Fold the other half and slide it onto a plate.

Repeat for the remaining batter similarly.

Serve with fresh green sal ad, chapatis or a crusty French bread.

STRIPEY THE CRAB/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Parsi Pora (Parsi Omelet) Ingredients 6 eggs, well-beaten 1 medium onion, chopped 1 small tomato, chopped 1 tab coriander leaves, finely chopped 1 green chilly, finely chopped Oil or butter for frying Salt to taste Method Pour beaten eggs into a bowl and set them aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil or butter in a large frying pan and fry the onion, chilly, tomatoes and coriander till onions turn pink.

Add the fried mixture

Papeta Par Eeda (Potatoes with egg) Ingredients 6 eggs, well-beaten 250 gm potatoes, peeled and finely sliced 100 gm onions, finely sliced 1 clove garlic, well crushed 2 tbsp coriander leaves ½ tsp jeera, crushed ½ tsp turmeric powder Pinch of chilly powder 2 tbsp oil or ghee Salt to taste Method In a frying pan, heat oil or ghee.

Brown the onions well.

Add all other ingredients except eggs.

Lower heat and add a little water.

Cover the pan and cook till potatoes are done and dry. This will

take about 10 minutes.

Spread out the mixture evenly in the pan.

Evenly pour out the beaten eggs all over the potato mixture.

Cover the pan and cook over very gentle heat, till egg layer is set.

Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves.

Serve immediately with chapatis or bread.

Tip: To make Bheeda Par Eeda (Bhindi with egg) — another popular Parsi recipe — all you have to do is replace the potatoes with okra (bhindi) and garnish with lemon juice and coriander.

Tameta Par Eeda (Eggs with tomatoes) Ingredients 6 large tomatoes, chopped 6 eggs 1 cup onions, chopped ¼ tsp jeera powder 1 tsp chilly powder ½ tsp coriander powder 1 green chilly, chopped fine 2 tbsp oil 1 clove garlic, chopped Salt and pepper to taste 1 tbsp coriander leaves,

chopped finely 1 tbsp vinegar 4 to 6 tsp sugar Method In a frying pan, heat the oil.

Add the onions and fry till golden brown.

Add the powdered masala and stir well.

Allow the mixture to cook for a few minutes.

Add the tomatoes and mix well. Keep stirring and cook till almost dry.

Add sugar and vinegar and check for sourness.

Cook by stirring till the tomatoes are pulpy.

Remove from fire and set aside till needed.

Grease a flat pie dish with oil.

Spread the tomato mixture in the dish.

With the back of a spoon make six hollows in the tomato so that you can accommodate the eggs.

Break an egg in each hollow.

Place the pie-dish on a low fire. Cover pan and cook till eggs are set.

Remove from the fire and garnish with chopped coriander leaves or parsley.

Spoon out the mixture along with the poached egg onto a plate.

Serve hot with chutney or ketchup.

19

India in New York September 12, 2014

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The Week That Was

20

INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

92 women raped every day in India Ninety two women were raped on an average every day in India, according to National Crime Records Bureau data.

The rape cases reported went up to 33,707 in 2013 from 24,923 in 2012. The number of rape cases doubled in Delhi in 2013 compared to the 2012, the highest in the country.

Andhra’s new capital to be Vijayawada Putting an end to months of suspense, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced September 4 that the new capital of the state would be located ‘around Vijayawada.’

COURTESY: INDIAN ARMY

Modi to visit White House on September 29-30

THE VALLEYÊS TRAGEDY

A rescue mission in Kashmir. Five days of incessant rains claimed nearly 200 lives in Jammu and Kashmir in the worst floods that the state has seen in six decades. The Indian armed forces, which are leading the rescue operation in the flood-ravaged state, had rescued more than 25,000 people by press time, but hundreds of thousands still remained stranded.

The Kashmir valley was cut off as many roads and bridges were washed away; the national highway that links the state to the rest of the country was also closed.

Army Chief General Dalbir Suhag said in Delhi September 8, ‘Soldiers won’t return to the barracks until last man is helped.’

President Barack Obama will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on September 29 and 30, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.

‘They will discuss ways to accelerate economic growth, bolster security cooperation, and collaborate in activities that bring long-term benefits to both countries and the world,’ Earnest said. They will also focus on regional issues, including current developments in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, where India and the United States can work together.’

Coming soon: Rhino Protection Force India will create a Special Rhino Protection Force in Assam to protect the animal from poaching and form a task force to enquire into encroachment of forest land in the state, Union Environment and Forests Minister Prakash Javadekar said September 6.

PAGE 21

g

Modi’s class

Threat of power crisis in several states Following the power outage in Mumbai September 2, after a unit of Tata Power tripped, five states — Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat — now face a massive power crisis.

Four of these states get electricity from Adani Power and Tata Power’s projects in Mundra, Gujarat.

Adani Power shut about six generating units in Mundra, which supplies electricity to Haryana and Gujarat.

Tata Power closed down two generating units in Mundra on account of technical issues. It supplies power to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab.

Al Qaeda launches terror wing in India Al Qaeda has established a new branch to wage jihad in India, revive its caliphate and impose sharia in the Indian sub-continent. The creation of the group, Qaedat al-Jihad in the Indian subcontinent, was announced by the AlQaeda’s media outlet.

For the eighth time in a row, the Pakistani court trying the seven accused in the 2008 Mumbai attacks case adjourned the hearing after a government witness and prosecution lawyers did not show up September 3.

The hearing was to resume after a month-and-a-half as the judge returned from his ‘summer vacation.’

UTTAM GHOSH

For 8th time in a row, Pakistan court adjourns 26/11 trial

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted live with millions of young students and teachers across the nation September 5, which is celebrated as Teachers’ Day in India.

Schools across the country were instructed to screen the telecast.

The Week That Was

21

INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

f PAGE 20

Center asked to clarify citizenship of surrogate child

The Indian Supreme Court sought response from the federal government on the issue of citizenship of a child born in the country out of surrogacy in which the biological parents are foreign nationals but the birth mother is Indian.

The bench asked if such a child could be granted dual citizenship for some limited purpose and asked the Center to make its stand clear on the issue.

CBI chief in the hot seat Ranjit Sinha, director, Central Bureau of Investigation, is fighting allegations of impropriety in the Supreme Court, and has to put up with the airing of details about his domestic arrangements after he was unable to persuade judges to impose a gag order on reports of entries in his visitors’ book, which purportedly shows entry to his residence of personnel working with companies accused in 2G and Coalgate scams.

The Indian Express reported that besides Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group officials, the corporate representatives who visited Sinha frequently included Sunil Bajaj of the Essar Group. Essar is under a CBI probe for its alleged role in the 2G spectrum scam.

Sinha said he would recuse himself from the coal scam probe if the Supreme Court ordered so.

Gujarat to get Asia’s first Ballistic Research Center India is set to achieve self-reliance in the testing of armored vehicles; Asia’s first Ballistic Research Center will soon be functioning at the Gujarat Forensic Science University. Till now, armored vehicles from India were sent to the United Kingdom, the United States and France for testing.

Now, a rice bucket challenge With the ALS ice-bucket challenge going viral, Indian netizens have come up with their own version, posting videos as they donate rice to those in need.

The ‘Rice Bucket Challenge’ is the brain child of Manju Latha Kalanidhi; it involves donating rice to a needy person. The biggest mass donation so far, in one of the posts shared by Kalanidhi on her Facebook page, is by 2,000 students of a college who have pledged to donate 2,200 kilograms (4,850 lbs) of rice.

allowed to see her child, and given leftover food irregularly.’

Four witnesses deny argument between Ness, Priety Four witnesses listed by industrialist Ness Wadia, accused of molesting, abusing Bollywood actress Preity Zinta at an Indian Premier League match May 30, have testified denying any arguments between the estranged couple, the police said September 4.

Indian Navy’s largest patrolling vessel commissioned The Indian Navy’s largest offshore patrol vessel, the INS Sumitra, was formally commissioned September 4. This is the fourth in its class and equipped with state-of-the art medium and short range weapons.

No chargesheet in Badaun: Three accused get bail Three accused have obtained bail after the Central Bureau of Investigation refused to file a chargesheet in the Badaun murder case in which two cousin sisters were found hanging from a tree. The accused reportedly cleared forensic and lie detector tests.

Free undertrials who completed half of maximum sentence: Supreme Court The Supreme Court directed judicial officers September 5 to release all undertrial prisoners who had spent half of the maximum sentence for the offences they were charged with.

Though Indian law provides for this, the rule has been overlooked more often than not.

Cops ask Nigerians to vacate apartments in Mumbai At least 25 Nigerian students who live in a Mumbai suburb got notices September 1 asking them to vacate their apartments within 15 days. Realty agents said local police asked them not to entertain Nigerians as ‘many are involved in online crimes or drug-peddling.’

Israel offers help in Ganga cleaning project Israel has expressed interest in sharing its expertise on water purification and waste water treatment under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project for cleaning the Ganga.

Israel’s Head of Economic and Trade Mission Yonatan Ben-Zaken told the Press Trust of India that they had met the water resources minister and other officials with the offer of knowledge and technology.

Godman Nithyananda undergoes potency test in rape case Controversial self-proclaimed ‘godman’ Nithyananda underwent a potency test September 8 in a 2010 rape case, days after the Supreme Court dismissed his plea challenging the Karnataka high court’s order directing him to face the test.

Rawatbhata nuclear plant makes history An indigenously-made nuclear plant in Rajasthan created history by running continuously for 765 days, or a little over two years, NDTV reported. Most nuclear plants need to be shut down every year for maintenance.

With this achievement, the 220 MW reactor has beaten an American unit which ran for 739 days at a stretch. The pole position is still held by the Ontario Power Corporation’s Pickering-7 plant, which ran continuously for 894 days before it was shut down in 1994.

Husain’s Lord Ganesha artwork ‘banned’ ‘Three years after his passing away at the age of 95, artist Maqbool Fida Husain continues to make news,’ Khalid Mohamed writes in a guest post for Bollywood Journalist.

The film critic and filmmaker revealed in the post that a canvas by Husain depicting Lord Ganesha was removed from the lobby of Mumbai’s J W Marriott Hotel after some visitors to the hotel raised objections.

Band, Baaja, Bappa!

Teen’s body found after she refused to lick spit

Woman locked up for 3 years over dowry A 25-year-old woman was allegedly kept locked in a bathroom in Bihar’s Darbhanga for three years by her husband and in-laws after she could not meet their dowry demands.

She was rescued September 7 by the police. An officer said, ‘The woman could barely open her eyes in the sunlight, as she had survived in darkness and dim light, closeted in the small space. The woman revealed that she was thrown into the bathroom and locked there. She was not

Devotees gather for the immersion of Lord Ganesh’s idols, in Mumbai, September 8, marking the end of Ganeshotsav.

SHAILESH ANDRADE/REUTERS

The naked body of a girl, who tried to save her father from being beaten up for failing to pay for a rented tractor at a village meeting and then refusing to follow a kangaroo court’s order of licking spit, was found on the railway tracks in Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal.

Sports

22

INDIA IN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

England deny India a clean ODI sweep J

oe Root scored his second one day international hundred as England denied India a clean sweep with a 41run victory in the fifth and final match of the ODI series, in Leeds September 5.

The 23-year-old Yorkshire batsman hit 113 runs off 108 balls as England amassed a challenging 294 for 7 and then dismissed the visitors for 253 in 48.4 overs.

India won the series 3-1, having won the second, third and fourth ODIs. India won the toss and chose to bowl, but Root’s ton ensured the home side registered their highest total of the series.

His magnificent knock included 10 fours and three sixes. He added 108 runs off just 71 balls with Jos Buttler (49) for the fifth wicket, scoring an impressive eight runs per over.

India had a disastrous start to their reply. In-form opener Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed without scoring. The other batsmen got starts, but were guilty of not converting them on an easy batting strip.

Splendid rearguard action from Ravindra Jadeja, who hit an aggressive 87, reduced the defeat margin. The southpaw hit nine fours and two sixes in

a late but entertaining 62-ball innings.

Young Ambati Rayudu came up with a fighting 53-run knock off 65 balls, but his promising innings was cut short by Ben Stokes.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan scored 31 off 44 balls before being castled by Moeen Ali, who also got the key wicket of Suresh Raina (18).

The off-spinner played a crucial role in turning the tide England’s way with those dismissals.

Till Mahendra Singh Dhoni was at the crease, India’s hopes were alive, but once the skipper fell — chasing a wide delivery

from Steven Finn and sending it straight to Stokes after scoring 29 — it was a matter of time for England to complete the formalities.

For England, the pace troika of Stokes (3-47), James Anderson (2-39) and Steven Finn (2-37) shared seven wickets between them, while Ali took two.

India made one change, bringing in Umesh Yadav for Dhawal Kulkarni, while England made two to their line-up from the previous game.

Gary Ballance and Harry Gurney were left out, James Tredwell and Ben Stokes coming in for them.

*Alastair Cook c Dhoni b Raina 46 (64) Alex Hales c Rahane b Yadav 4 (9) Moeen Ali c Yadav b Bhuvneshwar 9 (8) Joe Root c Ashwin b Shami 103(108) Eoin Morgan st Dhoni b Ashwin 14 (34) Jos Buttler run out (Dhoni) 49 (40) Ben Stokes not out 33 (23) Chris Woakes b Shami 9 (9) James Tredwell not out 8 (5) Steven Finn James Anderson Extras: 9 byes:1 leg byes:3 no balls:0 wides:5 Total: 294-7 (50) India: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 8-0-45-1, Umesh Yadav 6-046-1, Mohammed Shami 10-0-52-2, Ravichandran Ashwin 10-2-49-1, Suresh Raina 7-0-32-1, Ravindra Jadeja 9-0-66-0.

Ajinkya Rahane c Morgan b Anderson 0 (3) Shikhar Dhawan b Ali 31(44) Virat Kohli c Cook b Anderson 13 (21) Ambati Rayudu c Cook b Stokes 53 (65) Suresh Raina c Buttler b Ali 18 (23) *MS Dhoni c Stokes b Finn 29(42) Ravindra Jadeja b Finn 87 (68) Ravichandran Ashwin c Finn b Stokes 16(19) Bhuvneshwar Kumar run out (Finn) 1(3) Mohammed Shami c Hales b Stokes 0(2) Umesh Yadav not out 0(2) Extras: 5 byes:0 leg byes:0 no balls:0 wides:5 Total: 253-10 (48.4) England: James Anderson 10-0-39-2, Chris Woakes 101-61-0, Moeen Ali 8-0-34-2, Steven Finn 8.4-1-37-2, James Tredwell 5-0-35-0, Ben Stokes 7-0-47-3.

England 180-7 (20)

Jason Roy c Rahane b Shami 8 (10) Alex Hales c Rahane b Jadeja 40 (25) Moeen Ali c Rahane b Mohit 0 (2) Joe Root c Rayudu b Karn 26 (29) *Eoin Morgan c Rahane b Shami 71 (31) Jos Buttler c Rayudu b Shami 10 (15) Ravi Bopara not out 21 (9) Chris Woakes run out (Dhoni) 0 (0) Chris Jordan lbw b Raina 0 (2) James Tredwell Steven Finn Harry Gurney Extras: 4 byes:0 leg byes:3 no balls:1 wides:0 Total: 180-7 (20) India: Ravichandran Ashwin 4-0-37-0, Mohit Sharma 40-39-1, Mohammed Shami 4-0-38-3, Ravindra Jadeja 4-0-35-1.

*Captain

Morgan powers England to thrilling T20 victory

India 177-5 (20)

*Captain

England 294-7 (50)

India 253-10 (48.4)

India versus England Only T20I

Ajinkya Rahane b Ali 8 (4) Shikhar Dhawan b Woakes 33 (28) Virat Kohli c Hales b Finn 66(41) Suresh Raina b Gurney 25(20) *MS Dhoni not out 27 (18) Ravindra Jadeja run out (Bopara) 7(4) Ambati Rayudu not out 3 (5) Ravichandran Ashwin Mohammed Shami Karn Sharma Mohit Sharma Mohammed Shami Extras: 29 byes:1 leg byes:11 no balls:1 wides:16 Total: 304-6 (50) England: Steven Finn 4-0-28-1,Moeen Ali 3-0-31-1, Harry Gurney 4-0-29-1, Chris Woakes 4-0-43-1, Ravi Bopara 1-0-14-0, James Tredwell 4-0-28-0.

India versus England 5th One Day

I England's Eoin Morgan hits a six during the lone T20 cricket match against India at Edgbaston cricket ground in Birmingham, September 7.

PHILIP BROWN/REUTERS

ndia’s long tour of England ended on a heartbreaking note as the hosts held their nerve to pull off a thrilling threerun victory in the only Twenty20 International on the trip, September 7.

Chasing a competitive 181 for seven, India needed 17 runs off the final over of the match, but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was unable to steer the team home at Edgbaston.

India finished with 177 for five in reply to England’s 180 for seven, which was built around captain Eoin Morgan’s 71 runs off 31 balls.

A positive for India in defeat was Virat Kohli’s 66 off 44 balls, his first fifty on the two-month England tour.

Morgan took the Indian bowlers to cleaners in the death overs; England amassed 81 runs from the last five. Other significant contributions came from Alex Hales (40 off 25), Joe Root (26) and Ravi Bopara (21 not out off 14).

Barring debut spinner Karn Sharma (1-28), all Indian bowlers were expensive.

Morgan won the toss and elected to bat first, making use of near-perfect playing conditions.

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MANAGER for Gas/Conv.in Va. Young single/ married. English/ legal must. Call (434) 422-2626

NEED following staff in Indian restaurant: Waiters, tandoori cook, dishwasher & kitchen helper.

Accommodation free. Good salary.

Only experienced people contact (757) 240-9348.

LIVE-IN NANNY/ HOUSEKEEPER Need energetic & experienced nanny & housekeeper in NJ, for 12yr. & 7 yr old.

Non-veg household. References needed.

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LIVE-IN housekeeper, cook, nanny needed in West Orange, NJ. English & cooking mandatory. Call (917) 328-5115 PERSON to cook for 4 person Punjabi family. Prefer 7 days a week but less frequent is okay. Should be able to commute to Bayside, Queens, NYC. Call Mr. Ahuja (516) 435-7001

Services / Miscellaneous REAL ESTATE Room For Rent

ROOM for Rent near F train. Call (347) 500-2401

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Big fashion houses turn to India

a De celebrates Author Shobhaatime has come country whose

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aka Singh Rana Wrestler Dalip with India’s The Great Khali Patil at President Pratibha May 6 Rashtrapati Bhavan,

INDEX

.................A2

Letters to the Editor ................A4 People.... ............................................ ......... ...........................A44 ..A38 Immigration ...... .................

A32 Business..... .....M1 Community ......... ......

Magazine... ......................A46 Sports........................................... ...............A37 41 Events...........................................

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XXXVIII No.33 16, 2008 Vol. Friday, May Weekly Newspaper International

May 16, 2008

Sameer Ahuja helms Sports Museum of America

The International

magazine

PH GEORGE JOSE áå kÉï vçêâ forMichael Bloomberg York Mayor of America When New into the Sports Museum dream transform mally inaugurated Ahuja saw a May 7, Sameer multivibrant reality. first and only interactive, proved an The nation's museum experience before its media all-sports people lining the street from across the street instant hit, with entrance, just get in. The building to 26, Broadway Liberty ferry, Company, the Statue of Standard Oil housed the had earlier D Rockefeller. the street, so he on founded by John spent all night be the first visitor "One person could museum," to enter the Ahuja, the Delhi-born Chief the museum's and its Operating Officer Philip with co-founder Schwalb, said. cele"The museum sports. all brates sports, millions of There are sports. various fans for houses The museum is no them all. There anythis place like Ahuja where," a proud lives said. The museum he gives up to the billing more than Sameer Ahuja it: It houses movies and 20 original variAZIZ HANIFFA 1,100 photos, experience 600 artifacts, Visitors get to through áå t~ëÜáåÖíçåI a` within 19 galleries.related memorabilia, end up and and week showous sports, Security last presentations, histories of memof Homeland detailed interactive multimedia six foreign-born The Department studying the soldier, one of ceremony spending hours events. cased an India-born at a special naturalization out big-ticket sportsis unmissable: Tourists coming bers of the military, Lady United States. a soldier in the US the of museum obeisance to The for new citizens Sandeep Singh, 23, after paying Team, by 24-foot phoColor Guard of Battery Park Ludhiana-born in their tracks athInfantry Continentalto serve his adopted Liberty are stopped legend Babe Ruth, stories the desire Army's 3rd US names from "followed his tographs of baseball said he had terrorist attacks of 9/11." and other iconic 21 countries lete Jesse Owens sport. nation after the 26 men and women from by museum feet American of Allegiance square annals He was among the Oath of range of the 100,000 and Immigration The interior sports fan; seminal exhibits report who were administered US Citizenship the Sandeep Singh Mall.

King's school is manna for director of the icon Billie Jean celebrating historic Scharfen, acting in the ceremony at the Nationaltaken place on these from tennis had Jonathan 'Jock' memorabilia of the DHS, such an event part of varicard through Page A8 US history that museums; the event was Service, an appendage third time in Recognition Week.

It was only the bounded by the Smithsonian of Public Service are Page A8 the celebration grounds, which connected with ous activities

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