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India’s Rise will Reshape Global System, says US Brazil, China, India and Other Big WASHINGTON (ET): Noting in East Asia, and has built a vast East” policy, he said. Emerging Markets Trail US that “India’s rise will reshape the network of economic agreements “That’s why, last year, our two international system” a top US and security arrangements with countries launched a strategic official has said that Washington partners like Japan, South Korea, dialogue on the Asia-Pacific to seeks a 21st century Asia-Pacific Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, ensure that the world’s two largest in which India, the US democracies pursue and China all enjoy good strategies that reinforce relations. one another,” Burns “To paraphrase India’s said. National Security Hoping that India will Advisor, I have no doubt join the US in working to that Asia and the world strengthen Asia’s many are big enough for the regional institutions, he three of us - if we want said: “An architecture of them to be,” Deputy free trade and investment S e c r e t a r y Wi l l i a m that connects India to Burns said outlining US Southeast and East Asia Strategy for the Asiawill have a profound Pacific Friday. impact on global trade “Soon to be the world’s and economic growth.” most populous country, “And let me explicitly and already the world’s state that the 21st century biggest democracy, with Asia-Pacific we seek is an economy likely to one in which India, the be the world’s third United States, and China largest within two all enjoy good relations,” decades, India’s rise will Burns said. reshape the international “Whatever our system,” he said at differences, we know that, World Affairs Councils as this century advances, of America National fewer and fewer global Deputy Secretary William Burns outlines US Asia Conference here. problems will be solvable Noting that President Pacific trade strategy, feels confident that India will without constructive be the third largest economhy within two decades Barack Obama said that cooperation amongst our and will reshape the international system of trade India will be “one of the three great countries.” defining partnerships of The US, he said, was the 21st century,” he said: “We also and Vietnam,” Burns said. also reaching out to build new want it to be one of the defining India’s outreach is growing partnerships across the region “to partnerships in the Asia-Pacific.” toward a comprehensive vision for build networks of cooperation “India is already a powerful the East Asia region-a “Look East” that will create a peaceful and economic and cultural presence policy that is becoming an “Act prosperous Asia-Pacific.”
India future Market for flying Car GOA (DNAI): A US-based company which has designed and tested a ‘flying car’, is looking at India, Brazil and China as the future markets.
Continued on page 28
By Matthew Craft (KC): It sounded like a can’t-miss proposition: Buy the winners, drop the losers. Developing countries from Brazil to China are expanding much faster than aging economies in the U.S. and Europe, where borrowing during the boom years has been a drag on growth. So the smart money bought stocks in emerging markets, expecting that rapid economic expansion there would provide better rewards. This year, that bet hasn’t worked out. T h e broadest measure of U.S. stocks, the Standard & P o o r ’s 500 index, is down just 0.4 percent this year. Markets in Brazil, China and India have lagged far behind, even though their economies are still growing faster than the U.S. “If you were anywhere in the world other than in the S&P 500 this year, you got crushed,” said Greg Peterson, director of research at Ballentine Partners, an investment advisory firm. The main reason emerging market stocks have suffered deeper losses isn’t because their economies are suddenly sluggish. Analysts say it’s because people have been worried about the European debt crisis and a possible recession in the U.S. It may seem unfair, but when fear of another financial crisis strikes
money managers, they tend to flee emerging markets and stay closer to home. This summer, panicked money managers dropped the most risky investments first. That meant bonds from deeply indebted countries like Italy and Portugal, small companies in the U.S and emerging market stocks got hit the hardest. Even gold, an asset normally considered safe, dropped as traders shifted money into dollars.
“There was a globalization of fear,” says Nathalie Wallace, a senior portfolio manager at Batterymarch Financial Management. The same thing happened when the U.S. financial crisis hit in 2008. The S&P 500 fell 38.5 percent for the year. But the MSCI Emerging Market index, made up of countries where the banks didn’t peddle subprime mortgage bonds, plummeted 47.3 percent. “Anytime you see risk and fear coming, you see emerging markets get hit a bit more,” Wallace says. “It doesn’t mean the underlying fundamentals of the economy have Continued on page 28
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BUSINESS
November 11, 2011
Riding Internet, Barter Business Growing fast
NEW DELHI (ET): Businesses are increasingly resorting to barter, the oldest form of trade, as one of the ways to deal with the global slowdown with the help of internet, according to a study on India’s Foreign Trade. “Barter...where goods are exchanged for goods without bringing in money, is being revived,” a comprehensive study on the country’s foreign trade published in the form of a book, said. The book ‘India’s Foreign Tradefrom Antiquity to Date’, authored by veteran journalist Mahesh Prasad said the global slowdown fuelled the barter trade and the trend is gaining momentum in India as well. “In today’s internet economy, barter is being promoted by the B2B portal,” the book said. There are portals like Net4Barter which allow companies to trade
excess stocks and capacities with goods and services. Likewise, bartermaniac.com has launched a platform named India Barter Exchange (IBX). It offers membership to businesses, including professionals like lawyers, doctors and chartered accountants. IBX also offers membership to those offering services like recruitment, house-keeping, transportation, security, IT hardware. Restaurants and traders can also join the exchange. “Barter has developed into a sophisticated tool to help businesses increase their efficiency by monetising their unused capacities and excess inventories. The worldwide organised barter exchange has grown to a USD eight billion a year industry,” it said. The book which studies evolution of India’s foreign trade from ancient times, said the organized barter has
grown throughout the world and every country has formalised it. “Complex business models based on the concept of barter are today possible since the advent of Web 2.0 technologies,” it pointed out. Over 350,000 businesses in the United States are estimated to be involved in barter exchange activities. There are approximately 400 commercial and corporate barter companies serving all over the world. Besides, there are industry groups like the National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) and International Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA), both offering trading and promoting ethical standards among the members. Each has its own currency, Banc in the NATE and UC or Universal Currency for IRTA. NOTE: To subscribe to 52 issues yearly, please call us today at 713789-NEWS (6397)
India, f future Market for flying Car Continued from page 27
Carl Dietrich, co-founder of Terrafugia, a US-based company which has developed a ‘roadable aircraft’, said that the company would be launching the product commercially at the end of the next year. The aircraft-cum-car has foldable wings, which are tucked in when it is on the road, and it becomes compact enough to park in a home-
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garage, he said, adding that it coverts into a flying machine within 30 seconds. Around a hundred people have already booked the car, priced at USD 2,79,000. With a full tank, the car can fly for 460 miles at the speed of 110 miles per hour. “After the US launch, we will spread in Europe,” Dietrich said, adding that India, Brazil and China
would be the future markets. Dietrich, a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was in Panaji to participate in ‘Goa Think Fest -2011’, a three-day conclave which would conclude tomorrow. The car is a workable commuting option, as building a short runway is cheaper than building a superhighway, he said.
Emerging Markets Trail US
Continued from page 27
changed.” Consider the collection of emerging-market rising stars known as the BRICs, which stands for Brazil, Russia, India and China. All have economies whose growth exceeds the U.S. - Brazil: The economy has expanded 3.1 percent over the past year. The benchmark Bovespa has lost 15.3 percent. - Russia: Economic growth of 5.1 percent. The Micex has dropped 11.1 percent this year even after a 10 percent rebound in the past month. - India: Economic growth of 7.7 percent. The BSE Sensex index is down 14.4 percent. - China: Economic growth of 9.1 percent. The Shanghai Composite has slumped 10 percent this year. By contrast, the U.S. economy has expanded 1.6 percent over the past 12 months. That’s sluggish compared to the developing world’s stars. And worries that the U.S. could slip into a recession, or that Europe’s debt crisis could tip it into one, have weighed on investors for months. Even after those fears dragged down stocks nearly 20 percent in a month, the S&P 500 outshines indexes in nearly all of the world’s fastest growing economies. In fact, if you rank the U.S. against emerging markets this year, it places ahead of 20 countries and behind just one, Indonesia.
China and other emerging markets long relied on shipping toys, timber and other goods to consumers in the U.S. and Europe. Trade helped them grow. But that has a downside, says Tim Morris, a portfolio manager at J.P. Morgan’s asset management unit. When a small country hitches its fortunes to U.S. shoppers, it’s bound to suffer when the U.S. economy slows down. A related problem for many emerging market countries is that they’re dominated by energy and material producers, the type of companies most vulnerable to a global slowdown. Todd Henry, an emerging markets equity specialist at T. Rowe Price, points to Brazil, a country that isn’t as dependent on exports for growth. “It’s a relatively closed economy,” Henry says. “But commodity and energy companies make up a large part of their stock market. So that gets priced in if the world slows down.” The largest company in Brazil’s stock index is the oil giant Petrobras. When the U.S. economy looks weak, the price of oil falls and the companies that sell oil fall, too. That pushes down Petrobras, which tugs on the Bovespa. When the U.S. has the sniffles, Brazil’s stock market still catches a cold. “Americans tend to think our problems are limited to the U.S.,” says Richard Bernstein, chief executive officer of Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC. “But our problems are their problems, too.”
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November 11, 2011
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Maldives, a f friend of India: Nasheed India Notes Positive Indicators
r.K radha Krishnan (The Hindu): The Maldives will never do anything that threatens India’s security, its President Mohamed Nasheed has said. “India has always helped us in times of need. We will always be India’s friend and we believe that we cannot find a better friend than India,” he said when asked if Sino-Maldivian cooperation could negatively impact on relations with India. In an e-mail interview to The Hindu, ahead of the 17th SAARC summit in The Maldives, Mr. Nasheed said that to strengthen SAARC more economic integration in South Asia was needed. This meant more trade and investments among South Asian countries. On the theme of the summit — building bridges — and the history of underachievement of the regional grouping, he said The Maldives wanted the South Asia Free Trade Agreement fully implemented. “We also want to boost connectivity between our countries. This includes improving communications, as well as transport links such as ferry services, railways and highways.” On Maldives’ biggest worry, the threat of climate change, he said the lack of progress on this vital “long-
term security threat” was because the world approached it “in terms of cutting back. Nations are told to cut back their emissions. Developing countries find that very hard to
WASHINGTON (The Hindu): A top United States official announced that the first ever IndiaU.S.-Japan trilateral is likely to be held before the end of 2011. The State Department confirmed that it was working with the governments of India and Japan to schedule this “important gathering to discuss regional issues.” U.S. Deputy Secretary William Burns said in a speech that that
India’s “Look East” policy towards a growing comprehensive vision for the East Asia region was becoming an “Act East” policy. In this context the U.S. and India in 2010 launched a Strategic Dialogue on the Asia-Pacific “to ensure that the world’s two largest democracies pursue strategies that reinforce one another.” Burns said, the U.S. hoped that India would join it in strengthening Asia’s
Mohammed Nasheed, President of Maldives
stomach because politicians tend to view cutting back on emissions as cutting back on development. We should reframe our approach to climate change. Let us stop talking about cutting emissions and start talking about investments in clean
technologies and renewable energy. In other words, rather than focus on the things we shouldn’t do, let’s focus on the things we should”. For a start, this meant that developing countries should be given targets for investments in clean technologies. “Tackling climate change can then be seen as a way to grow and improve our economies. The Maldives has recently pledged to invest 2 per cent of national income on clean technologies and renewable energy. If SAARC countries invested similar amounts, it would give this region an edge in the clean tech economy of the future, boost economic growth, improve energy security and show tremendous leadership in tackling climate change,” he said. On the threat from piracy, a compelling issue that some countries in the region face, he said the way to secure the Indian Ocean was to secure the Indian Ocean rim. “I think we have to be honest about the problem and accept that the way to stop piracy in the Indian Ocean is to tackle its underlying cause, which is instability in Somalia,” he added.
India-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Likely this year y regional institutions “from the East Asia Summit to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where India already trades nearly as much in goods as it does with the U.S.” An architecture of free trade and investment that connects India to Southeast and East Asia would have a profound impact on global trade and economic growth, Burns added.
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from Pakistan
sandeep diKshit Mathai said: “The issue of trading (The Hindu): Ahead of the is one on which we have been Manmohan Singh-Yusuf Raza holding out the hand of cooperation Gilani meeting in the Maldives, to Pakistan.” India said Asked about there had been the tendency of “some positive India-Pakistan indicators” bilaterals emanating overshadowing f r o m SAARC meets, Islamabad. a trend that was Briefing commented journalists on upon by the two-day the coming South Asian S A A R C A s s ociatio n summit host for Regional and President Cooperation of the Maldives (SAARC) Mohd. Nasheed s u m m i t , in Thimphu, Foreign Secretary, F o r e i g n Mathai threw Ranjan Mathai Secretary the ball in the Ranjan Mathai cited the quick media’s court. return of the military helicopter “The question is, who makes that had strayed into Pakistani it a big ticket event? I think I territory, the in-principle decision am looking at those responsible by Pakistan to give most favored for that. So, I leave it to you to nation (MFN) status to India and introduce a sense of balance. We the visit of a Pakistani Judicial are meeting as eight sovereign Commission to Mumbai. countries who are all equals [sic] This will be the third prime in the SAARC framework, and ministerial meeting after Dr. Singh certainly we would like the focus to and Mr. Gilani met in Thimphu last remain essentially on the common year, on the margins of the SAARC business of SAARC. summit, leading to the resumption “And once we get beyond the of dialogue on several issues. They common business of SAARC we met later in Mohali on March 30 have vital relations with all these during the India-Pakistan cricket countries. And certainly some World Cup semi-final. of them have very substantive The Maldives engagement comes business with each other. So, we at the head of the start of the second would certainly hope that the focus round of the dialogue process. will not be on one single event,” “All issues in bilateral relations NARESH SETLUR, CPA will be discussed,” Mr. Mathai said Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor about the agenda for the meeting www.karanika.net on the sidelines of the SAARC 832.620.4757 summit, with the intention being Over 20 Years Experience in to predicate India-Pakistan bilateral US, Canada & India ties on a “more stable and normal Accounting, Taxes, basis.’’ Business Consulting Pointing out that India-Pakistan Payroll, Real Estate, Franchise ties should be such that minor Business Formation LLC etc., QuickBooks, Peachtree Help incidents do not derail the overall 1040, 1120, 1065 Tax Returns trend towards a more cooperative Email: setlurn@gmail.com and constructive relationship,
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TECHNOLOGY
November 11, 2011
Scientists to Explore Indian Ocean’s Depths
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JOHANNESBURG (PMP): The Carl Gustaf Lundin, director hoping to get a better idea of where first time scientists explored deep of IUCN’s Global Marine and special habitats, such as cold water in the Indian Ocean, they found a Polar Program, said many of the coral reefs, occur on seamounts new species of and how we can glowing squid. protect them Now researchers in the ocean who are departing globally,” he said from South in a statement. Africa with even “Perhaps we’ll better equipment be lucky enough are hoping for to discover some similar success. new species living In 2009, in these virtually th e s cien tis ts u n k n o w n collected some waters.” 7,000 samples The expedition including the is being funded by newly discovered IUCN, the Global squid, which has Environment light-producing Facility and organs that it Britain’s Natural uses to attract its Scientists from South Africa are on an ocean exploration expedition, E n v i r o n m e n t prey. Researchers the last one was in 2009 when over 7,000 samples of species, R e s e a r c h aboard the RRS flora and fauna were gathered. Studying marine life ecology Council. and population will benefit mankiind Aurelie Spadone, a Marine James Cook are Specialist feels. The expedition is funded by the International Union Vladimir t a k i n g a l o n g for Conservation of Nature (IUNC) Laptikhovsky, a special cameras researcher from for photographing the ocean floor species that live around seamounts the Falkland Islands who identified — something they didn’t have last grow and reproduce slowly, so the new squid species from the time. overfishing can severely affect their 2009 expedition, said there may “We don’t know much about populations. be two more he can pin down as he the deep sea community,” Aurelie “Deep-sea bottom fisheries, continues to take a closer look at the Spadone, a sea specialist with including bottom trawling, can trove of specimens from that trip. the International Union for damage seamount habitats and The collection was “outstanding” Conservation of Nature, said in a negatively impact fish stocks,” for its diversity, he said. telephone interview before setting Lundin said. “It can also irreversibly “Also, because most of the out on the Indian Ocean expedition. damage cold water corals, sponges species if not all are poorly known “It would be very surprising if we and other animals.” in respect to their biology, the don’t find a new species.” Oxford’s Alex Rogers, the collected materials provide a Spadone’s trip is focused on expedition’s chief scientist, said unique possibility of studying their learning more about how deep sea the goal was to better understand biology, life cycles and position fishing is affecting marine life along the threats the ocean faces. in the ecosystem,” Laptikhovsky seamounts — peaks rising from “Based on what we learn by said in email message. He was the floor of the southern Indian studying five seamounts in the on a research voyage, off South Ocean. southwest Indian Ridge, we’re Georgia.
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INDIA
November 11, 2011
31
What’s With Rajat Gupta Anyways? Just another Head to Roll?
By anjali puri (Outlook): Even if you have devoured every word written on Rajat Gupta in the last few months, one question never quite goes away: Why did a man who spent a lifetime building up a reputation for unshakeable integrity throw it away so recklessly, by passing on boardroom secrets to a hedge fund billionaire? But though I try to ask it every which way, I can’t get his former McKinsey colleague and good friend Pramath Raj Sinha to answer it. The closest we come to discussing Gupta’s thought processes is when he says, sombrely: “When he left McKinsey in 2007, Rajat wanted to retire, spend more time with his family, and spend more time in India. He asked me to find him a yoga teacher and a Sanskrit teacher. But ten people wanted a piece of him, there were multiple offers from company boards and entrepreneurs. It’s tragic, had he truly been able to retire, this wouldn’t have happened.” The points Sinha does want to make, over two long conversations, are: yes, Gupta did make “a big mistake”, but painting him as a man consumed by greed is “utter crap”; two, there are significant gaps in the evidence against him, so it is “not fair to portray him as a criminal”; three, Rajat Gupta has been indicted to send out a strong message about “fixing” corporate America, against the backdrop of the anti-Wall Street protests. He says emphatically: “They are using his visibility and stature to make a point to corporate America.” Surprised to hear these words from the founding dean of the Indian School of Business (ISB), about a man indicted for insider trading? Well, Sinha is not alone in speaking up for this defrocked cardinal of the corporate world. In recent days, a major politician, Digvijay Singh, has tweeted in his support—(“Rajat Gupta our Icon arrested. I am sure he would prove his innocence. I am his admirer”)— and a senior corporate figure, T.V. Mohandas Pai, has defended Gupta on national television (“He made an error of judgement. I can’t say he did it with criminal intent to make money.”). Even those who do not defend
Gupta raise questions about his case. “I take the charges against him very seriously, he should be punished if found guilty,” says columnist Santosh Desai. “But there is a disturbing selectivity here. Who has gone behind bars for the systemic failures that have rocked Wall Street, like the subprime mortgage crisis?” Many, too, make sure they mention Gupta’s role as an institution-builder (he was the driving force behind the ISB and the Public Health Foundation of India), in the very breath that they speak of his indictment. Isn’t it hard to remember Gupta’s good deeds after he’s been charged with a major crime, a gentler-than-usual Karan Thapar asked Vikram Mehta, the chairman of Shell India, who had made a point of referring to them. “Those are facts,” said Mehta. “You can’t deny those facts, whereas everything else is circumstantial as of now.” It seems, says social anthropologist Shiv Visvanathan, that Indians—the opinion-makers, at any rate—are still holding on to the idea of Gupta as an almost statesman-like figure and benefactor. “His arrest,” he observes, “is being treated as an unfortunate celestial occurrence rather than a first-rate scandal.” Even the media, he points out, has, apart from a few theatrics, been “immaculate in its restraint”. The irony is that while India seems to be claiming as its own a man who left four decades ago to make a life in America, Indians in the US are distancing themselves from Gupta. The insecurity and survivalist ethic of an immigrant community that fears being tarred with the same brush as a perceived black sheep is palpably expressing itself. As the first person of Indian origin to head a major global firm—and not just any firm, but McKinsey—as a member of bluechip boards, and a man who rubbed shoulders with world leaders, Gupta was treated with deference by the Indian-American community. His star power only increased when he assumed the coveted role of chairman of the US India Business Council (USIBC). It helped that he was soft-spoken and approachable.
Navneet Chugh, a California attorney, and one of the few to express support for Gupta after his Diwali-day indictment, recalls that at one point he was on the board of 17 organisations. “We used to wonder how he found the time, but he would go out of his way to help all of them. And he always helped with stuff that no one else could do.” Today, however, those who often shared the stage with Gupta and were once quick to relate flattering personal anecdotes about him,
Kanwal Rekhi, a Californiabased venture capitalist and a friend of Gupta’s for 20 years, said in an interview some time ago with Forbes India magazine: “How do you start a conversation with him? Do you say you’re sorry this happened or do you say, son-of-abitch, look what you did?” It’s unlikely that anyone in India will call Gupta a son-of-a-bitch. Rather than feeling tainted by their association with a man whose reputation is unlikely to recover, no matter how his case ends,
describe him as no more than an “acquaintance”. Most of his friends and former colleagues at the USIBC declined to speak to Outlook. One-time friends who did speak, on condition of anonymity, complained about “his tendency to hog the limelight”. With the benefit of hindsight, they recalled: “He would refuse to participate in events if he wasn’t front and centre.” Says Vivek Wadhwa, an adjunct professor at the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University, “No one wants to associate with someone who has such a stigma hanging over him, that is normal human behaviour.”
organisations he was involved with are keen to acknowledge his contributions. Says Madhav Chavan, head of education NGO Pratham, with which Gupta was associated for several years: “He’s certainly not evil. The good he has done should not be wiped out because of these revelations.” Ashok Alexander, his former McKinsey colleague, who heads the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s India initiative, speaks eloquently of Gupta’s “genius for visualising institutions that didn’t exist and creating them through seemingly impossible partnerships between disparate entities”. He says, “He did it for no other reason
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • fRIDAy, RIDAy, NOVEMBER 11, 2011 • WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM RIDA
than altruism.” Ironically, Sinha gives credit to Gupta’s vision for the fact that the ISB goes on, unscathed by his unravelling fortunes. “It was not his school,” he says, “he created a broad ownership of it. The board is resilient; despite a member being in trouble, the school goes on.” Perhaps, yes. But the students who drank in every word of Gupta’s convocation speeches, laden with verses from the Bhagvad Gita, and pondered over his philosophical insights, still have to grapple with those haunting questions that never quite go away. Says an ISB alumnus of the batch of 2008, who did not want to be named, “He spoke, recurrently, of choosing the right path instead of the easy one. It’s hard to cor-relate those inspiring words with everything that’s happened this year. One does wonder, what went wrong?” Haunting questions, too, for those who went to business schools across India in the mid-’90s and dreamt, one day, of becoming a Rajat Gupta. Says Gaurav Lahiri, managing director, Hay Group, India, “Maybe the role models are different these days, but in my time, it was unquestionably him. The narrative of his rising from adversity and making it to the top of a blue-blooded place like McKinsey, which did not even recruit at my campus, XLRI, was hugely inspiring. It was inspiring not just that he got in, but was rejected before he got in.” Once, Lahiri confesses, he spotted Gupta at an airport, and summoned up the courage to go up to him and say, “I hope I can be like you some day,” to which Gupta smiled briefly and said, “Good, good.” Today, this senior consultant worries about how the Rajat Gupta story will impact the Indian professional brand. “Will people look at us and wonder, are there wheels within wheels?” Illustration by Sandeep Adhwaryu
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32
OPINION ENTERTAINMENT
November 11, 2011
In Conversation with Actor Akshay Kumar
Tell us a little about the character of Rocco you play in the film and how does it differ from what we have seen you playing before? My name in the film is actually Jerry Patel, I am basically a guy who doesn’t care, about anything or anyone, what the beautiful part about this film is how the recession literally forces me to buck my ideas up, take some responsibility in life & knuckle under & the journey is very rocking I must say, me & my best friend Nick (John Abraham) completely run out of money & in our desperation are offered to become male escorts, of course me being the frivolous one I think it’s a brilliant plan, hence the name ‘Rocco’, Rocco is my night time name shall we say, where pole dancing becomes a necessity for both of us, the rest is for the lucky viewers that go to see this film at the cinemas, only they get to experience the real Rocco & Jerry in me!!! This film is a first of many, 1st time Director Rohit Dawan, 1st time co-staring with Chitrangada Singh, 1sttime Pole dancing, there is so much of freshness in this film that I genuinely feel people will see so much from all of us, I love the story & you’ll all see ‘why’ when you see it… Did you take any less ons in pole dancing before you started work on the film? What can I say I was a natural ;o) … No actually both John & I were equally nervous; no man wants to look either too good or too useless on a pole, if you know what I mean!!
Luckily for me my gym is made of bars & rods so I’m used to swinging & climbing on poles daily, only now I had to do it with a strippers flare rather than my usual monkey technique! I thoroughly enjoyed myself in the
Bachelorette song where both John & I come sliding down two golden poles to entertain the ladies, it’s been brilliantly shot, & it’s all in good taste, this film is made so much for families to enjoy, even your Grandma’s will have an honest twinkle in there eyes ;o) What was it like working with John again after Garam Masala and has he changed as an actor? All I can say is we are a pair & a half, our reuniting has been well over due,
& it’s been absolutely brilliant shooting with him again, the respect we both have for each other’s bodies & professionalism is immense for two heroes in the same industry to have. We have very similar backgrounds so
it’s easy for us to get along so well, he’s always worked damn hard in his career & in this film he’s giving the ladies exactly what they deserve. The only thing that has changed about him as an actor is his growth, not only in his muscles but his maturity & dedication to prove he’s more than meets the eye. What was it like working with the new comer Chitrangada Singh and what was Rohit Dhawan like as a director? Chitrangada is far from a newcomer, she is already wonderfully critically acclaimed, has quite recently & deservedly won a National Award, she is by far an incredible actress not to mention stunning as well. This is of course her first commercial film in Bolly-
wood so nerves were high but she has the ability to blow everyo n e
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away on the sets each day. An absolute pleasure to work with, I can only say I hope this is a first of many films to come!! What a shock the world is going to get when they see this film & realize the age the potential the talent the brains & vision this boy has, Rohit Dawan is a credit to his father, he’s done a brilliant job on Desi Boyz, he knows exactly what he wants & just how to get it. I’m a huge supporter of new comers, they have passion & drive of the purest form, & Rohit has given me great confidence, we work unbelievably well together as we both have one goal in mind, pleasing the audience in every single shot. Am already looking forward to his future work, he has an eagerness to accomplish achieve he is what BlockBusters are made of… Did you enjoy filming in London and what are your favourite songs from the film? London London London, it’s a dream city to live in work in & play in, me & my entire family we all love it mainly for the parks & restaurants!! As for the songs this film has got a lot to offer, my personal favourite would have to be the Desi Boyz title track, it just gets under your skin & you cant help but dance to the beat ;o) I remember sitting in my car playing it over & over again, thinking does this blow my mind, before I even reached set I already couldn’t start waiting to shoot for it, & the visuals to this track are saucy fun & fantastic.
SPORTS
November 11, 2011
Sachin Tendulkar 15000 Runs Plus in Test Cricket
NEW DELHI: Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday achieved another milestone as he became the first cricketer in the history of the game to cross 15000 runs mark in Test cricket. Playing in his 182nd match, Tendulkar reached the mark on the third day of the first Test against the West Indies when he scored his 28th run in India’s second innings with a single off legspinner Devendra Bishoo. After crossing the coveted milestone, the batting maestro looked up at the heavens and acknowledged the standing ovation given by his teammates from the dressing room as his partner Rahul Dravid congratulated him. The West Indian players also came up after the completion of the over to congratulate the iconic batsman. Tendulkar was 35 runs short of 15,000 before this match and he scored seven in the first innings before being adjudged leg-before off Fidel Edwards. With 14,422 crowd cheering him,
Tendulkar, who came in at the fall of Virender Sehwag’s wicket when the team total was 95 for two, played
100 international tons. He has scored 51 Test tons and 48 ODI hundreds.
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Pakistan Shine on the Pitch with Series Win UAE (Samachar): Pakistan highlighted their talent on the pitch to draw the third and final test against Sri Lanka and win the series 1-0 on Monday just days after three former team mates were jailed for spot-fixing. Having been set a target of 255 runs for victory on the rain-hit fifth day, Pakistan opted for safety and were led largely by Taufeeq Umar’s watchful 39 from 121 balls to finish on 87 for four from 57 overs. Captain Misbah-ul-Haq was
force a series draw became even more unlikely. Resuming on their overnight 164 for five, Sri Lanka batted 4.2 overs to declare their second innings on 181 for six wickets with opener Tharanga Paranavitana (76) and Rangana Herath (one) unbeaten at the crease. Pakistan wobbled early on, losing Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali to be 30 for two before first innings centurion Younis Khan was dismissed during the 29 overs they
Tendulkar going past his 15,000 runs in test cricket became the first cricketer in the history of the game to accomplish this feat
cautiously with India needing 276 runs to win the match. He hit just two fours after facing 76 balls to reach 28. The 38-yearold Tendulkar, the world’s most prolific batsman, now needs just one hundred to complete a historic
Rahul Dravid, who was batting at the other end with Tendulkar, is the second highest run-getter in Tests with 12,775 runs before this match while Australian Ricky Ponting is third on the list with 12487 runs.
force orce India Taking it Serious for Abu Dhabi Race
UAE (DNAI): With just two made a huge step since Japan. But it’s never done until it’s done,” races to go in the season, Sahara We’ve also made a bit of a step with Mallya said. Force India has a 10-point cushion the upgrades we brought to India. Adrian Sutil is confident of a against close rivals Sauber and But at the end of the day you never good show this weekend saying Toro Rosso but the the Yas Marina track suits team is not taking the their car. sixth-place finish for “It was a difficult race for granted. us last year, but I think this Force India have 51 year it should be much better. points while Sauber There are long straights and and Toro Rosso are on hairpins, and it’s a track 41 each. where low-speed corner The Indian team had performance counts. That finished in seventh should suit our car so I think position last season we’ll be okay,” the German after being pipped by observed. Williams by just one Paul Di Resta also felt that point and the result still the team can look forward to haunts Force India. a good result. With penultimate “It’s a very technical circuit race of the calendar with a lot of tight, low-speed Force India in the 6th place is not taking things easy, lined up for Sunday, corners and you need to Te a m P r i n c i p a l but looking to do their best to get a good result be very precise with the Vijay Mallya promised to be as know until the last race is over. car. There are definitely some competitive as they have been in “We found that out painfully last similarities with Singapore so that’s the season. year when Williams pipped us by a reason to be optimistic because “Formula One becomes more one point, but now I think we’re the lack of high-speed corners and more competitive with each comfortably in sixth position, ahead seems to suit our package,” the passing day. Toro Rosso has clearly of Toro Rosso as well as Sauber. Scot said. To e-mail us local school or college level sport events, email us: indoamericannews@yahoo.com
Pakistan’s Taufeeq Umar plays a shot during the final day of their third test match against Sri Lanka in Sharjah on November 7
unbeaten at the end on nine, the innings typical of his team’s dogged approach on an uneventful last day as he batted for nearly 100 minutes and face 86 balls. Pakistan, who won the second match of the series by nine wickets after the drawn first test, were playing “home” tests in the United Arab Emirates due to security concerns in their own country. The series win follows former captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir being handed jail sentences in London for their role in a gamblinginspired plot to bowl deliberate noballs against England last year. However, the victory and the fine performances of spinner Saeed Ajmal, which made him joint player of the series with Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara, will give Pakistani cricket supporters some cheer. After the first session was washed out on Monday, a Sri Lanka win to
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faced until tea. Taufeeq carved the ball to Sangakkara at backward point off Randiv, briefly raising Sri Lanka’s hopes of an unlikely win, though Asad Shafiq (seven) repelled the depleted attack alongside Misbah until bad light forced the close. Sri Lanka lost paceman Dhammika Prasad for the rest of the game with a thigh strain early in the match and the remaining bowlers never really threatened Pakistan. Ajmal, the series-leading wicket taker, picked up 18 victims and his 5-68 turned the second test on its head as Sri Lanka collapsed and gifted Pakistan victory. Sangakkara piled up 516 runs at an average of 86, scoring a vital 211 in the first test to salvage a draw. The two countries will now contest a five-match one-day series starting on Friday in Dubai before a one-off Twenty20 international in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 25.
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INDIA - ARTS
November 11, 2011
Bhupen Hazarika - The Bard’s Last Journey
By seeMa hussain GUWAHATI (MM): In death as in life, music maestro Bhupen Hazarika, eastern India’s greatest cultural icon, proved that he has always been among his own. And the multitude from all across Assam and elsewhere who poured in to Guwahati to have a glimpse of their beloved balladeer showed just how much they loved him. And the mood of the Assamese over ‘Bhupen da’s’ death is best reflected by this sentence in an editorial in the mass-circulated Assam Tribune newspaper, ‘...at the moment, we are in the throes of almost unbearable grief...’ And so intense has been this grief and such was the number of people who converged in Guwahati to have a last glimpse of their favourite singer-composer that the State
authorities in consultation with his family members, had to postpone the cremation by a day, from November 8 to 9. Bhupen Hazarika, born in Assam’s easternmost tip of Sadiya in 1926, died at 4:37 pm on Saturday, November 5, at a hospital in Mumbai after being hospitalized for five months. A child prodigy, he began his singing career at age 10, lending his voice to the second Assamese talkie Indramalati, and there was no looking back, till he died aged 85. His entertainment career spanned seven-and-a-half decades, Bhupen Hazarika sang, composed music, penned lyrics, made films, edited newspapers, and did sketches. No wonder this bard of the Brahmaputra made his mark as a multifaceted genius.
“Bhupen Hazarika was not just a singer-composer, he was a social reformer with a mass appeal. He was a humanist to the core,” said
Bhupen Hazarika, Cultural icon and music maestro
film-maker Kalpana Lajmi, who was his companion for 29 years. If his fans and admirers turned Guwahati into a sea of humanity
it is largely because his lyrics and songs touched their hearts— hearts of people across generations and boundaries. In neighboring Bangladesh, the maestro’s death was deeply mourned. During the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971, Hazarika sang ‘Joyo, Joyo, Naba Jato Bangladesh’ (glory to the new nation). This song, a stirring marching song in the true sense, inspired Mukti Bahini fighters, something for which Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had personally appreciated Hazarika. The nation had honored Bhupen Hazarika with Padma Bhushan and the Dada Saheb Phalke Award but there has been a request that Dr Hazarika be conferred with the Bharat Ratna. “Why not, he deserves this,” said Ratna Talukdar, a young fan, waiting in the queue
at the historic Judge’s Field in Guwahati where his body lay in state for three days. Bhupen Hazarika will be accorded full state honors. The Luit, as the Brahmaputra is referred to, by the Assamese, was very dear to Bhupen Hazarika and he had said on several occasions that he be cremated on the banks of this great river. Said Zubeen Garg, one of Assam’s most popular singers, “For singers like us, it is a huge responsibility to carry forward Bhupen da’s ideals and his brand of music. We promise to carry forward his legacy.” The legend is gone but his music will stay forever in the hearts of the Assamese. He is seen as the last of the great Assamese heroes, cultural stalwarts like Jyotio Prasad Agarwala and Bishnu Prasad Rabha.
re-born in the swinging London of the ’60s. He lost touch with his schoolmates and ultimately changed his surname. As a result, many of them, like Dr Shah, didn’t even realize that the great rock god, Freddie Mercury, was actually their old Panchgani buddy, Freddie Bulsara. So did any of them think that he’d end up as rich and famous as he did, leaving behind an estate, calculated—even after a lifetime of wild excess—at nearly £20 million? Frankly, no. And whatever happened to Freddie’s Hectics bandmates? Victory Rana, the drummer, became a general in the Nepali army and headed a UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus. Farang Irani, the bass player, joined his family’s restaurant business and now runs Bounty Sizzlers, a Pune restaurant. Derrick Branche migrated to England and became an actor, with small roles in My Beautiful Laundrette and Jewel in the Crown. Bruce Murray, the lead guitar, migrated to England and “worked at various dead-end jobs”. He was the only one who
kept in touch with Freddie. Today, he runs a music shop in Bedford and manages a band, the Quireboys, who had an album in the charts in the ’90s. When Freddie died 20 years ago, he was cremated and his ashes were interred at the Parsi cemetery at Brookwood, outside London. I tried to locate his grave, but couldn’t. The reason is that some crazy fan would try to dig him up and so he was buried under a different name. A sadly anonymous end for somebody who’d been so dazzlingly famous in his lifetime. St Peter’s, meanwhile, has become a pilgrimage centre for Freddie’s fans from around the world, and an enterprising alumnus even promotes ‘Freddie Mercury tours of India’—the highlights of which are a trip to the school, lunch with his friend, Farang Irani, a photograph taken with the burned shell of his old Moutrie piano and even the opportunity to buy a maroon-andyellow Freddie Mercury school sweater for $40. The tours are organized, appropriately enough, by Mercury Travels.
How Panchgani Made a Rock Icon Called f freddie Mercury
By anwar aliKhan K Khan PUNE (Outlook): The tree-lined courtyard of St Peter’s school in Panchgani, a quaint hill-town near Pune, once long ago, reverberated with the strains of Farrokh Bulsara’s guitar. Of course, nobody then imagined he would go on to become a rock star. But Freddie Mercury, as the world came to worship him, with his band Queen right up there with greats like the Beatles and Rolling Stones, went on to deliver hits for over two decades. Today, 20 years after his death, his memories still live on in St Peter’s school. It was here that a teacher, Joseph Dias, first spotted Freddie’s musical talent and recommended him for special lessons. He made his musical debut, playing for a school band called the Hectics, belting out numbers by Elvis Presley, Cliff Richards, Fats Domino and Little Richard. Thus, ironically, the first of Freddie Mercury’s legendary rock concerts happened here, in Panchgani. Freddie joined St Peter’s at the age of 8 and his classmate, Subash Shah, now a professor of political science, remembers him as an introvert and a loner. Yet, he was a “born showoff”, who’d suddenly be transformed once he started playing his music or imitating the moves of Elvis Presley or Little Richard in the dormitory. This dual personality would remain a life-long trait: the man who was probably the most flamboyant frontman in rock history was actually painfully shy and awkward in real life. Freddie was dubbed “Bucky” by his schoolmates, because of his buck teeth. The cruel nickname must have hurt, and yet he refused to wear braces, because apparently someone once told him that getting his teeth fixed would rob his voice of its rare 4-octave range. Music was his great passion even at that early age and he was the blueeyed boy of Mrs Smith, the music teacher. She recognized his natural talent and tried to steer him towards serious music, but he just wanted to play rock ’n roll. His first band, the Hectics,
was started by his 12-year-old Apart from rock ’n roll, school classmate, Bruce Murray. “All we friends also remember Freddie really wanted to do was to impress singing Lata Mangeshkar and the girls in the neighboring girls Kishore Kumar numbers that school,” Murray recalls. “We sang hits like Tutti Frutti, Yakkety Yak and Whole Lotta Lovin’. Freddie was an amazing musician. He could play just about anything. And he had the knack of listening to a song on the radio once and being able to play it. The rest of us just made a godawful racket, with cheap guitars, a drum and an old tea-chest that we’d converted into a bass with one string. But the band served its intended purpose: the girls really loved us.” One of those ardent female fans was a pretty teenager named Gita Choksi, who was, his classmates say, Freddie’s first love—although she didn’t reciprocate the feeling. It was only Freddie Mercury made it big like the many years later, when Freddie was Beatles then faded away, but he rose about 30, that he would confess to as a rockstar from Pune, India his girlfriend, Mary Austin, that he heard on Vividh Bharati. He he thought he was bisexual. “No was a mediocre student, but a Freddie,” she told him gently, talented artist and a good all-round “you’re not bisexual, you’re gay.” sportsman. That was to be one of the turning In 1964, his family migrated to points in his life. the UK and Freddie was virtually
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