SUMMER SPLASH T he summer heat is in full force already and by the time it enters midyear, the City will be close to a furnace. A cool, refreshing holiday can do wonders at this time. We give you a list of the best water-theme parks you can head to this year. PG 16&17 WWW.POSTNOON.COM
WEATHER: CLEAR WITH CLOUDY PERIODS; 30°C
Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper
MARCH 10, 2013 HYDERABAD
THE INSIDE Andhra Bank was defrauded to the tune of `50 lakh by a phantom enterprise. Police, however, are not ruling out the possibility that some bank officials may be involved.
32 PAGES
`3
ON SUNDAY
JOB? REPORT ON PG 3
CITY BANK CONNED OF `50 LAKH THINGS WET EARTH & SPROUTING GREENS
V
inod’s first book Let’s Plant Trees came with a simple message as evident in its title. But lest the idea slipped children’s limited attention span, he presented them with seeds (of the Pongamia tree) incorporated in the book, goading them into action. His most recent book Let’s Catch The Rain encourages kids to play with monsoon clouds and in the process learn a thing or two about rainwater harvesting. PG 13
THEY DO FOR
BEAUTY Some stars are forever in the quest for their fountain of youth. It seems celebrities are up for anything that promises to make them look dewdrop fresh and stunning. And many a times, they end up opting for the strangest of procedures. For some of them, placenta makes them look ‘baby faced’ and young while for others, urine serves the purpose. We bring you some of the most bizarre beauty treatments that celebrities today are hooked to. PG 11
‘NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF STRANGE CAREER CHOICES’
T
heatre marked with original scripts and insightful direction has been on the rise in the last few years. Prashanth Nair is one such playwright, actor and director, who has been in the news for his massive victory in the Short+Sweet Theatre Festival in Bangalore. Here’s what he has to say about theatre in India. PG 10
2
CITY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
MAHA SHIVARATRI
Tata Crucible Campus Quiz 2013 Hyderabad regional round is on Sunday (`75,000 and `5 lakh for regional winner and national winners respectively). The quiz will be held at 30 cities across India. Where: Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills When: March 10, Registration: 1pm Prize distribution: 4pm
Passage Sowjanya L and Devi Santoshi K are organising a show aligning with International Women’s Day, where paintings and installations about social awareness and violence on woman will be displayed. Where: Rainbow Art Gallery , Paryatak Bhavan , Begumpet When: March 8-14
French heritage A photographic voyage of French heritage in India with Anay Mann, Gigi Scaria, Rishi Singhal, Serena Chopra, Isabel Saij along with JeanPierre Dubois. Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills When: March 16 - 21 11am to 7pm Contact: (040) 6656 4466
Tribal art Muse Art Gallery hosts a first-of-itskind tribal art exhibition featuring art from the Gond tribal community. Where: Muse, Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre When: Up to March 11, 11am onwards
Katharsis in Forbidden Zones Paintings, sculptures, installation and performance by Dimple B Shah, as part of Women’s March 2013. Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery, Road no 10, Banjara Hills When: Up to March 13, 11am to 7pm Contact: (040) 2355 4485
Art for children A workshop is being held for children aged 4-6 years to improve their reading and comprehension skills. Where: Treasure House, Banjara Hills When: Every Wednesday and Friday, Up to March 29 Contact: (040) 2355 0118
A body that will speak Lamakaan is showcasing films on gender activism or films made by
CINEMAS
Shivaratri preparation at Exhibition Ground, Nampally. women film makers. This film was made by Sukanya Sen and Pawas Bisht. Where: Lamakaan, Lane Adjacent to CBay, Opposite GVKOne, Road No 1, Banjara Hills When: March 10, 7pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329
Easter goodies Hot cross buns, Easter Bunnies, and Easter chocolates are part of the special Easter menu. Where: Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre When: March 25-31
French classical week
M ANIL KUMAR
Contact: 96427 31329
Contact: (040) 2335 0443
Imany
German movie night
World music — jazz and soul. Where: Hyderabad International Convention Centre Novotel & HICC complex Near Hitec City When: March 15 Contact: (040) 2355 4486
German film Sophie Scholl — The final days will be screened, as part of the Women’s March, with English subtitles. The film was directed by Marc Rothemund. Where: Goethe-Zentrum When: March 12, 6pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0443
Pochampally mela There is a 10-day handloom products exhibition. Exclusive handloom products like hand-made bed and home linen, dress materials, silk and cotton saris will be on display. Where: YMCA, beside Narayanguda police station When: Up to March 10
Dishes like tournedos rossini, wenier schnitzel, saltimbocca, ossobucco, cordon bleu, a la cheval and diane will be served. Where: Celeste, Taj Faluknama, Engine Bowli When: Up to March 10 Contact: (040) 6629 8585
The Great Oxford Sale
Listening post
Justice Verma report
The listening post is about women who had to struggle in the field of music in the early years of jazz. It also takes a look at women who made it big in jazz. Where: Lamakaan When: March 10, 4pm onwards
To bring clarity to the public regarding Verma report, Vasudha Nagaraj will give a lecture. Where: Goethe-Zentrum, 20 Journalist Colony, Road no. 3, Banjara Hills When: March 13, 6pm onwards
Discounts on books, magazines, stationery and gift items. Where: Oxford Bookstore, Tresorie, The Park , 22 Raj Bhavan Road When: Up to March 31, 10am to 10pm Contact: (040) 3100 2959
Women in Public Spaces Group photography exhibition on ‘Women in Public Spaces.’ Where: Goethe-Zentrum, When: March 15-24, 9.30am to 5.30pm Contact: (040) 2335 0443
DocuSplash! Barf, 1997 & Sita's Family, 2002, Delhi Mumbai Delhi, 2006 and Naach, 2008, will be screened. Where: Goethe-Zentrum, When: March 24, 11am onwards Contact: gothe.de/hyderabad
Girl getaway package ‘Lavish Luxury package’ offers a minimum of two nights at lebua’s Tower Club, a five star hotel in Bangkok. Where: State Tower, Bangrak, Bangkok When: Valid till March 31 Contact: www.lebua.com
Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 447677770, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 08800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973
3
CITY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013 M ANIL KUMAR
GHMC forms women panel
C
ommissioner MT Krishna Babu has promised to form a committee to redress the grievances faced by women at work place. He has appointed three officers of additional director cadres — Priyadarshini, P Anuradha and K Sivaparvathi — to look after various issues faced by women, including harassments faced by the working women in the GHMC.
City celebrates Shivaratri
T
he Srisailam, Vemulawada temples saw unprecedented rush today, reports said. At Vemulawada, the temple authorities of Raja Rajeswara Swamy temple cancelled all VIP passes to avoid inconvenience to other devotees. At many places, the devotees thronged the temples from as early as 2am .
Visa tampered, woman held
G
Kala, 35, a native of West Godavari, was caught by the immigration officials of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Saturday while she was trying to board a Kuwait plane with a job visa as a domestic hand. It was found to be improper, with the ECNR Number rubbed out. This was done by an agent, it was learnt.
City man dies Bank in City in Chicago mulcted of `50 lakh Mohd SUBHAN
mohd.s@postnoon.com
business he was doing is not clear. Another Indian, Mukharam, sent a mail to the police here detailing the deceased, but he said he had no clue as to the whereabouts of the deceased’s family.
T
he Hyderabad police are as flummoxed as the Chicago police with regard to the mysterious death of a man, apparently a Hyderabadi, in Chicago a few days ago. The passport details of the deceased reveals his name as Syed Hameedulla Hussaini, 49, a resident of Nampally in Hyderabad. He was found dead under suspicious circumstances in an apartment a few days ago. The Chicago police hoped to get some help from Hyderabad. But the police who went to the passport address — 11-2-435, Nampally, Habeebnagar — found it was where he once stayed with his family as a tenant. No relatives of the man could be traced till now. It is said that Hussaini had come to Chicago city on business visa many years ago and styed in a city apartment. What
In a case that reeks of internal involvement, Andhra Bank finds itself defrauded by a phantom enterprise.
Postnoon News
feedback@postnoon.com
T
ukaramgate police have on their hands a curious case of a fraud committed on Andhra Bank to the tune of `50 lakh. The case relates to an application by SVJM Enterprises, which sought the sum to set up a factory in Seetaphalmandi, Secunderabad, to make woodcrafts. It is said that the applicants — V Satyavatam, 47, Raghavendra, 25, and Jeevan, 27 — claimed to have a plot and also a ready market for the products. They sought and got the loan under the open cash credit (OCC) scheme from the bank in 2010. The applicants had submitted documents of the land and company later, and the bank sanctioned the sum. They paid
the initial instalments but defaulted later, the complaint stated. Bank notices went unheeded. After due process, the bank ordered attachment of the property. The bank officials who went to seize the property were shocked to see a vacant plot belonging to someone else. Even the board proclaimed the company was removed. On enquiry, it was reportedly found that the applicants had submitted fake documents.
The police officer in-charge of the investigation told Postnoon that he suspected internal complicity in the case. “Can you imagine something untoward happening in your home without your knowledge?” he reasoned. He said he will plumb the case and bring out the truth as to why the bank, which has all the resources at its disposal, did not verify the veracity of the land document when it was presented.
Parties jockey for Muslim votes in polls Minority votes will play a major role in the MLC polls. Inkeshaf Ahmed
ahmed.m@postnoon.com
T
he excitement over the election of member of legislative council (MLC) under MLA quota seems to be providing free entertainment to the people of the State. All political parties seem to be invoking the mantra of minority Muslim community during these elections. While the TRS has already fielded its minority morcha president Md Mahmood Ali as its MLC candidate, the ruling Congress and opposition Telugu Desam Party seem to follow suit. Both the parties have primarily decided to field Muslim minority candidates during the MLC elections scheduled to be held on March 21.
An official announcement is likely to be made either today or tomorrow. While the ruling Congress is fielding Mohd Shabbir Ali for the MLC post, main opposition Telugu Desam Party has decided to give ticket to Mohd Saleem, who is the veteran minority leader of the party. Interestingly,
this was not the case in the earlier MLC elections. One may wonder what is prodding these political parties to sing peons of the minority community. The obvious reason for this is the substantial presence of minority votes. Out of the total population of the State, which stands at 8.46
crore (Census 2011) , Muslim minority population constitutes about 90 lakh. Hyderabad alone has about 28 lakh Muslims. It is because of this that almost all political parties are after the minority community. Commenting on the wooing tactics of various political parties,
City advocate and Muslim rights activist AB Inayath said that the political parties in the State can’t neglect the role being played by minorities in the next general elections due to the possibility of a triangular fight among Congress, TDP and YSR Congress parties.
4
CITY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
Inclusion of 7 villages halted Merger of villages with the GHMC continues to attract stiff resistance due to the wide perception of sub-standard services of the corporation. Md NIZAMUDDIN
Boduppal, Peerzadaguda, Jawaharnagar, Parvatapur and Nizampet. Officials forwarded the proposal to the CM, but later,
when the idea was put forward in front of the ministers, no conclusion could be reached. According to officials,
around 14 villages from Ranga Reddy district and seven villages from Medak district are in the list proposed by the ministers FILE PHOTO
nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com
T
he scaled-down merger of villages with the GHMC suffered a further setback, with the proposal of merging seven surrounding villages being put on hold after some ministers urged the chief minister to do so. Earlier, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy had given approval for the merger of seven villages. But, later at the Cabinet meeting, some ministers suggested the inclusion of some more villages, keeping in view the long-term implications. Originally, around 54 gram panchayats were listed. But due to objections from some MLAs and ministers, it was reduced to 14 villages. Later, it was decided to merge only seven villages — Puppalguda, Madikonda,
EFLU continues to simmer Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com
T
he death of Kashmiri research scholar Mudassir Kamran of EFLU continues to boil the campus. Various political fronts and student leaders protested that the investigation into the death of the student and the functioning of the university adminstration suffers from severe flaws. Speaking at a protest organised at EFLU, various civil society leaders and student organisations castigated the EFLU management for instigating student groups and using police force to suppress the demands of the student community. Akula Bhoomayya, president of the Telangana Praja Front, said, “The administration is behaving like a repressive authority and is not heeding the demands of the students or the teaching community. Their way of handling the death of the student and the reluctance of the proctor, Harish Vijra, and the vicechancellor, Sunaina Singh, to admit their guilt in this part is not good. We demand that the administration budge from their obstinate stance and resolve this issue as soon as possible, without further affecting the academic sessions on campus.” The EFLU campus has remained shut for the past five days, with the adminstration
CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS CASTIGATED THE EFLU MANAGEMENT FOR INSTIGATING STUDENT GROUPS AND USING POLICE FORCE TO SUPPRESS THE DEMANDS OF THE STUDENTS. refusing to hold talks with the student community. The Teachers Front for Justice and Democracy released notes demanding that the administration engage with the demands of the students in a democratic manner. Some even accused the administration of being casteist and communal
and said that some among the EFLU Teachers Association have vowed to not let the proctor resign. Mohammad Lateef Khan, secretary of the Civil Liberties Minority Commission; Raghunath, AP Civil Liberties Commission; Mohammad Asif Hussain, AP Youth Congress general secretary; and Mohammad Khalil Ur Rahman, APCC member, were present at the venue. At another press conference held by the Nija Nirdharana Committee headed by U Sambhasiva Rao, chairman of the BC Mahajan Committee; M Vedakumar, Telangana Praja Front; Duddu Prabhakar and Koti of the Praja Natya Mandali, the proctor was accused of mentally N SHIVA KUMAR
harassing Mudassir, by branding him mentally deranged. “We demand that this case be handled under the guidance of the High Court. The proctor should resign immediately. He should also be tried for the deaths of previous students who had committed suicide allegedly due to the proctor’s harassment,”said Kumar. On the previous day, the vice-chancellor’s building was gheraoed by students for over two hours and she was forced to leave the building through the back exit. Lectures on ‘Aesthetics of Resistance’ and ‘Language for Resistance’ were held for the teaching staff as a protest within the campus. U Sambhasiva Rao said, “The administration is only trying to cover up its mistakes and has used the police investigation to botch the facts. By branding him (Mudassir) a homosexual, they misled everybody into a false case. “Furthermore, the police complaint and the FIR lodged have no mention of any case of homosexuality being registered. It is only a ploy to fudge the facts and details and save their skins while making an example of the student.” Students assembled at the protests vowed to intensify their agitation if a clean and fair trail was not initiated and the resignation of the proctor and the vice-chancellor was not submitted immediately.
during the recent Cabinet meeting. “One of the ministers proposed three or four more villages. The decision about merging villages will be taken within a couple of days,” says a higher official. If the government approves this proposal, delimitation of the wards will follow. The GHMC will be writing to the Election Commission and notification process would resume for inclusion of new villages. Currently, the GHMC has 100 wards from the twin cities and 50 from the outskirts. After delimitation, the outskirts may have 80 and the core City will have 70 wards. As the current administration continues for another one and half years, the newly merged villages are likely to be controlled by a special official. Each ward in the GHMC has between 30,000 to 40,000 voters on an average. After the merger of new villages, the number of voters in each ward may increase.
Textile traders protest VAT imposition Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com
P
rotesting the VAT imposition on textile traders, the AP Textiles Traders Association held a protest at Indira Park on Saturday. Over one lakh textile traders showed support throughout the State by downing their shutters. The decision to impose three per cent VAT on textile traders through different stages of production and manufacturing, in both wholesale and retail, will force traders to move to other states, they alleged at the meeting. The president of the association, Ammanabolu Prakash, said that the State government was trying to squeeze even poor traders to fill its coffers with VAT. Speaking to Postnoon, Indiramma, a private textile trader and cloth merchant from Cuppam, said, “They do not realise that our returns from this trade are barely enough to cover our expenses.” The traders decided to follow a self-imposed ban on importing textiles from other trade hubs in the country from tomorrow. “If the State government does not relent, we will be forced to observe an indefinite strike. They are only trying to save their `1,000-crore revenue but cannot see the amount of damage our livelihoods will face following this ban,” Prakash said.
5
READERS’ LETTERS SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
In defence of cops!
T
The fact that cops have caused business to go phut in Begum Bazaar has rankled many. But then there are a few who believe it’s for public safety. While we were speaking about the manner in which some cops were fleecing the public, here is what readers say vociferously in response to 'Cops terrorise Begum Bazaar after Dilsukhnagar blasts' (Mar 7). Each to his own, we say.
errorise… does the journalist know the exact meaning of the word? Why are the police doing all these things? For whose sake? If the writer can answer this question, I think he will understand that what he wrote is wrong. Crying for the loss of business but what about the ‘loss of lives’ if something untoward happens? The police from the past 10 days are taking
lease do all that you can now, in this, the hour of her public trial, to wake the human conscience and get people to support Irom Sharmila Chenu! Do you know addresses where letters can be written to the judge, to her lawyer, to the press in India? Please publish them, we need to give our dear sister all our support. If I can help in some way, please contact me.
TIRUMALANATH
Via e-mail
C
ops do not terrorise Begum Bazar! They try to protect people from terror. If anything happens like Dilsukhnagar incident, we find fault with the police force. If they take any advance action to prevent terrorist acts, we criticise them. This kind of double standards will degrade the morale of our police force. The people and media should realise that the police
The all important music
Support the activist Today everybody is willing to pledge their support to a worthy cause and here is one such reader who wants to help Irom Sharmila. In response to our article 'Sharmila’s chains shackle our conscience' (Mar 6), this reader urges everybody to break their silence.
the right measures for the safety of people. Why should any buyer be afraid of frisking by the police, if he is holding white money? “A lawyer in the HC is outraged. He says the police are violating fundamental rights.” I am outrageously laughing at this sentence.
We knew that interviews with performing artistes were a hit. What we didn’t know was that they were such a hit that readers took the time to explain why that particular art was so important. Here in response to '‘I is a lie’' (Mar 3), a reader has kindly detailed why music can be so essential to personality development and a whole lot of other things.
P
Outsourced! You know how outsourcing a job can tick off existing employees? Something similar is going on in the GHMC these days and a reader has an interesting insight in this regard. This is what he wrote in response to 'GHMC bearing brunt of outsourcing' (Mar 8). ll of this talk of outsourcing reminds me of a funny novel I just read called Bastardo, about a customer service manager who gets outsourced by cheaper Mexican labour, but instead of taking it he does something nuts and goes to Mexico to ruin the life of the guy who took his job. I don’t propose that, but when faced with outsourcing what exactly can one do? Take it, or go all “bastardo” on somebody?
A
Students left jobless ear Mr Debashish, I went through your interview and enjoyed it. I wanted to add that you very rightly put it when you wrote that the reason for learning music cannot always be for performing. It is purely for the love of music, I agree. But there are a few more reasons now that music is learnt or taught and is indispensable for everyone. It’s now more important than computers at elementary level in USA due to its role in increased academic/spatial intelligence/cognition. For reference – Cognitive Skills, IQ, Vocabulary etc. Some direct areas of benefits are found in sincere and consistent music students like coordination of mind and muscles, improved hand-eye coordination, motor skills, use of left and right brain, intellectual stimulation, aesthetic appreciation, shared activity, high selfesteem and various other areas (not excluding spirituality, consciousness etc). It’s also indispensable to corporate engagements now. Music learning is not just limited to
D
We are giving `500 to the reader who writes in the best letter every week. So get to work. You can e-mail us at feedback@postnoon.com, or write to us at Postnoon, #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Rd nos 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, 500033. ALSO SEND US YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS.
Via e-mail
Read at http://postnoon.com/2013/03/07/cops-terrorise-begumbazaar-after-dilsukhnagar-blasts/112775
Via e-mail Read the report at http://postnoon.com/2013/03/08/ghmc-bearing-brunt-of-outsourcing/112941
Via e-mail Read the report at http://postnoon.com/2013/03/06/sharmilaschains-shackle-ourconscience/112632
every week
RV RAMANI
JASPER JOHNS
TOP LETTER
DR PK WILLEY
Win `500
department is functioning with a much lesser police force and the nature of their duties are not like that of other government bodies, which can postpone their duties under some pretext or the other.
the ‘joy of learning’ these days, it’s helpful in complete personality growth of an individual and that is why it’s compulsory in many schools. A majority of engineers at Silicon Valley are practicing musicians as well. A part of the brain known as ‘cortex lobes’ is functional and grows with music. It’s a skill or art that not just belongs to humans, it’s a subject that is helpful for everyone and something is incomplete without it. The way we learn maths and don’t become mathematicians, music is now no longer an optional hobby or only for performance or only for the joy of learning. It’s a subject of importance, discipline too as per National School of Association. They say that every student must have education in arts.
KAPIL SRIVASTAVA
Via e-mail Read the report at http://postnoon.com/2013/03/03/i-is-a-lie/112098
US always impacts us You know how everything that happens in the US, somehow trickles down here? That is exactly what is happening with the spending cuts. In response to our story on 'US hit by deep spending cuts' (Mar 2), a reader urges our government and all of us to adopt similar measures to help our economy. Well let’s hope, this is a way out.
e need a spending freeze. We should only continue with essential spending. Our children are getting further in debt before they are even born.
W
SHANNA C ARSON
Via e-mail Read the report at http://postnoon.com/2013/03/02/us-hit-bydeep-spending-cuts/111860
Most of us toil away at school and college just to land that perfect job at the end of it all. But what do you do when after all that hard work you land no job, forget perfect? That is exactly what is happening with some students and in response to our article 'No jobs after 4-year degree' (Mar 3), a reader voices concerns. t is a most serious issue, which is linked to the future of the innocent students. Whether the institute has made it known in writing to the students that it is only a diploma course and not a degree, is not clear. If it is not made known, the college management should be directed to refund all the fees paid and that too with interest. Secondly, when students of NG Ranga College are eligible why not the students of Loyola college? A number of questions are to be answered by the college management and also by the concerned government machinery without any delay.
I
RV RAMANI
Via e-mail Read report at http://postnoon.com/2013/03/03/no-jobsafter-4-year-degree/112107
6
NATION SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
NREGA in fragile state: Dreze
Pak visa deal on hold? NEW DELHI: After suspending visa on
NEW DELHI: Economist-activist Jean Dreze has asked
arrival for Pakistani senior citizens, India may put on hold the proposed group visa facility to the nationals of that country in the wake of the unease in bilateral ties following the killing of two Indian soldiers. “So far, we have no clarity whether the group visa facility will be operationalised on March 15 or not,” a senior home ministry official aid.
the government to bring “some accountability” in the “very fragile” programme. Dreze, a former member of the National Advisory Council which formulated the NREGA scheme, also warned that it will be “even more difficult up from here” if the government does not take immediate steps. “One needs to look at the MNREGA, food security, health and education in totality... People are protesting about corruption but I think there always has been reluctance on part of the the government.”
‘India first: My definition of secularism’
Focuses on development, youth and tourism. SRCC invites Manmohan NEW DELHI: The
WASHINGTON: Denied a visa to visit US, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today took to video conferencing to address the IndianAmerican community, saying his idea of secularism is “India First”. Modi, who often faced questions over the killing of Muslims in the postGodhra riots in 2002, did not refer to the controversial issue in his nearly an hour-long speech. “My definition of secularism is simple: ‘India First’. Whatever you do, wherever you work,
India should be the top priority for all its citizens,” he said. Last week, the Wharton India Economic Forum cancelled Modi’s keynote address to the prestigious annual event because of opposition from a section of professors and students. Several hundred people gathered to listen to Modi’s speech. He emphasised on skilled development of the youth and asked the diaspora to help in holistic development of India — tourism being one of them.
Sri Ram College of Commerce, which hosted Gujarat CM Narendra Modi at its campus recently, has now invited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the institution for attending the college’s annual day celebrations. He also defended the invitation extended to Modi, saying, “We haven’t done anything wrong. In democracy we have the right to listen all kinds of people and the college has done nothing wrong.” PTI Modi avoided being highly critical of the UPA government but raised the issue of budget being allotted by the Center and by Gujarat for skill development of PTI the youth.
Court rejects CISF cover for Verma plea GAGAN campus NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has dismissed the pleas of arms dealer Abhishek Verma and his wife for waiving the condition to furnish two surety bonds for bail as imposed on them earlier in two separate cases of corruption and forgery. Verma, currently in jail under judicial custody along with his Romanian wife Anca Maria Neascu, for alleged roles in separate cases lodged by CBI and ED, had moved the court saying it was “impossible” for them to arrange the surety bond which they are required to furnish.
NEW DELHI: The government has approved CISF security for the Bangalore-based facility of the ambitious GPS-aided Geo Augmented Navigation system (GAGAN), which aims to make the Indian airspace safer. A 150-plus squad of the Central paramilitary force will guard the campus of the project located in Kundalahalli of the Karnataka capital. The central force will regulate access-control within the facility and will also have a vehicle-borne armed commando squad to quickly respond to any security threat.
Two killed in stampede BARABANKI (UP): At least two devotees were today killed and 10 others injured when a stampede broke out in a Shiva temple on the occasion of Shivratri here. The incident occurred this morning when ‘kanwarias’ broke through the queue of devotees to offer water at Lodeshwar Mahadev Temple. This led to a stampede that left two persons dead.
Marital rape: You can always sue! NEW DELHI: Rejecting suggestions that ministries are split over various provisions of the proposed anti-rape bill, law minister Ashwani Kumar has said proposals are brought before the Union Cabinet after sufficient discussions. He said that there is no finality in law making and the government is open for persuasion when the proposed Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013 comes up for discussion in Parliament. On the issue of replacing the term ‘sexual assault’ which is gender
HE SAID WOMEN COULD SEEK RECOURSE UNDER PROVISIONS LIKE THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACT. neutral with ‘rape’ which is gender specific, he said the government has bowed to the “strength” of the logic given for it. The ordinance had replaced the term rape with sexual assault but following objections by women’s group, the term rape was reintroduced.
On non-inclusion of marital rape in the Bill as well as the ordinance, Kumar said it was because the Indian view of marriage is to regard it as sacrament as a “saptarishi concept”. It is different from the Western view according to which it is a contract under common laws. He said women could seek recourse under laws like the Domestic Violence Act. He said the Standing Committee on Home has supported the government’s view that marital rape should not be included PTI in the proposed law.
7
WORLD SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
Three killed in Iraq
China abolished rail wing
BAGHDAD: Three people were killed
BEIJING: China will split its railways
S Korea fire mishap: 1 dead SEOUL: A woman was killed and 17 people injured Sunday in raging mountain fires that destroyed dozens of houses in South Korea as thousands of firefighters struggled to stop the flames spreading. A blaze started on Saturday evening in a remote part of the southeastern coastal city of Pohang and was almost put out by Sunday morning.
Falklands to vote LONDON: Falkland Islanders hold a referendum on Sunday and Monday to send a message to the world that they want to stay British, although Argentina has already dismissed the vote as illegal. Residents of the windswept archipelago in the South Atlantic have hoisted British and Falklands flags and even created a giant “YES” made of four-wheel drives ahead of the vote. In a move instigated by residents themselves, 1,672 eligible voters are being asked whether they want the Falklands to remain an internally selfgoverning British overseas territory. Argentina and Britain fought a brief but bloody war over the islands in 1982, and diplomatic tensions have escalated in recent years with the discovery of oil near the Falklands. Britain has held the barren islands since 1833 but Buenos Aires claims what it calls “Las Malvinas” are occupied Argentinian territory. “We would be deluding ourselves if we thought that Argentina would change overnight, but we hope it’ll be a strong message to them and to others,” legislative assembly member Jan Cheek, a sixth generation Falkland Islander, told AFP.
and seven wounded in separate attacks in central and eastern Iraq Saturday, Xinhua reported. Two people were killed and two wounded when a roadside bomb ripped through a residential area in a town, located some 30 km from capital city of Baghdad, an interior ministry source said.
ministry in two and switch control of its administrative functions to the transport ministry, a top official said Sunday, in an effective abolition of the scandalplagued body. “The railways ministry will no longer be maintained,” Ma Kai, secretary general of the State Council, China’s cabinet, was to tell the parliament meeting in Beijing.
The banks of Nile turn red A court verdict over deadly football violence sparked fresh unrest in Egypt on Saturday, with two people killed and buildings torched in Cairo.
Samer al-Atrush Agence France-Presse CAIRO: A court verdict over deadly football violence sparked fresh unrest in Egypt on Saturday, with two people killed and buildings torched in Cairo, as Islamist President Mohamed Morsi faces growing civil unrest. A Port Said court, sitting in Cairo for security reasons, confirmed death sentences for 21 defendants and handed down life sentences to five people, with 19 receiving lesser jail terms and another 28 exonerated. Fans of Al-Ahly football club, whose members were killed in a February 2012 stadium riot in Port Said in which 74 people died, had warned police they would retaliate if the defendants were exonerated. An AFP correspondent saw one protester brought to a mosque in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square with gunshot wounds, and medics confirmed he was dead. Earlier, emergency services chief Mohammed Sultan said a protester suffocated after inhaling tear gas, and “died in the ambulance on his way to hospital.” Police fired tear gas and bird shot as the clashes intensified on a large avenue on the banks of the Nile. Angry crowds hurled rocks at the police and threw a petrol bomb at a luxury five star hotel in the area that houses several embassies. Protesters also set ablaze two restaurants near Tahrir Square
Egyptian protesters clashe with riot police near Tahrir Square in Cairo on March 9, 2013. A court verdict over deadly football violence sparked fresh unrest in Egypt with two people killed and buildings torched in Cairo, as Islamist President Mohamed Morsi faces growing civil unrest. AFP PHOTO / MAHMOUD KHALED saying they were owned by Islamist businessmen, witnesses said. Sporadic clashes have been going on for weeks on the Nile corniche, close to Tahrir Square. The numbers swelled on Saturday when the regular protesters were joined by activists and football fans following the verdict. Protesters also blocked railway tracks between Cairo and the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, forcing authorities
to suspend trains between the two cities, state news MENA said quoting railways chief Hussein Zakariya. Huge flames rose above the main building of the Egyptian Football Association and a police officers’ club in an affluent neighbourhood on an island in the Nile. Residents of Gezira used garden hoses to try to extinguish the flames as a police helicopter circled overhead. Windows were smashed at other
buildings in the complex. The football trial has been a ticking time bomb for Morsi, who is facing a revolt in Port Said, growing nationwide unrest and an unprecedented police strike. The court handed 15-year sentences to the former head of police security, General Essam Samak, and to Brigadier General Mohammed Saad, who was responsible for the stadium gates, which were locked when the riot broke out.
Venezuela to vote on April 14
Zardari seeks report on riots in Pakistan
Suu Kyi’s party braces for ‘15 polls
CARACAS: Venezuela called Saturday a snap election
WASHINGTON: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari
YANGON: Myanmar’s long-silenced opposition on
to succeed Hugo Chavez on April 14, setting the stage for a tough campaign between the late leader’s political heir and the opposition in this divided oil-rich nation. The national electoral council set the date one day after Nicolas Maduro, Chavez’s handpicked successor, was sworn in as acting president in a ceremony largely boycotted by the opposition, which slammed it as unconstitutional. Shortly after the date was set, the main opposition coalition announced it had unanimously chosen Henrique Capriles, who lost to Chavez in the October election, as its unity candidate again. “We have all recognized Henrique Capriles Radonski as the person to embody this option of change,” said party sources.
has taken a serious note of attacks on the houses of Christians in Lahore and sought a report from the authorities over the incident, Xinhua reported. Angry mob torched over 100 houses and shops of minority Christians in the city’s Badami Bagh area after a Christian boy was accused of blasphemy, police and residents said. Police arrested the accused and his father Friday. But hundreds of people broke into the houses of Christians, looted them and burnt the remaining belongings on the roads. The furious mob pelted stones at the police when they tried to disperse the demonstrators. Several policemen were injured in the incident.
Sunday reappointed Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as party leader at a landmark maiden congress, as it eyes victory in elections due in 2015. The former political prisoner, who entered parliament last year, was unanimously selected as chairwoman by her National League for Democracy’s 120-member Central Committee, a party source told AFP. Hundreds of NLD members have gathered in Yangon for the conference in a display of political strength that would have been unthinkable under the junta. But the meeting also revealed the challenges facing the party, including a lack of experience as well as internal divisions which saw four members banned from attending.
8
COMMENT SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
EDITORIALS IT’S TIME we go electric There’s only one thing that cannot change and that is change itself. There’s no escape from change. Despite this ageold wisdom it’s funny why cannot people warm up to electric cars. Automakers are losing hope and have cut their efforts and investment in developing models that can replace the fuel-guzzling, life-killing ones that run on the roads now: at least that’s what reports from the International Geneva Motor Show suggest. Two years ago this was not the case. The auto scene was completely ‘electric’. It’s bizarre why electric cars don’t have many takers. They are highly economical; they do not pollute, easily refuelled and very viable. And it’s very quiet. Every gripe one may have about the petrol-and diesel-powered vehicles don’t apply to electric cars. Yet we dither about switching to something better for us and the planet when our very own existence is at stake. Of course it would take an enormous effort to bring this about, but we cannot delay this further. Administrations in every country and automakers should make it a priority to invest more in research work for better electric cars. Repercussions that would arise are huge: a switch would mean a sea change in the global financial equations and those nations that hold sway thanks to their vast but diminishing oil resources would suffer immensely, but that should not stop us. Whatever stigma that is attached to electric cars can be wiped out, because man, though he may fight it first, cannot turn his back to change forever.
MAN HOGGING the limelight So what if he was snubbed by Wharton ? Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is the man of the moment. While the Congress scion is busy issuing statements that he wishes not to be PM and party cadres crying out loud that he be PM, Modi is slowly and steadily building himself up for the big battle in 2014. It cannot be said the ghosts from the communal riots have left him alone, but with his “India First” slogan he is definitely hogging the limelight.
A mobile that makes us immobile From the hip SYED SHOAIB
W
hile the media is inundated with updates on the latest in the field of mobile technology like smart or multimedia phones, a more fascinating and frightening aspect is how cell phones have changed the face of communication. There are more people preferring to speak through various mobile applications than have a plain face-to-face talk. Even close-knit families are facing the heat of technological innovations as individual members of the dying unit talk more with each other while in further peripheries than the closeness of a drawing room and in person. People are exchanging unwanted day-to-day information in a far-frequent manner that is required like I am eating, watching, playing or plain breathing. A lot of unpleasant information including divorce finds easier viamedia through the nuances of technology and maybe, even blind dating the end of which results in varied crime statistics including death. A large prospective cohort study of cell phone use and its possible longterm health effects was launched in Europe in March 2010. This study, known as COSMOS, enrols approximately 250,000 cell phone users of age 18 or older and will follow them for 20 to 30 years. There are mixed reports on whether spending more hours on the cell phone is bad or good for health. There is also interesting interpersonal data that you can collect through mobile conversations — for example how the talks tend to get longer when it is an incoming call, or how you will blabber more when the phone bill is being paid by an external source, miscommunication through emoticons and the easily confusable SMS language and most importantly, how people will only attend to calls that are of use to them and rarely return a call that calls for responsibility or an odd job like charity. In a new report entitled
‘The Mobile Consumer: A Global Snapshot,’ research company Nielsen looked at consumer behaviour, device preference and usage in 10 different countries, including the US, UK, Australia, China, India and South Korea. This is interesting as cell phone is more a style statement and sometimes used to just create an impression to the outside world of your connectivity to it, often a sum of the various psychological complexes the user suffers from. I have known people pulling out a mobile phone and talking in the air to avoid a conversation with a person walking into their personal human network range with enthusiasm. Lesser number of people are using up their grey matter as the glittering gizmo in their hand is the only thing that can
THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE PREFERRING TO SPEAK THROUGH VARIOUS MOBILE APPLICATIONS THESE DAYS. memorise all things including your spouse’s birthday. And if the little wonder falls into water or gets stolen, God bless the money in your ATM credit or even personal information about your existence. We’ve reached a stage where people can live without their closest contact but not this small device. Youngsters who have found ways to forge it into exams and riders who know how to escape even an attentive traffic cop while animating in hectic conversations end up with untold road rage. According to Silicon India, the total number of cell phone
subscriptions worldwide has been estimated at 5 billion. The mobile phone usage report of 2011 by GSMArena, points out that in some places, more people use their phone as a wakeup alarm than they do to make calls. More people use music recognition in North America than in any other place on Earth. Researchers at the University of Michigan have found that the cell phone use is ubiquitous, and socially contagious, too. People are more likely to pull out their phones to check their text messages or email if they're with someone who has just done the same, the study found. Interestingly, for everything, including thinking and feeling, we have started to rely on a handset. Excessive mobile usage, sure, is making a lot of us immobile!
9
BUSINESS SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
Power sector revamp?
T
he government is mulling a new model where a power supplier will not manage the electricity distribution network. The model, on the lines of existing system in the UK, of having separate suppliers and electricity network providers could usher in farreaching changes. At present, power distribution companies (discoms) supply as well as manage network.
AI to end fiscal with `65 cr positive EBITDA
A
ir India is expected to end the fiscal with a positive EBITDA of `65 crore on the back of higher passenger revenue and yield as well as passengers numbers, a source in Air India told PTI. Though marginal, it would be a big boost as the airline was `2,238 crore EBITDA negative in 2011-12. The ailing national carrier turned EBITDA positive to the tune of `48.75 crore between April and December last year. While operating revenue was `11,400.44 crore, its operating expenses were `13,954.47 crore, resulting in an operating loss of `2,554.02 crore.
TDS defaulters to feel heat
T
he Income Tax department has decided to crack the whip on big companies and organisations that do not remit TDS money even after deducting it from their workers’ salaries. The Central Board of Direct Taxes has asked all I-T ranges to identify such cases where revenue implication is large and initiate prosecution in competent courts.
Electric cars roll back into the shadows Laure FILLON feedback@postnoon.com
A
fter being the starring act for several years, the electric car backed into the shadows at this year’s International Geneva Motor Show as carmakers grow weary of waiting for sales to take off. Electric vehicles were not completely absent from the showrooms as the 83rd edition of the Geneva show kicked off, but no new models were unveiled and car company executives on site for the media days on Tuesday and Wednesday barely mentioned them. “Public confidence (in electric) has really fallen since its peak at the Paris show in 2010, when we only talked electric," BIPE analyst Clement DupontRoc told AFP. Back then, French carmaker Renault, which leads the electric market, opened the order books for its first electric models and chief executive Carlos Ghosn said he expected the cars to represent 10 percent of the market by 2020. Renault’s compatriot PSA also plunged into the space, as did Japan’s Nissan with its Leaf. But as things stand today, sales have fallen far short of expectations. In France, which claims to be the leading market in Europe for electric, less than 6,000 new such vehicles were registered last year. The low volumes are part of the explanation for the weak offering on display in Geneva, but there are other issues as well. “There are three tasks we have to overcome when it comes to electric vehicles. One is pricing, second is the mileage they can cover and the third is infrastructure," Osamu Masuko, the president of Japanese Mitsubishi, told AFP at the show. Mitsubishi has been providing PSA with electric cars, but last August the French carmaker halted the influx since it was unable to unload the ones it
N-power doubles since 2008 NEW DELHI: India’s atomic power generation has more than doubled since 2008-09 to 32,000 million units last year after it was permitted into the club of nations allowed to participate in international nuclear commerce. India’s nuclear power sector had produced 14,927 million units of electricity in 2008-09, the year when it signed an additional safeguards protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA approval came on August 1, 2008 and the next month, the Nuclear Suppliers Group granted India a waiver from its rules
NPCIL IS IN TALKS WITH FRENCH AND AMERICAN FIRMS FOR SETTING UP PLANTS IN JAITAPUR IN MAHARASHTRA, KOVVADA IN AP AND CHHAYAMITHI VIRDI IN GUJARAT. A Renault Zoe electric car is displayed at the French carmaker’s booth in Geneva. already had. “We had weak forecasts for electric, and now, we’re selling even less than those weak forecasts," acknowledged Maxime Picat, in charge of PSA’s Peugeot brand. Nissan has also been unable to meet its objective of selling 9,000 Leafs in Europe. As a result, it was showing a new version in Geneva offering better range and especially a lower price, according to industry media. Chevrolet, which already has the Volt electric car and is preparing to launch a new, smaller one called Spark, is also not betting on a European boom in the segment any time soon. “I don’t see (electric) growing in a down market," Susan Docherty, who head’s the company’s European operations, said at the Geneva show. Analyst Dupont-Roc agreed that growth in the segment will likely be a few years off. “A turn-around could come
Public confidence (in electric) has really fallen since its peak at the Paris show in 2010, when we only talked electric, Clement Dupont-Roc BIPE analyst in 2016, 2017, when the electric vehicles that are today mainly bought for fleets arrive on the second-hand market," he said. In the meantime, carmakers are biding their time, offering environment-conscious customers low-emission-smallengine cars, and are highlighting other greenish technologies like hybrids. The leader in the sector, Japanese Toyota, for instance unveiled a new electric/gasoline hybrid at the Geneva show.
AFP/FABRICE COFFRINI
And PSA was pushing its Hybrid Air technology, which uses petrol and compressed air. “We want to show that electric hybrids are not the only possible solution," explained Karim Mokaddem, who is working on the project and promises coming cars will use just three litres of gasoline to drive 100 kilometres. German Volkswagen meanwhile unveiled its lightweight plug-in hybrid XL1 at the show, which it says consumes less than one litre of petrol per 100 kilometres and weighs less than 800 kilos. But Volkswagen is only planning on making 250 units, and is unlikely to immediately take the market by storm. Nissan, German Daimler and US carmaker Ford are meanwhile aiming to hit the accelerator in their development of affordable fuel-cell vehicles — a technology that is taking a while to get rolling but that they hope to get on the roads by 2017. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
to participate in global nuclear trade. As a result, nuclear power production increased steadily to 18,831 million units in 2009-10, 26,47 million units in 2010-11 and a record 32,455 million units in 2011-12, officials said. “The conclusion of the international agreements on nuclear cooperation have enabled the import of fuel," they said. The availability of fuel also enabled the addition of 660 MW capacity by commissioning of three units — Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant units 5&6 in 2010 and Kaiga Generating Station unit-4 in 2011. The signing of civil nuclear cooperation agreements has also opened up opportunities for setting up large capacity light water reactors based on foreign technical cooperation, officials said. PTI
10
INTERVIEW SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
‘Necessity is the mother of strange career choices’ Theatre marked with original scripts and insightful direction has been on the rise in the last few years. Prashanth Nair is one such playwright, actor and director, who has been in the news for his massive victory in the Short+Sweet Theatre Festival in Bangalore. Here’s what he has to say about experiencing theatre in India.
Kanchan Agarwal
How did writing plays happen?
kanchan.a@postnoon.com
I wish I had a great story for this one — something about a defining moment of finding my calling, but I don’t. I have always been a scribbler, writing down stories in wellhidden notebooks, even in school. And when Tahatto wanted to put up a play with original stories, I put together a bunch of 30-minute plays that seemed interesting enough to put up on stage.
What do you try to create through your plays? As a writer, I find it important to not lose perspective of the fact that I am a storyteller. Stories that are relevant and entertaining (and I don’t just mean funny) interest me. It is important for my stories to pose interesting questions and not necessarily get down to answering all of them.
Which is your favourite among all your works and why? Right or Left, winner of the Short+Sweet 10-Min International Play Festival, is my favourite. It was a risky script to write, because it banked on the audience reacting a certain way to work to its fullest potential. The risk paid off, because it was supposed to reflect on how we as Indians tolerate almost anything. And it did.
How did you set off being a director? Necessity is the mother of strange career choices. When we started off Tahatto (our theatre company), we didn’t really have the clout to have established directors working with us. And I volunteered. Four years on, I still can’t explain that leap of absolute lunacy, but I have enjoyed learning to direct. Still do.
What kind of literature did you grow up reading?
TO WATCH A TEAM WORK ON A STORY YOU’VE WRITTEN AND ADDING VALUE TO IT IS IMMENSELY GRATIFYING. AND AN AUDIENCE FINDING THEIR INTERPRETATIONS FROM THAT PERFORMANCE IS THE ICING ON THE CAKE.
Growing up, I was lucky that I was allowed access to anything I wanted to read. Mark Twain and CS Lewis, Dawkins and Asimov, from Batman comics to The Godfather, which I read when I was 13 and was convinced I wanted to pursue being a mafioso. My mother also ensured I read Hindi literature. I think it’s important to be exposed to as much as possible — classical or pop-cultural.
Whose plays did you watch growing up? Any that you know has/have influenced your style of work? I watched my first play at the ripe old age of 21. It was a Tim Supple production and I was blown away by the scale, dynamics and the sheer energy of it all. And quite honestly, it will take me a few decades to even bring that sort of influence into my work. But that's
power and impetus he/she empowers everyone but himself/herself with. Essentially, it ,then, isn’t just about ‘directing’ but about witnessing and overseeing.
As a playwright, have you handed over your work to other directors? How minimal did you keep your involvement in the production then? Yes I have. At the end of it, they are two different functions and it is quite the norm to have your work be directed by someone else who can handle it better. My involvement therein depends on the director’s requirement. It could be high or low depending on the director’s method of working.
What is your take on plays turning into movies? It’s the same as a book being turned into a play — it needs to be done right, keeping in mind the strengths and weaknesses of the medium, the essence of the story and the sensibilities of an audience. okay, I’m in no hurry.
What, according to you, makes a good director? The most wonderful directors I’ve worked with have been the ones who created confines for me as an actor within the play and then gave me all the space to grow them out. A good director is all about the
The workings of the mind of a playwright — is there a way to draw a chart representing that? If I were to draw a chart, it would involve smudges, corrections, scratched-out versions of earlier charts, eraser dust and edits. The inevitable task for a playwright is the write-evaluate-editrewrite cycle.
How much role do the play (script), the actor and the director have to play individually to create a great play? The play comes first — before the actors, the director and the production company. Over 75 per cent of the director’s job is the right casting. Get a bunch of dedicated actors who fit their roles and a director can watch beautiful things unfold under his/her watchful eye.
From paper to stage — how does the gratification of your play feel? The first time my script goes on stage, I cringe and wallow. But then better sense prevails. To watch a team work on a story you’ve written and adding value to it is immensely gratifying already. And an audience finding their interpretations from that performance is the icing on the cake.
What do you perceive of theatre in India as such — both as a performer and an audience? Indian language theatre is an increasingly grounded place to be in both in terms of text and performances. Original English theatre is finding favour with a lot of established production houses that are choosing new, original writing to stage. I think it’s an exciting time to be in, as an audience too, what with the sheer variety of plays that we now have access to, owing to festivals and travelling shows.
11
WELLNESS SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
Things they do for beauty Kitty litter and placenta are products that some of the celebrities indulge in to look their perfect self on the red carpet. Here are some of the beauty treatments celebrities swear by.
Amy Rose Thomas
Demi Moore
amyrose.t@postnoon.com
S
ome stars are forever in the quest for their fountain of youth. It seems celebrities are up for anything that promises to make them look dewdrop fresh and stunning. And many a times they end up opting for the strangest of procedures. For some of them placenta makes them look 'baby faced' and young while for others urine helps them look fresh. We bring you some of the most bizarre beauty treatments that celebrities today are hooked to.
Eva Longoria
T
he actress deeply abides by skin creams containing placenta for baby soft skin. And she has company. It is said that Katie Holmes and Madonna too are fans of this expensive cream which is thought to boost collagen production.
Catherine Zeta-Jones
C
atherine Zeta-Jones craves for strawberry not to taste them but to rub them on her teeth. “The juice or pulp of strawberries contains malic acid which serves as an astringent and can lighten surface stains,” she said. Looking at her shining ivories, she does make a strong point.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
J
ennifer Love Hewitt’s beauty regime is cheaper compared to the rest of the brigade. The actress smears toothpaste on her face to dry out spots and reduce blemishes.
Sandra Bullock
T
his actress has a fetish for haemorrhoid cream. She uses it under her eyes to reduce puffiness. "I didn't realise that putting haemorrhoid ointment on your face is acceptable in the beauty business," says Sandra. "But apparently, butt cream helps lines around the eyes!"
Lady Gaga
T
D
he actress’ beauty routine is no secret. It is something not everyone would dare try out. The actress has admitted jetting off to Austria to let “highly trained medical leeches” work on her, sucking the toxins out of her blood as they go. We are happy to stick to facial creams. Thanks.
id you think Lady Gaga was bizarre only on stage? Wrong. She is weird behind stage too. Gaga does not approve of baby oil when it comes removing her make-up after shows. She prefers cellotape instead. Make-up artist Kabuki used the stationery to remove excess black glitter from around her eyes in 2009.
Victoria Beckham
E
ver wondered how Victoria Beckham cleared and perfected her skin? Bird poo. The former Spice Girl is said to be an avid fan of traditional Japanese Geisha Facials, which use nightingale droppings to form a cleansing paste. Sounds gross, but works — the evidence speaks for itself.
Debra Messing
A
fter Gwyneth Paltrow, here is another actress who depends on snake venom to look stunning. Actress Debra Messing uses a eye cream that contains snake venom to iron out her wrinkles. The poison is said to relax the muscles around the face and eyes, a bit like a lighter form of botox.
Mel Gibson
N
ow this is not a beauty treatment, it is weird enough to make it to the list. Mel uses a stinky ointment made from the brains of cows to help sharpen his mind when he plays poker. Anyone wants to follow his example?
Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon
Gwyneth Paltrow
T
T
hese actresses are both fans of the baby food diet and have replaced all solid food with supermarket-style baby food.
Amy Winehouse
A
pparently this singer believed looking fresh each morning after washing her face with her own urine. She said it helped her cleanse her skin and refresh herself.
his is one actress who does not have any inhibitions when it comes to doing what is best for her skin. Gwyneth Paltrow’s hairdresser uses a loofah to tame her perfectly polished mane. Apparently, stylist David Babaii wraps her tresses around the loofah in order to boost volume and reduce frizz. And that's not all, she reportedly opting for a "muscle shocking" synthetic snake venom-based product called Synake. This anti-ageing treatment supposedly acts like a topical Botox.
PICK YOUR
@
Angelina Jolie
T
his actress apparently swears by Caviar to defeat ageing and stay fit even after all those kids. The actress used expensive Baerli sturgeon to reduce the appearance of stretch marks after she gave birth to her twins. The fish eggs are said to be rich in oil and therefore are a powerful moisturiser. It’s got to whiff a bit though, hasn’t it?
Across Stores
ities Twin C
12
ART AND CULTURE SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
New Gupta gallery in Chicago
C
hicago gallerist Kavi Gupta has bought, and paid for in cash, a second gallery space in the city. The 8,000 sq. ft gallery will open later this year with a show of new works by recent recruit Roxy Paine. The building, which will be called Kavi Gupta Elizabeth Street, cost around $550,000; Gupta says he will spend an additional $500,000 renovating the property.
Painting sold under Nazis returned
A
Stuttgart museum has returned a 600-year-old painting to the estate of Jewish art dealer Max Stern, who was forced to sell his collection before fleeing Nazi Germany. The oil painting “The Virgin with Child," attributed to the Master of Flemaile — an unidentified Flemish artist from the early 1400s — was turned over by Staatsgalerie Stuttgart at a ceremony Tuesday at the Canadian Embassy in Berlin. Stern closed his gallery in 1937 under pressure from the Nazis and sold its paintings before fleeing Germany.
Aborigine art vs mine barons
T
he discovery of a large uranium deposit has prompted mining companies to consider excavations on land which is home to some of Australia’s most ancient rock art. The discovery of a large uranium deposit was recently reported in the Wellington Range in Queensland, which has several aboriginal paintings thought to be thousands of years old.
EXPLORING REALITY Doc.Splash was launched in the year 2010 in a bid to inspire youngsters to take up documentaries as opposed to feature films.
AMY ROSE THOMAS
amyrose.t@postnoon.com
A
documentary that creatively explores the reality and stimulates social and aesthetic impulses has very few takers in the city. Doc.Splash was launched in the year 2010 in a bid to inspire youngsters to take up documentaries as opposed to feature films. This year Doc.Splash along with Moving Images is screening a line-up of documentaries as part Women’s March festival. One of the founders of the
group, Sumanaspati Reddy, says, “In the West, people pay for tickets and watch documentaries in theatres just like how they watch feature films. Here, however, people don’t even turn up when these documentaries are screened for free. People invariably think that documentaries are boring. However, this stereotype is wrong because documentaries don’t necessarily have to be boring. There are funny, thought-evoking ones too.” Doc.Splash collaborates with Public Service Broadcasting Trust, Delhi, the only agency in the country dedicated to funding, production and dissemination of ‘independent’ documentary films. And as part of Women’s March, movies like Laying
Janaki to Rest, Morality TV, Beyond Women’s Stereotypes, Naach and Mera Apna Sheher will be screened. Doc.Splash! is focusing on the most-debated current topic: violence and discrimination against women, and the complex factors which generate and sustain them in our society. “It is disappointing that none of these documentaries are by filmmakers from Hyderabad. In the past 15 years, many talented documentary filmmakers have emerged and they have been making spectacular movies off late. However, we try to screen films by Indian documentary filmmakers so that audience can connect with these movies,” he says.
Of gods and actors Swarat Ghosh of the city has won the second prize at an international competition
A
lliance Française of Hyderabad is proud to announce that Mr Swarat Ghosh of this city has won 2nd prize at the international competition organised by Fondation Alliance Française. He was the final winner of the local competition held in Hyderabad in January 2013. His two photos were sent to Paris for the international competition, where 167 Alliances Françaises from 74 coun-
tries competed. Swarat Ghosh’s photos will be part of the collective exhibition Métiers du Monde (the 44 best photos of the competition 2013), which will circulate in the Alliances Françaises worldwide from September 2013. It will be displayed before this at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris from June 11 to 30, and then at the Fondation Alliance Française from July 10 to 31, 2013.
Meanwhile, he says there is a marked difference in the way documentaries are perceived today in the City. There is an increase in the number of people who turn for these movies’ screenings. “Nowadays there are always more than 50 people turning up and on some days we have 150 people coming. The discussions that follow the movie screenings goes on for more than an hour,” he says. Doc.Splash March, 2013 has a special section, DIRECTOR FOCUS, featuring the acclaimed filmmaker Saba Dewan from Delhi. Five of her outstanding documentaries will be screened in the latter part of the month. Paromita Vohra, another leading documentary filmmaker, will also be participating in the fest in person. He says that unlike feature films, documentaries are more difficult and time-consuming to make. “It takes more than a year to shoot a documentary and around six months to edit it since the reality is subjective and changes from time to time. Now that
In the West, people pay for tickets and watch documentaries in theatres just like how they watch feature films. Here people don’t even turn up when these documentaries are screened for free. Sumanaspati Reddy Doc.Splash Masters in Media has included documentaries as part of the syllabus, there is a growing interest in this field,” he says.
Picture perfect Build up
A
ctress Padmaja (Sri Venkat shwara Natya Mandali Surabhi) doing her make-up, before her stage performance. Surabhi is a 128 year-old theater group from Andhra Pradesh. Camera Used: Nikon D3000. Aperture: f/5. Shutter Speed: 1/30sec.
Making of God
T
housands of idols are made out of clay by the skillful artisans of Kumartuli, famous for its potters who spend months making unique clay icons of Hindu gods and goddesses. Camera Used: Nikon D3000. Aperture: f/8. Shutter Speed: 1/200sec.
13
ENVIRONMENT SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
Scientists find secret lake
A
n enormous lake that has lain buried under Antarctic ice for millions of years is home to a new kind of bacterial life, Russian scientists claim. The researchers found evidence for the unidentified organism in water samples brought up from Lake Vostok, the largest subglacial lake on the Antarctic continent, says a Guardian report.
Move to protect turtles
P
roposals on a large number of Asian freshwater turtles and tortoises and other species popular with pet owners were accepted by the government negotiators meeting at the CITES conference in Bangkok. The move was welcomed as a critical step to save these species, says a BBC News report. Over half the world’s freshwater turtles are critically endangered.
Hotter than ever
T
he planet is warmer than it has been during 70 to 80 per cent of the last 11,300 years, finds a new study of ice and sediment cores from sites around the world. Results of the study, by researchers at Oregon State University and Harvard University, are published in Science. The scientists have reconstructed Earth’s temperature history back to the end of the last Ice Age.
Wet Earth & sprouting greens Vinod Lal Heera Eshwar’s interactive books make reading and eco conservation child’s play. SUNORY DUTT
feedback@postnoon.com
V
inod’s first book Let’s Plant Trees came with a simple message as evident in its title. But lest the idea slipped children’s limited attention span, he presented them with real seeds (of the Pongamia tree) incorporated in the book, goading them into action. His most recent book Let’s Catch The Rain encourages kids to play with monsoon clouds and in the process learn a thing or two about rainwater harvesting. Harking back to a time when getting your hands and feet muddy and wet was fun, Vinod’s books have kids hooked onto doable environmental projects. Interestingly, Vinod is both the author and illustrator of his books. A polymer engineer by training, but an award-winning advertising creative director by profession, he is also a garden store entrepreneur, furniture designer and obsessive tree planter. If you’re wondering what inspires him to write, Vinod says, “I love nature. Specifically,
I love trees and water — two absolute essentials for our existence. As an advertising creative person, I’ve created many campaigns asking people to plant trees and other eco-messages. But then I found that so much goes into making an ad, and once the reader turns the page, the ad gets buried in a paper pile. It was much ado about nothing much. A message has to
I think of these books as wholesome seeds sown in fertile young minds. When the time ripens, they will yield good fruits... I am sure. Vinod Lal Heera Eshwar Author endure and inspire. A simple, fun book for children meets both criteria beautifully. The adult and the child read a book. It endures and gets passed on from kid to kid. So kids books it was. I wanted the books to be more than sources of inspiration. I wanted them to lead to action. So Let’s Plant Trees was the first book that came with real seeds that can be planted
by the kids and grown in any region or climate. The moral/message of the book was the action of planting and raising the trees.” He goes on to share that Let’s Catch The Rain was adapted into an app game (It is ‘A for app’ these days) that can be played on all mobile devices, the computer and on Facebook. The idea of the game is to catch the rain using various objects. If rain goes down the drain, your points go with it. He’s also illustrated an animated film that explains why we need to catch the rain. When asked why his books are specifically targeted at kids instead of adults, Vinod says, “This is a no brainer, really. You can’t teach an old dog a new trick. Truly. Adults are so set in their ways that it is really hard to get them to do something new, even if it is the right thing to do. Kids on the other hand, are so impressionable and pliable.
They have fertile minds. I think of these books as wholesome seeds sown in fertile young minds. When the time ripens, they will yield good fruits... I am sure.” For more info about the books visit: http://planttrees.tulikabooks.co m/ and www.catchtherain.org
14
FOOD SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
Eating your greens
Get a load of this sweetness
I
mmune cell population essential for intestinal health could be controlled by leafy greens in your diet, says a study. The immune cells, named innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), are found in the lining of the digestive system and protect the body from 'bad' bacteria in the intestine. They are also believed to play an important role in controlling food allergies, inflammatory diseases and obesity.
Domino’s in Thailand
F
D
lurys, situated at GVK One Mall, Food Court was founded in the year 1927 by Mr and Mrs J Flury at Park Street in Kolkata. Now the Park Hotel has brought this bakery chain to the City. At Flury’s one can slowly sip a cup of tea or eat the famous rumballs or meringues with cream and watch the world go by.
omino's Pizza has opened its first store in Thailand. Operated by Evolution Capital Public Company Limited, the master franchise holder of Domino's in Thailand, the new outlet is located on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok. Evolution Capital PCL is a diversified alternative asset manager and investment firm with a focus on emerging Asian markets.
BACK IN TIME
The décor of Ohri's 1857 has enough historic touches to induce romantic nostalgia, but its food and drinks will please the modern palate. NT BALANARAYAN
JYOTSNA NAMBIAR
jyotsna.n@postnoon.com
W
e're sitting on the sweeping terrace that is Ohri's 1857, happily sinking into huge white couches and enjoying a mild night before Hyderabad's summer descends upon us. In the distance, Hussainsagar is on its best behaviour. The street lights along the edges give it a mellow glow, there's a light breeze blowing, and best of all, there is no stench. The lounge bar is an easy mix of the new and the old. The faux animal heads and Britishera paintings provide an imposing backdrop to the sleek, long bar, which serves up a delightful range of cocktails and mocktails. We put ourselves in the hands of bar manager Anup Kumar Sharma, who steers us away from the usual suspects and into more exotic territory. Beer lovers looking for a change from their usual draught would be well advised to go for Ocean Blue, a cocktail combining beer, Blue Curaçao and a shot glass filled with vodka. If you're a large group, you could opt for the towering beer tube, which holds over two litres of the brew. However, if you're more a vodka person, the Island Breeze, with strawberry, mint and lime, is spot on. For the teetotallers, Summer Time Summer Lime is
as citrus-y and fresh as anything you could want in the heat. Head chef Kailash Verma suggests we start off with butter garlic prawns, dakshin chicken and bharwan paneer tikka. The prawns are lightly and beautifully cooked, with butter and garlic melting together into a delicate sauce that isn't greasy at all. At the other end of the spectrum is dakshin chicken, a hearty, masala-crusted deep fried dish. For the main course, we start with the grilled lamb cube sizzler, covered in pepper sauce. The lamb is so melt-in-themouth delicious that we pretty much don't remember what the rest of the dish tasted like. On an Indian note, we move to paneer parcha, koyla murgh and garlic naan. The naan, with slivers of fresh garlic and a slightly sweet note, goes well with the silken paneer parcha, which involves a sheet of paneer stuffed and rolled into a vegetarian's delight. The koyla murgh, which is served in a tagine pot, retains the flavour of the coal it was cooked over. And we couldn't very well say no to dessert, could we? The dessert sampler is the dish for people who can't make up their minds, and it easily serves four. From the safe picks like gulab jamun and gajar ka halwa to the more unusual crunchy fruit ghewar, the Indian desserts were easily the best. The blueberry cheesecake was humdrum, but the mildly sweet caramel custard was a good palate cleanser. Though the food is good, it is the ambience that sets 1857 apart
from any other global cuisine restaurant in the city. The allwhite décor makes for a classically romantic setting, especially if you're seated in a booth with white drapes that afford you privacy. The coasters have an image of old two anna coins and the pictures are all reproductions from the Nizam's own collection. The thoughtfulness of providing mosquito coils under every table was much needed and appreciated. The restaurant is best enjoyed when the weather is mild. Go now, or you'll have to wait till June to make a trip back in time.
Where: Ohri's 1857 Location: Jalavihar, Necklace Road. Timings: 7pm-11pm Price for two: `1,500 (with alcohol)
15
FOOD SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
KANCHAN AGARWAL
kanchan.a@postnoon.com
F
rom the entrance New Town has all elements of fine dining in place — a gentleman greets you at the reception, bright cutlery in its proper place and the tables look so welcoming under that oh-soperfect soft lighting. Most restaurants in the City have been getting their decor just right but the food just as disappointing. To my joy, New Town restaurant and cafe has broken that curse. I am an ardent food lover and as simply and effectively as I can say this — the
food here is awesome! Were we non vegetarians? “Yes. Hardcore at that,” we replied. Relieved and delighted by the answer, the team took command and brought us the best food they had to offer or so it seemed. Red kidney bean goulash was our introduction to their food. Those tiny chunks of beef combined with flavours
of tomato in that soup prepared us well for the meal. For salad we had cafe town de Paris. The exact amount and kind of dressing which my salads should have to get me excited to eat them was present, alright! The little triangular toasts on its periphery were really such a delight. I wanted to eat enough of my vegetables so the next
An experience with wonderful Malaysian cuisine fuelled by a combination of tasty spices, crunchy salads and more, New Town, the latest entrant to the gourmet scene this side of town is a revelation.
NEW SENSES!
NEW FOOD,
starter cheese stuffed drumstick in mughlai style, which eventually was to be the star of my evening had to wait. But when the moment did come, the very first bite immediately transferred me to this happy place which only extremely delicious food can do. Though the name doesn’t suggest so, there is a lot of nicely done chicken in this one. My friend, also a grand foodie, experienced the same joy with chicken satay. He particularly enjoyed the dressing it came under. We were slightly full but so greedy for the food, that we decided to wait a while before the main course. Meanwhile, let me tell you that there are two kinds of cuisines here — Fusion and Malaysian street food. On the fusion side of the menu, besides the common sweet corn and hot and sour soup, there is over roasted mushroom, chicken okra and tom yum soup. In salads, if there is a mediterranean fattoush, there is also the Greek salad. In appetizers, you can choose from the french fries to refried bean in tacco shells. The starters menu is rich in seafood including dishes such as dragon fish and tempura fried prawns. Our main course came from the Malaysian menu. We had an authentic Malaysian dish called Nasi Lemak chicken which is rice with a chicken leg, fried fish and boiled egg. I preferred the other dish — shell less crab meat with kothu parotta. As much as I was savouring it, there was only so much I could consume in terms of quantity but I sure did eat to my heart’s content and will go back to appreciate food. They say when it comes to food, Malaysians know their stuff and their best food is sold on streets. I couldn’t agree more.
Place: New Town Location: Lumbini Jewel Mall, Road no.2, Banjara Hills Meal for two: `1000 to ` 1200 Location: Road no.6, Jubilee hills
DINING WITH THE MASTERS
GOODNESS BY THE GRAM Chole Bhature, a delicacy from the North is your best bet for an evening snack. Chef Mandal, Kailash Parbat, Jubilee Hills shares his recipe with us. For the chole n 1 cup kabuli chana (white chick peas), soaked overnight n 1 tea bag or tsp tea leaves, tied in a muslin cloth (optional) n 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) n 1 onion, finely chopped n 12 mm (1/2”) piece of ginger (adrak), grated n 2 cloves of garlic (lehsun), grated n 2 tsp chole masala n 2 tsp chilli powder n 2 tsp dried mango powder (amchur) n 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi) n 1 tbsp coriander (dhania) powder
n 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) powder n 2 tbsp oil n salt to taste For the bhature n 1/2 cup plain flour (maida) n 1/2 cup potatoes, boiled and grated n 1 1/2 tsp oil
n salt to taste n oil for deep-frying For the chole n Pressure cook the Kabuli chana with the tea bag for 3 whistles until they are soft . Drain and keep aside. Discard the tea bag. n Heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the onion, ginger and garlic and sauté till the onion is golden brown. n Add the other masalas and salt and sauté for another minute. n Add the Kabuli chana and 1 cup of water and mix well. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep aside
Chef Mandal Preparation n Combine the flour, potato, 1½ teaspoons of oil and salt and knead into firm dough without using any water. n Cover with a wet muslin cloth and keep aside for 10 minutes n Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and roll out into circles of 125 mm. (5”) diameter. n Deep fry in hot oil till the bhaturas puff up and both sides are golden brown. n Serve hot with the chole, sliced onion and lemon wedges.
Makhmali Mahi kebab A delicious preparation of tender fish kebabs Noor’s Kitchen NOOR JAFRI Ingredients n Boneless fish n Hung curds n Chilli powder n Haldi powder n Besan powder n Salt to taste n Black pepper n Butter n Lemon Juice n Chopped kotmeer n Kotmeer leaves
Quantity 500 gms 100 gms 1 tsp 1/4th tsp 1 tbsp Half a tsp 1 tbsp 2 tsp 1 tbsp for garnishing
Procedure n Wash and clean the fish and make one inch square pieces. n Squeeze the lemon juice, sprinkle salt, haldi powder and mix it well with the fish pieces, leave it aside for 20 to 30 minutes. n Mix hung curds, chilli powder, black pepper powder, besan and finely chopped coriander leaves together, along with melted butter into a smooth paste. n Marinate the fish pieces well, with the above paste and leave it for one to two hours. n Grill it or stir fry, till done. Basting it occasionally with melted butter. n Fish cooks very quickly. Do not over cook it as it gets hard. n Serve hot garnishing with coriander leaves and lemon wedges. Chef’s Note: n It’s called Makhmali because it is very soft like velvet, while mahi is fish. n Delicate melt in mouth type of preparation. Can also be served as snack or starters. n Rich in taste, less spicy and fat, with moderate caloric value.
Contact us @ Noor kitchen Mobile + 91 9441282318 Residence + 91 40 23356947 Like us @ https://www.facebook.com/Noorkitchen
18
HISTORY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
March 17
1959: Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, flees Tibet for India, where he denounced the People's Republic of China and established a Tibetan government in exile.
March 16
March 11
1968: Some 500 Vietnamese civilians were murdered by US Army soldiers in the village of My Lai in South Vietnam. Most of the victims were women, elderly people and children. Many of the women had been gang-raped and mutilated before being killed.
2011: An earthquake measuring 9.0 strikes 130 km east of Japan, triggering a tsunami that killed thousands. It also set off the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, the second largest such incident in history.
March 11
March 16
2004: Simultaneous explosions take place on trains during rush hour in Madrid, Spain, killing 191 people and wounding 1,800. The attacks were carried out by an al-Qaeda inspired terrorist cell, though no direct link to the alQaeda was found.
1850 - The novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, was published for the first time.
March 12
March 16
1993: A series of 13 explosions go off at various places in Bombay killing 250 and injuring 700. The attacks were coordinated by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. The places targeted include the Bombay stock exchange, Century Bazar and Plaza Cinema.
March 12
1930: Mahatma Gandhi leads a 200-mile march, known as the Salt March, to the sea in defiance of British opposition, to protest the British monopoly on salt.
1988: The Kurdish town of Halabjah in Iraq is attacked with a mix of poison gas and nerve agents on the orders of Saddam Hussein, killing 5,000 people and injuring about 10,000 people.
March 13
1781: German-born English astronomer William Hershel discovers Uranus, the seventh planet from the sun. Herschel's discovery of a new planet was the first to be made in modern times, and also the first to be made by use of a telescope.
March 14
1879: Albert Einstein is born in Ulm, Germany. Einstein's theories of special and general relativity altered man's view of the universe, and his work in particle and energy theory helped ultimately make the atomic bomb.
March 15
1990: Mikhail Gorbachev is elected as the first President of the Soviet Union. He was also the last President of the Soviet Union, as the office was abolished in December 1991.
19
SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
GAME, SET, MATCH Telugu Warriors and Veer Marathi fighting it out to reach the finals of CCL 3 made for an entertaining watch. Many stars were spotted at the match that was held in the City.
1
1
TREATS TO SAVOUR
Foodies marked full attendance at the launch of The Blue Door restaurant at Jubilee Hills. Spotted were Shravan Kumar, Dinesh Patel and others.
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
1 Shravan, Saloni,
Balram
5
2 Neha 3 Bobby
4 Jia, Vasudha 5 Chandra, Sweta
6
Spirit of woman 1 Charmy, Kajal
2 Venkatesh
3 Priyamani
4 Genelia
5 Archana Veda
6 Lakshmi Rai
Gitanjali jewels celebrated women’s day by felicitating women with achievement awards. Three women from different walks of life were felicitated for their achievements in their respective fields.
20
CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
NTR
ups the style quotient
N
TR is no longer the hero we had seen in films like Simhadri, Naa Alludu or Rakhi. His new avatar in SS Rajamouli’s Yamadonga, after he lost oodles of weight, surprised many and with Vamsi Paidipally’s Brindavanam, he reinvented his onscreen avatar once again. Now, for Sreenu Vaitla’s upcoming film Baadshah, NTR has upped the style quotient by leaps and bounds. Not only is this his biggest budgeted film till date, Baadshah is also NTR’s most stylish film till date. Buzz is that producer Bandla Ganesh spent close to `3.5 crore on the costumes alone. The film stars NTR and Kajal in lead roles and Navdeep is playing the antagonist in this action entertainer. Hyderabad based designer Ashwin Mawle is the costume designer for NTR and Roopa Vaitla has
SHRIYA SARAN in talks for Nag’s film?
S
hriya Saran may have been out of action for a long time, but she definitely hasn’t given up on her career yet. Last year, she played a role in Sekhar Kammula’s Life is Beautiful and this year, she’ll soon be seen in Janardhan Maharshi’s upcoming film Pavitra. Apart from this film, she’s also awaiting the release of her Kannada film Chandra, in which she has played the role of a princess. In recent times, she was briefly in news for venting out her ire on people who had been abusing her on Twitter, before she called it quits. The latest buzz is that she’s in talks to join the cast of ANR, Nagarjuna, Naga Chaitanya starrer Manam. Vikram Kumar, who had earlier made Ishq, is going to direct the film and Annapurna Studios will produce it. “Yes, she is in talks for the film. However, she hasn’t signed the film yet,” a source close to the actress said. An official announcement is likely to be made soon.
designed the look for Kajal. Ever since the new set of pictures featuring NTR and Kajal were unveiled, fans of NTR have been going gaga over his new found style image. The film’s audio launch has been postponed to March 17 due to security concerns, but we hear that a song teaser might be released online today on the eve of Maha Shivarathri. Thaman has scored the music and the film is expected to release on April 5. After wrapping the film’s shoot, NTR will soon go back to Harish Shankar’s upcoming film. Samantha and Shruti Haasan are his co-stars and the film will hit the screens later this year. NTR and Samantha will once again team up for Santosh Srinivas’ film which will go on floors later this year. It surely is turning out to be an exciting year for NTR and his fans.
Pinky Savika to debut in Tollywood
S
umanth’s upcoming film Emo Gurram Egaravacchu will mark the debut of a popular Thai model turned actress, Pinky Savika. Her original name is Sawika Chaiyadech and over the years, she has appeared in numerous TV commercials and soap operas in Thailand. In fact, she was spotted by director Chandra Siddhartha in Bangkok after he saw a huge hoarding and decided to cast her in his film. This, however, isn’t her first Indian film. In 2011, Pinky acted in a Tamil film titled Markandeyan which failed to click at the box office. After that, she went back to Thailand where she had been busy with several modelling assignments. The principal shooting of Emo Gurram Egaravacchu began in mid February and Pinky joined the film’s shooting couple of weeks ago and the film’s second schedule is going to commence from tomorrow. Madan is producing this romantic entertainer. MM Keeravani has scored the music and SS Kanchi has written the script. Incidentally, Pinky isn’t the first Thai citizen to enter Tollywood. Action choreographer Kecha Khamphakdee is already making waves here.
21
CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
Will definitely be part of Mr India 2:
SRIDEVI H
aving made a successful comeback on the big screen last year with English Vinglish after a gap of 15 years, actress Sridevi is now excited to be part of the sequel to her 1987 hit film Mr India. The superhero film was directed by Shekhar Kapur and starred Anil Kapoor in the title role, with the 49-year-old actress playing his romantic interest. Late actor Amrish Puri played the role of Mogambo, one of the best-known villains of Bollywood. Mr India was produced by Sridevi’s husband Boney Kapoor. “Of course, I will be part of Mr India 2. But right now it is too early to talk about it. I don’t know what my role is going to be in the sequel. My husband is now going to start shooting No Entry Main Entry. So only after he finishes this film can we talk about Mr India 2,” said Sridevi. PTI
John Abraham to go back to action flicks A
fter Force, actor John Abraham is looking to capitalise on the action genre and would be doing another film in that space. He will be teaming up with filmmaker Sanjay Gupta for an action flick. “I did Force and that worked for me. The audience appreciated me in the action space. I am doing another film with Sanjay Gupta and it happens to be an action film,” John said. Nishikant Kamath’s 2011 directorial venture Force brought the Jism actor in the action space. “For me, coincidentally, the action space is open... the space for a raw action hero. I am not one of those heroes who jump on cables... I do raw action. I think the last guy who did it was Sunny Deol in Ghayal. So I want to occupy that space," the 40-year-old PTI maintained.
Director Punit turns actor P
unit Malhotra, who directed I Hate Luv Storys, will now face the camera for his acting debut Waisi Waali Khushi, a short film by Samar Khan. Confirming Punit’s presence in the movie, Khan told IANS: “He is a
good friend, so I asked him to act in it and I must say, it has come up very well. He has done a wonderful job.” “It's a short film. The length of the film is 12 and a half minutes,” added Khan, who has earlier helmed films like Shaurya
and Kuchh Meetha Ho Jaye. With a film like Bombay Talkies, which is an amalgamation of four different films, seeing the light of the day, Khan hopes for many more short films to get a comIANS mercial release.
22
CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
It was tough playing a journalist on screen: Nargis Fakhri
B
ollywood actress Nargis Fakhri, who will be seen essaying the role of a journalist in Shoojit Sircar's upcoming film Madras Cafe, says she had a tough time portraying the character on screen.Fakhri will be seen opposite John Abraham in the Sircar-directed political thriller. "I am playing an international journalist. My role in this film is stronger. It is quite tough and intense to play a journalist on screen. There is lot of hard work that journalists do. People will get to see me doing something different this time," Nargis said. PTI
AJAY
FIGHTS A TIGER AGAIN
I
n his bid to create the real melodrama of the 1980s, Sajid Khan has made Ajay Devgn fight a tiger in his ready-torelease Himmatwala remake. The actor says this is his second stint with a big cat. However, this time he did it with proper safety measures. “This is the second time I have fought a tiger in life after Vijaypath,” said Ajay and added: “We took complete safety precautions. And now it is much more easier (to do such scenes). In Vijaypath when I fought a tiger, there was no safety. Him and me in the cage, and fighting,” he added. Sajid said that on the sets of Himmatwala, the tiger became so friendly with Ajay “that he was freely IANS moving on the sets”.
CINEMA IS
A POWERFUL TOOL
B
OF COMMUNICATION
ollywood actor-producer Dia Mirza believes that since cinema transcends culture and has the power to facilitate better communication, it can be used to empower all individuals. She hopes women continue to spread their wings across all fields. "Indian women have come a long way. They feature on power lists in the
corporate world, they hold highest positions in government, they are emerging as leaders in many fields. There is still much to be done, but I think the fact that we have enough examples of such women indicates that the Indian woman's presence will continue to grow on the global platform," Dia said during a recent interaction. As a working, independent
woman herself, the 31-year-old believes she is "inherently" a part of driving social change for females. "If my example can provide direction, a sense of faith and encourage more women to find their independence then I'm on the right path. I take part in many initiatives that encourage women's leadership," she added. IANS
CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
23
CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
24
25
CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
STEWART TAKES LAUTNER'S ADVICE A ctress Kristen Stewart is reportedly taking her Twilight co-star and friend Taylor Lautner's advice to understand her relationship with on and off boyfriend Robert Pattinson. Things are still said to be sour between them. “Kristen has been spending a lot of time with Taylor of late because she's been using him as a sounding board for her relationship with Robert. She thinks that he may her how to proceed with Robert — and where their relationship is going,” radaronline.com quoted a source as saying. “Robert and Taylor are also tight, so she's been fishing a little to find out if they have been talking about anything,” the source added. However, Lautner has suggested Stewart to give Pattinson time and space to think. “Taylor has just told Kristen that she has to give Robert time to heal still. It's not even been a year since the now infamous cheating scandal, so he can't be expected to forgive and forget so quickly,” a source said.
Charlize Theron to launch denim line M
onster star Charlize Theron is expanding her fashion credentials by launching her own denim collection. The 37-year-old actress, who regularly dazzles with her red carpet looks and her timepiece and fragrance ads, is following in the footsteps of Katie Holmes after teaming up with her stylist, Leslie Fremar, to design the new Theron Jeans line, the Hollywood Reporter said. The two women are planning to mass-market the collection for major retailers. Holmes joined forces with her fashion adviser, Jeanne Yang, to create PTI the Holmes & Yang label in 2009.
A
ctor James Franco debuted his star on Hollywood's iconic Walk of Fame in a ceremony followed by a crowd of curiosity-seekers and where he was accompanied by movie director Sam Raimi and his comedian pal Seth Rogen. This was star No 2,492 to be installed on Hollywood Blvd. in front of El Capitan Theater, very close to the ones honouring Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. “I wish that I could put a bunch of names on this star because this is a collaborative business,” an emotional Franco said. “The people behind the scenes, the people who have been there for me, all the way through, if I could, I'd put all your names on there. Thank you, and I'll always remember this,” the 34year-old actor said. Franco was nominated for an Oscar for his work in 127 Hours, and this weekend premieres Oz the Great and Powerful, directed by Raimi. IANS
JAMES FRANCO GETS A STAR AT WALK OF FAME
26
CHAI TIME SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
SUNDAY CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Pharaoh's amulet 7 DNA components 12 Juicy steak (hyph) 17 Incredible account 21 Elvis' hometown 22 Jungian term 23 Leggy bird 24 General vicinity 25 Savory smells 26 Hacks (2 wds) 28 Tot's transport 29 Feeling lousy 30 Crafty sort 32 Change for a five 33 Sports official 35 Empty, in math 37 Scattered seeds 38 Threshold 39 Caused distress 40 Amusing satire 42 BTU kin 43 At the proper time 44 Dazzled 45 Zany 47 Whiskey grains 48 Wall covering 49 Poker card 52 — and outs 53 Fibbed 54 Nothing —! 55 A real clown 59 Rule 61 Outmoded 62 Wither 63 More loyal 64 Identical 65 Harden, as clay 66 Delivery trucks 67 Lost some 68 Pick up the — 69 Ranger or wolf 70 Torpid 72 Subtle emanations 73 ‘C'— la vie!’ 74 Midway attraction 75 Little blue toon 76 Joyful shout 77 S&L offering 80 ‘— — a Rainy Night’ 82 Fallback strategy (2 wds) 83 Liverpool pokey 84 Goddess's statue 85 Moon, in poetry 87 Satyr 88 Promising 89 Brandish 90 Sari sporters 91 Legend 92 Fury 94 Evening gala 95 Movie lioness 96 Yielded territory 97 Send overnight 98 Unit of resistance 99 Form 1040 info 100 Slender candle 101 Honk 102 Argue earnestly 104 Happened to 107 Twosome 108 Build, slangily 109 Where pews are 113 Actress — Griffith 114 Stool pigeon 115 Party hearty 117 ‘— Lisa’ 118 Not right or wrong
119 Be pouty 120 Improved the highway 122 — -Star Pictures 123 Wee hours in Cannes 124 It may be blue (2 wds) 127 Pre-cable hookup 129 To be, to Brutus 130 Red as — — 131 Go to the polls 132 Take a dive 133 Fortune-teller 134 Grove 135 Jaunty 136 Scorched DOWN 1 Discolors 2 Get comfy (2 wds) 3 Moonshot mission 4 Sleep phenom 5 ‘Woe is me!’ 6 Autumn pears 7 Entrance 8 Tooth coating 9 Turned down 10 Mideast VIP 11 In the doldrums 12 Sparsely 13 Carpentry joint 14 Mineral deposits
15 Hide — hair 16 Making certain 17 Barked 18 Check in 19 Brought up 20 Labeled 27 Churns up 31 Horse's ankles 34 Tea herb 36 Near-empty tank 38 Type of jacket 39 Faint gleam 41 Laissez- — 43 Batik need 44 — out (rescues) 46 MSNBC competitor 47 Gentle slope 48 Show the way 49 Slack-jawed 50 Rum mixers 51 Legal ousters 53 Summer-camp site 54 Tower over 55 La — tar pits 56 Nonmembers 57 Mark of Zorro 58 Code for O'Hare 60 Just scrape by 61 Glazier's unit 63 Trunk item 65 Portend 66 ‘Sink’ or ‘swim’
67 Oater showdown 69 Not taped 70 Statuesque model 71 Cell habitant 72 Nautical greeting 74 Holds up 75 Fishtailed 76 Hamper contents 78 Cameos, maybe 79 First to arrive on Plymouth Rock 81 Darth's daughter 82 Less tanned 83 Roman Empire invader 84 Square root of IX 85 Opposite of ‘post’ 86 Falstaff's prince 87 Disappeared 88 Coarse file 89 John Lennon tune 91 Home of a brave 92 Inflict, as damage 93 Regretted deeply 94 1965 Ursula Andress title role 96 Luxury wheels 98 Of yore 100 Ike Turner's ex 101 Cowboys' beds 102 Monk's vow 103 Reservoir boundary 104 Confound
105 Fictional Plaza Hotel brat 106 More sour 107 Weaken 108 Adorn 110 Citizen's right 111 Tick off 112 Weighed anchor 113 Jungle ruffs 114 Volcanic emissions
115 Less green 116 Pounces 119 Dance movement 120 Corduroy rib 121 Lox purveyor 125 Nigerian tribe (var) 126 Vim and vigour 128 Kennel feature PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
27
CHAI TIME SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
STAR POWER Date 11-3-2013
As per Hindu panchang
THIRUVAIKUMAR
thiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in 040-27177230 / 9949870449
TAURUS
GEMINI
Carefully study documents before buying a house or land. Politicians gain an upper hand and they will stay in the forefront. Women have the willpower to win the challenges ahead of them.
Financial position will be strong and encouraging. Strained relationship will blossom again without much efforts. Pending court case will end in favour. Sudden financial opportunities likely.
Politicians will involve themselves to ensure that welfare activities are taken up in their constituency and earn a name. Businessmen will come out of legal difficulties they have been in.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Work burden will increase for employees. Businessmen will be happy as their profits jump. Artists will learn a lot from elders and improve their calibre. Maintenance of house set to increase.
VIP friends will extend wholehearted support to solve your problems. Avoid changing of decisions frequently, which will reflect on your reputation. Govt sops likely for businessmen.
Politicians gain importance in the midst of party men. Friendship with a new person will bring benefits. Employees face unexpected transfer and also indirect opposition from colleagues.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Peaceful situation will prevail at home. Cold war and ego clashes between couples will get over. Your stock is set to pile up considerably. Be careful while taking a decision to buy house or land.
Children might face health issues. Also, they might be depressed; take good care of them and guide them politely. Financial position looks satisfactory. An old debt issue will resurface; clear it.
Help from friends and relatives staying abroad or in other states at an appropriate time likely. Some have chances to buy valuable assets and jewelery. Expected financial help will come.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Hurdles in the way of important tasks will be over and you will march ahead with determination. Talks will be matured and everyone will accept them. Govt sops likely for businessmen.
Inferiority complex affects you often but you need to drive it away with willpower and self-confidence. Avoid harsh talk that hurt others. Express opinions politely so as not to hurt others.
You feel depressed, frustrated over life. Cheer up, you will have a good time soon. Politicians advised not to criticise the high command openly. Unmarried women not to trust strangers.
SUMAA TEKUR
tarotreadhyd@gmail. com
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
The Wheel of Fortune – Only thing permanent is change. If things have been bad, they won’t be for long. The days will look up and it all changes for the better.
The Lovers – You need to take a tough call regarding a property or real estate deal. Weigh your options and think with the head, not heart.
Death – Not physical death. But more like a 360 degree turn in your plans. There’s little you can do to control the turn of events except keep an open mind.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
The High Priest – Use intuition to guide you into making decisions. It may be a difficult decision. But listen to your heart and it sorts out many troubles.
Five of Wands – There’s confusion and contradiction. Someone is out to create more confusion in your life by filling your head with all the wrong ideas.
Two of Swords – You have to do juggling and it might seem overwhelming at the moment. Take a deep breath and work to a plan. You can manage well.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Ace of Cups – Creative time. You’re at the peak when it comes to innovation and new ideas. Write down the best ideas for use later.
Ace of Wands – You’re in a creative phase where you get ideas from the unlikeliest of places. Jot them all down in a notebook and refer to them later.
Four of Swords – Work is stalling and you’re feeling exhausted, tired and frustrated. Things will take their own time to move ahead. Your pushing will not help.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Ten of Cups – This is the season to spend more time with family members. They may have felt ignored by you in the past few months. Perfect time to make up for it.
Seven of Pentacles – You may need to play your cards close to your chest to avoid untoward incidents. Trust issues will come up. You cannot avoid them.
Six of Wands – You’ve achieved what you need to and are on the way to getting home to rest a bit before you start your next projects.
NON SEQUITUR PEARLS BEFORE SWINE POOCH CAFE
STRIP TEASE
AGNES
ARIES
TAROT READ Date 11-3-2013
Since laughter is the best medicine... Q: What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke that morning? A: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?" Q: And why did that upset you? A: My name is Susan.
Husband: Nahi meri ma... Wife: Bewde, phir suitcase khol ke kya type kar rahe ho ?
Q: Did you blow your horn or anything? A: After the accident? Q: Before the accident. A: Sure, I played for ten years. I even went to school for it.
What did the Buddha say to the hotdog vendor? "Make me one with everything." After taking his money and giving Buddha his hot dog, the Buddha asks "What about my change?" "Change comes from within"
Husband came home drunk. To avoid wife's scolding, he took a laptop & started working. Wife: Piye ho kya?
We occasionally stumble over the truth but most of us pick ourselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.
Vol: 2, No 233 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon. com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211
28
CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
TAYLOR SWIFT: I don’t want to be awful and intolerable
Horrible Bosses 2 happening
T
he bosses are going to have to be twice as bad this time. Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day are returning for a sequel to Horrible Bosses, the raunchy 2011 comedy that made us see Jennifer Aniston in a whole new disturbing light. Though she looked great with
bangs... New Line confirmed the casting coup to E! News on Friday. Original director Seth Gordon will also be back to helm the sequel and Jamie Foxx is in talks to reprise his role as criminal mentor to Bateman, Day and Sudeikis’ tortured employees turned would-be hitmen.
JUSTIN BIEBER lunges at paparazzi
T
aylor Swift may be an international superstar, but at her core, she’s your average 23-year-old girl. Case in point? The singer— who’s stunning on the April cover of InStyle UK—admits her fears circle around “making the wrong choices” (all twentysomethings can relate!) and “messing this up” as she faces life and Hollywood challenges at such a young age. “What I worry about is that I never want to end up kind of a self-centered, vain human being," she admits to InStyle UK, referencing the pitfalls of Hollywood fame."I don’t wanna end up being awful and intolerable. Alone. Laying in a marble bathtub by myself, like sad, with a glass of wine complaining that my life ended up alone because I pushed everyone away because I thought I was too good to hang out with anybody." Of course, we know Taylor is far from alone (she counts Selena Gomez as one of her best friends), but she shares wisdom well beyond her years as she hopes to have a long career in the music biz.
F
ans will always believe in Justin Bieber, but we’re a little concerned about him lately. Friday morning, hours after collapsing onstage in London and being rushed to the hospital, the 19-year-old became visibly upset with the paparazzi and had to be restrained by his own bodyguard. A video of the incident shows a paparazzo screaming at an SUV with Justin inside. “F— king little c—k, f—k off back to America," the photographer says after claiming that he was manhandled when the pop star made a mad dash for the vehicle. “F—kin’ little moron." At that point, Justin hops out of the car and asks furiously, “The f—k did you say? I’ll f— king beat the f—k out of
you!" As shown in the pic, Selena Gomez’s ex lunged toward the man who verbally attacked him, then was held back and lifted off the ground by his own security team. He does apparently realise that it wasn’t his finest moment. “Ahhhhh! Rough morning," he tweeted. “Trying to feel better for this show tonight but let the paps get the best of me..." “Sometimes when people r shoving cameras in your face all day and yelling the worst thing possible at u...well I’m human," he added. “Rough week." “Not gonna let them get the best of me again," he wrote. “Gonna get focused on this show tonight. Adrenaline is high now. Gonna put it on the stage…Only way someone can break u is if u let them."
29
SPORTS SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
Neha, Pennapa are leaders MANESAR: India's Neha Tripathi and
Hopkins is oldest winner
Praveen back from ban
NEW YORK: Bernard Hopkins became
Pennapa Pulsawath of Thailand fired an identical three under 69 to share the lead after the opening round of Business Today Pro Am of Champions at the Classic Golf Resort, here today. Neha, winner of the first leg of the Women's Pro golf tour 2013, got off to a good start and carded birdies on the third, fourth, 10th, 13th and 14th. She had two bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes.
MUMBAI: Temperamental India discard Praveen Kumar's suspension has been revoked by the Indian cricket board and the swing bowler will be playing for Uttar Pradesh in the Central Zone leg of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Championship from March 17-22. The BCCI had earlier suspended Praveen from domestic tournaments after he hurled abuses at an opponent player during a Corporate Trophy match during last month.
the oldest boxer to win a major world championship here Saturday, breaking his own record by beating Tavoris Cloud at the age of 48. Hopkins scored a unanimous 12round decision to dethrone Cloud, who is 17 years his junior, for the International Boxing Federation's light heavyweight title and beat his own record. "The 40 and up club still rules," Hopkins said. "I got a history of destroying young champions.”
Tiger opens 4-stroke lead With the Masters only a month away, Woods is showing the form that has him within reach of the record 18 major titles won by Jack Nicklaus.
Mendez takes IBF title COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA: Dominican fighter Argenis Mendez (above) captured the International Boxing Federation junior lightweight title on Saturday by knocking out Mexico’s Juan Carlos Salgado in the fourth round. Mendez avenged a 2011 loss to Salgado in his only prior world title bout by landing a hard left to the head and sending the champion to the canvas, where he was called out 45 seconds into the fourth round. Mendez, who also sent Salgado to the canvas in the opening round with a right to the jaw, improved to 21-2 with his 11th career win.
MIAMI: Tiger Woods fired seven birdies, the last of them a 16footer at the final hole, on his way to seizing a four-stroke lead after 54 holes Saturday at the World Golf Championships Cadillac Championship. World No 2 Woods, whose 24 birdies through the first three rounds is a personal best for any PGA event since he joined the US tour in 1996, fired a fiveunder-par 67 to match the day’s low round and stand on 18under-par 198. Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, playing alongside Woods, eagled twice in the same round for the first time in his career on his way to a 69 that left him on 202 and partnered with Woods in the final round as well. “Tiger was a tough guy. He played great," McDowell said. “I’m glad I gave myself a chance tomorrow." Woods, a 14-time major champion seeking his 76th career PGA victory, has won 49 times in 53 events where he has led entering the final round but he has never lost in that situa-
Woods has three career triumphs at Doral’s Blue Monster and six in this $8.5 million WGC event, which has been hosted by several courses, but he has not won a WGC event in his past 10 attempts as he seeks his 17th career WGC victory. While Woods has produced lower scores over his first 54 holes at a PGA event, he has never fired so many birdies in the first three rounds, his old personal best of 22 birdies in 54 holes achieved at the 2007 Tour Championship and 2005 Ford Championship.
tion when leading by three strokes or more. Just after finishing the round, Woods was already contemplating tougher conditions on the last day. “Tomorrow is supposed to be tougher. The wind is supposed to be tougher," he said. “And these
Stoudemire to miss six weeks NEW YORK: New York Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire will have right knee surgery next week and could miss the remainder of the NBA regular season, the NBA club announced on Saturday. The Knicks announced that Stoudemire, who is averaging 14.2 points and 5.0 rebounds a game, will undergo an operation to remove loose debris in the knee and will miss approximately six weeks. The NBA playoffs are set to open in exactly six weeks and the Knicks, who began the season 37-22 to top the Atlantic division, are already missing star playmaker Carmelo Anthony, the NBA's No. 2 scorer, with a sore right knee. Stoudemire underwent surgery on his left knee
before the season began and was rehabilitating the knee until returning to the court for the Knicks in January. An MRI exam on Saturday revealed the extent of Stoudemire's latest injury after he missed practice because of sore knees. The Knicks are set to begin a five-game road trip to the US west coast on Monday.
greens are baked out. It’s hard to hold them." Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker shared third on 203 with South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel, Spain’s Sergio Garcia and Americans Michael Thompson and Keegan Bradley sharing fifth on 205.
Tiger was a tough guy. He played great. I’m glad I gave myself a chance tomorrow. Tomorrow is supposed to be tougher. Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland’s ace golfer
India go down to Australia KV Vasudevan
IPOH (MALAYSIA): A young Indian side put up a spirited fight before going down 3-4 to six-time champions Australia in the opening encounter of the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey tournament here today. India, who have fielded a second string side did challenge their superior opponents but conceding two goals within two minutes of the second half became the turning point of the game. For Australia, Matt Gohdes scored in 24th and 39th minute while Glenn Simpson (39th minute) and Trent Milton (53rd) were the other scorers. Drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh converted both the penalty corners in the 40th and 68th minute while Malak Singh scored a brilliant field goal from an acute angle in the 51st minute. The winners lead 1-0 at the break. Australia took control of the game within the first 10 minutes during which Indian goalkeeper P Sreejesh effected a couple of smart saves when Tim Bates took a few of shots. However, the Indian defence finally caved in the 24th minute when the Aussies got their
first penalty corner. While Sreejesh saved the hit, Gohdes who had pushed the ball, snapped it hard from the rebound to give his team a 1-0 lead. The Aussies started with a bang in the second half as they got two goals within two minutes. First it was a penalty corner, which Glenn Simpson converted with the Indian defence being sold a dummy by one of the Australian players standing in the opposition PTI striking circle.
30
SPORTS SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
Kizaki wins Nagoya marathon Ryoko Kizaki left behind Athens Olympic gold medallist Mizuki Noguchi to clinch victory in a personal best time. NAGOYA, JAPAN: Japan’s
Ryoko Kizaki crosses the finish line to win the Nagoya Women’s Marathon today (Sunday). AFP
Ryoko Kizaki won the Nagoya International Women’s Marathon on Sunday after a shoulder-to-shoulder battle with Berhane Dibaba of Ethiopia in the last two kilometres. Kizaki left behind Athens Olympic gold medallist Mizuki Noguchi shortly before the 36km (22-mile) mark then duelled with Dibaba, finally clinching victory in a personal best time of two hours 23 min-
utes 34 seconds. Dibaba was second in 2:23:51 and Noguchi third in 2:24:05. “I was anxious at the start, I couldn’t sleep well last night, but I was able to run in my own rhythm in the latter half of the race,” said Kizaki, 27. “I didn’t have enough experience when I competed in the London Olympics. But I didn’t give up and tried to challenge again today,” said Kizaki, who was 16th in the Olympics. “I’m going to make the best
use of this experience and hopefully I can win a medal at the worlds,” added Kizaki, who qualified for the World Championships in Moscow in August. When the last pace-setter, Russia’s Mariya Konovalova, abandoned the race at the 30km (19-mile) mark, only Kizaki, Dibaba and Noguchi remained in contention. Noguchi briefly took the lead at around 31km, but could not stay with the pace when Dibaba moved up a gear.
Top seed Azarenka advances
Tireless Federer chugs on Roger Federer, seeded second here, is seeking a first tournament triumph of 2013 after being denied title repeats at Rotterdam and Dubai.
Hewitt ousts Isner at Indian Wells
L
Rebecca Bryan
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA: Defending champion Roger Federer cruised into the third round of the Indian Wells ATP Masters and WTA tournament on Saturday as old foe Rafael Nadal awaited his first hard-court test in nearly a year. Federer, whose triumph
over American John Isner in last year’s final gave him a fourth career Indian Wells crown, needed just 67 minutes to subdue Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin 6-2, 6-3. “It felt good from the start and I was able to maintain that level of play,” said Federer, who didn’t face a break point. “I never thought he got into the
match at all. That gives you even more confidence.” Federer said he fully expected Nadal to be ready. “When I see the name of Nadal, I think of him as the great champion he is, and I expect him to win 99 percent of the matches he plays,” said Federer, who is is seeded to meet Nadal in the quarters.
leyton Hewitt, who won Indian Wells Masters titles in 2002 and 2003, rallied to topple 2012 finalist John Isner Saturday in the second round. The Australian veteran saved all four break points he faced en route to a 6-7 (6/8) 6-3, 6-4 victory in two hours and 23 minutes. “It’s nice to beat a big name,” Hewitt said. “John’s obviously a tough match for anyone to play, and especially coming off a good result here last year.” The 32-year-old Aussie will face Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka for a place in the round of 16. Hewitt, now ranked 98th in the world, won the Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament in the build-up to the Australian Open in January, but he hadn’t put together back-to-back wins on the ATP Tour this year.
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA: Defending champion Victoria Azarenka (above) shook off a slow start to beat Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-1 Saturday and reach the third round of the Indian Wells ATP Masters and WTA tournament. It was a tough tournament opener for Azarenka against a player who won the title in the California desert in 2002 and 2007. But after falling behind 4-1 in the first set, she roared back to preserve her unbeaten record in 2013 and move a step closer to adding a third title to the Australian Open and Doha crowns she has claimed this year. “I have to give her credit, I think she started really well,” Azarenka said, adding that Hantuchova had the momentum of her first-round win behind her while the seeded players had byes. “It caught me a little bit offguard,” she said. “I needed a little bit of time to realize that I’m in the tournament, that I have to step it up if I want to win the match. I think I adjusted really well, tried to make her hit out of her comfortable zone. “At the beginning she was really going for her shots and making incredible winners. But then I felt I changed the momentum and started to do that AFP myself.”
Baun’s adventure turns into triumph
Tine Baun will play in the final Intanon, who also caused an upset by winning against Saina Nehwal. Richard Eaton
BIRMINGHAM, UK: Tine Baun, the twice former AllEngland champion who wanted one last adventure at the tournament which made her famous, caused a major surprise by reaching the final for the fourth time. It will be the last match
Saina’s All England dream over as she loses BIRMINGHAM: Saina Nehwal’s dream of winning her maiden All England Championship went up in smoke as the Indian suffered a straight-game defeat to world number eight Intanon Ratchanok of Thailand.
of the 33-year-old Dane’s career, and she achieved it did that with a dramatic and tortuous 24-22, 19-21, 21-19 win against Sung Ji-Hyun, the fifth seeded Korean, after being 1520 down in the first game and lasting 76 exhausting minutes with an opponent a dozen years younger. The seventh seeded Baun also let slip a lead of 19-17 in the second game, an opportu-
nity which might have enabled her to reach the final less tired, and had to endure an agonising court wiping session for two minutes before playing the match point. That was because Sung had made a full length dive, heroically to return her last shot from the floor, from which sweat had to be removed before the denouement could be completed.
31
SPORTS SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
PCB denies reports of rift in team KARACHI: Pakistan cricket authorities forcefully denied reports of differences between Misbah-ul Haq and Mohammad Hafeez ahead of the five-match one-day series against South Africa starting on Sunday. Pakistani media reported a serious dispute between one-day captain Misbah-ul Haq and Twenty20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez over the selection of the team. “Misbah and Hafeez have developed serious differences over the selection of the final eleven and it has come to an extent that both are not on talking terms," leading Urdu newspaper Jang reported, quoting sources in the team. Former paceman Sikander Bakht said Hafeez wants to displace Misbah as one-day captain. “Hafeez scored 86 in the Twenty20 win so he must be flying high and now wants to take over as one-day captain," Bakht said in a television interPTI view.
Dogged England draw with Kiwis
Compton, Cook hold fort with tons at University Oval in Dunedin.
T
he first Test between New Zealand and England ended in a draw at University Oval in Dunedin on Sunday. England were 421 for six in their second innings, a lead of 128, when play ended with 15 overs remaining. For England, Nick Compton made 117, Alastair Cook 116 and Steven Finn 56 while Neil Wagner took three for 141 for New Zealand. The second Test starts in Wellington on Thursday. Despite three wickets to New Zealand quick Neil Wagner, England doggedly worked towards the draw. At tea, England were 382 for four with six wickets in hand, holding an 89-run lead with one session remaining. Nightwatchman Steven Finn continued to frustrate the New Zealand bowlers and was unbeaten on his Test best 56 with Ian Bell on 10. After resuming in the morning at 234 for one, England have added 148 runs while losing three top-order wickets to Wagner, toiling on an unresponsive University Oval pitch. The unlikely rock for England was Finn who was thrust into the middle before stumps on Saturday when Alastair Cook was removed for 116 to end a 231-run opening
Scoreboard England first innings 167 New Zealand first innings 460-9D England, second innings (234 for one overnight) A Cook c Watling b Boult 116 N Compton lbw Wagner 117 S Finn lbw Martin 56 J Trott c & b Wagner 52 Pietersen c Watling b Wagner 12 I Bell not out 26 J Root run out (Southee) 0 M Prior not out 23 Extras: (b 6, lb 11, w 1, nb 1) 19 Total (6 wicket) 421 Bowling: Southee 36-8-94-0, Boult 35-12-49-1, Wagner 43-9141-3 , Martin 44-13-90-1, Williamson 12-3-30-0
England’s Matt Prior (L) and Ian Bell acknowledge fans as they walk from the field at the end of the game on day five of their first Test against New ZeaAFP land and England played at the University Oval in Dunedin on Sunday. stand with Nick Compton. Finn was scoreless overnight and had fortune in his favour in the opening over of the day when he edged Tim Southee but Dean Brownlie was unable to hold the difficult chance. He also nicked part-time spinner Kane Williamson through the slips but has otherwise remained staunch in 281 minutes at the crease, including taking 72 minutes and 50 deliveries to advance from 53 to 54.
Compton was the first wicket to fall after adding 15 runs to his overnight total, trapped leg before wicket by Wagner to be out for 117 in the only wicket to fall in the morning session. Wagner struck again after lunch when he leapt high to claim a one-handed caught and bowled dismissal of Jonathan Trott for 52, going on to remove Kevin Pietersen for 12. Trott misjudged a delivery which he tried to turn down the
leg side and sent a leading edge back to Wagner, while Pietersen edged a wide delivery through to wicketkeeper BJ Watling for 12. Pietersen, who was dismissed first ball by Wagner in the first innings, lasted 26 balls this time, well short of the long stay in the middle he was looking for. For New Zealand, Wagner had three for 124, while Trent Boult, who removed Cook, was more economical at one for 43.
‘Drugs! Not supplements?’ I will make CHANDIGARH: In a massive blow to star Indian boxer Vijender Singh, his friend Ram Singh has claimed that the Olympic bronze-medallist consumed drugs with him on a few occasions but insisted that the duo mistook the contraband for food supplements. Ram, a super heavyweight boxer who was Vijender’s roommate in the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, said he and Vijender “consumed small quantities of drug” on a few occasions. It was given to them by NRI Anup Singh Kahlon, the key accused in the Rs130 crore heroin haul case, who attempted suicide in police custody yesterday. “Me and Vijender experimented with drugs thinking that they were
food supplements. We did not know that we were taking drugs. We were told that we were consuming food supplement meant to increase strength and stamina," Ram told reporters after being questioned by the police in Fatehgarh Sahib. “When we got to know that the substance we took was a drug and not food supplement, we stopped taking it. Vijender took it two-three times in January and February but he stopped after coming to know that it was a drug," he claimed.
a Test comeback, vows Irfan
MUMBAI: Ignored for Test
cricket for nearly five years, Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has vowed to make a comeback in the highest form of the game sooner or later. “Not playing Test cricket for so many years is a different thing, but now I know I can play Test cricket again. I have made a promise to myself and I will fulfil that dream," Pathan told PTI at the Cricket Club of India. The 28-year-old, who raised visions of Kapil Dev earlier in his stop-start international career before injuries and poor form took their toll, said he his critics wrong in the past after being dropped from the ODI
team. “Three years ago a lot of people said I am not going to play international cricket ever again. But I knew I am going to play it again. I started playing first class cricket and made my comeback in Australia (in T20s and ODIs on 2011-12 tour) even though everyone had written me off," said Pathan. “I am working towards my goal and I am pretty sure it’s going to happen sooner or later. Only one man can stop me from playing Test cricket — obviously there’s selection but that’s a different thing — and that’s me if I don’t work towards my goal," he said confidently.
32
SPORTS SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
Tevez triple steers Man City to FA Cup semis
Barnsley, who last reached the semi-finals in 2009, came to Manchester intending to defend en masse but their resistance was broken inside 11min.
Alexis, Messi goals see Barça past Depor
Tom WILLIAMS
LONDON: Carlos Tevez made light of his arrest for a driving offence to lead Manchester City into the FA Cup semi-finals with a hat-trick in a leisurely 50 win at home to second-tier Barnsley on Saturday. “I’m very pleased, because after the game, it’s easy (to beat a lower-ranked team), but before it’s never easy,” said City manager Roberto Mancini. “For this reason it’s important to have good concentration when you play this game, as the other team had nothing to lose.” Barnsley, who last reached the semi-finals in 2009, came to Manchester intending to defend en masse but their resistance was broken inside 11 minutes. Yaya Toure found David Silva with a delightful flicked pass over the top and when Barnsley goalkeeper Luke Steele pushed the Spaniard’s volley onto the post, Tevez was on hand to tuck the ball home. The Argentine created his side’s second goal in the 27th minute, tearing into the Barnsley box and rolling a deliciously weighted pass square for Aleksandar Kolarov, who found the bottom-right corner. Tevez made it 3-0 four minutes later, gathering Silva’s cutback and spinning before beating Steele with a low shot from close range. The hat-trick goal arrived five minutes into the second half and saw Tevez guide a low shot into the bottom-right corner after a gambolling run and cross from Samir Nasri. Silva hit the hosts’ fifth in
Keiran Canning
MADRID: Barcelona assistant
Manchester City’s Argentinian forward Carlos Tevez (C) scores the opening goal during their English FA Cup quarter-final match against Barnsley at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday. AFP/ ANDREW YATES
THE HAT-TRICK ARRIVED 5MIN INTO THE SECOND HALF AND SAW TEVEZ GUIDE A LOW SHOT INTO THE NET.
the 65th minute, following in to score after Steele had saved his initial effort, with Tevez again supplying the assist. “If they’re the second-best team in the country at the
moment, I wouldn’t like to play Man United,” joked Barnsley coach Dave Flitcroft. “But we can wake up tomorrow and reflect on what we’ve come through and look forward to the league programme. We can draw a lot from this game.” Earlier, Wigan shocked Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park to book a place in the semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history. Roberto Martinez’s side are currently threatened with relegation from the Premier League, while Everton are gunning for a top-four finish, but
the Latics upset the form-book with a performance as superb as it was unexpected. “For us to go to Wembley is a unique, historic moment,” said Wigan manager Martinez. Wigan chairman Dave Whelan broke his leg while playing for Blackburn Rovers in the 1960 FA Cup final, and Martinez said: “You could sense that in the dressing room - everyone wanted to see the chairman at Wembley.” Wigan’s three goals arrived within a devastating fourminute spell during the first
Roura warns Barça of Milan sway Keiran Canning
MADRID: Barcelona assistant manager Jordi Roura (right) has said his side will have to balance attacking intent with caution if they are to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals against AC Milan on Tuesday night. The Catalans were again not in sparkling form as they dispatched bottom-placed Deportivo La Coruna 2-0 on Saturday night to extend their lead at the top of the table to 14 points. However, with a 2-0 deficit from the first-leg in Italy to
overcome, Roura is wary of conceding an away goal. “There is no doubt on Tuesday we have to attack
There is no doubt on Tuesday we have to attack because we have to score goals. This game is important to us. Jordi Roura, Barcelona assistant manager
because we have to score goals,” he told reporters. “But we also can’t get overexcited. We have to balance our need to go forward with being careful at the back. “We know how Milan are going to play and how we are going to play. All the players are very concentrated and we know how important a game this is.” With Milan in mind Barcelona made seven changes to the side that had started the 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid last weekend with Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique among those who started on the bench.
However, they were still dominant in the first-half and after a number of fine saves from Daniel Aranzubia had frustrated the hosts, Alexis Sanchez headed them into a deserved lead seven minutes before the break. After half-time though Barcelona were far from fluent and Roura had to introduce Messi and Iniesta in a bid to kill the game off which Messi duly did with two minutes remaining with a lovely dinked finish to register his 40th league goal of the season.
manager Jordi Roura was delighted finally to keep a clean sheet as the Catalans extended their lead at the top of the table to 14 points with a 2-0 win over Deportivo la Coruna on Saturday night. With a huge game to come against AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday, Roura named a much-changed side with Lionel Messi (above) only starting on the bench. However, after Alexis Sanchez had given Barca a deserved half-time lead, Messi came on and sealed the three points with a lovely finish two minutes from time to extend his scoring streak in the league to 17 matches. It was ending an unwanted streak that Roura was most pleased with though as Barca didn’t concede for the first time in 14 games stretching back to early January. “Every competition is different and Tuesday will be a different story, but I have always said that the best way to prepare for a game is to win the previous one,” he told reporters. “We were very intense and Depor hardly had a chance at goal,” he added.