THE CROWN OF
IBERIA
D
espite its glorious past, the country is now on the brink of bankruptcy. Its economic downturn notwithstanding, Portugal is a beautiful country with plenty of sun, sand, cultural heritage and monuments which have stood the test of time. PG 16&17
WWW.POSTNOON.COM
WEATHER: A MIX OF CLEAR AND CLOUDY SKIES; 34°C
Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper
`3
32 PAGES
ON SUNDAY
APRIL 14, 2013 HYDERABAD
EXAM FEVER
DOLLAR DREAMS OF AN NRI
‘FIX IT’ PLEAS
A
sensitive guy with a great sense of humour, Ketan Bhagat is almost ready to launch his first novel — Complete/ Convenient. Postnoon chats with the nervous wreck to find out more.
FLOOD STUDENT LEADERS
PG 10
53% OF BIEBER'S 37 MN TWITTER FOLLOWERS ARE
J REPORT ON PG 4 PICTURE IS FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY
This is what student leaders, and even some professors, at City varsities are being asked to do.
ustin Bieber recently overtook Lady Gaga as the most followed person on Twitter. But a new report by the BBC suggests he may have earned the record unfairly.
PG 28
GAUTHAM MENON, SURIYA’S FILM TO TAKE OFF IN JUNE
A
fter a lot of dilly dallying, Gautham Menon has officially confirmed that the principal shooting of his upcoming Tamil film with Suriya is going to begin in June. The film has been named as Dhruva Natchathiram. PG 20
FAKE
2
CITY SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
DEVOTEES’ MEET
All about cycling
M ANIL KUMAR
A half day interactive workshop on cycling, the technical considerations, fitness, nutrition, common problems, how to plan a training programme, planning for competition and prevention of injuries. Where: Alliance Franchise, Road no 3, Banjara Hills When: Registration: Ongoing Event: May 4 Contact: (040) 2335 0008
Vaishali Bisht’s theatre workshop Vaishali Bisht is conducting special Summer Holidays theatre workshops for children between the ages of six and 12. The course consists of 20 classes held Monday to Saturday. Using theatre games and exercises, the workshop helps children use their imagination and get creative. Where: Road no 7, Banjara Hills When: From April 15, Monday to Saturday, 4.30pm to 6.30pm Contact: 94904 40986
Three for two Taj Safaris offers guests the option of extending their two-day trip. It gives you a third day complementary stay. There are four exquisite lodges in the national parks of MP. Where: Taj Safaris When: Offer is valid from
The 65th Annual Nirankari Sant Samagam is being held at Exhibition Grounds, Nampally. April 15 to June 30 Contact: (022) 660 1 1825
Corporate express lunch Testa Rossa has added a new onthe-go corporate express lunch service for its customers. The lunch is economically prices at `199 for veg and `249 for non-veg. Where: Testa Rossa, Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing, noon to 4pm Contact: (040) 6555 6519
Baisakhi Food Festival
A
typical Sunday brunch can be a little confusing — it's hard to stick to one cuisine. Taj Krishna in the City has decided to go off the beaten track by launching its Sparkling Yumcha brunch this Sunday at the Golden Dragon. The brunch, which includes sparkling wine, will focus only on delicacies from the heart of China. It lures you with dimsums, soup, spring rolls, noodles, rice and a variety of seafood to choose from. Visit once, you'll definitely indulge again! City’s #1 spot
CINEMAS
Malvani cuisine Enjoy a scrumptious spread of classic dishes like pandhara kombdiche saar, kale vatana ni gawarchi bhajji and puran poli. Where: Spice Junxion, Taj Deccan, Road No 1, Banjara Hills When: Till April 25 Contact: (040) 6652 3939
French animated film Alliance Française of Hyderabad presents Le chat du Rabbin, directed by Antoine Delesvaux and Joann Sfar. Where: Alliance Française, Banjara Hills When: April 18, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2355 4485
Reflections and Images
Carrying forward the festive mood and spirit, GreenPark introduces Baisakhi Food Festival, bringing in the authentic flavours of Punjab. Where: Once Upon a Time Green Park Hotel, Greenlands, Begumpet When: April 11-15, 7:30pm to 11pm Contact: (040) 6651 5151
An exhibition of paintings by artists including Agacharya, Anand Panchal, Arvind Kolapkar, Datta Bansode, Devyani Parikh, and Kaushik Raha. Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery 468, Road No 10, Banjara Hills When: Up to April 30 Contact: kalakriti.in
Filmmaking workshops for children Yavanika Films is conducting a unique filmmaking workshops this
summer for children. A parent and child can register as one student pair to make a short film together. Where: Begumpet When: From April 24, 2pm to 7pm, Contact: 94901 00404
Kumbh Kumbh: Native Realm, a search of the true self is a photography show by Joydeep Mitra, Where: ICONART Gallery, Road No 12, Sri Ram Nagar Colony, Banjara Hills When: Up to April 18 Contact: 98499 68797
IPL Fervor You can order any four or six items from the menu and get the chat of day free. Where: Kailash Parbat, Above Ebony Gautier, 2nd floor, Road No 36, Jubilee Hills When: April 14, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 2355 8856
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, APRIL 14, 2013
Babu may end yatra soon
Chiru’s tribute to Ambedkar
Hospital owner, doc booked
T
U
T
DP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu, whose ‘Vastunnaa Meekosam’ padayatra entered Visakhapatnam, is suffering from severe body ache. His heel was swollen and his feet have developed blisters. Doctors, who came from Hyderabad, examined him on Saturday. He plans a bus yatra to maintain the continuity of his marathon mass contact.
nion minister of state for tourism K Chiranjeevi paid floral tributes to BR Ambedkar on his birthday anniversary today at a function held at Tank Bund where he said that Ambedkar was the inspiration behind the SC/ST sub-plan. Now, the recommendations of the Koneru Ranga Rao on land issues should be implemented immediately, he said.
he owner of a hospital and one of its doctors have been charged with medical negligence that resulted in the death of a patient. The cases were registered against G Venkateswara Rao and a doctor on duty. The case pertains to Shravan Kumar, 20, who was admitted to the hospital on February 1 and developed serious complications the next day.
This dog’s bark was worse than his bite
A man lost his life after an argument over a pet dog turned bloody. MOHD SUBHAN
mohd.s@postnoon.com
T
hey may be man’s best friend, but not keeping your pet dog under control could be disasterous. In a curious case, a man lost his life and six others sustained injuries after an argument over the constant barking of a dog in Kotherapally, Ranga Reddy district. The dog that belonged to one
Bhaskar of Kotherapally is said to be the cause of the trouble. It is said that this dog, an aggressive one with a penchant for barking throughout the night, was a nuisance to the neighbours who were unable to sleep. According to reports, neighbours’ complaints to the owner proved futile. G Ramchandraiah and his son-in-law were attacked by the dog when he suddenly broke loose from its tether. They raised an alarm and threw stones at the dog to scare it away. Ramchandraiah later lodged a complaint at the Vikrabad
World leaders bat for easier visas ious issues connected to travel and tourism the worldover. According to the secretary general, the issues pertaining aviation, connectivity and transportation were also discussed with the objective of introducing policies that would lead sustainable tourism development.
TERRORISM IS NOT A THREAT
Postnoon news feedback@postnoon.com
T
he prestigious UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Conference) held in the City resolved to demand easing the process of issuing tourist visas to give a fillip to global tourism. At a press conference after two-day long discussions, secretary general of UNWTO Taleb Refai said it is becoming increasingly difficult for tourists to obtain hassle-free visas due to complex procedures adopted by countries. “We think this difficulty has to be removed. We will work towards removing this in coming days,” he said. The conference discussed var-
Union minister of state for tourism K Chiranjeevi, who was the cynosure of all eyes during the conference, while reacting to a question on safety of tourists said the threat of terrorism has not adversely affected tourism in the country. He pointed out that th City was able to host the conference despite the Dilsukhnagar blasts. He did, however, admit that terror is a global issue. “It is not India alone that is suffering from terrorist attacks. All countries are suffering from the menace. But as a responsible government we have taken all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of foreign tourists. Chiranjeevi also revealed that the government is planning on extend the visa on arrival service to five more cities including Hyderabad. Presently, the service is available at the four metros.
police station, but the policemen shrugged it off as a matter that was not worth investigating. Things took a bloody turn on April 11. Bhaskar was rankled by the thought of Ramchandraiah attacking his pet dog. Ramchandraiah was also aggrieved at the never-ceasing trouble from his neighbour. The two confronted each other and a verbal attack began. One thing led to another, and soon it swelled into a major quarrel where both camps pitched for a battle. Bhaskar’s relatives reportedly joined in and Ramchandraiah was killed
in the ensuing clash. Six others sustained injuries. Inspector Latchaih of the Vikrabad police station said that the matter is being investigated. A police posse has been posted at the venue to prevent fresh trouble. But people in the village have accused the police of inaction. Some policemen also admitted willynilly that had the police intervened when the complaint was received, a murder would have been averted.
Congmen back Anam The party seems to have achieved a rare solidarity targeting its former wonder boy YSR and his political heir Jagan. Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com
P
olitical observers in the State perceive that State finance minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy's vituperative outpourings against the CM late YS Rajasekhara Reddy and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday as the beginning of an all-out attack by the Congress to ‘finish off ’ the Jagan effect in the electoral politics of the State. Anam’s remarks that “if anyone ought to be hanged in Andhra Pradesh it must be Jagan” have led to tremors in political circles. “It is not an offthe-cuff remark; it has an aim,” said a senior Congress leader. Many Congressmen told Postnoon that the party had primarily decided to attack Jagan to rein in his YSR Congress party that has been growing on sentiments. The Congress leaders are suffering for being subservient to YSR. “Many Cabinet ministers are suffering pain for meekly submitting to YSR. He is no longer a magic leader; he has now become a liability. The
Congress had primarily decided to launch an aggressive attack against YSR’s family with the objective to expose them. Anam fired the first shot. All Cabinet ministers will continue to do so in coming days,” said a senior congress leader, who is close to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. It is significant that Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana has also joined the bandwagon and said that he fully supports the finance minister’s comments. He alleged that Jagan's family has looted the entire
State while his father was in power. "I would like to ask YS Sharmila (Jagan’s sister), who is vociferously demanding the arrest of two ministers chargesheeted by the CBI, that who is responsible for their predicament?” asked Botsa. Senior Cabinet minister Kanna Lakshminarayana too joined the bandwagon and said that no Cabinet minister had deliberately committed a mistake and simply discharged their duties as per the directions of the former chief minister YSR. "The ministers are suffering due to the selfishness and greed of one person (Jagan). No minister has committed a crime. (Jagan’s) objective is to garner public support during General Elections by forcing us to abuse his father's name. But their strategy did not work out," he said. Another Cabinet minister, K Pardha Saradhi, said, "Anam was merely expressing his anger over the plight of ministers, who are facing serious allegations for issuing GOs. The ministers are suffering unnecessarily for no fault of theirs.”
4
CITY SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
Model police methods Advocates allege that police indulge in naked corruption. Complainants go directly to court against the police. What’s happening to the once-lauded efficient police of AP? Postnoon finds out. FOR REPRESENTATION ONLY
ALEENA ALICE
aleena.t@postnoon.com
NO MONEY FOR STATIONERY!
I
f a policeman asks you, when you approach him with a complaint, “do you know the formalities?” don’t act dumb. It’s code for money. If you don’t know the meaning, a more legible message will be delivered, only it would be coated with a dab of foul words. Not all, but a lot many men in uniform are drawn to the vortex of corruption. The seniors who ‘have seen life’ will guide the rookie on how to take extra from the litigant public. This time it is the advocates, who by the nature of their works are compelled to deal with police on cases, who are alleging that taking money on the pretext of meeting peripheral expenses has become second nature to many policemen. Senior advocates claim that many policemen in the City harass their clients and take money if they have to get the documentation procedure, starting from filing an FIR at the police station. Now, the matter has reached the court with one complainant seeking judicial help. Here’s a glaring instance. On April 5, Manjeeth Singh, 23, was taken to Narayanaguda police station for a petty case after he had a fight with his neighbour over parking of a motor cycle. The police took in a General Diary entry and took an undertaking from him. Manjeeth signed a bail
about the procedure of documentation. “Cops tactfully choose words. They first give the hint, and if the person appears not to have got the message, direct method is applied,” says advocate ES Nayak.
bond under Section 436 of CrPC and said he would appear before the court the next day and pay the fine. However, Manjeeth was not sent home but was detained in the station. The reason, he alleges, was that he did not pay cops on duty “chai-pani.” When he did not come home, his family contacted their advocate Gopal Krishna Kalanidhi, who then intervened and threatened the police that he would take the case to the Human Rights Commission. In another case, Mohamed Ghouse, a driver who works for an IPS officer at the Secretariat, says he had been booked under a false case when he dared to complain against the police. Now he has filed a case stating that the police had taken promissory notes from
him under duress. Ghouse says, “On June 25 last year, I was picked up from my residence in Balapur by the local police. When I asked them why, all they said was that someone had filed a complaint. It was only after I went there I got to know that the case was filed by a friend of my ex-wife, stating that I owe her `7 lakh. I told the police the allegations were false. They did not heed and detained me in the police station. “They forced me to write a promissory note, a commitment letter, and give my ex-wife Rajeshwari five post-dated cheques. Only then was I allowed to go home. Later I filed a case at the Civil Court in this regard. “I notified my bank against
the cheques issued to my ex-wife. The court issued a restraining order. It also granted me anticipatory bail, and I was asked to appear before the police station and surrender. The cops on duty asked me to pay `2,000 to the writer. I was left with no option but to pay since they said it was ‘mandatory’. Since I had filed a case at the civil court against them, the police were hostile. To teach me a lesson, they began sending constables in mufti to my house and threatening me over the phone. The case is still in the court.” According to some advocates who sought anonymity, whenever their clients go to the police station, the cops make it clear that there is a procedure. They ask if they know the “formalities” to go
According to senior advocate Kalanidhi, most cops outsource writing work. “Police openly tell me that they are short-staffed and they outsource writers. Not only that, they say they have to take bribes from clients because otherwise, they will have to shell out money from their own pocket for stationary, cool drinks or tea and coffee. When any high-profile visitor goes to the police station, right from offering coffee to biryani, the cops ensure that the ‘VIP’ is treated well. Taking bribes is a common sight these days. However, the government seems to be turning a blind eye,” he says.
POLICE RUBBISH ALLEGATION
When Postnoon contacted a senior police official, he laughed it off. He would not swear that some cops do not take bribes. “But if a policeman is caught taking bribe, he will have to face the consequences. However, the allegations of writing being outsourced are not true. The constables on duty write reports,” he said. He said, “Every month, each police station gets an allowance of `5,000 from the headquarters. This money is used for the station expenditure,” he said. It is another matter that whether with today’s inflation `5,000 is sufficient, he adds reluctantly.
Leak a few question papers for us, will you? This is what student leaders, and even some professors, at institutions across the City are being asked to do. Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com
T
he troubles of being a student leader include fending off some rather comic requests from their own student brotherhood. Just a few days before the PG exams in OU, which are due to start on April 15, student leaders are being bombarded with calls from students. Krishank Manne from OU JAC explains, “With exams around the corner, we get loads of calls asking if we can manage to leak a few question papers or help with some “setting” during reevaluation. I don’t understand how students can pin their hopes on these malpractices when they can invest the same amount of time in preparing for the exams in the first place.” Malpractices in examinations quite often make it to the news, with many colleges in the City
receiving quite a lot of bad press. But there is a twist to this story here. If and when a question paper does get leaked, it is often that these papers are made up by some individual and are not the actual question paper at all! “So what you see is a lot of students running behind these fake question papers, pinning their hopes of passing the exam on them. But as I said, the same amount of dedication and energy could be channelised into preparing for an exam rather than relying on these last minute add-ons,” Krishank says. The system of making fake question papers is quite a lucrative business. Because it holds much value just a few hours before the commencement of the exam, any “fake” question paper can cost between `1,000 to `3,000. Some even go to the extent of preparing sets and batches of question papers that are basically
cooked-up versions of previous year copies. So what do these leaders do, when the number of calls gets on their nerves? “Some students do not realise that they hamper the reputation of the student community by thinking we can manipulate the examination system. We often try to convince them that
nothing of this sort happens but this same trend is noticed every year,” a student leader says. Lecturers too get their share of sudden attention. B Srinivas Reddy, a professor of Physics from JNTU says, “It is so disappointing when some students call us up a day before the exams asking if ‘things could be managed.’ And to
satisfy them, we often make up a few question papers in the hope that they prepare at least for some part of the subject.” In the last few years, JNTU has received quite a lot of flak over a series of exam question papers being leaked, and re-evaluation systems being rigged. Janardhan Reddy, a BTech (Mechanical) student from JNTUKakinada says, “Right after the exams, we come across some dubious characters who promise to clear our backlogs and arrears. Some students blindly believe them and pay them huge amounts of money to the tune of `20,000 per paper to get their subjects cleared. And then they vanish.” As one lecturer from JNTU-H, Sriram Reddy, puts it, “Lastminute preparations never help. And we guarantee that papers cannot be leaked easily. So it is better to pull up one’s socks and start preparing in earnest.”
5
READERS’ LETTERS SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
Blockbuster bashing Our Tollywood guy, Hemanth Kumar, offered his opinion that summer blockbuster Baadshah was quite predictable (Baadshah movie review: Treading familiar turf, April 5). However, one reader who loved the movie was quite affronted by his review. And no, the reporter does not claim to be the final word on the issue. Dear Hemanth, our English is pretty good and I know you for quite long… you and your tweets on Twitter…I know your
knowledge on cinema…. But that doesn’t mean whatever you said is the final word…. Baadshah is a super hit movie… And try to put ratings’ ?/5 which you wanna say in short….instead of reading the holy s***…. :(
HEMACHANDRA PRASAD E,
Y Arms like Schwarzenegger We paid homage to action stars who do their own stunts in movies with the article The Daredevils (April 10). One reader, obviously a very fit person himself, decided to give us a few tips to get into shape. Don't be surprised if you see journalists practising martial arts soon!
VIA EMAIL
Read the report at http://postnoon.com/2013/04/05/baadshahmovie-review-treading-familiar-turf/118175
Meter down Deepashri V's article series on pentavalent vaccine (Does India need pentavalent?, April 7, raised some hackles in the medical community. One doctor wrote in to explain how our arguments were flawed.
ow Hollywood action films have gone with the wind due to our own actionpacked films. Still, train by doing 300 push-ups in standing position in the kitchen by placing your palms wide apart. Do 300 before breakfast, then 300 before lunch and 300 before dinner. Surely it will get you in great shape in arm musculature. Prove it yourself. (Wing-chun lover)
N
TARAZAM,
via email Read the report at
TOP LETTER
obody can discipline these auto drivers. I have been seeing this trend from 1970s. God save the citizens.
N
K VENKATARAMAM,
VIA EMAIL
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.
ome clarifications for the above mentioned ill-informed article: A. NTAGI is a government advisory body and is not funded. B. The NTAGI member the article mentions is the one and only member who is a vaccineopposer in that body. He forgets that had he not been vaccinated, he would have died of smallpox, polio or TB by now. Yet he opposes introduction of pneumonia vaccine just like he did for Hepatitis B vaccine (which incidently is proving beneficial for millions) some years ago. C. The calculations that one NTAGI member is presenting is faulty and misleading. Pentavalent vaccine saves children from pneumonia and meningitis. He is comparing the number of children saved from Hib-induced meningitis and conveniently forgetting the number of children the pentavalent (vaccine) will save from Hib-induced pneumonia. D. Pneumonia kills over three lakh children in India and is the largest killer in India (refer IVAC Progress Report 2012)
S
DR CEF,
As we expected, several readers wrote in about their bad experiences with Hyderabad's auto and taxiwallahs after Aleena Alice's article on the same (Auto woes grip Hyderabad, cops act, April 11). Many pointed out that auto drivers seem completely fearless of cops and continue to flout rules. Hardly any use meters; if they do, the chances that the meter is tampered is high. Citizens deserve better and it is high time the police put an end to the auto raj.
every week
Deepashri V's article series on pentavalent vaccine (Does India need pentavalent?, April 7) raised some hackles in the medical community. One doctor wrote in to explain how our arguments were flawed.
Via e-mail Read the report at http://postnoon.com/2013/04/07/does-indianeed-pentavalent/118431
http://postnoon.com/2013/04/10/ the-daredevils/118955
Win `500
Vaccination woes
Read the report at http://postnoon.com/2013/04/11/auto-woes-griphyderabad-cops-act/119173
Up in smoke HMC winning an award for the best civic management in the country is the biggest joke Please burn that award as well.
G
YASH,
VIA EMAIL
Read the report at http://postnoon.com/2013/04/10/yourhealths-going-up-in-smoke-inhyderabad/118976
bout time the police do their work. I often notice half-a-dozen constables standing together and chatting away as though there is nothing else for them to do.
A
SATISH,
Via e-mail Read the report at http://postnoon.com/2013/04/11/auto-woesgrip-hyderabad-cops-act/119173
T
DR A MP, Via e-mail Read the report at http://postnoon.com/2013/04/07/does-indianeed-pentavalent/118431
ou cannot tame these auto and taxi wallahs. I use autos and taxis regularly. If you ask them why they don't use meters, they say it is not working. They are not scared of traffic cops and know that they can bribe their way around them.
Y
KS SUDHAN,
VIA EMAIL
Read the report at http://postnoon.com/2013/04/11/auto-woes-griphyderabad-cops-act/119173
That burning garbage is bad for health is an established fact. However, the GHMC seems to be least bothered about the health of its citizens. Angry readers responded to Rahul Ramakrishna's article on April 10, Your health’s going up in smoke in Hyderabad!
ust about anybody can buy a generator and burn diesel to mitigate the harshness of summer. These diesel burning monsters then fill one's lungs with dangerous exhaust fumes. All residential buildings turn on diesel generators because that is the only means available during power cuts imposed by the grand organisations like
J
his is one of the serious issues going on in India. We should not neglect death due to pentavalent and we should investigate whether the deaths are really due to pentavalent.
GENCO/TRANSCO APCPDCL. Babus who these organisations seem to no idea about the pollution are causing.
SATISH,
and run have they
VIA EMAIL
Read the report at http://postnoon.com/2013/04/10/yourhealths-going-up-in-smoke-inhyderabad/118976
here is an urgent need to put an end to burning of garbage. GHMC workers are not only putting themselves at risk, but also polluting the City.
T
SHAVAN,
VIA EMAIL
Read the report at http://postnoon.com/2013/04/10/yourhealths-going-up-in-smoke-inhyderabad/118976
6
NATION SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
3 Indians found dead in UK LONDON: An Indian-origin school lab technician and her two daughters have been found dead under mysterious circumstances at their home in northwest London. Heena Solanki, 34, was found dead along with Prish, 4, and Jasmine, 9, at their home in London on Friday, according to the police. Media reports claimed that Heena poisoned her daughters before killing herself.
Constable opens fire at friend
FTA talks with EU tomorrow
NEW DELHI: A constable allegedly opened fire at his
BERLIN: India and EU will hold a cru-
friend in a police quarters here after an argument over some petty issue, police said. The incident was reported from Jagatpuri Complex police barracks last night in which Rakesh was injured. Rakesh and another friend had gone to constable Ranvir Tomar’s place where they entered into an argument, police said. Following which, Tomar opened fire injuring Rakesh, they said, adding the third person fled from the scene after the incident. Rakesh was admitted to LNGP hospital for treatment. Tomar was later arrested.
cial meeting on the proposed free trade agreement tomorrow in Brussels to iron out the impediments in concluding of the pact. The meeting which is also seen as a last ditch effort to resolve the differences before India gets into the election mode where the manoeuvring of decisions regarding the pact will become difficult.
Maya fumes over SP govt’s ‘vendetta’
TRIBUTE
Ambedkar hoardings removed by officials. LUCKNOW: Apparently peeved over removal of hoardings set up on the occasion of 122th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, BSP chief Mayawati today accused the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh of acting with political vendetta and treating her party as number one target. “Members of the opposition parties are being dealt with political vendetta and BSP is being made number one target,” she said here. The BSP supremo was apparently more infuriated with the removal of hoardings installed near Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal to mark his 122th birth anniversary. “The government knew that it was
A Punjab policeman blows a bugle at a function to pay tribute on the 94th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in Amritsar on Saturday. The massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place in the Jallianwala Bagh public gardens on April 13, 1919, when British Indian Army soldiers opened fire on an unarmed gathering, killing at least 379 men, women and children, according to official records. AFP /NARINDER NANU
Tax dodgers Ponty killing: 2 to be shamed accused get bail NEW DELHI: The Income Tax department has decided to name and shame “chronic” tax defaulters by publicising their names and addresses. It is in the process of finalising the procedures of compiling the names and cases pertaining to habitual tax dodgers and subsequently uploading them on its website. The department, it is expected, would upload the names and possible addresses of such tax evaders on the lines of the ‘Wanted’ list uploaded by enforcement agencies like police and investigative agencies like the CBI and the NIA.
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has granted two months interim bail to an accused in the murder case of Ponty Chadha and his younger brother Hardeep on “humanitarian ground”. Narender Ahlawat, who worked for Chadha as a manager, was released on interim bail saying “he deserves indulgence on humanitarian ground” as he is wheelchair-bound, and therefore needs “proper medical treatment”. The judge also imposed certain conditions which include that Ahlawat will not influence witnesses in any manner or leave Delhi.
Babasaheb’s anniversary and lakhs of people will come to pay tribute to him. On this occasion, hoardings are installed across the country for which no permission is required,” she said. Mayawati said that considering the approach of the SP government, her partymen took permission from the local body to install hoardings near the Sthal. “Till yesterday, a large number of hoardings were installed within three kilometres of the sthal, but I have come to know that a lot of drama took place last night and on the directive of the SP government, all of them removed. “In whatever strong words the move is PTI condemned is less,” she said.
7
WORLD SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
Probe into Bali air crash
Strong quake strikes PNG SYDNEY: A strong 6.6-magnitude earth-
BALI: Indonesian investigators have
quake struck off Papua New Guinea today, the US Geological Survey reported, but a tsunami warning was not issued and no major damage was expected. The quake hit 105 kilometres west of Panguna, a town on Bougainville Island, at a depth of 64 kilometres, and some 677 kilometres west of the Solomon Islands’ capital Honiara.
started working to determine what caused a new Lion Air passenger jet to miss a runway while landing on the resort island of Bali, crashing into the sea without causing any fatalities. Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said today that the National Transportation Safety Committee is examining the wreckage.
Peru bus crash: 33 killed BEIJING: At least 33 people died and 10 others were injured early Saturday after a bus plunged 200 meters (650 feet) down a ravine in northern Peru, police said. The bus with the Horna company veered off a mountain road near the town of Otuzco some 570 kilometers (350 miles) north of Lima. Authorities blamed the region’s treacherous, winding roads.
Korean issue would harm interests of all: Li KJM Varma
BEIJING: Striking a tough posture towards the belligerent North Korean leadership, China today warned Pyongyang that “trouble making” would amount to dropping the rock on ones own toes. As US Secretary of State John Kerry in his meetings here today pressed Chinese leadership to press hard the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un who resorted to rhetoric by threatening nuclear war, Premier Li Keqiang said troublemaking on the Korean Peninsula issue would harm the interests of all the parties involved”. “To do that (trouble making) is nothing different from lifting a rock only to drop it on one’s own toes,” state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Li as saying
To do that (trouble making) is nothing different from lifting a rock only to drop it on one’s own toes. Li Keqiang, Chinese premier to Kerry today. “The parties involved should shoulder their responsibilities and be ready to bear the consequence to safeguard the regional peace and stability,” Li said. This is the second time
A North Korean soldier (C) looks through binoculars towards the South side at the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas on April 13, 2013. China spoke its mind against North Korea distancing itself from Pyongyang’s belligerent stand in spiralling tensions in the Korean Peninsula.
Last week, President Xi Jinping in his address at the Boao Forum said that “no one should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world
into chaos for selfish gains”, which Chinese officials said later was an indirect reference about North Korea. On China-US relations, Li
noted that cooperation between China and the United States, two major economies of the world, would cater to the international trend and benefit the world. The two sides should achieve new breakthroughs on the depth and quality of the bilateral cooperation, and make further efforts to cultivate fair competition and protect legitimate rights and interests of their businesses, Li said. “I hope the US side could take substantial actions to lift the ban on exportation of hightech products to China,” Li told Kerry. He also suggested that China and the United States should participate in and promote the economic integration process in the Asia-Pacific region with open, transparent and inclusive spirits. Kerry said the bilateral cooperation has benefited the two nations and would have significant influence over the world. According to Kerry, the United States highly values its ties with China, and is willing to make concerted efforts with China to improve the bilateral cooperation mechanism, strengthen communication and coordination, step up cooperation and jointly address the global challenges and regional issues. China is the second leg of Kerry’s four-day east Asia tour, which has also taken him to the Republic of Korea. He will fly to PTI Japan on Sunday.
Palestinian PM Fayyad resigns
French gangster in spectacular jailbreak
Miners arrive for anti-Thatcher party
RAMALLAH: Palestinian prime minister Salam
SEQUEDIN: One of France’s most dangerous gangsters, known for brazen attacks on cash-in-transit vehicles, on Saturday blasted his way out of jail after briefly taking several wardens hostage, officials said. Redoine Faid, who risked a heavy sentence over the 2010 death of a policewoman, used explosives to blast through five prison doors and break free in the northern town of Sequedin. Police and helicopters were trying to track the 40-year-old, who set fire to his getaway car in the south of the city of Lille before getting into a second vehicle. State Prosecutor Frederic Fevre said Faid, who had already been France’s most wanted a few years ago, was a “particularly dangerous prisoner” and was still armed and in possession of explosives.
LONDON: Hundreds of opponents of Margaret Thatcher filled London’s Trafalgar Square on Saturday evening for a rain-soaked celebration of the former British prime minister’s death earlier this week. Former coal miners involved in the year-long strike against the Iron Lady’s government in the 1980s joined far-left activists and students to drink to the Iron Lady’s demise. An effigy of the former Tory leader was carried through the crowd, complete with her trademark string of pearls, blouse and flowing hair made from orange plastic bags. There was a strong police presence for the demonstration. mong the crowd were ex-miners from the north of England, who saw their communities devastated in a wave of pit closures under Thatcher’s 11 years in power.
Fayyad resigned on Saturday after a weeks-long falling out with president Mahmud Abbas, despite US efforts for him to stay on. “Fayyad met Abbas for half an hour in the president’s headquarters in Ramallah in the West Bank and officially handed him his written resignation,” a Palestinian official told AFP. Abbas tasked Fayyad with the role of caretaker for the current government until a new prime minister is appointed, another official said. The two men have been at loggerheads amid mounting criticism of Fayyad’s economic policies by Abbas’s ruling Fatah movement, but Washington has lobbied hard for the 61-year-old, USeducated economist to stay on.
8
COMMENT SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
Pran, the man we loved to hate
EDITORIALS LEAVE LINDSAY Lohan Be Almost any report about Lindsay Lohan starts with “Troubled star… ” or “Troubled actor”. It’s like she has been bestowed a title, like Sir, Dame or Lady. All may not be well with her and her career, and every now and then news pops up about her horrifically-gonewrong drinking sessions or her brush-ups with law, or attending court, or going to rehab, coming out of it, and going back again, but is it not wrong that if she is troubled and is in the process of seeking help for her condition that she be accorded the minimum courtesy, privacy? Lohan who started as a child actor was once hailed one of the finest of the then young crop, tipped to be a great star in the future. It’s an irony that her story turned out be the perfect example of how fame and stardom can ruin a person’s life. At one point of time tabloids were awash with some revealing gossip of Lohan: pictures of her walking about in a bikini in her house, her alleged link-ups and her drug and alcohol abuse or her run-ins with traffic cops. And what has all of it done for her? At 26, she is a “troubled” actor when she should have shared some of the proper limelight she deserves for her talent and her work. But who would hire a troubled person? All those greedy shutterbugs and worthless, unethical hacks may pat themselves on their backs for this… for their hand in twisting the fate of a young person and making a wreck of her life. No, please don’t come up with the excuse that paps and being featured in gossip columns are the occupational hazards of an acting career. Even as these lowlifes ‘sold’ and “ate” off Lohan, she was just a promising talent, of which there were ample proof in movies like parent trap. But if she can come on TV shows and talk about it, and make people laugh about her slip-ups, that means Lohan can overcome her troubles.
WHY WE LOVE... Anti-Thatcherites It is curious how eager are some to deify even tyrants when they are dead. The people who have gathered at Trafalgar Square are not like that: they won’t forget the darkness in Thatcher’s legacy.
The glamour quotient attached to stardom is so high that few have been able to leave it, either to pursue another profession, for domestic reasons or in retirement. This man did so.
From the hip
SYED SHOAIB
P
ran Krishan Sikand, simply known as Pran, the villain of numerous Bollywood films that we loved to hate is finally being recognised for his contribution to Hindi cinema with the Dada Saheb Phalke Award at the age of 93, when he cannot even walk up the stage to receive the award. Pran acted in over 400 films in a career spanning over six decades and played a range of roles as villain, hero and character artiste. Pran’s roles depicting negative shades in a man, be it cruelty, avarice or sadism, did it with such perfection that one hated the character completely for the evil he represented. Negative emotion would reek from every pore of his body; from the eyes to the angle of his head and the position of the body. The slim and well-maintained body had cruelty leashed within, waiting to strike out like an adder, as portrayed in many a move, ‘Ram Aur Shyam’ and ‘Madhumathi’ to name two. He would metamorphose himself into the character totally. In ‘Madhumathi’, as the rapist with an evil smile on his
lips, he preys on the innocent Madhumathi with such alacrity that we want to become the hero to beat this breast to pulp. In ‘Ram Aur Shyam’, as the cruel brother-in-law who usurps all the wealth of the zamindar and goes on to abuse the young heir Ram and his sister paralysing them with fear is an unmatched performance. From the polished pointed boots tucked in the stirrups of a horse, to the horsewhip, which he uses with such effective result on the poor Ram played by Dilip Kumar who is reduced to a shaking gibberish spewing wreck, the emotion of cruelty strikes out and the audience is mesmerised into loathing him with an intensity much greater than the pity aroused for the fearful Ram. And when finally
Shyam beats him up and regains the rightful place for him and his brother in the palace, the audience exults with joy for the victory of truth. As a suave businessman exemplarily dressed holding a rifle in his hands, or with a cigar dangling from his lips, he would look the part of a cold and ruthless winner of all stakes. His was not the role of a character that was given two reels and incidental to a film; the films began contextually with him as a central character and the heroes only responded to him; in fact, more than the hero, the film was filled with his larger than life presence. The dark energy is palpable and the audience is left worrying whether it would be possible for the hero to fight such evil. The
success of many films was in large measure due to the sterling performance of this villain. The heroes looked more heroic and noble to fight against such a formidable and evil opponent. It was not only as a villian that Pran made himself memorable; as the good character in Manoj Kumar’s ‘Upkaar’ and the kind-hearted Pathan in ‘Zanjeer’ or the entertaining street-smart fraud in ‘Victoria No: 203’, he proved his versatility as an actor. Despite the penchant of the Indian audience to mix the man with the character he plays in his films, Pran had a fair share of fans. I myself secretly admired him as a young boy but was apprehensive to admit it to anybody for fear that having a negative character for a role model would not go well with them. The glamour quotient attached to stardom is so high that few have been able to leave it, either to pursue another profession, for domestic reasons or in retirement. This man did so. He retired from acting at a time when every other movie had him in meaty roles. A movie buff friend of mine then had told, “I am fed up of hearing the same voice in all movies.” He treated his profession as any other — one that comes with a retirement age. Now that is professionalism for you.
9
BUSINESS SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
Greece deal by tomorrow?
G
reece hopes to conclude negotiations with international creditors by Monday in a bid to unlock the next rescue loan, the head of the country's socialist party said. "We have come up with a proposal we all agree on and which I hope the troika will accept by tomorrow night," said Evangelos Venizelos, after a meeting with PM Antonis Samaras and others.
M
T
group," Tata Sons brand custodian and chief ethics officer Mukund Govind Rajan told PTI in an e-mailed response. Some of the high-profile acquisitions made by the group, while Ratan Tata was at helm included Tata Tea buying the UK brand Tetley for £450 million in 2000; Tata Steel's takeover of Anglo-Dutch rival Corus for £6.2 billion in 2007 and Tata Motors' $2.3 billion acquisition of British
luxury vehicle maker Jaguar Land Rover from Ford Motor Co. Rajan said the practice of mergers and acquisitions has existed at the corporate centre and till recently, it was being overseen by Arun Gandhi. "(It) has led inorganic growth projects at Tata Sons besides assisting some of the Tata companies in their inorganic growth projects," he added. When asked about reports about Tata Sons searching for a head of mergers and acquisitions to fill in the vacancy after Gandhi's retirement, Rajan declined to comment. "As far as possible leadership changes are concerned, we will communicate these as and when they happen, and will not like to comment on speculation regarding possible leadership structures that may be put in place in the future," he said. Ratan Tata, who had led the transformation of the Tata group from a conventional corporate house into a multinational conglomerate, retired on December 28, 2012, at the age of 75 years. He was succeeded by 44-year-old Cyrus Mistry, who was chosen his successor in 2011. During Tata's tenure, the group's revenues grew manifold, totalling $100.09 billion ( `4,75,721 crore) in 2011-12, from a turnover of a PTI mere `10,000 crore in 1991.
Bring down NPA to 1% by March 2014: Finmin
NEW DELHI: Setting a stiff target for all public sector banks, the Finance Ministry has directed them to expedite the recovery process and bring down net NPAs to 1 per cent of their total advances by the end of 2013-14 fiscal. "We have asked banks to bring down their net NPA to 1 per cent of the total advances by March 2014," Department of Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Takru said. Banks are free to choose
M
ost people hope to go to heaven when they die, but they don't want all of their online information floating around in the cloud with them. Google has come up with a "digital will" that allows consumers to decide what should be done with their data when die or if they plan to be out of Wi-Fi range for a long period. Officially called the "Inactive Account Manager", the new feature allows holders of Google accounts to "tell Google what you want done with your digital assets when you die or can no longer use your account".
Tatas to stay on acquisition path
he Tata group will continue to take the acquisition route as one of the modes of growth for the over $100 billion conglomerate and keep to the path intensely followed by its former Chairman Ratan Tata. "There have been over 60 significant acquisitions, many of them overseas, undertaken by Tata companies in the last two decades, and this is clearly one of the modes of growth for the
BoA pays Mukesh `1.3 cr
Google unveils plan for data after death
which ever way they would like to bring down their bad loans. Whether they do it through specialised recovery branch or other method, it is up to the individual banks to decide, he added. The gross NPAs of public sector banks rose to 4.18 of advances by the end of December 2012, compared to 3.22 per cent a year ago. Net NPAs, which are arrived at after making provisions from the gross amount, increased to 2.12 per cent in December 2012.
In absolute term, gross NPA of PSU banks jumped to `1,84,193 crore in December 2012 compared to `1,37,102 crore in March 2012, an increase of `47,091 crore in the nine months period. The gross NPA in corporate lending rose to `98,884 crore in December, as against `68,221 crore in March. In the case of farm loans, the gross NPA rose to `30,800 crore in December as against `24,827 crore in March.
PTI
ukesh Ambani has got paid about $240,000 (`1.3 crore) as director compensation for 2012 by global banking giant Bank of America — a position he would relinquish next month. Ambani, who heads business conglomerate Reliance Industries, was paid a higher compensation of $276,816 by the bank in the previous year, 2011.
RPG’s Goenka passes away
KOLKATA: Industrialist Rama Prasad Goenka, better known as RP Goenka, died early this morning at his residence here after a brief illness, family sources said. He was 83. He is survived by his wife Sushila and sons Harsh Vardhan and Sanjiv. RP Goenka was the eldest son of Keshav Prasad Goenka. The Goenkas are one of the oldest business families of the eastern India. RP Goenka established RPG Enterprises in 1979 which included Phillips Carbon Black, Asian Cables, Agarpara Jute Mill and Murphy India with a turnover of about `100 crore. Other major companies in his group include CESC, CEAT, Spencer's and Saregama. In 1990, his sons Harsh Vardhan and Sanjiv took over
as chairman and deputy chairman respectively of RPG Enterprises. Later in 2011, Sanjiv Goenka set up RPSanjiv Goenka Group to have his own brand identity. Harsh Goenka continued as chairman of RPG Enterprises. RP Goenka remained chairman emeritus of both the groups with a combined turnover of around `30,000 PTI crore.
AAI to set up R&D hub in Hyderabad NEW DELHI: In a bid to develop in-house capabilities in air navigation services, the Airports Authority of India has tied up with a renowned American technology provider to set up a hightech research, development and training facility in Hyderabad. The proposed technical centre would provide comprehensive laboratory capabilities to support AAI's daily air traffic management operations and maintenance, besides carrying out performance analysis and R&D. The AAI and the MITRE Corporation last week signed two agreements to establish the Hyderabad centre and for transfer of technology and knowledge. Among this would be a sophisticated technology to train air traffic controllers (ATC), called 'Human-in-the-Loop' (HITL) computer simulation capability, AAI officials said. HITL simulation is a virtual, real-time ATC simulation that requires human interaction with airborne
and ground automation to manage air traffic. It helps identify ATC problems, develops solutions for them and achieving cost-efficient deployment of new solutions. A real world example is the US Federal Aviation Administration's use of HITL simulation, developed by MITRE, to allow ATC personnel test new automation procedures by directing simulated air traffic while monitoring the impact of new procedures to be put into action. MITRE is also offering its portable ATC simulation system that can be used to train personnel at any location with the use of a few laptops. The AAI, which has partnered with MITRE since 2006 for many of its Communications, Navigation, Surveillance and Air Traffic Management activities, is the first sponsor of MITRE for HITL Technology. By virtue of this, AAI becomes one of the very few aviation research organisations in the world to possess such a capaPTI bility, the officials said.
10
INTERVIEW SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
N R I Nidhi Bhushan
nidhi.b@postnoon.com
C
ompetition among siblings is quite the norm— we practically grow up competing with our elder and, in-their-imagination, wiser brothers and sisters. However, competition at school level or even college might not be as tricky as one on a professional level. Ketan Bhagat, who’s the younger brother of celebrated author Chetan Bhagat, is all set to launch his first novel next month. Titled Complete/ Convenient, the book focuses on the life of an NRI. Whether the book will change the relationship the two brothers currently share, only time can tell. For now, we give you the excerpts from a tete-a-tete with Chhota Ketan, who has his fingers tightly crossed.
Q. What compelled you to write the book? Was the success that your brother enjoys a factor? Ans: I started writing the book in 2010, a little before I decided to move back to India, giving up my almost perfect life in Sydney. What an NRI goes through once he gets to live the dream he’s been dreaming is a topic that is very close to my heart. It was what I was going through personally that provoked
me to write the book. Like the lead character Kabir, I too, was a typical Indian boy who always dreamed of going abroad and earning in dollars. However, there is a cost and sacrifice all NRIs have to make to leave their home country. My book is about that. It is a representation of what life abroad is like, it does not say if that is bad or living in India is good. It’s just a story of an NRI’s life through Kabir. It took me about two years to finish writing. While I hadn’t started writing with the purpose of making a profit out of it, now that its release is barely a month away, I want people to pick it up. Chetan being what he is was a major factor, yes. But not because I wanted a piece of his success or anything, it was a factor only because he knew much more than me about the market. And, about writing in general.
Q. Did you consult your brother about the book? Has he read it? Do you think your book can cause a serious sibling rivalry? Ans: Initially, he did say that I’d be ripped apart by the people and I needn’t get into anything in such a rush. However, after reading the book, he did say it was a good read and is very readable. Plus, both of us somehow can’t agree with each on creative subjects. We never have. My intention is not to compete
A sensitive guy with a great sense of humour, Ketan Bhagat is almost ready to launch his first novel — Complete/ Convenient. Postnoon chats with the nervous wreck to find out more.
with my brother — I can’t. The way a newbie who wants to set up an IT Company can’t compete with Narayan Murthy, I can’t compete with my brother. He’s huge in India and I’m very happy about that. I just needed to pen down what I felt, and things just led to a book. Plus, a living successful example within the family was only reassuring.
Q. How would you describe a typical NRI life? Ans: The book will answer that question. Anyway, everything in the book is based on real characters. It will give the reader a significant insight into the life of an NRI. It talks about how one is surprised by other countries that are so beautifully run, where one doesn’t need to fear cops, etc. But then, there’s that longing to return home. For
instance, there is a chapter on what an NRI couple goes through during Diwali out of India.
Q. When is Complete/ Convenient releasing? Do have any ideas for a second book? Ans: The book will release on May 15. However, the publishers— Shrishti — suggested that we release it online before that. I have a topic for another book though I had vouched not to write again, but it is too addictive. The next one might be about the relationship between a father and his child. Again, the topic is very close to me. I’m a very sensitive person and can only write about things that matter to me personally.
Q.Other than a passion for writing, what other similarities do the Bhagat brothers have? Ans: We have very similar names, thanks to our non-creative parents. But, the similarity ends there. While he’s always been the topper in the family, I’ve been the one barely going through. Even when our parents were called to school, the reasons varied in my case and in his. For me, the teachers only had complaints and for him, it was always praise.
To know more about the author, you can log on: www.ketanbhagat.com
11
FOCUS SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
NEVER TOO OLD
FOR ADVENTURE
Going by stereotypes there is only so much you can picture in a 57-year-old man’s world— nearing retirement, grandchildren, a glass of scotch, recording memoirs and morning and evening walks for exercise. Where for many life becomes smaller, for Ranjan Sood it just became large. KANCHAN AGARWAL
kanchan.a@postnoon.com
I
n January 2013, at the age of 57, Ranjan Sood led a group of four that reached the summit of Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 19,341 feet above sea level. Of the seven summits, he has already climbed three—Kilimanjaro, Elbrus and 18,000 feet of the Everest. And he is sure he can do two more, next on the cards being Mount Aconcagua in South America in December. In 1973, his school organised an All India rock climbing fest in Manali at the Jawahar Lal Nehru mountaineering institute. The 21-day camp left a lasting passion for adventurous sports in him. But it was not his time yet for he had start working. For adventure, he had to satisfy himself with climbs to religious places like Vaishno Devi. It was five years ago, when GHAC or Great Hyderabad Adventure Club was formed. It could not have come at a better time for Ranjan. He was 55, had a wonderful family and was a successful businessman. He had the time and the money to finally fulfill all
his childhood passions. As much as he is revered by the group now, his first step into daredevilry posed little challenge. “I was 51 then. I joined the online forum and received a reply from the then organiser which said— “We don’t carry baggages. Veterans are not allowed.” I took it as a challenge. I told myself someday l will prove him wrong.” And he did. From trekking to paragliding, he did everything the club had to offer. “We were one of the first few to go to Mount Everest from GHAC. I told them I may not be able to help much but I will try and be independent. And I proved that,” he says. After 18,000 feet of Everest, climbing 19,400 feet of Kilimanjaro was not as difficult for him. They trekked and climbed almost incessantly accomplishing 14,000 feet in three days. One can imagine how easy it is to fall in love with the mountains. Sharing his experience with the majestic ones, he says, “When you are there, you are actually aligning your three bodies— your mind, your physical and your emotional. You are harmonising them. This is one of the most profoundly spiritual
moments—You are one with nature and you are experiencing your every step. You have to live in the moment. It is so dicey sometimes. One slip of the foot, and you go down. Just a month before us, three climbers lost their lives, and a month after, six died in an avalanche.” For the love of sports and adventure, he is working on a project with his son-in-law. On a 10-acre land in Moinabad, he is opening a sports ground which will have all the ethnic sports such as kho-kho, kabaddi, gillidanda, seven stones, etc. which are slowly drifting into oblivion. “We have forgotten the touch of mud. When I was young, we used to swim in the lake. Now who dares to go to the lake. Ethnic games like gilli danda, seven stones, kho kho, kabbadi, dirt runs are particularly for the corporates. People have become couch potatoes but they want to find their way back to the nature,” he says. At the recently held fifth anniversary of GHAC, when Ranjan Sood was recognised for his achievements he had a few words to say: “I wish I could go back 40 years in my life. Had I been a youngster, I would have been achieving much more. People ask me why I do this at this age. But it is such a pleasure achieving it. Once you are at the summit, you don’t feel tired at all.” A successful businessman managing multiple businesses, a spiritual practitioner and now a mountaineer. As self-motivated as he is, his bulk of inspiration comes from his younger daughter Karishma, who has a genetic shortcoming of Down syndrome but has grown to be a wonderful artist and painter nonetheless. As you speak to him, his positive approach to life rubs off on you in no time. And you tell yourself “I can do it too”.
PICK YOUR
@
Across Stores
ities Twin C
12
ART AND CULTURE SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
Exhibitions in theatres
F
rom the people who brought live Metropolitan Opera performances to a movie theater near you comes the next big-screen cultural attraction: museum art exhibits from around the world. A retrospective devoted to the portraits by Edouard Manet from the Royal Academy of Arts in London will be screened in 450 theaters across the U.S. and about 600 around the globe.
Matisse was once Nazi loot
$25M for academy museum
T
M
he family of a prominent Parisian art dealer is demanding that a Norwegian museum return an Henri Matisse painting seized by Nazis under the direction of Hermann Goering, in the latest dispute over art stolen from Jews during World War II. The painting at the center of the dispute, Matisse’s 1937 Blue Dress in a Yellow Armchair, depicts a woman sitting in a living room.
usic and movie mogul David Geffen has kicked in $25 million for a film museum planned by Academy Awards overseers. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the David Geffen Foundation made the donation for the museum scheduled to open in 2017 next to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Following the beat of her
N W O M U R D
ying d a is ut g B n i l . l n e oryt aturatio ning t s t ha edia s tai , t r e k t n n thi tim been e e 2008 l t u h g m mi ge of as ke sinc erent h e n o a O is an, wh old ali ry diff ll. h t art in epa Kir ng and has a ve ry to te De sto you JYOTSNA NAMBIAR
jyotsna.n@postnoon.com
I
n 2008, Deepa Kiran got a rude wake-up call, courtesy a serious ailment and high cholesterol levels. It jolted her into realising that there was one thing she didn’t want to put off doing anymore — storytelling. Since then, the Hyderabad resident has put her eclectic training in classical dance, English literature, radio compeering and teaching to good use, telling tales to avid listeners from ages two to 92. From having to approach schools and hold her own shows, corporates and institutes across the country now call her for sessions. Deepa’s career choice might seem unusual, but she says her family always encouraged her to pursue what she believed in. Her biggest fans are her two sons, six and eight, who are also her official story testers. “They adore the idea of their mother being a storyteller. Like any other child, they can never have enough of stories and are only too happy to have a ready supply available at all times.” They have also made her a better performer, she says. “They keep me on my toes as I have to constantly search for new stories for they’ve heard every story that I possibly
know,” Deepa adds. So what does a storytelling session entail? “Every session begins with breaking the ice, irrespective of the age of my listeners. Connecting with the audience, creating the mood and ambience for listening to the stories, and slowly getting the audience to respond and get involved… All of these are very important as storytelling is a social art,” says Deepa, who adds that the challenge is to get the audience to imagine the story in their heads “because that’s where the story finally is!” Deepa’s style of narration does not end at simply telling the story — she incorporates music and dance into her performance. This requires careful conceptualisation and lots of practice. “I rehearse my stories many times to the smallest detail before I share it with an audience,” Deepa says. She also plans the body gestures, rhythms and melodies and except for minor tweaking, all the groundwork is done well in advance. She changes her stories to suit her audience as well. For children, for instance, she does a lot of animal stories, folk tales and mythology. For older audiences, her tone becomes more soulful, more introspective, nudging the listeners to reflect upon their own lives. But in these rushed times, how does she hold the attention of her audience, especially easi-
Connecting with the audience, creating the mood and ambience for listening to the stories, and slowly getting the audience to respond and get involved… All of these are very important as storytelling is a social art. Deepa Kiran, storyteller ly distracted children? “Wholebody communication,” she says firmly. Using voice, gestures and expressions, she engages the crowd and encourages audience participation. Another tactic she uses is the most fundamental idea of child psychology — children want to be heard. “I lay down rules for answering and enforce them firmly and gently. Since children intrinsically like discipline and love stories, they follow the rules and we have a great time together,” she adds. With the summer vacations beginning, Deepa’s schedule is packed. Her upcoming shows include sessions at the Just Books libraries on April 20-21. So if you have a kid who loves books or if you’re an adult who wants to be told a story, Deepa Kiran is the person to turn to.
13
ENVIRONMENT SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
Oz in whaling row with Japs
T
he UN’s International Court of Justice has set dates for public hearings on Australia’s challenge against Japan’s whaling programme in Antarctica. The hearings will start in June in The Hague, in the Netherlands, the court said in a statement on Thursday. Australia took legal action against Japan over whaling in 2010.
Tom Hancock feedback@postnoon.com
V
ast swathes of Hainan in the South China Sea have been cleared — a quarter of its woodlands in the last decade according to environmentalists Greenpeace — for golf courses and exclusive hotels in an attempt to create a tourist paradise. Liu Futang, a former forestry official disgusted by the destruction, campaigned against damaging developments for years. The People’s Daily, China’s most circulated newspaper and the ruling Communist Party’s mouthpiece, even lauded him on its front page as an “environmental warrior” after he stopped a mining firm cutting down swathes of palms around two kilometres from the golf course site in Wanning. But Liu now stands as a symbol of Chinese suppression of environmentalist critics after he was tried for publishing books on the subject, jailed, convicted and released on condition he does not speak to the media. His activist career was terminated after his support on Sina Weibo — a Twitter-like plat-
Sea otters poisoned by toxin
Javelins on Pine Island
T
U
he dead sea otters arrived at Melissa Miller’s Santa Cruz, California, lab had bright-yellow eyes and gums and their livers destroyed.The otters had been poisoned by a “nasty toxin” called microcystin, which is produced by blue-green algae. Such toxins can appear when human sewage and fertilizers run into lakes and rivers, adding nutrients that spur the growth of algae superbloom.
K scientists have developed an airdropped projectile to put instruments in some of the most inaccessible places in Antarctica. Twenty-five of the “javelins” are currently sticking in Pine Island Glacier (PIG), one of the continent’s biggest and fastest-moving ice streams.The PIG has many deep crevasses that are too dangerous to traverse.
form boasting more than 500 million users — for the villagers of Yinggehai against a coal-fired power station took on overtly political tones. “To protect Hainan’s almost destroyed environment... we need to let officials feel the people’s leather shoes pressing against their bodies, and let them feel the power of the people," he wrote. His social networking account was deleted. Months later, prosecutors in Hainan’s capital Haikou, where Liu was being treated for diabetes and high blood pressure, ordered his arrest. Prosecutors accused him of illegally self-publishing books on Hainan’s environmental problems and making 78,000 yuan ($13,000) from doing so — charges his defence dismissed as absurd. “If I had wanted to make money, I would never have published the books," Liu told the court, at one point breaking into tears, according to an account of the trial confirmed by Zhou Ze, who was present but said he was not allowed to represent him. “Liu’s publications were not a commercial exercise, he did not pursue profit... and gave away most of his books for free," said Zhou,
who is well known in China for his work on human rights cases. “According to Chinese law, Liu should be free to print his books." Eventually, after
Liu’s publications were not a commercial exercise, he did not pursue profit... and gave away most of his books for free. Zhou Ze
being held in custody for months, Liu — whose titles include The Green Dream and Hainan Tears — was given a three year suspended sentence in December and released, but authorities have silenced him. “The local security bureau has made him promise not to speak to the media," Zhou said. “It’s clearly an illegal violation of his rights." Neither the security bureau nor the court responded to fax and phone enquiries from AFP. Hainan’s top official Luo Baoming said last year that environmental protection “has always been a priority in the government’s work", the state-run China Daily reported. But in Yinggehai, a poverty-stricken town with unpaved roads, locals said officials had beaten and arrested protesters against the plant last October. “The government hit people... they just arrested whoever was standing at the front of the protest," said a shopkeeper, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals."We’re scared of being arrested, so don’t want to talk about the plant," he added, before furtively handing over a copy of a protest rap song. “No one dares to
report it, because of pressure from the centre... those who protect their beautiful home are suppressed," the rapper sings, alluding to press censorship of the protests. Hainan’s undisturbed sandy beaches, lapped by gentle waves, still prove an irresistible lure to developers, who continue to hack down trees that have stood over the shores for years."They cut down the forest about a year ago," said Wang Jurong, a farmer in Wanning, as she picked vegetables in a palmfringed field still ploughed by oxen. But she would support the development as long as she received a cut, she said. “If you give us a high enough price you can do what you like with the land." It is an attitude mirrored by officials in Hainan, who last month heard China’s new president Xi Jinping declare that “development is still the key to solving all our problems." “Local governments protect local industries which boost GDP... even using the violent instrument of the law to avoid pressure from people like Liu Futang," Zhou, the lawyer, said. “It makes me very depressed." AFP
Rumbling earthmovers carve out a seaside golf course among fallen palm trees on a Chinese island, after authorities silenced the man who spoke out against destroying the tropical forest.
14
FOOD SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
Amras at Khandani Rajdhani
T
he onset of summers brings with it sheer happiness with Mangoes galore! As the temperatures soar, Khandani Rajdhani gives you a reason to celebrate the finest part of this season — Mangoes! This Mango Festival will be on till May 31. Prepared with the finest handpicked mangoes, the delectable dishes at Rajdhani include Aam ki lunjee, Fajeto, Gor keri and Mango dal.
Celebrate Pohela Boisakh at Park
Beverage industry growing
F
T
rom the city of Joy, here’s a call that you can’t say no to. The Park Hyderabad brings in Pohela Boishakh with a special Bengali feast starting from April 13 to April 15 at Verandah & Aish. Masterchefs from Kolkata will be here to dish out the finest of the Bengali cuisine delicacies. The Bengali feast will be held at Verandah for both lunch and dinner on a-la-carte at Verandah the all day dining restaurant and a special Bengali Thali at Aish, the speciality fine dining restaurant.
Flavour of the streets All set to give a new meaning to KBC in Hyderabad, The Park Hyatt is strong competition to those numerous kebab eat-outs, at least in the coming week. The hotel is sure to lure you with its worth-every-penny Kebab, Beer and Chaat festival. Postnoon reviews. NT BALANARAYAN
NIDHI BHUSHAN
nidhi.b@postnoon.com
I
’m yet to find a place that goes wrong with an offer that includes unlimited kebabs and beer. Isn’t that all you need to have a great time with friends and family, as long it comprises the ‘cool’ kind of relatives? Well, in most cases, the answer to that would be a big yes. The Park Hyatt recently launched KBC — Kebabs, beer and chaat – at The Dining Room. With mouth-watering kebabs, even the melt-in-themouth Kakori kebab kind, beer and a variety of chaats on offer, the hotel is the go-to place to satisfy your street food craving, sans long queues and annoyingly crowded streets. Our KBC festival began with the vegetable starters, a choice of four handpicked by the chef on the day. From Dudhiya Paneer Tikka to the evergreen Khumb Palak ki Seekh, the starters set the tone for a satiating evening that was bound to follow. While the paneer was rich and flavourful, the Palak ki Seekh contributed to the crunchiness of it all. While the KBC package includes only Kingfisher Blue as part of it, one is free to indulge in the many cocktails and mocktails listed on the set menu. However, priced at ` 750 per drink, they are not included in the offer. Coming back to the delicious kebabs on the menu, the two-week festival is planned in such a way that
Details What: KBC – Kebabs, Beer and Chaat Where: The Dining Room, The Park Hyatt Price: `1,500 plus taxes eight starters — veg and non-veg — are selected from a long list of succulent kebabs on a daily basis to keep the customers coming back for more. Luckily, the Kakori kebabs were on the menu the night I went and ate to my heart’s content. The long list of non-veg kebabs includes the usual suspects like Chicken Tikka, Galouti Kebab, Boti Kebab, Shami Kebab, etc. while the veg starters throw in a few surprises like Tandoori Broccoli, Tandoori Bharwan Karela and Dahi Ke Kebab. However, what you get to choose from depends totally on your luck and the
eight veg and non-veg starters the chef inky-pinky-ponkies on that day. Knowing The Park Hyatt’s reputation for serving some of the best food in town, I’m sure luck would be on your side. It was on mine! After the vegetarian starters were taken care of, at least one round, it was time to devour the non-veg starters that included Kakori Kebab, Surkh Lal Murgh Tikka, Lamb ki Galouti and Sarson Wali Machali Tikka. Out of the four, the Surkh Lal Murgh Tikka won the show hands down. It was soft, flavourful and the spices in it blended beautifully with the Kingfisher Blue on offer. The third aspect of the KBC festival, the chaat, though delicious, didn’t do much for the rest of the offer. At least, for me, the dahi-soaked puris and bhallas did nothing to enhance my kebab and beer experience. In fact, it seemed like a desperate way to call the festival K.B.C’. Chutney or cocktail would have served the purpose too, right? Anyway, the KBC offer — priced at `1,500 plus taxes, also includes a small selection of main course dishes like Lucknowi Murgh Biryani, Dal Makhani, Indian Breads and Subz Chilman Biryani for those who wish to satisfy themselves the traditional way — starter and main course. More good news for them… there’s dessert too! In all, the KBC festival at The Dining Room, Park Hyatt, is a full and satiating one. Don’t miss it, you have time till April 21. And, about my search for a place that goes wrong with kebabs and beer…well… it continues…
he Indian Beverage Association (IBA) expects the country's beverage industry to continue to grow in double digits in 2013, despite the recessionary trends being shown by most economies the world over, including the Indian economy. Speaking at an IBA-organised seminar experts from the beverage industry stated that it could witness a revolution.
Word from the kitchen
W
ith more than 16 years of experience and a flare for trying out new things, executive sous chef at The Park Hyatt Agnimitra Sharma says he can’t imagine a life that didn’t revolve around cooking and bringing a smile to people’s faces. “I’ve been passionate about cooking since I was a young boy. And, even though the journey to become a celebrated chef is not an easy one, I didn’t give up on my dream,” he says. Talking about the KBC festival, his brainchild, the chef says: “I wanted to create something new with this festival. Most of the hotels in the City were doing special Baisakhi food festivals and I didn’t want to tread the same path. I tried something new with it by adding chaats to the festival. In fact, the idea dawned upon me when I was watching KBC on TV!” When asked a little more about the chaat fixation, he quickly said: “I wanted people to enjoy delicious chaats in the comforts of a hotel. Most people associate chaat with street food and don’t think that hotels would do justice to it. I wanted to prove them wrong.” The experienced chef, from a small town called Gorakhpur near Lucknow, did prove his point at the end of the day. “We’ve got a good response from people so far. Many of them are pleasantly surprised with the chaat we have on offer too,” he boasts a little. Another peculiar aspect of the festival, the daily handpicking of eight veg and non-veg starters, he explains “is to encourage people to come again”. “Getting to try something new on another day during the same festival is not a common practice. I wanted to give that choice to the guests with the KBC offer,” he explains.
15
FOOD SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
IN A HAPPY PLACE Over the Moon is an interesting name for a bar and it also has an aptly titled section called High. A visit to this beautiful lounge got Postnoon raving about it. Here’s what we have to say. Kanchan Agarwal kanchan.a @postnoon.com
I
am not a megalomaniac but there is something about sipping your drink from where you can see the entire city. Over the Moon and its extension High, at Hotel Daspalla, give you this view. Once you have chosen the table of your comfort, there is nothing you can do but sit back and relax. If the weather decides to be pleasant, there is hardly anything to complain about. With an ambience like that, you feel far from making small talk on how hot this summer is. The lounge looks just how your holiday bar should look like. There are two sections to it. The first is Over the Moon which has the bar placed in the centre in that soft lighting insist you drift into a laidback mood. The second section. aptly called High gives you a better view of the city. The lighting here changes into hues of blue and is much quieter with no music. Quite ideal if you tend to go into deep conversations over drinks. We decided to experiment with our first drinks. We went straight to the page called ‘Masterpieces of OTM’ and chose Death by Chocolate, a yummy concoction of vodka, kahlua, baileys, vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup, and Green Apple Martini. If I
am drinking or not, there has to be food on my table. So we munched on some prawns and tender chicken thighs marinated in brown and yellow chilli. In search for something interesting on the menu, I found a drink called Riders on the Storm that has vodka, banana liqueur, peach liqueur, orange, pineapple and cranberry juice. There was no reason to not call for it. And when I did, I did not regret it. Only if the song
Bar: Over the Moon Place: Hotel Daspalla, Jubilee Hills Riders on the Storm was playing then, it would have been just perfect. The liquor selection is quite fine with the menu starting off with aperitifs which is a rare sight in the city. For not more than `400, you can choose among Campari, Cinzano Rosso and
Cinzano Extra Dry. From their single malt selection, they have many options from Lagavulin 16 years to Glenfiddich 12 years. If whisky is what you need,then there are three names that can interest you— Makers Mark, Jim Beam and Jack Daniel’s. If subtlety is your style, then you can go for some Remy Martin cognac. With sophistication and peppiness alongside, Over the Moon will suit both young and old patrons.
T
he walk from the parking lot to the restaurant is not the most appetising — thanks to the foul smell coming from the lake. However, you’ll easily be transported to a happy place the moment you enter Tansen. The few seconds of discomfort that your olfactory nerves underwent is quickly replaced by the fragrance of marigolds decorating each table. Inspired by Akbar’s court in Fatehpur Sikri, Tansen’s architecture is well-planned and royal. Named for one of the nine gems of Akbar’s court, Tansen the restaurant is a tribute to the legendary musician. The menu, which has its little bits on Tansen, is a comprehensive one. The
Noor’s Kitchen Ingredients Quantity n Boneless fish (medium sized pieces) 500 gms n Garlic flakes or crushed 2 tsp n Red chilli flakes or crushed 2 tsp n Lemon zest 1/2 tsp n Lemon juice 1 tsp n Salt to taste n Saffron (dissolved in water) 1/2 tsp n Hung curd 2 tbsp n Refined oil 1 &1/2 tbsp
With décor inspired by Akbar’s court in Fatehpur Sikri, Tansen treats its customers like kings. The Ohri’s restaurant recently launched a new menu to deliver that royal promise. nidhi.b@postnoon.com
Fish cooked in clay pot
NOOR JAFRI
STRAIGHT FROM THE ROYAL COURT Nidhi Bhushan
Mahi handi
selection of starters and main course dishes, with an equal variety for vegetarians, is sure to make you drool. Some of the must-have vegetarian starters are Kafta Paneer Tikka (kebab of cottage cheese rubbed in aromatic Arabic spices and grilled), Lakhanawi Bharwan Aloo (potato stuffed with cottage cheese, dried nuts and SRINIVAS SETTY
spices), Rampur ke Pyazi Kebab (shallow-fried kebab of brown onion and cashew nuts, marinated with famous Rampuri Changezi masala) and Khumb aur Akrot ki Tikki (walnut and mushroom patties stuffed with apricot chutney). Among the non-vegetarian starters, the Sambhal ki Seekh (lamb seekh marinated in Changezi spices, green coriander, onion and green chilies), the Mutton Tawa Kebab (shallow fried cutlet of minced lamb with naan crumbs) and the Beera Murgh Ke Soole (skewered chicken marinated in robust spices and grilled) are must-haves. The main course also boasts of plenty from the newcomer list. Murgh Zaatar (strips of chicken tikka tossed with onions and toma-
toes) and Rampur Nalli Nihari are worth a try. Another good aspect is the variety of bread. The multigrain parantha, the Bhurani parantha (chilli and chaat spiced layered bread from Lucknow) and the Rehmania Parantha (whole-wheat parantha cooked in a special tandoor) are must-haves too. Like all good food, even Tansen food is best when it ends on a sweet note. The Angoori Litchi (juicy litchis stuffed with small rasmalai and served in sweet rabdi) is a personal favourite. So, if you have it in you to brave the heat and the foul smell from the lake, Tansen is a good bet. The revised menu, which has undergone a 50 per cent change, will surely satiate your taste buds enough to keep you coming back for more.
Procedure n Wash and clean the fish pieces and rub in garlic flakes, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. n Leave it aside for half an hour. n Mix in red chilli flakes, hung curd and saffron water. n Heat the oil in an earthen clay pot, and spread it evenly inside the pot. n Arrange the marinated fish pieces around the base and cover it. n Cover and cook it gently on a slow fire, till the fish is done and the oil separates. n Can be served hot in the same vessel with few coriander leaves sprinkled on top. Chef’s Note: n It's a very mild and lightly flavoured tasty preparation, rich in protein and low in calorific value. Contact us @ Noor kitchen Mobile + 91 9441282318 Residence + 91 40 23356947 Like us @ https://www.facebook.com/Noorkitchen
18
HISTORY SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
April 15
April 15
April 16
1989: The Tiananmen Square protests begin in the People's Republic of China, following the death Hu Yaobang. University students who marched and gathered in Tiananmen Square voiced grievances against inflation and limited career prospects.
1912: The British passenger liner RMS Titanic, widely believed to be 'unsinkable', sinks in the North Atlantic at 2:20am, two hours and 40 minutes after hitting an iceberg. Only 710 of 2,227 passengers and crew on board survived.
2007: In one of the deadliest spree shootings in US history, 32 students and teachers were gunned down on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute by Seung Hui Cho, a student at the school who later died from a selfinflicted gunshot wound.
April 16 1889: Hollywood legend Charlie Chaplin is born in London. Chaplin became a worldwide icon through his screen persona "the Tramp" and is considered one of the most important figures of the film industry. He is most famous for his silent movies like The Kid and The Gold Rush, as well as talkies like City Lights and The Dictator.
April 17 April 17
1970: Ill-fated US lunar spacecraft Apollo 13, which suffered a severe malfunction on its journey to the moon, safely returns to Earth. The lunar landing was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded two days later, crippling the service module upon which the Command Module depended.
1961: The Bay of Pigs invasion begins when a CIA-financed and trained group of Cuban refugees lands in Cuba and attempts to topple the communist government of Fidel Castro. The attack was an utter failure.
April 18
April 19
April 20
April 21
April 21
1956: American actress Grace Kelly marries Prince Rainier of Monaco in a spectacular ceremony. Afterward, she became Princess Grace of Monaco and retired from acting.
2005: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected the 265th Pope of the Catholic Church following the death of Pope John Paul II. The new Pope takes on the papal name Benedict XVI.
1999: High school teenagers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 13 people and injure 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado.
1918: Manfred von Richthofen, the notorious German flying ace known as "The Red Baron," is killed by Allied fire in France. The Red Baron had downed 80 enemy aircraft before his death at the age of 25.
1987-The Tamil Tigers are blamed for a car bomb that explodes in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, killing 106 people.
19
SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
A night to remember The third year anniversary celebrations of Heal a Child Foundation turned out to be gala event. Donors and children saved by the trust’s efforts made a beeline to Westin Hotel to take part in the celebrations. Ash Chandler and Manasi Scott performed at the event. 1
11
10
2
12
3
4
5
6
13
1 Carlisle Khan, Sucheta, Clint 2 Karen, Elahe, Sabeena, Rachana 3 Aditi
7
4 Kavita Gulecha 5 Aria 6 Cate
10 Jwala Gutta 11 Kavita, Sharmita
7 Jyotsna 8 Monisha
12 Yash, Nirmala 13 Dinesh, Shivangi
9 Karen
14 Deepa, Ritu
8
9
14
Kitchen queen A total of 36 winners of the preliminary rounds battled it out for the coveted title of Kitchen Queen of Hyderabad, initiated by Freedom Refined Sunflower Oil. Samtaa Singhee was declared the winner.
Laugh riot Hyatt Hyderabad, Gachibowli, formally announced its opening on Saturday with a gala dinner. Regaling guests and visitors at the do was renowned stand-up comedian Papa CJ.
FLEME VARKEY
S BALAKRISHNA
20
CINEMA SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
‘I’d love to act in literary adaptations’
Gautham Menon, Suriya’s film to take off in June
K
A
ajal Aggarwal is undoubtedly one of the most successful actresses in contemporary Telugu cinema. In the past three years alone, she already has six superhits and blockbusters to her credit in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi and her latest film, Baadshah, is on track to become yet another blockbuster. Despite all this, she confesses, “I don’t take success or failure seriously, but it feels good that I have been part of commercially successful films in recent years.” Unlike her contemporaries, she hasn’t acted in a woman-centric film so far. Does she consider it as a responsibility too big to handle? “Of course not. I was in talks for few such films, but nothing has worked out so far. If I get a good script, I would definitely lap it up. In fact, there are so many dream roles that I want to act in,” she reveals and elaborates saying, “I would love to play a cop or maybe do an action film where I get to do lot of stunts. Although I have been part of romantic films in the past, I would really like to act in a pure love story on the lines of Before Sunrise and Before
Sunset. Apart from all these roles, I would love to act in a literary adaptation.” She names Amish Tripathi’s The Immortals of Meluha as one such book she had got hooked onto. “I loved reading The Immortals of Meluha. I could relate a lot to Parvati and I would love to play that role if I get a chance to act in its onscreen adaptation,” she says. Incidentally, Karan Johar is said to be planning to adapt the book into a film in Hindi. He’s yet to finalise the cast and crew for the film, but the adaptation is definitely on. Will Kajal get lucky? Lets wait and watch.
ANJALI is back in action
A
fter nearly five days of high drama, actress Anjali finally came out of hiding and met Sudheer Babu, the deputy commissioner of police, Hyderabad (West Zone) on Friday at 10.30pm. Sudheer Babu informed the media that Anjali had been hiding in Mumbai all these days; however, he refused to elaborate further on what had actually happened. “Anjali has confessed that she went out of the hotel on her own, contrary to the reports that someone else is behind the whole drama,” Sudheer Babu said. Talking to the media, Anjali said, “In the past few days, some unwanted incidents happened in my life. My producers, directors, co-artistes and others were affected by this and I apologise to all of them. I am feeling very bad that I have caused so much inconvenience to my colleagues. Right now, my life and my career are in my hands. I thank all the fans and media that stood by me. From Monday, I will start shooting for the remake of Bol Bachchan in Pune. I will also complete the remaining portions of shooting of Balupu. From now onwards, all my concentration will be just on films.” While the entire film industry and media heaved a sigh of
relief that Anjali is back, there are several unanswered questions about the whole fiasco. It’s still unclear about the role which her step-mother and uncle played in her disappearance and the contradictory statements made by Anjali and her step-mother Bharati lend credence to the notion that there’s more to this issue than meets the eye. Just before appearing before the police, Anjali had asked her brother to withdraw the complaint he had filed; however, there’s still a case pending against Anjali which was filed by her step-mother in Chennai. Meanwhile, there were rumours in Telugu film industry that filmmakers who are working with Anjali were miffed with her unprofessional behaviour since she didn’t even try to contact them. All said and done, the incident has become a blotch on Anjali’s career and it remains to be seen if she’ll feel the repercussions of this incident on her career in Telugu film industry. After films like Journey and Seethamma Vaakitlo Sirimalle Chettu, Anjali has made a mark for herself as a talented actress and more offers started coming her way from the beginning of this year.
fter a lot of dilly dallying, Gautham Menon has officially confirmed that the principal shooting of his upcoming Tamil film with Suriya is going to begin in June. The film has been named as Dhruva Natchathiram. “Nothing tentative about this... The film IS called dhruva natchathiram..We have started work and filming with my friend Suriya starts June 1. (sic),” Gautham Menon posted on Twitter. Last month, a section of media reported that this film might be shelved since Suriya had already given bulk dates to Lingusamy and on top of that Gautham Menon was in a legal tussle with producer Elred Kumar who approached the Madras High Court to put an embargo on Gautham Menon’s projects until further notice. After the news broke out, Gautham Menon clarified that the legal petition was quashed by the High Court and also added that his film with Suriya is on. Suriya will also star in Linguswamy’s film which will go on floors in August. Currently, Suriya is busy wrapping up the shooting of Singham 2 which has Anushka and Hansika.
21
CINEMA SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
Big B to play himself in Bombay Talkies?
M
egastar Amitabh Bachchan reportedly plays himself in Anurag Kashyap’s short story in Bombay Talkies. A bouquet of four short stories, Bombay Talkies has contributions by four directors — Kashyap, Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar and Dibakar Banerjee. An ode to 100 years of cinema, the film is up for a May 3 release. The 70-year-old plays a cameo in Kashyap’s film and as part of the role, he will meet an ardent fan who comes to visit him from his home town Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. It is also said that Kashyap’s short story will have a special song dedicated to the veteran actor. It will be released Sunday outside Big B’s residence Prateeksha in Juhu, said a statement. “Bachchan will play a cameo in the film. There is a surprise in store for him where a flash mob of 60 Bachchans (artistes dressed and masked like Bachchan) will launch the song in front of his home. Big B has a tradition of having fans gathering outside his house on Sunday evenings in the hope of catching a glimpse of the veteran,” said a source. IANS
Lootera team comes out with a film on disasters
T
he Lootera team had their share of problems while filming the romantic period-drama. They have captured their struggle in a five-minute documentary Labour Of Love, which will come out soon. Director Vikramaditya Motwane says the film was an “emotional journey” for everyone. Known for making his directorial debut with internationally acclaimed Udaan, Motwane has teamed up with Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha in the movie. “Lootera has been an emotional journey for all those involved with it. It is the perseverance and determination of the crew that made sure this movie got made,” Motwane said. “After watching the five-minute video, a lot of people want us to make a full-fledged documentary. We will be releasing some more footage of our journey soon,” he added. Lootera journey has been dogged by mishaps and accidents. One of the first mishaps was lead actor Ranveer’s back injury on the sets in Dalhousie, which gave the crew a major fright. After that the shooting schedule went haywire as the actor had to be rushed back to the city on a stretcher. After that, weather played spoilsport in Dalhousie. Such was the weather that the crew had to trek through knee-high snow. For now, makers are trying to figure out how to release the documentary — whether it should be made available independently during the promotions or it should be screened with the film’s IANS end credits.
Loved doing Karan Johar’s Gippi, says Divya Dutta
A
ctress Divya Dutta, who will soon be seen in Karan Johar’s production Gippi, says this is her first film with the filmmaker and she loved doing it. “I loved doing the film. I got a beautiful compliment from Karan when he called me up and said he loved my performance,” the actress said. “I was watching a film and the promo of Gippi came. It is lovely to see your name and face with the Dharma Production tag,” she said. “I got this feeling after working with Yash Chopra, Shyam Benegal, Rakeysh (Omprakash) Mehra. So it’s great to work with such people who you have always admired,” Divya added. The 35year-old also praised debutant director Sonam Nair. “Gippi is my first film with Karan Johar and a new girl Sonal is directing it. She has taken a leaf out of her own life. She has shown the growing up years very beautifully,” she said. IANS
22
CINEMA SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
I WASN’T
LOOKING FOR SOLO LEADS: ADITYA ROY KAPOOR
H
e had two releases in 2010 and after that Aditya Roy Kapoor disappeared from the big screen. The actor says he was not looking for solo leads, but something exciting and is happy that he waited for the right projects to come his way. His next film is Mohit Suri-directed romantic saga Aashiqui 2, his first film as a solo hero. It’ll see him romancing Shraddha Kapoor on the big screen when it hits theatres on April 26. After that he will be seen in Dharma Productions’ Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, set for a May 31 screening. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the romantic drama brings together Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone together in a film after five years. “It has been a while. I wasn’t looking for solo leads. I was looking for something, which excited me,” Aditya said. “I did not find anything, which I was happy about. Till I read Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and then Aashiqui 2 came my way. So till then, I lived my life, met my friends, played football, I felt bad... normal human emotions, but I was happy that I waited,” he added. His last two releases were Action Replayy and Guzaarish. Both came in 2010 IANS and bombed at the box office.
A
Adah’s comic lessons
dah Sharma, who will be seen sharing screen space with the likes of Sanjay Dutt and Juhi Chawla in comedy Hum Hai Raahi Car Ke, says she got to learn a lot from her experienced co-stars about comic timing. The 23-year-old, who made her debut opposite Rajniesh Duggall in horror thriller 1920, will be seen romancing Dev Goel in the forthcoming comedy, set to hit the screens May 24. “We both are very lucky to work with established stars and to do comedy with them because one gets to learn a lot in comedy. Everyone’s comic timing is different, Chunky (Pandey) ji, Juhiji, and Sanjay Dutt’s. We got to learn different things from everyone,” Adah said in an interview. Hum Hai Raahi Car Ke is a comic misadventure and tells the story of one night road trip of the two protagIANS onists.
I
Eesha Koppikar not an IPL fan
ndian Premier League matches might be a craze among Bollywood stars, but actress Eesha Koppikar does not like the tournament because she believes it divides the country into different teams. “For me, may the best person win. I did watch the World Cup because I am an Indian and I love my country. But what happens in IPL is that the country gets divided into different teams. I don’t like it,” she said. The 36-year-old is not at all fascinated by cricket. “Not much. Actually I have seen my father and my brother watching cricket like crazy since I was a kid. They used to forget everything that was happening around them. I don’t get so engrossed in cricket,” said the actress.IANS
CINEMA SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
23
CINEMA SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
24
25
CINEMA SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
disliked face tattoos in his latest film
Star Trek’s Chris Pine Calls Fame
“INVASIVE” C
hris Pine seems to think he’s in the middle of the totem pole when it comes to people “giving a s--t” about him. “I’m just waspy enough. A six-foot-tall white man, you kind of blend in, and that’s fine with me,” the 32-year-old Star Trek Into Darkness hunk says in the Spring 2013 issue of C for Men magazine, discussing his aversion to too much attention.”It helps I
don’t really seek anything out,” he adds. “Hopefully, I put the vibe out of ‘not looking for it.’ “I’m very clear about my relationship to ‘it’ and I don’t like ‘it,’” Pine’s anti-fame speech continues. “I find ‘it’ very invasive, though I’m trying to welcome ‘it’ more in an effort to be more zen and notangsty. But on the totem pole of people giving a s--t about me, I’m pretty much in the middle, which is great.”
Tom Cruise’s ancestors controlled Dublin? H
ollywood actor Tom Cruise was reportedly surprised when he found out that his ancestors controlled the majority of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The actor was presented with a certificate of Irish roots by the country’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore earlier this month. The 50-yearold learned his relatives can be traced back to the 9th century after two female fans researched his family lineage as a gift to their idol, reports femalefirst.co.uk. Speaking on Jimmy
Kimmel Live, Cruise said: “I had no idea it went back that far.” According to the sources, Cruise revealed his family once owned a town called Hollywood in County Wicklow and one of his elders was known as a famine hero when they returned to Ireland from New York to save people from being evicted from their homes. During his trip to Ireland the actor was surprised to find out more about his ancestors. “To learn about the history of my family —it was incredible,” he said.
A
ctor Ryan Gosling says he hated the tattoos that he has sported in upcoming movie “The Place Beyond The Pines”. The 32-year-old plays Luke Glanton, who resorts to crime in order to have money to raise his child. His character has a lot of tattoos, which he did not like and even complained
about it to director Derek Cianfrance. “We wanted to make the tattoos look a mess, from someone who lived a life of not thinking things through and making bad decisions. When I went for the tattoo, I thought, this is stupid, this is dumb, I can’t do this,” metro.in quoted Gosling as saying.
“And Derek was like ‘Well, that’s how most people feel about their face tattoos’. I didn’t even want to look at myself in the mirror. I felt like I knew what he (the character) was like. When I was holding Tony Pizza, the kid who plays our child, I just felt ashamed this person I created was his IANS father,” he added.
26
CHAI TIME SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
SUNDAY CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Kitchen meas 5 Drawing room 10 ‘Bhagavad Gita’ hero 16 Mountain top 21 Earth goddess 22 Insurance center 23 Dried fruit 24 Intend (2 wds) 25 Cyrus’ realm, today 26 Verdict giver 27 Miff 28 — -toothed tiger 29 Hydrant hookup 31 551, to Ovid 33 Show-offs 35 Libertines 36 Likelihood 39 That woman 40 Tuscan river 41 Tarzan’s nanny 44 7 on the phone 45 Deviate, as a rocket 47 Resistance unit 49 — cool! 51 Plea at sea 52 Collapsed 54 Dollops 55 Warty critter 57 — -di-dah 59 Ran in neutral 60 Jet route 61 Wallet stuffers 63 Eastman invention 67 Hauled into court 68 Duck’s gait 70 Repress 72 Arizona river 73 Stay calm (2 wds) 75 JFK followed him 77 Japan’s highest volcano 79 Understood 80 Cartoon shrieks 81 Monarchs’ stand-ins 84 Kind of look 86 Close shave 89 Rental agreement 90 — -craftsy 91 Soft leather 94 Orchestra section 96 Realty unit 98 Explorer — Helen Johnson 99 Tea biscuit 101 Admiral’s org 102 Walker’s gadget 107 Tart 109 Joust competitor 111 Small pet 113 Tree trunk 114 Navigation system 116 Gymnast — Korbut 117 Cell block brawl 118 Pharaoh’s textile 119 Kid’s marble 121 Royal honorific 123 Lapp neighbor 124 Sheep’s coat 125 Vim and vigor 128 ‘— -Man Fever’ 130 911 responder 131 Colony member 132 Battery size 133 Country addr 134 Ice skater’s leap 136 Attorney’s deg 138 Teamster rig
140 Stays afloat 142 Very hungry 145 Go — — diet 147 Luxurious 151 Piano exercise 152 Caulked 155 Zen master’s poem 157 Westernmost Aleutian 158 Above the horizon 159 Box up 160 Lou Grant portrayer 161 Bracken 162 Hound’s trail 163 Loafer doodad 164 Not those 165 Keg-party site DOWN 1 Happy-hour letters 2 Rani’s garment 3 Orchard produce 4 More rational 5 Brief stay 6 Makes laugh 7 Roman household gods 8 Melodrama shout 9 Ancient ointment 10 Calla lily, eg 11 UK fliers 12 Skippy rival
13 Treats shabbily 14 Beethoven symphony 15 Fergie’s ex 16 Do horoscopes 17 Vaquero’s rope 18 Bonfire residue 19 Camp-stove fuel 20 Museum sculptures 30 Aspired 32 Stock-market stats 34 Siberian river 37 Pixel 38 Tender sprig 41 Like — — out of water 42 Where Galileo taught 43 Ms Barkin of films 45 Wild blue — 46 Gance or Ferrara 48 Obsessions 50 Talk, talk, talk 53 Account books 54 Roams around 56 Dict entries 58 Monopolise 60 Cambodia neighbor 62 Burger side 64 Finger or toe 65 Throw for — — 66 Actress — Bates 68 Stir-fry pan 69 Barely beat (2 wds)
70 Knowing somehow 71 A funny Philips 74 Mild onions 76 Starts a card game 78 Burglar deterrent 82 Cotton gin name 83 Dice throw 85 No-charge item 86 ‘Cheers!’ 87 Kid who rode Diablo 88 Robin of ballads 92 ‘Gross!’ 93 Kid’s taboo (hyph) 94 Carrot or spud 95 Track event 96 Mine access 97 Blimp title 100 Swedish name 103 Poet’s black 104 Copy machine need 105 Vote in 106 Ms Zellweger 108 Filly’s mother 110 Is destructive 112 A Walton daughter 115 Touch of frost 118 Animal that hisses 120 Romantic island 122 Monsieur’s summer 123 Gladly, old-style 124 Vain attempt
125 Patio stones 126 Glamorous 127 Read 129 Storage place 132 Rouses from slumber 135 Encumbered 137 Good, to Teresa 139 Shape clay 140 Cactus defense 141 Personnel
143 Bronze coin 144 Marsupial pockets 146 At the drop of — — 148 Livy’s route 149 Razor brand 150 Fontanne’s husband 153 — Cruces, NM 154 Flight dir 156 Hearth residue PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
27
CHAI TIME SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
STAR POWER Date 15-4-2013
As per Hindu panchang
THIRUVAIKUMAR
thiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in 040-27177230 / 9949870449
TAURUS
GEMINI
Pay hike or promotion on the cards for employees. Minor tension and unwanted apprehension likely. Also, you might feel afraid of certain issues. Talk politely so as not to be mistaken.
You gain an upper hand over enemies and succeed despite obstructions. Employees could face tension since they have to fight to retain their job. Work burden and travel could tire you.
As income and expenses both increase, it will upset you. Health problem could depress you. Businessmen advised to complete govt statutory compliances to avoid penalty.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Money from expected source might get delayed forcing you into a deficit situation. Explore alternate possibilities. Certain unexpected events will upset you. Medical expenses likely to go up.
Financial position will be comfortable as you land unexpected fortune. Good effects likely to increase and make you cheerful. Health looks fine. Employees and businessmen win all challenges.
Businessmen advised to be cautious before implementing expansion plans. New efforts will be successful. Health will be fine. Good news from paternal side and VIP friends is likely.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
New efforts can be postponed as time is not favorable. Important issues may be shared even within close circles. However, you will be able to enjoy life with family members. Be vigilant.
Strong financial position will keep you in a comfortable position. High selfconfidence will help in completing all tasks. Businessmen likely to get govt sops. You will clear some major debts.
Financial inflow will not be as expected. Hence, you need to plan and manage the situation wisely. Minor health issues will come and go. A court verdict will go in your favour.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Mother’s health may be a cause for concern; take care. Care while expressing opinions will keep you out of trouble. Real estate brings good gain. Income through maternal relatives likely.
A real estate transaction can be withheld for sometime. You feel frustrated as certain unexpected events depress you. However, with your patience, you will be able to handle the issues well.
Financial transactions to be done with extreme caution. You feel confused and health problems might upset you. Deficit financial situation add to your woes. You still manage the problem.
SUMAA TEKUR
tarotreadhyd@gmail. com
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
The Lovers – Decision time, and this need not necessarily be only about two lovers deciding how they want to spend the rest of their lives. This might also have a lot to do with career.
Ten of Wands – One phase is ending and you are preparing for a new, next phase. Be assured that this phase will be luckier and you can chase your dreams, truly.
Eight of Wands – This is the card of good fortune. Luck favours the brave, too. So be prepared to do something new and go down a relatively less known path.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Six of Swords – Oldfashioned diplomacy will take you a really long way, where being street smart cannot. Stick to traditionalism and you will be fine.
Seven of Pentacles – Take up a course to upgrade your skills. Your worry should really be to stay wanted in the rapidly changing world of employment.
Three of Wands – Pay attention to the hard facts and do what’s needed to stick to them. Drawing your own conclusions about situations will not help.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
The Hermit – Spiritual awareness is important to you now. You are alone but not lonely. You’re in search of something important. Continue the search.
Nine of Pentacles – You prefer to be left alone. This is not a bad thing but ensure you are not hurting someone close just because you fail to explain your need to them.
Queen of Wands – You’re at your creative best, and in control of your life. You have managed to attain the perfect balance to ensure that your days are more fruitful.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Ace of Pentacles – You may want to follow the style of someone you deeply admire. Don’t feel ashamed to follow someone. It will give you a direction.
King of Swords – There are many people who are curious about your life. Don’t be obligated to share details if you don’t want to. Maintain a distance and dignity.
The Star – There is a lot of confusion around you but there is also a silver lining. Hold on to this lining of hope and get on with making the decisions you feel will stick.
NON SEQUITUR PEARLS BEFORE SWINE POOCH CAFE
STRIP TEASE
AGNES
ARIES
TAROT READ Date 15-4-2013
Thoughts worth pondering over * All that glitters has a high refractive index. * Having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before. * How come it takes more brains and effort to fill out the income-tax form than it does to earn the income? * I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired. * I don't repeat gossip, so listen carefully the first time. * I finished 50 push-ups this morning! (I started them in 2005.) * I heard that how you dress sends a message to everyone
around you. I think my message must be, "Help! Help!" * I started early teaching my kids the value of a dollar. From then on, they demanded their allowances in gold. * I think my problem is indecisiveness. Or maybe it's procrastination. * I'd like to be the ideal mother, but I'm too busy raising my kids. * If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe. * If necessity is the mother of invention, I bet MacGyver is the father.
Vol: 2, No 268 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, APRIL 14, 2013
J
ustin Bieber recently overtook Lady Gagaas the most followed person on Twitter. But a new report by the BBC suggests he may have earned the record unfairly. BBC says the website Socialbakers examined both Bieber's and Gaga's followers and found that of the Biebs' 37.3 million followers, only 17.8 million of them are genuine accounts linked to real people. That means 53 per cent of Biebers' followers are probably spambots. As for Gaga, her potentially genuine followers are 19 million, which means she should technically still hold the record for most Twitter followers. Socialbakers categorises fake followers by checking to see whether the accounts have generated any genuine tweets, rather than spam links. It also filters continuously tweeted buzz phrases like “make money,” “work from home,” and “diet.”
Charlie Sheen sings
Lindsay Lohan's praises
C
harlie Sheen hasn't made a secret of the fact that he has a soft spot for Lindsay Lohan. The two actors attended the Scary Movie 5 premiere and were reportedly in good spirits as they hung out on the red carpet. The duo clearly has a good relationship, because after filming a cameo for the horror movie spoof, Sheen paid Lohan’s tax bill and then invited her to appear on Anger Management. That’s why it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to learn that Sheen had nothing but nice things to say about Lohan at the premiere. In fact, he even said she has great comedy chops. “Of course she does,” Sheen told MTV News. “She knows funny. She does chicken right.” Despite its buzz due to Sheen and Lohan's involvement, Scary Movie 5 earned bad reviews from critics, though it could have a good opening weekend.
Justin Bieber's 37 million Twitter followers are 53 per cent fake Hugh Jackman shares the love: Wolverine Is for Haiti!
K
nowing that Wolverine is a sensitive sort, Hugh Jackman firmly believes that his X-Man alter-ego would be all about helping those in need. “Wolverine is for Haiti, a hundred per cent,” the Australian star told E! News at an event for Donna Karan’s Urban Zen organisation, which with eBay is auctioning off original papier-mache hearts, crafted by her designer pals, to benefit the Haitian Artisan Project. “All of us feel really blessed, we’ve had amazing career
opportunities, and one of the things that allows us to do is go to incredible places and use our profile to help,” Jackman, who also happened to be celebrating his 17th wedding anniversary, said had wife Deborra-Lee Furness at his side. “I consider it a privilege, not a duty, and I have children—we all have children,” Jackman added, looking at his wife, “and trying to teach that to our kids, being part of a community, your world, and doing whatever you can is actually your birthright. It's actually what we're all naturally meant to do.”
29
SPORTS SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
PCB bans 2 umpires
Ogier takes charge in Portugal
Bangladesh to host Asia Cup
KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board today
FARO, PORTUGAL: Championship
NEW DELHI: The Asia Cup cricket tour-
slapped bans on umpires Nadeem Ghouri and Anis Siddiqui for four and three years respectively after finding them guilty of corruption in an expose by an Indian TV channel last year. The two umpires were found guilty of agreeing to extend undue favours for material gains in a sting operation carried out by India TV in October last. The PCB's integrity committee headed by chairman Zaka Ashraf took the decision today.
leader Sebastien Ogier of France extended his advantage in the Rally of Portugal on Saturday and will take a 34.8sec lead over Volkswagen teammate Jari-Matti Latvala of Finland into the final day. Finnish Citroen driver Mikko Hirvonen lies third at 1min 08.5sec as he bids for a maiden world title at the age of 32. The 29-year-old Ogier opened the season with a second place finish at Monaco.
nament will be held in Bangladesh for the second time in a row after India, who had earlier agreed to host the 2014 edition, backed out citing a packed international schedule. Bangladesh had hosted the last edition of the tournament in 2012. The likely dates for the tournament will be February 24 to March 8. The decision was taken at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) board meeting on April 8 in Kuala Lumpur.
Celtics seize 7th seed ORLANDO, FLORIDA: Courtney Lee scored 20 points as the Boston Celtics clinched the seventh playoff seed in the Eastern Conference standings on Saturday by routing the Orlando Magic 120-88. Lee was one of seven Boston players to reach doublefigures in scoring. Jeff Green and Jordan Crawford had 17 and 16 points, respectively. Kevin Garnett, Brandon Bass and Avery Bradley also scored 14 points apiece for Boston who were coming off a 109-101 loss to Miami on Friday. Garnett finished with nine rebounds and Paul Pierce scored 12 points for the Celtics, who beat Orlando for the eighth consecutive time. Boston has just two games remaining in the regular season as they will face Indiana at home on Tuesday before finishing the regular season in Toronto on Wednesday. Tobias Harris scored 22 points and Nik Vucevic recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds for Orlando, who have lost six of their last seven games.
PAUL AND CLIPPERS GRIZZLIES' STREAK
HALT
Chris Paul sank one of two free throws with 18 seconds left as the Los Angeles Clippers snapped the Memphis Grizzlies' 13-game home win streak with a 91-87 NBA victory on
Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers leaves the arena on a cart after getting injured during his team's game against the Golden State Warriors AFP/ ANDREW D at Staples Center on Friday in Los Angeles, California.
Bryant out for up to 9 months with torn Achilles Greg Heakes
LOS ANGELES: Kobe Bryant underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon which could sideline the Los Angeles Lakers star for up to nine months, the NBA team announced Saturday. The 15-time all-star Bryant left the court in agony toward the end of Friday's 118-116 win over Golden State and later declared his season over. Bryant chose to have
immediate surgery to repair the damage to his torn left Achilles, undergoing an operation on Saturday. "The successful surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache and Dr. Stephen Lombardo," Lakers spokesman John Black said. "Recovery time is expected to be a minimum of six to nine months." Lakers head trainer Gary Vitti described the torn tendon as a "third degree rupture."
Saturday. Paul finished with 13 points and five assists, while DeAndre Jordan had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Los Angeles who have won five straight contests. Blake Griffin chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers in the win. Marc Gasol had a gamehigh 18 points and 15 boards and Zach Randolph finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who lost their first game at home since February 5 against Phoenix. Memphis are in fifth spot in the Western Conference, one position back of the Clippers. Paul put the Clippers ahead 89-87 late in the fourth. After Los Angeles forced a turnover on a pass from Memphis' Mike Conley, Griffin went to the free throw line to try and extend the lead, but he missed both shots. But Griffin was fouled on a clear path violation, giving the ball back to the Clippers. Jamal Crawford then made two free throws with 2.2 seconds left to ice the victory. With the win, the Clippers took the season series 3-1 and are looking to earn home-court advantage, even though they currently share the same record with Memphis with two games left in the 2012-13 season. The Clippers are now onehalf game behind the Denver Nuggets for the third seed in AFP the Western Conference.
Guillermo upsets Donaires NEW YORK: Guillermo Rigondeaux remained undefeated by beating Nonito Donaire by a unanimous decision in their world title junior featherweight fight Saturday, handing the Filipino his first loss in 12 years. Two-time Olympic gold medal winner Rigondeaux recovered nicely from an earlier knockdown to win the 12round bout on all three judges' scorecards, 114-113, 115-112 and 116-111. Rigondeaux retained his WBA junior featherweight crown and improved to 12-0 with eight knockouts. He also took Donaire's WBO version of the belt. The 32-year-old Rigondeaux, who defected from
Guillermo Rigondeaux headlocks Nonito Donaire during their WBO/WBA junior featherweight title unification bout at Radio City Music Hall on Saturday at New York City. AFP/ AL BELLO
Cuba two years ago, went down from left in the 10th round but became the aggressor in the 12th, opening up a cut near Donaire's eye at the Radio City Music Hall venue. Donaire came into the bout riding a brilliant 30-fight win streak. The 30-year-old Donaire dropped to 31-2 with 20 knockouts. Donaire's only previous loss was March 10, 2001 in his second pro fight. Rigondeaux pushed the action for much of the fight, landing 129 of 396 total punches. Donaire delivered a hook that floored Rigondeaux in the 10th round, while the Cuban connected a hard left that stunned Donaire and opened a AFP cut over his right eye.
Postal down AP High Court ‘A’ Institution 1-Day League Championship AP High Court 108 (Rajesh 31, Vijay Kumar 3 for 26, Leslie Welfrad 5 for 15) lost to Postal 109 for 1 (Venu Gopal Reddy 41no, Vijay Kamal 50no) APCS 162 for 6 (Nagaraj 34, Subbramanyam 76, Naveen 5 for 35) bt IDL 101 (Madhu 34, Prabhu 4 for 17, Bhanukiran 3 for 10)
CHESS
TOURNEY THROWS SURPRISES
N Rajana Reddy, A Prateek , A Rohit, B Upendra , R jayanth, Raivath Mallela, VL Ajay lead the junior category in the 83rd Brilliant Trophy Chess Tournament at the Brilliant Grammar High School in the City on Saturday. In open category K Praneeth Surya, J Subrahmanyam, MY Raju,V Varun, DLK Bhushan, K Perumallu, AV Kishore, M Hinduja Reddy, Pratyush Srivastav and Y Mralimohan were in the lead.
Experts to develop Oz team culture SYDNEY: A team of experts,
including an adolescent psychologist, will work on developing cultural and leadership changes within the troubled Australian swimming team, officials said Sunday. Australian swimming is being systemically overhauled in the wake of the team's return of just one gold medal, six silver and three bronze at last year's London Olympics -- their lowest pool tally since 1992 in AFP Barcelona.
30
SPORTS SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
Tiger in Masters hunt Jim Slater
AUGUSTA: Tiger Woods fired a two-under par 70 in Saturday’s third round of the Masters only hours after being hit with a two-stroke penalty, putting him in the hunt for his 15th career major crown. Woods began a run of three birdies in four holes at the par-3 12th and made tense par putts on the last three holes to share seventh on three-under 213 after 54 holes at Augusta National, where he has won four green jackets. After a bogey at the par-4 11th, Woods birdied three of the next four holes, then made a sand save at the 16th, a tricky par putt at 17 and a 10-footer for par at the 18th after a bad tee shot. “That was a nice one to make,” Woods said of his last putt. “The last three saves were key and kept me in the tournmament.” Woods was four strokes off the lead when he reached the clubhouse with the leaders still finishing their third rounds, but the 14-time major champion has never won a major when he was not leading after 54 holes. World number one Woods began the day with an early morning meeting with the Augusta National competition committee, which imposed the penalty on him for an improper drop at the par-5 15th hole in Friday’s second round. “I made a mistake. Under the rules of golf, I made an improper drop and I got a penalty,” Woods said. “I’m abiding by the rules.” The committee had checked the drop and ruled it proper on Friday after a television viewer inquiry, but comments by Woods in a post-round television interview opened the door to reconsider the ruling.
Jim Slater
AUGUSTA: Chinese 14-year-
Tiger Woods acknowledge the cheering crowd as he walks off 18th green during the third round of the 77th Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on Saturday in Augusta, Georgia. AFP/JEWEL SAMAD After hitting the flagstick with his third shot at 15 on Friday and seeing his ball roll into a water hazard, Woods had said he dropped the ball two yards back from the original shot to avoid a similar risk on the next shot. When Augusta National competition committee chairman Fred Ridley saw those remarks, the group reversed itself and imposed the penalty, but it would have been within its rights to disqualify Woods for signing an incorrect scorecard. “Take the fact that it was Tiger out of the equation and it is a fair ruling,” tweeted Graeme McDowell, who missed the cut. “Since it is him the debate begins about TV ratings etc etc.”
Final pairings 9:20 a.m.: Keegan Bradley 9:30: Guan Tianlang, Sandy Lyle 9:40: Phil Mickelson, Ryan Moore 9:50: Michael Thompson, Ryo Ishikawa 10:00: Peter Hanson, Carl Pettersson 10:10: Thomas Bjorn, Scott Piercy 10:20: David Lynn, John Peterson 10:30: Trevor Immelman, Rory McIlroy 10:40: Martin Kaymer, Paul Lawrie 10:50: David Toms, Lucas Glover 11:00: Vijay Singh, Richard Sterne 11:10: OPEN 11:20: Kevin Na, Brian Gay 11:30: Henrik Stenson, Jose Maria Olazabal 11:40: Stewart Cink, D.A. Points 11:50: Branden Grace,
‘Struggling but still enjoying’
Robert Garrigus 12:00 p.m.: Luke Donald, K.J. Choi 12:10: John Huh, Ernie Els 12:20: Charl Schwartzel, Bubba Watson 12:30: Dustin Johnson, John Senden 12:40: Fredrik Jacobson, Bill Haas 12:50: Jason Dufner, Fred Couples 1:00: OPEN 1:10: Zach Johnson, Justin Rose 1:20: Gonzalo FernandezCastano, Thorbjorn Olese 1:30: Bo Van Pelt, Sergio Garcia 1:40: Jim Furyk, Nick Watney 1:50: Bernhard Langer, Lee Westwood 2:00: Rickie Fowler, Stricker 2:10: Tim Clark, Tiger Woods 2:20: Jason Day, Matt Kuchar 2:30: Adam Scott, Leishman 2:40: Brandt Snedeker, Angel Cabrera
Ridley said Woods was treated like any other golfer. “I thought (on Friday) Tiger had done his best to comply,” Ridley said. “Other people may disagree with that. It was my decision. “It would have been grossly unfair to Tiger to have disqualified him. If this had been John Smith from wherever he would have gotten the same ruling because it’s the right ruling under the circumstances.” Instead, a rule change approved in 2011 governing such situations allowed for a two-stroke penalty rather than disqualification for a player who unknowingly makes a violation, which Ridley ruled Woods had done. “It was certainly a distrac-
tion early with the routine but it’s like anything, it happens and you move on,” Woods said. “I was ready to play come game time.” The ruling sparked furious comments from former players who were accustomed to players withdrawing themselves if they found they had made a violation, none moreso than three-time Masters winner Nick Faldo of England. “He should really sit down and think about this and the mark this will leave on his career, his legacy, everything,” Faldo said on The Golf Channel. “It’s just dreadful. Tiger is judge and jury on this. There is absolutely no intention to drop as close to the divot. That’s a AFP breach of the rules.”
old schoolboy Guan Tianlang, the youngest player in Masters history, struggled to a five-over par 77 in Saturday’s third round of the 77th Masters to stand third-from last. Simply reaching the weekend by making the cut on the number was a triumph of sorts for Guan, the youngest player in a major since Scotland’s “Young” Tom Morris made his British Open debut at age 14 in 1865. “It’s just a great week for me, and I really enjoy it,” Guan said. “People here are nice and I learned a lot from the top players. I played pretty good rounds these three days. It’s really great.” Guan, who won the AsiaPacific Amateur Championship last year in Thailand to qualify for the Masters, stood on nine-over par 225 after 54 holes. On Sunday, Guan will play alongside Scotland’s 55-yearold Sandy Lyle, the 1985 Masters winner, in the second group. “I’m pretty excited I get to play with all the top players on the weekend,” Guan said. “I had a pretty good run in the first two days, and today feels pretty good, not badly. I did a couple unlucky (things), but that’s golf.” After a bogey at the par-3 fourth for the second day in a row, Guan took bogeys at the par-4 ninth and par-4 11th for the second time in three days. He also made bogeys at 14 and 17 playing alongside Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen. AFP
Rory at loss over flop Allan Kelly
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA:Rory McIlroy saw his hopes for a Masters green jacket nosedive for a fifth straight year at Augusta National on Saturday and he admitted he was unsure what to do next. The Ulsterman, who will turn 24 next month, came into the tournament hoping he had turned the corner on what has been a poor season so far and he was nicely poised on Saturday morning to mount a serious challenge. But once again the mistakes slipped into his game and he went into the water at the 11th and 15th holes for a triple bogey and a double bogey, culminating in a round of 79 that effectively killed off his hopes. “It’s disappointing, especially after such a good start,” said the world number two. “I was only a few off the lead
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walks on the 13th green during the third round of the 2013 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on AFP/HARRY HOW Saturday in Augusta, Georgia. going into seventh hole today and then all of a sudden I play seven through 11 in five-over par and basically my chances in the tournament are gone.
“So it’s very disappointing, I feel like I was playing well and feel like I have been playing well coming in here and it’s just a AFP frustrating day.”
IPL 6
31
BATTLE OF THE TITANS
METRE
6 S 127
Chris Gayle (RCB)
14 4S 419
Virat Kohli (RCB)
26
HIGHEST SCORE
SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
93*
Virat Kohli (RCB)
BEST BOWLER
4-13
Sunil Narine (KKR)
Sunrisers in prime form I think it is a joke [the title Sir Ravindra Jadeja] and we are enjoying. Nothing serious in that matter. I don’t think I am a great man. I just want to be what I am right now. Ravindra Jadeja CSK player
Virat Kohli (RCB) 256 runs
Vinay Kumar (RCB) 8 wickets
Opening stand set up MI win: Johnson
M
umbai Indians’ Mitchell Johnson credited his side’s 41-run victory over Pune Warriors in their IPL game to the 54-run opening stand between Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar. “I think our opening partnership got us to a good start. Then DK (Dinesh Karthik) and Rohit (Sharma) put on a good partnership. Rohit kept going and obviously got us a good total to bowl to. That gave us the confidence to go out there and pitch the ball up and get those early wickets,” Johnson said. “It was nice to see the ball swing around. You normally see it in these conditions with the white ball, a bit of early swing, so (we were) looking to pitch the ball up. It was nice to get those early wickets because it definitely put thePTI m under pressure,” he said.
P
W
L
T PT
MI
4
3
1
0
6 +1.150
NR
RCB
5
3
2
0
6 +0.439
SRH
4
3
1
0
6 +0.139
CSK
3
2
1
0
4 +0.250
RR
3
2
1
0
4
KXIP
2
1
1
0
2 +0.986
0.186
KKR
3
1
2
0
2 -0.524
PW
4
1
3
0
2 -1.392
DD
4
0
4
0
0 -0.836
P-played; W-win; L-lost; T-tie; NR-net run rate; PT-points
SRH VS KKR AT 4PM ON SET MAX
G APARNA SAI
er and likely to sit out for another week or so while it remains unclear if Darren Sammy, who is joining the squad for this match, would be making it to the playing XI or not. Though most believe that if the Sunrisers continue playing in the same fashion, it would not be long before they are placed at the top of the points table but with the unpredictable nature of the tournament, it would be to early to judge any side. Meanwhile, the Kolkata team which is set to clash with the Sunrisers, need to win this match as they are currently placed at the seventh position on the points table with only one victory from three games. The defending champions who were earlier thrashed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Rajasthan Royals, need this victory to in their endeavour to surge forward. If the Knights from Kolkata manage to post a formidable total today, then the going could get tough for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
aparna.s@postnoon.com
S
unrisers Hyderabad, unlike what many had anticipated at the beginning of this IPL season, have put up a pretty good show, winning three matches from the four they have played. SRH, who are set to clash with Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens today, have undoubtedly been the surprise package of the sixth edition of the tournament. While the Sunrisers do not have much to boast about with regards to their batting, their bowling, which is led by Dale Steyn and Amit Mishra, has clearly compensated for their lack of talent with the willow. Though the team has the likes of skipper Kumar Sangakkara, Cameron White and all-rounder Thisara Perera, they have not been able to contribute much with the bat. Shikhar Dhawan, who was injured during the IndiaAustralia series, is yet to recov-
SCORECARD MUMBAI INDIANS VS PUNE WARRIORS
Not much time for Gilly
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS VS RC BANGALORE
Mumbai Indians innings (20 overs maximum) RT Ponting* c Nayar b Yuvraj 14 (17) SR Tendulkar c Marsh b Finch 44 (29) KD Karthik† lbw b Marsh 41 (29) RG Sharma not out 62 (32) KA Pollard not out 19 (14) Extras (w 2, nb 1) 3 Total (3 wickets; 20 overs) 183 Bowling O M R W Econ IAJ Finch 2 0 11 1 5.50 B Kumar 2 0 16 0 8.00 AB Dinda 4 0 63 0 15.75 R Sharma 4 0 27 0 6.75 AD Mathews 4 0 29 0 7.25 Yuvraj Singh 2 0 13 1 6.50 MR Marsh 2 0 24 1 12.00 Pune Warriors innings (target: 184 runs from 20 overs) AJ Finch b Johnson 0 (1) RV Uthappa† b Johnson 7 (9) Taylor run out (Rayudu/Ojha) 4 (5) Yuvraj c Dhawan b Pollard 24 (16) Suman c Pollard b Harbhajan 23 (15) AD Mathews*c Sharma b Ojha 19 (18) MR Marsh c Dhawan b Johnson38 (26) AM Nayar c Pollard b Malinga 6 (7) B Kumar not out 6 (11) R Sharma not out 10 (12) Extras (lb 1, w 4) 5 Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 142 Bowling O M R W Econ MG Johnson 4 0 33 3 8.25 PP Ojha 2 0 20 1 10.00 Harbhajan 3 0 20 1 6.66 SL Malinga 4 0 22 1 5.50 R Dhawan 4 0 27 0 6.75 KA Pollard 3 0 19 1 6.33
RC Bangalore innings (20 overs maximum) CH Gayle c †Dhoni b Morris 4 (10) MA Agarwal st †Dhoni b Ashwin24 (21) V Kohli* c †Dhoni b Morris 58 (47) AB de Villiers c Bravo b Nannes64 (32) DT Christian c Raina b Morris 2 (2) R Rampaul c †Dhoni b Bravo 0 (4) KB Arun Karthik† not out 5 (5) Extras (lb 1, w 6, nb 1) 8 Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) 165 Bowling O M R W Econ DP Nannes 4 0 31 1 7.75 CH Morris 4 0 40 3 10.00 MM Sharma 2 0 13 0 6.50 R Ashwin 4 0 28 1 7.00 RA Jadeja 2 0 20 0 10.00 DJ Bravo 4 0 32 1 8.00 Chennai Super Kings innings (target: 166 runs from 20 overs) Husseyc Agarwal b Vinay 6 (16) M Vijay c †A Karthik b Rampaul 2 (5) Raina c Kartik b S Mohammad 30 (22) Badrinath c Agarwal b S Mohammad 34 (29) Dhoni*† c †A Karthik b Rampaul 33 (23) RA Jadeja not out 38 (20) DJ Bravo lbw b Rampaul 8 (3) CH Morris not out 7 (4) Extras (lb 1, w 4, nb 3) 8 Total (6 wickets; 19.5 overs) 166 Bowling O M R W Econ R Rampaul 4 0 31 3 7.75 RP Singh 3.5 0 41 0 10.69 R Vinay Kumar 4 0 36 1 9.00 DT Christian 2 0 13 0 6.50 M Kartik 3 0 29 0 9.66 J S Mohammad 3 0 15 2 5.00
Mumbai Indians won by 41 runs
Chennai Super Kings won by 4 wickets
Syed Shoaib shoaib.s@postnoon.com
T
he high ratio of host teams winning matches has set tongues wagging: are the Indian Premier League matches being rigged to keep the crowds happy? Sure, pitch conditions are more likely to be exploited by the home team, but when the last ball of the match is no-balled, and that to by a mile, eyebrows are bound to rise. Captain of Kings XI Punjab Adam Gilchrist, who had an extremely successful start in the IPL, could stop the rumour mills overworking with a winning performance at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. For someone who won match-
KXIP VS RR AT 8PM ON SET MAX es for Australia single handed and continued that performance in the first two seasons of IPL, Gilchrist has become a pale shadow of his former self. He could still be a winning force for his team if he got going. The problem with those who depend on free-flow batting to collar bowling is that they should not be bogged down in the head with any issue, under performance being the worst of them. In Shaun Marsh and David Hussey, Kings XI Punjab have enough backup to their captain and hope to upstage Rajasthan Royals so as to climb up on the points table.
32
SPORTS SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
Mahi Racing takes pole position NEW DELHI: India’s first World Superbike team Mahi Racing Team India made yet another confident start at the qualifications before the second race of the World Super Sport Championship campaign at Aragon, Spain on Saturday. Mahi Racing rider Kenan Sofuoglu claimed pole position while his team-mate Fabien Foret finished third on the starting grid for today’s race. Three time champion Sofuoglu finished ahead of thirty four riders with a timing of 2’01.450, while Foret
timed the clock 2’02.216 lagging behind by a margin of .766 fractions of a seconds behind Great Britain’s Sam Louis who finished second on the grid with a timing of 2’01.610. "Obtaining a pole position in the qualifiers has given me a greater boost to maintain the same results in tomorrow’s race as well. The bike (Kawasaki ZX-6R) has been performing fantastically and helping me to hold the fort," said Sofuoglu, the Turkish Rider in a release. Mahi Racing started the season with a win, when
Mahi Racing Team India has the complete support of coowners Akkineni Nagarjuna and N Domlur. Nagarjuna is going all out to put India on the world superbike map and is presently with the team in Spain, egging it on.
Wigan reach FA final The stands got violent when supporters traded punches as police wielding batons attempted to restore order, while some supporters were left in tears.
Kenan Sofuoglu won the first race of the season in Phillip Island, Australia earlier this year. The team which had debuted in the World Super Sport Championship last year mid way has witnessed a solid performance from both their riders and they are front runners to take the chequered flag tomorrow. "We have been able to maintain consistency in the performance so far. Be it in the qualifiers or the main race, we are on top and that is a very positive sign, " chairman and managing director of the team PTI Arun Pandey said.
Valencia denied in thriller
Tom WILLIAMS
LONDON, UK: Wigan Athletic defeated second-tier Millwall 2-0 to reach the FA Cup final for the first time in their history on Saturday, but the match was marred by fighting between fans of the beaten side. After Callum McManaman doubled Wigan’s lead 12 minutes from time at a rain-soaked Wembley Stadium, violence broken out in the Millwall seating area behind one of the goals. Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said the scenes were "disappointing", but his Millwall counterpart, Kenny Jackett, said he was not in a position to comment. "I didn’t see or wasn’t aware of any fighting during the game. I was concentrating on the game and I wasn’t aware of any problems," he said. "I’d need to examine the facts, see it, and talk to people, before I can give an opinion on it." A Millwall spokesman said the club would investigate the matter. The violence took some of the shine off Wigan’s victory, sparked by a composed volley from Scottish midfielder Shaun Maloney mid-way through the first half. Wigan now await the winners of Sunday’s other semifinal between Manchester City and holders Chelsea, as they look forward to a second major domestic final after a one-sided loss to Manchester United in the 2006 League Cup. Martinez unexpectedly handed goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi a first start since March 2, but it was his opposite number, David Forde, who was the focus of activity in the first half. His first involvement saw him race out to save at the feet of Arouna Kone, before springing
Kieran CANNING
Wigan Athletic’s English striker Callum McManaman (R) vies with Millwall’s English defender Jack Smith (2nd R) and Millwall’s French-born Comorian midfielder Nadjim Jimmy Abdou during their match at Wembley Stadium, London on AFP/ PAUL ELLIS Saturday. Wigan won the game 2-0.
Martinez rewarded for staying loyal to Wigan
W
hen Roberto Martinez was pictured with Liverpool owner John Henry last year, it seemed the Spaniard’s reign as Wigan manager was about to end. But fast forward nine months and Martinez has been rewarded for rejecting Liverpool’s overtures as Wigan reached the FA Cup final for the first time with a 2-0 victory over Millwall at Wembley on Saturday. Leading Wigan to only the second major final of the club’s history, the other was a 4-0 defeat against Man United in the 2006 League Cup, was a sweet moment for Martinez.
to his right to repel a crisp drive from McManaman with a twohanded parry.
FANS WHO SHAMED WEMBLEY FACE LIFE
BANS
Millwall fans who shamed Wembley by fighting a bloody battle amongst themselves while their team slumped to an FA Cup semi-final defeat will face life bans, the London club warned on Saturday. Eleven people were arrested after violent scuffles broke out towards the end of their 2-0 defeat by Wigan Athletic. Police wielding batons eventually brought the disorder under control, and the Metropolitan Police said four officers had sustained "minor injuries". "Our position is clear. Anyone associated with our club found guilty of violent behaviour will
be banned indefinitely from Millwall matches in addition to any punishment they receive from the authorities," said Millwall chief executive Andy Ambler. "Having worked so hard to show the positive side of our club both on and off the field, we cannot allow the actions of a mindless minority to undermine that. "At this stage we are still in the process of establishing the full details of what happened in a section of the ground during the second half. When we have those facts at our disposal we may be in a position to comment further." The fighting, which left many young children in the stands in tears, came on the weekend of the 24th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. One fan was even highlighted on television, snatching a police officer’s helmet and smilingly tucking it inside his jacket.
MADRID: Valencia missed the chance to move into fourth place in La Liga as Sergio Garcia’s 94th minute goal salvaged a 3-3 draw for Espanyol in a crazy finale at Cornella ElPrat.
Results on Saturday Valladolid 2 Vs Getafe 1 Levante 0 2 Vs Deportivo La Coruna 4 Espanyol 3 2 Vs Valencia 3 Malaga 1 Vs Osasuna 0 Mubarak Wakaso (R in pic) had given the hosts a deserved lead in first-half stoppage time, but Valencia improved greatly after the break and were level eight minutes after the restart when Ever Banega released Sergio Canales to score his first goal of the season. Valencia had appeared to have snatched all three points when two goals in four minutes from Jonas and Roberto Soldado handed them the lead for the first time in AFP stoppage time.