Puja Gupta
Spare our feathered friends This Sankranti, spare a thought for the City’s birds as they battle a maze of razor-sharp manja. Keep a lookout for injured birds and contact the numbers we’ve listed. Having fun is all well and good, but it should never be at the expense of other living creatures.
P21
Bollywood is my dream destination P11 Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012 HYDERABAD
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PIC: N SHIVA KUMAR
KHAN TARGETS Copping it with poise Surprise checks against drunk driving by City traffic police last night netted some glamour when they stopped the young cine heartthrob Siva Balaji for driving drunk. He tested 69.6mg as against the permissible limit of 30mg. Siva was driving back home alone. But he threw no tantrum. Rather, he cooperated with the police telling them jovially that he was not feeling dizzy. But, in another instance, Sunil Narayan, a businessman, threw his toys out of the pram and got what was coming… the lock-up.
CITY PARENTS Commissioner of City Police Abdul Khayum Khan lays the blame for our City’s delinquent youth on lack of parenting. In an exclusive interview, he talks about the plight of the force and why the police should not be doing a job that starts and ends at home.
EXCLUSIVE REPORT ON PG 4
Page Two
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
Spirit of Twin Cities
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Electricity bills torment citizens PIC: A SUDHEER REDDY
Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com
T
he 52-day general strike (sakala janula samme) created havoc in the lives of citizens. Along with disrupting normal routines, it also caused problems in the billing process of the electricity department. As a result of which, there has been much confusion over electricity bills issued which continue to haunt citizens even as the JAC called for a new strike from January 17. When employees of APCPDCL went on strike, the staff of the agencies, to which the billing process is outsourced, also joined them. This led to the nonissuance of bills for October 2011. The APCPDCL requested the consumers to pay an amount
equal to the their bill amount in September. The Discom made this appeal in a bid to ensure con-
tinuity in the billing cycle. Discom had said that all adjustments would be made
eventually, explaining that there was no one to determine the exact bill amount due to the strike. In spite of their assurances some still had to pay inflated bills and no adjustments have been made till date. “My bill in September was `350 and in October, it shot up to `1,000. When we complained, we were told by the electricity department that it will be adjusted in the following month, but it was not,” said Shonita Joshi, 23, an IT professional residing in Jubilee Hills. Though many people ended up paying the inflated bills offline, but it was not updated on the APCPDCL website database. In some cases, the adjustment is done offline, but the same was not updated online. This became an impediment
to those who wanted to use the online payment facility as the amount to be paid is system-generated and the adjustments are not registered. Sadhana Thakur, 51, a school principal who lives in Mangalhat, faced similar problems as well. She was issued an inflated bill, which got adjusted in December. “I got a heavy electricity bill of `2,800 even though my bill never amounted to more than `1,200. Although it was adjusted later, I still had to face problems,” she lamented. People are wary of facing this issue again. “My concern is that not only will I have to face increased power cuts, but pay higher bills unnecessarily when half the time there is no electricity,” complained Shonita who also added that this comes at a time when summer is setting in.
Around the city: Your guide to the Twin Cities
Different strokes
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN
PIC: A SUDHEER REDDY
To witness strokes of various kinds head to Gallery Space. It’s an exhibition presenting paintings and drawings by various artists and will be held at Gallery Space from December 24. Where: Gallery Space, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am to 7pm Contact: (040) 65541836
Martini ‘n music Enjoy the winter evenings with Grey Goose martinis and crooner Kelly dishing out your favourite numbers. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills When: Every Evening Contact: (040) 66662323
Visual art An exhibition cum sale of paintings by Hari Srinivas. The Exhibition is on display till 30 January 2012. Where: :VSL Visual Art Gallery, Plot no 100, AP Text Book Colony, Gun Rock Enclave
When: Ongoing Contact: 9247175135
Numaish A childhood favourite of every Hyderabadi, The All India Industrial Exhibition is on. Where: Exhibition Grounds, Nampally
When: Ongoing
Food Drama For the biggest buffet in town head to Nautanki Gali. Dinner Buffet @ Rs
CINEMAS
Kavuri Hills
When: January 7, 6.30pm Contact: (040) 23113709
Eat in the dark Have you ever wondered how it feels to eat in the dark? Come and experience this. Pay ` 499 to enjoy a 4course meal worth ` 1000 at Dialogue in the Dark. Where: Dialogue in the Dark, Inorbit Mall, Hitech city
When: Ongoing, 12,30pm Contact: (040) 64603341
Cognac and Cigar The Seasons Bar opens up again with a Cigar and Cognac lounge with a wide selection of cognac, Rare whiskies, single malts and cigars. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 7pm Contact: (040) 66662323
that showcases the works of two photographers with contrasting approaches to capturing people Sucharitha Rao and Lakshmi Prabhala. Where: Alankritha Art Gallery,
Get Handy
388 Where: Nautanki Gali, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7.30-10.30pm Contact: 7893010000
Muse gallery.The proceeds from this show will be donated to CAP Foundation. Where: Marriott hotel & Convention Centre, Tank Bund
Brunch on Brunch with Lokhi and Ruben at Via Milano. Enjoy a hearty Italian meal as you chill with friends or family while Lokhi and Ruben croon out some reggae numbers. Where: Via Milano, Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing,11.30am-3.30pm Contact: (040) 6455667
My name is Minnu It is the first solo Art show by actor Kamal Kamaraju on a series of paintings he has done on ‘MINNU’ in 2011. The show will also launch calendars with kamal’s paintings and will be exclusively on sale at the
When: Ongoing, 6pm Contact: (040) 2752-2999
Learn to laugh Want to learn how to be funny? Than this is for you.Nishumbita and the US Consulate of Hyderabad present a two hour workshop to make you laugh your heart out and make others happy too. Where: Vidyaranya School, Secretariat Road
When: January 8, 10am to noon Contact: 09849256440
Controlled freedom Catch a preview of Controlled freedom, an exhibition of portrait photography
Head to the Lepakshi showroom for an Orissa Handicrafts exhibition set up by the Khadi and Village Industries Association. Where: Lepakshi, Musheerabad When: Ongoing, 10am to 9pm Contact: (040) 27668178
Lunch Buffet Enjoy a lavish spread of South Indian dishes for `149 plus taxes (for vegetarians) and `199 plus taxes (for non-vegetarians). Where: Indian Art Cafe, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 12.30 to 3.30pm Contact: (040) 40117445
Interpreting Tagore Astad Deboo along with his troupe will present Interpreting Tagore using world music, movement, and alternative theatre forms, like puppets and masks, Where: Taramati Baradari, Gandipet
When: January 8, 7pm Contact: (040) 23520172
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
Hyper Local
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities
Cops get an earful from drunk driver
Govt offices top default State government offices are brazenly refusing to pay GHMC its dues on property tax. As a last resort, the Corporation has published the top defaulters on its website Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com
HYDERABAD: The State government, which preaches to the public about basic responsibilities of citizens, turned out to be the major defaulter in paying property tax to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). Important government buildings like the AP Secretariat, which is the centre for State government's administration, Hyderabad Metro Development Authority (HMDA), Hyderabad Metro Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB), APSRTC, Police and AP Transco have emerged major defaulters of property tax. These governmental departments put together owe a total of `150 crore to the GHMC. The corporation has in its limit a total of 1,246 State government departments. They need to pay `72 crore as property tax to the GHMC every year. But the corporation has been receiving only `20 crore since 2007.
“They have been defaulting on property tax since the year 200102. They have been paying us only
Disturbing figures
Major defaulters
Property tax to be recovered from government organisation this year `72 crore
AP Secretariat APSRTC HMDA HMWS&SB AP Transco
Property tax arears since 2001-02 `150 crore
Mohd Subhan
`20 crore every year resulting in an accumulation of dues to the tune `150 crore. We have been issuing notices to all these departments to pay the property tax,” Additional Commissioner Shiva Parvathi told Postnoon on Friday. While AP Secretariat owes `22.5 crores to the corporation, AP Transco owes `20 crore, APSRTC `15 crore and HMDA and HMWS&SB owe `17.1 crore. Interestingly, many sections of police department also turned out to be property tax defaulters.
In an attempt to collect property tax from the defaulters, the corporation officials have published the list of hosted the list of top 1000 defaulters on its website to put pressure on the property tax defaulters. This list of defaulters includes various governments organisations
`22. 5 crore `15 crore `6 crore `12.1 crore `20 crore
mohd.s@postnoon.com
T
he ‘Anand Brigade’ (traffic) had a busy time last night and they netted two big names but in the bargain they had to hear an earful of profanities from one of them when pulled up for driving drunk. While Siva Balaji (of the Arya fame) who was caught for driving drunk, made no fuss and surrendered to the cops after testing high on alcohol, the other, Sunil Narayan, a businessman and said to be connected with cine production, made a fuss and allegedly abused the police for their ‘canine behaviour.’ Siva was stopped at Film Nagar, Bharatiya Vidya Bahavan Crossing around 1pm. He had a party and had downed quite a number of pegs. He said he had no idea it was beyond the permissible limit as he was capable of driving home. His car, a Ford make, was seized and he was booked. Siva tested 69.6 mg as against 30mg limit. ACP Traffic Banjara Hills, KM
Madhu had, however, a word of praise for the gentlemanly behaviour of the actor, who, the inspector said, admitted his indiscretion and cooperated. But it was a different story of Sunil Narayan. Jubilee Hills Traffic Inspector V Surya Chander Rao and his team had confronted Sunil at Jubilee Hills Road No.2. He was at the driver seat and behind him sat his father and mother. On breath analyser he tested 58.6 mg. But, when he was told he was being booked for drink-and-drive, Sunil is said to have lost his cool and began a harangue. Rao, who was called names, later lodged a complaint against Sunil at the Jubilee Hills police station. The car was seized and Sunil was arrested. His parents were safely transported home. The enforcement drive against drink-and- drive will have an element of surprise, in terms of locations and timings. About 3,500 cases have been booked since the antidrunk driving campaign was launched four months ago.
Rural job scheme funds embezzled, says minister
U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com
M
inister for Rural Development , Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad agreed today that misappropriation of funds occurred in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). About `17,000 crore has been spent in 6 years by the State under this programme. When Postnoon asked him whether was any political involvement in the misappropriation, Vara Prasad said that he was prepared to resign if anything was proved against him. Andhra Pradesh is the first state to implement the MGNREGS with an expenditure of `2,921crore during the current financial year. UP is second state to implement and Rajasthan is the third. The minister said that while conducting the social audit with the participation of people in all welfare schemes
and developmental activities for poor, government has noticed misappropriation of funds and it is a serious concern. Special Mobile Courts would be set up soon to punish the persons found guilty in the social audit, he said. An ordinance has been passed under Article 213 of the Constitution to strengthen the social audit and stop corruption, he said. The social audit was conducted in all 1098 mandals in five rounds. The total amount found deviated in the social audit team was `109.04 crore. The amount determined as misappropriated was `46.94 crore. Of this, `17.5 crore were recovered and the balance remains to be claimed. MGNREGS-State at a Glance: Total wage expenditure `12,941 crore Total expenditure `17,528 crore Households getting employment `91.3.lakh Individuals getting wages `183 lakh Person days generated `142.7 crore House holds completing 100 days `37.5 lakh Performance in 865 drought mandals: Wage expenditure `244 crore Total expenditure `373 crore Person days generated `269 lakh No of Individuals covered `23.7 lakh No of Households covered `14 lakh
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Urban Talkies
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
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‘I AM PAINED WHEN I SEE MORAL DEGRADATION IN THE CITY’ Heading a constabulary of 15 officers of the Indian Police Service and 20,000 officers and policemen of multiple ranks, the Commissioner of City Police Abdul Khayum Khan wants the State capital to be a much better place to live in. He talks to A SAYE SEKHAR What is the size of the City police force? How are you coping with the increasing challenges in terms of spurt in crimes in the City? We are 11,850 officers and men. Another 7,500 are special police officers, who are working after retirement. We are actually 30 to 35 per cent less compared to Bangalore and Ahmedabad, which are comparable to our city in terms of size. We have nearly 3,000 vacant posts — 40 per cent of them are at the crucial sub-inspector level, affecting the quality of policing. Recruitment met with hurdles. We just now started the process and by the time a constable completes the process and comes on board, it will be a year and half more. City police is passing through a very difficult period, thanks to agitations, communal problems etc. Now, there is a need to improve the system in city policing. We are attempting that. The IT industry has grown big in last 10 years. Use of cyber technologies in daily life and cybercrime too increased proportionately. We need to train and provide equipment to our staff.
What type of new crimes reared their head in the recent past? Influx of narcotics is the main problem. Compared to the period a decade ago, such cases went up drastically. Last year we caught 17 such rackets, arrested 42 accused and of them 20 are foreign nationals. We are publicising this to educate the civil society. The control on this should begin at home. Physical tell-tale signs like loss of money from a house, behaviour change in growing-up children should all be noticed by parents. Incidentally, females too are no exception to this. On a single day, there were 47 text messages were sent out from a female’s mobile phone. Such boys and girls are from affluent families with good family backgrounds. I feel pained when I see moral degradation happening in the City.
How are the police gearing to tackle burgeoning number of traffic accidents? If you see the world statistics,
sions are taken out in the City every day? There were 4,000 processions taken out last year. At least 40 per cent of our man power, working time, and thinking time goes to processions, which I think is totally unproductive. Every year, their number is growing. If you can bring it to a reasonable level, we can work for a better traffic control, better crime control. We are restricting new processions.
How are the policemen on duty handling this stress?
India is the bloodiest country with maximum deaths in road accidents and Andhra Pradesh is the worst in the country. Hyderabad recorded most number of deaths — 500 in the City and 1,200 in Cyberabad last year. Compared to the previous year, the toll fell by 15 per cent. This is against the normal trend, where there is a rise of five per cent. We are hopeful of bringing it down by following golden hour principle of providing timely medical help and controlling drunken driving.
How are you going about it? For most of the fatal accidents, drunken driving between 10pm and 2am is the cause. Only one accident occurred on January 1, if you see. The problem is more on weekend days, especially the nights of Fridays and Saturdays. The number of deaths has come down and we want to make it a daily activity and spread this across. Speeding and racing on roads is another effect of drunkenness. In most cases, parents did not have control over their wards. They don’t even know if their children are out on the streets causing nuisance. Our strict enforcement of restrictions drove them away from places like KBR Park-Jubilee Hills Road; and Begumpet-Tarnaka Road. In
fact, I went to counsel the parents and their children at Banjara Hills police station twice after midnight. There are 60 to 70 youngsters who were gifted bikes of 600cc to 1000 cc which can attain the 300 to 400 km speed in a span of 15 to 20 seconds. Is there one road on which they can drive these machines? Parents are to blame in this.
Aren’t some restrictions issued to clubs, pubs, hotel etc. rather strange? With regards to control on clubs, pubs and bars, some rules we gave are mandatory and some are advisory. The rules we gave were misunderstood in some cases. When you can keep a thermometer at your house, why can’t a bar/pub have a breath analyser to aid and advise their customers? But drunkenness causes most problems. Main cause for harassment of women at public places is drunkenness. The number of petty cases in the City touched a staggering 3.50 lakh a year and close to 40 per cent of work of the police is dealing with drunkenness in public places. All of us have to thrive to make city better.
Do you think the police are becoming punching bags for every flaw?
When it comes to speeding, narcotics and crime, I feel sorry if they say police is responsible. The first blame should rest with parents. Poor parenting is the main cause. The police may bring some fear and element of deterrence. But sanity could be achieved only when parents and teachers work for it. Regarding the situation in agitations, Hyderabad has become epicentre for political agitations in the last two years and I give full credit to my officers and men for the way they conducted themselves. They maintained utmost restraint and remained totally apolitical and neutral. Everybody praised them for their restraint.
Is restraint seen as weakness? If it is done for strategic reasons, I don’t think so. It has acted when it has to act. Unfortunately police is always judged by negative things. It is never given credit for 100 positive things it does. In cricket, you play 100 balls all of which you cannot meddle. One ball can go wrong. Why isn’t Sachin given credit for the 80 runs he scored than the one ball he missed. We were never given credit for the substantial peace we maintain. For instance, how many know that 15 to 20 proces-
A lot of chronic fatigue is settling down in the force which is affecting its morale, performance and efficiency. You cannot continue this happening. They also need rest. They also have to spend time with family members. They are also part of the society. But, being a disciplined force, they are doing all this. Today, an average constable is working for about 12 to 14 hours a day amidst the hardest of circumstances.
What about the policemen involved in criminal cases and misbehaving with women? Last year, as many as 43 police officers were suspended on different charges. Most of these actions are suo motu. Compare the number with the total number of policemen. I am not supporting criminality among the policemen, though. A dirty broom cannot clean the room. Social scavenging duty is given to the police. Even if one constable does wrong, it is attributed to the whole police force. Subconscious expectation of the society is that when they have to control how they can transgress. We give them exemplary punishment. Seeing that, the rest of the force will learn a lesson.
Regarding nightlife, why do the police keep on prodding those small shops, roadside pushcarts to shut down at 10.30 or 11 in the night? Even those heading home are asked to prove their identity. Why? Regarding restrictions on nightlife, most of the serious accidents, housebreakings, and murders happen during nights. To control serious crimes, there has to be restrictions.
Spotlight
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
5
GRAND TAMBOLA
The JCI Hyderabad Deccan released a Grand Tambola logo at the Platinum hotel in Himayat Nagar. The main event is to be held this evening at Imperial garden..
Prasanth Jain
Afreen
Prachi
Club Night PICS : A SUDHEER REDDY
Club-goers of the city were found making their way to Kismet at the Park. What better way to spend a Saturday night than to dance it away.
Mahima Bararia Asiya and Muskaan
A reason to celebrate
The cast and crew of The Lotus Pond celebrated the film’s success at a party in Hotel Isda Thai, Jubilee Hills. Actors Akash and Rohit Ranka interacted with school children and the film’s director A.L. Nitin Kumar spoke to the press. PICS: A SUDHEER REDDY
Time for Tissot VJ Gaelyn best known for her show College Beat on MTV was in the city on Saturday to promote Season I of on-ground MTV Unplugged partnered by Tissot watches.
Anu and Ali
PICS: N SHIVA KUMAR
India‑View CLASSIFIEDS
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
India unveiled
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FELINE FURY
FABRICATION
A leopard attacks and wounds a man in a residential neighbourhood in Guwahati on Saturday. Three people were seriously injured in the AFP attack before the feline was tranquilised and taken to Assam State Zoo.
GEARING UP
WINTER GAMES
Anticorruption activist Anna Hazare exercising at a hospital in Pune on Saturday. PTI
Youngsters play with snow at a park during heavy snowfall in Srinagar on Saturday. PTI
FESTIVE FERVOUR
DIDI’S DAY OUT
Devotees from Maharashtra and Karnataka celebrate Khandoba Pali festival at Pali village near Karad, Maharashtra on Saturday.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the inauguration of Swami Vivekananad’s statue at Kali Temple in Kolkata on Saturday evening.
PTI
PTI
Around the World
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
Beyond Borders
UK bosses to feel heat from shareholders
7
THAT SINKING FEELING
LONDON:
British Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to give shareholders the right to veto executives’ pay packages, amid mounting political pressure and public anger over huge salaries and bonuses. With Britons bracing for a tough year amid a gloomy economic outlook and the politically charged bank bonus season approaching, Cameron took a tough line on sky-high salaries in a Sunday newspaper interview. He called for the end of the “merry-go-round”, where highlypaid bosses sit on each other’s boards and approve pay awards. “The market for top people isn’t working, it needs to be sorted out,” he told The Sunday Telegraph. “Let’s empower the shareholders by having a straight, shareholder vote on top paid packages.” The comments came amid growing political pressure for the government to prove it is serious about tackling so-called “fat cat” pay, with repeated calls from the opposition Labour party leader for action. Despite repeated controversies over bosses being handed huge payoffs even in cases where companies have failed, currently shareholders can only express their disapproval through an advisory vote. AFP
Tibetan dies after setting himself alight
The Monrovia-flagged container ship Rena is splits into two in a storm as it is pounded by high seas off the New Zealand coast on Sunday. Rena has been stuck on Astrolabe Reef since October 5. When the Rena ran aground, about 350 tonnes of oil spilled into the sea and was washed on to once-pristine beaches, killing at least 1,300 birds. More than 1,000 tonnes of oil have since been pumped off ship but there is more on board. AFP
Good news for Argentine prez
US reaches out to Brotherhood
BUENOS AIRES: Argentine President Cristina Fernandez left hospital on Saturday and returned to her official residence in Buenos Aires with good news. Following her thyroid operation, doctors said she does not have cancer. “The histopathological examination definitively shows the presence of nodules in both lobes of the president’s thyroid gland, but dismisses the presence of carcinogenic cells, modifying the original diagnosis,” said to the medical report read out by presidential spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro. The 58-year-old Fernandez
WASHINGTON: A once reluctant United States is reaching out to the Muslim Brotherhood in a nod to Egypt’s new political reality, but concerns linger about the group’s attitude toward minorities, women and the peace treaty with Israel. In the wake of president Hosni Mubarak’s ouster, the Freedom and Justice Party, the Brotherhood’s political arm, has claimed the lead in the final stage of parliamentary elections after leading throughout. Liberal and secular opposition parties have fared poorly. “It’s clear that they are now the only game in town,” and US officials must talk to them, said Marina Ottaway, who heads the Middle East program for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
was admitted on Wednesday to the Austral Hospital to undergo a total removal of the thyroid gland because of cancerous cells detected in the right lobe of her thyroid. Biopsies, however, found only a benign thyroid tumor.
According to the medical report, it means that Fernandez will not require treatment with radioactive iodine as previously announced. Fernandez boarded the presidential helicopter waiting for her on the hospital premises and returned to her residence near Buenos Aires, accompanied by her son Maximo and daughter Florencia. Fernandez was operated by surgeon Pedro Saco, among the most highly regarded in the country, under the supervision of the presidential medical team. AFP
HAMPSHIRE SHOWDOWN
Iran praises US navy
BEIJING: A Tibetan man died after he and another man set themselves on fire in southwestern China, state media said Sunday, taking the total number of similar acts to 14 in the restive region in less than a year. The incidents happened Friday near the Kirti monastery in Sichuan province’s Aba county — the scene of a sporadic bouts of unrest since a young monk named Phuntsog self-immolated last March — the official Xinhua news agency said. Rights groups say nine monks and two nuns have previously set themselves on fire over the past year.
Republican presidential candidates, left to right, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum participate in the Republican Presidential Debate in New Hampshire. The GOP contenders are in the final stretch of campaigning for the New Hampshire primary, the first in the nation, to be held on January 10. AFP
TEHRAN: Iran has hailed the actions of the US navy as “humanitarian” after an American warship freed 13 Iranians held by Somali pirates. “We consider the actions of the US forces in saving the lives of Iranian seamen to be a humanitarian and positive act and we welcome such behaviour,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman as saying on Saturday. The pirates were believed to be Somalis. The Iranians were released after the US Navy restocked and refueled their vessel. IANS
Comment
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
Fair, free and forthright
Editorials ONUS ON PARENTS to rein in children
P
olice Commissioner AK Khan’s statement that parents must be responsible for their children’s behaviour is spot-on. Far too often in this digital age, parents leave the disciplining of their children to others. Teachers and the police are dumped with the unenviable job of weeding out habits that are often ingrained in the home. It’s time parents realised that their job does not end at brining a child into this world and paying for their food, clothing and education. The rearing of a child is a job that requires an innate sense of responsibility. If you don’t have it, then don’t have kids. The job of the police is tough enough without having to watch over youngsters thrown into the world without a strong foundation of principles and values. The buck stops in the home, and it’s high time parents woke up and smelled the roses. If your child is a delinquent, it’s probably because you weren’t a very good parent. Giving your child a fast car or bike and then failing to inculcate a sense of duty to his own life, and that of others, is a failure of epic proportions. Tears shed after the fact mean little when they don’t need to be shed in the first place
Can’t avoid repetition (and that’s good)! Soul Curry Sumaa Tekur
I
lagiarism is OK, according to our directors and scriptwriters. The days when originality was appreciated are gone, for none has the time to think and put forth new ideas. It’s easier to trek the proven, safe track; at least we shall reach somewhere instead of getting lost. Rip-offs are not one-offs anymore; they are the norm. An egregious consequence of plagiarism finding approval is that success got through such means cuts the distance between mediocrity and genius. But what does that matter as long as we succeed, isn’t it?
n the consumerist culture that we live in, we’re encouraged to be always on the lookout for the novel and the interesting; to add variety to life; to try something new; to experiment. During my recent visit to Kerala, I encountered several people who were leading a large part of their lives in what we may term as ‘predictable routine’ — doing the same thing over and over again, day in and day out — either due to circumstance or by their rejection for the need to do anything else at all. After three days of work in Trivandrum, I drove down some 30km to the picturesque beaches of Kovalam for some unwinding and feet-up time in the sun. I found a charming island resort in the midst of a lake with the beach barely a few metres away. But one had to get into a boat to reach the beach or to access another part of the resort, which also was built on water. The balcony of the room I was renting was at a vantage point from where I could see all three parts of this resort — the lake, the beach and the two concrete structures. I spent a day watching the water and noticed that a boatman (he must have been in his late 50s) was responsible for taking people across the water, to wherever they wished to go. He spent all day ferrying the resort staff and guests those 150 metres across — to the lake or beach. And this is all he has been doing for most of his life. The only variety this boatman experiences in his job is the different people who occupy his boat. Barring that, his job was as predictable as the ripples in the lake. The second person who intrigued me was the taxi driver who drove me from the Kochi airport to the city centre on the day I arrived. Though his job, unlike the boatman’s, involved finding new roads, negotiating traffic and meeting different people, he told me he finds comfort in the routine of being a taxi driver. A few years ago, he quit Kochi and went to the coastal city of Mangalore to earn a living as a bus driver. He stayed there for two years but returned to Kochi to drive taxis
Lucky you!
Good Job, Postnoon
I have grave disagreements about the article that claims that street food outlets offer good, healthy and hygienic food. True that one saves a lot of time not having to cook, but those who gorge on street food and save money and time will have to spend both in hospitals — sooner or later. What officials understand as cleanliness is debatable. I have come across bits of rock, hair and fluff in some of the delectable but cheap street food. At times, some bandies save oil that they used the previous day for the following one. It’s just that the writer of the article has luck… he’s still alive and writing. Anand Vedi Begumpet
The feature on Chor Bazaar was a good one. It’s interesting that such places exist. At least I was not aware of this place. The picture along with the story shows many things useful and beautiful. When I read that secondhand bicycles are available too, I was reminded of mine that had vanished two years back. I had kept it locked after going on a ride one evening, and the next morning it was gone. Maybe I ought to check this place out: I may find mine and could buy it ‘cheap’. Ray Thomas Secunderabad
WHY WE LOVE Plagiarism
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because he wanted to be in familiar territory. He told me that he picked up some Kannada when in Mangalore and that was nice. But he was itching to get back home. It was not homesickness as much as the need to be in a comfort zone. On my last day in Kochi, I met Abdul Rehman. He runs a shop in Broadway, a largely wholesale market, where he sells women’s night clothes — ‘nighty’, as it is popularly known. Rehman sources cotton cloth and stitches this gown-like, unshapely garment, which he has been doing for over 20 years. The winds of change have brought newer consumer needs, better ways of getting things done. But Rehman insists that his set of regular customers shun those new ways and find comfort in the fact that they can predict what the nighty he stitches for them will be like. Rehman refuses to change or do it any other way. Magazine designs for night clothes don’t work in this
TALK BACK Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222
market, he said. Would he not like to diversify and do more? Absolutely not, he says. Routine and repetition are seen as drudgery for dullards with no imagination. But are these three men in Kerala dullards? I’d say not at all. They have each found a way to bring energy and attention to each of their daily activities. They don’t just breeze through life and its numerous demands. They add quality to each moment by enriching the experience of each task. They are making each day feel new with their attitude and intention by not seeing their jobs as repetition but more as special and unique in its own way. Though they do the same job over and over again, they see each job as a one-time encounter. How fascinating it would be to look at life through the prism of uniqueness in every moment/every job! Perhaps the biggest challenge would be to give in to predictability and let the individual moments take over.
Impressive work
Citizen connection
I came across Postnoon recently and I must say that I am impressed. It's packaged well, but at the same time, the quality of writing needs to be improved. Having said that, I believe Postnoon is a good step forward in bringing out various facets of Hyderabad. I hope to see more reporting about local events especially theatre,film festivals. Also, Allow me to suggest that there can be more editorials and opinion pieces in the newspaper rather than just reporting. Abhishek Banjara Hills
I have been reading your paper for sometime now and I like the recent addition that you have in your paper. The recent feature about Faces of Hyderabad is really good. I like the fact how your paper is connecting to the citizens and actually relates to it through this new addition. The best part about it is that rather than featuring celebrities, it features the readers. Good job and keep it up. Esha Gupta Secunderabad
Business
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
Matters of saving and spending
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Launch of Cyrus-43 @ Auto Expo 2012
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hat’s the costliest of everything that is launched so far and even perhaps amongst the yet-to-be launched machines too at the Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi? Hold your breath. It’s neither a car nor a bike. Auto Expo 2012 was the most venerable public platform chosen by Ratan Tata, not only for the launch of CNG version of Nano and a variant of Tata Safari, but even to ‘unveil’ his heir-apparent Cyrus Mistry, 43. The elegant business tycoon of India Ratan Tata almost did that necessary handholding before ‘launching’ the 43-yearold Mistry, who is anointed the Chairman of the Tata Sons after Ratan demits the office on attaining 75 years of age. Not that the handing over of
the reins hasn’t begun. Ratan took him to London first. Later, he took him to Gandhinagar to meet Chief Minister Narendra
Modi. Now the Auto Expo provided a perfect platform for the launch of the ‘yuva raja’ of $ 83billion global conglomerate.
Mistry, known for his passion for cars, must have admired his outgoing mentor when the latter candidly admitted that Nano was an opportunity missed, but the product had not lost. Tata’s unambiguous reference to Nano’s lack of effective ad campaign and a proper dealer network and a promise that the company would surely move up the value chain with the launch of new variants boosted the morale, not only of Mistry but the wistful teams in Tata Motors too. Perhaps, Nano will be the first thing that Mistry’s team would rework on to enhance its sales torque. And, the demeanour of Mistry is as dignified as the Tatas and he already is spreading the aura around him to fill the observers’ view that he is a perfect fit, though he doesn’t have a squeaky physique.
NO. 2 STRIKES AT KIRAN I
t is an attack by No. 2 on the No. 1. Deputy Chief Minister Damodar C Raja Narsimha took on his boss head on. When APCC Chief Botsa Satyanarayana and matinee-idol-turned-emerging leader Chiranjeevi tried to intervene, he quietened them asking them to ‘wait’, almost like an order. He nearly queered the pitch at the breakfast bonhomie of the coordination committee headed by Ghulam Nabi Azad. The Dy CM asked the Chief Minister point blank as to why the latter was soft-pedalling with YS Jagan, who is cursing Sonia and Rahul with bell, book and candle. He fired his salvos one after the other. Why is the Government doling out largesse to Jagan’s media? The Dy CM reportedly pointed out that the Government billing was Rs. 150 crore to Sakshi group alone. “Why should we strengthen him financially?”
The Dy CM also reportedly pointed out that the Chief Minister’s silence had caused confusion among the rank and file of the party across the State.
But the washing of the proverbial dirty linen in the presence of Azad gave rise to several questions. Was the generally composed Narsimha, who also is the son of a former minister like Kiran Kumar Reddy, made to lose his cool by anybody? Kiran Kumar Reddy was flabbergasted by the way he was questioned by his deputy. What was face-saving for him was his advance briefing to Azad on what all could pour out in the visit. Chiranjeevi, who had the temerity to threaten the Congress when the party was facing a floor test in the wake of the notrust move brought in by the Opposition Telugu Desam, drifted away from his temporary mentor Botsa Satyanarayana. Kiran Kumar is said to have dangled the carrot of posts and lured the fledgling politician onto his side. Now everyone knows who is behind Damodar’s volley of questions.
MORTALITY OF MORALITY P
oliticians are always taken for granted. Ploutus or Plutus was the god of wealth. He was at first associated purely with bounty of rich harvests in agrarian Greece. Later he came to represent wealth in more general terms. So, what? That Plutus wants to dance on the desk of Health Minister D L Ravindra Reddy. Just four days ago, Jaya Kumari, District Medical and Health Officer of Ranga Reddy district, called on the minister to seek a transfer. Ravindra Reddy, a doctor himself, was in for a major shock when she flashed wads of currency notes – said to be Rs 3 lakh – and offered the same to the min-
Sunday Soup A Saye Sekhar
ister in return of the favour. The ‘obdurate’ minister, as is his wont, did not yield. Currency could not conquer his countenance. For a while, he lost his cool and chided the doctor for her bravado and turned her away. But another doctor who tried to coerce the minister into acceding to his request for a promotion
made DLR’s heart miss a beat. S Dileep Kumar Sastry, who learnt that his name figured in the promotion list, saw the minister a fortnight ago. He appealed to consider his case for an elevation as joint director and ‘assured’ the minister that he could take care of any ‘formalities’. Stunned, DLR asked him to see the Health Secretary. But Dr Sastry, who earned a good reputation for himself in West Godavari district where he works, realised his mistake but could not put the clock back. A week later, he was suspended on the charge of ‘talking to the minister about promotion’. Is morality still alive?
God of small things L
ord Venkateswara indeed is a powerful god. This is known to all those who had a brush with His ‘deeds on their respective destinies’. No need of narrating all that here. Chief Minister Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy, who hails from Chittoor district, knows more than anybody else how powerful the Lord of Seven Hills is. He also knows Balaji is the God of gods. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee came down to Tirupati on Friday. Protocol doesn’t let him walk through the Mahadwaram. Yet, Kanumuri Bapi Raju, in his capacity of the Chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), could have organised it. But recall the night of November 25, 2010, and you would know why Kiran airdashed to Tirupati after seeing off Ghulam Nabi Azad in Hyderabad. It was Pranab who announced the name of Kiran Kumar Reddy as the Chief Ministerial nominee of the party high command to succeed Rosaiah. Ever since, Kiran knows who his godfather is. Now, he never misses an opportunity to propitiate the small gods. After all, it is an investment.
Week in Pictures
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
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A Dutch local, standing in his house, looks at high waters through his window, in Dordrecht on January 5, 2012. Gale force winds reaching up to 110 kilometres an hour as well as heavy rains lashed the Dutch coast. About a quarter of the country sits below sea level. AFP/ANP/ROBIN UTRECHT
A man watches as an airliner flies over his house into Hongqiao International airport in Shanghai. Chinese airlines will not pay a charge on carbon emissions imposed by the European Union from January 1. AFP/PETER PARKS
Hook Eagle Morris Men making their way to the local orchard, part of the annual Wassail ceremony in Hartley Wintney, 40 miles west of London. AFP/ADRIAN DENNIS Zoo keeper Adrian Walls (R) poses for photographers in front of penguins during the annual stocktake at London Zoo in north London on January 4. AFP/CARL COURT Lava spews from a crater of the giant Etna Volcano on the southern Italian island of Sicily. A column of hot ash spewed high into the sky as Europe's highest active volcano rumbled back to life. AFP/MARCELLO PATERNOSTRO
A woman grips her umbrella against the wind in front of the Jubelpark Cinquantenaire in Brussels as a storm moved over Belgium. AFP/BENOIT DOPPAGNE
Insight
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
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Spare our feathered friends Aishwarya Yerra Aishwarya.yerra@gmail.com
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ankranti time spells fun and festivities for Hyderbadis. Each year this festival is awaited by one and all as this is the day when it’s time to unleash the kid within you. Kite flying is taken to a new level every year with new types of kites being introduced in the market. The kite with the strongest, sharpest manja becomes the hottest selling item. Fun as it may seem for humans, the festival is literally a death trap for our feathered friends. Thousands of birds die this
season when they get entangled in kite strings while flying. The manja or string that is used to fly kites is coated with special ingredients to make to it as sharp as possible so that cutting the opponent’s kite becomes easy. Powdered glass, glue and colour are mixed together and applied on the strong cotton thread. The thread is so sharp, that kite fliers are often left with bloody fingers as it slices into their flesh often. It’s not hard to imagine what will happen when an unfortunate bird does not see the manja in its flight path and gets entangled in it. Shafat Ullah, honorary secretary of Andhra Pradesh Bird Watchers’ Society, tells us more, “ This problem is prevalent all over India. The poor birds get hurt every year and many of them die. They get stuck in the manja and cannot untangle themselves. Their wings and legs get cut and they helplessly bleed to death. The newly available Chinese manja is razor sharp, a sure death-trap for birds. There is
no solution to this problem because we cannot prevent anyone from flying kites.” According Shafat Ullah, black kites and pigeons are the birds most hit by this festival. Black kites basically glide in the sky and this make them most liable to run into the manja. And pigeons dwell near human surroundings so it’s no surprise that they, too, are ones that are badly affected. Sadly, Hyderabad does not have any emergency services to rescue hurt birds like there is in Ahmedabad. The only thing one can do to help an injured bird is to take it to a vet’s clinic or call the Bird Watchers’ Society. Festivals may be a time for joy for us but that does not mean birds and other animals can get hurt.
Animal Care Centre All Creatures Animal Clinic Address: 8-2-414, Road No 4, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Phone number: 040-2335 2474
Address: 10-3-18/2, Marredpally (East), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Phone number: 040-2773 0885
Blue Cresent Veterinary Clinic Bluplus Pet Clinic Address: Toli Chowki, Surya Nagar Colony, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Phone number: 040-2356 2214
Address: C-39, Sharada Theatre Lane, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Phone number: 040-2712 1739
Raipets Animal Clinic Vet N Pet Multi Speciality Clinic Address: Padmakshi Apartment, Mettuguda, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Phone number: 040-2782 5147
Address: 23, Ameerpet, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Phone number: 040-2655 3953
No place for migratory birds in city Sudeshna Koka Sudeshna.k@postnoon.com
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ome winter and migratory birds from Siberia, Australia, China, Mongolia and Afghanistan define India as their home sweet home. With climatic conditions getting extreme in the northern hemisphere, birds from these locations travel to tropical regions. Andhra Pradesh has been a favourite destination with flamingoes, bar headed goose, open billed stork, lesser whistling duck, brahimy shad duck, northern pintail, spot billed duck and the northern shoveller. However, since the last two years the number of these migratory birds coming to the city has fallen. Bird watchers and experts attribute it to the bad climatic condition. “We used to spot several new migratory birds every year during winter but of late we do not
see any new birds. Even their numbers have been dwindling over the past few years. We cannot quote the number but definitely can say that there has been a great dip,” says Malla Giridhar of the Project Facility, Environment Protection Training and Research Institute. Researchers claim that deple-
tion of wetlands are also fuelling this change. Due to global warming, the numbers of wetlands in and around Hyderabad have been reducing. This is the primary reason why migratory birds have not been coming to Hyderabad. The second reason they cite for this dip in the numbers of migra-
tory birds is water pollution. “As it is cold in their region, birds come here for food and reproduction. Eggs need warmth and this climate is best suited for that. Of late, because of the pollution, these eggs are getting infertile and not hatching. Even before they develop they are dying due to the pollu-
tion,” opined Giridhar. Excess amounts of iron, mercury, sulphur and phosphorus along with the Ganesh idols’ immersion waste and toxic waste is the main reason for pollution in the city’s lakes. Few years back flocks of brahimy shad ducks would be found in the Hussain Sagar lake but now because of the increased level of pollution, none have been found since the last two years. Ornithologists in the city believe that though the pollution levels are increasing, birds find other resorts. “Migratory birds have no choice so they come here. When they find one lake polluted they look for another one,” says Shafat Ullah, the honorary secretary of Andhra Pradesh Bird Watchers’ Society. Now the birds have changed their haunt from Hussian Sagar and some birds have been seen near the Gandipet Lake and the Durgam Cheruvu,” he adds.
The Arts
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
An artist, by nature, is one who seeks solitude, constantly aching for the company, if ever, of likeminded people and is a dreamer, consenting to dream of the actual world. An artist’s retreat is what converts this dream into a possibility
ART FOR DUMMIES
New Art movement
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A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN Suggested fellowships n Himalayan Art Museum Zendai n Caversham Centre for Artists and Writers n Bengalaru Artist Residency n Global Arts Village n Goa Center for Alternative Photography n New India Foundation n Sangam Residency n France-Krishnakriti Fellowship n British Chevening Scholarship Sana Mirza sana.m@postnoon.com
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n the words of Henry Miller, “An artist is always alone — if he is an artist. No, what the artist needs is loneliness.” The idea of inner stillness seems like a distant luxury, especially in the bustle of daily life. The artist is on the constant lookout for that space in time and quietude that enables him to flex his/her creative muscles. Every symphony you hear, each play you watch, every dance move you make, every book you read begins with a person in a room with an idea and a passion to do something creative. In order to satisfy that hunger, a number of fellowships, grants, and residencies are available, which provide writers, designers, photographers and filmmakers with resources and common platforms to collabo-
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rate, interact and learn from each other and explore their potential in the midst of likeminded people. Anupa Mehta, a published writer and columnist, is an independent arts consultant and the Director of The Loft in Mumbai and Arts Reverie, a home-stay in Ahmedabad. The Loft began in 2008 as an artist’s studio and art source and brings together Anupa’s varied experiences and interests under one roof. “The space at The Loft is mainly for creative interaction, artist residencies, curatorial projects, and we also encourage new art,” says Anupa going on to add, “We have a panel comprising eminent collectors, established artists and critic-curators who recommend artists for The Loft’s annual programme. We also have Arts Reverie, which is a special house that supports contemporary craft
Sridala Swami development and a place where artists can stay to develop their ideas.” Sridala Swami is a writer and a poet who’s first collection of poems, A Reluctant Survivor, was published by the Sahitya Academy in 2007 and shortlisted for the Shakti Bhatt First Book Award in 2008. A filmmaker and a children’s book author, Sridala spent three months in Stirling as the 2011 Charles Wallace Fellow. “The Charles Wallace Fellowship is like a blessing to any writer who has been awarded that. Through the fellowship, I got the
chance to devote all my time to my writing. I also had the chance to interact with professionals from different fields and since the university was very small, the experience was intimate too. During that time, I worked on the manuscript of my second collection of poetry and another children’s book,” she says, and adds, “My only regret was that my tenure wasn’t longer. But I believe that the next fellow will have that too.” The Caversham Centre for Artists and Writers, based in South Africa, provides scholarships in literature, printmaking and visual arts. While they host residencies for local and international artists, they also undertake local community collaboration projects. Masuram Ravikant is an artist who received the HRD Scholarship in 2008 in painting. “My scholarship was for two years and I worked with 150 students. It was an enlightening experience for me as I got support not only from my fellow artists but the judges as well. It was a platform for me to showcase my work to a large group of people from all over India.” These fellowships are just some of the suggested avenues that artists can opt for. An extensive search online does result in far more fellowships and residencies.
rt Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art — especially the decorative arts — that were popular during 1890– 1914. The name Art Nouveau is French for ‘new art.’ The art developed as a reaction to academic art of the 19th century, was inspired by natural forms and structures, not only in flowers and plants but also in curved lines. The style was influenced strongly by Czech artist Alphonse Mucha. That is, when he produced a lithographed poster, which appeared on January 1, 1895 in the streets of Paris as an advertisement for the play Gismonda by Victorien Sardou, featuring Sarah Bernhardt. Art Nouveau flourished in a number of European countries, many of which developed their own names for the style. Art Nouveau was known in France as style Guimard, after French designer Hector Guimard; in Italy as the stile Floreale (floral style); stile Liberty, after British Art Nouveau designer Arthur Lasenby Liberty; in Spain as Modernisme; in Austria as Sezessionstil (Vienna Secession); and in Germany as Jugendstil. Although Art Nouveau was replaced by 20th-century modernist styles, it is considered now as an important transition between the historicism of Neoclassicism and modernism. Furthermore, Art Nouveau monuments are now recognised by UNESCO with their World Heritage List as significant contributions to cultural heritage.
Design Talks
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
Bargain your way to a
Cast in Iron
GOOD HOME Check this out!
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his checkered sofa, although second hand, is a perfect find. You will have to look hard to get a good piece as you may not have a choice of 'classy pieces'. It can be found at the Nampally furniture market for `3,500, but then you can always negotiate.
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f you want to buy furniture with which you can save space and money and not compromise on the look, then, wrought iron is the solution! There is this new wroughtiron sofa available for `5,000, at the Nampally market. And a cot for `4,500. The best place to buy these, though, would be a Godrej Furniture outlet. It’s important that you keep in mind that wrought iron usually needs repairs at least once a year. However, it gives the house a very chic look
Weave them in
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his sofa set has been made by 'double weaving' and the centre piece with the glass completes the look. This sturdy and classy set along with cushions costs only `17,500. You can find this in shops on the Lakdi-ka-pul stretch that sell cane furniture. We recommend Bombay Cane Furniture shop, which has a great variety, but the trick is to bargain well and the costs might come down by a thousand or two!
If you have been wanting to redecorate your house, then here’s a great guide for you. They are easy on the pocket and great additions to any room, writes Shiba Minai Beige Comfort
Tring-tring
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his beige and cream coloured sofa is built for comfort. The complete set has a three seater, a two seater and a small seater and all of this with upholstery for `15,000 only, and it’s brand new! You can find it at Nampally.
f you are the kinds who loves reminiscing the olden days and like collecting knick-knacks that create the ancient feel around you, you surely can’t miss this phone with a rotating dial and it’s ring can beat a bus’ horn any day! Shilparamam is the place to get this. It is available for `2,700 and like always, we say, bargain!
The king’s throne
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his can be bought as a single piece for a library or as a pair. A blend of the old and new. The intricate carving on the chair’s back-rest is what gets your attention. You will find this and many more in Shilparamam, and this sturdy chair is made out of walnut wood and costs `4,500. Our source tells us it comes down to even `3,000. Now, here’s a bargain you can look forward to.
Food & Wine
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
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Do visit this biryani factory Stalking food Syed Shoaib
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SUPERMODEL
Shamita Singha Television anchor, VJ, and animal rights enthusiast. Singha is a wine enthusiast-turned-wine taster
VARIOUS VARIETIES IN WINE There are countless varieties of wine in the world. Different blends, fortified wines, still wines, sparkling wines, dry wines and sweet wines. Today we discuss those varieties that you're most likely to encounter
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ine is a subject that is so vast and diverse, that most times I’m at loss for where to begin and where to stop. As I chat with most Indians today who are curious about wine, I realise that basic wine terms and grape varietals are not known to them. So here it is — Classic white wine grape varietals are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Viognier and Riesling. Yes, these are the names of grape varieties that white wine is made from. For the reds, the most common varieties are Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet, Savignon, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir. So most new world wines will mention the grape variety on the label and of course the name of the brand and the year. Now the year on the bottle denotes the year these grapes were harvested in and is not the year of bottling. New world wines are a product of new wine countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, India, Canada and America and the old world wine countries are mainly Spain, France, Italy and Germany. These countries name their wines after the region it was produced in and don’t always give away the grape varieties used in the making. For example a Bordeaux wine from the region in France. One of the factors that determine the basic taste or flavour of the wine is the grape varietal, as each grape variety has its peculiar taste or characteristic. So here is what you can expect from each varietal.
WHITE Chardonnay — green or tropical fruit flavours. Creamy with citrus notes. Sauvignon Blanc — Vegetal and green fruit flavours. Aromas of herbs. Riesling — Green and citrus fruit flavours. Honey and a hint of minerals. Chenin Blanc — Tropical fruit with hints of citrus fruit flavours. Viognier — Very perfumed variety. Floral aromas with an oily texture. RED Pinot Noir — Red fruit and vegetal flavours. Cabernet sauvignon — Black fruit, oak and cedar aromas. Merlot — Red fruit flavours. Aromas of chocolate and fruit cake. Shiraz — Black fruit, pepper and spice.
ity Diamond is a gem of an eatery. Even though situated, as it is, among a score of similar joints, Diamond has its cut of regulars. “Well, this is because we have been in the business for the past seven years and have an established clientele,” explains owner, Syed Anwar, adding, “Word of mouth works well in the food industry. Young techies from Hi-tech City have taken a fancy to our food.” “I like it here because the place is clean, apart from the affordable pricing,” says Mohammed Faiz who is pursuing an Mtech in the city. Syed Irshad, who helps in maintaining the place, says he has learnt the art of insulating himself from the fluctuating market prices of essentials through experience. “We protect our customers from change in costs by buying things smartly,” he explains. It is more of a food factory, if one was to go by the process of production of food over here, which is a 24/7 affair…well almost. And the output too, is as precise. One can relish a Chicken Biryani here at any hour of the day. Ali Arif, who sells stationery at a store in Masab Tank, however, swears by the Khichdi Kheema Khatta. “It tastes amazing and is available from five in the morning and is a perfect way to start your day,” he says, while literally drooling.
The best way to discover the joys of wine is to be adventurous and taste every grape varietal, to try and detect hints of different flavours in each. Only then can you let your own palate be your guide to finally decide which is your most favourite grape variety.
What Hotel City Diamond Where Mehdipatnam Chaurasta Price Chiken Biryani: `85 Must-try Khichdi Kheema Khatta
History
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
Forward to the past
THE UN GETS A HOME JAN 9, 1951
Nuptial miss Jan 14, 1954: Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were married. The marriage only lasted nine months. He quit his job with a military post-exchange supplier on August 1, 1962, to ask her to remarry him; she was found dead on August 5.
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A miraculous jab Jan 11, 1922: At Toronto General Hospital, Leonard Thompson became the first person to be successfully treated with insulin. However, the extract was so impure, Thompson suffered a severe allergic reaction, and further injections were canceled.
The United Nations Headquarters officially opened in New York City. The United Nations Headquarters complex was constructed in New York City in 1949-1950 beside the East River, on 17 acres of land purchased from the foremost New York real estate developer of that time, William Zeckendorf.
From Paris, with love Jan 12, 1908: A wireless message was sent long-distance for the first time from the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Named after its designer and engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower was built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair.
Liz becomes queen Jan 15, 1559: England's Queen Elizabeth I (Elizabeth Tudor) was crowned in Westminster Abbey. Her reign is famous for the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and for successful raids against the Spanish, such as those on Cรกdiz in 1587 and 1596, but some historians point to military failures on land and at sea.
A giant falls Jan 9, 2002: The US Justice Department announced that it was pursuing a criminal investigation of Enron Corp. The company had filed for bankruptcy on December 2, 2001. Before its bankruptcy, Enron employed approximately 22,000 as staff and was one of the world's leading electricity, natural gas, communications, pulp and paper companies, with claimed revenues of nearly $101 billion in 2000.
For the record Jan 10 1949: Vinyl records were introduced by RCA (45rpm) and Columbia (33.3rpm). The vinyl record regained popularity by 2008, with early 2.9 million units shipped that year, the most in any year since 1998.
Tito becomes prez
Flight goes supersonic Jan 9, 1969: The supersonic aeroplane Concorde made its first trial flight at Bristol. Concorde entered service in 1976 and continued commercial flights for 27 years. With only 20 aircrafts built, their development represented a substantial economic loss, in addition to which Air France and British Airways were subsidised by their governments to buy them.
Silent sci-fi Jan 10, 1927: Fritz Lang's film Metropolis was first shown in Berlin. It was ranked #12 in Empire magazine's The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema in 2010. It was ranked number 2 in a list of the 100 greatest films of the Silent Era.
Jan 14, 1953: Josip Broz Tito was elected President of Yugoslavia by the country's Parliament. He gained international attention as the chief leader of the Non-Aligned Movement, working with Jawaharlal Nehru and Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt.
Clinton comes unstuck Jan 14, 1999: The impeachment trial of US President Clinton began in Washington, DC. This made Clinton only the second US president to be impeached (the first being Andrew Johnson). Impeachment proceedings were based on allegations that Clinton had lied about his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky in a sworn deposition in the Paula Jones lawsuit.
Smoking kills! Jan 11, 1964: US Surgeon General Luther Terry released a report that said smoking cigarettes was a definite health hazard. Cigarette smoking of nicotine was defined as not an addiction in the General's first report on smoking (published by a committee of doctors who ironically were largely smokers themselves).
Jordan retires Jan 13, 1999: Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) announced his retirement from the NBA. Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was instrumental in popularising the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.
F‑Folio
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
Because you are what you wear
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COMBATTING HARSH WINTERS
Your skin doesn't have to resemble the weather outside during those cold, wintry, brash months. With our list of moisturisers, body lotions and skin tonics, you can give your winter skin, the much-required regimen boost there are faced with the challenge of keeping their skin well-moisturised but even then, using too much of a moisturiser may damage your skin and you may risk suffering from acne or too less of it may give you dry, itchy skin. No worries! Here is a list of the five best skin care products for winter, so you can have soft, glowing skin all winter long.
Sana Mirza sana.m@postnoon.com
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s daylight hours dwindle, a sort of fear settles in and the cold clear days of winter bring in more than just a rosy glow to your cheeks. They also make your skin dry, which, in severe cases, results in cracking, eczema and even flaking. A lot of women out
Neutrogena Healthy Defense Neutrogena Healthy Defense SPF 30 Daily Moisturiser offers daily protection against incidental sun exposure. It also helps prevent the signs of premature aging. Lightweight and non-greasy, it absorbs quickly and keeps skin hydrated all day.
The Body Shop Aloe Gentle Exfoliator It gently exfoliates dry skin cells and other impurities and soothes the skin at the same time. It contains natural jojoba beads to gently scrub away anything that ought not be on your skin. Aloe helps soothe and protect irritated winter-dry skin. Dermatologically tested, it’s proven to be gentle for even delicate, sensitive skin. Perfect for giving you a rosy glow!
The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Lotion Lancome Exfoliance Confort
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Magic Screen
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
Formula for instant success is… plagiarism! Hemanth Kumar Hemanth.k@postnoon.com
P
lagiarism has been an integral part of art right from the beginning. Dean Inge, a British author, once said, “What is originality? Undetected plagiarism.” But over the last few years, stringent laws were introduced in the West to curb plagiarism and even the audience has become quite vocal in their criticism against this practice. However, the Telugu film industry is yet to come to terms with the fact that plagiarism is a crime. In fact, it’s seen as a formula for instant success. Telugu cinema’s tryst with plagiarism dates back to the ‘70s and ‘80s, when several Hindi films were unofficially remade and popular scenes from English films were ripped off, all in the name of offering something new to the audience. Time and again, several leading filmmakers, music directors and writers have been accused of plagiarising content. The issue is once again in the limelight after people found out that the song Pilla Chao from the movie The Businessman was copied from an Italian WWII song, Bella Ciao. Recently, when SS Thaman was asked about the source of the song, Puri Jagannadh defended him saying, “It was my idea. This is not the first time I have copied or found inspiration from various sources. Nothing we make is original since it has to be inspired from somewhere.” The surprising part about the whole issue is that, despite acknowledging the fact that plagiarism is
wrong, filmmakers can’t seem to stop resorting to it. Why? Because it’s a ticket to instant success. “If you want to do something original, sometimes producers are not sure if it will work with the majority of the audience. There has to be a crowdpulling element in the film and taking good scenes or tunes from other languages seems to be giving producers that confidence. You can’t
Aha Naa Pellanta inspired by Marrying the Mafia blame them either. It is business at the end of the day,” says Krishna Chaitanya, a lyricist. Another producer, Shobu Yarlagadda opines, “Plagiarism is the easiest way to get the desired output because you already know how it will
look on screen. The copyright law has no teeth, but the day someone gets sued for a hefty amount for plagiarism, I think it will stop.” So who do you blame when you realise that scenes, songs or fights are plagiarised? “No one does it intentionally. Sometimes it is forced upon us,” confesses Gopi Mohan, a leading scriptwriter. The power lies in the hands of producers, directors and sometimes even the hero. “I believe that nothing is original. You have to take inspiration from life, books or movies to make your own film. People suggest a lot of things as a reference and the onus is upon us to adapt such scenes. The day someone claims that people will stop watching films that are copied from somewhere else, there won’t be any plagiarism,” Gopi Mohan adds. The lackadaisical approach to dealing with plagiarism seems to be another major issue. “People don’t seem to think it’s a big deal. They don’t see filmmaking as an art. Even posters and trailers are copied from other sources. Just because something looks cool, doesn’t mean that you can copy it,” says Praveen Sattaru, a filmmaker who blames it on the get-rich-quick formula, which the industry adheres to. “I think there are very few honest filmmakers here and I don’t consider myself one of them. I blame even the audience for this. Honest films haven’t been appreciated, so filmmakers tend to copy. When the filmmakers themselves aren’t honest, they can never fight plagiarism,” says filmmaker Anand Ranga.
19
Plagiarism is not a new phenomenon in Telugu cinema. Some term it as inspiration, others say that they are paying a tribute to their favourite films every time they are asked about plagiarising. We dig deeper
The Businessman
Maryada Ramanna inspired by Our Hospitality
Magic Screen
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
Cast of Lovely heads to Kerala A adi, Shanvi and Anchal starrer Lovely has begun shooting a song in Chalakudy, Kerala. The film’s talkie part has already been completed and after the shoot in Chalakudy, the film unit will head to foreign locales to shoot three more songs. B Jaya is directing the film and BA Raju is producing it. Both of them can’t stop lavishing praises on Aadi, who made his debut last year with Prema Kavali. “Lovely has a beautiful story and Aadi has done a great job. We also have Rajendra Prasad playing an important role. “It’s going to be a good romantic entertainer,” said BA Raju. Anup Rubens has composed the music. The film is going to hit the screens on Valentine’s Day.
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T-TOWN TWEETIES
@mamtamohan Connected .. From Bahrain and a very Happy new year!
@sneha_ullal “When dogs bark. Let them”
@shraddhadas43 Laughed like crazyyyyy nonstop till my stomach could burst wd frds,today aftr a longg time..over someone fartin n gettin caught!#memory#
@Actor_Siddharth
Ravi Teja’s film named Daruvu Supreeth heads to Bollywood S
upreeth, who has played the villain in several Telugu films, is going to make his debut in Bollywood later this year. He has been chosen to play the antagonist’s role in the Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha starrer Rowdy Rathore, which is a remake of SS Rajamouli’s Vikramarkudu. Prabhu Deva is directing the film. Supreeth is going to join the film’s crew on January 9 in Badami to shoot the action sequences between him and Akshay Kumar. Interestingly, Supreeth had played the same role in Siruthai, the Tamil version of Vikramarkudu, which was directed by Souryam Siva.
Having the best time on David Dhawans shoot. I feel 10 years younger just because of all the laughter..wonderful gang. Great moments of fun!
@ramsayz ok..a small surprise..will release one more pic from the intro song of #EP tomorrow people.. ;)
@Alwayscharan Give more value than the money you are receiving in ur job, in business and in evry moment of ur life...
@shrutihaasan Promise I shall do a q and a soon! Promise I’m not avoiding it! Just been uber duper busy! But soon tweeple:) xoxo
R
avi Teja’s upcoming film, which is currently on floors has been named as Daruvu — The Sound of Mass. Siva Kumar is directing the film who earlier made films like Shouryam, Shankam and Siruthai. Taapsee is playing the lead role opposite Ravi Teja in the film. Burugupalli Sivaramakrishna is pro-
ducing it. Recently, the film was shot in Badami for more than a week. Couple of years ago, Ravi Teja was given the title ‘Mass Maharaj’ by one of the directors and since then the producers and directors of all his films seem to be drumming up the mass entertainment quotient in all his movies.
@geneliad Naa ishtam has debutant dir Prakash who is talent 2look out 4,dedicated,devoted n gives his film everythin, so glad 2wrk under his direction
Bollywood is my
Magic Screen
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
21
She is only a film old but her confidence is high. From modelling to romancing some of the hottest men in Bollywood, pretty girl Puja Gupta seems to have her plate full
DREAM DESTINATION T
here will be Saif Ali Khan, Vir Das and Kunal Khemu, and one Puja Gupta! The one-film-old actress says she is not at all insecure about being cast with three male actors in her next film, Go Goa Gone. In her debut Bollywood vehicle F.A.L.T.U. as well, the former beauty queen was the only female among the boys — Jackky Bhagnani, Ritesh Deshmukh and Arshad Warsi. "I'm just happy with my character. And insecure? Not at all! Being the only girl on the sets, it's just second time lucky for me! It's a lot of fun shooting with them," Puja said. After
winning the Miss India Universe crown in 2007, the 25-year-old went on to represent the country at the Miss Universe 2007 competition in Mexico. She didn't make it to the top five, but the platform opened many doors for her. She bagged the chance to model for brands like Mario's Hair & Care, Pantaloons, Coca Cola, Monte Carlo, Bausch & Lomb as well as the Lay's Tango campaign with Saif. In her upcoming film, produced by Illuminati Films, Puja plays a college girl. "In the movie, I play a young college girl, who is very independent and believes in herself strong-
ly. She is a very easy going yet adventurous person and that's what brings her to Goa with her friends in the movie," she said. The movie is being directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK of Shor In The City and 99 fame. Puja has already shot the first schedule of the film. So has she had any crazy and adventurous experience so far? "I do get to hold the real gun! We are just finished with the first schedule right now, and we have one more schedule to shoot. So there's much more adventurous and bizarre things coming my way. I'm abso-
lutely thrilled about it," she added. So far the crew has shot at a place named Chorla Ghat, which is on the Goa-KarnatakaMaharashtra border. She says it was beautiful. "The place is surrounded by wildlife and greenery, cottages, not much civilisation, there were no phone signals and so no BBM (BlackBerry Messenger)... so it was a huge deal for me," said Puja, who admits Bollywood has always been a "dream destination". But, as she says, there's a "long long way to go". IANS
Magic Screen
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
T
here have been newspaper reports that actress Dia Mirza has been fined over `1 lakh for carrying undeclared items worth `2 lakh upon her arrival at the international airport. A senior customs official has been quoted saying. Along with this quote Dia’s comment that she was not aware of Customs rules about dutiable goods and did not intend to evade duty was also mentioned in the reports. With this incident Dia is supposed to have joined the long list of stars who have been detained over declaration of dutiable goods. Last year Bipasha Basu and Minissha Lamba, among other film and television personalities, were detained at the airport after they were found carrying undeclared goods. However, on Saturday the actor took to twitter and expressed her irritation by writing “For those that are running unverified news about me please be informed that I was not questioned by customs for undeclared jewellery.” So, whom do we believe Dia?
Dia miffed by media reports on customs fiasco
22
B-TOWN TWEETIES
@NeilNMukesh Cold morning everybody. Oopsy I mean good morning :)
@AnupamPkher If you want your dreams to come true, you must wake up.:)
@DuttaLara Note to self: Learn when to put down a book when reading before bed time! How did the night get so short?! G'mornin Sunday People!!
@iamsrk The curse of early morning wake up & nothing to do strikes. TV showing fat men predicting future & giving health tips. Need a lullaby instead
@imarshadwarsi Met Ranbir Kapoor at the Police show, every time I meet him, I love him a little more, what a FANTASTIC, well brought up boy he is...
Rampal’s perfume to be launched on Jan 12
A
fter nearly two years of negotiations, discussions, trials and delays, Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal’s perfume is finally ready to be launched in Mumbai on January 12. Arjun’s perfume, Alive, is produced by Drom Fragrances International, and will be available in two different scents to begin with. The perfume line will be distributed by Baccarose, a distribution chain responsible for brands like Burberry, Cartier, Caroline Herrera, Azzaro, Elizabeth Arden, Ferrari and Prada. It took Arjun more than six months to select the fragrance for his perfume. “Selecting a fragrance for a perfume is an extremely time-
consuming and tough task. It took me six months to do so. One can’t allot more than three hours a day to savouring scents because after that your sense of smell goes for a toss,” said Arjun. After Arjun had finally shortlisted the fragrances, he invited all his friends from the film industry for a smelling party. “Unanimously, they all liked the best of the two fragrances that I had selected. Those are the two scents that have gone into the two perfumes that I am putting out,” said Arjun. When asked about the poor success ratio of Bollywood’s denizens in the field of fragrance, he said, “I’ve done my best. Picked the scents that I think are unique and likable. I personally am very fond of perfumes. I think they give every individual a sense of confidence and an identity. I am hoping to increase my range of perfumes in the coming months.” IANS
@FarOutAkhtar Did miss @iHrithik our 3rd Mantal Bwoy. Believe his back is troubling him. Hope it will be behind him soon. #cornyjoke
@SrBachchan T 616 - If only we would use the amount of time spent in finding fault in others, on improving ourselves..this world would be a better place
@konkonas Anybody else not tweeting properly because they're scared of their followers?!
Magic Screen
D I S P L A YA
D S RATE ` 150 sq. cm
For Further Details Please Contact Abhinay 9989399972 Nandlal 9951467988 Ravi Chander 8106039919
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
23
Magic Screen
The glamour behind the glitz
Disney sets Robert Stromberg to helm Maleficent
D
isney has tapped Robert Stromberg to make his feature directorial debut with Maleficent, the Linda Woolverton-scripted revisionist take on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale that is being constructed as a star vehicle for Angelina Jolie to play the villainess. While Stromberg is new to the director’s chair, he is no stranger to dealing with big-ticket spectacle films. He has been production designer on Avatar and Alice In Wonderland, and Disney’s upcoming Oz The Great And Powerful. He also worked on visual effects for such films as 2012, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End and Master And Commander. Joe Roth is producing. This gives Disney feature heads Sean Bailey and Rich Ross another tentpole feature to complement the Marvel product, with A-list talent. Maleficent stacks up alongside Oz The Great And Powerful, and the Johnny Deppstarrer The Lone Ranger.
What is Bristol Palin doing for a living? B ristol Palin has kicked off her dancing shoes for a more modest occupation (and location). And you’ll never guess what the former Dancing With the Stars hoofer is doing to make ends meet these days... Working as a dermatologist’s assistant in Alaska. Sarah Palin’s daughter has stepped out of the spotlight and back to her sheltered Wasilla homefront, following a big “turning point” which she said came about after her notorious spat with a heckler while she was shooting a reality show last September, according to In Touch. “I wasn’t really into the Hollywood thing,” Bristol told the magazine. “After that, I just realised that I was over it. I was ready to come home.” But that wasn’t the only reason Bristol packed up her bags. The 21year-old mom, who now lives in an apartment under her mom’s TV studio, said she was also concerned about her three-year-old son, Tripp’s, wel-
fare. “He’s going to be starting preschool soon, so we needed to settle into a routine,” Bristol continued. And Tripp’s grandmother is happy to have them both back home. “It’s great having Bristol here,” Sarah told the magazine. “She makes good decisions, and she’s always thinking long-term about her and Tripp’s future.”
Hefner ‘proud’ of twins on Celebrity Big Brother
H
ugh Hefner has revealed that he is “proud” of Kristina and Karissa Shannon’s appearance on Celebrity Big
Brother. The Playboy entrepreneur dated the twins between 2008 and 2010, but asked them to leave the Playboy mansion when his relationship with Crystal Harris became more serious. He was also said to be unhappy that both Kristina and Karissa had found new boyfriends, but invited them back to the mansion in June 2011. “I’m hearing good things about the twins on Big Brother UK. Makes me proud,” Hefner wrote on Twitter.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
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Magic Screen
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
I
t turns out not everything James Franco does in 2012 will be some kind of an elaborate performance piece. The actor and artist has landed a pretty interesting new film, one that will find him in full command of his skills with the ladies. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Franco has taken the lead role in The Game, the latest from Solitary Man writing and directing pair Brian Koppelman and David Levien. First signing on to the project over the summer, Koppelman and Levien have made quick work adapting Neil Strauss’ breakout bestseller, a book that is part memoir and part exposé, chronicling the author’s own adventures in the guys club world of pick-up artists and his experiences and successes with the techniques he learned in how to score with women. Helping him on his journey is Mystery, the man who teaches Strauss and many others all of his secrets on how to go from nerd to stud, and that’s the role Franco will play.
25
JAMES
FRANCO
BAGS LEAD ROLE IN THE GAME 24 actress joins Star Trek sequel E!
Josh gets ready to tie the knot J
osh Lucas is ready to tie the knot... thanks to a frightening experience with a mountain lion. The J Edgar star revealed on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night that he proposed to his girlfriend shortly after he came face-to-face with the intimidating beast while shooting a movie in Big Sur, Calif. So, what went down prior to the proposal? And, wait — who’s he marrying?! The lovely brunette by his side at the J Edgar premiere remains nameless for now (if that’s even her!) — but we have a feeling Lucas won’t be able to keep a lid on her identity much longer. (A rep for the actor didn’t immediately return a request for comment.) A longtime bachelor, the 40-year-old Lucas was romantically linked over the years to Anne Hathaway, Rachel McAdams and Salma Hayek, among others.
News has learned that Nazneen Contractor (24) has been cast in the upcoming sequel to JJ Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek reboot. The actress has been tapped to play the wife of Noel Clarke’s character in the film. (Variety reported earlier this week that the Doctor Who star has signed on as “a family man with a wife and young daughter” Contractor is just one of the newcomers to come on board for
the yet-to-be-titled Star Trek sequel. In addition to Contractor and Clarke, Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Weller, and Alice Eve will all appear in the film, which will also feature original cast members Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto. The eagerly anticipated follow-up, which has Abrams at the helm again with screenwriters Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, is scheduled to engage moviegoers on May 17, 2013.
Sienna Miller engaged W
hen it comes to Sienna Miller and Tom Sturridge, there’s obviously a lot more going on than just a little PDA. So much so that the two lovebirds are now expecting their first child together. Oh, and if that wasn’t big news in and of itself, get this: The 29-year-old actress is not only pregnant, but is reportedly betrothed to her baby daddy as well! Guess this means things definitely have gotten serious. While reps for both Miller and Sturridge have yet to respond, one person has confirmed the pregnancy news — Sienna’s sister, Savannah. “THRILLED,” she tweeted regarding her sibling’s pending bundle of joy, first reported by Us Weekly. Later, when one of her followers wrote how there’s “no greater feeling than welcoming a new life into the world in the comfort of home,” Savannah replied with a simple “thank you.” As for being engaged, Life & Style cites a source saying that Sturridge popped the question with a vintage Victorian ring during a post-Christmas trip to Paris.
Chai Time
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa
26
SUNDAY CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Paint undercoat 7 Bedside noise 12 — suzette 17 All mammals have it 21 Used-car deal 22 News summary 23 Cowboy flick 24 Hindu god of fire 25 Perfect place 26 Contacted (2 wds.) 28 Exploding star 29 Ballpoint point 30 Pasta style(2 wds.) 32 Playing marbles 33 Colonial dance 35 Of a time period 37 Mrs. Eisenhower 38 Singer Mitchell 39 Late, great crooner 40 Mattress brand 42 Disencumber 43 Bjorn of tennis 44 Get scolded (2 wds.) 45 Mortgages, e.g. 47 Lazily 48 Cantata performers 49 Garden hose plastic 52 — Moines, Iowa 53 Tarzan’s title 54 Euro casualty 55 Furtive whisper 59 End a shutdown 61 Like a bad actor 62 Pave the way 63 Bring about 64 Hideous monsters 65 Finger-paint 66 Party tray cheese 67 Sure! (2 wds.) 68 DEA operative 69 Quicklime 70 Asian immigrant 72 More than snacks 73 Wildebeest 74 Taverns 75 Clues 76 Lower jaw 77 One — — million 80 Fringe benefits 82 Paddock youngsters 83 Underhand throws 84 Strong — —ox 85 Menu choice 87 It runs on runners 88 Contented murmurs 89 Rock climber’s aid 90 Sheath 91 Indian Ocean vessel 92 Pellet shooter (2 wds.) 94 Roman galley 95 Nigerian pop singer 96 Refrain from 97 Bulrush or cattail 98 Stage signal 99 Insult, slangily 100 Outer garments 101 Urge on 102 Big name in country music 104 Sewer access 107 Roast pig repast 108 Menacing sound 109 Nutritional supplement 113 Most promising 114 Did batik 115 Hang down
117 Duke or count 118 Proclamations 119 They carry a charge 120 Of earthquakes 122 Fish-to-be 123 Scottish philosopher 124 Gentle rises (2 wds.) 127 Dished out 129 Oodles (2 wds.) 130 Bid 131 "— — a Rainy Night" 132 Tolerate 133 Flock of quail 134 Buttered up 135 November lever puller 136 Talked back DOWN 1 Wrinkled fruits 2 Stop working 3 Front line, maybe? 4 Survey 5 He directed Marlon 6 Domain 7 Apollo’s twin 8 Late fall meteor shower 9 Keen 10 Rev the engine 11 Speed meas. 12 Encrypting
13 Torah reciter 14 LAX postings 15 Foot, in zoology 16 Like a recluse 17 Actress Daryl 18 Sugar cane rodent 19 Turn upside down 20 Lariat 27 Atlanta university 31 Blowgun weapons 34 Raise (abbr.) 36 Soho co. 38 Merry 39 Rhone tributary 41 Yellow-fever carrier 43 Apt. unit 44 Pursue 46 Jerry’s ice-cream partner 47 Anapest alternative 48 Diet guru Jenny 49 Lamp-plug part 50 Meat avoider 51 Bribed 53 — de vie (brandies) 54 Spore producers 55 Fab Four name 56 Lived on, as food 57 NNW opposite 58 New Year in Hanoi 60 Push-up muscle 61 Greer and Roach
63 Fossil fuel 65 Pats lightly 66 Physiques, slangily 67 Somber evergreens 69 Gourd cousin 70 Aim toward 71 Bad prefix 72 Wild crowds 74 Veep’s boss 75 "Camelot" composer 76 Magna Carta signer 78 Eldest Judd 79 Queen — lace 81 Gaelic 82 Embroidery thread 83 Praise highly 84 Melody 85 Publishing execs 86 Hunter’s org. 87 Condition 88 Made cheddar better 89 Devoutness 91 Began a card game 92 Wide 93 Sweetheart 94 Prickle 96 Medieval weapon 98 Ricochet 100 Hone 101 Speculate 102 More disgusting
103 Not square 104 Unit 105 Noted sci-fi writer 106 Fine point 107 — Skynyrd 108 Mourn 110 Wind god 111 Rigorous 112 Bought and sold 113 Fixed-up building
114 Gift recipient 115 Railroad terminal 116 Heaps 119 The lowdown 120 By oneself 121 Water-to-wine site 125 ET vehicle 126 Ms. Ullmann 128 Tooth pro’s deg.
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
Chai Time STAR POWER
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot
Date 9-1-2012
THIRUVAIKUMAR
As per Hindu panchang
thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9949870449
TAURUS
GEMINI
Family will be very happy. Employees need to be flexible at work place. You will plan for the future course of action. Chances of misunderstanding with spouse possible; avoid such a situation.
Employees may face the ire of superi‑ ors. A good news will be received. Happy events like marriage to take place at home. Recently married can get ready to invite the offspring.
Your social status is set to improve. You might take important decisions today; it will have an impact in the future. Hence, avoid taking decisions blindly on someone's advise.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Businessmen will sell their products with novel techniques and earn good profits. Friends or relatives staying abroad will help. Employees may face work burden and indirect opposition.
Your respect and fame are set to increase. Some have bright chances to buy a house or plot. Benefits and helps likely from an unexpected source. Unexpected finances will come by.
Your advise and suggestions will be accepted by all. Your stock is set to pile up. Those who have been interviewed, will get a favourable result. You will be determined to achieve set goals.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Stay away from disputes. A good day to take important decisions about new ventures, fresh investments and pur‑ chase of essential household articles. House warming in the offing.
A day to make self‑assesment and take corrective action for shortcomings. Avo‑ id undertaking journey. Avoid being em‑ otional and disputes as the day is not favourable. Pass day with less action.
Introduction to powerful VIPs likely. You will understand needs of family members and fulfil them. A good day to start new ventures, seeking finan‑ cial assistance and undertaking travel.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Postpone important decisions and jobs for a couple of days. Be careful at work‑ place and while travelling as chances of getting hurt. Businessmen will do well. Employees face unexpected allegations.
You might face tensions and hurdles in your assignments. Do not panic; sit‑ uation will change. Financial position looks strong. Businessmen will get VIP customers and get a boost.
Expected sops will come by for emplo‑ yees; promotion and pay hike too is possible. Self‑confidence levels might dip, which should be avoided. Never get into disputes as you face defeat.
SUMAA TEKUR
tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
Six of Swords – Overseas contacts are in focus. You may get a job oppor‑ tunity or an idea on meeting someone from another cul‑ ture/country.
Eight of Swords – Bonds are being sev‑ ered. But new rela‑ tionships are also being made. Each has a lifetime. No point holding on to friends who have moved on.
Nine of Swords – Pay attention to your dreams. Something is bothering you, and the answer to that lies in your dreams. You may be restless and anxious.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Eight of Pentacles – You need to learn a new skill or get into a workshop or cour‑ se to enhance your knowledge. Or, you run the risk of stag‑ nating in your job.
King of Cups – Youʼre being emotional – in all the wrong places. Especially at work, be careful to check what you say. Donʼt get too friendly with anyone too soon.
Seven of Wands – Conflict and some ki‑ nd of disturbance are indicated. You may not be able to avoid this conflict com‑ pletely. But you can choose to not react.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
The Fool –Take the plunge, with both feet. Youʼre in a happy position, unaware of impend‑ ing danger. But itʼs also the best way to learn.
Five of Wands – Thereʼs some contra‑ diction in your thou‑ ght. This is confusing those around you. Communicate clearly, especially with clie‑ nts and coworkers.
King of Swords – A lot of intellectual work is being expected of you. You may be getting emo‑ tional about some‑ thing unnecessarily. Think practically.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
The Moon – Youʼre feeling moody and not in the frame of mind to stick to the rulebook. Take some time out for things you like to do.
Eight of Cups – You have everything you ever wanted – free‑ dom, power, position – yet you feel unhap‑ py. You realise hap‑ piness is not linked to any of these.
Seven of Wands – Youʼre feeling tired with the rat race and want to take a break. But financial consid‑ erations may not allow you to give up this soon.
For Better or for Worse Stone soup
Funeral suit bereaved woman goes into a funeral home to make arrangements for her husband's funeral. She tells the director that she wants her husband to be buried in a dark blue suit. He asks, "Wouldn't it just be easier to bury him in the black suit that he's wearing?" "No," she insists. "It must be a blue suit." She then gives him a blank check to buy one. When she comes back for the wake, she sees her husband in the coffin and he is
A Ink pen
COMICS
Fred Basset
ARIES
TAROT READ
27
wearing a beautiful blue suit. She tells the director, "That is absolutely perfect! I love it! How much did it cost?" He says, "Actually, it didn't cost anything. The funniest thing happened. As soon as you left, another corpse was brought in, this one wearing a blue suit. I noticed that they were about the same size, and asked the other widow if she would mind if her husband were buried in a black suit. She said that it’s fine with her. So, I switched the heads."
Vol: 1, No. 176 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 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211
Chai Time 1230 Movie - Happy Days 1530 Movie - Parugu 1900 Movie - Dhada 2300 Alajadi 2330 Songs 0800 Ayurvedam 0900 Challenge 1100 CID 1200 Maa Voori Vanta
‘Dhada’ at 1900 Hrs on MAA TV
1230 Movie - Rama Rama Krishna Krishna 1530 Movie - Ragada 1800 Movie - Katha Screenplay Darsakatvam Appalaraju 2130 Celebrity Cricket League 0800 Gemini Talkies 0830 Movie - Pranam 1130 Aha Emi Ruchi
‘K S D A’ at 1800 Hrs on GEMINI TV
1400 [V] Love Net 1500 [V] Spot 1530 [V] Trailers 1555 [V] Fresh Songs 1600 [V] Steal Ur Girlfriend 1700 [V] Humse Hai Life 1900 [V] Steal Ur Girlfriend 2000 Love Kiya To Darna Kya 2100 Love 2 Hate U 2155 [V] Fresh Songs 2200 [V] Trailers 2230 [V] Behind The Sins 2300 [V] Steal Ur Girlfriend 2355 [V] Fresh Songs 0700 [V] Trailers 0730 [V] Zabardast Hits 0800 [V] Mind Blasting Mornings 1100 [V] Fresh Songs 1200 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1230 [V] Humse Hai Life 1300 [V] Steal Ur Girlfriend
‘[V] Steal Ur Girlfriend’ at 1900 Hrs on CHANNEL [V]
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
Telly sitcoms, news and movie listings
1300 Movie - Alibaba Ara Dozen Dongalu 1600 Femina Miss India South 1800 Movie - Nuvve Kavali 2100 Etv News 2130 Paripoorna Mahila 2230 Movie - Raktha Sindhuram 0800 Jeevanajyothi
‘Nuvve Kavali’ at 1800 Hrs on ETV
1300 Movie - Village Lo Vinayakudu 1730 Luckku Kickku 1800 Comedy Club 1900 Movie - Bujjigaadu - Made In Chennai 2230 Luckku Kickku 2330 Latest Songs 0800 Gopuram 0900 Sri Raghavendra Vybhavam
1350 Movie - School Of Rock 1610 Sports Crash 1800 Wipeout 2 2000 Criss Angel Mindfreak 2200 Movie - Timeline 0700 Infomercial/30 Min 0730 Sky Teleshopping 0830 Infomercial/30 Min 0900 Sky Teleshopping 0930 Criss Angel Mindfreak 0955 Infomercial/5 Min 1000 Criss Angel Mindfreak 1025 Infomercial/5 Min 1030 Flipping Out 1130 Wipeout 2 1225 Live To Dance 1320 Minute To Win It
‘Timeline’ at 2200 Hrs on AXN
‘Veer’ at 2000 Hrs on IMAGINE 1230 Movie - Jab We Met 1600 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 1730 Nach Le Ve With Saroj Khan - Grand Finale 2000 Movie – Veer 0900 Box Office India 0930 Mahima Shani Dev Ki 1000 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 1030 Haar Jeet 1100 Nach Le Ve With Saroj Khan 1200 Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo 1230 Dwarkadheesh - Bhagwan Shri Krishn 1300 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto
1230 Movie - Ajnabee 1530 Movie - Dhamkee 1830 Bigg Boss - Grand Finale 0700 Balika Vadhu - Kacchi Umar Ke Pakke Rishte 0730 Home Shop 18 2100 Movie - Ready 0800 Veer Shivaji 0830 Sasural Simar Ka 0900 Parichay - Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka 1000 Hawan 1030 Uttaran 1100 Phulwa 1130 Balika Vadhu - Kacchi Umar Ke Pakke Rishte 1200 Sasural Simar Ka 1300 Na Aana Is Des Laado 1330 Hawan
‘Ajnabee’ at 1230 Hrs on COLORS
‘Vivah’ at 1500 Hrs on ZEE TV 1130 Dance India Dance 1500 Movie - Vivah 1900 Apka Sapna Hamara Apna 1930 Shobha Somnath Ki 2030 Dance India Dance 2200 Dance India Dance Limelight 2330 Jalsa - Music For Soul 0900 Bhagonwali 0930 Afsar Bitiya 1000 Choti Bahu 2 1030 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 1100 Ram Milaye Jodi 1130 Hitler Didi 1200 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1230 Afsar Bitiya 1300 Choti Bahu 2
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1200 Movie - Robot 1600 CID 1900 Crime Patrol Dastak 2000 Adaalat 2100 Kahani Comedy Circus Ki 2330 Crime Patrol - Dastak 0730 Sky Star Advertising 0900 Adaalat 1100 Crime Patrol - 3 1200 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1245 Dekha Ek Khwaab 1330 Parvarrish - Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi
‘Singham’ at 1800 Hrs on STAR PLUS
‘Robot’ at 1200 Hrs on SONY
1300 Movie - Meri Taaqat 1600 Ruk Jana Nahin 1800 Movie - Singham 2100 Survivor India 2200 Survivor India - Exclusive 0800 Superstar Preview 0830 Ruk Jana Nahin 0900 Diya Aur Bati Hum 1000 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1030 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 1100 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 1130 Maryaada ... Lekin Kab Tak? 1200 Diya Aur Bati Hum 1300 Ruk Jana Nahin 1330 Hamari Devrani
MOVIES OF THE DAY AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
‘B - M I C’ at 1900 Hrs on ZEE TELUGU
‘Et Insight’ at 2100 Hrs only on ET NOW 1400 Bollywood This Week 1430 Et Insight 1500 The Market Makers 1530 Tee Time With Shaili Chopra 1600 Technoholik 1630 Your Trades 1700 Zigwheels 1730 Market Summit 2011 1830 The Market Makers 1900 Investor's Guide 1930 Starting Up 2000 Zigwheels 2030 Talking Technicals 2100 Et Insight 2130 Your Trades 2200 Tee Time With Shaili Chopra 2230 Brand Equity 2300 The Market Makers 0900 First Trades 1000 Hot Stocks 1100 Buy Now Sell Now - The Stock Game 1130 Buy Now Sell Now 1200 Market Sense 1300 Business Day 1330 Markets Now
1300 Movie 1500 Big Wheels 1530 Galileo Extreme 1600 How To Be A Gentleman 1630 Aspire 1700 Survivor 1800 Defenders 1900 Lucha Libre 2000 Movie 2200 Aspire 2230 Defenders 0800 Galileo Extreme 0900 Survivor 1000 Bellator
‘Kati Patang’ at 2000 Hrs on SAB TV
‘Lucha Libre’ at 1900 Hrs only on BIG CBS PRIME
1400 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1530 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 1730 F.I.R. 2000 Movie - Kati Patang 2300 F.I.R. 0800 Teleshopping 0900 Gutur Gu 1200 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah
1410 Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix 1655 The Time Machine 1845 Romeo Must Die 2100 Rush Hour 2 2245 Bloodsport 0915 The New Adventures Of Old Christine 0945 Scooby Doo 2 - Monsters Unleashed
1305 The Scorpion King 1505 The Goods - Live Hard, Sell Hard 1645 The Wedding Date 1835 The Time Traveler's Wife 2100 Death Race 2 2310 Die Another Day 0800 The Time Traveler's Wife 1010 Ace Ventura - Pet Detective 1200 Death Race 2
1400 Cougar Town 1500 The Big Bang Theory 1600 Scrubs 1700 Britannia High 1800 Parenthood 2000 No Ordinary Family 2100 Private Practice 2200 The Fashionista Diaries 2300 Scrubs 0700 Slot 0800 Criss Angel - Mindreak 0900 Parenthood 1000 Scrubs 1030 America's Funniest Home Videos 1100 Criss Angel - Mindreak 1200 Parenthood 1300 Slot 1330 America's Funniest Home Videos
‘Private Practice’ at 2100 Hrs on ZEE CAFE
Combat Hospital
Dance India Dance
Storyline - Marks receive a worrisome call from home and confides in Pedersen. Rebecca and Bobby participate in Pederson's group therapy session, leaving Rebecca feeling vulnerable when she over-shares.
Storyline - Audiences have already seen the shock on Terence Lewis’s face when he saw Neerav auditioning for the DID auditions. Neerav has been Terence’s dance assistant for the past five years.
‘Combat Hospital’ at 2100 Hrs on STAR WORLD
‘Dance India Dance’ at 2030 Hrs on ZEE TV
1400 Man Vs Wild 1600 Swords 1700 Discovery Showcase 1800 Wild Discovery 1900 Speed At Its Best 2000 Super Sunday Nights 2100 Man Vs Wild 2200 Gold Rush Alaska 2300 Curiosity 1000 Rampage 1100 How Do They Do It? 1130 Feast India 1200 Gold Rush Alaska 1300 Wild Discovery
‘Hulchul’ at 1400 Hrs on ZOOM
‘Charlie’s Angels’ at 2000 Hrs on STAR WORLD 1400 Achievers' Club 1500 Love2 Hate U 1600 Supernatural 1900 Combat Hospital 2000 Charlie’s Angels 2100 Love2 Hate U 2200 Combat Hospital 2300 Dexter 0700 Glee 0800 Las Vegas 0900 Charlie’s Angels 1000 The Shield 1100 Love2 Hate U 1200 Two And A Half Men 1230 The Simpsons 1300 The Big Bang Theory 1330 Friends
‘Gold Rush Alaska’ at 2200 Hrs on DISCOVERY CHANNEL
1400 Movie - Hulchul 1730 Letz Go! 1900 Planet Bollywood News 1930 Business Of Bollywood 2000 Bollywood Big Story 2030 Love Dobara 2100 Just For Love 2300 Bollywood Bonanza 0700 Fresh Mornings 0800 Red Carpet 0805 Fresh Mornings 0900 Zoom Barabar Jhoom Top 20 1000 Fresh Mornings 1100 Zoom Box 1200 Garma Garam 1300 Planet Bollywood News 1330 Business Of Bollywood
‘Death Race 2’ at 2100 Hrs on HBO
1430 Discovery Science Presents 1630 Massive Machines 1700 Massive Speed 1730 Showdown - Air Combat 1830 Best Of Discovery Science 1930 Weird Or What? 2030 The Indestructibles 2100 Deconstructed 2130 How It's Made 2200 The New Inventors 2230 Frontline Battle Machines With Mike Brewer 2330 Industrial Revelations 1030 Discovery Science Presents 1230 Best Of Discovery Science 1330 Weird Or What?
‘The New Inventors’ at 2200 Hrs on DISCOVERY SCIENCE
‘The Foodie’ at 1830 Hrs only on TIMES NOW 1400 News Now 1430 Headline Grabbers 1500 Best Of Newshour Debates 1600 News Now 1630 Times Drive 1700 News Now 1730 Victory 1800 News Now 1830 Heroes 2011 1900 News Now 1930 Fond Farewells 2011 2000 Total Recall 2100 9 PM 2130 Total Recall 2200 10 PM 2230 Cinema 2011 2300 News Now Overnight 2330 Headline Grabbers 0700 News Now 0800 The Morning Show 0900 News Now 1200 Live Report 1300 News Now At 1
Playing Field
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
The games people play
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Al-Attiyah keeps hopes alive COPIAPO: Defending champion Nasser al-Attiyah’s rollercoaster Dakar Rally took another twist on Saturday when he clinched the seventh stage, two days after a broken radiator dealt a potential hammer blow to his hopes. The Qatari took his Hummer to a second stage win on this year’s gruelling event, crossing the line 7min 30sec ahead of American teammate Robby Gordon. Al-Attiyah had lost 20 minutes on Thursday when the spare wheel on his vehicle came loose, damaged the radiator and caused the engine to overheat. On the first stage, al-Attiyah had lost almost 10 minutes because of mechanical trouble before bouncing back to claim the second stage. Overall leader Stephane Peterhansel, a six-time winner in the motorcycle section and a triple champion on four wheels, finished third on Saturday in his Mini, 7min 53sec off the lead. Fellow Mini driver Krzysztof Holowczyc of Poland was fourth, 14min 57sec behind al-Attiyah which allowed Peterhansel to extend his overall lead to 11min 22sec. “The car worked perfectly
Steve Stricker bounces a ball of his putter on the 10th hole at the Hyundai Tournament. France’s Christophe Blondeau tries to restart his motorbike after a fall. well today and we attacked from the beginning to the end of the special,” said the Qatari, who began the day down in eighth place overall and more than 50 minutes behind Peterhansel. “We took a lot of risks to set the best time. Our objective is to claw back seven or eight minutes every day. And today we did it perfectly. We will do our best to repeat this performance in all stages from Monday onwards, or even try to do better. “At any rate, we have no other choice if we still want to win the Dakar.”
Argentine Javier Pizzolito (left) and British Tobias Younger at the Dakar Rally.
Spain’s Marc Coma, riding a KTM, won the seventh stage of the motorcycle event ahead of French teammate Cyril Despres who held onto the overall lead. Coma covered the course in and around Copiapo in 3hr 51min 35sec, two minutes and three seconds ahead of Despres. “It’s common knowledge that the stage before the rest day is always difficult, and today was not an exception, with stifling heat and very soft sand,” said Coma. “Nevertheless, we rode very fast and I was able to attack. I
gained two minutes on Cyril but that is obviously not enough.” Despres was critical of his own performance. “I was a bit lazy today, since Marc led the race from 200km onwards, the start of the second special, but I think that is also part of the race,” he said. “I finished with my hands paralysed, but it was a really beautiful special with beautiful dunes.” Portugal’s Paulo Goncalves, on a Husqvarna, completed the top three on the first Chilean stage of this year’s race, 2min 49sec off the pace. Despres goes into Sunday’s rest day with a 7min 48sec lead over Coma in the overall motorcycling standings. Chilean rider Francisco Lopez pulled out of the race on Saturday after falling off his Aprilia. Lopez, who was in ninth place overall and had won the first stage, tore ligaments in his right knee in the incident which happened at the first checkpoint.
Qatar’s driver Nasser Al-Attiyah steers his Hummer during Stage 7 of Dakar Rally.
Stricker takes lead KAPALUA: Steve Stricker fired a 10-under par 63 on Saturday to take a five-shot lead at the halfway stage of the US PGA Tour’s season-opening Tournament of Champions. Stricker, at number six in the world the highest-ranked player in the 27-man field, had eight birdies and an eagle without a bogey as the American took his 36-hole total to 15-under par 131. Webb Simpson posted his second straight 68 to sit second on 136, while South Korean-born American Kevin Na climbed into third place on 137 with a sparkling 64. Stricker was already six-under for the day when he eagled the par-five 15th, where he hit a three-wood to 12 feet. He added two more birdies at 17 and 18. “This game is never easy, but I had it going today,” Stricker said. “I felt like I was going to make every putt I looked at there for a while and I gave myself a lot of opportunities — which is the key.” Na thrust himself into contention with an eagle-eagle finish. He started the day even and was still at even par for the tournament through eight holes. AFP
Big B’day bash planned for The Greatest Amir gets LOUISVILLE: Boxing icon Muhammad Ali will celebrate his 70th birthday in his hometown of Louisville, where the Muhammad Ali Center will mark the occasion with a series of events starting January 14. “On January 14, 2012, in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, Ali will be celebrating his 70th birthday among friends, admirers, and people who have made a difference in his life,” center officials said in a statement. The fund-raiser is part of the center’s “Seven Days for Seven Decades” programme of community activities. Ali, who was born Cassius Clay Jnr in Louisville on January 17, 1942, has homes with his wife, Lonnie, in Arizona and Michigan as well as Louisville. In November, the heavyweight great was
Muhammed Ali
briefly hospitalized in Phoenix, where doctors treated him for dehydration. That came a few days after Ali attended the funeral of his old rival Joe Frazier, who died of liver cancer in Philadelphia on November 8. Ali, whose Parkinson’s Disease has diminished his physical capacities in recent years, has nevertheless used his public stature raise awareness of the illness and campaign for research funding. He has also continued to involve himself in various charitable ventures and campaigned for boxing reform. The Muhammad Ali Center, a cultural center that celebrates his life and career, opened in November of 2005. AFP
rematch
LONDON: Promoters for British boxing star Amir Khan have claimed that he has been offered a world title rematch with Lamont Peterson after the International Boxing Federation revealed to them that the “mystery man” seen ringside at last month’s fight was one of their officials. Khan lost both his WBA and IBF light-welterweight titles after home-town fighter Peterson was awarded a controversial split-decision victory following their bout in Washington on December 10. AFP
Playing Field
The games people play
Murray ready for Oz Open World No 4 Andy Murray laid down a marker for the Australian Open with a 65-minute demolition of Alexandr Dolgopolov in the final of the Brisbane International on Sunday BRISBANE: Murray, runner-up at Melbourne Park for the past two years, showed no mercy against the world No.15 from Ukraine as he cruised to the title 6-1, 6-3 in the Pat Rafter Arena. The Scotsman was lethal in all departments as he dominated Dolgopolov, a player who had pushed him to four close games in the Australian Open quarter-finals last year. He broke Dolgopolov twice in the first set and did not lose a point on his first three service games to claim the opener in just 26 minutes. Murray went on a run of nine consecutive games from 2-1 in the first to 4-0 in the second before the Ukrainian finally stemmed the flow by holding serve for only the second time in the match. That signalled a slight comeback from Dolgopolov, who then surprisingly got a service game back before holding after a struggle to make it 4-3. But Murray held his next serve then broke Dolgopolov to love to clinch his 22nd title on the ATP tour. Murray had started the week slowly and struggled to win his first two matches, against Mikhail Kushkin and Gilles Muller. But he hit top gear from then on, easily accounting for Marcos Baghdatis in the quarter-finals and Bernard Tomic in the semis before his impressive display against Dolgopolov. He now heads to Melbourne where his only outing before the Australian Open will be an exhibition match at the Kooyong Classic.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
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Real up lead MADRID: Real Madrid extended their lead over Barcelona at the top of La Liga to six points on Saturday with a 5-1 rout of Granada in the minnows’ first trip to the Santiago Bernabeu in 36 years. The pressure is now on champions Barcelona, who still boast the psychological advantage of having beaten Real last month, when they meet Espanyol on Sunday. Real coach Jose Mourinho promised there would be no repeat of the sloppy first half performance in the King’s Cup against Malaga in midweek where they had to come from behind to win 3-2. But it was still a laboured first 45 minutes with the team fortunate to go in 2-1 up at the break. Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil combined to set up Karim Benzema to slot in the home side’s first goal, but Granada replied from their first real attack with an unmarked Mikel Rico heading into the corner after 22 minutes. With the Real defence dozing again, Granada could have gone ahead after they cut through the backline but Rico saw his shot saved well by Iker Casillas. Sergio Ramos then headed Real back into the lead from a corner after 34 minutes. The game turned in the first few minutes after the break when Gonzalo Higuain and Benzema finished off Granada’s hopes of a comeback and then, with a minute to go, Ronaldo hit the fifth.
Racism: 1 held
Andy Murray poses with his trophy after winning the Brisbane International on Sunday.
Messi bids to do a Platini
LIVERPOOL: A 20-year-old man was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence during Liverpool’s FA Cup clash with Oldham. Oldham player Tom Adeyemi was allegedly abused by fans during Friday’s third round game at Anfield which Liverpool won 5-1. The incident comes as Liverpool are on the defensive over the handling of the Luis Suarez affair. Adeyemi who is on loan from Premier League side Norwich, seemed to be in tears, and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard moved across to the corner of the ground where the incident occurred, and comforted the 20-year-old. Liverpool released a statement after the game in which they confirmed that police were now investigating the incident. “An incident occurred in the second half of the match which is now being investigated by both the Club and the police,” said the club statement. “We will continue to work closely with the police to establish the details of what actually happened.”
PARIS: Lionel Messi will find out on Monday if he has become the first man since Michel Platini to win the Ballon d’Or for three years running when the winner of the 2011 award is announced at a ceremony in Zurich. The Barcelona superstar won the inaugural FIFA Ballon d’Or — a combination of the France Football Ballon d’Or prize and FIFA’s World Player of the Year award — last year, having picked up both awards in 2009. Messi’s rivals for the honour are his Barcelona team-mate Xavi and his great Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2008. Xavi was also shortlisted for the 2010 prize and finished in third place, behind another Barca colleague, Andres Iniesta. Messi, 24, will start as a strong favourite to retain his prize, after a year in which he inspired his club to a La Liga and Champions League double.
Tevez deal set ROME: AC Milan have agreed terms with Carlos Tevez and are waiting to hear back from Manchester City about their latest offer for the Argentine forward. Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani revealed the news when asked by journalists whether or not Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato is for sale. “We are not negotiating the sale of Pato, I have an agreement with Tevez but not with City,” he said. Galliani said on Thursday he had sent an “imaginative” offer to City which the Italian press claim consists of a loan until the end of the season with an obligation to buy, under set conditions, in the summer. However, City have already rejected a previous offer from Milan to borrow the player, claiming they will only sell him outright. Italian press on Saturday claimed Inter Milan have entered the bidding by offering 25 million euros for the 27year-old.
Playing Field
The games people play
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
Clarke inks $1m bat deal
Better things await Proteas Twelfth Man Babu Kalyanpur
S
outh Africa will always find it difficult to shake off the label of ‘chokers’ despite constantly denying it. How else can one justify that it took one of the best teams in the world three years to register a home series victory. It is not as if the South Africans have been doing badly. On the contrary, they have been dominating mostly in the series before letting the door ajar at some point to let the opposition in. South Africa won 2-1 against Sri Lanka but not without the latter winning the second Test at Durban emphatically. South Africa always seem to go wrong somewhere. Earlier in the season, they let Australia come from behind to square the series. Australia were reeling at one time with the score at six for 215 but reached the target of 310 with two wickets to spare. Sri Lanka took the Durban Test by a massive 208 runs and gave themselves a chance in the series.
However, South Africa got their act together in the decider at Cape Town and cruised to victory in the third Test by 10 wickets. This may well be the turning point. The best thing the South Africans have done is to appoint the excellent Gary Kirsten as coach. Having played with some of the older brigade, he knows the team better than anybody else. He did such great work with India and is certain to do the same with the Proteas. It is refreshing to see that the South African selectors giving a chance to players who merit selection. The masterstroke this season was to give Vernon Philander a chance in Test cricket. Philander more than repaid the faith, taking 30 Test wickets in the season and more often than not was the key behind South Africa’s victories this season. The batsmen too contributed at one time or another. The return of AB de Villiers also strengthened the middle-order and he delivered in almost every Test. The reliable Jacques Kallis did not have one of his best seasons but he ended it strongly with his second double hundred in Tests. Sri Lanka continued their slide despite
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A
ustralian cricket captain Michael Clarke has reportedly agreed to sign a new contract worth more than $1 million with a bat sponsor, says a report in the Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax newspapers said the 30-year-old, who scored a record at the SCG of 329 not out against India last week, has made a handshake agreement with bat manu-
the rare victory in Durban. This was there fourth series loss in a row in South Africa. They have been down in the dumps since a long period now. The Tilakaratne Dilshan era has been a disaster all the way through. A combination of politics and poor cricket has put Sri Lankan cricket in a quandary. There have been quirky selections and a total lack of commitment. The Sri Lankan cap has been cheapened by the selectors. The worst statement of the season made by the selection committee was that Thilan Samaraweera was not good enough to play for Sri Lanka and that the team was looking beyond him. Samaraweera had the last laugh. He scored two centuries in South Africa and was the architect of Sri Lanka’s first win in South Africa. Kumar Sangakkara’s hard-hitting speech earlier this year in England summed up the story of Sri Lankan cricket. The ignoring of spinner Ajantha Mendis, the woeful form of former skipper Mahela Jayawardene and the directionless captaincy of Dilshan have proved detrimental to Sri Lankan cricket. With South Africa now on the threshold of better things to come, Sri Lanka are plummeting steadily into a bottomless pit.
facturer Spartan Sports. “The last I heard, there was a handshake agreement and a contract for a threeyear deal with Spartan worth seven figures,” a source reportedly told Fairfax. “If you said the deal was worth well over a million dollars, you wouldn’t be wrong.” Clarke played without any logos on his bat during the Sydney Test, as his 18-year association with Slazenger had ended because it reportedly could not come to agreement over his commercial demands. Fairfax reported Clarke’s bat, and potentially other merchandise, would be emblazoned with his initials. He is expected to join the company’s sports ambassadors, which include New Zealand rugby league player Benji Marshall, injured fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, boxing champion Daniel Geale, netballer Laura Geitz and women’s footballer Kyah Simon.
Playing Field
The games people play
Tsonga bags Qatar Open title DOHA: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who reached the Australian Open final four years ago, gave himself a great build-up to this year’s opening Grand Slam by capturing the eighth title of his career at the Qatar Open on Saturday. The world number four from France beat his 16th ranked compatriot Gael Monfils 7-5, 6-3 in a final with great shots and misses, delights and unexpected irritations, and an intriguing outcome when it seemed at one stage there might not be one at all. In the process Tsonga showed again that he has the armoury to achieve his ambition of breaking into the big four, and did so in a contest between the two most exciting black male players since Yannick Noah retired a decade and a half ago. “I tried to be more aggressive and be very competitive because against Roger (Federer), Rafa (Nadal) or Novak (Djokovic) that’s what
you have to do,” Tsonga said. “You have to be aggressive. I tried to do that this week and it worked.” However the on-off nature of the first set suggested Tsonga might not get the chance. A sea fog swirled over the court, and although visibility was more than adequate the surface became slippery and uncertain. “It was difficult. The surface was very slippery especially on the ‘Qatar’ sign painted on the court,” added the 26-year-old Tsonga. “It was dangerous but they did enough to make it OK.” After 15 minutes it was decided to start, but only eight minutes later, by which time Monfils had broken serve and then indicated his insecurity underfoot, they decided to stop again. Nothing appeared to have changed in the conditions, nor had it during the 36 minutes delay, except that there had been mopping and drying operations, especially to large logos not far behind the baselines. For a while Monfils had the advantage — better balanced and faster in movement, and more confident after his early lead. But it evaporated from the moment he tried to close out the set at 5-4. AFP
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
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