T
‘AMUL MAN’ V KURIEN PASSES AWAY
he father of India's ‘white revolution’ Dr Verghese Kurien passed away early this morning at Muljibhai Patel Urological Hospital in Nadiad town due to age-related problems, Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation sources said.
I WANT TO KNOW INDIA BETTER: HALLE PG 25
H
ollywood actor Halle Berry, on the set of Cloud Atlas, says she is fascinated with Indian culture and wants to know it better. “India is a fascinating country with myriad layers in it. I want to take a step towards learning more about one of the oldest cultures in the world.”
PG 5 WWW.POSTNOON.COM
WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 25°C
Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper
SEPTEMBER 9, 2012 HYDERABAD
INDIA LAUNCHES 100TH SPACE MISSION
I
ndia today successfully launched its 100th space mission with the indigenous PSLV-C21 rocket putting in orbit two foreign satellites. The launch, scheduled for 9.51am, was delayed by two minutes at the end of the 51hour countdown. FLASH 32 PAGES
`3
ON SUNDAY
180,000 Indians commit suicide every year
Don’t become a statistic According to the National Crime Records Bureau, AP accounts for 11.1 per cent of suicides that took place in the country in the year 2011. On the eve of World Suicide Prevention Day, we address this burning social issue. REPORT ON PG 4
2
CITY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
STRIKING A BALANCE
Why me?
Head to Lamakaan for the play Why Me? being presented on September 9. The play revolves around the life of a middle-aged man. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: September 9, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329
Recent and retrospective
A painting exhibition by artiste Sudip Roy will be held at Kalakrithi Art Gallery from September 28. Where: Kalakrithi Art Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: September 28, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 6656 4466
Madly in love
Head to Goethe Zentrum for a Swiss Film Festival. The movie Madly in love will screened on September 10. Where: Goethe Zentrum, Banjara Hills, Rd No 3 When: September 10, 4pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0443
Deep in the wood
The exhibition displays woodcut art prints by 22 artists.These art works are from the woodcut workshop conducted by Earth Art Gallery. Where: Earth Art Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing
A relook at art
Jannis—A Relook, an exhibition of recent water colours on arches paper by Jehangir Jani is being held. Where: Kalakrithi Art Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 10 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 66564 466
Art exhibition
An art collection by Dr Praveen Jagarlamundi titled Pieda is being held at Muse Art Gallery. Where: Muse Art Gallery, Tank Bund Road When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999
Sunyata
An exhibition of paintings by Suniyata Khanna is being held. Where: Alankritha Art Gallery, Residency Inn Kavuri hills
CINEMAS
A boy tries to balance on his hands in Uppuguda, Old City on Friday evening. When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2354 0023
Life of others
A German film Leben der Anderen (The life of others) directed by Floren Henckel Von Donnersmarck wil be shown on September 21. Where: Goethe Zentrum, Banjara Hills, Rd No 3 When: September 21, 4pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0443
Kebab and biryani fest
The Jewel of Nizam at Hotel Golkonda is hosting a kebab and biryani fest. Sample various age-old recipes. The fest offers options for both vegetarians as well as for non-vegetarians. Where: Jewel of Nizam, Hotel Golkonda, Masab Tank When: Ongoing, 12.30pm onwards and 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6611 0130
Shobana’s Krishna
Talented danseuse and actor Shobhana will perform along with her troupe. Where: Ravindra Bharathi,
Saifabad When: September 8, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 2323 1245
Mediterranean food fest
Take a trip and experience a variety of Mediterranean delights such as bruschetta and seafood marinara pasta, bruschetta and antipasto at Truffles cafe. The fest is on till September 30. Where: Truffles Cafe, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 10 When: Ongoing, 8am onwards Contact: (040)2355 0105
Wisest fool on earth
Catch the play, Wisest Fool on Earth at Lamakaan. The play is about Jay, a jobless man who finds himself locked up in a washroom. Unable to get out he engages in an interesting monologue. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: September 9 11pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329
Exhibition-cum-sale
Shrujan ( Threads of Life) a non profit organisation will be
M ANIL KUMAR
organising an exhibition-cum-sale of finest quality of Kutchi hand embroidered apparels and life style products which will feature 16 different types of embroidery Where: Veevs Boutique, Banjara Hills, Rd No 14 When: September 11 onwards, 10.30am onwards Contact: 95429 76567
Tamil Nadu Food festival Courtyard by Marriott is hosting a Tamil Nadu Food Festival with the name ‘Arusuvai Sangamam’ at its all day dinning restaurant Momo Café from 27 August to 9 September. Where: Momo Cafe, Courtyard by Marriot, Tank Bund road When: Ongoing, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2752 1250
Cotton and silk expo
An exhibition featuring 75 weavers is being organised by Nirmala Hastakalakar Vikas Society. The exhibition is on till September 9. Where: Kalinga Cultural Society, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: 98499 00930
Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 44767777, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 8800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973
3
CITY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Man, maid held for theft
B
owenpally police on Saturday arrested Koppula Laxmi alias Varalaxmi and her associate Gunda Tataji for theft. Stolen jewellery worth nearly `20 lakh was recovered from Koppula Laxmi’s possession. Police said Laxmi would made a note of the homes where she worked as a domestic help, while Tataji did the clean up job.
Principal found dead
New sand boa at zoo
P
T
rincipal of Aurora College, Ravi Paturi, 47, was found dead in the Hussain Sagar Lake early in the morning. Ramgopalpet inspector, Shanker Yadav, said Ravi, a resident of Tarnaka, had been missing for the past two days. Police suspect it is a case of suicide. The body was shifted to the Gandhi Hospital mortuary for postmortem. A case has been filed.
oday the Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad, received a Red Sand Boa, caught from the Mohammedia Masjid, Sagar Ring Road. The snake was medically examined and found healthy. The snake will be under observation for 15 days and will be available for public viewing thereafter. It’s 1.5 metre long and weighs around 2.4 kg.
‘Minor’ victims of hooch mafia
Enquiries with police and excise departments revealed that the hooch mafia mainly recruits children who are either abandoned or belong to poverty-stricken parents to ply their trade. Mohd SUBHAN
mohd.s@postnoon.com
“M
ere baap ne mujhe chod diya aur maa ne dusre ke saath bhaag gaya (My father abandoned me and my mother ran away with another man)” said a wide-eyed 12-year-old Mohd Saddam to the excise inspector Bharat Bhushan. Mohd Saddam, who speaks only Hindi, narrates how he, sitting forlorn on the pavement, was taken away by the gudamba (hooch) mafia and has since been one of the scores of children used for selling hooch. Saddam says if he does not sell gudamba, he gets beaten up, whereas he gets daily wages if he sells it. He says he is scared so he does it. Saddam unbuttons his shirt and shows signs of injuries to buttress his claims of torture. Saddam came to Hyderabad with his parents from Mahbubnagar, some four years ago. His father, Mohd Moula, was a ‘professional’ beggar, and his mother, a domestic help, who was fed up with her husband. A year-and-a-half ago, Moula left for Mumbai and his mother, making the best of his absence, bolted with another man leaving Saddam on the pavement. The boy says a relative who N SHIVA KUMAR
lived in the City refused to give him shelter. One day a man came up to Saddam and asked him his details. The man was gudamba seller Bandi Srinu, who offered the boy the job of peddling hooch. Selling 1,500 sachets of `4 per pack, Saddam makes `9,000 every day. But the boy gets just `150. He also revealed that many young boys like him work for Bandi Srinu. Enquiries with police and excise departments revealed that the hooch mafia mainly recruits children who are either abandoned or belong to povertystricken parents to ply their trade. There are also reports that students of government schools are being persuaded
MOHD SADDAM NARRATES HOW HE, SITTING FORLORN ON THE PAVEMENT, WAS TAKEN
A government school classroom that serves as gudamba ‘outlet’ after dusk.
TO SUBSCRIBE, CALL US ON 80082 00713
or SMS „Postnoon‰ to 56161
AWAY BY THE GUDAMBA (HOOCH) MAFIA AND HAS SINCE BEEN ONE OF MANY CHILDREN USED FOR SELLING HOOCH. to earn an extra buck, as the risk involved in minors selling hooch are less compared with when adults do it. “All we can do is send them to juvenile homes. But when they are released they have no place to go but take up hooch sale again,” said a police official.
5
/095 Rs.1 9/: e c 4 r Pri Rs.5 Cove r Price: : 50% g e f n f i O l Sav Tota
A FRESH NEW POINT OF VIEW You can also call or email us at:
040 - 4067 2222 subscription@postnoon.com
4
CITY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Choose life, with a little help Every suicide is as much an indictment against society as a crime against one’s self. Society, therefore, must make a collective effort to come to the aid of the desperate. Signs to watch out for
1 2
A person is feeling worthless or hopeless
RANJANI RAJENDRA
He/she suddenly develops an eating or sleeping disorder
ranjani.r@postnoon.com
T
wo days ago a nine-yearold girl jumped to her death from her neighbour’s roof. Her family was shell shocked. The reason for suicide: the girl’s mother had reprimanded her for something she’d done. Only last week, a woman poisoned her children and then proceeded to attempt suicide by consuming the same poison. Though the woman was rescued, her two children died. Her reason? Family problems following her husband’s death. Causes are just as varied as the
3 4 5 6
Someone is dealing with a broken relationship Is facing a financial crisis or bereavement
He/she repeatedly talks about taking his/her life Has a definite plan in place to commit suicide
Suicide prevention helplines Roshni:
(040) 66202000, 27848584
Makro Foundation: (040) 46004600 methods people adopt to kill themselves, but the consequences are all the same – a wasted life and a shattered family that is left behind trying to figure out when and where they’d gone so wrong. The suicide rate in Andhra Pradesh is nothing to be proud of. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), AP accounts for 11.1 per cent of the suicides taking place in the country in the year 2011. One of
the most common reasons for suicides in AP of late has been bankruptcy and a sudden change in the economic condition. In fact, most suicides takes place between the ages of 15 to 40 years. “The core group however is between the ages of 20 to 35. Reasons like relationship problems, be it with the spouse, parents or in-laws, financial pressures and in youngsters the pressure of academics are most com-
monly cited,” said Akheel Siddiqui, director, Roshni, a suicide prevention helpline. In fact, Karimnagar happens to be the suicide capital of the State, predominantly due to financial problems being faced by the farmers and weavers in the area. “While both men and women commit suicide, the rate is higher in women simply because they adopt more fatal methods to
Farooq readies for another bout Md Nizamuddin
nizamuddin.a @postnoon.com
F
or the India-Pakistan Wheelchair Cricket Series scheduled for September 25-30 at Lahore, Pakistan, the Delhi-based Association for Disabled People has selected Md Farooq Ahmed (Karimnagar) to represent AP in the Indian team. In spite of disability his sportsmanship spans several years. He gained significance after he took part in 4th Paralympic Senior and Junior National Table Tennis Championship in 2011, held in Bengaluru, where he got third place in the category Men Class-5. He also secured third position in 6th Paralympic Table Tennis Open National Championship conducted by Indian Paralympic Table Tennis
DISABILITY HAS NOT PREVENTED THIS LIONHEART, BUT HAS ONLY MADE HIM EXCEL IN A WIDE ARRAY OF GAMES IN WHICH HE CLAIMED SEVERAL TITLES. Federation, held in March-April this year at Ghaziabad. Apart from this, he won ‘first prize’ in Sabre at 1st National Championship on Wheel Chair Fencing in 2007. He also won ‘second prize’ in Spoon race on Wheel chair at National sports meet held in 2010 at New Delhi under the aegis Handicapped Welfare Federation.
kill themselves. Distressed men, on the other hand, make up a large portion of our callers. This could be because men are typically projected as strong individuals who do not really express their emotions,” reveals Akheel. However, a suicide can always be prevented only if we have the time to stop and listen. “Typically a suicidal person presents very strong feelings for 24 to 72 hours. During this time if
the right kind of intervention takes place, the person can be helped to overcome those feelings. A person who intends to commit suicide will always display signs. Because suicide is not the wish to end a life, but a desperate cry for help,” says Akheel, citing the example of a young boy who began a Facebook countdown leaving his friends puzzled. “He would ‘XX number of days to go’ as his status message. Nobody knew what he meant, until the D-day he finally killed himself.” Often talking to a person who has suicidal feelings can go a long way in calming them down and keeping them from resorting to such an extreme step. “It is important for a person who is feeling depressed to share their feelings with someone, even if it is a professional agency, to vent their feelings and keep from killing themselves,” says Akheel.
5
NATION SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Six killed in accident
Bal backs Sushma for PM
S
ix persons, including two women, were killed and three others injured when the MUV carrying them collided with a lorry at Domjur area of Howrah district this morning, the police said. The accident occurred near Ankurhati check post when the MUV cut through a gap in the divider and rammed into a speeding truck
7 soldiers injured in blast
S
A
hiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray has said that Sushma Swaraj is the only leader in the ally BJP who would make a “deserving” Prime Minister. In part three of his marathon interview, published by Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ today, Thackeray said: “At present there is only one person who is intelligent, brilliant — Sushma Swaraj.”
t least seven Assam Rifles jawans were injured in a bomb blast in Bishenpur district of Manipur today when the para-military force personnel were jogging in a road, official sources said. The bomb, allegedly planted by militants, exploded at Kumbi area while the personnel were busy in their morning exercise.
PM assets double to `10 cr Defence minister AK Antony, with assets worth `55 lakh, is the ‘poorest’ in the list of ministers.
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assets worth around `10.73 crore, double that of last year, but a number of his cabinet colleagues are much richer than him. Among the richer cabinet ministers are Praful Patel with assets of approximately `52 crore, Sharad Pawar with property worth around `22 crore and M K Azagiri with `9.50 crore, according to updated list of assets of the ministers posted on the PMO website. Defence minister AK Antony has assets worth `55 lakh, the lowest in the list of the cabinet ministers. Last year, the Prime Minister had declared total assets worth Rs 5.11 crore approximately. Sources in the PMO said though the assets with Singh have remained the same, the valuation has gone up as the assessment has been done by a government-approved valuator. HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and his wife Promila have total assets of `45.33 crore, including `8.11 crore of his wife. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has a house whose present worth is `50 lakh, two flats worth `1.99 crore and `1.25 crore, agricultural land worth `19.76 lakh, guest house worth `8.22 lakh, land worth `1.11 crore. The rest of the
First answer my questions and then call me insane: Digvijay BHOPAL: Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh today said that those who call him “insane” should first try to find answers to the issues raised by him. “The easiest way to avoid answering the issues I raise is, to call me insane,” Digvijay told PTI. He alleged that Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav called him “insane”, as based on a book he had pointed out that the Thackerays had originally come from Bihar. It is out of frustration that some people term him insane, as they have no words to counter the issues raised by him, Digvijay said adding that he is, however, not bothered by use of such words against him. Singh said he was termed the same by Baba Ramdev when he accused the yoga guru of being involved in money laundering, and asserted that yet again his allegations were PTI “right”.
Manmohan Singh `10.73 crore Praful Patel `52 crore Sharad Pawar `22 crore MK Azagiri `9.50 crore Kapil Sibal `45.33 crore SM Krishna `1.89 crore Sushilkumar Shinde `7.5 crore (approximate) P Chidambaram `11.96 crore Ajit Singh `22 crore (approximate) Jairam Ramesh `5 crore (approximate) Farooq Abdullah `3.5 crore (approximate) Subodh Kant Sahay `2 crore (approximate) Pawan Kumar Bansal `6.65 crore Ambika Soni `3.7 crore (approximate) Ghulam Nabi Azad `3.42 crore Kumari Selja is `12.34 crore
assets are in the name of his wife. External affairs minister SM Krishna has assets worth `1.89 crore,
including immovable properties of `31.44 lakh. Finance minister P Chidambaram’s total assets, including bank accounts and current assets, add up to `11.96 crore approximately. Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy owns a house in Hyderabad and has 43 acres of agricultural land in Andhra Pradesh. His wife S Laxmi owns property in the form of office space in Secunderabad. She also owns jewellery worth `7.5 lakh and cash savings of over `9 lakh. She also has a Toyota Qualis registered in her name. Minister of state for overseas Indian affairs Vyalar Ravi has a two-bedroom flat in Eranakulam, Kerala, worth `20 lakh. He declared inherited land worth `90 lakh in Eranakulam district. Ravi also declared a Ford car and 900 g of gold jewellery. Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh owns six agricultural lands in Durg (Chhattisgarh) and West Uttar Pradesh having a total worth of nearly `13 crore. Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh has assets worth over `56 lakh. More than a half of its share are jointly owned by Ramesh and his mother. In the year 2011-12, Ramesh’s asset rose to over `4.16 crore after his mother declared him
‘Amul Man’, V Kurien, no more Kurien took India from being a milk-deficient country to the world’s largest milk producer.
ANAND (GUJARAT): The father of India’s ‘white revolution’ Dr Verghese Kurien passed away early this morning at Muljibhai Patel Urological Hospital in neighbouring Nadiad town due to age-related problems, Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF)
sources said. He was 90 years old and He is survived by wife Molly and daughter Nirmala. Kurien, who took India from being a milk-deficient country to the world’s largest milk producer, is recognized as the father of white revolution and the man who started ‘operation flood’, besides making the Amul dairy brand a household name. GCMMF chairman MS Sodhi had reached the hospital, sources said. Kurien’s 90th birthday was celebrated in a big way at his residence in Anand by the GCMMF on November 26 last year. President Pranab Mukherjee condoled the death of Kurien. Mukherjee hailed Kurien as one who ushered in white revolution and had made enormous contributions to the fields of agriculture, rural development and PTI dairying.
a nominee of her bank deposits. New and renewable energy minister Farooq Abdullah has over `98 lakh deposited in bank accounts and has shares in ancestral properties in Jammu and Kashmir. The value of some of the properties within the share and in possession of Abdullah is over `2.25 crore. Tourism minister Subodh Kant Sahay and his wife Rekha Sahay have declared assets worth `70.74 lakh and `1.24 crore, respectively. Parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has total assets worth `6.65 crore. Information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni has declared a flat in Delhi valued at nearly `3.5 crore in addition to jewellery worth `16 lakh and silver utensils worth over `11 lakh in addition to an Optra car. Health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has total assets of `68.59 lakh. The net worth of Azad and his family as on July 2012 is Rs 3.42 crore along with a flat in Delhi which is not valued. Power minister M Veerappa Moily has total assets of `30.47 lakh and liabilities of `12.85 lakh. The total worth of immovable property owned by minister of urban poverty alleviation and housing Kumari PTI Selja is `12.25 crore approximately.
6
WORLD SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Jackson mum on The Hobbit TORONTO: Filmmaker Peter Jackson avoided questions on Saturday about his decision to split J.R.R. Tolkien’s 300page fantasy novel “The Hobbit” into three feature length films, amid growing fan criticism. The director of the epic “Lord of the Rings” trilogy says the decision to make three films was possible because of the extended appendices in that novel.
Iraq to replace Saddam statue
N Korea hit with leaflets
BAGHDAD: Nearly a decade after
SEOUL: South Korean activists
Saddam Hussein’s statue was pulled down in an iconic moment seen globally, Baghdad will finally replace it with new artwork to mark its selection as the 2013 Arab Capital of Culture. It is the latest in efforts by authorities to promote the country and the capital, which this year marks 1,250 years since its founding.
launched balloons carrying leaflets critical of the North’s ruling Kim family across their shared border Sunday to coincide with the regime’s 64th anniversary. Some 10 activists including North Korean defectors in Seoul floated the 10 giant balloons carrying 200,000 small leaflets and 300 DVDs at the Imjingak park.
Romney seeks divine help to counter Obama Mitt Romney’s campaign plane experienced problems before take-off Saturday, forcing the Republican presidential nominee and his entourage to secure another flight home to Massachusetts. Romney was in Richmond, Virginia making a campaign stop at a NASCAR race. He and campaign staff as well as reporters traveling with the candidate boarded the plane, but the flight was delayed due to unspecified problems with the aircraft.
TRAVEL
VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA:
Mitt Romney’s campaign plane suffers snag
Republican Mitt Romney thrust God to the center of the White House race Saturday, in a culture war strike that prompted Barack Obama’s team to brand him extreme and divisive. Romney appeared with televangelist Pat Robertson in the key swing state of Virginia, and seized upon the row at last week’s Democratic convention sparked when delegates removed language about God from their platform. After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, Romney told the crowd: “I will not take God out of... our platform. I will not take God out of my heart. We are a nation that’s bestowed by God.” Romney said Americans needed a new president who will “commit to a nation under God that recognizes that we, the American people, were given our rights not by government but by God himself.” Romney also appeared to imply that Democrats wanted to remove the phrase “In God We Trust” from US currency. The Obama campaign swiftly responded to Romney’s rhetoric, describing it as a “Hail Mary” pass — a desperate long throw in the dying moments of an American football game when defeat is nigh. Spokeswoman Lis Smith accused the Republican nominee of launching “extreme and untrue attacks against the president and associating with some of the most strident and divisive voices in the Republican Party.”
‘Iran ready to hold Syria denies nuclear talks’ sabotage TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi has said his country was ready to hold negotiations with world powers on Tehran’s nuclear programme, staterun Press TV reported. “We have repeatedly expressed our readiness and announced that we are ready for talks in a win-win situation,” Salehi was quoted as saying. Iran has never lost the “opportunity for diplomacy”, the foreign minister said. “Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has asserted that Iran’s nuclear energy programme is peaceful. If there is any problem today, it is the problem of the West and the US,” he said. Several rounds of talks over the controversial nuclear programme have been carried out, but have led to no peaceful settlement of the issue.
CLASSIFIEDS
T
he governor of Aleppo has denied reports that drinking water has been cut off in the region nor has it been poisoned, state-run SANA news agency reported. Governor Mohammad Aqqad said only two water pumps were damaged and maintenance work was underway to fix them. He said the water pumps had been damaged by “sabotage acts”, and that they only feed three districts, al-Midan, Azizieh and Slaimanieh, where water was cut off.
A supporter takes a photograph of US President Barack Obama using an iPhone.
Obama jokes about the birther issue ORLANDO: President Barack Obama was winning laughs at a packed restaurant on the campaign trail Saturday, where he was introduced to a boy born in his home state, Hawaii. At a bustling eatery Gator’s Dockside, the incumbent president sidled up to a table of 10 people including five children, at which a woman signaled to Obama that one youngster was born in Hawaii. “You were born in Hawaii? You have a birth certificate?” Obama joked to the boy, whose table burst into laughter.
Assad must go: EU ministers
F
oreign ministers of countries in the European Union (EU), who met for a two-day meeting in Cyprus, demanded the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Xinhua reported. “The message out of the discussions at the informal meeting of the European foreign ministers in connection with the crisis in Syria is that President Assad must go,” EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton was quoted as saying. Ashton said the EU will offer its support to the UN’s new envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi in his efforts to find a peaceful solution. “He (Brahimi) must reach a political solution so as to end the violence in Syria,” Ashton said.
PET SHOP
7
CLASSIFIED SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
PEST CONTROL
HEALTH / CLINIC
HEALTH / CLINIC
EDUCATION
FURNITURE
SAREES
AQUARIUM
MUNICIPAL APPROVAL
COMPUTERS
TRAVEL
HEALTH / CLINIC
To advertise on this page, contact: Satish.K.B - 9866074747
F o r Secunderabad -9 2 9 0 2 0 4 0 3 0 Fo r H y d e r a b a d - 9 8 6 6 6 6 3 2 1 2
For Cyberabad - 9866698879
FURNITURE
8
COMMENT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Problem with prisons
The business of youth
P
I
risons across the world have always been breeding grounds for criminal activity. In that I mean a divergence of ‘specialities’. One of the main problems is that often people imprisoned for petty crimes come into contact with felons whose unsavoury traits often rub off on these lesser criminals, making them more dangerous on release. S Nair, via e-mail
EDITORIALS TALKING TO THE suicide generation Most of us can’t fathom the state of mind of a person on the verge of attempting suicide. The need to end one’s life must be a truly debilitating state. Yet society often turns a blind eye to those most in need of their time and empathy. According to a report in the Lancet, published this year, India averages around 170,000 suicides per year. That’s 170,000 preventable deaths. The insular nature of Indian society coupled with social norms that stifle the spirit as well as the body, means that few in need of help can get it. Worse than that, a person with suicidal tendencies is often relegated to the ranks of the mentally disabled and left to rot until the pressure builds to a level where the only release is death. There is also an alarming increase in the number of young, healthy people taking their own lives. What is it that makes those at the zenith of their lives consider ending it all. The answer unfortunately most often lies in the home and the family unit. Pressure to marry, to succeed academically, and to maintain one’s superficial sexual orientation deprive a human being of the basic necessity of survival: the will to live. As a country and a society we must understand that the world has changed and we must change with it. The youth of today don’t need to follow in their parents’ footsteps, nor do they need to follow archaic codes of conduct. Life is to be lived to its fullest, prevent that from happening and you lay the foundation for the greatest tragedy of all: A life that ends too soon. On the eve of World Suicide Prevention Day we must spare a thought for those trapped in a hell that few of us can venture into. We should be their conduit back into the land of the living, not the sentinels keeping them out.
enjoy reading your business page because it focuses on new entrepreuners rather than the established ones. The established ones represent a status quo, while the new innovators represent the India of the future. Please keep featuring fresh face and hopefully many of them will go on to great things. Julia Thomas, via e-mail
EDITORIALS 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 040-4067 2222.
A grim future
Y
our edit yesterday (Cling to your jobs, the future’s grim) made for, well, grim reading. Too many of us are opting for jobs instead of careers and this is giving rise to a situation where everything is in flux. Shit happens, as they say, and we must brace for the worst. Self-belief is important in these dark times. T Muralidharan, via e-mail
Oh, a balm for India! Four years ago, Obama’s mesmerising speeches and charisma enthralled an audience who seemed to love him for his underdog image, still remain fresh in Indian memory.
From the hip
SYED SHOAIB
A
s US President Barack Obama’s prime-time speech to convention delegates breaks Twitter records and the 51-year-old asks for a second term amidst doubts of a re-election, his public-speaking skills seem to be the predominant image revisited. Four years ago, around his birthday in August, the mesmerising speeches and charisma to hold an audience who seemed to love him for his marginalised traits and underdog image, still remain fresh in Indian memory. For India, Obama’s historycreating victory raised a triumph of hope. A desire that remained ignored and now rekindled with another election talk. Obama understandably just made some whispers about India, enough to be echoed as wrong noises. Diplomacy on easing Foreign Direct Investment norms in India, mouthing the right quotes about Washington’s relationship with Pakistan, asking American youth to work hard to beat the Bangalore challenge and his reiteration that India is not the right destination to invest money due to government gridlocks. Seeking a second term, Obama, has also to contend with Americans of Indian origin — Republican politico Bobby Jindal, critical of Obama’s big federal spending, American politician Nikki Haley who remarks Obama does not have to remind immigrants that they did not build their flourishing business themselves and Dinesh D’Souza, whose critical documentary 2016: Obama’s America, is rocking the US box office. Even when former US President Bill Clinton makes sweeping references to Michelle Obama in a bid to mop up the support for the colour-crossed White House candidate, you are reminded of his Monica Lewinsky episode in the Naughty Nineties and his own
wife’s bid in 2008 during which he clashed with the present incumbent-in-support. For a man, whom The Daily Telegraph describes in its article: ‘Barack Obama: The 50 facts you might not know’, as the man who “applied to appear in a black pin-up calendar while at Harvard but was rejected by the all-female committee” and “said many of his friends in Indonesia were street urchins”, life’s been a roller coaster. Coincidentally, Osama also decides to haunt Obama at this critical juncture with a former Navy SEAL’s insider account that steals the thunder from Obama’s powerful speech in the televised address on May 1, 2011 that Osama Bin Laden is dead. The new advertisements trumpeting the killing is drawing flak for politicising national security. Despite all this lacunae, there are lessons to be learnt; an exercise called Obama, who reports say recovered from
drugs, broken parentage, chain smoking, difficult marriage, impossible extended family et al. His trip to India in November 2010, remember, was billed as a success. The Taj Hotel visit, Diwali with Mumbai kids, dance with students and visiting Humayun’s tomb are the hovering memories. Media reviews about Obama’s performance in office remain mixed, predominantly negative. While Time magazine called Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh The Underachiever in its July 2012 edition, India’s Outlook immediately hit back by calling Obama The Underachiever in its following cover story. With the Washington Post now calling Manmohan Singh a Tragic Figure, it’s time for India’s 13th Prime Minster to learn to put his Public Relations skills in place from Barack Obama, the 44th President of the US. From sto-
ries of Michelle Obama being a regular at gyms to his daughters being disciplined, the true role of Public Relations, preceding elections, through media is at play in the West and the West-fed Indian media. The Democratic candidate might just pip his Republican rival Mitt Romney, thanks again to the power of verbal exchanges and election propaganda that works well in impressionable American public memory. This possible victory could be despite unemployment rate at 8.1 per cent, nonfarm payrolls at 96,000 and a national debt that has surpassed $16 trillion in the United States. And herein is the hidden lesson for the Congress-led UPA government in India trailing with corruption, scandals and a dysfunctional set of ministers. Elections are round the corner and the Indian political battle also begins and ends with words! The writer works for Postnoon
9
BUSINESS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Acer to expand network
Sebi probes brokers
Lufthansa back to normalcy
T
aiwanese computer marketer Acer plans to expand its footprint to 1,200 towns across the country by the end of this year. According to research firm Gartner, Acer has established a significant presence in the second quarter of 2012 and has become the number 2 player in the country with a 13.4 per cent market share in the total Personal Computer market.
A
L
s many as 35 stock brokers have been probed by capital market regulator Sebi for possible lapses in controls related to money laundering and terror financing, and further action may be taken soon in these cases. The inspections follow actions taken by stock exchanges and depositories against more than 300 market entities for violations and discrepancies related to money laundering.
ufthansa services were mainly back to normal Saturday after a 24-hour staff walkout that grounded half the airline's flights in Germany ended with agreement to call in a mediator. The airline also agreed not to employ cheap contract workers in Berlin. The strike that began at midnight Thursday affected more than 100,000 passengers, with around half the airline's 1,800 daily flights cancelled.
Hyderabadis get a taste of Hurricane
The outspoken cricketing great emphasised on the need for cricketers to develop post-retirement careers and be smart about it.
SRINIVAS SETTY
Indian IT cos worst paymasters NEW DELHI: Indian companies are among the world's 10 lowest paying employers in the IT space, with their mid-tosenior level staff getting an average salary of $38,767 per annum — less than one-fourth of the IT pay package at globally top-paying Swiss firms. Salaries in the IT sector of Switzerland are the highest in the world at an average of $168,211 per annum, as per a study titled 'World wide IT Salary 2012'. The study, conducted by global recruitment service provider MyHiringClub.com, has ranked India at eighth spot among 10 worst IT paymasters globally.
INTERESTINGLY, IT MANAGERS IN INDIA FARE BETTER THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN NEIGHBOURING CHINA, WHERE THE AVERAGE ANNUAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE WERE LOWER AT $38,624.
Syed Shoaib
shoaib.s@postnoon.com
U
niglobe Sameera Travel celebrated their silver jubilee at Vivanta from Taj on Saturday. Former cricket captain and all-rounder Kapil Dev did the honours for them, first showering praises on the corporate and then giving away mementos and cheques to their deserving staff. In his trademark bare-all style he told the managing director, Vijay Mohan Raj, “I am here even though I hated you during our playing days for you never gave me your wicket. I could not stand your batting either; you neither hit runs nor did you get out… it was tuk tuk tuk tuk all the time.” He told the audience that despite this, he liked Vijay because he showed cricketers who had a very early retirement age that they had to move on and earn money in one profession or the other because their times were not IPL times and ex-cricketers had to fend for themselves. Business, he
Eyes don’t lie either
T
he adulation for Kapil Dev Nikhanj, who was the chief guest at the event, could be seen clearly in the eyes of Dharan, a class vii student of St Michel’s. “I’m here to see the man who won India the World Cup,” he says, wielding a camera. “Dhoni is my favourite cricketer but I like Kapil Dev too,” he adds. Dharan is not the only barely-teen clamouring at the sight of the legend — at least half-a-dozen children vie with adults to be photographed with the former cricket captain who won India its first World Cup. That these tiny tots were not around then, nor when he hung up his boots in 1994, says volumes of the popularity of the Haryana Hurricane. This phenomenon is not difficult to understand when
one hears Wisden’s Indian Cricketer of the Century. The warmth of the smile touches the heart, so do the words spoken straight from his. “I am here after giving up an important visit to Indonesia but feel a thousand times better to be among people celebrating success,” he beams. He has courted controversies with his outspoken ways but not regretted; voicing one’s opinion is not a crime. Only this all-rounder can say, “During our days if you spoke, you were out of the team; these days the BCCI itself teaches you to talk,” just months after making up with the board and get away with it, and also have people still adore you. Stuff actually that gets you inducted into Cricket Hall of Fame.
thought was a great way to do it; to start a new innings after retirement. He said he had immense respect for a company that started off small to go on to be a `40-crore global corporate. He recalled that incidentally it was Delhi-Hyderabad that he first flew, recognising the importance of a travel agency. Vijay impressed upon the gathering that hard work and consistency were very essential for the growth of the company and asked his staff to imbibe this from the Padmabushan Kapil who had played 131 Tests back to back. “Do whatever you do with passion and enjoy doing it,” was his advice. The managing director of the company revealed that they planned to foray into adventure tourism, wedding planners and training and team building programmes in their attempt to expand their company to a `100-crore one. He said that Bangkok, Brunei and Thailand were popular destination today for Indian weddings and arranging these was big business and a satisfying one.
The study, which was conducted in August this year, took into account the average salaries for people with four and more years of experience for the Indian and other companies. The report compared the total annual cash compensation and total remuneration information for IT staff in more than 6,000 companies across 40 different countries and found that employers in western Europe are the best paymasters. It also found that compensation in developed countries focus more on variable factors, such as bonus schemes, to attract staff. At the same time, the emphasis remains on cash compensation in the lower-paying countries. Interestingly, IT managers in India fare better than their counterparts in neighbouring China, where the average annual compensation package were lower at $38,624. Among the best IT salaries paying countries Belgium bagged the second position with an average salary of $144,980, followed by Denmark $136,542, the US $128,632 and the UK $127,890. PTI
10
INTERVIEW SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
INTRIGUED BY JAZZ For someone who is an Internet music sensation, US clarinettist Shankar Tucker is very shy and reserved about his success.
SRINIVAS SETTY
RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA
rahul.r@postnoon.com
T
he clarinet playing American whose music is every bit Indian says, ‘he is waiting to be a part of the new contemporary Indian music movement’. As we begin shadowboxing about the many mysterious parts of his personality (his name, for instance ) and get down to talking about building bridges across Indian and Western music, he gets expansive and liberal with the conversation.
Tell us how you started with the clarinet and the eventual journey into Indian classical music. My parents were artists and my grandfather was a music teacher. When I first wanted to play, it was my grandfather who helped me with the basics. They were very supportive about my passion for music. And then I learnt more under Micheal
Cessman and Tom Martin of the Boston Symphony before being taken under the wings of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and the soundscapes of Bombay.
How was your experience of learning under the great Pandit? Did you have a specific timetable everyday? Yes. He is a very great teacher and very meticulous about practice. Everyday we would have two or three hours of practice in group classes. That is two or three hours of raga practice, followed by one hour of aalap practice. I was most mesmerised by him, especially after listening to him play with John McLaughin and Remember Shakti.
Now that you talk about them, it is quite obvious that your music is very highly influenced by Remember Shakti. What is it about John McLaughlin that inspires you so much? Which one do you like better — Shakti or Remember Shakti? I was always intrigued by jazz. In fact, a couple of years ago, I bought an instructional DVD
by John and practised the clarinet with it even though it was meant for guitar players! John McLaughlin had played some of the greatest lines and his songs have explored new spaces in jazz and world music. But I had always liked Remember Shakti over their previous line-up, mostly because it had guruji Hariprasad Chaurasia in it.
What is it about jazz and fusion music that drives you the most? Jazz is like the science of improvisation. Between chord changes and constant shifts in rhythm patterns, you are left with no boundaries or constraints. But with Indian classical, you make compelling solos and artful constructions in the carefully crafted composition of the raga. But it’s the beauty and the aesthetics of these two styles of music that drives me the most.
Since you have been here for a while, what do you think of the Indian artistes here? Apart from conventional film music that is everywhere, I have heard music of a lot of bands. But they are too influenced by the Western world in their sound and song writing, and don’t really stand out. But
MUSIC BANDS HERE ARE INFLUENCED BY THE WEST IN THEIR SOUND AND SONG WRITING, AND DONT REALLY STAND OUT. there are a few that make good music, like Raghu Dixit who is also singing for a Tamil film that I am working on.
So what can we expect from Shankar Tucker’s first stint in Tamil films? I think it is more experimental than what I have worked on so far. The film is not exactly mainstream commercial so I have had some freedom in terms of working style. We are waiting to begin mixing the songs at a studio in Mumbai, that’s all I can tell you.
And how different has the experience of playing live been from playing in the studio? Has the Indian crowd been appreciative enough? It is a very good experience, the
crowd here simply loves our covers. Our common set list has been a combination of Hindustani classical and jazz with electronic triggers with acoustic/electric guitars. A couple of ghazals also figure but we always end up getting comic requests like the covers we had done for Shrutibox. I sometimes feel we haven't reached out to the crowd in a full manner because we kept playing to a limited audience, so I am yet to know how it is to actually play “live”.
How do you see yourself here considering that your popularity has helped you meet many musicians across the border? I see a lot many independent artistes coming here. But more than anything else, I would like to be a part of the yet-to-emerge contemporary Indian music scene. Which is why I am here.
As we finish and exchange cards over promises to stay in touch, Shankar laughs at the mention of his name and the mystery behind it. He explains, “My family are devotees of Mata Amritanandamayi who suggested I be called ‘Shankar’.”
11
GOLDEN YEARS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
W
ith crimes against senior citizens on the rise, police departments across the country have woken up to the fact that security needs to be provided to elderly people who live alone. The Delhi police recently launched an initiative to provide identity cards to over 13,000 senior citizens living alone. The card will have the name of the card holder, emergency contact numbers, health details and a registration number. In Kottayam district in Kerala, the police have gone a step further. The cops keep a constant eye on elderly people living alone, and once a week, a policeman and a policewoman visit the senior citizen's house to ensure that they are safe. In Hyderabad, however, no such measures are in place as of now. RN Mital, president of All India Senior Citizens' Confederation (AISCCON), says, “In Hyderabad, rules were framed a few months back to ensure the welfare of senior citizens. These includ ed providing physical security for the elderly. However, it is all on paper and it has not been implemented as yet.” R Mamatha Bai, the project director of GHMC initiative AASARA, adds, “There isn't much police or government support for such schemes in Hyderabad. The police do not attend any programmes aimed at helping senior citizens. The Supreme Court has directed cops to give priority to complaints lodged by senior citizens. However, that is not happening here.” Hyderabad police commissioner Anurag Sharma agreed that there aren't any such initiatives in the city as of now. “There is no separate cell to deal with senior citizen issues. Basically, as of now, if senior citizens are living alone, they can notify the local police, who will try to keep an eye on them. They should keep them in the know about their travel plans and other such details. While there are no organised schemes as such, we will look into what the Delhi police are doing and consider the feasibility of a similar scheme here.” When asked whether the senior citizen associations in the city are doing anything to ensure safety, Mamatha Bai said, “We have been motivating senior citizens to form groups; 'seniors for seniors' is what we're trying to promote. There are 180 senior citizen associations in the City and they take care of their members. They keep in touch with them and make sure their needs are met.” However, Mital said that physical security can only be provided by the police. “We can help only in a limited capacity. We run errands and so on for elderly people who live alone or are not mobile. But providing security is difficult.” Mital added, “We have been taking up this issue with various police departments. The response is satisfactory. Awareness is getting created, and this in turn will make the police personnel more respon sive. At the senior level, the police are already more responsive and understanding. The awareness has to be slowly generated at junior levels to ensure that the police response is more friendly.”
JYOTSNA NAMBIAR
jyotsna.n@postnoon.com
Senior citizens living alone are often a vulnerable target for criminals. Postnoon takes a look at the initiatives to keep the elderly safe in the City.
SAFETY FIRST Be Prepared
n Register the name, address and phone number of the domestic help and driver at the local police station. n Install safety features like a peephole and iron grille so that you can screen visitors before letting them in. n If vendors, repairmen and others enter the house for any work, do not leave them alone. n Do not open cupboards, safes or discuss financial matters in front of the domestic help. Also, do not mistreat or refuse to pay them. n Keep the neighbours and watchmen informed about the people who regularly come to your house. n Keep important telephone numbers of neighbours, relatives living nearby and the local police station handy. n Don't keep valuables or large sums of money at home.
12
ART AND CULTURE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Rijksmuseum to reopen
A pavilion dedicated to Tunga
AMSTERDAM: The Rijksmuseum will
BRASÍLIA: The Inhotim Institute, the
reopen to the public on April 14, 2013, after a decade-long refurbishment and modernisation project, the museum announced this week. Around 8,000 works from the national collection are now being installed to tell the story of the Netherlands from the Middle Ages to the present day, according to a press statement.
vast art park founded by the mining billionaire Bernardo Paz in a remote part of southeast Brazil, is due to launch a pavilion dedicated to the works of established Brazilian artist Tunga.The 2,600 sq m gallery is due to house six major installations. There are pavilions dedicated to 20 other contemporary artists.
Warhol Warhol, everywhere LONDON: A quarter century after Andy Warhol’s death, his work resonates more than ever. Several museum exhibitions are focusing on his influence in painting, photography, film, performance, and more. “With his Factory, his Marilyns, his films, and his many riffs on banality, seriality, and kitsch, Andy knocked down obstacles that no one ever thought about before,” says critic Arthur Danto.
Captivated by mythology Through Jannis – A relook, Mumbai-based artist Jehangir Jani explores myths and their influence on us.
H
is fascination for myths and heroes, victorious or fallen, has always reflected in artist Jehangir Jani’s works. Jani, who is exhibiting his works at the Kalakriti Art Gallery, has tackled sensitive subjects through his works in his two-decade-long career. Jani says that the fact that a large population structures their lives around myths considering them as absolute truths, has mystified him to no end. According to him, it is this quest for knowledge and truth that kept him going. This aspect of myth construction was vividly expressed in many of Jani’s previous shows, the most significant of them being ‘Faerie Tales…A Relook’ (1998, Mumbai), ‘Peers’ (2006, Mumbai and Hyderabad) and ‘Great Expectations’ (2007, Mumbai). He explains, “I hope that future generations will be more comfortable and accept-
Like an ever flowing river, I hope technology will carry on inventing new materials, and I will have reason to be in a perpetual state of discovery. ing of the alternate modes of existence that I have often depicted in my works. I am more curious about how my works will be seen by the future generations.” His exhibition, titled
Lovers of the future
Works of the Futurists revolved around contemporary subjects like technology, youth, violence, car and airplanes.
F
uturism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. It emphasised and glorified themes associated with contemporary concepts of the future, including speed, technology, youth and violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane and the industrial city. It was largely an Italian phenomenon, though there were par-
allel movements in Russia, England and elsewhere. The Futurists practised in every medium of art, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, graphic design, industrial design, interior design, theatre, film, fashion, textiles, literature, music, architecture and even gastronomy. Key figures of the movement include Italians Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Umberto
Boccioni, Carlo Carrà, Gino Severini, Giacomo Balla, Antonio Sant'Elia, Tullio Crali and Luigi Russolo, and the Russians Natalia Goncharova, Velimir Khlebnikov, and Vladimir Mayakovsky, as well as the Portuguese Almada Negreiros. The founder of Futurism and its most influential personality was the Italian writer Filippo
Jannis… A Relook, is on till September 22. The paintings are rendered in delicate washes of watercolour and a dexterous use of charcoal drawing. This is his second solo show with Kalakriti, the first time being in 2006 with his series of sculptures titled Peers. While his contribution to contemporary Indian sculpture is well acknowledged, his engagement with watercolour is more recent. Jani says, “I have been exploring the possibilities of watercolours for many years now. But I am also toying with the idea of using new media technology in the future. I don’t have the classical sensibility of being faithful to one medium. Like an ever flowing river, I hope technology will carry on inventing new materials, and I will have reason to be in a perpetual state of discovery.” The present series of paintings explores a stimulating theme. These works
ART FOR DUMMIES
expose the relationship shared between passion and knowledge. The theme is best expressed in the painting ‘The Tree of Knowledge’. The bitten apples represent eroticism and curiosity. The symbol of the bitten apple is derived from the story of Adam and Eve. The message is that one might have to risk tasting the forbidden fruit in order to acquire knowledge. Another theme this series of paintings explores is the idea of how, in society, knowledge is built and protected. Usually, the contribution of the labour classes to the growth of knowledge is not acknowledged. In paintings like ‘Jannis’ Bag 6’,(right) the artist depicts the handbags of a labourer, filled with coal. The idea behind these works is to remind us that there are no menial jobs in the world, as every worker remotely or directly is instrumental in human progress and knowledge.
Tommaso Marinetti. Marinetti launched the movement in his Futurist Manifesto, which he published for the first time on February 5, 1909 in La gazzetta dell'Emilia, an article then reproduced in the French daily newspaper Le Figaro on February 20, 1909. Marinetti expressed a passionate loathing of everything old, especially political and artistic tradition. “We want no part of it, the past”, he wrote, “We the young and strong Futurists!” The Futurists admired speed, technology, youth and violence, the car, the airplane and the industrial city, all that represented the technological triumph of humanity over nature.
13
ENVIRONMENT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Space tourism worsens warming Speed of climate change
Deforestation affects rainfall
LONDON: You may want to rethink the
WEST YORKSHIRE: Biodiversity, or the
WEST YORKSHIRE: A new research
expenditure, a new study in Geophysical Research Letters shows that space tourism will likely aggravate global climate change. Using sophisticated modelling, the researchers found that the biggest impact of a rise in space tourism on global temperatures won't be due to carbon emissions, but black carbon, often in the form of soot.
abundance of life, generally increases as the planet warms. More heat creates more energy for plants and animals to thrive. Of course, not all species flourish in a warmer environment. According to a new study from the University of Leeds, it is the speed at which the climate is changing that will instead cause biodiversity loss.
shows rainforests have a huge impact on rainfall. A team from the University of Leeds and the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology found that air passing over tropical forests produces at least twice as much rain as air passing over little vegetation and can impact rainfall thousands of miles away.
The eco-warrior and her little army Children are the inheritors of the future and inculcating in them the importance of conservation is the best way forward to a greener and better tomorrow. Rajani Vakkalanka shows the way.
SUNORY DUTT
feedback@postnoon.com
“T
he right to life and survival is a child’s basic right. But with the unabashed degradation of our environment, exploitation of natural resources and the resulting hazardous climatic changes, are we providing our children this basic right?” asks Rajani Vakkalanka. She’s addressed this pertinent question with a simple solution — empowering, through knowledge and awareness, the future custodians of Mother Earth — its children. Rajani began conducting conservation programmes for children in her colony four years ago. Since then, the enthusiastic youngsters of Ambience Fort, Hyderguda, have actively participated in learning and in turn teaching those within their circle of influence the relevance of water conservation, reducing carbon emissions and the use of plastic, tree planting and bird conservation with special emphasis on saving sparrows and other native birds in their neighbourhood integral to our biodiversity. Rajani has a Masters in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, a specialisation in family and child welfare, and experience of working with mentally challenged children at Thakur Hari Prasad Institute in the city. She is also the city co-ordinator for children in difficult circumstances at Childline. In particular the youth has always remained a primary focus of Rajani’s work. Her efforts to spread awareness have been appreciated by the colony’s residents and beyond. It even came to the attention of Mallikarjun Rao, Director of Nehru Zoological Park and the media, who’ve commended her work and helped spread her message. Taking this association with nature a step further, Rajani is currently pursuing her PhD at Osmania University, faculty of education, in the area of environmental conservation through children’s participation. She explains, “I felt it would give
me a larger platform to address schools and tap into children’s initiatives. There’s a lacuna in our education system due to a dearth of specialised training programmes for teachers to address climate change challenges in schools. A Supreme Court directive stipulates environmental education be made compulsory at all levels of education right from primary school. But it hasn’t been implemented to bring about a tangible difference to the present situation. That’s one area where I intend to start teacher-training programmes so they can effectively help address and involve students in conservation activities.”
“Most Vedic scriptures speak of reverence to natural elements. Our responsibility doesn’t end in the ritualistic recitation of these scriptures. Actual reverence to Mother Earth lies in our own lifestyle practices and channelling every day and every second of our thought toward creating a sustainable world. Rajani Vakkalanka She goes on to say, “When adults are more involved and take an initiative to support a cause, it’s easier to tap a child’s inquisitiveness. And when schools include project-based learning among children, it goes a long way in teaching them to relate to the significance of conservation and its importance.” It’s a colossal task, changing the mindset of an overindulged generation conditioned to waste, but Rajani takes heart in some pleasant serendipitous affirmations of the future going green. Like the time she encounters an eco-conscious six-yearold refusing a plastic bag at a bookstore. Or when the colony kids bring her a wounded pigeon to be tended back to flight. She knows then that Mother Nature will be secure in the hands of these little guardians.
14
FOOD SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
New processing plant in Angola LUANDA: A new banana and tomato
processing plant has been opened in Northern Angola, in an attempt to add value to fruit unsuitable for the fresh market. The facility has capacity to process 2.5 tonnes of tomato and 750 kg of banana per hour, and was built following investment from the Angolan government.
Coca-Cola facility in Brazil
Nibble on some chocolate
BRASÍLIA: EMISA has completed con-
WASHINGTON: Ladies, don’t keep that
struction of a new 33 390 sq m plant for Coca-Cola in Maringá, Brazil. The new facility has been declared as environmentally friendly, built using sustainable materials. The prefect for Maringá, Silvio Barros, said EMISA had shown “extreme competence”, adding that it should be an incentive for the market to adopt a sustainable model.
chocolate! Pass it on to the men. A new study finds that compared with men who reported eating little-to-no chocolate on a regular basis, those who had the highest weekly consumption of chocolate — about 63 grams per week, or just a little more than 2 ounces — reduced their likelihood of suffering a stroke by 17 per cent.
Discovering Thai food
The soul behind Thai Pavilion, Ananda Solomon, Corporate Chef Taj Premium talks about roots, discovering Thai and more.
Padmini C
padmini.c@postnoon.com
The art of leisure
Thai Pavilion, in its maiden foray outside Mumbai, proves to be the perfect setting for family, friends, food and conversation. DEEPAK DESHPANDE
Jyotsna Nambiar
jyotsna.n@postnoon.com
YOU TO
THAI
Once you taste Thai food, you’ll either love it or you’ll hate it. The first time I went to Thailand, I went to a small place which served curry, rice and salad. I found the food was aromatic, pleasantly sweet...I’d never tasted anything like it before. But by the third meal, it completely drew me. It has the properties to make you an addict.
DO
T
he French perfected the art of long, leisurely lunches. But it is at Thai Pavilion in Vivanta by Taj that you truly realise the pleasure of one. In its first foray outside Mumbai, the iconic restaurant strikes all the right notes at its Hyderabad branch. The dining space is intimate, with discreet screens dividing the restaurant into private alcoves. The muted décor, tapering chandeliers and comfortable seating set the mood for a relaxed meal. It is a place meant for friends, family and conversation — at our table, the chatter was constant, with pauses only when the food made its appearance. Starting the meal with a refreshing watermelon and basil mocktail, we quickly tucked into the series of starters that made their way to our table. The succulent koong samrot (tiger prawn with bird’s eye chilli paste and makroot leaves) was delicious, as was the subtle chicken satay kai. Paired with peanut, honey chilli, tomato chilli and spicy chilli sauces, the starters were a hit. The vegetarians had thord man khao phod (corn cakes with red curry paste), a mildly spicy dish, followed by silken tofu in soy sauce. The tofu was a delight; pure silk in the mouth. However, it is blander than the average Indian palette is used to. The fried noodle canapes made for wonderful finger food, a crunchy and light change from the usual suspects. As we sat back, sated with the starters, bowls of tom yum
WHAT DREW CUISINE?
YOU COOK AT HOME ?
Occasionally (Laughs). My daughters Smriti and Tulika do mostly. My younger one is especially fond of cooking. So I make the effort. But usually I have long days. I begin my day at 8 am and end it around midnight. My average day is 14-15 hours. Therefore I rarely get the time.
HOW
DID YOU DECIDE YOU WANTED TO BE A CHEF ?
Thai Pavilion at Vivanta by Taj Timings: Noon to 3 pm, 7.30 pm to midnight Meal for two: `2,500(+ taxes) (soup) were brought in. Chicken, seafood and vegetables floated in flavourful broth, redolent with chilli, lemon grass and galangal. If you’re not a fan of strong Thai flavours, then the soup might not be for you. A guava mocktail laced with chilli powder provided a nice
respite after the tangy soup, but it was quickly abandoned when the main course was served. Steamed rice, khao phad nam prik pao ( spicy fried rice), phad thai (stir fried rice noodles) and steamed John Dory fish with Thai spices, made up the main course. The gaeng kiew warn (Thai green curry) is too much for those with mild palettes, but the gaeng ped (Thai red curry) is just perfect. Rich and delicious, both dishes get a thumbs up. The John Dory fish was made to perfection. The phad kapprao khao phod warn (babycorn and mushrooms with chilli and basil) was
tasty, but not exceptional. The real winner was the chicken wrapped in palm leaves. Delicately spiced, the dish is my pick of the day, as is the cabbage and peanut salad. As stuffed as we were, we dug into the dessert with gusto. Served in coconut shell bowls, the tub tim grob (coconut milk with chunks of rose-flavoured water chestnut) had its share of admirers and dissenters. Our verdict? If you’re looking for somewhere to tuck into some good Thai food, catch up with family and friends and relax on a weekend, Thai Pavilion is a good choice.
I come from a joint family where everyone in the house played their part helping in the house. We had our duties in the kitchen. I’ve always liked food. And among my four brothers, I was the only one who was vocal about giving feedback to my mother on the dishes served. My mum was a great cook, an excellent hand. I picked it up from her. Later, I went to catering college and specialised in French Food. But after a stint in Goa in 1989, when I went back to Bombay, I had a chance to open this restaurant (Thai Pavilion), I took three years to study it.
15
FOOD SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012 SRINIVAS SETTY
Khorma Murgh Safeda Noor’s Kitchen NOOR JAFRI
Biriyani bonanza
Daawat-E-Biriyani takes you back to the days of the Nizam with an array of rich, authentic biriyanis for you to savour. AMY ROSE THOMAS
amyrose.t@postnoon.com
W
hile Hyderabad boasts of delectable biriyani, there are only few restaurants here that serve you the biriyani that can truly pamper your taste buds. According to Aamer Jamal, master chef at ITC Kakatiya that won the coveted title of
the best biriyani in the twin cities, the element that is missing in the biriyani is the ghar ka khaana feel. He wishes to provide this experience to the guests at the Deccan Pavilion here. Daawat-E-Biriyani, the food festival at ITC Kakatiya pays tribute to the biriyani of the Nizami times. The presentation of the five different biriyanis itself was a treat to the eyes. On the menu were — Beriani Iranian, Lucknowi Biriyani, Dum Pukht Biriyani, Subz Dum Biriyani and Hyderabad Kachche Ghosht ki Biriyani. The favourite of the non-vegetarian crowd
was Hyderabad Kachche Ghosht ki Biriyani which is rice and raw lamb meat cooked together, layered with a yogurt-based marinade of minced lamb meat. Subz Dum Biriyani is a vegetarians delight which is cooked with an assortment of vegetables, spices and dry fruits. With each of the biriyani tastier than the other, it is advisable to savour small quantities of each of them. The chef, whose only education on cooking is what he learnt from home, looks up to his mother when it comes to cooking and having grown in Hyderabad helped him imbibe the real taste of the city.
He says, “I grew up watching my mum cook. Since that’s where my passion was, I put my heart into it. Here I am only extending what I have learnt from home and nothing else.” Beriani Iranian is made by marinating lamb overnight with yogurt, herbs, spices and dried fruits, whereas in the Lucknowi Biriyani the rice and meat are cooked separately, then layered together. In the Dum Pukht Biriyani — Avadhi inspired biriyani, where rice and meat are cooked on a slow fire with the right amount of spices and vegetables. The festival Daawat-EBiriyani is on till September 16 at Deccan Pavilion, ITC Kakatiya.
Ingredients 1. Chicken - 500 gms (boneless or
curry pieces) 2. Onions - 2 medium-sized and finely chopped 3. Coconut powder - 1 tbsp 4. Cashew nuts - 8 to 10 5. Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp 6. Dhania powder - 1 tsp 7. Jeera powder - 1/2 a tsp 8. Salt to taste 9. Milk - 1/2 a cup 10.Cream - 2 tbsp 11.Oil to cook - 50 ml (2 to 3 tbsp)
Procedure 1. Heat 1 tsp of oil, lightly roast
onions, coconut powder, and cashew nuts, make a paste out of these. 2. Heat the oil again and fry the chicken pieces, along with ginger garlic paste, zeera, dhania powder & salt. 3. After frying the chicken, add the onion, coconut and cashew paste, stir it for a while. 4. Add 1/2 a cup of milk and put it on slow fire, till it gets tender, and the gravy reaches medium consistency. 5. Switch off the gas, add cream, sprinkle some kasuri meethi and serve.
Chef’s note n
An evening with friends
The dish is a simple mild tasty preparation without red chilli and made in white gravy. It’s generally served with the main course, along with tandoori roti, butter naan, or paratha. It’s also suited to everybody’s taste because of the lack of spice.
The new and improved Xtreme Sports Bar at Karkhana lives up to its word of being back with a bang. Now evenings are going to get a lot better. Sudeshna Koka
DEEPAK DESHPANDE
sudeshna.k@postnoon.com
W
ell it’s said that patience is a virtue. Indeed, after a long wait, the Xtreme Sports Bar at Karkhana has reopened. Hyderabad in general does not boast of many sports bars hence, when this reopened, the party hoppers could not but come visiting the new renovated bar. Getting down to business, we were served a wide range of starters with beer. To begin
with, new on their menu is chicken di pana, well cooked with the right amount of red sauce — a perfect start to a perfect night. The chicken tikkas are
delicious, but fairly predictable, but grilled perfectly. However, the buffalo wings were indeed the clear cut winner. The dip along with it is also good. The Crispy corn is a
must-have for the vegetarians. It’s served in the most unconventional way which makes you wonder which one to eat, the bowl or the corn. Yes, the corn is served in an edible bowl and is perhaps tastier than the corn itself. Good music, cosy bean bags, huge LCD screens with your favourite game being aired, beer and great fingerfood, top that with the amazing company of friends; there was nothing more that I could ask for to end a long weekday .
Contact n Mobile: 91-9441282318 n Residence: 91-40-23356947
And now, like us on
https://www.facebook.com/ Noorkitchen
18
HISTORY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Sept 10
Sept 16
1921 - The Ayus Autobahn in Germany opened near Berlin. The road is known for its nonexistent speed limit.
1998 - Universal paid $9 million for the rights to the Dr Seuss classics How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Oh, the Places You’ll Go.
Sept 11
Sept 15
2001 - In the US, four airlines were hijacked. Two airliners hit the World Trade Center in New York City. One airliner hit the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Another airliner crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.
1978 - Boxer Muhammad Ali defeats Leon Spinks at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans to win the world heavyweight boxing title for the third time in his career, the first fighter ever to do so.
Sept 11
1936 - Boulder Dam in Nevada was dedicated by US President Franklin D Roosevelt when he turned on the dam’s first hydroelectric generator. The dam is now called Hoover Dam.
Sept 12
1954 - Lassie made its television debut on CBS. The last show aired on September 12, 1971.
Sept 15
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovered the antibiotic penicillin in the mold Penicillium notatum.
Sept 12
1940 - Lascaux cave paintings were discovered. Near Montignac, France, a collection of prehistoric, 15,000- to 17,000-year-old cave paintings are discovered by four teenagers.
Sept 13
1959 - The Soviet Union’s Luna 2 became the first space probe to reach the moon. It was launched the day before.
Sept 14
1901- US President William McKinley dies after being shot by a deranged anarchist during the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York.
Sept 14
1984 - Joe Kittinger became the first person to fly a balloon solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
19
SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
GET YOUR SPEED FIX
1
Motor racing enthusiasts rejoice. Vodafone on Saturday unveiled an exact replica of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Racing Car at InOrbit Mall in Hitech City. The replica will be on display until September 9.
ACTION GALORE
SWEET DREAMS Agra Mithaiwala has launched a luxury store for sweets, namkeen and chaat at Kukatpally. It also features a vegetarian restaurant. Actress Madhurima Banerjee and MLA Bhikshapati Yadav graced the launch.
QUEENS OF THE KITCHEN C Pavani and Suman Tiwari were judged winners of Mallika-ekitchen (Andhra Pradesh region). The women, both from Hyderabad, will now compete with 24 other finalists from across the country in the grand finale.
2
4
PICTURE PERFECT Art Guru, a specialised studio featuring art, handicraft articles and murals, was launched on Saturday. Actress Hamsa Nandini was the guest of honour at the opening of the gallery.
6
TECHIE TALENT Corporates showed off their artistic and creative side at Radio Mirchi’s ‘Clash of the Corporates’. Techies from companies like Dell, Wipro and Accenture let down their hair at the event at Oakridge International School.
Corporate honchos, Tollywood stars and socialites were in attendance cheering for their favourite teams during the Arena Polo Championships at HPRC grounds as part of the Hyderabad Polo Season. 1 Anuragh Sharma 2 Srinivas, Kalpesh,
Sarath 3 Mamata, Archana, Babita 4 Samir Suhag, Vikranth 5 Adithi 6 Sidharth Reddy 7 Barati
3
5
7
20
CINEMA SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Siddharth goes to Toronto
Saiyami’s dream comes true
S
S
iddharth is having the time of his life in Toronto. He recently flew to the city to attend the premiere of Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children at Toronto International Film Festival. Apart from the film’s screening and meeting with several celebrities who graced the event, Siddharth was all the more excited to meet one of his favourite actors, Terry Jones, who has acted and directed the Monty Python series. “I’m in Toronto for Midnight’s Children. It’s always going to be surreal. Just spent an hour with
Monty Python’s Terry Jones. Now it’s just mad! Life as a python geek comes a full circle. Now to dress in drag and do a funny walk!!! (sic),” Siddharth posted on Twitter. He played the role of a Major in the Indian Army in the movie. Adapted from Salman Rushdie’s Booker Prize winning novel of the same name, the film also stars Sathya Bhabha, Shriya Saran, Anupam Kher, Seema Biswas, Shabana Azmi, Rahul Bose and Soha Ali Khan. The film opens in theatres across the world on October 26.
A tribute to romance in 3D K
Raghavendra Rao’s penchant to draw parallels between a woman’s beauty and fruits, during his heydays, has remained as his trademark. At times, few directors have either tried to replicate K Raghavendra Rao’s method of shooting the songs or spoofed it. Now for the first time, a song from an upcoming Allari Naresh starrer Action is going to be shot in 3D and Anil Sunkara, the film’s director, has revealed that it’s going to be a tribute to K Raghavendra Rao’s style. Music director Bappa Lahari has composed the retro song for the film and Anil Sunkara is in the process of finalising K Raghavendra Rao’s signature songs to use them in his film.
aiyami Kher’s lifelong dream to meet her idol Roger Federer has finally come true. She’s currently in the US where she’s shooting for YVS Chowdhary’s upcoming film Rey. Few days ago, after she wrapped up the film’s shooting in Trinidad & Tobago, she landed in New York to watch the US Open. “I am a big fan of Roger Federer and it still feels so surreal that I saw him in person. Recently, while I was waiting in a hotel lobby in New York, Roger Federer walked right past me towards the elevator. I desperately wanted to talk to him, but I was in a shock, the moment I saw him and I couldn’t say a word. I know I missed a golden opportunity there, but it’s by far the best moment of my life,” Saiyami says. The film unit recently flew to Las Vegas to shoot the remaining scenes in this marathon schedule in US. Sai Dharam Tej and Saiyami Kher are playing the lead roles in Rey.
21
CINEMA SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
“Reality shows are going to die soon”
R
annvijay Singh, whose tryst with fame began with his victory on MTV Roadies in 2003, says after enjoying considerable space in Indian television, the reality genre is going to hit a dead end in the country soon. “I think reality shows are going to die soon. Everything has a life,”
Rannvijay, who has been associated with action-adventure show Roadies since the past nine years, said. “If you see in the West too, reality shows are dead. Four or five years ago, everything was a reality show there, now it’s all fiction. Our problem is that our fiction is bad,” he added. However, the 29-year-old believes talent shows, involving singing and dancing, might survive. “It’s always great to watch talent, and it’s even more wonderful to see how perception towards dancers and singers has changed over time thanks to these reality shows,” said the veejay-turnedactor. IANS
Ranbir, Imtiaz, Rahman to come together again? P ost Rockstar, rumours have been rife that director Imtiaz Ali and actor Ranbir Kapoor are coming together for a movie again. And the news is now confirmed, according to a source closely associated with the project. The movie will be produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, and they have even convinced Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman to join the team, even though he’s hard pressed for time. “Initially, Nadiadwala roped in Ranbir and Imtiaz for a sequel to Rockstar. However, neither the actor nor the director was enthused by the idea of leaping into an angst-ridden journey of the traumatised
musician again, at least not at the moment. They suggested a completely antithetical film to Rockstar,” said the source. Now, Imtiaz will be directing
Ranbir in a comedy. “They needed to get away from the gloom of Rockstar. This time it’s an out and out fun film, the source added. IANS
HATS OFF TO ACTORS
WHO WORK WITH NEWCOMERS: PREITY ZINTA
W
orking with newcomers is an uphill task, says Preity Zinta, who will be seen opposite debutant Rhehan Malliek in her maiden production venture Ishkq In Paris. Recalling her debut film Dil Se in 1998, she doffs her hat to her first co-stars Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala for being patient with her. “I was working with a new guy and it was very tough. I realised how Shah Rukh and Manisha made me feel comfortable in my first film Dil Se. I thanked both of them,” Preity said. After acting in about 35 films, Preity, 37, didn’t want to be associated with a film which embarrassed her; so she ensured that the Ishkq In Paris script is strong. “There is some experience that I have, considering the work that I have done. I just wanted to make sure that our script is amazing. I just wanted that if I put my name to a film, I should not be embarrassed. I want to be part of films that are entertaining and have a message,” she said. IANS
22
CINEMA SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Saif exercises to Kareena’s Halkat Jawani K areena Kapoor’s Halkat Jawani is having positive effects on her beau, actor Saif Ali Khan. He is such a fan of the song that he exercises with the peppy number in the background. “He (Saif) is very excited (about Heroine). He liked the first promo, everyone has been
talking about the dialogues, and he is very supportive. He actually runs on the treadmill with the song (Halkat jawani) on, so I am making him run and lose some weight,” the 31-year-old said. Kareena spoke on the sidelines of the launch of the title track of Heroine, directed by Madhur Bhandarkar.
The movie releases September 21. Meanwhile, asked about her marriage plans, Kareena said: “We are not giving that topic so much importance, but you all are. Right now there is no time to think about it. I have been promoting the film, there is some sort of event (all the IANS time).”
I was called ‘browny’ in US school:
Priyanka Chopra P
riyanka Chopra, who went to high school for a few years in Boston, said she faced racial issues there as some fellow students called her “browny” and pointed a finger at her for being an Indian. In an inspiring speech at the India Today Mind Rocks Youth Summit, the 30-yearold actress took a crowd of hundreds of students
through her life’s journey, from being “gawky kid” to a Bollywood star. “I was living in Bareilly, from there I went straight to Boston and joined school there. I didn’t know how to fit in. Also, I faced some racial issues. Some girls called me ‘browny’ and I was typecast, pointed a finger at for being Indian,” Priyanka said. The bullying turned
into a fight and Priyanka was suspended from school for three days. But the actress said going to school in America was a huge lesson in life as it taught her to be more confident. Delivering a speech on perfection, Priyanka said she is not perfect and it’s okay to be flawed as “long as you are being yourself ”. PTI
Midnight’s Children is an exotic India package D
eepa Mehta’s much awaited Midnight’s Children lushly captures much of India’s recent history in an epic sweep, some of the magical realism of Salman Rushdie’s iconic novel after which it is named, and is even funny. The movie is an exotic India package complete with snake charmers in red turbans, magicians who say Abracadabra and slumdwellers who speak pakka English. Mehta, Canadasettled director of Indian origin, slathers on the chutney much thicker than even Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle, who is British. PTI
CINEMA SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
23
CINEMA SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
24
25
CINEMA SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
I'm more than just MJ's daughter: Paris S
he is the daughter of late pop icon Michael Jackson, but Paris, who has landed her first movie role, says she wants to be known for her own talent. “I love my dad, and I’m proud to be his daughter. I just don’t think the title ‘MJ’s daughter’ fits me,” the 14-year-old told Glamour magazine. “A lot of people think that (my dad) is the only reason I’m making it, but I want to show that I do have talent and that I can make it if I try. I want to be my own person,” she added. Paris has been roped in to star in the upcoming film Lundon’s Bridge and the Three Keys and she admits many people were not happy with her decision to turn to acting, reports people.com. “A lot of people don’t want me to (be an actress) but Aunt La Toya believes in me. She heard me play a little guitar and sing. She really does encourage me; it’s just awesome of her,” she said. IANS
I want to know India better: Halle H
ollywood actress Halle Berry, who is draped in a bright red sari in her upcoming film Cloud Atlas, says she is fascinated with Indian culture and wants to know it better. “India is a fascinating country with myriad layers in it. I want to take a step towards learning more about one of the oldest cultures in the world. I have many Indian friends and it’s fascinating to hear their stories of ancient India,” Berry said in a statement. For a scene in Cloud Atlas, an adaptation of the eponymous 2004 novel by David Mitchell, the actress dressed in a traditional Indian way. Her look is complete with a sari, and she wears bangles, with henna applied on her palms. Cloud Atlas is written and directed by Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski along with Tom Tykwer. It will release in India and the US in October, and will be distributed by PVR Pictures. IANS
Culkin’s art to be on display soon M
acaulay Culkin’s creative juices have been flowing. Though he hasn’t been in front of the camera for a while, the 32-year-old actor has been busy for the last year with a different type of art — and next week, he’ll have an exhibit to show off the fruits of his impromptu passion project. “We cleared out everything, laid down plastic and went a little nuts at the art supply store,” Culkin says in a video he shot with the rest of Three Men and a Baby, the art collective he has formed with pals Adam Green and Toby Goodshank (both of Moldy Peaches fame). Macaulay Culkin is looking good in face of denied drug addiction rumors. The friends have been using Culkin’s New York City pad as a studio and will be holding their first show, Leisure Inferno at gallery/performance space Le Poisson Rouge on September 13.
26
CHAI TIME SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
SUNDAY CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 In a reverie 7 Watch over 12 Unyielding 17 Back financially 21 City near Syracuse 22 Movie award 23 Video-game pioneer 24 Fit of shivering 25 Call again 26 Deadlines (2 wds) 28 — Almond of Soft Cell 29 ‘Mogambo’ name 30 Inelegant solutions 32 Van Gogh’s medium 33 Maria Conchita — 35 — Thomas Clocks 37 Bassoon cousins 38 All ears 39 More arrogant 40 Golfer Sam — 42 Startled cries 43 The two together 44 Flowering trees 45 Bonsai’s land 47 Algebra or geometry 48 Down the hatch 49 Big bird 52 Telegraph signal 53 Johnnycake 54 Lost a lap 55 Date ender, maybe 59 ‘Werewolves Of —’ 61 Roomful of students 62 Go sour 63 Sticky 64 Kentucky Derby award 65 Nile goddess of truth 66 ‘Veni, —, vici’ 67 ‘True Lies’ co-star 68 Sarah — Jewett 69 Shoved off 70 Eager 72 ‘48 Hrs’ lead 73 Bleachers shout 74 Mock fanfare (hyph) 75 Intuitions 76 Freeway access 77 LP speed 80 Sudden forays 82 Not liquid or gas 83 One-liner 84 1960s hairdo 85 — Dion 87 Pot covers 88 Oater showdown 89 Welcome 90 Musical drama 91 Luxury fur 92 Fine violin, briefly 94 Black-footed critter 95 Fellows 96 Decaf brand 97 What banks do 98 Mdse 99 U2 producer 100 Casts a ballot 101 Green Hornet’s valet 102 Market collapse 104 With greater frequency 107 Trout habitat 108 Up — — point 109 Caravan sighting 113 South Seas clothes 114 Hack’s customer 115 Water slide 117 Bar mitzvah dance 118 Is
119 — Raton 120 Complainers 122 ‘Kidnapped’ monogram 123 Practical jokes 124 Regions 127 Avoids capture 129 Feel sore 130 Buoy up 131 Reduce by 50 per cent 132 Trigonometry function 133 Back muscles 134 Stage platform 135 Hard sell, maybe 136 Watered the houseplants DOWN 1 Quagmire 2 Lopsided 3 Unruffled 4 Jr’s son, maybe 5 Minn neighbour 6 Wine-making family 7 Dismounted (2 wds) 8 Customary practices 9 Farm measures 10 Dust collectors 11 Rapper Dr — 2 Salad ingredient
13 Where Rome is home 14 B-movie pistols 15 Temper 16 Charmed 17 Wellknown 18 Kampala’s country 19 Hospital helpers 20 Wallpaper, etc 27 Kind of fairy 31 WWII movie staple (hyph) 34 Raucous diver 36 Uris novel ‘The —’ 38 Jots down 39 Climber’s spike 41 Lower wall panels 43 Censors 44 Kiwi language 46 Wrestler’s coup 47 Zoo barrier 48 Chopin piece 49 Young Jetson 50 Silverheels’ partner 51 Disentangled 53 — du jour 54 Follows the recipe 55 Waldheim or Cobain 56 Meddle 57 Travel on powder 58 UNIX or DOS 60 Kiki or Joey 61 Water-to-wine site
63 Guzzle 65 Docs prescribe them 66 Were rivals 67 Free pass 69 Cross the creek 70 Runs a fever 71 Ness org 72 Fasten permanently 74 Ike Turner’s ex 75 Clear spirit 76 Wished undone 78 Admire oneself 79 Slogan 81 Hangs in the sun 82 Kitchen appliances 83 Dorm view 84 Timetable abbr 85 Rank above Maj 86 Emissions watchdog 87 Cruise ship 88 Early James Bond foe (2 wds) 89 Fresco base 91 Tarzan and Jane 92 Allay, as thirst 93 Monsieur’s pate 94 Safe products org 96 Lark, for one 98 Iron latticework 100 Let off steam 101 K, to a jeweler 102 Advice
103 Derisive snort 104 Monte Alban neighbour 105 Terror 106 Chucks 107 More frilly 108 Be a bandit 110 Unsavory 111 A Mandrell sister 112 Mouthed off
113 Erich or George 114 Strong suit 115 Dish with beans 116 Not on all fours 119 Bikini tops 120 Outer garment 121 Gin-fizz flavor 125 Cotton gin name 126 Mild interjections 128 Seal’s org
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
27
CHAI TIME SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
STAR POWER Date 10-9-2012
As per Hindu panchang
THIRUVAIKUMAR
thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9949870449
TAURUS
GEMINI
Keep your distance from friends and relatives. You will complete all work with politeness and though-out approach. Spouse's health may be a cause for concern. Politicians gain confidence.
Delayed court issue will go in your favour. To adust with each other is good for couples. Women will take certain important decision about their future in consultation with parents.
You will receive ancestrial property to cheer you up. Travel and expenses likely for fulfilling needs of children. Chances of differences with relatives; be alert and avoid such a situation.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Your appearance will become attractive. You will purchase a house and vehicle of your choice. You will gain an upper hand among relatives and family members. Good financial flow likely.
Enemies will turn into friends. Politicians will be in limelight. You will be the most respected in functions and public meetings. Unwanted tension and expenses likely. Delay in work foreseen.
Avoid standing guarantee for anyone or extending financial help. Unexpected journey awaits you. Avoid anger and emotional decisions. You will purchase a new property by selling an existing one.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Blood relatives will be of great help and support you in times of need. You will repent later for harsh talk you do in anger: avoid such a situation. Employees will have an increased work.
Though you may face tension and disappointments, health will be fine. You might face failure and disappointment if work not planned and executed properly. Plan everything in advance.
Sudden financial fortune likely. Selfconfidence and willpower levels are at their high, which will ensure success in all work undertaken. Old friends and close relatives come in search of you.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Some have bright chances to go abroad and will receive their visa easily. Problems in getting paternal assets will be resolved and you will get it. Promotion and pay hike on the cards.
Friends will be of great help and their circle will expand. Chances of getting stomach ache or heat-related ailments; take good care. Be patient while undertaking important work.
Misunderstanding between couples will be over and they will live in good harmony. Avoid standing guarantee for anyone. Be careful while driving. Businessmen will crush the competition.
TAURUS
Three of Wands – Take up a voluntary teaching assignment. This will improve your own knowledge of things, and widen your perspective of life.
Five of Wands – Routine can get boring, but it is essential in order to carry on with life and do the things we always wanted to. Don’t give up. Keep at it!
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Three of Cups – You are nearing the completion of a project. This is a great time to reflect on how things went and give your project one final push.
Ten of Wands – Singles are in the line for marriage. It may happen suddenly, especially if you haven’t really been planning it all this while. Don’t stress over it.
Two of Cups – There is a proposal in front of you, and to make the decision is becoming very stressful to you. You want more time but you don’t have it.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Five of Pentacles – You are very good at making character sketches. You will be in a position to gauge a person’s character by their appearance and behaviour.
Queen of Swords – There is a possibility that you may be asked to work on a project alone. It is nothing you cannot handle. It may be something you may enjoy.
Two of Pentacles – You are in the process of a major transformation. You begin to look at life differently. You like to collect new experiences.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Justice – This is a very passionate time for you. You discover many sensual pleasures, in food, music and physical experiences. Enjoy the time!
The Sun- This is a lucky time when you’re high on energy and good ideas come to you pretty quickly, too. Utilise it, and do not get cocky about anything.
King of Swords – This is a creative time. You are in the middle of some significant changes. Do not put all your eggs in one basket.
For Better or for Worse Stone soup
GEMINI
Page of Cups – Laugh a lot. You need laughter to loosen up a bit and to de-stress. It will take your mind off things and people that are stressful.
Funny side of life
S
o I met this gangster who pulls up the back of people's pants, it was Wedgie Kray. Went to the corner shop — bought 4 corners. A seal walks into a club...
Ink pen
COMICS
SUMAA TEKUR
tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
ARIES
Fred Basset
ARIES
TAROT READ Date 10-9-2012
I went to the Doctors the other day, and he said, 'Go to Bournemouth, it's great for flu'. So I went — and I got it. What did the Buddha say to the hotdog vendor? "Make me one with everything." After taking his money and giving
Buddha his hot dog, the Buddha asks, "What about my change?" "Change comes from within," is the reply. Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but she can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake. Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle. Old aunts came to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and telling me, "You're next." This stopped when I did the same thing to them at funerals.
Vol: 2, No 54 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211
28
CINEMA SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Christian
Bale, a real
life
superhero!
Matthew
C
hristian Bale just made one little boy’s dreams come true. Earlier this year, over 30,000 volunteers helped make a wish a reality for a five-year-old boy suffering from leukemia, who was given only a few months to live. The Ohio-based group organised their effort through Facebook, creating an event called “Lighting the Bat Signal for Jayden”. On Friday, Jayden got to meet the real-life Batman. After hearing about the event, Bale flew Jayden and his family members to Los Angeles for lunch at Disney’s Club 33. The best part — reportedly, Jayden’s in remission.
Perry’s show is aiming for the stars
A
freshman comedy starring Matthew Perry as a sportstalk radio host has set eyes on David Beckham for a guest role. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the former Friends star is the driving force behind landing Beckham, having reached out to the football star to cameo on the series. Showrunner Scott Silveri told THR that he’s already being approached by agents and sports stars for cameos on the series, which has already booked Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh, Terrell Owens, Jeremy Roenick and Bob Costas for guest roles.
I am not worried about nudity K E I R A
A
nna Karenina star Keira Knightley says she finds it easier to reveal her body than her personal life. The 27-year-old actress said that she has learnt to avoid the spotlight
K N I G H T L E Y while off screen but is not prudish about nudity, reported Daily Mirror online. “I’m not prudish when it comes to nudity. If the role calls for it, then I’m going to be naked. I’m not afraid to expose myself that way,” she
said. Knightley has stripped off for roles before, including Edge Of Love. While she is not shy about revealing her body, the actress said that she finds it more difficult to channel personal relationships in IANS movies.
29
SPORTS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Canada win basketball title
Creamer grabs lead over Shin
London set to bid farewell
C
P
T
anada wrested the Paralympic men’s wheelchair basketball title back from their old rivals Australia on Saturday with a hard-fought 64-58 victory in the final. The world’s best wheelchair player, Patrick Anderson, scored 34 points at the North Greenwich Arena to help Canada take the gold medal and repeat their success at the 2000 and 2004 Games. It was a bitter disappointment for Australia, who had beaten Canadas to win the 2008 title in Beijing.
aula Creamer had six birdies in a sixunder 65 on Saturday to seize a twoshot lead over former world No. 1 Jiyai Shin after three rounds of the LPGA’s Kingsmill Championship. Creamer had a 54-hole total of 16-under par 197 while overnight leader Shin, of South Korea, carded a 69 for 199. Dewi Claire Schreefel of the Netherlands carded a 69 for a share of third on 12-under 201 alongside American Danielle Kang, who shot 70.
he Paralympic flame will be extinguished in London on Sunday after the final day of competition at the Games, bringing down the curtain on a summer of elite sport. With 11 days of sport and the biggest, most high-profile Paralympics in the Games’ 52-year history at an end, attention then turns to the closing ceremony, which takes place in the Olympic Stadium. Organisers have promised that the show will be a celebratory farewell.
Pistorius races to glory
“Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius on Saturday ended the last day of the competition of the London Paralympics by storming to victory in his favoured event, to retain his T44 400m title. Phil Hazlewood
Agence France-Presse
LONDON: “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius on Saturday ended the last full day of competition of the London Paralympics by storming to victory in his favoured event, as most of the final golds were decided. Pistorius, 25, had been favourite to retain his T44 400m title for single and double below-the-knee amputee sprinters being the only man in the field to run under 50sec. The result never looked in doubt from the gun, as the South African struck out on his own to lead coming into the last half-lap and was roared across the line in 46.68sec by the crowd at the packed 80,000-capacity Olympic Stadium. “It was very, very special to me,” Pistorius told Britain’s Channel 4 television after the race. “It was the last event of my season, the last event of the London 2012 Games. Just so special. “It was my 11th time I was able to come out on the track and I just wanted to end and give the crowd something they would appreciate and take home with them. “I was very nervous before today’s race. I was quite tired but the crowd just really kept me going.” Brazil meanwhile defended their unbeaten record in five-a-side football, beating France 2-0 to clinch their third gold in the three Games since the sport was introduced.
South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius crosses the line to win gold in the men’s 400m - T44 final during the athletics competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on Saturday. AFP/IAN KINGTON
Bosnia-Herzegovina gained revenge over Iran for their defeat in Beijing four years ago, clinching the men’s sitting volleyball title 3-1, while China won three out of four of the team gold medals played on Saturday in table tennis. The haul took their overall tally in the competition to 14 out of 29 golds on offer -- one more than on home soil in 2008 -- with 21 medals in total. In the pool, Victoria Arlen of the United States secured her first gold of the Games in the S6 100m freestyle after three silvers and a row about her classification on the eve of the Games. Brazilian swimmer Daniel Dias, who was born without hands and feet, secured his sixth of the Games. Canada wrested the men’s wheelchair basketball title back from their old foes Australia thanks to a dominant performance from the world’s best wheelchair player, Patrick Anderson, in front of thousands of Canadian fans. Anderson went on to score 34 points to help his team, Canada win 64-58 and avenge their defeat to the Australians in the 2008 final in Beijing. In wheelchair tennis, former military helicopter pilot Noam Gershon, who was injured during Israel’s 2006 war with Lebanon, took the men’s quad singles titles for the Jewish nation’s first gold of the Paralympic Games.
Klitschko defends WBC title
Alexander Fedorets Agence France-Presse
MOSCOW: Ukraine’s Vitali Klitschko successfully defended his WBC heavyweight title here Saturday after the referee stopped his bout with Germany’s Manuel Charr in the fourth round due to a cut over the challenger’s right eye. The fight was stopped with 56sec remaining in the round. Klitschko improved his record to 45-2, while Charr, who was unbeaten before his meeting with Ukraine’s 41-year-old veteran, fell to 21-1.
“I was a bit disappointed as I wanted to win today by a real knockout, not a technical one,” said Klitschko. “I was ready to contine the bout and Charr was also ready for further boxing but it was the decision of the doctor and the referee, who are responsible for it and we could do nothing about it. Klitschko started the bout as a hot favourite in what was his 17th world heavyweight championship fight.Charr brought with him an unblemished record in 21 fights and a seventh ranking by the WBC, but none of his opponents had been of the highest calibre.
Ward retains crown
A
Ukraine’s Vitali Klitschko (R) fights against Germany’s Manuel Charr in Moscow early on Sunday. AFP/POOL/SERGEI ILNITSKY
ndre Ward stopped Chad Dawson in the 10th round on Saturday to remain unbeaten and retain his World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council super middleweight world titles. Ward pummelled Dawson sending him to the canvas in the third and fourth rounds before his final barrage ended it at 2:45 of the 10th. AFP
30
SPORTS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Hyderabad XI thrash Kerala
ARENA POLO
H
Players of Delhi Devils and Bangalore Warriors participate in the Arena Polo match held at the Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club on Saturday. Delhi Devils, which had starts like Sameer Suhag, won the match. SRINIVAS SETTY
yderabad XI defeated Kerala by a formidable 136 runs in the Moin-ud-Dowlah Cup on Saturday. Hyderabad’s DB Ravi Teja smashed 118 from just 114 balls, a knock which saw him hit two sixes and eight fours. Sachin Baby topscored with 55. Meanwhile, at Gymkhana grounds, Karnataka defeated HCA President’s XI by 293 runs. KL Rahul of Karnataka scored 131. He was well supported by Kunal Kapoor who was unbeaten on 92. Naveen Kumar of HCA President’s XI scored a superb 94 but failed to help his team win the match. Elsewhere, Tamil Nadu beat Services by42 runs while Goa lost their match to DDCA by nine wickets. RESULTS: n Hyderabad XI 348/5 and 228/5(DB Ravi Teja 118, GH Vihari 40) bt Kerala 268 and 172 (Abhishek Hegde 36, Sachin Baby 55, Vishal Sharma 3/57) n Karnataka 436 and 236/3 (KL Rahul 131, Kunal Kapoor 92 n.o.) bt HCA President’s XI 221 and 158/7 (Naveen Kumar 94, Ronit More 3/21). n Tamilnadu 378/8 and 212/8 (KB Arun Karthik 57, B. Aparjith 49, Vijay Shanker 40, Abhishek Sinha 4/69, Khalid Mohammed 4/76) bt Services 327/9 and 221(Prateek Desai 51, Soumik Chaterjee 59, Rahil Shah 3/69). n Goa 250 and 271/7 (Swapnil Asnodkar 91, Regan Pinto 74, Sher Bhadur Yadav 31, Ishanth Sharma 4/59, P. Awana 2/61) lost to Delhi DCA 333/9 and 192/1 (Mohit Sharma 86 n.o., Shikar Dhawan 85).
League Cricket
Proteas on course for T20 WC
CHESTER-LE-STREET: South Africa captain AB de Villiers said his side’s three-wicket win over reigning champions England was an encouraging sign ahead of this month’s World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. On a generally slow Chester-le-Street pitch taking turn -- the kind of surface that may well confront them in the global tournament -- South Africa restricted England to 118 for seven. Spinners Johan Botha and Robin Peterson took four wickets between them, as South Africa provided the latest evidence they are no longer solely reliant on pace bowling. But Dale Steyn, arguably the world’s best fast bowler, was named man-of-the-match for a return of one for 13 in four overs -- all bowled in oneover spells. Saturday’s win saw South Africa, the world’s top-ranked Twenty20 side, take a 1-0 lead in a three-match series ahead of Monday’s clash in Manchester. De Villiers, asked if victory boded well for the team’s World
Twenty20 chances, replied: “Definitely, it’s very similar to what we are expecting. “There was a little bit of turn, it was quite slowish. It was really good preparation. The bowlers had really clear plans and I’m proud of the way they came out. They made my job really easy out there.” South Africa, who failed to make the semi-finals when England won the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean two years ago, then suffered a top order collapse as they slumped to 29 for three. But an unbroken stand of 90 in 91 deliveries between veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis (48 not out) and JP Duminy (47 not out) saw the Proteas home with an over to spare. Kallis was returning after being rested from the preceding drawn one-day series between the two countries and an admiring de Villiers said of the world-class all-rounder: “Jacques, coming back from a bit of a break, made it look really easy, with JP obviously really playing well at the other AFP end.
A 2 and 3 Division two days matches Day 2 n Budding Star 237 bt Nizam College 163 (Venkatesh 30,Sahir Hussain 45 no,Akshit Agarwal 4 for 41) n Continental 139 bt Team Speed 126 (A Abhinay Kumar 40,Santosh Singh 40,P Praneeth Kumar 4 for 18,Y Sharavan Kumar 3 for 42 ) n Sultanshahi 363 bt Hyd Titans 148 (B Prasad 58,Meher Prasad 4 for 41) n MCC 211 lost to Visaka 214 for 9 (Surinder Singh 74,Satish Chinthala 49 no,Raja Venkatesh 6 for 52 ) A 5 and 12 Division one day matches n Hyd Wanderers 217 (Aijab 49,Khusru 43no) lost to Golconda 223 for 1 (Mohd Mohsin 118 no,Md Abdul Shadaab 39 no)
Selections for U-19 HCA women’s team
T
he selections for the under-19 women’s cricket to represent HCA at the South-Zone inter state under-19 tournament to be held in Andhra Pradesh will be held at the Gymkhana Grounds in Secunderabad on Monday from 2pm. Five players each from the HCA affiliated districts are required to attendd the selection trials. The participating players are to report to the venue along with their date of birth certificate.
Prateek, Shiva, Avikshith, Koushi in lead
I
n 76th Brilliant Trophy Chess Tournament being held at Brilliant Grammar High School, Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad, a total of 23 players are in joint lead with 2 points each after 2 rounds, in the open category. In the junior category five players A Prateek, E Shiva, D Swethasree, Avikshith, M Koushi are in jont lead with 3 points each after 3rd round. RESULTS: Open Round: J Ramakrishna (2) beat Anvitha (1); Krishna Sai (1) lost to J Subrahmanyam (2); P Ramakrishna(2) beat Srikanth(1); Janakidevi(1) lost to Sandeep Naidu(2); Harsha (2) beat B Ganesh(1) JUNIORS: 3rd Round (Top 5 Boards): A Anirudh (2) lost to M Koushik (3); H Nikhil (2) lost to A Prateek (3); P Ajayreddy (2) lost to Avikshith (3); Shanmukha Teja (2) lost to E shivakumar (3); Srikanth (1.5) lost to D Swetasree(3)
31
SPORTS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Mickelson charges into share of BMW lead
Vijay Singh finished his round with three bogeys and two birdies in his last five holes to join Phil Mickelson. INDIANAPOLIS: Phil Mickelson (right) fired 10 birdies in an eight-under par 64 on Saturday, enough to seize a share of the third-round lead when Vijay Singh bogeyed the last at the BMW Championship. Fijian veteran Singh, who held a one-shot lead after 36 holes, posted a three-under 69 to join Mickelson on 16-under 200 at Crooked Stick, where 70 players teed it up in the penultimate event of the US PGA Tour’s fourtournament playoff series. Mickelson and Singh, both World Golf Hall of Famers, will have plenty of quality competition on Sunday. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s shootout,” Mickelson said. “It should be fun.” Northern Ireland’s world number one Rory McIlroy, who won his second career major at the PGA championship last month, birdied 18 for a 69 to join
Lee Westwood of England on 201. Westwood, a former world number one, carded a 68. McIlroy leads the playoff standings that will determine the 30 players who advance to the Tour Championships that close the series. “I’m in great position and excited about tomorrow,” said McIlroy, who won the Deutsche Bank Championship last week. “Phil obviously played well today... He might go out there and shoot the same number again tomorrow, but I just have to concentrate on myself and try and do the best that I can.” Australian Adam Scott carded a 66 for 202 where he was
TIGER WOODS WAS THREE SHOTS OFF THE LEAD, ALONE ON 203 AFTER A ONE-UNDER 71.
joined by Dustin Johnson (67) and Robert Garrigus (66). Tiger Woods was three shots off the lead, alone on 203 after a one-under 71. “It’s an incredible leaderboard,” Scott said. “It’s going to be fun.” Woods appeared to aggravate his troublesome knee hitting from an awkward stance. He was three over through his first eight holes with four bogeys and a birdie when a chipin for birdie at the ninth ignited a string of three straight birdies. He added another at the parthree 13th to keep himself in the hunt. “I grinded hard,” Woods said. “I didn’t have much, and on top of that I made two really bad bogeys on seven and eight from the middle of the fairway, but at least I fought back where I have a chance going into tomorrow. “It’s probably going to take 63 or 64 tomorrow, but it can be AFP done out here.”
Schumacher posi‘Scotland in must-win after drawing with Serbia’ tive for Italian GP MONZA: Michael Schuma-
Alastair Watson
GLASGOW: Craig Levein (right) says Scotland’s World Cup qualifying match against Macedonia on Tuesday is a must-win game after watching his side being held to a goalless draw by Serbia at Hampden. The Scots failed to get their Group A campaign off to a flying start as they struggled to find a way past Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side. Levein’s side face tough matches against Croatia and Belgium later on in the qualification campaign and the Scotland boss admitted his side were now under pressure to take all three points against Macedonia at Hampden.
However, Levein insisted his side would not be so wasteful in front of goal again. “It probably is a mustwin match. It would certainly be beneficial to win the game on Tuesday,” Levein acknowledged. “But, I am more confident now than I was before the match because after that game I am disappointed we didn’t win because of the chances we created. “I look at the opportunities we had to hit Serbia in the areas where we knew they were weak and I could count half a dozen times where we didn’t play almost a simple pass at times.”
cher (right), making what may be his final appearance at the famous Autodromo Nazionale circuit, proved he still has plenty to offer when he qualified fifth for Mercedes for Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix. The 43-year-old German, a seven-time champion, said he was sticking to his decision not to discuss his future until October after a performance that confirmed his ongoing speed. “I think we can be satisfied with our qualifying performance as we have performed consistently all weekend,” he said. “Our car clearly suits this circuit more than those at the last races, but we’ve had a
couple of hiccups along the way in practice. “Our guys back at the factory and here at the track did a good job to sort out the problems and compliments to them. Solid points should be a realistic target. The fact that I will start from fourth is another small positive point, because here the even numbers on the grid are probably the AFP better start positions.”
32
SPORTS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
Storm forces US Open suspension Dave James
NEW YORK: Violent storms
Attendants dry centre court at the start of the match of Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych in New York on Saturday. AFP/ TIMOTHY A CLARY
and a tornado warning caused the US Open to be suspended on Saturday, leaving the men’s final to be played on Monday for a fifth successive year and officials accused of bungled scheduling. With a tornado watch in operation, and violent thunderstorms expected, the second men’s semi-final was suspended at 1711 local time (2111GMT) with Spain’s David Ferrer leading defending champion Novak Djokovic 5-2 in the first set. The women’s singles final between Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka, set for
WITH A TORNADO
WATCH IN OPERATION, AND VIOLENT THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED, THE SECOND MEN’S SEMI-FINAL WAS SUSPENDED. Saturday night, had already been put back to Sunday earlier in the day. British third seed Andy Murray had made sure of his place in the men’s final after beating the Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych. “Severe weather is coming
and we needed to give patrons time to get out of the stadium and into their cars,” said tournament director David Brewer as the Billie Jean King Tennis Center was evacuated. “The decision was taken to stop play for the day.” Brewer told a later news conference: “We’re getting very tired of having Monday finals.” He added that switching the second semi-final to Louis Armstrong Stadium had been discussed as a means of getting both matches completed in time to allow for the final to be staged on Sunday as planned. Talks were held with player representatives, security officials as well as broadcasters.
Murray blows away Berdych Third seed Murray advanced to the finals by defeating the sixth seed 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (9/7). Jim Slater
NEW YORK: Olympic champion Andy Murray, (right) trying to become the first British man to win a Grand Slam title since 1936, withstood blustery conditions on Saturday to beat Tomas Berdych and reach the US Open final. “It was brutal,” Murray said, after a tornado warning had been issued earlier in the day. “Some of the hardest conditions I have ever played in, and I come from Scotland so that’s saying something.” Murray, who owns a 6-5 career record aginst Ferrer but trails Djokovic 6-8 in their alltime rivalry, was left not knowing who he will face in the final after the other semi-final was suspended until Sunday with Ferrer ahead 5-2. Trying to end a British men’s Slam drought dating to Fred Perry’s 1936 US title, the
lanky 25-year-old Scotsman battled through brutal winds to reach his fifth career Grand Slam final, his second in a row after falling at Wimbledon. After collecting an Olympic crown last month, avenging his Wimbledon final loss to Roger Federer in the final, this might at last be Murray’s moment. “I hope so,” Murray said. “You can never say for sure. I know how hard these tournaments are to win. When the conditions are like they were today anything can happen. You have to be there from the first point to the last.” Murray and his coach, eighttime Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl, are the only Open-era players to drop their first four Grand Slam finals, Murray losing at the 2008 US Open, 2010 and 2011 Australian Opens and last June at Wimbledon. Despite wicked breezes, Murray connected on 74 percent
of his first serves and won 73 percent of those points while making only 20 unforced errors to 64 for Berdych. “The wind blew it away for me,” Berdych said. “It was really hard to play a passing shot in
Murray gets US Open boost from Connery, Sir Alex NEW YORK: Britain’s Andy Murray has extra inspiration for Monday’s US Open final after meeting two of his most famous fans, Sir Sean Connery (far right) and Sir Alex Ferguson (right), and knowing they will be on hand to watch him. Olympic champion Murray booked his spot in his fifth Grand Slam championship match with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (9/7) victory over Czech Tomas Berdych, then met football coaching legend Ferguson and the former James Bond.
“I’m a huge James Bond fan and I love football as well,” Murray said. “Sir Alex is one of the most successful managers of all time and both of them are from Scotland. So to have them both here was very nice. “They re going to be here for the final as well so I hope I can do it for them.” Murray, a 25-year-old Scotsman, had a somewhat awkward first meeting with Connery and Ferguson to say the least after withstanding wickedly windy conditions in his match, what he said were JS probably the toughest he has faced.
this kind of weather, but on the other hand, it was also tough not to make mistakes and be aggressive.” Wind gusts whipped the net and players’ clothing, played havoc with many serve tosses,
blew food wrappers across the court to foil several points and even sent Murray’s chair and racquet bag onto the playing area late in the second set. “You had to focus for every single point. You had to get in position for every shot. You weren’t going for aces because it was hard enough to get the second serves in,” said Murray. Umpire Pascal Maria turned off the electronic system to signal let serves after wind gusts set off random beeps. “This is not about show. This is just about somehow to try to deal with the conditions and then trying to put ball over the net,” Berdych said. “Sometimes was impossible.” Murray, also trying to become the first man to win the Olympic and US Open titles in the same year, will overtake Spain’s Rafael Nadal as World No. 3 in Monday’s world rankings.