‘I WANT COMEDY, ROMANCE’ Mahie Gill wants to explore other genres, besides offbeat films. PG 22 WWW.POSTNOON.COM
WEATHER: CLEAR WITH CLOUDY SPELLS; 28°C
DENMARK: THE MERRY MONARCHY Some of the world’s happiest people live in Denmark. Here are a few good reasons to go where the great Danes live! PG 16&17 Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper
32 PAGES
FEBRUARY 26, 2012 HYDERABAD
N SHIVA KUMAR
CRIMINAL!
As the death toll mounts in the Monta Market tragedy, the callousness of the GHMC and lack of safety norms stand exposed. It’s time to act. REPORT ON PG 3
PAST FORWARD In a conversation, Dr Chenna Reddy tells us that understanding the past is not only romantic, but also a guide to the future. PG 10
PASSION MEETS PERFECTION
Meet Sunil Chandurkar, the man who sold his car and used up all his savings to realise his passion for theatre. PG 12
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CITY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
PUPPY LOVE
Voice and Ventriloquy
Contact: 98854 04784
Gallery Space presents Voice and Ventriloquy- a solo show by Subroto Chowdhury . The exhibition is on till March 10. Where: Gallery Space, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am to 7pm Contact: (040) 6554 1836
Life Portrait Soni- A portrait from life is a live portrait workshop being held at Iconart Art Gallery. The workshop features life portrait and life sculpture demonstrations. Where: Iconart Art Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: 98499 68797
Reflections The first annual photo exhibition by Hyderabad Weekend Shoots (Team HWS) titled Reflections is on. Team HWS is an online photo sharing community that conducts photo walks. Where: State Gallery of Fine Arts, Kavuri Hills When: Ongoing, 10am Contact: (040) 23113308
Conversations in time Kalakriti Art Gallery plays host to Ashok Mullick’s collection of paintings on canvas titled Conversations in Time. Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 66564466
Poetry and Dance
Get my food-Pronto
Chowmahalla Palace will play witness to an amalgamation of Kathak and Sufi poetry by Smt Mangala Bhatt and Adil Hussain Sufi. Where: Chowmahalla Palace, Charminar When: February 26, 6.30pm Contact: (040) 24522032
In a hurry? Head to Prego at Westin. It offers quick 45-minute lunch stop overs. Where: The Westin, Madhapur When: Monday-Saturday, 12pm onwards Contact: (040) 6767 6767
Chinese food festival
Karaoke nights Xtreme sports bar is hosting Karaoke Nights with KJ Clawrence. So come, sing to your hearts content. Where: Xtreme Sports Bar Jubilee Hills When: February 26, 8pm Contact: 80086 92225
Art from the heart
A boy plays with puppies at Lal Darwaza, Old City.
M ANIL KUMAR
ose in a hurry, a lunch for those who are calorie conscious and a lunch for those who are planning a fun-filled and food-filled reunion with pals. Where: Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills When: Everyday, 12pm onwards Contact: (040) 6666 3939
buffet where you can enjoy Hyderabadi dum biryani and live dosa with chicken curry every night. Where: Best Western Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing, 10.30pm-2.30am Contact: 80083 00373
Catch street plays What a mess and Class enemy as a part of University of Hyderabad’s Teenatak theatre festival. Where: University of Hyderabad , Gachibowli When: February 25, 8.30pm Contact: (040) 2313 0000
Martini ‘n music
Cognac and Cigar
Enjoy your evenings with martinis and crooner Kelly. This is what you call a perfect mix for a perfect evening! Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills When: Every Evening Contact: (040) 6666 232
Chowrasta
Pasta on your mind
The Seasons Bar opens up again as a Cigar and Cognac lounge with a wide selection of cognac, rare whiskies, single malts and cigars. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 7pm Contact: (040) 6666 2323
Muse Art Gallery presents a charity art show by Anjum Mohammadi (Karachi) for Soul. Where: Muse Gallery, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 2752 2999
Play time
Catch the painting exhibition Chowrasta featuring artistes such as Natraj S, Thirumala M Thirupathi, Srinivas Mouni and Subodh Singh. Where: Shrishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 2354 0023
A suitable lunch Syn presents three offers to suit your needs. There is a lunch for th-
CINEMAS
Craving for a tasty pasta? Latitude 17 Cafe offers a variety of delicious pastas to suit your varied pasta cravings! Where: Latitude 17 Cafe, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2339 8000
Midnight Buffet Midnight hunger pangs? Head to Best Western for it’s midnight
Acting workshop Samahaara- an acting and dancing workshop is being held. The workshop focusses on a variety of topics such as understanding the basics of stage acting, character analysis, stage and rehearsal terms, movement, stage geography. Where: The Actor’s studio, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7pm to 9pm
Experience the year of the dragon at Entree the dragon, a Chinese food festival at The Square, Novotel. Where: The Square, Novotel, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 8pm Contact: (040) 6682 4422
Khao Galli Sample and expansive spread of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes at Khao Galli, Madhapur. Where: Khao Galli, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 8pm Contact: 99120 22261
International pizza festival Pizza lovers this is the news for you! News Cafe is host to the International Pizza Festival. Sample pizza’s from around the world. Where: News Cafe, Inorbit Mall, Hitech City When: Ongoing, 12.30pm Contact: (040) 40101234
Go Splash Splash lounge is the perfect leisure destination for you to unwind at the poolside. During the evenings, the atmosphere get’s romantic with great music, martini’s and apertifs Where: The Westin, Madhapur When: Monday-Friday, 5pm-10.30pm Weekends, 8am-10.30pm Contact: (040) 6767 6828
Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 447677770, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 08800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973
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CITY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
300 illegal aliens detected
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n a drive against illegal immigrants, the city police have detected some 300 foreigners who were overstaying in the City. Cases have been filed and are under investigation. Central intelligence agencies have asked the States to step up drive against illegal immigrants as terrorist organisations are using them for their operations. Many overstaying foreigners enter the country by using the liberal student visa policy.
Nurse commits suicide
Woman kills 2 kids, herself
n a tragic but curious incident, a nurse in her mid-thirties is allegedly committed suicide in her home in Chandagiri Nagar after her envious paramour threatened her. Saritha was a divorcee and lived with a male nurse Upendra Reddy. Reddy recently started a nursing home and Saritha too opened one, but Saritha’s was getting more patients. Police said she consumed poison after a quarrel broke out on this issue.
woman committed suicide by jumping into a well after killing her two children by throwing them into the same well at Siddeswara Colony of Shamshabad area here late last night. Police said family the woman, Mallamma, 36 took the extreme measure due to family disputes. Though the incident occurred late last night, it came to light this morning when the bodies were seen floating in the tank.
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DEATH TOLL
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ARREST
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The day life crumbled N SHIVA KUMAR
Md INKESHAF AHMED
ahmed.m@postnoon.com
What’s implosion? An implosion is the strategic placement of explosive charges that actually destroy the structural integrity of the building causing it to fall not out, but in upon itself. Imagine wooden blocks stacked on top of each other; pull out a few of the bottom blocks and the structure falls by gravity. The weight of the upper part of the building usually destroys the lower portion of the building. Explosives are used to start the destruction, gravity takes over and completes the job.
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he toll of yesterday’s Monda Market building collapse rose to four today with the death of an injured disabled vendor named Naganath. The three-storey building which once housed a Punjabi restaurant was being demolished with no safety preparations when the whole structure gave in around 3.30pm killing three vendors instantaneously and injured two. The hotel was bought by four people and they had entrusted
We have only 74 town planning officers in GHMC. This is not enough for a 625 sq.km corporation and it is leading to problems. The recruitment process is on for town planning officers. This would help us in effectively delivering our services. MT Krishna Babu, GHMC Commissioner
How to take down a multi-story building in busy locality safely? Implosion. Mumbai corporation is using this method now
Police personnel cordon off the area to facilitate search and rescue operations. the dismantling work to a contractor. Now, the GHMC officials say the owners did not take permission for demolition. The four owners are said to be Raju Aggarwal, Manikchand Jain, Ajay Kumar Kataria and another. Of the four, Kataria is in custody while the other three are said to be absconding. The Market police seem to keep off the media on the fate of the other three. The police have registered a case under Sections 304 part 2 read with 34 of IPC in
Neighbouring residents watch the search and rescue efforts.
the incident. The police are also not forthright in clarifying the whereabouts of the building contractor by name Giri. It is alleged that despite the objections of the people around, the contractor and the owners kept the works on during night too which is prohibited by law. “We had asked them to take safety precautions. But they said that they bought the building for `6 crore and must make the building at the earliest,” Rama Krishna, a jewellery shop owner told Postnoon. Nor was there any attempt to regulate the traffic or people using the road right under the work site. An eyewitness Srinu, who runs a jewellery shop, was lighting aggarbatti before Hanumanji for saving his life. He escaped death by the skin of his teeth. “I would be in mortuary by now,” he said sighing. “I just parked my bike before my office, adjacent to the collapsed building when the world came crashing down. I sprinted away or I would have been dead by now.” It is evident that the owners and contractor had violated all norms prescribed by GHMC as per National Building Code2005. The GHMC officials seem to
have forgotten the idea mooted for forming of an independent panel consisting of experts of town planning and building constructions to examine building that need a relook or mending. When the Ayappa Cooperative Housing Society near Cyber towers witnessed a collapse of a building under construction in August last year, the commissioner had announced that the proposed panel would be entrusted with the responsibility of inspection, monitoring and supervision of new under constructions and would recommend the corporation. But there is no progress is reported so far in setting up of this panel.
Planning crucial To bring down a building in a controlled manner there must be a great deal of planning. The structural blueprints must be studied to determine how the building was constructed and any additional structural changes. Demolition experts go through the building to determine the best location for explosive charges. Timing of explosions also has to be planned. Generally, the support structures at the bottom of the building will be blasted first and some smaller explosions in the upper floors next to ensure proper implosion. The most important aspect of the planning is to make sure that the building falls exactly where they want it to fall. Whether the plan is to have the building fall inside itself or in a safe direction, the planning must be exact or harm can come to other structures or people. In the West implosion is a very common practice employed to bring down old structures located in the middle of populated areas with least amount of risk.
Lack of emergency rescue crew proves too costly Lack of emergency rescue teams in GHMC to face such incidents led to the loss of one life. Shafiullah Khan, a vendor at the Monda Market was alive for over two hours. “Shafiullah Khan was alive after the incident. But, GHMC officials could not do anything. We immediately sought the help of rescue teams from Central Industrial Naganath, who was injured, Security Force (CISF). They reached the later died in the hospital. spot after two hours. By the time they reached, Khan had breathed his last,” Mahankali ACP Vasu Sena said. Pointing at lack of infrastructure at the GHMC to tackle such incidents, Sena said that they had to bring a crane to clear the rubble as the corporation did not have one to undertake the rescue operation.
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CITY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
New anti-narcotics wing readies to take on ‘smart’ crooks
The cyber wing is constantly monitoring social networking sites used by the peddlers to co-ordinate their business Disturbing figures
MOHD SUBHAN
n As per the UNODC estimates, 270 million people use drugs once in a year n Number of regular drug users in the world is about 35 million. n Cannabis is the most widely used drug — 175 million, followed by ATS (ecstasy), heroin and cocaine. n 18 per cent of injection drugs users suffer from HIV. n Around 2,00,000 people die per year due to drug usage. n Opium production is highest in Afghanistan followed by Burma. n Around 20 million people use opiates like heroin. n Global market of opiates is $68 billion while heroin is $61 billion n Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Lebanon, and Morocco are the biggest producers of Cannabis. Afghanistan tops the list.
mohd.s@postnoon.com
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ost innovative methods are used in narcotic trade. We hear of ‘mules’ who fly with sheaths of heroin or swallow condoms filled with drugs. All these antics are passé. What is vogue is postal courier, mobile phones, social websites, finds out the newly-created Narcotic Cell under the command of additional commissioner of police (crime) Santosh Mehra. India’s illegal drug trade is pushed mostly by Africans. “It is a challenge to Air Customs and police to outwit these guys,” says Mehra. “They come in all shapes, in all possibilities — books, mementoes, dry fruit tins, toys, antiques, furniture, pen… If they could, they would put it under the skin too,” says the officer in a lighter vein. And, the carriers too come in varied forms: as students, visitors and fake official tours. The new Cell has asked all courier services to inform the police of any suspicious packages, failing which, they would be dealt with legally. They are to keep a complete record of receipts of parcels and senders’ address is mandatory. And, those who send parcels must produce identity proof, residential address, mobile phone numbers and passport photo. The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has sounded that India is increasingly becoming a main source of drugs abuse in various countries through "illegal" internet pharmacies. "India has become one of the main sources of drugs sold Cases registered under the NDPA Act in 2010, 11, 12
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Persons accused
53
Persons arrested
43
Foreigners in arrested
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Composition City police commissioner AK Khan says drive against drug peddling was on in earnest. He said the Cell would have 1 ACP, 1 Inspector, 6 SIs,16 head constables and 32 constables.
through illegally operating internet pharmacies...Orders placed with such internet pharmacies are often dispatched to buyers in other countries using courier or postal services," the INCB said in its report a year ago. What is alarming, says Mehra, is that the drug is penetrating posh areas such as Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Madhapur and Hitec City. Some pubs, restaurants, hukka centres, university and college campuses, bus stands and railway stations are the areas where supply is available. Many drug mafias have begun using the popular social websites for their nefarious communication, say police. Cyber experts in uniform have come across coded messages and slangs that are used to convey the drug peddling messages. A startling shortcoming of the counter-drug operations is the lack of effective devices to detect drugs. Metal detector, the most used search device is useless in drug detection. We need N2200 handheld narcotics detector, ion mobility spectrometry tests, and trained dogs, opine police officials.
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FOCUS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
The new Mandarins
Cash-strapped US filmmakers are looking to partner with China, which has specific ideas about what movies should be made SHEILA ZHAO
Big Screen CAIN NUNNS
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he US box office ain't what it used to be. In 2010, US ticket receipts accounted for just a third of global sales. That slice of the pie has been steadily shrinking since box office sales peaked in the early 2000s. On the funding end, global economic gloom means that hedge funds are backing fewer films. What is Hollywood to do? In part, US filmmakers are looking further afield to new markets and revenue streams. One key destination is China, the world's fastest growing major economy and home to a thriving film industry. Of course, it's also known for its sweeping censorship, and that raises serious issues for studios. Experts say that making headway in China means playing by a whole new set of rules — and they don't tend to favour self-expression. To succeed in China, some US producers wind up creating films that paint a sugar-coated picture of China and then they show it to audiences all around the world. One example is John Cusack's Hollywood-style blockbuster 2012, in which China heroically provides arks to save the rest of mankind from global flooding and imminent extermination. The film won a license from Beijing before going on to break China’s box office record. Though using the arts to communicate a state message is a hardly a new tactic within communist countries, China appears to have found a savvy way to export its state-sanctioned message far beyond its borders. “It really is very clever. They don’t need to censor movies themselves when Western production houses will do it for them," said Liu Lee-shin, a China film expert at Taipei’s National Taiwan University of Arts. "This is also happening in Taiwan and other Asian countries which want a piece of [China’s] arts pie.” “If you make a movie that’s shown in Canada which Beijing considers anti-Chinese, it is very likely none of your studios’ future films or documentaries will be shown in China again,” he added. Disney suffered severe restrictions on its interests after it released the Martin Scorsese bioepic Kundun in the late '90s. Kundun was based on the life of the Dalai Lama and depicted
Chinese soldiers in Tibet poorly. China currently caps the number of foreign films in its theatres at 20 a year. But more recently, Beijing has begun courting Hollywood producers to set up shop in China, for coproductions and joint ventures with local movie houses, almost all of which have strong ties to the Party and state. Coproductions allow Western producers to bypass the cap and access cash-rich Chinese investors, but they also mean that studios are essentially business partners with a repressive government. Liu says that Beijing has earmarked China’s film industry as part of a multi-billion dollar propaganda arts plan. “They are snapping up artists, directors, actors and production crew from everywhere and nobody wants to say no. Either the money is too good or they don’t want to offend the Party,” he said. “Look at The Great Revival, a massive production celebrating the 90th anniversary of the China Communist Party. Over 100 A-list stars turned up for a propaganda movie that only paid
lunch to star in.” Insiders say that centrallyplanned China is the first to recognise Hollywood’s willingness to prioritise dollars over freedom of speech and artistic
There are people in Hollywood right now, who are running around thinking: ‘What China content can I put in here? What would work? Michael Berry expression. “Hollywood’s No.1 concern has always been the bottom line,” said Michael Berry, a lecturer of East Asian languages and cultural studies at University of California, Santa Barbara. “There are people in Hollywood right now, who are running around thinking: ‘What China content can I put in here? What would work?’ Berry said.
"With the massive investments on production and marketing and the stakes being so high, US producers are taking an ultraconservative role and pumping out homogenised, stereotypical rehashes.” Berry warned that it’s not just Hollywood that's watering down its goods to fit inside officially sanctioned China. Contemporary art, dance, theatre, literature and media are also at risk, he said. “The average consumer is not going to be aware of the level of self-censorship that is taking place. If they want to find alternative ideas on China they will have to seek them out themselves,” Berry said. He noted that as far as Western audiences are concerned, there are three main vehicles used to project a statesanctioned view of the modern Middle Kingdom. First, the Chinese epic, such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon or Hero, which projects romanticised nostalgia of old China. Second, films depicting tales of personal alienation and the teething pains of a society tran-
sitioning through a Westernised ideal of development. One example is The Shower, about a busy executive who neglects his lovable-but-backward father, who runs a traditional bathhouse. The third is the blockbuster featuring a heroic China, such as Cusack's 2012. MGM's 2010 remake of Red Dawn was one of the few recent movies to pit China as a foil to Western interests. However, after China's state-run press ran editorials slamming the film, China's role was replaced by North Korea, marking the first time an entire group of people had been changed in post production. “Beijing is in charge of the entire process. If you want to play the game you have to play by their rules. And they control the rules when it comes to scripts, distribution, the licences, production and partnerships,” said an American producer who has worked in China and asked to remain anonymous so as not to jeopardise future work. “It's a type of reverse McCarthyism. But it’s their ball, so you play by their rules or go home.”
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NATION SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
CLASSIFIEDS FABRICATION
2 ‘journalists’ arrested
Materials seized from ship
SC moved on SRK’s house
NEW DELHI: Posing as crime
KOCHI: A Special Investigation
NEW DELHI: A petition alleging
Team of Kerala police seized four boxes of materials from the Italian merchant vessel Enrica Lexie to trace the weapons used by two marines, who allegedly shot dead two Indian fishermen. The boxes containing guns and documents will be shifted to harbour police station later today. Italian officials were present at the time of the seizure.
reporters, the two would extort money from NGOs and businessmen by threatening to expose them in the media but were exposed and arrested, police said on Saturday. The duo would pose as crime reporters of a weekly newspaper. The arrests came following a complaint by an NGO, that the two had visited them on Thursday and asked for `50,000.
violations by actor Shah Rukh Khan in the construction of his bungalow ‘Mannat’ has been filed with the Supreme Court. The petition has alleged that the actor violated archaeological laws and coastal regulation zone in the construction of Mannat. The Mumbai High Court had dismissed their plea and imposed costs on them.
NCTC controversy: Playing politics with terrorism Amulya Ganguli
REAL ESTATE GACHIBOWLI TO VATTINAGULAPALLY ORR FACING HOUSING PLOTS FOR SALE. NEAR MICROSOFT, WIPRO, ICICI, INFOTECH, KOKAPET IT SEZ. CONTACT - 9989354333
Jairam denies Bt Brinjal decision influenced KOCHI: In the wake of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh questioning the role of foreign-aided NGOs in opposing use of genetic engineering, union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh on Saturday stressed that the decision to stay commercial use of Bt Brinjal had not been influenced by any NGO. Answering queries from media persons on his visit to Kochi, Ramesh said his decision on Bt Brinjal was based on wide consultations with stakeholders, adding that the use of bio-technology for the crop to be consumed by humans needed to be carefully evaluated. Ramesh’s remarks assume after the PM’s interview to a science journal saying that India must make use of genetic engineering technology to increase agricultural productivity, and NGOs were not fully appreciative of the country’s development challenges.
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onsidering that P Chidambaram, according to Wikileaks, told FBI director Robert Mueller that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) could supersede the States in its probes and trials and that the full use of its powers would entail violation of the constitution, the home minister should have held more purposeful consultations with the States before notifying the date for setting up the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC). Had he done so, the present controversy could have been avoided. However, a penchant for secrecy and an innate arrogance seem to be responsible for the centre springing a surprise on the states with its decision to push ahead with the NCTC. Hence the gang-up of non-Congress chief ministers against the Centre, forcing it to backtrack by keeping on hold its ill-advised move. But what its clumsiness has done is to breathe new life into the so-called Third Front which had died an unlamented death in 2009. There are, however, a number of differences between the earlier
gathering of anti-Congress parties and the present one. For one, the Left has decided to play a low-key role because, as Prakash Karat, general secretary of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM), acknowledged, his party is too “weak” to be energetically involved in the enterprise as on the last occasion. For another, the Third Front idea has undergone a major change. Earlier, it was envisaged as a
Repentant thief freed NEW DELHI: A bicycle thief, who pleaded guilty to his offence and sought a chance to reform himself, has been freed by a Delhi court with an admonition and a fine of `3,500. The court also gave him 20 days to pay the fine as he did not have enough money. Metropolitan Magistrate Ashu Garg gave time to him to arrange for the fine, considering that he had pleaded guilty to his offence despite court’s warning that it may entail serious consequences, including severe punishment. “I have heard both sides on the point of sentence. Accused has submitted that he is the sole bread winner
for the family. He further submits that he is a poor person and has voluntarily pleaded his guilt as he wishes to reform himself. He undertakes not to repeat the crime,” Garg said. “Considering the socio-economic condition of the convict and the fact that he is not a previous convict, a lenient view is taken against him and he is admonished under the Probation of Offender Act and asked to pay compensation of `3,500 to the complainant,” he said. Ravi Kumar, a NorthWest Delhi resident, was booked in the theft case in 2006 when he was caught with the stolen bicycle. PTI
group of non-Congress and nonBJP parties. But the BJP is a member this time which makes the front replicate the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of the late 1990s since it includes “secular” leaders like Naveen Patnaik, Mamata Banerjee, J Jayalalitha and N Chandrababu Naidu. Since all these leaders have been the BJP’s allies in the past, the saffron outfit is likely to nurture the front with care with 2014 in mind.
This tactic can have two effects. One is to make the Left continue to keep its distance from the front and the other is to compel the BJP to downplay its Hindutva plank, such as the Karnataka education minister’s recent advice to those who do not want the Bhagavad Gita to be taught in schools to leave the country. However, such political calculations may be overshadowed by the issue which has brought these parties together. Since NCTC involves national security, the parties will have to tread carefully lest they give the impression that they are hampering the anti-terrorist drive. This will be a particularly touchy point for the BJP since it has always given the impression that it follows a hardline on terror while the Congress is supposedly soft. For the BJP now to face the accusation that it is playing political games on the plea of protecting federalism will be disconcerting. Such allegations may not be without basis for, as former union home secretary GK Pillai said during a TV debate, the fear of the states that the centre will undermine their constitutional mandate to be in charge of law and order is IANS “exaggerated”.
MAKING A POINT
Members of students’ wing of JD-U vandalise chairs in Patna University during a demonstration demanding students’ union elections, in Patna on Saturday. PTI
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WORLD SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012 15 tourists killed in bus plunge BEIJING: Fifteen tourists were killed and another 19 injured when their bus plunged into a ravine, Chinese authorities said — the latest deadly accident on the nation’s dangerous roads. The incident happened on Saturday morning after the bus took a bend on a highway in Shanxi province, the government of Jincheng city — where the accident took place — said in a statement.
Osama’s compound in Pak razed
2 dead in Antarctic base blast SAO PAULO: An explosion destroyed a
ISLAMABAD: The three-storey com-
Brazilian research base in Antarctica on Saturday, killing two navy personnel and injuring a third, authorities said. Brazilian defense minister Celso Amorim confirmed the deaths of non-commissioned officer Carlos Alberto Figueiredo and sergeant Roberto Lopes dos Santos, who had earlier been reported missing in the mishap.
pound of the slain Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan is being demolished. The white mansion, where the militant leader took refuge, sits on a sprawling green field in Abbottabad town with mountains in the distance. Roads leading to the compound have been blocked and demolition machines were seen near the place.
Spat over eurozone firewall overshadows G20 meeting MEXICO CITY: Germany clashed with some of its key G20 partners on Saturday over raising the eurozone’s firewall at the start of a key meeting of finance ministers and central bankers dominated by the debt crisis. With markets calmer due to the latest massive bailout for Greece, divisions intensified over how to handle the crisis and its fallout. Countries including the United States, Canada and Japan increased pressure on the eurozone to boost its firewall to avoid contagion. They suggest the 17-nation bloc combine its temporary European Financial Stability Facility with the permanent European Stability Mechanism, to come into force in July, to provide a war chest of around 750 billion euros ($1 trillion). “We still have to build the mother of all firewalls,” said Angel Gurria, secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, on the sidelines of the meeting on Saturday. “Every day, the cost of the uncertainty and the cost of indecision is enormous,” he said. “You can’t accuse Europe of being too fast.” US treasury secretary Timothy Geithner for his part called for a ‘strong and credible firewall’ to be put in place. “If they do that then the world will not just be in a position where there will be less risk to growth globally but there will
Japanese finance minister Jun Azumi is seen in a pensive mood during the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, in Mexico City, on Saturday. AFP/RONALDO SCHEMIDT be more oxygen to deal with longterm questions.” But European powerhouse Germany said such proposals made “no economic sense.” German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble insisted that the eurozone had already “done its homework.” “Let me be clear: it doesn’t
make any economic sense to follow the calls... for endlessly pumping money into the rescue funds nor setting up the ECB printing press,” Schaeuble told a business reception. “This would create disincentives for countries to carry on consolidating and reform and would not improve the eurozone’s
economic outlook,” he added. Germany and other European nations are piling the heat on non-European members of the G20 such as the United States, China and Japan, to gain support for an additional $500 billion of resources for the IMF. Eurozone countries have already committed an additional
150 billion euros in bilateral loans but the United States has repeatedly refused to put in more money. Brazil’s finance minister said on Saturday that emerging countries will help boost IMF funds only if the eurozone first bolsters its firewall and they are given more decision-making power at the fund. Guido Mantega spelled out the conditions after meeting with his counterparts from the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa) on the sidelines of the G20 meeting. “The emerging countries will only help on two conditions: that they (the eurozone) reinforce their firewall...” Mantega said. And “... they will have to go through with the IMF reform” of 2010, which laid out a new system of quotas to increase the voting power of emerging economies. Mexico hopes to make headway on IMF funding this weekend but does not expect much progress before a heads of state summit in Los Cabos in June. It hopes to focus its presidency of the G20 on creating a stronger financial system for the future with structural reforms, better checks on banks and promoting the green economy. The meeting started at the Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City shortly before 7pm (1am GMT), a source from the Mexican presidency said. It was expected to wrap up with a final statement around 4pm local time (10pm GMT). AFP
Shoes cost Colvin her life
UN rights council to put pressure on Syria
New Sun rises on Sunday
LONDON: American war correspondent Marie Colvin was killed while trying to retrieve her shoes to flee an army bombardment in the Syrian city of Homs, her employer The Sunday Times said. Colvin and a group of other journalists had all followed the local custom of removing their footwear before entering a building in Homs which was being used as a rebel press centre, it said. The journalists were on the ground floor when the rockets hit. Although they were initially unhurt, Colvin ran to the hall to get her shoes. But as she reached it a rocket landed at the front of the building, burying her and French photographer Remi Ochlik in debris and killing them both.
GENEVA: The UN Human Rights Council’s annual ses-
LONDON: Rupert Murdoch’s Sun on Sunday tabloid
sion opens on Monday determined to put more pressure on Syria’s hardline regime after publication of a list of officials suspected of crimes against humanity. “We want Syrian authorities to give up being in denial,” said one diplomat. The Human Rights Council must “continue to put pressure on Syrian authorities”. The annual meetings will be opened by UN rights chief Navi Pillay and Nassir Abdulaziz Al Nasser of Qatar, president of the UN General Assembly for 2011-12. Debates during the first three days were expected to focus on the nearly one-year deadly crackdown by the regime of Bashar al-Assad on dissent in Syria.
rolled off the presses for the first time, with a pledge that the paper replacing the scandal-hit News of the World would abide by ethical standards. The 80-year-old media baron personally supervised the production late on Saturday at a printworks in Hertfordshire, north of London, showing his support for what he hopes will be Britain’s most-read weekly newspaper. The front page featured an interview with Amanda Holden, a British television personality who came near death after the birth of her daughter, with the headline “My heart stopped for 40 seconds.”
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COMMENT SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
Kudos to Shyamala
Discriminating practice
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hyamala Devi is an example of a society that is gradually accepting people and their sexual preferences. One side, we have individuals and groups that have fixed notions on people who are in politically correct terminology ‘different, on the other, there are those who love to see them prosper. Shyamala is an example of those who fight odds to reach enviable statuses. Radhika Shah Ameerpet
EDITORIALS KF EMPLOYEES too need good times While column space and airtime have been dedicated to Vijay Mallya, his sagging carrier and its quitting pilots, little is being mentioned about the thousands of low-profile employees and their future. If one thought it’s the PSUs that are plagued by poor management KF has shown the private sector is not immune to the bane of government-run behemoths such as Air India. Mallya has other means of livelihood, so do the pilots — who are sought after highly-skilled talent across the globe. It is the ordinary employees who find themselves facing the short end of the stick if the airline is forced to. More bad news is likely in store for the booze baron as the $1.2billion acquisition of Whyte & Mackay is eating into the flagship United Spirits Limited’s purse in the form of interest payments. Instead of fussing over Mallya’s woes, the government should focus on safeguarding the future of the airline’s employees.
WHY WE LOVE Nelson Mandela At 93, Nelson Mandela cuts a frail figure, but his eyes still burn with the passion for the one human tenet he upheld above all, and the one thing that was denied him for decades: Freedom. News of Mandela’s hospitalisation has left the world holding its breath. No modern leader has had such an impact on the global psyche. Even after grinding apartheid into the dust, he continued to emancipate his country from the shackles of oppression, using the best tool available...sport. The rugby and football world cups were shining achievements for South Africa, but they would never have been possible without the man Margaret Thatcher once referred to as a terrorist. We wish him a speedy recovery.
he story on discrimination at the Assembly is an eye-opener to the fact that politicos pay lip service to equality but are rarely willing to implement it in their lives. Different ‘classes’ of food for different levels of politicians smacks of remnants of the feudalistic culture. This article originated from your reporter’s frustration over being denied quality food but he has done a good job. Shanta Devi Sultan Bazaar
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.
Fishy yet fun
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have been to the Aquarium World in Banjara Hills and the collection of fish there were pretty impressive. I was so inspired by what I saw that I set up a saltwater aquarium at home myself. And all the points you mentioned there are true — they require less maintenance and years of joy. It is definitely a little more expensive than the freshwater aquariums, but the investment is worth it. Dani Rozario, East Marredpally
Raging at the Oscars Urban Jetsam DEAN WILLIAMS
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ollywood makes the best films, no matter what world cinema posers have to say. From the dystopic beauty of Blade Runner to the heart-wrenching social message of Deer Hunter, Hollywood has taken us to infinity and beyond, all the while making us introspect so deeply that we’ve emerged from ourselves either shattered or rejuvenated. No other country’s cinema has even come close to doing that on the scale the dreamweaving industry can. So why then is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences so hopelessly inept at awarding the best films that much-coveted, though eventually vacuous, Oscar award. The Oscars have traditionally stayed away from fetting films that cut too close to the bone of the politics of the day, choosing rather, to reward the triumph of the human spirit. But the spirit does not always soar; it also wallows and covers itself with the grime of self-loathing. The fact that the academy comprises the film fraternity makes their decisions all the harder to comprehend. First to the guillotine has always been the amoral character, even if they attempt some sort of penance towards the end. Take Michael Caine’s Alfie in 1966. The consummate cad, Alfie was the everyman for all the bounders who cavorted the streets, and even though he is left a dismal mess by the end of the film, and a very good one at that, the Academy still plumped for the snooze-inducing Man for All Seasons. But very rarely has Hollywood’s penchant for the jingoist been so loudly trumpeted as in 1970, when two war films went head to head for Best Picture. Franklin J Schaffner’s Patton and Robert Altman’s M*A*S*H were poles apart. The former focussed on the brilliant, if tyrannical, WWII American General George Patton, while the latter was a scathing commentary on Vietnam (even though it was sublimely cloaked in satire and
set during the Korean War). One was a tribute to an all-American hero, the other an indictment of America’s quest for bloody heroics. No prizes for guessing who won. The brilliant auteur that is Martin Scorsese, has felt the brunt of the Academy’s idiosyncrasies more than most. In 1976, his Taxi Driver famously lost to the good-but-not-great Rocky. In 1980 Robert Redford’s dreadful Ordinary People won the Oscar, beating what is arguably Marty’s finest film, Raging Bull. Once again, fluff dominated grit and reality at its finest. And then in 1990, Marty made his last great film to date, Goodfellas. This one, we all thought, was a shoo-in: Crackling dialogue, violence that would have you wincing with every blow, and brutally honest acting. It lost to Kevin Costner’s ponderous assuaging of his own ego, Dances With Wolves. Marty would eventually win for The Departed, the one
film for which he didn’t deserve to win. But thus spake the Academy. Horror and rollicking adventure have rarely even been considered, unless, in the latter’s case, it was accompanied by much singing and pomp. So The Exorcist (Billy Friedkin’s masterpiece) fell to the saccharine, if intelligent, The Sting in 1973. Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indian Jones’s introduction to the public that would love and follow him for decades was not deemed worthy enough to beat Chariots of Fire, a film so mundane, it was out-performed by its score. And then, as if to really hammer home their point about catering to the masses, Gandhi beat ET...only at the Oscars. By the turn of the century the Academy realised they had got the arse end of the stick and swiftly decided to give out gongs willy-nilly to any film that crossed $500 million at the Box Office; it didn’t matter if they
were mediocre at best. Cue Titanic beating L.A. Confidential, Forrest Gump trouncing The Shawshank redemption and Slumdog Millionaire pulling a fast one on Frost/Nixon. Having been suitably reviled for that, they did the fastest uturn since Mitt Romney, and in 2009 and 2010 gave award to ‘independent’ films (whatever that means these days). Was The Hurt Locker better than Avatar? Was The King’s Speech better than Inception? The Academy certainly thought so; it’s a pity billions didn’t agree. This year they’re saved by the fact that all the films nominated for Best Picture are strictly so-so. My heart says Moneyball, but my head, well, it just knows that Uggy’s going to walk away with a gold-plated chew. The writer is the Editor of Postnoon
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BUSINESS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
Samsung’s new notebooks
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amsung Electronics has announced the launch of its new ‘Series 5 Ultra notebooks’. A family of portable Ultrabooks, the Samsung Series 5 boasts of an Intel Core i5 processor. The ‘Series 5 Ultrabooks’ are available in 13” and 14” screen sizes, with near instant starts using FastStart and the innovative ExpressCache storage. The 13” and 14” Ultrabookswill retail at `48,990 and `54,390 respectively.
Forex reserves rise to $293.44 bn
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ndia's foreign exchange reserves increased by $55.8 million to $293.44 billion for the week ended February 17 due to increase in foreign currency assets, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data showed. Foreign currency assets, the biggest component of the forex reserves kitty, rose by $87.5 million to $259.53 billion during the week under review, according to the Reserve Bank of India's weekly statistical supplement.
Vedanta forms Sesa Sterlite
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n a bid to simplify operations and save costs, mining major Vedanta Resources on Saturday proposed to consolidate its various subsidiaries into a single group company upon receiving regulatory approvals. The company said that it proposed to merge aluminium major Sterlite Industries and iron ore producer Sesa Goa into one company -Sesa Sterlite. "Sesa Sterlite will be one of the largest natural resources majors," Anil Agarwal, chairman of Vedanta Resources.
Robbing Paul to pay Peter
Why does Vijay Mallya need a bailout? He has to first dilute his assets — the costly farmhouse, hospital, swanky multideck yacht, golden goose — the United Breweries, his interests in every other business, before he knocks at the door of a bank or the government. Sunday Soup A SAYE SEKHAR
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m I writing your story? My story will read like your grievance too. It doesn’t matter if it is your or my story. At the end of the day, the story is the same, as this might have happened to many of you, not once but many a time. I took a loan of `2 lakh from a bank pledging a small house I have. In this case, it is a public sector bank, as always they are the first choice of any borrower. I committed to repaying the equated monthly instalment (EMI) every 10th of the month. I miss the date owing to a myriad reasons like I did not receive the month’s salary on time or I had to pay the school fee of my kids that particular month or I had an unforeseen medical expenditure to meet. And the next morning, an officer calls me and politely says: “Sir, I am calling from so and so bank. You have to pay your instalment.” Embarrassed, I humbly request him to grant me
a month’s time, as I had to divert the fund earmarked to service my debt to a hospital expense. He wouldn’t like it, naturally. He says: “Please pay two instalments next month.” To my utter misfortune, a new problem crops up. I would be under pressure from another bank which gave me a credit card to repay the overdue. I had made a purchase for `20,000 10 months ago and began repaying the minimum amount due. Now, the amount payable spiralled, but the principal amount remained the same. This time I get a call from an assistant manager. He is firmer than the earlier one. He asserts that I cannot get away without paying the EMI. I praise him for discharging his duty effectively, cursing him within my heart of hearts. I run into a senior-level manager, working at the regional office, introduced by a common friend a fortnight after I passed the due date for the EMI. He wilfully volunteers to help me in the matter. He wouldn’t call me to extend the help, because it is my duty to touch base with him. I wouldn’t contact him thinking that my call would inconvenience him. Two months pass without a
Loans of Kingfisher airlines `1,401 SBI IDBI `718 `702 PNB `552 Bank of India United Bank of India `395 `532 Bank of Baroda `139 State Bank of Mysore Corporation Bank `305 `360 Central Bank of India `287 UCO Bank IOB `122 `100 Federal bank OBC `56 Punjab & Sind Bank `51 `46 Axis Bank ICICI Bank `430 IndusInd `6 (Rupees in crores) call from the bank. I feel happy perceiving that the bank officials have understood my problem. In the sixth month, the call comes from the regional headquarters of the bank that deals exclusively with bad debts. They call them NPAs or non-performing assets. The NPAs are not those who sit around you whining against one thing or the other in your office, drawing full salary and rendering no work.
In the seventh month, I get a call. This time it is harsher than ever. Someone on the other side of the phone cross-verified my residential address and hung up. I wonder who it could be. I while away my time expecting that the caller could be some courier boy. To my utter chagrin, a senior manager from the bank comes home and insists that I pay through my nose then and there. I initially plead with him, then lose my cool and begin namedropping. He doesn’t budge. He gives a solution: Pay an amount equal to 10 instalments immediately and then apply seeking rescheduling of the loan. I gladly offer him a cup of coffee. He first declines and then has it happily. We part as friends. We all know I will have to clear my loan one day or the other. In the first place, a start-up finding someone to finance itself is extremely difficult. Even if a bank comes forward, the travails are more excruciating than what I explained above. But all this is for mere mortals like you and I. Not for the flamboyant Vijay Mallyas. He can launch an airline carrier with all frills, gorgeous air-hostesses, produce the costliest calendar with erotic pictures of babes and partake in Formula 1 race.
But when his airline company fails to breakeven, make profit ever and finally bleed, bankers take a long deep breath and assure him to breath easy. The State Bank of India is gearing up to offer `1,600 crore to salvage the company from the red. Within in no time, it attracted criticism from all over. Why does Mallya need a bailout? He has to first dilute his assets – the costly farmhouse, his hospital, his swanky multideck yacht, his golden goose – the United Breweries, his interests in every other business, before he knocks at the door of a bank or the government. He says he doesn’t want a bailout. Why does he, at all? He has seen the vertical limit of the trench at a debt of `10,000 crore. His blithe approach bothers the country, not him. If aircraft are grounded or confiscated by the lessors, they are NPAs for which he doesn’t bear any liability. After all, Kingfisher, apart from manufacturing an intoxicating beer, also makes plain bottled drinking water. People would gulp a couple of bottles in utter disbelief, if Mallya is given an olive branch either by a bank or the government. The writer works for Postnoon
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INTERVIEW SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
M ANIL KUMAR
Past forward
In a conversation with Postnoon Dr Chenna Reddy tells us that understanding the past is not only romantic, but also a useful guide to the future. PK SURENDRAN
pksurendran@gmail.com
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ne man’s trash is another man’s treasure. This, in short, is archaeology. Being an archaeologist is romantic, but it involves a lot of hard work. You need a ton of patience and zero desire to get rich quick because while you may obtain relics of the past, you may get no monetary gain. As a profession it has failed to attract much talent both two reasons: it being under bureaucratic control and the failure to make it a vibrant, paying profession. Indians are accused of having scant regard for history and historical places — a look how we treat the heritage sites is proof enough. A country with such rich and colourful past should have had the world coming in droves, but history tourism here is negligible. The ongoing digging for buried treasure right under the foot of Birla Mandir in Hyderabad has kindled a fresh interest in archaeology. State archaeology department director Dr Chenna Reddy has
been interviewed non-stop by the sensation-hungry media. But few ask him why this field fails to attract the youth while IT, engineering and medicine draw the cream. To be an archaeologist one needs an ounce of patriotism besides an insatiable desire to discover hitherto unknown things of the past. “In a sense, most of our life is spent in the past like sleeping, dreaming and thinking of the lost past. In this sense we are all archaeologists,” remarks Reddy. But he says the present and the future are rooted in the past and understanding the past is not only romantic, but also a useful guide to the future. He believes the government should explore the possibility of making this vocation more profitable with corporate cooperation. If we have little regard for a Mauryan ruin, or a fort built 500 years ago, it is because of crass ignorance on the importance of the heritage in our lives. Look how we care little to preserve heritage when we lay a new road, or a rail line. Postnoon met Dr Reddy at the exploration site and put to him a few questions in this regard.
Did you ever want to be an archaeologist? Not really. I was a professor and
came on deputation to the department. But after coming here I fell in love with archaeology for I began to see the scope of creating awareness of our rich past and also demolish some myths which otherwise I would not have been able to.
Myth? What exactly do you mean? When people say a historical ruin is spooky or haunted. “Oh, this is a 200-year-old monument? Then it must be bearing the spirit of those who died here!” Well, to them I point out Buddha’s teaching. When a parent wanted their dead kid alive again, they approached Buddha for a miracle, he sent them to bring some cumin seeds from one house where no death has taken place. He assured them that if they managed to fulfil this task then he would use those seeds to bring back the kid to life. They returned empty-handed because no such house could be found. February 18, 2009, the date for the inauguration of the AP Archaeological Museum. We had invited over a score of ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, bureaucrats. Just one MP turned up. Why? This museum could not be opened for various reasons and it was believed to be jinxed. They were afraid to be part of this ‘goddamned’ place. We inaugurated the place and nothing happened.
Thus we proved superstitions were baseless.
How thrilling or boring is the profession? Boring? Never. I am amazed at the technical sophistication achieved by our ancestors eons ago. Learning and finding hidden things are always thrilling.
How do you choose a career in archaeology?
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irst, a graduation in any stream. The only full-fledged college in India for all branches of archaeology and associated studies happens to be the Deccan College, Pune. Here you join for post graduation in any branch of this study. Osmania University has a course in Ancient Indian culture and archaeology, but it lacks proper field study and labs. Besides, field work is where you actually take a spade in your hands. Teaching is one option; for this you need a research degree — MPhil or PhD. Under water archaeology has great prospects. They are trained to look for treasures lost under the sea like shipwreck, sunken treasure and lost mines.
How many heritage sites are there in Hyderabad? The HMDA has spotted 1,800 sites. But only 152 are notified. The remainder is private property. There is little hope of their being preserved.
What should we do to preserve structures or sites of historical importance? Rajasthan has done that. They have brought out a legislation that allows adopting a heritage which has worked wonders for that state. We too have put a proposal to the government.
Has not modern science helped brighten the prospects of archaeology? It has. Today we don’t have to dig around vast spaces at random. Remote sensing technique and metal detecting have helped narrow our area of operation. But your intuition, historical facts and judgement play a major role.
Archaeo-FAQ How does archaeology, anthropology and paleontology differ from each other? Archaeologists study ancient manmade things, paleontologists study ancient natural things like fossils, and anthropologists study the human family.
What is the difference between a paleontologist and a palaeoanthropologist? Paleoanthropology is a sect of paleontology. So, while a paleontologist studies prehistoric life, a palaeoanthropologist just studies ancient humans.
What is the difference between a petrologist and a paleontologist? A petrologist studies rocks and how they were formed. Paleontologists look at things like fossils of animals and plants.
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WEEK IN PICTURES SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012 AFP/ ROUF BHAT
BRAZIL, Rio de Janeiro A reveller of Grande Rio samba school performs during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, early on February 21, 2012.
INDIA, Ramwari A Kashmiri boy stands in snow after huts were buried under snow due to an avalanche at Ramwari, 70km from the summer capital Srinagar on February 23, 2012. At least nine Indian soldiers on duty in the mountains of Kashmir were killed in avalanches overnight with several others missing, officials said. Two avalanches swept through army camps in Dawar and Sonamarg, both near the heavily-militarised Line of Control that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan. AFP/ CHRISTOPHE SIMON
From Rio to Kabul
If Honduras was burning, Kashmir was snowed in, Kabul rose in protest as Rio celebrated. Here’s a recap of the past week in pictures
AFP/ SHAH MARAI
AFP
AFGHANISTAN, Kabul Afghan demonstrators run as they shout anti-US slogans during a protest against Quran desecration in Kabul on February 23, 2012. The Taliban exhorted Afghans to attack and kill foreign troops to avenge the burning of copies of the Quran at a USrun base, but stopped short of cutting off contacts with American officials in Qatar. SPAIN, Montmeló Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel of Germany drives during Day 1 of Formula One winter testing on February 21, 2012 at Catalunya's racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona. HONDURAS, Tegucigalpa A Honduran firefighter stands in front of the blazing Colon and San Isidro markets, in Tegucigalpa.
AFP/ JOSEP LAGO
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ART AND CULTURE SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
Tate archive saved
Sleeping Girl awakens
LONDON: Art historians have been disturbed by allegations that the Tate was about to dump its invaluable photographic archive in a skip when another institution realised its importance and rescued it, and that the Victoria & Albert Museum has already destroyed its own thematic archive. Curators, who consider such resources vital, were not consulted. The archives are crucial visual histories, invaluable for comparative research.
Caravaggio and Medusa
NEW YORK: Sotheby’s Evening Sale of Contemporary Art on May 9 will feature Roy Lichtenstein’s Sleeping Girl from 1964. Paintings from this series are featured in the collections of major institutions throughout the world and this work has remained in private hands for the past 48 years. Sleeping Girl is estimated to sell for $30 million and will be shown in LA, Hong Kong, London and New York prior to the auction.
ROME: Italian art sleuths announced they had successfully authenticated a painting of the snake-haired Medusa as the work of 17th-century master Caravaggio using X-ray technology. "The X-rays allowed us to see some sketches under the surface. This is therefore a creation, not a copy," Caravaggio expert Mina Gregori. The round painting has a diameter of 50 centimetres and is a smaller, earlier version of a Caravaggio Medusa in Uffizi Gallery.
Passion meets perfection Meet Sunil Chandurkar, the man who sold his car and used up all his savings to realise his passion for theatre INDIRA ATLURI
indira.a@postnoon.com
N SHIVA KUMAR
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he perfect platform for aspiring artistes, My Theatre Café, based in Hyderabad is the brainchild of Sunil Chandurkar, an IT Engineer by profession and an artiste by passion. Speaking about his journey, he says, “I am an actor and a director and have been associated with theatre for eight years in Hyderabad. “I took my classes from Sutradhar’s Vinay Varma, and from Bhaskar Shivalkar, who teaches theatre arts in the University of Hyderabad, and at the Nizam college.” Asked about how My Theatre Café came about, Sunil tells us, “I had done a Marathi play in Hyderabad and was appreciated for my work. That is when I felt that if there is a platform for performing artistes, it would be of great benefit to them. Students of theatre arts in Hyderabad Central University or the National School of Drama do not have a job guarantee. So I decided to start My Theatre Café as an answer to all these questions.” Sunil recalls his initial days of setting up My Theatre Café, “I
Let there be light If there was one movement of art that changed the way landscapes were drawn, it was Luminism
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large group of painters, spanning several generations from 1825-1870, revelled in the breathtaking landscapes of the American countryside, drawing their inspiration from the Catskill region near New York City through which the Hudson river flowed. It came to be known as the Hudson River Group, the first native American art movement. Their work went on to inspire another group of
artists whose work was characterised by different shades of light in landscapes, using panoramic views and concealing visible brushstrokes. Their works often emphasised tranquility and depicted calm, reflective water and a soft, hazy sky. They came to be known in the 20th century as The Luminists. Luminism is often associated with impressionism, but they are in fact contrary. While
impressionism is defined by the lack of detail and an emphasis on brushstrokes, Luminism is characterised by attention to detail and the hiding of brushstrokes. Some of the best-known luminists from America include Fitz Henry Lane, Jasper Francis Copsey, Martin Johnson Heade, George Caleb Bingham, John Fredrick Kensett, Sanford Robinson Gifford and Edmund Darch Lewis among others.
We can go to watch a movie of Shah Rukh Khan or Amitabh Bachchan for the same price as any other actor, but to watch Naseeruddin Shah or Shabana Azmi’s plays costs a lot. I hope one day I am able to bring them to perform to the Hyderabadi audience at an affordable price. sold my car and collected all the money I saved in the last 14 years to start My Theatre Café. I was convinced that if there was a platform to encourage aspirants, theatre will see prosperous days.” The result of course was that plays of My Theatre Café received recognition in various competitions. “Personally, I am proud of the Best Actor Award I received for my play Shri Ani Sau, in 2010,” he says. On the future plans of My
Festival time This year's Weekend Theatre Festival will start in May or Early June, and have 3-4 theatre groups participating. They can come up with their own production and Sunil will provide the sounds, lights and other logistics.
Theatre Café, Sunil gets excited as he says, “We are establishing ourselves in Pune and hopefully even in Bangalore soon. In Hyderabad, we are also looking for a space that seats 200 people so we can create a proper theatre setup. There are not many theatres in Hyderabad —we are either never able to book public spaces because the stages are too small or for the lack of parking facilities. We hope that the gap is bridged soon. Also, we plan to continue the Weekend Theatre Festival, which was a success last year.” He adds, “We can go to watch a movie of Shah Rukh Khan or Amitabh Bachchan for the same price as any other actor, but to watch Naseeruddin Shah or Shabana Azmi’s plays costs a lot. I hope one day, I am able to bring them to perform for the Hyderabadi audience at an affordable price.”
ART FOR DUMMIES
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DESIGN SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
Benetton runs into trouble
Battersea up for grabs
VENICE: Plans by Benetton to turn a historic palazzo on Venice's Grand Canal into a shopping centre have met with fierce resistance from Italian heritage experts. The fashion retailer has agreed with the city to convert the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, which sits metres from the Rialto bridge, into a bustling collection of shops. The company has guaranteed a €6m contribution to the city's depleted coffers if all building permits are handed over by the end of 2012.
LONDON: One of the most recognisable buildings in the UK is to be offered for sale on the open market for the first time in its history. Battersea power station, in south London, has been vacant since 1983. Planning permission for a £5bn development including homes, offices, a hotel, retail and leisure facilities was secured for the site last year. The scheme would mean the creation of 25,000 jobs and the construction of 16,000 homes.
Sky’s the limit on Web WORLDWIDE: A new online resource has been launched by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), enabling members of the public to view upto-the-minute news and images on most of the world’s sky-high structures. Users are then encouraged to send in their own information and photographs to add to the database which has been composed from over 40 years of avid research by the CTBUH.
BARGAIN BUY
A kid’s room can be one of the most challenging rooms in the house to decorate, but with a little bit of creativity, your job can be made easier
Dry Flowers
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Make your kids’ room fun Sana Mirza
sana.m@postnoon.com
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ack in the day, sending your kids to their bedroom spelt punishment. These days, it’s more like a reward. Kids’ rooms have now come a long way from the days of music posters and lava lamps which were considered to be the height of coolness. Nowadays, parents are more keen and concerned about what goes into the décor of their child’s room, carefully planning it and doing a good amount of research beforehand. “One of the most important points to consider is the age group that your child belongs to, as the room is seen as a comfortable, workable space that grows smoothly along with him or her,” opines Sona Chatwani, interior designer, and honorary secretary for the Institute of Indian Interior Designers, Hyderabad. The key is to keep in mind, your child’s tastes, so you can have a number of themes to
choose from, “Be it superhero themes for boys, or fairytale themes for girls, it should be something that they would love to come back to,” she adds. Kids between the ages of six and 11 have a lot of hobbies and talents. Ask them for their suggestions because when the child is involved in decorating their space, it is more likely they will take care of it. As a parent, you can guide and support this discovery process with the way you design your child’s room. n Boys’ Room Themes:
Superheroes, Cars n Girls’ Room Themes:
Fairytale with princesses and castles, favourite story book characters n Things you can add to the room: Glow in the dark stickers, tiny tea party tables, chests posters, use colour to write things on the wall
Interior designers stress mostly on the use of shelving. There are a variety of styles, colours and designs that are available for bedroom shelving. A shelf in a kid’s room can be used to display trophies, books, video games, pictures, music and movie collections. A child’s bedroom is his haven where they are going to play and learn. In order to optimise the space in their bedroom, make use of loft beds that have a desk built underneath, suggests city-based interior designer
Hamida Sharma. “Loft beds are an amazing option if you don’t have a lot of space to experiment with. With that, you can easily accommodate the play zone as well as the study area without making it too congested. It also provides a solution for storage space for toys. Nowadays you can create a customised headboard which will have things relating to their interest.” The best part about all of this is that you wouldn’t have to spend a fortune when you plan on redoing your kids’ room. Instead of buying new furniture, the most affordable, popular decor idea is to use fun and bright colours, says Hamida. “Children love to have bright, bold colours and anythingthat is unique, but going too bold can be a mistake, though. The key to choose the right colour is to take their help to pick out a colour of their choice. One should always keep the age factor and gender of the child in mind while choosing the right colour,” she adds.
little bit of colour to your room doesn’t hurt. If you are a flower-lover then, these dry, paper flowers are a good option. They come in various designs and colours, so you will definitely be spoilt for choice. Pay `25 per stick, so you could buy two-three sticks to create a bunch. The flower sticks are long enough and would suit tall vases best, but if you want you could chop it to fit the smaller flower pots or vases. While you find artificial flowers everywhere, these flowers have a neat finish and don’t look garish. In case you are interested you can pick up these flowers at the Furniture Fair in Hitex. The fair will be on till February.
Light
T
hese classy and stylised hanging lanterns can make a great way to create that ‘illuminated’ effect. They look great and cost anything between `600 and `2,500 depending on the size and styles. It’s best to go for the whites, or the translucent ones as they will fit in with home decor of any kind. You can put it up in your drawing room, or dining room, or even use it as a reading light in your bedroom. And the place to find them is the Furniture Fair in Hitex and since the prices are fixed, bargaining, may not be an option.
14
FOOD SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
Still gets its just desserts
NY may ban shark fins
Quiznos avoids Chapter 11
LISBON: Portugal’s wine sector grew by 14% in volume and 3.6% in value (EUR675 million) last year, representing 1.6% of the country’s total exports by value, the Institute of Vines and Wines (IVV) has announced. For the first time ever, still wine sales have overtaken those of desert wines. Still wines (up 22% in volume and 10% in value) were “the main generator of this growth”, since the value of exports in this segment represented 51% of the total.
NEW YORK: A group of New York legislators unveiled a draft law banning trade in shark fins, saying the practice, which serves the market for Chinese shark fin soup, was decimating the ocean predators. If enacted, New York would join California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington as US states outlawing the sale, possession and trade in the fins, which fishermen slice off, often before tossing the rest of the much less valuable shark back in the water.
DENVER: Quiznos has avoided a trip to bankruptcy court by taking on a new majority owner. Avenue Capital Group, a New York-based hedge fund, took control of the hot sub chain when it completed a debtfor-equity swap late last month. The deal eliminated about $300 million of Quiznos’ debt, and Avenue Capital also poured in $150 million cash with an additional share purchase. Avenue Capital now owns more than 70 per cent of Quiznos.
Getting to know the New World wine
SHAMITA SINGHA
feedback@postnoon.com
N
ew world wine countries comprise of North America, Australia, New Zealand, South America and South Africa. Wines from these countries are usually classified or named after the grape variety. On their labels you’ll also read the name of the producer or the brand, the year the grapes were harvested in and the name of the region and the country it came from. Apart from classification systems and the different flavours the grape varieties produced will depend on the nature of the soil and the climatic conditions of a particular place. There really is no big difference between the old world and new world wines. (Old world wine countries comprise of France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany and Australia)
TRAVIS TANK
It’s always a good idea to try wines from different regions and come to a conclusion on which is your favourite wine country. And, you can do it just by sitting at home with a few bottles and a few friends.
Wine-making techniques differ from producer to producer. So here is a list of the main wine growing regions in the New World wine countries and the star grape-varieties one must look out for
UNITED STATES
Napa Valley in California is famous for their Cabernet sauvignon, Zinfandel and Merlot grape varieties in Red Wine and Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc in white. White Zinfandel (Blush) or Zinfandel Rose wines are also quite sought after. Sonoma county does great Pinot Noir wines.
C ANADA
Notable wines in Canada are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in red wines; Riesling and Chardonnay in white wine. But the star
attraction here is their icewines. Due to the frost in the winters, the sweetness in the grapes gets frozen and these grapes make excellent sweet wine known as ice-wine.
AUSTRALIA
This country’s trademark wine is generally Shiraz. These wines here are inky and have a great flavour. Major and notable wine regions to look out for in Australia are Barossa Valley and Coonawarra in the south, Victoria, New South Wales, Margaret River and Hunter Valley.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand is known for it’s great white wines. Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough region and Hawkes Bay are famous. Pinot Noir is also worth a try from New Zealand.
CHILE
Chilean wine regions comprise of Maipo, Colchagua & Casablanca. Some of the best grapes grown in Chile include Merlot & Carmenere. It’s mostly known for its red wines.
ARGENTINA
Malbec grape variety, makes deep almost purplish coloured red wine and is widely celebrated in Argentina. Torrontes is a popular white grape variety there, good to try. Mendoza is the most popular wine growing region.
SOUTH AFRICA
Stellenbosch is the premier wine making region in South Africa. It produces some excellent Sauvignon Blanc (white) & Pinotage (red). Other varieties worth trying are Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
BOBBY FLAY
Top Chef
T
here are those chefs who spend all their lives toiling away in the kitchen, known perhaps to the locals, their repute is a direct a product of their food. And then there are those, whose persona and flair for publicity, flamboyance and marketing acumen takes them straight to the top of the ladder. No need to guess which category Bobby Flay belongs to. Almost as if he was born to be a celebrity chef, Flay conquered the rungs to become a television celebrity, famous for being the Iron Chef on Iron Chef America, in addition with several other cooking shows and specials on Food Network including BBQ With Bobby Flay and Boy Meets Girl. Bobby Flay discovered his love for food at the age of 17 when he approached the famed theatre district haunt Joe Allen for the job of a dishwasher. But he was offered a job in the kitchen which Flay accepted gladly. Joe Allen saw his talent and offered to pay his tuition at the French Culinary Institute. Upon graduating, Flay worked at several NYC restaurants, developing his distinctive style of American southwestern food incorporating ingredients such as chiles, avocados, and beans. It was simply a matter of time before Flay set up his own restaurant. And so he did in 1991. Mesa Grill, his first restaurant earned him widespread acclaim and many awards. Two years later, his second restaurant Bolo Restaurant & Bar opened was opened, and Flay was voted the James Beard Foundation’s Rising Star Chef of the Year 1993. The rest they say is history. Today, Bobby Flay continues to be one of America’s most prized chefs.
15
FOOD SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
Creamy, cheesy and spicy, Murgh Malai Kebab is one of the easiest things to make. It actually melts in your mouth.
Murgh Malai Kebab Noor’s Kitchen NOOR JAFRI Ingredients
The king of spices SANA MIRZA
sana.m@postnoon.com
I
f you observe keenly, not a lot of attention has been paid to preserving royal cuisine. Palaces and havelis still stand, yet the royal recipes seem to be vanishing into the mists of the past at a fast rate, thanks to the attempts at experimenting, or tweaking it to suit the modern palate — less spices, lesser ghee, etc. Unlike in other parts of the world, India has really never followed the tradition of codifying recipes: they have always been passed down from mother to daughter, cook to descendants. In times like these, the royal Sailana family from a former princely state in
Madhya Pradesh stands apart; they have ensured that their royal recipes were preserved without any corruption. It’s no wonder. In royal circles, Sailanas were widely known for their love of good food. One fine day in 1983, the then Maharaja of Sailana Digvijay Singh, a bon vivant, decided that it was time to share his secret recipes through a book; Cooking Delights of the Maharajas which was an instant best-seller. The current Maharaja of Sailana Vikram Singh took us back to those good old times with some exotic preparations at the Sailana Food Festival at The Park. We began our royal repast with a non-vegetarian platter of Prawn Kebab Sailana — a pan-fried, fresh herb crumbed prawn kebabs served with Timater ki Chutney — and Jungli Maans, a hunter’s favourite, which is meat cooked on a slow fire; only two ingredients are added to it: ghee and red chillies.
M ANIL KUMAR
Custodian of the largest collection of authentic royal dishes, the royal family from Sailana takes us back to a past which is rich and full of flavour
1. 1. Boneless chicken ( breast pieces ) 500 gms. 2. 2 tsp Ginger garlic paste 3. 1/2 tsp of black pepper powder 4. ½ tsp of red chilli powder 5. 1 tsp of garam masala powder 6. 2tbsp of Hung curd 7. 1tsp grated cheese 8. 1 tbsp melted butter 9. Salt to taste 10. Toppings of coriander leaves and chopped tomato
Method
Where: Aish, Park Hotel, Somajiguda Phone: 23456789 When: February 23 to March 3 Timing: 7 pm onwards Meal for two: Rs3,000 + taxes
1. Marinate the chicken pieces with all the above ingredients except melted butter for two to three hours. 2. Mix well and pour it into a thick-bottom-frying-pan, or you can even use skewers. 3. Top it up with melted butter. 4. Cook on slow fire and toss the chicken pieces till tender. 5. Serve hot with chopped coriander, a pinch of garam masala and tomato slices. Chef’s Note:- With low fat content, it’s safe even for calorie conscious people.
For further details contact: Moving on to the main course, we were served Macchi Dampukht, Tabak Murgh, Kofta Sudarshan Aloo ka Rajai Salan, Dal Sailana along with Makki and Bajra Roti. Macchi Dampukht is baked fish cooked in mustard oil. Tabak Murgh is Maharaja Vikram Singh’s innovative take on the classic Kashmiri Tabak Maans (mutton). The winner on the thali, however, was Dal Sailana, yellow lentils tempered with green chillies and coriander. It was a great accompaniment with Makki ki Roti. Then we were served the Murgh Irani Biryani — rich in flavour and dry fruits — along with Kaleji ka Raita, which is liver dipped in spiced smoked yoghurt. We concluded our royal treat with the Desi Gulab ki Kheer flavoured with rose petals, and Hare Chane ka Halwa. The Sailana cuisine is a testament to a life, rich and full of flavour.
n Noor Kitchen n Noor Jafri n Mobile: 09441282318 n Residence: 23356947.
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HISTORY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
March 2
March 1
2004 - NASA announced that the Mars Rover Opportunity had discovered evidence, proving the existence of water on Mars.
1937 - In Connecticut, the first permanent automobile license plates were issued.
Feb 28
2002 - In Ahmedabad, Hindus set fire to homes in a Muslim neighbourhood. At least 55 people were killed in the attack.
Feb 28
1940 - The first televised basketball game was shown. The game featured Fordham University and the University of Pittsburgh from Madison Square Gardens in New York.
March 3
1923- The first issue of Time magazine was published
Feb 27
1974 - Time-Life (later known as Time-Warner) issued People magazine for the first time
Feb 29
1940 - Hattie McDaniel became the first black person to win an Oscar. She won Best Supporting Actress award for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind.
March 2
1933 - The motion picture King Kong had its world premiere in New York.
Feb 27 Mar 3
In Bombay, Gandhi began a fast to protest the state's autocratic rule.
1827 - New Orleans held its first Mardi Gras celebration.
Feb 28
1983- M*A*S*H became the most watched television programme in history when the final episode aired.
19
SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
M ANIL KUMAR
Young girl falls down after the joy run at Jalvihar
For a cause H
Cricketer VVS Laxman participated in the Brain Tumour Awareness Walk which took place at Necklace Road on Sunday morning.
yderabad joined seven other cities in the country today for a Joy Run organised to highlight the cause of underprivileged students. Jalvihar at Necklace Road was abuzz early this morning with people streaming in to participate in the 5-km run which began at 7a.m. Tollywood actor Navdeep and Dr B Chennakeshav Rao, principal of CBIT (organiser) were at the vanguard. GLEN JOHN AND PRAKASH REDDY
A new address SOUl Beauty and Wellness Centre launched its second outlet at Road #46, Jubilee Hills DEEPAK DESHPANDE
Sirish, Sidharth, Dr Srinivas, Triveni, Sandeep, Pratyusha, Prabhakar, Yadiah, Shobha
Celebrating a union Sunaina, Namitha, Arti
Sonali Sharma, Manjula Narsa
Zara & Naideem
Sirish Bhardwaj’s brother, Sandeep Sai wed Takala Pratyusha in a grand ceremony at Crystal Gardens
20
CINEMA SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
T-TOWN TWEETIES @shrutihaasan
@pnavdeep26
@sneha_ullal
@A_NageswaraRao
Today's sunday?:0 ah well. I never ever know days of the week.working sunday it is then :D
have a train ride bak to hyd tonight! dont remember the last time i took any train :) nostalgia strikes again :)
Aadivasi Alert in Mumbai..they reach u somehow acting all poor and needy and asking for food n water..and then rape n murder..Be careful.
... Ee samasyapai cinemallo nene aneka paatalu paadanu. Kaani naako sandheham-chandamama leni gantalu chaalaa untaayi...
@trishtrashers
@actressanjjanaa
@actor_Nikhil
@ramsayz
N thank u all my tweeps for all d wishes for VTV's 2nd anniversary..haha..Think I'm gona change my name from Trisha to Jessie ;) Big hug
http://t.co/G2jELNFp Hey ppl that's a pic of ondu kshanadali gettin ready fo audio rel,n winding up wid ... http://t.co/vK7qEEmr
It is surprising that they are telecasting my movie in prime time like a Saturday night on national TV like colors
Life is funny-For a Strong body,u need 2 Work Out! For a Strong Heart..things shouldn't Work Out! -|2 #RAndoMthoughts
3 to release on March 30 D
hanush, Shruti Haasan starrer 3 is going to be released simultaneously in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi on March 30. Directed by Aishwarya Dhanush, the film is a love story which revolves around three characters in the film. Although the film was supposed to release only in Tamil, one of the songs,
Why This Kolaveri Di, became so popular across the country that the makers decided to dub the film in Telugu and Hindi as well. Few days ago, Shruti Haasan confirmed that the film will release in Telugu and tweeted, “Just got done recording for the Telugu and Hindi versions of kanazhaga from 3:) can't wait for you
guys to hear it!!:) (sic)”. Anirudh Ravichander composed the film’s music and Velraj is the cinematographer. Aishwarya had also roped in Oscar Award winner Resul Pookutty to work on the sound mixing of the film. The film is in last stages of post production and the promotions are expected to begin soon.
RGV announces a political drama R
GV has announced a political drama based on the dramatic turn of events in Andhra Pradesh over the last three years. The film has been titled as Reddy Garu Poyaru. Although RGV claimed that it’s a fictional film based on actual events, it’s quite clear that the film is based on the political chaos that ensued after YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s death. “I was never interested in politics but the psychology of politicians
has always intrigued me. If you throw a stone in the water, it creates ripples but if you throw the same stone on politics, it’ll create a tsunami. Recently, after the death of a prominent politician, the struggle for power has led to interesting incidents and I have decided to make a film on these events,” RGV said. The film’s script is being written by RGV’s team and it’ll go on floors early next year.
Siddharth moves on to Vetri Maaran’s film A fter the success of Love Failure, Siddharth has begun working on his upcoming Tamil film. Acclaimed director Vetri Maaran, who won the National Award for Aadukalam, is going to write and produce this film. Vetri Maaran has launched his production company named Grass Root Film Company and this untitled film starring Siddharth will be his first production venture. Vetri Maaran’s long time associate Manigandan is going to direct the film. We hear that the film is set
against the backdrop of national highways leading to Bangalore and it’s touted to be an extremely gripping story. Velraj, the cinematographer of films like Aadukalam, Engeyum Eppodhum and Siruthai, is going to crank the camera. More details about this film will be announced soon.
21
CINEMA SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
B-TOWN TWEETIES @AnupamPkher
@RGVzoomin
@imarshadwarsi
@SrBachchan
On my way to Pune to inaugurate Kirloskar Vasundhra International Film Festival. Films showcase preservation of Wildlife & environment.:)
Smallest minority in wrld is an individual..hence it follows tht who deny individual rights cant claim 2 b defenders of minorities..Ayn rand
I am completely in love with Deshmukh n Bhagnani family, what a lovely warm n wonderful eve.... God bless Dhiraj n Honey...
T 665 - The day ends, the night descends, the body wanes, but do I need to complain.. Hey ! I rhymed.. getting poetic after midnight.. hmm !
@sonusood18
@NeilNMukesh
@ActorMadhavan
@iamsrk
Morning frnds.All set to shoot a fitness video today,will share with u all.Then to finish 3 narrations before i head to #goa.Looking fwd :-)
Super sangeet. From sonu nigams spectacular performance to the dances. God bless dhiraj and honey. yfrog.com/kki9mxaj
I am very Proud of Jodi breakers. Irrespective of the. Outcome. Its was made with the best intentions ever.
Late work call. In bed doing nothing...nada...nought. Work has a future pay off...laziness pays off now! Eternal nothingness for half hour..
Tough time for Abhishek A bhishek Bachchan is going through tough schedules. Even as Amitabh Bachchan returned home from hospital, his maternal grandmother Indira Bhaduri is now said to be in another hospital, giving him two major reasons to stay put in Mumbai.These days, the actor is shooting out of Mumbai, in Wai for Rohit Shetty’s Bol Bachchan. He also likes to be by his elders’ side, so his schedule is under tremendous pressure. “Every day Abhishek commutes between Wai and Mumbai. He leaves early morning for Wai, packs up shooting by evening, drives back...it’s a good five hours drive.
“He rushes home to see his father and then his Nani in hospital before heading home to catch a few moments with his daughter and wife (in that order nowadays). If he’s lucky he catches Baby Bachchan awake for a bit,” said a source. Without much sleep, Abhishek returns to Wai early morning. But he sails through the shoot of the comedy film. “Laughter is the last thing on Abhishek’s mind. But he’s going through the comic scenes with Ajay Devgn with do-or-die determination,” the source added. Ajay is going out of his way to accommodate Abhishek’s packed schedule.
IANS
Guru Dutt’s grandchild eyes an acting career
L
egendary filmmaker Guru Dutt’s granddaughter Gouri is set to foray into the world of acting. One of her aims is to portray her grandfather the way family members have known him.”I had not met my grandfather and as a kid I did not understand what people used to talk about him. But later I realised what kind of personality he was. Now, one of the aims of my life is to portray him in a different way....how our family has known him,” Gouri said. People remember Guru Dutt as a filmmaker who died
at a young age of 39, but left behind a legacy of cinematic excellence that boasts of films like Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. “I have watched all his movies and now I believe that my grandfather was unmatched in several senses. People are in awe at times when they learn who I am, but what means most to me is that he was my grandfather,” she added. The 23-year-old daughter of Guru Dutt’s son Arun has done fashion designing, but now wants to make a career IANS in acting.
H
er next film Housefull 2 has a dozen actors, but Shazahn Padamsee isn’t fretting. After all, stars are also a part of multistarrers, isn’t it, says the actor. “I have such a long way to go. I am so young and have to be a part of the industry for so many years. I’ll do multi-starrers, I’ll do films with many people...Now you see even the stars doing multi-starrers. The world is my oyster; I don’t look for anything solo or multi-starrer,” Shazahn said. Daughter of ad guru Alyque Padamsee, Shazahn made her Bollywood debut with Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year and later went on to be a part of Madhur Bhandarkar’s Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji, which had an ensemble cast. She is now gearing up for the release of Housefull 2 April 5. IANS
More the merrrier, says Shazahn
22
CINEMA
July release for John’s film J
ohn Abraham and Chitrangada Singh starrer I, Me Aur Main is set to hit theatres July 27. The Reliance Entertainment, Rose Movies and Pollen Entertainment co-production is set against an urban backdrop and narrates the story of a man and his relationship with five women. It marks the directorial debut of Kapil Sharma, son of noted astronaut Rakesh Sharma. Apart from Chitrangada, the other women in John’s life in the film will be essayed by Prachi Desai, Raima Sen, Mini Mathur and Zareena Wahab. “I, Me Aur Main is a fun
and refreshing film. It’s a feel good story about a selfobsessed man’s relationship with the five most important women in his life, he takes for granted. We are very pleased with the way the film has shaped up and are excited about its release,” Sanjeev Lamba, CEO, Reliance Entertainment, said in a press statement. Co-producer Goldie Behl said, “The film is an urban commercial genre with a novel concept. It’s a John Abraham you’ve never seen before and the film is sure to strike a chord with today’s IANS youth.”
Ravi Kishan gets grungy for new film
A
ctor Ravi Kishan had to go through an intense exercise regime to shed weight and also sported a stubble look for the garb of a grungy Bihar-based gangster for his new film Jeena Hai To Thok Dal. The gangster movie, directed by Manish Vatsalya, shows horrid realities of the underworld crime as well as the changing times of Bihar. The actor admits he had to undertake strict exercise regime to get a lean look for the film, which has been a new experience for him. “I went through strict exercise regime. I have lost four to five kilos of weight and attained a sleek jawline.” “It is a very earthy and realistic character. For the first time I have grown a stubble for any role. You would see
I want comedy, romance: Mahie
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
M
me wearing normal cotton shirts with chappals. I have even grown my hair for the same. This character is completely different from what I have played before,” he added. IAN
ahie Gill, who started her Bollywood career with Anurag Kashyap’s Dev D, a modernday take on Devdas, says it’s not a conscious decision to star in offbeat films. In fact, she wants to explore other genres too. “I wanted to work with intelligent and good directors...these are the kind of films that they are making. They are offbeat subjects,
interesting subjects, new subjects. I am lucky that I am doing that kind of roles,” said Mahie. “But at the same time as an actor, I need to explore myself further because I too want to do comedies, I want to do romantic roles,” added the 36-year-old. The critically acclaimed actress played characters with negative shades in Sahib, Biwi aur Gangster and Not a Love Story, and says there’s a special reason
behind it. “A lot of my directors tell me that I have a very innocent face. So when with an innocent face you play a character with negative shades, it looks even more interesting,” said Mahie. For now, she is set to play a deceitful Begum in the sequel of Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster. Besides Mahie, Jimmy Shergill and Randeep Hooda, the sequel will also feature Soha Ali Khan and IANS Irrfan Khan.
CINEMA SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
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ib r c s Sub
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6 Months
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Contact us on : 040 4067 2222
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24
CINEMA SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
Lauren in public for the first time with prosthetic eye
T
o say Lauren Scruggs has had a tough few months would be an understatement. But the former model and fashion blogger, who has continued to inspire so many with her positive attitude in the wake of her horrific December 3 accident, remained upbeat as she stepped out in her hometown of Dallas, revealing her prosthetic eye for the first time. Scruggs, who lost her left arm and eventually her left eye after she accidentally walked into a plane's propeller, was spotted leaving the gym wearing workout gear, a Dallas Cowboys baseball cap and a jacket that covered her missing left arm. The 23-year-old blonde was fitted with the new prosthetic eye at the end of January.
Bale to join 'Out of the Furnace'
C
hristian Bale is in final talks for a new crime thriller from Relativity Media. Titled Out of the Furnace, the film is about an ex-convict who goes on a quest for revenge after the murder of his younger brother. The script has been adapted from Brad Ingelsby's story by Crazy Heart director Scott Cooper, who will also be directing. Garrett Hedlund, Channing Tatum, Taylor Kitsch, and Casey Affleck are all in the running to play Bale's younger brother. In conjunction with Relativity, the film is also being produced by both Leonardo DiCaprio and Ridley Scott's production companies. Shooting is scheduled to begin
in June next year. Bale will also be starring alongside Natalie Portman in a new Terrence Malick film this year. Bale will next be seen in the final instalment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises.
25
CINEMA SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
Zac and Taylor make beautiful music together
Z
ac Efron and Taylor Swift lent their voices to the new animated film The Lorax, but who knew the young stars would sound pretty good together in song, too? Zac and Taylor visited The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Friday, where they performed a version of Foster the People’s hit Pumped Up Kicks. They definitely took some liberties with the lyrics, much to Ellen’s delight. Zac has been moving away from his High School Musical past with meatier roles lately.
Minnillo now Vanessa Lachey
V
anessa Minnillo is officially Vanessa Lachey. And she’s thrilled about it. The ex-Entertainment Tonight correspondent revealed the reason behind her decision to drop her maiden moniker in favour of taking new hubby Nick Lachey's last name. “I got my social security card on Friday,” she told. “Now it’s Vanessa Joy Lachey, no Minnillo. And today, after this, I'm going to get my driver's license.” When asked whether the couple discussed the name change, the new Mrs. Lachey explained that she decided to do it for work, but only got around to legally making the switch now and Nick was fully supportive. After dating for three years, Vanessa, 31, and Nick, 38, briefly split up in June 2009 only to reconcile that fall. The pair announced their engagement in November 2010 and tied the knot last July.
26
CHAI TIME SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
SUNDAY CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Explorer Sebastian — 6 Wagner opus 11 Kind of sugar 16 Tiny amounts 21 Dynamic 22 Speckled fish 23 Break records 24 Animal that hisses 25 Weatherman Al — 26 Take a sip 27 Fails to place 28 Slot-machine fruit 29 Island or milk cow 31 Of ocean bottoms 33 Paddy plant 35 Before 36 Bookie's figures 37 Viking name 39 A king of Crete 41 More gung-ho 43 Lou Grant portrayer (2 wds.) 46 Climber's spike 48 Road coating 49 Galley slaves 52 Pitbull sound 54 Diminutive 56 Insect stage 60 View 62 Banana stalk 64 Kind of cavity 66 Come across as 67 Home page addr. 68 — B'rith 70 Mr Morales 72 Up, in baseball (2 wds.) 74 Miscellany 75 "I did it!" (hyph) 77 Jan. 1 song ender 79 Toothpaste buy 81 Large flower 83 Library unit 85 Picket-line crosser 87 Short slant 89 Adds oxygen 90 Fleur-de- — 92 Mystique 94 Femmes, in Sp. 96 Lipstick color 97 Puts oil on 101 Foreign, in combos 103 Crest 105 Yeggs' targets 109 Taxes 111 School period 113 Fabric fuzz 115 Monsieur's pate 116 TV's — Longoria 117 Ice-cream utensil 119 Sob 121 Fathomless 123 Harbor vessel 124 Amoeba, for one 126 — Khan 128 Pine needle, really 130 Kind of inn 132 Malicious burning 134 Freeloader 136 Wk day 138 Less refined 139 Periphery 141 Entered a 10K 143 Ate lightly 145 Left a greasy mark 149 Tennis great — Hart 151 More than serious
152 Grass droplets 156 Bowler or boater 157 Jackrabbit 159 Doled out 161 Spaghetti extra 163 Four duos 165 Roll with the punches 167 Inched along 169 Remove a Reebok 170 Bicycle part 171 Metric prefix 172 Portable home 173 Spice tree 174 Grouchy 175 Storage room 176 Flattens a fly 177 Keyed up DOWN 1 Freighter load 2 Vocally 3 Cycled 4 Supervised 5 Gull relative 6 Aquatic mammals 7 — mantis 8 Dawn goddess 9 "The Bambino" 10 Varsity (hyph.) 11 Actress — Griffith 12 Southwest salaman-
ders 13 Mac rivals 14 Smirk's kin 15 Borden bovine 16 Black market 17 Yea, to a matador 18 More docile 19 Love in a gondola 20 Not as wacky 30 One of four 32 Goes with chips 34 Mouser 38 Follett and Norton 40 Bulgaria's capital 42 Important decades 44 Small amount 45 Have status 47 Beethoven's last 49 Defeats 50 Ms. Winfrey 51 Dorian Gray's creator 53 Lie down 55 Ancient desert kingdom 57 Strike back 58 Trial jurisdiction 59 Pile up 61 Opposing votes 63 Whittier's Miss Muller 65 — -toothed tiger 69 Cuzco builder
71 Hieroglyphics bird 73 Whitewalls 76 Kate's sitcom friend 78 Waters of Vichy 80 Tombstone deputy 82 Mubarak predecessor 84 Helsinki citizens 86 A Maverick brother 88 Highlander 91 Mired down 93 Over again 95 Blurted out 97 Betel nut palm 98 — a dull moment 99 Egg shapes 100 City near Inchon 102 Pitcher — Hershiser 104 Felt certain 106 Foul-smelling 107 Piano exercise 108 "Like a Rock" rocker 110 Drab, as colors 112 Shake hands 114 Quiz giver 118 Implore 120 Muni or McCartney 122 Ceremonial fire 125 Nobleman 127 Fait — 129 Vendetta 131 Without warning
133 Every evening 135 Dissenter 137 Fragment 140 Call — — cab 142 Morse click 144 Shipping boxes 145 Proves 146 — Picchu 147 Downright 148 Bard's forte
150 Cults 153 Bar, in law 154 Relinquish a claim 155 Vile smile 158 Blue pencil mark 160 Took a card 162 A whole lot 164 Electric swimmer 166 Elev 168 MPG monitor PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
27
CHAI TIME SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
STAR POWER Date 27-2-2012
As per Hindu panchang
THIRUVAIKUMAR
thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9949870449
TAURUS
GEMINI
Expenses will increase. By adjusting with family members, differences will disappear. Women will co-operate well with spouse. Some have chances to undertake pilgrimage.
Relatives' visit will make family members happy. Financial situation will improve. Your influence is set to increase. Written off dues get collected and surprise you. Blood relatives will support.
You will take bold decisions and look cheerful. Court verdicts will go in your favour. Chances of getting property through father. Missing blood relative may return home after a long time.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Your talks will be assertive and yield desired results; however, you should keep limits under control. No financial deficiency, but expenses might increase as you plan to increase comforts.
Strained relationship will resume on their own; accept them magnanimously. Expected financial help will come through in laws. Some will undertake foreign trips, which will be successful.
You are prone to get health problems as planetary positions are not favourable. Necessary steps needed to be taken to improve your immunity by taking healthy and timely food. Good money inflow.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
New opportunities to knock your door. Your courage, fame and influence are set to increase. Obstacles faced in construction of house will be over and works will resume. Trip abroad possible.
All efforts undertaken will be successful. Income goes up multifold. Because of nice and wise talks, friendship circle will expand. Bank balance will rise. Govt officials writing an exam will succeed.
Fortune likely. You will not be afraid to spend hereafter, as financial situation will be well set. Family problems will be end. Your brother will help you in your business and growth.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
All your financial needs will get fulfilled without hurdles. Employees to get promotion with pay hike. Support your children in achieving whatever they wanted to. Good offer for plot will come.
Health problems will be over. Keep food habits under control to avoid further health issues. Sound financial position likely. Happy events at home. Couples need to adjust and avoid ego.
Financially, a comfortable position likely. Written-off dues also get collected and make you happy. Exams or any contest; success is yours. Travel will increase. Your fame in society will go up.
TAURUS
GEMINI
Five of Cups – You cannot win all the time. Some plans may go awry and it’s likely that you may feel embarrassed in front of your coworkers. Move on!
Page of Pentacles – You’re focused on making money and are thinking of ways to make this happen. Your principles have to be compromised.
Knight of Swords – You may come across as being quite ruthless when it comes to matters of the heart. Be sensitive when dealing with potential romantic partners.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
The Chariot – Travel is indicated. Plan your journey yourself and don’t leave it to someone else. Smooth travel plans. You meet interesting people.
Eight of Swords – Peace of mind should be your top most priority now. Don’t be taken in by what society will think. Just do what you feel is right for your life.
King of Swords – A project will require your intellectual inputs. Be careful about coming across as too critical, especially while analysing a peer’s ideas.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Five of Wands – Be on your guard and watch your back all the time. Someone is out to stab you in the back. But don’t worry. Just cover your tracks well.
Six of Pentacles – A senior at the work place will give you invaluable help and advice with something important. You learn and grow with this new mentor.
Nine of Swords – If you have been having bad dreams, it may be because of excessive stress about a project. Take it easy; plan well and relax.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Four of Swords – You want stability in your life and you find it in a new relationship that has changed the way you’re looking at the world and relationships.
Knight of Pentacles – You’re focused and determined to get a job out of the way. But you’re also very stubborn about accepting others’ ideas. Be open.
Six of Swords – Overseas contacts come to your rescue, especially if you’re looking for a job change or if looking to moonlight. Be diplomatic.
For Better or for Worse Stone soup
Wise ones for wizards
I
Ink pen
COMICS
SUMAA TEKUR
tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
ARIES
Fred Basset
ARIES
TAROT READ Date 27-2-2012
s it possible to be totally partial? Would a fly without wings be called a walk? If the funeral procession is at night, do folks drive with their lights off? If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked? When it rains, why don't sheep shrink? Should vegetarians eat animal crackers? If carrots are so good for the eyes, how come I see so many dead rabbits on the highway? If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the
terminal? Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives a race car not called a racist? Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with? If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular? Whose cruel idea was it for the word ‘lisp’ to have an ‘s’ in it? Where does the fire go when the fire goes out? So what's the speed of dark? Is reading in the bathroom considered Multi-Tasking?
Vol: 1, No 224 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
WACKY WORLD SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
TV channel for canines
T
elevision in San Diego is going to the dogs. No, really. They have a new 24hour channel that’s just meant to keep dogs company when the owners are out of the house. DOGTV was launched on Time Warner and Cox digital cable systems last week. So what kind of programmes do dogs like to watch? Obviously, ones with other dogs. There are programmes of dogs playing with balls, meant to stimulate pets, and dogs sleeping, meant to relax them.
Ukrainian artist gets knotty
Woman on pizza diet
U
I
sing a special knot weaving technique called macrame, Ukrainian artist Vladimir Denshchikov creates mind-blowing religious icons made almost entirely of linen thread. Only the faces and hands of the saints in Denshchikov’s icons are painted on canvas, everything else is made from millions of linen knots. The material used for these incredible artworks is created by the artist himself: he takes a piece of pure linen cloth, soaks it in water and takes it apart one string at a time.
t isn’t exactly food fit for a queen, but it’s good enough for 33-year-old Claire Simmons. Claire loves cheese and tomato pizza so much that she’s been eating nothing else for 31 years. Which means she’s been eating the stuff since she was about two. But it’s not that she doesn’t want to eat anything else, it’s just that she can’t. She shudders at the mere mention of other food and will gag if she puts anything else other than plain pizza in her mouth.
AFP / GENYA SAVILOV
A Thai man’s underwear fetish
A
man from Thailand collected 10,000 pairs of women’s underwear in the past 30 years. Apparently, his obsession was not just for underwear, but also for the stealthy way he obtained them. The police were tipped off about the thief after he broke into a building in Chinatown, Bangkok along with an accomplice. When they raided his home, to their surprise, they found not cash or jewels, but a whopping 10,000 pairs of underwear. And an additional 1,000 were in his vehicle. He then admitted that he had been breaking in and stealing female panties since the age of 18.
World’s hottest vodka
T A five-year-old steppe turtle with two heads and six paws is held up for a photograph at the Science History Museum in Kiev on February 23. The Ukrainian born reptile, on display at the museum, has a heart-shaped shell, two hearts but only one intestine, exposition organisers said.
Artist makes stunning sculptures from shattered CDs
S
ean Avery transforms old CDs into incredible sculptures he classifies as sustainable art. Pieces of shattered CDs are pretty hard to work with when you’re trying to recreate an organic shape, but somehow Sean Avery manages to piece together animal and bird models that look amazingly realistic. Using special layering techniques, he is able to make something as pointy and sharp as CD shards look as smooth as feathers or animal fur.
he Naga Jolokia chilli is dangerously hot and can cause serious damage if ingested raw, but that didn’t stop a spirits company from mixing 18 kilograms of the fiery peppers with vodka, and creating one of the hottest drinks known to man— the Naga Chilli Vodka. The chilli used in the making of this spicy treat is hotter than most lawenforcement pepper sprays, and the 100,000 Scoville units ranking means the Naga Chilli Vodka is twice as hot as Tabasco and almost as hot as the Habanero and Scotch Bonnet chillies.
29
SPORTS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
Raonic in Memphis final
R
Kipyego wins Tokyo marathon
ed-hot Milos Raonic booked a finals showdown with Austrian Jurgen Melzer on Saturday at the $1.37 million ATP and WTA Memphis Open. Canada’s Raonic, seeking a third ATP title of the year, subdued Germany’s Benjamin Becker 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and 15 minutes. Melzer, meanwhile, defeated Czech Radek Stepanek 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Women’s action wrapped up Saturday as Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson won second career title.
Warne in Oz Hall of Fame
K
T
enya’s Michael Kipkorir Kipyego got the better of former world record holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia in the last four kilometres to win the Tokyo marathon on Sunday. Gebrselassie was locked in a shoulder-to-shoulder battle against his compatriot and defending champion Hailu Mekonnen until the 35km mark. Kipyego crossed the finishing line in 2hr 07min 37sec. “I’m very happy to win the Tokyo marathon at my first attempt.’’
est great Shane Warne will be inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame this week, Cricket Australia said on Sunday. The legendary leg-spinner, the first cricketer to take 700 Test wickets, will be inducted at the Allan Border Medal ceremony in Melbourne on Monday, CA said. Hall of Fame chairman David Crow said Warne, 42, who retired from Test cricket in 2007, was the selection committee’s unanimous choice.
Wales keep Grand Slam hopes alive
Wales’ Scott Williams scores a try during the 6 Nations International rugby union match between England and Wales at Twickenham Stadium, southwest AFP/ GLYN KIRK of London, Saturday. Wales won 19-12.
LONDON: Wales snatched a dramatic 19-12 win over England to win the Triple Crown and keep their hopes of a Six Nations Grand Slam alive at Twickenham here on Saturday. The match was all square at 12-12 with five minutes left when Wales replacement Scott Williams stole the ball in the tackle from Courtney Lawes from some 50 metres out and hacked downfield before regathering for the only try of the game. Leigh Halfpenny converted and Wales, who had been down to 14 men after fly-half Rhys Priestland was sin-binned, were seven points clear. England though hit back with virtually the last move of
the match as wing David Strettle went over in the corner. But he was held up in the tackle by Wales centre Jonathan Davies. Scottish video referee Iain Ramage prolonged the agony of a crowd of more than 81,000 with several minutes study before deciding no try had been scored and Wales had just their second win at Twickenham since 1988. And it meant England, who like Wales came into this match on the back of two wins, had suffered their first defeat under acting coach Stuart Lancaster. “It’s unbelievable,” gasped man of the match and Welsh captain Sam Warburton. “We knew it would be the toughest game and it was so tough. We are over the moon to
get the Triple Crown here. “I am not going to say what the last team who won here in 2008 went on to do (they won the Grand Slam) but people involved with that team say we have a really strong squad this time round. However, we will set aside thoughts of that and the Italy game in a fortnight and enjoy this for the moment.” Lancaster, who replaced Martin Johnson in a caretaker capacity after the World Cup fiasco, said he was proud of his largely inexperienced side. “Wales are a team who have been together a long long time and we are a team that has been together for three weeks,” he said. “We should take great credit from that.”
Lancaster made the bold decision to start 20-year-old Owen Farrell, playing only his third Test, at No 10 in an international for the first time after Charlie Hodgson was ruled out with a finger injury. Farrell gave England the lead with a 23rd minute penalty. But from the ensuing kickoff, England infringed and Halfpenny, having missed first time, was on target to make it 33. Fit-again Manu Tuilagi, filling the hole left by Farrell’s move from centre to fly-half, gave England a physical presence in midfield they’d so far lacked this tournament. It needed a brilliant tackle from Warburton to deny the Samoa-born powerhouse a try.
Chisora flies to Vegas on Haye’s trail
I
n an alarming six-word tweet – “On my way to Las Vegas” – Dereck Chisora has reignited his feud with David Haye, whom he threatened to shoot after their press conference brawl in Munich last weekend. Haye, who fled the fight venue claiming he was in fear of his life and who has ignored repeated calls by Munich police to return for questioning for his part in the unsavoury incident, flew out of London last week, posting a picture of himself relaxing and smiling in a firstclass seat apparently on board a plane headed for Las Vegas, reported The Guardian. Chisora, cautioned by police and facing possible charges for assault and threatening behaviour, apologised for his part in the fracas but has now set the row ablaze again. He invited speculation late on Saturday afternoon when he tweeted: “On my way to the airport. Guess where?” An hour later, about 6pm, Chisora sent out a message that confirmed he was on his way to Nevada: “On my way to Las Vegas... http://pic.twitter.com/NhwcpyBn.” Haye was supposedly unaware of Chisora’s intentions. Just before 7pm he tweeted an unconnected message: “Watch my interview on ‘That Sunday Night Show’ ITV1 (10pm) Guest panel: Alexandra Burke, Frank Skinner, Jon Richardson. Hosted by Adrian Chiles.” If Chisora did board a flight to Las Vegas on Saturday night, he would have arrived about 11 hours later, early evening there.
Derek Chisora makes a self-portrait prior to the WBA Heavyweight World Championship fight between German Marco Huck and Russian Alexander Povetkin in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany.
30
SPORTS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
AFP /FILES/ WILLIAM WEST
What’s with the champs? Twelfth Man BABU KALYANPUR
I
ndia’s superstars have sidelined the game and got involved in a drama which has the makings of a Bollywood blockbuster. Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s comments about the rotation of the elder members of the side have opened a can of worms which has sidetracked India’s precarious position in the Commonwealth Bank Series. The Indian captain’s statement that the senior players cost at least 20 runs in the field just does not wash. Sachin Tendulkar, Virendra Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have pedigree
and records which are difficult to match. They were in the touring side for that factor alone. They may be slow on the field but are certainly not an embarrassment. Also the captain has ignored the fact some of the younger guns haven’t even made up with the bat for the so-called 20 runs given away by the seniors. Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina may have sizzled on the field but they have hardly been inspirational with the bat to justify their selection. The counter-statements from vice-captain Sehwag and criticism of Dhoni’s batting by Gambhir have revealed that everybody is talking at crosspurposes. The bottom line is India,
THE BOTTOM LINE IS INDIA, INSTEAD OF
ENHANCING THEIR REPUTATION AS WORLD CUP WINNERS, HAVE SLID INTO A BOTTOMLESS PIT. instead of enhancing their reputation as World Cup winners, have slid into a bottomless pit and will need a miracle to crawl back into contention. The standard of their cricket, like in the Tests, has been poor and lackadaisical. In such situations the best must always play. But India’s cricket is fraught with politics, zonal bias and lack of guts. Take the case of Australia.
They had the courage to drop one of their legends, Ricky Ponting, over his lack of form. Ponting took his sacking on the chin and unofficially retired from the shorter version. So will the Indian selectors sack Tendulkar, Sehwag or Gambhir? Never. This rotation policy business is an eyewash to mollify some sections in the world of Indian cricket. If India have an eye on retaining the World Cup in 2015, then might as well do a clear-out now and build on a new team. India’s cricketers are the next thing to God in the country. Don’t expect them to walk out from the glitz, glamour and gold. Just a year ago, all of India was celebrating India’s dominance in cricket. And within a short period all this has evapo-
rated into thin air. Lack of intensity has been one of the major reasons. And the onus is on the captain and coach to instil that. Instead, the captain is getting involved in unnecessary controversies and Duncan Fletcher not coming to grips with the situation. The fans are getting frustrated. Morning reruns of soaps are offering more drama than Team India on the field. The media is having a field day from the gems flowing out of India’s stars. If the Indian team wants to win back some respect, then they should now go and win the Commonwealth Bank series. A miracle will be needed. But this will clear the bad taste left by the drama of the last few days.
31
SPORTS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
WEST BROMWICH:
Sunderland outclassed
Sunderland’s form took a sharp downward dip on Saturday when Martin O’Neill’s rapidly improving team were outclassed 4-0 at West Bromwich Albion. The O’Neill Effect has seen Sunderland climb to ninth in the Premier League table, and they knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup last weekend, but they came unstuck against a West Brom side who had previously won only two games at home all season. Nigerian forward Peter Odemwingie, who scored a hattrick in the recent 5-1 demolition of Wolverhampton Wanderers, broke the deadlock with an early goal and James Morrison added a second four minutes before half-time. Odemwingie took his tally to five goals in two games with the hosts’ third at the start of the second half, before Keith Andrews completed a victory that lifted Roy Hodgson’s men to 12th in the table.
Sunderland’s resurgent form has catapulted them into the top half but they fell behind after only three minutes at The Hawthorns when Odemwingie stole between two defenders to head home Youssef Mulumbu’s driven cross from the left.
PETER ODEMWINGIE, WHO SCORED A HAT-
TRICK IN THE RECENT 51 DEMOLITION OF WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS, BROKE THE DEADLOCK WITH AN EARLY GOAL. Recent Ireland call-up James McClean squandered an opportunity to level when he failed to capitalise on an inviting Sebastian Larsson cross, before Morrison tested Simon Mignolet at the other end with a rasping shot from the edge of the box.
West Bromwich Albion’s Peter Odemwingie celebrates scoring the opening goal of the game during the Barclays Premier League match at The Hawthorns, West Bromwich. The Scotland midfielder would not be denied a second time, however, and on 41 min-
utes he planted Jerome Thomas’ centre past Mignolet with a downward back-post header to
double the hosts’ advantage. O’Neill introduced Nicklas Bendtner and new England callup Fraizer Campbell at half-time but any hopes of a Black Cats comeback were shattered within three minutes of the second period. West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster launched a counter-attack with an intelligent long throw that allowed Morrison to feed Marc-Antoine Fortune, whose lay-off eluded Morrison but was dispatched in crisp fashion by Odemwingie. Thomas curled a shot against the crossbar moments later, and Fortune had an effort cleared off the line, while Sunderland’s best chance saw Michael Turner head over from Wayne Bridge’s free-kick. Andrews completed O’Neill’s misery in the last minute, burying a Graham Dorrans cut-back and sealing Sunderland’s heaviest Premier League defeat since a 5-0 reverse at Manchester City last April.
AFP
QPR in trouble LONDON: Pavel Pogrebnyak bagged the second
Fulham’s Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak (right) celebrates with Fulham supporters after scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between Queens Park Rangers and Fulham at Loftus Road in London, England on Saturday. AFP PHOTO/CARL COURT
goal of his short Fulham career to send 10-man Queens Park Rangers slipping ever closer to the relegation zone on Saturday after a 1-0 defeat. Russian striker Pogrebnyak, a late January transfer window signing following the departure of Bobby Zamora to Rangers, pounced on seven minutes to settle a tense encounter between the two west London rivals. Fulham had already seen an Andy Johnson effort disallowed for offside before they took a deserved early lead. Belgian international Moussa Dembele conjured up a deft back heel to feed Pogrebnyak, who coolly rounded Paddy Kenny to finish. QPR had been humiliated 6-0 by Fulham in the earlier fixture between the teams this season, but their hopes of avenging that reverse were dealt a hammer blow on 33 minutes when debutant Samba Diakite was sent off. Diakite received his marching orders after picking up his second yellow card of the match for a clumsy challenge on Bryan Ruiz. It was the third time in four home matches that Rangers have had a player sent off and the dismissal meant Mark Hughes’ side were always struggling in their bid to improve a home record that has seen them win at Loftus Road only twice this season. More significantly, Rangers have now just recorded only one win in 14 games and only goal difference separates them from the relegation zone.
32
SPORTS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012
‘I pick team, not Roman’
City push Rovers deeper into relegation zone
MANCHESTER: Mario
Balotelli, Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko scored the goals as Manchester City maintained their imperious home form to move five points clear of Manchester United with a 3-0 win over Blackburn. City have now won their last 18 Premier League games at home, dating back more than a year, and equal Newcastle’s record of starting a season by
winning each of their 13 home matches. Balotelli put Roberto Mancini’s side in front with his ninth Premier League goal of the season with just under half an hour gone. Aguero added a second with his 16th - and 21st in all competitions - just after half-time.
GRAPPLING OR TACKLING? Blackburn Rovers’ Serbian midfielder Radosav Petrovic (left) vies with Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli during their English Premier League football match. AFP/PAUL
Dzeko came off the bench to head a third as City coasted to a comfortable victory that moves them five points ahead of United, who have an away game at Norwich on Sunday. The result left Blackburn firmly rooted in the relegation zone, where only two points separate the bottom five. Balotelli was making his first Premier League start since the goalless draw at West Brom in December following a four-match ban. But he took just a minute to cause Blackburn problems, latching on to an Adam Johnson cross and forcing an impressive low save from Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson. Rovers went into the game having lost just half of their 12 away matches and soon produced a threat of their own when a Morten Gamst Pedersen freekick fell for Grant Hanley and his close-range effort deflected wide off Joleon Lescott. The visitors were pinned back deep into their own half and were grateful to goalkeeper Robinson for keeping them in the game. When Aguero swung a pass over to right flank, Johnson burst forward and had a longrange strike pushed away by the former England goalkeeper and Robinson also got a hand to the Pablo Zabaleta cross that followed. As City continued to probe, Balotelli had a bending free-kick pushed away by the Rovers goalkeeper. But just before the half hour Balotelli made the breakthrough in some style. Making his first Premier League appearance since returning from African Nations Cup duty with Ivory Coast, Yaya Toure started a counter-attack with a clever pass to David Silva. The Spaniard clipped the ball left for Aleksander Kolarov, who whipped in a cross that gave Balotelli an easy tap in at the near post. The Italy striker displayed a “Raffaella ti amo (Raffaella I Love You)” t-shirt, aimed at girlfriend Raffaella Fico as he celebrated his opening effort. City continued to press for a second goal, and Robinson had to be at his best to deny Silva, who was played through by another intelligent pass from Kolarov. Robinson pulled off another fine stop from a Vincent Kompany flick from Kolarov’s corner before Toure failed to divert the rebound on target. AFP
LONDON: Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas denied his team selection for the 3-0 Premier League victory over Bolton Wanderers had been influenced by owner Roman Abramovich. The former Porto manager had admitted before the Stamford Bridge clash that the Russian had asked for an explanation following Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss at Napoli in the Champions League. Villas-Boas had named Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Michael Essien as substitutes for that game — and all three started against Bolton, who remain in the relegation places.
Lampard scored the third goal after David Luiz and Didier Drogba’s second-half goals had put Chelsea in control. Villas-Boas attempted to laugh off suggestions that Abramovich had told him to bring back the three experienced campaigners, who were all trophy-winning mainstays under previous managers, including Jose Mourinho. “I got the call this morning,” he joked before adding: “I’m not in tune with Roman’s agenda. All I know is that it was important for the team to win, mostly for the fans as they have been deserving and demanding a lot.”