WWW.POSTNOON.COM
WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY & CLEAR SKIES; 33°C
T
HERITAGE HYDERABAD
he recently concluded Hyderabad Heritage Week has put the spotlight back on the rich culture and architectural legacy of the City. So, this week, we take a look at the winners of the INTACH Awards 2012. PG 16&17
Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper
APRIL 28, 2012 HYDERABAD
32 PAGES
ON SATURDAY As several corporates in the City lay off staff, lives are thrown out of gear and employees struggle to come to terms with the situation. REPORT ON PG 4
THE KING OF TIKI TAKA ABDICATES HIS THRONE
I
n his four years at the helm, Pep Guardiola has led Barcelona to 13 titles and is credited with promoting some of the most sublime football in the world. PG 5
`2
2
PAGE TWO SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
SPIRITED SLUMBER
Workshop on juggling
SRINIVAS SETTY
Perrick St Pierre from Canada who is popularly known as Mr Banana will be part of a workshop on juggling by Rachnotsav Events Academy. Where: Rachnotsav Events Academy, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: April 29, 1.30pm onwards Contact: 98490 12241
Young scientists Oxford Bookstore along with Books n More is organizing ‘Young Scientist workshop’ . The workshop is for children between the age group of 6 to 12 years and aims at sharing insights on various scientific theories Where: Oxford Bookstore, The Park, Somajiguda When: April 29, 5pm onwards Contact: 91601 48444
Four dimensions Alankritha Art Gallery is all set to host a painting exhibition called four dimensions featuring various artistes and their works. Where:Alankrita Art Gallery, Kavuri Hills, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2311 3709
Shifting terrain An abstract painting exhibition by Pandurang Deoghare, is being held at Iconart Gallery. The exhibition is on till May 5. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No12 When: Ongoing, 11.30 am onwards Contact: 9849968797
Dramaybaaz Dramaybaaz — a theatre fest for solo performances is being held on April 28 and 29. Dramaybaaz provides an opportunity for those who do not belong to any theatre group to perform. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: April 28 and 29, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329
Lepakshi Mela AP Handicrafts Development Corporation is hosting a Lepakshi Cotton Mela. 25 weavers and manufacturers will be participating in the event which will feature a variety of handloom materials such as Bengali Cotton, Chanderi etc. Where: Lepakshi Emporium, Gunfoundry When: Ongoing, 10 am onwards
CINEMAS
Dance with me
Hariharan Ghazal Night
Love to dance? A contemporary dance workshop by French dancer, Solenn will be held on April 22, 28 and 29 . Where: Alliance Francaise, Marredpally When: April 22, 28, 29 Contact: (040) 2770 0734
Hyderabad get set to immerse yourself in the tunes of popular singer Hariharan. Where: Lalitha Kalakshetram, Public Gardens, Nampally When: April 28, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 2329 7293
Economics of happiness
Cricket frenzy
The film Economics of Happiness will be screened in collaboration with Alliance Francaise and Documentary Circle of Hyderabad. Where: Goethe-Zentrum, Nampally When: April 28, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6552 6443
Mocha and Mocha Express is hosting IPL specials with live screening of the match and various pizzas paying ode to the IPL teams and their spirits. Where: Mocha — Banjara Hills Mocha Express — Inorbit Mall When: Ongoing, 4pm onwards Contact: (040) 23350144
Anniversary sale If diamonds are a girls best friend, then Orra is the best place for them to hang out. Orra presents it’s anniversary sale with upto 25% discount on diamond jewellery and upto 50% off on gold jewellery. Where: All Orra stores When: April 6- May6
Summer encounter Summer is a great time for food and fun. Head to Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills for Summer Sundae at Encounter. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: Every Sunday Contact: (040) 6666 1070
Asthama Camp On the occasion of World Asthama Day, Dr. Vishnu Rao from Swasa Hospital is organising an Asthama camp to spread awareness about Asthama. Where: Swasa Hospital, Himayathnagar When: May 1, 2pm-5pm
African barbeque fest Barbeque Nation offers a chance to experience Africa in Hyderabad. Where: Barbeque Nation, Banjara Hills, Rd No1
When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 6456 6693
Show and tell Books n more presents Show and Tell, an activity to promote good expression and communication for 3-8 year olds. The activity aims to improve your child’s ability to communicate well in English. Where: Books n more, Sivaramkrishna Colony, Marredpally When: Ongoing, 5pm to 6pm Contact: 98859 56728
Yoga Camp The first part of a series of seven days yoga camp will be held by Yoga Healing Foundation in Kukatpally. Where: Bhujana Vijaya Ground, Kukatpally When: April 29 onwards, 5.15 am onwards Contact: 92905 45433
Beyblade competition The “Beyblade Metal Masters Competition” for children will be held on April 28 at Landmark, Hyderabad. The winners of the competition will get to take home special gift hampers. Where: Landmark, Somajiguda, When: April 28, 4pm onwards
Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 44767777, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 8800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973
3
CITY SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
Phone burst kills man
A
Man arrested at airport
23-year-old man, V Akaih, died a few hours before his marriage. The incident happened on Saturday morning in Warangal district. The victim was working in a private company. His marriage had been fixed for April 28. He was talking to a friend on a mobile phone which was plugged in when it burst. He was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead.
A
man, Uday Bhaskar Naidu was arrested at RGI airport for carrying illegal bullets. Naidu who belongs to Vizag came to the airport on Friday night. The immigration officials found seven bullets in his possession. When the official enquired about the weapon, he stated that he had a licence but it was about to expire. The police have begun investigations.
Promotions announced
D
irector general of police (AP), V Dinesh Reddy has issued orders for 35 sub-inspector rank officers who received promotions to the post of circle inspectors. These cops belong to various places in AP including Hyderabad. 26 of the sub-inspectors belong to City. Later, the DGP gave posting orders to them. They are now in a race for postings of their choice.
Service over imprisonment?
Osama Salman
salman.o@postnoon.com
C
hildren who indulge in crime are first put into a juvenile home, which more than often leaves a negative impact on them. The concept of community service that the western countries adopt in order to give juvenile delinquents a chance of redemption, was yet to be seen in the City —until now. A 16-year-old boy from Warangal, was caught stealing bearing plates at Lalapet, where the railway protection force arrested him and summoned him to the juvenile court on October 14, 2011. The judge sentenced him to traffic duty for six
months, instead of sending him to a juvenile home. The boy is now in his last month of service. This judgement raised an important question — should
children be made to do community service rather than being locked up in a juvenile home? Ayesha Rubina, director of Greens Special School, says that
sentencing children to community service is a better option. “Instead of spending time at a juvenile home, the children will realize that by doing community service, they can earn money legally and be content with it. This is important for children of the age of 14, when their mind starts to develop,” she said. Station house inspector of Gopalapuram traffic police, AV Satyanarayana, whose limits the boy is serving, says that the judgment is appropriate. “This will bring a change in the boy for the better, and although I can’t say this will be appropriate for all accused children, I support this judgement,” he said. “Although I know it is harsh,
if the child does not know the consequences of his crime, he will not change. A juvenile prison will give him time to reflect upon the wrongdoings. They will think twice before doing anything illegal,” said P Vijay, a businessman. However, Dr Sucharita N, psychologist at Roshni counseling centre, Begumpet pointed out that if a child is sent to a juvenile home, they will be labeled as a criminal and will have to face a stigma for life. “The treatment of children in juvenile homes is deplorable. This will leave them scarred. If they are asked to serve the community, they will learn about their mistakes and will be integrated into society,” she says.
4
CITY SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
City’s new mantra: You’re fired
As several corporates in the City lay off staff, lives are thrown out of gear and employees struggle to come to terms with the situation
ANUBHA K SINGH
anubha.k@postnoon.com
T
hree years after recession struck and people across the world dealt with the blow of losing their jobs, the nightmare is back — albeit for unknown reasons. As companies across the City go on a sacking spree, employees who have been laid off grapple with the situation as their lives are thrown out of gear. Take for instance Shailendra’s case. A few days ago he was a mute spectator to his colleagues being laid off by the company management. One by one he bid goodbye to many of his senior colleagues, middle level managers and even his own manager, who had been his mentor and the one person who he looked up at for guidance. In the last two days, HSBC
Don’t let it bog you down n Accept what has happened n Don’t isolate yourself and spend some quality time with friends and family n Don’t spend time with negative thoughts and people n Let everyone around you know that you are in search of a job. You never know who can help you n In addition to a job search try to join some personality development classes or anything that interests you and you were not able to do because of your hectic job schedule n Update your resume n Manage your monthly bills as per your daily needs n Volunteer for tasks and projects that make you more essential and may help you develop new skills n Foster communication and keep a sense of humour
axed nearly 200 employees from their Hyderabad branch. From middle level managers, assistant managers to even vice presidents, most of them were asked to choose between a termination or resignation. And the sacking was abrupt — the employees were asked to pack their bags and collect all their stuff within 10 minutes and were escorted from the premises by guards. This unexpected lay off came as a shock to many. “I recently got engaged and I was just talking to my fiance about our future plans and the house that I recently bought in Allwyn Colony in Kukatpally. In fact, I was expecting my appraisal letter this week, but within a few minutes of my conversation I was asked to sign my resignation letter that stated that I was
leaving the organisation on personal grounds,” said, Praveen Kumar (name changed) a middle level manager in HSBC. He adds, “I am still shocked. How could this happen to me? I was performing so well and word in the company was that I would get a good appraisal. Now I don’t know how to deal with my home loan. Getting a job is also not easy,” he adds. Real Page India too adopted a similar approach when asking its employees to leave. “It was a regular day at work when suddenly my boss called me into his cabin and asked me to either resign from my post or accept the termination letter. I had no option but to resign. Fortunately, I didn’t let it affect me and three days later landed a new and
much better paying job,” said, Ramachander J, a former employee of the company. But not everybody is as fortunate as jobs are not easy to come by. For those who have hefty EMIs and loans to repay losing a job is a nightmare. “Being unemployed is a curse especially when you know that it’s not what you deserve. There are so many feelings that I am dealing with right now and one of them is fear. I wonder how am I going to make ends meet. The future seems so uncertain. Half my salary used to go towards paying EMIs, my wife is pregnant and I don’t know how I am going to manage things now. The problem is that once the news of layoff spreads in the market other companies will
offer us lower salaries since we are desperate for a job,” said Prashant Iyer (name changed), a quality analyst. Several IT firms are in the process of laying off employees and the reasons for doing so are not yet clear. “On Thursday I worked late into the night as my company is going to lay off 180 employees. Being in the HR department I feel bad for the employees. The layoffs will be declared in an appraisal review meeting on Monday. It affects me so intensely because I know I’m going to hurt somebody. I have worked with these individuals for years and now I have to tell them that their services are no longer required. It’s a huge pressure,” said Ashrita S, HR manager at a leading corporate firm.
5
FOCUS SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
The King of Tiki Taka abdicates his throne BARCELONA: Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola announced Friday he is leaving the team at the end of the season, ending a four-year reign over one of the greatest eras in club football. “This is not a very easy situation for me,” the 41-year-old Guardiola told a news conference where the club also revealed that his assistant coach Tito Vilanova will take over. “Four years is an eternity as coach of Barca,” said Guardiola, who wore a grey V-knecked sweater and white collared shirt as he addressed a room in the Camp Nou filled with journalists and players. “Time wears everything down, I feel drained and I need to replenish.” Guardiola apologised for leaving the club in uncertainty for such a long period while he considered whether to extend his one-year contract, which expires in June. But the coach said he wanted to wait until the Champions League and the Liga title were settled before making an announcement. Barcelona crashed out of Europe’s premier club competition after a semi-final defeat to Chelsea on Tuesday, and Guardiola has already conceded the Spanish league title to arch rivals Real Madrid. “The man who is succeeding me will be able to bring something more,” he said, standing up to hug club president Sandro Rosell. He added that he would coach again but not immediately. “I cannot replenish if I coach again immediately, I don’t want to,” he said. “I am leaving at peace with myself, with the feeling of a job well done — and I say that after losing two titles.” Guardiola thanked the players, and said it had been a privilege to coach them. Rosell heaped praise on Guardiola. “Let us be up to managing the legacy you leave us with, especially the playing system which will be remembered as the Pep system.”
The last of Cruyff’s Mohicans
In his four years at the helm, Pep Guardiola has led Barcelona to 13 titles and is credited with promoting some of the most sublime football in the world
Just the facts
Name: Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola Date of birth: January 18, 1971 Place of birth: Santpedor (Spain) Height: 1.82 m Weight: 75 kg Club career (midfielder) Successive clubs: Barcelona (ESP/1990-2001), Brescia (ITA/2001-02), Roma (ITA/2002), Brescia (ITA/2002-03), Al-Ahly (QAT/2003-2005), Dorados Sinaloa (MEX/January-May 2006)
National team Caps: 47 (1992-2001) Goals: 5 1st cap: 14/10/1992, Northern Ireland - Spain (0-0) Last cap: 14/11/2001, SpainMexico (1-0) 1st goal: 16/12/1992, SpainLatvia (5-0) Last goal: 03/06/2000, Sweden-Spain (1-1)
Playing honours:
AFP/PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU
Who is Tito Vilanova? Barcelona’s caretaker coach, was born in Bellcaire d’Empordà, a village located in the Catalan province of Girona, in September 1969, Vilanova joined Barcelona’s fabled La Masia academy in 1984, becoming part of a group of players that contained a future captain and manager of the first-team — Guardiola. The pair developed a strong friendship, one that lasted after Vilanova, unable to make the grade at first-team level himself, left Barcelona in 1990 and eventually ended up at Celta Vigo, for whom he made his La Liga debut in 1992. Spells at Badajoz, Mallorca, Lledida, Eleche and, finally, Gramenet, followed before Vilanova hung up his boots and decided to pursue a career in coaching. He became director of football at Terrassa, in Segunda División B, the third level of Spanish football, before, in 2007, the call came for the 42-year-old to return home.
BARCELONA: Pep Guardiola, who quit as Barcelona coach on Friday, was rightly feted as the guiding light for a group of players widely regarded as among the best of their era. But he first made his name two decades ago as a tenacious midfielder whose tough-tackling and astute reading of the game allowed him to become a key component of Barcelona’s first golden generation. Barca’s then coach Johan Cruyff had assembled a team true to his purist principles and the likes of Michael Laudrup,
Hristo Stoichkov and Ronald Koeman played with such style that they were christened ‘the dream team’. Guardiola may not have been the headline act in that side but he learned the lessons of Cruyff ’s commitment to stylish success. By the time Guardiola retur ned to the Nou Camp as youth coach, Cruyff was retired but he remained a keen Barca fan and could see his former player had become a guardian of the Dutch ‘total football’ ethos he brought to the club in the 1990s.
He recommended to president Joan Laporta that Guardiola be installed as Barca manager in 2008 and the appointment proved an inspired move. Aided by the development of Argentine forward Lionel Messi from gifted prodigy to the genius of his generation, Guardiola created Barca’s second dream team. “All the coaches I had in my career were important but Cruyff was the most important of all,” Guardiola said last year. “He was without equal on training and tactics and he helped me to understand the mil-
European Cup (1992) Cup Winners’ Cup (1997) 2 European Supercups (1992, 1997) 1 Intercontinental Cup (1992) 6 Spanish league titles (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999) 2 Spanish Cups (1997, 1998) Olympic gold (1992)
Coaching career Barcelona (2008-2012) Coaching honours 2 Champions League (2009, 2011) 2 European Supercup (2009, 2011) 2 World Club Cup (2009, 2011) 3 Spanish league titles (2009, 2010, 2011) 1 Spanish Cup (2009) 1 Spanish Supercup (2009)
lion details that decide why some matches are lost and some matches are won.” But all good things come to an end. Tuesday’s Champions League exit to Chelsea and Real Madrid’s almost certain coronation as new Spanish champions left Guardiola heartbroken and Friday’s annoucement that he was finished came as no surprise. “Four years is an eternity as Barca coach,” the 41-year-old Guardiola told a news conference packed with journalists and players.
6
NATION SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
Abduction case: Talks on
‘Resolve Kashmir issue’
Pregnant woman drowns
RAIPUR: Exactly a week after Maoists
NEW DELHI: External Affairs minister
ERODE: A pregnant woman drowned
abducted Sukma District collector Alex Paul Menon, two interlocutors named by them flew in to Bastar on Saturday to brief the rebels about the government’s response to their demands to release the young officer, an official here said. “G Hargopal and former IAS officer BD Sharma have left for Bastar,” a top official said.
SM Krishna and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon discussed Kashmir in a delegation-level meeting in New Delhi on Friday. Hailing improving ties between India and Pakistan, the UN chief wanted them to continue talking to resolve outstanding issues, and hoped the Kashmir issue would be addressed peacefully.
after she was washed away in flash floods due to heavy rains at Chennimalai in the district, police said here today. The incident occurred when the 26 year-old woman tried to take her foot-wear, which was washed away in the floods yesterday. She was caught in the flood waters and drowned, police said.
Refinery capacity to be doubled in future: Mittal BHATINDA: Billionaire Lakshmi N
Drought areas draw Gandhis MUMBAI: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi arrived at Satara district today (Saturday) morning for a visit to drought-hit areas there, an official said. Accompanied by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and other senior ministers, Gandhi arrived from Mumbai in a helicopter. Satara is around 250km south-east of the country’s commercial capital.
Shortly after landing, Gandhi proceeded to the Zalshi Talao, which is one of the water sources in the district. Last month, Chavan had visited the drought-hit areas and taken stock of the grim situation in Satara, which is his home district. Gandhi is also scheduled to travel to nearby Bijwadi to take a look at state government-sponsored employIANS ment-guarantee schemes.
Mittal today said capacity of his first downstream oil venture here will be doubled to 18 million tonne in future. Speaking at the formal opening of the `21,500 crore Guru Gobind Singh Refinery here, Mittal said the 9 million tonne a year unit will help in energy security of the country and make Punjab a petrochemical hub. “The capacity of the refinery can be increased to 18 million tonne per annum in future,” he said at the function where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh formally dedicated the unit to the nation. The refinery is the first investment in downstream oil sector by Mittal, Chairman of ArcelorMittal, the world’s biggest steelmaker. Mittal Energy has a venture with state-owned Oil and Natural
Gas Corp (ONGC), which has offshore oil exploration blocks in Nigeria. Mittal said the refinery will feed fuel into deficit markets of northern India. HPCL Mittal Energy Ltd, a joint venture of Mittal’s Mittal Energy Investments and state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) was built in 42 months. HPCL and Mittal Energy Investment Pte Ltd, Singapore – a Lakshmi Mittal Group company, hold 49 per cent stake each in HEML, while 2 per cent is held by financial institutions. The refinery has high Nelson Complexity Index which will enable maximising value-added products even from heavy/sour crudes. Crude oil to the refinery is to be ferried through a 1,014km pipeline from Mundra in Gujarat where PTI the oil is imported from abroad.
Subscribe Today!
Sonia promises help to Karnataka on seeing villager’s plight CHITRADURGA (KARNATAKA): Congress President Sonia Gandhi today visited Nagasamudra in the district which has been hit by severe drought. Sonia, who arrived from Bangalore by helicopter, was moved by the plight of people who have been facing drinking water shortage
and unemployment. During her 25-minute-long visit, villagers pleaded for loan waiver and complained about non-implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) in the village. Sonia assured them that she will look into the problem.
REALISING BIG DREAMS
1 Year
` 349/-
Subscription Offer
6 Months Hyderabad’s first afternoon newspaper
The first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, built for Air India, rolls out of the hangar at Boeing’s new production facilities on Friday, in North AFP/ PAUL J RICHARDS Charlston, South Carolina.
040 - 4067 2222 subscription@postnoon.com
` 199/-
7
WORLD SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
CLASSIFIEDS
EDUCATION
FABRICATION
G Bissau junta frees PM
27 injured in Ukraine blasts
G
A
uinea-Bissau's coup leaders released the country's ousted prime minister and interim president on Friday after more than two weeks of captivity, allowing the former leaders to travel to Ivory Coast. The generals now in charge of the small, unstable west African country also pledged a one-year transition back to democracy.
t least 27 people were wounded on Friday in a series of explosions in Ukraine, posing a major security challenge in the run-up to the Euro-2012 football tournament. Four blasts rocked central Dnipropetrovsk around noon, emergency officials said as police combed the city for more explosives.
Bombs rock Damascus DAMASCUS: Tens of thou-
CERTIFICATION
Malaysia protesters defy lockdown MUNICIPAL APPROVAL
KUALA LUMPUR: Thousands of protesters gathered in the capital on Saturday to demand electoral reforms, defying a lockdown of central Kuala Lumpur that left it a maze of razor wire and barricades. Protesters gathered at various points around the city, intent on challenging an official ban on holding their rally.
sands protested across Syria on Friday as a deadly suicide bombing rocked the capital, killing 11 people and fuelling growing scepticism over the prospects of a UN-backed peace plan. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said three people, including a child, were killed as regime forces opened fire to disperse protests. "Tens of thousands of people protested today in various areas of the country," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based group, told AFP. He said one protester was killed in the village Daf alShok in Damascus province. Another died in the Sakhur district of northern Aleppo, Syria's second city, and the child was killed in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor. Three members of the security forces and a deserter were also killed in other clashes across the country, the Syrian Observatory said. At least 11 people died and 28 were wounded in the Damascus bomb blast which hit as worshippers were leaving weekly Muslim prayers at nearby Zein al-Abidin mosque in the central Midan district, state television said. The report blamed "terrorists," the term used by President Bashar al-Assad's regime to refer to the armed opposition, and said civilians and security force members were among the casualties. TV footage showed gruesome images, including a severed hand and leg.
A handout picture released by the Syrian opposition's Shaam News Network shows an anti-regime demonstration in the town of Talbisseh in Homs province on Friday. AFP The official SANA news agency reported the interior ministry as saying "it will not tolerate the armed terrorist groups and vowed to strike with an iron fist those who are terrorising citizens." A separate blast hit an industrial zone of Damascus where there were no reports of casualties, but three security agents were wounded in an explosion in the coastal city of Banias, the Observatory said. Assad's regime has repeatedly blamed "armed terrorist groups" for the violence, and for failing to abide by a putative ceasefire since April 12. Neighbouring Lebanon on Friday intercepted a ship
suspected of carrying weapons destined for Syria's rebels, a Lebanese security official said. But the US State Department said Washington still believed the regime was responsible for "the bulk of the violations" of the ceasefire, warning it was ready to return to the UN Security Council for action on Syria. UN chief Ban Ki-moon also said Damascus was in contravention of a six-point peace deal by keeping troops and heavy weapons in urban areas, and expressed alarm at reports of population centres being shelled. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said she was "extremely concerned
about the continued violence in Syria in violation of the ceasefire". Ashton said it was "clear that the Syrian government is not fulfilling its obligations and is failing to meet its commitments to withdraw its troops and heavy weapons from population centres". Rights group Amnesty International said on Friday it had received the names of 362 people reportedly killed in Syria since UN observers deployed last week to monitor the peace deal. More than 9,000 people have died since a popular uprising erupted against Assad's regime in March 2011, the UN says, while nongovernmental groups put the figure at more than 11,100. Opposition figure Walid al-Bunni said the peace deal drawn up by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan was likely to fail because it obliges Syria to allow free demonstrations. "If the Annan plan, which provides for peaceful demonstrations, is applied, millions of Syrians will take to the streets and the regime will fall," he told AFP in Cairo. Syria's exiled Muslim Brotherhood urged Ban to acknowledge that Damascus had failed to honour the peace plan and to suspend its UN membership until a transitional government representing the Syrian people is formed. Ban himself on Friday, during a visit to New Delhi, reiterated his alarm at the continuing violence in Syria. AFP
Blind fugitive Murdoch ‘minister’ Singapore in in US embassy to hand over mails call girl mess CHAIRS N CHAIRS Office chairs executive imported chairs .Repair & Parts Change Contact9133900476, 8801003960
BEIJING: Fugitive Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng, who pulled off a daring escape from house arrest, was most likely holed up in the US embassy in Beijing, another top dissident said on Saturday. If true, the embassy's acceptance of the blind lawyer could prove a diplomatic irritant just as China and the United States are preparing for wide-ranging annual talks on their often testy relationship. With Washington refusing to comment on his whereabouts, outspoken government critic Hu Jia, who is close to Chen, told AFP that those involved in spiriting Chen to safety had chosen a "100 per cent safe" location.
LONDON: A British minister said on Friday he would hand over text messages and emails to a press ethics inquiry over claims that he broke the rules in his dealings with Rupert Murdoch's media empire. Culture minister Jeremy Hunt has faced calls to resign after it emerged that his department leaked details to Murdoch's US-based News Corp about its bid for full control of satellite broadcaster BSkyB. Hunt said he would submit all emails and texts that he sent to his former special adviser Adam Smith, who resigned on Wednesday saying that his "activities at times went too far". It was Hunt's job to assess whether the government should approve the BSkyB bid.
SINGAPORE: An unfolding scandal over an under-age call girl has shaken Singapore's political and economic elite after businessmen, civil servants and uniformed officers were charged in the case. Prostitution is legal in Singapore, but 48 men ranging in age from their early 20s to late 40s have so far been charged under a 2008 law making it a crime to pay for sex with a girl under 18. An elementary school principal who pleaded guilty to engaging the under-aged girl's services became the first to be punished when he was sentenced him to nine weeks in jail for the offence.
8
COMMENT SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
Green toilets welcome
Kids of today are lucky
F
I
inally, looks like the railways has got a solution to a very serious problem, the stinking and unhealthy toilets. I remember every time I travel in a train, everything is fine except for the filthy and unclean toilets. The idea of the new green toilets sounds great. Sukhdev Sinha West Marredpally
t is very good to see the summer camps are coming up with new creative ideas. Back in our days, the only thing we use to do was either play cricket or marbles. It’s fascinating to see how much more children have today. This helps them expand their horizons of creativity. Aarti Gupta Chikkadpalli
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 4067 2222.
Please save environment
T
ill a few years back I remember seeing trees around my house where I could see the birds and all. Thanks to government policies, they have sold out all the land around for construction. Similar thing is happening in Arunachal Pradesh. God save India from politicians. Shahbaz Khan Krishna Nagar
GWOEII
EDITORIALS A JUDGEMENT THAT leads the way A judgement passed a few months ago in the City’s juvenile court, to sentence a 16-year-old boy to six months of community service, rather than expose him to the horrors of our juvenile penal system is visionary. For too long we have thrown our youth into prisons where they are raped and abused, only to emerge as career criminals with no hope of social salvation. The middle and upper classes clamour for this action simply because they know that if their children are ever caught committing a criminal act, the chances of them ever seeing the inside of a juvenile detention centre are very slim indeed. So lock up the poor and, who cares about them, right? Wrong! A young person must be allowed to find his way out of a dark hole through guidance and a determination to succeed. Locking them up and leaving them to a no-hope system is akin to a death sentence. This judgement has set a precedent that should provide a beacon for judges across the country. If the crime is minor and no one has been harmed, then let them give back to society constructively, rather than build a cesspool of hatred for society behind the four walls of apathy.
WHY WE LOVE... Pep Guardiola Even genius can get boring after a while. Last evening when Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola resigned after deciding he needed a break from football, the world collectively gasped. Here was a man at the helm of the greatest team in the history of sport. He was a genius in the Johann Cruyff mould. He was a trailblazer. Let’s hope he returns refreshed and raring to go. Although, whether he returns to Spain is another question.
Science-spirituality: 2 sides of same coin? Soul Curry SUMAA TEKUR
N
estled on the banks of the Cauvery river, around 30km from Mysore, a new temple construction has, for months, been attracting curious devotees and architecture enthusiasts by the dozen. The eager villagers on the streets were more accurate than my phone’s GPS in helping me track the road to this muchtalked-about Vishnu temple. The narrow winding road led to the very edge of the Cauvery. The river took a sharp turn towards the KRS dam. At this curve, stood the new temple in majestic glory, with the river giving it a protective hug from the back. Though the temple was not formally opened, it was drawing visitors in carloads. I was taking in the beauty of the carvings in the inner temple complex, when I overheard a
man explain to a couple that he is one of the sculptors of the new temple. He waxed eloquent about the different construction styles and also about the science of temple construction. Temples were not originally designed for prayer. They were powerful energy centres where believers went to recharge and feel energised and ready to face life. Hindu temples are built with the aim of conserving energy and radiating this positive energy to visitors. The science of temple construction is called Agama Shastra, the sculptor explained. He also gave the scientific explanation to the actions of devotees when they visit temples. Why devotees walk clockwise around the garbagriha. Temples are located strategically at a place where they can attract and retain maximum positive energy through magnetic and electric wave distributions. The sanctum sanctorum or garbagriha, where the idol of the temple’s reigning deity is kept, is where this energy is concentrated to the maximum. In Hindu tradition, when
a temple is built, copper plates inscribed with important Vedic shlokas are buried directly beneath where the main idol is kept. These plates absorb the earth’s magnetic waves and radiate them. Therefore, a person walking clockwise around the garbagriha is said to absorb these positive energies. Repeated visits to the temple to absorb this energy promotes general good health of the visitor, it is said. Why men don’t wear shirts and women must wear lots of ornaments. Devotees believe that it’s most auspicious to get a glimpse of the idol as soon as the doors are opened after decoration and lighting of oil lamps within the garbagriha. This is because the concentrated energy gushes out and is easily absorbed by devotees. Some temples ask that men don’t wear shirts. It is said that women wear more ornaments because this energy is absorbed by them through the metals. Bells, oil lamps and theertha People believe that the bell is to call for the attention of
God so that the devotee’s wish is granted. The scientific reason for the bell in temples, and most places of worship, is to control the human mind and not allow it to be distracted. If the mind is full of things to do, places to go, people to meet, worries, fears, anxieties, etc, the ringing of the bell calms it down and forces it to the present. The oil lamp inside the garbagriha radiates heat energy and, apart from providing light inside the sanctum, it adds to the high energy levels. Water that is used to wash the idol is given as theertha to devotees. This also contains the energy from the sanctum. The magnetic radiations give it medicinal values. Tulsi leaves are also dropped in the water enhancing its health properties. A visit to the temple is known to attract positive energy. The mind, however, should be free of doubt and prejudice. Going with the flow and an open mind will also add to the spiritual-science experience. The writer is a Bangalorebased commentator.
9
COMMENT SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
Mirror, mirror on the wall Quirky-side-Up ARPITA BHAWAL
A
lmost everyone I speak with these days exclaims, “I need a life!” Well, everyone has a life. At times, we are more weary than alive, because we are probably leading two or more lives when we have permission for one. We are trying to make sense of what we have, what we don’t have, what we can’t have, and what we can’t believe we can’t have, in addition to who we are, who we should be, who we could be, and who we are seen to be. Those of you, who are spoilt by life’s multiple choice questions with innumerable options, pause and take a step back. The all-encompassing fatigue factor is due to the many possibilities that are turning our lives into one giant factory, churning in mindless actions and spewing out dissatisfaction. The constant “inner” battles is largely due to the disconnect between the Self and our image of the Self. We are trying too hard to prove to ourselves that we are really what we show ourselves to be in public. The hyper world with its super achievers is getting to us. What if we have created a celluloid image of ourselves that we will never translate into 70mm
Urban sketches VISWAPRASAD RAJU
success? Ouch! It is a clash of images! Self-image is a tough one. The social media does a fabulous job of helping to clarify that. It holds up the Brothers Grimm mirror to show how poorly you are faring on the image account with your ‘status’ posts revealing the varying degrees of your self ’s deterioration or elevation for the day. If the image is too grand, you are embarrassed to death because you can’t live up to it. If it is too commonplace, you are shocked when someone calls you out as winner material. Alternately, if it is dependent on what you acquire (houses, cars, clothes, jewellery, trophies and publicity to name a few) then you need to quit Facebook and Twitter in favour of an ashram for deeper introspection. When people’s self-image is controlled by powerful positions in corporations, foreign holidays, intellectual prowess, promotions, children’s achievements, new electronic gadgets, celebrity friends, other people’s approval, and plastic surgeries, they need to put some distance between the Self and the image. I believe that it is necessary to go away in order to come back to the Self. I had a Zen moment recently when I went to Coorg. A couple of friends and I were driving through the Nagarhole forest since the safaris hadn’t started yet. In the jungle, the trees stood as trees and the call of the wild wasn’t the ringing of a cell
phone. We demanded a tiger sighting because of our sense of self-importance, but of course, we didn’t get any. The vast stretches manned by looming age-old trees, burnt forest wood, wild flowers, expanses covered by dried bamboo thickets and towering elephant grass, and an the impenetrable silence of the wild magically put our real Selves into proper perspective.
So, what about the image struggling to stay almighty during the wild journey? What image? There was nothing or no one to applaud us or belittle us or gratify us in the jungle, because we were nothing more than animals to the animals, and no one even spoke our language there. The wilderness served as the perfect mirror, a divine assessment tool that stripped us off
the coat of ambiguity to reveal what we are and will always be — minus what gets inadvertently created in the unnatural world of people. All we need to do is develop a sense of humour about this disparity and know that we have the ability to differentiate between the two. The writer is a communication specialist.
Global edits
Strong shelter Dawn (Pak)
The Gilani judgement must be respected
T
esting times still lie ahead, as warned by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Reacting to [Gilani] judgment, it said matters had come to a head because the judiciary and the executive had adopted a “maximal and rigid position”, and it warned that the clash of institutions “doesn’t look like ending soon”. Let all sides heed this grim warning. The system must be allowed to work, and all differences that flow from Thursday’s verdict must be resolved by means political and judicial. The people want democracy to work as it should, but for some reason their leaders have shown an inability to come up to their expectations.
The Guardian (UK)
EU austerity pact: Franco-German conflict
I
f François Hollande becomes president and goes on to win a majority of seats in parliament, there is no
chance that France will ratify the pact in its present form. Angela Merkel is trying to make it a faits accompli just as support for it is wavering. True, its critics have different plan Bs, but the need to support growth, which Ms Merkel put second to spending cuts, is rising up the EU’s agenda. To Mr Hollande’s delight Mario Draghi, the head of the European Central Bank, called this week for a growth pact to augment Berlin’s fiscal treaty.
Gulf News (Dubai)
For the safety of our children
F
rom now through to the end of May, Dubai Police are conducting a public awareness campaign to teach children the basics in saying “No”. That simple word can give them the edge when it comes to the contact from those who would troll playgrounds or wherever children gather. It’s a sad reflection on us all that such a campaign is needed in the first place — but better to be safe than sorry. It’s just too bad that the worthy campaign doesn’t run all year long.
10
BUSINESS SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
FB, Yahoo! battle heats up
A
legal battle between Yahoo! and Facebook heated up Friday with the floundering Internet pioneer accusing the rising social network star of buying patents just to retaliate in court. The accusation came in a 37-page response filed by Yahoo! to a countersuit Facebook filed charging that company is violating the social network’s patents and not vice versa.
NephroPlus set to expand
N
ephroPlus, a City-based leading kidney care clinic group, Friday said it plans to set up 100 dialysis centres across India over the next three years.The company announced eminent nephrologist Brian JG Pereira will join as a director. They hope to leverage his expertise as they work to build the NephroPlus brand and provide the best kidney care in India.
Nutella sets aside $3.05mn
T
he maker of Nutella is setting aside $3.05 million to resolve a sticky class action lawsuit initiated by a young California mother who disputed the spread’s wholesome image. Notices of class action settlements declared that Ferrero USA, Inc would pay $4 for every jar of Nutella bought in California since Aug 2009, or bought anywhere else in the US since 2008.
An artistic initiative
Buying a replica of your favourite artwork to do up your home or office interiors is now just a click away thanks to Artjini that was set up by Suresh Jayanthi and Meher Vijaya SAIRAM REDDY
PRUDHVI RAJU K
prudhvi.k@postnoon.com
I
magine being able to buy a masterpiece by your favourite artist at the click of a mouse. No bidding, no exorbitant prices and yet you can flaunt a masterpiece on your wall. That is what Suresh Jayanthi and Meher Vijaya had in mind when they launched Artjini, an online store that has on offer replicas of a variety of works by artists from across the globe. And no, they aren’t rip offs. They are replicas that have been procured after paying full royalty to the artist. The decision to launch this online art store emerged when Suresh, who worked as the regional manager of sales with IBM, was bored of his job and Meher, his wife, wanted to use her time productively. Suresh quit his job and the couple made an initial investment of `4 lakh to launch Artjini in 2008. Incidentally, the couple have neither studied art nor did have any experience in the field. Yet they made the business flourish through sheer dedication. “At that time I found that my job was beginning to get rather monotonous. I was doing the same thing that my boss did or for that matter what his boss did, just at different levels. I would often discuss setting up a business, be it in apparels or pharmaceuticals, with Meher. After much thought, we decided to set up Artjini. The initial concept was very simple — bringing posters from various countries and selling them in India. Today, the company has evolved and showcases about 4,50,000 different kinds of personalised artworks,” says Suresh. For Meher, however, managing her home, children and the business was a challenge. “I began the business with Suresh’s help after he gave up his job. But as a woman I did find it challenging to start the business. Support from my parents and in-laws made it all happen. My in-laws took care of our
Meher Vijaya and Suresh Jayanthi, founders of Artjini children when I was busy putting the business together by meeting architects. It was important to meet architects as they were the ones who bought the artworks for their clients when it came to decorating the interiors,” says Meher. However, the couple doesn’t want to limit their business to mere online retailing. “There is value addition throughout the process. Internet is the key for this business model. It is almost impossible to have 4,50,000 artworks on display in a traditional offline store. Moreover, the customer can customise and personalise the artwork. They can also check if the artwork they are interested in matches their interiors by uploading a photograph of their wall,” she adds. However, Artjini only deals with reproductions and not original art. “Clients can decorate
Suresh’s CV Education: MBA, Marketing, Entrepreneurship from Management Development Institute 1996 – 1998 BE, Electrical engineering from Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology 1989 – 1993 Work: Director - Business Development at Mila Dec 2008 – Aug 2009 Regional Manager at IBM Jan 2000 – Nov 2008 Co-Founder and Director: Artjini Aug 2009 – Present Languages: Telugu, English, Hindi and Tamil
their houses at less than 1/3 of the price of the original art. It is difficult to make out the difference between an original piece and a reproduction. At the same time, the reproduction doesn’t kill the art but promotes it with full royalty being paid to the artists by the publisher,” says Suresh. Over the years Artjini has flourished and has tie-ups with several architects and interior designers. Nearly 70 per cent of its revenue comes from architects and the remaining 30 per cent comes from direct sales. Talking about their clientele, the couple reveals that buyers are discerning and don’t just blindly invest in the artwork. Customers first check what they have to offer, research about the said piece, call the company to verify the piece and then make the investment.
The company is increasing its online process by tying up with different websites like Snapdeal. “It decreases our customer acquisition effort and increases sales,” says Suresh. In their spare time, the couple love to unwind by watching movies. “We love to watch a movie or two at home. The movie 3 Idiots is one of our alltime favourites,” they say. Apart from that Meher loves listening to music. “I love old Hindi songs. Hemant Kumar and Mohammed Rafi are my favourite singers,” she says. For Suresh it is books that help him unwind. “I used to be a voracious reader and To Kill a Mockingbird is my favourite novel. However, these days I am hard pressed for time so most of my reading happens on my phone. I like to read up about the new technologies on offer,” he says.
11
MOTORING SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
Auto market ignores IPL 5
F
alling TV ratings and cautious advertisers have been key characteristics of the ongoing season of IPL. While categories like telecom and beverages have been very enthusiastic, there are others like automobiles and consumer durables which are shying away from it. Volkswagen Passenger Cars is the only car brand, which is betting big on IPL 5.
Hyosung GT250R to launch
Falling sales hit Cambrian
O
T
ne of the most awaited affordable big bikes in India, the GT250R is finally launching in the first week of June. From speculative launch dates of last year to March 2012 to April and May 2012, now it seems final that the bike should get launched during the first week of June. Exact pricing of the bike would be disclosed only at the day of launch.
he Swindon-based business has posted revenue of £161.7m for the six months to 29 February 2012 – down from £184.2m in the same period in 2010. Chief executive Mark Lavery said: “We are able to report that March and April trading periods are in line with previous year, and that the March new retail registrations showed some signs of recovery.”
Dirt road kings
Every drift on the dirt track gives you a high. Driving the All-Terrain-Vehicles is an awesome experience and with them coming to the city, the off-road experience is only going to get better OSAMA SALMAN
salman.o@postnoon.com
I
imagined I was going on a desert safari, where I had the control to steer at any speed I wanted to. Then again, why would I compare a 3.0 litre engine to a 600cc for off-roading? The dirt track was right in front of me, waiting for me to explore it in Polaris’ All-TerrainVehicles (ATV). The safety gear was strapped on, the really-cool-looking hel-
met was worn, and I was ready. Polaris specially designed a dirt track on Road n0 26, Jubilee Hills to test drive their cars. But there was a dilemma that needed to be addressed, confusion rushing through my mind. The question what ATV can I test ride first? And soon as I found myself seated on the Polaris Sportsman ATV, more traditionally called a ‘quad-bike’, I knew I was in for a ride. The enticing red body coupled with a set of four fantastically-big tyres i s all you need. All of a sudden, I felt like I was beginning to play Motorcross Madness. With a gear lever which only
moves vertically, from HS (high speed), LS (low speed), neutral to reverse, and the accelerator as a knob under the right handle, this ATV was surprisingly simple to drive. At first I was a little apprehensive about driving fast, the lack of experience some might say. But as soon as I hit a stretch where I could rev up the beast, I couldn’t help but put my driving skills to the ultimate test. The track first took a few bumpy turns and then moved onto an uphill climb with hairpin bends. The fact that there were no dividers made it all the more dangerous, and exciting. I knew the quad-bike could
climb it easily, but fast, I never could have imagined. Over the course of climbing uphill, there were several occasions where I drifted coming close to the edge where if I fell, I would roll down a steep descent. I kid you not, the indemnity form which I signed before I swung onto the bike, flashed before me. Scary! Soon after completing the track, I hopped onto a petrol powered Polaris Ranger RZR Side by Side, which in layman terms looks like an open top small car. Here, the gear lever is the same as the ATV, but the accelerator and brake is where it is in a car. The speed was more, the acceleration was better, and
so was the fun. I somehow felt safer to push this vehicle to the limit, but it in no way hampered the excitement. The turnings is where the vehicle really came alive. Then I tried the diesel variant in the same model. Though not as powerful as its petrol cousin, it still was very satisfactory. The price of the offroaders start from `2.86 lakh, though not cheap, they certainly are fun! Amitabh Bachchan said in Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham, after coming out of his new chopper, “Nice machine. Must get a couple of more of these!”. If not a couple, you should at least get one of them. M ANIL KUMAR
12
TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK www.tripit.com ripIt turns all your flight, hotel, and car rental confirmation emails into simple mobile travel itineraries just by hitting forward.
T
VIDEOGAME REVIEW THE GOOD
APP OF THE WEEK LinkedIn
BLOODFORGE
T
here is finally an app for it. The free app brings together some of the best features of the iPhone /Android apps and mates them with a user interface that borrows a page from the popular “Flipboard” app to give it some visual pizzazz.
n A few memorably. hideous character designs.
THE B AD
n Tedious combat. n Terrible, protracted boss battles.
Gadgets ColorWare Limited Edition Beats Studio Headphones
F
or a limited time only, ColorWare will be offering Beats by Dre Studio headphones with an iridescent finish. What makes this iridescent finish so special? Well, it really depends on which angle you would look at it from, where the iridescent paint will deliver a dramatic colour changing effect, never mind when you are even in a low-light environment.
Life made easy
Transforming the way we experience the world; this is what today’s technology seems to be doing to us. We find out how FLEME VARKEY
fleme.v@postnoon.com
T
he immense power and reach of modern technology can only be estimated by the recent example of a 31year-old Saroo Brierley who found his mother through Google Earth after painstakingly trawling through the site for a long time. In 1986, five-year-old Saroo Brierley got separated from his elder brother at the Khandwa railway station. Saroo had fallen asleep on a train and thinking he'd find his brother on the train, he boarded a train to Calcutta. Saroo had a difficult time looking for shelter, twice he almost drowned in the Ganges, but he learned to fend for himself. He survived the slums and was taken in by an orphanage and was soon after adopted by a couple in Tasmania, Australia. He never knew the name of his town, but his determination to find his birth
mother was kept alive through his memories. So he began using Google Earth to search for where he might have been born. He multiplied the time he was on the train, about 14 hours, with the speed of Indian trains and came up with a rough distance, about 1,200km. Using Google, he drew a circle on a satellite map with its centre in Calcutta and its radius about the distance he thought he had travelled. Amazingly this calculation led him back to the area where family had originally lived, which he discovered was a place Khandwa. Saroo was reunited with his mother but apart from the joyful reunion what is even more striking is the growth and impact of modern science and technology. Saroo is not a one off example. In 2009 social networking website the Facebook lived up to what it was promised- the easiest and fastest way to connect with people who matter. Richard Marks, 33, of Weymouth, last saw his mother, Carol, when he was put up for adoption in Manchester 30 years ago. Now Marks, who has been trying to trace his family since he was
18, contacted them after finding his sister Andrea Roczniac by sending her a message through the networking site. Today he is happily reunited with his family. The pace of change is stunning. The world is smaller and closer than ever before. The nature of technology itself has changed, it is no longer just a ‘device’. Constantly we are upgrading existing technology and discovering easier and faster ways of getting things done. So while we wait for the 'next big thing' here are few futuristic projects which, when they see the light of day, will be sure to blow your mind: n Google X project: Apparently Google is trying to build bots to perform all sorts of mundane tasks around the home and office n Elevators to space: Journeying to space will just be like going to your neighbouring country or state. n Mechatronics: The integration of electronics, mechanics and intelligent-software control. n Cloud programming: This could herald a new wave of applications for social media analysis.
Dell Precision Workstation redesigned
T
his new line of Precision workstations by Dell will come with new patented technology that does away with virtually all memory errors, thereby increasing the reliability of the workstation while maximising uptime for the user without causing any more additional stress. Not only that, there is an externally removable power supply which is the first and only one of its kind in the industry where a mainstream tower workstation is concerned.
F
Genius Maurus Professional Gaming Mouse
or folks who are on the lookout for another piece of gaming hardware — a gaming mouse in particular, have yet a different option to consider, although it does not hail from the hallowed halls of Razer and Logitech this time around. Genius, a lesser known manufacturer, is putting up their Genius Maurus Professional Gaming Mouse for all and sundry to give it a go. There are five programmable buttons in total, not to mention on-board memory that enables you to store your settings so that you need not reconfigure the game controls itself each time you plug your mouse into a new computer.
13
ANIMAL KINGDOM SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
PET NEWS Killer whale spotted
A
New species of Gecko
white adult killer whale spotted off Russia this month may well be one of a kind. Scientists were studying acoustic and social interactions among whales and dolphins off the North Pacific’s Commander Islands when the team noticed the whale.
SANA MIRZA
sana.m@postnoon.com
W
e live in a world where we are constantly on the run to get ahead in life. Managing a zillion daily tasks and keeping your temper in check while patiently waiting in unbearably long hours of traffic, handling projects and making presentations at work, dealing with your boss’ unreasonable mood swings deserves a huge pat on the back. But minutes later, when you see your dog wagging its tail, bouncing up and down, its face lit up, your mood lifts up instantly. Those of us who own pets know that they keep you happy. Scientific revelations prove that this is not a coincidence but having a pet does have a lot of positive influences on your mental and physical health. A pet may not be able to cure depression or substitute medication but it sure can simmer it down. It’s quite a common phenomenon to be seeing animals like dogs, cats, birds and fish being used in a variety of settings like hospitals, mental institutions, jails and nursing homes. Dr Praveen Kumar of the Canfel Pet Clinic in Hyderabad says that the use of pets to help tide over depression dates back to some 200 years ago. “The power that pets hold within is really vast. Unlike humans, pets provide unconditional love. You will notice that behaviour in dogs. They are always elated to see you. Dogs also have the tendency to understand when their master is down in the dumps and it starts to lick your face, cuddle with you and with
T
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Clumber Spaniel
he latest buzz in the reptile world is a new “bumblebee” gecko species discovered in Papua New Guinea. Dubbed Nactus kunan kunan meaning “bumblebee” in the local Nali language the animal belongs to a genus of slender-toed geckos, a new study says.
D
uring the French revolution the French Ducde Noailles sent a number of his dogs to the Duke of New Castle in England for safety. These dogs were used for beating games towards hunters and it is from the Duke’s home in Clumberpark that its name is derived.
CATS AND DOGS The Animal Care Clinic 040-2335 2474 Pet’s World Dog Clinic 98856 46259 Blue Cross of Hyderabad 040-3298 9858, 23544355/ 5523 Vet-N-Pet 040-6553 9535, 93463 05890 Bluplus Pet Clinic 040-2712 1739, 2716 2636 Sri Sai Pet Clinic
040-2779 7458, 9848645350 Claws & Paws 98662 82772 All Creatures Animals Clinic 040-2773 0885 BIRDS Govt Veterinary Hospital 040-2331 9656, 2753 5755 Bird Watcher’s Society 040-2355 6166 Friends of Birds9391048315 SNAKES Friends of Snakes 8374233366
Good for each other
The solution to your depression may lie with your four-legged furry friend. Read on to know how pet therapy can help you tide over a personal crisis
PET MOVIES 101 Dalmatians Gremlins Beethoven Lassie Garfield
it’s mannerisms it lets you know that it is there for you,” explains Dr Kumar. Ambika Bhalerao who owns a nine-year-old Labrador admits that it’s just in the way her dog looks at her which automatically makes her feel better. “It’s probably because they don’t seem to bother about the world and are just happy beings. All they do is eat, sleep and eat some more. What they do and how they behave instantly makes you think that things aren’t all that bad in the world,” she says. While Ambika is currently
working in Mumbai, she says her extremely busy routine stresses her out at the end of the day. “I miss having Keno around. But I either end up imagining his happy face or look at his pictures when I am really down. I also call my mum and ask her to put him on loudspeaker and I scream out his name. We then have a conversation of our own. That one minute when I am on the phone with him is a stress buster in itself,” she admits. Kashif Ali who, too, has a labrador says, “Doesn’t matter what kind of a day you had —
good or bad. Because when I come home, Aida, my dog, decides it’s been years since she saw me and must give all the love possible in a span of ten seconds. I could be broke, jobless and even homeless but I will be loved unflinchingly. Dogs, I believe are good for the soul since time immemorial.” There’s always the option of adopting a pet from your local animal shelter. If you feel capable of giving a dog or a cat a good home, the relationship could benefit you as well.
14
BOOKS SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
SHORT READS Title: Hemlock Grove Author: Brian McGreevy Publisher: FSG Originals Under a full moon a teenager Roman watches a classmate change growing black hair like a time-lapse Chia Pet and isn’t at all scared. Maybe it was the Xanax he took beforehand. Then why are the bodies of half-eaten girls showing up all over their quiet Pennsylvania town?
Title: The Book of Madness and cure Author: Regina O’Melveny Publisher: Little Brown & Company Gabriella Mondini, is a feminist before her time, like a 16th-century Katharine Hepburn. She’d been taught by her father. She then sets off across Europe to find her father who has set off to do his own research.
Title: This isn’t the sort of thing that happens to someone like you. Author: Jon McGregor Publisher: Bloomsbury A man shows up at a woman’s house bearing tulips, but we’re told nothing else about who these people are. They chat about tea cups. And in that single brief exchange McGregor reveals their emotional biographies.
Title: Deadlocked Author: Charlaine Harris Publisher: Ace Growing up with telepathic abilities, Sookie Stackhouse realised early on there were things she’d rather not know. And now that she’s an adult, she also realizes that some things she knows about, she’d rather not see — like Eric Northman feeding off another woman.
Pitching from the heart
A moving novel of fathers, sons and forgiveness set in the world of Major League baseball tyranny, but worried about the family’s future at the same time, to the now adult Paul who is battling his emotions. The book is definitely worth adding to your collection.
RANJANI RAJENDRA
ranjani.r@postnoon.com
C
alico Joe is nothing like John Grisham’s earlier works. While his other bestsellers were known to be legal thrillers, Calico Joe is anything but that. It is a tale of a relationship shared by a father and son, estrangement, redemption and forgiveness. Not to forget, the whole plot is focused on Grisham’s love for baseball. In fact, so intricately is it woven around the game that the author had to provide an extensive foreword with all the terms associated with the game, just to ease his non-baseball fans into the plot. But whether you know baseball or not, it is what happens off field in the book that really makes the book worth a read. Calico Joe is the story of Paul Tracey and the turbulent relationship he once shared with his father, Warren. Paul loves baseball, but eventually gives up the game because his baseball player father, who is also a manic control freak, makes life so difficult for him after each game that
Andrew Josef feedback@postnoon.com
T
here’s an iconic image of Soviet Lieutenant General Boris Gromov crossing the Friendship Bridge over the Amur-Daria on February 15, 1989. As he did so he became the last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan; the culmination of what turned out to be a disastrous war for the Soviets against the Afghan mujahideen that lasted nine bloody years.
Name My Life With the Taliban Author Abdul Salam Zaeef Pages 331 Publisher Hachette India
he decides that it is just not worth the trouble. The family continues to grapple with Warren’s insecurity and quirks, all the time wishing he’d just leave. Parallelly is the story of Joe Castle, an up and coming baseball player who soon becomes everybody’s favourite idol in America. Until the day, Warren and Joe clash mid-field and the former does something that changes all their lives.
Several years later, Paul is a mature adult, with a happy family of his own. Everything is going just fine, until Paul receives a call informing him of his father’s impending death. Torn between his reluctance to go back to the old days and an inexplicable urge to see his father, Paul eventually relents. As the two men struggle to overcome the past, they also pay a visit to Joe. What happens next
forms the crux of the story. Considering most of his work has revolved around thrillers, Grisham successfully brings alive relationships, love, and forgiveness in his latest offering. The book may not be as fast paced and exciting as one of his thrillers would be, but it is definitely gripping. You’ll find that it is easy to identify with Paul, the 11-year-old kid yearning for a life free of his father’s
A life rather boring Abdul Salam Zaeef delves into the roots of what has come to be the most-hunted group of militants in the world— Taliban The Taliban were part of the force that took on the might of the Soviet armed forces and battered them into a stalemate in what has become the ‘graveyard of empires’. The Taliban would later come into their own as a policing force founded on the most fundamental tenets of Islam, with the objective of bringing peace to a country in disarray after a war that united factions otherwise at odds with each other. In My Life With the Taliban, Abdul Salam Zaeef, a founding member of the Taliban move-
ment as we know it today, and their ambassador to Pakistan during September 11, 2001, delves into the roots of what has come to be the most-hunted group of militants in the world. The original book was written in Pashto and some things are definitely lost in translation, but sections about the Taliban’s role in the war against the Soviets and the eventual founding of the Taliban as a movement, are insightful in detail and imagery. The problem arises once the Taliban are entrenched in
Name Calico Joe Author John Grisham Pages 208 Publisher Hachette India
Afghanistan and begin the systematic, and at times brutal, enforcement of Sharia law. Here Zaeef is extremely matter-offact. He barely touches on the banning of media and the disallowing of education for girls; for him these are non-topics. Later events like the destruction of the Bamyan Buddhas and the attacks on the Twin Towers are discussed with great formality and apathy. While talking about the latter event, however, he does show some concern for the fate that will befall his country but real insight is lacking. This is a decent book if you want to read about the founding of the Taliban, its role in defeating the Soviets, and it’s eventual victory over the Afghan warlords. But if you want insight into the thoughts and workings of the Taliban then you will be disappointed.
15
BOOKS SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
The modern middle kingdom How did China get here today and where is it headed from here? This book has the answers
ARUN K PHILIP
arun.k@postnoon.com
W
orld's largest population, largest standing army, biggest foreign currency reserves and an economy that is currently ranked third. While the developed world went on its knees as recession stuck, this Asian giant clocked double digit growth. Now, as Europe plunges into an economic crisis, the Western leaders are going out of their way to woo China to help them out of their financial woes. With its trade surplus dwarfing the national budgets of several countries, the modern era Middle Kingdom is dealing with the rest of the
world from a position of strength. Everything about China operates in a grand scale — be it massive infrastructure or production capacity of its vast array of industries, corruption or the executions that take place in thousands every year. For all its military might and economic prowess, the shimmering surface that China presents to the outside world hides a boiling cauldron of economic, political, environmental and social problems within. One can't help but be constantly be reminded of sections from George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm. A system that came into place as a panacea for a brutal regime and to restore to people their rights and dignity has emerged as the world's most powerful dictatorship that employs all means to keep the population under its iron grip. Abuse
Name Tiger Head Snake Tails Author Jonathan Genby Pages 387 Publisher Simon & Schuster
of power, corruption and nepotism have become synonymous with China as it continues on its path of growth crushing any attempt of dissent or call for reform. To keep its economy going, China has expanded its global presence and gathers resources from across the globe. In the process to ensure these supply chains are not broken, the PRC supports governments of all hues from enlightened democracies to mentally unstable dictators with generous aid and support for infrastructure projects. While people in Western democracies are lost in admiration of their cool gadgets and clothes, the subcontractors in China who manufacture these products operate factories where labourers work in highly-polluted environments for long hours and live in squalid conditions.
As the juggernaut threatens to go out of control, the leadership is faced with a difficult choice of making amends which might ultimately undermine its power as decades of pent-up anger over brutal suppression may spiral out of control. The narrative meanders through China's history, its culture, regions, wars, and philosophies. From the ancient dynasties to today's Communist Party, the book shows the historic developments that has made China what it is today. As one turns the pages it becomes very clear that Fenby has done his homework as names, places, incidents and statistics are amply used to substantiate his inferences and observations. The narrative is informative, comprehensive and simple — the only dampener is the jumbled sequence of stories that might prove a bit of confusion.
WHAT’S SELLING Walden's best in fiction
Oxford books’ best in non-fiction
New York Times' best in fiction
New York Times' best in non-fiction
n Secret Of The Nagas by Amish Tripati
n Steve Jobs The Exclusive Biography by Harford Tim
n Calico Joe by John Grisham
n Drift by Rachel Maddow
n Time Of My Life by Cecelia Ahern
n Divas of Deccan by Rema Mahalingam & Nalini Shivkumar
n Guilty Wives by James Patterson
n Mrs Kennedy and me by Clint Hill
n The Lost Years by Mary Higgins
n The Big Miss by Hank Haney
n Come Home by Lisa Scottoline
n Imagine by Jonah Lehrer
n The Shoemaker's wife by Adriana Trigian
n Trickle Down tyranny by Michael Savage
n Micro by Michael Crichton
n The 3rd alternative by Stephen R Covey
n Lethal by Sandra Brown
n Simmering Sands by Baqqir Shameem
n Switched by Sandra Brown
n Women and The Weight Loss Tamasha by Rujuta Diwekar
18
WOMEN SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
WEBSITES OF THE WEEK
W
F
omenalerts.com welcomes all women united here to get alerts on every sector of their life. Come and indulge yourself in this inspirational female site that brings love and hope into your life.
ounded by Andrienne Graham, Empower Me! Is a quarterly print and digital magazine focusing on the issues faced by the upwardly mobile professionals demand to see and discuss.
L
adies Who Launch provides resources and connections to start, build, and run a business. It was founded by Victoria Colligan in 2002.
Woman of the world
A close brush with death had Faiza Seth, founder of a luxury design firm in London changing the lives of underprivileged children in the city Soham for Kids self-sufficient, to expand it every year until 12th grade, and to replicate the model so I can help educate, nourish and provide healthcare for even more kids.
PADMINI C
padmini.c@postnoon.com Tell us a little bit about yourself.
You were shortlisted for the Asian Women of Achievement awards. How was the experience and how important was it to you?
I was born in Hyderabad, but my parents moved to Chicago, Illinois when I was two-years-old. I grew up in Chicago and met my husband while I was at the Northwestern University. We got married when we were 21 and moved to Hong Kong. I worked as an Investment Banker at Lehman Brothers in Hong Kong after which my husband and I started our own sourcing business, Norwest Industries Ltd. After Hong Kong, Pallak and I moved to London and shortly thereafter I went to Stanford for my MBA. After I graduated from Stanford in 2006, I moved back to London and started Casa Forma, a bespoke luxury interior and architectural design firm headquartered in London and I manage a team of 15 designers/architects.
For me the greatest reward is not any award, it is to see the children that three years ago were uneducated, malnourished, sick, withdrawn and quiet, now morph into happy, laughing, chatty, healthy, and energetic children who love school.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work? I love to walk, dance, watch movies, read, and spend time with my two adorable dogs, Fizz and Dopey.
Advice for our readers? Life is short, so make a difference. I hope that everyone finds the time to help others because there is nothing that gives greater happiness than that.
Your world and that of the children (who go to Soham) are two radically different ends of the spectrum. How did they converge?
THE CV First job: Babysitter for my neighbours when I was 16. It was quite fun, and gave me the opportunity to earn money for myself.
The moment I decided to bring about change and do something was in January 2008, after I left the hospital after having been treated for a 10mm kidney stone, pneumonia, and septicemia. I had been in and out of the hospital for three months and there's nothing like being sick and coming close to dying that makes one re-evaluate their life and purpose. I decided that I wanted to help people and use my time, energy and money for this purpose because this truly would give me happiness.
Last book read: What The Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell Last movie watched: Kahaani. Loved it.
How did you decide on Hyderabad as a venue to establish Soham? I was born in Hyderabad, and I wanted to give back to the country, because the level of poverty is so much more dire than in other places in the world. Once I chose Hyderabad as the location for my charity school, we surveyed 200 impoverished villages around the area to find one that had a need for an educational institution and that is where I discovered
Mallapur, the current location of Soham for Kids.
What are your goals for Soham? My short term goal for Soham is to expand the school as well as add more adult education classes besides English and sewing. My long term goal is to provide high quality education which equips
students with the skills they need to eventually secure a stable job. I want to make Soham for Kids selfsufficient.
What would you describe as your biggest achievement and your biggest challenge so far? My biggest achievement was and is Soham for Kids. My biggest challenge is how to make
Biggest influences: My husband Pallak who taught me how to be entrepreneuria. My father who taught me the meaning of hard work, and dedication, and my mother who gave me the values I have. Your mantra: We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. So be positive!
A thorough tomboy All About Eve SAMEENA KENAZ
I
was born in Dubai. Partly raised there too. Problem with being born and brought up in foreign countries is that you’re never around family or relatives. The only relatives I had in Dubai were my mum's sister and her three sons. I also have an elder brother. When that’s all the family you got, you generally wouldn't like to be outcast. So like the saying goes, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em". If there is one thing that I'll never regret, it will be growing up around my brothers! Even as a kid, preteen, teenager and now, an adult, I am above so many things that would go into the 'issues' category of many girls. Barbie dolls, make-up and for that matter, even dressing up, were and are the least of my concerns. I studied at co-ed schools and naturally all my close friends were boys. The only girl friends I had, were also tomboys. So, school life was pretty smooth. The problem arose when my father decided to put me into a girls college. With the exorbitant increase in the number of females around me and peer pressure setting in, I started to succumb. While I still haven't truly shed the lifestyle or the image, there is this sudden increase in the clothing and cosmetic department in my room. A lot of things just sit there because I wouldn't dare get caught using them. Over the years, I have seen many of my tomboy friends transform into full blown fashionistas but, some of them, like me, just couldn't shake it off completely. Although, when compared to the first year of college, all of us have transformed ourselves! There are still a lot of guy friends that cannot digest how non-girly my friends and I are. Problem is, we're so proud of it! I'm so proud of it. I see the other girls and honestly, they have no idea what they've missed out on. I wouldn't have it any other way. A tomboy through and through.
19
SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012 DEEPAK DESHPANDE
Sana & Saloni
Sneha & Shaan
Young, wild & free
The city comes alive during the weekends and what better proof than the pulsating nighlife here. These youngsters were spotted at the Rain Club on Friday, ushering in the weekend with full zest.
The Laven ecofriendly fashion store was launched on Thursday by actors Nandita and Prince of NNDD fame and the revenue minister Raghuveera Reddy.
Rachana
Sonia
Green fashion DEEPAK DESHPANDE
Aarti
Arpita, Mounica, Shalini & Rajni
Para
Yashoda
20
RELATIONSHIPS SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
I
I AM ALL EARS
am 30-year-old man and I have two kids. My wife and I are not on very good terms amd recently we have been staying in separate rooms. Now there is a woman in office who knows of this as she our close friend. Off late I feel more attracted to her and find myself looking for a pretext to talk to her. Please help.
E
ating disorders can be triggered by lack of support following traumatic events such as bereavement, relationship problems, abuse and sexual assault, according to research published in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing. Even changing school or moving home can prove too much for some young people and lead to conditions such as anorexia or bulimia.
Dear sad kid, I am sure your wife has to be right in whatever she is thinking because judging by your actions you are a man who can be quickly swayed. Instead of trying to look for a solution to ending your marital discord you are lusting after this friend. If you continue this way then it won’t be long when this friend of yours will be accusing you of sexual harassment in the office. So take care and stop fantasising about other women.
Gay activism in India
Parenting the elderly Taking on the role of a caregiver can be strenuous but not impossible,we find out more from those who do
SNEHA MASHETTY
feedback@postnoon.com
W
e always wish that our parents live a healthy and a long life. Old age is inevitable and while many of us get ourselves mentally prepared with time, sometimes few unforeseen incidents can make even the best laid plans go awry. One of your parents might slip in the bathroom, or have an accident while driving or a sudden attack — this can be enough to get one into the caregiver role. Suddenly you find yourself scrambling for numbers of hospitals, account numbers, changing office schedules, becoming irritable basically because it’s too much to handle. Often people resort to the easiest way out — old age homes or tend to neglect their elder folks. But relationships are like glass, once broken it cannot be fixed. There is not much of a difference between kids and old people, as in both the phases of life, people tend to become innocent, vulnerable, demanding and become irritable. Taking care of old people is
a task which needs physical and mental strength, it needs a lot of time and effort. Financial stability is a highly contributing factor as well. It takes a toll on the caregiver at times. Sujata Chirumamilla takes care of three senior citizens without any complaints. She says, “I take care of three people- my father, mother and mother-in- law who age 88, 88 and 87 respectively. It’s not an easy task for sure especially when all of them lived a very independent life and now they become very dependent. None of them can walk on their own, they are always in their wheelchair.” She also says, “As I am financially stable I have full time caretakers at their service. I am so thankful to the caretakers because I am sure I could not have managed without them. ” She recalls her sleepless nights when her mother-in-law used to get hyperactive and the physical strength she had to put in when her motherin-law did not have any control over her bowel and bladder. She concludes saying, “You are either good enough to take care of them or bad enough to say you don’t owe them a thing.” When we asked Dodda Narayana an employee in a pipe
Loud & Proud You are either good enough to take care of them or bad enough to say you don’t owe them a thing.” Sujata Chirumamilla manufacturing factory about how he takes care of his 87-yearold mother, he said,” I am not financially stable which is the only problem I face in taking care of my mother, I feel very bad when I cannot meet her needs at times. We live in a one bedroom house where we do not have place for ourselves, but I do try to keep my mother comfortable. I get stressed out at times and wish I had caretakers who could help me.” Finally, it is our choice if we want to repay at least a part of what parents do for us by taking care of them when they need us or abandoning them. It’s set your priorities straight and take out time for the people you care, they say. SAIRAM REDDY
SHWETHA PAI
W
hen I was in school and was not aware of my sexual orientation, I assumed that all LGBT people did was protest and dress flamboyantly. Now years later when I am out of the closet and have made great friends within the community I finally understood how things were. Yet, as days go by I realise that a huge percentage of the LGBT community especially those that are out of the closet are involved in activism or spreading awareness. In Western countries, where LGBT activism has been prevalent for sometime it has become easier for a lot of youngsters to voice their opinions openly. In India it is harder for kids to come out because not only is sexuality a hush hush thing but also such topics are frowned upon. But, things are changing for the better because of the LGBT organisations in our country that are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that their voice is heard in every nook and corner of the country. Some years ago it would have been unthinkable for rural youth to come out in the open. I once heard a story of how a lesbian couple had to flee their village to escape being killed. They spent days under trucks, eating on highways with the constant fear of being found. Thanks to the timely intervention of a wellknown LGBT organisation in Bengaluru, they found jobs and were even given shelter until they could fend for themselves. Sadly, this is the exception, When parents disown kids because of their sexual orientation, most resort to suicide but things are slowly changing. India is keeping in pace with the world when it comes to LGBT activism. While we are waiting for Section 377 to be read out in the S C, activists across the country are ensuring that the LGBT youth feel safe and help them understand that things will get much better.
21
CINEMA SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
T-TOWN TWEETIES @taapsee
@shrutihaasan
@ramsayz
@Alwayscharan
During a test, people look up for inspiration, down in desperation, and left and right for information.
Shooting our songs for gs! Work going good everyone having a great time can’t wait for you’ll to see it!! Xoxo
One of the finest Actors I know in Telugu Cinema-Sharwanand, is venturing into Production with Sarvaa Arts... wishing him all d best!
Wishin my friends tarak and trisha... All the best!!! I heard tarak’s performance was intense. GRT goin guys..
@Actor_Siddharth
@tashu_02
@actressanjjanaa
@me_sushanth
Happy birthday to my dear co-star @Samanthaprabhu2 ... health, happiness and lots of love, heroine garu:)
Had great darshan... luckily I reached at the rite time... last prayers were going on n thn God was put to rest... Ganpati Bappa Morya.. :-)
Shooting in downtown, its gona be fun, in a funky get up 2day :-) wil upload pics !! :-) hows it goin twitverse ??
All the chargers’ fans have become understandably quiet... Let’s hope they've turned the corner and the points accumulate! :)?
An NTR show
Boyapati Srinu goes all out to present NTR in an action-packed role in the movie and without a doubt, succeeds
HEMANTH KUMAR
hemanth.k@postnoon.com
D
hammu is a gritty tale of revenge between two families fighting for supremacy. The theme has been at the core of scores of films in the past; however, Boyapati Srinu brought out the best from NTR and Nazar, who played the villains’ to make Dhammu a highly emotional tale. Two royal families, which are at logger heads for over forty years, resolve that they’ll settle their scores on only two
DCM set to release in June
Movie : Dhammu Cast : NTR, Trisha, Karthika, Nazar Director : Boyapati Srinu Rating
:
days in a year. The royal family, headed by Suman, pays a heavy price because of this feud. Twenty five years later, Vijay (NTR), an orphan, meets Ashwini (Trisha) and falls in love with her. When she asks him about his family background, he lies that he belongs to a royal family. In an interesting turn of events, NTR ends being a member of Suman’s family. How he resolves the dispute between the two families forms the rest of the story.
P
Dhammu is a hardcore action film and Boyapati Srinu makes no qualms about it. There are plenty of well choreographed action sequences and it gets increasingly violent as the story unfolds. Initially, Vijay doesn’t want to kill anyone but when he realizes that killing someone for a greater good is justified, there’s no stopping him. NTR carries the entire film on his shoulders and Nazar plays a worthy opponent in the film. The film is designed to satiate fans of NTR and there’s no denying that he does full justice to his character. M M Keeravani infuses life into almost frame through his music and background score. Although the story is outdated, Dhammu is emotionally gripping and deserves a watch for NTR’s performance.
uri Jagannadh’s upcoming film Devudu Chesina Manushulu is nearing completion. The film’s talkie part has already been completed. Puri Jagannadh had wrapped up his last film Businessman in 74 days and now he seems to be repeating this feat with the movie. Ravi Teja and Ileana are playing lead roles in the film and sources say that the film is a satire on God. “Except for four songs, we have completed the entire film’s shooting. Devudu Chesina Manushulu will release in June,” Puri Jagannadh posted on Twitter. Raghu Kunche is composing the music. BVSN Prasad is producing the film along with Reliance Entertainment.
Samantha is in love
T
here’s still a lot of time left before Samantha finds her knight in shining armour, but she has already fallen in love with Ilayaraja’s music. The actress, who’s celebrating her birthday today, is shooting for her upcoming bilingual film Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu in Chennai. Nani is playing the lead role in the Telugu version and Jiiva is reprising this role in Neethane En Ponvasantham, the film’s Tamil version. Gautham Menon is directing the film and Ilayaraja has composed the music. “Never have I been so in love with a song while shooting it...illaiyaraaja... Ur jst too gud to be true.... Nepv and yvm..expect great music (sic),” Samantha posted on Twitter. Apart from this film, she has four other Telugu films including Seethamma Vaakitlo Sirimalle Chettu, Autonagar Surya, Yevadu and Nandini Reddy’s untitled film and Mani Rathnam’s Kadal to her credit.
22
CINEMA SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
B-TOWN TWEETIES @AnupamPkher
@RGVzoomin
@SrBachchan
@DuttaLara
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.”:)
A mistake is nothing but the result of a decision taken at a time when it was believed to be the right decision.
T 725 - Oh ! dash it ! wrote an entire Blog of 800 or so words and its all gone... very upset... going to bed now !! Arggghhhrghhh !!
Trainer killing me in the gym! But the results are worth it ;-). Arms sore, Daughter is wondering what’s with the faces when I pick her up!
@MadhuriDixit1
@NeilNMukesh
@Riteishd
@deespeak
Have signed second film called Gulab Gang! Go girl power!! Anubhav Sinha to produce, Soumik Sen to direct. Excited!!
Faith is abt believing in oneself & strength that lies within.Faith is d seed of victory & foundation of making possible d impossible.
Congrats @sujoy_g half century & century eksaath RT @taran_adarsh #Kahaani celebrates 50 days at BO.Grosses 104 cr *worldwide* Fabulous!
Zohra Sehgal’s daughter has written her mother’s biography. A glimpse at images spanning over 75yrs n I’m awestruck!
Dostana 2 shooting to begin
D
MUST.STAB.SELF
Tezz is indeed a fast moving film and I am honestly grateful for that Sana Mirza
sana.m@postnoon.com
U
nexpected films at the box office seem to be doing rather well as compared to the ones that market themselves abrasively, the final outcome resulting in a series of migraines. Tezz gives you every reason to hate and laugh at it. Ajay Devgn (Aakash) is an engineer who is deported back to India from London. When he returns to London four years later, what lies at the top of his
priority list is to plant a bomb in the London-Glasgow Express and not find his wife with whom he was separated from when he was sent to India. The rest of the story links together a bunch of incompetent policemen trying to solve a case, in the process ripping off one too many Hollywood storylines (Taking of Pelham 123, Speed and The Bullet Train) as usual. The script has quite a few loopholes and isn’t as intriguing as a thriller should be. Aakash’s character takes revenge to a whole new level
Movie: Tezz Cast: Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, Boman Irani, Sameera Reddy Directed by: Priyadarshan Rating:
and decides on punishing the whole of London by blowing up a train with innocent people. So
much for the just cause. He goes through life-threatening trouble only because he was denied a citizenship. Tere Bina is the only song in the film that manages to catch your attention. Zayed Khan is hopeless as an actor and Sameera Reddy wears a constant constipated look on her face. As Mohan Lal shouts to an Englishman in the film, “I will blow your head off if you don’t shut up.” I would very well have responded and said shoot me now! This one can be missed!
irector Tarun Mansukhani has reportedly cracked the plot and finally Dostana 2 is set to roll in the middle of the year. The film is said to be far more naughty and wicked and John Abraham says he can’t wait to get cosy with Abhishek Bachchan on the screen again. “Yes, Tarun Mansukhani has finally got the plot in place. And we’re all set. I maintain Abhishek is my best screen-jodi. And I can’t wait to get cosy with him on screen,” said John, who featured in the part one with Abhishek in Dostana. The sequel to the successful 2008 comedy would be set in two continents and would play on the gay-versus-straight theme far more aggressively. Not willing to divulge too many details, John let out, Dostana 2 would be set in London and Punjab.” The sequel won’t go anywhere near beaches and bikini babes either. “The Californian seaside setting of Dostana took care of all the water-related activities. Dostana 2 would unfold on terra firma. No beaches and, sorry, no John in dangerously low-waist swimming trunks. The cracks, if any, would show elsewhere,” said a source. The idea this time is to turn the tables on the principal actors. John would appear fully clothed and Abhishek, we hear, just might be going bare-chested for the sequel. “The sequel is going to be far more naughty and wicked. There’ll be lots of sexual jokes, though Karan Johar and Tarun Mansukhani would make sure that the gay community would not get offended. Innocuous fun would still be the key,” said IANS another source.
CINEMA SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
D I S P L A YA
D S RATE ` 150 sq. cm
For Further Details Please Contact Abhinay 9989399972 Nandlal 9951467988 Ravi Chander 8106039919
23
CINEMA SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
e
ib r c s Sub
! y a Tod
6 Months
` 199/-
1 Year
` 349/-
Contact us on : 040 4067 2222
24
25
CINEMA SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
Hugh Grant: Having a child ‘is life-changing’
H
ugh Grant is feeling like a different man now that he’s gotten to grips with becoming a father for the first time, last year. “It’s surprising that everyone was right all these years,” Hugh told Ellen DeGeneres in a taping for Friday’s The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “[People were] saying, ‘Hugh, why don’t you have some children? It changes your life.’ And, you’re thinking, ‘Oh, shut-up!’ And now that I have [a child], it is life changing. I recommend it. Get some.” Hugh had a daughter with Chinese actress Tinglan Hong. Their daughter is named Tabitha in English, but the translation of her Chinese name was very fitting, Hugh suggested. “It’s very nice. I can’t pretend it wasn’t a little bit of a surprise but, it’s a very nice surprise. In fact, the baby’s name in Chinese — because the mother is Chinese — means ‘Happy Surprise,’” he told Ellen.
Levine calls
Jennifer Love Hewitt
‘aggressive’
J
ennifer Love Hewitt may be an “aggressive” flirt, but Adam Levine is a “pain in the a**.” The Maroon 5 frontman appeared on Ellen today, and, of course, the Client List star’s public confession of eyeing Levine (which was made on the show earlier this month) was brought into conversation. “I heard about that. That was aggressive,” the Voice coach joked. “It was really sweet and flattering. Beautiful life, you know, when a beautiful woman says nice things about you.” Aw, how sweet! But watch out J. Love, this 33-year-old is not the easiest to handle.
Guetta, Usher team up
G
rammy Award-winning DJ and music producer David Guetta has confirmed that he is working with singer Usher on a tune together, following the success of their Without you. “These are really big records we are working on right now. It’s really crazy,” hollywoodreporter.com quoted Guetta as saying. He did not divulge any more details. However, he added the song was “something really, really, really crazy.” Guetta also said he would do something with a bit more of an underground sound to it. “Lately I’ve been focusing more on making straight club beats, a little more underground. I’m gonna start meeting artists because there’s a lot of talent here. There’s always something happening. “Every time I come here it’s so tempting. You go into a studio and it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re here?’ and you meet so many people,” he said.
26
CHAI TIME SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
SOLUTION ON PAGE 32
SUDOKU
KAKURO
How to play Kakuro
SCRIBBLING PAD
Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: ‘How do you play kakuro?’, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. Within each collection of cells — called a run — any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once. Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on... So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run. Note the second cell in row two — it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.
Parents spend the first part of our lives teaching us to walk and talk, and the rest of it telling us to sit down and shut up. – Anonymous
QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 ___ mater 5 Big name in dog food 9 Ruler marking 13 Catamaran feature 14 Greenish-blue color 15 Walked off with 16 Controversial excavation site 18 SAG member 19 Junior's junior 20 Stimpy's cartoon buddy 21 Dorothy's woodsman wore one 23 Creatures forming the hair of Medusa 25 Baker's sweet concoction 27 ‘Bartlett's Familiar Quotations,’ eg 28 Elite or pica, eg 29 Before, once 30 Biblical tower-building site 33 Curbed (with ‘in’) 36 Where Washington's forces wintered 38 Fit for consumption 40 Natural rope fiber 41 One of four, on most tables 42 Word said in churches 44 Bounce, as from a bar 48 Boudoir wear 51 Handsome Greek of myth 53 Nobel-winning ‘Mother’ 54 Second-to-last letter of the Greek alphabet 55 180 degrees from WSW 56 Canine with active canines 57 Amole, for one 60 Unfinished software releases 61 Micro- relative 62 ‘. . . with 1,001 ___’ 63 Play ___ (perform a song grouping) 64 Obi-Wan portrayer Guinness 65 ‘. . . slithy toves did ___ and gimble’ (‘Jabberwocky’)
DOWN 1 Lend a helping hand 2 Mexican American, eg 3 She left Moses in the bulrushes 4 Ring king born Cassius Clay 5 Tip-tops 6 ‘___ Eyes’ (song by The Eagles) 7 Place for bacon 8 2,000 pounds 9 In need of calamine lotion 10 Attention-directing phrase 11 Debate ender 12 That lady yonder 15 Having all one's marbles 17 ___-K (toddler's school) 22 Musical beginnings 24 Meal on a skewer 25 Jurisdiction in Rome
26 Nancy Drew's boyfriend 28 Attorney's charge 31 Every last one 32 Causes tearing 34 Historic period 35 ‘Nanook of the North’ abode 36 Brief scene 37 ‘Jaws’ omen 38 Rightangled building annex 39 Olympic team? 43 Poisonous atmosphere 45 A little nervous 46 Command mentbreaker 47 Feared African fly
49 Extraordinary 50 Plural suffix with ‘mountain’ 51 Jellied garnish 52 Short swim 54 Window section 56 Business degree 58 Fluid for a car 59 Carry with difficulty PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
27
CHAI TIME SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
Aries
Taurus
The Moon
Ten of Wands
W
ork – You want to feel more relaxed and want to space out work so that you can pay attention to each job. Romance – Fear of attachment is making you seem distant and also confused to your partner. Communicate clearly; explain yourself well. Health – Healing may take longer than expected. But the effects will stay for a long time. So don’t be in a hurry to find quickfix solutions. Money – Find a good tax consultant and make the right decisions about investment. You may need to pay attention to weekend expenses. Tarot message – Your core values and belief systems are put to the test. What you believed to be true all along may be questioned.
ork – You may be stressing out about work too much. Learn to relax. Take a break and come back refreshed. Romance – Fear of commitment may be keeping you from going ahead and taking a relationship to the next level. Take your time. Study your situation well. Health – Smokers really need to quit. Lifestyle changes and focusing on your diet and exercise can do wonders to not just your body but also your mind. Money – When you make financial investments remember that returns don’t come to you overnight. Be an investor for the long term. Tarot message – This is not the right time to get emotional about anything. Be practical and make decisions from your head.
W
Gemini Five of Swords
W
ork – It’s the small ideas that will work well. Don’t be shy to share your idea. With many brains contributing to it, something big may come up. Romance – Make yourself more interesting to your partner, either by picking topics that are different or doing things you haven’t done together before. Health – You may need to use a combination therapy to ensure your body gets the most of the time you’re investing in the workout. Money – This is a definite marker of success in this day and age. But of what value it is to you will depend on how you treat money. Tarot message – Be innovative. If you can’t think of ideas on your own, ask someone else.
Cancer
Leo
Page of Cups
Seven of Cups
Nine of Pentacles
W
ork – If you believe in legacy and giving back to society, make a definite plan and work towards it. Charity and philanthropy are very organised sectors today. Romance – Get creative with your partner. Singles may also want to go out there and join online communities where they can meet other singles. Health – beware of minor issues like sore throat or an upset stomach. Keep your mind fresh with meditation or anything to relieve stress. Money – Emotional decisions rarely work for finances. You need to be more practical when in managing your finance portfolio. Tarot message – Don’t be afraid to shake up your routine and do what’s not so familiar to you.
W
W
ork – You’re passionate about your work. Your bosses realise this and will keep you in the limelight with new projects. Romance – An emotional time when you feel overly sensitive about everything your partner says or does. Keep some distance to maintain the maturity. Health – Take care of your heart. Go through a routine health check if you haven’t done so in a long time. All will be well. Just make sure it is. Money – You need to set more definite goals for your financial achievements and work towards it. Start by figuring out how much you can save every month. Tarot message – There are many things one cannot avoid in life. Could be karma. You have to go through yours.
SUMAA TEKUR tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
Libra
Scorpio
The Emperor
The Hanged Man
W
ork – You’re looking for answers but don’t know where to look. You may be feeling awkward seeking help from juniors but you need to. Romance – Visualise your reality and then work towards making it happen. There will always be ups and downs in your relationship. Solve the problems one at a time. Health – There are new ways to maintain your health. Consider tech tools to manage your health portfolio. Subscribe to a health magazine. Money – You’re very curious about a new mutual fund scheme or an investment opportunity. Let the experts advice on the right course of action. Tarot message – You need to prioritise different aspects of your life and do what’s needed for you first.
ork – Someone in your work place may seem rude to you. But don’t take it personally. People are under all sorts of pressures of their own. Romance – If your relationship is at a crossroads, then learn to let it go. It may be more beneficial to you. You’ll also come out stronger. Health – A health problem is perhaps more complex than it appears. Get a second opinion and go for simple solutions that work long-term. Money – Finances are looking good and you have made the right investments at the right places. There’s little else left for you to do now. Tarot message – By changing your perspective, you can achieve a lot more in life. Open the mind and keep a positive attitude.
W
Sagittarius Eight of Wands
W
ork –You need to let the creative juices flow. Think out of the box. Don’t be afraid to try new ideas at the work place. Romance – Get into the mood and organise a candlelight dinner for your partner. Up the romance quotient and take your relationship a notch higher. Health – Your schedule has been pretty hectic over the last few months. Your body and mind are craving for a break. Just take off on a holiday. Money – If you want to up your style factor, go about it in an organised way. First, draw up a budget and be aware of how much you can spend. Tarot message – You may be doing too much. Take some free time out for yourself and relax.
Virgo
Capricorn
Date 29-4-2012
Aquarius
King of Wands
The Devil
W
ork – Guard crucial information and be careful about who you take information from and who you give it to. Don’t divulge too many unnecessary details. Romance – You need to be more sensitive to your partner’s needs. Choose your words and actions carefully. Even the smallest act can hurt them. Health – Find innovative ways to stick to your diet. Try technology or something fun like Twitter updates to stay motivated to exercise and diet. Money – Shop around a bit before you choose an investment option. Let it be for long term. Don’t get tempted by the short-term gains that advisors sell. Tarot message – You need to display maturity to handle personal & professional matters.
ork – You are finding a lot of satisfaction at work and it’s giving you the inspiration to try out new ideas and do something else. Romance – You need to get into the wooing role with wine and dine. Join a wine society or something more exotic so you and your partner also learn something new. Health – There is never a one-size-fits-all formula for maintaining health. You need to find what works best for you. Understand your body better. Money – Go with your gut instinct about how you want to use your money. If you feel like spending it on a holiday, just do it. Tarot message – There will always be minor problems and ups and downs. Take these in your stride.
ork – Don’t be afraid to experiment with new ideas at your office. Your bosses will appreciate the fact that you’re trying. Romance – Give equal credit to your partner for all the good times spent together. Even if you planned your dates, it was wonderful only because your partner co-operated. Health – There are fun, clever and creative ways to manage your health. Your exercise routine need not be a bore. How about Bollywood dance lessons? Money – Engineers and architects will benefit in this period. Those with more structured work profiles will do well, financially. Tarot message – Be prepared for the open surprises that life throws at you. Taking it with a smile and moving on works.
W
Pisces King of Swords
W
ork – There is a possibility that you’re feeling low and depressed about something not working out. Stop blaming yourself. You’re giving your best. Romance – Expect some bizarre twists and turns in your relationship. If not anything else, it will certainly keep you entertained. Health – The changing weather is playing havoc with your health. Guard against eating street food at unhealthy places. Money – If you need to take some action on the finances front, do it sooner rather than later; like paying property tax, etc. Tarot message – Life does not come with an instruction manual. That’s what perhaps makes it all the more interesting. Go with the flow and expect nothing in return.
Vol: 1, No 286 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
THE SATURDAY QUIZ SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
16. Which is the longest highway in the world? 17. Which countries are the largest producer of manganese in the world? 18. The city which was once known as the Forbidden City is today called? 19. What is the national flower of China?
IDENTIFY THESE ENTREPRENEURS
IDENTIFY THESE FAMOUS BETTER HALVES
1
The Ultimate Driving Machine Stop. Eat. Celebrate
The World’s online Marketplace
Born in a middle class Punjabi family, he studied at IIM Ahmedabad. He has written many good novels. In fact, one of his novels has inspired a bollywood movie as well which had Aamir Khan as the hero another one of his books had been made into a movie with Salman Khan as the hero. He is married to Anusha Siryanarayan. Who is he?
Beyond The obvious
Utterly, butterly, delicious Open to happiness
Solutions for a small planet Don’t dream it, Drive it
Married to Vijetha, he had a very tough start to his cricketing career. With 200 catches, he holds the world record for the most number of catches in the world. Who is he?
Connecting people
1Shantanu Mukherjee 2.Chetan Bhagat 3.Rahul Dravid
Eat fresh
Answers Larry Page 3 Tyler Perry 4.Walt Disney
1 2 3 4
Answer 1 Gordon Moore 2
KNOW YOUR COUNTRY Name India’s first full length feature film
Which is India’s Tallest building?
Dhyan Chand trophy is for which sport?
with Santosh Ghule What’s on the guy’s head?
WHO AM I? I started with Western Union as a messenger boy and telegraph operator but eventually found myself as one of the richest men of all time. One of my great innovations was the efficient mass production of steel by adopting and adapting the Bessemer process for steel making. Who am I?
Answer for 11:
Name the two forts in India which are declared the world heritage sites by Unesco?
PICTURE PUZZLE 12
The four leaves to the left of the sparrow form its partner.
Which is the highest road in India?
Answer
5 6
Which is India’s oldest language?
Simplicity is life
Answer: Andrew Carnegie
3
IDENTIFY THESE TAG LINES
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Born in Kandhwa, Madhya Pradesh, he is originally a playback singer. He is also a popular host and has hosted many reality shows. His sister is also in the music industry. He is married to Radhika and has two kids. Who is he?
2
BRAND CORNER
1. BMW 2 .Central 3.Ebay.com 4.TCS 5.Amul Butter 6.Coca Cola 7.IBM 8.Jaguar 9.Nokia 10.Phillips 11. Subway
FAMOUS SPOUSES
May 2011? 12. Which book sold the most copies across the world till date? 13. What is the world’s deadliest snake? 14. Which is the largest selling music album in the world? 15. ‘MOV' extension refers usually to what kind of file?
Answers
6. Name Apple’s first product 7. Who invented the first steam locomotive engine? 8. Who owns the Burj Al Arab? 9. Who was the director of the Rocky series? 10. Which is the world’s longest bridge? 11.What is the name of the Tsunami that hit Japan in
1. William S Harley, 1902 .2.Lord Swaraj Paul 3.ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer) 4.The Melbourne Cricket Stadium .5. Tokyo, Japan 6.The ‘Apple I’.7.George Stephenson 8. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum 9.John G. Avildsen 10.Akasi Kiyakyo Bridge11.Tohoku. 12.The Bible 13. The Black Mamba. 14.Thriller15. Animation/ movie file 16.Trans-Canada 17.China & South Africa 18.Peking 19.Narcissus
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE 1. Who made the Harley Davidson and in which year? 2. Which NRI businessman owns the Caparo Group? 3. What was the world’s 1st computer called? 4. Which is the world’s largest cricket stadium? 5. Which is the most populated city of the world?
1Raja Harishchandra 2. Pali 3. Khardung Pass 4. Agra Fort 5. Imperial Towers 6. Hockey
Answers
29
SATURDAY APRIL 28, 2012
METRE
We discussed it in the team meetings that one of one of us, that is me or Mahela had to stay until the 15th over, today both of us did and we had a very good partnership Virender Sehwag DD Captain
Ajinkya Rahane (RR) 332 runs
M Morkel (DD) 17 wickets
Got to lift my performance: Harbhajan M
Mumbai Indians skipper Harbhajan Singh blamed himself for the 37-run loss to Delhi Daredevils in an IPL match here and said he needs to lift his performance for his and the team’s sake. Harbhajan’s four overs went for 42 runs as Delhi Daredevils outclassed Mumbai in their Indian Premier League encounter yesterday. “I have got to lift my performance for myself and the team. I haven’t been bowling well, the last 2-3 matches, have gone for runs,” Harbhajan said. “Everybody goes through it but that’s not an excuse. I take the blame. I should have bowled much better,” the off-spinner PTI added.
P W L T PT NR DD 8 6 2 0 12 1.026 KKR 8 4 3 1 9 0.432 CSK 8 4 3 1 9 0.033 RCB 8 4 3 1 9 -0.192 RR 8 4 4 0 8 0.190 PW 9 4 5 0 8 -0.064 MI 8 4 4 0 8 -0.305 KXIP 8 3 5 0 6 -0.436 DC 7 1 5 1 3 -0.708 P-played; W-win; L-lost; T-tie; NR-net run rate; PT-points
6S 336
19 4S810
CH Gayle (RCB), Kevin Pietersen (DD)
Ajinkya Rahane (RR)
44
HIGHEST SCORE
103
AM Rahane (RR), Kevin Pietersen (DD)
BEST BOWLER
5-16
Ravindra Jadeja (CSK)
CLASH OF THE KINGS G APARNA SAI
feedback@postnoon.com
C
hennai Super Kings are set to clash with the Kings XI Punjab today on home turf. The Super Kings were to play Royal Challengers Bangalore in their previous match on Wednesday. But the rain Gods played spoil-sport which resulted in the match being abandoned. Both RCB and CSK were awarded a point each which saw them catapult to the top four teams. So technically, CSK played their last match on April 21 and it remains to be seen if this long break works in the favour of the Super Kings or not. Currently placed at the third position on the points table, Chennai are certainly more confident than their opponents, the Kings form Punjab who are lagging behind at the eight position. Faf du Plessis is one of CSK’s main players. The 27year-old has been extremely
KXIP VS CSK AT 4PM ON SET MAX instrumental in playing match winning knocks for his side. Among the runs, he is currently behind Rajasthan Royals’ Ajinkya Rahane who holds the orange cap with 332 runs. Captain Cool, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, Suresh Raina and Ravindra
Jadeja are the other players in CSK who can turn the tide in their side’s favour. Meanwhile, KXIP are in a little difficult situation when compared to their rivals. Having won just three of the eight games they played, Punjab are in a dire need of a victory. To add to their cup of woes, Skipper Adam Gilchrist might not figure among the playing 11 due to an injury he sustained a
few days ago. However, Shaun Marsh has risen to the occasion on more instances than one while David Hussey has played the role of the stand-by skipper to perfection. Although players like Azhar Mahmood, Piyush Chawla and Praveen Kumar have contributed too it is unknown if their effort this time would be enough to see their team emerge victorious.
SCORECARD DELHI DAREDEVILS VS MUMBAI INDIANS Delhi Daredevils innings (20 overs) Mumbai Indians innings (target: 208 runs from 20 overs) Jayawardene c Sharma b Peterson 55 AC Blizzard Jayawardene b Pathan 0 V Sehwag c Singh b Peterson 73 SR Tendulkar Pietersen b Morkel 7 KP Pietersen not out 50 IK Pathan c sub (Perera) b Peterson 0 RG Sharma Agarkar b Pathan 12 Taylor lbw b Malinga 15 KD Karthik b Agarkar 40 Y Nagar lbw b Malinga 0 AT Rayudu Jayawardene b Nadeem 62 Ojha not out 5 KA Pollard b Nadeem 16 Extras (lb 2, w 7) 9 RJ Peterson run out (Jayawardene/Ojha) 2 Total (5 wickets; 20 overs) 207 Harbhajan Singh Pathan b Yadav 15 Bowling O M R W Econ SL Malinga b Yadav 11 SL Malinga 4 0 31 2 7.75 RP Singh not out 1 RP Singh 4 0 41 0 10.25 Extras (w 4) 4 R Shukla 3 0 31 0 10.33 Total (9 wickets; 20 overs) 170 Harbhajan Singh 4 0 42 0 10.50 Bowling O M R W Econ RJ Peterson 4 0 37 3 9.25 IK Pathan 4 0 46 2 11.50 KA Pollard 1 0 23 0 23.00 S Nadeem 4 0 35 2 8.75 M Morkel 4 0 21 1 5.25 UT Yadav 4 0 36 2 9.00 AB Agarkar 4 0 32 1 8.00 Delhi Daredevils won by 37 runs
RCB to take on Knights
R
oyal Challengers Bangalore would hope that lady luck shines on them when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders for the second time this season. On the previous instance when these two teams met, KKR drew first blood and won the clash by a huge margin of 42 runs. While both the teams have the nine points each from an equal number of matches, the Knights are placed on a higher rung due to their better net run rate. KKR’s assistant coach, Vijay Dahiya, believes that the tournament has become more intense as there is little which seperates the teams in the standings. The Knights are most likely to go ahead without bowler
KKR VS RCB AT 8PM ON SET MAX Laxmipathy Balaji figuring among the final 11 beacuse of an injury he sustained a few days earlier. Meanwhile, the Challengers’ skipper, Daniel Vettori, feels that selecting a balanced team with “four-foreigners” is very difficult. “Sometimes, you have to leave out somebody who deserves to be in the team to get the balance right. That’s the hardest part. I think every captain in the IPL goes through that. You have so many good players and so many options,” said Vettori.
88 DAYS TO GO SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
Will for deal before Games EAST RUTHERFORD: All-Star point guard Deron Williams wants to have a new contract before the Olympics start in late July. Speaking a day after the New Jersey Nets' season ended, Williams refused to say whether he will be a Net when the team moves into its new arena in Brooklyn. “I want to try to have something done by the Olympics.”
30
Chen in despite pull-out
Fujio scores hat-trick
NEW DELHI: Chinese star Chen Jin
KAKAMIGAHARA, JAPAN: Forward
pulled out of the India Open badminton tournament with a wrist injury after his Olympic berth was ensured on Friday. Chen, who replaced Denmark’s Peter Gade as the fourth-ranked player in the world, was scheduled to meet India’s Parupalli Kashyap in the quarterfinals. The pull-out helped Kashyap make it to the London Olympics.
Kaori Fujio scored a hat-trick to lead Japan to an 8-0 thrashing of Malaysia on Friday in the women’s hockey final qualifying tournament for the London Games. The Japanese women, who beat Austria 7-0 on Wednesday, started a six-goal onslaught in the second half for their second straight win in the six-team round robin competition.
Boxing champ dies at 74 Terry Spinks died at his home after a prolonged illness LONDON: Terry Spinks, who
Dwain Chambers
David Millar
Dwain, David may get green signal Despite the “doping” pasts, sprinter Dwain Chambers and cyclist David Millar may be allowed to participate in the London Olympics PARIS: British sprinter Dwain Chambers and cyclist David Millar could get the green light to take part in the London Olympics on Monday despite their doping-blighted pasts. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said Friday they will reveal their decision on Monday at 1400GMT which is expected to slap down the
British Olympic Association’s (BOA) bylaw that bans convicted British drugs cheats from taking part in the Games. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) brought a case against the BOA’s policy of imposing life bans for the Olympics arguing that it contravened their code. “In the arbitration between
the British Olympic Association (BOA) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the CAS will issue its decision on Monday, April 30 at 4.00pm Swiss time (1400GMT),” said a CAS statement. “A media release and the arbitral award with the grounds will be published on the CAS website at such time.”
Former European 100m champion Chambers, who won 60m bronze in this year’s world indoor event in Istanbul last month, was banned for two years after testing positive for the anabolic steroid THG in 2004. Millar also served a doping ban in 2004. AFP
won an Olympic boxing gold medal for Britain at the 1956 Melbourne Games, has died after a long illness, it was confirmed Friday. He was 74. Spinks, who was just 18 when he beat Romanian Mircea Dobrescu to strike gold, died at his home in Essex just outside London. After his Olympic success Spinks turned professional, winning 41 of 49 fights before retiring at the early age of 24. “We are very sad Terry has passed away. He was a great boxer and a very nice guy,” British Boxing Board of Control general secretary Robert Smith said. “He was an Olympic gold medallist at 18, which is very young, certainly when he was fighting boxers from Russia and the Eastern bloc, men who were 25 or 26. “He was also a very good professional boxer, but most importantly he was a nice person.” Spinks later coached South Korea’s boxing team at the 1972 AFP Olympics in Munich.
31
SPORTS SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
STRETCHED OUT
Clarke sparkles ROSEAU: Michael Clarke took
Russia’s Maria Sharapova returns the ball to Australia’s Samantha Stosur during their quarterfinal at the WTA Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany, on April 27, 2012. Sharapova outplayed Stosur 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 in a three-hour match. AFP
Das bows to AP champ CHESS
F
ormer AP state champion T Purushothaman caused a major upset by beating the top seed and international master Debashis Das of Orissa in the eighth round of the NMDC All India Fide rated Chess tournament organised by Cyber Chess Academy at Suchithra Academy here on Friday. Purushothaman, S Ravi Teja of AP and IM Rahul Sangma of Railways have scored 6.5 points, half a point behind the leader IM K Priyadharshan of TN. To release the queen pinned at a5, Debashis had to forego his two minor pieces for Purushothaman’s rook on the twelfth move of a queen’s gambit declined game. After the exchange of queens on move 35, Debashis gave up the fight. Former national champion P Konguvel of ONGC rejected the draw offer by Priyadharshan on 15th move and paid penalty for it. His aggressive approach did not pay any dividend and when he made a mistake, Priyadharshan capitalised it to pocket a point.
Important results of Round 8 Name Priyadharshan K Purushothaman T Sangma Rahul Krishna Teja N Ravi Teja S K Praneeth Surya Praveen Prasad P Aravindh Chithambaram Vr Aneesh R Durga Prasad V Dhanunjaya Rao L Deepthamsh Reddy M Harsha Bharathakoti Cholleti Sahajasri Karthik V Aryan Kandula Durga Kaushik Jayesh M Rohith Svs Raja Rithvik R Kishore V Sai Akshay Y Karthik J C Harshita Guddanti Toshali V Venkateswara Reddy M Chaitanya Srihari Y Prabhat Koutha Aphale Kanaad
team TN AP Rlyt AP AP AP AP ONGC AP AP SSCB AP AP AP AP BIH AP TN AP AP TN AP AP AP AP AP AP AP MAH
beat beat beat drew with beat drew with beat lost to lost to lost to lost to beat lost to beat lost to lost to lost to drew with lost to beat beat drew with drew with beat lost to beat lost to beat lost to
Name team Konguvel Ponnuswamy (ONGC Debashis Das ORI Roshan Rangarajan 5½ MAH; Krishna C R G AP Dhar Rajib ASM Koshy Varugeese ONGC Chakravarthi Y V K AP Lakshmi Krishna Bhushan D AP Saranya J ONGC Dave Kantilal RAJ Abhilash Reddy M L AP Srikanth K SSCB Trailokya Nanda ASM Potluri Saye Srreezza AP Srija Seshadri TN Sai Agni Jeevitesh J AP Chakravarthi Reddy M AP Naga Shashank D AP Shakeel Ahmed AP Priya Vss AP Krishna Chaitanya G S AP Anudeep V AP Anigani Kavya AP Mohit Jain ASM M Tulasi Ram Kumar AP Kavya Srishti K AP Kandi Ravi AP Dheeraj G AP Mohammad Mubashir AP
five wickets as Australia won the third and final Test against West Indies by 75 runs at Windsor Park on Friday. West Indies fought to the end with captain Darren Sammy, with 61, and last man Shane Shillingford, on 31 not out, hitting their highest Test scores. After resuming on 173 for five, West Indies were bowled out for 294 just before lunch to give Australia a 2-0 series win. They had won the first Test in Barbados by three wickets while the second match in Trinidad was a rain-hit draw. “It’s been a long summer, and today tops it off. It has been a lot of hard work, West Indies pushed us hard,” said Clarke.
Colts get ‘Luck’y NEW YORK: The Indianapolis Colts selected Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the first pick in the 2012 NFL draft on Thursday, just one month after releasing veteran Peyton Manning. The Colts, who announced their intentions to pick Luck a couple of days before the draft, will be trying to rebuild their offence around the young signalcaller. “I am so excited. Nothing is a done deal until it is done,” Luck said. “I am anxious to get started and to be in a new locker room with a great group of guys.” Luck, who is the son of exNFL quarterback Oliver Luck, is expected to step right into the starting role after a brilliant career at Stanford. AFP
32
SPORTS SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012 LONDON: Arsenal defender Carl Jekinson has said the Gunners are desperate to cling onto third place in the Premier League in order to ensure Champions League qualification for next season. Chelsea’s passage into the Champions League final has increased the chances of just the top three clubs in the Premier League qualifying for next year’s competition, instead of four. Normally the English top flight’s first, second and thirdplaced sides gain entry to the Champions League group stage, with the team that finishes fourth going into a preliminary qualifying match. But if Chelsea, who are currently sixth, beat Bayern Munich in the May 19 final, they will qualify at the expense of the fourth-placed club in the EPL. Arsenal head into Saturday’s match at Stoke City in third place, three points above Newcastle United, who have a game in hand on the Gunners. And Jenkinson wants to end the Premier League season knowing Arsene Wenger’s side are in next term’s elite European competition.
Gunners determined to cement 3rd spot
Carl Jekinson
‘Focus on league’ LONDON: Roberto Di
To do that they must either beat Bayern at the German club’s own Allianz Arena, which looks a daunting proposition given they will be without the suspended John Terry, Ramires, Raul Meireles and Branislav Ivanovic, or qualify via a top four placing in the Premier League. Their hopes of finishing fourth or better could be all over if they lose to QPR at Stamford Bridge as they are already four points behind fourthplaced Newcastle, who travel to Wigan on
Boggle
Saturday, with only four games to play. With that in mind, Di Matteo insists there is no time to rest on the laurels earned in Catalonia. “We’ll try to win on Sunday to keep our hopes alive to finish in fourth spot,” Di Matteo said. “Our priority is to try our best against QPR. “It will be a tough game because they are fighting against relegation. We know how tough it will be to play a team in that position. We played Wigan a short time ago and it was very tough.” With both Chelsea and QPR, who are battling to avoid relegation, desperate for the points, there was already plenty of spice to this London derby, but the likely presence of Terry and Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand in the starting line-ups brings a whole new level of intrigue. This will be Ferdinand’s first appearance at the Bridge since October’s league fixture, after which allegations emerged he had been racially abused by Blues captain John Terry.
PIN LANE SPARE SCORE STRIKE GUTTER
Suduko
Scrabble
SOLUTIONS
Number game
Matteo has warned his Chelsea players not to dwell on their epic triumph against Barcelona as the Blues bid to keep their top four challenge alive in a potentially explosive clash with west London rivals QPR on Sunday. Di Matteo’s side are still coming back to down to earth in the aftermath of arguably the greatest night in Chelsea’s history, but the Blues interim boss is determined to refocus his players’ minds on a potentially decisive fixture in their Premier League campaign. Chelsea’s astonishing fightback from 2-0 down with 10 men in Wednesday’s semi-final second leg in the Camp Nou has booked a place in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich and made heroes of Di Matteo and his squad. But overcoming Lionel Messi and company will be nothing but a pleasant memory if Chelsea aren’t competing in the Champions League next season.
Fergie pins hope on Rooney-Welbeck MANCHESTER: Sir Alex Ferguson believes strike pair Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck could emulate the Old Trafford goal-scoring havoc once wreaked by Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole. Welbeck scored his 12th goal of the campaign in last weekend’s 4-4 draw with Everton, while Wayne Rooney’s double took him to 33.