ROYAL RUMBLE Elections have begun in five states. Despite violence that killed seven in Manipur, it reported an 80 per cent voting. A glance at the stakes and stakeholders
OH NO! THEY’RE BACK Spice Girls threaten to unite for Queen’s Golden Jubilee concert.
P24 P6,16,17 Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper
WWW.POSTNOON.COM
FLASH
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012 HYDERABAD
REPORT ON PG 3
‘TIPPLE FOR TYKES’ SET TO MAKE A SPLASH? The State’s silent decision to market a ‘soft’ drink named ‘Splash’ with low-alcohol content, targeting youth and women, is set to stir the political cauldron as most Opposition parties are demanding the phasing out of liquor.
2012 is a promising year for me Shruti Haasan P19
I'm quite secure in my relationship Kareena Kapoor
P21
WEATHER: CLEAR WITH CLOUDY SPELLS. WINDY AT TIMES; 23°C
32 PAGES
`2
APPLE FACES BOYCOTT CALL OVER WORK CONDITIONS Apple is dealing with a public relations disaster and the threat of calls for a boycott of its iPhones and iPads. The company’s image took a dive after an NYT report revealed horrific working conditions in the factories of some of its network of Chinese suppliers.
Page Two
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
Spirit of Twin Cities
Ray of hope for Veena-Vani
Biker killed A
25-year-old biker, Charladies, was fatally knocked down at Tank Bunde Road early this morning. A speeding RTE bus, had a head on collision with the motor cycle of Charladies around 5am at Tank Bunde Road. He died on the spot. The bus driver is arrested. According to the police Charladies, a manager in Marriott hotel, was returning home after night duty.
A team of doctors from abroad has visited the conjoined twins in the Neeloufer Hospital and conducted detailed examinations. Results are awaited but hopes are high
ETHICS Md. Inkeshaf Ahmed Ahmed@feedback.com
HYDERABAD: The unending plight of conjoined twins VeenaVani, who are lodged at the Neeloufer Children’s hospital in the city, may well be over, thanks to the efforts of the hospital. A team of overseas doctors led by Dr. David of the US visited the hospital on Thursday and held discussions with the hospital authorities over the issue of surgery to separate the twins. The team consisted of five doctors. Dr. David has successfully performed four such surgeries
(Craniopagus). Speaking to Postnoon, head of the pediatric surgery Dr. A Narendra Kumar said he was hopeful the woes of the twins might come to an end. Dr. David, said Dr. Kumar, would get back with a detailed power- point presentation to undertake the operation. “Yes, Dr.David had held
discussions with us and examined the conjoined twins. After the examination, he said that he would revert to us with a detailed report. We are waiting for the report” Dr.Kumar said. Once the hospital gets the full report, the State government would be approached for approval. According to Dr. Kumar, the
2
operation proposed by Dr. David requires a period of one year as the surgery will be performed in a stage by stage manner. He said that the surgery consists of a process in which blood vessels, which are joined together in the conjoined twins, are clipped and multiple alternate channels of blood vessels are encouraged to develop by providing enough time. This method has the least residual neurological defects in children, which has been a common cause of concern for medical fraternity since the last so many years. Dr. Kumar has also said that the surgery can only be performed in foreign country as India does not have required infrastructure to undertake it.
Snatchers will be shot at
J
ewellery snatchers will get shot from now on; the DCP East Zone Y Gangadhar has issued orders to shoot at those fleeing after snatching gold jewellery. The DCP said some students too are involved in the crime and the police are collecting details. Policemen are also deployed in ‘mufti’ (plainclothes) to identify the desperadoes.
Around the city: Your guide to the Twin Cities
One love One Love is an International exhibition by artists from around the world who aim at promoting humanity and love all over the world. Where: State Gallery Of Fine Arts , When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 32913922
Martini ‘n music Enjoy the winter evenings with grey goose martinis and crooner Kelly dishing out your favourite numbers. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills When: Every Evening Contact: (040) 66662323
Cognac and Cigar The Seasons Bar opens up again as a Cigar and Cognac lounge with a wide selection of cognac, rare whiskies, single malts and cigars. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 7pm Contact: (040) 66662323
Visual art An exhibition cum sale of paintings by Hari Srinivas. The exhibition is on display till January 30 2012.
CINEMAS
Where: VSL Visual Art Gallery, Plot no 100, AP Text Book Colony, Gun Rock Enclave When: Ongoing Contact: 9247175135
Numaish A childhood favourite of every Hyderabadi, The All India Industrial Exhibition is on. Where: Exhibition Grounds, Nampally When: Ongoing
Debate Central Debate Central is Hyderabad’s only open debating forum. It is a creation and production of Toastmasters Club and Young Orators Club of Secunderabad. Where: Lamakaan Banjara Hills When: Sunday 29, 6.30pm Contact: 9642731329
Sunday Brunch Sunday’s are that one day of the week when everyone can sit together, share a meal and share their thoughts. For the perfect place to get together with great food head to Arena as Arena’s sunday brunch has something to match everyone’s taste. Where: Arena, Taj Deccan When: All Sundays Contact: (040) 66663939
Sunday goes Italiano Via Milano offers a Sunday Italian brunch. For those with a love for anything Italian, this is the perfect Sunday treat. Where: Via Milano, Jubilee Hills When: January 29, 12-4.30pm
Contact: (040) 64556677
FOR A LIVING
Flowering delight PIC: N SHIVA KUMAR
Childhood memory Kites are a childhood memory of carefree life, of cheery sunny days .They have become a metaphor of soaring freedom, of flights sky-high, towering above the humdrum of life. Artkites are such an expression of festivity and creative vision. Where: Iconart, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 32411554
The annual AP Horticulture expo is being held at People’s Plaza from January 26 to January 30. Where: People’s Plaza, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 10am to 8pm
Arts and craft fun Popular arts and craft guru will be holding a workshop at Oakridge International School. Children will have an electrifying experience as they get to Rob performing his innovations live. The workshop will be he;d in two batches. Where: Oakridge International School When: January 29, 10am-12.30pm or 2.30 to 5pm Contact: 9010647111/ 9951122508
Chalo Jamva Get a taste of Gujrat in Hyderabad at the Gujarati Food Festival being held at The Westin, Raheja IT Park in Madhapur. A variety of Gujarati delicacies will leave you asking for more. Where: The Westin, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7pm Contact: (040) 67676767
Romancing art
Romancing the Reminiscence an exhibition by Masuram is being held at Daira- Centre for Arts and Crafts. . Where: Daira, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 66618628
Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 447677770, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 08800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973
Hyper Local
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities
3
Welcome to Liquor Pradesh ALIGHT HERE FOR ‘SPLASH’ AND ‘BREEZER’ U Srinivas Srinivas.u@postnoon.com
W
hile the TDP is trying to invoke the slumbering ‘Sree Shakti’ to counter growing liquor sale, the Kiran government has silently given make orders to two distilleries for bottling ‘Splash,’ an alcohollaced drink specially aimed at the women and young, it is learnt. Gemini Distilleries of Goa and United Spirits of Bangalore have bagged the permits to manufacture Splash which targets women and youth. And, it goes without saying the twin cities are the real theatres for the new drinks. Around 20,000 cases of Splash will be added by the two distilleries, sources told Postnoon. It’s not clear if the government will make it available in super markets like Karnataka does about wine produced in the State. Fruit juice or squash is the base for these drinks.
Distilleries with additional production nod Sri Venkateshwara distilleries Rizome distilleries Durga distilleries SVR distillleries
9 lakh litres 15 lakh litres 10 lakh litres 9 lakh litres
Liquor sales pattern 2004-5 2005-6 2006-7 2007-8 2008-9 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12
43 lakh litres
Honeymoon murder has a triangular love motive Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com
P
reliminary police probe into the death of a family of four in RK Nagar of Malkajgiri yesterday brought out the story of an illicit relationship and quarrel that finally led to the murder of three and suicide of one. A Nageshwar Rao 62,his wife A Vijaya Laxmi, 55, their son Balaji, 32, and his wife Prasanna 28 were found dead in their home in RK Nagar. Balaji was hanging by the ceiling and the other three were dead on the floor. Raos had eked out a living by selling pooja materials at a temple nearby. It’s said that Prasanna had an affair with a man named Brahmam and she
In happier days
CRIME continued the affair even after the marriage with Balaji some two-and-a-halfmonth ago. As she continued to talk with her lover on phone and used to send messages, Balaji had been disturbed. Prasanna is his second wife as he had divorced his first wife a year ago. Balaji was working in RTC Miyapur. Mohan Rao, a neighbour, told police that there used to be noisy quarrel in Rao’s home every night. It is said that Rao had admonished his son to adjust and make his marriage a success as it was his second marriage and it would be unwise to create a ruckus. What police gathered from neighbours and relatives thus gives a story of a jealous husband, enraged at his wife’s infidelity, decides to finish off all in the family before killing himself. He left behind a murder-suicide note stating why he was taking this extreme step. Evidence so far suggests that Balaji had first poisoned his parents and strangled his wife to death. But realising that his parents were not dead, he strangled them too before putting his neck into the noose. After autopsy, Prassana’s body was sent to her native place in Sandru Konda village of Khammam district. Bodies of Balaji,Nageshwar Rao,and Vijaya Laxmi were handed over to Nageshwar Rao's brother Prasad Rao.
4500 crore 5367 crore 6751 crore 8346 crore 9933 crore 13405 crore About 12000 Expected to reach 15000 crore
Officials apologetically dropped a line that these are ‘status drinks’ and accepted in the upwardly mobile segments. More importantly, this is considered a ‘safe’ drink. How safe? “As safe as to the extent of your indulgence,” is the answer. It is more for ‘company sake’ than to get drunk. Added advantage is that a bottle or two of Breezer or Splash will not set the alarm sounding on the breathe analyser (Hence a ‘splashed’ wife can safely drive while a ‘flattened’ hubby can snore behind). Making of Splash follows the success of Breezer. “Since it is not high on alcohol, parents wouldn’t mind if their wards indulged in once a while,” observed a distillery official who is in the know of things. Breezer is said to contain 4 per cent alcohol, and so will be Splash. It may be priced between `40 and `50 for 200ML bottle. Excise duty from liquor sales
Net advisory
W
hat’s Splash and why Splash? Here’s the best answer: These are terms that simply refer to small amounts. When you are using dashes or splashes, you are flavouring a cocktail for taste, so it becomes a sort of a judgement call. Don't go overboard, but make sure you use enough to be noticed. A splash is a little more than a dash, and generally involves less viscous liquids such as mixers, whereas dashes are used with stronger flavourings. is one large chunk of government’s revenue. It is learnt that the sales target has been fixed at `15000 crore for this year while it was over `12000 crore in 2010-11. In 10 years the liquor sales have gone up by five times. Meanwhile, the illicit brew continues to reign its realm.
Hyderabad’s first afternoon newspaper
Subscribe Today! 1 Year
` 349/6 Months
` 199/-
040 - 4067 2222
subscription-cir@postnoon.com
Hyper Local
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities
4
Murder of a famous lake Fifteen years ago this lake was a picnic spot and it nurtured umpteen species of bird and waterfowl. Today it is being throttled to death by encroachers and passive people all around.
PICS: A SUDHEER REDDY
WATER FOLLIES Banjara Lake
Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com
B
ang in the middle of the City is a lake surrounded by a star hotel, high rise apartments, a popular function hall and a temple. Property rates around this lake are some of the highest in the City, yet this does not work in the lake’s favour. The Banjara Lake, despite its glamorous neighbours is in a sorry state and is dying a slow and painful death. Located off road number 1 in Banjara Hills, a drive past Banjara Lake, and you’d roll up you’d roll
Helpline GAS BOOKING IVRS NO: HP 9666023456 Indane 9848824365 BSNL Complaints HMWS & SB Complaints
198 155313
POLICE CONTROL ROOM: Hyderabad 27852435 Traffic Control Room 27852482 DCP Traffic 23234065, 23243499F Pollution Control Board 23887500 ELECTRICITY: General Complaints Breakdown Section
155333 23431178 23431179 MUNICIPAL CORPORATION: Commissioner & Spl Officer 23262266
up the car windows with an oath under your breath. The stench is overpowering. Dr Ramesh Chandra, senior environmental engineer, Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) agrees. “Banjara Lake is highly polluted. The hyacinth that floats on the water is because of sewerage water flowing into the lake. Our tests yielded that there is
24166666R ENC 23225267 Engineering 23220418 MCH Tankbund 23225397 Emergency MCH Circle I&II 24525842 MCH Circle III 24736912 MCH Circle IV 23326975 MCH Circle V 23326976 MCH Circle VI MCH Complaints 1100 Head Office 23225397 IVRS CUM MANUAL ENQUIRY PHONE NUMBERS (TRAIN & RESERVATION) RAILWAYS Rail Nilayam 27833150 Railway Information 131 Reservations 135 Recorded Information 1345 Enquiry (IVRS) 1331, 1332, 1333
no dissolved oxygen in the lake,” he said. Apart from being the place where all the sewage water is channelled, the lake is receiving a copious amount of solid waste that residents in the neighbourhood happily dump. Confirms Mohammed Riyaz, a businessman and resident of the apartments located beside the lake, “It is a very
WATER SUPPLY: Complaint Cell Sewerage Complaint Hyd. Water Supply HOSPITAL: General Hospital, Sec-bad Niloufer Hospital, Red Hills NIMS, Director, Punjagutta Osmania General Hospital Railway Hospital, Lalaguda Apollo, Jubilee Hills Care Hospital, Banjara Hills Care Hospital, Nampally Care Hospitals, Musheerabad Care Hospital, Sec-bad Kamineni Hospital,
LB Nagar 155313 23307328 23313163 27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666
BLOOD BANKS: Blood Bank,Narayaguda Chiranjeevi Blood Bank Blood Bank Mediton Goal Red Cross, Vidyanagar ADRM Blood Bank Mythri Charitable Trust NTR Memorial Trust Care Banjara Hills
common sight.” Almost everyday people dispose the waste into the lake. The stench from the lake is overwhelming and as a resident, I have to, unfortunately, live with it.” Allegedly, the popular five-star hotel here, too, dumps waste into the lake. “I have seen them do it. But being a five-star hotel and belonging to a prominent figure in the city, no one questions them,”
39879999 27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445
AMBULANCES Apollo 23548888, 23607777 Kamineni 24022222 Medwin 23202902, 23204616 Smile Line Dental Hospital 23747979 Red Cross 27627973 Niloufer Hospital 23314095 Gandhi 23320332
Result of APCB pollution test Ph level8 Total dissolved solids 990ppm Chemical Oxygen Level (CLO) 140ppm Dissolved Oxygen (DO) nil Biochemical Oxygen Level (BOL) 20ppm Green algaepresent said Sameera Ali, a homemaker who has been living in the area since 14 years. Even with a temple beside the lake, nobody thinks twice before throwing waste into the water that invariably floats back to the shores, says Pavan Gupta, a regular visitor to the lake. “Shree Hanuman Temple is a major temple that receives a steady stream of devotees. Regrettably, none cares for the life-sustaining lake. I’m coming to the temple since 10 years, I have seen the water going from bad to worse,” Gupta pointed out. Anuradha Reddy, who has been living here since 23 years, said that while the water wasn’t particularly clean when she first moved in, it has deteriorated greatly over the years. “It is upsetting to see what Banjara Lake has come to now. Twenty three years ago, the lake was like a picnic-spot for families. I used to sit by my window spotting different birds. Little did I know that in the next 15 years, the lake would be anything but a foul water body,” she said visibly disappointed at the green, algae-infested water. The Banjara Lake has taken a beat with encroachments as well. Allegedly, almost every property around this lake violates lake laws. In fact, as the land around the lake is priced extremely high, sand is being dumped into the lake to extend the land to make space for more properties, clearly violating the law. The lake is shrinking and getting polluted even more. And as days pass by, we have to ask ourselves, is it too late to save this lake?
AIRLINES Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec’bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999
UK Visa Office VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7 Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum
24523211 232431300/7641 24521029
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
Spotlight
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
5
LADIES! LET YOUR HAIR DOWN PICS: SRINIVAS SETTY
The young and the very happening lasses of Hyderabad were seen making their way to Kismet, the club at the Park for yet another Ladies night.
DJ Jai and Abhiram
Nindi Priya
Pari
Nazeer with a friend
Aishwarya
DJ Eve Carey
Going with the flow
PICS: SRINIVAS SETTY
Saturday night in Hyderabad came alive again as party-goers in the city headed over to Liquids, looking for a place to party and dance the night away
Rendezvous with nature Students of Orchids International School perform on their 10th Annual day held at Shilparamam
Pari
Nicky
Thanishk
India‑View CLASSIFIEDS
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
India unveiled
Omar against Web censorship
HEAVY METAL CONCERT
FABRICATION
KOLKATA: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday came out in support of internet giants like Google and Facebook saying it was impossible to censor everything on the web. “I don’t agree with this whole thing about Google and Facebook being called to censor everything. I think it’s not possible. I think internet is too far away from us to expect to censor it,” Abdullah said. Pointing out that he is a victim of “mindless abuse” by anonymous people on his Twitter account, he advocated self-regulation in the social media. The Chief Minister was participating in a discussion at the Kolkata Literary Meet. IANS
NCC cadets displaying their war skills at NCC PM’s rally at the Garrison Parade Ground in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI
Lalu’s fourth daughter marries son of MLA NEW DELHI: RJD leader Lalu Prasad’s fourth daughter Ragini tied the nuptial knot with the son of a Samjawadi Party MLA who recently joined Congress. Ragini married Rahul, son of the Samjawadi Party MLA from Ghaziabad Jitendra Yadav, who has now joined Congress and is party candidate from Sikandarabad in UtP. The decision to field Yadav from the seat replacing a Youth Congress leader Nizam Malik had led to a near revolt in the local Congress with a large number of Youth Congress workers protesting against the replacement outside the AICC headquarters last week. PTI
7 killed in Manipur poll violence IMPHAL: Manipur recorded over 80 per cent turnout in the Assembly election on Saturday, while at least seven people, including a paramilitary trooper and a suspected Naga militant, were killed in poll-related violence. A major tragedy was averted in Sagolband constituency after police and security forces recovered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). It was later defused. According to officials, voting was took more time as every voter was being photographed after casting their vote, to ensure transparency and stop proxy voting. This was being done for the first time in India, they said. Live webcasting was also done at 60 polling booths in the Imphal valley, an official said and added that
the poll panel can monitor the whole process of voting through it. This has been done for the first time in Manipur. Violence was reported in Chandel district as a group of armed militants tried to capture a polling booth in remote Chakpi Karong village but were thwarted by security personnel. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper was killed and six others were seriously injured in the ensuing gun battle. The injured, who included a suspected Naga militant, a woman voter, three other polling officials and a young girl, succumbed on way to the hospital. Polling started at 7 am and continued peacefully till noon with people turning out in huge numbers to elect a 60-member Assembly despite
WAH USTAD
a string of bomb blasts during the past one week. In Tipaimukh constituency also, a minor incident of violence was
CHANDIGARH: In
recorded when some irate electors damaged an EVM at a polling booth. This caused security personnel to open fire but no one was injured.
Uma hits back at Bukhari MAHOBA: Uma Bharti hit back at Jama Masjid Shahi Imam Maulana Ahmad Bukhari for his statement that the BJP considers Muslims as second class citizens, saying the party does not need a certificate from him. Talking to reporters after filing her nomination for Charkhari seat, Bharti said Muslims were well aware of
Drug dealer gets death penalty a rare judgment, a special narcotics court here on Saturday awarded death penalty to a man for dealing in drugs. Capital punishment was given to Paramjit Singh for dealing in a 10-kg consignment of heroin in 2007. NCB officials said that the death penalty was “historic” and would become a deterrent for drug traffickers. IANS
6
Bukhari’s opportunism and his appeal to them to vote for the Samajwadi Party will make no difference to the community. On being told that Jan Kranti Party founder Kalyan Singh, whom she considers as father, had said that he would campaign to ensure her defeat in Charkhari, she said it was her personal matter. IANS
3 rape Class V student for five months NEW DELHI: A 20-year-old man has
Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain performs at an event to pay tribute to ‘Thumri’ singer the late Shobha Gurtu in Mumbai. PTI
been arrested for allegedly raping a teenaged girl along with two others over a period of five months, police said on Saturday. The incident was reported from Bawana in outer Delhi. The victim, a Class V student, was allegedly raped by the trio in a factory owned by one of the accused and thereafter continuously sexually exploited.
Deepak Shah, who is a labourer in the factory, has been arrested. His two friends Vicky and Lucky are on the run. Lucky is the owner of the factory. The incident came to light on Saturday morning when the minor fell ill and her parents took her to a nearby hospital. During treatment, it was revealed that she was sexually assaulted. The parents then approached police. PTI
Around the World
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
Beyond Borders
4 British journalists arrested for bribery
26 charred to death in Peru rehab blaze
LONDON: Four former or
LIMA: A fire swept through a three-floor drug rehabilitation center on Saturday in a busy area of Lima, killing at least 26 people and injuring 12 others who were trapped inside, authorities said. The iron doors to the “Christ is Love” center were locked, preventing many residents from escaping, said Fire Department commandant Antonio Zavala, explaining the high death toll. Like many low buildings in Lima, the center had two stories built in cement block and a third in wood, with metal sheets for roofing. Some escaped the inferno by jumping from the burning building. “I could just see smoke and hear screams,” one survivor who leapt from the second floor told RPP radio. Zavala said the blaze broke out on the first floor of the center when a patient’s mattress caught fire. Officials said it may have been set alight during a fight among residents of the rehab center in this sprawling capital of about eight million people. AFP
current journalists of a British newspaper have been arrested on charges of bribing police. A 29-year-old police officer was also arrested at the London station where he worked. The arrested journalists include The Sun’s news head Chris Pharo, 42, crime editor Mike Sullivan, 48, former managing editor Graham Dudman, 48, and ex-deputy editor, Fergus Shanahan, 56, Xinhua quoted the Sky News as saying Saturday. Police officials searched their homes and offices in London as part a probe into illegal payments for information. Murdoch’s News corporation has confirmed the arrests. The News International, the British division of the News Corporation, publishes The Sun, The Times and the Sunday Times. It also published the News of the World newspaper, which was shut down after a series of phone-hacking revelations. IANS
EU-Arab alliance begins re-draft of Syria resolution UNITED NATIONS: European and Arab UN members on Saturday started rewriting a proposed Security Council resolution condemning Syria’s deadly crackdown on dissent after the Arab League suspended its monitoring mission in Syria. European countries said the withdrawal highlighted the need for UN action. The French foreign minister contacted his Russian counterpart in a bid to overcome Moscow’s resistance to the resolution officially presented on Friday, diplomats said.
GLOBE AT A GLANCE Saleh arrives in US for treatment NEW YORK: Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is due to step down next month, arrived on Saturday in the United States on a politically sensitive visit to seek medical treatment for wounds inflicted in a bombing. He flew from Oman to the United States with a brief refueling stop at Stansted Airport outside London, ending days of speculation about whether or when he would make the trip.
US lobbyists end contracts with Egypt WASHINGTON: Lobbyists representing the Egyptian government in Washington have ended their contracts with their client following a raid by Egyptian authorities on several US nonprofit organizations, The New York Times reported late Saturday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un poses with members of the Western Area Aviation Club in North Korea. AFP Relatives of patients of the Christ is Love rehabilitation center for drug and alcohol addicts wait for the bodies. AFP
Surging Romney swings for Gingrich deathblow PANAMA CITY: With a Florida victory in his sights, Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney tried to kill off primary rival Newt Gingrich’s campaign Saturday with a hard-hitting advert unleashed state-wide. Romney — leading handily in the polls — sought to sweep
7
away the largest obstacle to him winning the party nomination, hitting Gingrich over past ethics violations and dramatically calling into question his integrity. After a strong debate performance on Thursday, Romney is in the ascendancy in Florida with just three days
to go before Tuesday’s primary. According to poll averages, the former governor of Massachusetts and multimillionaire venture capitalist leads in the sprawling Sunshine state with 39 per cent against 31 per cent for Gingrich, the former House of Representatives speaker. AFP
BARING PROTEST
Topless Ukrainian protesters demonstrate at the entrance to the congress center where the World Economic Forum takes place in Davos, Switzerland on Saturday. AFP
UN chief nuclear inspector arrives in Iran TEHRAN: The UN’s chief nuclear inspector arrived in Iran on Sunday on a mission to clear up “outstanding substantive issues” on Tehran’s atomic programme, and called for dialogue with the Islamic state. Before departing from Vienna airport IAEA chief inspector Herman Nackaerts told reporters that talks were long overdue.
Boko Haram rejects talks, threatens violence MAIDUGURI: A spokesman for the Boko Haram Islamist group on Saturday rejected a call by Nigeria’s president for talks and threatened fresh attacks if captured members of its group were not freed. A series of coordinated bomb attacks and shootings in Nigerian capital Kano on January 20 killed at least 185 people.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key shows off his tie to his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard in Melbourne on Sunday.
Comment
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
Fair, free and forthright
Editorials RACISM IS ALIVE AND well in football
A
nyone watching yesterday’s Liverpool vs Manchester United FA Cup game can be excused for wondering when a hooded Ku Klux Klan member was going to jump out of the Anfield crowd and lynch Patrice Evra, such was the level of bile directed at the United player. Despite Fifa’s best efforts to curb racism in the sport it continues to rear its most ugly head far too often. Their job is made all the more difficult by the fact that players are not in the vanguard of this battle. Terry (allegedly) and Suarez are just two of many players across the globe who believe verbally abusing black players is de rigueur. If the players themselves do not act like role models then football’s governing body has little hope of stamping out this vicious crime born of pure ignorance.
WHY WE LOVE Sir Philip Hampton
W
hen the chairman of RBS decided yesterday not to accept his £1.4 million bonus he sent a message out to the tax-paying public: ‘We goofed up, and I’m sorry’. Although not in the same philanthropic league as Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, Hampton’s gesture will go some way to alleviate fears, and prove that not all bankers are fat-cats purring while the world’s economic machinery crumbles. Let’s hope that more bankers follow in Hampton’s footsteps and turn down bonuses, which are a slap in the face of the common man who lost all he had in the global financial crisis.
8
OF APPLES, ORANGES, CHALK AND CHEESE Zeitgeist Dr Srividya Raghavan
M
arketing has often been compared to a battlefield. Positioning is considered an effective marketing strategy for protecting and expanding the territories of brands, thereby garnering market-share. Remember when Al Ries and Jack Trout, in their popular book on Positioning, called it the Battle for your Mind? The idea of positioning itself has grown over time. When Kellar, Sternthal and Tybout said that there are ‘three things you need to ask about your brand” — they talked of the Frame of Reference (FoR), Points of Parity (PoP), Points of Difference (PoD). They implied that to position effectively we must draw our boundaries for comparison (FoR) and show that we can deliver the same value propositions as competition that consumers have grown accustomed to (PoP) and even better — show that we can do it differently and more effectively than the competition (PoD). So what’s with Comparative advertising and the hullabaloo about it when the premise of marketing is to compare, position and win the battle for sharing of mind and wallet? One may take the proverbial angle that ‘to compare is not to prove’, but when brands are like two or more peas in a pod, what choice do they have but to emphasise the PoD — which cannot be done without comparing. Didn’t we cheer loudly, when Avis said — “Avis is No 2: We Try Harder” — obviously establishing superiority of service over the Numero Uno, Hertz? This was the case of the underdog going for the kill and we know how we feel about underdogs. But when top brands compared themselves with the lesser (im)mortals, a less sympathetic audience is sure to say as Bob Wells said — “Your true value lies entirely on what you’re compared with, so why downgrade yourself”? It’s easier said, but the leader however must decide in competitive scenario — whether to bring a knife to a gun battle or an AK 47. Take for example the on-going ad battle
Comedy rules
Torrent of fear
I really enjoyed reading your story on the comedy scene regarding the sitcoms on TV these days. I am not much of a follower of the ones that are aired in India, but I am a huge fan of the ones that are aired abroad. In my opinion, no other show can match the comedy shows that were aired some 10 to 15 years ago. Frasier and Friends had a different cult following and people watched these shows religiously whereas now it’s all about making big bucks and just filling in time slots on channels. I am yet to see something as mind blowing and rib tickling as Frasier. Modern Family comes close but let’s see something new now, shall we? Nakul Gupta Srinagar Colony
It’s a pity that torrent sites like Megaupload have been shut down and with more laws against piracy being implemented; it’ll, in a way, prove to be a regressive move. While there’s a need to do something about protecting copyrights, a blanket ban on torrent sites is not a solution. There are several classic movies and songs, which would be impossible to find if there was no piracy. Also, there’s a need for our government to understand how netizens treat Internet instead of enforcing a ban on torrent sites. Gaurav K Begumpet
between Times of India and The Hindu that are circulating as much in social media as they are on paid channels. When a brand like The Hindu, which is as proud as a peacock, feels as fit as a fiddle in its comfort regional zone despite a national presence, is confronted with what it perhaps perceives as an assault on its fiefdom — what does it do? Faced with insinuations of being a ‘boring’ newspaper that puts people to sleep — Should it walk just walk away? With change of guard at the newspaper editorial board, The Hindu has unleashed a set of ads hitting the competition below the belt in no uncertain terms. The series of ads say the following: “We also have page 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7…”, “Sense, not sensational”, “Read about political parties not page 3 parties”, “Because government malfunctions matter more than wardrobe malfunctions”, “For current affairs that go beyond Bollywood affairs” — all ending with the punch-line — “Stay ahead of the Times”. Not only are these retorts being placed on mass media, but are interesting enough for people to circulate them on their own volition. Reaction to comparative advertising is typically quick as a shot and advertisers can actually have their Turkey’s voting for
TALK BACK Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222
Christmas. Comparative advertising feels fresh as a daisy in a message-cluttered world. For an audience that is as keen as a mustard and sharp as a tack but fed on advertising dull as ditchwater — these battles are a turn on. Some of these ads like the series of Audi, BMW, Subaru and Bentley ads as well as the Jet Airlines hoarding that was ambushed by Kingfisher and Go Airline are as good as gold and never fail to put a smile on our face. When credibility of advertising is increasingly likened to putting a lipstick on a pig, the least one can do is entertain the audience for their time. Sometimes these wars can and do get ugly as sin. Comparisons and personal statements bring in the crowds like moth attracted to the candle but getting it right can be like nailing the jelly to the wall and end up sticking out like a sore thumb. Case in point: The Rin-Tide comparative advertising ads and the Complan-Horlicks ads, which aimed to provide dubious facts to outdo each other — boring and baseless. We could discuss the issue like there is no tomorrow and call on the guards to police their laws better. But who really wants to miss out on the fun when the battles are just heating up?
All for a cause
Horses for courses
The article on organ donation was a really surprising one. It is difficult to believe that our actors would support a cause. Really good work by the film fraternity. More people should be made aware of this provision. Probably Postnoon could do a campaign on spreading awareness about the importance of organ donation. Saving a life is the best thing one can do. The best way to make this campaign successful is by roping in more celebrities and also if the message is shown in theatres and public places like railway stations and malls, it will be good. Smriti Reddy Madhapur
I really liked the pictures in today’s paper. The best one was by N Shiva Kumar in the story, King of the course. The moment captured shows the finesse of the photographer. Also the page Eye Witness had a nice centre page pic that really catches the attention. I have noticed the work of photographers from Postnoon before as well. It’s good to see some nice clicks in the paper. A good copy combined with great pics make a good read. Keep up the good job. Sheila Kumar Punjagutta
Business
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
Matters of saving and spending
9
Labour pains, broken ceramics T
he blue skies of the pristine beauty, Yanam, suddenly turned dark with smoke billowing out of burnt vehicles and machinery. The blue seas of the Bay of Bengal bled. The ceramic hearts broke. The shrill attack on KC Chandrasekhar, 53, president of operations and maintenance of Regency Ceramics, by workers of the company on Friday, benumbed the former French colony. The custodial death of labour union leader Murali Mohan, who was fighting for the regularisation of 800 contract workers out of the total 1,200 employees of the factory, is undoubtedly the trigger for the violence that ravaged the entire coastal town of Pondicherry, but annexed to East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. The act of kindness by any management would be welcomed with an overwhelming joy by their workmen and reciprocated with manifold gratitude individually
and collectively. It is that mutual trust on which the edifice of India Inc., was built over the years. GN Naidu, the founder of Regency Ceramics, too knows this. He was emotionchoked when he spoke to media. He claimed it would cost `600 crore or more to rebuild the industry. Naidu, chairman of the `250-crore Regency Ceramics, bemoaned that the body of his nephew (Chandrasekhar) was what he got in return for his oeuvre — the bundle of his contribution in the form of an industry, township, educational institutions, et al — he built for the people of Yanam. An eye witness, who is also an industrialist, told me that not even a single employee or an executive of the factory came forth to shift the bleeding Chandrasekhar to Kakinada, which is just 30km away from Yanam, for better medical attention. It was a Good Samaritan in the village who brought an
Sunday Soup A Saye Sekhar
almost dying Chandrasekhar, whose brain had popped out of the skull, to a corporate hospital. Surely, Chandrasekhar is said to be the boss of the masses. He is liked by many at Yanam. He was demonstrating professional dexterity in dealing with the striking workers. The agitation began on January 1. Chandrasekhar returned from a business trip to the US on January 10. He spared no effort to bring the workers on to the negotiation table, even as the management was legally insulating itself from this. Armed with a Madras High Court order, the company was proposing to show the door to five
of the agitating employees. It is now anybody’s guess as to who precipitated the matter. It was indeed pathetic and inhuman too to attack a company honcho. This is not the first time. Something akin to this happened elsewhere too. Just little over a year ago, a 45year-old Joginder Singh, a HR manager of Allied Nippon, an Indo-Japanese joint venture which makes brakes and brake shoes for vehicles, was done to death by irate workers at Ghaziabad on November 15, 2010. Not very long ago, Roy J George, a 47-year-old vice-president of human resources in Pricol, an automobile instrument maker, at the company’s Periyanaickanpalayam unit near Coimbatore, was brutally killed consequent upon labour unrest. This happened on September 23, 2009, jeopardising the safety of the crème de la crème of corporate entities.
Rules apart, Lalit Kishore Choudhary, the Chief Executive Officer of Graziano Tranmissioni, maker of gears and transmission components for high-end cars like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Audi, for a manufacturing unit of Swiss high-tech group OC Oerlikon Corp, was bludgeoned to death by 200 dismissed workers who vandalised the premises of the factory at Greater Noida on September 23, 2008, exactly a year before Roy George was murdered. Whatever is happening to the democratic India? Either the multi-national capitalist hubris is unable to meet the aspirations of workers who sweat their blood to build the institutions or it is failing to anticipate the brewing trouble within. But the death of labour leader Murali Mohan in police custody at Yanam will get mired in the bureaucratic maladies and would be left unattended to, no questions asked.
Dearest diesel cars VAT is he talking?
T
he Government is contemplating raising the cost of diesel cars, for it cannot touch the diesel price. When it cannot afford a politically incorrect decision, it is finding a backdoor method to rob Peter to pay Paul. The wistful Governor D Subbarao, during the recent review of policy rates by the Reserve Bank of India, said with gumption that the Government should do away with the subsidy on diesel. But
Subbarao doesn’t nurse political ambitions. So he can only appreciate the concerns of his political bosses, but cannot mire himself in their pains and pleasures. Poiticos made a plan to levy `81,000 to `1,62,000 on diesel cars with the engine capacity of 1,400 CC as a cut-off: Those less than this would cost `81,000 more and those above would attract a cess double that. Foolish it is, if implemented. Because, the diesel subsidy levies a burden of a whopping `56,732 crore a year on the country’s exchequer. But is the gap caused only by cars? What is the quantum of consumption of diesel by lorries, buses and other transport vehicles and even agricultural pumpsets and gensets? Does the enhanced sum of diesel cars cover the loss caused by the subsidy? There are numerous other issues causing a hole in the Government’s coffers. The upshot is killing the golden goose.
N
arasaraopet, the yesteryear battleground for factional feuds, saw a fuming YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the battered boy of Andhra politics, talking a bit too much the other day. He said he would append his first signature after
becoming the chief minister on the file recommending abolition of value-added tax (VAT) on textile merchants. Isn’t it a bit too much of a self-aggrandisement or overestimation of his own capabilities? Jagan, who firmly believes that he is riding on the crest of his popularity among masses, wants to become the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. It is his right like any other citizen of the State. But, how and when? Instead of waiting for his turn, the enfant terrible in State politics wanted to grab the seat that fell vacant by the sad demise of his dad. It became easy for his detractors to keep him at bay. When he is engulfed from all sides by the CBI cases and his confidantes are being done in one after the other, he really needs guts of iron and steel even to put up a brave front. How much value does his vow add to his political future is a conjecture of time, only if he can fight the political battle to the finish.
Sunday Interview
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
10
JAYAPRAKASH NAMBARU Jayaprakash Nambaru is an evangelist out to convert the layman into a green man. And, given the prevailing environmental illiteracy, he must succeed
PICS: SRINIVAS SETTY
PK Surendran pksurendran@gmail.com
J
ayaprakash Nambaru, 39, did what most of his generation would not dare to — chuck a plum tech-job and plunge headlong into saving the Hyderabad’s environment, making his wife and his parents go cross-eyed with fear. “How will you live?” enquired his parents. To comfort them, he lied, saying he was going to be an entrepreneur, of which they were comfortable with. But, he couldn’t fool his wife. Sandhya puts up a brave front and tells him she understands. Honestly, she does not. She’s still worried and that’s why she has started working again, something she hasn’t done since her daughter Meghna was born. “I was very worried in the beginning,” Sandhya recalls. And evidently, she’s still worried. But not Meghna. The eight-yearold follows her father and has proselytised many playmates to the green ethos. No boasting, as she hustles along two of her friends, Rahul, 8, and Yukthi, 6 to vouchsafe her claims. For two years JP has been painting the town green. He is smart enough to understand that the best way to reach parents is through their children. And, he also realised that ours is a cricket-crazy nation where every boy aspires to be a Sachin or a Sehwag. He therefore captured cricket and youth themes for making awareness material. His Oh my sweet daddy lyric has a darling daughter asking her father where the fields, the rivers, the lakes and the willows that he grew up in went. If he loves her would he have allowed them to disappear? This song, composed by ES Murthy, is a hit in Telugu and is to be translated into 17 other Indian languages.
SAVING OUR CITY, ONE PLANT AT A TIME He has also enlisted the services of cricketer VVS Laxman to spread his green message. Relocating trees is his latest initiative and by next month-end, the first tree is to be relocated from the Forest Academy to Laxman’s new home in Manikonta. Sitting in his flat at Kukatpally, JP shares his anguish, hopes and dreams of a green Hyderabad: When did the environment first catch your attention? While I was working in Singapore in 2004–05. The civic authorities’ concern for public health was exemplary. They would not fog before they informed every citizen, in writing. And here, in posh Jubilee Hills you see fogging without announcing. I came back and found heaps of plastic being burnt every morning, which is carcinogenic; vehicles spraying the air with carbon 24x7. Trees disappearing. Do people realise that two people need one tree to supply their daily oxygen? That is why I decided to quit my job, and I
JP’s mantra for a healthy Hyderabad n Each one of us grow one tree or at least a potted plant n Cut no tree unless absolutely essential n Stop the rape of lakes by realty profiteers n Award ‘eco-friendly’ status to schools having green initiative n Control wasteful lifestyle, learn from Warren Buffett, world’s third-richest man who lives frugally n Declare greenery our common religion n Form solidarity among greens and share resources
floated the Green Planet initiative. What is the remedy? Awareness. I’m sure if people are told an adult tree is worth `50 lakh in terms of oxygen, toxic absorption, shade, timber and fruit, they may rethink chopping them down. Trees alone can recycle and preserve groundwater, which is disappearing fast. You can’t eat or drink money. Many ask,‘what can I do?’ You can make the City rich. Just grow one tree, which is worth `50 lakh. Thus 75 lakh people would be enriching the City by `37.50 crore worth of life-saving assets. And, those in flats could grow potted plants. What’s your target group? Schools are the best hope. I’ve received the maximum support from schools. For instance, a 9th grade boy Jaffer, of Traveni school, adopted a barren community garden and made it a lush green ground in one year after he attended some of my
talks and workshops. If every Hyderabadi either plants one sapling or grows one potted plant, we will have enough oxygen. It’s not a tall order, is it? What is the biggest contributory factor to environmental decay? Lifestyle; wasteful lifestyle is the curse. We waste everything from water to food and in the bargain pollute the very food we consume. And what made this possible is political corruption that gives a damn for the general good. What’s your biggest environmental worry in Hyderabad? Indiscriminate use of plastic, killing of lakes (we had 700 lakes when Hussain Sagar was built, today may be 70 are left and they too are polluted). Greed has taken away the remaining. There won’t be a drop to drink in the near future. For further information please log onto: www.igogreenoundation.org
Week in pictures
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
11
A TIGER IN THE DESERT
A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE
Backdropped by the Emirates Palace Hotel, US golfer Tiger Woods tees off in the early morning during the first round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship on January 26, in the Gulf Emirate. AFP/KARIM SAHIB
US Representative Gabrielle Giffords arrives as members of Congress applaud before US President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in front of a joint session of Congress on January 24 at the US Capitol in Washington. SAUL LOEB/POOL
THE HATTER’S TEA PARTY Models sit prior to the start of Alexis Mabille Spring/Summer 2012 Haute Couture collection show, on January 23 in Paris. AFP/ALEXANDER KLEIN
EYES ON THE BALL
THE SPRING TURNS ONE Egyptian protesters carry an obelisk with the names of those killed during last year's uprising, at a huge rally in Tahrir Square on January 25, marking the first anniversary of the uprising that toppled president Hosni Mubarak. AFP/MAHMUD HAMS
Roger Federer of Switzerland serves during his quarter-final men's singles match against Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina on the ninth day of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 24. AFP/POOL/VIVEK PRAKASH
Potpourri
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
12
ART FOR DUMMIES
SHOCK VALUE
AUTISTIC BUT ARTISTIC
Srinivas Vikram is only 19 and he is already a popular artist. While autism is known to hamper expression, Vikram's canvas has a lot to tell the viewer
Shiba Minai shiba.m@postnoon.com
V
ikram was diagnosed with the neurological disorder where communication would be his biggest challenge. His growing up years were not as normal as most kids of today, as most of the schools in Hyderabad were not equipped in handling students of this kind. But he turned out to be an extraordinary singer and took to water like a fish. He learnt swimming in three days! Fate seemed to have its way and Vikram was hit with epilepsy. This was the time when the doctors declared that he could no longer be involved in outdoor activities like earlier. But like they always say, God has a way of compensating; Vikram's mum, Karuna Gopal realised that says, "The appreciation for Vikram enjoyed painting and his paintings has been drawing. overwhelming. I am glad For the past four years the that my son is doing well, world of canvas and paints has as this has been a great brightened Vikram's life. boost to his self-confiKaruna tells us more, "He dence and his final prodspends about four hours everyuct seem to be getting betday, but like any other artist, ter by the day." She adds, the results are subject to his "His recent themes have mood and time. Sometimes he Vikram been dealing with nature, does not care about the world while some are religious around him and churns out four– five excellent paintings." She continues, depictions. His new found love seems to be the paintings of bamboo." "There are also times when he ends up Vikram, prefers to use a lot of doing just one painting." bright colours and his art work is clean Vikrams paintings are being exhiband lively. ited at Beyond Coffee, Jubilee Hills and KS Rao an award winning artist, is he has already had his exhibitions in the trainer of Vikram. Rao himself has three other countries. On that Karuna
lost one eye and yet is a great painter. We ask how different is it for him to teach Vikram and he replies, "Vikram is a very talented child. He is differently-abled. He is not predictable but is full of talent. His usage of colours is innovative and its commendable how he observes, interprets and converts his understanding on the canvas." Karuna says, "Earlier it was difficult for him to make friends, but now its better as so many people love him. And today people recognise me as his mum." The proud mum adds, "His paintings have been picked by a lot of corporate employees. Recently the American consulate bought one of his paintings and it makes my chest swell with pride."
Bordering on Dadaism, Surrealism and Fluxus, Transgressive Art is the sum of destruction Sana Mirza sana.m@postnoon.com
T
he aim of transgressive art is to outrage or violate basic morals and sensibilities. It was well established by the end of 1960s when artists resorted to scandalising middle-class morality by ‘transgressing’ moral boundaries. They began to push moral limits, in search of the thrill that comes by shocking the masses. This was all part of the Marxist dream of destroying the bourgeois morality and values in order to liberate humanity from the chains of the Christian world-view. Transgression is all around us and many traces of it can be found in the artistic world around us, from the museum to the television set. Since the late 1990s, transgressive art has been made popular because of artists such as the Rick Gibson who made a pair of earrings out of human fetuses and ate a piece of human testicle. In music, rock and roll has inspired controversy for the entirety of its existence. Popular musicians such as The Sex Pistols, Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper, Anal Cunt, etc used prejudiced, racist, sexist and dark lyrics to be in the controversial eye and gain popularity.
Design Talk
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
13
Bargain buy Cane Chair
HOW TO LIVE
SMART
Furniture
F
urniture not only adds to the aesthetic beauty, but also determines the comfort of your house. The kind of furniture you choose reflects your personal style. Nowadays large chunks of furniture have been replaced by light and simple yet elegant designs. Modern Italian furniture with Bohemian design style is in these days. In contrast to this, ethnic carved furniture can be used in the bedrooms. Outdoors, fine cane furniture, commonly known as ‘Ratan’ furniture goes well.
Interior designer Ahmed Hazari has been in the industry for the past 35 years. He is known to have transformed many offices, houses and showrooms. Today he tells Maryam Sultana and Darshani Nene how one can make their home look better
C
ane is one of the most durable and long lasting kinds of furniture. This chair, made from Singapore cane, will also add grace to your home. This intricately woven cane oozes simplicity and class. It can be used as an extra chair in your bedroom, in the lobby areas or the sitouts. It is light, portable and inexpensive. Each piece costs `3,500. You could also have a complete sofa set made out in the same style if you like. You could find this in any cane shop. However, we recommend Bombay Furniture Shop at Lakdikapul. And remember... bargain!
Mirrors
Walls and floor
T
he most integral aspect of a house is its walls and floor. When choosing colours for walls, do opt for light shades as they accentuate space. The walls at your place can also sport wallpapers of different textures; the recent ones being metallic, bold floral, geometric and oriental. The need of flooring differs from room to room. And don’t forget to deck your floors up with some modish rugs!
Vaastu
Accessories
tick to basic vaastu principles, as it provides an immense cosmic energy and opens the doors to health, wealth and success. Those who live in vaastu-compliant places get benefits from Panch Maha Bhoots, which is abundant in nature in the form of gravitational force, solar energy, lunar energy, spiritual energy and cosmic forces. Use geometric lines in designing your house, as it adds sharpness to the house and makes it look more spacious, and less obstructive.
iven up your living room by adding decorative pillows and throws on the sofa set or couch. Deck-up the display area with artefacts, statues, vases, etc. Beautiful paintings with ornate frames make great wall décor items that add a unique dimension to the room. Do not forget to flaunt your collection of artefacts, that’s the coolest way to jazz up your house.
S
Blending styles Eco-friendly techniques
I
ndoor and outdoor gardens help absorb heat and keeps the house cool during summers. Rainwater harvesting, energyefficient lights, solar heaters, etc are a few techniques that contribute to a responsible and smart living.
R
emember the old households with a huge courtyard in the centre; well you can incorporate one such in a modern house too. But if you’re worrying about the heat and rain coming in, worry not! Have a glass pyramidal structure over the courtyard. That is the best way to blend the modern and the traditional.
L
Lights
T
ube lights are passé! LED lights or CLF bulbs is the preferred choice, as they not only consume less energy, but also give warmth to the house. However, LEDs are quite expensive, as it is a new technology. You can also pep up the setting with lamps, or to make it look more regal, you could hang crystal chandeliers. The placement of lights and light effects should be planned aesthetically.
M
irrors can be utilised in every room. It is undeniable that they have high utility value and can be great work of art. They reflect light and give rooms a more spacious look. They also help in adding new dimensions to any corner or space. They can also be subtly incorporated into the design of a room, enhancing the look. A decorative mirror, with a central piece and smaller mirrors that add layers, looks great and is up for grabs for `2,000 at Shilparamam. Compiled by Shiba Minai
Gourmandʼs Guide
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
14
PIC: SRINIVAS SETTY
Bonjour France!
B
erengere Castelli embodies traits of the French to the tee — perhaps a little too direct, but extremely gracious in her mannerism. Coming, as she does, from a country known to have shown the world what great cheese and even better wines tasted like, Berengere loves to talk about her love for food. Over a sweet lime soda (for the lack of a Sauvignon Blanc) in a local bistro, she shares her recipe of
Tena Yistilign Ethiopia! He may well pass off as a Hyderabadi with a well-rehearsed Hyderabadi accent. Four years in the city has made Emmanuel Amberber fall in love with the Hyderabadi Gongura Mutton, but he hasn't forgotten his native dish — Injera. Emmanuel comes from Ethiopia — the country that gave the world the best way to start the day with — coffee. For the lack of anything remotely Ethiopian here, he has made use of native ingredients to make his creative distortion of the original Injera. He shared with us the recipe of Injera.
Injera
How I make it.
Roti de Boeuf
n
How I make it: n
n
n n n
I take a fillet of beef and glaze it with oil. I add thyme and pepper to the meat. After preheating the oven to 400 degrees, I let the beef bake for around 15 minutes. In the meantime, I steam potatoes, or make French fries. Once the meat is ready, it is sliced into six pieces. I personally love my meat half-done. Serve the meat with the steamed vegetables and steamed potatoes or French fries. Add a dollop of tomato sauce or mustard sauce for added taste.
n
n
Mix maida flour with yeast, water and a little bit of salt and leave it for two days to ferment. After two days, mix the batter really well until there are holes in the batter due to oxidation. The batter smells sour, but that is the way it ought to be. Pour oil in a medium hot skillet, and put a cup of batter in the skillet. Spread it, and make a thin layer, and allow it to cook until bubbles form, but do not turn it to the other side — only one side should be cooked. Eat with vegetables, meat or any good accompaniment of your choice. I love to eat my Injera with paya shorba.
T H E
ood
G
FG U I D E Indira Atluri
Orson Welles, the American film director’s love for food was evident when he once said, “Ask not what you can do for your country; ask what’s for lunch.” Three expats residing in the city live up to Welles’s motto. Here’s what they had to tell us about the food they eat
Indira.a@postnoon.com
Salaam Iran!
T
Shashlik How I make it.
he Persians have been able to fortify their numero uno position in making carpets despite a great onslaught of competition for years now. The same can be said about their food — artistic and imaginative. Ramin Afsari comes from this mystical land, and his passion for food is evident in the precision with which he explains the making of the Shashlik — from the exact grain of pepper to the precise amount of oil!
n
n n
n
n
Stalking food Darshani Nene
N
eed to take your girlfriend out on a date but can’t afford to shell out much? Or need to take your friends out on a treat? Whatever the reason may be, just Place: Alex’s Kitchen head to Alex’s Where: Anasuya Complex, Himayatnagar Kitchen! Price: Approximately `300 for two Tucked away Must try: Boiled noodles hot chicken in the corner of a
Take pieces of beef or lamb and marinate them with onion paste, yoghurt, pepper powder and dry vegetable powder. I refrigerate the mix overnight to allow the spice to seep in I then take skewers, and add the pieces to the skewers alternating them with bell peppers and onions They are then grilled, preferably over direct fire or hot charcoal; making sure not to over-heat them Since they have already been marinated, I see no need to add spice — this is the way I love it!
Cupcakes you would not to miss Shiba Minai shiba.m@postnoon.com
I
f cakes are your weakness, then the cupcake festival at Deli 9 is where you should be headed. On display here are a large variety of cupcakes. The best in the lot is the Red velvet cupcake; the look and the texture is just as the name suggests, and it tastes heavenly! If you want a twist of tang in your cupcakes then a must try is the lemon cupcake served with icing and caramelised pieces of lemon and the Orange cupcake with caramelised orange on it. You will love the combination. For those who want to play it safe and stick to the conventional kinds, either the Vanilla cupcake topped with pink jujube or Chocolate vanilla cupcake should be fine! If chocolate is your turn on, then don’t miss the Chocolate cupcake with the signature Deli 9 chocolate topping. The festival is on for a week — miss it not!
A must-try Chinese building in Himayatnagar, is Alex’s Kitchen, one of the few oldest Chinese restaurants in the city. Extremely economical, and a student’s paradise, this place is full every day with long queues of hungry folk outside waiting for their turn. Alex’s Kitchen was founded in 1984 by Alex and Jason, with a simple idea — to serve quality food, at reasonable prices, but with no compromises. Kuldeep Mandhania, who lives in Jaipur, says, “Whenever I’m in
Hyderabad, I head to Alex’s Kitchen for Chinese. It’s one of the most reasonable restaurants in the city. The wantons and the vegetable soft noodles are a must try here”. The specialties of the kitchen are hot and sour soup, Fish in pickle sauce and Chicken sweet ‘n’ sour for starters; they have Spring rolls and Schezwan vegetables with Fried rice for the vegetarians. Their boiled noodles hot chicken, which won the Expo City Kingfisher Great Food Guide award shouldn’t be missed!
History
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
forward to the past
15
Guy Fawkes executed Jan 31st, 1606 – Guy Fawkes was executed after being convicted for his role in the "Gunpowder Plot" against the English Parliament and King James I. Fawkes and three others were dragged to the Old Palace Yard at Westminster, opposite the building they had attempted to destroy. His fellow plotters were then hanged and quartered. Fawkes was the last to stand on the scaffold.
The Ayatollah returns
It's a grand launch Feb 2nd, 1913 - Grand Central Terminal officially opened at 12:01 am on this day. Even though the construction was not entirely complete, more than 150,000 people visited the new terminal on its opening day.
Jan 30th, 1979 - The civilian government of Iran announced it had decided to allow Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to return after being forced out of Iran in 1964 by the then Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi. He had been living in exile for 14 years and had spent the last few months in France from where he coordinated the revolution that forced the Shah to go into hiding.
The Million Dollar Quartet Feb 3rd, 1956 - Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash held a recording session at Sun Studios in Memphis. The sessions were later named the "Million Dollar Quartet" and released.
Di crash probe ends Jan 29th, 1999 – After 17 months, Paris prosecutors announced the end of the investigation into the accident that killed Britain's Princess Diana. Di, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and their driver, Henri Paul, were killed in an August 31, 1997, car crash in a Paris traffic tunnel. Paul was drunk at the time, and that is still believed to be the main cause of the crash, along with speed.
Columbia explodes Feb 1st, 2003 - NASA's space shuttle Columbia exploded while re-entering the Earth's atmosphere. All seven astronauts on board were killed. Columbia was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107 when it disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana during re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. Debris from Columbia fell to Earth in Texas as well as into parts of Louisiana.
Yves, the fashion wonder at 22 The leather brownie
Justice is served Feb 4th, 1997 - A civil jury in California found OJ Simpson liable in the death of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Goldman's parents were awarded $8.5 million in compensatory damages.
Feb 1st, 1900 - Eastman Kodak Co. introduced the $1 Brownie box camera. The brownie camera was a low-priced, point and shoot, hand-held camera. It was designed, priced and marketed to have wide appeal. It was a simple, black, rectangular box covered in imitation leather with nickeled fittings.
Jan 30th, 1958 - After Dior’s death, Yves Saint Laurent took over the creative side of Dior House and three months later presented his first fashion collection in Paris, at 22, it became unbelievably popular and put an end to all doubts about his talent
F‑Folio
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
Because you are what you wear Adding style Wear this duo tone lace-up peep toe slingback for a stylish update to your wardrobe.
18
A different class — Showie Nothing screams 'look at me!' like the sexy Showie booties! All eyes will be on you with these perfect platforms! The Showies feature a diagonal zipper from ankle to heel to give an edgy spin on a classic shaped bootie. Look subtly sexy on date night with skinny jeans, a lace top, and red-hot lips!
The shoe
Fetish
Fill your wardrobe this season with foot-friendly flats, killer heels and dizzy platforms, in neutral or quirky patterns, glitters and dazzling brights. Take a look at the fall/winter 2011–2012 shoe trends, which will make you start the season ahead in style On a high — Hayth Trendsetters and fashionistas will love the fierce silhouette of these 13.34cm high heel dress pumps. Other great assets include the peep toe, covered platform and low-cut sides.
Wedging it (ankle length boots) These leather ankle boots with an almond-toe, with a decorative strap is a must-have in every wardrobe Colourful ballets (tullis) Wearing these cute ballet flats with a decorative lacing is a fun way to add more style and creativity to any outfit.
Magic Screen
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
2012 is a promising year for me Shruti Haasan
“2
012 is be a promising year for me,” says Shruti Haasan. She turned 26 on January 28 this year and the multi-talented actress was in Mumbai to celebrate her birthday along with her mother Sarika and her sister Akshara Haasan. “Of late, I haven’t been able to spend time with my family due to my professional commitments, but this year I managed to take a break
from work for my birthday,” she says. She’ll soon be seen as a village belle in Harish Shankar’s Gabbar Singh in which she’s romancing Pawan Kalyan and her upcoming Tamil film 3 has already become quite a sensation thanks to the superhit song Kolaveri di. Apart from these two projects, she’s in talks with directors in the Telugu film industry for a couple of big projects and we hear that
Kamal Haasan to grace Rushi’s audio launch
K
amal Haasan is going to be the chief guest at the audio launch of Arvind Krishna, Supriya Sailja’s starrer Rushi. Raj Madiraju has directed the film and Ramesh Prasad has produced the film under the Prasad Productions Ltd banner. Thirty years ago, Ramesh Prasad’s father LV Prasad had produced Kamal Haasan, Rati Agnihotri starrer Ek Duje Ke Liye, which was a smash hit. So when Ramesh Prasad requested Kamal Haasan to grace the audio launch, the actor immediately agreed. The film traverses the life of a medical student and the issues he deals with. Rushi is slated for release in mid-February.
Senthil gets a big break in Bollywood
K
K Senthil Kumar, the cinematographer of blockbusters like Yamadonga, Arundhati and Magadheera, has got a big break in Bollywood. He has been chosen as the cinematographer for Salman Khan’s upcoming film Dabangg 2. The film will be produced and directed by Arbaaz Khan, who reportedly was quite impressed with Senthil’s work in Telugu films. Senthil recently wrapped up shooting Rajamouli’s upcoming magnum opus Eega, which is touted to be a game-changer in terms of technology used in Telugu cinema. Dabangg 2 stars Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and Prakash Raj in lead roles and it’ll go on floors later this year.
she’s also busy with her music album, which will be launched later this year. “I have always wanted to make my own music album as I began my career as a singer and a music composer before taking up acting. I look forward to acting in more Telugu films and I am quite touched by the support I have received from the audience and Telugu film industry,” she said.
19
Magic Screen
The glamour behind the glitz
Nayanthara, Prabhu Deva
no more a couple? R umours are rife in Kollywood that Nayanthara and Prabhu Deva are no longer a couple, although neither of them have confirmed it. The two had been in a relationship for more than three years and Prabhu Deva even divorced his wife to marry Nayanthara. In turn, Nayanthara converted to Hinduism, which caused quite a stir late last year. Later when she wrapped up shooting for Bapu’s Sri Rama Rajyam, she hinted that it could be her last film as she didn’t want to continue acting after her marriage. After much cajoling, the actress finally relented and signed Dasarath’s upcoming Telugu film in which she’s paired up with Nagarjuna. This move seems to be the primary reason behind the rumour that Nayanthara and Prabhu Deva are no longer seeing each other. Is this the end of a fairytale romance that had set tongues wagging right from the beginning? Your guess is as good as ours.
I don’t want to do remakes Mahesh Babu
Krish directs Samantha
M
ahesh Babu has categorically stated that he will not act in any remakes, especially of his father’s films. “I feel the greatness of all those films will be lost if we remake them now,” Mahesh Babu remarked. He also said that he’s not eager to act in action films modelled after Bond series. Few days ago, when SS Rajamouli stated that he’ll leave to Mahesh Babu’s fans to decide how they want to see their favourite actor as and most of them replied that a character like James Bond would be perfect for the hero. We wonder what SS Rajamouli and Mahesh Babu might end up doing when they team up next year for a film. Meanwhile, the actor is basking in the glory of Businessman’s success, which is well on its way to smash records set by his earlier film Dookudu.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
20
T-TOWN TWEETIES
@tapaseepannu Gudmrng twitpals. Day 2 of song n I already have body crams. Looking forward to finishing this song in 3 days! Wid extra shifts though
@ramsayz Another night shoot till morning...its COLD outside...lovin it!
@Actor_Siddharth “Kaadhalil sodhappuvadhu yeppadi” music launch on Kalaignar TV at 11:30am today. My dear friends Jayam Ravi, Arya, Rajesh and Shiva rock:)
@prakashraaj DHONI audio launch. What a wonderful evening. Maestro performed live. will share with you all soon on vijay tv. Thanks everyone. Cheerssss
@RanaDaggubati At dub for the last 4hours. Now over to the weekend ;-)) http://t.co/QLjqYOFv
K
rish, the director of Gamyam and Vedam, and Samantha have teamed up for the first time for an ad. The director recently shot an ad for South Indian Shopping Mall for which Samantha is one of the brand ambassadors. We hear that Priyanka Dutt, of Three Angels Studio that produced Baanam and Om Shanti, has ventured into producing ad films for leading brands and this ad featuring Samantha was her first production. Of late, it has become a trend in Telugu film industry where some of the leading directors have been directing ad films from time to time. In the past, Trivikram Srinivas directed ads for brands like Pepsi, Thums Up, Jos Alukkas and Santoor and SS Rajamouli directed a Navratna Cool Talcum Powder ad featuring Tarak.
@RGVzoomin Like many rich people do charity towards the poor why can’t ultra rich lakshmi also make all the poor people rich?
@LakshmiManchu It’s pack up for me. Some really difficult shots in the cooldd salt water w debris. Brr.Start shooting day 2mrw. yay! #GundelloGodari
@ssrajamouli Just finished readin Steve jobs by Walter isaacson.one of the greatest books I ever read which makes me respect/worship Steve jobs even more
Magic Screen
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
21
I'm trying to create a new Dabangg ARBAAZ KHAN
A
ctor-filmmaker Arbaaz Khan, whose debut production Dabangg rocked the box-office in 2010, says he is attempting to make its sequel diametrically different from the original. There is going to be no competition between the two, says Arbaaz. "When I did the first one, my intention was to tell a story, which I believed in... which I was excited about. That is exactly why I am going to take it forward. I have a story to tell but I am not worried about the past," he said. "With that sincerity and honesty, if I take care of the script I am sure the rest will fall in place. I am not competing with the original Dabangg, but I am trying to create another Dabangg," he added. Arbaaz, who will take the reigns of direction in his hands for the sequel of the action film, is yet to lock locations for the shooting. Dabangg 2 will star Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and southern star Prakash Raj. IANS
I opted out of Sahib Biwi... sequel
C
NEIL
I'm quite secure in my relationship ontrary to the producer's claim that Neil Nitin Mukesh was dropped for the Sahib, Biwi Aur Gangster sequel, the actor says he was the one who opted out of the project. Recently, the makers of Sahib, Biwi..., which originally featured Randeep Hooda, Jimmy Shergill and Mahie Gill, said that Neil has been ‘replaced’ by Irrfan Khan as part of a creative decision. But Neil has another story to tell. "I opted out. I had already played the horny mean husband in 7 Khoon Maaf. Doing it again would have made no sense," said Neil. Neil had in principle, said yes to the role for the film, to be directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia. "But then on paper, the character came out (to be) much older. At this point in my career, I don't want to repeatedly play older, mean characters, specially after 7 Khoon Maaf," he said. IANS
K A R E E N A
K
areena Kapoor doesn't get jealous easily. The actress says she is happy and content in her relationship with beau Saif Ali Khan. Kareena shared her sentiments in a casual tete-a-tete with her friend and Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu producer Karan Johar for A date with Ek Main aur Ekk Tu — a show to be simulcast on February 4 on many television channels. Johar asked Kareena — "How do you feel when you see Saif in an intimate scene with another hot actress? Say in Race 2, Saif has a bare-body scene with a Deepika in bikini, what would be your first thought?" To which, Kareena replied "I'd be like 'Wow! How hot Saif looks'," and added "I know how he looks bare bodied!" On a serious note, she said "I am quite secure in my relationship with Saif and though I don't want to say too much too soon, I am quite content!" IANS
Magic Screen
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
Shooting Lakshya in Ladakh changed me Farhan Akhtar
F
ilmmaker Farhan Akhtar has traveled places for his films. Be it Goa for Dil Chahta Hai, Ladakh for Lakshya or Spain for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. However, it was his experience in Ladakh that changed him as a person, he says. “I think that film (Lakshya)... being there for five months and adapting to that (environment) teaches you a lot about yourself and what you are capable of achieving if you want to do it. It changed me completely as a person,” the 39-year-old said here while launching a product. “I think the person I was before I went to Ladakh to shoot, and what I was when I came back — to me are completely two different people, I wasn’t the same,” he added. IANS
I have tasted blood
22
B-TOWN TWEETIES
Karan Johar
T
he beginning of the year saw the biggest opening ever. Karan Johar’s Agneepath has set a new record on its opening day and promises to pick up in the weekend like never before. Apparently, the team of Agneepath gathered on the sets of Yash Raj to celebrate the success with the media. Unlike, Karan Johar’s other love stories, Agneepath seemed to have more brawl and violence in it. Karan Johar said, “The dongries and Mandwa is a bit new to Dharma productions. The other action sequence I ever had in my film was Hrithik being slapped by Amith uncle. That’s the only action sequence I had in my 15 years career. I have tasted blood now don’t know what next.” The original Agneepath, which didn’t click at the box-office wasn’t a safe bet to play for. Karan Johar told reporters, “It’s my own revenge of the audience. Own son avenging his father’s flop. IANS
@RGVzoomin @SrBachchan sarkaaarrr if Gujrat is incredible I also would want to know which state is horrible?
@shreyaghoshal #Agneepath what a fantaaaassssstic masala entertainer! Full on! @ArchanaaPania @DaSoothsayer @jillsanghvi @shiladitya woohoo!
@V1SH4L @thetanmay @gauravkapur I was off ‘em for 17 years, until the rain, a balcony and adrak chai conspired against me a couple of years ago.
@MaheshNBhatt Risk being disliked.But tell the truth as you understand it.If you are a writer you have a moral obligation to do this.Truth is subversive
@thesushmitasen Zen and Kai are blessed to have a mom in Tara:) what an apt name..TARA, a gracious STAR indeed:)) god bless beautiful people!!!
Nikhil has a new role to play
N
ikhil Dwivedi has donned a new avatar. For his next under production film Tamanchey he has almost doubled up as an executive producer, helping out the first-time producer Suryaveer Singh. Since the director of the film is also a first timer, Nikhil has been personally involved in assembling a worthy technical crew and specialists for the film. So much so that many corporate honchos are now taking note and talking of how Tamanchey is being shot with precise planning and is looking like an Alist film despite a modest budget. Tamanchey also boasts of a visual director from Hollywood. A visual director is a principal technician in Hollywood films but it’ll perhaps be the first time that such a technician has been appointed for a Hindi feature film. In addition to the camera crew, which is from Hollywood as well, the film has a song director who is leaving no stone un-turned to make the songs look visually appealing. Sources say in Tamanchey, which is an intense love-story set against the backdrop of crime, Nikhil Dwivedi plays a character loosely inspired from the underworld don Abu Salem.
@atulkasbekar I’ve shot wt this amazing elephant, Rajan, at Havelock, Andamans, for the #KingfisherCalendar http://t.co/C8WvW8GI via @Telegraph
@GulPanag So elections in #punjab tomorrow. Parties have been up to their old tricks.Distributing drugs( smack, heroin, opium, poppy husk) & alcohol
@SherlynChopra Shobhaa De’s quote-’In Delhi,you are defined by your proximity to power.In Mumbai,it’s enough that u drive a fancy car”
Magic Screen
D I S P L A YA
D S RATE ` 150 sq. cm
For Further Details Please Contact Abhinay 9989399972 Nandlal 9951467988 Ravi Chander 8106039919
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
23
Magic Screen
Dunst doesn’t mind going nude
SPICE GIRLS TO UNITE FOR QUEEN’S GOLDEN JUBILEE CONCERT T
he Spice Girls are reportedly planning to reunite for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Scary Spice Mel B hinted on Australian television that the girl group will reform for a one-off gig at Buckingham Palace on June 4. Asked on breakfast show Sunrise if the Spice Girls will perform at the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, Mel B replied: "Well, we do have the Queen's Diamond Jubilee coming up. Did I really say that?" The singer then changed the subject after realising she had let the news slip, but confirmed the plans to studio workers, The Sun reports.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
"I am going to be in such strife for saying that. It's all so totally bloody top-secret still," she apparently said. Mel B also said on the Seven Network morning programme: "I'm always down for a Spice Girls reunion. For me to get my Scary hair on and my big platforms... [I'd do it] any time of day... I'm a Spice Girl through and through." Tickets for the concert will be available to the public through a ballot system and the gig will be broadcast on TV. Mel B has previously hinted that the Spice Girls could perform at this year's London 2012 Olympics.
A
ctress Kirsten Dunst says she she has no problems going naked for a part when it's appropriate. "There's a scene in 'Melancholia' where I'm lying naked, bathing in the glow of the moon, but it looks like a painting as it's lit so beautifully. You can almost forget that I'm nude," contactmusic.com quoted Dunst as saying. IANS
24
Magic Screen
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
I'm very boring:
25
Parker replaces Demi Moore in Lovelace F
ilmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman have said that Sarah Jessica Parker has stepped into the role of feminist icon Gloria Steinem in the pornstar biopic Lovelace, replacing Demi Moore, who dropped out of the film this week. It has been an unsettling couple of days for the film, which stars Amanda Seyfried as X-rated actress Linda Lovelace, who became a household name after her 1972 sex film Deep Throat went mainstream. Epstein and Friedman (Howl) announced Moore was joining the project on January 2, but she had not yet shot any scenes for the movie. Moore stunned the production by dropping out of the film on Tuesday, after she suffered a collapse and was rushed to hospital. With production on Lovelace already underway, the filmmakers had no choice but to quickly find a replacement for Moore. The Sex and the City actress will begin shooting on Monday.
Vanessa Hudgens A
ctress Vanessa Hudgens says she is very boring. The 23-year-old believes she has not been lured by the dark side of Hollywood thanks to her love of being dull. "That kind of thing isn't really my scene. My scene is honestly sitting around at home, hanging out with my mum and my sister. I think I am kind of boring like that. I would rather be out on the beach than going to a bar," Hudgens was quoted as saying.
Brad joins Google+, skips Facebook U
ltra-private celebrity Brad Pitt has finally succumbed to the lure of Social Media. No, he's not on Twitter. Nor is he on Facebook. His first venture online is on Google +. And his first post? No, he's not talking about smoking pot, turning into a doughnut or getting hitched to Angelina Jolie. His first social media post was about his Make It Right venture in New Orleans:"Making a big announcement later this week about an event in New Orleans in March to raise money to build safe, sustainable homes for disadvantaged families and disabled veterans. Check back here or on Make It Right's page".
Daisy Lowe new face of Biba
M
odel Daisy Lowe is appointed as the new face of fashion store
Biba. According to creative director Lara Bohinc, the 23year-old has been appointed for brands' Lara Bohinc accessories collection, because of her ‘unusual’
looks. "Daisy is not only a beautiful woman but she is also quite unusual and full of character," a website quoted Lowe as saying. The photo shoot for the campaign was shot by Jon Compson at London hotspot Sketch.
Chai Time
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa
26
SUNDAY CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Wade through 5 Bounce 11 Shrimp entree 17 Lake swimmer 21 Go at an easy gait 22 Beethoven's Third 23 Pub 24 Klutz's cry (2 wds.) 25 Guinness or Baldwin 26 Large antelopes 27 Pressed 28 Shaft 29 Silver-bellied fish 31 Prey grabber 33 Make a — case of 35 Shaman's findings 36 Cream cheese partner 37 Peaked, with "out" 38 Quagmire 41 Pyrite 42 Rx directives 43 Overalls front 44 "The Castle" author 48 Cays 50 Sci-fi gofer 51 Female rel. 52 Over and above 53 Polish 54 Condo luxury 55 Musher's vehicle 57 Unburdened 58 -- -- fit (got mad) 59 Victor — Hugo 60 Roll out, as dough 61 Rinse 62 Feel grateful 63 Flared, as a skirt 64 Milk sources 65 More wise 66 Grassy fields 68 Whale school 69 Mischief-maker 70 Underline 71 Meryl, in "Out of Africa" 72 Flight dir. 73 Wallet stuffer 74 Trawler's haul 75 Indifference 78 Psst! 79 — out (relax) 80 Eggplant dish 84 Tarnish 85 Cowboy's boss 87 Vibes 88 Rowdy crowd 89 Swing around 90 Private eye 91 Dye process 92 "Green Mansions" girl 93 House shader 94 Scuba gear (2 wds.) 95 Republic near Italy 96 Sired 97 Soda-fountain treat 99 Tic- — -toe 100 Sand toys 101 Gallery 102 Car dealer's pitch 103 Penn. neighbor 104 Laments 105 Night before 106 Instant lawn 107 Less hazy 109 Markets 110 Farewell!
112 Wields a sword 115 Ice-cold 116 Gym machine 120 Herr's dwelling 121 Sweltering 123 Vacation destination 125 Camembert cousin 126 Old masters 127 Flammable gas 128 Seer 129 I could — — horse! 130 Discoverer of deuterium 131 Put up shingles 132 Was a restaurant valet 133 Give off fumes DOWN 1 Bang the door 2 Kinks' song of 1970 3 Fuel cartel 4 Sticky-footed lizard 5 Unhappy fans 6 A Mandrell 7 Touchdowns 8 Wins at rummy 9 Digital watch readout 10 Japan's place (2 wds.) 11 Subway entrances 12 Wassailers' tune 13 Revlon rival 14 Adult persons
15 Factory-assembled 16 Directory 17 Eventually 18 Vibrate 19 Freud's daughter 20 Season for carols 30 Get melodramatic 32 Mellow, as brandy 34 Feinted, in hockey 36 Noted frontiersman 37 False move 38 Diocese head 39 City near Toronto 40 Moves smoothly 42 Celtic priest 43 Major-league (hyph.) 45 Cattle food 46 Scalpels 47 Poisonous snakes 49 Actress -- Hartman 50 Is bold enough 51 Going sky-high 52 "-- -Hur" 54 Mr. Spock's father 55 551, to Ovid 56 Brown of renown 59 Ferocious eel 60 Trend 61 Rendered fats 63 Overly emotional 64 Financial average
65 Secret store 67 Championship 68 Mind reader 70 Open, as oysters 72 Earthy 73 Donne's "done" 74 "The Merry Widow" widow 75 Take stock of 76 Stop (2 wds.) 77 Diploma holders 78 Gerbil relative 79 Notch shape 80 Mongrels 81 Spanish girlfriends 82 -- dragon (monitor lizard) 83 Slackened off 85 Groove 86 Like jalapenos 87 Dormitories 90 Right, to Dobbin 91 Uses a parachute 92 — room (den) 94 Barriers 95 Postal slot (2 wds.) 96 Multiply 98 "La Mer" composer 100 Buddhist language 101 Took to the skies 103 Explorer Hernando — —
104 Fused, as metal 105 Channel-swimmer Gertrude — 108 Absolute 109 Trawler gear 110 Hard as — — 111 Yellowish-brown 112 Quaker pronoun 113 Bad -- day
114 Ordinance 115 Match for Seles 116 Bygone tyrant 117 Latin hymn word 118 Lo-cal 119 Plumbing problem 122 Letter after pi 124 Victorian, e.g.
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
Chai Time STAR POWER
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot
Date 30-1-2012
THIRUVAIKUMAR
As per Hindu panchang
thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9949870449
TAURUS
GEMINI
Expected money will come. Those se‑ eking job, with good efforts, are sure to get a good news. Govt jobs will be over at a faster pace. You will meet and succeed in challenges.
Father will face tension and wander off. Businessmen have a good time and th‑ ey will earn profit. Expected loan gets sanctioned for construction of your ho‑ use. Money flow set to increase.
Held up works will resume, pick up speed and end without hurdles. Son will be favoured with a good career opening. Allergy and minor health problem likely; take enough care.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Expectations are to become a reality, which will make you cheerful. Busines‑ smen need to adopt a soft approach to get work done. Children will co‑oper‑ ate well. Be wary of colleagues.
Employees will feel happy as troubles they face at office will disappear. Your stock is set to pile up. Children will un‑ derstand you well and obey your words. Marriage of brother or sister likely.
Chances of facing indirect opposition at workplace. But you are capable enough to face and win over them. Minor acci‑ dents likely; hence advised to be alert while driving. Avoid wasteful expenses.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Real‑estate deals will bring gains. Govt jobs will end in your favour. Avoid helping anyone financially on your own or by giving guarantee. Chances of kidney ailments likely; take care.
VIPs will extend help to solve your un‑ expected problems. Friends or relatives staying abroad will help. You maybe deprived of good sleep and hunger. Chances of increase in expenses.
Your importance is set to increase in the midst of family members and rela‑ tives. Some have bright chances to buy yellow metal in good volume. Marriage that got delayed will take place now.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Travels will bring you benefits. Those diagnosed with hypertension need to be careful, keep checking BP at regu‑ lar intervals and take treatment. Property issues will bother you.
Friends and relatives who were away from you since long will be back and enjoy your company. New efforts tho‑ ugh delayed, will end successfully. Em‑ ployees to avoid being controversial.
Your suggestions and advises, on many issues, will be taken by well wishers and family members. Children will do well in studies and make you proud. Businessmen will learn new tactics.
SUMAA TEKUR
tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
Ace of Pentacles – Youʼre figuring out your finances and weighing job change options based on this. Money is your main criteria while making this choice right now.
Ten of Pentacles – The focus is on finances. You believe that financial stabili‑ ty will bring you the happiness you need at this point in life.
Five of Cups – There is some form of loss or disappointment. Plans may go awry. Donʼt be overly upset. Get over the loss quickly and move on with Plan B.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Two of Wands – This is an important waiting period. You feel like everything has come to a stand‑ still. But use this ti‑ me to think, prepare and understand.
Three of Pentacles – Enroll in a skills workshop so you can upgrade your knowl‑ edge and skills. It will boost your confide‑ nce and prepare you for challenges.
Six of Swords – Ove‑ rseas contacts are in focus. You are in a position to bargain for what exactly you want. You need to be confident and expr‑ ess yourself better.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Five of Wands – Som‑ e conflict or contradi‑ ction is indicated. Av‑ oid burning bridges. Donʼt get carried aw‑ ay by your egoʼs de‑ mands. There is time for it to fall in place.
Three of Cups – Cele‑ bration time! Youʼve been working hard at something and the results have exceeded your expectations. Open the champagne bottle and celebrate.
Four of Swords – Youʼre feeling stable and find comfort in rhythm and in the familiarity it pro‑ vides. Donʼt try to bring about any major changes yet.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Eight of Wands – Good luck is coming your way. You will get whatever you wish for, whether in a relationship or on the job front. This is good phase.
Ace of Swords – You are getting into thin‑ king of extremes – itʼs all or nothing. Try to take the mid‑ dle path so you do not hurt egos or step on toes.
Two of Pentacles – You will be expected to do the balancing act by juggling your many needs effec‑ tively so you can still carve out time for your interests.
For Better or for Worse Stone soup
Political quickies wo opposing county chairman were sharing a rare moment together. The Democratic chairman said, "I never pass up a chance to promote the party. For example, whenever I take a cab, I give the driver a sizable tip and say, 'Vote Democratic.'" His opponent said, "I have a better scheme, and it doesn't cost me a nickel. I don't give any tip at all. And when I leave, I also say, 'Vote Democratic.'"
T
Ink pen
COMICS
Fred Basset
ARIES
TAROT READ
27
A surgeon, an architect, and a politician were considering the question of whose profession was the oldest. "I think my line of work would win this one hands down," the surgeon said. "After all, Eve was created from Adam's
rib, and that sounds like surgery to me." "Maybe," the architect said, "but before Adam, order was created out of chaos. That was architectural accomplishment." "Sure," the politician said, going on to add, "But before that, someone had to create the chaos." A newcomer to the political scene saw a young man milking a cow. As he was campaigning, he went to the man, ready to ask for a vote. Just as he was getting started, an old man called from inside the house. "Luke, get in the house. And who is that guy you're talking to?" "Says he's a politician, pop," Luke said. "In that case, you'd better bring the cow inside with you."
Vol: 1, No. 196 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No. 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad–500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad–500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211
Chai Time 1230 Movie - Chirutha 1530 Movie - Yamadonga 1900 Movie - Awara 2330 Songs 0800 Ayurvedam 0900 Challenge 1100 CID 1200 Maa Voori Vanta
‘Awara’ at 1900 Hrs on MAA TV
1200 Movie - Celebrity Cricket League LIVE 1800 Movie - Bejawada 2030 Movie - Sivaji - The Boss 0800 Gemini Talkies 0830 Movie 1130 Aha Emi Ruchi 1200 Jeevitha Chakram
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
Telly sitcoms, news and movie listings
1300 Movie - Intlo Pilli Veedhilo Puli 1600 Movie - Africa 1800 Movie - Jajimalli 2100 Etv News 2130 Movie - Malle Pandiri 0830 Jeevanajyothi 0900 Movie - Premaku Velayera
1400 Movie - The Librarian 3 1600 The Challenger Muaythai 1800 Wipeout 2 2000 Criss Angel Mindfreak 2200 Movie - Blades Of Glory 0830 Infomercial/30 Min 0900 Sky Teleshopping 0930 E Buzz 0955 Infomercial/5 Min 1000 Whacked Out Sports 1025 Infomercial/5 Min 1030 Sports Crash 1130 Breaking The Magician's Code - Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed 1225 Got To Dance
‘Jajimalli’ at 1800 Hrs on ETV
1300 Movie - Munna 1630 Movie - Vinayakudu 1900 Movie - Naa Peru Shiva 2300 Luckku Kickku 2330 Latest Songs 0800 Gopuram 0900 Sri Raghavendra Vybhavam 1000 Bindass 1200 Mee Inti Vanta
‘Blades Of Glory’ at 2200 Hrs on AXN
‘De Dana Dan’ at 1200 Hrs on IMAGINE 1200 Movie - De Dana Dan 1600 Gyaan Guru 1700 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 1930 Baba Aiso Var Dhoondo 2000 Gyaan Guru 0900 Box Office India 0930 Gyaan Guru 1000 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 1030 Haar Jeet 1100 Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo 1130 Haar Jeet 1200 Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo 1230 Dwarkadheesh Bhagwan Shri Krishn 1300 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto
1300 Movie - Welcome 1630 Movie - Golmaal 3 2000 Ring Ka King 2100 Movie - Dhamkee 2300 Movie - Sherdil 0900 Parichay - Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka 0930 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 1000 Hawan 1100 Phulwa 1200 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha
‘Golmaal 3’ at 1630 Hrs on COLORS
‘Aitraaz’ at 1500 Hrs on ZEE TV 1200 Dance India Dance 1500 Movie - Aitraaz 1900 Apka Sapna Hamara Apna 1930 Shobha Somnath Ki 2030 Dance India Dance 2200 Dance India Dance Limelight 2230 Afsar Bitiya 0900 Bhagonwali 0930 Afsar Bitiya 1000 Choti Bahu 2 1030 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 1100 Ram Milaye Jodi 1130 Hitler Didi 1200 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein
1200 Movie - Lagaan - Once Upon A Time In India 1630 CID 1900 Crime Patrol Dastak 2000 Adaalat 2100 Kahani Comedy Circus Ki 2330 Crime Patrol - Dastak 0730 Sky Star Advertising 0900 Adaalat 1000 CID 1200 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1245 Dekha Ek Khwaab 1330 Parvarrish - Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi
‘Lagaan’ at 1200 Hrs on SONY
28
‘Deewar - Man Of Power’ at 1830 Hrs on STAR PLUS 1300 Movie - Taqdeerwala 1630 Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 1830 Movie - Deewar - Man Of Power 2100 Survivor India 2200 Survivor India - Highlight 2230 Survivor India 2330 Survivor India - Highlight 0800 Superstar Preview 0830 Ruk Jana Nahin 0900 Diya Aur Bati Hum 0930 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 1000 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1030 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 1130 Maryaada ... Lekin Kab Tak? 1200 Diya Aur Bati Hum
MOVIES OF THE DAY AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
‘Bejawada’ at 1800 Hrs on GEMINI TV
1400 [V] My Big Decision 1500 [V] Spot 1530 [V] Trailers 1555 [V] Fresh Songs 1600 [V] Steal UR Girlfriend 1700 [V] Humse Hai Life 1900 [V] Steal UR Girlfriend 2000 [V] My Big Decision 2155 [V] Fresh Songs 2200 Love Kiya To Darna Kya 2300 [V] Steal UR Girlfriend 2355 [V] Fresh Songs 0700 [V] Trailers 0730 [V] Zabardast Hits 0800 [V] Mind Blasting Mornings 1100 [V] Fresh Songs 1200 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1230 [V] Humse Hai Life
‘[V] Steal Ur Girlfriend’ at 1900 Hrs on CHANNEL [V]
1300 Movie - Terminator 2 Judgment Day 1500 Survivor 1900 Lucha Libre 2000 Movie - Terminator 2 Judgment Day 2200 Aspire 2230 Dead Zone 0900 Survivor 1000 Bellator 1100 Jerry Springer 1200 Big Wheels
‘Terminator 2 - Judgment Day’ at 1300 Hrs only on BIG CBS PRIME
‘Naa Peru Shiva’ at 1900 Hrs on ZEE TELUGU
‘Et Insight’ at 2100 Hrs only on ET NOW 1400 Bollywood This Week 1430 Et Insight 1500 The Market Makers 1530 Tee Time With Shaili Chopra 1600 Technoholik 1630 Your Trades 1700 Zigwheels 1730 Market Summit 2011 1830 The Market Makers 1900 Investor's Guide 1930 Starting Up 2000 Zigwheels 2030 Talking Technicals 2100 Et Insight 2130 Your Trades 2200 Tee Time With Shaili Chopra 2230 Brand Equity 2300 The Market Makers 0900 First Trades 1000 Hot Stocks 1100 Buy Now Sell Now - The Stock Game 1130 Buy Now Sell Now 1200 Market Sense 1300 Business Day 1330 Markets Now
1215 Ghost Ship 1400 The Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King 1750 Harry Potter And The HalfBlood Prince 2100 Million Dollar Baby 2345 Deep Blue Sea 0820 Good Morning, Miami 0850 Friends 0920 Lost Boys - The Tribe 1100 Million Dollar Baby
1335 Red 1600 The Saint 1835 Up In The Air 2100 The Mummy Returns 2345 Goldfinger 0835 Preacher's Kid 1055 Up In The Air 1315 The Mummy Returns
Storyline - Make your weekend a happy one by watching ‘dhamakedar’ performances by Kapil-Sumona, RashmiKuldeep, Bharti-Siddharth, & Krushna –Sudesh on the theme ‘Guru Chela’. ‘Kahani Comedy Circus Ki’ at 2100 Hrs on SONY
Storyline - While working at a women's clinic, Captain Pam Everwood, Grace, Rebecca, Suzy, and Major Hasti Samizay are attacked by an unknown gunman. ‘Combat Hospital’ at 2200 Hrs on STAR WORLD ‘Million Dollar Baby’ at 2100 Hrs on WB
1400 Man Vs Wild 1600 Swords 1700 Discovery Showcase 1800 Wild Discovery 1900 Speed At Its Best 2000 Super Sunday Nights 2100 Man Vs Wild 2200 Gold Rush Alaska 2300 Desire & Pleasure Decoded 1000 Rampage 1100 How Do They Do It? 1130 Feast India 1200 Gold Rush Alaska 1300 Wild Discovery
1400 Cougar Town 1500 The Big Bang Theory 1600 Outsourced 1700 In Plain Sight 1800 Parenthood 2000 No Ordinary Family 2100 Private Practice 2200 The Fashionista Diaries 2300 Outsourced 0800 In Plain Sight 0900 Parenthood 1000 Outsourced 1030 America's Funniest Home Videos 1100 In Plain Sight 1200 Parenthood 1300 Slot 1330 America's Funniest Home Videos
‘Dexter’ at 2300 Hrs on STAR WORLD
‘Private Practice’ at 2100 Hrs on ZEE CAFE
1400 Achievers' Club 1500 Love2 Hate U 1600 Supernatural 1900 Combat Hospital 2000 The Chivas Studio 2100 Koffee With Karan 2200 Combat Hospital 2300 Dexter 0700 The Shield 0800 Las Vegas 0900 Charlie’s Angels 1000 The Shield 1100 The Chivas Studio 1200 Two And A Half Men 1230 The Simpsons 1300 The Big Bang Theory 1330 Friends
‘Lok Parlok’ at 2000 Hrs on SAB TV 1400 Fir 1630 Movie - Banphool 2000 Movie - Lok Parlok 2230 Chidiya Ghar 0800 Teleshopping 0830 Religious Programmes 0900 Gutar Gu 1200 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma
Kahani Comedy Combat Circus Ki Hospital
‘C Kkompany’ at 1400 Hrs on ZOOM
‘Super Sunday Nights’ at 2000 Hrs on DISCOVERY CHANNEL
1400 Movie - C Kkompany 1730 Letz Go! 1900 Planet Bollywood News 1930 Business Of Bollywood 2000 Bollywood Big Story 2030 Love Dobara 2100 Just For Love 2300 Bollywood Bonanza 0700 Fresh Mornings 0800 Red Carpet 0805 Fresh Mornings 0900 Zoom Barabar Jhoom Top 20 1000 Fresh Mornings 1100 Zoom Box 1200 Garma Garam 1300 Planet Bollywood News 1330 Business Of Bollywood
1430 Discovery Science Presents 1630 Top Sniper 1730 Ultimate Weapons 1830 Best Of Discovery Science 1930 Weird Or What? 2030 Ultimate Cars 2100 Deconstructed 2130 How It's Made 2200 The New Inventors 2230 Frontline Battle Machines With Mike Brewer 2330 Industrial Revelations 1030 Discovery Science Presents 1230 Best Of Discovery Science 1330 Weird Or What?
‘Frontline Battle Machines With Mike Brewer’ at 2230 Hrs on DISCOVERY SCIENCE
‘The Foodie’ at 1830 Hrs only on TIMES NOW 1400 News Now 1430 Total Recall Greatest Hits 1500 News Now 1530 Titans Cup 1600 News Now 1630 Times Drive 1700 News Now 1730 Amazing Indians 1800 News Now 1830 Times Now Sport Weekend 1900 News Now 1930 The Foodie 2000 Total Recall 2100 9 Pm 2130 Enow Spice 2200 10 Pm 2230 Total Recall Greatest Hits 2300 News Now Overnight 2330 Times Now Sport Weekend 0800 The Morning Show 0900 News Now 1200 Live Report 1300 News Now At 1
Playing Field
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
The games people play
29
Pak are back and looking for respect AFP/LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI
Shahid Hashmi
ABU DHABI: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq on Sunday said he hoped his team’s series win over test cricket’s number one side England will earn them respect from the cricketing world after a turbulent period which tarnished their image. Dogged by off-the-field problems like failed dope tests and lack of discipline, Pakistan cricket hit the lowest ebb on their 2010 tour
of England when three of their top players were caught in a spot-fixing scandal. The then Test captain Salman Butt and pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were banned for conniving over the bowlers deliberately bowling noballs during the Lord’s Test against England, and getting paid for that by agent Mazhar Majeed. Last November all three and Majeed were sentenced to prison terms by an English court.
But since the scandal, Pakistan have fared well both on and off the field under an astute captain Misbah. Pakistan beat England by 72 runs in the second Test to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the threematch series, their fourth series win on the trot and eighth win in 14 Tests under Misbah, who took over two months after the scandal. And Pakistan’s resurgence, Misbah feels should earn them respect. “I think the whole world
should acknowledge and accept that Pakistan cricket is coming up, the way our players are performing and they should accept it. Such (negative) things can happen anywhere and we must forget them,” said Misbah. Misbah, 37, stressed his team will build further on the success against England. “We have put everything behind us,” said Misbah, who has led from the front hitting 12 fifties as captain. “I think whichever team is
doing well it should be accepted, our team deserves that and with the self confidence we have, we can do better.” Coach Mohsin Khan, who rather unluckily will be replaced by former Australian batsman Dav Whamore after the series, said these are good days to relish after the bad times. “I definitely agree with Misbah, we deserve more respect for the performances we have put together,” said Khan, a former opener. “Pakistan cricket has suffered badly in the last two years but the management and the team has done well to transform it.” Khan said the impressive win over England will only improve Pakistan’s image. “A win over the world’s top team is the best thing Pakistan could have achieved,” said Khan, who was appointed interim coach after Waqar Younis quit the post in September last year. Former captain Ramiz Raja said Pakistan have earned respect. “I think they have earned respect,” said Raja, now a widely travelled cricket commentator. “They deserve a lot of praise for the manner in which they have beaten the world’s best side, its no mean achievement.” Raja said the whole nation — embroiled in terrorism, corruption and bad governance — can take a lead from the cricket team. “I think the whole nation can take the lead from the sequence of the team’s wins. The team has shown more wisdom, sincerity and hard work which people in Pakistan should match in all walks of lives,” said Raja. “No praise is enough for this team which has lifted its image and the way they have beaten the world’s best team like toddlers is a great achievement,” said Raja.
Our Dad’s Army must sing a younger tune to succeed Twelfth Man Babu Kalyanpur
T
he Disaster Down Under finally came to a close at Adelaide with Team India thoroughly thumped. It is not so much the defeat but the manner in which India catapulted which angers. These cricketers win so much admiration back home that they are almost demi-gods. They now owe an apology to the millions of passionate fans back home. What hurts more is that they did not have the capacity to fight. This was no ordinary team.
There were three batting greats along with other top class Test players. They failed miserably. There were three elements missing – positive approach, willingness to learn from mistakes and body language. The top order failed to deliver in every Test when it mattered. The lack of a good opening partnership added to the pressure. They made the same mistakes in every innings. Rahul Dravid got himself bowled on many occasions. Sachin Tendulkar looked good most times but ended up getting caught in the slips. And the sudden change of gear from stroke play to prodding did him in. VVS Laxman paid for lack of footwork while Gautam Gambir was caught fending. Worse still, Virendra Sehwag
did not bat long enough. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni rarely bothered the scorers. The low scores gave the bowlers very little to work with each time. To be fair to them, they fared much better but gave in when they should have dominated. Ishant Sharma’s lack of wickets has to be put down to inconsistency. Umesh Yadav is one for the future but he must learn to bowl steadily. Thankfully, Virat Kohli came good when he was on the verge of being dropped. He showed the technique and willingness to stay at the wicket. And he did the right thing by returning the verbal abuse in kind. India needs players like that. Australia deserve full credit for the whitewash. Everything clicked for
them. Michael Clarke’s positive captaincy went a long way in ensuring the victories. He was also in tremendous batting form with a triple hundred and a double in the series. As usual, India let the out-ofform Ricky Ponting to find his golden touch again. Australia’s real heroes were the bowlers. They were relentless when it came to line and length and their speeds were always above 140 kmph. Ben Hilfenhaus came out from a period of self-doubt to become the highest wicket taker in the series. He put in a lot of hard work during his year in the wilderness and it paid off. Peter Siddle was not in the picture for a while too but he earned his recall with some of the most hostile bowling of the
series. Ryan Harris and James Pattinson also justified their selection while Nathan Lyon came good at Adelaide. India and Dhoni have now run out of excuses. The ‘we did not bat well or bowl well’ does not wash any more, India needs players with passion. We are a cricket-mad nation. Such let downs, hyped by the media, does not augur well for the future. Some of the Golden must take a call on their future. There is no Test until August which gives them enough time to reassess. If they play well enough, age will not matter. But somewhere down the line a new lot has to come in. We don’t want to remain a Dad’s Army for too long.
Playing Field
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
The games people play
England hunt redemption
French looking to end century of inconsistency
Rob Woollard
Pirate Irwin
LONDON: Stuart Lancaster says England’s Six Nations campaign is the first step on a long journey of redemption that leads all the way to the 2015 World Cup. The problem for the caretaker England coach is that his employers at the Rugby Football Union may well eject him from the cockpit before he has barely had time to fasten his seatbelt. Appointed on an interim basis following a poor World Cup which resulted in the resignation of Martin Johnson after scathing criticism of the former coach’s regime, Lancaster effectively has only two games to prove he is the right man to lead England on their road to rehabilitation. But the RFU decision to set a February 15 deadline for applications for the England coach means that the clock is already ticking. Anything less than strong showings against Scotland in their opening fixture at Murrayfield on February 4 and against Italy a week later, and the chances of Lancaster becoming a permanent appointment will surely recede. While Lancaster has generally received a positive press so far, England’s 2003 World Cupwinning coach Sir Clive Woodward delivered a sobering assessment suggesting the former Saxons coach was fortunate to
Six Nations winners n n n n n n n n n n n n
2000 England 2001 England (on points difference) 2002 France (Grand Slam) 2003 England (Grand Slam) 2004 France (Grand Slam) 2005 Wales (Grand Slam) 2006 France (on points difference) 2007 France (on points difference) 2008 Wales (Grand Slam) 2009 Ireland (Grand Slam) 2010 France (Grand Slam) 2011 England
have landed the top job. “Considering the fact that he’s never coached a team at Premiership level he must be thinking how lucky he is to get this opportunity,” Woodward said. “He’s spoken a lot of common sense but it’s easy to talk common sense. How can we make any judgments when we’ve not seen how his teams even play? In the end he will be judged solely on results.” Lancaster is adamant that his perceived lack of experience will not be a factor. Portrayal of England’s World Cup campaign as a glorified stag do has prompted a back-to-basics approach which has included moving the team’s pre-Six Nations training camp from a swanky resort in Portugal to Leeds.
PARIS: France’s new coach Philippe Saint Andre’s goal in his first Six Nations championship is to deliver consistency, something he says has been missing from the national side for nigh on a century. The 44-year-old succeeded Marc Lievremont, who despite leading the French to one Grand Slam and the World Cup final did so to the backdrop of massively inconsistent performances — such as losing to Tonga in the World Cup pool stage — and an increasingly dissaffected squad. Saint-Andre, who lost out to Lievremont for the post after the 2007 World Cup despite having more coaching experience, said it was time to put it right and not to leave the French fans in a state of limbo as to which French team would turn up on match-
day. “This is French rugby for the last four years — for the last 100 years,” said SaintAndre. “We can be one day up here and one day near to the floor. “The biggest challenge — and we spoke with the players about this — is to try to be very consistent,” added the former national skipper, who was capped 69 times. Saint-Andre, who broke his coaching teeth with English side Gloucester before spells with Bourgoin, Sale and Toulon, believes that this consistency cannot only come from the players but also in changing the system in French domestic rugby. “We are the only country who have the league Friday and Saturday,” he said referring to the Top 14 league programme this weekend. “We know the other countries have much more time to prepare. For the players, it is not easy. Last week, it was the
30
European Cup. This week is French league and next week it’s Six Nations. “So they play three different competitions in three different weeks. “We need to improve a few areas to give more times for the players to prepare for the Six Nations. “The French league, the federation, know this and they’ve started to speak with each other to try to find a French way to try to be as competitive as possible.” Saint-Andre has stuck with 14 of the 15 players who started the World Cup final 8-7 defeat by the All Blacks in the 23-man squad he has chosen for the home opener against Italy, but in new faces such as Clermont centre Wesley Fofana will hope that they become the nucleus of the 2015 World Cup group.
Woods shares lead ahead of final day Allan Kelly
ABU DHABI: Tiger Woods shared the joint lead in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship after Saturday’s third round, firing a 66 to stand at 11-under for the tournament. That was level with England’s Robert Rock who also had a 66 and two shots clear of Irishman Rory McIlroy (68), Sweden’s Peter Hanson (65), Francesco Molinari of Italy (66) and Paul Lawrie of Scotland (64). A further stroke back came South African pair George Coetzee (65) and James Kingston (67) alongside Jean-Baptiste Gonnet of France (69) and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark (71). Woods started the day in the $2.7million dollars European Tour event tied for fifth with McIlroy and seven others on five under, two shy of leader Olesen. Playing confident, controlled
golf off the tee in what is his season-opener, the 36-year-old American completed a second bogey-free round in three days and added five birdies for his 67. “I played well today.” he said. “Not doing a lot of things right, but not doing a lot of things wrong either. Just very consistent. Things are progressing. “There are a ton of guys with a chance to win. We have not separated ourselves from the field. I need to go out there and put together a solid round of golf.” The lead changed hands several times on a day of perfect playing conditions which allowed for low-scoring on Abu Dhabi’s testing National Course. Kingston, Gonnet, Hanson and Rock all took command at one stage or another before Woods edged ahead with his fifth birdie of the day at the 14th. From there on in he parred the next four holes and birdied
the par-five last after reaching the green comfortably in two. His six-under 66 was his best tournament score since he shot the same number in the second
round of last year’s Masters. It was while playing at Augusta National that Woods picked up the leg injury that sidelined him for most of the rest of
the season. His playing partner for the third straight day, McIlroy, stayed in touch with a 68 to settle in at two strokes off the lead, and he was pleased that he showed more consistency than on the two previous days. “It would be nice to eliminate the mistakes tomorrow and have a good round,” he said. Rock, ranked 117th in the world, birdied the last two holes to draw level with Woods and will play alongside him for the first time in Sunday’s finale, an experience he said he was looking forward to. “How many chances I will get to do that, it’s not clear. I want to at least say that I’ve done that once. I think it will be all right,” he said. World number two Lee Westwood, shrugged off the effects of a jarred nerve in his neck to fire a 68 which left him at four under par.
Playing Field
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
The games people play
Manchester United's French defender Patrice Evra is shouted at by a Liverpool fan during the English FA Cup fourth round football match
31
AFP
Blond bombshell blasts Utd Rob Woollard
LONDON: A last-gasp goal from substitute Dirk Kuyt saw Liverpool snatch a 2-1 victory over Manchester United on Saturday as the Merseysiders booked their place in the last 16 of the FA Cup. Kuyt punished poor Manchester United defending in the 88th minute, lashing a low shot past David de Gea to send Anfield into raptures after United had failed to deal with a Pepe Reina goal kick. The Dutch forward’s late winner was the dramatic final act of a largely trouble-free first meeting between the clubs since the acrimony of the Luis Suarez racism affair earlier this season. The game had seemed set for a replay at Old Trafford after South Korean midfielder Park JiSung had swept in a deserved equaliser for United to cancel out Daniel Agger’s opener for Liverpool. “It’s been a fantastic week for
the players. Everyone realises the history of the football club and the players want to be part of it,” said Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, whose side had reached the League Cup final on Wednesday. “It was a magnificent effort from them. After the game on Wednesday, to come back on Saturday morning and win showed tremendous commitment and great heart. “United might have been the better side and had more possession but other than them hitting the woodwork once Pepe (Reina) didn’t have that much to do.” United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was adamant his side had not deserved to lose. “I don’t know how we lost it,” Ferguson said. “But I think in the context of an FA Cup game it can happen. One bad breakaway and you can lose a game. “It was a bad goal because we didn’t deserve to be beaten. We were the better team. But that’s FA Cup football. It can happen.”
Liverpool's Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt celebrates their 2-1 victory in the English FA Cup fourth round football match The build-up to the match had been marked by appeals for calm from both Dalglish and Ferguson. United captain Patrice Evra, who Suarez had been found guilty of racially abusing during their league game in October, was booed relentlessly throughout. But the contest was played out in a good spirit, with referee
Mark Halsey brandishing only one yellow card throughout. Liverpool had taken the lead on 21 minutes when a corner from Steven Gerrard was nodded home by defender Agger. United’s Spanish goalkeeper de Gea was at fault for the goal, stranded in no-mans-land as Agger headed in. But United, who dominated possession throughout the
Ferguson ‘sick’ after defeat No handshakes Neil Johnston
LIVERPOOL: Sir Alex Ferguson labelled Manchester United’s 21 FA Cup defeat by Liverpool as “sickening” after the champions dominated the tie before being sunk by a late Dirk Kuyt goal. “To lose is a real sickening blow. We dominated the game in terms of possession. We did very well in that respect. But to lose the game is hard to believe. Some of our possession was good. I thought we were in the driving seat,” he said
LONDON: Mark Hughes believes there should be an end to the pre-match handshake after the ritual was cancelled ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup defeat of Queens Park Rangers. A late decision to abandon the procedure was taken by the Football Asssociation (FA) following intense speculation about the meeting between Anton Ferdinand and John Terry at Loftus Road. The two players faced each other for the first time since the meeting between the two sides when Terry was accused of racially abusing the QPR defender, allegations the Chelsea captain denies. Hughes, the QPR manager, welcomed the decision and admitted his club’s request to the FA to change procedures had been made after a meeting between officials and players.
opening half, drew level six minutes from half-time. A deft flick from Antonio Valencia released Rafael down the right who crossed for the byline for Park, the midfielder driving in a low shot first time. With a replay looming, Reina launched a hopeful long goalkick forward. Andy Carroll got the flick-on and Kuyt pounced to rifle home only his second goal of the season. Chelsea meanwhile booked their place in Sunday’s fifth round draw after a disputed penalty settled another match which failed to live up to its potentially explosive billing at Loftus Road. Elsewhere Saturday, second tier Brighton, finalists in 1983, ousted Premier League high-riders Newcastle 1-0 while promotion-chasing League Two side Crawley revived memories of last year’s fairytale FA Cup run by downing Championship outfit Hull, a side 45 places above them.
One arrested LONDON: British police said they arrested a man late Saturday in connection with an alleged racist gesture made at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium during the FA Cup fourthround tie against Manchester United. An image of a man apparently making a monkey gesture in the stands was widely distributed on social networking websites, and a number of complaints were made to police after the match which ended in a 2-1 win for Liverpool. Before the match the stadium announcer warned supporters that racist behaviour would not be tolerated. Evra, a French international defender who was born in Senegal, was loudly booed by Liverpool fans throughout the match.
Playing Field
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
The games people play
32
Barça falter as Real sprint Dermot Ledwith
MADRID: Barcelona dropped precious points in a 0-0 draw at Villarreal on Saturday night to slip seven points behind Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. Earlier Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil had scored to help Real Madrid beat Zaragoza 3-1 and pile the pressure on Barca, who never convinced against a well organised Villarreal. In a tight match with both teams relying on their passing games to create space, goal opportunities were rare and what Barca did create was stopped by an inspired Diego Lopez in the home team’s goal. The first chance came on three minutes when Dani Alves found himself clear with just Lopez to beat at close range, but
Group D down to the wire Nick Reeves
LIBREVILLE: Ghana duo Asamoah Gyan and Andre Ayew lit up day eight at the Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday to push the Black Stars virtually through the door opening onto the knockout stage. Ayew, son of the African legend ‘Pele’ Ayew and the BBC Africa Footballer of the Year, and Gyan earned the 2010 World Cup quarter-finalists a 20 win over Mali to leave them heading Group D on six points. But the group will go down to the wire as any one of their three rivals, Guinea, Mali or even pointless Botswana, could still theoretically bag a last eight place. The final throw of the dice for the Group D inmates comes on Wednesday
with Ghana requiring just a draw from their encounter with Guinea in Franceville, with Mali heading off to the Gabonese capital Libreville to face Botswana. Ghana’s win followed a record equalling performance by Guinea, who routed Botswana 6-1 in the first leg of the Group D double bill in Franceville. Freescoring Guinea matched the record victory margin for a Nations Cup game and they are only the third team after Egypt in 1963 and Ivory Coast in 1970 to have scored six goals in a tournament match. Guinea defender Bobo Balde said: “We won 6-1 but football is never easy. No matter how many you goals score, you only get three points.”
the Villarreal goalkeeper stood tall and blocked the Brazilian’s weak shot. Five minutes later Villarreal conjured up some quick passing that produced an opening for Ruben Gracia ‘Cani’ who produced a good save from Victor Valdes. Lionel Messi was then sent clear for a one-on-one with Lopez which saw him gently lob the ball over goalkeeper only to watch the ball gently roll inches wide. Javier Mascherano was at hand to clear a wayward Gerard Pique header from the Barcelona goal-line and Villarreal were suddenly creating the better chances. Marco Ruben shot high on 35 minutes after strong run took him clear and then Marco Senna brought an acrobatic save from
Valdes. Pep Guardiola made a tactical change on the hour mark, taking off Pique and replacing him with Alexis Sanchez, but the all important three points seemed a long way from Barca’s grasp. Cesc Fabregas had a shot pushed by Lopez onto the bar with 12 minutes remaining and a subdued Messi had two shots blocked in the final minutes. Angel Lafita gave bottom side Zaragoza an early lead in the Santiago Bernabeu but the leaders were dominant throughout and could have scored more than three goals in reply. The result makes it fifteen wins in sixteen league games, the home defeat to Barcelona in December being the only blip, for a Madrid side showing great consistency in the league.