Ergo April 21

A BYTE OF LIFE

FREE CIRCULATION

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Vol. 3

No. 74

CAR CRASHES, NOT HOPES Adrian Sutil came close to securing his first championship points for Force India at the Chinese Grand Prix, only to agonisingly spin out five laps from the finish. Not perturbed with the near miss, the German is ready to push harder for that elusive point.

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11 SOMETHING ABOUT SUSAN Does Susan Boyle of Britain’s Got Talent need a makeover?

03 MADRAS BIOTECH

An all-women microbiology unit

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

Coconut Caress or Malli Mélange? Indulge yourself with an exotic spa package at Courtyard by Marriott this summer. The special Summer Spa package encompasses a variety of massages to choose from. The ‘Coconut Caress Massage’ is ideal for dry skin and comprises a blend of freshly grated coconut and sweet cardamom. ‘Malli Mélange Massage’ is another soother. Freshly-picked jasmine mixed with finelygrounded sea salt is polished onto the body to remove excess oil and simultaneously balance and soothe the skin from the damaging effects of the coastal sun. To add on, ‘Holistic Health’ is a Thai , while Jet Lag Soother gives the optimum amount of blended essential oils. The Swedish massage is a European therapy that improves circulation and relaxes the muscles. The full-body massages are priced at Rs. 1,800 and the half-body massage starts from Rs.1,000 onwards (plus taxes). You can bring along your friend and avail of a special discount of 30 per cent at any of the spa massages. The offer is valid till April 2009. The special summer offer is valid from April to June. Also, you can choose from any one of the massages, followed by steam bath, relax in the Jacuzzi and even work out at the gym. This package comes for Rs. 1,100 plus taxes. This can be availed of between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. This offer is valid till June. For reservations contact 66764000.

ERGO Tuesday, April 21, 2009

ATM robbers still at bay ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

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olice are still clueless about the daring robbery case in Kilpauk where unidentified men took way an entire Automotive Teller Machine (ATM) with Rs 87,500 cash in it on Friday night. The ATM located in a kiosk on Ormes Road, Kilpauk belonging to the Indian Overseas Bank was targeted around 11.30 p. m. on Friday by three or more men who had reached there on a van or a pick up truck. Pretending to be ATM maintenance workers, they loaded the machine with cash into the vehicle and drove away unnoticed. The shocking robbery came to light only on Saturday morning after the IOB branch next to the ATM opened for operations and found the computer connectivity to the machine was snapped. Bank authorities alerted the Kilpauk police who reached the spot and conducted preliminary investigations. Speaking about the incident M. Pandian, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kilpauk said that the ATM kiosk stands in an isolated location in the night and doesn’t even have security guard posted inside. “The ATM was installed 9 months back and wasn’t cemented to the floor of the kiosk. Moreover there was no CCTV camera installed inside,” said the Deputy Commissioner. Police also said that there was a delay on the part of the bank in informing the police about the incident as the complaint was lodged only on Saturday afternoon. Two special teams formed to investigate the case have questioned many known defaulters in the city. Fingerprint experts have lifted three finger prints from inside the kiosk and a search for a match is underway. ■

Man dies of alcohol, father dies after seeing son’s body A

40-year-old man died on Sunday night, allegedly following a heavy dose of alcohol . Adding to that, the deceased man’s father immediately died of a heart attack after seeing his dead son’s body. According to Vadapalani police, the deceased Manoharan, who was running a grocery store in Kodambakkam, had thrown an alcohol party for his friends on Sunday evening at a wine shop in Venkatachalam Street as he had bought a new washing machine for his home. After drinking heavily in the

party, Manoharan had gone to Tambaram along with two of his friends Rajendran and Thangadurai for another drinking session. He had blacked out there and

Manoharan’s father Appadurai, who had gone to the hospital, fell down and died of a heart attack after seeing his son’s dead body

his friends carried him into an autorickshaw and dropped him home. After desperate attempts by his family members to wake a drunken Manoharan failed, they rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced ‘brought dead’. Manoharan’s father Appadurai (79), who had gone to the hospital, fell down and died of a heart attack after seeing his son’s dead body, police added. Vadapalani police has registered a case and are investigating the incident. ■

03

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Bhandarkar’s Durga Catch Madhur Bhandarkar’s Durga as part of the ‘Heroine - zindagi ke panno se’ series on Sony Entertainment Television on Thursday, April 23 at 10 p.m.

Biotech diversified Shobhana and her team’s vision to make India selfsufficient in biotech made them start an all-women unit in the same field DEEPA VENKATRAMAN

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ike many students in biotech and biochemistry who get depressed due to lack of employment opportunities, S Gita (name changed) too was one such individual who almost gave up her career in this field, but thanks to Madras Biotech, an all women unit, she could continue her work in her desired area and forte.

The company which was started in 2003, by Shobhana S, a biochemistry graduate from the Mumbai University, and Lalitha Gopalan, philanthropist, employs only women. This has helped to bridge gap between employment opportunities and deserving candidates. Ask Shobhana why she focused on a microbiology unit, “Out of our research, we realised that there are very few companies in

India who make biochemistry/ biotech related products and most of them are imported. I strongly felt that we should become self-sufficient in this field. I could easily identify great potential in manufacturing indigenous reagents and products for Biotech teaching and research. We wanted to give a platform to girls to engage them in good research and development which is also commercially viable.” Over the years, the company that initially made 6 DNA and protein products has now 50 products that are sent to various schools, colleges and research institutes of bio chemistry and biotechnology. Though it was a rough climb for Shobhana and her team, Dr Radha Ramachandran, technical coordinator and trainer at the unit says, “Since this industry is still emerging in our country, it took us about three years to break even. Our potential clients were reluctant to try out our products as we were new in the market, but we kept giving reminder calls and also few free trials. We also start-

ed to customize our products based on their requirements which helped us to bridge the gaps. We sponsored college events to create awareness. With a vision to popularise this industry, their office turned into a mini academic school few years ago, now imparts handson, practical and theoretical training in molecular biology and biochemistry techniques in their laboratory and mini class room. Shobhana says, “Many students felt that the practical training sessions in their colleg-

“Out of our research, we realised that there are very few companies in India who make biochemistry/ biotech related products and most of them are imported. I strongly felt that we should become self-sufficient in this field.” es is not sufficient and hence we have organised separate training programmes that assures personal attention to every student. We also help them in their college projects. The fees for the programmes vary from Rs 2000 to Rs 4000, depending on the student’s study module requirements and schedule.” When asked about her future plans, she said, “We plan to expand in terms of space, and in course of time start a soft skill training course which will highlight presentation skills, laboratory work and the required technical knowledge. This will make the candidate confident to face the corporate world. We appeal to the concerned authorities in the government for special benefits to be sanctioned to all such units mainly run by women.” ■

Shobhana Shankar along with her team members.

PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

04 TECHNORAMA

ERGO Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Technology snippets sourced from T3 magazine of Infomedia 18 Group

Vision of the future Philips’ Cinema 21:9 television ushers in a new era of true widescreen movie watching The only route to a truly cinematic experience in the home is with a projector, right? Surely no TV can offer a true widescreen image with no letterboxing? Not any longer. Philips’ Cinema 21:9 is the first to use the 21:9 broadcast standard – incredibly close to the 2.39:1 aspect ratio, which is what movies have been filmed in since the 70s. So while it’s the same

height as a regular 42inch set, it’s five inches wider, practically enveloping you in the picture. There are no black borders at the top and bottom – you’re seeing almost exactly what the director had in mind when Christian Bale had stopped swearing and it was time to say, “Action”. “Because a cinema screen is so wide, you really get into the film,” says Paul Hobden, Customer Marketing

Director Philips TV UK. “You forget everything around you. But the problem with widescreen TVs is they can’t replicate that level of immersion; Cinema 21:9 enables you to have that full experience at home. What you see in the cinema is now exactly what you see on the screen at home.” This is very much a gadget for cinema purists, though – standard 16:9 broadcasts have

to be stretched to fill the screen. “Cinema 21:9 will progressively expand the picture to fill the screen, so you will see very minor adjustments at the sides of the screen,” says Hobden, although he assures us, “It’s not noticeable.” Anything broadcast in 4:3 will letterbox vertically, though – otherwise people would look ridiculously squat. The rest of the spec is

similarly high-end, with four HDMIs, the option of Wi-Fi streaming and a lightning response time of just 1ms. About 90% of DVDs and Blu-rays on sale are in the 21:9 format, so if it says that or 2.39:1 on the back of the box, you’re in for the ultimate cinema experience on a TV. Roll on the spring. TBC, www.cinematicviewing experience.com

More than a feeling

We’re all ears

The Boston Acoustics i-DS3 is one of the better looking iPod docks we’ve seen but it’s not all about looks – 100 watts should keep most lounges sonically sated, and the subwoofer is wireless. Using the company’s P.O.P (Personal Option Plan) service, you can personalise it with a choice of coloured grilles.

Sennheiser’s IE8 headphones come with 12 different ear adapters, so should fit any lug size. They use tech derived from the company’s highend range, used by big name musicians and performers, and they cancel 95% of noise up to 26dB. The cable is jacketed with Kevlar and the carry case is metal. Strong and efficient at what they do, these are a heck of a pair!

Rs 10,900*, www.bostonacoustics.com

Rs 18,100*, www.sennheiser.com

05

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

YouTube in Sony content deal The partnerships also mark YouTube’s efforts to compete with Hulu - a popular online hub for TV shows and films

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oogle Inc’s YouTube said it has reached a deal to post Sony Corp films and TV shows and was talking with other big studios to ramp up content and attract more advertising dollars. YouTube also announced deals with 11 other partners including the Anime Network, Shout Factory, Telenext Media, Documentary Channel and First Look Studios, bolstering its licensed content offerings from dozens of movies and hundreds of TV episodes to 700 movies and thousands of TV episodes. YouTube also recently announced a partnership with Walt Disney Co to get shortform excerpts of content from ABC and ESPN, reflecting its aggressive efforts to thaw a chilly relationship with Hollywood, which had crit-

icised it in the past for posting unauthorized content. “We are in active negotiations with premium content providers and are looking forward to announcing more content partnerships in the near future,” YouTube spokesman Chris Dale said. As part of its latest efforts, YouTube said it launched a new des-

Sony Ericsson: Android phone to take time Sony Ericsson will take some time developing a phone using Google’s Android operating system, its chief executive said, but declined to say when such a handset would be available. Most handset vendors are rushing out phones using Android software, hoping to benefit from consumer demand, but Sony Ericsson said it would be some time before its own offering was launched. “It does require a lot of evaluation, as well as a lot of testing, a lot of acceptance from a consumer viewpoint, and there is still some time to go,” Chief Executive Hideki Komiyama said.

“Looking ahead I think that we see this as one of the important operating systems, there is no doubt,” he said. Loss-making Sony Ericsson, a joint venture of Japan’s Sony Corp and Sweden’s Ericsson, has decided to use three operating systems in its high-end phones - Symbian, Android and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile. “Our focus is on how we can differentiate from the competitors using the same operating system,” Komiyama said, adding the firm was focusing its investments on user experience and user interface. ■ Reuters

tination for TV shows and an improved page for movies to make it easier for viewers to discover content. YouTube has a pending copyright infringement lawsuit from Viacom Inc, but Viacom’s sister company CBS posts episodes of older shows like Star Trek and Beverly Hills 90210 on the videosharing site.

Lions Gate Entertainment had previously reached a deal to feature film clips on YouTube, while MGM is one of the few studios to offer full-length movies via its own channel on YouTube. A Sony spokeswoman said about 15 mostly older films like St. Elmo’s Fire, and The Blue Lagoon, will be viewable via YouTube on Sony’s Crackle site.

YouTube said it was also posting Sony TV shows like Charlie’s Angels and Married with Children. Last week YouTube and Universal Music Group said they will launch a premium music video site called Vevo featuring mainly just professionally-made music videos. ■ Reuters

eBay to say goodbye to Skype eBay plans to spin off its Skype unit, acknowledging that the Web telephone service does not fit with the rest of the company, in an indictment of former CEO Meg Whitman’s acquisition strategy. eBay said it was planning an initial public offering for Skype by the first half of 2010, a move widely seen as putting a ’for sale’ sign on the unit to fetch potential buyers. Two people familiar with eBay’s thinking said the online auction company could seek substantially more than $2 billion for Skype. But some analysts doubted that it could fetch so much in current markets. The San Jose-based eBay bought Skype in 2005 for $2.6 billion, in what was its biggest ever acquisition. John Donahoe, who became eBay chief executive a year ago,

has vowed to evaluate whether the telephone service was a good fit with the rest of the company, which includes Web payments service PayPal along with its core auctions business.

“We believe operating Skype as a standalone publicly traded company is the best path for maximizing its potential,” Donahoe said. ■ Reuters

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Doing the foxtrot A retired doctor from Derby has trained foxes to stand up on two legs and beg for food.

Madonna dumps Jesus for Moses Amid recent rumours that Madonna had turned to toyboy Jesus Luz for comfort following her failed adoption bid, fresh reports have emerged claiming that the two are no longer an item. And the person to be blamed for the split is a Jewish millionaire businessman Abraham Moses Schimmel. Moses is 44 and twice as old as Jesus, and is also known as Marc in business circles. “It’s bizarre, you couldn’t find two men more different. Jesus isn’t happy about her relationship with Marc, but she enjoys his company,” News of the World quoted a source, as saying. ANI

Prisoners protest against IPL TV ban Hundreds of inmates at a prison in Kolkata have gone on hunger strike after they were not allowed to watch Indian Premier League cricket matches, officials said on Monday. B.D. Sharma, the Inspector General of West Bengal prisons, said the protest began after guards rejected prisoners’ demands to be able to watch the matches taking place in South Africa that are being broadcast on a private channel. “They are free to watch the national channels aired by the state-run network, but we can’t allow inmates to watch private channels for security reasons. We have to go by the rules,” Sharma said. The protest, by 500 inmates at the Alipore Central Jail in Kolkata, was continuing on Monday, he added.

Harry Potter sketches up for grabs Rare artwork for Harry Potter books is to be auctioned at the Glasgow Art Fair. Sketches by the acclaimed artist Cliff Wright, who illustrated the book Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, are to go under the hammer later this month. The drawings are the instantly recognisable forerunners of the images, which appeared on the front and back covers of the second novel of JK Rowling’s series. The front illustration, which features the bespectacled wizard and his classmate Hermione Granger clinging to the back of hippogriff, is expected to fetch 13,000 pounds. The second sketch, which features a snarling dog, is predicted to raise 11,000 pounds. “Each drawing was submitted by fax and returned with comments. The designs were also passed on to JK Rowling for her approval and any comments passed back to me,” the Scotsman quoted Wright as saying. ANI

Woman leaves 100,000£ for pet dog A never married woman has left a whopping 100,000 pounds in her will for her dog’s care. Win Frankland, a retired headmistress left the money in trust to look after her faithful fox terrier Nell. The dog, aged 4, will now be cared for by a friend of Miss Frankland’s, using the interest on the legacy to keep it in the lap of luxury for the rest of its life. Even her cousin Geoffrey Hanson was surprised to see the details of her will. “It was a bit of a surprise really but she always kept dogs and never married or had children,” the Daily Express quoted Geoffrey as saying.

AFP

ANI

Of Musharraf, Aishwarya, Priyanka and the good life

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ollywood beauties Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra may have an unending list of fans, and the now the list also includes the name of former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf. In an interview to a television channel Musharraf admitted that the two most famous Bollywood actresses, Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra, were his favourites, The Daily Times reports. Musharraf said he is enjoying life after retirement, and is at-

tending weddings and visiting restaurants, as he does not feel any danger to his life in the country. He said dogs were his preferred pet animals as they always obey their masters, suggesting that he does not like his orders to be disobeyed. Responding to the issues between India and Pakistan, Musharraf claimed that the Pakistan government was not involved in the Mumbai attacks. ■ ANI

07

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

McDonald’s to woo young voters The fast food chain and Election Commission join hands to encourage the youngsters to come out and cast their vote

M “You all have enjoyed my films. In return I want your support in fulfilling my desire of making Advani the PM” Hema Malini

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cDonald’s, which has around 135 fast food restaurants in India, is set to woo its young clientele in New Delhi - not to buy its famous burgers but to encourage them to vote in the elections. An election official said the popular American fast food chain approached the Election Commission with the idea, which was heartily accepted and is now being worked upon. “It’s for the first time that a retail giant has come forward into working with us to attract voters for a greater participation in the Lok Sabha polls,” the official said. “Although the finer details are still being worked upon, the basic idea is to prepare posters and other campaign material, which will be put up in the McDonald’s outlets frequently visited by hundreds of people everyday,” he added. There are around 35 McDonald outlets in Delhi, which, according to Election Commission data, has about four million voters between the age group of 18-29. “Some of the campaign material has been prepared by them alone, while others are being worked upon with us,” he said. Close on the heels of the ‘Pappu’ campaign in the Delhi Assembly elections in November last, when the song Pappu can’t dance saala from the film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na was modified into ‘Pappu can’t vote’ to attract voters, the Election Commission came up with the ‘Pappu Part 2’ campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. Modifying the song Dance pe chance mar le from the movie Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi into Pappu vote dal le, the Election Commission is trying to encourage youngsters to exercise their franchise. ■ IANS

08 SPORT

ERGO Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Hunger strike over IPL Five Hundred prisoners at Alipore Central Jail in Kolkata have gone on hunger strike after they were not allowed to watch Indian Premier League cricket matches, officials said on Monday. B.D. Sharma, the inspector general of West Bengal prisons, said the protest began after guards rejected prisoners’ demands to be able to watch the matches taking place in South Africa that are being broadcast on a private channel. “They are free to watch the national channels aired by the state-run network, but we can’t allow inmates to watch private channels for security reasons. We have to go by the rules,” Sharma said.

AYON SENGUPTA [email protected]

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No quick fixes for Ferrari Ferrari are having their worst start to a season since 1981 but they are unlikely to make any major improvements to their car until Formula One returns to Europe after next weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix. The Italian team failed to win a point for the third successive race since the start of the season in Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, leaving the champions bottom of the standings and drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen seething with frustration. Blame has been put on problems with the KERS energy recovery system, which they dumped for Shanghai, but most of all on the absence of a split-level diffuser like that which has proved so successful for championship leaders Brawn GP. Team manager Luca Baldisserri remained in Italy last weekend to work on improvements but the Spanish Grand Prix on May 10 looks like the earliest they can be expected. “We look towards next weekend’s race in Bahrain in a realistic frame of mind,” team boss Stefano Domenicali said after the rain-drenched race on Sunday. “The car will be the same as China, even though we will look at running the KERS again. In the meantime, we have to work intensively on getting the new aerodynamic components to the race track when the European part of the season gets underway in Barcelona.” Massa looked like producing an unlikely podium finish when he was running third in Shanghai but his car suddenly died on him after a software error and he was forced to retire. Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, finished 10th after complaining about a lack of power in the early part of the race and an almost complete lack of grip later on. “We have made mistakes and we are not quick enough,” was the Finn’s blunt assessment of the state of his team. Reuters

drian Sutil fell tantalisingly short of securing his first championship points in Force India colours at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, when he crashed out of the race with five laps to go. The German drove handsomely, showing little trouble in handling the wet weather conditions and was driving ahead of current world champion Lewis Hamilton, before swerving out in one of the tight corners. Though disappointed, Sutil wants to draw some much-needed confidence from this fine showing for the rest of the season. “Our performance was very good and we should all be very proud of this race. It was a risk to go on one-stop strategy, because I stopped very early. I was very light at the beginning and then under the safety car we went into the pits and just filled it up. We knew it would have been tight on the tyres, but the grip in the corners was enough to stay in a good position, but with the

aquaplaning on the straights it was sometimes hard to keep it on the circuit,” he said of his misfortune. “You never knew what was going to happen because the car went to the left or the right. With six laps to go I hit another patch of water and ended up in the wall. It was very disappointing.” Seeing no faults with the team’s strategy to run with worn-out tyres till the end, Sutil said: “The tyres looked okay when I came in for my pit stop in the 19th lap. But a lot of laps were left and the profile goes down and down. We’re talking about a few millimetres, but it is

still enough to cause a lot of problems with the water. I got a lot of under-steer, and the traction went down of course, but after 30 laps that’s how it is.” Force India’s gamble, however, looked to have paid off, unti that ill-fated moment as Sutil’s one-stop strategy put him ahead of McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen and also eventually saw him go past Hamilton to the sixth spot ensuring three valuable points. “I made a good pass on Kovalainen when he went out of the pits, so I could take his position Then I was behind Lewis, and in the end he was behind me. It was nice to just race the guys in the

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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

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At the moment Daniel (Vettori) is the best spinner in the world. The Kings XI Punjab were going great guns when I asked Danny (Daniel Vettori) to bowl and thanks to him we were successful in getting the crucial wickets.

front there. We had really good pace, so that was promising,” Sutil said. Sutil, a wet-weather specialist, is bracing up for a relatively drier Bahrain Grand Prix now. “I think there we’ll have seriously dry conditions. We’ll get a few updates on the car, which will help us get a better performance in qualifying. But again it’s going to be difficult,” he said. “We’re at the back of the field right now and we have to take our chances, like we did here, and try to move on. Development is going on and we’re getting new upgrades for the next few races. Hopefully, it’s enough to progress.” ■

VIRENDER SEHWAG

Adrian Sutil (left) of Germany in his Force India tussles with Nelson Piquet of Brazil in a Renault amidst heavy showers during Formula One’s Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday. PHOTO: AFP

TThe he sslip lip bbefore efore tthe he ccup up After keeping world champion Lewis Hamilton at bay for a major part of the Chinese Grand Prix, Force India’s Adrian Sutil’s hopes went crashing

10 FLICK

ERGO Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Hugh Jackman says fans rarely recognize him Aussie actor Hugh Jackman has revealed that he is rarely recognized by his fans, and at times even has to convince them that he is a popular actor. Jackman, 40, who shot to fame with his role as Wolverine in the 2000 comic book movie X-Men, insists that he does not receive the same kind of adoration as other stars.

‘It is special because it is based on Abhimaan’ A Rohit Roy reprises Big B’s role in ‘Abhimaan’ adaptation ctor-director Rohit Roy is all set to step into Amitabh Bachchan’s shoes for the Bengali adaptation of 1973 hit film Abhimaan, best remembered for its songs like ‘Teri bindiya re’ and superlative performances by the Big B and Jaya Bachchan. “I’m doing a major project called ‘Pa Ma Ga Re Sa’, which is a modern musical love story. It will be my first Bengali film and it is special because it is based on Abhimaan. It is basically an adaptation of the film,” says Rohit. “The film has Gauri Karnik, who was seen in Sur before. And former Miss India (Earth) Reshmi Ghosh will be seen as the other woman. It is being directed by

Surajit Dhar,” he adds. The first schedule of the film has already been shot and Rohit, who has recently stepped in as the host of the third season of TV dance reality show Jhalak Dikkhla Jaa, will soon head to Kolkata to shoot a few more scenes of it. Rohit has joined Jhalak... midway and is co-hosting the show with TV actress Shweta Tiwari. “This show is very close to my heart. I watched the first season, hosted the second and now I’m hosting the third mid-way. I think even the producers have grown to like me and I’m really excited to be back on the host’s seat,” he said. On the Bollywood front, the actor has a bouquet of films like

Mittal Vs Mittal, Apartment and Alibaug in his kitty. And the actor, who had made his first stint with the arclights with popular TV show Swabhimaan, is excited about essaying different roles in each of these movies. “In Mittal Vs Mittal, I’m playing an abusive husband to Rituparna Sengupta, in Jagmohan Mundra’s Apartment I’m playing a very jovial, guy-next-door sort of a role and in Alibaug my role is of a doctor who cheats on his wife. As an actor, I can’t draw a line and decide a set kind of roles that I want to do, I have to be diverse and I am enjoying doing it,” says Rohit, who also featured in the hit Shootout At Lokhandwala.

On the brink

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icole Kidman has admitted that husband Keith Urban’s alcohol problems sent their fledgling union into a tailspin. “We were thrown into his alcohol problems three months into the marriage and that was big,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted the 41-year-old actor as telling the Daily Mail. The Australian beauty confessed that Urban had admitted his problem and spent time in rehabilitation, a step that made their relationship stronger. “We became the closest we could become because we had to bare our souls. We did 10 years of marriage in just three months. When the addiction takes control of someone’s life, it’s terrifying. But there is hope, and we work on it every day,” she said. Kidman said that giving birth to Sunday Rose in her 40s has given her a greater sense of her own mortality. “It’s bittersweet,” she said. “I want to be around to see Sunday Rose’s 21st birthday… My relationship with death used to be far more ambivalent... now it feels much more important for me to stay in the world,” she added. ■

Abhimaan (1973) Besides this, he is also toying with the idea of scripting his next directorial venture, which will be a remake of Basu Chatterjee’s 1981 classic Shaukeen. Chatterjee’s film, about the adventures of three old men in Goa, starred Ashok Kumar, Utpal Dutt and A.K. Hangal, but Rohit’s “grand wishlist” for the cast of his “glamorous” version of the film includes Rishi Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah and Boman Irani. “We are trying to finish the scripting of this mad comedy. Though the idea of the film will be based on Shaukeen, the reason for their adventures would change and the setting would be more glamorous – maybe they would go to Las Vegas instead of Goa. “As for the cast, I hope these people in my wish list would want to work in the film after hearing the script,” says Rohit. ■ IANS

ANI

‘It sounds Big. I’m buzzing’

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obbie Williams is excited about his new comeback album. Williams, who is recording with producer Trevor Horn, said he never felt so “positive” about any other release, reports thesun.co.uk. “It sounds Big. I’m buzzing.” Williams also said that he wants to spend time with his “true love”, model Ayda Field. ■ IANS

11

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

A milkshake named after Mallika Sherawat Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat joined the league of Hollywood celebs including Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Victoris Beckham, David Beckham and Paris Hilton, after a Hollywood milkshake was named after her. Mallika, who visited Millions of Milkshakes in West Hollywood, has been honoured with her very own milkshake called the ‘Mallika shake’, reports Contactmusic. The Mallika shake includes blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and chocolate sauce.

PHOTOS: S.S.KUMAR

Pokkisham audio launched After Mayakkannadi, actor-director Cheran is back with Pokkisham. The audio launch of the movie was held at Kalaignar TV studio on Sunday. Set in the 1970s, Pokkisham has actors Cheran and Padmapriya donning the lead roles. The movie revolves around the life of a Marine Engineer based in Calcutta and a Tamil Literature student from Nagapattinam. Their love takes form even as they are separated by distances and that is said to be the beauty of the movie. Padmapriya, who has earlier acted as a Muslim girl in a Malayalam flick Amritham, has said that the experience she gained in the movie has helped her don the role of a Muslim girl in Pokkisham with ease. The film is produced by Nemichand Jhabak and has music by Sabesh-Murali.

Does

SUSAN BOYLE need a makeover?

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fter British singing sensation Susan Boyle won hearts on Britain’s Got Talent, people are wondering if she should go in for an image makeover or remain the way she is. In a recent interview with CNN, Boyle said that she is overwhelmed by her sudden fame. “I’m gobsmacked, absolutely gobsmacked,” The New York Daily News quoted her as saying. Boyle said that she wouldn’t want the instant fame to change her, despite her appearance has been described as “dowdy” on the show. “I wouldn’t want to change myself too much because that

would really make things a bit false. I want to receive people as the real me, a real person,” she said. The 47-year-old singer touched fame last week after performing the song ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ on the reality show.

I won’t let Simon Cowell take her to his dentist and I certainly won’t let her near his hairdresser. She needs to stay exactly as she is because that’s the reason we love her.

And judge Amanda Holden on the show has said that Boyle’s “everywoman” looks and story are part of her appeal and she should resist a Hollywood-style makeover. “I won’t let Simon Cowell take her to his dentist and I certainly won’t let her near his hairdresser. She needs to stay exactly as she is because that’s the reason we love her. She just looks like anybody who could live on your street,” Holden said in an interview with the British Daily Mail. However, earlier when Good Morning America host Diane Sawyer asked Boyle if she’d like to change her look, she replied, “I’d like that.” ■ ANI

12

ERGO Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Monday’s query: Will the Pakistani players be missed in the second edition of IPL?

Praveen Kumar L. from HCL Technologies has nominated his IRI team members as Partners in Crime. The pic was clicked at Kodaikanal.

■Yes. Especially KKR will miss the Rawalpindi express Gowrishankar, TCS

■Yes. Entertaining players like Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Tanvir and Shoaib are definitely a great asset to IPL. We miss them Rajesh, Ramesh Thevar, Allsec

■Yes, they will be missed Aakash, CSS, Chandru, Steria

Renuka Devi from Pride Technologies, India nominated her team members as Partners in Crime.

■Ya sure. They r d members of the cricket family na Hashim, Allsec

■No, Pakistani players will not be missed in the second edition of IPL Nagaraj Venkatesan (SIM), Wipro

Today’s query: If you were to stand for elections, what symbol will you choose and why?

Amit Aggarwal of Infosys Technologies Limited nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. The photograph was clicked at Mahabalipuram.

13

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

■Ramu: Japanese Leaning Tower of Pisa kaattina adhukku enna peir veppa? Somu : Nikkumo-Nikkado! ■English teacher: Tell some examples of compound sentences... Student: STICK NO BILLS and BEWARE OF DOGS Teacher: ?????? ■Ramu: Yean desertla irukkara post-officela ellarum letter ezhudhittu, stamp vangittu veliya pora? Somu: Yen-na veliyathan “Ottagum” irukku Jothikumar Interglobe Technologies

■Why do couples hold their hands during marriage? It’s a formality just like Boxers shaking hands before fight begins!! Anil Kumar of Visteon Technical Services Centre has been nominated as Office Angel by Thomas A. Anil is the most handsome & tallest boy in Visteon. He is very innovative and always comes out with the most creative ideas. He is very humorous and I have never met such a person in my life. Once you meet him you just can’t control yourself to meet him again.

■Man receives a telegram: Wife expired - should be buried or cremated He replies: Don’t take any chances! Burn the body and bury the ash. Sivanandh S, Microsoft Navic Networks

April 21 Dear Kathilin & Srutikant, “There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, Confounding their enemies and delighting their Friends…” We wish you a Happy and Wonderful Married Life together... With Best compliments from Mr. &Mrs. Bhaskar Nayak Family & Friends.

Hey Moni, Always nice to wish a person, whom we like a lot. Am doing the same. Happy birthday. Paul Prathap

April 20 Dear Faiz, Wish you a very happy birthday! May this year bring you all the happiness, good health and success. Have a great blast! Let all your dreams come true. Cheers! Best regards Hari, Thomas, Bhala PSI Data Systems

Art featured in this column will receive gift coupons from Fruit Shop on Greams Road. Send in your addresses so that we can post the coupons.

Dear Keerthi, This the day which we started annoying each other it may be for a little cause but still we departed because of that. I know you living happy with your commitments but I still want to change that day. Anyhow best wishes, as this day is your birthday! With Care, Senthil V Wipro Technologies, Chennai

Srinivasan R. from Infosys Technologies Limited has doodled this.

Hi Niranjini, To live as one till the very end Leaning on each other in every bend Walking on air seeing eye to eye Living your dreams having wings to fly. In your own world of true love. We wish you a happy married life. Yokesh.B HCL Technologies

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Snakes on a place Four baby pythons grounded a flight in Australia after they escaped from their container in the cargo hold.

sudoku

Dharani.S from Saipem India projects Limited clicked the picture of Toy Train at Ooty using Sony DSC-W35 camera. Hobbies: Photography, chatting Entries to the column will get gift vouchers from Bubbles Spa worth Rs.1,000. Winners can come to Ergo office on weekends between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to collect the vouchers. Call 2857 6688.

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15

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Nice bit of dough

Word’s worth

Newcastle man making his breakfast toast found a GBP10 ($15) note inside his loaf.

Catoblephon (kat-uh-bleff-un) an unidentified African mammal described in the works of the ancients. Possibly a buffalo or a gnu, it was a creature like a bull, whose eyes are so fixed as chiefly to look downward.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 Hustling and bustling from dawn to dusk, you will jump-start your day with a new venture. Scheduling a meeting will be on your mind. With a new relationship on the cards, love will blossom in your life.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Rack your brains to complete the tasks on hand. Keeping a check on your mood swings will promise you a tension-free atmosphere. A romantic rendezvous with your soul mate shall make your evening a memorable one.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Everything seems okay today. Give yourself a pat on the back for the appreciation you have received. With a tech-savvy attitude, you will be joining a new online community. Strengthening of love bonds is on the cards.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Juggling different tasks, you will remain occupied throughout the day. Your demanding life partner will keep you on tenterhooks. Be diplomatic and sugar your love life by whispering those sweet nothings.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 The day calls you to reign in your aggressiveness. Inject this energy in creative tasks and other developmental activities. With your passion on fire, you will look forward to warming up your relationship, says Ganesha.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

A day with mixed experiences awaits you. With your ’be cool’ attitude, you will achieve your objectives at the work front. Things may not be fine in the love lane, with confusions obstructing your way, says Ganesha.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Ganesha promises a pleasant day at the personal front, but not at the professional front. Stress may keep you from meeting your deadlines. The moral support of your love mate will pave the way to a relaxed and intimate evening.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 This isn’t the best day to launch a new project but a great day to complete pending tasks. Domestic life needs to be handled with utmost care. In matters of the heart, rigidity will take you nowhere, says Ganesha.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 Routine tasks will fill your day with action. The power of your imagination will earn you many accolades. With socialising on the cards, Ganesha promises you a fun-filled evening with your beloved.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 With you being rather lazy, things will move at a snail’s pace. Leave handling of important meetings to your team mates. Cuddling up in a corner of your home may interest you more than going for an evening walk.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 With your mind brimming with new ideas, you should find it easy to handle creative tasks. Complex decoding should also be not much of a problem for you. Your optimistic attitude promises you a rejuvenated love life.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 With things going in your favour, you will love living this day. It’s the best time to request for an appraisal, though it may come after some time. Clear out all issues obstructing your way to a blissful relationship. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Tuesday, April 21, 2009

CLOSER TO CLEOPATRA: An alabaster statue of Cleopatra, coins engraved with her images and a mask of Roman general Marc Anthony are shown to the press at the temple of Tasposiris Magna near Borg al-Arab, 50 kms (30 miles) west of Alexandria, on Sunday. Archaeologists searching for the tomb of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra may be closer to locating the burial site of the legendary lovers, Egypt’s antiquities council said. A team led by antiquities chief Zahi Hawass believes the tomb may be located in three possible sites near the temple and will excavate the three locations next week. AFP PHOTO/CRIS BOURONCLE

GAME AND FAME: Actors Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens sit courtside during the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz Game One of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on Sunday in Los Angeles, California. AFP PHOTO

EASTER STUDIO: People take pictures in front of a giant Easter egg, in the city of Suceava, Romania, on Sunday. Romania has set a new world record, with the biggest Easter egg, which measures 7.25 metres and weighs 1.8 tonnes during Orthodox Easter celebrations. AFP PHOTO/ANDREI PUNGOVSCHI