Ergo August 25

A BYTE OF LIFE

Monday, August 25, 2008

Vol. 2

No. 165

PHOTO: R.RAVINDRAN

FREE CIRCULATION

FANTASTIC FOUR In her weekly column on entrepreneurs, Liffy Thomas features Invention Labs

PHOTO: S.S.KUMAR

» PAGE 05

All set for the SAROJA Blitz

» PAGE 10

1,50,000 pounds Arun, the Ajal for a number plate Gujal RJ

03

Soccer stars get what they want, no matter what

12

A freewheeling chat with the Radio One star

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Monday, August 25, 2008

Booked! If you are a book lover then don’t miss the Crossword sale. A number of exciting offers on books, movies, music, toys and more are on offer. The sale is on till September 7.

SHALINI SHAH [email protected]

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f an album features Dr. L. Subramaniam, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, Kavita Krishnamurti, Pankaj Udhas, Sikandar Langa, the Wadali brothers, Richa Sharma, Purno Das Baul, Sikandar Langa, Shaan and Remo Fernandes, to name a few, you understand that unity in cultural heterogeneity is the aim and USP. On Saturday, Landmark, Spencer Plaza, hosted a CD-signing session with Dr. L. Subramaniam to mark the release of his new album, Visions of India. Wife and singer Kavita Krishnamurti, who also features in the album, was present, too.

One electrocuted while erecting flag post A 43-year-old man was electrocuted when he and his colleague attempted to remove a flag post at Semmancheri on Sunday. According to Thoraipakkam police, the deceased was one Natarajan who lived in the tsunami rehabilitation settlement. Natarajan and his colleague, Seith (35), who are daily-wage labourers with the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board, were erecting a DMDK flag post near their locality as the birthday of actor-politician Vijaykanth falls on Monday. On Sunday morning, when the duo lifted the post, it came in contact with a live wire on top. Both received an electric shock and were instantly thrown off. Bystanders rushed them to a private hospital but Natarajan died on the way. Seith is undergoing treatment, police added. Thoraipakkam police have registered a case and are investigating.

Visions of India Different genres of Indian music, be it Hindustani, Carnatic, ghazal, folk and popular, come together. So on one hand if there’s a Vaishnav Janato, there’s a youth anthem rendered by Shaan and Kavita on the other. “The whole concept of Visions of India started some years ago. I wanted to bring different styles of India into one album. For this, I approached artistes who are different in their own ways,” says Dr. Subramaniam. “The most exciting part of doing the album was that some of the artistes were old friends from our struggling days, like Pankaj Udhas and Suresh Wadkar,” added Kavita Krishnamurti.

Pedestrian hit by bus, dies A 21-year-old pedestrian died on the spot after he was run over by a bus on ECR on Sunday. Adyar Traffic Police identified the victim as Ram, a welder from Kannathur on ECR. The accident occurred at around 8 a.m. on Sunday on Muttukkadu Main Road when a government bus coming from Puducherry to Chennai knocked him down when he was walking home after meeting a friend nearby.

3 days to New Year

‘The Freedom Symphony’, which features poems of Rabindranath Tagore and Bharatiar, will be performed (at the three-day festival in December)

Replying to an ardent follower’s request for a live symphony, Dr. L. Subramaniam revealed that the last three days of every year would be dedicated to the Lakshminarayana Music Festival, to be hosted at the Seva Sadan Auditorium on Harrington Road, Chetpet. ‘The Freedom Symphony’, which features poems of Rabindranath Tagore and Bharatiar, will be performed. The Leipzig Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra from Germany, which previously performed with Dr. L. Subramaniam in Bangalore, will also be coming. One keenly-awaited event in the city’s crowded Margazhi calendar. ■

PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR

Violin and vision

Dr. L. Subramaniam talks about new album; reveals plans of a three-day festival in December

Monday, August 25, 2008

03

Q : What does Wall E stand for? Options : A) Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth-Class B) Waste Automaton Landfill Laborer, Earth-Class C) Wide Area Landfill Laborer, Earth-Class Over the next four edition days, we will give away 40 tickets for the ‘quickest fingers’ with the correct answers.

Jivesh completely engrossed with the IPhone 3G in hand. PHOTO : R. RAVINDRAN.

The perfect gift! As iPhone rang in Friday midnight, Petlee Peter caught up with the first customers at the Vodaphone shop on T.T.K. Salai

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ugust 22 was like New Year’s Day in the gizmos calendar here. Reason: Apple’s celebrated mobile phone, iPhone, was officially launched in Chennai. Interestingly, Steve Job’s maverick mobile set the cash registers in our city at 12.00 a.m. Ergo visited a Vodaphone outlet in Alwarpet at midnight and met a few interesting buyers. The midnight was extra special for 33-year-old Jivesh and his wife Amritha from Harrington Road, Chetpet. The romantic husband had booked the iPhone for his wife four days prior to the launch and brought her to the Vodaphone store after telling a sweet lie. When the clock struck 12, Amritha was stunned when Ji-

from sub-inspector to Inspector to AC from just one police station in a VIP area inside the south zone A senior IPS officer well-known as has now become a pain for his ‘moustache man’ in the media circles senior officers. The AC doesn’t is into real estate dealings big-time. obey any orders, even from the The khaki along with his son seems to top cops as he is well connected to have completed some big lucrative deals the wife of a top politician in the in the last few years. Apparently, the offiruling party. “No one can transfer me cer’s new posting was requested and received eyeing some mega land deals inside his vast and I’m the police commissioner in my area,” often boasts the cop to his close circles. jurisdiction.

The real deal

Crying cop It was high drama recently at the SRMC police station limits when a police constable assaulted a head constable. The constable who was shifted here from high court duty was being made to work like mad. Annoyed by the treatment he was receiving, he picked up a fight with the station’s head constable after the latter gave him some work. The assaulted head constable lamented about the matter to his superiors but walked away disappointed. The ashamed cop took two days off from work, rented a hotel room, got drunk and cried his heart out. He got back to duty now.

Biryani trouble A deputy commissioner of police attached to the south zone can’t do without turkey biryani for dinner. Recently, when the delicacy was missing from his dinner table, he got furious and gave his orderlies a piece of his mind. The poor fellows had no choice but run all over the city the whole night and hunt for a restaurant that sells turkey biryani. It was only when the DCP got his biryani that he calmed down.

Smart intelligence

Traffic Ramaswamy, who had planned to hold a fast in New Delhi against the Tamil Nadu government, was arrested last Friday before he could board the train to the capital. Apparently, the information on his scheduled departure was tactically gathered by the police intelligence deAn assistant commissioner of police who rose partment from some scribes.

I’m the commissioner

Oh God, that was the best surprise ever

vesh gifted her a brand new white iPhone 3G amidst an applauding crowd. “Oh God, that was the best surprise ever,” the homemaker kept saying. Speaking about the surprise and the new phone, Jivesh said that the latest handset was the best gift for his wife at the moment. Jivesh was among the four customers to grab the mobile at mid-

night itself. Disc Jockey Tuhin Mehta from Nungambakkam was another happy new iPhone customer. The 28-year-old booked the phone a month ago and opted for the white colour as black was a common model. “I wanted the iPhone as it can integrate well with my Macbook and other music gadgets. Moreover the handset has a feature than can guide me through my software while I’m performing live,” added Tuhin, whose first call from his new phone is going to be to his mom. ■ The iPhone 3G is available in 8GB and 16GB models and is priced at Rs. 31,000 and Rs. 36,100 respectively. Prices may vary with different networks.

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

ERGO Monday, August 25, 2008

‘‘

I have always loved the competitive forces in this business. You know I certainly have meetings where I spur people on by saying, "Hey, we can do better than this. How come we are not out ahead on that?" Thats what keeps my job one of the most interesting in the world. Bill Gates

"URLs in local languages soon” Stephen Crocker of ICANN spoke at Satyam Computer Services Limited recently. Ergo reader Shrinidhi Hande reports "In those early days, when the idea came up that multiple computers can be interconnected, many labs (of universities in the US) were reluctant to cooperate, as they preferred a captive environment and felt that allowing their computers to be connected to other computers would pose a threat to their privacy and confidentiality of their research data"

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t was an exciting session for those of us who got an opportunity to listen to Steve Crocker, Chair, Security and Stability Council, ICANN when he went on to demystify the evolution of internet. Dr.Crocker, who was deeply involved in the evolution of the idea that computers can be inter-connected, from its early days of ARPANET way back in 1960s to the current day internet, had too many experiences to share but too little time. He was in Chennai and was invited to share his experiences with current generation of techies and internet users, in a talk organised by ISOC, Internet Society, Chennai Chapter. The talk was organised at Satyam Computer Services Limited. “In those early days, when the idea came up that multiple computers can be interconnected, many labs (of universities in the US) were reluctant to cooperate, as they preferred a captive environment and felt that allowing their computers to be connected to other computers would pose a threat to their privacy and confidentiality of their research data,” said Dr. Crocker, adding that the lab chiefs didn’t prefer to spare

their senior scientists and professors for this research (of connecting different computers) and delegated this task to few graduate students. “That’s how I got to work on it,” he recalls. We’re all struggling to fight the evils of internet. Building a robust architecture that is fool proof is much better than fighting the bad guys. We need to shift our focus in this direction he continued. While speaking on domain names, TLDs (top level domain) and URLs, he said there was a strong lobby which wanted a TLD of .xxx to host sites that offer exclusive adult entertainment. There was a strong debate on ICANN board and eventually this request was turned down, Crocker narrated, adding that URLs in local languages will soon be a reality and the monopoly of typing all URLs in English, irrespective of the language of the website, would end soon. The session that lasted an hour-and-ahalf had several such interesting experiences to delight the audience and was a memorable experience for those who were present. ■ The writer blogs on www.enidhi.net

An unforgettable Saturday KAMATCHI G team of 12 members from WIPRO BPO started their Saturday with a fun-filled and noble reason recently. The team celebrated their project’s second anniversary at Good Life Centre, Tambaram. The centre is home to 110 kids, of which 75 are school goers and the rest are special children. We came to know about the place from one of our colleagues. We promised a day’s breakfast, a few essential education expenses and most importantly five hours of tuition every month. At 8 a.m. when we arrived the kids were ready for breakfast. Baskaran, Founder of Good Life, introduced us to the entire group and they in-turn greeted us with a big smile. After breakfast started the actual fun. The children wanted us to play antakshiri and ring-a-ring-roses with us. We couldn’t help but recall some songs and our childhood days. The Senior Analysts of my team were playing number games. We promised to come next month. By noon we were all ready to leave as they had to get ready to greet their next visitor.■

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(The writer is an employee of WIPRO)

The best of the memories Maria – A year and a half baby wanted to be hand-fed Appu Kutty – A boy from L.K.G ‘A’ who can dance just like actor Vijay Balaji – A Class V boy who can do stand-up comedy. We bet he beat the television shows Krishna – The family’s youngest member is only nine months old was just adorable Friends, They are in need of a lot, Specially – Education, Food & Medical Support Do spend one of your Weekend’s Time & if possible a few bucks at a Special place like this & See the happiness that your mind & heart enjoys Kamatchi G, WIPRO

05

Monday, August 25, 2008

Everything you need to know about the sleep disorder: http://www.narcolepsy.org.uk/ Play pranks on your pals with this anonymous email service: http://deadfake.com/

US $ Pound Euro 100 Yen

43.38 81.34 64.55 39.84

SOURCE: RBI

Websites of the day

Four point someone This product design firm promises to make a difference, starting with ‘Kavi’— developed for cerebral palsy children ways been inquisitive, unusual in class and caught the attention of professors. That probably explains why RTBI (Rural Technology and Business Incubator) is incubating them.

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oys will be boys – they love to dirty their hands and experiment on new products. Tucked inside Kuppam Beach Road in Thiruvanmiyur is the quaint little office of Invention Labs, where a young team of creative engineers are working on designing new products for the Indian consumers. Electronic components, a soldering station, developing kits and prototypes of different products make up this office-cum-lab, which is lit up till as late as 2 a.m. Ajit Narayanan, Adib Ibrahim, Aswin Chandrasekaran and Preetham K. Shivanna – four IITMadras alumni from different branches – have come together after their respective stints in a variety of jobs to float a product design company, Invention Labs, which completed a year this July.

Engineering an idea Wondered why a car built in Germany is not ideal for the Indian roads? Though technology is universally available, it has to be designed and developed keeping in mind the local condition. It’s this philosophy that they believe can make a difference. “Becoming an engineer is about working and aiming on your ideas,” says Ajit. True to that, their entrepreneurial venture is an extension of what they learnt in their engineering college days. Ajit worked on a low-cost bio ATM during his college days, while Preetham commuted on a solar-powered bicycle to the IIT campus. “He was so lazy to drive,” the others joke. Moreover, the four have al-

Road ahead The last one year for the team was more about lending their expertise to an engineering product or working on prototypes. This September they will be launching the prototype of their product, Kavi (Read box), for field trials. But, isn’t that a slow growth? “Engineering products have a longer gestation period and we are happy with the pace at which we are going,” say Adib and Ajit. “We will be launching two to three products a year, which could be in sectors like automobiles, retail, banking, etc,” says Aswin.

Finding their feet Coming from diverse backgrounds has been a boon, but they are yet to define themselves. And they reason out by giving examples of Motorola and Coco Cola, which started with no specific goal. “Having focus is a new concept. We hope to find our feet in a year’s time.” The company was started with all the savings they had and funding doesn’t really bother them, at least at this point in time. “We are not approaching any VC. Funding is more a means. When we need money for ‘Kavi’ we will approach them,” says Adib.

Inventor in you! Invention Labs is keen on getting more creative engineers who are ready to dirty their hands. Interestingly, the first person whom they recruited had designed 20 robots in college! ■

Kavi to their aid Their first product, ‘Kavi’, combines technological advancement and a social purpose, for which Vidya Sagar is giving the inputs. The hand-held communication aid promises to be a great help for children with cerebral palsy, where it augments their communication abilities. The device is mounted on a wheelchair and runs with the help of a processor capable of running Linux operating system and a USB-based non-contact switch that can be easily controlled by children with poor motor skills. The first prototype of the product will be launched in early September for field trials.

In a Minute Name: Invention Labs Engineering Products Private Limited Started: July 2007 Team: 7 Know Me Better: www.inventionlabs.in Contact: 044- 24405139

Engineering Products: (From Left) Adib, Preetham, Aswin and Ajit. PHOTO R. RAVINDRAN

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Monday, August 25, 2008

Columbus, the great Columbus had three ships on his first American exploration. On his second expedition, seventeen ships were under his command.

Contraceptive pills for pigeons! Stamford town councillor has suggested that pigeons should be put on contraceptive pills to cut down their population. The town council has been getting lots of complaints about the mess pigeons have been creating. He is planning to place pellets laced with the chemical OvoControl P in rooftop feeders dotted around the town. OvoControl P interferes with egg development, and the council believes the use of the drug could halve the local pigeon population by 2012. He came up with the idea after hearing of its success in America. ANI

Prize for throwing the mobile Two Estonians, a Finnish boy, and a dog entered the books on Saturday as winners of the Ninth Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships in the eastern Estonian town of Narva. Timmo Lilium won the men’s category with a throw of 85 metres, while Valeria Kadorova won the women’s category with a throw of 41 metres. Riku Kankkunen, a 12-year-old from Finland, came out best in the children’s category with a throw of 55 metres. The freestyle competition - for the most artistic approach went to an Estonian dog named Cara, who spat the mobile phone 30 centimetres. The contest was the first mobile phone-throwing championship held outside Finland. It drew more than 50 participants from countries as far as the United States, Korea, Japan, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and Russia.

Woman arrested for not returning library books An US woman was arrested after ignoring four notices from the library telling her she owed money for two overdue books, local media reported on Friday. Heidi Dalibor, of Wisconsin, had kept the copies of Angels and Demons and White Oleander since last year, but never expected to be led away in handcuffs over the missing books, broadcaster WISN reported. “I said, what could they possibly do? They can’t arrest me for this ... I was wrong,” she said. After shrugging off the library notices, she had received - and ignored - a summons for a court date after the matter was turned over to police. When she didn’t appear in court, she was taken into custody, where she paid her 170-dollar fine, but chose to keep the books, claiming she had now paid for them. DPA

Shoppers injured in cheap food rush At least a dozen shoppers, many of them retirees, were injured in a rush to buy cheap cooking oil and eggs on offer at a supermarket in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing. Four were taken to the hospital, including a 58-year-old woman who broke several bones. The oldest, a woman surnamed Wu, was 81, the Yangtze Evening News reported on Wednesday. A stampede at a store in Chongqing last year killed three and injured dozens.

DPA

Reuters

It’s there, but you can’t see it Dept of Health in Britain bans display of betel leaf but shop owners can stock it

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hearty Indian meal is considered incomplete without a paan but the humble betel leaf may soon be banned from being displayed in restaurants and shops across Britain. Several restaurant owners across Britain offer Banarasi paan at the end of an Indian meal, a service that is performed in the presence of the customer by mixing the desired ingredients. There are also several paan shops near restaurants in towns with large Asian populations such as Leicester, Birmingham and parts of London such as Southall,

Wembley and Harrow. But owners have protested against Department of Health’s proposals to impose a ban on display of tobacco in shops, since it will also affect the display and sale of paan, which is considered a key feature of Asian culture. Ashraff Chaudhary, an Asian business leader, said, “It’s a tradition from the Indian sub-continent to prepare a fresh paan in front of the customer, according to their requirements. “If shopkeepers are not allowed to do that they will suffer. A lot of smaller businesses are not aware of the consultation.” Over 1,500

signatories have signed a petition to Prime Minister Gordon Brown to reconsider the proposal. Instead, they want the government to ensure stronger enforcement of the law to prevent underage sales and illicit trade and to make it illegal for adults to buy tobacco on behalf of anyone under 18. In Leicester, for example, owners of at least three prominent paan shops offering the full range of varieties on Belgrave Road are worried that they may have to close shop if the ban is confirmed. ■ PTI

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Monday, August 25, 2008

Ancient medicine

This day, that year

The first medical use of leeches dates back to approximately 2,500 years ago. The leech’s saliva contains a property that acts as an anticoagulant for human blood.

It was in August 25, 1970 that British singer and pianist Elton John made his first U.S. appearance at the Los Angeles Troubador, kicking off a 17-day tour.

1,50,000 POUNDS FOR CAR NUMBER PLATE A Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo splashed out 1,50,000 pounds to obtain the number CR7

ce footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has splashed out 150,000 pounds on a number plate for his motor. The Man United star paid such a huge sum just to obtain the registration CR7, his initials and shirt number at Old Trafford. The number plate will be placed on Ronaldo’s 140,000-pound silver Bentley convertible. “Cristiano is developing an obsession with CR7. It has to be on everything he owns – cars included,” British tabloid The Sun quoted a source as saying. “He has been after the number plate for ages and finally got his hands on it,” the source added. At least the new number will help ease confusion in the Carrington training ground car park. There are a lot of Bentleys lined up there after all. Besides this personalised registration number, Ronaldo is said to have his logo inscribed on a cupboard, sofa and bed cushions, matching his seven-shaped table and jewellery in his Cheshire mansion. ■ ANI

Beijing Olympics most watched Games

Go, cheer

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record 4.4 billion people, about two-thirds of the world’s population, watched the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games from Aug 8 to 17, making the current edition of the quadrennial sporting extravaganza the most watched in history, a top market research firm said on Sunday. The Nielsen Company drew TV audience data from 38 nations and regions, including host China, the United States, Brazil, South Africa, Italy and Australia. The viewership for the Beijing Games had already exceeded those achieved by the 2004 Athens Olympics’ 3.9 billion mark. The Sydney Games in 2000 had 3.6 billion viewers. The company said the Beijing Games closing ceremony tonight looked “all set to break further records,” Xinhua news agency reported. ■ PTI

쒀 Cheerleaders perform on drums during the men’s water polo gold medal match between Hungary and the US at the the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on Sunday. AFP PHOTO

08 SPORT

ERGO Monday, August 25, 2008

Gold quest goes up in smoke Cuba’s young boxers looked ahead to the next Olympics after their rollercoaster ride ground to a halt without a single gold medal on Sunday. Yankiel Leon and Carlos Banteaux missed out in the bantam and welterweight finals respectively to cap a miserable run in the last few days of competition as Cuba’s boxers were left without a gold for the first time since 1968.

Bolt an immature icon: Rogge International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge stuck by his criticism of treble gold medallist Usain Bolt on Sunday, although he did acknowledge the Jamaican’s world record-setting exploits had made him an icon of the Beijing Games. Rogge, 65, had chided the gangly sprinter for his exuberant victory celebrations, urging him to show more respect for his opponents. The comments prompted a flurry of criticism in return, along with an “I’ve gotta be me” response from Bolt. “The Bolt issue I take with a big smile,” Rogge said as he addressed journalists on the final day of the Games. “I said he was an icon of games, along with Michael Phelps they are the two outstanding athletes. But I repeat what I said – he should show more respect for his opponents. I also said he was a young man of 22, and he has time to mature.” In fact, Rogge had earlier stopped short of according Bolt icon status, originally handing that tag only to swimming superstar Phelps, whose astonishing eight gold medals at the Water Cube were the most ever won at one games and gave him a record career total of 14. While Bolt couldn’t match Phelps for quantity, there was no doubt he delivered quality at the Bird’s Nest. He completed a rare 100m-200m sprint double with two world records, and helped Jamaica’s 4x100m relay to gold in a world-record time. The head of the International Olympic Committee’s athletics commission, Frankie Fredericks, had backed Bolt in the Rogge row. “We cannot tell a guy who’s run 9.69 seconds how he needs to react,” Fredericks said. AFP

Kalmadi in a soup Stung by criticism for his no-show at Vijender’s medal ceremony, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Suresh Kalmadi on Sunday defended himself and said it was not possible for him to shrug international commitment to see the Indian boxer at the podium. Kalmadi said that he and IOA Secretary General Randhir Singh were scheduled to give away the medals and bouquets to the winners of the women’s 4x400m relay event at the Bird’s Nest, which made it impossible for them to attend Vijender’s medal ceremony. “I’m startled by the criticism. Giving away medals and bouquets was an international commitment for me. After all, I’m also the president of the Asian Athletics Association. I just could not be at two places at the same time,”said Kalmadi, also an IAAF Council member. “I went when it mattered most. I went to see his bouts and also visited him in the Olympic village to congratulate him. I think that was more important than attending his medal ceremony, which I would have done anyway but for this commitment to give away Olympic medals,” he added.

Pat on the

BACK

IOC gives Beijing Games seal of approval

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he International Olympic Committee gave the Beijing Games its seal of approval on Sunday, expressing itself “extremely pleased” with the event which saw China emerge as the new sports power. Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru lead off the final day of competition, relishing the heat to record an historic first Olympic marathon for the African nation. Zou Shiming won China’s first ever boxing gold and his country’s 50th gold of the Games when he claimed the light-flyweight title. The USA bagged a gold in basketball. As the closing 12 events are played out after 15 days of competition, China has 51 gold medals, 15 more than the United States on 36, with Russia winning 23 and Great Britain 19. It is the first time China has won the gold medal count, although in total medals won the USA has 110 to China’s 100. Wanjiru, striding to Kenya’s first marathon success, celebrated in the hot sun as be broke the 24-yearold Games record while those around him wilted. “I had to push the pace to tire the other runners. I had to push the pace because my body gets tired in the heat when I slow down,” he said as temperatures rose towards 30 degrees. “It feels good to make history here. It feels good to make history for Kenya and win the gold.” Kenya may have won according to the script but the principal actors were different as the outstanding Martin Lel, a triple London marathon winner, faded to fifth and it was half-marathon specialist Wanjiru who pulled through. China’s Zou Shiming had a quick finish to the boxing light-flyweight title when Mongolia’s Serdamba Purevdorj hurt his shoulder in the first round. Purevdorj came out for the second but unable to use his right

arm and his corner threw in the towel after 19 seconds. There was success for Mongolia in the bantamweight final when Badar-Uugan Enkhbat won their first ever boxing gold beating Cuba’s highly fancied Yankiel Leon 15-5.

So close yet so far The United States picked up further gold beating Brazil 3-1 in the men’s volleyball final, reversing Saturday’s result in which Brazil beat USA in the women’s final. After two weeks of exceptional triumphs and heartwrenching defeats, IOC president Jacques Rogge said that overall “the IOC is extremely pleased” with the Games. “More than 40 world records were set, more than 100 Olympic records, and of course we had

the two icons of the Games, Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt.” Rogge pointed to heightened environmental awareness, greater enthusiasm for sport among Chinese and the new stadium in Beijing as the legacies for China. But he skirted around questions regarding China’s response on such issues as human rights and Internet access, and diplomatically refused to be drawn into debate about the medals table.

Rich rewards For China, the investment of more than 40 billion dollars on the Games reaped handsome rewards. They not only topped the gold medal count, but a near flawless organisation meant the controversies that marred the build-up largely slipped into the background. Phelps, with his unprecedented eight gold medals and seven world records, and Bolt, the fastest man on earth winning three gold medals with three world records, were the headline stories. There were also the hardluck stories such as Italian weightlifter Genny Pagliaro who failed her first three attempts and was out of the Games in a matter of minutes on the first morning. On Sunday evening, Beijing hands the Olympics over to London which is talking of a more modest affair in 2012. To show off the next Games city, the London organizers plan to introduce themselves to a global audience with the help of Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Leona Lewis and football icon David Beckham. ■ AFP

PTI PHOTOS: AFP

09

Monday, August 25, 2008

Honour for Vijender

AFP

Vijender Kumar, India’s first ever Olympic boxing medal winner carried the Indian tri-colour at Sunday’s closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. The Bhiwani pugilist won a bronze medal in the 75kg category event, which made him the national hero. Army marksman Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was India’s flag bearer during the spectacular opening ceremony of the Games on August 8.

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rgentina’s unrestrained joy in winning a second consecutive football gold medal reflected the absolute importance they placed on playing at the Olympic Games. While European nations largely devalue an Olympic medal, South American powers Argentina and Brazil along with African heavyweights Nigeria threw everything into winning in Beijing. Argentina had a tug-of-war with Spanish giants Barcelona to release their mercurial forward Lionel Messi for the Games. The powerful European club even won an appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport against a FIFA rule obliging them to release all under-23 players, including Messi. In the end Barcelona allowed Messi to play at the Olympics, reportedly after making a deal with the Argentine federation.

Messiah Messi proved the winning difference as Argentina vanquished Brazil 3-0 in the semi-finals and edged out former champions Nigeria 1-0 in the final to become the first nation in 40 years since Hungary to clinch back-to-back Olympic football gold. Messi conjured the winning goal for Angel Di Maria in the 58th minute, taking possession just inside his own half and putting the Benfica midfielder in a one-on-one situation to chip the goalkeeper Ambruse Vanzekin. The Argentina players celebrated enthusiastically after the final

whistle and savoured the big occasion of winning Olympic gold before 89,102 fans at the Bird’s Nest national stadium. Even old stager and team captain Juan Riquelme, one of five current full internationals in the Argentine Olympic team, was overwhelmed by the Beijing experience. “I’m absolutely delighted because this was the last opportunity I had to play in the Olympic Games,” Riquelme said. “I’ll be wearing the medal on the plane home. I won’t be taking it off for anyone. We had the good fortune to stay in the athlete’s village and meet athletes from all over the world. For me it was incredible and I fully enjoyed it. Never before had I experienced anything quite like it.” The Beijing football tournament will be remembered as the stage where Messi once again illustrated why he is widely regarded as the world’s best footballer. “People said a lot of things that annoyed me before I came to China, everyone knows that,” Messi said. “That’s what makes this medal so special. I think Argentina won the gold because we had a fantastic team that really pulled together. You could see that on the pitch.” Nigerian coach Samson Siasia made no bones about the difference between the two teams in the final played in brutal midday heat. “Messi terrorises not only our team, but all teams in Europe. He didn’t score but he created a

GOLD

FEST Argentina savour double Olympic football gold

lot of their chances. That is why we have the silver and they have the gold,” he said. Nigeria went in with the psychological edge of beating Argentina 3-2 in the corresponding final 12 years ago in Atlanta to become the first African Olympic champions, but were let down by profligate finishing.

Bronze for Brazil Brazil may be revered as five-time World Cup champions, but they left Beijing once again without an Olympic gold medal. They had to settle for the bronze after a demoralising semi-final loss their deadly rivals Argentina and claimed the consolation prize in a 3-0 win over Belgium, who dumped Italy out 3-2 in the quarter-finals. The Brazilians were so fixated on winning the tournament for the first time that they brought in former two-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho as one of their three over-age players and senior coach Dunga to lead the side. The loss to Argentina was described as “shameful” by the country’s president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Brazilian newspapers have called for Dunga’s dismissal as senior coach. Yet again football was immensely popular at the Olympics and was watched by a record 2.14 million spectators for the 58 matches in the men’s and women’s tournaments – an average of around 36,000. ■ AFP

10 FLICK

ERGO Monday, August 25, 2008

Maxim’s Hot 100 Deepika Padukone was voted as the world’s sexiest woman by Maxim. Deepika joins the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Eva Longoria and Marissa Miller by topping the list that features several Bollywood celebrities like Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor.

I THINK I CAN HELP ANYONE WITH ANYTHING EXCEPT DANCING

PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR

ANUSHA PARTHASARATHY

About your dancing…

After Chennai 600 028, your latest movie is Saroja. Tell us about Saroja.

Next question please. It is a very nice question. I really appreciate the effort you have put into the question. Can we go to the next question?

Saroja? Uh.. yeah, Saroja is a movie (laughs).

Chennai 600 028 had an unusual storyline which made it an instant hit. Can we expect the same from Saroja? I think you must not have any expectations. Only then will you like the movie. Expect the least. The movie has a lot of comedy. It is more like a thriller comedy. Hopefully, the audience will like it then. And I am playing a TV serial actor in it. Well… was that your next question?

Yes it was. Carry on anyway. I play Ajay, a TV serial actor. The character is someone who overacts. I initially didn’t understand the character. But at the end of it all I realised he is someoe who has a lot of mood swings. H gives a complete array of reactions. And he also has a shade of Shiva in him. You will realise it as you watch the movie.

Both your films have been with Venkat Prabu. Your experience? Beyond the experience as such, I had a lot of fun. I never had a feeling that I did a movie. Every bit of the shooting was packed with fun. When you see Chennai 600 028 you will know that the movie is basically fun and entertainment. And the director is like a friend. There’s always something to smile about.

Are there more projects coming up in the future? Well, I have got many offers. But right now I am happy with what I am doing. So I am only choosing a few roles that I really like. I have signed up for a couple of movies. One is called Sixteen and shooting will start in September.

The heroine in Saroja is new. What have you shared of your experiences with her?

The movie’s main song is an engagement song where we tried to bring in a lot of TV serial actors (since I play a TV actor in the movie). For that song, right before the shooting started, I was instructing people on how to dance (actually, I was just giving a ‘build-up’). But when the director said “Action”, everyone, especially Kajal, saw my true colours and started wondering how they took lessons from me. Apart from that, I helped her with certain emotions. I think I can help anyone with anything except dancing!

Your first time in front of the camera... It was nothing special. I went and stood in front of the camera. I’ve never been scared of the camera. But I was too lazy to emote anything. When the cameraman asked me to focus, I first started laughing. He then asked me to focus again. And I just stared at the camera. What an experience!

How do you balance acting and RJing? The shooting mostly happens at night. So I do a late-night show nowadays. I come to office in the morning, record my show and go

RJ Shiva (of Radio Mirchi fame), who first hit the big screens with ‘Chennai 600 028,’ is now starring in the new Venkat Prabu flick, ‘Saroja’. He shares a light conversation with Ergo about the movie that hits the theatres this month-end and on himself for shooting during the nights. I do Kadhala Kadhala, so it’s not much of a problem. If there is no shooting, I do a live show.

What do you relate to more? Acting or RJing? I can’t sit in an office and work. So I feel I was meant to be in the entertainment field. It doesn’t matter if it is acting or RJing. If it is not both I’ll be doing something else that is different.

Would you like to foray into directing? Yes, I want to direct. I think I will start doing it in a couple of years.

To you love is….

What a scary question! You should love everything. It is very important. Love your breakfast, lunch, dinner. Love whatever you eat! One a serious note, love is necessary. If you don’t love what you are doing, what’s the point of doing it?

Philosophy of life…. We are going to live only a certain number of years. It is a universal truth. Don’t think too much. Enjoy what you want to do. Keep yourself and people happy.

One word to describe your life till now… Circus ■

Colour: Bright colours Dress: Yes, I like dresses! Brand: Local Movie: Life is Beautiful. Is the next question about my favourite actor? Favourite actor: M.R. Radha, Ranga Rao, Thanga Velu, Sivaji and Kamal Hassan Singer: Shiva (me!). No, it’s actually SPB Sir. He sang a song for my movie. It has made it all the more special.

11

Monday, August 25, 2008

Gwen Stefani gives birth to baby boy Singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani gave birth to a boy named Zuma on Thursday in Los Angeles, her second child with husband Gavin Rossdale, her spokesman said. Stefani and her baby are “happy and healthy” following the birth at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, publicist Dave Tomberlin said in a statement. Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale weighs 8.5 pounds, Tomberlin said. Reuters

Sticky, Sweet and Hard Candy M

adonna kicked off her ‘Sticky And Sweet’ world tour in Britain late Saturday with a two-hour extravaganza of hits and high fashion showing why she is still the queen of pop despite recently turning 50. The US star played hits including ‘Like a Prayer’, ‘Into The Groove’ and ‘Hung Up’ at the giant Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on the first night of the 49-date tour. The show, promoting her latest album Hard Candy which has hit number one in 27 countries, was watched by her British film director husband Guy Ritchie and three children. To screams from fans, Madonna took the stage in a one-piece black sequinned outfit by French fashion house Givenchy for the first section, known as ‘pimp’, a homage to gangster chic from the 1920s to now. She then revisited New York in the early 1980s – where she arrived aged 20 with just 35 dollars in her pocket before hitting the big

Cine City

time – for the ‘old school’ section of the show featuring songs including ‘Music’ and a dance-off on stage. During the song ‘Get Stupid’, she appeared to take a swipe at US Republican presidential contender John McCain whose picture flashed up alongside images of destruction and global warming as well as Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe. The show featured eight costume changes, 16 dancers, a 12-piece band and a million pounds (1.3 million euros, 1.9 million dollars) worth of Swarovski crystals. The tour continues in Nice, southern France on August 26 before heading to the rest of Europe, the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. It wraps up in Sao Paulo on December 18. Madonna’s last tour, 2006’s ‘Confessions’, was reportedly the top-earning show ever by a female artiste, grossing nearly 200 million dollars. ■ AFP

Yuvan to direct film Yuvan is one of the most happening music directors in town. But the news is that he is trying his hands at direction. Yuvan Shankar Raja, with so many music projects in his kitty, plans to direct a movie with a script that has not been made anywhere till date, says director Venkat Prabhu. Venkat is elated about Yuvan’s support for Saroja. The highlight of Saroja’s album is that all the songs were composed within 24 hours, and all the songs are said to be real chartbusters.

Jai’s turn now

Madonna opens ‘Sticky and Sweet’ world tour in Britain

Following the footsteps of Sarath Kumar, Suriya, Vikram and Vishal, actor Jai will soon be seen with sixpack abs. Shooting simultaneously for the films Aval Peyar Tamizharasi and Adhae Neram Adhae Nimidam, Jai is again joining hands with Venkat Prabhu for a film. Sources say it was Venkat Prabhu who asked Jai to develop a six-pack. The film is about four youngsters and Soundarya Rajinikanth would be producing the film under the Ocher Studios banner. Jai, who weighed 84 kgs while shooting for Subramaniapuram, has reduced to 64 kgs now. www.cinesnacks.com

12 SCAN

ERGO Monday, August 25, 2008

Claustrophobic Uma According to TV.com, Uma Thurman has revealed she is scared of closed spaces and in the scene where she was buried alive in Kill Bill 2, found the experience "horrific".

PICK OF THE DAY

Zee Studio

Star World

Star Movies

Zee Cafe

The Matrix Revolutions

According to Jim – 8-30 pm

War of the Worlds – 9 pm

– 7-45 pm Neo discovers that somehow he is able to use his powers into the real world too and that his mind can be freed from his body, as a result of which he finds himself trapped on a train station between the Matrix and the Real World.

Dana and Jim both covet their reverend - she for romance, he for the pastor’s prowess at bowling.

Ray is a dock worker. Witnessing, and barely escaping the horror, first-hand, it’s up to Ray to protect his two kids from terrorist and races up to Boston before one of them gets murdered by a large tripod machine in its path!

The O.C. – 8 pm Ryan, a troubled teenager adopted by Sandy and Kirsten and his surrogate brother Seth deal with life as outsiders in the high-class world of Orange County and their dramatic relationships with women.

The Ajal Gujal RJ V. LOKPRIA

The best thing about Radio One…

Y

In Radio One there is no policy of seniority. Nobody here has airs of being RJs. We are normal human beings and aim to entertain people. From the top programming head to the housekeeping boy, everybody has a good rapport with each other. Moreover, we interact with people and do what they like us to do.

With a degree in Computer Science how did RJing happen? From my childhood I was interested in speaking. I was an orator in my school and college days. It was during my second year of college that radio stations started coming up in Chennai. I gave auditions for World Space Radio, got selected and worked there as an RJ in its Tamil channel for five months.

How did you join Radio One? A friend of mine saw an ad of Radio One inviting people for RJ auditions. I had a passion for music, had the gift of the gab and was a good entertainer. So he insisted that I give it a try. I went for the audition and out of about 200 people I got selected.

How did the tag ‘Ajal Gujal’ come about? When I was working with World Space, every RJ had a tag to their original name so I was thinking of what name to keep for myself. The name had to be catchy and signify happiness, and that’s how Ajal Gujal was born. When I joined Radio One I continued with the same name.

The stupidest thing you have done on air… (Gives a quizzical look) Well, it was last year in April. I was giving teasers of the songs which were to follow along with the movie names. It was only when the songs were playing that I realised my blunder. I had mismatched the movie names and the song list. In the next link I was quick enough to set it right by saying it was an April Fool’s Days trick.

Two wishes you would ask of a genie? To become the next Anil Ambani and to go on a world tour with my favourite person (shhh…can’t reveal who it is).

Arun in School: School Pupil Leader Arun in College: College Student Union Leader Arun now: RJ Arun in Future: Politician Favourite Movie: Veerasamy Favourite Actress: Paravai Muniama Favourite Actor: Kamal Hassan

How has RJing changed your life? There were days when I was kicked out of Ethiraj College for ‘bird watching’. Recently, when I had gone there as a judge for a cultural event, the same watchman who kicked me out opened the gates and welcomed me. That is one of the memorable changes! ■

PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

ou would have seen him hosting Ergo Blitz, heard him on College Road every afternoon. Now you can get up-close and personal with RJ Arun from Radio One. The happy-golucky person that he is, he has found a place in the listeners’ hearts with his spontaneous jokes. Join him as he speaks of his journey as an RJ.

13

Monday, August 25, 2008

Tallest man wins back title A Chinese man has been reinstated as the world’s tallest living male because a ’taller’ Ukrainian refuses to be measured, according to the Guinness World Records. [email protected]

Greetings

Dear Anand KG, Wishing you many more happy returns of the day. Happiness keeps u sweet. Trails make u strong, Sorrows keeps u humble, Success keeps u glowing wishing u lovely and sweet day. May all your dreams come true and God Bless You. Warm regards, Your Team - General Administration, CSS Corp

Dear Selva, Superb friend having excellent character and lovely life with valuable and attractive things will shower on U on this day. Many more happy returns of the day.

Get on your marks and get set for, for it’s the time to run, to unite and the time to get together and commemorate the aspect of fellowship amongst us. Give Life Chennai Marathon is a marathon for a cause conducted by Marg. Where: War Memorial Marina Beach When: August 31 Starting time Men: 6.30 a.m. Starting time Women: 7.00 a.m. Contact : 9444960704

GIVE LIFE

Cheers, Nithya, Priya, Vino, Kasthuri, Srikanth, Siva, TCS-Ignitians

Dear Preethy, Belated happy B’day dear. May life’s brightest joys illuminate your path, and may each day’s journey bring you closer to your dreams. Hope you had a wonderful birthday with lots of cakes.

MONSOON SPECIAL

Your lovable roomies, Sumol(Cognizant), Rinu(Syntel), Anitha(Sathyam)

Relax and revitalize this Monsoon at Aura. Acacia Touch, Go Green are Special packages designed specially using Decleor products to provide radiance and boost to your complexion and the Hawaiian massage to make you feel totally relaxed and refreshed.

Dear Koushy, Wish you many more happy returns of the day. Have a blasting year ahead. Lovable Friends, Business Technology Services(FS&TMT), Wipro Technologies.

Dear Maria Johnson Raja, Wish you many more happy returns of the day and a great year ahead. May all your wishes come true. All the best for your future endeavors… Karuppa samy, Kattu raja Vazhga pallandu…! S Murugan, Hexaware Technologies Ltd & Innovators (Annamalai University)

Where: Aura The Park Anna Salai Contact: 42676000

Dear Kamal, Today’s the day we get to say we are happy you were born. Let all your dreams may come true this year. Many more happy returns of the day dear friend! Happy Birthday!! Giri Babu (TCS), Antony David (FL Smidth), Parthiban (HDO), Saravanan (HSBC), Dinesh (HDFC), Pathy (HDFC), Dharmesh (Kotak), Deepan Balaji

Dear Anand, We hope your Birthday is Great. We hope you have lots of ice cream. We hope your greatest birthday wish comes true. HAPPY BIRTHDAY...! Best Wishes from FMG Family, CSS Corp Pvt Ltd.

Hello Gang, Send your greetings to [email protected], with the word ‘greeting’ and the preferred date of publication in the subject line. Example: ’Greeting: August 28’. This will help us organise the column. Also, those who want to dedicate greetings, please send your full name, company name and contact number for verification. Cheers, Team Ergo

TOP 5 THINGS TO DO ON A RAINY DAY The best activity of all - get wet. Jump in poodles of water and make splashes all around. Have a film festival at home. Get all your DVDs and CDs together and watch an assortment of movies. Who said the only place to go camping was outdoors. Pitch a camp indoors. For the purpose, make use of draping sheets.

Rainy day, a weekend, with almost everyone at home, is the perfect time to delve into family history, remember some funny incidents and have a good laugh. Rainy season is supposed to be the most romantic season of all. Time to make your loved one feel special, what do you say?

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Monday, August 25, 2008

Wild enough A wild monkey caused chaos as it ran amok in a central Tokyo railway station after it jumped the ticket barriers.

sudoku

P.K.K. Muralidharan of HCL Technologies clicked this picture near Suruli Falls, just 10 km from Cumbum in Theni district. Note the difference in the evergreen trees on the banks of the river. Hobbies: Listening to music and photography.

KAKURO So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never really had the platform? Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it in this space, with credit. E-mail: [email protected]

TEAM Editor: Karthik Subramanian [email protected]

Sr Dy Chief Designer: J.A. Prem Kumar Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan Illustrator: R. Venugopal Technical Support: V.R. Vasudevan, K.G. Gurumurthy N. Ravichandran, E. Baskar Head of Advertising: Sriya Narayanan [email protected]

Head of Circulation: RA. Babu Vijay [email protected]

SNAIL MAIL 859/860, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 002 mail your feedback to [email protected]

FAX 2857 6691 ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Call our Advertisement Manager at 2857 6695. email: [email protected] Website: www.goergo.in

Printed and Published by S. Karthik on behalf of KASTURI & SONS LTD., at Plot B-6 & B-7, CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar, Chengleput Taluk, Kancheepuram Dist., Pin: 603209 & at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002. Editor: S. Karthik (Editor responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553

15

Monday, August 25, 2008

Word’s worth

Pop-tart art

"Zeitgeber" (tsite-gebb-er) a cyclical event in the environment, especially one that acts as a cue for biological rhythms in an organism. From German words meaning ’time’ and ’giver.’

An artist has created collage of figures such as Pamela Anderson, Larry King and Osama Bin Laden completely from breakfast cereal.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 This is best day to work on a software that has to be designed based on various data sources. It’s a good day to combine two softwares. Logical discussions may not lead to fruitful conclusions. Lovers may enjoy intelligent discussions.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You may be very vocal today. All verbal communications related to work may bear fruits. Important meetings should also go well. You may enjoy delicious dinner with your beloved. Love life may be full of charm, by the Grace of Ganesha.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Renewed energy makes you feel very active. You will be able to develop good logic for the softwares. The day also favours important discussions regarding new development. In love life, you may experience similar intensity from your partner, says Ganesha.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Time and energy may be spent behind things that you think are unnecessary. Because of this, you may remain frustrated at office. However your sweetheart may help you pacify this feeling. Ganesha suggests you to control temper and also take care of health.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Even if you try harder to solve certain issues, they may persist. You will be able to impress others with your skills. Intelligent discussions with someone you praise or adore, is possible. Your partner may take the lead and you will have to take the back-seat.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Your total focus may be on career progress and related matters. You will not be wasting time in anything that doesn’t add any value to your current profile. Love life may undergo some turmoil if you both don’t refrain from arguments.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Luck is favouring you today. It is perfect day to negotiate promotion. There will be strong desire to progress quicker in career. Intellectual hard work is also on the cards. At the end of the day, you will spend memorable time with your beloved.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Ganesha finds you bit upset today because of delay in routine activities. Projects that you may be working on may get delayed. In short, it’s an average day for you. In personal life you may remain physically attracted towards your mate.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You are suggested to watch your energy levels. You may feel tired. You will have to put in lot of effort to achieve success. In love life, you may give more importance to beloved, but Ganesha suggests you to see to it that it doesn’t work against you!

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 At office, you may work very hard. You may not wish to take responsibilities of goof ups which might have hampered your own or company’s progress in past. Handle the blames little carefully. Lovers may spend little but high quality time.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 It is a day to learn lots of new things at workplace. Best day to hone your professional skills. Working under senior’s guidance may benefit you more. In the evening, you may wish to go for some entertainment programme with your lover.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Ganesha finds you very much confused today. However, this is best day to think about pros and cons of things. You are advised to avoid negative thinking. Ganesha foresees you spending a very nice time with family members or lover, in the evening. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Monday, August 25, 2008

A fitting

CLIMAX RINI MUKKATH

E

ven if the show started a bit late, Climax, the annual dance show of the John Britto Dance Company dazzled the audience on Saturday. John dedicated the show to the parents of all the dancers who had encouraged them to pursue their passion. The show started with a soulful lyrical jazz performance by the senior dancers of the company who have received training in the US under the US Consulate Scholarship. The Latin Jazz performance was also very sensational and they even jumped off the stage to dance with the cheering au-

dience. For those who walked in thinking it was all about western dance styles, the Kalari performance came as a pleasant surprise. The skilful rendering of this ancient Indian art form made it clear that these dancers are capable of adapting to any style. HipHop, crimping and the Lambada were also delivered with much ease, thanks to the months of practise they put in.

Kids steal show The students who performed at the show were also fun to watch. Kids of the age group five to seven years performed an Elvis Presley dedication. When the One Republic hit single ‘Apologize’ filled the hall, dancers in the age group of eight to twelve hit the stage

with slow hip-hop steps and a pair emerged enacting a break-up sequence that included a slap scene was performed all in sync with the lyrics of the song. Within minutes Madonna’s 4 minutes replaced the brooding lover’s mood and provided scope for action. The exciting bit came when the kids enacted a mafia shootout sequence complete with fake deaths. The lights seen on stage added to the glamour quotient of the entire show. From the huge wall too wall lights seen during the hip-hop performances to the ultra bright and jazzy ones seen during the latin jazz, the lights did bring the stage alive. John was right when he said the show was going to be a dance extravaganza. ■

Actors Jeeva and Vineeth were among the many who witnessed the fantabulous show. PHOTOS: R.RAVINDRAN