Ergo January 20

A BYTE OF LIFE

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

08 DEFENDING CHAMPION sails through FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 3

10 RAVEENA TANDON on her re-entry

No. 11

Built in 1837, the historic structure will be bulldozed soon to make room for the Metro Rail Project and an extension of the GH » PAGE 03

PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

ADIEU, CHENNAI CENTRAL PRISON

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Diamonds for the lady Tanishq is offering discount up to 25 per cent on its diamond jewellery. The offer is on till January 22 at all Tanishq outlets.

Join the club

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he Chennai Trekking Club is organising three parallel treks the coming weekend. A three-day trek to Venkateswara Hills in South Andhra, three-day trek to Bandajje Arbi and two-day trek to Javadi Hills.

Venkateswara Hills; January 24-26 Walk the talk across a mountain stream inside the Venkateswara National Reserve. With small trails, boulders and rocks, the trek promises to be real fun for first-timers. The group will start from Chennai on Saturday morning and camp at the hill town for two nights. The place is four hours north of Chennai and the trek will cover around 30 kms.

Bandajje Arbi; January 24 – 26 The trek would officially launch the CTC Bangalore Chapter. A motley crowd of CTC members would organise frequent treks to enchanting locations all along Western Ghats and North, North-West Karnataka. Walk down the jungle trail and climb up the hills through rain forests to view the enchanting Bandajje waterfalls. You need to be in good physical condition to take this trek. Be prepared to walk for around 15 kms.

Javadhu Hills; January 24 and 25 For those of you who thought armanis, bvlgaris and hermes were the symbol of fragrances, it’s time to think again. Javadhu hills will help you explore more. The hill is located in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu and is home to hundreds of sandalwood trees. The club members will go to Kotai Malai (ruins of an old fort lie enroute to the peak), Bhima Falls and along the Kamandalam river through forests. Visit www.chennaitrekkers.org to know more about the last date to register for each of these treks and other details.

R-Day blues! NO WAY! I

f you are planning to take the Marina Beach Road this week, be prepared to take some diversions in your regular route. Republic Day rehearsals have started in the city. And, like every year, the beach road stretch – from the Light House to Kannagi Statue – is cordoned for a few hours in preparation for the DDay. The first sign of that was seen on Monday morning, 8 a.m. to be specific. The Army, Navy, Coast Guard, police and NCC, among others, conducted mock drills along the road. Adding colour to the 45-minute rehearsal was cultural shows by school and college students, though it was sans the colourful dresses. If you are a regular walker on the beach and don’t mind catching glimpses of all that goes in preparation for January 26, this is your chance and a perfect treat. Especially the next two rehearsals (no day has so far been decided upon) where the Navy will show its might through helicopters, military tanks and other artilleries. How many of us are privileged to watch Republic Day from the VIP boxes? ■

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Ergo Correspondent

1. Learning the right moves 2. Chennai Traffic Police go in sync 3. Officers, you are not in harmony. PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Former prison to be razed The 172-year-old Chennai Central Prison will soon make way for the Metro Rail Project and GH extension

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he historic Chennai Central Prison, in the heart of the city opposite Chennai Central Station, is awaiting the bulldozer. In a few days’ time, the former jail will make way for the upcoming Metro Rail Project and also an extension of the Government General Hospital. The British structure, constructed in 1837, is built on a sprawling 13 acres, housing 257 cells inside a total of 12 blocks. Then serving as a penitentiary, the prison was also a transit jail for prisoners taken to the Cellular Jail in Port Blair, Andaman. Many famous names from history books, including Veer Savarkar, were inmates here. Turned Central Prison in 1957 till it was shifted to Puzhal in December 2006, the historic prison has housed several leading state politicians, including former Chief Ministers C.N. Annadurai and J. Jayalalithaa and present CM M. Karunanidhi. Even LTTE supremo Vellupillai Prabhakaran was lodged here between 1985 and 1986. In November 1999, a prison riot broke out following the death of an inmate and two jail officials were killed brutally. Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) R. Natraj visited the complex of the former prison on Monday afternoon. “The complex has been formally handed over for the construction of the Metro Rail Project and an extension of the OP block of the Government General Hospital. The structure will be razed down in a few days,” he said. “The prison doesn’t have much historical significance except for some freedom fighters who have been inmates here. The dilapidated condition of the prison rules out any preservation work. Moreover, the land will be used for a good cause,” he added. One of the primary reasons behind shifting the prison was its proximity to the railway station, bus stop and port, which could provide an easy escape route for its inmates. The first prisoners to escape the jail post-Independence, in the late ‘80s, were the notorious criminal Auto Shankar, his brother and two of his accomplices. Later, a group of LTTE members also jumped the prison wall and escaped on the train. ■

The historic prison has housed several leading state politicians, including former Chief Ministers C.N. Annadurai and J. Jayalalithaa and present CM M. Karunanidhi. Even LTTE supremo Vellupillai Prabhakaran was lodged here.

(From top) One last visit to the former prison complex by ADGP (Prisons) R. Natraj along with press and prison staff on Monday afternoon; a cell corridor; an inside and outside view of a prison cell. PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

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ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Technorama Eye Candy The New-Era series of Hitachi LCD TVs ranging from 32-47 inch is out. Use of S-IPS panels guarantees a super-wide viewing angle, brilliant colours and impeccable black levels. Hitachi claims 178 degree of viewing angle and 5ms response time, which is indeed good for a S-IPS panel. These new TVs are also equipped with three HMDI ports and a swivel stand. Rs 42,000 onwards, www.hitachi.co.in

Blue and Me Wouldn’t it be great if your in-car entertainment device received your incoming calls? That’s exactly what the Blaupunkt’s Hamburg MP68 does. This car audio receiver has a built-in Bluetooth module, which pairs with a Bluetooth enabled cellphone and relays incoming as well as outgoing calls. With PABP support, this kit also show the name of the incoming caller on its dinky screen. It can keep track of 500 phone book entries and support for A2DP means you can even play music via a cellphone or listen to it on a Bluetooth headset. Rs 19,990, www.blaupunkt.co.in

The Big Bang NVIDIA’s Tesla PSC marks the dawn of a true personal super computers era. Built around 960 cores and 4 TeraFlops on tap, this supercomputer is small enough to nestle beneath your desk. With 250x the performance of a desktop PC, this is the only computer you will ever need. Are you listening, Mr Olson? Rs 2,50,000 onwards, www.nvidia.in

Snippets sourced from T3 magazine of Infomedia Group

What is PBAP? It stands for Phone Book Access Profile, which is a standard to exchange phone book objects between a car kit and a cell phone. This enables the car kit to display the name of the incoming caller. Built-in Bluetooth module pairs with a cellphone and lets you make a call. You can also listen to music from a Bluetooth enabled phone The alpha-numeric keypad makes it easy to place a call. The LCD displays incoming calls.

Bright Star The NP 600 from NEC is unique in the way that it can be directly controlled over a network using the built-in RJ45 connector. Rated at 3000 lumens, it can be used in a well-lit room without the colours going pale. VirtualRemote feature banishes the need for a physical remote control as the functions can be controlled from the presentation laptop itself. Auto- Input funtion selects and recognises the connected signal source while, Auto Power On automatically wakes it from its slumber. To keep the projector safe from prying eyes, it can be password protected and Kensington lock is provided too. If you are low on dough consider the other two NP400 and NP500 units. TBC, www.necindia.in

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Backpackers

Hello Backpackers,

We are back after a break, and we are sure you too have lots of interesting travelogues to share with us. Remember, this space is yours. Send us short articles with plenty of photographs on some lesser-know travel destinations that you have explored, either yourself or with your team. Email: [email protected]

Sunset and serenity I

the place. We also made a trip to Vivekananda rock by boat – it was good to see the clear and shining currents of the sea. Visiting the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent and seeing the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean was just amazing. We thought of visiting Thiruvallur Statue by boat but due to the construction work they had closed the route. Besides sightseeing, we also attended a small session on Vivekananda. On the whole, a trip to remember. (Binita Paul came to Chennai from Kolkata and currently works with IVTL Infoview Technologies Pvt. Ltd, Navallur)

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PHOTO: BINITA PAUL

have travelled to a number of places in the South like Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram, Trivandrum, Tirumala, Madurai, Dhanushpatti and Padmanabhapuram, but my two-day to Kanyakumari remains my favourite. It was in February 2008 that we visited Kanyakumari, after stopping at Madurai. We reached in the afternoon and after taking rest we set out to see the sunset. To our bad luck the clouds played hide-and-seek and we missed the view. We again set out the next morning to try our luck. It was the most spectacular view I saw. Our next stop was at some of the famous temples in

Go with the wild

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long with my brothers, we went to Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala. We were at the island for one day and the next two days camped at the tree-top wood house that overlooked the wild. It was fun to watch several animals – elephants, deer, Indian wild dog, Malabar squirrels, bison and various species of birds at a very close distance. There were watch towers built on the tree at a height of 40 ft - 50 ft, which made it easy to see a lot of animals in the night. Especially in summer season, a lot of animals come to the lake and the sight is awesome. The special attractions in Parambikulam are Kannimara Teak,

Dam View Point, Valley View Point, Lake View Point, Parambikulam Dam and Thunakadavu Dam. We did get to see one of the largest teak trees in the world – Kannimara Teak has a breadth of 6.48 m and height of 48.75 m. The Kannimara is believed to

be around 400 years old. Parambikulam is the place to stay. Tree-top houses, island, watch towers and guest house are the places they offer for tourists to stay. (Arun Jayaraj R. works with Sutherland Global Services)

How to get there by road: From Palakkad (Kerala) - 100 km; From Coimbatore - 84 km; From Pollachi – 38 km Bus Timings (TNSTC): From Pollachi to Parambikulam; 6.15 a.m. and 3.15 p.m.; Parambikulam to Pollachi 8.45 a.m. and 5.45 p.m.; Pollachi to Topslip 11.20 a.m. Place to see: Kannimara Teak, Dam View Point, Valley View Point, Lake View Point, Parabikulam Dam, Thunakadavu Dam Things to do: Animal spotting, boating and more

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Package goes to pot A man in Texas who was expecting a shipment of tools instead received a massive brick of marijuana that police say is worth more than $10,000

Shoe thrower wants asylum in Switzerland

Captain faces jail over Indonesian ferry disaster

An Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at US President George W. Bush in Baghdad last month is to seek political asylum in Switzerland, a Geneva lawyer told the daily La Tribune de Geneve on Monday. “At the beginning of the month his family contacted me via the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) and I shall write this week to the federal department (ministry) of foreign affairs to encourage Switzerland to grant him political asylum,” lawyer Mauro Poggia told the paper. Switzerland could give him asylum “without taking a position for or against the American intervention in Iraq,” he said.

The captain of a ferry that sank off Sulawesi island last week leaving up to 335 people dead is facing five years in jail for negligence, Indonesian police said on Monday. Only 35 people survived and nine Survivors being rescued off bodies have been Teratai Prima. AFP FILE PHOTO found since the 700tonne Teratai Prima sank on January 12 in heavy seas whipped up by a tropical storm in the Makassar Strait with up to 370 passengers and crew on board. “The ferry captain, Sabir, faces a maximum jail sentence of five years,” South Sulawesi district police chief Ruslan Nicolas said. National police spokesman Abubakar Nataprawira said the captain would be charged with ignoring a storm warning when he set sail from Pare-Pare on the afternoon of January 11 for the overnight journey to Samarinda, Borneo island. The disaster is the worst of its kind in Indonesia since December 2006 when a ferry sank in a storm off the coast of Java, killing more than 500 people.

AFP

Tibet to mark suppression of Dalai Lama-led rebellion China announced on Monday that Tibet would each year have a special day to celebrate the Chinese military’s crushing of a Dalai Lama-led rebellion and the “freeing of slaves” 50 years ago. The Himalayan region’s parliament unanimously approved the motion to make every March 28 ‘Serf Emancipation Day’, the official Xinhua news agency reported. “On March 28, 1959, Tibetan serfs and slaves, who accounted for more than 90 percent of the region’s population, were freed after the central government foiled an armed rebellion staged by the Dalai Lama and his supporters,” Xinhua said. It was not immediately clear on Monday whether ‘Serf Emancipation Day’ would just be a commemorative day or a public holiday in Tibet.

AFP

‘Lost in Space’ actor Bob May dies Bob May, who won a cult following as The Robot in the hit 1960s television show Lost in Space, has died of congestive heart failure. He was 69. May died at a hospital in Lancaster, his daughter, Deborah May said. His entertainment career spanned more than 65 years. He was a veteran actor and stuntman who had appeared in movies, TV shows and on the vaudeville stage when he was tapped by Lost in Space creator Irwin Allen to play the Robinson family’s loyal metal sidekick in the hit series that debuted in 1965. Lost in Space was a space-age retelling of The Swiss Family Robinson story in which Professor John Robinson, his wife and their children were on a space mission when their craft was knocked hopelessly off course by the evil Dr. Zachary Smith, who became trapped in space with them. Although May didn’t provide the robot’s distinctive voice (that was done by announcer Dick Tufeld), he developed a devoted following of fans who sought him out at memorabilia shows.

AFP

PTI

Dumpster couture makes foray into Obamaworld

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ancy Judd’s latest venture in the fashion world began with a trip to the dumpster. It was the day after Barack Obama’s historic November 4 election win, and the environmental artist and educator went dumpster diving behind the Obama campaign headquarters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, desperate to collect any salvageable materials. “I made a mad dash around town. In many cases, they had already started throwing things in dumpsters and I was pulling material out of dumpsters,” Judd says. “I started seeing posters and

decals and I was finding drawings by children and all kinds of amazing materials that I felt like I just wanted to save... then it was just an obvious next step: since I make clothing out of trash, I am going to make a collection of garments and take it to the inauguration.” Judd unveiled her ‘Campaign for Change Couture Collection’ Saturday at the Green Inaugural Ball. The centrepiece was ‘Obamanos’, a 1950s vintage men’s coat adorned with countless 1.5-inch (4-centimeter)-long strips of Obama campaign door hangers that Judd said took 200

hours to make. “I interpret it as we are Obama, we are this movement. It’s a tribute to the millions of people who worked for him,” she says. Although the suit was tailored to fit Obama, wearing it would not be an easy affair. “There’s a little bit of movement back and forth, but he can’t wave,” Judd explains. Crafting a single one of her handmade garments usually takes about six months to make, Judd says. But with the help of some 20 people in her studio, she wrapped up all three pieces in just two months. ■

AFP PHOTO

Nancy Judd salvaged discarded voting material from US Presidential election and turned it into clothes

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

One look is all it takes Snapshots from the ’We Are One’ concert, one of the events of Barack Obama’s inauguration celebrations, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Sunday

Barack and Michelle Obama

Barack Obama’s daughters Malia (L) and Sasha (R) walk past a group of photographers as they arrive at the ‘We Are One’ concert PHOTOS: AFP

Sheryl Crow (L) and will.i.am

Bruce Springsteen

Bono

08 SPORT

ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009

No pay cheque Two Indian orphans lost out on a much-needed payday at the Mumbai marathon as they could not afford the Rs. 200 for timing chips in their shoes on Monday. The 18-year-olds, Sunita Kanna and Savita Kamble, members of a local sports trust for orphans, came fourth and fifth in the women’s half-marathon. Kanna would have won Rs 25,000 and Kamble Rs. 20,000 if they had the chips embedded in their shoes.

Sania back with a bang Indian starlet Sania Mirza made a successful return from a long-term wrist injury on Monday when she downed Marta Domachowska of Poland in straight sets at the Australian Open. After missing the latter half of 2008 Mirza showed she was now fully recovered with her emphatic victory over the world number 61. “It was a great way to begin after such a long break,” Mirza said after her 6-1, 6-4 first round romp. “I’ve not played a match in almost six months now. I’m just happy to have come through. I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball really well over the last few days but I was a bit nervous when I went on because there’s a difference between being fit and being match-fit.” Mirza, who was close to breaking the top 30 before her injury, said she hadn’t given Domachowska a chance until she tightened up in the second set when victory was in sight. And she said she was thrilled to be back competing after wondering at one stage whether she would ever play again. “My wrist is holding up fine, which is good because that was my greatest concern,” she said. Mirza suffered the injury to her right wrist in March and had surgery in April. She returned in time for Wimbledon but was forced to withdraw from all tournaments after losing in the first round of the Beijing Olympics. AFP

Extreme heat hits players hard The scorching Melbourne heat played havoc at the Australian Open on Monday with Marcos Baghdatis saying he felt physically sick and Jelena Jankovic complaining her feet seemed to be on fire. Extreme temperatures are a perennial problem at the opening Grand Slam of the season and Baghdatis, a runner-up here in 2006, was affected by the beating sun more than most. “The conditions, the sun, the sun, it’s just very strong,” said the Cypriot after outlasting Frenchman Julien Benneteau 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 in temperatures reaching 35 Celsius. “Just even being out there, you cannot breathe,” he added, saying it was some of the toughest conditions he had ever experienced. World number one Jankovic, angling for her first Grand Slam title, also suffered, complaining that he feet were on fire and resting them on ice at the changeovers in an attempt to cool them down. “The court gets so hot, it’s normal that the soles of the shoes will get hot as well,” she said after beating Austria’s Yvonne Meusburger 6-1, 6-3. “Especially when you’re moving, from the friction, it gets warmer and warmer. Really it’s like fire, my soles of my shoes.”

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elena Jankovic and Novak Djokovic led the charge into the Australian Open second round on Monday, while fellow Serb Ana Ivanovic survived early tournament wobbles. Under blazing sun, world number one Jankovic brushed aside Yvonne Meusburger 6-1, 6-3 in impressive fashion as she searches for a maiden Grand Slam title to silence the critics who question her ranking.

Novak sails through Defending champion Djokovic, the third seed, was equally formidable, seeing off a late revival by Italian qualifier Andrea Stoppini to win 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. Seventh seed Andy Roddick was also firing as he crushed Swedish qualifier Bjorn Rehnquist 6-0, 6-2, 6-2. But French Open champion Ivanovic, seeded five, struggled before downing Germany’s Julia Goerges 7-5, 6-3. Her Serbian compatriot Jankovic said her feet were burning as temperatures soared at Melbourne Park, but managed to keep her cool as she benefited from a brutal off-season training regime. Djokovic, who won his maiden Grand Slam in Melbourne last year, was relieved to get off to a winning start after an indifferent month, with two defeats already. He admitted he was feeling the pressure of being the champion. “Look, there is pressure. But it didn’t affect me today,” he said. “I’m still trying to find the rhythm and slowly getting there.”

“It took me some time to adjust (to the conditions) in the beginning, but I’m very happy that I took opportunities I had,” said the 21-year-old, who went off the boil in the second half of last season after winning at Roland Garros. Seventh seed Vera Zvonareva spearheaded Russia’s assault on the first Grand Slam of the season, hoping to capitalise on the absence of compatriot and defending champion Sharapova. She has an outside chance and she made sure of living to fight another day by seeing off Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 7-6 (7/2), 6-0. Other women progressing included French 15th seed Alize Cornet, who ended the dreams of Ukraine’s Mariya Koryttseva, and French 15th seed Marion Bartoli.

battled some injuries last year so it was kind of tough getting back and being able to train. (Winning Slams) is the ultimate goal and I’m excited to start here.” Spain’s David Ferrer, the 11th seed, joined him in the next round after surviving a marathon five-setter with journeyman Denis Gremelmayr, outlasting the German in just over four hours. Argentinian hotshot Juan Martin Del Potro routed Germany’s Mischa Zverev 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 while former runner-up Marcos Baghdatis and 16th seed Robin Soderling also progressed. Mercurial Marat Safin also brushed off questions about possible retirement after he destroyed Ivan Navarro of Spain 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. ■ AFP

Roddick muscles his way Roddick, a three-time semi-finalist here, raced through his match and said adding another Grand Slam title to his 2003 US Open win remained his “ultimate goal”. “I’m 26 so I’m not quite over the hill,” he said. “I

Jankovic, Djokovic lead charge into Open second round

Anna scrapes through Ivanovic, the fifth seed who lost last year’s final to Maria Sharapova, failed to dominate against a player ranked 107, reinforcing fears that she may not be ready for another Major title.

AFP

Seeds have it easy PHOTO: AFP

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

‘‘

I was not happy and very disappointed with the turn out of events (in 2005). There were players like Harbhajan (Singh) and (Virender) Sehwag who stood up and then had to face the brunt of getting dropped. I knew something wrong was happening at the selection.

An

Sourav Ganguly on being dropped from the Indian side after his spat with coach Greg Chappel

t s a l t a , r e d n u o r l al

AYON SENGUPTA [email protected]

RAVINDRA JADEJA’S RANJI TROPHY AND IPL STINTS HAVE PAID OFF

PHOTO: PTI

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avindra Jadeja’s stellar performance in the just-concluded Ranji Trophy has catapulted him to national recognition and the Saurashtra all-rounder is ready to break into the big league as the national side tours Sri Lanka. “It’s a huge moment for me to be selected for the national side. Now I just need to go there, give my best and prove that I belong there,” Jadeja says. “The onus is on me to make good of the chance. The other factors that are so important for any sportsmen, like coaching and selection, have done their part.” Jadeja, along with Cheteshwar Pujara, has been the mainstay of the Saurashtra team that had reached the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy and had also captured the Ranji Trophy One-Dayers last year. Picking up 42 wickets this season with his slow left-arm spin, he shouldered the bowling responsibility for his side and also came good with the bat, scoring 739 runs that included a mammoth unbeaten 232 against Orissa in the group stage. He shared a record-breaking 524-run partnership with Pujara in the same match. “That innings gave me a lot of confidence. Previously, I was more of a bits-and-pieces player but that gave me the belief to aim higher,” the 20-year-old says. “But I think the IPL also played a huge part, giving youngsters like me an opportunity to play against and along a few of the biggest names.” Jadeja’s state coach, Debu Mitra, has full faith in his ward and feels he can be the right player to fill in as a genuine all-rounder in the Indian side. “He has the talent and also the resolve, so there is no question that he will succeed. But that is not everything; a lot of domestic players have that. You also need the right guidance and also the right break,” the former Bengal batsman who was also Sourav Ganguly’s first coach says. “As a coach I just had to instil the feeling that he can do it. He already had everything that is required of a good player.” It is after a gap of 23 years that a player from Saurashtra made it to the Indian side; the last player to play an international from the side was spinner Dilip Doshi, who was part of the Indian Test side. ■

10 FLICK

ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Aniston wants own restaurant The actress says she would have become a restaurateur if she hadn’t found success on the hit sitcom ‘Friends’. “I always thought it would be fun to own a restaurant. My family is Greek, and many of them own restaurants and coffee shops.”

‘I will only do roles RAVEENA HAS JOINED THE BANDWAGON OF ACTRESSES LIKE KAJOL, JUHI CHAWLA AND MADHURI DIXIT, WHO ARE FULLTIME MOMS BUT DON’T MIND FACING THE CAMERA IF THE ROLE IS GOOD ENOUGH AND SUITS THEIR AGE

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nown once as the Mast Mast girl of Bollywood, Raveena Tandon has been on a long sabbatical from movies after marriage and motherhood. She now faces the arc lights for Revathy’s Just Aap Ke Liye and says she will accept films only if the roles suit her age. “I am very realistic and I want to do something that suits my age because now I cannot see myself doing some silly stuff,” Raveena says. “I do not want my kids to feel embarrassed. I have to make them proud and that is why I want to do only selected movies,” added the National Award-winning actress. She refused to divulge anything about Just Aap Ke Liye. Raveena, 34, has joined the bandwagon of actresses like Kajol, Juhi Chawla and Madhuri Dixit, who are full-time moms but don’t mind facing the camera if the role is good enough and suits their age. “Thanks to the changing scene of the film industry, there are no more clichés attached to you being married. Now characters are churned out in such a way that if you fit the bill, you can prove your mettle irrespective of your age and marital status,” Raveena says. “The media too deserves credit for this because they do not allow us to hide and are always interested in knowing about our whereabouts. This helps us in connecting with our

suit my age’ fans, who want to see us back on screen,” she added. Raveena bid adieu to filmdom after tying the knot with film distributor Anil Thadani in 2004. She is a proud mother of three-year-old Rasha and one-and-a-half-year-old son Ranbir. She says the two take all her time and running around them keeps her fit and slim. “I am a full-time mother and the whole day is spent running after my kids. This, in fact, has helped me get rid of my pregnancy fat. They are so active and full of energy that sometimes it gets very difficult to match their energy levels,” says the actor. “It is a pleasure watching them grow and see their smiles and answer their out-of-the box questions,” she adds. Raveena also maintains that being a parent has taught her all those things that her parents used to preach. “Being a responsible and a good parent is a tough job, but I am sure we will be able to teach them what our parents taught us, and impart all the values that can keep them grounded.” Last year, Raveena was the judge of the TV reality show Chak De Bachche on 9X, but right now she is taking it easy. Does she miss the fun-filled life of Bollywood? “Not at all... because most of the time then I was juggling between shoots and the studios, and dancing in leather pants under the hot sun,” she replies. The actress has worked in movies like Andaaz Apna Apna, Satta, Ziddi and won the National Award for her performance in Daman. ■ IANS

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Loser of the year British singer Amy Winehouse has been crowned ‘Loser of the Year’ for the second time. The 25-yearold singer won the accolade at the Virgin Media Music Awards 2008, which were voted for by nearly three million members of the public.

GETTY IMAGES

Kate Moss’ b’day bash menu puts off veggie pals

Cine City

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he menu at Kate Moss’ 35th birthday bash reportedly left her vegetarian friends with little appetite. According to a source, servings of roast suckling pig did enough to turn the stomach of pal Stella McCartney, who was also said to have spotted a stag antler hunting trophy on a dining room wall. The former Beatle’s daughter was apparently taken aback when she further found scattered fur rugs, squirrels and stuffed birds at the Medieval-themed party at the supermodel’s home. “Stella went up to Kate and slapped her playfully on the arm,” the Mirror quoted a source as saying. “Stella said, ‘Hey, missy, couldn’t you have got a fake deer’s head?’ Stella also told her she was unimpressed by the stuffed birds, squirrels and fur rugs,” the source added. ■

Circus remake Soundarya Rajinikanth is all gaga over Dayal’s Kannada blockbuster Circus starring Ganesh and Archana Gupta. If grapevine is to be believed, Four Frames theatre had a special show of the movie for Soundarya and she has decided to produce it in collaboration with Warner Brothers. We hear that either Vijay or Dhanush could be signed for the remake. Let’s see who the lucky one is.

ANI

Downey Jr. upset with Guy Ritchie A

IANS

RJ on the block

GETTY IMAGES

ctor Robert Downey Jr. is unhappy with British director Guy Ritchie for making him wear four-inch platforms in his shoes for the Sherlock Holmes movie. According to thesun.co.uk, Ritchie made him wear the heels for every scene with co-star Jude Law because he thought the duo of Watson and Holmes would have been the same height. A source said: “Rob was stumbling around a lot and cursing Guy over the silly shoes.” ■

Vedhika is doing her best to get as realistic in her new role as radio jockey in her upcoming movie Malai Malai opposite Arun Vijay. She had gone to Mumbai and taken training from some of her RJ friends. The graceful actress who has acted in Muni, Kaalai and Sakkarakatti says that acting is her priority and she would love to do roles that offer scope to perform.

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ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Balaji from RR Donnelley has nominated his colleagues as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at GRT Temple Bay inMahabalipuram.

Monday’s Question: Do you think "Slumdog Millionaire" romanticises poverty or just holds a mirror to our society? ■ It romanticises poverty but it was done nicely. Unfortunately that’s also a reflection of the society at large Sridhar R STG

■ Slumdog Millionaire definitely shows pure reflection about our society. Such movies have to be welcomed.

Prakash from Infosys has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Dhaba Express, Chennai.

ARS Perot Systems

■ Slumdog does have a masala flavour to it. But it has the guts to show the ugly side of Mumbai, which is the reality. Senthil Kumar P RR Donnelley

■ Slumdog is a combination of poverty as well as mirror of our society, because money can change any person from poor to rich. That’s the real message of the film. Jagan Capgemini

Today’s Query: Which song would you nominate as the song of the year and why? Send in your mobile query suggestions to [email protected] with the subject line: Mobile Query

M. Raghavendar from Sify Technologies Limited has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This photo was clicked at Cascade Restaurant, Besant Nagar, Chennai.

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Ms Preetha Ganesan (CDC 3) from Wipro has been nominated as Office Angel by Satheesh Krishnamoorthy (CDC 3). She is such a sweet, soft spoken person. She has amazing stretch factor and patience. Though we approach her with the most troublesome situations we always get all her positive replies of “No Problem yaar, sure da, Okies etc.” She is nicknamed as "NODDY" coz she nods her head giving positive gestures.

Art featured in this column will receive gift coupons from Fruit Shop on Greams Road. Phone: 23450871. Send in your addresses so that we can post the coupons.

Today’s Wishes ■ Dear Saravanakumar, Its a nice feeling when u know that someone likes u, sum 1 thinks about u, sum 1 needs u; but it feels much better when you know that some1 never ever forgets your birthday. Önskar er många fler lyckliga återvänder i dag Grattis på födelsedagen "XSARNAT" (HAPPY BIRTHDAY ) With Wishes, HUTCH - SWEDEN Testing Team, Tata Consultancy Services

■ Dear L Hariharan, Happy birthday my dear friend!!! I am dedicating all the flowers that have blossomed on this earth today to you!!! Let this bring all the joy and happiness to you!!! Let this day brings all the things that you want in your life!! Prakash Cognizant Technology Solutions

■ Dear Renil, Hope it adds some special pleasure To the hours of your day To know you’re being thought of In the very warmest way... And when your birthday’s over, Hope that you’ll remember, too, The same warm thoughts as always Will keep going out to you! Happy Birthday

Prakash of Cognizant doodled this.

With lots of love , CODC Mallus HCL

■ Dear Friends, Wish You Advance Marriage. Life to Race Course Chankra Sekar & underground (Boss) Sankara Pavansam By Thala Shiva, Kottar Gandhi, Black Pandi, Simran Prassana, Jude Syed, Panch Paramaswari, Pannar Lingesh & Non-Prod Team.

Antha Bus conductor kku punishment a electric shock koduthangale....enna aachu? Onnum aagala.... ean na avar Bad conductor. Sivananadm Wipro.

1. Man-1: Yenga veettukku yedhir veettula ullavar yedhayum aadharam illama seiyya maattaru. Man-2: Yedha vachu solrae? Man-1: Avar lover-ku love letter-i register post-la anuppunadha vachudhan.... 2. Girl : yennai paarkaama yedhirla ulla ponnai yen romba neramaa parkureenga? Boy : Andha ponnai unnoda compare panni parthen. Aana andha pon un alavukku illai.. Girl : Really? Boy : Yes. Andha pon konjam azhagu... Mohamed Yusufdeen J HCL Technologies Ltd.

■ Dear Pradeep, Sila aandugaluku munbu alagum arivum neeraintha, oru aan magan piranthan. Indru avanuku piranthanal. Avan magudhathil innum oru muthu pathika patirukiradhu. Wish u many more happy returns of the day. Hope all that u do turns out happy for u and all ur wishes come true this year. Un uyir thozhi, Sindhu. Cognizant Technology Solutions

■ Dear Sandhiya, How do you expect us to remember your birthday, when you never look any older? Wishing you a belated birthday.We

didn’t forget your birthday, We were just fashionably late.. Best Regards, Sakthipriya Cognizant Technology Solutions Nithi, HSBC

■ Dear Rekha, Your Birthday makes this day all the more special and beautiful! Wishing you another year of good health, happiness and prosperity! Wish you a many more happy returns of the day. May God bless your future with lots of surprises. Keep Rocking!!

From your ever loving team. Albert, Charu, Karthika, Krithika, Lawrence, Luxmi, Manik, ManiV, Merlin, Rajesh, Rohini, Samu, SathisK, Sathis, Shankar, Sudha, Suganthi, Tamil, Vidya, VijayB, VijayC, Vimal. Tata Consultancy Services

Belated Wishes ■ Dear Dalu, Happy Birthday Dalu!!!!!!!!!! I wish you lots and lots of happiness. I love you very much. You are very special, and you deserve the best. I wish you a wonderful life filled with love and happiness good health. If there’s something that you’re dreaming of then may it all come true, because you deserve it. Many Many more Happy returns of the day. With Luv, RK Kanagarani Ayyappan Satyam

■ Hi Vijaya Hey! It’s your Birthday & I’ve pecked up a little message just for ya! Wishing u a day packed with loads of gifts sunny smiles and lots of love hope u have a very happy birthday By Wipro Ltd

■ Dear Rachu (Rachana Menon) Wishing you a very Happy Birthday that leaves behind a lot of Nice and Memorable moments. :) God Bless You.. With Love… Amal, Midhun J Olickal and John

■ Dear Jagadeesh, Maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had, and what you’ve learned from them, and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated. And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. Happy Birthday To You Heartly Wishes, Anusha, Kavitha, Raja, Shanthi, Cathy, Bhavesh

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ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Survivor Poodle A poodle mistakenly left inside a van in a Vermont airport parking garage managed to survive for nearly three weeks. The 12-yearold pup lost half its body weight and endured subzero temperatures.

K.M. Dhivya Priya of HCL Technologies clicked this picture at Bhavanisagar, where the village was celebrating Samathuva Pongal.

sudoku

The harvest season is round the corner and it’s time we made the Click Pick column a little more interesting. Photographs of the harvest festival, rural India and littleknown rituals will be given preference this month. Please send us fresh photographs, preferably those clicked by you on a recent trip, to [email protected] All photos selected for clickpick this month will receive a gift voucher worth Rs.1,000, courtesy Kantilal Diamonds (Ph: 2828 1700). Readers are requested to send their addresses with their entries.

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KAKURO

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Miraculous Mary

Word’s worth

An Australian man is convinced his life has been blessed since an image of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus appeared in his lava lamp. He has now built a shrine to the lamp in his home.

“Oggannition” (ah-guh-ni-shuhn), an obsolete and rare word meaning ‘snarling, growling.’ From a Latin word meaning ‘yelp or growl at.’

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 You may be in a mood to do something unusual at workplace. This may inspire you to invent a new method of working. Your beloved one may remain in good humour which will keep you in a jolly mood too.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 At office, you might be handling the work that involves others as well. You may not be able to relax as work will be demanding keeping you busy the whole day. In personal life, you may not be able to enjoy desired privacy with your partner.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 This is the best day to purchase a new software and if you have already bought a new software lately, you may start using it’s applications today. In personal life, you will remain cool and easygoing. You will not be apprehensive.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 This may be little tough day at work. To achieve a little, you might have to put in more efforts. It’s just because of today’s planetary positions. You may remain aloof and not in a very good mood so your partner may pay more attention to charm you up.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 You may feel that despite your skill and efforts that you are putting in, you are not being reciprocated with due financial reward. This is a temporary phase. Your partner or beloved one may give you due attention which will make you feel much better.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Your work may speak volumes for you. You may wish to part your knowledge and experience with others. In personal life, you may not have any major issue with partner or beloved. However, you are advised to take good care of your health today.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Ganesha feels that you will be willing to hone your professional skills today. You may be keen to prove your capabilities too. You may enjoy a nice movie or other entertainment programme with your beloved one. The day favours get-together with friends.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Your energy levels may be little low today. You will have lots of ideas shimmering on the back of your mind but you will hardly be able to implement them at work. At home, you will enjoy very nice food with your family members and have leisure time.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You may be in a mood to explore whatever is within the reach of your work area. You may desire to accumulate vast knowledge about your work area. You may wish to have intellectual discussion with your life partner or beloved one.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 You may remain busy lining up meetings and other schedules. This may be a busy day involving lot of research work along with communication with others. You might also have to socialise with your family members.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 It is best day for planning strategies. Your energy level may be very high because of which you may feel free and light as air. You will handle your work in time, despite work pressure. If you wish to woo someone or propose, this is most favourable day.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Ganesha finds you a bit confused about how to handle work. You need to learn how to handle pressure else you may become over-emotional and feel depressed too. You may not feel like sharing your feelings with your life partner or beloved one. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

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ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009