Ergo January 21

A BYTE OF LIFE

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

02 FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 3

No. 12

With about 1,000 films in his kitty and a paan shop to run, Dada Pintoji is a busy man

PHOTO: R.RAVINDRAN

» PAGE 03

05

SOUPS FOR YOU

WINDOW SHOPPER

Healthy and tasty herbal soups

Kiah’s for ethnic

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Bring home Fashion Moser Baer Entertainment Limited has released the Hindi blockbuster film, Fashion, on DVD and VCD. The DVD and VCD are priced at Rs. 99 and Rs. 40 respectively.

Question -Answer Q

uizzing for general knowledge, quizzing for fun and quizzing for all. After conducting quizzes for corporates, schools and colleges, Indian Quizzing League is back with their next quiz, ‘India Unplugged’. The Indian Quiz is an open quiz that will be held on January 26. “Quiz is not only for the high funda...we want to mellow it down. That’s the purpose of an open quiz, where a team of two of any age group could participate,” explains Karthik Narayan, founder of IQL. The competition will start with written prelims and the short-listed teams will be taken through three rounds of quizzing. Topics could vary from Indian culture to history, geography, epics, languages, music, etc. Also, there is a special round on Chennai.

PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

IN A SOUP

Who is IQL The Indian Quizzing League is a bunch of like-minded people who get together to spread the joy of quizzing. It meets every Saturday at 5 p.m. for a quiz conducted by one or two of its members. For more details log on to http://iquiz.wordpress.com

J.R. Soup Stall serves fresh and healthy soups seven days a week

Ergo Correspondent

What, When, Where What: Indian Quiz When: January 26; 9.30 a.m. Where: Karpagam Banquet Hall, South Mada Street, Mylapore For details call Sanandan (9841272205), Vinod (9962084242), Karthik (9962070090)

V.HARIPRIYA [email protected]

A

ll through my school days, my mother had spoiled my sick leaves with the fresh and nutritious soups she treated me to regularly. The taste of the secret ingredients like ginger, pepper, tulsi, garlic and jaggery – all mashed and boiled – still lingers in me now that I am

staying away from home. I was recently surprised to taste similar soups at a small shop for Rs. 6. Here’s why you should head to J.R. Soup Stall, near the Government Veterinary Hospital, Vepery. This nondescript place has been selling healthy and tasty soups for the last three years. On an average, it receives around 200 customers a day. S. Shenbagaraj, who works in

On the menu: Monday (vazhaithandu), Tuesday (mushroom), Wednesday (manathakkali), Thursday (drumstick and bittergourd), Friday (kaasini keerai), Saturday (Thoothuvalai), Sunday (Vegetables) How to get there: The shop is next to Government Veterinary Hospital, Vepery What to have: Herbal soup is available daily Timings: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

the stall, says the shop follows a time-table. “We serve one variety each day, which includes vazhathandu, mushroom, manathakkali, drumstick, bitter gourd, kaasini keerai, thoothuvalai and vegetables,” he said, adding, “We have been sticking to the same price of Rs. 6 per bowl for the past three years.” The popularity of the soups has made R. Selvarathinam, brotherin-law of Shenbagaraj, open three other branches in namma Chennai. The soups are prepared for the four shops at their residence in Netaji Nagar. “Taste the soup in any of our shops and it tastes the same. My mother-in-law prepares the soup and despatches it to all shops. We also supply to many other soup stalls,” said Shenbagaraj. “I earn more than Rs. 1,000 per day.” Abdulla, a regular to the shop, says he frequents it every Mondays to get the vazhaithandu soup. “It’s good for diabetes, so I get it for my father. The soup tastes great and it’s healthy too,” he says. ■ (Too Good for Critics is a weekly column to celebrate Namma Chennai’s ‘Kaiyendi Bhavans’ and small eateries. If you can think of a similar place, mail us at [email protected])

03

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Ride and write Rider Mania 2009, a rendezvous for Royal Enfield bikers and enthusiasts in the country, will unfold coming Saturday and Sunday in Ooty. The event is being hosted by the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club (RTMC) of Bangalore. Ergo readers who are participating this year and riding from Chennai to Ooty and back can write to us about their experiences at [email protected] along with some photographs.

V. HARIPRIYA [email protected]

A still from Gemini rathil Oruvan. The movie starring Karthi and Reema Sen has Dada playing the role of a tribal leader. “My scenes were shot at Chalakudy. If there was one make-up man for Karthi, four persons were taking care of mine,” says Dada proudly. He also shared with Ergo an interesting incident during the shooting of Vikram-starrer Gemini. “It was me who supplied paan for Vikram during the entire movie. I was cast as goonda in Kalabhavan Mani’s team. During the shoots, director Saran noticed me chewing the paan. He asked me to prepare paan for him and Vikram. He then told me to supply paan for Vikram for the movie, too,” recalls Dada. “I am also doing a good role in Narain’s upcoming flick, Pookada Ravi. When I don’t have shoots I will be selling paan here. Stunt master Super Subbarayan is one of my regular customers,” says Dada, who is now settled in Chennai with his wife and daughter. ■

IN SELVARAGHAVAN’S NEXT FLICK, AAYIRATHIL ORUVAN, DADA PLAYS A TRIBAL LEADER. AND WHEN’S HE NOT ACTING, YOU’LL FIND HIM AT HIS PAAN SHOP

PHOTO: R.RAVINDRAN

M

ore than 25 years into the film industry, his craze for movies has not subsided. This paan wala from Punjab says acting is his lifeline. Dada Pintoji has about 1,000 films to his credit. Though most are minor roles like the villain’s aide, a robber or blind man, Dada has shared screen space with giants like MGR, Sivaji Ganesan and Rajesh Khanna. Catering to customers at his paan shop near LIC, this actor unfurls his life history. Born in a family of freedom fighters in Chandigarh, his interest in movies brought him to namma Chennai. Staying in his uncle’s house here, Dada completed his graduation in Economics. He started his paan shop on Mount Road even while studying. Though he was offered a clerk’s post in a bank, he declined it. After days of running around film studios for a chance, he got into movies doing minor roles. With the help of yesteryear director Shankar, a relative of actor MGR, he got into the Madras Film Institute for a basic course in acting. “With a reference letter from actor MGR I was offered free training at the Institute. Actor Raghuvaran was my classmate there. Apart from acting I have also had formal training in dancing, horse-riding and stunts,” says Dada. Dada will be next seen in director Selvaraghvan’s Aayi-

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

ERGO Wednesday, January 21, 2009

CRYSTAL CLEAR Energise yourself with the Crystal Therapy at Anushka Salon and Spa V. LOKPRIA

METRO SEXUAL

A

fter a tiring day at work and a half hour’s drive through Chennai’s roads, I was looking forward to a body massage. That too with some crystals thrown in. Anushka Salon and Spa claims that its signature treatment, Crystal Therapy, has a lot of patrons in Chennai. I was shown into the spa lounge by my therapist, Girija. As I prepare myself for the treatment, Girija explains, “Crystal therapy is healing with crystals. Crystals bring light and colour into the aura and the physical body via the chakra system and also the subtle layers of one’s body with the rule of vibration and resonance.”

Crystal Therapy is a Balinese concept. The therapy has two parts – the facial massage and body massage. The crystals are chosen in accordance with the personality of the customer. The white crystal is the most widelyused one. The energy is tapped onto the crystals by the early morning sunlight or moonlight. Girija starts the therapy, while I keep wondering how the energy is tapped onto the crystals. The facial is the first part of the therapy. Cleansing is followed by the application of a herbal pack, namely Besaki Lulu, which is made of rice, turmeric and vetiver. The contents deeply penetrate the skin through the pores, enabling the dilated blood vessels to restore your skin its original texture, thereby lending it an extra glow. The pack is peeled off after 20 minutes. A massage follows. A mixture of lemongrass and Ylang Ylang aroma oil is used for the massage along with the crystals. The crystals are positioned at the sites where one experiences pain or on fine energy vortexes described as chakras. These crystals help in reducing body heat. Renuka was my body massage therapist. The body massage involved the same procedure as the facial, minus the herbal pack and cleansing. The strokes are done in such a way that the entire body is detoxified and the negative energy is let out of the body. The crystals gently help in relieving pain, stiffness and tension. The Crystal Therapy rejuvenates the body, eradicates stress and leaves skin smoother. The therapy lasts for three hours and costs Rs. 3,000. ■

Address: No. 55, 1st Avenue, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar (above Maverick gym) Ph: 42054242

PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

The procedure

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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Address: Kiah’s, No 38, College Road (Opposite Good Shepherd School), Nungambakkam,Chennai – 600034 Ph: 42068880 Email: [email protected] Shop timings: 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Open all days)

For the Desi Girl Salwars, kurtis, mix-and-match, angrakhas, anarkalis… Kiah’s on College Road is for the ethnic types

I

f you are looking for clothes that are trendy yet ethnic, maybe it’s time you visited Kiah’s on College Road. True to its tagline, the clothes are as unique as you. Started two months ago, Kiah’s is the

place to be for people who love traditional Indian attire. The place is bustling with customers as we enter the shop during noon. The dresses that are neatly piled up on the shelves are very appealing. Padam Jamad, owner of the shop, is busy juggling between the customers and us. After helping one customer with finding the perfect salwar, he explains, “All our clothes are exclusively designed and hand-made by designers from Kolkata, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi.” The collection comprises tunics, kurtis, leggings, designer salwar suits, mix-

and-match pieces and designer blouses. The size ranges from S to XL. Designer salwar suits start from Rs. 750 and can go up to Rs. 4,500. You can pick up a stylish kurti or tunic for Rs. 500 onwards. Leggings are available for Rs. 295. The striking aspect of Kiah’s is the variety available. There are about five types of kurtis itself. Apart from geor-

gette, crepe and cotton kurtis, the place also stocks crushed anarkali kurtis, floral print kurtis, fancy cotton and the traditional gota work kurtis. Kurtis with fabric print and angrakhas are hot favourite amongst the customers. Word-of-mouth publicity has made this shop a popular one for kurti lovers. “Unique designs, quality and variety are our USP,” says Padam. The shop also undertakes customised tailoring for its customers. The charges range from Rs. 125 to Rs. 200.■

PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

V. LOKPRIA

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Unhappy Mondays Experts say Monday, January 19, 2009, will go down as the most depressing day in history.

Chinese Premier Wen to visit Europe Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will next week travel to Europe, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday, his first visit there since China postponed a summit last year with the EU amid a row over Tibet. Wen will from January 27 to February 2 visit Switzerland, Germany, Spain and Britain, as well as the European Union’s headquarters in Brussels, ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said. In Switzerland, Wen will attend the annual Davos gathering of the world’s political and corporate elite, Jiang said. AFP

Bush commutes US border guards’ sentences Hours before his term ends, US President George W. Bush on Monday commuted the sentences of two former US border guards facing more than 10 years in prison for shooting a Mexican drug smuggler. The incident and the subsequent trial of the agents, Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos, had sparked a fierce debate about undocumented immigration, with many of Bush’s fellow conservatives up in arms at their conviction. The commutations for the two agents from Bush’s home state of Texas is expected to be the final act of clemency Bush performs, leaving highprofile convicts such as Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard in jail. “No further announcements are expected,” said a White House official who asked not to be named. AFP

Kidnappers release Greek shipping tycoon Greek shipping magnate Pericles Panagopoulos, kidnapped in Athens on January 12, was released early Tuesday near the Greek capital, police said. The 74-year-old shipping tycoon, who founded Greece’s largest ferry company Attica, was picked up by the police near the Aspropyrgos industrial zone west of the capital where his kidnappers told the family they had left him. Greek media said his family had paid a ransom of 15 to 20 million euros (20 to 26 million dollars). Panagopoulos, one of the richest men in Greece, did not appear to have been mistreated by his captors but after being held for a week while suffering from a serious illness he was to be hospitalised in a private clinic in Athens, a police source said. AFP

Thai PM says migrant cruelty reports ‘exaggerated’ Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted on Tuesday that his country had respected the rights of boat people from Myanmar, saying reports that the migrants were mistreated and abandoned at sea were “exaggerated”. He also said that foreign tourists who reportedly witnessed the incidents may have misunderstood what the Thai army and navy were trying to do with the immigrants. Survivors and a human rights group have accused the Thai military of detaining and beating up to 1,000 members of the Rohingya minority from Myanmar late last year, before towing them out to sea with little food and water.

A late 2008 shows a group of refugee guarded by Thai soldiers on the Thai island of Koh Sai Baed. AFP PHOTO

AFP

Twist in the ‘Miracle on Hudson’ New revelation complicates US Airways plane crash probe

I

n a new turn in the saga of the US Airways Airbus A320 that crashed into Hudson River off Westside Manhattan on Thursday, passengers travelling on the route and same aircraft two days earlier reported hearing a series of loud bangs, a media report has said. This revelation has complicated the investigation process into the crash, it added. So far the official explanation is that the both engines stalled after running into a flock of geese, forcing the pilot to make a rare landing into the river. All 155 passengers and crew were rescued. CNN quoted passengers in the

flight two days earlier as saying that after the series of bangs, the flight crew told them that the plane could have to make an emergency landing but then the pilots were able to restart the engine. John Hodock, a passenger on the Tuesday flight, said in an email to CNN: “About 20 minutes after take-off, the plane had a series of compressor stalls on the right engine. There were several very loud bangs and fire coming out of the engine. The pilot at first told us that we were going to make an emergency landing, but after about five minutes, contin-

ued the flight to Charlotte.” Another passenger also said she heard a “loud banging sound” on the right side of the plane. CNN quoted Expert Aviation Consulting, an Indianapolis, Indiana, private consulting firm that includes commercial airline pilots on its staff, as saying the plane that landed in the Hudson was the same one as Flight 1549 from LaGuardia two days earlier. US Airways would not confirm that the Flight 1549 which took off January 13 was the same plane that splashed into the Hudson two days later. ■ PTI

07

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Websites of the day

This day, that year

Learn cockney rhyming slang www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk Need an excuse as to why you can’t come to work? http://www.magicmgmt.com/magic/abuse-excuse/

It was on January 21, 1846, that the first issue of the London Daily News was published, with Charles Dickens listed as editor.

What’s the music, yaar? Nokia, Blackberry, Sony Ericsson woo users with new music services

A

fter Apple’s hit iPhone revolutionised the mobile music scene, a slew of new services are being rolled out around the world by major cellphone makers who believe there are huge possibilities on the horizon. Mobile phone giants Nokia, Blackberry and Sony Ericsson all turned out in force at this year’s MIDEM, the music industry’s biggest annual event, to promote their latest offers in the hopes of cutting a slice from Apple’s dominant share of the music market. Nokia’s user-friendly Comes With Music (CWM) service was one of the first out of the starting blocks. With unlimited use and downloads of the service’s four million tracks, it sets the bar high. “2009 will be a very, very big investment for us in music,” Nokia senior executive Tero Ojanpera told a MIDEM conference this week, saying the group planned to launch the new service in Singapore and Australia in the first

If Apple’s iPhone revolutionised the mobile music scene, then there are many more waiting to explode the market. AFP FILE PHOTO

Prince Harry to chase Apache dreams

quarter of 2009, then in Europe.

Competitive turf Sony Ericsson was quick to follow with three key new improvements to its latest mobile music offer, PlayNow, which the group claims can help fight the massive problem of illegal downloads. Blackberry, which recently launched its Blackberry Storm is proving a hit with users, is also determined not to be left behind. The US smart phone leader is adding a host of new applications, including music and links to social online communities attractive to younger users. “You only have to look at Japan, where 90 per cent of all digital music sold is downloaded on to phones to see what a mobile download market can be,” said former chairman and CEO of the EMI Group, Eric Nicoli. But aside from Asia, mobile phones have failed to deliver the promised riches that both the telecom and music industries

hoped for a few years ago. “The mobile market has not broken through as everyone expected,” Elizabeth Schimel of Nokia told a workshop organised by the Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF) here. Up until now, the high cost of music-enabled phones has been an obstacle but now Nokia hopes its new models are priced to match the pockets of the key 18-35 market. In Britain, for example, customers can choose between a 40 pound (58 dollars, 42 euros) monthly subscription to its new music service, or buy a Nokia phone that comes with a free 12 or 18-month music subscription included in the price, depending on the telecom operator. While early consumer feedback in Britain to the new Nokia service has been upbeat, “It’s also a good learning curve for Nokia,” Nokia’s Dave Williams told AFP. ■

The mobile market has not broken through as everyone expected

War-torn

P

rince Harry has apparently left the ‘Paki’ row behind to get back to chasing his dreams of becoming a pilot of the meanest attack machine in the British Army. The soldier prince, who has been accused of racism after calling a fellow Asian cadet “our little Paki friend” in a three-year-old home video, set his foot at the Army Air Corps HQ Hampshire to begin his training. The 24-year-old, who is allegedly keen on making a comeback on the frontline after having being pulled out from the Afghan War, will undergo a rigorous 18month programme that will test his aptitude to handle the 45-million pound Apache. The party-loving royal will also be required to follow the Army’s strict rules for the learner pilots that include staying away from the bottle for months at a time. “There is a huge amount of info

for Harry to take in,” the Sun quoted a source at the Army Air Corps base in Middle Wallop as saying. ■ ANI

쒀 A Palestinian woman sits on the rubble of her home in the neighbourhood of Ezbet Abdrabbo in Jabalia on Tuesday. A Fatah flag waves on top. Tension eased in Gaza early on Tuesday as a fragile ceasefire entered its third day, with residents struggling to absorb the devastation caused by Israel’s deadly 22-day assault on the territory. AFP PHOTO

AFP

08 SPORT

ERGO Wednesday, January 21, 2009

India win India registered their second successive win, defeating Argentina 3-2 in the keenly-contested second hockey Test at the Estadio Panamericano in Mar del Plata on Tuesday to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series.India, who made a comeback to international hockey after almost a year, beat Argentine 2-0 in the first Test on Monday. Centre-forward Shivendra Singh (12th min), Prabhjot Singh (40th min) and captain Sandeep Singh (59th min) scored the goals for the visitors while Mario Almada (13th) and Pedro Ibarra (46th) found the net for Argentina.

Armstrong at ease American Lance Armstrong completed his official comeback from retirement with an easy, and at times impressive, day of racing in the first stage of the Tour Down Under on Tuesday. Germany’s Andre Greipel, the winner of last year’s race, where he also won four stages, took out the first stage in a bunch sprint following 140km of racing between Norwood and Mawson Lakes. It makes Team Columbia sprinter Greipel the overall race leader, with Australians Baden Cooke and Stuart O’Grady – second and third respectively on the stage – just behind him ahead of Wednesday’s first real climbing test. The second stage, a 145km ride from Hahndorf to Stirling, featurs four laps of an undulating circuit. But on the evidence of Tuesday’s opener, Armstrong should have no problems. The Texan admitted before the stage he had some pre-race nerves, but during the race – as the peloton slowly ate into and digested a two-man escape – he looked at ease among the riders at the front of the bunch. On the only serious difficulty at Checker Hill, a 600m climb at an average gradient of 13.3 percent near the 62km mark, Armstrong even appeared to be among those setting the tempo up the climb. AFP

Kaka staying at Milan: Berlusconi AC Milan president and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has ended transfer speculation surrounding Kaka by telling a TV programme that the 26-year-old Brazilian will be staying at Milan. The former World Player of the Year had been the subject of a reported 100 million Euro bid from mega-rich Manchester City in a transfer saga that had been picking up pace over the last week. Berlusconi said last week that with the money on offer he could not force Kaka to stay if he wanted to leave. But he seems to have changed his mind and claimed on Monday that he had intervened personally to ensure the fans’ favourite will be staying in Italy. “Both I and he (Kaka) have intervened,” said Berlusconi. “When I heard him say that he prefers to stay, that he doesn’t feel like he has lost the opportunity to earn a higher salary and that he feels privileged to wear the shirt, he values the closeness and the friendships, the heat and affection that all the fans have shown him even in these last two days, I said ‘hallelujah’ and we hugged’,” he said. “Kaka is and is staying at Milan.” However, Berlusconi then opened up a little doubt. “I give my word on the things that depend on me. At the end of this affair I don’t know if I will still be president of Milan, as much as I am not any more,” he said. AFP

Murray sails through Williams sisters take easy route as Open sizzles. Hewitt bows out

A

ndy Murray and the Williams sisters took the easy route at the Australian Open Tuesday, breezing into the second round in furnacelike conditions. As temperatures soared past 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), fourth seed Murray barely broke a sweat against Romanian Davis Cup captain Andrei Pavel who retired with a back injury when the Scot was leading 6-2, 3-1.

Stroll in the park Second-seeded Serena Williams was equally comfortable in her 6-3, 6-2 mauling of China’s Meng Yuan, not needing the ice vests offered to players between games in such sizzling heat. Matching her sister, sixth seed Venus barely broke stride as she sauntered past Germany’s Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-3. While they cruised, Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva survived a gruelling test before grinding down Germany’s Kristina Barrois in three sets, while Polish ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska became the biggest casualty so far.

Home favourite out Australian hope Lleyton Hewitt joined Radwanska on the scrap heap after slumping in five sets to Chilean 13th seed Fernando Gonzalez. Murray is now undefeated in six matches this season as he goes in search of Britain’s first Grand Slam title since 1936. “Obviously you don’t want to finish a match like that. Andrei’s been having problems with his back for a year,” said the world number four. “It’s unfortunate I had to stop but I felt like I was hitting the ball well. I guess if you want to do well in the tournament, it’s good to conserve some energy. Hopefully that was a good thing.” The experienced Williams is looking for her 10th major crown and her fourth in Melbourne. Only a few select women, including Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, have won more major titles than the formidable 27-year-old. Forgoing her usual

PHOTO: AFP

flashy outfits for a nondescript dark blue number, the American powered past Meng in just 75 minutes. “I think I hit some pretty solid shots, sometimes I even went for some shots just to try something different,” she said, downplaying the effect of the heat.

Russian roulette Dementieva is widely regarded as a dark horse for the championship after already winning two titles this year. But the Beijing Olympic gold medallist was pushed to the limit in the 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-1 win, emerging victorious to take her recent unbeaten run to 11 match-

es. “I’m just happy to survive,” she said. Other players to progress included 13th seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, while China’s unseeded Peng Shuai sent Italian 28th seed Francesca Schiavone packing. Wimbledon semi-finalist Zheng Jie beat France’s Camille Pin. Amelie Mauresmo, the champion in 2006, showed no signs of the thigh strain that forced her out of the Brisbane International in her 6-4, 6-3 win over Olga Govortsova. On the men’s side, French sixth seed Giles Simon quietly went about his business to beat unseeded Spaniard Pablo Andujar in straight sets. AFP

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

‘‘Chasing the big dream He (Muhammad Ali) wouldn’t have missed this (Obama’s inauguration) for the world. What’s interesting is that Muhammad had time to grow into his role as being a world humanitarian, while (Obama) will inherit the world on his shoulders, not just the U.S. And it is a much heavier burden than I think Muhammad had to face.

Lonnie Ali, boxing great Muhammad Ali’s wife

Afghanistan and Hong Kong dreaming of World Cup

A

fghanistan’s cricketing rollercoaster ride stops off in Argentina this week with a place in the 2011 World Cup tantalisingly within reach. At the leafy Buenos Aires settings of the Hurlingham, Belgrano and St Albans Clubs, Afghanistan will tackle Argentina, Hong Kong, Uganda, Papua New Guinea and the Cayman Islands. If they finish in the top two, they’ll progress to April’s World Cup qualifier in South Africa, the final testing ground ahead of the 2011 World Cup to be staged in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It’s a prospect which would have been unthinkable just over eight years ago when the Afghanistan cricket federation wasn’t even part of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Great work But since their entry into ICC tournaments, they have been determined to show that there is more to Afghanistan than bloodshed and roadside bombs. They surged through Division Five and Four of the World Cricket League with successive promotions, earning desperately-needed development cash along the way as well as plau-

The Afghan cricket team train in Lahore. PHOTO: AFP

dits. One regional Afghan governor was even reported to have given the players plots of land on which to build homes as reward for reaching the next level. Their successes have also led to neighbours Pakistan helping in the preparations for the Division Three tournament in Argentina.

Help comes from neighbour At a recent four week-training camp in Lahore, organised by the Asian Cricket Council, Shoaib Akhtar, Aamir Sohail, Rashid Latif, Ijaz Ahmed and Aaqib Javed passed on crucial tips. “We discussed a lot of cricket,” Afghanistan batsman Raees Ahmadzai said. “The players look like complete cricketers. We worked a lot on temperament. Our fast bowlers worked on how to control the new ball and our batsmen on how we make partnerships to chase big targets.” Despite their charge up the world rankings, the troubles at home are never too far away. The Afghanistan cricket academy is based at Kabul’s notorious Ghazi Stadium where the Taliban once staged public executions while in August 2008, Rahmat Wali, who was part of the team from 2001 and 2006, was killed during fighting. “2011

is a dream – I am very hopeful,” said Afghanistan coach Kabir Ali, a former Pakistan Test player.

Not giving up hope Despite losing to Afghanistan in the Division Four final in Tanzania last year, Hong Kong were still promoted and their coach, ex-England international Aftab Habib, is confident his side can progress when the action gets underway in Argentina from Saturday. “It is an achievable dream and it is just a matter of putting in a lot of hard work,” he said of a side who gained valuable experience by playing in the 2008 Asian Cup. Hosts Argentina and Uganda secured promotion to Division Two in 2007 only to fall straight back down in 2008. “It is going to be a very close tournament and there isn’t going to be much between the teams,” said Argentine coach Hamish Barton. Like Hong Kong, Uganda have recently tested their ability against a higher-rated nation – Kenya, shock World Cup semi-finalists in 2003. Despite losing two games, at one stage they had their African rivals struggling at 180 for eight. ■ AFP

09

10 FLICK

ERGO Wednesday, January 21, 2009

First things first Antaheen has two firsts - Sharmila Tagore and Aparna Sen have acted together and Shantanu Moitra has composed music for a Bengali film

OPEN TO

Tamil movies DEEPA VENKATRAMAN

Y

ou have made your mark in Bollywood since 2002 and had hits like Parineeta and Lage Raho Munna Bhai. Considering you are a Bengali, what took you this long to get into Bengali cinema? I always wanted to compose for a Bengali movie, but the legacy of Bengali cinema – be it musicians or filmmakers – was too high and that daunted me. In the last decade, I couldn’t see my kind of music, more soulful melodious composition having a nostalgic feel, being created. A year ago, Aniruddha Roy Choudhury approached me to do his movie’s music and I readily accepted as I loved his approach to direction and the way he handled music. He gave the complete space to do what I wanted.

A still from Parineeta

How difficult or easy was it composing for Antaheen? It was difficult as I spent most of my life in Delhi, hence my literature and pronunciation was

weak. As a composer, I feel that it is important to know all components of a song. I researched for seven months and took lessons from the Kolkata band Chandrabindoo, who wrote the lyrics. I managed to finish composing six songs in 22 days.

He is my very good friend and a top-notch playback singer. He even postponed some of his appointments to be a part of the fun that we were having during the recording.

What genres of music does the movie have?

Yes, I do get sporadic calls from Kollywood and actor-cum-director Revathi has approached me earlier. If any interesting projects

No particular genre but I have used five instruments – drums, mandolin, flute, piano and nylon string guitar. All songs are extremely melodious; particularly ‘Jao Pakhi’ sung by Shreya Ghosal has a lot of emotions. People all over the nation can relate to it because of the styling.

You gave Shreya Ghosal her first Bollywood hit, Parineeta, and now her first major Bengali movie. She is a great gift to the industry. She has got the ability to mould herself to all kinds of compositions.

How was it working with Shaan?

Do you plan to compose for any Tamil movie?

come my way, I will do them. I am a great admirer of Ilayaraja and love his melodious compositions.

What are your upcoming projects? Three Idiots starring Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor, Shyam Benegal’s unnamed film, and Johnny Mastana, which has Amitabh Bachchan. ■

Shantanu Moitra of ‘Parineeta’ fame on his maiden Bengali music composition, ‘Antaheen’, future projects and Ilayaraja

11

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

I’m not afraid of growing old Brad Pitt, who turned 45 last month, has said that he is not afraid of old age, but is worried about how he will die.

Tom Cruise keen to promote Valkyrie in India Hollywood filmmaker Bryan Singer, who is currently on a promotional tour across Asia and Europe with superstar Tom Cruise for his Nazi thriller Valkyrie, has revealed that the actor is keen on visiting India to promote the film. “Tom wants to go to India for the promotion. His daughter (Isabella, 16, adopted) has told him a lot about the country and he is eager to go there. India is also an emerging and growing market in terms of business for us,” Singer said over phone from Seoul, South Korea. “I’d also like the Indian audience to know that Valkyrie is a true and extraordinary story. It’s an edge-of-the-seat assassination thriller and is the story of a neglected event in time,” added the director who is also contemplating visiting Japan and China as a part of the promotional tour.

Winslet deserves an Oscar : DiCaprio Leonardo DiCaprio has said that Kate Winslet deserves an Academy Award for her performance in Revolutionary Road, insisting that the honour is “long overdue” for the actress. The Titanic actress has never won an Oscar, even after being nominated five times- three times for Best Actress and twice for Best Supporting Actress. However, DiCaprio is sure that this time the actress will take home the gong for sure, and he is adamant Winslet deserves to win a trophy.

IANS

ANI

PRIYANKA OR KAREENA WHO WILL BE SHYAM BENEGAL’S CARMEN?

N

ow that Shyam Benegal has decided to revive his costliest project Chamki, a desi version of French musician Georges Bizet’s 1875 opera Carmen, the question is who will play the title role of a free-spirited fiery-tempered gypsy in the movie? According to sources, Priyanka Chopra more than Kareena Kapoor is the natural choice to play Chamki since the role requires a trained dancer. When contacted, Priyanka said that she was open to the offer. “But I read the script ages ago. The whole project now has to be evaluated afresh. And who wouldn’t want to work with Shyam Benegal?” Chamki has been pending for a while. Earlier, the project was with Sanjay Gupta. Now, Big Pictures is producing the film. In the past too, both Priyanka and Kareena were approached for Chamki, but they opted out for various reasons. “Kareena was excited to begin with. She was supremely charged by the role and what Benegal had done with her sister Karisma in Zubeidaa. But then she opted out - as she often does from offbeat challenges like Deepa Mehta’s Water and Rituparno Ghosh’s Raincoat - pleading it was too early for her to attempt something so unconventional,”said a source close to the project. While now Priyanka is still interested in the project, Kareena’s views were not yet known. Chamki, set in Rajasthan, is being re-designed as a big broad epic musical with choreography and lavish songs by Javed Akhtar and A.R. Rahman. ■ IANS

12

ERGO Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Tuesday’s Question: Which song would you nominate as the song of the year and why? ■ ’Adiye kolludhey’ from Varanam Aayiram. It is the only rock song in the recent years. Siva, RR Donnelley

■ ’Anal maele panithuli’ from Varanam Aayiram, Sudha mam’s magic voice. Chance eh ille. Safeer, Tata Consultancy Services

■ ’Anbay en anbay’ from Dham Dhoom. Very nice picturisation and best melody music in Tamil. Ramya, Maha, Sri, Saradha (RR Donnelley), Gunasekar, Gopinath.R, Kalaivani.R, Kumari.R, Sarah Joyce.D, Gomathi.P, Manimala.V, Durga.S, Vanarani.N, Sudha.J, Senthil.K (PMC), Anand (Ford Business Services)

■ From Varanam Aayiram ’Nee indri nan illai’ it has got wonderful meaning it touches everyone’s hearts Levi, Infoview Technologies

■ ’Nila nila odi va’ from Nayagan, it’s a wonderful step ahead to teach us childhood rhymes. Sofiya Ambrose (Wipro) Praveen (CGSL), Mukund (SCB) Scope International

■ It’s definitely ’Taxi Taxi’. It’s simply Rahman’s magical beats for the youth. Taxi rocked and still rocking. Jarks (Ramco Systems) Robin M (Wipro)

■ ’Kalai mattum kandal kadavul theriyathu’ from Dasavatharam, for the lyrics and the great man’s hardwork Loganathan, Perot Systems

■ Kangal irandal from Subramaniyapuram for its mind blowing composing S Ramesh (Wipro), Geetha, Mahesh Rajamani, Senthilkumar (Perot Systems), Arun Kumar (Congruent Solutions), Satish (Ramco Systems), G Saravanakumar (TCS)

■ Mukunda mukunda because a north Indian sang it with south Indian accent with great precision Sadna deserves national award. Prasad, Tata Consultancy Services

■ ’Mundhinam partheney’ from Varanam Aayiram. Simply because of wholesome rich Tamil lyrics. Arun Gopal .J (Infosys), Sowbagya Lakshmi P (CGSL), Hariharan (Infoview Technology), Oviya, Vijay (RR Donnelley), Seenivasan (Technip)

■ ’Oh oh sanam’ from Dasavatharam for good music and Kamal’s dance. Hema, Indus Rsystems

GVS from Hewitt Associates has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked on their office campus.

■ ’Anjala’ song from Varanam Aayiram. It will be the massive hit of the year especially for Surya’s acting. Ramya, Salma, Tata Consultancy Services

■ ’Style’ song from Shivaji. Picturisation of the song is awesome. Superstar proved again that no one can beat him. Shiva, Perot Systems

■ ’Ye mere vatan ke logo, zara yad karo khurbani’ from Pukar sung by Lata Mangeshkar. It really suits for our soldiers sacrifice on Mumbai attacks. Priya, HCL

■ ’Jai ho...’ from Slumdog Millionaire for its splendid music.

Hemachandran from Cognizant has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This photo was taken in Ooty.

Suree, Tata Consultancy Services

■ ’Kathala kanala’ from Anjathey is very good item song with decent picturization, which you can’t see in any other film. Everyone from six to sixty can watch and hear this song without any hesitation. Vinoth, Thinksoft

Today’s Query: If you are the CEO of your company, what would be your costcutting measures?

Elangovan from Firstsource Solutions Ltd has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This picture was clicked near a dam in Kerala.

13

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Surya N.R. from Steria (India) Limited has been nominated as Office Angel by Ashok Kumar Rajagopal. He is always there to help us with a pleasant smile. He is an active member of Corporate Social Responsibility who volunteers in activities like blood donation and green networking. When he returns from his native place, he never forgets to bring loads and loads of sweets and snacks.

■ Dear Vino, Wish you many many more happy returns of the day…… We wish you that whatever you want most in life it come to you more than the way you imagined it. You are not special only for this day but for each and everyday. Evalo wish panrom treat tharama vitudadha…… 4ever your frndz, Vaishu, Sowdha, Anitha, Citra, Jsree. HCL Technologies.

■ Dear Rajeswari (FSS), Wish You Happy Birthday (Pirantha naal nalvazhthukal). We wishing you all success in your life, may all your desires come true… Have a great year ahead… 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.

Ever Vshing Friends

■ Dear Jeeva, Happy Birthday!!! You are very special And you deserve the best I wish you a wonderful life Filled with love and happiness May god shower his blessings on u thruout ur live. Ever Yours, Sathya, Calsoft labs

Ramya T of Infosys doodled this.

■ Dear Gopika, We wish u a wonderful life filled with love and happiness God bless you ,happy birthday gopika with love Aiswarya, Archana, Anju,Krishna, Manju, Meera, Muhsina, Renjini, Santhi, Sheena, Siva, Wipro Technologies

■ Dear Nithya, Wish you a Belated happy birthday. Wish you all success and hapiness from this moment.... May god bless you with all wealth and hapiness.... Have a great year ahead dear... With love Lakshmi, HCL Technologies

■ Dear Balaji, I wish you lots and lots of happiness on your birthday. I love you so much!! Wishing you a day packed with lots of love and happiness!! I wish you a wonderful day which brings all your wishes that you want in your life!!! Happy Birthday dear!! With love, Urs Priya, Wipro Technologies.

1. Avar romba munjakkirthai ullavar inu eppadi sollura? Avar Email ku kuda stamp otti anuppuvaar. 2. Goal keeper goal vizhamaa thaduppar Wicket keeper wicket vizhamaa thaduppara...? Sivanandam Wipro

■ Dear Raseek Belated Birthday wishes. May god bless you and all your dream comes true..

With love, Pradeep, Siva, Ravi, Saravanan, Rao, Kishore, Raja, Nagarajan, CTS

■ Hi Sathish Wish you many more happy returns of the day,god bless you with lots of happiness and joys in your life and your dreams will come true happy bday Regards Your Best Friend

Belated Wishes ■ Dear Shanmugam Lakshmanan (Shanny), Bidding you farewell on behalf of TARGET ODC – CDC 5, Testing Team. Thanks for creating us the opportunity to work with you. Wishing you Good luck on all your future Endeavour’s. Stay in touch with all of us. We miss you a lot. With Regards, TARGET ODC- CDC-5, Testing Team Members, Wipro Technologies

■ Hi Srividhya, May your spirit keep the freedom of a butterfly in spring, and may your heart be filled always with the joys of simple things. May your essence claim the freshness of the new laid morning dew. All of this... and more... is Our Birthday wishes for you... Wish U all Success N Ur Life... Take Care... With Regards, Wipro friends.

■ Dear Saravanan, May this birthday bring you life’s real gifts, good health, friendship, and love... Wish you many more happy returns of the day Hearty wishes from, Boopathy, Avinash, Sudha, Deepa, Nirmala

■ Hey Sudhan Rao M :) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional, we know u follow thw later one ;) Atleast now sudhan try to grow up :) Ok jokes apart... the true wish from all of us "Happy Birthday to you, you live in a zoo, you smell like a monkey, and you look like one too" With Luv Ranjini, Kasthuri, Punitha, Induja, Nithiya, Mamatha, Suhas, Jeet, Cognizant

■ Dear Ram, We all wish you a very Happy Birthday! May God bless you & all your dreams come true. Regards, RRD BCS Team

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Youngster pens love book A dating guide written by a nine-yearold American boy is being published in Britain in time for Valentine’s Day.

sudoku

S. Gokul from TRIMBLE, Tidel Park shot this picture of women heaping dry sticks in his village in Namakkal. Hobbies: Photography and writing 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

15

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Marriage mayhem

Word’s worth

Three couples got married on a river in China while balancing on bamboo poles.

“Libant” (lim-beck) to wear yourself out in the effort to have a new idea. This word ultimately comes from an Arabic word meaning ‘a still,’ the analogy being that you distill ideas with your brain.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 You can be in a mood to compromise and adjust with others. Instead of technical work, you will prefer to do something creative or artistic. On the love front, you will have to learn to let go and compromise.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Ganesha doesn’t find you in a mood to put in efforts at workplace. You will expect benefits effortlessly. You will take interest in other activities besides your routine job-responsibilities. On the love front, both of you will be in a very romantic mood.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 You will remain pretty busy with communication with various people within or outside your organization. Towards end of the day, your emotions are likely to come to the fore due to strong temptation to meet your beloved.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Instead of working on technical aspects at work, try to be more innovative and inventive, as planetary positions are favouring you for such activities. As far as love life is concerned, you become more dramatic in front of your sweetheart.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 You are likely to miss deadlines at work. Keep frustrations aside and focus on your goals. Demands from superiors may sound pressing but you are a very strong-willed person so you will be able to handle such pressure.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

This is slightly unfavourable day. Do not lose temper and focus on what you want to achieve. Be friends with everyone around you and they will help you solve problems. In front of your lover, you are supposed to be less demanding and almost selfless.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Everyone is going to appreciate your dedication at workplace. You have innate quality to adjust with others in difficulties and this is what is going to help you to greater extent today. Your beloved one will soothe your strained nerves very nicely.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 You may remain pretty busy with work throughout the day. Technical issues are likely to be sorted out so you will feel much better. You may have great time in the company of your beloved. You will seek privacy while in the company of your honey!

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 This is slightly tricky day for you because while you are at office, some domestic affairs will be drawing your attention. At the end of the day, you might have to go extra mile to woo your beloved one, Ganesha says.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Pending work is likely to be finished and you will be looking forward to forthcoming projects. Technical aspects related to work need to be checked twice before you go ahead. You may discuss your work with your beloved one.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 It’s a day to plan your work properly. If you are a team leader, you will be able to delegate everything equally to everyone. You will be able to perform well even under constrained situations. You may exchange some sweet words with the sweetheart.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Because it is a power day for you, today you will be undergoing a very positive sea-change in your personality. You will be friends with your colleagues. Time that you will spend today with your beloved one will be memorable, promises Ganesha. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Usher attends Simon Elementary School in Washington D.C. Working with MTV and ServiceNation, in collaboration with CityYear, Heart of America and D.C. Cares, Usher led a group of 200 young volunteers in a makeover project at Washington, participating in this year’s historic Inaugural activities. GETTY IMAGES

Miely Cyrus performs at the ‘’Kids inaugural: We Are The Future’ concert honouring military families, one of the events of Barack Obama’s inauguration celebrations, in Washington. AFP PHOTO

QUOTE OF THE DAY

‘‘

Every time I’m not wearing my ring, people think I’m getting divorced. That’s crazy. It just didn’t go with the dress. Divorce is not and was never an option.

Meryl Streep attends the Doubt photocall in Paris. GETTY IMAGES

Actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie pose on the red carpet for the German premiere of the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by US director David Fincher on Monday in Berlin. The film is adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards. AFP PHOTO

Jennifer Lopez quelling divorce rumours