Ergo January 27

A BYTE OF LIFE

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

09

10

MURRAY OUT Australian Open’s favourite crashes out Vol. 3

FREE CIRCULATION

Say Cheese! A 17-year-old NRI, with help from Sri Ramachandra Dental College in Chennai, is giving these children in Nemili reason to smile. Literally. » Page 03

No. 15

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE A reader’s review

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Remembering Cedric Klapisch The Alliance Francaise of Madras in association with ICAF is hosting the Cedric Klapisch Film Festival to honour the French film director. The movies will be screened at AFM Auditorium, College Road, till January 30. L’auberge Espagnole, a French film, will be screened today at 6.30 p.m. For details call 2827 9803/ 2827 1477.

Tree Walk at Egmore Museum. FILE PHOTO: R. RAGU

Walk the talk

Tree Walk If you love to connect with the flora and fauna, know about the history of certain trees, you must take these walks. A moderator well-versed in the subject leads a group of enthusiasts around a premise surrounded with trees of various types. January 31; 7.30 a.m. Monisha Mukundan will conduct a tree walk at Kalakshetra. February 1; 3.30 p.m. Nizhal is the city-based organisation which conducts tree walks quite often. This time they will take participants around the Guindy National Park. For details call 6684 8506/ 98406 66761

PHOTO: MOHAMMED YOUSUF

The Prakriti Foundation’s Tree of Life festival is back, this time from January 27 to February 7 at different venues in the city. From story-telling sessions to sand sculpture competition to painting exhibition on ’Tiger’, the festival promises to get you closer to nature.

Be the change A volunteering session where you could play a role to make the city a better place ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

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re you vexed with the city’s maddening traffic making you spend hours commuting between home and office and vice-versa? Does it pain to see citizens not using the subways or footpaths where they are supposed to? Do you want to be an agent of change for the city’s growth? Well, here’s a platform for all you citizens. Janaagraha, a nonprofit institution started in Bangalore, is here to get more Chennaiites involved in public governance. Started in Chennai in September 2007, Janaagraha is the knowledge partner for Chennai City Connect (CCC), another non-profit organisation support-

ed by Confederation of Indian Industry. In an effort to mobilise more public participation as well as get more interested individuals to volunteer with them, Janaagraha, CCC and iVolunteer (a not-forprofit organisation working in the social sector) are organising a meet on January 31. The two-hour session will take volunteers of iVolunteer on the role played by CCC and how they too can chip in. “We are currently completing work on a pilot project on L.B. Road, where we are helping the Corporation in designing footpaths and other city-friendly initiatives,” says Raj Cherubal, co-ordinator at Janaagraha and CCC. “Similar infrastructure initiatives in T. Nagar and other pockets of the city are next on our

agenda.”

Who can volunteer? Your role will involve taking photographs, documenting, measuring, suggesting or monitoring different initiatives for the city. It could be designing a bus stop, suggesting a parking lot in the airport or, for that matter, creating a standard for the city. Or, if that doesn’t interest you, you could be their project manager. If you cannot give full commitment to the role, you could volunteer on part-time basis. ■ Drop in at Janaagraha office, Teynampet, 13, Chittaranjan Road, on January 31; between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. if you want to learn more. To confirm your presence email [email protected] or call 98414 87984.

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Music and meditation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of The Art of Living will be organising an evening of music and meditation for global peace at Teachers’ College Grounds, Saidapet on January 28. For details call 98410 98233/ 93830 71950.

An NRI teenager has conducted a dental camp in Nemili with the help of doctors from Sri Ramachandra Dental College and support of her family

in Mel Nimili ) with children Ganavya (centre

DEEPA VENKATRAMAN

“M

y dream is to serve my country in my own limited capacity,” says 17-year-old NRI from Broward University, Miami, Ganavya Doraiswamy. With the technical support of the team from Sri Ramachandra Dental College, she recently achieved her passionate goal of conducting a dental camp at Mel Nemili village, 160 kms from Chennai. Ganavya, who has heard about her ancestral village since her childhood from her parents, says,

“I felt that villages in our country need help as against the cities. There is no hospital in Mel Nemili and the villagers have to travel about 28 kms for medical aid and, hence, I thought of doing a dental camp.” With the help of her school friends she successfully raised $4000 in school. “It is not a very difficult task to adopt a village as long as one has the desire and will. After getting the approval from our school principal, we held poster campaigns about the project and conducted an international cultural dance programme – Fantasia, where talented children from China, Ko-

rea, India and USA performed. We also got funds from a few NGOs,” says Ganavya, who works as a public relations executive for US-based Somy Ali’s NGO, No More Tears. From USA, she contacted the doctors of Sri Ramachandra Dental Hospital through email and after coming to India this month, along with her cousins and uncles, she took a trip to the village to coordinate the whole project. “The doctors at Sri Ramachandra took my ambition seriously. In such short notice, they gave me full support. Eight doctors headed by Dr. Mahendran, along with two paramedics, came with us to

the village with necessary dental equipment and tested and treated about 100 school children and a few elders in the village.” Dr. Shivkumar, head and professor of Public Health and Dentistry, says, “It is a challenge to convince the local village chief to go ahead, as generally they are not so open to conducting such medical camps but Ganavya could manage to communicate with him and also deal with the villagers very well. But this should continue and follow-ups should be done periodically.” For Ganavya, it was an enriching experience, something that has given her a lot of confidence

and exposure to a different environment. “I was really touched when one child told me that she felt nice after a cleanup of her cavity and another told me she wants to become a doctor. My uncles and cousins have planned to take it up on a regular scale on behalf of our family.” Ask this enthusiastic girl about her future plans and she sums up, “With our family’s help under the banner of my late grandfather, Doraiswamy Iyer, I want to do a project to improve the villagers’ personal sanitation and education by providing study material to the students.” ■

04

ERGO Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Pocket-friendly

Technorama

Sony India has introduced a ‘Pocket Style PC’ in the market. The 19.8 mm thin VAIO P weighs 594 gms and is as thin as a cellphone.

POINT, THINK, SHOOT

How to get the most of your point-and-shoot camera

he not-so-dirty, not-so-little secret about even the simplest point-and-shoot cameras is that they work best if you know just a tiny bit about what’s going on when you snap a picture. Below are some basic tips and tricks:

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flash isn’t always the best flash, which is why cameras typically offer a couple of flash settings that can greatly enhance photos. For instance, if you’re taking an outdoor photo of someone whose face is in shadow, using force flash (or flash on) will coax your subject’s face out of the shadows.

Setting up your shot

Snapping the shot

Photography is, at its core, about making the most of light. All cameras include a fully automatic mode that sets optimal exposures based on lighting conditions, but most also give the user some degree of manual control to adjust settings. Scene modes: The entry-level, basic snap-shooters may offer little to no manual control, but all cameras include scene modes. Typical scene modes include party, night, portrait, snow, beach, sunset, fireworks, sports and kids and pets. Scene settings are a great place to start experimenting because they help you capture the best shots in specific shooting conditions, and you don’t have to know a thing about exposure. ISO: One of the most basic ways to control the light is to adjust the ISO. Doing so will make your camera more or less sensitive to light. Cameras use lower ISO settings of 80 or 100 for photographing in bright conditions like sunny days. Higher ISO set-

Now that you understand the adjustments to make in order to capture the right exposure, you’re ready to shoot. Auto-focus: Auto-focus is a two-step process. First, press the shutter button halfway to focus on your subject and set the correct exposure. You’ll hear a beep to indicate that the lens has focused and that the automatic exposure is locked. Press the button all the way down to snap the shot. Optical zoom: Most basic point-and-shoot cameras have an optical zoom range of 3X to 5X, which enables you to zoom in (or out) on your subject. Many models also include a digital zoom. It’s best to ignore digital zoom because it simply enlarges the pixels and results in inferior images. Also, zoomed-in shots are more prone to the blurring caused by shaky hands. Macro mode: Macro enables you to move in as tight as an inch

tings – 400 and up – enable the camera to capture the details of subjects in lower light. Exposure compensation: Exposure compensation can save the day in difficult lighting conditions, such as bright sunlight and strongly backlit scenes. For instance, if you photograph a friend with very bright lighting behind her, the details of her face will probably be in shadow. Set the exposure compensation to a positive value to capture more details of the foreground and her face. White balance: Another useful setting that is available on most cameras is white balance, which

ensures that the light source – fluorescent or tungsten lamps, for instance – does not apply an artificial colour cast to your image. For instance, white objects snapped under fluorescent lighting often exhibit a greenish tint. To correct white balance, simply select the correct light source from a list that typically includes tungsten, fluorescent, shade or sunlight. Flash modes: Most people set their flash to Auto and don’t think about it again (unless they’re trying to sneak in a few surreptitious shots in a museum, in which case they turn off the flash). But auto

to take extreme close-ups of objects. You’ll need to enable Macro mode to ensure the proper focus. Burst mode: Most digital cameras have a burst mode that snaps off a series of photos in quick succession. It’s a useful feature for capturing a soccer goal or Junior’s quick smile. Also, continuous shooting will not work with flash, because the electronic flash cannot recycle that quickly. Movie mode: Just about any point-and-shoot camera will record a movie with sound (digital SLRs traditionally have not offered video, although high-end models are beginning to add movie capabilities). Increasingly, newer cameras let you capture video in high definition. Movie mode is typically selected on a top-level dial. To use movie mode, depress the button halfway to focus and set the exposure, then fully depress to start recording. To stop, fully press the button again. Note that most cameras do not allow you to use the zoom while you’re recording a movie, so you’ll need to decide on focal length before you begin. Another thing you can and should do: Take a lot of pictures. A whole lot. Play with the settings and see what kind of pictures you get. After all, you’re not going to have to shell out for extra film. ■ NYT News Service

Hello Kitty

Phone inside a shoe A Flinders University computer scientist is trying to make the shoe phone a reality. Postdoctoral fellow in bioinformatics, Paul GardnerStephen, who first developed a ‘phone inside a shoe’ as an amateur theatre prop, insists that there are practical and technological advantages of the device, reports News.com.au. “Relaying voice communications via a shoe is technologically similar to relaying medical data for remote patient monitoring, such as pulse, blood pressure, blood oxygenation and so forth,” Dr Gardner-Stephen said. “And a shoe is a good location for housing the electronics required for storing and communicating these measurements. Secondly, because our feet, and therefore our shoes, conduct large forces as we stand and walk, energy can be harvested to charge the device during ordinary activity. A shoe-based device would not only be easy to wear, it could run significantly longer between battery charges,” the expert added. ANI

쒀 An employee of Japan’s character goods maker Sanrio displays Hello Kitty shaped portable fans at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo on January 26, 2009. Sanrio will put the fans on the market in April. AFP PHOTO / YOSHIKAZU TSUNO

05

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Backpackers Away from the madding

crowding

S. RAMASWAMY

W

e cousins went on a trek to Chengaltheri, a forest which is about 13 kms from the foot hills of the Western Ghats, near

Kalakkad in Tirunelveli district. Preparations for the trip started with taking prior permission from the forest department. We left in three Tata Sumos navigating many a bumpy road. Our

WEEKEND PICK Sethumadai, Pollachi We all know Pollachi is the shooting destination for the Tamil and Malayalam film industries. Yes, Sakalakala Vallavan, Chinna Gounder, Suryavamsam...were among the few films shot here. So, next time on a trip to Pollachi in Coimbatore district, we suggest you explore Sethumadai too. The village is located 25 Km from Pollachi. Vettaikaranpudur, Kaliapuram, Odayakulam, Devipatinam, Vettaikaranpudur are other locations that surround this scenic place. There are plenty of shady trees enroute and it is a perfect outing. (If you know of some lesser-known travel destinations, write to us with a brief description of the place to [email protected])

vehicle had to be halted in the middle of the forest hill as the engines got overheated. We took the opportunity to explore through the wild jungle. We climbed from the eastern side of

the hills, where one is likely to spot wild animals. Crossing small streams on the way added to the thrill of the trail. Once we reached the top, we met the forest guards who took

us to a view point atop the hill where we got some breathtaking views of the mountains. It was like being on top of the world. They even showed us the footprints of tiger. We spent the night at the woodhouse of the forest guards hearing the shrieks of wilds, the sounds of insects and the flowing stream. The following day we climbed another two kilometre up the hill – encountering some risky paths, with the river flowing on one side and the hill sloping down on the other. We reached a pleasant place where we got to play by the waterfalls. It was a delightful and memorable experience, far from the usual. ■ (The writer works with Tata Consultancy Services)

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Dog’s wedding honour A dog which saved a woman’s life when it found her dying of hypothermia has been invited as guest of honour at her wedding.

No Blackberry for Obama After insisting on sticking to his Blackberry, US President Barack Obama has finally given his nod for a secure, souped-up, high-tech personal digital assistant (PDA)Sectera Edge. According to reports, he will carry a Sectera Edge, made by General Dynamics, the military contractor, and developed specially for the National Security Agency . The Sectera Edge boasts encryption devised by the NSA, which gathers intelligence from cyberspace. The White House press secretary, said that the buzz about BlackBerry replacement is ‘almost as exciting as the presidential dog,’ reports Times Online. ANI

Chinese pandas attract huge crowd Some 100,000 people flocked to the Taipei Zoo on Monday to see the two giant pandas that China gave to Taiwan as a symbol of friendship. The pandas, named by China as Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan - Tuanyuan means reunion in Chinese - were shown to Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou and 500 children Saturday, but they made their official debut Monday, the first day of the Chinese New Year holidays. Visitors began to queue up early Monday outside the Taipei Zoo, arriving by plane, train, bus or car from all parts of Taiwan. Liu Ping-shan, 32, a truck driver from Yunlin County, west Taiwan, drove his mother and two-year-old daughter Sunday night to Taipei, in north Taiwan. However, only 22,000 visitors are allowed to see the pandas each day, and people can remain in the Panda House for only 10 minutes.

Dalai Lama wishes the Chinese on their New Year Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama sent out wishes for prosperous Chinese New Year on Sunday. With the Year of the Ox, the Lunar New Year is all set to begin on Monday. In contrast, the exiled Tibetans would not be celebrating Tibetan New Year, which falls a month later on February 26. Dalai Lama in his message wished a chapter of peace and prosperity in the New Year to China. Samdong Ripoche, Tibetan Prime Minister-in-exile conveyed the Dalai Lama’s wishes. “Wishes have been sent to all the Chinese people for the Chinese New Year, which is falling tomorrow. The Tibetan New Year and Chinese New Year differ by one month and only after four years, it comes together,” added Ripoche. ANI

‘Green’ bar serves drinks in jam jars! A bar in Britain has come up with a unique way to conserve the environment - serving cocktails in jam jars rather than glasses. The 23-year-old barman Drew Mallins, who is always on the lookout for new ways to be more ‘green’, said the idea popped in his mind on a quiet Friday afternoon, reports the Telegraph. The idea is that instead of throwing empty jam jars away at home, people can bring them in to drink from them.”

DPA

ANI

Thailand plans to ‘educate’ foreigners on royal insult Harry Nicolaides, 41, was sentenced to three years in jail after pleading guilty last week to lese majeste – slandering the royal family – in a novel he selfpublished in 2005

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Australian Harry Nicolaides inside a holding cell while waiting for his trial at a court in Bangkok. AFP PHOTO

hailand’s justice ministry wants to launch an overseas campaign to educate foreigners about its laws protecting the monarchy, an official said on Monday, after an Australian was jailed under the harsh rules. Harry Nicolaides, 41, was sentenced to three years in jail after pleading guilty last week to lese majeste – slandering the royal family – in a novel he self-published in 2005. “The ministry has an idea to seek cooperation from the for-

eign ministry to ask all Thai embassies abroad to educate foreigners about lese majeste laws,” an aide to the justice ministry told AFP. “Foreigners misunderstand the lese majeste laws,” she said, adding that they mistakenly believe the crime is not serious and carries a light sentence. In fact, lese majeste carries a maximum jail sentence of 15 years – one of the harshest in the world for the crime – and some MPs from the ruling

Democrat Party are pushing to increase it to 25 years. Nicolaides was not the first foreigner to fall foul of the laws. Swiss national Oliver Jufer was sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2007 for defacing pictures of deeply-revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He was later given a royal pardon and deported from the country. The aide said protecting the royal family was ‘this government’s priority.’ ■ AFP

07

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Penguin wedding

Signs on the floor

A Chinese aquarium staged a wedding for two penguins during their mating season. Wuhan East Lake Ocean World planned the wedding for the two black-footed penguins, who were dressed up by staff for the ceremony.

A couple who cleared out the attic of their new home discovered the floor was made of $29,000 (GBP20,000) worth of antique railway signs.

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olice in Nigeria are holding a goat handed to them by a vigilante group, which said it was a car thief who had used witchcraft to change shape, BBC reported. A police spokesman in Kwara State has been quoted as saying that the “armed robbery suspect” would remain in custody until investigations were over. But another police spokesman told the BBC the goat was being held in case its owner claimed it. The belief in witchcraft and the power to change shapes is common in Nigeria. Police reform activists have condemned the “arrest” saying it highlights the low education levels of many Nigerian police officers. Nigeria’s Vanguard newspaper has a picture of the goat and reports that police paraded it in front of journalists in the Kwara state capital Ilorin on Thursday. But this was denied by national police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu.

“The vigilante group arrested the goat and took it to the police, then they told the media.” The next morning journalists turned up demanding to see the goat, he said. “But of course goats can’t commit crime.” The BBC’s Andrew Walker in Abuja says communities often rely on ill-educated and badly prepared vigilante squads to fill the gaps where the police will not patrol at night. Innocent Chukwuma of the justice reform group the Cleen Foundation, told the BBC that many Nigerian police officers were poorly educated. “There are officers who don’t even have a secondary school education, and the police have a big job to do in finding these people and getting rid of them.” He said in the past political leaders had allowed the police to be filled with incompetent and in some cases criminal officers so they could be easily bought to protect their own criminal activities. Police have also been unable to stop vigilante squads from lynching suspects before they could investigate, he said. ■ IANS

PHOTO: H. VIBHU

Goat robs car Nigerian police arrest a goat, claiming it to be a car thief who had used witchcraft to change shape

Mumbai to have

Asia’s largest Pagoda

Patriotic spirit

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ndia’s financial hub, Mumbai is all set to have Asia’s largest Pagoda, intended to be a mass meditation centre and also a major tourist attraction in the days to come. It will the house of actual bone relics of Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhist faith and school of thoughts. Pagodas are tiered towers with multiple eaves and built to host religious functions. These are common in the lands of the Far East such as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. The modern pagoda structures have been evolved from the ancient Indian Stupa, a tomb-like pillared structure where sacred relics could be kept safe and venerated. A hallmark of this gigantic Pagoda coming up at Gorai will be the original bone relics of Lord Gautam Buddha, on display here.

The 325-feet-tall structure with a diameter of 280 feet, has taken almost 11 years to complete. President Pratibha Patil will formally inaugurate it on February 8, 2009. Reportedly, the total cost of the project has been around Rs 750 million. Genuine relics related to Buddha have been enshrined in the Pagoda. The meditation enclosure is large enough for over 8,000 Vipasana practitioners to sit together and meditate. ■ ANI

쒀 Soldiers march during the Republic Day parade in New Delhi on Monday. AFP PHOTO

08 SPORT

ERGO Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Bravo to miss England Tests Dwayne Bravo is likely to make his first appearance for West Indies following ankle surgery only in the five ODIs against England. But, he is still recovering from an operation on his left ankle and will miss the preceding four Tests.

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Bhupathi-Knowles in quarters

Mahesh Bhupathi and his Bahamian partner Mark Knowles sailed into the Australian Open men’s doubles quarterfinals, defeating Nicolas Lapentti and Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-4. The third-seeded Indo-Bahamian pair took 70 minutes to dispatch the unseeded EcuadorianSpanish duo in their third-round clash. However, the winners were a trifle patchy as they, in total, squandered six breakpoints in the match. Bhupathi-Knowles broke their rivals thrice and saved two breakpoints en route to the victory. They next face the Spanish pair of Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco. Among the juniors, Kaza Vinayak Sharma joined compatriot and top seed Yuki Bhambri in the boy’s singles second-round after carving out a facile 6-4, 6-2 win over Sweden’s Patrik Brydolf. PTI

Team India reaches Colombo The Indian cricket team, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Monday and was received by Sri Lankan officials. The players were given a warm welcome. A large crowd had turned up to catch a glimpse of the stars as they trooped out from the terminal. The Indians had a practice session in Chennai in the morning from where they boarded a flight to Colombo. Dhoni and his teammates will take on the hosts in five-match ODI series, beginning with the first ODI on Wednesday at Dambulla. The tour will be rounded off with a Twenty20 international on February 10. PTI

avid Beckham struck his first goal in Italian football on Sunday while Kaka put the Manchester City transfer saga behind him with a brace as AC Milan romped to a 4-1 victory at Bologna. But Milan remains six points off the top after leaders Inter Milan won 1-0 at home to Sampdoria. It was Kaka’s first match since his proposed world record switch to City collapsed and he responded with a calmly taken penalty and a left-foot rocket. Kaka’s contribution deflected somewhat from Beckham’s first goal for Milan since joining on loan from the LA Galaxy earlier this month. The former England skipper found the net with his team’s fourth goal on the hour mark. “It was a truly special goal, just as it is special for me to be playing here,” said Beckham. “The important thing was to win so now we are even more confident ahead of Wednesday’s game (against Genoa).” Bologna took the lead on nine minutes after Christian Amoroso strode into area and was sandwiched by Paolo Maldini and Philippe Senderos. Marco Di Vaio converted from the spot for his 15th league goal of the season. But just four minutes later Bologna lost the ball in midfield and Kaka hit a shot from distance that Francesco Antonioli couldn’t hold, allowing veteran Dutch midfielder Seedorf to prod home the rebound. The third goal in the 17th minute came following a controversial penalty awarded to Milan. Davide Bombardini took the ball off Gianluca Zambrotta as he went into area but the full-back tripped over and the referee pointed to the spot, with Kaka converting. Any hopes Bologna had of getting back into the game ended five minutes before the break when Gaby Mudingaye was sent off following a second booking. Just three minutes later Kaka fired home a wonderful left-footed shot to ensure the game was over before the pause. Beckham then smashed home a fierce right-footer at Antonioli’s near post on the hour after a pass from Seedorf. ■ AFP

Beckham off the mark

09

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

PCB pulls up Malik

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afael Nadal and Serena Williams stayed on track at the Australian Open on Monday but Andy Murray’s campaign came shuddering to a halt and a raft of withdrawals blighted the race to the quarterfinals. Top seed Nadal maintained his perfect record by sweeping past Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, and set up a last-eight clash with France’s Gilles Simon as the Spaniard seeks his maiden hard-court Grand Slam. Pre-tournament favourite Murray went down in a gripping five-setter to Spanish star Fernando Verdasco, who downed the Briton 2-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Murray had started the match in great fashion as he raced through the first set for the loss of just two games and his supporters must have been anticipating another quick match. But Verdasco, showed he is made of sterner stuff as he came back to take the second. The Scot then took the third before Verdasco cruised through the fourth to level the match and send it into a decider. They both started strongly in the fifth, holding their opening service games comfortably. Murray had the first chance to make the decisive move when he had two break point chances in the sixth game, which Verdasco saved with some big serving to even the set up at 3-3. Verdasco pounced on some loose serves to break Murray in the next game and take a 4-3 lead. Murray held his next serve to give himself some hope but when Verdasco got three match points there was no coming back. He saved the first two but on the third Verdasco served wide to Murray’s backhand and he could only succeed in putting it into the net. But Serena Williams was fortunate in a tournament throwing up plenty of surprises when a distraught Victoria Azarenka retired ill with an apparent virus while leading 6-3, 2-4. Williams now plays eighth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova for a place in the semifinals, with the Russian also benefiting from a retirement. Kuznetsova went through when China’s Zheng Jie pulled out with a wrist injury while losing 4-1. Fellow Russian Elena Dementieva set up a quarterfinal against unseeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro. Elena blasted past Slovak 18th seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-2, 6-2, with the 27-year-old launching a 10-game winning streak early in the first set, rating it her best performance at the year’s season-opening Grand Slam. ■ AFP

Nadal, Serena, Kuznetsova and Dementieva roll on AFP

Murray knocked out

Pakistan cricket authorities have asked captain Shoaib Malik and coach Intikhab Alam for a detailed report on their team’s loss against Sri Lanka in the recent ODI series. A Senate standing committee on sports has also summoned Alam, Malik and chief selector Abdul Qadir for a hearing in Islamabad on February 9.

10 FLICK

AADARSH SRINIVAS R.

F

irst the Golden Globe awards and now 10 Oscar nominations. Similar to the storyline, Slumdog Millionaire has become a celebrity overnight. When Danny Boyle decided to adapt the Vikas Swarup book Q&A he would have least expected to be showered with awards. However highly SM is acclaimed, at heart it is just a commercial movie. It is not a rags-to-riches story as the title may suggest. It is the story of how Jamal Malik (played by Dev Patel, who does a good job) finds different ways to win back his childhood love, Latika. It is the story of two brothers from the slums who follow two different paths, one evil and the other good. Eventually, goodness triumphs and the hope of Jamal, a mad and unrealistic hope, helps him get what he wants. Maybe, the average American found this interesting as “Yes, We Can” seems to be their new national anthem. But, to us, the average Indian, there is nothing new in the storyline. It is just like any other average Indian movie. The movie starts with the cops (Irrfan Khan and Saurabh Shukla) interrogating Jamal on the charge that he cheated his way towards Rs. 10 million on the popular game show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? They try all kinds of tricks, including shock treatment, to make Jamal accept that he cheated. But Jamal is a tough guy and that is the point the director is trying to prove with those scenes, which do not make any sense. (A request here would be to use Irrfan Khan in a better way next time). The ‘O Saya’ song provides a glimpse of what is in store for us with its lyrics suggesting that Jamal cannot be touched by anyone. This is a movie about Indians and the director has rightfully pointed out our obsession with cricket and Bollywood by showing the boys from slums playing cricket in an air strip and how Jamal knowingly misses a customer for their toilet business but does not miss a glimpse of Amitabh Bachchan, beating all odds. The scene is humorous and makes us smile. But, Danny boy, the next time you decide to make a film on India, think about our other areas of interest too. The past and the present rub shoulders with each other, quite emphatically, as Prem Kumar’s (Anil Kapoor) booming poses

ERGO Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Nothing extraordinary

Despite moments of brilliance, Slumdog Millionaire doesn’t match the hype questions to Jamal on the show and Jamal answers each one. Anil Kapoor plays his role in the best possible way. Everything about Prem Kumar is perfect, which includes his voice, too. Amitabh was the original choice for the role. But he refused it and one can understand the reason behind that decision as we watch the movie. Right from the start when Prem Kumar mocks Jamal as “chaiwallah” till the end when he hands over Jamal to the police, the slum dog is not made to feel at home on the show. The average Indian may hate him for those antics and that is a big price for Bachchan sahib to pay for a role in a Hollywood movie. Every time Jamal has to answer a question on the show, he has to relive his troubled past. But, there are a few things which have been blown out of proportion. Jamal can relate to seven out of a total of nine questions.

Too many coincidences for comfort. Or, the time when Salim recognises Jamal’s voice over phone. Considering the fact that they had separated at a time when Jamal’s voice had not broken, the scene looks illogical. The scene in which the two brothers meet Latika for the first time, the elder brother wields his authority over the younger. This is better portrayed in a scene where they part ways in a fight for her, Salim emerging the winner. The entire sequence where the two brothers become beggars is heart-rending. The cruelty and gruesomeness is portrayed brilliantly and so is the affection between the brothers at that point of time in their lives. Their escape from that life is a journey for us, thanks to A.R. Rahman’s background score. The time when Salim consoles Jamal when the latter thinks about Latika is that point in the movie when we feel it has been

rightfully nominated for the Oscars. But, it stops there and we are never made to feel the same again. After that, it is a story about the lives of two boys. One goes in search of money and power and the other, love. The scene in which Jamal finds Latika for a second time in his life shows why Jamal participated in Who Wants to be a Millionaire?. When Jamal asks Latika to come with him, she asks him, “And live with what?” Jamal says, “Love”. In the scene where 20 million is at stake, Jamal calls Salim as it is the only phone number he knows. Latika answers his call and he is more than happy with that, even though she does not help him in his cause. Just like the good, old days, the “pyaar hua, iqraar hua” days when the script suggested only one thing to the public. So, are the nominations, awards and the hype surround-

ing the movie worth it? NO. An Englishman makes a movie about India, the centre of the world at present, as one character points out, and gives the American audience what they want to see. The unclean slums and crowded streets of India are packaged properly and presented to the global audience (One must admit, grudgingly though, that it is true). Rahman, though, deserves the honour, although his score in SM is definitely not his best. It is quite similar to 2007, when Martin Scorsese was awarded the Best Director award for The Departed. The award though, if given, will be a definite boost to the creative talent in India, as Rahman himself pointed out. ■

Film: Slumdog Millionaire Director: Danny Boyle Cast: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Father figure Angelina Jolie says she has a father figure in her life in the form of Clint Eastwood. The 33-year-old, estranged from her own father Jon Voight, admits she can talk to Clint, who directed her in The Changeling, about anything.

Cine City

Ash, Akshay to get Padma Shri

B

ollywood diva Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, action star Akshay Kumar, yesteryears’ dancing queen Helen and music maestro Hridyanath Mangeshkar are among those named for this year’s Padma Shri awards. Aishwarya, 35, entered filmdom after winning the prestigious Miss World crown in 1994, and delivered hits like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, Taal and Guru. She also earned critical acclaim for her performances in films like Chokher Bali, Raincoat and Jodhaa Akbar. Aishwarya is a regular at the Cannes Film Festival since 2002, and was a member of the Jury at Cannes in 2003. She has been associated with several Hollywood projects, including Pink Panther 2. Akshay Kumar, 41, who churned out the biggest hit of 2008, Singh Is Kinng, has established himself as an action hero. He has hits like Khiladi, Mohra, Main Khiladi Tu Anari to his credit. The versatile actor proved his mettle in romantic dramas like Dhadkan, Dil To Paagal Hai (guest appearance) and Aitraaz as

well as comedies that include box office winners like Hera Pheri, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Garam Masala and Namastey London. The inimitable Helen, 69, carved a niche for herself with her dancing skills in songs like ‘Mera naam chin chin choo’, ‘O haseena zulfon wali’, ‘Aaa jaane jaan’, ‘Piya tu ab to aa ja’, ‘Yeh mera dil pyaar ka deewana’ and ‘Mehbooba mehbooba’. According to critics, she sizzled but was never

vulgar. Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar, 71, the younger brother of singing legend Lata Magheshkar, is known for composing soulful tunes in Marathi films – Sansar, Jait Re Jait, Umbartha and Nivdung. He has also composed music for Hindi movies, Lekin, Maya Memsaab and Mashaal, to name a few. Legendary singer-actress Shamshad Begum has been named for the Padma Bhushan. Besides her, others from the entertainment world named for the award include ghazal singer Penaz Masani, playback signer Udit Narayan and radio presenter-programmer Ameen Sayani. ■ IANS

Saroja van goes under hammer The Volkswagen van used in the song ‘Dost bada dost’ in the movie Saroja will be auctioned soon and the major part of the bid money would go for charity. The director of the movie, Venkat Prabhu, has said that the van is in good condition and any person in the Indian sub-continent is eligible to bid for it. The Volkswagen is in pristine condition and the bidding would begin with Rs. 3.5 lakh.

Vivek selected for Padma Shri Vivek, popular comedian of Tamil cinema, has been selected for the coveted Padma Shri award. The actor, famous for his comedies with a message, had acted with all popular artistes in Tamil since his debut in Manadhil Uruthi Vendum in 1986. A winner of five Filmfare awards, Vivek has said he was inspired by Kalaivanar N.S. Krishnan and the award was a crown on his head.

12

ERGO Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Friday’s Query If you could take up an oath for Republic Day, what would it be?

Thivya and Chitra from Cognizant have nominated their friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Kodaikanal Pine Forest.

■ Do something for nation save electricity by less usage of A/C Vijay, CSS

■Have to motivate as many people as possible to fight for change in our Constitution. And ask them not to celebrate Republic day till the change happens

Maggi, TCS

■ I will try to wakeup before 8 am to reach office earlier

Mari, HCL

■ Stop watching Dr.Vijay’s movies

Mike, Sebanto, Aravindhan Cognizant

■To know the rights and duties given to the citizen .Realize the duties and use the rights effectively

Sathyanathan from Capgemini has nominated his entire crew “SAT-URNS” as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at VGP.

Balaji KM, Mindtree Ltd

■ To reduce speaking lies by following Gandhi policy

Lakshmi S., CTS

■ Be Indian and buy Indian

Sowbagya Lakshmi P., CGSL

■ I won’t forward any sardharji jokes because they are Indians, especially our PM is also a sardharji. Give the respect to each and every Indian, then feel proud to be an Indian. ’’Jai Hind’’

Kalaivani Perot Systems, Manikandan, HeartLand Info Centre

■Oath to take up oath in the upcoming years

Dipa, TCS

Today’s Query: Is the movie Slumdog Millionaire worth the hype created?

Prasoon S. from Financial Software and Systems has nominated his friends as Parners in Crime. This pic was clicked during their ‘Workplace Decoration Day’.

13

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Udhaya Kumar from Sundaram Business Services has been nominated as Office Angel by his friend I. Srinivasan. He is a very nice person. He never uses the words ‘Sorry’ and ‘No’ to any request from the employees and completes the work before deadline. He knows almost all the staff in our company. He is nice to all employees, from the head to the canteen guys. He has confidence to handle problems at different levels smoothly.

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

■ Dear Ramya, Its a nice feeling when you know that someone likes you, someone thinks about you, someone needs you;but it feels much better when you know that someone never ever forgets your birthday."HAPPY BIRTHDAY to dear Ramya" Many more happy returns of the day. Let this day bring u lots of Wealth, Peace, Happines and good health through out ur life. Wishing u once again... With loads of luv, Madhan. Sify technologies ltd.

■ Dear Rajasekhar, Our belated birthday wishes to you. We wish you a very happy and prosperous year ahead. On your birthday we wish you much pleasure and joy; We hope all of your wishes come true. May each hour and minute be filled with delight, And your birthday be perfect for you! From, Loving Brothers; Geethai Piriyan(Verizon) Naresh(Infosys) Raj(Verizon) Vinay(Wipro) Vinesh(Accenture)

■ Dear Jack, Happy Birthday Buju Boy. Have a wonderful life loaded with full of Love and Happiness, May God bless you to fulfill all your dreams and desires. It’s a very special day pa. Let us enjoy !!!!

MK Bharathi Priya of Caliber Point Business Solutions has doodled this.

With Lots of Love, Kani, TCS

■ Hi Sathiya, “On your birthday, We wish for you the fulfillment of all your fondest dreams. You get a wonderful surprise. We wish for you that whatever you want most in life, it comes to you, just the way you imagined it, or better. We look forward to enjoying our friendship for many more of your birthdays.” Happy Birthday in Advance

Man 1 : I think that girl is deaf Man 2 : How do you know? Man 1 : I told i love her, but she told her chappals are new ... :-) Jubair, Cognizant

Best Wishes, PadmaRamya & Team HCL Tech, VPLN

■ Dear VP(Vandaloor Pannaiyaar), Vendam Vendaamnu sollitu Vaaree adikuum Vallavarea..... Nallavera........ Vandaloor Pannaiyaareaaa...... Inniya piranthanaal vazhthugal !!! Endrumm Anbudan, M-24, FSS, Tidel Park

■ Dear Karthik, Sending my birthday wishes your way,may you fullfill all your dreams today & Forever.Let god give all happiness that you need.. With love & Care Ur Sweet sister, Sakthipriya Rajendran, Wipro Technologies

■ Kundus Nisha " Happy B-day dear Nisha" you are very special to all of us. we wish u a wonderful life which brings all your wishes that u want in your life. Happy B-day KUNDUS. With Lot of LOVE and CARE, MR S, Santhosh, Ravi, Bala, Prem, Guru Natu, Visha, Priya, Koms, myth, Neha menaks, kiru.

■ Dear Thara, Wish you many more happy returns of the day, may GOD bless you with health, wealth and prosperity. Regards, Avi

■ Dear Poongothai, Once a year we get the chance to wish you Birthday cheer. It pleases us no end to say, we wish you another great year. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO Poongothai. Regards, Fun committee, WIPRO

■ Dear Manikarthick, It must have been a rainy day when you were born, but it wasn’t really rain, the sky was crying because it lost his most beautiful angel… happy birthday dear friend From Rajeswari and friends.

■ Dear Mom & Dad, What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined for life! Wish you Many More Happy returns of the Day. With lots of Love, Bhuvana & Ansar, TCS

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Actors raid bank Police chiefs in China have been slammed for hiring actors to rob a bank as a training exercise - without telling anyone else. Only the director and the deputy director of the Zhenzhou police department knew it was a drill - everyone else, including the bank, thought it was a real raid.

sudoku Looks like Saranya Ramesh of Sagitec Solutions, Tidel Park was really impressed to see this lady drawing kolam outside her house in Madurai. Hobbies: Stamp and coin collection. 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.

TEAM Editor: Karthik Subramanian [email protected]

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KAKURO

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Guitar boat auctioned

Word’s worth

Singer Josh Pyke is auctioning off the guitar boat that featured in the video for his song ’Make You Happy’ to help fund an indigenous literacy charity.

"Sandapile" (san-duh-puh-lee) an obsolete word meaning ’a coffin.’

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 You need to streamline your thoughts or you might get confused today. It is a favourable day for research regarding your work and for gathering additional knowledge. Love life or married life for that matter, will remain problem free.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Day for new things in life. A new computer or a flash drive may help you boost your productivity, says Ganesha. Hence, assignments are likely to be completed on time. On the personal front, your friendly nature will make your beloved feel special.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Ganesha finds you a bit confused at decision making. Although work seems demanding, it is a good day for analysis. On the personal front, your beloved might respond positively as you may win his/her heart with your charming looks.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Your memory will be very sharp today. Hence you will remain good with digits and integers. Also, memory will also ease the process of rectifying past errors related. On the love front, you might need to develop a compromising approach for the day.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Grace of Ganesha is bountiful today. Hence, you will get appreciated by superiors. Ganesha suggests you not to start anything new as you might not be very receptive today. You may find your beloved in a very romantic mood when you are taking it easy.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Voila! Today is one of the best days of the month as far as career is concerned. All your actions will be of utmost importance. Ganesha feels you might side-line personal life due to work, which might create stress. Spice it up with a party, what say?

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 A bright day for developing a new software or as your brain will seem to compete with a super computer! You may make travel plans or long distance telephone calls might take place today. In personal relations, you will be very sensitive.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Watch out! Today you will have to be careful from ‘green-eyed’ people. There may be interruptions in work due to technical issues. Ganesha feels you have the perfect ‘anti-virus’ for your love life. You will remain cheerful with your beloved.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 Ganesha foresees a busy day ahead with dropped levels of energy. The day is not favourable for software designing. Ganesha feels you may remain flexible in personal relations. This might prove useful as your beloved might shower you with love.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 You might face competition at work today. Ganesha wants you to be alert or you might land up in a huge mess. Alertness will have to be practised in your personal life as well as Ganesha finds scopes for conflicts with your beloved.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Workload might cause mood swings for you, hence concentration might dwindle. Ganesha finds you practicing multitasking at work today. For personal relations; ups and down are not foreseen but it is advisable to give a miss to arguments.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Today your mind will function in complete harmony with things that need your immediate attention. Ganesha finds you working on your ‘priority list’. Soon as the day ends, you might want to rush in the arms of your beloved. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Tuesday, January 27, 2009

ONE LOOK IS ALL IT TAKES Arrivals at the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, on January 25, 2009 Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn.

Penelope Cruz

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

AFP PHOTO