Ergo March 24

A BYTE OF LIFE

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

10

TO BE LIKE AUDREY

Deepika Padukone on her style icon and more FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 3

03 THE SUBWAY TAILOR P.M. Gopal Rao Gents Tailor

No. 55

PHOTO: K. ANANTHAN

Nano arrives

T

he much anticipated launch of Tata Nano has at last happened with Tata Motors announcing its commercial launch on Monday. The car which would be available in three variants would be on display at showrooms across the country from April 1. The car comes with an 18 month or 24,000 km guarantee and is said to be 21% more spacious than other compatriots in the small car segment in the country. Tata Motors are only rolling out a small number of cars from its factory in Pantnagar and due to significant demand initially the Tata Nano will be available through a booking mode. Tata Motors has entered into an exclusive agreement with the State Bank of India to manage the booking process. The sale of application forms and acceptance of booking will start from April 9 till the end of day April 25. The application forms will be available for Rs. 300, with a range of offers from select associate Tata Group companies. The application forms will be available at over 30,000 locations in about 1,000 cities through Tata Motors Passenger Car dealerships, State Bank of India and its branches, its subsidiaries and associates. ■

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Francophonie film fest Under the Bombs, a film by Philippe Arctingi will be screened on April 25 as part of the ongoing Francophonie Film Festival. The film will be screened at Alliance Francaise of Madras. For details call 2827 9803/28271477

New twist to Asin’s missing assistant case Bad staircase A senior police officer recently suffered a fracture following a slip and fall from a steep British-style stairway inside the police commissionerate in Egmore. The stairs, with a red carpet fixed on them rather awkwardly, had victimised many previously. However, the officer is back on his feet and kicking.

Actor Asin’s ‘missing’ assistant might not be missing after all, suspect police ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

I

n a new twist to the case of Asin’s missing assistant, police suspect that the missing person had himself gone into hiding in order to extort money from the actor after giving a false impression that he is ‘mysteriously missing’. It all started after Asin’s assistant Nalamuthu Kumaraswamy alias Muthu (23) allegedly went missing while he was assisting the actor during her Hindi Ghajini filming days in Mumbai. Last Tuesday, his mother Sudalai Vadivu (46) of Karumari Amman Koil Street in Gandhi Nagar, Redhills, approached Suburban Commissioner S.R. Jangid in this regard. Following this, special teams were formed and an investigation was underway. Upon enquiry, the actor’s father informed police that Muthu was indeed working for Asin but had quit his job in January 2009. Police sources revealed that Muthu’s mobile phone, which was continually out of service, was recently active at times and he is known to have contacted some of his friends. This has led the police to believe that Nalamuthu could have deliberately gone missing in order to give an impression that the actress was responsible for his disappearance and, in turn, extort money from her. Following information that Muthu could be hiding in Tuticorin, a police team has been rushed there. ■

No cam since New Year Traffic signals in the city with CCTV cameras have not been working since January 1, 2009. According to reliable police sources, it is due to the expiry of contract with a city-based technology firm that was assisting the Chennai City Traffic Police in the CCTV surveillance. Therefore, traffic violators can heave a sigh of relief for the time being.

Designer cop A senior police officer has a fancy for watches and sunglasses. The khaki apparently has a big collection of both and is said to be buying a pair quite often. Also, one pair of designer sunglasses the officer owns has a whopping six-figure price tag.

Cow on IT corridor 쑸 A cow remains firmly tethered to an electric pole on Six Lane Road, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, on Sunday. PHOTO: M. KARUNAKARAN

03

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Cool, cool Tata Tea has launched T!ON, a refreshing cold beverage targeted at the youth. The energy drinks comes in three flavours – mango rush, peach punch and apple buzz. A 400 ml bottle is priced at Rs. 22.

The subway tailor A subway on Anna Salai houses one of the more popular among the tailoring shops in the business – P.M. Gopal Rao Gents Tailor SHALINI SHAH [email protected]

W

hile walking through a pedestrian subway, you’d probably come across vendors selling combs, hair clips and safety pins. Or even people sitting with weighing machines, offering to check your weight for a fee. But a tailoring shop? No, we’re not talking a sewingmachine-on-wheels that goes on doing mending work from one place to another, but a proper (and very popular) men’s tailoring unit that has been in the same place for about four decades, dutifully paying rent to the government. ‘P.M. Gopal Rao Gents Tailor’ on Anna Salai, near the Anna Salai-Wallajah Road signal, doesn’t fail to make people stop and stare. Extremely popular among advocates, doctors, IAS officers, politicians and the public in general, the tailoring shop hasn’t seen a dearth of loyal clientele. Gopal Rao started his tailoring shop some 45-50 years ago behind Bombay Halwa House on Mount Road. He then moved to the subway location in the 1970s. Now, his son G. Karnan Rao is at the helm. While the staff has kept moving on and changing over the years, the one person who’s been with Karnan Rao throughout is his uncle Narayan Rao. Ask Karnan Rao about the rath-

er unexpected location, the subway, and he says, “My father found this place, so we stuck on here.” Does he want to move? “The shop is on Anna Salai, a prime location. Why should I want to?” Barring Sundays, the shop is open everyday from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Parking was never a problem as whoever visited the shop would park their vehicles inside Government Estate. However, the closing of the Estate compound a month ago for the construction of the new Secretariat has posed a problem, as customers now need to plonk their vehicles on the main road itself. But this has hardly deterred anyone, at least so far, says Rao. The tailoring shop also specialises in wedding suits, one of the more famous weddings being that of M.K. Stalin, for which P.M. Gopal Rao did the tailoring. Other high-profile customers include veteran State Congress leader Krishnaswamy and former Supreme Court judge Justice Natarajan. MLAs from the MLA hostel located nearby form a steady stream of visitors at the shop over the years. “Though politicians keep coming here, we have no political preferences. All are just customers to us,” says Rao. And they’re happy being men’s tailors. “We are a specialist ‘Gents Tailor’ and it’s more than enough,” smiles Rao. ■

The exterior view of P.M. Gopal Rao Gents Tailor in the Anna Salai subway. R. RAVINDRAN

G. Karnan Rao (right) and uncle Narayan Rao at work.

Though politicians keep coming here, we have no political preferences. All are just customers to us

PHOTOS:

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

ERGO Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Snippets sourced from T3 magazine of Infomedia 18 Group

WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS PANASONIC REVEALS ITS CAMERA ROADMAP

Keep adding more megapixels, oodles of zoom and gimmicky features – that’s pretty much how a digicam roadmap looks like for most vendors. Not for Panasonic though. The new face recognition feature allows you to register faces of loved ones in the cam, complete with a mug shot, name and age. The cam will then recognise them whenever you click them and prioritise focus. In case the age of the said person is less than three, the cam will automatically switch to ‘baby’ scene mode. The new TZ7 featured below can also capture vids in 720p AVCHD Lite format.

Features include mega optical image stabilisation and intelligent auto mode for both stills and vids

TBC, www.panasonic.com

PANASONIC FT1

PANASONIC FX580

PANASONIC FS25

Waterproof to 3m, shockproof to 1.5m, and dustproof, this 12.1-meg snapper can also capture 720p ACVHD vids, and isn’t afraid of sharks.

Another 12.1-megapixel shooter, this one comes with a 3inch touchscreen LCD, with intuitive touch-based controls in case you’re feeling touchy.

Tanking up on oomph, this stylish compact packs in a 5X zoom lens and photo frame features as well, along with a 12.1-meg sensor for lovely pics.

A 25mm ultra wide angle Leica lens with a 12X zoom graces the occasion

05

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Apple said it will begin offering HD films for purchase and rental on iTunes. Starting immediately, customers of the service will be able to buy the films for $19.99. HD rentals will be priced at $4.99.

US $ Pound Euro 100 Yen

50.52 73.56 69.11 52.50

SOURCE: RBI

iTunes offers feature films in HD

Google Docs now allows offline work G

oogle Docs, which has so far been an online-only service for creating documents and preparing presentations, can now be used offline, company officials reported. The offline mode can be accessed at docs.google.com. When first activating the service, users are directed to download Google Gears, a free browser plug-in. Once the download has been completed, offline access is available around-the-clock. The service means users do not have to be as vigilant about saving documents and any changes, since those are uploaded automatically whenever the computer has an active Internet connection. That automatic update also relieves users from having to switch between the online and offline applications. Google says the offline service is compatible with Internet Explorer, versions 6 and higher, Google Chrome and Firefox, versions 1.5 and higher. ■ DPA

Dell unveils world’s thinnest laptop

D

ell Inc unveiled its luxury Adamo laptop calling it the world’s thinnest notebook as it seeks to compete in the high-end ultra-portable market defined by Apple Inc’s MacBook Air. The sleek, aluminum-encased notebook is 0.65-inches thick and comes with a 13.4-inch screen and a 128-gigabyte solid-state drive. Starting at $1,999, the Adamo is positioned as Dell’s new high-end brand. Another configuration will sell for $2,699. The device comes packed in a clear case along with an optional branded sleeve or tote bag from designer luggage and handbag label Tumi. The Adamo is meant “to make a design statement, to surprise people that this is a Dell,” said

marketing executive John New. “This is for the customer that has that discerning taste, and is willing to pay a little more for that.” Dell has been working to generate buzz for Adamo, Latin for to fall in love with. Word of the PC began to leak late last year, and the company hosted an event in January in Las Vegas where it provided a fleeting glimpse of the laptop as it was held aloft by a model. Apple helped launch the socalled ultra-portable category last year with MacBook Air, which at 0.76 inches, previously laid claim to the title of world’s thinnest. The Adamo at 4 pounds is heavier than the Air, which weighs 3 pounds and is priced from $1,799. ■ Reuters

Apple’s Safari 4 promises faster surfing

A

pple’s new browser promises to be significantly faster than its predecessors. According to Apple, Safari 4 will be able to run JavaScript, a feature of many websites, faster than n Safari 3. Indeed, the company says the speed will increase by 4.2 times. Apple also boasts that its new browser, now available in a beta version, will make the competition look positively slow. HTML websites will load seven times faster on the new Safari than on Internet Explorer 7 and up to three times faster than on Firefox 3, it added. The browser’s new functions include Full History Search, which allows a computer user to sift through headlines, web addresses or complete texts of recently visited sites. Top Sites provides an overview of regularly visited websites, while Cover Flow makes it easier to search

through the browser’s history and bookmarks. The free beta version of the new Safari is available for Mac OS X and Windows and can be downloaded at www.apple.com/ safari. ■ DPA

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Mum bites principal A Rhode Island woman has been accused of biting and punching her young son’s school principal after she was told the 11-year-old was being suspended.

Brussels sets world record in longest toilet queue A world record in the length of a queue to a toilet was set on Sunday when 756 people lined up to a latrine in central Brussels to raise awareness for the need for clean water on World Water Day. The event was organised by UNICEF, which gave each participant a wristband with his or her number in the line and T-shirt certifying participation in the event. “The Guinness Book of Records told us we needed to get at least 500 people in the queue to get the record,” a UNICEF spokesman said. Reuters

Crocodile attacks toddler A mother narrowly rescued her 1-year-old son from an attack by a crocodile that had escaped from a nearby farm, a police officer in Vietnam’s Mekong delta confirmed on Monday. The woman was holding her son over a canal to relieve himself on Sunday when the 100-kilogram crocodile leapt out of the water and snapped at the child’s foot. The mother managed to pull her son back and outrun the crocodile that pursued her onto land, said Nguyen Minh Quang, police chief of An Binh Ward in the province of Can Tho. Four local men subdued the crocodile with ropes and sticks. The child was not injured. “It is mating season, so the crocodile was more aggressive than usual,” Quang said. DPA

Olympic pandas return home A large number of well-wishers turned up at the Beijing Zoo to say good-bye to eight panda cubs who wrapped up their Olympic mission and returned home. The pandas had been sent to Beijing Zoo from Sichuan province, southwest China, to bring extra cheer to visitors during the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The adorable cubs remained playful and naughty despite it being their last day in the capital. The Olympic pandas were flown to Beijing on May 24 last year, earlier than expected, after their home, the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Centre in Wolong, was severely damaged in the May 12 earthquake. “I am not disappointed at all about the pandas’ departure. Actually, I am really glad to see them returning to Sichuan, where their home is,” said Quan Hao, 33, from Beijing. ANI

Struggle to save beached whales Volunteers on Monday joined rescue workers struggling to save the lives of dozens of whales and dolphins stranded on a beach on Australia’s west coast, officials said. Around 80 false killer whales and bottlenose dolphins were found beached over more than five kilometres in Hamelin Bay, south of the city of Perth. “The mass stranding occurred early this morning and of the 80 found stranded only 25 false killer whales have been found alive,” the Department of Environment and Conservation said in a statement. AFP

Female-only traffic cops in Lima A

nightmare is coming true for many macho motorists in the Peruvian capital as the entire traffic police force will soon be female. Since surveys show female officers in Lima to be far stricter and - more importantly - less bribable than males, they will be given complete control of the chaotic streets in the city of some 8 million inhabitants, the municipal traffic police announced recently. Their 500 male colleagues are to be transferred to other

departments. But General Arturo Davila, a man, will remain head of Lima’s traffic police. By South American standards, an unusually large number of female traffic cops have already been thundering through town on heavy motorcycles. And tough customers they are. While traffic violations are often ‘fixable’ with a small gratuity for seniors, the senoras and senoritas are usually merciless and impose the fine dictated by law. ■ DPA

07

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Websites of the day

Python prop prompts panic

For the answer to your every question: http://www.answers.com/ An education for those who confuse fame with wisdom. http://www.famousidiot.com/

A Monty Python film prop was mistaken for a hand grenade in England, prompting bomb disposal teams to be called in and buildings to be evacuated.

RELEASING SOON Parody on IPL, ICL

The film has quite a few debutant actors playing wannabe cricketers

T

he India Premier League (IPL) is not far away, but this season audiences will also get to see a parody on the different cricket leagues on the silver screen as well. Kirki that stars Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Kapoor, Gulshan Grover and Sayali Bhagat along with a bunch of youngsters is almost ready. “I have finished shooting for this film, which is a comedy. It’s a fun movie ... it’s a parody on IPL and ICL,” said Sanjay Kapoor, who reinvented himself as an actor in Zoya Akhtar’s debut Luck By Chance. “Kirkit talks about how advantage is being taken of a common man by making everything so commercial, especially the game of cricket,” said Sanjay, who plays a crucial role in the film. “It narrates how street kids have taken on to playing cricket due to exposure to IPL and other leagues, which involve quick cricket day in and night out. It clearly states that now even cricket has turned into business,”

the actor added. Though there have been quite a few films made on the theme of cricket, the most recent being Harman Baweja-starrer Victory, this is the first time a parody has been made on this subject. “Cricket-based movies are mostly about the win of the un-

derdog. Pick up any movie, whether it is Lagaan, Say Salaam India or Aamir Khan’s old film Awwal Number, each of the films has culminated in a predictable way,” says an industry follower. The horrific box office performance of Victory has made both filmmakers and audiences even

Symonds lands in new trouble

A

ustralian all-rounder Andrew Symonds is reported to have courted trouble yet again. According to a media report Symonds was shown the door at a Brisbane bar on Sunday night after he accidentally “broke a glass

more wary about films based on cricket. Won’t it be a deterrent on the prospects of Kirkit? “No, a good film is a good film that will always work,” quipped Sanjay. “Moreover, the subject and timing of Kirkit couldn’t have been better. It will release during the peak

of the IPL season, which will only add on its visibility.” The film is produced and directed by Shashi Pritam, a musician who has created more than 350 jingles and has also dabbled in composing music for Bollywood and South Indian films. ■ IANS

Congrats Faustina!

and was stumbling and calling out boisterously to his friends.” “It’s understood Symonds was drinking on the weekend to celebrate the end of the Sheffield Shield season and was asked to leave the Watt Bar at New Farm,” a newspaper report said. Symonds and his friends were shown the door of the bar after the incident. The flamboyant player has been undergoing a second period of counselling and rehabilitation after returning to the game last month, following knee surgery at the start of the year. The 33-year-old was ordered to undergo counselling after the ‘gone fishing’ affair in late August, but was recalled to the Test team in November. A Queensland Cricket spokesman said Symonds’ rehabilitation was on and he was not banned from drinking. “He’s allowed to have a drink and I’m sure the boys were looking after him,” the spokesman said. ■ PTI

쑸 Gorilla Faustina celebrates with a cake of ice and fruits her 15th birthday in Guadalajara’s Zoo, Mexico. This year 2009 marks the international year of Gorillas. AFP PHOTO/IVAN GARCIA

08 SPORT

ERGO Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Jhulan regains top spot Indian women’s cricket team captain Jhulan Goswami went up a couple of notches to regain the number one spot in the latest ICC ODI Rankings issued. Jhulan, who was the top-ranked bowler when the women’s rankings were launched last year in October, has overtaken England’s Isa Guha and Shelley Nitschke of Australia.

Sridhar targets Indian Open Struggling with his form after a five-month injury lay off, ace shuttler Anup Sridhar is targeting the Indian Open Grand Prix to regain his confidence and has set his eyes on making at least the semi-finals of the tournament. “I’m playing in an international tournament in India after quite a long time so I’m very excited. I’m in reasonably good shape as well. I think if I can win two-three good matches that would be okay. As far as results go, I think semifinal and above would be good, and I think it’s realistic as well,” Sridhar said. “I tend to look at a situation like this as being a huge opportunity to play myself back into form, get my confidence back and earn some ranking points in the process,” he added. Sridhar twisted his ankle in March last year but still played in the Beijing Olympics in August before being forced to take a break for five months. Returning to the court, Sridhar played in the Malaysian Super Series, Korean Super Series, German Open, All England Super Series, the National championship and the Wilson Swiss Super series but he found the going tough in all the events. PTI

PCB peeved with BCCI The Pakistan Cricket Board has said it would contact its Indian counterparts and seek advice from its government on the status of the national players’ chances of playing in the Indian Premier League which will now be staged in South Africa or England. PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt said there were lot of issues to be cleared up regarding the participation of Pakistani players in the IPL which was shifted from India yesterday as it clashed with the Indian general elections. “I will be talking to the Indian board President and also our government. I am sure some of the players would now like to play in the IPL if possible,” Butt said. The Pakistan government had stopped its players from going to India for the IPL due to security issues and also because of diplomatic relations taking a nosedive after the Mumbai attacks in November. Butt said he was not in a position to say if the government would reconsider its stance on allowing players to appear in the IPL now. “But if some players are interested in playing in the IPL and if their commitments don’t clash with our national team commitments I will talk to the relevant authorities,” Butt said. PTI

Nadal demolishes Murray W

orld number one Rafael Nadal crushed Scotland’s Andy Murray 6-1, 6-2 to win the Indian Wells ATP Masters series title. Nadal, the reigning Australian Open champion, defied difficult, windy conditions to capture the crown in the California desert for the second time on Sunday, after triumphing here in 2007. As in the women’s final that preceded it, the men’s championship match was played in swirling winds that had both players scrambling. But Nadal, who started the tournament as the top seed for the first time – after Roger Federer came in as the number one the past five years – kept his focus to get the job done in one hour, 20 minutes.

Grand performance “I played a really good match with those conditions,” Nadal said. “Probably Andy didn’t play his best because of the conditions, but I think I played a really complete match, moving very well. I never stop the legs during all the match, and I think that was the key.” Murray, meanwhile, seemed unable to get to grips with the situation. “I think I accepted a little bit better than him the conditions,” Nadal said, and Murray agreed. “Rafa dealt with it very well,” Murray said. “He hit the ball cleaner and seemed to get himself in better positions than I did. You don’t necessarily want to be doing a whole lot of defending and running,” Murray added. “You want to be in the best position possible to hit each ball, and I wasn’t.”

On the right track Despite the defeat, world number four Murray leaves California closing in on world number three Novak Djokovic, whose title defence ended with a quarter-final loss to American Andy Roddick. Murray beat Federer in the semis to book his place in the cham-

Rafael Nadal hits a return to Andy Murray in the final of the Indian Wells WTA tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California on Sunday. PHOTO: AFP pionship match, giving himself a shot at a third title of 2009 to go with those he won in Doha and Rotterdam. Since those successes Murray has been slowed by illness, withdrawing from the quarter-finals in Dubai and skipping Davis Cup. Under the circumstances, he said, reaching the final was a good result. “I don’t feel like I’m that disappointed just now with how the week went, because I wasn’t expecting to do that well,” he said. “Today was not my best day, but I’ll definitely get over it. I’m guessing

I’m not going to play in those conditions each week.” The 22-year-old Spaniard, who saved five match points in a fourth-round victory over Argentina’s David Nalbandian to keep his title challenge alive, said adding the first Masters series title of the year to his Australian Open triumph made for a “dream start” to 2009. He now owns 13 elite Masters titles, and 33 ATP tour trophies – tied for 16th place on the Open Era list with Arthur Ashe and Mats Wilander. ■

Murray washed aside in no time

AFP

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

‘‘Barca smash Malaga

09

Steve’s is a career that has embraced so much and deserves to be celebrated. His record of five consecutive ICC Cricket World Cup finals will not, I contend, be overtaken and he will retire as the umpire to have officiated in the most Test matches and the first to break the 100 Test mark.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat on Elite Panel umpire Steve Bucknor

But Real stay on the hunt

B

arcelona showed Real Madrid they will take some budging from the top of the table with an emphatic 6-0 home win over Malaga on Sunday to restore their six-point cushion over the champions. A few hours earlier Real had defeated Almeria 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu to cut Barcelona’s lead to three points, but Pep Guardiola’s side responded by cutting poor Malaga to shreds. Xavi, Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto’o were all on target in a sensational first 45 minutes and Malaga couldn’t wait for the half-time whistle. It was more of the same in the second half with Eto’o scoring his second on 56 minutes while marauding right back Dani Alves (51) also netted. “It is one more game gone,” said Eto’o. “I always have a chance of scoring in this team. We just want to push on now and carry on with this form after the international break.”

Goal machines Barcelona have plundered 84 goals this season at an average of three goals a game and are well on course to reach a century before the end of the season. Cameroon attacker Eto’o leads the way with 25 goals while Messi has 19 for the season and Henry a creditable 15. The trio were on the score-sheet against Malaga but Brazilian Alves had the honour of scoring the goal of the game heading in after a sublime pass from Andres Iniesta had carved the visitors open. “It was a great assist from Andres. I didn’t have to do much just help it along,” said Alves. “I don’t score many with my head to be honest most of the ones I have scored have been own goals. We are not watching what Real are doing. If we don’t slip up and keep winning it is in our hands.”

Right behind Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar made it eight goals in his last six games with a brace as Real Madrid eased to a 3-0 win over Almeria. Legendary Real old boy Hugo Sanchez, now coach at Almeria, grabbed the pre-match attention on his return to the Santiago Bernabeu, but it was Huntelaar who stole the headlines with a clinical second-half double. Brazilian Marcelo, jeered by his own fans this season, silenced the doubters with a 23rd minute opener before Huntelaar showed his predatory instincts in the 52nd and 65th minutes to wrap up the points. “Marcelo is growing as player day by day and is getting better playing on the left hand side,” said Real coach Juande Ramos.

Costly slip Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid’s Champions League hopes suffered a blow as

Lionel Messi (up) celebrates with teammate Dani Alves after scoring during a Spanish League match against Malaga on Sunday at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. PHOTO: AFP they fell to a 2-0 defeat at Real Mallorca. Atletico stay five points behind fourthplaced Villarreal with Valencia now level on points following their 1-0 victory over Racing Santander. It was a big win for Mallorca who surge up to 12th although

they are only three points above the drop. There are a staggering 11 teams still involved in the relegation battle with tenth-placed Racing only four points better off than third from bottom Osasuna. Osasuna secured a 1-0 win over troubled

Espanyol scoring in the dying seconds to snatch the spoils. Espanyol, one of the few teams to beat Barcelona this season, are adrift at the bottom eight points from safety. ■ AFP

10 FLICK

ERGO Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Jade Goody to be buried with sons’ pictures Jade Goody will reportedly be buried with her sons’ pictures, as it was one of her last wishes. The 27-year-old died peacefully on Sunday in her sleep, while mum Jackiey Budden and hubby Jack Tweed held on to her hands.

Deepika Padukone on her style icon, action movies and ‘The Kite Runner’ MADHUSREE CHATTERJEE eepika Padukone has had a dream-run in Bollywood with just three releases, but the model-turned-actress says her dream is to play the elegant Audrey Hepburn, her style icon. “I would like to play Audrey Hepburn, my style icon, in movies like Breakfast at Tiffany’s or Roman Holiday,” said Deepika on the sidelines of the Wills India Fashion Week (WIFW), where she walked the ramp for Ranna Gill and Rina Dhaka’s collections sponsored by luxury brand Fiama Di Wills. After debuting opposite Shah Rukh Khan in 2007 hit Om Shanti Om and doing Chandni Chowk To China with Akshay Kumar, Deepika’s next is Love Aaj Kal alongside Saif Ali Khan. And she is all praise for filmmaker Imtiaz Ali of Jab We Met fame. “I enjoyed working with Imtiaz Ali in Love Aaj Kal, where he cast me opposite Saif. It was a dream working for a sensitive director like him. Imtiaz just seemed to know the kind of persons we were and brought out the best in us. He guided (us) all through the movie,” said the leggy beauty. Deepika is now looking forward to begin work for newcomer Vijay Lalwani’s Kartik Calling Kartik, which also stars actor-director Farhan Akhtar and Boman Irani. “It is an offbeat movie, a psychological thriller. But I am not going to talk much about it,” she said. The actress admits she has a soft corner for action movies, though all genres appeal to her. “An action movie is something I have always wanted to do, but I

D

cannot specify any real genre that appeals to me. Cinema today is changing. And as an actor, I will never throw my hands up... will never be happy saying this is the best character I have portrayed. I am critical of myself, rarely happy,” said Deepika. As Indian cinema changes to adapt new formats and content, Deepika feels the role of women in cinema is also changing. “It is becoming more challenging. Even in the past, there were movies where women did not have to run around trees. An actress could opt to show off her talent.” People, she explained, have this strange notion that if a woman wears make-up, she cannot be taken seriously. “Take off your make-up and only then you can do serious cinema. But glamorous roles and a glamorous screen presence do not make one a non-actor. The content of cinema is also changing, evolving... it is no longer the regular boy-meets-girl,” the actor said. Deepika usually decides on the projects she takes up after reading the scripts. “The movies are my call though I run my parents through what I am doing. But they are new to movies, hence unfamiliar. But after Om Shanti Om and Bachna Aai Haseeno, I have matured,” she said. The actor confesses that she is not much of a bookworm. “But I am reading The Kite Runner now and it might turn out to be the best book I have ever read. I have grown up listening to all kinds of music – from Kishore da to Mohammed Rafi,” she said. ■ IANS

Cinema today is changing. And as an actor, I will never throw my hands up... will never be happy saying this is the best character I have portrayed. I am critical of myself, rarely happy

‘I would like to play Audrey Hepburn’

11

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Jennifer Aniston lends voice for a lamb story audio CD Jennifer Aniston has lent her voice to an audio CD version of a children’s book, called ‘Loukoumi’s Good Deeds’, which tells the story of a cuddly lamb. The project holds a special place for the ‘Friends’ star, as she got a chance to work alongside her father John Aniston, reports the China Daily.

Preity Zinta adopts 34 orphans

Cine City

P

reity Zinta, who plans to adopt children every year, said she will finance the upbringing of 34 girls at the Mother Miracle orphanage in Rishikesh. “I’ve adopted 34 girls. I’ll be looking after their entire upbringing from education to food, clothes, etc. You’ve no idea how wonderful it feels to hear the excited chatter of all these girls together,” she said. Preity, who doesn’t intend to be a sleeper parent, said: “These are my children now, my responsibility. I’ll be constantly connected with them and I’ll visit them twice a year.” ■

Arya turns baddie in Telugu Neni Devudni, the Telugu remake of Bala’s Naan Kadavul, has won actor Arya rave reviews and offers from Telugu film industry. The actor is making his debut in Telugu as villain in Allu Arjun’s next flick. The movie to be directed by Gunasekhar will see Arya and Arjun get equal importance. Though Arya has not done a baddie in Tamil, he had roles in movies like Pattiyal and Arindhum Ariyamalum with negative shades.

IANS

BRUCE WILLIS ties knot with model

A

ctor Bruce Willis (54) has tied the knot with model Emma Heming, in a Caribbean island ceremony attended by his ex-wife Demi Moore and their three daughters, his spokesperson said on Sunday. Moore’s husband, actor Ashton Kutcher, was also at the event in the Turks and Caicos islands, the spokesperson said. Heming is a Victoria’s Secret model. US television said the A-list celebrity guests included pop queen Madonna. Moore (46) was married to Willis from 1987 to 2000. The couple had three daughters, Rumor (20) Scout (17) and Tallulah Belle (15). After her marriage to Willis broke up, she married Kutcher (31) in 2005. ■ AFP

Karthik, now a composer The latest Coco Cola TV commercial featuring actor Vijay with a moustache has one more speciality in it. The ad created by Rajiv Menon has the music composed by singer Karthik. Sources say that Karthik loves to compose tunes during his free time. And one day he randomly played the tune to his friend Rajiv Menon. Impressed by the tune, Menon asked Karthik to compose the jingle for the advertisement. The lyric for the jingle is by Pa. Vijay.

12

ERGO Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Monday’s Question: The Indian Premier League is out of India. In not more than one line, express your feelings about the change in venue.

■ Indian Premier League vs English Premier League. IPL is now truly international.

■ Vada poche!

■ Good decision. Saranya M, Cognizant, Dhanapal, HCL Comnet

■ Thank God! No change of bus routes near Chepauk. Padma Gopal, Cognizant

■ Machan saachuputaan machan. Pari, Cognizant, Divakar, Patni

■ Kelambitaangaya kelambitaangaya. Lokeshwaran, Karthik Allsec

■ It’s disappointing that we are not able to provide security in our own country. Senthil, Wipro

■ IPL not in India, so what? Enga veetla TV irukku. Murali, HOV Services, J.Senthil, S.Karthi, P.Elumalai, Infoview Technologies

■ IPL becomes EPL or APL (English or African Premier League). Krishnakumar, Sudharsan, Jagan, Karthi, Baasha, Parthi, HCL

Arul, Patni

■ I’ll be happy if they move the IPL out of Indian TV channels also. Otherwise, my roommate won’t allow me to watch any good programme on TV for those 45 days. Vengadavasan, CSS

■ I’m very happy bcoz the match not cancelled. Shabu S, Perot Systems

Rathish Ashok from TCS E-Serve has nominated his team as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Kodaikanal.

Anand K

Infoview Technologies ■ Enna koduma saravanan ithu. Ganesh, TCS

■ Boss evanga epavumae epadithaan.bhayam eruntha thozil panna mudiyuma. Vinesh Kumar Damodaran, Accenture

■ Being a cricket freak, I cried much in my heart seeing the IPL going out of India. Despite lacking home support, Chennai Super Kings will rock with our wishes and prayers. Deena, Wipro

Ramkumar Ranganathan from Wipro has nominated his team as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Yercaud.

■ Real citizens of India have better things to ponder than worrying about the venue of IPL matches. Priya, VDSI

■ Change is strange. Prabhu, Capgemini

Today’s Question: Your favourite romantic comedy flick and why?

Prasanna OR from Perot Systems has nominated his colleagues as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Yercaud.

13

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Writers Club Entries are pouring in, so buck up before you miss the train. Let your creative juices flow, and for all you know, you might become a writer on the go! Ergo invites original literary pieces in the form of short stories, flash fiction and poems from its readers. Short stories and flash fiction must not exceed 400 words. So, pick up those pens and start writing! Send in your entries to [email protected] mentioning ‘Ergo Writer’s Club’ as the subject. And keep watching this space for updates.

■ Dear Aarthy, My hearty Birthday Wishes to ’U’. May this year filled with joy, happiness and success. May God bless u dear. With True Love & Affection, Mohamed Ghouse, RRD.

■ Dear Mr. Venkat (PMO), Wish you Many more happy returns of day. When is the treat? Not for the birthday but for the engagement. Yours, Senthil, Deepu, Arvind, Vijay

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 Aarthy, May this year filled with joy, happiness, success and luck in your life. This day is going to be a beautiful day in ur life since u gonna celeb wit us. Wish U a Very Happy B’Day da. With Love Ghouse & Team, RRD.

■ Hey Venkat Happy Birthday Whatever Dream u r Dreaming, may each one of them come true. Whatever plans u r making May they all work out for u . Wish you all Happiness, Health and Prosperity with many more returns of the Day....! Regards, Rajkumar , Krishna , Raghu , Saba, Bala ,Sudalai e Services Mainframe - iNuatix Technologies

■ Dear Rex Bruno, Wish you a Very Happy Birthday. !! Let ur dreamz that are hiding in dark come true very soon & All the best for your COLOURFUL future !! :-) Enjoy your day machi. ! Naveen Balaji .B from Tata Consultancy Services has doodled this.

Best wishes from ur friend, Karthik – Polaris

■ My Loving Kaavi Chechi and Arun Athimber, Many More Happy Returns of the Day ‘On Your First Anniversary’, to You Bringing years of joy and fun. May each year keep getting better, We hope the good times have just begun. With Love Usha, Shiva, Pramila Aunty, Shini and Maya Mol

Tathuvam of the day: 1) Ennadhan Running race’la Kaal odnalum parisu kidaikurthu Kaikudhan. 2) Evlodhan Vandi fast’a otnalum pinnadi wheel munnadi wheel’a mundhikadhu. Mohammed Yaseer, Wipro

■ Dear Deepthi, May your birthday bring You as much happiness As you give to everyone Who knows you Happy 30th Birthday!

Loads of wishes,Vamsi, Sai, Devi, Jeevitha, Satish

■ Hey Shanthi Rajesh Many more happy returns of the day. May the god bless you with happiness and success in your life. Have a wonderful and beautiful birthday. Best Wishes from HR Team and Corporate Team

■ Dear Sreevas, May all your hopes and dreams come true, and may the memory of this day become dearer with each passing year. Happy Marriage Anniversary!!! Best Regards, Panasonic Team. R Systems International Ltd.

■ Hi taz(Mumtaz), MANY MORE HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY. Many all your wishes come true for the upcoming years... Keep your silly replies always ready..!!! Let your smiles and joys increases miles, We wish you the happiest of birthdays. Hope your dreams come true with your new partner. Wishes from B&CPR TEAM(SCB)-HCL Technologies

■ Dear Appa, Thank you,... for listening and caring, for giving and sharing, but, especially, for just being you! Happy Birthday to you, Pa Loving daughter, Rohini Cognizant

■ Hai Jane(future team leader), Iniya piranthanal wishes...and we wish that you will celebrate many more birthdays like this with us. May GOD bless you with all the goodness...keep smiling...cheers... Sam(photographer), Allsec

. ■ Dear Sathis, Good friends are like stars. You dont always see them, but you know they are there!!! No matters where we are, our wishes are with you!!! Happy Birthday to a wonderful friend!!! May all your dreams come true!!! With Love, Aghi, Albert, Charu, Karthika, Krithika, Lawrence, Luxmi

Mani S, Mani V, Merlin, Rajesh, Rekha, Rohini, Samu Shankar, Suganthi, Sudha, Tamil, Vidhya, Vijay B, Vimal.

■ Hi Ajay, Wishing you many more happy Returns of the day… But I should definitely say this. You are a StupidJ.Happy Birthday. With Regards, Banu.

■ Dear Saritha & Esacki Success of Love ends in Marriage Success of Marriage ends in Love My Hearty Wishes for both the Success and I Wish U a very Happy Married Life!!!!!! Esacki Mattikitteengala ? JP , Infosys

■ Dear Meena , Some things are left undone, some words are left unsaid, some feelings are left un expressed, but some ones as nice you could never be left Wished. Happy birthday dear ! Ragav TCS

■ Dear Karthik, On this Special day we wish you a Very Happy Birthday. May this birthday be loaded with full of fun & frolic. All the Best for u r delightful Journey. Keep Rocking. Best Wishes from, Senthil, Shyam, Sami, Rathna, Saran, Bala, Ayub, Sumesh Parthi. Nittany

■ Dear Alex J, You are more special and you deserve the best in life. Let your life be filled with Joy and Happiness and all you need more. I hope everybody in your life bring Joy and peace as you do for others. Let the almighty pour rains of wishes for your bright tomorrow. We wish you all the best for your new assignment in hand and a great birthday, Also waiting for your treat. J -By QMG 2007 Friends

■ Hi Suresh(D_ _ T B_ N), Hap hap hap happy bday to you. Let your sweet smile will remain for ever. "Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others " Best Wishes from S18 friends Wipro - CDC5

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Witherspoon bans pork Reese Witherspoon has been forced to ban pork from her diet, after buying her young daughter a pet pig.

sudoku

Mother is always special Saranya N. of FSS- Testing Team clicked this. Preference this month is being given to photographs that talk about ‘happiness’, which you need to tell us in a line or two. Please do not repeat any of your previous pictures and also make sure that the photograph is peopleoriented. Happiness is not always a smile, so put on your thinking caps and keep clicking! Winners can collect their gift vouchers on Sundays, between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Ergo office

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

TEAM Editor: Karthik Subramanian [email protected]

Sr Dy Chief Designer: J.A. Prem Kumar Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan Illustrator: R. Venugopal Technical Support: V.R. Vasudevan, K.G. Gurumurthy N. Ravichandran, E. Baskar

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: Contact: 2857 5757 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.goergo.in Head of Circulation: M.G.M. Sharief [email protected]

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

FAX 2857 6691

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

KAKURO

15

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Word’s worth

Bikini wax ban

“Haucepy (hoh-suh-pee) a kind of trap for wild animals, especially wolves. From a French word meaning ‘to lift up the foot.’

The state Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling in New Jersey is considering banning Brazilian waxing after two women reported being injured in their quest for a smooth bikini line.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 You might see some fluctuations in your mood during the day predicts Ganesha. Analyze the situation and then take decisions. Control your anger to see improvements in your work. Pass the day calmly.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You can look ahead and see rosy glows on the horizon. Your optimism will be high but you need to check out that it isn’t a mirage. Thinking everything is going to be wonderful, is morale boosting but not always helpful.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Money matters govern the outlook since that could be the top most issue. Family matters too take up your attention. Ganesha advises you to avoid major money transactions since chances of losing money possible. Avoid unwanted arguments.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 If you are tense about something in your personal life, sort it out today itself advises Ganesha. Or else it may affect your professional performance. Try not to mix your professional and personal life.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Don’t make long-term plans today says Ganesha. See the big picture, and thinking about what will be really important to you in the long run. Use your head instead of your heart.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Today concentrate on your health rather than social life advises Ganesha. Get involved in something, which will improve your earning power. You may feel a little uneasy, but as the day passes your anxiety will lower down.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Travel to a religious place will be more beneficial to keep your mind calm. Spend quality time with your family. Show your near and dear ones that you care for them says Ganesha.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Think of ways you can break out of an old routine. You might find yourself really enjoying a good book dealing with romantic fantasies predicts Ganesha. Pass the day peacefully.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You may experience mood swings today. Ganesha advises you to be calm and not to take any decisions in haste, for which you may have to regret later. Be positive and pass the day patiently.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 The day ahead will be rewarding for you predicts Ganesha. Your work front will be in the spotlight. You will do your best with hard work and effort. There might be a situation where one or a group of your colleagues may criticize you.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Feelings of tenderness and love, especially for family or children, are very strong at this time predicts Ganesha. You want to shower loved ones with affection. Your relationships with friends are very harmonious and positive now.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Today is a favorable day for bringing out any concerns in your personal relationships. You will discuss your needs and desires openly. Put time in redecorating and beautifying your surroundings says Ganesha. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The Sheikh Zayed mosque, the third largest mosque in the world, is located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The mosque is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan, the founder and the first president of the UAE, who is also buried there. AFP PHOTO/MARWAN NAAMANI

Actors Jack Black (R) and Reese Witherspoon (L) arrive at the premiere of Dreamworks’ Monsters Vs. Aliens held at the Gibson Amphitheatre on Sunday at Universal City, California. Jason Merritt/Getty Images/AFP PHOTO