Ergo May 20

A BYTE OF LIFE

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

10 SING IT LIKE SINATRA Jamie Foxx to play Frank Sinatra FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 3

04 WINDOW-SHOPPER Brass Tacks in Alwarpet

No. 92

Amit Varma

UNCUT Here is another blogger who has turned novelist. Amit Varma of ’India Uncut’ blog is the latest to cross over from the blogosphere to book shelves. He was in the city to launch his debut novel ’My Friend Sancho’. » PAGE 03

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Wednesday, May 20, 2009

It is year of India in Russia The Russian Centre of Science and Culture, Indo-Russian Film Club and The Madras Film Society are hosting the Russian Film Festival. The festival is on till May 22. Films will be screened at 6 p.m. and 7.45 p.m.

M It was a dance mania F

or the second year in succession, UST Global hosted Bailemos 2009 – a dance extravaganza that united company teams from across its centres in Trivandrum, Kochi and Chennai. Bailemos’ is a unique event as associates display their dancing skills in a highly charged and competitive environment that is filled with fun. In an evening marked by intense competition, the first prize went to team ‘Zealers’ from Chennai and the runners up to ‘Dazzling Divas’ from Trivandrum. What I liked and enjoyed about the event is that it strengthens team spirit across departments and locations. Every individual has innate talents. However, that gets buried among the busy working schedule. Bailemos brings out the real you. The other highlight of the evening was to see UST global managers dance to the music of Jai Ho. (Contributed by Remadevi, UST Global)

int dosas on int Street

For the last five decades the Shahs have made a mark in Mint Street with their homemade delicacies V. HARIPRIYA & MONISHA MOHANDAS [email protected]

M

int Street buzzes with life. It is said to be one of the longest streets in the city. A trip through its narrow lanes during the hot summer is tiring. We walked past the rickshawallas, vendors and crisscrossing vehicles in search of a hotel to refresh. That’s when we spotted Novelty Tea House, which is close to Ekambareswarar Temple. The hotel looks pretty old from outside, but what caught our attention was the faded banner reading about its ‘Golden Jubilee Celebrations’ held last year. The inside is air-conditioned with miniature ceiling fans, each for a table, which came as a welcome relief. The bulky menu card,which had items from medu vada to pav bhaji to pizza, came in as a real surprise. We ordered two kulfis before starting our conversation with Raju Shah, caretaker of the hotel. Novelty Tea House was started in 1958 by Chandrakanth Shah, a native of Kutch, Gujarat, as a small shop selling tea, coffee and biscuits. He then expanded it into a small hotel selling snacks and

Since 1958: Novelty Tea House in Mint Street; (below) pav bhaji and mango shell and orange shell ice-cream. PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

lunch. Later on the shop was inherited by his son Jitendra Shah. The specialties of the place are its pav bhaji, pudina (mint) onion dosa and grilled sandwich, says Shah. “We started selling pav bhajis in 1978 at Rs. 2 per plate. Now, it is sold at Rs. 40. Similarly, pizzas were available since the 1980s.” “We prepare the masalas at home. We never compromise on the quality of the food,” he adds. Shah says that they add only butter and ghee to make the delicacies and for items which need frying they use oil. Interestingly, the hotel only sells tea or coffee

from 4.30 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. – in contrast to its name. By the way, the kulfis and orange shell ice-cream were really good. ■ (Too Good for Critics is a weekly column to celebrate Namma Chennai’s ‘Kaiyendi Bhavans’ and small eateries. If you can think of a similar place, mail us at [email protected])

How to get there: Take the buses going to Mint. The hotel is very close to Ekambareswarar Temple. Address: No. 175, Mint Street, Chennai -3 Phone Nos: 25341103, 25356355

03

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Sancho comes to town Amit Varma of ‘India uncut’ blog was in city Monday to unveil his book ‘My friend Sancho’ ANUSHA PARTHASARATHY [email protected]

“Y

ou are welcome to throw a shoe at me,” he winked, adding “I’ll become an instant celebrity then”. Mumbai blogger Amit Varma’s wit is not very different from the protagonist of his first novel ‘My friend Sancho,’ which he launched in the city on Monday at Landmark, where he was in conversation with blogger and poet Sharanya Manivannan. Best known for his blog, www.indiauncut.com - acclaimed as one of the best blogs in the country, Amit Varma’s column in The Mint won him the Bastiat Prize for Journalism and he has also written for The Guardian and The New York Times. But Amit maintains that his first love remains fiction. Dressed in a smart navy blue shirt and blue jeans, he looked a tad nervous at the beginning; hunching forward in his chair and constantly wiping his face. But as the evening progressed, he had his audience engaged in light chatter, entertaining them with funny answers and expressive reading. “Many people term me as a blogger-turned-novelist but I don’t think my blog made me write a novel. I’ve always wanted to write one. Journalism and blogging just came along. But I have to admit, they improved my writing to a great extent,” he exclaimed. ‘My friend Sancho’ is a contemporary love story set in Mumbai. It centers on Abhir Ganguly, a 23-year-old crime reporter who is sarcastic, cynical and ignorant. His editor asks him to profile a man who is murdered and for that purpose he meets his daughter Muneeza and falls in love with her. The change that she brings about in him and how he writes the article forms the crux of the story. “Though Abhir being a journalist from Mumbai seems autobiographical, it isn’t. I just felt it was an interesting setting. A writer must always write about what they know best. I did just that,” he said. The book launch was attended mostly by followers of his four-year-old blog and there was even a small bespectacled boy who hung on to Amit’s every word. But most of them seemed alarmed by the fact that he wrote t0he book entirely at night. “Don’t take too much coffee. Tea has antioxidants and something else that I don’t remember. Please drink tea,” advised one sprightly man and while another looking overtly concerned asked Amit “Sir, how is it possible to live such a lifestyle.” To this Amit calmly said; “I’m just living American time in India,” with a grin. ■

“Many people term me as a bloggerturned-novelist but I don’t think my blog made me write a novel. I’ve always wanted to write one. Journalism and blogging just came along.”

‘My friend Sancho,’ Hachette India’s first local title, is available at major bookstores at Rs. 195.

Stray violence in city following news of Prabhakaran’s death ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

L

ife was normal in Chennai even after media reports on the death of LTTE supremo Vellupillai Prabhakaran started coming in from Sunday afternoon. However, minor incidents of stone-pelting were reported in some parts till Tuesday evening.

According to police sources, on Monday night unidentified men pelted stones at a few buses parked inside the Arumbakkam and Velappanchavadi depot, damaging windshields and headlights. In another incident the same night, a group of college students pelted stones at the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Office on Anna Salai. Some members of the pub-

lic who witnessed the incident caught three from the group and handed them to the Anna Salai police. The culprits were let off after a warning, police sources added. Earlier on Sunday, over 10 men armed with clubs and iron rods damaged glass display windows of showrooms in Chennai Citi Centre on R.K. Salai. The group even damaged the

front sliding glass doors and over 10 cars parked on the mall premises. Security guards at the mall said that the men with their faces covered shouted slogans as they went on rampage. However, police said the attack was a repercussion of a quarrel between the Inox management and a group of men over the selling of cinema tickets in black outside the mall.

Following the incident, police security was stepped-up at Citi Centre and other malls in the city, including Spencer Plaza. A Special Action Group (SAG) has been deployed for additional security at key locations in the city and also at the Sri Lankan High Commission on T.T.K. Road and Bank of Ceylon on Poonamallee High Road. ■

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

ERGO Wednesday, May 20, 2009

TRACKING Tacks Brass “I

don’t do super fancy. There is no embellishment, no embroidery. Just good fabric, good fit and good tailoring. And I want to show that even with that one can get a lot of really good clothes,” says Anaka Narayanan pointing at the shelves. That sums up what one might expect at Brass Tacks. We visit Anaka’s store on a bu-

sy Monday afternoon, when our queries are occasionally punctuated by Anaka asking happy customers to drop in their email IDs or phone numbers so they could get updates on the store’s future collections. Anaka’s clothes are a new twist on the definition of Indo-Western fashion, a term that more often than not reads ‘kurtis’. Here, there are tops, day dresses (even classic LBDs for the evenings), skirts, trousers, capris, tunics and kurtas. And the clothes don’t come in knits, viscose or georgette but are tailored out of fabrics sourced from every nook and

corner of the country – West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa, to name a few. Though the fabrics are indigenous, the silhouette is more western, more contemporary. “I cater to a different crowd. Not the crowd that is more inclined towards wearing salwars and kurtis, but people who are more comfortable in jeans and tshirts.” She adds with emphasis, “And I don’t do kurtis.” Clothes at Brass Tacks are available in sizes ranging from 0 to 14 or even 16. Alterations are also done if you fail to fit into a ready size.

Clothes come with surprises – ikkat kurta with knotted necks (Kolam Kurta), trenchcoat-style shirt inspired by Moroccan tilework (Marrakesh trench shirt) or bias dress with ruches and raw edges (Anahata). Also, Anaka has been invited to sell her label from Hyderabadbased Daram, a store run by Dastkar, a society for crafts and craftspeople. The young designer’s passion, in her own words, is textiles. “It kills me when people think ikat is a print!” ■

Brass Tacks Address: 77/13, Corporation Shopping Complex, C.P. Ramaswamy Road, Alwarpet, Chennai – 600 018 Ph: 044 - 4208 1767 Email: [email protected] Website: www.brasstacksmadras.com Store timings: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Open all days)

PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

me in o c s c i r b a nf nd-wove a h d n a s ndigenou ciated with them i , d a o R y not asso maswam y a l l R a r . e P . n C e Tacks on and silhouettes g At Brass styles

05

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Prabhakaran

HIS LIFE, TIMES AND DEATH F rom Nov 26, 1954 to May 18, 2009 - the following is a chronological account of the life and times of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the Tamil Tigers chief who was killed Monday in the north of Sri Lanka: 1954 (Nov 26): Born in Jaffna in a Hindu middle class family, the youngest of two sons and two daughters. 1960-70s: Takes to militancy, indulges in minor acts of violence. 1972: Forms Tamil New Tigers (TNT), flees home for good. 1975: Assassinates Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duriappah at Hindu temple. 1976: TNT becomes Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). 1978: LTTE issues first press statement. 1982: Arrested in Madras (now Chennai) after a shootout with a rival Tamil militant. Jailed, bailed, escapes to Sri Lanka. 1983: Ambushes army patrol in Jaffna, killing 13 soldiers. Anti-Tamil riots sweep Colombo, leaving hundreds dead and igniting Tamil insurgency. 1983 (September): Moves to Tamil Nadu, sets up home in Chennai. LTTE training camps come up in Tamil Nadu. 1984: Meets Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran and seeks support. Marries Jaffna university student, fathers two sons and daughter. 1985 (May): Orders massacre of Buddhists in the holy town of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. 1986 (April-May): Orders slaughter of Tamil militants from rival group TELO. 1987 (January): Quits India for good, saying there is an attempt to kill him. 1987 (July): Meets Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in New Delhi and says he accepts India-Sri Lanka accord meant to end Tamil separatism. 1987 (August): Gives speech in Jaffna, saying "We love India", but tells aides he will teach India a lesson for betraying Tamil Eelam cause. 1987 (October): Launches war against Indian troops deployed in Sri Lanka’s northeast. 1989 (April-June): Goes into peace talks with Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa, who asks Indian troops to go home. 1989 (July): LTTE kills well known Tamil politicians A. Amirthalingam and V. Yogeswaran in Colombo. 1990 (April): Takes control of Jaffna, addresses the media. 1990 (June): Resumes war against Sri Lanka for Tamil Eelam, orders 100,000 Muslims living in Jaffna to quit. Rival militant K. Pathmanabha and aides killed in Chennai, India. 1991 (March): Sri Lankan Defence Minister Ranjan Wijeratne killed by car bomb. 1991 (May): LTTE woman suicide bomber assassinates former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at election rally near Chennai.

1992 (August): Sri Lanka’s northern army command wiped out. 1992 (November): LTTE suicide bomber riding motorcycle kills Sri Lanka Navy chief Clancey Fernando. 1993: Sri Lankan President Premadasa killed at May Day rally. 1993 (August): Arrests LTTE number two Mahattaya on charges of being Indian spy, executes him in December 1994. 1994: Agrees to talk to President Chandria Kumaratunga. Fighting halts. 1995: Sri Lankan presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake assassinated. Resumes war against for Tamil Eelam. 1995 (December): Loses Jaffna to Sri Lankan troops. 1996 (July): LTTE slaughters 1,200 soldiers and policemen in military complex in just 72 hours. 1997-99: Takes control of large parts of north and east in Sri Lanka. 1999 (December): President Kumaratunga escapes assassination attempt, is blinded in one eye. 2000-01: Sri Lanka approaches Norway to facilitate peace talks with LTTE. 2001 (July): LTTE suicide cadres overrun Sri Lanka’s only international airport, destroys 13 aircraft. 2002 (February): Signs Norway-brokered ceasefire agreement with Sri Lanka. 2002 (April): Addresses Sri Lankan, international media in Kilinochchi, says he will never give up Tamil Eelam cause. 2003 (April): Walks out of Norwaybacked peace process. 2004 (March): Faces revolt by LTTE eastern regional commander Karuna and hundreds of cadres in eastern province. 2005 (August): Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar shot dead by LTTE sniper. 2006 (April): Army General Sarath Fonseka badly hurt in attack by woman suicide bomber. 2006 (December): Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa, brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, survives assassination attempt 2007: Launches air strike near Colombo. LTTE loses eastern province to Sri Lanka. Prabhakaran vows to fight back. 2008 (January): Sri Lanka spikes ceasefire agreement. LTTE begins to lose territory in north. 2008 (November): Mocks President Rajapaksa, says LTTE territory can never be seized. 2009 (January): Loses Kilinochchi, hub of de facto Tamil Eelam state; retreats into Mullaitivu district. 2009 (May 17): Decides to "silence" guns and end armed struggle. 2009 (May 18): Prabhakaran killed while trying to escape from war zone in Mullaitivu district. Heir apparent son and all key aides also killed. ■ IANS

This undated photograph released by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence reportedly taken from a recovered family photo album of Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran (C) and his immediate family, including his son Charles Anthony (3rd R) at an undisclosed location. AFP PHOTO/GETTY

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Kilt causes controversy A kilt-wearing student in the U.S. was ordered to change by his headmaster - because other pupils might think he was cross-dressing.

Coming soon: An artificial skin Skin from a factory has long been the dream of dermatologists. Now, scientists are on track to develop what they claim is the artificial skin. A team from four Fraunhofer institutes in Germany is developing the first fully automatic production system for two-layer ‘skin models’ - an almost perfect copy of human skin or artificial skin. “Our engineers and biologists are the only ones who have succeeded in fully automating the entire process chain for manufacturing two-layer skin models,” said leader Jörg Saxler of Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT. According to the scientists, in a multi-stage process, first small pieces of skin are sterilised. Then they are cut into small pieces, modified with specific enzymes, and isolated into two cell fractions, which are then propagated separately on cell culture surfaces. PTI

Students hit karaoke clubs as flu shuts schools Hundreds of Japanese students whose schools have been closed this week to contain a swine flu outbreak have instead flocked to karaoke parlours with their friends, club operators said. “About 10 different groups of high school students came here yesterday,” a karaoke club manager in Osaka, Yoshikatsu Ishida said. He said he declined to accept the young customers when he found they were supposed to stay at home while their schools were closed. Another karaoke club manager said: “We suddenly had a number of high school students after 2:00 pm yesterday, right after the announcement that schools would close for a week.” All of our karaoke rooms were full at one point, and I’m expecting something similar today,” he said. “I don’t have the right to say something like ’you should stay at home.’” AFP

Beyonce gets racing tips from Hamilton Beyonce Knowles has found the perfect teacher to learn about the nuances of professional F1 racing - Lewis Hamilton. The race ace has reportedly agreed to teach the ’Baby Boy’ singer how to drive like a professional. The Daily Mirror has reported that Hamilton delighted Knowles by offering to take her and her husband, rapper Jay-Z, for a ride. “Beyonce’s so excited to be learning from him. And Jay’s even worse. He’s ready to put on his helmet and get in the fast lane himself,” Contactmusic quoted a source as telling the newspaper. ANI

Susan Boyle dolls up for grabs A Susan Boyle fan is selling miniature dolls resembling the Britain’s Got Talent star on the Internet. Debbie Ritter, from Fisher, Illinois, makes use of clothes pegs, wire and clay to create the four-inch structure of the amateur singer. The 46-year-old has been selling the dolls with bushy eyebrows and bird’s nest hair to collectors for 14 pounds. “It’s a lot of work and each doll takes at least a couple of hours. It’s more of a hobby than a job for me but I sell them to collectors too,” the Telegraph quoted Debbie as saying. ANI

iPhones go spreadsheet-friendly

U

S software developer MeLLmo released a free application that turns iPhones into powerful tools for analysing spreadsheets and reports, enhancing the appeal of Apple mobile devices to businesses. The application, named RoamBi, intuitively imitates the way business reports are read and then presents results in graphics adapted to iPhones touch-screen size and capabilities, said MeLLmo chief executive Santiago Becerra. “We are leading the way in more interactive visual reports that will power people to be more productive and make the iPhone more attractive to business,” Becerra said. “I can’t talk to a vendor today without the iPhone coming up,” said Sean Ryan, a software analyst at the market research and analysis firm International Data Corporation (IDC). “It is ever present in people’s minds and applications like RoamBi could drive more en-

terprise usage.” Becerra said he and other MeLLmo founders were “mesmerized” by iPhone graphics capabilities and its potential as a revolutionary technology platform. RoamBi mimics the way readers’ eyes navigate spread sheets or data laden business reports and then summarises information in interactive pie or bar charts or graphs. A RoamBi Publisher that converts spreadsheet data and sends it to iPhones is hosted online as a service. RoamBi is also part of an AppExchange offered by software-as-a-service star Salesforce.com. Basic RoamBi service is free. The year-old company plans to soon offer a premium RoamBi version on a subscription basis and sell a version of the software that can be installed in company servers. ■ AFP

07

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Burger legends The world’s first pilgrimage to trace the origins of the burger is to be launched, spanning eight countries, 16 cities and three continents by fast food giant Burger King.

Here is what Obama reads before he sleeps U

S President Barack Obama has revealed that he is presently reading a book by Joseph O’Neill, titled Netherland. He has revealed that reading the book for a half hour forms part of his daily schedule, which includes morning workouts, office work, and spending time with his family. “I’m a night owl. My usual day (is): I work out in the morning; I get to the office around 9, 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.; work till about 6:30 p.m.; have dinner with the family, hang out with the kids and put them to bed about 8:30 p.m. And then I’ll probably read briefing papers or do paperwork or write stuff until about 11:30 p.m., and then I usually have about a half hour to read before I go to

The only thing the President watched on TV was sports

ANI

Flight of liberation

Woman has twins from 2 men

쑸 A commercial jet passes behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City.

A

n American mother was left dumbstruck after she found out that she had incredibly conceived her twin sons from two different fathers. Mia of Dallas, Texas, gave birth to babies Justin and Jordan, now 11-months-old, just seven minutes apart and undertook a paternity test after finding the two looking very unalike. The 20-year-old faced a jaw dropping moment after tests showed that there was a 99.999 per cent chance that the boys did not have the same father. Mia confessed to having cheated on partner James Harrison with another lover at the time she conceived. Stunned medics told the young mother different eggs were fertilised by each man within a very short time of each other - a million-to-one condition, which made the twins, in reality, half-brothers.

bed ... about midnight, 12:30 a.m.-sometimes a little later,” News Week quoted the President as saying. As to what the book is about, Obama revealed: “It’s about after 9/11, a guy’s family leaves him and he takes up cricket in New York. And it’s fascinating. It’s awonderful book, although I know nothing about cricket.” However, the President does enjoy films, with the latest seen by him being Star Trek. “Now, movies I’ve been doing OK [with] because it turns out we got this nice theatre on the ground floor of my house ... So Star Trek, we saw this weekend, which I thought was good,” he said. When asked whether he watched Star Trek when he was growing up, he said: “I used to love Star Trek.” ■

JOHN MOORE/GETTY IMAGES/AFP

“When they opened the envelope and told me my jaw just dropped open,” the Sun quoted Mia as saying. “It was the weirdest thing to think two little babies could have grown in my stomach together and been born seven minutes apart but yet have different fathers.” “I would have thought it was impossible,” she added. Mia further revealed that her partner James had decided to raise both the kids as his own despite her affair. ■ ANI

08 SPORT

ERGO Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Maradona to launch sports cafe Argentine football legend Diego Maradona is planning to launch the world’s first Maradona Sports Cafe in Dubai by next year. According to a report in the Arabian Business magazine, the cafe – modelled on Planet Hollywood – will feature memorabilia from the Argentine World Cup winner’s playing career and will also include items from other soccer stars such as Brazilian heroes Pele, Zico and Dunga.

Comeback win for Sharapova Maria Sharapova made a winning return after a nine-and-a-half-month injury lay-off here, defeating Italy’s Tathiana Garbin 6-1, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3. The 22year-old Russian has seen her world ranking slump from No.1 to 126 during her absence from the sport, but she played with plenty of grit to secure her place in the second round of the claycourt Warsaw Open on Monday. “It was a little bit longer than I wanted it to be, a lot longer than it should have been,” said Sharapova, who attended the postmatch Press conference with an ice pack on her troublesome right shoulder. “But I had good opportunities and I played really well in the first set.” Sharapova looked on course for a straightforward victory at 5-3 up in the second set, but some jittery service games allowed Garbin to take the match to a decisive third set. “I was definitely nervous closing that second set up,” Sharapova added. “I think that’s normal. I’m human.” The highest money-earner in women’s sport, Sharapova had been out of action since last summer due to a shoulder injury, missing last year’s Wimbledon and US Open as well as this year’s Australian Open.

Better luck next time Knight Riders banking on change of guard at IPL III

AFP

Phelps to recoup in mountains Michael Phelps is heading to the mountains. Eat. Sleep. Swim. That’s about all the successful Olympian will be doing during his time at the U.S. training centre in Colorado Springs. He can’t wait. “The next three weeks are going to be real important when we go to altitude,” Phelps said. “That’s going to be a big part of the summer.” He already crossed the first major threshold of his post-Beijing career this past weekend, competing in five events at the Charlotte Ultra Swim. Phelps won two and was runner-up in two others, losing to a couple of world-record holders. He swam only the preliminaries of his fifth event (50-meter freestyle), using it as training run for his new straight-arm stroke. Considering Phelps had not raced since the Olympics the nine-month layoff was by far the longest of his career and he was coming off a wave of bad publicity over that infamous photo of him using a marijuana pipe, this was certainly an encouraging start to the final chapter in his master plan. He hopes to conquer some new events and add even more gold to an already unprecedented collection before he hangs up the cap and goggles after the 2012 London Games. PTI

Kolkata Knigh Riders bench celebrate a rare victory at the IPL. AYON SENGUPTA [email protected]

A

much-awaited but unanticipated win for Kolkata Knight Riders against title contenders Chennai Super Kings in the 13th round of DLF IPL. A one-off-win, though, is surely not going to impress celebrity owner Shah Rukh Khan, and the talked-about shift of guard will go on according to plan. Even if SRK’s IPL script bombed in South Africa like his recent movies at the box office, SRK is going all out to change the luck next time around. Given the fact that IPL III is expected to be held in India, SRK and Co. have wisely decided to re-anoint Sourav Ganguly at KKR’s helm. With a visibly shaken Kolkata gunning for everybody’s heads, the move indeed would be a welcome change from the mismatched efforts by the team management in this year’s disaster. “Good sense has prevailed over Shah Rukh. And I think he at last has realised that just like his movies can only have one hero a cricket team can

PHOTO: AFP

have only one leader,” says former national selector Sambaran Banerjee. “As a movie star, no matter what he says he has little knowledge of the game. Unfortunately, he trusted the wrong people and had to learn it the wrong way.” According to KKR sources, Shah Rukh and other Red Chillies officials are to sit down with Ganguly a week after the team’s return from South Africa and engage the former captain’s expertise to build a strong team for the next season. A few of the “rebel” ICL cricketers believed to be Ganguly loyalists may also find favour in the team. The likes of Rohan Gavaskar and Abhisekh Jhunjhunwala have already expressed their intent to ditch the ICL setup and return to the mainstream. The inclusion of the two will definitely strengthen Knight Riders’ local talent pool that has failed to flatter in South Africa. “Unexpected results obviously lead to expected head rolls. Our foreign contingent didn’t give us the results to justify their presence. So it’s only logical for us to

look for replacements,” an official said. Talks are on to rope in former national coach Anshuman Gaekwad to replace Aussie John Buchanan, who is all set to get the boot with the rest of his support stuff. “I feel most of the players were under a lot of pressure. When you take that away they play freely, as (Brandon) McCullum did on Monday. He had fallen prey to the dirty politics and that affected his performance. It’s important to gel well with your players to get the best out of them and I think the KKR management failed there,” Banerjee said. “But even Sourav is going through a bad phase. We can see his hunger but the implementation is missing. He has to work hard to regain his touch and be as effective as other old horses like (Matthew) Hayden and (Adam) Gilchrist. I would have kept McCullum as skipper and let Ganguly concentrate on his batting. We can only hope a new outlook will produce better results next time round. IPL II is long over for KKR.” ■

09

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

‘‘

Clearly we (Force India) have some work to do in qualifying, but I would beg to differ about the lack of improvement in the race. Giancarlo set the eighth quickest time during the race in Spain, and was competitively racing with BMW, Renault and Williams. We might not yet be in a points scoring position but I am happy with the rate of progress we are making. Vijay Mallya

Giggling A lovers Wimbledon recreates old memories for Graf and Agassi

Andre Agassi (right) and Steffi Graf (left) enjoying each others company during their mixed doubles match on the Centre Court, during the launch of the new retractable roof on centre court at The All England Lawn Tennis Club. PHOTO: AFP

s a seven-times champion, Steffi Graf thought she knew every nook and cranny of Wimbledon and considered it to be her personal backyard. Looking forward to a trip down memory lane, she jumped at the chance of teaming up with husband Andre Agassi to play in an exhibition event to mark the unveiling of the new retractable roof over Centre Court. When she walked through the All England Club gates for the first time in 10 years as a competitor on Sunday, however, she got a shock – her backyard had been landscaped beyond recognition. “Wimbledon has changed a lot in 10 years,” a wideeyed Graf, who had been a regular visitor to the tournament until Agassi retired in 2006, said. “I live 10 years back. I’ve come to watch Andre over the years but as a spectator you feel very different. You take your place and watch the game and see some familiar faces but you don’t really (see anything else).” Since the German waved goodbye to her fans in London after losing the 1999 final to Lindsay Davenport, the traditional grasscourt tournament has undergone many facelifts. Apart from the new multi-milliondollar roof over the world’s most famous tennis arena, Wimbledon has scrapped the old graveyard of the champions and built a new number two court. Introduced equal prize money and done away with curtseying to members of Britain’s royal family.

Brought in Hawkeye technology to aid line calls and got rid of the old and tired player and media amenities in favour of the Millennium Building which houses modern facilities.

the distracted couple lost the match 7-6. “We enjoyed it so much. I don’t know if I’ve ever smiled this much on a tennis court,” said a beaming Agassi.

Familiar feelings Very much in love “I’ve never been in here (in the new press conference room) before. I walked into the (new) locker rooms today for the first time. We have a much nice locker room than the guys,” Graf observed with a grin. At which point her disgruntled husband intervened to say: “I got to see the women’s locker room today. You’re talking about equal prize money, how about equal locker rooms?” Once they had finished comparing notes on the interior design of their respective locker rooms, Graf and Agassi had the task of living up to their reputation as tennis’s most famous power couple – who between them own 30 major titles. When they faced the pairing of Kim Clijsters and Tim Henman, being married turned out to be the problem for Mr and Mrs Agassi. Instead of trying to beat the hell out of their opponents, they acted like a pair of giggling teenaged lovers who struggled to keep their eyes off each other. After spending a lot of time embracing and kissing between points,

While the surroundings were novel to Graf, some things were the same. “It’s been 10 years for me and felt like a long time ago,” said the 22-times grand slam champion, who turns 40 next month. “You take your first steps in Centre Court and, with the roof and extra seating, it visually looks very different. But the feeling was so familiar and very special. I haven’t missed it much but when you’re out there you really enjoy it,” she said “It brought back a ton of memories. Like my first match on Centre Court, (against) Jo Durie (in 1984). Mum made me wear a skirt for the first time. I forgot to curtsey, I was so upset when I lost I just wanted to run off and hide.” Recalling her epic battles with Martina Navratilova, Graf said: “Coming from that moment to playing so many memorable matches against Martina (Navratilova), that always stood out. She was the one I was looking up to and never thought I would be able to win against her on this surface. It took me a little while to convince myself that this was going to be a surface I was going to be comfortable on.” Once Graf found her comfort zone, she proved to be almost unstoppable and contested nine finals between 1987 and 1999. ■ Reuters

10 FLICK

ERGO Wednesday, May 20, 2009

No sequel to E.T. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg has ruled out any plans to make a sequel to the hit flick E.T. It was speculated that Drew Barrymore, who featured in E.T. when she was just 5, would again act in a sequel, which would be based on a tale about E.T. 27 years later. However, Spielberg said, “I’m never going to make E.T. II – E.T. is a closed story,” Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

O

scar-winning actor Jamie Foxx has been chosen to play the role of Frank Sinatra in a biopic being made on the late singing legend who died 11 years ago. Earlier George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harry Connick Jr. and Justin Timberlake were in contention for the role. But the African-American actor was finalised to play Sinatra, reported femalefirst.co.uk. The biopic is to be directed by Martin Scorsese. “Jamie would seem to be born to the role. Magnificent voice, convincing acting ability – like Frank himself – born the wrong side of the tracks, makes it big against the odds, has his brushes with authority. The guy’s a gift,” an industry insider was quoted as saying. Sinatra had won 11 Grammy Awards in his career. ■ IANS

Stiller’s Slapsgate

F

unnyman Ben Stiller had the time of his life when he was beaten up by two monkeys recently on the set of his new movie Night at the Musuem: Battle of the Smithsonian. The incident took place when the actor was filming a fight scene with the mischievous animals and they gave him several slaps on his face and body, reported contactmusic.com. Though Stiller wanted to punch them back, he dropped the idea for the sake of animal rights laws and took out his frustration on a dummy monkey instead. “We have two (monkeys) this time. I had to do a slap fight with them. I basically get slapped by both of them, but I am not allowed to slap them back because of animal rights, so I have to slap a dummy or a tennis ball when they’re off-screen. It’s a weird experience,” Stiller said. ■ IANS

Chivalry thy name is Hanks

T

om Hanks showed his chivalrous side when he halted the production of his new film and rushed to the aid of an Australian bride who got stuck in traffic. Hanks (52) was filming Angels and Demons in Rome when he noticed that Natalia Dearnley (28) had gotten stuck on the way to her wedding ceremony inside the city’s Pantheon. Noticing that the roads were clogged with film production vehicles and tourists, and that Dearnley’s limousine could not reach the steps of the temple, the actor yelled out “cut” to stop filming and rushed to her aid. “As we were trying to get through Tom came over and asked if he could escort me to my wedding,” the Telegraph quoted Dearnley, a sales and marketing manager who now lives in London, as telling Sydney’s Daily Telegraph. “I couldn’t believe it. He stopped filming to help me. I’ve never met a celebrity before, we just went straight for the A-list… They were all cheering, it was amazing. Dad invited Tom to stay for the wedding but he said he had a movie to make,” she said. The incident took place in June last year, and remained a secret until the time Angels and Demons opened in cinemas around the world. ■ ANI

11

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Bale calls profanity-laced tirade on Terminator sets ‘inexcusable’ Actor Christian Bale claims that his profanity-laced tirade was “unfortunate” and “inexcusable”. The Terminator Salvation star’s four-minute rant against director of photography Shane Hurlbut on the set of the film was leaked onto the Internet earlier this year. “The whole incident was something which absolutely I regret, but we were resolved within 30 seconds on the film set,” the New York Daily News quoted him as telling Good Morning America.

Genelia replaced Jiah as character changed

D

irector Ken Ghosh insists that Jiah Khan’s ouster from his upcoming film had nothing to do with her acting capabilities. He says he roped in Genelia D’Souza as the heroine’s character changed over time. “Jiah is a very good actress and has her own space where she performs really well. She being replaced has nothing to do with her capabilities as an actress. She is very good at what she does and I’m 100 percent sure that I will rope her in again when an opportunity comes,” Ken explains. How did Genelia come into the picture? “Honestly speaking, it was the sea change in the female protagonist’s character that drove me to make the change.

Earlier the character was a lot hotter and Jiah fitted the bill. Now she’s turned much cuter and Genelia turned out to be the perfect choice,” Ken adds. “At the end of the day Jiah and Genelia are quite different, whether in terms of looks or attitude. There is a different kind of energy expected from the newly-written character and I’m getting that from Genelia.” Produced by UTV Motion Pictures, the film also stars Shahid Kapur. The director said they were yet to zero in on a good title, but added that it would not be called Yahoo as reported in a section of the media. Ken, who has earlier made films like Ishq Vishk and Fida, says he didn’t want to talk ear-

Cine City

lier about Genelia replacing Jiah as it could have led to misunderstandings. “I didn’t comment anything on record earlier since whatever I would have said, that would have been misconstrued. There were speculations of all kinds doing the rounds and there was no point clarifying or justifying my stand,” he says. After shooting for a substantial portion of the film, Jiah was obviously disturbed at being replaced. “Of course it was quite painful for her but then we had to look at the final results. Frankly, it didn’t make sense for Jiah too to enact this new character and I’m sure she too agrees on this,” Ken says. ■ IANS

Bollywood calling Ghajini has not only made south indian star Asin famous in Bollywood but even Suriya who was the hero in the Tamil version of the movie. If the grapevine is true, Ram Gopal Varma has approached the southern dashing heart throb Suriya for his next movie Ratha Charithra. Let’s see if Suriya signs it. Never the less we wish him good luck to him on his maiden Hindi flick.

In papa’s footsteps Actor-director Sreenivasan’s son Vineeth Sreenivasan will soon be wearing the director’s hat. Apparently, Vineeth will debut in a movie produced by actor Dileep’s banner, Grand Productions. Whether as a playback singer or as an actor, Vineeth has started making waves in Malayalam films. After Cycle, he was cast along Sreenivasan and Suhasini in Makante Achchan. The light-hearted comedy also ran in theatres in Chennai.

12

ERGO Wednesday, May 20, 2009

What an idea!

B.SUJATHA Allsec-FORD

That’s it, I cannot endure it any longer, and I have to come out of it. I got up from my bed and went straight to my wife, explained my anger, which left her breathless and left the place ignoring her words. I have decided and that’s final, no more Mr Nice Guy … My wife’s face with shock and tears … passed before me … but no turning back … what is to be done … is to be done … I needed a counsel. The very next moment, my friend Raghav came into my mind. He was a noted lawyer and practised in High Court. Although he had retired from the service, he would be happy to help me. I reached his house and he was shocked to see me at an early hour.

Without any hesitation, I explained my visit to him. He heard my frustrations and my need of an action calmly. He replied, “Somu, I can understand, your situation, but think again. Your decision is purely out of frustration which you would regret after it has been executed …” But I was clear, in my decision. “It is not out my frustration I decided like this Raghav, but also thinking of others, my wife, my grandchildren and my son. It would not be a matter to them and it has to be done. Can you suggest if I would face any legal problems regarding this?” He plainly answered “No … until and unless you have everyone agreed to your decision.” I smiled with relief and left his place. I went straight home where

my wife was waiting eagerly with tears. I passed her without saying a word, went straight to my room, took bath and left my house. I went to my son’s house to be greeted by my daughterin-law Sita. The house was not it’s self. I thought my wife would have said about my decision and I was right. My son was waiting to speak to me but I broke in first. “Sri, I wanted you to know that I am going to be married a second time.” And before he could say another word, I said firmly, “and that’s my decision and final … I just wanted to inform you … that’s all.” Without any other word, I left my son’s place … I could imagine the shock in my son’s face … I smiled. The next day, I was greeted by my wife at my bedside with a smile and hot coffee and with gentle words: “Hot water is ready for your bath …” I took the coffee and went inside the bathroom. I was greeted by my son’s family at the breakfast table he said: “Dad, do think twice about your second marriage. Please think of mother …” My wife interrupted, “Please dear, don’t leave me … I would fulfil all your wishes … I would be a good wife”. My son continued, “Dad, please change your decision … as mother said we would take care of you … don’t leave us”. I said coldly “,Ok ... but my decision is only postponed.” Both my wife and my son smiled and heaved a sigh of relief. I went straight to Sita: “Thank you, dear … good idea … now I would be treated as a family head.” Sita smiled. ■

Send in your short stories and poems to [email protected] to figure in Ergo Writer’s Club. Because of space constraints, we urge you to keep your entries as brief as possible. It would be ideal to keep the length of short stories around the 400-word-mark. Poems can also be brief. - Editor

Boniface Justin A. from Infosys has nominated his team as Partners in Crime.

Sai Prakash from Wipro has nominated his friends Senthil, Asif, Karthik, Raghavan, Ravi, Panch as Partners in Crime.

Vijay Sarathy S. from Technosoft Global Services has nominated his team as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked during their trip to Yercaud.

13

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Hakkim from Wipro Technologies has been nominated as Office Angel by Directory Services(AD) team. He is a Calm, Softspoken person with innovative ideas. A hardworker who is very flexible in his work. Feel comfortable to interact with all.

■ Dear Nagesh, My Advance Wishes!!!On your birthday I wish you much pleasure and joy; I hope all of your wishes and dreams come true. May each hour and minute be filled with delight, And your birthday be perfect for you! With love and care Friends, Cap Gemini.

■ Hi Pushparaj, Wish you a many more Happy reutrns of the Day. Let God gives you all the fun and Happiness in the forthcoming days. With Friendship and Prayers, Ahamed Bathirudeen S M CTS,Chennai

■ Dear Ritu, Many many and many more happy returns of the day.We wish you a wonderful and most successful life ahead.Hope all your dreams will come true just the way you imagined them.Wish you a wonderful and splendid Happy Birthday. With Loads of wishes, Customer World Lab, TCS.

■ Dear Sashiko, It’s your birthday time again; It’s true; there’s no denying, Another year has come and gone; You know that We’are not lying. So for you, Sashiko, Here’s what we want to say: We hope this birthday’s the best one yet, In every delightful way. So happy birthday to you. Have lots of birthday fun! May your birthday wishes all come true, Even if you have a ton:-)

Padmavijayan S. of HCL Comnet doodled this.

Cheers and Wishes from, Mandhakini, Bhuvana, Pradeepa & Sarathy (NWI Team , Wipro)

Tuesday’s Query: Do you think Vikram’s Kandasamy will live upto its hype and expectations? ■ Nowadays even Simbu movies r running good. Why not Vikram’s movies Karthi TCS

1. Man: How much is my mobile bill? Call centre girl: Sir, just dial 123 to know current bill status Man: Stupid, not Current Bill my Mobile Bill.

■ Ya of course he is an extraordinary actor. Whether the expectations met or not he will do his best always Venkat Verizon, Anand.K Infoview Technologies, Jaithoon TCS-eserve

2. Man: I think that girl is deaf.. Friend: How do u know? Man: I told I Love her, but she said her chappals are new

■ Yes eagerly waiting to see Vikram as girl in Kandasamy

3. Man: Miss, Did u call to my mobile? Teacher: Me? No, why? Man : Yesterday I saw in my mobile- "1 Miss Call".

■ Sure! Vikram will prove his uniqueness. Kandasamy will change formula of Kollywood

Saravanan Vaithiyanathan.

Lexsminarayanan TCS-eserve

Krishrago Wipro

■ Dear Nanda, Wishing you a very happy birthday on this wonderful day!! May God’s blessings be with you all through you life!! Wishing you all joy and prosperity!!! Friends, New Age Software and Solutions.

■ Dear Sheeba (Fraudy), We wish "U" very Happy and Fantabulous Birthday !!! Wishing U to have a birthday too special to ever forget..Njoi and hav a blast !!! With Luv, Sharan (Ummi), Ananth, V2 and Silu ;) Hcl Technologies.

Belated Wishes ■ Dear Kiru and Sush, Many more happy returns of the day.May good times and great memories be the special gifts that fill your birthday with happiness.Have a great year ahead..Love you lotz.. With love and wishes, Sindhu, Manju, Ramya, Mala, Veena, Divya (TCS)

■ Hi Bharathi (TCS), Wish u many more happy returns of the day & Wish u all success. Regards, Tejas (Wipro Ltd)

■ Hi Mohana, Belated birthday wishes to you! May god blessing you always!! Have a great and wonderful week, month and year ahead!!! Wishing you all fun and joy!!!! With Cheerz Friends, Cap Gemini

■ No way, cinematography is not upto the mark Prakash Raj Nischintha CSS

■ Modhala release aagatum pa Ramya Jayaseelan Cognizant

■ Kadavul illennu solravan rangasami, Kadhal illennu solravan kandhasami, Indha padam flopnnu solravan paithiyakaran sami Srithish Cognizant

■ It’s Chiyan movie, so sure box office hit Mohan Sridharan TCS

■ It’ll come out with all expectations, but flop off like any other mokka Tamil movies. That’s the present situation Amoolya, Wipro

Today’s Query: Suggest one cold treat your office can supply (free) this season.

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Banana stick-up A U.S. teenager tried to rob an internet cafe with a banana - then ate the ’weapon’ before he was arrested

sudoku

C.Praveen from Heartland Information Services has shot this picture at Besant Nagar Beach using his Fuji FinePix S1000fd camera

Entries to the column will get gift vouchers from Bubbles Spa worth Rs.1,000. Winners can send their mailing address to [email protected]. Vouchers will be posted within a week.

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KAKURO

15

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Hold on a minute

Word’s worth

A woman was thrown off the Canadian underground system, handcuffed, dragged into a holding cell and fined $420 - for not holding onto Montreal subway system’s handrail

Zyrian (zi-ree-uhn) a former term for Komi, a language spoken by a people living in an area of northern Russia west of the Urals. This is currently the last entry in the OED.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 You will start your day by attending phone calls and answering emails. But planets aren’t really in your favour today, so watch out for any conflict situations. Keep a tight rein on your emotions, says Ganesha.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Instead of seeing the silver lining, you will notice the dark clouds of doubt that will fog your thoughts. But as evening approaches, a bright ray of sunshine will dispel the gloom. A piece of good news from faraway land may put you on in cheer.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 A wonderful day for you. Because you will sincerely perform your tasks in office, you will feel pretty satisfied with your day’s work. This good mood should convert into some emotional tête-à-tête between you and your sweetheart.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Don’t take up tasks that demand you to rack your brains. As the day proceeds, positive planetary energies will enable you to hold important meetings. Your beloved will fulfill all your emotional needs and you will end the day on a pleasurable note.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Everything thing will go suspiciously smooth as you begin your day; but that’s just the lull before the storm. The day will take a chaotic turn post noon and you’ll be like an amateur on skates juggling too many pins!

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

A fantastic day awaits you! The time has come to reap benefits of your hard work, which may come in the form of a promotion. Taking a sleigh ride will only make you fall flat on your face, so watch out, warns Ganesha.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 “With your stars shining bright, luck will walk by your side,” sings Ganesha. With your hard work, you will unlock doors of opportunity. Be receptive to your partner’s emotions if you want to attain the desired compatibility.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Today, you will give 100% to your work, so much so that your boss will struggle to find errors in your tasks. A wonderful evening with your love mate is on the cards, so cherish it as much as you can.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 Beware! A peeved colleague is out to get you today. But since his or her stars aren’t strong enough, you’ll be spared any damage to prestige or property. Your productivity will wane as the day proceeds.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Your emotional and practical side will be locked in pitched battle today, so you’ll be able to work only in the first half of the day, says Ganesha. Don’t get caught in petty emotional issues. The day will be much better on the personal front.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 From ASCII to XML, all things technical will occupy your time in office today. Obviously, this will leave you mentally drained. This may also affect your time with your beloved. Ganesha advises you to just go for a quiet walk with your partner.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 The day sees you at sixes and sevens on numerous issues. Today’s planetary alignment will not allow you to stick to one thing and your mind will waver. Most likely, you’ll end up postponing your tasks. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Wednesday, May 20, 2009

A photographer takes pictures of micro seaweeds in a basin at the Seche environmental plant in Le Vigeant, southern France. AFP PHOTO/ALAIN JOCARD

Rebecca Melius (L) from the Museum of Science in Boston places C-3PO - used during the filming of Star Wars securely in a display at Melbourne’s Scienceworks at a new exhibition called ’Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination’. It is the first exhibition to showcase costumes and props from all six Star Wars movies while exploring cutting-edge research and modern technologies that could one day make the fantasy world of Star Wars a reality. AFP PHOTO/WILLIAM WEST

A Ladakhi farmer carries her child as she heads home after a day’s work in the fields on the outskirts of Leh. AFP PHOTO/ MANPREET ROMANA