Ergo May 5

A BYTE OF LIFE

15-year-old Abha Pramod Mankar promises a bright future after coming good in the Amaron Karting Challenge 2009

FREE CIRCULATION

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Vol. 3

No. 82

» PAGE 09

FUTURE PERFECT 07

THE OTHER MAYA A psychologist-turnedentrepreneur is contesting the polls from Sriperumbudur constituency

03

MENACE ON MARINA The underwater wreckage of a Greek ship is a death trap for swimmers

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Tuesday, May 5, 2009

South Special Southern Aromas Food Festival is on at Olives in Deccan Plaza till May 10. The restaurant is open for dinner during weekdays and for lunch and dinner during weekends. For further details contact Deccan Plaza @ 6677 3333 or 98409 87713

Micless kutcheri The May edition of the Sundaram Finance Mikeless Sunday Kutcheri was held at Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore on Sunday. According to a press release, 11-year-old Abhishek Krishna performed a Carnatic music concert with S.K. Sadagopan and Muralinathan on violin and mridangam respectively. Abhishek Krishna has been learning Carnatic music for the last seven years under Guru Sri Srikanth Koudinya. Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri is organised in the park on the first Sunday of every month. It aims to provide a platform for young children below 15 years to display their musical talent. Mics and speakers are not used at the Sunday Kutcheri. The Sundaram Finance audition committee conducts an audition to select the artistes to perform. For registration and audition contact 94440 40748.

Gandhian IN THE POLLS V.HARIPRIYA [email protected]

B

acked by differently-abled persons and techies, N.S.Venkataraman, a strict Gandhian from the party Desiya Padhukkapu Kazhakam, is contesting the polls from the South Chennai Constituency. The party was founded in 1996 under the leadership of V. Kalyanam, who was personal secretary to Mahatma Gandhi and is now the president of the party. Sixty-three-year-old Venkataraman, a chemical engineer by profession, is the director of Nandini Consultancy Centre. A renowned social worker, he is also the trustee of NGO Nandini Voice for the Deprived for the past 15 years. “According to me, the best civilised way to reform the nation is by entering Parliament. I want to restore the Gandhian policies of probity, truth and ahimsa. Lack of probity and dishonesty are the main reasons for corruption,” says Venkataraman, adding that

A chemical engineer by profession, N.S. Venkataraman is also the founder of Nandini Voice for the Deprived his poll expenditure will not exceed Rs. 3.75 lakh. “I need four lakh handbills to distribute during the rally and that will cost me about Rs.1 lakh to print. About 100 differentlyabled persons have come forward to distribute the handbills. And they are ready to do this without

any compensation. Unlike other parties, we will not be shouting and disturbing people. Instead, we will carry big banners with information and rally around in silence.” “There are a lot of techies who have come forward to help me in the campaign work. Anyone who follows Gandhian principles can join the party and work for the welfare of the nation,” says Venkataraman, whose main poll agenda is working for the welfare of the underprivileged. “There are 17 lakh disabled people in Tamil Nadu, of which 9.5 lakh are visually challenged. If I come to power I will stress on three per cent reservation for the disabled in the private sector,” he adds. His other promises are free computer institutes for children from lower income groups, selfemployment training for youth, beach beautification, slum clearance, motorable roads in the interiors, homes for the destitute and tree planting. For further details log on to www.votefortruth.in

03

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Demon UNDER THE SEA A Greek liner that ran aground off the Marina in 1966 remains a death trap for unwary swimmers in the waters behind Anna Memorial

PETLEE PETER [email protected]

M A policeman warns people to stay away from Greek ship Stamatis when it ran aground in 1966. FILE PHOTO: THE HINDU PHOTO ARCHIVES

A signboard near Anna Memorial warns visitors at the Marina against taking a dip in the sea. PHOTO R. RAVINDRAN

arina Beach in Chennai, the second largest urban beach line in the world, had eight people reaching a watery grave this year till April. Last year, the figure was 23 persons, of which three bodies remain untraced. The missing bodies are suspected to have been trapped in the wreckage of a ship that has been lying in the sea bed for over four decades now. This invisible underwater demon is the skeletal remains of Greek liner Stamatis that ran aground off the then Madras Port in 1966 following a cyclone. According to red-duster.co.uk, the website owned by The Merchant Navy Association of U.K., it was on November 3, 1966 when the ship weighing 7219grt (gross register tonnage) with a length of 422ft 10in, a height of 57ft and service speed of 11 knots, on voyage to Calcutta from Madras, was caught in the heavy winds and got stuck in the sands in the sea. Some parts of the ship were dismantled and auctioned off, while the rest of the wreckage lay embedded in the sand as a death trap for swimmers in the waters behind Anna Memorial. An attempt in 1990 to retrieve the wreckage proved unsuccessful as the ship was too deeply embedded in the sea bed. Despite warnings from police, beachgoers take a dip in the rough waters of the Marina. “Many people, mainly tourists from other states who come to the beach for a dip, are unaware

of the ship wreck lying underwater. While there might be many reasons behind instances of people drowning in the Marina, the shipwreck is one of the primary reasons behind the bodies not being found,” says Chandrasekhar, head constable at the Anna Square police station under whose jurisdiction the beach stretch from Anna Memorial to Kannagi Statue falls. Fourteen-year-old Vignesh Kumar of Perambur had gone to the Marina in 2004 with two friends and had taken a dip behind Anna Memorial. While his friends came back safe, Vignesh never returned. “We were told that the current might have washed away his body far off or his body might have been caught in the shipwreck,” says Vimal Kumar, brother of the deceased. Fifteen years ago, a portion of the ship was visible 3km from the shore but it later sank into the sea. Now, the wreckage could be just 300m from the shore. According to Mark Owen Fernandez, Secretary, Neelankarai Beach Forum, the wreckage could have a vacuum into which swimmers might be sucked. “It would be impractical to remove the wreckage as it’s been buried for many years and it could be an expensive process. Therefore, the best option is to spread awareness among beachgoers about the danger,” he said. Mark also added that as a preventive measure the water just before the wreckage could be cordoned off with a net so that swimmers don’t go further. ■

04 TECHNORAMA

ERGO Tuesday, May 5, 2009

BLUETOOTH IS DEAD Wireless data sharing just got turbo-charged This device is the first on sale to use a technology called ultra-wideband (UWB). Using it, you can transfer a 1GB file over the airwaves in about 40 seconds and a 30MB file in less than two. Pictures and MP3s can be transferred more or less instantaneously. Expect to see UWB popping up in laptops and mobile devices by the end of this year, but until then this 16GB-capacity Leyio Personal Sharing Device (PSD) will have to quench your thirst for rapid transference of megabytes. Built purely for sharing data – songs, pictures, movies, Facebook profiles, electronic business card info, whelk recipes etc – you just choose a file, wave your PSD at another one and the data will hotfoot it over. It’s the future.

Snippets sourced from T3 magazine of Infomedia18 Group

TBC, www.leyio.com

IT’S GOOD TO SHARE…

File sharing in three easy steps 1/You and a pal both press the middle button to sync devices and ensure nobody else will get your data 2/Select a file on your PSD worthy of sharing. It can be a music track, a Facebook profile, or hilarious etching 3/Wave your PSD at the other device. The file will then transfer in a flash. A 3MB song will take just 0.3 seconds

UWB has a range of about four metres, so make sure you keep your friends close and your enemies at least five metres away

As some of the data will be private. This fingerprint scanner ensures only you can access your files

ELECTRIFLYING The world’s fastest eco-motorbike Eco motors may save the planet, but they can be duller than Sam Pitroda. One earth-friendly vehicle you can have a shameful amount of fun riding is the Mission One, the fastest electric motorbike in the world. It hits a top speed of 240kmph, up there with most 600cc sports bikes. That’s little short of amazing considering it’s powered by a Lithium-Ion battery that’s a somewhat larger relative of the one in your mobile or laptop. You’ll be able to travel 240km on a single charge and you can rejuice in a couple of hours anywhere there’s a plug. TBC, www.ridemission.com You can see the Mission One in action this summer at the TTXGP on the Isle Of Man, the world’s first clean emission grand prix With a top speed of 150mph and managing a full 150 miles on a single charge, the Mission One is lean, green and mean

GOOGLE LATITUDE

Google’s GPS tracking software, Google Latitude, is here and typically simple to use. You just sign up and choose whether to let people know your exact location, the city you’re in. It works on most BlackBerrys, Windows Mobile 5 phones and Symbian devices – we’re tracking the arrival of iPhone support now. www.google.com/latitude

05

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Baby delivered with YouTube video An engineer in England delivered his baby son after watching an instructional video on YouTube. Marc Stephens, from Cornwall watched the videos as a precaution when his wife Jo started to feel some discomfort. Four hours later, his wife went into labour and started giving birth before an ambulance could arrive at their country home in Redruth.

Apple building chip design capability

A

pple Inc is hiring new employees from the semiconductor industry and is building the capability to design its own chips, the Wall Street Journal reported. The iPhone and iPod maker hopes its efforts will lead to new features for its devices and enable it to share fewer details about it plans with outside chip vendors, the report said, citing people familiar with Apple’s

plans. An Apple spokesman confirmed the company has hired both Bob Drebin, former chief technology office of the graphics products group at chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices and Raja Koduri, who previously held the same position. The spokesman decline to comment further. Drebin’s LinkedIn page lists him as a senior director at Apple.

The hires were reported or rumoured in a number of online outlets earlier in the week. Apple has been hiring engineers to create multifunction chips that are used in cell phones, the Journal report said. Sources familiar with Apple’s plans don’t expect internally designed chips to emerge until next year at the earliest, it said. ■ Reuters

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Hippo gets happy A hippo named Happy will soon live up to his name - he is being transferred from his current home at Washington, D.C.’s National Zoo to the Milwaukee County Zoo where he will get to enjoy a pool, a sandy beach and two potential girlfriends - Puddles and Patty.

Beckhams plan Milan move David and Victoria Beckham have decided to move from Los Angeles to Milan, just two years after they had first decided to make a permanent home in the Californian city. But after establishing themselves in the entertainment capital’s social circles, the Beckhams are now hatching a secret plan to move back to Europe, reported Daily Mail online. “Victoria hated the idea of moving to Milan at first but she’s warmed to it. David has become friendly with George Clooney, who lives near Lake Como, and the couple have built a strong social circle in the city,” a source told the newspaper. PTI

Japanese use mobiles to find nearest toilet Buying movie tickets and paying power bill are among a string of increasingly popular uses for mobiles. Now, techsavvy Japanese have found an unusual use for cell phones to locate the nearest public toilet. Yes, thanks to a mobile phone software guiding users to the nearest lavatories, the trials as well as tribulations of searching for the nearest public loo have been eliminated in Japan, according to a report in the Mainichi Daily News. The Check A Toilet programme, created by the software company Access Co, enables mobile phone users to search for maps highlighting the nearest public toilet to their location. Users of the mobile lavatory locator are able to upload the free software from the Check A Toilet website whose toilet location database stretches across Japan, from Tokyo to the northern city of Sapporo, the report said.

Cops rescue burglar from rooftop A man trying to rob a factory in Sydney got stuck on its slippery, steep roof in pouring rain, triggering a three-hour rescue operation by police and firefighters. New South Wales state police said in a statement a rescue unit tried to reach the man, three storeys above ground, but it was too risky to climb onto the roof in the rain. Firefighters then tried to get to the man with a ladder, but couldn’t reach him. Another truck with a longer ladder was brought in while a police helicopter was used to light the area. After his rescue the man was found to be carrying items including a helmet with a light, bolt cutters, a small ladder, backpack, tarpaulin, ropes and harnesses, police said. The 53-year-old has been charged with an attempted break-in. He was refused bail. Reuters

Kate Moss-Hince relationship on the rocks British supermodel Kate Moss’ relationship with rocker boyfriend Jamie Hince is reportedly on the rocks again after he struck up a friendship with a PR girl on tour in Australia. Hince and his band The Kills have been on a jaunt around America, New Zealand and down under when he befriended Nicci Hunter, who works for Australian clothing label Sass & Bide, reports contactmusic.com. Reports claim that Moss isn’t too pleased with the news.

PTI

IANS

Recession makes for a cheap Mother’s Day M others may be lucky to be unwrapping a box of anything this week, as the sluggish economy turns gifts, and even greeting cards, into treats this Mother’s Day, according to an Australian retail research firm. Mother’s Day, celebrated on May 10 is a traditional boon for a range of retail industries from jewellery to restaurants as people try and pamper their mums once a year. But business information analysts IBISWorld predict a 3.9 percent drop in overall retail spending this year for Mother’s Day as recession-hit Australians tighten their belts. “A bought or home-made card and breakfast in bed will be the order of the day for many Australian families, so Mum might have to wait until next year to unwrap that something special,” IBISWorld General Manager Robert Bryant said in a statement.

He said that although greeting card sales are expected to rise 1.2 percent, growth will be slower this year as some Australians opt for e-cards and the Internet to send their wishes. Jewellery sales and gift certificates for department stores, spas and beauty services are expected to take the biggest hit, down by nearly 5 percent and 7 percent respectively. And fewer mums will be getting flowers this year, wilting an industry already suffering from lower disposable incomes on a day that usually contributes nearly a quarter of annual revenue. Chocolate and clothing sales are also declining and more people are choosing cheaper brands or practical, low-cost items over luxury, Bryant said. ■ Reuters

07

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Another Maya in the fray Gold medal-winning psychologistturned-entrepreneur Maya Ramachandran is another very interesting candidate in the electoral fray, contesting the polls from Sriperumbudur constituency S.SREEJITH [email protected]

P “Saheb (Lalu Prasad) will become the PM one day and he is more eligible than many others in the race for the top job” Rabri Devi

9

olitical leviathans may shrug her off as just another irrelevant entrant in India’s biggest political carnival, but 32-year-old psychologist-turned-entrepreneur Maya Ramachandran, is all set to test her electoral fortunes from the Sriperumbudur Lok Sabha seat, which was created after the delimitation exercise. Contesting on a Humanist Party of India (HP) ticket, Maya is pitted against Union Shipping Minister T.R.Baalu (DMK) and AIADMK alliance-backed PMK candidate A.K.Moorthy. The Humanist Party was born on 10 December 1984 (International Human Rights Day) and is active, in different stages of formation/development, across 150 countries where the Humanist Movement is present. “I’m not here to attract people for votes, I am here to get people involve from all walks of life, so that they can question the government when their basic needs are not met,” says the Director of Genlite Engineering Private Limited. Maya’s father and sister are also actively involved in the company’s affairs, besides there are people to manage Genlites’ operations and Maya feels her practical presence is not required every time, as she is busy in hitting the campaign trail. She is also undeterred on taking on the seasoned politicos contesting against her. “I don’t

think tackling my opponents is a big problem, as I have people’s support.” The gold medal-winning psychologist welcomes independent candidates fighting the polls. “I’m glad that lots of people are coming forward to take up this responsible job of running the government. I am only concerned that it’s a very scattered effort, all the independents should join together and reach a consensus on fielding a single representative, so that better results could be achieved.” The mobilization secretary of HP (Tamil Nadu) rubbishes charges that independent candidates contest only to get media attention. “They (independent candidates) are the people who are fed up with the existing system and they have already proved their mettle in their respective fields. By supporting such ‘eligible’ candidates, we can make use of their skills in the administrative process at the government-level.” The exuberant entrepreneur also believes she has got the potential to stand out from the crowd and excel in her tasks, unlike the ever-promising-never-committing type of politicians. If elected, she promises a humanist approach, which will strive towards fulfilling the basic needs of people and also ensuring democratic governance by spreading the ideals of non-violence. The aspiring MP also took a swipe at the politicos for using

Women’s Reservation Bill as an election gimmick. “Women doesn’t need reservations to prove their abilities, it only undermines the capacities of the fairer sex. Politicians use this issue as a tool during elections to hoodwink people and divert them from core problems. If at all our netas are seriously ’considering’ providing reservation, it should be 50%, because half of the population are women and there should be some sense of equality, as HP believes in equality of humans irrespective of their caste, creed, profession etc.” She also admitted that due to certain restrictions in the society, many women are not willing to take the political plunge and lack of education is also a hin-

drance to their upliftment. Maya also insisted that both men and women should equally participate in the representative government, so that a balanced decision could be taken at all levels. Maya surely has the edge over her rivals when it comes to Internet campaign. The website www.mayaramachandran.in has been launched to garner the support of young voters. The portal designed by her cousin, who is a professional web designer is spearheading her online rallies to reach out to the educated and tech-savvy youth. Whether the Gen-Next entrepreneur could upset the applecart of her opponents or will she do a Maya-jaal in the polls will be known on May 16. ■

08 SPORT

ERGO Tuesday, May 5, 2009

‘‘

More or less the same squad has been retained. The Indian team is doing very well and the IPL has also been a great hit and many all-rounders are performing well. With England hosting the World Cup, the role of all-rounders will be important as in English conditions the ball will do a bit and India has many good all-rounders like Irfan Pathan and I think India has a good chance to retain the Cup. Dilip Vengsarkar

S

electors have rewarded Rudra Pratap Singh and Pragyan Ojha for their stellar performance in the ongoing IPL by picking them in a 15-man squad to defend the World Twenty20 title in England. Left-arm seamer Singh, who last donned Indian colours against England in November, was recalled for the team to England next month after picking 12 wickets from six games in the second edition of IPLin South Africa. Ojha, a left-arm spinner, is the second-most successful Indian bowler in the IPL after his Deccan Chargers teammate Singh, with 10 wickets in six matches. Singh was instrumental in India’s triumph in the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa, picking 12 wickets, one less than leading taker Umar Gul of Pakistan. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team will also be bolstered by the inclusion of pace spearheads Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, who both missed the world championships two years ago. The selectors re-

PCB asks rebel trio to quit ICL Keen to have the “rebel” trio of allrounder Abdul Razzaq, pacer Rana Naved and opener Imran Nazir in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup squad, the Pakistan Cricket Board is pressing them to immediately snap ties with the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL). Sources in the PCB said chairman Ejaz Butt had conveyed to Razzaq, Rana Naved and Nazir that they should resign immediately from the ICL to be considered for the Twenty20 World Cup. “Butt has also called for a special meeting of the governing council to get approval to include the three players in the Twenty20 squad,” one source said. He said since the ICC had left it to the home boards to decide the penalties for the ICL players before reconsidering them for national selection, the PCB was clear they wanted Razzaq, Naved and Nazir back for the Twenty20 World Cup. “The three players will probably just be fined and then forgiven for their links with the ICL,” the source said. He said senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf, who was the only Pakistani player to have resigned from the ICL so far, was not under consideration for the Twenty20 World Cup. PTI

No doubt over Aussie athletes Tennis Australia may have pulled out of a Davis Cup tie in India due to security concerns but the Aussie athletes’ participation in next year’s Commonwealth Games here is not in doubt, assured Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief Sam Coffa. Tennis Australia’s refusal to send a team for the Davis Cup tie in Chennai had fuelled speculation that athletes Down Under are considering backing out from the Commonwealth Games as well but Coffa denied the rumours. “At this point of time there is absolutely no suggestion whatsoever that the Australian team would not participate in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth games,” Coffa said from Australia. But Coffa admitted that there are security concerns. “No constituent federation has officially raised the issue of security concerning the games with me. However, that does not mean that people are not concerned,” said the veteran administrator, who recently visited India to take stock of the Games’ preparations. PTI

tained nine members of the winning squad, leaving out seamers Ajit Agarkar, Joginder Sharma and S. Sreesanth, along with Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthick, and leg-spinner Piyush Chawla. The Indians have a good Twenty20 record, with eight wins in 13 matches so far. But since beating Pakistan in the 2007 final in Johannesburg, the Indians have lost three of their five matches, including both games on the recent tour of New Zealand. India are drawn with Ireland and Bangladesh in the preliminary round of next month’s event that will be played in London and Nottingham from June 5-21.

Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wicketkeeper), Virender Sehwag (vice-captin), Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Pragyan Ojha and Irfan Pathan. ■

s e s i r p r u os

N

National selectors keep faith on the tried and tested for the T20 World Cup

Ergo Correspondent

09

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Corinthians win state championship The Corinthians, with veteran striker Ronaldo as their main star, have won the Sao Paulo state football championship. They secured a 1-1 draw on Sunday against Santos to pocket the championship. Ronaldo has scored eight goals in 10 games for the winners.

Abha’s Formula One formula 15-year-old Abha Mankar is the youngest girl in India to take top spot at the Amaron Karting Challenge 2009 MONISHA MOHANDAS “Three lights, four lights, five lights… here we go!!! Stunning start by Kimi Raikkonen. Michael Schumacher trying to overtake him and Ralf is just behind his brother…” Formula One commentary for most, words of inspiration for 15-year-old Abha. Abha Pramod Mankar, who won the first runners-up trophy at the Amaron Karting Challenge 2009, is the youngest girl in India to do so. As the only female contestant, she has set new standards in professional gokarting in the country, where unlike

the West it’s rare to have girls take up any form of auto racing. Abha’s future as a racer was decided soon after she was born. “My dad always had a passion for karting but could not pursue it due to lack of facilities. When I was born he decided he would give me all that he didn’t get and I decided I would fulfil my dad’s dream,” says Abha proudly. The girl from Pune is a Class X student at Abhinava Vidyalaya and juggles her practice and studies well with support from teachers and friends. Abha’s inspiration, motivation and admiration are her dad. However, she

adores Lewis Hamilton, the current F1 champion, and wants to become a famous racer like him. She is being trained under the watchful eyes of karter Rayomand Banajee, champion of JK Tyre Rotax Max Karting Challenge 2008. Despite a shortage in funding, which stops her from participating in some events, she has grown in leaps and bounds. A bit nervous in her initial years, she now exceeds 160kmph and is comfortable driving the Yamaha Enticer though her dream is driving a BMW. Recalling her most unforgettable incident, Abha says, “Winning the

MRF-MAI Ladies Open Category at Goa in 2007 was the happiest moment of my life.” Abha travels to Coimbatore for practice every season. “Pune doesn’t have a good karting track. So I have to go to Coimbatore,” says Abha. She wants to set the trend of gender equality in sports. “Along with Michael Schumacher and Narain Karthikeyan I would like to see girls’ names used as examples for the future generation. I want to set an example for others, not only as a karting champion but to inspire them to follow their dreams,” adds Abha. ■

10 FLICK

ERGO Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Britney fan arrested An over-enthusiastic Britney Spears fan was taken in to custody after he jumped onstage while the singer was performing in Connecticut. The pop princess was entertaining the crowds with her hit track ‘Womanizer’ at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville on Saturday when incident occurred. He was allowed to walk free the following morning after paying a 250-dollar bond. ANI

‘I would love to do a comedy’

Arjun Rampal, after “too many serious films”, keen to try a new genre

RITIKA KUMAR

A

fter finding critical acclaim and success with his intense performances in Rock On!! and The Last Lear, actor Arjun Rampal is now keen to try his hands at comedy. Rampal, who made his debut in 2001 with Moksha, has played a string of serious roles in his decade-long career. The 36-year-old actor was lauded for his villainous portrayal in Om Shanti Om and later went on to win his first Filmfare for his performance as a struggling guitarist in Rock On!!. “I have done too many serious films. I think I should better do a comedy now. Being an actor I have tried not to limit myself in any particular genre and would love to do a comedy,” Rampal says. Rampal is once again set to play an intense role in Prakash Jha’s political drama Rajniti, which he believes is one of the “most challenging” roles of his career. The actor, who will be seen in the character of a young politician, says, “My role deals with the psyche of the politician behind the closed doors. I will confess that I did a lot of homework by researching and observing many young politicians.” When asked whether his character was inspired by any of the present day young politicians, the actor declines to divulge the details. Rajniti paints the political picture of the country with a twist as director Jha has blended the Mahabharata into the contemporary theme of the film. Rampal admits he was never interested in politics before the film happened to him. “Rajniti is a hard-hitting take on politics. Apart from the fact that it is a Prakash Jha film, its realism gripped me,” he says, adding, “It made me dig deeper and learn more about politics to prepare for my role.” Jha’s all-time favourite actor Ajay Devgan plays the role of modern day Karna, while Krishna’s interesting character is being played by none other than Nana Patekar. Rampal will share the silver screen with actors like Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Manoj Bajpai. The film is expected to release in September this year. The global economic slowdown may have hit the industry hard but the actor believes it would not affect entertainers like him. “I think it is a great time for actors. Recession might hit but as an entertainer our work is to treat the audience and do memorable roles.” Rampal hopes to enjoy a successful year with a number of films lined up for release. He is working in Sajid Khan’s Full House, choreographer-turned-director Ahmed Khan’s Yahan Ke Hum Sikander, Dipak Tijori’s Fox with Sunny Deol and Anubhav Sinha’s Airport. ■ PTI

Rajniti is a hard-hitting take on politics. Apart from the fact that it is a Prakash Jha film, its realism gripped me

11

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Megan Fox dismisses Wonder Woman rumours Transformers star Megan Fox has dismissed rumours that she is set to play comic book heroine Wonder Woman in a movie. “She’s lame. She flies around in an invisible jet, but she’s not invisible. I don’t get it,” the Daily Star quoted her as telling FHM. ANI

Suriya back as cop After the boxoffice hit ‘Kaakha Kaakha’, actor Suriya will be again seen as a police officer in director Hari’s ‘Singam’, which also happens to be the actor’s 25th movie

Cine City Meena to wed techie Actress Meena is all set to enter wedlock on July 12 with Vidyasagar, a software engineer based in Bangalore. The wedding, to be held in Tirupati, was arranged by her parents, according to sources. A formal engagement ceremony was held at her residence in Saidapet, which was attended by her close friends from the film industry. A reception for the newlyweds will be held in Chennai on July 14.

ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

P.V. SIVAKUMAR

A

ctor Suriya and director Hari, the duo who gave decent films like Aaru and Vel, are teaming up again with a police story. The movie, titled Singam, will see Suriya playing the role of a cop. The actor was last seen as a cop in Gautham Menon’s action flick Kaakha Kaakha, which was a major milestone in his acting career, In fact, Kaakha Kaakha helped Suriya establish a firm fan base in the Tamil film industry. Interestingly, Singam is Suriya’s 25th movie. Hari, who earlier directed actor Vikram as a police officer in Saami, has come out with a power-packed action story for Suriya. The movie is produced by K.E. Gnanavelraja under the banner Studio Green, which has produced movies like Sillunnu Oru Kadhal and Paruthiveeran. Actor Anushka, who is pairing up with Vijay in Vettaikaran, will be playing the leading lady in Singam. Actors Prakash Raj and Vivek are also in the cast. Devisri Prasad composes music for Singam. The first schedule of Singam’s shooting will be held in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Ambasamudram and Courtallam. ■

10 directors to direct one movie Along the lines of Bollywood flick Dus Kahaaniyaan, the Malayalam film industry is planning a similar attempt with actor-director Renjith leading the project as producer. The movie, based on the theme travel, will have 10 films around the length of 10-12 minutes each to be directed by 10 different directors. Lal Jose, Shaji Kailaas, B. Unnikrishnan, M. Padmakumar, Shyama Prasad, Revathy, Udhay Ananthan, Anjali Menon, Anwar Rasheed and Shankar Ramakrishnan will direct each of these movies, which will be compiled into one movie under a common name. We hear that actor Mammootty has consented to do a part under Lal Jose’s direction.

12

ERGO Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Monday’s Query: According to you, what educational qualification should a contestant for the Lok Sabha elections have? ■ Candidate should at least be a graduate. Prem- Technosoft, Raghu- Verizon, Nagarajan K .-Wipro, Vinothkumar, MP.Roselin- Allsec

■ Graduate of Political Science or Economics. They only know how to manage in both +ve and -ve situations. Mohamed Safan Enoah I Solutions, Soumya- HCL, Maggi D.- TCS

■ Theoretical educational qualification is not needed to serve the people. He/she must gain the knowledge through experience like Kamaraj.

Siva from CSS has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This snap was clicked at Tharoor House in Kaatampottrai, Palghat.

Saranya M., Cognizant

■ No need of education, should have the knowledge to speak and heart to serve people Krishna Prasad, M.Srinivasan, Allsec

■ Minimum PG that too first class with no back logs Joseph, Mahesh, Sangu, Anandhi- Wipro, Aakash- CSS

■ Minimum MBA so that they will have ’Business’ administration knowledge. Dhananjayan- Scope International, Mak- Wipro, C.P.Rajesh- Allsec

■ Except BE. He/she can have any degree. Vanav, CSS

■ Everyone should be graduate in political science. Mohan Sridharan, TCS

Suresh from Inautix Technologies has nominated his team members as Partners in Crime. This photo was clicked at Vagamon Hill Station, Kerala.

■ BA English to communicate with all. Balaji, Wipro

■ At least a MBA, IAS or PhD in political science. Prem, Allsec

■ A separate school of politics must be started and should be managed by an independent body like Election Commission. A person who successfully passes out from that school with distinction must be chosen to contest. Premganesh, Wipro

■ A minimum Post Graduation with excellent academic records, clean conduct and character as vouched by academic heads and employers besides commensurate commendable work done towards the service of the nation. Deepak Vasudevan, Verizon

Today’s Query: What according to you is the most compelling reason to vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls?

Halid Niyaz from Verizon has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This photo was clicked at Grand Canyon, Arizona, US during their business trip.

13

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Sriram Natarajan from Satyam Computers has been nominated as Office Angel by his colleagues Veena Soundararajan and Rathish. Sriram is a very jovial and down to earth person. He has avery good humorous and makes the environment very friendly. He loves to make others laugh and enjoys watching cricket.

■ Hi Ganesh, On this Special day as you celebrate your Birthday,.. Here’s wishing you a whole happiness & Sweet surprise. With Regards YaseenTaj, Cognizant Technology Solutions.

■ Dear Karthi (Kadalai) Wish u many more Happy Returns of the day .. We all Join Hands to Wish u a great year ahead... Best Wishes from iRonicz Spiders Team, Tata Consultancy Services . iNautix,Fidelity - Chennai. Musigma, NSN, Tata Elexi, EMC- Bangalore Juno, Deshaw, Commvault-Hydrabad

■ Dear Mani Chellam (Kaadhal Boodhame), Wishing you a many more happy returns of the day da.. May this year bring with it all the success & fulfillment your heart desires.. My SweetHeart, send to u warm wishes, dat ur happiness will b as wonderful as the happiness, u have always given me. LIKE A FRESH DEWDROPS of a new day may GOD’S loving u hands be upon u today to freshen ur soul & body! HAPPY B-DAY. Wish u Happy Happy Birthday chellakutty.. I wish u a great & lovable year ahead.. With lots and lots of luv, Urs Bommi.., RSystems

Swaminathan of Visteon Technical and Service Center Pvt ltd doodled this.

■ Hi Anand, “Many more Happy returns of the day”. May your wishes and dreams of getting good wife come true. Let smile always flash on your faces and money full fill your needs. Have a happy day., Really happy to have you with usJ By, Yours ever loving team mates, Cognizant.

(Speaking in the cell phone) Man-1: Hello! Hello! Hello! Man-2: I think, there is no signal available there, Come nearest to the place where signal is available... Man-1: Still i am unable to hear your voice. Man-2: Where are you now? Man-1: Near Traffic Signal... Mohamed Yusufdeen J HCL Technologies Ltd.

■ Dear Salma, I just want to say, Happy Birthday To you, my dear, dear friend You have always been there for me And our friendship will never end. From Sangee, Saran, Jayanthi, Cicy, Poorna, Sri, Bhuvi, Revathi, Annapoorani, Kripa, Sindu, Jimsha, Nalani and Sangeetha Priya Congruent Solutions

■ Hi Appu, In soft gleaming night of stars, May all your dreams come true. May every star of every night, Bring love and joy to you. Happy Birthday to you. and we are sure u will give treat in a big hotel.. So we will talk to you in person. Once again Many more Happy returns of the Day Dude... Thanks and Regards Siva-CSS,Prajith-Wipro, Prasobh-Infosys, Sowmya-Star Insurance

Belated Wishes ■ Hi Ramesh Kumar May this special day be filled with sweet memories and happy hours. Wishing you all the fun and excitement that only birthdays can bring! With Cheers, Human Resources, Coastal Training Technologies India (P) Ltd, Chennai

■ Dear Jimisha, Whatever is lovely, Whatever is precious, Whatever that brings your heart joy, is exactly what i wish for you today, tomorrow & always dear. I’m so lucky to have a friend like you. Happy Birthday! my dear JIm. From Sangee, Saran, Jayanthi, Cicy, Poorna, Sri, Bhuvi, Revathi, Annapoorani, Kripa, Sindu, Salma, Nalani and Sangeetha Priya Congruent Solutions

■ Dear Arun, We all wish U a fun filled Birthday, Continue ur smart dressing, cool-go, and madras tamizh, in the years to come. The way u fix the closing, "Nanga appadiyae shock ayitom" Regards Finance Team…… Coastal Training Technologies

■ Hi Vincent I’m so blessed 2 have a friend like u This comes with many Loving thoughts & warm wishes send 2 u, May ur day be filled with laughter on this ur special day & may the finest things In life always come Ur way happy birthday! With Regards, Beena

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Prince not-so-charming British royal Prince Harry, 24, has revealed he has not washed his hair for two years.

sudoku

Kiran Ramaraj from TCS shot this picture at Ladakh using his Canon 350D camera. Hobbies: Travelling

Entries to the column will get gift vouchers from Bubbles Spa worth Rs.1,000. Winners can come to Ergo office on weekends between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to collect the vouchers. Call 2857 6688.

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, May 5, 2009

Birdie dance

Word’s worth

Scientists have proved that birds really do dance to music - after studying a cockatoo called Snowball on video sharing website YouTube.

Ichthyarchy (ik-thee-ar-kee) the domain of the fishes, the fish-world. A nonce-word used in 1853, but lovely in its ornate simplicity.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 At the start of the day, you may work very hard to achieve a little. However, as the day progresses, others will help you out with the matter you are bothered about. Ganesha finds you enjoying a ball time with beloved at the end of the day.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 The day may begin very easily, without much of workload. However, you may find yourself overloaded with work in the second part of the day suddenly. Email communications with other organizations for important matters is likely.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 At the beginning of the day, you may be addressing technical issues or communication related problems. In second half of the day, you will be able to combine two programmes or softwares and produce a new one.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Your sensitive nature is much in control today so you will be handling your work very practically. You will be thinking a lot about how to set up a proper routine in order to balance personal life and professional.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 You will be able to impress others with demonstrative speech in meetings. Your mindset towards others is likely to change and you will be able to accept other people ability too. You may do some important discussion with the life partner.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

You can be at the best of your abilities at the beginning of the day. You will follow a strict work schedule and expect others to follow the same. Positive changes in love life are most likely, says Ganesha.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 The day may not begin with a very good note but Ganesha finds you regaining the lost energy and mood both in the middle of the day. You will be interacting with lot of people for work and in general in second part of the day.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Even if the day beings very nicely, in second half of the day you will be bothered due to some technical issues related to work. Your mindset will require a change and you will need to learn to forget and forgive.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You may experience a positive change in your work patterns today. Now you will be able to balance between routine life with professional life. Ganesha suggests you to avoid unnecessary arguments with your life partner or lover.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Ganesha finds you busy playing with digits and integers today. You will be reviewing how much work you have handled in the past and how much is to be done. Towards end of the day, you will try to entertain your beloved in best possible manner.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 You are advised to avoid confrontations with people working with you. There can be strong desire to get out of boring routine and find a job somewhere else or at least change working style. But in the second half of the day, this decision may change.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 This is likely to be an average day. You may need to work hard to achieve a little. If you remain emotional, others will dump their workload on you but you have to learn to say NO very tactfully, warns Ganesha. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Tuesday, May 5, 2009

A “Metal Mulisha" freestyle rider performs during round 4 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series at the Speedworld Off Road Park in Wittmann, Arizona. PHOTO: CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/GETTY IMAGES/AFP

Kourtney Kardashian arrives at the grand opening party of Sapphire Pool in Las Vegas, Nevada. JACOB ANDRZEJCZAK/ GETTY IMAGES/AFP

Models display a creation of Belarus designer Elena Lipkina during the annual fashion festival "A mill of fashion" in Minsk.

The 16 finalists for the ’Best Job In The World’ position as caretaker of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef arrive by seaplane on Hayman Island in the Whitsunday Islands.

AFP PHOTO / VIKTOR DRACHEV

AFP PHOTO/TORSTEN BLACKWOOD