Ergo September 24

A BYTE OF LIFE

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

05 WINDOW SHOPPER goes to New Bollywood Shoes

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 2 No. 185

FREE

CIRCULATION

Vol.

1

2

No. 185

50 100 150

BLUE BLOOD

FLOWING TRUE Learn how a bunch of techies and students used orkut to reach out to 55 underprivileged girls in Usilampatti.

» PAGE 04

ROOMMATE FROM HELL Ever had a roommate you couldn’t wait to get rid of? Tell us about a roommate or former roommate’s most annoying habit and we shall publish it as part of our weekend Big Story

this Friday. Write to us at [email protected] with the subject line ‘ROOMMATE FROM HELL’ before Thursday noon. Anonymity will be maintained for those who request it.

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Celebrating 10 years A variety entertainment programme comprising music, drama and dance will be held to commemorate the 10th year of publication of ‘Anglos in the Wind’, the international magazine for Anglo-Indians. The cultural event will be held on September 26 at Music Academy; 7 p.m. Tickets for the show are priced at Rs 150, Rs 300 and Rs 500. Call: 4208 0058.

ergo

Crispy and seasoned

MOBILE

Just how interesting your regular murrku can be made

909401 3535 TUESDAY’S QUERY

Most meaningless sentence uttered at project meetings? Let’s hope for something good before our next project meet Sukanya

We need to work this weekend 9884701712

So, where are we now? (As if we don’t know it’s a stupid board room we are in) 9789982826

I will follow the issue immediately

LAN, FSS

Let us take it offline! (Meaning, hey I don’t want to answer) 9884052730

Please communicate any unplanned leaves earlier so that we can plan better Jayabharathi, EDS

Let’s track the action items ASAP (When every one knows none of them will be completed)

PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

Krithika

This account is very close to the management, will definitely reflect in your appraisals

VIPASHA SINHA

Suresh Kumar, CGSL

Your suggestion please! (Though it’ll not be implemented) Gaja Lakshmi, Cognizant

We are at a critical situation. We need to work 24/7 9791018772

We value your suggestions Vinu

Meeting room: ZZzzzzzz......... Manager: Glad to be with such a vibrant and participating team Padma Gopal, CTS

Something has to be done about this issue Preetha

When my boss says “I mean...” Bhaskar Let us come to a final meaningful conclusion which everybody will agree upon 9884032451

Here we go for our next goal as our previous once have not yet been achieved Gokul

I understand what you are trying to say . . . can you please explain it once again? Maria

Could you please repeat what you said, I just missed it 9840792287

Ergo Pick “Let’s not waste time on anything, do not gather in groups and waste time talking." The meeting would be about this statement for about an hour or so. Now what’s a meeting? 99621 99330

We will try to make the next meeting shorter and wind up in half an hour instead of three hours! (Something which never happens!) 9003028708

Tomorrow’s query Best lie to put on your resume!

E

ver had murrku sandwiches? This any-time snack has tomatoes, spices, cheese or potatoes sandwiched between two small crispy murrkus. So popular is this snack at Jaisri Vaishnava’s in Kilpauk that it has customers queuing up to nibble some. With vinegar acting as preservative, thus making it last longer, the murrku sandwich has a loyal clientele, some of who even carry it overseas. “We are famous for our chutneys and murrku sandwiches which people take abroad,” says Kunal Vaishnav, an MBA graduate from Karnataka who started the eatout. “We package the murrku and seasonings separately so that it can be prepared and consumed instantly.”

Chaat corner Apart from elders, Jaisri Vaishnava’s has a good number of college-goers flocking in for its different kinds of chaats. “I come here every week for the murrku sandwiches. It is a break from the regular murrku,” says Sneha Bardia, a college student who resides in Alwarpet. Pani puri, chaat, cheese and veg puffs are the other specialties at Vaishnava’s. “We have never

advertised in the last six years; it’s just by word of mouth that people come here,” says Kunal. While the place is an adda for youngsters in the mornings and afternoons, the family crowd rules the place in the evenings. Another reason why the place attracts foodies is that it has ample parking space. Make sure your also have the masala Thums Up after relishing some spicy chaat. Jaisri Vaishnava’s also has branches in Bangalore, run under a different name by his brother. Watch out for Vaishnava’s next branch on Ormes Road, where he has named it Bangalore Chaats. This one will specialise in chaats

made the Bangalore way with special spices! (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])

USP:Murrku sandwich (Rs. 17), cheese puffs (Rs. 10) How to get there: Take the left from CSI Bain’s School entrance and turn before Chedda Foods. Address: No1/10 Vasudevan Road, Ormes Road, Kilpauk

03

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Nash news If house music excites you, if partying is in your veins and the coolest bars at your fingertips, then make some noise for DJ Nash from Bangalore. His signature house session, Untamed, promises to be the next best clubbing experience. DJ Nash uses an eclectic mix of Afro-Latin, Cuban and Persian percussions to create the most original of sounds. Watch the man in action today at OPM, Accord Metropolitan Hotel

Singing sensation P. Susheela floors employees at Voice of Virtusa competition

Endhiran snaps leak online

(Above)Judge speaks: P.Susheela; Rajiv Venkatraman and Geitha Devaraja Rao PHOTOS:S.S. KUMAR

ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

I V.HARIPRIYA & NIDHI THOMAS [email protected]

I

t was dream come true for Rajiv Venkatraman and Geitha DevarajaRao when they received their gift vouchers from ‘Melody Queen’ P. Susheela. Both were adjudged the best male and female singers respectively at the Voice of Virtusa, first-ever karaoke competition held to showcase the talents of Virtusa employees. Conducted in two levels, the talent hunt had 50 contestants in the audition round, which was short down to eight finalists. “It was a tough competition and I would have awarded prizes to all the

eight singers if I was the organiser,” a smiling Susheela said. By 6 p.m. when the contest was coming to a close, the cafeteria was packed with associates coming out to cheer their favourite singer. Raghuraman Ramachandran was also among the crowds favourite when he crooned the song ‘Namma Ooru Singaari’.

Tapping talents Rajiv Venkatraman, a native of Coimbatore, has no formal training in classical music but loves music. “I was an active member of my school band. This is the first time I am singing in an event,” says Rajiv, who is more thrilled that P. Susheela judged the

competition. His favourite singers are S.P. Balasubramaniam and K.S. Chitra. “My dream is to become a playback singer and when madam herself asked me to pursue my passion, I was on top of the world,” said an excited Geitha who hopes to juggle her passion and career. Though Geitha has learnt classical music for three years, she says that it was her uncle, a saint, who taught her bhajans since childhood. And finally when P. Susheela sang a few lines from old classic numbers, ‘Unnai Ondru kaetpaen’ and ‘Love birds, Love birds’, the crowd got busy recording them on their mobiles. A rocking start to Voice of Virtusa! ■

t should be a sense of déjà vu for director Shankar. It happened with ‘Sivaji’ when snaps of Rajinikanth shooting for the song “Oru koodai sunlight” leaked out on the Internet. Through Monday evening and Tuesday, snaps of the Super Star dancing with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for the upcoming ‘Endhiran’ went viral on several websites. The vernacular eveningers also carried the snaps on Tuesday.It is a well-known fact that shooting for the movie started earlier this month at the pre-Columbian Inca site of Machu Pichu in Peru. The snaps showed a dashing Super Star, dressed up like a cowboy, romancing Aishwarya, dressed up in a weird tribal costume. The snaps also showed some cranes and equipment used for the shooting. So it cannot be official publicity material. It looked more like amateur snaps shot by a visitor to the shooting spot. The filming of Endhiran has been kept under wraps but that has not stopped enthusiastic fans to get their sneak peeks. The film, based on a script penned by the late Sujatha, is most likely to arrive in theatres end of next year. ■

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

ERGO Wednesday, September 24, 2008

‘‘ Blue Blood flowing true If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.

Mother Teresa

A non-profit organisation comprising students and techies has used Orkut to rope in more members to lend a helping hand

V. HARIPRIYA [email protected]

A

bunch of students and IT professionals in namma Chennai are the proud guardians of 55 girl students from Madurai. Hard to believe, isn’t it? Members of Blue Blood, a registered non-profit youth organisation, have been helping out these 55 students studying in classes VI to XII by providing school fees, study material, uniforms and one meal a day since last year by arranging sponsors for each student. And they made it possible through Radium, a community on Orkut. The core members of Blue Blood – Arivan, Anitha, Senthil, Dhinesh and Rajarajan – say that Radium helped them get more members for the social work they were doing. Arivan, who’s pursuing his M.S.

Most of our sponsors are IT professionals and we’re thankful to Orkut, which made it possible in Computer Animation, started a community called Radium on the social networking site Orkut in 2006, through which he wanted to get in touch with people who are interested in lending a helping hand to the downtrodden. Now the organisation has 25 active members and about 1,600 members online. The members are mostly students and IT professionals. Dhinesh, who is working with TCS, says that he signed into Orkut only to join Radium in the beginning. “My friends told me about this community and now I am one of

its core members. I allocate my weekends to Blue Blood as I don’t get time during my weekdays,” he says. One of the recent achievements of Blue Blood is arranging sponsors for 55 girl students of Usilampatti. Anitha, one of the core members, says: “We got to know about the hardships faced by the girls in Usilampatti through AIDWA (All India Democratic Women’s Association), in which my mother Brindha is an active member. So we made a trip to the village last year. We met the 55 students at a place called Karumathur, where they assembled with their parents. Most of the girls hailed from low-income families and their primary need was access to education and study material. We decided to provide Blue Blood scholarships for the students. Our next big task was to find sponsors

for the scholarships. Our requirement was Rs. 150 per month or Rs. 2,000 per year.” “Most of our sponsors are IT professionals and we’re thankful to Orkut, which made it possible. Even some of our relatives are chipping in,” says Senthil. “Coming December we plan to arrange a get-together, where the spon-

sors will be meeting face-to-face the students they have sponsored.”The volunteers of Blue Blood visit orphanages on the second Sunday of every month and have a meeting on the third Sunday at around 4 p.m. at Valluvar Kottam. For more details contact Senthil at 9884303150 and Dhinesh at 9840014380.■

Organisation: Blue Blood Orkut Community: Radium Email: [email protected] Website: www.blueblood.in

05

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Play Pac-Man for real http:// www.pacmanhattan.com Tired of those fawning pictures of cute kittens - then rejoice in their dark side on this site. http://www.meankitty.com

US $ Pound Euro 100 Yen

All ye shoe-o-holics! New Bollywood Shoes in Cisons Complex is for those who can’t understand how men can manage with just three pairs of shoes

drop-dead prices (starting from Rs. 100) are one big reason behind the store’s popularity. And, surprisingly, unlike the use-andthrow varieties that you get in pavement stalls at the same prices, a pair from here could last you a reasonably long time. “Durability is our biggest USP,” says Ahmed. “So even if you see some varieties here that you might also find in Bangalore, what you get here will last much longer,” he adds. Commercial Street, anyone? While most of the shoes are made in Chennai, the rest come from Mumbai (hence, New Bollywood Shoes), while some carry the ‘Made in Thailand’ tag.

Ergo pick Check out the Roman sandals with black or metallic strings. A pair comes at Rs. 150 and will last you till you aren’t bored of it. ■ If you have a suggestion about a place (big or small, well-known or not-so-well-known) that stocks something of interest, or even a good sale happening somewhere, do write to us at [email protected]

Address: New Bollywood Shoes 24 A, Basement, Cisons Complex, 150 Montieth Road, Chennai: 600 008 E-mail: [email protected] Ph: 044 – 4214 8462 Store timings: 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Open all days)

PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

T

he otherwise-quiet Cisons Complex on Montieth Road, Egmore, is home to one of the most popular footwear destinations among college students and youngsters. Relying completely on word-of-mouth, New Bollywood Shoes has seen a steady growth in popularity since the time it started 10 years ago. Ballet flats, colourful flip-flops, heeled sandals and pumps, all-weather wear and slip-ons, to describe in a cliché, sell like hot cakes. Denim flip-flops are a new addition on the list. While men’s footwear sells briskly, too, it is women who form 75 per cent of the clientele, says Riyaz Ahmed of New Bollywood Shoes. “Students from colleges like WCC and Ethiraj are our most loyal customers,” he says. Besides the sheer variety of the stock,

45.72 84.81 67.60 43.39

SOURCE: RBI

Websites of the day

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Bagel shops More than 70 per cent of all bagel shops in the United States are found in New York, New Jersey, Florida and California.

Online romancing fodder for WooMe TV

T

he world’s largest speeddating website on Tuesday launched an online television channel showing the lengths to which people will go for love. WooMe.com has compiled videos of rapid-fire online encounters between its more than a million mate-seeking members in an Internet Age version of reality television called WooMe TV. “There is some very entertaining stuff that rises to the top,” WooMe chief executive Stephen Stokols told AFP. “You get some people playing pranks on each other, smoking weed.... It truly is kind of a raw reality TV. This is taking it and locking it in 60-second sound bites on the Internet.” WooMe and rival websites are

The world’s largest speed-dating website launched an online television channel showing the lengths to which people will go for love

Teacher jailed for swindling parents A music teacher at an elite Hong Kong school was sentenced to prison on Tuesday for cheating parents out of tens of thousands of dollars to feed her gambling habit. Jacqueline Lau, 37, swindled parents out of more than US$ 80,000 by promising to help them jump the queue for places in the prestigious private school where she was head of admissions. She used the money to pay off debts and play the Chinese board game Mahjong, and on one occasion lost 13,000 US dollars at Mahjong immediately after conning money from a parent, court testimony said. Lau admitted six counts of fraud and two counts of attempted fraud at the city’s District Court. DPA

applying the latest Internet technology to speed dating, a phenomenon that started a decade ago with men and women darting from table to table to chat in rapid-fire succession at a time keeper’s signal. Automated timers at WooMe cut off online video chats after as little as 60 seconds or as long as three minutes. Those that felt romance kindling during the brief exchanges can later reconnect to fan the flames. WooMe members can save digital video of their encounters for review, and are prompted by pop-up boxes to indicate whether the website has permission to make copies public. If both sides of exchanges give permission, video of the brief online dates become fodder for WooMe TV. A peek at WooMe TV revealed that snippets voted “favorites” by users include a woman who painted lips around her belly button and “spoke” to a suitor ventriloquist-style by squeezing her tummy in a close-up camera shot. Stokols said the company aims to minimise the number of potentially offensive scenes. ■ AFP

Chef attacks complaining customer A chef in a Hong Kong noodle bar was being held by police on Tuesday for allegedly attacking a woman with a meat cleaver when she complained about the quality of his food. The 47-year-old woman was assaulted after she grumbled about the meal she was served Monday in the noodle bar in the city’s Wan Chai district, police said. The chef, 50, allegedly grabbed a meat cleaver from the kitchen after the woman made a ‘rude remark’ to him and landed several blows to her head before being restrained by fellow diners. The chef was being detained for questioning for alleged assault while the woman was rushed to hospital where she was in stable condition. DPA

Police uniforms stolen and sold to filmmakers Five people have been arrested in Hong Kong after police uniforms were allegedly stolen and sold to moviemakers, investigators said on Tuesday. Full police uniforms - including patrol shoes, windbreaks, raincoats and helmets - were pilfered and sold, the Independent Commission Against Corruption said. Furniture from a Hong Kong police station was also stolen from supply rooms and passed on to a supplier to filmmakers as part of the racket, investigators said. A police constable, a police supplies assistant and a movie props supplier were arrested along with two other suspects, a commission statement said. DPA

Woman sentenced to 15 years to life in dog attack A woman whose two dogs attacked and killed her neighbour in the hallway of their San Francisco apartment building seven years ago was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Superior Court Judge Charlotte Woolard said on Monday that Majorie Knoller, 53, had not bothered to put a muzzle on her aggressive Presa Canario-mastiff-mixed dogs before taking them out of her apartment and did not call for help or retrieve a weapon while the animals were mauling 33-year-old Diane Whipple for at least 10 minutes. In 2002, a California jury found Knoller guilty of second-degree murder, but a judge reversed the decision and sentenced her to a four-year jail. DPA

07

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Driving and Einstein

This day, that year

Albert Einstein never learned how to drive a car.

It was in September 24, 1988 that Canadian Ben Johnson set a new world record of 9.79 seconds for the 100 meters at the Olympic Games in Seoul. Six days later he was stripped of his medal for taking drugs.

PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN

“I’ll marry soon” “I will get married soon,” said Rahul Gandhi, the 38-yearold scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family. He was replying to a question at a roadshow at Bathinda on Tuesday on whether he has any plans to tie the knot. Gandhi, without giving any details, just said “I will get married soon”. The Congress General Secretary, who is on a three-day visit to the state, met families of at least ten persons either killed or injured during the Punjab panchayat polls in May. He listened to the family members and assured them of ‘maximum help’ after he returned to Delhi. The young MP also heard grievances of people who complained of ‘atrocities’ during the present Akali DalBJP rule. Congress workers in Bathinda told him about the alleged political vendetta against them unleashed by the ruling combine in the state, party sources said here. Gandhi also met inmates of a local drug de-addiction center run by the Red Cross society. During his interaction with people the young Congress leader sought to woo the youth to join the party. ■ PTI

Topsy-turvy

쒀 Illusionist David Blaine hangs upside down at Wollman Rink in Central Park on Monday in New York. The 35year-old Blaine plans to hang for 60 hours from a wire, completing the stunt on Tuesday. AFP PHOTO

Economy should be the top priority In a poll conducted in US, most of the respondents felt that the country was on wrong track

A

mericans are divided along racial lines but agree that the United States is on the wrong track and the economy is the top priority, according to an opinion poll conducted by USA Today, ABC News and Columbia University released on Tuesday. Eighty percent of blacks and Hispanics and 76 per cent of whites surveyed said the economy should be the next president’s highest priority. Seventy-eight per cent of all respondents said the country was on the wrong track. Broken down along racial lines, 77 per cent of whites held that view, 91 per cent of blacks and 74 per

cent of Hispanics. The survey, which largely explored the crosscurrents of race and politics, finds a sharp racial divide over who the next president will be. Seven in 10 blacks expect Barack Obama, the first African American to be nominated for president by a major party, to defeat John McCain in the November 4 election, the poll found. Among registered voters, blacks support Democratic presidential nominee Obama by 92 per cent to 4 per cent. Hispanics back the Illinois senator by 57 percent to 33 percent.

Whites support Republican nominee McCain by 56 per cent to 36 per cent, the poll found. Among the 13 per cent of blacks who predict McCain will prevail, racism was the reason most often cited, USA Today reported. The 50 per cent of whites who expect the Arizona senator to win were more likely to cite the candidates’ levels of experience as the reason. Only 5 per cent of whites who say McCain will win say racism is the key factor, the newspaper said. ■ Reuters

08 SPORT

ERGO Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Ghosal inches towards main draw Saurav Ghosal is just one win away from making the main draw of USD 62,000 Internationaux de France tournament after he battled to a five-game win in the qualifying opener. The reigning national champion staved off a stiff challenge from South African number one and world number 55 Jesse Engelbrecht 11-8, 7-11, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9 in a 68-minute battle.

‘Spin is the key to success’ Former off-spinner Ashley Mallett has cautioned Australia against relying too much on their pace attack when they take on India, saying the novice spin duo of Bryce McGain and Jason Krejza will have an important role to play in the fourTest series. With a lineup that boasts of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson, Australia would be tempted to rely massively on pace to take bulk of the wickets but Mallett said he won’t be surprised if India prepares a pitch tailor-made for the spinners. “If they think they are going to win it with pace they won’t because the Indians are going to prepare absolute turners,” Mallett said. “From what I think might happen they will look at Australia’s attack and there are two inexperienced spinners so they will try to pit their two spinners against our two spinners,” he added. Mallett, who scalped 28 wickets at 19.10 in five Tests during Australia’s 1969-70 tour, said although McGain and Krejza lack experience, they have the potential to wreck havoc on the Indian squad. PTI

World Cup mascot unveiled The official mascot of the 2010 World Cup was unveiled in Johannesburg – a greenhaired leopard named Zakumi – FIFA announced at a television gala broadcast nationwide. Zakumi – the ZA stands for South Africa while kumi means ten in assorted African languages – has been exclusively designed in the host country which will stage the continent’s first ever World Cup in 21 month’s time. FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke explained the choice. “Zakumi represents the people, geography and spirit of South Africa, personifying in essence the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We are certain we will have a lot of fun with him in the lead-up to and during the FIFA Confederations Cup and the FIFA World Cup,” Valcke said on Monday. Andries Odendaal from Cape Town came up with the design – the animal’s green hair is designed to will provide “camouflage” on a football pitch. For FIFA, Zakumi will help to “turn the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa into one huge, joyful and unforgettable party and show the thousands of international guests the warmth and spirit of the African continent.” AFP

Rebels breathe easy The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has allowed 5 ICL players to participate in the domestic league. Will this open other doors for ICL? AYON SENGUPTA [email protected]

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he “rebel” Indian Cricket League (ICL) moved one step closer to gaining recognition from the world body after the Sri Lankan Cricket Board, led by former skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, allowed ICL players to participate in the Sri Lankan domestic league. “Arjuna (Ranatunga) has taken a great step and I hope others can also show the same honesty and courage. When everybody in the world body is going down on their knees to accommodate a few people, he has shown the way to deal with it. I just hope that the International Cricket Council also has a few people like him who can take tough decisions,” Kiran More, one of the key members of the ICL board, said. “I feel people were waiting for somebody to take the right step and now others will follow suit. It’s not a crime to play for ICL. I am sure a majority of cricket fans, who care for the game, agree that this is the right step forward and nobody can hold the game to ransom.” The SLC had last year banned its five ICL players – Marvan Atapattu, Russel Arnold, Upul Chandana, Avishka Gunawardena and Saman Jayantha – from playing any official cricket matches. According to the new diktat passed by the board, the five players will be allowed to play for their respective clubs in the domestic league but will not be eligible for selection to the national side. ICL business head Himanshu Mody also welcomed the move and said: “This is a step in the right direction. I hope this will pave the way for the five Sri Lankan players to represent their country in the near future.” In a veiled attack against the ICC and the BCCI, Mody said: “I don’t know what is illegal about ICL. We are trying to promote cricket and also giving a wide platform to every aspiring cricketer to perform against the top stars and also to earn a living. We

PHOTO: S S KUMAR

had first applied for recognition in April. But till now nothing concrete has come out. I feel the ICC is trying to delay the matter; they had last sent a letter asking why we started the league and we had replied to it. But we have not heard from them since then. We are working closely with a few of the top London lawyers and I hope to find a solution within the next two weeks. Otherwise, we have to look at legal options. We cannot let our players suffer.” With top players like Shane

Bond and Inzamam-ul-Haq in their fold, the ICL is expecting to break new barriers this season. “Our season II starts from October 10 and we have nine teams competing in 41 games across four cities. We will be playing in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Delhi. We have already roped in a title and four associate sponsors. This season will be bigger than last year and we will try to make full use of the opportunity at hand,” Mody said. ■

09

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Dream come true Mhieslhouto – son of a farmer in Nagaland – and Khamgailung, born to an assistant teacher in remote Manipur, are thrilled with the prospect of living their dreams of catching a glimpse of their heroes Novak Jokovic and Rafael Nadal in person. The duo adopted by the National Tennis Academy is among eight Asian children, who would fly to Melbourne to be a part of the first Grand Slam of the next year as ball-kids.

HELP FROM GURU GREG CHAPPELL TO HELP AUSSIE STRATEGIES INDIAN TOUR

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ormer India coach Greg Chappell is “excited” to give his inputs to help the Australian cricket team prepare strategies for the up coming four-Test series against Anil Kumble’s men. Chappell, who was India’s coach for two year, is travelling with the World Champion side as an assistant coach to Tim Nielsen. The former Australian batsman, who heads the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, will be assisting Nielsen until at least the first Test in Bangalore, starting on October 9. “It’s good to be involved this time. Obviously it’s a transition period and always an exciting time,” Chappell was quoted as saying by Herald Sun. “We’ll be talking about the whole strategy involving bowling and batting in India. There will be discussions certainly with the coaching staff and probably with the individuals,” Chappell said. Chappell began his Indian coaching assignment in 2005 and in 2007 he ended his controversy ridden tenure. He is currently working with the Rajasthan Cricket Academy in Jaipur. Chappell said his assistance to the Australia team was a part of his job at the Centre of Excellence. “It’s a role that the Centre of Excellence head does from time to time,” Chappell said. “Tim Nielsen obviously did it with the team on various occasions when he was with the academy, so it’s no different to the past. Some people will want to make it look different, but it’s not,” he added. Australian will train in Jaipur for a week and then will head to Hyderabad for their only official warm-up match leading to the series opener. ■ PTI

10 FLICK

ERGO Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Keanu Reeves relieved A Los Angeles judge on Monday threw out charges of assault and battery brought against Keanu Reeves by a photographer who claimed the Matrix actor deliberately hit him with his car. “There was no evidence of the slightest contact or the slightest touching,” Los Angeles Superior Court judge Elizabeth Grimes said during a court hearing. Reuters

R. GHOSH

You are known for making serious films. Why this sudden change? (Laughs). It is a change, definitely, and it’s something I wanted to do for a while now. I love making films and good films can be from any genre. Yes, it might seem a bit surprising for many that I am making a comedy, but I don’t find it surprising at all. It’s only that I came across a good script that could be made into a comedy.

Does this film also have a social message? Is it a satirical comedy? Again, it all depends on the audience. If they try and find out a social message they might but I didn’t have any intentions. Comedy has a wide range, from satire to caricature to slapstick. Mine is, to a great extent, a romantic comedy. As a filmmaker I haven’t tried to give any social message though the film touches upon quite a few areas of the Indian rural society.

How did the idea of making a comedy come up? It all happened in front of my eyes. Long time ago, there was a peon in my office. He was illiterate, so much so that he couldn’t even read, forget writing. It started after he got married when he used to exchange letters with his wife who lived in the village. This person had to take the help of someone from office to write the letters as well as read them, whereas his wife knew how to read and write. And we always used to read him those letters… some of them were quite intimate. That would at times embarrass the peon and we used to smile. That is how the idea came up.

So does Welcome to Sajjanpur touch upon illiteracy? That’s only backdrop. Other-

the

wise, it’s a hilarious film. You won’t stop laughing. The film’s protagonist, Mahadev (Shreyas), is one of the few literate people in the village of Sajjanpur, who writes letters for others sitting by the side of the post office.

That sounds interesting… Yes, because there’s the protagonist’s vested interest behind all this. Mahadev always wanted to become an author but couldn’t, so he writes letters for people. At times he also manipulates them to make the letters more interesting.

And what was the reason behind roping in young actors like Amrita Rao and Sheyas Talpade after working with serious actors like Naseerudin Shah, Om Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda,

Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi? You’ve answered it yourself – they are young. There’s no other reason apart from this. But I must acknowledge that both have done a great job. More importantly, Amrita and Shreyas are ready to learn and don’t have any hangups.

How do you see the future of comedy films today? Initially, when directors like Priyadarshan and David Dhavan started making comedies, they were wellreceived but now most of the films aren’t working. I think that as long as there’s a future for tragedy, there is a future for comedy, too. It all depends on how good a story is and how smartly you tell it. I must say they have done a brilliant job by changing the taste of the audience.

Will you be making more comedies? Why not? I am already working on another script. ■ Trans World Features

‘‘Good Good fi fil lms ccan an bbee ffrom rom aany ny ggenre’ enre’ films

He is known for making films with a social message. But this time, with Welcome to Sajjanpur, director Shyam Benegal surprises his fans and the industry by trying out a different genre – comedy. What made him do so?

11

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Clooney and ‘ER’ return? Thanks, but no thanks The producers of hospital drama ER are hoping to entice George Clooney back for the show’s upcoming final season, even though Clooney has said he’s not interested in putting his scrubs on one more time. ER executive producer David Zabel told TV Guide that story lines had been dreamed up for the show’s 15th and last season for all major past characters, including Clooney’s Dr. Ross and his old flame, nurse Carol Hathaway, played by Julianna Margulies. Reuters

Cine City

Mani Rathnam confirms Vasundhara It seems Adhisaya, who played the villain’s girlfriend in the movie Jayam Kondaan has impressed quite a lot of biggies with her acting prowess. The girl now wants to retain her original name Vasundhara instead of Adhisaya. The news is that director Mani Rathnam has offered her a role in his bilingual flick, Ravana. The actress has been roped in to pair up with Prithviraj for the Tamil version of the movie. At present, Vasundhara is busy shooting for the film Peranmai opposite Jayam Ravi.

Vinay pairs up with Sandhya Actor Vinay is busy nowadays. The actor has been signed on for various projects for the next two years. Now the actor is busy shooting for the film Modhi Vilaiyaadu, directed by Saran. After this Vinay would be joining hands with director Selvah for the remake of yesteryear Tamil classic Nootrukku Nooru. The film has five heroines, among whom Sandhya plays Vinay’s pair.

Upendra not to do negative roles Kannada superstar Upendra made waves in the Tamil film industry with his performance in Satyam. Though the film did not do well at the box-office, Upendra has been receiving good reviews for his role. Recently, he celebrated his birthday in Karnataka with his fans and, speaking on the occasion, Upendra said that at present he is busy shooting for Dubai Babu. Prior to the release of Satyam, media channels had flashed the news that Upendra plays a negative role in the film, which turned out to be false. The actor has now confirmed that in future he wouldn’t be playing a negative role in any regional film he takes up. www.cinesnacks.com

12 SCAN

ERGO Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Beware!!! According to TV.Com, On Prisoner Of Azkaban set dressing room Emma Watson’s door said “Beware: Babe Inside!”

PICK OF THE DAY

AXN

Animal Planet

Zee Studio

Star World

Ripley’s Believe it or not

Wild Africa

Just Married

Bones – 10 pm The team investigates the death of an Asian woman without any bones left in her body. Sully proposes something to Brennan that she does not expect.

– 9 pm Season 2 of the show features strange and fascinating phenomena, amazing feats, facts and artefacts

Would you like to know what made me shave my head?

– 8 pm From the awe-inspiring highlands of Ethiopia to the giant volcanoes of the Great Rift Valley, we encounter unusual mountaineers in this world above the clouds.

– 10-30 pm A happy young couple, Sarah and Tom go to Europe for their Honeymoon. Unfortunately for them, Sarah’s parents send Sarah’s ex-boyfriend Peter Prentis to break up the happy marriage.

Dear Diary

Harathi W

e have heard people say “I shaved my head at Tirupati”, “I shaved my head as the heat got to me”, etc. I shaved my head, too, but for neither of the above reasons. Would you like to know what made me shave my head? To do my best in Manada Mayilada, a dance reality show on Kalaignar TV, was my aim. I was very determined to achieve my goal as dancing is my passion. It was for one of those episodes that I took this crucial decision. The theme for that episode was ‘Wigs’. We had to wear different types of wigs for different songs. Since I had long hair the wig looked weird on me and I wasn’t satisfied. My team was okay with it as nothing else could be done. But my conscience kept nagging me, “What is more important – hair or

dance?” I then took my final decision. I went to a beauty parlour after lying to my parents. I came back after an hour and my parents were shocked to see me. Within an hour they saw a long-haired Harathi converted into a fully shaven Harathi. But, knowing my determination, my parents encouraged me. I went to the studio wearing a wig and only when the song changed to ‘mozha mozhanu yemma yemma’ that I removed it. Only then did everyone come to know that I had shaved off my hair. Many scolded me for going to that extent. But they appreciated my devotion and involvement. The judges appreciated my spirit and we were adjudged the best performers for that day. Nothing could have made me happier. ■ As told to Monisha Mohandas

13

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Mini-skirts banned A Ugandan government minister has said miniskirts should be banned because women wearing them distract drivers. Nsaba Buturo said wearing miniskirts was equivalent to being naked.

Greetings Dear Senthil, Smile!!! Smile like actor Vijay, and you will win more friends and Hearts :) Wishing you the best of BIRTHDAYS!!! cheers Gayathri Balan, Theja, Sriram, Dilli, Jeril, Taruna, Jeyashree, TCS pals

May God give you a prosperous and healthy life throughout the year. Let all your dreams come true!!

STICHART An exhibition of “STICHART” by Sujata Sarawgi a contemporary rendition of kantha scarves, sarees, dupattas and salwar suit sets, in myriad colours and geometrical pattern weaves Where: Padmavathi Road, Jeypore Colony, Gopalapuram When: till Oct 3, 11a.m. 8p.m.

Hearty wishes from Aishwarya, Anantha, Anitha, Arun KL, Arunkumar, Balaji, Bhyravi, Deepa, Ganesh, Gujju, Guru, Hansraj, Jayashree, Mani, Nandy, Praveen, Priyadarshini, Ramya, Sandeep, Shrenik, Suresh, Swapna, Vijay, Vimal, TATA Consultancy Services (Ignite gangsters)

Dear Vidhya, Wish You Many More Happy Returns of the Day. May God Bless You and pray that all your dreams and wishes come true.Have a Blast Dear. Dear Newton, With loads of love, Wish you a Many More Swetha(Wipro), Vamsi(Dell), happy returns of the Day! Aish(TCS), Anand(Gemini), On your birthday I wish you Sreena(TCS), Avinash much pleasure and joy; I hope all of your wishes Dear Charanya, come true. “Like a garden of flowers May each hour and minute unfolding in the morning be filled with delight, sun, May your special day And your birthday be perfect unfolds into happiness. for you! A birthday is a day filled with special joy, A day that Best Wishes from, lets you know you’re always Sumathi R, Hexaware loved and cherished". Technologies Many more happy returns of Dear Amudha, d day dear… Enjoy this day May this day be the to d core... beginning of another special With love, year. Let this birthday bring Revathy, Infosys Technologies Ltd. you lot of joy and happiness in your life! A Warm Hi Senthil (Motorola), Birthday Wishes from All of Wish you many more happy us! I wish all your dreams Returns of the Day!!! May come true!! God wish you with all the wealth,health and happiness With love, Team Beacon, HCL ( including your mobile Technologies Ltd. friends...)Have a fun filled Dear Vijay, and exciting b’day. Men are like wine. Some Warm Wishes, turn into vinegar but the Bus Gang - Route 21 - Chennai best like you improve with One - TCS age. Happy Birthday ! Dear Pappu (Akhila), Greets, ITC team - VDSI A Heartfelt Wish for our Dear Vidhya, Sweety, Wish you many more happy May this Birthday bring loads returns of the day.....Wishing & loads of Happiness & you all success on the very Blessings, special day of yours..Keep Which will add more flavour Rocking!!!!!Happy B’Day!!!!! to your Sweetful life… From, Rama and Ramya, Wipro We Wish “U”, not only this Technologies day but more upcoming days Dear Selva Veeraraghavan, to Cherish & Wish you happy birthday da, May God Shower all His wishing you all the best in Blessings on U n May all Ur the 24 year to come. May all dreams come true…. your dreams come true not From Ur Gang of Friends @ HCL only today but all along your Technologies (Chennai-Amb4) life my dear. Hey Mr.iconnect, With love yours Archusakthi, Wishing you the treasure of Igate happy sterdays n bright And Sify friends tomorrows:-) Dear Anita Rengaraj, Happy Birthday.God Bless Its a Lovely and Special Day You For you, Hope ur project turns out to because Its your BIRTHDAY. be a great Success;-) May Your Dream Best wishes , come true.Wishing you a Customer World Team, Birthday that’s sweet and TCS beautiful Like You Annie. Many more Happy returns of Dear Florence, the day. We wish you a very Happy Birthday! Your ever loving Team Wipro Technologies

A stranger in Arrow’s Fall-Winter 08 everybody’s land

American Gypsy is a glimpse of an immigrant world that is either on the verge of extinction or at a critical turning point for survival. It is a world that most of us have never had the chance to visit because this is the first time it is being presented on screen. It is directed by Ms. Jasmine Dellal. Where: Alliance Francaise, College Road When: Se 27 – sep 28

September may herald the onset of winter, but that doesn’t mean that you leave your sense of style behind. Arrow’s Fall-Winter 08 collection offers a myriad of option to its customers. The collection includes sweaters made from marina wool and cotton as well as lined jackets. Denim, corduroys and khakhis with specific washes are also available. One can also find formal wear such as shirts, trousers, jackets and suits in stylish fits, for this season. Where: Available at Arrow outlets Price: Rs.1095 onwards

What, when, where If you have anything interesting or informative that can be featured in these columns, mail us at [email protected]. Please send the release mentioning where and when the event is happening, along with the contact details.

TOP 5 WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE WATCHES 1. Zadora Timepieces, manufactured by Andreas von Zadora-Gerlof. The latest offering by Andreas von Zadora-Gerlof is a bee of oxidised palladium and micro pave. 2. Titanic Watches manufactured by Romain Jerome. A Swiss jeweller is now offering watches made from the hull of the Titanic. 3. Double Tourbillon manfactured by Breguet. The Breguet Double Tourbillion comes hand-engraved with an image of the solar system 4. Opera One manufactured by Girard-Perregaux. This beautiful platinum timepiece includes an alligator band and features a Westminster minute repeater and tourbillon with three gold bridges, manual winding, 75-hour power reserve and a see-through backing. 5. Grande Complication manufactured by Blancpain. This wristwatch has a minute repeater, split-seconds chronograph, tourbillon, perpetual calendar, moon phase and an automatic winding mechanism.

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Divers recover war medals Divers have defied the murky waters of London’s River Thames to recover priceless medals for a British war hero after he feared they were lost forever. The medals of Charles Brown, 93, slipped out of his jacket pocket.

sudoku

Sakthi Sankar S of Hexaware Technologies clicked this picture on the Puducherry backwaters. Hobbies: Driving, watching movies and listening to music.

KAKURO 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 Head of Advertising: Sriya Narayanan [email protected]

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 ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Call our Advertisement Manager at 2857 6695. email: [email protected] Website: www.goergo.in

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

15

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Blind masseurs jump from bridge

Word’s worth

Blind medical masseurs have jumped from a bridge in the South Korean capital in protest at plans to open up their profession. The masseurs fear government proposals to issue licences to ’skin aestheticians; could let sighted people join what is a job for the visually impaired.

"Uliginous" (yoo-lidj-uh-nus) an adjective meaning ’swampy, slimy, oozy.’ From a Latin word meaning ’full of moisture.’2509-2008"Veppa" (vap-uh) a rare word meaning ’flat or sour wine.’ This word has also been used to mean ’a state of the blood when it is in a low, dispirited condition.’

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 Ganesha advises you to be as inquisitive as possible. The more questions you ask, simpler life will be. If in case you have to deal with crisis, don’t be panic and seek help. On this tricky day, you may have minor conflicts with your beloved.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You will be able to get rid of the pending work today. Ganesha things you will be able to manage routine tasks effectively. In matters of the heart it will be better if you don’t dominate today. Try to woo your beloved in a creative way instead.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Ganesha stresses on the fact that you should work towards sharpening your skills. If you are able to do that in a short while, your professional life will bloom amazingly. Work life is peaceful on the whole. For lovers, it’s good time for future planning.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 The sure way to succeed is to believe in your own self. Ganesha wants you to be more confident in office. Once you gain control of events at office, your zest for other things will automatically increase. That positive aggression will improve everything.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 It could be an action-packed day for you at office. You may enjoy R & D activities. In personal life, you will not be able to pay due attention, a cause de your busy schedule. However, your partner may be supportive hence you are advised not to worry.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Life is indeed fast these days and if there is no proper planning, you may have to face a lot of problems. If not a weekly timetable, try to make daily schedules. In the evening you may feel like visiting a theatreor an art gallery.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 New ventures might achieve fast success or progress rapidly today. You tend to be innovative and creative today, making it a good day at work. In matters of love or office, Ganesha believes you will use your head more often than the heart.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Knowledge has no horizons, they say, and you tend to agree whole-heartedly today. Nevertheless, give the first priority to your prime responsibilities. Since you are feeling bright, you might want to carry this of further with your beloved as well.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You may come across accidental joy by meeting an old friend. At work things will be smooth unless some technical error arises. In such cases, take proper guidance. Do not try to woo the opposite sex today. Married couples may have good times!

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Trees of Patience bear the sweetest fruits. At work you might feel underestimated! This is a temporary phase, patience is the best virtue. And here comes the brighter side of the day; your partner will shower you affection making your evening pleasant.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Ganesha finds you in a dull mood towards the beginning of the day. At work you will be noticed for taking initiatives and gelling well with colleagues. On the romantic front, high level of sensitivity and intensity is expected from you.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 The day today can be bifurcated in two sections; the earlier part of the day involves technical work resulting into mental drain. Whereas the second part might leave you brooding over many issues. This is not the right time to take decisions. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Man reunited with car A grandfather from England has been reunited with his beloved Clyno car - 54 years after he sold it to buy his wife’s engagement ring. Retired postman Bob Stroud, 80, bought the car in 1952, a year before he met future wife Evelyn and sold it for US$ 46.