Asian City Issue 4 by Thufayel Ahmed

AsianCity BRITAIN’S BEST ASIAN NEWSPAPER

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Issue 4 • August 16 - August 29, 2012

LONDON MELA SPECIAL! Happy Independence Day to Pakistan and India

Katrina to tame the Tiger! FULL STORY: PAGE 18 & 19

WE’LL KILL KHAN! TALIBAN’S CHILLING THREAT TO FORMER CRICKET STAR

Radicals plan suicide plot if Imran marches in their patch THE Taliban has threatened to kill Pakistan cricket star turned politician Imran Khan if he holds a planned march to their tribal stronghold along the Afghan border to protest against US drone attacks.

“If he comes, our suicide bombers will target him,” Mr Ahsan told Associated Press in an interview in the militant group’s stronghold of South Waziristan. “We will kill him.” The threat could come as a surprise to many in Pakistan who have criticised Mr Khan for not being tough enough on the Pakistani Taliban and Although the Pakistani Taliban also opposes instead focusing most of his criticism on the the strikes, which have killed many of their government’s alliance with the United States. Some of his critics have nicknamed him fighters, spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan said it would target Mr Khan because he calls himself a “Taliban Khan” because of his views and his cosy “liberal” - a term they associate with a lack of ties with conservative Islamists who could help him attract right-wing voters in national elections religious belief. He also warned they would attack anyone likely to be held later this year or early next year. who participates in forthcoming elections. TURN TO PAGE 2

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Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

JUNIOR KHAN IN LONDON Shah Rukh’s son wants to escape fame IT’S LONG been a family hot spot and now King Khan isn’t just holidaying with his children in the capital, he’s sending his son here to study. Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood super star Shah Rukh Khan has been enrolled at one of the most prestigious private schools in the country and is set to start his education there this Autumn term.

Imran’s Taliban death threat FROM PAGE 1

Mr Khan, who is the founder of the Pakistan Movement for Justice party, has gained momentum over the last year after more than a decade in politics. He is perhaps the most famous person in Pakistan because he led the country’s cricket team to victory in the 1992 World Cup. Mr Khan was once known for his playboy lifestyle and marriage to British socialite Jemima Khan. But they divorced several years ago and he has since become much more conservative and religious. Mr Khan has described himself as a liberal in various TV interviews, but he has also made clear that he is a practising Muslim. Ahsan, the Taliban spokesman, seemed to ignore that distinction and said the militants didn’t want Khan’s help in opposing drone attacks. Khan has said he is planning to lead thousands of people in a march to Waziristan in September to demonstrate against the strikes. “We will not accept help or sympathy from any infidel,” said Ahsan, referring to Khan. “We can fight on our own with the help of God,” he said, as drones buzzed overhead. The spokesman for Khan’s party could not be immediately reached for comment. Ahsan said the Taliban consider anyone who participates in elections, even Islamist

parties, as infidels and will target them. “The election process is part of a secular system,” said Ahsan. “We want an Islamic system and will create hurdles to secularism.” An AP reporter interviewed Ahsan at a remote compound on a forested mountainside in South Waziristan. He was taken there from a compound in the Shawal area that housed several dozen Taliban fighters armed with AK-47s, rocketpropelled grenade launchers and antiaircraft guns. Artillery fired by the Pakistani army regularly pounded the ground near the compound. The military launched a major offensive against the Pakistani Taliban in South Waziristan in 2009 and has claimed to have largely cleared the area. But the militants regularly launch attacks, and the interview held with the AP indicated they move relatively freely. Ahsan arrived for the interview in a pickup truck with two other Taliban commanders. He was wearing a white shalwar kameez -- the loose-fitting shirt and pants common in Pakistan and Afghanistan -- and a woolen Chitrali cap. He spoke with an assault rifle laid across his lap, and he and the other commanders fired into the air in celebration at the end of the interview.

The 15-year-old will become a student at The Sevenoaks School, just 30 minutes from central London. It will be his first taste of independence as he’ll be free to live on his own, studying in private and have a chance to pursue a career of his choice. Aryan is currently a student at the Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai, and it is hoped the move will help him focus on his school work rather than being a celebrity. A source close to the family said: ‘Shah Rukh wants to take the media glare away from his life and have him focus on his education. He also wants Aryan to have an identity of his own.’

Homesick He won’t however feel too homesick – Shah Rukh is regularly in the capital shooting, on promotional tours and also enjoys coming here to relax, so he’ll have ample opportunity to catch up with his teenage son. Although it is yet to be confirmed, it is expected that his daughter Suhana will also eventually be transferred to the same boarding school. Some critics however are angry that Shah Rukh is not supporting the

•FAMOUS FAMILY But Shahrukh wants kids to be educated without distractions Indian education system. One source said: ‘Children go abroad to study, get a job and never come back – this has a detrimental effect on our skills. Why do kids want to lead a lonely life abroad when their family are here?’ Others believe that living abroad, helps children appreciate the values of ‘back home.’

Numerous well-known Bollywood stars were educated abroad, including Priyanka Chopra who went to Newton High School in Massachusetts and John F Kennedy High School in Iowa, US and Saif Ali Khan studied at Lockers Park School in Hertfordshire, then Winchester College in the UK.

Olympic’s Got Bhangra! THE spectacular Closing Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games showed the best of British talent last Sunday - and the country’s top dhol players were right at the heart of the action. Alongside music superstars such as The Spice Girls, Jessie J and George Michael, our very own music maestros wowed an estimated one billion viewers with their funky Punjabi drum beats. The closing ceremony featured more than 4,100 performers, including 3,500 adult volunteers and 380 schoolchildren from the six east London Host Boroughs, the Ceremony showcased the great creative talent of the UK in a fun, colourful and festive atmosphere. Other Asians with a high profile Olympic role include Gurinder Chadha and Amitabh Bachchan.

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Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

Insomniac’s dangerous driving

•SIGHTING Stuart Hazell

Store owner spots suspect

STAURT Hazell, the man charged with the murder of 12 year old school girl Tia Sharpe, was first stopped in a local shop, in Morden, south London. Eagle-eyed shop owner Prasanna Jayakumar, 49, spotted Stuart Hazell in her shop and called 999. She said: “He came in and was very drunk, swaying all over the place and saying, ‘I’m Tia’s grandad and I need to find her’. “He was crying and hitting his head with his fists.” Hazell went into Prasanna’s shop, just after 5pm and bought half a litre of vodka and a lighter. Suspicious Prasanna checked a paper and knew who he was. She added: “He went out and started talking to people and they also called the police.”

•CHASE Bharat Keshwala had not slept for a month before chase

•GOING FOR GOLD Saif Ali Khan

SAIF BLONDE BOMBSHELL!

HE can’t get himself out of the press at the moment, and this week was no exception only it was the turn of the paparazzi to go after him. Saif arrived at Mubai airport after shooting in Mauritius, sporting a new hairdo- he’s gone blonde! The golden locks however aren’t just a style statement; they are for his new role in the forthcoming Go Goa Gone, for which he also changes his nationality. In it, Saif plays a member of the Russian mafia who is on the hunt for zombies in Bollywood’s first zombie comedy. Speaking of the new do, Saif said: ‘I have tried to experiment with my look in the film as it is an altogether different character from all that I have ever played.’ And this isn’t the only image change you’ll see on Saif over the next few months. For Race 2, he has hired a new trainer to get even ‘beefier’ than last time.

MORE JISM PLEASE!

Pooja Bhatt plans sequals 3 and 4 JISM was the film that launched the careers of Bipasha Basu and John Abraham, catapulting them from unknown models into A’list stars in 2003, and was considered the raunchiest movie the industry had ever seen. Last week director Pooja Bhatt released the hugely anticipated sequel to the psychological thriller; Jism 2, this time starring adult entertainment actress Sunny Leone. Now due to its overwhelming success, she has confirmed that a third and fourth film will follow up in the Jism franchise. Speaking of the decision, Ms Bhatt said: ‘The third part will go on floors from April and is likely to release during winter 2013 with Jism 4 released in 2014 – after that, I’m not sure how far we’ll take it. Criticised for releasing an ‘erotic’ film during Ramadan, the film has done exceptionally well in smaller regions like UP, Bhopal and Punjab. Jism means ‘body’ and is considered by some as ‘hard-core’ viewing. Although no full frontal nudity is shown, the film pushes boundaries in Indian cinema through it’s suggestions with the use of massage oils and risky lingerie. In Mumbai, posters were removed by a politician as they showed a woman’s body

draped in a white sheet. Ms Bhatt’s father and writer of the movie Mahesh Bhatt said: ‘You’ll always have these two polarities. Pretending to police the moral values of society is the easiest way for politicians to earn brownie points.’ Ms Bhatt has also revealed who she hopes will be the lead actress in the third installment. ‘My father has recommended Brazilian model Nathalia Kaur, and he has a knack for choosing the right talent.’

Police led on ‘computer game’ style chase A MANCHESTER man led police on a high-speed 40 mile chase claiming he thought he was in a computer game. Bharat Keshwala (48) admits he had not slept for a month before the incident and was in a ‘dream-like’ state at the time, when he got into his father’s Mercedes, in the early hours of the morning on December 1st last year.

Police spotted him as he zig zagged the car around Manchester City centre at speeds of 90mph and went through red lights at 4.20am. They then pursued him in a car chase that took them out of the city and finally ended in Bootle near Liverpool. Mr Keshwala admitted to an offence of dangerous driving and was sentenced to 80 hours of unpaid work and will need to take an extended test before he is allowed to drive again. He is a recovering alcoholic but was not under the influence of drink or drugs at the time. He has admitted there was no motivation for his actions though his lawyer says he is traumatised from a robbery that took place at his family’s post office and from early childhood experiences when, along with other Indian families he was forced to flee Uganda.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

•ALCHEMIST Superchef Bains

PARENTS FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER

Curry cures Wicked parents will spend life in insomnia TV presenter Gurpareet Bains claims that his “Insomnia-no-more lamb masala” produces similar effects to sleeping pills. The dish contains large amounts of nutmeg which is intoxicating if consumed in large doses. Diners reported feeling “tired and spaced out” 20 minutes after eating it. BBC London radio presenter Robert Elms said he was “almost comatose” after a taste test. Bains, dubbed the Asian Alchemist for transforming Indian grub into medicinal dishes, said: “The curry tastes wonderful. “Its ingredients have been used for millennia for their tranquillising properties. Our research has shown it to work incredibly well.” Bains’ dish appears in his latest cookbook, Indian Superspices.

jail for killing daughter Shafilea IT’S A case that’s lasted almost a decade and now the verdict has finally been decided: the parents of Shafilea Ahmed have been found guilty of her murder.

17-year-old Shafilea went missing from her home in Warrington, Cheshire in 2003 – her body was found six months later on a river in Cumbria by workmen. Her body was identified by dental records and her jewellery. She was reported missing by a school teacher after she failed to attend school for a week. Her parents Iftikhar (52) and Farzana Ahmed (49) have continually denied the murder. It is believed the couple suffocated her with a plastic bag in an ‘honour killing’, after she brought ‘shame’ to her family for refusing an arranged marriage. Shafilea’s parents wanted her to move to Pakistan and marry her cousin, who was a decade older than her. As a cry for help, six months before she was murdered, Shafilea drank bleach, yet her parents told authorities she had mistaken it for

mouthwash. In the months leading up to the murder she was abused and beaten by her parents. Her parents are considered to be strict conservative Pakistanis yet in a twist to the tale, her father had originally been married to a Danish woman and has a son by her. Yet his family in Pakistan pressurised him to leave his first wife and marry his own cousin; Shafilea’s mother.

Witnesses The murder took place in front of her siblings, one of whom, Alesha, is now 23. She says she remembers her parents pushing Shafilea on the sofa and heard her say ‘just finish it here.’ After witnessing the murder, the three children ran to their bedrooms but witnessed their father carrying the body outside and being put in his car. The children were later threatened and told not to report the crime unless they wanted the same to happen to them. The trail has lasted three months in which different versions of the events on the

•JUSTICE Evil dad Iftikhar Ahmed nights have been heard. Her father claims she ran way from home in the middle of the night and they never saw her again, while her mother altered her story to say that Shafilea had an argument with her father on the night, he beat her and threatened to beat the rest of the family too. Numerous witnesses have said he had a short temper. The siblings too gave different accounts, one sister Mevish stood by parents, claiming her other sister Alesha was giving fictious accounts. Their brother also defended their parents. Both parents were given life sentences of a minimum of 25 years.

•TWISTED: Farzana Ahmed (right). Below: Victim Shafilea

SAVAGE DOG ATTACK A TERRIFIED man was forced to leap off a 60ft high bridge to escape being savaged to death by a huge devil dog.

The 12st animal had cornered Mohammed Ilyas and was trying to EAT his hands as he clung on to a barrier before jumping off the bridge over a dual carriageway. He broke both legs and fractured a thigh in the plunge — but said: “If I hadn’t jumped it would have killed me. “It was terrifying, I thought the dog was going to tear me limb from limb. I’m 6ft 3in but it came to my stomach. It was a huge beast.” Police took three hours to capture the beast — which was finally sedated by a zoo vet shooting it with an ELEPHANT tranquilliser dart. The mobile phone salesman’s ordeal started as he walked across the footbridge over the A45 Small Heath Highway in Birmingham last week. But he found the snarling beast — an American bull terrier and bull mastiff cross favoured by gangs and criminals — blocking his path. Mohammed, 32, said: “There was someone standing in the shadows but the dog was off its lead. It just launched at me. I managed to punch it but it tore my jeans off and was trying to bite my legs.” Screaming Mohammed managed

•DANGER Bridge

DEVIL ... dog breed

•SPICES May boost economy

Britain ‘must grow food for curries’

•MAULED Mohammed is lucky to be alive to climb over the bridge barrier — hanging on to the railings. He said: “The dog then started biting my fingers and trying to eat my hands. I could hear someone shouting, ‘You deserve it’ so I think it must have been a case of mistaken identity. The dog was clearly lying in wait.” Fearing for his life Mohammed jumped, landing in a ditch. He was knocked out but recovered to dial 999. And it could be months before he walks again. Police, who called in a vet from West Midlands Safari Park after a TASER gun had no effect on the dog, are still trying to trace its owner. A spokesman said: “If the owners are not found it will be destroyed.”

GROWING ingredients for curries could open up new markets for British farmers, according to a new government report. Food is one of the most important sectors of the UK economy, as one of the biggest exporting and manufacturing sectors. With over 17,000 curry houses across Britain, employing around 350,000 people, the curry industry is a major player in the food industry of Britain. So whilst British farmers may find it easy to grow cabbages and carrots, which are already part of the ‘Indian menu’, we may soon see our farmers getting to grips green chillies, jeera and haldi seeds. Growing more curry ingredients domestically could also potentially reduce carbon dioxide emissions from food imports.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

Man dies in mosque A father-of-three collapsed and died at the Al Furqan mosque in Rochdale last week following Friday prayers. Mohamed Ikbal (60) worked with the Ramadan Foundation, an Islamic group which promotes interfaith dialogue. He had been suffering from illhealth for several months and had recently under gone a heart operation. Chairman of the Foundation, Shaykh Muhammad Umar said: ‘He was a simple man with a simple mission in life, to promote tolerance and peace. It was with these principles that he lived his life and he used using any opportunity to help others, whether that be the poor homeless man or more recently buying trainers for youngsters in Manchester.’ The Foundation has vowed that his legacy will live on.

EAT LIKE A KING

•FOODIE: Salman liked the cafe in Turkey so much that he paid for refurbishment

FANS can now have a taste of Bollywood, without flying to India! A popular cafe in Turkey has been re-named Salman Khan Cafe as a tribute to the star. Salman appears along side his ex, Katrina Kaif in Ek Tha Tiger. Following on from his previous festival successes including the superhit Dabangg, Ek Tha Tiger is a dark thriller, centered around India’s most notorius spy, known as Tiger. Expect a James Bond/Bourne style action movie with added romance. The tale is set in Ireland where Tiger is sent on a mission to observe an Indian scientist who is suspected of sharing vital information with

a Pakistan defence establishment. Some of the film was shot in and around Dublin, but the team also flew to Turkey. The film crew fell in love with a quaint cafe in the city of Mardin, close to their shooting location. Previously called CafeDel-Mar, Salman enjoyed frequenting the establishment throughout their stay in Turkey but decided it needed a facelift. To say thank you for hosting them, the actor paid for a complete refurbishment of the cafe including the decor and a new sound system. He also re-jigged the menu and beverage selection to given it a unique Salman flavour.

•PACT Shamim Akhtar wanted her daughter to marry her cousin

Woman jailed over daughter’s kidnap She had refused marriage A WOMAN has been jailed for four years for kidnapping and drugging her daughter after she refused to marry a man, chosen by her family.

Naila Afsar was described by her mother Shamim Aktar (58), who has eight children, as ‘worse than a prostitute’. Naila told her she should be killed for not marrying her first cousin Amraiz Khan in July 2009, following a pact her mother made with her sister that their children would marry. Naila who was then 23, fled her Bradford home in fear of her life and ran away to Newcastle where she married the man of her choice, Afsar Saddiq. On a visit to her sister’s house in Accrington in January 2010 where she was hoping for a reconciliation with her estranged family, Naila was abducted by her mother, her brother Shamrez Khan and brother-in-law Zahid Mahmood. The three of them bundled her into a car and drugged her. Police were alerted to the kidnap after her husband reported her missing. They found Naila, drowsy in the back of the car. Judge Newell jailed Naila’s mother for four years, her brother for five years

and brother-in-law for three years. When sentencing her sibling he said: ‘Your role was to care for her, support her and look after her best interests. Instead you chose to drug, assault and abuse her.’ Speaking about the verdict, Detective Inspector Mark Vaughton who was at the hearing said: ‘The victim was treated in the most dreadful way by the people who were supposed to protect and care for her.’ Naila’s father Mohammad Khan (57) and her sister Saima Mahmood were cleared of wrong doing during the fourweek trial which took place at Preston Crown Court. Her father confessed: ‘I miss my youngest daughter and wish that she will be present at my funeral.’

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Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

AsianCity LETTERS www.asiancity.co.uk

COMMENT

BRITAIN’S BEST ASIAN NEWSPAPER

Justice for Shafilea THE parents of Shafilea Ahmed were sentenced to 25 years for her murder. Justice has been served. This couple deserve to rot in jail for a crime that is pure evil. Any parent who hurts their child for not conforming to their way of life should be locked up. Of course every parent wants the best for their child and tries to guide then on a path that they believe will lead them to happiness. But when a child chooses a different path, the parents should accept that and be happy for them. They should encourage their children to think for themselves and choose the paths they feel is right for them. It’s not our children’s fault they can’t speak Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi or Bengali as fluently as their mums and dads, its not the child’s fault they rather have chicken and chips over rice and curry and it’s definitely not the child’s fault if they want to marry someone they chose over someone ‘promised’ to them when they were three years old! Luckily for us, the vast majority of our Asian parents are decent and understanding people. They realise their kids are living in Britain, a multi cultural and multi faith nation that will no doubt have all sorts of influences on their children. As for Shafilea’s parents Iftikar and Farzana Ahmed, they are examples of what parents shouldn’t be like. This was no honour killing, in fact this has nothing to do with honour. It’s a about a violent couple who couldn’t force their daughter to act the way they wanted, so they killed her. And don’t think for a second that parents like the Ahmeds are exclusively from the Asian community. Earlier this month a white Welsh couple were sentenced to prison for beating up their daughter for having a black boyfriend. The boyfriend was attacked by the couple too.

Proud to be British THIS time last year we were all glued to our tellies watching Britain ablaze during the so-called summer riots. Yet, this year, almost to the day, we are still glued to our tellies watching Britain ablaze with gold medals!

Golden role models WHILST no one has yet to clearly establish what caused last year’s riots and why our youth, from all ethnic origins it has to be said, looting, burning and rampaging on their own streets, we see the same youth this year cheering on the likes of Mohammed Farah and Jessica Ennis at the Olympics. Could it be they just need somewhere positive to channel their energies and focus their attentions on some real role models?

Terror in all colours OUR most sincere thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones at the Sikh Temple shooting in Wisconsin, USA. Six innocent lives were needlessly lost, killed by far right nutcase Wade Michael Page. This terrorist scumbag has been described as a “fustrated neo-Nazi “, a time bomb waiting to go off. Just like Britain’s ‘nail bomber’ David Copland in 1999 and Norway’s Anders Breivik in 2011, terrorists come in all shapes and sizes. So we should be looking out for blue-eyed blonde white men as much as bearded brown men.

Email: letters@asiancity.co.uk

Loving it or hating every minute of it, this is your platform to express yourself to thousands of fellow Asian City-zens in the same boat as you. Tell us your points of view or simply vent your spleen, don’t hold back... we’re here to share your joy and pain

SPEND BOLLY MONEY ON SPORT AS I write this letter, India so far has only won one silver and three bronze medals. Pakistan and Bangladesh have yet to win anything. Why oh why are our nations so bad at these tournaments? We have so many people to choose from, yet no one seems to shine. It’s no excuse to say only so called rich nations do well due to their funding of sports, because a lot of the African nations who aren’t as well off as the Europeans seem to pick up lots of medals. It’s all well to have Amitabh Bachchan running around with the Olympic Torch, but when we come away with hardly any medals, makes the whole thing look like a farce! Perhaps if our film industry which isn’t short of money funded a few half decent athletes we may actually get a Gold medal for once. Look what happened to cricket, pretty much all Bollywood cash, started up the Indian Premier League, a cricket tournament the whole world gets to watch and they had real Asian cricketers, from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh! Prakash Bhatt, Dagenham WHAT a brilliant headline last week! Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Game! I was so proud that Amitabh Bachchan was carrying the Olympic flame. Even though he’s not British, every Asian in Britain knows and loves him. I think Asian City got it just right to have him on the front page. Well done! Shanaz Akhter, Wanstead

PUBLISHER Thufayel Ahmed GUEST EDITOR Shihab Salim ART DIRECTOR Virchand Pindoria ENTERTAINMENTS EDITOR Sohail Anjum

No Bengali gold

Let Anuj’s killer rot

I HAVE to mention the Bangladesh Olympic team. I am Bangladeshi (and British too!), but I was very disappointed to see only five athletes turn up for my country. We have over 160million Bengali baboos and babees, yet only five are deemed good enough to compete. Yet more embarrassing was the fact that the Bangladeshi delegation who came to cheer them on and represent them in the stadium, including Leader Hasina outnumbered the athletes! They should have spent their expenses budget on the athletes rather than on political hospitalities. Abdul Bari, Whitechapel

I READ with great sadness about the murder of Anuj Bidve, the Indian student shot dead in Manchester. Even more sad was the way his dad spoke of his son, so softly, so politely, so dignified. What must his parents be going through? Where I live in London, there are so many foreign students. Many are from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. I have many relatives who have sent over their children to study in the UK. They save up for years and even sell their land and property, just so their children can get a good education in the UK. And this poor boy was one of them. His killer Kiaran Stapleton did think for one moment what he was doing, who he was shooting. He didn’t even has a reason. Such a waste of life. I’m glad Stapleton was given a life sentence. He will have a lot of time now to think about what he’s done. Kismat Singh, Slough

Mad ego trip?

WHY is that girl Namira Salim going into space? Is she mad? Humans should stay on Earth. That’s why we have Earth. All that money spent sending her on her ego-trip to space. That money could have been spent on the poor and needy. As a Bengali girl living in Whitechapel, I’ve Wahida Begum via email seen so many of my mates go off to Bangladesh to get married. They seemed happy at first. But by the time they return and realise how stupid they’ve been it’s all too late. They’ve got no job, no place of their own and a husband new struggling to cope. I know its all fun and glamourous to have a foreign wedding, but what about the long term future? As for me, I’m still studying, going to get a job, my own place to live. Then I’ll go back home to het married! Jusna Begum, Whitechapel

Life before marriage

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PRESSURE MOUNTS IN DEWANI KILLING CASE

HUSBAND ‘HIRED HITMAN’ Murder planned during honeymoon says killer by NAZMUL HUDA

kidnapping, robbery, owning an unlicensed gun and to murder’ during MZIWAMADODA Qwabe ‘premediated the trial that is taking place in has been jailed for 25 South Africa but says he was years for the murder of told that Shrien wanted his 28-year-old Anni wife dead and that it had to like a random criminal Dewani from Bristol, look act. but claims her husband The trio also robbed her of Shrien Dewani ordered £7,000 worth of possessions including a designer watch, her killing. The couple were on a last gold and diamond bracelet, minute honeymoon in South handbag and mobile phone. Africa in November 2010 and Mngeni will face trial this it is claimed they had wanted week after the judge ruled his •KILLER CLAIM: Qwabe to see the ‘real’ side to the treatment for a brain tumour country so they hired a taxi does not rule him out from murder and has remained in the UK, while the hearing has driver who promised to take facing justice. taken place. His legal team them on a tour. While in the Denial claim he is mentally unfit to car, Anni was shot in an attend the trial due to postattack that was made to look He is due to appear for a traumatic stress and has been like a hijack and robbery - but from severe Shrien was not injured in the pre-trial conference later in suffering the month, at which the judge depression since the incident. ordeal. Yet in an unexplained twist consider a Qwabe had two will accomplices, Zola Tongo, a neuropsychologist’s report in the tale, Shrien was seen on taxi driver who was jailed for into his ability to understand his hotel’s CCTV camera speaking to Tongo for 13 18 years for his role in the proceedings. Shrien denies that he minutes several days before crime and Xolile Mngeni. Qwabe has admitted commissioned his wife’s the murder occurred, which his friends state was simply him planning the trip. Three days after the crime took place cameras also showed him handing Tongo a white envelope which could have been his payment for the job, though Shrien says it was the taxi fare for the day as he didn’t want to be accused of not paying it. Tongo gave himself up to police a week after the murder took place and claims he first met Shrien at Cape Town airport where he was offered £15,000 to carry out the crime. Shrien is due to be extradited in September for •HAPPIER DAYS Ani and Shrien at their wedding his hearing.

•DENIAL Shrien Dewani

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

•SAFE Miracle boy Rayyan

LUCKY TODDLER TUMBLE A 17-month-old toddler who fell from the first floor window of his family home straight onto his head, has survived in what doctors are calling a miracle. Mohammad Rayyan from Oldham was playing with his sisters when he fell out of a bedroom window. He suffered fractures to his skull but has made a surprising speedy recovery without any long-term damage. His father Mohammad Ali said: ‘When we saw him in hospital we expected the worst but it’s a miracle! He came home after just four days and is already back to kicking around his football and enjoying life. He knows he’s bumped his head but is acting normally.’ Young Mohammed was with his siblings Radya 11 and Taheera 8, while his mother Parveen Begum was ironing on the landing. Radyha left the room to go to the toilet and Parveen followed her, leaving their brother unattended Speaking about how it may have happened, he said: ‘His finger prints were all over the window, we think he climbed up on the bed which is against the window sill and opened it himself.’ When the girls returned they couldn’t find their brother so called out to their mum. Discovering the open window in horror, she dashed outside where she found him lying on the lawn. Mohammad was rushed to hospital and treated immediately, his speedy recovery have shocked all the hospital’s experts as damage to young skulls is usually fatal.

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Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

Thieves steal Eid jewels POLICE in West Sussex are hunting a gang they believe broke into the homes of 12 Muslim families and stole their Eid jewellery while they were at the mosque. Jewellery worth between £1000 and £30,000 was stolen in the robberies from each property and detectives believe they targeted families whom they knew would be celebrating Eid and therefore have lavish gifts at home. Sgt Jim Collen said: ‘They are taking advantage of their knowledge of the local community, targeting houses they know will be vacant and taking these windows of opportunity.’

Shopkeeper’s killer still at large

£50,000 REWARD OFFERED FOR INFORMATION POLICE are widening their search for the killer of a Scottish shopkeeper by appealing to the public to come forward by offering a reward of £50,000 for information leading to arrest or conviction.

•TRAGIC VICTIM Javaid Ali was a hard-working family man

Finger prints and DNA swabs have been taken of all regular customers to help rule them out of the enquiries. The murder occurred in a busy street on a Friday night when a lot of people would have been out, especially as it coincided with an England v Sweden European Championship football match. 48-year-old Javaid Ali was stabbed There are several people, the in the neck at Sunshine Grocers in police are still keen to trace: a young Paisley on June 15th, but died on man around 6ft tall, slim with shaved June 29th. As yet there is no motive Money hair and grey jogging bottoms, who for the attack or trace of the was seen running from the area near murderer, though Strathclyde Police Police have also begun studying a local pub, a quarter of a mile away, who are overseeing the case believe it Mr Ali’s books to find out if anyone and a woman who was walking near is someone local. 60 officers are working on the case owed him money. The father-of-three the shop shortly after the attack. She and so far over 800 statements have kept a tick book which they hope had a dark ponytail and was carrying been taken as well as 700 door-to-door may create new leads. Some of the shopping bags. Anyone with information should inquiries. Detective Superintendent figures are quite large, going into the Bobby Hendren said: ‘There may be thousands. A source said: ‘Javaid was call police on 0141 435 1017 or reasons why people have not come community minded and would often Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 forward and I would like to take this give credit, he was very trusting.’ 555 111. opportunity to point out that a wellknown, hard working, family man has been murdered and his family has been left devastated trying to come to terms with his death.’ Officers have also distributed 4000 leaflets and the case was featured on Crimewatch last month. The film is also being shown at local shopping centres to help jog memories.

NEEDLE LEFT IN BOY’S LEG A FATHER is suing the NHS after a nurse left a broken needle in his four-year-old son’s leg. Eesa Shafiq was in agony after the 2cmlong sliver of metal was left in his left thigh after a routine immunisation jab.. Hours later the boy’s leg became stiff and he could hardly move. The next day his father Shanwazcoor took Eesa to hospital where an X-ray revealed the needle was still in his leg. He had a two hour operation to have the needle removed and now Eesa is recovering at his home in Woodthorpe, Nottingham. Restaurant owner Mr Shafiq is now suing the NHS Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County for negligence.

X-Ray He said: ‘It is appalling that my son was allowed to have a piece of needle in his leg. ‘I was with him when the nurse gave him the injection. When she removed it from his thigh the tip of the needle was not there and I said ‘is it still in his leg?’ ‘She looked at me and told me she’d been a nurse for 20 years and these needles never snap. I asked her where the needle was if it wasn’t in my son’s leg and she called for a doctor. ‘The doctor came in and they were looking around on the floor for the needle, with torches out. They said it was unlikely the needle was in his leg. ‘They said they couldn’t find the needle and wanted to give him a second jab. I saw her lining the other injection up but I wasn’t going to let that happen. ‘They sent us on our way and said we could go to hospital for an X-ray if we wanted. ‘I thought they would have called for an ambulance to help us. Eesa could hardly walk

•TRAUMATISED Eesa Sharif with dad Shanwazcoor and was crying his eyes out with the pain.’ The needle became lodged in Eesa when he had a single injection to prevent against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio at Sherwood Health Centre in Nottingham last week. The next day Mr Shafiq became so concerned about his son he took him to the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) where an Xray confirmed the needle was still inside Eesa. He added: “The nurse and the doctor should be disciplined and retrained before they treat any other patient, especially young children. Eesa has been left traumatised by this horrific mistake. He suffers nightmares and says he never wants to see a doctor again.” The family have now made an official complaint and have instructed solicitors to begin a medical negligence claim.

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aSIaN CITY

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

FROM BOMBAY TO BRICK LANE, DOWN THESE MEAN STREETS SHIHAB SALIM MUST GO

e: shabbs@asiancity.co.uk

Shame! You’re gonna rot forever

ONE of the downsides of being involved in a newspaper is that when you’re presenting news of a trial, as we have been since our inception regarding the Shafilea Ahmed case, is that you can’t scream: “They did it!” Well, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty, Shafilea’s parents did do it, and I for one am feeling no small amount of jubilation at the thought that the cold-blooded murderer Iftikhar Ahmed won’t be a day younger than 77 before he gets the chance to see the light beyond the bars of his prison cell. Killing your daughter because she brought shame upon you by wanting to make her own choices in life? Let’s see how you re-evaluate the word “shame” after you’ve found out what happens when you bend over to pick up a bar of soap in the prison showers, shall we?

“It’s about time you had a nice Indian girlfriend to look after you,” said my chauvinistic Indian pal upon hearing I’m dating a nice Indian girl. In other news, India’s favourite boxer Devendro Singh gets whupped in the Olympics. Unknown female boxer Mary Kom becomes India’s Olympics heroine. I’ll pack away my trousers now, I think.

•PAGE And he looked like such a nice boy

VILE PROFILE

•ME ON HOLIDAY According to the Egyptians

Where the hell am I from? “Are you from India?”

It’s not the question I ought to be pondering while laying on a velvetsanded beach in Sharm el-Sheikh with an ice-cold Singapore Sling in one hand, floating over untroubled crystal blue waters under a flaming red sun, feeling at one with the universe. But any pretentious notion about how every atom in my body being created in the furnace of long-dead stars makes me a citizen of the celestial firmament won’t wash with my Egyptian brothers. They want to know exactly where on this Earth I am from, and the answer “England” sounds less convincing to them than had I claimed to be some sort of international movie star. No, not India, I sigh and say. Not

Pakistan, either. Bangladesh. It generates a reaction that seems suspiciously like pity, followed by a bizarre sequence of logic that leads them to conclude the unwarranted introduction process with the observation: “O-ho. Shah Rukh Khan.” My children ask me why this charade keeps playing out everywhere we go and I tell them truthfully I have no idea. It’s funny, isn’t it? In England, we can reduce a liberal white person to tears by taking them to task for asking the question “where are you from?” (You know the drill: “I’m from Brighton. Oh, you mean originally? Catford? What, you mean where my parents lived when they were little? We’ve just met and

you already want to know about my mum and dad? That’s a bit creepy, dude”). But out here in Africa where brown is brown and black is black, it doesn’t matter how posh your voice or how pretentious your sentiments, if you’re not white, you can’t be from England. I’ve decided not to have a chip on my shoulder about it. The good news is that they all like Shah Rukh Khan. The bad news: it’s Ramadan. And there’s nothing worse than serving a Muslim who thinks he’s English a fancy pants cocktail under the glare of the flaming red sun. I think next time I’ll just settle for India and be silently grateful that it’s Shah Rukh Khan and not Gulshan Grover…

Mind what you read “STOP and search ‘racial profiling’ by police on the increase”, says the Guardian. “Fears of being branded racist stops police investigating crimes by ethnic minorities”, says the Daily Mail.

IT’S GOT to be a joke, hasn’t it? Just as I’ve (almost) stopped wiping away the tears of laughter at the title of the movie Jism, out comes Jism 2. And it features Sunny Leone – a porn star, for crying out loud! Don’t tell me someone from the UK hasn’t got round to telling someone involved in the project in India what the word “jism” means over here?

THERE are so many conclusions to draw from the shooting spree in the Sikh temple in Wisconsin it’s depressing. That Americans still maintain that allowing madmen to bear arms is a right to be proud of. That many people in the world’s most powerful country are convinced there’s an actual war against terror happening right now on American soil. And perhaps most disturbingly, that those Americans who hate Muslims the most actually don’t have the faintest idea what one looks like. Putting aside the clear case of “racists are retards” (Wade Michael Page killing Sikhs in the name of denouncing Islam is like, well, Ander Breivik shooting dead scores of

white Norwegian schoolchildren to combat multiculturalism), it’s not difficult to see what keeps fuelling their ignorance along. The fanatical media’s portrayal of the Muslim Bogeyman is that of a bearded man in a turban (a tragic cause for mistaken identity that saw the murder of Balbir Singh in Arizona by a nut intent on taking revenge for 9/11), with very few bothering to notice that the 7/7 bombers looked like your average Star City rudeboys. Maybe instead of targeting every brown man sporting a beard and headwear, the US officials should start thinking about racial profiling angry white men in possession of a buck load of guns…

IT was 40 years ago that Leicester council sent out an impassioned plea to ousted Ugandan Asians to stay the hell away, with a fullpage ad taken out in the local paper urging: “In your own interests and those of your family, you should accept the advice of the Uganda Resettlement Board and not come to Leicester.” The city’s mayor apologised this week for rubbing salt into the wounds of many of the 55,000 Ugandan Asians forced out of their homes by Idi Amin, but karma has its own way of resolving things: today Leicester is a thriving multicultural metropolis, is considered the centre for higher education thanks to two highly respected universities, and has the largest economy in the East Midlands, while Uganda is one of the poorest nations in the world, with 37.7 percent of the population living on less than 80p a day.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

Blaze risk boss guilty

A FORMER takeaway owner faces jail after putting staff and a fouryear-old girl at risk through a string of fire safety breaches. Usman Farzand, 41, told inspectors he had never heard of a fire risk assessment when they visited the Mr Cod takeaway, on Yorkshire Street, in Rochdale. Officers found there were no fire alarms in the building, the basement of which was being used as staff accommodation. Fire officers found a fouryear-old girl – the daughter of a member of staff – asleep in the cellar even though it had no ventilation or light and was not suitable for human habitation. Farzand, of Oldham Road, Ashton, pleaded guilty to 11 fire safety breaches at Bury and Rochdale magistrates’ court.

PM’S DANCE CHALLEGE DAVID Cameron has been challenged to take part in a “BhangraFit” class after suggesting that Indian dance was not a suitable form of exercise for schoolkids.

classes are not part of the curriculum, and often they are taught in afterschool clubs or lunch-hours. Fans of Indian dance say that certain Indian dance styles, such as bhangra, are a great cardio excercise and is more enjoyable Hundreds of schools across for some pupils who have no England currently have interest in traditional sport. But in a television interview, Bollywood or bhangra dance classes – some are for exercise the Prime Minister was and others are for cultural apparently critical of using “Indian dance or whatever” as teaching. However, in most cases the part of previously compulsory two-hour time slots for sport or PE in schools as he sought to justify scrapping the targets. He told ITV1’s Daybreak that it was something “you and I probably wouldn’t think of as sport”. Jennie Jethwani, managing director and co-founder of Bollywood Dance London, •JAI HO PM’s Got Not Bhangra

which runs classes from adults and children, said it was popular among both Asian and non-Asian pupils in schools. Many had been inspired by Jai Ho, a choreographed sequence at the end of Slumdog Millionaire, the hit film directed by the Olympics opening ceremony mastermind Danny Boyle. Ms Jethwani said that “if any dance is considered a sport” then Bollywood dance should be, and that it was “more energetic, more cardio” than others. “It can be just as energetic as exercise,” she said. “Dance is a fantastic way of keeping fit and getting a full cardiovascular workout - I am sure that if he tried one of our ‘BhangraFit’ classes he would see the benefits too.”

Cops ‘scared to arrest us’ •JAILED Mohammed Shafiq Ali (left) and Mohammed Shabir Ali

TWINS ADMIT FUNDING TERRORIST TRAINING IDENTICAL twins from east London have admitted supporting their brother’s terrorist training in Somalia. Shabir Ali and Shafiq Ali ‘sent funds primarily out of concern for their brother’s physical and mental health’, Mr Justice Fulford told the Old Bailey. The brothers, who admitted raising money in England to fund terrorism abroad, have been jailed for three years. Shabir and Shafiq, Transport for London employees, were part of a “network of support” for their brother while he was undergoing terrorist training in Somalia, the Old Bailey heard. The 25-year-olds were recorded speaking on the phone to their brother, Shamim Ali, about collecting the money from members of the public by pretending it was for charity, said Timothy Cray, prosecuting. The judge said: “The courts must reflect the seriousness of offences of this kind in the sentences that are handed down, given that they were intended to support terrorism.” The twins plotted to con people into donating cash by saying it was for Muslim Aid and the “Palestinian cause”, Cray said. While police say they will never know the exact amount of money they sent over, the twins admitted the charge on the basis it was £3,000, sent to Somalia between August 2008 and June last year. He said that in passing his sentence he took into account that the men were of previous good character and had shown a “strong element of responsibility” by giving evidence at a murder trial earlier this year. Their evidence had been a “significant” factor in the conviction of four men, he added.

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POLICE fail to investigate crimes committed by ethnic minorities because they fear being branded racist, a new report claims. The document released by think-tank Civitas last week says pressure to show racial sensitivity may have been behind the initial failure to properly investigate Asian street grooming gangs in the North of England. Jon Gower Davies, a former academic, links the failure to police being branded ‘institutionally racist’ by the Macpherson report into the death of Stephen Lawrence, which he says left police ‘shackled’ by bureaucracy. The document, entitled ‘Mind-Forg’d Manacles: Murder, Macpherson and the Police’ finds Macpherson lacked evidence for the charge of institutional racism which he says ‘lacks substance’. This year an Asian gang from Rochdale were jailed for plying teenage girls with alcohol before raping them. The court heard up to 47 vulnerable girls were passed around the group and forced to have sex several times a week. But, it was two years before action was finally taken. Police missed an opportunity to stop the gang when a 15year-old girl told them she had been raped. A former Labour MP, Ann Cryer, said the police failed to investigate properly because they were ‘petrified’ of being branded racist.

SHOCKED OBAMA SENDS MESSAGE OF UNITY

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

•GUILTY Murbarek Ali

Duo groomed teens for sex

Seven killed in massacre Shooting spree in US Gurdwara was ‘domestic terror attack’ AMERICA was in shock last week after six worshippers were shot dead inside a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. The killer was identified as neo-nazi sympathiser Wade Page, who was shot dead at the scene.

The incident took place at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, in a usually quiet suburb called Oak Creek, just before 10.30am, when many families had gathered for their regular worship. There was a total of seven fatalities include the gunman and one of the temple’s priests. Three people, including a policeman and the temple president are still in critical condition in hospital. It is thought that Wade Page entered the temple and started shooting randomly. The temple has been cordoned off by police and local people have been

•EVIL Wade Page

told to evacuate the area while they undertake their investigations. They have described the incident as a domestic terror attack. Speaking about the shooting, the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said: ‘That this senseless act of violence should be targeted at a place of religious worship is particularly painful.’ A local resident who was at the temple when the crime took place, said: ‘We never thought this could happen to our community. We never did anything wrong to anyone.’ The attack comes just over two weeks after a similar gun massacre in a Colorado cinema which killed 12 people. President Barack Obama also expressed his condolences and said: ‘As we mourn this loss which took place at a house of worship, we are reminded how much our country has been enriched by Sikhs, who are a part of our broader American family.’ Around 3000 Sikh families live in Wisconsin where there are two gurdwaras.

•SHOCK The Sikh community is struggling to come to terms with the tragedy

TWO brothers face long prison terms after they were found guilty of grooming school girls for sex and selling them as prostitues. Ahdel Ali, 24, groomed a 13-year-old girl from the day he met her and later raped her. He also had sex with two other 15-year-old girls who he later pimped out with his brother Murbarek Ali, 29. A court heard the teenagers were driven to the rear of a shop and forced to climb through a window. Murbarek got one of them to have sex with two restaurant workers when she was four months pregnant. The brothers links with Asian restaurants and fast food shops provided them with a network of punters who paid £20 to £50 for sex, Stafford Crown Court heard. The girls, from Telford, Shropshire, regularly failed to attend school or went missing from home and were “easy prey” for the brothers, who are both married. The pair controlled their victims by offering them lifts and mobile phone topups, urging them to drink vodka and smoke cannabis and giving them cigarettes and food.

•GUILTY Ahdel Ali

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

WORLD NEWS

•REUNITED Baby is back home

PARADE HUMILIATION FOR COUPLE

Baby sellers: Police abuse captured on camera couple held SEVERAL police officers in Pakistan have been suspended POLICE in Rajasthan have arrested a couple suspected of selling their new-born baby boy for £462 to pay for the treatment of their sick three-year-old son. Sandhya Devi and Ashok Kumar allegedly sold the baby to neighbours Vinod Agarwal and his wife Shakuntla. The baby boy was born on 31 July and handed over to the couple on 3 August. Their ‘business deal’ was foiled when Mr and Mrs Kumar lodged a complaint with police earlier this week saying that the Agarwals had not paid them all the money. The baby has now been handed back to the Kumars.

incident occurred on July 27th, with a hearing due this week. Mr Mirbahar from their job after forcing a has since been released on bail but the is still in police man and woman to strip and woman custody. Humiliation is becoming an walk naked through the streets, increasing form of ‘punishment’ in in a ‘walk of shame’ to the local Pakistan. In June, a middle-aged police station. woman was dragged from her home in Some reports suggest they were Neelor Bala, forced to strip, abused, arrested for having sex outside than told to parade naked through her marriage and others that they were village, as punishment for her son involved in an extra-marital having an affair. affair. Footage of the incident, recorded on the phone of one of the Death sentence officers involved reveals the man Mumtaz Mirbahar, being beaten by Shahnaz Bibi who was unaware of police, while the woman, begging and pleading for her clothes, is led the affair later fled to a nearby forest through the streets in front of crowds with her younger son and is so ashamed by her ordeal that she can in the Sindh town of Gambat. Police were tipped off about their no longer go back. However this form ‘crime’ after a local man told them Mr of abuse also has a law in Pakistan Mirbahar has been holding parties that where stripping women and exposing involved dancing and alcohol during them in public is punishable by life the holy month of Ramadan. The imprisonment or death.

•VICTIM Mumtaz Mirbahar was forced to walk streets naked

The Taj Mahal in Agra is the most popular visitor attraction in India, yet the five hour journey across the Golden Triangle from Delhi has so far prevented it from being accessible for some people. A new Express Way toll road will change that, by halving the road trip. The toll route which opened on Thursday costs £5 each way and will increase visitor numbers to the monument, which already attracts three million domestic visitors a year. The road is estimated to have cost over £1bn and will regenerate the whole area. Property developers have started creating new townships along the expressway with hubs of affordable housing.

MISSING MAN REUNITED

A BANGLADESHI man who disappeared 23 years ago, has been found alive in a Pakistani jail. Moslemuddin Sarkar (52) was thought to be dead after he left home one morning in 1989 telling his family he was going to work as a dock worker at the seaport in Chittagong - however they never heard from him again. His brother Ali who met him at Dhaka airport on his return home yesterday said: ‘We waited for months, years, and finally thought he was no more.’ They found out he was in jail after an anonymous call made to the Red Cross who found him in Pakistan and arranged for him to be freed and sent home. Sarkar has not yet gone into all the details of his disappearance but has revealed he crossed the border into Delhi in 1989 and tried to enter Pakistan in 1997 but was detained after having no travel documents, where he •HOME Moslemuddin Sarkar spent 15 years in jail spent 15 years in jail.

Runaway train sparks rail panic A TRAIN driver on the India-Nepal border sparked panic when he climbed down for a quick glass of water - only for his unmanned diesel engine to race off without him. Rafik Kawari looked on helplessly from the platform at Jayanagar station in Bihar, India, as his train quickly gathered speed and raced over the border at more than 30 miles an hour. Local police tried to stop the runaway train before it crashed or killed anyone, but it powered on over several bridges and through tunnels. Officials blamed staff shortages at the Nepal Railways Corporation for their failure to stop the engine, while technicians said it had been in neutral gear when it moved off from the platform and that they still do not know what caused it to run away. It was eventually brought to a stop, without crashing or claiming any casualties, when it was diverted into a shunting yard close to Janakpur station in Nepal. The fate or job of Rafik Kawari is yet to be decided by the Nepal Railways Corporation.

•CARNAGE Bus wreckage

52 killed in bus tradegy AT LEAST 52 people including two children have died after an overcrowded bus plunged 300ft into a gorge in northern India. The driver lost control when a tyre burst at a sharp bend on a mountain road in the state of Himachal Pradesh, 335 miles north of New Delhi. Many passengers riding on the roof of the 42-seat bus were killed in the carnage. Among the victims were 18 women. Forty-six passengers were taken to hospital with 12 of them in a critical condition. The death toll was expected to rise, it was reported. As many as 39 people, including the driver, died at the scene, while 13 succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

WORLD NEWS

SHOE MAN DENOUNCED TO SOME people he was considered a generous and devoted man, but to his bosses Khurshid Khan was an embarrassment. The Deputy Attorney General had a high profile job in the Pakistani government but decided to spend two months in India shining shoes at a Sikh temple in India. He was accused of defaming his country by assisting a nation which is considered to be their ‘rival,’ and many members of the government were upset after seeing images of him polishing shoes, whilse sitting on the floor of a temple belonging to a different faith to his. Last month the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan denounced him, saying his actions had damaged the country’s image - in both India and Pakistan shoes are regarded as dirty. On hearing the news Khan went straight to Amritsar, the home of The Golden Temple where he went to clean thousands of more shoes. He began cleaning shoes as an act of protest after

•SOLE MAN Khan was protesting against terror three Sikh men were kidnapped and murdered in the Pakistan region of Peshawar by Taliban militants. He vowed to show his opposition to terrorism by providing a ‘service’ to other religions including helping Hindu temples, Sikh temples and Christian churches. Paramjeet Singh Sarna, president of Delhi’s Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee admitted Mr Khan’s actions had moved Indian Sikhs. He said: ‘He is an individual who didn’t hurt anyone - his act was a message for the entire humanity.’

Nepal bans solo trekking TOURISTS in Nepal will no longer be able to trek the mountain region of the Himalayas unless they are accompanied by an official government guide. The decision follows the death of a 23-year old Belgian trekker whose decapitated body was found on June 14th beneath a trekking trail in the Langtang National Park. Speaking about the decision, a tourism spokesperson said: ‘Isolated cases of disappearances and killing of trekkers have tarnished the image of the country. We think that the compulsory arrangement of a tourist guide for a trekker will ensure their security.’

Guru of Anti-Corruption

YOGA LEADER JOINS CAMPAIGN LEADING yoga guru Baba Ramdev has joined the campaign against corruption in India and says he will protest indefinitely until changes are made.

Mr Ramdev has millions of supporters and broadcasts a daily television show throughout India. Last June he held a nine day anti-corruption hunger strike before he was evicted by Delhi police. His daily protests are taking place at the Ramlilia ground in the capital and are being attended by thousands of supporters. The anti-corruption law is one that has been supported by many influential people throughout the country, including wide spread hunger strikes. The protests are in response to the government’s illegal depositing of money into overseas accounts to avoid tax. It is thought £319bn has been deposited into foreign tax havens to avoid paying tax in India,

which should be invested into the country. Speaking of his commitment to the cause, Mr Ramdev said: ‘We are not here to replace any political party. We don’t have a political agenda. Our only concern is ending corruption in the country.’ His goal is for the government to return this ‘black money’ and create an anti-corruption law to prevent further activity of this nature. So far over 200,000 followers have pledged their support for his campaign which has seen much of New Delhi come to a stand still including creating traffic jams and converging on the city’s most popular areas, like fairgrounds. However some believe that Mr Ramdev, whose real name is Ramkishan Yadav, is himself at the centre of his own financial scandal. He has amassed millions of dollars in donations and has not disclosed all the sources of his wealth. His assistant was also arrested last month on chargers of cheating and forgery to obtain a passport.

RAMADAN CAFE CRACKDOWN CAFES and restaurants in Islamabad serving ex-pats and non-fasters have been shocked to discover they are breaking the law by selling and serving food during the month of Ramadan. Pakistani police are trying to enforce the Ramadan Ordinance, a law that was passed in 1981 by General Zia-ul-Haq, who was trying to make the country more Islamic. On Saturday police raided cafes, including a popular western style cafe called Mocca for the ‘illicit consumption’ of brownies, muffins, smoothies and

in public food places. A witness in a cafe during a raid said: ‘There was a lot of hostility in the air because foreigners were being served while others (Pakistanis) were being told to leave.’ A local journalist said: ‘We have double standards when the police take no action on •BAN Pakistanis can’t eat in public important things but when it comes to enforcing Islamic skinny lattes. Previously positions they are more cafes were told to keep blinds efficient than ever.’ Last month police down during Ramadan, but now they are being instructed assaulted a journalist for that they are only allowed to being caught consuming a serve non-Pakistanis; soft drink on a hilltop. He was not in public. Pakistanis cannot to be seen

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

ISSUES

TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT

Mental health issues affect one in six people. But help is at hand... Here, a 23-year-old male carer speaks prior to the negative signs she was of the service received from THEDS showing. My family and I appreciate the for her sister. time spent by the team but I believe it will not end here. The service provided “It was fantastic having THEDS look by THEDS was a huge boost for us to after my sister for the past few months in carry on working with the early those difficult situations. It has been a intervention team. We can see a lot of challenging journey since my sister’s change in her and hope that it continues distraction, illusion and abnormal to go that direction.” activity during the past nine months. She has made significant improvements in the Another 18-year-old who was using way she was before, thanks to the aid of THEDS had this to say; the GP and THEDS. “I have much gratitude for the team in I found THEDS really supportive and what they did for my sister and how I reassuring. They helped me overcome was able to work alongside them to make and understand how to deal with anxiety my sister become the person she was, and panic attacks. The team are all

HAVE you ever felt something is not right? Or had an unusual experience that is difficult to explain to others? Perhaps you felt scared or anxious about going out and mixing with others. If you can relate to these feelings, you’re not alone.

Mental health problems are common, with one in six adults in Tower Hamlets suffering at any one time. Some groups are at particularly high risk of mental health problems, including people who sleep rough, people with physical illnesses, children from deprived households and the long-term unemployed. Problems with alcohol and drugs also can exacerbate mental health problems. Tower Hamlets has many of the risk factors for poor mental health at both individual and community level which include high population density, overcrowding, high rates of unemployment and poverty, poor physical health, and high rates of substance misuse. Based on estimates from the National Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, this would suggest around 30,000 adults aged 16 and over in Tower Hamlets to have a common mental disorder. A person’s mental health can affect all areas of one’s life and it doesn’t necessarily mean coping with a long-term illness. Some of the more common forms of mental health problems can include depression, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorders

(OCD), panic attacks or anxiety. These can affect one’s moods, sleep patterns, confidence, appetite and motivation. A mental health service called The Tower Hamlets Early Detection Service (THEDS) service has been set up to assess and support those people between the ages of 16 – 25 living in Tower Hamlets. They aim to raise awareness and improve the mental health of those living in the borough. “THEDS is made up of a team of nurses, psychologists and psychiatrists. When you make contact, an initial appointment is arranged to discuss the services available. For young people who are assessed as being at risk of more serious mental health problems the team will offer the following for a period of two years: • A named person for you to contact • Access to psychological therapies • Support to build upon your strengths • Help and support to access work and training opportunities • Family support around difficult issues • Fast access to treatment if things get worse

friendly and understanding and would recommend it to anyone having mental health problems. I am able to resume with life and I feel positive that I can overcome these problems again in the future. • If you live in Tower Hamlets, and want to speak to a member of the team about seeing someone or if you have any concerns about a friend or family member, please contact THEDS on 0203 487 1320, email at info@theds.org.uk, or visit www.theds.org.uk. If you live anywhere else in the UK, speak to your GP.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

Hot in the City YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ASIAN ENTERTAINMENT

THE official trailer hit the web only a few weeks ago and already there’s talk that Life of Pi will be the film to sweep next year’s Oscars. The story revolves around a boy from Pondicherry named Piscine Molitor Patel or ‘Pi’ for short, who finds himself on an epic journey of self discovery when disaster strikes and leaves him stranded on a lifeboat. Only 17 years of age, Suraj Sharma who hails from Delhi, India, was chosen out of 3000 young men who had responded to the casting call for the role. Award winning director Ang Lee even arranged swimming lessons for Sharma, who could not swim at all and had no prior acting experience.

NAGRA’S NO IDEA Star in dark over Alcatraz plot IF YOU ever bump into British Actress Parminder Nagra, do not mention the word Alcatraz. She is currently upset after bosses at the Fox network decided to axe the series after just one season.

Picture: Kharen Hill/FOX

Taking the Pi

e: sohail@asiancity.co.uk

Nagra who played the sinister doctor, Lucy Banerjee, admitted she was saddened by the news because fans will now never know what becomes of the characters. She told BBC’s Newsbeat, “We only did 13 episodes. It would have been nice to have another 13 episodes - that would have been fantastic, so people at least know what the hell was going on.” “Even I was going, ‘I want to know what’s going on,’ because

no one ever told us anything. My interviews on that were generally limited to ‘I’ve no idea!’ But fans needn’t worry, you can soon see Parminder Nagra back on the big screen in a film called Twenty8K which will go on general release in September. HIGHLIGHTS 2002 Plays role of Jesminder ‘Jess’ Bhamra in box-office hit Bend It Like Beckham 2003 Joins cast of ER, playing the physician Neela Rasgotra. Was the longest-term actor in the series before it ended in 2009 2012 Plays character of Lucy Banerjee in J.J Abrams series, Alcatraz but axed after one season by Fox Network 2012 Stars in Twenty8k, a film about gang violence in London.

ZOE ON TOUR SHE has managed to firmly establish herself as one of the brightest stars on the contemporary jazz scene, Next month Zoe Rahman will be performing on the stage at the Herts Jazz Festival being held from 14th – 16th September. Zoe Rahman, Born to a Bengali father and English mother, studied classical piano at the Royal Academy of Music, and holds a music degree from Oxford University. Her album, “Melting Pot”, was nominated in 2006 for the Mercury Prize and it also won ‘Jazz Album of the Year’ at the UK’s first Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Echoes of Ellington will open the festival on the Friday night, with the Zoe Rahman Quartet perfoming at 3pm on Saturday. For more information about the festival go to www.hertsjazzfestival.co.uk

ON THE HOT SEAT: ASHA J When men are upset, why do they go and get wasted? Because they want to be a man and pretend they don’t care and they are strong and then turn to a drink and let their heart out with their mates who will listen. Why do women gossip? Insecurity they get satisfaction and self esteem by putting others down. Why do women tart up? It’s not Tart! Its enhancing their features and dressing up to make them feel good. And yes, to attract the opposite sex. What irritates you about men? Being blanked, silence, thoughtless, lazy, excuses behaving like a baby when they have a cold like it’s the end of the world. When they turn up late or put their phones on silent even knowing you were going to call and then add to the excuse my battery was low or phone was on silent.. Why do blokes never call when they say they are going to? They are like kids. They like the

chase until the day she’s stops calling and it’s like I’ve lost my will to live. Where’s the ego gone now? I think you need to phone a friend - lol.. When men ask you what you’re thinking and you say ‘nothing’ … is it true? Nope i just want him to dig deeper and ask me more and give me a tight hug and say I understand you can share your feelings, which would then make us open UP! We say nothing to avoid an argument or find the right time - even though we are burning up inside. Men enjoy sport because secretly they like the idea of playing with each other. Discuss… To get away from nagging women and feel free in a man’s kingdom. That’s what they want. It’s a stimuli for men - the function of learning to multi task and getting the ball into a hole. But hey, women love sports too. The Olympics shows that women are just as equal when it comes

to playing. Is it possible for a woman to be faithful? For sure it is. Women value love and respect. If you’re not happy then leave your partner. Cheating is a crime in my eyes and in the eyes of god. And what goes around comes around it’s all about karma. If you were married and your dream man offered you a one night stand, could you resist? Yes. I’m not one for temptation and would not be not so flattered if he knew I was married to offer me that. Who should make the first move? Its doesn’t matter these days. Woman power exists! Should men rule the world? Nope they shouldn’t as they can’t even muti task and the world would be in total chaos. And we would be empowered back to the kitchen. It’s clear that most men can hardly function without a woman’s touch. • Asha J, www.ashajmusic.com

REZ BROKEN INSIDE HE HAS appeared in films like, My Son the Fanatic and The Mystic Masseur or you may remember him from TV series documentary Banged Up Abroad where he played the character of Amardeep Bassey, the journalist accused of being a spy who was thrown into jail when he visited Pakistan. You have even seen him more recently in the movie, Life Goes On where he got to play the love interest of Soha Ali Khan and got appeared alongside Bollywood iconic legends Sharmila Tagore and Om Puri. Yes we are referring about British Asian hunk Rez Kempton, who has been keeping himself busy filming shorts and now has just completed a new feature film titled Broken Inside. Here you will see him play the character of Marcus. We definitely look forward to seeing more of this talented actor on the big screen. Broken Inside is currently being shown in selected cinemas.

•HOT Rebecca is set to raise heartbeats

Nav is Diana’s love doctor

BRITISH heart-throb Naveen Andrews is all set to face public anger as he is has been cast to play the late Princess Diana’s lover in an upcoming biopic releasing in cinemas early next year. Andrews, who starred in the cult series Lost and can currently be seen in the Sky drama, Sinbad, has been cast to play the role of heart surgeon, Dr Hasnat Khan. Naomi Watts will be seen playing the role of the late Princess Diana. The biopic will focus on the final two years of her life including the little documented affair with Dr Hasnat Khan. “There is a lot of affection for Diana and this film shows a period of her life that many people are not aware of” states Naveen in an interview with a British tabloid. The film will also look at Diana’s final romance with Dodi Al Fayed and her fatal death in the Paris car crash in 1997.

BECKY’S BACK ON THE WARD HAVE you ever wondered what happened to Beena Shah from Crossroads or Arun Parmar from Bad Girls? Well we can assure you that the sexy Rebecca Hazlewood is still very much around but not on our shores. Hazlewood who was last seen on the big screen starring on the independent film Kissing Cousins as Zara, the female lead, decided to cross the pond, where in 2008 she had a recurring role as Jaspreet in the acclaimed series ER and in NBC’s highly anticipated comedy series Outsourced as Asha, the smart, confident girl call centre worker. But it seems that she cannot seem to get away from the medical profession and can currently be seen in Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Mara Keaton.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

AISHA’S LOOKING FOR TV LOVE COULD dating sites become a thing of the past when looking for love? If you want to find the man of your dreams then why not appear on a reality TV show like Take Me Out or The Bachelor. This is exactly what 26year old beauty from London, Aisha Uka decided to do. First she decided to give it a go on the British dating game show Take Me Out where the objective is for a man to gain a date with one of the thirty single women, unfortunately this didn’t work out for her. Next stop for Aisha was to try and win the heart of Made In Chelsea star Spencer Matthews. A show where 24 other contestants are fighting for his attention so that they ensure that he no longer remains a bachelor by the end of the series. “I decided to go on to the bachelor for the experience” she reveals to us “I think it was a mutual feeling, neither of us felt anything romantic, but we really got on as mates”. Aisha goes on further to add “I however made some great friends from the show and that is worth more than any man. I visited the most amazing places. I was tempted to reject a rose but Renay got in there before me” Having reached 6 out of the 24 girls it was unfortunate, that here too, Aisha was shown the red card by Spencer last week. “The public, have been really supportive and stop to tell how nice I am. I played no game plan

•SEARCHING Aisha loves the dating game and was just myself”. Will she ever find the man of her dreams? She is sure that the man of her dreams is out there. Maybe she could try a stint on Celebrity Big Brother next! Or even Bollywood?

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

BOLLYWOOD

•NEW ROLE KJo loves London but says he won’t be shooting in any more cheesy tourist hotspots

Karan talks about London! KARAN Johar won fame right from his first film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukherji. The director then went on to make a film that opened doors for Indian cinema worldwide, Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham, mainly shot in Britain. He then went on to produce Kal Ho Naa Ho and broke his mould by directing a film on infidelity and extra-marital affairs, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. Johar has mostly directed and produced films that are set abroad e.g. Kurbaan, Dostana and My Name Is Khan and is often labelled as a filmmaker who makes movies for the NRI audience. KJo as he is informally known to the world, was the only official invitee from the Indian film fraternity to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics Games, London 2012 as the goodwill tourism ambassador for VisitBritain. In conversation with Bollywood reporter Sunny Malik, Karan Johar talks about London, Dostana 2 and his upcoming film Student of the Year.

How was your experience attending the opening ceremony of the London Olympics 2012? It was spectacular and I don’t think it needs my validation. The fact that there was a filmmaker who touched India recently, made it even more exciting for me to watch it. Danny Boyle gave it a certain sense of drama and emotion, much like an Indian film really. It was a spectacle in every way.

Square. They make it like a tourist kind of film. That is not, I think the essence of London. I had the same tourist approach when I shot in England. But over the last decade, I have evolved more as a filmmaker. I see a lot of lanes and alleys and I hope I make a film here again and truly capture the essence of London. I don’t want to show the London Eye and now the Olympic Village, which I am sure, will be the new cinematic attraction.

You have not filmed your next release Student of the Year here or in the States, which is unusual. Why did you decide on shooting your film mostly in India? I shot a song in Kashmir for Student of the Year. I had not been to Kashmir since I was eight. When I reached there, I can’t explain the emotion I felt. We don’t associate that kind of beauty with India. That is why people go to Switzerland. Now they have stopped going there, I think the cows were objecting (laughs). But when I shot there, I thought why are we going anywhere else. We have the most stunning and breath-taking locations in India. Since you are producing far more films under Dharma Productions now, when will we see you producing a film that is based in the UK? Well, nothing has come up. Dostana 2 had but we are still structuring that.

Abhishek Bachchan told me that the film is not set in London anymore. It will not be shot in London anymore that is What one memory of the UK would you for sure. It is happening but it may not be in like to share with us? London at all. It depends on film-maker to When I was a child, I used to stay with family film-maker and subject to subject and what friends in Slough. I remember, I was seven brings us next here. Right now, there is no years old and I discovered Softie ice cream, film on the cards. But you never know, I love which I used to buy from the ice cream van. the city so much that I might develop For some reason, I thought very quietly something and I will hopefully bring a film. without telling anyone, that if you drank Diet Coke, you were on a diet. Every kind of You started your career with Yash Raj chocolate and ice cream and everything Films as an AD on Dilwale Dulhania Le that can make you burst out of your clothes. Jayenge which was shot in London. Now Then, I used to drink a gallon of Diet Coke. this year you worked with the production I put on about twenty-five kilos. When I house again as a costume designer for reached the airport in Mumbai, my mother the yet-untitled film, which was shot here started crying as soon as she saw me. She recently. How was your experience asked me what happened to me and I told coming back here and work on a film? her that I was dieting! It was great working on the film. I have done all Yash ji’s films from Dil To Pagal Hai to What is it about London that so many Veer Zaara and now to the yet-untitled film Indian films are shot here? with Shah Rukh. It’s an emotional project for I love the city. Unlike New York, which is me, not a professional one. I mean, I am not tough to capture on film because it is a really a designer by profession. I am a horizontal city, there is something about designer by hobby. But doing Yash ji’s film London, which is special. It’s something is a tremendously emotional experience about the light that you capture, something because it possibly will be his last film. He I noticed with all films shot in England. There has gone on record to say that. I had to be is a great tonality but sometimes it adds and a part of it. The fact that it has Shah Rukh, contributes tremendously. Most of the Hindi makes it even more special. I am really film-makers shoot the large stuff. They proud that I will have a credit as a costume come and shoot at Piccadilly and Leicester designer in the film.

BOLLYWOOD STAR KATRINA KAIF tells Sunny Malik about NOBODY expected Yash Raj Films to pull off this (impossible) casting coup of Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif together in Kabir Khan's Ek Tha Tiger. The rumoured ex-couple last worked together in Subhash Ghai's dud Yuvraaj.

Katrina, a British citizen working in Indian films since 2003, struck gold after working with Kabir Khan in New York (2009) and quickly became Yash Raj Films' favourite who is currently the leading actress for all their big upcoming projects such as Yash Chopra's yet-untitlednext and Dhoom 3. After attending the London premiere of her last release Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, the actress started principle shooting for Ek Tha Tiger in Dublin, Ireland with co-star Salman Khan last year. The 28-year-old actress shot for the film extensively at Trinity University and other parts of the Irish capital. Other locations where the film has been shot include India, Turkey, Cuba and Bangkok. Katrina then shot for Yash Chopra's film with Shah Rukh Khan in London after finishing her schedule with Salman Khan in Cuba. Kaif flew into London directly from Cuba and started

filming for both movies back-toback. Ek Tha Tiger is Kaif's first action film where she has reportedly performed all the action sequences herself and called them exciting. Salman Khan plays the character of Tiger. Tell us something about him. Tiger is a man who thinks he knows himself really well, but in actual fact he doesn’t quite know himself. He is seen to be a man of his word and a soldier who will fight for his country but the capacity to fall in love, even surprises himself. How would you compare your dancing skills in comparison to Salman Khan? You can’t compare yourself to others. Salman is who he is for a reason and his audience loves him for that. I always feel the need to rehearse my steps. If you show Salman a step, he will do it right away, but if you show me a step and if I have to do it right away, that’s where I lack the confidence. I will always felt the need to go and rehearse in order for me to feel more confident to match up to Salman’s dancing style. Salman will

carry it off in his own way whereas I have to be more technically correct. How was your experience filming in places like Ireland, Cuba and Turkey? The first location we started in was Dublin. Salman has a very unique quality in him. Every country he visits, he will always find an India within it. For instance, Dublin for Salman became Bandra, Turkey became Rajasthan and Cuba for him became Marine Drive. So when everybody said, “wow this is Cuba”, Salman would turn around and say “no, this is Marine Drive”. So which ever, country we filmed in, Salman always managed to find a part of India within it. Salman Khan plays the character of a RAW agent, a one-man army demolishing whatever comes in his way, which requires extremely good action. The action in the film was probably one of the most important parts of the film because it was extremely difficult to film and Kabir wanted a very real style of action. Which meant he didn’t want to use the very typical harness kind of shots, where you find the hero flying

JACQUELINE ON PARADE THE Indian Independence Day Parade annual event in New York, has previously been graced in the past by Indian actresses Rani Mukherji and Deepika Padukone. For this year’s parade, the promoters have decided to approach Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez, but may have forgotten that the actress is originally from Sri Lanka even though she’s firmly taken root in Bollywood. Jacqueline’s dates may however clash as she will be busy filming for Race 2 and it remains to be seen whether she will make the parade or not!

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

WHO TAMED THE TIGER singing and dancing with badboy Salman Khan “The song showed the true feeling of when you are in love”

across the room. He wanted it to have that impact. It’s something you’ve never seen Salman do before. I didn’t have so many action sequences in the film. I only have two action sequences, which were fun. I was on set everyday, trying to do as many shots as possible. Some action shots I was not allowed to do because they were deemed to dangerous Which song is your favourite, Banjaara or Mashallah? This is a foot-tapping song as Salman calls it. This is more his song. As much as I love the song, I prefer Mashaallah more, because I participate in the song more. Banjaara is more about the character.

In the song Laapata, neither you or Salman had to lip sync the lyrics. That is quite unusual for a masala film. Yes that is correct. That is the actual highlight of this song that neither of us had to lip sync for it. It’s the romantic song in the film with a very Latin American feel. It shows two people madly in love and it’s the joy you feel when you are in love. Romantic songs are one of the favorite things that Salman loves to do. He enjoys those spontaneous fun moments they create and the idea of romance. Salman gave a lot of ideas and we improvised in some parts for instance, like holding hands and drinking coffee together and painting, you see a lot of real moments.

BOLLYWOOD star kids making their entry into movies is not a new phenomena. The latest Bollywood star kid to make an entry will be none other than Jackie Shroff’s son, Tiger Shroff. Tiger Shroff will be launched in his debut movie titled Heropanti and will be directed by none other than Sabbir Khan of Kambakth Ishq fame. The ironic thing is, Jackie Shroff started his career in 1982 with a movie titled Hero and Tiger will be starring in his debut in Heropanti. The film has been described as romantic action film with an intense love story.

We heard that that for Mashallah you learnt a new form of belly dancing. Was that tough to learn? In Mashallah, Vaibhavi wanted to keep a lot of elements you will see in the film a little bit Arabic, a little bit Moroccan, in the styling. If you see Salman, he supports the keffiyeh look, which is actually one of his nicest looks in the film. I remember when I first saw the rehearsal for the choreography for the song, I thought it was great and as always, I rehearsed for days and learnt all the steps with the male dancer who was playing Salman’s part, but the night before the song, I came down with a bad viral infection so I couldn’t shoot for 2 days. By the time I got back on set, I had already missed two days of rehearsals and

BOLLYWOOD Kareena’s Dubai jibe KAREENA Kapoor’s Heroine has been hit with controversy since the trailer came out and it seems that a crucial dialogue featured in the trailer hasn’t gone down to well with Middle Eastern fans. The dialogue uttered by Kareena, implies that when an actress visits Dubai then she supports a rate card, otherwise implying that she is nothing more than a call girl. This has angered residents of •UPROAR Kareena Kapoor the city and fans in general. The UAE has become a major market for Bollywood films over the last few years with many premieres taking place there quite frequently and losing out on business could affect Heroines success and Kareena’s popularity. Heroine is directed by the award-winning director, Madhur Bhandarkar, who is known in Bollywood for directing real-life inspired, gritty and hard hitting movies, which have included Fashion and Page 3. The film-makers have now taken action to fizzle down the controversy and a new trailer has been released in the UAE with the dialogues recitified. Will this action salvage the damage already done? We will have to wait and see when the film is released in the region.

was feeling very nervous. Once we had started, I realized that a lot of steps I had rehearsed with Salman were slightly changed as Salman likes to improvise a lot, but it all worked out in the end. What should the UK audience expect from the film? Everyone who goes to watch this film and everyone who is a Salman Khan fan will really feel that they have seen something completely different to all his other movies. It’s a film that will intrigue you. The story has suspense, and drama. The way it unfolds in the end will keep you on the edge of your seat. People will see an extremely new Salman and will be happy with what they see of me as well.

Prateik’s 2nd bad luck?

CAN the same thing happen to the same man twice? Apparently so! This seems to be the case with Bollywood hunk, Prateik Babber. Latest buzz doing the rounds are that his girlfriend Amy Jackson, has broken off their relationship, as she couldn’t handle his possessiveness. At one time, the two were so close that they tattooed each name’s on their arms and even introduced him to her family to get their blessings. Prateik made headlines two years ago, when he and his girlfriend at the time, Hanisha Melwani, reported split due to similar reasons. In an interview with an Indian tabloid back in 2011, Prateik even admitted being a very possessive lover. The romance between the two started when they worked together in Ekk Deewana Tha. However a spokesperson for Amy dispelled the rumour and said that they were both focusing on their work and were taking a break.

PORN PROMOTER AFTER having teamed up with Randeep Hooda and Arunoday Singh for her Bollywood debut Jism 2, Porn Star turned Bollywood actress, Sunny Leone has now expressed a desire to work with Salman Khan. “Whoever wants to work with me, I want to work with them. But Salman Khan is on the top of my list,” revealed Sunny during one of her many visits to a theatre to meet fans. Most often after a movie release, the actors usually disappear, but this hasn’t been the case with Jism 2 as Sunny Leone who has been the focus of the eye-popping promotions from the start has been aggressively promoting the movie with theatre visits where she managed to thank her fans, “Thank you for coming and buying tickets. Thank you so much for inviting me in your homes and hearts. I love you all and hope you do too.” Although the film got a great opening in India, it hasn’t performed very well in overseas markets. If you have managed to watch Jism 2 let us know what you thought of it.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

MUSIC

THE TRUTH IS OUT! DEBUT ALBUM TUM KYA JANO

Jayden offers oriental flava MORE recently we came across artist Abbas Hassan mixing, English, Arabic and French into his music. Now be prepared to meet a new UK urban artist, Jayden, who has sung in English and Chinese. Love Me Forever, which has been written and composed by Jayden has been inspired from the time he spent living in China. The influence can be heard in the song with its Mandarin lyrics and the soulful sounds of traditional Chinese instruments, fused perfectly with a contemporary R&B beat. We expect to see more from this newcomer in the near future. For all your romantics, Love Me Forever can be downloaded from iTunes.

BRITISH Asian rapper The Truth has had a rollercoaster 12 months. From performing at the Glastonbury festival last year to earning a spot on BBC Radio 1’s coveted playlist, he has been at the forefront of the new generation of British Asian artists. His debut album Tum Kya Jano released last week and features 15 tracks including his hits Jaan Jayegi, Kya Karoon, and I Make Em Say.

“‘Tum Kya Jano’ is an album that showcases a unique style of UK urban music with an Asian twist. With the help of some talented producers such as Bobby Wonda, Mentor, and DJ Fricktion, we’ve created a fusion, which marries the two genres to good effect. If you like what you’ve heard from me so far, the album is an extension of that flavour and I hope the fans enjoy every track!” says The Truth. ‘Tum Kya Jano’ is an album which sees The Truth team up with an array of talented artists and producers. The follow up to this album will be a Live Band EP, which will showcase The Truth’s live experience, which has gone down a storm with audiences around the country over the last year. •ON A ROLL The Truth hopes new album will impress his growing army of fans

DHOL’S IN TOWN!

BROOKLYN based Dhol ‘n’ Brass band will be flying in from New York City for their debut UK tour at the end of this month as part of the London 2012 Festival. The tour will take place across the country from 1st – 10th September and includes performances in London, Bracknell, Edinburgh, Manchester, Leicester, Isle of Wight, Birmingham and Bristol. The nine-piece ensemble led by dhol drummer Sunny Jain consists of dhol, drums, percussion, a sousaphone and a five piece horn section. The band fuse the infectious North Indian rhythms of Bhangra with funk, jazz, Latin and go-go and their sound is big, brassy and full of energy. Their electric live performances have caused a stir across the US, rocking audiences in basements and warehouses as well as prestigious venues such as New York’s Lincoln Centre, Washington’s The Kennedy Centre, Chicago World Music Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival and most recently the White House. Dig out your dancing shoes and hot-foot it down to one of Red Baraat’s performances, you won’t regret it! Tour dates: 1 September 2012 - Fusion Asia Festival, South Hill Park, Bracknell 2 September 2012 - Edinburgh Mela 3 September 2012 - Rich Mix, London 4 September 2012 - Bridgewater Hall, Manchester 6 September 2012 - Curve, Leicester 7 September 2012 - Town Hall, Birmingham 8 September 2012 - Bestival, Isle of Wight 10 September 2012 - St Georges Bristol

MUSIC CITY IR WITH SAM

Bolympic medals!

AUGUST sees the return of two stalwarts of the British Asian scene. First up, Hunterz releases his long awaited single at the end of this month. I’ve been lucky enough to hear it before anyone else and it’s well worth the wait, he really does deliver on the new single. Get ready, Hunterz is back and he’s going for Gold! I’m also totally in a spin with the new track from Apache Indian. I told you guys to keep an eye (and ear) out for ‘If I Can’t Have You’ a few weeks back. Well the legendary Apache has only gone and done a remix with none other than HDhami and American desi songstress Amar. Apache is sounding fresh (and younger) on the track, and for anyone that was expecting ‘Boom Shak-alak’ part 2, think again! From one ragamuffin to another, and Roach Killa recently invited me down to the video shoot of his latest track ‘Hey Luv’. It’s a great song, with a laid back R’n’B feel to it which will release at the end of August. Roach raps and sings in English and Punjabi and the production is courtesy of Hunterz’ brother Vee. And with August being a busy month for releases post-Eid, make sure to check out Navin Kundra’s ‘Shudaayi’, a tempo dance floor winner which will be a hit on the dance-floors and melas for sure. If Coventry had an Olympic team, Navin would definitely be their Golden boy. Time to switch over to the Silver Screen and Bollywood is known for it’s cheesy item numbers but there hasn’t been one which has been overly explicit lyrically thus far. Well look no further, the latest Akshay Kumar release ‘Joker’ has created a PR machine in a supposed online leak of item number ‘Kafirana’. The video sees the sizzling Chitrangda Singh singing the words ‘I Want Fakht You’ (say it a few times quickly and you’ll soon realise what’s wrong with it). We’re not sure whether or not this is in fact a leak or an original of the song, but I’ve since been sent a clean and more acceptable version with the chorus ‘I Want Just You’. Was it a stunt to build publicity for the film? Or were the producers actually going to release the song? I can only guess that it was a stunt but will it now set a trend for even more explicit material in the once so squeaky clean world of Bollywood music, let’s see! Finally if you’re into Bhangra, you will find an array of good songs out there at the moment, like Garry Sandhu’s ‘Ik Gal’ (along with a great Surinder Rattan remix), also new and noteworthy is PBN’s ‘Saa Charju’, a follow up to his monster hit of last year ‘Fitteh Moo’. And the great Sukshinder Shinda has dropped a new album called ‘Rock Da Party’, and one track which is particularly rocking off that album is ‘Ni Sohniye Ni’. • Until next time, keep checking my twitter for the latest Music news - @samirsamir

•LEGEND RETURNS Apache Indian is back with a bang

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

MUSIC TECH CITY N WITH EM KWA

SMART SUMMER

Lord of bhangra

WITH the sun finally here, summer time means BBQs, socialising, sun, and of course music. But utilising and getting real value out of the music stored on your device or gadget isn’t always easy. Especially when speakers on many devices are so limited. Neither is the option to carry around a large speaker system for your device, the most practical. Well that’s where this week’s product review comes in. The X II Mini’s, Available from £19.99, from http://store.x-mini.com This portable speaker fits in the palm of your hand and packs a powerful sound. The collapsible accordion design means it fits almost anywhere, and you can daisy-chain several to pump up the sound even more. With an internal chargeable battery providing a crazy 12 hours of sound time, leaving plenty of time to soak up the sun and enjoy the BBQ! Connected to your device in seconds using the 3.5 mm headphone jack. The X II Mini is perfectly small and practical to carry around. Available in a range of various colours and additional features including wireless speakers. Porsche of the Blackberry World If you’re a fan of Blackberry then one of the hottest phones on the market is the Porsche P 9981. With a price tag of £1200, it is seen as the Blackberry 9900 in expensive new skin. So if you have spare change and want to stand out in the crowd, then this is the Blackberry for you. This is a high-end luxurious touch screen smartphone, which has been styled by Porsche. With its innovative technology and the latest version of the blackberry 7 operating system, it makes it easier and faster to share, connect and browse. This is a phone you will either love or hate. You will only buy it because you already love the blackberry experience, you are a Porsche owner and want it to match your car or simply because you want to be a show-off.

OLE! OLE! REMEMBER back in the days when everyone would sing along to the 90s hit song Ole Ole from the movie Yeh Dillagi. Well fast forward a few years and now you will be able to sing to the upbeat tempo version produced by Canadian producer, J Raj. The new single is a remake of the original with a real 21st century club vibe. Having performed with and remixed for the Canadian duo JoSH he has again team up with Rup and Q who have lent their immaculate vocals to the track and added their own intrinsic flavour to the melody adapting the top line for a more soulful feel. The track is scattered with euphoric dips and crescendos making ‘Ole Ole’ perfectly aligned for dance floors and DJ’s nationwide to drop into house heavy, commercial electro sets. Ole Ole will be out on the 13th of September 2012 worldwide via iTunes.

Rahat to perform at AMA

USTAD Rahat Fateh Ali Khan will be the headline performance act at the 10th anniversary event of the UK Asian Music Awards taking place at Wembley Arena on Thursday 25th October. The AMAs will mark this landmark occasion with the legendary Rahat Fateh Ali Khan performing his most loved hits in an exclusive opening and closing show. Fans who missed out on his earlier performances in the UK, will be able to watch the star perform his array of hits such as Tere Mast Mast Do Nain,

Tere Bina and the unforgettable Teri Meri. The star, who was trained in the art of classical music by his uncle, the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, will showcase his Bollywood hits as well as revisiting his Qawaali roots in a special performance with his full live band. Abs Shaid, CEO and Founder of the AMAs states, “This year’s awards show is gearing up to be the biggest AMA event to date. To mark our 10 years we have moved to one of the greatest music venues in the world, we have

launched our Nokia Unsigned talent search for the young stars of the future and now we are proud to announce our headline act - a South Asian music star with immense international pedigree. The AMAs and Lebara Mobile are honoured to have Rahat Fateh Ali Khan at this momentous event in the award’s lifetime.” The Lebara Mobile Asian Music Awards will take place on 25th October 2012 at Wembley Arena. Tickets are available now at www.ticketmaster.co.uk

HIS sister is the pop princess Ramee, his uncle the great Malkit Singh, and now it’s his turn to shine. Glaswegian based singer Munmeet Singh Sandhu, aka Lord Munmeet has embarked on a solo career after the successful album Dil Milde that he released with 17 year-old Ramee. The Lord trained at a Sikh temple, enabling him to perform traditional Kirtans and Shabads before being mentored by Guru Ji Prakriti Dutta. Describing this incredible opportunity, Munmeet said: ‘She taught me voice control and ragas.’ His debut single Roki Na featuring Tigerstyle was released last month but it wasn’t just the sound that got him noticed; his Disco-inspired look is getting him admirable attention. Follow him on Twitter @LordMunmeet

OMG IT’S M&T!

MANCHESTER duo Metz and Trix are back with their new single OMG. Collaborating with urban music producer Surinder Rattan, it’s been described as a feel good Dirty Dutch house track with an LMFAO-esque euphoric feel and street-smart savvy lyrics. OMG has received a massive response when Radio 1’s Nihal played it live on New Year’s Eve to over 200,000 people during the London celebrations. It was identified as ‘HOT FOR 2012’ as part of Radio 1’s Specialist Takeover. OMG successfully managed to reach No.1 in the Official Music Week UK & Europe Urban Club chart back in March, and spent several weeks in the Top 20 including 3 weeks occupying the top 3 spots. The single will features several new remixes by DJ Surinder Rattan, from Dubstep, Drum N Bass and an Extended Indian Sufi Vocal mix and a classic UK Garage remix by legends Sunship. The single is now available to download from iTunes.

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Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

FEATURE

THE HIT MAN From IT to Hit Man, director Perry Bhandal talks gangsta trippin’ with Sohail Anjum When did you first realise you wanted to be a film director? I did an MA in Film and Television at Brunel in 1990. I remember I had a Eureka moment in the first film studies class. It stayed with me and didn’t diminish. As soon as the course finished I borrowed some equipment from the University and set about making a short film. This is your first film as a director, how did the project come about? My short film started opening some doors for me. But as with a lot of people, life tends to have different plans for you. I got married and so ensued job, mortgage, responsibilities etc. And there’s not a lot of room for something as self indulgent and flighty as a career as a film director. So I had to lay that aside, but continued writing in my spare time, building up quite a number of screenplays that I would have loved to see on the big screen. Over time I built up an IT consultancy business. In the back of my mind I always thought that I would take up my passion but a

more realistic and down-to-earth part of me realised that it was becoming more and more distant. My father passed away at the beginning of 2009. He, along with my mother had come to the UK in the mid sixties and had worked hard to give me the start in life and the opportunities they had never had. I know my father had his own dreams and aspirations but he was far too much of a stoic to ever burden us with them. He had given up on his dreams and I knew he wouldn’t want the same for me. So a few months after his passing I sold my consultancy business and set up my film production company Kirlian Pictures Ltd. The first film was going to be Penumbra, a revenge thriller that’s been described as Taken meets Max Payne. The size of the budget led to significant pressure from investors to hand over the directorial reigns to someone who was more of a known quantity - ie. a less risky proposition. I knew there was no way I was going to let anyone else direct Penumbra so I went back to the drawing board and

•SHOWTIME: Bhandal and Goss on the set of ‘Interview With A Hitman’ wrote a lower budget feature called Interview With A Hitman in April 2010. I began presenting the film to potential investors but the only problem was casting the lead, Viktor. Nobody that auditioned could deliver what I wanted. So I got our casting director to send out another request and that’s when Luke Goss was put forward by his manager. I had seen Luke in Blade and Hellboy and knew that he could do it. So I cast him straight away. After that the investment just rolled in. In fact we had to turn investors down because I had decided to invest in it myself via my production company. I knew I could deliver a great film so absolutely wanted to be

part of its success. That was in May 2011 and we started shooting in August 2011. Where does your inspiration come from? Music is my biggest inspiration. Sequences just appear fully formed in my head as I listen, whether it be movie soundtracks, modern classics or just rock and pop. Snippets of life experience also play a big part. For example I was in India with my family in 2003 and we were visiting this incredible temple at the top of a steep hill with a bustling marketplace below. On my way down a little girl (obviously a street child) walked alongside me with her hand stretched

out all the way down to the bottom. I gave her some money, she walked off and then stopped when she saw how much I had given her and turned and gave me the most wonderful smile. That small encounter inspired the complete screenplay Assassin which is set in 1970’s India. What movie directors inspired you? Michael Mann is one of my all time favourites. Equally I love the films of David Lynch with all of the attendant symbolism with Dune being one of my all time favourites. I love the intelligence and scale of Christopher Nolans films and the slow beauty of Nicholas Winding Refns work. Other directors are David Fincher, Stanley Kubrick, Ridley Scott, James Cameron, Fernando Meirelles, Oliver Stone, John Milius, Martin Scorsese, Paul Greengrass, David Mamet… Name your favourite movies? Heat, Miami Vice (2009), Dune, The Dark Knight, Drive, Spartan, Taken, Matrix, The Last Samurai, City of God, The Bourne Films, Terminator 2, Aliens, Scarface, Gattaca, Collateral, Carlito’s Way, Bladerunner Who is your all time favourite director and why? Michael Mann. A master of the Anti Hero.

•HOT GOSS Luke Goss as the Hit Man

How did you pull all the crew together? The usual route we went out to market and got back a list of applicants for the producer/line producer role and then got them to do the job of engaging the crew for the film.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

FILES

FEATURE

so better to call by what it is. Penumbra is the story of a loving family man who, when his young son is kidnapped and killed by child traffickers is left with a choice; freedom from the unbearable pain (by taking his own life) or catharsis in the form of revenge. He chooses the latter and in doing so descends into a vile underworld and risks becoming the very thing he seeks to destroy. Set in present day Europe. This is the story of a man’s search for absolution, his fall from this world into darkness, his salvation by an unconditional act of love and his redemption through the ultimate sacrifice. What actors would you like to work with in the future? I would love to work with Edward Norton on Penumbra. There many many other actors and actresses that I admire and would love the opportunity to work with.

What was it like working with Luke Goss? Working with a Luke was great. I had a very clear vision of what I wanted and he worked so hard to give me that. A director’s vision is articulated through the prism of an actor’s performance. Great actors like Luke become the characters they play and bring their own nuances and detail. That part of the process I really loved, working with him and the rest of the cast to find the truth in this fictional world I had created. And I think we succeeded. You’ll see a very different Luke Goss in this film. What was the hardest part on filming the film? The schedule. We had too many locations, too many cast and not enough time. It was only by virtue of the shooting style I wanted and the hard work already done in putting together a great cast that we were able to pull it off. That plus some amazing crew members that just delivered and then some, people like the camera team, production design, makeup, locations. Your next movie is titled ‘Vengeance’ whats the story behind this? It’s actually called Penumbra. I tend to keep the actual film titles a secret until the film starts getting traction (especially one as unique as ‘Interview with a Hitman’) But Penumbra is already gaining traction and out there

Your movies seem to be about revenge, why is this? I would interpret it as rather the search for justice. It’s a compelling character drive. The desire for justice and retribution. To right wrongs outside the law. It is a universal theme throughout literature and one that I seem to have an affinity with. What advice would you give young people who have dreams and ambitions of becoming directors one day? How can they take that leap and getting their project made? Don’t let go of your dreams. Work on perfecting your art. Be patient. The creative industries are capricious and can be somewhat insular. Focus on what works for the mass market first. Even Spielberg had to start off by putting bums on seats with Jaws and ET before his name meant he could do the projects he wanted to do. And remember it is a business first and foremost and the greatest chance you have of breaking in is to do what any business does when entering a new industry – deliver a product that your market will want to invest in. Why do you love directing? I’ve always wanted to tell stories through the medium of film. It is an opportunity for me to put my messages out there in a, hopefully exhilarating, thought provoking and entertaining way. I love the shaping of the physical world. • Interview with a Hitman is out now in selected cinema’s. Twitter @perrybhandal www.perrybhandal.com www.kirlianpictures.com

‘GREAT ACTORS LIKE LUKE BECOME THE CHARACTERS THEY PLAY...’

•DIRECT Perry Bhandal

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

FASHION

EID FASHION: Jaan helps you celebrate in style... EID shoppers will be in for a real treat this festive season - thanks to the creative team at Southall’s legendary boutique Jaan.

Designer Bubli Malik, a pioneer of Asian fashion for more than 20 years, has launched a new Eid Collection featuring the latest shalwar kameez, churidars saris, long dresses and gowns. Key colours range from emerald greens and turquoise to subtle peaches, pinks and lots of two-toned themes. “This season is all about the embroidery without going over the top with colour,” says Bubli. “Cutwork, zardosi and Swarovski crystals will all be a major feature.” Modern modesty is also a

inspired designerwear. Taking the best of traditional Asianwear and fusing with hijabs and headscarves, Rabia has created a storm amongst traditional fashionistas who want to be trendy but retain their modesty. Finally, the men get a look in too - as Jaan stocks one of the largest ranges of mens sherwanis and kurthas in London. All in all, it looks like there’s only one destination for all your Eid shopping needs... •TALENT Jaan designer Bubli Malik EID SALE NOW ON AT: with his daughter Rabia Malik • Jaan by Bubli unique feature at Jaan, with Malik Bubli’s daughter and co- 8 The Broadway, designer Rabia Malik unveiling Southall. her stunning range of Islamic- 020 8606 9800

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

FASHION

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

FASHION FASHION AT A CLICK WHETHER you’re shopping for yourself, with friends or family, sometimes it’s hard to have time to get around the shops and hunt through all the rails it’s tiring for a start! So thank goodness then for Bizaz Collection, a new online emporium stocking the latest trends in Asian and SPECIAL OFFER bridal fashion. To celebrate their launch Choose from Bizaz Collection are offering bridal lenghas or 15% off all regular priced bespoke Indian designer suits purchased online (Coupon code: augbiz15) and suits for weddings, 20% any three-piece designer functions and suits purchased in-store parties. The entire this August, while range has been stocks last. carefully selected by their in-house design team; women with a passion for fashion who have their finger on the pulse. Bizaz also sell a range of unstitched designer suits from leading Indian fashion houses that offer style and comfort at affordable prices. They provide fast next day delivery to any address in mainland UK, allowing you to shop from the comfort of your home, whenever you want. Bizaz also specialise in group bookings for parties and their in-house tailor can stitch multiple suits to your specifications. And because not every one likes catalogue shopping Bizaz also have an east London showroom where you are invited to see the garments in person and try them on before you buy. • To find out more visit www.bizazcollection.co.uk Or pop along to 102 Greatorex Business Centre, 8-10 Greatorex Street, Whitechapel, London E1 5NF.

A passion for fashion...

THE OWNER OF FASHION LABEL MOON DOLL SHOWS US INSIDE HER HAMPSTEAD EMPORIUM Wow! Your store is a treasure trove, where do we start? In one corner I have my own designs; hand-made clothes that incorporate South Asian and Oriental influences made from silks and luxe fabrics, there’s also a range of authentic vintage and designer vintage clothes, some that I’ve customised, where I’ve jazzed up simple pieces, a discounted designer range for those looking for a bargain and an accessories collection. There’s so much diversity within your vintage section – how do you source it? I’m always on the look out. I’m attracted to a bargain so I’ll scour charity shops, car boot sales, independent boutiques and shop ‘til I’m maxed out when I go travelling. Shopping is the biggest perk of my job and I love that I have a valid excuse now for my obsession! Sounds like fun, can we join in? Only buy vintage clothes that are in good condition, no holes and no

•CREATIVE: Sima Rahman-Huang damages. Designer vintage gets more valuable over time so is worth investing in if it’s in good condition. Also keep an eye out for old labels or ones that no longer exist. I loved Yessica which used to be be stocked in C&A before the chain closed down and Talbots vintage can be quite sought after too. Isn’t it easier to stick to the high street? I much prefer vintage as you won’t see others wearing it when you walk down the high street. I also like the timeless appeal of vintage and the fact that a simple accessory like a belt can completely transform a design. The high street places too much emphasis on following trends. I always advise people to find their own style and dress how they feel comfortable. Thanks to Kate Middleton there’s now more appreciation for dressing with class. She wears mid-lengths which are fitted. These are flattering, feminine and pretty. She has created her own style and inspired many others.

accents are also an integral feature of my designs so I may make clothes from saris, silks or add Indian trims to garments. This style of clothing mainly appeals to the local Hampstead community, the fabric is uniquely sourced and cannot be replicated.

You’re still a newbie to the scene, having just opened in April, what were you doing before? I was a make-up artist for eight years and then I moved into events. If you’re a creative person you can turn your hand to anything creative so I Tell us about your own ethnic bought a sewing machine and taught inspired designs. myself how to make clothes. I I love quirky kawaii style, which is officially launched during London very cute and girlie. Japan is a Fashion Week in February 2011 with definite inspiration. South Asian a catwalk show. I’ve since organised catwalk shows for Philippine and Tokyo Fashion Weeks, and a charity show for the Tsunami appeal. Finally, the name; ‘Moon Doll’ – explain! When I was younger I used to love Moon Boots and I wanted to call my company Moon Boots but I couldn’t as it sounded like a footwear company! So I dropped the Boots and swapped it for more of a kitsch type word, which is just my kind of style.

223 LADYPOOL ROAD, BIRMINGHAM B12 8LG DESIGNER BESPOKE SERVICE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY 07814 429 428 - 07878 757 795 | www.ziggistudio.com | info@ziggistudio.com

• Visit Moon Doll Hampstead Unit 21, 12 Heath Street, Hampstead NW3 6TE Tuesday-Sunday. They are also stocked in The Fashion & Textile Museum in London www.moondoll.co.uk

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

WEDDINGS

RINGTRUE It’s there to make an honest woman of you. Make yours truly special THE perfect ring is all about attaining harmony between the style, quality and feel. But more than anything, like your marriage, it should be built to last.

Eminent jeweller Pravin Pattni from Minar Jewellers advises: ‘It’s easy to fall in love with a fancy ring, but you’ll find really simple styles are best. You don’t want it to catch on your clothes, nor do you want it to clash with outfits worn after your wedding. I’ve had clients who wanted to change their rings after a couple of years, because their ring simply wasn’t practical.’ Luckily, with so much choice on offer, you’re bound to find the ring that reflects your exquisite sense of style while managing to stand the test of time. Worn on the third finger because of an ancient belief that it held a vein leading directly to the heart, wedding rings have evolved beyond the plain thin band of gold symbolising union into glittering works of art, customised to your exact specifications. More and more brides are avoiding picking one off the high street jewellers’ window in favour of rings designed for them, allowing them to reflect their own sense of symbolism, style and taste. Whether you’re reusing your grandmother’s heirloom diamonds by setting them in a contemporary style or scouring for one

made of rare Burmese sapphires, you’re bound to find your dream ring from the vast array of jewels, settings and designs on offer. For the tradionalists, nothing less than gold will do. Platinum is becoming more common among the more sophisticated bride. An increasing number of modern brides are opting for colour and vibrancy found in semi-precious stones such as amethyst, lolite and topaz. While fans of symbolism opt for either bloodred rubies (signifying the heart) or sapphire (representing the heavens). One thing is clear though – diamonds aren’t necessarily a bride’s best friend. Pravin revealed: ‘At the moment, people who are shying away from diamonds or those looking for an unusual stone are going for pink sapphires, which look like a beautiful version of pink diamonds.’ PICKING THE RIGHT JEWELLER The perfect wedding ring is too precious to be left at the hands of amateurs, which is why it’s wise to research the right jeweller, through extensive window shopping, word of mouth or official accreditation. It’s tempting to buy abroad, but is not always advisable. If it doesn’t fit or turns out to be a shoddy version of the stones you had your heart set on, getting it fixed can often be more expensive than if you bought it from the UK in the first place. Pravin says: ‘The

standards jewellers have to meet is much higher in England. We’ve had instances where customers have bought platinum abroad, and they come to us to get it hallmarked (the jeweller’s seal of approval) but we can’t do it because it doesn’t meet the required standards. I’ve also noticed that sometimes the workmanship on the settings can be quite shoddy. I would definitely recommend making your jewellery – that way if you’re not happy you can get it changed quite easily.’ A good jeweller like Minar will always have certificates cementing their status, for instance belonging to the National Association of Goldsmiths or the Gemological Association are fantastic indicators that they have integrity and excellent craftsmanship. And if you ask to see certificates and they get defensive, then be on your guard. The likelihood is that they probably don’t have them, and a jeweller without the necessary qualifications simply can’t advise you properly. But it’s not just enough to have qualifications, they must be able to listen

to your specifications, or you’ll end up THE RIGHT STYLE getting a ring that you may like, but isn’t Before purchasing your ring, consider necessarily what you wanted. whether you’ll want to wear a blingencrusted one forever. While it’s bound CHOOSING THE RIGHT SIZE to look amazing next to your bridal While it’s a wildly romantic gesture for regalia, it’d be a shame to have to take it your fiancé to buy your engagement off on the days where you want to look ring unannounced, it’s better that you casual. For the sake of the long term, have a say in its purchase. Continuity is choose metals and jewels that not only key with wedding rings, for the two to match most outfits, but also have the sit together as a perfect whole. It’s better durability to last forever. if bought from the same jeweller. Ultimately, it’s all about your taste Workmanship varies so much from each and budget. Some women prefer the jeweller – the last thing you want is simplistic beauty of a solitaire, while discord between the designs. others opt for the practicality of the Considering you’re never going to eternity ring, which places diamonds all take it off again, one of the most around the band so you don’t have to important things is measuring your ring worry about twisting the ring around on size. Plastic ring sizers usually do the job, the finger. but make sure you don’t measure cold According to Minar Jewellers, the hands, as this is when the fingers are Princess Cut (square stone facets) or the smallest, or hot hands, as your fingers Emerald Cut (rectangular stones) are the will be swollen. For the most accurate most popular at the moment, but reading, measure the finger at the end of regardless of your choice, don’t feel the day, when the finger is the largest – obliged to have his and hers matching and make sure the ring sizer slides easily rings. While it’s nice to complement one over the knuckle. another, you don’t want to be a left with

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

WEDDINGS a style that’s too masculine, or him too effeminate. As a softer option, incorporate the same jewels in your individual designs. The primary ring metal choice is gold because of its warmth – but be warned, although 24 carat is the most pure form, it is also the softest. If you plan on working a lot with your hands, you might want to choose 14K or 18K to prevent scratches. Platinum is the hardest of them all, and therefore the most durable, but if your budget can’t stretch to a platinum ring, white gold is always a good replacement. When considering precious gems for a ring, remember that while softer stones can be beautiful, they aren’t the best choices for an engagement or wedding ring. The Mohs scale registers a stone’s ability to resist abrasion, for instance diamonds are at 10, rubies at 9 and emeralds at 8. Anything less than a 7 – for instance opals – on the Mohs scale is not recommended for a wedding ring. Don’t worry if that’s confusing, you can test a good jeweller by how well he explains it to you. Finally, decide what type of finish you want on the ring. Hammering, for instance, forms indentations in the metal to produce an interesting texture, while high polish creates a mirror-like sheen; matte is soft and flat, while satin has a softer shine than high polish. Remember, shopping for a ring isn’t like any other. What you wear on that finger can never go out of fashion and, more importantly, you should never grow tired of. Shop around and make yours good enough to last a lifetime.

EXPERT ADVICE by RAMESH JEWELLERS

There are generally two types of brides-to-be that come to see us. The first is a new customer who has come to buy her bridal jewellery, the other is one who has had her jewellery made by another, less qualified person, and is subsequently not happy with the results. A lot of money and heartache can be saved if you follow the right advice. After all you want to dazzle on your Big Day, not worry about whether your jewellery can keep up with the rest of your glittering trousseau. It goes without saying that you should look for the British Hallmark, which should be on everything from platinum to an 18K white gold ring, as well as the relevant certificates (a guarantee you do not get if you buy your jewellery from India). You should check the certificates are issued by an independent company. And, if they really are as good as they say, they won’t get shirty if you ask to see them. If diamonds are what you desire for your wedding band, check for GIA, IGI and HRD on the certificates, as these are the most recognised bodies when it comes to the jewel. If it’s being set in platinum, even though it can start from 85 per cent pure, make sure you check it’s at

least 95 per cent pure, as this is standard for good platinum. And honestly speaking, although platinum is fairly costly, it’s worth spending that little bit more, because it means you’re going to get a brilliant ring that will last for eternity. We advise buying the engagement and wedding ring at the same time so that they fit properly, and you often find that if you do this, you’re more likely to be given a discount. And any jeweller worth his salt will design them so that they complement each other perfectly. Even if you use durable metals or stones, aftercare is very important, but it is simple. All you need is washing up liquid and a cotton bud! If you don’t look after your ring, you may let yourself in for an expensive repair job, as the metal can tend to show spots or look tarnished.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

BEAUTY

Future proof tallons THERE’S gorgeous nail shades...and then there’s Filthy Gorgeous nails. The London-based brand have developed a range of varnishes straight out of the future: bold, vibrant and gleaming with sci-fi shine, to suit whatever summer engagement you’re heading off to.

PICNIC WITH THE PARENTS

The Neon Collection is screaming to be shown off alfresco. The fluorescent, brash hues illuminate in the sunlight, giving off rays stronger than a superheroes.

PARTYING WITH PALS

Pink and turquoise are a match made in colour heaven. Part of the Rock-Chick range each bottle comes with a free guitar plectrum. Wear these colours alternately on your fingers and toes.

POSING WITH THE BAND

You’ve seen fishnet tights, now get the claws to match! The Heavy Metal Magnetic Fishnet range uses magnetically charged iron oxide pigments to create a metallic, long-lasting nail paint that has ‘superstar’ radiating off them. Once the polish has been applied, a small magnet hidden in the cap of the bottle is held over the wet polish for five seconds allowing the effects to get to work, leaving behind an intricate, delicate and sexy fishnet design - told you these varnishes were futuristic! Filthy Gorgeous nail polishes (£9) each, are available from selected Debenhams Beauty halls. • Visit www.fithygorgeouslondon to find out more.

Pout perfection EVERY beauty junkie knows that the secret to keeping your lip colour where it belongs is to top it up with your secret weapon - Lipcote. It’s the must-have essential that every make-up bag should have - but don’t just take it from us. Millions of women (and lipstick loving men!) have been swearing by it for 50 years! This year Lipcote celebrates 1/2 a century in the beauty business! An amazing feat for any beauty product. Look out for a special birthday edition, in stores now, designed by illustrator Dora who takes her inspiration from the world of Burlesque where rouge lips are always in demand. To use Lipcote simply glide straight in top of your lipstick helping it become water-resistant and last all day.

IT’S A WRAP! Want to drop a dress size, lose cellulite or give your skin a sexy new glow? Treat yourself to a body wrap...

INSTANT INCH LOSS THE TREATMENT: The Universal Contour Wrap This classic wrap guarantees a minimum loss of six inches from your contours within just two hours, or you pay nothing! The inches should stay off providing you follow some simple after-treatment instructions. With a little forward planning, a course of three wraps, taken seven to ten days apart can help reduce weight by one dress size. WHAT’S INVOLVED: You’ll be wrapped from head to toe in bandages, which have been presoaked in a warm, mineral-rich sea clay solution. These are left on for an hour while the solution acts like a giant poultice to draw out toxins from the fluids surrounding the fatty tissues. It immediately helps to relieve unwelcome bloating and fluid retention, skin is tightened and areas where fat accumulates are compressed, resulting in re-shaping flabby areas such as the stomach, hips and thighs. COST: From £50 for one treatment or from £135 for a course of three. WHERE: www.universalcontourwrap.com or call 01784 259988 to find your nearest salon. THE CELLULITE SHIFTER THE TREATMENT: Guam Seaweed Mud Wrap Harvested from unpolluted Italian seabeds Guam’s seaweed mud marine algae is combined with clay containing ivy extracts plus essential oils of lemon and oregano. When applied to the body it works to stimulate, tone and strengthen the skin’s elasticity – promising visible results on cellulite after just one application. WHAT’S INVOLVED: Seaweed mud is smoothed over affected areas using light circular movements, the thighs are then wrapped in plastic film and you are left to relax for 45 minutes. The mud is then rinsed off and the legs are massaged with a special Seaweed Mud Gel. COST: From £75 for a 75-minute treatment or £180 for a course of three. WHERE: Call 020 7893 8333 or www.urbanretreat.co.uk THE STRESS BUSTER THE TREATMENT: Thalgo Indoceane Body Wrap This blissful body treat is highly recommended for stressed out brides-to-be. Indoceane involves rejuvenating techniques borrowed from around the globe. It starts at the Mediterranean where the body is exfoliated using long, sweeping movements. This is followed by a

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

BEAUTY bath of precious milk inspired by Cleopatra’s very own rituals. Next you’re taken to India as Qi-balm, an energising ointment, is applied to tension areas such as the back, hands and feet, helping to reenergise. WHAT’S INVOLVED: A massage involving Indian ayurvedic, oriental kneading and Japanese percussion techniques penetrates a luxurious oil into the skin and finally, the body is covered with a silk sheet and wrapped in warm towels, letting the ingredients soak in. COST: From £75 for 75 minutes. WHERE: At Thalgo salons nationwide, for your nearest one call 0800 146 041 THE BODY TONER THE TREATMENT: Decleor Tonic Aroma Envelopment For skin lacking tone and elasticity and in need of a quick time tightening, this treatment is ideal. WHAT’S INVOLVED: After an all over exfoliation and body is massaged with a range of powerful skin toning essential oils including: immortelle, lemon, grapefruit, lemongrass, rose, chamomile and frankincense. Next, the body is massaged with a balm and wrapped with a zesty body butter containing a high concentration of firming active ingredients such as shea, mango and cupuaçu butter that work to leave the skin smoother, tighter and more radiant. After rinsing off the body mask the skin is massaged with a stretch mark restructuring cream leaving you with a body that is noticeably firmer. COST: From £40 for a one-hour treatment – a course of five is recommended for visible results. WHERE: To locate your nearest salon or spa, call 0207 3138780 THE MOISTURE BOOSTER THE TREATMENT: Gerard’s Honey Glow Body Treatment This luxuriously decadent treat is ideal for dry skin sufferers looking for a fast moisture surge. The mouth-watering experience comes straight from Milan and is a favourite of some of the city’s most glamorous footballers’ wives. It involves the application of three types of golden honey (accacia, chestnut and royal jelly). This honey potion is ideal for treating peeling skin, reducing age spots and giving a dehydrated body an intense hydration boost. WHAT’S INVOLVED: After a massage with cleansing sweet orange oil, warmed ‘magic honey’ mixed with Dead Sea salts, marine water and essential oils are poured over the body and exfoliated using long sweeping movements. This is followed by deep tissue massage using sweet almond oil. You are then wrapped in a heated blanket allowing the ingredients to penetrate deeper. COST: From £45 for 60 minutes. WHERE: Selected salons nationwide, call 01923 253 500 THE GLOW ENHANCER THE TREATMENT: The Sanctuary Revitalising Organic Wrap Dull skin in need of some wedding day radiance should opt for this soothing wrap. It works to promote softer and healthier skin without the harshness of regular exfoliation. By

Keep the faith IF ONLY everything in life was as simple as the Faith Lift mask (£50) - a non surgical face lift system which gives you dramatic results without having to leave your house. Part of the Faith Lift range of products, which also includes Faith Lift eye, lip and cream products, the mask boasts a powerful cocktail of naturally derived ingredients which lift, tone and firm the skin and reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. The product gently stimulates circulation and increases blood supply, helping to restore tone and elasticity for instant, noticeably lifted, firmer skin as well as a youthful, radiant glow. Created by beauty therapist and cosmetologist Julieann Parry, she mixes every product herself and has over 14 years of industry experience behind her. She said: ‘I carry out extensive research for every product and ensure I have perfected the formula before personally testing each and every one. Although this is time-consuming, I will not release a product onto the market just for the sake of having the latest ingredients; it must actually do what I claim it does.’ All products are organic...and all give dramatic results. • To find out more visit www.tibbyolivier.com using fruit acids of organic grapes it encourages regeneration of the skin and also helps to lighten pigmentation and age spots on the body. WHAT’S INVOLVED: The body is smothered in a formulation containing the husk, seeds, stalk and remaining juice of the organic chardonnay grape, which incidentally are extremely rich in fruit acids. You are then cocooned in a soothing and tranquil dry floatation bath whilst the ingredients are left to soak into the skin. An application of Goats Butter Cream ensures that the skin is nourished, moisturised and perfectly pampered. COST: From £65 for 50 minutes. WHERE: For booking information please call 0870 7703350 or visit www.thesanctuary.co.uk THE A-LIST BODY SECRET THE TREATMENT: Rani Mirza Red Carpet Body Treatment This celebrity favourite body treatment is guaranteed to leave your body buffed, polished and red carpet-worthy in just two hours. WHAT’S INVOLVED: The treatment begins with a unique Diamond Tone Dermabrasion, which uses a wand like devise containing natural diamond dust to polish and vacuum away dead skin cells on areas such as the knees, elbows and bottom. This procedure magically diminishes the appearance of congested, uneven skin leaving a smoother surface. Marine based products are then used to exfoliate the body from top to toe. A deep cleansing mud is then applied and left on the body to help remineralises – it also works

wonders on conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. A delicious chocolate mixture consisting of cocoa and guarana is then smothered on top of the mud and wrapped in a blanket. You are then left to sweat for 30 minutes – this process is vital for eliminating cellulite and boosting fat catabolism. After showering, the body is given a final polish with sea salts and massaged with moisturising essential oils. COST: From £140 for two hours. WHERE: To book, call 020 7589 9080 or view www.ranimirza.co.uk THE BINGO WING AND AB TIGHTENER THE TREATMENT: Ionithermie Arm and Tummy Trim If you’ve had no time for the gym during the big day build up, you’ll be queuing up for this treatment. It vows to tone the stomach and arms and just one treatment claims to be the equivalent of 600 triceps curls and tummy crunches. WHAT’S INVOLVED: A claydipped gauze is covered around the tummy and arms followed by an electric current channeled evenly over the target area, via the clay. The current propels the active ingredients into the skin where they penetrate and fight fatty deposits and stimulate the muscles – giving your abs and biceps a mini workout. COST: From £55 for 75 minutes. Although one session will produce a noticeable improvement a course of five is recommended for long-lasting results. WHERE: For your nearest salon call 01753 833 900

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

BEAUTY Putting on the Spritz!

Boots’ Expert Sensitive Refreshing Facial Spritz is billed as a ‘gentle facial spritz specially formulated to refresh and hydrate’ but is in fact 100 per cent water. The facial spray is part of the Boots Expert Range, described as the definitive answer to those everyday health and beauty problems we all suffer from, but keep putting off. Sensitive skin needs extra care throughout the day which is why this gentle facial spritz is specially formulated to refresh and hydrate. Hypoallergenic and fragrance free, it instantly cools and freshens skin, helping to protect it from the drying effects of central heating and air conditioning.

MODEL WATCH:: NIKKIPREET SAHOTA by HANNAH AHMED

How did you get into modelling: It was never intentional to become a model it was something that just happened. Whilst studying at University I took part in the annual Diversity Fashion Show as a dhol player. The catwalk had an Asian segment so I thought it would be fun to join in. I was surprised when it lead to further work, I never thought I could ever be a model. What struggles did you initially go through to become a model: I come from a very traditional cultural background where “modelling” isn’t approved of due to negative images and the stereotype that follows models portrayed in the media. It took time to reassure my family and explain what work I do and that alongside modelling I’m still very much focused on my long term career path of becoming a Chartered Clinical Psychologist. I also grew up being a complete tomboy so becoming a model took me out of my comfort zone and into a new environment.

Modelling highlights: Modelling has always been more of a hobby whilst studying as I didn’t think I would get very far if I tried to pursue it. In March 2012 Solly10 took me under their management and gave me the confidence to push myself. Through this support, encouragement and guidance I entered the Miss England beauty pageant winning the title of Miss Black Country 2012 and chosen to be one of the 60 girls in England to compete for the Miss England crown. It was a huge accomplishment to achieve in such a short space of time and an amazing feeling to then get signed with one of the UKs leading mainstream agencies Front Models. I unfortunately had to postpone my place as a finalist in Miss England until 2013 due to ill health but I’ve received so much support from so many people, a lot of whom I’ve never met! It’s a great feeling to have that kind of support and makes me smile. Model stereotype that frustrates you the most: There are many misconceptions about people in the industry. Society is quick to judge but forget that we are all

humans that have personalities, feelings and lives away from work. You seem to prefer the moody look: Not necessarily. The models, makeup artists, photographers and designers all work together to accomplish a goal, to get a brand out to be known. Is there a pressure to be a size zero in the industry: I personally don’t agree with being a size zero as it is a danger to yourself and I don’t think it looks nice at all. That’s a UK size 4! There is definitely pressure to look a certain way and it’s heart breaking that so many young women and even men resort to drastic diets which lead to eating disorders. I love my body the way it is regardless of what society or the media deems as acceptable. I eat what I want when I want and would love to have curves like Beyoncé! How do you keep fit: I am always on the go and love the outdoors or a new challenge. I was in the British Army (T.A. UOTC) while studying which was so intense but a great experience. I’m a kick boxer so train daily, it’s a good way of relieving stress and makes me feel a lot stronger as a person. I’ve also been horse riding since I was 5 so that keeps me fit both physically and mentally. It’s like a different world being on the fields so peaceful and I love horses. How image conscious are you: I changed my Facebook picture recently to myself in the gym after an intense workout with my kickboxing coach. My hair was tied up, and as you can image my face was a little sweaty with no makeup on. Somebody commented “better WITH makeup on”. It felt good

that I’m comfortable in my own skin and not scared to show it. I love natural beauty and want to be a role model to others. Nobody is perfect and although I love to dress up; as any woman does in a stunning outfit with flawless makeup; I’m not afraid to walk around in my sweatpants with no makeup on. Dream modelling job: I would absolutely love to be the next Miss England. Another dream job would the front cover of Vogue Magazine Wardrobe Essential: The classic “little black dress” I have a few of these in different styles and they are perfect for work, a casual look or an evening out. That along with a pair of killer heels or wedges, a girl can never have too many shoes (or high tops!).

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

HEALTH

Lettuce rejoice EVERYONE has a bad food day. But there’s no point whimpering with guilt after you’ve scoffed a cheese laden pizza. Instead repair some of the damage by accompanying your fatfilled goodies with a good old-fashioned salad. Florette do a sizeable range of readymade salads and have recently launched a range of recipes on their website that are easy to make and fulfil the five fruit and veg a day requirements. www.florette.com

To diet for THERE’S only so much oat bran and water a girl can take, which makes now the time of year when most diets fall by the wayside. But don’t reach for the double choc chip cookies just yet. Instead, incorporate fruits into your diet that actually help you to lose weight – the pink grapefruit, for instance. Apart from the fact that it’s 90 percent water, it also contains enzymes that help to burn fat. Following the grapefruit diet – which involves eating half a grapefruit at every meal – could see you shift a sizeable bit of blubber. Preferably without a side helping of choc chip cookies…

Juice morals

TWO truths should be acknowledged. The first is that Asians are more prone to heart attacks than any other race, the second is that while pomegranate is excellent at lowering cholesterol, it is a devil to peel. Thankfully, Pomegreat, a pomegranaterich juice drink is available, ensuring your body receives an extra boost of Vitamin A, C and E, folic acid, designed to protect against cancer and heart disease. www.pomegreat.com

FOR GOODNESS SAKE Great ideas to make at home - for general wellbeing and weight loss YOU ALREADY know it, you’ve been told over and over; breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But it’s also the one that’s usually the most rushed, or skipped altogether. Here are some ideas for quick breakfasts. If you don’t already, then I urge you to make sure you’re getting some healthy calories within a couple hours of waking each morning. Green Smoothies. Of course I’m going to start off with my favorite. I don’t mean to flog a dead horse or preach to the choir, because I know that most of my readers have already incorporated this. But if you haven’t dared yet, why not try it just once? This is the tastiest, fastest, and arguably one of the healthiest ways to get several servings of vegetables each day. A Berry Good Start. 1/2 cup of fresh berries, 1/2 cup of high-protein Greek yogurt, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of sliced almonds, sesame seeds, or crushed walnuts. This one will keep you feeling full for hours! Veggie Scramble. 1-2 eggs, (depending on your calorie needs). Add 1/2 – 1 cup of vegetables, scrambled together in a pan, which is faster than making an omelette. My speedy trick is to add a handful of frozen mixed veggies to a hot pan, saute for 1 minute, drain off the water, then crack 2 eggs over it. Add sea salt and dill and serve! My favorite veggie mix for eggs is Asian stir-fry (those water chestnuts are a treat!) Whole Grains. Morning is the best time to consume grains, because you have all day to burn them off. This is especially true if weight loss is your goal. One serving of non-instant whole grain oatmeal with a drizzle of almond milk, a drizzle of honey, and 1/4 cup blueberries is like an anti-oxidant, high-energy DESSERT! You can make the same with quinoa instead of oatmeal.

by Hannah Ahmed Health Editor LUNCH IDEAS FOR WEIGHT LOSS Trying to come up with healthy lunch ideas for weight loss can be a real challenge. And if you don’t plan your lunch properly, the chances are that you’re going to eat something unsuitable for your goals. I know personally, that even when you’re not trying to lose weight, coming up with healthy lunch ideas isn’t easy. If you’re not well prepared, you can end up having the same things every week, which can be quite boring. So, I thought I’d do a bit of research, and since I’ve already shared some healthy lunch ideas recently, I thought I’d specifically cover some healthy lunch ideas for weight loss. The result? Well, here are 4 delicious healthy lunch ideas for weight loss conscious individuals. If you give them a go, be sure to let me know. Bean, potato and beetroot salad Serves 8 (2 tablespoons each) 450 grams potatoes, cut into 3cm pieces 2 cups frozen broad beans 450 grams can baby beets, drained, quartered 2 cups watercress sprigs, half a bunch 1 small onion, thinly sliced ¼ cup flat leaf parsley leaves ¼ cup fat free French dressing 1. Cook potatoes in large saucepan of boiling water for 8-10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and rinse under cold water. 2. Place beans in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water. Stand for 5 minutes, or until tender, then drain, and rinse under cold water. Peel and discard skins. Place beetroot on a plate lined with a paper towel, and pat dry. 3. Put potatoes, beans, watercress, onion, beetroot and parsley in a bowl. Drizzle with dressing, and toss to combine.

Lime and coriander couscous Serves 6 1 cup couscous 1 cup boiling water 2 teaspoons of finely grated lime rind Juice from half the lime 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander, finely chopped 1/4 red onion, finely chopped 1/2 red capsicum, finely chopped 1 Lebanese cucumber, finely chopped 1. Place couscous in a heatproof bowl, add boiling water, cover and stand for 5 minutes. 2. Toss through lime rind and juice, coriander, onion, capsicum, and cucumber. Serve in small pots with a large leafy salad, and veggie crudites. Tuna pasta salad Serves 4 250g pasta spirals 1/4 reduced fat mayo 1 tablespoon lemon juice 125g cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/2 medium green capsicum, sliced 6 button mushrooms, sliced 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped 95g can tuna in spring water, drained 1. Cook pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. 2. Combine mayo with lemon juice in a large bowl. Add pasta, tomatoes, capcium, mushrooms, parsley, and tuna. 3. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

TABBOULEH SALAD

Serves 4 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped 1/2 cup cracked wheat (burghul) 1/4 cup lemon juice 4 cups fresh parsley, chopped 1 cup fresh mint, chopped 1 small red onion, finely chopped 1/4 olive oil 1. Place tomato, wheat, lemon juice in a bowl, and stand for 30 minutes, or until the wheat has softened. 2. Add the rest of the ingredients, and toss to combine. Serve with plain yoghurt and Lebanese style bread.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

HEALTH

DRINK YOURSELF FIT

Water works wonders for your health. So it’s time to pick up a drinking habit

OLYMPIC SPA BLISS! WITH London being home to the Olympics, it’s time to feel like a champion, even if you’re not a sports star. To get you into a winning frame of mind, Elemis are offering four brand new Summer Olympic Themed Pamper Packages – no love or knowledge of the games required. Take a trip to their heavenly Day Spa to experience one of these medal-worthy treatments. Hidden at the bottom of a quaint cobbled street in elegant Mayfair the spa is a blissful hideaway. Your therapist will take you through the products – all exclusive Elemis goodies using delicious natural smelling ingredients like yummy frangipani and coconut – before inviting you to relax in the comfort of your own secluded oasis. Whether you’re in need of a back massage, facial or simple manicure, it’s the perfect place for anyone in need of a quick fix beauty boost or for taking your time and enjoying a day off. Introducing the Olympic Pamper Packages Gold £135 1 hour 30 min Be a winner with the Gold Package which combines a revitalising Face and Body Sensation, using the power of touch and temperature, with a Sole Delight Foot Treatment to condition and nourish nails and feet. Includes a complimentary ‘Treat Your Feet Foot Cream’ and a full Skin Lab Consultation. Silver £99 1 hour 30 min If your skin suffers from the dulling and stressful effects of living in a big city, then this is just the treat to perk you up, boost your complexion and relieve those aching feet. Bronze £85 1 hour The Deep Tissue Muscle Massage works to alleviate stress, ease aching muscles and revive the senses. Perfect for athletes, or those in need of targeted relief to specific stress and muscle tension. This is combined with an Express Facial. • Packages available until the end of August 2012. 0207 499 4995 or email elemisdayspa@elemis.com Elemis Day Spa, 2-3 Lancashire Court, Mayfair, London, W1S 1EX.

IT IS estimated that 8 out of 10 people do not drink enough water for the body to carry out all of its healthy functions. Being dehydrated can be a factor in many illnesses including; arthritis, heartburn, constipation, muscular back and neck pain, diabetes, high cholesterol and stress. Drinking plenty of water is therefore one of the most important things that we can do for our health.

Although emotional stress is an obvious and significant contributor to this, few people realize that internal physiological stress plays a large role as well. Dehydration is interpreted by the body as a state of emergency, it involves the “fight or flight” stress response. If invoked frequently enough, it will physically wear down the body and gradually destroy your health. High Blood Pressure Because water represents a significant portion of blood volume, dehydration decreases the overall volume of blood in the body. To prevent gases from escaping from the blood and creating blockages, blood vessels must be constricted in conjunction with the smaller volume of blood, constricted blood vessels will often result in elevated blood pressure.

When the body is dehydrated it has to respond by making compromises that in time can be a contributory factor that can lead to health problems. If you are diagnosed with any of the problems below then the conditions have become severe, often requiring medication.

Salt Salt is essential for the absorption of water by cells, and as such, dehydration causes the body to make an increased effort to retain both salt and water in addition to constricting blood vessels. Unfortunately, most people with high blood pressure are urged to reduce salt intake and use diuretics that force the excretion of salt and water. While this may artificially lower blood pressure, it worsens the level of dehydration and puts the body under additional stress.

Gastritis and Ulcers The stomach contains a mucosal layer that protects it’s lining from the highly corrosive hydrochloric acid used to digest food, 98% of this layer is water. When dehydrated, this mucosal layer will be less capable of holding sodium bicarbonate and will leave the stomach lining vulnerable to damage. Furthermore, the sodium left behind from the neutralisation of stomach acid requires additional water to be flushed out and prevent impaired function of the mucosal layer. While the use of antacids and acid blockers may temporarily relieve the pain caused by hydrochloric acid reaching the stomach lining, they do nothing to resolve the dehydration that’s allowing it, and further stomach damage can result. Heartburn The stomach is the only part of the body that can deal frequent exposure to high concentrations of hydrochloric acid, it needs to be acidic to break down our food. When the body move food from the stomach to the small intestine the pancreas secretes a solution to neutralise this highly acidic mix of digested food. If your body is dehydrated, then the ability of the pancreas to

High Cholesterol The membrane of a cell is vitally important not only because of the physical protection it provides, but also because it controls cell function by regulating what is transferred in and out. Much of a cell membrane is composed of water, and when the body is dehydrated, additional cholesterol is required to compensate for the lack of water and maintain membrane integrity. As a result, cholesterol production is increased. neutralise this is impaired, so to avoid damaging the small intestine, digested food is delayed from leaving the stomach via the intestine and instead the body sends gases and foods upwards.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Aim to drink eight glasses of water per day, about four pints. Start your morning with water and have a couple of glasses first thing. Keep water beside you during the day, if you’re at work then have a bottle permanently with you or a glass topped up on your desk. If you drink coffee or tea then have a glass of water first, once you’ve had the water you may find that you don’t fancy the coffee after all. Drink before snacking and eating, 20 minutes before you eat have a glass of water, you need a gap of at least 20 minutes either side of eating to allow the stomach to be properly prepared for digestion. Follow these tips and you will find you become, less stressed, able to concentrate better and you may find that other health niggles magically disappear.

Colitis and Constipation The colon is naturally designed to preserve water by removing it from excrement. When dehydrated, even more water will be extracted which will result in hard and dry stool that causes pain, irritates the intestinal lining, and doesn’t move well through it. Arthritis The end of each bone within a joint is coated with a layer of cartilage that allows it to glide smoothly across the surface of another bone. Because water provides cartilage with it’s smooth and low friction characteristics, it’s essential for proper joint function. When the body is dehydrated, cartilage loses its ability to glide smoothly, and the additional friction that results during joint movement causes an increased number of cartilage cells to be destroyed.

Diabetes Diabetes is a condition in which blood sugar can rise to dangerous levels because of inadequate insulin production by the pancreas. Regardless of how much insulin the pancreas can produce, dehydration can suppress its production and result in a state that can easily be mistaken for diabetes. Brain function consumes a significant portion of the body’s energy and when dehydrated, the brain’s reliance on blood sugar increases. As such, the release of insulin is inhibited to increase the body’s threshold for blood sugar. Insulin promotes the absorption of sugar by cells, and because water Stress With the fast pace of modern is typically absorbed along with living, repetitive stress is one of the sugar, the suppression of the most common causes of poor insulin production serves as health. It often results in adrenal another mechanism for the body fatigue and in turn, a host of to conserve water during other frustrating health issues. dehydration. Back and Neck Pain The spine supports the entire weight of the upper body and about 75% of this support comes from the water within the small spinal discs that sit between each vertebra. When the body is dehydrated, these discs contain less water, are smaller in size, and less capable of providing support. This results in an increased risk of nerve impingement, additional strain on the musculature that supports the spine, and an increased risk of disc herniation, all of which are significant sources of back and neck pain.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

CLASSIFIED

Email: sales@asiancity.co.uk

LOOKING FOR HAIR MODELS FOR BRIDAL HAIRSTYLES

DUE TO OWNER RETIRING Kashmir Balti House Elwyn Road, March, Cambridgeshire PE15 9BT Seats 70 plus, detached building 16 years open lease Currently, £3500 plus weekly taking Quick sale £50,000 ono Le Spice Indian Restaurant 26 Forehill, Ely CB74AF 60 cover restaurant 16 years open lease, £4500 - 5500 taking a week brand new restaurant opened since 2010 quick sale £100,000 ono Contact Sham: 07931 970 721

KEBAB SHOP FOR SALE STATION KEBAB (Restaurant & Takeaway)

239 Imperial Drive, Rayners Lane, Harrow, HA2 7HE. Fully equipped kebab shop on a busy main road. 11 years unexpired lease, open lease. Rent is £12,000 a year. Current average taking a week £3,000, as only a kebab shop. But potential is very high if other types of food is included like fry chicken, pizza, Indian etc. Viewing highly recommended, very reasonably priced. Quick sale £45,000.

Call 07429 784 211 for more details

HOW TO PLACE YOUR ADVERT

Advertise your business here for as little as £40 a week. Whatever the size of your business, reach out to the Asian Community by placing your advertisement here. Call the Classified team on 0207 247 3537 today. For all our advertising rates and sizes please visit www.asiancity.co.uk, or just call 0207 247 3537 for a chat with the ad team and they’ll talk you through the process. You choose the size and how long you want it for and we’ll make sure your message reaches the Asian Comunity of Britain.

AsianCity AsianCity BRITAIN’S BEST ASIAN NEWSPAPER

www.asiancity.co.uk

Your advertisement here from £50 per issue 1/8 Page £120 for 1 issue £90 for 4 issues = £360 £70 for 8 issues = £560 £50 for 12 issues = £600

BRITAIN’S BEST ASIAN NEWSPAPER

www.asiancity.co.uk

Your advertisement here from £40 per issue 1/16 Page £80 for 1 issue £60 for 4 issues = £240 £50 for 8 issues = £400 £40 for 12 issues = £480

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

FUN CITY

THE BOULEVARD GITA

by Sandeep Sood

HOROSCOPES ARIES

March 21 - April 20

Now is the time to formulate your goals and how to achieve them. Taking the initiative is the focus of this week. There is a sense that you can actually see what the future holds. The only way to know is to goso be willing to take that less travelled path and see what you discover. The desire to see just what is beyond the horizon, both physically and spiritually is very strong.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 21

By acknowledging that sharing responsibility and authority can actually be a benefit, you can actually achieve the kind of recognition that you are seeking from the one person you find hardest to please: yourself. Karmic balance and resolution are the themes for this week. Your challenge is to accept that the world won’t stop if you relax your grip on the reins, spiritually speaking.

GEMINI

May 22 - June 21

There is a sense of destiny or fate that makes things seem almost surreal. The chance for an unexpected romantic interlude could make this week seem like something out of a novel. Yet it is important not to get so caught up in the magic that you lose sight of the adjustmentsemotional and financial-that this relationship will require if it is going to flourish in the way you hope it will.

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

This can be a time for growth - certainly it will be time for reconciling that which holds you back. Hidden emotions may come to the surface this week, particularly in romantic situations, that could leave you feeling that you are being taken for granted. Before jumping to conclusions, consider whether what you are feeling is really the result of some deeper internal conflict that you need to resolve.

LEO

July 23 – August 23

Expressing your point of view effectively becomes even more important by week’s end. This week is going to be about managing your energies; physical, emotional and psychical, to maximize the results of your efforts, particularly in the work/career area. The ability to think “on the fly” and make adjustments in what you are doing and, even more importantly, communicating, will be tested mid-week.

VIRGO

August 24 - September 22

Take care not to go overboard on entertainment or other big-ticket items as this could suddenly leave you “a day late and a dollar short”. Financial issues are going to consume a lot of time and energy this week. This is not necessarily a bad thing as your attention to details could bring about a small windfall or advantage mid-week. A dash of restraint can also limit the stress factor and the end of these seven days.

LIBRA

September 23 - October 23

The ability to adapt to some dramatic shifts is going to be an important asset. Maintaining a balance between impulsive action and restrained thoughtful movement is going to make this a challenging week. One area that will need to be watched is a tendency towards negative feelings late in the week. Rather than letting things get out of hand, use the power of communication to clarify uncertainties.

SCORPIO

October 24 - November 22

Loyalty to those closest will be repaid in kind to the mutual benefit of all. This week is about remembering a fundamental truth: Since you can’t hope to please everyone, you’ve got to please yourself. Being able to recognize those facets of your world that bring you a sense of security and of “home” and working to nurture them can help you achieve some longstanding goals that will enhance the way you live.

SAGITTARIUS

November 23 - December 21

Just remember not to sweat over the small stuff and the rough patch will pass. Speculation and gambling-both in the career and romantic realms will dominate your activities this week. Living by the motto: “You cannot win, if you do not play”, the chances that you take could well pay off. This “jackpot” however, may not be immediate and could lead to some unexpected conflict.

TO TWEET. TO WHO?

NAME THE STAR Can you tell who it is yet?

Find out the answer on Twitter @asiancity Last weeks’s star: Madhuri Dixit

THE only time a Bollywood celebrity trends on twitter is when it’s their birthday, when someone has died or when they have a movie about to release. But neither of this was the case with Shahid Kapoor. It was when Shahid Kapoor tweeted his support for the boxer Mary Kom, who was competing at the London 2012 Olympics. @shahidkapoor Bust them up marycom …… U r indias million dollar baby …… Within a matter of seconds, people took to twitter to poke jibes at the Bollywood actor. We share with you, some of comments that made us giggle.

@DieHardPankha #ThrillingOlympian Shahid Kapoor. Gold for spelling errors. @fakingnews Shahid Kapoor wins Gold at Men’s 140 characters Typos. @ajith27 Shahid Kapoor is trending but Mary Kom is not. Just proves our obsession with losers than winners! @rameshsrivats Blood Groups in Bollywood - Aamir Khan: Type A, Bipasha: Type B, Amitabh Bachchan: Type AB, Shahid Kapoor: Typo. @shadymumbai Shahid Kapoor is so Bad with Spellings... That when he signs an Autograph he Spells his Name as Hrithik Roshan

CAPRICORN

December 22 - January 20

This week your challenge is to actually look at all that you are doing and measure whether there is any potential to move ahead. Your practical nature and sense of responsibility have left you in a bit of rut this week. While obligations have to be met, being able to actually put priorities on things can help you discern whether it is time for a change in order to better your standing in the world.

AQUARIUS

January 21 – February 18

You may find that these new associates actually can become friendsand possibly more. Unexpected encounters could become a catalyst for a long term commitment-particularly in the career area. The fact that the desire for personal freedom exists and is honored by all involved will make this new arrangement beneficial, timely and profitable for all.

PISCES

February 19 - March 20

Existing plans may have to be reconsidered or abandoned all together. Financial issues-particularly those that you share with someone-are a point of concern this week. Sudden changes leave you feeling at a loss on how to resolve the issue at hand. Rather than over-analyzing things, tune into your intuitive side and let the energies flow in order to find the answer that you need.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

ask Neelam He still sees his Ex-GF GOT SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND? SHARE IT, HALVE IT, LET NEELAM SORT IT

e: neelam@asiancity.co.uk

Shutting her out to shut her up Dear Neelam,

THE girl I’ve started dating is amazing in every way – but I can’t stand her habit of going on about people I don’t know. This-girl-this, thatgirl-that, it drives me crazy. I’ve started to stop listening and she’s started to see me as the kind of guy who doesn’t pay attention.

Betting is ruining my relationship

Neelam says..

Take it as a compliment – it’s her way of showing you she wants you to be more a part of her life. She’s obviously a people person and her way of letting you into her world is by narrating tales that involve other people. More to the point, why don’t you know any of these people? They clearly are important to her and, while you don’t have to befriend them, there’s no harm meeting a few on a social basis. This way, you can ask her to talk about only the ones you’ve met, thereby allowing you to contribute instead of trying to look interested. And introduce her to more people you know. Once you’ve both got mutual friends, you’ll both have more to talk about.

Dear Neelam,

EVEN though we’ve only been dating for three months I’m already really confident that my new fella could be The One - even my parents approve! But there’s one thing that I feel very uncomfortable with. He sees his ex girlfriend a lot. I’m not the jealous type, but he does mention her a lot! Apparently, she said to him: ‘I love you so much that I will let you go.’ Do you think they still harbour feelings for each other?

Neelam says..

It’s easy to assume you’re the rebound girl, but really, if that were the case, would he tell you so much about her? One reason could be that he’s going for the oldest trick in the book by telling you his ex still yearns for him – it’s a subtle way to make you jealous and show why you deserve him more! Or it could be exactly how he means it: he really likes her. It’s up to you to decide whether he likes what they have now, or whether he longs for what they

used to have. It’s perfectly possible for ex-lovers – who know each other so well – to leave the physical part behind and remain friends. But it has to be on your terms, meaning: you come first. The only way to assess if this girl is a threat is simple: meet her. If she refuses to befriend you, then you have justified cause to tell your man you have an issue. But ultimately, it’s always better that your man shares his thoughts regarding other women than to keep it to himself.

MY GAMBLING is getting out of control. My girlfriend is very wary of us starting a family because of this. I’ve tried to be strong willed and to control myself, but nothing seems to work.

Neelam says..

At least you’re not keeping this a secret from your partner. It’s time to swallow your pride and work on practical lifestyle changes. You have to hand over all your finances to your girlfriend, and let her give you ‘pocket money’

MY AUNTIE IS A MILITANT Dear Neelam,

LOVE FACT

Love can exert the same stress on your body as deep fear. You see the same physiological responses — pupil dilation, sweaty palms, and increased heart rate. So the next time you see someone you fancy, don’t scare them away, just relax!

so you have no large amounts of cash to gamble with. If you gamble online, limit your time on the PC and block access to betting sites. As you’ve already made the step of recognising you have a problem, go that extra mile and sign up to Gamblers Anonymous. You will meet people who have learned how to live with it, and you’ll see there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The good news is that gambling doesn’t have to control your life, and it especially shouldn’t keep you from the happiness of starting a family.

SINCE our mother passed away a couple of years ago, my sisters and I have been raised by our aunt. She means well, but she is nowhere near as liberal as our mother used to be. I’m old enough and well off enough to leave home, but I’m afraid this will make her even more militant in her attitude and make life hell for my sisters.

Neelam says..

It’s easy to assume your aunt loves bossing you girls around just to make life difficult for you, but it’s more likely the case that she’s taken on an awesome responsibility and is terrified she will let her belated sister down by failing to raise you in what she considers the proper way. The more you rebel or sulk, the more she’ll be justified in her belief that

you’re still too immature to look after yourselves. Of course you’re going to side with your sisters against your mean old aunt, but you’d actually be helping their cause if you showed her you appreciate what she’s trying to do. As the eldest, you can win her trust by applying some of her disciplinary measures onto your siblings. Once she starts to see that she can rely on you to see her rules implemented, it’s quite likely she’ll back off – giving you plenty of opportunity to let them off the hook when she’s not looking! Your sisters won’t resent you if you tell them what you’re doing, taking particular care to train your next eldest sister to be your second-in-command, so she can take over the mantle when you decide to move on. As for your aunt, the more she sees everything is in order and feels less resentment, the more she’ll relax towards you all.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

STOCKISTS Can’t get hold of the latest ASIAN CITY, no problem, just visit one of our regular stockists listed below: And for those really hard to reach areas, Asian City is on sale at newsagents and mainstream news-vendors such as Tesco, WHSmith, Sainsburys & Asda for a small cover price of 70p. Mega Blast 131 Ilford Lane Ilford IG4 5ND T: 07956 931 014

West London:

RDC London 181 Ilford Lane Ilford IG1 2RT T: 0208 514 8206 E: info@rdc-online.com

Popat Stores Ltd 138-158 Ealing Road Wembley HA0 4PY Tel: 020 8903 6397

Seasons Asian Designer Wear 196 Ilford Lane Ilford IG1 2LG T: 0208 553 3999 E: seasonsadw@gmail.com

Jalaram Pan House 782 Harrow Road Sudbury HA0 3EL Tel: 020 8904 3228

Neelam Hair & Beauty 159-161 Green St, London E7 8JE T: 0208 552 8008

Balo Basha 9 Osborn St London E1 6TD T: 07865 053 716

Krishna Gift House 208 Green St, London E7 8LE T: 0208 552 6716

Geet Ghor Plus 24 Osborn St London E1 6TD T: 07958 176443

Amma Food 561 High Road Wembley HA0 2DW Tel: 020 8902 7022

Puja Silk House 258 Green St, London E7 8LF T: 0208 552 6358

Sanam Music Centre 266 Bethnal Green Rd E2 0AG T: 0208 552 8008

Digital Music 8 Stephens Parade, Green Street E7 T : 07957 126 976

Anand Pan Centre Green St London E7 8LL T: 0208 472 4425

East London: New Generation 64 Green St, London E7 8JG T: 0208 470 9418 Music Hunters 133B Green St, London E7 8JF T: 0208 586 2304 E: musichunters@hotmail.co.uk

Eastern Styles 302 Green St, London E7 8LF T: 0208 257 8825 Partap Fashion Fabrics 277B Green St, London E7 8LE T: 0208 472 9979 S.S. Designers 277 Green Street, London E7 8LJ T: 0208 472 9141 Pan Parlour 337 Green Lane, Ilford IG3 8BD T: 0208 597 8328 Quality Foods 118 Ilford Lane, Ilford IG1 2LE T: 0208 514 8888 Anand Pan Centre 116 Ilford Lane, Ilford IG1 2LE T: 0208 514 3800 Imaani London 93 Ilford Lane Ilford IG1 2RJ T: 0208 478 8558 E: info@imaanilondon.com Sangham Video & Fireworks 410 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London E17 9AA T: 0208 521 4792

South London Anand Pan Centre 102 Upper Tooting Rd SW17 T: 0208 762 7576 Style 2000 155A Upper Tooting Rd SW17 T: 0208 672 1115 W: studiostyle2000.co.uk JR’s High Class Butchers 163 Upper Tooting Rd SW17 7TJ T: 0208 682 3949 SD Off Licence 167 Upper Tooting Rd SW17 7TJ Yogi Travels Ltd 886 London Rd CR7 7PB T: 0208 665 6080 E: yogitravel@hotmail.co.uk Temptation 451 London Rd SW16 4AQ T: 0208 679 4900 E: saimajan49@hotmail.com Santosh 832 London Road Croydon CR7 7PA T: 0208 683 2447 Tooting Video Centre 71-73 Upper Tooting Rd SW17 T: 0208 682 8818

Want to become a stockist and do Britain a huge favour? Good on you!

Just call 020 7247 3537 or email your business details to: stockists@asiancity.co.uk You’ll be listed on this stockist page – free publicity – It’s a no brainer!

Quality Foods 47-61 South Road, Southall UB1 1SQ T: 0208 917 9188

Nargis Collection 96 The Broadway UB1 1QF T: 0208 571 2378 E: nargiscollection@hotmail.co.uk

Parampara 79 The Broadway, UB1 1LA T: 0208 571 4697 E: parampara.xd@gmail.com

New Fashion House 88 The Broadway UB1 1QF T: 0208 843 0969 E: newfashionhouse@gmail.com

Milan Video 75 Station Rd Harrow HA2 7SW T: 0208 861 4971

North London:

Indian Music4U 718 Kenton Rd Middx HA3 9QX T: 0208 204 5000 E: indianmusic4U.co.uk

Krishna Pan Center 606a High Road, Wembley HA0 2AF Tel: 020 8900 0499 Paul & Co 588 High Road, Wembley HA0 2AF Tel: 020 8902 8192 Suraj Sweet Mart 44a Ealing Road, Wembley HA0 4TL Tel: 020 8900 1991 Videorama Pan Centre 8 Kenton Park Parade HA3 8DQ T: 0208 907 0116 E: videoramapan@hotmail.com Meera Paan House 22 Queensbury Station Parade HA3 5NR T: 0208 952 0412 E: meera_paan_house@hotmail Tip Top Entertainment 152 Pinner Rd, Middx HA1 4JJ T: 0208 427 4777 Royal Collection 105A The Broadway UB1 1LN T: 0208 571 5554 E: info@royalmusic.co.uk A-Z Muzik Unit 3, 7 The Broadway UB1 T: 0208 843 2358 E: atozmuzik@gmail.com

Shivan Pan & Sweet Mart 443 Kenton Rd HA3 0X T: 0208 206 2225 Prabu Pan Shop 5/8 Dominion Parade HA1 2TR E: yunushmir@yahoo.co.in Sonas Haute Couture 48 Ealing Rd Middx HA0 4TQ T: 0208 795 1100 E: sona@sonacouture.com Panachand Pan House 238 Ealing Rd Middx HA0 4QL T: 0208 902 9962 Muzik Zone 105A Ealing Rd Middx HA0 4BP T: 0208 795 1265 Prabu Paan Shop 129 Ealing Rd Middx HA0 4BP T: 07402 682586 New Fashion House 2-4 King St Southall UB2 4DA T: 0208 574 4133

Anand Pan Centre 542 Kingsbury Rd NW9 9HH T: 0208 204 4440 Rams Pan 201 Kenton Road Harrow HA3 0HD Tel: 07947 621 221 Gayatri Sweet Mart 467 Kingsbury Road, NW9 9DY Tel: 020 8206 1677 Equatoria Travel 8 Queensbury Station Parade, Edgware HA8 5NP Tel: 020 8381 2535 Satyam Foods 23-25 Queensbury Station Parade, Edgware HA8 5NR Tel: 020 8952 3947

Midlands: Midlands Representative: Ziggi Studio 223 Ladypool Rd Birmingham B12 8LG T: 07814 429 428 E: ziggi@asiancity.co.uk

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Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

RECIPES AUBERGINE FRITTERS

Rose-flavoured milk and ground rice pudding ADDING rose to a dish instantly marks it as one for special occasions. But although rose is used more for decoration than for its health benefits, it is often an accompaniment to ayurvedic tinctures and herbal remedies. The rose-flavoured milk in this ground rice pudding instantly upgrades it from an ordinary dessert to an exquisite treat, best served when you have people popping round for a quick bite. But make sure you only use organic rose petals because the edible kind should come from flowers grown without pesticides or other garden chemicals, which rules out shop-bought roses. Rose syrup can be found in many Indian stores and most supermarkets.

SNACK CHARMER Who says a simple bite can’t be a special treat? Recipes by LA PORTE DES INDES www.laportedesindes.com Preparation:

Slice the aubergine 1cm/ half an CRISP batter contrasts with • 1/2 green pepper, seeded and inch thick, then slit each slice melting cheese and moist, fresh - grated horizontally, leaving an edge uncut tasting aubergine in this Creole • 1/2 red pepper, seeded and grated to hold the two halves together. version of an Indian pakora Mix together the grated cheese • 1/2 tsp cumin powder and paneer or cottage cheese. • 1/2 tsp paprika powder Ingredients: Squeeze any moisture out of the • Salt Makes twelve grated peppers and add them to • 120g/4 oz gram flour • 2 medium aubergines weighing the cheeses with the powdered • 1 pinch bicarbonate of soda about 125g/4 oz each spices. Add salt to taste, mix well • 80g/3 oz Gruyere or Cheddar • 1/2 tsp ajwain seeds and spread the cheese mixture • Vegetable oil, to deep-fry cheese, grated into the pockets you have made in • 4 tbsp paneer or cottage cheese • Tamarind Sauce (as dip) the aubergine slices

Ingredients: Serves four

Mix the gram flour with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda, the ajwain seeds and a pinch of salt and slowly mix in enough water to make a thick, smooth batter Heat the deep-frying oil to 170C/325F. Dip the stuffed aubergine pockets into the batter and deep-fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Allow the oil to drain on napkins and serve hot with tamarind sauce.

CRISPY FRIED LOTUS ROOT FORGET the bowl of crisps forevermore! Here, the crisp roots are simply tossed in quickly fried onions and green chillies. You can use canned lotus root if you can’t find any fresh ones. Ingredients: Serves four • 350g/ 12oz lotus roots, carefully washed, peeled and thinly sliced • 1 tsp red chilli powder • Salt • 11/2 tsp turmeric powder • 3 tbsp gram flour • 3 tbsp cornflour • Vegetable oil, to deep-fry

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, to pan-fry • 2 red onions, chopped • 1 green chilli, finely chopped • 1 red chilli, finely chopped • 1/2 tsp chaat masala • 2 tsp lemon juice • 3-4 stems fresh coriander, chopped • More fresh coriander and fresh red chillies, cut into julienne (matchstick) strips, to garnish • Salt, for sprinkling Preparation: Dry the lotus slices on kitchen paper and sprinkle them with salt, red chilli and turmeric powders. Leave for 2 – 3 minutes, then dust with a mixture of the

gram flour and cornflour. Heat the deep-frying oil to 170C/325F and deep-fry the roots in batches until they are golden brown, for about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to kitchen paper to soak up excess oil. Heat 2tbsp oil in a pan and put in the chopped red onions over high heat, adding the chillies after a few seconds. Toss for half a minute, then mix in the lotus root slices and remove from the heat. All ingredients should be crisp and dry. Sprinkle over the chaat masala, lemon juice, coriander and salt to taste. Serve hot with coriander and red chillies.

• 5 tbsp basmati rice • 1 litre/ 11/2 pints full-cream fresh milk • 5 tbsp sugar • 2 tbsp rose syrup • 60g/ 2oz confit de roses (or rose jelly or jam) • 100 ml/ 31/2 fl oz double cream • Edible rose petals, to decorate Preparation: Wash and soak the rice in cold water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and grind the rice finely in a grinder or food processor. Alternatively, use ready ground rice, adding a little water to make a paste. Bring the milk to boiling point in a pan and stir in the sugar and then the ground rice paste. Simmer the mixture until it thickens, then add the rose syrup, confit de roses and double cream. Pour into 8 small moulds, allow to cool and refrigerate. Serve the pudding in the moulds, decorated with the rose petals.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

TRAVEL OVERLOOKING the Gateway of India, the Taj Hotel in Mumbai casts its net across the bay, pulling you deep into its cool oasis shimmering in white marble. In a city filled with movie stars, this is the place where people go to truly feel like one.

Comfort begins the moment you step in and make yourself at home. Instead of standing by the reception desk to check in, you will be invited to recline in the lobby lounge, where a frosty glass of champagne is brought to you while the formalities are taken care of. The heart of the Taj Hotel in Mumbai beats in synchronicity with the city; as it evolves, so does the hotel, constantly reinventing itself to keep with the times. It boasted a colonial flavour early last century while the British partied and sipped cocktails on the Taj’s opulent balconies; now it soaks in the glamorous atmosphere created by the hundreds of sparkling Bollywood stars who live in Mumbai. It’s not unusual to see clusters of beautiful models sipping a late-night cup of chai in the Sea Lounge, while politicians and millionaires treat it like a second home. And with your very own butler waiting on you hand and foot, it’s hardly a wonder that it’s earned a reputation as the place to relax in. Despite continual renovations, the Taj creates the illusion of entering a different world, automatically transporting you back to the age of empresses and courtesans, resplendent with domes, terraces, carved pillars and soaring archways, with royal treatment to match. Hard as it will prove to tear yourself away from all this luxury, you can’t visit the hotel without taking in the magical sights of Mumbai, but even when it comes to sightseeing, the Taj is at hand to give you a first class service. They pride themselves on their knowledge of the city, providing you with every small detail you need to see everything you must and tips on avoiding all the parts that you can do without. Once you step outside the cocoon of the Taj, a swarm of smells and colours assail the senses; movie stars entice you from coloured billboards, the streets are lined with food vendors frying a host of delights in huge sizzling pans and interspersed here and there are soaring, beautiful glass buildings reaching up from all the chaos.

The Taj hotel resorts are legendary for their renowned hospitality; providing a delicate blend of exquisitely beautiful architecture couched in a traditional Indian ambience. If the exact period and style of the décor is hard to pinpoint, don’t be surprised. Originally designed by two of India’s master architects – Sitaram Khanderao Vaidya and DN Mirza, both huge fans of Mughal-inspired architecture – it developed western nuances after Vaidya

THE TASTE OF TAJ

If you want to savour Mumbai the way the city’s celebrities are used to, step into the majestic Taj Hotel

BEACHES Juhu Mumbai consists of seven islands. Once you emerge from the cloud of smoke in the city centre, Juhu offers a welcome respite. It’s about an hour’s drive but a trip well worth making. The bungalows of Bollywood stars cluster around the edge of the beach and, if you’re lucky, you might stumble across a film being shot seeing as directors still love the nostalgia attached to the location. Like most of Mumbai’s beaches, the closer they are to the city, the less you should swim in them. Horse and donkey rides provide much amusement, but stay away from the camels – they tend to go nuts and sprint towards the sea! Food vendors pepper the beach, offering koftas and bhelpuri, best washed down with a sweet lassi to stave off the heat. Chowpatty By far the most famous beach but more suitable for an evening stroll than a session of sunbathing. If you feel trusting, you can even get a massage from a malish-wallah! If you happen to visit in August or September, witnessing the Ganesh Chathurti festival is a must, when the sea is awash with thousands of bobbing papier-mâché Ganeshas. Marve, Manori and Gorai It’s a bit of a trek from Mumbai – a good 40 km – but if you ask the Taj, they can arrange safe transport at a reasonable price. It’s worth assigning a whole day or even making it an allnighter at these three jewels in Mumbai’s crown. Marve, the quietest and home to a tiny fishing village, is often used as a weekend getaway by the city’s rich and famous. The beaches are well maintained and display none of the dirt and pollution often found in the city centre. If you want to see how the natives party, visiting Gorai and Manori are a must. They have a serious reputation for wild, all-night beach parties.

ENTER THE MAJESTIC TAJ

died and the British architect WA Chambers took over. Since then the Taj has renovated itself, using art deco styles, minimalistic contemporary influences and incorporated traditional Rajasthani designs for inspiration. Ever since the Mumbai Taj’s doors opened to the public in 1903, it has consistently maintained its reputation as India’s finest hotel and to some, the best in the world. Nothing beats the prospect of knowing that you’ll be treated impeccably, with every whim and desire taken care of, even before you anticipate it. And even when you leave the Taj, the memory of waking up to a large, sumptuously decorated room, then greeted by a breathtaking view of the Arabian Sea stays with you forever.

All rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art plasma TV and DVD player, with interactive TV programmes, facilities to access computers, an indulgent mini bar and the choice of city or sea facing rooms, not to mention 24hour room service. If your mind and body needs a rest, a visit to the Jiva Spa will allow you to escape to a world of relaxation and tranquillity where you can indulge in the vigorous therapeutic massages, oriental foot treatment or the exotic lime and ginger scrub treatment. Once rejuvenated, you can check out the gym with every exercise machine imaginable. Be sure to try out the special Asthtanga Yoga program, designed to balance out all the evils caused by that delicious food you’ll be enjoying over the next few days.

SIGHTSEEING Gateway of India This is barely a stroll away from the Taj and is one of India’s most well-known monuments. It’s worth visiting in the evening, when everyone from balloon sellers to snake charmers take over the area. Haji Ali Mosque Built in the middle of the sea, this ethereal mosque can only be accessed during low tide by walking a narrow path. Whitewashed marble makes the mosque glow during the day and a large, cool courtyard offers welcome shade from the sun. A truly beautiful sight, the mosque contains the remains of the saint Haji Ali. Elephanta Island Attractions in Mumbai pale by comparison to the rich history and works of heritage on offer at Elephanta island. Cast your eyes across rock-cut temples carved between 400 and 800 AD, with sculptures of incredible beauty jutting out from ancient walls. A truly humbling and awe-inspiring experience. SHOPPING A shopper’s paradise, Mumbai caters for the high end shopping – try the Taj

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

TRAVEL

LUSCIOUS LUCIA

Hotel’s boutique – or the cheaper end for those wanting to pick up bargains. The main areas for clothes are around the Colaba Causeway and Fashion Street, which are a riot of colourful clothes flapping in the sea breeze, spilling over from every street corner. If you want something that doesn’t fall apart after one wash, visiting Breach Candy and Kemps Corner is a must for trendy bargains. And you can’t leave Mumbai without a shopping trip to Chor Bazaar, the infamous treasure store

for antiques. Spend an afternoon losing yourself in its eclectic range of new and old furniture, priceless trinkets and brica-brac. Zaveri Bazaar is heaven on earth to jewellery fetishists. NIGHTLIFE Not surprisingly, Mumbai boasts the best nightlife in India, with a vast choice of bars bound to please even the most hardened party-goer. The elegant Bay View Bar on Nariman Point plays live music while Enigma on Juhu plays the

latest rock music. dance music fans will love The Ghetto in Breach Candy, which plays psychedelic trance, while the Library Bar in Colaba is electronica heaven, offering the coolest beats in town. Taking in Mumbai is bound to leave you famished and really, there’s no better place to eat in town than in the hotel you’re staying in. For a gourmet meal with top-notch service, the Taj has the following restaurants: Masala Kraft Contemporary Indian cuisine served in plush surroundings, seeking inspiration from old recipes and injecting a fresh flavour to reflect Mumbai’s youthful persona. Golden Dragon Serving authentic Sichuan cuisine, we don’t blame you for thinking you’ve been transported to an opulent eaterie in China. Dressed in swathes of cream, gold and mahogany, elegant artefacts pepper the walls. Souk Attracting the glitterati of Mumbai, Souk serves Eastern Mediterranean food and boasts an open-kitchen and panoramic views of the bay. Wasabi by Morimoto Setting the pace for the rest of Mumbai, this is the city’s first contemporary Japanese restaurant, dressed in the usual impeccable style, offering exquisite dishes. • For more information about prices and availability, visit www.tajhotels.com

REGARDED as among the world’s top destinations for honeymooners, you don’t need to be in love to fall in love with St Lucia. One of the Caribbean’s most precious jewels, St Lucia was considered so beautiful, the French and the British fought over it for 150 years. Today, the only battle you’re likely to face is when deciding whether to sightsee or laze around doing absolutely nothing. Here you will enter a world of tropical ambience, where elusive parrots squawk overhead, orchids trail their scent in the air, hummingbirds buzz near brilliant heliconia and climbing palms encircle tall trees like lovers embracing. Considering the island has an abundance of sprawling resorts and luxury villas, it isn’t overrun with tourist attractions, chiefly because it hasn’t succumbed to the commercialism that has saturated so many of the other islands of the Caribbean. Nonetheless, there’s plenty to see and do. Much of the island is rural, with picturesque fishing villages dotting the coast leading onto leafy coconut plantations fringed by mountainous jungle and the dramatic backdrop of twin volcanoes. Jagged parts of terrain lie beneath the sea, making it a diver’s paradise with underwater mountains and caves. But it’s the vision of hot sandy white beaches and the warmth of the locals that will stay with you forever. GETTING THERE There are two airports on the island: Hewanorra International Airport at Vieux Fort is located 40 miles south of Castries, and George Charles Inter Island Airport is just outside Castries. Be warned – fares from the airport to the inner districts usually drain the wallet. The most cost-effective are taxis, readily available from the Hewanorra airport to Castries and the north of the island. PLACES TO EAT Prepare yourself for a feast – restaurants serve up a combination of international and Creole food using nothing but fresh local produce, and for fussy palates there are specialty restaurants. Dine in the Soufriere district with spectacular views of the volcanoes, or pay a visit to Oceana, with the Caribbean Sea spread at your feet.

PLACES TO GO Castries: The island’s capital, this is a busy port city set on a large natural harbour and home to a lively nightlife and scores of handicraft stalls. Be sure to visit the delightful Derek Walcott Square, a quiet central square

surrounded by a handful of 19thcentury wooden buildings with gingerbread-trim balconies. Marigot Bay: Backed by green hillsides, Marigot Bay is a lovely sheltered bay with a delicate palm fringed beach. Legend has it that the inner harbour is so deep, an entire British fleet once escaped French warships by sailing inside and covering their masts with coconut leaves. Rodney Bay: A large protected bay that includes the resort area of Reduit Beach and the tiny fishing village of Gros Islet. Rodney Bay Marina, the island’s largest yachting port, is situated between the two. Gros Islet is full of rural charm, with simple wooden houses and tin roofs, lots of rum shops and a shore full of painted wooden boats. Frigate Islands Nature Reserve: Midway along the eastern coast, the Frigate Islands Nature Reserve, is a summer nesting site for frigate birds, herons and a couple of St Lucia’s rare indigenous birds (the Ramier pigeon and the St Lucian oriole). We hope you’re feeling brave though – it’s also home to boa constrictors and the more dangerous fer-de-lance pit viper. Maria Islands Nature Reserve: Home to one of the world’s rarest grass snakes, this cluster of tiny islands is the only habitat of the kouwes snake and the Maria Islands ground lizard. Sulphur Springs: A tad stinky, but incredible to look at. A barren terrain pocked with pools of boiling mud and steaming vents a stone’s throw from the volcano, the vents release great quantities of sulphuric gases, which are responsible for the yellow mineral deposits blanketing the area.

• For further details visit www.saintlucia.com or to get a rough estimate for flight-only prices, contact Virgin Atlantic Airlines on 0870 380 2007

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

CAREERS

WHATEVER THE WEATHER... Top tips for a sunny future with Sky Weather-girl Nazaneen Ghaffer

How to go freelance

FED up of kow-towing to a tyrannical office manager? Whether you’re stifled by the politics of office life, finding it hard to juggle work and family life, or simply want more time to yourself, the allure of going freelance has never been stronger. There are a lot of benefits to being your own boss, but you should take into consideration the amount of work involved: • Before you go freelance consider this: are you financially secure enough to weather the months if work is sparse? If the answer is no, you should probably save for a little bit longer before taking the plunge, or gradually go freelance by making your current job parttime. • New contacts are crucial. A constant worry for freelancers is: what will I do if there is no work? No matter how steady a client seems, they are under no obligation to give you regular work. Attend a networking party as often as you can. • Handbooks are invaluable because they list all prospective employers and contact details. Try The Freelance Success Book by David Taylor. • It’s wise to accept that for you to work, you need boundaries. You must create your own work space to differentiate between chill out and work time. Keep your hours flexible, but if you have a job to do, set yourself time limits and stick to them. • Assess your own worth. A lot of freelancers tend to be underpaid because they worry about overpricing, but if you value your skills enough to charge the fair price for it, then your prospective employers will too.

THERE’S nothing worse than waking up to bad weather; the blow is only softened when there’s a lovely smiling face reminding you to take your brolly with you, so thank goodness then for Nazaneen Ghaffer.

She’s one of the faces of Sky Weather and no doubt you’ve seen her in the mornings when you’re tuning in to help you decide what to wear. Passionate about fronts and optimistic about grey skies, Nazaneen has landed the job of her dreams and in an exclusive interview she gives her advice on what it takes to be a weather presenter.

Bottoms up Be prepared to start on the bottom rung of the career ladder. Every job in television starts as a runner. I did that for several years – in fact I started when I was 16. I thought that after I had my degree in Broadcasting I could go straight into a production job but it turned out I had to continue doing running jobs. As a graduate I moved to Bristol to be a runner on Deal Or No Deal but kept my eye on news jobs as that’s where I wanted to be. Three months later I moved across the road to work on ITV West.

Work it! If you want to land the job of your dreams you need to prove you’ll do anything for it. For six months I kept asking if I could present the weather and then I was eventually appointed the third weather girl, which meant I did all the cover work like evenings and weekends, whilst still doing two other jobs. I didn’t take a day off for about three months – but if you really want something you’ll work for it.

Release your inner geek Everyone is passionate about something and I have a passion for weather – you need to show it off. I love talking about the weather, hearing about it, watching what it’s going to do and being in it. I originally wanted to work on news but weather is more suited to me as it’s much more light-hearted.

Train to gain To be a weather girl you don’t need special qualifications. Some are presenters and are briefed on the weather but I prefer to do it myself. I trained with the Met Office so I could learn how to read graphics, charts, satellite images and wind speeds. The better you are at your job, the more respect you’ll get. Before I worked on Sky Weather I spent 18

months reading the weather for BBC South East before Sky spotted me and invited me to join them.

Get to bed I wind down for the night at 8pm so I’m in bed at 9pm. It’s not easy but it is essential. I prepare by turning off the computer and TV and having a relaxing bath – lavender is always useful!

Develop a style I’m lucky that I have a stylist who advises me on what clothes to wear on Become a morning person camera but I’ll always have an opinion! I I wake up at 3.50am every day. I leave love to wear dresses – but I’d never want for work at 4.30am but I do admit, I’m still to wear anything too dressy as the not used to it and do get tired. The attention should not be on me. I stick to morning weather is the most important one block colours and I particularly like of the day and I’m on air by 6am to help dresses from the Reiss sale and Karen people organise their plans for the day. Millen.

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Stay in shape Never stop smiling Because I’m up so early and my days Sometimes being a weather girl, are so hectic I have to eat well. I stay away you’re delivering bad news – floods, from quick sugar rushes and drink plenty heavy snow…so it’s important to stay of water. positive, even when it’s a high-pressure environment. I always make an effort Flex your skills with people who contact me too. Just now Be prepared for variety as flexibility is I’m signing autographs for guys who are key. One day I can be on location – last out in Helmand Province – even they Friday I was at Tower Bridge for the final need to hear the weather forecast! day of the Olympic Torch relay. In the studio I can be doing live weather, • Follow Nazaneen on Twitter @SkyNewsNaz recordings for world weather, our iPad and keep an eye on the forecast by visiting app and updating forecasts on Twitter. http://weather-news.sky.com

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Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

SPORT Pakistan’s hockey flop

IT WAS the country’s biggest medal hope, but the Pakistani men’s hockey team failed to get through to the semi-finals of the 2012 Olympics Games, losing 7-0 against Australia. Despite their poor performance, in what is considered their national sport, their coach, who many fans have criticised, believes they still performed better than their arch rivals India. Comparing the teams Khawaja Junaid said: ‘I’m disappointed we didn’t make the semi finals but satisfied that we finished the Olympics as the top ranked Asian team ahead of India. There’s always a sort of competition against India and finishing ahead of them is a respite.’ The Pakistani hockey team have won two golds at the Olympics in 1960 and 1984 as well as several silvers and bronze medals. Former captain Islahuddin Siddique said he now fears for the future of the sport. He said: ‘If you are losing, losing, losing, people don’t want to come and play hockey. Everyone wanted to see the Pakistani flag fly hire and everyone is annoyed this didn’t happen.’ Team manager Aktar Chaudhry was also angered by the defeat. He said: ‘The midfield was totally abolished and the forwards totally failed to win a single penalty corner. Today is the worst game - I have never seen Pakistan play like this before in my 47-year career.’ Salman Akbar, a veteran goal keeper said he was shocked at the quality of the 16 man team, saying the weakest 11 were out in at the beginning of the match and the whole side lacked courage.

INDIA S HOPES DASHED ’ Olympic goodbye Devendro Singh knocked out by Irishman •INDIA’S PRIDE Mary Kom

INDIA’S boxer Devendro Singh didn’t win anything at the London Olympics after he went down bravely to Paddy Barnes of Ireland 18-23 in the quarter-final bout of the men’s 49 kg light flyweight event here at the Excel Centre on Wednesday.

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not have a very good outing at the quadrennial event with Beijing Games bronze medallist Vijender Singh and Devendro Singh making it to the last eight stage. Even though the 20 year old Indian made his intent clear that he was up for a fight, it was his inexperience that led to his downfall. The young Indian pugilist taking on the Beijing Games bronze medallist MC Mary Kom is the only Indian did give it his all and was busy boxer who will return home with a trading punches but then the medal. The Indian men’s team did Irishman was very good at defence.

The Irishman won the first round 7-5 and he maintained the tempo right through to take an unassailable 17-10 lead in the second which included two penalty points. In the third and final round Devendro came out all guns blazing and make amends but then could not cut down on the lead even though he won the round 8-6. Barnes also conceded two points for putting his head down too much to avoid punches.

BRONZE FOR BADMINTON

ACE Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal created history as she became the first Indian ever to win an Olympic medal. Saina, playing her bronze medal match against the World number 2 of China Xin Wang of China ended on a winning note after her opponent conceded the match due to a knee injury after taking a 1-0 lead. The fifth ranked Saina clearly down in the game and trailing at 14-20 staged a great fight-back to save four games points before her opponent limped off the court with a knee injury. Looking in great pain, the Chinese showed great character to continue with the match after tying a bandage. Back on court Xin clinched the first game to take the game 21-8. She then opened the second game with a winner too go 1-0 up, and just when things were looking all good for the Chinese, she limped off again and conveyed her decision to retire hurt. This was India’s third medal at the 2012 London Olympics after shooter Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar’s bronze and silver medals respectively.

Yuvraj Singh will be back... YUVRAJ Singh has been a fighter since the time he made his debut in the Indian team and in the recent times he has not only fought the deadliest of disease but has receovered very well from the physically strenuous chemotherapy. And it is this perseverance and will power that has seen Yuvraj make a comeback into the Indian team for the T20 World Cup scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka in September. Yuvraj Singh, who is on a sabbatical from cricket from last November, did in past expressed how it feels to be away from the game and always wanted to make a comeback to the competitive cricket. He did not want to rush with things and made slow but steady progress. He did everything that he could from

his end to get match fit and looking at his determination and recovery the BCCI awarded him duly. Even though Yuvraj was away from competitive cricket over the last months, he made it a point to hit the nets and also play practice games. He kept his fans posted through social networking sites about his recovery. The path seems to be a tough but not an impossible one. The man who won India the World Cup has been through difficult times in the past as well and he has emerged as a true champion. The whole world wants to see this man back on the cricket field because that is where he belongs and one thing is for sure that Yuvraj will not leave any stone unturned to leave a mark once he is back on the field.

The wrestler admitted he was suffering from a stomach infection ahead of the match but didn’t want to use that as an excuse. He said: ‘Difficulty and pain are part of the sport and I fell short. I didn’t come here to be second best, I came here to win.’ Nevertheless his performance impressed some of India’s biggest sports stars with Sachin Tendulkar tweeting: ‘Sushil has done us proud by winning India its second silver medal.’ The government of Haryana state where he come from have also rewarded him with a gift of over £100,000. In boxing a bronze was awarded to Mary Kom, a landmark win, as 2012 was the first time in Olympic history that women’s boxing was included as a discipline. The 29year-old Womens Fly (51kg) boxer from Manipur, on the Burmese border, had humble beginnings, growing up supporting her farming family and barely having the finances to buy a proper boxing kit to train in. She normally fights in the 48kg category so had to gain weight in order to qualify for the Fly. The mother-of-two was teary- eyed and apologetic for not taking the gold, but again, some of the countries most influential stars were quick to congratulate her success. Bollywood’s Amitabh Bachchan who carried the Olympic Torch through South London told reporters he felt honoured and privileged to have spoken to Mary on the phone and said: ‘What a lady, you have made us proud.’ The five times world champion was beaten by Team GB’s Nicola Adams who went on to take the Gold. There were seven male boxers in India’s total team of 83 athletes yet none of them made it beyond the quarter-finals, including Vijender Singh who took a bronze in Beijing. Tennis was a particular disappointment. Most of the teams only lasted until the second round apart from Leander Paes and Sania Mirza who made it to the quarterfinals in the mixed doubles. In athletics, Krishna Ponnia qualified for the final of the women’s discus throw, as did Vikas Gawda in the men’s, but they finished 7th and 8th. Triple jumper Renjith Maheshawary fouled all three of his attempts and ended up with ‘no mark.’ Pakistan sent a squad of 21 to the Games yet didn’t take any medals. Their biggest disappointment was hockey. The game is considered a national sport and had won them gold in the past. The entire squad also faced embarrassment before they arrived in the UK, after tabloid newspaper The Sun claimed some of them were involved in a passport scam, to get them into the UK and as such, the entire team were kept under tight security during their stay in London. Sri Lanka also didn’t take any medals and neither did Bangladesh’s team of five. It was their 7th Olympic Games though no Bangladeshi competitor has ever qualified to take part. The country only sends competitors thanks to a ‘wild card’ process. Despite the lack of medals London 2012 was an event the world enjoyed watching. The Games slogan was ‘Inspire a generation’ and while it is hoped millions of young people in the UK will take inspiration from witnessing the sporting spectacle on their home turf, we can only hope, the spirit has also spread East and perhaps Rio in 2016 will finally be the time when the Asian countries really do have a chance to shine.

Asian City August 16 - August 29, 2012

AsianCity Sport BRITAIN’S BEST ASIAN NEWSPAPER

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Bronze for Freestyle Wrestler YOGESHWAR Dutt clinched an impressive bronze in the Olympic Games after beating North Korea’s Jong Myong Ri 3-1 in the 60kg freestyle wrestling play-off for the medal at the ExCel arena in London. Yogeshwar fought back strongly in the repechage rounds to notch up three successive victories in the space of less than an hour to provide India its fifth medal at the London Games

•OUTBURST Sourav Ganguly

Indian players ‘lack strength’

COMING down heavily on the current crop of Indian pacers, former captain Sourav Ganguly on Friday said that they lacked the “attitude” and “strength” to bowl fast. “Our bowlers have no strength. When Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan arrived they had a lot of pace but gradually they dropped down. It`s an attitude thing, to bowl fast. But the Indian bowlers think much rather than bowling fast,” Ganguly said. “They have to be like Shoaib Akhtar, who thinks nothing other than bowling fast. Glenn McGrath was brilliant in Australian conditions, while Wasim Akram was difficult in subcontinent wickets, especially with the older ball,” Ganguly, whose favourite bowler is retired Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan, said. The 40-year-old former player, however, was all praise for the country`s batsmen, especially Virat Kohli, who he touted as the future of Indian cricket. “He is not only the next star; the future of Indian cricket rests on Kohli,” Ganguly said while interacting with school children during a promotional event here today. “The future of Indian cricket will always be good with so much of interest in the sport.”

and the first on the mat. The 29-year-old from Sonepat in Haryana, who had missed a medal four years ago at the Beijing Olympics, showed excellent technique and fighting spirit to bring off three memorable wins on the trot for the bronze. In the repechage rounds, in which he had to beat three opponents, Yogeshwar started off with a win over World Championship runner-

up Franklin Gomez Matos of Puerto Rico and followed it with another brilliant victory over Iran’s Masoud Esmaeilpoorjouybari to be one win away from a medal. The two victories that came within the space of 20 minutes got Yogeshwar’s adrenaline going and he brought off another stupendous victory to come from behind over his North Korean rival to fetch the bronze.

FAREWELL LONDON 2012 Historic games for Asians AS LONDON said farewell to the Olympic flames and handed the responsibility over to Rio, in a glittering, musical extravaganza to mark the closing of the 2012 Olympic Games, there were tears of joy and disappointment by the competitors.

India who experienced their best Olympic performance in history. The squad won six Olympic medals: a silver and bronze for shooting, bronze for badminton and boxing, and a silver for wrestling. Sushil Kumar (29) was India’s biggest hope for winning a gold medal but in the 66kg For some there were victorious freestyle final, held on the last day medals that will mark their place in of the Olympics, the Indian the history books, while others wrestler lost to the Japanese returned home empty handed. One champion Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu. country who’ll be celebrating, is TURN TO PAGE 43

•SILVER Sushil Kumar