2010-03 Sydney (2)

INDIANLINK PUBLISHER

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra

ASSISTANT EDITORS

Usha Arvind

Sheryl Dixit

MELBOURNE

Preeti Jabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

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GRAPHIC DESIGN AND LAYOUT

Darren Monaghan

Indian Link is a fortnightly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, maybe reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the editor. Opinions carried in Indian Link are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Indian Link. All correspondence should be addressed to Indian Link

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Moneybags galore

A crore of rupees in Australian dollars equates to about AU$250,000, given the current rupee and Australian dollar exchange rate. A few years ago, the launch of the Amitabh Bachchan-hosted TV program Kaun Banega Crorepati had the whole nation agog not only at the prospect of a mega star on the small screen, but also at seeing $250,000 given away to a show contestant. Even Oscar winning films have been spawned on this theme.

But over the past few days, it seems that the value of money has shown a new dimension in India where a crore of rupees to a certain privileged set of Indians, holds limited value. The ostentatious display of money speaks volumes of the haves and have-nots in society and what the new India shows to its own citizens and people around the world.

The two incidents which have caught the public eye is the garland of thousandrupee notes given to Mayawati Naina Kumari, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Though the exact value of the garland is not known, people estimate it in the region of a whopping Rs4 crores or $1,000,000. That a politician blatantly displayed this sort of arrogance in a state which is said to be home to 8% of the world’s poor has further given ammunition to the country’s elite who often disagree with Mayawati’s strand of politics. Dubbed as the Queen of Dalits for her political prowess, the dalits she represents are the former untouchables who are among India’s poorest and most deprived people. But while the intelligentsia criticise her, it seems that those who vote for her look up to her as an icon who has dared to stand

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

up to the establishment and carve a niche for herself - as a dalit and as a womanwho now controls the largest state in India and by default sends one of the largest delegations of lawmakers to New Delhi and India’s parliament.

Bucking the establishment with its show of money is also the Indian Premier League (IPL) and its chairman, Lalit Modi. Over the years, the financial control of the cricketing establishment has shifted from the West to the East. India with its financial muscle has bulldozed its way into the establishment and created a position for itself. While the cricketing traditionialists do not like it, they cannot ignore it as the juggernaut of Indian cricket steamrolls its way across the cricket playing world. So much so, India structured and presented to the world a new 20-20 cricket competition in 2008. Establishing an Indian Premier League (IPL) allowed the idea and concept to have legitimacy and establish a stream of revenue for the organisers and owners of the various IPL franchises. Such was the lure of the rivers of gold in this tournament, the International Cricket Council has been able to accommodate a gap in the world cricket match schedules to allow players (Indian and international), lucky enough to be bought by one of the franchises, to be made available for these games without having the conflict of

playing for their country at the same time.

In 2010, the latest IPL franchise for the city of Pune has been sold to Sahara Adventures Group for US $370 million. Another franchise for the city of Kochi was sold for US $373 million. (It is worth noting that only last year, one of the world’s best known football clubs, Manchester City was sold to the Abu Dhabi United Group for US $330 million). Players also make good money as the average bidding price per player was around Rs 17 crore or $4,250,000 by teams and a player who plays all 14 matches will make around Rs. 7 crores or $1,750,000 this year.

The IPL has its own glamour cheer squad – Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Shilpa Shetty, Juhi Chawla along with high profile businesses like the Sahara Group, Kingfisher Group, Videocon, Emirates etc. To date the politicians have been kept out of the fray. One suspects that it is a matter of time before we do see the politicians front up more blatantly with a desire to be involved intimately with a game estimated to be watched by over 20 crore people in 2010.

Over time, one suspects two garlands may be needed - one for Modi and yet another one for Mayawati. Their area of exploits may be different but they have personified greed and success in a most interesting way.

LETTERS

TO THE EDITOR

It is important to mention that thousands of Indian students, who have come to Australia for professional courses, are pursuing their career without any problems

Zahid Jamil

In these deafening voices of outcry of racism, what we really need is some introspection - a sincere and painful review of our own conduct, and ways to examine avenues to strengthen our own communitya

Sunil Gupta

Have something to say?

Send it in to GPO Box 108 Sydney 2001 or email it to info@indianlink.com.au

Congratulations on your excellent editorial (Everything has gone wrong, March-1, 2010). You have demonstrated how damaging it can be to make broad judgements before all the evidence is in and evaluated. Moreover by honestly and fearlessly addressing a sensitive issue with balance and common sense, you have provided counsel that in my view should be heeded by everyone in Australia, not just the Indian community.

Bruce Heilbuth Pymble NSW

Betrayed by the media

The killing of an Indian toddler in Melbourne made headlines in India, Australia and around the world a couple of weeks back. As usual, in India it was again seen as a racist attack in an ongoing saga of attacks on Indian students over the past one and half years.

It once again turned out to be a crime committed by a close Indian friend who lived with the toddler’s parents in the same house. Similarly previous fatal crimes of an Indian man in Griffith, NSW and of two men in Perth were linked to Indians, known to the victims. Each time such a crime is committed, it makes headlines in India as another racist attack. However, once police investigation reveals that the crime was committed by none other than an Indian, the Indian media simply goes silent and people in India are thus kept in the dark.

Due to the sensitive nature of the relationship between the two countries, politicians are reluctant to speak the truth, which provides the media ample opportunity to exploit the situation.

It is important to mention that thousands of Indian students, who have come to Australia for professional courses, are pursuing their career without any problems. They attend decent professional colleges or universities, do not indulge in undesired behaviour and are extremely happy to have come to a very peaceful and one of the most prosperous nations on earth.

Indians living in Australia feel seriously betrayed by the media of their country of origin. They repeatedly write in newspaper blogs and protest against the media hype. They have lived in Australia for many years in a respectable environment, but such incidents have dented the image of Indians in Australia.

I am an Indian Muslim and have lived in Australia for nearly 20 years. As an Indian I have had no issues with local Australians; rather, I win respect as they presume that Indians are generally better educated. (However, when locals come to know that I am

So true

Hats off to Pawan Luthra for his editorial in Indian Link March-1, 2010 (Everything has gone wrong). This is exactly how most of us feel. His last sentence rings so true: Indians in Australia are intelligent, well meaning people; perhaps a better appreciation and respect for rules will ensure that we all get it right more often than wrong. I hope more people get to read this editorial and try and understand what message Pawan Luthra is trying to convey to all Indian Australians.

Premila Singh Strathfield NSW

also a Muslim then I tend to find them a bit discriminatory, more so since 9/11). India as a nation has a positive image in Australia as it is seen as a rapidly developing economy with strong democratic credentials

Zahid Jamil Sydney NSW

Taking a good look at ourselves

I read your article ‘Everything has gone wrong’ and agree that the events of recent times and the hysteria that the Indian electronic media has created has led to a situation where truth has taken the bottom of the priority list, giving way to sensationalism, blame apportioning and finger-pointing.

I am definitely not saying that all the conclusions drawn by the Indian media were wrong, but the truth remains that sadly the majority of them are halfconjectures and nothing but the assortment of clichés that one can hear at any pub or over weekend gossip.

More disturbing is the fact that it has formed and shaped public opinion in India about Australia and has left virtually little or no space for people who oppose the tide.

In these deafening voices of outcry of racism, what we really need is some introspection - a sincere and painful review of our own conduct, and ways to examine avenues to strengthen our own community, so that we can handle any such issues in a legitimate way. In addition to what you have said, I have compiled a list of events that will make almost everyone rethink on the issue, “Is Australia a racist society or do we need to first clean our own backyard?”

1. Two Indian brothers were murdered in Perth allegedly by a compatriot after a dispute over money and living arrangements at a rented Crimea Street

unit in Morley area. Police have charged a 22-year-old Indian student with two counts of murder.

2. A married Indian student was charged with raping a 14-year-old girl in Brisbane in May 2009.

3. Taxi driver Rajveer Singh, 21, was arrested and charged with one count of raping a 40-year-old female passenger in inner Melbourne in November last year. 4. Indian student Puneet Puneet is wanted for murder in Australia. He is hiding in India.

5. An Indian national was remanded in custody in Western Victoria charged with sexually assaulting two girls. Joginder Singh, 23, allegedly performed sexual acts with the girls in a car in Horsham after buying them alcohol. He has been charged with sexual penetration and indecent acts with a child under 16.

6. Two men charged with raping a 14-yearold girl in Melbourne have been remanded in custody. Lalor man Ravinder Singh, 30, and Steven Handros, 18, of Thomastown are facing multiple charges of rape, sexual assault and imprisonment. The court heard the girl and her friend agreed to meet the men at the Lalor Railway Station in September last year. Police told the court they were then taken to a nearby house and plied with alcohol. The court was told Singh sexually assaulted the 14-yearold before locking her in a bedroom and raping her, ignoring her screams. A short time later, Handros allegedly raped her while she was passed out on the bed. I would urge everyone to take whatever action they can to make sure that these ugly events do not happen again. We must make sure that those who did these shameful acts in the first place are brought to justice. If we ignore this then we don’t have to blame anyone but our own selves.

Sunil Gupta Glen Waverley VIC.

NSW versus Victoria

Why is it safer to be Indian in NSW than in Victoria? It’s partly by the large Indian diaspora in NSW having clout. NSW Police are also better resourced than Victorian Police, who battle for funds. Here’s a stark example. Two years ago they got denied upgrade of a communication system that would have meant more warnings to people in bushfire-prone areas. It almost certainly cost Victorian lives in 2009. Victoria’s spending is lopsided. The Victorian government is devoted to an ever growing Mental Health budget (for subjective diagnosis of mental illness and potent psychiatric drugs). It’s causing lack of funds elsewhere. The question is, what gives tangible results? Basic law and order should get priority over funding addictive drugs.

Linda Vij Mascot NSW

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Hues of Holi

If you were one of those who had come down to Darling Harbour to celebrate Holi, the Festival of Colours, it is likely you may have been among those who literally painted the stunning harbour in hues of red, green, yellow and purple.

The Holi Mahotsav 2010, held from March 12 to 14 and organised by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia, saw hundreds throng to the venue to catch a glimpse of cultural performances put up on the adhoc stage or sink their teeth in to Indian delicacies; or simply throw colours at each other – the Holi way, albeit minus the pichkaris and bhang

The festival began on March 12 with the arrival of the decorated rath, the chariot of Lord Jagannatha dutifully hand-drawn by ISKCON devotees from Hyde Park through the main streets of Sydney CBD. Celebrated fervently in the Indian city of Puri in Orissa, millions flock to see and pull the grand chariots in the annual Rath Yatra. Sydneysiders chorused to the chants of Hare Rama, Hare Krishna until it reached its venue at Palm Grove and Cockle Bay Wharf. Last year, it was held at the Tumbalong Park. While the first two days saw Bollywood

attracted scores of people, Indians and other Sydneysiders, to take part in one of India’s oldest Spring festivals. Amused visitors to the harbour were taken in by the colourthrowing custom and paused to take pictures of the festival; some even participated for the first time.

Anais Mutot, a French student in Sydney, said she loved taking part in the colour festival. “This is my first time at Holi and I simply loved all the colour throwing and the concept behind it. However, since the area was a bit small, my friends and I felt a little restrained,” she told Indian Link

Though Holi has its roots in religion, it is celebrated by Indians from different faiths, akin to the numerous festivals celebrated in India. However, over the last few years environmentalists and researchers in India have expressed worry over chemicals used in the making of coloured dyes, unlike the olden days when natural coloured powders were used.

Organisers distributed the colours in the barricaded area, manned by security personnel. The colour throwing ceremonies were split in to different sessions of 15-minutes long and had special times set

The restrictive space, while being congested, also caused a bit of confusion as many rushed to grab colours from the organisers. A larger crowd turned up in the afternoon and evening on March 14, and despite the absence of music or coloured water, most people had fun and reminisced about their times back home with their families.

“This year’s Holi Mahotsav was much better than last year since we had a change in venue. We celebrated the festival in the main area of the Darling Harbour unlike last year, and the stage where the cultural performances were organised was very good. More than 100,000 people visited the venue on each day, but March 13 saw the most crowd,” said Gambhir Watts, President of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia that

organises Holi every year.

He said the colour throwing area was restricted because it was smaller area compared to last year and also because the stage on Aquashell was bigger. “Next year, we will expand further and see what needs to be done. All the stalls will be near the Convention Centre and the food court will be at Palm Grove. We plan to have food stalls from every major state,” said Watts, hoping that next year, the event would get even bigger.

It is however, laudable that despite being miles away from the subcontinent, organisers and volunteers tried their best to ensure that the Indian diaspora had the time of their lives and did not miss home.

More photos on pages 28-29

Celebrating the Festival of Colour in the midst of one of Sydney’s landmarks, brings back a touch of charm and nostalgia for home for PREETI KANNAN

Photo: Vivek Trivedi

Annual tribute to saint composer

Puranadara Dasa (1484 – 1564) is perhaps the one personage that deserves the most homage from the practitioners and lovers of Carnatik music. Aptly called the Pitamaha of Carnatik music, it was he that set the method to teach music, unified the tala system and composed thousands of what are called, Devaranamas in the Kannada language. He prevails wherever in the world Carnatik Music prevails today.

Some 550 years after his birth, people still gather to pay homage to him every year.

Sydney does not lag behind. The Purandara Dasa Aradhana Committee here has been organising an annual tribute for ten years. The tenth anniversary was celebrated in glory on March 6 and 7 at the Bahai Centre. The highlight of the event was that two leading performing artistes - Nagamani

What’s On

Upanishads short course

Starting March SVT Vidyalaya presents Upanishatsarasangraha a rare and free opportunity to learn the essence of all Upanishads. Sri Vasudevacharya, Senior Disciple of Swami Dayananda Saraswathi will teach the course at Wentworthville.

Details Kumar 0407 108 372

Chinmaya Mission events

28 March Rama Navami Celebrations at Chinmaya Sannidhi 10.00am to 12.30pm. Bring your kids dressed in Ramayan characters to enhance the program.

7-9 April Day-long Children’s school holiday camp entitled Rama Rules

5 May Sanskrit classes with Br Gopalji (5 week course with interactive Learn Sanskrit Yourself CD)

Details call Chinmaya Mission Australia (Sydney) 02 8850 7400

Sri Seetha Rama Kalyanam

27 March JET Australia Sydney organises the traditional Seetha Ramam Kalyanam at Tuggerah Community Hall, Anzac Road, Tuggerah. Details Veena 0404 029 520

Dancing to spirituality

28 March Natyadharshan Dance School presents a charity dance program, at

Srinath (noted singer and teacher of music) and B U Ganesh Prasad (well-known violinist) - had been invited from India to participate in the celebrations. The pair set the scene for the Aradhana by performing at a concert on March 6. Ravichandhira of Melbourne was the accompanying mridangist. Nagamani exhibited her talent in her rendering, not limited to Purandara Dasa, of Simhendra Madhyama (Ille Vaikunta), Hindola (Ma Ramanan), her own Thillana composition, and other items. A learned exposition of raga and lyrics became evident in the concert.

Day 2 (March 7) began with the mass rendering of the Navaratna Kritis (nine gems) of Purandara Dasa – including Jaya Janaki Kantha, Kallu Sakkare, Na ninna Dhyanadoliralu. More than thirty performers

Casula Power House Theatre, (Casula Road - near Jolly Knight Motel) 6pm. Details Sashi Bala 02 9607 2916.

Events at Global Organisation for Divinity

28 March Ramanavami celebrations at Parramatta.

15 May An evening of music and dance at the Sydney Baha’i Centre, 107 Derby Street, Silverwater.

Devotional music by Uma Ayyar and Mythili Narayanaswamy, and bharatanatyam dance presentation by Padma Balakumar’s Nrityagriha School of Dance. Details Mythili Bala 02 9482 1204. More details at www.godivinity. org.au

Sangeetha Gurukula

3 April A new Australian forum fort he development of classickl Indian music and dance will be launched at Five Dock.

Details Nalini Sankar 02 9802 5805.

School Holidays Workshop

6, 7 and 8 April Indian Australian Arts and Film Association presents a workshop for children aged 5 to 14.

8am to 5pm, Jones Park Hall, Burnett St, Mays Hill. Activities include Yoga, meditation, music, Indian and Australian

took part in this fitting salute to the saint composer. This was followed by an illustrated talk by Nagamani while her students in Sydney gave vocal support.

Then came the song offerings by smaller groups, which included youngsters and

elders alike. This was a clear exposition of talent in Sydney. The compositions rendered included some well-known ones and also some rare ones like Ittige Mele Nintha and Holeya Holathi

The centre point of the day was the concert by the violinist B U Ganesh Prasad who is blossoming to be a vocalist. He rendered Purandara Dasa compositions such as Manava Nillisuvudu (Nata Kuranji), Manava Janma Doddadu (Purvi Kalyani) and Dharma Shravana (Durga). Clarity of diction was the praise worthy feature.

The day’s celebrations ended with Arathi and Prasada. The organisers are to be congratulated for keeping this tradition alive in Sydney.

crafts. Details www.iaafa.org.au

Hindu Youth Conference

10 and 11 April The first Australian Hindu Youth Conference will be held at the University of Western Sydney. Details Pooja : 0431 548 605 , Krishna 0411 988 206

Triple P: Positive Parenting Program for South Asian Families

20 April Ashfield Council will run this popular parenting program for South Asian families in partnership with the Croydon Child & Family Health Team. The program will look at topics such as managing common child behaviour problems, effective parenting strategies and how to take care of yourself as a parent. Venue Infants Home (17 Henry St. Ashfield), at 10am. Free childminding provided. For more information and bookings phone council on 02 9716 1844 or email jaey@ashfield.nsw.gov.au

Vipassana Meditation Course

April 21-May 2 A 10-day silent residential meditation retreat will be held at the Dhamma Bhumi Vipassana Centre at Blackheath Blue Mountains. Instructions will be available in diverse Indian languages. Details contact Shalini

02 9635 4541 or visit www.bhumi. dhamma.org

4th International Sharana

Sanskruthi Convention

25 April The Basava Samithi Australasia announces its 4th international convention, which aims to promote social and cultural welfare of ethnic community from Karnataka, India. Venue Parramatta Town Hall, Parramatta, 8am to 10pm. Details contact Satish Bhadranna at Satish. Bhadranna@nmhg.com

Gujarati play

1 May Shri Shiva Mandir, in association with Mahavir Productions, has organised a Gujarati play Baa Bagde to Baar Vagade to raise funds for the building works at the Mandir. Venue Riverside Theatre, Parramatta, 5:30pm. Details contact Urmila Daya 0421 301 779 or Ravi Parekh 0408 950 820.

Classical music concert

22 May O.S Arun in aid of Sri Venkateswara Temple of Helensburgh, Bankstown Town Hall (Cnr Rickard and Chapel Street) Bankstown. Details phone 02 9706 7354 or 02 9879 4350.

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Bold and beautiful

Beauty,

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

her stunning good looks as well as her brains.

“I feel quite privileged about it all,” she said afterwards. “I hope this award gives me that extra leverage in my work to improve India-Australia relations.”

As a researcher at the University of Melbourne’s Australia India Institute, she hopes to influence policy change regarding the Indian students’ issue.

A talented dancer and actress, she has also managed in recent months to find a good break in Mumbai’s thriving entertainment industry: her first feature was Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan, released recently.

“It’s all coming together for me,” she revealed happily.

A picture of dignity and charm, grace and poise, she presented herself as confident in her identity as both Indian as well as Australian, at the Miss India Australia (MIA) event. She portrayed grounded sensibilities and a maturity way beyond her years as she spoke about the current state of IndiaAustralia relations. And when it was time to dance, both her classical bharatanatyam as well as her Bollywood-style performances were executed to perfection.

And that is what the organisers of the contest are seeking. Raj Suri, founder of the pageant in collaboration with Miss India Worldwide, explained, “We look for glamour as well as talent. And a good mix of east and west, to reflect our joint heritage as Indians as well as non-resident Indians.”

Pallavi, born in Perth and raised in Melbourne, fit the bill perfectly this year, with the added quality of self-assured confidence.

The contest

Auditions were held across Australia and finalists came from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Among them were, impressively, doctors, engineers, lawyers and teachers. There were no professional models, and most participants listed dance as a passion.

On the night itself, the girls had gone through weeks of rehearsals, and were ready to face the audience.

The Formal Wear round was quite conventional, but the Talent Round

brought forth some surprise items. While the mandatory Bollywood dance was predictable, Neha cleverly converted Khaike Paan Banaraswala into an act and got the crowd going; Menaka put in some gymnastic poses in her snake-dance bharatanatyam item; Helena’s Radha Krishna number combined classical Indian with hip hop, and Inderpreet carried off her unusual choice of Sikh shabad simply beautifully. But Pallavi’s bharatanatyaminspired number was pure class: by now she had established very strongly that she was a cut above the rest.

The Q&A round included some predicted questions on the issues currently perturbing our two countries, and gave the girls an opportunity to wax forth on what they can do in the area - a welcome change from the “world peace” and “underprivileged children” kind of replies.

Among other memorable moments from the contest, were outgoing winner Kanchan’s dignified manner, MC Shivani’s brave attempts to enthuse the audience, 17-year-old Sonkia’s promise-filled exit speech, and Sherissa’s unbridled joy at being picked Miss Congeniality.

Showcasing international talent

In a brave new addition this year, international models participated as well in a separate section, strutting on the ramp, flaunting a bit of body encased in fashion swimwear, and even entertaining the audience with short acts.

“We can’t exist as Indians only – we have to be part of the mainstream,” Raj explained. “And with the show, we’ve reached a level where we’ve simply had to incorporate the wider community. Just as we as Indians have to go out there, we have to provide an avenue for the mainstream to come in. And that’s how the international segment was born.”

It turned out to be a segment separate from the Miss India Australia contest. The participants were found from Raj’s own contacts as a fashion photographer, and with the help of modeling agency AdPro Management Group (which has represented Miss Universe Australia Rachael Finch).

Of course, the segment cleverly allowed for the swimsuit round to slip into the whole show, so far considered way too bold for Indian sensibilities. It was bindis and bikinis as the girls strutted their stuff, and the audience didn’t quite know what to make of it all.

The Pashmina round however, was an innovative way to integrate the international segment with the overall Indian link. As the girls took to the catwalk, their plain jeans and nondescript tops made sure the

attention was all on the lovely shawls. The MC’s running commentary on the history of Pashmina art drew further awareness on this garment, which has become Indian fashion’s ubiquitous offering to the western world.

An Indian choreographer handled this segment, and Raj expressed satisfaction with how it panned out.

“Yes, the girls learnt how to carry it off quite well, I thought,” he said later.

In the talent round, two participants presented their acts. Aimy Zad, in her intense film scene, managed to throw in a loud political statement - and some censorable language. Sophie Serafino, vibrant in beautiful red, impressed with her animated violin playing which saw her traverse the length and breadth of the stage (and even up and down the stairs – no mean feat that, with her long flowing dress and those killer heels).

Special guest Sanjay Suri, who also served as one of the judges, brought in the magic

brains, vision and ambition are an unusual combination in one so young, but Pallavi Sharda has proved to embody all these qualities

of Bollywood even though he has grown to become an ambassador for the industry’s “thinking” films. He spoke passionately about his latest project, the I am series of films, which seems definitely bound for critical acclaim and a possible run on the international film festival circuit. The film clip he brought along with him, set in Kashmir and featuring Juhi Chawla and Manisha Koirala, was intriguing to say the least.

About Pallavi Sharda

Pallavi has been performing on stage since she was three. It all began with small functions in Melbourne’s Indian community, and went on to serious dance at high school and Uni. Dance workshops incorporating various styles followed. Widening her scope, she took to journalism (she’s penned a few

her own show on Melbourne’s Syn FM station, as well as on radio in India and Singapore.

But the entertainment scene has been a childhood dream.

“I’ve let journalism become a long-term goal. For now, I want to realise that childhood dream,” she claimed.

She packed her bags for Mumbai in 2008, and with no contacts in the industry there, began making the rounds with her portfolio.

It was a hard slog before her first big gig came along - a Prahlad Kakkar commercial, no less, for a mouth freshener. Meanwhile, she was picked up for a role in the stage comedy 1888 Dial India. A more prestigious shampoo ad (Sunsilk) followed, and by now Karan Johar had noticed the fresh appeal in

this talented newcomer. He sought her out and offered her a cameo in his film My Name is Khan

It must have been a dream beginning in the film industry.

“Yes, my first big venture with a director of the stature of Karan Johar, and working alongside a star of the stature of Shah Rukh – I couldn’t have asked for more,” revealed Pallavi.

This talented young lady filmed in LA for four days, and if you’ve seen the movie you’ll know her as the young Muslim lady who feeds rotis to the lead character Shah Rukh.

The role also came at the right time, as Pallavi had just decided she did not want to do any more ads, preferring to concentrate on acting instead.

Pallavi will soon be seen opposite Manoj Bajpai in the film Dus Tola, and in an IndianAmerican feature It’s All Been Arranged, both ready for release. Two more features are lined up, one in a Kareena Kapoor film.

But if you’re thinking this girl is all about tinsel and stardust, think again. For someone whose parents and grandparents are hardcore academics, she is by her own admission, “quite nerdy”.

She may come from a typical Punjabi family, but she speaks fluent Tamil, Bangla and even French.

Her law degree in international human rights opened the path to a job at the Australia India Institute, where she is currently working on a project on the Indian students’ issue. “I’d like to see steps taken to have the violence reduced, and pastoral care increased,” she noted.

She hopes to put her MIA win to good advantage in her work at the Institute.

“It all complements each other… I seem to have the right skill-set to achieve what I want to,” said Pallavi.

With her work commitments both at the University and in the entertainment scene in India, Pallavi missed a day of rehearsals for the Sydney event. “But I’m in my element when I’m performing, so I was cool with it,” she stated confidently.

She also enjoyed making friends with the other girls. “It was fantastic meeting these confident, inspired girls. Like me, they want to create a presence for themselves… Indian communities in other countries have been able to rise up, and we would all like to do the same,” she said enthusiastically.

She was particularly pleased with the question she got in the last round: as Miss India Australia, what would you do to improve India –Australia relations?

“I know it is the luck of the draw really, but it is something I’m passionate about so I could be true to myself while answering,” said Pallavi. Her answer clinched it for her.

Currently, Pallavi is on her way to South Africa for the Miss India World event in late March. While the MIA team has high hopes from her, there is a small setback. Soon after her Sydney win, Pallavi suffered an accident during a morning jog, and had to have surgery to her chin and hand. This has meant changes to her planned competition routine.

“She’s a fighter,” said Raj, revealing that she even considered dropping out, but he was able to convince her to stick with it. “My whole team will be with her, offering every support possible.”

Pallavi herself is stoic about it.

“It’s been a phenomenal start to the year… perhaps it’s just God’s way of balancing things out,” she averred.

But with her characteristically studied attitude to everything, Pallavi has reorganised her presentation with careful thought, and is certain she will perform to the best of her abilities.

Here’s hoping she brings home the crown.

For someone whose parents and grandparents are hardcore academics, Pallavi is by her own admission, “quite nerdy”

Pallavi Sharda (centre) with outgoing beauty queen Kanchan Verma, Bollywood actor Sanjay Suri, MIA organiser Raj Suri and co-contestants

Pallavi

Photos including cover: Raj Suri/Miss India Australia

Revelling in Rani’s charisma

BY SHAFEEN MUSTAQ

I didn’t like Rani Mukherjee for the stupidest reason. My favourite actor and actress are SRK and Kajol and my first exposure to Rani was in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai where my beloved Anjali loses her love to Tina. This indeed, was a grave error which set back Rani Mukherjee greatly in my esteem... but she has made leaps and bounds since then! Her films have silenced critics; her acting has wowed fans and converted many a sceptic. Her gravelly voice is now ‘unique’ and her short stature is now ‘cute’. Rani Mukherjee has carved a niche for herself in an industry that is quite her own, and to which she now offers the privilege of opening Beyond Bollywood, Australia’s Indian Film Festival for 2010.

It was a bubbly, talkative, congenial Rani who responded with perfect alacrity and charm at a meetthe-press in Sydney.

“I hope that the films in the festival will give Australians a glimpse into India and its rich cultural heritage, through the eyes of Bollywood,” she said. “Cinema is about opening up one culture to other cultures.

Indian movies reveal a lot about our way of life and traditions; they are all about heart and emotions... ”

Speaking about her own career in films which began she was 17, Rani said her first films - the Hindi Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat and the Bengali Biyer Phool (directed by her dad Ram Mukherjee) - released together. At that age, Rani admits, she indiscriminately worked in whichever films came her way; by her own admission she didn’t know any better and the excitement at actually being offered so many opportunities was wonderful to a newcomer. However, Rani soon became more discerning on realising that what she really wanted to do was meaningful cinema that would shape the industry, not just any role that came her way.

There’s no doubt that Rani is a near-perfectionist

KANK I play a woman who cheats on her husband. But it wasn’t about cheating or having an affair, it was about following your heart and that was the message I was trying to convey… Playing a very diverse range of roles and working with talented people has helped me grow into a better actor and person”.

What’s also important for the actress is who she works with.

“Making Bunty aur Babli was a lot of fun, while Paheli was Shah Rukh Khan’s production. A romantic at heart, I enjoyed Hum Tum as it was a love story. Even KANK I identified with because it was about being true to oneself and working with Abhishek Bachchan was a treat. In Dil Bole Hadippa I got to experiment with my look as well as train in cricket, and I actually fell in love with the game! ”

Inspiration plays a big part in the career and future of this warm, bubbly actress. She admitted to the intention of working in every film that comes her way, but only if it inspires her. She is happy to do Bengali, Marathi, even French films, because of each one’s portrayal of characters and their performances. “It doesn’t matter where the film comes from; it’s about the film itself and if it inspires or challenges me,” said

challenges me as an actor,” she said.

On being asked about stepping into a directorial role, Rani was noncommittal. She admitted that after spending years as an actor in the film industry, it is assumed that the lure of directing a film is quite strong. “I will never say never because I don’t know what plans God has in store for me. If I get energy rush in my body and find a project I believe in, I will switch to directing,” she said.

And where would Rani be at this point of time if she wasn’t an actress?

“Probably married somewhere in Kolkata with a husband and two kids, making chappatis with my pallu tucked into my kamar”, she said, tongue in cheek. She said she owed her present success to her mother, who drove her to acting and supported her at every step of the way.

Rani admitted that she felt blessed, and that nothing in life is impossible, if one has the passion to do it. Acting and interacting with people within and without the industry has taught her so much and made her grateful to be alive and living in the world we live in.

We wish Rani all the very best in her upcoming film

As an actress she is among the top Bollywood brood for her talent and looks, but there’s much more to Rani Mukherjee than meets the eye

“Cinema is about opening up one culture to other cultures. Indian movies reveal a lot about our way of life and traditions; they are all about heart and emotions…”

Rani makes time for her young fans

Robert Doyle and John Brumby shake a leg with Rani and Sohail Young fans teach Sohail the Bollywood jhatkas

Move over Bunty aur Babli, It’s Robert aur Rani…

Rani Mukherjee stole the show completely at the recently concluded Festival of Indian Films

BY PREETI JABBAL

Bunty aur Babli, another improbable pair that hit Melbourne stage recently were Lord Mayor Robert Doyle and Bollywood queen Rani Mukherjee. Rani, in her flamboyant Bollywood ishtyle, professed to ‘be in love’ with the blushing/beaming mayor after having met him, for the first time, in a lunch meeting that day. She also added (very tongue-in-cheek) that she would have married him if she was born 20 years earlier. Friendly, flippant and flirtatious, Rani enamoured the Mayor and delighted her fans in Melbourne. Even John Brumby, the Victorian Premier, gave in to her charm and danced to Bollywood hits along with the petite star from India.

Rani was addressing a select audience of invitees at the gala awards night held at BMW Edge in Federation square. The awards night was part of the Bollywood and Beyond Film Festival organised by Mind Blowing Films. Also present were renowned directors Rajkumar Hirani (of 3 Idiots and fame) Imtiaz Ali (Love Aaj Kal and Jab We Met Singh (Dil Bole Hadippa) and Sohail Khan who filmed his latest feature Main Aur Mrs. Khanna The invitees were chuffed to rub shoulders with the cream of cinematic crop from Bollywood; however, it was the talented Rani who easily stole the show with her vivacious presence.

Even John Brumby, the Victorian Premier, gave in to her charm and danced to Bollywood hits along with the petite star from India

The Indian Film Festival 2010 was held at various venues around Melbourne starting with an inaugural event held at Cinema Nova in Carlton. The opening night saw Rani introduce her hit movies Dil Bole Hadippa and Black to the audience. The audience warmed up quickly to Rani as she answered their questions and singled them out in the audience. One enthusiast sang a little ditty for Rani and was rewarded with a hug from her. A ten-year-old girl was almost delirious when Rani agreed to sing with her on stage and later hugged and kissed her. During the short introduction several fans were presented with an opportunity to gain audience with the queen of Bollywood. It was a classic case of she came, she smiled, she spoke in her husky voice, she sang, danced and without a doubt, she conquered.

The magic continued over the next few days with the screenings of hits like 3 Idiots with an introduction from writer and director Raju Hirani while Sohail Khan introduced Main Aur Mrs Khanna. Both the screenings were held free of cost at Melbourne’s iconic Fed Square. Hundreds braved the elements to catch a glimpse of the magic makers and participate in the Q & As that followed the introductions.

Other Bollywood hits that featured during the festival were Paa, Dostana, Ghajini, Kaminey, Love Aaj Kal, Luck By Chance, Dev D, New York, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Wake up Sid. From regional India came Harishchandrachi Factory, Chaturanga, Mee Sreyobhilashi, Mudhal Mudhal Varai and Shob Choritro Kalponik Several award winning documentaries were also screened. People in Perth, Sydney and Auckland also experienced the wholesome Bollywood fare.

A short Film competition was held for the first time as part of the IFF 2010 and the prize for best film was picked up by Soya Milk (directed by Veeran and produced by Lester) and Asai (directed by Samson from Tamil Nadu, India). Director Kunal Kohli, Kabir Khan, Mick Molloy, Rajkumar Hirani and Imtiaz Ali were on the judging panel. A Bollywood dance fest was organised at Fed Square that saw enthusiastic participation from Melbournians. Winners and grinners danced to the beats of Desi Girls, Kadi te has bole re and Dola re dola

The ‘feel good’ formula that works with Bollywood films also worked at the festival. From the ardent Bollywood followers to those newly acquainted

for everyone.

Festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange agrees.

“Our biggest aim this year was to present a wide range of productions from all around India, rather than just the mainstream Bollywood industry. This year we had a great selection of regional films and documentaries. We wanted to present a fuller presence of Indian cinema. This is why this year’s festival was called “Bollywood and Beyond”. Bollywood is making a significant impact globally and our festival was a true representation of Indian cinema. The feedback so far has been very encouraging,” she said.

The glitz of Bollywood movies, the glamour of dressing up like a Bollywood star to win a prize, and the gossip of who met which star will keep the community abuzz for some time. The Facebook generation has already been documenting their brush with celebrity through posts and photographs. The Bollywood Festival 2010 will remain in the news way beyond its nominated dates. What worked wonderfully for this festival was the interactive and inclusive list of events. Let’s hope the organisers have made a mental note to continue with

Two new fans: Rani with Melb Lord Mayor Robert Doyle and Victoria Premier John Brumby

She came, she saw... Raju Hingorani Festival Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange with Sohail Khan

Anurag Singh Imtiaz Ali

Photos: Preeti Jabbal

CONSTITUTION HILL AUCTION PENDLE HILL AUCTION

Sitarry sitarry night

A feast of music by a talented trio mesmerized its audience into a transcendental state of blissful delight, reports

KUDRAT SINGH

Born in the 1920s in Benares on the shores of the Ganges, Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury grew into a young man fascinated by the arts. In his pre-teens he travelled through Europe with his brother Uday’s dance troupe. This early exposure to music and drama developed into a fascinated interest in music. As a part of the troupe he dabbled in various instruments, finally settling for the sitar.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Ravi Shankar has worked with some of the world’s most respected composers and performers of classical and jazz music. His international career is attributed to his collaborative works with Yehudi Menuhin, the American violinist. He is the most recognisable name in the Indian music industry, within India and globally. Over the past seventy years he has composed music ranging from national songs to theatrical pieces; worked with the Indian People’s Theatre Association; been music director for All India Radio; married thrice, divorced twice and had numerous children; won two Grammy Awards; performed at Woodstock; taught at some of the most established universities in America… and all the while bettering his skills as a performer.

So in his penultimate performance in Sydney at the Opera House, nearing ninety and accompanied by his daughter Anoushka, Ravi Shankar came to say goodbye at his Farewell to Australia concert tour.

The audience was a mix of young and old, and of different nationalities. The sold-out show housed an array of young professionals, dressed to the hilt in fine saris and suits, as well as new age hippies with ‘Om’ tattoos on their backs. This audience was highly indicative of the power of celebrity, even in classical music. The link with the Beatles will always be a major drawing card for Ravi Shankar as far as his western audience is concerned. For some, this was a reason to attend his concert; others were there for more spiritual reasons. The Indian contingent, of course, was there because of the reputation of the man, even if they weren’t familiar with his or Anoushka’s work. The ‘Shankar’ brand name seems to have transcended generations and continents, aided by his extravagant romances which have dubbed Shankar the ‘Mick Jagger’ of India.

Thrilled, intrigued and enthralled by the anticipation, neither Ravi nor Anoushka Shankar disappointed. There aren’t enough superlatives in the English language to begin to articulate Ravi Shankar’s abilities as a sitar player, composer and classical musician.

Anoushka Shankar, however, is a little easier to dissect.

This stunning Indian musician with her wonderfully charming American accent took to stage like a fish to water. Accompanied by the incredible tabla player Tanmoy Bose, Anoushka produced an array of ragas, starting with Madhuvanti, varying in their time structures and

musicality. After a somewhat shaky start to her solo performance in the first half of the show, she powered on, displaying her amazing abilities on the sitar. Once she had settled into the rhythm, Anoushka was unstoppable. By no fault of hers, comparisons did arise - could she be as great as her father? Naturally, this question can only be answered in time. What is apparent though, is that Anoushka Shankar’s talent has been worked on relentlessly. She performed as most classical musicians do, with a formal focus on the sound and rhythm. She might not have exuded the passion that Ravi Shankar and Tanmoy Bose did as they played, but what she lacked in authenticity, she made up for in presentation. The pace at which she played was phenomenal and the sounds she created were truly mesmerising, leading the audience through a trance-like state.

The second half of the evening began with a standing ovation for one of India’s most influential and respected musicians. At 89, Ravi Shankar was accompanied on stage by his daughter and Bose. In appearance he resembled most of his peers; his frailty apparent in his inability to sit cross-legged on stage, but the resemblance began and ended there. His benevolence and love for the audience and for his music was overwhelming. His interaction with the audience was genuine, as he joked about being in Sydney and being unable to tune his own sitar. Shankar justly deserved the applause for his genius and indeed, it was unfathomable, entirely unbelievable, to see a

genius at work. Regardless of his age and his stance, Ravi Shankar played his instrument unlike anyone else. His musicianship is one which comes from within; an unstoppable current which electrifies every part of your being and leaves you wanting more. His is a talent which pushes others to the next level.

Bose played harder, faster and more ambitiously than in the previous session. Anoushka upped her game, as she tried to keep up with her aging father. This was not the same man who walked on and off stage. Whilst playing, Shankar was transformed into another, more youthful man; his energy was breathtaking.

The most joyous moment of the evening was when the trio played the Baageshwari Raga. Explaining that this raga was once more inclined towards improvisation, Ravi Shankar toyed and challenged Anoushka and Bose. Playing this particular raga for close to thirty minutes, the audience was lulled into a trance and snapped from it repetitively as the sitars came in and out. Bose’s display went beyond all expectations in his solo performance, midway through this raga. The audience, overwhelmed by this unexpected burst on the tablas, were silenced by Ravi Shankar as he raised his old, shaky arm in the air. Unperturbed, Bose kept playing.

It was truly magical to see the Shankars perform together and to have Bose in on the action. Some musicians are born and others are trained. As much as Anoushka might belong in the latter, Ravi Shankar and Tanmoy Bose are born artists. They let you in, even if it’s only for the duration of a raga, to a higher ground, a place which ordinary beings cannot find on their own.

For anyone who loves Indian classical music or music in general, do not pass the chance of seeing Ravi Shankar perform. It is a performance which will move your soul and leave you wishing you were him for just a moment, so that you too could know what it feels like to be a humble genius.

(Shankar’s) musicianship is one which comes from within; an unstoppable current which electrifies every part of your being and leaves you wanting more

ABC journalist takes on critical research project

Edmond Roy is studying the role of uranium in the India-Australia equation, at a prestigious US institute

BY DARSHAK MEHTA

Both Australia and India can look for a balanced perspective and hopefully a fresh start in the saga of uranium supplies to India - a notable, if silent, irritant in the India-Australia relationship.

This may come about as a consequence of the efforts of renowned ABC journalist Edmond Roy.

He is currently the associate producer of the ABC radio show PM. Previously, he anchored the television current affairs show Asia-Pacific Focus on the Australia Network channel. He has presented, produced, and reported for a number of other high-profile radio and television shows in Australia. His reporting has taken him to India and to front lines in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Kerala (India).

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars announced the appointment of Edmond Roy as a Wilson Center Australian Scholar. Roy is currently in Washington, spending three months in residence at the Wilson Center, beginning in March 2010, working on a research project

examining the Australian government’s policy on uranium sales to India.

The Center for Scholars (a living national memorial to President Wilson) was established by Congress in 1968 in Washington, D.C. It is a prestigious nonpartisan institution, supported by public and private funds and engaged in the study of national and world affairs.

Roy will be trying to find answers to some highly confounding and contentious questions, such as why Australia is persisting with this policy of offending the world’s largest democracy and one of its biggest trading partners – India.

He hopes to speak to influential Australians who have a view on the issue such as former foreign minister Alexander Downer, leader of the Greens Bob Brown and Ziggy Switkowski, Chairman of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).

Of course, a serious assignment of this kind would be incomplete without speaking to the Indian side to get an appreciation of their position as well. So, mandarins in India’s Ministry of External Affairs as well as the boffins of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade can well expect some searching questions – which, one fears, will all be played with a “dead” and defensive bat.

Roy thinks Australia might well be hiding

Center, Roy will scrutinise the ways in which successive Australian governments have used the arguments related to the nuclear non-proliferation regime, as well as Canberra’s strategic, military and ideological concerns, to prevent Australian uranium sales to India

“I will seek to understand India’s options, given its rapidly expanding energy needs,

and query whether Australia can sustain this policy in the years ahead as well as afford the strategic implications,” Roy told Indian Link. “I will also look at possible changes to the policy in light of the Indo-US nuclear agreement, and the deal’s overall impact on Indo-Australian relations”.

Roy considers himself fortunate that he will be based in Washington as the influential think-tank would have close links with Washington insiders as well as in the current Obama administration and it would greatly aid his appreciation of the issues involved from the all-important American viewpoint.

“I am surprised that more Australians have not delved into the topic of uranium sales,” Edmond noted. “To the best of my knowledge apart from Rory Medcalf of the Lowy Institute and Dr Sandy Gordon of the ANU, there hasn’t been too much academic attention paid to this issue”.

Roy is excited by the challenge of his assignment and is aware of the impact it could have on the Australia-India relationship. The prospect of producing a scholarly treatise which will be referred to in future also gives him a buzz.

This writer anxiously awaits the formal book that the Woodrow Wilson Center publishes on Edmond Roy’s research - it promises to be the definitive tome on the topic.

Cooking for a cause

A Bondi-based charity uses cuisine to promote sympathy and understanding

BY PREETI KANNAN

Our Big Kitchen for an interview with director Rabbi Dovid Slavin, I am greeted by the smell of fresh baking, the sound of steely knives and a bustle of activity. The Jewish community kitchen in Bondi is gearing up for a regular day of cooking, as people from different backgrounds busily prepare delicacies they know best.

The idea was to go about (Mumbai) randomly handing out the biscuits, similar to how the terrorists had indiscriminately killed people

and move on. People’s lives had been shattered and terrorism is for real. While the Indian authorities and hospitals were going about doing their business, we felt the need to convey the message of compassion in a tangible way. Volunteers came together at Our Big Kitchen and we focussed on reaching out to children,” recounts the Rabbi, who is also the Ambulance Chaplin of the Sydney South Sector.

Kerala as traders.

The religious head is urging Indians and Australians to come and cook together at the community kitchen to foster friendship and overcome any feelings of animosity.

“There have been a shocking number of attacks against Indian students. We would love for the community to come together and bake for the families of victims back home. It is hard to be immigrants or be away from home. Cooking together would be a great opportunity for Indians and Australians to know each other better,” he says.

Rabbi Slavin

“If you are either an aspiring chef or simply find the idea of spreading compassion and humanity through food appealing, then this is the place to be in,” says Rabbi Slavin. The kitchen, which is only a few years old, has opened its doors for people from different faiths, backgrounds and ethnicity to come together to prepare meals for themselves or for others through volunteering and cookins. The concept of Our Big Kitchen is based on the belief that it is possible to empower people through food.

That is exactly what the kitchen did in the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks of 2008, where nearly 200 people were killed and over 300 injured.

“When tragedy happens, you just don’t see the news

Besides the fact that nine Jews including a Rabbi and his wife were killed, the community kitchen wanted to do its bit in empathising with the victims. Children and volunteers at the community kitchen baked thousands of biscuits and flew them to Mumbai with the help of Qantas, after which, Jewish volunteers distributed biscuits to children.

“Many people had lost loved ones and we wanted to let children know that love and humanity were very much part of our lives. The idea was to go about randomly handing out the biscuits, similar to how the terrorists had indiscriminately killed people. This was our way to respond to the situation,” says Rabbi Slavin, who is also the co-founder of Gift of Life, Australia.

Rabbi Slavin, who spent a few weeks in 1990 in the Indian subcontinent, recollects his stay with fond memories. He says that he was known as the ‘Kala dadiwala’ or the black-bearded man by children, for whom he ran a camp in Matheran. He says that the group of 170 Indian children were one of the most wellbehaved, happiest and lively children he had met.

The Jews in India, he observes, were well-integrated and have never felt any exclusion or discrimination or anti-Semitism, unlike in other parts of the world. As a religious minority in India, they are believed to have arrived 2,500 years ago and settled down in Cochin,

Indian chefs, he adds, are welcome to share their recipes with the broader community or even cook for the Police or Ambulance authorities to express their appreciation and friendship.

The people behind Our Big Kitchen are hoping that more people from all walks of life and from diverse backgrounds utilise the kitchen for charity or commercial purposes. According to them, a ‘cook-in’ is when a group of enthusiastic volunteers come in regularly for a few hours to help chop, cook, pack and generally keep the whole programme ticking along. The ingredients are sourced by Our Big Kitchen. The food prepared is added to a ‘pool’ of food for distribution. Individuals or groups can then purchase this food for a nominal charge.

Chak de by SYA

Sikh youths attending the Youth Harmony Festival held at Tumbalong Park in Sydney’s Darling Harbour on March 11, were a great hit.

They manned a stall organised by Sikh Youth Australia (SYA) which distributed Sikh literature donated by Sydney’s gurdwaras. The youths also sang a special shabad (hymn) for the occasion, and put up a fantastic cultural performance.

Supported by members of the SYA’s management committee, the youths offered information to visitors about the Sikh faith and tenets. A special Bhangra performance by Manu Singh and his Platinum Bhangra group was a resounding success. They even taught the audience several steps and before long had a 50-strong following, dancing and shouting bale bale, shava and chak de It was a heartening and magnificent sight to watch Australians of all ages and walks of life perform the bhangra, and Manu is to be commended for his efforts to promote the Sikh culture in such an educational and fun manner.

Some non-Punjabi youths at the event were so thrilled that it would not be surprising to see some of them performing in Bhangra groups, thus giving the dance an international flavour. The event was organised specially for youth by the NSW Community Relations Commission.

Surinderjeet Singh

Reserve is cleaner, thanks to ATA

The Australia Tamil Association (ATA) participated in “Clean Up Australia Day 2010”, on March 7, on the 20th anniversary of this event. Around 50 members of the organisation volunteered at Best Road Reserve in Seven Hills, NSW. The Clean Up Australia Day was formally inaugurated by Ms. Michelle Rowland, member of the NSW Women’s Forum and NSW Credentials Committee. She is a Federal Labor candidate for Greenway and joined with ATA as a volunteer along with ATA President Mr. Thiru Arumugam JP, Vice President Mrs. Nila Anirudhan, Secretary Mr. Prathap Ramachandran, Joint Secretary Mr. Ashok Narayana Swamy, Treasurer Mr. Palanivel Balasubramaniam, Public Officer

Mr. Palaniappan Kumarasamy and other executive members.

The Australia Tamil Association Inc is a voluntary organisation supporting the Indian and Sri Lankan communities and is actively involved in promoting Indian art and culture to streamline with Australian multicultural values

Saravana D Rengan

Hindu Council activities mooted at annual dinner

The Hindu Council of Australia (HCA) organised their annual dinner function on March 14 to celebrate the Hindu New Year (Lunar) and to convey their thanks to volunteers, sponsors and member organisations who helped make the 2009 Deepavali Mela a big success. Her Excellency Mrs. Sujatha Singh, Indian High Commissioner, was the chief guest; other distinguished guests included Parramatta city councillors Cr. Tony Issa (Lord Mayor last term), Cr. Probir Maitra, Cr. Mark Lack, Mr. Phillip Rolfe CEO Parramasala, as well as representatives from many Hindu organisations.

The program began with a video presentation featuring the highlights of the Deepavali Mela held at Parramatta Stadium

on October 11, 2009. HCA’s President Prof. Nihal Agar welcomed the guests. wished all a very happy Hindu New Year and elaborated on the achievements of the HCA to date and its goals and objectives. He also talked about how the HCA came into being and its activities last year which included the Deepavali Mela; Meat Free day on October 02, Gandhiji’s birthday; participation in the World Parliament of Religions 2009 in Melbourne; participation in Interfaith meetings through past years; working with Australian Religious Response for Climate Change (ARRCC); working with the Department of Education for the study of religion curriculum in schools; involvement in the Indian students issues; working for funeral issues for Hindus; liaison and consultation with Federal and state government bodies; registration of Hindu marriage celebrants and others. The organisation receives around 500 calls regarding various issues including emergency help, information on Hinduism

Events for 2010 include the Deepavali Mela in Parramatta on November 7; Interfaith forums for the first time on May 6; Meat Free day in October and an ongoing working relationship with ABS for the 2011 Census, to improve communications among the wider community and ensure correct and high quality data. There will also be ongoing work for education curriculum reviews. The HCA website will be improved with more links and information regarding the Indian Panchang, Australian Community calendar, community resources, Hindu

are: the first Hindu Youth conference by VHP on April 10-11 and the 25th annual Brahamotsvam by SVT on October 09-19 Oct at Helensburgh

Mr Bhakri also stated that the population of Hindus has increased significantly, but the community is still relatively young and there is a great need to provide support and communication. Support facilities are sometimes available through government agencies, but people are not properly informed about these.

Most of the work done by HCA’s member

Harmony Day Festival: Manu Singh of Sikh Youth Australia leads a bhangra demonstration

organisations and the Hindu Council is managed through their own funds, and very little government grant is accessed. These organisations provide ground level support to the community through various activities, supporting people of Indian origin from across the globe.

Mr. Phil Rolfe, CEO of Parramasala announced the surprise of the day, informing the audience that HCA’s Deepavali Mela and Parramasala will join hands in support of each other to make Deepavali Mela 2010 a much bigger and more attractive event.

In her speech, Chief Guest H E Mrs. Sujatha Singh was vehement on the issue of Indian students and the problems they face, touching on the root of the problems. She urged the community to join hands to fix this problem and strongly requested all organisations specially the Mandirs and Gurudwaras to help out, as students regularly visit these places of worship.

Dr. Bala touched on the 25th anniversary Brahamotsavam of Sri Venkateswara

Temple in Helensburgh from October 9-19 Oct, which will be the biggest temple program ever in Australia. Certificates of appreciation were presented to individuals and organisations for their tireless efforts in keeping the Hindu culture and heritage intact and alive, and passing it on to the next generation, mainly in some form of art.

Ajoy Ghosh

Parklea Gurudwara supports Clean Up Australia day

In support of the 20th Anniversary of Clean Up Australia Day, the Parklea Gurudwara organised a clean up, enlisting the help of enthusiastic volunteers who worked effortlessly to be a part of this iconic event. Volunteers donned gloves to clean up rubbish hotspot areas and clear the most frequently dropped items, including recyclables such as glass, plastic and paper.

It has been estimated that a staggering 15,560 tonnes of rubbish has been removed

from beaches, waterways, parks and bushland across Australia. Approximately 588,000 volunteers across the country are took part in the event at 7073 registered sites, an increase of 6% from 2009.

“This year was a special year for Clean Up Australia Day being our 20th anniversary, so we’d like to pay tribute to all the Australian volunteers and their amazing efforts over the past 20 years to help preserve our environment,” said Ian Kiernan.

In reflecting on the past 20 years of this iconic event, Clean Up Australia Day Founder Ian Kiernan AO has announced that there are five major rubbish challenges facing Australia that need to be addressed –cigarette butts, recyclables, illegal dumping, e-waste and the pollution of our waterways. “It’s time to look forward and encourage greater action – particularly by government and industry – to take steps to overcome key rubbish problems that continue to plague Australia. Given that 50% of all items cleaned up last year were recyclable, there’s a clear need for a national action

plan on recycling to reduce the number of plastic bottles and bags we see destroying the Australian environment,” Kiernan added.

UIA’s seniors forum

From shaking a leg to Madhuri Dixit’s Aaja Nachle to humming to Yeh desh hai veer Jawanon from Naya Daur, senior citizens of Sydney’s Indian community come together to put up a spirited, lively performance for the Seniors Day forum on March 20.

The United Indian Association (UIA) event saw a large turn-out from the older section of the Indian community, who danced, sang and recited poems at the forum, while at the same time highlighting issues plaguing them.

Travel concessions for the aged who are here on temporary visas, was a prominent demand that resonated at the forum with the Indian Consul General, Amit Dasgupta, urging the NSW government to look in to the issue.

“I request the NSW government to give concessions to all senior citizens. I am not sure if this is the right forum to make this request,” said Dasgupta, addressing the government, represented by Hon Paul Lynch, Minister for Disability Services and Aboriginal Affairs.

Currently, senior citizens who are Permanent Residents or citizens are entitled to travel concessions. However, seniors on bridging or temporary visas do not enjoy concessions and according to UIA officials, this number is rather significant.

Stressing on the need to respect and care for seniors, the diplomat drew attention to the recent attacks on older people by teenagers.

“While we spoke of attacks on Indian students, we forgot of the attacks on who aren’t Indian. The age profile of the attackers was between 17 and 19 years of age. What troubles me is that we seem to have forgotten the values we were brought up with,” said the Consul General, in a sombre tone.

Minister Lynch pointed out that a million people were over 65 years in NSW and said the numbers were set to increase to 8.3 million by 2035.

“One in 5 people will be 65 years of age and that is a significant change in the demographics of our population,” he observed.

The minister also noted how debates in the public sphere often made ageing sound problematic and burdensome.

“The increased life expectancy is one of the good things about contemporary life. We should stop looking it as a problem. That is why this official week is celebrated,” he said, adding that 700 events had been planned for Seniors Week. He also stressed on the multicultural nature of the event, adding that diversity was one of Australia’s greatest strengths.

UIA President Aruna Chandrala spoke on the need to accept aged people. “Old age brings with it change in income, family composition, loss of friends and loss of companionship. But these are golden years and it is a time to enjoy retirement and grandchildren,” she said.

Some senior citizens spoke about their difficulties at the forum in accessing services like legal aid and the exorbitant expenses associated with them. UIA officials also spoke about the increasing number of older Indians, who were being abandoned by their children in nursing and aged care homes after being brought to Australia. While the number is not alarmingly high, Sue Advani said it was a problem that could not be ignored.

Preeti Kannan

Hindu Council annual dinner

Australian Tamil Association members on Clean Up Australia Day

Clean Up Australia Day at Parklea Gurudwara

UIA’s Seniors Forum

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Pune and Kochi join IPL bandwagon

Sahara Adventure Sports Group and Rendezvous Sports World Limited successfully bid for Pune and Kochi franchise teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier this month.

The Sahara ASG, which had also bid for Ahmedabad and Nagpur, purchased Pune for $370 million while Rendezvous SWL forked out $333.3 million as against the minimum bid amount of $225 million.

The two new teams will join the existing eight in the 2011 IPL tournament. Under the present format (home and away, all-playall), the number of matches from the next season will swell to 94 from the current 60.

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said on unveiling the bids: “Sahara’s bid of $370 million (Rs.1,702 crore) is the highest amongst the five bidders and Rendezvous was the second highest having quoted $333.33 million (Rs.1,533.32 crore). These two companies have bid for a period of 10 years.”

Proximity to Mumbai, available infrastructure, the construction of a stadium bordering the Pune-Mumbai Expressway and also the city’s demography were critical factors that persuaded Sahara to opt for Pune, according to the company’s corporate communications head Abhijit Sarkar.

“The Sahara group is immensely proud to have won the bid. The people of Pune will be proud of the team. We cannot wait for IPL 2011 to commence,” Sarkar said.

Rendezvous emerged as the surprise package and Modi said that Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor played his part in getting Kerala an IPL franchisee.

“Tharoor was involved in getting people together to bid for Kochi. He is an ardent fan of cricket and he wanted to see an IPL

team from Kochi and his wish has been fulfilled.”

Tharoor, on his part, said his role is of a mentor and he encouraged the business houses to think of Kerala. He said the team will immensely benefit young cricketers here.

“All I did on my part was to offer

encouragement, blessings and expert advise when required to the bidders. Beyond that, I had no role to play. I understand it’s a business decision,” Tharoor said in Kochi.

“IPL is an extremely valuable activity that is here to stay and grow. It will go a long way in terms of its popularity,” he said. “It will capture the spirit of the enthusiasm of the young and give young Keralites a team to identify with.”

“I do not own the team, but I will certainly give my opinion when asked for it,” a beaming Tharoor added. Rendezvous WSL is led by business magnate Shailendra Gaekwad along with Vivek Venugopal and a few others.

“We have closely been following every development within the IPL right from the inaugural year. I am very happy for our consortium and the people of Kochi as we finally have a team to call our own in this amazing city based sports franchise,” said Gaekwad.

Sahara and Rendezvous outbid three others parties Videocon, Jaypee Group and Adani, and are required to pay up 10 per cent of the bid amount within 48 hours of winning the franchise rights.

In the first IPL auction three years back, eight teams were sold for Rs.2,840 crore while this time the two new teams fetched an astronomical Rs.3,235.53 crore.

“It only shows there is no recession for the IPL and it is in the upswing,” Modi said.

Modi ruled out further expansion of the IPL in terms of number of teams, but qualified the assertion with a teaser, saying: “I do not see further expansion for some years, but you never know.”

The bidding process was first held on March 7, but was postponed due to paucity of bidders and objections by the BCCI to the clause that required the bidders to be worth $1 billion.

The IPL also removed the earlier clause of an advance deposit of $100 million and revised it to $10 million “performance guarantee” amount to be submitted 24 hours before the bids were opened.

Also in attendance at auction were Bollywood stars Salman Khan, Saif Khan and Katrina Kaif, though nobody quite

knew whom they represented or in what capacity.

Incidentally, Reliance had paid $111.9 million to bag the franchise rights for Mumbai team, followed by Vijay Mallya’s UB Group who paid out $111.6 Million to purchase the Bangalore side in the inaugural season in 2008.

The other winning bids at that time were (in US dollars): Chennai - 91 million; Hyderabad - 107 million; Delhi - 84 million; Jaipur - 67 million; Mohali - 76 million and Kolkata - 75.09 million.

***

Gurgaon to have intelligent traffic system

Police in Gurgaon plan to install liquid crystal display (LCD) screens at major intersections as part of an IT-driven system to streamline road traffic during the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

“The screens will provide information about traffic at the next intersection, alternative routes and parking lots. This is part of the Intelligent Trffic System (ITS),” Police Commissioner S.S. Deswal said.

A traffic police official said that “intelligent” traffic lights and variable message signs (VMS) would be the focus of the system.

“Currently, we have traffic signals with prefixed timings. In the intelligent signalling, there will be sensors fixed on roads which would read the volume of traffic on the road on the basis of which the signals would turn green and red,” he said.

Also, the system will have a device to scan registration number plates.

“With this we can know whether the vehicle has been used in any criminal activity. Data of such vehicles will already be stored in the device,” the official said.

The major intersections where the ITS is likely to be installed are Shankar Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Rajeev Chowk, Golf Course road, the road that leads to CWG venue and the Gurgaon-Faridabad road.

25th anniversary present: Bahujan Samaj Party (BJP) leader and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati shows off her latest piece of jewellery, a garland made of 1000-rupee notes, at a party anniversary rally in Lucknow, on March 15, 2010

Photo:

Agartala to be India’s first green city

Tripura has announced plans to make all public and private vehicles in Agartala run on compressed natural gas (CNG) by 2013, thus making the capital “India’s first green city”.

Tripura Natural Gas Co Ltd (TNGCL), a joint venture of the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) and the Tripura and Assam governments, has undertaken a project to supply CNG to all private and government vehicles.

CNG will also be available to those now using electricity, petrol and diesel to run various machineries.

“The TNGCL has been supplying piped natural gas (PNG) to more than 7,416 domestic consumers and 155 commercial establishments and industrial units in Agartala and its outskirts besides hospitals and crematorium,” TNGCL chairman Pabitra Kar told reporters.

He said: “The company will soon provide PNG connections to 10,000 new domestic consumers in the city and outskirts. Agartala will be the first city in India within the next three years to become a green city.”

According to Kar, the transport department would introduce 70 CNG based passenger buses by this month-end to augment the transportation systems.

Over 60 percent autorickshaws, a large number of small cars and buses are now using CNG in Agartala, the fourth city in India after New Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow running CNG vehicles on a large scale.

The TNGCL chairman said that the supply of CNG and PNG were being gradually expanded across the northeastern state to make the state a green and environment friendly state.

The TNGCL has recently finalised a 25 year plan for the purpose.

“The Supreme Court had forced the authority to make the capital a pollution free city by introducing CNG run vehicles, but in Tripura we are on our own initiative doing this eminent task,” Kar said.

From Trinidad to Indian village, a connection lost and found

A village school in Faizabad district bears a cornerstone - “Built by Paltu Persad of Sorzano and Queen Street, Arima, Trinidad”. It is the story of an indentured labourer who travelled half way across the world for work and his grandchild who came back in search of her roots.

Not many in Bassi village would recall that Paltu Persad left his village to go to Trinidad in 1910 and returned 37 years later.

But a hundred years later, his granddaughter Leela Maharaj was moved to tears when she saw the plaque. Leela Maharaj and her husband Balliram Maharaj had travelled from Trinidad to attend a function to mark the centenary of her ancestor’s departure to the Caribbean island.

To the Maharajs, the trip was a “pilgrimage”, the result of a “discover your roots” search. They not only located the ancestral village in Faizabad district but also discovered some relatives still living there, descendants of Persad’s brother.

“It was on the invitation of Ram Jokhan, second cousin to my wife Leela, that we visited the area,” Balliram Maharaj said.

“This visit is the biggest highlight of my entire life because of the experience, respect and honour bestowed on my wife Leela, our son Navin and myself by the people here,” he added.

Persad had gone as an indentured worker to work on the sugarcane plantations in

the West Indian nation. He was one of the thousands of Indians who returned home from a successful stint in a foreign land with the zeal to contribute to his native village. Independence was in the air when Persad decided to return home to India in 1947 to spend his last years in his village. On returning home, Persad decided to set up a school in the village. The school was completed in 1953.

Leela and Balliram had been keen to find out more about their ancestors who had come to Trinidad from India, but were not sure how to go about it. Their families had lost touch with the relatives in India, and they had very little information about their ancestors. They hired a prominent genealogist, Shamshu Deen, who carried out family searches in Trinidad.

The Maharajs had a couple of old documents which gave some clues; these bits of information helped Deen locate the ancestral villages of the Maharaj couple. Incidentally, Persad and Balliram’s grandfather, Changa Maharaj, were friends and belonged to villages in the same district in Uttar Pradesh. Changa went to Trinidad in 1911 from Channauli.

According to the Maharajs, Persad endured many hardships, like the hundreds

of thousands of indentured Indians in many parts of the world. He left the security of family, friends and community, in order to develop his vision. That vision was for a better future for his family.

“He worked hard all his life and then decided to return home to his village to live among his relatives. He did not just look after the people of his village in India but he also established several businesses for his Trinidad family - such was the vision of this simple yet great pioneer,” Balliram said.

A prominent businessman of Trinidad and president of the Trinidad Supermarket Association, Maharaj disclosed that Persad’s family still owned the premises on Sorzano and Queen Street which had been converted into a supermarket.

While visiting the school, Leela learnt that it had 668 registered students. An estimated 30,000 children had studied there, Leela said, many of whom had gone on to become doctors, lawyers and university professors.

To mark the anniversary, Leela announced the institution of the Paltu Persad Achievement Award, an annual grant of Rs.10,000 to the top achiever of the year. “For a long time we were longing to visit India. But pressures of work kept us away. So when this invitation by Leela’s cousin

came it was not only to celebrate her ‘ajah’s’ (grandfather’s) 100 years of departure, but to visit the school he started,” Balliram said.

Now Balliram plans to organise a grand family reunion next year to mark the 100th anniversary of his grandfather, Changa’s departure for Trinidad.

Feel like a maharaja chugging from Kolkata to Delhi

Now, travel through the heart of India in the lap of luxury. Equipped with LCD TVs, panoramic windows and internet connectivity, the new Maharajas’ Express promises to make the journey from Kolkata to Delhi a royal experience.

The train is the latest offering from Indian Railways on the lines of the Palace On Wheels to generate revenue and help tourists explore India. It possesses elegant features and international-level comfort.

The journey from Kolkata to Delhi by Maharajas’ Express has been christened Celestial India. It will cover pilgrim and tourist centres like Gaya and Varanasi, the Bandhavgarh forests, Khajuraho, Agra and Gwalior before terminating in Delhi.

The train chugged out with 38 passengers from Kolkata in mid-March.

“I am delighted that this train was flagged off from this great city called Kolkata,” said veteran journalist and broadcaster Mark Tully, who was present at the flagging-off ceremony.

He said: “Maharajas’ Express will herald a new era in luxury and travel. This is a great experience indeed.”

The train has five deluxe cabins, six junior suites, two suites and one grand presidential suite. The charges for the presidential suite are $2,500 (Rs.113,762) per person per day.

It is equipped with LCD televisions, DVD players, individual temperature control, direct dial telephones, Wi-Fi internet connectivity and large panoramic windows.

“My best wishes are there with all the passengers who are the first to board the train from Kolkata. It’s a gift to those who want to savour royal India and can afford it,” Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee said on the occasion.

“The tourists can pay in dollars or Indian currency. It’s a new initiative by the Indian railways to boost tourism in our country,” she said.

Maharajas’ Express is owned by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and managed by a joint venture company, Royale India Rail Tours Ltd.

According to railway officials, the interior of the train was designed by E.K. Associates and manufactured at Integral Coach Factory, Chennai.

A southern Indian ivory throne and footstool, now part of the Royal Collection at the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace in London, is prepared for display on March 12, 2010. The throne was a gift from the Maharaja of Travancore in 1851.

Photo: AP

FESTIVAL

Everyone loves a Holi-day

PREETI KANNAN’s camera went into overdrive at the riot of colours, as Holi celebrations hit a new high at Sydney’s Darling Harbour

MARCH (2) 2010

Love through marriage bureaus

All of us immigrants from the Indian sub-continent have, at some point, found ourselves wound in a laborious discussion about arranged marriages.

“Arranged marriages are like speed dating or dating websites,” I say when posed with that inevitable question. But no cultural parallel really quite unravels the mysterious ways in which arranged marriages work – westerners just don’t get it, do they?

As if responding to the plight of desis around the world, London-based investment banker and author, Farahad Zama reveals the intricacies of arranged marriages in a fun, entertaining way through his The Marriage Bureau for Rich People book series.

Set in the author’s hometown in India, Vizag – also known as Visakhapatnam –the second novel in the series, The Many Conditions of Love, charts not just the stories of love and marriage, but also a range of other social issues in contemporary India. In an RK Narayan-like portrait of a small town, Zama captures the heady challenges and small pleasures of the common Indian.

There are no heroes or villains in this tale, simply men and women caught up in economic or social conditions ranging from early widowhood to a devastating crop failure. Zama clearly points to

some of the evils of Indian society, but rather than take a dogmatic, revolutionary stance, he reveals the ways in which Indians have learned to navigate their circumstances.

This doesn’t mean that the novel lacks in drama. There are some elements of the regular masala film like a Hindu-Muslim love story, with the girl even being locked away by the fuming father. In true Bollywood

style, Zama even quotes lyrics from famous Hindi film songs at opportune moments, to evoke a sense of the musical tradition of storytelling in India.

Linking all these seemingly disparate strands of the tale together is the character at the crux of the book series, the retired government employee Mr Ali, and his marriage bureau. And some of the best moments of the book, which reveal local characters with all their quirks and habits, are set in this bureau.

The families of the prospective brides and grooms come to Mr Ali with a range of conditions – the conditions upon which are based love and matrimony. One father wants only a highly qualified son-in-law for his daughter. An aristocratic lady wants to ensure that her daughter-in-law has a long nose to ensure the grandchildren will carry on the physical lineage. Even Mr Ali’s assistant is having trouble in her marriage into a wealthy family. However, Mr Ali and his good-natured wife have a wise and common sense answer to all these travails. Read the book and who knows, you might just find the answer to your problems. And if nothing quite as profound, you will still enjoy an easy, gentle read and a loving reminder of the simple ways of our home country.

If you are struggling to explain the concept of arranged marriages to your Australian friends, get them to read TheManyConditionsofLove, says SHIVANGI AMBANI-GANDHI

Zama clearly points to some of the evils of Indian society, but rather than take a dogmatic, revolutionary stance, he reveals the ways in which Indians have learned to navigate their circumstances

fun Art can be

BY SHIVANGI AMBANI-GANDHI

“It’s fun to work with and fun for people to look at,” says artist Gonkar Gyatso about his signature sticker-collage technique of crating artworks.

‘Fun’ is certainly not the word many would associate with art, yet Gyatso’s works are exactly that - they are playful, witty and great fun to decipher.

Three of his works are on show at the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane as part of the 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT6).

If you can’t make the trip up to Brisbane, two of his other works will also come to the 17th Biennale of Sydney later this year.

Born in Tibet and now living in London, Gyatso combines traditional thangka iconography and the Buddha figure with pop culture imagery of the West to create layered works of great intrigue.

Having its first showing at the APT6, is the 9-metre long Reclining Buddha: Shanghai to Lhasa Express (2009). The reclining Buddha in the state of ultimate bliss having achieved moksha, is ironically covered in hundreds upon thousands of cartoon stickers, news clips, ads, product labels and logos in Gyatso’s work.

To ‘read’ this work, viewers must also walk along the length of the work, retracing the train journey that Gyatso made from Shanghai to Lhasa. At either end of this work, are also surveillance cameras pointing at the Buddha figure.

“Everywhere you go, there’s someone watching you nowadays,” says Gyatso. “That is also reflecting the political situation and surveillance culture in Tibet. Especially after 9/11, the surveillance culture became dominant, while civil rights completely became a shamble.”

In Angel (2007), a drawing of the Bodhisattva of compassion, Bodhissatva Avalokiteshwara is super imposed with the well known image of the Iraqi prisoner tortured by US soldiers at Abu Gharib.

The third work at APT6, Spring 2008 (2009) makes reference to the violent confrontations between Tibetan and Han Chinese in Lhasa in the spring of 2008, according to Suhanya Raffel, curator of APT6. By using popular culture imagery, Gyatso breaks the very construct of an exotic and spiritual Tibet that mainstream media create.

Looking at the works, I found myself laughing, and then stopping to think.

“Gonkar’s work is beautiful to look at, but also intellectually stimulating,” says Fabio Rossi of Rossi & Rossi gallery in London which represents Gyatso. “There is a certain ambiguity that is very appealing but the message doesn’t over-power the aesthetics,” he adds.

Gyatso finds his own collage practice contemplative yet fun. “It is very meditative yet activates my mind at the same time. It’s also very playful to work with,” he says.

He also spends a lot of time choosing the stickers and clippings he uses in each work.

“I choose the text and stickers according to the content of the work,” he says. “I use the cartoon images to say what I want to say on behalf of myself.”

This need to communicate through images is perhaps a product of his continual migration

across Tibet, China, India and finally London. He grew up in Lhasa during the Cultural Revolution when much art and culture was destroyed, and traditional Tibetan art forms were forbidden.

“Those days in Lhasa, as a kid to grow up in a very Chinese and communist environment, there were no visible religious or Tibetan culture influences around,” recollects Gyatso. “However, in the 1980s when I was studying in Beijing, the environment had dramatically changed. During my time in Beijing, I came across my own ethnic tradition as well as Western visual cultures for the first time, mainly through exhibitions, films, and of course later on through text books. These had made a very big impact on my art practice later on.”

It was in Dharamsala, India where Gyatso learned traditional Tibetan thangka painting.

“I started the training with one of the masters

from Tibetan Library in Dharamsala,” says Gyatso. “The learning process was more like that of guild system. There was one master with many students. The whole learning process was practice-based rather than theory. Also, you will develop very close engagement with the religious practice and philosophy.”

Spoken language was a particular problem in India. “When I was in India I didn’t speak very good English or Hindi. For this reason I often stayed within my own native Tibetan community in Dharamsala,” he says. “However, I am planning to visit there next year after 16 years of my absence. What’s happening in India is also very inspiring and fascinating.”

After moving to London, Gyatso founded the Sweet Tea House in 1985, which became the first Tibetan avant-garde artists’ association.

“The initial idea for the gallery was to open a small window space where people could see contemporary Tibetan art, which was not widely acknowledged at that time,” says Gyatso. “During the 4-5 years period, the gallery organised exhibitions and lectures to promote contemporary artists from inside Tibet. These have led more prominent Western commercial galleries such as Rossi & Rossi in London, Peaceful Wind in the US, Red Gate gallery in Beijing to get involved with this movement of contemporary Tibetan art.”

Fabio Rossi agrees: “Our involvement in contemporary Tibetan art is fairly recent - since 2005. However, in this brief period of time, we have witnessed a development in both content and technique. Tibetan artists, both within and outside Tibet, have grown in confidence as they are reaching a more international audience. Their work is now being perceived in relation not only to the tradition of Tibetan art but also to what goes in the world of Asian and non-Asian contemporary art.”

While Gyatso’s works sell between £ 10,000 and over £ 100,000, and have also been included in the prestigious Venice Biennale, he is not the only one enjoying global recognition, says Rossi. “There are a number of Tibetan artists living abroad, such as Kesang Lamdark in Zurich who was showcased in the Gangzhou Triennial of 2007, and Tenzing Rigdol in New York, who are creating ‘global’ work and the same can be said of artist in Tibet such as Nortse, Gade, Benchung.”

Gonkar Gyatso’s works can be viewed at the 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT), Gallery of Modern Art and Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, until April 5 and at the 17th Biennale of Sydney May 12-August 1, 2010. Free entry to both festivals.

Gonkar Gyatso says his art works are not just fun to look at but also playful to make

Gonkar Gyatso: Reclining BuddhaShanghai to Lhasa Express (2009)

Gonkar Gyatso: Angel (2007)

Photos courtesy of the artist and Rossi & Rossi, London.

Backing the Bill

India nearly created history on March 10 when the Rajya Sabha or the Council of States passed the women’s bill to reserve 33 per cent of the seats for women in the State Assemblies and Lok Sabha. The reason I use the word ‘nearly’ is because we, as a nation, are presently far from creating history in righting the gender imbalance.

The bill was passed in the Upper House, but not without its share of political theatrics. The two-day drama did culminate in the passing of the bill by an overwhelming two-third majority (read 186 ayes against 1 nae) and in the suspension of seven members, who had earlier disrupted proceedings. The previous day saw unruly scenes with members tearing up the bill and even attempting to attack Chairman Hamid Ansari.

Unfortunately, there is really little to rejoice about at this moment. Fourteen long years after women’s reservation was first mooted, the bill finally saw some glimpse of hope in the Rajya Sabha on the occasion of the 100th International Women’s Day.

The women’s reservation debate has several layers to it. The contentious bill, if passed in its present form, will no doubt be a milestone and restore, to some extent, gender balance. The presence of women in Parliament may not dramatically alter the status of women in our society – at least not immediately. It may not suddenly prevent our daughters from being killed as foetuses, families from being harassed over dowries, girls’ education taking equal precedence or negate gender stereotypes. But surely, there is hope for gradual change.

Unfortunately, the bill seems to be more about earning political brownie points rather than about women’s empowerment, which is the need of the hour. India’s so-called leaders can scream themselves hoarse about our democratic ways and about being the world’s largest democracy. The fact is that we are the largest democracy by virtue of our population, 1.13 billion officially, rather than owing it to our democratic conventions. It is, of course, to our credit we are a vibrant democracy and have rejected any other form of government. But there is really no reason to pat ourselves on our back, if democracy means tearing up bills or expressing dissent violently.

Watching live proceedings of the two days in the Rajya Sabha, I was far from horrified. Angry parliamentarians flinging

microphones, throwing chairs, chanting slogans, staging protests or disrupting proceedings is not an unfamiliar sight in democratic India. We Indians are too accustomed to such outbursts and misdemeanour. But, there really is no excuse for such behaviour and there is no reason for us to accept it any longer.

Also, political parties have already staked their claim for the success of the bill in the upper house. On the one hand, there is the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) that has asserted the bill to be a realisation of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s dream, and on the other hand is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which said that its numbers had done the trick in the upper house.

Then there are the other parties taking equal credit –for preventing it from being passed. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Janata Dal (JD) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), led by the Yadav trio, have vehemently opposed the bill claiming it to be elitist and one which would sideline women from lower-castes and minority religious groups. In short, they are demanding reservation within reservation.

A glance at the data compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union might give us a little reality check and put things in perspective. India presently is competing with Benin, a country in West Africa, for the 99th spot among 187 countries in the number of seats allocated to women. We have 59 seats or 10.8 per cent for our women, figuring way below some of our neighbours including Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh, who incidentally are nascent democracies when compared to our 63 years record.

The next biggest hurdle is the bill’s litmus test in the 552-strong Lok Sabha. Once it is eventually cleared by the house, it has to be signed by the president, after which it has to be ratified by all 28 states. This could well take over a year. What remains to be seen is if the UPA will be able to hold on to its allies and convince them to see the end of this, or if it will wilt under political pressure.

For all those championing the cause of women’s equality in India, the harsh reality is, there really is a long way to go. So let’s hold our breath till the bill actually becomes a law and until 33 per cent of the seats are really filled by women. There is still time for history to be created.

Preeti Kannan is a journalist and a Human Rights Masters student in Australia

The Women’s Reservation bill is making progress through the echelons of government, but it still has a long way to go, notes PREETI KANNAN

The fact is that we are the largest democracy by virtue of our population, 1.13 billion officially, rather than owing it to our democratic conventions

The contentious bill, if passed in its present form, will no doubt be a milestone and restore, to some extent, gender balance

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The fight for right

BY RANI JHALA

My dear Granddaughter, I saw your article in the papers and am pleased that the Women’s Reservation Bill is being passed. It is not a gift to women. It is a right!

I know what I write will come as a shock to you. You always said I was an epitome of Indian womanhood. Silent, tolerant, accepting and dutiful! These are good qualities to have but they also weaken us and prepare us for a life of servitude - to our family, our relations, our friends and most of all, to men. And the very moment when men decide to take control, we move from being ‘protected’ to being ‘abused’. The only line that separates these two situations is empowerment. No I don’t mean the power that comes from ridiculing your in-laws or ill-treating your parents. I mean the freedom that comes when people understand that you are a person in your own right, with your own privileges and identity.

From the dawn of history women have had to fight for everything. The right to an education, the right to vote, the right to keep her children, the right to prayer and to represent her religion, the right to be elected and the right to speak for her fellow-sisters. None of these rights were freely given to her. They were earned. They were fought for. They were won.

Whether the Bill will give women an equal say in the nation’s future and empower us to be able to control our own fate is yet to be seen. I believe that this main battle will have to be fought for, on a different platform. The platform of social awareness! And it will have to be done by women themselves, for no man will do that for her. As hard as it will be to fight in the male domain, the weakest link in this fight will be those women who, like my daughter-in-law, will hinder women’s progress for their own selfish needs.

You must now be questioning my sanity, my bitterness… In those first days after your grandfather’s death I was tired from having cared for him through his illness. I was exhausted from having to make all the decisions, and I was truly glad that I had a son who would see to my safety and well being. As you know, after the last rites were over I went to live with your uncle and his family. The first months flew quickly.

Everything was looked after for me and I was glad for the opportunity to rest and forget the difficult months that had gone by.

Your uncle said he would look after the financial transactions for me and I let him do this. I signed the papers he brought and he looked after the details. He assured me that he was securing my future and also transferring your mother’s share left to her by your grandfather.

Unknown to me, all that was mine was being slowly transferred to his family and my maternal love did not see what was coming. Six

months after I became a widow, I had become practically penniless. Everything had been signed over to their names. My own son, a party to every act! So well planned was the treachery that to prevent me from regaining my property, instead of it being put into my son’s name, my daughter-inlaw got everything signed to her own.

My name in shred, my loyalty questioned, my future desperate, I became what many women before me had been turned into. Helpless! Had your mother not been there, I would have been a destitute in the streets. They had locked up half the house. My house! They had dismissed most of the employees. My employees! And they withheld from me everything that was mine, including my finances.

And who did this?

My son! My grandson!

Two generations of men bearing my blood!

The court chose to ignore my evidence and disregard your grandfather’s will. They said I willingly signed over my assets, that I should have protected my own property, not expected others to do it. Others? This other, was my own, once ‘beloved’ son. And my faith was totally shattered when I saw the names of the people who had acted as witnesses for them or aided them - an uncle, a brother, two nephews, an army officer, an advocate, a notary and two of my daughter-in-law’s brothers. All men, who by the nature of their profession and position in society should have defended women, should have protected me. Yet most went on to perjure themselves in a court of law.

grandchild, you can do this for me. For us women! Just having a representation is not

enough, tell women they must unify, and must ensure that the laws of this land are amended so that a woman’s assets cannot be taken away by anyone as long as she is alive. Only after her death, can it be given to her husband and children. Yes there is the risk that she could be murdered for it, but those who are so inclined will do that anyway, once their aim has been achieved.

You have taken the first step with your article. Take the next and fight for our rights. Wake the world up to the plight of women - the widow, the unmarried sister, the childless wife. I know I am putting a heavy burden on you, but your article has given me hope again. Tell my story to the world, so they know that even in the 21st century, what struggle it is to be a woman!

With my love and blessings. Your everloving Grandmother

I will fight until I can, but I know my fight will not be long. I am

The struggle to be a woman fighting single-handedly against corruption and greed continues, even in this enlightened century

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Grilling and dipping

Prawns make an exotic meal when simply grilled and served with an exciting dipping sauce, notes

RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

It’s Sunday night and the kids want to go out for dinner. They do know that Sunday nights are strictly home-oriented, but they’ve ganged up on us this time. After some discussion, they settle for a ‘fancy’ home-cooked meal instead.

Later, they declare the meal a ‘gourmet dinner’, and we finish off the weekend in happy spirits.

The ‘fancy’ dinner is something Mum and Dad have whipped up in a rush – grilled prawns and mango salsa, served with a simple vegetable pulao and plain yogurt. (There’s more mango for dessert, served with a good quality vanilla ice cream). It’s a simple meal that took us both less than an hour to prepare.

Grilled prawns can be a great saviour when you’re stuck for what to cook. Easy to prepare because all you need is 4-5 minutes on the barbecue, and prawns don’t even need to be marinated for long. In fact, I think they come out best when the marinating itself is as simple as possible.

For many years prawns made a rare appearance in my kitchen because I believed they were high in cholesterol. I now know that they do contain some cholesterol, but they can be good for you – they are very low in saturated fats (unless deep-fried), and apparently are even lower in calories and fat than chicken – but with much more protein. They are also rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which promote a healthy heart. Again, they are an excellent source of magnesium (good for bone development and nerve and muscle function), zinc (good for growing bodies), selenium (an important antioxidant) as well as iron and vitamin E.

To marinate prawns for grilling, there are three broad techniques: Continental, Asianinfluenced and Indian. The first of these is usually my preferred option (seafood generally tastes better with as little additions to it as possible, and Indian ingredients can often be overbearing, particularly in seafood dishes). Perhaps the easiest way to grill prawns would be with no marinating at all except some olive oil and maybe salt and pepper, served with a dipping sauce (or dressing), or salad of your choice. But here are some simple marinades:

* Mix butter, oil, chilli flakes, lime zest, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add prawns, mix well and set aside for a while.

* Combine crushed garlic, salt, lemon juice, fresh coriander and olive oil in a bowl. Add prawns. (For another version, use spring onions in place of coriander).

* Mix together honey, lemon juice, chilli flakes and olive oil, and add prawns.

* Whisk together pineapple juice, olive oil, oregano and chilli powder in a large bowl. Add prawns and toss well.

* Mix together 2 tbsp mustard, 1 tbsp tomato ketchup and lemon pepper seasoning for another marinade.

* If you want to put a bit more effort into your marinade, try wine. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Sauté garlic, onions

and parsley. Add wine and lemon. Simmer over low heat a few minutes. (Add a little water if necessary). Cool and then toss the prawns in.

* For a simple Asian-influenced marinade, mix prawns in garlic, fish sauce and olive oil.

* Mix together some mirin or rice wine, unrefined sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Throw prawns in.

* Mince some onion and garlic, add a touch of peanut oil and thrown prawns in. Grill, and then serve with an Asian-style dipping sauce.

* Blend together lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, chilli, garlic, ginger, coriander, olive oil, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add prawns.

* Mix together some chopped mint, coriander and basil, red chillies, olive oil, lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, sugar and salt. Toss prawns in.

* For an Indian-inspired version, combine lots of lemon juice, salt, chilli powder, crushed garlic, a touch of brown sugar, fresh coriander and oil.

* Put prawns in a bowl and add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, black pepper powder, cumin seeds, ginger-garlic paste and some oil.

* Blend green chillies, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, cumin and coriander seeds and turmeric in a food processor until roughly chopped. Add some fresh coriander, mint and a little coconut cream and blend again to form a smooth paste. Coat the prawns in this mix (add a little water if too thick).

ON THE SIDE

Dipping sauce

For a simple Asian-style dipping sauce, use peanut butter mixed with 1 tsp sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper, and plenty of lime juice.

Or again, mix together 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tsp caster sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Or you could use fish sauce – mix it with grated palm sugar, crushed garlic, deseeded red chillies and chopped fresh coriander.

For an Indian-inspired dipping sauce, mix plain yogurt with chopped fresh mint and coriander, lime zest, salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Pineapple Salsa

Toss together 3 cups pineapple chunks, ½ cup diced red capsicum, ½ cup diced cucumber, ¼ cup diced red onion and chopped deseeded red chilli to taste. For dressing, whisk together 1 ½ tbsp lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder and a pinch of salt. Pour over salad and mix to combine. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mango and Ginger Salsa

Dice 2 medium sturdy mangoes. Grate 1-inch piece ginger. Blend to a smooth paste ¼ cup coriander leaves, ¼ cup Thai or Vietnamese basil leaves, ¼ cup mint leaves. Combine everything in a bowl and toss to combine. Add 2 tsp Thai chilli oil or to taste, juice of half a lime and salt. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until serving time.

Avocado Tartare

Toss together in a bowl 1 avocado, half a red onion and 1 sturdy tomato all diced. Add in juice of half a lemon. Drizzle over a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Photo: Pawan Luthra

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Impressive Simba bowling helps win tournament

The Kenyan Lions carried away the 20/20 MIT Sydney Cup, beating the Ryde Automotives Haryana Bulls by 5 runs in a thrilling last over finish. The boys from Kenya famously known as Ken Oz SKLPS Simba (meaning lion in Afrikaans), delighted the crowd as they got the better of the Bulls at the prestigious community tournament. The 20/20 MIT Sydney Cup, an IPL-like tournament, is now a well known community based event. The final was played in Parramatta in mid-March.

Ryde Automotives Haryana Bulls who had lost just one game in their round of games finishing at the top of the ladder, came into the finals with a lot of confidence following their 7-wicket win in the semifinal match against Hyderabad Travels. However, Ken Oz SKLPS Simba just about scraped into the knockout stage with a touch of luck. However, in the knockout stage they upset Nando’s Srilankan Lions, winning by 7 wickets. Nando’s Srilankan Lions were the winners of the Indian Link Cup.

With three ex-Kenyan internationals playing for Ken Oz SKLPS Simba, the team enjoyed high levels of self confidence and self esteem, which seemed to be their strength. Their cooperation as a team was more apparent than any other side through the entire competition.

After winning the toss, Ryde Automotives Haryana Bulls sent the SKLPS boys to bat first, bowling them out for a meagre total of 94.Vishal Patel and Jay Poria were the most successful bowlers, claiming 3 wickets each.

In reply Ryde Automotives Haryana Bulls were well in control of the proceedings with a score of 83 for 5, and they needed only 12 runs in the last 4 overs with 4 wickets in hand.

Almost everyone from SKLPS Simba camp, including the strong presence of supporters cheering them, had given up hope until the sixteenth over, when Naran (ex under 19 Kenyan International) decided to show everyone what 20/20 cricket is really about. He bowled a dream spell claiming 2 scalps in that over, allowing for only 1 run. The pressure began to mount for the Haryana batsmen.

The next over was also a maiden and soon after, the Simba boys began to smell victory over the Bulls. In the final overs, the Haryana Bulls needed 6 runs with one wicket remaining, but ultimately they failed to

stellar form in the quarters and semi-finals was the only batsman who batted with unshakeable calm and composure, playing an important innings of 20 runs before being stumped by Jitesh Malandi, another exunder 19 Kenyan international player.

Naran, who not only took 3 wickets for 11 runs but also took the game away from the confident Haryana Bulls, was adjudged the Man of the Match.

Cheering supporters of the Ken Oz SKLPS Simba team mirrored their heroes’ euphoria at becomimg the champion team among the 18 teams which took part in the 4-month long tournament.

In the consolation finals, Ahmedabad Warriors defeated Ford Pro Vibarant Gujarat by 7 wickets. Mayank Verma of Ahmedabad Warriors was named Man of the Match.

The winners and runners trophies were presented to the teams by Ms. Jenny, director of the Melbourne Institute of Technology.

The formal awards ceremony and cultural evening will be held at Parramatta Town Hall on May 1, at which the teams and individual players will be facilitated for their performances and achievements.

Sanjiv Dubey

Score Card

Ken Oz SKLPS Simba Ryde Automotives Haryana Bulls

Naran bowled Deepak 09 Jay caught Arvind 13

Dharendra run out 04 Gaurav stumped Jitesh 20

Suresh caught Deepak 00 Zeeshan caught Arvind 05

Suresh R bowled Jay 18 Ritesh run out 04

Vijay caught Vishal 02 Varun bowled 10

Dilip caught Vishal 25 Sukhi caught Ashok 22

Ashok caught Vishal 03 Vicky caught Naran 00

Harish caught Varun 01 Usman caught Naran 00

Pritesh caught Jay 12 Vishal not out 00

Arvind caught Jay 03 Deepak stumped Naran 02

Jitesh not out 01 Shorab bowled Vijay 01

Bowlers: Bowlers: Jay Poria 3/19 Naran 3/11

Vishal 3/24 Arvind 3/21

Varun 2/10

(Above) Ken Oz SKLPS Simba team (Left) Action galore: Simba team celebrate at the fall of another Haryana wicket

Man of the Match (ex Kenya Under-19 player) Naran Varsani of SKLPS

Desigirl Sunidhi Chauhan comes down under!

An experience to be remembered... proudly brought to you by AXR Entertainment

Sydney Sports Centre Olympic Park is set to host India’s leading female playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan on 8

The concert is well on track to entertain a capacity crowd as she is accompanied by rising star Abhijeet Sawant, winner of the first Indian Idol TV contest. The duo, renowned for their energetic, vibrant and powerful performances, will be backed by a live troupe of 8 highly talented musicians.

State-of-the art sound and lighting and a strong line-up of quality entertainment will together ensure that the concert will be a key highlight of 2010 as we welcome in a new decade. AXR Entertainment, a leading event management company dedicated to providing high quality acts to the wider South-Asian community, is proud to present this concert as their marquee event in 2010.

Recognised as a child prodigy through a local talent search TV music show, Sunidhi startled the country with her nerveless performance that provided the audience with a pleasant surprise. She first tasted fame through winning the TV show Suno and went on to record her first album with HMV as a kids album. The album did not do justice to her immense talents and fortunately Kalyanji – Anandji spotted the now 8-year-old and brought her on to the show Little Wonders showcasing child prodigies. She promptly started entertaining crowds on stage shows with hits from artists such as Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Ila Arun.

From there on, the world was at her feet as she rose to become the most sought-after

playback singer. Religiously inclined, she believes that “God is my inner conscience; my intuition, my inner self, my guiding force and my angel who protects me. I have always had deep faith in the supreme power and it has never wavered at all. Once I had to sing a hi-pitch song for the movie Mast and my throat was really bad. It was my faith in divine power and my ability that helped to record successfully. Faith makes a lot of

work with Sony Entertainment and record his first ever album

The long-awaited album became a huge hit with over a dozen hit songs including Mohabbatein Lutaunga, Lafzon Mein, Kya Tujhe Pata Hai and Dream Girl

Since his initial success in the music industry, he has begun work in the Bollywood music industry singing in various recent movies along with another album which was released in 2007, Junoon

Fashion Show

AXR Entertainment are proud to be putting together a fashion show sponsored by Desigirl.com.au which will host an extreme and wide range of glamorous designer clothing available in Sydney to the elite South-Asian community. The fashion show will consist of national and international models including Former Miss India Amrita Thapar and famous model Deepti Gujral. Dance proceedings choreographed and performed by Poornima Sharma and the Indian

AXR Entertainment promise this night to be full of quality entertainment with sophistication and elegance embedded in each aspect of the show. The concert will be held LIVE in Sydney on Sat 08 May 2010 at The Sydney Olympic Park State Sports Centre. Tickets are selling fast and are available at www. . (See website for seating

For more details, please visit www. axrentertainment.com or get in touch with one of our event managers, Anchal 0411 208 025 or Ryan 0422 319 641.

JUST RELEASED: VIP DINNER with Sunidhi Chauhan at MANTRA, Neutral Bay on Sat 7 May 2010. Visit www. axrentertainment.com for more information

(Above) Sunidhi (Right) Abhijeet

Fitness skincare

How to keep your skin fit while your body enjoys a workout, reports PRIYA NAIR

We don’t often realise that while working out to keep our bodies fit, we need to pay special attention to the needs of our skin. People who exercise are prone to skin problems caused by the nature of the fitness routine they follow. While exercising is a great way to stay healthy, whether you walk or swim, go to a gym or play an energetic game of squash, it is important to remember that vigorous physical activity comes with its own peril. Here are some skin issues that can come up with various kinds of exercises. So be sure to maintain a hygienic and protective routine for your skin, while exercising.

Swimming

You absolutely must use body lotion after a swim to combat dryness caused by the chlorine and as far as possible, use one with fewer chemicals and fragrances, as they add to the drying effect

Whether you swim in an indoor or outdoor pool, the chlorinated water in swimming pools makes the skin really dry and damages hair as well –especially if you colour it. The best way to deal with this is to shower immediately after a swim. When you shower, use a soap-free, foaming cleanser or a shower gel which lathers up to get rid of that pool chemical smell. And because shower gels don’t come off the skin as fast as soap, you can spend more time under fresh water, washing it off. You absolutely must use body lotion after a swim to combat dryness caused by the chlorine and as far as possible, use one with fewer chemicals and fragrances, as they add to the drying effect. Also use a colour protecting shampoo for your hair – preferably one that is mild and can be used often.

If you plan to swim in an outdoor pool for long, use a water-resistant sunscreen before you jump in.

Gym fitness

If you prefer to go to a gym to workout, be sure to drink lots of water. Hydration is vital, especially when exercising in a closed environment like a gym. Even without a vigorous workout, a person loses about 2 litres of water a day, and if your fitness routine has aerobic exercises included with weight training etc, you will lose much more water. You sweat much more and therefore it is important to rehydrate and compensate for the water loss. If you don’t drink enough water while exercising, blood flow to the skin reduces and over time it will affect the cell renewal process of the skin, making it look dry and wrinkles will make an early appearance. With an aerobic exercise routine, drink at least half a litre of water a couple of hours before exercising, about 300 ml just before you start and keep sipping water every 15 minutes during your workout. Make sure to drink enough water half an hour after you finish exercising. Use a rehydrating natural drink like coconut water or nimbu paani, or the branded rehydrating ones you see everywhere.

Outdoor exercises

A lot of people prefer to go for a walk, jog or a run depending on their level of fitness, as they prefer fresh air and an outdoor environment to the confines of a gym. It is a great way to give your skin some exercise as well, especially if walking in a park where fresh oxygen from the trees, coupled with crisp, cool air will add to your skin’s healthy glow. But given the polluted times

we live in and the UV rays of the sun doing their bit to add to the damage, it is imperative that you wear sunscreen. If not, your body gets a workout but your skin starts to age. The factors to remember are that not just any sunscreen will suffice and the time of the day that you are out for a walk also makes a difference. Opt for a sunscreen with SPF 15-30 at the least, making sure it is light in texture so that it doesn’t clog the pores of your skin. Also, remember to wash the sunscreen off your face after exercising because sweat combines with sebum that clogs pores and attracts dirt. Wear a cap to protect your hair from sun damage and also to keep your face out of the sun.

Other tips to remember are:

l Drink plenty of water no matter what kind of exercise you do.

l Remember to spritz your face with a facial mist to keep the skin moist.

l If you have had a couple of drinks the night before, avoid exercising the next day as you will sweat more and lose more moisture.

l Never, ever wear make-up while exercising. The make-up will run when you sweat and will also clog your pores.

l But a bit of lipstick is okay even while you exercise – be it at a gym or a park.

Your skin is the largest organ in the body and it protects other body parts that keep you active and healthy. Make sure you look after it well, so that you can continue staying fit.

If you don’t drink enough water while exercising, blood flow to the skin reduces and over time it will affect the cell renewal process of the skin, making it look dry and wrinkles will make an early appearance

Hen’s night ideas

Dear Auntyji

My best friend is getting married and there is a lot of pressure on me as I am planning her hen’s night and people are making all sorts of silly suggestions. Some friends think that it is her last night of freedom and so we should go wild. Others are saying that a quiet dinner will be better, an occasion to reflect on all the beautiful moments of celebration of the institution of marriage. Please advise me Auntyji: down and dirty, or upright and moral?

Auntyji says

Both darling, both! There is no reason why you can’t do both. Life is always a mix of badmashi and good behaviour. As long as it does not lead to badnaami we are all fine. On my hen’s night party, we all sat around the farmyard and looked at hens laying eggs. My 70-year-old grandmother (god bless her) then embarked on a big lecture of the birds and bees. Now, while that was embarrassing, it became even more so when Dadiji used to forget midway through the sentence that my Mataji would jump in to help. Eeeek, that almost turned me away from the whole idea of marriage… but then once I got to know Uncleji, it was all ok! Go organise a girl’s night out at a top restaurant, get a private room and have lots of fun. But take along with you some of the older women in the family like the mother and the aunts who with their presence, will keep the decorum. All will be fun and under control. Remember to toast the bride and wish her all the best for the

wonderful life she is about to embark on with the love of her life. Of course, if the mother and aunts get out of hand, then you could be in trouble.

What should I tell da bro?

Yo Auntyji Whassup? I’m 24 years old and to tell it to you like it is, man, I have lived a carefree live. Free like da little birdies. I got into drugs and all ‘cos all my friends were into it, you know what I mean? But it’s not like I was an addict or anything. Anyways, over eight weeks ago, I went to my bro’s house and he had $250 lying on the drawer just like that and I wanted some gold so I just pop it in me pocket and walked away. So’s my brother got all upset and he doesn’t know where the money went and he gonna call da police and all. Anyway, I’m trying to get off those drugs, man, ‘cos I hear they can kill you. But I’m thinking, should I be telling me bro I took tha dough? I feel bad, and I want to be good now, Auntyji dude. I promise.

Matrimonials

SEEKING BRIDES

Seeking match for my brother, Senior Manager in Reliance Bangalore, India. 37 years/5’11”, issueless divorcee, clean shaven Sikh, extra ordinary personality, responsible, caring. Parents settled in Baroda, sister married to Army doctor, happy to migrate, caste no bar. Contact Manisha 0401 542 550

Saraswat Brahmin (Punjabi) boy, 29 years, 5’9” M.Sc Maths, B.Ed, good property in India, pure vegetarian. Looking for Australian PR / citizen girl. Caste no bar. Contact 0433 778 222 or email naresh2981@gmail.com

Palghat Brahmin Iyer, 32/5’9”, MBA, MS, pure veg, dual citizen, working as IT Operations Specialist at large Telecom at Melbourne CBD, pleasant looks, seeks bride under 30 with similar cultural background. Horoscope available. Please email kkrangan@yahoo.com or contact 0418 720 781 for more information.

Brahmin family from north India seek suitable bride for their son, handsome, fair colour, slim, never married, nonsmoker, non-drinker, broadminded, 29 years, 5’ 5”. He lives in Sydney while his parents are in India, and earns well. The girl should be good looking, well educated,

Yo? Whassup? What the hell is wrong with you, boy, can’t you speak English? Nothing is more pathetic than a brown boy pretending to be white pretending to be black. Leave this to the experts. Look, you’ve already fallen from grace as far as I am concerned so just go to your brother, tell him you were high on coke that day and you took the money to buy a gun so you could shoot your dealer. Your brother will be so shocked that he’ll do anything to help you out. Of course, this is the easy way out. If you really want to get your act together, go and tell your brother the truth. And then deal with the consequences - what the hell, you do the crime, you pay the time. And if you’re still a bewakoof bachcha and you don’t want to take responsibility for your actions, then go and sneak the money into your brother’s trouser pants, but not while he is wearing the trousers. And while I’m dishing out advice, can you please learn to speak properly - that damn patois you’re using is really irritating to us educated folks.

Innocent chokri, or exhibitionist?

Dear Auntyji

We live in a high rise apartment on the north shore of Sydney. Across the window from us lives another Indian girl. Each morning, as she makes breakfast, she walks around in her underwear. She wears a skirt on her lower half, but her top half is only clad in underwear. She probably doesn’t even know that other people are looking at her. My problem is that I think my husband must feel very uncomfortable when he sees this nangi kudi prancing around in her kitchen. I haven’t said anything to my husband yet. Do you think I should say something to this girl, who I don’t know? I was thinking of leaving a note under her door.

Auntyji says

What? You want to leave a note under her door? Whatever on earth for? Just because you don’t like looking at this girl doesn’t mean that the rest of the residents in your block of flats must be denied this visual feast either. If you don’t like what you see, then don’t look. As for your husband, if he perves on the girl, then you’ve got a problem. You will have to tell him how you feel when he looks at this sundari. And for god’s sake, woman, don’t go accusing him of anything. In fact, I would take a different approach. One day, while this girl is in the kitchen and so is your husband, tell him how you think the girl has a great figure, but you’re hoping that he isn’t perving on her. Your husband will get the message. It’s simply rude to stare at anyone - whether or not they are putting their charms on display for the world to see. If it bothers you this much, invest in some venetian blinds. But don’t go writing a note to the girl - what she does in her apartment is her business.

family oriented, and from Brahmin background. Initial contact, with profile, can be made at raj2010syd@gmail.com

Parents of Gujarati Patel boy seek bride for their son, age 29 years, Australian citizen, IT professional, permanent job. Visit www.Bharatmatrimony.com and search for his ID G584083 to find more details or call Kesh Patel on 02 8205 8409 / 0401 548 194 to discuss further.

Australian citizen, 36 years, settled and working in Sydney as a professional employer. Seeking girl between 27 and 36, no caste bar. Please contact 0416 398 869 or for other details and photo mail me at satishsingh_2009@ yahoo.com.au

SEEKING GROOMS

Seeking a suitable match for Panjabi girl 28 years (Aust citizen), 5’8”, fair, never married, working in Sydney. Seeking match with progressive and broadminded personality, preferably settled in Sydney, caste no bar. Parents currently live in Brunei. Send details and recent photo at mukeshrandev@hotmail.com or Tel: 00 673-233 4324 (Res).

Seeking alliance for our 23-year old, 5’3” beautiful Sarswat Brahmin daughter.

She is an engineering professional with strong family values. We have been settled in Sydney for 18 years. Please send your details and latest photo and horoscope at as76176@gmail.com

Seeking alliance for Sunni Muslim girl from India, 36 years, 5’3”, fair, software consultant working in USA, strong family values. Looking for Sunni Muslim boy, non-smoker, non-alcoholic and follower of Halal food. Please contact on marrylink@ymail.com with photograph and details.

Seeking suitable groom for a Tamil Brahmin girl (Kodanya/5/8/23 years) professionally qualified and working in Bangalore. Family well settled in India. Seeking 26-29 year old groom, qualified and match with strong cultural and family background. Please email kallvidhya@ yahoo.com with your biodata.

Seeking a professional and caring boy for a smart, MBA, professional and homely 26-year-old girl working in management in a leading private bank in India. Grandparents currently visiting Sydney. Please send details on mainirahul@ gmail.com

Seeking suitable professionally qualified, Hindu, well-settled match for Indianbased Hindu girl, never married, 30 years,

160cm, practicing as an architect and interior designer in India. Please contact Shivani Baheti (elder sister) on 0421530 876 or bahetived@yahoo.com.

Sister and brother-in-law seek suitable groom for Gujarati Brahmin girl, professionally qualified. Family well settled in India. Seeking 26-29 year old, qualified match with strong cultural and family background. Please email biodata and recent pictures to Meghna.joshi@ato.gov. au or contact 0433 613 676.

Parents seek educated and wellsettled boy for Hindu Punjabi girl, IT professional, Australian citizen, born 1977, 5’ 6” slim, never married. Please send details and recent, clear photo to vnsb2009@gmail.com

Seeking alliance for our 24-year old, 5’4” beautiful Sikh daughter. She is a finance professional with strong family values. We are settled in Sydney for many years. Please send your details and photo at kuldeeponly@gmail.com

Brother seeks suitable groom for Hindu Gupta girl, professionally qualified. Family well settled in India. Seeking a 2830 year old, professionally qualified match, with strong family values. Please send biodata and recent picture to vikjas@gmail. com or contact 0401 318 439.

BUZZThe

Freida in 007 role

If rumours are to be believed, Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto has been roped in to play the next Bond girl. The 24-year-old actress will be seen alongside Daniel Craig in the upcoming 007 movie, which is to be directed by Sam Mendes, and will be set in Afghanistan.

“It will be a typically glamorous and raunchy role and Dev (Patel) has been joking to friends he is cool with seeing Freida rolling around with 007,” said a source.

Meanwhile, American actress Olivia Wilde is reportedly in talks to star as the second Bond girl in the 23rd outing of the spy franchise. “Sam (Mendes) has been talking about Bond for months now and is so excited about it. The project has been in the pipeline for months and Freida was always the dream Bond girl, but initially she was nervous about accepting it,” said a source.

“This is going to be the most ambitious 007 yet. Sam plans to reinvent the genre. Peter Morgan, who wrote The Queen, has penned the first draft of the script and it promises to be visually stunning.”

From Slumdog to Bond, Frieda’s sure come a long way….

Milap Zaveri says his film is not a sci-fi action movie but a romantic comedy about Tara, a girl from Venus who comes to Earth in search of love. And that’s why he didn’t want his heroine to do daredevil stunts but she does have some super abilities - the Venus woman has the power to freeze time.

“

Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai is a love story, rather than a superwoman story. So there was no point indulging in anything that would have made Jackie (as Jacqueline is fondly called) appear to be overtly larger than life. Yes, she is different in a lot of senses and hence there had to be something special attached to her. However, we didn’t want anything too gimmicky about her behaviour or persona,” Zaveri said in an interview.

Jacqueline’s now from Venus

Sri Lankan beauty Jacqueline Fernandez will be seen having special powers in her next Bollywood venture Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai No, she doesn’t play superwoman...she plays a woman from planet Venus! Writer-director

Jumping from rooftops, dodging bullets, hopping across skyscrapers, taking on 200 baddies at a time and indulging in gravitydefying stunts were a complete no-no for the makers of the film. As they started exploring various options, the one that struck the right chord was the concept of ‘time freeze’.

“We thought that this would be a nice touch to the character, especially so because it would work with kids as well as adults alike,” revealed Zaveri. “Also, we could use this character trait in different moods and situations in the film, whether a funny sequence, a romantic moment or an emotional encounter. Once we decided to go ahead with ‘time freeze’, it was a matter of improvising on the script while incorporating this trait,” he added. Zaveri

has written either the script or dialogues of films like Masti, Kaante, Jhankaar Beats and Heyy Babyy

Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai sees Jacqueline paired opposite Riteish Deshmukh, who had acted with the former Miss Sri Lanka in her debut film Aladin as well. So how does Jacqueline end up freezing time? A source sneakily reveals, “There are some humorous as well as beautiful moments in the film when Jackie freezes time. One of the

GUESS WHO

(Find the answer under Caption Contest)

ABHILASHA SENGUPTA brings us up-to-date on what’s hot and happening in Bollywood

JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ

Beauty queen from long ago

hilarious sequences is where she saves Riteish in an accident. Then there is also a point where the two eventually realize their love for each other...”

Also starring Ruslaan Mumtaz, Sonal Sehgal and Vishal Malhotra in principal roles, the movie boasts of a number of guest appearances - Farah Khan, Akshay Kumar, Sajid Khan, Amrita Rao, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma and Vidya Balan. It is set to release in early April.

Well, at least we’ll know for sure that Venusians are beautiful bombshells!

Ranbir will rock!

Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor will be seen in a new avatar for Pepsi’s new commercial, contrary to his usual look. The 27-year-old will sport a dragon tattoo on his left arm and a motif of the same on his black-blue costume and neck-piece. The messy and carefree look is complemented with a stubble and a mop of hair falling on his forehead. Ranbir, who recently replaced superstar Shah Rukh Khan as the brand ambassador of Pepsi, is ready with The Game, an upcoming TV concept from Pepsi. The new look should be out by the end of March. And of course, raunchy Ranbir is sure to rock, tattoos and all!

Memories of Milkha

Legendary athlete Milkha Singh’s inspiring life - the triumphant spirit of the man and his tale of winning the world despite daunting odds - will soon be seen on the silver screen. Rang De Basanti fame filmmaker Rakeysh Omparkash Mehra is all set to make a film Bhag Milkha Bhag, recounting the stimulating story of Milkha Singh, who is popularly known as Flying Sikh all across the world.

“Bhag Milkha Bhag is not about any particular sport, trophies or medals, but it is about the fire that Milkha Singh had. I just want to spread this fire across the world and want people to learn from it,” said Mehra recently, who was in Chandigarh along with Milkha Singh and lyricist Prasoon Joshi to announce the making of the film. He added, “Milkha Singh’s life was full of troubles and hiccups but despite all this, he came out a winner. I think it is really necessary to take this meaningful story to the masses.”

Singh was quite reluctant about giving a green signal to the project but the intervention of his son Jeev Milkha Singh, who is an ace golfer, set the wheels in motion.

“In the past, many filmmakers offered me crores of rupees to sell them my story, but it was really difficult for me to believe anybody. This time my son Jeev, who had seen Mehra’s Rang De Basanti, convinced me and said the film was in safe hands,” said Milkha Singh.

“Now I am very happy and I have charged only one rupee from them. I just want others to extract motivation out of the movie. They should believe in themselves: if a village boy like me can win laurels for the country with meagre resources and virtually no support, why can’t anyone else?” added Singh.

The movie will be shot at various locales in India besides in Japan, Pakistan and some European countries. Mehra is very meticulously choosing his team to give the film the perfect touch. Joshi, who is writing the screenplay of the film said, “I have met Milkha Singh many times in the last few months in connection with this new project. We have to do a lot of homework as we are aiming to tell a story of a man who rose from nowhere and attained various benchmarks in athletics in a cricketobsessed country.”

Let’s hope Mehra does a good job, or Milkha will be running again, but this time for cover!

Dostana heading for sequel

Filmmaker Karan Johar will soon start shooting the sequel to Dostana, a lighthearted tale about three friends with actors Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham once again in the lead.

“Dostana 2 starts filming this summer. The final cast will be announced shortly... of course flagbearers AB (Abhishek) and John lead the way,” Karan, who produced the first movie in 2008, posted on Twitter. The filmmaker, whose last release was Shah Rukh Khan-starrer My Name Is Khan, says preparations are in full swing for the forthcoming movies under his banner Dharma Productions. Karan is completing the last shooting schedule of his yet untitled film with Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal. The upcoming movie

is an adaptation of Chris Columbus’ 1998 comedy-drama Stepmom. Also, shooting I Hate Love Stories starring Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor is due for completion. So will Dostana 2 be a hit or miss? Watch this space for more updates.

Aamir’s got a Delhi belly?

Abhinay Deo’s movie Delhi Belly has been ready for months, but is only waiting for Aamir Khan’s approval before release. Insiders reveal however, that the release will be a long time in the coming.

“Aamir was unhappy with the final version of the film and has sent it to a studio in Los Angeles for editing. With this new development, it does not look like the film will release till early next year,” revealed a source.

The English cast of this movie has an ensemble of Vir Das, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Shenaz Treasurywala, Poorna Jaganathan and Imran Khan. “It is tragic that despite being made in record time within a few months, the film has been stuck on the edit table for so long,” griped the source. Initially Aamir had taken on the role of overseeing the editing, but he got busy with his own films. However, when he did see it, he wasn’t impressed and being Aamir, he let the director and producer know. The film has been made in English and has a few adult jokes, so the perfectionist Khan wants it to be edited like an international project. Aamir simply thought Delhi Belly did not match his expectations. Looks like Aamir’s getting cold feet too…

Shahid can dance!

Shahid Kapoor brought the house down when he paid an eight-minute tribute to pop icon Michael Jackson at the Filmfare Awards ceremony. Not only was the audience spellbound by his perfect footwork and provocative mannerisms, even his colleagues from the industry ended up impressed at the actor’s performance. A cheeky evesdropper claimed that Shahrukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan, both emcees for the night, were full of praise for the boy. SRK thinks Shahid is one of Bollywood’s finest young talents, and Saif seemed to agree. “We must learn to dance like him,” the actor was heard to say. Praise from within is rare in Bollywood, so congrats Shahid, on making it happen!

Vivek is the Prince of Dreams

Vivek Oberoi and Isha Shravani are set to star in an extravagant musical play written by Javed Akhtar, at the newly-inaugurated live-entertainment theatre in Gurgaon, near Delhi.

The play, Kingdom Of Dreams, is a swashbuckler largely inspired by the 1955 smash hit Azaad that featured Dilip Kumar as the rakish prince, Meena Kumari as the distressed princess and Pran as the evil vazir Vivek Oberoi takes over as the debonair prince while Isha Shravani, his former costar from Subhash Ghai’s Kisna, plays the princess. Gauhar Khan plays the other love interest. Said Javed, “They (the organisers) came to me with a storyline and asked me to make a musical play out of it. I didn’t like their idea, so I wrote my own take on 1950s’ cinema.”

With the play slated to open in May, the lead actor has already begun rehearsals. “I guess I’m a very lucky guy. I get to woo both these ladies in a play which is unlike anything we’ve seen in this country,” quipped Vivek.

I guess so, but do remember, it’s still just a play!

Sylvester Stallone and Kareena Kapoor saying to each other?

Send in your responses to info@indianlink.com.au and win a surprise prize

Last issue Caption Contest winning entry

What is the chitchat between Kangana Ranaut and Karan Johar?

Kangana: Wow, you didn’t want to look at me before, now suddenly I’m in demand after that National Award…. Karan: Hey, I recommended you…! Want to do my new film?

Ram Sharan, Noosaville, QLD Ram wins a double pass to a new Hindi movie

Some other good ones

Karan: Meri film mein ek role hai, want to do it?

Kangana: Sure, as far as I don’t have to die or scream or cry.

Nitin Dang

Kangana: Get out of the frame, Karan. You are over-dressed in that Nehru jacket to be in the photo with me.

Raj Saneja

Karan (singing): Tum paas aaye, yuu muskuraaye, kuchch kuchch hotaa hai......

Kangana: Hey, I thought you were gay…

Rekha

SHAHID KAPOOR

RANBIR KAPOOR

AAMIR KHAN

Cine Talk

Taking the spirit of sportsmanship across the border

Film: Lahore

Cast: Aanaahad, Sushant Singh, Farooque Shaikh, Shraddha Das, Saurabh Shukla

Director: Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan

Combining sports and politics is not an easy thing to do. But then it’s not that difficult either, considering the two are inextricably intertwined, specially in the Asian subcontinent. Debutant director Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan dares to visit this forbidden territory.

Lahore is about sports and politics and characters from both the spheres getting embroiled in a terrible fight to the finish.

The script accommodates a great deal of the sporting spirit as seen in the perspective of IndoPak politics. Within that ambitious framework, Chauhan weaves in the human relationships that make a leap for warmth and then stay stuck in semi-sterility. The film has too much to say on sports, politics and human nature. It isn’t able to say all of it in a lucid language.

Chauhan has chosen a unique sport like kickboxing to spotlight the process of cultural assimilation that underscores all the perverse politicking that goes on at the surface level between the two countries.

The Indian and Pakistani coaches played by Farooque Shaikh and Sabyasachi Chakavarty are seen to be sportingly at loggerheads, but Lahore takes the spirit of sportsmanship across the border with more seriousness of purpose.

In the boxing ring, the game gets deadly when the Indian kickboxing champion Sushant Singh is delivered a deadly blow by his Pakistani opponent. A churning point in the narrative is arrived at in restrained rhythms.

This is where Chauhan’s narrative comes into

They shop until they drop

Film: Hide & Seek

Cast: Purab Kohli, Arjan Bajwa, Mrinalini Sharma, Samir Kochhar, Amruta Patki, Ayaz Khan

Director: Shawn Arranha

So whodunit? Put a bunch of assorted men and women into a shopping mall not to shop, but to get bumped off. And voila, the whodunit takes the characters to shop until they drop, one by one.

There’s a Santa Claus with a hatchet in hand running around the deathlystill, sparkling clean but eerie mall. The polished surfaces of the mall glisten with a glorious promise of gore. This, we’ve got

to see.

Luckily, the unravelling of the mystery of the murderous mall is not a disappointment. Hide & Seek packs in a punch. Srikant Saroj’s camera stalks the corridors with a restless energy. The whole project seems to have been conceived and designed so that an emptied-out shopping mall could be used as a venue for some hardcore scares.

Once the six friendsturned-enemies are clamped shut in the mall, the plot thickens in rapid fire motions.

The characters, including a north Indian-hating Marathi politician, played rather loudly by Arjan Bajwa, and a nerd-turnedfilmstar played by Ayaz Khan, create a stifling circle of tension, some of

it palpable, others pale.

its own. The dilemma of the deceased kickboxer’s younger brother Veeru (newcomer Aanaahad) to preserve his sporting spirit in the midst of highvoltage mutually-destructive Indo-Pak politics is built into the plot with architectural astuteness. Not all of the material outside the central conflict, where Veeru forsakes cricket to pursue his slain brother’s dream in the kickboxing arena, works on the scripting level.

Does Veeru only want to use the boxing ring to avenge his brother’s death?

Though the characters falter in quantitative excess, the opposition of sports and politics and politics in sports is put into a persuasive perspective. The rest of drama tends to get tedious mainly because there are too many characters swarming the Indo-Pak map. Veeru’s romantic attachment to the Pakistani girl (newcomer Shraddha Das) is skirted across in a few scenes where they exchange veiled pleasantries. Passion is seriously forfeited in the flurry of squeezing in a large canvas of characters.

It’s in the kickboxing scenes that the film exudes blood, sweat and tears. Aanahaad and his opponent Mukesh Rishi reveal a skill in the ring that cannot leave the audience unaffected. Aanahaad does well in the sports scenes, but needs to brush up his skills in the emotional moments.

Of the rest of the cast Nafisa Ali, Ashish Vidyarthi, the late Nirmal Pandey and several other talented actors are wasted in sketchy roles. The film’s surface is over-populated.

But its inner life suggests a sincerity of purpose. Wayne Sharpe’s background score and Neelabh Kaul’s cinematography are first rate. They add to the feeling of a film that goes beyond sports, but stops short of making a statement on life lived on the border of hostility.

Lahore is not only about kick-boxing. At times you wish it was.

On the whole, the mayhem-in-the-mall holds together.

On occasions, the characters are driven into postures of terror more by exterior forces rather than by a genuine sense of plotting urgency. The most heart-inthe-mouth moments feature debutante Amruta Patki caught alone in a movie theatre and later cowering in a ladies toilet as ‘Santa with the axe’ stalks her down the washroom.

So what’s Hide & Seek really about? Is it about six high school friends who once got caught in a party plastered with jealousy, intrigue, rape and murder? Or is it just mayhem in a mall caught on a camera that knows how to zig-zag through the serpentine corridors?

Either way, the film

offers interesting possibilities of high anxiety. Debutant director Shawn Arranha displays skill and control in the way the individually aggravated characters are kept in check when they come in contact with one another.

The performances are enthusiastic, Purab Kohli being particularly interesting to watch as a mentally disturbed young man who thinks love is just a wish away.

Some of the acting does get overthe-top although the director seems to avoid excess as much as he can in a film belonging to genre where gore is glory.

Grant the film a few extra points for inventiveness. Also, the ‘slash-and-maim’ quotient is minimal. And the end-game where we the audience are played with as much wicked relish as the characters, is the kind of twist amateur whodunits revel in.

For an evening of chills, this one is sufficiently equipped. But don’t look for too much more in the haunted shopping mall than meets the eye.

Subhash K Jha, IANS