2012-05 Sydney (2)

PUBLISHER Pawan Luthra EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra ASSISTANT EDITOR

Sheryl Dixit

MELBOURNE

Preeti Jabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

Komal Utsav Jagad, Sujith Krishnan, Priyanka Tater, Malavika Santhebennur, Usha Ramanujam Arvind, Talia Kaur, Noel G deSouza, Gaurav Surati, Ritam Mitra, Petra O’Neill, Minnal Khona, Sandip Hor, Saroja Srinivasan, Rani Jhala

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Vivek Trivedi 02 9262 1766

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT

Nitika Sondhi 02 9279 2004

DESIGN

Danielle Cairis

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

Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 or GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001 Ph: 02 9279-2004 Fax: 02 9279-2005

Email: info@indianlink.com.au

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A rat to save the ranks

PAWAN LUTHRA

Labor is haemorrhaging. After the excruciating display of speech by former head of the HSU and Member for Dobell Craig Thomson as he tried to explain the accusations of impropriety against him, it is clear that this problem is not going to fade into the background for the Gillard government. This boil is going to fester and worsen, and rather than healing it is going to cause widespread infection through the Labor brand.

With a hung Parliament, Prime Minister Gillard just cannot move in any form against her former Labor party colleague. While there are cries of reason that the Parliament cannot be judge and jury on such issues, the mere fact that there is a strong 1,100 page report by Fair Work Australia in which Craig Thomson is mentioned a few times, is enough to create a very strong case for action to be taken.

The Thomson debacle has been crippling for Labor, even overshadowing the Budget and any governmentrelated issues of state that are crucial to Australia’s wellbeing. The Australian Parliament is stuck on just one topic and though these tactics by the opposition are to be condoned, nonetheless they are to be expected. It is the governments job to lead and set the agenda, they are clearly failing to do so.

The longer the Craig Thomson saga goes on, the more the Labor party will be hurt. Already suffering from low polling, the confidence in the party is at an all-time low. Pundits and experts have all but written Labor off at the next election scheduled for Sept-Oct 2013, and not only for a single term, but they may be out of office for at least two to three terms!

The danger is that this diminishing confidence in Labor can make this exile extend to an even longer period.

Worse still the longer this saga continues, the greater the danger of more Labor members losing their seats as a disgruntled population makes their feelings known at the ballot box.

It may be time for a rat to emerge in Labor’s ranks, who will summon up the nerve to publically call for what

Australians are waiting and hoping for - a fresh election and hopefully, a good dose of clean air.

It is not even thinkable that Independents such as Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor or Andrew Wilkie will step forward to force the government into an early election. The Independents’ allegiance towards Labor will not be seen in the best light by their electorates who are traditionally conservative, and it will take a brave person to wager a bet on them retaining their seats.

Holding their seats by slim margins, the wrath of the Liberal National Party will also be inflicted on them during the election for their ongoing backing of the Gillard government.

There must be a brave Labor person who will be willing to break ranks and allow an election to take place, rather than allow the party to run its full term only to lose and be exiled in political wilderness for the foreseeable future.

And this person may need to be applauded in the history of the Labor party, as they could well be the one who lances the boil and cleans the wound, letting the slow process of recovery happen.

Before it is too late.

SPIRITUAL Bhagavad Gita classes by SVT Learn Chapters 7 to 13 of the Bhagavad Gita as taught by Sri Vasudevacharya, a senior disciple of Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati, and a respected Vedanta Guru. Darcy Road Public School Hall, Darcy Road, Wentworthville, 3:00pm to 5:30pm

No prior knowledge is required. The course is in English and all materials will be provided. The course is free of charge; donations are accepted. Details at www. srivasudevacharya.org

Shree Ram Sharnam society

The Shree Ram Sharnam society’s Sydney headquarters are located at 23 Sheba Crescent, South Penrith. One-hour prayer sessions featuring the recital of the Shree Amritvaani are held daily between 7:30pm and 8:30pm (except Saturday and Sunday when prayers are held from 6pm to 7:15pm). The society’s next prayer-meditation sessions are scheduled for May 13 and June 3 from 9.00am to 10.00 am at the Woodcroft Community Centre on 65 Woodcroft Drive.

Bhajan event

Sat 26 May Gayatri Parivar Australia presents a display of Indian scripture, heritage

What’s on

and culture with bhajans from Shantikunj Toli, at Grevillea Room, 2 Lane St, Wentworthville, 1.30pm –2.30pm. Details Neeraj Ram: 0405 777 539.

Kabir Jayanti

Sun 3 June Kabir Jayanti will be celebrated from 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm at the Max Webber Function Centre, 1st Floor, Max Webber Library, corner of Flushcombe Rd and Alpha St, Blacktown.

The program will include the recital of Kabir’s poetry, pravachan, satsang and live Chowki bhajans.

Details Virendra Prasad 0425 309 977.

Sanskrit lessons

Chinmaya Mission Australia

announces a Beginners’ Sanskrit Course starting 31 May. The 10-session course, to be held weekly on Thursday nights, 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm, will involve Alphabet, Vocabulary, Basic Reading, Basic Grammar, Basic Conversation lessons. Details Br

Gopal Chaitanya 02 8850-7400 or 0416 482 149

Children’s classes at GOD Sun 27 May The Global Organisation for Divinity announces the start of Gopakuteeram, spiritual educational classes for children

aged 4 - 12 years.4.00 pm5.30 pm at the Crestwood Community Centre, Cnr Crestwood Drive & Chapel Lane, Baulkham Hills.  Classes are free for all participating children. Parents can join in the devotional lecture by Sri Deepak Vinodji, kirtans and prayers in another room within the centre during the Gopakuteeram classes. Details Jayashree 02 9620 4676

STAGE

Carnatic vocal recital

Sun 27 May The Sydney Music Circle presents Prema Anandakrishnan in a Carnatic vocal recital. Dundas Community Centre, 10.30am - 1.00pm. Earlier, 9.15am10.15am, Vasudha Narayan will present her recital. Details at www.sydneymusiccircle.info

Yakshagana Sat 2 June Sydney Kannada Sangha Inc will host a Yakshagana performance as a part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, at Bowman Hall in Black Town, Sydney. The performers are the Chitpavana Yakshagana Mandali from Bengaluru. Details contact Sydney@kannada.org.au

MISC

Hindi studies for high school students

Hindi Language is offered

by the Saturday School of Community Languages – DET at Liverpool Girls High School, Hills Sports High School and Strathfield Girls High School. This provides opportunities for high school students to study Hindi language to Higher School Certificate levels as it is not available at their day school. Board of Studies syllabus is followed. The classes are free of charge and are run on Saturdays from 8.30 am to 10.30 am for Years 7 – 10, and 8.30 – 11.45 am for Years 11-12. Enrolment forms can be accessed from the School Principal of the mainstream school of your child or can be downloaded from www. curriculumsupport.education. nsw.gov.au/secondary/ languages/sscl/ Details 02 9886 7505 Saturdaycl-h.School@det.nsw. edu.au

Interactive Workshop for HSC students

Sat 2 June Global Organisation for Divinity presents an interactive workshop for HSC Students entitled Champion the Mind.  The program will be hosted by a teacher Mr. Sujith and will include a talk by Dinesh Ramanan and Satvik Sekar, high achieving HSC students from recent years.

4.00pm – 6.00pm at Eastwood Community Hall, 159-161

Shaftsbury Rd, Eastwood. Details Jayanthi Ramanan 0430 487 781.

Sydney Sakhi Sangam

Sun 24 June Sakhi Sangam will be held this year at the Croatian Club. Details Nandini 0423 684 340, Sushma 0411 967 374, Aruna 0410 338 900.

FUNDRAISER

Vision2020 Walkathon

Sun 15 July Sydney-based charity organisation Vision2020 announces a walkathon at the Lane Cove River National Park to raise funds for charity. The walk (Riverside Walking Track) is about 5km from end-to-end and 10km round trip. This is a family event and is suitable for people of all age groups and physical fitness. It is not a competitive event. People can walk at their own pace. There is no requirement for participants to walk the full or even a minimum distance. The Walkathon is in support of the following charities: Sri Datta Bal Sevashram (home for healthy children of  leprosy patients and the homeless); Nand Gokul (orphanage), and Sandya Deep (old age home  for  the  people - under construction) - all three managed by the Swami Vivekanand Kusta Seva Samithi Trust, Gulbarga, Karnataka. Details at www.vision2020.org.au

Bringing Vaisakhi to Sydney

BY KOMAL UTSAV JAGAD

It’s that time of the year again in India – the grass is green and the sun is out shimmering over beautiful crops. It’s the time when our traditional folk celebrate renewal and rebirth, marking the beginning of a new season and a new year. Yes, it’s time for Vaisakhi!

Thousands of ravers braved Sydney’s chilly weather to come out and attend the Panjabi Sangeet Centre’s Vaisakhi Mela 2012, held at Blacktown Showground. It was indeed a bhai ‘n’ sakhi (Baisakhi) bash as 10,000 people came together, both Indian and Australian, to portray the spirit of blissful merriment in evident Punjabi panache, for everyone there simply felt dil bole hadippa!

The spirit of Vaisakhi is being recreated in Sydney miles away from its original roots by the Panjabi Sangeet Centre (PSC) since nine years now, not only to celebrate the harvest festival, but to mark the New Year and most importantly, celebrate the birth of the Khalsa.

The event kicked off at 10am, with a very warm Chak De Phatte welcome by the organising committee, which included Devinder Singh Dharia, Founder and Director; Harkirat Sandhar, President; and Kalpesh, General Secretary. About 25 volunteers assisted for months to put up this grandiose program.

An invocation to the Almighty was performed by Dr Rashpal Singh and Japreet Grover, with the prayer marking the commencement of the event. This was followed a series of performances by over 150 performers and participants throughout the day.

The highlights were performances by Reema Randhawa representing the Paneri group, who presented a beautiful traditional dance and Ruh Punjab Di’s bhangra performance.

Vaisakhi would be incomplete without a dash of Bollywoood – Poornima Sharma’s team and Mahima Tuli’s solo on the latest Bollywood hits urged the crowd to tap its feet, whistle with gusto or clap in appreciation. A traditional dance was also presented by Harwinder’s team from PSC.

It was an important day for Avatar Singh, who released his latest novel, Dil-e-Mohhabt Jin amidst all the glitz and jazz. The book portrays the story of Punjabi

village life and culture.

Famous Pakistani artist Shoukat Manjoor Ali deserves a special mention, as a special invitee to the Vaisakhi Mela. As token of love, attachment and peace between the two countries, he presented a beautiful cultural song.

For those who could not be lured by the entertainment, a series of food stalls were set up to entice their tastebuds, and buskers coaxed laidback tunes from dhols in the background. A whole range of Indian speciality food like chole bhature, desi chai, dosas, dahi bhalla, samosas were available, reminding us that we are lucky to live in the best city on earth to savour an amazing selection of Indian cuisines for every taste.

The strange exaltation of spirit was indeed displayed in games of Tug-O-War and the chatti race. Women portrayed great valour and dexterity when participated in the chatti race, which is typically a race where earthen pots are balanced on the head while running. This generated the greatest excitement in revellers and produced phenomenal execution by the participants.

The guests of honour were Geoff Lee, Member of Parliament; Alan Pendleton, Mayor of Blacktown Council; Allan Green, Councillor; Benjamin Susai, JP; and Robert Fitzgerald, Chief Inspector of Blacktown Police Station.

“I was thrilled to be able to bring my family to take part in this wonderful celebration which is a different and wonderful experience, taking me back to India,” said Mr D’Souza, visitor to the Mela.

The celebration brought people together from across Australia with everyone chanting Balle Balle with a hearty feeling of joy and happiness. So Chak de phatte to the Panjabi Sangeet Centre who are already planning the Vaisakhi Mela for 2013.

The spirit of Vaisakhi is being recreated in Sydney miles away from its original roots by the Panjabi Sangeet Centre (PSC) since nine years now, not only to celebrate the harvest festival, but to mark the New Year and most importantly, celebrate the birth of the Khalsa

MELBOURNE wHY VIDYA LOVES

Versatile, vivacious, victorious Vidya Balan was in the city to launch the upcoming Film Festival of India

Step by step

Hour by hour

PREETI JABBAL

What we’ve got is a woman’s power Day by day

Believe in you

In what you want and what you do

It’s the strength of a woman.

These lyrics from Gerri Halliwell’s chartbuster Strength of a Woman were racing through my mind as I waited to meet the actress who has been of late proclaimed as the ‘Fourth Khan’ or ‘the female Big B’ of the Indian film industry. Year 2011-12 has certainly been big for Vidya Balan, who continues to reap the rewards for her stellar performances in movies like The Dirty Picture and Kahani. In essaying the roles of the seductive ‘Silk’ and the hapless ‘Vidya Bagchi’, Vidya not only made a strong talent statement, but she set a trend for women-oriented films where heroines are not just chosen for decorative purposes.

This was Vidya’s second visit to Melbourne. Last year she was here as a guest of Mind Blowing Films to launch the film No One Killed Jessica at the Indian Film Festival. This year, she is the brand ambassador of the Indian Film Festival. I asked Vidya how things had changed for her personally in the year she turned from star to superstar.

“It’s nice to hear that people think I am a superstar,” said Vidya, gracefully adjusting her elegant Sabyasachi sari. Taking a moment to think she continued, “I think I have got a lot busier. There is hardly much time to breathe, but I am enjoying every moment. The fact that The Dirty Picture and Kahani have

received critical and commercial success is really a validation of my beliefs and I am most grateful for that. I am completely humbled by all the love and acclaim that has come my way.”

Winner of the National Film Award for Best Actress, five Filmfare awards as well as three consecutive Screen Awards for Best Actress, Vidya is a feted actress in India and offers for endorsements, causes, charities come in by the spade-full. So what made her accept the opportunity to become the brand ambassador for the Film Festival of India in Melbourne?

“When I came to Melbourne last year I received such a warm welcome that I decided I would be back soon,” she said. “I am honoured to be the Festival Ambassador this year. This festival offers a diverse choice of cinema not only from India but also from neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Indian cinema reaches across many genres and many styles and it would make me proud to introduce this incredible industry to Australian film lovers”.

It was easy to warm up to the articulate and media savvy Vidya. Looking slimmer than last year, she was still glowing with the effect of the success that is currently her travelling companion.

“I am a greedy actress,” said Vidya. “I would love to do a role in any country, including Australia. It will give me an opportunity to work on the Australian accent that I find quite interesting”.

“My only condition,” she added jokingly, “is that the film has to be shown in Melbourne and they may want to give me an honorary citizenship as well”.

During her last visit to Melbourne, Vidya had waxed lyrical of her affection for Melbourne and its people. This year too she

expressed similar sentiments.

“What does one of the most talented actresses in India like about one of the most liveable cities in the world?” I asked.

This time there was no pausing to think and her response was quick.

“I love Melbourne because I think it is modern; however it has retained an old world charm. It is not cold like other countries that I have visited. There is a certain warmth and romance about Melbourne and it reminds me to some extent of Kolkata. It could be because both cities have trams. I hope to get some time from my hectic schedule to take a ride on Melbourne’s famous tram”.

Despite not seeing much of Melbourne on her last trip, Vidya found the people so warm and welcoming that she was happy to return.

“I remember my trip to MCG last year. People in India loved photos of my visit to the mecca of world sports,” she said.

Even though Vidya is not a sports buff and confesses to possessing limited knowledge of footy, she was happy to visit the MCG again this year to present the ball to the umpire at the Richmond Tigers versus Sydney Swans match.

“Honestly I don’t really know much about footy, but where else would I get to see so many hot men in the same place at the same time,” said Vidya with a tongue-in-cheek grin.

Speaking of eye candy, the versatile actress confessed that she always wanted to meet Australian actor Hugh Jackman, who she claims is quite ‘hot’. Her wish came true when Hugh visited India for a FICCI conference and she met him at an awards ceremony there. She even got to perform a little dance jig with Hugh and Shahrukh Khan on stage.

“It was a memorable event for me and hopefully for them,” Vidya good-humouredly quipped.

Vidya who turned 34 recently, has admitted to dating UTV head honcho Siddharth Roy Kapoor, whom she sometimes refers to as ‘SRK’. Wedding bells however, are not to be heard in the near future, as VB wants to focus on the trajectory of her career. And even though she loves Melbourne and thinks of it as a romantic place, she was hesitant to commit that she would choose this city for her honeymoon. “I haven’t really thought about where I would like to go for my honeymoon,” she said with a smile.

Vidya Balan made her debut in the Bengali film, Bhalo Theko (2003), in a role which was much appreciated. She then made her debut in Bollywood in Parineeta (2006) and excelled in her role, winning the Award for Best Female Debutant. She appeared in the blockbuster Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006). In 2007, she acted in Mani Ratnam’s Guru as a girl suffering from multiple sclerosis, and in Salaam-e-Ishq, Eklavya: The Royal Guard, Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa. All these films proved her versatility and her defiance to not fit into the glam doll mould of Bollywood actresses. Vidya then played the role of a young, independent, single mother struggling with her son’s progeria syndrome in Paa (2009). Her portrayal of the role stood apart from the usual Bollywood ‘ma’ roles and got her rave reviews from critics as well as the audience. True to her spirit of doing something different, Vidya then acted in Ishqiya (2010) and won accolades for the portrayal of the seductive widow.

Not only are her roles unconventional, so are her endorsements. Vidya has very recently agreed to become the Sanitation Ambassador for an Indian Government project called Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan. The programme is aimed at spreading

awareness about sanitation and cleanliness in the country. VB has agreed to campaign for two years, and will be involved in this restructured version of the Total Sanitation Campaign. I was curious to know how she agreed to the notso-glamourous or conventionally safe cause that involved propagating hygiene and opposing open defecation.

“I got a call from the Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh to ask if I was interested. We get offers to espouse a lot of causes and I like to limit myself to something that I believe in,” explained Vidya. “I am a cleanliness freak myself and I know I will be able to push this cause strongly and genuinely. Sanitation in India is the need of the hour. Look at the infant mortality rates, they are shocking. The mortality rate is often affected by lack of sanitation. It also impacts on other areas of life. There are still schools in India that do not have toilets. We will be working at various levels and very basic levels not just through ads, but also by visiting several places. It will involve a time commitment, but I strongly believe that the sanitation campaign needs to become a national obsession,” she added.

I am not sure about the future of this campaign but Vidya Balan is currently enjoying a fair bit of international attention, judging by the turnout at the opening of her movie The Dirty Picture at Hoyts Melbourne recently. Fans from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Australia, Britain, Canada and India were present to experience the VB charm in person. And charming she was as she chatted, joked, autographed and photographed with her fans briefly, before being whisked away to another assignment. The fans were left to watch The Dirty Picture of a clean, candid and conscientious actress.

There is a certain warmth and romance about Melbourne and it reminds me to some extent of Kolkata.

Honestly I don’t really know much about footy, but where else would I get to see so many hot men in the same place at the same time

ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT AND ENTERTAINMENT!

Bollywood has come to town and this winter will be abuzz with events, celebrities, guests, screenings and master-classes for Indian film lovers in Melbourne. The cinematic feast of diversity has many sumptuous offers for cine-goers. From June 11-22, the festival will showcase over 40 films from art-house to mass entertainment, animation to new wave mainly from the Indian subcontinent along with a selection of especially curated films from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The piece de resistance will be the presence of stunning former Miss World and Bollywood Star Priyanka Chopra and fab abs Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor for the opening night on June 11. Affectionately known as the Young Commander, Tamil

Superstar Vijay will also be present before the screening of Nanban (Tamil remake of 3 Idiots) on June 12. Other festival guests include India’s respected Bengali filmmaker Rituparno Gosh, award- winning writer/director Kunal Kohli and acclaimed producer /director Vicky Bahri. Interactive master classes will be conducted by filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani and screenwriter Abhijat Joshi, the successful duo behind India’s largest grossing films Munnabhai and 3 Idiots

Indian designer Sabyasach Mukherjee will hold a master class themed around ‘Talking Through Fabrics’ while award-winning director Jugal Hansraj will share his knowledge and understanding of opportunities through animation. The master

classes are designed to create dialogue between Indian and Victorian film practitioners.

A panel discussion on coproduction possibilities between Australia and India will be explored and contributions will be sought to realize this mutual cinematic connection.

The popular Western Union Short Film Competition will be held again to unearth new filmmakers and help them to realize their dreams. The theme of this year’s competition will be ‘Connections’. A panel of judges including Rajkumar Hirani, Mick Molloy, Kabir Khan and Kunal Kohli will select the winning entries from India, Australia and New Zealand. The winning films will also find exposure during the Festival.

Festival Director Mitu Bhowmick

Lange has been successfully bringing Bollywood to Melbourne since the first Indian Film Festival held in April 2009. As a director of Mind Blowing Films that currently distributes Indian film and theatrical releases in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, Mitu Bhowmick Lange lives, loves and dreams Indian films. Her passion is shared with the hard working team at Mind Blowing Films. Together they assiduously prepare for this major event by encouraging creativity and diversity.

The Premier of Victoria Ted Baillieu announced Mind Blowing Films as the successful tenderer for the presentation of the Festival this year. “The Victorian Government is committed to strengthening ties

between Victoria and India as well as developing a greater mutual understanding of our respective screen industries”, Mr. Baillieu said at the Press Conference held at the Investment Centre on Collins Street.

Indian Film Festival 2012 brand ambassador actress Vidya Balan and Festival Director Mitu Bhowmick both invited Melbournians to celebrate the films and film makers of the world’s biggest cinema industry, right in the heart of Melbourne. “This festival has always believed that cinema (like that other Indian obsession, cricket) can bridge the gap between different cultures and last year several magic moments only cemented that belief,” said Mitu.

“This year again there is something for everyone!” she added.

Victoria Premier Ted Baillieu and cricketer Shane Warne join Vidya Balan and Mitu Bhowmick-Lange at the launch of the Indian Film Festival

Indian links at the footy

BY SUJITH KRISHNAN

Early this month, fans of AFL team Richmond, better known as members of the Tiger Army, braved blustery conditions to gather at Melbourne’s Punt Road Oval in the traditional yellow and black colours. They were there to exhibit their support and loyalty to the club, and revel in the merriment at Richmond’s customary ‘Before the Pounce’ event prior to their Round 07 clash with Sydney Swans at the MCG. As a show of appreciation for the wonderful devotion the club receives from its fervent supporters, various activities and games were held for children including a footy clinic which was predictably the biggest attraction at the park. Moreover, autographs from current Richmond players kept fans thrilled and added to the electrifying atmosphere.

In a noble attempt to forge a successful relationship with the Indian community, the club formed the Indian Tigers Supporter Group this year. Moreover, the club has set its sights on playing an exhibition game in India in the near future and to this end, has joined the Victorian State Government Trade Mission in India. Cricket legend Rahul Dravid is also a patron of the supporter group, and was a guest at the ‘Pounce’ event last year. For those ardent Richmond fans, the free Indian Tiger membership offers access to any three home games in Melbourne and a personalised 2012 membership card.

To lend more substance to the cause, Bollywood star Vidya Balan was invited by the club as an elite guest at the MCG, and the star who has in recent times essayed a few challenging roles on screen, attended the President’s function and was conferred the privilege of handing over the match ball to the umpire just before the bounce. Fittingly, Richmond roared past the Swans by 29 points in what was a dominant performance and one can only hope that the presence of Vidya proves to be a lucky charm for the club, hopeful of recapturing its glory days in the seventies when they clinched five premiership titles.

Vidya Balan was a surprise guest at the MCG this month

Do we have a

An SBS TV show checks out local talent

he meant. But then, that is probably what was sold to him by her and her agent.

BY PRIYANKA TATER

Bollywood sells…but what is disturbing is to see people buying it out of ignorance!

Conducting an interview with Hancock director Peter Berg way back in 2008, I distinctly remember a conversation off-camera, where he referred to Mallika Sherawat as an Indian ‘Superstar’. (Now for those of you not familiar with Indian cinema, may I take the liberty of calling it ‘Bollywood’, Mallika Sherawat’s claim to fame is her love for minimalistic clothing, raunchy grooves in item numbers and that lately acquired fake American accent! And for those of you who already know, I needn’t waste any more space). My jaw dropped and it took a good ten seconds to sink in, while I wondered if he was really referring to the sultry seductress or was it Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Cut to 2012, I find myself attending the launch of Bollywood Star a four-part series made for SBS by WTFN Entertainment (Bondi Vet, Keeping up with the Joneses). With the Opera House as the backdrop, my senses soak in everything Indian. Right from the chaat on the menu, saree clad beauties (contestants), foreheads shimmering with bindis, the male participants reminding me of the quintessential ‘Raj’, Bollywood indeed is the flavour of the afternoon. Amidst flashing shutterbugs and the photo sessions, I try to steal some of the contestants and judges from the photo-shoots for a quick chat. Needless to say each one present is bubbling with excitement. After all, it’s a first-of-its-kind show on Australian TV. Sydney-based film-maker Anupam Sharma is one of the judges on the show.

“People like me who have been in the media in this country for years, have been screaming and dreaming about a show on Indians in Australia, a show

which showcases their dreams and aspirations.”

With the making of Bollywood Star that dream has finally been realized. Keeping with the name, the launch kicks off with a ‘Bollywood’ song and dance routine. A troupe of dancers perform to some of the popular filmy hits, Dhoom Tana (Om Shanti Om) and Choli ke Peeche (Khalnayak), followed by a video message from Mumbai filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and a small clip of the show. SBS Managing director Michael Ebeid offers some insight into the show stating, “Bollywood Star is not just a talent show, it is a fusion of the highly popular talent format and observation documentary, with SBS setting the benchmark for new contemporary TV. It is a talent quest with a difference: we’re doing it SBS style.”

He adds, “This show is a real contrast to some of the serious content that we show on SBS”.

Alright, with all the hype, hoopla and promising talk at the event I settle down to watch the very first episode of Bollywood Star given for preview, with great expectations!

For someone who has earned her bread and butter off ‘Bollywood’ as an entertainment journalist in India, I can’t help but feel embarrassed to hear a claim on air, “If you don’t have the look, you are nobody in Bollywood”. By that logic, the list of Bollywood successes would have to exclude the likes of Irrfan Khan, Nana Patekar, Ajay Devgn, even current industry favourite Farhan Akhtar - why, even our ‘superstars’ Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan - who don’t quite boast of the conventional good looks. Hindi cinema has long come of age. It is no longer about just dancing around trees, big budgets, Aphrodite and Adonis on screen. Can someone please sell the truth? With that unfortunate statement though, the mood of the show was set. While the auditions and the very lure of B-town managed to pull in scores of aspirants from all spheres of life and all backgrounds, it was interesting to

Judges: DiptiRajSuri,Patil, AnupamSharma

Bollywood Star - contestants at the series launch in Sydney

John Arkan from Central Coast NSW

Bollywood star in Oz?

watch them deliver their heavily accented dialogues in English for a role in a Bollywood film. As the episode unfolded, however, something felt amiss. Perhaps the judges too could have been better prepared? They seemed starved of chutzpah somehow: at times dull, at times downright boring, and often lacking in coordination. Or perhaps I’m too accustomed to seeing Seal, Delta and Joel in these roles, who knows!

As for the contestants, our judges were desperately trying to pick the best amongst what was on offer. That said, some sprinkle of talent did pop up. But it took a Teigan from the Gold Coast to make the two male judges yearn to cast her in their next movie. I cringe yet again. Upping the ante might do some

And why was Vinny given so much footage? Was it because she had a broken ankle or was she too pretty to ignore! After all wasn’t someone harping on about the importance of looks just minutes

The very first episode of Bollywood Star came across as

average and with superficial packaging. The arduous attempt to make it look like fun was in vain as boredom crept in. But then, there’s more to come, and I would be happy to eat my own words if the following episodes can get past the mediocrity and the stereotypes.

While episode one has 24 Bollywood hopefuls, the second part in the series will have these 24 perform a scene from their lives and a self-choreographed dance in front of family and friends. The number of contestants then trickles down to 12, who get to dance in a public flash mob choreographed and assessed by Bollywood Star judge Dipti Patil. This number is filtered to the final six who are flown to Mumbai for a taste of the real thing. A week of training from some of the best in the business, and then a further edit to four contestants for the final episode that has them exposed to the Dharavi slums.

(It’s beyond my reasoning as to why it always takes the slums of India to sell it on western shores, but hey, we might

yet have a Slumdog Millionaire here!)

Finally filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt selects the winner to appear in his next movie. Well, if it takes a ‘Bollywood Star’ from Australia to awaken the sleeping star in Mahesh Bhatt, so be it. As long as he can get over the shadows of some of his thrillers hinting at eroticism, and churn out yet another Arth or Saraansh, I ain’t complaining! As for the winner, watch this space for an update on his/her stardom!

‘Bollywood Superstar’ premieres 7.30pm Saturday 2 June 2012 on SBS ONE

“People like me who have been in the media in this country for years, have been screaming and dreaming about a show on Indians in Australia, a show which showcases their dreams and aspirations”

Anupam Sharma, Bollywood Star judge

Ilona Fabiszewski, NSW

3-hour drama brilliantly portrays Swami Sivananda’s life

A special Sydney tribute to the founder of the Divine Life Society on his 125th birth anniversary

BY MALAVIKA SANTHEBENNUR

Swami Sivananda

Saraswati (September 8, 1887- July 14, 1963) was a doctor, spiritual teacher, philanthropist, advocate of yoga and Vedanta, and a man they call ‘God Man’. He is the founder of the Divine Life Society (DLS) and this year is the 125th anniversary of his birth.

In honour of this significant milestone, DLS Australia organised a drama on their spiritual leader titled Swami Sivananda: Man to God Man on May 5, staged by the drama troupe Ananya Samarpana at Marana Auditorium in Hurstville.

As I watched the play unfold scene-by-scene and act-by-act, I realised that its title was apt. Directed by Ananya Samarpana’s founder Ambika Tadipatri, the drama unfolded like a work of art, traversing through Swami Sivananda’s birth, childhood, his exhibition of divinity from a young age, his medical achievements, and his eventual taking up of monasticism. The painstaking research undertaken over a period of two years was evident in this three-hour drama.

Staging a play of this duration is a feat in itself, but Mrs Tadipatri did it in 67 scenes with 67 participants, young and old. The cast was ably led by Dinesh Ramanan who played Swami Sivananda with the grace and dignity Swamiji deserved. Whether it was as the caring doctor who wanted to make a difference to the plight of the poor and the suffering, the human being who did not see caste as a bar, the dutiful

son, or the respected Swamiji who renounced the world and saw God in everyone, Dinesh displayed all the right emotions through his expressive eyes and facial impressions. Dinesh was solidly supported by every other member of the drama, including Sharda Ramjas as his mother, Abhinav Rajkumar as his father, and Aditya Prasad as his servant.

A great way to convey the proceedings was through the use of the narrator in the audio, and ‘Time’, a character within the play. The narrator, Ramesh Santhebennur’s voice boomed through the auditorium, filling the audience in on the story’s background, while elucidating the emotions swirling through the characters’ minds.

Those of us who remember the Mahabharata television series in the late 1980s, will remember ‘Samay’ as one of the most important characters of the epic. This drama took me back to that era with the ‘Time’ character.

Played by Karunya Prasad, she would enter the stage with graceful Bharatanatyam steps, take us back to the time of Swami Sivananda and explain the proceedings, before dancing off the stage with poise, elegance and beauty. Six small girls formed a circle around Karunya, all in matching green outfits, all matching Karunya step for step. The props in the drama were characters in themselves. I was particularly bowled over by the steam engine train that majestically stood on stage. Swami Sivananda undertook an All India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) tour in 1950 to spread his divine message throughout the country. Crowds would eagerly greet him at every train station at which he got off. To depict a train station, Mrs Tadipatri’s husband Prasad, designed a steam engine prop made of bamboo and wooden rings, reinforced with metal frames and covered with plastic bags. When the curtains opened to reveal the prop, gasps could be heard across the hall.

The idea to stage a drama on Swami Sivananda came to DLS Australia committee member Lakshmi Rao, about two years ago. She had watched Ananya Samarpana stage a drama on Ayyapa in 2010. The General Secretary of DLS Sri Swami Padmanabhananda, was also present on this occasion. Mrs Rao was inspired to do something similar for the DLS.

“I first spoke to Ambika about staging a drama on Swami Sivananda when mentioning to her that Swamiji had attended the Ayyappa drama as a chief guest. And then I couldn’t wait, I had to ask! I asked how she chooses her subjects, and ended asking if she would consider doing this drama,” explained Mrs Rao excitedly.

With productions like Ayyappa, Sarada Devi and Sri Ramakrishna, and Bhakta Prahlada among her repertoire, directing dramas is her passion and Mrs Tadipatri could not say no to this one.

Then began the research.

Mrs Rao provided her with ample material on the life of Swami Sivananda, including his autobiography. They spent a year sifting through the information and selecting the content for the script. They even took a trip to Rishikesh to visit the Sivananda Ashram.

Swami Sivananda was born Kuppuswami in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. A doctor by profession, he worked in Malaya as a physician for years before devoting himself to monasticism. He founded DLS in 1936.

The most satisfying part of the night must have been Swami Padmanabhanandaji’s generous shower of praise on the drama troupe and Mrs Tadipatri.

“It was truly wonderful,” said Swamiji with a beaming smile. “It brought tears in the eyes of so many people who watched. The kids performed wonderfully. They lived their characters. Ambikaji put lots of effort into bringing out the potential in all of these children”.

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Brett Lee launches music therapy school in Delhi

Australian cricket star Brett Lee inaugurated in early May his Music Therapy Academy as one of the core initiatives of his charity foundation “Mewsic” in India.

Lee instituted the foundation in 2011 to help the sick with music therapy, following in the footsteps of his senior, former Australian captain Steve Waugh whose foundation supports underprivileged children and the girl child in India. Lee’s foundation targets the underprivileged section of the society too.

The academy set up in partnership with a UK-based nonprofit organisation, Music Therapy Trust, will train Indian musicians to make a difference in the lives of children affected by trauma, illness or multiple psychosocial or cognitive challenges by offering an international post-graduate diploma in clinical music therapy. The course will be led by music therapist Lucanne Magill, who has moved to India from the US to train students.

The academy has begun with five Indians and two Nepalese resident students. Located in the Action For Autism’s National Centre for Autism in Jasola Vihar in the capital, the academy will benefit children with autism who attend the centre by enhancing their lives by enabling them to behave manageably with members at home, a spokesperson for the centre said.

“Music therapy was an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional cognitive and social needs of individual who are marginalised or who are facing difficulties life challenges,” therapist Magill said.

“Our clinical music therapy is a very personalised approach in which we assess the specific needs of the patients aimed at improving their quality of life. The five students whom we have begun to train in our maiden postgraduate program are all talented musicians, but not full-time. One of them is a psychologist who will use the training in clinical therapy. A banker, who is an amateur musician, wants to be a full-time music therapist after training. They will be taught to use music for healing,” Magill told IANS.

Besides the post-grad diploma,

the academy will offer clinical services as well, Magill said. She said “sometimes children begin to speak of their trauma after exposure to music”.

“The music can be improvised like beats of drums, vocal songs and even classical music, both Indian and world. Cancer patients sometime like to listen to songs they know because it eases pain... it can be the only healing process,” Magill said.

Research in music therapy supports its “effectiveness in many areas like overall physical rehabilitation and facilitating movement, increasing people’s motivation to become engaged in their treatment, providing emotional support for clients and their families and providing an outlet for expression of feelings”, she said.

Describing his new training

program as a pioneering initiative in India, Brett Lee said, “Clinical music therapy is widely used in hospitals, NGOs and on a oneon-one therapeutic basis across the world.”

“Music is widely undervalued as a powerful tool to help people overcome trauma they may have experienced, deal with disabilities and better cope, express themselves and respond to treatment when suffering from physical and psychological ailments,” he added.

Emily Harrison, the executive director of the Innovaid Advisory Services which manages Lee’s Mewsic Foundation, told IANS:

“The foundation works with children at Bal Sahyog Orphanage in Connaught Place. Our music therapists go there and conduct music therapy workshops for the children and their families under

the program Songs of Hope.”

“It is my hope to see many more of these academies across India to train Indian musicians to use their talent to transform lives of those less privileged,” Lee said.

While most people in India love Brett as a cricketer, they also know him as a singer, thanks to a duet with Asha Bhosle on her Asha and Friends album.

“I am passionate about music - perhaps even more so than cricket,” Brett revealed at the recent launch. “Actually, if you took cricket out of my life, I’d be sad. But if you took music out of my life, I’d be devastated”.

Lee, who plays the guitar, the piano and is a member of the band White Shoe Theory, said to much applause, “Music has made a big impact on my life and so has India!”

IANS

“It is my hope to see many more of these academies across India to train Indian musicians to use their talent to transform lives of those less privileged”

Brett Lee

Indian tales for Aussie kids

Two enterprising young mums bring a wealth of traditional and modern Indian literature to children in Australia

BY USHA RAMANUJAM ARVIND

The names Amar Chitra Katha, Chandamama and Tinkle bring back fond memories for most of us desi transplants who date back to the pre-Nintendo era.

Of uncluttered, innocent childhoods and warm, tangible friendships; of sultry summers spent under the shade of neem and mango trees curled up with a comic book that recreated the magic of our mystical past. Of Lav and Khush, Akbar and Birbal, Bikram and Betaal, Tenaali and Supaandi – epics, folklore and fables, retold with utter simplicity. The list is endless and the repertoire rich and varied. Enriched by that unforgettable experience, many of us have no doubt tried to bequeath the same legacy to our own children. No trip back home so far has been complete without a few of those literary souvenirs, gifted no doubt by an indulgent grandparent or thoughtful aunt.

Those delectable gems are now merely a click away thanks to two enterprising Sydney mums, Dolly Singh Miranda and Shalu Gupta, who have founded an e-bookstore - Indian Mystique. Their collection, which includes picture books, classic/ancient tales, religious books and comics in Hindi and English, is aptly called Little Tall Tales. Through the medium of literature, Little Tall Tales hopes “to enable the expression of diverse cultural identities and sow the seeds of multiculturalism in children by bringing to life stories from around the world.”

Indian Mystique has tied with leading Indian publishing houses and bookstores to bring the original editions. Prior to their launch in August last year, Miranda and Gupta have conducted a comprehensive research on their product line to understand and explore the market, the process and sourcing.

“Here we were two busy working mothers raising our families in a faraway land, wondering how best to recreate our own happy childhood for our kids,” Dolly Singh Miranda told Indian Link. “That’s when we decided we would actively help our children understand their roots, their culture and get them as excited about reading

Panchtantra tales as we had been in our childhood!”

“Our aim was to envelop them in the warmth of books on Indian stories – books about Indian heroes, Indian villages, Indian mythology, Indian history,” added Shalu Gupta.

“The idea of Indian Mystique, quite literally as with most other Indian stories was born over a steaming hot cup of chai, as my business partner Shalu and I met up for our weekly nostalgia trips,” Dolly Singh Miranda stated. “We both share a lot in common – from young families to ideology, and now of course, this enterprise born out of a shared passion for books.”

“We feel it is important for our children growing up here to be surrounded by images and literature from their country of origin,” added Gupta. “Our vision is to help children understand, appreciate and learn about Indian culture, Indian epics, history and Indian mythology through beautifully written books.”

A former human resources professional and now a stay-athome mum, Dolly moved to Australia in 2006, while Shalu who specializes in marketing is currently employed part time in banking.

“Books have always been my

raison d’etre, keeping the fuzzies at bay,” said Singh. Her love affair with reading started with Enid Blyton’s series like Noddy, Famous Five, Secret Seven, Malory Towers, St Claire’s and of course, Amar Chitra Katha!

“My visits to the library were always the most exciting part of the evening for me – lovingly searching for a new title and waiting to get home and start the adventure,” she remembered nostalgically. “Journeys into the magical lands of India - laughing aloud at Supandi’s adventures, marvelling at Birbal’s chaturai (wisdom), savoring each story and reading slowly to make it last long… Ah, the disappointment of reaching the last page! Then the eager anticipation till the next book came home,” she added fondly.

Miranda and Gupta hope to make RK Narayan as popular with young kids as Roald Dahl.

While most of the marketing is by word of mouth, currently Indian Mystique has a page on Facebook through which their new collection is advertised. Shalu and Dolly are also in the process of setting up a website.

“We want to see our books widely available across book

stores, local libraries, schools, and all possible forums and events,” they stated. “We want to set up a reading centre for children with beautiful Indian books.”

“It is a market with enormous potential and thus far we have provided our books to certain leading libraries along the North Shore,” said these two enterprising ladies.

The pair has also been in touch with Consul General Amit Dasgupta, and he has lent his support for their idea and vision.

“As well, recently we have also met with Dr. Phil Lambert, Regional Director for Education in NSW and he is providing his support by introducing our books in certain schools in Sydney,” Miranda added. “It’s always very exciting to hear a resonance of our thoughts and ideas among the leaders of Australia!”

“Come along and begin your magical adventure – read a story from the Indian sub-continent and discover the beauty and wisdom of these tales,” is Miranda and Gupta’s invitation to young readers.

Some of their upcoming titles include a selection form the legendary RK Narayan, aimed at school going kids.

“Journeys into the magical lands of India - laughing aloud at Supandi’s adventures, marvelling at Birbal’s chaturai (wisdom), savouring each story and reading slowly to make it last long”

Dolly Singh Miranda

“Our aim was to envelop them in the warmth of books on Indian stories – books about Indian heroes, Indian villages, Indian mythology, Indian history” Shalu Gupta)

Dolly Singh Miranda and Shalu Gupta

30-day jail for Indian student Dharun Ravi; no deportation

Indian American student Dharun Ravi was recently sentenced to 30 days in jail by a New Jersey judge for spying on his roommate kissing another man on his webcam. The judge said he will recommend that Ravi not be deported.

Tyler Clementi, Ravi’s freshman roommate at Rutgers New Jersey State University, committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge days after the spying incident in September 2010.

Ravi was not charged in connection with Clementi’s death and was convicted on 15 counts of bias intimidation and invasion of privacy charges.

Sentencing Ravi, Middlesex County Judge Glenn Berman said he will recommend that Ravi not be deported.

“Down the road you can expunge this judgement,” he said. “You cannot expunge the conduct or the pain you caused.”

“I do not believe he hated Tyler Clementi. He had no reason to, but I do believe he acted out of colossal insensitivity,” Berman said.

Ravi must report to the Middlesex Adult Correctional Centre May 31 at 9 a.m. for his probationary sentence.

“I heard this jury say, ‘guilty’ 288 times -- 24 questions, 12 jurors. That’s the multiplication,” Berman said. “I haven’t heard you apologise once.”

Before the judge’s sentencing, Ravi’s mother delivered an emotional plea for leniency, during which she and her son both broke into tears.

At the end of her plea, Ravi’s mother threw herself on her son, sobbing and hugging him.

The family of Clementi bitterly asked the judge to sentence Ravi to prison time.

The Indian American community has rallied in Ravi’s support and in recent days, several prominent gay activists too have made public pleas for Ravi to not be sent to prison.

Judge Berman began the proceedings by noting that the court had received a box full of petitions seeking pardon for Ravi, some addressed to President Barack Obama and others to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

Only Christie has the authority to pardon someone for a state crime.

New York polytechnic honours

Sam Pitroda

Polytechnic Institute of New York University, America’s second-oldest private engineering school, has conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering on Sam Pitroda, adviser to Indian Prime Minster Manmohan Singh.

Delivering the keynote address at the school’s 157th Commencement in New York recently, Pitroda urged the class of 2012 to recognize technology as the key to social change and inclusive growth, not only economic prosperity.

“How do we use connectivity to address the challenges of the 21st century?” he asked and himself answered: “India has been growing at a rate of 8-9 percent and everywhere, I see technology as the key driver. To me, technology is a great social leveller.”

“Technology is the key in the 21st century. The challenge of today is inclusive growth, access and equity,” said Pitroda, who grew up in the small village of

Titlagarh in the Indian state of Orissa without electricity, running water or access to education and went on to earn two masters degrees and revolutionise India’s telecommunications infrastructure in the 1980s.

“We need affordable, scalable, and sustainable solutions,” he said. “My advice to you is that hard work and discipline is the key to your success. There is no shortcut”.

US varsity honours Narayana Murthy

The University of South Florida has honoured Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy with the Global Leadership and Free Enterprise Awards for his leadership and contributions to the international business world.

Presenting Infosys chairman emeritus Murthy with the awards at the Patel Centre for Global Sustainability in Tampa, Florida recently, USF President Judy Genshaft praised him for his entrepreneurial spirit, according to a university press release.

Earlier, in an informal conversation with past and present students, Murthy said because of his middle class background, it was not as difficult for his company to maintain its values as it might be for the mass of people eking out a living.

“You need a spirit of sacrifice and you need to have trust,” he said.

Murthy explained how the company’s ethos has its roots in the very first meeting held at his house in Mumbai with his six fellow founders. Their discussion was focused on profitability.

Murthy focused their attention on “seeking respect”, “living in harmony with society” and making sure “you don’t shortchange your customers,” he said. When you do those things, “revenue will come. Profit will come”.

In response to a question from about the chances of Murthy entering politics, he mentioned his preference for “rational discussion” and the difficulty the political world offers for such and expressed some hesitation.

Kaushal Chari, chair of the USF information systems and decision sciences department, said Murthy’s story is inspiring for students.

“He’s a world-class business leader,” said Chari, who leads a study abroad trip to India every year for business students. Sikhs

in turbans can now serve

Washington

police

Sikh police officers in the American capital will be allowed to wear turbans, beards and other religious items while on the job.

The new uniform policy announced by Washington DC police Chief Cathy Lanier makes it the first major metropolitan police department in the US to permit Sikhs to maintain their articles of faith.

Developed with the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF), the new police policy states that Sikh officers can wear turbans that are the same colour as the uniform that they would otherwise be required to wear, with the department badge that is normally on hats pinned to the front of the turban.

Male Sikh officers will also be able to wear beards that are neatly kept. Other officers are allowed to grow beards if they get a waiver from the department.

Lanier said that it is hard to find qualified police officers, so it is practical

to accommodate candidates who would otherwise be fit for the job.

“This is a common-sense decision,” she said.

There are no known observant Sikhs among Washington’s roughly 3,800 officers. However, the new policy was motivated in part because a Sikh who will graduate from the Police academy in August and plans to become a reserve officer, has requested the accommodation, Lanier said.

“This first of a kind guidance by one of the nation’s premier law enforcement agencies serves as a model for other agencies across the country.” said Jasjit Singh, Executive Director of SALDEF.

In other parts of the country, Sikhs have had to fight for religious accommodations, he said, noting that nine years ago members of the Sikh community sued New York City to become traffic enforcement officers.

In the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, observant Sikhs can serve in the reserves but not as full-time officers.

There are about 700,000 adherents to the Sikh faith in the US, according to SALDEF.

India-born professor donates sustainability award money

India-born professor Kamal Bawa has donated the entire prize money of one million Norwegian Kronor (about Rs.10 million) from the world’s first major international sustainability award to the Indian organisation he founded in 1996.

Bawa, distinguished professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, is the 2012 winner of the Gunnerus Sustainability Award from the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and letters (DKNVS).

He gifted the prize money to the Bangalore-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), a research institution in the areas of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Bawa is its founder and president.

The Gunnerus Sustainability Award is given for outstanding scientific work that promotes sustainable development globally, and the first award was given to Bawa for his work on biodiversity in Central America, the Western Ghats in India and the Himalayas.

At the acceptance ceremony in February, Bawa said it was unfortunate that almost all money in international assistance goes to projects rather than to strengthening institutions.

Standing by his belief that “it is institutions that transform societies”, Bawa donated the award money to ATREE.

“The gift is a fine example of philanthropy at its best. It also endorses Bawa’s commitment to a better world, and to ATREE,” said Pheroza Godrej, a member of the governing board of ATREE.

ATREE director Gladwin Joseph said: “The gift will help ATREE address important environmental challenges. ATREE was recently ranked No. 9 globally, and No.1 in Asia among environmental think tanks.”

Bawa was recently elected to the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences for his contribution to public discourse and public policy surrounding sustainability.

Indian students return to Australia

Indian students are once again heading to Australia, along with a rise in international students, with the perceived threat of physical violence having receded to a large extent.

Violence against Indians in Australia has been a sensitive issue, especially after several racially motivated attacks on international students a few years back had strained relations between the two nations.

Indian students, according to an Australian Immigration Department report, top the list of visas granted in Australia.

Overall, 284,152 international students were granted visas in the first three quarters of the Australian financial year ending March 31. This figure represents an increase of 4.5 percent compared with the same period in 2010-11.

Over 23,000 Indian students were granted visas this year.

The Australian Immigration Department assessment of Indian applications seem to have improved significantly from the same period last year as there has been a whopping 82.8 percent increase in Indian students getting the all important nod.

While 2,319 Indian students were granted visa in India in the three quarters ending March 2011, the number has ballooned to 4,238 this year.

A massive increase has also been noticed, according to a recent Immigration Department report, in the Indian students making application for Australian student visas. More than 8,000 Indians applied for visa to study in Australia in the nine months to March 31 which represents approximately 120 percent increase as compared to the number of applications last year.

The latest Immigration Department report on student visas has elicited comments from Monash University migration expert Bob Birrell, who is known for his hardline approach on anything linked to Indian students or academic courses they usually opt for.

“They have been swooshing around the system, applying for student and tourist visas, family reunion and as temporary skilled migrants,” Bob Birrell told The Herald Sun newspaper while referring to Indian students in Australia.

“The student system was opened up to allow so many in, and now they are seeking whatever means are available to stay on via other visas,” he said.

The noticeable turnaround in student visa grants is also being attributed to a “backlash” from the Australian education institutes who had criticised the way Immigration Department was refusing applications from international students.

“Recent changes in the visa application process has made it easier for Indian students to come down under to study,” says Jag Khairra, a Melbourne-based migration and education consultant.

“The Australian government has also worked hard to address fears about attacks on Indian students,” Jag added.

There were approximately 345,000 international student visa holders in Australia as of March 31.

Indra Nooyi among 18 women

leading Fortune 500

Soft drink major Pepsico’s Indian born CEO Indra Nooyi is one of the 18 women

who have shattered the glass ceiling to lead America’s 500 largest corporations, according to Fortune magazine’s latest ranking.

Nooyi, who leads the 41st biggest company in America, is listed fourth among top women executives by the leading US business magazine. She “has overseen a shift in focus from soft drinks into less profitable, albeit healthier, snack foods market in recent years,”

Others on the list that includes more women CEOs than ever before are Meg Whitman of Hewlett-Packard (10th) and Ginni Rometty of IBM (19th), both of whom started within the last year. Rometty is IBM’s first female CEO and Xerox chief Ursula Burns is the first African-American woman to head a Fortune 500 company.

The top five female CEOs on the list all held positions in strategic planning before being appointed.

There are an additional 21 female CEOs in the Fortune 501-1000, some managing steel, oil and energy companies. About 10 percent of the top 500 US companies, and almost 40 percent of Canada’s 500 largest companies have no women on their boards, according to Catalyst, a nonprofit research organization advocating for more women in business.

Chaurasia’s magic flute charms Poles

The profile of Poland has gone up by many notches as a cultural destination for Indian artists. After Bollywood films and translations of Urdu masters into the Polish language, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaursia, one of the doyens of Indian classical music maestro, enthralled the Polish crowd in three cities - Wroclaw, Krakow and Warsaw.

In all these places, Chaursia won the hearts of the audience with his spellbinding flute recitals.

“He creates magic with his flute and we simply feel enchanted with his performance. It was once in a lifetime event and so memorable that we would love to remember him for a long time to come,” said Janusz Krzyzowski, president of the India-Poland Cultural Committee in Warsaw.

Chaurasia was jointly sponsored by the Pandit Chaturlal Memorial Society of New Delhi along with its sponsors the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Embassy of India. They had persuaded Chaurisia to give concerts in Poland to mark the annual Chatur Lal Music Festival. He was accompanied by Snehgunshu Banerji on the tabla.

Pandit Chatur Lal was regarded as a tabla wizard in his days when he used to play with Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and other great artists not only in India, but also in western countries.

Yehudi Menuhin, a great violinist, once said: “Chatur Lal was one of those few supreme pioneer musicians who won for India the greatest and growing following it now commands. He stole the hearts of his audience wherever he went with his art and his enchanting personality.”

Unfortunately, Chatur Lal died at the young age of 40 in October 1965. After his death, a memorial society was established, and since then the society organises its main function on his birthday.

On his 86th birth anniversary, the admirers of Indian classical music in Poland had a feast of functions, named “Smritiyan”.

In each of the three cities, there was a local body to sponsor the event. In Warsaw, the Indo-Polish Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IPCCI) under the patronage of J.J. Singh agreed to foot the bill. Similarly, the India-Polish Cultural Committee (IPCC) in Krakow provided the local hospitality.

“We are really indebted to ICCR for selecting Krakow, the cultural capital of Poland, as a venue for one of its programmes. The love for Indian classical music for Krakowians is an established fact and many classical dancers and musicians have been coming to this city in the past fifteen years. We eagerly awaited for Chaurasia’s concert and he obliged us,” Umesh Nautial, president of the IPCC, Krakow branch, told IANS.

In Wroclaw, a fast emerging metropolis because of its proximity to Germany, the Embassy of India along with Wroclaw University organised the function. It was for the first time that the citizens of Wroclaw had a chance to listen to Chaurasia’s magical flute.

“The attraction of Poland for the Indian artists has grown very fast and now many

big artists want to come to Poland to give their performances. There is an absolute necessity to have an Indian Cultural Centre here,” said Monika Kapila Mohta, Indian ambassador to Poland.

Obama cites Dalip Singh Saund to laud Asian contribution

Citing the example of Dalip Singh Saund, the first Indian American elected to the US Congress, President Barack Obama has lauded the contribution of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in building up America.

“They were trailblazers like Dalip Singh Saund - a young man from India who, in 1920, came to study agriculture, stayed to become a farmer, and took on the cause of citizenship for all people of South Asian descent,” he said recently at the 18th Annual Gala for the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies in Washington.

“And once Dalip earned his own citizenship, he stepped up to serve the country he loved - and became the first Asian American elected to the Congress,”

Obama added amid applause.

Born in Chhajulwadi, Punjab, Saund represented the 29th District of California from 1957 to 1963.

“When I think about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, I think about my family - my sister, Maya; my brother-in-law, Konrad. My nieces Suhaila and Savita. I think about all the folks I grew up with in Honolulu,” Obama said striking a personal note.

“I think about the years I spent in Indonesia. So for me, coming here feels a little bit like home. This is a community that helped to make me who I am today. It’s a community that helped make America the country that it is today.”

The Asian Americans, he said, “came here looking for new opportunities not merely for themselves, but for their children, and for their children’s children, and for all generations to come”.

“Few of them had money. A lot of them didn’t have belongings. But what they did have was an unshakeable belief that this country - of all countries - is a place where anybody can make it if they try,” Obama said.

Defense attorney Philip Nettl looks on as Dharun Ravi and his mother, Sabitha Ravi cry during the sentencing hearing for Ravi in New Brunswick, N.J., May 21, 2012. Ravi, a former Rutgers University student who used a webcam to watch his roommate kiss another man days before the roommate killed himself, was sentenced to 30 days in jail. A judge also gave 20-year-old Dharun Ravi three years of probation.

Photo: AP

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Indian artist Subodh Gupta’s installation titled “Line of Control” went up in a shopping mall in New Delhi last month. The installation, made of steel utensils, is in the shape of a giant mushroom cloud referring to the dust-cloud of atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, while also literally alluding to the contested India-Pakistan border.

Pomersbach’s lawyer denies he has confessed

Counsel of Luke Pomersbach, the Australian player of IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), denied that the cricketer had confessed to police of having inadvertently touched or molested US citizen Zohail Hameed.

Lawyer Neeraj Chaudhry told reporters that his client did not make any confession to police or anyone that he had molested the woman in a five-star hotel.

“It was all a rumour. Luke did not make any such confession. His case is pending in court. So, he will only tell court if he needs to say anything,” said Chaudhry.

Additional Commissioner of Police K.C. Dwivedi told reporters that Pomersbach did not confess to police that he had inadvertently touched or molested Hameed under the influence of alcohol.

Dwivedi said another IPL cricketer K.P. Appanna, who has also cropped up in the case as he was caught in CCTV footage while accompanying Pomersbach in the corridor of Maurya Sheraton where the incident took place, told police that his presence at the time of the incident was a coincidence.

“He was not accompanying Pomersbach,” said Dwivedi on the basis of Appanna’s statement to police.

“Appanna’s name came to light after he was seen in CCTV footage recovered from Maurya Sheraton hotel where the American woman was molested during a party,” said the officer.

Police questioned Appanna, a leg spinner who plays for Karnataka in Ranji Trophy.

Pomersbach was arrested after Hameed alleged that he molested her and hit her

friend Sahil Peerzada when he objected to the cricketer’s behaviour. Peerzada was punched in his ear following which he had to undergo a surgery.

The official said that Peerzada, who is a friend of RCB director Sidhartha Mallya, was invited to the post-match party at the hotel.

At the time of the incident, Peerzada was present along with Hameed, his friends Moiz and Miraj, and Pomersbach.

Pomersbach allegedly misbehaved with Hameed at the party.

“When she left the party along with Peerzada, she was followed by Pomersbach and Appanna after a few minutes,” said a police source.

Appanna had come to ask whether Mallya was there in the room, the source said, adding Hameed had also corroborated this.

The official informed that they had recorded Moiz’s statement too.

Hameed had alleged in her complaint to police that five to six members of the IPL team had pressurised her to withdraw the case against Pomersbach.

‘Global brands can generate jobs in India’

International brands can generate job opportunities if their entry into India is facilitated, says Montblanc, a century-old German company known for its timeless luxury pens, watches, eyewear, leather goods and fashion accessories.

“For an international brand, the Indian market is extremely strong. It is a developing and emerging market and I believe it will continue to grow,” said Karl Handke, Montblanc’s president for the western hemisphere, in New Delhi recently.

“One of the main problems a brand faces while retailing in India is the laws, duties and taxes. The import duty on luxury goods is high, making it difficult for international brands to enter India. If more international brands enter India, it will only be beneficial for the country since it will provide for more employment opportunities,” he added.

Hadke handles sales and marketing for the brand in Europe, North and South America, Africa, the Middle East and India.

He was in New Delhi to launch the brand’s Grace De Monaco collection, which includes limited-edition jewellery, writing instruments and time pieces for women.

The brand has a presence in 10 citiesincluding New Delhi, Mumbai and Ludhiana - and is definitely looking for expansion. However, the restricted number of luxury malls is hindering the expansion plans.

“We are definitely looking to expand our retail network extensively.... India, as compared to other countries, yet has few luxury malls and no high streets like Madison Avenue or a Barneys (in New York); so this, of course, limits our expansion,” the 61-yearold Hadke said.

“But we are looking at tier-two cities with wealthy and cultured people. We are also opening boutiques at airports, starting with Hyderabad. At the moment our priority is Calcutta (Kolkata) where we do not have a stand-alone Montblanc boutique. We are planning more stores in New Delhi,” Handke added.

The brand, which started producing writing instrument 100 years ago, is now also into watches, leather goods and accessories. Handke says expansion notwithstanding, they never compromised on brand’s aesthetics.

“We have never compromised in terms of brand value from the past to present. Even while venturing into new categories, we carefully selected the product segments which we wanted to occupy and made sure that they are in line with the brands DNA,” he said.

“Today Montblanc is a luxury mason, which helps cultured people to express their lifestyle through beautiful products,” he added.

Any plans to foray into apparel?

“No, we do not wish to foray into apparel... Clothes are something which are in fashion today and outdated tomorrow. We believe in creating products which are timeless and classic. Our products are family heritage and clothes can never be that,” Handke concluded.

Now, a robotic way to hasslefree surgeries

Four finger-tip sized incisions, four robotic arms, including a camera eye snaking inside, the magnified image of the visceral organs being watched on a screen outside as the surgical instrument arm moves deftly to remove the tumour or blockage. Minimal blood loss, no long hospital stay -- welcome to the revolutionary world of robotic surgery that is gaining in popularity in India.

Some of the major hospitals in New Delhi, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), are performing complex surgeries the robotic way.

Major procedures such as removal of tumours, heart surgery and gynaecological surgery that would traditionally require the scalpel to make large and deep cuts in the body and consequent blood loss are now being done with robotic arms.

“Robotic surgery allows us to do many

complex operations that would require large incisions,” said Sudhir Srivastava, chairman, CEO and managing director, Fortis Healthcare International Centre for Robotic Surgery in New Delhi.

Srivastava said conventional cardiac surgery requires splitting of the sternum, but in robotic surgery, using a robotic surgical system called Da Vinc, just four-five fingertip sized incisions are all it requires.

“The tips of the robotic arms behave like human wrists and allows us to do complex surgeries through tiny holes,” he said.

The camera arm of the robot allows surgeons to see inside the body in 3D. The image of the internal organs -- magnified up to 10 times in high definition -- shows up on a screen at the surgeon’s console. Using hand and foot controls, the surgeon directs the robotic arms with the surgical tools to perform the required procedure.

“The camera acts as the eyes, while the instruments act as the arms of the surgeon,” said Srivastava, adding that the surgery is “very precise, the incisions are tiny, there is little trauma and the patient can return home in a day or two. There are less complications, less blood transfusion and it is cosmetically preferable”. What about the cost? The cost varies between Rs.60,000 and Rs.1.5 lakh (approx $1,000-$2,700), depending on the procedure, he says.

“It works out more expensive than the conventional surgery, but the benefits are huge because of all the advantages,” Srivastava said.

He says the cost is due to the technology, as each machine costs about Rs.8-10 crore (approx $1.4-1.8 million), depending on the model.

He says that robotic surgeries abroad are “10 times more expensive”.

Fortis has two robotic systems and the hospital performs cardiac, thoracic, urology, gynaecology, general, head and neck and orthopaedics procedures.

At AIIMS, robotic surgery is done in the field of urology, ENT cardiac, thoracic and in general surgery, says P.N. Dogra, professor and head of the Department of Urology, adding that the urology section gets around 130-140 patients every month.

But AIIMS does not charge anything from general patients. “During the hospital stay, even the meal charge is not taken from some patients,” Dogra said.

One major advantage of the robotic system, he says, is the “tremor filtration” in which the “unintentional movement of the doctor is not carried over to the patients during the operation as the doctors are behind the operation table monitoring the robot”.

Arvind Kumar, a former professor of surgery at AIIMS, who is now heading the Institute of Robotic Surgery at Sir Gangaram Hospital, says the hospital performed “Asia’ first vascular surgery” using the robotic system.

Explaining the high costs, Kumar says the robotic technology is in evolution. “As its uses become more, the prices will crash, like in the case of mobiles,” said Kumar.

India’s defence varsity by 2017 India’s first and only defence university, approved by the union cabinet in 2010, will take about seven years to come up and the land acquisition process at Binola in Gurgaon district of Haryana has begun, parliament was informed recently.

Defence Minister A.K. Antony, in a

written reply to questions from Lok Sabha members, said the Indian National Defence University (INDU) was accorded “in principle” approval by the union cabinet on May 13, 2010, and it will be set up at Binola. For this, the Haryana government has already issued notification to acquire land.

“It is projected that the establishment of INDU and its constituents will be spread over seven years,” he said.

In INDU, it has been proposed to conduct courses of varying duration on subjects ranging from strategic studies, war gaming and simulation, neighbourhood studies, counter insurgency and counter terrorism, Chinese studies, evaluation of strategic thought, international security issues, maritime security studies, Eurasian studies, South East Asian studies, material acquisition, joint logistics, and national security strategy in peace and war.

The government has engaged Educational Consultants of India Limited (EdCIL), a public sector enterprise under the human resource development ministry, for the preparation of a detailed project report, the layout plan, and draft act and statutes for setting up the university, Antony said.

“An estimated expenditure of Rs.295 crore (at the rate of 2010) for setting up the university and Rs.162 crore (at current rate) for the acquisition of land is likely to be incurred,” he added.

Heard her voice, now taste her food - with Asha’s Food is a far cry from playback singing. But Bollywood’s girl with the golden voice, Asha Bhosle, who has morphed into an astute hotelier over the years, is ready to bring her award-winning eatery chain Asha’s to India from abroad in 2013.

“We have 10 restaurants overseas nowthree in the UAE, three in Kuwait, one in Qatar, one in Bahrain, one in Egypt and one in the UK. The first outlet in India will open in the national capital in 2013,” stated Anand Bhosle, Asha Bhosle’s son, recently.

Land has been identified and investment for the project is well under way.

Asha’s, which won the Time Out Dubai 2012 Best Indian Restaurant award, flaunts the music diva’s passion for northwest Indian cuisine with specialities like nally gosht, tandoori lobster, chicken jalfrezi and desserts like Asha’s platter comprising gajar ka halwa and mango kulfi.

Anand said, “Asha’s, as the name of the eatery suggests, has been inspired by the life of the music icon.”

The logo of the chain enhances the concept a step further. The menu is northwestern frontier cuisine and many of the recipes are Asha Bhosle’s special which she has invented and worked on for many years in her home in Mumbai.

“The special masala, which is a secret of the restaurant’s kitchen, is manufactured by her under strict guidelines - and is used in all the eateries worldwide,” said Anand, who manages the chain with his mother.

Asha Bhosle, who takes an active and personal interest in the restaurants by deciding the menu and even choosing the right spices, works “closely with her team of worldwide chefs”.

“Northwestern cuisine and Lucknawi or Awadhi cuisine are the hallmarks of Asha’s, but the strength also lies in innovative Indian food,” said Anand.

Asha Bhosle’s personal favourite is a platter of ghar ki daal, plain white rice and

Muscat gosht, her son said.

Asha’s has also been mentioned in the Michelin restaurant guide for the past four years in Britain, as one of the world’s top destinations for quality Indian cuisine outside the Asian subcontinent.

The Time Out Dubai described Asha’s as having “elegant, modern decor with warm welcoming hues, efficient and friendly service” and food that “sings”, Anand said.

The clientele of Asha’s UAE outlets “is 50 percent from the Indian subcontinent, 30 percent Europeans and 20 percent Arabs, which more or less describes the demographic breakdown of the UAE”, her son said.

Women in combat roles in armed forces: Wait gets longer

Women in the Indian armed forces will have to wait longer to get into combat roles. The defence ministry has recently said it has no proposal as of now, including recruiting women as fighter pilots, a distinction that even Pakistan has.

“There is no proposal to induct women into combat duties in the defence forces including as fighter pilots in Indian Air Force (IAF),” the government has asserted before parliament twice in the last two months.

For rejecting the combat role demand, the government has cited the studies on women in combat roles carried out by the Delhi-based Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) headquarters in 2006 and the tri-services committee which gave its report in 2011.

“Induction of women in combat duties has not been recommended by the studies carried out by the IDS headquarters in 2006 and the High level Tri-Services Committee in 2011,” the government has said.

Though India began recruiting women as short-service commissioned (SSC) officers into the armed forces in 1992, it is yet to make up its mind on allowing them to participate in combat. It has only in recent years relaxed its norms on having women as

permanent officers.

But countries like New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Israel and Sweden, however, allow women to serve at all army positions. The US and the UK too allow women to join combat roles, but with a few restrictions. Neighbouring Pakistan too has women fighter pilots in its air force now.

India’s women are recruited initially as SSC officers for five years, but are offered to extend the commission up to 14 years of service.

In certain branches of the three services, though, they are offered permanent commission on a par with men SSC officers, provided they complete the criteria laid down.

The defence ministry, after considering a comprehensive policy paper on induction and employment of women submitted by the armed forces and keeping in view the role and responsibility of the armed forces in defending the nation and protecting its territorial integrity, issued in November 2011 a letter laying down the policy framework including granting permanent commission.

Permanent commission has been offered to women officers in Judge Advocate General (JAG) and Army Education Corps (AEC) of the army and their corresponding branches in the navy and the air force, apart from the naval constructor branch in the navy and the accounts branch in the air force since September 2008.

Additionally, women in the air force are eligible for consideration of permanent commission in technical, administration, logistics and meteorology branches.

“The grant of permanent commission will be subject to willingness of the candidate and service-specific requirements, availability of vacancies, suitability, merit of the candidate as decided by each service,” the government said.

At present, a petition filed by some shortservice women officers regarding offering them permanent commission and against

their release from service is pending before the Supreme Court.

“Women serving in the Indian armed forces is an evolving process. Till 1992, women were never recruited. Now we get permanently absorbed into some of the streams of service. We have come far ahead since the time we started out. I am sure time will come when we will do combat roles too. But it is still a little far away,” stated a serving woman officer in the rank of an army captain.

“Over these 20 years, we are now rubbing shoulders with men officers at every level of service. It is more so in the air force and navy than in the army. But there are practical issues, which need thought and resolving, such as living quarters in forward areas,” according to an air force woman officer.

“I know women officers who have laid mines in border areas. I know women who flew planes better than men during training. Once the mindset changes, things will fall in place. It is just a matter of time,” says another woman army officer.

According to figures available, there has been a 67 percent increase in recruitment of women officers into the army, navy and air force since 2009. As many as 781 women joined the armed forces as officers during this period. The army alone inducted 343 women, the navy 129 and the air force 309. These figures do not include the women officers joining the armed forces medical services.

There is no separate fixed sanctioned strength for recruitment of women officers in the armed forces and they are recruited within the overall sanctioned strength of the respective services.

“Both society and armed forces are reconciling to women in uniform, donning roles traditionally performed by men. I am sure, not only combat roles, even commanding units may become a reality in the future,” said a woman squadron leader from the air force.

Asha Bhosle, India’s singing star, will bring her award-winning restaurant chain, Asha’s to India next year.

Indian designer Manish Arora’s 2012 Paris collection is filled with autumn ambience

A blast

BY TALIA KAUR

Manish Arora, an Indian fashion designer based in New Delhi recently launched his new Autumn/Winter line at the 2012 Paris Fashion Week, after ending his 1 year contract as the creative director of French fashion house Paco Rabanne.

His designs have become increasingly popular among many Hollywood celebrities such as Heidi Klum, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, MIA, Nicole Scherzinger, Rihanna, Beth Ditto, Nicki Minaj, Pixie Geldof and many more. Manish’s designs are stocked in 75 stores worldwide with a majority in Europe, and he shows no signs of slowing down.

Manish is well-known for the amount of detailing in each garment, and his designs stand out due to the dominance of vibrant

colours and the use of rich tones. He blends traditional and intricate Indian applique, beading and embroidery with more westernised silhouettes to create a modern feel. This modern feel, however, is usually pushed even further to create an almost futuristic and space-age style, which can be described as quite bizarre. He is also no stranger to eye-catching prints and designs, which feature as a main theme in his Autumn/ Winter line.

Celebrities in Manish Arora (clockwise) Nicky Minaj, Fergie, Katy Perry, Katy Perry on stage, Kelly Osbourne, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry in India.

of colour

At the launch of his line in Paris, Arora chose to have a graffiti mural painted as the backdrop of his catwalk, which read ‘Life is Beautiful’. This statement set the mood for the show and prepared audiences for the vibrant, unique and rich-textured garments that was soon to be revealed. The show progressed from extravagant autumn-themed designs to more wearable graffiti and flower printed designs, and finally finished off with fur-edged dresses and skirts.

At the conclusion of the show, Arora had once again successfully managed to wow audiences with his creativity and uniqueness in fashion, and his innovative and bold cuts, leaving him to be known in the fashion industry as the “John Galliano of India”.

Arora started his journey in the fashion world in 1997 by launching his label Manish Arora. He furthered his presence in the Indian market by introducing his diffusion label Fish Fry in 2001. He moved to Paris a year ago as creative director of French fashion house Paco Rabanne, ending the contract recently. He is the only Indian designer who has been invited to the Paris Fashion Week for seven consecutive years.

Manish claims he wants to focus on his global shows and has no plan to revive his relationship with French fashion house Paco Rabanne in the near future. “The journey with the brand has been amazing as we got the chance to learn a lot with each other. I will definitely look for other brands but only if the offer is exciting,” he says, of his departure from the top-end couture brand.

However, he is already working on his next Paris show in September, so it seems the designer has no intention of abandoning the international fashion circuit.

Manish Arora admits to not following the highly popular Indian fashion week saying, “I am not just an Indian designer, I am a designer with a global presence. There is no Indian show for me because I don’t get time to do both India and abroad. Also, I find it very difficult to concentrate on both the fashion weeks because of date problems. So I chose Paris, but if I have my dates right, I would definitely do India events.”

Manish is widening his global footprint - after Paris, the designer has a strong presence in the London, Hong Kong and Miami markets. He made a successful debut at the London Fashion Week in September 2005. After that, he showed a retrospective of his collection at Victoria and Albert Museum in 2007.

“Fashion is not just glamour, it’s like any other profession where you have to work like hell to create the benchmark. I guess there is space for everybody in the fashion world; one just needs to focus,” he says, imparting a bit of gyan for aspiring fashion designers.

On the future of his designs, Manish says, “Creativity and honesty will rule design in the years to come. The look and aesthetics for the next fall will be a move back to the basics - to simple things and the nature around you. I have used wall graffiti and the casual kitsch of the streets - all the things in life that you tend to ignore - to complement my designs and clothes this season.”

About his inspiration, Manish admits, “I use Indian craftsmanship to my advantage. It is about modernising India, not westernising India. You have to stick to your identity and keep going on and on till people start believing in you.”

Arora’s Paris 2012 collection

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Regionalism asserts itself

BY NOEL g DE SOUZA

The 2012 Australian Budget would appear like a fantasy to the people of several European countries which face stringent austerity measures. Wayne Swan, the Australian Treasurer, spread out gains to low and middle-income earners, whilst avoiding handouts to the rich. This is the exact opposite of the European situation where the low-income strata face unemployment and the middle-income earners face social welfare cuts.

Two pillars upon which European integration is based are currently causing problems. The first is the free movement of people from one country to another; this has implications for jobs and social welfare benefits. Portuguese building construction workers, for example, are displacing British union workers in Britain. The next is the free movement of goods; there have been protests at the import of fish from outside France to the detriment of French fishermen.

It is now becoming increasingly clear that the Euro currency is a failure and, even more so, that the European Union in its present form is becoming unacceptable for many within the union itself and it may not last for long in its current form. The Euro should have been phased out a few years ago and the union needed to have been loosened.

The patchwork of states which form the European Union are all different, both culturally and economically, and uniting them is inadvisable, if not foolhardy. Fusing such different states into a single union was always a pipe dream. The idea initially was to prevent the numerous wars that had plagued this small continent. Wars are avoidable by means other than by fusing all these countries into a marriage which is now proving to be inconvenient. Sarkozy was so immersed in saving the Greek economy and the Euro that the French people ultimately wanted to know what he had done for France’s own interests.

British Prime Minister Cameron has his own version of austerities like cutting grants for university education. The recent municipal elections in Britain have seen the Tories wiped out in several councils which they had dominated for a long time. Wayne Swan’s Australian budget actually increases the education budget, specially supporting parents with school-going children substantially.

A galaxy of European leaders were committed to unifying Europe and

expanding into the former Communist states. Sarkozy did so to his detriment. Ken Livingstone who failed in his bid to oust Boris Johnson as the Mayor of London has counselled the Labour Leader Ed Milliband to jettison the discredited policies of one such europhile Tony Blair, as those are the policies which are holding Labour back.

Several governments in Europe have faced political demise. Governments have changed hands in Ireland, Portugal and Spain but rather than solve problems, their austerity “solutions” have deepened the economic crisis. The Dutch government, finding that the demands for austerities would only cause much pain for their people, has resigned en masse; its ministers are unwilling to do thankless work and then get bulldozed out of existence.

The culmination of the European crisis appeared in France with the defeat of Nicolas Sarkozy. The new President Francois Hollande is proposing measures opposite to those for which Sarkozy worked for so hard and so fruitlessly. Sarkozy worked for saving Europe and the Euro through austerities whilst Holland is working for saving France through growth. The nation states are triumphing over a failed union.

Indian states are increasingly behaving like nation states. Just like the Eurozone countries have looked to the European Central Bank to bail them out of their troubles, the Indian states are putting pressure on the central government to obtain grants for a variety of projects.

The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee is reported to be asking the Centre for more funds in exchange for supporting the Centre’s nominee for the Presidential election!

The parallel of regionalism in Australia is the constant clamour from individual Australian states for a share of the tax pie. The mineral-rich states are attempting to keep taxes from mineral production exclusively for themselves.

India needs to ensure that any measures which it takes do not erase the gains which have been painstakingly built up in the last three to four decades. India is in a strong position to manufacture the needs of Europe, but Europe has to be in a position to buy what India manufactures. Currently this is not the case. The French President Hollande’s push for growth might help in the long term.

Australia is lucky for being situated in a region which is flourishing in comparison to Europe. Its mineral wealth is what Asia needs. Indeed, when Donald Horne wrote his famous work The Lucky Country, he had said that Australia is only managing to look after itself because of its mineral wealth, and hence he called it the lucky country.

The patchwork of states which form the European Union are all different, both culturally and economically, and uniting them is inadvisable, if not foolhardy.

Small independent nations may yet be the salvation of the EU’s seemingly endless financial crisis

Cost curtails cure

BY gUARAv SURATI

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), there are about 2.5 million cancer sufferers in India. Considering nearly 40% of India’s population is below the poverty line, one can easily estimate that about 1 million poor souls suffer from various kinds of cancer. I usually don’t like using the terms ‘million’ or ‘billion’: they seem to suggest an overexaggerated number. This especially holds true for India as everything from the number of people using trains on any given day or the total wheat production in a year will be comfortably in millions or billions. But I need to allude to large numbers in relation to the context of this report.

Tata Memorial, one of the leading cancer cure hospital in Mumbai which gets government and private funding, performs about 70,000 minor and major cancer surgeries a year and chemotherapy sessions for more than 300 patients a day.

cost of such a lifesaving drug lower, but also increase the health insurance cover. Only 15% of India’s 1.2 billion population is covered by health insurance as per Federation of Indian Chambers Commerce & Industry (FICCI). The cost of health insurance is still high, and is still not widely acceptable. HK Savla, a managing trustee of Jeevan Jyot Cancer Relief and Care Trust says, “Hundreds of people come here every day. Whatever money we can collect is spent on their treatment. There is no help from the government.”

Tata Memorial, one of the leading cancer cure hospitals in Mumbai which gets government and private funding, performs about 70,000 minor and major cancer surgeries a year and chemotherapy sessions for more than 300 patients a day. The number of people diagnosed with cancer in India is very likely to increase, and something needs to be done without any further delay.

On March 12 this year the Government of India ruled that a specific medicine called ‘Nexavar’ used in treating cancer will be now manufactured under license by Indian pharma company Natco. Until then, Bayer, a major German pharmaceutical company held the rights to sell Nexavar in India.

What’s interesting is that Nexavar from Bayer which is used for chemotherapy costs about Rs. 2.8 lakh or should I say, Rs. 0.28 million, for a dose which would last a month. How on earth could any of the poor people suffering from cancer afford this? To overcome this problem and as per the ruling made by the Government, Natco will sell this same drug for only Rs. 8800, under compulsory license. Under compulsory license, lifesaving drugs are made available to nations where many people still can’t afford them. That’s a massive jawdropping plunge of 97%. This is indeed a right step in the right direction, which should be hailed. However, many experts from the field feel that, as also stated by leading oncologist Dr M Krishnan Nair, “These drugs are still too expensive for the poor”. Rs. 8800 is for the drug alone: what about cost of x-ray, radiography, surgery etc. This basically means that a person who barely eats a meal twice a day could easily look at around several thousand rupees just to start the treatment.

Spend some time raising awareness about the disease and its causes, or support the forum which hopes to make life-saving drugs even more affordable to the poor.

Before us Indians start basking in the glory of ‘India becoming a future superpower’, we need to spare a thought for those poor back in India who are hardly making ends meet, earning under US$ 1.25 a day. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in the fields of healthcare, clean water, housing, energy etc. to provide these basic necessities. Now is the time for the well-off Indian diaspora in Australia and around the world to come together and put in some effort towards helping out. If you don’t have the financial means to help out by donating towards cancer research, you could give the best of yourself. Spend some time raising awareness about the disease and its causes, or support the forum which hopes to make life-saving drugs even more affordable to the poor. After all, what’s the point of India churning out millions of engineers, doctors, so-called ‘intellectuals’? What’s the point of 30 million Indian diaspora living across the globe when nearly one Indian in every three is battling to own even basic necessities, in addition to them not being able to afford proper medical treatment. This is not something to be proud of.

What needs to be done is not just bring

Kudos to all those who have directly or indirectly helped finally eradicate polio from India, as the World Health Organisation has finally ticked India off its polio list. After years of espousing this cause, we have met with success. Let’s try and do our best to help our country in the fight against cancer.

The incidence of cancer is increasing in India, with fewer people able to afford the crippling cost of medication to combat this disease

Generation ‘F’

As anthropomorphic robots rapidly gain popularity, the divide between science fiction and reality steadily closes in

BY RITAM MITRA

It’s the typical science-fiction paradigm. Man builds machine. Machine destroys mankind. Of course, the sci-fi genre is dubbed “fiction” for a reason; however, if you’ve heard about Geminoid F, the singing female robot that was recently unveiled in Japan, you probably aren’t so sure anymore.

‘F’ is one of the latest in a category of machines known as “humanoids”, or anthropomorphic robots. They are typified by an appearance or a function that resembles the human body, with perhaps the most recognisable one being ASIMO, Honda’s famous friendly kicking, walking and running humanoid that was brought to the world in 2000.

However, the origins of humanoid robots stretch back far further than the technological revolution that has taken the world unimaginably forward in the last 30 years. Liezi, a Daoist text attributed to around 250 BC, described an automaton: a selfoperating machine. Meanwhile, in 50 AD, Hero of Alexandria (a mathematician, not a warrior as the name suggests!) designed a machine which automatically poured wine for his guests.

Of course, robots like ASIMO are still easy to class as “robots” – while ASIMO does operate fantastically as a helping human hand, having served water to the

had sensory inputs that even allow them to fend off intrusive actions, such as slaps, while they will react more favourably to gentler interactions such as a pat on the arm.

‘F’ stands apart in this category due to her creator’s vision for realism. Hiroshi Ishiguro, who in 2007 was named by CNN as one of eight “geniuses who will change your life”, believes his latest model is more elegant and approachable than his previous creations. Given she has 65 inbuilt behaviours in her system, including the ability to frown and express displeasure, it is not hard

Hiroshi Ishiguro, who in 2007 was named by CNN as one of eight “geniuses who will change your life”, believes his latest model is more elegant and approachable than his previous creations

Geminoid F (left) can not only simulate the human voice to talk and sing, but can also express herself with up to 65 delicate human expressions

to imagine why Ishiguro is so highly regarded in this field.

‘F’ has been busy singing at shopping centres, modelling clothes and even acting on stage at the Tokyo Art Festival, and Ishiguro hopes that her practical applications continue to evolve and become more mainstream. Economically, this process has already begun, with the cost for Ishiguro’s creation dropping from $1 million, which was what his previous model had set consumers

back, to $110,000.

Ishiguro is not stopping here. He can easily see robots becoming important human companions, and even friends. The important question to him is, “What is a human?” “Please define”, Ishiguro requests, “and we will make a copy.” Indeed, some actroids have already been developed with autonomous thought – the ability to, at least in some part, act and think on their own.

It is perhaps coming ever closer

to the day when science fiction becomes confused with reality. In the same way scientists have been much maligned for their use of genetic engineering to create favourable traits in their test subjects, so too might pioneers such as Ishiguro be questioned for their ingenuity. But there’s a long way to go yet. For now, robots are still our friendly, law-abiding citizens – as long as we don’t forget their offswitch.

BY PETRA O’NEILL

he worst night of my life was spent at Barangaroo. I’d just returned exhausted from leading a tour group of 61 Americans to the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru in 3 days! I waved goodbye as they were taken by tender boat to their cruise ship anchored in the middle of the harbour, while their luggage piled high followed close behind. On top of the tender boat sat my little bag. “Stop, my bag is not joining the cruise!” I called out, though no-one heard. I sat and waited. But what an array of life I saw on Sydney Harbour that night! Fishing boats, leisure craft and ferries were everywhere, with the reflection of brightly coloured lights flickering on the water.

Closer to midnight, the lights dimmed and the harbour became still and quiet. From the darkness the tender boat at last emerged, bringing back with it my little bag.

Barangaroo has been slated for great things: parklands, commercial buildings and apartments. But at present it is a vast 22-hectare flattened site where container wharves once stood, that provides cruise ship passengers with little amenity other than a plastic marquee. Barangaroo was the aboriginal wife of Bennelong, after whom Bennelong Point, the site of the Sydney Opera House was named.

In 1900, the State Government built container wharves to store goods brought in by ships from overseas, and employed soldiers returning from World War I in need of work to cut the sandstone to build Hickson Road. During

HistoryHarbour

Darling Harbour and its surrounds have undergone a positive transformation of urban renewal while preserving the past

the Great Depression, Hickson Road was known as ‘The Hungry Mile’ after the men who went from wharf to wharf searching for work. Today you can walk along the water’s edge from this point to The Rocks.

Nearby, Australia’s first steampowered mill was established at Darling Harbour in 1815. Wharves, warehouses and factories soon followed. By the 1870s, the wool industry was expanding rapidly with bales of wool requiring storage before being shipped to England, with the massive Goldsbrough Mort wool-stores employing thousands of men.

Darling Harbour was also lined with railway goods yards. I remember how gritty and grim the area once was, when going there to retrieve my pushbike, sent up by freight train from Melbourne. Today it is a recreational amenity offering children’s playgrounds, water features, outdoor concerts and festivals, and attractions including the Sydney Aquarium, the Powerhouse Museum and the Australian National Maritime Museum that are well-deserving of a visit.

In 1806, John Macarthur, acknowledged as responsible for introducing merino sheep to Australia and for developing the wool industry, brought a boatload of friends to a peninsula for a picnic. One remarked that the site reminded her of a spa in Germany called ‘Bad Pyrmont’, giving Pyrmont its name. The land had been bought by Macarthur in 1799, in exchange for a gallon of rum. Deep-water access and proximity to the city meant Pyrmont rapidly became a working class industrial and port community. A major sugar refinery was operated by CSR

Limited, as well as a power station. By 1900, the area had a population of 30,000; but after World War II, Pyrmont spiralled into decline and by 1991 the population had dwindled to 900.

While Star City dominates the skyline, non-gamblers head for the Sydney Fish Markets located on Blackwattle Bay or one of the many harbour side parks. The streets are busy with people, cafes and restaurants while a walk along the peninsula’s foreshore provides great views of the harbour from different vantage points. The area now has many high-rise residential and commercial buildings and a multicultural population, with only 35% of residents born in Australia.

In 1857, Pyrmont was connected to the city by a low wooden toll bridge across the entrance to Darling Harbour. The bridge was rebuilt in 1902 to allow ships through by an innovative timber truss system that can open and close in 44 seconds, all the more remarkable that it is still in use today.

Once Sydney’s industrial heartland of wharves, goods yards, wool stores and factories, Darling Harbour and Pyrmont have undergone a positive transformation of urban renewal, while preserving much of the past.

Barangaroo was the aboriginal wife of Bennelong, after whom Bennelong Point, the site of the Sydney Opera House was named.

HARBOUR HISTORY

B ARAN g AROO, DARLIN g HARBOUR & PYRMONT

I NSI d E r’S TIP

Download walking maps and insightful historic information from the City of Sydney’s website at www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/history Tel: 9265 9333. The Fish Markets runs Australia’s leading cooking school, the Sydney Seafood School, featuring well known chefs that will have you whipping up Thai, Tapas or Singapore chilli crabs in no time.

G ETTING THE r E

Join a leisurely cruise with Captain Cook Cruises at www.captaincook.com.au Tel: 9206 1111. Catch a ferry from Circular Quay to Darling Harbour and/or Pyrmont Bay. Catch bus number 443 from Town Hall or the Metro Light Rail from Central. On Sundays, families travelling together (at least one adult and one child) pay only $2.50 each for unlimited travel on government buses, trains, ferries and the Light Rail Network. www.131500.com.au Tel: 131-500.

W HE r E

To EAT

There is no shortage of dining options at Darling Harbour. Restaurants line Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Quarter, King Street Wharf and the Harbourside Shopping Centre. Zaaffran is recommended. www.zaaffran.com Tel: 9211 8900. For a more intimate dining experience, try the restaurants at the Pyrmont Finger Wharves or on Harris Street near Pyrmont Point Park where BBQ facilities cater for those preferring a picnic. For the freshest seafood, head for the Fish Markets. Bring an esky to keep your purchases cool for the ride home, or dine at the cafes onsite.

F U r THE r INF or MATI o N

The Australian National Maritime Museum and Powerhouse Museum are open daily, except on Christmas Day. Entry fees apply. The museums offer interactive exhibitions, kid’s activities during the school holidays, and will keep them amused on wet wintery days.

The changing nature of relationships

New Indian novels mirror contemporary man-woman relationships, notes MADHUSREE

Contemporary Indian popular fiction that narrates desi cosmopolitan stories has been mirroring the changing man-woman relationship in a more open and accepting urban India, a leading literary agent says.

Even 10 years ago, romantic novels spun stories about a man and one woman, whose sacrosanct monogamous love twisted and turned its way to the altar after epic struggles. Brazen romantic love as a subject of mass fiction was considered audacious in the middle-class conservatism of the 1970s-1980s.

However, when the globalised 1990s began to creep into desi books, the floodgates of love opened to include more complex themes with “emotional riddles, tangled relationships and even same sex love”. In the decade of 2000, the cast of the tales grew younger in years as dark passionate secrets came tumbling out of cupboards - but with an essentially Indian feel.

Quite a lot of books are reflecting the changing romantic relationship in India, says literary agent Mita Kapur of Siyahi, which promotes contemporary young Indian literature.

“It came to my mind when I was reading Zoya Factor by Anuja Chauhan and Piece of Cake by Swati Kaushal. It also comes through in the way Advaita Kala (almost single) handles her relationship or Anita Nair

addresses relationship. Namita Gokhale also reflected upon the relationships in her book Priya,” Kapur notes.

“Complex relationships have always existed in our society - in a particular class in the urban areas which were developing faster than the rural areas,” Kapur adds. “But in the manuscripts I am now reading, there is a certain openness in the way relationships are addressed”.

Difficult relationships, jealousy and triangular love no longer shock readers; rather they make powerful plots like in cinema and television.

A new book by Nirupama Subramanian, Intermission, for example, follows in the footsteps of John Updike to paint the changing face of Gurgaon suburbia, the dazzling face of modern India.

Varun and Gayatri, an NRI couple returns to India after several years abroad. Varun is glad to be his own boss while wife Gayatri finds readjusting in the traditional Indian family difficult. Life changes insidiously for the family when Varun meets Sweety, a single mother of two, in a dream of a nuclear family.

It is a far cry from Rabindranath Tagore’s Nashto Nir or Ghare Baire or Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Devdas - tales of unconventional and heroic love.

Tracing the history of romance in literature and its assimilation from the society, Dipa Chaudhuri,

the chief editor of Om Books International, says 35-40 years ago love stories in books were built in the mould of Mills & Boons and Barbara Cartland romances which began with difficulties in the beginning and resolved in the end.

“For me it was a bit of an illusion because the books were written in a certain time period which played on what love ought to be for women,” Chaudhuri observes. “The presentations were stereotypical. What I find today is a demystification of love in actual life and yet the upholding of the emotion and connecting with realities. It is no longer the ideal emotion that you can reach out to touch. Contemporary romance is a surprise to me because so many options are coming out of Indian contexts”.

Chaudhuri adds, “Interestingly, more men are also writing about love now - they are talking about love, loss and longing - difficulties in negotiating relationships”.

Two new best-selling massmarket works, I Too Have a Love Story and Can Love Happen Twice by Ravinder Singh addresses the progression in Indian love stories through the life of its young protagonist Ravin, who finds love through a matrimonial site and loses it, only to give another shot at it.

Books like Boy Meets Girl, There is No Love on Wall Street, The Great Indian Love Story, Marrying Anita, Nick of Time and Scandalous Secret have been powered by the Indian

CHATTERJEE

When the globalised 1990s began to creep into desi books, the floodgates of love opened to include more complex themes with emotional riddles, tangled relationships and even same sex love

reader’s undying passion for love stories with a tweak.

On a parallel note, a spate of books have been addressing forbidden love like gay and alternative sexual passion.

According to writer Namita Gokhale, the author of contemporary novels like Paro: Dreams of Passion, Priya and a new anthology of short stories, The Habit of Love, modern

fiction mirrors the anxieties and aspirations in relationships. “There can’t be any single Indian reality as societal constraints are changing and opening up,” Gokhale says. “It is the need for love stories - the writers - to understand real kind of love. Writers are projecting different emotional and social situations... After all, literature helps make sense of our lives”.

Poignant tales from an innocent past

I ndian school days are hardly Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers where stories lurk in every nook and brew in every cranny of the classrooms and hostels.

Schools here are usually associated with nose-on-the-grindstone regimen, cramming sessions and the pressure cooker of term-end examinations.

Dream schools such as Rabindranath Tagore’s VisvaBharati in Santiniketan are a rarity among the millions of knowledge holes that dot the country passing off as primary, secondary and high schools.

However, a new anthology of short stories, Whispers in the Classroom, Voices on the Field: Stories of School, Friends and Life, by some of India’s leading short story writers tries to revive the dead soul of our long-gone school days with tales of nostalgia - and wonder - that

strikes the newbie in the education machine. It emerges a winner with a bagful of delightful tales.

The collection has pooled in writers such as Subhadra Sen Gupta, Bulbul Sharma, Paro Anand, Jerry Pinto, Ranjit Lal, Gautam Benegal, Anupa Lal and Trisha Ray to weave narratives about scholastic education from childhood memories, events and social, temporal, spatial and emotional canvases.

Known for her retelling of history for children, Subhadra Sen Gupta titles her story A Disobedient Girl -- in 19th century Bengal when girls had just begun to go to school.

At that time, women were supposed to keep strict purdah and not allowed to leave the house unless accompanied by male relatives or servants, the author says about the historical backdrop of her story.

The movement for women’s rights and education in Bengal were led by reformers such as Raja Rammohun Roy in the mid-19th century in the midst of criticism by the orthodox Bengali gentry that “educated girls became widows”. Women were gradually allowed basic education but were expected to be servile to men.

The story narrates the joys and agonies of a young 19th century woman from an old-world family fold, who suddenly discovers her way to school.

Leading children’s story-teller and activist Paro Anand builds her narrative, They Called Her Fats, around Fatima Whitbread who won her first Olympic bronze medal in “javelin throw” in 1984 and later in the World Championships logging five of the six longest throws in history and breaking world records.

“Long ago, a little news item on

the sports page of a newspaper told me something about this incredible woman. Since then I have tried to gather as much information about her as possible,” Anand said.

There is something about school gates, the writer says recalling her memory of school days.

“When I went back to teach in the school I studied at, I had the same sinking feeling getting past them that I’d always had as a student,” she recounts with nostalgia.

Veteran writer Ranjit Lal spins a tale of a misfit Sushmita, who struggles to be accepted in her school.

“I went to Green Lawns School in Mumbai, the only school that would have me despite my health issue. There was actually a girl there like Sushmita...,” Lal said.

The stories stand out for their innocence and the simplicity of the

prose and themes.

The book was released by writer and MP Shashi Tharoor and his wife Sunanda in New Delhi this month.

Madhusree Chatterjee

Nirupama Subramanian

Serves me right!

Retribution is a way of life whether you’re a pretty young thing or a pretty mean mum

BY SHERYL DIXIT

Ayoung, cheerful, unmarried, twentysomething friend dropped in for lunch. My two young sons greeted her with a curiosity that lasted for about ten seconds, after they found out that she hadn’t a clue about the Power Rangers and didn’t have Angry Birds on her mobile phone. They are now at an age where it’s safe to leave them alone for about half an hour without more than a random check every ten minutes if they’re unusually silent. It was a pleasant afternoon that passed all too quickly, so when she began gathering together her belongings, I began gathering mine too.

“Are you going out?” she asked politely.

“Yes, just to the shops to get some groceries,” I said, pulling a face.

“I’ll come with you,” she offered. “I have to get a couple of things too.”

The dismay must have shown on my face, because she immediately asked, “What happened, did I say something wrong?”

“No, no, it’s just that I’ll be taking the boys along,” I said, somewhat lamely.

“So?”

“Well, a simple trip to the shops could turn into a perilous expedition,” I said.

“Come on, with these guys?” she said, looking at the two who were putting on their sandals with big grins on their cheeky faces.

“They’ve been great all afternoon, haven’t you guys?”

“Yes!” came the enthusiastic chorus.

“I don’t know what it is with you mums,” continued the innocent. “All of you make such a big deal taking your kids shopping. I rarely come across a mum who’s not tense when her kids are with her in a supermarket or department store. They’re always getting yelled at or being told, ‘No!’ for doing nothing. It doesn’t seem fair on them.”

Now by nature, I’m mild and peace-loving to the general world, although my kids may strongly dispute this statement. But when I looked at her, happy and blissfully ignorant of the joys of taking two little boys shopping, I thought it

best to give her a dose of my reality.

“Great,” I said enthusiastically. “Let’s take my car, shall we? Once we’re finished, you can pick up yours from here!” This subtle manoeuvre effectively cut off all routes of escape, poor thing.

It began when we sat in the car. Encouraged by the prospect of an outing after an afternoon at home, they began arguing about whose seat was cleaner. Since both were grubby to the extreme it wasn’t much of an argument, but helped them expel a bit of energy, while saving the best for last.

I drove to the shops while my sons advised me on my driving techniques, while insisting that a variety of wildlife were sharing the car with us, including spiders, wasps, maybe the neighbour’s cat. My friend began to look nervous. I didn’t quite feel up to enhancing her experience with my usual yells and threats that they would have to walk, so I carried on a somewhat strained conversation till we got to the car park.

Getting out of the car took a while as usual, the older one had to carry along his football, the younger one had an assortment of toy cars and superhero characters. I desisted from arguing as I normally would have done, insisting that they leave their junk back in the car. Just as we were about to cross the main thoroughfare, the ball ‘fell’ and one of the cars ‘jumped’. So there we were, my friend playing traffic cop as we fumbled to get our belongings together.

“Serves her right!” I thought meanly, “She asked for it!”

Getting into the supermarket was the usual drama. Both wanted to sit in the trolley, and both are

ones, each child sitting in one. Then we crawled along aisles together because the boys urgently needed to converse with each other, and see who could shout the loudest. We plodded on to the familiar refrains of, “I want that!”; “Can I have that?”; “Please, please, please, pretty please can I have that?” “I’ll pay you back, can I have that, pleeaaaseee!” Now I have a policy which both my sons are familiar with. If I don’t reply, the answer is ‘no’. However, my lovely young friend, ignorant in the matter of juvenile minds, tried what few mums dare do – explain! They were too young for energy drinks, they couldn’t eat oats raw, the box looks nice, but it contains tampons…uh, oh, I really don’t know what they are!

We were nearing the toy aisle, and I knew what was going to happen next. Predictably, both decided that they really could walk now, they weren’t that tired. With an audible sigh of relief, my friend let hers out of the trolley, mine jumped out and they disappeared into the toy section in an instant. She rushed behind them, I followed more leisurely in the belief that it would take a very brave kidnapper the nerve to snatch two vociferous children away from a bunch of toys. Satisfied that they were safe, my friend stopped a short distance away and began to look pensive. Then she looked mildly surprised and rummaged in her large, expensive, genuine Prada bag which I shamelessly coveted. She pulled out her iPhone and peered intently at the screen. From where I was standing, there was

apologetically and said, “It was on silent, I have to take this call.” And with that she fled out of the store, leaving me to round up the troops.

Now when mum’s in charge with no distractions, the boys are good as gold. They walked along the trolley for the next couple of aisles, didn’t ask for more than the usual stuff, didn’t get a response, and didn’t push it. We were out of there in about ten minutes, much to the relief of my friend who had bought a large bag of iced doughnuts to revive herself. She probably needed the sugar, but I wasn’t too pleased when she offered the bag to the boys instead.

We got home in one piece, the backseat drivers too absorbed in smearing chocolate icing all over their clothes and the car, to make much conversation. I kept up my end, but my friend continued pensive. When we got home she patted the boys affectionately on the head, and although I was tempted, I didn’t suggest a hug. The poor girl had already gone through the wringer, I thought.

As she got into her car, she rolled down the window and said, “That was an interesting experience, thank you!”

“It was, wasn’t it?” I smirked.

“Oh yes,” she said. “By the way, keep an evening free next week, I want you to meet my new boyfriend.”

“Oh!” I said, taken aback, as this was news.

“He looks like Justin Beiber, and behaves like him too. You’ll love him!” she said with a huge grin, driving away before I could react.

I watched her drive away and thought, serves me right! I asked for it!

I drove to the shops while my sons advised me on my driving techniques, while insisting that a variety of wildlife were sharing the car with us, including spiders, wasps, maybe the neighbour’s cat

We got home in one piece, the backseat drivers too absorbed in smearing chocolate icing all over their clothes and the car to make much conversation.

Food to fight ageing

There are many dietary precautions you could take to prevent ageing, but here are the most fundamental

easy to follow ones.

MINNAL KHONA

It goes without saying that being overweight causes several health issues and one of them is, most definitely, ageing. While fat is needed as a storehouse of energy and can keep the skin supple (notice how sudden weight loss causes the skin to sag), one should keep it well within healthy levels. You can enjoy butter, milk etc., if you can limit their intake. The culprits which are high in fat are lard, margarine, fried food, cream and processed food like biscuits and cakes. Include healthy foods like fresh fruit and vegetables, and whole wheat instead of processed flour.

In the oil you buy, check the percentage of mono and poly unsaturated fats. The mono unsaturated fats are healthier and can be found in vegetable oils, seeds and nuts. Poly unsaturated fats are found in beef, animal fat and full cream milk etc., which are bad for health and can increase cholesterol levels.

Go easy on the fizzies

There is something about everything that is bad for us, and usually they are tasty or very tempting. How many of us reach out for a cola or a coffee when we need a kick? I see so many people walking to work with a coffee to go. And these people have probably already had a cup with their brekkie that morning. Many even smoke, and an increasing number of women smoke too. Women’s bodies age faster if there is too much intake of alcohol or nicotine. Not to mention the fine lines that develop on the upper lip because of pursing the lips to take a drag on a cigarette. Increased intake of caffeine, alcohol or cigarettes can speed up ageing by initiating bone loss.

Caffeine is, in fact, the cause of a lot of problems and people don’t realise it as they guzzle endless cups of very strong coffee. It can make one jittery and hyper, and add to stress levels.

I have never understood the Western concept of a coffee after dinner. The milk in the coffee can curdle and cause diarrhoea, once it hits the stomach. And black coffee

can keep you up for hours, playing havoc with your sleep patterns. Caffeine can also dehydrate and this makes the skin dry too, causing it to wrinkle faster. Just like you would consume alcohol in moderation, do the same with coffee. Don’t mindlessly step out for a smoke and a coffee. Drink some water instead, it will benefit you far more than a cup of coffee ever will.

Detox to de-stress

We may not realise it but all the stress of work and sometimes family life, as well as suppressed emotions like anger, hurt and resentment cause the build-up of toxins in our bodies. Pollution, poor eating habits and for some, a sedentary lifestyle can result in other ailments that have their foundation in these negative phenomena.

Enter detox treatments. When you detox your body – preferably once a week –the body flushes most of the toxins out and the right kind of food gets ingested. A leafy salad, some fruit like watermelon, papaya and apple can provide the body with fibre to clean out the stomach. Vitamins get absorbed and antioxidants perform the function of powerful anti ageing agents. So make sure that at least once a week you eat salads and fruits for breakfast and lunch, and a fibre-rich cereal for dinner, if you are still hungry. This kind of food will also help you de-stress.

Check your calcium

As one ages, it is important to ensure high calcium intake to keep the bones and nails strong. Women especially, should take a calcium supplement that has a bit of magnesium in it as on its own, the body can only absorb small amounts of calcium. Milk, dairy products like yoghurt and boiled potatoes are good sources of calcium. In fact, one boiled potato is equal to a cup of milk. Some nuts and fish are also good sources of calcium. Make this a daily habit if you don’t want osteoporosis or dull and brittle nails.

High on carbs

Carbohydrates are very important and when people go on a diet, the first thing they do is give up on carbs. But it is important to keep in mind that if your diet has more calories than you need or expend, you will gain weight. The extra calories in carbs left over after the daily requirement has been met

is what gets converted to fat. So it doesn’t matter if you are eating a low fat diet or not. Instead of supersizing everything, go for smaller portions. What works for me is this simple trick – to keep my weight under control and not give up on foods I love, I eat slowly to start with. Then the moment I begin to feel full, I stop and tell myself I am full. That’s how I avoid overeating. Some people eat healthy food, but they

just don’t know when to stop, and eat large portions. If you are self-aware, you will know what works for you, and what doesn’t. Do not opt for yo-yo diets to lose weight. These play havoc with your body and hasten the anti-ageing process. Instead, eat small, eat healthy and exercise. If you stay stress free and find happiness in little things, your skin and hair will look good too.

Women especially, should take a calcium supplement that has a bit of magnesium in it as on its own, the body can only absorb small amounts of calcium

and

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This is where Buddhism was first introduced to our land,” says Harsha, my guide, while standing in front of a white stupa at Mihintate in Sri Lanka. It is said that at this spot around 247 BC, Mahinda, Emperor Ashoka’s son met Sinhalese King Devanampiya and inspired him to accept Buddhism as the national religion.

Marked as a significant event in the land’s history, this devout espousal led to the integration of state royalty with religious orders which in subsequent periods influenced art, culture, lifestyle and architecture. It is evident throughout Sri Lanka; but most expressively in the ancient cities in the northern plains from where 2500 years ago, the vibrant journey of a nation and a religion began.

An odyssey through past legacies following the steps of the royals and Buddhism is a major attraction of the Indian Ocean Island, currently witnessing unprecedented growth in tourism at the end of its long-drawn ethnic unrest.

Speculations suggest that the island of 64,000 sq km area was originally occupied by huntergatherers called Veddahs, until 5th century BC, when Vijay, an ousted Indian king touched its shores and instituted the first Sinhalese kingdom that ruled the land from their capital Anuradhapura for the next 1200 years. It was during this golden era that myriad palaces, temples, stupas and monasteries were built; townships were developed with massive irrigation systems needed for survival in the hot dry land,

Roots of royalty & religion

and artistic and architectural endeavours were sponsored. After Anuradhapura was destroyed by the Chola kings from South India, Polonnarawa down south became the new epicentre and remained so for over two centuries till the Europeans moved in and the power base shifted further south to Kandy and finally, to Colombo.

The primeval sites are located around 3 hours away by road from the capital Colombo, an international getaway metropolis which in style and ambiance is different from rest of the nation. It is more cosmopolitan; represents a unique blend of cultures derived from its early settlers - the Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch and British - and displays tolerance for all religions, testified by the number of Catholic churches, Hindu temples and Islamic mosques sharing space with Buddhist shrines.

To experience the true Sri Lanka and its roots, and to comprehend the evolution of Buddhism in this land, all guidebooks recommend moving out of Colombo and driving north to Anuradhapura and its surrounds, often referred as the Cultural Quarter.

Founded by King Pandukabhaya in 384 BC, Anuradhapura is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown. The ensemble of tall Buddhist stupas or dagobas, admirable sculptural samples and the remains of royal palaces, temples, monasteries, gardens and ceremonial baths, depicts a strong connection between royalty and religion. All the stupas are well-preserved, prominent among them are Thuparama dagoba, said to be the oldest of its kind in the world; Ruvanvelisaya dagoba guarded by a wall with a fresco of countless elephants standing shoulder-to-shoulder; the 100m tall Jetavanarama dagoba that once housed 5000 monks; and

Abhayagiri dagoba, the largest in the domain.

Unlike Anuradhapura, at Polonnaruwa some Brahmanic monuments built by the Chola kings add to the assembly of epic ruins of palaces and sanctuaries endowed by several Indian and Sinhalese dynasties in a perfect natural setting. Revealing superior samples of art and architecture, they appear to be in marginally better physical condition, perhaps being younger in age. Unfortunately because of time constraints it is not possible to see all of them, however don’t miss the gigantic rock-carved Buddha figures at Gal Vihara , the 175m diameter stupa at Rankot Vihara and the four sitting Buddha busts, placed on a raised platform at the Quadrangle.

The most sacred emblem in Anuradhapura is Sri Maha Bodhi, a huge tree which has grown from the cutting of the same plant in Bodhgaya in India, under which the meditating Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment and became Buddha. The sapling was brought to Sri Lanka in 244 BC by Sangamitta, Emperor Ashoka’s daughter to inspire the new religion introduced earlier by her brother. Over the years, the sprout grew into a huge tree, withstood sun and rain for more than two millennium and survives today at the same location as the oldest historically authenticated tree in the world. Its presence is venerated in the heart of every ardent Buddhist in Sri Lanka, thousands thronging there every day for prayers. Pilgrims in large number also visit mountainous Mihitale,

which millenniums before was deeply forested, where royals voyaged to hunt deer. It was during one such trip on a full moon day that King Devanampiya saw the apostle Mahinda and was instantly engaged by his spiritual strength. The wondrous setting became renowned as the cradle of Buddhism and Anuradhapura kings of then and the future filled in the precinct with beautiful shrines, stupas and caves, one of which is acclaimed as Mahinda’s meditation camp. “A more perfect sanctuary for the sons of Buddha could not be found anywhere else throughout the length and breadth of Ceylon,” said 20th century British archaeologist Harry Bell, and all visitors, irrespective of their religion, tend to agree with this statement when at Mihitale.

Though not clearly documented, many Sri Lankans believe that Buddhism was instituted into the land centuries earlier by the Lord himself who, according to legend, touched Sri Lanka three times – in 528 BC, 523BC and 520 BC to prevent wars between indigenous factions and to spread his faith among them. Believing the fable, Anuradhapura kings later built dagobas at Mahiyangana, Nainativu and Digavapi honouring the auspicious visits.

They stand today as sites of pilgrimage for Buddhists from all over the world. So does the 2234m mountain peak of Sri Pada where Buddha is assumed to have left his footprint during his second visit.

However in terms of veneration, perhaps nothing beats the Tooth Temple in Kandy. This shrine treasures Buddha’s tooth which was recovered from his funeral pyre and smuggled to Anuradhapura with credence that whoever has custody of it owns the right to rule the kingdom.

With the demise of ancient capitals, the relic was shifted to a temple in Kandy which now stands as a major attraction for visitors to Sri Lanka, irrespective of their religion.

Built in the 17th century, the interior of the stone edifice is richly carved and decorated with inlaid woods, ivory, and lacquer. The relic rests on a solid gold lotus flower, encased in jewelled

Tracing the path of Buddhism through Sri Lanka is a delightful discovery of ancient history

sandip hor

caskets placed on a throne. It is kept in a two-story inner chamber fronted by two large elephant tusks. There are certain times during the day when pilgrims can see the casket from a distance.

The pious piece is removed from its shrine only once a year, during the 10-day Esala Perahera, possibly recognized as the largest Buddhist celebration in the world. During the full moon in late July or early August, a royal male elephant carries the reliquary of the sacred tooth and leads a colourful parade of dancers, drummers, dignitaries and several ornately decorated elephants.

Harsha tells me that attendance at the festival exceeds the million mark and unites all ranks of Sri Lankan society in a vast throng of devotees and interested onlookers. Surely it inspires me to make a return visit.

This shrine treasures Buddha’s tooth which was recovered from his funeral pyre and smuggled to Anuradhapura with credence that whoever has custody of it owns the right to rule the kingdom.

Main picture: Tooth Temple at night

Clockwise from top: Buddhist monk at Mihintale Cave Temple

Sleeping Buddha at Gal Vihara

Marvellous ruins of Polonnaruwa

Pilgrims at a shrine

Travel noTebook sri L an K a

GETTING T h ERE

Singapore Airlines (www.singaporeair.com), has daily flights to Colombo from Singapore with excellent connections from Australia offering 107 flights per week in total to Singapore from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane Adelaide and Perth. The A380 operates on two of four flights from Sydney, and one from three flights from Melbourne.

accom m odaTI o N

Cultural Quarter precinct offers an array of quality accommodation options; however Heritance Hotel at Kandalama (www.heritancehotels.com), aptly boasts a haven of bliss. A Geoffrey Bawa creation, this luxury hideout is not far from any of the distinguished sites, and is uniquely styled like an outspread wing of a bird. Overlooking a tranquil lake, the 1.8 km long hotel is 7 stories high, yet appears to be a perfect natural extension of the rocky mountain. At Kandy, it is most convenient to stay at the colonial Queens Hotel (www. queenshotel.lk) in front of the temple.

Tou R packaGE

Aitken Spence Travel (www.aitkenspencetravels.com) for Cultural Triangle package tours or for transportation in a private vehicle with driver cum guide.

The quest for happiness

This state of being doesn’t have to be as rare as some make it out to be

BY saroJa sriniVasan

There is an oft quoted saying about happiness:

“Happiness is like a butterfly

The more you chase it the harder it is to grasp it.

However if you let it be

It will come and rest gently upon your shoulder.”

This is very apt as a truism. Modern laments about the presence of significant unhappiness in society is fuelled by the vested interests of the consumerist world we live in, and most people quite blindly make it a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“I am unhappy because I do not possess what is the latest and most expensive” is a popular refrain. As soon as we abdicate the power to what makes us happy to material things, we become possessive and controlling of happiness itself. Like beauty, happiness cannot be

possessed exclusively. When we do feel happy we try to hold on to it, and want to retain it forever at all costs. This invariably leads to its destruction and certain demise, only to be followed by disappointment and despair.

The most common mistake is to believe that something outside of ourselves is responsible for our happiness. In fact, it is sometimes quoted as a reason for the break up of relationships: “He/she did not make me ‘happy’.” Quite erroneously we believe that the possession of material things, the kudos from others for our achievements, or that one’s partner has the responsibility to make us happy. These prerequisites for happiness, of course, share two vital ingredients – movable goal posts and one’s lack of control over this movement! As the goal shifts endlessly, more and more material things, more and more recognition from others become necessary to make us happy. What follows is a vicious cycle of need turning to want, which then leads

m AT Rimoni AL s

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happiness is experiencing a vibrant, free, energetic, yet very brief experience that leaves a lasting smile on our face.

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”

Happiness begins with:

* A tranquil mind

* An active body

* Helpful hands

* Thoughtful actions

* Compassionate words

* Enthusiastic ideas

* A smiling face

* A trusting nature

* Respectful deeds

* An attitude of humility and

* Enjoying solitude…. leading to a happy life!

city carries away the crown

Despite its wealthy, yet underdog status, Manchester City proves its mettle against respected neighbour Manchester United

one of the more dramatic finishes in football’s Premier League history eventuated on May 12, as in its twentieth season, the English Premier League (EPL) weaved a stunning come-from-behind script for Manchester City, who, with two late strikes against relegation candidates Queens Park Rangers, sealed their first championship since 1968.

The victory was only made sweeter for Manchester City due to the manner in which it came about. The battle was between the unfavourable underdog, City, and its more popular, respected rival in Manchester United. City has always struggled to shake off the image of being the richest club in the world, yet lacking in club tradition and culture.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the United

manager, said recently that there was nothing that could be done about City’s penchant to “spend a fortune, pay stupid money, (and) pay silly salaries”.

It cannot be denied, however, that this season may be the beginning of the elusive respect Manchester City is seeking. While the obscene amounts of cash associated with the club will always raise eyebrows, the team’s refusal to give up on the premiership will have won them many fans.

Midway through the season, City had opened up a sizeable lead in the table, but United kept cutting away at it until, leading into the last few matches, United had taken an 8 point lead with just 6 matches to go. Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City manager, had even conceded that the title race was over, and United had won.

The season featured many stunning matches, including Arsenal’s embarrassing 8-2 loss to the Red Devils. However, it was United’s shock 4-4 draw with Everton, during which they led 4-2 with just six minutes to go and six rounds to go, that would prove the crucial turning point in the end. This draw reduced the deficit between United and City to just 3 points, and with City winning the derby match in the third-last round of the season, the Premier League was, for the first time in history, decided on goal difference.

What made the final day of the season even more scintillating for fans was the fact that Manchester United’s match against Sunderland took place concurrently to City’s against QPR. As United wrapped up a 1-0 win at Sunderland, for few minutes, their fans were jubilant as they kept track of the score between Manchester

City and QPR. City, who trailed 1-2 until the second minute of stoppage time, equalised with just three minutes left to go. A draw would only earn City one point, not enough to win the premiership. It seemed like it would be a bridge too far, yet somehow, miraculously, Sergio Aguero blazed in a kick one minute from full time that sent his home crowd from the brink of tears to sheer ecstasy.

EPL pundit, and diehard Manchester United supporter, Jerry Lin perhaps best summed up the collective United heartbreak: “Whilst I never expected anything positive out of the final day of the season, given United

SUCEEDING IN THE SCIENCES

Alex Stoynaov and Christine Zhang explain what it takes to score top marks in HSC Physics and Chemistry. Alex and Christine both scored UAIs of 100.00 and came 1st in NSW HSC in Physics (2007) and Chemistry (2008), respectively.

The greatest myth of HSC Physics and Chemistry is that you need to be a brilliant Physicist or Chemist to do well in these subjects. I can assure you this is far from the case. In fact, if you looked at the Australian Olympiad team – regarded as the brightest young minds in Australian science – no member of the Physics team ever achieved a state ranking, whilst only 3 members of chemistry were able to do so. Why is this the case?

The basic answer is that you needed to understand what the examiner is asking for and give them what they want to hear. The real key to succeeding in HSC Physics and Chemistry, is being able to answer HSC-style questions effectively.

You will lose marks for an inaccurate and unspecific response, with the number you lose depending on the verbosity. To draw an analogy, each HSC response can fall into two categories: a sniper response (in which a few carefully selected shots hit the target), or a machine gun response (where bullets are sprayed in every direction, hoping that at least one hits the target). Similarly, average students who ‘spray and pray’ can be marked down for verbosity, even if their answer is substantially correct, whilst top students understand, say, the five things you need to say to score full marks in a 5 marks questions.

In reality, the HSC is like a game; there are certain things you can do to prepare which can give you an advantage over those that may be more “knowledgeable” in the sciences. Here are 4 things I think can really help you improve your marks.

KNOW THE SYLLABUS

Knowing the syllabus is undoubtedly the most important thing for a science student to know. In the HSC, the syllabus is your bible: EVERYTHING in the exam comes from the syllabus and NOTHING outside this Holy Book can be asked in an examination paper. It is amazing how many students do not know the syllabus and spend

hours studying irrelevant information, whilst missing out key points in the syllabus. No dot point should be left unanswered. At Talent 100, in order to make your studies time efficient, our courses are strictly exam-relevant; every syllabus dot point has been answered to a full marks standard, so you will know exactly what your required to know.

KNOW YOUR QUESTION VERBS

If you look at any question in a HSC sciences paper you will find that all of them start with a specific verb such as “describe”, “assess” or “explain” etc. The verb determines the depth of your answer and every verb has a specific marking guide. In order to blitz a HSC Exam, you must ANSWER THE VERB. A classic example that confuses even the best students is the distinction between the verbs:

• “Discuss”, which requires you to present benefits and disadvantages; and

• “Assess”, which requires you to present benefits and disadvantage AND give a judgement.

No matter how sophisticated your answer is, if you fail to give a judgement in an ‘assess’ question you will lose marks. Since these questions are worth 7-8 marks, the failure to appreciate exactly what each verb is asking of you is a costly mistake, and is probably the biggest pitfall of many good students (and even, Chemistry and Physics ‘Olympians’)

The best way to make sure you answer the verb is to practice. Our examination-style homework can help you to do that on a weekly basis, and is a great way to perfect your examination technique.

BE ABLE TO ANSWER ALL THE QUESTION TYPES

If you look at the science exam carefully, you can see that it is composed of particular question types. Most average students tend to focus only on the explanations and calculations –considered the ‘real science’, whilst forgetting the ‘softer’ parts of the syllabus (how science is applied and impacts on society and the environment).

were going in behind on goal difference, I am lucky to have witnessed the most amazing night of football in my life. To be two minutes from retaining the title, with QPR defending stoutly, only to have all of that taken away in a single moment was as strangely inevitable as it was crushing. Congratulations must be passed on to the Manchester City team for never giving up and undeniably being the better team over the 38 rounds.”

It is no wonder, then, that fans have voted this season of the English Premier League the best in history. Who’s your pick for next year?

The problem with this approach is that these ‘softer’ parts of the syllabus actually account for 35% of the exam. For instance, in the HSC Option Topic, students have been asked question such as ‘Asses the impact of the development of the atomic bomb and society and the environment’ (8 marks). Whilst there is very little physics behind this question, if you cannot answer this question properly, you can lose a significant number of marks very easily.

This is another pitfall of many students; they fail to engage with the holistic approach of the HSC Syllabus, which tests knowledge of social, historical and environmental impacts of science, rather than just the scientific theory.

KNOW YOUR PRACTICALS AND THE PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES BEHIND THEM

Practicals make up a significant (~15%-20%) of all 3 science subjects. So, it is imperative that you know all your practicals, including how to carry them out, interpret the results and improve them.

You should be aware that the ‘hit and miss’ nature of practical exams can damage your school ranking significantly. My school chemistry rank was severely hurt by a single practical exam and it is important that you are well prepared for each one.

Also, know the physical principles behind each practical in order to explain and discuss them. The most common three questions that are asked in HSC exams are to evaluate the reliability, validity and accuracy of your results.

In the Talent 100 course, we provide all practical prescribed by the syllabus in full detail (Aim, method, apparatus, diagram and results) and also include ways to improve reliability, accuracy and validity

At Talent 100, we’ve designed a course that integrates all these principles in our learning system. We can help you understand what it takes to answer every syllabus dot point to a FULL MARKS standard, and perfect your examination technique so you can score top marks in Physics and Chemistry. For more information, please call 8003 6887 or go to www.talent-100.com.au

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Biryani

Get imaginative with the basic biryani model, adding a variety of ingredients to create some truly hearty rice dishes

4 tsp chillies, finely cut

3 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1½ tsp garam masala powder

1½ tsp coriander-cumin powder

BY K anan paTEL

Biryani, a rice and meat dish, always makes a festive meal. Wonderfully spiced and flavoured, it is traditionally served with simple accompaniments such a fresh green salad, plain yogurt or raita, papads, chutneys and relishes.

Originating from Mughal times, this hearty dish is supposed to have been invented as a quick meal to feed armies on the move –hunted game was mixed with rice and spices and cooked in the one pot. Today of course, it is a special preparation, and is cooked with all forms of meat, lamb, chicken, even mince.

Yet, why should the meat-eaters have all the fun? The biryani method can be applied equally well to vegetarian ingredients too! Mixed vegetables, paneer, spinach, cheese, and even eggs can all be converted successfully into a yummilicious biryani, as the following recipes show.

Vegetarian Passion Biryani

2 cups basmati rice

100 gms green peas, shelled

100 gms carrots, cut into long pieces

100 gms French beans, cut into diamond shaped pieces

3 medium size potatoes, cut into four pieces each

4 whole cardamoms

4 cm piece whole cinnamon

8 whole cloves

8 whole peppercorns

1 tsp. shahjeera

6 bay leaves

6 strands saffron, soaked in water

Masala for the vegetables:

250 gms onions, sliced

Salt to taste

3 tbsp ghee

Ghee for deep frying onions

2 tomatoes, sliced

2 capsicums, sliced

2 onions, fried till crisp

Few mint leaves.

Wash the vegetables and drain them well. Heat ghee and deepfry the onions till well-browned. Remove and leave to cool. When cool, grind to a paste.

Wash and cook the rice in double the quantity of water. When done, remove from heat. Keep aside to cool.

Next, lightly roast the saffron, grind and sprinkle over the cooled rice. Heat ghee in a kadai and put in the whole spices. Introduce the onion paste, ginger and garlic pastes, garam masala, coriandercumin powder and salt. When well-combined, add the vegetables and saute for five minutes.

Add a little water and cook the vegetables until done and relatively dry. In a baking dish, arrange alternate layers of rice and the prepared vegetables. Top with garnish of slice tomatoes, capsicum, fried onions and mint leaves, and bake in a moderately hot oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Lamb Biryani

700 gms lamb, cut into pieces

2 cups basmati rice

2 tbsp fresh green chillies, sliced

thin

Salt to taste

3 tbsp fresh cut coriander

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp fresh ginger-garlic paste

1 tsp garam masala powder

4-5 bay leaves

5-6 cloves

1 tsp whole jeera seeds

1 large onion

2 tbsp yogurt

2 tbsp oil

Marinate the lamb pieces with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, green chillies, coriander, salt and garam masala for about an hour. Cut onion in thin long slices.

Heat oil in a pressure pan. Add cloves, bay leaves and cumin seeds. When they begin to splutter, add onions and brown until golden brown. Then introduce marinated lamb and cook for 10-15 minutes until nearly done. Then add rice and stir. Add three cups of water and pressure cook till done. Serve hot with raita.

Hyderabadi Bazaari Biryani

2 cups basmati rice

2 cups thick yogurt

2 cups water

2 cups diced mixed vegetables (potatoes, carrots, peas)

2 1/2 tbsp oil

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

2 onions, sliced lengthwise

6 pods garlic, peeled

Salt to taste

Juice of 1 lemon

1½ tbsp finely cut mint leaves

1 tbsp finely cut coriander leaves

Grind together for the masala

2 tbsp cashewnuts

7 small onions

Green chillies to taste

1 inch piece ginger

1 inch piece cinnamon

8 numbers cloves

5 cardamom pods

1 cup fresh coriander leaves

Wash and soak rice for 20 minutes. Drain water and fry for 2 minutes in 1/2 tsp of ghee. Heat a heavy-bottomed vessel, add oil and fry garlic and sliced onion. Mix ginger garlic paste and diced vegetables. Fry till vegetables are tender. Add all the ground masala paste and fry well.

Now mix in the yogurt with one cup of water. When it all comes to a boil, add rice and salt, stir and cover tightly. Cook on a low flame.

Remove from fire after rice is cooked. Squeeze lemon juice, and sprinkle the mint and coriander leaves on top. Replace lid. When you are ready to serve, open the lid and the wonderful aroma of the combined herbs will make this dish a sure winner.

Spinach and cheese medley biryani

While not a traditional biryani, this dish is quick, easy to make and healthy

1 bunch spinach leaves washed, drained

½ cup grated cheese

1½ cups basmati rice

5 green chillies

1 inch piece ginger

1 tbsp butter

1 onion sliced into thin long strips

Salt to taste

½ tsp cinnamon-clove powder

1 cup cabbage thinly chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup milk

bonanza

heavy-bottomed pan, add all the spice powders and onions. Fry till they are light brown. Add cabbage, lemon juice, salt and spinach paste. Fry for 5 minutes. Add the above fried masala to the rice leaving behind 1 tbsp mixture. Add half the cheese. Delicately blend the masala with the rice till it is evenly mixed, preferably with gentle fingers so that the grains do not break. Transfer to a casserole, spread the leftover paste on the rice. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and the milk. Bake for 15 minutes, covered with foil or cling film depending on the oven. Serve hot.

eggetarian Biryani

5 eggs

½ cup fresh grated coconut

1 onion, roughly chopped

½ tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp each grated ginger and chopped garlic

2 cups basmati rice

3 1/2 cups water

1 inch piece cinnamon

Green chillies to taste

5 black cardamom pods

2 bay leaves

¼ tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp coriander powder

water, if necessary. Keep aside.

Now, add 2 tbsp of oil to a pan and heat it. Add cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon and the bay leaves. When they begin to splutter, carefully add the ground paste and cook. Let it cook for 4 minutes. Add the rice and water. Mix well. Cover and cook for up to 15 minutes or until the rice is done.

Boil the eggs separately and cut into rings. Arrange in the corners of a dish and add the rice in the center.

Serve with raita or any gravy dish.

Jhatpat Biryani

2 cups basmati rice

3 medium size onions, finely chopped

Boiled veggies like peas, corn, beans, carrot

6 saffron strands

6 bay leaves

2 tbsp ghee

Salt to taste

Readymade biryani masala

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

8-10 whole cashew nuts

and place the rice dish in the oven for about ten minutes so that all the flavours can be absorbed, and the rice is cooked thoroughly.

Biryani with paneer woofs

2 cups basmati rice

2 cups paneer, mashed

2 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp ghee

3 pods cardamom

6 bay leaves

6 saffron strands soaked in water

Pinch of soda-bicarb

Oil to fry

Cashew nuts and sultanas for garnish

Salt to taste

Soak the rice for half an hour and then boil in water adding half the ghee, all the cardamom and bay leaves until nearly cooked. Drain the rice properly and then add the saffron strand dissolved in water. Once the rice is cooked thoroughly, keep aside.

Cook the rice in plenty of water. To get the flavour, add salt and lemon juice while cooking. Cook until almost done. Drain and cool the rice by spreading it on a tray.

Keep aside.

Blend together the spinach, green chillies and ginger to a paste, without adding water.

Warm butter in a kadhai or

2 tsp cumin powder

Salt to taste

5 tbsp oil

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan.

Fry the onions and green chilli till browned. Grind the fried mix with the coconut, ginger and garlic, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Add a little

Soak the rice for half-hour and then boil in water with half the ghee, all the cardamom and bay leaves until nearly cooked. Drain the rice well, then add the saffron strands dissolved in water.

Fry the onions till brown, add the boiled vegetables and biryani masala, and season with salt to your taste.

Mix all the veggies and rice lightly, layer in a casserole, garnish with cashews and fresh coriander,

To make the paneer woofs, add the ginger-garlic paste, plain flour, soda-bi-carb and salt to taste, to the pre-mashed paneer Mix thoroughly, make small balls and deep fry until golden brown. Keep separate. Also lightly fry the cashew nuts and sultanas and keep them aside.

In an oven-proof casserole, layer the rice and paneer woofs, garnish with cashew nuts and sultanas, and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes.

Serve hot with a gravy dish.

Living the lie

Anita’s heart beat with happiness. So much joy, that she was even ashamed of her petty thoughts.

BY rani JhaLa

it was the film awards night. The winner of the category

‘New discovery of the year’ was about to be announced.

Anita sat on the edge of her seat, her parents on either side of her mimicking her stance. It seemed so surreal. A girl from a small town outside Mumbai with no financial backing and no internal connections was seated amidst the nominees, awaiting the announcement of the winner’s name.

As far as Anita was concerned, she had arrived. Even if she did not win, the movie industry has woken up to her. Her manager was looking at two new offers, the perfect roles to set her up for the future.

She had two people to thank for this. A simple man who worked as a chauffeur, and an even simpler lady who worked as a teacherher beloved parents! Living in their middle class world away from the glitter and glamour of the celluloid world, no one could understand the insatiable need that Anita had to be an actress.

They say her very first word was ‘movie’. By the time she was five, she was acting in school plays. By the time she was in college, she was acting on the stage. And it was at one of her shows that a film director took note of Anita’s talent. He put her into a play that his wife was directing. Before the season ended, he had signed her up for his next film. It was the usual ‘starter film’ with the usual plot - girl meets boy, girl leaves boy, boy finds girl. But even he acknowledged that it was her acting that had made the movie exceptional.

“And the winner is ……….” These words brought Anita back to the present.

The actress who stood on the stage holding the trophy was the famous leading lady Rita, of the past era. With her dyed hair and a face caked with make-up, she now evoked more sympathy than adoration. She was noted for clinging to the microphone when she got hold of it, screeching like a teenager in her pretended enthusiasm, and dressing like a madam of a cheap brothel.

“Anita!” Her mother clutched her hand, repeating the outcome. For the first time in her life,

“Let Rita relive her glories, I am going to walk up to mine!”

Anita hugged her parents and then slowly made her way to the dais. This would never be hers again, so she walked slowly, savouring each moment. Her very first award!

Finally she reached her prize. Rita enveloped her in a hug and wished her every success, but did not release the trophy. Instead she told the world that it was an honour for her to be able to give the award to an actress with so much talent. Anita bowed with humility, thanked her graciously and then blew a kiss to her parents. It was to them that she owed her gratitude. They had ensured that she was given every opportunity in life, unmindful of the cost or the personal hardship. And in her acceptance speech, she acknowledged their sacrifice. Both of them broke down. Anita too, was in tears.

Rita took the opportunity to take the microphone back.

Irritated, Anita grabbed it back and finished her acceptance speech. She thanked the director, the producer and her co-stars.

Finally she walked away from the stage leaving Rita behind, who continued to wrest for the microphone.

After that incident, she made sure she kept her distance from Rita at the celebration party, but somehow whenever a photo was taken, Rita would manoeuvre her way into the shot. She even managed to involve herself in the interviews.

After an hour of playing the game, Anita finally decided that she was going to be frank and tell the old actress to leave her alone. When she saw her go towards the balcony Anita followed, stopping for a few more press photographs along the way.

On stepping out onto the balcony, she looked around but could not see Rita anywhere.

Turning to go back in, she noticed an open door to the stairwell through which voices she recognised were raised in argument.

“Anita is famous now. We have fulfilled our side of the deal; it is time to fulfill yours,” her father said.

“I have given you everything you have always asked for but now that she is an independent woman, your services are no longer needed,” Rita replied.

“The services of a parent never end,” her mother stated. “Parents! You both were acting a role, nothing more. A role for which you were wellcompensated!” came the scornful reply.

Anita’s head began reeling. What were they talking about? Why was parenthood and compensation being used in the same sentence?

“We may not have given birth to Anita, but she is our child,” her mother said.

“But you are not her mother,” Rita screamed

“I am! She is our child. Just as the hundreds of illegitimate children you actors produce who become children to parents like us. We give legitimacy to your kids while you all continue in your careers and pretend to live noble lives. Look around and you will see the resemblances. All the proof is in that room,” retaliated her father.

Rita did not refute the claim; instead she spat back, “You take

money to be a mother. How noble do you call that?”

“And you? You pay to keep your child hidden,” her father attacked.

“Not any more, it is time for me to introduce my daughter to the world,” Rita replied.

“Why now?” asked Anita’s mother in a softer tone.

“Because it is time for my revenge,” Rita replied and then added, “Do you know who her father is?”

“Your affair with your co-star was well known,” her father answered.

“Ah, but that was the cover up. It was not an actor who was Rita’s father, it was a director,” Rita replied.

Anita leaned against the wall. She knew who that director was.

A loud bang made Rita and Anita’s carers rush onto the balcony. Seeing that it was empty they heaved a breath of relief, then turned to see Rita’s award. She had smashed it against the wall.

Living in their middle class world away from the glitter and glamour of the celluloid world, no one could understand the insatiable need that Anita had to be an actress.

After that incident, she made sure she kept her distance from rita at the celebration party, but somehow whenever a photo was taken, rita would manoeuvre her way into the shot.

Moments of triumph can be followed by crippling moments of truth as a young lady faces her demons

LOL: FUNNY TREES

LEARNANEWWORD Dendrophobia: Afearoftrees

PEARLS OF WISDOM

FAMOUS TREES

The Whomping Willow in Harry Potter

The Ents in Lord of the Rings

The Spiritual Tree in Avatar

The Lost Boys’ Tree in Hook and Peter Pan

The Rainforest Tree in Fern Gully

The Swing Tree in Bridge to Terrabithia

The Honey Tree in Winnie The Pooh

Grandmother Willow in Pocahontas

Bill Vaughan

Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out

the trees, then names the streets after them.

He that plants trees loves others beside Dr.himself.Thomas Fuller

What we are doing to the forests of the world

Mahatma Gandhi

is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing

to ourselves and to one another.

A carpenter took those green things blocking my horizon and gave me a balcony to view my sunset from. It’s so breathtaking, I can’t inhale.

Benson Bruno

FACTS ABOUT TREES

*Trees are the longest living organisms on earth

*Trees keep our air supply fresh by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.

*Trees cut down noise pollution by acting as sound barriers.

*Tree roots stabilize the soil and prevent erosion.

*Trees lower air temperature by evaporating water in their leaves.

*The amount of oxygen produced by an acre of trees per year equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually.

* an average size tree produces enough oxygen in one year to keep a family of four breathing.

*Three trees planted in the right place around buildings can cut air-conditioning costs up to 50 percent.

*Trees increase the value of property. houses surrounded by trees sell for 18-25 percent higher than houses with no trees.

*Trees make people feel good.Workers are more productive when they see trees along their commute routes and from their office windows. hospital patients who have a view of trees heal faster, use fewer pain medications, and leave the hospital sooner than patients with a view of a brick wall.

Consumers spend more money in shopping districts with trees.

*There are about 20,000 tree species in the world. The United states has the largest tree treasuries second only to india.

* in india people celebrate an annual festival of trees called Vanamahotsava. on this day people plant trees and vow to look after them.

* May 16 is‘Love aTree’day

the Buzz

Shy Sunny? hmmm….

If Mahesh Bhatt expected Sunny Leone to strut her stuff with abandon during the lovemaking scenes with co-star Randeep Hooda in Jism 2, he was pleasantly surprised. Because the Indo-Canadian porn star was shy and uncomfortable, leading the director to comment, “Jo nazar aata hai wo hota nahin hai. All that glitters is not gold, all soldiers are not brave, all holy men are not holy and all porn stars are not bold. At times reality is different.” The reality TV star seems to have impressed Mahesh with her shyness as Sunny makes her debut in Bollywood.

“Everyone was surprised with her shyness, but I understood that it would be difficult for her. It’s not easy to shoot a lovemaking scene; it is a very demanding thing. Those who believed that it would be a cakewalk for her will be shocked by this revelation,” said Bhatt, who has also written the script of the film.

Either that or Sunny’s a better actress than anyone expects and she will shine as the seductress Izna in the film. Looks like Sunny’s well on her way to establishing herself as a part of Bollywood. She has also bagged a role in a sequel to Ragini MMS, and endorsed a phone and a condom brand. Looks like the sun’s shining on Sunny…

Success and Shahid

In what seems to be a slightly confusing statement, Shahid Kapoor claims that success can do more harm than failure. He seems undeterred in the face of no less than six back-to-back box office disappointments, which would have

GUESS whO

Worth worshipping

No bizarre names for us, thank you, we’re Bollywood’s celebrity babies! Amitabh Bachchan has finally announced the name of his youngest granddaughter, putting to bed the six months of avid speculation and making loads of parents very happy. Aaradhya is the name of the daughter of Aishwarya and Abhishek. The name which is Sanskrit for “worth woshipping” or “worthy of admiration”, will no doubt be adopted and adapted by numerous families for a while to come. After all, isn’t it said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?

Grandpa Big B spilled the beans on Twitter, after a fan asked him the child’s name on the networking site.

Meanwhile, Aaradhya’s mum is probably heaving a sigh of relief, and sincerely and silently thanking Shah Rukh Khan for shifting the focus of the media onto himself. Poor Ash, she’s been absolutely beleaguered thanks to a photograph appeared of her looking like she’d put on a bit of weight. The shot, very likely well photoshopped since then, has made headlines, touting the story that fans want her to lose weight and get back into shape. It’s sublimely ridiculous and equally hilarious that the poor girl can’t indulge in a few extra samosas to celebrate her motherhood without the entire nation (and its press) going into a complete tizzy! Don’t worry, Ash, enjoy your mum time off: thanks for showing us you’re a real woman like the rest of us. Now, that’s worthy of admiration...

shaken any other Bollywood actor. Shahid’s nearly decade-long career in tinsel town has been rife with professional and personal ups and down. But the actor is still positive. “Success can be more dangerous than failure. When you are successful, you feel that you are doing everything right. So, failure can teach you a lot. I just believe in going out and doing your best,” said Shahid recently.

After Vishal Bharadwaj’s hit film Kaminey in which he featured in a double role opposite Priyanka Chopra, Shahid was seen in Dil Bole Hadippa!, Chance Pe Dance, Paathshaala, Badmaash Company, Milenge Milenge and Mausam. But none of them really took off, resulting in a dip in his ratings.

But he’s now looking forward to Kunal Kohli’s Teri Meri Kahaani, opposite Priyanka Chopra once again, which fans hope could rekindle their rumoured past romance. Shahid is hopeful their chemistry will work for the film, which he says is diametrically different from Kaminey

“I think the audience really liked us in Kaminey. It’s always fun working with Priyanka. This film is very much different from Kaminey and nothing will look similar,” he said.

Teri Meri Kahaani depicts an entertaining love story in three different eras, with the same two actors in three different time periods. In what he describes as a simple, uncomplicated film, Shahid admits that out of the three eras, he personally enjoyed playing the character of a Muslim boy named Javed who is the most misbehaved character of that era (the 1910s). “His only job is to pick up women. I really enjoyed playing Javed’s version,” Shahid said.

Shahid also shrugs off rumours that Priyanka and he shared cold vibes on the sets.

“I don’t deal with these situations. I just let them go. Just ignore this news and move on. These reports don’t bother me,” he said, a tad predictably.

And asked about his favourite female costar from a bouquet as diverse as Kareena Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Amrita Rao, Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan, he responded, “Do you think I will answer this question? Not for a million bucks!”

“My funda is never choose between women,” Shahid added with his dimpled grin. And that goes to prove that even if Shahid’s a bit down in the dumps, he still has his wits intact!

Shahid and Priyanka will be on our shores shortly: fans will get to see them talk about their latest movie Teri Meri Kahaani in Melb in early June.

SRK gets five

Once again, Shah Rukh Khan’s in the media spotlight for all the wrong reasons, this time for allegedly misbehaving with

en GUPta brings us up-to-date on what’s hot and happening in Bollywood

Ai S hwARyA R A i

This young actress is making the news for her bold choices in films

(Find the answer under Caption Contest)

security personnel and mumbai cricket association (mca) officials at mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. mca slapped a fiveyear ban on king khan, co-owner of Indian premier League (IpL) team kolkata knight Riders (kkR). But Bollywood in general has been backing the superstar, with renowned lyricist and writer Javed akhtar saying that the decision is a “little harsh”.

“from whatever I know, I feel it’s more of an over reaction. I don’t know exactly what happened, so I can’t judge. But there is no need to react like this. I have no right to take sides, but I feel that the punishment is a little harsh,” he told reporters recently. In his clarification, the superstar alleged that he got upset when he saw mca officials allegedly manhandling his daughter. Well, at least our ‘perfect’ actors are showing us their fallible side!

Abhishek k is annoyed

No, not for being mistaken as his namesake of the Bachchan family, but because he feels that too many ‘foreign’ females are starting to spoil the Bollywood scene. Giselli monteiro, Barbara mori, amy Jackson – all these beauties from overseas are now playing key roles in Bollywood films, and director abhishek kapoor feels this obsession with “white girls” can be damaging to desi actresses.

“our obsession with white girls playing lead in Indian films is extremely detrimental to the psyche of the Indian girl. as bad as selling fairness cream,” tweeted the Rock On! director.

“our Indian girls are being sidelined in favour of this caucasian invasion... ST this madness and recognise our own beauties,” he added.

kapoor, who is now working on Po Che! based on chetan Bhagat’s Mistakes of My Life, says he is especially disturbed with how filmmakers cast foreigners in the role of an Indian girl.

Brazilian model Giselli featured as a punjabi girl in Love Aaj Kal and as an Indian in Always Kabhi Kabhi. British model-actress amy Jackson played a malayalee in Ekk Deewana Tha

“I have no problem with a caucasian girl playing a caucasian... But selling her as a punjabi or an Indian is deluding the audience and also making the Indian naive woman feel inadequate. Extremely harmful to their psyche, and people in power should be more responsible,” wrote kapoor.

Well abhishek, you’ll probably realise sooner or later that the Indian actress is way more resilient that you give them credit. The current brood couldn’t care less, and certainly wouldn’t be psyche-damaged from a slew of overseas wannabes. chill, man, and live and let rock!

Cannes then Sydney for Anurag kashyap

he’s best known for his off-beat and quirky movies, so when director kashyap’s latest offering, Gangs of Wasseypur premiers at the ongoing 65th cannes International film festival, his niche audience may be in for a surprise. Because this one, the director admits, is an out-and-out commercial experience. “for the first time, I have made a film for the masses. people usually think when a

SHAHiDkAPoor

movie goes to cannes, it is an art movie. We have made a commercial film. It has taken me a lot of years to reach here. When you stop running after a butterfly, it comes and sits... it’s the same thing,” anurag explains, sounding a bit like one of his movies.

Ganges of Wasseypur is a gritty take on the coal mafia and stars manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Syed Zeeshan Quadri and aditya kumar.

The 5 ½ hour epic (shown in two sections) comes to Sydney film festival next month, and has been picked for competition, the first Indian film in this ashyap’s crime thriller Peddlers has also been selected for screenings at the prestigious festival, making anurag happy with his experiments and choice of cinema.

nurag is best known for his films

Black Friday, Dev D and That Girl In Yellow Boots. Let’s see how anurag fares with his venture into the commercial world…

A gentle look at india Stalwart Indian actress Lillete dubey says that unlike Slumdog Millionaire, director John madden’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel takes a gentle look at India. and she should know, having worked in the recently released movie amidst some hollywood’s finest.

“It’s not like Slumdog Millionaire which showed our country in a brutal light. The Best Exotic arigold hotel takes a very gentle look at our country,” said Lillete who plays a feisty character, but doesn’t even get a mention in the opening credit titles.

“Indian audiences may feel we’ve been short-changed, but the Indian actors in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel are playing exactly what they were promised. No more no less,” she added. owever the size of the parts played by the Indian actors, including Slumdog Millionaire hero dev patel, is borderline or negligible.

Explaining why her name is missing in the opening credit titles, she said: “It’s not indi film where one is promised the sun and moon with the stars, and then one ends up with two minutes on screen. ll of us Indian actors and that includes many players from my plays like Neena ulkarni and Rajendra Gupta, were told exactly what we had to do.”

“The film is about the British characters. It features stalwarts like Judi dench, aggie Smith and Tom Wilkinson. It would be slightly unrealistic to expect me and the other Indian actors to have pivotal roles,” she added.

She, however, admits that she should have insisted on being billed in the opening credits.

“But it’s not their fault. I should’ve put it into my contract. I’ve to admit it’s a bit of a shock to see my name missing in the opening credits when even Tina esai is mentioned,” said the 51-year-

“I did it (the film) for the pleasure of being directed by John madden and for working with maggie Smith Srk

What’s the chitchat between shilpa shetty and raj Kundra here?

Shilpa: pregnancy announcement, check. Baby shower, check. keeping up well with the Bachchans so far. Now for the birth. all the arrangements made to satisfaction, I hope?

Raj: yes, your highness

nishita wins a double pass to new hindi film “dangerous ish”

and Judi dench. They made it memorable. I remember for one scene, where maggie was supposed to give me an off camera cue, she sat on her wheelchair in the burning sun of Jaipur for four-and-a-half hours.

“I finally couldn’t take it any longer. I went up to her and told her there was no need for her to be there. She turned around and said it was her job. Just watching an actress like maggie Smith is so enriching. I don’t regret doing the movie at all. my role may be minuscule. But I derived tremendous pleasure in being a part of the cast. ” Well, things are done a bit differently at home, Lillete, where publicity is all that matters!

Nishita Kolte Carlingford NSW

SUnny Leone

Cine Talk

Love beyond boundaries in UP’s badlands

What does one do when love strikes during times of war? and make no mistake. Elections time in a small dusty town of uttar pradesh is akin to war. Guns are fired randomly at enemies, real or imagined. Enemies fall to the ground. morals lie crushed under heels. and finer feelings are buried under a rubble of trouble.

Into this town, here named almora, enters love on silent feet. Well, maybe not so silent. Ishaqzaade is a very noisy film.

The hero parma (debutant arjun k apoor) is an uncouth animal, whose disgusting habits include kidnapping the town’s nautch girl from a rival’s party to dance at his grandfather’s wedding. Later, his moral temperature dips to an all-time low when he takes loathsome revenge on the girl he loves to hate.

as the muslim girl Zoya, parineeti chopra fills the screen with a tempestuous charm. Naturally spontaneous and vivacious, she reminds you of the early Jaya Bhaduri. her character is a sharp-shooter with a tongue to match. and when she gets brutally compromised by parma, she reacts like a wild cat.

habib faisal, who made the mellow, mild-mannered middleclass comedy Do Dooni Chaar about a college professor’s dream of buying a car, here shows a completely unexpected side to his cinematic vision. The landscape he paints in almora is so volatile and violent, you pray for atonement for these characters.

The lovers don’t exchange chaste glances and furtive kisses. They embrace

passionately and smooch each other’s lips off. and when they make love, it seems they are waging war on the world. full-blooded, voluptuous and eminently earthy, Ishaqzaade is a pickled, aromatic rollercoaster ride through the badlands where blazing guns mean families are at one another’s throats.

The first-half of the narration builds up to an engrossing case for parma to inflict his uncouth and aggressive malevolence on Zoya. The confrontation scenes between the two, written with the right amount of zing and sting, are first-rate. Remarkably the adversaries-turned-lovers keep drawing attention to each other’s religion without mincing words. The two religions are almost thrown at one another as taunts. Riot or wrong, who can tell?

What faisal wants to say, and we would be better off if we pay heed, is -- it is imperative to address the hindi-muslim divide headlong, or else blood would continue to be spilt each time two people from different communities ‘dare’ to love each other.

“don’t even think of it. an Indo-pak war will break out,” the muslim girl warns the hindu boy. and then proceeds to break the self-imposed rule with a rush of rebellion and passion that seems to replicate the flow of adrenaline in the virile script.

Ishaqzaade is written in blood, dipped in passion, and shot in vivid colours of life, strife and other bitter embers of the communal fire. The director constantly attempts to bring

alive the cluttered milieu of a lawless north Indian town. faisal succeeds to a remarkable degree.

his characters speak an easily recognisable language from uttar pradesh’s heartland where even daughters are taught to fire a gun before they learn the alphabet. The supporting characters don’t fake it even for a second. many scenes convey warmth and empathy without a jot of self-consciousness. The characters are all played by unknown local up actors who are born to the milieu. The director builds a believable arc of love and revenge. his lovers are so well-conceived on paper, it would have taken two truly idiotic actors to ruin their characters.

Luckily, parineeti and arjun are anything but incapable actors. They imbue the violent

chemistry. The bloodshed never stops, and the action is relentless. hemant chaturvedi’s cinematography creates a world that is real and at the same time, highly cinematic.

There are many reasons why Ishaqzaade is a remarkable film. It enters the killing fields of uttar pradesh. It chases down our two protagonists and then watches them get into a crisis with no end. In the end, we are

looking at two young vibrant people whom we love because they love one another irrespective of the differences.

This is not a film which offers a pretty love story with gentle love songs. Even the music (by amit Trivedi) sounds like a war cry. as for parineeti and arjun, never mind the destiny that lies in store for their characters in this film. They are here to stay. subhash K. Jha

FiLm: Ishaqzaade

CaSt: Parineeti Chopra, Arjun kapoor

Writer/DireCtOr Habib Faisal

Annoying Anupam’s on holiday

Karan Razdan’s much-awaited Mr. Bhatti on Chutti is an absolute no-no if you are on a chhutti (holiday) yourself! It neither entertains nor boasts of any great histrionics.

With anupam kher in the lead role and a seemingly fun title, one is all geared to watch a great performance and have lots of laughs. But sadly, the film offers none of that. from the word go, all that the viewer gets to see is buffoonery and contorted body movements, in which anupam indulges unabashedly. and all in the name of humour!

“BB Bhatti, manager, dhanalaxmi Bank in Nalasopara and a part-time detective of my area”. mr. Bhatti (anupam) mouths this introduction repeatedly, and with a peace plan tucked under his sleeve, he is on a quest seeking uS president George Bush. unable to handle Bhatti’s idiosyncrasies, his boss anjan Shrivastav happily grants him leave. mr. Bhatti is off on a free holiday, courtesy a prize he has won in a contest he never participated in. from John Lennon Liverpool airport, Bhatti is on a shaky note. his irritatingly queer and senseless behaviour infuriates his co-vacationers. But Bhatti continues undeterred. and to compound matters, there are mysterious innuendoes which lead us to a plot that has been layered with terrorism. apparently, Bhatti happens to be a look-alike of abu Siddique, a wanted terrorist for the 2005 Britain bombings. cajoled by his idol amitabh Bachchan (Bhatti speaks to him on the phone) into helping the British police in trapping abu Siddique, the innocent Bhatti gets caught in his own web.

The strength of this script is the plot, which seems to have become secondary to the character and thus loses

its essence as the film progresses. anupam’s forced grimacing and awkward body movements in a bid to evoke laughter, prove to be a tad annoying. The seemingly uncalled-for actions, trite humour, halfbaked characters of another era, add to the mediocrity and the boredom.

Veteran actors like Shakti k apoor, abid ali are wasted and pawan Shankar and Bhairavi Goswami are reduced to characters in suspended animation without a context or a proper storyline.

So is this film irredeemably awful? Believe you me, it is. It taxes your nerves and is a waste of time as the contrived attempt at humour is unpalatable. Even if you try hard, you cannot laud anupam kher’s performance.

mr. Bhatti’s character is sweet and could have worked, but for want of better treatment by Razdan. he has clearly overstretched anupam and let him lead the film instead. Result? all is lost. Watch it and you will need a chutti yourself!

Troy ribeiro

FiLm: Mr. Bhatti on Chutti

StarrinG: Anupam kher, Abid Ali, Shakti kapoor, emma kearney and Pawan Shankar

DireCteD BY: karan razdan

World of muck and mayhem

shoot at sight. point blank. In different ways that’s exactly what Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) and his characters do in Department.

While his cop heroes Sanjay dutt, Rana daggubati and their hazily sketched compatriots (one of whom looks like deepak Tijori) go on a cleansing rampage against socio-paths, RGV goes on his own trip, shooting characters at angles you’ve never seen them being shot. They don’t always look fetching with their stained teeth and dirty nails showing up in embarrassing close-ups.

So, who said life in cinema is about postcard pictures?

Welcome to RGV’s world of muck and mayhem. The one definite thing that must be said about RGV is that his exploration of the nexus between the law and the underworld is ceaselessly seeking new modes of storytelling.

Department is one breathless surge of aggression and violence. Shot with cameras that capture the actors at their quirkiest and most candid, the film is not for those who think cinema is all about style. RGV left his stylish days behind in Rangeela and Company

Repeatedly and mercilessly RGV dismantles all conventions of pretty storytelling and aims for the jugular. The camera angles are often much too casual to be considered ‘cinematic’. But breaking rules is a given in RGV’s cinema. he breaks them in Department in a noisy rush of agitated images that go well with the edgy fidgety characters.

Not all the characters work. Vijay Raaz as a whiny dhoti-clad gangster and debutant madhu malini as a tartish sharp-shooter are a scream. The talented abhimanyu Singh has a tough time trying to maintain an equilibrium between the two unintentionally comical evil doers. The dialogues these gangsters exchange try so hard to be real they end up being howlers. It’s like eavesdropping on a conversation between two pathologists.

The camera, manned by no official director o f photography (and it shows), goes through the character’s legs, into their nostrils, over their armpits… in this film about cops who do their own thing.

Department is a brutal film. There’s no room here for emotions. Even when Sanjay dutt playing a senior cop goes home his wife, played by Laxmi manchu, speaking in a strangely loud voice, he talks to her in unsentimental tones. There’s more feeling in the two cops, Sanjay and Rana’s buddy-buddy talk, in the line of duty.

There’s a long history in cinema of cops striking a rapport on the beat. Sanjay and Rana are no danny Glover and mel Gibson. But then this is no Lethal Weapon.

The action here is a strange mix of street aggression and stylized stunts. While scenes of Rana chasing goons through claustrophobic crowded areas of mumbai are vintage Varma, the climactic fist-to-fist between Rana and Sanjay proves a battle of unequal titans - one of the two actors being just too agile for the other.

What grabs your attention in this oft-told tale of the cops resorting to extra-constitutional means to ‘cleanse’ the city is the frenetic pacing. The characters are constantly on the move.

Even amitabh Bachchan, while taking sardonic jibes at a ‘system’ that is corroded, is seen restlessly circling Sanjay or Rana, depending on which of the two the wily wizened politicians is provoked into action.

Not surprisingly amitabh’s netagiri provides the liveliest interludes in the proceedings. he seems to be having the most fun even when saddled with dialogues that must have sounded far funnier on paper than they do in their delivery. among the rest of the cast, Rana with his restrained ruggedness stands tall.

What Department delivers is yet another RGV product that takes hindi cinema’s crime genre away from conventional storytelling. There are no punctuations

marks, no speed-breakers except songs (which are terribly screechy and grating with Nathalia k aur’s item number hitting rock-bottom), and no way out for these restless lawenforcers than to take the law in their own hands.

The world of Department is anarchic, destructive and apocalyptic. The narrative format imposed on the world of gangsterism is freewheeling, almost chaotic. Violence and death are written into the dNa of the characters.

Department tells a virile story with no patience for sappy humbug. It’s not meant for those who think lovers laughing their way into death, as they did in Ishaqzaade, are the last words in ruinous relationships.

In Department, the characters share a far more intimate bonding with their guns than with their friends.

subhash K. Jha

FiLm: Department

StarrinG: Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, rana Daggubati, Abhimanyu Singh and madhu Shalini

DireCteD BY: ram gopal Varma

Ask Auntyji Ask Auntyji

Single lane superhighway

Dear Auntyji

I’m 25 and happy, but how do I handle parents nagging me to get married (and uncles and aunties and grandparents too). Every time I see them, the moment pleasantries are over, they move swiftly to the subject of my shaadi and it’s the same old never-ending loop of questions - kab shaadi kar rahe ho, you’re not getting any younger you know, and oh I know just the right boy for you. That’s all I hear from everyone. o ver and over. I am tired of it, but what to do aunty, I am a nice, polite girl and don’t want to be rude to my relatives. do you have a suggestion for me?

Auntyji says

Well, my dear, I have a series of solutions for you. It depends on how hard core you want to be about this. But I sympathise with you completely. Why, when I was younger, when I turned 18, it was like I entered a time warp when overnight, everyone became obsessed with my shaadi. No statement was ever uttered without reference to my shaadi until one day I got sick of it and said yes to a total random who asked me for my hand. fortunately, that total random was uncleji, and I have been bilkul khush ever since. Now here are your solutions. your first option is to get with it, and particularly if you have a mean streak in your body, you need to turn the tables on your relos. Tell them you cannot wait to get married and they must find a boy for you post haste. you must start talking about your shaadi, your suhaag raat, your honeymoon non stop from the moment they enter your line of vision. you must be a complete besharam about this and talk about your shaadi with unusual enthusiasm, so that all your relatives think that their good name must not be tarnished by a behaaya like you. They will immediately stop all this shaadi barbaadi talk. actually, your first option could be to develop a thick skin and smile shyly and say nothing, but I gather your relatives are fairly tenacious and a few sharmilee muskurahat on your part will not deter them one bit, in fact, it might encourage them further.

your next option is to tell your relatives that you had your janam kundli checked and you were told by a renowned priest that you will die within two years of your marriage, while your husband will die within 6 months, the same way that Raj kiran died in Karz at the hands of Simi in the olden days of Bollywood. your family will be aghast at this turn of events and there will be no more talk of your shaadi. Now, another option is, the next time they bring up shaadi, tell them that the australian government does not recognise same sex marriage, so how to do shaadi then? Then with the same forlorn look on your face, tell them that diya is devastated about this. and then wink slyly at them. your completely bewildered and upset family will not mention shaadi to you again, but will spend the next 5 years at least talking about you behind your back, and hoping that Julia Gillard does not pass legislation for same sex marriage to be legalised. See my little chameli, my little besan ka peda, there are many many solutions for you. But one final point. Why don’t you want to get married? Everyone should have at least  one marriage and one divorce before the age of 30. Get it out of your system. This is a sure-fire way to get your relatives off your back. keep me updated. and don’t forget to invite me to your wedding, if you decide to go with my final piece of advice.

Dear Auntyji

a friend of mine told me recently that he thinks the Chikni Chameli song is a great song and that he can’t stop thinking about k atrina k aif dancing exclusively for him. he said the song was absolutely mind blowing and so was k atrina and that he had watched the song on youtube at least 20 times. So I told him he was a besharam with no maan nor maryada and he needs to watch old Raj k apoor movies to understand style, class and art. at first he laughed at me and then said that he thinks I am old fashioned and wanted to know how old I was and he insisted that Chikni Chameli was a great song. What do you think aunty - is Chikni Chameli a great song or have I become old before my time?

Auntyji says

Hey Ram, is duniya ka kya ho raha hai? I too have become old before my time, my dear. When I watch films of today, and I watch Salman khan parading his body the same way he was doing in the ‘90s, and I watch all these girls running around showing off their delectable bodies and speaking angrezi, I think to myself, what will become of our yuva peedhi? What will become of Bharat Mata if these bachche log forget everything and ape the west with all its complexities and issues. Then I think to myself that all these naujawan eventually grow up, and they will look back on the younger generation and think the same way we think of them now. This, my dear, is the circle of life. In the ‘60s, the oldies used to say that the latest movies had no class and that the films of ‘50s were better. In the ‘70s, the oldies from the ‘60s said the same thing. and so it goes on. don’t worry about it. Chikni Chameli will be forgotten about in no time. It’s today’s news. Tomorrow it will be about Chikna Chamcha or something else. or Munna ki jawaani or Munna ki Mardangi. Just go with the flow, my dear. Everything will turn out just fine in the end, wait and see. and Salman khan too, will have to start putting his shirts back on and playing papaji or even dadaji one day.