2017-03 Perth

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editorial

INDIAN LINK

Kohli's pub test

PUBLISHE:R _Pawan Luthra E:DITOR Rajni Anand Luthra ASSISTANT E:DITOR Kira Spucys-Tahar.

CONTRIBUTORS Puneet Anand, Avi Chandiok, -Ashwini Saseedaran,Ga�ra�.Masand, Nancy Jade Althea ADV�RTiSING WA Sales Manager Ram Naidu 0435 581 571 National Sales Vivek !rivedi 02 9262.1766

BY PAWAN LUTH RA

A

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Charuta )oshi 02 9279 2oe>.4 EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Beheshta Wasseh

Indian Link is a monthly newspaper published in

English. No material, includi�g advertisemen_ts designed by Indian Link, may be reprodu�ed 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 India,{ . Link... AII correspondence shou_ld be addressed to• Indian link Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 or GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001 Ph: 02 9279·2004 l=ax: 02 9279:' 2005 E:rnail: info@indianlink.corri.au·

s we go to print, sporting news headlines in Australia and India are being dominated by the actions of - and the reactions to - Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli during the hard-fought second Tesr march between the rwo countries in Bangalore. Never one who was backward in coming forward, Kohli's naked aggression on and off the gr0tmd has been at once lauded and criticised.

So, how will his behaviour pass the pub test? Well, to an extent, it will depend on where the pub is located.

There is little doubt that punters at pubs in India will probably shout Kohli a beer (or two); in Australia he may get an oppornmiry to quench his thirst in a few pubs, at others he may find it difficult to get a drink.

Kohli does have a tendency to divide people: he is admired for his unbridled

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As the Australian tour to India has built up, the Australian team did what they have done well in me pasr - mey started l playing the man. Pick someone in c1e opposite team and start the verbal and media war against the person. "l\faybe they felt cl1ey could get under us if cl1ey really came out and got personal with some of us," Soutl1 African great AB De Villiers said prior to rbe 2014 series.

Vi.rat Kohli was cl1e target before mis series, with cl1e Australians making it dear that if they COLtld get under his skin, this could put pressure on India.

They did, but the results have not been what they expected. It did bring me aggressive - and yes, the abusive - Kohli to cl 1 e fore and the last few days of cl1e second test match saw him at his very best (or worst). Pei:haps the reason the Australians don't like Kohli, is he is way too much Like their own team.

1n 2017, cricket is not a gentlemen's game anymore. It is a hard-fought contest in which both teams are expected ro compete. And the rivalry between India and Australia does make for some fascinating viewing.

There's a cold one in my fridge for Virat anytime.

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aggression and ambition, he is also criticised for the very same. The critics would like him co hide cl1is behind a more balanced and perhaps demure approach. Demure? For a boy from Delhi, this would be a challenge at any an1e.

That Kohli is not one to back down, was pretty clear when on the second day of the Sydney Test match in 2012, Virat stuck his middle finger om co a group of abusive spectators as he fielded at mid-off. Dubbed 'Fingergate' at that time, cl1e action was applauded by Indian legend Amitabh Bachchan while duly criticised by all Australian media. Kohli later defended himself on Twitter, "] agree cricketers don't have to retaliate, what when me crowd says the worst things about your mother and sister, the worst I've heard (sic)". While other cricketers may have chosen to ignore the crowd chants, Kohli threw it back at chem.

Observers have linked Kohli to modem India - young, brash and aggressive - someone who will nor take anything lying down. There was a hope mat he will mature as a captain but it seems that may sti l l be a while away.

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MARCM 2017 3

YOUR SAY

ASK AUNTYJI: WEIRD CELEBRITY BABY NAMES

Auntyji gave her thoughts on Kareena and Saif calling their baby boy Taimur

Krlsh Na wrote: My wonderful friend Taimur from Russia, originally of the Caucasus, approves your advice, Auntyji!

Chandra Klshore wrote: Who cares what they call their child!

UNI BREAK

A look at what some young members of the community got up to over their summer holidays

Ranjana Dutt wrote: Vandana Rekhy, Jasmine Dara Ohri, congratulations

for infusing your girls with warmth, empathy and good values -their work shows true family values. Well done Brinda and Sim ran -keep it up!

Vlnaya Ral wrote: Azaara Perakath, I see you!

Yuva Australla wrote: Here is what some young Australians have been doing over the summer, including our YUVA Australians Anirban, Arpita and Anindya. Cheers to the volunteering spirits of the youth such as these! #youngindianaustralians #yuvaaustralians #youthinAus

INDIA HAS BEEN A POST-TRUTH SOCIETY FOR YEARS (AND MAYBE THE WEST HAS TOO)

RANJIT GOSWAMI of RK UNIVERSITY wrote about how India's post-truth landscape may be a harbinger of what's to come for the US and the UK

Krishna wrote: would say, India is really pre-truth, because there never was a

free flow of information. Truth was never given a chance and is probably farther away from seeing the light of the day. Even while an information revolution was taking place, a vast majority of India preferred to circulate 'cucumber juice cures cancer' and 'Taj Mahal was really a Hindu temple' tropes.

FEB 21 IS THE UNITED NATIONS' (UN) INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY lndlan Link tweeted: Happy

International Mother Language Day! This worldwide promotes language as a powerful instrument of preserving heritage & culture #IMLD

Mlchelle Rowland

STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY

When it came to speaking up against a xenophobic US President, Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull let us down badly, wrote PA WAN LUTHRA

Krishna wrote: Turnbull is looking out for himself, wary of the Hansonites

who have found a friendly voice in the world's most powerful office. Not just the extreme voices. I was surprised to see how many Indians made apologist noises supporting the travel ban ranging from the tame 'it's their right' to the outrageous 'India should do this too. See how Assam and Bengal are filled with refugees'. There is an urgent need to forcefully spank everyone who equates refugees with terrorists, or we are all going to hell for inaction!

SAYIT AGAIN 4 MARCI-I 2017

@MRowlandMP Retweeted Indian Link: So many languages are spoken in homes right across Australia. This diversity is one of our nation's greatest strengths.

UNESCO Statistics

@UNESCOstat tweeted: Promote learning success by providing education in a child's mother language of instruction #IMLD

"When you are killing it in Hollywood but kaju katli is life"

Comedy group AIB on Priyanka Chopra's Oscars gown

. .....,.

>,k♦hr ..41 u, ••,... , ... .,••

:Kappy fotcn11nio11a( :MotherLar111ua11c ©av

"I wrote the ending of the Academy Awards 2017.

Jimmy Kimmel -we really got them!"

M. Night Shyamalan on the Oscars Best Picture controversy

www.indianlink.com.au

RIP VIMLA LUTHRA

GENERAL PRACTICE AS WELL A S SOCIAL WORK

RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA spoke with Australia Day honouree Dr Purushottam Sawrikar OAM

Avlnash Kanetkar wrote: Well done!

Sangeeta Sharma wrote: Congratulations Dr Sawrikar Anita Playoust wrote: Congratulations!

Kasturl Kalmath wrote: Congratulations Dr Sawrikar! Well deserved Kalyan Ram wrote: Dear Dr Sawrikar, my personal congratulations to you

on the honour you have received. I am equally impressed with the work you have been involved with in the social sector for the community in general and our migrants in particular. I am keen to speak with you about your interest in the area of aged care.

JLF CONVERSATIONS

JLF came to Melbourne and brought its unique and frank discussions on context, culture and history, reported APARNA ANANTHUNI Krlsh wrote: Interesting read! I wonder if Harry Potter is considered "women's writing" by anyone. Or The Hunger Games for that matter. There's

no doubt that each gender can contribute a different perspective to the same story, but in a transgendered, transnational world, do perspectives still need to be from what's experienced and not just felt?

-�--�-�

; ..

Indian Link was overwhelmed with expressions of support following the passing of MRS VIMLA LUTHRA JI. The tribute by her grandchildren was a/so very well received. Here is a selection of your memories and thoughts.

Anjall Passey wrote: Very saddened. I will always miss you. All prayers for the family and may your soul rest in peace and hope you keep showering your blessings from the heaven above. A really a great tribute to Massi ji by her grandchildren! Loved reading each one of their feelings for her. A role model, a legend and a divine person. She will remain in our hearts always.

Poonam Luthra wrote: Beautiful tribute. Her blessings are always with all of you.

Raghu Karnath wrote: Vimlaji, you have been an inspiration for all the anchors and the listeners of Indian Link Radio. RIP. Your presence will be missed.

Prlyanka Tater wrote: The first time I had Vimlaji on-air on one of my shows, I had no clue that she was the "boss' mom". She rang in just like any other passionate listener and shared her thoughts with so much humility. And how can I forget her poetry...the fact that she wrote some of those verses made me a fan of her literary skills. Your voice still remains fresh in my mind. You will be missed Vimlaji.

Shlvdev Kier wrote: Most respected Vimlaji -words cannot even begin to express our feelings. Someone so special cannot be forgotten. May Almighty put you in a very special place where you will be watching us, the people who loved and cherished your blessings. You will forever remain in our hearts. RIP. Subhadra Maudgal wrote: Oh, cannot believe that Vimla ji is no more.

She was a loving and very dignified person. May her soul rest in peace and give strength to the family to bear this loss.

Jaswlnder Dhlllon wrote: Vimla Ji was an inspiration to so many people.

I listened to her poem about Jawani only last week, it's hard to believe she has left us. RIP. Shally Relan wrote: May your soul Rest in Peace. You will be missed in Indian Link family and heartfelt condolences to the entire family.

Jasreen Singh wrote: Vimla ji you will be missed...aap ki kavitayen hamesha bahut madhur thi ... our respect and alvida to you Navdeep Kumar Kalla wrote: We will miss you Vimla ji... aapki batein kavitaye aapk/ awaaj ...

Ruchlka Mangla wrote: RIP Vimla ji...You will be terribly missed in the

Indian Link family.

Sandhya Sharma wrote: Vimla ji, you will be always in our hearts.

Subhashlnl Channa wrote: The programme dedicated to Mrs Luthra on

Indian Link Radio was very well presented. It was very emotional to hear her narrate her own poems. A great tribute to a great personality. Kudos to you all.

zza POLL RESULTS

We asked: Should Australia follow India's demonetisation moves and scrap the $100 note?

No (49%) Yes (42%) Unsure (9%)

..f

[el

"Is it over, guys? You've sorted things out?

Shaken hands and moved on? .... So much hate, so much vitriol, so little talk about the cricket.

We could be, if the first two matches are any guid.e, in the middle of a special Test series right now, yet we are allowing it to get sullied by nonsense.

Dean Bilton on ABC Grandstand

INDIANLINK

+ JOIN THE CONVERSATION > LOG on to your own Facebook or Twitter account > TYPE "Indian Link" into the search box at the top of the screen and click on the link that comes up > CLICK 'Like' to join the Indian Link Facebook community or 'Follow' @lndian_Link on Twitter

"Indians are at the bleeding end of technology. Trump's move will lead to Indian information technology companies focusing on the domestic problems"

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani

MARCM 2017 5

cover story

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l In this Australian exclusive, we chat with the star of the Oscars 2017 ceremony Sunny Pawar, and the man who helped find him, Indian film professional Pravesh Sahni

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

I

f you don't think Sunny Pawar is cme, then you don't deserve any happiness.

Those are Twitter's words, not ours.

Social media (the world?) went crazy at this year's Oscars, and not just for that serious smff-up at the end. The frenzy was also for anod1er reason - a pint-sized star from India widi the cutest tuxedo ever, gorgeous hair, heart-melting smile, and all the conlidence in tbe world.

Eight-year-old Sunny Pawar, who plays a young Saroo Brierley in the Oscar­ nominated film Lion, became one of the most memorable Oscar moments from 2017.

He stole the red carpet from under the stilettos of some of the world's most beautiful and expensively dressed women, participated in an unforgettable cameo with the host Jimmy Kimmel, wowed everybody with his mrn on the silver screen in a critically-acclaimed movie (why is there no Oscar category for Best Child Actor?), and remrned home to a Lion's welcome.

Oh, and he also did a whole lot for his already likeable co-star Dev Patel. The British Indian actor's dalliances with little Sunny all through the awards season - fixing his howtie, tying his shoes-laces or simply hoisting him up - ended up increasing d1e X factor for him, many tin1es over.

"Get yourself a Dev Patel!" Twitter urged.

Ok, gtanced, it was Dev's gentle care of his glamorous mum that might also have added to this, but it was Sunny to a large extent. One Twitter user spoke for many young people when they said, 'Tm going co marry Dev Patel, have a big fat fadian wedding (you're all invited) and d1en we're goi ng co adopt Sunny Pawar."

W

e speak with little Sunny and his dad Dilip on me phone, the day after they arrive back in India from LA. It is 5pm their tin1e. They have spent the day doing me rounds of television interviews and press conferences, but Sunny answers all our questions like he is answering them for the fuse time.

"Bah11t accho Iago. Bc1h11t achcha tha," he says repeatedly. I loved it all. It was nice.

We realise he is, after all, but a little child, and feel a bit sorry to be subjecting him to chis questioning. But his answers, although short and direct, belie his age; he reveals no sign of e.xbaustion, and we marvel at his capacity co process it all.

You looked fantastic, we say. Thank you, he says, with a hint o f American in his accent.

Great suit. .. who did your hair? '�VIoi11 khurl kj}'ol" Did ic myself!

Ac d1e show, did he recognise the big stars?

"Pehchoono, par 11ao11111ahi11 JJJ0!11!fl. '-Sore of recognised them, but didn't know their

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for Sunny, for India Take One, for us all, that the world was watching,,

names.

Was he nervous at all? At ilie Lion King scene, maybe?

"Nabin, rlarnahi11 kiga, bahut en)'!)' k.jyo!"

No, I loved it!

Dilip chimes i n, "Nwin isko saJJJjhaya Iha, rlame k.£1 k.£JqJ' k.o? Baarlmejah chocolate harsaa}'a, isne dopok.da. Dono kha go)'a."' '1 eirplained to him there'll be nothing co be scared about.

W hen the chocolates showered down, he caught two packets -are them both up!"

Accompanying the tiny dynamite at the Oscars, was Pravesh Sahni, whose Delhi-based film company India Take One Productions handled the India affairs for the makers of Lion, Sydney-based See-Saw Films. Sahni got co walk with his little ward on me red carpet, scored a seat wid1 d1e main guests, and found his own fifteen minuces of fame as he appeared on screen many times.

Uon is me fourth film Sahni has been involved with diat has gone co the Oscars, the others being SJ11111dog Millionaire,Life of Pi and Zero Dark Thir(:y. But this one will be the most memorable.

"Oscars 2017 has been one of tl1e best experiences of my life," he tells Tndiaf! Link, on me phone from LA. "Not many Indians have been to the Oscars as you know, and it was a special privilege co be in me midst o f i t all" He was seated in row number 3 in the middle, right behind Denzel Washington, with Sunny and the rest of the Lion team.

"I mought I would be up on the balcony somewhere," he admits laughingly.

"It was far more glamourous than I thought. I have seen it on TV before, but here I was, just eight feet away from tl1e stage!"

He also admits to being quite overwhelmed by it all, despite having worked in the industry for 30 years and creating a nicl1e for himself by assisting foreign films that have been set in India.

'1 just kept looking around dazed!" he reveals. ''I was in a world I always dreamed of being in. I didn't even mink of taking my o,vn photos, d1ere were so many people taking pictures of us. There is a five-minute break every 15 minutes during the Oscars ceremony. Everybody around us, all the big actors, wanted a photo with Sunny. They all knelt down, in their tuxedos and beautiful gowns, to get close to him!"

On the red carpet, Pravesh got to act as ttaoslator.

"Sunny was asked who he would most like to shake hands wim and he said, "Hrithik Roshan". That's who he likes, H.rithik Roshan - he doesn't know d1e Hollywood celebrities yet."

(We learned from Pravesh later that H.t:imik has been in touch to seek a meeting with little Smmy).

The Lio11 team went co the after-party hosted by ilie Weinstein Company.

"We got there just after ilie awards ceremony, about 10pm," Pravesh recouncs.

"There was a red carpet, and you're supposed to show your photo lD, because tl1e security is handled by d1e police. Guess what, in all the excitement, we forgo t co bring our ID. I goc concerned because the Pawars didn't even have their passports on them. But a representative from tlie company said, 'Everybody recognises Smmy.

His face is his photo ID!' One of die police officers picked Sunny up in his arms and carried him inl" The lion family was disappointed, Pravesh reveals, co bave been nominated for six awards and not having woo even one. ''It was just bad luck, not our day. The spirit was, at least we were nominated, so we'd already won 99°/4, of the battle."

Unfortunately die Indian team had co rush home as Sunny was drifting off, having been on the red carpet since 1pm, and be had co be at the next event, After the O.rca1:r at Sam the next morning.

(One of the hosts on me show;Jerry O'Connell sat SLlllny on his shoulders and declared "l want to walk around Hollywood Boulevarde like chis wid1 my new foendl'') ''The theatre was full as they discussed the previous nighc. Then, in the afternoon, we pm Sunny and Dilip on their flight back to India."

Pravesh also reveals that Sunny has been going back and forth between India and the US for the past d1ree montlis now.

Strangely, he was initially refused a visa.

"His dad had a bank balance of only Rs.120.

www.indianlink.com.au

,, I loved shooting in Australia, the place was so beautiful.

"There were so many places to roam and play ''

unny Pawar met President Barack Obama at the White House in the last week of Obama's Presidency to raise awareness for the #LionHeart campaign.

He was in Washington, DC to help raise awareness for the initiative that provides financial support and resources to children in India.

The Weinstei,n Company, See-Saw Films, and The Charity Network launched the campaign in November 2016. Since then, the initiative has raised over $100,000 in its mission to assist the over 11 million homeless youth of India.

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cover story

Left to right: Samuel L Jackson gets a selfie with Sunny; At the Golden Globes with Dev Patel; With Nicole Kidman at the Directors Guild Awards; Pravesh Sahni of India Take One Then the film's distributors TI1e Weinstein Company gor involved, and got che Pawars a 10-year visa."

Pravesh believes Sunny has whar it takes co make it big.

"I have worked "\Vich a lot of actors, and 1 can tell you, he is a star," he says with conviction. "But his father and he need to have a proper plan. And not be too greedy.

You know, co avoid what they call the 'Oscars curse' - where you increase your price so much chat you take youtself out of the market. Sunny's a good kid. He's now been put i n school - See-Saw Films have been kind enough to look after him. He's going to learn English. Will he be able to work in English movies? Yes, it's possible; but it's going to take time."

Pravesb has also seen Dev Patel through his career.

"I bave worked with Dev Patel on five films through India Take One. W/e ha,1e seen him grow from S/1✓111dog to Best Exotic M.arigold Hoteland chen Lion and we just finished HotelM.t1111bai with him. He is a great actor and a wonderful person. He did his first film with us at 17. Imagine, you see an actor go from chat, and now you're sitting next to him at the Oscars and he's nominated for Best Supporti n g Actor!"

What, for Pravesh Sahni, is the srandouc memory from his time at che Oscars?

"When Jimmy Kimmel came up to re­ enact the scene with Sunny from The Lion King. It was special for Liou, for Sunny, for India Take One, for us all, d1at the world was watching us. Perhaps Sunny would have stayed out of focus for the enti r e Oscars i f chis incident hadn't happened. But with che entire auditorium looking at you, as the host talks to you one-on-one, d1at's memorable.

When you win an Oscar you get one-minute for your thank you speech. Sunny had much more d1an chat on the Oscar screen. The next day, the driver who picked us up, knew not only Sunny, but even recognised me!"

P

ravesh says it has been an honour co be involved with LJon. "This was a story that couched us all from Day One. Credit goes to director Garth Davis. \Xie never had d1e Oscars in mind - chis was a creative project."

The entire process from scouting, or the recce, to rhe conclusion of shooting cook

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about a year.

"Our job is co make the director's dreams possible. Th.is was a difficult shoot.

Working wid1 a foreign director on tbe streets in India, everything is tough!"

To shoot at the Howrah Bridge, for example, was a nightmare.

"It is an amazing scene in the film, but the idea of having Sunny alone on the bridge, bathed in light, was almost impossible. It was through the cooperation of the \'v'est Bengal government, along with the Director of Phocogrnphy Greig Fraser, that this beautiful scene finally came to be in the film."

This is the third Australian film Pravesh has been involved with, the others being St1ve Your Legs! and Hotel1vfut11ht1i (coincidentally also starring Dev Patel).

"I feel so lucky, after Sl11111dog and finding those kids, co have found Sunny. It is wonderful to find Indian talent and deliver it to the world."

Surmy was only five years old when the project began. Garth Davis couldn't speak any Hindi, and Srnrny couldn't speak any E nglish.

"They developed a kind of sign language.

Thumbs up meant the scene was good, thumbs down meant they had to shoot it again. \'v'e had translators on set, as well as Sunny's dad Dilip, but it was about that personal connection with the director.

He had, after all, picked him from 1200 children!"

But on the sets, Sunny was accorded regular tream,ent.

"No pampering of any sort, no special treatment in any manner. After all, he was playing a ve1-y emotional. role and was required to keep that demeanour," a source from the film revealed.

Sunny's shooting schedules spanned over chree months in Kolkata and Madhya Pradesh in India, and Melbourne and Tasmania in Australia.

Cricket came in handy to help other cast members relate to the diminutive star. Some of rhese candid scenes even made it co film. '"\V/e worked in Bhopal and Kolkata, but I loved shooting in Australia," Sunny said in one of his many interviews. "The pbce was so beautiful. There were so many places to roam and pla)� we went there after shooting."

W

hat was Nicole Kidman like, Sunny has been asked.

'2\llaa)<Jis i t h i ," be is said co have replied. She was like

mum.

The eight-year-old, starring as Kidm . an's young son in the film, said he enjoyed a real-life bond with the Oscar-winning actor.

"She's very affectionate and very warm," Sunny says. "Nicole said that I'm a namral and I should always be a natural."

He played cricket wich her on che set. But in his straight-fo1ward way, be adds with child-like honesty, "I'm much better chan her."

He also tried to teach the 49-year-old star 'thoda thoda' Hindi.

It is clear Sunny also adores his older co­ star Dev Patel.

"Cri cket khelt<1 tha, hadmaasbi ka1tt1 ih<1. " He would play cricket and would goof around on the set. It \Vas so much ftm.

Was there a language problem?

"No, there was no language problem.

Dev spoke to me in English, and I spoke back in Hindi."

Simple!

Together, Dev and Sunny introduced Lio11 at the 74ch Golden Globe Awards.

Dressed in black tuxedoes, the duo was welcomed onsrage wich a huge applause.

Dev gm7e a synopsis of the film on srnge, and d1en lifted Sunny so he could say to che microphone, "This is our film, Uo11." The audience erupted with love.

The same thing happened with the 89'" Academy Awards.

"My ovaries can't hand.le this!" screamed one popular website as it posted multiple cute-factor-overload photos of Sunny at the Oscars. And breakfast show hosts on TV might well have said "#ovaries", millennial speak for an explosion of cluckiness, as they ended their interviews covering Sunny in cuddles and caresses.

S

unny is a Class 3 srndent at the Air India Model School and lives with his parents Di.lip Pawar, a former governn1ent office sweeper, and home-maker mod1er Vasu, in a shm1 in Kalina in che western suburbs of Mumbai.

He has a younger brocher and sister.

"LAdke . ne itt1a <Jcbcht1 ka11111 k!)•a, haht1r desh 111e, h!1t11 ht1h11t khush hai11," Dilip tells

,, Not many Indians have been to the Oscars, it was a special privilege to be in the midst of it all ,, Indian Lin k. Our son has done good work, appreciated in a foreign land; that makes us happy.

"Zi n dagi mein sahka apn"naseeh h a i ,P<Jr mehnat ke h ina k11ch nt1bin hota.'' We come to this woi:ld wich our destiny written our, but really, nothing happens wid1out hard work.

He reveals he will consider more offers for Sunny, wherever they come from. Love Sonia, Stmny's second film, feamring Frieda Pinto is ready for release later this year.

Sunny tells us, "English 11t1hi11 jat111 ta hai par jt1b sab ,m!fhe st1b hole, G,·eat 11101k, mt1i 11 bola tht111kyou. " I don't speak English but knew when everybody in LA was congramlacing me.

Did Sunny enjoy his time in LA? "Bt1!111t achcha laga. Exciting th,1." Loved it; it was exciting. \Xlhat did he like?

"Disnqla11d achcha !t1ga, TVi11ten1ie111s achcha lt1ga. II7JJ7E t1cbchr1 lt,ga." Disneyland, the TV interviews, meeting the W\VE heroes.

F-lis favourite scenes from the movie?

"Tmin 111t1fd' . Scenes on d1e train.

He also recalled the running, when "Director Sir" told him to run. \1(/J10 are his favourite actors?

"Hritbi.k Rosh.an, Ajay Devgn, Rajoikanth".

Have SLmny's friends liked his work?

"Abbi tl(Jhin mi/a to. Kai schoo!jt1ao11ga. Patti nt1hin m1hone p i cture dekhaya 11t1b i 11." I haven't met them yet. I'll go to school tomorrow. I don't know if chey've seen the film.

Does he think life with them will change for him now?

"Pehlejt1iSt1 tha, kheln<I kood11a, Jl'ai.rt1 he mh cga." It'll be just like before. \1(/e'II play just like normal.

We can't handle how cute he isl With inputsfrom !ANS

www.indianlink.com.au

women's day

■

n's r aw ■

India's national carrier flies its all-female crew in to Melbourne

T

BY PREETI JABBAL

he conversation in the cockpit sure was different this time, as the all-female crew from Air India flew into Melbourne airport, as part of an initiative

by Air India co commemorate International Women's Day. Led by Captain Laxmi Nagrath, the Dreamlinet left Delhi at 1.15pm on 8 March and landed in Melbourne just before 7am on 9 l'viarch, covering around 10,215 kilometers, with 237 passengers and nine infants on board.

As the weary travellers made their way out to Arrivals, there was a stir of excitement, and the four Air India cockpit crewmembers emerged in their crisp uniforms, all of them women. They chatted easily abom their experiences and were very proud co be part of this initi a tive to mark International Women's Day. This wasn't the first time an all-female crew flew into Melbourne, according to Captain Sangeeta Nirmal, who claimed that Air India had consciously encouraged and promoted several such flights in the past.

Interestingly, both her daughters are also pilots and she strongly believes that aviation

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world. All the female passengers were given rose s before boarding - I was given rwo!"

Air India is seeking a Gu.ii.m ess World record for its all-female fughts around the world. Other airlines have also recently laLmched similar flights in their guest co join the bandwagon, however Air India claims it is the first one to script history by flying an all- woman crew flight around the world.

Al's all-women crew operates 'around the world' flight

is a great career for women.

Captain Nagrath said she had come across no gender disparity in terms of pay or opportunities during her 30-year flying career. ''In fact, I was looked after better than the men and my batch mates took extra care in looking out for me when I was training," she shared with a smile.

This was not their first visit to Melbourne and judging by their conversation, plans seemed to be in place to check out Melbourne's sights with Melbourne Zoo and St Kilda beach on cop of their to do list. The popular Thousand Seeps walking trail and bike rides co the beach were also high on the agenda

The cabin crew displayed no sign of weariness, despite the long haul, as they happily posed for photos, smart and smiling in their uniform. Their mood seemed to match the colour of Indian spring (mustard) chat was dominant in their saris.

The passengers were equally upbeat and delighted to find om chat they were part of a special event.

"It was perfect! The plane couldn't differenti a te between a male and female pilot!" Sunila Forsyth laughing!)' cold Tn dian Link. "Jokes aside, I felt very good knowing chat Air India deployed an all women flight.

It's very empowering and encouraging, especially for Indian women around the

acional passenger carrier A . .i.r India recently operated an 'around the world' flight with an all-female crew, on its New Delhi-San Francisco-New Delhi route.

Flight AI 173 rook off from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on 27 February to San Francisco, covered a distance of around 15,300 km in 15 and a half hours over the Pacific route, and on the return journey from San Francisco over the Atlantic.

"The entire flight was operated by the women staff of eight deparm1ents," an airline release said. "These departments induded cockpit crew, cabin crew, checkin staff, doctor, customer care staff, ATC (air traffic control) and the entire ground hand.ling from operator to technician, engineer and flight dispatcher and trimmer."

The line operation safety audit was done

by Harpreet A De Singh, ED (e xecutive director) F l ight Safety, Air India. This is the first time that this audit ,vas done by a female officer for an around-the-world trip.

MARC!-12017 9

community

A glitterin launch for � In ian Docs New organisation for doctors of Indian heritage in WA

W

A Inclian Docs lnc, an organisation for doctors of Indian heritage to help them realise their Australian dreams was laund1ed at a Gala Ceremony on 18 February.

The glittering event was held at Novatel Perth Langley and was attended by more than 225 delegates. Dr Mike Nahan, Treasurer, Government of WA; Roger Cook, Shadow Nlinister for Health; Consul General of India in Perth Amit Kumar Mishra; Dr Paul Boyatzis Executive

10 MARCI-I 2017

■ Director, AL1stra.l.ian Medical Association of WA; Dr Rosanna Capolingua, former Federal AMA President; Dr William Hart, Dean, Curtin Medical School were among the noted dignitaries at the launch.

Two charity mganisations Children In Need in India - Australia (CI I), and Eastern India Palliative Care (EIPC) were the beneficiaries of the launch.

"Fifteen per cent of doctors across WA are of Indian origin," said Mr Cook, as he appreciated the contributions made

by Indian doctors especially in rural and regional areas of WA.

TM

Dr ]'vtike Nahan paid � ��� rich tribute to the doctors of lndian heritage and lauded them for their Education I Networking I Support contribution in keeping Australia healthy. "When the mining boom demanded more health wo.rkers, the obvious country with the and nourish doctors of lnclian heritage poremial to fill the gap was India" he said. from across the globe. Memberships are Dr Nahan also predicted that the number open for every doctor, dentist, medical and of doctors of Indian heritage worki ng in dent.'ll students in the community. the Australian health work force is only Dr Smmy Baruah, the founding president going to increase in future. of the organisation highlighted the need to Both political collaborate and integrate into the Australian parties pledged system. their support in A cheque of more than $2500 raised promoting the for the two chosen charities; Children cause of WA In Need in India - Australia and Eastern Inclian Docs.

India Palliative Care were also presented.

WA lnclian "We are heavily involved with national and Docs is an international charities and would like to organisation continue to support their cause with your founded by a support and membership" said Dr Sayanra group of doctors Jana, the General Secretary of the newly of Indian origin launched organisation. that aims to Further details.for the memberships involve, nurture, and their activities can befound at develop, assist www.indiandoctorswa.org.au

--1\JV--Docs

www.indianlink.com.au

community

Big boys and their toys The boys from RIBA (Royal Indian Bikers Australia) roar through town

L

BY PUNEET ANAND

ife, in all its spirit of advenmre, is meant to be enjoyed and explored to the fullest. For some travel enthusiasts, all that is needed is a motorbike!

Two and a half years ago Harman Johal of Perth bought himself a bike with the thought of traversing the beautiful outback of WA. Bnt on second thought he realised it would be n.1uch more fun if he clid it with a bunch of bike budclies. Together with his equally hike-mad friend Ajay Pal and two others, they set off on their first group ride to ciry beach.

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"There was such a great feeling of camaraderie char we thought we must expand our group and find like-minded people co go on trips together," Johal tells Indi an Link.

Camaraderie? Hmm, that explains Hells Angels, and hey, our very own Yeh do sti, Imm nahi n . . . . from the iconic Hi.ncli film Shof'!J. Bm even though our Perth-based Jai and Veeru found many guys that owned and loved bikes, it would take them a while to get bikers to join.

Bm now, the Royal Indian Bikers Australia (RIBA) is well and truly growing, with a website and Facebook page .

Members come from various backgrounds and clifferent parts of India.

They ride together once a fortnight on Sun days. They are early beginners and start at 6 am - because, as they claim, wives call for attention and time tool Their mean machines range from Bullet,

Yamaha, Suzuki boulevard to Hunter, Hayabusa, Harley Davidson, Hyosw1g. They have toured Moore river, Mandurah, Two rocks, Toodyay, York , Munda .ring Weir, Lake Leschenaultia, Serpentine.

They follow diligently tl1e rules of pack­ riding, such as having a lead rider and a rail-ender, keeping a safe distance from each otl1er, staggered formation, looking after strag glers, 'over-indicating' , and above all, trusci.ng each other totally.

"Safety is very important for us; we're very particular about jackers and gear and we promote safety on the road," Johal says.

He reveals witl1 a smile, ''The camaraderie now extends beyond our little group. Many rimes, Aussie bikies greet us on the way; tl1ey Like and appreciate our bikes as we stand around chat about bikes. " The club charges a small fee which goes towards club promotions, towards raising awareness abom men's issues such as 'eight

ball' (prostate cancer) and fund-raising for community members in need.

The RIBA boys are becoming a great showstopper when tl1ey rock up as a group ac various local public events.

And of course they have tl1eir own events too, like family barbecues.

Soon they will be launching their own merchandise - the RIBA logo is a st unning graphic depicting tl1e headlights and shocker of a bike.

Their dream ride?

"Driving down to Adelaide from Perth," Johal replies ,vithout a moment's hesitation, and adds, ""Perhaps explore Leh-Ladakh in India. " They might belong ro different backgrounds but tl1ey share one tl1ing in common - their obsession for bikes and that is what drives them together!

MARCI-I 2017 11

film

Melbourne's Peter Dietze shares a family legacy that goes back to Indian cinema 's pioneering days

B

BY PREETI JABBAL

ombay Talkies, not to be confused with the Indian anthology film of the same name, is a comprehensive collection of Indian film ephemera from d1e 1920s and 1930s. The rare exhibition is currently displayed, for tl1e first time, at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne (ACMI) until 2 July.

Both the film and art collection commonly celebrate me emotion of Indian cinema in two significant ways: one tl1-rough innovating, and another through curating. \Xlhile me movie had a keen eye on the sociopolitical climate of its time, me collection unearms rare archives of tremendous interest, both manage to do so engagingly.

Anyone who has an interest in fihns will enjoy the historical feel and the story mat surrounds Bombay Talkies, one of India's popular movie studios of the 1930s.

Bombay Talkies was the first corporate studio, in India, to be listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Founded in 1934, Bombay Talkies was co­ owned by Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani.

The studio produced 40 films over 20 years and was considered as the most technically

12 MARCM 2017

advanced Indian studio of its time.

Besides exploring tl1e history of the influential Bombay Talkies, Fiona Trigg from ACW has curated an exhaustive Indian film archive, in collaboration with local Dietze family who a.re owners of the memorabilia.

Australian Peter Dietze is the custodian of ilie enormous collection made up of photographs, letters, telegrams, posters, even bills tlrnt hark back to the time of his grandfather Himanshu Rai and his beautiful wife Indian actress Devika Rani.

Peter Dietze, who was born in Australia and has German ancestry, was surprised to discover tlrnt his gra.nd.fatl1er was Indian ai1d one of tl1e most prominent luminaries of Indian cinema in the 1920s. His mother Nilima was me daughter of Mary Hain.Lin, a German dancer who was once married to Himanshu Rai. It was Mary who introduced Himanshu tO the German film industry, influencing his career in the ans. (Himanshu was acrually a lawyer and was srudying for me Bar in London). Himanshu later went on to marry Devika Rani, grandniece of Rabindranath Tagore and the most legendary of India's actresses.

"Finding me photos of tlus Indian man, who looked like me, opened a whole Pandora's box," Peter revealed to lndicm Unk in 2010, with the idea for tl1e current exhibition already in his mind. "I became tot.a.Uy immersed in his life and works and contribution to Indian cinema, as well as his attempts to tell me western world lndiai1 tales."

,, When I went to India I saw a bust of my grandfather in actor Ashok Kumar's home , , Peter Dietze Peter and his brothers Paul and Walter spent time and effort in discovering more about their family's Indian background and in the process acquired ilie collection of over 3000 items. Some of them a.re showcased, preserved with great care, at me Bombay Talkies exhibition at AC�ll.

The displays offer many fascinating links to early Indian cinema including footage of silent films like A Tlmm, of Dice, Light of Asia and Shiraz. Most prominent is d1e life­ size, rather impressive image of superstar Ashok Kumar tl1at adorns the wall not far from a similar one of Devika Rani.

Ashok Kumar was a lab tech.n.iciai1 in Bombay Talkies but Himanshu Rai elevated him to ilie role of a lead man when his wife Devika Rani was said to have eloped witl1 ajmul Hasan, who was co play me original lead.

"When I went to India I saw a bust of my grandfatl1er in acror Ashok Kumar's home," revealed Peter during the official launch of me exhibition recently.

Also intriguing, is the family tree tl1at maps links between tl1e families of Rai,

Rani, Roerich (Devika Rani married painter Svetoslav Roerich in 1945) and tl1e Dietzes.

Images a.nd items relating to Devika Rani form a substancial part of me exhibit.

Audio visuals with remastered or archival footage add ro ilie ambience and mystery.

The interesting content of tl1e archival letters help in constructing an image of prevalent issues, joys and challenges faced

by Rai and Rani in running d1e smdio. The documents trace the friendships created during their stint in Germany mat proved beneficial for iliem as master technicians like Josef Wirshcing and director Franz Osten worked in collaboration wim tl1em a1Jd brought international professional standards to India.

At least two of the trilogy of films that Rai produced, and which are believed to be the pioneering films of India11 cinema, have been seen by Australian audiences in recent years. They have been digitally restored by d1e British Film Institute, in whose archives they had been lying since 1945. Today, iliey are famously played to the accompaniment of live symphony orchestras. British-Asian composer itin Sawhney wrote me score for A Thro//J of Dice (Pn,pancha Pash). The 1929 film is loosely based on the gambling episode from tl1e epic Malrnbharata. Of the other two films in the tri.logy, the f f 1925 P,-cm Saf!JrlS (hc Light o Asia) is based on the life of the Buddha, and the 1928 Shiraz (Sircy) on the life of Mughal emperor Shahjahan.

Peter hopes to take the exhibition to other countries before finding the right place for it in lndia "where it belongs".

www.indianlink.com.au

THE BOMBflY T11ltilES lT_D

Peter Dietze (right) with his brothers Walter and Paul at the opening of the Bombay Talkies exhibition

INDIANLINK

MARCI-I 2017 13

indian news Air India's captain Kshamta Bajpai (centre) during a celebration ceremony on the eve of international women's day, in New Delhi, March 7, 2017. She commanded a recent flight which set a world record by flying around the world with an all-female crew. The flight flew over the Pacific Ocean from New Delhi to San Francisco on a Monday, and then flew back to New Delhi over the Atlantic on the Friday. Photo: AP plant species like prosopis Juliflora is one of the major reasons behind the capital's vanishing wildlife.

"Invasive plants and shrubs, which now dominate more than 7,000 hectares of the Delhi ridge, have killed the native species due co which the population of die herbivores like chowsinghas, chinkaras, sambar and blackbuck dropped, which in turn saw a dip in the popularion of carnivores and birds," Khudsar explained.

According to a recent report by the International Union for Conservation of acme (IUCN), invasive alien species are on tl1e rise worldwide and show no sign of slo,\�ng down.

New batch of in-residence scholars at Rashtrapati Bhavan

India test fires endo­ atmospheric interceptor missile

On 1 March India successfully test-fired the Advanced Air Defence (AAD) Missile, the second level of two-tier interceptor missile system that can destroy hostile ballistic missiles.

The missile was launched around 10.15 a.m. at the Abdul Kalam island off Odisha coast, officials said. ''The endo-atmospheric missile, capable of intercepting incoming targets at an altitude of 15 to 25 km, successfully destroyed the inco1uing missile. All the mission objectives were successfully met," an official statement said.

The weapon system radars tracked the target and provided the initial guidance t0 the intercepwr, which could precisely home in on the target and destroyed it in endo­ atmospheric layer.

The complete event, including the engagement and destruction, was tracked by a number of electro-optical cracking systems using infrared imagery. Radars and telemetry stations cracked the target and the interceptor till the destruct ion of the target.

"The launch has proved the Ballistic l\llissile Defence (BMD) prowess of the country," the statement said.

Defence l\llinister Manohar Parrikar and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman S. Christopher congratulated the DRDO on successful launch of d,e missile.

G. Satheesh Reddy, the Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister and DRDO Director General (Missiles & Strategic Systems), monitored the launch operation along with other officials.

The .AAD is part of the two-layered Ballistic l\1issile Defence system developed by the DRDO, die research and development wing of the Defence Ministry, with the Hyderabad-based Research Centre Imaarat (RCI).

The latest test comes less than a month after India successfully tested the Pcithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) intercepcor missile on 11 February.

The PDV can destroy a hostile balistic missile in space, before entering the eard1's atmosphere.

14 MARCI-I 2017

The 7.5 mecre-long AAD is a single stage solid rocket-propelled guided missile, with a navigation system.

The second level of the system is the endo-atmosphere .AAD missile tested on 1 March.

Amid expanding concrete jungle, Delhi's wildlife shows sign of revival

Although a concrete jungle that has lost several animal species over time, the forests of cbe national capital still possess at least six different kinds of wild animals that bave manages to survive - and their breeding popufation gives hope that Delhi's wildlife may soon revive.

According to the recent images obtained by the camera craps at Yamuna Biodiversity Pack (YBP) and ocher forests, there is a healthy breeding population of mammals like porcupines, wild pigs, jungle cats, civets, Indian hare, hyenas and jackals.

One of d1e rare and least known man1mals, the pangoline was last spotted in Dellu in 2011, though experts speculate about its presence. The national capital is also home to 13 species of snakes as well as monitor lizards.

The recently spotted barking deer, the first such sighting of the present cenrury, is further indication that the capital's forests are reviving.

Is Dellu ready for a breeding population of leopards to return? Not a distant dream, experts say.

Prof C.R. Babu, ,vhose ecological restoration at die YBP - his brainchild - is bringing life back to Delhi's jungles, believes fixing some of tl1e green corridors here could help speed up the wildlife re,Tival.

"Over years of efforts, Delhi's forests now have enough prey... it has a breeding population of nilgai Q)lue bull), wild pigs, hare and other prey animals... Once the green corridors are rescored, the leopards will surely be back in Delhi and, who knows, maybe even tigers," Babu told lANS. Delhi has 20. 2 2 per cent of its total. area under green cover, of which 188.77 square km is forest cover.

M . eanwhile, the presence of a leopard with cubs is being speculated at the Asola Wildlife Sancmary here, two months after a leopard

roamed in tl1e YBP for 21 days, seen by consenTationists as a sign of revival.

Faiyaz A. Khudsar, the scientist in-charge of the YBP, said tliat at least four species of animals, including a lizard, a snake and two species of birds, have beeJ1 re-discovered within the last one year. ''The black eagle has been foLtncl in Dellli after 100 years, die sea-boldie smood1 water snake was spotted after 70 years, the Indian pitta (bird) was spotted after about 60 years and the fan-throated lizard was sported here after 22 years," Khudsar told IANS. He pointed cowards Aocks of migratory birds, including northern shovelers, tufted clucks, darters (snakebirds), northern pintails, red-crested poachards and great cormorants - active over seven acres of revived wetland at YBP. Khudsar explained how the revival of such water bodies is bringing tl1ese European and Russian guests back to tl1e national capital.

"TI1ese birds bad scopped coming to Dellli... some species still stay away but slowly, witl, conservation and restoration of bio-diversity parks in Dell,� they will visit again," Khudsar said.

Khuclsar believes tlrnt tl1e 300 acres of the second phase of the YBP, which is sciJI under restoration, could help bring back more of Delhi's glorious wildlife past.

However, the list of wbat Delhi has lost over a period of time is longer and the loss is grave.

According co the records from tl1e Gazetteer, Delh� which by tl1e early 20d1 century was home co Asiatic lions, has been stripped of six species of vultures, two species of deer, four species of antelopes, a breeding population of leopards, caracals, tigers, smootl1-coated otters, Indian foxes and wolves.

Due to tl1e degradation of tl1e Yamuna river, Dell,i has lost the nub-nosed or marsh crocodile Qast seen in 1976) and tl1e long­ snouted crocodile (last seen in 1978).

For tbe past rwo decades, Delhi has also missed d1e Siberian cranes and the Demoiselle cranes.

Delhi has nine species of bats, including tl1e greater false vampire, but due to habitat loss only a limited population of tl1ese pollinating mammals survives.

Experts believe d1at expansion of invasive

A new batch of innovators, artists and writers began their fortnight long in­ residence progran1 in Rashcrapati Bhavan this mond1, a .release from the President's Secretariat release said.

"They will be in residence till 18 March," it added.

The ten innovacors selected for the programme include Surjeet Singh of Haryana who developed lligh yielding and salt-tolerant paddy variety; teenager Akash Manoj of Tamil Nadu who developed a non-invasive self diagnosis of silent heart attack and Girish Badragond of Karnataka, innovator of low cost bore-well scanners.

Ashok Kun1ar Chavda, recipient of Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar and Prabal Kumar Basu, recipient of Gouri Bhattacharjee Memorial Award for his first book of poem Tmneei Pratha111 will join artists Rahul Shailendra Kokaste, winner of 50d1 Maharashtra State Award, along witl1 the winner of Lalir Kala Academy award, 2016, Dheeraj Yadav. Comemporary artist Subodb Gupta and Bharti Kher have also been in residence earlier di.is month. Bod, the artists have been awarded the Chevalier clans !'Ord.re des Arts et des Letters, an1ong the French government's highest honours, for their contribution to art world.

The In-Residence program was launched by President Pranab :tvlukherjee on December 11, 2013 with the aim of providing writers and artists an opporm1lity co be a part of the life of Rashtrapati Bhavan. It seeks to provide an environment, which will inspire creative dunking and rejuvenate artistic impulses.

"It is intended co honour and recognise eminent, established artists and writers as weU as encourage young upcoming talent from different parts of the country," tl1e communique added.

Chef Vikas Khanna presents 16kg tome to Queen Elizabeth II

"i\fajestic work of art that celebrates the beauty of lndia," Britain's Queen Elizabeth I l is said tO have remarked when Chef Vikas Khanna presented to her a copy of his limited-edition 16-kg tome Utsav that celebrates tl1e scory of Indian cuisine.

"Utsav was kept on a pedestal and the Queen spent almost 15 minutes going through d,e book. She was most interested in

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Migratory Northern Pintail ducks swim in the Pobitora wildlife sanctuary east of Gauhati in India's Assam state, late February. Photo: AP

the multiculnu:al diversity of India and how Utsov represents the rich heritage and beauty of India through the lens of the common man. She instantly instructed her team tO have UtstJv placed in her private library at Windsor," a statement said.

Only 12 copies of the book have been made and this was tl1e 11 tl1 copy. l t was specially handcrafted, gold gilded and presented in a raw pink Ahimsa Silk.

The presentation took place as part of the "Indo U K 70 Years of Culture" celebrations.

Chef Khanna had a private audience with the Queen and Prince Philip and later with Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge Kate :Midclleton as well.

Mumbai NGO celebrates Oscar for The White Helmets

As the wodd tuned in to the 89th Academy Awards ceremony this year, mini-celebrations erupted outside the offices of Harmony Foundation, in a small lane in Santacruz suburb.

The Harmony Foundation and its volunteers rejoiced, cheered and celebrated as the Osc.u: for Best Documentary in the Short Film Category was announced to a 40-minuce film, The White He!111ets, symbolising me Syria Civil Defence.

For, long before tl1e Oscars, the Harmony Foundation had recognised the exemplary work done by ''The \'{/ bite Helmets" in saving civilians trapped in war-corn Syria and conferred it wim the prestigious "St. Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice 2016". ''Through our award, we acknowledged the exemplary work of organisations like Syria Civil Defence, working under extremely challenging and difficult simations, witl1 great risk to their lives. We are passing through turbulent times and the society badly needs peace," Harmony FoLmdation Founder­ President Abraham Matl1ai cold IANS. Congramlating "The White Helmets" for their inspiring work which has bagged them the coveted Oscar, Matl1ai. said it would go a long way towards ensuring equality, social justice and inclusiveness in society, and pave tbe way for peace in Syria.

Formed in 2014, The Syria Civil Defence is a group of around 3,000 local volunteers serving in rebel-controlled Syria during the ongoing six-year long civil war.

Mostly ordinary folks with common backgro1mds like students, tailors, carpenters or technicians, they have dedicated themselves to saving tl1e lives of over 82,000 people injured in attacks by fighter jet5, choppers, barrel bombs, cluster explosives, phosphorus bombs and chlorine shells on civilian localities and health care centres.

The Harmony FoLtndation's award, instituted in 2005 in tl1e memory of Moilier Teresa, is tl1e only one in the wodd recognised by tl1e institution she fmmded, the Missionaries of Charity, Kolkata.

Mother Teresa was canonised to Sainthood on September 4 last year by Pope Francis at The Vatican.

Some of the past recipients have been Medecins Sans Frontieres, the Dalai Lama, Malala Yousafzai, Dr. Mahatlur Mohammad, Baroness Caroline Cox and other global personalities or organisations, Mathai said.

INDIANLINK

Assam hamlet aspires to be India's cleanest

h's a movement that began during Christmas in 2012 with a competition to select the "cleanest" family in tlus village. The festival­ specific contest in the village, located about 80 km from Assam's largest city Guwal1ati, has now morphed into the ambition to win tl1e "Cleanest Village in Asia" title once held

by Mawlynnong in neighbouring Meghalaya.

"Since then, we have discussed the issue. If Mawlynnong can become the cleanest village in Asia, why not us? We have everything - a village bigger than Mawlynnong with abundance of nanu:e, beautiful landscape and very generous and hospitable people," Elvin Phangso, a local teacher, cold I.ANS. To this end, the residents of Shikdamakha village in nature-rich Karbi Anglong disrrict are leaving no stone untmned co go one step ahead of Mawlynnong.

The villagers here, right from tl1e young one to tl1e oldest, are conscious about cleanliness and hygiene and no one litters tl1e road in the vilbge, not co talk of their individual houses.

Use of plastic is a srrict no-no. The villagers use bamboo-made baskets for storing garbage in front of each of me 89 households and in every corner of ilie village, and tl1e accumulated garbage is disposed of at regular intervals.

The residents also undertake commrnur:y $weeping of the streets every week to ensme tliat cleanliness and a proper drainage system are in place. All households of Sh.ikdamakha also have sanitary toilets to ensure hygiene and cleanliness. "\Ve have made a committee co ensure tl1at everyone is made aware of cleanliness and hygiene," said Holvis Maslai, the Gaolia Gaonburah (kind of village headman) of Shikdamakha.

As for Mawlynnong, located abom 90 km from the Meghalaya capital Shillong, it is a small hamlet inhabited by mainly Khasi tribe people. Here, tl1e waste is collected in the dustbins made of bamboo, directed to a pit and then used as manure. It was a community initiative started long back in me village tlrnt finally helped Mawlynnong earn tl1e status of Cleanest Village in Asia in 2003, as rated by Discover India magazine.

After the initial success of the community

initiatives, now l'vfawlynnong has banned use of plastic completely and villagers often go for rainwater harvesting. According to Meghalaya government statistics, close to 250 tOLLrists visit ilie village almost regulad)� which fetches good revenue to the locals. l'vfansing Rongpi, the MLA from Baithalangso constituency, under which Shikdamakha falls, said the village has achieved first position among the villages in Assam as far as cleanliness is concerned. "i\fawlynong in Nleghalaya has earned the status of Cleanest Village in Asia. We can do this here as well. Today it's just the start. I hope the people of Shikdamakha will continue tlus journey of cleanliness and from now on, 7vfawlynnong's scams of cleanest village will not go unchallenged," Rongpi said.

The MLA said that at present iliere is not much infrastructure to welcome courists but assured that be, along witl1 the local community, is trying to promote home Sta)'S. lndeed, villages like and Shikdanrnkha and 1fawlyngnong prove mat tl1e vision of a clean India is not limited to just tl1e urban space.

Trump's merit-based immi�ration proposal could benefit Indians

US President Donald Trump's proposal for a merit-based immigration system has the potential co benefit Indians, a large number of whom have high levels of education and skills.

But tlus will ultimately depend on tl1e finer details of how me proposal is implemented.

Tnunp did not spell out how the merit­ based system would work.

On the face of it, Indians would make a good fit for a merit-based system going by the community's current profile.

According to a report by me Pew Research Center, 70 percent of Indians in the US are college graduates.

The US Census Bureau reported that in 2013, the median household income for Indian families was over $100,000.

But there are oilier faccors such as whether the current national quocas or limits on people from any country who could be adnutted in a year are retai.ned could ultimately deter.mine how it plays out for Indians.

The proposal will have to clear many hurdles.

First of all, it will nm into opposition tnai.nJy frorn the Democratic Party which would argue that it would not help tl1e poor and the Lmskilled im.nugrace to the US and discriminate against immigrants from Larin American countries whom the party counts as a key part of its base.

A way out for Trun1p might be to barter me merit-based reform for allowi ng some illegal immigrants to stay on in the country.

In Canada, applicants for immigration are given points for different qualifications like education, skill levels, employability, language and family ties.

They would have to meet a minimum score to be allowed to imrnigrate.

Currently, tl1e US munigration system restricts the number of people who can immigrate from each coLmtry to seven percent of the rotal number allowed in except for immediate relatives of citizens.

This has led to several years' wait for Indians to get tl1eir green cards.

There is also an annual limit of 140,000 on employment-based green cards.

Because of the limits, most professionals from India have co wait as long as 12 years for a green card and those with "exceptional qualifications" nine years, according to the Seate Department visa availability data for March.

A merit-based system has the potential to cue down the wait.

How the reform would ultimately affect Indians could depend on how country limits and tl1e cap on the munber of employment visas are retained or handled and also on the retention of the imnugration privileges for brothers and sisters of citizens and their fa.mi.lies.

The reform may also affect the ability of brothers and sisters and elderly parents of citizens to immigrate if tl1ey are subjected to a points system.

Trump did not make any mention of those working in the US on temporary professional work visas known as H-1B. ln earlier speeches, he had said that he would rooc ouc abuses in that visa category and restrict them if mey were to throw Americans out of work.

IIANS

MARCI-I 2017 15

art

Sikh-ing inspiration

Adelaide artist Daniel Connell's work on Sikh portraiture continues to amaze

A

BY AVI CHANDIOK

chance encounter, perhaps a rapport, mutual respect, and a whole new vista was opened up for Daniel Connell in his career as an artist. \'{lh.ile riding in a taxi in Adelaide, Daniel saw something special in his Sikh driver Laklwir Singh and asked if he could paint his portrait.

That first portrait became the first of many, and today, Daniel has cemented a reputation for his for his formidable portraiture of Sikh figures. He presents his work again at chis year's Adelaide Fringe 2017.

With degrees in Spanish and L atin American Studies, a Grad. Dip. in Education, Masters in Visual Arts, working toward his PhD, and learning Hindi as weU, Daniel is certainly no slouch academicaU)'· Nine years working as a school teacher teaching Spanish got him involved in social and community organisations. But

16 MARCI-I 2017

with his love of painting, he has been a freelance artist since 2007. And now, recognised worldwide, he has presented in Glasgow, Sheffield, Frankfurt, London and the US and his works were shown in the prestigious Kochi-Muziris Biennale i n India.

While Daniel has been painting for as long as be can remember, his interest in India was aroused while barely a teenager which led to his interest in the writings of Gandhi and Tagore. On his first visit to India in 2008, he recalls feeling "utterly at home, in a crazy sort of way".

He lived in Rajasthan for three years and while there painted a portrait of Greg Chappel1, who was coach of the Rajasthan Royals at d1at time. This painting was selected for the prestigious Doug Moran Portrait Prize.

Working with transport workers in Australia, and from the Sikhs in the nord1 to the labomers in d1e soud1 in lndia, Daniel's paintings try to capture the dignity of workers who roil wid1 die swear of their brow. Being "a deeply religious and spiritual man" his work seems to honour the essential teaching of Guru Nanak -that work is central to an expression of faith.

He sees in the taxi drivers hard-working young men, proud of who they a.re and in

thei. r beliefs, proud to wear a turban and put themselves out there to be judged. I t i s this sense of bravery that drives Daniel to continue with his portraits which he sees as a message, standing up for the immigrants. He uses A4 sheets of paper stuck together with cape co make a large canvas for his works. This is deliberate as ir can be seen as a metaphor of the fragility of new immigrants in a new land.

Daniel ConneU said at the start of our meeting diat "the exhibition is dedicated to Manmeet Alisher, the taxi-driver brutally murdered recently in Brisbane". On clisplay are huge charcoal portraits, some oils and other smaller portraits. A novel part is Daniel ach1ally painting on the spot. The work being painted during my visit was of Gurinderjit Singh, a fairly recent migrant who is also a t.'lxi driver.

Gurinderjir was full of praise for Daniel saying, "He is a very good person . . . motivated to w1derstand m y religion. We are trying to help the homeless people in the city and are working on that."

In February this year, RajpaJ Singh Sidhu, anod1er taxi driver, was robbed at knife-point at the end of long shift outside his home. He too will be one of tbe subjects to have his portrait painted during the course of the exhibition which runs

, , On his first visit to India in 2008, Connell recalls feeling "utterly at home, in a crazy sort of way'' ,, until 2 Apr:il.

When asked about the future Daniel said that he expects to continue to make '... bigger pictures and portraits'.

"Art is an investiga ti o n that never stops," he says. "India taught me that."

Over the last two years, bis work has moved from just making pictures to actual representation ro authorities and advocacy on behalf of new migrants covering a wide spectrum of their needs. It's no wonder that he has endeared himself ro the Sikh community. They are indeed fortunate to have someone so engaging and gifted sympathetic to their cause.

www.indianlink.com.au

,, Connell sees in the taxi drivers hard-working young men, proud of who they are and in their beliefs, pToud to wear a turban and put themselves out there to be judged ,,

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MARCI-I 2017 17

M atinee H it ZEE TV This March. Zee TV brings you a crass-border laugh riot.

25th March. Saturday 3:88pm (AEST)

18 MARCI-I 2017

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art

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Sensory concepts are commonly interpreted singularly, as smell is correlated to the nose, sound is parallel to ears

T

BYASHWINI SASEEDARAN he calming crash of waves against

and touch is mutually exclusive to feel.

Durugadda has instead achieved the almost unthinkable in his feat by purposely disrupting common perceptions and inviting onlookers to be a part of this

sensory breakthrough as be forges binaries

shores of speckled sand guietly

bet\veen otl1erwise opposing senses and

engulfs the hum of local traffic

notions.

and beachgoers as laughter drifts with the cool breeze,

''\Ve are used to whatever is already in Physics books. People are not ready to

and conversations pause at an impressive

touch or feel sound. I'm working to change

sculpture.

perceptions and disrurb people's thinking

Overlooking the never-ending beaury

of life. When they touch the sculpnu:e,

of the Indian Ocean and stretches of

they touch the sound of tl1e site," explains

sand at iconic Cottesloe Beach, Perth, an

Durugadda.

intriguing sculprure has been delicately and thoughtfully installed.

Featured among 78 other works ar the annual Sculpnu:e by the Sea exhibition, Column of Sound is a thought provoking and conversation starting sculpmre.

"It is never the same sculpture in visual, the slices of marble pieces are different each time. The sculpmre changes according to space."

,, I'm working to change perceptions and disturb people's thinking of life. When they touch the sculpture, they touch the sound of the site ,,

Appropriately situated at the forefront of an oceanic landscape where tlie worlds

its shores, tl1e free outdoor exhibition has

the town of Busselton through the efforts

people pouring in all times of day and

Tinto Sculpture Award, multidisciplinary

of nature and artificial construction collide, Column of Sound is a deep expression

of Rio Tinto. ''As an emerging artist, I was hiring

artist Harsha Va.rdhan Durugadda has

of nature inspired art coupled with

and even local AFL football stars.

rightfully earned his place as a rising

anthropomorphic ideologies.

Announced winner of tl1e $50,000 Rio

virmoso in the artistic community.

night, from residents in Perth to tourists The event invites the public to appreciate

most things before. Now I want to build

up my studio and invest in tools that will

Born in Andhra Pradesh, India and

and participate in contemporary art in a

now based in New Delhi, Durugadda

physical and inreractive manner as all are

reveals Durugadda. "1 will be applying to

form, sculpted specifically using audio

completed his Masters in Visual Arts and

welcomed to view tl1e pieces at their own

be exhibited in Bondi next year, as well as

from the site's location. After a painstaking

began practising with a number of different

pace and create their own imaginative

applying for exhibitions elsewhere in the

perspectives.

world."

Column of Sound stands as a unigue

process of recording audio from the plaoes

mediums. Experimenting with performance

allow me to continue doing my work,"

of land surrounding the sculpture's site, the

art, video, prints and sculptures, he then

"[Sculpture by the Sea] is a great

Follo\ving his success in Australia,

arcist conceives a physical representacion

ventured out of the nation successfully

oppornmity and a great way to judge

Durugadda encourages aspiring artists

of the sounds. He constructs his art and

holding exhibitions and publishing work in

different works. It is a great benchmark

adjusts the sculpture based on the rhythms

London and here in Australia.

for other organisations and especially

of Indian oi:igin to venmre further than pursuing the pattern of being doctors or

In its 13"' year, Sculpture by the Sea has

for yom1ger artists working alongside

engineers.

stands as a profound transformation

become a household name as perhaps the

more experienced, senior artists," says

'1 was more welcomed here than at home

between audio and visual realms.

world's largest annual outdoor sculpmre

Durugadda. "[fhe win] is such an

in India," says Durugadda. "Usually in

exhibition. Each year the beautifully

overwhel1ni.ng welcome, 1 was so surprised.

Asian counrries they go for senior artists

Memorial Invitation at Sculpnu:e by the

captivating shores of popular Cottesloe

This is a great step for my career and such

and only they end up receiving awards.

Sea, Bondi 2016, Durugadda's explorations

beach become home to a ternporary

a confidence booster. I have received the

in the perceptions of audio and visual

sculpture park with local, national and

highest reception for my work here in

certainly question the normative approach

international artists showcasing their

Australia."

by imploring critical and imaginative

visionary arr.

and movements heard. The final product

Having received the Andrea Streeton

tl1inking.

INDIAN LINK

Attracting hundreds of thousands co

Apart from being the major prize winner, Column of Sound will soon be insrnlled in

[Australia] is open for everybody to engage with."

Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 1%7,4, will be open to the public until20 March 2017

MARCI-I 2017 19

• • •• • •• • • ••• • •• • •• •

• •

INDIAN LINK RADIO

Download the App Now

20 MARCI-I 2017

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food

t's pickle � while the sun shines •

How to make quick and easy pickles at home

fruit, and vegetables. With the warm weather continuing imo aurumn, now's the time to get pick.ling!

Pick.ling has been a pare of lndian cuisine

BY GAU RAV MASAND

tIDJJner is a time of warm weather, swimming, good food and fun. Traditionally, it is also the time for pickling as we try to make the season last forever and find ways to preserve the season's best herbs,

for centuries and these pickles and spicy

condiments add a special flavour to our meals.

Nowadays, we £ind many commercially made pickles and chumeys, but many preservatives are added, which reduce the nutritional value.

Pidding at home is easy and ensures minimal oil and salt usage. Green u1angoes, carrots, lemons and gooseberries are great ingredients for tangy pickles and candied fruit. Let's pickle while the sun shines!

.. . ..• •

• • • •• •

: : : • :

•

Sweet Lemon Pickle

Lemons provide your quota of Vitamin C while jaggery gives you a share of Iron and natural sugar. Sweet lemon pickle is a treat!

: : • • •

. ............................................•.........

: : :

1kg yellow lemons 250g jaggery 2 tbsp. black salt 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. carom 1 tsp. black pepper 1/4 tsp. asafoetida 1 tsp. cinnamon 5-7 cloves powder 1 tbsp. red chilli powder

Ingredients

pieces to store in a fresh sterilised sealable glass jar.

Add lemon juice along with black salt to the jar before placing out in the sun.

For the next 4-5 days, once a day, turn the lemons in the juice with a dry spoon.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .•..• *** .•• .• •. .• ..

•. Method ....• .•• . ..................................................... .

•.• De-seed the lemons before juicing.

Cut remaining lemon fl esh into smaller

•

••

Carrot Pickle

Pickling carrots is a great way of eating the crunchy Vitamin A powerhouse. This carrot pickle is a low oil pickle which is still great in taste

. . .................................................... .

Ingredients

• : : : : :

Amla Candy

Heatjaggery in a large heavy-bottomed pan till it melts. Put the prepared lemon in.

Mix all the spices and add to the pan.

Stir with a spatula for a few minutes till cooked.

Store in the same glass bottle and keep it in sun for 10 days.

Store in a cool dry place.

200g carrots 1 tsp. turmeric powder ½ tsp. red chilli powder 4 tbsp. coarsely powdered mustard seeds Salt to taste 2 tbsp. mustard oil

•• Method

. Peel carrots and rinse well with water.

.•• .

••. .•• . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . •..

• :

Cut the carrots in desired shape and leave to dry in the sun for 2-3 hours.

Mix the carrots, spices, salt and mustard oil and pour into a sterilised glass jar.

Keep the jar in sunlight or a warm place for 3-4 days (longer in winter).

The pickle is ready to be consumed when the carrot turns slightly sour. If not sour, keep in the sun for a few more days. Store in refrigerator.

Am/a or Indian gooseberry candy is a great digestive. It is a good source of Vitamin C, helps to enrich hair growth, has diuretic properties and helps stimulate the metabolism.

If you cannot find fresh ones, frozen am/a work just as well for this recipe.

Ingredients

½ kg amla or gooseberries (frozen or fresh) 250g sugar

Method

Steam the gooseberries in a steamer for 15 minutes or cook in a pressure cooker until 1 whistle.

Let the gooseberries cool; deseed and separate into flakes.

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Mix the gooseberry fl akes with sugar in

a deep bowl. Cover the bowl and keep outside in the shade for 2 days. Tum with a dry spoon 2-3 times a day.

Spread the am/a fl akes on a plate lined with baking paper. Allow to dry in the shade for a further 2-3 days. Do not keep the plate in direct sunlight, or they will darken in colour.

The candy can be stored in the refrigerator or in a cool, dry place.

: : : • : : :

..• •• .

•.• MARCI-I 2017 21

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MATRIMONIALS SEEKING GROOMS Looking suitable match in Australia for Jae Sikh, smart, slim and sincere girl born in 1992, 5' 6", M.Sc nursing (psychiatry). Living in India, belongs co well settled family, looking for well settled and professional educated match. Please contact mansahiajaggi@yahoo.com.

Highly educated Indian family, well settled in Sydney for 25 years, looki11g for a match for 30-year-old daughter - good looking, mild cerebral palsy, well educated and working full time for lase six years. E-mail kcas1210@gmail.com or call 0423 941 636.

Looking for a suitable match for 37-year-old, well educated, Brahm.in girl. Well settled in permanent government job in Brisbane. Height 5'3", slim and fair complexion. Please reply to kumar.sham@bigpond.com.

Seeking professionally qualified, settled match for Sydney-based, never married, Aus Citizen, Hindu, P unjabi Khatri, 43, 5'3", slim, fai r, attractive girl. Girl is postgraduate and is working in a good position in governmem organisation. Please send details with photo ro indsyd20l 6@grnail.com.

Seeking well educated Australian Citizen/PR for a very fair, slim, Khatri girl willing to move to Australia. 31 years old, 5'3", com.iJ1g co Melbourne jn March. Family settled in Jalandbar, brother in Melbourne. Call/W hatsapp: +91 99151 54747 or email biodata and picmres to khanak3171 5@gmail.com. \\'lell settled family in Australia seeks professional march for 29 year old, 5'7", beautiful, Punjabi, Hindu girl with traditional Indian values, working i.n a senior government position. Prefer boy having Australian Citizenship or PR status. Send biodata and photographs ro ausingh60@gmail.com.

SEEKING BRIDES S uitable march (vegetarian or non-vegetarian) for Australian-born, vegetarian, Punjabi doctor boy, 31 years old, 5'7" tall, fair complexion. Family settled in Australia. Please email desiny3239@gmail.com.

L ooking for a suitable march for 33-year-oJd Brabmin boy, well settled in Australia. Involved in family business. Fair complexion, height S'S". Email kumar.sham@bigpond.com.

Seeking a groom for my daughter, brought up in Ausu-alia, from Kayastlrn fam.ily, living in Sydney for past 24 years. She is 25 years old, 5'2", Bachelor of Commerce with Bachelor of Law from U S\'Q, a qualified lawyer working with reputed international firm in Sydney. She is smart, caring, has great regard for family values. Looking for a qualified, smart boy, preferably settled in Australi.a . Caste no bar. Send details to pbab93@grnail. com or call +61 412 487 801.

Seeking a groom for well-qualified, Tank-Khatri Sikh girl. Age 24, height 163cm, slim, hotel management, currently working, business family, based in Calcutta, India. Looking for handsome Sikh boy, well-educated and working, from cultured family based anywhere in Australia, permanent resident or citizen. Uncles living in Sydney for past 30 years.

Respond with photo and profile co saggu.aman@yahoo.com or call +61 404 187 115 for further information.

Seeking suitable march for Jatt-Sikh girl, Australian citizen, 33, 5'5", slim, fair, responsible, compassionate young bdy witl1 a charming personality. Professionally qualified, working in governmem organisation. Boy should be professionally qualified, settled .in Australia. Caste no bar. Please send derails witl1 photo to kaur.nonie@gmail.com or call +61 422 409 881.

-..;

30th Eye Camp by Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission, Delhi, INDIA, February 2017

F

ebruary 2017 marked the 30'" Eye Camp organized by Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission (SKRM). This medical camp, held twice a year, provides free cataract surgeries to patients who would otherwise not be able to afford the expenses of such an operation. Expert eye surgeons from the United States typically volunteer their premier high quality technical skills and time to provide surgeries to help make the camp a success. The eye camps are conducted as part of both the International Human Unity Conference (held in February each year) and the Global Conference on Mysticism (held in September each year) organized

by SKRM at Sant Darshan Singh Ji

24 MARCI-I 2017

Dham, Burari. More than ten thousand individuals have benefited from free cataract surgeries since the launch of SKRM's eye camp in February 2002.

Patients attending the eye camps are first screened by a medical team. Selected patients, based on medical eligibility, are then transported to !CARE hospital, Naida, where they undergo surgery with the help of state--of-the-art equipment, to remove the cataracts. All patients benefit from follow up visits and are prescribed eye drops for several weeks following the operation, so they can receive maximum benefit from the surgery. This voluntary service to the community has had a significant impact to the vision and quality

of patients' lives. The US clinical team worked in collaboration with doctors at ICARE hospital, one of India's top eye hospitals. All services were rendered free of charge and in a spirit of selfless service to humanity.

Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission (Science of Spirituality) is an international non­ profit spiritual organization dedicated to transforming lives through meditation under guidance of Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj. www.sos.o,g www.sos.org/aus/austra/ia Phone: Australia +61431 718 888 India +91 11 722 3333

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foretell PREDICTIONS FOR MARCH 2017

BY NANCY JADE ALTHEA

------------------------------------ARIES March 21 - April 19 The month starts off with a lot of intention and motivation. You will be thinking about ways to improve your relationship area and communicate your feelings effectively. It seems there are some issues from the past that are unresolved and need your attention.

The cards are showing some contact from friends you have not seen or heard from for a while. Financially you will be planning to get some new work started and establish old contacts.

TAURUS April 20 - May 20 This month you will feel confident and energetic. There will be an air of positivity and determination surrounding you. Work will be hectic but manageable. There will be a larger workload around you and you will be working extremely hard. Home li fe seems a little unsettled; this will be due to your work life demands. Financially you are looking at ways to save more money. The cards are indicating a time to take more exercise.

GEMINI May 21 - J u ne 20 This month will see you feeling a little worn out and frustrated with your plans. There seems to be a feeling of not achieving much but working hard. The cards indicate that you need to take a look at your most important tasks and prioritise. You will be feeling a little restless about your famil y life, but there will be changes on the horizon. Financially you will be spending a little more then you need to. Take care of your health.

CANCER J u ne 21 - J u ly 20 This month you will be feeling the pressure with both work and family. There will be a lot of demands made of you from both angles. You will feel the stress mounting as your work load seems to be increased. Family will be causing some worry, but things will settle down eventually in the month. There will be some financial aspects to deal with and paperwork to sort out. The need of the hour is to keep calm and relaxed.

LEO J u ly 21 - Aug 22 This month you will be concentrating on the physical: you will be looking at joining a gym or taking in more physical activity, and probably have done so already. There will be an important event coming up for which you will want to look the part. You are a little unsure how to deal with relationships this month and you may end up taking a break from it all. The cards are indicating some travel and catching up with old friends.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22 This month you will be thinking of your work life and how to improve things. There will be some thoughts of a business venture, and plans to see that through. You are at the stage of deciding what to do for the best right now. The cards are indicating a time when you will be feeling a little exhausted with family matters and children. There will .,. be a surprise visit from a friend or relative you have not seen for a while.

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LIBRA Sept 23 - Oct 22 This month you will be looking at your finances, and how to invest and where. There will be many decisions to take and you will be doing a lot of thinking and pl anning this month. Family will offer advice and help. Seems to be a lot of activity this month and as you pl an your property matters and personal affairs. The cards are indicating a time when you will also be looking at a trip and time away to relax.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - N ov 21 i

This month you may not be feeling your usual energet c self. There will be some niggling health issues that are bothering you and making you feel very tired and low. Business matters and finances will need your attention too and you will be looking at how to grow your existing business. The cards are indicating a time when you may be looking at purchasing another property. You will be planning a surprise party for someone. Buck up and get going!

SAGITTARIUS N ov 22 - Dec 21 There will be a lot happening around you this month. Work will be busy and hectic, but you will also be planning on looking for other opportunities and perhaps working in another state. There will be matters relating to your partner's work that will be stressful and they may need your support and advi ce. There may be another addi tion due to the family which will be a source of joy. The cards j are indicating a happy month, overall. En oy.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19 The focus this month is finances and making sure you are saving enough for those rainy days. There will be an emphasis on career this month and there is an indication of improvement and abundance. You may deci de to connect wi th an old flame or a past love. The cards are indicating a time when you may also be looking at a new venture or decide to work with someone else.

Take time out to take in more fresh air.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18 This month you will be busy. You will need to find a fine balance as you do not have enough time for yourself. Home life will be happy and cordial. You are planning to meet a relative you have not seen for a while and this will be quite nerve racking for you. There may be some matters relating to property that you will be helping your parents with. A sibling is also going to be needing your help.

PISCES Feb 19 - March 20 This month will be an interesting and powerful month when you will be putting together plans and ideas to focus on yourself and your future. You have been wanting to make changes for a while and you are now feeling ready to forge ahead. The cards i are indicating a time when you will be feeling positive and br ght. i Financially you will be careful with your spending. Emot onally you might feel like you need to take a break.

MARCI-I 2017 25

entertainment ■

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RANGOON

STARRING: Shahid Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Saif Ali Khan DIRECTOR: Vishal Bhardwaj � \ '1 (

In art, as in life, consistency is not a quality that is easily obtainable. In the life that is created in Vishal Bhardwaj's art, the characters are so flawed and fractured, and so driven down to destruction by their own demoniacal desires, that you fear they will collapse under the weight of their own ambitions and longings.

This is true as much of the characters as the director himself. Bhardwaj's latest arguably his most ambitious film to date could have ended up being the Bombay Velvet/ Mohenjo Daro of 2017. It is rescued, no, redeemed by an excruciatingly exquisite perception of

the wounds and lashes that love pelts down on those who are its victims.

Rangoon is a simple tale, unnecessarily complicated by its characters' prevarications.

It is a story pinned down to a bobbing blueprint of passion and betrayaI by a fey feisty whimsical woman, a popular action actress of the 1940s, who is not, repeat not, Fearless Nadia... she is Fearless Julia... not afraid to wear her heart I on her sleeves. And when you have I Kangana Ranaut to play 'Fearless Julia' i t is easy to show the woman complete stripped of vanity in her lunge towards love.

Set in the 1940s for a large part of its narrative, Rangoon reads like an over­ intellectualised literary excursion replete with educated, well-informed arrogant and pompous references to the role of Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army in bringing down the British Raj. The references to the politics of India's Freedom Movement are drawn out of the commodious plot with a groaning wheezing gravity, as though Bhardwaj, of all the learned elements in Indian cinema, knows that the Indian needs to be educated. He has 1 audience visited the library, you see.

I Tragically, the characters from both

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the British army and the INA come across as caricatures cloaked in a gravitas that the screenplay is unable to pull out of the circle of intrigue and deceit that the screenwriters create to cheat on destiny. The British Major General Harding (Richard McCabe) sprouts Urdu poetry with an endearing lisp (Ghalib never sounded so glib) but soon begins to behave like the Gora villains in Manoj Kumar's Kranti and Manmohan Desai's Mard.

McCabe is Tom... Altered.

The erudition that Bhardwaj and his writing team slap on to the long-winded screenplay go a long way in slackening the story's pace almost to a near-inert place from where it is hard to pull ourselves out even when Shahid Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut's compelling chemistry is an inviting incentive.

By the time the plot reaches its third and final act, Bhardwaj gets totally carried away by his librarian's lyricism. He injects massive suffocating doses of academia into his narrative with scholarly arrogance, sacrificing narrative evenness for interludes where time comes to a standstill as we see characters enacting scenes from the Freedom Movement on stage.

The skits-o-phrenia is distracting.

Many of the characters appear to be wasted in the long-legged libretto on nationalism that Bhardwaj insists on playing out while we are meant to watch his paean to patriotic pride in submissive silence. Bhardwaj plays and sings variations of the national anthem so many times during the film that the audience in the theatre (all 25 of them) was confused as to whether they should just continue standing in reverent attention.

After all this is not just the Jana Gana

Mana. It is Bhardwaj playing the Jana Gana Mana.

A pity, he sacrifices the opportunity to tell a beautiful and tender love story about three wounded fractured broken characters for the sake of a baggy ode to desh bhakti replete with a climax on top of a precariously compromised. wooden bridge that David Lean would have used as a dress rehearsal for The Bridge On The River Kwai.

Aerial shots of WW2 war planes swooping down on the natives are so clumsily done they are proof of how far FX-driven Indian cinema lags behind its Hollywood counterparts, and why.

Peel away the layers of self-referential nationalism, and we are left with a luminous love story, a dishy desi version of David Lean's Ryan's Daughter and Vijay Anand's Guide about a capricious seductress in a committed relationship who strays into a passionate liaison with a near-stranger who is way out of her social league. Indeed, the most masterly portions of the narrative are those where Kangana and Shahid are shown slogging through stretches of slush and marsh land accompanied by a Japanese POW. Kangana and Shahid are extraordinarily at-home in expressing the eruption of unpremeditated passion.

Their scenes together are magically shot by cinematographer Pankaj Kumar and are elevated further to a level of liberating lyricism by Vishal Bhardwaj's serene background score.

A pity Shahid and Kangana's time together is rationed. It ends with the Japanese soldier (played with gratifying earnestness by Soturo Kawaguchi) begging to be freed to go home to his mother.

Exactly our feelings.

Subhash K Jha

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entertainment

----------------------------U P-TO-DATE NEWS ON WHAT'S HOT AND HAPPENING IN BOLLYWOOD

ANUSHKA SHARMA, GHOST

Anushka Sharma's Phillauri is gearing up for its March 24 release. The beautiful star not only features here, but has also produced, for her banner Clean Slate Films.

So which role does she enjoy - acting or producing?

"Both, (even though) they are different. I have realised that when I have many responsibilities on me, I perform better. When I am acting I just do my job; and when I am producing a film I have to collaborate with ALL, right from the inception of a film. Both are going well for me."

The Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi actor ventured into production with 2015 thriller NH-10.

In Phillauri, the story revolves around a young man who has come to Punjab to get married, but a local priest says he will have to get married to a tree first in order to combat the bad setting of his stars. The tree happens to be the home of a spirit Shashi, played by Anushka.

The poor bloke ends up marrying the spirit. The spirit also has a fl ashback, and we get a love story between Shashi and her fiance.

While we can't wait to see the stunning Anushka on screen again, what's with this dakiyanoosi subject matter...?

Directed by Anshai Lal, the film also features Diljit Dosanjh.

VIDYA BALAN, BROTHEL OWNER

PEECEE AT OSCARS 2017

S

o she had lots of fun at the Oscars, no doubt giving many Bollywoodwallahs #Oscars #GOALS. Although she did not score a presenting gig like last year, our girl squeezed herself into a tight gown (Ralph & Russo), wore US $5 million worth of jewellery (Lorraine Schwartz) and strapped on the highest heels you have ever seen (no goss on which brand, sorry). She cosied up to her Baywatch co-star Dwayne Johnson on the red carpet, chatted up Dev Patel, and pretended to interview Jennifer Aniston backstage for Kelly Ripa's chat show.

Then she got changed into a black sequinned Michael Kors number and went off to the after-party. And because she hadn't eaten a morsel all day, she tucked into a massive juicy burger. (She posted a video of it).

Next day, she saw her name listed on various Best Dressed as well as Worst Dress lists. (Wow, the sheer talent to be able to pull that off).

You've all probably seen by now the Twitter comparisons about her dress: kaju katli (thanks, AIB, for that one); a vase, a blanket, a shimmering quilt, a DIY project...

Also this one: Who ate the sides of the dress?!

But the Indian actress has stopped fretting over fashion police as everyone is entitled to their own opinion. She said in an interview with IANS before the show, "I used to (get bothered about fashion policing) but not anymore. Now, I wear what I like and what I'm comfortable in and if someone doesn't like that, they don't. They are entitled to their own opinion."

Oh, er, sadly, Priyanka made no comment at all about the most memorable moment of the night that came at the end.

28 MARCl-l 2017

A hookah and rifl e in tow, actress Vidya Balan is intimidating as a brothel owner in the first look of National Award winner Srijit Mukherji's Begum Jaan.

Set against the backdrop of Partition, the high-voltage drama, a Hindi adaptation of Mukherji's stellar Bengali offering Rajkahini, is a story of survivors who defy nations to save their homes.

"My body, my house, my country and my rules," a brazen-faced Vidya reinforces the essence of her character in the maiden poster.

The film also features a whole list of actors from the world of alternate cinema including Naseeruddin Shah, Ila Arun, Gauahar Khan, Pallavi Sharda, Rajit Kapoor, Ashish Vidyarthi, Vivek Mushran, Chunky Pandey, Poonam Singh Rajput, Ridheema Tiwari, Flora Saini, Priyanka Setia, Mishti Chakraborty, Sumit Nijhawan, Pitobash and Rajesh Sharma in pivotal roles. It is slated to release on April 14.

SONAKSHI SINHA, JOURNALIST

Sonakshi Sinha, who featured in the primary role in Akira and is now the central character in Noor - both movies without a strong male lead - says carrying a film solely on her shoulders isn't difficult, but rather liberating for her.

"It's liberating to be promoting the film on my own," Sonakshi said at the trailer launch of her upcoming film Noor. I felt

this also when I was promotingAkira.

I don't have to depend on anybody to carry this film. I have a solid team to support me, and other than this, I don't need anybody else," "I feel like I am independent, strong and moving ahead with my team. This is the best feeling that I can carry a film on my own shoulders," she added.

In Noor, Sonakshi plays the role of a goofy journalist who wants to cover a real life incident, but is forced to go for a celebrity's interview.

The film is based on Pakistani author Saba lmtiaz's novel Karachi, You're Killing Me! and follows a Pakistani journalist-writer Noor's misadventures and love life as she navigates her way through Mumbai. The fi lm, directed

by Sunhil Sippy, is scheduled for a worldwide release on 21 April 2017.

VARUN DHAWAN, DULHA?

Currently working hard promoting his new project Badrinath Ki Dulhania (Badrinath's bride), the cutesy Varun Dhawan was stumped when a reporter asked him a question about "Varun ki dulhania".

The question came amid speculations about his rumoured love Natasha Dalal.

The two have never confirmed their relationship.

Of course the suave actor dodged the question deftly.

"Varun ki dulhan ko kaafi time hai (there is plenty of time for that)," he said, gathering himself quickly. "Let people now meet Badrinath ki Dulhania."

The film, the second film in the Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania franchise and is produced by Karan Johar, releases on 10 March.

KARAN JOHAR, DAD!

As Bollywood's celebrated filmmaker Karan Johar takes the surrogacy route for fatherhood, B-Town rejoices.

The daughter has been named Roohi - a rearrangement of Karan's mother's name Hiroo, and the son has been christened Yash - after Karan's late father.

Karan, 44, said, "I am ecstatic to share with you all the two most wonderful additions to my life, my children and lifelines: Roohi and Yash. I feel enormously blessed to be a parent to these pieces of my heart who were www.indianlink.com.au

welcomed into this world with the help of the marvels of medical science."

Best known for directing films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Karan is still single.

He says parenthood is "an emotional yet well thought out decision" he has taken after considering all the responsibilities and duties that come with being one.

"In order to arrive at this decision, I have prepared myself mentally, physically, emotionally and logistically to ensure that my children get all the unconditional love, care and attention from me and mine. I have submitted to the fact that my children are my world and priority."

In his book An Unsuitable Boy released recently, Karan not just opened up about his sexuality - albeit in a veiled manner -but also expressed a desire to adopt a child or opt for surrogacy.

The filmmaker, who keeps travelling around the world and is known for his knack of making romantic dramas, understands that having children would mean that "work, travels and social commitments would have to take a back seat".

Karan also extended gratefulness to the surrogate who fulfilled his "lifelong dream and provided a warm, loving and nurturing environment to my children before bringing them into this world. She will always remain in my prayers."

Roohi and Yash were born thanks to celebrated IVF specialist Jatin Shah,

who was also instrumental in the successful birth of AbRam Khan (son of Shah Rukh and Gauri) and Azad Rao Khan (son of Aamir and Ki ran), both through surrogacy.

Karan's new family have come in for a fair bit of media attention. While one line of questioning has been intrusive (why could he not have had kids the normal way, or adopted?), others have been more congratulatory, such as Amul's cute new ad: Kabhi Beti Kabhi Son Johar se cheer karo!

There was hardly any hullabaloo when actor Tusshar Kapoor announced last year the birth of his son Laksshya Kapoor, through surrogacy.

RISH I KAPOOR, ANGRY OLD MAN

He used to be the 'chocolate hero' with the cherubic face who sang Khu/lam khulla... and launched his generation's mohabbat karne ka ishtyle. Today, he is a grumpy old man, who abuses Twitter trolls, khullam khulla, f words galore.

"Released new warning bio for future trolls, abusers and idiots! Refer profile.

Please ignore, sensible friends. Let's live in a fun world," he tweeted recently.

The actor also changed his profile picture, to a snapshot of him brandishing a gun, from his film Aurangzeb.

Rein it in, @chintskap! (That's Chintu Kapoor, for the uninitiated, a name by which he is also known. Wonder who

WHO WORE IT BETTER? PADMA LAKSHMI or LEA MICHELE in CUSHNIE ET OCHS

+

Share your views with us on our Facebook page /lndianLinkAustra/ia

IHDIAHLIHK

calls him Chintu, these days... ).

His earlier profile read, "Son of a famous Father-Father of a famous Son. I am the hyphen in between them."

GUNEET MONGA, IRRITATED

Film maker Guneet Monga has produced a new short film entitled Shut Up. The film is based on how freedom of speech of common people is being questioned in the country.

"It's time we get out there and speak," Monga said in a statement. "Our voices need to be heard and as film makers, it's our responsibility. We do live in a strange time where options are being manufactured. Hoping each one of us can be the change we wish to see."

Directed by Ashutosh Pathak, the film is based on a common person who finds himself participating in a silent protest only to find revolution in the most unlikely place.

Pathak says that Indians seem to have forgotten how to debate over these things constructively.

"From the well of the parliament to our dinner tables, we are like a bunch of monkeys shouting off with your head every time anyone disagrees with us. It's funny and scary at the same time, and that's the feeling I wanted to highlight with this film. Are we really free to speak our minds, or just getting fearful, and learning how to shut up," he said.

WHAT TWEETY BIRD TOLD US THIS WEEK

Match the following stars to the tweets below Twinkle Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Amitabh Bachchan again, Vidya Balan This was too much fun. @chrissyteigen @KellyRipa #JenniferAniston #backstageshenanigans 41 years of "Kabhi Kabhie"... !!

Just as I was about to begin sprouting 50 shades of grey, I am rather glad I am sporting 50 shades of L'Oreal instead :) #lorealproindia When I die, the assets that I shall leave behind shall be shared equally between my daughter and my son! #GenderEquality #WeAreEquaI. Aa rahi hoon main! #BegumJaan Firstlook.

What's the chitchat between KARAN JOHAR and ALIA BHATT? Send in your responses to win@indianlink.com.au and win a movie pass

What's the chitchat between VARUN DHAWAN and ALIA BHATT? VARUN: Sochti hai zyada, kam wo samajhti hai Di/ kuch kahta ka i, kuchh aur hi karti hai...

Ladki kyon, najaane kyon, ladkon si nahin hoti.

ALIA: Jeene ka tumko dhang sikhlate hain Tumhein jaanvar se insan banate hain ... lsliye ladkiyan ladkon si nahin hoti.

ARSHIA LAGHARI Cranbrook QLD Arshia wins a ticket to Badrinath Ki Dulhania

MARCI-I 2017 29

backchat

You hurt my feelings, now make me a millionaire Get rich quick with an out-of-the-box lawsuit

E

BY NURY VITTACHI

motional clistress is when you make a sarcastic comment on Facebook and every single friend th.inks that's what you realJy think, and when you later point our that you don't acmally advocate eating the unemployed or whatever, they th.ink you are being sarcastic.

So then you're i.n a bad mood and switch co your email and find this: "Dear Mr Columnist, how much are my emotions worth in major currencies at roday's rates in various countries around the world?"

The message from reader Agnes P.K. Ting baffled me - until I clicked her link co a late February news report: Police in the US just paid $885,000 to a pet-owner "for emotional distress" after they shot his pet dog. A second link led to a January report of a student who was asked co llcinate in a bucket in a storeroom and received S1 .25 million, also "for emotional clistress". "\�hy do we work to earn money instead of just waiting until someone hurts our feelings and then claim compensation for emotional distress?" Agnes asked.

Good question. I thought the answer might be that these things only happen i.n the United States, a country which undoubtedly has a constimtional amendment saying something like: "The Right of The American People to File and Win Ridiculous Lawsuits Shall Never be Jnfringed."

But I checked with a lawyer who told me that people make emotional distress claims al1 over the world.

A tead1er in the UK demanded compensation for being stressed out by kids and a court gave him 101,000 pounds ($125,000), before a higher court snatched it back arguing that ''a person stressed out by kids" was pretty mudi the definition of

30 MARCI-I 2017

teacher.

A guy in India watched a really bad Bollywood movie called Rockstar in 2014 and demanded Rs. 50,000, which is about $750, "on account of mental harassment and agony suffered". Given that Bollywood movies sometimes run three-and-a-half hours, he may have underpriced the damage.

In China, a man tried to sue actress Zhao \'qei because ber intense scare at the camera during a particular TV show caused him "spirirual damage". I can see how d1e atcractive Ms Zhao could cause any male

viewer co have significant non-spiritual thoughts. The courts evenmalJy declined co bear the case, although if they had any brains they would have taken a week off to inspect Ms Zhao's videos as part of d1eir "due diligence" process.

Still, I can see why courts in Asia refuse co pay compensation co viewers aggrieved by shockingly bad television. TV companies would basically be paying cash to every viewer every day for every show. And however much d1ey paid, it wouldn't be enough.

Yet despite tl1e rash of emotional distress

lawsuits, let's remember that many claims fail. A colleague forwarded me a report about a woman who found her image was used wid1out permission in a Chipode restaurant promotion and asked for $2 billion. The courts recently ruled against her, but I think it was word1 crying, just in case the judge had had a nice lunch and gave her a token $100 million co say sorry for the thumbs down.

Meanwhil e, if any judges are reading this, bow much can I get for the emotional distress of having a sarcastic comment misunderstood? :tvfillions, right?

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