2017-03 Perth

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Kohli'spubtest

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

Aswegoto print,sporting newsheadlinesinAustralia andIndiaarebeingdominated bytheactionsof -andthe reactions to-IndiancricketcaptainVirat Kohliduringthehard-foughtsecond Tesrmarch betweentherwo countries in Bangalore.Neveronewhowas backwardincomingforward,Kohli's naked aggression onand off thegr0tmd hasbeenatoncelauded and criticised.

So,howwillhisbehaviourpassthe pubtest?Well,toanextent,itwill dependonwherethepubislocated. Thereislittle doubtthatpuntersatpubs in IndiawillprobablyshoutKohlia beer(ortwo);inAustraliahemayget an oppornmiry toquenchhis thirstinafew pubs,atothershemayfinditdifficultto geta drink.

Kohlidoeshaveatendencytodivide people:heisadmired forhis unbridled

aggressionand ambition,heisalso criticisedforthe very same.Thecritics wouldlikehimcohide cl1isbehinda morebalanced and perhapsdemure approach.Demure?Foraboyfrom Delhi,thiswouldbeachallengeatany an1e.

That Kohliisnotoneto backdown, waspretty clearwhenonthesecondday of theSydneyTestmatchin2012,Virat stuckhismiddlefingeromcoagroup of abusivespectatorsashefieldedat mid-off.Dubbed 'Fingergate' atthat time,cl1eactionwasapplauded by Indian legend AmitabhBachchanwhileduly criticisedbyallAustralian media. Kohli laterdefendedhimself onTwitter,"] agreecricketers don't have toretaliate, whatwhen mecrowdsaystheworst things aboutyourmotherandsister, theworst I'veheard (sic)".Whileother cricketersmayhavechosentoignore the crowd chants,Kohlithrew itbackat chem.

Observershavelinked Kohlito modemIndia-young,brashand aggressive-someonewhowillnortake anythinglyingdown.Therewasahope mathewillmatureasa captainbutit seemsthatmaystillbe awhileaway.

AstheAustraliantourto Indiahasbuilt up,theAustralianteamdidwhatthey havedonewellin mepasr- meystarted playingthe man. Pick someonein c1e oppositeteamandstarttheverbaland mediawaragainsttheperson."l\faybe theyfeltcl1eycouldgetunderusif cl1ey reallycameoutand gotpersonalwith someof us,"Soutl1African greatABDe Villierssaid priortorbe2014series.

Vi.rat Kohliwas cl1etarget beforemis series,withcl1e Australians makingit dearthatif they COLtldget underhis skin,this could putpressureonIndia. Theydid,buttheresultshavenot beenwhat they expected.Itdid bringme aggressive -andyes,theabusive -Kohli tocl1eforeandthelastfewdaysof cl1e secondtestmatch saw himathisvery best(orworst). Pei:hapsthereason the Australiansdon'tlike Kohli,isheisway toomuch Liketheirownteam.

1n2017,cricketisnotagentlemen's gameanymore. Itisahard-fought contestinwhichbothteamsare expectedrocompete.Andtherivalry betweenIndiaand Australiadoesmake forsome fascinatingviewing. There'sacoldoneinmyfridgefor Viratanytime.

YOURSAY

UNI BREAK

A look at what someyoungmembers ofthe communitygot upto over their summer holidays

RanjanaDutt 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 Simran -keep it up!

Vlnaya Ral wrote: Azaara Perakath, I see you!

YuvaAustralla wrote: Here is whatsome young Australians have been doingover the summer, including our YUVA Australians Anirban, Arpita and Anindya. Cheers to the volunteering spirits of the youth such as these! #youngindianaustralians #yuvaaustralians#youthinAus

ASK AUNTYJI:WEIRDCELEBRITY BABYNAMES

Auntyji gave her thoughts on Kareena and Saifcalling their baby boy Taimur KrlshNa wrote: My wonderful friend Taimur from Russia, originally of the Caucasus, approves your advice, Auntyji!

ChandraKlshore wrote: Who cares what they call their child!

STRENGTH INDIVERSITY

When it came to speaking up against axenophobic US President, Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull let us down badly, wrote PAWANLUTHRA

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 forcefullyspank everyone who equates refugees with terrorists, or we are all going to hell for inaction!

SAYIT AGAIN

INDIA HAS BEEN A POST-TRUTHSOCIETY FORYEARS (ANDMAYBETHEWEST HASTOO)

RANJIT GOSWAMI ofRK UNIVERSITYwrote about how India's post-truth landscape may be aharbinger ofwhat's to come for the US and the UK Krishna wrote: would say, India is really pre-truth, because there never wasa free f ow ofinformation. Truth wasnever givena chanceand is probably farther away fromseeing 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 Hindutemple' tropes.

FEB21IS THEUNITEDNATIONS'(UN) INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGEDAY

lndlan Link tweeted: Happy International Mother Language Day! This worldwide promotes language as a powerful instrument of preserving heritage & culture

#IMLD

MlchelleRowland

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

UNESCOStatistics

@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 groupAIB

on Priyanka Chopra's Oscarsgown

:Kappy fotcn11nio11a( :MotherLar111ua11c©av

"I wrote the ending of the Academy Awards 2017. Jimmy Kimmel -we really got them!"

M. NightShyamalan on theOscarsBest Picture controversy

GENERAL PRACTICE ASWELLASSOCIALWORK

RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA spoke with Australia Day honouree Dr Purushottam

Sawrikar OAM

AvlnashKanetkar wrote: Well done!

SangeetaSharma wrote: Congratulations Dr Sawrikar

AnitaPlayoust wrote: Congratulations!

Kasturl Kalmath wrote: Congratulations Dr Sawrikar! Well deserved KalyanRam wrote: Dear Dr Sawrikar, my personal congratulations to you on the honour you have received.I am equally impressed with the work you havebeen 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

JLFcame to Melbourne and brought its unique and frank discussions on context, culture and history, reported APARNA ANANTHUNI

Krlshwrote:Interesting read!I wonder if HarryPotter 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?

-�--�-� ; ..

RIP VIMLA LUTHRA

Indian Link was overwhelmed with expressions ofsupport following the passing ofMRS 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 heavenabove.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. PoonamLuthra wrote: Beautiful tribute. Her blessings are always with all of you.

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

PrlyankaTater wrote: The f rst time I hadVimlaji 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.

ShallyRelan wrote: May your soul Rest in Peace. You will be missed in Indian Link family and heartfelt condolences to the entire family.

JasreenSingh wrote: Vimla ji you will be missed aap ki kavitayen

hamesha bahut madhurthi our respect and alvida to you

NavdeepKumarKalla 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.

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

SubhashlnlChanna 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

POLLRESULTS

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

No (49%)

Yes (42%)

Unsure (9%)

"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 aspecialTestseries

right now, yet we are allowing it to get sullied by nonsense.

Dean Bilton on ABC Grandstand

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

Billionaire MukeshAmbani

lIn 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

BYRAJNIANAND LUTHRA

If youdon't thinkSunny Pawariscme, then youdon'tdeserveanyhappiness. ThoseareTwitter'swords,notours. Socialmedia(theworld?)wentcrazy atthisyear'sOscars,andnotjustfor thatserioussmff-upat theend.Thefrenzy wasalsoforanod1erreason-apint-sized starfrom Indiawidithecutesttuxedoever, gorgeoushair,heart-meltingsmile,andall theconlidenceintbeworld.

Eight-year-oldSunny Pawar,whoplays ayoungSarooBrierleyintheOscarnominated film Lion,becameoneof the mostmemorable Oscarmomentsfrom 2017.

Hestolethered carpetfromunder thestilettosof someof theworld'smost beautifulandexpensivelydressedwomen, participatedinanunforgettablecameowith thehostJimmy Kimmel,wowedeverybody withhismrnonthesilverscreenina critically-acclaimed movie (whyisthereno OscarcategoryforBestChildActor?),and remrnedhometoaLion'swelcome.

Oh,andhealsodidawholelotforhis already likeableco-starDev Patel.The BritishIndianactor'sdallianceswithlittle Sunnyallthroughtheawardsseason-fixing hishowtie,tyinghisshoes-lacesorsimply hoistinghimup-endedupincreasingd1eX factorforhim,manytin1esover.

"Getyourself aDev Patel!"Twitterurged. Ok,gtanced,itwas Dev'sgentlecareof hisglamorousmumthatmightalsohave addedtothis,butitwasSunnytoalarge extent.OneTwitteruserspokeformany youngpeoplewhentheysaid,'Tmgoing comarry DevPatel,haveabigfatfadian wedding(you'reallinvited)andd1en we're goingcoadoptSunny Pawar."

WespeakwithlittleSunnyandhis dadDiliponmephone,theday aftertheyarrivebackin India from LA.Itis5pmtheirtin1e.Theyhave spentthedaydoingmeroundsof television interviewsand pressconferences,butSunny answersallourquestionslikeheisanswering themforthe fusetime.

"Bah11tacchoIago.Bc1h11tachcha tha,"hesays repeatedly.Iloveditall.Itwasnice.

Werealiseheis,afterall,butalittlechild, andfeelabit sorry tobesubjectinghim to chisquestioning.Buthisanswers,although shortanddirect,beliehisage;herevealsno sign of e.xbaustion,andwemarvelathis capacitycoprocessitall.

Youlookedfantastic,wesay.Thankyou, hesays,withahintofAmericaninhis accent.

Greatsuit. whodidyourhair?

'�VIoi11khurlkj}'ol"Did icmyself! Acd1eshow,did herecognisethebig stars?

"Pehchoono,par11ao11111ahi11JJJ0!11!fl.'-Sore of recognised them,butdidn't know their

names.

Washenervousat all?Atilie Lion King scene,maybe?

"Nabin,rlarnahi11 kiga,bahuten)'!)'k.jyo!"

No, I lovedit!

Dilipchimesin,"NwiniskosaJJJjhayaIha, rlamek.£1k.£JqJ'k.o?Baarlmejahchocolate harsaa}'a, isnedopok.da.Dono khago)'a."''1eirplainedto himthere'llbenothingcobescaredabout. When thechocolatesshowereddown,he caughttwopackets-arethembothup!"

Accompanyingthetinydynamiteat theOscars,wasPraveshSahni,whose Delhi-basedfilmcompanyIndiaTakeOne Productions handledtheIndiaaffairsfor themakersof Lion,Sydney-basedSee-Saw Films.Sahnigotcowalkwithhislittleward onmeredcarpet,scoredaseatwid1d1e mainguests,andfoundhisownfifteen minucesof fameasheappearedonscreen manytimes.

Uonis mefourth filmSahnihasbeen involvedwithdiathasgone cotheOscars, theothersbeing SJ11111dogMillionaire,LifeofPi andZero Dark Thir(:y.Butthisonewillbethe mostmemorable.

"Oscars2017hasbeenone of tl1ebest experiencesof my life,"hetells Tndiaf!Link, onmephonefromLA."NotmanyIndians havebeentotheOscarsasyouknow,andit wasaspecialprivilegecobein memidstof itall"

Hewasseatedinrownumber3inthe middle,rightbehindDenzelWashington, withSunnyandtherestof theLionteam.

"I mought Iwouldbeup onthe balcony somewhere,"he admitslaughingly. "Itwasfarmore

glamourous than I thought.Ihaveseenit onTVbefore,but hereI was,just eightfeet away fromtl1e stage!"

Healsoadmitstobeingquite overwhelmedbyitall,despitehavingworked intheindustry for30yearsandcreatinga nicl1eforhimself byassistingforeignfilms thathavebeensetinIndia.

'1justkeptlookingarounddazed!"he reveals.''IwasinaworldIalwaysdreamed of beingin.Ididn't evenminkof taking myo,vnphotos,d1ereweresomanypeople takingpicturesof us.Thereisa five-minute breakevery 15minutesduringthe Oscars ceremony.Everybodyaroundus,allthebig actors,wanted aphotowithSunny.Theyall kneltdown,intheirtuxedos andbeautiful gowns,togetclosetohim!"

Ontheredcarpet,Praveshgottoactas ttaoslator.

"Sunnywasaskedwhohewouldmostlike toshakehandswimandhesaid,"Hrithik Roshan".That'swhohelikes,H.rithik Roshan-hedoesn'tknowd1eHollywood celebrities yet."

(WelearnedfromPraveshlaterthat H.t:imikhasbeenintouch toseekameeting withlittleSmmy).

TheLio11teamwentcotheafter-party hostedby ilieWeinsteinCompany.

"Wegottherejustafterilieawards ceremony,about10pm,"Praveshrecouncs. "Therewasaredcarpet,andyou're supposedtoshowyourphotolD,because tl1esecurityishandledbyd1epolice.Guess what,inalltheexcitement,we forgotco bringourID.Igocconcernedbecausethe Pawarsdidn't evenhavetheirpassports onthem.Butarepresentativefromtlie companysaid,'EverybodyrecognisesSmmy. Hisfaceishis photo ID!' Oneof diepolice officerspickedSunnyupinhisarmsand carriedhiminl"

Thelionfamilywasdisappointed,Pravesh reveals,cobavebeennominatedforsix awardsandnothavingwooevenone.

''Itwasjustbadluck,notourday.The spiritwas,atleastwewerenominated, sowe'dalreadywon 99°/4,of thebattle." Unfortunatelydie Indianteamhad corush homeasSunnywasdriftingoff,havingbeen ontheredcarpetsince1pm,and behadco beatthenextevent,AftertheO.rca1:ratSam thenextmorning.

(Oneof thehostsonmeshow;Jerry O'ConnellsatSLlllnyonhisshouldersand declared "lwanttowalkaroundHollywood Boulevardelikechiswid1mynewfoendl'')

''Thetheatrewasfullastheydiscussedthe previous nighc.Then,intheafternoon,we pmSunnyandDilipontheirflightbackto India."

PraveshalsorevealsthatSunnyhasbeen going backand forthbetweenIndiaandthe USforthepastd1reemontlisnow.

Strangely,hewasinitiallyrefusedavisa. "Hisdadhadabankbalanceof only Rs.120.

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

unny Pawar met President Barack Obama at the WhiteHousein the last week of Obama's Presidency to raiseawareness for the #LionHeart campaign.

He was in Washington, DC to help raiseawareness for the initiative that provides financial support and resources to children inIndia.

The Weinstei,n Company,See-Saw Films, andThe 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 ofIndia.

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

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

Thenthefilm'sdistributorsTI1eWeinstein Companygorinvolved,and gotchePawarsa 10-yearvisa."

PraveshbelievesSunnyhaswharittakes comakeitbig.

"Ihaveworked"\Vichalot ofactors,and 1cantellyou,heisastar,"hesayswith conviction."Buthisfatherandheneedto haveaproperplan.Andnotbetoogreedy. Youknow,coavoidwhattheycallthe 'Oscarscurse' -whereyouincreaseyour pricesomuchchatyoutakeyoutselfoutof themarket.Sunny'sagoodkid.He'snow been putinschool-See-Saw Filmshave beenkindenough tolookafterhim.He's goingtolearnEnglish.Willhebeableto workinEnglishmovies?Yes,it'spossible; butit'sgoingtotaketime."

Pravesbhasalso seenDevPatelthrough hiscareer.

"Ibaveworked with Dev Patel onfive filmsthroughIndiaTakeOne.W/eha,1e seenhim grow fromS/1✓111dogtoBestExotic M.arigoldHoteland chenLionandwejust finishedHotelM.t1111baiwithhim.Heisa greatactorandawonderfulperson.Hedid hisfirstfilmwithusat17.Imagine,you seeanactorgo from chat,andnowyou're sittingnexttohimattheOscarsandhe's nominatedforBestSupportingActor!" What,forPraveshSahni,isthesrandouc memoryfromhistimeatcheOscars?

"WhenJimmyKimmel cameuptoreenactthescenewithSunny fromTheLion King Itwasspecialfor Liou,forSunny,for IndiaTakeOne,forusall,d1attheworld waswatchingus.PerhapsSunnywouldhave stayedout of focusfortheentireOscarsif chisincidenthadn'thappened.Butwithche entireauditoriumlookingatyou,asthehost talkstoyouone-on-one,d1at'smemorable. WhenyouwinanOscaryouget one-minute foryourthankyouspeech.Sunnyhadmuch mored1anchatontheOscar screen.The nextday,thedriverwhopickedusup,knew notonlySunny,butevenrecognisedme!"

Praveshsaysit hasbeen anhonour cobeinvolved withLJon.

"Thiswasa storythatcouched usall fromDayOne.Creditgoes todirectorGarthDavis.\Xieneverhadd1e Oscarsinmind-chiswasacreativeproject." Theentire processfrom scouting,orthe recce,to rheconclusion of shooting cook

aboutayear.

"Our jobiscomakethe director's dreamspossible.Th.iswasadifficultshoot. Workingwid1a foreign director ontbe streetsinIndia,everythingistough!"

To shootat the Howrah Bridge,for example, wasanightmare.

"Itisanamazingsceneinthefilm, but theidea ofhavingSunnyaloneon the bridge,bathedin light,wasalmost impossible.Itwasthroughthecooperation ofthe\'v'estBengalgovernment,alongwith theDirector ofPhocogrnphyGreigFraser, thatthisbeautifulscenefinallycametobe inthefilm."

Thisisthethird Australian film Pravesh hasbeeninvolvedwith,theothers beingSt1veYourLegs!and Hotel1vfut11ht1i (coincidentallyalso starringDev Patel).

"Ifeelsolucky,afterSl11111dogandfinding thosekids,cohavefoundSunny.It is wonderfulto findIndiantalentanddeliver ittotheworld."

Surmywasonly fiveyearsoldwhenthe projectbegan.GarthDaviscouldn't speak any Hindi,andSrnrnycouldn'tspeakany English.

"Theydevelopedakindofsign language. Thumbsupmeant the scene wasgood, thumbsdownmeanttheyhadtoshootit again.\'v'ehad translatorsonset,aswell asSunny'sdadDilip,butitwasaboutthat personalconnectionwiththe director. Hehad,afterall,pickedhim from1200 children!"

Butonthesets,Sunnywasaccorded regulartream,ent.

"Nopamperingofany sort,nospecial treatmentinanymanner.Afterall,hewas playingave1-yemotionalroleandwas requiredtokeepthatdemeanour,"asource fromthefilmrevealed.

Sunny'sshootingschedulesspanned overchreemonthsinKolkataandMadhya Pradeshin India,and Melbourneand TasmaniainAustralia.

Cricketcameinhandytohelpother cast membersrelatetothediminutivestar.Some of rhesecandidscenesevenmadeitco film

'"\V/eworkedinBhopaland Kolkata, butIlovedshootinginAustralia,"Sunny saidinone ofhismanyinterviews."The pbcewassobeautiful.Thereweresomany placestoroamandpla)�wewentthereafter shooting."

What wasNicole Kidman like, Sunny hasbeen asked. '2\llaa)<Jis thi,"beissaid cohave replied.She waslike mum.

Theeight-year-old,starringasKidman's youngsoninthe film,saidheenjoyeda real-lifebondwiththe Oscar-winning actor.

"She'sveryaffectionateandverywarm," Sunnysays."Nicolesaid that I'm a namral andIshould alwaysbeanatural."

Heplayed cricketwichheron cheset.But inhisstraight-fo1wardway,be addswith child-likehonesty,"I'm muchbetter chan her."

He alsotriedtoteachthe49-year-old star 'thodathoda'Hindi.

ItisclearSunnyalsoadoreshisoldercostarDev Patel.

"Cricketkhelt<1tha, hadmaasbika1tt1ih<1." He wouldplay cricketand wouldgoof aroundontheset.It\Vassomuch ftm.

Wastherealanguageproblem?

"No,therewasnolanguageproblem. Dev spoketomeinEnglish,andIspoke backin Hindi."

Simple!

Together,DevandSunnyintroduced Lio11atthe 74chGoldenGlobeAwards. Dressedinblacktuxedoes,the duo was welcomedonsragewichahugeapplause.

Dev gm7ea synopsisofthefilm on srnge, and d1enliftedSunny sohe could say to che microphone,"Thisisourfilm,Uo11."The audienceeruptedwithlove.

Thesamethinghappened with the 89'" AcademyAwards.

"My ovariescan'thand.le this!" screamed one popular website asit posted multiple cute-factor-overload photosofSunny attheOscars Andbreakfastshowhosts onTV mightwellhavesaid"#ovaries", millennialspeakforan explosionof cluckiness,astheyendedtheir interviews coveringSunnyincuddlesand caresses.

Sunny isaClass3srndentatthe Air IndiaModelSchoolandliveswith hisparentsDi.lipPawar,aformer governn1entoffice sweeper,and home-makermod1erVasu,inashm1in Kalinain chewesternsuburbsofMumbai. Hehasayoungerbrocherand sister.

"LAdk.eneitt1a<Jcbcht1ka11111k!)a, haht1r desh111e,h!1t11ht1h11t khushhai11,"Diliptells

IndianLink.Our sonhasdonegoodwork, appreciatedina foreignland;thatmakesus happy.

"Zindagimeinsahkaapn"naseehhai,P<Jr mehnat kehinak11chnt1binhota.''We cometo thiswoi:ld wich our destiny written our,but really,nothinghappenswid1outhardwork.

Herevealshewill considermoreoffers forSunny,wherevertheycome from.Love Sonia,Stmny'ssecondfilm,feamringFrieda Pintoisreadyforreleaselaterthisyear.

Sunnytellsus, "English11t1hi11jat111tahaipar jt1bsab,m!fhest1bhole, G,·eat 11101k, mt1i11bola tht111kyou."Idon't speakEnglishbutknew when everybody inLAwascongramlacing me.

DidSunnyenjoyhistimeinLA?

"Bt1!111tachchalaga.Excitingth,1."Lovedit; it wasexciting.

\Xlhatdidhelike?

"Disnqla11dachcha!t1ga, TVi11ten1ie111sachcha lt1ga. II7JJ7Et1cbchr1lt,ga."Disneyland,theTV interviews,meeting theW\VE heroes. F-lisfavourite scenesfromthe movie?

"Tmin 111t1fd'.Sceneson d1etrain. Healsorecalled therunning,when "DirectorSir"toldhim torun.

\1(/J10arehisfavourite actors?

"Hritbi.kRosh.an,AjayDevgn, Rajoikanth".

HaveSLmny's friendslikedhiswork?

"Abbitl(Jhinmi/a to. Kaischoo!jt1ao11ga. Patti nt1hinm1honepicturedekhaya11t1bi11."Ihaven't metthemyet.I'llgotoschool tomorrow.I don'tknow ifchey'veseenthe film. Doeshethinklifewiththemwillchange forhim now?

"Pehlejt1iSt1 tha,kheln<Ikood11a,Jl'ai.rt1he mhcga."It'llbejustlikebefore.\1(/e'IIplay justlike normal.

Wecan'thandle howcuteheisl Withinputsfrom!ANS

Lefttoright:SamuelLJackson getsaselfiewithSunny;AttheGolden GlobeswithDevPatel;With Nicole KidmanattheDirectorsGuildAwards; PraveshSahniofIndiaTakeOne

,, Not many Indians have been to the Oscars, it was a special privilege to be inthe midst of it all ,,

n's

r aw

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

BYPREETIJABBAL

Theconversationin the cockpit sure wasdifferentthistime, asthe all-femalecrew from Air India flew intoMelbourne airport,aspartof aninitiative byAir India cocommemorate International Women'sDay.

LedbyCaptainLaxmi Nagrath,the DreamlinetleftDelhiat1.15pmon 8 MarchandlandedinMelbourne justbefore 7amon 9l'viarch,coveringaround 10,215 kilometers,with237passengersand nine infantsonboard.

Asthe weary travellersmadetheir wayouttoArrivals,there wasa stirof excitement,and the four AirIndiacockpit crewmembersemergedintheircrisp uniforms,allofthemwomen.Theychatted easilyabomtheirexperiencesandwerevery proud cobepartofthisinitiative tomark InternationalWomen'sDay.

Thiswasn'tthe firsttime anall-female crew flew into Melbourne,accordingto CaptainSangeeta Nirmal,whoclaimedthat AirIndiahad consciouslyencouragedand promotedseveralsuchflightsinthe past. Interestingly,bothherdaughtersarealso pilotsandshe stronglybelievesthataviation

isagreatcareerforwomen.

Captain Nagrathsaidshehadcome acrossnogenderdisparityintermsofpay oropportunitiesduringher30-yearflying career.''Infact Iwaslooked afterbetter thanthemenandmybatchmatestook extracareinlookingoutformewhenI was training,"shesharedwitha smile.

Thiswasnot their first visittoMelbourne and judgingby theirconversation,plans seemed tobeinplace to checkout Melbourne'ssightswithMelbourneZoo andSt Kildabeach on copof theirto do list.The popularThousandSeepswalking trailandbikeridesco thebeachwere also highonthe agenda

The cabincrewdisplayedno signof weariness,despite thelonghaul,asthey happilyposedfor photos,smartand smiling in their uniform.Theirmood seemed to match the colour of Indian spring(mustard) chatwasdominantin theirsaris.

The passengerswere equally upbeat and delightedtofindomchattheywerepartof a specialevent.

"Itwasperfect!The plane couldn't differentiatebetweenamaleandfemale pilot!" Sunila Forsythlaughing!)'cold Tndian Link. "Jokesaside,Ifeltverygoodknowing chatAirIndiadeployed anallwomen flight. It'sveryempoweringandencouraging, especiallyfor Indianwomenaround the

world.Allthefemale passengersweregiven rosesbeforeboarding-I wasgiven rwo!" AirIndiaisseekinga Gu.ii.messWorld recordfor itsall-female fughtsaround the world.Other airlineshavealsorecently laLmchedsimilarflightsintheirguestcojoin the bandwagon,howeverAirIndiaclaimsit isthefirstonetoscripthistoryby flyingan all woman crew flight around theworld. Al's all-women crew operates 'around the world' flight acionalpassenger carrierA.i.rIndiarecently operatedan 'aroundthe world' flightwith anall-femalecrew,onitsNew Delhi-San Francisco-New Delhiroute.

Flight AI173rookofffromIndira GandhiInternationalAirport in Delhi on 27FebruarytoSan Francisco,covered a distanceof around 15,300kmin15anda halfhoursoverthePacificroute,andon thereturnjourneyfromSan Franciscoover theAtlantic.

"Theentire flightwasoperated bythe women staffof eight deparm1ents,"an airlinerelease said."These departments induded cockpitcrew,cabin crew,checkinstaff,doctor,customercare staff, ATC (air traffic control)and the entire ground hand.lingfromoperator totechnician, engineerand flightdispatcherandtrimmer."

The lineoperationsafetyauditwasdone by HarpreetADeSingh,ED(executive director)Flight Safety,AirIndia.Thisis the first timethatthisaudit,vasdonebya femaleofficerforan around-the-worldtrip.

Aglitterin for �In launch ianDocs

New organisation for doctors ofIndian heritage in WA

WAInclianDocs lnc,an organisation fordoctors of Indianheritageto helpthemrealisetheir Australiandreamswas laund1edataGalaCeremonyon18

February

Theglitteringevent washeldat Novatel Perth Langleyandwasattendedbymore than225delegates.DrMike Nahan, Treasurer,Governmentof WA;Roger Cook,Shadow Nlinisterfor Health;Consul Generalof Indiain PerthAmit Kumar Mishra;DrPaulBoyatzisExecutive

Director,AL1stra.l.ianMedical Association of WA;Dr Rosanna Capolingua,former FederalAMAPresident;DrWilliam Hart, Dean,CurtinMedicalSchoolwereamong thenoted dignitariesatthelaunch.

TwocharitymganisationsChildren

In Needin India-Australia(CI I),and Eastern IndiaPalliativeCare (EIPC)were thebeneficiariesof thelaunch.

"Fifteenpercentof doctorsacrossWA areof Indianorigin,"saidMrCook,as heappreciatedthecontributions made byIndiandoctorsespeciallyinrural and regionalareasof WA

Dr ]'vtikeNahanpaid rich tributetothe doctors of lndianheritage and laudedthem for their contributioninkeeping Australiahealthy."When the miningboom

--1\JV--Docs

Education I Networking I Support demandedmorehealth wo.rkers,theobvious countrywith the poremialtofillthegapwas India"hesaid. DrNahanalsopredictedthat thenumber of doctorsof Indian heritageworkingin the Australianhealthworkforceisonly goingtoincreaseinfuture.

Bothpolitical parties pledged theirsupportin promotingthe causeof WA Inclian Docs.

WAlnclian Docsis an organisation foundedbya groupof doctors of Indian origin thataims to involve,nurture, develop,assist

andnourish doctors of lnclian heritage from acrosstheglobe.Membershipsare open foreverydoctor,dentist,medicaland dent.'llstudents inthecommunity.

DrSmmyBaruah,the foundingpresident oftheorganisationhighlightedtheneedto collaborate andintegrateintotheAustralian system.

Achequeof morethan$2500raised forthe two chosen charities;Children InNeedin India-AustraliaandEastern IndiaPalliativeCarewerealsopresented. "Weareheavilyinvolvedwithnationaland internationalcharitiesandwouldliketo continuetosupporttheircausewithyour supportand membership"said DrSayanra Jana,theGeneralSecretaryof thenewly launched organisation. Furtherdetails.forthememberships andtheiractivitiescanbefoundat www.indiandoctorswa.org.au

Bigboysandtheirtoys

The boys from RIBA (Royal Indian Bikers Australia) roar through town

BY PUNEET ANAND

Life,inallitsspirit of advenmre,is meant to be enjoyedandexplored tothe fullest. Forsome travel enthusiasts,all thatisneededisa motorbike!

Twoandahalf yearsagoHarmanJohal of Perth boughthimself abike withthe thoughtof traversingthebeautifuloutback of WA.Bnt onsecondthoughtherealised it wouldben1uchmore funif heclidit with abunchof bikebudclies.Togetherwithhis equally hike-madfriendAjayPaland two others,they setoffontheirfirstgroupride to ciry beach.

INDIANLINK

"Therewassuchagreatfeelingof camaraderie charwe thoughtwe must expandourgroupand findlike-minded people cogoontripstogether,"Johaltells IndianLink.

Camaraderie?Hmm,thatexplains Hells Angels,andhey,ourveryown Yehdosti,Imm nahin fromtheiconic Hi.nclifilmShof'!J

Bmeventhough our Perth-basedJai and Veerufoundmanyguys thatownedand lovedbikes,itwouldtake them awhile to get bikersto join.

Bmnow,the RoyalIndianBikers Australia (RIBA)iswellandtruly growing witha website and Facebook page. Memberscome fromvariousbackgrounds andclifferent partsof India.

Theyride togetheronceafortnighton Sundays.Theyareearlybeginnersandstart at6am-because,astheyclaim,wivescall for attentionandtime tool

Theirmeanmachines range fromBullet,

Yamaha,Suzukiboulevardto Hunter, Hayabusa,HarleyDavidson,Hyosw1g They havetouredMooreriver,Mandurah,Two rocks,Toodyay,York,MundaringWeir,Lake Leschenaultia,Serpentine.

They follow diligentlytl1erulesof packriding,suchashavingaleadrideranda rail-ender,keepingasafedistancefromeach otl1er,staggeredformation,lookingafter stragglers,'over-indicating',andaboveall, trusci.ngeachothertotally.

"Safety isveryimportant forus;we're veryparticularaboutjackersandgearand we promote safetyonthe road,"Johal says.

He reveals witl1asmile,''The camaraderie nowextendsbeyondourlittlegroup.Many rimes,Aussiebikiesgreet uson the way; tl1eyLikeandappreciateourbikesas we standaroundchataboutbikes."

Theclub chargesasmallfeewhichgoes towardsclubpromotions,towardsraising awarenessabommen'sissuessuchas'eight

ball' (prostatecancer)andfund-raising for communitymembers inneed

The RIBA boysarebecomingagreat showstopperwhentl1eyrockup asagroup acvarious local publicevents.

Andof course theyhave tl1eirownevents too,likefamily barbecues.

Soonthey will belaunchingtheirown merchandise -the RIBA logoisastunning graphicdepictingtl1eheadlightsand shocker of abike.

Theirdream ride?

"Drivingdownto AdelaidefromPerth," Johalreplies,vithout amoment'shesitation, andadds,""PerhapsexploreLeh-Ladakhin India."

Theymightbelongrodifferent backgroundsbuttl1eyshareone tl1ingin common-theirobsessionforbikesandthat iswhatdrivesthemtogether!

Melbourne's

Peter Dietze shares a family legacy thatgoes back to Indian cinema's pioneering days

advancedIndianstudioofitstime.

BY PREETI JABBAL

BombayTalkies,nottobe confusedwiththeIndian anthologyfilmofthesame name,isacomprehensive collectionofIndianfilm ephemerafromd1e1920sand1930s.The rareexhibitioniscurrentlydisplayed,for tl1efirsttime,attheAustralianCentrefor theMovingImageinMelbourne(ACMI) until2July.

Boththefilmandartcollection commonlycelebratemeemotionof Indiancinemaintwosignificantways:one tl1-roughinnovating,andanotherthrough curating.\Xlhilememoviehadakeeneye onthesociopoliticalclimateofitstime, mecollectionunearmsrarearchivesof tremendousinterest,bothmanagetodoso engagingly.

Anyonewhohasaninterestinfihns willenjoythehistoricalfeelandthestory matsurroundsBombayTalkies,oneof India'spopularmoviestudiosofthe1930s. BombayTalkieswasthefirstcorporate studio,inIndia,tobelistedontheBombay StockExchange.

Foundedin1934,BombayTalkieswascoownedbyHimanshuRaiandDevikaRani. Thestudioproduced40filmsover20years andwasconsideredasthemosttechnically

Besidesexploringtl1ehistoryofthe influentialBombayTalkies,FionaTrigg fromACWhascuratedanexhaustive Indianfilmarchive,incollaborationwith localDietzefamilywhoareownersofthe memorabilia.

AustralianPeterDietzeisthecustodian ofilieenormouscollectionmadeupof photographs,letters,telegrams,posters, evenbillstlrntharkbacktothetimeofhis grandfatherHimanshuRaiandhisbeautiful wifeIndianactressDevikaRani.

PeterDietze,whowasborninAustralia andhasGermanancestry,wassurprisedto discovertlrnthisgra.nd.fatl1erwasIndian ai1doneoftl1emostprominentluminaries ofIndiancinemainthe1920s.Hismother NilimawasmedaughterofMaryHain.Lin, aGermandancerwhowasoncemarriedto HimanshuRai.

ItwasMarywhointroducedHimanshu tOtheGermanfilmindustry,influencing hiscareerintheans.(Himanshuwas acruallyalawyerandwassrudyingforme BarinLondon).Himanshulaterwent ontomarryDevikaRani,grandniece ofRabindranathTagoreandthemost legendaryofIndia'sactresses.

"FindingmephotosoftlusIndian man,wholookedlikeme,openedawhole Pandora'sbox,"Peterrevealed to lndicm Unk in2010,withtheideafortl1ecurrent exhibitionalreadyinhismind."Ibecame tot.a.Uyimmersedinhislifeandworksand contributiontoIndiancinema,aswell ashisattemptstotellmewesternworld lndiai1tales."

Ashok Kumar's home ,, PeterDietze

PeterandhisbrothersPaulandWalter spenttimeandeffortindiscoveringmore abouttheirfamily'sIndianbackground andintheprocessacquirediliecollection ofover3000items.Someofthema.re showcased,preservedwithgreatcare,atme BombayTalkiesexhibitionatAC�ll.

Thedisplaysoffermanyfascinatinglinks toearlyIndiancinemaincludingfootage ofsilentfilmslikeATlmm,ofDice,Lightof AsiaandShiraz.Mostprominentisd1elifesize,ratherimpressiveimageofsuperstar AshokKumartl1atadornsthewallnotfar fromasimilaroneofDevikaRani.

AshokKumarwasalabtech.n.iciai1in BombayTalkiesbutHimanshuRaielevated himtoilieroleofaleadmanwhenhis wifeDevikaRaniwassaidtohaveeloped witl1ajmulHasan,whowascoplayme originallead.

"WhenIwenttoIndiaIsawabustof mygrandfatl1erinacrorAshokKumar's home,"revealedPeterduringtheofficial launchofmeexhibitionrecently.

Alsointriguing,isthefamilytreetl1at mapslinksbetweentl1efamiliesofRai,

Rani,Roerich(DevikaRanimarriedpainter SvetoslavRoerichin1945)andtl1eDietzes. Imagesa.nditemsrelatingtoDevikaRani formasubstancialpartofmeexhibit. Audiovisualswithremasteredorarchival footageaddroilieambienceandmystery. Theinterestingcontentoftl1earchival lettershelpinconstructinganimageof prevalentissues,joysandchallengesfaced byRaiandRaniinrunningd1esmdio.The documentstracethefriendshipscreated duringtheirstintinGermanymatproved beneficialforiliemasmastertechnicians likeJosefWirshcinganddirectorFranz Ostenworkedincollaborationwimtl1em a1Jdbroughtinternationalprofessional standardstoIndia.

Atleasttwoofthetrilogyoffilmsthat Raiproduced,andwhicharebelievedtobe thepioneeringfilmsofIndia11cinema,have beenseenbyAustralianaudiencesinrecent years.Theyhavebeendigitallyrestoredby d1eBritishFilmInstitute,inwhosearchives theyhadbeenlyingsince1945.Today,iliey arefamouslyplayedtotheaccompaniment oflivesymphonyorchestras.British-Asian composeritinSawhneywrotemescore forAThro//JofDice(Pn,panchaPash).The 1929filmislooselybasedonthegambling episodefromtl1eepicMalrnbharata.Of theothertwofilmsinthetri.logy,the 1925P,-cmSaf!JrlS(hcLightoAsia)is basedonthelifeoftheBuddha,andthe 1928Shiraz(Sircy)onthelifeofMughal emperorShahjahan.

Peterhopes to taketheexhibitionto othercountriesbeforefindingtheright placeforitinlndia"whereitbelongs".

,, When I went to India I saw a bust of mygrandfather in actor

THE BOMBflY T11ltilES lT _ D

PeterDietze(right)withhis brothersWalterandPaulatthe openingoftheBombayTalkies exhibition

India testfiresendoatmosphericinterceptor missile

On1MarchIndiasuccessfullytest-firedthe AdvancedAirDefence (AAD)Missile,the secondleveloftwo-tierinterceptormissile systemthatcandestroyhostileballistic missiles.

Themissilewaslaunched around10.15 a.m.attheAbdul Kalamislandoff Odisha coast,officials said.

''Theendo-atmosphericmissile,capableof interceptingincomingtargetsatanaltitude of 15to25km,successfullydestroyedthe inco1uingmissile.Allthemissionobjectives weresuccessfullymet,"anofficialstatement said.

Theweaponsystem radarstrackedthe targetandprovidedtheinitialguidancet0 theintercepwr,whichcould preciselyhome inonthetargetanddestroyeditinendoatmosphericlayer.

The complete event,includingthe engagementanddestruction,wastrackedby anumber ofelectro-optical crackingsystems usinginfraredimagery.Radarsandtelemetry stationscrackedthetargetandtheinterceptor tillthedestructionof thetarget.

"Thelaunchhasprovedthe Ballistic l\llissileDefence(BMD)prowessofthe country,"the statement said.

Defencel\llinister ManoharParrikar andDefenceResearchandDevelopment Organisation (DRDO)ChairmanS. ChristophercongratulatedtheDRDOon successfullaunchofd,emissile.

G. SatheeshReddy,theScientific Advisor toDefenceMinisterandDRDODirector General (Missiles&StrategicSystems), monitoredthelaunchoperationalongwith otherofficials.

The.AADispart ofthetwo-layered Ballisticl\1issileDefencesystemdeveloped bythe DRDO,dieresearchanddevelopment wingoftheDefence Ministry,with the Hyderabad-basedResearchCentreImaarat (RCI).

Thelatesttestcomeslessthanamonth afterIndiasuccessfullytested thePcithvi DefenceVehicle(PDV)intercepcormissile on11February.

The PDVcandestroyahostilebalistic missileinspace,beforeenteringtheeard1's atmosphere.

The7.5mecre-longAADisasingle stage solidrocket-propelled guidedmissile,witha navigationsystem.

Thesecondlevelofthesystemisthe endo-atmosphere.AADmissiletestedon 1 March.

Amid expandingconcrete jungle, Delhi'swildlifeshows sign of revival

Althougha concrete junglethathaslost severalanimalspeciesovertime,theforests of cbenationalcapitalstillpossessatleast sixdifferentkindsofwildanimalsthatbave managestosurvive-and theirbreeding popufationgiveshopethatDelhi'swildlife maysoonrevive.

Accordingtotherecentimagesobtained bythecameracrapsatYamunaBiodiversity Pack(YBP) andocherforests,thereisa healthybreedingpopulationofmammals likeporcupines,wildpigs,junglecats,civets, Indianhare,hyenasand jackals.

Oneof d1erareandleastknown man1mals,thepangolinewaslastspotted inDelluin2011,thoughexpertsspeculate about itspresence.Thenationalcapitalis alsohometo13speciesof snakesaswell as monitorlizards.

The recentlyspottedbarkingdeer,the firstsuchsightingofthepresentcenrury,is furtherindicationthatthecapital'sforestsare reviving.

IsDelluready forabreedingpopulation ofleopardstoreturn?Nota distant dream, expertssay.

Prof C.R.Babu,,vhoseecological restorationat dieYBP -hisbrainchild-is bringinglife backtoDelhi'sjungles,believes fixingsomeoftl1egreencorridorshere couldhelpspeedupthewildlifere,Tival.

"Over yearsof efforts,Delhi'sforests nowhaveenough prey ithasabreeding populationof nilgaiQ)luebull),wild pigs, hareandotherprey animals Oncethe greencorridorsarerescored,theleopards will surely bebackinDelhiand,whoknows, maybeeven tigers,"BabutoldlANS.

Delhihas20.22percentofitstotalarea undergreencover,ofwhich 188.77square kmisforestcover.

Meanwhile,thepresenceofaleopardwith cubsisbeingspeculatedattheAsolaWildlife Sancmary here,two monthsafteraleopard

roamedintl1eYBP for21days,seenby consenTationistsasasignof revival.

FaiyazA.Khudsar,thescientistin-charge of the YBP,said tliatat leastfourspeciesof animals,includingalizard,asnakeandtwo speciesofbirds,havebeeJ1re-discovered withinthelastoneyear

''TheblackeaglehasbeenfoLtnclinDellli after100years,diesea-boldiesmood1water snakewasspottedafter70years,theIndian pitta(bird)wasspottedafterabout60years andthefan-throatedlizardwassportedhere after22years,"KhudsartoldIANS.

Hepointed cowardsAocksofmigratory birds,includingnorthern shovelers,tufted clucks,darters(snakebirds),northernpintails, red-crestedpoachardsandgreatcormorants -activeover sevenacresofrevivedwetland atYBP.Khudsarexplainedhowtherevival of suchwaterbodiesisbringingtl1ese EuropeanandRussianguestsbacktotl1e nationalcapital.

"TI1esebirdsbad scoppedcomingto Dellli somespeciesstillstayaway but slowly,witl,conservationandrestorationof bio-diversityparksinDell,�theywillvisit again,"Khudsarsaid.

Khuclsarbelievestlrnt tl1e300acresof the secondphaseof theYBP,whichissciJIunder restoration,couldhelpbringbackmoreof Delhi'sgloriouswildlifepast.

However,thelistofwbatDelhihaslost overaperiodoftimeislongerandtheloss isgrave.

Accordingcotherecordsfrom tl1e Gazetteer,Delh�whichby tl1eearly20d1 centurywashomecoAsiaticlions,hasbeen strippedof sixspeciesofvultures,two speciesofdeer,fourspeciesofantelopes, abreedingpopulationofleopards,caracals, tigers,smootl1-coated otters,Indianfoxes andwolves.

Duetotl1edegradationoftl1eYamuna river,Dell,ihaslostthenub-nosedormarsh crocodileQastseenin1976)andtl1elongsnoutedcrocodile (lastseenin 1978).

Fortbepastrwodecades,Delhihas alsomissedd1eSiberiancranesandthe Demoisellecranes

Delhihasnine speciesofbats,including tl1egreaterfalsevampire,butduetohabitat lossonlyalimitedpopulationoftl1ese pollinatingmammalssurvives.

Expertsbelieved1atexpansionofinvasive

AirIndia'scaptainKshamtaBajpai (centre) duringacelebrationceremony onthe eveofinternationalwomen's day,inNewDelhi,March7,2017.She commandedarecentflightwhichseta worldrecordbyflyingaroundtheworld withanall-femalecrew. Theflightflew overthePacificOceanfromNewDelhi toSanFranciscoonaMonday,andthen flewbacktoNewDelhiovertheAtlantic ontheFriday. Photo:AP

plant specieslikeprosopisJulifloraisone ofthemajorreasonsbehindthecapital's vanishingwildlife.

"Invasiveplantsandshrubs,whichnow dominatemorethan7,000hectaresof the Delhiridge,havekilledthenativespeciesdue cowhichthepopulationofdieherbivores likechowsinghas,chinkaras,sambarand blackbuckdropped,whichinturnsawadip inthepopularionofcarnivoresandbirds," Khudsarexplained.

Accordingtoarecentreportbythe InternationalUnionforConservationof acme (IUCN),invasivealien speciesare on tl1eriseworldwide and showno sign of slo,\�ngdown.

New batch of in-residence scholarsat Rashtrapati Bhavan

Anewbatchof innovators,artistsand writersbegan theirfortnightlonginresidenceprogran1inRashcrapatiBhavan thismond1,a.release fromthe President's Secretariatrelease said.

"They will bein residence till18March," itadded.

Theteninnovacorsselectedforthe programmeincludeSurjeetSinghof Haryanawhodevelopedllighyieldingand salt-tolerantpaddyvariety;teenagerAkash ManojofTamilNaduwho developeda non-invasiveself diagnosisof silentheart attackandGirishBadragondof Karnataka, innovatorof lowcostbore-well scanners. AshokKun1arChavda,recipientof SahityaAkademiYuva Puraskarand Prabal Kumar Basu,recipient ofGouri BhattacharjeeMemorialAward for hisfirst bookof poem Tmneei Pratha111willjoin artists Rahul ShailendraKokaste,winnerof 50d1 Maharashtra StateAward,alongwitl1the winnerof Lalir KalaAcademy award,2016, Dheeraj Yadav.ComemporaryartistSubodb GuptaandBhartiKherhavealsobeenin residenceearlierdi.ismonth.Bod,theartists havebeenawardedtheChevalierclans !'Ord.redesArtsetdesLetters,an1ongthe Frenchgovernment'shighesthonours,for their contributiontoartworld.

TheIn-Residenceprogramwas launchedby President Pranab:tvlukherjee on December11,2013withtheaimof providingwritersandartistsanopporm1lity cobeapartofthelifeofRashtrapati Bhavan.Itseekstoprovide anenvironment, whichwillinspirecreativedunkingand rejuvenateartisticimpulses

"Itisintendedcohonourand recognise eminent,establishedartistsandwritersas weUasencourageyoungupcomingtalent fromdifferentpartsof thecountry,"tl1e communiqueadded.

ChefVikas Khanna presents 16kgtometo Queen Elizabeth II

"i\fajesticworkofartthatcelebratesthe beautyoflndia,"Britain'sQueenElizabeth IlissaidtOhaveremarkedwhenChef VikasKhannapresentedtoheracopyof hislimited-edition16-kgtomeUtsavthat celebratestl1escoryof Indiancuisine.

"Utsavwaskeptonapedestalandthe Queenspentalmost15minutesgoing through d,ebook.Shewasmostinterestedin

MigratoryNorthernPintailducksswim inthe Pobitorawildlifesanctuaryeast ofGauhatiinIndia'sAssamstate, late February. Photo: AP

themulticulnu:aldiversityof Indiaandhow Utsovrepresentstherichheritageandbeauty of Indiathrough thelensof the common man.SheinstantlyinstructedherteamtO have UtstJvplacedinher private library at Windsor,"astatementsaid.

Only12copiesof thebookhavebeen madeandthiswastl1e11tl1copy.ltwas speciallyhandcrafted,goldgildedand presentedinarawpinkAhimsaSilk.

Thepresentationtookplaceaspartof the "IndoUK70Yearsof Culture"celebrations.

Chef Khannahadaprivateaudiencewith theQueenandPrincePhilipandlaterwith PrinceWilliamandDuchessofCambridge Kate Midclletonaswell.

Mumbai NGO celebrates OscarforThe White Helmets Asthewoddtunedintothe89thAcademy Awardsceremony thisyear,mini-celebrations eruptedoutsidetheofficesof Harmony Foundation,inasmalllaneinSantacruz suburb.

TheHarmonyFoundationandits volunteersrejoiced,cheeredandcelebrated astheOsc.u:forBestDocumentaryin theShortFilmCategorywasannounced toa40-minuce film, The WhiteHe!111ets, symbolisingmeSyriaCivilDefence.

For,longbeforetl1eOscars,the Harmony Foundationhad recognisedtheexemplary workdoneby''The\'{/biteHelmets"in savingcivilianstrappedinwar-cornSyriaand conferredit wim theprestigious "St.Mother TeresaMemorial Award forSocialJustice 2016".

''Throughouraward,we acknowledged theexemplaryworkof organisationslike SyriaCivilDefence,workingunderextremely challenginganddifficultsimations,witl1great risktotheirlives.We arepassingthrough turbulenttimesandthesociety badlyneeds peace," Harmony FoLmdationFounderPresident AbrahamMatl1aicoldIANS.

Congramlating"TheWhiteHelmets"for theirinspiringworkwhichhasbaggedthem thecovetedOscar,Matl1ai.saiditwouldgo alongway towardsensuringequality,social justiceandinclusivenessinsociety,andpave tbewayforpeaceinSyria.

Formedin2014,TheSyriaCivilDefence isagroupof around3,000localvolunteers servinginrebel-controlledSyriaduringthe ongoingsix-yearlongcivilwar.

Mostlyordinaryfolks withcommon backgro1mdslikestudents,tailors,carpenters ortechnicians,theyhavededicated themselvestosavingtl1elivesof over 82,000 people injuredin attacksby fighterjet5, choppers,barrelbombs,clusterexplosives, phosphorusbombsand chlorineshellson civilianlocalitiesandhealthcarecentres.

TheHarmonyFoLtndation'saward, institutedin2005in tl1ememoryof MoilierTeresa,istl1eonlyoneinthewodd recognisedbytl1einstitutionshefmmded, theMissionariesof Charity,Kolkata.

MotherTeresawascanonisedtoSainthood onSeptember4last yearbyPope Francisat The Vatican.

Someof thepastrecipientshavebeen MedecinsSansFrontieres,theDalaiLama, MalalaYousafzai,Dr.MahatlurMohammad, BaronessCarolineCoxandotherglobal personalitiesororganisations,Mathaisaid.

Assam hamletaspiresto be India'scleanest h'samovementthatbeganduringChristmas in2012withacompetitiontoselectthe "cleanest"familyintlusvillage.Thefestivalspecificcontestinthevillage,locatedabout 80kmfromAssam'slargestcity Guwal1ati, hasnowmorphedinto theambitiontowin tl1e"CleanestVillageinAsia"titleonceheld byMawlynnonginneighbouringMeghalaya.

"Sincethen,we havediscussedtheissue.If Mawlynnongcanbecomethecleanestvillage inAsia,whynotus?Wehaveeverything -avillagebiggerthanMawlynnongwith abundanceof nanu:e,beautifullandscapeand verygenerousandhospitablepeople,"Elvin Phangso,alocalteacher,coldI.ANS.

Tothisend,theresidentsof Shikdamakha villageinnature-rich KarbiAnglongdisrrict areleavingnostoneuntmnedcogoonestep aheadof Mawlynnong.

Thevillagershere,right from tl1eyoung one to tl1eoldest,areconsciousabout cleanlinessandhygieneandnoonelitters tl1eroadinthevilbge,notcotalkof their individualhouses

Useof plasticisasrrictno-no.The villagersusebamboo-madebasketsfor storinggarbageinfrontof eachof me 89householdsandineverycornerof ilie village,andtl1eaccumulatedgarbageis disposedof atregularintervals

Theresidentsalsoundertakecommrnur:y $weepingof thestreetseveryweektoensme tliat cleanlinessandaproperdrainagesystem areinplace.Allhouseholdsof Sh.ikdamakha alsohavesanitary toiletstoensurehygiene andcleanliness.

"\Vehavemadeacommitteecoensure tl1ateveryoneismadeawareof cleanliness andhygiene,"saidHolvisMaslai,theGaolia Gaonburah(kindof villageheadman)of Shikdamakha.

AsforMawlynnong,locatedabom90 kmfromtheMeghalayacapitalShillong,it isasmallhamletinhabitedbymainlyKhasi tribepeople.Here,tl1ewasteiscollected inthedustbinsmadeof bamboo,directed toapitandthenusedasmanure.Itwasa communityinitiativestartedlongbackin me villagetlrntfinallyhelpedMawlynnongearn tl1estatusofCleanestVillageinAsiain2003, asratedbyDiscoverIndiamagazine.

After theinitialsuccessof thecommunity

initiatives,nowl'vfawlynnonghasbanned useof plasticcompletelyand villagersoften goforrainwaterharvesting.Accordingto Meghalayagovernmentstatistics,closeto 250tOLLristsvisitilievillagealmostregulad)� whichfetchesgood revenuetothelocals.

l'vfansingRongpi,theMLAfrom Baithalangsoconstituency,underwhich Shikdamakhafalls,saidthevillagehas achieved first positionamongthevillagesin Assamasfarascleanlinessisconcerned.

"i\fawlynonginNleghalayahasearned thestatusofCleanestVillageinAsia.We candothishereaswell.Todayit'sjustthe start. Ihopethepeopleof Shikdamakhawill continuetlusjourneyof cleanlinessandfrom nowon,7vfawlynnong'sscamsof cleanest villagewillnotgounchallenged,"Rongpisaid.

The MLAsaidthatatpresent iliereisnot muchinfrastructuretowelcome courists butassuredthatbe,alongwitl1the local community,is tryingtopromote homeSta)'S.

lndeed,villages like and Shikdanrnkha and1fawlyngnongprove mattl1evisionof acleanIndiaisnotlimitedtojusttl1eurban space.

Trump'smerit-based immi�ration proposal could benefit Indians

USPresidentDonaldTrump'sproposalfor amerit-basedimmigrationsystemhas the potential cobenefitIndians,alargenumber of whomhavehighlevelsof educationand skills.

Buttluswillultimatelydependontl1efiner detailsof how meproposalisimplemented.

Tnunpdidnotspellouthowthemeritbasedsystemwouldwork.

Onthefaceof it,Indianswouldmakea goodfitforamerit-basedsystemgoingby thecommunity'scurrentprofile.

AccordingtoareportbymePewResearch Center,70percentof IndiansintheUSare collegegraduates

The USCensusBureaureportedthatin 2013,themedianhouseholdincomefor Indianfamilieswasover$100,000.

But there areoilierfaccorssuchas whetherthecurrentnationalquocasorlimits onpeoplefromanycountrywhocould beadnuttedinayearareretai.nedcould ultimatelydeter.minehowitplaysoutfor Indians.

Theproposal willhavetoclearmany hurdles.

First of all,itwillnmintoopposition tnai.nJyfrorntheDemocraticPartywhich wouldarguethatitwouldnothelptl1epoor and theLmskilled im.nugracetothe USand discriminateagainstimmigrantsfromLarin Americancountrieswhomthepartycounts asakeypartof itsbase.

Awayout forTrun1pmightbetobarter memerit-basedreform forallowingsome illegalimmigrantstostayoninthecountry. InCanada,applicantsforimmigrationare givenpoints fordifferentqualificationslike education,skill levels,employability,language and familyties.

They wouldhavetomeetaminimum scoretobeallowedtoimrnigrate.

Currently,tl1eUSmunigrationsystem restrictsthenumberof peoplewhocan immigratefromeachcoLmtrytoseven percentof therotalnumberallowedin exceptforimmediaterelativesof citizens. Thishasledtoseveralyears' waitfor Indianstogettl1eir greencards.

Thereisalsoanannual limitof 140,000on employment-basedgreen cards.

Becauseof thelimits,mostprofessionals from Indiahave cowaitaslongas12years for agreencardandthosewith "exceptional qualifications"nineyears,accordingtothe SeateDepartment visaavailabilitydatafor March.

Amerit-basedsystemhas thepotentialto cuedown thewait.

Howthereformwould ultimatelyaffect Indianscoulddependonhowcountrylimits and tl1ecaponthemunberof employment visasareretainedorhandledandalsoon theretentionof theimnugrationprivileges forbrothersandsistersof citizensandtheir fa.mi.lies.

Thereformmayalso affect theabilityof brothersandsistersandelderly parentsof citizensto immigrateif tl1eyaresubjectedto apointssystem.

Trumpdidnotmakeanymentionof those workingintheUS ontemporaryprofessional workvisasknownasH-1B.lnearlier speeches,hehadsaid thathewouldrooc oucabusesinthat visacategoryandrestrict them if meyweretothrowAmericansout of work.

IIANS

Sikh-inginspiration

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

BYAVICHANDIOK

Achanceencounter,perhapsa rapport,mutual respect,anda wholenew vista wasopened up for DanielConnellin his career asan artist.

\'{lh.ileridingin ataxiinAdelaide,Daniel saw something specialinhis Sikh driver Laklwir Singh andaskedif he couldpaint his portrait.

That firstportraitbecame thefirstof many,andtoday,Daniel hascemented areputationfor his for hisformidable portraitureof Sikh figures. Hepresentshis workagainat chis year'sAdelaideFringe 2017.

With degreesinSpanishandL atin AmericanStudies,a Grad.Dip.in Education,Mastersin VisualArts,working towardhis PhD,andlearningHindiasweU, Danielis certainlynoslouchacademicaU)'· Nineyearsworkingasaschoolteacher teaching Spanish gothiminvolved in social andcommunityorganisations. But

with his love of painting,hehas been afreelance artist since 2007.Andnow, recognised worldwide,hehas presented in Glasgow,Sheffield,Frankfurt,London andthe US andhis works were shown in theprestigious Kochi-Muziris Biennalein India.

WhileDanielhasbeen paintingforas longas be can remember,hisinterestin Indiawasarousedwhilebarelyateenager whichled to his interestin the writings of Gandhi andTagore.Onhis first visitto India in2008,herecalls feeling"utterly at home,in a crazy sort ofway".

Helivedin Rajasthanforthreeyears and whiletherepainted aportrait of Greg Chappel1,who was coach of the Rajasthan Royalsat d1attime.This paintingwas selected fortheprestigiousDougMoran Portrait Prize.

Workingwith transport workersin Australia,andfromtheSikhs inthenord1 tothelabomers ind1esoud1 in lndia, Daniel's paintingstryto capturethe dignity of workerswhoroilwid1dieswearof theirbrow. Being "adeeplyreligiousand spiritualman"hisworkseemstohonour theessential teachingofGuru Nanak -that workis centralto an expressionof faith. Heseesinthetaxidrivershard-working youngmen,proud ofwhothey a.re and in

theirbeliefs,proudto wearaturban and putthemselvesoutthere to bejudged.It isthissenseofbraverythatdrivesDaniel tocontinuewithhis portraitswhichhe seesasamessage,standingupforthe immigrants.He uses A4 sheetsof paper stucktogether with cape comake alarge canvas forhisworks.Thisisdeliberate asir canbeseenasa metaphorofthefragility ofnew immigrants inanewland.

DanielConneUsaidatthestartofour meetingdiat"theexhibitionisdedicatedto ManmeetAlisher,the taxi-driver brutally murderedrecentlyinBrisbane".Onclisplay arehuge charcoal portraits,someoils and othersmallerportraits.Anovelpartis Daniel ach1ally paintingonthespot.The workbeingpaintedduringmy visit wasof GurinderjitSingh,afairlyrecentmigrant who isalso at.'lxidriver.

Gurinderjirwasfullof praisefor Daniel saying,"Heis averygoodperson motivatedto w1derstandmyreligion.We aretryingtohelpthehomeless peoplein thecityandareworkingonthat."

In Februarythis year, RajpaJSingh Sidhu,anod1ertaxi driver,was robbedat knife-pointattheendof longshiftoutside hishome.He toowill beoneof tbe subjectstohavehis portrait paintedduring the course oftheexhibitionwhich runs

until2 Apr:il.

When asked about the future Daniel said thatheexpectstocontinuetomake ' bigger picturesand portraits'. "Artisaninvestigationthatnever stops,"hesays. "Indiataughtmethat."

Over thelast twoyears,bis work has moved from just making picturesto actual representationroauthoritiesand advocacy on behalfof new migrantscoveringawide spectrumof theirneeds.It'snowonder that hehasendearedhimself rothe Sikh community.Theyareindeedfortunate tohavesomeonesoengagingandgifted sympathetictotheircause.

,, On his first visit to India in 2008, Connell recalls feeling "utterly at home, in a crazy sort ofway'' ,,

,, Connell sees inthetaxi drivers hard-working young men, proud ofwho they are and in their beliefs, pToudto wear aturban and put themselves out there to be judged ,,

BYASHWINI SASEEDARAN

The calming crash of waves against shores of speckled sand guietly engulfs the hum of local traffic and beachgoers as laughter drifts with the cool breeze, and conversations pause at an impressive sculpture.

Overlooking the never-ending beaury of the Indian Ocean and stretches of sand aticonic Cottesloe Beach, Perth, an intriguing sculprure has been delicately and thoughtfully installed.

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

Announced winner of tl1e $50,000 Rio Tinto Sculpture Award, multidisciplinary artist Harsha Va.rdhan Durugadda has rightfully earned his place as a rising virmoso in the artistic community.

Column of Sound stands as a unigue form, sculpted specifically using audio from the site's location. Aftera painstaking process of recording audio from the plaoes of land surrounding the sculpture's site, the arcist conceives a physical representacion of the sounds. He constructs his artand adjusts the sculpture based on the rhythms and movements heard. The final product stands as a profound transformation between audio and visual realms.

Having received the Andrea Streeton Memorial Invitation at Sculpnu:e by the Sea, Bondi 2016, Durugadda's explorations in the perceptions of audio and visual certainly question the normative approach by imploring critical and imaginative tl1inking.

Sensory concepts are commonly interpreted singularly, as smell is correlated to the nose, sound is parallel to ears 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 bet\veen otl1erwise opposing senses and notions.

''\Ve are used to whatever is already in Physics books. People are not ready to touch or feel sound. I'm working to change perceptions and disrurb people's thinking of life. When they touch the sculpnu:e, they touch the sound of tl1e site," explains Durugadda.

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

Appropriately situated at the forefront of an oceanic landscape where tlie worlds of nature and artificial construction collide, Column of Sound is a deep expression of nature inspired art coupled with anthropomorphic ideologies.

Born in Andhra Pradesh, India and now based in New Delhi, Durugadda completed his Masters in Visual Arts and began practisingwith a number of different mediums. Experimenting with performance art, video, prints and sculptures, he then ventured out of the nation successfully holding exhibitions and publishingwork in London and here in Australia.

In its 13"' year, Sculpture by the Sea has become a household name as perhaps the world's largest annual outdoor sculpmre exhibition. Each year the beautifully captivating shores of popular Cottesloe beach become home to a ternporary sculpturepark with local, national and international artists showcasing their visionary arr.

Attracting hundreds of thousands co

The eventinvites the public to appreciate and participate in contemporary art in a physical and inreractive manner as all are welcomed to view tl1e pieces at their own pace and create their own imaginative perspectives.

"[Sculpture by the Sea] is a great oppornmity and a greatway to judge different works. It is a great benchmark for other organisations and especially for yom1ger artists working alongside more experienced, senior artists," says Durugadda. "[fhe win] is such an overwhel1ni.ngwelcome, 1 was so surprised. This is a great step for my career and such a confidence booster. I have received the highest reception for my work herein Australia."

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

When they

the town of Busselton through the efforts of Rio Tinto.

touch the sculpture, they touch the sound of the site ,, its shores, tl1e free outdoor exhibition has people pouring in all times of day and night, from residents in Perth to tourists and even local AFL football stars.

''As an emerging artist, I was hiring most things before. Now I want to build up my studio and invest in tools thatwill allow me to continue doing my work," reveals Durugadda. "1 will be applying to be exhibited in Bondi next year, as well as applying for exhibitions elsewhere in the world."

Follo\ving his success in Australia, Durugadda encourages aspiringartists of Indian oi:igin to venmre further than pursuing the pattern of being doctors or engineers.

'1 was more welcomed here than at home in India," says Durugadda. "Usually in Asian counrries they go for senior artists and onlythey end up receivingawards. [Australia] is open for everybody to engage with."

SculpturebytheSea, Cottesloe1%7,4, will beopentothepublicuntil20March2017

,, I'mworkingto change perceptions and disturb people's thinking oflife.

• Pakistan • Nepal • Bangladesh • Sri Lanka • Singapore • Malaysia

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING GROOMS

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30th EyeCamp bySawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission, Delhi, INDIA, February2017

February 2017 marked the 30'" Eye Camp organizedby Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission (SKRM). This medical camp, held twice a year, provides freecataractsurgeriesto patientswho would otherwisenotbeableto afford the expenses ofsuch an operation. Expert eyesurgeonsfromthe United States typicallyvolunteertheir premier high qualitytechnical skills and timetoprovide surgeriesto help makethe camp a success.The eye camps are conductedas part ofboth the International Human Unity Conference (held in February each year) andthe Global Conference on Mysticism (held in September eachyear) organized bySKRM atSantDarshan SinghJi

Dham, Burari.Morethantenthousand individualshavebenefitedfromfree cataractsurgeriessincethelaunch of SKRM'seyecampinFebruary2002.

Patients attendingtheeye camps are firstscreened by a medical team.Selected patients,based on medical eligibility, arethentransportedto !CAREhospital, Naida, wheretheyundergosurgerywith the help ofstate--of-the-art equipment,to removethecataracts.All patients benefit from follow up visits and are prescribed eye dropsforseveral weeksfollowingthe operation, sotheycan receive maximum benefitfrom thesurgery.Thisvoluntary servicetothe community has had a significantimpacttothe vision and quality

ofpatients' lives.The US clinicalteam worked in collaborationwithdoctorsat ICARE hospital, one ofIndia'stop eye hospitals.All services were rendered free of charge and in a spirit of selfless service to humanity.

Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission (Science ofSpirituality) is an international nonprofit spiritual organization dedicated totransforming livesthroughmeditation underguidance ofSantRajinderSingh Ji Maharaj.

www.sos.o,g www.sos.org/aus/austra/ia

Phone:Australia +61431 718888 India+91 11 7223333

ARIES March 21 - April 19

The month starts off with a lot of intention and motivation. You will be thinkingabout ways to improve your relationship area and communicate yourfeelings effectively. It seems there are some issuesfrom the past that are unresolved and need your attention. Thecards are showingsome contact fromfriends you have not seen or heard fromfor 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 ofpositivity and determination surrounding you. Work will be hectic but manageable. There will be a largerworkload around you and you will be working extremely hard. Home lfe seems a little unsettled; this will be due to your work life demands. Financially you are looking at ways to save moremoney. The cards are indicatinga time to take more exercise.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

This month will see you feeling a little worn out and frustrated with your plans. Thereseems to be a feeling of not achieving much but working hard.Thecards indicate that you need to take a look at your most important tasks and prioritise. You will befeeling a little restless about yourfami 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 June 21 - July 20

This month you willbefeelingthe pressure with both work and family. There will be a lot of demands made of you from both angles. You willfeel the stress mountingas 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 ofthe hour is to keep calm and relaxed.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22

This month you willbeconcentratingon the physical: you will be lookingat joininga gym or taking in more physical activity, and probably have done so already. There willbean 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 takinga break from it all. Thecards are indicating some travel and catching up with oldfriends.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

This month you willbe 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 ofdeciding 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 afriend or relative you have not seen fora while.

PREDICTIONS FOR MARCH 2017

BYNANCYJADE ALTHEA

LIBRA Sept 23 - Oct 22

This month you will be lookingat yourfinances, andhow to invest and where. There will be many decisions to take and you will be doinga lot of thinkingand panning this month. Family will offer advice and help. Seems to be a lot of activity this month and as you pan your property matters and personal affairs. The cards are indicatinga time when you will also be looking at a trip and time away to relax.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

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 indicatinga time when you may be lookingat purchasinganother property. You will be planning a surprise party forsomeone. Buck up and get going!

SAGITTARIUS Nov 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 lookingfor other opportunities and perhaps working in anotherstate. There will be matters relating to your partner's work that will be stressful and they may need yoursupport and advce. There may beanother add tion due to the family which willbea sourceofjoy. The cards are indicatinga happy month, overall. En oy.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

The focus this month is finances and makingsure you are saving enough for those rainy days. There will be an emphasis on career this month and there is an indication ofimprovement and abundance. You may dec de to connect w th an old flame or a past love.Thecards 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 morefresh air.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18

This month you willbe busy. You will need to find afine 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 siblingisalsogoingto be needingyourhelp.

PISCES Feb 19 - March 20

This month will be an interestingand powerful month when you will be puttingtogether 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 are indicating a time when you will be feeling positive and brght. Financially you will becareful with your spending. Emot onally you mightfeel like you need to take a break.

RANGOON

STARRING: Shahid Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, SaifAli 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 VishalBhardwaj's art, the characters are so flawed and fractured, andso driven down to destruction by theirown demoniacal desires, that you fear they will collapse under the weight of theirown 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 asimple 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 hersleeves.And when you have

I Kangana Ranaut to play 'Fearless Julia' 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 overintellectualised 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 theIndian 1 audience needs to be educated. He has visited the library, you see.

I Tragically, the characters from both

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 soundedso glib) but soon begins to behave like the Gora villains in ManojKumar'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 whenShahid Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut's compelling chemistry is an inviting incentive.

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

Theskits-o-phrenia is distracting. Many of the characters appearto be wasted in the long-legged libretto on nationalism that Bhardwajinsists on playing out while we are meant to watch his paean to patriotic pride in submissivesilence. Bhardwaj plays and sings variations of the national anthem so many times during the film that the audience in the theatre (all25 of them) was confused as to whetherthey 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 theopportunity to tella beautifuland tenderlove story about three wounded fractured broken characters for thesake of a baggy ode to desh bhakti replete with a climax on top of a precariously compromised. wooden bridgethat David Lean would have usedas adress rehearsal for The Bridge On The RiverKwai.

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

Peel away the layers of self-referential nationalism, and we are left with a luminous lovestory, adishydesiversion of David Lean's Ryan's Daughterand Vijay Anand's Guide about a capricious seductress in acommitted 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 andShahid areshown slogging through stretches of slush and marsh land accompanied by aJapanesePOW.

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 furtherto a level of liberating lyricism by Vishal Bhardwaj's serene background score.

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

Exactly our feelings.

Subhash KJha

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UP-TO-DATE NEWSON WHAT'S HOTAND HAPPENING IN BOLLYWOOD

PEECEE AT OSCARS 2017

So shehad 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 (LorraineSchwartz) 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,shesaw her name listed on various Best Dressed as wellas Worst Dress lists. (Wow, thesheer talent to be able to pullthatoff).

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

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

But theIndian actress has stopped fretting over fashion police as everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Shesaid in an interview with IANS before theshow, "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.

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 haverealisedthat when I havemany responsibilities onme,I perform better. WhenI am acting I just do my job; and whenI am producing a filmI haveto 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 willhaveto get married to a treefirst in order to combat thebad setting of his stars. The tree happens to be the home of aspiritShashi,played by Anushka. The poor blokeends up marrying the spirit. Thespirit alsohas a f ashback, and we get a love story between Shashi and her fiance.

While we can't wait to see the stunningAnushka onscreen again, what's with this dakiyanoosi subject matter ?

Directed by AnshaiLal,thefilmalso features Diljit Dosanjh.

VIDYA BALAN, BROTHEL OWNER

A hookah and rife in tow, actress Vidya Balan is intimidating as a brothel owner in the first look of NationalAward winner Srijit Mukherji's BegumJaan. Set against thebackdropof Partition, thehigh-voltagedrama, a Hindi adaptation of Mukherji's stellar Bengali offering Rajkahini, is a story of survivors who defy nations to savetheir homes.

"My body, my house, my country and my rules," a brazen-faced Vidya reinforcesthe 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, IlaArun, Gauahar Khan, PallaviSharda, Rajit Kapoor, AshishVidyarthi, Vivek Mushran, Chunky Pandey, Poonam Singh Rajput, RidheemaTiwari, FloraSaini, PriyankaSetia, 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 astrong male lead- says carrying a film solely on her shoulders isn't difficult, but rather liberating for her.

"It's liberating to be promoting thefilm on my own,"Sonakshisaid at thetrailer launch of her upcoming film Noor.I felt

this also whenI was promotingAkira. I don't have to depend on anybody to carry this film. I haveasolid teamto support me, and other than this, I don't needanybody else,"

"I feel like I am independent,strong andmoving ahead with my team.This is thebest feelingthatI can carry a film on my own shoulders," she added.

In Noor,Sonakshi plays the role of a goofyjournalist whowants to cover a real lifeincident, butis forced to go for a celebrity's interview.

Thefilm isbasedon Pakistani authorSabalmtiaz'snovel Karachi, You're Killing Me!andfollows aPakistani journalist-writer Noor's misadventures and lovelifeasshenavigatesher way through Mumbai.The flm, directed bySunhilSippy, isscheduledfor a worldwide release on 21April 2017.

VARUN DHAWAN, DULHA?

Currently working hardpromotinghis new project Badrinath Ki Dulhania (Badrinath's bride), thecutesyVarun Dhawan wasstumpedwhen a reporter askedhim a question about "Varun ki dulhania".

The question cameamid speculations about his rumoured love Natasha Dalal. The two have never confirmed their relationship.

Of course thesuave actor dodged the question deftly.

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

Thefilm,thesecondfilm in the Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania franchise and is produced by Karan Johar, releases on 10 March.

KARAN JOHAR, DAD!

As Bollywood's celebratedfilmmaker Karan Johar takes thesurrogacy route for fatherhood, B-Town rejoices

The daughter hasbeen named Roohi - a rearrangement of Karan's mother's name Hiroo, and thesonhas 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

welcomed into this world with thehelp of themarvels of medicalscience."

Best known for directing films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Karan is stillsingle. Hesays parenthood is "an emotional yet well thought out decision" he hastakenafter considering all the responsibilities andduties that come with being one.

"In order to arrive at thisdecision, Ihavepreparedmyself mentally, physically, emotionally and logistically to ensure that my children get allthe unconditional love, care and attention from me andmine.I havesubmitted to the fact that my children are my world and priority."

In his book An Unsuitable Boy released recently, Karan notjust 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 extendedgratefulness 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 willalways remain in my prayers."

Roohi and Yash were born thanks to celebratedIVF specialist Jatin Shah,

whowasalso instrumental in the successful birth ofAbRam Khan (son of Shah Rukh and Gauri) and Azad Rao Khan (son of Aamir and Kiran), both through surrogacy.

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

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

calls him Chintu, these days ).

His earlier profile read, "Son of a famous Father-Father of afamousSon.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'stime we get out there andspeak," Mongasaid in astatement. "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."

What's the chitchat between KARAN JOHAR and ALIA BHATT?

Send in your responsesto win@indianlink.com.au and win a movie pass

RISHI KAPOOR, ANGRY

OLD MAN

He usedto be the 'chocolate hero' with the cherubic face who sang Khu/lam khulla and launchedhis 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,sensiblefriends. Let's live in a fun world," hetweeted recently.

The actor also changedhis prof le picture, to asnapshot of him brandishing a gun, from his film Aurangzeb.

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

Directed by Ashutosh Pathak, the film is based on a common person who finds himself participating in a silent protest only to find revolutionin 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 andscary at thesametime, 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 followingstars 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 asI was about to begin sprouting 50shades of grey,I am rather gladI 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! #BegumJaanFirstlook.

What'sthe chitchat between VARUN DHAWAN and ALIA BHATT?

VARUN: Sochtihai zyada, kam wo samajhti hai Di/ kuch kahta kai, kuchh aurhikarti hai Ladki kyon, najaane kyon, ladkon sinahin hoti.

ALIA: Jeene ka tumko dhangsikhlate hain Tumheinjaanvarse insan banate hain... lsliye ladkiyan ladkon si nahin hoti.

ARSHIA LAGHARI

Cranbrook QLD Arshia winsa ticketto Badrinath Ki Dulhania

Youhurtmyfeelings,now makemeamillionaire

Get rich quick with an out-of-the-box lawsuit

BYNURYVITTACHI

Emotionalclistressis when you makeasarcastic commenton Facebook and every single friend th.inksthat's what you realJy think, andwhenyoulater pointour that youdon't acmally advocateeatingthe unemployedorwhatever,theyth.inkyouare beingsarcastic.

Sothenyou'rei.nabad moodand switch coyouremail andfindthis:"Dear Mr Columnist,howmuchare myemotions worthinmajor currenciesatroday's ratesin various countriesaroundtheworld?"

Themessagefromreader AgnesP.K. Tingbaffledme-untilI clickedherlink co alateFebruarynews report:Policeinthe US justpaid$885,000toa pet-owner"for emotionaldistress"aftertheyshothis pet dog.A secondlinkledtoaJanuaryreport ofastudentwhowasasked co llcinateina bucketinastoreroomandreceivedS1.25 million,also "foremotionalclistress".

"\�hydoweworktoearnmoneyinstead ofjustwaitinguntilsomeonehurtsour feelingsandthenclaimcompensationfor emotionaldistress?"Agnesasked.

Goodquestion.Ithoughttheanswer mightbe thatthesethingsonlyhappen i.ntheUnitedStates,acountrywhich undoubtedlyhasaconstimtional amendmentsayingsomethinglike: "The Right ofThe AmericanPeopleto Fileand WinRidiculousLawsuitsShall Neverbe Jnfringed."

ButI checked withalawyerwhotoldme that peoplemakeemotionaldistressclaims al1overtheworld.

A tead1erintheUKdemanded compensationfor being stressedoutby kidsandacourtgavehim 101,000 pounds ($125,000),beforeahigher court snatched itback arguingthat ''apersonstressed out by kids"wasprettymudithedefinitionof

teacher.

AguyinIndiawatched areallybad Bollywoodmoviecalled Rockstarin2014 anddemandedRs.50,000,whichisabout $750,"onaccount ofmentalharassment and agonysuffered".Giventhat Bollywood moviessometimesrunthree-and-a-half hours,hemayhaveunderpriced the damage.

In China,amantriedtosueactress Zhao\'qeibecauseberintensescareatthe cameraduringaparticularTVshowcaused him"spirirualdamage".I canseehowd1e atcractiveMsZhaocouldcauseanymale

viewer cohavesignificantnon-spiritual thoughts.The courtsevenmalJydeclined cobearthecase,althoughif theyhadany brainstheywouldhavetakenaweekoffto inspectMs Zhao'svideosaspart ofd1eir "duediligence"process.

Still,Icanseewhy courtsinAsiarefuse copaycompensation co viewers aggrieved byshockinglybadtelevision.TVcompanies would basically be payingcash toevery viewereverydayforeveryshow. And however much d1eypaid,itwouldn't be enough.

Yetdespitetl1erashofemotional distress

lawsuits,let'sremember thatmanyclaims fail.Acolleague forwarded meareport aboutawomanwho foundherimagewas usedwid1out permissioninaChipode restaurantpromotionandaskedfor $2 billion.Thecourtsrecentlyruledagainst her,butI thinkitwas word1 crying,justin case the judgehadhadanice lunch and gave heratoken$100millioncosaysorry forthe thumbsdown.

Meanwhile, ifany judgesarereading this,bowmuchcanIget fortheemotional distress ofhaving asarcasticcomment misunderstood?:tvfillions,right?