2018-07 Brisbane

The Most Trusted Brand

For More than 20 Years

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra ASSISTANT EDITOR

Neha Malude

MELBOURNE COORDINATOR

Preeti Jabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

Usha Ramanujam Arvind, Shakti Singh, Deepa Gopinath

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Sukesh Thapliyal 0410 578 146

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT

Charuta Joshi 02 9279 2004

Abusing women, abusing power

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

Heard enough from old white men. Seeing these words on the t-shirt of a fellow public transport user recently left me strangely uncomfortable. I’ve waxed forth frequently about not generalising about people in this manner, not stereotyping fellow human beings based on race and gender, religion and language, age and sexual orientation.

While Hall has been stood down from his role on radio, Newton and Leyonhjelm refuse to accept their mistakes and see no reason to apologise.

Eighty-year-old TV star Newton, an MBE, and recently honoured by Australia Post with a series of postage stamps, told an offensive joke about his late, great friend Graham Kennedy at the 2018 Logie Awards ceremony. “He was a great mentor,” he said, adding, “You knew if you went to his dressing room and it was locked, he will be inside doing some mentoring”.

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

INDIAN LINK MEDIA GROUP

Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000

GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001

Ph: 02 9279-2004 Fax: 02 9279-2005

Email: info@indianlink.com.au

And yet this week, the lack of respect towards women we have seen from a certain section of the Australian community has left us gobsmacked.

Demeaning comments targeted at women have been made by men in positions of social power - politician David Leyonhjelm in Parliament, and Australian entertainment personality Bert Newton at the Logies. Sporting legend Barry Hall was a similar culprit on Triple M radio, but has since apologised for his unacceptable behaviour.

Worse still, the offenders - a media icon, a politician and a sporting legend - failed to understand the gravity of their comments.

Days later, Newton fails to understand that his ‘joke’ condones the behaviour of powerful people who use their clout to exert influence on younger people in return for sexual favours.

Leyonhjelm, a Liberal Democratic Party senator, used derogatory language while speaking with Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young and again when referring to her afterwards. Despite intense political pressure from both Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition leader Bill Shorten, and threats of legal action, Leyonhjelm is refusing to apologise, saying he has said nothing wrong. As we go to press, his direct verbal attacks on women continue on mainstream TV.

Amazing that this type of behaviour

continues when the #MeToo movement is so strong. Leyonhjelm in his own way is hitting back at #MeToo, citing previous statements made by the Greens Senator against men.

The trumpet call for greater diversity in our social discourse needs to be heard now more than ever. Because the Newtons and the Leyonhjelms will continue as long as we continue to have concentrations of social power that are not diverse.

The massive over-representation in positions of power by certain sections has gone on for way too long. Whether in business or in politics, entertainment or sport, we need to hear the diverse voice louder and clearer. We must ensure that more women, more people of colour, more people of different religions are able to educate themselves, accumulate wealth and attain positions where they can take decisions. As leaders who reflect a diverse population, they will influence and inspire one another, thrive together, and shape our society to be truly equitable.

And to the men in positions of power making these denigrating comments –perhaps it’s time to use the family test. What would you do if someone hurled profanities at your wife, sister or daughter? Would you take it sitting down?

YOUR SAY

MONEY MATTERS

Our June-1 2018 edition cover feature ‘Money Matters’ looked at how people across different age groups are navigating their nancial lives. Dilip Jadeja wrote: I browsed through three cases that I thought were of likely interest to me, all of couples. By far, all was as I expected. Nothing new. My guess was as good on what most things would be. But I did like that most people had their wills sorted out. I have always advocated that wills be executable and permanent when folks are alive, not challengeable when they are dead. Governments are yet to learn that.

NANDITA DAS ON INDIAN LINK

CHARUTA JOSHI’s interview with actor-director Nandita Das who was in town for the Sydney Film Festival was broadcast on Indian Link Radio and seen on our social media channels

Darshak Mehta wrote: Nandita Das is a rare talent. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is an amazing actor. Wonderful, though sad, story of Manto. Good on Nandita for bringing it and him to life. Excellent interview of a very accomplished lady. Manali Basu wrote: Nandita Ma’am, waiting eagerly for the release of Manto in India. All the best for the success of the lm. May you continue to awe and inspire us with your talent and efforts.

Sujata Varanasi wrote: Thank you for giving Manto to us. Truly said, there should be more engaging cinema than entertaining one.

Sayan Bhattacharyya wrote: An enriching conversation from the esteemed actor-director! Her Excellency talked about freedom of expression, about women lm-makers and about the biopic Manto. As she is a feminist par excellence, I expect that her next biopic will have Saadat Hasan Manto’s contemporary as the subject - someone named Rashid Jahan.

Titir RC wrote: I feel dreamy after watching Nandita Das speak. She looks so peaceful while delivering crisp arguments. Cannot wait for Manto’s release.

Rashima Sharma wrote: Can’t wait either!

Punya Prakash Tripathi wrote: Congrats!! Very well put: cinema should engage with the audience and not just focus only on entertaining. Always love to hear Nandita speak.

Swati Tripathi wrote: Nandita, congratulations and lots of wishes to you from Toronto. You and my interview with you are still so fresh in my mind. Such a great soul. Your social responsibility as an artist is rarely seen these days.

Sujay Kumar Ghosh wrote: Manto looks promising, different from normal lms. Such powerful portrayal of character, Nawaz ts the role. Such movies will change Bollywood and make people look out for lms from a different angle.

Indian Link Radio (Neelam Vasudevan) wrote: Wow this is simply fantastic to see one of Hindi cinema’s favourite people here, in person with Charuta Vaze Joshi. All the very best Nandita Das for Manto. Looking forward to more.

Anju Handa wrote: Best of luck to my favourite lm personality, the very beautiful and talented Nandita Das

Shivdev Kler wrote: Just watched the interview with Nandita -each word speaks volumes of her dedication and truthfulness towards her work. Wish her the best of luck. Also, happy to see our own Charuta here – well done Charu for some excellent quotes from her works!

LABOUR PAINS OF ADOPTION

RITAM MITRA’s story ‘The labour pains of adoption’ was shared on Facebook by India’s Central Adoption Resource Authority, Adoption Australia, and the UK-based International Adoption Guide.

Ilaria Belliti wrote: There are between 20 and 30 million orphans in India. Where are they? Why do we read on CARA statistics that there are 1,000 adoptable children per 18,000 couples in the waiting list? And years of waiting in the limbo for us as well?

Elizabeth Fanta replied: The difference is those living on the streets, and those who have not yet been “cleared” to be legally adopted yet. This is a work in progress for CARA, to have the entire country with a centralised authority is a huge job.

WHAT A CROAK!

Darwin-based radiographer Sarina Patel sent us a picture that made us laugh and cringe at the same time.

Petra O’Neill wrote: That’s common in the NT. Best to keep the lid down so they can’t get in, but once inside, gently help them out.

SAY IT AGAIN

Sabir Ali wrote: I’m a big fan of Nandita’s work, including acting and direction. So very creative. I enjoy it. And she’s a natural beauty too.

Fahad Mehsood wrote: For the intolerable times we are living in, where both state and society are adopting fascist tendencies, the words of Saadat Hassan Manto can guide us to engage ourselves in introspection: “If you cannot tolerate these tales then the society is unbearable. Who am I to undo the garb of this society, which itself is naked? I don’t even try to cover it, because it is not my job. It’s the job of tailors ... People call me black-penned, but I don’t write on the blackboard with black chalk; I use white chalk so that the blackness of the board becomes more evident.” Thoughts of a great actor-director on a great writer in this interview. Her words are an apt representation of Pakistani society as well. For Manto lovers, here is an interview worth listening to.

Rashmi Ravin wrote: Excited to have had the opportunity to lm the mega talented Nandita Das for Indian Link. She is showing her lm Manto this weekend at the Sydney Film festival. So much talent and such a worthy subject! If you haven’t read Sadat Hasan Manto, do it before you watch the lm. His writings will gut you.

Sabina Giado wrote: About 14 years ago, Nandita Das visited a high school GK competition I was participating in at Dubai at the Indian Club. I was sitting about a metre away from her. (Yeah that’s the nerdiest thing I have ever said). She is very very cool. She said, “Dream big and pursue it.” I de nitely took that to heart.

Abhishek Tiwary wrote: She is next-level awesome! It was a privilege to watch her movie yesterday!

Scratch any Australian and you will nd four different nationalities and that’s how we are. We grew up from the beginning as a multicultural nation and I just think there’s room for plenty more Tamie Fraser, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Ambassador, on World Refugee Day 20 June

Chatting with my Sikh Uber driver this morning. Turns out he only drives so he can donate all his Uber earnings to a man he’s never met in Syria for his leukemia treatment. He needs to send $635 a week. You’re amazing, Harshdeep! @Khalsa_Aid Susan Carland, Australian academic, author

QUEEN’S B’DAY HONOURS

SOCIAL INCLUSION FOR PRIMARY STUDENTS

Jayanthi Srinivas

OAM

For service to the Indian community of the Northern Territory

When early childhood educator Jayanthi Srinivas and her ship building engineer husband arrived at the frontier town of Darwin in 1991 to start a new life, it was a shock to their system. But Jaya, as she is better known, was quick to embrace the local values and culture, immersing herself in an array of deeply fulfilling roles. Along the way, she has had not just an amazing professional journey, but a rewarding social profile too.

Three decades on, the girl from Delhi is proud to call Darwin home. Today, she is the face of multicultural Northern Territory. And profiling Indian culture through India@Mindil - Darwin’s premier Indian festival that showcases Indian art, culture, food, fashion and music - is only one of her many achievements.

Displaying outstanding commitment to social cohesion and multiculturalism, Srinivas has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours with Order of Australia Medal for service to the Indian community of the Northern Territory.

Besides being a broadcaster, the executive assistant principal at The Essington International School has served on many committees in NT including Indian Cultural Society, Tamil Society, Multicultural Council, Multilingual Council, Multilingual Broadcasting Council, Australia Day Council and Police Ethnic Advisory Group.

“It’s an absolute honour and a privilege,” Srinivas told Indian Link on her OAM recognition.

“When you do community service, you don’t do it with an agenda. But to be noticed and recognised for that, is truly humbling,” she stated.

Concurrently, she has been involved with leadership roles in educational boards, including Early Childhood Australia. Having completed 22 years at The Essington School, she has contributed valuably to the school community, championing social inclusion in the classrooms as well. The school has seen exponential growth from 127 enrolments to 1300 recently and includes many international students.

“As an early childhood advocate and educator, I’m a strong believer in bringing multiculturalism into classroom situations. As a role model for the school and community, I want to inspire children to engage meaningfully and contribute to the local scene,” Srinivas explained.

In 2013, she was appointed People of Australia Ambassador by Federal Minister Kate Lundy and since then has travelled with numerous NT delegations to a number of countries including India. Srinivas has also won the Rotary Pride of Workmanship award and was bestowed the Australian Institute of Managers &

Leaders award last year.

Living in multicultural Darwin has inspired her passion for celebrating diversity. “Northern Territory has huge potential and the last two decades have seen big growth and changes as the city becomes the gateway to Asia,” she observed. “Life is simple here, but with all the advantages of an urban setting.”

Having worked extensively with detention centres and migrant communities as president of Multicultural Council of NT, helping immigrants settle down and find their feet, has been one of her most rewarding experiences. “Assisting them in this difficult journey

has been one of the great privileges of this role,” Srinivas added.

While her passion is to provide an educational platform for all, she would particularly like to use this newest accolade to inspire women from CALD backgrounds.

“As a woman, I want to encourage others to gain confidence, push forward, embrace every opportunity and achieve their potential. I would very much like to share my knowledge with others, pass on this legacy and thereby make a positive contribution to the community,” she reiterated.

Usha Ramanujam Arvind

DARWIN

Photo: Kylie Hyde

HONOURS HARNESSING THE POWER OF THE SUN

DARWIN Prof. Jai Singh AM

For significant service to education, particularly in the field of physics, as an academic and researcher, and to professional scientific organisations

Dr Jai Singh’s primary area of research over the last decade at Charles Darwin University’s School of Engineering and Information Technology has been solar cells, both organic and inorganic. This includes thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells and organic solar cells (OSC) for optimal photovoltaic performance.

“So far, solar cells have been made from silicon and therefore are quite expensive to produce,” the professor of physics explained. “The organic cells are cheaper, flexible and lightweight, with a simpler fabrication process compared to inorganic ones.”

However, OSCs have poor power conversion efficiencies, with a current efficiency of around 12% relative to the conventional silicon solar cells,

which is 25%. Another concern with organic materials is stability, as they can decompose under strong light, Prof Singh further indicated.

His focus area therefore has been optimising the performance of OSCs by exploring new materials such as polymerfullerene and improving cell design.

“It’s all about enabling the OSCs to absorb more light by optimising their layer thicknesses and hence enhancing their power conversion efficiency.”

What people don’t realise is that unlike resources that are extracted from the earth, solar power doesn’t get depleted and available all the year round. “But we need technology to cost-effectively convert this energy and capitalise on its immense potential,” Prof. Singh explained.

The professor is also supervising a number of researchers, who are exploring alternatives in this growth area. “Both in terms of solar research and usage, Australia has a high uptake and is ahead of its peers,” he noted.

Besides research and publications, Prof. Singh has collaborations with several global faculties and is the founder/ organiser of international conferences including those on excitonic processes in condensed matter as well as optical and optoelectronic properties of materials and applications. He has been president of the Northern Territory branch of the

SON OF THE SOIL

BRISBANE Prof. Ram Chander Dalal AM

For significant service to agriculture through research into land degradation and sustainable farming practices

Soil degradation as an environmental challenge is fast becoming an issue of global concern. Defined as a decline in soil quality caused by human activity, it affects not only food security, but also water filtration, biodiversity (many species live below the earth’s surface) and climate change (soil acts as a carbon storehouse).

Soil and land degradation have been at the centre of Prof. Ram Chander Dalal’s professional life since he arrived

Australian Solar Council since 1998.

For his scientific contributions in the field, Prof. Jai Singh was honoured with the AM by the Australian government.

“The award came as a surprise to me,” Prof. Singh told Indian Link. “Of course, I am deeply honoured and humbled.”

Originally from Cheoraha, a remote agrarian community in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, Prof. Singh believes that it was motivation, hard work and focus that shaped his professional journey.

“My village had no high school. Back then, I had two choices – either start working on the farm or move to the city,” he reminisced. His maternal uncle’s suggestion to relocate to Lucknow proved to be turning point for the workaholic,

in this country in 1975. His work at the School of Agriculture and Food Science at the University of Queensland, Brisbane has created awareness about the issue within the farming, scientific and general community. His research has contributed significantly to restorative practices for sustainable land management that are now in use both here in Australia and overseas.

For his work in an area that is now considered critical, Prof. Dalal was conferred the AM in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours.

“It feels wonderful to be recognised for the work done over many years,” Prof. Dalal told Indian Link. “Much of the work has been collaborative though, accomplished with the help of peers and many associates and farmers, so I am grateful to them all.”

He added, “I hope to use this AM honour to promote the work I’ve been doing. We’ve seen results from it across Australia and now also in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.”

Describing his body of work with the Department of Primary Industries, Prof. Dalal explained, “Soil and land management has been my primary area of concern, including the study of soil fertility, soil biology, soil chemistry, soil and water conservation, landscape restoration, soil carbon sequestration, soil constraints including sodicity and salinity, and nitrogen, phosphorus and zinc nutrition. I’ve also been involved with sustainable crop and pasture production systems using rotations, and

who topped every exam thereafter, winning scholarships all the way. Maths and physics were his forte. Even before Singh completed his doctorate in theoretical physics from IIT Delhi, he had research offers that took him to Germany, England and eventually Australia.

After a stint at ANU’s School of Chemistry, he moved to Darwin, which has been home for the last three decades. While Singh believes there is a big future in applied physics, his immediate concern is that Darwin is unable to attract physics students at undergraduate level. He has mentored PhD students from around the world and hopes that interest in solar cell development will outlive his tenure.

Usha Ramanujam Arvind

fertiliser, nutrient and water use efficiency. Greenhouse gas mitigation has been another research interest, including the study of emissions and of uptake in soilplant systems.”

The professor’s work here has seen him work closely with farmers, who he describes as exceptionally open and warm, and keen to adopt the practices that he demonstrates. “A great side benefit has been many wonderful farm visits and plenty of farmer friends,” he revealed.

Prof. Dalal arrived in Australia in 1975, with a research position at the University of New England in Armidale NSW, having gained a PhD from the renowned Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi. He moved to Queensland in 1980.

His work has taken him back to his roots in South Asia, thanks to his collaborations at the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. “My work there is about long term food security, using sustainable and resilient farming systems, including what we refer to as intensified farming systems in which we develop two or more crops where one was grown previously,” he detailed.

Prof. Dalal grew up on a farm in Haryana and was drawn to agriculture at a young age. “Very early on, a teacher said to me, ‘Soil is the mother of all resources’. It struck a chord with me. Everything emanates from the soil: it is from soil that we can find solutions for pollution, clean water and clean food.”

Rajni Anand Luthra

QUEEN’S B’DAY HONOURS

PROUD TERRITORIAN

DARWIN David Robert De Silva AM

For significant service to the community through contributions to the economic and social development of the Northern Territory in a range of executive roles

On a road trip around Australia as a young man in the early 1980s, David De Silva found himself in Darwin when the Chamberlain case was making news nationwide. Lindy and Michael Chamberlain were being tried for the murder of their baby girl Azaria: they claimed they were innocent, and that a dingo had taken their baby. A curious David decided to sit in at the Supreme Court to watch the proceedings as the inquest took place – and was hooked.

He went back home to Adelaide and enrolled in university to study law.

“I had just finished school and was working in the public service, but was a bit lost,” he recounted to Indian Link. “I knew I needed to do something more, and I found my calling in Darwin. I was clear in my aim: return to NT to practise law.”

Some 30 years later, David is a successful litigation lawyer and principal of the Darwin-based De Silva Hebron Lawyers, which he founded in 1993.

Over this period, his skills in administration and zeal for public service have seen him take on leadership roles in a wide variety of areas. Currently, he serves as Chair of Crimestoppers

Northern Territory, Chair of the Territory Power Generation Corporation, Chair of Darwin Performing Arts Centre, and is a Board Member of the Darwin Waterfront Corporation. He has also served as Director of the state’s Power and Water Corporation.

As well, David’s keen interest in sport has brought him legal or administrative roles in football, AFL, basketball, hockey and tennis.

“As a lawyer I worked on soccer tribunals and found myself involved in the sport.

I helped establish AFL in NT after bringing it to Darwin. Currently I’m director of Tennis NT.”

For these services, David has been recognised with the AM in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours.

“I’m enormously surprised – I mean that. But mainly honoured, and honestly, quite excited,” he told Indian Link

“You don’t go into it expecting the accolade, I’ve just done what I set out to do,” he added with humility.

David grew up in Australia although he was born in Bahrain, where his dad then worked. He credits him for his accomplishments today.

“Dad, a civil engineer trained from Roorkee University, has an incredible brain. He encouraged us to do lots of things, like he did himself. For instance he was a sports fanatic, and encouraged us in that direction too. He inspired us to keep our interests diverse. Australia also has been wonderful to us, giving us

the opportunity to express ourselves in different areas.”

What would he identify as a career highlight?

“Building a successful legal firm. I’ve helped develop many young lawyers who now serve as barristers and successful lawyers in other cities. Outside of my mainstream profession, I’d say seeing the launch of the Darwin International Tennis Centre. That was about nine years’ work. Establishing the AFL here was also a big deal – and that took about 2-3 years.”

It is quite clear that David is a proud Territorian.

“NT is a real land of opportunity. It is an egalitarian society in every respect, and everyone gets a fair go. As a new centre for economic development, and

SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALISM

MELBOURNE Arvind Kumar Shrivastava OAM

For service to the Indian community of Melbourne

Only happy and dedicated people can make others happy, says Arvind Shrivastava.

The Melbourne-based retired academic and community leader, who was felicitated the OAM in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours, has always believed that selfless contribution leads to

a pleasant, purposeful and satisfying life.

As the founder of the Sankat Mochan Samiti Inc., a community organisation with a mission to assist people spiritually, morally and physically, Arvind feels he has been the greatest beneficiary.

“Serving my community has been a pleasure and privilege that I am grateful for every single day,” the dynamic leader told Indian Link

“Receiving the OAM is not only a personal honour, but everyone who has cooperated and contributed towards the goal and objectives of the Sankat Mochan Samiti Inc. (SMS) deserves to share this recognition bestowed on me,” he said.

Arvind came to Australia in 1968 as a

graduate scholar in Monash University in the field of mechanical engineering after obtaining a masters’ degree from the prestigious Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

His academic and research interests have been in the field of Mechanisms, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), Robotics, Automation and Engineering education.

He has published books and research papers in peer reviewed journals and participated in conference presentations and lectured in international universities as invited lecturer and visiting professor. He was Executive Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Technology

as Australia’s ‘Gateway to Asia’ there’s plenty of opportunities here in business as well as sport. In fact, when I finished uni in Adelaide I worked with a high court judge briefly and he offered to take me on in a permanent role. I declined, because I had NT on my mind!”

And what about his Indian links?

“Hometown is Agra even though Dad is from Goa and Mum is from Assam. It’s been years since I’ve been back though, as our family is now scattered across Australia. But of course we are in touch with extended family in India. Having said that, what I hope to do with my AM honour, is to inspire others to embrace the Australian culture while retaining their ethnicity and values.”

Usha Ramanujam Arvind

Centre at Monash University when he chose to retire early in 1999. Since then, he has dedicated his time and effort to volunteering within the community through various organisations.

Arvind and his wife Dr. Sunila Shrivastava chose to move to the coastal town of Torquay on the scenic Great Ocean Road for a sea change. Several times a week they commute to Melbourne, driving for more than an hour, to meet family and fulfil other commitments.

His keen interest and research in Hinduism led to spiritual activities like havan groups and Sunderkand Path recitations, along with officiating at weddings and other Hindu rituals for

SIMILARITIES, NOT DIFFERENCES

CANBERRA

Kanti Lal Jinna

OAM

For service to the multicultural community of the Australian Capital Territory

Kanti Lal Jinna’s gentle mannerisms, by far his most outstanding feature, come to the fore immediately as Indian Link offers congratulations following his OAM announcement. “I feel quite honoured really,” he said with humility, adding, “Yet it puts a heavy burden on you: you’ve been recognised, and now have a lot to live up to; you have to lift your game and do a lot more in the future!”

The 79-year-old has been involved with community service through the Hindu Council of Australia of which he has been Vice Chairman since 2009, through Canberra’s Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre which he cofounded in 1987, and as patron of the Fiji Australia Association of Canberra. In recent years, he has been advocating for seniors in Canberra’s Indian community as vice president of the Indian Senior Citizen’s Association.

But as someone who has assimilated well into the mainstream, Kanti’s passion has been to link the growing Indian community in this society with the broader mainstream, and vice versa.

His involvement with the Canberra Multicultural Community Forum put him in touch with other New Australians like him. “This opened pathways to offering my unique multicultural perspectives on many different boards such as Australian

Capital Territories Public Cemeteries Authority Board and Partnering with Consumers and Carers Advisory Group at Calvary Hospital.”

This exposure led him to more mainstream positions such as on the ACT Chief Minister’s Council of the Ageing and the Royal Commonwealth Society, where he even served as President for two years.

“I believe strongly that we must encourage our community to be a lot more outward looking,” he stated. “We must look beyond ourselves as Indian or Fijian-Indian or Hindus, become part and parcel of the institution that is our nation, and see what we can do for us all as the wider Australian community.”

The guiding principle in Kanti’s work seems to be to build on similarities, not differences.

At the core of this attitude is the belief that the more we interact with others from diverse backgrounds, the more likely we are to develop friendliness, warmth, trust and empathy, and reduce myths about each others’ groups.

How would Kanti advise newly arrived migrants?

“There’s a lot to gain, but there’s a lot to offer too. Values such as Vasudhaiva kutumbakam (The world is one family) and Atithi devo bhava (The guest is god) are part of our culture. If you genuinely believe in these values as Hindus, then apply them to your immediate environment. They are based on respect and understanding, and will help you to mingle well with your new social milieu. I believe our community has amalgamated well so far, and I hope the pattern will continue.”

Equally, on the other side, Kanti has a few words of wisdom to Australians on the

values of migration.

“Let me recount an old story from the time of the arrival of the Parsis to Indian shores,” he began. “The Parsis, fleeing ideological differences in their homeland, arrived in boatfuls on Indian waters.

The Maharaja, considering a proposal from their leader to allow them to live in India, said, ‘My land is full to the brim like this glass of milk’. The Parsi leader added a spoonful of sugar to the glass and remarked, we will mingle with you and add sweetness to your lives. Centuries later, this promise has come true in India. I see our roles here as migrants, to be the proverbial sugar that can enhance the quality of life. Not only will we be happier, the country will be richer too. I

think the world needs to listen to this story again.”

Kanti was born and brought up in Fiji, where his grandfather moved in the 1930s, post indenture. He was educated in Fiji, NZ, UK and Australia.

“Books have been a significant part of my life throughout,” he recounted in his characteristic gentle manner. “I worked at a bookshop as a young man, became a librarian, then a book seller, and for the past few years have been writing and publishing.”

His writing has concentrated on historical issues concerning Fiji, and on biographies of Fijian people of the postindenture period.

Rajni Anand Luthra

local families.

“Hinduism is a way of life, a distinct culture, marked by politeness, hospitality, an intricate web of social courtesies, values and relationships,” mused Arvind. “We should all take that as our personal responsibility and work towards achieving this goal. We are laying the foundation for the coming generations to build the infrastructure to reflect our identity.”

Arvind shared that his mission is to plead to every individual of the Hindu community to take a personal pledge to work towards building the social welfare infrastructure and educational facilities to spread the beneficiary aspects of the spiritual values inherent in their religion.

Arvind’s dedication extends to diverse community groups including multicultural faith, youth and seniors.

The community in Melbourne has also enjoyed Arvind’s lifelong passion for music. Sunila shares this interest and the duo have performed as a team on several occasions. Arvind, who considers music as his meditation, has led spiritual music sessions at our temples, in the homes of devotees, and at events held by community organisations.

He has previously received recognition through various awards including Excellence in Community Service Award, (Government of Victoria, 2009) and Meritorious Service Award (Government of Victoria’s Award for Excellence in Multicultural Affairs, 2009).

Arvind articulated his sincere thanks to Sunila, his family and the ‘amazing people’ who guided and supported him all the way through.

Preeti Jabbal

QUEEN’S B’DAY HONOURS

COMMUNITY EYE-CON

SYDNEY

Dr Sudarshan

Kumar Sachdev

OAM

For service to the community, and to medicine, particularly to ophthalmology

Ask Dr SK Sachdev about his career highlights, and he will reply, “The crying days at eye camp.”

He means the last days of eye camps in remote areas of India or Fiji, where his patients from some of the most underprivileged sections of society come to bid him goodbye, their vision now restored.

The Sydney-based ophthalmologist has been named by the Australian Government in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list this year.

“I’m very proud of my OAM honour, coming at the end of 46 years of service,” Dr Sachdev tells Indian Link

Yet he muses, “Is it going to change my daily life much? I can’t say; I’m going to continue doing what I’ve been doing.”

Dr Sudarshan Sachdev arrived here in the mid-1970s, fresh with university degrees from New Delhi and Edinborough, as an eye specialist at Taree Hospital. He was the only such specialist serving the people in the entire region. In his ten years there, he also taught at Newcastle Medical College.

He moved to Sydney in 1985 and set up a practice at Dee Why and a day surgery at Rosebery.

Very early in his career in India, Dr Sachdev began to give back to the community, working at eye camps in areas where his service was needed most. It is a practice that continues to this day.

As a member of the Roatry Club, he was able to extend this service to needy people in Fiji, taking teams of specialists and nurses, all volunteers, to far-flung areas to set up eye camps.

“The Rotary Club has been a great platform for me,” he observes. “In thirty years now, I’ve served as president of the Rosebery chapter, taken on various portfolios and overseen national and

international projects.”

One such experience is his association with ROMAC, the Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children, a program in which members volunteer their time and expertise.

The Rotary Club recognised his efforts by presenting him with the Humanitarian Service Award on two different occasions, as well as with its prestigious Paul Harris Fellowship.

Currently he is involved with the eradication of trachoma. “The WHO aims to eradicate trachoma, a public health disease that causes blindness or impaired vision, by the year 2020. My own work in this regard is with indigenous communities in the Northern Territory.”

Besides ophthalmology, Dr Sachdev has developed a keen interest in the study and prevention of of degenerative ailments and in metabolic disorders

His work with CHeBA, UNSW’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, stems from a deeply personal space. “I lost my mum to dementia, and that spurred an interest in healthy ageing and prevention of dementia.”

At Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research, his work is aimed at better understanding insulin-resistant diabetes.

At both institutes, his Sachdeva Foundation raises funds to support research scientists engaged in finding treatments.

The foundation was set up eighteen years ago in association with his wife Naresh, herself a gynaecologist.

“The aim of the Foundation is to promote research into issues close to our heart,” he says.

Together both Dr Sachdevs are a well-regarded team in Sydney’s Indian community, heavily involved in local fundraising initiatives for other programs such as breast cancer awareness and prevention.

“Naresh is my right hand,” Dr Sachdev says of his wife. “The Foundation was really her idea, and she has been instrumental in the eye camps we organise and in the setting up of our surgeries.”

They met as medical students at Delhi’s Maulana Azad Medical College, an institute that has no less than 102 alumni in Sydney alone. “I am the senior-most of these 102,” Dr Sachdev laughs.

Rajni Anand Luthra

TALKING DIVERSITY

MELBOURNE Deepak Vinayak OAM

For service to the multicultural community of Victoria

This year’s OAM recipient and community leader Deepak Vinayak JP believes that leadership is not about titles, positions and flowcharts, it is about one life influencing another.

Five time Australia Day Ambassador and the first person of Indian origin to be chosen as Multicultural Champion by Victoria State Government, Deepak lives by his motto to do more for the world than it does for you.

Deepak has won countless awards and nominations for his work in the field of multicultural awareness and advocacy. He is a Justice of Peace, R U OK and White Ribbon ambassador, Pride of Australia 2018 medal winner, and the list of accolades goes on.

“I strongly believe in connecting all the dots by bringing people together from culturally diverse communities who call Australia home and all my endeavours are focussed on taking diversity to the next level,” Deepak told Indian Link

He is currently engaged in strengthening the community resources in the areas of violence, gender justice and youth empowerment through active participation and engagement with the government, police, media and broader Australian communities.

Family man Deepak claims to be motivated by his two sons who look up to him as a role model. They inspire him to continue his voluntary work of giving back to the community.

“I have been a key believer in the powers of youth and this has led me to take initiatives to develop formal and informal platforms to bring young people together,” he said. “The aim is to

deliberate and act on issues like social cohesion and multiculturalism, and encourage them to play active leadership roles in their own respective communities and regions to strengthen fellow feeling, belongingness and good citizenship.”

These are broadly also the aims of the South Asian Communities Link Group of which Deepak is patron. SACLG focuses on a range of multicultural issues that impact on its member communities which include India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Burma, Afghanistan and the Maldives. The group focuses on the delivery of services to Australia’s culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse society.

Hailing from Rampur Phool in Bhatinda, Punjab, Deepak claims he came to Sydney in 1995 with one suitcase, no contacts, $20 in his pocket and big dreams.

Initially he did it tough by working in any job he could get and sleeping on benches in train stations, but coming to Melbourne and gaining education and employment changed his life. Deepak is currently Station Master/ Metro Community Liaison Officer at Metro Trains Melbourne.

He has actively engaged with newly arrived migrants who have chosen Australia to be their homeland and trained them in Australian values and ethics and helped them settle smoothly through language support and career guidance.

“We rise by lifting others. I don’t want anyone to go through the tough time I did when I came to Australia, penniless and friendless,” he revealed. “I consider Australia to be a lucky country and am passionate about welcoming new arrivals and giving them the support and guidance that helps them to achieve their migrant dreams.”

Deepak is humbled and delighted to receive the OAM honour. “I feel it’s very special for a civilian like me. I was surprised when I found out I was receiving it because I always felt this honour is for more senior, more mature and much more accomplished people than I,” he said sharing his joy.

Preeti Jabbal

Calling your inner Manto

Being courageous and truthful as a way of challenging the growing intolerance to free speech: Nandita Das talks to CHARUTA JOSHI

Yeh zaroori hai ki zamaane ke karvaton ke saath, adab bhi karvat badle.

It is imperative that as society changes, the arts also evolve to reflect that change.

Maverick writer and creative rebel Saadat Hasan Manto (1912-1955) made this statement in his own defence, in one of his numerous court appearances for obscenity in his literary works. The stories

in question were set against the backdrop of the Partition of India which shattered the lives of millions of innocent participants.

In short stories such as Toba Tek Singh, Khol Do, Thanda Gosht, the brutal and unbearable truths about this tumultuous time in the subcontinent’s history are served up to readers like a punch to the face. To this day, Manto’s body of work, which includes 22 collections of stories, a novel, movie scripts, essays and radio

plays, are considered an honest account of the times.

These short stories - and the man that wrote them, often in the language of the streets - are at the core of a new film Manto, directed by actor and film-maker Nandita Das. Fresh from its first screening only weeks ago at Cannes where it was the only Indian film in the Un Certain Regard category, the film came to Sydney this month. It screened at the recently

concluded Sydney Film Festival to packed audiences, who attended equally eager to see Nandita herself introduce the film and answer questions afterwards.

Based on the notion of the freedom of expression, Nandita’s film seems to have hit the jackpot with timing, given the issue is a hot topic not only in India but also the world at large.

“I agree,” Nandita mused as she spoke to Indian Link on the sidelines of the

Nandita Das at Cannes this year

Festival. “In fact the reason I did this film was because I wanted to respond to what was happening around us. It’s not just freedom of expression: the identity politics being played out currently, is dividing us on the basis of race, religion, skin colour, gender and language. Manto’s humanism kind of transcends all of that. That’s why he continues to be relevant even after 70 years. In fact, if Manto had been European, there would probably have been many films made on him by now! You could also say the aim of the film is to awaken the Manto in all of us, the part that wants to be truthful and courageous and stand up to orthodoxies of all kinds.”

The idea first evolved in 2012, Manto’s centenary year, and dominated Nandita’s world almost entirely. One of India’s most critically acclaimed actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui co-produced the film and also played the lead character.

“I think Nawaz has done a phenomenal job - he really becomes Manto,” Nandita observed. “He’s got a great range, although Manto is a different kind of character for him. When I was casting, many actors sent me their pics dressed in white kurta pyjama and glasses. But that’s not only what Manto is. I wanted the kind of eyes that have seen life. Manto died at 42 and yet he experienced a lot. Nawaz at a very young age has lived life, gone through many struggles. I wanted someone who would bring out the contradictions in Manto – he was deeply sensitive but also arrogant in his own way. He had great qualities but also was fallible: he was muh-phat (forthright) to the point of being rude and could make other people uncomfortable. He was not a simple character to portray so I needed someone who could bring out those nuances. Nawaz worked closely with me in research as well.”

With its great start on the festival circuit (Cannes reportedly gave the film a 4-minute standing ovation), the journey continues, with Toronto, Busan and possibly Melbourne, coming up very soon.

“We are trying to reach out to different - and the widest - audiences possible,” Nandita revealed. “While the context is India and Pakistan, the story I think, is universal. And though it’s set in a certain time and period, it’s really a modern

contemporary story. That’s the beauty of cinema - it transcends boundaries. Knowing from my experiences with Firaaq, my first directorial and a film that I did just for my country, I was very pleasantly surprised when I travelled with it.”

Yet, she added, her Manto journey will finally culminate with the film’s September release in India. “In the ultimate analysis, yeh film jis context mein hai, sabse pehle to wahan ke liye hai (the film is first and foremost intended for the context in which it is set.)”

She added, in order to be global, you have to be local. “The more honest and truthful you are towards your own issues, to your own context, and you are not trying to make the film for somebody else, the more your film will transcend and become universal.”

But Manto is a different film; it’s complex, very personal and intimate.

“To understand a character, you have to understand the emotional context in which he operates. It’s only through relationships that you know about a person. Manto’s relationships with his wife, his friend, all of that forms a very important basis to this story.”

If this sounds like it’s coming from a woman’s perspective, it’s probably true.

“Do you know, I was told a few times at Cannes that you could immediately tell this film had to be made by a woman,” Nandita laughed. “I didn’t bring in my woman’s perspective consciously – when you’re directing, you’re not doing it as a female or a male. Yet we do have a different way of seeing the world because we have different experiences. I think there is something called a female gaze – you can sometimes see a film and know it is made by a woman, or sometimes that this film must be made by a man. Of course there is everything in between as well. Some of the most wonderful films about women’s issues have been made by men. I’ve just made a film on a male protagonist. About somebody who in today’s words was a feminist!”

Would this put her film and others like it such as Firaaq, Meghna Gulzar’s Filhaal, Deepa Mehta’s Fire, ahead of their time?

“There’s no bell that’s going to be rung to say now is the time. Films might not bring in revolutions but they do trigger

conversations. The role of films is to show us different world, a world of which we are not a part, otherwise we’ll remain in our little isolated worlds. It’s good that Fire came 22 years ago – by the way, it got no cuts from the Censor Board. Today perhaps it would have been filled with cuts! Would Fire and Firaaq even be made today? Sometimes I feel we are going one step forward and two backwards. So I’d say we are never ahead of our time. Now is always the best time to raise these kind of issues and talk about them.”

One of Nandita’s favourite Manto quotes is: Main us society ki choli kya utaroonga jo pehle se hi nangi hai. Use kapde pehnana mera kaam nahin. Mera kaam hai ki ek safed chalk se kaali takht pe likhoon taaki uska kaalapan aur bhi numaya ho jaye. I’m not disrobing this society - it’s already naked. My job is to write with white chalk on a blackboard, so that its blackness is further highlighted.

“The role of art is to unearth the reality. I’m told myself, that I make films that show India in a bad light. It’s not about good or bad for me. If you love your country, you want to show the reality so that something is done about it. It’s like what Manto said, you know: Agar aap mere afsaanon ko bardasht nahin kar sakte, iska matlab hai yeh zamaana hi na kaabil-ebardasht hai. If you cannot bear my stories, it’s because you live in unbearable times. So I’m only reflecting the reality. I think we must celebrate that. But instead people like me are being attacked – journalists, writers, film-makers, artists, who are trying to unravel the truth. They are being told forcefully to cover it up, to bury it and to keep it that way.”

At Cannes, her contemporaries from India might have made the news for their red carpet outfits, but Nandita used

her red carpet appearance to make a statement about women film-makers. “Yes, I walked with Cate Blanchett and 80 other women. In 71 years of Cannes, only 82 women have had their film in any of the competition categories, as opposed to 1645 men. The fact is that women as film makers have gotten the shorter end of the stick for way too long. We’re saying we just want equal opportunities, not more or less, but we’re still grappling with just those equal opportunities. We want the diversity that exists in life, that’s all we’re asking for.”

And talking of Cate, Nandita revealed she is quite familiar with Australian cinema. “I love Jane Campion’s work. I was on a short film jury with her at Cannes so we had a lot of time to interact. I’ve also been involved with an Indigenous project, an Indo-Aboriginal project, for which I travelled to Perth and Broome. I’m quite excited about this one. In preparation for this I saw films such as Rabbit Proof Fence that have taken up indigenous subjects. They are very interesting and not too different from some of the concerns we have in our own country, where our indigenous people are being dragged into the mainstream. We hardly get to hear their stories in films, where the protagonist is zameen se juda hua, connected to the land.”

These are the kind of stories that make for engaging cinema, she concluded, encouraging the audiences to help these stories to come out and get a hearing. “I hope you will support different kinds of cinema.”

Zamaane ke karvaton ke saath, cinema aur audiences bhi karvat badlein. As society changes, perhaps cinema and cinemagoers should also reflect that change.

With Rajni Anand Luthra

I’m not disrobing this society - it’s already naked. My job is to write with white chalk on a blackboard, so that its blackness is further highlighted Saadat Hasan Manto

Nandita with Indian Link Radio’s Charuta Joshi, Nashen Moodley (Sydney Film Fest director), and Nawaz at Cannes

Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a still from the film Manto

FIFA FEVER

This south Kolkata confectioner has made FIFA so much sweeter, what with their delightful football cakes and a World Cup trophy made from... wait for it...kheer!

That’s right, no fondant business for this one.

Eleven-year-old Nathania John made the news this year for being the first indian girl to be an official match ball carrier at FIFA. We’re so proud of this Tamil Nadu kid!

This amazing couple - Pannalal Chatterjee and wife Chaitalihas been to nine FIFA tournaments, and are hopefully on their way to the tenth one. They gave up most of their life’s luxuries to create a World Cup Fund.

Another case in point is Clifin Francis, 28, a Kerala man who decided one fine day to cycle all the way to Russia - that’s right - in the hopes of meeting his idol, Messi.

Meet Kolkata’s Shiv Shankar Patra, a teaseller who celebrates Lionel Messi’s birthday every year and paints his house in Argentinian colours to support the team

Tarneit calls for better services

Residents take protest to Parliament

BY SHAKTI SINGH

Garima Sisodiya, a banking professional, works in the CBD.

A year ago, she constructed her home in Tarneit, a suburb of some 35,000 residents, 20,000 of who are believed to be her compatriots from India. Every morning Sisodiya drives out to Tarneit station - the nearest bus stop is about 2.8 km away from her home. Most days, she finds the parking all taken at the second busiest train station in the city;

she is forced to drive back home and call for a cab. Sometimes she leaves her car wherever she can find room, such as on the paddocks, only to find a $95 parking fine waiting for her upon her return.

Sisodiya is not alone. Thousands of Tarneit residents face a similar situation every single day. Appeals to the authorities for better infrastructure and better planning have gone unheeded, and one of the fastest growing suburban communities in Melbourne finds itself at crisis point.

A large group of residents staged a protest at the stairs of parliament on 20 June, organised by a social group called ‘My Tarneit’.

The protest identified the significant shortage of over 2,000 car parks,

inadequate bus services and poorly planned routes, appalling entry and exit points, and overcrowded and congested trains with safety issues.

Arnav Sati, spokesperson of the group My Tarneit said, “This is the situation when less than half of the region is currently built. Imagine what will happen in the next 5 years, when another 15 - 20 thousand people will make Tarneit their home. Infrastructure is simply not keeping pace with the growth in population and severely affecting quality of life.”

Local Council has been of no help either.

Wyndham City Council continues to blame the state government, but still makes huge revenue from parking fines totaling over $300,000 in the last three years alone. Sati said, “Residents are keen to know how the local council has used any part of the fines collected to solve the actual problem, rather than simply using it as an addition revenue stream.”

The median age of the Traneit resident is 32, second youngest after Melbourne City Council, Sati observed, which means there are many young people commuting for work. Additionally, the region is home to a large chunk of international students due to the low cost of rent, who just cannot afford the taxi and are forced to travel long distances on foot.

While there was absolutely no representation at the protest from the Labor Party, the Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan came in for much criticism: she “continues to neglect the plight of the residents and provide relief,” it was claimed.

Safe-seat representatives were seen as

doing precious little for their electorates – as evidenced by the placards “Safe seat voters also matter.”

Sati observed that the sitting MP does not even live in the area, preferring the CBD instead; and neither does the Labor candidate for the upcoming elections, Sarah Connolly, who has only just moved in from interstate.

“Connolly said if the residents have any issue they should come and talk to me,” Sati related. “In a way she said no to attending the protest and hearing our concerns.”

Bernie Finn, Rachel Carling-Jenkins and Huong Truong were among the politicians from Western Metropolitan Region who did attend the protest. They expressed the view that the Labor Government has not yet joined the dots on the unprecedented growth that our suburbs are experiencing, that voices in the west matter, and that better planning is needed for urban growth.

“Being a safe Labor seat, this area is neglected,” a communique from MyTarneit noted. “The state government continues to generate millions in revenue in land tax and GAIC (Growth Area Infrastructure Contribution) but avoids investing back, while funding major projects in marginal seats.”

The Victorian Government’s Public Transport Guidelines For Land Use and Development (2013) aims to provide public transport to residential localities within a radius of 300-400 metres. However in reality, there are over 50 localities identified in Tarneit where transport can’t be accessed within 700 meters of walk.

Many of the residents believe that if

Tarneit residents protesting at the stairs of Parliament

the transport service was in order, with adequate frequency of buses, they would leave their cars behind in their daily commute to work.

A voice for the people

Arnav Sati, a 35-year-old business analyst, finds himself thrust in the spotlight as the call for better infrastructure is now being heard. The issue came up on ABC TV’s Q and A program not so long as a young Tarneit woman asked a compelling question in front of a national audience. And since then, Arnav has been out speaking at a Special Meeting of Wyndham Council, to local newspapers, ABC Radio and other media outlets. Each time, his sincerity comes through as he looks to get his community the attention it deserves.

Clearly, Arnav is passionate about social issues.

He arrived in Australia in 2001 as an international student and moved to Tarneit in 2017. In January 2018 he formed the Facebook group ‘My Tarneit’ to provide a forum for residents to talk about issues relevant to them. It now has 1678 residents as members.

“The development in Tarneit is occurring at a slow pace,” Sati mused. “Besides the transport issue, the crime rate is increasing day by day. Burglaries are common.”

But he will not be silenced. He said on the platform recently: “Never be afraid to raise your voice for truth, honesty and compassion against injustice, lying and neglect.”

TARNEIT RESIDENTS DEMANDS

> Build multi-level park or signi cantly increase the capacity of the current car park

> More bus routes with increased frequency to make access to public transport easier

> Add additional carriages to the V/ Line trains to ease over-crowding and increase commuter safety

> Re-design entry and exit to the station

> Perform audit on commuter safety for V/Line trains put to service Tarneit Train Station

> Increase pickup/drop-off spaces

> Fast-track the construction of Truganina and Tarneit West train stations

> Fair share of Growth areas infrastructure contribution (GAIC) to be spent on Tarneit and its need

Arnav Sati

MLC Rachel CarlingJenkins and MP Bernie Finn attending the protest

Winning pins... and hearts

BY NEHA MALUDE

As the only contestant to ever have scored the hallowed immunity pin twice on MasterChef Australia, Sashi Cheliah is definitely sleeping better these days.

Sashi laughs and responds, “You bet I do. Few people on this show have had the privilege of doing something unique. I’m so happy and equally proud of myself.”

He’s a man of few words. But his unassuming nature doesn’t get in the way of his excitement at having come a long way since Day 1. “I never thought I’d get this far. Before this show, I wondered ‘how can my dishes or my style of cooking possibly get me into a show of this calibre?

I’m just a home cook’ but now I know: if you hit the flavour profile, you’re here to stay. It doesn’t have to be a complex dish, but when the judges take a spoonful, they have to say ‘Wow!’”

For Adelaide-based and Singapore-born Sashi, though, MasterChef Australia was a happy accident, in his own words.

“When I came to Adelaide, I really

missed food from back home. So whenever my wife and kids felt like having authentic Singaporean or Indian food, I’d end up cooking it myself. I’d talk to mum or my aunts and get recipes from them or check out YouTube videos,” Sashi tells Indian Link.

Word spread and friends and family urged him to try out for the cooking competition.

“They started telling me that I should open up my own restaurant,” he says, laughing. “And for some reason, last year I kept seeing MasterChef ads popping up on my FB feed. I think that was a sign – plus I was looking to start my own business. So I figured ‘Why not food business?’ I thought if there was some way I could get into the contest, it would be a great stepping stone for me. But honestly, I couldn’t believe I got the apron on the first day of auditions! It was a huge confidence boost.”

Sashi moved to Adelaide in 2012. The eldest of seven children, he is a third-generation Singaporean whose grandparents came from Madurai and settled there.

Sashi grew up to be in the Star Unit of the Singapore Police Force for nearly a decade, and was trained in special tactics and rescue operations. He worked in

counter terrorism, kidnappings and highprofile protection in the riot police. Now living in Adelaide, he works at a women’s prison.

Sashi’s earliest memories of food are that of his mum working in their café. “We were introduced to cooking at a really young age because of mum who used to run a café. But it never really interested us then. We saw the toll it took on mum, the working hours were just merciless.”

At the time, Sashi believed that “cooking

just wasn’t his cup of soup”. And so, he says, he decided to get into the police force.

“But food was never far away,” Sashi recounts. “We were a joint family – my many aunties, uncles and cousins living together. So a lot of my cooking is influenced by them, especially Indian cuisine.”

Thanks to Sashi and other Indian contestants on the show – Loki Madireddi, Nidhi Mahajan, Rishi Desai, etc. – Indian dishes are hitting the spotlight in a big

Two immunity pins and Top 10 of MasterChef Australia: Sashi Cheliah is busy making history of sorts

way. “I think Indian cuisine is undergoing a huge makeover, especially over the last couple of years. People are really beginning to experiment freely with Indian fusion – where the flavours are predominantly Indian but are done up with a western touch,” Sashi agrees.

His Lychee Duck, which he cooked during a team challenge recently, is one such example. “I’m really proud of that dish. It was a fusion of Indian and Thai flavours. Typically you wouldn’t use lychee in an Indian curry preparation, although it’s a fairly common fruit in Thai cuisine. But I decided to take the risk and it paid off big time. The judges really loved it!”

He adds, “Fans of the show in India love it when Indian contestants like us come on the show and try to recreate Indian dishes with different techniques and new ingredients. It’s so encouraging – and that’s what cooking is all about, trying something new every day,” Sashi says.

Although he loves south-east Asian food,

Indian food occupies a special place in Sashi’s heart. “I grew up eating food from a lot of different cultures. But my absolute favourite has got to be biryani, I can have it any time of the day. I also love south Indian vegetarian thali, dosa, idli. I prepare my own batter. I love upma too. And oh, Indian desserts – halwa, kesari! There’s nothing else in the world like Indian sweets. It’s such a diverse cuisine and there’s so much depth of flavour. You can spend years eating and you still wouldn’t be able to taste every single Indian dish.”

He has used one of his pins in a recent pressure test, but Sashi is still cooking up a storm in the kitchen. He has now made it to Top 10, and is the ‘curry sauce man’ thanks to the different varieties of sauces he has come up during the competition, his food all the while reflecting his roots. Here’s hoping this foodie enthusiasm carries Sashi even further in the competition – with him in the top 10 and the trophy so close, we’ve got our fingers crossed.

Sweet or savoury

Savoury

Immunity pin or a chance to cook for Nigella

Immunity pin

Tea or coffee Coffee

Favourite comfort food

Sambar and rice

A recipe you are a master of Chicken curry

One dish you’ve never tried but want to Iruttu Kadai Halwa

Dish you’re terri ed of cooking Any Heston

Blumenthal dish

Mum’s recipe you love

Ayam Mesak Merah (red cooked chicken)

RAPID FIRE WITH SASHI

Your dish doesn’t have to be complex, but when the judges take a spoonful, they have to say ‘Wow!’

A recipe for happiness

BY NEHA MALUDE

“Inever had the sense of selfworth or confidence to apply to MasterChef,” starts Loki (Lokesh) Madireddi, “I simply never thought myself good enough to get in, you know?”

One wouldn’t believe that this Indian-

origin MasterChef contestant, a people’s favourite, would have ever said this. For Loki stormed into the popular cooking competition, guns ablaze with his Indiainspired dishes that left the judges hankering for more, and won the season’s very first immunity pin in what was a surreal episode of fine cooking.

The confidence came after a long bout of self-doubt though. “I was in the real estate industry and I was just very disillusioned with the job. It was becoming difficult to just get out of the bed and face the day.

My 6-year-old son Indy (Indryaan) who’s wise beyond his years asked me ‘If you’re so unhappy, why don’t you just apply to MasterChef? You watch it every year, you love cooking, so why don’t you do it?’”

What followed was fate – Loki quit his job, applied to the show and was called in for the audition four days later – and the ex-contestant says he has his son to thank for the incredible experience.

Loki’s tryst with food is nothing new. “I was born in Mysore, brought up in Chennai and my family (ancestors) is from Andhra Pradesh. I consider myself more Tamilian than anything else because that’s where I grew up and spent my formative years. I studied at Don Bosco, was a backbencher and stole people’s lunchboxes,” he laughs.

Following a near-fatal accident, Loki was sort of placed under house arrest.

“You know how Indian parents are. They became really protective and I wasn’t even

allowed to go out and play after that. So I started hanging out with my grandmother who used to cook in the backyard. My father was in the railways and back then seafood used to be transported for export via railways. Thanks to that, our home always had surplus of fresh produce like crabs, fish, prawns. I’d sit with my grandmother and watch her cook.”

He adds, “My first cook was a fried egg – I was five years old. I got yelled at for using the stove unsupervised and I had locked myself inside the kitchen because I wanted to surprise my parents. My mum screamed that I could’ve burnt the house down but I just did what I had seen her do – I’m a visual person, I see someone cook something and I can copy them step for step.”

Possibly the reason why Loki never ‘measured stuff’ in the MasterChef kitchen. “Yeah, I’m not a ‘measurer’. I cook instinctively. I mean I get that there are dishes (especially desserts) where you have to keep an eye on those scales for every little gram, but that’s why perhaps those aren’t my strengths,” which was also the reason behind his untimely elimination – in spite of being in the possession of an immunity pin, something he made MasterChef history for.

“Ben (Borsht) took me aside and said to me ‘It’s okay, go ahead and use your immunity pin. We’re all fine if you do.’ It was a lovely gesture but it just didn’t sit right with me,” shrugs

Loki, who decided to forego using his pin to “stand by his mates”.

While many criticised him for his move, it didn’t bother him. “The one person that matters to me the most said that he was proud of what I’d done, so I’m at peace with my decision. If I had to, I’d do it all over again.”

As one might think, though, winning that immunity pin isn’t the highlight of Loki’s MasterChef journey. “For me, there’s only one moment that stands out like nothing else does: the moment I walked out of the audition with the apron hidden behind my back. Indy walked towards me thinking I didn’t get it and when I whipped it out, his face just lit up. I will never forget that.”

Undoubtedly his biggest fan and influence, Indy is just as enamoured with food as his father. The two have started ‘Indy-Loki Adventures’, a series of fatherson cooking sessions where they go fishing and explore different cooking techniques.

The 34-year-old stay-at-home dad also plans to start a cooking school for kids someday. “I don’t really want to teach kids. I want to introduce them to how food is grown and how it makes its way to our plates. They should go out into the rice paddies and see how it’s harvested. I want to do workshops where they can really connect with food. I also want to introduce people to India’s ancient cooking traditions, like how we cook on coals and not on a gas stove. It’s where the flavour comes from, it’s the soul of food.”

People’s favourite Loki Madireddi on stealing lunch-boxes, giving up his immunity pin, and cooking with his biggest fan

The world’s richest Indians

From media moguls to steel magnates, software industry bigwigs to construction tycoons, these are the 25 wealthiest Indians across the globe

Ambani, Mittal, Birla, Kotak – if there’s one thing that’s common across all these names, what would you say it was? Power. These names – and the people behind them – are the ones that have for years now influenced the direction that India has progressed in, economically and otherwise. They are the brands that dominate India’s stock market,

and for good reason.

Through extensive research, checks and cross-checks, London-based media house RAYMEDIA brought out its third edition of the list in 2017 that combines 160 Indians, non-resident Indians and persons of Indian origin or overseas citizens of India.

The qualification for inclusion on the list is a minimum net worth of US$1 billion

or its equivalent. The aggregate net worth of the people featuring on the list is well over 20% of India’s GDP. As one might expect, the names are pretty much the same as last year with a slight shuffle here and there. Indian Link, which has the exclusive Australian rights to publish the list, brings you the top 25 names from the list here (see full list on our website indianlink.com.au).

The template for the compilation was

created by Philip Beresford, one of the most experienced wealth estimators in the world. He has been compiling the UK’s Sunday Times annual rich list for 27 years.

The net worth figures are best estimates and subject to fluctuation, given the volatility of the markets. All figures are in US dollars.

Here are the wealthiest Indians of 2017.

MUKESH AMBANI India Industry

$39.9 billion

Mukesh Ambani remains the richest person in the Indian diaspora. His Reliance Industries Limited is a petrochemicals, oil and gas giant which provides around 5% of the Indian government’s tax revenue. In the telecom sector he has launched 4G services called Jio, which in one year has secured 130 million subscribers by offering free or virtually free services. Reliance also directly or indirectly controls several television channels, including news networks. According to an MBA student at Stanford Business School in California, his home in Mumbai is the world’s most expensive residential property. He owns about a third of his company. His interests include ownership of Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League and promoting the Indian Super League football.

SHIV NADAR India Software

$13.3 billion

HCL Group, co-founded by Shiv Nadar in 1976, began by selling microcomputers, and is now India’s 4th largest software rm. Its customers include Boeing, Microsoft, Cisco and UBS. HCL also invested $780 million in an intellectual property partnership with IBM. Nadar also possesses a $100 million art collection.

KUMAR MANGALAM BIRLA

India

Aluminium, Cement & Telecom

$12.6 billion

Hindalco Industries, a part of Birla Group, is India’s second largest aluminium maker. It acquired Atlanta-based Novelis for $6 billion in 2007 and bought the rival Jaypee Group for $2.4 billion. Birla also launched a fashion portal abor.com. He merged his rm Idea Cellular with Vodafone India to compete with Reliance Jio.

DILIP SHANGHVI India Pharmaceuticals $11.6 billion

Despite drop in shares, Shanghvi’s company remains India’s biggest rm in the sector and the 5th largest generics maker in the world after acquiring rival Ranbaxy Industries for $4 billion in 2014. In 2016 it introduced a generic version of Gleevec, a cancer drug made by Novartis, in the US.

AZIM PREMJI India

Software

$19.4 billion

After his father’s death in 1966, Azim Premji had to cut short his studies in electrical engineering at Stanford University to take charge of the family business. He turned it from a seller of hydrogenated cooking fats, soaps and other consumer products into Wipro (short for Western Indian Vegetable Products), the third largest Indian software exporter, which has since 2000 been quoted on the New York Stock Exchange. His acquisitions include Florida based insurance technology rm HealthPlan Services. He has pledged 39% of his stake in Wipro to his charitable trust.

HINDUJA FAMILY UK/Switzerland/India

Various

$18.6 billion

The Hinduja Group have assets in truck-making, lubricants, banking, energy, chemicals and cable TV. The Old War Of ce in London that they bought for £350 million, is being re-launched as a hotel. They also started NXT Digital, a digital TV distributor, in India. Captained by the second of four brothers, Gopichand, their businesses include India’s second biggest truck maker Ashok Leyland, British electric bus maker Optare, interests in Gulf Oil, US chemical company Houghton and IndusInd Bank, which has a presence in Switzerland, India and Britain.

DAVID AND SIMON REUBEN $15.8 billion UK/Switzerland Property & Internet

Born in Mumbai, the Jewish family started out in metals. Their property portfolio includes prime buildings in London, airports and heliports. They are leading investors in the UK’s Metro Bank and still own 51% of Global Switch, a data hosting company, having sold 49% to Chinese investors Elegant Jubilee for $3 billion less than a year ago. Grosvenor House Hotel in London and Plaza Hotel in New York are mortgaged to them against loans granted to Sahara India. Reubros and Aldersgate Investments, controlled by them, are estimated to be worth $14 billion.

PALLONJI MISTRY India/Ireland Construction & Investments

$17 billion

The Mistry family have a stake of 18.5% (the largest) in the $126 billion Tata Group. His son Cyrus is locked in a legal battle with the Tatas, after being ousted as chairman of Tata Sons in 2016. Mistry heads Shapoorji Pallonji Group, pioneering builders in India since the 1860s, credited with the creation of some of India’s most iconic structures. Since the 1970s, the company has also had a signi cant presence in the Gulf. It is presently engaged in a $200 million venture to construct 20,000 affordable homes in India. Mistry, recipient of the Padma Bhushan - is now an Irish citizen.

GAUTAM ADANI AND FAMILY India

Infrastructure & Energy

$11 billion

Adani is known as much for his business interests in ports and power as he is for his association with Narendra Modi. In 2014, he acquired major ports in eastern and southern India. He has received approval for a coal-mining project in Queensland but the plan has also raised environmental concerns.

LAKSHMI MITTAL AND FAMILY UK Steel $16.9 billion

As chief executive of the Luxembourg-headquartered ArcelorMittal, Lakshmi Mittal seems to be as strong as the steel he makes. After a $7.9 billion loss in 2015 due to an industry-wide crisis caused by over-capacity and dumping by China, the world’s largest steelmaker made a pro t of $1.8 billion in 2016. Mittal moved from Kolkata to Indonesia before settling in Britain in 1995, where he was declared the wealthiest person for eight years, but is now only 11th on the Sunday Times Rich List.

UDAY KOTAK India

Financial Services

$10.2 billion

Uday set up Kotak Capital Management Finance in 1985 and converted it into Kotak Mahindra Bank in 2003. After acquiring ING Vysya Bank, it is now India’s 4th largest bank. It also has a stake in MCX, India’s largest commodities exchange. Kotak Mahindra Bank also owns Business Standard, an Indian nancial daily.

GODREJ FAMILY India Various $14.2 billion

In 1918, the Godrej Group, now headed by MIT graduate Adi Godrej, with brother Nadir and cousins Jamshyd and Smita Crishna-Godrej part of the empire, launched the world’s rst soap product made from vegetable oil. After 120 years, it is now involved in real estate, industrial engineering, appliances, furniture, security, agriculture, and consumer goods – ranging from mosquito repellents to refrigerators – that are also sold in other parts of Asia, Africa and South America. Godrej Properties is now developing its vast and nearly 100-year land holdings – its biggest asset - in suburban Mumbai.

SUNIL MITTAL AND FAMILY India

Telecom

$10.2 billion

Bharti Airtel, controlled by Mittal with SingTel of Singapore, is the world’s third largest telecom company by way of subscribers. Airtel is engaged in a price war with Reliance Jio in the 4G data space. It enjoys a presence in 18 countries in Asia and Africa. Mittal has also launched Airtel Payment Bank.

14 15 16

RADHAKISHAN DAMANI India

Investor

$9.6 billion

17 DIASPORA

A jump from No 134 to 14, Damani’s net worth is a result of an IPO of his hypermarket chain D-Mart. He has a 26% share in cigarette maker VST Industries and in India Cements. Damani has also acquired the Radisson Blu Resort in Alibag, a beach getaway near Mumbai.

VIKRAM LAL

India

Motorcycles

$6.8 billion

Eicher, which used to make tractors, switched to manufacturing motorbikes by acquiring a stake in En eld India. After growing more than 50% annually since 2010, it has partnered with Volvo to make trucks and personal utility vehicles. Vikram Lal, who oversees operations with his son Siddhartha, commands a 55% share.

BENU GOPAL BANGUR

India

Cement

$6.3 billion

Inheriting an underperforming cement company in a family carve out in 1992, Bangur turned it around. Kolkatabased Shree Cement has in recent years maintained its buoyancy despite bearish demand. Bangur is reputed to reside in a 51,000 square foot mansion which possesses a temple, home theatre, a gym and volleyball court.

CYRUS POONAWALLA India Pharmaceuticals

$8.9 billion

From owning stud farms in Pune, Cyrus Poonawalla and his brother Zavaray launched Serum Institute of India in 1966. It is now the world’s largest producer of vaccines; every second child in the world is inoculated by a vaccine from SII. Its range of new vaccines includes one for dengue.

ACHARYA BALKRISHNA

India

Consumer Goods

$6.6 billion

A new entrant, Acharya Balkrishna’s rise has been meteoric. Patanjali Ayurved is a joint venture with Baba Ramdev, a yoga teacher who is close to the current ruling party in India. Balkrishna holds 98.6% of the company, which sells a range of products, including toothpastes, cosmetics, noodles and jams.

SAVITRI JINDAL AND FAMILY India Steel, Power & Energy

$7.6 billion

Savitri Jindal took charge after the death of husband Om Prakash in 2005, and delegated the four divisions of the company – steel, power, mining and oil and gas – to her sons, Prithviraj, Sajjan, Ratan and Naveen. Apart from JSW Steel operated by Sajjan, the other businesses have declined.

SRI PRAKASH LOHIA

Indonesia

Petrochemicals

$6.4 billion

Indorama is the world’s largest producer of polyester. In addition to Indonesia, it has production plants in Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Senegal. In London, he and his wife Seema bought and restored a 1772 ve storey mansion known as Sheridan House for around $66 million.

NUSLI WADIA India

Various

$6 billion

The Wadia Group, a marine construction company for Britishers, today owns Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Company, Bombay Burmah Trading Corp, Britannia Industries and many properties in Mumbai. It also promoted Go Air, an Indian airline. Ness, Nusli Wadia’s son, has a stake in IPL Twenty20 cricket franchise King’s XI Punjab.

KUSHAL PAL SINGH

India

Urban Development

$5.9 billion

He heads DLF, India’s largest urban development company with son Rajiv. Shares have tumbled by a third in 2015-16 due to low demand and debt rose to $3 billion. But Singh sold his 40% stake in DLF’s rental arm to Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC for $1.9 billion to stabilise the situation.

VIVEK CHAAND SEHGAL

Australia/India

Auto Parts

$5.9 billion

Co-founded in 1975 by Sehgal and his mother, it is now a leading manufacturer of car components, with a tie-up with Japan’s Sumitomo, which owns 25% of the company. Its clients include Volkswagen, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ford and Toyota, with 230 factories in 37 countries including Europe and South America.

PANKAJ PATEL India

Pharmaceuticals

$5.6 billion

MADHUKAR PAREKH AND FAMILY India

Adhesives

$4.8 billion

Pidilite Industries, owned by the Parekhs, owns Fevicol, M-Seal and Dr. Fixit, household names in India. Its share values continue to rise. Madhukar, who has an MSc degree from Wisconsin University, inherited Pidilite from his father who died in 2013. The family have a 70% stake in the business.

PROMISES COME HOME WITH REMIT2INDIA

Indians working overseas sent home USD 69 billion as remittances in 2017*. Not only does that account for 2.77% of the country’s GDP**, it places India on top of the list of countries receiving remittances from its diaspora across the globe. While this is interesting, what is more interesting is the story behind every remittance. These are stories of Hope, Happiness and Promise.

One such story is that of Sunita, a chartered accountant, who moved from Mumbai to Melbourne to pursue her career dreams. Leaving her parents and her brother behind was a tough decision since her father had retired and Sunita was the only earning member of the family. However, she could not let go of the opportunity to work in Australia. So while leaving for Australia, she made her family a promise: “I might be far away but I will always be there for you.” Sunita makes it a point to save a fixed sum of money post her expenses to send back home. She regularly sends money for household expenses, her

parents’ health insurance and for her brother’s university tuition fees.

Ganpat Rao, a farmer in Bolepali village of Maharashtra, too is a happy recipient of one such promise. He was struggling with meagre yield and even lower purchase price for his crops. Every year the situation only got worse. In spite of the hardships, Ganpat Rao ensured that his son Bhale Rao got a decent education. He didn’t want Bhale to be a farmer and suffer the same fate. Ganpat Rao had to borrow money to fund his son’s education. Bhale, being a witness to his father’s struggle to get him a university degree, put his studies to good use. He landed a job in Sydney as a software developer. When he was leaving for Sydney, he made a promise to his father. “Baba, I will repay your loans and make sure you will never have to borrow money again.” Bhale keeps his promise by sending money to his father regularly through Remit2India to manage the household and farm expenses. Ganpat Rao’s loans were all repaid by his son

and he didn’t have to borrow money ever again. The son lived up to his promise and continues to do so.

Promises like these - big and small - add up to $69+ billion dollars in remittances each year. Millions of NRIs use various remittance services to send money back

home and Remit2India is one such provider. One of the leading providers of remittance services since 17 years, Remit2India has been helping NRIs keep up to their promises with fee-free instant money transfer service from Australia to India.

*World Bank report dated April 2018. ** World Bank report 2016 – Remittances as percentage of

cineTALK

RANBIR DAZZLES, THE FILM UNDERWHELMS

sordid image as a terrorist squarely on the media. There is a silly newspaper editor played by Prakash Belawadi who is shown as “guilty” of printing an article asking “Is Sanjay Dutt Finished?”.

Cut to an awards function where our screen Dutt wins the best actor for Munnabhai MBBS (he did win in real life). Dutt’s father, played by a hopelessly miscast Paresh Rawal, turns around and asks the editor to write another article stating Sanjay Dutt is not nished.

“And this time without the question mark,” the senior Dutt smirks.

SANJU

STARRING Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Vicky Kaushal, Manisha Koirala, Paresh Rawal, Dia Mirza

DIRECTOR: Raj Kumar Hirani HHHHH

So, it was all the media’s fault. The newspapers, damn them, hid behind question marks and ‘sources’ to declare our Sanju Baba, arrey Sanjay Dutt yaar, a terrorist.

Raj Kumar Hirani’s long-awaited bio-

pic on the controversial star is long on drama, short on facts. It cleverly makes Sanjay Dutt look like a victim of his own naïveté. To his credit, Ranbir Kapoor plays Sanjay Dutt with such ardent goo ness and sincerely disingenuousness that I seriously began to wonder if the lm’s opening joke -- about a bogus biographer played by Piyush Mishraof (all people!) likening Dutt to Bapu had come true.

Raj Kumar Hirani and his writer Abhijat Joshi lay the blame for Dutt’s

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING GROOMS

Brother based in Sydney seeks suitable match for 39-year-old Gujarati girl, Mumbai born, never married, 5’4”. Well cultured, medium build, BCom and working for international shipping company in Dubai. Hindu grooms please contact on 0416 475 948 or komaldxb@gmail.com

Seeking match for our daughter, Hindu, Australian citizen, 34, 5’4”, Masters in IT, working in a bank in Sydney, beautiful, fair, never married, vegetarian. Parents visiting Australia. Contact father 0402 265 428 or +91-98980 17279 (after August)

Seeking suitable match for Australian citizen Canberra-based Hindu girl, highly quali ed IT professional. Parents highly educated and well settled in Sydney. Please respond to rukrghrmn@gmail.com

Like it or not, the plot of this semi-truthful bio-pic leaves us with many question marks. While it aptly focuses on building up a case beyond the legal one to substantiate Sanjay Dutt’s image as a victim of his own naivete, it brings into play characters and situations which have no place in the real Sanjay Dutt’s life. The girlfriends, whom we’ve all known through the years as being part of the Dutt folklore, are hurriedly dealt with as though they must be gotten out of the way. Sonam Kapoor appears to be playing an amalgamation of Tina Munim and Richa Sharma.

Sonam and Boman Irani (playing her dad) are made part of a horribly cheap joke where a dead-drunk Dutt and his evil conniving Parsi sidekick Zubin Mistry (played by an enormously hammy Jim Sarbh) create a drunken confusion over a drinking binge and the sex act.

Laboured and lewd the gag ranks right up there with Hirani’s “balaatkar” joke in 3 Idiots as the crest of tastelessness, any day lthier than the over owing toilet in Dutt’s cell.

The modus operandi of this sinfully entertaining semi- ctional bio-pic is to blow up all the situations in Dutt’s drama out of all proportions, and then whittle them all down to a whiny protest where the protagonist becomes the portrait of self-injurious victimhood. Some of it works, thanks to the crackling immediacy that Ranbir and his screen-friend played by Vicky Kaushal bring to their roles. If only the screenwriter Abhijat Joshi had brought a more mature vision to this friendship.

The scenes showing Kapoor and Kaushal whooping it up are like scenes out of Hirani’s 3 Idiots. Again some of the situations created between the friends reek of lowbrow aspirations.

Karisma Tanna as Vicky Kaushal’s girlfriend who sleeps with Dutt deserves the award for the tackiest role played by a woman in recent times.

What works is the lm’s ferocious pace. The narrative hurls across the catastrophic events in Sanjay Dutt’s life looking for ways to de ect the blame.

Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal furnish a funky brotherhood to this one-sided look at a controversial star’s life. Many of the other actors, specially Manisha Koirala as Sanjay Dutt’s mother - the legendary Nargis - hardly get time to breathe before the narrative hurls them into a whitewashing whirligig.

Wonder what the outspoken Nargis would have to say about this semitruthful bio-pic on her son.

Beta, late than never?

With a question mark, of course. Subhash K. Jha

SEEKING BRIDES

Seeking a 25-30-year-old Hindu/Punjabi girl settled in Australia for our 31-year-old son who is a surgeon, 5’9’’, born and brought up in Sydney. Please respond to gupta_rsr@hotmail.com

37, 5’11”, North Indian male, never married, Hindu/Hindi, fair, enjoys keeping t, corporate & legal adviser, Melbourne born/based, seeks female, never married, tall, fair, interested in our Indian culture, traditions and values (inc. Hindi, food, music, lm), enjoys keeping t, enjoys all non-veg food, blend of intellect/cultured/worldly, appreciates the fragility of life and so prioritises the things that really matter. Please email ashok1940@ hotmail.com with recent photo to connect.

JULY 2018 BY MINAL KHONA

Minal Khona has been reading tarot cards for the last two decades. She uses her intuition and connect with the cards mostly to help people.

ARIES

March 21 - April 19

An idea manifests and gives you room for growth. Listen to your heart and not your head this month. You might take a decision you have been putting off for very long, and discordant thoughts in a dif cult situation will dissipate. Take a break amidst nature, or pursue a hobby. Get in touch with your intuition to see what is really bothering you. Health issues revolve around the upper back. Success through a change in attitude is foretold.

LEO

July 21 - Aug 22

All aces indicate a fresh start. The Ace of Pentacles for Leos indicates prosperity, new investments replacing old in terms of time, money or hobbies. You seek new pastures to challenge you and if you’re self-employed and working from home, you will see a surge in activity. Business will thrive and better health is all around. Money held up will come through; it will be more than you anticipated and a romance you thought was over will get revived.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov 22 - Dec 21

TAROT

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

There is a pause in the progress of a situation causing dissatisfaction or anxiety. You will want to re-evaluate your goals and aspirations. You will be disappointed in matters of romance and money causes anxious moments. Treat any deep-seated depression and related health issues if you are feeling indifferent towards everything. The universe is sending help in areas you need so have patience. Everything will resolve itself. Someone will help change a negative situation into a positive one.

VIRGO

Aug 23 - Sep 22

It is a dif cult time as you feel restricted, oppressed perhaps, with health and work issues. But you will get out of this situation with clarity of thought. A bene cial trip is in the of ng and if you are looking to sell property, you will succeed. You might just say no to a job you were not too keen on to start with. You could be accident prone so be careful. Understand that not all stressful situations are your doing.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20

A change of heart in a romantic situation leads to new things. You might feel that your efforts are wasted in business. Work keeps you busy and leaves you no time to relax. Tension related health issues could crop up. Discussions regarding nances in business will result in you making money after giving concessions. Income equals expenditure this month so err on the side of caution. Stay calm and a new course of action could bring the change you seek.

LIBRA

Sep 23 - Oct 22

You could get in uenced by a Leo type of personality – affectionate, generous, gregarious or shy, loyal and fun loving. You seek spiritual pursuits and if single, the prospect of a relationship is high. If already in one and things are bad right now, it could come to an end. Expect good news on the career front. You will seek new age remedies for health. Beware of family spats as the damage could be permanent. Decisions make themselves, so stay calm.

CAPRICORN

Dec 22 - Jan 19

AQUARIUS

Jan 20 - Feb 18

A tough month as things could get really bad before they get better. A stagnant situation or un nished business – everything must get cleared out for new energies. In a romance, the worst is over so hang in there and things will improve. A makeover is indicated but avoid retail therapy. You could quit or be asked to leave a job. Don’t give up on yourself, a loved one or a stressful situation. Have faith; let go, let God handle it.

You will want to move onto a spiritual path and focus on intuition; men should tune into their feminine side more. Avoid con icts and stay calm; don’t believe everything you see. Insights into reasons of why a partner or colleague is behaving a certain way will come to the fore if you trust your gut. Stay away from of ce politics. Women could have health issues related to their menstrual cycle. You will overcome setbacks.

You are in a passive state of mind and you would rather be than do. Emotions and intuition dominate. You are discontented because of what you lack but you don’t have a solution. Longing for love, strained communications with loved ones make you detached and withdrawn. Those trying to get pregnant will be successful. You might travel for work or pleasure. Visualise your outcomes for them to come true. Luck is on your side.

CANCER

June 21 - July 20

Expansion, communication, arts, media and a person with a Gemini type of temperament are in uencers this month. Expect an impasse in love but you will get unexpected validation from important or in uential people at work. You are mentally preoccupied and emotions take a backseat. A new project gives you satisfaction and health improves on all fronts. Regrets of the past end and you move on. If estranged with a friend or lover, you will reconcile and a reunion is expected.

SCORPIO

Oct 23 - Nov 21

Destiny takes charge and material gains abound, as does spiritual poverty. You need to balance it out as old friends, lovers, habits and issues resurface. These are an indication of what needs to be cleared out and negative situations can be made positive by redirecting your energies. An old health issue crops up, needing medical attention. Your desire for change is so intense, that it will bring about what you seek with its intensity. Avoid bingeing on food or alcohol.

PISCES

Feb 19 - March 20

Reconciliation, reunions, and goal oriented planning occupy most of your time. Settlements of legal and income issues are predicted. You will want a better quality of love life over quantity. Money comes in sooner than expected. One cycle in your life will end and a new one will begin. There could be a divorce in the family. For any issues in business that have been bothering you, the best option is to wait for them to get resolved.

The BUZZ

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

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED: BHUMI

She stole everyone’s hearts in her debut lm Dum Laga Ke Haisha where she played bride to Ayushmann Khurrana’s character, who’s embarrassed to be hitched to a ‘chubby’ girl. In an industry that is, more often than not, obsessed with size zero gures, it was heartening to see a new actress make a mark in such an unusual role.

Clearly, Bhumi Pednekar loves a good challenge. In fact, it’s the reason we don’t see her on the big screen as often as we’d like. The actor says she chooses to stay away from projects that don’t test her abilities. Bhumi added that perhaps that’s the reason she isn’t seen in too many lms.

Bhumi was most recently seen in the Lust Stories anthology. “I have been a huge fan of Zoya Akhtar and working with her was a big opportunity. When I heard the script of that segment in Lust Stories I realised that it is a challenging role and I really like to take up challenging roles,” she said.

Interestingly, she would like to see her “really pretty” twin sister Samiksha Pednekar in Bollywood. Well, so would we, but apparently she’s a hotshot lawyer so unless someone is threatening legal action against internet trolls… ahem ahem… we don’t see that happening.

SINGING PRAISES: ALIA

Forget Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas for a while, okay? Let’s focus on the other celebrity couple that, for some reason, few people are talking about: Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt.

We all know that Ranbir is getting a lot of good feedback on his superlative performance in the ho-hum Sanjay Dutt biopic, Sanju. But it’s not just the general public oohing and aahing over his histrionics. Even rumoured girlfriend Alia can’t stop gushing over his performance (and rightly so).

“I really liked it. It is a fantastic, fabulous and an outstanding lm. I think in my top 10 best lm list, Sanju is high up there. Ranbir is outstanding in it. Vicky Kaushal and Paresh ji (Rawal) also did a fantastic job. Everyone including Anushka (Sharma) and Sonam (Kapoor) did a really good job. It’s a full package,” she said.

Ok, so she gushed over just about everyone, but we are being selective here. She even went on to say that Sanju is “one of the best lms in the past couple of years”. Hmm, don’t know about that Alia, but we know where you’re coming from. Wink wink!

AN IDOL: PRIYANKA CHOPRA

Priyanka Chopra isn’t just a “favourite actress” – she’s a role model. Recently, Alyssa Raghunandan, an Indian-origin singer on the popular singing reality show American Idol says she “wants to be just like Priyanka Chopra”.

The 15-year-old didn’t win, but she left the Grammy nominee and judge Katy Perry mightily impressed when she said she would like girls everywhere to know that they don’t have to “show skin” to get ahead in life.

“I want to be like Priyanka Chopra. I feel she is an incredible role model,” said Alyssa, adding that she singing with the actor would be like a dream come true for her. “That is my dream. If I ever had that opportunity, I think my life would be set. I will be the happiest girl in the world,” she said.

Sweet, don’t you think!

PROUD DAD: ANIL KAPOOR

We like Sonam Kapoor, love her even. Is she a designer’s dream come true? Yes. Is she a fashionista making India proud on the blingy red carpets of the world? Definitely. Is she fun to follow on Instagram. Yessiree. Has she given eight hit films in a row? Huh? Say what?

Dad Anil Kapoor tweeted recently about how proud he was about how his daughter had made some “pretty damn good” choices in her lm career. We almost choked on our coffee (whether it was from laughter or shock, we won’t say).

Parents will be proud of their children, no matter how far they go in

life. It’s what parents do. But surely this statement was a little… out there?

“The choices we make shape our lives. Sonam, you have made some pretty damn good ones when it comes to scripts, directors and content... Your hard work, commitment and conviction have resulted in 8 hits in a row! So happy and proud of you!”

Anil shared snapshots of Neerja, Raanjhana, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, PadMan, Khoobsurat, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Veere Di Wedding and the latest, Sanju.

No one can deny that Sonam gave her best in Neerja and Raanjhana. Maybe even PadMan and Veere Di Wedding. We won’t deny that she seems to be making an honestto-god effort to better herself. But Khoobsurat? No. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag? Where she came on screen for 10 minutes tops. No.

We’re all for father-daughter love, but let’s not stretch it.

SECRET OF SATYA: RGV

It’s been 20 years since one of Bollywood’s most iconic lms was released: Satya. Ram Gopal Varma may have amassed a lot of hatred and criticism for his catastrophes like Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag and Department, and acclaim for Sarkar, but before all of that happened, Satya happened.

The lm has achieved something of a cult status for its realistic depiction of the Indian underworld. Two decades later, Varma has revealed that the success was totally accidental.

“Tomorrow is the 20th birthday of ‘Satya’. It was an accident,” Varma tweeted.

The lmmaker said the secret to its success was that he stopped telling his actors what to do. “I went half by instinct and half by Anurag’s (Kashyap) manic way of writing highly realistic dialogue. Actors were instructed to say whatever they felt like. So they kept improvising and I edited the rest,” he said.

Fancy that. If only more lmmakers took such risks with their lms, might we get better lms? Who knows!

WANT TO MAKE A MARK: ALI ZAFAR

Although he created quite the buzz with his debut lm Tere Bin Laden and

ALIA BHATT

a few others, in India, Ali Zafar is now looking to impress Indian cinegoers with his maiden lm in Pakistan, Teefa in Trouble, which releases on 20 July. Knowing the tense state of relationship between the two countries, however, the question is whether the lm will even come to India. But Zafar is hopeful. “We have made the effort, given our best. It is all about giving respect and getting respect back. It is a lm, it is entertainment. I hope that it gets screened over there (in India) and makes a mark and more stuff like this should happen. My job is to try. I don’t think about the negative side at all,” he said.

“As an artiste, I feel that our work should be heard and viewed by as many people as possible in the world. I think we want that there should be peace... peace, having a cordial relationship and love are what we all want to prevail.”

Here’s hoping the politicos (you know who we’re talking about) stay away from this one and we see your lm in India soon, Ali.

SHE’S A CLASSIC: MADHURI

If there’s one actor who was known for her acting as much as for her dancing, it’s Madhuri Dixit. She brought zing into any number she performed on the big screen, and why wouldn’t she? She’s a trained classical dancer herself. The actor says her secret to being a great

dancer is the foundation of her talent.

“I stress on the importance of learning classical dancing because it gives you a sense of discipline, rhythm and expression. So, your foundation as a dancer gets set strong. Then, you can do any form of dance.”

She added, “For eight years as a kid, I only learnt kathak and practised for hours. After that, when I started trying out different styles of dancing, my body movements owed in a certain manner, making the dance look graceful, effortless and everything that people talk about.”

But aren’t youngsters (and Bollywood in general) leaning more towards western dance these days? After all, when was the last time anyone saw a proper, “non-western” dance in a Bollywood lm? “I think one of the reasons why western dance is getting more popular than our traditional Indian dance among masses is that you have to learn kathak and Bharatanatyam under the guidance of a Guru, whereas in western dance, you can copy from the video. There is a difference.”

Er, are you sure about that, Madhuri? Ever watched So You Think You Can Dance?

BUSTING STEREOTYPES:

RICHA

Why is it that the minute a non-Indian starts talking about “Bollywood” the

rst (and sometimes, the only) thing that comes up is Slumdog Millionaire? Or how “Indian lms” are all about song and dancing around the trees? Stereotypes like these really need to be busted, says Richa Chadha.

The actor, who was honoured at the Bagri London Indian Film Festival (LIFF) with an Outstanding Achievement Award recently, said that festivals like LIFF are instrumental in promoting lms other than the usual commercial cinema.

Richa is not one to preach and not practise. The actor is known for her offbeat characters in lms like Fukrey, Goliyon ki Rasleela: Ram Leela and Masaan. She stars in Love, Sonia, which was the festival’s opening night movie.

“When you say Indian lms, people assume it’s just Bollywood and that’s untrue,” she said. “We have independent lms… Festivals like LIFF help us in making the right noise back home, so these lms stand a chance against the mainstream expensive (movies).”

Other winners at LIFF included Irrfan Khan and Manoj Bajpayee, both of whom an Icon Award.

ON TWITTER THIS WEEK

Match the following stars to their tweets: Alia Bhatt, Huma Qureshi, Rajkummar Rao, Uday Chopra.

The rst time I encountered @ TheFarahKhan was at a Diwali party. I was sleepy and wanted to go to bed and when I went to my room she was sleeping there. I ran downstairs and said there’s a girl in my bed and everyone said ya that’s Farah.

Happy birthday my favourite #MerylStreep. Am sure these two people, @karanjohar & @Patralekhaa9 are very happy that this “Iron Lady” was born today. I know you both love her the most.

I have never been to #Disneyland It’s just sad.

Shaheen you are brilliant! My sister has battled and lived with depression since she was 12. She speaks her heart out and without any hesitation addresses the giant elephant in the room

Anuskha: “Beta, raste pe kachra nai karte!”

SATISH JOSHI, NSW

Congratulations, Satish! You win a movie ticket!

Another good one: Anushka: “Since you are away most of the time, this will keep me company.”

RAJ SANEJA

PRIYANKA CHOPRA

SONAM KAPOOR

ALI ZAFAR

Don’t panic

20-metres depth. Breathing compressed air. And a looming panic attack: what do you do?

I’ve been dabbling in a spot of scuba diving. A surprise to myself as well as those who know me. Being painfully un-athletic and colossally uncoordinated (who put that wall there?!), I never saw myself in a wetsuit, 20-something metres underwater, breathing from a tank and incredibly, not freaking out!

When my now husband (then boyfriend) gifted me with a scuba-diving certification course for my birthday, I tried to appear nonchalant. Inside, I thought ‘Who is this (surely crazy) man who had cleverly ignored my multiple declarations that I was not the ‘athletic type’?’ In fairness, how was he to know that I had given up all romantic dreams of being a marine zoologist, inspired by ‘90s shows Ocean Girl and Seaquest DSV, because I could only swim backstroke? That any attempt to swim any other stroke ended in me giving up, a spluttering mess, because I hated having to breathe out underwater? How

was he to know that any of my athletic pursuits as an adult were negatively shaped by having been the quiet, chubby, bookish Indian kid in Penrith in the ‘90s, always the last in the class to be ‘chosen’ by a team for any sport?

That’s right, he wasn’t to know. He must have sensed something though because he did tell me he would understand if I didn’t want to do it.

Challenge accepted.

Actually, it was my ‘safety-firstcall-us-when-you-get-there’ mum who further encouraged me to do the course. “Conquer your fears!” she exclaimed. “Learn a new skill!”

And so I did, but I won’t pretend that I took to it like a fish to…..errr…you know. I was the worst in the class, so much so that the assistant instructor was assigned to me exclusively. After a two-day intensive course, the instructor told me that he was impressed because although I had buoyancy issues, seemed terrified, and generally just wasn’t

great at scuba (still waiting for the compliment….), I somehow managed to stay calm and not do anything stupid or dangerous. Ok, I’ll take that. Being a serial over-thinker is something I had to push aside. Because really, if I allowed myself the luxury of thinking about it...‘I am underwater, people!! Breathing from a tank!! With compressed air in my lungs!! Air that can diffuse into my bloodstream and form painful bubbles if I come to the surface too quickly! This is not natural! Humans were not supposed to breathe underwater! Also there are big scary animals with sharp teeth that can swim faster than I can! What was I thinking? Why would I jump out of a perfectly good boat or walk off a perfectly solid shore to breathe through a tank underwater?!’

So as you can see, my usual over-thinking habit has no place in a dive.

Instead, I am learning to quiet my mind and enjoy the peace

and beauty of the underwater world. Once I get past the panic, the stillness and slowness and ‘floatiness’ of it all makes it a beautiful, almost a meditative experience. If I’m lucky, I’ll see something beautiful to distract me when my mind wanders to unwanted places.

A gorgeous school of fish, zebra-striped with fluorescent green dorsal fins, engaged in a perfectly coordinated dance - an underwater flash mob. Or a baby shark, hiding under a soft coral, biding its time until it is big enough to survive the big bad ocean. It is wonderful to have something that husband and I can do together on holiday. An

experience we can share and chat excitedly about, or even quibble about afterwards! For me, it is the conquering of a fear. Not the fear of water or underwater creatures, but the fear that I am not ‘athletic enough’ to do anything so incredible.

Also, I must be getting the hang of it. On my last dive, I didn’t panic once, not even when we saw the huge bull-ray. We had a big friendly groper fish follow us like a puppy for most of the dive, and I didn’t crash into the fellow once! I was even told that I no longer look like I’m having a seizure underwater.

Again, I’ll take it.

Deepa Gopinath

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