2019-01 Brisbane

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Veni Vidi Vici

Preparation and belief seemed to be the keys for this epic success.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

14 months after India gained independence in 1947, its cricket team sailed from Mumbai to Darwin to undertake their first tour of Australia. The Indian cricket team, in spite of some outstanding players such as Vijay Hazare, Vinoo Mankad, Lala Amaranth and Dattu Phadkar, were thoroughly thrashed by the Aussies, losing the five-Test Series 4-nil with one Test drawn.

Since that 1948-49 contest, India has never won a test series here, till Virat Kohli’s team did so just over a week ago.

For Kohli and his band of 18 players, what an absolutely thrilling moment after the near-total massacres which the Indian party in tours past has endured in Australia. Even for the Indian Australian fans, there was much to cheer about after years of dismal performances by their team.

For a team which is known for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, the focus and dedication shown this time around was indeed commendable.

In 1948-49, the great Sir Don Bradman playing for Australia noted this about the Indian team: "I first saw them play in Adelaide when South Australia were their opponents. I made a century in this match, and in doing so formed the conclusion that our Test team would make a lot of runs against them for two reasons: firstly, their bowling, whilst reasonably steady and sound, lacked a really fast bowler, and what is probably more important, a really high-class spinner. Secondly, to my surprise, they were weak in the field."

Fast forward 71 years and there was a rich choice for the selectors in picking their pacemen and their tweakers. With five fast ball specialists and three spinners, the team had a depth which was seldom seen in their line-up.

Over the years, the focus on fielding, largely driven by the players’ commitments to IPL, has also been razor sharp.

Yes, the Australians were without their dynamic duo of Smith and Warner, serving out their punishments after sandpaper-gate. Between the two, they were probably good for about 150 runs per innings; in fact, David Warner has the prize of scoring the 4th fastest Test

century against the Indians on their last tour. Be that as it may, if the situation was reversed, with Kohli and Pujara sidelined from the Indian team, there would still have been enough depth in the team to progress the cause. That the Australian team was caught short with the lack of good options to select the national team from, is something which the administrators need to attend to beyond the return of the sidelined Smith and Warner.

Success also wins you new friends. The support which the Indian cricket team got from their adoring fans was at levels never seen before in Australia. Be it the Bharat Army or the Swami Army or the lone brand of the tricolourturbaned Gurnam Singh, the chants, the songs and the flag waving created a buzz around the various grounds. Well done, folks, your excitement was certainly infectious.

And finally, to the Indian captain Virat Kohli: you came, you saw, you conquered. Not only did you win the Border Gavaskar trophy, you also won the hearts of the Aussies, who, to borrow a phrase from the Federal Minister for Sport Bridget McKenzie, have all but declared they have a cricket crush on you.

Well done, Team India.

ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO THE COLOUR OF TIME DR Congo/Belgium BCUC CANZONIERE GRECANICO SALENTINO CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS France THE CORRESPONDENTS UK DANNY

KRIVIT USA DUOUD Tunisia/Algeria FATOUMATA DIAWARA Mali GWENNO Wales

HARTS Australia JASON HEERAH & OTENTIK GROOVE Mauritius JOHN BUTLER

TRIO Australia KAIIT Australia/PNG KHRUANGBIN USA LA DAME BLANCHE Cuba

LORD ECHO New Zealand TARA TIBA Iran/Cuba + MANY MORE!

PLUS: The Planet Talks Program, Installations, Taste The World Program, Artists In Conversation, Street Theatre, Global Village, Workshops, KidZone and more!

OrchestraSymphony

Amjad Ali Khan is one of the undisputed masters of the music world. He is widely credited with reinventing the technique of playing the sarod. He’ll perform as a trio with his sons, Amaan and Ayaan, as well as performing his album Samaagam with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, a work that creates a seamless and exhilarating bond between East and West.

Amjad Ali Khan & the Adelaide

YOUR SAY

THE WALL

We shared a Facebook post lauding cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara for his brilliant play during the series.

Leigh D’Silva wrote: Trump definitely needs him to build his wall.

Manjunath Aradhya wrote: Backbone of Indian team and suitable replacement of The Great Wall (Rahul Dravid).

PERSON OF THE YEAR

On B Vanlalvawna being honoured as Indian Link’s Person of the Year. Livingston Chettipally wrote: Congratulations Hon Vanlal Vawna, Consulate General of India and Mrs Rosy, may God bless you with abundance and grace.

Saba Nabi wrote: Without a doubt he is the favourite amongst the Indian diaspora.

Mala Mehta wrote: Excellent choice Indian Link, congrats Rosy and Vawna!

Shantha Viswanathan wrote: What a great choice Indian Link. Congrats CG Hon. Vanlal Vawna.

Vandana D'souza wrote: Excellent choice Indian Link.

Sreeni Pillamarri wrote: Wow congrats.

Chandra Kishore wrote: Congratulations.

Anagan Babu wrote: Right selection, well done, Indian Link.

Congratulations Hon. Vanlal Vawna.

Mittu Gopalan wrote: Wow, what an amazing selection, Indian Link! You have everyone’s unanimous support in this choice!

People’s choice is definitely our absolute favourite CG Hon Vanlal Vawnaji and his amazing wife Dr Rosy Lalmalsawmi Khuma, the incredible woman behind it all. This team does India so proud and we are honoured that Australia was blessed to have them for a term. We are grateful for all your tireless services.

Indu Harikrishna wrote: Congrats!

Rosy Lalmalsawmi Khuma wrote: Thank you Indian Link for this honour bestowed on Vanlal Vawna. You are the best in class!

SAY IT AGAIN

I think we are going to set a new record here. The maximum amount of time lost for the minimum amount of rain!

Harsha Bhogle, Indian cricket commentator

WHERE IN INDIA

We posted a picture of this temple in southern India that’s famous for ‘granting visa wishes’ of Indians. Most of you guessed it right: it’s Chilkur Balaji Temple in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Well done, Arumugam Gokulraj, Roopa Avasarala.

Forget how bad Australia have been, with this attack India would have been a good chance of winning even if Smith and Warner had played.

Brydon Coverdale, Australian quiz personality

Well done guys. Enjoy the no packing day tomorrow. One week here has been hectic with 3 time zones.

Ravi Shastri, Team India coach

If like me you have been coming to Australia since 1991 with no hope of winning a series, then this is a huge moment.

Harsha Bhogle, Indian cricket commentator

India beat Australia by 2-1 in 4 match series. That's Team India's way of wishing us a Happy New Year 2019.

Ravindra Jadeja, Indian cricketer

OLD IS DEFINITELY GOLD

RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA’s article on 94-year-old Kailash Bhatnagar’s first art exhibition received a tremendous response.

Suman Mathur wrote: I missed your exhibition! You are still so sharp of mind, skilled and persevering. May God give you the strength to continue with your creative pursuits.

WHERE IN AUSTRALIA

We shared this breathtaking picture of a very special 'pink' water body in Australia and asked people to guess where it was. Jillian Abery, Varada P Shinde and Sachin Wakhare got it right: it's Spencer Lake in Western Australia. Good guessing!

Time to leave Manchester .. By the time I arrive in Sydney I will have watched a Big Bash game .. Had a few vinos .. watched 6 movies .. Had 8 hrs kip .. watched the Aussies lose another Test Match ..

Michael Vaughan, former English cricketer

Test match batting at its best by Pujara. @cheteshwar1 has been the difference between the 2 teams for me.

Sachin Tendulkar, former Indian cricketer

SCOMO MEETS TEAM INDIA

Indian Link’s snapshots and videos from the traditional afternoon tea hosted by Scott Morrison for Team India got over 200 likes and 60 shares.

Gary Bhinder wrote: Very nice!

Gauram Berry wrote: Cha gaye ji!

Ramesh Chand wrote: When chips are down all helps. Haven't seen that in the past but positive. Trophy goes to India. Good game well played, healthy competition. Loved every minute of it.

Sanjay Anand wrote: Very nice.

Arun Pandit wrote: Super!

Steven Knight wrote: The PM looks fat! Too much taxpayers’ money. Pushpak Saglani wrote: Mast bat karta hai Kohli. Hope it turns well in Sydney.

Aman Nigam wrote: Pushpak Saglani Yes, we definitely need to win, at least for the sake of the bowling unit!

Neha Devarakonda wrote: I nearly started applauding at my laptop screen!

Seema Chopra wrote: Kohli, you are the best!

Rosy Lalmalsawmi Khuma wrote: The day I got Kohlified!

My brave, bold prediction is that I think Virat Kohli is not going to get a hundred and we’re going to knock India off over here.

Australian cricketer Pat Cummins in July 2018

Loved #Viratkohli press conference after winning 3rd test against Australia. Agrresive, Super Confident and just the right amount of Arrogance.

Shekhar Kapur, Indian filmmaker

What a day for Indian cricket! To think the Aussies would pray for rain to save them!

Rajdeep Sardesai, Indian news anchor

It's spinning out of control for the home team. Made to follow on in Australia for the first time since 1988.

Champion performance by our boy @imkuldeep18

Suresh Raina, Indian cricketer

History, without the asterisk

Reflecting on India’s historic 2-1 series victory over Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

BY RITAM MITRA

India’s journey to win its first Test series on Australian soil began 12 months ago, when Kohli’s team lost 2-1 against a South African side featuring the now-retired AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel. The tourists’ only victory came in the dead rubber in Johannesburg, albeit on the most difficult of the three pitches served up to the visitors. In that win, both Mohammad Shami and Jasprit

Bumrah took 5-wicket hauls. It was the first sign that India’s exciting crop of fast bowlers were finally up to the challenge of bowling India to victories in foreign conditions, even where their batsmen failed to provide any advantage.

Fast forward 12 months, and India fields teams in Melbourne and Sydney that retain only 5 or 6 players from its successful Johannesburg XI. In years gone by - and indeed for most teams today - that would be a sign of chaos, of instability. Yet for this Indian side, it means one thing: depth. And more so than the indefatigable Pujara, the explosive Bumrah or mastermind Kohli, depth is what eventually wins India their first series in Oz.

Photo: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

It was a lack of depth, conversely, that ended Australia’s ambitions of defending history, but the scale of the problem was not clear until the fat lady had sung and Kohli was lifting the trophy. Even when it was announced after the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal that Australia would be without Steve Smith and David Warner for the home summer, it was not seen as a completely fatal blow. After all, Australia as a team have never been reliant on one or two players; Australia is the land of a first-class competition that has been the envy of the world, an endless treasure chest of fast bowlers and aggressive batsmen who thrive on flat and hard pitches. This is the country where a player as good as Matthew Hayden had to spend several seasons averaging above 50 in the strongest-ever Australian domestic cricket competition before being given an extended run in the national side.

And in the first two matches of this series, it seemed as though that vision would hold true. On the very first day in Adelaide, the Indian top order was dismantled, as the tourists slumped to 5/86 shortly after lunch,

then limped to 250 courtesy of a lone hand by Pujara. Then, even as stalwarts like Khawaja and Marsh failed to deliver in the hosts’ first innings, new blood in Travis Head, Peter Handscomb and Marcus Harris all contributed to bring Australia within touching distance of India. Australia ran close in the end, but lost by 31 runs on a pitch that was always widely regarded to be India’s best chance at winning a match.

In Perth, normal Australian service seemed to have resumed as the Indian batsmen twice succumbed to relentless pressure on a diabolical but excellent pitch. It was not the usual Australian blueprint of success, but it was effective. In fact, without Kohli’s sublime first innings century, the margin may have been humiliating for India, as have been many of its losses in Australia.

But it is funny how long a few weeks can be in cricket; that lofty image of Australian cricket now seems like a distant mirage in the rearview mirror.

In Melbourne, reeling from the ignominy of the loss in Perth, India replace both their

failing openers. It is an almost unheard-of decision in the middle of a tour like this, especially with the series tied 1-1. The local papers report that the Indians are panicking, but the panic button works; debutant Mayank Agarwal is the most assured of all the Indian batsmen, posting a fluent 76 in the first innings, and 42 in the second innings as the rest of the team collapsed around him. The promoted Hanuma Vihari blunts the new ball effectively, scoring 8 off 66 in an innings that Kohli praises as equally important as Pujara’s marathon century. The other replacement, Jadeja, takes 5 wickets from 57 tight overs on an unresponsive pitch as India retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India rubs salt in the wounds in Sydney as the hosts crumble, their bowlers now on their knees. Again, Agarwal and Vihari impress, and Pujara continues Pujara-ing. Rishabh Pant (159*) slams the highest-ever score by a visiting wicketkeeper at the SCG, in the company of Ravindra Jadeja who scores a blistering 81. Then Rohit Sharma’s replacement, Kuldeep Yadav, takes 5-99, the hosts capitulating

and following-on before the Sydney weather invokes the mercy rule.

Even still, some have questioned whether an Indian side without Pujara and Kohli would beat Australia.

The answer is that, in home conditions, India could actually lose most of its top 6 batsmen, including Pujara and Kohli, and still comfortably beat an Australian side with Warner and Smith. With batsmen such as Karun Nair, Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill waiting in the wings, along with the more experienced hands who did not feature in the most recent Tests such as Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Murali Vijay, India’s batting riches know few bounds. Even the loss of one of its all-time great spinners in Ravi Ashwin did not hurt India’s cause, as Yadav and Jadeja proved. All of these players could walk into the Australian XI today.

The upshot of it all? There is no doubt that India’s series win is historic, but it is also an unqualified one; there will be no asterisk next to this achievement, as much as some may desire it.

Nearly there: Victory at Melbourne

Up close and personal with the King

RITAM MITRA

No visiting cricketer - and possibly no athlete - has ever toured Australia with as many arrows trained on his back as Virat Kohli. Whether it is the niggly opposition, the provocative Australian media, or the hostile local fans at the ground and on social media, everyone wants their pound of flesh. For his part, Kohli has doubled down, perfectly at ease with his role as pantomime villain for as long as the results keep permitting it. Off the field and away from the spotlight, however, Kohli’s relaxed demeanour belies the hungry fire that rages within.

Troubled by a back injury throughout India’s victory in the Boxing Day Test - a victory that ultimately proved pivotal in ensuring India’s historic 2-1 series win, given the inclement weather in Sydney - the Indian captain spent much of his free time at the team hotel under the watchful eyes of team physio Patrick Farhart and strength and conditioning coach Basu Shanker. Each morning and evening, Kohli’s relaxation came in the form of rehabilitation exercises in the hotel pool and spa, offering those around him a fascinating insight into his off-field persona.

Despite being by some distance the most worshipped cricketer in the world - a title that, admittedly, is all but promised to an Indian player - it is obvious to even the casual observer that Kohli does not walk as a Colossus, detached from reality as one might expect of someone with over 28 million Instagram followers. The laugh of a child playing in the pool, the fleeting moment of agony upon dipping into a 40 degree spa, the serene Melbourne sunset; each brings a smile to his face, as it would to the rest of us. Even as Farhart sits by the pool, engrossed by his phone, Kohli calls out to him, “It’s a beautiful pool, no?”

Yet even in the peaceful ambience of a secluded and near-empty rooftop pool overlooking the Melbourne skyline, there is one thought firmly at the forefront of Kohli’s mind: the battle at hand. And like any fan, Kohli loves to talk cricket, no matter when and

with whom. As much as Kohli asserts that he does not read the news media or otherwise indulge in the court of public opinion, it is difficult to believe, given the extent to which he lives and breathes the game.

“Did you hear Ravi Shastri’s comments back to Kerry O’Keeffe the other night?” he says to me, then proceeding to recount in detail Shastri’s on-air riposte to O’Keeffe’s commentary likening a Ranji Trophy bowling attack to “canteen staff”.

Kohli then turns the conversation to the declining strength of Australian shield cricket, with more than a hint of indignation and disbelief in his voice that it was the quality of India’s domestic circuit that was being questioned. It is no secret that O’Keeffe’s remarks lit a fire under the Indian camp; bowling coach Bharat Arun later labelled the comments “offensive” and admitted they “hurt”, while Kohli made it a point to lavish praise on the Indian first-class set-up in his post-match interviews following the team’s win in Melbourne. Ironically, much of the home team’s post-series dissection has hinged on how to overcome perhaps Australia’s worstever Sheffield Shield stocks.

You could sense that Kohli was in his element now. He spoke of an ex-Australian player who had been seeking an interview with him during the Test series, a request that Kohli declined until at least after the conclusion of the series. According to Kohli, this did not sit well with that player. “Only when they want something, they [certain ex-players] will speak to you a certain way,” he says. “But it doesn’t matter to me if I’m talking to you or someone who has 15,000 runs, at the end of the day it’s a human interaction. I’m not going to go above and beyond just because you have 15,000 runs. They don’t see it that way, but I do.”

Kohli’s self-reflection continued, but it was candid, rather than contrived. “To be honest, I don’t care what people have to say,” he says. “I don’t have to hold up a banner and say, ‘This is me’. There’s always someone up there watching and judging,” he concludes, gesturing to the skies above.

On each of his visits to the pool, Kohli entertains conversations with anyone who approaches him, even as the hotelier and team minder watch on closely, ready to intervene should it become necessary. He is polite, respectful and his smile and eye contact do not waver. He also listens with the kind of intense attention with which he regards a ball hurled at him across 22 yards.

Kohli’s generosity goes beyond conversation; in the euphoria following the Indian team’s win at the MCG, he pauses to give away a set of signed pads to a delighted young Indian fan. Even in the denouement of what he crowned the biggest achievement of his already illustrious career - hoisting the Border-Gavaskar trophy to celebrate winning a series on Australian soil for the first time - Kohli stepped aside almost immediately, handed the trophy to India’s most inexperienced player, Mayank Agarwal, and did not once seek to take centre stage.

This gesture, more than perhaps any other, proved this much: this Indian captain is every bit as invested in his team as they are in him. As long as that equilibrium is maintained, the inferno within Kohli will burn for years to come. It can be no surprise that Kohli has referred to the series win merely as a “stepping stone” to greater heights ahead.

After dressing, and before leaving the pool, Kohli comes by to say goodbye. At the end of such an exceedingly normal interaction, for just a moment it was easy to forget that you had been in the presence of royalty.

describes the other side to the most worshipped cricketer in the world

He is polite, respectful and his smile and eye contact do not waver. He also listens with the kind of intense attention with which he regards a ball hurled at him across 22 yards.

Ritam shares a rare selfie

Seen, heard and overheard at the cricket From the sidelines

Rubbing salt in it: Cape Town wounds live on

A former Australian coach and a respected commentator were overheard discussing Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith’s controversial decisions to give further interviews about their involvements in the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal. The interviews were aired during the first day of the Boxing Day Test and were an unwanted distraction on the biggest day in the Australian cricket calendar.

During lunch on Day 4 at the SCG Test, the commentator was heard to say to the ex-coach, “Can you believe those two?

Mind-numbingly stupid.”, while the ex-coach replied, shaking his head, “Mate, no idea”. There may have been some more colourful language used, but this much was clear: the entire Australian cricket fraternity is astounded at the interviews, and the wounds from the events in Cape Town 10 months ago still remain well and truly open.

The exchange between the pair also proved that the Indian bowlers have left a serious impression on the hosts, with one of the pair remarking “They’re getting so much out of the pitches, they’ve been much better than our lot”.

Is it still banter?

Aakash Chopra has never been the most

popular of commentators. Unflinchingly parochial and at times almost argumentative, Chopra’s style has not washed too well with local audiences or his fellow commentators during his time with Channel 7, with the exIndian Test opener regularly clashing with the likes of Michael Slater and Damien Fleming on air (although admittedly it does not take much to get under Slater’s skin).

The banter spilled into the lunch room during the SCG Test, when Fleming walked past Chopra and said “Do you ever stop talking mate?” He then gestured to Chopra and said, “He never shuts up!” Chopra retorted with “I’m paid to give my opinion”. We’re sure it was all in good humour, but there was certainly a little bit of bite in this banter.

As an aside, we think James Brayshaw missed the mark with his on-air comments that Chopra must not know where his wages were coming from, given Chopra’s notoriously pro-India stance. After all, while an Australian broadcaster may be paying Chopra’s wages, India is the reason cricket has any money at all.

A struggle for relevance

Mitchell Johnson was a fearsome fast bowler in his prime, but for much of his career, he was pilloried for his wayward bowling.

Things have not changed much in

Johnson’s retirement, with the former Australian quick struggling to make his mark in the world of cricket journalism. Penning a piece for Fox Sports Australia, Johnson heavily criticised Virat Kohli, arguing in his very first line that the Indian captain did not make eye contact with Tim Paine when shaking hands after the second Test match in Perth. The claim was demonstrably false – a simple review of the video made it clear that Kohli had in fact made eye contact.

In a private exchange on Instagram, Johnson first denied his mistake, stating “That’s your opinion, your Indian captain is childish”, before apparently reviewing the video and commenting “Okay maybe there was or wasn’t eye contact but I am still entitled to me [sic] view and opinion”. Johnson’s recent run of social media warfare even led one current Indian player to remark in confidence, “Mitch has lost it”. We don’t think so, but we think Mitch is definitely still hurting after the “childish” Kohli hit Johnson to all corners of the MCG in 2014.

Yadav’s new toy

Fresh from taking 5 wickets in his first Test on Australian soil, Kuldeep Yadav had earned a hard-fought break when rain intervened on Day 4 of the SCG Test match.

Yet even the darkening Sydney skies could

not keep the young spinner off the SCG soil, with Yadav spotted having a grand play with Fox Cricket’s “rover” vehicle as if it were Christmas morning, while his teammates relaxed in the dressing room away from the cold, the rain, and the hordes of Indian fans crowding the front of the away dressing rooms in the Members Pavilion. Yadav’s smile was a dead giveaway for his friends and family: his next birthday present simply has to be a high-powered remote-controlled vehicle. Although Yadav was not required with the bat in his only appearance in the series, he still managed to hit a four – by driving the rover straight into the boundary rope. Oops.

Kasper the Friendly Bowler

Former Aussie player Michael Kasprowicz claims quite proudly that he has contributed significantly to India’s GDH – ‘Gross Domestic Happiness’. Talking at a sideline event during the Border Gavaskar Trophy, he explained that TV snippets of Sachin Tendulkar smashing him relentlessly to the boundaries continue to this day to give India much cause for happiness.

Vegan Virat

So you think Virat was less pugnacious this time around? Word has it that wifey Anushka must take credit - she’s converted him to a vegan, apparently. And Virat himself is all

for this new love for ‘clean living’, claiming it helps him recover faster on game days.

Pakistan’s hand in India’s win Sanjiv Dubey, a Level 3 coach and founder of the Western Sydney based cricket academy Sports Foundation Australia, has been doing his bit for the visiting Indian cricket team, helping at practice sessions. Last month he had organised for four of his wards - high school kids and up and comers in NSW’s pathway program - to test their mettle against India’s greats. This month, he did the same with some Pakistani players he is currently training. Harris Rauf, Salman Irshad and Abbas Baloch, players from Pakistan Super League’s Lahore Qalander team, bowled to Indian batsmen at the nets at SCG. Top-level teams like to practice with what they might expect on match day, and so Harris and Salman - who bowl consistently above 145 kms per hour – were no doubt very welcome at the nets. To emulate Mitchell Starc, Sanjiv chose left-arm fast bowler Abbas Baloch.

Fundraisers galore

The bidding on McGrath Foundation’s Pink Test items continues as we go to press. Virat Kohli’s pink baggy has attracted the highest bids by far of all the items donated by the players, at just under $4000. Looks like there are many fans out there who want to own a bit of cricketing history. Nathan Lyon comes in next at the $2000 mark, followed by Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb and Rishabh Pant.

Meanwhile, the Chappell Foundation has also been the recipient of a Kohli gift – a set of his pink gloves and a shirt, both autographed, made personally to Greg Chappell (GC). Will raise a

tidy sum at their forthcoming charity annual dinner on 20 March, you can be sure.

Both Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli were seen raptly listening to GC when he dropped by to say hello to them, on their Dressing Room balcony. GC was actually there to visit former cricketers of Sydney’s Indo Australian Cricket Club (IACC) who were having an annual reunion in the Members stand, five rows away from the Indian Dressing Room.

Iconic Indian Broadcaster Harsha Bhogle also did his bit for the Chappell Foundation. In Melbourne, on Boxing Day, despite his hectic schedule, Harsha fronted up for an event hosted by the Swami Army which will be donating a tidy sum of money to help The Chappell Foundation ameliorate youth homelessness in Australia. Harsha was mobbed by the 100-odd Indians who attended the event and patiently interacted with them for a couple of hours. A true rock-star!

A selectors’ soiree

Talking of GC, he was seen deep in conversation with MSK Prasad, his India counterpart (ie chief selector for the Indian cricket team). Were they sharing trade secrets, tips maybe? Appears GC was passing on a bit of gyan – not about cricket, but about the Three Sisters at the Blue Mountains. And MSK came away fascinated that the stone siblings had Indian-sounding names: Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo. Later, MSK confirmed that sporting facial hair does not give cricketers bonus points for selection to the team. (If you’re an old-timer, you might recall MSK’s last visit to Oz in 1999: he opened the batting in Sydney alongside VVS Laxman).

Special place for the little fans

Looks like Kohli’s love for his youngest fans is going to see many more of them flock to the grounds.

Both at the MCG and the SCG, Kohli went out of his way to give a gift to his littlest fans. In Sydney, six-year-old Atharv Nautiyal is now the proud owner of a batting pad that once belonged to his idol, the captain of the Indian cricket team. A budding cricketer himself who plays - and quite skilfully if reports are to be believed - for the Carlingford Waratah Club, he has been a long-time Kohli fan. The Nautiyal family were in their seats close to the dressing room. “Rain had stopped play and we saw Kohli walk out with a friend,” dad Anuj recounts. “He saw us and smiled and waved to Atharv. Then he went back in. We were thrilled to bits, but imagine our surprise when he came out a few minutes later with a batting pad in his hand. Atharv was a little distance away with my wife Monika by then, so he asked his colleague to walk round and hand the gift over. Virat then blew him a kiss, waved and walked back.”

It’s a great moment for the Nautiyal family and they are still on cloud nine, to use Anuj’s words. “Atharv has been telling everyone he was on TV, and rang his grandparents back in India to tell them – literally shouting into the phone!”

The Nautiyals have been having the discussion recently about whether to expose their little one to more sport, since he has a talent, or stick to academics at which he also excels, bringing home great reports from

school. Hmm, wonder what Virat would say…

They are quite decided about the treasured batting pad, though: it’s going to be encased in a solid frame and take pride of place on the formal room wall.

Here’s hoping this little routine of Virat’s with the little bachchas, is a regular occurrence.

A little party never killed nobody

The stewards in the Members area at the SCG have come in for strong criticism due to their lack of good sense. They are there to make sure the players sitting in their dressing rooms are not disturbed, but it seems that after the wash-out for most of Day 4 and seemingly ongoing for Day 5, the players were more than keen to sign autographs and take selfies with their gathered fans. The stewards thought otherwise and their rude behaviour towards fans and some of the players was noticed by those gathered there.

But no one could have stopped the celebrations – not even the stewards. The warm welcome given by the Bharat Army to the winning team at their hotel lobby has probably now been seen a million times. There’s an interesting tidbit there, revealed by Rajul Sharma, the Bharat Army’s Australia Country Head, to broadcaster Ekta Sharma on Indian Link Radio. “A similar reception had been organised by the Bharat Army in Melbourne, following the MCG win. Captain Virat Kohli was warm and gracious, but had refused to dance with us then. I’m holding on for Sydney, he had said with determination –I’ll dance with you at Sydney.”

FOLLOWERS

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Never too late to shine

Late-blooming artist Kailash

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

When Kailash Bhatnagar first encountered Aboriginal art, she was reminded immediately of the drawings that she made annually for the festival of Ahoi Ashtami back in India.

These drawings are created for the festival dedicated to the Goddess Ahoi, the Hindu version of the patron saint of mothers. The main figures in these drawings are simple depictions of little children and animals, but they are enclosed in elaborate decorative borders made up of dotted lines and patterns.

Having created these drawings every year for this festival of the bond between mothers and children, Mrs Bhatnagar was drawn immediately to the undulating dotted patterns in Aboriginal art. Not only did they take her back to her childhood, they also inspired her to paint.

Some six years later, at 94, she presented her first art exhibition.

Held earlier this month at her Epping home, it gave her an opportunity to talk about how she first picked up the paint brush not so long ago.

“It was definitely a spiritual connection when I saw my first dot painting up close,” Mrs Bhatnagar said. “It made me certain that there is a deeper link between Australia’s Indigenous people and our own people, a link that goes back thousands of years.”

She was visiting Broome in WA at the time. In her six-month stay there, she went to many art exhibitions and galleries, spoke to artists, and read extensively.

As creative possibilities began to suggest themselves to her, she resorted to the comfort of an old skill - embroidery - to present her own versions of the new ideas to which she was being exposed. In Anant ki or (Towards Eternity), her skilful use of chain stitch, beading and delicate stem stitch, relay the underlying message effectively.

But by now, a whole new passion had been ignited.

Already in her late 80s, at a time when regular people are slowing down, she felt an urge to try an entirely new skill.

“I had never painted in the modern sense before,” she revealed. “My painting was restricted to the Ahoi drawings that were made on the walls, and on paper later.”

There was no stopping her now.

Completely self-taught, she experimented with landscapes in oil, but it was with the abstracts that she found her true love. Acrylic also allowed her an ease which helped her to become prolific.

In her work, Mrs Bhatnagar brought into play the new concepts that allured, as well

as bits from her heritage, to create her dot paintings.

The swastik symbol and the Om sign are unmistakable elements in her pieces, as she finds novel ways to express herself. So are the mandala patterns - the Hindu and Buddhist representations of the universe, and the cyclical nature of life.

The elemental nature in Mrs Bhatnagar’s works is clearly derived from her deeprooted Hindu spiritualism.

The piece Staircase to the Moon depicts this very philosophy. The painting comes

from the natural phenomenon of the same name, a common occurrence in Roebuck Bay WA when the full moon rises over the exposed tidal flats.

Describing, Mrs Bhatnagar recounted, “There was pin drop silence as the moon ascended - in well-calculated steps in a straight line. Dil itna khush hua, ki aisa laga ki lapak ke chand ko godi mein le loon It filled my heart with such happiness that I felt like jumping up to the moon and embracing it.”

Painting the moon, another worshipped

deity in Hinduism, in this new avatar gave Mrs Bhatnagar not only much pleasure but also increased confidence.

“The black in this painting beckoned to me, and I decided next to paint on a black canvas,” she revealed. “And that is how the painting of the dancers came about.”

Of course it was a challenge - as she discovered that she had to paint the figures in white first, and then paint the colours over! Indeed, the learning continues for Mrs Bhatnagar, late-blooming artist.

Bhatnagar proves age is no barrier

INDIAN CALENDAR

1 New Year’s Day 13 Lohri

14 Makar Sankranti

15 Pongal 26 Republic Day

*26 Australia Day

*28 Australia Day holiday

6 May Day (QLD, NT)

12 Mother’s Day 18 Buddh Purnima 27 Reconciliation Day (ACT)

10 Basant Panchami

14 Valentine’s Day

3 Western Australia Day (WA)

5 Id Ul Fitr

10 Queen’s Birthday (all states except QLD and WA)

1 Father’s Day

2 Ganesh Chaturthi

10 Muharram

11 Onam 30 Queen’s Birthday (WA)

2 Gandhi Jayanti

6 Dussehra Maha Saptami

7 Queen’s Birthday (QLD)

7 Labour Day (ACT, NSW, SA)

7 Dussehra Maha Ashtami

8 Dussehra Maha Navmi

17 Karwa Chauth

27 Diwali

29 Bhai Duj

CALENDAR 2019

Looking back at Year 12

2018 school leavers share their stories

Roma Mitchell Secondary College, Adelaide

ATAR: 91.90

Subjects: Biology, English, Hindi, Psychology, Society and Culture

Achievements: Outstanding achievement award for Hindi.

BY MANAN LUTHRA

For 17- and 18-year-olds, December can bring many emotions: elation over the joys of finishing secondary school, anxiety over the futures, and a sense of catharsis when the dust eventually settles.

We congratulate the Class of 2018 and speak to a few of them about their journey.

What goals did you set at the start of the year, if any? Did they change? Did you achieve them?

Madhu Iyengar: I set goals such as putting my best into my work and being motivated and not procrastinating. Yes, I achieved my goals however there is still room for improvement.

Liya Joseph: My two main goals were to achieve a 90+ ATAR, and revise or complete assignments in advance; however, as the year got busier, the latter could not always be achieved.

Aditi Kamath: My goals at the start of the year were to do well in the UMAT and achieve a competitive ATAR to allow me to pursue Medicine in the future. The goals didn’t change throughout the course of the year and I ended up achieving both.

Clive D’Silva: It was my big year and you just have to set goals to keep moving forward in busy times like that. I sought out to make a difference as a School Captain, to be passionate, energetic, and inspire people. In the end, I managed to put smiles on many faces, make countless friends, and even

inspire the next female School Captain to become a leader herself.

I also wanted to have fun in my last year of school and just enjoy every moment. It’s such an action-packed year and I think I really made the most of it.

Vishwajeet Modi: My biggest goal at the start of Year 12 was to get an ATAR of 99 and get into medicine. To do this I cut back on my leisure time. This meant I had to give up some part of my lifestyle and this was playing video games. I went from spending around 10 hours weekly on video games to none in Year 12. In the end this paid off. I managed to get an ATAR of 99.70 and got offered (and accepted) a direct pathway into the doctor of medicine at UWA.

How did you manage stress throughout your final year of high school?

Madhu: I managed stress by being with friends and family and focusing on reaching the end goal.

Liya: By making lists which ensured I prioritised my assignments and revision and finished everything in time for deadlines. Spending time with friends on weekends was also helpful, as it got my mind off schoolwork.

Aditi: I was lucky that I only had to do four subjects in Year 12 as I had completed some in Year 11 so I had a lighter workload than others. However, I think the key is to plan your time. This can be achieved mentally or

using a planner to ensure you have sufficient time to complete your assignments and revise for tests. This way one does not feel rushed the night before they were due.

Clive: You can never eliminate stress out of the equation completely. It’s what keeps you on your toes at times when there’s deadlines flying at you left, right, and centre. It took a while, but I learnt how to distract myself from the pressures and just unwind and relax until I was in a better frame of mind. Whether that involved sleeping, playing guitar, taking my dog for a walk, watching TV - once your mind has been allowed to rest and reset, it will be 10 times more efficient.

Vishwajeet: I always tried tackling the root of the stress. If it was an upcoming test or exam that was causing me stress then I’d study for it. This meant I was more confident and prepared, leading to less stress.

Do you think technology and social media make studying more helpful or distracting overall?

Madhu: They work both ways depending on how students utilize them.

Liya: More helpful, as study-based social media accounts provide students with motivation, apps such as Quizlet make studying engaging and the internet can provide instant assistance or knowledge on specific topics.

Aditi: Technology can be both helpful and distracting. I couldn’t imagine completing

Year 12 without having technology to aid my study. Although, social media was distracting and did keep me up very late some nights, it also helped me chat with my friends about school assignments so that we all had a better idea about how to complete them.

Clive: It’s a double-edged sword. It can fuel the procrastination monkey inside of you because it’s just so easy to waste time online and forget your commitments, but it can also make your study and assessment so much more efficient and actually possible to do. Technology allows us to accomplish unbelievable feats and students benefit from that in their learning every day. Overall, I think you just got to tame that monkey.

Vishwajeet: I think the pros outweigh the cons. The majority of my test prep material I found was from other schools and this was through the internet. Social media can be distracting at times but I found it useful for group studies.

In 2018, the English Literary Studies exam in SA was done electronically for the first time. As a student, how did you find the technology change your study patterns and the exam in general?

Vishwajeet: Even though it’s quite possible for my state (WA) to do this, I’m personally against it. Doing English exams online will mean that students who’re faster typers will have an edge over others who aren’t.

My advice to future students would be to first help themselves and focus on their (emotional) wellbeing. Madhu Iyengar

MADHU IYENGAR

JOSEPH St Aloysius College, Adelaide

ATAR: 99.30

Subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, Math

Methods

Achievements: Merits for biology and English

Traditionally, writing with a pen/pencil does not lead to such an advantage for fast writers, as the difference in writing speeds between a fast writer to a slow writer is not as pronounced as the difference between a fast typer and a slow typer. I think this will slightly alter students’ studying process, it would encourage them to use their computers rather than their books which I think in the long term could make students more attached and dependent on their computer.

Clive: I’m not familiar with this new trial but if it is electronic, a lot of students could benefit from the ease of typing compared to writing.

Favourite quote from a teacher?

Madhu: “There is so much more in life you’re yet to experience.”

Clive: “If you do what you always do, you will get what you always get.” Mrs Karen Tanks (Principal)

Vishwajeet: “Sometimes you have to take a detour to get where you want to be in life.”

What would your advice to future final year students be?

Madhu: My advice would be to first help

themselves and focus on their mental wellbeing which can improve their studies as well.

Liya: Your last year of high school should be a memorable one, so in addition to studying, make sure you enjoy school activities like athletics carnival, as this is your last opportunity!

Aditi: My advice would be for students to choose subjects they enjoy and are interested in. Also, it is important that students allocate enough time each week for themselves to relax, whether that be to take short naps after tiring days at school or watching TV on the weekends, all in moderation of course.

Clive: Keep smiling. Enjoy spending time with your friends and all the memorable events you guys get to do together. After all, the last year high school is an incredible year with countless epic moments that you do not want to miss.

Vishwajeet: Make choices today that you won’t regret tomorrow.

What are you most looking forward to now that school is over?

Madhu: I am looking forward to having more independence and being able to learn

ADITI KAMATH Wilderness School

ATAR: 99.90

Subjects: English, Maths Methods, Chemistry, Information Processing and Publishing, Research Project

Achievements: Merits for English, Chemistry, Information Processing and Publishing, Research Project School Prize for Information Processing and Publishing (2017) School Prize for English (2018) School Prize for Outstanding (2018)

within what I’m truly interested in.

Liya: As I’m taking a gap year, I’m looking forward to relaxing, and spending more time with my family and friends.

Aditi: Relaxing as I finally have some free time without having much to do.

Clive: Following my passion of film and just enjoying life with new and old friends.

Vishwajeet: I plan on relaxing for a while and then working so I can have some savings to help me in the next year.

Do you plan to stay involved with your school in any way?

Madhu: Yes I plan to stay involved as my younger brother will be attending there.

Liya: Yes, through attending school reunions.

Clive: Being the 2018 School Captain and getting to know nearly everyone in my school, including the staff, makes me always feel very welcome and eager to return and visit the school. There’s definitely a part of me in Mansfield State High and I know I will be returning in the coming years.

Vishwajeet: Definitely. My school isn’t well known in WA, it’s known for VET courses. And I want to change this by encouraging more students to dream big like I did in Year 12.

How do you think university will compare to high school socially and academically?

Madhu: Social-wise, university is broader than high school so there will be more interaction and involvements. Academically

it is more independent and there is more responsibility.

Liya: I think university will be more academically challenging; however, it will provide more opportunities to meet new people than high school did.

Aditi: I look forward to the new academic challenges in a different setting. I understand that going to university will mean that I will have to organise my time differently and ensure that I allocate enough time to meet with my friends from school as well as new friends in university.

LIYA

By making lists which ensured I prioritised my assignments and revision and finished everything in time for deadlines.

Liya Joseph

My goals at the start of the year were to do well in the UMAT and achieve a competitive ATAR to allow me to pursue Medicine in the future. I ended up achieving both.

Aditi Kamath

STUDENTS

CLIVE D’SILVA

OP: 5 Mansfield State High School, Brisbane

Subjects: English, Film & TV, Business Management, Drama, Maths A

Achievements: School Captain 2018

Topped 5 Subjects 2017 (English, Business, Film, Media, Guita) & topped Film in 2018; Outstanding Contribution to Art 2018;

Stuffit Int. Film Festival (Senior Live Film Winner); Mansfield Literary Festival (2018 Short Story Winner and Highly Commended 2014-2017); Corrine McMillan MP Award for Leadership

VISHWAJEET MODI

Gilmore College, WA

ATAR: 99.70

Subjects: Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics Specialist, Mathematics Methods, English.

Achievements: Highest ATAR of Gilmore College, Top in Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics Methods

Graduation.

Vishwajeet: I won’t forget the ping pong matches that my friends and I played nearly every day in school during breaks and insane lucky shots that we sometimes pulled off accidentally. Also, the gags and dumb science jokes my friends and I made in library during group studies is something that I’ll cherish for a while.

What did you learn about yourself in your last year of school?

Aditi: I learnt that the pressure of deadlines motivates and pushes me to work harder.

Liya: I learnt how I personally cope with stress, and discovered that my favourite subjects were biology and physics, which was helpful in choosing university preferences.

Clive: CLIVE

Vishwajeet: Vish M

Describe your HSC year in three (or four) words.

Madhu: Competitive. Energy consuming. Knowledgeable.

Liya: Demanding. Fun. Unforgettable

Aditi: Fun. Relentless. Tiring.

Clive: Unforgettable. Unpredictable. Character-building. Surreal.

Clive: Everything transforms into an independent way of life in universitywhether it’s having to take the initiative with your own learning, studying subjects that you are actually passionate about, choosing your own timetable, or even something as simple as wearing what you want every day. There’s so much opportunity to meet a diverse group of people who also share similar interests with you.

Vishwajeet: I think university life will be starkly different from high school. I won’t have teachers reminding me about assignments being due like in high school.

But in terms of social life, I think there are more opportunities to meet like-minded people in uni and also to more opportunities to get an insight into other careers.

What moments from Year 12 will you remember the most?

Aditi: The formal events as well as those times chatting with my friends when we were supposed to be studying.

Liya: Formal, graduation dinner, and our last full day of school (muck-up day).

Clive: Formal. Exam block. Sports carnivals. The final week with friends and teachers.

Clive: I learnt that there is no substitute for hard work. And that the QCS system is unfair and is rightly being abolished because it relies on the average and effort of other students and can easily negatively or positively influence your individual final result, which is simply an absurd principle.

Vishwajeet: I learnt that if I put my mind into it and work towards a goal, then it can be achieved no matter the difficulty as long as I preserve and work for it.

What was your jersey name?

Liya: Liya

Aditi: Aditz

I sought out to make a difference as a School Captain, to be passionate, energetic, and inspire people. In the end, I managed to put smiles on many faces, make countless friends, and even inspire the next female School Captain to become a leader herself.

Clive D’Silva

My school isn’t well known in WA, it’s known for VET courses. And I want to change this by encouraging more students to dream big like I did in Year 12. Vishwajeet Modi

Singing to his own tune

HSC 2018: Kiran Gupta tops the state in Music 1

BY MANAN LUTHRA

HSC 2018 is all but finished, with one final agonising wait yet – for that ATAR, due tomorrow.

Kiran Gupta of Sydney Grammar School is experiencing mixed feelings alongside every single one of his peers. However, he can rest a little easier knowing his hard work in Music 1 has earned him a coveted “First in Place” award, beating thousands of other students across NSW.

It must be particularly satisfying, given that enroute to that top rank, he had to overcome a serious medical condition that struck unawares.

“I was absolutely overjoyed and quite

blown away [when I found out],” he tells Indian Link

“Music is such a personal thing, it felt quite validating when people connected with my singing.”

A singer since he was 10 years old, and influenced by Delta Goodrem, Kiran’s love of music comes from an interest in -people.

“I find music to be a really good tool for connecting with both yourself and society. When you do this, it allows you to flip [social] boundaries and inspire social change.”

Inspired to study music because of his passion for it – “I wanted to do subjects I would enjoy (as much as you can enjoy an HSC subject)” – Kiran’s course is a highly practical one, where upto 70% of a student’s mark can come from a live performance of 5 pieces of their choosing. They may choose to perform these pieces either vocally or with their preferred instrument.

“My friends were doing more typical subject patterns, very maths- and scienceheavy. I find those weren’t really for me – I’m not particularly strong at them. Music was a good choice for me for that reason and also because it was a good break from the monotony of my other subjects.”

In the lead-up to his final music exams, Kiran’s study method was simple but effective.

“For the practical component, I was performing as much as I could to get as

much experience as possible. Doing that allowed me to increase my confidence for the final day.”

The numbers he picked were Why God Why (Miss Saigon), I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues (Elton John), She Cries (Songs for a new World), Anthem (Chess)

“For my theory exam, I listened to a wide variety of music and made sure I was comfortable with any type of music they could ask me about. I’m glad I did – in the HSC exam they had a few questions on a Bollywood remix of Swedish House Mafia’s Don’t You Worry Child that many students hadn’t expected!”

However, right before his performance assessment, disaster struck.

“One day I woke up completely dizzy, throwing up and unable to walk. The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital put me right in the stroke ward. They found a lump under my tongue, and fearing lymphoma, put me straight into surgery. Later, I was diagnosed with acute cerebellar syndrome, a neurological condition. This condition affected my stamina so much I had to change one of my performance pieces that I had been working on for months before a week before the assessment.”

Going through this journey made this outcome even more special for Kiran, who would also go on to be nominated for Encore, a showcase of the best performances by Music students across the state held at the

Opera House.

“It was quite a euphoric feeling, knowing that my hard work had paid off.”

How would he advise other youngsters in our community who want to do creative-type subjects but are discouraged because ‘they don’t scale well’?

“I would say, go for it. I go to a selective school and many people advised me not to do music because it doesn’t scale well. Yet it ended up being my best scaled mark - which shows that if you have a passion for something, that is the most important thing. If I did 4U Maths, I would not have got the results I got. I would say, follow your passions and the ATAR will come, because if you enjoy a subject you are going to do much better.”

As a singer, what tune has he caught himself humming today?

“Red in Black from Les Miserables – I’m currently performing at Manly Musical Society’s production, playing Joly one of the students.”

With his ATAR result still to come, Kiran has high hopes for the future.

“I would like to study Arts/Law at Sydney University, majoring in Media and Communications, but would still like to pursue music as a performer. My ultimate goal is to get a record deal and hopefully land a reality TV show or end up in musical theatre.”

His HSC in three words? “Challenging, stressful, doable.”

Ithink my grandmother, Nani, is secretly an Australian millennial in disguise. She likes surfing Netflix, watching YouTube videos on her iPad and bops in time to Ariana Grande songs. I learned these things about Nani whilst she has been staying with us in Sydney this summer. She hasn’t been to Australia for almost 20 years. And since she landed Down Under, what’s the thing that’s impressed her the most?

The avocados.

Although she’s had them many times before, the avocados she’s had on this visit have been the best, she says. She likes the taste and texture, but the thing she likes most is the dishes that her granddaughter makes with them (her words, not mine!). Like rice and daal is a staple for Indians, avocado toast is a staple for Australian millennials (and now a staple too for visiting Indian Nanis who masquerade as Australian millennials).

Of course Nani had heard about avocados in Australia, because the Indian newspapers had suggested that young people in Oz cannot afford to buy houses because they eat too many avocados.

But at least they’ll be healthy, I tell her, because the avo contains abundant amounts of B Vitamins, Vitamin E and Vitamin K; and are loaded with fibre, healthy fats and antioxidants. At this time of year they are plentiful in supermarkets around Australia, so here are some recipes that my Nani and I have been enjoying.

AVOCADO SALSA ON TOAST

‘Ave an av

Time for DEVNA LUTHRA’s daily dose of avo-cardio

AVOCADO PESTO PASTA

AVOCADO MOUSSE

(Serves 1)

Ingredients

Half a medium-ripe Hass avocado

2 pieces of bread, toasted to your liking (rye or sourdough are my top picks)

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 stems coriander and their leaves, chopped

1 tbsp Danish feta

Squeeze of lemon

Salt and pepper (or chilli flakes) to taste

Pinch saffron

Method

Stone, scoop and mash avocado in a bowl. Add tomato, coriander, lemon, salt and pepper and mix.

Spread on toast and sprinkle with feta.

Gobble up quickly before other family members ask for a bite.

If you are fancier than Nani and I, you can top with a poached egg or balsamic vinegar.

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado

½ cup fresh basil leaves

2 smallish cloves garlic (or biggish…up to you)

1 heaped tbsp pine nuts

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Chuck all ingredients in food processor and blitz. Stir through fresh cooked fettuccine pasta. Serve with parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil on top.

(Serves 4)

(or sometimes just 1 if you are sneaky enough)

Ingredients

125g cooking chocolate, chopped (I use half milk chocolate and half dark chocolate)

2 large ripe avocados

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup almond milk (or regular milk)

1-2 tbsps sifted icing sugar OR 1-2 tbsps

maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Melt chocolate over bowl of boiling water on the stove or in the microwave; and allow to cool.

Stone avocados and scoop flesh into food processor.

Add melted chocolate, cocoa powder, almond milk, sugar (or syrup), vanilla and salt. Blitz to mix, and taste to see if you need more sweetener. Spoon into glasses and chill for 2 hours. To serve, top with cream or fresh berries or both.

January 2019

BY MINAL KHONA

TAROT

ARIES

March 21 - April 19

You’re in the limelight this month as the Star card comes with many benefits. If single, practice creative visualisation for a significant other to manifest in your life. A property sale or lease comes through. Financial gains are predicted and future prospects also improve. Some medical tests could lead you to the root of a health issue; an old condition could flare up again. A friend, teacher or mentor provides guidance and you will focus your energy on worthwhile issues.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22

Change, fluctuation and a fine balance is what the start of the new year for Leos is all about. Every issue you thought you had a handle on will rise up to challenge you. Everyday irritants propel you to maintain an emotional balance even if the situation is difficult. A moderate amount of success in finances is foretold. Everything in your life is soon to be transformed and you will move in a different direction, which is a very positive shift.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov 22 - Dec 21

A major disappointment by someone you love causes heartache and will make you question your equation with this person. You long for a real relationship based on care and trust and won’t settle for less. Your emotional attachment to a situation or outcome will end. Watch out for fatigue or stomach issues. Setbacks force you to take control of your life. Your success comes from applying metaphysical principles to everyday life. Finances improve suddenly and in time your desires will be fulfilled.

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

It is a time to heal any inner wounds that are holding you back. Work keeps you engrossed this month, though creative pursuits tempt you in your down time. If you are in the initial stages of a relationship, be patient, as things move slowly. A happier and relaxed social life is predicted; you just might meet the love of your life this month. Watch out for problems with your knees or feet. A long term problem will get resolved.

VIRGO

Aug 23 - Sep 22

A busy month with focus on planning, executing and tying up loose ends to move on to something new. Additional responsibilities might be thrust upon you and you might consider a short trip to take a break from them. A relationship that needs some revival will flounder and it will add to the run down feeling you are experiencing. An unexpected career opportunity will come your way. Whatever you do, wait till the course of action is clear before you do anything.

CAPRICORN

Dec 22 - Jan 19

A seven indicates spiritual growth and introspection. But the Tower card can be God’s hammer breaking down your cocoon – devastating conditions, a divorce, or health and financial problems. It is a destiny related card so least resistance would work best. Have faith that any drastic occurrence right now is the worst that can happen and things will only get better. New beginnings and improved conditions are foretold which help you regain a sense of peace, emotional balance and you get your mojo back.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20

The focus is on promising enterprises, career opportunities and investment potential this month. Make the most of it. Travel for work or social activities is predicted. New elements at work leave you unsettled. Even if you are with someone in a relationship, you might feel a distance between you. Guard against accidents on the home front and what you eat. Money owed to you remains blocked but it will come through. Your best success comes from a new way of working.

LIBRA

Sep 23 - Oct 22

Unforeseen problems and setbacks could cause depression. A struggle with your conscience could occur after you have taken a decision. A secret sorrow keeps you low but don’t let circumstances defeat you. The outcome is favourable for medical tests though a chronic health issue causes problems. Finances are stable but you still feel insecure. Save some more if that is the case. A negative situation will soon end. Stay positive: don’t let an indecisive attitude get the upper hand.

AQUARIUS

Jan 20 - Feb 18

The new year brings its own challenges for Aquarians and January will be difficult. Blocked progress, anxiety and depression bog you down. In a relationship, your fears are largely unfounded, and any separation is temporary. Expect supreme success at work and financial gains as well. Be careful of what you eat or you could have stomach problems. Don’t ignore any health issues you have. New awareness about your future and relationship make you hopeful. Wait for things to resolve themselves.

CANCER

June 21 - July 20

You feel the need for a break from responsibilities though unstable conditions, work and health all demand attention. Watch out for office politics or someone deceitful in your personal life. Don’t postpone that mammogram, ladies; and don’t take on too much or it could affect your health. Deadlines and striving for perfection will only aggravate you further. A business dispute ends amicably and unexpected financial gains come your way. Maintain emotional and mental balance and keep things in perspective.

SCORPIO

Oct 23 - Nov 21

A Capricorn mindset might hold sway over Scorpios this month, making them practical, studious and less intense. A friend plays matchmaker or troubleshooter and you handle any issues in your romantic life with maturity. Health will bother you with problems related to your back, stomach, ears or throat. Express yourself more if it is the latter. Money will be slow in coming but there are unexpected financial gains round the corner. Be willing to listen and act upon new ideas.

PISCES

Feb 19 - March 20

Nines indicate that certain events or situations are nearing completion. Personal issues, material well-being and health dominate this month. A chance meeting could lead to financial gains so keep an open mind. The hollowness you feel within is but temporary so hang in there and keep the faith. Don’t let your challenges affect your health; you could suffer from poor sleep. Focus your energy into areas that fulfil you and see how your cup of happiness overflows.

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.

cineTALK

cineTALK

A protection we cannot afford to lose

THAT WAR FILM WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR

PLAYING THE MARKET

These are soldiers who have lost loved ones in terror attacks, and their blood boils.

Machiavellian stockbroker is everything that Harshad Mehta would have wanted written and performed part, meaty witty and wicked. He chews into it exposing a sacred hunger that I didn’t notice in his

Uri brings the blood of cross-border tension to a boil but avoids a spill-over. There is a rush of patriotic pride in the product - and why should there not be? - but it is reined-in, curbed and never allowed to spill over in a gush of irrepressible jingoism. If you want to see soldiers dancing around a bonfire singing about how much they love their country and how much miss their loved ones, then you've got the wrong war film.

BY mATT KeAN

Yes, these soldiers love their country. But family comes first. And when Vihaan's brother-in-law (Mohit Raina, making a striking big-screen debut) is killed in a vivid recreation of that reallife murderous attack at the Uri army base, Vihaan channels his personal loss to seek revenge on behalf of the country. It may not be the most patriotic of purposes. But it gives a certain disingenuous credibility to the mission.

Australia is a country of great diversity. You can see it in the faces of the people that you work with. You can see it in the restaurants that line the main streets of our towns. And you can see it in the variety of religious and cultural events celebrated around the country: Chinese New Year, Diwali, Hanukkah, Ramadan and Christmas to name a few.

All through its roomy yet tightlywound running-time Uri confidently gives us people and situations from that golden chapter in BJP's existence when India voluntarily forefeited the politics of pacifism to take on the enemy headlong.

However, the treatment of the Aboriginal peoples in this country stands as a chilling reminder that tolerance has not always been embraced. The Cronulla riots similarly reminds us how quickly what we have achieved can be put at risk.

him - a very dangerous ambition to have. And who knows this better than Rizwan’s wife Chitrangda Singh, who in a role severely conscripted by the plot’s bristling sinewiness, manages to find her redemptive moment in the grand finale.

of us who have resigned ourselves to substandard VFX in our cinema.

the mentor and the protegee together.

A flourishing society also requires more than just freedom of speech; it requires security, stability, a just legal system and a vibrant economy.

Saif and the very fine and confident debutant Rohan Mehra just don’t have enough scenes together. In fact Rohan builds a better bond with Saif’s screenwife Chitrangda Singh in just one scene where the teary-eyed protegee tells his mentor’s wife that sometimes you just need to give the one you love a tight slap. The written word seldom gets to be conveyed with such unvarnished directness in commercial Hindi cinema where everyone either talks florid or over-casual.

Uri is shot with astounding finesse by cinematographer Mitesh Mirchandani. Every frame is a thoughtful recreation of the moment in time when in 2016, Indian soldiers pushed their way into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to seek revenge. There is no pitching for effect. The drama and the fury flow organically.

Revenge served cold is said to be effective. Writer-director Aditya Dhar serves it up piping hot. The locations and the gunfire exchanges are perhaps the best we've seen in Indian cinema.

That is why freedom of speech is not absolute. In this country, it is criminal to disclose secrets which risk the lives of Australian soldiers. It is likewise a crime for a corporate executive to disclose market sensitive information to his mates. The law protects us from slander and protects privileged comments made to our lawyers.

In Baazaar the emotions are tightly reined-in as caustic vitriolic conversations are let loose with not a care about who’s eavesdropping.

The sound-design and background score capture the pain of lost human lives without bleeding out a banshee of road signs for our emotional responses. The tone of narration avoids overstatement. Dhar avoids the temptation of selfcongratulation. Barring a dialogue like Ghar mein ghus ke marunga which doesn't really belong to this film of graceful comeuppance, there is little chest-thumping here.

As a society, we recognise that these restrictions do not hurt our democracy or way of life. Indeed, we understand that they are necessary to maintain it. And laws against hate speech are no less necessary, because racism and bigotry tear at the heart of our social fabric.

My favourite line, and the one that says it all about Shakun Kothari, is the one in the run-down Gujarati bhojanalaiya. “You think I come here because I love the food? No, the food is terrible! But it helps me never forget where I came from.”

The brilliance of the line is never forgotten in a morality tale that never pushes its righteousness into our face. In fact I suspect the very assured debutant director Gauravv K. Chawla actually enjoys his grey protagonist’s amorality.

Harshad Mehta? How could you forget the podgy stockbroker who made thousands of Indians rich overnight and then it all ended in a financial mess in no time at all?

STARRING: Vicky Kaushal, Mohit Raina, Paresh Rawal, Yami Gautam

DIRECTOR: Aditya Dhar

fications with the unrehearsed cuteness of tycoon, who has long ceased to be cute to everyone, including his own wife and children.

HHHHH

Saif Ali Khan’s Shakun Kothari’s destiny run on the same lines. Except that Saif as the wily ruthless

Wars often rage within the soldiers' hearts, specially when they belong to

When debutant Rohan Mehra enters the plot as Rizwan there is no Shakun Kothari around. We know Rizwan idolizes Shakun and wants to be like

army families. In one of this significant war film's highpoints, Major Vihaan Singh Shergill, played by the selfeffacing Vicky Kaushal, gathers his troop together somewhere in Kashmir before striking surgically in the country next door (okay, Pakistan. There. I said it).

28 18

The proposed amendments to the Racial Discrimination Act were put forward on the basis that the current wording of Section 18C inappropriately constrains our freedom of speech.

The narrative is stylish and the political figures, from a dapper Narendra Modi (played with a refreshing absence of mimicry by Rajit Kapoor) to a droll Rakesh Bedi (playing a belching Pakistani politician), are all people whom we instantly recognise, not only by the way they look and talk but by their propensity to push the narrative into top gear without toppling the narrative into an excessively zealous jingoism.

There is no redemption for Shakun. He is showman a ball of fire hurling down an abyss, and enjoying every moment of it. The film takes great pride in being clued into the inside workings of the stock market. Yet it never lets the tone of know-all self-congratulation come in the way of telling us the story of ‘When Shakun Met Rohan’.

That section makes it unlawful to do an act in public which “is reasonably likely… to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person or a group of people” if “the act is done because of the race, colour or national or ethnic origin of the other person”.

My quibble with the rivetting script (Nikhil Advani, Parvez Sheikh, Aseem Arora) is that it takes its time in bringing

While the actors playing Indian soldiers are uniformly (pun intended) credible, the film's technical polish may come as bit of a surprise to those

There is no doubt that freedom of speech is important but it is important the role it plays in our democracy. Freedom of speech ensures that when you or I go to the ballot box we can make an informed decision about who to vote for.

As a society, we recognise

Freedom of speech is necessary so that as a community, we can debate political ideas and so that individuals can have a say on decisions that affect them. role

Racism and bigotry leave people feeling exiled in their own home. They do not improve the quality of public debate nor do they assist the wise completion of a ballot paper. They are insidious because they attack a person because of their identity; their heritage. They imply that a person is inferior because of who they are. They are hurtful, divisive and can lead to individuals and entire communities feeling unwanted, unvalued and second-class.

Saif’s blustering warmth keeps Shakun Kothari from falling apart even when the stakes are heavily weighed against him.

While some of the other supporting performances just don’t match upthe ever-brilliant Manish Choudhary struggles in an underwritten role; Radhika Apte as Rizwan’s go-getting colleague makes space for herself. In a way she tokenizes the film’s morality. In today’s times you have to push your way into attention.

The performances add considerable weight to the drama. While Kaushal surrenders to his character's conflicts without intellectualising them, I must make a special mention of the underused Kirti Kulhari who plays a small enigmatic part as the daughter of a disgraced army officer waiting to redeem her family pride - almost like the war genre in Indian cinema that had gone from Chetan Anand's Haqeeqat and J.P. Dutta's Border to Dutta's Paltan Uri is a work of many achievements. But to me, a film about national pride without a single shot of the Indian flag is the biggest miracle since the invention of the motion-picture camera. This is a glorious beginning to 2019. And if patriotism is the flavour of the year, bring it on, provided it's not about Pakibashing. Just getting even.

Subhash K. Jha

restrictions on free speech do not hurt our democracy or way of life. Indeed, we understand they are necessary to maintain it. And

Subhash K. Jha

Know Thyself as Soul

INDIA TOURS AND TRAVEL SPECIALISTS

Comments today can also revive memories of past wrongs. Unfortunately, few ethnic groups have been spared the pain of racially justified persecution. Examples such as slavery in the United States and the Holocaust are well known. In recent times, the world has seen genocides in Rwanda and Bosnia, while today in North Korea

A flourishing society requires more than just freedom of speech; it requires security, stability, a just legal system and a vibrant economy

Australians value freedom of expression but laws against hate speech are still essential

that

India, you have seen the whole world”

NOTHING ACCIDENTAL HERE

THE ACCIDENTAL PRIME MINISTER

STARRING Anupam Kher, Akshaye Khanna, Aahana Kumra, Suzanne Bernert and Arjun Mathur DIRECTOR: Vijay Ratnakar Gutte HHHHH

If you enjoy political satires, The Accidental Prime Minister may not be the film that its makers would recommend for you. Outwardly, the intent and purpose of this fiercely political parable is to give us the "real" picture of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's parent party and how it manipulated him into fronting their dynastic designs.

And how much more real can it get than Anupam Kher as Mr. Singh? The beard, the turban, the soft hushed barely audible voice (make sure you get your seats in a Dolby equipped theatre)... Anupam gets the externals so right that we scarcely care about what lies beneath.

And what lies! If we are to believe this film, then Manmohan Singh was a 'baba' in the woods, an angel in disguise, a scholar and academic thrown into the cesspit of politics, manipulated into supporting the Congress monarchy by a scheming mother-son pair. And we all know who they are.

There is nothing accidental about The Accidental Prime Minister. The not-sohidden agenda is to show Sonia Gandhi and her two children in the worst light possible. And it can't get any worse than Suzanne Bernert as Sonia Gandhi. Suzanne arches her eyebrows so sharply, I feared for her facial well-being.

Every actor cast as real-life politicians

BRING BACK HELEN?

CABARET

STARRING Richa Chadha, Gulshan

Devaiah and S.

Sreesanth

DIRECTOR: Kaustav

HHHHH

Narayan Niyogi

Do you remember those gorgeous, sizzling cabaret numbers by Helen in the films of the 1970s? Yes? And do you remember the 1972 Liza Minnelli classic titled Cabaret for which the actress won an Oscar?

Okay. Now erase the memories of Helen and Minnelli. Chances are, after seeing Cabaret, you’ll never want look at another cabaret number. Come to think of it, it would be hard for you to go to the next Richa Chadha film without a shudder of apprehension.

This one drags you down to the dungeons of despair. Windowless and dingy.

Cabaret opens with brutish policeman in Jharkhand gunning down a woman's husband and then asking her bluntly for sexual favours. Vipin Sachdeva, who plays the policeman, doesn't keep it subtle. Why should he, when everything around him screams for attention.

The woman, Razia alias Rose played by Richa, flees to Dubai after gunning down the policeman where in no time at all, we see her dancing to a ruinously subversive remix of Pankaj Udhas' Mohe aaye na jag ki laaj.

Come again? Is this a cabaret? If it is, then Helen is suing. And what is that Richa is wearing? It looks like a corset tied to the ropes that are used to pull cows towards their sheds. Nope. Richa clearly can't dance. But that's okay. No one in this dolorously, dreadful and doomed drama does anything that can be called

remotely cinematic.

The songs that once used to be the Bhatts forte (yes, a prominent Bhatt, Pooja, is associated with this, and we forgive her) here sound like out-takes from a lengthy musical session with an "Indian Idol" contestant.

Sreesanth plays a good-hearted don, and Razia/Rosy's benefactor who runs what looks like a club for grieving women -- an acid-attack victim, a gangrape victim, and so on. By the time Richa finishes her tour of Sreesanth's philanthropic work, she is ready to join the ‘Sree-fam'. That's what they call Sreesanth's fans. But honestly, if he insists on... er... acting in such films, the 'fam' may be reduced to a famine soon.

However, Sreesanth is not the film's leading man. The not-untalented Gulshan Devaiah is. He plays an alcoholic "investigative journalist" who spends most of his time investigating the heroine's anatomy.

As I watched the actors plod through the plot, I wondered how they kept a straight face pretending this film was actually serious business.

Cabaret is a comedy masquerading as a drama of a doomed damsel's distressful adventures. Even the lovemaking scenes are a howl. In one of these, Richa climbs on Gulshan Grover as he groans more in a ‘oh-no' rather than a ‘ah-yes' sort of way. Then she grabs a bottle and smashes it on his head.

Lovemaking techniques are getting dangerously violent these days.

If you have a couple of hours to spare, please use it for more rewarding activities than watching Cabaret Subhash K. Jha

has been given a clear brief to look as much as the real-life politician as possible. The line between acting and mimicry is invisible in the politics that underlines this political charade. In the theatre, I heard delighted exclamations of recognition, the kind we hear when a stand-up comedian does an Amitabh Bachchan or a Shatrughan Sinha on stage.

If you want to play spot-the-politician, this film is huge fun. My top prize for the most enjoyable mimicry goes to the talented Arjun Mathur and Aahana Kumra as Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. If ever the real Gandhi siblings need duplicates while they holiday abroad, they know where to go.

The only actor not doing an impersonation is Akshaye Khanna. Playing Sanjaya Baru, Akshaye brings to the proceedings a gravitas that this film doesn't need or deserve. He is like that one honest bureaucrat in an office filled with bribe takers. But he has his uses.

Akshaye and Anupam anchor the plot (and I am not talking about just the screenplay but the plot that underlines the raison d'etre of this film). Their exchanges exhibit sparks of unexpected irony and intelligence, as if two actors recognise the potential in each other, knowing fully well their collective wisdom is unsupported by anything else around them.

Both these actors make the hullabaloo over Singh and the Gandhis look more tenable than it would have without them.

The Accidental Prime Minister works well as a pantomime of power politics. Beyond that, we will have to wait for another day, another time, another regime.

Subhash K. Jha

The BUZZ

RIP KADER KHAN

Kader Khan rose from the depths of a Dickensian childhood in the Bombay of the 1940s, surrounded by drug peddlers, prostitutes, pimps and assorted thugs to eventually embody the essence of Hindi cinema.

Growing up in Kamathipura, Mumbai's notorious red light district that is at once cruelly heartless and touchingly heartfelt, Khan absorbed a vast range of human frailties and poured them in to 700 films that he acted in and wrote.

A MASTER FILMMAKER WHO CHALLENGED SOCIAL SENSIBILITIES

Mrinal Sen is known as a film-maker who challenged prevailing social sensibilities and mores, holding a mirror up for society.

Sen (95), who died in Kolkata on 30 Dec 2018, was the last surviving member of the 'trinity' from Bengal - including master filmmakers Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak - who gave birth to the parallel (or new wave) cinema in the country.

The troika gave a new direction to the idea of filmmaking in India, with their intellect, spontaneity, knowledge of world cinema and deep understanding of the nuances of the medium that made the world look up in wonder and respect their creations.

A Marxist in belief, who, however, never took the membership of any communist party in India, Sen regaled in breaking age-old stereotypes, highlighting issues such as exploitation and erosion of values.

Take for instance the film Kharij (The Case is Closed), where the servant boy, a minor, working in a middle class family in Kolkata, dies by carbon-monoxide poisoning after being made to sleep in the kitchen. Fearful of facing retribution, police case, and weighed down by guilt, the young employer and his wife go all out to please the deceased's father. The bereaved man, however, displays great dignity, and returns to his village quietly, leaving the employers morally shattered.

Kharij shook the urban middle and upper classes so much that many changed their treatment of servants, particularly giving them better places to sleep.

Kharij was made in the 1970s - a time of great turmoil and political unrest in Calcutta with the Naxalite movement spewing blood on the streets - during which Sen’s films provoked urban society,

subtly capturing the political upheaval.

The highlight of the genre was the trilogy Interview (1970), Calcutta 71 (1972) and Padatik (1973). All three films are regarded as masterpieces for their social messages and political overtones.

Born on May 14, 1923, at Faridpur (now in Bangladesh), Sen made his first Bengali film Rat Bhore (The Dawn) in 1953, but it was his second directorial effort Neel Akasher Niche (Under the Blue Sky) that received acclaim in the country for its lyricism and humane qualities.

His next, Baishey Shravan (Wedding Day), earned him plaudits from the critics beyond Indian shores.

In 1969 came Bhuvan Shome regarded as an important milestone in the new cinema movement in India.

And then there were the gems Ek Adhuri Kahani (1971), Chorus (1974), Mrigayaa (1976), Oka Oori Katha (1977), Ek Din Pratidin (1979), Akaler Sandhane (1980), Chalchitra (1981), Khandhar (1983), Genesis (1986) and Ek Din Achanak (1989).

His last film Aamaar Bhuvan came in 2002.

Sen leaves behind a rich repertoire of 27 feature films, 14 shorts and four documentaries during a career spanning six decades.

Widely feted, Sen received the Padma Bhushan in 1981, the Dadasaheb Phalke in 2005, the French government's Commandeur de l'ordre des Arts et letters (Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters) in 2001, and Order of Friendship from the Russian government in the same year.

Sen served as a member of International Jury at various film festivals, including Cannes.

His autobiography Always Being Born was published in 2004.

There is no comparable figure in cinema anywhere in the world where a civil engineer juggled his writerly and actorly talents with such consummate ease in hundreds of movies for close to four decades. By Khan's own reckoning, he acted in 450 movies and wrote dialogues and scripts for 250 films. That is an astonishing output even by the generally prolific standards of Hindi cinema.

Since Khan made writing and even a certain type of performance look so effortless, he often does not get his due for his remarkable contribution to Hindi cinema. Although born in Kabul, Khan went on to capture the quintessence of India's everyday pluralism in his writings. It was under the tutelage of director Manmohan Desai, who commissioned Khan to write for his movies starting in the early 1970s, that he went on to powerfully capture Bombay's street swag as reflected in its language.

Desai said in 1986, "When I first met Kader Khan I told him, 'Tum miyabhai khali sher-o-shayri aur nawabi Urdu likhta hai. Hum ko kuchh gully ka chahiye. (You Muslim writers write only poetry and Urdu of the royal court. I need some street stuff.)'

It was under those promptings that in movies such as Roti (1974) and Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) Khan brought in the now famous Mumbai street patois into the Hindi cinema lexicon. Although his personal preference was high-minded and refined Indian and Russian literature, Khan perhaps subconsciously drew on his childhood memories to capture some of the street cool that audiences saw in movies such as Muqqadar ka Sikander (1978), Laawaris (1981), Coolie (1983) and somewhat later, Agneepath (1990).

At the time of the making of Agneepath Khan was at the peak of his craft and used to write and act so much that it was easy to discount his talent. The movie's default temperament was the kind of sauciness that one routinely experiences in Mumbai's streets, especially among the young population that has no option but to live by its wits. Social resentments of the dispossessed and disenfranchised in Mumbai often result in very distilled bitterness which gets articulated in the kind of lines that Khan wrote for

the film. What made them particularly striking was that it was against his known literary tastes of someone who loved high-minded Urdu poetry of the calibre of Mirza Ghalib and others.

His passion for education, which he was to fondly recall as a gift of his mother Iqbal Begum's backbreaking struggles, stayed with him throughout his life. Khan loved mathematics, physics, engineering, machine drawing and well into his latter life, a serious study of Arabic. Those who knew him well said he was at heart always a teacher even on the movie set.

Soft-spoken, polite and unusually internally drawn, Khan had the gift of the gab and could converse across many subjects and themes. In his passing Indian cinema has lost someone who straddled the three distinct worlds of the written, spoken and performed with rare ease.

THRILLED WITH URI: VICKY KAUSHAL

Actor Vicky Kaushal, who plays the role of an Indian commando in the recently released Uri - The Surgical Strike, is thrilled at the success of his latest film, which collected Rs 8.20 crore at the boxoffice on the first day of its release.

The movie is based on the 2016 Indian Army's surgical strikes inside Pakistan as a retaliation for the Uri terrorist attack.

"I’m really happy for the entire team especially director Adtiya Dhar as it is his first film," he said. "In today's age, it is very difficult for a debutant director to get backing from producers for his story and then to get a huge release for his film. Ultimately, when audiences appreciate the film then, it's a special thing for the entire team."

The film unit hosted a special screening for Army personnel. Interestingly, members of the Sikh Regiment trained the actors who play the commandos in the film. Tough on the actors during the gruelling routine, they were pleased at the outcome on screen. “It was a special moment when they appreciated our performance,” Vicky said. “Our film is but a tribute for their work."

BANDIT DRAMA

Sonchiriya, a dacoit drama, has been

KADER KHAN

BHUMI PEDNEKAR

WIN MOVIE TICKETS!

VICKY KAUSHAL

causing a bit of buzz since its gripping and power-packed trailer released recently.

The Sushant Singh Rajput and Bhumi Pednekar starrer takes us back to the stark and dusty ravines of Chambal in the 1970s, as dacoit groups fought to take control of central India.

The Abhishek Chaubey directorial also features Ashutosh Rana, Manoj Bajpayee and Ranvir Shorey.

After successes with Ishqiya and Udta Punjab, Abhishek Chaubey takes us into a simmering war raging at the fringe of society where what we see is not always pleasant but never uninteresting.

Talking about the film, Bhumi said, “The expectations are extremely high. It's hard-hitting but at the same time it's very relevant and important. I think it has some really great performances and a lot of craft.”

Brutal to the bone, Sonchiriya touches raw nerves in our socio-cultural DNA which has allowed inequality to foster for generations. Now it's too late to even try to rectify the economic imbalance.

The film shows fringe people accepting their place and fighting for what they believe to be their fundamental right to survive.

ELEPHANT TALES

We haven’t had an animal drama since… Haathi Mere Saathi? So now, let’s wait for… Haathi Mere Saathi.

Yes that’s the name of the new Rana

A trilingual, the film is being made simultaneously in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil with a different cast across languages.

The film also stars Pulkit Samrat, Vishnu Vishal, Zoya Hussein and Kalki Koechlin.

back in 2009.

PITY ABOUT PAK BAN: SHABANA AZMI

What’s the chitchat between Virushka here? Send

response

FARHAN’S

FIRST ACTING ROLE

Farhan Akhtar’s The Fakir of Venice finally hits the theatres on 18 Jan, a full decade after it was made. A comedy based on a story by Homi Adajania and set in Venice, it is directed by Anand Surapur and also stars Annu Kapoor and Kamal Siddhu.

In the film, Farhan’s character tries to pass off a Mumbai slum dweller (Annu Kapoor) as a holy man who can bury himself in sand as part of a live art performance.

In the lead up to its release, a song from the film was released recently. In the song Wako Naam Fakir, 15th century poet Kabir’s doha Had had so auliya is turned into a blues song by AR Rahman. With lyrics about the dichotomy of things, it seems a perfect introduction to the film.

Believed to be Farhan Akhtar’s first ever acting role, the film premiered at the Indian Film Festival in Los Angeles way

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

ALIA BHATT OR SOFIA VERGARA IN ZIMMERMANN?

+ Share your views with us on our Facebook page /IndianLinkAustralia

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi has reacted to Pakistan Supreme Court's decision to ban Indian content in their country terming it as unfortunate, saying it is the decision of Pakistan's politicians and bureaucrats and not their audience. She was interacting with the media as she hosted a painting competition for children to celebrate 100th birth anniversary of acclaimed poet, lyricist and her father, Kaifi Azmi, in Mumbai earlier this month.

Pakistan's Chief Justice said recently the country's supreme court will not allow Indian content to be shown on Pakistani TV channels as it "damages our culture".

"It's an unfortunate decision because art connects and not divides people,” Azmi said. “The people of Pakistan don't want a ban on Indian content in their country; it is their politicians who want it. In our country too, politicians want to ban their art and artists."

"When we visit Pakistan, we get much respect from their citizens and when artists from that country visit our land, they say they feel like they’re in their own country. People-to-people connect is really necessary."

IANS ON TWITTER THIS WEEK

Match the following stars to the tweets below Anupam Kher, Karan Johar, Anushka Sharma

They came. They conquered. History written and created by this bunch. Huge congratulations to all players, coaching unit and support staff; it takes undying perseverance and solid conviction to focus on what's important and shut out the rest.

A first for koffee!! CRICKET!! With these young forces I had a blast!! They hit it out of the park!

While we are dealing with the trailer issues of #TheAccidentalPrimeMinister on @YouTube, here is a small request from our team with the link. Please retweet as much as you can. Thanks

SRK: “Yaar, Katrina, ye picture ka naam bhi Zero, aur box office collection bhi!”

Congratulations, Hetal Shah, Croydon NSW You win a movie ticket!

For more caption entries, see YOUR SAY Page 8

LAST ISSUE CAPTION CONTEST WINNER

FARHAN AKHTAR

How to cheat your Fitbit in creative ways

BY NURY VITTACHI

Many folk stupidly spend their lives trying to impress other people, when what they should really be doing, of course, is trying to impress their step-counters.

Smartphone health apps and Fitbit-style wristbands not only monitor your activity level but constantly encourage you to post it on the Internet for the world to see.

So of course people become competitive about never letting a single step go uncounted. In an Internet discussion, a reader from Mumbai lamented, “I lost my Fitbit so now I can’t move.”

If you are a step-counting addict, here are four ways to boost your score.

•Put your Fitbit in your child’s pocket and then feed him or her a sugary snack.

•Every time you hear music, indulge your inner Barenboim by conducting it.

•Hang the thing on your dog’s collar and send it out for a run around the park.

•Get a ladder and hang your Fitbit from the ceiling fan.

Most attractive advice I ever got was this: if you eat three meals a day at buffet-style

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING GROOMS

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Well-settled/professional match invited for Sydney-based Punjabi girl, IT professional/business analyst, never-married, 44/5'6"; attractive,

fair, jolly nature and a good mix of Indian and modern values. Working in an MNC. Australian citizen. Educated family. Parents well settled. Send details with photo: sydgirl09@gmail.com

Wanted a suitable match for 39 year old Brahmin girl 5’-4’’ fair complexion well settled in Australia having government job and has own residential property. Contact kumar. sham@bigpond.com

restaurants, your Fitbit will think you are an exercise nut.

Now THAT’S an exercise program I could really go for.

The leaders on some website health pages are recording 80,000 steps a day each - which is pretty impressive, since running an entire marathon only gets you about 45,000 steps.

How do you achieve those kinds of scores?

I got interested in this after a reader wrote to me about a restaurant in Harbin, China, which provides “fool your step counter” gadgets to customers. You stick your phone or Fitbit or pedometer into a little cradle which swings around while you eat, drink and sleep.

On Chinese web-shopping pages, there are now hundreds of these devices for sale.

Now I know what you’re thinking: why fool a device that makes you healthier? What if you are not a stupid, immoral egotist who hates exercise? (Such people exist, allegedly.)

Well, some folk justify cheating with specific arguments. “Some health insurance firms offer a discount for active people who can prove they walk 10,000 steps a day,” said reader Derya Bey. “And some schools in China require a minimum amount of active movement every day from each student.”

The alternative, of course, is to actually do some exercise, and some people need to. One rather overweight male friend of this columnist, referring to Japanese

electronic pets, commented: “Step-counters are like Tamagotchis; only, the stupid creature you have to keep alive is yourself.”

And then of course, there are the people who get high scores by accident. I know of one woman who accidentally put her step-counter through a washing machine and drier and it credited her with climbing 84 flights of stairs that day.

Warning: Use health apps too much and your brain starts to perceive them as judgmental finger-pointers. One colleague got such a low score one day that she faked an illness and went to bed early so her Fitbit wouldn’t judge her.

Reader, you don’t want to get into that sort of situation. I hope you’ll be sensible about your use of health apps.

In which case, I’ll see you at the buffet table!

SEEKING BRIDES

Indian Muslim man, 43 years old, divorced, lawyer, Australian citizen, based in Sydney, seeking a practising Muslim bride below 35 years of age. Contact: 0424 457 180.

Indian Christian Protestant parents seeking a suitable match for their 38-year-old son, a software engineer, born and brought up in Australia. Seeking Protestant girl between 28 and 34. years. Email: sammy5073@gmail. com or call 0403 836 360.

Suitable match for handsome, 1986born, 5’7”, Mair Rajput Goldsmith boy (Punjab born), Australian citizen. Working as a manager in Melbourne. Caste no bar. Please share bio and photos on Whatsapp 0470 388 064 or email: ronr275@yahoo.com.au

Wanted suitable match for 35 year old Brahmin boy 5’-8’’, fair complexion well settled in Australia having his own successful business. Contact kumar.sham@bigpond.com

GET SOCIAL WITH INDIAN LINK

Two weeks into the New Year, you’re probably over your ‘get fit’ resolution

Photo: teespring

One colleague got such a low score one day that she faked an illness and went to bed early so her Fitbit wouldn’t judge her.