2019-09 Sydney (2)

PUBLISHER

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra

SOCIAL MEDIA

Suruchi Sehgal

MELBOURNE COORDINATOR

Preeti Jabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

LP Ayer, Shyamal Bhatia, Salma Shah, Mohan Dhall, Sandip Hor, Auntyji

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Shriti Sinha 0410 578 146

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT

Charuta Joshi 02 9279 2004

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

INDIAN LINK MEDIA GROUP

Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000

GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001

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

Email: info@indianlink.com.au

Modi’ to follow ‘Howdy, Modi’?

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

What a coup for all concerned, to have a double act of Indian PM Modi and US President Trump on the main stage at an upcoming function in Texas.

PM Narendra Modi is known for his rockstar status amongst sections of the Indian diaspora. He has used this prowess to the fullest on his international travels, engaging with the Indian diaspora like perhaps no other prime minister has before, to discuss his views on a number of subjects.

Shortly after coming to power in 2014, he addressed the Indian diaspora in Madison Square Gardens in New York. 19,000 flag-waving Indian Americans cheered him on as he promised to work for India’s development. The same sentiment continued when he spoke at the Allphones Arena in Sydney in 2014 in front of 16,000 supporters. To this day, the Aussie politicians who attended speak

with awe about the sheer energy of the mammoth crowd that had gathered there. In 2015, in the Silicon Valley, every seat in the 18,000 sports arena was filled as Modi spoke about his new Digital India campaign.

Modi has also addressed gatherings of the Indian diaspora in London, in Paris and in Kobe (Japan), amongst other parts of the world.

The reality is that PM Modi has latched on to the concepts of both diaspora polling and diaspora diplomacy.

Diaspora polling is a term that refers to having non-resident Indians actually calling their friends and family around election time and extoling the global importance of BJP and Modi.

Diaspora diplomacy on the other hand is an ongoing endeavour to protect the interests of India. Much like the Jewish diaspora that looks after the interests of Israel around the world, there is a case to be made to have the 30 million Indian diaspora become India’s voice and add on to India’s diplomatic presence globally.

In United States, the 2.4 million Indian Americans are increasingly finding their political voice. On the one hand we have the United States India Political Action Committee which is not aligned to either

of the two major political parties; on the other, there are other platforms such as the Republican Hindu Coalition which are proud to show their colours. The political engagement and activism is well and truly on the increase.

And so, it is but logical that the mega success of overseas rallies which PM Modi and his international followers stage, will be of interest to local politicians.

President Trump is set to share stage with PM Modi at the ‘Howdy, Modi’ function in Texas, US. With over 50,000 Indian Americans registered to attend the event in Houston, one suspects that President Trump is keen to show his friendship with India’s strong man, not only to India but also to the Indian American community, given that the US Presidential elections are coming up in 12 months’ time. With Trump’s 64 million Twitter followers and Modi’s 50 million, be ready for a tweet bromance.

Prime Minister Modi is due for a visit to Australia soon and one can envisage a ‘G’Day Modi’ celebration in Australia, with Prime Minister Morrison sharing stage space with him, of course.

As ScoMo will no doubt say, how good is that!

Sales Wanted

PW was first established around the end of 2016, while real estate market already started to cool off and go down. Within two years till now, our full time sales team has grown to almost 50 people, with three offices located in City / Macquarie Park / Castle hill, and having a numerous regional offices planned under way for suburbs of strategic importance as Rhodes / Burwood / Hurtsville / Chatswood Our sales revenue is already over $150 million, with over 400 properties managed

At PW, we leverage our most comprehensive training mechanism including featured one-to-one mentoring and coaching from PW Super Sales Star, to ensure you can learn things u can't access elsewhere and develop your full potential.

We fundamentally believe marketing is the very key to any sales agent's success! Our heavy investment in marketing is generating a large amount of customer leads to be distributed among our sales team, and a premium branding effect to positively influence our prospects . With PW branding, good exposure and reputation in market place, it becomes so easy for our sales to succeed.

Are u ready to live up to your full potential, be someone different, be someone rich, be someone famous, be someone your family, friends, the society can look up to?

Please contact Jenny Wang and meet our team at PW Realty!

Jenny Wang 0416 847 500 jenny.wang@pwrealty.com.au

YOUR SAY

THE FOOD IN OZ

PAWAN LUTHRA was on ABC Radio Sydney’s Breakfast with Wendy Harmer and Robbie Buck to talk about the reported spike in Indian tourists in Australia.

Wendy Harmer wrote: Tourists from India coming to Oz in record numbers and NOT for koalas and kangas - but for the food! Inspired by @masterchefau. Top work @MattsCravat and Co.! Fascinating to speak with @pawanlink on @abcsydney this morning. @robbie_buck

Pawan Luthra wrote: Great to be on @abcsydneywith @wendy_harmer, @robbie_buck. Indian tourist numbers to Australia will increase with family visits and the foodie adventures and yes, Cricket World Cup @ICCT20WC_ Live will help.

Sandeep Pandit wrote: I can totally relate to this. I reckon I’m one of the examples of India’s love for @masterchefau and the legends @crispycrackling @MattsCravat @GeorgeColambaris!

Daniel Montgomery wrote: I'm only just catching up with this season here in Ireland. It's amazing. I've always said if I go to Oz it'll be Melbourne. Last season with @sashi_cheliah and this season @sandeep_cooks the Indian inspired dishes you create are incredible and make the mouth water.

Krishna Mahida wrote: MasterChef Australia is a very popular show in India. Nayanika wrote: It must be a disappointment when they get here unless they go high-end.

Wendy Harmer wrote (replying to Nayanika): Can't agree with you there (sorry), the variety of food culture in Oz is fantastic! Maybe world's best? Even in the 'burbs. And can be cheap too. (Beats India, hands down. You have to travel a long way for regional specialities).And quality of our produce is superlative!

Nayanika wrote (replying to Wendy Harmer): Maybe it's a Sydney/ Melbourne thing - I agree it's different there. Yes, in India, you don't get a lot of world cuisines and many regional specialties outside their own areas.

Wendy Harmer wrote: They're also mad for @Kyliekwong we heard. The younger generation of Indian foodies leading the way for a visit... to eat! So interesting and such an opportunity. But I do agree we have a lack of great street food... that must be puzzling to many from abroad. Love to see more of that.

Tom Dumbrell wrote: Really interesting interview, Wendy. Was in India last year and loved it.

INSTA-HAPPY

Send us a photo or Instagram one of Indian Link in your daily life. We’ll pick one to feature in this column.

Sukhmani Khorana wrote: I picked it up this time, and look forward to reading the interview!

SAY IT AGAIN

WHEN AN ENGINEER TURNS BAKER

NANDITHA SURESH wrote about Melissa Domingo Rawat, an engineer with a passion for baking that has evolved into a successful home-business.

Melissa Domingo Rawat wrote: I am beyond grateful to be featured in Indian Link - a respected and very widely read local newspaper/publication in Sydney, Australia. I was hugely surprised and humbled to be invited to do an interview about my work. I am filled with gratitude to God, to Indian Link, to my family and everyone who supports Baker Mum.

Priya Rajasekaran wrote: Way to go, Melissa. I don't think I've actually put my engineering background for anything so creative - really good looking cakes. Enouch Emmanuel wrote: Imagine when they find out you can sing and play the guitar.

Rish Nanda wrote: That’s awesome. Can’t wait to try some of Mel’s delicious treats. Mildred Patole wrote: Love Mel's cakes... They are sooooo delicious.

Natasha Patole wrote: I’ve had the good fortune to taste her cakes and they are out of this world!!!

Praveena Pappu wrote: So beautiful n artistic.

Sandhya Baskaran Jella wrote: That’s amazing Mel, waiting to see more and more and always excited about your creations.

WHERE IN OZ

Where would you find this stunning piece of ancient Aboriginal art?

Readers Manisha Belani, Ritika Dodia Siddhipura and Nivedita Kunder correctly identified it as Anbangbang Rock Shelter at the Kakadu National Park.

The younger our kids start learning other languages, the better. That's why we're rolling out language programs at kinders across the state – and why it's so good to see almost 700 students at The Grange P-12 College learning Hindi. Achcha kaam.

Daniel Andrews, Victoria Premier

Space is hard. We commend @ISRO’s attempt to land their #Chandrayaan2 mission on the Moon’s South Pole. You have inspired us with your journey and look forward to future opportunities to explore our solar system together.

NASA

A TALE OF TWO FOODIES

In the concluding episode of our video series AUSSIE BITES With Chef Ranveer Brar, Indian Link’s food writer and award-winning blogger of The Spice Adventuress fame, DHANYA SAMUEL and Ranveer Brar interviewed each other.

Dhanta Samuel wrote: Chatting with Chef Ranveer Brar about our mutual love for food and our culinary journeys, both online and offline. Thanks for this wonderful opportunity, Indian Link.

Aus Good Food Guide wrote: How exciting! What a great interview.

Job Sudhakar wrote (tongue in cheek): Chef Brar? Not heard of! I know the Spice Adventuress, though!

Myra Touati wrote: Fabulous video, Dhanya, nice to hear your voice.

Nita Joseph wrote: Just watched. Brar is my fav… and girl, I knew you had the passion way before you probably realised it. So enjoyed watching it. Congratulations. Absolutely proud of you.

Elizabeth Jack wrote: That's a step up to what you are already doing!

Congrats and yes, wow! All the best to seeing more such soon.

Hari Prakash Jaganathan wrote: Wonderful to see you following your passion, Dhanya! I’m super proud and happy for you. Well done.

Chetana Suvarna Ganatra wrote: Dhanya, that was a good one. I love his style of cooking and of course who doesn’t love you!

Sowmiya Murali wrote: Congratulations Dhanya. It's a great interview

Manju Dilip wrote: All the very best in your chosen career.

Venugopal Rajagopalan wrote: Amazing Dhanya Samuel!

Pema Dey wrote: Enjoyed watching it, gorgeous.

Benoy John Varghese wrote: Cool!

Karthika M wrote: Fantastic, and you look pretty.

Smita Jiv wrote: Dhanya, you look fabulous as always and the interview is great.

Aswathi Dinil wrote: Congratulations Dhanya! Great going.

Shabana Kader wrote: Very nice interview.

The City Lane wrote: How interesting. I'll check it out.

Meera Seetharaman wrote: This is wonderful Dhanya. Proud of you!!

Susan All About The Curry wrote: Way to go, Dhanya. You did so well!

A Wicked Scrub wrote: Nice work Dhanya.

CAPTION CONTEST

What’s the chitchat here between Malaika Arora and Karan Johar?

Lakshman Kumar wrote: I was the heroine in the Hindi version of Telugu movie Dear Comrade.

Atiya Gazali wrote: Woohoo, finally we can shop in peace!!!

Farzana Nisha wrote: Student of the Year 3.

Rajesh Padnakad wrote: At this point in our film careers, Tabu (the other IFFM guest) is way ahead than both of us.

Arix Bishnoi wrote: Karan: My jacket and jeans are way better than yours, girls... because I’m the real diva here.

Divya Palsodkar wrote: Pehli shadi me nahi aa paye Karan, dusri shadi me zarur aana.

Pearl Chaudhary wrote: Malaika: Finally I get to do an item number in KJo’s next movie!

Navneet Kaur Chaudhary wrote: Let’s rock some cool posing.

Charmi Kapadia Shah wrote: Agreed no one knows Maheep Kapoor, but why are Melburnians not noticing US on the streets and hassling us for selfies and autographs?

Mallika Bhardwaj wrote: Do people not know who we are? Where are the crowds that usually follow us?

Jaimin Kapadia wrote: Let's take a selfie and announce to all Melbournians that we're here.

Arora Vijay wrote: Malaika: If you wanna be my friend Karan, do not produce a movie for Arbaaz.

Akki Gaurav wrote: 2 second main photo le lo, tram aane wali hai. Thand main pata bhi nahi lagega, khoorach khoorach ke nikalna padega...

Vikas Attri wrote: Kuch kuch khota ahai.

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

59% Bella Hadid

WHERE IN INDIA

Once upon a time, this place boasted of five hundred canons. A tough one, as only a single answer came through, from reader Liladhar

Ramteke: Murud’sJanjira Fort, in the Raigad district of Maharashtra.

I got to go to JPL last week and it was on the day when India was landing on the moon and the United States were assisting them in that effort. Could you see that from where you are?

Brad Pitt, who plays an astronaut in Ad Astra, to NASA astronaut Nick Hague on the International Space Station

41% Jahnvi Kapoor

It seems this second "freemake" of Largo Winch is as bad as the first one. So please Telugu directors, if you steal my work, at least do it properly?

Jérôme Salle, French film director and screenwriter, about the film Saaho

The home coming

From Kallidai to Adelaide and back: The journey of a stolen Indian idol

BY LP AYER

Friday the 13th, a date dreaded in the West, turned out to be a very auspicious day for over 25,000 people in the southern Indian village of Kallidaikurichi.

Several of them travelled 600 km to Chennai Central to welcome home an old resident, converting the railway station into a temporary temple as they conducted the rituals of puja and aarti. Returning from

Australia, where it sat at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in Adelaide, was an ancient statue of the Dancing Shiva (Shiva Nataraja), stolen from their village 37 years ago.

The bronze idol was coming home thanks to the efforts of a special police team in Tamil Nadu and a gracious gesture of the AGSA.

The AGSA, the Dancing Shiva’s temporary home in Australia, is a couple of kilometres away from my home in Adelaide. Its original abode - for some 700 years - is just one kilometre away from my ancestral home in Kallidaikurichi.

Kallidaikurichi, at the foothills of the Western Ranges some 50km north of

Kanyakumari, has over a dozen temples large and small. Kulasekaramudayar temple, devoted to Lord Shiva, from where this idol was taken, was possibly built by the powerful Pandyan king of the same name in the 13th century. Being on the outskirts of the village it might have been an easy target for temple raiders, who on June 6, 1982 stole this and three other idols. The local police, having failed to trace the culprits or the lost items, closed the case after two years.

The 76cm tall bronze idol weighing 100kg found its way to the London antiquities dealer Oliver Forge and Brendon Lynch, from whom it was bought in 2001

for the AGSA by then director Ron Radford. The price – a whopping US $255,000.

The Gallery’s current director Rahana Davenport told local Adelaide radio that “the acquisition followed standard protocols accepted as professionally rigorous in that era.”

Following are velation in 2014 that a larger Dancing Shiva idol at Canberra’s National Gallery of Australia was stolen from another South Indian temple, AGSA revised its Due Diligence Policy and its curator of Asian Art, James Bennett, started provenance research on the idol although there was no reason to believe it had been improperly acquired. (The Canberra idol,

Shiva Nataraja arrives at Chennai Central.

bought from the noted artefacts smuggler Subhash Kapoor, was personally handed over to Prime Minister Modi by the then Australian PM Tony Abbott when he visited India).

In 2016 Bennett visited the Pondicherry French Institute that holds archives of Indian antiquities and after checking 6,000 photos found a small image matching the idol in the Adelaide gallery. Next year he visited Kallidaikurichi temple to confirm his finding.

This January, the Government of India requested the return of the idol and the AGSA Board approved its repatriation in April. However the return was delayed by months thanks to some petty politics in Tamil Nadu. This is one such story where the protagonist commands as much interest as the narrative itself.

Enter Pon Manickavel, a super sleuth who can outclass any Bollywood action hero in busting gangland dons. As an IGP (Inspector General of Police) he was entrusted with the task of retrieval of stolen antiquities in 2012. With a trade mark pointy moustache – a la Capt. Abhinandan of the Indian Air Force – and his unorthodox methods of tackling culprits, he has become a cult figure among the public, while at the same time earning enemies amongst his own ranks. (Such is his repute that a biopic movie of him has already been made). The day after he retired, the State Government decided to transfer all cases he was working on, to the CBI. On challenging this, the High Court extended his tenure at the Special Idol Wing for a year. He then told a riotous press conference, “I will retrieve the Adelaide idol before my retirement.”

He has lived up to his words.

After a 19-year stay at the gallery, the Dancing Shiva, valued at Rs 30 crores, was handed over to a team of the Archaeological Survey of India in New Delhi by James Bennett and AGSA Registrar Jan Robinson, who graciously paid for the idol’s air transit as the Tamil Nadu Government was dragging its feet. (God is said to move in mysterious ways.)

Lamenting the lack of Government support, Pon Manickavel told the gathering at Chennai Central, “There are over a thousand statues overseas and my mission is to back as many as I can before I retire.”

AGSA’s Davenport said, “We are happy to send the idol to its rightful home.”

India’s High Commissioner to Australia, Dr. Gondane, who himself is returning to India soon, said, “This is a very propitious beginning of co-operation between AGSA and the Indian Government which will open new cultural vistas.” Writer’s note: My thanks to my Indian source Swaminathan who kept me posted on this story for several weeks. A video of the temple arriving at Chennai Central can be viewed on www.indianlink.com.au

The AGSA, the Dancing Shiva’s temporary home in Australia, is a couple of kilometres away from my home in Adelaide. Its original abode - for some 700 years - is just one kilometre away from my ancestral home in Kallidaikurichi.

The High Commissioner of India Dr AM Gondane and AGSA officials with Shiva Nataraja just before its repatriation

A relationship of promise

TALKING TRADE

What milestones, would you say, has the India-Australia trade relationship crossed in the last three years?

The India-Australia relationship has been an upward trajectory for the past 10 years, especially post signing the 2014 Strategic Partnership Agreement. Though together we have made steady growth in sectors spanning across bilateral trade - education, sports, health and medicine, agriculture - the targets still seem suboptimal. This is mainly because of the enormous potential and opportunities that exist between the two countries, that it would be incumbent on us to or aspire for more progress.

The trade relationship still has more potential as the growth in the Indian markets is a good opportunity for Australian bankers to partake. But I guess, the reason why Australian growth opportunists are still wary about the Indian markets is due to their high preference for very low risk investments. India is not considered as low-risk as of yet.

But there’s progress, for example Macquarie Bank has invested $2 billion in our toll road management.Things are moving and will keep improving, once Australian businesses realisethat they would be assured of very good returns on their investments in India.

On the other hand, Indian investors have actively made investments in the coal sector in Australia. Despite some debacles faced by giant investors such as GVK, Jindals and the Adani group, there’s still scope in the coal and cooking gas sector.

A few fruitful investments will positively change the scenario and encourage more Indian investments in Australia.

Speaking of India importing coal, has the Adani group become more of a political football?

It’s not unusual to face legal and socioethical hurdles in mining projects of such enormous propensity. Since the start, environmentalists and some other

stakeholders have been opposing the progress of the Adani group. To my knowledge, the Indian mining company has done all the due processes to mitigate opposition at the state level, the federal level as well as public level.

To what extent do the bilateral relations between the two countries revolve around the goodwill of Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Scott Morrison?

The relations between two nations is not personality dependent. Such matters depend on strategic issues and are dynamic. Still, personalities and personal chemistry do play a role in building mutual trust. Both the leaders being so compatible and having a long tenure remaining, this is a prosperous period for bilateral growth. We’ve issued an invitation to Prime Minister Scott Morrison for an India visit. Let’s see.

With just a few weeks to go before his three-year tenure finishes, India’s High Commissioner to Australia AJAY GONDANE sat down with Indian Link Media Group CEO PAWAN LUTHRA to look back at his time in Australia, and to the future of the relationship between the two nations.

Varsha and Ajay Gondane with Maurice Newman AO

Would you say Australia could balance its dependence on China by increasing trade and diplomatic options with India?

I cannot comment on Australia’s equation with other countries, but I can definitely say that India is emerging as a good market for Australia. India can partner Australia in areas such as agriculture, commodities, minerals - areas that are all vital for us. Do note that India is a water-stressed country and we are dependent on water-intensive crops. As of now we are not importing so much; our imports of Australian agricultural products is $1.6-2 billion but it can grow. Specially, the need for India is in horticulture products, which are very efficiently produced in Australia. Australia can find a very good partner in India. Our extensive defence talks are bearing fruit in form of joint exercises and policies such as AUSINDEX and the Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019. A growing maritime security domain is also an area being looked upon. We expect to sign a major logistics agreement with Australia. The relationship to the entire gamut of diplomatic, politico-economic, defence, security and of course other areas such as science, technology and sport, is indeed wonderful.

ON KASHMIR

Can you share with us the background to the revocation of Article 370 in Kashmir?

First and foremost, Article 370 has always been a temporary provision. It’s been carried forward for more than 6 decades. Several clauses in this article rid the Kashmiri citizens of the inclusiveness they deserve. Many progressive laws introduced by the Central Government couldn’t be accessed by Kashmiri citizens. Moreover, the lack of accountability of allocated funds was very high. This in many ways has led to disproportionate development of several growth aspects such as the education system. The social capital which is an accumulation of many years, is not proportionate.

What are your views on remarks of biased structural reorganisation in Jammu and Kashmir?

Such a reorganisation has been

recently implemented in Telangana and Seemandhra, previously in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. There is no bias here, unfortunately this has been coloured as an impingement on changing the valley’s demographics. Where we have had reorganization before nothing has changed for example, Nagaland and Manipur are Christian majority and Arunachal is a Buddhist majority state.

There have been accusations of the curtailing of civil liberties, especially the shutdownin Kashmir of all communications,such as the Internet. It’s a pre-emptive measure to minimise any sort of chaos and related casualties. The Telangana agitations led to the death of a student. Crowd gatherings lead to lot of misinformation, incendiary speeches and fake news which can create an atmosphere of civil unrest. We wanted, and have achieved, a smooth transition. As of today, I can guarantee that all landlines have been restored along with registered postpaid mobile numbers. As of the moment, out of 116 police stations, around 106 are open. Normality will eventually ensue and restrictions will be lifted.

ON THE INDIAN COMMUNITY IN AUSTRALIA

What can be done to harness the energy

of the Indian-Australian community to help grow the India-Australia relationship?

I’ve observed that the Indian community here is very well educated and skilled in professional traits. We would be most happy when any Indian does well in any part of the world. It’s a wise and enriching way to gain the respect of the Australians and establish a positive image for Indians. This will help us lead the way for a better future and prosperous economy. More and more Indian professionals are building a brand image for us as a reliable and efficient partner.

“Too many chiefs and not enough Indians.” Your thoughts on the proliferation of associations in the Indian Australian community? I think our diversity has been our strength: this reflects in the dynamism of the communities. Singularity in associations might make it hard to accommodate all enthusiasts. I think more associations are a good spawn for emerging leaders.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

What’s inspired you to join the Civil Services?

I think it was God’s good grace that I was chosen to serve our nation, rest is all regular hard work and preparations.

Favourite movie and song?

I like Upkaar, and I like that Manna De song, Aae mere pyaare watan.

An Australian personality that has impressed you?

I am largely impressed by the Australian common man. Their social etiquettes, mannerisms and respect for others’ space is remarkable. It’s worth learning from them, and I feel we should do the same in India.

Winston Churchill once said “Diplomacy is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip”. Can you share with us an incident when you had to use your diplomatic skills to the maximum?

(Laughs) The definitions and reasons of diplomacy have changed. We mostly deal with regular functional issues and negotiations ranging from agriculture, education, cultural liaisons etc. It’s not as flowery as cocktail parties and small talks over drinks - rather there are lots of legislative duties.

What keeps you awake at night?

Well, nothing keeps me awake. I'm a very minor personality in the whole governance system. Unless there’s an emergency or an urgent matter, nothing keeps me awake. Obviously like any other patriot I too worry and ponder on our country’s future and possible progress matters.

What are such matters which bother you?

Remember the ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech? We promised to provide all the comforts of life to every person, such as food, clothing, cleanwater, health, education etc. How can I contribute to that, what’s my role in closing this gap? Things like these.

Retirement plans?

I hope to build a small house for aged care in a village near Nagpur, and help my wife Varsha manage a mobile library for the children in the local community.

Adios to a humble diplomat who likes to refer to himself as a seeker of knowledge. May your thirst for knowledge be unquenched as you share your wisdom with all.

Unlisted, underage, but not unAustralian

A crime and a thriller, a dadi and her teenagers, Australia and India together in ABC’s ‘The Unlisted’

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

An Australian show with an all-Indian cast targeted at an international market, Mithila Gupta muses, would have been impossible to pitch only a few years ago.

Today as one of the writers of ABC ME series The Unlisted, not only is she sitting back and basking in the glory of what could only be a dream come true, she’s also filled with enthusiasm for a world of opportunities opening up to other creatives like her.

A sci-fi tale for young adults, The Unlisted is a crime thriller, at the centre of which are identical twins Dru and Kal: they stumble upon a sinister plot by a consortium who want to create an army of young soldiers who can be controlled to obey any order.

As they become vigilantes trying to stop the baddies, Dru(pad) and Kal(pen) Sharma’s Indian-origin family comes in to play in a major way - offering the audience more than a sneak peek into its foods and fads, festivals and (multigenerational) flashpoints.

Sixteen-year-old Sydney-based twins Ved and Vrund Rao play Dru and Kal. Saba Abdi, well-known in the Indian community for her years of experience in the industry, plays their somewhat overbearing but much-loved grandmother Dadi. Nicholas Brown, Zenia Starr and Virginie Laverdure make up the generation in between. This structure allows for many Indian stereotypes to come to the fore – geeks, doctors, STEM, PhDs, joint families, food, domestic passions, rituals. (Equally though, it does allow for some stereotypes to be smashed to the ground. For instance, women as second class citizens? Not if Dadi has anything to do with it!)

Ved and Vrund came to the role already captivated by the suspense-mystery and thriller genres, their favourite entertainment diet currently consisting of Hobbs & Shaw, Now here Boys and Simmba. They bring a good mix of Indian and Australian sensibilities too, just as their characters demand, such as an equal admiration of Dwayne Johnson and Akshay Kumar (and an equal fascination for maths, drama and sport, if that is any indication).

“We had no previous acting experience when we went in for the audition,” Ved Rao tells Indian Link. “But we worked with

Mithila Gupta

Ved and Vrund Rao as Dr and Kal

an acting coach and a vocal coach for six months.”

Vrund chimes in, “Filming took four months, nearly all day every day. We got tutoring on the weekends.”

Saba excels in her role as traditionalist matriarch. “Dadi loves to cook, feed, control the lives of her near ones, keep the family together, and pass on her values and culture to the next generation,” she describes to Indian Link. “I tried to make my character warm, lively and funny. I looked around at some of the personalities in our Indian community in Sydney and picked up some characteristics and mannerisms to make my portrayal convincing.”

She adds, “In later episodes, you’ll see Dadi more compassionate and committed to saving the children from the forces of evil. She does not discriminate between kids and strongly believes that all kids have equal rights and deserve a safe future.”

The show is created and produced by film-maker Justine Flynn, who grew up in NSW’s Woolgoolga district with its large

Sikh community. That they have lived here for generations, but still maintain strong ties with their ethnic heritage, left an impression on her. It probably also made her a passionate supporter, as a storyteller, of diverse content and an advocate for providing young people with the opportunity to see versions of their own experience on screen.

“The project has been a heart-warming process,” writer Mithila Gupta shares. “It’s nice to be celebrating diversity, especially as I worked with Indian creatives for the first time in my eight-year career.”

It all began with a workshop of diverse participants, who shared their experiences of growing up in Australia. From these stories, Justine Flynn and writer Chris Kunz were able to glean information to develop the characters in the show.

Mithila wrote three episodes, and also edited the screenplay for each.

“I wrote many years ago for Neighbours, moving the Kapoor family into Ramsay

St,” she reveals. “It was a lot tougher then, when diversity was not a focus, but I got it over the line.”

This time round, Mithila is thrilled to have worked alongside two other South Asian Australian writers, Nicholas Brown (who also stars) and Natesha Somasundaram, Indian-Australian producer Sleena Wilson, and director’s attachment Neil Sharma.

“It was an authentic voice all the way through,” she laughs, adding, “We even had a food specialist brought in!”

As the industry becomes more diverse, the call is finally being heard for more diverse voices in the writer’s room. Was it hard for Mithila to break into the industry?

“It’s hard for anyone to break into this industry,” she replies, cautiously at first. “I did film school, then writing school, and worked in the arts department for seven years before I got that break with Neighbours. It was hard but I refused to give up. My background played a part definitely,

but having said that, I’ve met the most wonderful people who embraced me and gave me the freedom to be me. I’m proud to work in this capacity now, and there’s so much more to come.”

Saba agrees. “I think The Unlisted is validation of how Australian society is opening up and changing to multiculturalism in spirit and in practice, especially in media, which I remember was a closed shop for people like me 30 years ago when I first came here. It is a celebration and recognition of the emerging diversity in this nation.”

In the end, though, perhaps it will be the young diverse viewers who will feel the strongest impact.

As someone who came here at the age of three and who was socialised in the Australian milieu, Mithila is more than aware of the ‘can’t see it, can’t be it’ maxim.

“Not seeing someone like us on screen, put more pressure on us to accept who we were. Today, things are changing. I must say, I’ve never been prouder of who I am than I have been in the last three years.”

The Unlisted can be seen on ABC ME and on ABC iview

“It was an authentic voice all the way through. We even had a food specialist brought in!” Mithila Gupta

Saba Abdi on set

Hindi Diwas at IABBV Hindi School

The Vimla Luthra Memorial Hindi Poetry Competition is a highlight, among other activities including skits, dances and a Gandhi exhibition

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

The only people who never fail, are those who never try. We’ve all heard that motivational quote before. Those of us who grew up in northern India heard of it in the popular poem Koshish karne walon ki kabhi haar nahi hoti.

It was clear that many young Hindi students were motivated by that thought, as a record number signed up for this year’s Vimla Luthra Memorial Hindi Poetry Competition.

Indeed those very same poem was heard fromno less than four different contestants, in various age categories.

Held as part of IABBV Hindi School’s annual Hindi Diwas celebration, the competition gave kids aged 5 to 18 an opportunity to present their poems on stage.

The said poem was significant in another way, guest Rajan Luthra reminded the gathering on the occasion, as it truly captured the ‘never give up’ attitude of his mother Vimla Luthra, after whom the competition is named. A wellloved community figure, Mrs Luthra became a poet late in her life, producing two books and regaling audiences with her recitations. It was one of a number of new endeavours that she took up and mastered in the twilight of her life, such as swimming and driving and new age pursuits like Sudoku, thus perfectly encapsulating the words of poet Sohanlal Dwivedi, Koshish karne waalon ki…

(Yes, the poem is written by Dwivedi, but is often incorrectly attributed to

Harivansh Rai Bachchan, as it was at this most recent IABBV event, simply because his son Amitabh made the most famous rendition of it).

Among the many presentations, we

heard poems on quintessentially Indian themes - koel, baarish, garmi ki chuttiayaan, Hindu prayers, Holi, Diwali, Gandhi, even the importance of education especially for girls (which Vimla Luthra would have particularly enjoyed).

Patriotic works were a popular choice: poems based on Bharat desh, on the tiranga (Indian tricolour), on Jhansi ki Rani and Padmini, and that old classic Pushp ki Abhilasha by Makhanlal Chaturvedi took on special significance for the audience, as the service of our forces have been in the spotlight this year.

The little ones went for age-relevant themes like haathi, kela, pedh, chidiya, gubbare, Mummy-Papa.

The judging panel was made up of Santram Bajaj, Kusum Chaudhry, Darshan Behl and Rekha Rajvanshi, all of them litterateurs. Cash prizes were awarded to winners in four categories: Upto 6 years, 7-8 years, 9-12 years, and 13-18 years.

Ayaan Uttam, who won the little kids category, said later, “Mujhe Ganpati Bappa ne jitaya hai (Lord Ganesh helped me win)”. He had worn a yellow Ganpati kurta for the day. Mala Mehta, principal of IABBV Hindi School, said later, “The teachers and I are very pleased with efforts made by the students this year.”

We can only conclude, Hindi poetry is safe in the hands of next-gen kids in Sydney’s Indian community!

Throughout the day, the 32-year service of IABBV Hindi School was acknowledged not only by founder and Principal Mala Mehta OAM, but also many of the invited special guests including Consul General of India Manish Gupta, MPs Geoff Lee, Julian Leeser (himself an ex-student), Julia Finn and MattKean, Multicultural NSW Chair Dr GK Harinath, and educationists Paul Cahill and Dr Robyn Moloney.

The special guests were also given a showcase of cultural activities by the students, including a skit on environmental awareness, and dances in the Bollywood, Kathak, Dandiya and Bhangra styles.

Students who have excelled in Hindi as well as teachers who have served at IABBV for a long period were felicitated.

Mahatma Gandhi made a special appearance at this year’s Hindi Diwas at IABBV, given Indians the world over are marking his 150th birth anniversary this year. He watched on from his life-size cutouts as the kids recited their poems, as Darcy Road Public School students sang Sabarmati ke Sant, as others presented the skit Bapuka Uphaar, and as all attendees walked through an exhibition of photos devoted to his life.

The photographic exhibition, entitled ‘Mahatma Gandhi: My life is my message’ is produced by India’s National Gandhi Museum and the Government of India’s Ministry of External Affairs. As an exhibition on the move, it has been seen by students in over 20 Sydney schools now.

From Left: Jayesh Nauriyal, Hritwik Nauriyal and Ayan Uttam are among the poetry contest winners.

Rushdie's 'Quichotte' shortlisted for 2019 Booker Prize

Award-winning and internationally bestselling author Salman Rushdie's new novel Quichotte is in the race to win this year’s 50,000 pound Booker Prize for Fiction.

The news of the shortlist broke with an announcement from the organisers of one of the leading literary awards in the Englishspeaking world.

Quichotte is published in India by Penguin Random House India, making it the only nominee by an Indian publisher in this year's shortlist. This book is published under the Hamish Hamilton imprint in India, and was simultaneously released in the UK and India on August 29.

Inspired by the classic Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, Quichotte is one of the most anticipated books of the year and opened to exceptional reviews from the media. It is the 14th novel from the prize-winning author, the story of an ageing travelling salesman who falls in love with a TV star and sets off to drive across America on a quest to prove himself worthy of her hand. The tragicomic tale is one of our deranged times, and deals, along the way, with father-son relationships, sibling quarrels, racism, cyber-spies, and the end of the world.

Commenting on the nomination, Rushdie said, "It has been 19 years since The Moor's Last Sigh made it to the shortlist, so I'm obviously delighted. I'm also happy to be chosen, alongside such terrific writers, to be part of an interesting, strong list."

Meru Gokhale, publisher of Penguin Press, Penguin Random House India, said, "In Quichotte, Salman Rushdie has again caught the zeitgeist by writing a novel that engages hilariously and meaningfully with the absurdities of the contemporary world, taking in pop culture, TV soaps, America's opioid crisis, giants of world literature, and much more besides. It offers moments of pure pleasure for every reader. We are delighted to be Salman Rushdie's publisher, and not surprised that he is once more in line for the Booker Prize for Fiction."

Rushdie is the author of 14 novels including Midnight's Children, for which he won the Man Booker Prize, the Booker of Bookers Prize, and the Best of the Booker Prize. He has also published one collection of short stories and four works of non-fiction,

including the internationally acclaimed bestseller, Joseph Anton, and has co-edited two anthologies.

He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University. A former president of PEN American Center, Rushdie was knighted in 2007 for services to literature. His books have been translated into over forty languages.

The other books on the shortlist:

• Margaret Atwood (Canada), The Testaments (Vintage, Chatto & Windus)

• Lucy Ellmann (US/UK), Ducks, Newburyport (Galley Beggar Press)

• Bernardine Evaristo (UK), Girl, Woman, Other (Hamish Hamilton)

• Chigozie Obioma (Nigeria), An Orchestra of Minorities (Little Brown)

• Elif Shafak (UK/Turkey), 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World (Viking)

The judges' panel was chaired by Peter Florence, director of the Hay Festival, and consisted of former fiction publisher and editor Liz Calder; novelist and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo; writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch; and pianist and composer Joanna Mac Gregor. The winner of the Booker Prize will be announced on October 14.

Trump to attend 'Howdy Modi' rally

In a rare honour, US President Donald Trump will make an unprecedented appearance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the "Howdy Modi" ethnic rally in Houston on Sunday 22 Sept, the White House has announced.

"It will be a great opportunity to emphasize the strong ties between the people of the United States and India, to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the world's oldest and largest democracies, and to discuss ways to deepen their energy and trade relationship," the White House said recently.

"The event, 'Howdy, Modi! Shared Dreams, Bright Futures,' is expected to draw tens of thousands of people," it added.

The joint appearance will boost Modi's presence on the US stage and will also be controversial in the divisive US political landscape. It is also an outreach ahead of next year's election by Trump to the Indian American community that leans towards the Democratic Party. According to new Research, only 18 percent of Indian Americans support the Republican Party,

while 65 percent back the Democrats.

Trump has reached out to the IndianAmerican community, which is the highestearning and among the highly educated ethnic group in the US to draw them into the Republican fold with his message of fighting terrorism and promoting pro-growth economic policies. During the campaign the 2016 election, Trump attended a rally organised by the Republican Hindu coalition with the theme, "Humanity United against Terror".

Indian Americans have contributed about $1 million to the Trump re-election campaign and $2 million to Democrats as of June 30, according to research by The Los Angeles Times.

Trump's strong backing for India against terrorism as well as his administration's position that removing Kashmir's special status under Article 370 of the Constitution have strong support in the Indian community. However, there have also been tension over trade because of Trump's American First policy.

On the other side, the joint Trump-Modi meeting will draw Modi into the vortex of divisive US politics. Pakistani groups have been mobilising for a protest outside the "Howdy Mody" event. Other protests can now be expected alongside theirs.

Hindus in this Bihar village cross religious lines to maintain centuries-old mosque

India is a country where gross generalisations can be made on the basis of single incidents or events. Though the temple-mosque dispute in the town of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh is what grabs frequent media headlines over "HinduMuslim conflict", not too far away in the village of Maadhi, in Nalanda district of Bihar, there are Hindus who quietly manage a mosque and conduct its regular prayers even though the village is now virtually empty of Muslims.

The Maadhi village situated 100 km from Patna, made up of but 1,200 households, was once known for its large Shia Muslim population. No Muslims live here now, but namaz is offered five times a day by the Hindus.

The Hindus also take care of the maintenance of the lone mosque. "We (Hindus) don't know the azaan, but a pen drive (with a recording of the azaan) is

Construction work is ongoing at the Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, 16 Sept 2019, the first visa-free border crossing with India, a corridor that will allow Sikh pilgrims to easily visit their shrines on each side of the border. The crossing, known as the Kartarpur corridor is a rare sign of cooperation between the two nuclear-armed rival countries.

played every day to perform the ritual," said Hans Kumar, a village resident.

According to the villagers, Maadhi once had a sizeable Muslim population, but residents have all migrated to other parts of the country for better opportunities.

"There was no one to take care of the mosque, so the Hindus had to come forward," said Gautam, who takes care of the mosque.

Gautam said no one knows when the mosque was constructed and by whom, but local residents say on the basis of folklore that the mosque is 200 to 250 years old. There is also a tomb in front of the mosque where people offer prayers.

"The mosque is cleaned and prayers are offered every morning and evening. Whenever there is a problem, people come here for redressal," said Janki Pandit, the village priest.

After a wedding, even newly-wed couples come here first to take blessings, said a villager.

Villagers also take out Muharram procession every year in which almost all the residents of the village participate. Most of the Muslim residents in the village were Shias.

"Hindus themselves make tazia during Muharram, and take out the procession", a ward member Laxmi Devi told IANS.

A villager Sanjay Paswan said, "The tazia procession during Muharram ends at the tomb of Hazrat Ismail Rahamatullah."

Villagers believe that even if there are no Muslims here, this mosque and the tomb protects people from bad omen.

The village also celebrates Hindu and Muslim festivals together in keeping with the country's traditional syncretic culture. Sometimes Durga Puja and Muharram are observed simultaneously. The expenses are shared among the villagers.

Block Development Officer Mohammad Firoze, under whose charge this village falls, says that it is a great example of communal harmony at a time when there is a lot of distrust between the two communities.

During festivals, special arrangements are made to maintain law and order and communal peace everywhere, but in this village there is no such problem as all the festivals are celebrated peacefully, says Firoze.

Safarnama app reanimates Delhi's ancient monuments

There have been guidebooks, bus tours, videos, pamphlets, walkabouts et al, but a new app 'Safarnama' is set to "capture the way history in Delhi is actually held within and under the stones" in short bursts as you travel across the city.

"We wanted to capture the way history in Delhi is actually held within and under the stones - so much extraordinary heritage is embedded within small places and barely seen fragments," said Dr Debs Sutton, a

Photo: AP

Senior Lecturer in Modern South Asian History at the Lancaster University, who developed the app with the aid of a grant from its Arts and Humanities Research Council and in association with Centre for the Study of Developing Studies (CSDS) in the national capital.

"I wanted others to feel the energy of the city's fabric and heritage as I do. With that in mind we really thought about how technology could reanimate the city. There are so many stories to be told and so many sounds to hear - and the app provides the medium to do this. It's a new way of seeing the past - a fantastic philosophy," Sutton told IANS.

Sutton lived in Delhi for five years and was captivated by the "energy and excitement" of the city when she studied for a PhD at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

The app contains images, texts, newspaper cuttings and audio recordings that tell the stories of Delhi in the years after the partition of the subcontinent that displaced millions of people and caused unparalleled violence. Delhi was transformed by this displacement.

Refugees were accommodated in monuments, mosques, temples and thousands of people opened their doors to offer shelter to those forced to leave their homes.

Refugee centres were opened to provide training and jobs to refugees and hundreds of new businesses were established across the city.

The app will enable users to hear these stories at the places they took place. As they near particular points of interest, travellers will receive a push notification. If they pass close enough - within a 'trigger zone' - their phone will automatically open the media associated with the place of interest.

How did this project come about?

"The work evolved from my historical research on the ways in which Delhi heritage has been animated by and integrated into the city of Delhi in the twentieth century. Despite the best efforts of the Imperial government to set monuments apart from the everyday life of the city, monuments were always animated by all sorts of social (and often economic) occupation. This led me to think about the proliferation of physical heritage across the city. Notified monuments are only a small fraction of the extraordinarily rich and complex history of the city.

"Safarnama is an attempt to capture that variety and to allow new publics to engage with heritage. The app promotes that engagement as part of everyday mobility, rather than as occasional visits to monuments," Sutton explained.

What did the development process involve?

"It was a long one! I was awarded funding by the Arts and Humanities Research Council in the UK to get together with others to think about the potential of digital heritage in complex and fast

changing urban environments. We started out using a different software and about six months ago the software developer and I decided to start again and create a purpose-built authoring tool. This authoring tool and platform allows the creation and dissemination of different experiences.

"Other partners include INTACH Delhi, Hilal Ahmed at CSDS, the Centre for Community Knowledge at AUD (Ambedkar University Delhi) and the New DelhiBerkley-based 1947 Partition Archive.

How were the monuments chosen?

"In all sorts of ways. I had been working on the occupation of mosques, mandirs and monuments by Partition refugees when I started thinking about the project. That is why I proposed the Partition City Delhi as the first, proof of concept digital heritage experience. Thereafter, we drew on a huge range of archives and scholarly publications," Sutton said.

What's next?

An Industrial Heritage Experience for Mumbai and an app for Karachi, Sutton concluded.

1,000 PhD fellowships for ASEAN students at IITs

In a unique capacity building initiative, India recently launched 1,000 PhD fellowships that could be taken up at the IITs, for the students from ASEAN countries. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' jointly launched the programme here.

The fellowships could be taken up at the 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across the country.

Officials said that with a total outlay of Rs 300 crore, the fellowship programme is touted to be the largest capacity development initiative by India in partnership with ASEAN. The fellowship will cover the full cost of study and living expenses for a duration of up to five years.

"Honoured to launch the largest capacity-building programme in the #ASEAN India partnership - offering 1000

fellowships to the students from our SE Asian neighbourhood to carry out doctoral research at IITs. Thank Ministry of HRD @DrRPNishank & IIT for this initiative," tweeted Jaishankar.

IIT Delhi has been designated by the HRD ministry to coordinate for the fellowship programme that was launched at the External Affairs Ministry.

"To strengthen the deep and historical ties between India and ASEAN, India's foremost technical education centres, the internationally-renowned Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), welcome scholars from ASEAN countries to apply for PhD fellowships. Applicants may apply online on our portal at http://asean.iitd.ac.in," the MEA said in a release.

It further said, "Those selected can complete their PhD with Government of India funding at par with Indian counterparts. Such funding will cover the entire cost of study and living expenses for up to five years of a PhD programme."

The ministry also added that in January 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced India's offer to provide up to 1,000 integrated PhD fellowships for ASEAN students in IITs while attending the 25th Anniversary ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi.

The HRD Minister said that the ASEAN nations share deep cultural ties and this will be strengthened by this fellowship programme.

"The fellowships will strengthen our cultural, technical and financial relations. It will foster the three Cs -- culture, commerce and connectivity," he said.

Govt nudges Apple Inc to increase Indian operations' scope

Hailing its presence in the country, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asked Apple Inc to scale up operations in India from its current presence as the tech giant has just started manufacturing phones and components for both domestic use and exports purpose.

"Apple has started manufacturing phones in India including components. They have started making iPhones in India and also components both for exports. But this is just a tip of the iceberg. I want a robust presence of Apple in India. A super robust presence of Samsung in India. Apple is also on board as far as the India story in concerned," R. S. Prasad told media after a roundtable discussion with CEOs of global manufacturing companies who raised issues of tariffs, taxes, single window clearance, component manufacturing, among others.

Apple has started to export iPhones to some European markets from India, which boosts the government's 'Make in India' and also the company's projection of making India an export hub.

Though Prasad declined to link India's opportunity to become a manufacturing hub for electronics due to the US-China trade war, it is believed that Apple's suppliers and partners like Foxconn or Wistron have been hinted by the US company to move production outside China gradually to some extent.

In the past years, the government's measures to promote electronics manufacturing include the modified special incentive package scheme, the phased manufacturing programme, electronics manufacturing clusters and the electronics development fund.

Manufacturers Association of Information Technology (MAIT) President Nitin Kunkolienker highlighted the need for creation of a component manufacturing hub in India that needs to be promoted aggressively by incentivisation by the government. It also included offering a production-linked export incentive, leveraging India's geo-political influence and FTA influence with countries to accept BIS and TEC standards as sufficient to access to their markets.

India has set its sight on creating a $400 billion (around Rs 28.43 lakh crore) electronic manufacturing ecosystem by 2025, and notified a new policy to boost manufacturing activities.

Kerala women prepare a flower-carpet or ‘pookalam’ as part of the Hindu harvest festival Onam in Bangalore, India, 11 Sept 2019.

Photo: AP

VIEWFINDER

BY SHYAMAL

The Emu in the Sky: The indigenous Papunya community of NT tell a story of a blind man whose wife is killed the Milky Way, where it can still be seen today. The photograph above shows the celestial clouds of the Milky beaches on a new moon winter night, with my Nikon D750 and Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 lens. It is a 20-sec exposure she has not yet forgiven me for making her stay still

VIEWFINDER

killed by an emu as she is hunting for eggs. He takes revenge by spearing the emu and banishing its spirit to Milky Way representing a part of the emu’s body. I shot this at the Long Reef Headlands along Sydney's northern exposure at 26 mm, f/3.2 and ISO 3200. I had to coax my reluctant daughter into providing foreground interest; still during my numerous long exposure attempts.

WHAT’S ON

DANDIYA

Dandiya Night

Sat 28 Sept (5.00pm onwards)

Venue: Roselea Community Centre

Beecroft

Sat 5 Oct (5.30pm onwards)Venue:

Beatrice Taylor Hall Hornsby

Details 0423 516 105

Dandiya Night with Fashion Show

Sun 29 Sept (5:00pm - 9:00pm)

Team India present a Dandiya night with live band and traditional fashion show, with indoor activities for kids.

Venue: Young St, Parramatta.

Details 0470 130 891 or email teamindia.au@gmail.com

Rasotsav with Dev Bhatt

Sat 28 Sept Gujarati Samaj of NSW announces Rasotsav with playback singer Dev Bhatt. Blacktown Leisure Centre, Stanhope Gardens.

Details 0449 996 962

Navratri Cultural Group

Sat 5 Oct (6.30pm - 11.00am)

Menai High School, 40 Gerald Rd, Illawong. Details 02 9792 1422

Navratri Garba

Sat 5 Oct (6.30pmm - 11.00pm)

Gujarati Brahman Samaj of NSW Inc presents Navratri Garba featuring community singers and musicians.

Venuw: Blacktown Leisure Centre, Cnr Sentry Drive and Stanhope Parkway, Stanhope gardens.

Details 0432 885 765

FESTIVAL

Sydney Utshab Durga Puja 2019

Sat 28 Sept (9.30am - 9.30pm)

Strathfield Girls High School, 116 Albert Rd, Strathfield. Details www.sydneyutshab.org.au

Deepavali

Sun 13 Oct (10.00am onwards)

Hindu Council of Australia presents Deepavalimela at Rouse Hill Town Centre. Details 0402 676 548

Little India Street Fair

Sat 19 Oct (12.30pm - 10.00pm)

CIA celebrates Diwali with a street fair on Wigram St, Harris Park.

Details 0423 894 531

AHIA Diwali

Sat 19 Oct (7.00pm onwards)

Australian Hindi Indians Association Inc presents its annual Diwali gathering at The Sapphire Room, Croatian Club, 921 Punchbowl Rd, Punchbowl. As AHIA marks its silver jubilee this year, the theme for the evening is: Silver.

Details 0411 967 374

STAGE

Tasty Theatre Bites: In a Nutshell

Fri 27-Sun 29 Sept Lane Cove

Theatre Company presents 10-minute play showcase: In a Nutshell. Venue: The Performance Space @ St Aidan's, 1 Christina St, Longueville.

Details (02) 9427 2666

COMMUNITY

Indian Women Empower

Fri 20 Sept (6.00pm – 9.30pm)

Indian Women Empower presents its launch and first fundraiser event at Parravilla Function Centre, 42 Campbell St, Parramatta.

Tea & Tiffin with Pink Sari Inc.

Sun 22 Sept (3.00pm - 5.00 pm)

An exciting and thought-provoking get-together for men and women from the Indian and Sri Lankan communities, providing awareness of bowel cancer prevention. Venue: Thornleigh Community Centre, corner of Phyllis and Central Avenues, Thornleigh.

Featuring some exciting activities to spark your creativity while learning about gut health, including celebrity chef Kumar Mahadevan of Master Chef fame, Uppma Virdi founder of Chai Walli and other special participants.

Details 0422 082 608

ENTERTAINMENT

Fashion Show: Royal Indian Rendezvous

Sat 21 Sept (12:00 noon to 05:00 pm) Bowman Hall, 35 Campbell Street, Blacktown.

Shah Rukh Khan tour: Temptation Reloaded

Mon 7 Oct Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. Details www.temptationreloaded.com.au

Stand Up Comedy

Fri Oct 11 (8.30pm onwards) Aisi

Taisi Democracy: The Azaadi Tour features Varun Grover, Rahul Ram and Sanjay Rajora.

Venue: Bowman Hall, Main Street, Blacktown. Details 0430 842 841

KK Live in Concert Fri 11 Oct (7.30pm onwards)

Diamond Showroom, Blacktown Workers, 55 Campbell St, Blacktown.

Details 0406 997 339.

CLASSICAL

Classical Dance

Fri 20 Sept (5.30pm – 7.00pm) The Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre presents Sailaja Kambhammettu (Director, Kalabharathi).

Venue: Level 2, 265 Castlereagh St, Sydney. Details (02) 9223 2702

Bharatanatyam Solo

Sat 21 Sept (6.30pm onwards)

Shivam School of Dance presents Harinie Jeevitha in a Bharatanatyam solo at Bryan Brown Theatre, Bankstown. Details 0415 066 252.

Bhoomi: Woman & Earth

Sun 22 Sept (4.00pm – 5.30pm)

Ancient South Indian art meets contemporary Australia. Indian and Sri Lankan artists from NSW and VIC explores pressing themes of contemporary Australian society and diaspora. Outdoors at Old Government House Parramatta. Details Indi

Balachandran 0413 063 527

Kuchupidi Narthanam

Canberra’s Sadhanalaya School of Arts tours NSW, Vic and QLD with its showcase of the South Indian classical dance style Kuchipudi. The production features Kuchipudi exponent Smt Vanaja Dasika, niece of the legendary Padmabhushan Vempati Chinna Satyam.

5 Oct 7:30pm: Albury Entertainment Centre, Albury (NSW)

6 Oct 7:00pm: Federation University Post Office Box Theatre, Ballarat (VIC)

7 Oct 7:00pm: Engine Room, Bendigo (VIC)

8 Oct 7:00pm: Byron Theatre, Byron Bay (NSW)

9 Oct 7:00pm: Walter Reid Cultural Centre, Rockhampton (QLD)

11 Oct 7:30pm: Bankstown Arts

Centre, Sydney

12 Oct 4:00pm: Mittagong Playhouse, Mittagong (NSW) Details 0425 101 120

Abhijnana Shakunthalam

Sat 12 Oct (6.30pm onwards) To celebrate Diwali this year, charity organisation Vision 2020 has organised a grand ballet based on the great Indian poet Kalidasa’s immortal drama Abhijnana Shakunthalam. Exclusively choreographed by Sydney’s renowned artist Hamsa Venkat and presented by Samskriti School of Dance, it will be a rich cultural experience for all age groups. Venue: Performing Arts Centre, Pacific Hills Christian School, 9-15 Quarry Road, Dural. Fresh food and free parking available. This year Vision 2020 is supporting a unique organisation REHOBOTH (Shelter) Paraniputhur in rural Tamil Nadu, which has been providing shelter and rehabilitation facilities to destitute women with mental health issues. Details www.Vision2020.org.au

Krishnaarpanam

Sun 20 Oct (5:00 pm - 8:00 pm)

Marking its 10th anniversary, performing arts organisation Silambam Sydney, presents Bharatanatyam production Krishnaarpanam, based on the lilas (playful pastimes) of Lord Shri Krishna. Venue: UNSW Sydney, Entry Gate 14, Barker St Kensington. Details www.arunagandhi.com/ silambamsydney

SPIRITUAL

Chinmaya Mission Sydney’s Family Camp

12-13 Oct Swami Shrikarananda presents an enlightening weekend away for the whole family. Sessions include: The Marvels and Mysteries of the Mahabharata (for adults)

Finding the Warrior Within (Kids in Years 7 – 12)

Dream Big Little Warriors (Kids Years K – 6)

Venue: 6 Baden Powell Cres, Winston

Hills. Details 0408 445 941

MISC Gandhi Essay Writing Competition

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, the Consulate General of India (Sydney) is organising an essay competition on the topic “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” The contest, open to writers in English or Hindi, involves prizes in the age categories 10 and below, 11-15, 16-19 and 20 and above. Last date for submission 26 Sept 2019.

Details icc2.sydney@mea.gov.in

New Gokula Farm urgently seeking donation

New Gokula is a not-for-profit organisation, nestled in the heart of the Hunter Valley, dedicated to serving the community through sustainable agriculture, cow protection, spiritual courses and retreats, and providing free, organic vegetarian meals every day of the year.

New Gokulagrows organic produce, which is also used in its nutritious vegetarian cooking. It also has more than 70 cows and bullocks. It is committed to sustainable practices and has been self-sufficient in many areas including water usage and food production until the impact of the drought.

Millfield, where New Gokulais located, has been severely struck by the 2017/2018 drought. Because of this, it now has barren pastures, dry lakes and hungry animals.

The lack of rain has left New Gokula Farm struggling as it battles the worst drought in the hundred years of recorded history.

Unrelenting hot weather has ripped moisture out of the ground and the once luscious pastures have turned brown, the grass is dead, and the animals have no feed.

As the drought continues, New Gokulais in urgent need for help.

It is struggling financially with the increased electricity costs involved with pumping water to stock troughs and the increasing costs of purchasing feed to keep the animals alive. New Gokula is now kindly seeking your generous support to help continue its activities.

Donations can be made to:

Bank: Westpac Account name:

ISKCON Farm BSB: 032164 Account no: 110819

OR for making a tax-deductible donation, please donate to:

Bank: Westpac Account name:

Hare Krishna Food For Life Hunter Valley Inc. BSB: 032516 Account no: 182462

Your donation will significantly assist New Gokula with purchasing of hay bales, supply of clean water for the animals, keeping them fed until spring, and assisting with other overheads.

Details 0469073918 or email newgokula@gmail.com

SPOT ON CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL

1 – 5 OCTOBER

Spot On Children’s Festival sparks imaginations and allows children to explore the world of the arts, delve into stories of magical creatures and places near and far and experience the power of live performance and dynamic cinema.

The festival features Manasamitra, a UK based arts organisation delivering a range of South Asian arts and cultural experiences in traditional and innovative ways. Riverside welcomes them for the first time with Lullaby, a unique musical experience inspired by traditional Indian lullabies. Perfect for young children this wondrous show captures timeless night-time sounds from around the world and transports audiences into a magical, relaxed setting with soothing sounds and meditative light projections.

Book Now 8839 3399 rshow.biz/spoton19

Understanding elder abuse

You do have rights as seniors, and legal protections are available

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

The number of elder abuse cases being reported to authorities has seen a sharp spike in recent years. When Nalika Padmasena, a solicitor with Seniors Rights Service said this at a recent Indian community event, there was no mistaking that this has become a serious issue that needs immediate attention.

She was speaking at an event organised by AASHA, a volunteer-based organisation that facilitates culturally appropriate aged care and advocacy services.

Entitled Everyone Deserves Respect, the event presented information about services available to seniors that will ensure their financial and social lives are protected. It was held in association with Seniors Rights Services and Centrelink.

Bijinder Duggal and Diana Bernard, moderating, pointed out that CALD seniors are more at risk of abuse due largely to cultural factors pertaining to a greater community orientation. A culture of trust within the family, sharing of resources without paperwork, and decreased access to services were all identified as causative factors.

What counts as elder abuse? This was detailed by means of two short films prepared by the Victorian Multicultural Commission. One film identified a family scenario in which financial abuse was occurring at the hands of an unemployed and gambling-addicted adult son. The second film showcased psychological abuse, as a young couple forced their aging mother with unrelenting child care tasks with no respect for her needs for independence or even privacy.

The ‘definition’ of elder abuse somewhat established, an expert panel came on to suggest protective measures.

NalikaPadmasena observed, “Senior rights are basic human rights, but are often under-recognised and under-reported, and victims are often under-protected.”

In her own work, she claimed, she looks for abrupt change in circumstances, a sudden confusion about assets, or different stories reported about one’s own situation.

“There are legal remedies available in statutory or common law processes, but often the victims come to us as a last resort, when the financial resources may have diminished.”

Her advice: don’t give out your pin numbers; be careful of signing legal documents; get advice independently.

Evonne Kalafatas, Department of Human Services, Older Australians Line, added, “Be cautious when a family member asks for a personal loan, or to be a guarantor, or sell the family home, or financial help with divorce. Seek the help of a social worker.”

She added, “Deal with someone you can trust, even if that means finding someone who speaks your language.”

She spoke of her own outreach into her Greek community, where she was able to connect better with seniors as compared to others not of the community. “We need language-speaking people to work in aged care,” she reiterated.

She also listed other services such as specialist domestic and family violence

officers at police stations; social workers who can assess if you need to move out of the family home, and even senior workers who can help with social goals, outings, transport needs and interpreting services.

Dr ProfulValanju, GP, suggested you could reach out to your family physician if you feel the need. “Your GP will probably be able to identify the problem, being your first point of contact outside the family, and as they guide you through MyAgedCare. Doctors are perfectly positioned to gain the confidence of seniors and become the conduit for available services.”

Sadly, elder abuse does not have to be reported, like child abuse is reportable. But fortunately legal protections are available.

All three panellists were in agreement about the conclusion that seniors must have that their power of attorney sorted out for your protection in money management matters, and a guardianship for care and health needs.

Earlier, special guests Jodi McKay Leader of the Opposition in NSW and Joseph

LaPosta, CEO of Multicultural NSW, spoke about aged care from a policy perspective.

Jodi McKay was particularly scathing about the government’s current position. “We have funding for languages and for festivals, but there’s little attention paid to multicultural seniors. This is a massive gap in our multicultural policy. When I become Premier, I will help shape policy to ensure respect to our seniors when they are at their most vulnerable.”

Joseph LaPosta agreed that the government has beena lot better at the other end of the spectrum. “I agree with everything that Jodi has said,” he claimed, adding, “We must prioritise aged care. With proper community consultation we will be able to guide policy better.”

This is where initiatives like AASHA and community stakeholders like Bijinder Duggal can provide valuable insight. Book-ending the information forum, AASHA organised free health checks for the seniors, afternoon tea and cultural entertainment.

Photos: Vishal/Evergreen Memories

Bijinder Duggal

Free health checks at AASHA Panellists Proful Valanju, Evonne Kalafatas and Nalika Padmasena

Otherness, or collaboration?

The role played by white women in keeping others oppressed

Ruby Hamad's White Tears Brown

Scars is an informative and compelling read. In this work, Hamad lays bare inconvenient truths that seek to inspire reflection in readers and which provide a framework from which to contemplate history, as well as contemporary events.

Events such as the Stolen Generation, or indeed the colonisation of India during Pax Britannica - are usually seen as perpetrated by a "white" oppressor. This white oppressor is often masculine - as this is usually where the power structures lay. However, the other silent oppressor, often working alongside the masculine is the female - and indeed on occasion even more brutal than the male.

Shashi Tharoor in his powerful work Inglorious Empire, writes that it was white women during the Raj who were "most guilty of racism". Similarly, Hamad seeks to inform readers of the role played by white women in the history of keeping "others" oppressed.

It is these historical references in Hamad's book that are most gripping and hard to refute - after all, white power has two sides to it - male and female.

But when discussing contemporary events, Hamad fails to provide conclusive evidence of racist behaviours framed and weaponised through systemic victimhood by white women. Using anecdotal evidence where a more rigorous scientific study would have helped build a watertight case, Hamad provides examples of individual instances and then uses these to build a case for her arguments - that white women are guilty of racism but will use their tears and cry victimhood when they are called on their behaviour.

Upon reflection of events in my own life, I tried to see parallels between the argument built by Hamad, and my own 30 years of experience - 20 years professional - in Australia.

Over these decades, each time I experienced professional setbacks or came across

others, both men and women. I have not felt that any event happening to me had a racist undertone. Could this be because I did not go looking for racism, nor did I try to see the intertext of racism in my interactions with others?

Perhaps. And perhaps this is what has shaped my world view - that contemporary white women are no more or less racist than others.

In fact, I have had countless examples from people of Indian descent who have been quite

candid that they expect unfair treatment from people from their same background, ie other Indians - and that while the white man can't really be trusted, their own people are trusted even less.

Does this mean that Hamad's argument does not hold true that white women are guilty of racism but revert to the familiar behaviour of playing victim when confronted? My insight is that we all have biases - and when attacked or challenged, we revert to familiar behaviours - whether this be aggression, hostility, or tears and self-pity.

White women, just like women of colour, have learnt to navigate the world in a way that's most beneficial for them - and which provides psychological safety. Just like me not seeing racist behaviours in others, perhaps white women as a group don't see how their behaviours impact others, or that they continue to uphold the societal structures or traditions that bring to life racism for others.

More positively, Hamad's book does make the reader think. Yet it does not provide answers - as this requires dialogue between all groups. Most importantly, and perhaps negatively so, this book creates an "otherness" of white women. At a time when women - and men - need to collaborate to change the pervasive structures which benefit one group over another, this book does seek to divide, and highlights one particular group ie white women, as being a source of the problem.

The reality is that castigating white women is not going to help anyone, nor will it further the cause positively. What would be better would be to help every individual to seek to understand how their behaviours hold back others - whether it is through overt biases, or through less powerful people or victims not calling out counterproductive behaviours when they see them.

Hamad's work is absolutely essential reading for today - as it helps bring to the fore what was once only suspected. However, whether the suspicion is actually true can only be addressed through dialogue. And fundamentally, this is what Hamad's book will help foster.

Salma Shah

Hamad's work helps bring to the fore what was once only suspected. However, whether the suspicion is actually true can only be addressed through dialogue. And fundamentally, this is what Hamad's book will help foster.

Cause and effect

Causality, a basic thinking skill, helps increase comprehension

BY MOHAN DHALL

Alesson that applies to all students - and parents and all adults - is that of understanding the link between cause and effect. Teaching children the link between action or inaction and the result that follows, is very important. Cause and effect thinking is sometimes termed, “cause and consequence”, “action-reaction”, “what goes around, comes around” or “what you put in you get back”. Each of these characterisations aims to capture the idea that there is a direct link between effort and outcome or lack of effort and resulting effect.

VALUING THINGS

The only way that the link between effort and outcome can be understood is if children are taught to value the results of action. A tidy room may be valued by parents, but it will not generally be valued by children. However, all people hate losing things and in order find life is generally smoother. Hence creating a love of order will help children understand the value of tidiness.

Teaching cause and effect thinking, in classrooms and in homes, requires clarity by adults about what is expected and what is valued. It also requires consistency, compassion and care. This is because sometimes the effect of an action can be painful. Parents and teachers are never so powerless as watching a child do things that will inevitably lead to harm – but which they know they must allow. Such things include allowing a child to learn to fall while learning about balance when riding a bike; or accepting the child’s choice of clothes even if the child will be cold later for lack of a jacket (the caring parent has brought one anyway in anticipation). It also means as a child matures, generally accepting their

choices in friends, including girlfriend or boyfriend.

Knowing how to learn from mistakes is the central tenet of cause and effect understanding. This means that rather than tell children what they have learnt, parents and teachers need to give room for a child to express their own understanding. In this way the child will own the experience and the learning.

In education it is said that the speedier the feedback the better the learning. This is generally true as a person

benefitting from an action may fail to see any issue with such an action if a negative consequence is revealed later. Consider this: a child being entertained year after year for hours each day by an iPad may not easily understand how to be focused during a three-hour exam. Similarly, later in life, a bully who rises the corporate ladder through unbridled ambition may not easily appreciate the value of friendships that run deeper than title or what a person holds. Sometimes, it takes time for the action and the

consequence to materialise. The bridge to understanding cause and effect of this nature is called humility, but humility is not evidenced in the pride of being “humbled”.

IS KARMA A BITCH?

It is often said in jest that ‘karma is a bitch’. In cause and effect thinking this take on karma is never positive. That is, when discipline and effort lead to good grades or a university offer – no-one characterises karma as a bitch. It seems that only actions that lead to pain levy this feature on karma. If karma is a precept linking deed with outcome, then surely it cannot be negatively construed. So, should cause and effect thinking be taught through the maxim, “no pain, no gain”? Here the question of ‘what is pain?’ needs to be addressed. If pain means discipline, focus or doing something that takes effort then it sounds true. Without effort nothing can be achieved. However, equating effort with pain or even boredom must be raised. Children need to know that effort is intrinsically meaningful and honest, even if the desired outcome is not achieved. Learning to love effort or making repeated attempts is central to understanding cause and effect thinking. Sacrifice is experienced as its own reward when cause and effect thinking is properly understood.

SUBTLE THINGS THAT MEAN SO MUCH MORE

Over time cause and effect thinking should lead to children learning to attend to details and to question fully. It should lead to the understanding that waste in all its forms impacts the environment, that thinking impacts attitudes and that anything of value is built slowly, over time. If cause and effect thinking is well taught in schools and in families then we will create insightful adults rather than shallow, selfish, impetuous ones who measure themselves by what they have rather or what they do than who they are.

INDIAN LINK RADIO APP

Consider this: a child being entertained year after year for hours each day by an iPad may not easily understand how to be focused during a three-hour exam.

Lebanese spread

Historic as well as natural attractions make up the itinerary

BY SANDIP HOR

Say the word Lebanon and what comes to mind instantly is round and fluffy bread, shawarma, tabouli, shisha, high pitched music, belly dancing… and perhaps, thanks to news reports, mortar shells and machine guns.

AsI visit there, I experience everything listed above, except the sense of danger.

A safe, friendly and high energy environment engulfs us – with quite literally nothing to remind us of the brutalcivil war of the 1970s.

Fast forward four decades, the Mediterranean nation has returned to its original flamboyant lifestyle, with capital Beirut - which was reduced to rubble during the 15-year carnage - regaining its title as ‘Paris of the Middle East’.

The Lebanon we visit today is a young nation. It came into existence only after the First World War during the cutting and sharing of the Ottoman Empire. Clubbed with present Syria, the new nation lived

as a French mandate until gaining own independence in 1946.

However the history of the land dates back several millennia. Many civilisations marked their footprints here from Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans to Crusaders, Mamluks and the Ottomans.

For modern day travellers, their leftovers create a great itinerary, which includes not only a hedonistic Beirut but also many

natural wonders like sandy beaches, cedar wood forests and mountainous caves.

ELECTRIFYING BEIRUT

Lebanon is a small country, only 10,400 square km in size. Seafront Beirut is positioned almost in the middle with most of the iconic sites within easy, day-trip distances. Most visitors prefer staying here to enjoy its bustling atmosphere,

which becomes electrifying after sun down when almost everyone hits the streets to have dinner at a restaurant, drink at a trendy bar, sample Arabic coffee and shisha at a café or simply for a stroll along the Corniche to get swayed by the Mediterranean breeze. Beach lovers generally go to nearby Jounieh, a seafront suburb infected with high-rise buildings.

OLD CITY BYBLOS

Located 42km north of Beirut, Byblos today is a quiet seaport, but according to archaeologists it’s probably the world’s oldest city, said to be continuously inhabited for 7000 years. During the Bronze Age, when the Phoenicians lived here, it was a major trading hub. Several artefacts found during the excavations and now displayed at the National Museum in Beirut testify to the glory of the time. After the Phoenicians came the Greeks and the Romans who were followed by the Crusaders, a castle built by them still exists in dilapidated form. Wandering through its quiet streets today means shaking hands with antiquity.

ROMAN BAALBEK

Unquestionably one of the planet’s most

beirut downtown

Beirut Mosque

impressive ancient Roman sites and Lebanon’s number one attraction, this sprawling complex of temples dedicated to pagan gods Jupiter, Venus and Bacchus outshines anything in Rome. It lies 86km northeast of Beirut, close to the Syrian border. Everything here isin ruins, but the assembly comprising of columns, platforms, podiums, stairways, figurines and numerous stone-pieces - some embellished with expressive artworks - is good enough to suggest how extravagant it was when the Romans built them at the start of this millennium. The Temple of Jupiter is the main attraction. Its remaining six columns are an apt memoir of the size and stateliness of the original structure. An amazing feature of the temple-remains are its megalithic foundations, said to be the planet’s largest building blocks, each weighing over 800 tons.

ISLAMIC ANJAR

Not far from Baalbek and almost at the door steps of Damascus in Syria is the only important Islamic quarter from the period when the faithjust started evolving. The mighty Umayyads built this walled city and ruled from there in the mid-7th century for almost hundred years. Discovered by archaeologists only in the 1940s, the remains of colonnaded streets flanked by the ruins of palaces, mosques, shops and other dwellings give an idea of how busy this settlement was during its heyday.

TRAVEL NOTES

Getting There Emirate Airlines (www.emirates.com) have regular flights from Australia via Dubai to Beirut.

Accommodation Golden Tulip Serenade Hotel in Beirut (serenada-hamra.goldentulip. com)

Visa Australian passport holders do not require any prior visa for entry to Lebanon

Currency Lebanese Pound (1 USD = 1500 Lebanese Pound)

Local tour operator Nakhal (www.nakhal.com)

NATURAL WONDERS

While history dominates in Lebanon, its natural lures are no less significant, the Jeita Grotto and the Cedar Forests being the two highlights.

Often referred to as the ‘Pearl of Nature’, Jeita Grotto, tucked 18km north from Beirut, is a dramatic cave complex holding one of the planet’s most amazing conglomerationsof stalactites and stalagmites of different shapes and sizes to push the imagination. The cedar trees are the most defining identity of Lebanon and Qadisha Valley is the best place to see their natural spread. The two-hour journey up from Beirut to the valley along a winding mountainous road offers Lebanon’s best scenic outlook.

Salad and Dips

baalbek

entering Byblos

Pigeon's Rock- a landmark of Beirut

Jeita Cave

Illuminated mosque and church

It’s a ‘60s theme for Aparna Dave’s 60th birthday (seen here with husband Rajesh)

Getting hitched on Sydney Harbour: Sagar weds Hitika

Indian Link Radio listeners and presenters gather for a potluck picnic

The Wakhare family at Ganesh Festival

cineTALK

LAUGH WHILE IT LASTS

spawned out of Karam's quandary don't seem to carry the story anywhere beyond a point. Post interval, the narrative becomes a routine about Pooja being chased by her assorted bunch of lovers, and how she desperately tries to outsmart them, till the film draws to a rather predictable end. It could all have seemed rather mediocre despite the random laughs, but for a few brilliant performances. Ayushmann and Annu Kapoor stand out in particular.

For Ayushmann, Dream Girl is an assurance to his fans that he is wholly capable of turning on the mainstream mojo. The often filmi Karamvir isn't as complete a protagonist as the characters he essayed in Andhadhun or Article 15, but Ayushmann pulls it off with trademark screen presence. His brand of understated acting becomes an asset for the humour quotient.

DREAM GIRL

STARRING: Ayushmann Khurrana, Annu Kapoor, Nushrat Bharucha

DIRECTOR: Raaj Shaandilyaa

H H H

The trick never fails. Put a Bollywood leading man in a woman's garb, and watch the box-office rock. Kamal Haasan did it in Chachi 420 and there was Govinda's Aunty No. 1. Actors from Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty and Rishi Kapoor to Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh Khan, and Akshay Kumar, couldn't resist the odd dance in drag, or the random comic scene. Jog your memory further, and you're thinking Shammi Kapoor and Biswajit, too. In Dream Girl, it is the turn of Ayushmann Khurrana, new-age darling of the multiplexes, to invoke girl power and woo the box-office. His act is slightly different from what Bollywood men have done so far within the theme. Although

Ayushmann also gets to play out a sariclad naari in parts, the crux of his role lies in his woman's voice.

Debutant director Raaj Shaandilyaa uses that idea to touch upon the contemporary malady of loneliness. In an era of frenzied social media following, it is often ironic how one is left with no actual friends in life. Ayushmann as small-town boy Karamvir Singh finds a lucrative job-op thanks to that sad reality. Son of a debt-ridden, middleclass shop-owner (Annu Kapoor) in Mathura, who sells items for Hindu last rites, Karam accidentally stumbles upon a call centre for sex chats. His knack at mimicking a woman's voice lets him assume the sultry, imaginary avatar of Pooja for lonely callers.

Life is a cruise for a while, and the moolah rolls in. The trouble starts when Pooja's regular bunch of callers start falling in love with her voice. To add to Karam's woes, many of these callers

turn out to be people he knows closely.

Shaandilyaa and his co-writer Nirmaan D. Singh were out to set up simple, feelgood fare. Karam's plight is therefore entirely utilised to generate ample funny moments. The film reveals no ambition to open up a conversation on sexuality, or the need to understand the subject of loneliness its plot rests on.

While on funny moments, the film has enough of them to keep you regaled. As a comedy, the film's ‘winnability’ lies in its writing - especially dialogues.

To Shaandilyaa's credit, he resists giving in to bawdy slapstick that films of this genre often succumb to while passing off a man as a woman. The writing manages to keep melodrama at bay too, despite the obvious tragicomic undercurrent about Karam's reality.

The trouble is there isn't much of a story to narrate, over nearly two hours and 15 minutes of runtime. The funny lines and the often hilarious situations

Ayushmann's reunion with his Vicky Donor co-star Annu Kapoor once again triggers off comic chemistry. This time pitted as a father-son duo, whose relationship is fated to see a bizarre twist in the second half, the two together remain a big draw for the film.

Manjot Singh, Vijay Raaz and Abhishek Banerjee are crucial props in carrying the fun factor of the script forward, but Nushrat Bharucha's effort is hampered by the weak role she gets. It's almost as if Bharucha's protagonist has been inserted into the script because the film, pitched as a commercial venture, demanded its hero must have a heroine.

Dream Girl is your film if you are looking for a couple of hours packed with feel-good fun. Only, don't go in looking for deeper nuances just because the film flaunts Ayushmann Khurrana as its hero - there are none.

Vinayak Chakravorty

SECTION 375

STARRING: Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha, Meera Chopra, Rahul Bhat

DIRECTOR: Ajay Bahl

HHHH

Section 375 brings the subject of rape quite unlike Bollywood has ever been done before, and with rare profundity.

The film tries to understand law and justice as detached entities through the tale of a rape, and how these two notions are rarely ever fated to meet.

Writer Manish Gupta establishes a taut premise within the first quarter. A rookie costume designer arrives at the apartment of a bigshot filmmaker to discuss designs. They end up alone, he tries raping her and, within hours, is arrested. The rape itself is not shown to begin with, so we are left to draw inferences. It's an open-and-shut case, declares the media and public alike. The filmmaker gets 10 years rigorous

imprisonment.

Except, all is not over yet. The filmmaker Rohan Khurana (Rahul Bhat), hires a top lawyer Tarun Saluja (Akshaye Khanna) to clear his name. Pitted against the mighty Saluja is the young public prosecutor Hiral Gandhi (Richa Chadha), who was incidentally his assistant at one time. As the narrative unfolds, Saluja starts ripping open the case, exposing anomalies at every step - from police probe to forensic reports that were earlier used to nail Khurana. His arguments are foolproof and, suddenly, the case is no longer as simple as it had seemed.

Director Ajay Bahl never loses focus on what he wants to state: when it comes to a crime as sensitive as rape, simply following the law is not necessarily enough to ensure justice is served.

In content and execution, Section 375 is not a film for all - it makes no attempt to dilute its complex text in order to reach out to a larger audience. Rather, it reserves a

WINNER ALL THE WAY

CHHICHHORE

STARRING: Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Sharma

DIRECTOR: Nitesh Tiwari

HHHH

An obvious, all-round winner, Chhichhore is a fun film with a nottoo-complicated message. Despite riding cliches, it is impressively written, directed and performed.

Dangal maker Nitesh Tiwari's film ticks several boxes. It is topical in the way it highlights the ever-increasing pressure on teenagers to excel in entrance exams. Sweetly nostalgic, it sets up a rollercoaster campus ride, and is melodramatic in doling out its coming-of-age theme. Beneath the boisterous laugh moments lies a quiet comment, too: in our mad chase of aspirations and ambitions, we often ignore a basic truth - the most important thing in life is life itself, and the necessity to live it to the fullest.

Tiwari and his co-writers (Piyush Gupta and Nikhil Malhotra) treat the tale with finesse. The screenplay

unfolds without fuss, and yet leaves an impact. The dialogues, insanely hilarious to subtly dramatic, never lose touch with realism.

Annirudh (Sushant Singh Rajput) and Maya (Shraddha Kapoor), are successful engineers and a divorced couple. Their worlds come crashing when their only son Raghav attempts suicide after failing in engineering entrance exam.

Anni hits upon a crazy idea to revive his son's interest in life. He tells Raghav the story of his days in college, of how heand his friends including Maya, turned from losers to winners. For the right cinematic impact, the friends will arrive too, when Anni calls them to be at Raghav's side as their story unfolds.

cerebral tone all through, unfolding at a languid pace and asserting its opinion with quiet assurance.

The objective of the film was never to establish who is guilty and who is not, you realise as the story draws to its end. In life there are never clear victims and villains.

A courtroom drama thrives or collapses depending on writing. You always knew this film had an advantage in this context, seeing Manish Gupta's name as scriptwriter. Gupta, who wrote Ramgopal Varma's Sarkar and directed The Stoneman Murders, has quietly carved a distinct idiom as a storyteller.

The interrogations, arguments and retorts that dominate the courtroom exchanges wholly benefit from Gupta's creativity. There are moments powerful enough to virtually transport you to the courtroom of the high-profile, incamera case.

Akshaye's is one of the finest male performances Bollywood has seen

Oscillating between a grim present and a carefree past, the story sets up two very different coming-of-age sagas. There is Raghav's plot, rendered with bittersweet sensitivity - fluctuating between hopelessness and hope. Then there is the story of Annirudh's college days, where the youngsters learn to believe they can win. These two very unlikely parallel subplots are balanced well, in a seamless entirety.

With Chhichhore, Tiwari truly announces his arrival in the big league. In a rare Bollywood commercial film, driven by story more than star power, the art of storytelling triumphs.

Chhichhore manages to hold attention throughout its near two-andhalf hour runtime, despite basically

in recent times. Cold fury, mockery, indulgence or irony - you name it, he executes it with a simple tweak of gaze. Surprisingly, it is Richa Chadha who suffers - struggling in most parts to come to terms with a character that seems inadequate all through. She comes alive in individual scenes, though, thanks to her proven screen presence.

Rahul Bhat is impressive for the way he balances Rohan Khurana's arrogance and vulnerability. Meera Chopra, cast as the young costume designer Anjali who acts as the trigger for the tale, sadly gets very little to do.

Section 375 makes you think seriously about an important contemporary issue without getting preachy about it, and yet never slipping into the flippant mode. If anything, one hopes that the film will rejuvenate popular interest in the ongoing conversation about women's safety and laws pertaining to the subject.

Vinayak Chakravorty

being predictable, feel-good fare. Of course, there are flaws. It seems rather farfetched, for instance, that Raghav should learn about his parents' college days after so many years, only when he is battling for life in hospital. Also, Shraddha Kapoor in the present-day track looks far from convincing as a teenager's mother.

A well-written script always accommodates strong characters for its actors. In this film, each major actor gets two distinct phases of life to essay - as a 20-something college-goer and as a 40-something middle-aged person. While Sushant is effortless in his portrayal of both ages, Shraddha is a perfect fit as the young Maya.

The delightful impact, however, comes from the supporting cast of Annirudh's friends - Sexa (Varun Sharma), Acid (Naveen Polishetty), Derek (Tahir Raj Bhasin), Bevda (Saharsh Shukla) and Mummy (Tushar Pandey). Each gets at least a couple of well-penned scenes to showcase their talent, and each one impresses. Together, they underline the goodnatured irreverence that is inherent in the film's title.

Vinayak Chakravorty

AKSHAYE SHINES IN COURTROOM DRAMA

The BUZZ

THE KHANS: REINVENT OR RETIRE

The Khan triumvirate has religiously dedicated their sweat and soul to Bollywood and entertainment for over two decades now. Between them, Salman, Aamir and Shah Rukh Khan scaled unprecedented popularity by frequently rewriting the box-office record books with their blockbusters.

Notably, the Khans redefined mainstream concepts of success in Bollywood. With smart PR and marketing, entrepreneurship skills, and intelligent use of the media as well as social media, the trio set an important ground rule for new-age Bollywood: Scoring box-office hits was no longer enough, with the Khan trio arrived the era of brand power. To be truly successful in Hindi cinema's new age, one needs to be a unique brand and constantly adapt to changing trends.

King Khan, SRK who managed to stay at the top through the nineties and the 2000s, did so cashing in on NRI dreams of the average Indian, positioning himself as the chocolate-box lover-boy. By 2010, the nation's socio-political scenario was gradually changing, and Hindi cinema was looking inwards for inspiration. As thesmall-town Indian

SALMAN: BANKING ON SEQUEL FORMULA

So, Salman, while trying to move away from his alpha male image, released "Tubelight" on Eid 2017, which cast him as an imperfect, vulnerable protagonist. The film struggled after its opening weekend and barely managed a lifetime's domestic collection of around Rs 121.25 crore, which classifies it as an average grosser.

ONLY INDIAN FILM ON 100 BEST FILMS LIST

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s cult film Gangs Of Wasseypur has become the only Indian film to feature in The Guardian’s list of 100 Best Films of the 21st century.

Kashyap took to Instagram to announce that his action drama has bagged the 59th position.

He wrote, “Proud to be here but this wouldn’t be my list. So many films which are my favourites can’t be below my film and The Dark Knight deserves to be way up.”

He added about his masterpiece, “This is also that film of mine that totally destroyed my film-making life by the expectations it sets from me as a filmmaker and has been continuously so, and I have forever been trying to break away from it. Hopefully someday that will happen.”

About the Number 1 film, There Will Be Blood (2007), Kashyap said, “That’s my absolute favourite of the 21st century.”

Critically acclaimed films as Persepolis, Waltz with Bashir and Capernaumare also on the list.

The two-film Gangs Of Wasseypur series was released in 2012, and narrated the saga of a coal mafia family in the town of Wasseypur in the Dhanbad district of Jharkhand.

Both films were loved by the masses for their drama and rawness, and acclaimed by the classes for cinematic aesthetics. Both became box-office hits.

The gang-war drama featured Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Piyush Mishra and Richa Chadha as part of an ensemble cast.

Salman's return to familiar image and spectacular action a few months later the same year with Tiger Zinda Hai worked, but the superstar struggled trying out the same formula in his Eid 2018 action thriller, "Race 3". The film managed only Rs 169 crore in the domestic market, and was again classified and average grosser.

This year on Eid, Salman was in no mood to take chances. Bharat, his Eid 2019 release, was formulaic social drama with scope of action, thrills, good music and romance, and the film cast him opposite his normally lucky mascot Katrina Kaif. Eid, however, was far from a blockbuster event. "Bharat" fared only marginally better than Salman's releases of past two Eids, scoring Rs 209.36 crore and being declared a Plus Earner.

Given the situation, Salman is now trying to stick to what worked once. He is banking on sequels, with Dabangg 3 and Kick 2 lined up. Inshallah, the romantic musical with Sanjay Leela

persona became a rage, the magic of SRK's sophisticated romantic icon had started to wane. Salman Khan's Dabangg stereotype took over, the next decade. The Perfectionist aura of Brand Aamir Khan, on the other hand, created a very different niche. Refusing to stick to a particular image on screen unlike Salman or SRK, Aamir devised for himself the image of an actor who had perfected the trick of scoring record-busting blockbusters with content-driven fare such as 3Diots, PK and Dangal.

All this worked while it did. The trouble is, in showbiz, every image and strategy is only as good as it ensures returns. At a time when content has increasingly started dictating box-office tastes, image-driven cinema is increasingly losing importance. The Khans realise as much – Shah Rukh and Salman, especially, have lately tried every trick to rid themselves of the stereotypes that rule their image.

The trouble is both Salman and Shah Rukh have struggled to score blockbusters lately, irrespective of whether they adhere to tested image or move away from it.

Bhansali he had lined up for Eid 2020, has been pushed ahead for now. Instead, he sent out a cryptic tweet underlining his plans to release Kick 2 on that day. Clearly, the actor hopes the Kick sequel will repeat the success of the first film, which scored blockbuster returns on Eid 2014.

Considering Salman Khan has traditionally thrived on being himself on the screen, the sequel formula would perhaps seem the safest route for him.

Tiger Zinda Hai, after all, has been his biggest hit in recent years. It is a formula that will let him survive as a big star, but will it let him survive changing trends and younger competition? Time will tell.

GANGS… IS THE

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

SALMAN KHAN

SRK: HUNTING FOR A PLOT

For Salman's immediate rival Shah Rukh Khan, things have only been uphill over the past few years. SRK's last superhit was Happy New Year on Diwali 2014. If Salman appropriated Eid, SRK has had a long history with big wins on Diwali every year. Baazigar, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Mohabbatein and Veer-Zaara have been among his biggest Diwali blockbusters.

When Ra.One did disappointing business on Diwali 2011, SRK was perhaps at a loss. This was film where he had drastically moved away from his loverboy image. An outlandish sci-fi plot for Bollywood fans was perhaps the reason, but the below-expectation show of Ra.One served a warning to SRK: His position as King Khan was no longer to be taken for granted.

The nine years since have only seen Shah Rukh slip. Except for his Republic Day 2017 release, Raees, which did surplus business, no other SRK film after Happy New Year has scored at the box-office.

In recent times, Shah Rukh's plight, in every way, has been the same as Salman's. He has mostly failed to leave an impact when he tried moving out of his comfort zone of playing the romantic hero in films such as Don 2, Fan, Dilwale and Zero. He has also not impressed lately when he tried to reinvent the romantic hero to suit his advancing age, in Jab Tak Hai Jaan and

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

OR GEMMA CHAN

KIARA ADVANI

IN PRABAL GURUNG?

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

Jab Harry Met Sejal.

Shah Rukh Khan's problem, probably, is the fact that his mighty brand power by far outstrips his position as an undeniably gifted actor. With the brand power eroding with age, and with SRK not quite successful in reinventing his mojo, the outcome is a very exhausted superstar.

SRK knows, which is why he has stopped signing films for now. Till he gets his plot right.

AAMIR: WILL HE BE LAST KHAN STANDING?

Far from being a serious contender for the Numero Uno spot over Shah Rukh or Salman, Aamir Khan has actually been the most consistent with starring in Bollywood's biggest blockbusters of all time over the past decade. First, it was 3 Idiots (in 2009, which scaled very high). The record of 3 Idiots was broken by his own film PK (Rs. 339.5 crore) in 2014. Two years later, Dangal busted the PK’s record (Rs. 387.39 crore) and continues to be Bollywood's biggest hit hitherto. Interestingly, all of Aamir's biggest hits including Dhoom 3 have released in Christmas.

The actor's success mantra is what has probably laid down the formula for modernday Bollywood's slant at content-driven entertainers. Among the Khans and also including most superstars before their era, Aamir was the one superstar who understood the importance of amalgamating solid script with commercial entertainment

value. For this, he needed to avoid falling into an image trap – which let him play an oversized wrestler in Dangal with as much ease as he essayed a misfit alien in PK.

Aamir's problem now probably is that younger actors as Ayushmann Khurrana, Vicky Kaushal and Rajkummar Rao have picked up the trick. Although they are far from guaranteeing the sort of returns an Aamir Khan film normally gives, Aamir knows the film industry can be a fickle place, and fans can be unpredictable. The failure of his absolutely disappointing Thugs Of Hindostan last Diwali underlines the fact.

The disaster that Thugs Of Hindostan was probably shouldn't be held against Aamir alone. The film was a bad product, it would have crashed anyway. The actor's detractors, however, have been quick to point out his 2013 release, Dhoom 3, would fall in the same category of brainlessness, and yet went onto become a superhit. If Dhoom 3 worked then, and Thugs Of Hindostan failed last year, his detractors hold it as a sign that Aamir Khan is slowing down.

Aamir, it would seem, is best suited to survive age – not just for creative instincts, but for his commercial sense. He has selected the right script to return over two years after Thugs Of Hindostan, when his next release, Lal Singh Chadha opens on Christmas 2020. The film is a Bollywood remake of Forrest Gump and directed by Advait Chauhan, who directed Aamir's superhit production Secret Superstar earlier. As a product in the making, Lal Singh Chadha seems like just the right one fans of mild, middle-of-the-road entertainers as 3 Idiots, PK and Dangal are awaiting after all this time.

Aamir's challenge right now is to live up to his image as an actor who ensures quality Bollywood fare every time without losing out on commercial value. With every film, living up to that challenge could obviously get tougher. But while Salman and Shah Rukh look increasingly headed towards a zone of unpredictability as younger actors close in, Aamir is mostly likely to adapt and survive. He is a bit like Amitabh Bachchan that way.

Vinayak Chakravorty

For more caption entries, see YOUR SAY Page 09

SHAH RUKH KHAN

AAMIR KHAN

ASK AUNTYJI

Indian migrant, 34

DEAR AUNTYJI

So you just have read Pawan's note to the 34-year-old Indian immigrant. How interesting is it that we now have so many Indians in Australia and the average age is 34. It seems like everywhere I go, I see so many young Indian people, especially young men. It must be that they come here for many things, but mainly professional opportunities. My family too came here many years ago from India and now we consider ourselves Australians. So what is your rai on Pawan's note, and do you think he raised good points and good messages to our desi naujawans coming to live in Australia? Would you care to add your message to this mix as well, Auntyji?

AUNTYJI SAYS

Oh my little gulabo, I am pleased to read about your positive impression of Pawan Bhai's note. I too was very happy to read his remarks because he offers practical and sensible tips on what young people should do when they come here. Pawan Bhai offers a very encouraging note on assimilation, and mai kyun add karoon unki note par. Unki baton mein ek sachchai hai ki it does not need any polish, nah. His advice was spot on. But agar you insist that I add my do paisa worth ki salah, then I am happy to oblige. To here is my advice to the 34-year-old naujawan who lands on our shores. So, aap humare desh ki moti ho, after coming here, make sure you don't behave in a manner that brings sharam to our people. For example, summer aa rahi hai. Isska mutlab hai ki girls will be working around in short dresses. Unko ghoor ke mat dekhna. Apne pe kabu karna seekho. Zaleel harkat mat karo. Bas. Itni si salah hai hamari. And jug jugjiyo Pawan Bhai - for offering such wonderful advice to our future leaders.

Mere Naina…

DEAR AUNTYJI

My son married an Italian girl and they have just had my first grandchild - a beautiful little girl called Naina. Now my daughter-in-law Rachel is really nice, but I have noticed that she is always speaking Italian to Naina who is only 4 months old and mostly cries. Now Auntyji, I have told my son to tell Rachel to speak English to Naina so I can understand what is being said, but Rachel says she wants Naina to learn to speak Italian, and even Hindi. Auntyji, how do I know what zaheerile shubd are ensuing from the mouth of Rachel? What if she is bad mouthing me to my own granddaughter. How do I deal with this?

AUNTYJI SAYS

Oh you bad tehzeeb kalmoohi! Sharam nahi hai tujhko, ki you are casting aspersions on your daughter-in-law? You are the worst saas ever and it's dayan women like you who give all mothers-in-law bad names. Are you really that ignorant, that small minded, that you think that the words of a new mother are sledging you? Is that how you think, you zaleel kalankani? Seriously, you should be ashamed of yourself. Here you are with a daughterin-law who gave her baby a beautiful Hindustani naam, and is encouraging you to speak Hindi to your poti, and you are looking for flaws with this. Why would Rachel waste her time talking rubbish about you? You know, I think aap ka mun bahut hi neech hai, and it's a lost cause for me to try to change your way of thinking. I am disappointed in you. You really need to do some selfanalysis to see why you are such a nagin.

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR AUNTYJI? EMAIL INFO@INDIANLINK.COM.AU

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING GROOMS

Beautiful, highly educated 33-year-old vegetarian Brahmin girl with very good family background, soft spoken, career-oriented, working, well settled in Sydney, seeks an educated, teetotaller match with good family background. Prefer Australian citizen or PR. Please contact rajsyd83@gmail.com

Dubai-based 40-year-old single girl, never married, seeks suitable match. Born, educated in Mumbai, Gujarati, 5’4” and working for MNC. Seeks Hindu groom. Please contact brother on 0412346590 or email directly on komaldxb@gmail.com

Seeking professionally qualified settled match for Sydney-based girl. 46, 5'3". Slim, fair, attractive, never married, Aus citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri background. Girl is postgraduate and is working on a good position in government organisation. Please send details with photoIndsyd2016@gmail.com.

Seeking groom for my niece, beautiful, 30, 5’ 5”, fair, pleasing personality, Management Consultant in Ernst and Young, Singapore, caste no bar. Only child in family, both parents are doctors. Please contact lalitm67@gmail.com, Phone: 0411 058 064

Seeking professionally qualified well-settled match from Sydney for ‘88 born Hindu Punjabi girl. 5’3", divorced (concluded) after brief marriage of 1.5 years. Working full time with a leading University in Sydney. Pref teetotaller. Aus PR or citizen only. Email: matrimonial.ml@gmail.com

Seeking a suitable match for our 25-yearold daughter, working as a junior doctor in NSW. Boys from a similar academic background or qualified professionals based in Australia are preferable. Please contact ajaygupta101@hotmail.com or +91 93296 66301.

SEEKING BRIDES

Seeking professionally qualified settled match for Sydney-based man, 45, 6', athletic build. Never married Aus Citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri background. Project manager with engineering background, he is working in a private organisation. Please send details with photoIndsyd2016@gmail.com

‘You name it, we have it’

Enrolments are Filling Fast - Don’t miss out HSC Tuition for English, Maths, Sciences, Economics

• Expert Teachers: Experienced educators from top schools, Advanced Degree/PhDs, and HSC top achievers

• Resources: Courses uniquely developed by subject heads, expert in the revised NESA curriculum

• Comprehensive Learning System: Accelerated Term and Holiday Courses, 1 Term Ahead so you revise rather than learn at school

• Tutorial and Online Support: weekly 1:1 tutorials offered, online resources and marked homework