2019-11 Sydney

PUBLISHER

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra

SOCIAL MEDIA

Suruchi

Sehgal

MELBOURNE COORDINATOR

Preeti Jabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

Janani Karthik, Jyoti Shankar,

Vittachi

ADVERTISING

Charuta Joshi 02 9279 2004

Happy 25th anniversary to us

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

It was on 25 October 1994 that the first edition of Indian Link rolled off the presses. The team had spent the previous 48 hours putting the 24-page issue together, with no internet - or even mobile phones - to help. (Yes, such a world did exist).

This meant that news was gathered via phone calls from India at a princely sum of $2.20 per minute, while the average weekly wage was about $400.

house, Indian Link had to quickly adapt and take to other forms of dissemination of information. Indian Link Radio, a 24-7 channel, got off the ground in 2002 increasing the connectivity between the members of the community with talkback on issues of relevance, and the latest in entertainment from Bollywood. As social and digital media added other dimensions to how we connect, we added to our network of platforms.

At no stage though, did we allow technology to triumph good reporting.

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

What drove the enterprise was the passion to connect the community as the numbers seemed set to grow

Fast forward to 2019 and yes, the expansion in the community numbers has certainly taken place. Whereas there were some 75,000 people of Indian origin around then, now there are over 700,000.

Along with increasing numbers came rapid advances in technology that changed our professional and personal lives quite remarkably. To stay relevant as a media

In today’s world, with social media accounts and smartphones, it is not difficult to be a breaker of news. A media pundit has observed that there is a race on for cheap, unearned attention but this race cannot be won, as there is continual lowering of standards to take the lead.

The alternative is harder - to seek out quality stories, to ensure the presentation is professional and the content relevant and responsible, create quality media and then make sure your work is remembered.

At Indian Link, that is our starting point every fortnight.

Now, with over 2,000 print editions or 100,000 pages, and a footprint in radio,

social and digital, we are humbled by the feedback we receive from our community.

It is the tonic which keeps us going and striving to do bigger and better things.

At this time, a big shout out to all the contributors past and present, who have been part of the Indian Link family. Your desire to contribute to the community by recording their stories never fails to amaze us. Thank you all.

To our advertisers, who have supported us and continue to do so, we are grateful for your trust in us and for linking your quality brand to ours.

For all our quiet supporters, who have kept us on the straight and narrow (and you know who you are), we are in your debt to allow us to become better in what we do.

Most importantly, to the team who have worked at the Indian Link offices over the years, it was your hard work and dedication which saw us get to press every fortnight with unceasing regularity. And finally, to all our loyal readers, listeners, social media followers and subscribers, a heartfelt thanks for coming on this journey with us. Our gratitude and sincere appreciation.

Sunila Vig, Shampa Bruweleit, Simren Samrai, Smriti Sekhar, Ritam Mitra, Nury

YOUR SAY

ON EVOLVING DIWALI TRADITIONS

RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA wrote about why Diwali should be as much about change and evolution as about tradition and continuity

Mahesh Lodha wrote: Read your editorial Diwali traditions, old and new several times. Will read it again. A rare piece. The way you have suggested many ideas of adapting tradition in celebrating Diwali and blending it with current perspectives is notable. It’s essential to evolve and change our traditions with time. They must flow like a river and must not get stagnant like a ditch. Thanks for showing a noble way to the old, the present and the future generations.

Ranjith Nayar wrote: Completely agree. And, as you have yourself concluded, “Have a mindful Diwali.”

Roshni Chandran wrote: Change is inevitable. It happens with awareness. Wishing you a mindful Diwali too.

HSC HINDI

Ekaagra Kesarwani wrote: I write this email to ask for a little help. I am a current HSC Hindi student and have been studying Hindi for the past two years and have thoroughly appreciated how my language has improved over the course of school. However, I was quite discouraged when I saw the dwindling number of students who are choosing to study Hindi as a mainstream school subject.

I feel as if we have been given a great opportunity to study a governmentendorsed Hindi course throughout high school, yet there aren't many students taking advantage of this to learn their mother tongue. I believe that there may be the factor of lack of knowledge of such a facility existing. I was wondering if an article could be placed in an edition of Indian Link to spread awareness of this opportunity and encourage parents to enrol their child in learning their traditional language. I am by no means a spokesperson or benefitting from this, but would like Indian students to stay connected to their heritage

The Saturday School of Community Languages operates in many locations in NSW, however, due to lack of demand, Hindi only operates in one location in Seven Hills. Students can enrol in the course as if it is a normal subject in their day school and if in Year 11 and 12, then will be counted as 2 units towards the HSC.

Indian Link, as the largest magazine that goes out to the Indian community, would be the perfect platform to encourage people.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS ON DIWALI

Ahead of Diwali, RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA wrote about the mushrooming of kids’ books on the Hindu Festival of Light Harshad Pandharipande wrote: Loved your Diwali enewsletter. I’d love to get some of those Diwali books you mention, for my daughter. Anywhere in Sydney I can buy them?

Festival greetings to you. As you said, have a mindful Diwali.

SAY IT AGAIN

MY INSTA

Send us a photo (or Instagram one) of Indian Link in your daily life, and we’ll pick one to present here

Jyuthika Vyas of Wetherill Park NSW found this copy of Indian Link (Dec-2 2007) at her mum’s home in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India. You see, her son Khushaal features in it, and grandma has kept it preserved for twelve years now.

Just saw SRK on David Letterman's show. I'm surprised how a man with such wit, intelligence and insight ensures none of it touches his work. Twitter user @NumbYaar

BACKCHAT COLUMN

LP Ayer wrote: I was delighted to see Sunil Gautam writing after a long break. It was one of his Backchat pieces way back in 2010 that prompted me to write one and set me on that course.

CAPTION CONTEST

What’s Kareena Kapoor Khan saying here to Alia Bhatt?

Arora Vijay wrote: Dear Alia, I would be the luckiest person if my brother marries you.

Arix Bishnoi wrote: I’m telling you, he won’t marry you.

I know my brother!

Neetasha Sharma wrote: Welcome to the family.

Pearl Chaudhary wrote: Alia you will be my favourite sister-in-law.

Aneri Upadhyay wrote: We both have so many things in common.

Especially liking older men!

Arix Bishnoi wrote: Let me see what my brother saw in you…

Kavita Panchal Mistry wrote: Finally found a free and sexy nanny for my son.

Smita Lawande Acharya wrote: Kisses now. Once you get into the Kapoor family we will all screw you!

Lakshman Kumar wrote: My dear Alia, you are the next Kareena in Bollywood. Neelam Prabhat Bhandari wrote: Finally my brother is ready to take the plunge.

WHERE IN INDIA

We asked you to identify this lake with the Buddha statue at its centre Readers Jagadish Rani, Himal Shah, Srinivas Boyapalli, Prema Kumar, Vinay Pawar Khandelwal, Monica Ganesh Prasad and Anurag Lall correctly identified it as Hussain Sagar, also known as Tank Bund in Hyderabad.

Rupali Janbandhu wrote: Kitni aayee kitni gayee, mere bhai ka time waste kiya... you are the one, Alia!

Rum Jum wrote: Bhabhi banogi meri ?

Sonal Wahi wrote: Chipkalo... fevicol se...

Varun Shah wrote: Pehli baar intelligent baat ki hai, Mere bhai ki shaadi hai.

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

WHERE IN OZ

We asked you to identify the spot where this structure can be seen Readers Rupali Jagat and Manisha Belani correctly identified it as the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden at Mt Tomah NSW.

It’s a public health emergency in Delhi. I am seeing 28-year-old non-smokers with Stage 4 lung cancer. I am very angry because I am losing young patients to air pollution. Dr Arvind Kumar, Chest Surgeon, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu Lady Gaga

HARTS ON FIRE

Indian-origin musician Harts is the voice behind the ICC T20 World Cup campaign ‘The Big Dance’

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

The buzz has well and truly begun about next year’s ICC T20 World Cup. For us in Australia’s Indian community, there have been more than a few opportunities to get up close and personal with those beautiful silver trophies as they make an appearance at our many community events, Diwali in particular in recent weeks. And as our social media feeds now boast a steady flow of info about the event, we could say that the song and dance about it all, has certainly got underway. In fact, that’s what they’re calling it: The Big Dance, and if you’ve seen the supercharged ad campaign of The Big Dance, it’s quite literally impossible not to get up and dance.

The campaign’s track, You’ve Gotta Get Up and Dance has been created by Indian-origin Australian musician Harts (Darren Hart).

Based on a 1977 hit of the same name by a UK band called Supercharge, it is perfectly suited to the fast-paced action of the T20 game - as well as the off-field action of the high-energy stadium music, the cheerleaders and the youthful presenters.

For Darren Hart, the project brings together his passion for music and his love of the game.

“Cricket has been a huge part of my life growing up,” the singer-songwriter told Indian Link. “Both my parents and many of my extended family played cricket, as I did myself at school - as a leg spinner.”

He added, “I love the fast, fun and inclusive vibe that the T20 format offers fans so to be a part of this event and to lend my voice to the campaign has been an honour.”

It all began for him when he saw a callout by the Local Organising Committee for a musician to record the ad campaign and theme song.

“I prepared a demo and sent it back in a day. They came back the next day and said we want you.”

He admitted though that he had never heard the original song.

Describing the creative process, Darren explained, “I pieced together in my mind how I would make it my own. I modernised and updated it, but the intention was always to keep the vibrant energy. I listened to the original track some 60-70 times, paying attention to each instrument and memorising everything. Then I recorded the drum track to the original, then put the keyboards down, then the strings and the vocals.”

From woe to go, it took under 24 hours.

“They loved it. I cleaned up the demo, added a few extra bits and polished it up.”

For the film itself, four professional cricket players provided movements that were tracked by motion capture technology, which became the silhouettes that feature in the campaign. These cricketing actions include batting, bowling, fielding and appealing, as well as celebrations by the players and the crowds.

Developed by Melbourne-based creative agency Cummins&Partners, the campaign uses the term ‘big dance’ in reference to the pinnacle of a major event.

Local Organising Committee CEO, Nick Hockley says the term refers also to “the festival atmosphere that will get fans out of their seats and enjoying themselves with family and friends at T20 World Cup matches across Australia.”

Darren feels he is perfectly suited to this project as an artist.

“’70s funk music is embedded in what I do anyway - I love that style of music, so I felt very confident about it.”

Perhaps the campaign came at a significant juncture in Darren’s own personal journey.

The Chennai-born multi-instrumentalist who came to Australia with his family as a two-year-old, hit the headlines in 2014 when the legendary musician Prince reached out to him personally. He had seen Darren’s demo tapes, and called to say he ‘would like to jam with him’. It took some convincing

for Darren to believe this was not a prank, and soon he found himself in Minneapolis, working closely with Prince.

“I will never really break away from the influence of Prince,” Darren revealed. “He was part of my musical upbringing. I had listened to him early on, and then meeting him and learning from him as a teachermentor, he became a big part of my music. Perhaps more so after he passed… I still cherish his words, and often play back the conversations in my mind, even the little things he said in passing.”

He also lists Jimi Hendrix, Earth Wind and Fire, and Buddy Guy as influences.

The US ultimately did not work for Darren, given he has always valued creative control over his own work. He decided to take a break in 2018 – after hitting rock bottom at Bluesfest when he smashed his guitar to the stage repeatedly.

“I took a lot of hits, and felt the industry had not accepted me or that there was no room for an old school musician like me. And so while 2016-17 were big years for me, in 2018 I felt I was not enjoying where I was at with my music, not even sure I wanted to make music any more. There were personal things as well that I wanted to clear my head of.”

After eight months out, Darren claims his love for music brought him back.

“I discovered my goals were to make music, not to be rich and famous. I’m happy making music. I can’t not do this.”

The change in mindset showed in his music and in the opportunities that began to come up. Such as ICC T20's The Big Dance campaign, and a major fashion feature with David Jones only months ago.

“I’m positive about the future now. I’m an independent artist; I don’t want to sign my life to a record label.”

Exciting things are in store for next year - besides the ICC T20 World Cup of course. Tickets have just gone on sale, he revealed, for a country-wide tour titled Harts plays Hendrix - a modern era tribute to the guitar hero.

Which brought us to thequestion - why ‘Harts’?

“Darren Hart as a name on iTunes was already taken by a DJ, as was Heart, a successful band. So I looked at what was available, and the name Harts came up.”

He laughed, “I get asked all the time what my real Indian name is!”

What advice would he give to someone like him - perhaps with a real Indian namewho wants to make it in the entertainment industry in this country?

“I agree people still judge a book by its cover without taking the time to look through,” he replied thoughtfully. “Having said that, the world is more open now than say ten years ago, more willing to hear other people’s perspectives. So I’d say, be who you are. Learn everything about your craft. In the process you’ll find where you naturally fit or gravitate to, whether it’s jazz, funk, rock or pop. A natural attachment will come through as you learn more about yourself and your art.”

It looks as though Harts is back on fire.

When the Opera House brought out its Diwali sari

It was a grand start to the Diwali season for Sydney’s Indian community.

As the Sydney Opera House lit up in the golden hues of Diwali well ahead of the date, it was a “Chhoti Diwali” (pre-Diwali event) like no other. Indeed it could be said, it was a grand start to Diwali across the globe.

The Sydney Opera House likes to frock up for special occasions, picking distinct colours as it shows solidarity with various communities and causes. For this event, it brought out its orange and gold Diwali sari. Standing on the threshold of the city, it shone its light bright and beautiful, as if to welcome Goddess Lakshmi in. Goodness and good fortune for the city of Sydney, clarity of thought, and the removal of negativity. Om mahalakshmyai namah.

For the Indian community gathered to watch this Diwali announcement just as the sun goes down, it is always a soul-stirring sight - not just for its Diwali connotations but also as a gesture of acceptance by our adopted homeland.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian pressed the switch on from across the harbour on the terrace of the Museum of Contemporary Art, at a special event hosted by Multicultural NSW.

“We are incredibly proud of our Indian community for your contributions to the state of NSW,” Ms Berejiklian said as she stood surrounded by her ministers. “We support you as you preserve your traditions and pass them on your next generations.”

Manish Gupta, Consul General of India (Sydney) replied to the Premier, “Events such as this show the importance you attach to connecting with the communities that make up your society. Sydney is a wonderful

nurturing ground for diversity.”

Ms Berejiklian, Mr Gupta and others received special blessings from Pandit Jatin Bhatt of Auburn’s SriMandir temple.

Invited guests also got to hear shabad (Sikh prayers) sung by priests from the Sikh community, who also observe the Diwali tradition.

Earlier, an Annakut display designed by the BAPS Swaminarayan community had greeted visitors to the venue. An elaborate

arrangement of food items, Annakut is a ritual of gratitude performed during Diwali to offer thanks for the comforts in our lives.

It has been a regular occurrence at this event.

Missing this time, however, was another regular ceremony, the annual felicitating of community seniors. Instead we had the felicitation of two other communities as they prepared for their own special events: the BAPS Swaminarayan movement as they marked the 200th anniversary of their scripture the Vachanamrit, and the Sikh community as they prepare for the upcoming 550th birth anniversary of their spiritual leader Guru Nanak Dev.

Our favourite city monument has been celebrating Diwali since 2014 just ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s memorable visit.

It is but one of many world monuments that have begun to be illuminated for Diwali. The Empire State Building, the Burj Khalifa and the Eiffel Tower have all worn Diwali colours. Closer home to us in New Zealand, this year for the first time, Auckland Museum, the Sky Tower and Viaduct Harbour also joined in to wish the world a Happy Diwali.

Rajni Anand Luthra

Photos: Vishaal / Evergreen Memories

Little India Diwali stops the traffic

The Council of Indian Australians (CIA) and the Harris Park Business Forum promised a Diwali party which would stop the traffic.

Easy one to keep, as the main street in Harris Park was blocked to traffic, and taken over by Diwali revellers, dozens of stalls and curious passers-by.

Henna stalls, candy floss counters, business stalls (spruiking property, banking and immigration services), Indian stall vendors and of course, some of the best varieties of Indian food in this city, brought in the festive mood just ahead of Diwali.

And all this while a stage at one end of Wigram Street, had nonstop entertainment from songs to dances, even that old party favourite, Antakshari.

The VIP session was also true to form, with more VIPs than people watching on. Yet the wisdom shared by the VIPs - local MP Geoff Lee, the Lord Mayor of Parramatta Bob Dwyer, the chief of the Parramatta Police Area Command

and others - indicated how well they appreciated the multicultural aspect of Parramatta and the contributions which

Indian-origin businesses make to the fabric of the local society.

“CIA is an organisation which

is passionate about promoting the opportunities which Australia offers to migrating Indians,” Nitin Shukla, President of CIA, told Indian Link. “Little India Diwali is but one of the ways in which we not only bring the local Indians to visit Harris Park but also promote the festivity in the mainstream community for the local Australians to enjoy.”

Building on this, Shail Wadhwa, Event Director added, “This is our third year organising this open street celebration and with Diwali around the corner, it is great to have even mainstream companies like Coles having a stall here and linking more closely with the Indian Australian community. We are so happy that as an organisation we can provide such links.”

The celebrations continued late in the evening: a religious light procession took over the crowded street, and fireworks lit up the night sky.

In three short years, these street festivities have become an important part of the community landscape.

Pawan Luthra

Photos: Vishaal / Evergreen Memories

Hindu Council’s Deepavali: Dotting the city

The Deepavali Fair organised by the Hindu Council of Australia Sydney has set such high standards that often it is the benchmark to which all other Diwali melas are compared. This year, with a change of venue from Parramatta to Bella Vista for its main event, the gathering was smaller than in earlier years. But those who made the attempt to get to the new venue were rewarded with the festivities of Diwali and an opportunity to catch up with their friends and acquaintances on a fun Sunday afternoon.

Hindu Council has done well in reaching out to the community across the city in satellite Diwali functions organised at various suburbs. This year, like before, Rouse Hill, Martin Place in the CBD, Cherrybrook Village and Strathfield Park have been the other venues for the celebration of Diwali. That they have continually been able to branch out and extend Diwali to the whole month, adds to their main objective of preserving, promoting and sharing the Hindu culture in Australia.

“It is by taking these small steps of extending our message in various areas of Sydney that we feel we are able to educate

all on various aspects of Hinduism. And we enjoy the opportunity of engaging with even the young people of Indian origin who may have been born and brought up here and share with them the depth of Hindu religion,” Jay Raman, President of NSW HCA told Indian Link.

Martin Place is one such area where as the local office workers rush through the CBD in Sydney during their lunch hour, they pause and enjoy the Bollywood songs and dances from a temporary make-shift stage. With Indian business stalls set up and of course, the mandatory Indian food

offerings, it was good to see the touch of Diwali in the heart of Sydney. Perhaps a better coordination of the music and the dances could have added to the experience.

In Bella Vista itself, the venue opened up from a narrow entrance to a massive ground where families could spread out with their picnic baskets or food from the local stalls and enjoy the cultural performances.

However, unlike last year, when both the Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Premier Gladys Berejklian were present to pitch for the Indian-Australian votes, this year the speeches were fewer in number. The highlight: Federal MP Julian Leeser’s address in Hindi, and the very appropriately picked Kanjeevaram sarees of NSW Opposition Leader Jodi McKay and her colleague Julie Finn.

In the background the somewhat sadlooking but giant effigy of Ravana kept an eye on the proceedings. As evening time set in, the business stall canopies lit up in various coloured lights to further add to the Diwali feeling. As the demon-king Ravana went up in flames, the Diwali message of good conquering evil was suitably reinforced.

Pawan Luthra

Pic: Vishaal / Evergreen Memories

Which Bank celebrates the best Diwali? Yes… that one

For the seventh consecutive year, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia celebrated Diwali not only for a number of its Indianorigin employees but also to thank their customers and supporters for their patronage of the bank.

At the other banks, which 3-4 years ago were making an attempt to reach out to Indian-Australians in the celebration of their most popular festival, these days this is left to the initiative of a local branch if they wish to do so.

However, CBA not only encouraged celebrations at the branch level, but took it to a whole new level with a full pomp and dance show at the Waterview Restaurant at Bicentennial Park.

Since 2014, Comm Bank has gained much acclaim for its diversity program Mosaic. It has set diversity targets for senior leadership and aims to increase the representation for women in its senior ranks, as well as to have one in 5 senior employees from a diverse background by 2020. It has brought in initiatives such as the corporate hijab and an African internships program. It also sees traditional celebrations of major world festivals such as Chinese New Year and Diwali.

Gunjan Pagare (Executive Manager of the bank’s Community and Customer Vulnerability Programs), told Indian Link at the Diwali event that the bank strongly believes in the benefits of multiculturalism.

“In our latest annual report, we have about 28% staff who identify their ancestry as Asian whereas the 2016 Australian Census has 14% in the same category. So, yes, we encourage the branch staff to celebrate

Diwali and here we have our stakeholders who are enjoying the CBA Diwali.”

Jenny Morton, Head of International Premier and Retail Banking also acknowledged the 470 customers, staff and community leaders in the room. In her welcome address to those attending, Jenny shared the story of a successful Indian migrant who has a strong link with the bank. “He went through his own

challenges of making a home for himself in his new country by working, studying, forgoing sleep, and as a client at this bank. Today he is a successful individual and an employee at Comm Bank.”

She added, “Diwali is a time to let the negativities go and acknowledge the strengths in yourself and those around you.”

All gathered were appreciative of the efforts which CBA was taking to host a fun-filled evening. With headline news in the recent past, during and after the Hayne Royal Commission, largely negative for the banking industry, it was good to see a bank doing what its core job is – connecting with their customers.

As the evening wore on and after dinner, the dances by the Nupur Dance School, gave away to the sound of the dhol and bhangra, as the dance floor filled up to capacity and the guests let their hair down. The energy and the spirit in the room was amazing as Diwali was celebrated.

The Goddess of Wealth Lakshmi, who is worshipped at Diwali, would indeed have been pleased at the bonhomie between the suppliers of wealth and its consumers, at the Commonwealth Bank’s Diwali celebrations.

Pawan Luthra

AHIA’s silver Diwali

It was a beautiful silver-themed Diwali this year for the Australian Hindi Indian Association (AHIA), as it marked its silver anniversary.

Long-time friends within the AHIA family gathered at the Croatian Club Punchbowl to wish each other Happy Diwali and enjoy a fun evening with fine food and festivity. Coordinated by Preeti Thadani and Sushma Ahluwalia with support from Channa, Kalra and Sachdev families, the evening also provided opportunities for a walk down memory lane, as well as to honour long-serving volunteers.

MCs Preeti Thadani and Benny Manuel guided the evening with elegance.

Entertainment provided by the Seven Sirens was wonderfully diverse in its presentation, including elements of many different genres.

The Diwali feel came from a skit written and performed by Mandeep Keith and Hemant Malik, centred around celebrating Diwali in a land far from home.

The stand-out event of the night though, was Jai Ho: a group dance jointly presented by an eclectic group of AHIA members of all ages. Gentle in its choreography and execution, the dancers clearly enjoyed

every minute of it, smiling their way through and finishing with a flourish. It had the audience up on their feet cheering wildly.

Earlier, President Yash Bhasin outlined the achievements of AHIA in 25 years, including the large-scale celebrations of Indian festivals, social justice programs in the mainstream, music and literary events and family-centric programs. It brings out a monthly newsletter in Hindi. But its most consistent activity has been its Seniors Forum, which caters to the social needs of our elderly. This forum has benefitted many hundreds of families in 25 years,

and has inspired the birth of many other seniors’ platforms in the community. At its Diwali bash, three Seniors’ coordinators Bindu Kalra, Dr Rakesh Sachdev and Santram Bajaj were felicitated for their selfless service in this area.

A stunning pair of diamond ear rings, donated by long-time supporter Sanjay Kalra of Twinkle Diamonds helped raise much-needed funds for this longest-serving of Indian associations in Sydney.

The warm send-off with candied nuts was just as special as the welcome at the beginning with traditional mithai.

Rajni Anand Luthra

Photos: Tilka Kalra, Shiven Lulla

Welcome Act: Pakistan to host Sikh pilgrims at Kartarpur

80 counters, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) clearances, 200 strong taskforce and a large immigration hall set to facilitate Kartarpur pilgrims. The Pakistan government has set up arrangements at the Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate Sikh pilgrims arriving from India and all over the world to visit the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism.

According to the Interior Ministry, the counters will speed up the clearance process and facilitate a large number of Sikh pilgrims who are expected to show up at one of the Sikh community’s holiest sites to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru, The Express Tribune reported recently.

The Immigration Department will handle a maximum of 5,000 pilgrims each day. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will send a clearance list of the pilgrims to the Indian border force 10 days before their arrival. The authorities have built three entry gates to facilitate the pilgrims from India. Pilgrims returning to India will be routed through a designated gate.

They will have their passports scanned on their arrival before they are transported to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in special buses with Pakistan Rangers squads deployed for their protection.

Sikh pilgrims from both Pakistan and India will undergo biometric screening before being permitted to enter Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. They will be able to exit from the same gate which they used for entry while undergoing the verification.

To facilitate operations at the corridor, which is likely to be inaugurated on November 9, the Interior Ministry has appointed two assistant directors and a deputy director in addition to 169 inspectors and sub-inspectors, constables and female constables.

The development comes after India and Pakistan on 24 October signed an agreement to operationalise the Kartarpur Corridor even as the ticklish issue of a $20 service fee imposed by Islamabad remained

unresolved. Pakistan is going to earn a whopping 30 lakh dollars per month from pilgrims visiting Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism.

According to Pakistan media reports, as per the agreement signed between India and Pakistan, a pilgrim will have to pay 20 dollars as service fee for the visit to Darbar Sahib. If five thousand pilgrims visit per day, Pakistan will earn 1 lakh dollars every day, or 30 lakh dollars per month.

Though India signed the pact with Pakistan for ensuring smooth travel of pilgrims through the Kartarpur Corridor, it has asked Islamabad to review the decision to levy service fee in future. An immigration hall has also been built at Zero-Point, 4 km away from Darbar Sahib, to facilitate the pilgrims. The agreement paves the way for Sikh pilgrims to visit the holy shrine located 4.5 km from the border in Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province throughout the year. The 4.2 km-long corridor from the Indian side in Dera Baba Nanak area in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district will be completed a week before the celebrations are slated to begin.

Delhi: To breathe or not to breathe?

Air in Delhi turned "Hazardous" during Diwali with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 999 in the Patparganj area. Emission from firecrackers and stubble burning in adjoining areas of National Capital Region increased the pollution level. The situation is expected to be worsen in coming weeks.

According to the AQI data recorded till 11 pm, the pollution level at the National Malaria Institute, Dwarka was 763 with high number of PM 10 (tiny particulate matter of diameter 10 micron or less). At ITI Jahangirpuri, the pollution level was 407 followed by Srinivaspuri at 313, both in poor category. In Chanakyapuri area where US embassy is located, the AQI was 189 at 8 p.m. and at Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium it was 168.

At no place, the AQI monitors showed less than 100. This data was compiled by

AQI monitors.

The PM matter reached a high of 515 mcg at Anand Vihar as per the Delhi government's air quality monitors.

In 2018 Diwali, the AQI had crossed the 600-mark, 12 times the safe limit.

AQI between 0 and 50 is considered safe, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor. At 301-400, it’s considered very poor and 401-500 falls in the severe category. Above 500 is severe or emergency category.

'Bad air cutting lives short by 7 years in Hindi heartland'

A new analysis of the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) showed the average citizen living in the Indo-Gangetic plain region can expect to lose about seven years of life expectancy. Particulate pollution is high in Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The study by Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC)showed that this is because air quality fails to meet the World Health Organisation WHO’s guideline for fine particulate pollution.

It is a 72 per cent increase in pollution from 1998 to 2016 in the region that is home to about 40 per cent of India's population.

In 1998, the impact on people's lives would have been half of what it is today, with residents losing 3.7 years of life expectancy.

In 1998, citizens living outside of the Indo-Gangetic plain region would have seen their lives cut short by 1.2 years relative to what it would have been if air quality met the WHO guideline.

That number has grown to 2.6 years, also worsening but much more modest than what has taken place in the Indo-Gangetic plain.

The findings were announced as the full platform of the AQLI was made accessible in Hindi, expanding the Index's ability to inform citizens and policymakers about particulate air pollution -- the greatest threat to human health globally.

"With the addition of this Hindi version, hundreds of millions more users will be able to learn how particulate pollution is

affecting their lives, and, importantly, how air pollution policies can make an enormous difference in increasing life expectancy," said Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics and director of EPIC.

If India is successful in meeting its goals under the National Clean Air Programme, and sustaining pollution reductions of about 25 per cent, the AQLI shows that such improvements in air quality would extend the life expectancy of the average Indian by 1.3 years.

Those in the Indo-Gangetic plain would gain about two years onto their lives.

Speaking at the Hindi AQLI launch event, Member of Parliament Gaurav Gogoi said, "I am working towards introducing a private member's bill to come up with a new Clean Air (Amendment) act where the health impact of air pollution is given the top priority."

The AQLI is rooted in a pair of peerreviewed studies in which Greenstone and his co-authors exploited a unique natural experiment in China based on China's Huai River Winter Heating policy.

The natural experiment allowed them to isolate the effect of air pollution from other factors that affect health, and to do so at the very high concentrations that prevail in India and other countries today.

They then combined the results from these studies with hyper-localised, global particulate matter measurements, allowing users to zoom in on any district in the world and understand the impacts of that district's local air pollution on life expectancy.

President’s choice: Justice

Bobde to be the 48th Chief

Justice of India

Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde will be the next Chief Justice of India as President Ram Nath Kovind paved his way after signing a warrant appointing him as the next CJI. Justice Bobde was part of the five-judge constitution bench hearing the longest running Ayodhya land dispute case and in which the judgement is still awaited. He will be sworn in as Chief Justice on 18 November and will serve this post for around 18 months.

Present Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on 18 October had recommended second seniormost judge Justice Bobde as his successor. Justice Gogoi was the 46th Chief Justice of India, who took the charge on 3 October, 2018 and will demit office on 17 November.

Congress runs Gorakhpur operations on WhatsApp

The Congress insists that it would reclaim its lost ground before the 2022 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, but the party first needs to find some ground for itself. Lacking an office in the Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh, it functions through WhatsApp.

The party leaders said that they had apprised Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of the situation, but there was no response from the party so far. The newly appointed district Congress

A marigold farm during the Diwali season on the outskirts of Jammu, India, 25 Oct 2019. Marigolds are popularly used for in garlands and rituals during Hindu festivals.

Photo: AP

president Nirmala Paswan, however, said that the party will soon get its new office.

According to senior party leader Syed Jamal, former district president late Bhrigunath Chaturvedi had started the Congress office in Purdilpur and this remained the party office till 2017. "But we had to vacate the office in 2017 because the ownership rights were with someone else. Since then the Congress does not have a proper office of its own, and meetings are usually held in marriage halls," he said.

Party leaders are informally using a house in Charuchandrapuri as a makeshift office.

Indian millennials join FIRE revolution to retire early

A new emergence of global community called FIRE: Financial Independence, Retire Early, has now reached India.

At 23, Bhopal-based millennial Prateek Jain is the CEO of lifestyle start-up Sttago. with some smart savings and wise investment, he aims to retire by the age of 35. His plan is simple: save early aggressively and invest wisely, cut down on expensive lifestyle and put a significant chunk of the income into investments that will give timely returns towards the golden years.

He feels proud to be part of the global community of FIRE which believes in saving early, living in a financially-restricted regimen and keeping a substantial portion of its income aside in order to take control of things after retiring young.

“I want to experience life in its myriad forms rather than waiting for a seven-day family holiday in an entire year. I want to do things I am passionate about, and not be constrained by funds which most face in the golden years,” Jain told IANS. The thumb rule is to spend only on bare, basic necessities and save the rest.

“I spend on basics like fuel, food and simple living to increase savings. One has to stop living a luxurious life in the initial years to enjoy later on,” he said.

Gone are the days when young adults used to spend all their earnings in partying and shopping. Realising that economic slowdown can hit them anytime, millennials in India have joined the global FIRE movement.

It was popularised by husband-wife duo Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung, who decided to retire at 31 to travel the world. FIRE is dedicated to a wishlist of extreme saving and investment that allows proponents to retire far earlier than traditional budgets and retirement plans would allow.

The idea of the movement was initiated by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez in their 1992 best-selling book Your Money or Your Life, and seconded by Jacob Lund Fisker in his 2010 book Early Retirement Extreme These works provide the basic template of combining simple living with income from investments to achieve financial independence.

FIRE is achieved through aggressive saving, far more than the standard 10-15 per cent typically recommended by financial planners. Today, several Indian millennials

are sharing their stories on various social media platforms and encouraging others to be part of the revolution.

Ashish Sawlani, 22, who is from RaeBareli and works at a start-up in Gurugram, said the millennial revolution is a solid retirement strategy. “It lays emphasis on the idea of ‘savings’, as our parents taught us. I am making use of this strategy and trying to cut down my daily expenses like travelling and ordering food online. I have shifted to using public transport and I cook my own food. It is working for me,” Sawlani told IANS.

“I can’t see myself working at age 50 and still struggling for financial independence. I want a peaceful retirement as early as 40 so that I can enjoy the rest of my life,” he said.

Keep my change: MP man buys Honda Activa with coins only

A customer in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh purchased a new Honda Activascooty on Dhanteras with the entire amount paid in coins.

Rakesh Gupta brought only five and 10 rupee coins to Krishna Honda showroom here on Dhanteras in 4 gunny bags, paid Rs83,000 and rode home on his all-new Activa 125 BSVI. It took four hours for the showroom workers to count the five and 10 rupee coins.

Showroom manager Anupam Mishra told IANS, "On Dhanteras, Rakesh Gupta came to our showroom in an auto with several gunny bags. He expressed his desire to purchase a Honda Activa 125 BSVI. I talked to the showroom owner Ashish Puri who said that the counting of coins will take time. We did not want to disappoint anyone on Dhanteras, and so decided to fulfil his wish."

Mishra further said that Puri engaged three of his workers to count the coins. "It took four hours to count all the coins. It was also a special occasion for us as both the customers and the showroom owner were satisfied.”

Honda Motorcycles has recently launched the new Activa 125, which is now BS-VI

emission norm compliant and has been priced at Rs 74,490 ex-showroom for the top-end disc brake variant.

Indian Railways reassures vacancies for disabled

In an act of reassurance, the Indian Railways has confirmed that vacancies for 'Divyangjan' or specially-abled persons will not be filled by any other categories. In a statement, the railways said it has "a clear commitment to recruit Divyangjan against the posts identified for them as per quota prescribed".

The specially-abled persons had held a sit-in on 23 October to protest against "perceived irregularities" in the filling up of posts reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) in the recent Level-1 recruitment exercise of the Indian Railways.

In 2018, the Indian Railways had issued a centralised recruitment notification for around 63,000 posts on different Railways. This notification also included posts for persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD).

Subsequently, based on the provisions of the revised PwBD Act that mandated 4 per cent reservation for PwBD categories (including newly introduced Multi Disability category), an additional window was notified for candidates to apply. Thereafter a clear one percent distribution of vacancies for each of the four PwBD categories for the recruitment exercise was made, increasing the total number of vacancies reserved for PwBD to around 2,500.

Envoy's Arunachal visit shows our support for India: US

After US envoy to India Kenneth Juster's visit to the border area of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, Washington has said that the visit "highlights resolute US support for Indian sovereignty and commitment to local partnerships".

Alice G. Wells, Acting Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of South and Central Asia, in a tweet said: "@USAmbIndia's #Tawang visit highlights resolute US support for

Indian sovereignty and commitment to local partnerships. The US funding supports joint public health and social sciences work in #Arunachal by @USouthFlorida and Rajiv Gandhi University."

She attached a tweet by Juster, in which he said, "Such an honor to be Chief Guest at the Tawang Festival and inaugurate the seventh edition of this wonderful celebration. #USIndiaDosti", with pictures of the Tawang Festival and his participation in it.

Juster's visit to Tawang is significant, as three years ago China had protested angrily over the then US envoy Richard Verma's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which it considers as "South Tibet".

China has so far not reacted to Juster's visit.

Juster was on a three-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh, and was joined by Pattie Hoffman - the US Consul General in Kolkata, West Bengal. The Tawang Festival is organised every year by the state Department of Tourism.

In 2016, China had reacted sharply to Richard Verma's visit to Arunachal Pradesh and warned that third party meddling would only complicate the dispute between Beijing and New Delhi.

India has told China that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country.

Juster's visit to Tawang also comes days after India and China held their second informal summit in Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Juster said that the US has modernised hospitals and health facility centres in Namsai and Pasighat.

He added that the University of Florida has collaborated with Arunachal Pradesh's lone central university - the Rajiv Gandhi University - for combined research work.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu said the state was fortunate to host two US Ambassadors to India in a span of three years. He briefed the visiting dignitaries about the strengths, challenges and opportunities of the state.

IANS

An Indian woman shops for jewellery in Bhopal, India, 25 Oct 2019. Shopping for precious metals is considered auspicious during Diwali.

Photo: AP

My rangoli

As floor decoration, rangoli is usually created mark of welcome. But it is much more than rangoli can be a mindful activity, providing with clarity and vision, and reducing stress of impermanence - that existence is transient, even though nothing lasts forever, while Check out this collection of

Seema Nair

Shraddha Tripathi

Nidhi Sharma

rangoli

created at the doorstep, and is intended as a than just that. Just like creating a mandala, providing not only a creative outlet but also helping stress and anxiety. Rangoli teaches us the idea transient, evanescent and inconstant. That while it does exist, it can be beautiful. of rangolis from this Diwali.

Nimisha Shah

Zankhana Mohini

Bhakti Shah

Sakshi Duggal

WHAT’S ON

LECTURE-DISCUSSION

William Dalrymple

Thur 31 Oct (6.30pm - 7.30pm)

UNSW Centre for Ideas presents writer and historian William Dalrymple talking on ‘The Relentless Rise of the East India Company’ based on his new book The Anarchy Venue: Sir John Clancy Auditorium, High Street (Gate 9), UNSW Kensington.

Details: 02 9385 1000 or email centreforideas@unsw.edu.au

Parag Khanna

Tue 5 Nov (6.00pm - 7.30pm)

Leading global strategy adviser and international bestselling author Parag Khanna presents the 2019 Michael Hintze Lecture entitled The Future is Asian. Venue: Social Sciences Building (A02) SSB Lecture Theatre 200 Science Rd, Camperdown. Details https://sydney.edu.au/newsopinion/sydney-ideas/

COMMUNITY

Fund-raising dinner

Sun 3 Nov (6.00pm onwards) The Care One Care All Group (COCAG) presents an evening of entertainment at The Madison Function Centre, 632 Old Northern Rd, Dural.

Details Paramjit Singh 0416 983 334

Walkathon

Sun 3 Nov (10.00am onwards) The Consulate General of India, Sydney in association with Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur Australia is organising "Unitython - Walk for National Unity" to commemorate National Unity Day 2019. This is be a 2.5 km walk along Sydney harbour (Milsons Point and Lavender Bay Circuit Walk). Meet outside Milsons Point train station.

Details 0415 158 789

STAGE

Atul Khatri: Stand-Up Comedy

Fri 1 Nov (7.00pm onwards) The Comedy Store, 122 Lang Road, Sydney. Details Premier Tickets.

Saaz Band for Saaya Fundraiser

Sat 2 Nov (6.00pm - 8.30pm)

Charity organisation Saaya Touching

Lives and Australian Telangana State Association Sydney presents a night of Bollywood music with Saaz Band, at Pacific Hills Christian School, 9 – 13 Quarry Rd, Dural. Details www.saaya.org.au

KALPANA: Ideas in Motion

Sat 9 Nov (5:30 pm - 7:30 pm)

Agal Dance Company presents a showcase of original works in progress, at 8 Victoria Rd Parramatta. Details 0431 897 473

Natyamritam

Sat 16 Nov (5:00 pm - 8:00 pm)

Performing arts institute Silambam Sydney presents its tenth annual dance showcase at Sydney Baha’i Centre, 107 Derby St Silverwater. Details arunagmn@yahoo.com

FESTIVAL

IIT Alumni Diwali

Sat 2 Nov (6.00pm – 10.30pm) The IIT Alumni Association of Australia celebrate Diwali at Le Beach Hut Restaurant, 179 Russell Ave, Dolls Point. Details www.iitaa.org.au

Telugu Deepavali

Sat 2 Nov (4:00 pm - 10:00 pm)

Telugu Association Inc Sydney

celebrate Deepavali Vedukalu 2019 at Durga Devi Temple Auditorium, 21 Rose Crescent, Regents Park. Details www.sydneytelugu.org

Deepavali at Strathfield

Sun 3 Nov (11.00am - 5.00pm)

Strathfield Park, Homebush Rd, Starthfield. Features include cultural program, merchandise stalls, food stalls. Details www.hindicouncil.com.au

Diwali Fair in the City of Ryde

Sat 16 Nov (4.00pm - 7.30pm)

The newly formed Ryde Indian Association presents Diwali at the Ryde Common (Ground) Wicks Road, North Ryde. Highlights include cultural performances and fireworks. Details 0452 401 956

SENIORS

Seniors meet-ups

AASHA Foundation Australia (Ltd) organises seniors social hubs at various centres across Sydney. Allcommunities welcome. Activities include yoga, music, dance, networking, health talks, technology, health checks, light lunch.

Blacktown: First Wednesday of the month (11.00am – 2.00pm) West point Shopping Centre, 17 Patrick St, Blacktown (Community Room, next to gym, Fourth floor). Close to railway station.

Wentworthville: Fourth Saturday of the month (12.30pm – 4.30pm)

Wentworthville Community Centre, Grevillea Hall (next to library), 2 Main Street, Wentworthville. Close to railway station

Hornsby: Second and Fourth Friday of the month (11.00am –2.00pm) Hornsby Youth & Family Community Centre, Cnr. Muriel and Burdett St, Close to railway station.

Crows Nest: Third Wednesday of the month (10.00am – 11.30am)

Music-based social gathering at Crows Nest Centre, 2 Ernest Place, Crows Nest.

Details Bijinder Dugal 0412 786 569

SPIRITUAL

550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev: Divine Steps Festival Sun 10 Nov (10.00am - 4.00pm)

Sikh Youth Australia together with Sikh Sangat and Sikh organisations of Sydney, present the Divine Steps Festival, an event celebrating Guru Nanak Dev Ji's 550th Birth Anniversary and his universal message.

The Divine Steps Festival looks to share and celebrate the essence of Guru Nanak Dev Ji by bringing

together Sikhs and other faith groups in a spiritual festival honouring his life and Universal message. The Festival will feature:

• Divine Music Concert of spiritual music and performances from Sikh (Dya Singh World Music group) and other faith traditions.

• Langar (free vegetarian food and drinks)

• A showcase of the history of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the Sikh faith

• Free health checks (courtesy of Culture Care)

• Jumping castle and entertainment for the whole family

• Fundraising for selected charities – raffles, silent auction

• Sponsored charity udahasi walks

Details 0401 055 271 or Facebook/DivineStepsFestival

YOGA AND MEDITATION

Lunch-time yoga and meditation

Mondays Art of Living Sydney presents free lunch-time Yoga sessions from 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm at Level 2, 265 Castlereagh Street, Sydney.

Thursdays The Brahma Kumaris

Australia present meditation sessions from 12.15pm - 1.00pm at the Indian Cultural Centre, Level 2, 265 Castlereagh Street, Sydney. Details 02 9223 2702. Register at icc2.sydney@mea.gov.in

Yoga at Spirit of India

Saturdays and Sundays, 15-week Yoga course. Also check out special yoga classes for children (5-12 years), adults and senior citizens (55 plus). Venues at Wentworthville, Quakers Hill, Pennant Hills, Auburn, Epping, Homebush, Ryde.

Free Yoga class every Wednesday (5.30pm - 7.00pm) at Indian Consulate Cultural Centre, Level 2, 265 Castlereagh St, Sydney. Free meditation every Saturday (8.30am9.15am) at Wentworthville. Details www.spiritofindia.org or call Suresh 0412 202 182 or Raja 0402 789 109.

Sahaja Yoga: Music and Meditation

Free sessions at multiple venues across Sydney.

Details www.sahajayoga.com.au

MISC

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 Gokula grows 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 Gokula is 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 it continue its activities.

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

CLUB / ENTERTAINMENT

Diwali Dhamaka

Sat 2 Nov (2.00pm - 6.00pm)

Featuring Ramdas Padhye (puppet show) and Shabdanche Café 9song and poetry). Venue: Sydney Baha’i Centre, 107 Derby St, Silverwater. Details Premier Tickets.

Kareena Kapoor

Sat 2 Nov (7.00pm - 11.00pm) Catch

Kareena Kapoor at The Diamond Showroom, Blacktown Workers Club, 55 Campbell St, Blacktown. Details www.drytickets.com.au

STUDENTS

Essay writing competition

The Ambedkar International Mission Australia invites entries for its second annual essay writing competition, open to uni students across Australia and New Zealand. Topics:

1. Comparison of Dr Ambedkar’s contributions with any political philosopher of your choice OR

2. Salience of Dr Ambedkar in the coming decade in any one of the following aspects – Social justice, Affirmative action, Women’s empowerment, Nation building. 3000 words. First prize $300. Second prize $200. Third prize $100. Last date for submission 15 Nov 2019. Submit entries to aim. sydney2018@gmail.com.

Details Vaibhav Gaekwad 0415 469 525

WYNBUS: Need of the hour for

Melb’s Point Cook residents

A successful community-based initiative now seeks government support as a permanent service

BY JANANI

Inspired by the ‘share autos’ of Chennai India, which connect the unserved areas of the city, residents of Point Cook Melbourne have launched a minibus shuttle service to overcome the challenges of bus coverage in the new estates, and also to ease traffic congestion.

Local community members worked as a team and trialled a six-week minibus service called Wynbus, which was funded by a Victorian government initiative, Pick My Project. Four shuttles (8-10 seaters), bookable by a mobile app at an affordable fare, operated during morning and evening peak hours from 26 Aug to 4 Oct, ferrying commuters to the Hoppers Crossing train station.

It was so successful that residents are now hoping for permanent service.

Senthill Sundaram of the Point Cook Action group, a community group that has been actively working to enable better facilities in the Point Cook area, told Indian Link, “PTV (Public Transport Victoria) has been revising bus services on a regular basis, but we still have shortages, considering the fast-growing population in this suburb. So, the residents have to depend on their cars just to reach the train station, causing enormous traffic congestion during peak hours. We spend much time in the car during the morning hours as the major route to the train station is usually bumper to bumper. To tackle the situation, the community came up with this concept of minibus shuttle service to travel to/from the train station. During the trial run, we believe that the residents had a hassle-free morning as Wynbus took many cars off the road and also reduced the parking woes at the train station. Many appreciated the new route to Hoppers Crossing station that we had chosen for the service.”

The outcomes will now be submitted to the state government for evaluation: hope is that a permanent service will be sanctioned. Community-based projects such as Wynbus which see high levels of public engagement,

are more likely to be accepted by the public than large-scale schemes. Such projects can create effective community infrastructure, but to become widespread, larger institutional support is required.

Apart from the peak-hour service, Wynbus operated additional services like a mobilityaid minibus and school shuttlesduring off-peak hours. “Our school shuttles were on high demand,” Senthill revealed. “Mobility-aid enabled minibus helped many elderly people to move around the suburbindependently. Insights from the trial run will help us to advocate more such ondemand shuttle services across Wyndham.”

The Point Cook Action volunteers reached out to their community through the Pick My

Project campaign, and received funding for the Wynbus project after being voted by their community as one of the popular projects in Western Melbourne. Pick My Project is a $30 million community initiative motivating Victorians to design new project ideas that will enhance the livelihood of the local community. In this scheme, Victorians vote for their favourite project ideas to be funded by the government.

The initiative turned out to be a boon to the Point Cook residents to avail of the minibus services. “Launching a minibus trial service in and around Point Cook wouldn't have been possible without the Pick My Project scheme. Our group of volunteers worked hard for a year to shape this project. We campaigned at the bus stations about the importance of the minibus. People were not always convinced as they raised many concerns. Their questions did not demotivate us, rather they helped us we improvise our project.”

In the end, the grit and determination worked for the Point Cook Action Group (PCAG) community members, most of them working professionals who have endured an arduous journey in this project for more than a year now.

“We spent much of our weekends and after-hours working on this project. We were determined to get it done for our community!” said Senthill, an IT professional, who has been part of PCAG for four years now.

The six-week trial service became an

instant hit as the commuters were able to cut down on their usual stretched commute time. Vinodh, a resident of Point Cook told Indian Link, "I loved the Wynbus trial service as my morning commute to the station was much easier than before. They did a brilliant job by avoiding the usual route via Palmers Road, which is usually traffic-congested, and chose a different route. We used to spend 40 minutes in the car just to reach the train station. Now with Wynbus' novel service, we were able to reach the station within 15 minutes, which is a great relief to the residents of Point Cook. The service was reliable, user-friendly and punctual, considering the ongoing traffic conditions. Wynbus is the need of the hour as we are facing transport issues, delays due to roadworks and parking problems. Most of us have to use two cars, with one to park at the station. I wish the service is integrated with Myki and if we could pull the service into PTV, that would be a dream come true for Point Cook residents."

KARTHIK

“During the trial run, we believe that the residents had a hassle-free morning as Wynbus took many cars off the road and also reduced the parking woes at the train station.”

Senthill Sundaram, Point Cook Action Group

The Point Cook Action Group reached out to their community through the Pick My Project campaign, a $30 million community initiative motivating Victorians to design new project ideas that will enhance the livelihood of the local community. In this scheme, Victorians vote for their favourite project ideas to be funded by the government.

for artists

Indian-origin artist helps launch art space at Parramatta

JYOTI SHANKAR

ARI, Parramatta’s first independent contemporary art space opened this month with a simple inaugural ceremony. An enthusiastic crowd of friends, supporters and families of the exhibiting artists welcomed the initiative where new artists can find a space to exhibit their work for a fee. This was possible with a $50,000 grant from CREATE NSW, the state’s art

PARI which is an acronym for the Parramatta Artists Run Initiative, also coincidentally means an angel in the Hindi language. It was no mean feat by the five young directors of PARI - artists Kalanjay Dhir, Tian Zhang, Rebecca Gallo, Justine Youssef and Alexander

Tanazefti - to make a case for this grant. The first show, 10 Degrees Hotter, curated by Kalanjay Dhir and Tian Zhang, brings together ten artists with a connection to Sydney’s west. After the first few shows which will be curated in-house, the directors wish to program exhibitions from open call-outs.

Kalanjay, a young artist of IndianIndonesian background, has a close connection with Parramatta, having lived and worked here all his life. He describes himself as “an artist, musician and failed viral content creator exploring nearfuturism, pan-Asian spirituality, popular culture, and mythological technologies”. The idea came about last year when Kalanjay met with the other young artists who jointly founded PARI. The need for such a space in Parramatta, where new artists could exhibit their works, was rife. If they could receive artists’ fees for exhibiting their works, it is a win-win situation for the artist, as well as the public, who can enjoy creative works of new talents.

Speaking to Indian Link , Kalanjay, still jubilant from the response to the inauguration of PARI, explained, “There was a specific grant of $50,000 for Western Sydney Making Spaces from

the state government. We did not have a plan or space yet but we wrote a rigorous application and fortunately they gave us the money.” He graciously acknowledged the support of Parramatta Council who gave them space at Hunter Street on a subsidised rent.

It was in Christmas 2018 that the directors of PARI had the first meeting and in less than a year, this artists’ space became a reality. Additional money for the fit-out of PARI was funded by a crowd-funding campaign which was oversubscribed and raised $11,000. All directors are volunteers and the grant money will go towards exhibiting artists’

fees, programming fees, rent and general administration costs. They hope to make a workshop and tool library with some extra funding in the coming days.

The inaugural exhibition of works in 10 Degrees Hotter is a reference to a typical summer day in Parramatta when temperatures can be ten degrees hotter than the eastern suburbs. Kalanjay says that the directors felt that this name was a metaphor for the “energy that emerges out of the western suburbs and PARI as a way of keeping it there”. The woven art at the window of PARI by Aunty Kerrie Kenton, is titled A Thousand Tears. It represents the loss of land and the stolen generation of the Indigenous people of Australia. Kalanjay feels that art is important to connect to the local Aboriginal community. Aunty Kerrie had provided the Welcome to Country at the inauguration.

Inside the gallery, Nicole Barakat’s work is made with organic materials and natural dyes from Penrith Lakes, a site that has seen many changes over the years from a plain to a quarry and now soon-tobe aquatic park. Haines & Hinterding’s audio-visual-olfactory work produces live sound by converting the sun’s radiation

through two cylindrical antennae, with an added dimension of smells produced with chemical compounds. Food is the theme of Mechelle Bounpraseuth’s work, served up in ceramic replica bowls of mi goreng, pho, chicken feet and Asian sweets.

All directors are volunteers and the grant money will go towards exhibiting artists’ fees, programming fees, rent and general administration costs.

Shivanjani Lal’s work is a video diptych, while E J Son’s ceramic work grapples with the complexities of masculinity through the motif of eggs. These and other artists’ works will be exhibited at PARI until 23 November.

Nitin Sawhney Beyond Skin revisited

Nitin Sawhney was perfectly chosen for the premiere performance at OzAsia 2019

Anna Phoebe McElligott played a masterful violin with ease and aplomb, adding verve and beauty to every piece.

BY SUNILA VIG

Twenty years after he produced Beyond Skin, critically acclaimed musician Nitin Sawhney revisited his seminal album at Adelaide’s OzAsia Festival this year in a one-night-only event.

Sawhney’s beautifully reflective melodies span infinite territories in geography, genres of music, the migrant experience and most of all the human experience itself, unbounded by nation or skin colour. And so for this premiere performance of the 2019 OzAsia Festival, he seemed a perfect choice.

In Sunset vocalist Nicki Wells presented in mellifluous Bengali with Aref Durvesh on tabla, Nitin Sawhney on the guitar and keyboard, while second vocalist Eva Stone

let loose her powerhouse of a voice, this time in the western tradition of music. The juxtaposition of languages and music was magic.

Contrastingly, Moonrise had a distinct Arab flavour and Nicki made Arabic sound even more enticing with her strong yet melodious singing. No Nation pulled

INDIAN LINK SOCIAL MEDIA

The audience was insatiable and after the artists had left the stage they had to come back with insistent demands for an encore.

Eva Stone and Nicki Wells sang, in Nitin’s words, ‘the cheerful Dead Man’, followed by the finale. Nitin on guitar and Aref on tabla brought the house down. Interestingly Nitin played the guitar in a manner I have seldom seen playedmaking it sound like a sitar.

at the heart strings with the loss of one’s land and then sublimated the experience into one of transcending geographic borders. There was Immigrants, Broken Skin, and a piece inspired by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s kawwalis. A piece based on kathak and an Urdu ghazal by Nicki Wells completed the proceedings.

The innovative addition of spoken word, films clips, historic speeches, sounds of nature, even elements of tukda, made it all wonderfully enjoyable.

It was a treat also to listen to Sawhney as he opened up about the creative process behind each number, giving us an insight into his award-winning music. Nitin Sawhney made every second at the Festival Centre worthwhile.

Susheela Raman: Sway!

The magic of contemporary gamelan at OzAsia

BY SHAMPA BRUWELEIT

The splendour of the traditional Indonesian gamelan orchestra hits my eyes as I enter the Space Theatre inside Adelaide’s Festival Centre, venue of the on-going OzAsia Festival 2019. The brass gongs, drums, xylophones and other instruments that make up this ensemble gleam invitingly even in the subdued lights on the stage.

This is the majestic set-up for the concert Ghost Gamelan of well-known UK - based singer and composer Susheela Raman. She has produced an album of the same name with associates Sam Mills, who happens to be her husband, and Indonesian composer Gondrong Gunarto.

Susheela was born to Tamil parents in the United Kingdom, and learnt Carnatic music growing up in Sydney, Australia, where her family migrated. As she tells Indian Link, there was always the very intense curiosity within her to discover music. She is known for her adventurous musical projects embracing diverse cultures, and her music keeps evolving constantly. Ghost Gamelan bears good testimony of this evolvement.

On stage Susheela is accompanied by Sam on guitar, Malcolm on drums, Peter on Bass, Raven on violin, Hugh on percussion, and of course, the contemporary gamelan orchestra of Gondrong, with his band members Agus, Ndaru and Rano provides the musical foreground.

Tonight Susheela looks magical in her shimmery white apparel and her flowing

curly strands. And magic it is as the music starts flowing, starting off with a timeless chant by Susheela that sets in the mood of mystery as well as meditation.

Tanpa Nama, meaning nameless, is the first song of this evening. It is set to an invigorating rhythm with a fine balance of sounds from the various instruments on stage. One hears the twang of the guitar and the trill of the violin in tango with the deep sounds of the bass and the gongs, and the compelling beats of the xylophone together with the western drums.

Gondrong’s gamelan is contemporary in style, and he produces mind-blowing rhythms on it, and at times the sonics are enhanced by audio intonations by one or more members of his band. At times too, Hugh leaves his drums and plays a soft percussion on the grand piano placed on the side. A novel and rich tapestry of music

indeed, in which the oriental dominates, and makes the music special.

Susheela positions her soft, breathy and melodious voice into the music with admirable skill. The impression is that she sings not to transcend the music, but to adorn it, and she does it very well!

Altogether it is a great musical idea.

The singer sways her body as she sings, and sometimes she waves her hands in gentle motion. She exudes a sense of being in an enchanted trance, and comes across as a mysterious priestess of solace and peace.

On a query from Indian Link about her ethnic identity coming through in most of her music, Susheela replies, “My Indian heritage is always there and always present and informs practically everything I do.” She and her husband Sam spent a lot of time in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh

over the last 15 years involving themselves with the musical traditions there.

Susheela informs further, that the song Tanpa Nama in her album Ghost Gamelan is based on Raag Shanmuga Priya and the composition Beautiful Moon uses a modulating version of Raag Dharmavati.

All the songs of this album are played through during this one-and-a-half-hour concert. Emotions are evoked ranging from sadness to meditation to ecstasy. The song Annabel, about a friend “who left us young” is particularly poignant. And despair sets in deep with the song Going Down, which was the dying lament of a soldier stationed in Afghanistan, hit by enemy fire.

The sound effects with the last-named song deserve special mention. The orchestra expertly simulate the sounds that scream out in a war zone, namely the ricocheting of gunfire, the threshing of machines, and the screeching of metals.

And the lyrics echo the hopelessness of it all: “Stuck inside a killing zone, where it’s do or be done to”.

The deeply meditative song Ghost Child provides special musical moments when the talented musician Gondrong rises up like a phoenix and plays the flute. This song presents the idea that adults are but ghosts of their own childhood. What an interesting thought!

Ending on a joyous note, the last song Tomorrow Never knows also happens to be the first song recorded by the group. And we are cajoled by Susheela to get up and sway. We do!

Check out the dynamism of Ghost Gamelan on YouTube for yourself.

But it is the live show that mesmerises with its visual richness together with the sonic feast.

In Guru Nanak’s divine steps

Sikh Youth Australia gears up for multi faith music event

BY SIMREN SAMRAI

To commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Sikh Youth Australia are hosting the first ever multifaith music festival in NSW called ‘Divine Steps’.

Officiating at the pre-launch of Divine Steps this week was legendary cricketing icon, Steve Waugh AO. Steve, who is loved by Australians and Indians alike, was a perfect candidate to launch the upcoming festival, given his love for the country and his affiliation with India throughout his career.

Set to be held at Pyrmont Bay Park on 10 Nov, the festival is the first interfaith event of its kind which will see members of the Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Bahai faiths gather to perform their spiritual music in celebration of Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary.

Speaking at the pre-launch event, Waugh reminisced fondly of the many interactions he has had with Sikh cricket players whilst representing Australia. Outlining how the 50,000-strong NSW Sikh community have contributed to Australia, Waugh

championed the upcoming festival as yet another great endeavour as it sought to connect diverse groups at a time when there is so much that separates us.

Steve commended the Sikhs for always seeking the goodwill of all humankind in their daily prayers – ‘sarbat da bhala’ (blessings for everyone). He also noted how Sikhs are gaining a reputation for feeding millions through the Sikh principle of sewa (service) and langar (free community food).

The launch event at the Royal Automobile Club in Sydney drew together leaders of twelve of Sydney’s major faith organisations amongst other prominent corporate and community leaders. Also present was India’s Consul General in Sydney, Mr Manish Gupta, who talked about the unparalleled impact Guru Nanak’s message has had on generations of Indians of all backgrounds and faiths.

Mr Gupta warmly shared how millions

had been touched by Nanak’s advocacy of neutrality and inclusiveness across all faiths and creeds, which he conveyed to the masses as he travelled throughout the Indian subcontinent. In fact, the inspiration for the Divine Steps Festival stemmed from the fact that Guru Nanak travelled over 28,000kms during his spiritual journey of learning and teaching, mostly on foot.

Beyond spiritual music, the Divine Steps Festival will host a series of charity harbourside walks, raising funds for The Can Too Foundation and Father Chris Riley’s Youth Off the Streets. Registrations are now open and everyone is welcome to sign-up for the 3km walkathon to raise much-needed funds for the vulnerable individuals supported by both these great charities.

There will also be fun activities for kids throughout the day including turban tying, henna art and jumping castles, as well as free health check-ups, a community kitchen providing free food and refreshments and an exhibition of Guru Nanak’s life and philosophy.

The highlight of the event will be the arrival of a team of cyclists completing a 238-km charity ride from Canberra and a grand contemporary performance by worldrenowned musician Dya Singh. For more details, find Divine Steps on Facebook.

Steve Waugh launches music fest for the upcoming 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak

Of love and longing

Samskriti’s ‘Abhijnana Shakuntalam’ leaves audience spellbound

BY SMRITI SEKHAR

"If you want the bloom of youth and fruit of later years, If you want what enchants, fulfills, and nourishes, If you want heaven and earth contained in one name.

I say Shakuntala and all is spoken.”

These were the words with which German poet Goethe responded to the ancient Sanskrit playwright Kalidasa’s epic Abhijnana Shakuntala in the 18th century. An audience in Sydney had the opportunity to become similarly spellbound and share Goethe’s wholly captivated sentiments in 2019 as the classic play sprang to life on stage in the form of a dance ballet.

Conceptualised, choreographed and crafted by Hamsa Venkat, Abhijnana Shakuntalam was presented by the Samskriti School of Dance in support of charity organisation Vision 2020’s 23rd project. The Sydney-based social enterprise is raising funds this year for Rehoboth, a charity that rehabilitates destitute women with mental health conditions in rural Tamil Nadu, India. Combining the powerful forces of culture and cause together, the production sought to aid Rehoboth’s housing construction project entitled ‘Kudumbam’ through the medium of dance.

In Kalidasa’s epic, love and longing, both integral facets of the human experience, are elucidated. In its most recent Bharatanatyam version, the choreography was executed skilfully by the dancers who showcased the three key elements of the dance form: nritta (pure dance), nrittya (rhythm with expression) and natya (dramatics) with grace.

What made it particularly enjoyable, was the eloquently detailed voiceover description that provided additional clarity to the plot of the play, illuminating the upcoming dance items for the audience.

Some spectacular dance numbers made up the entire production, inventively choreographed with effective use of space and incorporating varying formations.

During a chase sequence when King Dushyanta pursues a deer, the predatorprey dynamic was exhibited through striking floor spins and leaps as the circle expanded and contracted, increasing the dramatic tension with the rhythm of the music changing from fast to slow and to

fast again.

Another instance of a theatrical treat came in the form of a powerful dance duet by Shakuntala (Sowmya Sriram) and King Dushyanta (Govind Pillai) as they expressed their all-consuming love for each other. It showcased symmetry and was performed in unison as the characters experienced the fiery throes of passion. The duet culminated in a stunning

embrace where Shakuntala and King Dushyanta united, a truly brilliant visual spectacle.

Incorporating folk dance pieces into the choreography of the play piqued the audience’s interest post-interval as the dancers adeptly carried out the steps with the accompanying stage props. The range of emotions that their characters experienced were expertly

conveyed through exceptional facial expression work by the dancers. This was evident in King Dushyanta’s slow realisation of the truth and subsequent palpable anguish, Shakuntala’s wistful reverie longing for her love, her devastation in the face of Dushyant’s rejection, Bharata’splayful displays of bravery and fearlessness (in a stunning cameo by the young Vishakha Iyer), the confrontation between guards and fishermen and the maidens’ genuine concern for their friend.

Melodious music compositions complemented the dance on stage, and the vividly elegant costumes enhanced the aesthetic quality of the production.

“Since we had to construct a musical from scratch with only Kalidasa's verses, it was a mammoth task but an enriching one,” director Hamsa Venkat told Indian Link. “Vocalists Sai Vigneshwar and Namrata Pulapaka tuned all the Sanskrit verses, Mohan Ayyar composed the interludes and we used pre-existing folk pieces. Much discussion went into choosing the ragas and melodies. The scene where Shakuntala, devastated, moves like a living corpse, dead to the world.... I could see this movement of the dancer in my head and explained it to Namrata who sang it in a soulful manner, staggering the words that gave it an effect of listlessness. Every time I watched that scene during rehearsals, I had tears in my eyes. Many in the audience admitted to a similar reaction.”

With core members placed far and wide - India, Singapore, Sydney and Melbourne - technology helped hugely, especially with rehearsals on Skype. “Being busy full time professionals I think it is commendable that all my dancers put in so much commitment into making this happen. Sowmya works in a senior managerial capacity with Swiss Re, Govind is a senior professional at Ernst and Young in Melbourne, and so are all my other core dancers. It is wonderful that we are able to come together through dance, when everything just fades to the background and it is just us and our art.”

She concluded, “Much research went into the production as there was the responsibility of staging a text of epic proportions which is impossible to do justice to in a span of two hours. If there is one thing I wanted, it was for the audience to walk out having experienced the love and loss of Shakuntala.”

In that, her efforts have been successful.

What made it particularly enjoyable, was the eloquently detailed voiceover description that provided additional clarity to the plot of the play, illuminating the upcoming dance items for the audience.

The quota question

Why South Africa’s controversial quota policy remains important, even if it leads to a short-term talent drain for the national team

BY RITAM MITRA

As South Africa lick their wounds following perhaps their worst-ever Test series defeat, questions have inevitably turned to the country’s controversial quota policy. With a slew of players recently taking up Kolpak deals for the financial security offered by county cricket in England – influenced in no small part to the limited spots available for white players in the country’s playing XI – the side suddenly looks short on talent. Yet in a country still suffering from the impacts of the brutal apartheid regime, it goes without saying that the quota system provides critical opportunities for underrepresented black African cricketers; it just may take some time to pay dividends.

Since 2016, the South African national team has had a target to field an average of six players of colour, including two black Africans, in starting XIs over the course of a season. The quota, which already applied at the domestic level (albeit as a strict requirement, and mandating three black African players), was introduced to increase the proportion of coloured Africans in the national team, addressing systemic under-representation in a country where only 9% of the population is white.

The quota policy has guaranteed opportunities through the ranks of domestic cricket, and more recently in the national team, for black African players such as Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Temba Bavuma, as well as “coloured” African players Hashim Amla and Keshav Maharaj, who were at least all eligible to benefit from the protection ofthe quota system at the domestic level (though it is arguable that they may not have required this protection).

However, it is clear that the rate of talent entering the team is now lagging significantly behind the talent leaving South Africa. Perhaps the most famous departure from South Africa was England great Kevin Pietersen, who has revealed that being omitted from the Natal side in 2000 on the basis of the quota system led him to seek opportunities in England.

In recent years though, players such as Hardus Viljoen, Simon Harmer, Kyle Abbott, Marchant de Lange, Morne Morkel, Rilee Rossouw and Duanne Olivier have all taken up deals outside the remit of Cricket South Africa. They have done so under the Kolpak ruling, which allows South African cricketers to play cricket in any EU country without being considered an overseas player, subject to meeting certain work permit or minimum international cap requirements. The recent exodus has also been driven by the

looming possibility of the UK leaving the EU, which would put an end to Kolpak arrangements.

Supporters of the quota system argue that it is no different to affirmative action policies which correct entrenched gender imbalance in the corporate world, such as targets for the proportion of women on company boards. But this is a fraught comparison.

Affirmative action policies ensure that, where two candidates are equal on paper in terms of qualifications and experience, the underrepresented candidate is selected. Implemented in this fashion, affirmative action policies do not affect the quality of the board. Yet the nature of elite sport is that two players simply cannot be equal; the currencies in which they trade are too singular. In cricket, all that matters is a player’s ability to either score runs, or take wickets. For the most part, players cannot make up any deficiency in these abilities with other qualities.

The effect is that where a player is not selected on the basis of a quota, the quality of the team is necessarily affected, as there is a smaller pool of purely meritbased selections to make. This was almost an inevitable outcome of the quota system, in the short term, compounded by the retirements of once-in-a-generation players such as Dale Steyn, AB de Villiers and HashimAmla.

But the critical point missed by the policy’s detractors is that transformation takes time. Apartheid was in place for almost 50 years, and only came to an end in 1994. After nearly half a century of systemic discrimination and brutalisation, some of which continues to this day, policies such as the quota system form critical elements of a corrective framework that must necessarily be of a more interventionist nature.

With nearly 80% of South Africa’s population declaring themselves as black Africans, there is no doubt that,

eventually, the quota system will no longer be necessary, as coloured cricketers will – as many have already done – select themselves purely on merit, and the best XI will always be on the field. The same applies for other sports; for instance, transformation under the quota system in South African rugby was recently noted as being “years” ahead of schedule, in the aftermath of the Springboks taking out this year’s Rugby Championship for the first time in a decade.

Time will tell whether and for how long South African cricket can withstand a short-term talent drain until transformation is complete. Ultimately though, the quota system is one of those parts of the game that is much bigger, and means a lot more, than the game itself.

Policies such as the quota system form critical elements of a corrective framework that must necessarily be of a more interventionist nature.

Lungi Ngidi

Kagiso Rabada Vernon Philander

Greatness around the corner for formidable India

India-South Africa series wrap: Dominant third test win, Kohli’s fire motivate India

Test tours of India have always been tough for visiting teams. The pitches, the crowds, the heat and even the food have been subject of both fear and scrutiny. The proof is in the pudding; with its 3-0 thrashing of South Africa last month, India completed its 11th consecutive Test series win at home, eclipsing Australia’s twin 10-series streaks between 1994 to 2001 and 2004 to 2008. Yet when South African captain Faf du Plessis remarked after the third Test, “This is a really tough Indian team under Virat [Kohli]”, there was a sense that India had now added a significant weapon to its growing arsenal at home: a sense of invincibility and ruthlessness that has typically underpinned the great Australian sides of eras gone by.

This edition of the Freedom Trophy was never likely to be a fair fight. India is at the peak of its powers, even without its injured spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. South Africa, on the other hand, are still grappling with the losses of AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, amongst others. These are not players that can be replaced overnight. It was also very much expected

that the Indian spinners would outperform South Africa’s spinners; Ashwin and Jadeja are two of the most successful bowlers at home in Test cricket history.

What was not expected was the sheer dominance of the Indian pace attack, both in terms of their success against the Proteas batsmen, but also in how substantially they out-bowled the South African quicks. India’s fast bowlers took 26 wickets at an average of 17, while South Africa’s, including the highly-regarded duo of Vernon Philander and KagisoRabada, managed just 10 wickets, at a staggering average of 70.2.

These deficiencies culminated in what is by some distance South Africa’s worst-ever series loss since its readmission to Test cricket in 1992. The second and third Tests in Pune and Ranchi also marked the first time South Africa lost consecutive Tests by an innings.

As is often the case in the stats-consumed world in which cricket fans live, the data here tells a story. While India has a formidable home record, it has rarely made life so formidably difficult for its opposition. There have certainly been days and matches etched into folklore; India’s first ever Test win in

Madras 1952, that Dravid and Laxman partnership in Kolkata 2001, and Tendulkar’s match-clinching ton in Chennai 2008, in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks.

But India has rarely led opposition bowlers to remark, “I don’t know if we can be put under more pressure”, as Rabada lamented after the second Test in Pune, only for India to then pile on more pressure in Ranchi. It was as Kohli had promised: “No one is going to relax at any stage; we are going to go for a result in the third Test and hopefully make it 3-0, that’s a guarantee”.

The whitewash ultimately came through a near-perfect team performance by India, a critical trait of truly great teams. Bar Cheteshwar Pujara, who had a middling series, India’s batsmen were all in sublime form. The emergence of Rohit Sharma as a Test opener was particularly electric, with the Indian ODI vice-captain obliterating several records for six-hitting in Test cricket on his way to three centuries and a player of the series award. Kohli, too, notched up a personal best of 254*, and a series-topping average of 158.50. At the other end, the bowling unit hunted as a pack, unperturbed in the absence of Bumrah.

It is clear that Kohli’s fire runs deep within this Indian unit, who may have in eras gone by, taken the foot off the gas in the last Test of a concluded series. Some credit must go to the ICC’s Test Championship, which though imperfect, was devised to give Test matches more context and eliminate dead rubbers.

It has certainly motivated India, who sit atop the table with 240 points to their credit, well clear of New Zealand and Sri Lanka (each on 60 points). "The importance of every game has become that much more,” said Kohli. “In situations that, in a three-match series, you probably would have played out a draw, teams are going to go for wins (to) get those extra points, so I think it's great for Test cricket. The matches are going to be that much more exciting, is what we feel, and we can already experience that”.

With barely a chink in its armour at home, this Indian side already appears destined for the World Test Championship final in June 2021. Under the no holds barred leadership of Kohli and the new BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, greatness lies around the corner – if India can but reproduce some of its scintillating home form when it is on the road.

Ritam Mitra

Umesh Yadav gets Quinton de Kock in the third and last cricket test match between India and South Africa in Ranchi, India, Oct. 21, 2019.

Photo: AP

Loving right now

A list of Indian Link’s current favourites

READ

A master of microhistories, William Dalrymple moves to macro-history with his latest book The Anarchy. Touring Australia recently, Dalrymple regaled audiences with his dissection of the East India Company, which began as a trader but gradually took over one of the world’s most magnificent empires. The machinations of this privately owned and unregulated body -housed in a small five-window office in London that ruled over a 100 million people in a far-away land, and over which the British Government had no control - are warnings about the potential for the abuse of corporate power.

EAT

A popular Diwali gift this year has been mangoes. Not just because many of us chose to convert the Festival of Light into the Festival of Light Eating, but also because they have just arrived in our supermarkets. And we know you think Indian mangoes are the best, but give the Honey Gold, R2E2 and Palmer varieties a try. You can use them in a variety of ways - in desserts, drinks, salads, even curries, but we have no doubts whatsoever that the best way to eat mangoes, is fresh.

LISTEN

#NoFilterNeha is a candid celebrity chat show podcast, in which actor and model Neha Dhupia indulges her Bollywood friends to reveal never-heard before trivia from their lives. Successfully running onto its fourth season, this no holds barred podcast has explicit content and doesn’t shy away from bold conversations. The free-flowing, at-ease tone of the show makes it authentic as well as addictive. The fourth season boasts of an interesting contemporary as well as established star line-up including Shahid Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Malaika Arora, Dulqeer Salmaan, Taapsee Pannu, Raftaar, Siddhant Chaturvedi.

WATCH

Many people called this their best Diwali gift: SRK on David Letterman’s Netflix series My Next Guest…. Letterman was clearly in awe as he took us inside SRK’s kitchen, his trailer, and on his balcony from where he greets his fans gathered below. SRK spoke with wit and humour about his career, his family, his work in social justice, even Donald Trump. He received the ‘biggest ovation ever’by a star on Letterman.But of course there were detractors – David interviewed the persona not the person, they maintained. Our recommendation? Have a dekho, and decide for yourself.

November 2019

BY MINAL KHONA

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

ARIES

March

21 - April 19

Change and flux define this month for you, both positive and negative. A romantic relationship may go nowhere because you want something deeper. At work, an opportunity more aligned with what you want will come along. Channelise your anxiety within to find answers that you seek. Respiratory problems need to be looked at. Insight into a previously obscure situation will lead you to further achievements. Be more determined in your path and don’t compromise on your ethics.

LEO

July 21 - Aug 22

This card drawn for you signifies family matters, reunions, social gettogethers and personal fulfilment this month. A very passionate love affair is in store. Expect good news on the career front. If in a relationship, you might want to end it. A stroke of good luck makes you happy - this could be in your career or romantic life. New age treatments will work for any minor ailments. An impulsive buy will turn out to be a wise investment.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov 22 - Dec 21

TAROT

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

This month brings unexpected developments in personal relationships. A positive change in romantic affairs is indicated. Yet other emotional problems interfere with your work and you might even look for another job. Health problems with muscles or teeth are indicated. Success comes through hard work and gradual growth. If you feel trapped, know that the situation is only temporary. Even if you want to break up with someone, you won’t and things get better.

VIRGO

Aug 23 - Sep 22

Virgos draw the best card in the pack so this is a very good month for them. Money might come in bits and pieces; but success, travel, love, career and new opportunities are foretold. There could be blocks in some of them. If looking for work, it will come your way and soon you will have more of it than you can handle. Money from more than one source is indicated. This is the time to break free of self-imposed boundaries.

CAPRICORN

Dec 22 - Jan 19

Fives indicate challenges and this time the struggle is internal. Sagittarians need to reflect on their inner energies, unexpressed desires and acting without compromising ethics. Being preoccupied with everything else, you might miss a romantic opportunity that comes your way, if single. A major shift at work requires you to work with integrity and boldness. Health is good and a situation makes you examine your emotional life. Look at faults that need to be corrected and do what it takes to change them.

The usually methodical Capricorns might display a touch of whimsy as they are influenced by Aquarians this month. Humanitarian concerns, the environment and animal rights take up mind space. A meeting with a very unusual person leads to a mutual attraction. A happy trip is in store for some. A spiritual cleansing could help in dealing with health issues. Blocked money starts to get freed up and more is on the way. Things are working out better and faster than you believe.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20

A happy month as you let go of something in favour of another and a long held wish comes true. A short trip and a business opportunity are on the anvil. A nostalgic mood makes you want the past to return. Good news from or about a family member and money influx will have you in a positive mood. You actually make more money than you anticipated. A secret yearning for something or someone holds you back. Guidance to transcend it will come.

LIBRA

Sep 23 - Oct 22

A positive time for romance and positive changes are in store. New opportunities and meetings keep you busy. Good luck in business leads to an extra boost of income. Change for the better on all fronts comes your way. While there is pressure at work you are able to swing it like a pro. New ideas and opportunities take your business to the next level. Delays come to an end and things progress faster. Be more responsible for your actions.

AQUARIUS

Jan 20 - Feb 18

The card drawn for you stands for Aries so the usually detached and analytical Aquarian might display the intense and fiery drive of the April-born. You focus on work, planning, finances and building the future but still go it alone. Relationship troubles persist and you clam up; share your problems with loved ones. Professional contacts increase but work from them will be a while coming. Backaches and headaches bog you down. Whether you stay or leave a relationship, the decision is yours entirely.

CANCER

June 21 - July 20

Things are in the planning stage and you focus on your work and improving your image professionally. You are in a position of power and success improves your zeal and determination. A family reconciliation is predicted. Business profits also increase. Eat healthier to be more energetic. A course of action you took could worry you so think before you act. Luck is on your side and new business connections come your way. Proceed in an organised manner in everything you do.

SCORPIO

Oct 23 - Nov 21

You might want to hibernate in your cave and sit this one out. Scorpios, usually secretive, will want to meditate on a problem or give it serious thought before acting on it. Tension at work makes the office an unpleasant place. But you will find your emotional centre and your zeal and zest for life returns. A dispute over money leaves a sour note but the money will come. Health needs attention. Ask for what you desire and you will get it.

PISCES

Feb 19 - March 20

Pisceans can expect feelings of disquiet and dread; a sense of foreboding, which if related to a relationship, needs to be explored further. That is because your partner could be cheating on you. It might even lead to the breakup of the relationship. Conflicts at work need to be controlled internally rather than fighting it out. Someone close could disappoint you in a big way so avoid depending on anyone. Money owed to you comes in but not as much as you expected.

cineTALK

brand of B-horror (executed through a half-baked Nawazuddin Siddiqui cameo), aren't spared, too, even as the quota of transgender jokes, gay jokes and a tiresome birdsh*t gag plays themselves out.

Six creative brains are credited as screenplay writers. Just why would you need half a dozen collaborators to set up a comedy that hardly exists – plotwise or in terms of humour quotient – is beyond one's guess.

HOUSEFULL 4

STARRING: Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Riteish Deshmukh, Kriti Sanon, Kriti Kharbanda, Pooja Hegde, Boman Irani, Chunky Pandey

DIRECTOR: Farhad Samji

H H

Give them some points for consistency. Maintaining the same low IQ over four films – and crafting it into a moneymaking franchise – is no small deal. By now, the makers of the Housefull films have chucked all notions of sensible storytelling and intelligent humour. Why bother? What matters is setting off a big bang hype before release, and the box-office math solves itself.

Housefull 4 tries giving Bollywood's much-flogged ‘punarjanam' (reincarnation) formula a spoofy spin. The idea would seem quirky, to begin with. Unlike standard Bollywood reincarnation dramas, where the hero and heroine (and villain at most) get rebirth after an untimely death, Housefull 4 merrily puts its entire cast on the Punarjanam bandwagon. Every single character is reborn.

Daft as the premise is, it sounds hilarious. The problem is, much like the

films before, this sequel, too, doesn't reveal any ambition of being remarkable in the quality of entertainment it fashions out of that premise.

These films have never really been about the concept – they are always about the commerce. In that sense, Akshay Kumar and company have stormed into the 'plexes with the onepoint agenda of emerging the biggest Diwali grosser this year (who knows, perhaps even the biggest Diwali ever). Making a good comedy can be secondary, there's big money to be made.

Money talk becomes important within the scope of a review in the case of Housefull 4 because that is the sole reason this film was made. One does understand, in the case of mainstream films as this, the definition of ‘good film’ or ‘bad film’ directly corresponds to whether box-office revenues spell big bucks or small change. In that context, "Housefull 4" is smartly budgeted, advertised and distributed. It is a neat example of how big-budget Bollywood filmmaking in the corporate era has mastered the low-risk game.

Cinematic details about the film, there is really not much to say. Every once in a while Akshay Kumar seems

to feel the urge to take a break from his newfound nationalism duty on screen and return to roots – which, in his case, has lately been about churning out extremely bloated, insanely nonsensical films. The formula is duly spruced up every time with a new slapstick gimmick and a new prop cast of he roines to add to the ditsy glitz.

So, reincarnation. A script credited to Sara Bodinar and Sajid Nadiadwala swings between the imaginary Sitamgarh kingdom of 1419 and modernday London as the film opens. In the royal palace of Sitamgarh 600 years ago, three pairs of lovers are killed following an evil conspiracy against the king. Six centuries years later, all six protagonists are born again in London and once again end up as lovers.

There is a catch. Fate has mixed up the couples. Each person is with a wrong partner. When a twist in the tale brings them from London to Sitamgarh, it is time for discoveries of past-life romances. A stupid game of ‘spot your previous life's lover’ begins to unravel.

The film is trying to work as a spoof, you realise, as everything from Game Of Thrones to Ghajini to Bahubali to Karan Arjun gets a wink. The quality of Bollywood lyrics and the Ramsay

The film really runs on an auto-pilot trip, with random and unintelligent gags splattered all over the screenplay. Most of these are too repetitive to seem funny – even if you are in a magnanimous festive mood to ‘leave your brains out and go for a watch’, as the muchabused Bollywood hardsell pitch goes.

Akshay Kumar returns to rehash a familiar bag of tricks, in dual roles of a sly prince with a bald pate complex, and a bumbling modernday hairdresser with a short-term memory loss syndrome triggered by noise. The rest of the cast divides into two categories. The first is the band of regulars of the franchise, who return with Akshay. Riteish Deshmukh, Chunky Pandey, Ranjeet and Johnny Lever look jaded repeating the same jokes they have already pulled off in previous "Housefull" flicks.

Lead actresses Kriti Sanon, Kriti Kharbanda and Pooja Hegde are basically required to do what a highly interchangeable female cast does in such films – look pretty. There's Rana Daggubati and Sharad Kelkar as the villainous duo this time. They look like a couple of baddies straight out of some bad eighties film.

Housefull 4 is more like a haggard circus than a film. It parades an assembly of overdone tricks inside its gaudy, star-studded canopy.

Vinayak Chakravorty

only after half the film has tested your patience showing precious nothing. Too much time is spent narrating the hero's marital life (Mouni Roy is Raghu's wife) and his situation at home. Raghu's initial consecutive failures are amusing but they prevent us from getting into the actual story for a while.

Post-interval, where the plot really

FAULTY IN PARTS

moves, sees a well-penned climax that gives a credible ending to the themes of sex talk as well as entrepreneurship, binding them in a cohesive whole. The importance of ridding sex of the taboo factor is put across without over-thetop fuss, and it fuses seamlessly with the hilarious reality about Magic Soup.

MADE IN CHINA

STARRING: Rajkummar Rao, Boman

Irani, Mouni Roy, Amyra Dastu

DIRECTOR: Mikhil Musale

HHH

Made In China is symptomatic of what's often happening in Bollywood right now. They have a concept driven by content that's high on blending entertainment and message, and the idea is original, too. Yet the effort gets lost in execution, hampered by unsure storytelling.

Director Mikhil Musale's Bollywood puts together two very different themes to set up the story. The first is sex and the Indian mindset - a domain that

SAAND KI AANKH

STARRING: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Vineet Kumar, Prakash Jha

DIRECTOR: Tushar Hiranandani

HHH

Saand Ki Aankh is important for what it is trying to tell you, but the effort gets weighed down by an obvious obligation to tick-mark the diktats of commercial cinema.

Tushar Hiranandani's directorial debut ends up a work of ironies - it is high on intention and low on execution. You admire Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar's performances, even as you can't resist a chuckle over the ludicrous prosthetics gone into making them look aged. The outstanding women, whose real-life story Saand Ki Aankh narrates, instil awe but it surprises you how their on-screen personas are imagined without much depth. The drama uses the all-important issue of gender discrimination in heartland India, yet characters are too black-and-white to leave any serious impact.

Balwinder Singh Janjua's screenplay starts off in 1999, introducing Chandro and Prakashi Tomar (Bhumi and Taapse) as aged bahus in the household of a village Sarpanch (Prakash Jha). Unknown to the crudely chauvinistic men of the household, the sisters-in-law make way to a shooting competition, and eventually win.

It turns out Chandro and Prakashi

commercial Hindi filmmakers have been warily stepping into only in recent times (Vicky Donor, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Khandaani Shafakhana). The second theme is good old entrepreneurship, and how nothing defines success in a business effort as a clever hardsell pitch (Gurua, Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year, Band Baajaa Baaraat). Clubbing the unrelated themes of sex and entrepreneurship could have been a sureshot USP if the writing was sharper. Based on Parinda Joshi's bestseller of the same name, Made In China presents Rajkummar Rao as Raghuveer, a Gujarati entrepreneur struggling to find his feet, although his father (Manoj Joshi) and elder

AIMS WELL BUT MISSES

have quietly ventured out to win many more such competitions in the past, but are forced to keep their medals hidden from their men. Only the women of the household know of their sporting talent, and victories.

In a storyline that oscillates between the present and flashbacks through nearly two decades, Chandro and Prakashi's lives are meant to highlight the travails of women in rural India who have little or no liberty to pursue any other activity beyond household chores.

In that sense, Saand Ki Aankh was trying to be more than just a sports movie.

The trouble is that it takes too long to tell its tale and state its message.

Saand Ki Aankh suffers because it did not have enough material for a twoand-half hour runtime.

As the years pass, Chandro and Prakashi's granddaughters take to shooting and the same story repeats itself. None of the cruel chauvinistic reality facing women has changed in all these years. The men in the household are still vehemently opposed to accepting the talent and achievements of their women, even though Chandro and Prakashi have conquered the

brother (Sumit Vyas) are successful businessmen. Faced with consecutive setbacks, Raghu's luck will turn one day after a chance encounter with a big businessman, Tanmay Shah (Paresh Rawal). Raghu chucks all orthodox notions he has grown up with when he realises, in a country starved of sex, there is serious money to be made in the business of aphrodisiacs. But first, he must rope in an honest sexologist as partner: enter Dr.Vardhi (Boman Irani). Soon, Raghu, Vardhi and their small team are selling Magic Soup, billed as top quality Chinese aphrodisiac with a secret recipe.

Made In China is enjoyable in parts, and most of these parts begin rolling

Made In China benefits from enjoyable performances of its two key players, Rajkummar Rao and Boman Irani. While Rajkummar is at home playing the guy next door with big dreams, Boman's Dr Vardhi is yet another understated comic addition to the actor's versatile repertoire.

In comparisons, the film's lead actresses, Mouni Roy (as Raghua’s wife) and Amyra Dastur (as a member of Raghu's Magic Soup team) get characters that are not fully fleshed out. One would have also expected Paresh Rawal's cameo appearance get more space in the narrative.

Inadvertently, Made In China lives up to its title, delivering a product that is faulty in parts and works in fits and starts.

Vinayak Chakravorty

hearts of the rest of the country.

Saand Ki Aankh is too simplistic in the way it probes these facets of Indian womanhood in the village scenario.

Bhumi and Taapsee strike oddball chemistry. Driven mostly by an enthusiasm to excel in their roles, the two leading ladies of the film remain its backbone. Despite the abundant melodrama that constantly threatens to consume the screenplay, Taapsee and Bhumi clearly seem to be relishing their acts as the Shooter Daadis, and that is primarily what makes them

immensely watchable.

Prakash Jha essays a fine portrayal as the antagonist, Sarpanch Rattan Singh Tomar. He maintains restraint while bringing alive an intrinsically uncouth character, which makes his act effective.

Vineet Kumar as Dr Yashpal - the man who helps the daadis realise their dreams- is another notable performer.

The performances by the cast somewhat redeem a film that raises a significant issue but struggles to address it effectively.

Vinayak Chakravorty

The BUZZ

PRESSURE-FREE PRIYANKA

Priyanka Chopra Jonas the reigning heart-throb of Bollywood hasn’t always had it easy. Her journey has been rocky and her solidarity has been put to test time and again. But, she now admits she is able to play roles and take up responsibilities without feeling the pressure.

“I used to feel the pressure. Now I don’t. I think I stopped taking pressure when I reached a point where I could make choices about the work that I wanted to do... when I didn't have to depend on people coming to me with the work. That sort of shifted not too long ago, just four or five years ago maybe," Priyanka told IANS.

"Unfortunately with female actors, there is a lot depending on other people before you are cast in a film. It is the truth. Hard to hear, but it's the truth. That shifted for me just recently. I guess that gave me a sense of confidence to become a producer, to be able to helm films that I wanted to make," she added.

But does she still gets the jitters when starting a new project?

"I like something that will make me nervous coming to set,” she revealed.“I like movies that challenge me. I like the immersive experiences. I like films where I look at my scene and I am like 'oh my god! How am I going to do this?' When your fingers tingle, your toes curl... I like experiences like those.”

A lesson in there for all of us?

PERFECTIONIST PARINEETI

AXONE: BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Welcome to the world of content-driven Hindi cinema. If you’re already a fan, Axone is one film you won’t want to miss.

The Sayani Gupta starrer was screened recently at the Jio MAMI 21st Mumbai Film Festival with Star 2019, and it received a standing ovation at the festival. Earlier it made an equally favourable debut at the BFI London Film Festival.

So what’s Axone? If you think the term sounds outlandish, then that’s where the problem begins. (It’s a food item, also known as akhuni, that is not foreign but very much native to India).

Axone the film is a bittersweet satire that follows a group of young people as they set about preparing a wedding feast for a friend, and want to cook their favourite dish, axone or akhuni. Akhuni is a smelly fermented bean commonly used in Naga preparations.

Yes, the young folk are northeasterners, who have for many years now battled widespread racism at the hands of ignorant Punjabi Delhi-ites. Now that is a refreshingly different Hindi film.

And one, we might add, that has been long overdue.

Sayani who plays a 23-year-old girl from Manipur, has many hopes for the film. “Axone premiered at the BFI London Film Festival. At MAMI, it is mostly an Indian audience and you always look forward to seeing their reaction because ultimately, they will relate to the film the most. All the three screenings of the film were packed. The standing ovation, that was quite overwhelming!”

Quizzed about the film's theatrical release date, the actress sounded unsure. “Soon, I hope. It's very difficult with independent films because they don't make a lot of money when released theatrically. But the good thing is, people have started watching these films. Since the film got a very good response at BFI and MAMI, it will hopefully release by the end of the year,” she replied.

Written and directed by Nicholas Kharkongor, Axone also features Lin Laishram, Tenzin Dalha, Vinay Pathak and Dolly Ahluwalia.

Let’s hope the film helps raise awareness amongst mainstream Indians about their compatriots in more remote regions.

Parineeti Chopra, in her quest to ace her upcoming role as and in Saina Nehwal’s biopic, will be visiting the ace badminton player's home here for the first time, as part for preparation for her role.

"I want to become Saina. For that I want to go to her house and see how she lives. We’ve met many times, but this time I want to go to her house, live like her and eat like her for a day, live her life for a whole day," Parineeti said.

Bollywood actors working in biopics have been known to make the extra effort to bring alive the character on screen. In the recent past, actor Ranveer Singh spent 10 days with Kapil Dev, to prepare for his role of the Indian cricketer in ‘83.

Earlier, Priyanka Chopra Jonas spent time with boxer Mary Kom to essay the wrestler's life story.

The Saina Nehwal biopic is directed by Amole Gupte and is being produced by T-series.

NEW AGE MUMS: NEHA, SOHA

In the Instagram-ruled lives of today, many young mums feel the pressure to lose their postpartum weight quickly. This is especially true for celebrity mums.

Bollywood actor Neha Dhupia, who

was blessed with a baby girl Mehr last November, has spoken boldly against being fat-shamed after pregnancy, in a note on social media.

"I have always tried to raise my voice in this regard. I believe this pressure needs to stop for everyone not just celebrities. I feel one should be fit. Fitness is a priority but not "fitting into" society's standards regarding looks. As a new mom I want to be fit, healthy and energetic for my daughter," the 39-year-old said.

As well, the model and actor has launched a 'Freedom To Feed' campaign against the taboo of public breastfeeding. Her best friend and industry colleague Soha Ali Khan, 41, has also been vocal about the issue. It is not healthy for any woman to deal with such pressures, said Soha. The actor tied the knot with actor Kunal Khemu in 2015, and actively posts about their 2-year-old daughter Inaaya.

"It is high time people start respecting women and mothers for who they are and not focus on how they look," Soha stressed.

"Motherhood is a beautiful feeling and postpartum weight is a part of it. Every mother has the right to choose her fitness regimen and take her own time," she said.

Hurrah for these new-age role-model celeb mums.

CAPTAIN KOHLI’S DIGITAL DEBUT

Looks like his wife’s career is exerting some influence on Virat Kohli’s decisions. We’ve seen him in ads, now he’s getting into the movies. For kids, to be precise.

Followed by the massive test victory against South Africa, Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli launched a new animated series titled Super V for kids. It is loosely based on his own life.

Super V tells the story of a 15-year-old teenager who is a cricketing prodigy, and

PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS

who discovers his superpowers and goes on to fight the biggest supervillain to save the world. Virat claims the series aims to educate children on good values and ethics.

It explores his own relationship as a teen with his parents and with the world around him, his sister, friends and teachers.

Talking about the upcoming show, Virat said: "It has a very beautiful storyline along with really good animation. Initially, I wasn't sure about this show, but then I thought why not? This show gives a positive message and every episode will give some learning to the kids who watch it. It's a progressive show and that I think it is the most important thing for me. I think whatever you present out there, whether it's in the form of an animation show or something else, there has to be some learning for someone in it, and that is exactly what Super V is all about."

BHUMI’S UNIQUE ‘MASALA-BRAINER’ KIND OF FILM

Known for her high-in-content choice of films, actress Bhumi Pednekar says she aims only for the "brainer" among masala entertainers. Having debuted in 2015 with Dum Laga Ke Haisha, she was later seen in movies like Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and Lust Stories. Has she ever thought of starring in a

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

SONAKSHI SINHA OR BEYONCE IN YOUSEF AL JASNI

no-brainer masala flick?

"No. But I have definitely thought of doing a ‘brainer masala’ entertainer!” she laughed. “I feel Saand Ki Aankh and Pati Patni Aur Woh are those films. The meaning of a masala entertainer has changed... That's what people want to see today."

She added, "I don't think I can completely be part of a film where people don't take something back from it."

Bhumi will next be seen in Pati Patni Aur Woh, which also stars Ananya Pandey and Kartik Aaryan.

IS VICATRINA A THING YET?

Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif sparked off dating rumours at Diwali this year as they attended a party together. Or left together. Or something.

Unconfirmed rumours have linked Katrina and Vicky for a while now, although sources close to both stars have maintained that they are "very much single and are not dating".

The rumours further gained fuel when reports cropped up a while back that the two stars could very soon be working together in a film. Or something.

The one thing certain about this story though, is that whoever coined the term VicAtrina, was quite creative…

ON TWITTER THIS WEEK

Match the following stars to the tweet

that appear below. Shabana Azmi, Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan, Ajay Devgn

Thank you for loving us and laughing with us. It is because of your love we are where we are today. Thanks to all my fans and audiences who have poured unconditional love on #HouseFull4. Thank you for showing us that nothing beats hate more than love.

Kisne mujhe firse ungli dikhayi ? 2 saal ho gaye fir bhi tum log nahi seekhe?

#2YearsOfGolmaalAgain

Is ssaal fruti wali Diwali @Frooti@aliaa can u stop taking my frooti away every time kya.

Appalled to read that @iamsrk Diwali greeting invites wrath of rabid Islamists, gets called a “False Muslim” for sporting a tilak!” FUNDOS get a life! Islam is not so weak that it stands threatened by what is a beautiful Indian custom. India’s beauty is in her Ganga Jamuni tehzeeb

As always@Letterman so erudite, so eloquent. “You don’t even know, eh, may be you do know, but this is eh, I don’t know, you know what I’m talking about...” My most cherished intro for any public appearance... love it.

For more caption entries, see YOUR SAY Page 09

PARINEETI CHOPRA KATRINA KAIF

NEHA DHUPIA

BY NURY VITTACHI

Tip: If you ever need to cheer yourself up, just go to Google and type: "[Your Name] is the koolist guy on urth". Google, the biggest computer brain on the planet, will instantly tell you that it reckons that surely the correct phrase is: "[Your Name] is the coolest guy on earth."

Okay, well, if you insist, thanks, Google! This lifts your spirits mightily, as long as you're an easily pleased person. As a semi-sophisticated individual, I try to limit myself to doing this only 50 or 60 times a day.

But the truth is even the most successful people have regrets. Evidence comes in the shape of a news report a reader sent to me about a monarch who has ruled

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING GROOMS

#NoRegrets

How to forever banish regrets from your life

for 20 years but recently told his shocked populace: "I miss being an accountant."

Oba Ajibade Bakare-Agoro of Nigeria ascended to the throne of his region in 1993 with the royal title Ranodu of Imota. But he badly misses his old job shuffling papers in an office, he told a stunned reporter at the Sun newspaper of Nigeria. "I miss not being able to audit account books of companies and firms," he said, admitting that he sneaks off to his old office to stare regretfully at piles of receipts.

By coincidence, an interviewer asked this writer a related question: What is your biggest regret? I told him these were my top three: 1) Not being (current reigning heart-throb, say Shah Rukh Khan); 2) Fifty

Seeking a professional match for Indian HinduRavidasia, 29-year-old doctor girl, doing MD (Pharmacology) in India; very good family background, family relatives professionally settled in Sydney and Brisbane. Caste no bar. Please contact with details and photo at aeracus29@gmail.com

Seeking professionally qualified settled match for Sydney-based, never married Aus citizen, Hindu Punjabi Khatri lady, 46, 5'3", slim, fair and attractive, postgraduate and working on a good position in government organisation. Please send details with photo - Indsyd2016@gmail.com.

Beautiful, highly educated, soft-spoken, career oriented 33-year-old vegetarian Brahmin girl,

to 70 percent of the things I say or write every week; and 3) Not being Taylor Swift's "partner-for-life" this week.

Psychologists say that if you have a regret involving another person, you should talk to him/her as soon as possible. True. Here's a line that works for me: "I totally regret the things I said to you last night. I came up with a much more caustic list of scornful put-downs during the night."

The most sure-fire cure for feeling lowspirited is to look up tattoo pictures on the internet and count how many people have invested money and pain in having "no ragrets" (sic) or "no regerts" (sic) or "no regets" tattooed permanently on their bodies. This never fails to cheer me up.

with very good family background,working, well-settled in Sydney, seeks an educated, teetotaller match with good family background. Prefer Australian citizen or PR. Please contact rajsyd83@gmail.com

Seeking professionally qualified well-settled match from Sydney for ‘88 born 5"3" Hindu Punjabi girl, divorced (concluded) with 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 a dynamic teaching professional, career-oriented, with extensive academics, 23 years old, 5’4″ slim, fair, attractive girl from a well reputed and established business family in Delhi. Caste no bar. Prefer Australian citizen or PR. Contact 0452 225 341 or mverma2001@gmail.com

SEEKING BRIDES

Seeking match for educated, divorced, 5’9, 1975 born Sikh Boy, self-employed on bridging visa with full work rights. Looking for PR/citizen girl from Australia. Phone: 0422812939 or email: jas_ghai01@hotmail.com

Seeking professionally qualified settled match for Sydney based, never married Aus citizen, Hindu Punjabi Khatri, 45, 6', athletic built man. He is project manager with engineering background and is working in a private organisation. Please send details with photo - Indsyd2016@gmail.com.

Seeking match for well-educated, well-settled Gujarati boy. 1980-

And, Ajibade Bakare-Agoro, if none of the above helps, I suggest you get some wisdom from the Holy Scriptures: "Regrets. I've had a few. But then again, too few to mention." No, wait, that's a song lyric. You can tell because it flows nicely but means nothing.

This columnist canvassed regular contributors to come up with some good advice concerning regrets in the modern era and they produced these three maxims.

1) Never waste time brooding over mistakes you have made. Just blame someone else and move on.

2) If you're doing something that you realise you will regret in the morning, make a decision now to sleep past noon.

3) Don't dwell on your past failures as you'll surely make worse ones in future. Now, if you regret wasting precious minutes of your life reading this column, don't be. It was written by the coolest guy on earth. Google says so, or will do so in a minute.

born, 5’9", with own home in Sydney, earning 180K per annum, Australian citizen, divorced. Looking for suitable match from Sydney who wants to settle down for ever with easy life (No need to work full time but have a work-life balance). Interest invited from student/PR/citizen/divorcee.

Phone: 0490 970 281 (SMS if busy) or email patelbrij1980@gmail.com

Seeking qualified match for handsome North Indian Brahmin boy 36, 5'6", Australian citizen, working in leading bank, Sydney. Please whatsapp details with photos to 0422361702, +919871735858 or email: sharma.brijmohan07@gmail.com

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