Friday, February 21 2014 | Vol. 33, No. 08
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India to Add Community Cultural Center
India House Community Center site plan
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February 21, 2014
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COMMUNITY
BY PRAMOD KULKARNI HOUSTON: At its 8th annual gala, India House announced plans to build a community culture center to host activities for 800 people at a cost of $8 million. The gala took place on Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Hilton Post Oak Hotel with attendance by more than 400 India House dignitaries, council members and their guests. India House President Jugal Malani presented architectural plans for the new community center, promising “A five-star banquet facility that community organizations and private individuals could use at a reasonable price.” A new culture center is reasonable goal for India House that has achieved a number of milestones recently, including the establishment of the Sareen health clinic in association with Harris County Health System, after-school educational activities, yoga classes and weekend cricket. The keynote address was to be provided by North Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, but she could not attend due to the extreme cold weather emergency in her state Instead, Gov. Haley sent a video message recalling her earlier visit to India House and congratulating the community for building such a vibrant center for educational and cultural activities. Also providing a video message was Texas Senator John Cornyn, who has visited India House several times in recent years. Among the other speakers at
February 21, 2014
India House Announces $8 Million Culture Center at Annual Gala
India House President Jugal Malani (center) with trustees Dr. Durga Agarwal (left) and Dr. Virendra Mathur (right). Photo: Bijay Dixit
the gala included Indian Consul General P. Harish and Dr. Dennis Golden, who will be instrumental in setting up the India House Eye Clinic. India House Trustee Dr. Virendra Mathur presented a written message from the famous Houston heart surgeon Dr. Denton Cooley, a long-time well wisher of India House.
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In Gov. Haley’s absence, University of Houston Chancellor Renu Khator called upon Astronaut Bonnie Dunbar to give the keynote address. A veteran of several space shuttle missions, Dr. Dunbar is now the director of the Cullen College of Engineering Aerospace Program. Dr. Dunbar recalled her career path from her childhood
in rural Washington to the NASA space program. She also paid a tribute the late Indo-American astronaut Kalpana Chawla. In his welcoming address, President Jugal Malani said the gala had raied $1,250,000. Malani also presented the architectural plans designed by Ray de la Reza, who had also designed the existing In-
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dia House building. The culture center shares many of the design elements with India House. Instead of the cone, the cultural center will have a two-story inverted cone at its front, which opens to the sky at the top. India House recognized several entities, including the late Dr. M. Paul Mehta for outstanding community service. The Dean of Education at Prairie View A&M University, Dr. Mehta served as the India Culture Center president and was a founder of Punjabi Culture Club. Recognized for Outstanding Service to India House was Ravi Arora, a veteran of the Harris County Public Infrastructure Department, Arora helped supervise the construction of India House. Dr. Devinder Bhatia was the recipient of the Cultural Bridge Builder award. Recognized for Public Service in Media were publishers of the three community newspapers. Pramod Kulkarni and Vanshika Vipin received the award for Indo-American News. Entertainment for the evening consisted of three dance performances by Naach Houston, Natraj School of Dance and Solera Flamenco. As the gala concluded, the India House trustees, executive committee, and council members girded themselves to raise funds to host the 10th India House Gala at its own community culture center! SEE PHOTO COLLAGE ON PG 14-15
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February 21, 2014
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COMMUNITY
BY ANJANA MENON HOUSTON: On Wednesday, February 12, twenty-three dancers from Infused Performing Arts Bollywood Dance Company between the ages of twelve and thirty put on a great halftime show in front of tens of thousands of fans who had come out to watch the Houston Rockets defeat the Washington Wizards in a nail-biting close game at the Toyota Center. The company dancers, dressed in apple green, hot pink and orange Indian costumes, danced to a medley of the latest catchy Bollywood numbers. They swept gracefully across the court from one formation to the next with their trademark high-octane moves and stunts as the crowd cheered on. The event marked the second time the dance company performed during the halftime of a Rockets game, the first time being in January of 2013. So what was it like returning to the Toyota Center a year later? Infused Performing Arts co-founder Tina Bose-Kumar remarked that this experience was still a first for the majority of the troupe. Company member Akhila Kumar was one among them, who witnessed last year’s show from the stands. “The
February 21, 2014
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Memorable Second NBA Half-time Show for Infused Performing Arts
Performers from the Infused Performing Arts Dance Comapny before the halftime show at the Rockets game at Toyota Center on February 12. Photos: Navin Mediwala
only other time I’ve performed for such a huge crowd was at Bollywood Blast 2013.” she said. “This
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definitely was a bigger crowd but all the more fun!”. Jyothi Asokan, also a new member, agreed that performing for such a large crowd was the biggest adrenaline rush. “We were able to perform on the same court the Rockets play on, and show everyone in the stadium our talent and how much fun we have dancing”, she further stated. For returning dancer Umair Qureshi, rehearsals were the most
memorable part of the experience. “We all had fun learning new steps”, he reminisced. Bose-Kumar added, “With the experience of having performed once before at the Toyota center, we were more confident going into this one. Preparations began well in advance, and we were able to use the court really well.” The hard work was certainly evident, with their dynamic formations en-
Directors & Choreographers: Kiron Kumar and Tina BoseKumar.
gaging audiences on all sides. Nursing student and Rockets fan, Jesly Shamjith, who was in the stands that day, described the
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COMMUNITY
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performance as “mind-blowing” and “energetic”. She went on to add, “They were so talented, and very consistent from start to finish”. Dancer duo Tina Bose-Kumar and Kiron Kumar founded Infused Performing Arts three years ago. Since then, the company has grown, with the Kumars having traveled around USA, India, and UAE performing and teaching choreography to beginners as well as Indian Cinema Artists. They also teach Bollywood dance in all genres from Classical to Hip Hop, at their Stafford, Sugarland and Pearland studios in the Houston area and at their two studios in Dallas. They have been featured on ABC, Fox 26 and CW39 as the only dance company that combines Bollywood dance and magic, as was showcased in their last major event, MADRAS N PAVILIO T & DAAWA CATERING
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Bollywood Blast 2013 at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. So what’s next on the cards? “We have a variety of shows and concerts coming up. We are also looking forward to Infusion 2014, our 4th annual recital!”, Bose-Kumar revealed. Preparations are already under way for the event, featuring student dance performances, set to take place on October 4, 2014. They are also currently enrolling students aged 3 to adult for their Spring session. For further information, visit www.infusedperformingarts.com or call 72-INFUSED-8 (724-638-7338). Follow Infused Performing Arts on Facebook (facebook. com/InfusedPerformingArts) and Twitter (@infuseddance) for all their upcoming events.
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COMMUNITY
February 21, 2014
Ash and Leena Shah Host VVIP Reception for Actress Neha Dhupia
Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia (center) with the SACC board members and with entrepreneur-turned-film producer, Ash Shah (right).
BY PRAMOD KULKARNI HOUSTON: Prior to the South Asian Chamber of Commerce (SACC) gala last weekend, Cochairs Ash and Leena Shah hosted a VVIP reception for special guest Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia at their West Houston swankienda. An entrepreneur who led Impex into a worldwide supplier of films for packaging, Ash recently sold his company to a private equity
firm and is now venturing into the exciting arena of movie making. Besides acting and modeling, Dhupia could make a career in diplomacy with her praise of the sartorial elegance of her IndoAmerican hosts and admired the high-ceiling mansions. Asked whom she would like as her next film hero, she was quick to answer, “Ash!”
WRITERS ... TAKE NOTICE Writers are requested to limit their words to 500. The deadline for advertising and articles is 5 pm on Tuesday of each week. Fo r more information, Call713-789-NEWS(6397)oremailusat:indoamericannews@ yahoo.com
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COMMUNITY
Shivangini Academy of Arts’s Performances Kathakaar and Khidki BY NANDITA SHARMA HOUSTON: We all know the Hellen Keller story. When Anne Sullivan entered Hellen’s life as a teacher, her mind was a blank slate. It was the teacher who worked tirelessly at filling it with the missing colors. From time immemorial, people have said that there are no real new ideas or problems. It is purely the way we approach them that makes the difference. In Houston we are fortunate to have one such extraordinary teacher whose unique approach towards the art of teaching has made hundreds of children and adults fall in love with traditional Indian Arts like Kathak, Tabla, and Dholak. Her name, synonymous with dedication, passion, and love for her students, is Shiva Mathur. Shiva Mathur comes from a very illustrious family and her own grandmother, Smt. Shanthi Sahai ‘Nalini’ is widely known in Lucknow as a creative beacon, who intellectuals and art lovers flock to. Being a poetess, a dance teacher, and a writer, Shanti Sahai made sure that Shiva Mathur had the best of teachers in all fields including Dholak, Tabla, Vocal, and Kathak. By the age of 16 she was already teaching in Lucknow. And that passion for teaching continues today in Houston where she now has 300 students under her tute-
Dancers in the production “Khidki”
lage. Shivani, our daughter is now a fourth year Kathak student (classical North Indian dance form) with Mathur. This past weekend, Shivani and 250 other students of Mathur presented not one but two back to back performances – “Kathakaar” on Saturday, and “Khidki – The window” on Sun-
day. These were a very special treat for connoisseurs of ‘Kathak’ – one of North India’s finest oldest, richest and absolutely stunning classical dance forms. The “Kathakaar” show featured Kathak choreographies and Tabla performances, and was interspersed with performances by very artistic ‘Kathakaars’ (storytellers) who
Photos: Navin Mediwala
creatively composed dances on short stories provided to them on the spot. The dance drama production on Sunday, titled “Khidki – The Window”, was an exquisite drama written and directed by Shiva Mathur, showcasing the story of two girls in a slum and their journey towards achieving their dream – a true testament to the power of
a dream and a passion for a better life. Both the shows were vibrant with colorful costumes, beautiful sets, and students whose passion for performing was so very visible to everyone in the audience. With the “Khidki” production Mathur entered the select group of artists who are script writers, composers, dance choreographers, and teachers. Guests and VIPs at the events included Mac Flores from the office of Congressman Pete Olson, Consul General Parvathaneni Harish and his wife Nandita , Sugar Land Republican Chairman Mike Gibson and his wife Tina Gibson, Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Charles Dupre, State Representative Rick Miller and his wife, Dr. Virendra and Nalini Mathur, Dr. Durga and Sushila Agrawal, author and writer Megha Shah, Sunil Thakkar and his family from Masala Radio, Fort Bend Diversity Director Ilene Harper, and several faculty and Principals from schools around the Houston area. At the conclusion of the event, Mac Flores from the office of Congressman Pete Olson presented Mathur with a proclamation that read “As your representative in Congress, I am very proud to honor your culture and
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February 21, 2014
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COMMUNITY
February 21, 2014
Elected leaders, Businessmen and Film Stars Mingle at SACC’s Gala Dinner
BY MANU SHAH HOUSTON: Houston politicos and business elite, a few Bollywood and Hollywood actors and one extremely funny standup comedian emcee made for an interesting and entertaining combination at the 20th Annual South Asian Chamber of Commerce Gala held at the Westin Galleria on Wednesday, February 12. The often long speeches and platitudes were kept short and the evening’s entertainment was laced by Mo Amer’s lighthearted and breezy comedic humor. His take on his transition from Kuwait to Houston, his 15 year-old cousin named Osama and large families was hilarious and as he put it “Allah made him funny!” The evening was abuzz with guests catching up with each other at the social hour and appreciating local artist Janavi Mahimtura’s paintings, which were up for sale. It took repeated pleas by the emcee to get everyone to take their seats and the evening finally kicked off with a lively dance by students of the Sugar Land based Bollywood Shake dance company. A technical glitch with the music system caused a few minutes of delay prompting event co-chair Mustafa Tameez to quip “it’s a tough day when brown people can’t get the technology right.” Chloe Choudhary, whose deep, soulful voice stirred hearts at the recent ICC Republic Day program with her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, once again wowed the audience with the na-
tional anthem. Tameez and cochair Ash Shah got the evening started, with Tameez appreciating the team effort that helped put the evening together in a record two months. Shah briefly outlined the objectives of SACC and touched upon his growing involvement in the film industry, explaining the basic difference between Hollywood and Bollywood movies. “Hollywood movies cater to one emotion in a movie, be it murder, action, comedy or romance”, he joked, “but Bollywood has the enviable ability of combining every ingredient into one movie! Indians call it good value for money”!! SACC President Nomaan Hu-
sain described his chance encounter with the evening’s special guests – Javaid Anwar and Anthony Melikhov - at the White House Christmas dinner last year and was so inspired by their achievements that he ended up inviting them for the Gala. The SACC unanimously voted to honor Anwar with the Business Leader of the Year award. Houston Mayor Annise Parker lauded the role South Asians have played in transforming the city with their thriving business culture, while Harris County Commissioner’s Court Judge Ed Emmett said he loved the expression “calm, collected and the coolest” that was
used to describe him. Texas Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, Attorney General Greg Abbott who is running for Texas Governor, former Congressman Nick Lampson, Houston City Court Judge Ravi Sandhill and US Congressman Al Green’s spokesman Sam Merchant were all present to show their support for the organization. And judging from the cheers Democratic State Senator and Texas Governor hopeful Wendy Davis received, there were plenty of Democrats in the hall too! She spoke of her race and promised to
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make educating the next generation her number one priority. Javaid Anwar related the response his wife had when he told her he planned to quit his steady well-paying job as a petroleum engineer and branch out on his own. “‘Have you lost your mind?’”, she said when he told her his plans, he tittered. He went on to buy an oil well, struck gold and today is the proud CEO of Midland Energy and Petroplex Energy, operating over 200 wells in West Texas. His advice to the younger generation: believe in yourself, work hard, be patient and most importantly, give back to America and your motherland. Anthony Melikhov, the evening’s other special guest had an equally impressive story. He sold his pharmaceutical company for millions but instead of sailing around the world in his yacht decided to head to the jungles to find a sense of the meaning and purpose of life. He returned to Chicago a year later to start a foundation - Unite 4 Good and “learnt to be happy.” The organization helps improve living conditions of the people around the world. The evening’s other celebrities the actors – Karina Smiroff, Wilmer Valderrama and Neha Dhupia - also spoke of their personal experiences in the film industry with Dhupia joking it was unfair she had to vie with the dessert for everyone’s attention! But she didn’t have to worry as everyone was vying for her attention for a photo op well into the evening.
Ash Shah
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COMMUNITY
Shivangini Academy of Arts’s Performances Kathakaar and Khidki
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your traditions here today. I applaud your dedication to your heritage through dance and I celebrate this occasion with you”. Consul General Harish complimenting Mathur in his speech very insightfully noted that “Your production today was very representative of the Guru-Shishya parampara …. which is a lot more than just a student attending a dance school … “ They say that a teacher comes into a student’s life, only when the student is ready to receive what the teacher can teach them. As the mother of a young child I remember praying that I would find a teacher who will not just teach my child an art form, but one who
would over the years act as a role model and guide, maybe even fill in on areas where I may not be able to help. Raising kids with a moral compass and an appreciation for our heritage is a challenge, they say - but I no longer dread that for Shivani our daughter, because in Shiva Mathur, we do not have just a Kathak dance teacher, we have a guide and mentor, who sets the bar very high for all her students. Dancers and Tabla showcase a technical piece of Kathak.
Left: Slum scene in “Khidki” Right : Dancers performing to song “Des Rangila”
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
February 21, 2014
Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya MAHASIVARATRI
Come, celebrate and receive Lord Siva’s grace and blessings Thursday & Friday, Feb 27 & 28th 2014 Thursday, Feb 27
Friday, Feb 28
Ksirabhiseka Seva by Devotees 9:00 am - 9:45 pm
Ksirabhiseka Seva by Devotees 9:00 am - noon & 5:00pm - 9:45 pm
Mahanyasa Purvaka Rudrabhiseka 9:00 am - 11:30 am
Rudrabhiseka 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Laghunyasa Ekadasa Rudrabhiseka 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Mahanyasa Purvaka Rudrabhiseka 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
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Arati & Prasada 9:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Meditation & Midnight Arati 10:30 pm - 12:00 am Utsava Yajamana: $25,001 Puja Yajamana: $10,001 Arati Yajamana: $5,001 (Puja Sponsorship with Ksirabhiseka: $21 per family)
Sunday, March 2nd 2014
( Temple Hours 8:30 am – 2:00 pm & 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm )
Maha Mrtyunjaya Homa 8:35 am - 10:30 am 11:20 am - 1:00 pm
CMH Session1 CMH Session2
( In Chinmaya Smrti Building — Homa sponsorship: $21)
Chinmaya Mission Houston 10353 Synott Road Sugar Land, TX 77478 281-568-1690
www.saumyakasi.org Contact: Jay Deshmukh 832-541-0059 Bharati Sutaria 281-933-0233
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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18 February 21, 2014 Two Talibans and India New Delhi must brace for a terrorist upsurge as civil wars in Pakistan and Afghanistan worsen. Precarious anyway, “peace negotiations” between the Pakistani government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - or simply the Pakistan Taliban - have suffered still more after news that TTP beheaded 23 Pakistani soldiers in its custody. India should be paying attention. While national security has been almost absent in the preelection political discourse, this cannot take away from the fact that India’s security environment is set to undergo a dramatic change in 2014. The challenges the new government will end up facing in even its early months could be of an order unknown since the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. At the end of this year, American and international forces begin their withdrawal from Afghanistan. Even if a security agreement is signed with the government in Kabul that allows the Americans to retain a small presence, the overarching security umbrella that has been in place since the Taliban defeat in 2001 would have receded. A period when the greater jihad in Afghanistan (and inside Pakistan) overtook the lesser jihad in Kashmir and against India would come to a close. Twinned with this is Pakistan’s own but different Taliban threat - in the form of TTP. While the Pakistani army would hope for a Taliban takeover of Kabul or at least removal of a leadership in the city that is not in the control of Rawalpindi, the in-house Taliban question in Pakistan poses quite another dilemma. Here Pakistani generals are theoretically determined to fight TTP and stave off a challenge to the state. TTP’s ultimate goal is the capture of Islamabad and formal conversion of Pakistan into an Islamist lebensraum. As such, in the battle against TTP, Indians find themselves in the unusual position of rooting for the Pakistan army. Yet, here too there are complications. Intelligence sources sThere is one other concern. Sections of the Pakistan army and Inter-Services Intelligence have a history of testing a new Indian leader. In 1990, V P Singh encountered reckless threats about a nuclear attack on New Delhi. In 1999, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had an invasion on his hands in Kargil. What awaits the prime minister who takes office in New Delhi in May 2014? It is possible all of this is scaremongering and actually the civil wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan will continue for long enough to give India breathing space. Even so, a mediumterm nightmare scenario - with the Afghan Taliban closing in on Kabul and Pakistan Taliban getting a slice of state power - cannot be ruled out. For India, it would be the perfect storm. Ashok Malik in Times of India
EDITORIAL
Kejriwal’s Aaapheaval BY KARAN THAPAR “So how will history remember the Aam Aadmi Party government and Arvind Kejriwal?” That was how Pertie broke the news that AAP ki Sarkar had resigned. His question, however, wasn’t easy to answer. Let me explain why. The last few weeks of the Aam Aadmi Party government have been mired in controversy. Its treatment of African women, the chief minister’s impetuous dharna and the dispute with the Lieutenant Governor over the process to pass the Lokpal Bill — but not its content — turned many middle class Delhiites against AAP. Several regretted voting for it. A few felt let down. So there can be no doubt that the Aam Aadmi Party government disillusioned many of its supporters. But that’s not the full story. After all, the middle class was at best just a slice of its support. The bigger share of this cake, I’m confident, views the departing government very differently. I am, of course, referring to the genuine aam aadmi! They will remember how much this government delivered of its promises in just 49 days. Electricity tariffs were halved, 660 litres of water delivered free, an anti-corruption helpline launched, a CAG audit of discoms instituted, FDI in retail scrapped and a magisterial inquiry ordered into Nido Tania’s death. Frankly, Arvind Kejriwal is perhaps right when he claims no other government has done so much in so short a time. So even if he disappointed the likes of us — and I use that pronoun advisedly — Mr Kejriwal can still claim to depart office with his head held high. Now, if delivery of manifesto promises begets loyalty and electoral reward, AAP should win more seats in the next elections for Delhi. This could also boost its Lok Sabha performance. The problem is the circumstances in which those elections are likely to happen. In all probability, the state elections will be combined with those for the Lok Sabha. In
In that event will a Modi wave — assuming its developing, as many do — push AAP aside? Or will AAP be the wind-breaker that successfully resists it? The outcome in May 2014 is a lot harder to predict than December 2013. that event will a Modi wave — assuming its developing, as many do — push AAP aside? Or will AAP be the wind-breaker that successfully resists it? The outcome in May 2014 is a lot harder to predict than December 2013. There are two reasons for saying this. The first is Narendra Modi is growing more potent, almost by the day, whilst the collapse of the UPA, both in terms of its support and its own confidence, is cascading. This makes the challenge tougher for Mr Kejriwal’s little party. The second reason is that many of his middle-class supporters could now prefer the BJP, perhaps because of Mr Modi himself. This means his dependence on his aam aadmi voter has increased. He
needs to ensure they vote in bigger numbers than ever before. I don’t want to predict the outcome of the next elections. At this point that would be a fool’s game. But I am confident Mr Kejriwal’s achievements will stand him in good stead. Finally, his unjustified claim that the Congress and the BJP forced him out because they refused to accept his Lokpal Bill can only strengthen his aam support. For the fact that the two parties only objected to his defiance of rules and legislative — though not constitutional — requirements whilst trying to introduce the Bill, and not to its actual content, is a fine technicality many, if not most, will ignore. The aam interpretation is bound to be that the big two swept their favourite Kejriwal from power. Now, with their jhaadu, they’re likely to look for revenge. Indian Express. READER FEEDBACK
AAM Aurat Party
Some people with no experience of governance, should form an “AAM AURAT PARTY” and promise everyone that they will make all electricity bills uniform at Re 100 per month no matter how much electricity one consumes, free water, free wheat, free land for housing and 50% free Metro rides in addition to a dole of Re 5000 to all voters. Trust me the party would get enough seats because there are millions who will buy the dreams and give them majority in few assemblies. The party will come to power and announce what they promised and resign if the constitution does not allow such concessions. Aaam Aurat Party still will get significant votes of free loaders in the next elections and will create anarchy. Media is jointly responsible for this drama; they made hero of Arvind, an agitator and dramebaaj who has no experience of governance Joeking
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Invites you to celebrate
MAHA SIVARATHRI At Sri Meenakshi Temple
Thursday February 27th , 2014 6:30PM-9:00PM – Puja at Main Temple with Rudram chanting / Devotional Music / Dance and Bhajans
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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Samskriti Celebrates 20 Years of Service to Houston Arts
Ganesh Anand Catering Services Pure Vegetarian South & North Indian Dishes. Chaat & Snacks Contact Babulbhai: 832-891-1421 13180 West Park Dr. @ Synott Houston, TX 77082
Dr. Sangita Rangala
for Indian performances. Bollywood Blast 2014 will showcase the versatile Arzan Gonda and her Rhythm India Dance Company. On Sunday, April 6, Samskriti will premiere Artistic Director Rathna Kumar’s magnum opus, DASHAVATAR, a dance drama, at the Wortham Center. Samskriti 2014 season opens with SANGAMAM (Convergence) featuring three lovely dancers – Dr. Sangita Rangala (Chicago), Megna Murali (Dallas) and Sophia Salingaros (San Antonio) - who have pursued their art with single-minded devotion. Sangita, a practicing ER physician and dedicated Kuchipudi teacher, is a student of Rathna Kumar, has performed in India and twice toured the US with Rathna’s Guru Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam’s group. Megna Murali, adept at both Bharatanatyam and Kathak, has studied the latter under Murali Mohan Kalvakalva of Nadam, Bangalore, and regularly performs in the US and India. Sophia Salingaros, a Greek-Belgian by birth, took to Indian dance like a duck to water, and was selected as a 2013 National Young Arts Finalist in Bharatanatyam. She is a disciple of Dr. Sreedhara Akkihebbalu of San Antonio. SANGAMAM – Saturday, February 22, 5.00 PM, Kaplan Theater, Jewish Community Center, 5601 S. Braeswood Blvd, Houston, TX 77096. Tickets: $20, 10. Call: 832 275 9656/832 275 9658. All Samskriti programs are part funded by grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts and the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.
Sophia Salingaros
HOUSTON: In 1994, two friends, Thara Narasimhan and Rathna Kumar, decided to start an eclectic nonprofit arts organization that would bring to Houston high caliber performances of all Indian art forms by internationally reputed artists. True to its vision, Samskriti has presented eminent artists like Vyjayantimala Bali, Alarmel Valli, Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam, Kelucharan Mahapatra, Sanjukta Panigrahi, Priyadarshini Govind, Dr. Balamuralikrishna, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Bombay Jayashree, Lushin and Lilette Dubey. Samskriti is the only organization to have conducted seven extraordinary conferences on a variety of topics - Indian dance, music, paintings, architecture, literature and history, bringing in scholars from around the world to share their
knowledge and expertise. In its pursuit of artistic excellence, Samskriti has sponsored many teachers of different art forms to come and set up classes in Houston at the Anjali Center, among them Pandit Suman Ghosh, Pandit Shantilal Shah and Mahesh Mahbubani, all of whom have now become well established teachers and performers in their own right. Samskriti’s signature shows at the Miller Outdoor Theatre – Bollywood Blast and Incredible India – have created history by drawing the largest crowds
Megna Murali
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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February 21, 2014
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Hubbs Makes Sure Desi Weddings Have an Electric Karma All Their Own
BY MANU SHAH HOUSTON: Therese Cole Hubbs is no stranger to Hindi words like kanyadaan, hasta milap, jaimala, misri and antarpaat. In fact, it’s often the other way round. Having coordinated six hundred and eleven Indian weddings with her wedding planning company, Electric Karma International, Therese is usually the one explaining Indian wedding rituals and traditions to the newer generation of newlyweds and their parents! Hubbs has put her wealth of experience in Indian weddings to paper, and recently released a glossy 189-page coffee table book during a book signing event held at Blu Restaurant in
Sugar Land on Tuesday, February 11. Entitled “Shaadi – a journey into desi weddings”, the book features many stunning displays of thirty classy to classic weddings coordinated by her over the years. The book also celebrates the support she receives from her vendors, caterers and decorators, serving as a handy resource for those planning a wedding and, towards the end, the book contains a useful glossary of terms used in Hindu, Islamic and Catholic wedding rituals. Hubbs priced the book at $71, as she believes that any number ending in “one” is auspicious, harkening to a traditional Indian custom. She even closes every contract she signs with
the number 1, no zero endings for her! She avidly believes in karma, which explains the name she gave her company, and is quite Indian in her beliefs, describing herself with a chuckle as “brown on the inside!” Polish by birth, Hubbs was brought up in an extremely close knit family which is probably what draws her to Indian families. She describes Indian families as “extremely welcoming, giving and generous about sharing information” and it’s not uncommon for her to quickly become an ingrained part of the family she is working with in planning their wedding. She adores the idea how Indians seek the blessings of their elders by
touching their feet, and often cannot resist doing so herself. After the desi community found her, Hubbs was quickly dubbed “Tara Patel” or “Star Patel” for her hardnosed negotiating skills with vendors. “Hiring a wedding coordinator brings in the expertise that can protect you from vendors and banquet halls who may charge a lot more”, Hubbs explained. “It gives your wedding that unique factor and of course peace of mind so the host can enjoy the wedding just as much as the guests”. She tailors every wedding to suit individual budgets and preferences and is present at every wedding from the time the first chair is put down to
when the last guest leaves. It’s not uncommon for her to work 36 to 48 hours straight on a wedding to make sure things are moving smoothly. According to Hubbs, there are five key elements to a wedding – hospitality, food, alcohol, entertainment and décor. She takes the phrase “Food is Love” seriously, working with the best caterers, hiring renowned entertainers, jugglers, contortionists and once even an illusionist who made the newlyweds appear out of thin air! “But things don’t always go according to plan”, Hubbs laughingly admits. Wedding cakes sometimes fall off their multi-tiers and electricity outages do occasionally occur during the wedding ceremony. But she just takes a deep breath, tries not to look nervous and goes to work on Plan B! Hubbs mainly coordinates weddings in Houston but with destination weddings growing increasingly popular, it’s not unusual for her to head to Mexico or Hawaii with a “Ganesh statue tucked safely in my carryon”. She has worked on wedding themes such as an Egyptian paradise, an enchanted forest and a Texas ranch (the groom arrived in a pickup truck wearing a cowboy t-shirt and boots but later removed them to please his horrified mother). She is also well aware of the huge influence Bollywood movies and CONTINUED ON PAGE
Maha Shivratri Celebration at Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir of Houston The First Jyotir Lingam, a Replica of GOD Somnath & Maa Shri Ambaji, in Houston.
Thursday, February 27, 2014 Please Come with your family and Friends and pray at Our New Temple. Mahapuja at 5:00 PM. Arati 7:00 pm. Four-Praharpooja will continue till 6:00 a.m. on Feb 28 List your name for Pooja with the Priest. Mrutyunjaya Japa Yajna will continue for the whole day. For Mahapooja, a donation of $201.00 is appreciated; For Abhishek during daytime a donation of $21.00 is appreciated, and Milk for Abhishek & Prasad is welcome. New Temple is located at: 6640 Harwin Drive • Houston, TX 77036 For more information or to participate as Yajman, call Pandit Virat Mehta 713-784-5500 or Hardik Raval 361-243-6539 Temple Tel: 713-278-9099
Maha Pooja – 5:00 pm To 7:00 pm First Prahar pooja – 9:00 To 12:00 am Second Prahar pooja – 12:00 To 2:00 am Third Prahar pooja – 2:30 To 4:00 am Fourth Prahar Maha Arati - 4:30 to 6:30 am
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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22 February 21, 2014
COMMUNITY
Local Houstonian Grabs International Science Fair Medal
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HOUSTON: Manvitha Katta, of Houston, recently won First place in the Taiwanese International Science Fair (TISF). She was awarded a medal and 5000 Taiwanese Dollars. Manvitha was one of the 2 students representing the United States. The hosts of TISF, the National Taiwan
Science Education Center (NTSEC) invited over 50 international students from 21 countries including Canada, Russia, Japan, Italy, India, Switzerland, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore and many others to spend the week of January 21-27 in Taipei. Manvitha’s project “Antimicrobial and Heavy Metal Sequestration Capacities of Graphene Polymer Nanofilms” was essentially the synthesis of nanoparticle coated filters made from a form of carbon, graphene and a polymer, PVK that could remove heavy metal and bacteria from wastewater. To get to represent USA involved several levels of competition. Manvitha first won the Grand Award at the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston (SEFH) and won a chance to participate in Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in Phoenix, Arizona, the largest and most prestigious science fair in the world. At ISEF, the K.T. Li Foundation selected her work as one of the 2 projects among hundreds of projects to represent the United States
at TISF. TISF marks the highlight of Manvitha’s science fair career. She has been to many science fairs during her middle school (T H Rogers) and high school (DeBakey HSHP) including ISEF, SEFH, TISF, and ISWEEEP (International Sustainable World Energy Engineering Environment Project Olympiad) and has won awards. Always remains very low key and humble, she thoroughly enjoys every moment of these inspiring and amazing fairs. Officials from the US Consulate in Taipei were very pleased about her accomplishment for the country. Manvitha is recently enrolled at the Houston Pre-Medical Program, which will culminate in her pursuing a doctoral degree from Baylor College of Medicine. She is considering a post-doctoral career involving global health and clean water. It is a great moment for all the Houstonians to be proud of her achievements.
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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
February 21, 2014
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Hubbs Makes Sure Desi Weddings Have an Electric Karma All Their Own CONTINUED FROM PAGE
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music play in Indian weddings. For one sangeet (the song and dance program), she commissioned movie posters advertising the couple as stars in their own film and even recreated the snow globe scene from the Shah Rukh starrer, Om Shanti Om, so that the star struck newlywed couple, in copycat outfits, could enact their grand entrance dancing to the same tune. Hubbs has coordinated elaborate wedding productions for Houstonians like Vik Agarwal, Swatantra Jain and Aku Patel; but she’s also coordinated weddings for as little as $5,000. She works with a team of ten, which includes her husband Hal, son Steven and staff in affiliate offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, Ohio and India. A valuable recent addition to her team is her Director of Marketing and Senior Event Coordinator, Shirish Krishnan, who until recently was the Assistant Director of Banquets at Hotel Intercontinental on 610 West Loop (now known as Royal Sonesta), where he had worked with Hubbs on several weddings. When she’s not busy planning a wedding, Hubbs is busy speaking about them as a national speaker at conferences where she conducts workshops for marriage coordinators. Asked if she would like to renew her wedding vows the Indian way, she didn’t bat an eyelid and said “it would be just too expensive for me”!
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February 21, 2014
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Houstonians Gather to Support Non-Profit Headed by One of their Own poverty alleviation. Sachita observed that the lack of good employment opportunities was a primary factor in perpetuating extreme poverty. She co-founded Upaya in 2011 with a mission to focus on job creation for the poorest of the poor. During Saturday’s event, HAAS presented Sachita with a plaque in appreciation of her dedication to uplifting the ultra poor. The event was co-sponsored by Dr. Vasudev and Shobha Shenoy, and catering was provided by Udipi Cafe. Upaya’s work is made possible by a large and loyal network of donors. For further information about Upaya’s work and how to get involved, visit www.upayasv.org.
Sachi and Maya
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BY SACHI SHENOY HOUSTON: HAAS, a community organization of Konkanis in the Houston area, hosted a fundraiser for Upaya Social Ventures on Saturday, February 8 at the Techniplex Conference Center in Stafford. Owners of the Conference Center, Naren and Hansa Patel, graciously offered the venue to support this special cause. The program was kicked off with a Ganesh Vandana by Sneha Shenoy and a Bollywood dance medley by Samhita Bhat. Drs. Sujata Desai, Maya Prabhu, and Sudhakar Shenoy entertained the audience with their rendition of popular Hindi film songs. Upaya’s Executive Director, Sachita Shenoy, spoke about the problem of extreme poverty in India; nearly 400 million in India live under $1.25 / day, the largest number of any country in the world. Upaya builds businesses that create dignified jobs for the “ultra poor.” In the past two years, Upaya has supported the development of five enterprises, which are collectively employing over 1,100 people. For most, this is the first formal job they have ever had and all are on a path to emerge from poverty. Currently splitting her time between Upaya’s offices in Seattle and India, Sachita spent her childhood in Houston and graduated from Klein High School. She attended the University of Chicago, earning a BA in Economics and an MBA in Finance. After spending nearly a decade working in financial services, Sachita moved with her husband Vivek to India in order to work on
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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Cars in India to Take a Leap into the Future
BYAMRIT RAJ NEW DELHI: It may not be enough any longer that you are able to sync your smartphone to your car. Auto makers want their cars to be smarter. The kind of cars that can access the Internet, read out your emails, messages and social media updates, put out displays on an LED screen, pull up a route map, or make calls—all on the command of your voice. Or call an ambulance in an accident. Smart cars, possibly with ecosystems of their own, aren’t products of the distant future. Sankalp Kale, in fact, believes he will be able to buy one of these maybe soon after he graduates from engineering school next year. That, of course, would be a car with several smart features, but far fewer and less powerful than what global car makers are envisaging. At the recent Delhi Auto Expo, the 21-year-old student of SRM University in Ghaziabad was glued to Tata Motors Ltd’s ConnectNext concept car, the kind of car he might want to own one day. It claims to offer cloud connectivity and a human-machine interface. Tata Motors’ Zest, Hyundai Motor India Ltd’s Xcent, and Ford India Pvt. Ltd’s Figo—compact sedan concepts that were on display at the auto show—will boast of similar technologies af-
ter their commercial launches. “I think one thing that would influence my buying decision is if any of the manufacturers could connect my phone to the car,” Kale said. He owns a Samsung Galaxy S4, among the South Korean company’s most advanced mobile phones. Many cars today already come fitted with Bluetooth, which allows users to sync the music stored in their phones to their car speakers and receive and make calls on the go. Smart cars go further, with Siri or ‘Ok Google’ kind of features and applications ecosystems of their own that allow a more seamless and intuitive integration with smartphones. The market has moved away from integrating a phone into the car, says Tim Leverton, president and head, advanced and product engineering, engineering research centre, at Tata Motors. “The question now is different. The question is how does a car fit into the customer’s ecosystem?” Tata Motors, India’s largest vehicle maker, on 6 February entered a collaboration with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd to put the features of a smartphone on its vehicles’ consoles. The announcement largely went unnoticed, but the Indian car market is banking on potential young buyers such as Kale to reach an inflec-
tion point from where it can break into the top three global markets. To be sure, in January car sales declined for a fourth month in succession after having grown marginally in September, putting India on course for its first decline in annual car sales in over a decade. Car sales declined 7.59% to 160,289 units, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam). India is already the second fastest growing auto market and is expected to see strong growth in vehicle production across all segments by 2020, according to the Automotive Component Manufacturing Association of India-EY Vision 2020 study. Passenger vehicles sales are projected to rise to five million units by 2015 and to more than nine million by 2020 from around two million now. With a rapid change in Indian consumers’ demography, manufacturers will need to upgrade their products to suit the needs of customers such as Kale. Pushing the need for connected technologies is the fact that Indians are spending more time in their cars as commutes get longer and slower. Additionally, “the thing that has changed customers’ views (of what they want from cars) is the mass availability of smart phones,” Leverton said. “All our lifestyles have gone digital because of the information revolution and the technology that has become available,” said Kumar Gehlotra, vice-president (engineering), Ford Motor Co. “We can all carry our music with us. We can carry our phone lists, which are very, very long. We carry apps on our phones to access all kinds of content. Customers are going to have conversations in their cars. They are going to look at maps and they are going to listen to music.”
Ford, a pioneer in efforts to develop smart cars, has tied up with Microsoft Corp., the world’s largest software maker, to build apps and software for its cars. The Ford EcoSport compact sports utility vehicle, launched in 2013 in India, boasts a subscription-free technology that will, in the case of an accident, automatically call emergency services such as a hospital and the police through the paired phone to provide the car’s GPS location. The technology keeps the phone line open so anyone in the car or the first responders can talk to the hospital or the police. There are 51 million smartphone users in urban India today, 89% more than in 2012, according to the Smart Phone Incidence Study 2013 study by Nielsen. The biggest spike in smartphone ownership came from 16-18 year olds, increasing from 5% of total smartphone users in 2012 to 22%. “During the lifetime of a car, a customer would probably have may be five different phones because they upgrade their phones a lot faster than they upgrade their cars. We want them to have a seamless experience where if they sell their phone and get a new one and pair it to the car, it seamlessly takes all your data just like that,” said Gehlotra of Ford. “Or, if two people drive the car—if you drive the car in the morning, you can listen to it, and if another family member drives it in the afternoon, the car customizes to that family member’s digital lifestyle instantly.” Czech car maker Skoda AG, a part of the Volkswagen Group, too, may make a global announcement on a smart car by the next month, Werner Eichhorn, a member of the company’s board of directors, said on Thursday.
“We have been working on this as this is definitely a trend. We have to make sure that this is fully integrated in all accounts,” Eichhorn said. “The challenge is to keep pace with changing technology in smartphones. The big issue is how to integrate a phone into the technology of a car and make it easy to use. We are working with a pool of IT (information technology) manufacturers.” Another challenge, according to Gehlotra, is to make these technologies affordable. Executives refused to divulge how much these technologies add to a car’s price. For “all of these technologies, the scale is very important. As more and more people would buy the technology, like any electronic technology, we would expect the prices to come down,” Gehlotra said. “I think the issue really is how do you get the power of a smartphone and add that to a vehicle, and getting the balance of that right makes it really affordable,” added Leverton of Tata Motors. Abdul Majeed, auto practice leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers, said that with the younger generation catching up fast with technological changes, it is imperative for Indian car makers to adapt to these changes. According to a February 2013 Nielsen report, nearly half of the more than 40 million smartphone users in India are younger than 25 years of age. “Every new generation will be more tech-savvy than the previous one and that is something that cannot be ignored by car makers as these people will be the future car buyers,” said Majeed. “While we are yet to see this phenomenon translating into car sales, it is one thing that cannot be ignored.” -Livemint.com
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Mama’s Punjabi Recipes
Daal Di Roti (Daal Dough Flat Bread) When it comes to roti – the staple diet of most Punjabis and people of Northwest India – there are several varieties of flours to suit the seasons, like bajra or pearl millet during the winter months and eaten in the arid areas; makkayi or corn for the autumn harvest or kanak (wheat flour), which is the staple and eaten all year round. And rotis come in many shapes too - square, triangular but most usually round; some large in size and some small, but for Punjabis, a 6 or 8 inch round roti is considered typical. For some villagers, some budget restaurants and dhabas (roadside eateries) and those on a diet, thin dry rotis are common, but most Punjabis enjoy their rotis plump and “chopard” or glaze the crispy side with ghee (clarified butter) or for more modern households, with a little dab of olive oil. The ghee really makes a difference, but it is also fattening. Very often, there are leftover daal (lentils) and one wonders what to do with them, especially if no one wants to eat it anymore. Leftover daals with the curry sauce are excellent for a tastier version of roti, which can be eaten with yogurt or with any other dish. Most people like these rotis and the leftovers are gone too! When making the dough, the daal curry takes the place of the water that is used in kneading the flour. Since the flour is mixed with the daal, it is less sticky so it is important to remember to use smaller amounts of dough and roll them into smaller rounds than with normal dough. Ingredients: • 500gm kanak (gehon) ka atta (wheat flour) • Leftover daal (lentil curry) • Some ghee (clarified butter) or tael (olive oil or vegetable oil) for greasing • Spices to taste: namak (salt), mirch (red pepper) Directions: 1. Pour the flour in a bowl and slowly pour the daal curry in while kneading the dough till it becomes a nice, tender by firm ball. Use as much flour as the available sauce can handle. Make sure the daal is well mixed with the flour, but the daal grain
does not need to be mashed into it. If the dough is too hard, the roti will also be hard. Add extra spices only if desired as the daal usually has plenty to begin with. 2. Dab the surface of the ball with a little water to keep it moist, cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes. 3. Grease your palms then pinch off a portion of the dough and make into a 2 inch payda (round ball). 4. Pour a little dry flour on the counter and roll the ball in it to coat it. Now use a velna (rolling pin) to roll the ball into a nice round, flat pancake, about 1/8 inch thick. Do not roll out too much – just 5 to 6 inches is enough – otherwise the roti will start to fall apart. 5. Place the tava (flat skillet) on the stove and heat on medium. Now carefully place the flattened dough on the tava. Once the dough starts to show some bubbles, then turn it over. Let the other side also cook till bubbles appear. Now flip the dough again and when you see small brown spots, gently press
6. Take the roti off the tava and keep on the side. If it is overcooked it will show large dark spots. Cover with a clean soft cloth to keep warm; do not place in a plate right away as the roti will shed some water vapor. 7. Now repeat the process till the rest of the daal rotis are made and the dough is finished. Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the old-fashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur, India before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition in 1947. People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her mid-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable Punjabi recipes.
MAMA’S TIP OF THE WEEK KEEPING LEFTOVERS FRESH LONGER
In the old days, long before we had refrigerators or even ice blocks, it was customary to make big meals for large families and there would be enough left for a second meal or second day. In order to keep the food from going bad – and this is especially for vegetarian dishes – we had to find other ways to kill any bacteria from forming. In these days of refrigerators, one tried and true method still works for leftovers. If the food has been refrigerated for two or three days, simply take it out and place it in a skillet or saucepan and then heat it over medium to high heat for a few minutes. This keeps any bacteria from forming and the food can be kept for another day.
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ENTERTAINMENT
February 21, 2014
Movie Review: Gunday
SRIJANA MITRA DAS Story: Buddies Bikram and Bala control Calcutta’s black trade, both falling in love with Nandita - who’s the biggest gunda? Review: Straight up, Gunday pays loving homage to Bollywood classics ‘Sholay’, ‘Kaala Patthar’ and other ‘brothers-in-arms’ films while offering more. Gunday is Oliver Twist, given a Bollywood twist. Orphaned Bala (Kapoor) saves waif Bikram (Singh) from a paedophile in war-torn Bangladesh. Escaping officials, the two boys reach Calcutta, hiding on a train. Facing homelessness and heartlessness, the duo decides to conquer life, selling stolen coal - till they become Calcutta’s most famous gundey, controlling all its illegal trading from timber to fish.
Bikram and Bala are tough, cheerful and inseparable - until they both fall for cabaret dancer Nandita (Chopra). As they bitterly fall out with each other, ACP Satyajit Sarkar (Khan) closes in for the kill. Gunday showcases refugee Robin Hoods refusing to be beaten. Its music has peppy, bright dil while its muscular action is hard-hitting. Irrfan stands out as the sarcastically drawling cop while Arjun displays endearing vulnerability as dark-natured Bala. Ranveer endows Bikram with a charming, if familiar swagger while Priyanka infuses Nandita with languid sexiness. However, the plot distractedly rushes in several directions - refugee angst, ration cards, the system’s rot, gang wars, bromance, romance, broken bromance - while Calcutta appears
like a Wild West of the east, fringed by Chambal-like landscapes through which goods trains sway, gundas bashing each other to coal dust atop. Gunday’s heart is in the right place but the plot gets overwhelmed by its own voluptuousness, its slick torsos and slow-motion slaps, its extended Durga Puja which leaves it lost between Calcutta’s cabarets and Dhanbad’s dark mines. However, Gunday’s fun while it lasts. Bala and Bikram’s chemistry is literally fleshed out well - don’t miss the cheeky salaam to Salman Khan when their shirts fly off - and you giggle as they’re scolded, “Daant mat dikhao!” More depth, more fire would’ve sharpened this film. But Gunday offers glitter coating a grim tale. -The Times of India
Shah Rukh Khan to Replace Hrithik Roshan in Karan Johar’s Shuddhi?
Karan Johar’s ‘Shuddhi’has been in news for quite some time due to casting issues. Initially Hrithik Roshan was signed to play the lead role and Karan did a casting coup of sorts by pairing him with the equally hot Kareena Kapoor. However, both of them quit due to personal reasons. Now a report at filmsofindia.com says that KJo has decided to break the jinx attached with the movie by signing on his best buddy Shah Rukh Khan. The movie is very close to the director’s heart and he is apparently not willing to wait for its shoot. He
recently tweeted,” SHUDDHI will release on Friday the 25th of December,2015...the Lead cast will be announced shortly.” It is said after Hrithik moved out of the film due to health issues, Kareena too quit the project. Though both Ranbir and Ranveer were top contenders, the film has apparently landed in SRK’s lap. Rumours also suggest that Deepika Padukone will play his lady love. Well we sure hope that SRK-Dips are able to create their Chennai Express magic with this one. -Times of India
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32 February 21, 2014 OMG, What Roller Coaster of a Test: NZ-India Draw BY SIDHARTH MONGA WELLINGTON (ESPN Cricinfo):New Zealand 192 (Ishant 6-51, Shami 4-70) and 680 for 8 decl. (McCullum 302, Neesham 137*, Watling 124, Zaheer 5-170) drew with India 438 (Rahane 118, Dhawan 98, Dhoni 68, Southee 3-93) and 166 for 3 (Kohli 105*, Southee 2-50) Brendon McCullum brought the whole of New Zealand to its feet in becoming the first New Zealander to 300 runs, New Zealand then possibly indulged for about half an hour after having fought hard for close to two days, following which Virat Kohli scored a century to make sure India didn’t lose the Test they would have thought they had won two days ago. New Zealand won the series 1-0, and India ended their second successive tour without a win. Given 67 overs to survive, Brendon McCullum smashes a six India were in strife and would reach his triple century. have lost their third wicket in the 13th over had Kohli walked to disintegrate after close to five or even shown signs of guilt after sessions of intense grind. Neeedging one through to BJ Watling, sham took all the pressure off by but he showed those niceties were taking a majority of strike and the not for him when there was a Test responsibility of run-getting. to be saved. Neesham began the day on 67, For about 46 minutes in the and continued to bat in a carefree morning, the New Zealand econo- manner. His driving into the leg my came down to a standstill, the side remained a feature of his batGDP took a beating and Basin Re- ting, and he was no slouch when serve cheered every single on as India pitched up too far outside McCullum became the first New off. His pace on the fifth morning Zealander in 84 years of their Test again allowed McCullum to stay cricket to register a triple-century. in the background, but McCulWhat made it sweeter was that lum went from 284 to 288, 289 he had come out in the first ses- to 293, and from 293 to 297 in sion of day three with an innings boundaries. The anticipation arose defeat and a squandered series as much with each of those shots lead imminent. By the fifth morn- as it did with good defensive ones. ing, though, the match had been When, on 293, he edged one that saved, McCullum was 281, and fell short, the Basin heaved. it was time for a little indulgence, Off the second ball of the 199th a phase of play where he would over, McCullum took the single to bask in the applause. go to 298, but that gave Neesham Before McCullum could get four balls to beat him to his landthere, though, his partner Jimmy mark. Neesham was 94. And he Neesham became only the seventh pulled the third ball, and managed man to score a century on debut to lob the deep square leg who had from No. 8. He had played a vital completely misjudged this. Off the part previous evening in keeping next ball, McCullum ran as hard McCullum together as his body as Neesham; the hundred was now and his concentration threatened done.
When McCullum steered the first ball of the next over between slips and gully, the triple had been achieved. Father Stu McCullum was in attendance, seemingly the whole of Wellington too, there was not a bum on seat, and the applause continued for about four minutes. It was an emotional moment, and McCullum could face only two balls as the only New Zealand triple-centurion. When he did edge Zaheer Khan, he didn’t take Neesham along with him. Had he done so, they would have set India 380 in 77 overs. Instead they batted on for 10 more overs to add 55 more runs, refusing to dangle a carrot. Perhaps all the hard work over the last two days was too much to ask to be risked, especially when they led in the series. Be it at it may, the extra time allowed Neesham enough to time to register the highest score for a No. 8 debutant and to take New Zealand to their highest total ever. India played out the four overs before lunch all right, but in the first two overs after the interval, Trent Boult and Tim Southee got the openers. Shikhar Dhawan fell padding up to a ball that would have clearly bounced over the stumps. Steve Davis went the other way soon as he let Kohli off when it could have become 31 for 3 with 55 overs to go. Dhawan would have sat inside the dressing room wondering where the generosity had disappeared when he padded up. Kohli was great at his play-acting, not looking behind, giving away no signs of anxiety, and scratching his guard again as he awaited a decision. Southee created some excitement in the second hour of the middle session. He got Cheteshwar Pujara with hostile short-pitched bowling, making it difficult for the batsman to get his glove out of the way as he attacked the ribs. He produced two more opportunities before tea, but the wind carried a top-edged hook from Kolhi over long leg, and he himself dropped a return chance from Rohit Sharma
eight minutes before tea. As far as similarities with the great Kolkata Test go, this Test was following the script: India took seven wickets in that final session. Here, though, Kohli was the difference. He ended the New Zealand summer with a glorious session of sparkling shots all around the wicket, giving New Zealand no sniff. With an on-drive in the 49th over, Kohli became the 16th India batsman with three or more centuries outside Asia and Zimbabwe, and also made sure hands would be shaken at the end of the 52nd over, the earliest the teams could have agreed to a draw. Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo.
Dhoni: Too Defensive Rahul Dravid has said that MS Dhoni’s captaincy has been “defensive in critical situations”. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo after the Wellington Test, which ended in a draw after India had been in a dominant position on day three, Dravid said Dhoni would need to take more risks to win Tests overseas. “I think he [Dhoni] doesn’t trust his bowling attack as much as I think he should,” Dravid said. “I saw that even in the Test match in Durban, where he didn’t take the new ball till 146 overs. In fact he was forced to take the new ball. He didn’t trust his fast bowlers to be able to take wickets. He kept playing with the older ball because he wanted to control the runs. “I think he’s got to realise this very quickly, that if he wants to win Test matches abroad, he’s got to risk it all. He’s got to take that chance that he’s going to have to lose some Test matches. The only way you can win abroad is to take a few risks, take a few gambles.” Overseas, Dhoni has captained India in 23 Tests, of which they have won five, lost 11 and drawn seven. At home, his record is much better - 21 wins, three defeats and six draws. Asked if he should continue as Test captain, given India’s upcoming tours to England and Australia, Dravid said Dhoni deserved to set his record right.
SPORTS
Indian Flag Hoisted at Sochi Winter Olympics India’s flag has finally been hoisted at the Sochi Olympics, five days after the IOC lifted a 14-month ban and more than a week after the games began. The ceremonial raising of the tricolor Sunday symbolically marked the end of the suspension, exactly a week after a new Indian Olympic Association board was elected to replace corruption-tainted officials. “I am absolutely thrilled and delighted,” new IOA president Narayna Ramachandran said. “It’s a tremendous boost for Indian sports. India has three athletes competing in Sochi. They carried the IOC flag during the opening ceremony on Feb. 7 and started the games as independent athletes. They will now be able to march behind their national flag when the Games are closing next Sunday. “We are very excited,” Indian luger Shiva Keshavan said. The five-time Olympian said that he and his teammates — cross-country skier Nadeem Iqbal and Alpine skier Thakur Himanshu — had been hoping the issue was resolved before the Sochi Games began. “Unfortunately that didn’t happen,” Keshavan said. “I have been at the Olympics before but it really didn’t do justice to (my teammates) so I hope one of them get to carry the flag in the closing ceremony.” The ceremony on the central plaza in the mountain athletes’ village was attended by about 100 people, mainly Olympic volunteers and media. The Indian team and officials were applauded when they entered the square, and responded with smiles and waves. Keshavan, who finished competing before the IOC suspension was lifted, said he expected the new leaders of his association to help winter sports progress in India. “The symbolic change has happened, now we need to see the real change,” Keshavan said. “Now we need to see some more facilities come to winter sports. They have the power to make a difference.” He said the ban and reinstatement of the IOA has raised more awareness for winter sports in India.
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February 21, 2014
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Bandh in Seemandhra Region to Protest Against Andhra Division
TDP MPs shout slogans against the UPA govt and Sonia Gandhi during a protest calling for a united Andhra Pradesh outside the Parliament. (AFP Photo)
Peace Talks: Clerics Demand Immediate Ceasefire from Both Sides
LAHORE: A gathering of about 40 clerics and religious leaders has appealed to both the government and Taliban militants to immediately announce a ceasefire and pursue negotiations to restore peace in Pakistan. In a joint statement issued by the Ulema and Mashaikh Convention which gathered in Lahore on Saturday, religious leaders discouraged the use of a military option and emphasised on di-
alogue as a durable solution for peace. The gathering, which concluded in a press briefing led by coordinator of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan nominated talks committee Maulana Samiul Haq, consented on urging both sides to immediately announce ceasefire. “Peace talks are the only viable solution…war can never bring peace,” said Haq, flanked by several other religious leaders including Jamaat-i-Islami
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chief Munawar Hassan and leading cleric Allama Tahir Ashrafi. "Big powers have witnessed the outcome of war in Afghanistan. A military operation will only hurl the country further towards destruction. The peace process should be made successful at all costs,” he added. Reading out the joint statement, Haq said that dialogue was the only solution to the problems being faced by the country. “We will have to unite to defeat the forces trying tot sabotage the peace process.” “We appeal to the Taliban to speak in the language of peace,” said the joint statement, urging both sides to immediately announce a ceasefire. The meeting reiterated its confidence in the peace talks committee headed by Maualana Samiul Haq. -Dawn.com
A bandh called by YSR Congress, TDP and other political parties is being observed in Seemandhra region of Andhra Pradesh today to protest against passage of the AP Reorganisation Bill-2013 in the Lok Sabha. The bandh, also supported byAPNGOs and different pro-united Andhra Pradesh organisations, is being held in different districts of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of the state with police beefing up security to thwart any attempts to disturb law and order. Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus services across Seemandhra region were hit due to the bandh, while educational institutions - government as well as private- remained closed in most parts. Shops and business establishments were also shut at many places. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets and held rallies, demonstrations and formed human chains in different towns across 13 districts of Seemandhra condemning the decision to divide Andhra Pradesh and raised slogans against the move. “The bandh has been peaceful so far and there were no reports of any untoward incidents. Bus services were affected in Visakhapatnam, Srikaku-
lam and Vizianagaram districts with buses confining to depots,” DIG (Visakhapatnam Range) P Umapathi told PTI. “We are keeping a watch on the situation. Paramilitary and state police forces have been deployed at different locations, including public places, central government offices as a precautionary measure,” another police officer said. A report from Visakhapatnam said the Seemandhra bandh called by the YSRCP and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) against the bill has generated a partial response today. Except long route bus services of APSRTC, the other transport vehicles like auto rickshaws and private vehicles were plying as usual. “We have stopped the long route services and were plying city services. If any trouble breaks out then they will also stop the city services,” RTC sources said. Supporters of political parties like TDP, Congress and YSRCP staged dharnas in front of bus depots at Maddilapalem junction protesting against the bifurcation. Police have tightened the security at all the vulnerable points to maintain law and order. -Hindustan Times
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