Friday, September 05 2014 | Vol. 33, No. 36
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Distinguished Lecture Series with Secretary of State Nandita Berry
From left: Sanjay Ramabhadran, ALF President Dan Snare, Texas Secretary of State Nandita Berry, and Jagdip Ahluwalia. Photos:Bijay Dixit
BY MANU SHAH HOUSTON: The Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) facilitated a private meeting with the area heads of Chambers of Commerce, economic development agencies and organizations like ALF (American Leadership Forum) TiE and India House on August 28, at the Hess Club. The represented organizations had the opportunity to meet with Texas Secretary of State, Nandita Berry in an intimate setting and present an “elevator pitch” about their organization. Chambers present also included the Asian Chamber, British American Business Council, the East End Chamber, the Columbian Chamber and the Fort Bend Chamber. Since one of Berry’s responsibilities as Secretary of State is to accelerate the economic engine of Texas, both
sides appreciated the meeting. IACCGH President, Sanjay Ramabhadran welcomed the gathering and emphasized that the organizations in the room must continue to share our “best practices” and help each other continue to serve the community. He also commended Berry on being the first Asian to be appointed to this post and believed that “it is a matter of great pride for the Indo American community.” In her address, Berry was astounded by the “growth, diversity and inclusiveness of the Chamber.” Commending Executive Director, Jagdip Ahluwalia for being the “force in ensuring that members have the weight” in the Chamber, she also recognized the efforts of the Chamber’s leadership for their vision and efforts despite their busy schedules. Dr. Renu Khator was also present and according to Berry was a Chancellor who “over delivered on her promises” and
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made UH a Tier 1 university. Dr. Khator also saluted Berry and described her as a “phenomenal inspiration.” She expressed her pride at the “800 students in petroleum engineering who graduated with 2 jobs in hand from UH” but found it unacceptable that many students quit halfway. This prompted her to motivate students to sign a “Contract UH in 4” where they pledged to graduate in four years. After the private meeting, Berry delivered the Distinguished Lecture organized by IACCGH and sponsored by Shell. Welcoming the packed gathering of about 150 members and guests, President Sanjay Ramabhadran remarked that there is a whopping $6 billion trade existing between the US and India. What’s more, it’s “not a one way street” as India is also investing heavily in the US. Stressing the fact that the organization
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helped businesses connect from a one man operation to global corporations like Shell, he remarked that IACCGH had on several occasions been proud to say –“mission accomplished.” Introducing the Secretary of State to the gathering, Joya Shukla stated that she was “in awe of those who came from another country and achieved so much.” She also described Nandita Berry as a role model for women in the society. In an eagerly awaited address, Berry remarked that despite the fact that her name was not Jones, Smith or Austin but Nandita Venkateshwaran Berry, she had the honor of using the same office and sitting at the same desk as did the father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin. According to her, this can happen only in Texas and because of people like Dr. Suresh and Renu Khator, Koshy Thomas, Attorney George Willy, Nat Krishnamurthy as well as the Chamber which “played a vital part in getting to know people and helped inculcate the skills and confidence to go out and look for opportunities.” Describing Texas “as the Number 1 state for business,” she stated that Texas has created 37% of the jobs in the country and led the country in trade for the last 12 years in a row. It is the top technology exporting
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state and leads the way in startup businesses with about 80,000 new businesses formed since the beginning of the year. According to Berry, our economy is helped by the no-personaltax structure in Texas, “smart and effective” regulations, a skilled workforce and the strong infrastructure. In response to a question about the difference between her and the rest of the gathering, she credited her success to hard work and the ability “to take risks as it brings out the best in you.” Sponsor of the Distinguished Lecture Series, Shell’s VP Fred Whipple expressed that he was proud to work with the Chamber and appreciated Berry’s speech “from the heart” and her distinguished law career. In a lighter vein, he suggested that she may want to consider a talk show next.
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COMMUNITY Bollywood Blast 2014 is a Hit
Rhythm India’s contemporary styled performance of the song “Bahara” got rave reviews from the audience for its choreography and beautiful costumes. Photos: Navin Mediwala
BY VANSHIKA VIPIN HOUSTON: The skies cleared up for Miller Outdoor to host yet another Bollywood Blast on the traditional Sunday of the Labor Day Weekend. In the Eighth year of being presented by Samskriti, Bollywood Blast 2014 was directed by Arzan Gonda of Rhythm India Bollywood Dance Company in collaboration with AK Lodi Films. Samsrkiti, under the leadership of Dr. Rathna Kumar has been associated with Indian flavored shows at the grand Miller outdoor theatre for a long time. Shows like ‘Incredible India’ and ‘Bollywood Blast’ have attracted diverse crowds to appreciate the culture of India. 2014 also marks 20 years of Samskriti’s establishment in Houston. Consistent with the previous years, the
Miller Outdoor Theatre was packed to the top of the hill to witness this popular event. Bollywood Blast 2014 opened to a great applause precisely at 8.00 PM on August 31, with a movie about a guy called Raj auditioning for a lead role in Bollywood but gets rejected by the choreographer and the director because he cannot dance. In comes the family, its Bollywood after all, to plead the director. Raj is given a new lease of life as he is told to return in 2 weeks for another audition. This is where the journey begins in an epic Indian street vehicular icon – the Rickshaw. Raj and his family get on this magic rickshaw and fly back into time for a ride down memory lane via different eras of Bollywood dancing and its evolution through the past decades. The first act carries us to the golden years
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of Bollywood when western and classical Indian influences were found far and wide in movies. Raj’s grandmother guides them through this era as we are treated to an elaborate costume arrangement from that period. Rhythm India’s dancers are choreographed well in the execution of classics like “Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu”, “Pyaar Hua Ikraar Hua”, “Ina Meena Deeka”, “Chahe Koi Mujhe Junglee Kahe… Yahoo”. The classical influence then takes over with a jugalbandhi of Kathak and Bharatnatyam on “Dheem Tana De” followed by folk Bollywood with Bhangra (Hadippa), Lavani (Chikni Chameli) and Garba (Nagada Sang Dhol). The seventies and eighties in Bollywood were synonymous with the advent of Disco. Foot tapping numbers like “I am a disco dancer”, “Bachna E haseeno”, Laila Mein Laila got the Miller Theatre audience going as the segment ended with a Madhuri Dixit medley with songs like “Dhak Dhak” and “Chane Ke Khet mein”. Like all Bollywood movies, there was an intermission after the first act. Houston’s young and desi Rap artist Yash P performed during the break and kept the audience entertained. The 90’s opened up the second act. Ar-
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guably the mot romantic era of Bollywood was well represented on the stage by dances to “Are re are ye Kya Hua” (Dil to Pagal Hai), “Tu Cheez Badi hai mast mast”, Salman Khan’s famous number “O O Jaane Jaana” and “Koi Mil Gaya” from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. The millennium then turned on the stage as energetic dances represented the 2000’s. The stage came alive with dances to popular songs like “Balam Pichkari”, “Dilliwali Girlfriend”, “Battameez Dil” and kids finishing up with “Sunny Sunny” and “Besharam”. Rhythm India’s contemporary styled performance of the song “Bahara” got rave reviews from the audience for its choreography and beautiful costumes. Lately, item numbers have been a big hit in Bollywood movies. How could Bollywood Blast 2014 have shunned these pretty peppy ladies. The Cabaret / Item Girl Medley featured “Yeh Mera Dil” from Don; the current hit “Baby Doll” and “Sheila Ki Jawani”. The word Bollywood has its root in Bombay (now Mumbai) and the influence of street style dancing in movies cannot be understated. Rhythm India’s young dancers performed the ‘tapori’ style numbers on songs like “tattad tattad” and “tune maari entry” from Gundaay – this song had about forty people on stage. This brought us to the finale of a fun filled and entertaining evening. The ultimate aim of Bollywood dancing is to have fun and what better to end it with “Dhating Naach”. Naach is dance in Hindi but it’s the word “Dhating” that is undefined – in street colloquialism, “Dhating” means fun, it also means without thinking or with full energy. Dance of infinite energy it was as about 150 dancers along with the actors took to the stage in this finale; even the magic rickshaw was there. For a well-executed show, Director/Choreographer Arzan Gonda thanked all the sponsors, media partners, her own team including Rachna Oak – the backstage manager who ensured that everything ran like clockwork. In Arzan’s own words “This show has been a labor of love. I am extremely grateful to the wonderful team of dedicated dancers, filmmakers, our film director, actors, back stage managers, technicians and volunteers who have all gone above and beyond of what was expected of them. With over 150 plus performers and over 1000 costumes straight from India, the coordination and team work has been crucial in making this production come to life.”
For the past eight years, every Bollywood Blast has brought its own unique charm and personality. This year’s show combined film and on-stage performances weaving a story line that took us back with nostalgia and ended with ‘dhamaal’. Thank you Samskriti and Thank you Arzan Gonda, the audience of Bollywood Blast 2014 really had a blast – ekdum Bollywood style.
For photo collage, see page 17
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Ipshita Prakash – Sascha Pinto Engagement BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA SUGAR LAND: The families of Ipshita Prakash and Sascha Pinto came together over the Labor Day Weekend to celebrate their engagement with many friends from the Houston area at the Sweetwater Country Club on Sunday, August 31. A three-man jazz and pop music band serenaded the guests as the couple made their rounds among the white-linen tables and watched them even play a version of the Dating Game. The Prakash family has relocated from Montreal, Canada a few years ago to the Sugar Land area and has quickly developed a large group of friends who they have come to call their “extended family”, a sentiment that Amey Prakash mentioned when he spoke very briefly at the engagement party. Sascha’s older brother Nicholas felicitatded the engaged couple by remembering when they first met through a contact on Facebook and gently ribbing his younger brother. “People usually think he is the older one,” he joked “and most considered that he would end up with a non-Indian girl but as out turns out he has found Ippy!” Nicholas came to the party with his girlfriend Marie-Helene Boivin, who is from Montreal. Amey and Monika Prakash’s daughter, Ipshita (who goes by “Ippy”), who will be 27 this December, got her MD from McGill University in Montreal and has finished the 2nd year of her 5-year residency program in general surgery there. She will be a taking
The two families at the engagement party in Sweetwater Country Club in Sugar Land. From left, older brother Nicholas, his girlfriend MarieHelen Boivin, father John Alfonso, mother Vera, Sascha, Ipshita, father Amey, mother Monica and younger brother Chintan.
a one-year hiatus by going to the London School of Economics, where she will pusue a Masters in Health Policy and Finance. The Pinto family originally hails from Mangalore, India, from which John Alfonso Pinto and his wife Vera moved to Bombay and then migrated to Montreal over three decades ago. Their younger son, Sascha, 28 has a birthday in December too and got his mechanical engineering degree from McGill University and his Masters in Bio-engineering from the University of Toronto, Ontario. He will be accompanying Ipshita during her year in London. The couple is planning a destination wedding in Udaipur, Rajasthan in November 2015. Amey Prakash is a Commercial Director with KBR and his wife
Monika manages the home front. He is originally from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh and Monika is from Baroda, Gujarat. John Pinto is a retired CPA and Vera Pinto works in a real estate management company in Montreal. Ipshita has a younger brother, Chintan who has just finished his undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Texas, Austin and will be going to Burkina-Faso, West Africa, to complete his 28-month service in the Peace Corps.
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The engaged couple playing The Dating Game, responded to the audiences questions.
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City Lights – a Teaser to the Upcoming 7th Indian Film Festival in March
From Left: Director Hansal Mehta, Festival Director, IFFH Board Member, Ellen Goldberg, Mohammed Iqbal Khan, Sutapa Ghosh, Amey Prakash, Consul General P. Harish, Nandita Harish, Sneha Merchant, Parul Fernandes, Atul Badwal, Jose Grinan. Photos: Navin Mediwala
From Left: IFFH Board Member and Actor Mohammed Iqbal Khan, IFFH Festival Director Sutapa Ghosh, James Harris from HEB, Director Hansal mehta and IFFH Board President Amey Prakash.
From Left: Consul General P. Harish, Director Hansal Mehta and Festival Director Sutapa Ghosh.
BY SANCHALI BASU HOUSTON: Sutapa Ghosh, founder cum director of IFFH had a brilliant idea of doing something different this year. Not in keeping with the tradition of holding the annual Indian film festival around this time of the year in Houston, it was decided to move it to March next year to make it coincide with the annual award season in India. But not to disappoint her flock of loving movie goers, she ar-
ranged for a one-night opener with cocktails, music and the screening of the movie, “City Lights” at the Studio Movie Grille in the City Center the evening of August 27. With rain in the forecast, the cocktail reception was moved to the Straits restaurant, and the evening just kicked off in the right mood with hors d’ouevres, drinks and music. The eclectic gathering of more than 200 people ranged from the Indian Consul General P. Harish, to the movie director Hansal Mehta.
So much was the enthusiasm that 25 extra chairs had to be added in the front to accommodate some of the 31 people on the waiting list and the rest were requested to come back in March. City Lights, based on Sean Ellis’ acclaimed Metro Manila, was the featured movie. The thought provoking, heart-wrenching movie told the story of a poor Rajasthani villager Deepak Singh, who had to move to the big city Mumbai to make ends meet. Unable to keep up with the money lenders demands and after being forced to shut down his little fabric store, he decides to move with his wife and little daughter to Mumbai, to live the dream life. Harsh realities and painful tragedies start striking from the minute they land in the city (paved with gold?) The journey with this family was a huge eye-opener for the audience and everyone remained at the edge of their seat until the last minute to find out if they would be able to survive. Performances by Rajkumar Rao (Deepak) and Patralekha were brilliant. In a question and an-
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COMMUNITY
Santhigram Wellness Kerala Ayurveda Opens at Hillcroft
HOUSTON: A State of the art Center in the mid of Hillcroft Shopping Plaza was formally inaugurated by Ken Mathew, the Councilman of City of Stafford in a grand ceremony. Present also on the occasion were Dr. Gopinathan Nair, Santhigram Founder and CEO, Koshy Thomas, CEO of Voice of Asia Group of Publications, G.K. Pillai, Community leader and former FOKANA President, Thomas Varkey President Malayalee Association of Greater Houston, and many other community leaders and a strong gathering of wellness enthusiasts. Speaking on the occasion, Ken Mathew ap-
preciated the efforts of Santhigram Group in spreading the goodness of Kerala specific Ayurveda Therapies in US, particularly for establishing a beautiful Center in one of the best locations in Houston. Dr. Gopinathan Nair, welcomed everyone and introduced the Ayurveda Consultant of the Center, Dr. Lakshmi Maliakkal, a BAMS doctor from one of the best institutions in Kerala, India (Vaidyaratnam) with many years of experience in treating chronic ailments and also a certified Holistic Practitioner in US. During the occasion Dr. Nair also announced a Club Memberhip Program for Santhi-
gram with which a person can become a club member just for an annual fee of $150 which will entail a number of privileges like Free Consultation, unlimited therapies during the year for just $65/hour and many other privileges including a major discount for any type of treatments. All the VIPs who were present on the occasion extended their felicitation and assured their wholehearted support for the Santhigram venture. A vote of thanks was given by the Center Director Nandakumar whose efforts were appreciated by one and all for opening the Ayurveda Wellness Center in a very convenient and visible location. The Wellness Center celebrated its grand opening with an open house for two days, offering free Ayurveda consultations by Dr. Lakshmi Maliakkal and also by offer-
ing Santhigram Club Memberships. Many people took advantage of this membership offer during the event. Santhigram Kerala Ayurveda Wellness
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COMMUNITY
September 05, 2014
Yoga and Health: By Dr. Shirley Telles
In Picture (Trustees and Board Members of India House with Dr. Shirley Telles) Left: left: Virinder Bansal, Devi Prasad Rungta, Dr. Durga Agrawal, Dr. Shirley Telles, Sushila Agrawal, and Shekhar Agrawal.
HOUSTON: This past Sunday, August 31, Houston area community had the opportunity to attend “Yoga and Health” presentation by Dr. Shirley Telles at India House, Houston. The talk and practice was a presentation of India House in collaboration with Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA) and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. After extending a warm welcome to the attendees Shekhar Agrawal, an exponent of Yoga himself, introduced Dr. Shirley Telles to the audience. Dr. Shirley Telles then proceeded with an impressive talk, supported with a power point presentation explaining the effect of Yoga on health. More than 100 Yoga enthusiast comprising of a very diverse audience were benefitted with the talk. The presentation ended with a Q & A session. Dr. Shirley Telles is the world’s most prominent Yoga researcher. She has published 108 articles in international journals. She also has written 4 books and 15 chapters in books. Dr. Shirley Telles is a highly sought after speaker at national and interna-
tional conferences. She is a reviewer for 16 international and 4 Indian national journals. Dr. Shirley Telles is the Director of Research at Patanjali Yogpeeth, Hardwar, India, and Head, Indian Council of Medical Research Center for Advanced Research in Yoga and Neurophysiology at Bangalore, a federal research center of excellence. She has a PhD in Neurophysiology and a medical degree and has been the recipient of many awards, including from the John Templeton Foundation USA, for an essay on “Neurophysiology of Mental Emancipation” and a Fulbright Fellowship to study “Functional magnetic resonance imaging in meditators” at the Dept. of Radiology, University of Florida. The event ended with light refreshments, provided by Udipi Restaurant, and fellowship among the attendees. For additional information, visit www. pyptusa.org or call Shekhar Agrawal @ 281-242-5000.
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Centers provide genuine Ayurvedic andPanchakarma therapies for total body rejuvenation, detoxification and for alleviation of many chronic conditions. Panchakarma therapies have preventative health benefits in otherwise healthy subjects. It helps to reduce stress, enhance skin luster, correct metabolism, improve immunity, remove hormonal imbalance, overall it recharges the body and mind. The Santhigram wellness Centers are staffed by trained professionals who offer Ayurvedic consultation, Panchakarma therapies, and recommendations on Diet and Herbal remedies. Ayurveda and Yoga are time tested ancient systems of medicine that help to maintain healthy body and mind. Santhigram Wellness Centers offer therapies to alleviate several chronic conditions, ward off the middle age syndrome and stimulate unlimited curative powers of body and mind. Customized Panchakarma therapies help to alleviate specific health problems like Back Pain, Neck Pain, Sports injury, Frozen Shoulder, Sinusitis, Migraine,
Joint Pain, Arthritis, Hemiplegia, Insomnia, Asthma, Diabetes, Thyroid, Infertility, Migraine, Excess weight gain, Mental disorders like depression and Skin Disorders like Psoriasis & Eczema. Santhigram is an ISO certified provider of Kerala Ayurveda Wellness Services through its Centers in India, UK and the US. Santhigram Kerala Ayurvedic Company of US launched its first wellness Center in the US in November 2007, and since then it is running three Centers in New Jersey, two Centers in New York, one Center in Illinois, one center in Wisconsin and the latest one in Texas at Hillcroft Shopping Plaza Complex in Houston. Santhigram has cut out an ambitious plan of setting up Ayurvedic Wellness Centers throughout 50 states in the US and is looking for partners in its noble mission of popularizing Ayurveda, “The Science of Life”. For further details contact Dr. Gopinathan Nair at 732-709-3086 or info@santhigramusa.com Visit www.santhigramusa.com, www. ayurvedasanthigram.com
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swer session that followed, director Mehta thanked the actors and the producer Mahesh Bhatt for making the movie possible. In response to the query about the choice of the depressing nature of the movie, he answered that it gave him satisfaction. After receiving rave reviews from critics and succeeding at the box office in India, he is encouraged to make more movies of the same genre and producer Mahesh Bhatt is willing to produce them. Consul General P. Harish thanked the board of IFFH for putting together these remarkable film festivals. Sam Merchant from senator Al Green’s office presented
the director with a proclamation recognizing his contribution to Indian cinema. Kudos to the IFFH board for coming through time and time again with screenings of such exceptionally good Indian movies and allowing the Houston Indian diaspora to be a part of it. This just whetted our appetite for more and better movies to be screened at the Seventh Annual IFFH to be held in March. For details visit at www.iffhinc.org. To add another feather to their cap, IFFH has been invited by IFFI (International Festival of India) to be held in Goa in November to be present at press conferences and the Film Bazaar.
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18 September 05, 2014 Beyond Attacking, No Plan The world watches in disbelief as Imran Khan and Canadabased cleric Tahir ul-Qadri continue their mindless confrontation of the Nawaz Sharif government in Islamabad. A few thousand supporters of these leaders have camped in Islamabad, refusing to go unless Mr Sharif resigns, on grounds that his party, PML(N), committed fraud in the 2013 elections. Mr Khan has resolutely disregarded the pleas of prominent liberal commentators, including on Pakistan’s vibrant social media, and pressed ahead with his tactics of bringing down an elected government by deploying his supporters in a few streets of the capital city. His maximalist demands for Mr Sharif’s resignation have deprived Mr Khan of a face-saving formula. He has thus decided to precipitate a confrontation, hoping the authorities would overreact and make Mr Sharif’s position untenable. That ploy was on view on Sunday when protestors tried to storm the PM’s residence, prompting a crackdown that left three people dead and over 200 injured. The police also singled out journalists for rough treatment — many of whom required medical attention — adding to the pressure on Mr Sharif, just as Mr Khan would like it. The drama continued on Monday as protestors barged into the Pakistan Television (PTV) building, causing it to go off air for a while, till the Pakistan army secured the building. These events again underline the irrational dimensions of Mr Khan’s politics. He has his admirers owing to his cricketing feats and for his clean image amidst a corrupt power elite. But many also despair about his pro-Taliban posturing, his poor grasp of policy issues beyond populist pronouncements and his willingness to become a tool of the army whenever it wants to reassert itself vis-à-vis the civilian government. He fired his party president for daring to suggest that protestors must not target Mr Sharif’s residence. Mr Khan has not surprisingly been called “the world’s oldest teenager, with a captive national audience”. This situation — which would not have evolved into a crisis without GHQ’s tacit support for Mr Khan and Mr Qadri — brings Rawalpindi back into the thick of things. The outcome of Mr Sharif’s meeting with army chief Raheel Sharif wasn’t clear at the time of going to press. The army must be careful not to extend its dislike of Mr Sharif to a full-blown undermining of Pakistan’s constitutional democracy. It should rein Mr Khan in. Hindustan Times
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Attenborough & Ray
BY GOPALKRISHNA GANDHI Richard Attenborough and India coalesce in the life story of Mohandas Gandhi. But the epic success of Gandhi (1982) has obscured from general awareness an earlier association of his with India. It requires a discerning eye to spot the face that matches the role, not just a look-likely. Premchand’s poignant novella Shatranj Ke Khilari (1924) would not have come to be known outside the Hindi-knowing world had Satyajit Ray not turned to it for his first non-Bengali film. As a bi-cameral story on the languorous lives of two chess-obsessed aristocrats in Oudh in the months before the Mutiny of 1857 Shatranj Ke Khilari is of the stuff of great films and that is what Ray made it into. When Ray was casting around for men and women to act in this historical film, he wanted a toughfaced, plump-looking man to play General Outram (1803-1863), the cunning and ruthless British imperialist, who annexed Oudh and in the 1857 uprising came to the rescue of the beleaguered British garrisons in both Lucknow and Cawnpore (now Kanpur). Outram was in many ways a stereotypical figure but something about him made him more than another blustering Blimp. It has been said that beside him a fox would seem a fool and a lion a coward. No one could have done Outram easy justice in the film. I do not know how and when Ray first noticed Richard Attenborough but perhaps his appearance in The Great Escape (1963) and then in Flight of the Phoenix (1965) in uniform might have given Ray the idea of casting him in the olive-green of Outram. Attenborough fitted the British general’s uniform and character as to the manner born as completely as Sanjeev Kumar did the character of Mirza Sajjad Ali, Saeed Jaffrey did that of Mir Roshan Ali and Tom Alter as Outram’s aide de camp. Speaking about Ray in that experience Attenborough said, “He writes the screenplay, he composes the music, he directs it, he operates the camera. He half-lights the set. Certainly
In the hands of a Ray, Kurosawa, Chaplin and Attenborough art cinema definitely does the first and hovers over being the second. And there it measures up to the impact of great writing like that of Munshi Premchand, Leo Tolstoy, Pasternak. he works with the lighting cameraman in such detail that any source of light or change that he wants he gets. He edits his own films, almost as Chaplin did.” The result of this grip over its making was, Attenborough said, that Ray personally made 90% of the film. This was a profoundly accurate observation of Ray’s working method and also an introduction to a filmmaker of genius, which Attenborough himself was. Every single detail, from the big ticket observations of the protagonist to the way Nehru (Roshan Seth) keeps rubbing his cheek down, had Attenborough’s power of observation at play. From the old Shatranj team, he got Saeed Jaffrey to play Patel and Tom Alter to be Gandhi’s doctor at Aga Khan’s Palace. But it was of course in his brilliant and entirely unexpected selection of Ben Kingsley to play Mohandas Gandhi that made the film the hit it became, bringing Gandhi to life as nothing else had before it, nor anything else has since. Kingsley had played a character role from history, as Dante Gabriel Rossetti in BBC’s The Love School (1975) before Gandhi appeared. But it was the Academy-awarded Gandhi that made him Gandhi’s celluloid face for all time. Ray is known to have been tough on
his actors. Attenborough was no less. The story of the making of that film needed to be written, as a testament of cinema’s re-capture of history. And this not just to show how the film worked so brilliantly but, more importantly, why a film that took 20 years to gestate could still leave so much out. Questions will always be asked on why the film left such and such incident out, why Bose did not figure in it, why Jinnah was made so one-dimensional. Gandhi baiters will find it too hagiographic, Gandhi scholars too simplistic. The inquisitive will want to know if young Indira Nehru’s meeting Gandhi was given many precious moments in the film to placate the prime minister of the day. Historypurists will continue to ask if Attenborough should not have consulted more sources, resources. The film, while fulfilling an unquestioned role in the vivifying of history through an accurate moving image, will always be tagged with these and similar questions. Attenborough’s other ‘Indian film connection’, Shatranj, on the other hand, will remain a pure if minor joy. Shatranj is a niche film, Gandhi a mega phenomenon. And yet of the two historical films the story of the chess players is more artistically complete than the epic re-enactment of the Indian statesman’s life. At the passing of a creative icon, a question forms itself in the minds of his/her admirers and critics: Is art essentially an aesthetic self-fulfilment or does it shape human thinking, even history? In the hands of a Ray, Kurosawa, Chaplin and Attenborough art cinema definitely does the first and hovers over being the second. And there it measures up to the impact of great writing like that of Munshi Premchand, Leo Tolstoy, Pasternak. What we wait for is a great film on a great film-maker like Attenborough and a great film on a great actor like Ian Charleson, which tells us what art gives to and takes out of life. HT Gopalkrishna Gandhi is former administrator, diplomat and governor. He is currently senior Fellow, Centre for Public Affairs and Critical Theory, Shiv Nadar University, New Delhi.
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Bollywood Shake Presents “Bollywood Extravaganza 2014”
Featuring the Mrs. Bollywood Pageant & Mr. Bollywood Contest
HOUSTON: Houston get ready for this one-of-a-kind event the “Bollywood Extravaganza 2014” scheduled to be held on Saturday, Sept 6 at 8 pm at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston. There are many shows that come to our wonderful city, but this one is truly unique and different from anything else this city has seen. This event will be an exciting mix of live music, dancing, fashion, the first ever Mrs. Bollywood Houston pageant or the fun Mr. Bollywood contest! The beautiful and exquisite venue, Hilton Americas, is the perfect location for this spectacular event with its elegance, grandeur & exquisiteness.
Yes, it is a beauty pageant, but not just another beauty pageant. It is a pageant of, for and by our very own South Asian Community organized by Bollywood Shake Founder and CEO, Ruchika Dias and her team specially to give married women a platform to showcase their talent, personality and intellect. Dias has an MS in Computer Engineering and MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, but is pursuing her dream of spreading Bollywood culture in mainstream USA. So what exactly will the evening offer? The highlight of the evening will, of course, be the Mrs. Bollywood Pageant. The contestants are all very beautiful, talented and confident ladies who are great representatives for married women everywhere! These ladies are going to show that life doesn’t end after marriage and that women can still pursue their interests after marriage. A group of very talented guys are also going to compete for the title of first-ever Mr. Bollywood Houston. This will be a fun and entertaining contest where the contestants will impress the judges and audience with their talent and personality. The event has a very esteemed
panel of judges including prominent personalities from the Houston community. The main judge and chief guest will be Bollywood super star, Raveena Tandon. This talented and very popular actress hardly needs any introduction having starred in a number of successful Bollywood movies including Patthar Ke Phool, Dilwale, Mohra, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, Andaz Apna Apna, Aks and Daman. A truly multifaceted personality representing exactly what our judges will be looking for in our “Mrs. Bollywood Houston” and a role model for all women. The evening will also feature a LIVE musical performance from Mauli Dave, a local Houstonian who was a finalist of the Indian reality show SaReGaMa and moved back to India to pursue her dreams. Other highlights include spectacular dance performances by the Bollywood Shake troupe. Don’t say we didn’t warn you if you find yourself suddenly unable to resist the urge to shake a leg! For further details and to purchase tickets, visit Sulekha.com or BollywoodPageant.com Come dressed in your best Bollywood attire. This is an event you don’t want to miss.
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HOUSTON: KTRU ture. Varsha expressed the - Rice radio’s specialty “live” kirtan experience as show “Navrang” has breathtaking. been on-air for the past On August 2, Houston’s 22 years. In recent talented young artists’ years the show has Nishant Kelkar (Mowgbeen hosted by the pasli), Medhavi Patwardhan sionate and perky radio (Village Woman), Avi Vir DJ and director Var(Monkey),AvilashBhongir sha Vakil; she humbly (Monkey), Alani Forouzan dedicates her time and (Wolf) and Maitri Misra efforts to showcase tal(Wolf) from the play “The ented artists’ of South Jungle Book” embraced Asian origin. KTRU’s their novice radio escaNavrang show reprepade with a microphone sents the fundamental and voiced their youthful nine colors or emotions experience. Varsha Vakil, of Indian music. the director of the Navrang On August 23, Housshow has earned accolades tonians seeking eclectic for her innate skill to ease music were introduced the shy and thereby offer a to the Kirtan genre precandid, fun and impromptu sented by the reputed discussion. Florida based group An earlier show wel“The Mayapuris”. comed adult artists’ from Varsha asserts “The The Jungle Book artists’ (above) on Rice radio and The the play. Jeff Dorman and Mayapuris” to have Mayapuris (below) with KTRU’s Varsha Vakil Alex Osburn presented a single-handedly made glimpse of their dynamic Kirtan appealing, hip came to life with the rhythmic beat roles as Tabaqui - the cunand current not only in the US but of the drum – mridanga. Krishna ning jackal and Akela - the father around the globe. Kishore (Kish) introduced the ban- wolf respectively. Varsha applauds An on-air live performance dedi- suri (Indian flute). The elegant and the energetic and witty children from cated in the praise of Sri Radha by melodious bansuri resonated with the play for a fun and vivacious on-air lead singer – Visvambhar (Vish) drew the pious Indian traditions and cul- conversation. a hypnotic spell. The ktru studio
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Free Clinic is a Testament of Dedication to Serve the Sick and Uninsured that come. The Board of the IDC is struggling with making transformative changes to tackle the needs of the future and exploring all options, including even levying a tiny fee for services. But, for right now, the indefatigable Dr. Shah carries the weight of carrying for the patients in a service that brings him great satisfaction, even as the bunions on one of his feet cause him to move carefully and slowly. “I’ll keep doing this till I drop dead,” he said emphatically with a wide grin.
Dr. K. T. Shah is the Director of the Indian Doctor’s Clinic on Maple Ridge in Bellaire
At the IDC, from left Club 24 and Spring Branch Rotary’s Ashok Garg; Dr. Raghu Athre, the Indian Doctors Association Presidnet; Dr. K. T. Shah, the Clinic Director; K.C. Mehta, the IDC Secretary and Treasurer and Dr. Satish Jhingran, a Director of the clinic.
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: The line forms at 6 am outside, even before the building doors open, come rain or shine; stifling heat or shivering cold, and without a place to sit. Some people bring their own foldable chairs, others simply sit on the floor or stand in the ragged queue that moves upstairs and continues the wait in the corridor. When the nurse opens the door, the crowd maintains its place, taking up the seats in the tiny waiting room and lining up against the walls, the rest of them flowing over into the hallways. They give way as the tall, dark, bespectacled doctor in his white coat, stethoscope clutched in hand, slowly makes his way to the door and walks in with a smile and hello to the nurses, just as he has done for the past nine years. Dr. K. T. Shah, the Clinic Director since 2005, wastes no time, dropping his bag at the corner office and enters one of the two adjacent exam rooms. For the next four and half hours – the clinic opens at 8:30 am and closes at 1 pm every Saturday – Dr. Shah, 77, is totally absorbed by the nearly 40 patients he will see that day with a feeling of exhilaration as he tries to diagnose and help them. “I really enjoy it; I can forget all my problems,” he says on this particular Saturday when we convened before the clinic started. “It is like going to the temple for me.” He is sometimes helped by Dr. Jay Raman and recently Dr. Pariyani and can call from a list of ten volunteer doctors if need be, but the disciplined and dedicated Dr. Shah, a retired gastroenterologist, is always there every Saturday. And for the thousands of people who have been helped by the Indian Doctors Clinic, getting the totally free treatment has been a blessing that no other clinic in the Bayou City offers. “There are 25 charity clinics in Houston and 10 to 15 dental clinics,” noted Dr. Satish Jhingran, a retired radiologist and Director of the IDC, “but none are completely free like the IDC.”
The IDC began in March 1999 when a group of Indian doctors led by the husband and wife team of Drs. Suresh and Sunita Moonat felt the urge to provide free care to the people who were least able to afford it and were uninsured. They opened the doors of the clinic on DeMoss street, just north of Bellaire and east of the Southwest Freeway, in a medical building behind the fire station and offered free medical services. Ten years later, the IDC was forced to move when the building was found to contain asbestos, and it relocated to its present site at 6550 Mapleridge in Bellaire between Chimney Rock and Sage. The clinic continues to see patients with chronic medical conditions, blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, skin problems and the like - but no emergencies - at no cost. Many repeat patients come for follow-ups and the clinic provides them with copies of their medical records so that they can go to another facility too, should the need arise. “Thanks to the remarkable generosity of Dr. Lucky Chopra who owns Advanced Diagnostic Clinic which he opened in 2006, we have offered free radiology scans so far,” explained K.C. Mehta, the IDC Secretary and Treasurer. “But due to the new Obamacare law, the service will now be offered at a deep discounted rate of perhaps $50.” The IDC also offers labwork, which is done completely free of cost, with the specimens collected on site and sent out for analysis. “Ever since we started, Memorial Southwest Hospital has offered free labwork,” explained Dr. Jhingran, “since they are a non-profit organization and are required to do some pro-bono work.” The clinic is run with the assistance of three paid office staff – a nurse, lab technician and medical assistant, as well as two interpreters, one for Spanish and the other, surprisingly, for Malayalam for the many patients
who are in the welding and pipe fitting business. The clinic does not ask for any documents or money and till 2006 used to give out free name brand medicines but has now resorted to writing prescriptions for generics which are only $4 at most pharmacies. All the clinic’s equipment is either donated or bought by donated funds. “Even with expenses kept low, it costs an average of $40,000 a year to run the clinic,” said Mehta, “with rent being the largest component.” Most of the funds come from the Indian Doctors Association and the Indo American Charity Foundation, though in the past, two entertainment events – The Blue Mug and Udit Narayan – raised in excess of $100,000 and allowed the clinic to run for a few years. Earlier this year, Dr. Shah, on his own, decided to do a letter writing campaign to 1,600 people and was able to raise $20,000. Also this year, Ashok Garg, who is very active in Club 24 and the Rotary Club of Spring Branch and attended the Saturday meeting, said that both groups have pledged $5,000 of support. Raising money for the clinic does not seem to be a problem, but getting volunteer doctors to commit one Saturday morning each week to take turns at working the clinic does. Dr. Raghu Athre, the President of the IDA lamented the lack of volunteers, especially young ones, adding that he has had tepid response from the younger generation of Indian physicians to participate. “They are second Genners and don’t have the same connection with our community,” said Athre, a second generation plastic surgeon himself. It is this lack of volunteer physicians – preferably Internists – who are keeping the IDC from expanding its hours of operation from every Saturday to three days a week and preferably every day, since the demand for the Charity Clinic is certainly there, as is evident from the line of patients
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COMMUNITY
Radio Hungama Ganesh Utsav 2014
Photos: Narayana Swamy
KATY: On Saturday, August 30, the Radio Hungama Team celebrated the auspicious Ganesh Festival at the Rylander Elementary School in Katy, TX. This is the second time that Sridhar Dadi and the Hungama Team were able to successfully organize a free event for the community. The puja held by Radio Hungama was conducted by Sriman Hanuman Swamyji and the main puja was performed by Sridhar Dadi and his family. This was followed by a free Samuhika (group) puja. The community was able to perform the puja along with the detailed directions of Hanuman Swamyji. The kits for the Samuhika puja were provided by
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Sridhar Dadi and contained all the material needed for the puja. This proved to be very convenient for the participants as they did not have to worry about the puja. The Radio Hungama team had decorated the venue with a variety of flowers and leaves. It is worth mentioning that some of the leaves (patri) used in the Ganesh puja were attained with great difficulty by Sridhar. The Radio Hungama team was able to organize the free Ganesh Festival this year, with the help of few sponsors, MetLife, Vishala Restaurant, Hyderabad House and Mayuri restaurant. The sponsors, Vishala restaurant, Hyderabad house and Mayuri
restaurant also provided lunch for the event. MetLife representative Mohsin Noon, conducted a lucky draw for the people present for the occasion, and gave away an iPad to the winner. Sridhar Dadi thanked Sriman Hanuman Swamyji, sponsors, Radio Hungama team members, friends and also Katy ISD who brought this event to life and helped all the way. Radio Hungama airs on KCHN AM 1050, every Sunday from 12 PM to 3 PM. Live on the Internet, 7 days a week at www.radiohungama.net. For further details Contact Sridhar Dadi at 281-217-9736.
JVB Preksha Meditation Center Celebrates Acharya Tulsi’s Birth Centennial with Mega Blood Donation Drive BY SEEMA JAIN HOUSTON: “Money can buy books but not knowledge; it can procure medicine but cannot ensure health; can get servants but not service; can build temples but cannot inspire devotion” -Acharya Shree Tulsi His Holiness Acharya Shree Tulsi, born in 1914, known worldwide as one of the greatest Acharya’s of Jain Terapanth sect. was a man of splendor personality, great visionary and a dedicated Humanitarian Saint. As a founding father of the Anuvrat Movement, his objective was to bring about a moral awakening to humanity. Blood donation is among the high-
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COMMUNITY
September 05, 2014
Asia Society Invites: Sri-Lankan Minister of National Languages and Social Integration
Vasudeva Nanayakkara Minister of National Languages and Social Integration
HOUSTON: At the invitation of the Asia Society of Houston, Sri-Lankan Minister of National Languages and Social Integration, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, will deliver a speech, ‘Road Map to Healing and Reconciliation in
Sri-Lanka’, at the Asia Society’s auditorium in Houston at 7:00 pm on October 8. Dr. Bandula Wijay, the Honorary Consul General for Sri-Lanka in the State of Texas, is hosting the Minister during his visit. The speech will be followed by a Q&A session from the audience, moderated by George R. Willy, a prominent immigration attorney and a Sri-Lankan Tamil American living in Houston. The free event will be open to the public. Minister Nanayakkara is a senior cabinet member of the Sri-Lankan government and a close friend of the Sri-Lankan President, His Excellency Hon. Mahinda Rajapakse. The two of them have travelled a long political road together as soul mates. Minister Nanayakkara earned his LLB from the University of Peradeniya, Sri-Lanka and practiced law until he dedicated his life to politics in mid-1970s. Minister Nanayakkara started his political career in the 1950s as an active member of
the Samasamaja Youth Movement and soon became its leader. In 1970 he entered Parliament for the first time and has since been elected to Parliament several times. He is an uncompromising champion of the rights of minorities. He has been beaten, jailed and forced underground for his political activism. His activism, compassion and fearless honesty have won the hearts of the working class and minority communities. For further information visit www.asiasociety. org/texas
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est service one can render to humanity. With this thought and to salute his vision, on occasion of Acharya Tulsi’s Birth Centennial Celebration, JVB Preksha Meditation Center, Houston is proud to announce the ‘Mega Blood Donation Drive’ in partnership with Gulf coast Regional Blood Center which will be conducted on Saturday, September 6, 2014 from 10AM - 4PM. This is being done under the guidance of Samani Sanmati Pragyaji and Samani Jayant Pragyaji, who are stationed at this center. The campaign will take place simultaneously in 700 camps in 300 cities worldwide. The blood you donate gives someone another chance at life. One day that someone may be close relative, a friend, a loved one or even you. A Bone marrow registry drive will also be held simultaneously. It is an earnest appeal to everyone to come forward and Donate Blood for this noble cause. With your support and dedication, we can make this campaign a very large movement with huge success, a world record. This Mega Donation will not be possible without devotion, dedication and participation of people associated directly or indirectly with this activity. The motto is to get as many people as possible and donate their blood and be a part of this record breaking movement. This movement will be so large that by itself it will be a World Record. We are targeting to be part of this mega drive which aims at collection of 100000 (One Lac) units of blood across multiple cities and multiple locations worldwide. So the pride moment for all the participants will be that they have been a part of a World Record – unperformable, un thinkable and unattainable by an individual. Hence, we request for your participation and also request you to invite your friends, relatives and other people you know for this noble cause. Give the gift that keeps on living. Donate Blood.The JVB Preksha Meditation Center envisions a blissful and peaceful society through Yoga, Preksha Meditation and Education of Non-violence. It conducts weekly Mediation, Yoga and Swadhyay sessions and runs special events and programs like iChoose & Meditation Camps. Its open to all and every session or event is free of charge to its attendees. For further information please visit www. jvbhouston.org or call them at 281.596.9642. INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 05, 2014 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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Mama’s Punjabi Recipes Pethe Da Halwa (Pumpkin Halwa) When an Indian – especially a North Indian – thinks of petha (pumpkin), their first thought goes towards the famous white, crystallized petha of Agra where entire shops are devoted to various flavors of this sweet delicacy and not one street is without a pethawala. Agra petha is so well known and popular that when the Rajdhani Express train from New Delhi to Mumbai stops for only five minutes in nearby Mathura, people rush to the platform hawkers to buy boxes to give as gifts. Apart from the white Taj Mahal, a major export of Agra is its white petha! Meanwhile, in other parts of North India, the yellow-orange petha of the plains is more common and known as kanshi phal, kashi or Sita phal in Hindi. Some consider this a very holy and pure vegetable because it is widely available in Uttar Pradesh where the holy city of Benares or Varanasi – also known as Kashi - is located. Actually, in Hindi kanshi phal means ash gourd or winter melon, which is cooling and both a laxative and a diuretic and is low in calories. Its juice has many medicinal properties. In the Punjab, and in North India, petha is made into a sweetened halwa with lots of dried fruit and though some confectioners make it with pure butter to enhance its taste, it is most often made with vegetable oils and is delicious. The secret is to make sure that all the water that is released by the vegetable is completely dried up while it is cooked. Petha halwa tastes quite different from atta (flour) or suji (semolina) halwa. Ingredients: • 1 kg petha (pumpkin) • ¼ cup bariq chinni (fine sugar) • ½ cup olive oil or makhan (butter) • Handful of dried fruits of your choice • ¼ tsp elachi powder (cardoman powder)
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Directions: 1. Peel the petha, chop into small pieces and set aside.
the heat off. Add the dry fruit and mix thoroughly, and then sprinkle with the cardoman powder.
2. Heat the oil in a kadai or wok and add the chopped petha. Stir well to coat and turn the heat down to medium. Cover and let the petha cook in its own steam till it is soft.
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.
3. Check to see if it is soft and then mash well with a large spoon or spatula. 4. Now pour in the sugar and the petha will shed water and start to liquefy. Keep stirring to make sure the water evaporates. 5. When all the water is gone, turn
MAMA’S TIP OF THE WEEK USE MUSTARD SEED OIL FOR TASTE AND MEDICINAL VALUE In years gone by – and even now in many rural households – mustard seed oil was used exclusively in preparing dishes, and especially in making green mango pickles. Mustard seed oil has a distinctive yellow color and used to have a heavy, acrid smell, but this has gone away nowadays due to filtering and modern preparation techniques. Mustard seed oil has medicinal qualities that make it good for reducing blood sugar, similar to eating kerelas (bitter gourds). A small dab of mustard is also used for cuts and skin conditions, and many Indian wrestlers smear themselves with it before fighting. The oil comes from the mustard greens which are left to ripen and the yellow seeds grow in big pods. The oil has come back into popularity and many dishes, like cauliflower, have a better flavor with it.
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ENTERTAINMENT
September 05, 2014
Movie Review: Raja-Natwarlal
BY SHUBHRA GUPTA NEW DELHI (IE):A caper flick necessarily has to do a couple of things: it has to have some surprises, and it has to be fun. On neither of these counts ‘Raja Natwarlal’ comes up trumps. This is a film that telegraphs its punches right from scene one – you know exactly how the con is being played out, and who the accomplice is. And that is how it goes. You can tell what’s going to happen next even before the present scene is over. Raja (Emraan Hashmi) is a smalltime card-sharp who wants to leap
into bigger game. A ploy to do just that goes horribly wrong, leaving him to plot the downfall of cricket-mad bad guy Vardha (Kay Kay Menon). Along comes reluctant guru (Paresh Rawal) to hand out some pro-tips to our hero, and we know how this will end. The middle is stuffed with tepid scenes featuring Raja’s girl (Humaima Mallick) who shakes her stuff in a dance-bar, the con artists getting together and flinging their net, and a couple of corrupt cops who want in on the action, and the planning of the sting. Emraan Hashmi has worked with
the director before and the two have done a film (Jannat) which features cricket and the back-room shenanigans that happen when big matches are played. Cricket crops up again. So does hammy villainy: Kay Kay sports a Dawoodstyle moustache, and vamps it up. Zeeshan Ayub, so good in ‘Raanjhana’, shows up with a gun in his hand, and wanders about aimlessly. There are just a couple of smooth moments. But it’s mostly seen-anddone-before stuff in a plot that shows its holes every once in a while: same old South African safari, same old Hashmi with the busy mouth but even the kisses seem standard, and a Mallick (familiar to Indian audiences from the high-pitched Pakistani melodrama ‘Bol’) who should have been used better. Dialogues such as this ancient one abound: ‘machli ke moon mein kaanta phans chuka hai’. Groan. Just where have all the writers gone? You go in hoping for a fun ride. What you get is a limp con job.
Boman Gets Police Protection After Threat from Underworld
Bollywood actor Boman Irani has been provided police protection after he allegedly received a threat call from fugitive underworld don Ravi Pujari. “Boman Irani has received threat call from Pujari and we have provided him security. We are investigating the case,” a senior police official said without specifying the nature of the threat. Irani’s movie Happy New Year, in which he co-stars with Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone, is scheduled for
release in October. On August 23, three people had opened fire outside the residence of film producer Ali Morani in suburban Juhu. Two days later, Pujari had allegedly called superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s production house Red Chillies and passed on a message to the actor. Pujari told Khan’s staff to tell the actor to stay away from Morani, police had earlier said. The gangster is known to make calls to builders and film personalities. -Times of India
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Rising Tourist Inflows a Ray of Hope for Hotel Sector The April numbers sparked optimism for both the tourism and hospitality industries as foreign arrivals jumped 11.5% from a year back BY VATSALA KAMAT After an extremely dull 2013, foreign tourist arrivals have been on an upswing. The April numbers sparked optimism for both the tourism and hospitality industries as foreign arrivals jumped 11.5% from a year back. This was a stark contrast to the 1% growth seen in April 2013 over the previous year. What’s encouraging is that growth has continued thereafter.
BY ATUL THAKAR NEW DELHI (TOI): Is India’s real estate bubble finally bursting? The International Monetary Fund’s recently-launched data series on global housing prices hints at that. Among 52 major markets for which IMF has collated house price data, India has witnessed the steepest fall. IMF’s calculation on the annual percentage change in property prices shows that prices in India fell by 9.1
During the months of May, June and July, foreign arrivals were two or three times higher than the number seen in the corresponding period a year ago (see chart). The number of tourist arrivals has been rising on a monthly basis too. Analysts say that this builds hope for a better second half this financial year, which is normally better than the first. Likewise, foreign exchange earnings from tourism have been robust. Higher foreign tourist arrivals augur well for the la rge hotel chains, which have been languishing for lack of occupancy. Investors saw a ray of hope in the September quarter of the last financial year when the listed hotel firms posted good revenue growth and were able to increase room tariffs in leading metros. But that trend failed to sustain in subsequent quarters. For the financial year 2013-14 as a whole, the entire hotel sector posted per cent, the highest among major real estate markets. The fall is even worse than in countries struggling with the ongoing European Union’s financial crisis. Property prices in Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Spain and Portugal have all come down, but at a much slower rate. Ireland, on the other hand, registered a 4.3 per cent increase in housing prices. Prices came down by 7 per cent in Greece, 6.5 per cent in Italy, 4.9 per cent in Spain and 3.3 per cent in Portugal. The annual change is calculated for latest available data or prices for the last quarter of 2013. The data shows that there is an
lower-than-expected operating margins, as the higher tariffs could not be sustained. Surplus capacity for the sector has been a nagging issue for nearly three years now. The June quarter too did not see higher foreign arrivals translate into a better performance by hotels. Revenue growth rates were subdued as business activity was low because of elections in the country. However, improved business confidence following the change of political order should see better performance in the coming quarters. This is likely to be complemented by higher foreign tourist arrivals following global economic revival—a major factor driving tourism. What the hotel firms need is not only higher occupancy rates but sustained higher room tariffs. A report on the hotel sector by Icra Ltd is positive and says, “A 150-200 bps uptick in operating margins is expected for the
industry during 2014-15, supported by some improvement in the second half of the year.” One basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point. However, it may not be time yet for equity investors to jump into the
sector as most hotel companies are saddled with large debt burdens. Unless this is reduced, it would be a long journey to earnings growth. -Livemint.com
Indian Home Prices Fell Most Among 52 Nations overall improvement in the global real estate market as prices are going up in a majority of countries. Of the 52 countries for which data is available, 33 have witnessed increase in prices, while property has become cheaper in 19. Among advanced economies, the US, Germany and UK witnessed an increase in prices whereas the property market seems to be slumping in France, Japan and Italy. Among larger emerging economies, China, Brazil and South Africa saw a rise in prices, while India and Russia face a sinking realty sector. The IMF website states that the new data series released in June this year is aimed at keeping track of property boom-and-bust cycles. Boom-bust cycles in housing prices have pre-
dated many banking crises in recent times. Global Property Guide, one of the IMF’s sources for real estate data, also confirms the downward trend of India’s housing market. The organization, which collates real estate data from across the world, links this to high interest rates and slow GDP growth. India’s own National Housing Bank (NHB) Residex index shows a mixed trend in Q1 2014, with 13 of the 26 cities for which property price data was available witnessing an increase in prices and 13 registering declines. Global Property Guide’s analysis of India says that because of high inflation, a comparison of house prices at nominal rates might give a misleading result. At inflation-adjusted rates
prices, it says, prices have actually fallen in 21 of these 26 cities. Even these numbers might not give a real picture of India’s highly unregulated property market and the problem might be much bigger. According to Global Real Estate Transparency Index-2014, a ‘fairness in property transactions’ ranking complied by a US based real-estate consultancy, India’s property market falls under the semi-transparent category. Among 102 major real estate markets ranked by the consultancy, India’s tier-1 cities’ property market is ranked 40th while tier-2 and tier-3 markets are 42nd and 50th respectively in the world. All of them are labelled semi-transparent.
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28 September 05, 2014 4th ODI: Rahane Hundred Caps Crushing Win India marched to one of their most comprehensive victories against England, a third no-contest in as many matches giving them the series BY ALAN GARDNER EDGBASTON (ESPN Cricinfo): India 212 for 1 (Rahane 106, Dhawan 97*) beat England 206 (Moeen 67, Shami 3-28, Bhuvneshwar 2-14) by nine wickets The most comprehensive victories against England, a third nocontest in as many matches giving them the series, about the only similarity between the teams was the blue of their shirts. India, the reigning world champions in this format, will need little introduction as one of the favourites for the 2015 World Cup in six months’ time. England are struggling to find an XI to compete at home, let along challenge in Australia and New Zealand. MS Dhoni has captained with an easy panache since the return to limited-overs cricket and he again marshalled an impressive display after inserting England on a fresh morning in Birmingham. This was Dhoni’s 91st victory as India ODI captain, breaking the record of Mohammad Azharuddin. Only one batsman had him momentarily ruffled, as Moeen Ali produced the first England half-century of the series, but it was a bit like a fart competing with thunder, to borrow Graham Gooch’s phrase. Having been set a modest target, India’s batsmen set about exposing it as indecent. Ajinkya Rahane made his maiden ODI hundred during a stand of 183 with Shikhar Dhawan, a record opening partnership for India in England. Dhawan’s unbeaten 97 was his first fifty of the tour, a flurry of blows helping to end the contest with almost 20 overs remaining. Although the pitch flattened out, England’s attack was made to look horribly blunt. India’s openers tiptoed through the first four overs, scoring the same number of runs, before Rahane struck four sumptuous fours off James Anderson; Dhawan rattled three more from Chris Woakes’ first over, taking them to 57 from ten. It was a clear case of the fours being with India.
Ajinkya Rahane celebrates his maiden ODI hundred, England v India, 4th ODI, Edgbaston, September 2, 2014.
And the sixes, too, both openers reaching their half-centuries by clearing the ropes. They hit four apiece, the most dismissive a front-foot pull from Rahane off Steven Finn. The sight of England’s fastest bowler being treated so disdainfully by India’s most diminutive batsman was one of a number of instructive passages. The video analysis will make painful viewing for Alastair Cook and Peter Moores. If England were to take anything from their display, it would have been Moeen’s batting. Moeen was brought in for his fifth ODI to fill the allrounder slot, with England keen for a more thorough examination of his credentials as a limited-overs spinner ahead of the World Cup. He proceeded to bat with greater dash and security than
any of his team-mates during an innings of 67 off 50 balls. After Joe Root departed attempting a reverse sweep that might have made Mike Gatting wince to leave England five down, Moeen struck the ball with a languid intensity, hitting three sixes - the only sixes of the innings. Such was his dominance, albeit brief in the context of the match, that Moeen clouted 43 out of a 50run stand with Jos Buttler, nominally England’s power hitter. His efforts lifted England to the bare respectability of 200 but the target scarcely gave much opportunity for his bowling to impress. It was debatable whether India had found a new way to win or England a new way to lose. This time, the glissando of wickets came at the top and bottom of the innings, as England ended the Powerplay
on 25 for 3 and then lost 4 for 12 in the final five overs. In between, India’s spinners largely remained a lurking threat, although the way R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina threw a blanket over the middle overs was proof that England had not suddenly discovered their pipe and slippers when it came to playing slow bowling. Root has struggled to transfer his puckish energy into one-day cricket this summer but he at least did a job in repelling India’s early broadside during an 80-run stand with Eoin Morgan. The pair managed to see off ten overs of spin before Morgan, having narrowly flicked wide of leg slip, picked out Suresh Raina in that position for a simple catch to give Jadeja his 32nd wicket against England - a tally he would increase to 33 in 17 ODIs. England’s approach tends to revolve around the proverbial bestlaid plans but things went awry even before the toss, as they were forced to bring in Gary Ballance for Ian Bell, who was hit on the toe in the nets. Bell was later revealed to have a “small fracture” and will be assessed before the final ODI, at Headingley on Friday. That enforced change was the third from the XI at Trent Bridge, with Moeen and Harry Gurney also coming in for Ben Stokes and James Tredwell. After Dhoni’s travails in the Tests, both as captain and wicketkeeper, the extent of his comfort in limited-overs cricket was displayed by an instinctive, near run-out of Root, deflecting the ball with one glove down on to stumps behind him. Such was the hold he currently exerts over England, he could get away without asking Bhuvneshwar (8-3-14-2) to bowl a second spell. The batsmen then ran amok in approved style. It was fitting that such an assured display confirmed him as India’s most successful ODI captain. Alan Gardner is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo.
SPORTS
Win After 31 Years!
HARARE: Zimbabwe 211 for 7 (Chigumbura 52*, Lyon 4-44) beat Australia 209 for 9 (Clarke 68*) by three wickets In the 30th ODI meeting between these sides, Zimbabwe did what they had not for 31 years and beat Australia. The captain Elton Chigumbura engineered the chase that changed 11,406 days of history, after his spinners had applied a stranglehold that kept Australia to their lowest total against Zimbabwe, and achieved only their second win against these opponents. Chigumbura’s opposite number, Michael Clarke, battled a hamstring niggle that ruled him out of the rest of the tri-series, and held his side together on a spin-friendly surface on which none of the other Australian batsmen settled. But Zimbabwe’s challenge was always going to be chasing a total over 200 - they were dismissed for less in their last four ODIs - and when Nathan Lyon picked up career-best figures and they were reduced to 156 for 7, another collapse seemed likely. A 55-run stand between Chigumbura and Prosper Utseya for the eighth wicket ensured Zimbabwe did not fold and sent Harare Sports Club into frenzied celebration. The dancing in the stands had begun in the morning when Zimbabwe reduced Australia to 39 for 3. John Nyumbu bowled Aaron Finch, Prosper Utseya had Phillip Hughes caught at slip, and Sean Williams bowled George Bailey to give Zimbabwe early control. Clarke was still there but needed a partner to rebuild and could not find one in Glenn Maxwell, despite him being the recipient of the first of five let-offs from Zimbabwe. Maxwell was on 13 when he edged Malcolm Waller as he tried to drive but Brendan Taylor could not hold on. Fortunately for Zimbabwe, Waller bowled him with his next delivery to ensure no harm was done from that missed chance. 11,406 Number of days since Zimbabwe’s last and only other ODI-win against Australia. They had beat Australia in the 1983 World Cup, at Trent Bridge, which was also Zimbabwe’s first ODI.
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29
Pak Army Chief Meets PM Sharif, Talk Swirls of Govt’s Exit BY IMTIAZ AHMAD
ISLAMABAD( H T): Hundreds of anti-government protestors stormed the headquarters of state-owned Pakistan Television on Monday, forcing the channel briefly off air, as fresh clashes erupted and the army gave the government an ultimatum to end the impasse soon. Prime minister Nawaz Sharif met with army chief General Raheel Sharif on Monday afternoon but officials who did not want to be identified said no agreement was reached as Sharif refused a proposal by the army chief to step down. Pakistan has been shaken by weeks of protests led by opposition leader Imran Khan and firebrand cleric Tahir ul-Qadri to bring down Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government. They say last year’s election that swept Sharif to power was rigged. PTV’s transmission was suspended after the attack but the army flushed out the protesters and secured the headquarters of the state television within hours. But clashes continued in other parts of Islamabad as protesters tried to march on to the prime minister’s house after government offices, including the Pakistan Secretariat, were stormed by supporters of Qadri’s Pakistan
Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Earlier, a meeting of corps commanders of the Pakistan army met in the neighbouring garrison city of Rawalpindi where they urged the government to settle the political crisis as soon as possible. The army commanders urged a non-violent solution to the crisis and hinted the army was committed to playing its part in ensuring security of the state and “would never fall short of meeting national aspirations”. Journalist Mazhar Abbas said the army’s statement was a warning to the government to either resolve the crisis or be ready for military action. “It is a clear cut message to the prime minister,” he said. Pakistan has, in the past, experienced a succession of military coups, and the army is bound to play a key role in how the conflict unfolds but it has not directly intervened so far, apart from meeting the protagonists and calling on them to show restraint. The president of the PTI, Javed Hashmi, who had earlier distanced himself from Imran Khan on Monday held another press conference in which he alleged that Khan was following a script that has been given to him by the ISI.
Pakistani protesters gather at a road while police fire tear gas shell to disperse them during clashes in Islamabad on Sunday.
Hashmi said that Imran Khan was told to follow Tahir ul Qadri and that if he persisted in his protests, elections would be held in December. Hashmi said that the ISI was engineering the troubles in Islamabad in a bid to put pressure on the Sharif government. The possibility of violence looms large in Islamabad as protesters continue to challenge law
enforcement agencies. “What we are looking at is a possibility of a large-scale confrontation in the next few days,” said Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad, a local politician closely aligned to Khan’s PTI. Political parties continued their meetings on Monday in a bid to find a solution. So far there has been no progress in the discussions.
Why Japan is Wooing Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe (front R) feed carp next to the garden pond of the State Guest House in Kyoto, western Japan.
BY SITARAMAN SHANKAR TOKYO: A 500-km trip by their prime minister to welcome him, two separate state banquets and several smiling photo opportunities. Why
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are the Japanese wooing Narendra Modi? There’s no denying that Japanese PM Shinzo Abe genuinely appears to like his Indian counterpart, and the feeling is visibly mutual. But that
can only go so far in furthering ties between two robust democracies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe (front R) feed carp next to the garden pond of the State Guest House in Kyoto, western Japan. (AFP Photo) The more important reasons lie in a desire to keep China off balance, and pure commerce. Anti-Chinese feeling has grown rapidly in Japan under Abe, and the nationalistic PM wants to build coalitions against perceived hegemony by the new regional bully. “Japan has one major card to play against the Chinese -- its alliance with the United States. In that sense, India is a becoming a good card for the Japanese,” said Takenori Horimoto, a professor at the Graduate School of Asian and African studies in Kyoto University. But this approach has its limitations. To most Asian eyes, India evokes less fear and awe than the Chinese, militarily and economically. And Modi, a commerce-minded PM if there ever was one, hosts Chinese President Xi Jinping late September and is keenly aware of the need to engage in trade with his neighbour. For all the coldness of the relationship, China accounts for one-fifth of Japan’s exports. Exports to India are a tiny 1.2% of the total.
Japanese investment in India between 2000 and 2014 is about 8% of the total, at around $16 billion, suggesting that there’s plenty of headroom. For all the hype around the civilian nuclear deal, it makes good sense for the Japanese to pitch for their share in a huge Indian infrastructure pie. Potentially, India could be an anchor client for a reviving Japanese military industry, but anything that smells even faintly of remilitarisation faces resistance here. A man ideally placed to comment on Japan’s stance vis-à-vis India and China preferred to keep the two relationships separate. “India will be put in a very awkward position if we say we will use India as a counter to China,” said Sakutaro Tanino, former Japanese ambassador to India and China. “We shouldn’t mix the two relationships.” Instead, Tanino pointed to the need to deepen people to people relationships — the number of Chinese students in Japan were about 80,000 against about 500 Indians, and Chinese papers had 50 resident correspondents here against none from India. “We like you and you like us, but there is a great deal more we can do together,” he said. -Hindustan Times
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