Indo-American News: May 2, 2025

Friday, May 2, 2025 • Vol. 44, No. 18

May 2, 2025

Indo American News READ US ONLINE at www.indoamerican-news.com | Published weekly from Houston, Texas. USA

2470 Dairy Ashford, Houston, TX 77077 • 713.789.NEWS (6397 • indoamericannews@yahoo.com

Pratham 2025 Gala Celebrates 30 Years of Transforming Lives

Pratham Houston Board 2025. See Photo Collage on Page 2 and article on Page 4.

Another Grand Vaisakhi Mela Brings the House Down!

Grand Vaisakhi 2025 Mela volunteers. See article on Page 5 and photo collage on Pages 6-7.

Indo-American News • Friday, may 2, 2025 • www.indoamerican-news.com

1

2

May 2, 2025

Indo-American News • Friday, may 2, 2025 • www.indoamerican-news

Friday, May 2, 2025 | Vol. 44, No. 18

$1

3

May 2, 2025

Indo American News

Published weekly from Houston, TX

www.indoamerican-news.com

Special Reports Community Briefs Local Politics South Asians in the News

2470 Dairy Ashford, Houston, TX 77077 • 713.789.NEWS (6397) • indoamericannews@yahoo.com

Hindu Organizations Hold Vigil for Victims of Pahalgam

P4 Hundreds of Hindu Americans gathered at Sugar Land Memorial Park to mourn the 28 Hindu civilians massacred by Islamist terrorists in Pahalgam.

W E D D I N G S , S P E C I A L E V E N T S , T E N T E D E V E N T S , O U T D O O R C O U R T YA R D

3 3 3 0 F M 1 4 6 3 | Ka t y, T X 7 7 4 9 4 | 8 3 2 . 8 5 5 . 5 5 2 0 | p a l m r o y a l v i l l a . c o m Indo-American News • Friday, may 2, 2025 • www.indoamerican-news.com

4 May 2, 2025 COMMUNITY Pratham 2025 Gala Celebrates 30 Years of Transforming Lives

Dhiren Shethia, Board Chair, Pratham USA addressing Dr. Vikram Gopal, Co-President of the Pratham Houston Pradip Seernani, Co-President, Pratham USA - Houston Chapter Chapter the audience

Houston: The highly anticipated Pratham Houston Gala returned on Friday, April 25, marking the celebration of Pratham’s 30th anniversary. This year’s gala, themed “Together We Learn, Together We Thrive,” brought together Houston’s Indian-American community and supporters to honor three decades of transforming education for millions of children, youth, and women in underserved communities in India. The evening featured an electrifying performance by Jeffrey Iqbal. The event was catered by Dawat Catering.

Sarojni, a dynamic young woman from Pratham’s skill building programs Zoomed in live from India to share her journey with Priyanka Ghosh, Director of Communications, Pratham USA.

Dr. Vikram Gopal, Co-President of the Pratham Houston Chapter, shared, “This evening, we celebrate the transformation that Pratham has brought about over the last three decades—bringing together communities, stakeholders, and supporters to build future ready communities through learning.”

Pradip Seernani, Co-President of the Pratham Houston Chapter, added, “Pratham’s mission continues to unlock potential at every stage of life—equipping individuals with the tools they need to learn, earn, and thrive.”

Chairs for the Houston gala Sheetal Patel and Bhavesh Patel shared “We are thrilled to chair this momentous event celebrating Pratham’s three decades of trans-

forming lives through education.

The Houston Gala is a testament to the power of community and collective action, and we are honored to bring people together to support this incredible cause.”

The corporate sponsors of the evening included Wells Fargo, Imagimake, Impex Capital Group, Ascend Performance Materials, Active Athlete, Packwell, Fidelity, Amegy Bank, Sara Appliance & Electronics, Bank of America, Texas Inpatient Consultants, Bayou Microfund, Gordon Arata, Chugh LLP, Bank of Texas, Sunrise Natural Foods and United Rentals Matting Solutions.

Fundraising Consultant Harry Santa-Olalla conducted a high powered, energetic and entertaining pledge drive that raised

almost $2 million in 45 minutes.

Funds raised at the Houston Gala will go directly toward expanding Pratham’s award-winning education programs, giving children and young people around the world the opportunity to learn and thrive.

Pratham envisions a world where every child is in school and learning well. A leading global education non-profit, Pratham delivers high quality solutions to schooling and training challenges through award winning evidence-based programs. With 30 years’ experience of working in India and beyond, Pratham changes the lives of over 5 million children and young people every year.

Pratham’s work has been recognized through major International awards, including the Asia Game

Changer Award, the BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award, the WISE Prize for Education, the Henry R. Kravis Leadership Prize, the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and most recently the 2018 LUI Che Woo Prize.

Pratham USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with 14 chapters across the United States that raise awareness and mobilize financial resources. The volunteerdriven organization ranks among the top 2% of all nonprofits in America, consistently achieving a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for “sound fiscal management” and “commitment to accountability and transparency.” For more information, visit prathamusa.org.

See Photo Collage on P2

Hindu Organizations Hold Vigil for Victims of Pahalgam Massacre Houston: On Saturday, April 26, hundreds of Hindu Americans gathered at Sugar Land Memorial Park to mourn the 28 Hindu civilians massacred by Islamist terrorists in Pahalgam, Kashmir on April 22, 2025. The vigil also raised urgent awareness about the escalating ethnic and religious cleansing of Bengali Hindus in Bangladesh and West Bengal.

For months, the global Hindu community has watched in anguish as Bengali Hindus face brutal assaults—daughters raped, homes and livelihoods destroyed, temples desecrated—at the hands of radical Islamist groups in both Bangladesh and parts of India.

Even as these atrocities unfold largely ignored by international media, the horror was compounded by the barbaric massacre of unarmed Hindus in Pahalgam.

Organized by HinduACTion, Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora (GKPD), VHPA, DISHA USA, and Hindus of Greater Houston, the vigil drew more than 400 participants. It stood as a powerful

testament to unity, resilience, and a call to action against the rising tide of anti-Hindu violence. The event opened solemnly with the national anthems of the United States and Bharat (India), symbolizing the shared commitment to democracy and human rights. Emcee Sunanda Vashisht emphasized the gathering’s peaceful and non-political purpose: to honor the victims with dignity and solidarity. A heartfelt prayer led by Pandit Bibhudatta Mishra ji, followed by the reading of the victims’ names, brought home the scale of the loss—not just numbers, but lives, dreams, and families destroyed.

Prominent leaders offered impassioned remarks that underscored both historical context and the immediate peril: • Amit Raina (GKPD) condemned the Pahalgam killings as the latest expression of Islamist violence targeting Hindus, echoing decades of unchecked terror in Kashmir.

• Samiran Ghosh (Durgabari) drew chilling parallels to histori-

cal injustices—from the Partition of 1947 to the 1990 Kashmiri Hindu exodus—and warned, “History teaches us: forgetting leads only to repetition.”

• Yajat Bhargav (Hindus of Greater Houston) called for the Hindu diaspora worldwide to unite, declaring, “Global Hindu solidarity is no longer an option— it is our dharmic duty.”

• Shravanti Thirunagari (VHPA) spoke with piercing clarity: “This was not just an attack—it was the brutal enactment of a genocidal, jihadist ideology that must be named, condemned, and confronted.”

• Paro Sarkar (HinduACTion) delivered a searing address: “The Pahalgam massacre was no isolated incident—it is part of a calculated escalation by Pakistan-backed jihadist forces. The timing—during Vice President JD Vance’s visit to India—recalls dark chapters like the Chattisinghpora Massacre. We will not be silent witnesses to history repeating itself.”

• Ashish Agrawal (DISHA USA) issued a rallying cry for civic action: “Voting is not just our right— it is our shield. It is our answer to

those who believe Hindus will suffer silently. Every ballot cast is a voice raised for the voiceless.”

See Photo on Page 3

SNC Grand Opening & Vaisakhi Mela

Sikh National Center (SNC) Managing Committee. Indo-American News will publish full coverage of SNC’s Grand Opening and Vaisakhi Khed Mela on Saturday, April 26. It was a day filled with blissful kirtan, a lively khed mela, and plenty of free food stalls serving delicious food.

Indo-American News • Friday, may 2, 2025 • www.indoamerican-news

COMMUNITY COMMUNITY

May 2, 2025

Another Grand Vaisakhi Mela Brings the House Down!

5

Emcee Jyoti Sharma brought charm and India’s Consul General DC Manjunath with Jyoti Sharma and main coordinator Jasmeeta Singh’s mother Davinder Kaur came from Michigan and performed a song. energy from Canada.

Jasmeeta Singh.

Stafford: Riding on the heels of two years of successful and widely attended events, this year’s Grand Vaisakhi Mela was much anticipated by the local community, especially since the same team – the Punjabi Cultural Society of Greater Houston - brought it together this past Saturday, April 19, with the energetic Jasmeeta Singh once again at the helm. Making it even more prominent was that it was held at the Stafford Centre auditorium which can hold 1200 people, and the hall was at capacity.

There were incredible performances from 264 talented participant artists from across Texas, including the Houston Bhangra Academy and nine Houston area desi dance schools. Besides the Punjabi songs, bhangra, gidha and folk songs, there was a fashion show featuring a wedding celebration coordinated by Jasmeeta

Singh and Zakia Qadri. There was even a turban tying competition, to everyone’s delight!

Particularly noteworthy were Jyoti Sharma, who traveled from Canada to emcee the show, bringing her charm and energy to the stage, and Jasmeeta’s mom, Davinder Kaur, who came from Michigan to participate with a song.

In the lobby areas there were 10 creatively decorated booths offering a shopping experience for everyone. Snacks for sale were available from Mahesh’s Kitchen with both owners Shubhangi Musale and Neelesh Musale present.

A raffle was held featuring chef tasting for two at Musaafer Restaurant; high tea for two at Kiran’s restaurant; dinner for $150 at Aling’s Bistro; a special 2 porcelain chai tea set from Simran Patel, and raffles from the booths, which was a hit.

One chief guest Dass Atma Singh, Executive Director of Sikhnet.com, received an award for his unwavering commitment to the Sikh community.

Other Chief Guests for the event were Consul General of India DC Manjunath; Mayor of Stafford Ken Mathew; Mayor of Missouri City Robin Elackatt; Judge Manpreet Monica Singh, of Harris County Civil Court #4 and Judge Juli Mathew of Ft Bend County Court #3.

Pulling off the successful event to run smoothly took the efforts of dedicated directors and volunteers like CJ Kindra for the booths; Gurmeet Ki dra and Jasleen Kaur for the PSGH booth and backstage direction; Harmeet Singh, Ekta Singh, Harshdeep Lamba, Ishleen Gulati, Akash Singh (Music DJ) and Gurpreet Bhusri for taking care of the bands; Gaganpreet and

Kavanpreet for taking care of the tickets; Gautam Swami for taking care of the raffle; Sukhpreet Kaur, Pinder Gill and Jasmeeta’s son Japraj Singh. Two special people, Dalvir Boparai and Vani Jain showed extreme dedication to managing the event.

Decor was by Creating memories with Tanvir and Simranjit.

Photography was by Kirubha Sankari Kittusamy of KRPA Photography; videography was by Chaya Studio and radio promotion was

by Music Masala radio 98.7 FM; Indo American News Radio and 103.3 FM. Grand Vaisakhi Mela 2025 Sponsors Platinum: Gurminder Singh Padda; Inderjit Kaur; Bobby & Jasmeeta Singh; Harindar Singh & Jasleen Kaur; Aman Singh Sidhu & wife; Dr. Ruhi Soni & Samit Soni; Daswandh Network.

Indo American News Founder: Dr. K.L. Sindwani Publisher: Jawahar Malhotra Editor: Pramod Kulkarni Correspondent: Sanchali Basu

®All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the written consent of the publisher. Deadline for advertising and articles is 4 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 212, Houston, Texas 77036.Tel:713-789-6397, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website:

Indo-American News • Friday, may 2, 2025 • www.indoamerican-news.com

Diamond: Dr. Harman Buttar & Dr. Jaswant Pandher; Dr. Ann & Kenny Friedman; Jasmeet Buttar Gold: Sony & Simmi Kohli; Dr. Winnie & Aku Bedi; Sabir F. of Fs Group; Sandip Bisla; Daljit Singh & Sukhpreet Kaur; Satyajit Kar & wife; Preetam Singh Toor & wife.

Silver: Jasmeet & Raman Johar; Parul Fernandes; Bombay Sweets; Kulwant Singh Paul & Manmeet Likhari; Gurmeet & Ruppy Kindra; South Asian American Real Estate Association; Sheetal Bedi; Harcharan Singh & wife; Soodan Family; Bakshish Josan & wife; AJ Murjani; Tandoori Twist; Preeti & Mandeep Singh; Romi Singh & Dr. Rajpeet Kaur; Amrit Singh & Kulvinder Kaur.

Bronze: Hasu Patel; Ajit Singh Kwatra & wife; Harjit & Seema Galhotra; Dr. Sewa & Kuldip Legha; Jia Dhaliwal.

See Photo Collage on P6-7

6

May 2, 2025

Indo-American News • Friday, may 2, 2025 • www.indoamerican-news

May 2, 2025

Indo-American News • Friday, may 2, 2025 • www.indoamerican-news.com

7

8 May 2, 2025 COMMUNITY YLDP 2025: The Impact of Leadership on Me and My Community

By Rajiv Gyawali Leadership has been an age-old virtue that is regarded with high standards of smiles because it comes with bravery, teamwork, risk, perseverance, etc., that develops an inner fire to drive with purpose, and great leaders become pillars for the community and society to grow as well. This is what I witnessed from the sessions in YLDP (Youth Leadership Development Program) and the pages of the Harvard Business Review (HBR) book On Leadership. With numerous guest speakers I had an opportunity to meet and connect with, I got to see that they were visionary and strong in their ethi-

cal bases, and they displayed leadership in fine manners throughout their presence and the tone they set for the room. I had the privilege of being in programs including visit to Harris County Civil Courthouse, Judge Monica Singh, Brian Greene President/CEO of the Houston Food Bank, Dr Hardeep Singh speech, the life story of Bob Patel, financial literacy from the representatives of Bank of America, and many more. This sets out the branches leadership has to accommodate, with values like ethics, volunteering, inspiration, financial understanding, etc. at the core.

One of the most memorable topics about leadership that I received was the elevator pitch lessons,

which helped me develop my resume, work on my interpersonal skills, look for opportunities, and learn to present a development of personality and skills in an engaging manner professionally under a minute. Studying through the HBR book, I realized that exploring the nuances and complexities of this subject matter of leadership was tricky, but valuable. An important lesson that is reiterated many times in the book is for a leader to overcome vulnerabilities from within while showing them outside in a controlled way as well, to make the team comfortable and connectable, which is covered under emotional intelligence. Important blocks like self-awareness, trust, and fostering a culture of open communication

and continuous learning are kept at the forefront to achieve effective leadership really quick, as discussed in the book.

The impact of leadership seen in communities comes in different forms, such as improved organizational performance, employee well-being, and productivity

boosts that are important to leverage. I too hold a desire to be able to utilize my personal growth in leadership to contribute towards the society and economy’s innovations and well-being with technological advancements in AI and moral values like righteousness that need to revive, with a smile.

For Advertising in Indo-American News, call Jawahar Malhotra @

713-789-6397

IACT Hosts Meet and Greet for Sugar Land, Fort Bend Candidates

On Tuesday, April 22, Indo-American Conservatives of Texas (I-ACT) hosted a Meet and Greet event for Sugar Land City Council and mayoral candidates and Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees, with the community at Indian Summer Restaurant in Sugar Land. More than 100 people attended the event. The evening began with a solemn moment of silence in memory of the innocent lives lost in the recent terrorist attack in Kashmir, India. Subsequently, candidates delivered campaign speeches and engaged in direct interaction with the attendees. All the 27 candidates in various races were invited and 19 candidates attended the event. IACT does not endorse any candidate in the primaries and in non-partisan races like city council and school boards, according to IACT President Bijay Dixit. In the picture above are IACT’s event hosts and candidates.

Indo-American News • Friday, may 2, 2025 • www.indoamerican-news

May 2, 2025

Residential & Commercial Your Realtor for Home Buying and Quick Sell

Call us for Commercial Construction 832-776-6662 / 832-488-5511 BRIGHTSTAR CONSTRUCTION

Indo-American News • Friday, may 2, 2025 • www.indoamerican-news.com

9

10 May 2, 2025

CULTURE

2025 Puranava Festival: Thousands Celebrate India’s Diverse Arts

Attendees pulling Chariot

Pearland: The 7th Annual Puranava India Art & Culture Fest organized by Houston chapter of Global Organization for Divinity (G.O.D.), was held on Saturday April 19, 2025 at the Pearland Town Center. It attracted a moving crowd of about 2000 attendees of all cultural backgrounds from around the Greater Houston area and other nearby cities, through the entire day. The event was supported by a City of Pearland cultural arts grant through Visit Pearland.

Several dignitaries attended the event including the Honorable Mayor of City of Pearland Mr. Kevin Cole, the Honorable Mayor of City of Manvel Mr. Dan Davis, Mr. Prashant K. Sona HOC Consul for Culture & Commerce and Ms. Anju Mallik Consul for Community Affairs from Consulate General of India Houston, Executive Director Ms. Tracy Rohrbacher and Arts Administrator Ms. Sara Peters from Visit Pearland, Ms. Ranjana Narasimhan Community Leader and Board Member of Meenakshi Temple Society, Ms. Probha Saikia and Mr. Kalyan Saikia, community leaders from the Houston Assamese community, and many others. All the special guests had words of praise for the Puranava Culture Fest and community service of Global Organization for Divinity. Mayor of Manvel also presented a commemorative proclamation for Puranava to G.O.D. The vibrant festival brought India together by showcasing performing arts from different regions of India presented by numerous cultural groups from the Greater Houston Area. The performances were presented both on stage as well as in the form of street performances during a lovely Chariot Fest when a divine chariot was pulled around the pavilion by attendees. Apart from the classical dances of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi from south India, Odissi from Odisha, and Kathak from north India, there were also nu-

merous folk dance performances this year. These included two Assamese Bihu performances, Gujarati Garbha, Kerala Thiruvathira, Rajasthani Ghoomar, Marathi Mangala-Gauri, Bengali Baul, Karnataka Kamsale, and Tamil Nadu’s Poi-Kaal Kudhirai and Valli Kummi. Additionally, there were also three different folk percussion performances – Parai from Tamil Nadu, Chendamelam from Kerala and Dhol Tasha & Lezim from Maharashtra. A unique performance was also SIlambattam martial art from Tamil Nadu. In between the street performances in front of the divine chariot, the chariot was pulled around the pavilion by attendees, to the chanting of the Mahamantra.

The fest also featured a special Kids Zone where children could make and take special art and crafts, learn about how the solar cycle impacts our daily routines, build temple gopurams with legos, play traditional Indian games, taste Indian candy, win raffle prizes, play in a bouncehouse, and more.

G.O.D. volunteers also offered lovely henna art and a free Photo Booth where attendees could take pictures with Indian accessories against an Indian backdrop.

During the first half of the event, about 200 children of all ages participated in youth competitions in Chess, Art, Written Quiz, Classical Music, Classical Dance, and Ethnic Costumes that were conducted from morning through the afternoon and presided over by expert judges from around the Houston area. A Puranava Harikatha contest was also conducted at Sri Aishwarya Srinivasa Perumal Temple a week earlier. Awards for all the competitions were distributed that afternoon by the chief guests.

All day long, the festival had vendors selling ethnic clothes, accessories, beautiful handicrafts, artwork, financial and educational services, Indian mattresses, facepainting and more. Delicious In-

dian vegetarian street food including south and north-Indian dishes including fresh dosa, batura, and chaat made onsite, juices including fresh sugarcane juice, and cotton candy and popcorn, was procured, prepared and served by G.O.D.’s entirely volunteer-run ‘Kicha’s Kitchen’ and was a huge

hit with the attendees. As part of the organization’s annual giving program, Love to Share Foundation America conducted two drives benefiting two local nonprofit organizations - a pet supplies drive supporting Sunnyside Street Dogs and a gift card and blankets drive supporting Sanctuary Foster Care.

For more information, please visit our Facebook pages - GOD Houston, Sri Aishwarya Srinivasa Perumal Hindu Temple, Love to Share Foundation America, Puranava 2025 event page, and our websites - www.puranava-usa. org, www.asptemple.org, www. lovetosharefoundation.org

Remembering Architect of India’s Cosmic Leap: Former Head of ISRO Dr. Krishna Kasturirangan

By Dr. Kamlesh Lulla NASA Houston Houston: On April 25, 2025, India lost one of her most illustrious visionary space scientists, science leader, education reformer and space diplomat: Dr Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan who died in Bengaluru at age 84.

Dr Kasturirangan served as the head of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for almost ten years from Dr Kasturirangan worked closely with Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Photo courtesy 1994-2003.

He became one of the chief of The Hindu architects of India’s cosmic leap by growing ISRO’s satel- the cosmos. Above all, I remem- a small delegation from ISRO to lite systems, launch vehicles and ber him as a space diplomat who discuss collaborations with NASA ground capabilities and developing skillfully worked with NASA and and other aerospace entities.

I had an opportunity to discuss the nation’s aerospace workforce. other space agencies to make India Dr Kasturirangan’s leadership an international partner in many my remote sensing research onboard the Space Shuttle missions was vital in ISRO achieving sig- space endeavors. nificant milestones. His vision for Dr Kasturirangan was a mem- with him. His interest in innovaIndia’s eyes in space resulted in the ber of Rajya Sabha when he heard tive sensing technologies was evilaunch of several satellites focused about the Space Shuttle Columbia dent as he listened intently.

Some years later, at the resion remote sensing, Earth Observa- accident. I was told that he immetions, Tele-Communications and diately paid respects to Kalpana dence of Consul General of India developing regional remote sens- Chawla by visiting her family in Houston, I was privileged to meet ing centers.

Delhi. He also helped rename an Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

I presented a copy of my co-edHe was instrumental in develop- Indian weather satellite in Kalpaited book “Wings In Orbit” about ment of launch vehicles that suc- na’s honor. cessfully put India on the global I was fortunate to meet Dr Kas- the research on Space Shuttle launch capabilities map. Reports turirangan several times at confer- missions to Dr Kalam. Dr Kalam indicate that Chandrayaan-1 mis- ences but my meeting with him at mentioned ISRO’s progress under sion was conceived under his the residence of Consul General of several leaders including major watch.

India in Houston was most note- contributions from Dr Kasturirangan.

Dr Kasturirangan was one of worthy. the pioneers of India’s leap into Dr. Kasturirangan was leading

Indo-American News • Friday, may 2, 2025 • www.indoamerican-news

ENTERTAINMENT

May 2, 2025

‘Jewel Thief: The Heist’: A Slick Thriller

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

By Dhaval Roy Story: A notorious crime lord and master jewel thief attempt to steal the world’s most elusive African diamond, the Red Sun. However, the perfectly-planned heist spirals out of control, as loyalties shift and a dangerous web of deception and betrayal turns the high-stakes mission into a deadly game.

Review: Jewel Thief follows a conman, Rehan Roy (Saif Ali Khan), trying to steal one of the rarest diamonds when a dreaded criminal, Rajan Aulakh (Jaideep Ahlawat), threatens to go after the former’s family. But Rehan has other plans when he falls for Rajan’s wife, Farah (Nikita Dutta).

Directors Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal deliver a fastpaced entertainer with stylish production and edge-of-the-seat thrills in this high-stakes drama.

The film checks all the boxes of a classic heist caper, but ramps up the excitement as it evolves into a tense game of double-crossing.

Rehan not only uses his wits to steal the diamond from one of the world’s most secure museums, but must also outsmart Rajan—an unflinching crime lord who doesn’t hesitate to eliminate even his most loyal henchmen—raising the stakes and intensifying the thrill.

To add to this, Rehan is being chased by a team of cops led by Vikram Patel (Kunal Kapoor).

The potboiler leans on familiar tropes—breaking into an impenetrable vault, a hapless love interest, and an estranged family dynamic. It also leaves a few narrative threads unresolved. The hinted history between Rajan and the shadowy overlord Moosa (Dorendra Singh Loitongbam) is touched upon but never fleshed out. Likewise, Rehan’s aide Nikki Taneja (Meenal Sahu) appears only to assist him, with no backstory or context to ground her presence in the plot. That said, the clash between force and wit—and outsmarting those standing in the way—keeps things engaging.

Sequences of rehearsing for the

11

Send us the correct answer before May 6, 2025. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Please send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published.

Solution Next Week

heist and the drama in the sky are created with finesse. The film has its share of loopholes, and some plot points feel convenient and unconvincing—a much-soughtafter conman like Rehan being pursued by two bumbling cops, for instance. Still, the plot maintains a brisk pace, and Jishnu Bhattacharjee’s cinematography lends it a high-gloss look.

Saif Ali Khan steals the show as the slick con artist, nailing every nuance—from sleight-of-hand tricks and high-octane action to emotionally charged scenes with his estranged father, Dr. Jayant Roy (Kulbhushan Kharbanda).

Jaideep Ahlawat is pitch-perfect as the menacing villain, managing to send chills down the spine even in moments of silence. The supporting cast — including Kunal Kapoor as cop Vikram Patel and Nikita Dutta as Rajan’s wife — holds its own.

A crisp heist caper with standout performances and high-stakes

drama, Jewel Thief makes for an entertaining watch. Its slick execution, tense confrontations, and twists, anchored by the charismatic conman, will keep you hooked throughout. -- ToI

‘Phule’: A Stirring Biopic

Last Week’s Solution

This biographical drama traces the inspiring journey of Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule, a visionary couple who spearheaded transformative social reforms during British-ruled India.

Pratik Gandhi delivers an internalized and compelling performance as Jyotiba Phule. Patralekhaa’s portrayal of Savitribai is immersive and powerful.

Recent Winners

Kumud Athavale, Krishna R. Vuddagiri, Sanchali Basu, Prabha Barvalia, Ramana Vadrevu, Yudhveer Bagga,, Jawahar Khandheria, Sahiti Palle, Prabhu Narumanchi, Arup Gupta, Lorena Galvan, Naveen Garg, Mohit Mittal

Indo-American News • Friday, may 2, 2025 • www.indoamerican-news.com

12 May 2, 2025

American Completion Tools at OTC Houston: American Completion Tools was founded 15 years ago by Mr Prabhat Kumar, Chairman. Over the years, ACT has consolidated itself as a major manufacturer of oilfield equipment with 8 API licenses.

Mr. TJ Sinha is VP of sales. TJ graduated in mechanical engineering and MBA from Thunderbird, global school of international management (Arizona state University). TJ worked with WOM, American Block manufacturing and build them up worldwide. During this period, American Block received The Jess Jones award for export excellence. In his previous stint with American Completion Tools, they received the Pesident’s E export award from the US Department of Commerce.

American Completion Tools (part of the Parveen group of India) is one of the oldest manufacturer of all field equipment. American Completion Tools now manufactures in Texas, Düsseldorf, and India. Worldwide stock and sales is handled in Houston, with stocking points in Dubai, Nisku, Jakarta Some of the major clients include Weatherford, Baker Hughes, and Schlumberger.

American Completion Tools will be displaying their full product line, which includes flow line, completion, equipment, and custom fabrication. at the 2025 OTC oil show on May 6-9. Visit Boorh 3732.

Mr. Prabhat Kumar, Director of American Completion Tools has been a pioneer in the oil patch, including marketing strategy, new product development with the team of professionals, who have joined the group, enhancing the ultimate of the company with increased market share.

Speaking to a major Libyan-American conference, TJ expressed optimism for entering non traditional markets securing order with a major oil company for 39 wellheads.

American Completion Tools has the added advantage of having our own captive forging plant in India so does not depend on outside facilities and has full control on quality and delivery The recent delivery of wellheads was manufactured in Burleson,Texas except the forging, thus pushing the Made in USA vision.

In today’s complex market, ACT is establishing a brand image worldwide with the 250 different products it manufactures.

Some of the major clients using our products include Schlumberger, Baker Hughes, Oxy, Sonatrach, Drillmec (Italy) Pemex,Expro ,Weatherford etc.

The key employees of ACT are well conversant in the domestic and international markets with many years of oil patch experience. This translates into better customer relationship and multiculltural awareness for smooth transactions.

Indo-American News • Friday, may 2, 2025 • www.indoamerican-news