Indo-American News December 31 2021

Friday, December 31, 2021 | Vol. 40, No. 52

Indo American News

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December 31, 2021

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Good Riddance 2021, Happy 2022!

Rewinding 2021

Newsmakers of 2021: Aryan, Raj Kundra, Bennifer, Free Britney. Here’s a quick recap of our entertainment newsmakers list, which raised the most eyebrows, both nationally and internationally.

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ENTERTAINMENT

December 31, 2021

2021 Newsmakers: Aryan Khan, Raj Kundra, Squid Game, Bennifer

By Anvita Singh

This year was not the biggest year with respect to movies. In fact, as far as the Indian film industry is concerned, 2021 was marked by controversies, arrests and all kinds of legal tussles. These, unfortunately, made more noise than actual film releases (when they did happen). Here’s a quick recap of our entertainment newsmakers list, which raised the most eyebrows, both nationally and internationally. Please note that the list is in no particular order.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 3 in an alleged drug bust case. NCB claimed that it had found evidence against Aryan along with his two other friends (Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha) that linked them to international drug trafficking, even though Aryan personally was not found in possession of any banned drugs. The bail was finally granted to Aryan on October 28. However, the bail formalities took a bit longer to complete and he was released on October 30, much to the relief of his parents and SRK’s fans. But while he was arrested, things got ugly on social media as they do when such a big name gets involved in anything remotely controversial. Despite heavy mudslinging, there were SRK loyalists who stood by him in this trying time, including close friends like Salman Khan, Suniel Shetty, Hrithik Roshan, Juhi Chawla among others.

While Aryan was biding his time in Arthur Road Jail, actor Ananya Panday was also quizzed by the NCB in connection to the case.

The NCB knocked on Panday’s door after it said it found relevant conversation between Khan and her via WhatsApp. Actor Shilpa Shetty’s husband and businessman Raj Kundra was arrested on July 19 after a five month-long investigation into the case. The police arrested Kundra based on an FIR against him that was filed in February. The police said that Kundra was allegedly involved in the creation and distribution of pornographic content via various OTT platforms. Meanwhile, Shilpa denied knowing anything of the matter during the investigation. Finally, on September 20, Kundra was granted bail.

The matter is still subjudice.

Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui on January 1 was arrested for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Hindu people via his show. The complaint was filed against the comedian by Eklavya Singh, the son of a BJP MLA. Munawar, along with four others, was also accused of holding a show by ignoring all Covid protocols.

Meanwhile, Munawar’s lawyer said that the case against him is vague and has only been filed due to political pressure. Faruqui was

finally granted bail on February 5, and released on Feb 6, more than a month after spending time in jail. The Supreme Court cited the FIR to be vague as it granted interim bail to the artiste.

One of the highly anticipated web series of the year was the Saif Ali Khan-led Amazon Prime show Tandav, helmed by popular director Ali Abbas Zafar.

Right from its release on January 15, Tandav immediately caught everyone’s attention after it made some creative choices in the show.

First, the trolling happened online, then things quickly gathered momentum and the first FIR was filed against the makers by BJP MLA Ram Kadam for hurting ‘religious sentiments.’ Post this, an FIR in Lucknow was filed for portraying Hindu deities in an unsavoury light, and the show was also targeted for ‘spreading communal tension.’Abbas Zafar released two statements, first consisted of an apology, and the second confirmed that he had decided ‘to implement changes’ in order to avoid upsetting anybody unintentionally. Meanwhile, multiple FIRs continued to be registered against the team in Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, calling for a complete ban on the show.

This year, some of the most adored celebrity couples decided to call it quits and find their own independent paths whilst promising friendship with each other.

First, Aamir Khan and former wife Kiran Rao shared a joint statement about their separation and said, “In these 15 beautiful years together we have shared a lifetime of experiences, joy and laughter, and our relationship has only grown in trust, respect and love. Now we would like to begin a new chapter in our lives – no longer as husband and wife, but as co-parents and family for each other. We began a planned separation some time ago, and now feel comfortable to formalise this arrangement, of living separately yet sharing our lives the way an extended family does.”

The pair continue to work together in a professional capacity. The news was shared in July.

On the other hand, popular couple Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya also shared with their fans in October that they are no longer together. The former couple had tied the knot in 2017.

Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani-fronted PVC Vikram Batra’s biopic Shershaah, although released on OTT platform Amazon Prime Video, found immense love and success from not only fans, but industry insiders as well. The film, bankrolled by Karan Johar and

directed by Vishnuvardhan, was applauded for its subtle approach to patriotism as it presented the story of the late decorated army officer. From Kangana Ranaut to Kamal Haasan, everyone rushed to celebrate the movie and laud it for its narrative, even as Sidharth Malhotra was hailed as one of the best actors of the year in Bollywood. Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi emerged as the first de facto hits at the box office in 2021.

This year, we also got a new star in the shape of The White Tiger actor Adarsh Gourav. Adarsh was seen in the lead role of the Netflix movie, which happened to be his debut movie role that not only earned him a BAFTA nomination, but also catapulted him to rightful stardom. Adarsh is now slated to work alongside Hollywood legend Meryl Streep in a new project, the drama series Extrapolations.

And talking about home-grown success, one cannot forget the thoughtful, well-made and necessary viewing that Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen turned out to be. Helmed by Jeo Baby, the film won great plaudits for its portrayal of gender dynamics in a new marriage and the entrenched patriarchy in our society that follows women everywhere. The film starred the talented duo of Nimisha Sajayan and Suraj Venjaramoodu.

Earlier this year, the papers and websites were splashed with one piece of news only, THAT Meghan Markle and Prince Harry interview conducted by television queen Oprah Winfrey. ‘Revelations’ were made, tears were shed and mouths were left agape.

Harry stated on record that he felt ‘trapped’ in the royal household, while Meghan confessed she had contemplated suicide. Universal issues regarding mental health and racism were debated post the massively watched interview.

American pop queen Britney Spears in November finally got free in the real sense of the term as her over 13-year conservatorship got dissolved by a Los Angeles judge. The conservatorship controlled Spears’ life and monetary situation for almost 14 long years. It came into place when Britney was only 26 and had become a new mother. Controlled by her father James Spears, the legal

binding was enforced post Britney’s very public mental health battles.

Fans rejoiced as Britney thanked the almighty after the landmark announcement via her social media.

She is now happily engaged to be married as her sons enjoy their teenage years.

South Korean show Squid Game and Spanish-language show Money Heist were all people could talk about once the shows released on Netflix. While Squid Game’s bizarre scenario of playing childhood games with high stakes baffled the audience, the final season of Money Heist could not have been more hotly anticipated by its loyal and ever-growing fan base. And now, makers have revealed that a second season of Squid Game is being created. More to love and watch!

Shang-Chi and The Legend of Ten Rings, Spider-Man No Way Home’s box office collection and the internet love they have been swarmed with are proof that Marvel Studios has not completely lost their mojo. Although a Marvel fatigue has definitely set in, more so after the conclusion of Marvel Phase 3. The company is struggling to find its footing with fans as they release (largely average) shows. But latest Spider-Man flick did turn around things a bit. At the time of writing this, No Way Home had reached the milestone of Rs 120 crore within five days of its release in the Indian market.

Now that is a telling indication of what lies ahead!

Kim K filed a divorce from West in February this year after seven years of marriage. However, even after the news came out in the media, West, who recently changed his name to Ye, insisted during a podcast on Drink Champs that the pair is still married and Kim is still his wife. “Aint no paperwork,” the rapper-singer stated during the interview in November. But what probably made the most headlines was when Kim turned up in a bridal gown at West’s Donda event. This was months after the separation of the couple was confirmed in the press. As of now, Kim is reportedly dating SNL comedian Pete Davidson and has been snapped multiple times with him.

Even as the world became obsessed by South Korean entertainment and Kim K dominated headlines, there were other happenings that managed to shake up the readers. First was when acclaimed and controversial comedian Dave Chapelle was under fire for the objectionable jokes he made against the trans community.

Indo-American News • Friday, december 31, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

Similarly, back home, comedian Vir Das was asked to apologise after his jokes set around the trans people quickly caught heat online.

While Vir asked for forgiveness for the ‘uninformed’ nature of the joke, Chapelle does not believe he should be cancelled. He just said that he won’t do jokes on the trans community again, elaborating further that he is ‘more than willing’ to communicate on issues that upset them, but he ‘will not be summoned.’

Even as everybody was grappling with what had been happening in the entertainment industry, two tragedies shook it in succession — actor Alec Baldwin’s accidental shootout that killed Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, and the Astroworld stampede that killed at least eight people at the music festival held in Houston in early November. In Baldwin’s case, a prop gun had real bullets, which resulted in killing Hutchins.

Post the unfortunate incident, Hollywood vowed to ensure a safer working set for its crew. Meanwhile, Astroworld, a music festival created and headlined by rapper Travis Scott, became the epicentre of the fatality that occurred when fans rushed towards the musician’s stage. There were at least 50,000 people present in the audience.

Scott and his company has since then been blamed for the incident, insisting that the rapper’s chaotic style of holding a concert and encouraging fans to interact and rush towards the stage is a contributory factor. Scott denied that his history of doing so had any direct impact on the Astroworld happening in an interview with TV personality Charlamagne Tha God. Remember the noughties, and everyone’s fascination with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s relationship? It is like reliving the past. That time has come again.

First, the paparazzi caught the lovebirds spending quality time at various locations. Later, J Lo herself confirmed that they are back on, after 17 years no less, via an Instagram post on her birthday.

The confirmation — a picture of the two stars sharing a passionate kiss as Lopez turned 52. People still cannot seem to get enough of them together.

And then there was that blessed, bittersweet Friends reunion that saw the main ensemble cast of the American comedy series get together in one place after almost two decades of being apart.

While the two-hour special felt a bit much at times, thanks primarily to host James Corden’s presence, fans celebrated seeing their favourite characters together once again. It was like being invited back to Central Perk to share a cuppa with Joey, Ross, Chandler, Rachel, Phoebe and Monica once more. And most likely, for the last time. But hey, Never say never, right? -- Indian Express

IMMIGRATION

December 31, 2021

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Pathway for Green Card Could be Faster, Simpler for Some Categories Richmond: Thousands of Indians in the US are waiting on green card (permanent residence) queues for many years. While the journey from a H-1B work permit or a F-1 student visa to a green card is usually a long and arduous one for many Indian professionals; there are some categories for which the pathway to permanent residence in America is much faster and simpler.

Most H-1B visa holders in the US, who are waiting for green cards, are eligible for immigrant visas under the employment-based, second preference (EB-2) or employment-based, third preference (EB-3) categories. In fact, while the most popular route for Indians is the EB-3 for skilled workers, professionals, and certain unskilled workers, this is also the immigrant visa category with the longest queue for Indians – with the US authorities currently processing applications submitted in 2012. But there are some alternative pathways to a green card that are not so long and uncertain.

“Indians who have significant professional achievements, received recognition or are at the top of their field of work, among other

things, could qualify for an EB1A green card that is granted to those with extraordinary abilities in science, art, education, business, or athletics,” explains Poorvi Chothani , managing partner of LawQuest, an immigration law firm with offices in India and the US. The employment based EB1A is one of the fastest pathways to getting a green card.

“An alien of extraordinary ability, or EB-1A, classification applies to those who have distinguished themselves professionally in their fields of work or study. Notably, these employment-based, firstpreference visa candidates do not have to secure sponsorship from an employer, as an EB-1A petition requires neither a job offer nor a labour certification,” says Naresh Gehi, an Indian American lawyer who specialises in immigration. For an EB-1B visa, which

also provides a fast track, both the petitioning employer and the alien beneficiary must work together to present information that will prove the overarching claim of the petition - that the applicant is an outstanding member of and contributor to his or her respective field as either a researcher or professor. Since the employer is the petitioner in EB1B cases, it is paramount that the alien beneficiary and his or her attorney have the full support of the employer throughout the process.

For both the categories of EB1A and EB-1B, labour certification - which is essential for most other employment-based categories - is not required. The criterion at the heart of each petition is demonstrating one’s extensive achievements and abilities. “Supporting documentation that serves to demonstrate achievements and abilities of petitioners is essentially the same. Both EB-1A and EB-1B petitions typically include application material such as letters of recommendation and track records of publishing and reviewing the work of other professionals,” says Gehi.

After fulfilling the basic criteria,

prospective EB-1B beneficiaries must additionally satisfy at least two of six requirements including evidence of receipt of major prizes or awards for outstanding achievement; evidence of membership in associations that require their members to demonstrate outstanding achievements; evidence of published material in professional publications written by others about the applicant’s work; evidence of participation, either on a panel or individually,

as a judge of the work of others in the same or in an allied academic field; evidence of original scientific or scholarly contributions in the field and evidence of authorship of scholarly books or articles in academic or scholarly journals with international circulation.

In the absence of such a rare honour, however, applicants can still demonstrate their extraordinary abilities, supported by extensive documentation.

-- Times of India

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HEALTH

December 31, 2021

India Approves Texas’ Low-Cost Vaccine

Houston: India’s government has approved emergency use of a low-cost vaccine developed in Texas.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Peter Hotez - dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine - shared the news of his new vaccine being approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).

Hotez, along with Baylor professor Maria Elena Bottazzi, developed the vaccine called Corbevax at the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development (CVD), where they are co-directors.

Corbevax, dubbed as “The World’s COVID-19 Vaccine”, uses a traditional recombinant proteinbased technology that enables its production at larger scales, making it widely accessible for the global population.

The new vaccine was licensed through the Baylor College of Medicine to one of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers, Biological E. “This announcement is an important first step in vaccinating the world and halting the pandemic.

Our vaccine technology offers a path to address an unfolding humanitarian crisis, namely the vulnerability the low- and middle-income countries face against the delta variant,” Hotez said in a statement.

Hotez added that the Texas Children’s center does not plan to make a profit on the new vaccine, calling it “a gift to the world,” noting that the center will transfer the vaccine to producers in India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Botswana.

“This was an effort of a team of 20+ scientists @TexasChildrens @ BCM_TropMed co-led by me and

The low-caost vaccine has been developed at the Texas Children’s Hospital by Dr. Peter Hotez and Baylor Professor Maria Elena Bottazzi and will be produced by the Indian vaccine manufacturer Biological E.

my brilliant science partner for the last 20 years @mebottazzi,” Hotez said in a tweet.

This comes as most of the world is currently dealing with a winter surge of COVID-19 infections due to the highly transmissible omicron variant.

In a statement, Biological E. said it plans to manufacture 75 million doses a month, anticipating more

than 100 million doses per month

by February 2022.

Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke (D) praised the news on Twitter Tuesday.

“Congratulations to @PeterHotez and his team at Texas Children’s Hospital. They’ve developed an affordable Covid vaccine that will save lives in low income countries. Making Texas proud!”

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December 31, 2021

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6 December 31, 2021 COMMUNITY Masterchef Christine Ha Inspires Pratham Luncheon Audience Houston: An afternoon of storytelling by a blind chef and restaurateur brought smiles and inspiration to a Houston crowd at the end of a difficult year around the world.

The Indian-American community came together on December 9, 2021, at the Pratham Houston luncheon to celebrate resilience and learning for children in India.

The highlight of the afternoon was a conversation with Christine Ha, the blind cook who won season 3 of ‘MasterChef.’

In a conversation with Pratham Houston board member, Ananya Sarkar, Christine Ha inspired audiences with a personal account of her journey as a visually impaired chef. Ha’s words resonated with the audience and connected with the mission of Pratham. She said, “I want to thank Pratham USA for inviting me here today for such a noble cause. My parents came to the US from Vietnam in 1975, right around the time of the fall of Saigon, to make a better life for themselves and their unborn daughter. Growing up in the US, I was taught the importance of education and its generational impact.

Pratham’s work gives underprivileged children the opportunity to receive a quality education and make a better life for themselves.”

Ha’s first cookbook, Recipes from My Home Kitchen, was a New York Times best-seller.

Ha’s first restaurant in Houston, The Blind Goat, was named a semi-finalist for 2019 Best New Restaurant in America by the James Beard Foundation. Her second restaurant, Xin Chào, opened in September 2020.

Pratham Houston chapter Board of Directors with Pratham USA CEO and Global Executive Manisha Bharti (seated on far right) at the Pratham Houston 2021 Luncheon on December 9th. Photo Credit: Catty Visions Photography

The theme of the afternoon focused on resilience and learning.

Across India, the impact of the pandemic on education will be felt for many years. Lack of access to digital learning heightened disparities that already existed - particularly for girls and children in rural and under-served communities.

When schools shut down in 2020, Pratham was uniquely positioned to step up and provide support to children with effective, daily remote learning opportunities. As

schools reopen in India, many children will return to the classroom without the necessary fundamental skills - or they may not be able to return at all. Pratham teams are ensuring children continue to learn by leveraging technology, creating educational content and engaging with communities.

Dhiren Shethia, President of Pratham Houston, said “The devastating effects of the pandemic on education will likely be felt by children from low-income

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families in India for many years.

These children and their families do not have any safety net or educational resources, and rely on organizations like Pratham for support. The Pratham Houston 2021 Luncheon brought the Houston community together to renew our commitment to India’s children. It was an honor to have Christine Ha share what Pratham’s cause means to her at our event this year. Her speech resonated with many in the audience, who are passionate about giving children an opportunity to learn. We are so delighted that funds raised from this event will support learning for over 4,000 children in India.”

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December 31, 2021

Help: “Every Daughter Needs a Father”

Houston: First Cancer, then COVID-19 & now Cancer again! Even after all this, Manish plans to start a charity for fellow cancer patients…

However, this can happen only if life gives him a second chance.

After countless chemos, painful visits to the hospital, lonely battles away from his dear family, he continues to give it his all, only for his little angel at home waiting for her superhero dad to return healthy. While doctors say time is the biggest enemy in this disease, Manish waits for a miracle to receive the pioneering CAR T-Cell Therapy.

He has reached MD Anderson where this therapy was pioneered. However, as an International patient who has trav-

eled from India with no available insurance cover in the US, he is expected to cover significant costs that may exceed USD 825,000. He

needs your support to receive this breakthrough therapy.

Time is running out - he had to be admitted into emergency last week as the tumor has been increasing rapidly in the last few weeks. This father needs you now more than ever. Will you not help?

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SCIENCE

December 31, 2021

Touch of India in NASA’s Webb Telescope

Houston: The Indian hand was not missed before Nasa’s $10bn James Webb Space Telescope, the world’s largest and most powerful, sped away into the sky on an Ariane 5 rocket from the European spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana on Saturday.

Nasa chose India among seven countries for a pre-launch briefing three days ago on its website about the mission—the quest to behold light from stars and galaxies and scour the universe for hints of life.

Lucknow-born Hashima Hasan, Nasa’s JWST programme scientist, represented India. Before the precious cargo rocketed away from South America’s northeastern coast, she spoke in Hindi and said: “With unprecedented infrared sensitivity, it will peer back in time over 13.5 years to see the first galaxies born after the Big Bang.”

A doctorate in theoretical nuclear physics from Oxford University, she had earlier worked with Tata Institute for Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Barc in Mumbai—the city where she met her future husband at the Taj Mahal hotel.

“When the Russians launched Sputnik and my grandmother gathered the whole family early one morning to see the satellite pass overhead, I wanted nothing more than to explore space,” Hasan wrote on the Nasa website. She said she promised herself that one day she would work for Nasa after it landed a man on the moon. She had her mother, teachers and colleagues encouraging her all the way-—from Oxford to TIFR to Nasa, where she joined in 1994 as a visiting senior scientist to manage missions and research programmes in astrophysics.

In another Indian connection, Nasa chose a painting by schoolgirl Gaurilakshmi to highlight among other children’s artwork at the launch of the telescope.

Nearly 25 years in the making, JWST is the next generation space science observatory following the Hubble Space Telescope. It will be positioned at a spot called Lagrange Point 2—1.5m km from earth or more than four times beyond the moon. Equipped with four instruments, its mission span stretches from five to 15 years.

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December 31, 2021

Indo-American News • Friday, december 31, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

SUDOKU/MOVIE REVIEW 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.

Send us the correct answer before January 4. 2022 Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Please send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published.

Solution Next Week

Last Week’s Solution

Last Week’s Winners

Kirit Suthar, Kumud Athavale, Sekhar Talatam, Krishna R. Vuddagiri, Ramana Vadrevu, Hemant Vaidya, Sanchali Basu, Taranjit Singh, Vivaan Dev

December 31, 2021

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‘83’: Ranveer Singh Plays the Captain’s Knock

By Shubhra Gupta

Some days are unforgettable.

25th June 1983 was not just the day when India won the world cup final for the very first time at Lords: that victory was the turning point of how we saw ourselves as a cricketing nation, and how that incredible win fed into the veins of a country that till then had seen itself as also-rans on and off the cricket field.

Kabir Khan’s ‘83 recreates that day with fidelity, and, yes, let it be said, in full Bollywood style, suffused with song, dance, drama, colour. It pads the film with a few (fictional?) elements meant strictly to play to the gallery, and it skates dangerously close to pandering to the overbearing nationalistic sentiments playing out in today’s India.

Yes, cricket-mad Indians could well stop rioting, troops could defuse a communal situation, and we could all ‘unite’ over a match, but some of those scenes have a tinny Doordarshan-like feel to them. The Kabir Khan of ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ may have toned down the populist touches, but this is a different India, and the playing fields are different.

But, I have to say this too, that we don’t let it ruin the moment.

And the movie. We take note of it, acknowledge that the film could have done with some pruning (its runtime at 2.5 hours does feel stretched in bits), and go right back to cheering. Because, man, that was a win, and sweeter because no one, which included most of the Indian team, the team’s manager P R Mansingh (Pankaj Tripathi), the sneering English officials, crickets followers back home, believed for a moment that something as momentous as this was even possible.

Except for one man. India captain Kapil Dev (Ranveer Singh), who never takes his eyes off the target. What else are we here for, he says at a press conference? The light in his eyes and the confidence in his voice makes us believe.

One of the things that the film does well is to hint at the problems Kapil had through that English summer with Sunil Gavaskar (Tahir Raj Bhasin), who is shown both sulking and skulking at not being given his due: how could this upstart, the rough-and-rude Haryanvi lad who didn’t play nice and gentlemanly and all things cricket, be made India captain?

But cometh the hour, cometh the man. This line, as any cricket-loving, commentary-devouring fan would cringe at, was never as true as when Kapil and his Devils tore through the mighty West Indies in that historic final, fending off the Australian and the Poms, helped with the historic 175 runs Kapil Dev made against Zimbabwe. It was truly a captain’s knock, sadly undocumented because the BBC was on strike that day.

The horsing in the locker room

and the easy banter is recreated well. A scene where K Srikanth aka Cheeka (Jiiva) drags along Kapil and another teammate to devour dosai at a doe-eyed South Indian girl’s home, is played strictly for laughs.

Facing hostile bowling in those days without the armour that cricketers these days take for granted took immense courage: those killing bouncers from Andy Roberts and Michael Holding (the actors playing the West Indians are properly smug) which took skin and bone and drew blood were the stuff nightmares are made of.

Each player, some of them looking remarkably like their real-life counterpart, is given a moment.

Jiiva nearly steals the film with a brilliant monologue, where he stares down a snooty British journalist (I’d happily see the film again, just for this). Ammy Virk as Balwinder Sandhu, Saqib Saleem as Mohinder Amarnath (one of the running gags in this film is the ‘real’ Amarnath playing his father, ‘Lalaji’), Jatin Sarna as Yashpal Sharma, one of the chief architects of the win, Boman Irani as Farrokh Engineer, first stoic then excitable in the commentary box, and the irrepressible Pankaj Tripathi all stand out. The presence of Deepika Padukone, playing Kapil’s wife

Romi, on the other hand, could have been better used; she literally brings up the rear. Maybe that’s what cricketing wives, also known as widows, do, but when even the main scene between them is turned into a chance for Kapil to give one of his we-can-do-it speeches, you wish we could have been.

But it doesn’t matter. The one who takes us past all these niggles is Ranveer Singh, disappearing into his Kapil Dev. ‘Aukaat se zyada khelna padega’, he says, sounding remarkably like Kapil, and goes out and does it.

The slightly protruding teeth, the discomfort with English (those self-deprecatory digs at himself are smile-inducing), the deliberate delivery, the never-say-die spirit, is all spot on. (We see the real-life Kapil cheerleading from the stands, and the house comes down). Batting, bowling, being ‘cap’, staying on top: his playing ka koi jawaab nahin.

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Pankaj Tripathi, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqeeb Salim, Jatin Sarna, Ammy Virk, Chirag Patil, Dinker Sharma, Nishant Dahiya, Harrdy Sandhu, Sahil Khattar, Adinath Kothare, Dhairya Karwa, Deepika Padukone, Neena Gupta, Boman Irani Director: Kabir Khan Rating: 3.5 stars -- IE

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Indo-American News • Friday, december 31, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

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December 31, 2021

Indo-American News • Friday, december 31, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com