Friday, January 12, 2024 | Vol. 43, No. 2
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January 12, 2024
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Indo American News
Published weekly from Houston, TX
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Houston’s Car Parade to Celebrate Ayodhya Ram Temple
Child Tragedy in Goa
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‘Dry Day’: Spirited
The car parade began Sunday, January 7 morning at the Meenakshi Temple in Pearland and wound its way to all the major Hindu temples in Houston. Shown here are decorations at the VPSS temple.
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WEDDINGS, SPECIAL EVENTS, TENTED EVENTS, OUTDOOR COURTYARD
3 3 3 0 F M 1 4 6 3 | K a 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
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COMMUNITY
January 12, 2024
Houston’s Car Parade Celebrates Ayodhya’s Ram Janmabhoomi Temple
Car parade traveling on the freeway to all the major Houston temples
Car parade enthusiast. Photo by Bijoy Dixit
Jugal Malani with Gagan Singh at MTS
Car decals were given to all the participants (left). First 108 cars received the large flag and t-shirt.
Ram bhakt with t-shirt and scarf Indo-American News • Friday, january 12, 2024 • www.indoamerican-news
COMMUNITY
January 12, 2024
Shri Ram of Ayodhya Reigns Over Houston
Houston: A new era dawns! History was made on January 10 when Houstonians will wake up to a sight never before seen in the city- the skies of Houston will be adorned by images of Shri Ram, one of the central Hindu deities, with Ayodhya Ram Temple as the backdrop. Located in a prime location on 59 South at Fountainview, over 1.5 million people will have “Darshan” (viewing) of Hindu deity Shri Ram and Ayodhya Temple as they drive past the billboard each week for a month following its installation. The billboard is the brainchild of Dr. Kusum Vyas of Living Planet Foundation, founder of Green Kumbh Yatra and Save Ram Setu Campaign, who conceived and executed the project with the help of Mr. Umang Mehta. The entire project has been funded by Hindus of Greater Houston – an umbrella organization that aims to inspire and encourage the community by sharing positive vibes and energy of Sanatan Vedic Dharma. “In addition to putting Hindus of Greater Houston on the map, the billboard aims to remind the community about the inauguration, in
presence of world’s leading saints and luminaries on January 22nd in Ayodhya. To mark the momentous event, a grand celebration is being organized in Houston on January 21st. All are invited to join this celebration,” said Mr. Vijay Pallod of Hindus of Greater Houston. “Ram Temple at Ayodhya is the result of 500-year-long struggle of sacrifice and determination where many brave men and women laid down their lives. While we cannot personally go to Ayodhya for the inauguration, we want to usher Shri Ram and Ayodhya Temple to Houston. Our aim is to beautify the skyline, create an ambiance which would bring to life Shri Ram and Ayodhya, and make them appear real to the approaching drivers and passengers. I believe we achieved that goal,” said Umang Mehta. “Hindus worship Shri Ram as a Deity of divine love and devotion, considering Him an ideal human being. Ayodhya is one of the Sapta Puris (seven pilgrimage centers) of Hinduism. The Atharva Veda explains the meaning of Ayodhya to be “the city that is unconquerable.” Ayodhya has lived up to its name, re-emerging triumphant-
ly as the Temple of Shri Ram,” said Mrs. Thara Narasimhan, President of Hindus of Greater Houston. “One of our main objectives is to create a billboard that is engaging and visually interconnected to the ethos of Shri Ram and Ayodhya as both are inseparable,” said Dr. Kusum Vyas. “Our design focuses on making the billboard feel welcoming and emanate the true essence and sanctity Shri Ram and Ayodhya by maximizing daylight, augmented with an atypical use of appropriate colors, bringing warmth and peaceful vibrations to everyone’s experience.” The billboard may reflect a turning point in the ethnic cultural history of America where a tiny segment of society’s 4-6 million Hindus/Indian-Americans are bringing via their culture and religion, peace, unity and equality: Hinduism to America within ways, probably never before seen on US soil. History is indeed made when images of Shri Ram & Ayodhya illuminating the skyline, from a billboard at three hundred feet high, convey the essence of Shri Ram, one of the most revered Hindu deities.
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Live Stream at Times Square New York: Times Square in the United States’ New York City will live stream the mega consecration of Ram Temple scheduled to be held in Ayodhya on January 22, sources told India Today. Apart from its broadcast in all states of the country, the much-awaited ‘Pran-Pratishtha’ (consecration) of Ram Lalla will also be telecast at various Indian embassies overseas. On the historic occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address all the Ram bhakts in India and abroad. Meanwhile, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has said that it will broadcast the consecration ceremony live at the booth level nationwide. According to news agency ANI, BJP workers have been instructed to set up large screens for the live telecast of the Shri Ram Consecration at the booth level. “This way, the general public can have darshan of Shri Ram Lala and witness the consecration ceremony,” the source told ANI. The vedic rituals for the PranPratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) are scheduled to commence on January 16, a week before the main ceremony. Sources said that PM Modi is closely monitoring the preparations for the ceremony and has also sought detailed information on the rituals and rules he is required to follow. On January 22, ahead of the Pran-Pratistha, PM Modi has committed to observing all religious protocols and procedures in reverence to the occasion.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today TV, Ram temple construction committee chief Nripendra Mishra said that PM Modi has asked the Ram Mandir trust for any specific holy adhering that he has to abide by before he performs the Pran-Pratishtha. Meanwhile, a 51-inch tall Krishna Shila (Shyam Varn) idol of Lord Ram has been carefully chosen for the upcoming PranPratishtha ceremony. The idol, resplendent in Shyam Varn (dark hue), is set to be a symbol of divinity, royalty, and the pure innocence of a child. Before undergoing the Yagopavit sanskar, the idol of Lord Ram will be showcased. The meticulously crafted idol is poised to be placed on a lotus-shaped platform within the Garbh Grah. Nripendra Mishra said the old Ram Lalla statue will be placed before new one, and it will be called “Utsav Ram”. After January 16, both the statues will be placed in new Ram Mandir. Additionally, Lord Ram statue’s eye cover will be opened by PM Modi on January 22.
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January 12, 2024
Starbucks to Open 1,000 Stores in India
New Delhi: Starbucks plans to operate 1,000 stores in India by 2028, opening the equivalent of one new location every three days for the next four years, as demand for coffee burgeons in the world’s fastest-growing major economy. To achieve its target, the company will focus on opening coffee shops in smaller cities and also double its workforce in the country to 8,600, it said in a statement Tuesday. Starbucks currently has 390 stores in India, where it has operated for over 11 years through a 50% joint venture with Tata Consumer Products, a unit of one of India’s best-known conglomerates. Its first location was Mumbai, where it opened a two-level store furnished with local furniture and decorated with images of the metropolis. Apart from the usual range of lattes and Frappuccinos, Starbucks also offers beverages that it calls “Indian-inspired,” including South Indian filter coffee and masala chai, a blend of sweetened milky tea and spices. While many Indians still begin their day with a steaming cup of chai, the appetite for coffee is
growing, with both local and international chains proliferating across the country. During a visit to India this week, Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan said India had become “one of Starbucks’ fastestgrowing markets in the world.” The South Asian nation, with its growing middle class, is becoming a key market for Western companies, especially at a time when China is grappling with a number of economic problems, including muted consumer demand. However, despite the slowdown in China, the latter is still Starbucks’ largest and fastest-growing overseas market. The beverage giant aims to have 9,000 stores there by 2025, up from nearly 6,500 currently. Last year, Starbucks poured more than $200 million into a new campus in the eastern part of China. At the time of opening in September, the company said it was the largest investment it had ever made for a coffee manufacturing and distribution center outside the United States. -- CNN
Indo-American News • Friday, january 12, 2024 • www.indoamerican-news
INDIA
INDIA
January 12, 2024
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Mumbai’s 22-km Harbor Link Cuts Commute Rupee Declines to Rs. 83.32=$1
Mumbai: Starting this weekend, Mumbai’s skyline will be dotted with yet another infrastructure marvel in the form of the Mumbai Trans Harbor Link, India’s longest sea bridge till date. While the MTHL is seen as yet another gateway towards the further prosperity of the megapolis and its extended neighbourhood, the 22-km long sea bridge is also testimony to the hard work and dedication of the labourers, engineers and office staff who have toiled working in the most difficult circumstances to make the project a reality. While many of the workers will be around to witness the inauguration of the bridge, seven labourers who played a role in building the project will not be around having lost their lives while constructing the project.
MMRDA documents state that on an average, a total of 5,403 workers and engineers worked every day for completion of the project since work began in mid2018. The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) is a 22-km long sixlane bridge connecting Sewri on the island city to Nhava-Sheva on the mainland. This includes a 16.5 km long sea link and 5.5 km viaducts on land. The most difficult and arduous part that workers faced was the construction of the segments of the project that lie in the marine portion where engineers and workers had to dig as deep as 47 metres in the sea bed to provide strong solid foundations to hold up the massive girders and deck of the bridge which would facilitate travel. The
most number of accidents occurred in phases where construction was going on mid-sea. While MMRDA and the contractors for the project sourced engineers and experts from across the globe to work on the project, most of the labourers hired were from states like Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab. The bridge spans from behind Infiniti Mall, extending towards Andheri Back Road, traversing a one-hectare mangrove patch and the Poisar River. Currently, the journey between Andheri and Malad involves navigating through Link Road, SV Road, or Western Express Highway. The lack of direct connectivity results in significant travel time. The bridge reduces the 45-minute travel time to a mere 6–8 minutes.
Mumbai: The rupee depreciated by 11 paise to 83.32 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday, amid a muted trend in domestic equities and dollar demand from importers. Forex traders said foreign fund outflows and dollar demand from importers weighed on investor sentiments. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 83.28 and finally settled at 83.32 (provisional) against the dollar, down by 11 paise from its previous close. On Monday, the rupee depreciated by 5 paise to 83.21 against the US dollar, in the first trading session of the year 2024. The dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was 0.11 per cent up at 101.44 on Tuesday. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 2.13 per cent to USD 78.68 per barrel. On the domestic equity market front, Sensex declined 379.46 points, or 0.53 per cent, to settle at 71,892.48 points. The Nifty fell 76.10 points, or 0.35 per cent, to 21,665.80 points. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital markets on Monday as they offloaded shares worth Rs 855.80 crore, according to exchange data. The Indian rupee depreciated by
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0.14 per cent on weak domestic markets and a positive US dollar. Surge in crude oil prices also weighed on rupee. US dollar rose on safe haven appeal amid geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas. “We expect the rupee to trade with a negative bias on weak domestic equities and a rise in the US dollar. Surge in crude oil prices may also weigh on the domestic currency. However, any FII outflows may support rupee at lower levels,” Choudhary added. Choudhary further noted that traders may take cues from final manufacturing PMI and construction spending data from the US. “Traders may await manufacturing index data from India and ISM manufacturing PMI and JOLTS jobs data from the US tomorrow. USD-INR spot price is expected to trade in a range of 83.10 to 83.70,” he added. On the domestic macroeconomic front, GST collections rose 10 per cent to about Rs 1.64 lakh crore in December compared to Rs 1.49 lakh crore in the same month a year ago. During April-December 2023, gross GST collection witnessed a robust 12 per cent growth, reaching Rs 14.97 lakh crore against Rs 13.40 lakh crore in previous year.
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January 12, 2024
Why Modi’s Lakshadweep Tweets Caused Indian Boycott of Maldives
New Delhi: Maldives is facing a boycott from one of its biggest sources of tourism income after three of its officials mocked India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sparking calls from Indian citizens and celebrities to shun the sun-kissed getaway for domestic beaches instead. The controversy erupted after Modi posted images to social platform X of himself snorkeling and walking along a beach in Lakshadweep, a southern Indian island chain in the Laccadive Sea, off the coast of Kerala. Modi did not mention India’s picturesque neighbor Maldives in his post, but his effusive praise of the beautiful scenery of the lesserknown archipelago may have been seen as a charm offensive to draw people there for vacation rather than Maldives. Three Maldives officials responded to his post, describing Modi as a “clown,” “terrorist” and a “puppet of Israel,” according to Reuters. The Maldives government moved quickly to distance itself from their comments, suspending the three officials - deputy ministers with the Ministry of Youth Employment, Information and Arts - a senior Maldives official told Reuters on Sunday. In a statement, the Maldives government said it was aware of “derogatory” comments made on social media but stressed the “opinions are personal” and do not represent its views. “The government believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, negativity, and hinder close relationships
between the Maldives and its international partners,” it said. ndian tourists made more than 209,000 trips to Maldives in 2023, making up 11% of its tourism market, statistics released last week show. Russia contributed about the same amount, and China wasn’t far behind, providing 187,118 visits, or 10% of the total. But the officials’ remarks angered some Indian holidaymakers, who posted screenshots on social media to show they had canceled their trips to the island chain under the hashtag #BoycottMaldives. Prominent figures, from Bollywood actors to cricket players, also urged fans to turn to local destinations instead, with another hashtag #ChaloLakshadweep – meaning “Let’s go to Lakshadweep,” where Modi visited – gaining traction. Among them was Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, known for playing the lead in movies with a patriotic theme. He called the Maldivian officials’ remarks “hateful and racist.” “We are good to our neighbors but why should we tolerate such unprovoked hate? I’ve visited the Maldives many times and always praised it, but dignity first. Let us decide to #ExploreIndianIslands and support our own tourism,” he said. Indian travel site EaseMyTrip said on Monday it had suspended bookings for flights to Maldives. “In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings,” Nishant Pitti, CEO and co-founder of EaseMyTrip said in a post on X. The Confederation of All India Traders, also called on members to suspend business with Maldives. -- CNN
Indo-American News • Friday, january 12, 2024 • www.indoamerican-news
INDIA
IMMIGRATION
January 12, 2024
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En route Europe, How Indians Visit Several Countries to Create ‘Travel History’ Mumbai: Last year, Serbia had to change its visa rules under pressure from the European Union. This was because the Balkan nation was being used by many, including Indians, as an illegal transit route to Europe. Belgrade’s visa-free regime for Indians — along with nationals from Turkey, Tunisia, Cuba and Burundi — was being exploited to get into the bordering Austria, Hungary and Romania, and ultimately to Italy and France. Reason: those travelling to EU countries from Serbia don’t require a visa. In October 2022, Serbia withdrew visa-free arrivals from the above-mentioned countries. The transit phenomenon came to light after European authorities recorded more than 1.3 lakh illegal immigrants in the first 10 months of 2022, many of whom were na-
The recent case of a flight carrying 303 Indian nationals being grounded in France, ahead of its departure for Nicaragua, seems to bring to light a similar pattern — of creating a travel history to come across as tourists to immigration authorities of the receiving country, Nicaragua in this case, Passengers of a charter plane, grounded in France for four days, on their arrival even as visa mandate for Indians in the cenin Mumbai on December 26. (PTI photo) tral American country tionals of the countries allowed Punjab) were asked by their agents isn’t very clear. visa-free arrivals by Serbia. to enter Serbia after visiting destiIn most such cases, on arrival in In the case of Indians, to show nations such as Nepal, Dubai and the transit country, agents connect a “considerable travel history” Armenia, so that they came across the migrants with the so-called on their passports, the migrants as genuine travellers to the immi- ‘donkers’, or people smugglers, (mostly men of 25-40 years of gration authorities, people in the who help them enter their final age, with a major chunk from know of the matter said. destination illegally. The donkers
charge exorbitant payment for such services. Incidentally, to evade border authorities, many of these migrants are transported in the harshest and most inhuman conditions, not just without food and water, but even gasping for breath, after being asked to hide in cramped containers and delivery vehicles. One such case had come to light in 2021 — of a young man from Punjab who wanted to go to Italy, and was suggested the transit route of Dubai-Serbia-Romania-Hungary, through which he would have entered Italy in about six months. He was transported to the Hungarian border from Romania in a delivery truck, tucked in a small box. However, he returned to India ultimately, as he could never reach Italy and was forced to continue working on a farm in Hungary.
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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: www.indoamerican-news.com
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January 12, 2024
IMDb Rates ‘12th Fail’ as Top Indian Film MUMBAI, (IANS) – Actor Vikrant Massey starrer biographical drama ‘12th Fail‘, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra has been rated the highest, with a rating of 9.2 out of 10 on IMDb, and secured the number one spot on IMDb’s Top 250 films of Indian cinema. IMDb is an authoritative source for movie, TV, and celebrity content, designed to help fans explore the world of movies and shows and decide what to watch. In 2023, among all films from around the world that have received at least 20,000 user votes, ‘12th Fail’ has been rated the highest. The list of highest-rated films of 2023 has 12th Fail at the top, followed by ‘SpiderMan: Across the Spider-Verse’ with a rating of 8.6. Other big films of the year follow suit with ‘Oppenheimer’ (8.4), ‘Godzilla Minus One’ (8.4), and Kannada film Kaiva (8.2) rounding off the top 5. Moreover, ‘12th Fail’ has also made its place in the top 10 as Highest Rated Drama list of LetterBoxD 2023 year in Review. Earlier, the movie was also selected as the closing film for the Macau Asia-Europe
Young Cinema Film Festival. Vidhu will attend the screening of ‘12th Fail’ on January 11 in Macau, which is based on Anurag Pathak’s best-selling novel about the real-life story of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma. The movie is inspired by real-life stories, and delves into the relentless struggles of millions of students attempting the UPSC entrance
exam. Apart from covering exam preparations, the movie also covers the struggles of all the aspirants, exploring the many personal problems that aspiring students face both at home as well as in their personal relationships during exam studies. This causes a lot of emotional problems for the students who often end up quitting or entering massive depression. Ultimately a story of resilience, perseverance, and never giving up, ‘12th Fail’ stars Vikrant in the lead role, alongside Medha Shankar, Anant V Joshi, Anshumaan Pushkar, and Priyanshu Chatterjee in pivotal roles. In November 2023, the movie was also submitted to the Oscars as an independent nomination.
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January 12, 2024
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10 January 12, 2024
Taxi Driver Key to Arrest of Alleged Baby Killer & AI CEO Suchana Seth By Pavneet Singh Chadha
Bengaluru: Conversing with Goa police in Konkani, a fourhour traffic jam on the way to Bengaluru, and the excuse of a quick washroom break – the cab driver who was ferrying Suchana Seth to her destination has told The Indian Express how he managed to take her to the police station without arousing suspicion. Seth, a Bengaluru-based CEO of a tech start-up, is accused of killing her four-year-old son in a Goa hotel. She was caught from Karnataka’s Chitradurga district while allegedly trying to flee in a cab with her son’s body stuffed in a bag. Rayjohn D’Souza, a cab driver from North Goa’s Anjuna, was instrumental in her arrest. Speaking to The Indian Express, he said that around 11 pm on January 7, he got a call from the reception of hotel Sol Banyan Grande in Candolim, asking him to ferry Seth on an “urgent” basis to Bengaluru. “My co-driver and I reached the parking area. She said she was travelling alone and told me to put a red trolley bag in the boot. The suitcase was unusually heavy, but I didn’t think much of it,” he said. The cab left from Candolim around 12.30 am and reached Chorla Ghat – located on the GoaKarnataka border – at 2 am. There, a truck had overturned, creating a bottleneck and a four-hour jam. “I told her we could be stuck here for four to six hours. The traffic was not moving at all. Since I was told she had to reach Bengaluru for some urgent work, I offered
Suchana Seth, CEO of Bengaluru-based The Mindful AI Lab, who is accused of killing her son, being brought to Mapusa Court in North Goa, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (PTI Photo)
to drop her to the airport using an alternate route and told her that a flight might be a better option. But she insisted that she wanted to go by road, irrespective of how long it takes… I found that odd, considering she was in a hurry, but then I was getting paid…,” he said. During the journey, Seth was completely silent, barring one time when she asked if he wanted to drink water, he said. For the next few hours, he continued to drive non-stop, till he got a call from a Calangute police inspector around 11 am. “The police inspector asked me if the passenger I was ferrying was alone or if a child was with her. The officer was talking in Konkani, and I figured that she could not understand our conversation. I told him she was alone. He said police had found bloodstains in her hotel room and they had a suspicion on her. Then, I passed the
phone to her and said that someone wanted to speak to her. The officer spoke to her for a couple of minutes. She mentioned an address. Besides that, she didn’t react much and did not seem to be in any sort of panic,” he said. After confirming that the address mentioned by Seth, about the whereabouts of her son, was fake, the police inspector called the driver a few minutes later, this time directing him to “immediately drive to the nearest police station”. “The police said their suspicion was very strong. At the time, we were on the expressway, and I could only see villages… all the signboards were in Kannada, so I didn’t know where to go. I discreetly Googled the nearest police station and somehow the map showed one at a distance of 150 km. That would have been too far. So, I told her that my co-driver and I need to use a washroom, and stopped the car,” he said.
Along the roadside, the duo found a restaurant, where the watchman informed them that Aimangala police station in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district was just 500 metres away. “I verified from the watchman if it was a police outpost or a big police station since the matter was sensitive. I called Goa police and kept them on standby on the call, and drove via a service road on the highway to the police station,” he said.
He said Seth asked him why he had stopped the car outside the police station. “I made up an excuse, and handed my phone to the in-charge of the police station at Aimangala. The police officers of both the states then coordinated and in the next 10 minutes, the police checked the luggage, finding the body of her son. I didn’t have time to process what was happening and just did what the police asked. She did not show any emotion while the police were conducting the check,” he said. “I didn’t imagine this could ever happen. I was just happy to get a late night ride,” he said, adding that he is yet to be paid. Kumar Naik, the administrative officer at Hiriyur Taluk Hospital, was quoted by India Today as telling reporters that “either a cloth or a pillow was used” to kill Suchana Seth’s child. “It doesn’t look like the child was strangulated using hands. It looks like a pillow or some other material was used,” he reportedly added. -- Indian Express
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ENTERTAINMENT
January 12, 2024
‘Dry Day’: Spirited Performance in Quirky Tale
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 Renuka Vyavahare
Send us the correct answer before January 15, 2024. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Please send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published.
Solution Next Week
O F PR O O F
O F
O F
PR O
O F
PR O O F
O F PR O O F PR O
O F
PR O
O F
O F PR O
O F O
PR O
O F
PR O
O F
PR O
O F
PR O
O F
PR O
O F PR O
PR O
O F
PR O
O F
PR O
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Kumud Athavale, Krishna R. Vuddagiri, Sanchali Basu, Prabha Barvalia, Ramana Vadrevu, KB Amarnath, Pruthvi Seth, K.S.Balasubramanyam, Sahiti Palle, Rekha Trivedi, Sunil Sharma, Yudhveer Bagga, Rekha Trivedi, Taranjit Singh, Sai Lakshmi Subramanian
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While entertaining in parts, the movie could have been more engaging. Nevertheless, it’s a decent one-time watch for the small-town world that’s created and for its quirky feel.-- Times of India
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Story: The film is about a nogooder alcoholic from a village who decides to fast until death to get alcohol banned when his wife vows to abort their baby. He takes on some influential people during his protest while struggling with withdrawal symptoms. Will he succeed in his endeavor? Review: The movie starts as a comedy set in a small town called Jagodhar, where a politician Dauji’s (Annu Kapoor) henchman, Gannu (Jitendra Kumar) vows to fast until death to ban alcohol. But here’s the problem – he is himself an alcoholic, and he publicly announces this when he is hungover. The drama unfolds when his protest gains steam and media attention, and he becomes a messiah for the local women who are fed up with their husbands’ alcoholism. The story is about the hurdles he faces, primarily dealing with withdrawal symptoms and resisting taking to the bottle again. He must also contend with Dauji, who owns a local thheka, and his followers Balwant (Shrikant Verma) and Satto (Sunil Palwal) as they try to bring Gannu down. Written and directed by Saurabh Shukla, the film’s first half deals with Gannu trying to build an image to win the election as a local corporator. His drunken shenanigans and half-witted plans with his stooges, Chainta (Abhishek Srivastava), Kunne (Aditya Sinha), Maddi (Saurabh Nayyar), and Jagat (Padmesh Krishna Tiwari), are entertaining. However, the story and plot take a while to find Annu Kapoor stands out as the pola firm footing. Although the narrative deals with itician, and gets the pretence of bealcoholism, it’s understated as a ing a supportive and loving senior problem, which makes sequences bang-on. Shrikant Verma deserves seem abrupt and unconvincing as mention as the cunning liquor shop the story progresses. The narrative owner. has too many tracks and occasionally relies upon tropes and cliches, especially in the climax. Shukla handles the directorial duties well and mellifluously transforms the film’s tonality from comic to serious. Cinematographer Adri Thakur gets the smalltown vibe perfectly and captures it stunningly in top and wide angles. Jitendra Kumar delivers a strong performance and convinces as both a lout in the first half and a changed man in the second. He is especially good in the scenes where he tries to Kaushika Shah mend his ways but is Licensed Sales Agent unsuccessful owing to his faults and bad hab832-282-3515, TTY 711 its. Shriya Pilgaonkar, as his wife, Nirmala, performs commendably. The duo has easy on-screen chemistry Y0066_23SPRJ55188_C as husband and wife.
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Indo-American News • Friday, january 12, 2024 • www.indoamerican-news