A BYTE OF LIFE Tuesday, June 30, 2009

02
THIEVES ON TRAIN
Railway police arrest two for stealing
jewellery from passengers

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 3 No. 121

Indian soccer may have suffered its worst body blow yet with Bharti
Enterprise, which promised to invest Rs 100 crore, now rethinking its
investment following wranglings within AIFF, reports Ayon Sengupta. » PAGE 09
02 NAMMA CHENNAI ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009

20% off
Fastrack is offering 20 per cent discount on all its watches and
sunglasses. The watches post-discount are priced from Rs. 475 and
sunglasses at Rs. 555. The offer is valid till July 26 and available at all
World of Titan showrooms and Titan Plus outlets.

Once upon a time ...

D o you have a story to tell? Or, you have
one but don’t know how to say. If you
fall in the later category here’s an
opportunity to master the art of
storytelling.
World Storytelling Institute is conducting a
Two arrested for
theft in trains
course in storytelling from July 11. You
could be a parent, teacher, counsellor, tour
guide or someone interested in becoming a
professional storyteller to attend the course.
Each participant is required to bring a
traditional story that he/she would like to
work on telling. It could be a grandmother
story, a Raja-Rani story, a Tenali Raman
story, a fairy tale or a story in which
animals speak. The duo from
What you will be taught? Styles of
speaking, symbols in stories, types of stories, Jharkhand stole
what makes a great storyteller, storytelling
accompanied by illustrations, puppets and jewellery and
props, etc.
The course is spread across eight sessions valuables from
and is priced at Rs. 2,000. For details log on
to www.storytellinginstitute.org or call Eric AC 2-tier
Miller at 98403 94282/ 4208 0890.
passengers after
boarding the train
under false names
ERGO CORRESPONDENT
[email protected]

T
he Government Railway Po-
lice (GRP) on Monday ar-
rested two men who
travelled in AC 2-tier train
compartments and stole gold je-
wellery and valuables from co-
Eric Miller (right), Director, World passengers. The men struck over
Storytelling Institute, at a workshop. 30 times in various trains in the
PHOTO: V. GANESAN state and had fled with 352 sover-
eigns of gold. A total of 285.5 sov-
ereigns of stolen gold jewellery
were recovered from the duo,
making it the biggest seizure by
GRP in the last five years.
Following repeated complaints
from train passengers over the
loss of valuables from 2-tier AC
compartments, special teams
were formed under the supervi-
sion of the Superintendent of Po-
lice (Railways), Chennai, to nab
the culprits.
Meanwhile, on Monday morn-
ing two unidentified persons at-
tempted to rob a 40-year-old
women passenger at knifepoint
on platform no. 1 of Chennai A section of the recovered jewellery. PHOTO: R. SHIVAJI RAO
Central station. Police personnel
on the premises rushed in to ap- alias Amarnath Jaiswal (43), who the loot. The victims would not
prehend the duo after the victim used to buy AC 2-tier tickets in even realise that they had been
raised an alarm. trains after registering fake robbed till they went home or
Upon questioning, the men ad- names and addresses. opened their bags,” said S. Ma-
mitted to the crime and also vari- “After boarding the train they noharan, Superintendent of Po-
ous other thefts from rail would wait for the passengers to lice (Railways), Chennai.
passengers in the state over the fall asleep at night and in the dark The accused were remanded to
last two years. The duo from Ran- open their bags and extract all custody and sent to Puzhal pris-
chi in Jharkhand were identified items of value from them, secure on. Police is conducting further
by police as Rajan alias Rajan the luggage again to prevent any investigations to ascertain if
Ram Srivastava (47) and Amar sign of break-in and decamp with more people are involved. ■
 Tuesday, June 30, 2009
03

With a devotional touch

The second generation led by T.S. Raghavan is taking Giri Trading Agency places
DEEPA VENKATRAMAN Ram Narayan, Iyer Srinivas and cassettes songs.”
T.S.V. Hari – felt the need to expand Since then there was no looking

D
harmo Rakshathi Rakshith – the business when they were in back and they opened up branches
When you protect your duty, their early 20s. In mid-70s, T.V.S. in Mumbai, Bangalore, Coimba-
you get protected by the du- Giri along with his sons and daugh- tore, Madurai and Mylapore, Adyar
ty. ters – Sharada Prakash and Mee- and Nanganallurin in Chennai.
This has been the philosophy of nakshi Balu – opened a 200 sq ft The devotional song cassette
Giri Trading Agency Pvt. Ltd. – an shop in Mylapore, next to the Kapa- business prompted one of the
epitome of rags to riches. The com- leeshwar Temple. They got a small brothers, Aiyapan, to begin music
pany was started by T.V.S. Giri and space inside the temple and sold company, Gitaa Cassettes, in the
is popular for books on philosophy, minimal pooja items like camphor, early 1980s. By chance they started
mythology, slokas and devotional kumkum and vibhuti along with a radio station, SS International in
songs. Its first shop opened in 1976. books. early 1991 and it ran until 1999.
Ranganathan Giri, MD However, the family The Gitaa Cassettes Company al-
of the company and did face their own so picked up simultaneously. “Till
youngest son of T.V.S. hardships in nurturing now we have together released over
Giri, says, “It was dur- the business. “My 300 cassettes and CDs of various ar-
ing the early 50s. My brothers used to cycle tistes from Madurai Mani Iyer to
father wanted to buy a to Parrys Corner, Thi- M.D. Ramanathan to S.P. Balasu-
sandhya vandanam ruvanmiyur, T. Nagar brahmanyam to Nithyasree to P.
book for one of his from Mylapore to buy Susheela.”
friend’s son’s thread ceremony in goods from the wholesale market. Giri Trading was registered in
Mumbai. He couldn’t find one The rest of the stuff was sent to 1993 and from its inception they
there and this triggered him to start Mumbai. And in Mumbai, my sis- have clients from all over the world.
selling traditional books in the city. ters used to take books in baskets to Currently the company, handled by
He immediately took a trip to Ma- sell in stores,” recalls Ranganathan. the second generation, is guided by
dras and bought a few books to sell Chairman T.S. Raghavan, COO E.
in the Matunga Railway Station and Branching out Bala and CEO V. Subramanian.
soon he had a shack in a nearby By late 80s, they got popular. Ranganathan sums up, “We plan to
street. This went on for nearly 20 Ranganathan says, “We opened our go into private equity and we are
years.” first showroom in Mumbai in 1990 seriously thinking of starting anoth-
The stores in Mumbai and and another shop in Mylapore in er branch overseas.” ■
Chennai; (inset) TVS Giri, Battling odds 1991. We began selling all pooja (Made in Chennai is a column that
founder, Giri Trading Agency Ranganathan’s older siblings – items, veshtis for Shabarimala pil- showcases the evolution of home-
Kashi Vishwanathan, T. S. Aiyapan, grims and eventually devotional grown businesses)

Timeline
1954 – Footpath shop started in Mumbai near
Matunga Railway Station
1976 – First shop in Mylapore
1983-84 – Gitaa Cassettes music company launched
1990 – First showroom in Mumbai
1991 – Radio station SS International launched
1993 – Giri Trading Agency Pvt Ltd registered
2007 – Mylapore shop expanded into 3 floors
04 TECHNORAMA ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009

‘‘
Bing is a competitor. We have absolutely looked
at Bing; we have actually studied what they do
as Microsoft studied what Google does
Eric Schmidt, Google CEO

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 Tuesday, June 30, 2009
05
Firefox add-ons available as collections
It has just become easier for Firefox users to acquire helpful extensions for the browser. The creators of Mozilla have now released a
series of add-on collections for free at http://addons.mozilla.org/firefox. Registered users also have the option of publishing their personal
add-on packages on the website for others to access. That includes the option for commentary about why the extensions are so useful.

Health games
become serious business

V
ideogames were once With interest in
blamed for rising obesity
rates but are now being health games
championed by the med- rising, the fifth
ical industry and for use by go-
vernment departments for their
annual Games for
health benefits. Health Conference
Games like Electronic Arts’ in Boston
“EA Sports Active” and Ninten-
do’s “Wii Fit” have got players expanded to 390
of all ages moving - and game people this year
developers and investors look-
ing for hot new titles to cash in
from 100, including
on this booming segment of the developers,
market. investors and
Big John Games’ upcoming
“Butt Kicker” Nintendo DSi medical experts
game will provide an action-
based environment in which
players fight against cigarettes The Games for Health Confe-
and "Karate Bears" for Wii rence also showcased how vid-
teaches players real karate rou- eogames are being used to help
tines using the Wii’s motion- doctors and patients alike.
sensor controllers. Serious games developer Vir-
“Healthcare is 18 percent of tual Heroes is working on a new
the GDP of the United States first-person shooter sequel for
and so games for health is Hope Lab’s popular “Re-Mis-
probably the largest sector of sion” game, which has been
activity in the serious games distributed to cancer patients
field long-term,” said Ben Sa- in 81 countries since 2006.
wyer, co-founder of The Games “We’re taking their existing
for Health Project. concept and trying to raise the
“If you add up the 18 month fun bar and creating more life-
sales of “Wii Fit” and the sales like and enjoyable environ-
of “EA Sports Active,” Konami’s ments within the human body,”
“Dance Dance Revolution” and explained Jerry Heneghan, CEO
other healthy games, the world- of Virtual Heroes.
wide retail numbers are over $2 “Players will take control of
billion.” Roxy, the protagonist, and have
Dr. Michael Levine, executive new weapons to battle cancer
director of the Joan Ganz Coo- with thanks to input from can-
ney Center at Sesame Work- cer patients.”
shop, which fosters innovation Virtual Heroes is also updat-
in children’s learning, has just ing its HumanSim technology
released a report looking at with a new human physiology
how digital games can play a engine, technology has been
beneficial and educational role used by Duke Medical Center’s
in health care. nursing school to train nurses
“States’ governors should di- virtually.
rect their school technology of- Heneghan said he hopes this
ficers to look at innovations like software will inspire gamers to
“Dance Dance Revolution” and turn to careers in healthcare
“Wii Fit” as a way to extend the and make people in the med-
reach of physical education and ical profession more proficient
comprehensive health educa- with more grants and funding
tion,” said Dr. Debra Lieber- A guest tries out a Wii Fit Plus flowing into universities for
man, director of Health Games game at an expo in Los Angeles. health games. ■
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES/AFP
Research for the foundation. Reuters
06 VILLAGE ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009

City is gay enough

A UK city has been told it is "gay enough" after a two-month enquiry into
Canterbury in Kent proved the local government had promoted lesbians,
gays and bisexuals enough after a complaint by a gay group.

Davenport welcomes baby girl Mobile saves

Former world number one Lindsay Davenport has given birth
to a baby girl, her agent said. skier from
“Lindsay Davenport and her husband, Jon Leach, joyfully
announce the birth of their daughter, Lauren Andrus death
Davenport Leach, who was born on June 27 at 11:04 am His cell phone saved
(PST) in Newport Beach, California,” Tony Godsick said in a him. Yes, a British
statement. skier, who slipped into
Davenport, three times a Grand Slam champion, returned to a crevasse in the Swiss
the competitive action just three months after the birth of Alps, was saved from
her son Jagger in June 2007. On that occasion she won three plunging nearly 700
of her first four tournaments following her maternity leave. feet to his death by his
Reuters BlackBerry mobile
phone.
David Fitzherbert’s
half-inch wide mobile
Soy protects lungs handset in his breast pocket caused him to get wedged in
a crack of ice, stopping him from falling further. And,
from chronic disease incredibly, the device still worked after keeping him stuck
Consuming soy milk and tofu could cut down the risk of for almost two hours till he was rescued.
developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The 52-year-old finance worker was skiing off-piste down
COPD, which develops as a result of smoking, can cause a glacier in the Matterhorn and Monterosa peaks in the
coughing that produces large amounts of mucus (a slimy Swiss Alps when the snow gave way.
substance), wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, “The snow gave way beneath me and I fell down a very
and other symptoms. deep crevasse. After 70 feet it narrowed and I became
The study was led by Curtin University of Technology’s stuck like a cork in a bottle between the walls. Fortunately
(CUT) Andy Lee and his colleagues from Curtin’s Health the extra inches of the BlackBerry were enough to block
Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) and representatives the fall,” Fitzherbert told The Sun.
from four Japanese hospitals. PTI
Lee, a professor, said the research, conducted in Japan,
found that people
who consumed more
than 75 grams of soy Sony mum on reports of
products daily had
the most health PlayStation phone
benefits. Sony Corp. remained tight-lipped over reports that it may combine its
“We also found that PlayStation Portable game console with a mobile telephone into a new
people who gadget to challenge rival Apple’s iPhone.
consumed at least 50 Sony is considering developing a new portable game console with the added
grams of soy products functions of a Sony Ericsson cell phone, the Nikkei reported without
per day reduced their revealing its sources.
risk of developing The high-tech giant, which has faced tough competition in recent years from
COPD and respiratory rival products such as Apple’s iPod and Nintendo’s Wii, will set up a team in
symptoms,” he said. July to look into the development of the new product, the Nikkei said.
IANS AFP

What makes a great footballer?

Being in peak physical condi- imental subjects, and made to
tion undoubtedly helps, yet few compete against one another in
actually believe that intense one-on-one football and tennis
physical training alone can turn games, which require similar
an average player into a Ronal- athletic and skill sets.
do. Robbie Wilson of the Uni- The same players were eval-
versity of Queensland (UQ) set uated for overall athleticism
out to pinpoint factors that go and skill in 16 different tasks.
into making a stellar perfor- “There was no evidence of any
mance in soccer. correlations between maximal

W
onder how star soccer “Our studies could help to athletic performance and skill,”
players like Ronaldo streamline selection criteria and explained Wilson.
and Beckham dazzle efficiency by providing a rank “Our studies suggest that skill
fans with their intricate ordering of individuals based is just as important, if not more
footwork and amazing ball con- upon competitive one-on-one important, than athletic ability
trol? Their skill is just as impor- tasks,” said Wilson. in determining performance of
tant, if not more important, Members of the quasi-profes- complex traits, such as perfor-
than athletic ability, according sional UQ Football Club mance on the football field.” ■
to a recent study. (UQFC) were recruited as exper- IANS

PHOTOS: AFP
 Tuesday, June 30, 2009
07
Websites of the day Frogs legs mystery solved
Get your daily dose of Sudoku here:
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dragonfly nymphs that eat the tadpoles legs.
www.guinnessworldrecords.com

Downturn creates more

working moms in Asia and having a job at the same time

T
he economic crisis is turn- - even though, given a choice,
ing more Asian women into many mothers would prefer to
CFOs, or chief family offi- This was stay at home and watch their
cers, according to a new sur- particularly children grow up, Harish said.
vey, juggling work and childcare Some 81 percent of mothers
as they try to boost the family the case in surveyed said they felt so busy
income. the fast-paced these days that they did not
Three in four people in Asia be- spend enough time with their
lieve women are capable of jug- economies children, which Harish said, led
gling work and family of Taiwan, to many moms over-indulging
successfully, the massive survey Singapore and their children to assuage their
of 33,000 people in 16 countries guilt.
showed. Hong Kong, “In many ways, women have
Asian women have long been but less so evolved, while many men still
part of the region’s workforce, maintain a traditional attitude
but the global economic down- in developing and do not acknowledge that
turn has made having a job a ne- countries they need to take part in the
cessity for most, according to the such as child-minding and running the
“Eye on Asia” poll by global mar- house,” Harish said.
keting communications firm Bangladesh, Overall, nearly two-thirds of
Grey Group. Indonesia Asians said they felt society sup-
“This, however, has put a lot of ported working mothers, which,
pressure on many women, who and Vietnam in many cases, meant grandpar-
in addition to having a career, ents taking care of the children.
must also take on the role of chief The survey polled 33,000 peo-
family officer,” Charu Harish, re- ple in 16 countries: Australia,
gional communications planning and employee, which puts them 90 per cent said it was necessary Pacific respondents worry about Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong,
director for Grey Group Asia Pa- in an unfair, and little recognised for mothers to work to contribute their finances and were saving for India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea,
cific, said. position.” to the family income, especially the future. Malaysia, New Zealand, the Phi-
“Because of the traditional atti- According to the survey, one of in the current economic climate. Over three-quarters believed lippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka,
tudes, women feel they must be the largest snapshots of opinions The same survey found that a women were capable of doing Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. ■
the picture-perfect wife, mother and trends in the region, nearly majority - 86 per cent - of Asia both - taking care of the family Reuters

Queen orders count of swans I stare because I care

Q uiet please - Queen Elizabeth
is preparing to have her
swans counted.
Buckingham Palace has an-
nounced that the annual Swan
Upping, a tradition dating back
to the 12th century, which in-
volves a census of the swan pop-
ulation on the River Thames,
will be conducted by the
queen’s official Swan Marker
from July 20-24. It may seem eccentric, but it
“With the assistance of the is very important to the Queen.
Queen’s Swan Warden, Profes- According to custom, Bri-
sor Christopher Perrins of the tain’s sovereign owns all un-
University of Oxford, the swans marked, mute swans in open
and young cygnets are also as- water, but the queen now exer-
sessed for any signs of injury or cises the right only on stretches
disease,” Buckingham Palace of the Thames and its nearby
said in announcing the count. tributaries.
The process involves the In medieval times, the Swan
Swan Marker, David Barber, Marker would not only travel up
rowing up the Thames for five the river counting the swans,
days with the Swan Warden in but would catch as many as pos-
traditional skiffs while wearing sible as they were sought-after
special scarlet uniforms and for banquets and feasts. ■
쒀 A chihuahua named Maggie (R) and an Irish wolfhound named Merlin take part
counting, weighing and mea- Reuters
in a dog show in the northern German city of Hamburg. PHOTO: AFP
suring swans and cygnets.
08 SPORT ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Shiv signs off tied eighth

Shiv Kapur (65) and SSP Chowrasia (68) turned in their best cards
of the week to sign off tied eighth and tied 21st respectively at
the BMW International golf tournament. While Shiv totalled
16-under 272 overall, Chowrasia ended with a four-round score
of 11-under 277.

Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva (centre) jokes with

teammates after winning the Fifa Confederations Cup
final match against United States at the Ellis Park
Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday. PHOTO: AFP

Samba boys triumph again

Brazil comes from two goals down to win Confederations Cup

F
ive-time world cham- cio then rose at the far post to kind of pressure.” Robinho, Felipe Melo, Mai- Hansson waved play on.
pions Brazil came from head in a corner from substi- A capacity crowd in Johan- con and Andre Santos were all After Kaka’s effort, there was
two goals down to defeat tute Elano to wreck US dreams nesburg’s Ellis Park stadium foiled by Howard, but the Ever- some desperate defending by
the United States 3-2 in and give the Selecao a third saw Brazil begin strongly, but ton keeper could do nothing to the US as the Brazilians began
the final of the Confederations Confederations Cup title after then go behind in the 10th prevent Luis Fabiano getting to dominate, but the Ameri-
Cup in Johannesburg. wins in 1997 and 2005. minute when Fulham midfiel- Brazil back in the game in the cans enjoyed a brief spell of
Captain Lucio headed an “This means everything to der Dempsey opened the scor- 46th minute. possession midway through
84th-minute winner after two me,” Lucio said. “When Brazil ing as he neatly glanced in a Despite the close attention the half and first Donovan and
second-half goals by Luis Fa- wins then I thank God. God is cross from Jonathan Spector of Jay DeMerit, the striker swi- then Dempsey tested Julio Ce-
biano on Sunday to ensure a the only one who knows, I for his third goal of the tourna- velled on the edge of the area sar with shots from outside the
successful title defence for Bra- thank God for having the op- ment. Donovan then stunned to find enough room to fire a area.
zil, who had been stunned by portunity to give joy to the the favourites with a fine sec- shot past Howard into the cor- US resistance was finally
first-half goals for the United country.” ond on the break in the 27th ner of the net. broken in the 74th minute
States from Clint Dempsey and American captain Carlos Bo- minute, in which he fed Char- Howard again came to the when Fabiano headed in after
Landon Donovan. The US canegra said that their side had lie Davies on the left on a run rescue when he dived to stop a Robinho had turned a Kaka
came close to a first title in a simply run out of steam. “I from inside his own half, took Lucio header from a corner, cross from the left onto the un-
senior Fifa competition, after think after putting in such a the return and cut inside Ra- but was fortunate when a Kaka derside of the bar for his fifth
taking a two-goal lead, but Bra- terrific first half performance, mires before hitting a left foot header deflected off the keep- goal of the tournament. With
zil were rewarded for second- we simply ran out of steam in shot past Julio Cesar in goal. er’s gloves onto the underside six minutes remaining, Brazil
half pressure with Fabiano’s the second,” he said. “The Bra- At the other end goalkeeper of the bar. Kaka appealed for a clinched victory when substi-
goals in the 46th and 74th min- zilians just came at us and that Tim Howard kept the US ahead goal and television replays tute Elano swung in a corner
utes taking his tally to five for is why they are some of the with a series of fine saves as showed the ball had crossed from the right and Lucio rose
the tournament. best players in the world. It is Brazil desperately tried to get the line before Howard got to it to head powerfully just inside
Bayern Munich defender Lu- very difficult to withstand that back in the game. but Swedish referee Martin the far post. ■
DPA
 Tuesday, June 30, 2009
09

‘‘
I love Origin football and for me, with Origin football comes a few beers. I was
wrapped up in watching football and then when I got back (from the pub) I
knew then (my career was over).
Andrew Symonds

Languishing nowhere
AIFF fails to mend its ways as football in India suffers time and again
AYON SENGUPTA children in rural India,” a statement from The federation, still headed by former
[email protected] the group read. “Given our deep com- Union Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi,
mitment to the education programme, who has been in coma for almost a year

N
othing’s going to change for the we have decided to put the football a- now, has also failed to appoint a CEO for
better in Indian football. The irre- cademy project on hold for now.” its “professional” I-League. “A profes-
sponsible All-India Football Feder- The proposed academy, which had al- sional League needs a CEO and we have
ation running the show in the so drawn interest from Manchester Unit- passed a resolution in this regard but we
same lackadaisical way for the last many ed on a technical level, had run into are yet to finalise a choice. We also dis-
years has again failed to hold on to an rough weather at the very beginning. A cussed it in our last executive committee
olive branch dangled by a sympathetic tussle between Goan football chiefs and meeting in early June,” AIFF vice-presi-
corporate. also state ministers made it virtually im- dent Subrata Dutta said. “We will sort it
Bharti Enterprise had promised to possible for the AIFF to take possession out soon.”
pump in investment worth Rs. 100 crore of the land. A decision to move the acad- Even the club licensing system, neces-
for a modern football academy for the emy, first to Tamil Nadu and then Harya- sary for AFC Champions League partici-
federation in Goa a year ago. But infight- na, also bore no fruit. While no suitable pation, has not been followed
ing between AIFF officials and their in- land was found in Tamil Nadu, the Ha- thoroughly. According to AFC criteria,
ability to acquire land had already ryana Football Association headed by clubs in India have to be separate legal
landed the project in doldrums. And the state Chief Minister’s son Deepender and commercial entities. But interesting-
now, if officials from Bharti are to be Singh Hooda (a Lok Sabha member) also ly, I-League side Air India still hasn’t ful-
believed, the project has been complete- failed to allocate any land, months after filled the criterion of being an
ly scrapped. they made a proposal to AIFF and Bharti. independent commercial entity and is
“At this point we are focused on roll- “It’s a big setback for us. The academy still a government-owned club with AIFF
ing out the Satya Bharti School Program would have solved a lot of our problems acting president Praful Patel as its head.
through the Bharti Foundation, the phil- and set an agenda for future growth,” With problems on every side, the AIFF
anthropic arm of Bharti group. Under an AIFF official said on condition of ano- is desperately trying to find a silver lin-
this programme we are providing free nymity. “But we haven’t given up all ing, banking on the senior national
quality education to underprivileged hope. Our acting president Praful Patel is team’s success at the 2011 Asia Cup. But
set to meet Sunil Mittal, chairman and with little government grants and practi-
CEO of Bharti Enterprises, to sort out the cally no corporate support that too looks
issues.” a distant dream right now. ■
Indian players celebrate their AFC
Challenge Cup win, which gave them
a ticket to the main round of the
Asia Cup in 2011. PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA
10 FLICK ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Anurag Basu to make film on his own life

Anurag Basu, director of films like Gangster: A Love Story and Life In A... Metro, wants to
make a film on his own life. “I’ve lots to say about my life… Maybe now it’s my own turn.
There’s so much about my life to be told,” Basu said. His next directorial venture is the
much talked-about Kites, which stars Hrithik Roshan and Mexican actress Barbara Mori.

‘Both Kareena and

Katrina are really good’
Akshay Kumar on Kambakkht Ishq and his oft-repeated female leads

A
fter a dull response to out what I have learnt from
his previous releases them (Kareena and Katrina)
8X10 Tasveer and yet, but yes, working with
Chandni Chowk to them was a learning experi-
China, Akshay Kumar is ence,” says the actor, who
looking forward to Kam- has also teamed up with Pri-
bakkht Ishq to turn the tide. yanka Chopra, Deepika Pa-
The film releases this Friday dukone and Ayesha Takia.
and stars Kareena Kapoor Akshay plays a Hollywood
opposite him. stuntman in Kambakkht
Ask Akshay to compare Ishq, which also boasts of
Kareena with Katrina Kaif, big Hollywood names like
his other favourite co-star, Sylvester Stallone, Denise
and he says, “Both Kareena Richards and Brandon
and Katrina are really good Routh – working with whom
but who is the better among has been a “dream come
them depends on their roles true” for the actor.
in the films. Otherwise, both In the film, Akshay has
of them have sexy bodies done what he is best at – ac-
and are absolutely wonder- tion and daredevilry – so-
ful actresses,” says Akshay. mething that had taken a
Akshay has done four backseat in his career for a
films with Katrina, including while.
Namastey London and Singh “I decided to stop doing
Is Kinng, while he has stunts till Aarav (son) turns
worked with Kareena in five at least six. Now I’m back at
that include hits Ajnabee it again. In Blue, which is an
and Aitraaz. action thriller, I have done
“In Kambakkht Ishq, Ka- some death-defying stunts,
reena has performed very like the one where I had to
well. Her character required swim 150 feet underwater
to answer back at me and be with 30-40 sharks. But I will
strong and she has por- talk about it sometime lat-
trayed it in a powerful, yet er,” he said.
lovable way. On the other At the moment, the 41-
hand, even Katrina was real- year-old actor is pinning
ly good in Namastey Lon- hopes on Sajid Nadiadwa-
don. So it’s not really about la’s Kambakkht Ishq. “I’m
my choice... it all depends expecting great response for
on their roles,” the actor this film. Though I had
says. worked very hard in Chand-
Akshay, who has spent ni Chowk... , the response
more than 18 years in the didn’t turn out to be as ex-
Hindi film industry, says pected. Some people and
acting with a new league of critics didn’t like it and 8X10
actresses is a learning expe- Tasveer was more like an art
rience. film, which has a niche mar-
“As a senior actor, I don’t ket in India. Kambakkht
always have to give out tips Ishq is a complete entertain-
to the younger ones. In fact, er and I hope the audience
I feel I can learn a lot from appreciates it,” he says.
the younger generation be- Apart from Kambakkht
cause they have new ways of Ishq, Akshay will also be
acting and a different ap- seen in Blue, De Dana Dan
proach to work. and Action Replay. ■
I cannot particularly point IANS

Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor pose during a promotional event of Kambakkht Ishq in Mumbai recently. PTI PHOTO
 Tuesday, June 30, 2009
11
Russell Crowe leaves 600-pound tip
Russell Crowe left behind a 600-pound tip during a recent trip to a
small bar in South Wales. He also gave a pleasant surprise to the
people present by playing several songs on his guitar with his friends.
The Gladiator star had gone with co-stars to Carew Inn near Tenby for
a toast from his side.

‘Jennifer Aniston’s
simply
a friend’

Family plans to bury

Jackson in Neverland
B
radley Cooper has dismissed ru-
mours that he’s dating Jennifer An-
iston and requested the media to
stop spreading baseless news.
T he family of Michael Jackson is planning to bury
the late ‘King of Pop’ at his fantasy themed abode,
Neverland, on Wednesday.
He said in a press conference in Paris, The family had earlier held a meeting to plan the pop
France: “She’s a friend of mine. icon’s last rites and they want to bury Jackson at the
Simply, simply, just a friend. California ranch, a family member told British tabloid
In America, it’s not like it Sun.
is here. She’s someone “We are making the arrangements now, we are not
who is super, super finished with it but we are gonna have it,” Jackson’s
known. Famous,” the father Joe Jackson had told reporters.
Daily Star reports. The Thriller legend’s brother Tito (55) had also earlier
Apart from regular said that the clan had spent all afternoon deciding
gossips on the net, the arrangements.
speculations of an af- They met in the Los Angeles home of Jackson and
fair between the two plan to hold an intimate ceremony along with a
gained ground after public memorial.
they were spotted to- Family lawyer Brian Oxman told Jackson’s global
gether at the romantic legions of followers, “I can’t imagine that the fans
New York Italian res- would be excluded.” ■
taurant, Cantinori. PTI
However, he insist-
ed that there is noth-
ing happening,
adding: “If someone Jacko wanted to star in
says ‘hello’ to her, it’s
given that he’s fallen in ‘Phantom Of The Opera’
love with her. So, no.
No. She’s a very, very in-
teresting woman, but
T heatre impresario Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has
revealed that Michael Jackson wanted to star in the
movie version of the hit
she’s simply a friend.” musical Phantom of the
The actor, who shared Opera.
frame with Aniston in He’s After watching the show,
Just Not That Into You, fur- which debuted in 1988,
ther explained: “We made a numerous times the King
film together but we didn’t of Pop discussed seriously
have any scenes together. I with Lloyd about starring
got hired in at the beginning of as ‘The Phantom’ in a big
the casting, and my part was screen adaptation of the
solely with Scarlett Johansson hit musical.
and Jennifer Connelly. Which However, when the
isn’t bad at all.” helmer did make the
Bradley Cooper was last movie in 2004, he cast
seen in The Hangover. ■ Gerard Butler.
ANI “The story got to him. I
think he had a
connection with the
lonely, tortured musician. He found the idea of
somebody working through music and having a girl
as a muse very intriguing – and he loved that there
was illusion in the show,” Contactmusic quoted
Webber as saying. ■
ANI

GETTY IMAGES
12 ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Today’s Query: C.S.Karthikeyan

from Verizon has
nominated his
If you would relate friends as Partners
in Crime. This pic
yourself to a comic was clicked at
Munnar during
character who would it their team trip.

be and why?
■ Superman: to save this world from
evils.
Rajeshkumar D.
Allsec Technologies

■ Spiderman because he had

different type of journey in his life
Sengunther Balaji
Allsec Technologies

■ Scrat (ice age) bcoz I’m always

risking my life while driving
Saravanan TCS

■ Poppy the sailor he s really funny Jayaraj from

but clever too Sutherland Global
K.Sivaramakrishnan Allsec, Services has
Shajahan IBM nominated his
friends as Partners
■ Pink panther in Crime. This
Sai Wipro picture was clicked
from Topslip.
■ Olive bcoz I’m so lean
Rani TCS-serve

■ Tom n Jerry
Arun Baskar Allsec,
CP.Rajesh

■ Calvin bcoz I’m funny and

imaginative
Aravind Pandian
Sutherland

■ Johnny bravo ena enaku girls

mathilae avlo craze
D.Ajay Kumar TCS

■ Kanni theevu laila Naresh Kumar.K

Kalpana from TCS e-Serve
Wipro Technologies Limited has
nominated his
■ Azhagiya Cinderella team as Partners in
Dhivya Prabha Crime. With a
Wipro Technologies special mention
about Janaki, the
■ He-man I’m big like him girl in the middle,
Mohan Sridharan, TCS she has been
nominated as
criminal of all
Today’s Query: criminals. This
photo was clicked
What excuses would at Yelagiri during
their trip.
you give if you forget
your friend’s birthday?
 Tuesday, June 30, 2009
13

■ Dear (Hexaware Tester) Saravana &

(Vetti aapicer) Nattu,
Senthil Babu, Team Manager of HCL Wish you a very happy birthday :-)
Technologies has been nominated as May god bless you forever and shower you
Office Angel by Ilangovan and his team. guys with loads of happiness and
tonnes of love.
He is jovial and generous to all. It is Wish you a happy & prosperous life ahead.
very difficult to find such an easy going Let your drmz
person in our life. He is known for atleast love from any of your girl friends )
optimistic, helping and masti in our team. come true very soon !! :-)
His mantra is “Be happy; Take things Have a bashing day ahead machissss !
easily” He is simply the best! Enjoy !! ** Note ** : Dont forget to give a
treat today @ Rain forest Luving fnd,
Karthik A, Polaris

■ Dear Reva,
Wish You Many More Happy Returns of
the Day !
Wishing you a lot of happiness and good
health in the year ahead !!
Keep smiling :)
Lots of Luv ,
Ranjani, Revathy.G, Sowmya,
Srividya, Samata Regards Ranjani.S
Wipro Technologies

■ Dear Nagaraj,
Amal Kuriakose Hope your Birthday gently breezes into
from Wipro your life all the choicest of things and
Technologies all that your heart holds as you step into
doodled this. the next part of your life.
Let this day be very special to you and
I wish you not only happiness and love,
but all success in everything you do.
May your life be even brighter as each
birthday comes and goes!
Have A Fun Filled HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Warmest greetings from
C. Anantharaman,
Kumaran Systems Pvt. Ltd.,
Tidel Park.

■ Hello friend (Joamy naye)

Its a nice feeling when you know that
someone likes you,
someone thinks about you,
someone needs you;
but it feels much better when you know
that someone never ever forgets your
birthday.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY’’ dear. (marapoma
treat kidaikumla)
For u we are always here to stay, each
year to wish Joamy (MP) happiest b day
With Lots of wishes from,
Krishna Priya, Sridhar Ganesan
and from D/O Jeeva (kavitha)

■ Dear Deeps,
1.Teacher: Maria, go to the map and find North America . "The journey is the reward."
Maria : Here it is! May the journey of your life be filled with
Teacher : Correct. Now class, who discovered America ? adventures to thrill you,
Class : Maria! new roads to explore,
2.Teacher : Why are you late, Frank? new horizons to reach and may you
Frank : Because of the sign. achieve SUCCESS in whatever you do!
Teacher : What sign With Cheers,
Frank : The one that says, "School Ahead, Go Slow." Mahesh, HCL Technologies.
Prem Kumar,
HCL Technologies
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009

$150K worth art found in attic

A widower found $150,000 worth of art work in his
attic in England after forgetting the items were there.

sudoku

Naru Bangi
from TCS shot
this picture at
Tampa, FL in
US using
CANON S3 IS
camera
Hobbies:
Outting with
friends,
Photography

So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never really had the
KAKURO
platform? Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it in this space, with credit.
E-mail: [email protected]

TEAM
Editor: Karthik Subramanian
[email protected]

Sr Dy Chief Designer: J.A. Prem Kumar

Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan
Illustrator: R. Venugopal

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N. Ravichandran, E. Baskar

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KASTURI & SONS LTD., at Plot B-6 & B-7,
CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar,
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Anna Salai, Chennai-600002. Editor: S. Karthik
(Editor responsible for selection of news under
the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553
 Tuesday, June 30, 2009
15
Couple wed and split up on same day World Dwarf Games in N Ireland
A Polish couple in Germany got married - only to decide to split The World Dwarf Games will be held in Northern Ireland. More
up and asked for an annulment on the same day. than 200 ’little’ people from 15 countries will compete.

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

With a practical attitude, you will speedily
accomplish the routine tasks. Even if there is
additional work, you should be able to finish it
before the day ends. Your beloved may want you to
express your love in a better manner.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

Today’s astral configuration gives you confidence. So
you will be able to make quick decisions, which will
help you finish your routine tasks in advance. In
matters related to heart, you will be hard-headed.
Letters can help you get your message across.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

Personal life may become a bit demanding today.
BORN LOSER Your pragmatic approach will help you handle issues
with perfect ease. You steadfastly follow all the
office rules, but you will refuse to work overtime.
Avoid any confrontation with your superiors.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
Activities related to Research and Development may
captivate your interest. As your mind will be full of
creative ideas, Ganesha suggests you to note them
down for future use. With so many activities on
your agenda, your love life will take a backseat.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
The planets are focused on your vocal abilities. You
may tend to be a little liberal while imparting your
advice. But ensure that you don’t hurt anyone’s
feelings. On the love front, your partner is likely to
get upset by your unrelenting jabber.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
You are likely to plan a schedule. Ganesha suggests
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT that you strictly adhere to it. Proper time
management will not only help you finish work but
also give you ample time to spend with your
sweetheart. Lovers may find the day very positive.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
Today, your analytical skills will make a handy
troubleshooter at workplace. However, don’t get
disheartened for failing to solve a couple of
problems. Though you are romantic, you may not
find enough time to share with your beloved.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
You will be able to complete your routine tasks
with ease. The cooperation of colleagues will be
invaluable. Support from superiors may also
encourage you work on pending issues. And let
your beloved pick the spot for today’s outing.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
Your pending folder will be full and you need to be
exceptionally pragmatic to meet the work deadline.
Your love life will be demanding and you won’t be
able to pay enough attention to it. Think of the
different ways to appease your partner.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
You may rely on your luck today. You are likely to
lend an ear to other’s opinions and ideas. Meetings
might keep you occupied throughout the day. On
the love front, the time and attention you devote to
your lover will bring happiness to your relationship.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS You’ll not only need to make a list of obligations
but also fulfil them. At the workplace, you may try
ISSUE’S to find a solution to a pending issue by discussing it
with others. Be wary of colleagues who envy your
SOLUTIONS efficiency. Love life will be uneventful.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
You will be quite receptive to others’ views. You are
slightly more emotional than others and tend to
take things to your heart. But today try to take
criticism constructively. You will be on cloud nine
with tender loving care showered by your lover.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009

A two-month-old baby wearing a T-shirt with a picture of

late US pop icon Michael Jackson is held by his father in
front of Jackson’s house in Los Angeles, California. PHOTO: AFP

A man performs a bungee jump from the top of a thermal

power plant, closed 11 years ago, in Soweto. PHOTO: AFP

A participant in a soapbox derby race competes in Berlin.

A Pakistani youth cools off in a canal during a heat wave in The race takes place in Berlin for the 50th time. PHOTO: AFP
Lahore. PHOTO: AFP