Asin: To sir, with love...

The Bollywood horizon is seeing two young and beautiful stars shining. Yes, we’re talking about Anushka Sharma and Asin. Anyway, with Anushka having got her share of the limelight, we’ll pan in on Asin for the timebeing. Talk to her about her ‘Khan-tastic’ experience of having worked with Aamir in Ghajini and Salman in London Dreams, and Asin says that she dare not address the two by their first names. “They are very senior to me, that’s why I address them only as sir,” she confesses. By the way, that’s also the way Priyanka Chopra addresses Shah Rukh Khan. Wonder what Sir Shah Rukh and Sir Salman have to say about all this? They’d prefer it over ‘Uncle’ any day, eh?

Ishant is a treasure we need to protect

Ishant Sharma, the teen pace sensation of Indian cricket team, is a treasure which India needs to protect well to keep firing at the opposition batting line-ups, former India paceman TA Sekar said on Monday.
Sekar, the former MRF Pace Foundation head coach, said Sharma was a unique talent and needed to be handled cautiously. “Ishant is a treasure. We need to wrap him in cotton wool and protect him so that he can last long. He makes a good combination with Zaheer.”
“It’s important that we monitor his progress well. We should never play him if he feels even a little uncomfortable,” Sekar said on the sidelines of a fucntion here.
Sekar said the 20-year-old Sharma needs to improve his physique which will make him even better.
“He has to build up his body. That is going to help him survive for long. He knows his body best and should be given immediate rest even if he encounters a niggle,” he said.
However, Sekar did not read much into Sharma getting injured so early in his career as he missed the first two One-dayers of the India-England series. “Any bowler, who is bowling at a speed of 135 kms or more, will face some injuries. Ishant just had a niggle at that time and it was sensible to rest him.”
Meanwhile, former India strike bowler Javagal Srinath said the expo-sure of Twenty20 cricket has helped Zaheer Khan and Ishant become better bowlers in longer formats of the game.
“To some extent, the T20 cricket has helped bowlers. It’s a lot of pres-sure bowling in this format. It has helped Zaheer and Ishant, which was evident in the India’s performance against England in the ODIs,” Srinath said.
Recently England allrounder Andrew Flintoff had also said that rea-son for India’s domination in the Onedayers was their exposure to IPL, which helped Indian bowlers develop certain deliveries.
However, Sekar was not willing to buy Flintoff ’s theory and said the motive of saying that was different. “I do not agree with him (Flintoff). He wants to play in IPL and that’s why he suggested that in a way to his Board. They have played more Twenty20 cricket than India,”

Where’s the time for love?

When she debuted in 2005 in Lucky-No Time for Love, opposite Salman Khan, Sneha Ullal had people talking about her – not for her acting – but for her resemblance with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. And then she did the disappearing act. But Sneha’s back now – as the lead, in her forthcoming releases.
“I didn’t think that one day, I will become an actress. It was Salman who made this happen and I am very thankful to him,” says Sneha when asked about how she got to be an actress.
And now she’s starring opposite Sahil, a stark newcomer. Sneha will also soon be seen in an English film with Anupam Kher, directed by Tom George. “I am very excited that I got a chance to work with Anupamji. Also, this is my first Hollywood project,” she says. And because she’s so busy, says Sneha, she has no time for love. “I am single and don’t have time for love,” she says.

Brand bind theory

Celebrity endorsements are not only about big monies and big brands, but also about clauses and conditions. CT on these starry contracts...



Hollywood star Charlize Theron was recently asked to cough up $20 million for wearing the wrong watch. Wondering why? Theron reportedly violated the endorsement deal with watchmaker Raymond Weil by failing to exclusively wear the costly wristwatch in public. When Diary Milk and Pepsi were dragged into controversy over the issue of insects and pesticides being found in their products, their brand ambassadors went about the damage control exercise by mediating with the public and convincing them about the purity of these products.

Going by the face of it, our celebrity brand ambassadors seem tied down by their contracts and are forced to put the brand before all else in many a situation.
WHY STARS SELL



A brand ambassador is always exclusive to a product in a category. That’s more likely why a celebrity sells as an ambassador. Veena, CEO of Naturals, puts it subtly, “Stars are known faces. They have an image which, when coupled with our brand’s quality, helps our products sell. Deepika Pallikal is young and popular. People can relate to her and that is the reason we roped her in to endorse Naturals.” People buy products after they see the pretty faces of celebrities endorsing them. Says Radhika, sales head of a popular retail beauty outlet, “Beauty products which have been endorsed by Indian celebrities like Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, sell better here when compared to products that have been endorsed by foreign faces. The difference isn’t big, but is clearly visible.”



IT IS A MATTER OF CHOICE
Jerry, an ad director, says that while finding celebrities to endorse your product is important, it is even more crucial to choose the correct person to endorse a brand. “Tamannaah’s smile was remembered in the Sun Direct commercial while Shriya’s grace and royal looks made her the ideal choice for the gold palace ad. Cartoon characters were the best ambassadors for Amul,” he says. Shriya opines, “I endorse a product only after deciding if it suits me or not. I don’t agree to endorse a product just because I am being paid for it. It’s also our face value that counts. We become an excuse for people to choose a product.” Actor Prem, who has endorsed two brands of dhotis, jokes, “One would think I only wear dhotis. I have appeared in the advertisements of Premiere and Sibi dhotis. I was able to get the attention of the buyers because I looked good in those garments.” What really matters is the image that the public has of a star. Shankar Narayan, brand response head of a communication network, says that the sales figures of his brand shot up after a popular actor agreed to become their brand ambassador.



NO BONDS PLEASE
In most cases, there are no written bonds that are signed. “Precisely put, there are no written agreements. It is just a verbal agreement that exists. We, at Naturals, have an agreement with Deepika Pallikal. According to it, we reserve the right to use her image to promote our products and she gets the right to get a free makeover whenever she wants. Deepika’s endorsement of the product helps people look at Naturals through her eyes,” says Veena.
At the launch of the Esprit outlet in the city, its brand ambassador Madhavan was seen sporting Esprit clothing- jacket, trousers et al. Shriya also says that it is out of her own interest that she sports her brand in public. “In that particular span of time, I avoid using any other product. It is simply because it would not do any good to the product’s or her image. It is not out of compulsion, it is just a matter of feeling good,” says Shriya.
It is not only about being seen in public with the ‘correct’ brand but also about not being seen with wrong add-ons. Says Chaya Singh, “Though I signed a contract for a year with a gold house, the contract allowed me to endorse other products too. The only catch was that I should not be endorsing the products of another gold house, which I think is fair.”

JUMBO’S LAST FLIGHT

Matchwinner: Perfect 10





India’s Test skipper and leading wicket-taker in both Tests and ODIs, Anil Kumble, on Sunday announced his retirement from Test cricket, 18 years after his debut in 1990. M S Dhoni (carrying Kumble in picture above) will lead India in the fourth and final Test at Nagpur
Only the second bowler in Test history, after Jim Laker, to capture all 10 wickets in an innings, against Pak (10/74) at Kotla in 1999
Only Indian to claim 100 wickets against one country – 111 in 20 Tests against Australia
Leading Indian bowler with 619 wickets; third highest overall behind Muralitharan (756) and Shane Warne (708)
Tally of 350 wickets at home bettered only by Muralitharan’s 472
World record for most ‘caught and bowled’ dismissals (35)
World record for most lbw dismissals (156) Only bowler in 500-wicket club to score Test 100 — against England in his 118th Test, the most played by anyone to get a ton
Only Indian captain to win first Test as skipper and also get man of the match award — against Pakistan at Kotla in 2007
3 of his 10 MoM awards came at Kotla, where he finished with 58 wickets from 7 Tests
In 2002, famously bowled 14 overs with a broken jaw against Windies at Antigua and dismissed Brian Lara

Imprisoned by fame?

Pop star Britney Spears has revealed that her new image is a put on and that she would feel more free in a prison. The 26-year-old is working on an incredible comeback but in a new documentary, she explained, “There’s no excitement, there’s no passion. I have really good days, and then I have bad days. Even when you go to jail you know there’s the time when you’re gonna get out. But in this situation, it’s never ending. It’s just like Groundhog Day every day.” Spears is set to perform at the talent show X Factor in Britain and feels she is still paying the price for her public downfall. She added, “If you do something wrong in your work, you can move on, but I’m having to pay for a long time. I have always wanted to feel free.”

Down under, in style

Sarath Kumar and Shriya, along with director KS Ravikumar and the unit of Jaggubhai, were shooting in Australia last week. Two songs, a helicopter chase, a lead to the climax, has been shot in Melbourne and Brisbane. Last month, the unit was in Bangkok shooting some crucial scenes and a song for the film. Sarath Kumar is playing father to Shriya, with new Telugu girl Sreesha playing his wife in the film. Jaggubhai will also feature Kiran, who acted in films like Anbe Sivam and Winner.
The film is said to be an action-oriented story of a gangster who reforms and becomes a good Samaritan. Director Ravikumar had originally written the script keeping Superstar Rajinikanth in mind for the lead role. The buzz in the industry now is that the film will turn out to be a political message from Sarath Kumar to his electorate before he starts his state-wide campaign for the next Lok Sabha elections.

Yuvvraaj Movie Review

Directed by: Subhash Ghai
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Zayed Khan



Drama: Subhash Ghai, A R Rahman and Gulzar—the biggies come together to present this epic-looking (with a name like Yuvvraaj, it has to be) movie. Subhash Ghai’s last few outings at the BO haven’t really set it on fire, so, we can’t really vouch for this one. And the storyline seems rather ho-hum. Anyway, it’s the story of Deven Yuvvraaj (Salman Khan), a struggling singer who has signed an agreement with his girlfriend Anushka’s (Katrina Kaif) dad to become a billionaire in 40 days (best of luck, boy!). But the twist comes when Deven seeks the help of his estranged brothers (Anil Kapoor and Zayed Khan). And then… The fight between money versus family begins. Hopefully, the movie wil look better on screen than on paper!

Dhoni used resources well

Like a metallurgist extracting as much as he can from the ore in front of him, a captain must seek to get the best out of the team sheet that he possesses. Indeed, it would be fair to say that there are really two teams on match day; one that is handed over to the opposition captain and one that performs on the field. The first gives you an indicator of a team’s potential, it tells you what players can do. The second tells you what the captain managed to extract from the players.
On that count Dhoni is doing quite well. On the team sheet that he handed over to Kevin Pietersen there were four bowlers and three others who could do the job. England’s plan would therefore have been to target one of the four regular bowlers, on most days one bowler has an off day, and milk the fifth who would then have to do more than was expected of him. Yet, Dhoni has managed to extract a tremendous amount from his part-timers and in doing so, gives the team a better look than is immediately apparent.
Getting 20 overs out of Yuvraj was a fair achievement, getting 5 for 82 suggests that his instinct was right. He is also managing to get crucial overs out of Sehwag and Pathan and that means he always has a bowler in reserve. More important, for a captain he looks cool on the field and that gives the impression he still has something up his sleeve. It is more important than seems appar-ent.
Meanwhile, England seem to have got into a tangle about spin bowling. There is the odd nudge here and there but little attempt to take the spinner on. These pitches aren’t turning square, the odd ball might stop and turn but only a bit and spinners, like other bowlers, are happiest when no questions are being asked of them. And at the moment, India’s spinners are having a field day.
And England can attack because they bat deep. One of the reasons you do so is that one or two batsmen can be given a licence to go for it. England give the impression that they don’t trust the batting to follow. And so they finished about 30 short of where they might have been. Those thirty could have changed the match. Maybe the series.
It tells me that in this era of instant cricket tours, a lot of the homework needs to be done before the tour begins.

UK lost 24,000 jobs in a week

British companies have cut more than 24,000 jobs over the past week, after Rolls-Royce, AstraZeneca and BAE Systems on Thursday added to the growing tally of unemployment.
Rolls-Royce said on Thursday that between 1,500 and 2,000 jobs will be lost over the next year, with 140 expected to go at its assembly and test facility in Derby. The aerospace engineer employs 39,000 workers globally, and 60% of its workforce is based in the UK.
AstraZeneca, the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceuticals company, said it planned to cut 1,400 jobs and close three factories in Europe as part of a programme to improve efficiency. About 250 jobs in Macclesfield and Sweden are likely to be affected.
The factories earmarked for closure are in Spain, Belgium and Sweden and the jobs will be lost there by 2013.
A further 200 jobs will go at BAE Systems, at factories in Newcastle, Leeds, Leicester, Barrow and Telford. The company, which blamed the cuts on declining workload on the Armoured Fighting Vehicle Programme for the Ministry of Defence, said it would launch a voluntary redundancy programme immediately.
Falling sales and rising investor withdrawals from unit trusts have prompted Fidelity International, the fund manager, to cut 300 jobs. Daily Mail and General Trust, the newspaper and information publisher, on Thursday said that 400 jobs had been lost across the group over the past two months as part of previously announced cost-cutting measures.
The announcements bring the number of jobs cut by British companies since last Wednesday to more than 24,000.
Deutsche Bank is also expected to announce that it will dismiss about 900 staff, or one in seven traders. The German bank had avoided the worst of the financial storm, but frozen markets have hit investment banking and trading, the main driver of its business. The staff will be cut from Deutsche Bank’s global markets division, which employs 7,000 traders mostly in London and New York.
Deutsche Bank’s traders are among the highest-paid in the City and on Wall Street. They typically would take a disproportionately large share of the 13 billion pound that the bank paid last year to a total workforce of more than 80,000.
Last week, BT announced that 10,000 jobs would go. The Royal Bank of Scotland is to cut 3,000 jobs, Virgin Media 2,000 and the closure of a GlaxoSmithKline factory in Kent will result in 620 losses. Earlier this week Wolseley, the construction company, announced a further 2,000 jobs, on top of previous reductions. Citigroup also announced that 52,000 jobs would go worldwide, of which 2,000 are expected to be lost in the UK.
Last week, unemployment hit an 11-year high of 1.82 million. TIMES, LONDON

Biryani buys Blue Foods chain

In a complicated and layered deal, retail chain magnate Kishore Biyani now owns the rights to all the existing Cream Centre and Copper Chimney restaurants in Mumbai city, barring the original ones at Chowpatty and Worli.



The private equity arm of Future Group — Indivision India Partners — has now become a senior partner in the food and beverages (F&B) company, Blue Foods, which operates a chain of restaurants. With an investment of Rs 150 crore, the “structured transaction” — which gives the Future Group a stake of over 50% in Blue Foods — is expected to help grow the business as well as bring in more brands.



Blue Foods owns restaurant brands Cream Centre, Copper Chimney, Bombay Blue, Noodle Bar, Gelato Italiano, Spaghetti Kitchen and a franchisee agreement with California-based coffee chain, Coffee Beans & Tea Leaf. Set up as a chain of multi-cuisine lifestyle restaurants around 2003, Blue Foods had two promoters — Sunil Kapoor of Copper Chimney fame and Sanjeev Chona of Cream Centre fame in Mumbai. The duo had a strategic alliance with the promoters of Royal Sporting House of Singapore.



Grappling with high operational costs, Future group’s Pantaloon retail was brought into the picture three years ago, in a 50:50 joint venture (JV) with Blue Foods. The JV was called Pan Foods Solutions. The new deal — with the entry of Indivision — has resulted in the merger of Pan Foods with Blue Foods.

Under the new deal, Copper Chimney at Worli in Central Mumbai will continue to belong to Sunil Kapoor, while Cream Centre at Mumbai’s famed Chowpatty will remain in the personal ownership of Sanjeev Chona. But, Indivision now owns the licence to two other Cream Centre’s in the city and is also the licensee of the Copper Chimney brand for other locations across the metropolis, except the one at Worli, sources said.

When contacted, Kishore Biyani refused to comment on the deal, terming it a “highly financial-oriented transaction.” Sunil Kapoor and Sanjeev Chona could not be reached for comment.



While the Future group brought to the table real estate and property, the other partners brought in their speciality in the food business. As a result of the JV, more formats like food courts, called ‘Spoon,’ were set up.
Sources indicated that a few months ago, Sunil Kapoor had decided to buy out Sanjeev Chona’s stake in Blue Foods. It was then that the Future Group also decided to hike its stake.