SYMOND PERSPECTIVE

Infamous five

2009-06-30T07:57:00.001+05:30

Priyanka Chopra loses a film after demanding a Rs 5 crore pay cheque

Is Priyanka Chopra getting too big for her boots? According to reports, when approached by Sanjay Gadhvi for 7 Days In Paris, co-starring Imran Khan, she demanded Rs 5 crore. Gadhvi and the producer, who were already reeling under the shock of Katrina’s obvious disapproval of the script, were flabbergasted. Consequently, Priyanka lost out on the film.
A source said, “The producers were shocked when Priyanka asked for such a huge fee. They tried to reason with her but she refused to relent.”
Maybe Priyanka was trying her luck after she got Rs 3 crore to star opposite Uday Chopra in Pyaar Impossible. “This time, she was not so lucky. The producers would rather wait and sign someone else rather than pay such a huge sum,” the source added.
While Priyanka’s official spokesperson said, “Priyanka has not been offered Gadhvi’s film,” our source insisted that Priyanka was approached for the role and she asked for much moolah. Priyanka Chopra and Sanjay Gadhvi did not reply to our text messages.
As things stand today, Katrina might agree to do the film as the script is being reworked. The source added, “Katrina will take the final call only after the script is fully ready.” In case things don’t work out with Katrina, Gadhvi is also in advanced talks with Genelia D’Souza and Asin. The film is scheduled to go on the floors early next month.

WORLD CHAMPIONS T20-ED

2009-06-15T07:39:00.000+05:30

England Beat India By 3 Runs To Keep Semis Hope Alive

Bowl at the throat and knock them over! That seemed to be the motto for the English bowlers against India at Lord’s on Sunday. The tactic which had worked so beautifully for the West Indies on Friday, was tried by England too and with massive success. Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina both fell to short and pacy deliveries from Ryan Sidebottom in the second and fourth over as defending champions India crashed out of the ICC World Twenty20 tournament on Sunday.
Set to chase 154 to stay alive in the competition, after their seven wicket drubbing at the hands of West Indies, India, who won the toss and rather curiously chose to field, despite the Super 8 game being a knock out affair, never really recovered from those twin setbacks finished at for 150 for 5 and lost by three runs. Yusuf Pathan played a brave knock in the end to end with 33 not out of 17 balls but he could only do so much.
The loss is just deserves for the team and its captain who chose to treat Lord’s as a laboratory to conduct experiment after experiment when commonsense cricket would have been enough. Fielding first, sending Jadeja at 4 ahead of Yuvraj and Yusuf Pathan, when the scene was set for the in-form hitters to explode, bowling Yuvraj ahead of Harbhajan and fielding like novices, India, it seemed, only had one plan. To crash out and let their fans down. Even Sachin Tendulkar’s presence in the Indian dressing room and a packed house, mostly made up of Indians, didn’t
seem to inspire Dhoni and his boys. Why did he promote a struggling Jadeja (25 off 35 balls) ahead of a man who’s in brilliant hitting form and leave too much on his Yuvraj’s plate, God alone knows.
Earlier, India chose to to drop Irfan Pathan and Pragyan Ojha and include RP Singh and Ravindra Jadeja instead. England rode on Ravi Bopara’s run-a-ball 37 and Kevin Pietersen’s entertaining 46 and threatened to post a huge score, but Ravindra Jadeja dismissed them both and Harbhajan Singh bowled a tight spell which helped India to comeback and restrict the hosts to 153 for 7.

IPL May Be Off For This Year

2009-03-04T08:47:00.006+05:30

The Lahore attack is likely to extract a heavy toll on cricket in the subcontinent. International cricket in Pakistan is now out of the question for the next few years — and the country’s chances of co-hosting World Cup 2011 seem increasingly bleak — but Indian fans too may miss out on the muchanticipated Indian Premier League in April-June.
Hours after the Lahore attack, Union home minister P Chidambaram said he was worried terror in Pakistan could spill over into India. “It will be difficult to provide paramilitary forces for 40 matches and the elections too. I don’t want my forces to be stretched. (Hosting IPL after the elections) would be a better proposition,” he said.
IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said he would try to work out a new schedule within 24 hours. But BCCI sources said that given the packed international calendar, it would be impossible to hold the IPL any later. In effect, this year’s IPL would have to be scrapped, which could translate into big losses for the BCCI, IPL franchisees and players. It would be the second successive setback following the scrapping of the Champions League in the wake of the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai.
It will be difficult to provide paramilitary forces for 40 matches and the elections too. (Holding IPL after elections) would be a better proposition
P CHIDAMBARAM
International cricket in Pakistan is out of the question for now
DAVID MORGAN,
ICC PRESIDENT
I am worried where Pakistan will get a chance to play, not just in the country but outside as well.
INZAMAM-UL-HAQ
I don’t want to talk about cricket alone. The attacks have put Pakistan to shame. Please pray for us.
WASIM AKRAM
I am happy the government didn’t allow us to tour Pakistan.
MS DHONI ‘Who’ll come to Pakistan now?’
The IPL may stand cancelled following the terror attacks in Lahore.
Political observers said the UPA would not want to risk a terror attack targeted at an IPL match or at players during the Lok Sabha election campaign. Six out of the 8 IPL teams are based in UPA-run states.
Fans will be unhappy, but players will be disinclined to take chances. Subcontinental cricketers, who once laughed at the fears of white players, will now begin to think the same way, said some Indian team members.
When India pulled out of the Pakistan tour in January, Imran Khan had said that it was unthinkable that anyone, even terrorists, would attack cricketers. He may have been voicing what many players and administrators secretly believed. After Tuesday’s attack, that no longer holds good. Indeed, given the money and glamour that surrounds it, cricket — like Mumbai’s two five-star hotels — has become just too tempting a target for the merchants of menace.
The cricketing community was quick to condemn the attack on the Lankan team, which had embarked on a tour that no one else was willing to make. They only stepped in after India cancelled a much-anticipated January-February series due to security concerns, which proved to be tragically prescient. That was the third major event in Pakistan to be cancelled after Australia refused to tour in March 2008 and the ICC postponed the elite eight-nation Champions Trophy set for August until 2009.
Sri Lanka stepped in, becoming the first country to play a Test in Pakistan since South Africa in October 2007. There may not be another one anytime in the near future. Indeed, questions have arisen even about the cricket World Cup, which Pakistan is supposed to be co-hosting, in 2011.
Sharad Pawar, ICC vice-president and chairman of the organising committee of the 2011 World Cup, admitted that it would be difficult for Pakistan to remain a co-host. “We have decided to meet all the members who are organising this World Cup — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — sometime next week, and we have to take a decision.”
In Pakistan, former stars were left lamenting the increasingly bleak scenario for cricket in the country. Former captain Zaheer Abbas said the incident had disgraced Pakistan cricket. “Who will come to Pakistan after this incident?” he asked. Waqar Younis concurred. “This is not good for our society or for our cricket. We wanted foreign teams to come and play but now it looks remote. Hopes of hosting the World Cup are also receding. We have to agree with whatever ICC decides. People will refuse to travel to our part of the world.”
Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq went a step further. “Pakistan’s image will be hit and only time will tell how much damage has been done to Pakistan cricket. The World Cup too might be affected as no country would want to come to Pakistan now. I am worried where Pakistan will get a chance to play, not just in the country but outside as well.”
Incidentally, Pakistan’s next assignment is an ODI series against Australia in the UAE.

The queen of endorsements

2009-02-18T15:31:00.001+05:30

After the success of Fashion and Dostana, Priyanka Chopra has become hot property and has been flooded with endorsement offers. According to a survey, Priyanka is the ‘Queen of Endorsements’. The actress ranked second on the list of top-quality brand ambassadors of 2008, the first being Shah Rukh Khan. She’s also looking forward to her 12 avatars in Ashutosh Gowariker’s What’s Your Rashee? With news of her getting back together with Hurman Baweja, this girl seems to be having all the luck in the world!

‘I am paidwhat I’m worth’

2009-02-05T18:49:00.001+05:30

Trisha, who’s reportedly demanded more than a crore for a Gopichand film, says she doesn’t hike or drop her price...

THE fun-loving Trisha is back from a long holiday. “I love to take long breaks and go on vacations. I usually do so twice a year,” says Trisha, who was on a trip to Australia. “My friends and I try to cover various parts of the world. We went to Australia last time and liked it so much that we decided to go there again,” she says.
She’s back to work now and has resumed shooting for the Telugu remake of Abhiyum Naanum, the Tamil version having become a big hit. And she’s excited about it. “Heroines
don’t get to do such
roles. I’m happy
with the response I’ve received,” she says. This is Trisha’s fourth movie with Prakash Raj. “Prakash Raj and I have played various kinds of roles in other movies. This is the first time we share screen space as father and daughter. It’s totally different from what we’ve done before, something the audience would never have imagined,” says Trisha, who also comments on the young Manmohan Singh’s role, played by newbie Ganesh Venkatraman. “He’s a very dedicated newcomer who has turned out to be a good friend,” she says.
Trisha, who’s also shooting for Vishnuvardhan’s Sarvam, will be seen in Gopichand’s next untitled film as well. Apparently, she’s charging a bit more than Rs one crore for the movie. “I don’t hike my price and neither do I reduce it. The producer pays what I’m worth. Many people say money is first, but to me it’s secondary,” she says.
Rumour has it that Trisha’s next film will be with Dhanush. This apart, Trisha will be starring in a Tamil and Hindi film, to be directed by Gautam Vasudev Menon. “I don’t like to discuss films that are still in the pipeline. And if I were to act in Gautam’s film, it will be only in Tamil,” she confirms. Why not Bollywood? “I know it’s the biggest industry. But right now I’m content here,” she says. Although she’s open to films in all languages, Trisha denies rumours of she being part of a Sandalwood project. “I need the time for it, which I don’t have right now,” she clarifies.
Trisha is constantly making headlines, be it for professional or personal reasons, but she’s resigned herself to the situation. “Whether it’s positive or negative news, I read the paper and keep it aside. Good or bad, I’m in the limelight,” she says.

HIS MASTER’S VOICE

2009-02-05T18:33:00.002+05:30

Yuvraj Reveals Sachin’s Tips Helped Him Tame Mendis

In limited over cricket, he provides unlimited thrills. Be it the six sixes during the T20 World Cup or his entertaining annhilation of the Englishmen last year, Yuvraj Singh has been a delight for the Indian fans. Every time he scores big, he ends up giving a talismanic touch to the Indian team too. Of his 20 best knocks in ODI cricket, India have ended up winning 16 times for an amazing success percentage of 80. At the Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday, he once again displayed how the demolition job leaves the opposition in ruins.
His latest winning knock was sweet on many counts. He overcame a huge psychological barrier (read Ajantha Mendis), achieved a goal of scoring his first hundred against Lanka and also being part of an entertaining alliance with Virender Sehwag.
Mendis had made a mess of Yuvraj’s reputation six months ago when he claimed him thrice during the five-match series. Twice he was bowled and one he was leg before wicket which indicates the bowler’s dominance. In all he could muster just 72 runs from five matches. This time round, the Punjab batsman was determined in body and mind to deal with Mendis. “I was very disappointed with my performance in the last series,” he said on Tuesday night. “I worked a lot on my batting and had decided to prove the critics wrong. It was kind of a goal to come and do well in this series,” he said. There were some confessions too. “I felt I was a bit overweight in the last series. I felt I should be in top fitness condition this time round.”
Providing a huge dose of confidence was ‘The Master’ (as he is now referred to in the team), Sachin Tendulkar. “I talk to him about my batting often. He actually gave me plans to play Mendis in this series. He told me a few points which really helped in getting through my initial runs,” he said while explaining his extended celebration on getting the hundred last evening. “That’s why I showed the bat to him.” So what were the plans? “I can’t tell you what the plans were, but whatever he told me was really helpful.” It was learnt that Tendulkar spent close to an hour before the start of the series with Yuvraj. The tips have indeed proved helpful as Yuvarj’s scores in this series read a healthy 23, 66, 117 and is the highest rungetter (206) from either team in the ongoing series. A far cry from what he logged in the last series (23, 20, 12, 0, 17)
The 221-run partnership in 27.5 overs with Sehwag was another high for Yuvraj, who felt the man of the match award should have gone to both of them. “Kamaal ka batting tha,” he remarked. “It should have been better if the man of the match award was shared. Because he scored the runs at the same pace.” He doesn’t recall having batted together with Sehwag for so long. “I don’t remember me and Viru batting together and getting hundreds. Normally he is batting up the order and by the time I get to bat, he’s out on a hundred. If he is still there when I get in, he is getting 250 or 300. So I don’t get to bat much with him. It was a great partnership which I really enjoyed.”
So did every Indian cricket fan.

‘Let me light up lives’

2009-02-02T09:30:00.001+05:30

It was Bollywood cutie Preity Zinta’s birthday recently. And the bubbly, 34-year-old actress has got a bagful of gifts — no, not the ones she got, but those that she wants to distribute, after a “small get-together with friends”. Says Preity, “I want to do something meaningful. I feel like it’s my new beginning and I want to do something completely different. I’m going to be a part of this campaign called Light a Billion Lights where you sponsor electricity to a complete village, that works on solar technology.” Preity also intends to sponsor the education of underprivileged children. “I feel the only difference between a rich and a poor kid is that the former has the resources to get proper education while the poor kid doesn’t. I feel if a poor kid is given the same, he has a chance to do much better than the rich kid,” says the actress, adding, “God has given me so much and now, I feel it’s my turn to give back.” But, if there is one wish she has for herself this year, then Preity wants her IPL team to lift the trophy this year. “It has these little diamonds on it and diamonds are a girl’s best friend, so you know what I mean, don’t you,” she smiles saucily.

In The End, Nadal Keeps Running And Running To Victory

2009-02-02T09:17:00.000+05:30

10 HOURS, 3 DAYS, 1 RAFA

It was not quite another tennis masterpiece. The muchanticipated rematch between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer lacked the consistent quality and, above all, the crescendo finish of their five-act drama in fading light at Wimbledon last year. But this Australian Open final was certainly epic entertainment, too. It also lasted five sets and more than four hours. It also featured plenty of abrupt reversals of fortune and unexpected breaks of serve, and it also ended with Nadal triumphant and Federer devastated. Federer, the 27-year-old Swiss star, needed just one more victory to match Pete Sampras‘s all-time record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles. But he faded badly in the final set on Sunday night and was then unable to keep his composure after Nadal’s 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2 victory. In the post-match ceremony, Federer choked up after receiving the runner’s-up plate from one of his idols, Rod Laver, and was unable to get more than a few sentences into his speech to the crowd before he began to cry in earnest. “God it’s killing me,” he said, eventually backing away from the microphone. But this historic rivalry, one of the best in any sport, is also a friendly rivalry, despite all the power and spin these two wellmannered young men employ against each other when they are on opposite sides of a net. And so it was no surprise that Nadal, the first Spanish player to win the Australian championships, was soon putting his left arm around Federer and helping him pull himself back together long enough to finish the speech that he had begun. “I don’t want to have the last word; this guy deserves it,” Federer said. “So Rafa, congratulations. You played incredible. You deserve it man.”
It is difficult to argue with that last sentence. To even reach the final, the top-seeded Nadal had to win the longest match in Australian Open history in the semifinals: a five-set, 5-hour-14-minute classic against his compatriot Fernando Verdasco. He then had one day less than the second-seeded Federer to prepare for the 19th installment of their rivalry: undergoing intense physical therapy in an attempt to recover the freshness of mind and body required to repulse a man on a mission.
“I knew it was not going to affect him a lot,” Federer said of Nadal’s abbreviated preparation. “It did not have any role to play in it, so I was ready for that.” Nadal was not nearly so certain that he would be in fine shape. After getting to sleep at 5 am on Saturday morning following his Friday night marathon with Verdasco, he woke at 1 pm. He practiced lightly that afternoon and again on Sunday afternoon. “I was having a bit of trouble practicing,” he said. “I felt a little nauseated when I practiced yesterday and today. I was pretty concerned, not being sure whether I could be at my best. It’s tough feeling that way when it’s your first final in Australia and you’re not sure you’re going to be 100 percent. But in the end everything worked out well for me.”
It was hardly a straightforward process, however. Nadal would need 4 hours 23 minutes to finish off Federer. He would need to rally from 2-4 down in the first set and save all six break points he faced in the third set.
He would also need Federer to serve much less convincingly than he had in his straight-set semifinal romp over Andy Roddick.
The Swiss put only 52 percent of his first serves in play on Sunday, which was by far his lowest percentage of the tournament. Perhaps the most remarkable statistic from this remarkable match was that Federer managed to win the second set with a first-serve percentage of 37 percent.
“Perhaps I should not have been out there in the fifth set at all,” said Federer, still red-eyed an hour after the match. “I should have won the first set and the third. The rest of the story, we all know it.”
Nadal, the swashbuckling 22-year-old from the Spanish island of Majorca, was considered a claycourt specialist early in his career. But he is now well on his way to becoming one of the game’s great multi-surface champions. He has won the last four French Opens on clay, last year’s Wimbledon title on grass and has now won his first Grand Slam title on a hardcourt: giving Spain the only major tennis trophy it lacked.
“It is a dream to win here,” Nadal said. “I’ve worked very hard the last, well, all my life to improve the tennis outside of clay.”
Nadal also has helped win tennis’s premier team competition, the Davis Cup, for Spain as well as last year’s Olympic gold medal in singles on a hardcourt in Beijing. The only major title he now lacks is the United States Open, where he was beaten in the semifinals last year.
But Nadal, for all the fire and brimstone in his flashy left-handed game, is also a self-effacing champion: one who has continued to affirm that Federer is the greatest player of all time even as he continues to build on his career edge against him.
Once he took the microphone himself on Sunday, with the trophy in his hands, his first words were for his opponent. “Well, first of all, sorry for today,” he said, turning to Federer. “I really know how you feel right now. It’s really tough. Remember you are a great champion. You are the best in history.” NYT News Service

Back to Kollywood!

2009-01-28T07:28:00.000+05:30

Sada, who was once considered to be one of the top heroines of Kollywood, is now looking to make a comeback. After acting in hits like Jeyam and Anniyan, Sada tried her luck in Bollywood. However, the lass’s Hindi flicks —Khalbali, Love Khichdi and Click — have been in the making for quite sometime now. In Khalbali, she is paired with Nikhil Dwivedi and Chunkey Pandey while in Click, she will be sharing screen space with Shreyas Talpade and Sneha Ullal of Ennai Theriyuma fame. The actress was last seen in Unnale Unnale with Vinay in Tamil. Her other movie with Maddy, Naan Aval Adhu, has been lying in the cans for months as well. Now, looks like Sada has decided to return to Chennai after all. She has now signed up an untitled movie with Simbudevan, in which she plays Lawrence’s love interest. Here’s wishing her all the best!

Slumdog sweeps Oscar nominations

2009-01-23T13:44:00.001+05:30

With not one, not two, but 10 Oscar nominations for Slumdog Millionaire — and with composer AR Rahman accounting for three of them — India’s arrival at the mecca of film awards was nothing short of spectacular. The bonanza also belatedly made up for years of lacklustre performance in this most coveted cinema competition.
Although the announcements were made a little after daybreak in Los Angeles, the news broke here at a providential moment — when the film’s Indian premiere in Mumbai was under way and several of the film’s crew assembled on stage, with television cameras ready to capture the whoops of joy. “I’m so honoured and humbled to be a part of this film,” said an overjoyed Anil Kapoor.
Lode star Rahman, who’s in London, was overwhelmed. “I was like a nervous school boy biting my nails,” he told TOI. “I feel the whole world is watching me. I’m at the top of the world. Honestly, I am not even thinking about the Oscars now. Everything is a blur... It’ll be a great energy booster for creative people in India.” Lyricist Gulzar, who’s a co-nominee for ‘Jai Ho’, described his colleague as “a dashing young and talented composer”. About his own nomination, he said, “I’m very happy and it’s a great honour.”
Directed and scripted though it is by Britons — Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy (they’ve also got Oscar nominations) — Slumdog Millionaire’s cast is weighted with Indian names and is unabashedly desi in spirit, with bursts of song, formulaic nods to Bollywood, and the audacity to believe that love conquers all. INDIA STRIKES THE RIGHT CHORD
Slumdog Millionaire has got 10 Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Direction, Film Editing, Original Score, Cinematography, Original Song (2 nominations), Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Adapted Screenplay
A R Rahman gets 3 nominations. Veteran lyricist
Gulzar gets first
Oscar nomination for Jai Ho. FTII grad Resul Pookutty nominated for Sound Mixing
2 of the 3 nominations for Best Original Song are from Slumdog (Jai Ho & O Saya), which means Rahman has a very strong chance in this category. The third is from Wall-E

Back with a bang

2009-01-22T14:41:00.001+05:30

Shriya is back to Kollywood and with a bang! She has four releases in the next six months — Kandasamy with Vikram, Jaggubhaiwith Sarath Kumar, Thoranaiwith Vishal and Kutty opposite Dhanush. She has probably realised that it is not worth doing itsy-bitsy films in Hollywood and Bollywood with actors who do not have a reach! Now, she is trying to re-invent herself in Tamil by signing films with mid-level heroes and top banners. She has also been shortlisted to play Surya’s heroine in Singam. But the actress, who has seen a lull in her career after Sivaji, says she has not reduced her salary. “I never charged more than what I thought I deserved. I haven’t cut it now to get more offers too,” is her explanation!

Make way for the underdog

2009-01-22T14:29:00.001+05:30

Slumdog Millionaire has been receiving praise and criticism. Danny Boyle, along with Freida Pinto and Dev Patel, on what the movie is all about...

“What do you call the space between two houses?” Dev Patel asks Freida Pinto, to which he himself replies, before she can get a word in, “Ali! Get it? Alley? Ali?” he goofs, to which Freida throws a playful punch at him, and he nearly falls into the swimming pool. Dev’s not your everyday musclebound hero, but it’s just what the doctor ordered for Danny Boyle, who was not, in his words, looking for the typical ‘hero-in-waiting’ for Slumdog Millionaire. A film that’s stirred up a real hornet’s nest among armchair critics about its portrayal of Mumbai.
The three of them are at the JW Marriott and in an “oasis of calm” as Boyle puts it. “Hornet’s nest?” he says, taking a bite out of an enormous muffin. “Terrible things happen in London and New York. There are slums all over the world. I’m aware that a lot of people have said a lot of nasty things about the film but the difference here is that there’s a great humanity in this film. Everybody loves the underdog. It’s a soft spot anyways for everybody. We all love the idea that a nobody can come right out of nowhere and make it. And of course, I loved doing it!”
For Freida, it’s a dream come true. “The six months of auditioning really helped me get into the actor mode. I’ve never acted before,” says this ex-Xavierite, continuing, “But the most challenging scene for me was the kitchen scene, where Danny told me that I have to say no with my words but say yes with my eyes to Dev’s character. That was a really tough thing to do, and I remember several times just getting frustrated with not getting the scene right.” But it all worked out quite okay in the end. This is all quite a dream in a way for Dev, a kid from Harrow, UK. “When we were flying down to India together yesterday morning, we got upgraded to first class. And Dev was absolutely thrilled by that!” said Boyle, glancing at Patel, who was fiddling with getting the samosa knot of his tie the correct way. “Yeah it’s a whole lot different; Danny would keep telling me to act in such a way that the audience would be able to follow every emotion I was trying to convey. The Taj Mahal sequence was the toughest for me. When I tried that scene the first time, I went all over-the-top, and overacted. But then Danny showed me how to control myself. And measure out my emotions,” says Dev.
That’s exactly what these three will have to be doing in real life as well, as for the duration of their stay in India, they’re going to have to deal with all sorts of questions about a film that has pretty much become the talk of the town. Danny realises that there are probably a lot of people who have already seen the film. To which he says, “Hey, this is the Maximum City right? Aaram se is my favourite expression here. But you know what? India is probably one of the few places where the film industry makes stars out of directors as well. And one of the few places where the name of the director is displayed real big on the posters!” he laughs.

Wipro posts 18% rise in Q3 net at Rs 1,004 crore

2009-01-22T13:54:00.000+05:30

Wipro, India’s third largest IT company, posted a 18% growth in its net profit in the quarter ended December, which fell below some analysts’ expectations. But what was worse was its forecast for the coming months.
“Consumer confidence is significantly down and leading indicators suggest that the bottom is not in sight,” said Wipro chairman Azim Premji at the announcement of the financial results on Wednesday.
Premji said the tough times would impact all — shareholders, customers, employees, investors and partners. “The macro-economic challenges are significantly impacting all business segments. However, recessions do not last, resilient companies do. We are resilient to withstand the near-term challenges posed by an uncertain environment.’’
During Q3, Wipro reported a year-on-year growth in revenues of 25% at Rs 6,618 crore, while net profit grew at 18%, crossing the Rs 1,000 crore mark at Rs 1,004 crore for the first time.
The company’s IT services business grew 7% compared to the preceding quarter in rupee terms while it reported a sequential decline of 0.9% in dollar terms. In the on-going quarter, the revenue in dollar terms is forecasted to dip by 7% against the preceding quarter. The profit margin has been impacted by 60 basis points after Wipro wrote off a payment due from client Nortel Networks, which declared bankruptcy last week. Wipro had an outstanding of $15 million from Nortel. The company saw 31 new clients during Q3. Its consumer care and lighting business grew at 21%, furniture business grew 31%, while soap brands (Santoor & Chandrika) grew 27% each.
On Satyam
Wipro will not hunt for clients or employees of Satyam, said co-CEO, Suresh Vaswani. “But if they are talking to us as part of their consolidation plans, we will engage them in dialogue. Customers are increasingly exploring a single-vendor scenario,’’ he said.
On Barak Obama
Premji said, “If he does his job (new US President) well, like the way he had carried out his election campaigns, he will infuse a lot of optimism to the US economy and India too will benefit.’’
Premji loses his cool
Chairman Azim Premji lost some of his usual cool when a media person asked him why Wipro had not disclosed the World Bank’s four-year ban of the company for offering “improper benefits to its employees’’ (the company did so only after the World Bank disclosed the ban 18 months after it was imposed).
Premji said, “My colleagues have said all that needed to be said at the time and I do not want to add anything more.’’

Isla can’t wait to be married!

2009-01-19T10:15:00.001+05:30

Isla Fisher wants to marry her fiance Sacha Baron Cohen more now than ever. The Wedding Crashers actress is very keen to tie the knot with the Borat star — who proposed to her in 2004 — but admits the couple have struggled to keep their plans private. She said, “We are going to get married — more now than ever. We have been talking about it and we have been very close, but it has been difficult to plan. It is very important to me to have a beautiful ritual celebrated with all my family and friends and to feel part of a community. And when you are in the public eye, to keep that private and to make it happen without it being really visible is really difficult.” The couple got engaged after dating for two years, but put the wedding on hold when Isla fell pregnant with their 15-month-old daughter Olive. The actress has studied to convert from Methodist Christianity to Judaism — Sacha’s religion — and has been given the Hebrew name Ayala or ‘Doe’.

Sana acts pricey

2009-01-13T17:36:00.001+05:30

Has Sana Khan become too expensive for Kollywood? The Mumbai girl made an impressive debut in Silambarasan’s Silambattam, which has now become a hit. Sana Khan’s plus points include her ability to dance, which won her a lot of appreciation. She was noticed by many filmmakers, who approached her with the idea of casting her in their movies with upcoming stars.
But, it is learnt that the actress openly stated that she wouldn’t mind her role and co-star, but wasn’t willing to compromise on her salary, which is Rs 20 lakh! Given the meltdown scenario in the industry, filmmakers are hesitating to pay her such a hefty salary. It seems unless the actress reduces her salary, she will have no other option but to remain at home in Mumbai as a one-film wonder!

The missing love

2009-01-11T18:04:00.001+05:30

Lindsay Lohan was ‘emotionless’ on a night out without Samantha Ronson. The Mean Girls star — whose relationship with the DJ is said to be in trouble — was seen at the Apple Lounge in West Hollywood earlier this week and didn’t appear to be enjoying her evening out with friends. A source said, “She was hanging out in a cabana with owner Allison Melnick and two girlfriends, and Samantha was not in sight. She seemed kind of indifferent and emotionless. It was apparent her friends were trying to cheer her up. It looked to be a ‘first night back out on the town’ sort of thing.” Earlier in the day, Samantha was seen looking ‘sad’ walking around Hollywood alone.

‘Two’ much is music

2009-01-11T18:01:00.001+05:30

After the success of Asin’s Hindi debut Ghajini, the star is looking forward to London Dreams (LD). Interestingly, her chemistry with her co-star Salman Khan is the talk of the town. (Kat apparently was with the LD team while Asin was shooting with Sallu.) Apart from this Sallu connection — sizzling chemistry and all, we’ve heard that her character in LD is similar to that of Katrina’s in Yuvvraaj. London Dreams is about a rock band in England. Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan play childhood friends in the movie, who are rock musicians. So while Katrina played the cello in Yuvvraaj, Asin will play the guitar in this film. And as Asin and Kat seem to be on the same ‘song sheet’, the newbie on the Bollywood block — Asin that is, is on one helluva ‘high note’!

Satyam’s billion dollar asathyam

2009-01-11T17:59:00.001+05:30

If you thought that Raju’s stepping down would lead to institutional shareholders taking more responsibility, you could not be farther from the truth. Major shareholders such as Aberdeen Asset Management, Fidelity Investment, Morgan Stanley Mauritius and Swiss Finance Corporation together have offloaded Satyam shares worth Rs 280 crore in open market transactions on Wednesday.
Aberdeen Asset Managers, which held 5.12% stake representing 3.5 crore shares in Satyam, has in four separate bulk deals offloaded the entire tranche on Wednesday. This netted the UK-based investment company around Rs 152 crore as it sold 2.3 crore shares at Rs 41.82 apiece and another 1.2 crore shares at Rs 43.41-a-share, data from stock exchanges show. Aberdeen Asset Management was tipped to be in a controlling position with an equity holding, which was more than the shareholding of the promoter group. But that will not be as Aberdeen has virtually washed its hands off the company. Aberdeen did not respond to ToI when contacted over e-mail.
Other influential shareholders also chose to offload Satyam stock, perhaps indicating that they had enough of controversies. Fidelity Investment, which held 3.42% stake, sold off 0.6% stake for Rs 44 crore at a higher price of Rs 108.96 per share. Similarly, Morgan Stanley, which held 1% stake in Satyam, also offloaded substantial portion of its holding for Rs 33 crore, data shows. Lastly, Swiss Finance Corporation - which held another 1% in the now beleaguered tech firm – has also sold off around 0.9% stake, in the process getting Rs 51 crore for selling 59 lakh shares at Rs 86 apiece.
With major institutional shareholders on their way out of the Satyam counter, the focus now turns to insurance companies such ICICI Prudential, Life Insurance Company and other FIIs such as Government of Singapore, J P Morgan and Lazard Asset Management. An ICICI spokesperson said: It is paramount for us to protect the interests of our stakeholders, and we are evaluating all possible options along with other institutional shareholders to maximise the value for our stakeholders.”

Amrita Rao's Sister Preeta Makes It to Filmdom

2009-01-09T11:47:00.000+05:30

Amrita Rao’s Sister Preeta Makes It to Filmdom!Actress Amrita Rao has been flying high after the success of her last two films Vivaah and Welcome to Sajjanpur and now her younger sister Preeta Rao is also going to make her debut in films. Preeta is a qualified journalist and is a successful model. She has been signed for a South flick called Rakthaksha. She wants to hone her acting skills with South movies before she makes her Bollywood debut. She looks very similar to her sister Amrita. Looks like the Rao sisters will be taking on the Kapoor sisters, the Shetty sisters and the Khanna sisters.

Bollywood beauty Amrita Rao’s charming sister Preeta Rao has decided to step into the world of movies. This model and qualified journalist has decided to walk on the path of actresses like Aishwarya Rai and Deepika Paduekon as the gal is starting her career with a south flick titled Rakthaksha. Like her sister, Preeta too desires to make her name in Hindi film industry but before stepping into Bollywood she wants to enhance her acting skills by portraying different characters in South flicks. She considers South Indian cinema as a learning place where she can improve her talents. Preeta says she will need to try really hard to reach anywhere near her sister. Preeta further adds that Amrita is one of the best actresses in the country today.Well, Preeta we wish you all the very best for your future projects and hope to see your killing looks and sensational adas in Bollywood soon.

Biography

Profile: Preeta Rao is an Indian Model. She has a Hindu name which means “ Love” and can be also spelt as Prita Rao.Preeta hails form the Chitrapur Saraswat Bhramin Community . Her roots can be traced to Mangalore. Born and Educated in Mumbai Preeta Graduated from Sophia College Majoring in History.Preeta Rao also studied “Advertising” in College and was a topper in her class. She is the beautiful sister of Bollywood Star Amrita Rao. Interestingly Preeta turned a Vegetarian in school along with her sister Amrita.
Career :Preeta’s career in Modeling took off when she was selected in an Audition from over 200girls in Mumbai, Pune and Delhi for the Cadburys Dairy Milk Tv Commercial opposite the Bollywood Super Star Amitabh Bachchan. Rao later got several movie offers from Bollywood after she got noticed in the Anchorgel Tooth paste and the Cadburys New 5-star Crunchy Advertisements but declared that she dose not intend joining Bollywood. Rao’s Beauty and Talent made her one of the most sort after faces in the Ad- World. In the span of 3years Preeta Rao has endorsed over 60brands all over India, Pakistan and Bangladesh on her own merit.

Work Done: Some of Preeta Rao’s Ads are :Cadburys Dairy Milk ( 2004)Pantene Shampoo – Pakistan ( 2004)Anchorgel Toothpaste ( 2004)Margo Sandal Soap for Hyderabad ( 2004)Ashirwad Haldi ( 2005)New 5star Crunchy ( 2005)Icici ( 2005)Sahara Mutual Fund ( 2005)Care Honey Lotion – ( Pakistan) 2005Nallis Sarees ( 2006)Danish Condensed Milk – Bangladesh ( 2006)Chic Shampoo ( 2006)Rmkv Sarees( 2006) Uzazi Clothes Line – Pune ( 2007) Temptation Deo ( 2007) Her other Assignments are unavailable to our information.

Gwyneth Paltrow detoxes to lose holiday weight

2009-01-08T09:58:00.001+05:30

Gwyneth Paltrow admits she has gained a little holiday excess and is now keen to lose it, but she refuses to have a crack at the infamous Master Cleanse fast which she tried a year ago. She says, “I like to do fasts and detoxes a couple of times during the year, the most hardcore one being the Master Cleanse I did last spring. It was not what you would characterise as pretty or easy.” So now, Paltrow has signed up a detox diet specialist to help her shed the pounds. She explains, “As I do not wish to subsist on lemon water in the middle of winter, I asked my doctor, a detox diet specialist, for guidelines he uses to achieve a good detox that is not as hallu cinogenic as the Master Cleanse.” She admits her new year diet consists mainly of salads, fruit smoothies, chicken, soups and lots of water.

The perfect pair

2009-01-08T09:56:00.000+05:30

It was holiday-cum-work for Dhanush who recently shot a song with Tamannaah for his Padikathavan. The star’s wife Aishwaryaa accompanied him to the Swiss Alps, where the crew of Padikathavan was shooting. The song was picturised at Interlaken, a resort in the heart of the Swiss Alps. This beautiful location, situated between the Lakes of Thun and Brienz and at the base of the famous trio of peaks (the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau) is one of the hottest destinations for filmmakers from India.
Aishwarya Dhanush had accompanied the film’s unit for the shoot and we hear that she thought of it as a brilliant idea!
Says Tamannaah, “The most wonderful part about Dhanush and Aishwarya is that they are more like friends. They are a perfect couple. Aishwarya is so patient and she used to wait in the snow despite Dhanush repeatedly asking her to take rest in the bus. After every shot, he went up to her and made her comfortable and insisted she had piping hot coffee!” Now, that’s what we call a super(star) couple made for each other!

What does Katrina look for in men?

2009-01-05T09:02:00.001+05:30

Katrina Kaif is making mercury rise like never before — with hot films, a soaring fan following and an army of young supporters that are making the hottie a formidable storm to weather. However, it’s not just for her physical attributes that she is admired.
The lady has earned the respect of many for her sensible remarks. Recently, she was asked who, among the men, had the best physique. She candidly shot back, “If I want to be politically correct, I can say all our heroes have good bodies. Everyone looks good because all of them work hard on their bodies. One of the first was Salman. Akshay also has one of the finest lean and tough bodies. Aamir has developed a great physique. This is remarkable because it’s tough to build such a body and maintain it after a certain age. But, frankly, what a girl looks for in a man is not his six-pack, his looks, or his age difference – it’s just his kindness and his charm that win women over.”

Online college reviews

2009-01-05T08:45:00.004+05:30

One of the best ways to locate the best online college is by reading online college reviews and online school reviews.If you have been searching for an online degree for more than a couple of days, you have undoubtedly visited countless online college websites... so many in fact, that the facts are probably all starting to blur together.That's where online college reviews come into the picture! We have reviewed hundreds of online colleges outlining important facts such as accreditation, tuition, credit for life experience, semester length, degrees offered, and even financial aid availability.As you are browsing through this site, check out our online college reviews, online degree search tool, or read a few of our online college articles to learn more about eLearning in general.Not all institutions of higher learning are created equal. When you decide you want to go to college or university, you are making a decision that will directly impact the next 3 or 4 years of your life, and well beyond. So don’t rush into anything without weighing all your options first.There is immense value in reading reviews of different colleges or universities. You get a great overview of what the institution has to offer, and you can narrow down your choices based on what you read online. You can also redirect your search and browse the websites belonging to the colleges or universities that you are comparing after you read some positive online college reviews.One of the most important deciding factors for many students is the financial implications of attending post-secondary school. You can benefit from online college reviews, because they will list the tuition and fees required for each institution. Having the list of top online colleges fees in front of you can really clear up some confusion about why school appears to be rather expensive - a breakdown of where your money is going in terms of classroom hours, student levy fees and other items will make your decision easier.Money isn’t everything when considering higher education, and online college reviews and online university reviews have many other items of interest for you. They will let you know whether or not the institution you are looking into is accredited - a fact that can often make or break your choice. Often they will list any awards the college or university has won, and its ranking in terms of other similar schools.An important factor in your decision will also be the entrance requirements. Your previous grades or work experience will influence whether or not you are accepted into a certain institution, so you need to pay careful attention to these requirements.The offered programs will also be highlighted in an online school review, and if a particular school doesn’t have the program you are interested in, this is a quick way to eliminate some options. You might also find a program that you weren’t previously aware of! Online college reviews can be a quick way to see all of your post-secondary program options.If you want to begin your higher education, or if you are continuing from a previous degree or diploma, online college reviews will be a great boon to your search. Having information at your fingertips about the colleges and universities that you are considering can help you to make your decision quickly, I think this information will be very helpful for you.

Brett Lee loves Hindi music

2009-01-04T15:27:00.003+05:30

Cricketer Brett Lee is a great fan of Preity Zinta. But, while shooting for Victory, we got to learn another thing he was gung-ho about — strumming tunes of Hindi songs on his guitar. Apparently, Harman Baweja, who is the lead in Victory treated him to classic Hindi film music. And Brett simply strummed away. People, who were privy to it all, swear that Brett was simply unbe-lee-vable!

What’s in store for Vinay?

2009-01-04T15:26:00.000+05:30

Vinay has finally dubbed in his own voice for Modi Vilayadu after undergoing weeks of coaching on voice modulation. The movie, directed by Saran, also stars Kajal Agarwal in the lead.
The Bangalore-based actor has already done two films in
Tamil — his debut film Unnale Unnale with Sada and Tanisha and Jayam Kondaan with Bhavana. Both the movies were average grossers at the box-office. His next film is with Kavithalaya, titled Nootrukku Nooru, and directed by Selva. Now, Tamil producers are asking him to cut down his salary and move lock, stock and barrel to Chennai. A leading producer bitterly complains, “He is asking for a huge sum and is also demanding fivestar accommodation and business class tickets from Bangalore. Unless he settles in Chennai and picks up fluent Tamil, there is no future for him in Tamil cinema.”

High-spirited driving

2009-01-04T15:23:00.000+05:30

Salman Khan is at it again! On Friday, 1.15 am, at Olive, a visibly high Salman Khan walked out with his girlfriend Katrina Kaif in tow. However, instead of getting into the car with her, he chose to ride a rickshaw. And the funniest part is that Katrina Kaif trailed behind Salman in the car with the auto-driver sitting next to her! A witness said, “Salman walked in with Katrina around midnight. They settled for a table in the private dining room. Salman ordered vodka and washed down five to six pegs. Katrina did not drink; she only had dinner. They were seen chatting and looked happy in each other’s company.” After dinner, they left the restaurant and little did Kat know what was waiting for her. A highly tipsy Salman hailed an auto rickshaw instead of getting into the car with her. Katrina, who has by now got used to Salman's autorickshaw drives, thought that it was time for yet another adventure trip. But sharing her seat with an auto driver was something she hadn’t bargained for. However, Salman, unaware of Kat’s discomfort, drove the rickshaw merrily. “He seemed very well-versed with the rickshaw controls,” said the source. This is not the first time that Salman has taken an autorickshaw ride in the dead of night. Good friend Govinda has often been a part of Sallu’s midnight adventures. Salman even rubbed off his love for driving autorickshaws onto Willard Carroll, who directed him in Marigold.

Scarlett’s lucky life

2009-01-04T15:22:00.000+05:30

Scarlett Johansson says her success is down to “long hours and luck.” The 24-year-old actress admits she feels very fortunate to be able to make a living from acting, adding her accomplishments are thanks to hard work and chance. She said, “I feel incredibly lucky to have had success, because I’ve seen and I know so many talented people that never get the opportunity. But I am a big believer that putting in the actual hours is kind of what makes a successful career and a lot of luck, too, of course.” Scarlett, who can soon be seen starring in new movie He’s Just Not That Into You — revealed she does not see her life as extraordinary and isn’t surprised by the amount of attention she receives as she has worked hard to build a career since she was a child. She said, “It’s hard to have a perspective, because I’m living it. I feel like perhaps when I’m older, and can look back on this whole time — my early 20s, and my later teens — maybe then I feel like in some time, I might have a better perspective on that.”

Toenail Fungus Treatment

2009-01-02T20:57:00.002+05:30

Nail Fungus Treatment, also known as Onychomycosis, is a nail disorder that you would not notice when it starts happen to you unless the condition getting worse. It starts with the discoloration of the tip of the nail (usually yellow or black), then eventually cover the whole nail if left untreated. Typically, nail fungus happens at the toenail because of the environment that it is exposed at. However, there are also some cases that nail fungus happens at the fingernail. This occurs when the hands are usually working in a wet environment. Nail fungus is caused by the tiny organisms called dermatophytes. It usually lives in wet areas or moistened places including the shower rooms and swimming pools. These dermatophytes embed itself to the small space between the nail and the nail bed. When this happens, the protein that protects the nail called keratin is being destroyed by the dermatophytes. As a result, there would be nothing to protect the rest of the nails as well as the skin that surrounds it. Sooner or later, the nail fungus will spread and will affect the other nails as well. If you are often wearing shoes with warm socks, it can be very cozy. However, you are more prone to have nail fungus since warm socks usually results into a damp environment where fungus may easily breed.Aside from the environment, nail fungus also happens when the nails experiences trauma. Toe Fungus Treatment is when something hard hits against the nail, causing it to have more distance from the nail bed. The bigger the space is, the easier these dermatophytes can creep into your nails. If this happens, you must protect your nails immediately to prevent the fungus from setting in. Home remedies are good, but it is still advisable to ask your doctor first because it might contradict the type of trauma that your nail experienced. Those who have health disorders such as H.I.V., or diabetes, are also prone to have toenail fungus and fingernail fungus. These conditions cause the person to have weaker immune system. Because of this, the body would not be able to fight infections such as dermatophytes or any type of fungus for that matter. The same goes for the people having poor circulation of the blood. If there is no ample amount of blood flowing in the affected area such as toe nails or finger nails, the immune system will not also properly do its function in that area. Moreover, Toenail Fungus Treatment is not enough blood flow it would cause the nails to have poor nail nutrition which makes it more easily to be traumatized. Thus, it would result to nail fungus as well.

Little Miss Sunshine

2009-01-02T09:58:00.000+05:30

Industry pundits have predicted that Tamannaah is going to be the person to watch out for in 2009. She has everything going her way — the right looks and attitude, is a complete professional, disciplined and above all, she has made the right choice of films. All her forthcoming films are with young heroes —Surya (Ayan), Dhanush (Padikathavan), Bharath (Raja Rani), Karthi (Paiyya) and
Siddharth (Ananda Thandavam) and a big Telugu film with Boys Siddharth (Koncham Ishtam Koncham Kashtam).
During the last year, she had no releases, but things seem to be looking up for the actress as she will have more films than her rivals. Suddenly, Tammu, as she is affectionately called by her friends and folks, has become hot property in the south Indian advertising endorsement market, after Asin took the aerial route to Mumbai. At the moment, the 19-year-old from Lokhandwala in Andheri, Mumbai, is the highest paid actress in Tamil cinema, without a single hit to her credit!
When asked about her phenomenal rise in Kollywood, without any releases in 2008, Tamannaah says, “Two of my 2007 December releases —Shekhar Kammula’s Happy Days in Telugu and Balaji Sakthivel’s Kalloori in Tamil, were path breaking films that received critical acclaim. Both were performance-oriented roles and the audience loved my characters. I am eternally grateful to Sekhar sir and Balaji sir, two people who moulded me as an actress.”
How has she managed so many films that are coming up for release this year? The actress says, “At least two of them, Ananda Thandavam and Padikkathavan, were due for release last year, but were delayed
because of technical reasons.” So, this year she will have six releases spread over eight months.
On her choice of films, Tamannaah is very clear. “What counts is the script, director, hero and the banner. The director should be able to give me a good narration of the script and a good role. The story of Lingusamy’s Paiyya was narrated to me in three hours. If I am attracted to the story, I try to squeeze my dates for the film.” About doing too many love stories, she replies, “Ayan is an action film and Padikathavan is a rip-roaring comedy. I try my best to do all genres of movies.” She says that it’s her aim to dub in her own voice by the end of the year. “I’m trying to learn the language and also picking up many words when on the sets where everybody talks in Tamil. In fact, I heard the entire script narration of Paiyya in Tamil,” says the actress, who is a keen observer.
About the talk that she is charging a bomb, without actually having a hit, she says, “In this industry, you get what you deserve. It is all a question of demand and my producers feel I’m worth it. If not, they will not pay me so much.” The fringe benefit of stardom, according to her, is travel. “Last year, I went to the US, Switzerland, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and Namibia,” she says.
On why she avoids parties and has no link-ups, Tammu says, “I work 24X7 trying to finish my films, and I love to read and browse the Internet during my free time. As far as love is concerned, I’m yet to meet the right guy. Love is unpredictable and can happen to anybody anytime.”
The young star is very religious and visits temples (her favourite being Vaishnodevi) and believes in numerology.
Her luck changed after she added an extra ‘a’ and ‘n’ to her name. Her most prized possession, at the moment, is her ultra-thin Apple-MacBook which she got as a gift from her brother on her 19th birthday.
2009 is going to be a momentous year for Tammu and if all goes well, she may become the new ‘numero uno’ in Kollywood.

Who will be No:1 India or South Africa!!

2009-01-02T09:53:00.000+05:30

AUSSIES DOWN UNDER

2008-12-31T09:55:00.000+05:30

SA Inflict First Home Series Loss On World Champions After 16 Years

Australia have lost a Test series at home for the first time since 1992-93, following South Africa’s ninewicket victory in the second Test at the MCG on Tuesday.
Captain Graeme Smith typically led the way with 75 as South Africa claimed their first Test-series win on Australian soil.
According to The Age, the South Africans can snatch the top ranking from Ricky Ponting’s side if they sweep the series 3-0 with victory at the Sydney Test that gets off on Saturday.
Set 183 to win and resuming at 30 for no loss, the Proteas reached their target one wicket down, 55 minutes after lunch on day five to claim a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Smith hit 10 fours from 94 balls and was out leg before wicket to off-spinner Nathan Hauritz shortly before lunch after an opening stand of 121 with Neil McKenzie.
McKenzie was 59 not out, with Hashim Amla who made an unbeaten 30.
Pacer Brett Lee, who has been ordered to rest for six weeks after this match because of a stress reaction in his left foot, bravely opened the bowling for Australia and took 0-49 from 10 overs. Lee left the field half an hour before the game ended.
Australia’s woes deepened on Tuesday with the news that 12th man Shane Watson will be unable to bowl for six months because of stress fractures in his back.
The Queenslander’s latest injury complicates Australia’s selection for Saturday’s third Test in Sydney.
Watson had been touted as a replacement all-rounder for the struggling Andrew Symonds, who is also battling knee soreness.
Ponting, whose captaincy tactics have been questioned during the second Test, produced a fine double of 101 and 99 with the bat for Australia.
South Africa paceman Dale Steyn took match figures of 10-154. Steyn, who has claimed 74 wickets this year, took four of the first five wickets to fall on Monday.
They included out-of-form pair Matthew Hayden (23) and Symonds (0). The 102-Test career of Hayden, 37, appears almost over.

Paiyya goes on floors

2008-12-30T17:10:00.000+05:30

The shoot of Paiyya, which is being directed by Lingusamy, has started rolling in Bangalore. A song tuned by Yuvan Shankar Raja, featuring the lead pair of Karthi and Tamannaah dancing in the rain, against the backdrop of an antique car, was shot in the first schedule. Says Lingusamy, “It is a breezy, action-oriented love story, set against a city background. Milind Soman and Telugu actress Sonia Deepthi are playing supporting roles, and camera is handled by Madhi.” Lingusamy also made it clear that he has no ill feelings towards Nayanthara, who walked out of the film over payment issues.
Adds Lingusamy, “I don’t have any ill feelings towards Nayanthara. She is my favourite actress. I like her style, looks and attitude. I really enjoyed her performance in Yaaradi Nee Mohini.” Let us hope that they bury their differences and work together in the future.

Amrita’s midnight prayer

2008-12-30T17:04:00.001+05:30

Amrita Rao doesn’t let her celeb status keep her from doing what she wants to and that includes sneaking off late at night with her group of friends. Because that’s what the actress did when she wanted to attend the midnight mass at Mount Mary’s Church on Christmas eve. A source revealed, “Amrita is a firm believer in Mother Mary. And this time it was more special for her, since like every Mumbaiite, she has been extremely upset with the recent terror attacks and wanted to pray for peace not only for herself, but also her city.” So, she and a couple of her friends attended the midnight mass, covering their heads in scarves. “By the time the mass ended and people started recognising her, she’d quietly left,” the source added. Well, here’s hoping that Amrita’s prayers are answered soon.

Looking back

2008-12-30T16:59:00.001+05:30

As the curtain comes down on 2008, it’s time to take a look at incidents that triggered debates and generated interest in Kollywood. From movies that made it big to people who parted ways with their friends, CT attempts to recapture all the major events that made headlines this year

H I T S

• Dasavatharam — The highest grossing film of the year (superhit)

• Subramaniapuram —The best return on investment (blockbuster)

• Yaaradi Nee Mohini(superhit)

• Kadhalil Vizhunthen (superhit)

• Santosh Subramaniyam (hit) D U D S

• Kuselan

• Sathyam

• Indralokathil Na Azhagappan

• Bheema

• Seval CALLER TUNES

• Kangal Irandal… from Subramaniapuram

• Thozhiya En Kadhaliya… from Kadhalil Vizhunthen

• Anbae, Anbae… from Dhaam Dhoom

• Taxi, Taxi… from Sakkarakatti

• Mukunda Mukunda…from Dasavatharam
WE LOST…
Sujatha Rangarajan — Noted writer who brushed up the script of directors like Shankar. He passed away on Feb 27.
Raghuvaran — Leading actor who excelled in character roles after starting out as a villain. He‘s acted in over 150 movies in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. He passed away on March 19.
Kunal — A Hindi actor who made his entry into Tamil films as a romantic hero before managing a few films. He allegedly committed suicide on Feb 7.
Poornam Viswanathan — He was a theatre personality who strayed into films and did many unforgetable characters on screen. He died on Oct 1.
CV Sridhar — A trendsetting director and scriptwriter of Tamil cinema of the 60s and 70s. He died on Oct 20.
MN Nambiar—He was the euphemism for villainy on screen during the MGR era. Nambiar’s acted in over 1000 films in all south Indian languages and was a versatile actor. He died on November 19. PATCH-UP OF THE YEAR
Simbu and Nayanthara accidentally land up on the same stage during the Nadigar
Sangam’s Unnavrutham over the Hogenakkal issue. As television cameras focus on them, they are forced to exchange pleasantries, leading to a thaw in their relationship.
SPLITSVILLE ’08
Actress Meera Vasudev split with her husband, actor and producer Vishal Aggarwal. Music director Yuvan Shankar Raja divorced his wife Sujaya.
FRIENDSHIP GONE AWRY
Trisha and Nayanthara, the best of friends, have an ugly spat over the ‘Numero Uno' position and turn bitter. They look through each other at an awards function. Mutual associates like Ramya Krishnan and her sister Vinny try for a patch-up, but fail. ARRESTS AND ATTACKS

• Actress Flora, the item number specialist, is arrested for sending illegal immigrants to the US. She is later released.

• Director Murgadoss is arrested and subsequently released in connection with a copyright infringement case filed by Tamil Ghajini producer Salem Chandrasekhar.

• Comedian Vadivel’s house in Virgumbakkam is attacked by persons, alleged to be supporters of actor-turnedpolitician Vijaykanth, for making disparaging remarks against the star.

Subramaniapuram

Bheema

Sakkarakatti

Trisha

BREAK-UPS

Music Director Harris Jayaraj sends an e-mail to the media, announcing he’s parting ways with director Gautham Vasudev Menon on the release day of
Vaaranam Aayiram.

Harris and Gautham aren’t the only ones to part. Music director Yuvan Shankar Raja and director Selvaraghavan too have a face-off and wash their dirty linen through various media interviews to seal their parting.

Sujatha

Raghuvaran

Kunal

M N Nambiar

Can dolphins survive the winter in US rivers?

2008-12-29T14:37:00.000+05:30

A group of bottlenose dolphins have been confounding humans since they took up residence in two rivers near the Jersey shore six months ago. Now that it’s winter, some people are worried they’ll never make it out.
Three dolphins have died out of the original group of about 15 that spent the summer and fall in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers, waterways just north of Asbury Park.
Federal wildlife experts say the remaining dolphins are healthy, and should be able to make it through the winter if they choose to stay. They cite the cases of dolphins that successfully spent winters in Massachusetts, Virginia and even northern Scotland.
But some animal advocates worry the dolphins will meet the same fate as four that drowned in the Shrewsbury River in 1993 when ice closed in on them, or the 26 dolphins killed by a sudden freeze in 1990 in Texas’ Matagorda Bay.
“It would seem to me that the natural habitat for dolphins in the winter when it gets cold is much farther south in warmer waters,” said US Republican Frank Pallone Jr. “Isn’t it stressful for them to be in this colder environment? Since they are mammals, what happens if the ice freezes over and they can’t breathe?”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which has jurisdiction over the dolphins, doesn’t plan to intervene unless the dolphins appear to be in imminent danger.
“This is a normal sort of way of life for these critters,” said David Gouveia, marine mammal programme coordinator for the agency’s fisheries service. “We’re optimistic that things are going to work out just fine.”
Others are not as confident.
“We have seen the disastrous consequences when dolphins remain in the area during the winter months,” said state Senator Sean Kean, R-Wall. “Now it’s up to NOAA to determine a course of action to try to get the dolphins back to the ocean before it’s too late.” Looming over this debate is the dismal history of dolphins that have wound up in the Shrewsbury in previous years. In at least two instances, dolphins lingered too long in the river and died when rescue attempts went awry. Still, dolphins can handle cold weather, said Randall Wells, dolphin research programme manager for the Chicago Zoological Society.
“There are examples of the Navy using dolphins in very cold situations with ice around, and a naturally occurring population of dolphins off the coast of northern Scotland, where ice reaches into the water and snow is in the mountains nearby, and these animals get by fine,” he said. “Blubber is a pretty amazing substance in these animals; it’s able to maintain body temperatures quite well.”
Virginia’s coastal water is usually home to bottlenose dolphins from April through November, when they leave for warmer climes south of Cape Hatteras, N.C. But during the winter of 1996-97, one bottlenose dolphin stayed in Broad Bay off Virginia Beach, making it through 43-degree water in February. It was seen the following June with a healthy calf.
Five others joined the pair that October, and stayed through the winter of 1997-98. In March 1998, they were all examined and found to be healthy.
There are other success stories, but cold is not the only problem winter brings to dolphins. There is also the matter of finding food.
“The food may be plentiful now, but it won’t be plentiful in February,” said Andrew Mencinsky, executive director of the Surfers’ Environmental Alliance who lives in Sea Bright and watches the dolphins almost every day.
Scientists had hoped that when the animals’ summer food source, menhaden, left the area in late October or early November, the dolphins would follow them out to sea.
Instead, the dolphins have switched to other, smaller fish such as alewife, a species of herring that they continue to consume. In four of the last five years, Mencinsky said, the Shrewsbury River has frozen solid. Teri Rowles, lead veterinarian for the Fisheries Service and leader of the National Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Programme, predicted the Shrewsbury dolphins will be able to keep part of the river open by their constant surfacing to breathe

Jessica Alba in Goa?

2008-12-29T14:34:00.000+05:30

Venkat Prabhu, the guy who does things differently, is looking for a heroine for his new film Goa, produced by Soundarya Rajinikanth’s Ocher Studios. Venkat, as per story demands, needs a foreigner as his heroine. The latest we hear is that he has zeroed in on the Fantastic Four Hollywood star Jessica Alba to play an important role in this film. The movie also stars Jai, Vaibhav, Premgi Amaren and Arvind Akash in the lead. The movie is about a group of friends who go on a trip to Goa and encounter adventure. It is said to be a fun-filled entertainer. Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music will be a crucial part of the movie. This is the third directorial venture of Venkat Prabhu, after Chennai 600028 and Saroja, and the shoot starts in January.

DUMINATION

2008-12-29T14:26:00.000+05:30

Duminy’s Record 180-Run Ninth-Wicket Stand With Steyn Puts South Africa In Pole Position After Third Day’s Play

Jean Paul Duminy stood tall with his maiden Test century to resurrect South Africa’s first innings to 459 against Australia on the third day’s play in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG here on Sunday. At the close of play, Australia were four for no loss with Matthew Hayden on one and Simon Katich two as South Africa lead by 61 runs.
It was a day when Australia flopped and allowed South Africa to recover stunningly riding on a sublime 166 from Duminy, who also played a crucial role with a match winning half-century in the first Test.
Dale Steyn (76) and Paul Harris (39) gave the left-handed batsman exceptional support that literally took the game away from the Australians, who had the visitors on the mat at 198 for seven on the second day. South Africa expected a miracle on the third day and Duminy weaved his magic to take his team to a position of strength against the listless world champions.
With Brett Lee, unable to bowl due to a sore left foot, Ricky Ponting had an inexperienced bowling attack to rely on. But it was Duminy’s irritating stand with the tail that pained the Australians more than Lee’s absence. First it was the 67-run stand with Harris that reduced the threat of follow on and then the courageous 180-run stand with Steyn for the ninth wicket put the Proteas in command.
During the brave ninth wicket stand, which was the third-highest in history, Duminy stayed calm while Steyn battled the pain of a stinging blow on each hand to frustrate the home side. Duminy played a matured innings and got his century by cutting Siddle through gully for four.

Is Anushka Vijay’s heroine?

2008-12-27T17:26:00.000+05:30

The buzz doing the rounds in Kollywood is that Anushka, the sexy yoga teacher- turned-actress of Tollywood is Ilayathalapathy Vijay’s new heroine in his 49th film. It seems the girl who sizzled earlier with Madhavan in Rendu, singing the peppy number Mobileaa…. on the beaches of Bali, is the frontrunner to play Vijay’s heroine in AVM’s Vettaikaran. The film, directed by Babu Sivam, is said to be a typical mass movie. The title Vettaikaran was used earlier for an MGR film of yesteryears. Anushka was in the news recently for wearing a swimsuit for the Telugu Billa with Prabhas. When contacted, producer AVM Balasubramaniam said, “Nothing has been confirmed. We will announce the heroine formally in the first week of January.”

Medical Assistany Program

2008-12-27T10:38:00.002+05:30

According to the United States Department of Labor, "Medical Assistant employment is projected to grow much faster than average, ranking medical assisting among the fastest growing occupations over the next decade. Job opportunities should be excellent, particularly for those with formal medical assistant training."We are now offering formal training online with our nationally accredited and certified Medical Assistant program. Our program will allow you to study online at your own pace and convenience. Most students complete the program in about 6-8 weeks. However, you can take as long as needed. There are no deadlines or time limits and our Medical Assistant Schools training program is very affordable.The use of innovative distance education technology helps us provide one of the most affordable medical assistant programs available anywhere! In addition, our team of consulting educators, physicians, nurses and other health care provides are always available to assist you in your online studies.Medical assistants as healthcare professionals perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly. Medical assistants find employment in private and public hospitals, as well as inpatient and outpatient facilities, medical doctors, etc. Given their role as healthcare professionals the demand for medical assistants is only on the rise.The duties of medical assistants vary from office to office, depending on the location and size of the practice and the practitioner’s specialty. Medical Assistants registration formalities are extremely convenient and flexible with St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants online distance education program. Our simple online registration form and tuition payment modality is also tuned for your convenience. Medical Assistant program registration is only a few clicks away!

Amazing Asin!

2008-12-25T16:33:00.002+05:30

Asin’s eagerly-awaited Ghajini is all set to make it to the big screen this Christmas season. She has put her heart and soul into the film — her big ticket to Bollywood stardom. The film is releasing big in nearly 1300 screens across the world and the advance booking for the Christmas weekend has been phenomenal. In Chennai, the original Tamil version of Ghajini released in only five screens. If all goes well, the Hindi version will release in nine screens.
The hype about the film is huge, and all eyes are on Asin. If the film becomes a hit, Asin will make it to the elite list of Bollywood heroines. In her hometown Kochi, a Hindi film is releasing in two screens for the first time ever. Out of that, one show has been completely booked by students from her ‘alma mater’ the prestigious St Theressa’s college. On Monday, she appeared on a popular television channel and and spoke crisply in Hindi. Later, she is reported to have done 22 interviews for print, television and internet. Phew!

It's time for Boxing Day to Wrestling Day

2008-12-24T13:19:00.003+05:30

Hi Peoples,u all aware of Christmas which is celebrated all over the world.But the fact is not that the day after Christmas is celebrated as Boxing Day in every part of the world,where the goods priced for Christmas Sale will be get in Cheaper and Lesser Manner.The day after Christmas is as Boxing day,why can't we celebrate the day before Christmas as Wrestling Day.So dudes Think and Place a comment in My Shout Box....

Ma’am Bond

2008-12-24T10:32:00.002+05:30

Although Chandni Chowk to Chinais perhaps the first ever Bollywood Kung fu comedy, what many are keen to see is not Akshay Kumar but Deepika Padukone doing stunts and using gizmos.
Deepika, who plays the role of a salesgirl in a tele-marketing channel in the film, uses gizmos similar to those seen in James Bond films, but in a comic fashion and not as part of any serious action sequences. Rohan Sippy, the producer of the film confirms this, saying, “Yes, Deepika uses many gadgets in the film, though not in a sophisticated way like James Bond does. We had kept aside a separate budget for them. In the film, she uses a multi-language translator to translate Chinese into Hindi and a bulletproof umbrella which also acts as a parachute. There is also a ‘love spray’ that she uses to drive someone completely crazy. However, we have not copied any device from any of the Bond films. Sridhar Raghavan (writer of the film) incorporated all these in his script and we have used all of them in a fun way and not in a high-tech manner.”

Lakshmi denies Dhoni link up

2008-12-23T10:40:00.002+05:30

Tamil actress Lakshmi Rai has been in the news and though they’re not exactly for the right reasons, she would yet have made the ladies jealous. What with the girl having been linked to Indian cricket’s pin-up, skipper MS Dhoni. Lakshmi, it was supposed, even met MS Dhoni in Chennai at the hotel where he was put up for the Test match. But alas, as it often happens with news that the rumour mills generate, Lakshmi vehemently denies it. “No. I didn’t meet him during this tour since I was busy shooting elsewhere,” says Lakshmi, who claims that the rumours of link ups with Dhoni had died down, only to resurface with the Test match being played at Chennai. “The rumours are baseless,” she categorically states, explaining, “They started when I participated in a couple of events with Dhoni during the IPL campaign. There were more rumours after he came for my birthday party.” Lakshmi accepts that Dhoni and she are ‘just good friends,” but denies anything beyond that. “We struck a chord during the IPL. But like others, we don’t need to keep in touch every day,” she says. In the same breath, she denies a link up with speedster Sreeshanth too. “We met for a photo shoot for a Malayalam magazine but some people selectively used the photos to substantiate their groundless speculations,” she clarifies. At the moment, she’s basking in the success of her Tamil hit film Dhaam Dhoom and is also excited about her other Kollywood films. “I play a significant role in Muthirai,” says the actress.

Online Education Portal

2008-12-23T10:24:00.002+05:30

Hi Guys Iam Involved in telling u abt the features of Online Education education Portal available in our world.Degree Edge is an education directory that specializes in researching accredited online degrees from top online colleges and top online schools. We assist students and professionals who are searching for online degree and distance learning programs at colleges and universities offering online associate degrees, online bachelor degrees, online master degrees, online PhD degrees, and online certificate programs. To learn more about online degree programs, request free information directly from the colleges and universities that interest you.DegreeEdge.com is part of a much larger network of websites offering online education information such as online college reviews, online school reviews, college comparisons, and even student loan and financial aid information.These Online College Degrees are very Helpful and Useful for many peoples around the world.A sampling of majors include Accounting, Business Administration, Psychology, Public Relations and Marketing, and Social and Criminal justice. Ashford also offers a very competitive tuition schedule for both undergraduate and graduate programs.Some popular majors include Business Administration, Computer Science, Health Services, Psychology, and Web Development. Regionally accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Champlain has continued to display their commitment to be a cutting-edge institution by offering their quality degree programs online.The university's virtual campus offers more than a dozen online degrees in diverse fields such as Business Administration, Accounting, Computer Science, Marketing, Healthcare, Marketing, Digital Communication, and more.The university also has expert faculty members, 90% of which hold the highest level degree in their field of study.accredited online degrees With competitive tuition, students can enter the world as strong Christian leaders in a variety of fields including nursing, education, business administration, as well as biblical studies and ministry. Beginning as nothing more than an idea back in 1906, this university has grown to not only strengthen students' minds, but also their bodies and spirits.Those who like to join online education portal, check out this site. This site is very useful for you.

The Nayan phenomenon continues...

2008-12-23T10:12:00.002+05:30

The Nayanthara phenomenon continues as no other heroine in recent times has created such a craze among the audiences. The trade feels that she is the only heroine with a huge fan following and commands an opening. The latest news on her is that one of her Telugu films with Ravi Teja titled Dubai Seenu has been dubbed into Tamil as Dubai Rani. The highlight of the film is Nayan’s glamour factor as the producer, who has brought the Tamil dubbing rights, has designed larger-than-life six-sheet posters of her for the film. Suddenly, Dubai Rani has become one of the hottest films in the trade, as distributors who were buying Tamil films feel that dubbed movies have a better return on investment than new films!

‘Sexiest’ Hugh’s wife not impressed

2008-12-23T09:58:00.001+05:30

Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman has revealed that his wife couldn’t believe he had been voted as the ‘world’s sexiest man alive’. The X-Men actor revealed that Deborra Lee Furness was very sceptical of his victory. “The very first thing Debs said was, ‘I knew it! I knew I’d marry the sexiest man alive!’” a website quoted Jackman as saying.
“The second reaction was a genuine questioning of the process, and how it’s chosen. ‘Is it readers, is it votes, is the editors?’ she asked. I said, “I think it’s the editors and a think tank, and they get together, throw up photos and work out whose publicist they’re on good terms with, and they decide!” he added. “And she said. ‘So anyone could get it?’ I replied that they could. And she said. ‘And Brad Pitt didn’t get it?’!” Jackman revealed at a press conference.
“He’s a triple threat, a star who can sing, dance and wield a weapon,” a magazine explained when naming Jackman, the ‘Sexiest Man Alive’.

Piggy Chops is also Miss Pranks

2008-12-22T09:49:00.000+05:30

Did you know that Priyanka Chopra besides being called Piggy Chops — a name given to her by Abhishek Bachchan because she hogs a lot — is called Pranks because she’s known to be a prankster? Priyanka, who is currently shooting for What’s Your Rashee? has a robe that has “Pranks” written on it. So true to her nickname, Pranks decided to play a prank on director Ashutosh Gowariker. For a particular scene, she had to use a mobile phone and for that, she was handed over the assistant director’s cell. She sent a message to Ashutosh saying, ‘Need you to intervene. Priyanka and Harman are giving me lots of trouble.’ Ashutosh read the message but decided to tackle the problem later, but he conveniently forgot about it. After a while Pranks went up to him and asked him why he hadn’t replied to the AD’s message. A surprised Ashutosh asked her which message she was talking about! To Priyanka’s embarrassment, her prank fell flat on its face and it was Ashu who had the last laugh. Better luck next time, girl!

Priety on a straight bat

2008-12-21T09:46:00.000+05:30

She is often known to speak her mind fearlessly and has always impressed audiences, not just with her acting skills but also with her bold decisions. Priety Zinta, for her fans, is one true star. Point out to the lady that the year 2008 has been a year of huge changes in her career and she replies, “Oh yes, lots of changes. My career shifted gears. I was suddenly doing the kind of work that I had never done before. I won my first international award.” The year also changed her into an entrepreneur. Ask her about it and she says, “Yes, it did change me into an entrepreneur and while learning to deal with huge crowds and bigger egos, I hurt my eye and arm. I’ve two releases and the Indian Premier League (IPL) coming up. 2009’s IPL is going to get bigger and better, despite the recession.” How is that possible? “Research shows that during recession, home entertainment grows a lot, mainly sports.That’s where the IPL will come in. Also, the cost of the tickets for the seven matches won’t be astronomical,” she explains. The lady has openly voiced her support for women on several occasions and had said that she is all for the participation of women as spectators during the IPL matches. Personally, what will she do to improve the IPL further? Says the actress, “The entertainment quotient can’t be upgraded any more. But I want Mohali to flourish.” Ask her what the IPL experience has taught her and she replies, “IPL’s taught me to win and lose with a smile. It has taught me to play the game by the rules and still play from the heart.” So, what is she looking forward to now? “Right now, I’m excited about my New Year holiday. I also want to be physically super-fit next year.” And marriage? “Let’s not even go there. I’ll get married when I want to have babies. Look at the marriages today, yaar! But Ness is very well broughtup. There’s a nutty side to him, just like me.”

It’s all about celebrating love

2008-12-19T21:19:00.003+05:30

After Billa, director Vishnuvardhan is back with Sarvam, a breezy musical love story — a genre that is completely different from his pervious films. Now, the team of Sarvam is shooting it’s last schedule in the picturesque locations of Vagamon and Munnar in Kerala. Says Vishnu, “With this, we have completed the talkie portion. We just have to shoot one song. It will be picturised on Arya and Trisha. We originally wanted to shoot it abroad, but now I have decided to film it in India. After all, it has some of the best locations in the world.” The film has some great music by Yuvan, which will be one of the highlights of the film and Vishnu plans to launch the audio in the first week of January. Ayngaran International is likely to release the film during the Valentine weekend in February as the movie is all about love.

Online classes for Medical Assistants

2008-12-19T17:11:00.002+05:30

HI folks.. Today I searched in google to find out online classes for medical assistants. Then I got the famous site "medassistant.org". I was planning to do medical assistant degree through online. And i am in search for the best online medical assistant education for many month. I came across several online medical assistant programs and felt those information provided in the site were less informative. And now i got all the the needed information from medical assistants which is very useful and true.Medical Assisting has become a rapidly going field over the last few years and is expected to be one of the fastest growing occupations in the near future. Fortunately, there are now numerous online medical assistant programs, where people can study and receive their certificate online. Often, online education lets you complete the medical assistant course in fewer months than it would take in a classroom, so it appeals to people who are looking to upgrade their education or make a career change in a short amount of time. Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly.The duties of medical assistants vary from office to office, depending on the location and size of the practice and the practitioner’s specialty. In small practices, medical assistants usually do many different kinds of tasks, handling both administrative and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager, physician, or other health practitioner. Online medical assistant education does take discipline and hard work, and you must be willing to devote time each day to studying. Online medical assistant schools are definitely convenient, but that doesn’t mean it’s easier than attending a local traditional junior college or trade school.programs such as the online medical assistant program offered by St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants , at you will have access to teachers and tutors who you can contact online or via phone if you have problems or questions. Often online medical assistant courses are so convenient that you can complete the entire program at your own pace and study all classes online at anytime around the world. A typical medical assistant program will include classes in: basic medical terminology, human anatomy and physiology, medical office professionalism, patient communication, medical records, scheduling appointments, medical billing and coding, infection control, emergency care, patient history and physicals, EKG, lab testing, specimen collection, patient medications and related areas. Employment is projected, medical assistants the fastest growing occupations Job opportunities should be excellent Finally my long search for on-line medical assistant education mode came to an end after viewing this online medical assistant reviews.
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Anushka to sizzle with Karthi

2008-12-18T11:42:00.000+05:30

Remember the Telugu heroine Anushka ,the sexy yoga teacher-turned actress, who sizzled with Maddy in Sundar C's Rendu? The tall, sultry actress is back and this time opposite young and upcoming hero Karthi. Karthi, who’s currently working on Selvaraghavan’s Aayirathil Oruvan,will follow it up with Paiyya, to be directed by Lingusamy, with Tamannaah as his heroine. Following this, he is all set to work again for his cousin Gnanavel under the banner of ‘Studio Green’, who had earlier produced the critically acclaimed Paruthiveeran. The new film in which he will be paired with Anushka is titled Siruthai was to be directed by Sooraj, but now it looks like VV Kathir, the director of Thenavettu will be doing the film.

Aamir Khan cool about Ghajini cuts

2008-12-14T11:13:00.001+05:30

... but Murugadoss wasn’t, as the Censor Board cuts three gory scenes from the movie

Aamir Khan sure knows how to take things in his stride. The Censor Board passed Ghajini but not before making three cuts. The film got a U/A certificate. But while Aamir walked out of the Censor Board screening without a tinge of disappointment, the film’s director, A R Murugadoss was quite upset with the Censor Board’s decision. He kept arguing that they were being too harsh on his film.
The key reason why the Censor Board made the three cuts was because they thought that the film was too violent. The screening for the Censor Board was held at Liberty Cinema.
The Censors objected to three scenes — a man hits Asin with a rod twice, Aamir breaks a baddie’s neck and Aamir hits a villain with a tap and when the knob of the tap pierces the baddie’s stomach, blood starts dripping from the tap.
When contacted, Vinayak Azad (Regional Officer, Censor Board) confirmed the news and said, “Yes, we have cut the
three
scenes
which you are
talking about.”
Explaining
the cuts, Vinayak
said, “We toned down the Asin scene and the neck-breaking. As for the tap scene, we couldn’t pass that as it was too gory.”
Vinayak added, “Murugadoss wanted to know why we couldn’t let those scenes remain since it was only a remake and the original version that had all these scenes. Murugadoss was especially particular about retaining the tap scene. We explained that we wouldn’t let it go in its original state unless he was okay with an A certificate.”
After consultation, Aamir and Murugadoss decided that they didn’t want an A certificate. “Murugadoss was a bit disappointed but Aamir looked calm and composed,”

The World at their Feet

2008-12-14T11:02:00.000+05:30

Vying for the most coveted Miss World 2008 crown, India's Parvathy Omnakuttan is pretty upset over nearly missing the main title as she was

announced as the first runner up. Contesting 108 beauties at the international pageant, Parvathy was upbeat throughout the gala with her confidence, poise and attitude but much to her shock, the final results left her in despair.

On being asked about the highlights of her Johannesburg journey, a confident Parvathy had said, "It feels like being at home and I can see many similarities between my country (India) and South Africa. From warmth, hospitality to great cultures to having two most influential men - Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, it's like being in my own country."

From making it to the 15 semi-finalists, to Top 5 and then to the 1st runner up title at the Miss World 2008 pageant, Parvathy kept all hopes alive just to see them shattering on hearing the final verdict. We spoke to Parvathy as she bares her soul on losing the Miss World title yet winning the battle...

Frankly, there was nothing much going in my mind or heart. And I was really very confident that I will make it to the final three winners. But the moment results were announced, I was extremely shocked. I don't know whether the most deserving one has won or not.

Victory would have been more special if I would have won the Miss World title, as it was never my dream to be a runner up. So my efforts, confidence and hard work would have actually paid if I would have won the pageant. Right now, there's nothing great to feel happy about.

I do not believe in checking the past. While standing there among top five, I was thinking that if I win the Miss World crown, it would be the 6th victory for India, and this in itself would be a record. But it's really sad and upsetting that I lost out. What made me feel even worse was the fact that everybody including the co-contestants and my fans came to me and said 'you deserved the title.'

I just don't believe in faking and I was being my natural self throughout the pageant, so this, I guess, was my biggest strength.

‘I’m dying to be swallowed by Mallika’

2008-12-08T13:50:00.001+05:30

Versatile actor Irrfan Khan has a lead role in the first Hindi film being directed by a Hollywood director. Mallika Sherawat plays a man-eating creature in Jennifer Lynch’s Hisss and the actor says he would love to be devoured by her.
“She plays a man-eating creature. She swallows men in the film. And I’m just dying to be swallowed by her. Watching
her devour men is a very, very sensuous process. Unfortunately, I don’t get eaten by her. I’m the investigative officer trying to find out who’s devouring all these human beings,” Irrfan says.
Irrfan adds that the special effects in the movie are awesome.
“I’m working in Hisss with two very different
and interesting kinds of
women, Mallika and Jennifer. Hisss
would’ve been like any other snake-woman story. But the way Jennifer has treated the story has taken the film to another level. The special effects will shock our audiences. I think Jennifer’s film inspired Ramu (Ram Gopal Varma) to make Agyaat. High time we got special effects guys from abroad to do the needful,” he says.
Irrfan’s just released Dil Kabbadi offers him a change of image. “I’m not going to pretend. Dil Kabaddi is a film strictly for adults. And we shouldn’t shy away from saying this. It’s about dishonesty in man-woman relationships. I call it dishonesty by the standards set by civil society

Getting candid

2008-12-07T16:35:00.001+05:30

For some of her fans, she’s the Angelina Jolie of India, for certain others, she’s nothing less than an angel. But irrespective of what she is to her fans, Nayanthara loves them all. A fact she proved by choosing to celebrate her birthday recently with a few of them.
Their admiration for her is probably one factor that has helped the actress see off a year that hasn’t been a particularly good one for her professionally. Firstly, three of her movies (Kuselan,Sathyam and Aegan) failed to meet expectations and now, she has been forced to pull out of director Lingusamy’s next project, Paiyya, in which Karthi is playing the lead.
Ask her about the year being a bad one and she says, “Yes,2008 has been a bad year for me, except for Yaaradi Nee Mohini, which was a hit. I can’t give you an exact reason as to what went wrong. In every movie, I give my 100 percent. Sometimes, people don’t like what you do in a particular movie. They cite several reasons for not liking a performance. If a movie doesn’t do well, it isn’t anyone’s fault.” So, what forced her to pull out of Paiyaa? Says the actress, “I waited for almost three months for the movie and they didn’t start the project. They kept telling me that Karthi had problems with Selvaraghavan’s movie and that he couldn’t come out of it. So, I waited patiently and during this period, I heard rumours that Lingusamy was on the lookout for other heroines. But I never asked him anything. We were supposed to start our photo shoot on December 14 and 15 but now we are not doing it because all of a sudden they called up and said that I had to reduce my salary. I asked them to give me reasons for wanting to reduce my salary and they said that they didn’t have the budget for the movie. I told them that they must have thought of this before signing the contract with me.
“After a producer is willing to pay a whopping amount, you can’t expect me to settle for less. For me, self-respect is more important than money and fame. Also, I wasn’t happy with the way they dealt with us. They called up my manager and said I’ll have to reduce my salary or they can’t work with me. I said fair enough. If Lingusamy had told me about his problems before signing the contract, I would have considered cutting down my pay. I’ve done it for several movies and would have done it for this movie too. They should have handled the issue in a better way.”
Does she plan on suing them? “No. I don’t believe in these things,” she clarifies.
The audience loves it when she sports a swimsuit, but there are those who criticise her for it. How does she take criticism? “Criticism never hurts because I take it very normally. But recently, I have been subjected to a lot of unnecessary criticism. Even if I don’t do anything, people criticize me.”
Draw her attention to the fact that while technicians who have worked with her laud her camaraderie, not many actresses feel the same way and she says, “I’m a very honest person and I expect the same honesty, sincerity and faithfulness from the other person, be it a guy or a girl.” Interrupt her to ask her if she thinks guys are more honest and she admits, “Yes. To a certain extent. Girls tend to have a professional ego. This brings out the anger and hatred. Boys, on the other hand, are quite honest about everything.”
On Reema Sen’s caustic remarks about her, Nayan says, “I’m not here to make friends. If they have problems with me, it’s their problem. Not mine. I don’t have any problems with anyone.”
On her upcoming projects, the star says, “I am doing Villu and I will also be doing a movie with Surya.”
The going hasn’t been easy for this star. But then, as they say, the tough get going when the going gets tough.

‘I would love to do a Garam Masala with Akshay Kumar’

2008-12-07T16:19:00.001+05:30

Cricketer Yuvraj Singh, who has been circuitously connected with Bollywood, owing to his liaisons with actors Kim Sharma and Deepika Padukone says if he ever decides to act, he would love to do a film like Garam Masala with Akshay Kumar.
“If I ever enter Bollywood, I would love to work with Akshay, since he too is a Punjabi and I gel very well with him. I would like to do a film like Garam Masala with him,” said Yuvraj.
Asked about the leading lady, he said: “I have always liked Kajol as an actress, so I would like to work with her as well. I don’t want to take any names from the new breed because I don’t want to spark any controversies.
“However, cricket is my priority at the moment and I love my sport. But since you never know what the future holds for you, to Bollywood, I’m not saying yes or no.”
Yuvraj was in the Capital to promote an animation film Jumbo produced by Percept Picture Company with voice-overs from actors like Akshay and Lara Dutta. He too has agreed to do the voiceover in Punjabi for the movie.
“I hope the movie does very well. In fact, I’m sure it will rock. All the kids are going to love the movie and the characters in the film,” said Yuvraj.
On the same platform, condemning the terror attacks on Mumbai, Yuvraj said, “The terror strikes that created havoc in Mumbai were unbelievable. It was devastating to see something like this happening in Mumbai. It was also traumatic for me because my friend Ashish Choudhary lost his sister Monica and brotherin-law Ajit in the attacks.
“I hope that Jumbo acts as a catalyst to happiness and lifts the spirit of all those people who have lost their loved ones in the Mumbai attacks.”
Yuvraj, who has a massive fan following, loves playing tennis and describes himself as ‘sweet, charming and innocent’.

Nicole, Hugh get spiritual

2008-12-02T17:12:00.001+05:30

Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman meditated every day on the set of Australia. The 41-year-old actress says getting in touch with her spiritual side with co-star Hugh, while they were shooting Baz Luhrmann’s new movie helped her connect with her character. She said, “I have a strong faith in God, he is at the centre of my meditation. Hugh and I would both meditate on the set of Australia. I also do the meditation that my father taught me.” Nicole, who gave birth to daughter Sunday Rose, her first child with husband Keith Urban, in July also revealed she keeps a diary to help herself stay grounded. She added, “I do keep a diary, it forces me at the end of the day to consider what the day has brought. I sometimes re-read them too. You learn things from that. It does help realising that the things you were worried about, that were life and death that day, five years later are not even part of the equation.”

It’s a double whammy

2008-12-02T17:03:00.001+05:30

Will the new bat make the T20 more exciting? Chennai Times finds out

The T20 Champions League may have been postponed due to the terror attacks that took place in Mumbai. But the charm of T20 cricket per se refuses to die down.
The extent of the popularity of instant cricket (T20) can be gauged from the fact that people are coming up with innovative ideas to make this format even more riveting. And Sydney’s Stuart Kranzbuhler’s endeavour of coming up with a bat design which will enable batsmen to hit the ball with both sides of the blade, will (if accepted by the players) revolutionise the way T20 is played.
According to him, this type of bat will draw young hitters who look for an advantage in T20 cricket. Even Andrew Symonds is said to be experimenting in practice with the back of the bat. But then
the big question is, will budding young cricketers be game for this kind of a bat?
According to Swatantra Mishra — a budding batsman who has played U-15 state tournaments — there is no harm in playing with this kind of a bat. “Innovation should always be welcomed with open arms because it takes the game to another level. And if a player has the required batting skills, he will surely adjust while playing with a bat that is double-sided. One will have to mould himself in such a way so as to make the most of the latest innovation. And since the focus of most young players these days is on T20 cricket, this bat could well turn out to be a blessing,” says 19-yearold Mishra.
But not everybody agrees with Mishra. There are players like Aouj Naqvi — who has also played in the U-15 tournament and believes in sticking to the basics and playing orthodox cricket. “The double-sided bat will create nothing but confusion in the minds of the batsmen. And it will surely affect the technique of the player as well because the batsman will try to play more unconventional shots once he has such a bat in his hand. I believe the best way to score more and quick runs is by playing conventional cricket. With the right technique,runs will automatically flow,whether it’s in Tests, ODIs or in T20,” says Naqvi. The bat-makers claim that the two-sided bat will help those players who have purely developed their game for the T20 format. Former Ranji player Mohsin Raza, who now runs his own cricket academy doesn’t agree though.
“Adjustment while playing with this double-sided bat is not possible. The young batsmen will have to practice more with this bat, which eventually will result in a lot of time getting wasted. The technique of the players will get affected and they will end up playing more shots which aren’t in the coaching manual. This may even jeopardise their cricketing career. I don’t think such a bat will be a hit in Asian countries. Asians will prefer to play with the orthodox bat,”

Asin: To sir, with love...

2008-11-29T14:32:00.000+05:30

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

2008-11-17T17:01:00.001+05:30

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?

2008-11-16T13:24:00.000+05:30

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

2008-11-15T18:29:00.000+05:30

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

2008-11-03T18:23:00.002+05:30

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?

2008-11-01T17:01:00.000+05:30

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

2008-11-01T16:57:00.000+05:30

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

2008-11-01T16:53:00.000+05:30

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

2008-11-01T16:49:00.000+05:30

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

2008-11-01T16:46:00.000+05:30

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

2008-11-01T16:37:00.004+05:30

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.

Why thin ain’t in!

2008-10-27T13:16:00.001+05:30

Is size zero still the latest fad? We think not, because according to a recent survey, thin models don't have it in them to sell products like they used to. CTskims this study…

Sure Kareena Kapoor has men swooning after her. Heck, she even has the women going wow! But,according to a recent survey, skinny models in advertisements don’t seem to be driving the sales. So how true is this really and why is thin not in anymore? Ad guru Mohan Menon says , “The whole thin is in, or out is really a phase, which was brought by magazines like Vogue. They initially use skinny models and then graduate to fuller, more buxom women as their pinup girls. I personally do not think that you need a skinny girl to sell a product. When we look at ads, we are looking for something identifiable. Let’s take Kareena Kapoor for example. The girl is reed thin. Unless she has an extremely high-rate of metabolism, I don’t see how or where all that cola that she endorses goes,” says an amused Mohan Menon.
Ad man JD Jerry agrees with the study and says that the findings are true, especially down south, where fuller women are considered to be more attractive.
Model Rochelle, who is a size-zero herself says, “I completely agree with the survey. Ads should have models that the general population can identify with. As a model, I am required to be fit, but trust me, there are days when I have struggled to get into outfits and have worn stuff that I’m not comfortable with. Women, irrespective of their physical structure, should be comfortable with their own bodies and ads should definitely be more realistic, because unless the audience sees themselves in the product or as the aspirational user, they are not going to buy it.”
Another increasing concern is the effect the size zero fad has on youngsters. Nutritionist Rashmi Nambiar says, “A number of teenagers and aspiring models come to me saying that in their bid to lose weight, they starve themselves and take dietary supplements to curb their hunger pangs. Indian women can hardly ever be a size zero because our bone structure is not suited to that figure. We have been blessed with curvaceous bodies and we should aim at keeping ourselves healthy and fit, instead of running after this trend. It could also prove to be dangerous and these ads could bring about low self-esteem and confidence,” says Rashmi.
Agreeing with Rashmi is designer Julie, who says that she has had clients leave her shop because they are unsure about wearing an outfit that has been modelled by a skinny girl. “I have had cases where my clients will love the dresses they see on the ramp, but will refuse to buy it because they think it will not flatter their body type. I have to then convince them and tell them that it can be made to suit their requirements. A majority of my clientele consists of women with fuller figures and I love dressing them. Ramps should promote more reality. Indian women are voluptuous and there is no reason why we shouldn’t flaunt it,” asserts Julie.
So, why then is the Indian runway filled with anorexic women who have porcelain faces and an attitude to match? “While I think it is essential to be fit, I don’t think size zero is healthy at all,” says Karun Raman, a fashion choreographer. “Curvier women have an oomph quotient that skinny models lack. A woman who fills out her clothes is definitely sexier than someone who is just all skin and bones. Give me a Salma Hayek over a Kate Moss any day baby!” says Karun.

Britney scraps second appearance

2008-10-20T15:12:00.000+05:30

Britney Spears has reportedly turned down the chance to make a second guest appearance on Madonna’s world tour because of family commitments. Spears thrilled fans at Los Angeles’ Dodgers Stadium last week by joining the superstar on stage for a rendition of Human Nature. And the Toxic hitmaker is reportedly set to perform with the

Material Girl a second time when the
Sticky & Sweet tour
hits Miami, Florida on November 26. However, she is said to have scrapped the plans after she was granted custody of her two sons — two-year-old Jayden James and three-year-old Sean Preston — in the days leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday on November 27. A source said, “Britney had always agreed to perform in Miami but her circumstances have changed over the past couple of months. She and Kevin (ex-husband) are getting along fine now. Britney will have Jayden and Sean just before the holiday and Kevin will spend Thanksgiving day with them.”

Ghai’s lucky mascot — Yuvi

2008-10-20T15:09:00.000+05:30

Bollywood’s grandest filmmaker and showman, Subhash Ghai has given us some of the biggest hits in history, all thanks to cricket. Er… make that cricketers. Here’s a little known secret about Ghai and his lucky mascots. And no, we aren’t talking about his ‘M’ms’ (Meenakshi, Madhuri, Mahima) line-up of ladies. It’s the men in blue, really. Apparently Ghai fancies naming his movies after famous cricketers. And strangely, he is hardly a cricket fan, and even avoids watching the nation’s favourite sport. His first two hits Kalicharan and Vishwanath were names of top cricketers, and couple of years ago he produced the critically acclaimed Iqbal (with cricket as the backdrop). His latest musical, touted as one of his most extravagant creations, is Yuvvraaj. In his usual sporty humorous style, Ghai says, “So what if I am not a big cricket fan? The cricketers’ names are lucky for me. They hit with the bat and ball, and I get hits with my movies.” Now that was a SG original. While we still have to wait to give our verdict on Yuvvraaj, we’ll tell you that Ghai is already scoring with his one-liners. Wonder what Yuvi boy has to say about this. Hoping to get a cameo in the movie, just for luck’s sake?

Mallika joins the ranks of Halle Berry

2008-10-20T15:02:00.000+05:30

She may keep a low profile here, but Mallika Sherawat is creating waves abroad. The diva is a recipient of the US-based Multicultural Motion Picture Association’s Diversity Awards and is flying to attend a starstudded gala dinner this Sunday in California. Mallika, who will be presented the 2008 Renaissance Artiste Award — given to artistes of diverse creative talents worldwide, will join other international celebs from the film and television industry at the Universal Studios’ Global Theatre for the presentation ceremony. The citation behind the award states it is bestowed for the recipients’ “distinctive on-screen persona that is uniquely their own and allows their character depictions to bring audiences from laughter to tears”.

A surprised Mallika told CT,
“I thought it was a hoax! But
then I said stranger things than an Indian actress getting an award in Hollywood have happened... like a handsome black man in the White House!”

Past recipients of the award include top Hollywood actresses like Salma Hayek, Halle Berry, and Monica Belluci. Mallika said modestly, “I’m certainly not in their league yet, but hopefully in t e n ye a r s —when I ’ve worked as long as they have, I’ll have a body of work that’s as good.”
Meanwhile, after The Myth with Jackie Chan, the actress is doing Hiss for Hollywood with Jennifer Lynch and Robert Kurtzman. “It’s going to shock the hell out of you, but you will be entertained,” Mallika promised.

Dhoni prefers country to club

2008-10-20T14:57:00.000+05:30

Indian Skipper Wants Yuvi To Score A Hattrick Of Tons

There are still a few ifs and buts, but if the situation comes to a boil, he will prefer country to ‘club’.
When asked to react on BCCI’s request to ECB postpone the first Test in Ahmedabad for a day, so that Dhoni can represent Chennai Super Kings if they reach the final of the Champions League, the India captain said: “I haven’t thought about it, but if it comes to a boil I will prefer playing for the country.”
Meanwhile, talking about Thursday’s One-dayer against England, Dhoni said that he would be hoping for Yuvraj Singh to come good here also.“His two earlier knocks were instrumental in India pulling off big wins at Rajkot and Indore.”
“When he gets going, he is a champion. His strokeplay can upset the best bowlers of the game. And if he fires here also, it would be good for the team.”
He also put to rest, the doubts about Ishant Sharma’s fitness. “He is 100 per cent fit now,” Dhoni announced, but said that there won’t be too much tinkering with the team.
On RP Singh, the skipper said it’s always difficult for a player when he hasn’t been playing matches regularly. “That is the time a player needs the support of the team,” he added.
Mahi, as he is fondly referred to as, was cautious against complacency creeping in after the two comfortable wins. “2-0 lead in a seven-match encounter doesn’t mean much. As a team we have done well till now and would like to continue in the same fashion.”
About the Green Park wicket, he was of the view that toss won’t play a major part here. “It’s a good track, and I can’t foresee much wear and tear here as the game progresses.”

‘For once, in the right place, at the right time’

2008-10-20T14:32:00.000+05:30

Kartik All Geared Up To Represent Middlesex In Champions League

New Delhi: Even as the Indian cricket team is on a victory roll, one cricketer, largely forgotten, continues to ply his trade on the fringes. Murali Kartik, of India, Railways, Kolkata Knight Riders and Middlesex, has continued to perform well despite having suffered the trauma of being in and out of the national team all through his international career.
The left-arm spinner, currently doing Ranji Trophy duty for Railways, is gearing up for the Champions League where he will represent the English county. In a chat with TOI on Tuesday, Kartik reflected on the dual life that he lives, the bygone Stanford Super Series and the ensuing Champions League.

What’s the colour that looks good on you — pink (the colour of Middlesex jersey) or mix of gold and black (the Knight Riders jersey)?
(Smiles) Depends on the season actually. In summer, my choice of colour is pink and during Indian summer mix of gold and black suits me just fine.
What hurt you more — losing the $280,000 match against Trinidad & Tobago in Stanford 20/20 or losing in the IPL?
Both (Stanford and IPL) had different meaning for me. Either way, losing always hurts. The Middlesex had a trophy (T20 championship) in the cabinet after 15 long years. Some of them like Owais Shah and Andrew Strauss had not tasted that kind of success so obviously they went to West Indies with an eye on the $280,000 (the club needed the amount) and an ambition to be considered the best domestic T20 team on either side of the North Atlantic. But KKR is closest to my heart. With KKR, we did exceptionally well to finish fifth, after taking time to start off. I wanted to represent KKR in Champions League but...
You’re the only cricketer in the world to have played in both IPL & Stanford and will play in Champions T20 League...How does it feel?
For once in my career, perhaps, I was in the right place at the right time. But I don’t take pride in this thing. The IPL, T20 county Championship and Stanford is just another part of cricket. This is just a feel-good thing. As an overseas player in county, it’s a feather in your cap. I take more pride while representing Central Zone, Railways and India.
What’s the difference between Middlesex and Railways teams?
Well. the Middlesex players take pride in their performance but if they lose it’s not the end of the day. Whereas, when it comes to Railways players, they take it a lot more seriously due to varied reasons...a lot is riding on them. Besides, another difference is one of facility. Middlesex being based in Lord’s has everything at their beck and call.

Mandira’s extra innings

2008-10-19T19:40:00.000+05:30

Mandira Bedi is going back in time… No, she is not acting in a sci-fi or time machine kind of film, but she’s shedding her glamorous look for a non-glam look and is playing the girl next door. Her current look reminds one of her look in her television days, when she used to act in a serial called Shanti that made her popular. She laughs, “Yes… my look is very simple and I play the girl next door. It might remind of my Shanti days. In fact, the look in the film is much simpler than the one I sported in Shanti. I am simply in love with this look. It has given me a break from my glamorous image.” Yeah, right on girl, let’s see how many takers are there for her non glam role!

Diya hitting it right!

2008-10-19T19:35:00.000+05:30

Actress Diya Mirza’s not above saying, quite happily, that she googles herself. “It’s a fun process,” she grins. “When I won in the Miss India pageant, I did that, and I got about 5000-6000 results. I was very excited! Every six-seven months, I google my name, and it’s a high to see the number of hits I get, which has been growing, thankfully!” she laughs. Any content that she came across that troubled her? “There are some weird titles to some videos — like one that goes ‘Diya Mirza kissing’. But when you view them, they’re just clippings from my films. My God, can you imagine a future father-in-law googling me and seeing those dreadful titles to videos? Wouldn’t leave very good impression, would it?”

Dhoni may not keep for CSK

2008-10-19T19:23:00.000+05:30

Chennai: It’s been a hectic schedule for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the Chennai Super Kings team management may well relieve him of the wicketkeeping duties when they start their Champions Challenge campaign on December 4.

With Parthiv Patel in the squad and most likely to open the innings with Matthew Hayden, it’s likely that he will double up as the ‘keeper as well. “Dhoni is the best wicketkeeper-batsman but he will be more useful in the outfield. If Parthiv (Patel) plays as an opener, he will keep the wickets. He did a reasonably good work in the IPL. We have the option of more than one player to keep the wickets with Hussey also being there,” team director VB Chandrasekar said.

However, CSK won’t be able to avail the services of all-rounder Jacob Oram, who went back home from Bangladesh after suffering an injury. As for Morkel and Hussey, who decided to play for Chennai Super Kings in the Champions League instead of their domestic sides, Chandrasekar said that as per rules the IPL franchise has the first right of opting for the player. “They had to be playing for us. In the bargain we had to shell out $200,000 to Nashua Titans (for Morkel) and Western Australia (for Hussey) — both teams will take part in the Champions League — as per rules,” he said.
THE SQUAD: MS Dhoni (captain), M. Hayden, M. Hussey, S. Raina, A. Morkel, S. Badrinath, C. Kapugedara, KB Arun Karthik, P. Patel, R. Ashwin, M. Muralitharan, M. Ntini, L. Balaji, M. Gony, S. Tyagi. Coach: S. Fleming.
First Test to go ahead as per schedule

New Delhi: BCCI vice president Lalit Modi on Tuesday said the first Test between England and India would be held as per the schedule and MS Dhoni will lead the team as it was not a “rational” proposition to postpone the match in view of the Champions League final.
The BCCI had proposed to postpone the Test by a day to December 12 so that Dhoni could play the Twenty20 Champions League day-night final on December 10 while also making it to the first match against England, but Modi ruled out any such thing happening. Modi said it was not certain if CSK would reach the final and even if it does, Dhoni will represent India in the Dec 11-15 instead of playing in the Dec 10 daynight Champions League final. “No such thing will happen. We looked at rationalising the schedule but it's not possible,” he said.

AROUND THE WORLD

2008-10-19T19:13:00.000+05:30

Britney’s new album, Circus, leaked online
Popstar Britney Spears’ new album ‘Circus’ has been leaked online. The ‘Baby One More Time’ hitmaker’s new album was received well on fan websites. The stunner was supposed to release her album on the 1st of December, just a day before her 27th birthday; however, many songs of the album have already hit the popular video-sharing site You-tube. Some fans suspect it was a deliberate leak, reports the Sun. Meanwhile, the popstar was also in news for working on a covert project with her manager and choreographer.

‘Borat’ star crashes NBC drama ‘Medium’: Even a make-believe psychic couldn’t spot the scam when an actor disrupted a scene for ‘Medium’ involving Patricia Arquette. After the unruly extra was ejected by security, the truth became clear: He was comic prankster Sacha Baron Cohen in his identity as outrageous fashion reporter Bruno. It was unclear how Cohen gained entry to the set, and whether he was secretly filming his performance for his own use, according to Entertainment Weekly’s website.
Pudgiest pets compete in slimming contest: Eight of UK’s fattest pets are to embark on a 100-day diet and fitness regime in a bid to be crowned this year’s pet fit club champion. The seven dogs and one cat, who are all more than 30% overweight were picked by veterinary charity PDSA who are running the slimming contest. The animals will be put on specially tailored diet and exercise programs. The pet who achieves the biggest weight loss and follows their new regime will be crowned champion.
Vietnam to banish skinny bikers from roads:
Vietnam’s ministry of health thinks people whose chests measure less than 28 inches should be stopped from riding motorbikes — as would those who are too short or too thin. The proposal is part of an exhaustive list of new criteria the ministry has come up with to ensure that Vietnam’s drivers are in good health. But it the plans have been laughed at be Vietnamese — a nation of traditionally slight people.
Desperate soccer fans hijack Argentine bus: Fans of an Argentine soccer team were so desperate to get to a game on time that they hijacked two buses and forced the drivers at knifepoint to go faster. Police also said they robbed several passengers. Sixty-three men and three women were arrested and charged.
Man accused of dousing neighbour for a ‘confession’: Police said a Pennsylvania man bound his neighbour with a duct tape, doused him with gasoline and threatened to set him on fire unless the neighbour confessed to robbing his house. John Black, of New Sewickley Township, was charged with burglary, aggravated assault, unlawful restraint and related crimes.
Johansson confused over Lohan’s remarks: Scarlett Johansson is shocked over the vulgar remarks Lindsay Lohan scribbled about her on a New York bathroom stall in 2006. Johansson is baffled, since the two have only met three times says Contactmusic.com.

Jessica to make up for her quiet wedding

2008-10-18T22:23:00.000+05:30

Jessica Alba is set to wear a $47,000 gown to her wedding party. The Sin City actress — who married Cash Warren in an intimate ceremony earlier this year — is planning a lavish, belated celebration next month for her friends and family. Jessica has also ordered a stunning custom-made offwhite dress trimmed with lace for the bash. A source said, “Jessica first wanted to wear a traditional gown with a veil, but then she changed her mind because she thought it would be over the top. Instead she chose a dress that could pass as a wedding gown, but also work for a formal event, like the Oscars.” Jessica and Cash, who have a five-month-old daughter Honor together, tied the knot in a private civil ceremony at the Beverly Hills Courthouse in June.

Fashion malfunction

2008-10-18T22:07:00.001+05:30

Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut conveniently give each other a total miss at the success party of Fashion

At a film’s success party, one expects there to be much merry making. But the success party of Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion had more elements to it. The leading ladies of the film, Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut, made sure that they did not cross each other's paths during the party. And both were successful. When Priyanka entered the party, Kangana had already left. Reveals our source, “Both Priyanka and Kangana made discreet enquiries about the time when the other was expected to arrive. When Kangana got to know that Priyanka was coming in late because she had to flag off a special screening of Dostana, she reached the party early and left within a short while.”

In fact, Kangana hardly circulated and did not even inform director Madhur Bhandarkar that she was leaving. Adds our source, “Madhur suddenly realised that Kangana couldn’t be seen. So when a few friends told him that she had already left, he was flabbergasted.” “When I called her up, Kangana excused herself saying her sister was unwell,” said Madhur.
We expected that Priyanka, Kangana and Mugdha Godse would cut the cake together. But to our surprise, only Priyanka and Mugdha cut it. Naturally, since Kangana had already left.

The rift between Priyanka and Kangana was born when the latter was not too pleased with the promos of Fashion, which, she felt, highlighted Priyanka. And later, after the film released, both the actresses felt that the critics had praised the other more. It will be interesting to see if both these girls share screen space again

Happy birthday Nayanthara!

2008-10-18T22:00:00.000+05:30

Nayanthara is celebrating her birthday with her family today in Dubai, where her brother is settled.
Nayan, who is on a break, wanted to spend her birthday with her little niece whom she dotes on. The lass says that her brother is planning to host a small birthday party for her at the newly opened super luxury resort — Atlantis Hotel on the Palm Jumeirah, a man-made island known as the eighth wonder of the world!
During the last five years, she has celebrated her birthday on the sets of her films. Now, she feels that it is a welcome break that will rejuvenate her and pep up her spirits.
Ask her if she’s moving away from glam roles, and she replies, “Why should I? My fans have accepted me in such roles. And it’s not easy to be convincing as a glam girl in films as a lot of hard work goes into it.”
The actress, who has watched Fashion and Dostana recently, says that she loved Priyanka Chopra in them. Adds Nayan, “Both the films were hip, trendy and youth-oriented. I will be back and am waiting to catch up with Vaaranam Aayiram.” On her birthday gift, she says with a smile, “My family always loves to surprise me at the last minute.”

CHESS OLYMPIAD FOURTH ROUND REPORT

2008-10-18T21:51:00.000+05:30

Women sizzle, men go down fighting

Indian women continued their good work in the Chess Olympiad at Dresden and trounced 12th seed Germany 3-1 in the fourth round on Sunday. Tania Sachdev and Mary Ann Gomes scored full points while Dronavalli Harika and Swati Ghate came away with draws. Indian men had a good chance to hold top seeds Russia. The star-studded Russian won 2.5-1.5 after Vladimir Kramnik escaped with a draw against Krishnan Sasikran .
Sasi, with black pieces, was in a promising position in Slav Defence against Kramnik but he had very little time on the clock and had to make six moves in three minutes. The Indian offered a draw to Kramnik who took it immediately.
P Harikrishna won a good game against Peter Svidler on the second board but India lost both the remaining games. Alexander Grischuk beat Surya Sekhar Ganguly and Alexander Morozevich defeated Sandipan Chanda.
For Indian women, Tania Sachdev is in sizzling form and beat Kachiani Ketino on the second board. Ann Gomes accounted for Hoolt Sarah on the fourth board. Harika drew with Elisabeth Paehtz on the top board and Swati Ghate split the point with Michna Marta.
In the men’s sction, India have six points and are in joint third place but overall 10th when tiebreak is counted. Russia and Germany have eight points each and shared the first place. In the women’s section, India are in joint second place with seven points. Poland led the table with eight points.

This is Something Sensational

2008-10-18T21:46:00.000+05:30

Ideal 'ORKUT' profile of a Software Engineer.

2008-10-18T21:21:00.002+05:30

About me: I think I am changing the world, but I am not. I think I am
contributing to the Indian economy, but I guess I am not. I think I love
my work, but I do not. I think I hate all people who made me earn my
engineering degree, and I do. I think I am living, but and most
importantly, I am LOOKING for someone to make me live !! Ok...I won't be
funny anymore. I am a cool guy with a zeal to enjoy life (For all those
who know me--> "Just stop laughing!!")

Relationship status : what?

Birthday : The day my PL is about to fire me.

Age : 10111
1111
111

Here for: web browsing in company hours.

Children : can't be (hey, don't get me wrong here!!)

Ethnicity : Programmer.

Languages I speak : Java, C/C++, 010101110101

Religion: I get holidays on all religious festivals, so I love all religions.

Political view : the guy sitting beside me is a pig!!

Humor : weekly.

Fashion: Ask my company HR. Btw, I like jeans, t-shirt and a cross-bag.

Smoking: The second greatest pleasure on the earth.

Drinking : The first is this.

Pets: Yeah, my PL looks like a dog. :-)

Living: Cummon, this is a stupid one. How can this be asked to a software
engineer? Believe me, I am living!!

Hometown : My company (Oh God! Please bring my appraiser to this page)

Webpage: http://naukri. com, http://jobsahead. com – Isn't it Ultimate???

Passions: searching for the cheapest pub around, cursing my company,
looking for other company, remembering my good old college days, worrying
about my future.

Sports: quake, CS (Counter Strike), computer chess.

Activities: Are you crazy?

Books: "How to lose weight in 20 days?", "How to live a happy life?", "101
ways to attract a girl", "Java Unleashed", "C++ at your footsteps", Others
censored.

Music: Metallica, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, ACDC, and anything depressing.

Tv shows : can't afford one.

Cuisines : Bread Butter, Maggi, anything available within 200 meteres of
my cubicle....

Rajasthan Royals may go public

2008-10-01T17:37:00.001+05:30

Rajasthan Royals, the winners of the inaugural Indian Premier League, could soon be going public. According to sources, the owners of the team, Emerging Media, have decided to float some equity in the market and get listed on the stock exchange.
While the sources couldn't confirm under what name the listing will be done, they said it was certain that the franchisee would go public ``very soon''. “There are many ways to go public and they are working out the modalities,”' a source close to Emerging Media told TOI on Wednesday.
This may not seem like the ideal time to be coming out with an equity issue, but the owners of Emerging Media are said to be optimistic and believe that they can cash in on the brand value earned from winning the first IPL. “Rajasthan Royals will again be visible in the Champions League (which in-volves the Jaipur and Chennai teams and T20 league finalists from South Af-rica, Australia and Pakistan) and that is something which will help the stock,” the source said.
When TOI contacted Manoj Badale, the owner of Emerging Media, he re-fused to comment on the development. Asked for their comments, officials of other franchises said they were not sure if going public was allowed under IPL rules. However, top sources in the IPL said if there was a problem, there could be a special order and this would be discussed at the three-day brain storming session between the IPL and franchisees in Goa next month. Under IPL rules, franchisees can sell only a minority stake in the franchise before the three-year period of their contract ends. That means up to 49% of Rajasthan Royals could be up for grabs.
Chennai Super Kings, Kings XI Punjab and Hy-derabad’s Deccan Chargers haven’t done booming business in their first year, but sources said they were not rushing to dilute their stakes just yet. After Jaipur miss, is Chennai in fray for CL ties?
Jaipur: Team Jaipur will not get home advantage as the city is not in the running to be one of the hosts for the high profile event. “The tournament will be held from December 2-10 and Jaipur, along with other north Indian centres, will not be considered because there is a lot of dew here in the evenings at that time of the year,” BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi said. This may well open the door for Chennai to get their ‘home matches’ of the tournament.

On top of the world

2008-10-01T17:23:00.002+05:30

Actress Sunaina is on cloud nine after the recent success of Kadhalil Vizhundhen. Chennai Times caught up with her...

Her film Kadhalil Vizhundhen (KV) is doing well at the BO and this is indeed pleasant news for the actress. “Yes, it was a brilliant experience and this is my first hit after two average films in Telugu and Kannada. I am so happy,” she beams.
So, how did Kadhalil Vizhundhen happen? “Prasath sir’s unit had come to Hyderabad looking for a fresh face for his film. I decided to try my luck and took a screen test. He said that I would suit the role well as I had an attractive smile,” says she. “I was also confident that I will look good in the film as it had Milton sir doing the cinematography,” she adds.

Facing the arclights is not new to this lass as she has already done a Telugu film titled Tenth Class and a Kannada flick titled Gange Baare Tunge Baare. “But, KV is indeed the turning point in my career."
Ask her about the experience of working with Nakul and the actress smiles, “Nakul is a bundle of energy. He makes his presence felt wherever he goes. Nakul and I used to fight on the sets every day. He has become very close to my mother and now we are like family.” The actress was quick to comment on the transformation of the chubby Nakul in Boys to the energetic chap in KV. “I loved Boys and used to wonder what he was doing in the film. I never thought that I would play his love interest in future. When I saw the slim Nakul on the sets, I was taken aback.”

What does the actress have to say about the hot kissing scene where she was alleged to have encouraged Nakul? “Those are baseless allegations. In fact, I was the one who was nervous. I have never kissed anyone in my life. When Prasath sir asked me to do this scene, I was really embarrassed. I was so panicky that immediately after the scene, I burst into laughter.”
Has life changed after KV for this Bharathnatyam dancer? “It has changed for the good and bad. People who never cared for me are coming back to my life. There is lot of fake affection being showered on me. I still prefer to spend time with my friends and family.” And, a word on her forthcoming projects? “Another movie with Nakul for Sun Pictures,” she signs off. A L R E A D Y I N L O V E !
If guys out there are dreaming to date this pretty lass, here is news that will put them off! The actress already has a prince charming in mind. Even though the actress refuses to reveal the identity of the person, she is more than happy to explain about her love interest. “Two years ago, I approached a friend of mine and proposed to him. He rejected my love for some genuine personal reasons. But, if one day, he comes back to me, I will be the happiest person on the earth.“

Boxing Day Test Match

2008-09-30T10:34:00.000+05:30

The word 'Boxing' has nothing to do with the sport; it has to do with boxes in which you put things.
During the Christmas season a lot of people attend church and while they are there, they donate money and other goodies to the poor.
The money and gifts are put in a box, and this is called a Christmas box. A priest opens the boxes the day after Christmas and he, in turn distributes the contents to the needy. This is why 26 December is called Boxing Day.

The first Test to start on Boxing Day was between Australia and West Indies in 1968-69 at Melbourne. But it was not until 1981-82 that the tradition really took off. Since then there has usually been a Test starting on Boxing Day at Melbourne.

Bob Woolmer’s new book steers clear of match-fixing

2008-09-16T13:47:00.000+05:30

The late cricket coach’s much-awaited new book, believed to be the reason for his mysterious death, is a simple coaching manual with no controversial content

Late South Africa and Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer’s tell-all book on cricket touches every aspect of the game barring two dreaded words: betting and fixing. In his soon-to-bereleased book Art and Science of Cricket, these two words do not occur even once through the 650 pages.
This will come as a huge disappointment to the eagerly-waiting readers who might be thinking that his book would be an expose on the murky world of match-fixing and behind-the-scenes misdeeds of players who act at the behest of bookies.
It was believed the book might even have cost him his life. The book is an outand-out cricket manual for coaches and serious students of the game. It deals with the techniques of batting, bowling and fielding.
It also has sub-sections on personalities like Don Bradman, Shane Warne and Gary Kirsten, the new India coach.
It throws light on issues like ball-tampering, sledging, reverse swing, racial tensions, cricket relations between hostile India and Pakistan; almost every conceivable issue barring the ones in question.
The co-authors of the book, Timothy Noakes and Helen Moffett, do not discuss the events leading up to Woolmer’s death at all. They simply state: ‘‘Bob Woolmer began his life with a cricket bat in his crib (in a Kanpur hospital); and he died in the service of cricket, on March 18, 2007, at the Cricket World Cup in West Indies.
His sudden death, most probably of heart failure, caused a cloud of speculation and confusion that for a few months threatened to veil Bob’s gigantic contribution to the game. The book serves as his legacy.’’
Woolmer may never have had any intention of exposing any wrong-doings by Pakistan players in this book. He just wanted to put forth his modern coaching and training methods.
He writes: ‘‘I have written and rewritten chapters because my own coaching style has had to change with each role that I have undertaken. It has become extremely clear that there is no right or wrong way to play or teach this game. Inevitably, it is the player who will shape his own destiny either as player or coach. There can be no cloning in cricket.’’ At one point, Woolmer writes:
‘‘Cricket is glittering dream to some, and a source of bitter disappointment to much greater majority. Those to whom it remains a gentle and gentlemanly game played in white on the village green might be shocked to know of the dizzying hope and heartbreak the game can engender.’’
The book may be as mundane as MCC’s guide to cricket or Bradman’s own Art of Cricket, considered the bible of cricket coaching. But still it has nuggets of information which will interest a general reader.
Woolmer’s take on...
‘ISLAMIC’ REVERSE SWING: Reverse swing has always struggled to shake off its reputation as a somehow devious or underhand tactic. Acrimonious debate is still being fuelled by the latent suspicion that reversing the ball is the preserve of cheats.
To make matters worse, these suspicions sometimes appear to have racist overtones. As only a very scuffed ball, and one that has been constantly polished on one side, can reverse, Pakistan provides ideal conditions for the phenomenon to emerge.
But it didn’t help that the only Islamic Test-playing nation at the time was the one that introduced reverse swing so spectacularly. Hardliners like Ian Botham still insist that for a side to collapse from 250/2 to 280 all out, someone has to be cheating. The scene was thus set for racial stereotyping that persists to this day, as reflected in the brouhaha over umpire Darryl Hair’s declaration that the Pakistan side tampered with the ball during a Test Match with England in August 2006, (which at that time was awarded to the home team as the Pakistan team refused to come back onto the field).
However, one can’t ignore the fact that many teams do tamper with the ball, speeding up the natural roughening process so that it can start reverse swinging.
SLEDGING: Sledging has one tactical purpose: to disrupt the concentration of the batsman, and to rile him into making a mistake. Whatever your opinion of the use of aggressive — and often foul — language, the fact is that sledging is here to stay and players need to know how to deal with it.
He has two suggestions for cricketers: 1. Never ever dish it out if you can’t take it and 2. Never get personal or ugly.
HOW TO BE A HAPPY TOURIST: It is not a bad idea to learn a little about the countries marked for touring, learning basic greeting and courtesies in local language is always appreciated. By all means, interact with locals, but never assume that your status as a visiting athlete gives you the right to flout laws or religious or cultural norms.

Sex scenes made Eckhart squirm

2008-09-14T17:16:00.000+05:30

Aaron Eckhart felt awkward during his sex scenes in upcoming film Towelhead, because his co-star Summer Bishil found them funny. The film tells the story of an Arab-American girl’s encounter with racism. She has an affair with Eckhart. He says, “I tried to get her to trust me, to build a relationship when we were doing physical scenes. We’d really rehearse them mechanically. She was so good-humoured about the whole thing and welladjusted. I think I found it more difficult.”

Mariah’s Hollywood dreams

2008-09-14T17:13:00.000+05:30

Mariah Carey has hopes of turning around her disastrous movie debut with her forthcoming film Tennessee. The pop superstar hit headlines with her disastrous movie debut Glitter in 2001. She is now set to star in the upcoming road trip drama as aspiring singer Krystal, whose hopes of stardom have been dashed by a bad marriage. Carey will perform her original ballad Right to Dream in the film, a song she co-wrote with country legend Willie Nelson.

IN CONVERSATION YUVRAJ SINGH

2008-09-14T16:54:00.000+05:30

I lost my confidence in Sri Lanka: Yuvraj

Left-Hander Says He Will Fight Back

Seeing him struggle against the Sri Lankan bowlers in the One-day series last month, the national selectors thought it fit to leave Yuvraj Singh out of the Rest of India squad. It’s a setback but the left-hander hasn’t lost the confidence to fight. Being a talented middle-order batsman, Yuvraj still dreams big and he knows that he can make them come true. After winning ICC’s T20 cricketer of the year award, the morale of the cricketer is high and he wants to come back with a bang.
In a candid chat with the TOI, Yuvraj reveals what’s going through his mind. Excerpts:
What went wrong with your batting in Sri Lanka?
I started off well in the warm-up match and was even batting well in the first ODI in Dambulla. But later in the series, I just didn’t get the start. There were a few inside edges. I also lost my confidence in the process. It happens when you are not in form, it’s part of the game. But I have faith in my ability and I can come out of this lean patch.
What are your plans now? Will the ICC award help you in any way?
I just want to work hard on my game and think positively. From here on, I want to end this year on a high. That is my target. I may not be a part of the Rest of India squad, but I will make use of all the opportunities I get. Yes, the ICC award has surely helped me remain positive. It will really inspire me to do well. What happened in the past is past. I am hungry for more runs and recent failures have made me wiser.
Is there any problem with your technique?
Not exactly. My technique is fine. It’s all in the mind. If your confidence is low, you can’t score consistently. But I am also a human being and prone to making mistakes. But I am confident of coming out of this patch as soon as possible. At this juncture, I am getting a lot of support from my teammates, family and friends.
You seemed to have struggled against spinners?
It’s not about struggling against spinners. Ajantha Mendis is a tough bowler to pick. In fact, in the Test series we struggled against him but in the One-dayers we were able to pick him well. The more you play him, better it is for you. Unfortunately, I didn’t stay long enough at the crease to dominate Mendis’ bowling.
Do you think that the toss played a role in India’s series victory?
Toss can’t be everything in the match. You can’t really discount the fact that our team played some real good cricket in the series. With the bat, Raina and Dhoni played some crucials knocks in the middle-order and with the ball, Zaheer (Khan) and Harbhajan (Singh) continuously hit the right areas. So it was not the toss factor but team effort that made the difference. And in a team, all the eleven players can’t click in one go.
Coming to the Australian series, what are your thoughts?
It will be a tough series for India. The last time the Aussies came here, they beat us. So we have to play really well to beat them. It will not be easy for sure. They may have some rookies in their line-up, but underestimating the world champions is not a wise thing to do. It will be a competitive series.
What’s your view on the Andrew Symonds issue?
Symonds is a great cricketer, and most importantly he is a fighter. I am sure he is going to do well for himself in the future. He is going through the worst phase of his career, but he is mentally strong and will surely make a comeback. When chips are down, these things happen.

STAR TREK

2008-09-13T17:18:00.000+05:30

Nadal fires Olympic warning

Rafael Nadal sent out a stark message of intent to contenders for the Olympic singles crown with a crushing 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Australian Lleyton Hewitt here on Tuesday.
The Spanish second seed asserted full control of the match early on, breaking Hewitt at 2-1 up in first set.
The Australian had played a gruelling doubles match that stretched into the early hours of Tuesday , and his tiredness showed, notably on his backhand returns. Hewitt managed to break Nadal in the first game of the second set in a shortlived revival but the Spaniard stole the march again and soon had the match wrapped up. AFP

Satyam mulls job cuts for non-performers

2008-09-13T17:14:00.000+05:30

In what could be a decisive move for the company, Satyam Computers is exploring ways to scale down its workforce based on performance metrics. The software major currently has 51,000 employees on its rolls, and company sources say that 1,500 employees have been put under the Performance Improvement Plan (PIP).
Apart from this another 3,000 employees have not been given any increment in the last appraisal cycle thereby indicating to them that their services are dispensable. “This 1,500 plus 3,000 totals 4,500 which indicates the total number of persons who could be eased out of the company,” the source said.
Interestingly, on Friday, all employees received an e -mail from the company chief Ramalinga Raju warning them, especially the ones on the bench, to not bunk offices and be in their best ‘dress code’ failing which they might face strict disciplinary action.
Last week some 400 employees from across different locations of the company were given the pink slip. One hundred and fifty were from Hyderabad. The sources also indicated that getting the message many among the 3,000 have also started leaving their jobs on the own, but an estimate of the numbers who have left on this account is not known.
A company spokesperson when queried said: “The bottom 5% of those who have got a bad appraisal have been put under PIP and given dummy projects to prove themselves. If they fail they will be shown the door.” But some of them marked for PIP said that they have been given very little time to come up as winners.
But even as it downsizes, Satyam continues to hire new employees in thousands. Over 40% of them are flesh blood just passing out of college.
Employee sources say that the plight of the 3,000 who have not got any increment is pitiable: they are neither on the bench nor into any high-revenue earning project. “Some of us cannot quit even though we know that we will be eventually sacked. This because we have paid a bond amount of Rs 2 lakh undertaking to serve the company for two years,” said an employee.
Industry analysts say that inspite of the current economic slowdown due to which big projects aren’t coming the way of Indian IT companies, Satyam is still maintaining a buffer of 3-8% on the bench. “It’s like a contingency plan,” says an analyst. “Sometimes when a big project comes all of a sudden and the company can’t show enough resources which could be employed to deliver the work, the company could lose deals. Which is why this behaviour,” he adds.
Finmin to decide on tax sops for IT cos
Chennai: With a section of the IT industry in India requesting further extension in the tax concessions given to units in Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), union minister for IT and communications, A Raja on Monday said his ministry would take up the issue of extending the benefits by another year, with the prime minister and the finance minister.
CII’s annual ICT event held in Chennai, the minister said it was up to the finance minister to take a call on giving further extension, but added that it would be considered after talks with the finance minister. The sunset clause for STPI units was initially supposed to expire on March 31,2009 but was extended by one year. Now, the industry is seeking an extension of one more year. TNN

Britney Spears has roots in Britain

2008-09-13T17:10:00.001+05:30

American pop star Britney Spears’s family apparently has its roots in Tottenham in north London. Experts also found that her ancestors might have a secret, reports a website. London Metropolitan Archives reveal that Spears’ great-grandfather George was a sailor and was registered at the same address with lover Lillian when they got married in 1923. The 26-year-old star, who made a triumphant return at the MTV Video Music Awards this week, is descended from George Anthony Portell and Lillian Esther Lewis. Britney’s family secret will be on show when the archives go online —with the records of more than 77 million people available.
Laurence Ward, head of digital resources at the archives, said there could be an innocent explanation. “Her great-grandparents have certainly listed the same address in the records for their marriage. But as her great-grandfather is recorded as being an able seaman, he may have been away with the Navy a lot. They could have recorded the same address for convenience,” he said.

Volatile Symonds gets the axe

2008-09-13T16:56:00.000+05:30

Allrounder Ignored For India Tour As Australia Pick 15-Member Test Team

Volatile all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who has made headlines for controversies in recent times, was dropped from Australia’s 15-member Test squad for next month’s tour of India on disciplinary grounds.
The burly Symonds, who created a flutter earlier this year for claiming that India’s Harbhajan Singh had racially abused him, has been given time for “introspection” so that he can decide on his future.
Australia’s national selection panel chairman Andrew Hilditch said Symonds, who was sent packing after his “gone fishing” saga in Darwin during the One-dayers against Bangladesh last month, is now in a process of introspection and will be considered once he is fully fit.
“Andrew Symonds was stood down for disciplinary reasons in Darwin and is now going through a process managed by Cricket Australia designed to give him time to assess whether he is fully committed to all of the things needed for a cricketer to be a member of the world’s number one team,” Hilditch said.
“Cricket Australia has told us that selectors will be advised once Andrew can be considered again for selection and we hope we can look forward to that advice in due course because as we all know, a fit and fully-committed Andrew Symonds can be a world beater,” he added.
Left-arm chinaman bowler Beau Casson also have been dropped while spinner 36-year-old Bryce McGain has been included and is set to make his debut against India. Right-arm spinner Jason Krejza have also been given a ticket and Hilditch feels the spinners will do well in Indian conditions. “We are pleased with the balance achieved in this squad. We have selected two internationally inexperienced spinners but we feel they are the right kind of spinners for the conditions and have faith they will both do very well when given opportunities,” he said.
Among the pacers, youngsters Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle have been given a chance to play for Australia, while all-rounder Shane Watson has been included to provide extra flexibility to the team. Batting mainstays Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden are also recovering fast from injuries. AGENCIES
The squad: Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke (vice-captain), Matthew Hayden, Phil Jaques, Michael Hussey, Simon Katich, Brad Haddin, Shane Watson, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Bryce McGain, Mitchell Johnson, Jason Krejza, Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle.

Vehicles likely to cost 3.5% less

2008-09-08T13:47:00.000+05:30

Prices of cars, two-wheelers and commercial vehicles are set to come down by around 3.5% due to the duty cut announced by the government, but the auto industry gave a cautious welcome to the move, saying steps were required to boost the availability of finance in the sector.
Almost all major manufacturers, including Maruti, Hyundai, M&M, Tata and TVS, said they would be passing on the benefits of the reduced duty to customers immediately. Broadly, the 4% relief on ex-factory cost is likely to result in ex-showroom price reduction in the range of Rs 8,000 to 45,000 for different passenger vehicles (cars and SUVs).
The benefit for the truck and buses will be much higher and could be in the range of Rs 30,000 to Rs 2 lakh if the manufacturers pass on the entire benefit to customers. While the two wheeler segment which has been posting negative sales in the past few months could see a price reduction of Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000.
Though companies are yet to announce a final price cut, it is estimated that a car priced around Rs 3 lakh will be cheaper by around Rs 10,000. Alto, the largest selling car on Indian roads, is expected to be cheaper by Rs 8,000.
Maruti Suzuki chairman R C Bhargava said, “We are looking at passing on the entire benefit to the customers. We shall be cutting down prices in the range of 3.5-4% from midnight and most of our vehicles will be cheaper by that percentage.”
Arvind Saxena, senior VP (marketing and sales) of Hyundai India also welcomed the move. “We will pass it on to the customers,” Saxena said, though adding that “immediate steps” were required to reduce cost of lending (interest rates) and boost finance availability.
While interest rates on auto financing are hovering at record-high levels, banks and NBFCs have been reluctant in lending in view of the tight liquidity position.
Auto companies complain that despite enabling measures by the RBI to boost liquidity in the system, banks have remained “extra vigilant” in lending to the automobile sector, leading to a big contraction in demand.
P M Telang, executive director (commercial vehicles) of Tata Motors, said the company would also pass on the additional benefits due to the duty cuts. However, he added that to give a boost to the commercial vehicle sector, the government should increase spending in infrastructure and boost credit availability.
Dr Pawan Goenka, president (automotive sector), Mahindra & Mahindra said, “M&M is passing on the entire Cenvat reduction to consumers, and in some high-end models, even more than the announced reduction.
At the top-end, one could expect the price on a Scorpio to come down by Rs 42,000-43,000, or even more. On pick-up trucks, there will be a price reduction of around Rs 17,000-18,000.
A 4% cut in excise is the maximum that one could have expected. However, we were expecting that the extra duty of Rs 20,000 — levied post-Budget, sometime in June, would also be removed because there is no justification for the same now. Also, while the government has announced repo and reverse repo cuts to boost liquidity, nothing specific was done to ease retail financing.”
A Ford spokesperson also said the company will pass on the duty cut benefit to customers.

Penelope Cruz controls questions

2008-08-12T17:38:00.000+05:30

Actress Penelope Cruz dodged questions surrounding her romance with Javier Bardem after she was cornered during a recent TV interview. The Spanish star has kept quiet on the pair’s relationship since they were first snapped cuddling on a beach last summer — despite Bardem’s No Country for Old Men co-star Woody Harrelson confirming the couple’s romance earlier this year. Cruz was confronted by late night host David Letterman during an appearance on his show, when he attempted to get the actress talking about Bardem's similarity to the characters he plays on film. But the Volver star refused to acknowledge her romantic involvement with the actor, snapping: “That’s very hard to answer because I don’t even ask myself when I’m preparing a character... So if I don’t dare to compare myself with the character, I wouldn’t do it with somebody else.”
She then quipped: “How do you like that for an answer? You can ask me about (Vicky Cristina Barcelona co-star) Scarlett (Johansson).” But Cruz did offer some praise for Bardem before leaving the stage, adding: “He’s one of the most brilliant actors in the world.”

From Hyderabad to Bangkok...

2008-08-12T17:21:00.000+05:30

Soon after Kanthasamy’s shoot got, the actress flew to Bangkok for over Jaggubhai

Shriya is a busy bee. From the sets of Kanthasamy in Hyderabad, she has flown to Bangkok for the shoot of Radaan Media Works’ new film Jag gubhai. The film, directed by KS - Ravikumar, has Shriya play ing the role of the daughter of a tycoon enacted by Sharat Kumar. A new girl from Andhra plays her mother’s role in the film. The film will be completed in one schedule in Bangkok and Australia in 45 days. Ace cameraman RD Rajasekhar is in charge of cinematography, while a new music director Rafee is being introduced. Meanwhile Shriya has been dragged into a new controversy, as she returned the signing amount given by producer Kathiresan for his film with Dhanush to be directed
by Vetrimaran. Kathiresan
had confirmed Shriya’s dates
for April but at the last
minute the launch was de-- layed, as Vetri had not com
pleted the script and
Dhanush had started his new film P adikathavan . Dhanush Polhad earlier worked on ladhavan with Vetri. Shriya’s dates went awry
and Kathiresan informed her
that his film with Vetri will
start only after Dhanush completes P adikathavan and Arya remake for Gemini Film Circuit. This made her
see red and she straight away
returned the advance to the
producer who refused to accept it. The latest we hear is that the Nadig ar Sangam will take up the issue on her
behalf.

SBI increases lending, deposit rates

2008-08-12T17:12:00.001+05:30

Spares Small Home Loan Borrowers, Makes Fixed Deposits Attractive

Amid a high interest rate scenario, the State Bank of India on Monday has brought some cheers for depositors and small home loan borrowers. While increasing the interest rate on fixed deposits (FDs) by 25 to 75 basis points (100 basis points is 1%), the bank insulated the small home loan borrowers from the hike in the lending rate by 100 basis points across the board.
While the interest rate on FDs between one year and three years has been increased by 50 basis points to 10%, that on three years to less than five years has been increased by 75 basis points to 9.75%. But, FD rate of 5 years to 10 years has been increased by only 25 basis points to 9.25%.
However, the five year FD is qualified for tax concession under section 80C. In this case, deposits up to Rs 1 lakh, will be deducted from your income before tax calculation. The Rs 1 lakh includes deposits in provident fund, insurance, mutual fund, children’s school fees and 5-year FDs in post office.
If you invest in five-year FD with a bank, you will save tax of Rs 30,900. However, the interest income earned on the amount will attract tax at the rate of 30.9%, including the education cess. The 9.25% return offered on five year FD by SBI is equivalent to around 14.75% pre-tax return, if your fall under 30% tax slab.
But, for less than five-year FDs, which are not qualified for the tax concessions, the post tax return will come down to around 6.75% under the same slab.That is why the interest rate offered by banks on five-year FD is lower than other tenures. ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank also offer 9.5% return on five-year FD.
SBI on Monday also increased its benchmark lending rate by one percentage point to 13.75%. This will lead to increased rates on new loans as well as on floating loans by one percentage point. But, the bank said that the new rates will not be applicable on the home loan up to Rs 30 lakh.
This means, interest rate on existing as well as new home loan up to Rs 30 lakh will remain unchanged.
The existing rate of home loan of the bank is 10.50%. The existing education loan borrowers will also not get hit by the hike. But, the new borrowers will have to pay the increased rate.
SBI has the largest portfolio of education loan. The existing interest rate on education loan up to Rs 4 lakh is 9% and that on beyond Rs 4 lakh is around 10.5%. The new rate will be one percentage point higher than this.
In the case of auto loan, the bank has restricted the increase up to 50 bps only. That means, the new auto loan will be available at around Rs 14.50%.
The bank said that the concessions to the small borrowers would benefit a large body of customers and would reduce the default rate.
The bank believes that its action would contribute to revival of these sectors, which have witnessed some strain recently and would enhance demand for credit.