The Hindu Articles

Friday, February 1, 2013

Shotcuts

Actor Jiiva

A still from Pannaiyarum Padminiyum

TOPICS

arts, culture and entertainment cinema

arts, culture and entertainment

Big 10!

Actor Jiiva has completed 10 eventful years in the industry. The actor, who started his innings with Asai Asaiyaai, has been part of big projects such as Ameer’s Raam, Sasi’s Dishyum, K.V. Anand’s Ko, and Shankar’s Nanban. The son of producer RB Choudhary, Jiiva is excited about this week’s release David and forthcoming projects such as Endrendrum Punnagai and Yaan. Says the actor, “I’m happy to have crossed a milestone, but I also realise I must sharpen my acting talent and work harder. I have enjoyed working in the industry, and I hope my forthcoming films showcase my skills more.”

Car story

A lot of films come with titles that make one sit up and take notice. The latest to join that list is Pannaiyarum Padminiyum. While actor Jayaprakash plays the pannaiyar, Vijay Sethupathy plays the driver in this film directed by S.U. Arun Kumar. It was apparently a short film initially. Says the director, “After watching my short film, producer M.R. Ganesh asked me if I could make it into a feature film; I was delighted. When I began the casting, I wanted Jayaprakash and Vijay Sethupathy for the roles they are now doing. The music is by Justin Prabakaran, and cinematography by Gokul Benoi. The film aims to be a comedy with twists and turns.” So, who is this Padmini? He points to a Premier Padmini!

More In: Cinema | Arts | Metroplus | Life & Style

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/shotcuts/article4368753.ece

Out of India

Home delivery Some love vermin

TOPICS

human interest

One of the few songs I remember from my childhood is –

My mother said I never should

Play with the gypsies in the woods.

If I did, she would say

You naughty girl to disobey.

In the song, the mother threatens to disown the girl, while the father promises to hit her head with a teapot lid. But she runs off anyway.

As a child, I read books that portrayed gypsies as fortune tellers, bogey-men, and thieves. Far from being put off by these negative attributes, I was intrigued. I loved their freedom of movement, to simply break camp and move whenever the spirit urged them.

Never having set eyes on a real European gypsy, I imagined our Korava were those gypsies. The Korava women, called Korathi in Tamil, wear colourful skirts, beads, and glittering earrings, albeit of different style from European gypsies. I yearned to dress like them, but their style was too flamboyant for the staid tastes of my family.

When I grew older, I sought to know more about the Roma, as the European gypsies are called. I wasn’t surprised their suspected country of origin was India, but I was appalled by their history of slavery, forced evictions, forced sterilisations, and jail terms for minor infractions in every European country. The Nazis killed an estimated 2,20,000 to 15,00,000. As recently as 2009, France deported 10,000 Roma to Bulgaria and Romania, both countries with a history of discrimination against the ethnic minority.

The story of our nomadic tribes such as the Korava and the Irula is no different. They were declared criminal by the British colonial government, confined to camps, jailed for minor offences, and had their traditional nomadic life restricted by laws. They didn’t conform to the British idea of civilisation, which meant settled agriculture and hard work. The nomads were seen as lazy freeloaders who paid no taxes and didn’t contribute to the nation’s economy. Even Indian society looks down upon these people of no fixed address.

In the face of such hostility, the Korava flaunt their differentness. Although the men wear shirts and lungi like villagers, they wear their long hair coiled in a bun, stride with muzzleloader rifles slung over their shoulders, and speak in loud guttural voices. Nobody messes with them for fear of receiving an earful of strident, colourful invectives. As a young radical, I admired their style and moxie.

Although little is known of the Korava origins, according to popular perception, they came from the general area of Gujarat, perhaps Rajasthan. Angus Fraser, the author of the book The Gypsies, says the Roma came from the same region, most probably Rajasthan. So was I right: Could the Korava and Roma be related after all?

In December 2011, Isabel Mendizabal from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain, and a team of European geneticists examined the DNA of 13 Roma groups from across Europe. They say the Roma migrated out of India 1,500 years ago, and that Punjab was most likely their homeland. I hope someone conducts a similar study of Korava origins.

I first met members of the tribe in person when Rom introduced me to Manangatti and Bangarapilli. They were master trappers and hunters, with a remarkable skill in mimicking creatures’ calls. A few enterprising Korava sold sacks of large bandicoots as feed for crocodiles and lizards at the Madras Croc Bank. Although the nomads don’t eat the one-kg-heavy rodents, they eat anything else that walks or flies: jackals, pussy cats, palm squirrels, monitor lizards, and birds of all kinds, even crows and vultures.

I didn’t realise how much my worldview was influenced by the tribal way of life until a couple of months ago. When I found palm squirrels devastating our kumquat crop, I threatened to roast and serve the pests with kumquat glaze for Christmas. Rom was startled at my suggestion. I argued defensively, it was a perfectly logical solution.

Rom exclaimed, “You twisted Korathi!”

I preened at the compliment.

Keywords: My husband and other animals

Day in Pictures

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/incoming/day-in-pictures/article4369343.ece

News in pictures

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/news-in-pictures/article4369339.ece

Women’s WC: Sri Lanka shocks England

Sri Lankan players celebrate after winning their match against England at Women's Cricket World Cup in Mumbai on Friday. Photo: PTI

TOPICS

cricket IPL

World Cup Cricket

After drawing level with England off the penultimate ball, Sri Lanka’s Dulani Manodara pulled Georgia Elwiss over mid-wicket for a superb six to complete their first-ever win over their fancied rivals in any form of the game.

Minnows Sri Lanka caused the biggest upset of the ICC Women’s World Cup as they defeated defending champions England by one wicket off a last-ball six in a thrilling Group A encounter at the Brabourne Stadium here on Friday.

Chasing 239 for a win, the Lankans got off to a flying start with a record century partnership between Chamari Athapaththu and Yasoda Mendis, but slumped to 157 for 5 before Kaushalya Lokusooriya brought them on the doorsteps of victory with a whirlwind 56 off 41 balls with three sixes and 5 fours.

Kaushalya was run out off the penultimate ball at the non-striker’s end before Dulani slammed Elwiss for a six to complete a shock win over the three-time champions.

The left-right opening combination of Atapaththu (62 in 72 balls) and Yasoda (46 in 98 balls) laid the foundation of the Lankan run chase. But after Atapaththu’s exit at 103, the underdogs lost a clutch of wickets in a short span -- including that of Yasoda.

They looked like slumping to their eighth defeat in nine contests (one no result) against England in ODIs, before Kaushalya played the match-winning innings to knock the wind out of the champions’ sails.

Kaushalya, lucky to be dropped on nine by Jennifer Gunn in the deep, took full advantage of her ‘life’ to hit her repriever for two fours in the 48th over in which the bowler gave away 16 runs.

Needing 13 from the last 12 balls, Kaushalya lost her eighth-wicket partner Deepika Rasangika, with seven balls remaining and her side needed nine off the last over.

She pulled Elwiss for a six to bring down the target, was dropped by the bowler in the next ball and then got run out in a dramatic final over before Dulani hit a six off the last ball to complete a famous win.

Keywords: England-Sri Lanka match

Madame Bovary excels

TOPICS

sport horse racing

Madame Bovary, Stellar Ambition, Clever Trick, Mountain Range and Mi Amor excelled when the horses were exercised here on Friday morning (February 1).

Inner sand:

1000m: Valahak (B. Paswan) 1-8, 600/41. Moved on the bit. Ballantoy (R. Marshall) 1-9.5, 600/41.5. In fine trim.

1400m: Motivating (rb) 1-36, (1,400-600) 49. Pleased.

Outer sand:

600m: Absolute Joy (rb), Socrates (Shahbuddin) 44. They finished level. Viktor (S. John) 46. Easy.

1000m: Ayrton (S. John), a 3-y-o (Mull Of Kintyre – Chill Seeking) (Faisal) 1-15, 600/43. Former finished three lengths ahead. Frankness (Sahanawaz), Elusive Hurricane (R. Marshall) 1-16, 600/45.5. They moved on the bit. Adriphos (Faisal), Mantra (S. John) 1-17, 600/43.5. They strode out well. Hard To Pin Down (Shahbuddin), Red Admiral (rb) 1-12, 600/44.5. Former finished three lengths ahead. Gun Salute (Shahbuddin) 1-14.5, 600/46. Moved freely. Spark Of Silver (R. Marshall) 1-13, 600/43. In fine trim. Diamonite (Anjar), Wood Stock (B. Paswan) 1-16.5, 600/45. They moved freely. Turf Striker (S. John) 1-13.5, 600/44. Shaped well.

1200m: Alpine Shine (Prabhakaran), Wind Tunnel (R. Anand) 1-29, 1,000/1-12.5, 600/44.5. A fit pair. Stellar Ambition (Noornabi), Clever Trick (V.R. De Sousa) 1-26, 1,000/1-11, 600/43.5. They impressed. Wings Of Fortune (S. John) 1-26.5, 1,000/1-12.5, 600/44. Pleased. Vigorous (B. Paswan), Vistabella (Anjar) 1-29, 1,000/1-14.5, 600/45. Former finished five lengths ahead. Zultanite (Anjar) 1-30, 1,000/1-15.5, 600/45. Moved on the bit. Inquisition (Sahanawaz), Zenica (R. Marshall) 1-24.5, 1,000/1-10.5, 600/44.5. Latter started five lengths behind and finished two lengths behind. Mi Amor (Vaideeshwaran) 1-28, 1,000/1-12, 600/43. Moved fluently. Madame Bovary (V.R. De Sousa), Boudicca (Sahanawaz) 1-23.5, 1,000/1-9.5, 600/44. Former started four lengths behind and finished two lengths ahead. Smokey Sid (S. John) 1-28.5, 1,000/1-12.5, 600/43. In fine condition. Royal Romario (Kiran Rai) 1-27.5, (1,200-600) 39.5. Eased up. Somerset Rose (Rajesh Babu) 1-31.5, (1,200-600) 42. Moved freely. Talita’s Girl (S. John) 1-29.5, 1,000/1-14.5, 600/45. Shaped well. Affrikah (S. John) 1-30, 1,000/1-13, 600/44. Worked well. Icecream (rb), Ace Angel Star (B. Paswan) 1-30, (1,200-600) 43.5. They are in good shape.

1400m: Red Bud (Sahanawaz), Silhouette (V.R. De Sousa) 1-42, 1,200/1-25.5, 1,000/1-12, 600/45. Former showed out.

1600m: Mountain Range (rb) 1-56, 1,400/1-40, 1,200/1-26, 1,000/1-12, 600/43.5. A good display.

Gate practice – inner sand:

1400m: Ruling Passions (S. John), Thunder Blitz (B. Nayak), Your My Life (Md. Shoaib) 1-39, (1,400-600) 51.5. Ruling Passions impressed. Jet Set Go (S. Babu), Tinas Touch (Vivek), Fire Star (Noornabi) 1-35.5, (1,400-600) 48.5. Jet Set Go pleased. Ground Marshal (Mallikarjun), Oriental Belle (Ganesh) 1-46, (1,400-600) 55.5. Former finished ten lengths ahead. Himavari (Mallikarjun), Cool Baby (Ganesh) 1-49.5, (1,400-600) 57. Former finished three lengths ahead.

Gate practice – outer grass:

1400m: Ungoogleble (S. Babu), Rock With U (V.R. De Sousa), Joey (Noornabi) 1-39, (1,400-600) 55. They took a level jump. Super Start (Shahbuddin), Salzburg (Sahanawaz), Whimsical (R. Marshall) 1-34, (1,400-600) 50. They jumped out smartly. Wind Surfer (R. Marshall), Bolts Colt (Sahanawaz), Scorching Vulcan (Indrajeet) 1-35.5, (1,400-600) 52. They took a good jump.

Keywords: Madame Bovary

Silver Arrow should make amends

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/sport/races/silver-arrow-should-make-amends/article4368868.ece