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The Hindu : y>Amoolya Kamal, who made a mark at the recent SAF games, takes her cues from her goalkeeper mother

Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.Champion speak Amoolya Kamal wants to coach the Under 13 level players

Parents are eager to see their children succeed. Amoolya Kamal, the only member of the Indian football team from Karnataka, which won the gold medal at the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games in Dhaka, has done her parents proud.

Amoolya, proved to be a very important player in her first international outing at Dhaka. “I came in for the captain O Bembem Devi, who was not in the best of form. I played an attacking role in the midfield.” She was also instrumental in initiating a series of goals in the 7-0 drubbing of Bangladesh and played a vital part in the 3-1 win over Nepal in the final.

The 26 year-old took to football as a toddler and remains extremely passionate about the game. “My inspiration is my mother; Chitra Gangadharan, who donned the India colours as goalkeeper.” Her father, Kamal, was a State-level footballer. Chitra played for Karnataka, even after Amoolya was born but soon switched roles to become a NIS trained coach. “I used to take her to the nationals when she was just a year and a half old,” says Chitra. “I won a silver in the Asian Cup at Calicut in 1980. My daughter has achieved what I have always dreamt about, winning gold for the country,” says Chitra. Amoolya learnt the nuances of the game from her mother. The absence of a State team for girls in football saw Amoolya starting off as a volleyball player. “I captained the Karnataka mini volleyball team in the Hyderabad nationals. We won the bronze medal at the event.” However, football was her true calling and she made it to the senior State team for the nationals in 1998. She…More

The Hindu :

In films, music festivals, and everything else, Muzaffar Ali celebrates Sufism

Photo: V.V. KrishnanPANACHE Muzaffar Ali at his Kotwara studio in Delhi with a picture of his father in the background

The source of peace and content that envelops Muzaffar Ali is clearly due to the belief in Sufi philosophy Ali’s life revolves around. “Sufis are the best people. They make bridges connecting people with each other. Those are not done physically but in a more subtle way through the mind and the soul. Anybody who is passionate about people, nature and beauty is a Sufi,” ruminates Ali. Jahan-e-Khusrau, a Sufi music festival held against the breathtaking backdrop of Arab Ki Sarai, Humayun’s Tomb complex was just two days away when we meet Muzaffar Ali, the man credited with this invaluable addition to the Capital’s cultural calendar.

Early lessons in humanism

If Sufism is about humanism, then he says he learnt the first lessons a long time ago from his father S. Sajid Husain, who belonged to the erstwhile royal family of Kotwara, a tiny village 160 kms from Lucknow. “He was passionate about people. After completing his masters from Edinburgh University, he returned to India and in 1937 fought elections as an independent against the Congress and the Muslim League, and won. At that time, he was talking about casteism, communalism, hydel power, family planning. His last words to me were ‘nobody should ever starve in Kotwara’.”

Dwar Pe Rozi (DPR) — a charitable organisation was not only set up as a means to fulfil his father’s last wish, but also stemmed out of his deeply-felt humanistic concerns. “I personally feel people shouldn’t be displaced. It’s the biggest crime against humanity. It was with this conviction that I made “Gaman” (his first film featuring Farooque Shaikh and Smita Patil). It had a two-pronged approach of assessing the impact of migration on the migrants and…More

The Hindu : y>

Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara is the youngest of four siblings and has many other talents besides being a good cricket player. At school he excelled in both cricket and tennis. He is multilingual and is able to speak fluently in Sinhalese, Tamil and English. He is also ambidextrous and can use either arm with equal skill. He is a law student and wants to follow in the footsteps of his father who is a lawyer.

Javed Miandad’s parents migratedfrom Ahmedabad (Gujarat), India in1947 and Miandad himself was bornin Karachi after they had moved toPakistan. Miandad made his Testdebut against New Zealand atLahore on October 9, 1976. Hescored a century in this match, tobecome the youngest player (atthat time) to do so, at the age of 19years and 119 days.

Former Pakistan captain and fast bowler Imran Khan once took part in a fast bowling competition featuring the fastest bowlers of the world in Perth in 1978. He finished third, clocking 139.7 kmph, behind Jeff Thomson and Michael Holding, but ahead of Dennis Lillee, Garth Le Roux and Andy Roberts. This was remarkable since during his country cricket days, from 1971 to 1976, he was regarded as an average medium pace bowler.

Former West Indies fast bowler and now commentator Michael Holding was an outstanding athlete as a teenager and was an accomplished 400 metre runner. His running speed and athletic ability helped him in cricket also and he had a superbly rhythmic run-up. Thanks to his athleticism, he could bowl effortlessly at great speed and extract considerable bounce even from lifeless tracks.

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The Hindu : y>

New clues Fresh insights into some of the most notorious murders

In one of the greatest unsolved murder cases of all times, in 1888, Jack the Ripper terrorises the city of London, killing five women in gruesome attacks. He is one of the most infamous names in English criminal history and remains an enigma. However, a new approach is uncovering evidence that turns the case on its head. The new investigation unearths evidence that there could have been two people involved in these crimes.

In 1483 the king of England, Edward V and his nine year old brother disappeared from the Tower of London amid rumours of murder – an infanticide which altered the course of British history. It changed the royal bloodline, resulted in near bankruptcy of the country . Their uncle Richard III has long been accused of the crime. However, modern investigative techniques are throwing his guilt into doubt by exposing medieval spin doctors who turned Richard into a murderous villain, while concealing two other prime suspects. All will be revealed on Nat Geo tomorrow at 10 p.m.

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The Hindu :

Jacarandas and Tabebuia argentea blooms cast a spell on the city in mauve and golden yellow hues

A painter’s delight The city’s skyscape is coloured with fresh new colours

Most of us don’t realise it, but Bangalore is beautiful at this time of the year. Everywhere, fresh new leaves, in varying shades of green and watery pink, catch my attention. The huge canopied rain trees with their parrot green leaves, the peepul and mango with transparent pink leaves, and the striking blue/mauve Jacaranda and the golden yellow Tabebuia argentea flowers, which are out in full bloom, have cast their spell on the city.

At the Windsor Manor, a triangle of dripping golden yellow Tabebuia argentea, a deciduous tree native to Brazil bursts out in a colourful welcome. The bright yellow trumpet shaped flowers hang in bunches and make a stunning sight, especially when the tree is in full bloom, like now. The flowers cover the trees and not a leaf is in sight, helping to mentally lighten the heat wave that seems to have enveloped the city.

Tabebuia trees grow tall and do not require much water to thrive. As the leaves fall before the buds begin to show, the seed pods of the previous year split and throw the winged seeds all over the area below the tree.

Plants play holi

If planted in soft soil, with compost added to it, the seeds will germinate easily and grow into young saplings, which can be spread across the city’s parks and pavements.

“These trees flower the best if they are not watered excessively,” says Vasanth Kumar, former director, Department of Horticulture. “That is why they make good pavement trees though they do not have a large canopy like the rain tree.”

The trunk is dry and brittle and its root strength is not very good to hold it in severe storms, but it luckily does not suffer from…More

The Hindu :

Samantha is making waves in the Telugu film Ye Maya Chesave

Pretty woman Samantha

He breezed in as Karthik, the charming tenant, and she sizzled as Jessy, a confused girl in “YeMaya Chesave”. Together Naga Chaitanya and Samantha have become the hottest pair in the Telugu film circuit. Samantha’s kohl-rimmed eyes and beatific smile, are a huge hit with movie-goers.

Her look was entirely the director’s call, says the actor. . So what worked for the movie? Samantha says, “Everyone’s calling me and saying it’s their story. The biggest problem in relationships is not the outsider, it’s the couple alone who are responsible for the conflict.” Samantha is from Chennai; her mother is a Malayali, her father speaks Telugu, and she insists she’s a Tamilian. A commerce graduate from Stella Maris College, the actor dabbled in modelling before signing a Tamil film. Samantha avers that she’s trying her best not to get carried away by the compliments now pouring in, and she’s learning to be composed. The overwhelming response to the film has made her numb. About her role of playing a 24-year-old woman who is two years older than the hero, she says it is very realistic. Samantha’s voice was dubbed by Chinmayi as it sounded very girlish and the film required a certain element of maturity. This movie has been released simultaneously in Tamil with Trisha and Simbhu as the lead pair.

In “Ye Maya Chesave”, the lovers meet eventually in London. The climax in Central Park where the couple have a long conversation is her favourite scene.”

“In one particular scene where Karthik comes to meet me from Goa, there were no cuts. It was one very long scene and there wasn’t any prompting. The entire credit goes to Gautham Menon alone.”

At the moment Samantha is in Kochi shooting for a Tamil movie and will later move on to another location for…More

The Hindu :

The Deodhar Trophy is played in honour of stalwart Dinkar Balwant Deodhar

Grand old man Dinkar Balwant Deodhar

The Deodhar Trophy limited overs cricket tournament will be held at Baroda from March 6 to 9. It will feature five zonal teams slugging it out in a limited overs format. The competition ranks high in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) scheme of things for domestic cricket.

Generation X may not know much about the man in whose honour this event is staged year after year. Professor Dinkar Balwant Deodhar is among the rare breed to have played cricket before the first and after the Second World War. That is testimony to his tenacity and endurance, which earned him the sobriquet of the Grand Old Man of Indian Cricket.

A major influence on Indian Test and domestic cricketers for many generations, he was an aggressive right-hand batsman and leg-break bowler. A professor at S.P. College in his native Pune, he played for the Hindus in the Bombay Triangular tournament against other famous teams such as the Parsees. Although he never played for the country – considered too old at 40 when India played its first Test in 1932 – he had a long innings in first class cricket, which he played from 1911 to 1948. In between, he established Maharashtra as a first class team and led it in the Ranji Trophy from 1939 to 1941. A shrewd captain, he ensured his side (that had hitherto not won a single match, leave alone a tournament) won India’s most prestigious domestic competition in both the seasons that he led it. He was perhaps at his best two months short of his 49th birthday, cracking 246 against Vijay Merchant-led Bombay. He reported the Indian team’s tours of England and Australia between 1946 and 48 for The Hindustan Times. Honours included the Padma Bhushan, naming…More

The Hindu : y>It might be more than a decade since their Millennium days, but the Backstreet Boys are still on a high, writes SHALINI SHAH

Photo: R.V. MoorthyHighway to success Backstreet Boys performing in New Delhi

Boy bands. There are a few who bring out one successful album or two and disappear, and then there are the Backstreet Boys.Among Indian audience, especially, no boy band has received the adulation that the Backstreet Boys have.

When we meet the Backstreet Boys — AJ McLean, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough — backstage at the Rock ‘n India concert in the Capital, we meet a group that’s at ease at being older. Not to say the boys aren’t having fun though.

The India stop is part of the Asian leg of their ‘This Is Us’ tour, as part of the promotion for their latest album. About the album, “The music on the album is what the Backstreet Boys are best represented by,” says Nick. “Because of the amount of travelling we do, our inspiration has become international.”

While the group’s first two albums — Backstreet Boys and Backstreet’s Back — did more than well enough internationally, the group’s biggest phenomenon till date has been their 1998 album, Millennium.

Millennium, though, is not a benchmark now, say the bandmates. “On a personal level, our music is going to grow with us… Millennium stays our biggest hit, but if we never get back to the Millennium days, it doesn’t really matter,” AJ says. “Seventeen years is not bad, right?”

When the Backstreet Boys came up with their single Incomplete in 2005 after more than three years since their previous album Black & Blue, there received a mixed reaction.

“It’s not easy being a popular artiste in the top 40 as well as trying to stay in the top 40. Everything is getting younger and younger as music progresses. In the end we just want…More

The Hindu :

V. Raghunathan’s Don’t Sprint the Marathon is a self-help guide on following your heart

Get up and go Raghunathan: ‘Running the marathon of life is about rebounding from failures’ PHOTO: V. SREENIVASA MURTHY

A class XII student in Mumbai who was stressed over studies throws himself to the train; another college student hangs herself when she fails to clear her final year engineering papers and there are others who silently battle the ‘fear of failure’ with bouts of depression and behavioural problems.

Escalating numbers of student suicides is a wake-up call to pushy parents. In a rush to make their child a super achiever, they turn to ‘regimental parenting’ which seems to take away the natural flair of children. “The diary of a class V student is packed like that of a senior executive,” says author V. Raghunathan as we settle down for a conversation over coffee. “Parents want them to study, play tennis, and learn dance and music too.”

Raghunanthan was at Reliance TimeOut recently to launch his new book “Don’t Sprint the Marathon” (Harper Collins, Rs.199). “Media reports on student suicides and my interactions with parents made me realise the huge expectations heaped on students,” adds the former professor of IIM, Ahmedabad. The book is a self-help guide to parents, high-pressure professionals, academicians and teachers. Sipping coffee, he clarifies that he “don’t want to run down a good start” but drive home the message that “those who don’t have it are not write offs”.

A sense of guilt is imbibed in children when they fail to crack a competitive exam or make it to a top institute. The opportunities are aplenty now, from wild life photography and radio jockeying to art. Parents should build on child’s strengths and teach them how to deal with failure. “Promote excellence born out of passion and they will do an outstanding job of it,” the author adds….More

The Hindu :

Soumya Aravind Sitaraman’s penchant for art manifests itself in various forms

VersatileFor Soumya, creativity is a channel of expression PHOTO COURTESY: USHA KRIS

“She taught me to see”, says Soumya, looking at her mother with pride and admiration. Born into a family of luminaries, Soumya Aravind Sitaraman is orbiting success like her ancestors who defied the norm during their times. Her paternal grandmother, Alamelu Viswanathan, acted in the first black and white Tamil talkie and her maternal grandmother, Kumuda, was one of the first woman pilots in India. Her mother, Usha Kris is a renowned freelance photographer and a guest lecturer at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. Trailing on a rich lineage, Soumya’s artistic adroitness comes as no surprise.

Tryst with art

Soumya’s tryst with tradition began at a tender age. She grew up in Chennai and wedlock took her to the Silicon Valley where she established herself as an eminent artist.

“I wanted to use art to bridge the gap of cultural differences and open the eyes of Americans to the beauty of India”, she says. While in California, she founded Shakti, a coalition of contemporary artists of Indian origin. Under the aegis of Shakti, budding artists exhibited their work at the Euphrat Museum of Art in Cupertino. Soumya’s penchant for art manifested in various forms. She was the first Indian to be conferred the artist-in-residence award at the Works Gallery in San Jose where she created “Lifelines”, a series of 12 paintings that depict powerful stories of individuals living in an environment of diffused, diverse cultures. Soumya painted a 1972 model Volkswagen Bug that was featured in documentary filmmaker Harrod Blank’s movie “Wild Wheels” and book titled “Art Cars”.

“Chachaji’s Cup”, a children’s book that has illustrations by Soumya is another work to her credit. Relocating to Bangalore with her family gave her an opportunity to immerse herself in the lore of India. “We don’t…More