A BYTE OF LIFE Tuesday, May 26, 2009

03 02
MADE IN CHENNAI Unauthorised ferrying
Sugan uniforms has been in the Police to check on illegal boat rides
business for 34 years

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 3 No. 96

SON OF THE SOIL

Director Samuthirakani, whose Naadodigal is all set to hit the screens soon, talks about his journey
from mud roads of Sethur village in Rajapalayam to the glitz and glamour of Kodambakkam

» Page 10
02 NAMMA CHENNAI ERGO Tuesday, May 26, 2009

We will rock you

EarthSync is hosting the third edition of the EarthSync Festival on
May 30 at Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall. Tickets for
the show are priced at Rs. 400 and available at Landmark, Odyssey,
Anokhi and EarthSync office. For details call 4205 2532.

Love in China
T he Embassy of the People’s Republic of
China, New Delhi and the Indo Cine
Appreciation Foundation opened a Chinese
Film Festival at the South Indian Film
Unauthorised boats
Chamber Theatre on Monday. Around six
films will be shown as part of the festival.
They include:
You and Me (May 26; 6.15 p.m.) is the story
of a girl looking for a place to stay on a
snowy day. She lands in o the private
rides under scanner
residence of an old woman. First they both Police also to check on boat rides along ECR
dislike one another, though as they spend
more time together
their friendship grows.
However, one day the
girl must leave the
house of the old
woman.
Sigh (May 26; 7.45
p.m.) tells the story of
an affair between a
struggling screen
writer and his young
female assistant, its
effects on his marriage and the impact on
the man himself.
Light Rail (May 27; 6.15 p.m.) is the story of
Jiang Yan and Zheng Siji and the struggles
they face after buying a house. The Knot
(May 27; 7.45 p.m.) revolves around Chen
Xiushui, an English teacher in Taiwan. The
boy he tutors has a sister. They fall in love.
A Bright Moon (May 28; 6.15 p.m.) is a
biographic story of Li Shutong, a celebrity
in modern Chinese culture. And, finally
Perhaps Love (May 28; 7.45 p.m.) revolves
around the love triangle that develops The boat that capsized near the shore at Elliots Beach on Sunday evening. PHOTO: M_KARUNAKARAN
during the making of a musical in Mainland
China.
The films will be screened at the South PETLEE PETER the only ones authorised to operate adventure boat
Indian Film Chamber Theatre, Anna Salai. petleepeter@goergo.in rides in the sea along ECR.
For details call 98401 51956 Sources in the Adyar police limit under whose

P
olice are cracking the whip on unauthorised jurisdiction the beach stretch till Muttukadu falls
boat rides into the sea, especially along the revealed that beaches including the one in Thiru-
East Coast Road, after the Besant Nagar boat vanmiyur, Neelankarai and behind the VGP has
capsize incident on Sunday evening in which been identified as places were illegal boat trips take
15 people, including six women and three children, place mainly on Sundays.
escaped drowning. K. Narendran, an IT professional from Saligra-
The incident has come as an eye-opener for the man, confirmed upon experience that boat rides
police after heavy media focus criticising such ille- along on ECR do happen and are easy to get. “All
gal ferrying into the sea that put innocent lives at one needs to do is go to one of those kuppams
risk. (hamlets) near the beach and fix a boat ride for a
The local fishermen usually lure the visitors to the negotiable fee,” he said.
beach with a joy ride into the sea on their fishing Apart from the ECR, Marina and Elliots, some
boats for a fee ranging from Rs. 20 to Rs 100. The fishing hamlets in North Chennai also offer boat
rides with the absence of safety gears are conducted rides for a fee. One such ride with 13 people from
without permission from the tourism authorities at Annai Sivagami Nagar in Ennore on April 5, 2009
some spots on Marina Beach, Elliots Beach and a proved fatal for two men after the boat capsized mid
few shores along ECR. sea. On the shadow of the Besant Nagar incident
Hafiz Khan who operates adventure boat trips city police commissioner K. Radhakrishnan has or-
from Kottiwakkam beach said that dered and immediate probe into the
some fishermen along ECR and Mari- unauthorised ferrying of public in
na often take people who want to "Cases will be Chennai. “More police personnel will
have a drink in the sea. “These fisher- booked against be posted mainly on Marina and Be-
men ferry them with absolutely no sant Nagar beach with two constables
precaution or safety gear like life jack-
offenders and near the shore watching out for any
ets and ropes inorder to make some their boats will unauthorised boat rides with the pub-
quick bucks from the boat ride,” add- be seized and lic,” commissioner said.
ed Khan. Cases will be booked against offen-
Khan also informs that Fortune their licenses will ders and their boats will be seized and
Chariot, GRT Temple Bay, Taj Fisher- be cancelled" their licenses will be cancelled, he
man’s Cove and his firm E Zone are added.
 Tuesday, May 26, 2009
03
Want a ticket for T20?
Here’s a chance to fly to England and watch the ICC World Twenty20 live. Big 92.7 FM has launched the ‘Dham Dhoom
T20’, which will see Chennai musicians wish India success for the world cup. The radio station is offering five cricket
fans get an all-expense trip to England to watch the match. SMS 55454 to participate in the contest.

Back to School: Parents shopping school uniforms at Sugan, Pondy Bazaar. PHOTO : R. RAVINDRAN

UNIFORMS FOR ALL

LIFFY THOMAS
liffythomas@goergo.in
Thanks to detergent companies, naughty kids and uniforms round the year,” ex-
plains Dipesh Jain, the third gen-
growing children, Sugan has been having a eration in the business. April to

R
emember flaunting the na-
vy blue skirt to school, with
strict instructions from
your teacher that the hem-
lines should not be above or be-
low the knee. Or returning home
with mud splashed water on your
white shirt and green knickers on
the pretext that you wanted a new
pair every quarter. Or cursing
your college for the uniform as
you are often caught red-handed
with friends outside the cinema
hall during college hours.
Whether in school, college or
office (if your company has one),
uniforms conjure up different
memories.
Love wearing it or hate it, but
the business of procuring and
selling the fabric to hundreds of
students in a school is an impor-
tant occupation for some.
In Chennai, Sugan has been as-
sociated with school uniforms, a
business Sugan Mal Jain and his
son Vijay Kumar Jain started in T.
Nagar 34 years ago. Today, a ma-
jority of Sugan’s customers are
the second generation who now
shop uniforms for their children,
too.
First customer
“In fact, we were the first to in-
troduce striped uniforms in the
city in 1975,” Vijay Jain recalls.
Holy Angels School in T. Nagar
was the first educational institu-
tion to introduce the change, go-
ing away from the traditional
white and plain fabrics.
run for the last three decades
“Sr. Rose and Sr. Leena were “There was a lot of resistance
in-charge of the school then. We when we initiated the striped/
called for 10 students and check fabric in the public,” says
showed the different shades of Vijay
white among the children, con- Holy Angels School’s brown
vincing them to switch over to the check shirt and brown skirt came
coloured pattern as it was easy on as their first break. Since then
maintenance and struck a cord there has been no turning back
among the school’s students.” for the Jains’, who diversified into
the textile segment from the fam-
ily-run jewellery business. “Over
97 per cent of schools today have
converted to the striped or check
fabrics. We stock uniforms of
around 400 schools from the city
alone, and what makes us differ-
ent from other stores is our busi-
ness is not seasonal. We stock
Timeline
1975 Opened Sugan on T.
Nagar
1990 Wins a customer
base from 200 schools
2003 Relocates to Pondy
Bazaar in T. Nagar
2003 Opens its Anna
Nagar outlet
We stock uniforms of
around 400 schools
from the city alone,
and what makes us
different from other
stores is our business
is not seasonal
June is their busiest period.
With schools coming up with
instructions like ‘Nowhere within
the radius of 200 km should the
same uniform be introduced’, Su-
gan’s big task is to come up with
patterns to please all and sundry.
“We add 20 to 30 designs every
year, which are procured from
our inhouse in Mumbai,” says Di-
pesh, who has a degree in textile
designing from NIFT and post
graduation in the same from Cali-
fornia.
Brand loyalty
After being synonymous in
Chennai for its school uniforms,
Sugan is getting aggressive from
July to market its institutional
uniforms. If six years ago uni-
forms were looked as an expen-
sive commitment on the part of
the company, in the last couple of
years even corporates have
woken up to implement uniforms
as a company’s image. “Produc-
tivity increases when everyone is
in uniform. Plus, it is the cheapest
way to brand a company,” says
Dipesh. “From K.G. to M.D: uni-
forms for all, that’s going to be
our strategy in the coming years,”
he concludes.
Besides, it is looking at opening
branches in Adyar and Velachery
by the end of 2009. ■
(Made in Chennai is a column
that showcases the evolution of
home-grown businesses)
04 KALEIDOSCOPE ERGO Tuesday, May 26, 2009

‘‘
The software, IT revolution - we’re just at the start
of that. What we can do for education,
communication, and what that looks like for the efficiencies
of world markets, we are just at the beginning of that
Bill Gates

Technology
snippets
sourced
VINTAGE from T3

POINT 1 magazine of
Infomedia18
Old dog, new tricks Group

E
nfield’s 350cc Unit Construction
Engine gets bumped to the 500cc
mark. The new beast sporting it
calls itself the Bullet Classic.
Interestingly, it’s the most advanced
Enfield yet, owing to its engine that
offers electronic fuel injection and an
integrated clutch and gearbox. Wanna
impress your
girlfriend’s old-fashioned parents, make
sure you do on the Bullet Classic.
TBC, WWW.BULLETCLASSIC.COM

The details
1. LOOKS
It looks straight
out of the 1950s
with its single
saddle seat and
tiger-eye
headlamp
2. MOTOR
The engine
dishes out
power equivalent
to that of 27.2
horses

SHOOT AT SMILE JUKEBOX’S NEXT

Trust Sony Ericsson to spoil us for more. And this
time it is with its new phone, the C510. Said to be
the first “Facebook” phone courtesy the cyber
shot camera, the phone boasts of enhanced
features like smile shutter, auto-rotation, face
detection, photolight and illuminated imaging. All
these
jargon simply mean that now mobiles too will work
only when you smile. Candid Camera, here we
come! Finally the search for a great camphone has
ended, at least till the guys at Sony Ericsson give us
something better!
RS 12,195, www.sonyericcson.com
Don’t blame us for our obsession for media
streamers. We deserve to watch home-shot videos
at good quality, no matter what the
content may be. And
that’s what DVICO TViX HD M-6500A
claims to deliver. It may be small, but
it’s a powerhouse in features. TViX
comes with an in-built 1TB
hard disk and a Wi-Fi dongle for
streaming. It can play H.264/ MPEG-4,
FLAC, OGG, AAC and quite a few others
as well.
Rs 27,000, WWW.TVIX.CO.KR
 Tuesday, May 26, 2009
05
Name doesn’t matter
USB drives - those lighter-sized sticks containing flash memory that
plug into a USB port - go by various names; flash drives, flash
memory, sticks, thumb drives, and of course USB drives. All of these
names refer to the same thing.

Just seven days to play around

and review the Apple iPhone 3G.
Our reviewer just about got
used to the phone but
then it was time to
hand it back!
ANUSHA PARTHASARATHY
anushaparthasarathy@hotmail.com

I
f you are a gadget freak and
like owning the latest gizmos,
regardless of the price just so
you can keep fiddling with it,
make heads turn and hear those
‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’, the new iPhone
3G is the perfect phone for you.
In front of me, one fine day,
was the shiny white iPhone 3G
that I was to review in a week.
Seven days with a phone that cost
as much as whatever I owned col-
lectively was an experience by it-
self. The first two days I held it
with its velvet pad at the bottom,
as though it would break at the
slightest touch. What an irony,
seeing that it was a touch phone!
The first noticeably tough thing

My experiments with
to get used to with any touch
phone as with this one was the
messaging, especially if you are
one those who sends 500 smses a
day, most for no reason at all. The

iPhone 3G
QWERTY keypad on the iphone is
a tad small, so the alphabets are
too close to each other and most
often than not your finger presses
two alphabets than one. It took
me three days to get used to it
and then gradually became easier
and surprisingly simpler. It is
easy to delete messages in bulk
on the phone. Just touch on the tice that the picture quality had e mail access easier next time.
side to mark the messages and improved. Video and radio still You can also monitor stocks and
press delete. The only drawback seem a myth with no provisions use GPS to get your way around.
was that you could not forward in this phone also. Of course, it isn’t perfect but it’s
messages. The main menu of the phone certainly a good start.
All music junkies hail the pod. can be categorized by touching To sum it all up, at the There are the
The sound quality is agreeably and dragging the various ele- end of one week, though cool phones,
the best around and I could not ments into multiple pages. This is some missing features the uber cool
help feeling like a five-year-old useful especially since the phone had me yearning for phones and
with wide, excited eyes as I supports third-party software, my own mobile, it then the
flipped through the music al- which can be arranged according took a lot of effort to iPhone!
bums at the swish of my finger, to your whims. hand the iPhone 3G
choosing whatever song I want- The 3G feature of the phone is back. ■
ed. The sound quality has also most impressive and most await- The iPhone 3G is priced at
improved and has become louder ed with faster access. It also al- Rs. 34,580 for Vodafone, Rs.
and sharper than before. The lows you to sync with Microsoft 36,100 for Airtel customers and
background buzz that the first outlook and registers the con- is available at the iStore, Airtel
generation iPhones were accused tacts, email and calendar, making and Vodafone outlets.
of is almost redundant.
Probably the biggest minus
point of the phone is its multime-
dia pack. It comes with a 2 MP
The background buzz that the first generation
camera, just like the iPhone. But
here again, I was surprised to no-
iPhones were accused of is almost redundant.
06 VILLAGE ERGO Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Toddler eyes new sandpit toys

A three-year-old New Zealand girl bought a mechanical digger for
GBP8,000 while her parents were asleep.

Price wants Andre back YouTube

Model Katie Price says she made “the biggest mistake”
of her life by driving away singer husband Peter Andre infested with
and is desperate to reconcile with him.
“If only I could turn back the clock. I’ve made the porn videos
biggest mistake of my life and it’s my own entire fault. Video-sharing website
If I’d have known I was driving Pete away so badly I YouTube has come
would have pulled myself back. I don’t want a divorce, I under attack with
just want us back as a family again,” Katie told News of hundreds of
the World newspaper. pornographic videos
“I’ll take Pete back tomorrow. I’ll drop the divorce if he being uploaded onto
gives me another chance,” she said. its site.
IANS The sexually explicit
videos and
inappropriate material
were uploaded under
Models share catwalk with animals the names of famous teenage celebrities like Hannah
Leggy models shared the catwalk with a porcupine, a Montana and Jonas Brothers.
python and a yak on at a fashion show to raise public And as the videos were being uploaded, many viewers
awareness of animal welfare and Saint Petersburg’s zoo. added them to their favourites and rated them highly.
About a dozen animals in all - some on leashes, others in Flonty was asked if he was concerned that children could
the models’ arms - strutted their stuff for the zoo, one of freely watch such inappropriate material on YouTube.
the oldest in Europe but hard-pressed for funds. “Children will find inappropriate material around the
“Casting the models was not easy,” Tatiana Fedorishenko, Internet anyway,” he replied.
the zoo’s deputy director, said. “The animals in the show YouTube owner Google said that it was aware and
are tame, but the models have to be without fear, and addressing the problem.
comfortable with them.” “We are aware of the slew of pornographic videos that
“It was hard,” confided one of the models, Natasha. “My were uploaded,” Google spokesman Scott Rubin said.
fox was always trying to run away. I had trouble finishing ANI
my walk.”
“I’m taking
part because
of my Boy upset with too much kissing on TV
compassion for William Barclay-Clark is nine-year-old and his favourite TV programme is
animals,” said Robin Hood but the child is so enraged with the number of “revolting”
designer kisses in the show that he has lodged a formal complaint with BBC.
Vladislav He has also written a letter of complaint to ITV about excessive kissing
Aksyonov. “I in another children show Primeval, Daily Mail online reported.
am flatly “In Robin Hood, kissing happens every single week. In the last series
opposed to the Maid Marian died and now Robin is pretty much with every girl,”
use of natural William said.
fur and I also William said that when he and his eight-year-old brother Matthew sit
want to help down to watch dinosaur-hunting drama Primeval, they are forced to
our zoo.” cover their eyes if there is any romance.
AFP PTI

S
hilpa Shetty was supposed to perform with the
American R&B star Akon at the IPL finals but de-
cided to opt out at the last minute as she couldn’t
get time to prepare for the act.

Shilpa
“I was just not prepared. It was an international plat-
form, not some village nautanki. I had to be fully ready.
And I just didn’t get time to rehearse. So I regretfully
had to say no. But I’d rather not give anything less than
my best when I’m representing my country,” Shilpa
said.
Shilpa, who co-owns the IPL team Rajasthan Royals

DIDN’T GET TIME with beau Raj Kundra, says she was happy to be just a
spectator at the finals.
“So what if my team wasn’t playing. I think I’m sport-

TO REHEARSE
ing enough to enjoy the game as just a part of the
audience,” she added.
Katrina Kaif joined reggae music legend Eddy Grant
as he sang his anti-apartheid hit Gimme Hope Jo’anna.

FOR IPL SHOW

Choreographer Shiamak Davar also showed some mu-
sical talent as he sang the song with Grant. Bollywood
ace choreographer Shiamak Davar too joined Grant on
stage. ■
IANS
 Tuesday, May 26, 2009
07
Websites of the day Norris scares off bun robbers
Hire a professional dwarf for the day:
A Croatian bakery which used a photo of Chuck
http://www.theminiman.co.uk/
Norris to scare off burglars has been praised - by
Are these pets adorable or just plain ugly? You decide:
the tough guy TV star himself.
http://www.sugarloot.com/photoentry/274775003

Austrian flick wins

top Cannes award
A
ustrian Michael Haneke’s The White
Ribbon, a chilling study of malice in a
German village on the eve of World War
I, scooped the Palme d’Or top prize at
the Cannes Film Festival.
Haneke beat off strong competition from a
score of films by heavyweights such as Quen-
tin Tarantino and Jane Campion to walk away
with the award at the end of the
world’s top cinema showcase.
The Austrian’s previous films - Austrian
including The Piano Teacher, director
Code Unknown and Hidden - Michael
surgically probed the sick under- Haneke
belly of the modern middle poses with
classes. the Palme
“Sometimes my wife asks me a d’Or award
very feminine question: ’Are you at the 62nd
happy?’” said Haneke as he ac- Cannes Film
cepted the award. Festival. AFP
“That is very hard to answer. PHOTO ANNE-
But today is a moment in my life CHRISTINE
where I can say I am very happy POUJOULAT
- and I am thinking of you too,”
he said, addressing his wife in
the audience. ■
AFP

‘Super Sherpa’ Chew on buddy

plans Everest return
He started his
mountaineering career as 쑸
a porter in his early teens Kibabu, the
silverback
gorilla enjoys

T
he Nepalese “Super Sherpa” who con- a lettuce on
quered Mount Everest for a record his 32nd
19th time said he wanted to climb the birthday in his
world’s highest peak again in his cam- habitat at
paign to raise environmental awareness. Taronga Zoo in
Apa Sherpa, 49, returned to Kathmandu Sydney. AFP
after reaching the summit on May 21 when PHOTO/TORSTEN
he broke his own record for the number of BLACKWOOD
successful attempts on the 8,848-metre
mountain. ed five tonnes of litter as part of their efforts
“I have no plans of announcing a retire- to return the mountain to a pristine condi-
ment,” Apa told reporters. tion.
“I am willing to climb to clean up Everest The trash included parts of a crashed hel-
the next year as well. I saw that the glaciers icopter, old ropes and tents, ladders, metal
on the Everest are retreating. It made me cans and climbing gear.
worried.” His latest successful climb coincided with
When on the summit last week, Apa fur- that of British adventurer Sir Ranulph
led a banner that read: “Stop Climate Fiennes, who reached the summit on his
Change, Let the Himalayas Live!” third attempt. ■
Apa said his expedition team has collect- AFP
08 SPORT ERGO Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Tough choice for Gibbs

Herschelle Gibbs will soon have to take a difficult decision of choosing between Deccan Chargers
and South Africa domestic T20 champions Cape Cobras for playing in the cash-awash Champions
League. Gibbs was a part of domestic T20 winners Cobras and on Sunday his Deccan Chargers side
lifted the IPL trophy. IPL Commissioner Modi said it is up to Gibbs which side he chooses to play for.

After IPL, India

unveils T20
Champions League
India will host a multi-nation
Champions League Twenty20
competition in October to cash in
on the growing popularity of the AYON SENGUPTA chipped in to demon
sport’s shortest version, organisers ayon@goergo.in class. The younger b
said on Monday. The tournament, by J.P. Duminy, Man

G
featuring the top domestic T20 lamour, grace, tension Rohit Sharma and Su
teams from seven countries, will be and razor-sharp competi- too refused to buckl
held from October 8-23, Indian tion, IPL II was an unscript- Wily old Shane W
Premier League commissioner Lalit ed drama that kept Kumble and Muttiah
Modi said in a statement. The everybody on the edge for a ran opened up thei
12-team event will offer six million good month and a half. The Box but the likes of
dollars as prize money which Modi, wooden spoon holders of Sea- Pragyan Ojha and La
who also heads the Champions son I reached the pinnacle and ga were not far beh
League, said was the “biggest became the party poopers to Political outcries a
prize in world cricket at a domestic much fancied Delhi Daredevils relations made the ev
competition level”. and Chennai Super Kings. a non-starter but a bo
India will field three teams, In a highly charged final they South Africa and per
Australia, South Africa and fought ball for ball, run for run, porate support and t
England two each, while New wickets for wickets, with the ity of the South Afr
Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Deccanis ultimately hold- removed any early h
Indies will have one team each. ing on to their nerves for a match-fixing shado
Pakistan, which was earlier last-over win. caste its spell with h
nominated to send one team, will The spontaneous stage Modi brushing aside
not feature this year due to drama with regular last-ball to send over anti-co
Islamabad’s refusal to send finishes, spilt catches, super spectors and shadow
sporting teams to India amid over and unfamiliar collapses siegate remerging w
political tensions between the made it impossible to predict. Qasim Banjo, one of
neighbours, Modi said. T20, the disco version of cused, seen floating f
Deccan Chargers and Bangalore cricket meant for young- VIP boxes. Many eve
Royal Challengers, which contested sters, had the most unusual sleepless nights co
the IPL final in Johannesburg on suspects with retired Mat- anonymous blogger
Sunday, gained a direct entry into thew Hayden head and shoul- himself a KKR mole a
the Champions League along with ders ahead of the rest in the name Fake IPL Pl
Delhi Daredevils, who topped the batting. Adam Gilchrist, Eight franchises f
IPL preliminary round. Australia Jacques Kallis, Andrew South, East and West
will be represented by their Symonds and the oth- 59 matches. Other th
domestic T20 finalists Victoria and er senior pros too Knight Riders the rem
New South Wales, while Cape en teams were all in
Cobras and Eagles will fly South till the very end. T
Africa’s flag. The two English
county teams will be finalised on
August 25 when their domestic
Twenty20 Cup ends. Otago (New
Zealand), Trinidad and Tobago
(West Indies) and Wayamba (Sri
Lanka) will be the other teams in
the fray in the 23-match event.
AFP

● Match This XI
1. Winning team made of two words
2. Runners up made of 3 words
3. Winning captain - retired Australian
4. Losing team from South India
5. Purple Cap winner from winning
team
6. Purple Cap winner - Left-arm
Medium Pacer
7. Orange Cap winner from a losing
semi-finalist
8. Orange Cap winner - Left-arm
opening batsman from Australia
9. Winning team Jersey colour – Blue
10. DD lost to the eventual winner in
semis
11. Darren Lehmann
Compiled by Akshay Ramaseshan

PHOTOS: AFP
 Tuesday, May 26, 2009
09

‘‘
Just trying to create the culture of learning from our mistakes last year and
trying to play smarter brand of Twenty20 cricket rather than walking out and
trying to literally just fire from ball one. We just got to get smarter about it I think.
Adam Gilchrist on Deccan Chargers’ success recipe

nstrate their turned at the wink of an eye and Kallis started brilliantly, but
brigade led records and formbooks were re- his innings was short-lived.
ish Pandey, written almost every hour. Delhi Young Manish Pandey, after
uresh Raina Daredevils and Super Kings had back to back Man-of-the-Match
e down. edged out ahead towards the awards, too failed to absorb the
Warne, Anil halfway stage and a rearguard tension and went early.
h Muralitha- action from Chargers and Royal Ross Taylor and Van Der
r Pandora’s Challengers saw them through Merwe showed promise but
R.P. Singh, to the semi-finals stage. And the could not carry on. Backed by
asith Malin- predictions were turned upside unbelievable fielding and some
ind. with the tournament favourites tight bowling from Symonds,
and souring crashing out to the minnows Ojha and young Harmeet Singh,
vent almost and the “Test Team”. the Chargers squeezed home in
old move to In the epic final the drama a very tight finish. The fate of
rsistent cor- started from the very first (the the final, like the whole tourna-
he hospital- second ball in this instance). ment, swung like a pendulum all
rican public Ageless Kumble knocked off Gil- the way. Cricket was the ulti-
hiccups. The christ’s stumps. A packed stadi- mate winner. But one is left to
ow again um and roaring umpires added wonder – was the rollercoaster
honcho Lalit to the clatter, sure to create a drama truly unscripted? ■
e ICC’s offer ruffle or two in everybody’s
rruption in- feather. The usually flamboyant
ws from Han- Herschelle Gibbs played an in-
with Hamid nings out of his character. Se-
the key ac- date and composed, he had a
freely in the point to prove. Andrew Sy-
en suffered monds too cut lose, to send
ourtesy an across a message to the Aussie
who called selectors who have ignored him
and went by in the recent past. But skipper
layer. Kumble knocked out Symonds,
rom North, and then Rohit Sharma. 146 was
t featured in not a big total to chase but the
han Kolkata tension of the final and hunger
maining sev- of Chargers made all the differ-
the rat race ence.
Tables were

The drama that is IPL II comes to an end

10 FLICK
MONISHA MOHANDAS
monishamohandas@yahoo.com
S
ome years ago, a class X stu-
dent from Sethur village in
Rajapalayam, Virudhunagar
ran away from home with
dreams of making big in tinsel
town, only to return empty hand-
ed. But he was not a quitter.
Samuthirakani, actor-director,
is one of the many youths in Ta-
mil Nadu who stepped out of his
village in search of the tinsel
dream in Kodambakkam. But he
is also one of the few to be
dogged enough to make that
dream come true. “Try, try till you
succeed,” is his mantra. We
caught up with him at the AVM
studio, where he was completing
the post-production work on his
upcoming click Naadodigal,
which is slated for a June release.
First Movie Experience
Samuthirakani, who is from an
orthodox agricultural family, had
never watched movies until he
was 12 years of age. Compelled to
watch Alaigal Oivadillai by his
friends, the director admits that
from that day on he had never
slept without watching second
shows.
“I was drawn by the sound ef-
fects and acting styles of various
heroes and decided that one day I
should direct a movie,” he re-
members. Finishing intermediate
exams he left for Chennai with Rs.
120 in his pockets and eyes full of
dreams. Since the bus fare from
his hometown to Chennai was
Rs.70, he knew it was a one-way
ticket and was not keen to return
till he succeeded.
“New to Chennai and nowhere
to go, I remember sleeping under
the Anna flyover. I was woken up
by a police constable who took
me to the station, offered me food
and also advised to go back
home.”
But Samuthirakani followed
what seemed logical: getting the
addresses of directors T.Rajendar
and K. Balachander. But the stal-
warts could not meet him. And he
was left with no other option but
to head back home. “As I was
short of money to return, I had to
work in a hotel for seven days and
got my first salary of Rs. 35.”
He went back home and stayed
there till his graduation. “During
each semester vacation, I came to
Chennai only to develop con-
tacts. After graduation, I was back
in Chennai to join Ambedkar Law
College”. But his search for enter-
ing the industry never stopped.
Turning Point
In 1997, he joined as an assis-
tant director under K.Vijayan. Sa-
muthirakani who always used to
keep himself busy with work was
noticed by Iyakkunar Sigaram
K.Balachander and was roped in
as assistant director for his 100th
movie Parthaale Paravasam.
He also got the chance to work
as Balachander’s assistant in
mega serial Anni telecasted by
Jaya TV. The director recalls that
the work experience he gained
under his mentor Balachander
helped him in many ways while
shooting Arasi and Selvi, the
Son of
the soil
Director Samuthirakani, whose ‘Naadodigal’ is all set to
hit the screens soon, talks about his journey from mud
roads of Sethur village in Rajapalayam to the glitz and
glamour of Kodambakkam
mega serial telecasted in Sun TV,
which were massive hits among
house wives.
The director made his debut in
Kollywood with Unnai Sarana-
dainthen, with S.P.B Charan in
the lead. It was followed by Vi-
jayakanth starrer Niranja Mana-
su. Though both the movies
didn’t do well at the box office
Unnai Saranadainthen managed
to bag four state awards.
Meanwhile he continued work-
ing as co-director for movies Pa-
ruthiveeran and Poi. His game
show Thangavettai and mega se-
rials gave him huge recognition
among Tamil audience. He also
won best small screen director
awards for his serial Selvi in the
year 2006.
The director recently donned
grease paint in Subramaniyapu-
ram directed by Sasi Kumar. He
played the scheming Kanagu (the
ERGO Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Susan Boyle through to show final
Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle went through to the
final of the British television talent show Britain’s Got
Talent. In the semi-finals on Sunday, Boyle gave a live
television performance of ‘Memory’ from the musical Cats,
wowing the audience and winning a public vote to go
through to next Saturday’s final.
heroine’s uncle) in the movie. Nanban Enakum Nanbane’ (my
friend’s friend is also my friend) is
Naadodigal not something new, the director
Naadodigal is Samuthirakani’s promises that his treatment
self-confessed magnum opus. would be. He has not started any
The trio Samuthirakani, Sasi Ku- new project as he wants to see the
mar and Kathir are happy be to- audiences’ reaction towards
gether again after Naadodigal.
Subramaniyapuram.. “Naadodi-
gal is my dream project. I am ea- Dedication
gerly waiting for the movie’s Samuthirakani dedicates his
release. I had to drop this project success to his mother though he
twice due to unavoidable rea- wonders if she will ever see his
sons. But finally it’s on the verge movie. “My mother P.Kamalam-
of hitting the big screens and I am mal is everything for me after the
happy that Sasi Kumar is doing sudden demise of my father
the lead role. The movie is named when I was 15 years of age. We
Naadodigal because, the story don’t even have a television at
moves from Rajapalayam, Nam- home and my mom has not seen
makal, Erode, Sivanmalai, again a movie so far,” says the director
to Rajapalayam, then to Kanya- who feels that his mom won’t be
kumari, Nagercoil and finally to interested even if he shows his
Thiruchendur where the climax movies. “She might search for me
takes place,” he adds. on screen as she doesn’t know as
While the theme ‘En Nanbanin my job is behind the camera.” ■
 Tuesday, May 26, 2009
11
Baichung Bhutia wins Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa III
Baichung Bhutia, partnering his choreographer Sonia, has won Sony’s Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa III. The Indian soccer captain
who initially had troubles getting his moves right has piped model Gauhar Khan and crowd favourite Karan Singh
Grover. Bhutia becomes the first male winner of the show and the episode is to be aired on May 31. Although Bhutia
was not the best dancer on stage, overwhelming votes particularly from his home state Sikkim tipped the scales in his
favour. Generally beamed live, the telecast of the episode was postponed due to the IPL final.

Anupam Kher Cine City

signs Woody Allen movie
A
nupam Kher, who celebrated 25 years in films with a premiere of his film Saaransh,
couldn’t have received a better silver jubilee gift than a role in Hollywood’s ace film-
maker Woody Allen’s project. The veteran actor says it’s like a dream come true.
“First the amazing response to the screening of Saaransh in the afternoon, then this
piece of news. To be in a Woody Allen film is a dream come true for me,” said Kher.
On Sunday morning, Anupam’s international agent sent him the news that he’s part of the
new Woody Allen film, to be shot in London later this year.
“Last year I worked with another international filmmaking legend Ang Lee. Now Woody
Allen. What more could any actor ask for in his 25th year in the business?”
When asked about the ambit of his part in the film, he said: “You think I care? All I know is
that I play Freida Pinto’s father in the Woody Allen film. Even if it is just one shot, I’d be
delirious. I’ve grown up and grown older watching Woody Allen’s cinema. And look at my
kismet (destiny).”
“Do you know the film’s cast? The Woody Allen film features the mighty Anthony Hopkins,
Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts and Antonio Banderas. To be part of this vast cast is enough for
me,” said Anupam. ■
IANS

Mohanlal completes his part

Actor Mohanlal, who was roped in by Kamal
Hassan for the cop’s role in Unnai Pol Iruvan, has
completed his part. The film’s crew, who were
stationed in Hyderabad, are back in Chennai to
shoot the remaining part. Unnai Pol Oruvan,
earlier titled Thalaivan Irukkiran, is directed by
Chakri Toleti, who is from the Florida Film School
in USA. In fact, Toleti has acted as child star with
Kamal Hassan in Salangai Oli (remember the little
boy who clicks photos of Kamal). The film is said
to release during August second week.

Busy Nayan
Nayanthara often falls
prey to gossip mongers,
but now we hear that she
is getting serious with her
career.
Reason: the actor is badly
in need of a hit, since her
last four movies were
duds. Apparently,
she is keeping
herself away even
from the celeb
parties. Currently
she has three
movies in her kitty
-- Aadhavan with
Suriya in Tamil,
Bodyguard with
Dileep in
Malayalam and
Anjaneyulu with
Ravi Teja in Telugu.
12 ERGO Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Monday’s Query: Nagraj Optimus,

Kannan Verizon

If you would like ■ Sachin bcoz he’s king of

cricket.
to celebrate your Prasanna, Infosys,
Mahalakshmi,, Wipro,
birthday with a Swaminathan, Reflexis

famous ■ A.R.Rahman that is the

chance where I can spend at
personality, who least ten minutes very closely
to him.
would it be and Pavan IBM, CP.
Rajesh, Allsec Technologies
why? ■ Late comedian Nagesh
for his wonderful sense of
■ Shoaib Akhtar. humour. Lakshmi Narayana from Satyam Computers,Tidel Park has
He’s a true fast bowler. Roshnee.R, nominated his Panda team mates as Partners in Crime. This photo
Conan, Allsec Technologies was taken when the team won the FITSI "Team of the Year" Award.
Accenture ■ Matthew Hayden,
bcoz he is the man I love to
■ Vodafone zoozoos, watch when he is at his best.
they are the most adorable Naren,
looking. Ford Business Services Centre
Anita, Jai, Silva,
Cognizant Technology Solutions ■ Obama, he is a powerful
man.
■ Sharukh Khan, Latheif
he is simply the best. Allsec Technologies
Nasurudeen, Dilip,
Allsec Technologies ■ Tamannah, bcoz I love her
acting.
■ Rajinikanth for his Anand K.,
simplicity. Infoview Technologies
Semion Alexander.M, AR.Anto,
Allsec Technologies ■ Vijay. I’m a great fan and
it’s a feast to watch him
■ Mother Teresa bcoz dancing or also to dance
I want her incredible love along with him.
showered on me. Selvaraj.S,
Saranya.M, Infosys Prasath from Visteon Technologies has nominated his friends as
Cognizant Technology Solutions Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked during their friend
■ Kamalhasan. Thomas’ wedding.
■ Brad Pitt he’s such a good Because he is most talented,
person. he is only actor to adopted
Aakash any character.
Cybernet-SlashSupport Venkatesh,
HCL Technologies
■ Asin because she is my
favourite heroine. ■ Abdul Kalam because
D.J.Roger he is the first person had a
Tata Consultancy Services vision 2020 to see India as a
developed nation. I admire
■ With my parents. him as my role model for
Drusila, everything he has done for
Tata Consultancy Services, our country.
Kannan N.S., Deepak,
Financial Software Solutions, Verizon

Today’s Query:
Which Tamil actor can pass off as Arun Durai from R Systems International Limited has nominated
his friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked during their
an Indian James Bond and why? trip to Kodaikanal.
 Tuesday, May 26, 2009
13

■ Dear Ajith (Thala-Vandavasi),

Dharmaja B. of Tata Con-
sultancy Services has
been nominated as Office
Angel by her team mem-
bers.
She is very generous and
pleasant natured girl with
high potentials. She makes
the atmosphere in a spring
of joy.
Many happy returns of the day.
Let your smiles and joys increases miles and miles.
We wish you the happiest of birthday.
God bless you machi
With love & care,
Rajesh Rajagopal, Aswin,
Ashika, Rithika,
HCL Technologies
■ Hi Inayathullah,
Khadhar Navaz & Habeeba – May this special day be filled
with sweet memories and happy hours. Wishing you all the
fun and excitement that only birthdays can bring!
With Cheers,
Human Resources,
Coastal Training Technologies India (P) Ltd, Chennai

■ Dear Ranju,
Many more happy returns of the day and have a kewl life
ahead. May this year be filled with happy hours and sweet
memories.
Friendz
AppDev, Chennai

■ Dear Devi,
Hope your Birthday gently breezed into your life all the
choicest of things and all that your heart holds dear. Hope
you had a Fun- Filled Day. Belated Happy Birthday!! :)
Late wishes from,
Deepthi, Vamsi, Sai, Jeevitha, Satish
Praveen from
HCL ■ Dear Vivek,
Technologies, Happy Birthday to U.
Tidel Park Many more happy returns of the day.
doodled this. May all your dreams come true from this wonderful day.
May this day bring U endless Happiness, Prosperity, Joy and
Laughter always.
You live long healthy and happy life.
Regards,
ITAMO, Tata Consultancy Services,
Tidel Park

■ Hi "Shan"awaz.....
Wish U a very Happy Birthday ...
Keep rocking n keep annoying....
Wish u all success....
Wishes from
The "E’s RFT" Team,
HCL Technologies.

■ Hi Senthil,
Many many happy returns of the day.
Have a wonderful Birthday on 26th May.
From Electrolux team,
Mphasis Chennai

Belated Wishes
■ Dear Sowdha (D_ _O)
1. A man complained to the police: Sir, all items are missing, except the TV in my Wish you many more happy returns of the day. We wish
house. you to have lots and lots of happiness. Podhum podhum
Police: ’How the thief did not take your TV? namma style ku varalam....... We wish you to be alive after
Man: I was watching news on the TV. getting Birthday bumps from us...... konjam kastam than......
We pray God to give "nalla budhi" to you.....
2. Man bought a new mobile. He sent a message to everyone from his Phone With luv,
Book & said, ’My Mobile No. has changed. Earlier it was Nokia 3310. Now it is Vaishu, Anitha, Citra,Vino, Jsree,
6610’ Usha, Devi, Saranya, Revathi, Priya, Nithya.
’ HCL Technologies
Saravanan V
HCL Technologies
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Aping about
Police have been left baffled after being called to a
crime scene - to be told a fake ape had made off
with a bunch of pretend bananas.

sudoku

Vikram vetrivel from

GE Healthcare shot
this picture of his
friends under the
waterfalls at
Parambikulam using
D70 camera
Hobbies:
Photography, Dance

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 Tuesday, May 26, 2009
May you rest in peace
A man was left devastated after coroners refused to handle his dead 54th
girlfriend’s body - and handed it over to a wrecking company to drag the corpse
out of their home and winch it onto a tow truck.
15
Word’s worth
Emydosaurian (e-mi-do-saw-ree-uhn) a crocodile.
This fancy term comes from the roots emyd-,
meaning ‘turtle,’ and -saurian, meaning ‘lizard.’

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

Do whatever it takes to keep yourself calm, because
unbridled passions will govern your actions today.
Your desire to covet the best projects will make you
go green with envy when someone else will be
assigned your tasks.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

Your wit and creativity will impress your boss today.
You will also try to be innovative in your routine
tasks. Ganesha advises you to understand the
intricacies of any task so that you can master it
easily.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

Since you are full of hope about possible incentives
BORN LOSER coming your way, you’ll start your day in a positive
frame of mind. Communication with peers will be
smooth. Your gentle manners may impress a
colleague or a superior.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
Congrats, today’s a power-packed day for you! Your
creative, intellectual and intuitive abilities will be at
their strongest. It’s the right day to start a new
project. With your lover in a romantic mood, your
meeting may turn out to be a memorable one.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
Futile tasks may eat up a big chunk of your time,
says Ganesha. A misunderstanding may lead to a
clash with your colleagues. In love life, the physical
attraction you feel for your sweetheart will call for a
romantic evening.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
You will manage tasks in office with admirable tact.
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT Your colleagues will be friendly and helpful as far as
routine work is concerned. Today, your lover, and
not you, will call the shots in the game of love!

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20

Career related issues take centrestage today. You’ll
be very concerned about being in the good books
of your boss. Hence, completing tasks on time will
be top priority, says Ganesha.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20

Colleagues will find your opinions valuable. Avoid
being impractical today and act wisely. You’ve been
slogging for a long time now, so take a break and
go on a vacation with your partner. Ganesha has
already given his go-ahead.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
A task that has been pending for too long will call
your immediate attention today. But don’t burn the
midnight oil or you may harm your health. It’s
diplomacy which will help you handle emotional
matters.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
A slightly stressful day for you, says Ganesha. This
emotional stress can force you to act aggressively.
You may not allow anyone to take the lead in
office, and if someone argues or tries to overtake,
chances are you may lose your temper.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS You’ll be very quick at delivering results in office
today. In fact, you may also stay back after office
ISSUE’S hours and put in extra work. This will pay you good
dividends. If you don’t want an upset stomach, then
SOLUTIONS avoid bingeing.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
Today, you shall amaze everyone with your cheerful
mood. This will certainly improve your productivity
at the workplace. With colleagues, you shall enjoy a
healthy exchange of ideas and this mutual give-and-
take will improve your interpersonal skills.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Actress Katrina Kaif performs during the closing ceremony of

the IPL 2009 at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. AFP
PHOTO / SAEED KHAN

Members of the corporate team HSBC try to pull an Airbus

320 during a competition at the international airport in
Compala, 40 km south of San Salvador. AFP PHOTO/JOSE CABEZAS

Fireworks explode after the IPL Twenty20 final match at The

Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. AFP PHOTO / SAEED KHAN

The Russian Soyuz TMA-15 rocket is moved to the launch pad at the
Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
AFP PHOTO / DMITRY KOSTYUKOV