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Hockey gold in Incheon Recognising Israel |
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Modi’s American journey
Practising English articles
Dark and compelling Gloss over this glitzy fare
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Hockey gold in Incheon India's
win over Pakistan in the Asian Games gold medal match has great significance - India have now qualified for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. This is the objective the Indian team and the coaches had been working for over the last several months. The win has sparked great celebrations among India's hockey fraternity. This is fine - the Indian team has shown cohesiveness on the field, and their moves seem to be better orchestrated than just a year ago. They have shown that they can fight back from a difficult situation - they were down 0-1 early in the final, and in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, they'd come back from 0-2 down to beat New Zealand 3-2 in the semifinals. But it's clear that there remains a great gulf between India and the world's best teams like Australia, Germany and the Netherlands. Unfortunately, much of the joy for the win in the Asian Games is being derived from the fact that India beat their archrivals Pakistan to the gold. That's insular and regressive, in the context of the world hockey - India are ranked No. 9 in the world, Pakistan No. 11. In purely hockey terms, if you take out the symbolism, the win is not really such a big deal. This is exactly what captain Sardar Singh and coach Terry Walsh emphasised after the victory. This is just one step, which deserves celebration, but it's not the end the Indian team needs to work for. Indians want their team to win the World Cup and the Olympic Games gold medal, but right now, there's no earthly chance of that happening. India need to make changes in the system, invest in the grassroots level talent, and get more youngsters to push for places in the national XI. India winning the Asian Games gold medal after 16 years is terrific, the win over Pakistan was deserved if not emphatic, but we must not be blinded by it. Beyond Asia, the hockey world is very competitive. India need to work very hard to conquer it.
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Recognising Israel Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, by meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, has recognised how important Tel Aviv is to New Delhi. Modi and Netanyahu met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The two countries have an old association. And as Modi pointed out, Jews, who settled here, were never persecuted. Although Israel had come to India's aid in the past, New Delhi had close relations with the Palestine Liberation
Organisation, and it was only in 1992 that diplomatic contact was formally established. Thereafter, Israel has established itself as a major trade partner, providing vital defence equipment to India, as well as cooperating on other security matters. The BJP's reluctance to condemn Israel in Parliament for the assault on Gaza has shown the new government's inclination towards improving ties with Israel. During the meeting Modi sought more Israeli investments, especially of the kind that would be a part of the "Make in India" programme. India is also keen to get cyber security expertise, agriculture, water management and solid waste treatment in urban areas. While Israel and India both seek to thwart terrorists, they have a different approach and focus. Battling with the ISIS is the main concern of both the US and Israel right now, whereas India is more focused on Pakistan-based terror groups. Such differences are natural and the two countries have their own priorities in West Asia. In fact, India has a longstanding relationship with many countries that are inimical to Israel, including Iran. Indo-Israeli relations have never been showy, but they have deepened as both counties have demonstrated mutual respect and increased cooperation. Even as the increase in economic ties is on the card, New Delhi will need to tread cautiously in the diplomatic minefield that West Asia is. South Block will need to keep a firm focus on maintaining its traditional ties with Arab nations, even as it improves newer alliances.
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Thought for the Day
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.
— William Arthur Ward, an American writer
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THE long awaited news has come that the Indian troops have at last landed in France. The arrival of the transports bearing the flower of the King-Emperor's Indian Army set the French town, Marseilles, according to Griffith's Agency, seething with excitement, and as the troops marched through the city to the rest camp led by the Sikhs the inhabitants were "wild with delight and enthusiasm." The Reuter's message says that "it was a moving sight to see Sikhs, Gurkhas, Punjabis, Baluchis, and Princes with bejewelled turbans, pass along through the dense masses of cheering spectators, every window, every balcony and roof thronged." The glowing account of the magnificent reception accorded to our soldiers will send a thrill of pride in Indian hearts. Troops were pelted with flowers, while the people pressed forward to grasp hands and pin flowers and tricolours on their tunics.
Advice to students "ADVICE to students intending to go to England for study — Don't." This summarises the paternal advice that is sometimes given by the newest friends of India. We notice a lengthy review in an Anglo-Indian paper of a small pamphlet said to be issued by Mr. R.K. Sorabji, Secretary to the Advisory Committee for Indian students in Allahabad. Sir Henry Richards has, it is said, written an introduction to this and is of opinion "that there is no longer the necessity for Indian students to go to England that there was some years ago. He asserts that a much better legal training or practice can be had in this country than in England." Why then do not the English students come to India for legal study in the superior colleges of Allahabad. Evidently, according to Sir Henry's opinion, the English law students are unambitious.
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Modi’s American journey Prime Minister
Narendra Modi went to New York and Washington on an official visit and wowed both non-resident Indians (NRIs) and stay home people. This paradox speaks of the limits of a first visit in office of a man denied a US visa for a decade but adept at creating an impact. If at the end of the exercise and tour de force, there was no prize catch to grasp in the way of a major investment deal, the fault was not entirely the Prime Minister's. There were simply too many problem areas left over from the previous five years and the conclusion of those with the power and ability to invest billions of dollars was encapsuled in the adage former US President Ronald Reagan was fond of citing: Trust but verify. US business tycoons liked what they heard from the Prime Minister, but, given the Indian record, wanted Mr Modi to deliver what he promised. In essence, he has a six-month window, which could be stretched to the next budget, to show results. Indo-US problems fall largely into two categories: the hurdles to investments and setting up businesses more susceptible to Mr Modi's steamroller and knottier problems involving legislation and the states' cooperation. Foremost in the latter category are the introduction of GST, goods and services tax, and the elephant in the room, the nuclear question former US President George W. Bush did so much to promote and conclude. Thanks to the narrow-minded legislation the Bharatiya Janata Party did so much to help pass, the horrific penalties suppliers are saddled with have kept American companies (and some others) out of any nuclear deal. On foreign investments, India has tied itself in knots by the kind of labour and land laws that have been passed at several levels making it arduous to acquire land and set up businesses. True, some BJP-ruled states are beginning to peel away some of the penal labour laws but it is patchy work very much in progress. And the BJP's own bugbear, opposition to foreign direct investment in retail, is another hurdle to be crossed. On the broader political plane, Mr Modi had some success in moving the stalemate that had developed, partly from the United Progressive Alliance-II having lost steam and distracted by scams, partly from President Obama's own distractions and loss of interest in India. The defence cooperation agreement has been extended by another 10 years and there has been a significant movement in cooperation in counter-terrorism operations and sharing of intelligence although neither side expected India formally to commit itself to fighting the ISIS or the Islamic State. New Delhi was pleased at the inclusion of Pakistani terrorist organisations within the ambit. Behind the new approaches being made by the two countries to revive the elan of earlier years are the geopolitical realities of Asia and the balancing of the great power status of an assertive China. New Delhi itself is seeking to balance China, not in the sense of containing it, but in seeking to place limits on Beijing’s tendency to appropriate sea lanes and territory to its advantage through partnerships with the US, Japan and perhaps Australia. In any event, India has expressed its interest in East Asia while linking to the West. The BJP has an advantage in practising realpolitik in international affairs because it does not suffer from the inhibitions of the Congress Party stemming from ideological reasons. Somewhat unexpectedly, Mr Modi has demonstrated a sure touch in his dealings with world leaders during his earlier visit to Japan and now the United States while playing host to China’s President Xi Jinping. However, for Mr Modi, international politics is only a route to economic diplomacy and commerce. Indeed, in his heart, he must have been disappointed that despite his marathon efforts, he could not take home even one major investment deal from his US trip. Suspicions of Indian methods of doing business and making retrospective legislation simply run too deep in the American trading community to melt their hearts to Mr Modi's seductive blandishments. The essence of the argument is that Mr Modi must now win his battles at home before much of the world will walk the red carpet he has spread out for foreign investors. In view of the BJP's lack of numbers in the Rajya Sabha and the expedient of calling a joint session to pass legislation can only be an exception, rather than the rule, he must devise innovative ways to cross the hurdles to foreign investment. In a sense, Mr Modi must be rejuvenated by his American visit because his ethos is very American in the free-wheeling ways of commerce he prefers and the limitless opportunities offered to a hardy entrepreneur. Indian enterprises, particularly those in the competitive service industries, have their own legitimate grouses because projected immigration laws will further restrict the work of Indian professionals. And on the political plane, US policy is weighted in favour of Pakistan despite its misdemeanours because Washington needs it in withdrawing its troops and heavy equipment from Afghanistan. Perhaps Mr Modi's appeal to the non-resident Indians to have "one foot in India" by investing at home will yield more immediate results and he was generous in distributing sweeteners not only to NRIs but also to persons of Indian origin to simplify their visa and stay requirements, also promising American citizens visas on arrival. Apparently, the Navratri fast he observed during his entire stay in the US did not interfere with his schedule.
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Practising English articles “Good grammar is like personal hygiene — you can ignore it if you want, but don't be surprised when people draw their conclusions.” — Anonymous
1a. Beauty is skin deep. 1b. The beauty of the film lies in its storyline. 1c. The garden has a beauty of its own. When zero article marks an abstract non-count noun like “beauty” is marked in 1a, the structure conveys the quality as a general concept. In contrast in 1b, “beauty” is marked with the definite article “the” because the speaker wants to project the specific identity of beauty. In 1c, the indefinite article “a” denotes beauty as a type of quality with no specifications. 2a. I go to the temple everyday. 2b. I go to a temple everyday. By using “the” in 2a, the speaker refers to an object which he thinks exists in everybody's life. “The” suggests that the speaker and the listener share common knowledge. In 2b, the speaker refers to “a” temple the listener knows nothing about, thereby indicating the object or the act to be unspecific. 3a. Shilpa has few friends 3b. Shilpa has a few friends. The use of “few” without “a” shows that Shilpa could have had more friends but has only a small number of them. In 3b, the use of “a” before “few” means that it was possible for Shilpa to have had no friends yet she has a small number of them. “Few” indicates a small number where many of them could have been there, therefore 3a has a negative connotation. “A few” too indicates a small number of friends but in a context where almost none might have been there, therefore 3b has a positive connotation. 4. What sort of person is she? With phrases such as “sort of”, “kind of” and “type of”, the indefinite articles “a” and "an" are usually left out before the noun in formal usage. But they can be used in expressions like “What kind of a doctor are you” to sound informal. The articles can be practised with cloze tests. We can prepare a cloze test ourselves by selecting a text from a newspaper report or a narrative and deleting the articles in it (with the key prepared before deleting the words). We can then put suitable articles in the spaces and check them with the key.
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Dark and compelling Let's
get this straight — Vishal Bhardwaj doesn't make films to cater to the least common denominator. Box office success or lack of it are least of his concerns. Rather, he approaches filmmaking as a work of art, which also explains his fascination with one of the greatest writers of all times, the Bard of Avon. Third in the trilogy of Bhardwaj's films — the earlier two being Maqbool and Omkara — Haider is once again an ode to Shakespeare and a tragedy of epic proportions. By placing Hamlet's story in strife- torn Kashmir, Bhardwaj creates a perfect background for telling the poignant tale. Cinematography by Pankaj Kumar further cements the poetic sensibilities of both the original play and its remarkable adaptation. Without doubt there are many master flourishes. As the camera begins to make love to the idyllic paradise called Kashmir, it also sets the tone and tenor of the film. Tragic yet bewitching, dark yet illuminating, painful yet beautiful; in short, bloody fascinating. Till the first half, the film enraptures you completely. As you are all eyes and ears, characters, grow on you and hold you in a vice-like grip with all their varying shades — black, white, but mostly grey; the real colour of us humans. Be it Tabu as Ghazala, the wife of a doctor who pays a price for sympathising with militants, or her paramour and her husband's younger brother Kay Kay Menon and most importantly her anguished son Haider (Shahid Kapoor) in search of his father. No doubt these three are the principal characters of the film. Of course, the triangle comprises of mother, son and uncle, wherein the director alludes to the Oedipus complex with finesses, in sync with the Indian ethos. As the story of revenge and interpersonal relationships unfurls, among the three main actors, it's hard to tell who towers over the other. If Tabu is brilliant as the mother torn between her desire and her love for her son, Kay Kay Menon proves how adroitly he can blend restraint with skill. Shahid as Haider has an author-backed role. Not only does he rise to great expectations, but in some scenes surpasses them too. In the second half, in one particular sequence, where he delivers a short speech, an equivalent of a soliloquy, at a public square, he brings forth the tragedy of Kashmir irrevocably. And this, one must say, is Bhardwaj's biggest accomplishment. Haider's story is not just a personal tragedy or that of men and women around him, but of the entire Valley. While underscoring the pain of Kashmiris emphatically, not even once does he go overboard or melodramatic. Certainly the dance of death in the anticlimax might seem a bit too macabre, even a trifle stretched. But even to the bloodstained pristine white snow he imbues an aesthetic resonance that is as artistic as compelling. Apart from sterling performances and authentic flavour of the Valley, we can recount several reasons, why you must watch this film. Of course, if you are a stickler for popcorn entertainment, this slice of brave cinema may not fit in your bill of movie tickets. Yet, nothing can take away the fact that here's a film with a potential to haunt you for a long, long time.
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Gloss over this glitzy fare If
you look good, you feel good — so believe an overwhelming majority of women. Make a film look good and the audiences will feel good — so thinks an entire tribe of filmmakers.
Bang Bang! rides on exactly this sentiment. So, the 'looking good' meter ticks off from the word 'go'. It begins with a panoramic view of London, moves to a majestic one of Shimla and also halts at Prague and many more picture-postcard destinations, and in no way stops at the magic of the golden couple. Handsome hero, lovely heroine, picturesque locales, designer wear, formula car cruising ahead, beamers of all kinds on display and of course, hi-tech action— Bang Bang! is in a way about all things beautiful. So much so that the bad man, dreaded terrorist (Danny Dengzopa) too remains only an aside to make the good-looking look better. The only flaw in this seemingly perfect product, whose production values are top notch, is that none of its beauty runs deep — at best on the surface level and at worst downright shallow. Enter handsome hunk Hrithik Roshan and for a while you couldn't care less, neither about the predictability nor the glaring incongruities which come in abundance. So, you gulp down the fact that he has stolen the Kohinoor, stared enigmatically at the video camera and yet has not been caught. Despite the video footage available in every nook and corner of India, including a dhaba at Shimla (unbelievable?), that he remains ahead of those on his heels too, is taken with a pinch of salt. For as long as you get to feast your eyes on Hrithik's exceptionally sinewy and sculpted body, you dare not complain. Greek God like or not, you can't help but applaud. For sure, he has raised the bar; his contemporaries can't match at least in the physique department. To be fair, he is as competent as an actor too. He fights well, dances with easy fluidity, as only he can. However, it's Katrina Kaif, the bank receptionist, whose life is turned upside down when she meets this charmer who engages us, albeit in a dumb-cute fashion. She learns to pack quite a punch, literally, and has quite a meaty part. For once, the heroine is much more than eye candy. No doubt she looks like a million bucks, but is more than just a pretty face and even in 'all that glitters' fare has some detailing to her character. Otherwise, attention to detail, as expected in a movie as glossy and glitzy as this one, and the one that comes with ‘one of themost expensive films' tag, has to be a casualty. For a spy film strangely it offers very little at the intelligence level too. Sure, action-thrillers are not meant to be profound or somber. But aren't they supposed to make your adrenalin pump faster? Or at least are not supposed to be so inexcusably lame. But, when a film is titled Bang Bang!, are you being lame when you expect it to be anything other than shoot and scoot, clang and boom? Now, whether it's making the right kind of noises or not, depends entirely on whether you like your cinema to delve beneath the surface. If yes, stay away. If, however, you belong to the 'watch it, enjoy it, forget it' generation, catchy music, some not-seen-before action and Hrithik's beefy body should be enough to make you happy. It does prompt us to be a trifle generous and go with an extra half star.
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FILMY 9:00AM Dil Maange More 12:30PM Chori Chori Chupke Chupke 5:00PM Sandwich 8:30PM Darna Zaroori Hai HBO 10:08AM Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 11:57AM Shooter 4:43PM Now You See Me 7:14PM Bad Teacher 9:00PM Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen CINEMA
TV 11:30AM Jo Bole So Nihaal 4:30PM Bittoo Boss 8:55PM Jai Kishen MOVIES NOW 11:15AM The Circus 12:50PM Rush 4:45PM Knight and Day 6:55PM The Day the Earth Stood Still 9:00PM The Matrix Revolutions MOVIES OK 9:25AM Humraaz 5:35PM Shootout at Lokhandwala 8:00PM Jo Jeeta Wohi Baazigar 11:10PM The Real Man Hero STAR
GOLD 8:20AM Ab Ke Baras 11:10AM Dulhe Raja 8:00PM Dabangg 10:40PM Hukumat Ki Jung STAR MOVIES 10:00AM Resident Evil: Retribution 12:00PM Fast Five 4:30PM Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters 7:00PM The Incredible Hulk 9:00PM Home Alone 3 ZEE CINEMA 12:12PM Lal Baadshah 5:58PM Shiva: The Super Hero 9:00PM Big Brother
FILMY 9:00AM Hanuman 12:30PM My Dear Munna Bhai 5:00PM Malamaal Weekly 8:30PM Sherni HBO 9:58AM We're the Millers 11:52AM Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 4:36PM The Twilight Saga: Eclipse 7:07PM Aeon Flux 9:00PM Red 2 CINEMA TV 11:30AM Cocktail 4:30PM Blackmail 8:55PM No Entry MOVIES OK 9:10AM Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! 11:45AM Fukrey 4:35PM Meri Jung 8:00PM Golimaar 10:45PM Return of Kaalia STAR GOLD 8:50AM Ra.One 12:05PM Humshakals 4:50PM Wanted 8:00PM Kick 11:05PM Dangerous Khiladi STAR
MOVIES 7:30AM Home Alone 9:30AM Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters 11:30AM The Lost World: Jurassic Park 2:30PM Home Alone 3 4:30PM Spider-Man 3 7:00PM Mr. Bean's Holiday 9:00PM The Transporter 11:00PM Predator ZEE CINEMA 7:59AM Haatim Tai 10:54AM Ganga Jamuna Saraswati 2:37PM Judaai 5:50PM Players 9:00PM Hum Aapke Hain Kaun...!
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While Mr Modi himself has expressed satisfaction over his five-day visit, the verdict must be that it was a useful bridge-building exercise in an important relationship that had gone cold. The Prime Minister pressed all the right buttons, including meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and representatives of the influential Jewish lobby, American politicians and office holders from President Barack Obama down and the chiefs of major companies.
There
But trust Bhardwaj not to give a short shrift to any of his cast members. Investing them with flesh and blood he makes them throb and pulsate. Whatever be the length of the role, there is no way you can miss Irrfan Khan, who as Roohdar, lends the right degree of ambiguity to his character. Not only do Arshyia (Shraddha Kapoor), the love interest of Haider, or her policeman father, seem erringly real, so do those in minor cameos. Salman Khan-besotted Salmans (Sumit Kaul and Rajat Bhagat) running a video parlour and doubling up as spies find their suitable place in the narrative.
A movie that is essentially a takeoff from Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz starrer Knight and Day, rather is being touted as an official remake, is about an undercover intelligence agent. Now, don't you go accusing us; we haven't played spoilsport and spilled the beans. For the very first frame, which has consummate Jimmy Shergill delivering well, in a brief part of a patriotic Army officer, is a dead giveaway. Actually, there are no surprise elements in store. Bingo! You know where the film is headed.
Saturday October 4
Sunday October 5